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Norvell Robertson
On file at the Department of Archives and History, Jackson, MS.
This condensed version was copied from
The Robertson-Smith Connection.
I was born on the 22nd day of May 1765 in Buckingham, Virginia near the line from Cumberland and shortly after was removed to the latter county, in which I was brought up, and resided till the last of November 1786, when I left my native country for the State of Georgia.
My father, whose name was Jeffrey Robertson, was in quite moderate circumstances, and did not possess the means of giving his children much education. Besides, about the time of my birth the disputes commenced between the English Ministry and the American Colonies, which subsequently occasioned a revolution, which resulted in securing the Colonies a rank among the independent nations of the earth. It may be said, therefore, that I was raised in the time of the American Revolution, when all was bustle, confusion and distress.
Nevertheless, there were neighborhood schools occasionally, to which my father sent me, and if the teachers that I was placed under had been competent to the office of teaching, and if the whole time that I went to school had been included in one term - or in two terms - I should have received a tolerable good education. But it was far otherwise. For, in the first place, I had to go to school when an opportunity offered, and when the term expired, an interval would follow long enough for me to forget a great part of what I had learned. And secondly, the school masters of that day depended upon doing everything through fear. They exercised so much despotism with me that it excited in me a deep and settled aversion to going to school.
It may be proper to observe that my father, at the time of my birth, and until I was in my thirteenth year, followed the occupation of an Overseer, at which period he settled on land of his own, which was unimproved. Hence it became necessary for me to be confined to domestic affairs.
I have no means of tracing my pedigree further back than to my paternal and maternal grandfathers. My father's father whose name was Jeffrey Robertson, when he began in the world, settled in Chesterfield county, in Virginia, on the south side of the James River, some twenty-five miles from the city of Richmond. His settlement contained one hundred and five acres of land, on which he lived and died at the age of seventy-five, after raising eight children, and at his death was possessed of a few slaves. My mother's father, George Norvell, was a citizen of Hanover county, on the north side of the James River, twelve miles from Richmond. He was tolerably wealthy, but, being opposed to her marriage, he never gave her anything but a negro girl.
My father, having but two sons, of which I was the eldest, my brother being five years and five months younger than myself, manifested, on all occasions, a marked partiality for his youngest son who had received his own name, and treated me as an inferior, being scarcely worth mention (as I thought). The consequence of which was that I imbibed a low and contemptible opinion of myself, which has had a pernicious influence on me through life.
The above remark is not intended to disparage my parent, but to show the impropriety of treating children in such a manner as to induce some to think more highly of themselves as to deprive them of that manly boldness which is essential to qualify them for a respectable intercourse with Society.
About the time of the Declaration of Independence, when I was eleven years old, there was much stir about mustering and enlisting soldiers for the army, and a martial spirit pervaded the whole mass of people around me. This spirit of patriotism communicated itself generally to boys about my age, and I partook a liberal share of it. There was nothing I desired more than to go into the army, and this desire continued until I got cured of it by actual experience. In Virginia, boys of sixteen years of age were enrolled for military duty. I was a well grown boy, being as heavy at seventeen years old as at any period of my life.
About four months before I became sixteen my father was drafted to serve a three months tour of militia duty, and I insisted on taking his place to which he consented. Preparation was made, the day to set out came, and I, in company with my father, repaired to the place of rendezvous. It was late in the afternoon before we got in motion, but at length the line of march was formed and we took to the road, but had not proceeded two or three hundred yards, when my father came along and took me out of the ranks and put a substitute in my place. The disappointment was so great that it affected me to tears.
However, in course of that same year, my curiosity was gratified, for in May following, I was enrolled. In August following Cornwallis, who commanded the British troops in Virginia, fortified himself in Yorktown, and the Virginia militia was called out en masse, to assist in capturing him. This was just the thing that pleased me.
Accordingly in September 1781, two companies from Cumberland county met at Skipwith's Mill, on Appomattox River, and crossing the river at that place marched down the same on the south side, and passing through Petersburg, continued on down James River to a place called Swan's Point. Here we halted for about two weeks. This place is nearly opposite to Old Jamestown on the north side of the river where it is three miles wide. We then crossed the river and marched through Williamsburg and so on down to Yorktown eight or ten miles below the latter place. Yorktown is an inconsiderable place, but on an eminence contiguous to York River, at the termination of which immediately on the river, was the British fortifications. From hence and for a considerable distance down the river spread out a very extensive old field, very level, with not a tree, scarcely a bush or shrub. In this place the Americans carried on their operations except the storming of two redoubts, and a skirmish with a foraging party on the other side of the River where Tarelton commanded. All hostile operations were carried on with cannonballs and bomb shells.
