JOHN MCMURTRY was born 1760 in Craigs Creek Plantation, Agusta County, Virginia, son of Joseph McMurtry, Jr and Susannah Patton and died 1782 in Gallatin, Sumner County, Tennessee. He married NANCY ANNE CAMPBELL October 29, 1779 in Botetourt, Virginia, daughter of JOHN CAMPBELL. John migrated with his father from Virginia to Green County, North Carolina (now Tennessee) in 1778

Notes for JOHN MCMURTRY:
John McMurtry's marriage is recorded in the Botetourt County, Virginia marriage records under the date of 28 October 1779, at which time he was not of age, and his father gave his permission by signing the record. The following information about John is excerpted from a letter received by the Wilders from Otis McMurtry, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee: " The first settlers of ( Fort Nashborough at the French Lick, Called "The Bluffs" ) Nashville arrived christmas day 1779 from Ft. Patrick Henry, up near the Virginia border. About 250 in number were under the supervision of General James Robertson. They came through the Cumberland Gap, through Kentucky, and south through Tennessee to Kilgore's Station near what is now Cross Plains in Robertson County, Tennessee. The women, children, chickens, etc. came by boat under John Donelson, down the Holston to Knoxville, down the Tennessee river to the Ohio river, and up the Cumberland river to the Bluffs (Nashville). They arrived in eary April. After a jouous reunion, a compact of government was drawn up by Mr. Henderson in 1780 and signed by all concerned, including John McMurtry of Mansker's Station (now Goodlettsville, Tennessee). The Tennessee State Archives holds the original document. By June 1781 a large number of the settlers left the area and went back to Kentucky to escape the Indian attacks. John McMurtry was one of those living in that territory who remained to fight the indians. He was killed by Indians near Gallatin Tennessee in 1782 while in defense of the settlement's of Davidson County, North Carolina (now Tennessee). For performing this service, his heirs received 640 acres of land. John Donaldson, in his raft named "Adventure", led the fleet of 30 flatboats on the river trip from Fort Patrick Henry on the Holston river (present day Kingsport, Tennessee). Aboard the "Adventure" was John's daughter, Rachel Donaldson, future wife of Andrew Jackson. One of the flatboats belonged to the Stuart family which occupied the last position in the flotilla. A member of the Stuart family had contacted smallpox and they were lagging behind the other boats. At the bluffs near present day Chatanooga they were attacked and captured by Chickamaugan indians. They scalped some of the Stuart's, killed some and took others as prisioners. In doing this misdeed the indians contacted the dread disease with the end results that the indian tribes along the frontier were decimated to the point that they could no longer mount an effective resistance to the white settlements. This one incident assured the survival of the Cumberland settlements, including present day Nashville, Tennessee.