The Curious Mr. Kidd-Part One

In recent research dealing with the militia in and around the Fort Daniel area I came across the newspaper story of Mr. Kidd. Various newspapers from Washington, GA to Savannah, and even others along the seaboard, ran the text of a letter received from the Western Frontier. As we know, the frontier would be along the Hawkins Line. It seems that Mr. Kidd’s Store was attacked by Creek Indians and now I’ll let the printed text tell the tale…

“The papers by last Western mail inform us, that the Indians have recently become very troublesome to the inhabitants of Jackson County, in the upper part of this state. On the night of the 10th [August 10th, 1812] instant, four Indians made an attempt to rob the store of a Mr. Kidd, at Hog-Mountain but he repulsed them bravely having killed two and wounded a third and the fourth escaped unhurt. Between three and four hundred Creek Indians are said to have crossed the Apalachie (sic), with a view, it was thought, of revenging the death of their comrades. Colonel Harris had mustered upwards of one hundred men and was ready to receive them, should they make their appearance. Jackson County is represented to be in great confusion. Several families had left their homes and repaired to places of more security”[1]

Given the basics of the letter the general area of the store would be known. It would lie somewhere along Hog Mountain and East of the Apalachee. These locations are confirmed within the story as well with the descriptions of “Upper” and “Western” being used in reference to the paper’s publication location in Milledgeville. The exact location cannot be determined from this item alone, but the presence of Creek’s in the area confirms it was probably somewhere near Fort Daniel.

In Flanigan’s “History of Gwinnett County” his description of Hog Mountain includes a store and we also know that Elisha Winn’s Daughter Philadelphia, married the store keeper in Hog Mountain. These things being said, it can be known that there probably was some type of store close to Fort Daniel at the time of it’s construction and that the Fort’s location was influenced by the presence of Creek Indians nearby. The questions remain of who was Mr. Kidd, where was his store, and why has no evidence been discovered of a force of three hundred or more Creeks mustering to revenge the incident.

Newspapers appeared to have truncated the original story based on rumor. On August 29th, 1812, the Washington (GA) Monitor published a letter from Mr. Kidd. Apparently Kidd had heard of great excitement with the incident and felt the need to tell the whole story. The existence of the paper, and Mr. Kidd’s response confirms Creek Indian activity in the area. It also demonstrates the fact that although on the frontier, the area was receiving not only basic mail service, but service with some regularity and speed that included access to regular printed sources. The incident was apparently the result of more than one altercation. The writing from Mr. Kidd is worth review now before we slice more facts from it.

“On the night of Monday the 3rd instant, there came to the store of Messrs Kidd & Co. at the Hog Mountain, Jackson County, four Indians of the Creek nation; no person being present but a young man (Mr. Heard) the Indians told him they wanted goods; Mr. Heard inquired of them what they had to give for the goods. One of them presented his gun and one his knife and got the goods they wanted, though but a small quantity.

On the 10th, about sunset, came the same four Indians, at which time myself and son and Heard were at home, they asked for entrance, which was refused-they appeared angry-observed at the time, that if I would let them in, they would pay for what goods they had taken from us a few days past. I let them in, proceeded to weigh and county their pelts which amounted to 23 dollars, and paid for the goods previously taken, and received the amount of the balance. Then about eight o’clock at night one of them, by the name of Charlie, picked up a gun of ours, and presented it at my son. He seized the gun, a struggle ensued; one of the other Indians, by the name of Archy, drew his knife and jumped over the counter; Mr. Heard closed with him, the third laid hold of me. We at length got them pacified and agreed to be at peace. Before they left the inside of the counter, Charley and Archy took a piece of cloth and some lead; the one that had hold of me then proceeded to supply himself but was moderate.

They went out, packed up what they had got and were about to go away; they asked for salt and whiskey-I denied having any, although I had both. Two of them went to a hogshead, saw the salt, and filled two small bags. In order to get them back the next morning so that I could secure them, I told them that [they] should have whiskey the next morning, and it was likely to rain and they would get wet, they had better leave the salt and come in the morning. They agreed to do so provided I would let them take it then. I told them they should have it. They then went away. In the mean while I sent to request of my neighbors to attend and secure them on their return. Mr. Williams and Mr. Gresham came about with me, they took three guns which the Indians had brought, and the fourth gun an Indian got and endeavored to shoot me with, but one of our company [unintelligible] it from the Indian and knocked him down with it. Two Indians, Archy and his son Charley, closed with me, Archy endeavored to draw his knife to stab me, I prevented him, drew his knife myself and stabbed him and turned the knife and stabbed Charley, also twice, Charley ran away, but but died a few days afterwards. Archy and the two remaining Indians we tied up and sent to Jackson goal. We learnt from a considerable chief in the Creek nation, that there were 27 indians in this body who have heretofore committed murder and robbery. The Indians have been fine since. The report of 3 or 400 Indians being about to attack out frontier is a mistake. I do not think much danger is to be apprenhended from any other than a party who have been in the habit of it. A variety of incorrect reports having been circulated relative to the above affair, I feel bound to publish the account as it really occurred.

