Written by: Clyde N. Bunch on January 21, 2001
Sent to: Roscoe Baker
Mr. Bunch states, “I wrote the following several years ago. I don’t think there is any need from me to explain what I am sending. Your George Baker was a brother to John Renta Baker.”
The following is Clyde’s narrative history for your consideration. I must, however, point out that two different, conclusive DNA test results in our family have both confirmed our kinship to Rev. Andrew Baker (1749 – 1815) but equally proven that we are NOT related to Robert “Gunsmith” Baker (1660 – 1728). The narrative below holds to the pre-DNA opinion that the gunsmith Bakers were in our lineage. Again, this is now known to be incorrect. I included this story in our website anyway, because it is interesting in its descriptions of the characters and their doings. (Please see additional notes about historical narratives under the main Genealogy menu tab on this website.)
—William A. Baker
Good Bakers—Bad Bakers
My Aunt, Lillie Baker Allen, was born on Sacker Creek in Clay County,Kentucky in 1891. She died in Lexington, Kentucky in 1987, at the age of 96. Her father, George W. Baker was born in Owsley County in 1871 and died at Burning Springs in Clay County in 1912. The family, shortly after his death, moved from the was just a young woman at the time, the love for the mountains and it’s people remained with her until the day she died. Thislady and her remarkable memory, started me out “Baker Hunting”. Often when I talked to Aunt Lillie about her family, she would refer to them as Good Bakers, Bad Baker. It wasn’t until after her death that I began to understand what she was trying to tell me.
She told me that her grandmother, Ibby Baker, was a Baker before she married. She said that Ibby was a school teacher and that she went to Buffalo Creek in Owsley County to teach. Here she met and married Jackson Baker. Jackson died in1878, leaving Ibby and their small son George. After the death of her husband, Ibby returned to Clay County and lived with her brother. She died a year later. Her son George W. Baker was adopted and raised by her brother, William Baker and his wife Elizabeth Parker.
Aunt Lillie wrote me a letter one time about the Bakers on BuffaloCreek in Owsley County. These were the one’s she called “Bad Bakers”. She said her father received word from his aunt, Martha Gabbard, to come up to Owsley County, that the family had sold some land, part of which belonged to his father. His aunt went on to tell him that she was holding his part of the money from the sale for him. Aunt Lillie said; “We didn’t want him to go. We thought it was Catch! We thought they were trying to get him up there to kill him. “To the relief of Aunt Lillie and the family, her father George made the trip to Bull Skin and returned home safely.
I once asked Aunt Lillie where the Bakers came from? She said, “They came from Liverpool England. They were gunsmiths, and they came to this country to make guns for the colonies.” At the time Aunt Lillie told me this, I paid little attention. Of all the great things Aunt Lillie told me, this statement would prove the most important. She died without me having the opportunity of telling her what I learned about this very unique family. So I would like at this time to share my story with you.
We begin our story with Abner Baker, first County Clerk of Clay County. Abner was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, September 18, 1775. He came to Kentucky in 1795 and first settled in Garrard County where he married Elizabeth Buford. He was appointed Clerk of Garrard County in 1803 and held this office until he moved to Clay County in 1807. Abner Baker kept a record-keeping book throughout his life that he called his “Life Book”. In this small notebook, he kept records about his family. You can imagine my surprise when I read the following statement taken from this book. Abner Baker stated that there were three brothers Samuel, Andrew, and Caleb, who first came to America. They were gunsmiths with a grant from the King of England to manufacture guns for the colonies. He goes on to say that his grandfather, Caleb Baker, and his family moved from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, bought land, and settled in what was then called “The Backwoods” in Amelia County, Virginia on Buffalo Creek. Was this just a coincidence, or were Aunt Lillie and Abner Baker talking about the same Baker family?
I was finally convinced I was on the right track when I came across some writings by a Mr. Samuel E. Dyke, a researcher in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. This was a report given to the Kentucky Rifle Association in 1972. It seems that the Association had employed Mr. Dyke to do some research for them. They wanted him to see if he could find out the person or persons responsible for making the first Pennsylvania Rifles or what was sometimes called the “Kentucky Rifle”. Mr.Dyke in his report states, “We feel as though these early gunsmiths came into Chaster, Pennsylvania or New Castle, Delaware, from abroad and migrated up the Susquehanna River to where the Pequea flows into it, and set up shop for making guns.” He goes on to say that Robert Baker came into Lancaster County Court on August 15,1719 and asked permission to erect a gun boring mill at the mouth of Pequea Creekon his land. Permission was granted. Robert Baker and his son Caleb set up their gunshop and operated it until 1728.