The service of the militia was hard, being employed in providing material for the breastworks and digging in the entrenchment. But the men of the upper counties who had been accustomed to water of the very best quality, and a country as healthy perhaps, as any part of the globe, became exceedingly sickly, so much so that at the time of surrender, out of two companies that went from Cumberland no more seventeen or eighteen privates were found fit for duty. The disease was chiefly chills and fever and dysentery. None of the men, however, from Cumberland died at the place. One died on his way home, and three or four more died soon after their return.
Next morning after the surrender of the British garrison, a general review was made by the physicians and all who were unfit for duty were discharged. I was among that number. Those who were judged to be able were detained to guard the prisoners to Winchester near the mountains of Virginia. After I was discharged, I proposed to a young man who lived with my father that year, and who also was discharged, to stay and see the British Army march out and surrender in form, but he objected saying if we were found loitering about there we should probably be put on the list again and compelled to go to Winchester. This reconciled me to set out for home, which I did, and, as bad as my health was, being under the influence of both dysentery and chills and fever, I reached home in the latter part of October 1781. I should observe here that my father, for several years during the war, followed the cardmaking trade. This rendered it necessary to have blacksmith tools. By this means I picked up the blacksmith's trade, and when I was in my nineteenth year, he put me to work at that trade at Cumberland Court House in company with John Mann, the tavern keeper, with whom I boarded.
The morals of the people had , of course, become greatly relaxed in consequence of the war which had just closed, and it was a place of resort for gamblers, horse-thieves and all manner of dissipated and abandoned characters in the country round about. I became so disgusted with my way of living that I resolved to free myself from it. There is no doubt that if I had gone to my father and told him that I was tired of my way of living, he would have removed me. But the only alternative that presented itself to my mind was to run away!
I had a horse of my own, and without saying a word to any person about my intentions I set out early in the morning. I do not remember that I had any clothes with me except those I had on, as I went to my father's every week to change clothes. Without an overcoat, and not more than fifty cents in my pocket, my object was to go to an uncle that lived in Campbell county, about seventy miles distant to the west. I reached the residence of my uncle's oldest son, who was married and lived seven or eight miles nearer than my uncle. I engaged to work at the trade of blacksmith, but before I had time to commence business, a young man came after me from my father. I judged it most prudent to return, though it was with considerable reluctance. This was about the close of the winter of 1784.
I remained with my father that year and worked on the farm, and the following year he set me at liberty to work for myself. I then went to Buckingham and set up a shop at Mr. Cox's who boarded and found a striker, and we divided the profits equally. The next year, which was the last of my residence in Virginia, I boarded at my father's and carried on business upon my own footing.
On the 22nd day of May, I was twenty one years old. I began to feel an inclination to travel, and with Jonas Bradley, I resolved to travel to the State of Georgia, and accordingly, on the 30th day of November 1786, I set out with Jonas and his younger brother, David, and arrived at Bradley's intended residence, Burke county, on the first day of January 1787. My plan was to be absent two years and then return to my native place. I found it impossible to get into any kind of profitable business, and was compelled to resort to farming.
I undertook to drive a wagon to Savannah for a man whose name was Cawthon, and put my mare in to make up the team. She was a wild, scary mare and caused the team to run away with the wagon twice. I traded my mare for a horse with Peter Stoner, who came riding down the road, and if he had not been a dead horse, he would have been worth as much at least, as my mare.
The next morning when I went to gather them up, I found my horse lying down and it was difficulty that I got him up. He then refused to eat. The following night he died. Under these circumstances, I found myself in a forlorn condition -- in a land of strangers, without a friend nearer than Virginia, destitute of money except for one half dollar, and out of employment.
After my return from Savannah, I went to board with an old man on Buckhead, whose name was Johnston, who had a blacksmith shop. Having no striker, I accepted a proposition of the old man to work on his farm as a cropper. In the Fall of the year 1786 a treaty was concluded between the State of Georgia and the Creek Indians in which the latter ceded to the former the land lying between the Ogechee and Oconee Rivers. Many of the Indians were dissatisfied and they began to kill the settlers of this land. In September of 1787, a draft was made on the militia of Burke county, and it fell my lot to go into service. The object of the expedition was to march to Carr's Bluff on the Oconee and build a fort. This object was accomplished in thirty days. We were assaulted by Indians who instilled a spirit of fear in our men.
