They came from the home of the Cherokee to their hunting grounds, just south of the Kickapoo Nations , as the evening shadows were gathering and the Sun was sinking away slowly in the western sky. His name was Gene ( John in the French language ) and her name was Yellow Flower ). They had skirted the Trail of Tears, and she had become his property in exchange for a 10 gauge Grainer shotgun and a hand full of trinkets given to her family at a place known ( today ) known as Cherokee, North Carolina. from this North-eastern border crossing above the Tennessee border they traveled westward towards the great river known as the Mighty Mississippi . There was no Reelfoot Lake in existence at this time in history but it would come to be. Ironic and coincidental that his family name was Chery, ( which means darling, in the language of France ). West Tennessee was know as the Canebreak, and belonged to North Carolina at this point in history and Gene ( i.e.. John ) was retained by North Carolina to map the area in the northwestern corner of the territory, for he was a surveyor by trade. He spoke not one word of Cherokee and yellow Flower was to be his translator should he encounter any of her people on the trail. When the net mornings light broke and they were packing up their things and breaking camp , a hunting party seemingly from out of no-where appeared. They were Cherokee, had game to cook, long pipes to smoke and to their surprise some of Yellow Flowers family were among them. She told John that they must stay and bid them welcome , smoked the pipe and eat the game that the women were preparing to roast on their fires. John wanted to leave ( having packed everything ) , but when Yellow Flower told him that if he insulted her kinfolks , he might leave without his hair, john elected to stay. Suffice- to- say , they continued their journey the next day and his hair was intact. John and Yellow Flower later wed in a Christian ceremony and had children of their own. Even today my Great-Grandmother s blood courses through my veins. Such is our family legend from so many years ago.
Posted on: Sat, 29 Mar 2014 20:34:03 +0000
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