Cavitt Station, as it came to be known, was
situated one day's travel or, thirteen miles
from Ft. Knox. Like other similar "stations"
in the area, the pupose of Cavitt Station was
to offer Westward-bound settlers a safe
stopover. These stations were very important
to the settlement, and eventual statehood of
Tennessee.
In late September, 1793 - before Tennessee
became a state - a band of Indians comprised
of 700 Creeks and 300 Cherokees approached
Ft. Knox, intent on destruction and plunder.
The Indians were led by John Watts and
Double Tree.
As they approached Ft. Knox, Doubletree
and John Watts argued "well into the night"
over what would be done with the women
and children at Ft. Knox. Their disagreement
slowed the progress of the warriors, and so it
was, that they neared Cavitt Station, they
heard the daily, early morning firing of
cannons at Ft. Knox.
Assuming they had been detected, they
attacked Cavitt Station, a single log cabin in
an enclosure.
With one possible exception, the thirteen
occupants were all brutally murdered and
their bodies, descecrated. There was a
story that one small boy, a son of Alexander
Cavitt was taken captive, but later killed;
however, this has never been confirmed.
Helen Gant Donald
6th great grandniece of Alexander Cavitt
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Source of Information in this Posting:
Ramsey, J. G. M. The Annals of Tennessee to the
End of the Eighteenth Century, Walker and Jones,
Charleston, SC, 1853; the East Tennessee Historical
Society, 1967, and The Overmountain Press, Johnson
City, Tennesee, 1999.
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