Person:James Green (36)

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Lewis Green and the Bear

This pertains to Lewis Green, Sr., father of the James Green who was KBI'd with Robert Kilgore, and Lewis Green, Jr. who appears on the Moore's Fort Roster in 1777. From: Emory Hamilton Sketches, nd Some of the family relations mentioned here are shown in the diagram following this story.

In 1854, Captain John Carr who had formerly lived on Carr's Creek in Russell County, Virginia, and who had moved to Sumner County, Tennessee in 1784, wrote the particulars of this event to Dr. Lyman C. Draper, saying:

I did not know Green who was clawed by the bear, but frequently heard the particulars related by Green's son, Zachariah Green, and my brothers. Green lived on Clinch. He and two more men were hunting on the headwaters of Kentucky on Sandy River, where the circumstances took place. He was nearly torn to pieces by a bear. His company or comrades had no idea of his living and ungratefully came off and left him. They reported he was dead on arriving in the settlements. They had left plenty of meat at the camp and by the kind attention of his only companion, a faithful dog who licked his sores, he recovered, and after some months he came to the settlement, contrary to the expectations of every person who was acquainted with the circumstances, and to the disgrace of the two men that were with him, whose names I have forgotten. My recollection is that he (Green) died upon the Clinch.

Old Lewis Green did not die upon the Clinch as Carr remembers, but in the fall of 1784, Green and part of his family, with others, started himself to the Nashboro settlement upon the Cumberland in Tennessee. He became sick upon the way and died on the Blue Spring Road, which road is unknown to this writer. At the time of his illness and death on the road to Cumberland, Lewis Green was accompanied by his daughter, Sarah Green, the wife of Josiah Payne, and others. His son, Zachariah seems to have already been in Sumner County. Prior to leaving the Clinch, Lewis Green had made a will and placed it in the hands of Benjamin Nicholson in the event anything happened to him. Whether Nicholson was just a friend or a kinsman is not known, but this will was placed on record in Washington County, Virginia. In 1785, wherein Lewis mentions his son, Zachariah Green, and divides his property equally among all his children, but does not name the other children.

Upon arriving at Nashville, Sarah Green Payne, on April 7, 1785, appeared before the court with others of the party and proclaimed a noncuptative will for Lewis Green, stating that while he lived with her and her husband on the Clinch that Lewis made a will which he left with Benjamin Nicholson, charging him not to make any record of this will until he heard from him for when he got to Cumberland he should alter his will, wherein he had stipulated that a Negro named Charles should be sold and the money equally divided among all his children. That all his children were married and gone from him and all had received their share except Zachariah, whom he wanted to have Charles, if he had lived to alter his will. This noncuptative will also shows that Lewis Green died in October of 1784, and that the depositions were taken at the request of Josiah Payne who was to act for Zachariah Green in his absence. Where Zachariah Green was at this time is not known to this writer.

Among the children of Lewis Green was Zachariah Green, James Green who was killed by the Indians in 1782, Lewis Green, Jr., Sarah Green who married Josiah Payne, son of Matthew and Mary Payne, and Nancy Green who married Peter Hutchinson.

It is of interest to note that Dr. Lyman C. Draper in his notes states that the story of Green being clawed by the bear was known to and told by Daniel Boone. This being true, then the event must have occurred in either 1774 or 1775, that being the dates of Boone's stay in the Clinch area.

Family Relations

Lewis Jr, and Zachariah served under Sergeant Patrick Porter at Moore's Fort in Castle's Woods, in 1777. Porter's daughter Susannah married James Green Jr, barothr of Lewis Jr, and Zachariah. James was killed by Indians along with Robert Kilgore who also appears on the Moore's Fort roster under Patrick. Susannah was pregnant with James son at the time of his death. The child, whom she named James, was born posthumouly. Susannah then married Rev. Robin Robert Kilgore, son of the Robert Kilgore killed with James Green.