pioneers of the old southwest-第30部分

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ided　to　send　the　prisoner　for　incarceration　and　trial　to　Morgantown　in　North　Carolina；　just　over　the　hills。

Tipton　did　not　accompany　the　guards　he　sent　with　Sevier。　It　was　stated　and　commonly　believed　that　he　had　given　instructions　of　which　the　honorable　men　among　his　friends　were　ignorant。　When　the　party　entered　the　mountains；　two　of　the　guards　were　to　lag　behind　with　the　prisoner；　till　the　others　were　out　of　sight　on　the　twisting　trail。　Then　one　of　the　two　was　to　kill　Sevier　and　assert　that　he　had　done　it　because　Sevier　had　attempted　to　escape。　It　fell　out　almost　as　planned；　except　that　the　other　guard　warned　Sevier　of　the　fate　in　store　for　him　and　gave　him　a　chance　to　flee。　In　plunging　down　the　mountain；　Sevier's　horse　was　entangled　in　a　thicket。　The　would…be　murderer　overtook　him　and　fired；　but　here　again　fate　had　interposed　for　her　favorite。　The　ball　had　dropped　out　of　the　assassin's　pistol。　So　Sevier　reached　Morgantown　in　safety　and　was　deposited　in　care　of　the　sheriff；　who　was　doubtless　cautioned　to　take　a　good　look　at　the　prisoner　and　know　him　for　a　dangerous　and　a　daring　man。

There　is　a　story　to　the　effect　that；　when　Sevier　was　arraigned　in　the　courthouse　at　Morgantown　and　presently　dashed　through　the　door　and　away　on　a　racer　that　had　been　brought　up　by　some　of　his　friends；　among　those　who　witnessed　the　proceedings　was　a　young　Ulster　Scot　named　Andrew　Jackson；　and　that　on　this　occasion　these　two　men；　later　to　become　foes；　first　saw　each　other。　Jackson　may　have　been　in　Morgantown　at　the　time；　though　this　is　disputed；　but　the　rest　of　the　tale　is　pure　legend　invented　by　some　one　whose　love　of　the　spectacular　led　him　far　from　the　facts。　The　facts　are　less　theatrical　but　much　more　dramatic。　Sevier　was　not　arraigned　at　all；　for　no　court　was　sitting　in　Morgantown　at　the　time。*　The　sheriff　to　whom　he　was　delivered　did　not　need　to　look　twice　at　him　to　know　him　for　a　daring　man。　He　had　served　with　him　at　King's　Mountain。　He　struck　off　his　handcuffs　and　set　him　at　liberty　at　once。　Perhaps　he　also　notified　General　Charles　McDowell　at　his　home　in　Quaker　Meadows　of　the　presence　of　a　distinguished　guest　in　Burke　County；　for　McDowell　and　his　brother　Joseph；　another　officer　of　militia；　quickly　appeared　and　went　on　Sevier's　bond。　Nolichucky　Jack　was　presently　holding　a　court　of　his　own　in　the　tavern；　with　North　Carolina's　men　at　armsas　many　as　were　within　calldrinking　his　health。　So　his　sons　and　a　company　of　his　Wataugans　found　him；　when　they　rode　into　Morgantown　to　give　evidence　in　his　behalfwith　their　rifles。　Since　none　now　disputed　the　way　with　him；　Sevier　turned　homeward　with　his　cavalcade；　McDowell　and　his　men　accompanying　him　as　far　as　the　pass　in　the　hills。

*　Statement　by　John　Sevier；　Junior；　in　the　Draper　MSS。；　quoted　by　Turner；　〃Life　of　General　John　Sevier；〃　p。　182。


No　further　attempt　was　made　to　try　John　Sevier　for　treason；　either　west　or　east　of　the　mountains。　In　November；　however；　the　Assembly　passed　the　Pardon　Act；　and　thereby　granted　absolution　to　every　one　who　had　been　associated　with　the　State　of　Franklin；　EXCEPT　JOHN　SEVIER。　In　a　clause　said　to　have　been　introduced　by　Tipton；　now　a　senator；　or　suggested　by　him；　John　Sevier　was　debarred　forever　from　〃the　enjoyment　of　any　office　of　profit　or　honor　or　trust　in　the　State　of　North　Carolina。〃

