Phillip Abraham Jenkins

Family/Spouse: Sultana Stiles. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. William Horace Jenkins was born on 23 Jun 1897 in Graham County, North Carolina; died on 14 Feb 1979 in Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina; was buried on 17 Feb 1979 in Guge Cemetery, Robbinsville, Graham County, North Carolina.
2. John Fletcher Jenkins was born on 25 Jul 1906 in Graham County, North Carolina; died on 22 Oct 1985 in Gastonia, Gaston County, North Carolina; was buried on 24 Oct 1985 in Robbinsville, Graham County, North Carolina.
3. Claude Jenkins was born on 15 May 1911 in Robbinsville, Graham County, North Carolina; died on 18 Jan 1990 in Kings Mountain, Cleveland County, North Carolina; was buried in Robbinsville, Graham County, North Carolina.

John married Elizabeth T. Sawyer on 30 Sep 1847 in Blount County, Tennessee. Elizabeth was born in 0Jul 1829 in North Carolina; died in in North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Jonas Jenkins, son of Jonas and Polly Ann (Williams) Jenkins, was born in 1803 in East Tennessee. Near 1820 his parents returned to the Shenandoah County, Virginia where Jonas married on July 27, 1821, Juliet Burkholder, daughter of Fredric Burkholder. Within the year, Jonas and Juliet Jenkins migrated with his father's family to Haywood County, North Carolina and settled at Soco Creek.
In 1832 Jonas, Jr. was granted by patent 25 acres on Soco Creek, and another 50 on its tributary, Swearing Jim Mill Creek (now Jenkins Creek). Afterwards he purchased an additional 100 acre tract on the latter creek, which was bounded on one side by the Indian line, and situated two miles west of Quallatown, where remained scores of Cherokee families.
After the 1835 Treaty of New Echota was made to remove the Cherokee Nation three years later to Arkansas, Jonas Jr. sold his lands on Soco Creek to William H. Thomas for the Qualla Cherokees. After selling his tracts in 1837 and 1838, he removed with his father and brothers to settle along the south bank of the Tuckasegee River at the present Jenkins Banch.
During the Cherokee removal, the state raised a militia to assist the federal army, and Jonas Jenkins enlisted in Captain Angel's Company, 3rd Regiment, North Carolina Militia. He was mustered in to service at Franklin on May 1, 1838; and upon virtual completion of removal within the state, was mustered out of service with the discharge of all militia volunteers on the following July 16. On November 1 of that year, Tsali (who has since become legendary) and his fugitive band, attacked a detachment of soldiers who had apprehended them. On November 15, Jonas was engaged to participate in the band's capture. Five years later he testified he had been an eyewitness to Tsali's execution, and left in the form of a deposition, and informative account of what has become a dramatized incident.
Julie Burkholder Jenkins died in the summer of 1840 after delivering the last child Isaac. The boy was adopted by Isaac and Jane Sellers and reared in Gilmer County, Georgia. On October 9 1840, in Macon County, North Carolina, Jonas married Rachel Hyde, a woman said to be compassionate and industrious.
In 1844, Jonas Jenkins and his family resettled on the frontier lost by the Cherokee Nation and established a farm on a 100 acre tract granted him in Cherokee (now Graham County, NC) County near the Little Tennessee River at Tuskeegee. Like his Scotch-Irish father, Jonas was red-haired and blue eyed, and is said to have had a volatile temper. He died on April 17, 1871 at age 67, and is buried at the Guge Cemetery. "To die is gain" was engraved on his stone. (from a file by Shirley Rogers that was placed on World Connect, and from a book "Appalachian Pioneers" by Gary Claude Jenkins, 1983)


4th Board Claim 251, RG 75:
Record of the Bureau of Indian Affairs
National Archives

