... From the beginning, the settlers of Sumner county were in constant peril. The men seldom ventured from their homes without arms. They lived in groups of several families, bound together by ties of common interest, exposed to common dangers, and ever ready to hazard their lives for the common good. Most of them had been born and reared on the frontiers of Virginia and North Carolina during the stirring times immediately preceding the Revolution. They grew to manhood and womanhood in the wilderness, where danger lurked on every hand, where Tory, British and Indian foes were liable to be met at every turn. Under such circumstances, where midnight attacks were of common occurrence, where fathers, brothers, husbands and sons, when they went to the clearings in the morning were in danger of being shot from ambush and their scalps torn from their heads before they returned to their cabins. Such men courted danger for danger's sake. They were cool and dispassionate, and fear never entered their souls.
The Cherokees and the Creeks were constantly on the war path. There was no safety for the settlers until General Robertson ordered the destruction of the Chickamauga towns, and that order was successfully executed on September 13, 1794. After that time there was peace and safety. But many homes were in mourning for loved ones who had fallen victims to savage cruelty.
Among The Killed:
- James Hall, brother of William, June 3, 1787.
- Richard Hall, another brother of William Hall, June 3, 1787.
- Major William Hall, father of the two last named, and of William Hall, afterwards Governor.
They were killed at the same time about half a mile southwest from the Hall home, while moving to Bledsoe's Fort for better protection from the Indians. ...
