Claude Jenkins

Family/Spouse: Bonnie Holder. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Phillip married Sultana Stiles. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

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]