Careless reading of Ramsey has led astray a large number of people with regard to the minister referred to in 49. Speaking of the expedition of Col. Christian for the relief of the Watauga settlers in 1772, Ramsey says: “The Rev. Charles Cummings accompanied the expedition as chaplain, and was thus the first Christian minister that ever preached in Tennessee.” Granted—but while this is doubtless true, the question is not who “first preached in Tennessee,” but who first “preached regularly to a Tennessee congregation,” and that this was Tidence Lane, in 1779, is clearly demonstrated elsewhere by Ramsey. Goodspeed, indeed, using Ramsey’s facts, but changing his language, asserts in terms that Cummings had charge of a congregation “within the limits of the state”; but Goodspeed is in error in this, as he is in very many other statements. In Park’s “Historical Discourse,” a work which is the result of the most careful and painstaking original research, the statement is explicitly made that the congregation to which Goodspeed refers as having enjoyed the ministrations of Cummings “in the Holston valley as early as 1772,” was really not located in Tennessee at all. It was “in Virginia, near the site of the present town of Abingdon.” Dr. Park, himself a Presbyterian, would not be likely to fail to claim for a minister of his own denomination any credit justly due him.
In order to be absolutely frank, I desire to correct an error—the only one, I believe, in the “Dream,” and one fortunately of little moment. The man who “founded the first academy for females in Tennessee” (52) was not a classmate of Daniel Webster, as stated; although the misstatement was made on what I considered good authority.
R. L. C. White.
INDEX.
- Allison, David—
- admitted to the bar, [4];
- subsequent career, [6].
- Anti-slavery agitation—begun early in Tennessee, [77].
- Avery, Waightstill—
- duel with Andrew Jackson, [110];
- life and character, [110];
- his favorite authority, [113].
- “Bacon’s Abridgment”—
- figures in a duel, [113];
- singular substitute for, [115].
- Bancroft, George—letter from, [17].
- Barker, Thomas—
- case of, [63];
- intervention of his wife, [66];
- place of burial, [68].
- Battle of New Orleans—unique account of, [107].
- Bean, Russell—
- character of, [119];
- cruelty to an infant, [119];
- arrested by Jackson, [120];
- reconciliation with his wife effected by Jackson, [121].
- Bell’s tavern—Jackson’s adventure at, [125].
- Boyd, Ben—
- rencontre with Andrew Jackson, [122];
- his involuntary bath, [124].
- British, hatred of the—its survival in East Tennessee, [108].
- Brown, Andrew Jackson—President Jackson’s gift to, [132] (note).
- Centennial Dream—
- text of, [137];
- interpretation, [143].
- Church—first west of the Alleghanies, [25].
- Contested election—the first case west of the Alleghanies, [40].
- Conventions, early, [27], [28], [32].
- Corporations, private—regulation of, [80].
- Courier and Enquirer, New York—
- quoted, [133];
- burned at Jonesboro, [134] (note).
- Court, the first held in Tennessee—
- oath taken by the members, [22];
- first session, [40];
- powers and jurisdiction, [57].
- Culton, Joseph—curious record concerning, [54].
- Cumberland Turnpike Company—incorporation of, [81].
- Currency, commissioners of, [46], [47].
- Debts, interest-bearing—early policy of the state opposed to, [72].
- Doak, Samuel—
- arrival in Tennessee, [24];
- founds Salem church and Washington college, [25].
- Dream, Centennial—
- text of, [137];
- interpretation, [143].
- Electors, presidential, in 1796—method of their selection, [97].
- Emancipation of slaves—
- early cases of, in Tennessee, [77];
- authority conferred on county courts, [78].
- Embree, Elihu—first abolition editor, [78] (note), [148].
- Fees of public officers and attorneys—regulated by law, [73].
- Fire at Jonesboro—
- Andrew Jackson’s share in extinguishing, [121];
- Ben Boyd’s rencontre with Jackson, [122].
- Franklin, state of—
- inception, [27];
- organized, [29];
- boundaries, [29];
- extent, [30];
- early laws, [31];
- collapse, [35].
- Free and independent government, the first—
- its establishment, [20];
- its dissolution, [22].
- Fuller, Melville W.—on selection of presidential electors, [97].
- Greasy cove—famous horse-race in, [102].
- Hamilton, Joseph—
- admitted to the bar, [5];
- subsequent career, [6].
- Interpretation of the Centennial Dream, [143].
- Jackson, Andrew—
- errors of his biographers, [1], [2];
- arrival at Nashville, [1], [2], [4];
- appointed United States district attorney, [3];
- admitted to the bar in Washington county, [4];
- contest with Sevier for Major General, [6];
- not a witness of Sevier’s “rescue,” [8], [9];
- advent at Jonesboro, [9];
- residence there, [10];
- characteristics as a lawyer, [11];
- incident at the Rogersville “tavern,” [12];
- love of sport, [13], [101];
- judicial administration, [101];
- his famous horse-race in Greasy cove, [102], [132];
- his fiery temper, [106];
- ovation on Broadway, [109], [135];
- duel with Avery, [110];
- another duel at Jonesboro, [117];
- arrest of Russell Bean, [120];
- as a volunteer fireman, [122];
- his moral courage, [125];
- ovation at Jonesboro, [128];
- his wonderful memory, [129];
- conspiracy against, [132].
