pioneers of the old southwest-第28部分

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Thrice　have　the　mountain　men　come　down　again　from　their　fastnesses　to　war　for　America　since　the　day　of　King's　Mountain　and　thrice　they　have　acquitted　themselves　so　that　their　deeds　are　noted　in　history。　A　souvenir　of　their　part　in　the　War　of　1812　at　the　Battle　of　the　Thames　is　kept　in　one　of　the　favorite　names　for　mountain　girls〃Lake　Erie。〃　In　the　Civil　War　many　volunteers　from　the　free；　non…slaveholding　mountain　regions　of　Kentucky　and　Tennessee　joined　the　Union　Army；　and　it　is　said　that　they　exceeded　all　others　in　stature　and　physical　development。　And　in　our　own　day　their　sons　again　came　down　from　the　mountains　to　carry　the　torch　of　Liberty　overseas；　and　to　show　the　white　stars　in　their　flag　side　by　side　with　the　ancient　cross　in　the　flag　of　England　against　which　their　forefathers　fought。



Chapter　X。　Sevier；　The　Statemaker

After　King's　Mountain；　Sevier　reached　home　just　in　time　to　fend　off　a　Cherokee　attack　on　Watauga。　Again　warning　had　come　to　the　settlements　that　the　Indians　were　about　to　descend　upon　them。　Sevier　set　out　at　once　to　meet　the　red　invaders。　Learning　from　his　scouts　that　the　Indians　were　near　he　went　into　ambush　with　his　troops　disposed　in　the　figure　of　a　half…moon；　the　favorite　Indian　formation。　He　then　sent　out　a　small　body　of　men　to　fire　on　the　Indians　and　make　a　scampering　retreat；　to　lure　the　enemy　on。　The　maneuver　was　so　well　planned　and　the　ground　so　well　chosen　that　the　Indian　war　party　would　probably　have　been　annihilated　but　for　the　delay　of　an　officer　at　one　horn　of　the　half…moon　in　bringing　his　troops　into　play。　Through　the　gap　thus　made　the　Indians　escaped；　with　a　loss　of　seventeen　of　their　number。　The　delinquent　officer　was　Jonathan　Tipton；　younger　brother　of　Colonel　John　Tipton；　of　whom　we　shall　hear　later。　It　is　possible　that　from　this　event　dates　the　Tiptons'　feud　with　Sevier；　which　supplies　one　of　the　breeziest　pages　in　the　story　of　early　Tennessee。

Not　content　with　putting　the　marauders　to　flight；　Sevier　pressed　on　after　them；　burned　several　of　the　upper　towns；　and　took　prisoner　a　number　of　women　and　children；　thus　putting　the　red　warriors　to　the　depth　of　shame；　for　the　Indians　never　deserted　their　women　in　battle。　The　chiefs　at　once　sued　for　peace。　But　they　had　made　peace　often　before。　Sevier　drove　down　upon　the　Hiwassee　towns；　meanwhile　proclaiming　that　those　among　the　tribe　who　were　friendly　might　send　their　families　to　the　white　settlement；　where　they　would　be　fed　and　cared　for　until　a　sound　peace　should　be　assured。　He　also　threatened　to　continue　to　make　war　until　his　enemies　were　wiped　out；　their　town　sites　a　heap　of　blackened　ruins；　and　their　whole　country　in　possession　of　the　whites；　unless　they　bound　themselves　to　an　enduring　peace。

Having　compelled　the　submission　of　the　Otari　and　Hiwassee　towns；　yet　finding　that　depredations　still　continued；　Sevier　determined　to　invade　the　group　of　towns　hidden　in　the　mountain　fastnesses　near　the　headwaters　of　the　Little　Tennessee　where；　deeming　themselves　inaccessible　except　by　their　own　trail；　the　Cherokees　freely　plotted　mischief　and　sent　out　raiding　parties。　These　hill　towns　lay　in　the　high　gorges　of　the　Great　Smoky　Mountains；　150　miles　distant。　No　one　in　Watauga　had　ever　been　in　them　except　Thomas；　the　trader；　who；　however；　had　reached　them　from　the　eastern　side　of　the　mountains。　With　no　knowledge　of　the　Indians'　path　and　without　a　guide；　yet　nothing　daunted；　Sevier；　late　in　the　summer　of　1781　headed　his　force　into　the　mountains。　So　steep　were　some　of　the　slopes　they　scaled　that　the　men　were　obliged　to　dismount　and　help　their　horses　up。　Unexpectedly　to　themselves　perhaps；　as　well　as　to　the　Indians；　they　descended　one　morning　on　a　group　of　villages　and　destroyed　them。　Before　the　fleeing　savages　could　rally；　the　mountaineers　had　plunged　up　the　steeps　again。　Sevier　then　turned　southward　into　Georgia　and　inflicted　a　severe　castigation　on　the　tribes　along　the　Coosa　River。