During my absence, Mr. Johnston sold his land in Buckhead and removed to Edisto, South Carolina. Consequently I was left destitute, even of a temporary home. I was destitute of money and friends that were willing to afford me the least assistance. I had purchased a pony of small value intending to improve it as I found myself able until I could get in possession of a horse that I could afford to ride back to Virginia.
I came to the conclusion to go to Augusta and try to get in some kind of business there, but not succeeding, I went to a little village called Bedford, four miles above Augusta, where I found Paul Caldwell, a blacksmith who was working at the trade at that place. To him I hired myself for four months. I became so tired of my mode of living, and so disgusted with the filthiness of my messmate that I determined to dissolve my connection with him and seek some other employment. Wishing to improve my education, I concluded to turn my attention to school teaching, and make an effort in that neighborhood to get a school, but did not succeed. Sometime after I went to Bedford, William Powell came there and engaged to make a crop for Joel Harver, at whose house I had my washing done. In July following, he became weary of this employment and determined to return to Rocky Comfort from which he came. He expressed an opinion that I could get a school in his mother's neighborhood and invited me to go with him. I agreed to do so, and soon made up a school of something more than twenty scholars.
This was my first introduction to the family of Martha Powell, to whose second daughter, Sarah, I became subsequently united in marriage. The school was composed principally of children whose parents had fled from the Purchase for fear of Indians, to the old settlements and got into vacant houses wherever they could find them. As times had become peaceable, the refugees returned again to their settlements in the Purchase, in consequence of which my school could not be continued.
Being out of employment, I went down to Rocky Creek and engaged in farming until the tobacco was sold in Autumn at which time I returned to work as a blacksmith for three months, boarding at Mr. Edwards. As the people were not willing to promise money for work, I agreed to take bacon, which I collected and sold in Augusta at four pence a pound. I then bartered my corn for rum, and bought about ten pounds sterling, at the suggestion of a merchant in Waynesboro, on credit. In April 1790, I set out peddling and retailing in the new Purchase, and it was not long before I got through my stock in trade and had little to show for it.
I now went to the Big Creek on the Oconee and contracted to build a hewed log house for which I received a young horse. This horse was not such a one as I wanted to ride back to Virginia, so I exchanged him for one that pleased me well, but in the course of about twenty four hours after I got him, he was stolen from me and I never recovered him.
Having finished my job for Dowdie, I had to look again for employment. The Waynesboro debt was still hanging over me, and White, the merchant to whom it was due, had been to see me on the subject. As the payment of it money appeared to be out the question, he agreed to take butter in payment. I rented blacksmith tools from Hurry Brazeale, living near Sandersville, boarded with him, and followed that business till about the first of June. The range was good, milk was plenty and I agreed to take butter for my labor. At the end of my term of work, I collected my butter, borrowed a cask, and carried it to Waynesboro, and paid my debt.
During the time of my boarding at Mrs. Powell's in 1788, I began to feel an attachment for her daughter, Sarah, an attachment which gradually increased from that to day of her death. Notwithstanding, from a fancied disparity in the families, it was a long time before I could obtain my own consent to marry. But at length, finding it impossible to set my affection on any other woman, I became willing to marry her, and now found no little difficulty in gaining here consent. However, I succeeded and could not reconcile it with my feelings to return to Virginia, till our union was consummated, which took place on the 7th day of July 1791.
My mother-in-law gave me a small tract of land adjoining her own. It was unimproved, and I commenced building a house immediately, and by hard and constant labor completed it by the first of October, and the 7th day of that month I got under way to my native place, having been absent five years lacking a little less than two months.
When I went to Virginia, my parents gave me a tolerably good horse, a bed, a chest, a pot, some table furniture, etc. As one of his neighbors was making preparations to move to Georgia, and needing a horse to complete his team, I agreed with him to put in one of mine for the privilege of putting these articles in his wagon. As a consequence of this arrangement I was absent from home more than eleven weeks.
In the latter part of December I arrived at Mrs. Powell's, and immediately got into my new house and commenced house keeping. But I was destitute of provisions of every kind and had no money to purchase with. The best alternative I could think of was to rent a set of blacksmith tools and follow that business in the present emergency, which I did, and by that means procured provisions to support my family.
