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Our Family
Genealogy Pages
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 Abt 1724 - 1771 (~ 47 years)
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| Name |
John WATTS |
| Prefix |
"Trader" |
| Suffix |
"Forked Tongue" |
| Born |
Abt 1724 |
Bowling Green, Carolyn Co., Virginia  |
| Gender |
Male |
| FamilySearch ID |
GX26-N6L |
| LifeSketch |
[5] |
| TENNESSEE HISTORICAL MARKER |
| Tribal Name |
|
| Name |
"Green Corn Top" |
| _UID |
F87C6E8DF69F47B6AFD8F555825A0E25E198 |
| Died |
4 Mar 1771 |
Willstown, Fort Payne, Alabama [6] |
| Person ID |
I11696 |
Carney Wehofer Feb 2024 Genealogy |
| Last Modified |
13 Dec 2022 |
| Father |
Kahyanteehee John Francis WATTS, "Old Chief", b. Abt 1689, Stafford, Prince William, Virginia, British Colonial America , d. 1754, Hill, Craven, South Carolina (Age ~ 65 years) |
| Mother |
Ann MCPHERSON, b. 1686, Fauquier County, Virginia , d. 1756, Craven County, North Carolina (Age 70 years) |
| Married |
|
| Family ID |
F6257 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
| Family |
Gi-Yo-Sti-Ko-Yo-He BIRD CLAN, b. Abt 1736, Cherokee Nation East, North Carolina , d. 15 Nov 1825, Cherokee Nation, Alabama (Age ~ 89 years) |
| Children |
| | 1. Bathsheba (Barsheba) WATTS, b. Abt 1746, Tasagi Town, Edgecombe County, North Carolina , d. 1805, Wadesboro, Anson, North Carolina (Age ~ 59 years) |
| | 2. Malachi WATTS, b. Abt 1751, Cherokee Nation, North Carolina , d. 11 Apr 1804, Anson County, North Carolina (Age ~ 53 years) |
| | 3. Elizabeth "Wurtah" WATTS, b. 1751, Tasagi Town, Cherokee, Alabama , d. 1814, Cherokee County, Alabama (Age 63 years) |
| | 4. Nancy "Nannie" WATTS, b. 1752, Cherokee, Washington, Tennessee , d. 1787, Cherokee, Washington, Tennessee (Age 35 years) |
| | 5. John (Kunokeski "Young Tassel") WATTS, Jr, b. Abt 1753, Cherokee Territory, Chicamauga Area, Little Tennessee River , d. Abt 1808, Fort Payne, Willstown, Alabama (Age ~ 55 years) |
| | 6. Unacatadihi White-Man-Killer Bird Clan WATTS, b. Abt 1754, Cherokee Nation East, North Carolina , d. 1804, Paint, Clarion, Pennsylvania (Age ~ 50 years) |
| | 7. Margaret WATTS, b. 1756, d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 8. Garrett Zachariah WATTS, b. 8 Jan 1756, Bowling Green, Carolyn Co., Virginia , d. 8 Feb 1838, Perry, Alabama (Age 82 years) |
| | 9. Thomas WATTS, b. Abt 1760, Bowling Green, Carolyn Co., Virginia , d. 1841, Anson County, North Carolina (Age ~ 81 years) |
| | 10. Henry WATTS, b. Abt 1760, d. Yes, date unknown |
| | 11. Benjamin WATTS, b. Abt 1763, d. Somme, Picardie, France |
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| Last Modified |
4 Dec 2021 |
| Family ID |
F5910 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Notes |
- This John Watts was an Indian trader with the Cherokee and of mixed Cherokee (mother) and British (father) blood. He also acted as an interpreter for them in dealing with the U. S. Army, etc.
Many researchers have the date of his death as his son's death date. This John Watts died 1771 at age 46. His son, Young Tassel John Watts was born at 96 District, South Carolina; the same place Trader John Watts lived in 1753.
Old Frontiers, John P. Brown, pg. 353:
....a white trader who served Captain Demere as interpreter during the building of Fort Loudon.
His wife was the sister of Chief Doublehead, aka Old Tassel and Pumpkin Boy.
John Watts was first hired by Christian Quest, grandfather of Sequoia, to work for the Virginia Land Company. He was known as a Virginia Trader; they worked out of Charleston, S.C. Researcher Robert D. Epps (see Watts Genforum Message Board, #2001, http://genforum.genealogy.com/watts), says In 1754 a John Watts married a Joppe Stuart in Charleston, S.C. John and Charles Stuart were British Indian agents into the Cherokee Nation. John Watts worked as an interpreter for them. Most likely there is a Town Family, as well as the Native American Family."
John Watts entered the original Cherokee county about the middle of the 18th century (prior to 1750). As an interpreter, he accompanied Ammonscossitte, Young Emperor of the Cherokees, on a trip from Tellico in Tennessee to Williamsburg, Virginia in 1752. (See, "The CHEROKEE FRONTIER: CONFLICT AND SURVIVAL", by David Corkran, page 437). He also served Captain Raymond Demere as interpreter during the building of British Fort Loudon in 1756-1757. During this time, he was accused of stirring up trouble between the Cherokees and the white settlers. In a letter from Littleton to Demere, Littleton says, "I'm well convinced that this talk proceeded from something that was told the Indians by John Elliot and John Watts. Watts speaks their language well. Elliott and Watts are a couple of dangerous people." (Old Frontiers by J. P. Brown).
