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Sequatchie: A Story of the Southern Cumberlands
Studies the history of the Sequatchie Valley region in Tennessee from the time of the prehistoric Indian inhabitants to that of the Cherokee and white pioneer settlers
275 pages, Hardcover
First published December 12, 1974
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 1, 2018
Standard historical treatment of the environs of the picturesque valley sandwiched between Waldens Ridge and the Cumberland Plateau, which comprises the present TN counties of Bledsoe, Marion, and Sequatchie. While its geomorphic southern end reaches across into Alabama, it is for all practical purposes (and for most of the purposes of this book) cut off on the south where the Sequatchie River meets the Tennessee River.
Before TVA cut a 9-foot channel in the Tennessee all the way from Knoxville to the Ohio, a principal feature of the winding portion of the river just upstream of the mouth of the Sequatchie was a stretch of rapids and whirlpools called "The Suck," which presented a considerable barrier to westward migration and to river-borne commerce particularly in the days before steamboats. The authors relate the following story: "One party tried to pass through this dreaded spot with an inexperienced pilot. In the narrow canyon they passed a house where a dance was in progress; the fiddlers were working hard on the tune 'Old Zip Coon.' Soon they floated by another house with a gay party going on, and then another and another. Each time they passed a party, the boatmen drank to the revelers ashore until they had passed nine places with people dancing to 'Old Zip Coon.' This all seemed very strange; ... Finally the pilot solved the mystery. ... Caught up in the whirling waters of the Suck, the settlers' boat had passed the same spot many times."
The book includes the shameful tale by which the Cherokee were not only defrauded of their land and way of life, despite numerous treaties, but finally and cruelly expelled despite extensive intermarriage with the "white" "race" and adoption of his religion and his "civilized" way of life. Land-hungry settlers squatted beyond treaty boundaries; the authorities, with the help of militia, mounted a half-hearted effort to enforce the boundaries and sometimes expelled them. But the squatting settler was not to be denied, and ultimately found his champion in Andrew Jackson.
Religion was not far behind the settler. Education, however, was a different story -- its attainment of anything close to a regularly-provided function through high school does not occur until the last chapter of the book, "Recent Days" (the book was copyrighted in 1974). The authors' take is this: "Not only were public tax attitudes a major problem, but distances, poor roads, sparse population, and the burden of two racial groups presented tremendous handicaps." Earlier, however, they note a more fundamental reason for the delay: "Interest in building schools lagged far behind religious zeal. No spirited movement like the Great Awakening influenced education of produced leaders of sufficient stature to convince the general public of its importance." One doubts that the Sequatchie country was any poorer than Scotland, where it was the religious authorities who insisted on village schools.
Before TVA cut a 9-foot channel in the Tennessee all the way from Knoxville to the Ohio, a principal feature of the winding portion of the river just upstream of the mouth of the Sequatchie was a stretch of rapids and whirlpools called "The Suck," which presented a considerable barrier to westward migration and to river-borne commerce particularly in the days before steamboats. The authors relate the following story: "One party tried to pass through this dreaded spot with an inexperienced pilot. In the narrow canyon they passed a house where a dance was in progress; the fiddlers were working hard on the tune 'Old Zip Coon.' Soon they floated by another house with a gay party going on, and then another and another. Each time they passed a party, the boatmen drank to the revelers ashore until they had passed nine places with people dancing to 'Old Zip Coon.' This all seemed very strange; ... Finally the pilot solved the mystery. ... Caught up in the whirling waters of the Suck, the settlers' boat had passed the same spot many times."
The book includes the shameful tale by which the Cherokee were not only defrauded of their land and way of life, despite numerous treaties, but finally and cruelly expelled despite extensive intermarriage with the "white" "race" and adoption of his religion and his "civilized" way of life. Land-hungry settlers squatted beyond treaty boundaries; the authorities, with the help of militia, mounted a half-hearted effort to enforce the boundaries and sometimes expelled them. But the squatting settler was not to be denied, and ultimately found his champion in Andrew Jackson.
Religion was not far behind the settler. Education, however, was a different story -- its attainment of anything close to a regularly-provided function through high school does not occur until the last chapter of the book, "Recent Days" (the book was copyrighted in 1974). The authors' take is this: "Not only were public tax attitudes a major problem, but distances, poor roads, sparse population, and the burden of two racial groups presented tremendous handicaps." Earlier, however, they note a more fundamental reason for the delay: "Interest in building schools lagged far behind religious zeal. No spirited movement like the Great Awakening influenced education of produced leaders of sufficient stature to convince the general public of its importance." One doubts that the Sequatchie country was any poorer than Scotland, where it was the religious authorities who insisted on village schools.
April 29, 2012
For genealogists researching the Sequatchie Valley in Tennessee, this book sheds a lot of insight into the daily life and development of the area. Glimpses into the local politics and religious life give context to the valley's growth without being over-bearing. My only complaint is that more families could have been highlighted, but I guess it would have eventually turned into an encyclopedia if he'd covered them all. All that being said, it was a solid effort made before the resources of the Internet became available.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews