Date

Event

1779

Gabriel Butler born in South Carolina.  (This is from information Gabriel Butler provided in the 1850 census.)

1800 - 1803

Gabriel Butler is living in Logan County, Kentucky which is just north of the Tennessee state line.  Other Butler’s living in Logan County include John Butler, John (Jr) Butler (who appears to be living alongside Gabriel) and Thomas Butler.

December 26, 1803

Gabriel Butler marries Sarah Whiteside in Warren County, Kentucky (Gabriel Butler’s 1st Marriage).

19 Mar 1804

In the Warren County, Kentucky marriage of Henry Butler to Polly Russel, Gabriel Butler acts as security (i.e. it was he who presented that both of those parties were over 21)

January 14, 1806

John W. Butler is born in either Tennessee or Kentucky (1st child of Gabriel & Sarah)

1806

The Cherokee Chief Doublehead and John D. Chisolm establish a land company and begin granting leases to settlers to lands in what is now Lauderdale County, Alabama..

1806

In testimony stemming from an 1816 court case in Logan County, Kentucky, Leonard West stated that THOMAS BUTLER left (Logan County, Kentucky) in the spring of 1806 in search of new country and when he returned he said had found one and made some sort of agreement with DOUBLEHEAD and CHISM.  He moved in the fall of 1806.  (This is apparently the same Thomas G. Butler that subsequently is listed as an “old settler” on the listing of Doublehead tenants.)

Apparently at or about this same time, Gabriel Butler relocated to Doublehead’s Reserve (present Lauderdale County, Alabama) along with Thomas G. Butler as he is subsequently found on lists of settlers on Doublehead’s Reserve.

August 9, 1807

Chief Doublehead is murdered by Cherokees at Hiwassee.

April - June 1809

Colonel Return Jonathan Meigs leads troops from Hiwassee Garrison in Tennessee into Northwest Alabama to evict intruders following complaints from Chickasaw Chief Colbert.

March 1809

Outgoing President Thomas Jefferson writes a letter to the incoming President James Madison concerning Intruders on Indian Lands:

“…all should be removed except those settled on Doublehead’s reserve under titles from him; & they should be notified that those lands having been claimed by the Chickasaws as well as the Cherokees, purchased the Cherokee right with the exception of Doublehead’s reserve, which we did not guarantee to him, but left it as it stood under the claims of both nations; that consequently they are not under our protection that whenever we purchase the Chickasaw right, all their titles under Doublehead will become void; as our laws do not permit individuals to purchase lands from the Indians: that they should therefore look out for themselves in time.”

May 25, 1809

Return J. Meigs inventory of Intruders on Indian lands shows Gabriel Butler as an "Old Settler" and having a legitimate lease. Also shown as "Old Settler’s" in this listing are Thomas G. Butler and John Butler.

1809

 The Cherokees Chief Tahlonteskee, a kinsman of Doublehead’s, leads about 300 Cherokee (including those that that lived at Bluewater Creek) in emigrating to Arkansas.  They are "accompanied by John D. Chisholm, a white man who had been adopted into the tribe."

1809

Mary "Polly" Butler  born in either Kentucky of Alabama  (2nd child of Gabriel & Sarah)

December 1809

A petition signed by Gabriel Butler and others (including John Butler, Thomas G. Butler and Richard Butler) then living on Doublehead’s Reserve is received in Washington.  (James Madison was then President.)  The petition ask that these settlers not to be evicted from the land they had leased from Chief Doublehead.

1810

Fort Hampton, in present Limestone County, Alabama, is constructed to keep intruders off of Indian lands

Fall 1811

Eviction of Doublehead Tenants by Fort Hampton soldiers

November 1812

Gabriel Butler is found on Maury County, Tennessee tax list for 1812.  In that year Gabriel, along with Thomas G. Butler, Henry Butler and John Butler were all charged in Maury County, Tennessee with negro stealing.

October 1813

State Docket listing of October Term 1813 of Maury County, Tennessee, batch 5 – 8, show cases on the docket including State vs. Thomas G. Butler, State vs. Henry Butler, State vs. Gabriel Butler, and State vs. John Butler.  All were continued due to sheriff's notes not being found.  

1814

Henry W. Butler born in Kentucky  (3rd child of Gabriel & Sarah)

1816

Treaties with Cherokee and Chickasaw signed allowing settlers into Northwest Alabama and then able to "file" for the land

1816

Elizabeth "Betsy" Butler born in Alabama  (4th child of Gabriel & Sarah)

Circa 1816-1817

Sarah Whiteside Butler dies

1818

Gabriel Butler sold back to Samuel Whiteside (for $50) the land he received from Samuel when he married his daughter Sarah who was then deceased

Circa 1818

Gabriel Butler marries Sophia (?) Littrell (2nd Marriage)

November 14, 1818

Gabriel Butler traveled to the Huntsville, Alabama land sales office where he filed for land (purchased from the Government) along Bluewater Creek in what is now Lauderdale County.  This property was in the same Section where Doublehead’s chief village, home and store had been in 1807.

February 20, 1822

Chisolm Butler born in Alabama  (1st child of Gabriel & the Littrell wife)

February 7, 1824

Susan Butler born in Alabama   (2nd child of Gabriel & the Littrell wife)

1827

Some settlers were still trying to recover the lands (or compensation for the land) they had leased from Doublehead

January 22, 1829

John W. Butler, son of Gabriel. marries Margaret "Peggy" Herston

February 4, 1830

Mary "Polly" Butler, daughter of Gabriel, marries Samuel H. Richardson

Circa 1830

Gabriel Butler, Jr. born in Alabama  (3rd child of Gabriel & the Littrell wife)

1831

Construction begins on the original Mussel Shoals Canal Project

September 3, 1831

Henry R. Butler, son of Gabriel. marries Nancy Phillips

November 30, 1834

Elizabeth "Betsy" Butler, daughter of Gabriel, marries Robert Phillips

Circa 1834-1835

Sophia Littrell Butler (2nd wife of Gabriel Butler) dies

August 8, 1935

Gabriel Butler marries Frances Winstead Paine (3rd Marriage)

Circa 1837

Francis Butler born in Alabama  (1st child of Gabriel & Francis)

Circa 1839

Henry R. Butler and his family move to Texas

August 18, 1839

Chisolm Butler marries Mary Ann Paine (one of the twin daughters of Francis Winstead Paine)

Circa 1840

Sarah P. Butler born in Alabama  (2nd child of Gabriel & Francis)

Circa 1840

John W. Butler, son of Gabriel, and his family move to Mississippi

May 16 1840

Gabriel Butler executes deed giving 2 acres of land for the Baptist Meeting House at Bluewater

January 25, 1842

Susan Butler, daughter of Gabriel, marries Abner Barnett

January 24, 1849

Gabriel Butler, Jr., son of Gabriel, marries Sarah Ann Bevers

September 1849

Sarah Ann Bevers Butler (wife of Gabriel Butler, Jr.) dies

November 1, 1853

Gabriel Butler, Jr. marries Charlotte Best

April 13, 1856

Gabriel Butler files his last will and testament

November 1856

Gabriel Butler dies and is buried within rock enclosure at Butler Cemetery, Bluewater (Lauderdale County, Alabama)