Although documentation has not been found to prove it, we believe that Christian Everhart was the son of BALTHAZAR EBERHARDT, and that he was at least two years of age when the family left Germany and came to America. Descendants of Christian's living today believe that his family originated in Hamburg, Germany. We know that they began their sea voyage at Rotterdam, Holland and the ship stopped in Cowes, England as was required by law. They arrived in Philadelphia on October 31, 1774, ending a journey that probably took about five months.

Chrisley Everhart lived in Lebanon Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania until he was about fifteen years old. At that time the family moved to Rockingham County Virginia. He probably learned the blacksmith trade in Virginia.

Chrisley served in the Rockingham County militia in the late 1780's. He was at least twenty-one in 1793, when his name first appeared on the Personal Property Tax List. That year he had no personal property.

In 1793, Chrisley obtained a land warrant that had been issued to John Oler and had the 47 acre tract of land southwest of the Peaked Mountain in Rockingham County surveyed. In 1797, the state of Virginia issued a land grant to Chrisley for the 47 acres on Club Run, a branch of the Shenandoah River. According to the land tax records, Chrisley owned the property through 1798.

In 1794 and 1795, Chrisley was living in district #14, near Palser Everhart which was the Peaked Mountain area. Each year he was taxed for one horse. He did not appear on the personal property tax lists after 1795.

Since there is no record of Chrisley living in Virginia after 1795, he may have been in the group of Rockingham County families that came to Hawkins County with George Kite in 1795. According to census records his two oldest sons, Jacob and John, were born in Tennessee between about 1797 and 1799. We believe Chrisley came to Tennessee in late 1795 or early 1796 and married Lizzy there ca. 1796. However, the first record found to date in Hawkins County for Chrisley is 1810.

Chrisley Everhart served as a private in the War of 1812. On January 10, 1814, he enlisted in Capt. Jones Griffin's Company of the East Tennessee Drafted Militia, Col. Samuel Bunch's Regiment.

The Regiment was serving at Fort Williams, Alabama in 1814. When Chrisley was ordered from Fort Williams to East Tennessee to be dischareged on April 27, 1814, he transferred to Captain Jonas Laughmiller's Company, Reg't. of the East Tennessee Militia. The commander was Col. Ewen Allison. Chrisley served there until May 23, 1814, when he was discharged.

During his enlistment Chrisley served under General Andrew Jackson at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend in Alabama on March 27, 1814. Both of the companies that he served in were at Horseshoe Bend and several men from Hawkins County died in the battle. They were buried at Fort Williams Military Cemetery, Talledega County, Alabama. Today a large marble marker stands near the mouth of Cedar Creek in their memory. Comrades from Laughmiller's Company buried there were John Leeper, Robert Miller, Briant Smith, Elias Waddle, William Payne, and John Jones.

Chrisley and Lizzy Everhart raised their family of nine children on land that they acquired south of the Holston River on Honey Cutt's Creek. Many of their descendants lived near Persia, and their land included the area where Highway 66 now crosses North Fork Branch Road and South Fork Branch Road.. In 1836, Chrisley owned 300 acres.

When Christian Everhart wrote his will in May 1852, he named the following children:

Jacob Everhart. Born ca. 1797 in Tennessee.

John Everhart. Born ca. 1799 in Tennessee.

Elizabeth Everhart. Born ca. 1801 in Tennessee.

William Everhart. Born ca. 1803 in Tennessee.

James Everhart. Born ca 1805 in Tennessee.

Samuel Everhart. Born ca. 1809 in Tennessee.

Nancy Everhart. Born ca 1811 in Tennessee.

Sarah (Sally) Everhart. Born ca. 1816 in Tennessee.

Polly Everhart. Born ca. 1818 in Tennessee.

 On May 28th, 1852, Christian Everhart wrote his will leaving his tract of land to his sons William, John, and Samuel. Sons Jacob and James were each left one dollar. William was also left a wagon, and the remainder of the estate was left to his wife, three of his daughters, and a granddaughter. An executor or administrator was not named. It was witnessed by Jim Arnott and David Reynolds. Before the will was probated, Chrisley's daughter, Polly, died and left her share of his estate to her sister, Sally Stewart.

If Christian were twenty-one years old in 1793, when he first appeared on the Rockingham County Personal Property Tax records, he would have been eighty years old at the time of his death. The place of Chrisley's and Lizzie's burial is not known.

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