Stories of Indian Attacks during the Revolutionary War, Part VII
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The Hannon Massacre
The dividing line between the settlers and the Cherokee Nation was Greenville and Spartanburg Counties, South Carolina. Baylis Earle was traveling this pathway when his horse ran away from him. He followed for some distance expecting to overtake the mare when he fired a shot to “crease” (to graze the crest or foretop) him, but the ball ranging was too low, and killed the horse. Since wild or branded horses were plentiful, he did not grieve and since he had saved a new saddle, its worth was almost the price of the horse. The Hannon family resided on the banks of the North Pacolet River, on the plantation later owned by Henry Morgan (in Polk County, North Carolina). “There was a flurry of Indians while the family was planting corn. They killed Mr.Hannon first, then older members of the family. His son, Edwin, a boy about ten years of age, ran with his little brother John to the river. He had not more than cleared the bank when he heard the lick that ended the life of his poor little brother.”
Source: Colonial and Revolutionary History of Upper South Carolina, pg 93–95
George Parks began his service under William Lenoir, then, during the summer of 1776, he served in a militia company commanded by Capt. Samuel Johnston where participated in the Cherokee Expedition in Eastern Tennessee. Their activities were directed against local Loyalists. He described the taking of many prisoners in his pension. They were on the trail of about thirty Tories who had come from the hollows of the Yadkin 17 River, crossed at Parks Ford, and were headed towards South Carolina “plundering, stealing, and doing another mischief”. Parks and his comrades surprised them and chased them back across the Yadkin River. Later, they surprised another group and hanged two of them (William Cool and Sam Jones), and “whipped the rest of them to death.” Parks also mentions the taking of the celebrated Tory, old Samuel Sparks. They decoyed him away from his horse (without his gun) and captured him. He put up a good fight and “considerably injured this applicant by kicking him.”
They tied old Sparks hand and foot, on his back, and sent him down the Yadkin in a canoe. As Sparks was being sent away he “repeatedly yelled — — — Hurrah for King George!”
Source: Revolutionary Soldiers of Western North Carolina, Vol 2, pg 241
