Bob Benge
Encyclopedia
Bob Benge also known as "Captain Benge" or "The Bench" to frontiersmen, was one of the most feared Cherokee leaders on the frontier during the Chickamauga wars
.
town of Toqua, he was the redheaded mixed-blood son of a Scots-Irish trader named John Benge, who lived fulltime among the Cherokee. Upon the move of Dragging Canoe
and his party to the southwest in 1777, John Benge moved the family (including Bob's sister Lucy) to a new home in Running Water, one of the Chickamauga towns. Soon "Captain Bench" and his half-brother The Tail and cousin Tahlonteeskee
joined with their uncle John Watts
in the Chickamauga wars
. The available sources strongly imply, but do not prove, that young Benge and his sister Lucy were also half-siblings with George Guess, better known as Sequoyah
. Both Sequoyah
and Benge were great-nephews of Old Tassel
and Doublehead
. Under the Cherokee clan system, maternal uncle-nephew connections were very strong. During the Cherokee Removal of 1838, the fourth wagon train of a thousand Cherokees from Alabama was conducted by Captain John Benge, son of the Chickamauga
warrior.
band of Chiksika
and his brother Tecumseh
, with which he most often went on raids and forays during the time they were at Running Water. Afterwards he often operated with the mixed group of warriors led by Doublehead out of Coldwater Town at the head of Muscle Shoals
on the Tennessee River
. Among his exploits was saving the population of the town of Ustally in 1788 which John Sevier
had slated for destruction. His raids carried him as far north as the Ohio River
, as far northwest as deep southwestern Virginia
, all over East Tennessee
, and even occasionally southeast into Georgia
and South Carolina
. These included a joint raid between his party and that of Doublehead into the Kentucky hunting grounds where they killed and ceremonially ate two woodsmen in imitation of the terror tactics of the Iroquois
during the Beaver Wars
.
for an exchange of hostages which specifically mentioned the Brown family taken in 1788 as they reached Nickajack passing through the Five Lower Towns on the Tennessee River
. Only three of the surviving members remained among the Cherokee, the other three having been sent to the Muscogee.
Joseph Brown and his sister Polly were brought immediately to Running Water, but when runners were sent to Crow Town to retrieve Jane, their youngest sister, her owner refused to surrender her. Bob Benge mounted his horse and hefted his famous axe, saying, "I will bring the girl, or the owner's head". The next morning he returned with Jane. The three were later handed over to Sevier at Coosawattee.
settlements aimed at White's Fort in 1793. There, Benge negotiated the surrender of the garrison and its defenders with the promise of safe passage; Doublehead and his band violated the parole by immediately attacking and killing them all, men, women, and children, indiscriminately, as soon as they were outside the small fort, over the pleas of Benge, John Watts
, and James Vann
. Benge never operated with Doublehead after this incident, which also began the bitter animosity between Doublehead and Vann that had a good deal to do with the division that remained between the Upper and Lower Towns after the end of the wars in 1794.
during an extended raid deep into enemy-held territory while escorting prisoners captured from a settlement earlier in the day back to the Lower Towns. The militia took his scalp and sent it to the Governor of Virginia, Henry Lee III, who in turn sent it to President
George Washington
.
Chickamauga wars
The Chickamauga Wars were a series of raids, campaigns, ambushes, minor skirmishes, and several full-scale frontier battles which were a continuation of the Cherokee struggle against encroachment by American frontiersmen from the former British colonies...
.
Early life
Born in the Overhill CherokeeOverhill Cherokee
The term Overhill Cherokee refers to the former Cherokee settlements located in what is now Tennessee in the southeastern United States. The name was given by 18th century European traders and explorers who had to cross the Appalachian Mountains to reach these settlements when traveling from...
town of Toqua, he was the redheaded mixed-blood son of a Scots-Irish trader named John Benge, who lived fulltime among the Cherokee. Upon the move of Dragging Canoe
Dragging Canoe
Tsiyu Gansini , "He is dragging his canoe", known to whites as Dragging Canoe, was a Cherokee war chief who led a band of Cherokee against colonists and United States settlers...
and his party to the southwest in 1777, John Benge moved the family (including Bob's sister Lucy) to a new home in Running Water, one of the Chickamauga towns. Soon "Captain Bench" and his half-brother The Tail and cousin Tahlonteeskee
Tahlonteeskee
Tahlonteeskee, is the name of several Cherokee, and one Creek Indian, during the period of the Chickamauga Wars. The name, , has been translated as "The Disturber" or "The Upsetter"....
joined with their uncle John Watts
John Watts (Cherokee chief)
John Watts, or Kunokeski, also known as Young Tassel, was one of the leaders of the Chickamauga during the Chickamauga Wars, particularly after the murder of his uncle, Old Tassel, by marauding frontiersmen firing upon delegates at a peace conference in 1788...
in the Chickamauga wars
Chickamauga wars
The Chickamauga Wars were a series of raids, campaigns, ambushes, minor skirmishes, and several full-scale frontier battles which were a continuation of the Cherokee struggle against encroachment by American frontiersmen from the former British colonies...
