In "Land of the Lake", a history of Campbell Co, Tn, on p. 7 and 8 it mentions an John Gist living there about the 1780s. It goes on to say he was some kin to Sequoyah, saying his father was a trader and his mother was a Cherokee.

I have always been told we were "related to Sequoyah" long before I'd ever heard of this book and my ancestors came be traced to Oklahoma back to 1830 on one line. However I kept looking for that link to Sequoyah and NEVER found it. I thought it'd be easy to find -- it wasn't.

When someone I now know was a relateive showed me that book I thought it interesting, but that was all -- I didn't have any documentation back to Campbell Co. Well, since then, I (with the help of another friend) provd my lineage with documentation back to that very man -- John Gist who WAS in Campbell County, Tn -- until about 1802 or so.

One branch of this family went up to Whitely Co, Ky (c. 1800) and another (mine) went down to Lawrence Co., Al. (c. 1820) Mine went on to Ar and IT (Ok). The Kentucky bunch went on to Colbert (c. 1850) and neighboring counties in Alabama by mid 19th century. Some of this group also went to Arkansas and others to Mississippi. Some to Missouri. Others also came to Indian Territory )today's Oklahoma).

EVERY person I have run across who can trace themselves to this man -- John Gist found in Campbell Co., Tn (and nearby)@ 1780s to c, 1800 -- has the same family story -- that we have a little Cherokee blood and that we are somehow related to Sequoyah -- and none of us knew each other before.

Aaron was one of his sons, hung as a horsethief 1799 if my memory is right. Other brothers (John's sons) we've found were Nathaniel and James.

Any coorberating evidence from primary sources appreciated -- no "primary source" was listed in the book, unfortunately.