Guillespie House Descendant Speaks About Its History

Every night I monitor this blog site and I approved a comment that is worth reprinting as a post in full. The writer, Gerald Jack,  somehow saw the blog about Doug  and Donna Ledbetter’s get-together and wrote about what he knew about his  ancestor and original owner of Doug and Donna’s house. It’s just too bad he lives in California. I am printing it here in full.

Hello, My name is Gerald Jack of San Gabriel, California. My great great great great grandfather, Colonel George Gillespie’s 1792 stone house is in Limestone, TN. It is one of the first stone houses built in Tennesse and is listed in the National Historic Houses. Col. George Gillespie’s daughter, Martha Gillespie, married my great great great grandfather Jeremiah Jack who lived on the Nolichucky in 1778. Davy Crockett was born in his log cabin on adjoining property across Big Limestone Creek from George Gillespie property and directly across from the land owned by Jeremiah Jack. I wish I could have been at the celebration. The following is taken from J. G. M. Ramsey’s “Annals of Tennessee” Ramsey says that the rapid emigration to Nollichucky had caused such a shortage of food that, during a short period of comparative peace with the Indians, Jeremiah Jack and William Rankin of Greene County (with perhaps two companions), undertook a trip into the Indian country to barter with the natives. They stocked their canoes with the homemade clothing so dear to the redskins and descended the French Broad and Holston Rivers (now called the Tennessee). “They reached Coiatee without interruption. The warriors of that place refused to exchange or sell the corn, and manifested other signs of suspicion, if not of open enmty. They entered the canoe and lifted up some wearing apparel living in it, and which covered their rifles. This discovery increased the willingness of the Indians to trade, and they began to show a disposition to offer violence to their white visitants. The beloved woman, Nancy Ward, was happily present, and was able by her commanding influence to appease their wrath, and to bring about friendly feelings between the parties. The little Indians were soon clad in the home made vestments brought by the traders — the canoe was filled with corn, and the white men started on their return voyage well pleased with the exchange they had made, and especially with the kind offices of the beloved woman. On their return, the white men landed and camped one night, a mile above the mouth of the French Broad, on the north bank of the little sluice of that river. Mr. Jack was so well pleased with the place, that he afterwards selected it as his future residence, and actually settled and improved it on his emigration to the present Knox county in 1787″ I would loved to have taken a canoe ride down the Nolichucky and experienced what it was like for Jeremiah Jack. Seven of my family, including me, attended the May 20, 2010, in Charlotte, North Carolina, unveiling of the $525,000 bronze statue of Captain James Jack on hoseback, delivering the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia on May 20, 1775, 14 months before Jefferson’s July 4, 1776 Declaration. North Carolina was the first colony to declare it’s independence from England. We had a great time. SR President Terry Davenport of Morristown, TN attended. I’m a member of the board of the Sons of the Revolution in the State of California. Last September we hosted the Trienniaal in Glendale, CA and voted in Terry Davenport as President of the General Society of the Sons of the Revolution. Captain James Jack is my first cousin six times removed. Jeremiah Jack is a nephew of Captain Jack’s father, Patrick Jack Jr., a tavern keeper in Charlotte. The first thing the British did when they came to Charlotte was to burn down the tavern as it was known as a “Hornet’s Nest” for conspiring against the British. I enjoy receiving the e-mails. I wish I lived closer to attend the gatherings. Best regards, Gerald “Jerry” Jack