GOWEN RESEARCH FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
Volume 4, No. 9  May 1993

Christiana Gowen Rains and her Husband . . .
Capt. John Rains Challenged the Creek Indians

Prepared from research developed
By Joy Jean Quimby Stearns
Editorial Board Member
618 Greenwood Circle, Mt. Olive, Alabama, 35117

Christiana Gowen, regarded as a daughter of William and Sarah Gowen, was born about 1746 in Granville County, North Carolina, according to the DAR membership applica-tion of Mary Hamilton Haile, a descen-dant who lived in Sa-vannah, Georgia in 1952.  She was mar-ried about 1765 to John Rains who was born in 1743 in Culpepper County, Virginia [originally Or-ange County].  He was one of the "long hunters" in Kentucky and Tennessee as early as 1769, according to "Draper Collection of Manuscripts.  Several descen-dants have made successful DAR applications, citing his supposed military ser-vice as a North Carolina Revolutionary soldier.

Mary Hamilton Haile stated that Capt. John Rains came to the Watauga area of Eastern Tennessee [then North Carolina] in 1775 with his wife and children.  He built Rains Station and continued there for four years.

A. W. Putnam writing in "History of Middle Tennessee" states that John Rains was present at the signing of the Treaty of Long Island of Holston near Ft. Patrick Henry July 20, 1777.  He mentions other patriots who were present at that event, "Col. William Christian, Col. William Preston, Col. Evan Shelby, John Sevier, Valentine Sevier, Daniel Boone, Isaac Bledsoe, Anthony Bledsoe, Isaac Shelby, Richard Hen-derson, Thomas Hart, James Robertson, James Eaton, and Robert Cartwright."

John Rains had made a trip to Kentucky during which he met Capt. James Robertson, founder of Nashville who persuaded him to go to Tennessee with him.  John Rains who had hunted on the Cumberland River for many years, led a group of set-tlers to Ft. Nashbor-ough in 1779.

It is suggested that his father-in-law William Gowen, broth-ers-in-law John Gowen and James H. Gowen and their nephew David Gowen were influenced to accompany him on the trek to Tennessee.  A. W. Putnam, wrote:

"There were some women and children with the Rains company of emigrants.  The winter of 1779-80 has ever been mentioned as 'the cold winter,' one of extraordi-nary severity.  The cold commenced early, and the emigrants by land encoun-tered much difficulty in their route, yet they arrived at the place appointed for ren-dezvous in safety, no deaths having occurred among them and without any attack by the Indians.  On their way the Robertson party was overtaken by the Rains party.  The overland route the settlers followed from Cumberland Gap to Nashville followed a circuitous path through what is now Kentucky.

They reached the [Cumberland] River in December 1779 and . . . crossed the river to where Nashville is now situated.  The ice in the river was sufficiently solid to allow Capt. Rains' cattle to pass over upon it.  It is believed that the first day they passed at the lick was Christmas day 1779.  When they were all assembled, there were more than 200 people, and many of them young men without families.

Some of the Nashville settlers, particularly those with women and children floated down the Tennessee River as far as Muscle Shoals, Alabama and then trekked overland the re-maining 75 miles to Nashville."

Rains immediately selected his body of land and built pens for his 19 cows, 2 steers and 17 horses near the spring on Brown's Creek then about two and one-half miles south of Ft. Nash-borough.  Presently his property is the location of Tennessee State Fairgrounds and Cumberland Park.  William Gowen, his father-in-law who had accompanied him to Nashville, was granted a North Carolina Pre-emption Certificate for 640 acres located on Mill Creek, about four miles east of Rains Station.  This land later was the site of the Metropolitan Nashville Airport and the Tennessee State Hospital.

"Capt. Rains had occupied his home on Brown's Creek for three months and three days when he learned that the Indians had killed John Milliken on Richland Creek and Joseph Hay near Sulphur Spring.  The propriety and necessity of removal to the protection of Ft. Nash-borough soon became evident.  He lived there for four years before it was safe to return to his home.  During that period of time he took his family and slaves to safety in Kentucky.  When he attempted to return to Ft. Nashborough he encountered a large party of Indi-ans, and his companion, Zachariah Stull was killed on the spot.  Rains fled, was pursued, but escaped; two bullet holes through his clothes and a slight wound to his horse.  He wan-dered through the woods, was out in a great sleet storm and with much difficulty reached Carpenter's Station.  While tar-rying there Col. Robert-son arrived from a Kentucky visit.  In a few days four other men joined them, and they came safely home."

