In Gov. John Sevier's diary housed in the McClung Museum,
Historical Collection, Knoxville, TN, I found mention of my GGGGrandfather
Reuben Payne and his brother James Payne. James was a "Cooper"
or barrel maker by trade. James was stationed or worked at Fort
Southwest Point, near Kingston TN in 1798. Reuben, his brother,
most likely worked in iron and was appointed by Gov. Sevier as his "Overseer
for the Poor". References to early Pioneers of East Tennessee
are through out the diary. The 1803 survey of the boundries between
Tennessee and Virginia are included below. On page 19 it
begins:
Sunday March 8, 1795. Fair & pleasant. Mon. 9 warm snowed at night. Tues 10 snowed in the morning. Bought of Mr. Paine 150 B. corn at 2/. Paid him Liere 7. (?) (?). Wed. 11 clear & cold. thur. Cold snowed at night. Fry 13 cold. Jno. Fickee 1 pr. overals 12/. Sat. 14 very cold.
Feb. 1796: Sun. 20 came home. cold. Mon. 21 cold. Tues. 22 Mrs. & Mr. Casson, Mr. & Mrs. Weir & Miss Jimmy & Betsy, Mr. McKee & his Lady, Mr. Debardeliben, James Sevier his Lady, Mrs. Jack Sevier, Capt. Harrison & Mr Evans staid at night. Wed. 23 Capt Harrison, Mr Waddle & Mr. Evans took Brak. & set out for Jonesbo. Rained some in the evening, Thur. 24 Rained some in the evening. Thur. 24 rained in the morng. Frost in the morng. Memo. Paid Mr. Doake for schooling Washington & Saml. a half Joe(?). Paid Mr. James Paine towards Rye had some time ago 1 Guinea. Memo. Paid Alex Nelson for Expenses at Rodgers pr. order from Rogers 34/9. put into the hands of Walter King a patent of 25,660 acres on waters of Cumberland. etc.
December 1796 Sun. 25 very cold Dined at Mr. Sherrills Mon. 26 V. cold. Dined at Mr. McKees. Tues. 27 Reuben Paine set in to be Overseer at 40 Liere pr. annum pd. Ruble the B. Smith 1/9. in full of all due for S. work ---pd. Richd. Campble 14/. for a pr. shoes. Wed. 28 very cold Thur. 29. 29 ditto. Fry 30 ditto. Sat. 31 ditto.
July 1797 Sat. 29 came home in Co. with Col. S. Weir, Whorton Rector & a son of Col. Arthrus. rained a little in the night. Sun 30 light shower in the morning. Memo purchase yesterday from Wharton Rector this goods in Knoxville - for which I am to give him 25 pct. in advance. Samuel Weir, James Paine & young Arthur Wittens (?) (what could this be) Mon. 31 Fair & hot.
October 1798 Sun. 28 cloudy & very cool. Memo. recd from James Paine at So. W. point 4 dollars towards pay of thirty-three gallons of whiskee. Mon. 29 cool & dry hard frost. Tues. 30 cloudy & cold snowed a little in the night - dined at Colo. Henleys with Capt Henly & others. (website dedicated to Fort Southwest Point, near Kingston, TN)
April 1799 thurs 25 Give Mrs. Field an order to Capt. Croziers for 19/ on acct. of John Miller. Let John Miller have 30 lbs of bacon at Sundry times. Let him have Cr. with James Paine at Simerals store for 30/. Messrs. Miller have had bacon at Sundry times also Cr. in Capt. John Croziers store - had a middling of bacon at one time. Memo. Robert Reynolds red. of Walter King pr my order some tome ago 1136 ls. Castings.
Feb. 1800. Sat. 22 early in the morning 16 rounds of cannon fired - at 12 the army & Citizens in great numbers moved in procession in condolence of the death of Gen. Washington. Gove. Sevier & Wm. Blount. 2 monuments (?) Genl. White, Maj. McClung, Capt. Sparks, Maj. Roane Pall bearers guns fired all day &c. The day very fine.
April 1800 Fry 18 ditto - ditto. Bob horse run away. Sat 19 sent Tobe after the horse. The forge began to work. Sun 20 myself and Mrs. King went to meeting at Combs Ferry. Mon 21 the forge began to work. Memo. to inquire after Aaron Ryley his mother lives near this place. Boil one quart of N. milch half away, with a half pound old bacon therein (good to cure the botts on a horse) Turn eggs with the small end down in good wood ashes. Change them onst a week and they will keep several months. Tues. 22 Tobe returned with the horse.
