Rock Castle (Hendersonville, Tennessee) - Sarah Michie Smith

Sarah Michie Smith

Sarah was born in 1755, most likely in Maryland. Family oral tradition states that she was from the eastern shores of that state. Oral tradition also states that she was related to those that built the Michie Tavern near Charlottesville. This family migrated from the shores to Albermarle Country in the mid 1700s. There is the possibility that Sarah could have been married before to someone with the last name of Woods if she is the same Sarah Michie named in will of John Michie in the same location in 1772. She would have been a seventeen-year-old widow. In any case, one year later Daniel Smith’s Sarah became his bride. It is true that Daniel Smith (surveyor) surveyed much land for many men of the Michie family. So, it may or may not have been the same Sarah. What ever relation to that of the tavern keepers, it is sure that Dr. Walker was the matchmaker of the pair!

Sarah married Daniel Smith and lived on the Virginia frontier. Here is where she gave birth to their two children, George and Mary Ann (nicknamed Polly). All four moved to the Cumberland County, Tennessee in 1783 or 1784. They “arrived in October, and spent at least the first winter in a log cabin. Isolated… under very real danger from Indian attack.” Because of her husband’s jobs, she found herself alone with her children most of the time. The family described her with “uncommon strength and courage with a strong sense of humor.” This was obviously true as there is a very well known letter from her to her husband that says

“I still find myself under the disagreeable necessity of conversing with you on paper or not at all.”

Because of location of her home and her station of being married to a Senator, she found her friends in high places also. Her best friend was Rachel Jackson, Andrew Jackson’s wife. This was still an isolated location and given the scandalization of the Jackson marriage, Rachel did not have very many friends. However, she did have a close friend in Sarah, and found herself at the home of the Smith’s often.