Under the impression that my land was too poor to justify an expectation of raising a family on it, I sold it after remaining on it two seasons, and purchased a tract of land on Joe's Creek, on the SW side of Rocky Comfort. I had now the prospect of much hard labor to perform, for although there was as much open land on the premises as I was able to cultivate, there was no house and almost no fencing on it. At the time of removal, I had not fully recovered from a spell of fever. But I set to work with a good resolution, built me a cabin, made rails and fenced my plantation in due time. My land had been cultivated long enough to be nearly exhausted, but it had been resting several years so that it amply rewarded me for my labor the first year; but the following year proved to be a remarkably wet season marked by many unusually heavy rains which carried off the soil so it was ever after rendered unfit for cultivation.
I had not lived many years on this place before it became obvious that there would be a necessity for me to provide a better situation for farming. My family was fast increasing, and there was but a small portion of my land that was worth cultivating. Wherefore, after remaining on it ten years, I sold it and settled on a tract of land which I purchased from Ignatious Few, as agent of his brother William Few, of New York, lying on Rocky Comfort a little below Upton's Bridge. On this place there were no buildings of any kind, and but little cleared land and that much worn.
However, erroneously believing that I was settled for life, I built me a good framed dwelling with brick chimneys and all the necessary out
houses, raised orchards, cleared land and put my plantation into a state of excellent improvement. By the time I had accomplished these objects, I became convinced to my mistake in supposing that I was settled for life. For though my land was reasonably productive, it was hard to clear, and lying rolling, it wore out about as fast as I could clear it.
Finding that necessity would compel me to move in a few years, I concluded I could not do it too soon for my own benefit.
About this time the Indian claim to the land lying between the Oconee and Ocmulgee was extinguished by the General Government, and was divided by the Government of the State of Georgia into tracts of two hundred and two and one-half acres to each head of a family by lot, and though there were about twelve or thirteen blanks to one prize, it proved to be a fortunate shower and a tract fell to my lot in Baldwin county on the waters of Murder Creek. I found it to be, about one half of it of excellent quality and sufficiently level. - the other half was inferior in quality and quite rocky. There was no water on it although there was a good spring within a few rods of the line.
The fertility of the land was a strong temptation to me to settle it, but when I came to compare the advantages with the disadvantages, I found that it had nothing to recommend it but the richness of the soil. On the other hand, I considered that it was surrounded with (by) a body of rich land divided into small tracts which would in a short time be settled up by a dense population, a large proportion which would probably be slaves. It was very inconvenient to market, and although the grass was then (in July) tall enough to wet one's feet on horseback if the dew was on it, I knew that in a short time there would be scarcely a spear of grass to be found in the country outside of the plantations.
These considerations determined me to remain in the section of country I then lived in, and sold my lot for $600, and bought a plantation a little higher up the creek for which I gave $850, and sold the place I then lived for $700, after residing on it seven years. By the last mentioned remove I was in possession of productive land which was level and lasting. But like all other places, it had its inconveniences. It was divided by the creek, and nearly all of the land that was worth cultivating was on the opposite side of the creek from my settlement. In consequence of this I had to be at the expense of keeping up a bridge. And occasionally in times of high water, we could not cross the creek even with the help of a bridge.
Notwithstanding these objections, I think it probable that I should have remained here if I had not been influenced by a desire to promote the interests of my family. The number of my children amounted to ten, the last two of whom were born here and I saw no prospect of their being provided with land in the State of Georgia. This consideration was the occasion of some dissatisfaction of mind, and produced an inclination to seek a country in which my family would be placed in better circumstances.
Accordingly, in the winter of 1815-16, I made an excursion south as far as the Alabama River, in the company of George and Stephen Granberry and William Albritton. The part of the river which we explored extended past Claiborne to Theophilus Powell's (my brother - in - law) some twenty or thirty miles down the river. After staying some days at this place, and exploring the Alabama cane brakes, we set out again and returned to Fort
Claiborne, from whence we took the Federal road and traveled east as far as the Burnt Corn Springs, where we left the road and traveled down that creek about eight miles, where we crossed the creek and came to a cabin that was occupied by a Mr. Herbert.
Here we stopped for the night, and next morning we bore eastwardly till we came to the ridge dividing the waters of the Burnt Corn from those of Murder Creek, where we found a large pond surrounded by some sightly land which has since become the site of a village called Bellville. From this place we took an Indian trail and pursued a north course till we came to a hollow on the right which we followed till we came to the flat ground of the south branch of Murder Creek, where we found some excellent land, and all being satisfied with the discoveries we had made agreed to steer our course homeward.
