Miscellaneous Notes on the Steele family of Middle Tennessee

Notes for Andrew Steele:

1787 Davidson County, TN Tax List - Andrew Steel

The theory that our Steele's (and many USA Steeles for that matter) descend from Richard Steele who married Mary Scurlock has been around for a long time and is unfounded. I was very excited when some years ago, I found that my local library had a biography of Richard Steele. "Sir Richard Steele, 1672-1729" by Willard Connely. Went and got the book (actually they had two), it was the same guy, born 1672, died 1829 and married to Mary Scurlock. But guess what? This Richard Steele had no legitimate children who lived into adulthood. He did have some female illegitmate children who lived to be adults but they did not carry the name Steele.

Samuel Steele born 1709 died 1790 did have a son named Andrew. However his son Andrew was married to Mary Ramsey and is not our Andrew Steele who married Martha Buchanan. At the time our Andrew was in TN, the other Andrew, son of Samuel 1709-1790 was back in VA. You can find him in many records. There is enough evidence just in Chalkleys' Chronicles of Virginia to show that the son of Samuel Steele, 1709-1790 is not our Andrew. Also look for information on the Ramsey family for further evidence.

Our Andrew Steele was in TN as early as 1787 when he appears alongside his father in law Archibald Buchanan on a tax list for Davidson Co. Andrew owned land in both Davidson and Sumner Co. and owned a ferry on Stones River in Davidson Co., that had previously been owned by his father in law. 

 

From Carr's Early Times in Middle Tennessee

In 1792, Lieutenant Snoddy was out on scouting party on Caney Fork, and at Rock Island, late in the evening, he came on a large encampment of Indians.  He immediately plundered it, the Indians being absent hunting.  Whilst doing so they observed an Indian sauntering slowly down the hill, with a gun on his shoulder who, on discovering them, immediately took into the canebreak.  Snoddy knew well enough that he would have to fight before he left the neighborhood, so he went across the river and selected an eligible place for defense.  There as a high eminence, upon which he posted his party, about which spot he formed a hollow square, placing his horses in the centre.  Throughout the night he heard the Indians making all sorts of horrible imitations around, hooting like owls, barking like dogs and foxes, or screaming like catamounts.  Unfortunately, a restless horse belonging to one of the party frequently neighed, betraying their station to the Indians; and about the break of day the latter made an attack upon the whites.  The battle lasted until about sunrise; but Snoddy had a Spartan band with him, and although the Indians were double in numbers, they were handsomely shipped; he lost, however, two fine fellows, Scoby and Latimore, whilst several were wounded.  Among the latter were Captain William Reid, at present living in this county and Andrew Steel, since dead.  Two or three cowardly rascals ran away and came to the settlement, instead of staying to fight,.  The rest of the party came safely in, having gained great applause by their noble conduct in the battle.  There were some thirty engaged in the fight.  A large number of the Indians were killed.  My brother went to the spot afterwards, in company with some others, and found several Indians whom their own party had hidden away and scalped, for fear that the whites should do it; whilst they had dug up the bodies of the whites, scalping them also.

When Wilson Co was formed in 1799 from Sumner, Andrew's land was in the new county. In the early 1800's, Andrew began to sell his land and by 1810 he had moved to White County. A parcel of land sold in Davidson County in 1810 shows Andrew to be "a resident in the county of White in Tennessee". This proves he was still living in 1810. The tract of land was on the east side of Stones River and included "the ferry landing known by the name of Buchanan ferry at the old fields". The "old fields" was also know as Clover Bottom, a part of which was owned by Archibald Buchanan, Andrew's father in law.

Found on the 1820 Census of White Co., TN are Alexander, Andrew, Andrew H. and John Steele.  Andrew is listed as being over 45, and Alexander and  John and listed as being between the ages of 26 and 45 and Andrew H. is listed as being aged 18-26. Andrew is too young to be Andrew Sr., husband of Martha Buchanan and so must be Andrew Jr. Andrew H. is probably a son of Andrew Sr.