Little Rock Arkansas Gazette

1928

Reprinted in Bristol, Tennessee Newspaper

Ability of Thomas Ensor to Tan Hides One Time Saved His Life When Captured by Indian Scouts

Grandfather of Bristol People, Captured During War of 1812, Credits Ability to Tan Leather With Having Saved Life When All Rest of His Companions Ran Gauntlet; Escape Finally Made and He Returns Here Without Being Harmed

------------------------------

An interesting story of an American soldiers narrow escape from death, after his capture by a hostile band of Indians, during the War of 1812, has just been brought out by a Little Rock man who has been studying the history of that conflict and tracing the record of this ancestors in the early days of the republic.

Thomas Ensor, a native of Tennessee and operator of a tan yard in Washington, county, Tennessee, was the central figure in the war-time drama, and his skill in tanning leather is credited with saving his life. J. M. Ensor, Little Rock businessman and theater operator, is a grandson of Thomas Ensor and through his inquiry into the part of the Ensor family in the war, the story of the incident was found. Four other grandchildren of Thomas Ensor are living in Bristol, Tenn., where he settled after his discharge from the army. They are: W. T. Ensor, George Ensor, Mrs. Mart Thomas and Mrs. Bertie Mae Hartman.

Thomas Ensor was born in Elizabethton, Tenn., September 16, 1790. He was the son of Madison Ensor on the the early settlers of the state who moved from Maryland soon after the Revolutionary War. His mother was Hannah Jobe, daughter of another pioneer Tennessee family. Her father David Jobe, was on the the first residents of Washington County.*

Trained in Woodcraft

Brought up in the typical frontier settlement, young Thomas became well versed in woodcraft in his boyhood, and, like every other resident of the district in those days, he soon learned the tricks and strategy of Indian fighting, a knowledge necessary for protection against the occasional bands of marauding redskins that passed through the Tennessee forest. Most of the Indians who lived in that section were peaceable and gave the white settlers little worry, but wandering bands were continually passing through on the way to or from hunting grounds or wars with other tribes, and such bands invariably gave trouble. Sometimes the tribes contented themselves with stealing stock such as they could get away with, avoiding any encounter with the white settlers, but other were not so wary and seemed to enjoy an occasional battle.

However, the mastering of the essentials of woodcraft and Indian fighting were mere sidelines for Thomas. At an early age he was apprenticed to an expert tanner, to learn the trade or art of tanning leather, one of the most important vocations in any pioneer settlement. We are told that he served faithfully about the tan yard until his apprenticeship expired when he became of age, and following that he became the owner of a tan yard.

He had owned his own establishment for a short time when the War of 1812 began. The call for volunteers reached even the region of this home, and he was among the first to enter the army of the young republic. He was enlisted as a private in Capt. John Hampton's company, which was a part of Col. Ewen Allison's regiment of Tennesseans.

Wrote Own Account

His experiences during the war were, of course, varied and very little accurate data is available, but the story of this escape from the Indians was written and has been handed down in the Ensor family from generation to generation. It is Thomas Ensor's own story of his capture, his experiences and his escape.

A scouting expedition from Captain Hampton's company was organized to go into territory of hostile Indian tribes, tribes that were co-operating with the British troops in the warfare against the Americans. The scouting party was selected from among the best of the company's personnel, 12 men, all experienced woodsmen, being sent on the trip. They left the main body of troops and traveled ? night's journey to the northwest, stopping at daylight to make camp and rest. In the evening, as twilight deepened into darkness, they destroyed all traces of their campfire and threw brush over the spot where their camp had been so that scouting Indians would be less apt to learn of the party of soldiers invading the territory.

But their precautions did little good. A band of Indians found the trace of camp soon after the Tennesseans had left it, and they immediately started on the trail. Traveling in single file, the 12 men were making slow progress along the course of a little stream, closely following the bank, as they went farther and farther into enemy territory. Mounting a little hill, the pursing Indians caught their first glimpse of the party. The chief a young warrior who knew every foot of the country for miles in each direction, led his men away at an angle, taking a short cut that would put them in front of the scouts.

Ambushed by Indians

Around a bend of the creek the Indians hid in ambush and waited for the scouts to arrive. Outnumbering the white men more than three to one and taking them by surprise, in such close quarters that organized resistance was impossible, the Indians captured 10 of the scouts and killed the other two as they sought to flee. Then with their prisoners they started the march back to camp.

On arrival at the Indian village, the band of warriors joined the elders of the tribe in a council and it was immediately decreed that the prisoners should die. Meanwhile bound hand and foot with thongs of buckskin, the prisoners, were kept outside the council teepee, guarded by one or two younger braves. Knowing nothing of the Indian dialect spoken by their captors they could only wait and wonder what their fate would be.