Jamed H. Kidd

August 24, 1812

”[2]

Given Kidd’s recollection of events we can see that the attack was more akin to a robbery than an Indian uprising. The story does confirm the general area of the store as he reports sending the captives to Jackson Courthouse, present day Jefferson, Georgia. Also the article give us some new leads, a Mr. Williams and a Mr. Gresham. Both appear in various documents in the following years, but the best source for locating the store site is in the 1820 census. In that record, Mr. Williams and Mr. Gresham are listed as living only 1 residence apart in the Bogan District of Gwinnett County place them in the same area as Fort Daniel just 8 years after the incident at Kidd’s Store. In the 1820 census, Mr. James Kidd appears to have moved further down the Peachtree road because he is listed in a different portion of the census.

One of the neighbors that James Kidd asks to come and assist on the evening of the 10th is Mr. Gresham. This is most likely George Gresham. In 1816 William Hamilton purchased a 240 acre tract of land from George Gresham with the notable feature of the “Hawkins Line” as one of the borders. The land on which the Hog Mountain House stood was apparently included in this purchase thus making it extremely close to the Fort Daniel site. Assuming that Mr. Gresham lived on his tract of land, and knowing that he lived within walking distance of Kidd’s Store (as he responded to Kidd on the 10th) we can surmise that Kidd’s store was close to the location of Fort Daniel.[3]

Another lead in the evidence of Mr. Kidd is that Flanigan lists him as a revolutionary war veteran.[4] Next we turn to Mr. Kidd’s service for clues. From the pension service records filed in 1831-1833, we learn that he was born in Mecklenburg County, Virginia in 1764 and served three different times in the war. First for a 6 month period in 1779 when he participated in the Battle of Stono Ferry outside Charleston, South Carolina. The next year he enlisted for two months in January but apparently extended his enlistment as he was in the Battle at Ramsour’s Mill near modern day Lincolnton, North Carolina. In 1781 he did his final stint with the army and did a 3 month tour and participated in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse near Greensboro, North Carolina. The dates and engagements were verified not only on James Kidd’s sworn pension papers, but also verified with his brother William Kidd’s service pension since the two had served together.

One of the requirements of a pension application was to list places of residence since the war. Of this, James Kidd stated he came to Georgia in 1784, his brother William did not move to Georgia until 1799. To cross check this data the Georgia Archives proved valuable. In 1785 and 1787 James H. Kidd was given headright grants in Wilkes County. The second grant in 1787 was on Beaver Dam Creek near modern day Lexington, GA. This would show a progression up the road toward Athens and along the Hog Mountain road. In 1793 he was granted a position as a tobacco inspector in Richmond County.[5] This would mean he was travelling with some knowledge around the area of Augusta, Georgia which is probably where he entered the state in 1784. The questions that now arise surround his change of station from a solid job around Augusta to a store operator on the edge of the frontier.

Newspapers prove to be a wealth of knowledge in tracking down Mr. Kidd and giving some insight into his personal and moral choices. Beginning in 1807 and lasting through 1824 Mr. Kidd appears in a plethora of legal advertisements in the state’s newspapers. In 1807 his property is listed at the sheriff’s sale for being a tax debtor. In 1809, Kidd himself advertises his home and lot in Lexington for sale by personal appointment with him in Lexington or via his agent in Augusta.[6] He then appears in Richmond, Oglethorpe, Jackson, Wilkes, and Gwinnett counties as being a tax debtor, loan defaulter, and even as a land sale fraud. These cases overlap time and location so it appears that as one location became saturated with his business tactics he would progress to another community and start anew. Kidd also hold the dubious honor of being in the first sheriff’s sale in Gwinnett County where one of his slaves is sold to satisfy a tax debt to the county.

Next month we will dig a little deeper into the connections of Mr. Kidd to the early founders of Gwinnett County. Not only is he an Indian trader who fought in the revolution, he also has a connection to Elisha Winn and his Son in law, William Maltbie.

[1] “Indians” Washington Monitor (Georgia) August 26, 1812.

[2] Kidd, James H. letter to the editor, Washington Monitor (Georgia) August 29, 1812.

[3] D’Angelo, Dr. James, History of Fort Daniel, unpublished work.

[4] Flanigan, James C., History of Gwinnett County, Georgia 2nd Edition (Moreno Press, Buford, GA), 66.

[5] Georgia Archives, File Names II, loose papers, James Kidd.

[6] “Advertisement” Augusta Chronicle (Georgia) September 2, 1809, 3.