“A famous hunter by the name of Manscoe, and three companions, camped
a few weeks near where Sulphur Fork Creek empties into Red River, and
here Manscoe had an adventure with some Indians. Having discovered from
their trail, that a hunting party of some sort was in the vicinity, he
went alone to ascertain if possible who they were.
“On the bank of the river, he saw a camp fire, and creeping as close
as he dared, he saw two Indians, whom he recognized as belonging to
the Black Feet tribe. Manscoe was about to retire to carry the news to
his companions, when one of the Indians arose and came directly toward
him. Manscoe fired, and the Indian wheeled and ran about fifty yards
past his own camp fire and fell dead over the bluff into the river. The
other Indian made quick time away from the fatal spot, not knowing,
it was supposed, how many whites were in the attacking party. Manscoe
not knowing the number of savages, beat a hasty retreat also. Joining
his comrades, he returned in a few hours, accompanied by them, to find
the fugitive Indian had, in the meantime, been to his camp, packed his
scant belongings on his pony, and left for parts unknown. They followed
close on his trail, the remainder of the day, but never found him.
“Knowing that the Indians would soon return in full force to avenge
the death of their comrade, Manscoe and his party left the country
within the next few hours, but terribly was the death of this Indian
afterwards avenged. In 1794, ten years after Clarksville, Tenn., had
been incorporated and named, Col. Isaac Titsworth, and his brother
John, with their families, moved from North Carolina to the Cumberland
country. They intended locating on Red River, and on the night of
October 24, 1794, camped at the mouth of Sulphur Fork Creek, near where
the Indian had been shot by Manscoe. That night a party of fifty Creek
Indians stole upon them, taking them completely by surprise. Seven of
the party, including Col. Titsworth and his brother, and their wives
were killed and scalped. A negro woman was badly wounded, but crawled
off in the woods and escaped. The Indians carried off six prisoners, a
negro man, a white man, a grown daughter of Col. Titsworth, and three
little children. Great excitement reigned, and in a few hours a party
of white men was organized and on their trail. The Indians discovering
their approach, tomahawked the children and scalped them, taking off
the whole skins of their heads. The white man and the negro, they
either killed or carried off with their daughter; none of the three
were ever heard from.”
As far back as 1807, the citizenship of Port Royal received favorable
comment, as the following from “The Life and Times of Elder Reuben
Ross,” will show:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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