William Smeathers - Revision history

Jsims at 19:22, 12 October 2016

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	When he arrived at this conviction he confided his purpose to no one, but began to make necessary preparations for his departure. He had always felt a strong partiality for Bob Tarlton and		When he arrived at this conviction he confided his purpose to no one, but began to make necessary preparations for his departure. He had always felt a strong partiality for Bob Tarlton and
	other friends on Rough ~~Greek~~, and he could not think of going without seeing them; and to make the visit as pleasant as possible he proposed a big bear-hunt. In company with Husk and Glenn,		other friends on Rough Creek, and he could not think of going without seeing them; and to make the visit as pleasant as possible he proposed a big bear-hunt. In company with Husk and Glenn,
	he started with his dogs to go directly to the house of Tarlton. He found Tarlton and his friends in a grand spree. After ~~spendinga~~ day with them, they all started on a hunt, which lasted several		he started with his dogs to go directly to the house of Tarlton. He found Tarlton and his friends in a grand spree. After spending a day with them, they all started on a hunt, which lasted several
	days. They succeeded in killing a monstrous bear, which they quartered and took to their camp at the Falls of Rough.		days. They succeeded in killing a monstrous bear, which they quartered and took to their camp at the Falls of Rough.

Jsims: /* The Verdict */ changed 'inmates' to 'minutes'

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The Verdict: changed 'inmates' to 'minutes'

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	===The Verdict===		===The Verdict===
	In his charge to the jury, Judge Broadnax himself approved the able lawyer and the upright man. Forgetting the many annoyances of Smothers, he exhorted the jury to look in mercy upon		In his charge to the jury, Judge Broadnax himself approved the able lawyer and the upright man. Forgetting the many annoyances of Smothers, he exhorted the jury to look in mercy upon
	the prisoner, and to give him the benefit of every reasonable doubt. The jury, after a retirement of ten ~~inmates~~, brought in a verdict of "not guilty."		the prisoner, and to give him the benefit of every reasonable doubt. The jury, after a retirement of ten minutes, brought in a verdict of "not guilty."

	==Life After the Trial==		==Life After the Trial==

Adam at 19:01, 12 October 2016

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 chase; and then he made it convenient to separate as soon as possible, believing that it was safest to be alone. He was satisfied with his manner of life, but it was his destiny to return to the habits of
 civilized life, and in view of his age he did not regret the change.
 [[Category:People]]
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Smeathers, William}}

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Adam at 22:13, 11 October 2016

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 seldom came in great force afterward, and they soon scattered. Mrs. Smothers lived only a few years after moving to Kentucky, and died, leaving two daughters and one son. Miss Mollie Smothers remained with her brother many years.
-==Settled at Yellow Banks==
+==Settling at Yellow Banks==
 Smeathers, not liking the dense settlements around Hartford and Vienna, came to the Yellow Banks and built a cabin on the banks of the Ohio. This was about the beginning of the present century.
 The cabin was of round logs and had two doors; from one he had a view of the Ohio, and from the other he looked into his garden. On the lower side of the house there was a shed-room,
@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 mouth of the Wolf, or to the Red Banks." "Well, then," said Smeathers, "we will be neighbors, and I will call and see you at either point."
 The remark of Leather-legs made a deep impression upon the mind of Smeathers. It proved to him that others were at least thinking of intruding themselves into the small boundaries
 which he had assigned to himself; that the 150,000 acres of land which he had enjoyed as a hunting-ground would be occupied by other men; that settlements would be made, farms opened, and
@@ Line 80: / Line 81: @@
 and on his return home he heard the axe of Felty Husk, who was cutting logs to build a house near the residence of Thomas H. Painter. Husk and Smothers afterward contracted a friendship which
 closed only with their lives.
 [[Category:People]]
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Smeathers, William}}

Adam: Created page with "'''William "Bill" Smeathers''' (c. 1767 – August 13, 1837), also known as '''Smithers''' or '''Smothers''', was a pioneer settler of Kentucky and later Texas. ==Ea..."

2016-10-11T21:51:34Z

Created page with "'''William "Bill" Smeathers''' (c. 1767 – August 13, 1837), also known as '''Smithers''' or '''Smothers''', was a pioneer settler of Kentucky and later Texas. ==Ea..."

New page

'''William "Bill" Smeathers''' (c. 1767 – August 13, 1837), also known as '''Smithers''' or '''Smothers''', was a pioneer settler of Kentucky and later Texas.

