Who’s kidnapping whom? Indians and settlers mix it up

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

“When Kentucky was first being settled, emigrants from either North Carolina or Tennessee, headed by a man named Cornett, reached the Kentucky River late one evening. They decided to camp and wait until daylight before crossing the river. They had wives, children, livestock and equipment with them. After supper they were sitting around their campfire talking, when suddenly Indians [ed. -thought to be Creek] dashed into camp and captured two of the girls.

“Three of the white men saddled horses and went after the Indians. Late in the night they caught up with the Indians, who were not expecting pursuit and had made camp.

The men advanced near enough to see the girls asleep on pallets near the fire. Each man agreed to dash in and grab one of the girls. This they did and got away without a fight.

When they came to their camp the men discovered that they had also captured a little Indian girl. The next morning, after crossing the river, the emigrants decided to keep the Indian girl. Mr. Cornett agreed to take her and raise her.

“In the meantime, in another part of the area, the Cherokee [ed. Whitetop Laurel Band of Cherokees] Indians had also captured a white girl. One Indian Chief, seeing her beauty, became desirous of possessing her for his own, and took her into his teepee. However, his love was short-lived, for the girl’s brothers made pursuit and brought the girl back to her own people, but under her heart she carried the child of the Indian Chief. This child was given the name of George All Sizemore. (Information from Pleasie Woods, deceased.)

“When George All grew to manhood he married the Indian girl whom Mr. Cornett had raised. George All and Agnes Shepherd thus became the progenitors of the Leslie County Sizemores. Shepherd was Agnes’ Indian name. She was sometimes called Shepherd and sometimes Cornett.”

Taken from the book “The Rugged Trails of Appalachia” by Mary Brewer. This tidbit was generously provided by Pam Powell PamPowell28@myfamily.com

sources:http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~sizemoregenealogy/

http://multiracial.com/site/content/view/284/27/

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