. The available sources strongly imply, but do not prove, that young Benge and his sister Lucy were also half-siblings with George Guess, better known as Sequoyah
Sequoyah
Sequoyah , named in English George Gist or George Guess, was a Cherokee silversmith. In 1821 he completed his independent creation of a Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible...
. Both Sequoyah
Sequoyah
Sequoyah , named in English George Gist or George Guess, was a Cherokee silversmith. In 1821 he completed his independent creation of a Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible...
and Benge were great-nephews of Old Tassel
Old Tassel
Utsi'dsata, or Corntassel, known to history as Old Tassel, became First Beloved Man, at least of the Overhill and other non-belligerent Cherokee, in 1783 after the elders removed his predecessor, The Raven of Chota...
and Doublehead
Doublehead
Doublehead or Incalatanga , was one of the most feared warriors of the Cherokee during the Chickamauga Wars. In 1788, his brother, Old Tassel, was chief of the Cherokee people, but was killed under a truce by frontier rangers. In 1791 Doublehead was among a delegation of Cherokees who visited U.S...
. Under the Cherokee clan system, maternal uncle-nephew connections were very strong. During the Cherokee Removal of 1838, the fourth wagon train of a thousand Cherokees from Alabama was conducted by Captain John Benge, son of the Chickamauga
Chickamauga Indian
The Chickamauga or Lower Cherokee, were a band of Cherokee who supported Great Britain at the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. They were followers of the Cherokee chief Dragging Canoe...
warrior.
Exploits as a warrior
Living at Running Water enabled him to meet and operate with the ShawneeShawnee
The Shawnee, Shaawanwaki, Shaawanooki and Shaawanowi lenaweeki, are an Algonquian-speaking people native to North America. Historically they inhabited the areas of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Western Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, and Pennsylvania...
band of Chiksika
Cheeseekau
Cheeseekau , better known as Matthew, was a war chief of the Kispoko division of the Shawnee Nation. Also known as Pepquannakek , Popoquan , Sting, and Chiksika. He was also known as "The Shawnee Warrior" by the Cherokee...
and his brother Tecumseh
Tecumseh
Tecumseh was a Native American leader of the Shawnee and a large tribal confederacy which opposed the United States during Tecumseh's War and the War of 1812...
, with which he most often went on raids and forays during the time they were at Running Water. Afterwards he often operated with the mixed group of warriors led by Doublehead out of Coldwater Town at the head of Muscle Shoals
Muscle Shoals, Alabama
Muscle Shoals is a city in Colbert County, Alabama, United States. As of 2007, the United States Census Bureau estimated the population of the city to be 12,846. The city is included in The Shoals MSA. It is famous for its contributions to American popular music.-Geography:Muscle Shoals is located...
on the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
. Among his exploits was saving the population of the town of Ustally in 1788 which John Sevier
John Sevier
John Sevier served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as Governor of Tennessee. As a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death...
had slated for destruction. His raids carried him as far north as the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
, as far northwest as deep southwestern Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, all over East Tennessee
East Tennessee
East Tennessee is a name given to approximately the eastern third of the U.S. state of Tennessee, one of the three Grand Divisions of Tennessee defined in state law. East Tennessee consists of 33 counties, 30 located within the Eastern Time Zone and three counties in the Central Time Zone, namely...
, and even occasionally southeast into Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
and South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
. These included a joint raid between his party and that of Doublehead into the Kentucky hunting grounds where they killed and ceremonially ate two woodsmen in imitation of the terror tactics of the Iroquois
Iroquois
The Iroquois , also known as the Haudenosaunee or the "People of the Longhouse", are an association of several tribes of indigenous people of North America...
during the Beaver Wars
Beaver Wars
The Beaver Wars, also sometimes called the Iroquois Wars or the French and Iroquois Wars, commonly refers to a series of conflicts fought in the mid-17th century in eastern North America...
