Deed, Micajah Cross, 1803, Anderson County, Tennessee

I'm not certain of the location of this land except that it was on the waters of Poplar Creek and that it was north of the Clinch River. Poplar Creek rises in the mountains in the northern part of Anderson County. It flows generally south and west with numerous meanders, flowing eventually into Roane County where it empties into the Clinch River. The reference in the deed to the creek emptying into the river suggested to me originally that the land was actually in Roane County even though the deed was recorded in Anderson County. But given where two of the boundary lines cross the creek, I now suspect the land might have been in Anderson County after all, perhaps a bit northeast of modern day Oliver Springs. However, there is great uncertainty about the location, and I cannot find any other deeds that reference the land.

If I plat out the deed using modern mapping software, it doesn't close. If I extend the last line to close it, it makes a perfect rectangle that contains 5120 acres. Old deeds usually were not very accurate about their measurements, and I suspect the 5000 acre figure in the deed was the best estimate the surveyors of the time could make. Also, I suspect that the lack of closure in the deed is because Micajah Cross was not really buying the entire 5120 acres. Rather, he was buying only a portion of the 5120 acres and the portion he was not buying probably was not surveyed.

Micajah Cross is described as being from North Carolina. He was probably born about 1780 and he died in 1817 as evidenced by his will and settlement as recorded at the Campbell County courthouse. There are literally hundreds of genealogies in the Internet which list his death date as 1846 based on a headstone for Micajah Cross in modern day Scott County, Tennessee. But that headstone is for his son Micajah Cross Jr. It is unfortunate that records for Micajah Cross Sr. and Micajah Cross Jr. have become conflated in this manner.

Micajah is usually described as an early settler in Caryville, Tennessee which is in modern day Campbell County. Caryville would have been in Anderson County in 1803, and it would have become part of Campbell County when Campbell County was created in 1806. Micajah apparently arrived in or near Caryville about 1802, but I am not certain exactly what the evidence is for that place and date. Assuming that the information about him living in Caryville is correct, it seems likely that he purchased the Poplar Creek land as an investment and never lived on it. Indeed, I can find no record of him living on the Poplar Creek land.

Micajah purchased land in what is now Scott County, Tennessee in 1805. His descendants also ended up in what is now Scott County, Tennessee. Micajah could therefore be best described as the founder or patriarch of the Cross family in Scott County. But Scott County was not created until 1849. And even Campbell County from which Scott County was created was itself not created until 1806. Therefore there are early records for Micajah in Anderson County. His 1805 deed that was recorded in Anderson County contains enough landmarks that it can be located very precisely in modern day Scott County. But this 1803 deed is much harder to place on a modern map than is the 1805 deed.

The sheriff John Underwood was the son of William Underwood and Susannah Kirby. William was one of four Underwood brothers who moved from Rowan County, North Carolina to Tennessee. Three of the brothers settled in Sevier County, and I am descended from two of them. The fourth brother William settled in Anderson County, and generally speaking the Underwoods in Anderson County were his descendants.

It seems extremely likely that John Underwood was selling the land in his role as sheriff of Anderson County rather than as a private citizen who bought and sold land in his own right. There had been a judgment against the land, and it would have been the county sheriff who enforced the judgment. The circumstances of the sale were such that the land likely would have been sold at auction at the courthouse door. But there was no mention of such an auction in the deed.

My interest in Micajah Cross is that I research the Cross family of Anderson County, Tennessee. William Cross of Anderson County was a Revolutionary War soldier and he was my fourth great grandfather. William's granddaughter Hulda Asberine Cross married John H. Peters and they were my second great grandparents. John and Hulda were the grandparents of Ernest Lester (Lester) Peters Sr. and he was my maternal grandfather. My research indicates that there were three Cross families in Anderson County. William Cross was the patriarch of one of the families. Brittain Cross was the patriarch of one of the families. And Micajah Cross was the patriarch of one of the families. Actually, Micajah should be considered to be the patriarch of the Cross family in Scott County, Tennessee. However, Scott County was not created until 1849 and Campbell County from which Scott County was created was itself not created until 1806. Therefore, there are early records for Micajah Cross of Scott County in Anderson County. We need to take those records into account when researching the Cross family. Many or most Cross family researchers list both Micajah Cross and Brittain Cross as sons of William Cross. However, I have found no evidence to support this conclusion. Instead, I have found evidence that suggests the opposite. The negative evidence is by no means conclusive. But the fact that there is some negative evidence and that I have found no positive evidence suggests that we must look elsewhere to find Micajah's parents and Brittain's parents.	William Cross was born in 1762 in Baltimore County, Maryland. His father William Cross died in 1770, also in Baltimore County. There are no records that list the two men as William Cross Sr. and William Cross Jr., but we could think of them that way. William Cross Jr.'s mother was Alice Cole. Sometime between 1770 and 1776, a number of Cross family members and Cole family members moved to what now is Sullivan County, Tennessee and what then was called the Washington District of North Carolina. Several and perhaps all of William Cross Jr's siblings appear to have been in the travel party. There may also been some of his cousins in the travel party. It therefore would not be surprising if men among William's brothers or maybe his cousins were the respective fathers of Micajah and Brittain. It's possible that Micajah and Brittain were brothers and it is possible that they were not. But this is all speculation. I think the safest thing to say is that we don't know for sure who Micajah's father was nor who Brittain's father was. I wouldn't be surprised and I even think it likely that both Micajah and Brittain were related to William. I just don't think there is any evidence to support that they were his sons, and there is some inconclusive evidence to the contrary.

Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book A1, page 81. This indenture made this 14 of June in the year of Our Lord one thousand and eight hundred and three between John Underwood high Sheriff of the County of Anderson and State of Tennessee of the one part and Micajah Cross of the County and State aforesaid of the other part witness that the said John Underwood for and in consideration of a certain sum or parcell of Money of five and twenty Dollars and fifty Cents to him in hand paid by the said my Micajah Cross hath bargained and Sold and the Said John Underwood doeth hereby bargain Sell Confirm and deliver unto the Said Micajah Cross a certain tract or parcel of Land Supposed to Contain three Thousand and Six hundred and Sixty Six Acres of Land and being part of a five Thousand acre tract formerly granted to Robert Young by the State of North Carolina but by a judgement and Execution obtained by James English of the County of Knox and state of 4 mentioned against the goods and Chattels, Lands and premises of Said Robert Young on term held for the county of Knox in the year of our Lord one thousand and Sold at Burrville by an Order of Court the 25 of december in year above Mentioned lying and being in the Said County of Anderson on the North side of Clinch River on the Waters of a Creek emptying into Said River Known by the name of Poplar Creek and bounded as followeth to wit. Beginning at a double Poplar Standing near an old Indian path and on the South Side thereof running North 45 degrees West 100 poles to a Walnut and Hickory then South 45 degrees West twelve hundred and Eighty poles to a Hickory and dogwood thence South forty five Degrees East Six hundred and forty poles to a White Oak Crossing the Creek thence North forty five degrees East twelve hundred and Eighty poles to a Stake thence North forty five degrees west three hundred and forty poles Crossing Said Creek to the first Station to have and to hold the above Mentioned Lands and premises With all the Woods Waters mines and Minerals and all the Singular appurtenances belonging thereunto the Said John Underwood his heirs and assigns hereby Warrant and forever defend the above Mentioned Lands and premises against all Claims persons or		I'm not certain of the location of this land except that it was on the waters of Poplar Creek and that it was north of the Clinch River. Poplar Creek rises in the mountains in the northern part of Anderson County. It flows generally south and west with numerous meanders, flowing eventually into Roane County where it empties into the Clinch River. The reference in the deed to the creek emptying into the river suggested to me originally that the land was actually in Roane County even though the deed was recorded in Anderson County. But given where two of the boundary lines cross the creek, I now suspect the land might have been in Anderson County after all, perhaps a bit northeast of modern day Oliver Springs. However, there is great uncertainty about the location, and I cannot find any other deeds that reference the land. If I plat out the deed using modern mapping software, it doesn't close. If I extend the last line to close it, it makes a perfect rectangle that contains 5120 acres. Old deeds usually were not very accurate about their measurements, and I suspect the 5000 acre figure in the deed was the best estimate the surveyors of the time could make. Also, I suspect that the lack of closure in the deed is because Micajah Cross was not really buying the entire 5120 acres. Rather, he was buying only a portion of the 5120 acres and the portion he was not buying probably was not surveyed. Micajah Cross is described as being from North Carolina. He was probably born about 1780 and he died in 1817 as evidenced by his will and settlement as recorded at the Campbell County courthouse. There are literally hundreds of genealogies in the Internet which list his death date as 1846 based on a headstone for Micajah Cross in modern day Scott County, Tennessee. But that headstone is for his son Micajah Cross Jr. It is unfortunate that records for Micajah Cross Sr. and Micajah Cross Jr. have become conflated in this manner. Micajah is usually described as an early settler in Caryville, Tennessee which is in modern day Campbell County. Caryville would have been in Anderson County in 1803, and it would have become part of Campbell County when Campbell County was created in 1806. Micajah apparently arrived in or near Caryville about 1802, but I am not certain exactly what the evidence is for that place and date. Assuming that the information about him living in Caryville is correct, it seems likely that he purchased the Poplar Creek land as an investment and never lived on it. Indeed, I can find no record of him living on the Poplar Creek land. Micajah purchased land in what is now Scott County, Tennessee in 1805. His descendants also ended up in what is now Scott County, Tennessee. Micajah could therefore be best described as the founder or patriarch of the Cross family in Scott County. But Scott County was not created until 1849. And even Campbell County from which Scott County was created was itself not created until 1806. Therefore there are early records for Micajah in Anderson County. His 1805 deed that was recorded in Anderson County contains enough landmarks that it can be located very precisely in modern day Scott County. But this 1803 deed is much harder to place on a modern map than is the 1805 deed. The sheriff John Underwood was the son of William Underwood and Susannah Kirby. William was one of four Underwood brothers who moved from Rowan County, North Carolina to Tennessee. Three of the brothers settled in Sevier County, and I am descended from two of them. The fourth brother William settled in Anderson County, and generally speaking the Underwoods in Anderson County were his descendants. It seems extremely likely that John Underwood was selling the land in his role as sheriff of Anderson County rather than as a private citizen who bought and sold land in his own right. There had been a judgment against the land, and it would have been the county sheriff who enforced the judgment. The circumstances of the sale were such that the land likely would have been sold at auction at the courthouse door. But there was no mention of such an auction in the deed.
Anderson County, Tennessee Deed Book A1, page 82. persons unto the above mentioned Micajah Cross his heirs or assigns it is though Clearly to be understood that the said John Underwood his Heirs and assigns by these presents Shall only be obligated to defend Said Land against the aforementioned Robert Young his Heirs assigns and Conveyances Executed Since the obtaining of the aforesaid judgment and the said John Underwood defends Said judgment to be the oldest that ever hath been obtained and levied on Said Lands Conveyances Made and Executed according to law the John Underwood previous to to me as Sheriff ought to Convey aforesaid judgment Lying and being Within the above mentioned Bounds are likewise hereby excepted in Witness Whereof the Said John Underwood hath hereunto set his hand & seal the day in your above Written Signed sealed and delivered in John Underwood (seal) the presents Anderson County Richard Linville } Robert Brazle } September 15 1803