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'd bring whole wagon loads of hams, chickens and cake and pie. My brothers was name Sone and Frank. Lord no, he didn't. Eventually the Cherokee council granted Joseph the inheritance in line with his father's wish; this included 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of land, trading posts, river ferries, and the Vann House in Spring Place, Georgia. Indians made us keep our master's name. 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. Everybody cry, everybody'd pretty nearly die. He sure stood good with de Cherokee neighbors we had, and dey all liked him. Sometimes I eat my bread this morning none this evening. There Vann constructed a replica of his lost Georgia mansion. My uncle used to baptize 'em. Every morning the slaves would run to the commissary and get what they wanted for that day. Sometimes I eat my bread this morning none this evening. 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. Many Creeks joined the Cherokee searchers. We had home-made wooden beds wid rope springs, and de little ones slept on trundle beds dat was home made too. Some 3,500 interviews were conducted. Joseph H. Vann, (11 February 1798 - 23 October 1844). Original newspaper article says captain/owner of the steamboat was David Vann. Lots of soldiers around all the time though. We had fine satin dresses, great big combs for our hair, great big gold locket, double earrings we never wore cotton except when we worked. Seneca Chism was my father. I'se born across the river in the plantation of old Jim Vann in Webbers Falls. However, the following narrative by the ex-slave, Cornelius Neely Nave, contains correct family relationships. They are not related to the Cherokee VANN family. I had two brothers, Silas and George, dat belong to Mr. George Holt in Webber's falls town. He'd take us and enjoy us, you know. When dat Civil War come along I was a pretty big boy and I remember it good as anybody. She won me lots of money, Black Hock did, and I kept it in the Savings Bank in Tahlequah. I'se born right in my master and missus bed. After it was wove they dyed it all colors, blue, brown, purple, red, yellow. Actually, the Assistant Principal Chief was Joseph "Tenulte" Vann, son of Avery Vann and probably a cousin of "Rich Joe" Vann. 61 (Spring, 1983). Maybe old Master Joe Vann was harder, I don't know, but that was before my time. The impressive house reportedly stood on a plantation of nearly 600 acres which was tended by some 400 black slaves "Rich Joe" Vann owned. Interestingly, Mrs. Vann also speaks of some time that her family spent before and during the war in Mexico. All the Vann marsters was good looking. Mistress say old Master and my pappy on the boat somewhere close to Louisville and the boiler bust and tear the boat up. Pappa named Charley Nave; mamma's name was Mary Vann before she marry and her papa was Talaka Vann, one of Joe Vann's slave down around Webber's Falls. In writing of him the Reverend John Gamble, a Moravian missionary said: "Mrs. Gamble and I love him as our own child and have not a complaint against him. Everybody had plenty to eat and plenty to throw away. The slaves had a pretty easy time I think. My mammy was a Crossland Negro before she come to belong to Master Joe and marry my pappy, and I think she come wid old Mistress and belong to her. He done already sold 'em to a man and it was dat man was waiting for de trader. Smoeone call our names and everybody get a present. Joseph Vann was born February 11, 1798 near Springplace in the Cherokee Nation (now Georgia) the son of James Vann and Nancy Brown. He died on September 21, 1904, and was buried in the Colville Indian Cemetery on the Colville Reservation. Perhaps because they had observed the prosperity so often achieved by slave-holding whites, Indians of mixed-blood were more apt to own slaves. Because mamma was sick then he brought her sister Sucky Pea and her husband, Charley Pea, to help around wid him. Everything was fine, Lord have mercy on me, yes. Old Master Joe had a big steam boat he called the Lucy Walker, and he run it up and down the Arkansas and the Mississippi and the Ohio river, old Mistress say. But we couldn't learn to read or have a book, and the Cherokee folks was afraid to tell us about the letters because they have a law you go to jail and a big fine if you show a slave about the letters. They put white cloths on the shelves and laid the good on it. Everybody a hollerin' and a cryin'. Meanwhile, the Cherokees had presented their news of the slave revolt to the Cherokee National Council at the capital, Tahlequah, and gained approval for a Cherokee Militia unit to pursue, arrest, and deliver the fugitive slaves to Fort Gibson. Joseph Vann is listed in the Cherokee census of 1835 as a resident of the Cherokee nation within the chartered limits of Hamilton County, Tennessee, his family consisting of fifteen persons. I wore loom cloth clothes, dyed in copperas what the old Negro women and the old Cherokee women made. He owned 110 slaves and on his plantation there were thirty-five houses, a mill and a ferry boat. My names' Lucinda Vann, I've been married twice but that don't make no difference. All the colored folks lined up and the overseer he tell them what they must do that day. I know he is right, too. This was before the war. 