State of North Carolina} This day personally came before me, Joseph Welch, one of the acting
Macon County } Justices of the peace in and for said county, Jonas Jenkins, aged forty one years, a
respectable citizen of said county who, after sworn according to law, deposeth and saith as follows:
That about the fifteenth of November 1838, he was employed to accompany Euchella and about forty Cherokee warriors that had been employed by Colonel Foster of the United States Army to aid in capturing Charley and three other Cherokee Indians that had as he was informed murdered two soldiers by the names of Perry and Martin belonging to the 4th Infantry a short time previous to the time he entered the service. After the Cherokee company and the few white hunters that accompanied them captured three of the murderers, deponent aided to guard them to where Colonel Foster was, then stationed with the United States troops near the mouth of the Tuckasegee River on the Little Tennessee River in the above mentioned county. A few days afterwards the murderers were tried by the Cherokees, found guilty (as deponent as informed) and deponent was present when they were shot by a guard of the Cherokees under the direction of Euchella in the presence of Colonel Foster and the United States Army which was drawn up on the bank of the Little Tennessee River to see them executed. Euchella and the chiefs and warriors that composed the company were directed to assemble at Colonel Foster's tent to hold a talk. Colonel Foster when they were assembled informed them that they had seen in the punishment of those murderers the consequence resulting from an attack on the United States Army and murdering citizens. He stated that he was aware of the important services they had rendered the United States in capturing and executing those murderers and that only one by the name of Charley remained to be captured and executed, he would leave them to perform that part of the duty and would immediately march his army out of the country and in consequence of the meritorious services rendered the United States by the Cherokee chiefs and warriors in performing the services he would close the emigration and permit Euchella and his band as well as all the Cherokees reeemaining in the country (except old Charley's family) to settle in and unite with the Cherokees at Qualla Town that had been citizenized. He advised them to send runners to bring in their friends that had been lying out in the mountains to avoid being taken to Arkansas to inform them of the permission granted them to settle at Qualla Town and become citizens of the state, advised them to say to their friends not to lie out in the mountains any longer suffering with hunger but to take his advise and settle at Qualla Town and not scatter off among the whites, to live in friendship with their white neighbors and make good citizens and he assured them that they would never be molested by the United States. Euchella replied before they were made citizens of the United States. that they had aided the white people in their war against the Creek Indians and now since the government of the United States had been so kind to them as to permit the Cherokees remaining to remain citizens of the state of North Carolina, they would always be found ready as American citizens to render their adoptedd country all the aid in their power against her enemies. Euchella and the other chiefs and warriors belonging to the company took leave of Colonel Foster and Euchella, informed him when his warriors had captured Charley that he should be dealt with as the chiefs had promised and though he might be in a foreign country when he heard from them, he should have no reason to accuse them for not performing on their part in good faith all they had promised him. The Cherokee company then marched up the Tuckasegee River towards Qualla Town and the American Army started towards Tennessee as deponent was informed, he did not wait to see them on their march but they were preparing to march when he left with the Cherokee company. The next day Wachucha and some other Cherokees met the Cherokee company with old Charley who they had captured on Nantahala and the next day afterwards Euchella and the chiefs tried him, he acknowledged he had killed the soldier and that he expected to die for it when he done the act. Euchella after the decision was made informed Charley that he would be shot at twelve o'clock. A short time before twelve he told Euchella to hunt up his children that had been left in the mountains when he was taken first to be emigrated, to be a father to them talk good to them, give them good advise, to tell them what had become of their father and that it was his request that they should die in that country and never go to Arkansas. He told them he was a brave man and not afraid to die and when he was chained to the tree to be shot he showed no symptom of fear. Euchella promised him what he requested in relation to his children should be performed, a bandage was place over his eyes and three of the warriors were selected to execute the sentence and at a signal given by Euchella with his hand, the three selected fired, one ball passed into his brain and two balls into his breast, deponent aided in digging his grave and burying him on the bank of the Tuckasegee River. The Cherokee company immediately marched on towards Qualla Town. A few days afterwards deponent was at that town and saw about thirty of the outlying Cherokees includinng men, women, and children almost naked move into the town to settle there in pursuance of the instructions given by Colonel Foster in permitting those Cherokee Indians to remain with the best arrangement that could have been made, that the interest of the government of the Cherokees and the white citizens were promoted thereby. Colonel Foster's whole regiment unaided by the Indians could not in his opinion have captured those murderers against this time. The large beds of laurel in which they had secreted themselves rendered it impossible for him to have taken them with his troops, deponent further saith, as sworn to and subscribed before me August 16, 1843.

