John Rogers, Sr.

Father of Tiana

  Capt. John Rogers, Sr. was born about 1749, and died according to one book probably before 1820. Another book said he was alive in 1821. He was called “Old Headman Rogers” and “Hell-fire Jack.” He was one of the most prominent white men in the Cherokee Nation.

Information about John Rogers:
He was educated and interested in education.
He was a Scots Indian trader.
He was wealthy.
He always threw famous Christmas parties. They were written about in missionary records. “The guest consumed a number of beeves (beef), two barrels of flour, and two barrels of rum. Over two hundred guest was present.”
He operated a Trading Post.
He married two wives and had many children.
He was a Tory captain in the American Revolution.
He fought in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

Capt. John Rogers lived among the Cherokee and Creeks in Tennessee and Georgia. He sired a large family which lived in the Hiawassee area on the Tennessee River, prior to moving to Arkansas.

At the time John Rogers was in Oklahoma - Arkansas territory, Cherokee rolls show as many as five men named John Rogers in the area. Capt. John’s group was one of the first Cherokee to leave for Arkansas. In October 1817, he was sixty eight years old, and he along with thirty one people in his party left Knoxville, Tennessee for Arkansas.

They arrived in April, 1818 by boats. In 1821, (he was still alive) Rogers was still making demands for payment of $171.08 for his expenses “for bringing thirty one emigrants, 182 days, at 94 cents per day for provisions.”

John Roger’s Home
Is described as magnificent, “almost a palace” with large porticos. His yards were tended by black slaves. Another book describes Roger’s home as a large log house with a covered porch or veranda.

Bib:
Creel, George. Sam Houston: Colossus In Buckskin. New York.2004.
Day & Ullom. The Autobiography of Sam Houston. Univ. of OK Press.
Flanagan, Sue. Sam Houston's Texas. Univ. of Texas Press.
Gregory, Jack & Strickland, Rennard. Sam Houston With The Cherokees. OK 1996.
Hoig,Stan. Diana, Tiana, or Talihina? The Chronicles of OK.
James, Marquis. The Raven: A Biography of Sam Houston. New York.
Williams, John. Sam Houston: A Bio. of the Father of Texas. New York.
Historical Societies – Arkansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma.

C: 2000jpinkerton