Historic Sullivan

Book excerpt: The single most important work on the history of Sullivan County, Tennessee, this reprint has the added value of a name index. The first nineteen chapters of the volume deal with early activities in the Holston Valley, starting with the Cherokee settlements. It records the history of the area with a sympathetic account of the Cherokee’s plight while detailing the lives of the brave frontier men and women and their constant battles with the Indians. Also revealed are the hardships of early citizens such as John Donelson and those who made the perilous river voyage with him. It chronicles the story of Isaac Shelby and the Wataugans as they tried to subdue the Holston Valley wilderness, and the unconquerable spirit of those who attempted to start the State of Franklin.