It was at this time that Robert Baker died. His son, Caleb Baker, continued to operate this gun shop until the family moved to Amelia County, Virginia. The above Caleb Baker was the grandfather of Abner Baker, first Clerk of Clay County. Although Abner Baker is one of the most interesting of people, he is not the subject of our story. I only used his statements and those of Mr. Dyke to establish the fact that some of the Bakers now living in Clay and Owsly Counties can trace their ancestors back to those early Pennsylvania Bakers.
Abner Baker, in his “Life Book”, stated that his grandfather Caleb had two brothers; Andrew and Samuel Baker. These two brothers would prove the most adventurous of this Baker family. In the early 1750s, Andrew Baker, John Cox, Enoch Osborn, and several other neighboring families in Pennsylvania set out on a westward journey. This journey eventually led them into the Yadkin River Valley in present day Wilkes County, North Carolina. This small group of Pennsylvanians would be among the first to settle in the area. Some of these people settled along the Yadkin River while others of a more adventurous nature crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains and settled along New River in what is now Ash and Alleghany Counties, North Carolina. No white man had attempted settlement here before.
New River was known at the time only by its Indian name “Saxphaw”. It was here, along the south branch, that Andrew Baker made first his home. Andrew Baker remained in the area of New River until about 1753. He then decided to push even deeper into Indian country. He moved down New River into what is now Grayson County, Virginia, very near the North Carolina line. Here Andrew staked out a large track of land he called his “Peach Tree Bottom” track. But the next summer, he and his family were run out by the Indians. He returned to his prior settlement on New River, where he would remain for the next ten years or so. He did, however,make one other attempt to settle his “Peach Tree Bottom” track. This was in 1767 or 1768. This time he encountered another problem. In Andrew’s long absence, Dr. Thomas Walker, a surveyor for the Loyal Land Company, had staked and claimed the “Peach Tree Bottom” track for his employers. He had to now purchase a 1000 acres of his original claim before he could settle on it again. It seems that it just wasn’t meant to be. The following year, he was once again forced out by the Indians and went back to his old settlement. One might wonder why Andrew was so determined to settle this particular track land. The answer lay in what was on and in the land—more so, than the land itself. For you see, one of the largest iron ore deposits in this area was discovered on this land.
I think Andrew Baker and at least one of his sons were involved in the iron business. His son James Baker and he built several larger iron furnaces along Cranberry Creek, a tributary of the south branch of New River. The remains of some of these old iron furnaces can be seen even today. They were at their peak of production during the Revolutionary War.
If you talk to many people in Clay and Owsley Counties today about the early settlers, eventually the name John “Renta” Baker will come into the conversation. He is thought to have been an exceptional person, but why? Why has his name survived all these years?
John “Renta” Baker was a son of Andrew Baker and Mary Bolin. He was born in Pennsylvania in about 1745 and brought into the valley of New River when but a small child. His early life was mostly spent in the forest. The time he spent in the woods was probably the closest thing to schooling he ever received. It is quite understandable that he became a professional hunter when he grew to manhood. He was a member of one of the first organized hunting party to cross the Appalachian Mountains. This party was led by Benjamin Cutbirth in the summer of 1767. Ben Cutbirth and John Renta were raised in the same neighborhood on New River. They lived only a few miles apart. Cutbirth and Baker would go on many hunts together. They developed a friendship for each other; a bond that would span nearly a lifetime.
Benjamin Cutbirth was a relative of Daniel Boone’s. He was married to Boone’s niece, Elizabeth Wilcoxen. Daniel Boone, at the time, was living on the south side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, some twenty-five miles away on Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Yadkin River. Cutbirth and Baker’s hunting trip in 1767 proved to be a great success. After selling their furs, they had managed to make as much in one hunting season as they would have in several years of back-breaking farming. Word soon spread of their success and that of other hunting parties.
In 1769 the largest and most famous hunting party ever formed in the area met at the mouth of Reedy Creek in Virginia. These men would become known as the “Long Hunters”, called so for the great distances they traveled and the long periods of time they were out. Some of these hunters were away from home for as much as two years and a few even longer. Most of them had returned home by late June of 1771, with the exception of John Renta Baker, Cassius Brooks, and eight others. These men built two boats and two canoes and continued to hunt and trap for several more months. They worked their way down the Cumberland and Tennesse Rivers to the Mississippi River. They then descended that river to the settlement at Natches. Here they sold their furs and returned home overland.
