David Cagle, gives a good account of Cagle's, after they make it to
Tennessee. His posting is cut & pasted below for those who missed it.
There were some very good early map makers. Especially when you consider
what they had to work with. One is mentioned in the April 1998 edition
of The Cagle Journal of Historical Inquiry. Page 5 of the April 1998
issue shows a Collet Map of 1770. This was a well made map of Orange Co;
NC; that included improvmets made to roads in the 1750's & 1760's. It
also has the rivers, and creeks, and other landmarks that were well
defined. Sandy Creek near the Deep River, is an area Cagle's settled in.
The Cagle migration, is said to have started out of Pennsylvania, on the
Great Wagon Road.
The Moravian Brethren from Bethlehem PA; had made wagon trips before and
this is how most researchers believe some Cagle families, migrated to
North Carolina. For as we know there were many Cagle's, listed in the
1790 census of Moore Co; NC.
We also have groups that settled in neighboring states.
Earl
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Earl and list.
If you guys can get em to Tennessee, I can get em across.
Several major rivers come together in the vicinity of Knoxville
Tennessee. The Holston and Clinch from the Virginia area and the French
Broad from Ashville NC. I don't think you could float these river year
round except on occasion during flood times. Some of you East
Tennesseans-West North Carolineans would know more about this. Except
during extremely dry periods, it was possible to run a flat boat down
the Tennessee from Knoxville at the confluence of the Holston and French
Broad or beginning a few miles downstream at Kingston where the Clinch
intersected the Tennessee from KY and VA. Until about 1808, most
migration turned west overland at Kingston TN, because the southern half
of the State was still Indian Territory. This would explain why the
early Cagles went west to Warren County and to Davidson Co. TN (French
Lick, later Nashville) and to Dickson, Cheatham, Robertson, Hickman,
Perry etc. After a treaty in 1808, The Tennessee River became a
prime means of transportation when the south portion of Middle Tennessee
opened up. You will see the Cagles moving into this area. Chattanooga
became a point of access to the Tennessee River for those Cagles of
NC-GA who wanted to go west on the River. North Alabama and West
Tennessee did not open for settlement until 1819, North Mississippi in
1836. Until 1819, The primary route across Tennessee ran from where ever
to Knoxville-Kingston overland to Nashville, then down the Cumberland
River or overland to Reynoldsburg on the Tennessee River in Stewart or
Humphreys Co., then down stream to the Mississippi. You could take your
chances on the Tennessee River which ran through Indian lands. However,
I think the primary danger was not from Indians, but Outlaws and Rapids.
The first identified settlers in Hardin Co., TN arrived in 1816 in two
parties, one overland driving livestock from Kingston in Roane Co.
Tennessee and the remainder carrying their other possessions by flatboat
down the Tennessee River. Hardin is the only Tennessee County bisected
by the Tennessee River. Perry and Humphreys had land on both sides at
one time, but the west part became Decatur Co. and Benton Co.
respectively. The first recorded Cagle arrived in Hardin Co. TN in 1822.
My family arrived in bits and peaces over the next 10 years. There is
some tradition that part of the family spent time in Warren Co. while on
the way to Hardin, which means they were probably bringing livestock,
etc. This would have been an overland journey from Knoxville to
Nashville, down the Naches Trace to The Hardin County area. These roads
were well established by the time my Cagles got to Tennessee.
I have rambled along with this, I can be more specific if anyone is
interested.
David
http://community.webtv.net/earl1947/CagleGenealogical