| Notes |
- James Anthony along with two brothers came to America before the Revolutionary War, he settled in North Carolina and the other two settled in Virginia.
James was a rebel and fought all through the Revolutionary War for Independence. After the war married Elizabeth Corder daughter of John Corder and Gracy Braker. They were married on 7 November 1784 in the Glouseter District of Caswell County, North Carolina.
During the Indian troubles in 1791-1792 he was sent by the Government, with supplies to a station in Tennessee. It was a very hazardous expedition and he was frequently ambushed by Indians, but succeeded in executing the commission. For his service the Government gave him 960 acres of land. This land was located near Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
In 1793, James went on an expedition to Kentucky, and concluded to settle near Bean's (Bryan's) Station. This post was garrisoned by United States Dragoons, for the protection of settlers against the Indians. He then returned to North Carolina and in the fall of 1794 he placed his household effects on pack horses and with his wife and five children (Lewis being the oldest, he was 9 years of age), there was his sister Jane and her husband Joel Corder and their children and five young men in the group when they started for Bean's Station in Kentucky.
They were about fifteen miles from the station when they were attacked by about 30 Shawnee Indians. and the fight was fierce and brief. Fifteen Indians were killed and every man of the expedition except Mr. McFarlalnd were also killed. He fought until he alone was left, when he made his escape and reached the station with six bullet holes in his hunting shirt, but with only slight flesh wounds. He then piloted the dragoons to the scene of the massacre.
Elizabeth Anthony and Lewis were taken prisoners while the younger children were tomahawked and scalped by the Indians as being too young to travel.
It is believed that Pembrooke Anthony was the sister of Lewis. She apparently was one of the surviving children found in the wilderness following the massacre. Perhaps she was the two year old child often mentioned by family members who related the story to succeeding generations. This child was reportedly taken prisoner, but was soon left behind because she w as unable to walk fast enough to keep up with the group.
The Indians traveled rapidly in the direction of Detroit, Michigan near which they had a large village. Here the prisoners remained until the following spring when Elizabeth Corder Anthony with the assistance of a Frenchman: was placed on board a ship bound for Edinburgh, Scotland, under the command of Captain Cartwright. Once on board, she donned a suit of men's clothing, cut her hair, and put on a hat. A group of Indians searched the boat for her, but because she was so well disgu ised they failed to recognize her. Reportedly she later married the captain of the boat, whose surname was Cartwright. As far as can be determined she was never again in contact with her family here in this country.
She is mentioned in the Last Will and Testament of her father, John Corder Jr., that was wrote on the 28th day of September 1814 in Smith County, Tennessee. In it he bequeaths "to my daughter Elizabeth Cartwright ... five shillings if alive..."
After remaining with the Indians three years, Lewis (with other prisoners) was released by treaty, and brought by two of his uncles from the Corder family to Tennessee and put in possession of the 960 acres of land granted to his father.
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newspapers coverage of the massacre:
KENTUCKY GAZETTE
Vol. 6, No 29, Page 3, colume L.
April 13, 1793
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LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY
April 6, 1793
On the 26th of March, a company consisting of 9 men, 2 women & eig ht children, on their way to this state, were attacked about five miles fr om the Hazle Patch toward Larel River, about an hour before sunset, by a p arty of Indians supposed to be about thirty. The nine men dismounted a nd defended the women and children for about fifteen minutes, during whi ch time they fired four or five rounds, but being over powered and the ind ians closing in on all sides, the whole group were killed or taken, exce pt four who esceped, one of which is dangerously wounded.
The names of the killed and missing are...Joel Corder and his famil y: James Anthony and family; Mathews Flournoy; ______Spilman and Thomas Pe niston, James Jones, wounded. Robert Hill, James M. Farland and William A nthony escaped unhurt.---The above account is given by one of the men w ho escaped.
We are just now informed that Peniston and one of the children, th at was missing has since come in.
Joel Corder was the son of John Corder Jr. and brother to Bailus
James Anthony was a son-in-law of John Corder and brother-in-law to Bailus .
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LEXINGTON, APRIL 13, 1793
We are informed that a party of men under Major Wheatly who went to t he place where the company was defeated in the Wilderness on the 26th Mar ch have returned, and brought in with them the most of the horses and bagg age belonging to the party defeated, also, two of the children that were m issing--it is supposed some sudden alarm caused the Indians to leave the g round immediately, by means of which the children were preserved. They al so found and brought in a child that was taken by the Indians from a compa ny they defeated about the first of March. It had straggled off from the ir camp whhilst they were making the attack on the company of the 26th---T he children had suffered very much for want of food.
http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=litle6of6&id=I23416
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Abt 1759 - 1793 (~ 34 years)