The　overhill　men　in　Greene　County　took　due　note　of　the　Assembly's　fiat　and　at　the　next　election　sent　Sevier　to　the　North　Carolina　Senate。　Nolichucky　Jack；　whose　demeanor　was　never　so　decorous　as　when　the　illconsidered　actions　of　those　in　authority　had　made　him　appear　to　have　circumvented　the　law；　considerately　waited　outside　until　the　House　had　lifted　the　banwhich　it　did　perforce　and　by　a　large　majority；　despite　Tipton's　oppositionand　then　took　his　seat　on　the　senatorial　bench　beside　his　enemy。　The　records　show　that　he　was　reinstated　as　Brigadier　General　of　the　Western　Counties　and　also　appointed　at　the　head　of　the　Committee　on　Indian　Affairs。


Not　only　in　the　region　about　Watauga　did　the　pioneers　of　Tennessee　endure　the　throes　of　danger　and　strife　during　these　years。　The　little　settlements　on　the　Cumberland；　which　were　scattered　over　a　short　distance　of　about　twenty…five　or　thirty　miles　and　had　a　frontier　line　of　two　hundred　miles；　were　terribly　afflicted。　Their　nearest　white　neighbors　among　the　Kentucky　settlers　were　one　hundred　and　fifty　miles　away；　and　through　the　cruelest　years　these　could　render　no　aidcould　not；　indeed；　hold　their　own　stations。　The　Kentuckians；　as　we　have　seen；　were　bottled　up　in　Harrodsburg　and　Boonesborough；　and；　while　the　northern　Indians　led　by　Girty　and　Dequindre　darkened　the　Bloody　Ground　anew；　the　Cumberlanders　were　making　a　desperate　stand　against　the　Chickasaws　and　the　Creeks。　So　terrible　was　their　situation　that　panic　took　hold　on　them；　and　they　would　have　fled　but　for　the　influence　of　Robertson。　He　may　have　put　the　question　to　them　in　the　biblical　words；　〃Whither　shall　I　flee？〃　For　they　were　surrounded；　and　those　who　did　attempt　to　escape　were　〃weighed　on　the　path　and　made　light。〃　Robertson　knew　that　their　only　chance　of　survival　was　to　stand　their　ground。　The　greater　risks　he　was　willing　to　take　in　person；　for　it　was　he　who　made　trips　to　Boonesborough　and　Harrodsburg　for　a　share　of　the　powder　and　lead　which　John　Sevier　was　sending　into　Kentucky　from　time　to　time。　In　the　stress　of　conflict　Robertson　bore　his　full　share　of　grief；　for　his　two　elder　sons　and　his　brother　fell。　He　himself　was　often　near　to　death。　One　day　he　was　cut　off　in　the　fields　and　was　shot　in　the　foot　as　he　ran；　yet　he　managed　to　reach　shelter。　There　is　a　story　that；　in　an　attack　during　one　of　his　absences；　the　Indians　forced　the　outer　gate　of　the　fort　and　Mrs。　Robertson　went　out　of　her　cabin；　firing；　and　let　loose　a　band　of　the　savage　dogs　which　the　settlers　kept　for　their　protection；　and　so　drove　out　the　invaders。

The　Chickasaws　were　loyal　to　the　treaty　they　had　made　with　the　British　in　the　early　days　of　James　Adair's　association　with　them。　They　were　friends　to　England's　friends　and　foes　to　her　foes。　While　they　resented　the　new　settlements　made　on　land　they　considered　theirs；　they　signed　a　peace　with　Robertson　at　the　conclusion　of　the　War　of　Independence。　They　kept　their　word　with　him　as　they　had　kept　it　with　the　British。　Furthermore；　their　chief；　Opimingo　or　the　Mountain　Leader；　gave　Robertson　his　assistance　against　the　Creeks　and　the　Choctaws　and；　in　so　far　as　he　understood　its　workings；　informed　him　of　the　new　Spanish　and　French　conspiracy；　which　we　now　come　to　consider。　So　once　again　the　Chickasaws　were　servants　of　destiny　to　the　English…speaking　race；　for　again　they　drove　the　wedge　of　their　honor　into　an　Indian　solidarity　welded　with　European　gold。

