The Mysterious Black Fox Camp Springs of Murfreesboro, Tennessee

 

Whilst checking out a book called Indian Trails of the Southeast  I discovered that in Murfreesboro two ancient Native American paths, the Creek War Trace and the Nickjack Trace intersect and where these trails converge is a place called Black Fox Springs Camp named after the famous Cherokee Indian Chief . It's a beautiful patch of swampy wetland and forest which is the former site of Black Fox's hunting camp. This is the spot where he made his legendary escape from Major James Ore's force of militiamen who were part of the Nickajack Expedition en route to attack the Chicamauga towns of the "Lower Cherokee" in September of 1794. 

 

According to the story, Black Fox's men were taken buy surprise. It's said that he escaped by diving into the spring where he subsequently emerged 3 miles away at Murfree Springs. Now, either this whole story is a load of BS or there's a subterranean link between the two locations. I tend to believe the later isn't impossible based on the fact that both Springs share the same source and seem to located along the same limestone aquafer  which is essentially an underground waterway.   The question is did Black Fox actually make his escape this way? If he did travel underground  all the way to Murfree Spring it stands to reason that he was familiar with this route and that he did not swim the entire way underwater. I'm sure most people are skeptical of this legend and I can understand why. 

 

 I have confirmed the presence of a cave entrance at Murfree Springs. But I have yet to identify any possible entrances to any subterranean caverns at the Black Fox Camp site.  It's my guess as of today that the entrance has been covered up. This may have happened either when the nearby neighborhood development inserted a drainage pipe into the spring or when the land was altered to create "Todds Lake" which is the crappy little artificial swamp-lake that lies immediately  NW of the Spring. There is no way to know for sure whether or not he really made his escape underground. However, studies conducted in 1999 using dye tracing methods did confirm underground links in this area. At any rate, the impact of development and erosion since the late 1700's has altered the surface geology so substantially that any previously existing passages or entrances may indeed be lost forever.  

 

Most people in Murfreesboro have no idea that this immediate area near the springs called Dilton was actually the first to be settled by Europeans in Rutherford County. Black Fox Camp Springs and Dilton  were almost selected over the Murfee Springs location to become the center for the community's development. Overall the place has a quiet air of mystery. The area South of the Spring is one I use to get away from things when I don't have time to go far but still wan't to be alone.