Charlotte Robertson: The Namesake of our County Seat

By Justin Spurlock

Few figures loom larger in the early history of Middle Tennessee than Charlotte Reeves Robertson, a pioneer woman whose courage, intelligence, and leadership helped shape the frontier into a thriving settlement. Born on January 2, 1751, in Orange County, North Carolina, Charlotte was the daughter of Presbyterian minister George Reeves. She would go on to become one of the most respected women of her time—so much so that the town of Charlotte, Tennessee, bears her name.

Charlotte married James Robertson in 1768, a man who would later be known as the “Father of Middle Tennessee.” But behind his success stood Charlotte herself, who reportedly taught her husband to read and write. Together, they first settled in the Watauga region of East Tennessee, one of the earliest communities west of the Appalachian Mountains. There, Charlotte and other frontier women worked alongside men to plant crops, tend livestock, and defend their homes against frequent American Indian attacks.

In 1779, the Robertsons made the difficult decision to move west to the Cumberland settlement near “French Lick”—modern day Nashville. While James led an overland expedition, Charlotte undertook a separate and dangerous journey by flatboat with other women and children. Traveling hundreds of miles along winding rivers, the group faced hunger, harsh weather, and constant fear of attack before arriving at the site of Fort Nashborough in April 1780.

Charlotte’s most famous moment came during the “Battle of the Bluffs” in 1781. Learning of an impending Native American attack, she rode several miles through the wilderness with her infant son to warn the men working outside the fort. When danger closed in, she released the fort’s hounds, creating chaos among the attackers and allowing the settlers to regroup and defend themselves. Her quick thinking is credited with saving the settlement.

Beyond her role in survival, Charlotte’s legacy extended into the development of the region. She witnessed the growth of industry, including the early iron works established by her husband and later expanded others. She also raised a lot of children, many of whom played important roles in Middle Tennessee’s early history.

In 1804, the Dickson County seat was named “Charlotte” in her honor. When she died in 1843 at the age of 93, Charlotte Robertson was widely regarded as the “Mother of Middle Tennessee”—a fitting title for a woman whose strength helped build a region.