Sun. 27 Mrs. Cuningham and Mrs. Combs dined with Mrs. King. Mon. 28 Reuben and James Payne came to the works. Cash on hand 34 & Eat fish for Breakfast. (First time he spells Payne)
June 1800 Tues. 10 set out in Co. with Colo. Harrison for Knoxville - Mr Sherrills continued very ill. Reuben Paine let a person living on old Kennedys place have 6 bushels of wheat to sow last fall. Memo. I left enclosed in a letter with Wm Sherrill a bond on Charles Robertson Ducased (?) directed to Maj. Sevier to bring suit for the recovery of the debt date Sept. 6, 1782. The sum 50 pounds payable 6 July, 1783 John Garny security and William Murphy deceased a witness. The bond taken in the name of John Sevier administrator of Robert Sevier. Colo. Harrison and myself dined at Waddle. lodged all night at Mr. Henry Ernests.
September 1800; Fry. 26 Indorsed a note of hand on John McDonald for 65 dollars and one of 15 on John Fultons to John Sherrill in payment of a debt dues from Wm Sherrill of 100 dolls dues for a Negro boy. Elisha Walling vs. James Barry a verdict by a Jury in the Superior Court in Hamilton district in favour of the plaintiff for lands in Powels valley. both parties had entered in Carters office in the year 1799 late. Berry had his land run off by Walter Evans the surveyor and the patent issued signed by Gov. Davie all in the year 1799. This observation is to show that all the different governors and secretaries have paid the same respect to the Carter warrant as they have to others wheresoever they were made.
September 1802 Self & Mr. Fisk started for Abingdon,
Va., to meet the Commissioners to extend the division lines between the
States Virginia and Tennessee....... Fry 1 day of October We arrived at
Abingdon - Gen. Martin one of the Virginia Commissioners arrived..... Sat.
2 Mr. Taylor & Mr. Johnson arrived in eveng. F. day Sun. 3 Still stayed
at Mr. Carmacks. Mon 4 We all met at Cap Craigs & agreed to meet Tuesday
morning on the line, near Cap. Duncans on Holsen.... Tues. 5 We met, made
a Tryal to find the latitude on Henderson line. It was thought the observation
was imperfect. It being some miles so. of 36 d 30 m the true latitude -
We then agreed to meet next day on Walker (?) (?) We met on Walkers line
made observations - Mr. Fisk on the part of Tennessee & Mr. Laws on
the part of Virginia. By Mr. Fisk we appeared to be in Latitude 36 d 16
m. By Mr. Laws 36 d. 12 m....... Thurs 7 We proceeded to Henderson line
Made observations - by Mr. Fisk we found it to be in latitude 36 14 by
Mr. Law Lat 36 1..... Fry 8 We made observations on our side at the same
place. Mr. Fisk the Lat to be 36 21 ... Mr. Law who took it about one mile
from us made it to be in Lat. 36 47..... Sat. 9 we sent Mr. Markland off
as express to Gov. Roane... Memo. Paid expenses since I set out from Home
13 1/4 dollars to this day..... Mon. 18 Set out for Mr. Keewoods to meet
the Commissioners - left with Mr. Keewood 10 dollars for him to give unto
my brother Jos. Sevier & for him to give the same unto Mr. David Deadrick.....
Tues. 19 set out from Mr. Kings and met the Virginia Commissioners at Cap.
Craigs Tarried all night..... thru. 21 We repaired to William Kings Tarried
all night after taking some observations... Sat. 23 After some notes passing
between the Virginia & Tennessee Commissioners we mutually agreed to
run an intermediate line between Walkers and Hendersons 7 sent the surveyors
to measure the distance between the two lines - Rutledge & Martin attend
the running... Sun. 24 ... Gen. Martin retd. & the surveyors who reported
that the true distance between the two lines was found to be two miles
1/2 & 25 poles; which was begun on Walkers line & run 2 1/2 degrees
wt. of due north Mon. Nov. 1802 Mr. Fisk went on to Hawkins C. H. Self
and Genl. Rutledge crossed Clinch (?) Mountain at Loonys Ganp (?) traveled
down lower creek to Abs. Loonys came up with the surveyors at Daws Rogers
plantation. The line crossing at Waddels ford on Clinch river near mouth
of Shelbys creek one mile above - lay there all night. Mr. Fisk retd. brought
with him $50 Recd from Nelson sheriff of Hawkins out of which I received
18 dollars.... Wed. 24 Lay here this day & night Genl. Martin &
Majr. Taylor arrived. Thur. 25 Rained Lay at Robers Fry. 26 Clear day.
