Chapter 10
PREPARATIONS
FOR MIGRATION
1812-1813
As more and more settlers migrated
westward into Tennessee, word kept returning to Lewis Shapard in North Carolina
of great opportunities in land and business ventures for those willing to make
the trip. Recall that in April of 1807, Lewis Shapard traveled with his
brother-in-laws Solomon Paine, James Paine, William Bird Brooks, and Edmund
Shelton, among others (possibly Robert Paine, Jr.), to visit the Tennessee
frontier and see first-hand the land that was the talk of so much potential
prosperity. Their expedition party had ventured as far as current-day Middle
Tennessee, scouting different locations for settlement, as well as, assessing
areas for land and business ventures. In all, during their four month excursion
the men traveled over 1,200 miles, returning home to North Carolina in August
or September. In the months and years that followed, Lewis and his
brother-in-laws became convinced that their futures belonged in Tennessee,
specifically middle Tennessee.
Perhaps the most enticing factor for
Lewis Shapard and his brother-in-laws to migrate was that the tobacco and
cotton crops grown on their plantations in North Carolina were greatly depleting
the soil’s nutrients, rendering each successive crop less fruitful. Tennessee
offered the allure of fresh, rich, untouched, fertile lands at a reasonable
price. To encourage settlement, the US government passed the Land Act of 1800,
which held the minimum purchase price for frontier land at $2, which was often
lower than the land values of settled areas. In addition, Lewis Shapard and his
brother-in-laws were all slave owners which made them particularly suited for
agricultural success in Tennessee. Tobacco and cotton were the main financial
crops during this era, yet, were labor intensive and dependant on slavery for
commercial production. Even if not planting themselves, they saw great
potential income in renting out their slaves to other planters for the growing
season. During their expedition to Tennessee in 1807, Lewis and his
brother-in-laws realized that middle Tennessee was the place to migrate, as it
had the richest soil and best topography for planting, being less mountainous
than the terrain of eastern Tennessee.
Beyond agriculture, the men,
especially Lewis Shapard, appreciated the unparalleled business opportunities
for wealthy entrepreneurs, like themselves. Although Tennessee was rural, about
20 percent of the population was financially non agricultural. As towns grew,
so too did their need for products and supplies. Lewis and his brother-in-laws
recognized the wealth potential of the region for manufacturers and sellers of
cloth, hats, saddles, kitchenware, soap, tools, nails, etc., as well as, larger
enterprises such as mills, for grinding grains or cutting wood, tanneries for
making leather, iron import for making tools, nails and plows. Also of
particular interest were “commission merchants” for the buying, transporting
and selling of goods, such as tobacco and cotton, beyond one’s own locality.
The first family members to make the
move to Tennessee was Martha Shapard’s sister Sarah (Paine) (1778-1835) and her
husband William Bird Brooks (1774-1836). In 1812, the Brooks family migrated
from Caswell County, North Carolina to Tennessee, settling in Giles County
which had been formed in 1810 from a portion of Maury County. They settled on a
rich plot of land nine miles southeast of the newly established county seat in
the town of Pulaski. A stage road ran west of the property and allowed for ease
of transportation. This area would be the focal point of migration for many of
the Paine siblings, and those that came purchased land adjoining one another.
Solomon Paine (1787-1858) was the
next to venture to Tennessee, traveling with the families of Lewis and Martha
Shapard and Dr. William S. Webb in early 1813.
In the fall of 1814, one year after
Lewis and Martha (Paine) Shapard migrated to Tennessee, Martha’s brother James
Paine (1776-1840) made the commitment to relocate. James initially sent his
slaves to Giles County accompanied by his wife’s brother Robert Williams
(1783-1816), to make a crop for the ensuing season and to construct a house and
quarters. In May of 1815, James migrated from Person County, North Carolina
with the rest of his family to Tennessee, where a fine crop and house awaited
them. Tragically, James’ wife Mary (Williams) died on November 30, 1815, at the
age of 33 years old, and was buried in Giles County. Two years later, James
would remarry to Elizabeth Hancock. In May of 1816, James purchased 1,280 acres
on the Indian Creek in Giles County from William Polk for the staggering sum of
$1,800.
Edmund Shelton (1770-1846) and his
wife Polly (Paine) (1779-1844) and their children also migrated from Person
County Tennessee in the summer or autumn of 1815, most likely caravanning with
James Paines’ family for the long trip to Giles County, Tennessee. Edmund
purchased his first tract of prime real estate from W.H. Buchanan, being a 100
acre tract highly valued at $800. Over the next two years, William B. Brooks,
James Paine and Robert Paine would purchase the neighboring tracts.
In the spring of 1816, Robert Paine (1785-1846)
and his wife Polly (Cocke) (1792-1823) and their children also came to
Tennessee from Person County, North Carolina. Records show that in May of 1816,
he bought 471 acres from William Polk in Giles County bordering the land of his
brother James Paine.
Lewis and Martha Shapard’s commitment
to migrating to Tennessee was solidified on February 3, 1812, when Lewis and
Martha sold their 300 acre plantation in St. David District to Hugh Darby of
Lunenburg, Virginia for $600. Mr. Darby (b. circa 1768) was an attorney and was
connected to Lewis and Martha Shapard through his brother Daniel Darby (b.
1770-1818) of Caswell County. Daniel had been associated with Michael Nicholson
and was listed in a settlement of his estate in 1803. Thereafter, Daniel Darby
resided near the Shapard plantation and served on numerous committees with
Lewis Shapard over the years.
