The largest private or commercial real estate buy in the whole United States happened at Sycamore Shoals, on March 17, 1775. For goods and silver (about 2,000 lbs sterling) amounting to nearly 10,000 pounds the Cherokees sold to the Transylvania Company, 20 million acres. This included all the land between the Kentucky and the Cumberland Rivers. The Transylvania Company was made up of Richard Henderson, John Williams and Thomas and Nathaniel Hart. They wanted to establish colonies or settlements in the area. A big celebration was held at the Watauga settlement. And after pow wows and councils the agreement was signed, led by Chief Oconostota. >From this, the Watuagans received their deeds to their lands, that were previously, leased from, the Indians. The Watauga Association then opened a land office, in April of 1775 to process the patents being filed by the settlers. Charles Robertson was the trustee, James Smith was the clerk, William Bailey Smith was the surveyor. One of the patents was to Isaac Lincoln, great uncle of Abraham Lincoln. His patent was dated 18 Nov., 1775, on a section fo land on the east side of Doe River, near James Robertson's land. Isaac Lincoln later, obtained most of Robertson's lands, when he (Robertson) moved to the Big Creek Settlement. Abraham Lincoln's father, Thomas spent a year as a hired hand on his Uncle Isaac's land. Isaac Lincoln's gravestone is on a field 4 miles up the Watuaga River, from Elizabethton, TN. Three branches of the Lincoln family settled in Greene Co., TN. While these new settlers were moving into the fertile river beds of east TN, the American Revolution was heating up, farther east. Of course, the overmountain men, would side with the Patriots in their need, also, to have free title to the lands that were part of Lord Granville's tract. The settlers that lived in Long Island had named their area, the Pendleton District and petitioned Virginia, to be made part of that colony. (They were actually in, VA) So, they succeeded in their petition. Then, the Watuagans, called the Washington district sent a petition to VA for the same. But, Va, knew that NC had claim on that area and declined the petition. The Watauga Settlers met and voted to apply for adoption into provincial NC. William Tatham wrote a petition on July 5, 1776. It was signed by more than 100 heads of families, to be sent to the NC Assembly. Britain was aware of what was going on and did her best to stop all these undertakings. Many Tories were living in the South and the Cherokees had been allies of the English in the past. So, English agents were trying to create ill will toward the Americans. In April of 1776, Sixty horse loads of lead and powder were delivered to the Cherokees by Henry Stuart, deputy English Agent. He and and another man, Cameron began to try an force the settler to move. The next month the Chiefs said the treaties that the settlers had were false. The Watuagans were given 20 days to move. The Wataugans had no intention of doing so. They began to strengthen their forts of which many had been built by now. Watuaga Fort, also called Fort Caswell, was near now, Elizabethton, Eaton's Station, built by Amos Eaton was about 5 miles east of the present city of Kingsport, near Reedy Creek. Fort Patrick Henry was built about 200 yards below the upper end of Long Island. It was built by Lt. Col. Wm. Russell in Sept, of 1776, from order of Col. Wm. Christian. One Shelby's Fort was near the present Bristol, TN. There was another Shelby's Fort on Beaver Creek, 2 mi. S. of the Va. line. Jacob Womack's Fort was built on the south side of the Holston River about 2 mi. E. of the present town of Bluff City. King's Mills Station at the mouth of Reedy Creek, built by James King. Fort Lee was on Limestone Creek, near the Nolichucky and was destroyed by the Indians during the raid in 1776. Fort Williams was in the Telford community. On the morning of July 20, 1776, the Indians made a fierce attack on Fort Watauga. They laid siege for nearly two weeks. When they first attacked, some of the women were outside the fort, to take care of the stock and milk the cows. They saw the Indians first, and started to run back to the fort, screaming and warning those inside the fort. One of the women was Catherine Sherrill. She saw the Indians had blocked her way into the fort on one side so, she ran to the other and resolved that she would scale the wall or die. She jumped as high as she could and a hand reached down to help her over the wall. The man was John Sevier, whom she married, four years later. It was said later, that she could out-run, out-shoot and out-ride any man in the settlement. Mrs. William Bean (Lydia) was captured as she was riding on horseback trying to get to the safety of the fort. They took her to their camp on the Nolichucky and threatened to kill her, if she did not tell them about the number of men, provisions and ammunition, in the settlements. She convinced them that there was plenty of everything, to last as long as needed to outlast the Indians. The old Chief Abram who had not been able to surprise the fort, believed her and gave up. But, she and another prisoner Samuel Moore, were taken back to the Cherokee towns. Samuel was tortured to death at the town of Tuskegee and Mrs. Bean was taken to Togue where she was to be burned at the stake. The story goes that, she was bound to the stake and had given up all hope when Nancy Ward "Beloved Woman" of the Cherokee Council, stopped them and shamed them by calling them cowards in torturing a "squaw:" Lydia was untied and stayed with the tribe long enough that she taught the women how to make butter and cheese before she was returned home. All this made the settlers realize that the fight for independence was in earnest and they were deeply involved. The Watauga Settlement/Association had the name for a while of Washington District But, at New Bern, NC, in April 177, The name Washington County was designated. Twenty Seven Justices were named, many of whom were the same men as had served in the Watauga Assoc. Jonesborough was the first county seat of Washington Co., and the first lots of the town were purchase by subscription and a public drawing was held. The First to own these lots were: Robert Sevier, Major Reynolds, David Hughes, Nathaniel Evans, Martin Maney, James Allison, Peter McClure, John Allison, Jesse Bounds, Captain Stephen Cole, Capt.. Charles Holloway, Jesse Walton bought Evans lot and then sold to Christopher Taylor. Wm. Snoddy, James Ray, Richard Minton, Col. Andrew Belford/Balfour, James Reese, Spruce McCay, John Gilliland, James Lackey, John Woods, John Yancey, James Stuart. The first Tax assessors/collectors were: James Maulden, Josiah Hoskins, John Higgans, Benj. Wilson, Henry Lyle, Samuel Henry, William McNabb, Jno., McNabb, Benjamin Cobb, Solomon Smith, Wm. Asher, John Chisolm, Wm. Bean, Michael Wood, Samuel William, Zachariah Isbell, & Jacob Womack. Those living in Wm. Bean's tax dist. were: James Abbott, Leonard Adcocks, William Anthony, John Bayley, Jesse, John, Robert, Wm. Sr and Wm. Jr., Bean. Edward Bridges, Joel & John Callahan, Delany Carrole, Alexander Cavil, John Chisholm, Christopher Choate, John & Henry Clark, Wm. and Pharoh Cobb, James Cooper, John Crawford, Nathan Davis, Joseph Davison, Vashworth Dillingham, Clement Dixon Sr., Benjamin and John Drake, Charles & John Dunkin, Elizabeth, John and Joseph, Duncome, Sam'l Fain, Thomas & Richard Fletcher, Bradley Gambrel, Henry Gotcher, George Gray, Henry Hickey, James Hollis, Jacob & Peter Hufman, Uriah Hunt, Thomas Jonachin/Johnson?, James Kelley, Moses Laird, Robert Lucas, John B. McMahon, George Martin, Michael Massengill, Morgan Morey, Joab Mitchell, Charles Parker, Peter Renfro, John Rice, George, Mary & Henry Richardson, George(2) & John Russell (2), William Stringer, Andrew, Charles & Absolom Thompson, Isaac & Thomas Titsworth, John Vance, Daniel & Richard, Walker, Dempsey Ward, John Wheeler, John White, James Whittier, Thomas Williams, & William Young.