When；　after　thirty　days　of　warfare　and　mad　riding；　Sevier　arrived　at　his　Bonnie　Kate's　door　on　the　Nolichucky；　he　found　a　messenger　from　General　Greene　calling　on　him　for　immediate　assistance　to　cut　off　Cornwallis　from　his　expected　retreat　through　North　Carolina。　Again　he　set　out；　and　with　two　hundred　men　crossed　the　mountains　and　made　all　speed　to　Charlotte；　in　Mecklenburg　County；　where　he　learned　that　Cornwallis　had　surrendered　at　Yorktown　on　October　19；　1781。　Under　Greene's　orders　he　turned　south　to　the　Santee　to　assist　a　fellow　scion　of　the　Huguenots；　General　Francis　Marion；　in　the　pursuit　of　Stuart's　Britishers。　Having　driven　Stuart　into　Charleston；　Sevier　and　his　active　Wataugans　returned　home；　now　perhaps　looking　forward　to　a　rest；　which　they　had　surely　earned。　Once　more；　however；　they　were　hailed　with　alarming　news。　Dragging　Canoe　had　come　to　life　again　and　was　emerging　from　the　caves　of　the　Tennessee　with　a　substantial　force　of　Chickamaugan　warriors。　Again　the　Wataugans；　augmented　by　a　detachment　from　Sullivan　County；　galloped　forth；　met　the　red　warriors；　chastised　them　heavily；　put　them　to　rout；　burned　their　dwellings　and　provender；　and　drove　them　back　into　their　hiding　places。　For　some　time　after　this；　the　Indians　dipped　not　into　the　black　paint　pots　of　war　but　were　content　to　streak　their　humbled　countenances　with　the　vermilion　of　beauty　and　innocence。


It　should　be　chronicled　that　Sevier；　assisted　possibly　by　other　Wataugans；　eventually　returned　to　the　State　of　North　Carolina　the　money　which　he　had　forcibly　borrowed　to　finance　the　King's　Mountain　expedition；　and　that　neither　he　nor　Shelby　received　any　pay　for　their　services；　nor　asked　it。　Before　Shelby　left　the　Holston　in　1782　and　moved　to　Kentucky；　of　which　State　he　was　to　become　the　first　Governor；　the　Assembly　of　North　Carolina　passed　a　resolution　of　gratitude　to　the　overmountain　men　in　general；　and　to　Sevier　and　Shelby　in　particular；　for　their　〃very　generous　and　patriotic　services〃　with　which　the　〃General　Assembly　of　this　State　are　feelingly　impressed。〃　The　resolution　concluded　by　urging　the　recipients　of　the　Assembly's　acknowledgments　to　〃continue〃　in　their　noble　course。　In　view　of　what　followed；　this　resolution　is　interesting！