Returning to the little Indian path we had left, we took the north end of it about 11 o'clock, and the next day about 1 o'clock P.M., we found ourselves in the Federal Road near Beach Spring. From the time we left the road at Burnt Corn until we came into it again at this place we saw no human being except Mr. Herbert, nor any sign of human labor. We reached home about the 10th of January 1816.
Having imbibed the spirit of immigration it continued with me and increased, and finding that several of my particular friends in the neighbor-hood were under the influence of the same spirit, I made up my mind to leave the State of Georgia after a residence in it for thirty one years. In pursuance of the aforesaid resolution, I made arrangements to remove and on the 12th day of November 1817 I, with family accompanied by George, Stephen, Seth and Moses Granberry and their families, and two young men, William Albritton and Allen Cowart, commenced or journey to the new State of Mississippi, which was organized and admitted to the Union the same year. We were delayed in starting much longer than we intended in consequence of the peculiar situation of some of the women of the company which proved a great disadvantage to us. We undertook to bring our cattle with us, which also retarded our journey. But when we arrived at Barnett, in the Creek Nation, we sold them for $11.00 per head to the Indians.
After a tedious and uncomfortable journey of two months including two weeks that our families were stopped at the Chickasawha, we arrived at Leaf River. The design of stopping our families as above stated was that the heads of families might go forward and select places for location. From there George, Stephen and Moses Granberry an myself advanced as far as Leaf River and Bowie and Okatoma and explored a part these rivers, and George Granberry purchased a quarter section with some improvements and the rest of us having taken numbers for entry, we all returned to our families. Stephen Granberry and William
Albritton returned to St. Stephens to enter the lands of which we had taken the numbers. But it was found that the two quarter sections of which I had taken the numbers had been previously entered, consequently, when we arrived at the place of destination, I was destitute of a location. I built a camp for my family on a quarter section which Stephen Granberry had entered on the east side of Leaf River where Christopher Chappel now resides, where I remained thirteen days.
In the meantime I was engaged in exploring the country in search of a settlement on which I could venture to locate myself permanently. But as all the land in those parts that was worth entering and much that was not, had been taken up, no alternative was left to me but to purchase at second hand. At length I heard of some lands on Bowie, immediately above the fork entered by Ellison Moffet which were for sale, and W. Albritton and myself intended to go and look and them, as if we liked, to purchase them jointly. Upon a very limited view of said lands we decided to venture and bought them. There were two quarter sections and a half quarter for which I paid $360, which was $160 more than the entrance. One quarter was situate on the south side of Bowie which I let William Albritton take at the entrance, and I kept the rest.
My land proved to be of superior quality. A large portion of it was fit for cultivation, but like all other places it had its disadvantages to balance against its advantages. It was hemmed in on two sides by small rivers which were frequently impassable without a bridge and it was very difficult to get a bridge to stand. The close adjacent country was low and flat so that it was often difficult getting any distance from the house without meeting with water. The range which in the fork was indifferent at first had become quite exhausted so that it became necessary to sell of my cattle or remove them. The latter course I preferred.
After residing at this place nearly thirteen years, I sold it Simeon Travis, and removed to Station Creek in the northern part of the same county (Covington) a distance of about twenty miles. My land here compared with that which I had left, was of inferior quality, but the situation of the country was dry, pleasant and healthy, and the range was good so that my stock did well and increased.
The neighborhood in which I had located was laboring under serious inconveniences for want of a mill, which induced me to undertake the erection of one, which I accomplished and for a while realized a moderate profit from it. But it was not long before other mills were built, which so divided the custom as to render mine unproductive. I also put a cotton gin in operation from which I received some profit.
But finding my force too weak to give proper attention to these several branches of business and keep up my farm, I resolved to establish myself on Leaf River and attend exclusively to farming. For this purpose I purchased a tract of one hundred and seventy five acres from Joshua Keyes, on the west side of the River, where I now reside, two and one half miles below Reddoch's Ferry.
Thus I have given a brief and imperfect sketch of my course through life which brings my narrative down to the eighty-first year of my age. I have raised ten children out of eleven that were born alive, the one that died being an untimely birth that did not live to see the light.
| File name | |
| File Size | |
| ID | 1281 |
| Linked to | George Norvell; Sarah Rhoda Norvell; Sarah Powell; Jeffrey Robertson, II; Jeffrey Robertson, III; Jeffrey Robertson, IV; Norvell Robertson |
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