.
The Brown family
Benge was at Running Water Town when word came that an agreement had been reached with John SevierJohn Sevier
John Sevier served four years as the only governor of the State of Franklin and twelve years as Governor of Tennessee. As a U.S. Representative from Tennessee from 1811 until his death...
for an exchange of hostages which specifically mentioned the Brown family taken in 1788 as they reached Nickajack passing through the Five Lower Towns on the Tennessee River
Tennessee River
The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately 652 miles long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names...
. Only three of the surviving members remained among the Cherokee, the other three having been sent to the Muscogee.
Joseph Brown and his sister Polly were brought immediately to Running Water, but when runners were sent to Crow Town to retrieve Jane, their youngest sister, her owner refused to surrender her. Bob Benge mounted his horse and hefted his famous axe, saying, "I will bring the girl, or the owner's head". The next morning he returned with Jane. The three were later handed over to Sevier at Coosawattee.
Cavett's Station
He came to a parting of the ways with his former close ally, Doublehead, over the incident at Cavett's Station during Watts' invasion with Cherokee and Muscogee warriors of the Holston RiverHolston River
The Holston River is a major river system of southwestern Virginia and east Tennessee. The three major forks of the Holston rise in southwestern Virginia and have their confluence near Kingsport, Tennessee. The North Fork flows southwest from Sharon Springs in Bland County, Virginia...
settlements aimed at White's Fort in 1793. There, Benge negotiated the surrender of the garrison and its defenders with the promise of safe passage; Doublehead and his band violated the parole by immediately attacking and killing them all, men, women, and children, indiscriminately, as soon as they were outside the small fort, over the pleas of Benge, John Watts
John Watts (Cherokee chief)
John Watts, or Kunokeski, also known as Young Tassel, was one of the leaders of the Chickamauga during the Chickamauga Wars, particularly after the murder of his uncle, Old Tassel, by marauding frontiersmen firing upon delegates at a peace conference in 1788...
, and James Vann
James Vann
James Vann was an influential Cherokee leader, one of the triumvirate with Major Ridge and Charles R. Hicks, who led the Upper Towns of East Tennessee and North Georgia. He was the son of Wah-Li Vann, a mixed-race Cherokee woman, and a Scots fur trader...
. Benge never operated with Doublehead after this incident, which also began the bitter animosity between Doublehead and Vann that had a good deal to do with the division that remained between the Upper and Lower Towns after the end of the wars in 1794.
Death
He was killed 6 April 1794 in an ambush in Washington County, VirginiaWashington County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 51,103 people, 21,056 households, and 14,949 families residing in the county. The population density was 91 people per square mile . There were 22,985 housing units at an average density of 41 per square mile...
during an extended raid deep into enemy-held territory while escorting prisoners captured from a settlement earlier in the day back to the Lower Towns. The militia took his scalp and sent it to the Governor of Virginia, Henry Lee III, who in turn sent it to President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
.
Sources
- American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol.1, 1789-1813, Congress of the United States, Washington,DC, 1831-1838.
- Evans, E. Raymond. "Notable Persons in Cherokee History: Bob Benge". Journal of Cherokee Studies, Vol. 1, No. 2, pp. 98-106. (Cherokee: Museum of the Cherokee Indian, 1976).
- Moore, John Trotwood and Austin P. Foster. Tennessee, The Volunteer State, 1769-1923, Vol. 1, pp. 228-231. (Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1923).
See also
- DoubleheadDoubleheadDoublehead or Incalatanga , was one of the most feared warriors of the Cherokee during the Chickamauga Wars. In 1788, his brother, Old Tassel, was chief of the Cherokee people, but was killed under a truce by frontier rangers. In 1791 Doublehead was among a delegation of Cherokees who visited U.S...
- Old TasselOld TasselUtsi'dsata, or Corntassel, known to history as Old Tassel, became First Beloved Man, at least of the Overhill and other non-belligerent Cherokee, in 1783 after the elders removed his predecessor, The Raven of Chota...
- John Watts
- TahlonteeskeeTahlonteeskeeTahlonteeskee, is the name of several Cherokee, and one Creek Indian, during the period of the Chickamauga Wars. The name, , has been translated as "The Disturber" or "The Upsetter"....
- SequoyahSequoyahSequoyah , named in English George Gist or George Guess, was a Cherokee silversmith. In 1821 he completed his independent creation of a Cherokee syllabary, making reading and writing in Cherokee possible...