The council of braves adjourned and they filed out of the teepee. The prisoners were carried to an open square in the Indian village and the the braves began a dance around them, a dance designed to strike terror into the heart of any captive, for it was a veritable "dance of death". With the dance over, the warriors formed two lines, a little less than four feet apart and facing each other. Then one by one, the captives were unbound and forced to run the gauntlet, while their fellow captives watched in horror. Down the line of Indians they ran, each brave, armed with a tomahawk or knife, clubbing and slashing at the captive as he ran past until wounded and unconscious, the victim fell, and some warrior administered the last blow, while another deftly removed the scalp lock and added it to his trophies.

Leather Attract Captors

Thomas Ensor was the last of the captives to face the ordeal that meant certain death. As the captors started to loose the bonds, they were attracted by the soft , beautifully tanned leather of which his clothing was made and the thick soft leather that had been used in making the shoes he wore. The tribal chief was close at hand and he was called to look at the leather clothing. Then young Ensor, who had lost all hope of life, began to see that he might escape the death that had been meted out to the others, if he could make the chief know he was a master tanner.

Knowing no word of the dialect, his message to the chief was conveyed by signs and nods, but finally the Indian leader understood that if his life was spared he would teach the Indians the secret of tanning the hides into useful leather. Nine men had run the gauntlet, and nine fresh scalps hung at the belts of as many warriors. The savage blood-lust of the tribe was in a measure appeased, so there was, little, if any, objection to sparing the life of the remaining white man.

Then the following days of captivity when the young man toiled at his trade under strict guard, teaching the squaws of the village the art of tanning hides with the bark of the forest trees. His work gave the men of the tribe many new garments of leather and they zealously guarded Ensor, lest he should escape before the squaws had fully mastered the art.

Through the long, weary weeks the thought of escape was always uppermost in his mind and he made several ineffectual attempts to get away. Failing in them he was more closely watched than ever, but finally the opportunity came.

The warriors of the tribe were away on one of their excursions into the territory of the white settlers. Only a few of the older men, a few boys, and the squaws being left at the camp. Ensor was bound as usual, and was in the hut with two of the boys of the tribe who were suppose to maintain a ceaseless vigil. They soon grew drowsy and fell asleep and then it was that Ensor found he could work one hand lose from the thong that bound it. With one hand he soon got free of his other bonds and was ready to make another attempt to get away. Carefully he slipped from the tent away from the village and was soon safe in the forest. He traveled all night, setting his course as best he could by the stars, and by morning he had placed many miles between himself and the Indians. He slept for a short time and then started on his way toward his Tennessee home. At the end of the third day he found refuge with a white family some miles from his old home, and on the fourth he was carried back to home and friends by the family with whom he had stopped.

A few days rest marked by feasting and celebrations over his safe return, and the young man set forth again to rejoin his company and regiment, serving the remainder of the months of war with the organization. Mustered out of the army at the close of the war, he returned to Bristol, Tennessee, and established another tan yard, living there until his death in 1875.

*Maurine Ensor Patton says that Madison Ensor was not the father of Thomas Ensor. She states that Thomas Ensor born November 19, 1749 in Baltimore, MD and Mary Talbott are his parents. Thomas married Hannah Jobe. She was not his mother.

COLONEL EWEN ALLISON

DESIGNATION: 1st Regiment of East Tennessee Militia
DATES: January 1814 - May 1814
MEN MOSTLY FROM: Greene, Sullivan, Washington, Carter, and Hawkins Counties
CAPTAINS: Joseph Everett, John Hampton, Jacob Hoyal, William King, Jonas Loughmiller, Henry McCray, Thomas Wilson, Adam Winsell

BRIEF HISTORY:
This regiment was also designated as the First Regiment of East Tennessee Drafted Militia. The unit was part of General George Doherty's brigade, along with Colonel Samuel Bunch's Second Regiment. Doherty's brigade participated in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend (27 March 1814) where they were part of the right line of attack on the Creek fortifications. There were casualties in many of the companies, especially in those of Captains Everett, King, Loughmiller, and Winsell. The Nashville Clarion of 10 May 1814 has a complete listing of the dead and wounded from this climactic battle of the Creek War.
The principal rendezvous point for this regiment was Knoxville. From there they traveled to Ross' Landing (present-day Chattanooga), to Fort Armstrong, Fort Deposit, Fort Strother, Fort Williams, to Horseshoe Bend, and back by the reverse route. Captain Hampton's company was ordered to man Fort Armstrong in mid-March 1814. Arms were scarce in this unit and rifles often had to be impressed from the civilian population along the line of march.

Return to Welcome Page

Ensor Table of Contents

Disclaimer: The purpose of this Web Page is to share information for the purpose of research. I have not proved documentation of all genealogy material, nor have I kept source notes as I should. But I had lots of fun and met some great people along the way..

If you find any mistakes please contact the Web Page creator, Trisha Carden , and I shall try to correct them.