Joseph Welch JP his
Jonas X Jenkins
mark

CENSUS: 1860 US Federal Censu
Name: Jonas Jenkins Age in 1860: 60 Birthplace: North Carolina Home in 1860: Stecoah, Cherokee, North Carolina Gender: Male Post Office: Stecoah Roll: M653_892 Page: 230 Year: 1860 Head of Household: Jonas Jenkins

Jonas married Juliet Burkholder on 27 Jul 1821. Juliet (daughter of Fredric Burkholder and Unknown Unknown) was born on 27 Jul 1821 in Shenandoah County, Virginia; died in 1839 in Haywood County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

White settlement in areas lying along the Oconaluftee and Tukaseegee Rivers, within the borders of present Swain County, began soon after the Cherokee Indian cessation of 1798. The remainder of the land now belonging to Swain County was surrendered by the Cherokees in the Treaty of February 27, 1819. However, it was not until the North Carolina General Assembly on March, 1871 was held that an act was passed by the state legislature, ratifying Swain as a new county. Swain was formed from Jackson and Macon Counties. It was named in honor of David L. Swain, Governor of North Carolina and resident of the University of North Carolina. It is the western section of the state and is bounded by the state of Tennessee and Haywood, Jackson, Macon and Graham Counties in North Carolina. The present land area if 525.66 square miles and th 1990 population was 11,268. The first court was ordered to be held at Cold Spring Meeting House. Special commissioners were named to select a site for the courthouse, provided all the commissioners could agree on a certain place. If they could not agree, the county commissioners were to submit the question of selecting a place to the voters. The county commissioners were to lay out a town by the name of Charleston which was to be the county seat. In 1889, the name Charleston was changed to Bryson City in honor of Colonel Thad Dillard Byrson. Bryson City is the current county seat. Swain County, North Carolina was the birth place of my father, William Joseph Welch, October 20, 1883. (from William R. Welch, 9/2002)

BIOGRAPHY: Almost nothing is known of the early life of Jonas except that he was born in Shenandoah County, Virginia of Welsh and Scotch-Irish heritage. Jonas had red hair, blue eyes, and a bad temper. Jonas was married to Polly Williams, but fathered children with Jeannie BRICKEY and her daughter Elizabeth "Betsy" BRICKEY. Jonas ran a legal distillery of whiskey and brandy, and the BRICKEY ladies were employees of his. Betsy died at the birth of her son, Peter, in 1828. The marriage on January 9, 1798 to Polly Ann was signed by Jane Jenkins, Ann's guardian. It may be assumed that her parents were dead by the time of their marriage because the marriage bond names Jane Jenkins as guardian in the place of Ann's parent's name. Upon their union Jonas and Ann migrated to East Tennessee, possibly settling in Cocke County. Shortly after marrying, Jonas and Polly migrated to East Tennessee where remained until after 1810.

BIOGRAPHY: After the War of 1812, Jonas returned with his family to Shenandoah County and remained until 1821. Within this year they again journeyed south and settled this time on the other side of the Great Smoky Mountains in Haywood County, North Carolina. He purchased in 1821, l50 acres on Shoal Creek, a tributary of Soco Creek. His tracts, on the Indian line, was in the realm relinquished by the Cherokee government two years earlier in the Treaty of 1819. Jonas was situated as a neighbor among the Indians who chose to remain in the valley rather than remove to the receded Cherokee territory. Jonas Jenkins, Sr. first appears in Haywood County, North Carolina about 1823 and was settled in Soco Valley by 1828. In that year, he bought a one-hundred acre track of land on the north side of Soco Creek. Later in 1828, he bought several tracks of land on the south side of the creek from Abraham Enloe, the man some historians claim is the actual father of Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the United States. Jonas and his three sons owned over a thousand acres of land along Soco Creek. Over one-hundred and fifty years later, the area north of the creek is still recorded on the U.S. Geological Survey maps as Jenkins Ridge. In 1830, Jonas Jenkins was granted by patent 100 acres on Soco Creek and soon after followed additional grants of land on both sides of Soco. His sons, Nathan, Jonas Jr. and John, purchased adjoining tracts until their farms together exceeded a thousand acres. Over one hundred and seventy years later the area north of the creek is still recorded on U. S. Geological Survey maps as Jenkins Ridge. In 1838, Jonas Jenkins sold his remaining tracts on Soco Creek to William H. Thomas, agent for the Qualla Cherokees, who supposedly was buying land for the Indians allowed to remain during the 1838 removal of the Cherokee Nation. The family's farms, two miles west of Quallatown, eventually reverted back to the Cherokees after 1870, with the establishment of the Qualla Boundary. Their former holdings left a legacy on the land with Jenkins Creek, Jenkins Divide (or ridge), and Jonas' Fields. Moving a few miles west in 1838, Jonas and his sons settled on the Tuckasegee River at the present Jenkins Branch, one mile west of what is now Bryson City. In 1840, Jonas entered a grant for one hundred acres on the south bank of the river along the boundary of the former Big Bear Reservation in Macon (now Swain) County. In time he accumulated about five hundred acres in this vicinity. Jonas Jenkins remained on record until 1856 when he sold some of his tracts to his sons, Charles and Thomas. He died in that year or shortly afterwards, about the age of 84. It is believed he and his wife Polly are buried in the Henry Jenkins Cemetery located on a hilltop west of Jenkins Branch on the north side of Highway 19.

