Path Grant Deed

The Path Grant Deed is a document regarded as a first step toward the American westward migration across the Appalachian Mountains, resulting from negotiations at Sycamore Shoals in March 1775.

The land acquired within the boundaries of the Path Grant allowed Daniel Boone to develop the Wilderness Road free from attack or claims by the Cherokee.

The document is said to be the Path Deed because it represents the sale of land that is a route to an even larger tract of ground known as the Great Grant or the Transylvania Purchase.

[4] The grantors are said to be in accordance with current law, to hold the aboriginal title and sole owners since the beginning of time.

The south eastern boundary is the treaty point that lies Holston River six miles east of the Long Island.

The Cherokee received ten thousand pounds lawful money of Great Britain in consideration for the sale of the lands.

The word messauge is a term of art used by drafters of deeds to make note of the fact that all improvements, buildings and structures are conveyed along with the land.

The indenture states that the Cherokee have true and lawful attorneys being Joseph Martin and John Farror who are presumed to have approved the language of the deed.

[7] The document is signed, sealed and delivered as marked by the three chiefs noted as Alla Cullocullah, Oconistoto, and Savanooko otherwise Coronok.

Bailey Smith, George Lumpkin, Thos Houghton, Caselton Brooks, John Bacon, Tilman Dixon, Valentine Servy, and Thomas Price.

To grasp the scope of the Path Grant, it can be considered as a five sided irregular polygon lying along the valleys of the Clinch and Holston Rivers.

The Wilderness Road envisioned by Daniel Boone began at the Holston River settlements at the present day Kingsport Tennessee, traversed up into Virginia through the Moccasin Gap of Clinch Mountain and thence across Powell's Mountain to the Powell's River valley.

That point is on the Holston River six miles east of the Long Island, where Holston River crosses the Virginia line.The Treaty of Lochaber in 1771[9][10] established the point in question and was made as part of the Donaldson survey establishing a revised western border for the Virginia Colony.

The point is the center of the Holston River that is now Fort Patrick Henry Lake within the boundary of Warriors Path State Park.

Additionally, the Lochaber Treaty point is not to be confused with a second intersection of the Holston river and the parallel of latitude 36° 30' further down stream and also noted in the Path Grant.

The complete line for both grants thus extends from the intersection of the three counties on the Holston River as noted above northward to the point of intersection of three states on Cumberland Mountain just west of the Cumberland Gap.. A major route, referred to often as the Great War Path, traverses northeasterly through the Holston River Valley.

The purpose of the 9 man syndicate that was Henderson and Co was to purchase the lands of the Great Grant known as the Transylvania Colony from the Cherokee.

The parties, 1,200 Cherokee and more than 600 whites, gathered at Sycamore Shoals in March 1775 to negotiate the sale of much of the land that is now Kentucky and which is the subject of the Great Grant Deed.

A very good and detailed account of all events pertaining to the gathering at the Fort Watauga and the various grants may be found at web books The Conquest of the Old Southwest.

[19] Generally, the Path Grant boundaries include the land laying between Powell's Mountain on the north and the Holston river on the south.

Prior to the gathering and negotiations, "chief Atta kulla-kulla, a young Buck and a squaw" journeyed to North Carolina to view the goods.

The potential acquisition of such abundance of unavailable goods proved to be adequate motivation for the chiefs and their people to overcome the opposition of those opposed to the sale of their lands.

It can be deduced that there was one payment for both grants totaling 10,000 pounds in money and goods and a separate sweetening of two thousand weight of leather.

When Dragging Canoe made his speech,[21] it can be argued he was not especially opposed to the sale of the lands around what is now Frankfort or Louisville or even Nashville.

Dragging Canoe was opposed to selling the lands along the Holston and Watauga and Nolichucky rivers of East Tennessee.

Dragging Canoe did not lead a military campaign to settlements in Kentucky, he led his forces to the Island Flats of the Holston.

The Cherokee Path Grant Deed Signers....."Alla Cullocullah, Oconistoto, and Savanooko otherwise Coronok."

"[26] Although not a signer, Dragging Canoe, aka Tsi'yu-gunsini, played an important historical role in Path Deed related events.

He was cousin to Nancy Ward who also played a part in events resulting from the granting of the Path deed.