- Jenkins, J. S.—life of Jackson quoted, [2].
- Jonesboro—
- district court at, [2];
- Andrew Jackson’s residence there, [10];
- organization of the county court at, [22];
- conventions at, [27], [28];
- proceedings of the county court at, [39];
- Jackson’s duels at, [111], [117];
- fire at, [121];
- ovation to Jackson at, [130].
- Legislation, early—examples of [69], [70], [73], [74], [77], [80].
- Love, Colonel—Jackson’s famous horse-race with, [102].
- McCay, Spruce—
- his summary methods as a judge, [51];
- character, [52].
- McGillivray, Alexander—
- character of, [91], [93], [94];
- quoted, [92], [93].
- McNairy, John—
- admitted to the bar, [5];
- subsequent career, [6].
- Mecklenburg “resolves”—letter from Bancroft concerning, [17].
- Mero district—
- created, [87];
- correct orthography of the name, [87];
- name discontinued, [96].
- “Mink skins”—origin of the term, as applied to currency, [31].
- Miro, Estevan—
- character of, [88], [96];
- services, [89], [92], [95];
- quoted, [92], [94].
- New Orleans, battle of—unique account of, [107].
- Nolichucky River Company—incorporation of, [80].
- Orthography of “Miro,” [87].
- Ovations to Andrew Jackson—
- on Broadway, New York, [109], [135];
- at Jonesboro, [128].
- Parton, James—life of Jackson quoted, [2], [123], [135].
- Pensions to soldiers—granted by Tennessee before action by the United States government, [70], [72].
- Presidential electors in 1796—method of their selection, [97].
- Printing press—first in Tennessee and second west of the Alleghanies, established at Rogersville, [36].
- Pugh, John, “Regulator” and sheriff, [18].
- Pybourn, Elias—severe punishment of, [53].
- Reid, John—life of Jackson quoted, [1].
- Roane, Archibald—
- admitted to the bar, [4];
- subsequent career, [5], [6].
- Roberson, Charles—
- father-in-law of Russell Bean, [119];
- Parton’s injustice to, [121].
- Robertson, James—suggests name of Miro district, [87].
- Roulstone, George—established first printing press, [36].
- Salem church—founding of, [25].
- School, first, west of the Alleghanies, [25].
- Settlers, the early—life, habits and characteristics, [15], [16], [18], [24].
- Sevier, James—
- clerk of Washington county court, [33];
- unique record of, [34].
- Sevier, John—
- contest with Jackson for Major General, [6];
- subsequent career, [7];
- his “rescue” at Morganton, [8];
- contest for clerk, [40];
- commissioner of currency, [46], [47], [48].
- Slaves, emancipation of—
- early cases in Tennessee, [77];
- authority conferred on county courts, [78].
- Specie contracts—regulation of, [74].
- Taylor, Christopher—friend of Andrew Jackson, [11].
- Tennessee county—
- created, [86];
- divided, [96].
- Treason—early trials for, [42], [43], [63].
- Washington college—founding of, [25].
- Watson, Sir Thomas—visit to Washington county, [108].
- Wilson, Thomas J.—quoted, [78] (note).
Transcriber’s note
Minor punctuation and formatting errors have been changed without notice; otherwise spelling and punctuation has been retained as published. The following Printer errors have been changed.
| CHANGED | FROM | TO |
| [Table of Contents] | “136” | “137” |
| Page [13]: | “holsters and saddlebags” | “holsters and saddle-bags” |
| Page [16]: | “came from the battlefield” | “came from the battle-field” |
| Page [35]: | “which covered the same terriritory” | “which covered the same territory” |
| Page [42]: | “I am satisified” | “I am satisfied” |
| Page [42]: | “they simply put in prison” | “they simply put him in prison” |
| Page [65:] | “John McNab” | “John McNabb” |
| Page [67:] | “John McNab” | “John McNabb” |
| Page [80]: | “True philanthrophy liberates” | “True philanthropy liberates” |
| Page [102]: | “his was the ecstacy” | “his was the ecstasy” |
| Page [107]: | “and old man of sixty” | “an old man of sixty” |
| Page [108:] | “words adquate to express” | “words adequate to express” |
| Page [146]: | “foregoing names, lattitude” | “foregoing names, latitude” |
The Index references several entries that are footnotes. Since the footnotes have been moved to the end of the chapters in this version, the footnotes are not on the page listed. However, the link will take you to the correct footnote.
All other inconsistencies are as in the original.