The Indian threat intensified, and many settlers elected to re-treat to the safety of Kentucky and Eastern Tennessee.  Some were killed and scalped as they attempted to escape.  Col. James Robertson went from station to station to rally the spirits of the settlers.  The spies [scouts] and hunters reported signs of Indians almost daily.  The horses had been stolen, and the cattle and hogs at every station driven off or killed.  They had no teams wherewith to break up ground for plant-ing.

A conference was called to determine whether to go or stay.  Col. Robertson spoke eloquently to the stationers, "There is danger attendant on the attempt to stay, as there is in the ef-fort to go, and in the attempt to do either, we may be de-stroyed. We have to fight it out here or fight our way out of here."  Rains caught up the sententious remark and declared, "Fight it out here!" which soon became a rallying cry for the settlers.

On January 9, 1783 John Rains received confirmation of North Carolina Land Grant No. 5 in the Nashville area "for 640 acres on Brown's Creek of the Cum-berland" for services rendered as a North Car-olina sol-dier of the Continental Line, according to descendants who were admitted to the DAR on this claim of service.  The Mount Olivet Cemetery office re-ceived a letter in March 1885 from Susan M. Gilbert, Route 3, Box 196, Warrenton, Virginia, 22186 in which she stated, "Capt. John Rains was a Revolutionary War Soldier and re-ceived a pen-sion from Prince George [County, Virginia?] Company."

John Rains was fined "for swearing in the presence of the Court" in July 1784, according to "Davidson County, Ten-nessee County Court Minutes, 1783-1792" by Carol Wells.  John Rains was summoned by the court to answer to a charge of assault and battery by John Boyd, tavern keeper and dis-tiller of Nashville in the April 1785 term.  The charge speci-fied that on January 3, 1785 Rains was indebted to Boyd "for merchandise."  Additionally Rains "broke and entered Boyd's house and assaulted him.  He picked up a chair and knocked the plaintiff down.  He also bit the plaintiff's thumb."  The case was continued until the July term when the jury awarded the plaintiff "5 shillings damages."

In 1787 Capt. John Rains commanded a company of spies at Nashville.  In that same year, his son, John Rains, Jr. captured an Indian about 19 years old in a battle near Nashville.  The Indian youth was turned over to Capt. Samuel Shannon who "domesticated" him and allowed him to live in his home for some time.  At his departure back to his nation, Shannon provided him with a horse, clothing, a gun and am-munition.  The young Indian took the name of John Rains by which he was ever afterward known..

The Indian attacks intensified in 1787, and the marauders be-came intensely vicious, given to mutilating the dead.  In that year Col. Robertson, having learned the location of the base of the Creek, Chickamauga and Cherokee raiders, organized the Coldwater Expedition to destroy their town.  With a force of 120 men going overland and up the Tennessee River, they surprised the Indians, routed them completely and burned their town.  They returned after a 19-day campaign with no casualties among the settlers.  Capt. John Rains par-ticipated in this campaign as well as the subsequent Nicka-jack cam-paign.

The Indian attacks intensified in October 1788.  Southerland Mayfield had a station upon the west fork of Mill Creek, a mile above Brown's Station.  A party of 10 or 12 Creek Indi-ans attacked Mayfield's Station.  Mayfield and one of his sons, along with a soldier were killed.  George Mayfield, an-other son, was captured and held prisoner for ten years in the Creek Nation.  The station was abandoned, and the survivors re-treated to Rains Station.  Brown's Station was also overrun, and its survivors also fled to Rains Station.

Sometime before July 1790 William Gowen, the father of Christiana Gowen Rains, "was killed," according to "The Flowering of the Cumberland" by Harriette Simpson Arnow.  The conclusion is that he, too was a victim of the Creeks, at about age 70.

In the January 1791 session of Davidson County Court the minutes read, "Davidson County, Terri-tory of the United States South of the River Ohio."  On Jan-uary 15, 1791 Capt. Rains was given permission by the court "to build a grist mill on Brown's Creek on land whereon he now lives, agreeable to the petition of a number of inhabitants of this county."  On July 11, 1791 the grand jury "presented John Rains for profane swearing."  He was fined "four shillings."

