When Rachel was born some of the older brothers and sisters were already married. There were slaves to tend the crops, and cloth was woven on the place from cotton and wool grown there. It was a busy, self contained, happy household. So it is not remarkable that the baby Rachel was a happy and contented little girl, racing her pony over the hills with her brothers, and hearing stories from an adoring father of the pomp and circumstance of life at the seat of the government, as well as thrilling tales of the Cherokees. Her mother saw to it that this youngest daughter was taught her lessons of reading and writing, as well as to cook, spin, weave and sew a fine seam, so that when she had a house of her own she could train her servants in the way they should go. An authority says: “She was proficient in the household arts, she played the harpsichord, she danced, was an accomplished horsewoman, and was trained in the little courtesies and graces of life....” She was bright and quick to learn and beautiful to look upon. It did seem that this united household should have lived on there by the smooth flowing Bannister. Perhaps the prospect of more room for the ever growing family, and a first hand knowledge of the beauty and richness to be found farther west tempted Col. Donelson and his sons and daughters, some of whom had families of their own, to risk leaving Virginia and move out to what is now Tennessee. In 1779 Captain James Robertson set out to establish a colony on the banks of the Cumberland at Fort Nashboro, then a part of North Carolina. His friend, Col. John Donelson of Virginia, was asked to bring the families of those venturesome men who had cast their lot with his. He accepted this great responsibility. They were to travel two thousand almost unknown miles by water, as that mode of travel was deemed safer than overland through the forests and over the mountains where only a path marked the way, an impossible task for wagons and women and children. Even so the chosen route was beset with savages, as well as all manner of hindrances to be overcome. This band of pioneers planned to start the journey after the crops were “laid by” in the autumn, and for that purpose they were assembled in a commodious block house on the banks of the Holston River; but there had been a drouth and the water was not high enough to float the boats which were ready and waiting. In early November a terrible freeze took place. These and other factors delayed the departure until just before Christmas. Finally on December twenty-second, 1779, with all families aboard and well provisioned, they set sail. “The Good Ship Adventure” bearing the Donelsons and Mrs. Robertson and family led the way. Other boats followed, each with one or more families aboard protected by a complement of able men to come to the rescue in case of attack.