PART II. EAST TENNESSEE, (WITH A DESCRIPTION OF EACH COUNTY.) The State of Tennessee is divided into three political divisions, known as East, Middle and West Tennessee. Of these we are to speak now only of East Tennessee. This division of the State embraces the counties of Carter, Greene, Hancock, Hawkins, Johnson, Sullivan and Washington, forming the first judicial circuit; Campbell, Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger, Hamblen, Jefferson, Sevier, Scott and Union, forming the second circuit; Anderson, Blount, Fentress, Knox, Loudon, Monroe and Morgan, forming the third circuit; and Bradley, Bledsoe, Hamilton, James, Marion, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, Rhea and Sequatchie, forming the fourth circuit-in all, thirty-three counties, containing an aggregate of 7,961,079 acres assessed for taxation. The census returns give to East Tennessee 329,112 inhabitants. HISTORY. It is not within the province of this paper to attempt even a sketch of the history of East Tennessee, only in so far as may be necessary to a proper understanding of the present condition of this division of the State. For this purpose a very brief summary will suffice. The present State of Tennessee was once a part of North Carolina. Indeed, by the same royal grant that made Tennessee a part of the colony of North Carolina, its boundaries were extended "west ward to the South Sea," (Pacific Ocean). The colony, however, never claimed beyond the Mississippi. East Tennessee was settled mainly by emigrants from North Carolina and Virginia, with a few families from South Carolina. The first white man who built a house and brought his family out, was Captain William Bean. He came from Pittsylvania county, Virginia, in the year 1769, and built his cabin on a small creek, that empties into the Watauga River, called Boone Creek. This name is said to have been given the creek in honor of Daniel Boone, who had, some time previously, made this record on the bark of a beech standing near its bank: D. Boone "cilled A B A R." The first white native of Tennessee was Russell Bean. Bean's Station now marks and commemorates this first settlement. A fortunate combination of circumstances had freed that section of East Tennessee lying north and west of the Little Tennessee from Indians, and thus favored the rapid settlement of this most inviting country. The exemption from Indian troubles continued up to the outbreak of the war of revolution. Up to this period the Watauga settlement had grown to many hundreds, and other settlements had been made. A considerable acquisition was made to the Watauga settlement in 1771 from the refugee "Regulators" from North Carolina, who, after the defeat at Alamance, took refuge in the settlement from the threatened vengeance of Governor Tryon. When the war began, the Watauga settlement went heart and hand with the Colonists against the King. In all the settlement not a Tory was to be found. In 1776 the settlers met together and made a written agreement for the better management of their common affairs. This agreement was called the "Watauga Association." They elected thirteen men as commissioners to manage affairs, and chose five men as a court for the settlement of all individual disputes. The members of this court were: John Sevier, James Robertson, Charles Robertson, John Carter and Zach. Isbel. At the same time they named East Tennessee the WASHINGTON DISTRICT, and sent a memorial to the authorities of North Carolina explaining that they had no desire to separate from the Province, but wished to have its laws extended over them, and were willing to bear part of all the burdens, danger and expenses of the war. To this memorial the North Carolina Legislature replied by establishing all the settlements west of the mountains into Washington county, and giving them the right to send delegates to a State Convention about to assemble at Halifax. The delegates |