Joseph Martin Brown and Mary Nancy Holt

Joseph Martin Brown and Mary Nancy Holt

Parents of George D. Brown Joseph M. Brown

b. 1800 (Buncombe Co., NC)

Mary Nancy Holt

b.1816 (Buncombe Co., NC) Source: http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/HOLT/1999-09/0937494698

d. after 1854 (GA)

Mary Nancy Holt is believed to have been a full blooded Cherokee.

Sources: Valerie Upton post at RootsWeb.com; Geraldine Olson King post at Ancestry.com

Joseph Bullard and Martha Unknown

Joseph Bullard and Martha Unknown

Parents of Mary Bullard

Joseph Bullard

b. ca 1730 (NC)

d. 1788 (Lookout Mountain, TN.)

Martha Unknown

d. 1800 (Jefferson Co., TN)

“said to be an Indian but unsubstantiated”

Source: NARRATION OF DESCENDANTS OF JOSEPH BULLARD (b. ~1730), posted by

berniebull at aol.com at http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~bbrooks/Bullard/lineage/nar_jb.htm

The following tells the rather gruesome tale of Joseph Bullard’s death in an Indian battle at Lookout Mountain, Tennessee:

The first records for Joseph are dated 1778 in Greene County, Tennessee, which was then a part of North Carolina. Joseph was a signer of the first inhabitants of Watauga District in 1776. North Carolina Land Grants show that Joseph owned 8,390 acres in Hawkins and Greene Counties. In 1788, Joseph was killed in an Indian battle and did not leave a will. After his death there are some thirty deeds showing the widow Martha living in Jefferson County, TN and selling land.
“Martha Bullard, Administer. of estate of Joseph Bullard, deceased, John, Isaac, and Christopher Bullard, the other heirs of said Joseph Bullard, late of Jefferson County…”

“The History of Hamilton County and Chattanooga, TN., tells of Joseph’s death. Captain Joseph Bullard was killed during the battle of Lookout Mountain in 1788. The campaign of Lookout Mountain resulted from an attack of the Chickamuga Indians. Of the forty settlers who were moving into the Cumberland region thirty-seven were killed. To revenge this massacre a Council of Militia Officers was held in June and the following campaign was planned. The troops left from Whites Fort (Knoxville) and made a rapid march down the Valley of Tennessee, en route they destroyed two Indian towns. They arrived at Lookout Mountain in the late afternoon after camping over night. The Indians had reinforced to hold a vantage point on the mountain and fired down on the party and drove them back. It was the custom of the Captains to march at the head of their companies, leading the attack. The Captains were killed and Captains Joseph Bullard and George Vincent were wounded. Great confusion followed. General Martin with only 60 men remaining could not rally and was forced to retreat.

“Old Frontiers by John P Brown, page 284, reports as follows. After the battle of Lookout Mountain had ended, the Captains who had been killed were buried beneath the council house of the Indians to prevent the Indians from finding and mutilating the bodies. This battle was a great victory for the Indians and they were especially happy as they discovered the bodies of three dead Captains. Captain Joseph Bullard strongly resembled General John Sevier and word spread among the Indians that they had killed “Chucky Jack” as Sevier was known to them. The bodies of the three Captains were taken to Running Water and a dance was held around Bullard’s body for a day and a night.”

Posted by Marsha Baker on ancestry.com at http://awt.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=marsha901&id=I0058

The following is the deposition of William Robertson, who claims to have buried “Maj. Joseph Bullard” in his blanket after Bullard was killed in battle at Lookout Mountain:

William Robertson’s Deposition of October 3, 1832

State of Tennessee ) Court of pleas and Quarter Sessions October

Hardeman County ) term 1832

Be it known On this the 3rd day of October in the year of our / lord 1832 personally appeared in Open Court before the judge justice / of the Court of Hardeman County now sitting William Robertson a / resident of Hardeman County aforesd. aged about 73 years who being / first duly sworn according to law doth on his oath make the / following declaration in order to obtain the benefit of the Act / of Congress passed June 7th 1832.

That he was born on Peedee river but he does not know / in what county he does not recollect what year he was born in / he has no register of his age but from what he has heard his / mother say of his age he must have been born in the year / 1759. When the revolutionary war commenced he resided in what / is now called Washington County Tennessee the Indians became / troublesome and my father Charles Robertson who was the first Colo. / of Robert Washington County was compelled to abandon his home / with his family and take shelter in the Watauga fort. he then / entered the service under the Captain James Robertson since / Gen. Robinson of Tennessee as a volunteer to fight the Indians / & tories. he does not recollect what time he volunteered under Capt. / Robertson but it was about the first of the breaking out of war. After serving in guarding the fort for some time / Col. Chester from Virginia came on with some troops and / relieved us. sometime afterward [—] he [—] enlisted under / Captain Thomas Price as a mounted dragoon to guard / the frontiers of Washington County for the term / of one year after he had served out his twelve months under / Price the Indians still continued hostile he was then / drafted under Capt W. Parker for three months during / which time he acted as Lieutenant and marched under / Genl Evan Shelby against the Cherokee indians. my father / Charles Robertson was Colonel we went to an Indian town / called Chickamauga the Indians fled before battle us / we burnt burned their town and returned home shortly after / he returned home he was again drafted to march against / the tories and British he was under Captain Robert Lieu / tenant Christopher Cunningham. My father & Col John / Sevier commanded the regiment. we were Patrolling the / Country near Musgroves Mill when we came in contact / with some of Fergusons dragoons they urged us to retreat / we then joined Col McDowell and marched against Pat. Moores fort on the Thickety Creek in Spartinburgh / County S. Carolina the fort surrendered without firing a gun / their was about 90 tories in the fort then we returned home / was not home very long until McDowell sent for Col / Sevier to return to fight the tories and Maj Ferguson / he returned under Capt Robert Sevier and was in the battle / of Kings Mountain by Captain Robert Sevier was wound / =ed he desired to be carried home he this affsaid under / took to assist in getting him home but Sevier died at WS / Sam Brights on Tar river before he got home — / The next campaign he was in was under Captain James / Richardson commanded by Genl. Joseph Martin for the term / of three months we march [sic] against the Cherokee Indians / and was in the battle of lookout mountain — Maj. / Joseph Bullard was killed in that battle and he buri / =ed him in his blanket Capt Gibson was also killed / this was after the war He received no discharge in writing / Captain William Walker of Hardin County has known me / for sixty years and can testify as to my Services Major / Christopher Bullard has known me for 50 years and / can also testify as to my services

Sworn to in open court the 3d Oct 1832 William Robertson

Posted at http://www.robertson-ancestry.com/1263-002.htm

George D. Brown and Frances Malinda Fowler

George D. Brown and Frances Malinda Fowler

Parents of Polly Ann Brown and Berry Benson Brown

(Born in GA per 1900 Berry B. census; George born GA, Frances born SC per 1860 George census)

George D. Brown

b. ca 1835 (GA)

m. before 1854 (GA) ?

d.1870

Frances Malinda Fowler

b. ca 1836 (SC or GA)

Census records are inconsistent concerning the birthplaces of Berry Benson Brown’s parents. The 1900 census of the Berry Benson Brown states that both his parents were born in GA. The 1860 census of George Brown states that George was born in GA and Frances was born in SC.

Frances later married an Oden.