BIOGRAPHY: Jonas was active in the county's civic concerns, being summoned numerous times through the years to serve jury duty at Waynesville; and to aid in the surveying and opening of roads. One of many such court assignments appears to be work on what is now Highway 19.

BIOGRAPHY: Ordered by court that Jonas Jenkins be overseer of the public road Top of the mountain from the Soco Creek to Jonas Jenkins' and that all the working hands who live on Soco Creek and its waters from the mouth of Swearing Jim Mill Creek including both forks and all their waters work under said overseer. 5th October 1826. --Minutes of Haywood County Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, Book 3, p. 110.

BIOGRAPHY: A peculiar domestic situation developed with Jonas while living in Soco Valley. Having received a licence from the county to sell Spiritous Liquors at his dwelling house, he allowed a woman by the name of Jane or Jennie Brickey to live at his still house and work for him. By her he bore two sons; and sired one son by her daughter, Elizabeth (Betsy). Elizabeth Brickey died after delivering her child. Jane Brickey took charge of him with her own two sons until in a matter of years an apparent confrontation drove her away. Her eldest son, Thomas, is reported to have related in late age how his mother told him she was going to hunt the cows on the mountain when she was last seen. He said she was wiping her eyes with her apron as she went and she repeatedly turned and looked back on them.

MILITARY: During the War of 1812, Jonas Jenkins enlisted in James Allen's Company, Col. Bunch's Regiment of the East Tennessee Militia. He was mustered into service at Knoxville on January 10, 1814, however on the 27th of the month he was furloughed due to sickness and did not return to duty.

RECORDS: B.M. Ashby, "Shenandoah County Virginia Marriage Bonds"; military service per N/A M602 Roll 110; Confederate service per N/A Record Group 109;

RECORDS: JENKINS- Gary Claude Jenkins, l983 Library of Congress Catalogue Card Number 82-094133 The above is attributed to the great research of Gary Jenkins of Ft. Oglethorpe, GA.

CENSUS: 1820 US Federal Census Shenandoah Co, VVA, p. 28

CENSUS: 1830 Haywood Co,NC p.380

CENSUS: 1840 Macon Co. p. 156;

CENSUS: 1850 US Federal Census
Name: Jonas Jenkins Age: 78 Estimated birth year: abt 1772 Birth place: Virginia Gender: Male Home in 1850 (City,County,State): Not Stated, Macon, North Carolina Page: 349 Roll: M432_636


MILITARY: North Carolina Volunteers participating in the Indian Removal: Thomas Angel Company - Jonas Jenkins

Jonas married Mary Ann Williams on 9 Jan 1795. Mary (daughter of Samuel John Williams and Susanna Ligon) was born on 17 Jul 1774 in Westmoreland County, Virginia; died in 1851 in Macon County, North Carolina. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Ann Williams marriage bond was signed by Jane Jenkins, who was her guradian at the time.

Fredric married Unknown Unknown. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]