John Renta Baker encountered another problem after returning to his home in Wilkes County. He had seen this one coming for a long time, but he nor his neighbors knew what to do about it. The problem was the Loyalists or more often called Tories. They had gained complete control of the valley. The political and economic structure was solely in their hands now. Speaking out against the Crown was one sure way of getting into trouble. If a person was even suspected of disloyalty, they were often forced to take an oath of allegiance to the King before they were allowed to sell their product at market. Needless to say, this harassment brought on much hard feeling. This would all come to an abrupt end when a man by the name of Benjamin Cleveland moved into the valley. He would prove to be the Tories worst nightmare. Not long after his arrival, he gathered together some forty of the most headstrong men in the area. These men became known as “Cleveland’s Devils”; sometimes called “Cleveland’s Bull Dogs”. They would soon rid the valley of the Tories, forcing them into the surrounding mountains. Col. Cleveland’s main solution to the Tory problem was always the same. On the limbs of a giant oak tree, standing in Wilkesboro, he hung every Tory he and his men could catch, with no exceptions. Justice was always swift and very permanent.
I would like to note here that I was in Wilkesboro in the summer of 1987. To the rear of the Courthouse still stands the above mentioned Oak Tree. It looked today much as I imagine it did in Cleveland’s time. It stands there as if it were defining time itself. At the base of this magnificent old tree is a small plaque. It reads: “THE TORY OAK” on the limbs of this tree Tories were hanged during the American Revolution by Colonel Ben Cleveland and others”. I knew that John Renta Baker had been one of Cleveland’s Devils and as I stood here, I could not but wonder how many hangings he had witnessed or even taken part in. When the Revolutionary War broke out back east, it came as no big surprise to John Renta and his neighbors. After all, they had been fighting their own war with the Tories for quite sometime.
The main impact of the war did not come to the valley until late September of 1780. A rider came in with some shocking news. He had been sent by Col. John Sevier, commander of the Watauga Station in Tennessee. Col. Sevier informed Col. Cleveland that he had just received a communication from Col. Patrick Ferguson, a British officer under the command of Gen. Cornwallis. The message came in the form of a warning. It stated that if he, (Col. Sevier) did not lay down his arms and stop this rebellion against the Crown, he would come and “hang their leaders and lay waste to their country with fire and sword.” Riders had also been dispatched to Col. William Campbell in Virginia and Col. Isaac Shelby in Tennessee with the same message. All were advised, with the utmost urgency to gather as many men and as much supplies as possible. The Americans had made up their minds, they were not going to wait for the war to come to them, they were going to meet it head on.
In less than a week Col. Cleveland had mustered about 350 men and started out to join the main force. When united with Campbell’s and Shelby’s men, the American Army amounted to a little over 900 men. The British officer, Col. Ferguson, had about 100 regular soldiers under his command. He had also managed to recruit about 900 to 1000 Tories. Col. Ferguson and his men had fortified themselves on top of a mountain. The battle was fought on October 7, 1780 and would become known as the Battle of Kings Mountain. The battle ended in defeat for the British. They lost 157 men that day; among them their leader Col. Patrick Ferguson.
There was little time for the Americans to rejoice over their victory. A more pressing problem was now at hand. These men had been continuously on the move and marching for many weeks. They were hungry, cold, tired, and a long way from home. Their food and other provisions were almost depleted. If this were not bad enough, they now had 750 British and Tory prisoners to contend with. Of these, 60 were wounded. They resorted to scavenging for food anyway or anywhere they could find it. It was late in the year and all the crops had been harvested. Occasionally, they would come across an abandoned garden, where they would sometimes find sweet potatoes and green pumpkins. These they fried and ate as if they were some sort of delicacy. As each day passed the situation became worse. A constant reminder of all their suffering was always close at hand. These were the British and Tory prisoners they had captured. The hate and resentment for them grew with each passing day and was about to reach a boiling point.
Of course, Col. Cleveland had his usual solution to the problem. He simply wanted to hang them all. Colonels Shelby and Campbell were not quite as blood-thirsty, but did agree to hold trials, hoping to appease Cleveland and some of the others. So, on the 7th day after the battle, a makeshift court was set up in the middle of the woods. The trials began early and lasted all day. Needless to say, few of the prisoners were pronounced innocent— most were sentenced to hang. That night in a nearby forest, a very eerie seen took place. By the light of pine-knot torches the prisoners were placed on horseback and hung; three at a time. This process was repeated over and over until the total of nine men had been hung.
At this point a stop was called. What had began in a rage of hate and revenge had ended in total silence. Nevertheless, it sent a very clear message to the remaining Tory prisoners of their situation. Within the next few days most of them had managed to escape. Of the 750 prisoners taken, only 130 were turned over to the authorities at Hillsborough, North Carolina.