Since　it　was　generally　believed　at　that　date　that　the　tribes　were　instigated　to　war　by　the　British　and　supplied　by　them　with　their　ammunition；　savage　inroads　were　expected　to　cease　with　the　signing　of　peace。　But　Indian　warfare　not　only　continued；　it　increased。　In　the　last　two　years　of　the　Revolution；　when　the　British　were　driven　from　the　Back　Country　of　the　Carolinas　and　could　no　longer　reach　the　tribes　with　consignments　of　firearms　and　powder；　it　should　have　been　evident　that　the　Indians　had　other　sources　of　supply　and　other　allies；　for　they　lacked　nothing　which　could　aid　them　in　their　efforts　to　exterminate　the　settlers　of　Tennessee。

Neither　France　nor　Spain　wished　to　see　an　English…speaking　republic　based　on　ideals　of　democracy　successfully　established　in　America。　Though　in　the　Revolutionary　War；　France　was　a　close　ally　of　the　Americans　and　Spain　something　more　than　a　nominal　one；　the　secret　diplomacy　of　the　courts　of　the　Bourbon　cousins　ill　matched　with　their　open　professions。　Both　cousins　hated　England。　The　American　colonies；　smarting　under　injustice；　had　offered　a　field　for　their　revenge。　But　hatred　of　England　was　not　the　only　reason　why　activities　had　been　set　afoot　to　increase　the　discord　which　should　finally　separate　the　colonies　from　Great　Britain　and　leave　the　destiny　of　the　colonies　to　be　decided　by　the　House　of　Bourbon。　Spain　saw　in　the　Americans；　with　their　English　modes　of　thought；　a　menace　to　her　authority　in　her　own　colonies　on　both　the　northern　and　southern　continents。　This　menace　would　not　be　stilled　but　augmented　if　the　colonies　should　be　established　as　a　republic。　Such　an　example　might　be　too　readily　followed。　Though　France　had；　by　a　secret　treaty　in　1762；　made　over　to　Spain　the　province　of　Louisiana；　she　was　not　unmindful　of　the　Bourbon　motto；　〃He　who　attacks　the　Crown　of　one　attacks　the　other。〃　And　she　saw　her　chance　to　deal　a　crippling　blow　at　England's　prestige　and　commerce。

In　1764；　the　French　Minister；　Choiseul；　had　sent　a　secret　agent；　named　Pontleroy；　to　America　to　assist　in　making　trouble　and　to　watch　for　any　signs　that　might　be　turned　to　the　advantage　of　les　duex　couronnes。　Evidently　Pontleroy's　reports　were　encouraging　for；　in　1768；　Johann　Kalbthe　same　Kalb　who　fell　at　Camden　in　1780arrived　in　Philadelphia　to　enlarge　the　good　work。　He　was　not　only；　like　several　of　the　foreign　officers　in　the　War　of　Independence；　a　spy　for　his　Government；　but　he　was　also　the　special　emissary　of　one　Comte　de　Broglie　who；　after　the　colonies　had　broken　with　the　mother　country；　was　to　put　himself　at　the　head　of　American　affairs。　This　Broglie　had　been　for　years　one　of　Louis　XV's　chief　agents　in　subterranean　diplomacy；　and　it　is　not　to　be　supposed　that　he　was　going　to　attempt　the　stupendous　task　of　controlling　America's　destiny　without　substantial　backing。　Spain　had　been　advised　meanwhile　to　rule　her　new　Louisiana　territory　with　great　liberalityin　fact；　to　let　it　shine　as　a　republic　before　the　yearning　eyes　of　the　oppressed　Americans；　so　that　the　English　colonists　would　arise　and　cast　off　their　fetters。　Once　the　colonies　had　freed　themselves　from　England's　protecting　arm；　it　would　be　a　simple　matter　for　the　Bourbons　to　gather　them　in　like　so　many　little　lost　chicks　from　a　rainy　yard。　The　intrigants　of　autocratic　systems　have　never　been　able　to　understand　that　the　urge　of　the　spirit　of　independence　in　men　is　not　primarily　to　break　shackles　but　to　STAND　ALONE　and　that　the　breaking　of　bonds　is　incidental　to　the　true　demonstration　of　freedom。　The　Bourbons　and　their　agents　were　no　more　nor　less　blind　to　the　great　p