USA > Tennessee > The Annals of Tennessee to the End of the Eighteenth Century: Comprising Its Settlement, as the. > Part 26
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Col. Arthur Campbell communicated to Governor Jeffer- son a further account of this expedition, and of the treaty of peace. "On the 25th, Major Martin went with a detachment to discover the route by which the enemy were flying off. He surprised a party of the enemy, took one scalp and seven- teen horses loaded with clothing, skins and household furni- ture. He discovered that most of the fugitives were making towards Tellico and the Hiwassee. On the 26th, Major Tip- ton was detached with one hundred and fifty mounted in- fantry, with orders to cross the river, dislodge the enemy on that side, and destroy the town of Telassee. At the same time Major Gilbert Christian, with a like number of foot, were to patrol the hills south of Chilhowee, and burn the remaining part of that town. This was effected, three In- dians being killed and nine taken prisoners."
After completing the expedition, the leaders of it sent the following message to the
" CHIEFS AND WARRIORS-We came into your country to fight your young men. We have killed many of them and destroyed your towns. You know you begun the war by listening to the bad counsels of the King of England, and the falsehoods told you by his agents. We are now satisfied with what is done, as it may convince your nation that we can distress you much at any time, when you are so foolish as to engage in war against us. If you desire peace, as we understand you do, we, out of pity to your women and children, are disposed to treat with you on that subject.
" We therefore send you this by one of your young men, who is our prisoner, to tell you, if you are disposed to make peace, six of your head men must come to our agent, Major Martin, at the Great Island, within two moons, so as to give him time to meet them with a flag-guard, on Holston River, at the boundary line. To the wives and children of those men of your nation who protested against the war, if they are willing to take refuge at the Great Island until peace is restored, we will give a supply of provisions to keep them alive.
" Warriors, listen attentively !- If we receive no answer to this mes- sage, until the time already mentioned expires, we shall then conclude that you intend to continue to be our enemies. We will then be compelled to send another strong force into your country, that will come prepared to
268
SEVIER PENETRATEE TO TUCKASEJAH.
remain in it, to take possession of it as a conquered country, without making you any compensation for it.
"Signed at Kai-a-tee, the 4th Jan'y., 1781, by ARTHUR CAMPBELL, Colonel. JOHN SEVIER, Colonel. JOSEPH MARTIN, Agent and Major of Militia."
It was not till the ensuing year that a treaty could be con- cluded under a Commission appointed by General Greene, as commander of the southern department, Notwithstanding the overtures of the Indians sent by Col. Campbell, of a dis- position to treat and the prompt measures adopted by Gene- ral Greene to negotiate with them, and the. severe punish- ment that had been so recently inflicted upon the Cherokees, the deep passion for war and glory which constantly agitates the bosom of the savage, continued to excite to further ag- gression and hostility. The emissaries of England, in the per- sons of refugee tories, were in the Indian villages, and stimu- lated to its highest point their natural thirst for blood. It was the policy of the British commander, then upon the sour- ces of the Yadkin, to instigate the Cherokees to renewed war- fare upon the western frontier, so as to prevent the hardy in- habitants from crossing the mountain again and forcing him to a second retreat. This policy succeeded but too well, and occasioned the necessity of collecting troops and establishing garrisons on the frontier.
But stationed troops were a most inadequate defence. The 1781 ( Indians still prowled around the more remote settle- ( ments, and in an unguarded moment committed murder and theft. Col. Sevier suspected that the perpetrators of this mischief came from some hostile towns in the mountain gorges, where his troops had never yet penetrated. He collected toge- ther, in March of this year, one hundred and thirty men in the Greasy Cove, and with them he marched against the Middle settlements of the Cherokees. He entered and took by surprise the town of Tuckasejah, on the head waters of the Little Ten- nessee. Fifty warriors were slain and fifty women and child- ren taken prisoners. In that vicinity the troops under Sevier burnt fifteen or twenty towns and all the granaries of corn they could find. It was a hard and disagreeable necessity that led to the adoption of these apparently cruel measures.
269
MAJOR MARTIN SCOURS CLINCH.
Still, nothing less would keep the savages in their towns, or prevent more cruel massacres of the whites upon the frontier. Sevier had but one man killed at Tuckasejah, and but one wounded, and he recovered. Ten of the prisoners resided with Colonel Sevier three years, and were treated with hu- manity and kindness. They were afterwards delivered to Col. Martin, and by him restored to their own nation.
