LEWIS JOSLIN - Draper Letter census reference and will, 1898

Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee

Copyright (c) 2000 Dave Ogle droandllo@cs.com

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Letter to Lyman C. Draper from Lewis Joslin
Reference Draper manuscript 6XX98, no date.

A photocopy of the microfilm was taken by the compiler at the Dallas County
Library and, in his best effort transcribed with the following result. Some
of the spelling and sentence structure has been change but the meaning is
still intact.

     Mr. Draper Sir,
     I sat down this morning to drop you a line or two on a subject matter,
that you have long since requested of me. Wishing to secure all the
information from others, and myself has occasioned the delay. I mean,
respecting the first settlers of Tennessee _______of the information that I
can give you ______ from my father and mother. Some circumstances I
recollect myself. I am now sixty-five years old. My father went by the name
of Benjamin Joslin, my mother was Mary Gatewood. They came from Amherst
County, Virginia, to Kentucky, and thence to Tennessee, Davidson County in
the year 1785. I heard of my mother speak of how she had to melt her pewter,
spoons, plates, and basins to make bullets, to shoot the Indians. I
recollect there was an attack on father when he was making a fence. It was
always customary to _______ ________ out and there where our family living
in the fort by the name of Baldwin and the older son Baldwin in the fort as
_______ and he left his post and went to the fort. He had 2 sons, the
youngest from 12-14 years old and there was a man by the name of Thomas
Fletcher. The Indians crept through the corn and fired on them. They shot
Ezekiel Baldwin and T. Fletcher. They caught the younger son of the
Baldwin's and scalped him and_____ had two little sons and two little Negro
boys and as the Indian had his tomahawk to kill Fletcher, father punched him
down with his gun and as the cap he had over in back of his gun caught the
t___ the ___ and he went flipping where the children with a belief that he
could keep them back so as to save the children. He did so and behold
neither of them did. I have seen my mother bore hundreds of awl holes
through the skull of this younger Baldwin so as to let the flesh through.
The older sons of Baldwin and Fletcher were both shot close by the nipple on
the left side and it came out the right side. My father had an alarm gun
which he used when he saw Indians about. He would fire his big gun so as to
notify the other forts. It could be heard for about twelve miles. There were
at least 15 or 16 Indians that fired upon my father at one time as he was
setting on his horse. It was the time the horse was drinking out of the
lick. They all missed him. The horse twisted to his new_____ and loped off.
     There was a man named Hellen who lived in the fort with my father. They
walked out one Sunday evening.  Through a little patch of cotton near the
house, they got between them and the house. As father and Hellen approached
the house, they shot at them and killed Hellen who fell against my father.
The two fellows caught father, one on each side of him. This being warm
weather, the one on the right side happened to have hold of the ____. Right
then, ran back, and having the use the use his arm, knocked the other one
down. This was about 30 or 40 steps from the house. They struck him with
their war clubs, which weakened his arm and could not use it. He fired his
alarm gun. They way they ____ blankets sticks of ____ _____, was a sin to
Davey Crockett. General Robertson's place was about 5 miles off and the
friendly Indians. Chickasaws arrived there in short note. There were so many
of the Indians, say 12 men and they had their squaws with them. They stole a
great many horses. Benjamin Joslin and others pursued them and overtook them
at the Tennessee River, about 80 or 90 miles away. They killed all of the
warriors and brought back the squaws as prisoners. One of my father's
company was a lad of 10 years old. He had a British musket and killed one of
warriors in the river. They brought in all of the scalps of the warriors.
The Indians had also come to the fort and caught some of the children of
Mrs. Evans, held them and aimed to shoot her. She slammed __ two and caught
his gun and ___ this. Mrs. Evans was the mother of Capt. Robert Evans.
     There are a great many, brave pioneers that were killed by those
savages that were buried at Fletchers Lick, where Benjamin Joslin had his
fort.
     Mr. Draper, these statements are as true as wholly ___ and if it will
be of aid in your narrative, you are at liberty to use it. I think a true
history of the first settlers of the west ought to be taken care of for the
raising generation to examine. Doctor Felix Robertson and myself are the
oldest men that sprang from the early settlers of this country. ______ that
live here as we were born within 3 miles of each other.  I was born in
Francis Hodges station within 5 miles of Nashville.

     Reference the 1820 census of Davidson County, Tennessee, the listing
is:                              JOSLIN, Lewis   Davidson Co   Tn
000010-10100

     Reference the 1830 census of Davidson County, Tennessee, the listing
is:
Joslin, Lewis 2000001-120011, page 215.

     Reference the 1850 census of Davidson County, Tennessee, the listing
is:                              JOSCELIN, Lewis 60, Delila 50, John 27,
Robert 35, Thomas 18, Hugh 15, Lewis 12, John WYATT 27, Mary 23, T NC,
D-923-665.

     WILL OF LEWIS JOSLIN:
August 29, 1855, Davidson County, Tennessee
     In the name of God Amen. I Lewis Joslin of the county of Davidson and
state of Tennessee, being of sound mind and disposing memory do make and
ordain this instrument to be my last Will and Testament.
 1st, It is my will and desire that after paying my funeral expenses and all
First debts, that my beloved wife Delia shall occupy and enjoy one third of
the track of land on which I now reside, including the mansion house or
homestead and household and kitchen furniture during her natural lifetime,
and after her death the same is to be divided equally, share and share
alike, among all of my children,precisely in the same manner, and under the
same restrictions as hereinafter ______ for the residue and remainder of my
property, real, personal, and mixed.
2nd,  It is my further will and desire, that so ____ as practicable after my
decease that all of the remainder of my property, of whatever kind or
description shall be equally divided between my wife and children, share and
share alike. The property herein given and bequeathed to my three daughters
Sarah, Temperance, and Amanda is intended to be given to them for thei
natural lifetime and afterwards to their children forever. The property and
negroes they have already received to be taken into account in the
estimation of their shares in the general division.
3rd, It is my further will and desire, and I do hereby appoint my son John
M. Joslin to be my executor (who is not to be required to give security) to
execute and carry into effect each and every part of this, my last will and
testament. In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name August
29, 1855, in the presence of Samuel T. Davidson, Samuel B. Davidson, and
William G. Anderson.

Wit: Samuel T. Davidson
his
       S. B. Davidson
Lewis + Joslin         SEAL             William G. Anderson
mark