Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-01-30

west of Rogersville; thence down the
waters of the Nolichucky to French
Broad, and crossing the same belo W the
mouth of Little Pigeon river; thence
up the Little Pigeon river to its ford,
thence leaving the waters of Little
Pigeon, over some small mountains, to
Tuckaleeche town, on Little river
This was an old path when he first saw
it, and he continued to travel upon it,
trading with the Indians till the break.
ing out of the war between the French
and English nations about the year
1854.
AT the commencement of the French
war, and in the year 1855, when Brad,
dock was defeated in hi attmept upon
fort DuQuense, the Chez ,kees were in-
imical to the English colonies. Gov.
ernor Dobbs, of North Carolina, de-
puted Captain Waddle to treat with
them, and also with the Catawbas. In
1855 he made treaty offensive and de-
sive with Alta Culla Culla, or the Lit.
tie Carpenter, in behalf of the Chero
KEGS; he also made treaty with the
CataW bas. The chief of each nation
required that fort should be erected
within their respective countries for
the defence of their women and chill
dren, in case the warriors should be
called away against the French and
their Indian allies. In consequence of
their applications. Fort Loudon was
built in the year 1857; garrison was
placed in it, and the Indians invited
artizans, by donations of land, which
they caused to be signed by their own
chief, and in one instance by Governor
Dobbs, of North Carolina. The Cher
okees, as late as the year 1859 carried
on war in conjunction with the Vir.
ginians, against the French, and such
of the Indians as still adhered to their
interests. After the fall of Fort Du
Quesne, in November, 1858, French EN-
isaries from Louisiana were sent to de
tach them, if possible, from their con-
nection with the English, and their as.
siduity and address, together with some
displeasure which the Cherokees had
taken at the behavior of the Virginians
toward them in conducting the war,
gave to the nation strong bias in ia.
vor of the French propositions. Colo
mel Bird, in 1858, marched with his reg
iment from Virginia, and built Fort
Chissel, and stationed garrison in it,
he also built fort on the north bank
of Holston, nearly opposite TO the up
per end of Long Island. 1t was situa-
ted on beautiful level, and was built
upon a large plan, with proper bas
tions, and the wall thick enough to stop
the force of small cannon shot. The
gates were spiked with large nails. so
that the wood was all covered. The
army wintered there in the winter of
1853. There were no white settlements
on Watauga in 1853. Watauga signi-
fies the River of Islands, or the Island
River. Holston river was known to the
Cherokees by the name of Watauga.
The name was lost, and new one as
sumed from the TO lowing circum
stance: Some years before 1853, one
Stephen Holston, a resident of that part
of Virginia which afterward bore the
name of Bottetourt, in his travelling ex.
cursions to the south and west, came to
the headwaters of considerable river.
Allured by its inviting appearance, and
by the fertility of the land on its banks,
and the variegated scenery which it
presented, as also by the quantity Of
game which he saw there, he proceeded
some distance down the river. When
he returned and related to his country
men what discoveries he had made,
they called the river by his name.
There being two forts, Fort Chissel and
Fort Loudon, some persons were tempt.
ed to make settlements between them,
on the Watauga river, shortly before
the breaking out of the Cherokee war.
Alienated by the dexterity of French
management from their allies, the Vr
ginians, who took no pains to secure a
continuance of their esteem, the Cher.
okces began to show their disinclina
ton to the English colonists in the yeal
1853. A body of Cherokees, as well as
another of Tuscororas, had aided the
colonists in the reduction of Fort Du
) Quesne. Some of the Cherokees in this
service had lost their horses, and re
placed them with others which they
found running in the woods. This thu
Virginia colonists resented. Indeed
through the whole campaign, the Vir
ginians had treated them very con
temptuously. The Virginians, as a ma
tion, though generous, hospitable, hu
name, brave and munifcent, like man,
individuals of the same cast, are littl,
: inclined to obtain by condescensior
and suavity, that to which they are en-
titled by their merits. This sentimen
: among those of the lower ranks, de
: generates into rudeness. While tn
:, French in Louisiana, by their emisa
ries, were acting toward the Indians il
= the most engaging and fl fiattering way
and were plying them with all the art
of seduction, the Virginians seized thi
e occasion of taking the horses as Fl
: one to be made subservient to the pur
i poses of their hatred. They fell upol
L the warriors, who were unconscious O