David McNabb was one of the captains in this expedition. The command went up Cane Creek, and crossed Ivy and Swan- nanoa. Isaac Thomas, an old Indian trader, was their pilot. The mountains were so steep that the men had to dismount and lead their horses. Before an exchange of prisoners was effected, some of the Cherokee women and children made their escape. This campaign lasted twenty-nine days, and was carried on over a mountainous section of country never before travelled by any of the settlers, and scarcely ever pass- ed through, even by traders and hunters. The Indians of the Middle towns were surprised at this unexpected invasion of Sevier-were panic stricken and made little resistance.
April 24 .- Under this date, Joseph Martin writes from Long 1781 Island to Col. Sevier that he had returned lately with his command of sixty-five men from an expedition on Clinch : that he saw evidences of Indians all through his route: had pursued them, but had not had any engagement. On his return he turned south and went across Clinch, within thirty miles of Chota, then turned up Holston and returned home. He went out with the hope of finding the camp or town of the Hanging Maw, but made no discovery that led to it.
During the summer of this year, a party of Cherokees inva- ded the settlements then forming on Indian Creek. Colonel Sevier again raised troops to drive them off. With about one hundred men he marched from Washington county, cross- ed Nollichucky, and proceeded south of that river to what has since been known as the War Ford, near the present town of New Port. Crossing French Broad at that place, and also Big Pigeon at the War Ford, he fell unexpectedly upon the trail of the Indians, surrounded their camp, and by a sudden fire killed seventeen of them. The rest fled and escaped.
270
GOVERNOR MARTIN'S ORDER TO SEVIER.
This affair was upon Indian Creek, in what is now Jefferson county.
Scarcely were these troops disbanded when a letter waste received by Col. Sevier from Gen. Greene, dated Sept. 16th, but- not received till several weeks after, urging him to come to- - his standard with his riflemen, for the purpose of intercepting Lord Cornwallis, should be attempt a retreat through the Carolinas to Charleston. That enterprising officer had been since June, of 1780, constantly in the field with his regiment, in various expeditions against the British, the loyalists and the Indians, and their services were still needed at home to give protection to the feeble settlements ; but he promptly complied with the request of the southern commander, and as has been elsewhere narrated, repaired to his camp about the last of October, and remained with Marion on the Santee till the enemy were driven to the lines of Charleston ; and the period for which his riflemen were enrolled having expired, he returned to Watauga and there disbanded his regiment. This was early in January of 1782.
Immigrants followed close upon the rear of the army, and began to form settlements along the route pursued by it south of French Broad. The Cherokees complained of this intrusion, which brought from Governor Martin the following :
" DANBURY, Feb. 11, 1782. Gov. ALEXANDER MARTIN, to Col. JOHN SEVIER :
" Sir : I am distressed with the repeated complaints of the Indians respecting the daily intrusions of our people on their lands beyond the French Broad River. I beg you, sir, to prevent the injuries these savages justly complain of, who are constantly imploring the protection of the state and appealing to its justice in vain. By interposing your in- fluence on these, our unruly citizens, I think will have sufficient weight, without going into extremities disgraceful to them and disagreeable to the state. You will, therefore, please to warn these intruders off the lands reserved for the Indians by the late act of the Assembly, that they remove immediately, at least by the middle of March, otherwise they will be drove off. If you find them still refractory at the above time, you will draw forth a body of your militia on horseback, and pull down their cabins, and drive them off, laying aside every consideration of their entreaties to the contrary. You will please to give me the earliest information of your proceedings. The Indian goods are not yet arrived from Philadelphia, through the inclemency of the late season ; as soon as
271
TALK OF THE OLD TASSEL.
they will be in the State, I shall send them to the Great Island and hold a treaty with the Cherokees.
The Cherokees of the Upper Towns continued to complain and remonstrate.
" A TALK to Colonel Joseph Martin, by the Old Tassel, in Chota, the 25th of September, 1782, in favour of the whole nation. For His Ex- celleney, the Governor of North-Carolina. Present, all the chiefs of the friendly towns and a number of young men.
