The following are excerpts from Rev. T. H. Ball's book "Clarke County, Alabama & It's Surroundings":
Among the names which have for many years been historic, connected with this region [Clarke County, Alabama], is the name of Austill.
Evan Austill of South Carolina went, with his family, in 1798, to the Cherokee agency in Georgia, where he was engaged in efforts tending to spread among the Cherokees the arts of civilization. This agency was established by the U.S. Govt. The location was on a river about twenty miles north of the present town of Rome. Mrs. Evan Austill is said to have been the first white woman who ventured to live among the Cherokees. Five children were born during the residence of the family in this agency, one Jeremiah Austill, having been born in South Carolina in 1794. Mrs. Austill was evidently not a timid woman. Sometimes when alone with her little children, in the absence of her husband, the Indians would come and tell her that they had seen a man without a head near her home. She would reply, "I am not afraid of men without heads; those having heads are much more dangerous."
A school was commenced among these Cherokees, and Evan Austill employed an Englishman to teach. One of the boys, called John Ridge, was quite talented, at length graduated, and married in the North. He became a well-known leader of his people.
After residing about fourteen years among the Cherokees, Evan Austill concluded to remove. The Indians said "Do not leave us. You have been a father and a guide to us." But in 1812 his family concluded to remove to the frontier settlements in Washington County. They came to the Hickory Ground. The Creeks here had already met to declare war. The party was permitted to proceed and the family settled South of Suggsville, and were soon called out, by the eventful times, the father and son, to take prominent parts in the war with the Creeks.
Evan Austill died 18 Oct., 1818, at the age of forty-nine, from exposure in Florida in the Indian strife. A marble slab with a plain inscription near the roadside, and near the site of Fort Madison, reveals to the passing traveller his lone resting-place.
He had two sons and five daughters.
Among the names which have for many years been historic, connected with this region [Clarke County, Alabama], is the name of Austill.
Evan Austill of South Carolina went, with his family, in 1798, to the Cherokee agency in Georgia, where he was engaged in efforts tending to spread among the Cherokees the arts of civilization. This agency was established by the U.S. Govt. The location was on a river about twenty miles north of the present town of Rome. Mrs. Evan Austill is said to have been the first white woman who ventured to live among the Cherokees. Five children were born during the residence of the family in this agency, one Jeremiah Austill, having been born in South Carolina in 1794. Mrs. Austill was evidently not a timid woman. Sometimes when alone with her little children, in the absence of her husband, the Indians would come and tell her that they had seen a man without a head near her home. She would reply, "I am not afraid of men without heads; those having heads are much more dangerous."
A school was commenced among these Cherokees, and Evan Austill employed an Englishman to teach. One of the boys, called John Ridge, was quite talented, at length graduated, and married in the North. He became a well-known leader of his people.
After residing about fourteen years among the Cherokees, Evan Austill concluded to remove. The Indians said "Do not leave us. You have been a father and a guide to us." But in 1812 his family concluded to remove to the frontier settlements in Washington County. They came to the Hickory Ground. The Creeks here had already met to declare war. The party was permitted to proceed and the family settled South of Suggsville, and were soon called out, by the eventful times, the father and son, to take prominent parts in the war with the Creeks.
Evan Austill died 18 Oct., 1818, at the age of forty-nine, from exposure in Florida in the Indian strife. A marble slab with a plain inscription near the roadside, and near the site of Fort Madison, reveals to the passing traveller his lone resting-place.
He had two sons and five daughters.
The following are excerpts from Rev. T. H. Ball's book "Clarke County, Alabama & It's Surroundings":
Among the names which have for many years been historic, connected with this region [Clarke County, Alabama], is the name of Austill.
Evan Austill of South Carolina went, with his family, in 1798, to the Cherokee agency in Georgia, where he was engaged in efforts tending to spread among the Cherokees the arts of civilization. This agency was established by the U.S. Govt. The location was on a river about twenty miles north of the present town of Rome. Mrs. Evan Austill is said to have been the first white woman who ventured to live among the Cherokees. Five children were born during the residence of the family in this agency, one Jeremiah Austill, having been born in South Carolina in 1794. Mrs. Austill was evidently not a timid woman. Sometimes when alone with her little children, in the absence of her husband, the Indians would come and tell her that they had seen a man without a head near her home. She would reply, "I am not afraid of men without heads; those having heads are much more dangerous."
A school was commenced among these Cherokees, and Evan Austill employed an Englishman to teach. One of the boys, called John Ridge, was quite talented, at length graduated, and married in the North. He became a well-known leader of his people.
After residing about fourteen years among the Cherokees, Evan Austill concluded to remove. The Indians said "Do not leave us. You have been a father and a guide to us." But in 1812 his family concluded to remove to the frontier settlements in Washington County. They came to the Hickory Ground. The Creeks here had already met to declare war. The party was permitted to proceed and the family settled South of Suggsville, and were soon called out, by the eventful times, the father and son, to take prominent parts in the war with the Creeks.
Evan Austill died 18 Oct., 1818, at the age of forty-nine, from exposure in Florida in the Indian strife. A marble slab with a plain inscription near the roadside, and near the site of Fort Madison, reveals to the passing traveller his lone resting-place.
He had two sons and five daughters.
Among the names which have for many years been historic, connected with this region [Clarke County, Alabama], is the name of Austill.
Evan Austill of South Carolina went, with his family, in 1798, to the Cherokee agency in Georgia, where he was engaged in efforts tending to spread among the Cherokees the arts of civilization. This agency was established by the U.S. Govt. The location was on a river about twenty miles north of the present town of Rome. Mrs. Evan Austill is said to have been the first white woman who ventured to live among the Cherokees. Five children were born during the residence of the family in this agency, one Jeremiah Austill, having been born in South Carolina in 1794. Mrs. Austill was evidently not a timid woman. Sometimes when alone with her little children, in the absence of her husband, the Indians would come and tell her that they had seen a man without a head near her home. She would reply, "I am not afraid of men without heads; those having heads are much more dangerous."
A school was commenced among these Cherokees, and Evan Austill employed an Englishman to teach. One of the boys, called John Ridge, was quite talented, at length graduated, and married in the North. He became a well-known leader of his people.
After residing about fourteen years among the Cherokees, Evan Austill concluded to remove. The Indians said "Do not leave us. You have been a father and a guide to us." But in 1812 his family concluded to remove to the frontier settlements in Washington County. They came to the Hickory Ground. The Creeks here had already met to declare war. The party was permitted to proceed and the family settled South of Suggsville, and were soon called out, by the eventful times, the father and son, to take prominent parts in the war with the Creeks.
Evan Austill died 18 Oct., 1818, at the age of forty-nine, from exposure in Florida in the Indian strife. A marble slab with a plain inscription near the roadside, and near the site of Fort Madison, reveals to the passing traveller his lone resting-place.
He had two sons and five daughters.
Inscription
Father of J. & E. Austill.
he died from exposure on an Indian Campaign, October 18, 1818.
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