Gideon Blackburn's Whiskey

Who was Gideon Blackburn?

This week I am researching an event from 1809. It involved religion, politics, and whiskey. With these factors involved, there is much room for biased interpetation of the truth. I will be spending the next week digging up all the information I can find concerning this event. I then hope to present my perspective of this event based on my research of not only the offical and unoffical records, but I plan to delve into the genealogy of the parties involve to see if there is some personal relationship aspect to the event as well.

I welcome others, who may be interested to share their opinions.

Questions for discussion:

Was Gideon involved with selling whiskey to the indians?

Was the government involved with the plan to transport the whiskey?

Did the Moravians have something to do with Gideon leaving Tennessee?

How does Gideon connect with the Blackburn's from Ripon Lodge?

Sources of information:

Biographical Details of Gideon

Parson Blackburn's Whiskey

Drunken Indians

Yahoo Falls Massacre

The Brainerd Journal

Possible Family Connection?

Moravians and the Cherokee

Blackburn's of Ripon Lodge

Other information found on Gideon Blackburn:

COLONEL THOMAS McCRORY

DESIGNATION: 2nd Regiment West Tennessee Militia
DATES: October 1813 - January 1814
MEN MOSTLY FROM: Williamson, Maury, Giles, Overton, Rutherford, and Smith Counties
CAPTAINS: William Dooley, Thomas K. Gordon, Samuel B. McKnight, Anthony Metcalf, Isaac Patton, John Reynolds, James Shannon, Abel Willis
BRIEF HISTORY:
Part of General Isaac Roberts' Second Brigade, these three-month enlistees were mustered in at Franklin, Tennessee and mustered out at Fort Strother. The regiment participated in the Battle of Talladega (9 November 1813). Jackson tried to get them to serve longer than the three-month term, but only Captain Abel Willis (Overton County) and nineteen men stayed.

The number of men in each company was relatively small, averaging about fifty (one company, led by Captain James Shannon of Williamson County had a complement of twenty-nine men). Famed Presbyterian minister Gideon Blackburn served as regimental chaplain.
www.tennessee.gov/tsla/history/military/1812reg.htm