We all sit out from Robert's crossed Newmans Ridge & lodged all night
on black water creek at Gibsons...Mssrs. Fisk and Taylor left us. Sat.
27 We st Y Crossed Powells mountain and lodged at Sanders mill 7 miles...Left
the surveyors coming on from Blackwater. On our route today passed Daniel
Flanarys on No. side of mulbery Gaup. Mulbery creek runs down into Powels
river between Powels mountain and Waldens Ridge. Sun. 28 We measured the
Cross line and found our course on quarter too far to the So - Lodged at
same place. Mon. 29 We rectified our course & still remained at Sanders.
More on the survey of
(parallel line equidistant from the Henderson and Walker lines.)
December, 1802 Thurs. 2 Cleared up - We all sit out Crossed Waldens Ridge and powells river near 3 miles above Martins Creek - Lodged myself and Genl. Rutledge at James Overton near James's salt lick. Fry. 3 We measured the cross line at James salt lick Found ourselves with the line five poles too far So. Sat 4 rectified the line, and sit out run through the lick leaving the pitt a few poles in Virginia....Myself and Genl. Rutledge retd. to Overtons Tarried all night, as we had on Fryday night.... Sun. 5...We sit out from Mr. Overtons after brakfirst. Lodged all night at Shadwilly (?).... Mon. 6 We sit out for Cumberland Gaup.. Arrived about 8 o'clock at Colo. Charles Cocks. Stayed all night.... Tues 7 Sit out again found the commissioners and surveyors at William Robertsons, near the gaup. We took up Camp here and lodged all night.... Wed. 8 Finished the line, which struck the Caintucky line about one Quarter So. of the Gaup - this day we made out our reports & exchanged on each side - Snowy day and very cold Lodged at same place. Thurs. 9 Myself & our Commisrs. and surveyors sit out for home. Very cold. Lodged all night at Claibornes Court House. Fry. 10 We traveled on to Gordon Beens old station.... Sat. 11 We again sit out early in the morning - Lodgedall night at Crosses (Bulls Gap)..... Sun. 12 Set out early 18 miles to Babbs mill - 9 to Tho. Gillespy 2 to Mr. Mcallisters & 4 home, which we arrived at in the evening.......
December 1811 Sat. 21 Dined with President Madison, the guests were the French minister (?) the French Consul General, Vice President Mr. Clay, the Speaker, Gov. Holmes, Judge Taylor, (?) Cox, Mr. Tait from Georgia, and others with General Granger &c.... February 1812 Fry 6.... Dined with President Sat 7... Stayed all night at General Bailys Sun 22.... Wrote to Mrs. Sevier china water & powder to blacken hair at John Scotts (Pha) (hair dresser & perfumer). Fry Visited in the evening in Co. with Colo. Smithe the Secretary of the Navy (Mr. Hamilton).... Sun 29...Wrote to Mrs. Sevier Wt. to Catholic meeting...... Cure for Cancer. Boil west Turkey figs in new mild which will thicken in boiling - apply them broken or whole to the affected part which must be washed every time dressed with sour milk. Use a fresh poultice night & morning and oncst in the middle of the day, & drink one gill of the mild the figs are boiled in twice in 24 hours.
April 1812 Sat. 4 Dined at Mr. Monroes Mon. 20 George Clinton Vice President died this morning.
July 1813 Wed 4 very warm packing up to start for Tennessee. Spent the evening at Mr. Davis's... thurs. 5... Mr. Rhea & myself then left the city and went to Geotown in eveng.
August, 1813 Sun. 15 Cure for the rheumatism - make 1/4 poke berry Juice, 3 parts whiskee or some other spirits.
Decembre 1814 Dec. 31 I went to the office of the Secretary of State & deposited two deeds of release one for 40000 acres of land in the bend of Tennessee - one track laying on limestone creek, the other on Mulbery creek also one other of 10000 acres on the Tennessee at the mouth of Blew water.
Sat. 18 Dined with the President
June 1815 Tues 27 We wrote a letter to the Path killer & chiefs of the Cherokees to meet us at this place on the 17th of July. Wed. 28... The commission made a requisition on the commanding officers of this place, Lieut. Pain & received 24 blankets, 24 soldiers shirts & 3 quires of coarse w. paper. (Knoxville)
Gen John Sevier died in September 1815 while running the boundary line in the Creek Nation. John Sevier is now supposed to be buried in the Courthouse Yard at Knoxville, Tn
More of John Sevier Diary
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