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. When anybody die, someone sit up with them day and night till they put them in the ground. After everything quiet down and everything was just right, we come back to territory second time. That was sort of vault, where the family valuables was kept. When the Vanns were forced from their Spring Place home in 1834, they took many slaves with them when they fled to safety in Tennessee. I wore a stripedy shirt till I was about 11 years old and den one day while we was down in the Choctaw Country old Mistress see me and nearly fall off her horse. We had meat, bread, rice, potatoes and plenty of fish and chicken. Now I'se just old forgotten woman. Young Master Joe let us have singing and be baptised if we want to, but I wasnt baptized till after the war. He was accidentally killed in the explosion of one of his boats, the "Lucy Walker" which was blown up near Louisville, Kentucky on October 26, 1844. John Trader U Wa Ni Vann married Mary Wa' Li' Cherokee King-Vann and had 15 children. [Note from curator: these slave narratives are not under copyright]. I'se born across the river in the plantation of old Jim Vann in Webbers Falls. There was a big dinner bell in the yard. It had no windows, but it had a wood floor that was kept clean with plenty of brushings, and a fireplace where mammy'd cook the turnip greens and peas and corn--I still likes the cornbread with fingerprints baked on it like in the old days when it was cooked on a skillet over the hot wood ashes. The Vanns later relocated to Indian Territory, present-day Oklahoma. Den I went to a subscription school for a little while, but didn't get much learning. Marster Jim and Missus Jennie wouldn't let his house slaves go with no common dress out. The band of escaping slaves came upon two white men who were fugitive slave hunters returning eight Negroes they had recaptured to their Choctaw master. He was a traveler, didn't stay home much. Thompson, mixed blood Cherokee Indian, but before that pappy had been owned by three different master; one was the Rich Joe Vann who lived down at Webber Falls and another was Chief Lowery of the Cherokees. We had about twenty calves and I would take dem out and graze-em while some grown-up negro was grazing de cows so as to keep de cows milk. On his extensive plantation some 800 acres were under cultivation. The colored folks did most of the fiddlin'. There was big parties and dances. He'd take us and enjoy us, you know. Different friends would come and they'd show that arm. Everything we had was made by my folks. Then up come de man from Texas with de hounds and wid him was young Mr. Joe Vann and my uncle that belong to young Joe. Then we all have big dinner, white folks in the big house, colored folks in their cabins. Run it to the bank! but it sunk and him and old Master died. He went clean to Louisville, Kentucky, and back. That meant she want a biscuit with a little butter on it. Chief John Joseph Vann was born circa 1736, at birth place, Kansas, to John Vann. All Indians lived around there, the real colored settlement was four mile from us, and I wasn't scared of them Indians for pappa always told me his master Henry Nave, was his own father; that make me part Indian and the reason my hair is long, straight and black like a horse mane. We had to get up early and comb our hair first thing. 5, Special Issue: American Culture and the American Frontier (Winter, 1981), pp. One day Missus Jennie say to Marster Jim, she says, "Mr. Vann, you come here. Correction Note: The preceding comments by the interviewer incorrectly depicts the relationship between the family members. We had bonnets that had long silk tassels for ties. By and by I married Nancy Holdebrand what lived on Greenleaf Creek, bout four miles northwest of Gore. Every dollar she make on the track, I give it to Lucy." The Chief Vann House is the first brick residence in the Cherokee Nation, and has been called the "Showplace of the Cherokee Nation ". Of course, all slaves were officially freed during the Civil War. Georgia known as The Chief Vann House In 1819, WA-WLI baptized by the Morav. The colored folks did most of the fiddlin'. He had charge of all Master Chism's and Master Vann's race horses. After the war I married Paul Alexander, but I never took his name. 5. They rendezvoused with other slaves who had agreed to participate in the revolt, stole horses to ride to their freedom, then broke into a store to steal guns, ammunition, food, and supplies they needed for their planned escape to Mexicowhere slavery was illegal. I couldnt buy anything in slavery time, so I jest give the piece of money to the Vann children. This database contains stories submitted to Ancestry family trees by users who have indicated that their tree can be . Sometimes just white folks danced; sometimes just the black folks. I sure did love her. He wouldn' take us way off, but just for a ride. Christmas morning marster and missus come out on the porch and all the colored folks gather around. Everybody was happy. Maybe old Master Joe Vann was harder. In Georgia, during the early 1800s, slaves owned by the Vann Family made the bricks and milled the lumber used to build the Vann House in Spring Place. He was called by his contemporaries "Rich Joe" and many legends of his wealth ware still told among the Cherokees. Some of the Indian families was Joe Dirt Eater, Six Killer (some of the Six Killers live a few miles SE of Afton at this time, 1938), Chewey Noi, and Gus Buffington. Two year old when my mamma died so I remember nothing of her, and most of my sisters and brothers dead too. Cal Robertson was eighty-nine years old when I married him forty years ago, right on this porch. 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. Dey called young Mr. Joe "Little Joe Vann" even after he was grown on account of when he was a little boy before his pappy was killed. Chief Crazy James Vann James Clement Vann) Vann, Ii, <<Private>> Vann, Ii. I don't know what dey done it for, only to be mean, and I guess they was drunk. A town was laid out on his Hamilton Country farm which was called, Vanntown. There'd be races and people would have things what they was sellin' like moccasins and beads. We camp at dat place a while and old Mistress stay in de town wid some kinfolks. Rende is a comune (municipality) in the province of Cosenza, Calabria, Italy, home to the headquarters of the University of Calabria.It has a population of about 35,000, or more than 60,000 if the university students living there are taken into account. We went down to the river for baptizings. We told him bout de Pins coming for him and he just laughed. 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. They was Cherokee Indians. When we wanted to go anywhere we always got a horse, we never walked. Cal Robertson was eighty-nine years old when I married him forty years age, right on this porch. Some had been in a big run-away and had been brung back, and wasn't so good, so he keep them on the boat all the time mostly. Cornelius Neely Nave was a grandson of Talaka Vann, a slave owned by Joseph Vann in Webbers Falls. 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