==Early Life==
The name of this remarkable pioneer has been variously spelled and pronounced, as Smeather, Smeathers, Smither, Smithers, Smothers, etc., but Smither was probably correct; and "Bill" is
supposed, of course, to stand for William. The above is the name by which he was familiarly called. He was born on the western frontier of Virginia, near the Holston River. His father was a
hunter, and frequently took his son with him to assist in bringing home the game. One morning he started at daylight, telling his wife that he would take a little round and be back to breakfast.
As he did not return, a search was made for him. His body was found about two miles from home, nearly devoured by the wild beasts; but the narrow blade of an Indian tomahawk had been
driven deep into his brain. His wife was so deeply affected by his death that she lived only nine days, and was placed in death where she had been in life—close by the side of her husband. William
was so upset that he did not close his eyes in sleep during the night that followed her burial. Before day he went out, and standing by their graves, boy as he was, he raised his hand to
Heaven and swore that he would devote his life to the destruction of the Indian race. And well did he keep that vow, for he never saw an Indian that he did not shoot at, and he very seldom missed his aim.
He felt very conscientious about killing a squaw, and rejoiced that it was never his misfortune to meet with one.

William was twelve years old at the time of his parents' death. There were also two other children: James, aged nine, and Mollie, aged seven. One of the neighbors, a new-comer, having no place
of his own, proposed to take care of these orphan children for the rent of the farm. This was agreed upon and he moved in. During that same year, William went to live with an uncle in Virginia,
who agreed to give him a good education, and $100 in money when he became of age. This uncle, whose name was Chrisman, was a man who worshiped the rich and scorned the poor. He was so cruel and
overbearing to his orphan nephew that the latter ran away from him in a few years. He wandered through the country, stopping wherever he could find anything to do, but found his stock of money was growing less and less every
day. He was in a little town called Taylorville, near the Catawba River, when Colonel Shelby came through beating up for volunteers, and William joined him because he knew not what else to do.
At that time the British had a military post on King's Mountain, so named from the fact that it stands alone, overlooking the country on all sides. It was at this point that the battle of King's Mountain
was fought between the British and Colonel Shelby's men. The latter were successful, having killed Ferguson and a great many of his men, captured 1,000 prisoners, 2,000 muskets, and all their
military stores, and lost very few of their own men.

After his discharge, William again wandered around the country until the following spring, when he was taken by a squad of men belonging to General Green's command, who had been sent out to
press teamsters to drive the wagons. Although Smeathers was exempt from the duties of teamster, he was detained until after the battle of Guilford Court-House was fought, and was then discharged.
After this he could find no employment and concluded to return to James River and visit his uncle and friends in that vicinity. But his uncle forgot to give him the $100, although
he was twenty-one and had a very good education. He bade him good-bye, and started for his native town to visit his brother and sister. He found them still living with the man who
had taken the farm. This man had a daughter whom Smothers courted one Sunday evening, and married the next Thursday. He was very anxious to proceed immediately to Kentucky, but his
wife and sister insisted that the snow and ice on the mountains would endanger their lives; so the move was postponed until spring.

==Arrival in Kentucky==
On his arrival in Kentucky, he found the region around Lexington more densely settled than the country he had left on the Holston. He had come to fight the Indians, and did not feel like taking
wages as a hand on a farm. He met a party who were coming down to fortify in the Green River country, and joined them at once. They built a fort at Hartford, on Rough Creek. When
they were besieged they found that the Indians generally came from lower Kentucky, wading Green River at the falls. They established a fort there and called it Vienna. At first, of course, it
was only a fort; afterward a town was laid out there and it was named Vienna. It is now called Calhoun. The father of William and Thomas Downs, a Baptist preacher, was the last man killed by the
Indians here, which was between 1790-92, within a few hundred yards of the fort. The section of the country about Vienna was settled up fully ten years before Bill Smeathers came to Owensboro; the Indians
seldom came in great force afterward, and they soon scattered. Mrs. Smothers lived only a few years after moving to Kentucky, and died, leaving two daughters and one son. Miss Mollie Smothers remained with her brother many years.

==Settled at Yellow Banks==
Smeathers, not liking the dense settlements around Hartford and Vienna, came to the Yellow Banks and built a cabin on the banks of the Ohio. This was about the beginning of the present century.
The cabin was of round logs and had two doors; from one he had a view of the Ohio, and from the other he looked into his garden. On the lower side of the house there was a shed-room,
which was made by extending the main roof, being enclosed by slabs of timber planted in the ground. About four feet of a single log was cut out to make a passway into the room. In it he deposited
his peltries and groceries, and when he entertained a large company, which was frequently the case, it was converted into a bed-chamber, more agreeable in cold than warm weather, owing to
the abundance of deer and bear skins and buffalo robes which were kept there.