For　some　time　the　overhill　pioneers　had　been　growing　dissatisfied　with　the　treatment　they　were　receiving　from　the　State；　which　on　the　plea　of　poverty　had　refused　to　establish　a　Superior　Court　for　them　and　to　appoint　a　prosecutor。　As　a　result；　crime　was　on　the　increase；　and　the　law…abiding　were　deprived　of　the　proper　legal　means　to　check　the　lawless。　In　1784　when　the　western　soldiers'　claims　began　to　reach　the　Assembly；　there　to　be　scrutinized　by　unkindly　eyes；　the　dissatisfaction　increased。　The　breasts　of　the　mountain　menthe　men　who　had　made　that　spectacular　ride　to　bring　Ferguson　to　his　endwere　kindled　with　hot　indignation　when　they　heard　that　they　had　been　publicly　assailed　as　grasping　persons　who　seized　on　every　pretense　to　〃fabricate　demands　against　the　Government。〃　Nor　were　those　fiery　breasts　cooled　by　further　plaints　to　the　effect　that　the　〃industry　and　property〃　of　those　east　of　the　hills　were　〃becoming　the　funds　appropriated　to　discharge　the　debts〃　of　the　Westerners。　They　might　with　justice　have　asked　what　the　industry　and　property　of　the　Easterners　were　worth　on　that　day　when　the　overhill　men　drilled　in　the　snows　on　the　high　peak　of　Yellow　Mountain　and　looked　down　on　Burke　County　overrun　by　Ferguson's　Tories；　and　beyond；　to　Charlotte；　where　lay　Cornwallis。

The　North　Carolina　Assembly　did　not　confine　itself　to　impolite　remarks。　It　proceeded　to　get　rid　of　what　it　deemed　western　rapacity　by　ceding　the　whole　overmountain　territory　to　the　United　States；　with　the　proviso　that　Congress　must　accept　the　gift　within　twelve　months。　And　after　passing　the　Cession　Act；　North　Carolina　closed　the　land　office　in　the　undesired　domain　and　nullified　all　entries　made　after　May　25；　1784。　The　Cession　Act　also　enabled　the　State　to　evade　its　obligations　to　the　Cherokees　in　the　matter　of　an　expensive　consignment　of　goods　to　pay　for　new　lands。

This　clever　stroke　of　the　Assembly's　brought　about　immediate　consequences　in　the　region　beyond　the　hills。　The　Cherokees；　who　knew　nothing　about　the　Assembly's　system　of　political　economy　but　who　found　their　own　provokingly　upset　by　the　non…arrival　of　the　promised　goods；　began　again　to　darken　the　mixture　in　their　paint　pots；　and　they　dug　up　the　war　hatchet；　never　indeed　so　deeply　patted　down　under　the　dust　that　it　could　not　be　unearthed　by　a　stub　of　the　toe。　Needless　to　say；　it　was　not　the　thrifty　and　distant　Easterners　who　felt　their　anger；　but　the　nearby　settlements。

As　for　the　white　overhill　dwellers；　the　last　straw　had　been　laid　on　their　backs；　and　it　felt　like　a　hickory　log。　No　sooner　had　the　Assembly　adjourned　than　the　men　of　Washington；　Sullivan；　and　Greene　counties；　which　comprised　the　settled　portion　of　what　is　now　east　Tennessee；　elected　delegates　to　convene　for　the　purpose　of　discussing　the　formation　of　a　new　State。　They　could　assert　that　they　were　not　acting　illegally；　for　in　her　first　constitution　North　Carolina　had　made　provision　for　a　State　beyond　the　mountains。　And　necessity　compelled　them　to　take　steps　for　their　protection。　Some　of　them；　and　Sevier　was　of　the　number；　doubted　if　Congress　would　accept　the　costly　gift；　and　the　majority　realized　that　during　the　twelve　months　which　were　allowed　for　the　decision　they　would　have　no　protection　from　either　North　Carolina　or　Congress　and　would　not　be　able　to　command　their　own　resources。

In　August；　1784；　the　delegates　met　at　Jonesborough　and　passed　preliminary　resolutions；　and　then　adjourned　to　meet　later　in　the　year。　The　news　was　soon　disseminated　through　North　Carolina　and　the　Assembly　convened　in　October　and　hastily　repealed　the　Cession　Act；　voted　to　establish　the　District　of　Washington　out　of　the　four　counties；　and　sent　word　of　the　altered　policy　to　Sevier；　with　a　commission　for　himself　as　Brigadier　General。　From　the　steps　of　the　improvised　convention　hall；　before　which　the　delegates　had　gathered；　Sevier　read　the　Assembly's　message　and　advised　his　neighbors　to　proceed　no　further；　since　North　Carolina　had　of　her　own　accord　redressed　all　their　grievances。　But　for　once　Nolichucky　Jack's　followers　refused　to　follow。　The　adventure　too　greatly　appealed。　Obliged　to　choose　between　North　Caroli