When we wanted to go anywhere we always got a horse, we never walked. Seneca Chism was my father. Well, I go ahead, and make me a crop of corn all by myself and then I don't know what to do wid it. Joseph was the son of a Chief of the Cherokees James Vann, and Nancy Brown Vann. The participants in this near slave revolt received physical punishments, but none were killed. Everybody went---white folks, colored folks. Joseph Harold Vann, born 31 May 1920 in Canton Texas, passed away on 24 December 2003 in Fort Worth Texas. One year later my sister Phyllis was born on the same place and we been together pretty much of the time ever since, and I reckon dere's only one thing that could separate us slave born children. That sure was a tough time for the soldiers, for father said they fought and fought before the "Seesesh" soldiers finally took off to the south and the northern troops went back to Fort Gibson. Again the Indian command system lost the Chickamauga their last chance to carry their colors to the Clinch River. Yes, my dear Lord yes. He was a British interpreter for the Cherokees at Fort Loudoun (S.C.) in 1758 and at Augusta in 1763, and continued to fill that position at the 1770 treaty negotiations. Old Master Joe had a mighty big farm and several families of Negroes, and he was a powerful rich man. Vinita was the closeset town to where I was born; when I get older seem like they call it "the junction" on account the rails cross there, but I never ride on the trains, just stay at home. They'd sell 'em to folks at picnics and barbecues. Joseph Vann, the son of Chief James Vann and his wife Margaret Scott Vann, was a lad of 12 when his father was killed, in 1809. Marster had a little race horse called "Black Hock" She was all jet black, excepting three white feet and her stump of a tail. Nita. I never would hear much about the war that my father was in, but I know he fought for the North. My mother was seamstress. When Marster Jim and Missus Jennie went away, the slaves would have a big dance in the arbor. When Mammy went old Mistress took me to de Big House to help her and she was kind to me like I was part of her own family. In 1842, 35 slaves of Joseph Vann, Lewis Ross, and other wealthy Cherokees at Webbers Falls, fled in a futile attempt to escape to Mexico, but were quickly recaptured by a Cherokee possee. Now I'se just old forgotten woman. Others were returned to their owners. We was too tired when we come in to play any games. After supper the colored folks would get together and talk, and sing, and dance. Brown sugar, molasses, flour, corn-meal, dried beans, peas, fruits butter lard, was all kept in big wooden hogsheads; look something like a tub. Women came in satin dresses, all dressed up, big combs in their hair, lots of rings and bracelets. I sure did love her. Because I'se so little, Missus Jennie took me into the Big house and raised me. Father of Nancy Vann; David Vann; Sallie Blackburn Vore; William Vann; Sophia S. Johnson and 9 others; Charles J. Vann; Delilah Amelia Brewer; Joseph W. Vann; Jane Elizabeth Vann; James Springston Vann; Mary Frances Vann; John Shepherd Vann, Sr.; Henry Clay Vann and Minerva Vann less A few years of her life were also quite possibly spent among Seminoles during part of that time, although her memory of the death of Joseph "Rich Joe" Vann is clearly a part of Cherokee history. Hams cakes, pies, dresses, beads, everything. "Rich Joe" owned a large plantation on the Tennessee River near the mouth of the Ooltewah Creek. Our clothes was home-made---cotton in the summer, mostly just a long-tailed shirt and no shoes, and wood goods in the winter. Mammy say they was lots of excitement on old Master's place and all the negroes mighty scared, but he didn't sell my pappy off. After being evicted from his father's mansion home "Diamond Hill" in 1834, Joseph moved his large family (he had two wives) and business operations to Tennessee, where he established a large plantation on the Tennessee River near the mouth of Ooltewah Creek that became the center of a settlement called Vann's Town (later the site of Harrison, Tennessee). He was married, but that din't make no difference he courted her anyhow. He had run off after he was sold and joined de North army and discharged at Fort Scoot in Kansas, and he said lots of freedmen was living close to each other up by Coffeyville in the Coo-ee-scoo-wee District. They wanted everybody to know we was Marster Vann's slaves. Of course, all slaves were officially freed during the Civil War. The colored folks did most of the fiddlin'. Joseph also inherited his father's gold and deposited over $200,000 in gold in a bank in Tennessee. Run it to the bank!" My names' Lucinda Vann, I've been married twice but that don't make no difference. Nita Caffrey 12/30/07. In the pre-dawn hours of November 15, 1842, the Negroes locked their still-sleeping masters and overseers in their homes. There wasn't nothing left. Now I'se just old forgotten woman. I raised eleven children just on de sweat of my hands and none of dem ever tasted anything dat was stole. Marster had a big Christmas tree, oh great big tree, put on the porch. I'se born across the river in the plantation of old Jim Vann in Webbers Falls. Joseph H. Vann, (11 February 1798 23 October 1844). His parents Peggy Scott Vann and James Vann were both Cherokee of mixed-blood. When the white folks danced the slaves would all sit or stand around and watch. I remember when the steamboats went up and down the river. She come up and put her nose on your just like this---nibble nibble, nibble. I had two brothers, Silas and George, dat belong to Mr. George Holt in Webber's falls town. The Vanns were a prolific family who reused many names, so later in life he was referred to as "Rich Joe." He was one of eight children born to his father's nine wives. Lord, Yes! He never come until the next day, so dey had to sleep in dat pen in a pile like hogs. Once they catch a catfish most as big as a man; that fish had eggs big as hen eggs, and he made a feast for twenty-five Indians on the fishing party. I was born after the War, about 1868, and what I know 'bout slave times is what my pappa told me, and maybe that not be very much. Dey didn't have much and couldn't make anymore and dem so old. When we git to Fort Gibson they was a lot of negroes there, and they had a camp meeting and I was baptized. My pappy run away one time, four or five years before I was born, mammy tell me, and at that time a whole lot of Cherokee slaves run off at