h Indians stationed on the bluffs
on both shores where the river narrowed to half its width and boiled
through a canyon, the entry for the day concludes: "Jennings's boat is
missing."

"Friday 10th. This morning about 4 o'clock we were surprised by the
cries of "help poor Jennings" at some distance in the rear. He had
discovered us by our fires and came up in the most wretched condition.
He states that as soon as the Indians discovered his situation [his boat
had run on a rock] they turned their whole attention to him and kept
up a most galling fire at his boat. He ordered his wife, a son nearly
grown, a young man who accompanies them and his negro man and woman, to
throw all his goods into the river to lighten their boat for the purpose
of getting her off; himself returning their fire as well as he could,
being a good soldier and an excellent marksman. But before they had
accomplished their object, his son, the young man and the negro, jumped
out of the boat and left.... Mrs. Jennings, however, and the negro
woman, succeeded in unloading the boat, but chiefly by the exertions of
Mrs. Jennings who got out of the boat and shoved her off, but was near
falling a victim to her own intrepidity on account of the boat starting
so suddenly as soon as loosened from the rock. Upon examination he
appears to have made a wonderful escape for his boat is pierced in
numberless places with bullets. It is to be remarked that Mrs. Peyton,
who was the night before delivered of an infant, which was unfortunately
killed upon the hurry and confusion consequent upon such a disaster,
assisted them, being frequently exposed to wet and cold.... Their
clothes were very much cut with bullets, especially Mrs. Jennings's."

Of the three men who deserted, while the women stood by under fire,
the negro was drowned and Jennings's son and the other young man were
captured by the Chickamaugans. The latter was burned at the stake. Young
Jennings was to have shared the same fate; but a trader in the village,
learning that the boy was known to John Sevier, ransomed him by a large
payment of goods, as a return for an act of kindness Sevier had once
done to him.

"Sunday 12th.... After running until about 10 o'clock came in sight of
the Muscle Shoals. Halted on the northern shore at the appearance of the
shoals, in order to search for the signs Captain James Robertson was to
make for us at that place... that it was practicable for us to go across
by