Brother : I am now going to speak to you. I hope you will listen to me. A string. I intended to come this fall and see you, but there was such confusion in our country, I thought it best for me to stay at home and send my Talks by our friend Colonel Martin, who promises to de- liver them safe to you. We are a poor distressed people, that is, in great trouble, and we hope our elder brother will take pity on us and do ut justice. Your people from Nollichucky are daily pushing us out of our lands. We have no place to hunt on. Your people have built houses within one day's walk of our towns. We don't want to quarrel with our elder brother ; we, therefore, hope our elder brother will not take our lands from us, that the Great Man above gave us. He made you and he made us ; we are all his children, and we hope our elder brother will take pity on us, and not take our lands from us that our father gave us, because he is stronger than we are. We are the first people that ever lived on this land ; it is ours, and why will our elder brother take it from us! It is true, some time past, the people over the great water persuaded some of our young men to do some mischief to our older brother, which our principal men were sorry for. But you our elder brothers come to our towns and took satisfaction, and then sent for us to come and treat with you, which we did. Then our elder brother promised to have the line run between us agreeable to the first tresty, and all that should be found over the line should be moved off. But it is not done yet. We have done nothing to offend our elder brother since the last treaty, and why should our elder brother want to quarrel with us ! We have sent to the Governor of Virginia on the same subject. We hope that between you both, you will take pity on your younger brother, and send Colonel Sevier, who is a good man, to have all your people moved off our land. I should say a great deal more, but our friend, Colonel Martin, knows all our grievances, and he can inform you. A string."
The old Tassel of Chota did not represent the feelings of 1782 the great body of the Cherokees, who still retained
( their deep-seated animosities against the whites, and in September, of this year, were hurried, by a revengeful spirit, against the frontiers. The Chickamauga Indians were the least placable of the Cherokee nation, and, imparting their hostile feelings to some of the Lower Towns, and also
272
SEVIER INVADES THE CHEROKEES.
.
to some of the Creeks, they united together and again began their work of murder and depredation upon the more ex- posed neighbourhoods. Some white men were killed and much property stolen. Colonel Sevier immediately sum -: moned to his standard a hundred men from Washingtondc county, and was joined by Colonel Anderson, with nearly as many volunteers, from Sullivan. These troops rendezvousedME at the Big Island, on French Broad, and from that place marched towards the towns of the enemy. The officers in this expedition were Jonathan Tipton and James Hubbard, majors ; and Mr. Green and others, captains. The night after they left the Big Island, they camped upon Elijah" Creek, at a place now known as McTeer's Mills. They crossed Little River the second day, and camped upon Nine- Mile Creek. The third day they crossed the Tennessee River at Citico, and there held a council with the friendly Indians, at which was present the Hanging Maw. They engaged to continue the existing peace. Here, also, John Watts, who afterwards became a distinguished chief in his tribe, was engaged to accompany the expedition, to effect, by friendly negotiation, an arrangement for peace with the entire nation. On the fifth day they crossed the Tellico, on the Hiwassee trace. On the sixth day they encamped on the Hiwassee River, above what is now called " The former Agency." Crossing that stream, on the seventh day, they encamped at an Indian town upon the opposite bank. There they entered upon the territory of the hostile Indians. Thence they marched, immediately, against Vann's Towns, and re- duced them to ashes. Thence to Bull Town, on the head of Chickamauga Creek. The troops destroyed the town, and marched, thirty miles, to Coosa River. Near a village, on that stream, they killed a white man, who called himself Clements. In his possession were found papers which showed that he had been a British sergeant ; he was then living with an Indian woman, Nancy Coody, and, it was believed, had instigated the warriors of her town to main- tain their hostile attitude. Bean, one of the soldiers, shot him dead. The troops then marched to Spring Frog Town, * Elijah-Anglice, Owl Creek.