Nature had been liberal in her gifts to Smeathers. In personal courage he was inferior to no man, and he was endowed with a good understanding. The operations of his mind were quick, and
there was a sprightliness and point in his conceptions which never failed to interest the listener. In conversation, he rarely descended to vulgarity, and never affected the coarse manner or rude speech
of the ruffian. His voice, like his mind, was clear and distinct; and if he had received a thorough education he would have been a shining light in the land. But his love of fun was his controlling
passion, and led him into many improprieties and may have clouded his memory with crime. In person, he was five feet eleven inches high; his hair and beard were dark brown; his eyes were prominent
and a clear, deep blue ; his complexion was fair; and the expression of his countenance was playful and intelligent. Whatever he did seemed to be performed deliberately. He spoke the truth,
except when he was planning some mischief, and then his fertile imagination readily invented whatever was necessary to the success of his scheme. On these occasions he could invent the most
marvelous and miraculous lies, giving all the particulars and attendant circumstances. Incredulity itself would be silenced by his earnestness of tone and his minuteness of detail.

Smothers was delighted with his new home at the Yellow Banks. He was in search of a good hunting-ground for himself, and good range for his horse and cow; and in these respects his situation
could not have been improved. From Panther Creek to the Ohio River, and from Green River to Blackford, he was the only inhabitant. He roamed the forest alone and slaughtered the game
at pleasure. The necessaries and even the luxuries of life were furnished to him at his very door. The barges, as they were slowly cordelled by their armed crews, would stop and give him salt,
flour and groceries, in exchange for dried venison, bear-meat and buffalo robes. No man below the falls could furnish so sumptuous a meal, and no man ever entertained with more genuine hospitality.
The visitors had a general partiality for "old rye" and "flour bread," as these articles were unknown in the interior. At the conclusion of one of his repasts, a man called "Leather-legs"
wiped his mouth on the skirt of his hunting shirt, and remarked: "Smothers, I believe I will pull up stakes where I am, and come down here." This observation cast a shade over the countenance
of Smeathers, but he quickly replied, assuring his friend that the unhealthfulness of the climate would greatly endanger his life; "and besides," said Smothers, "I intend paying you a visit on
Pond River, and taking a long tramp in the hills; I like to hunt in the hills; the water is so much better than it is in the bottoms, and then you are clear of the black gnats, mosquitoes and gallinippers
that swarm in these flats." "Stop, Smeathers," said Leather-legs, "you are taking a great deal of pains to tell me that you don't want me here. I won't come; if I break up I will go to the
mouth of the Wolf, or to the Red Banks." "Well, then," said Smeathers, "we will be neighbors, and I will call and see you at either point."

The remark of Leather-legs made a deep impression upon the mind of Smeathers. It proved to him that others were at least thinking of intruding themselves into the small boundaries
which he had assigned to himself; that the 150,000 acres of land which he had enjoyed as a hunting-ground would be occupied by other men; that settlements would be made, farms opened, and
the game driven away or destroyed, and that he would be left in his old age without the means of support, in the country from which he had expelled the Indians. He did not spend his time in
gloomy despondency, but, like a true man, resolved to make every effort to avert the awful train of calamities which he saw at no great distance before him. A surveyor's chain he regarded with
particular abhorrence, and, if opportunity presented, he would place it where it would never be stretched again; corner trees, he thought, ought not to stand, as they would be the starting points for subdivision.
It will not be stated that he ever cut one, but many were missing. He determined also that his house should present fewer attractions. His table, instead of luxuries, was supplied with
the simplest and coarsest fare of the hunter. He almost deserted his home, wandering weeks and months together in the woods. He hunted deer and bear on this side of the river, killing as many as
he wished, and twice a year he took an Indian hunt on the other side, where he was equally as successful. Sleepless days and nights would be spent to get a shot; and at every crack of his rifle an
Indian fell.

The melancholy and dreadful news, against which he would have gladly closed his ears, at last saluted Smeathers, that at least twenty families had arrived upon his territory, and were then preparing
to build houses and open plantations. The surveyor with his compass and chain was making new lines; the axe was busily plied in felling his trees; and the wedge lustily driven was riving his oaks.
His lines had been broken and he was surrounded. In anguish and bitterness of spirit he contemplated his situation, and no ray of light broke through the dark cloud which enveloped him. At
first he had almost resolved upon a hostile demonstration, but the number of the emigrants and the respectability of a portion of them, convinced him of the absolute folly and madness of such a course.
Like all brave men, when fairly driven to the wall, he made up his mind to meet his fate with fortitude, and, making a virtue of necessity, he determined to cultivate the good opinion of the new
comers by a friendly visit to them. Near Blackford he called upon Ely and Natty Bell. At the house of the latter he was agreeably surprised to find his brother James, who was laying siege to
Bell's sister-in-law; she capitulated shortly afterward and they were married. In his circuit he saw Barker and Killenbarger, Holmark and Holinhead, Jones and Jordan, Glenn and Gentry,
and on his return home he heard the axe of Felty Husk, who was cutting logs to build a house near the residence of Thomas H. Painter. Husk and Smothers afterward contracted a friendship which
closed only with their lives.

[[Category:People]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smeathers, William}}