As stated in "Diplomacy and the Indian Gifts" by Wilbur Jacobs, John Watts was in New York December 2 - 17, 1755 with Thomas Pownall, Olivery Delancy, Goldbrow Banyar, Daniel Claus and Peter Wraxall to plan the downfall of Sir William Shirle. One of John's sons, Garrett Watts, was born on January 8, 1756 in Caroline County, VA. It doesn't seem possible that John would have made it back for the birthing. (As noted by Betty Watts, whose husband Noel E. Watts is a 4th great grandson of Garrett.)
From the book, "John Stuart and the Southern Colonial Frontier", by John Richard Alden, we find that in 1757, John Watts was a supervisor of parties of Cherokees and Catawabas coming into Virginia, along with Richard Smith and Thomas Rutherford, all of whom were given the titles of "Conductors and Guides". The book also mentions that in 1761, John Watts escorted Tistoe of Keowee, and Slavecatcher of Tomotley back to Ouconnostotah. John at the time was Captain in the Provincial Rangers.
In 1763, John Watts acted as interpreter at the treaty of Augusta, as mentioned in "Tennesse during the Revolutionary War", by Samuel Cole Williams. In 1767, John Watts accompanied Attokullalulla and Ouconnastotoah and their children, as mentor and interpreter, to Charleston. Stuart permitted only eight persons to go.
See "Who Was Among the Southern Indians, a Genealogical Notebook", 1698-1907, by Don Martini: Page 691: Watts, John - Cherokee Trader, lived at Ninety-Six, South Carolina in 1751. He was a British interpreter for the Cherokees at Fort Loudoun (S.C.) in 1758 and at Augusta in 1763, and continued to fill that position at the 1770 treaty negotiations. He died early in 1771, and was replaced by John Vann. Married to a sister of Doublehead, he was the father of Chief John Watts.
There is a lot of speculation as to the actual wife of John Watts. Some say she is the daughter of Chief Atakullakulla and some say she is the daughter of Chief Great Eagle. J. P. Brown, in his book "Old Frontiers", says that John Watts married the sister of Chiefs Old Tassel, Doublehead, and Pumpkin Boy. Their other sister was Wurteh (mother of Sequoah). I have seen her name as: Xaiyantshee, Onitositah, Kay-i-o, GHI-GO-NE-II, etc. Research will continue.
I have nine children listed on my Descendants List for John and his wife (as taken from various sources). They are noted as #2 and their children are noted as #3.
The following quotation from a petition by Garret Watts (son of John) for a Revolutionary War Pension was posted on the Watts Genforum Board (http://genforum.genealogy.com/watts), message #929:
"I was born on the 08 day of January, 1756 in Caroline County in Virginia. At the age of 12, moved to North Carolina where I entered the service of the U.S. My age is recorded in my father's bible which is in possession of some of his descendants I know not. When I was first called, I lived in Casswell County, North Carolina. After the war, I moved to Jefferson City, Georgia, then to Perry City in the State of Alabama where I now live."
CHIEF JOHN WATTS:
FROM "WHO WAS WHO AMONG THE SOUTHERN INDIANS, A GENEALOGICAL NOTEBOOK", 1698-1907 by Don Martini: Watts, John - Cherokee Chief, was born in 1753, the son of Trader John Watts. Also known as Kettiegesta, he was for many years a leading chief of the warlike Chickamauga faction of Cherokees that waged war on the American Frontier. He fought against John Sevier at Boyd's Creek in 1780. Two years later, he served as a guide for Sevier, but he led the General's troops from the Chickamauga towns. In May, 1792, he was described as a "bold, sensible, and friendly half breed" and as a "stout, bold and enterprising man". Despite all the compliments by the Americans, he continued to wage war on the frontier. He was severely wounded in a raid on Buchanan's Station, near Nashville, on September 30, 1792. While recuperating, he met with Governor William Blount of the Southwest Territory at Henry's Station, near Long Island on the Holston, in April, 1793. After his daughter was killed by whites on June 16, 1793, he again went on the warpath. In September, 1793, he, Doublehead, and James Vann led 1000 warriors toward Knoxville, only to abort the raid. He is said to have joined Chief Bowl and others in the attack on whites at Muscle Shoals in June, 1794. In November, 1794, following Major James Ore's successful invasion of the Chickamauga towns, Watts and other Cherokees sued for peace. In December 1796, he visited President Washington in Philadelphia, and in October, 1800, he met with Moravian missionaries at Spring Place. He signed the treaty of 1805. Once described as the greatest ballplayer in the Cherokee Nation, he died either on the Mississippi River about 1805 or at Willstown (AL), with burial there. He was a brother to Unacata and to a Cherokee killed at Boyd's Creek, and was the father of John Watts, Big Rattlinggourd, and perhaps Hard Mush (Gatunuali).
From page 353 of Old Frontiers, by J. P. Brown: "Chief John Watts was described by Governor Blount as "unquestionably the leading man in his Nation." He possessed a talent for making friends, red and white. William Martin, son of General Joseph Martin, said of him, "He was one of the finest looking men I ever saw, large of stature, bold and magnanimous, a great friend of my father's." Major G. W. Sevier states: "He was a noble looking Indian, always considered a generous and honorable enemy," and other pioneers paid high tribute to his "engaging personality."
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| Sources |
- [S856] David Brinkley.
- [S857] Candi Seaton, [email protected].
- [S858] Walter Myers.
- [SAuth] Jim Carney, compiled by James H Carney [(E-ADDRESS), & MAILING ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE], Buderim, Queensland 4556 AUSTRALIA.
- [S1160] FamilySearch Family Tree (http://www.familysearch.org), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, ((http://www.familysearch.org)), accessed 8 Dec 2021), entry for John WATTS, person ID G96R-HH9. (Reliability: 3).
- [S859] E-Mail from Paula McGee 09-01-01.
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