278
JACK AND RANKIN GO TO COIATEE.
thence up Coosa to Estanaula, which they destroyed. After killing all the warriors they could find, and burning their villages, the troops returned, by the Old Hiwassee Towns, to Chota, on the Tennessee River. Here another council was held with the friendly Indians, and the troops returned home by the same route they had gone .*
During the infancy of the settlements on Nollichucky, corn had become scarce, and availing themselves of a short sus- pension of hostilities, Jeremiah Jack and William Rankin, of Greene county, descended the river in a canoe, for the pur- pose of bartering with the Indians for corn. They reached Coiatee without interruption. The warriors of that place refused to exchange or sell the corn, and manifested other signs of suspicion, if not of open enmity. They entered the canoe and lifted up some wearing apparel lying in it, and which covered their rifles. This discovery increased the un- willingness of the Indians to trade, and they began to show a disposition to offer violence to their white visitants. The beloved woman, Nancy Ward, was happily present, andi was able by her commanding influence to appease their wrath, and to bring about friendly feelings between the parties. The little Indians were soon clad in the home made vest- ments brought by the traders-the canoe was filled with corn, and the white men started on their return voyage well pleased with the exchange they had made, and especially with the kind offices of the beloved woman.
On their return, the white men landed and camped one night, a mile above the mouth of French Broad, on the north bank of the little sluice of that river. Mr. Jack was so well pleased with the place, that he afterwards selected it as his future residence, and actually settled and improved it on his emi- gration to the present Knox county, in 1787.
The district of Salisbury, by Act of Assembly, was divi- ded, and the counties of Berke, Wilkes, Rutherford, Lincoln, Washington and Sullivan, erected into the district of Mor- gan.
A Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Deli- very, was provided to be held by one of the Judges, at Jones-
. Haywood.
18
274
CAPTAIN WHITE PROMOTES PRACE.
.
boro', for Washington and Sullivan counties. This was done on account of "the extensive mountains that lie desolate between the inhabited parts of Washington, and the inhabi- ted parts of Berke counties."
" At a Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Deli- very, for the counties of Washington and Sullivan, begun and held on the 15th of August, 1782. Present, the Hon. Spruce McCay, Esq. Waightstill Avery, Esq., was appointed Attorney for the State, and John Sevier, Clerk."
"1782, February Term. William Cocke was admitted to practice Law. 1983, November Court, F. A. Ramsey quali- fied as Surveyor."*
The peace procured by the several campaigns already mentioned, was momentarily interrupted by the conduct of James Hubbard, and a comrade no less wicked and reckless. They were shooting at a mark with two Indians. During the shooting one of the warriors was killed-the other es- caped and fled to the nation. It was believed that Hubbard had killed the Indian designedly, and that a border war would be the consequence. The settlers assembled together at Henry's, near the mouth of Dumplin, and there built a station. A half breed passing through the neighbourhood, was requested to procure a friendly conference between his exasperated countrymen and the settlers. The conference was held at Gist's, now Underwood's. Six or eight Chero- kees attended there, having crossed the river at Henry's. Soon after their arrival, Hubbard and a gang of mischievous associates came in. They had been way-laying the Indians on the other side of French Broad, and having missed them, followed on to Gist's. For fear of further mischief, the In- dians were kept in the centre of the white men in attendance. Hubbard, desirous of another outbreak, slipped up to one of the Indians and whispered to him to run, as the whites in- tended to kill them. Captain James White told him to re- main and they would protect them. Thus reassured, the Indians remained-the conference was held-the difficulty was satisfactorily adjusted and peace prolonged.
The acquisition of territory, made from time to time, by
* Court Records.
275
CHEROKEE BOUNDARY FIXED.
leases, purchases and treaties, from the Cherokees, had uni- formly been small. The wisdom of this policy was seen in every step in the growth and enlargement of the frontier settlements. The lease to Robertson, of the Watauga colo- ny, confined that infant settlement to a limited area, which took at first, and retained for some time afterwards, a com- pact form, that favoured defence and gave an easier protec- tion from Indian aggression. The same may be said of other leases and purchases. Had relinquishments of larger extent of territory been obtained, the adventurous disposition of the settlers would have led them so far into the wilder- ness, and spread them over so large a section of country, as to have deprived them of mutual protection in times of war and danger. The first ten years of its existence, the young community west of the mountain maintained a com- pact form, and could assume a defensive attitude upon any sudden alarm. Its gradual expansion served also to quiet Indian jealousy of encroachment from the whites. But, almost imperceptibly, the seed of civilization had been planted, was firmly fixed in the soil, was germinating under successful culture, was producing its fruits of permanent society and established government. Its eradication was impossible. Still, it was found necessary to restrain the too rapid expansion of the frontier. The General Assembly of North-Carolina deemed it inexpedient to continue the Land Office open, and, accordingly, in June, of 1781, closed it. It was not opened again, till after the end of the revolutionary war. In May, of 1783, the Assembly opened an office for the sale of western lands, for the purpose of paying the arrears then due the officers and soldiers of that part of the continental line which was raised in North-Carolina, and of extinguishing her part of the national debt. Without any previous consultation with the Indians, the Assembly en- larged the western boundary-
" Beginning on the line which divided that state from Virginia, at a point due north of the mouth of Cloud's Creek ; running thence west to the Mississippi; thence down the Mississippi to the thirty-fifth degree of north latitude ; thence due east, until it strikes the Apalachian Moun- tains ; thence with the Apalachian Mountains to the ridge that divides the waters of French Broad River and the waters of Nollichucky River,
276
GRANT TO HENDERSON AND COMPANY.