Interestingly, after the sale of their plantation, the Shapard family
remained in Caswell County until 1813. Lewis rented his former plantation house
from Mr. Hugh Darby, providing a place for his family to stay until it was time
for them to leave North Carolina.
Throughout the rest of the year of
1812, in preparation for migration, Lewis Shapard was finalizing all his
business and personal accounts and settling any outstanding legal affairs. On
March 28, 1812, Lewis, through the right of his wife, collected his final
payment from the inheritance of the estate of his father-in-law Robert Paine,
in the amount of £88.17.6 ¾. On May 9th, Lewis attended the estate
sale of the late James Burk, whereby he purchased a variety of items, including
tea cups, spoon molds, a hammer, a pair of chains and 1,500 pounds of tobacco.
In late January of 1812, Lewis
delivered his final guardian’s report on the financial expenses of the Nicolson
girls to the justices of the Caswell County Court. Elizabeth M. Nicholson had
married Alexander Caldwell the year before and was no longer accounted for by
Lewis’ report. However, Polly Nicholson and Sally P. Nicholson were still
underage, respectively 19 and 17 years of age, and remained under the
guardianship of Lewis Shapard. The report showed that each girls expenditures
for the year 1811 on board and clothing were £7.3.0 and that each still
retained an inheritance from their father’s estate of £119.4.2 for future
expenses. This is the last known record of Sally P. Nicholson. Her whereabouts
beyond this date are speculative. However, it is known that her sister Polly
Nicholson would leave Caswell County and migrate to Tennessee with the Shapard
family.
Lewis appears to have spent the end of January at Caswell
Courthouse as he was a juryman in numerous County Court cases. On January 29th,
he was on the jury panel for The State vs. Elijah Carman; The State vs. James
Vaughn, Jr.; Caleb Anglin vs. Nicholas Willis; and Koziah Mills vs. The
Executors of John Dennis, deceased. The following day he juried Jessie Carter
vs. Jacob Miles, Sr.; and Graves & Gunn vs. Edward Donoho. Later that same
day, Lewis was the plaintiff in his own case in County Court against William
Heritage for trespass. The jury found in favor of Lewis Shapard and assessed
his damages to £2.10.0 plus costs of the suit. While there, Lewis was summoned
to be a juror for the next term of the Caswell County Superior Court.
Still plaguing Lewis at this time was
the lawsuit filed in Granville County, North Carolina, involving his late
father’s estate. The suit was originally filed in September of 1811 and was
attempting to resolve a sibling dispute over their respective inheritance.
Lewis was summoned and appeared in Granville County in March of 1812, in front
of the justices of the Superior Court of Equity to answer questions regarding
the case. A few months later on November 7, 1812, Lewis Shapard returned to
Granville County to attend the deposition of John Webb and William Royster at
Mr. Alexander Hamilton’s store (no relation to the statesman Alexander
Hamilton). John Webb (1747-1826) was Lewis Shapard uncle, through his marriage
to Amy Booker, being the sister of Lewis Shapard’s mother Mary Booker. Mr. Webb
appears to have been a lawyer or judge as he had a vast knowledge of the law
and had been an invaluable friend to the Shapard family over the years,
especially to Lewis Shapard’s father. During the deposition, Lewis questioned
both witnesses regarding the details of the case. Despite his best efforts, the
lawsuit would not be resolved before he left for Tennessee. This was Lewis’
last involvement in the case that wouldn’t be fully settled until March 4,
1815; whereby, Lewis Shapard was awarded an additional £146.3.2 from his
father’s estate. Lewis Shapard received notice of the settlement by letter in
April of 1815, eventually collecting the additional sum of his inheritance.
Interestingly, two historically
significant events occurred the year the Shapard’s decided to move to Tennessee.
In 1812, Tennessee was rocked by a series of intense earthquakes, the last of
which was estimated to have been the most powerful earthquake in recorded North
American history. The epicenter originated from just beyond Tennessee’s western
border. However, the quakes were felt over 1 million square miles, as far north
as Canada and as far east as North Carolina. The Mississippi River system was
greatly affected, with reports of the Mississippi River flowing backwards for a
brief time. In the aftermath, the epicenters landscape was drastically changed;
elevations rose or dropped as much as 20 feet, some filling in with water
forming new rivers and lakes overnight. There were massive mudslides and fallen
trees that jammed the Mississippi River making navigation impossible in areas.
Despite the destruction, the human toll was abated by the fact that this region
was only sparsely settled.
The second major event of 1812
occurred on June 18th, when the United States of America under
President James Madison declared war with Great Britain. The war began due to
the British encroachment on American vessels at sea in an effort to prevent
them from trading with France, who at the time was also at war with Great
Britain. In addition, the British had ties with many Indian tribes and would
trade arms with them for goods. American sentiment disfavored the British for
supplying the exact weapons that the Indians would use to make raids on
American settlers. The war was fought from 1812 until 1815, mostly along the United
States/Canadian border, as Canada was still a British colony. However, as the
war continued, the British attempted invasions in New York, Baltimore and New
Orleans. Inland, the British allied with the Creek Indian Tribe, inciting them to
make raids on American settlements. By the end of the war, the British,
Canadians and Indians had been repelled; the Whitehouse had been burned,
Francis Scott Key had penned our national anthem during the bombardment of
Baltimore, and no land had been won or lost. Despite the stalemate outcome,
Americans felt satisfied, arousing an era of patriotism.
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