The Battle of Kings Mountain was one of the most decisive battles of the Revolutionary War. But for the people in Wilkes County, North Carolina, the war was a long way from being over. The personal war that Col.Cleveland and his little band had waged against the Tories, once again raised it’s ugly head. A certain Tory leader by the name of Capt. William Riddle made a bold move. A party of six or eight men, led by Capt. Riddle, sneaked into the valley and captured the biggest prize of all—Col. Ben Cleveland himself. The Colonel was on a visit to his plantation up at “Old Fields”. The creek that ran through his plantation still bears his name today. This was on Saturday, April 13, 1781. The Tories had been following Col. Cleveland for quite some time. They had finally located him at the house of Jesse Duncan, a tenant of the Colonel’s plantation. Not known to the Tories, there were two men in the house at the time: Richard Callaway and John Shirley, who had come over to visit the Colonel and decided to spend the night. The Tories knew that the Colonel was not going to be taken without a fight, so they devised a plan. Under the cover of darkness, they came and stole the Colonel’s horses, knowing he would think they had broken loose and would try to find them. Sure enough, the next morning the Colonel, after discovering his horses missing, set out to find them. His tenant, Duncan, came along accompanied by Richard Callaway and John Shirley. As the Tories had planned, they ran head-on into an ambush. Col. Cleveland was taken prisoner. Richard Callaway was shot through the thigh and left to die. Jesse Duncan and John Shirley had managed to escape.
The discovery of what had taken place was not made until later that morning. Joseph Callaway, who I guess became concerned as to the whereabouts of his brother, set out to find him. After reaching Duncan’s house, he discovered no one there and the horses gone. It was about this time Callaway heard a gun fire. He ran in the direction of the sound and there discovered Shirley and Duncan. After the story was related to Joseph Callaway, he mounted his horse and road off as fast as he could in the direction of his father’s house, a short distance away. After telling his father, Thomas Callaway, the location of his wounded brother, he remounted his horse and set out again—his time to tell the Colonel’s brother, Capt. Robert Cleveland, of the situation.
There was no time to waste. Capt. Robert Cleveland lived some 12 miles away. By the time Callaway reached his home and returned, the trail would be long cold. In a short time the whole neighborhood was alerted. William Callaway, another brother of Richard, John Renta Baker, and Samuel McQueen set out on the trail in pursuit of the Tories. After tracking most that day, they discovered the Tory camp shortly before dusk. Not wanting to alert the Tories of their presents, the little rescue party retreated back down the trail and proceeded to bed down for the night.
Just before sunrise the next morning Capt. Robert Cleveland rode up with another twenty or so men. After exchanging ideas as to how to deal with the situation, the party moved in for a closer look at the Tory camp.
The Tories were going about their business preparing breakfast; totally unaware of what was about to take place. Old Ben Cleveland was setting on a log, acting as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He was among the first to discover the presence of his rescuers. The Colonel was a very large man; weighing upwards of 300 pounds. When the first shots rang out, he knew it would be of little use for him to try running, so he just set there on the log shouting, “Hurrah for Brother Bob! That’s right, give ’em hell.!” With this he fell backwards off the log and lay on the ground in fear of being shot by one of his own men. With the exception of one, the Tories made their escape, including their leader, Capt. Riddle.
But Colonel Cleveland was not to be denied his revenge. Capt. Riddle and two others by the names of Reeves and Goss were captured shortly after. It does not take much imagination to figure out their fate. That’s right! The Old Oak Tree in Wilkesboro. But, it could never be said that the old colonel wasn’t an understanding person. He did allow Capt. Riddle’s wife to watch as he hung her husband. The mentioned Callaway family was related to John Renta Baker. Thomas Callaway was married to Mary “May” Baker. She was an aunt to John Renta and sister to Andrew Baker. Thomas Callaway’s son Richard, (the one who was left to die) was named for his uncle, Col. Richard Callaway, one of the founders of Boonesboro in Kentucky.
John Renta Baker continued to live in Wilkes County until about 1790 or 1791 at which time he and his old hunting companion Benjamin Cutbirth, with their families, moved to Carter County, Tennessee. John Renta lived here for six or seven years before moving to Hawkins County,Tennessee. He remained there only a short time. In about 1798 he moved into the Blackwater Settlement in Lee County, Virginia. In 1801 John Renta moved to what was to become Clay County, Kentucky. He died in 1830, and in all probability is buried in the Courtland Cemetery in Owsley County. This cemetery is located on Courtland Creek, a tributary of Buffalo Creek.
Thank you for allowing me to share this story with you. Oh, by the way, if you are a descendant of this line of Bakers, don’t fret too much about what Aunt Lillie said. I personally think there is a little good and bad in all of us.
Clyde N. Bunch