and with that ridge, until it strikes the line described in the act of 17 commonly called Brown's Line, and with that line and those sen water courses to the beginning."
But a tract of country was reserved for the Cherol hunting grounds-
" Beginning at the Tennessee, where the southern boundary of Noi Carolina intersects the same, nearest to the Chickamauga Towns ; the up the middle of the Tennessee and Holston to the middle of Frei Broad River, which lines are not to include any island or islands in a river, to the mouth of Big Pigeon River; thence up the same to the b thereof; thence along the dividing ridge between the waters of Pig River and Tuckasejah River, to the southern boundary of this state.'
The Assembly of North-Carolina took into considerati the claim set up by Henderson and company, under 1 ยท Transylvania purchase. It was considered that the compa was entitled to a handsome remuneration for their expen in holding the treaty and buying the territory, and an A was accordingly passed granting to Richard Henderson a his associates two hundred thousand acres of land, to be la off in one survey, and with the following boundaries. "Beg ning at the Old Indian Tower, in Powell's Valley, runni down Powell's River, not less than four miles in width, one or both sides thereof to the junction of Powell's a Clinch Rivers ; then down Clinch River, on one or both sid not less than twelve miles in width, for the complement two hundred thousand acres." Thenceforward all dout were removed as to the right of the state to grant the oth lands on the western waters, which were contained with the bounds specified in the Indian deeds to the company.
At the same session, an Act was passed authorizing tl governor to hold a treaty with the Chickamauga and Ove hill Cherokees, and also with those of the Middle and Vall settlement, at the Long Island. Joseph Martin is appoint by the same Act, agent. It is made his duty to visit the I dian country once in six months, deliver the governor's me sages and receive the talks of the Indians, record them in b journal, etc.
In order that all dealing and intercourse with the Cher kees should be carried on in the most friendly and uprig manner, it was further provided that no one but "men of tl
277
GREENE COUNTY ESTABLISHED.
most upright, unexceptionable, honest characters," should be licensed to trade with them.
During the same session of the Assembly, the county of 1783 Washington was again divided, and a new county ( erected, which was called Greene, in honour of Gen. Nathaniel Greene, under whose general command many of the western riflemen had acted their part in the Revolution, and whose valour and skill had done so much in establishing the Independence of the United States.
"On the third Monday in August, the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, for Greene county, met at the house of Mr. Robert Carr. Present, Joseph Hardin, John Newman, George Doherty,-James Houston, Amos Bird, and Asahel Rawlings, Esqs. ; Daniel Kennedy was elected Clerk, and James Wilson, Sheriff; William Cocke, Esq., Attorney for the State ; Joseph Hardin, Junr., Entry-Taker ; Isaac Tay- lor, Surveyor; Richard Wood, Register."*
Jefferson county, as known at present, received its first settlers in this year. These were Robert McFarland, Alex- ander Outlaw, Thomas Jarnagin, James Hill, Wesley White, James Randolph, Joseph Copeland, Robert Gentry and James Hubbard. The first of these made a crop in 1782, at the bend of Chucky, and the next year moved his family to that place. Capt Jarnagin settled four miles above the mouth of Chucky, on the north side ; James Hill, a mile lower down ; Wesley White, immediately opposite Taylor's Bend ; Robert Gentry, four miles above Dandridge ; Joseph Cope- land settled this year south of the French Broad, seven miles above Dandridge.
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