On October 10, 1796 Capt. Rains was recommissioned as a captain in the defense of Nashville against the marauding In-dians.  On September 1, 1797 William Gowen, nephew [and later to be son-in-law] of Capt. Rains, was elected a lieu-tenant in his militia company.  Lt. William Gowen was mar-ried to Martha "Patsy" Rains three months later, December 3, 1797, according to Davidson County Marriage Book 1, page 28.  Re-search indicates him to be her first cousin.

She once had a narrow escape from the Indians when she and her friend, Betsy Williams, were fired upon by Indians while out riding.  Martha "Patsy" Rains, riding a fast horse, escaped, but her friend Betsy Williams was killed and scalped.  A. W. Putnam stated "Indians shot and killed Betsy Williams who was riding on the same horse behind Martha "Patsy" Rains."

The household of Capt. John Rains appeared in the 1820 cen-sus of Davidson County as:

 "Rains, John  white male   over 45
      white female   over 45
      white female    16-26
      white female   16-26
      white male    10-16
      white female   10-16"

Christiana Gowen Rains died in 1826 and was buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Nashville, according to the "Nashville National Banner" in its March 24, 1826 edition.

Capt. John Rains "lived to a ripe old age and grew loquacious and vainglorious," accord-ing to Felix Robertson, son of Capt. James Robertson. He died March 26, 1834 at the age of 91 and was also buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.  His death was reported in the "Nashville National Banner" and the "Nashville Daily Advertiser."

The estate of Capt. John Rains was presented to the Davidson County Court for partition in its October 1834 ses-sion.  Ad-ministration of the estate was given to Alfred P. Gowen, grandson of Capt. John Rains and a member of the Tennessee State Legislature and John Rains, Jr.  Alfred P. Gowen, son of Lt. William Gowen, was shown as the only heir of Martha "Patsy" Rains Gowen.

Children born to Capt. John Rains and Christiana Gowen Rains are believed to include:

 William Rains    born about 1769
 John Rains, Jr.     born about 1770
 Martha "Patsy" Rains  born about 1773
 Barbara Rains     born about 1778
 Elizabeth Rains    born about 1781
 Mary "Polly" Rains   born about 1784
 Susannah Rains    born about 1786
 Christiana Rains    born January 20, 1787
 Nancy Rains     born about 1791
 Sarah Rains     born about 1793
 Jonathan Hance Rains  born about 1796

Dear Cousins

 Thanks very much for the print-out on William and Anas-tasia Sullivan Gowen of Goochland County, Virginia.  This material was of much interest to me because it agrees with a "gut feeling" I had after my initial research into the amcestry of my ancestor James Burns Gowen who is now regarded as their grandson.
 I appreciate the fact that "outsider objectivity" of both you and Dr. DeMarce independently arrived at this same conclu-sion.  I have also found some common threads from the Stuart and McDonald families which carried over into the Gowen family.  Watch how often the name "Iona" turns up among the Gowen, Stuart and McDonald women.  Thanks for all your good efforts.  Sandra K. Wood, 'Swale View,' Low Row, NR Richmond, N. Yorks, England, DL11-6NE.
==Dear Cousins==
 I am especially interested in the archaeological work being done on the Gowen farm at the Nashville Airport.  My grand-father Frank Maxwell Gowen made trips to Nashville during his lifetime and searched diligently for the graves of our an-cestors.  I accompanied him on a trip in 1980 and took pho-tographs.  I became the custodian of all his records upon his death.  It was his wish that I carry on with the work he started.
 I was glad to hear that Dr. Guy Weaver who was the ar-chaeologist in charge has accepted an invitation to appear on our Conference program in Houston in 1994.  I am enclosing my Conference reserveration and am looking forward to this important event.  I am enclosing my Sustaining Membership and an addi-tional check to be used as a memorial to Frank Maxwell Gowen and his research.  I'll be making a serious effort to de-vote more time to the Gowen research.  Thank you for your continued outstanding efforts.  Shari Lynn Southard, 5240 W. Las Palmaritas, Glendale, AZ, 85302
==Dear Cousins==
 I have every issue of your publication since its first edition, and I have recommend the Newsletter to other Going/Gowen  family researchers.
 The article in the March issue entitled, "Horrible Gowan Family Event Recorded in Salem, Kentucky" was a real sur-prise.  This kind of nonsense has no place in a genealogical publica-tion.  I wonder how many other subscribers were as disappointed as I in your lack of consideration for the family surname and in your general lack of good taste.
 If the piece had been true, it would have been acceptable; because it is fiction, it degrades your publication with its one line "surprise" ending; a total insult to the reader.
 Many of your readers send in material that would be more interesting reading.  They mention sending in accounts of their family histories in "Dear Cousins."  My suggestion is that you print more of these and that you use a byline with each article.  We wish to read about real people and to contact real people in our mutual family research.  Rosemary Dunne, Box 687, Amherst, VA, 24521.
 Upon reflection, we concur.  Apologies to the very large and respected Gowan family.  We wish now that the author had cho-sen the surname McGillicuddy rather than Gowan "to protect the innocent."
==Dear Cousins==
 I am enjoying the Foundation Newsletter very much.  When you have space, I'd appreciate it if you could print this query.  I am descended from Richard D. Goin[s] who moved to Laurel County, KY from Claiborne County, TN about 1850.  He was born in 1801 or 1802 and married Elizabeth Ferguson.  I believe he is the son of Levi Goin of Claiborne County.  Anyone who might know something about this family is requested to write to Wayne Onkst, 3855 Laura Lane, Erlanger, KY, 41018.
 Rev. Richard Goins and Marietta Lafoon Goins of Ottumwa, Iowa, center were pictured at their Golden Wedding celebration June 21, 1992.  Rev. Goins, a member of the Foundation Editorial Board of Directors and his high school sweetheart were married June 14, 1942 in Trenton, Iowa.  Rev. Goins recently published "Recollections of a Reverend" which incorporates the genealogy of his Goins family.  Also pictured, l-r, are daughter, Nancy Goins Ottey and husband, Gary Ottey; daughter, Kathy Goins Engel and husband, Randy Engel and grandchildren, Joe and Jackie Engel.