once. Someone call our names and everybody get a present. She bossed all the other colored women and see that they sew it right. Some of the Masters family was always going down to the river and back, and every time they come in I have to fix something to eat. Joseph Vann was born February 11, 1798 near Springplace in the Cherokee Nation (now Georgia) the son of James Vann and Nancy Brown. He come from across the water when he was a little boy, and was grown when old Master Joseph Vann bought him, so he never did learn to talk much Cherokee. In reply to: genealogy of Chief James. Yes I was! Smoeone call our names and everybody get a present. The commissary was full of everything good to eat. The last one was named for Hubbard Ross; he was related to Chief John Ross and was some kin to Daniel Nave, my father's master. Among the several hundred slaves owned by the Vanns at that time, many were skilled craftsmen and tradesmen capable of helping build such a fine house. She married as her second husband, Thomas Mitchell. The white folks go first and after they come out, the colored folks go in. They'd come to the door like this, "sh.." and go out quick again. Old Master tell me I was borned in November 1852, at de old home place about five miles east of Webbers Falls, mebbe kind of northeast, not far from de east bank of de Illinois River. I'se born right in my master and missus bed. Sometimes there was high waters that spoiled the current and the steamboats couldn't run. Records may include photos, original documents, family history, relatives, specific dates, locations and full names. Mammy work late in the night, and I hear the loom making noises while I try to sleep in the cabin. My mammy was a Cherokee slave, and talked it good. Just 'bout two weeks before the coming of Christmas Day in 1853, I was born on a plantation somewheres eight miles east of Bellview, Rusk County, Texas. Old Mistress had inherited some property from her pappy and dey had de slave money and when dey turned everything into good money after de War dat stuff only come to about six thousand dollars in good money, she told me. I found your family in the 1880/1900 census. Tall and slim and handsome. Right after the War, de Cherokees that had been wid the South kind of pestered the freedmen some, but I was so small dey never bothered me; jest de grown ones. My missus name was Doublehead before she married Jim Vann. I had a silver dime on it, too, for along time, but I took it off and got me a box of snuff. Poor old master and mistress only lived a few years after de War. *Family traveled to America Dec. 21, 1904 with mother, Maria Cairo and 2 sons, Luigi and Francesco, Michele Marchese b. He'd take us and enjoy us, you know. I'm glad the War's over and I am free to meet God like anybody else, and my grandchildren can learn to read and write. Two year old when my mamma died so I remember nothing of her, and most of my sisters and brothers dead too. We had a smoke house full of hams and bacon. He was a Cherokee leader who owned Diamond Hill (now known as the Chief Vann House), many slaves, taverns, and steamboats that he operated on the Arkansas, Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers. When the last of the Cherokees were forcibly moved west in 1838, government records indicate that 1,592 black slaves were moved to Indian Territory with their owners. I dont know what he done after that. He related an unpleasant encounter with "Little Joe" Vann, son of "Rich Joe" Vann. They put white cloths on the shelves and laid the good on it. He had black eyes and mustache but his hair was iron gray, and everybody like him because he was so good natured and kind. Everything was fine, Lord have mercy on me, yes. There was music, fine music. In winter white folks danced in the parlor of the big house; in summer they danced on a platform under a great big brush arbor. We had bonnets that had long silk tassels for ties. Pappa got the soldier fever from being in the War; no, I don't mean like the chills and fever, but just a fever to be in the army, I guess for he joined the regular U.S. Army after a while, serving five years in the 10th Cavalry at Fort Sill during the same time John Adair of Tahelquah and John Gallagher of Muskogee was in the army. He didn't want em to imagine he give one more than he give the other. In 1834 Cherokee chief James Vann's son Joseph lost the family home to the state. We had to get up early and comb our hair first thing. They make pens out in the shallow water with poles every little ways from the river banks. He was a slave on the Chism plantation, but came to Vann's all the time on account of the horses. There was Mr. Jim Collins, and Mr. Bell, and Mr. Dave Franklin, and Mr. Jim Sutton and Mr. Blackburn that lived around close to us and dey all had slaves. My pappy run away one time, four or five years before I was born, mammy tell me, and at that time a whole lot of Cherokee slaves run off at once. I wouldn't go, so he sent Isaac and Joe Vann dat had been two of Old Captain Joe's negroes to talk to me. They had a big big plantation down by the river and they was rich. Owned by the Cherokee Chief James Vann, the Vann House is a Georgia Historic Site on the National Register of Historic Places and one of the oldest remaining structures in the northern third of the state of Georgia. My mother, grandmother, aunt Maria and cousin Clara, all worked in the big house. It made my Master mad, but dey didn't belong to him no more and he couldn't say nothing. Master Thompson brought us from Texas when I was too little to remember about it, and I din't know how long it was before we was all sold to John Harnage, "Marse John" was his pet name and he liked to be called that-a-way. When the war broke out, lots of Indians mustered up and went out of the territory. Any information would be valuable. Some 70 years after "the War," during America's Great Depression, the Works Progress Administration assigned numerous people to interview former slaves and record their recollections of slavery. Family tree. He didn't want em to imagine he give one more than he give the other. His grandfather was Clement Vann, a Scottish trader who moved from Charleston, South Carolina, to the Cherokee lands in northwest Georgia and married Wa-wli, a Cherokee Indian. That was where all the food was kept. I joined the Catholic church after the war. We didn't suffer, we had plenty to eat. Couldn't nobody go there, less they turn the key. 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