Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-03-13
HAYWOOD'S
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE.
tcoNTINUED FROM LAST wEEK.l

CONTINUED FROM LAST wEEK.l
Ia the month of April, 1777, the AS
sembly of North Carolina, passed an
act for the encouragement of the militia
and volunteers, in prosecuting the rem.
nant OF the war with that part of the
Cherokees which yet kept up hostilities.
AT the same time they passed an act
for the establishment Of courts of pleas
and quarter sessions, and also for up
pointing and commissioning justices of
the peace and sheriffs for the several
courts in the District of Washington, in
this State. In the month of November,
of the year l711, the Assembly of North
Carolina erected the District OF Wash
ington into county, giving it the same
boundaries as had been assigned to the
District of Washington; beginning at
the enthusiastically point of the coun.
ty of Wilkes, in the Virginia line;
thence with the line of Wilkes County,
to point twenty six miles south of the
Virginia line; thence due west to the
ridge of the Great Iron Mountain, which
heretofore divided the hunting grounds
of the Overhill Cherokees, from those
OF the Middle Settlements and Valley:
thence running southwardly course
along the said ridge, to the Unaka
Mountain, where the trading path
Crosses the same, from the Valley to
the Overhills; thence south, with the
line of this State, adjoining the State
of South Carolina; thence due west 10
the great river Mississippi; thence up
the same river, to point due west from
the beginning. They also, ut the same
session. appointed commissioners to
lay off and mark a road from the court
house in the county of Washington.
through the mountains, into the county
of Burke; at the same time the land Of
flee was opened, amongst Others, for
the county of Washington, at the rate
of forty shillings per hundred acres;
each head of family was permitted to
take six hundred and forty acres him
self, and one hundred acres for his wife
and each of his children. The law was
so worded as not to oblige the Watauga
people to enter and pay for their occu.
pancies till January, l779: and then for
any surplus entered above the quantity
before mentioned, the purchaser was
requir, to pay five pounds per hun
dred. Great numbers of persons came
to Holston from the eastern parts of
North Carolina, to enter lands. Those
who had made locations would not sell
them, and the entries could not be made
without them.
The militia of Washington were all
in the service of the State, under the
provisions of the law just mentioned
"for encouraging the militia and vol
unteers to prosecute the war against
the Indians" and they continued in
service the greaterpar of the year. By
their pay they were enabled, when the
land office was opened, to purchase the
lands which they wished to secure. The
land jobbers from below, could only
obtain few locations from the Indian
traders, and returned home exceedingly
displeased. Their clamors were sonor-
GUS and grievous, and communicated
to the assembly the feelings of the com.
plainants. They, in April, 1878, declar.
ed void all entries of land which had
been made in the counties Of Burk,
and Washington. within the Indian
boundaries, and ordered the entry takers
for those counties to refund to the
proper persons, all monies by them re.
ceived for such entries. The out cry
which the disappointed land jobbers
made, was loud and vehement against
those who had entered lands in the
county of Washington, charging them
with having covered the Indian towns
with their entries, in numerous in
stances, and with an exclusive connec
ton formed between them and some of
the most influential characters of that
day, in the interior. The assembly, in
this crisis of fermentation, recollected
the Long Island treaty of 1777, recurred
to it, and included in it one of their
acts, to show where was the Indian
boundary, which should not be tran.
scended. 1t is not intended to censure
their conduct on this occasion, but here
is proper opportunity offered for re,
mark, which ought not to be omitted.
Public legislative bodies are easily ex-
cited by misrepresentation which are
sometimes artfully fabricated with de.
sign to precipitate them into rash meas
ures, and thus to accomplish the pur.
poses of the contriver. When there is
no other branch of the Government to
curb their excessess, it behoves mem
Der of prudence to moderate their tenn.
per, and to delay the ultimate decision
as long as possible, in order to give
time for passion to subside, and reason
to resume her place. He who learns
thus to act with dexterity, has acquired
a very essential part of that learning
which qualities for the performance of
legislative duties.
Through the year 1777, scouting par
ties of Indians upon the frontiers, oc.
casionally killed and plundered the in.
haditants, and were pursued by the
| rangers on the frontiers, who were