John Gordon (militia captain)

John Gordon
Born	July 15, 1759 Spotsylvania County, Virginia
Died	June 6, 1819 Gordon House, Hickman County, Tennessee
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	Tennessee militia
Rank	captain
Battles/wars	Creek War, Battle of Talladega, Battle of Horseshoe Bend, Battle of Pensacola
Other work	pioneer, planter, land speculator

John Gordon, (July 15, 1759 – June 6, 1819) was an American pioneer, Indian trader, planter, and militia captain in several Indian wars. Part of the post-Revolutionary War settlement of the trans-Appalachian frontier, Gordon was an early settler in the Nashville, Tennessee area. He gained notability and rank in the Tennessee Militia, fighting against the Creeks and Seminoles for Andrew Jackson, during the War of 1812. Jackson referred to him as his "Captain of the Spies."

Partnering with a Chickasaw chieftain, Gordon helped improve the Natchez Trace, which gave access to the settlers pushing into western Tennessee and south into the Louisiana and Mississippi territories. He was a key figure major battles of the Creek War, including the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, and the capture of Pensacola from the British.

Gordon was born in Spotsylvania County, Virginia to an aristocratic landholding family. His father had fought in the War of Independence as a lieutenant, and settled the family in Nashville after the war.

As a young man, John Gordon made a name for himself as an Indian fighter, riding with the militia to investigate reports of attacks on cabins and farmsteads around Nashville. In 1793 he was commissioned by Territorial Governor William Blount as a captain in the militia. In 1794, he rode in the Nickajack campaign against the Chickamauga Cherokee, who violently defended their Tennessee River Gorge homeland.

...
Wikipedia