In a letter written in 1895, Dr. J. B. Cowan states that his grandfather, Captain James Cowan, moved from Blount County to this county in 1806 and was the second man to settle here.
James Cowan was married April 23, 1800, to Mary (Polly) Montgomery, a sister of Hugh Montgomery. There is a memorial marker in Cowan Cemetery inscribed, “WILLIAM H. MONTGOMERY BORN 1792 DIED 1829”. This stone must have been erected sometime in the latter part of the 1800’s in memory of Hugh Montgomery and his son, William H. The style is Victorian and the footstones have never been set in their proper place. Perhaps fieldstones once marked the graves and some later member of their family erected this beautiful tombstone as a memorial. There is no mention on the stone of their wives, though William H. Montgomery’s first wife, Susan* Cowan, died here in 1820.
Born about 1770 and dying in Franklin County in 1815, James Cowan’s life spanned that dangerous and exciting period of American History which began the push West. Since childhood he had known perils of frontier life. His grandfather, Samuel Cowan, had been scalped and killed by Indians. When James was fifteen (abt. 1785) he was captured by the Cherokee and adopted into their tribe. After a year he managed to escape. At the time of his capture, his father, Major John Cowan, and his small sister were killed. His mother, Mary, was taken north by the Shawnee and held captive for seven years. The story of her escape is an exciting one and is best described by quoting from a letter written by Dr. J. B. Cowan to a relative in 1895:
I stated in my other letter that Major John Cowan, my great grandfather, was killed by the Indians, and his wife and son, my grandfather, were taken prisoners. My great grandmother was carried by the Shawnee Indians to the Lakes on the North for several years. She was the slave of the squaw that captured her.
At last a half breed and his wife took compassion on her and planned to rescue her. He left in his canoe with his wife for the French Trading Post in Kentucky, somewhere north of Cumberland Gap, on the Kentucky River, I believe.
They concealed their fugitive under the furs n their boat and eluded the Indians in their pursuit and reached the French Trading Post in safety. Knowing, however, that they would be pursued, they succeeded in getting the men at the Post to conceal their refugee in the cellar of the store, and a messenger was sent in haste to notify the settlement in (I believe) Blount County, Tennessee. The messenger ride day and night. When he reached the settlement, it was Sunday, and the people were all at Church (it was a great camp meeting). The messenger rode up to the stand where the preaching was going on and called out: “Is there a man here named Russell, Major Russell, or Colonel Walker, or any man named Cowan?” Major Russell responded, and said: “What do you want?” He said: “There is a woman at the French Trading Post making her escape from the Indians. Her name is Mary Cowan, and the Indians are in pursuit to recapture her, and I am sent to tell her friends to come as quickly as possible to rescue her.”
You can imagine the scene that followed. In an hour a hundred picked men were in the saddle and were off. The excitement in the community was intense. It was the coming back from the grave.
There was a forced march day and night. The Indians were there first but had not found their victim. Late in the evening a large string of cavalry was seen approaching. The Indians fled, and my great grandmother was rescued.
My father recollected to have seen her years afterwards when he was but a child. My grandfather was in the rescuing party to save his mother.
Had I had the time I would love to weave these and many other thrilling facts into a romance and write them and leave them for my children. I am feeling very close to you now, as I have been hunting back into our kin who have crossed over and are resting under the shade.
Your friend and kinsman,
J. B. Cowan
