Contributed by Anne Gometz (with my additions put in boxes)

The Life of Joseph Bishop, the Celebrated Old Pioneer in the First Settlements of Middle Tennessee, Embracing His Wonderful Adventures and Narrow Escapes with the Indians, His Animating and Remarkable Hunting Excursions. Interspersed with Racy Anecdotes of Those Early Times,

by John W. Gray M. D. (Published by the author, 1858; reprinted 1974, The Reprint Company, Spartanburg, S. C.)

The book is in the first person, an “as told to” style. At this point in the narrative, Bishop is in Chatham County, North Carolina with his father. The year appears to be 1791. This Terry Poe is likely the one born ca. 1768.

CHATHAM COUNTY COURT OF PLEAS AND QUARTER SESSIONS (1781-1785)

Contributed by Joan Hawkins

13 February 1783

P. 29A - Terry Poe the Orphan of Simon Poe Dec'd be bound unto William Douglass Esq'r to learn the trade of Joiner Until he comes to the Age of twenty one he now being Sixteen years old.

Excerpt pp 30-35. Chapter IV

When I reached home I found that there was a great deal being said about the country then called Cumberland, now Middle Tennessee, and having understood that an acquaintance of mine, a Mr. Dillard was going to it, and was proposing to defray the expenses of any young man who would accompany him, I went to see him, and finding him at home, told him that I was his man. We were soon agreed, and had the time set for our departure The day rolled round. We said good-bye to all of our friends and took the trail for the above-named country, and we had not crossed the boundary line of Chatham County before we came up with Captain William Douglass, an old Revolutionary soldier, the uncle of Ila Douglass. He had with him his family, a young man by the name of W. Jones, and another whose name was Terry Poe, all bound for Cumberland.

...

Just after crossing New River a tire upon one of our wagon wheels broke, and while it was being mended, Jones, Poe, and myself concluded that we would seek a little pastime at a house that was nearby; Poe, who I should have mentioned was a very particular kind of man, was wearing buckskin knee pants and long stockings, and additionally a poultice on a sore toe. We all arrived at the house, of course perfect strangers, entered and accepted seats. Jones and myself were disposed to treat the young ladies, three of whom were present with as much courtesy as we knew how; but Poe was one of those mush-and-molasses sort of fellows who could not sit off and talk to a lady as a gentleman, but must have hold of her, or rub against her in some manner or other; in fine, he had a goodly share of the low breeding in him, and as an evidence, as one of the young ladies passed near him, he caught her and pulled her down into his lap; she screamed and struggled with all her might to get loose, and, as with one voice, Jones and myself stormed out at him to release her; but seeing that he was obstinate, we started to her assistance, but soon saw that she had severed the right link from the fetters that bound her. She had discovered Poe's sore toe, and secured her deliverance by grinding her heel heavily down upon it. The sudden fall from his transport of joy into the most agonizing pain man ever endured, had caused him to violently push the innocent and now justly revenged maiden away. He now caught up the foot to which was attached the miserable toe in both hands, and went skipping around the room, and zigzaging over the floor upon the other. The grating of his teeth was distinctly heard by all present, and I am sure that the grimace of his mouth and general distortion of his features was quite sufficient to have frightened a boy of ten years half to death. He seemed at first determined to utter not a word, but the toe throbbed so violently that it shook his very heart, until at length he cried out in all the agony of despair, “You have ruined my sore toe.” As soon as we could turn his face towards the door we all withdrew, Poe limping along, and cringing at every step, while we were smiling and walking by his side as nimbly as an Alpine fawn. When we reached the shop we found the smith dropping the linch-pin into its place, and the wagon being ready we put it in motion. We began to relate the circumstances which attended us at the house that we had just left, and Poe in return commenced giving each sentence a contradiction as it dropped from our lips. The toe by this time had become calm, but he was not able to tolerate the odium which he conceived he had brought upon himself by his conduct, and the signal victory that the young lady had gained over him; but a chance soon occurred for him to regain a portion of his lost character. We were soon to encounter a scene of a quite different nature. As we were traveling down beside the Holston, we came upon a party engaged in shooting. They had with them the common attendant of the times, a lust jug of whiskey; we stopped the wagon and started one of Jones's negroes to the spring after a pail of water, which he took up, and as he returned one of the men asked him for a gourd-full, but the boy having been ordered to hurry, was disposed to be true to his master and manifested a little unwillingness to stop. At this the applicant rushed upon him, took the pail, and dashed the water against the ground. This brought Poe to the spot with a volley of oaths, such as Ad Lazenberry never was know n to produce in his highest rage, and just as he was about to leap upon the offender with the spring of a tiger, another one ran up behind him, and throwing his hands around his head, attempted to gouge him, but Poe reached back, grabbed him, and in the twinkling of an eye hurled him over his head, and being more than his equal, gave him a desperate fisticuffing. In the meantime a third seized Captain Douglass's gun; I sprang to his assistance, and we soon had his rude hands thrown off. Here the contest abated, but we did not leave until they were satisfied that we would defend ourselves to the last. At this point we crossed the river. The wagons passed on. I remained at the bank with Poe, who desired to wash after the fight.

[After threats and grumblings the parties separate without further combat and go on their way.]

They ended the journey on August 24^th at Cage's Bend, “settled by Colonel Cage, Lewis Crane, and one or two others”.

From Chapter V. [p. 39]

Some families were in scattered settlements, three or four miles from us, on Station Camp Creek, and the Indians were becoming so very troublesome that it was necessary for the whites to form a company, to prevent their depredations; and Poe and myself entered the list for about three months.

[No further mentions of Poe.]