An Indication Of The Hardshops Suffered By William Orr And His Family,In The Area Where He Settled In What Is Now Davidson County, Nashville, Tennessee.


 Excerpts from the book "Early Times In The Cumberland Valley", by James A. Crutchfield


The killing started again in 1793. All through January, February and on into March and April, reports came almost daily from one station or another of another victim falling to the redskin's tomahawks

The situation by Spring of 1794 was practically unbearable.
It became more and more obvious to everyone concerned that the only way to settle the crisis of the indian attacks and murders was to take the offensive against the responsible tribes and attack them in their viliages.
Sentiment had been running in this direction for many months, but General Robertson felt restrained from giving his approval since he had received orders from the U.S.Government not to entertain this idea.

During the summer Major George Winchester was killed while on his way to the Sumner County Courthouse.
This and the earlier murder of the young Bledsoes, together with the many others, had so enraged the people that it was determined to destroy the lower towns this year.

A resolution was taken among the settlements and it was decided that, with or without the blessings of the Central Government, now was the time to strike.
Troops from all over the Cumberland Valley as well as some from Kentucky gathered near Fort Nashboro.

On Sept.6, 1794, in a letter to *Major James Ore(sic), a resident of Davidson County, General Robertson ordered him to "destroy the Lower Cherokee Towns" and, at the same time, admonished him to "spare women and children, and to treat all prisoners who may fall into your hands with humanity, and thereby teach those savages to spare the citizens of the United States, under similar circumstances.

*( Major James Orr's name is spelled correctly in the Register Of Deeds, Davidson County,Tn. 1791-1796. He was William Orr's brother who lived in Sumner County during this same period.)

*Major James Ore's(sic) force set out from Nashboro on the next day, and after following a route to Murfreesboro and thence to Manchester, the crossed the Elk River and arrived at the Tennessee River about three miles below the mouth of the Sequatche River.
On the night of Sept.12, the river crossing was made by about 275 men.
On the morning of the 13th, the whites attacked the town of Nickojack.
Running Water, another town about four miles distant. was also attacked and destroyed.
About fifty indians were killed in the two battles, while the expeditions force sustaind three men wounded.



Excerpt From James Orr's Obituary, 1876 (This James Orr was William Orr's son and nephew of Major James Orr.)

James Orr was born on Nov.5,1787, In Davidson Co., near the place where Nashville now stands.
His parents emigrated from North Carolina, about the close of the Revolutionary War, and for years endured the privations, dangers, and difficulties incindental to establishing the first settlement in Middle Tennessee.
His earliest experience was, therefore, connected with danger from hostile indians, and his first acquaintances such men as Gen. James Robertson, Isaac Bledsoe, and Andrew Ewing, whose names were so intimately connected with the early history of this area.
Before he reached his majority, he moved with his parents, to Sumner Country. In 1805, he moved to Williamson County and in 1811 to Maury County.

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