Electronic Library Completes
2nd Year of Research Service

Seven thousand calls to the Electronic Library were logged during the first 24 months of its operation in the Foundation office.  The Foundation manuscript, totalling 7,500 pages compiled by 350 different genealogists have been fed into the computer and are now online for any member to utilize.  It is estimated that another 3,000 pages of data will be fed into the manuscript during the next 12 months.

In addition to the manuscript files, the Electronic Library carries the 45 editions of the Newsletter published to date, ancestor charts, queries, announcements and genealogical shareware.  All of this, and more, can be accessed by dialing the Electronic Library number--806/795-2005.

The only "closed stack" section of the GRF Electronic Library continues to be the Foundation manuscript.  It will be limited to "Members Only."  For technical assistance in logging on to the Electronic Library, call the SysOp at 806/796-0456.

Additionally 8,000 calls were received by the Texas State Genealogical Society Electronic Library & Bulletin Board also operating in the Foundation office.

Because of the experience gained by the Foundation in the operation of the electronic facility and because of some commonality between the two boards, the TSGS Board of Directors elected to have its equipment operated in the Foundation office in Lubbock.

Foundation members interested in Texas history and genealogical research can now log-on to the TSGS Library by dialing 806/791-4822.  The TSGS Electronic Library is  affiliated with National Genealogical So-ciety's FidoNet Genealogical Conference for worldwide electronic mail ex-change.  This service is available free to every researcher.  One thousand genealogy bulletin boards in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Botswana, Denmark, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand are affiliated in the network for daily E-mail exchange.

There are thousands of queries and messages on hundreds of surnames on the TSGS Bulletin Board at all times--and many of them are yours.  Your modem-equipped computer can make a lighting-fast search for any surname that holds interest for you, and you may download the data to your equipment at no charge.  The price of the phone call, about 16 cents per minute for long distance calls, is the only expense to the researcher.  Additionally the researcher can upload data to either of the Libraries, and the SysOp will route it to the proper destination.

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The name "Gowen" which means "Smith" in Gaelic, appears in at least 24 different spellings in American and European records.  To make the search as complete as possible, the Li-brary will hold data on at least 24 different spellings of the surname.  Family lore will be indexed on Gawan, Gawen, Gawne, Goan, Goeing, Goen, Goin, Goines, Going, Gooing, Gowan, Gowen, Gowin, Gowine, Gowing, Goun, Gouwen, Goyen, Goyn, Goyne, Guynes, plus plurals, prefixes and other Soundex versions.
 

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