Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1896-03-18
HAYWOOD'S
HISTORY OF TENNESSEE
lCoNTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. |


warfare were general, excessive, and
in'olerable. But strange as it ma,
seem, the Government of the United
States was vet unaffected by their suf
ferings; and Gov. Blount was Obliged
to vindicate them from the imputation
that their conduct must have afforded
some pretext for the onmity of the In
dians against the Cumberland settle
ments; at the same time to vindicate
himself fiom the charge of unnecessary
expenditures, by calling into service
more troops than the public exigenciet
made requisite. He informed the Sec
retary of War that the Cherokees
before and at the commencement OF
our revolution, were settled in towns
on the head waters of the Savannah
the Keowee and Tugulo, or on the Ten
nessee above the mouth of the Holston
upon the tract of country which at this
time comprehends Ebert and Franklin
counties in Georgia, several of the
western counties of South Carolina, the
district of Washington in the State OF
Virginia. The remainder of their ter
ritory was down the Tennessee on the
south side. The lands on the Cum ber.
land they considered not theirs. Gen.
Williamson in l776, destroyed their
towns on the Keowee and Tugulo.
Gen. Rutherford from North Carolina,
and Col. Christian from Virginia, de.
stroyed most of their principal towns
on the Tennessee. In two treaties held
shortly afterwards, they ceded large
tracts of territory to South Carolina
AMI Virginia, and to North Carolina
and Virginia also. Burnt out and cur.
tailed of their hunting grounds, they
began to erect new towns on the Ten
nessee lower down, and on the Mobile
River. Some settled on the Chicka.
mauga Creek, hundred miles below
the mouth of Holston These refused
to attend the treaties, and all this mis-
chief done was charged by the other
party upon them.
In 1882, they abandoned the Chicka.
Some returned to the old
towns, and Others went below to the
distance of forty miles, and laid the
foundations of the five towns since
called the five lower towns, which
soon became populous and the most
formidable part of the nation. Those
removals brought then near to Cum
berland lands, and they now began to
wish for the possession of them though
before the revolution these lands be.
Ionged not to them. but to the Chicka.
saws. The nation Of the latter or
greater part of it, prior to the revolu.
ion resided on the north side of the
Tennessee, forty miles lower down than
the lowermost of the present Cherokee
towns. They ceded these lands at o
,reaty held on the spot where Nashville
now stands, in 1889, under the authori
" of Virginia by Donaldson and Martin.
They did the same at the treaty of
as likewise did the Chefo.
lees. And they declared to the like
,ffect at the late conferences held at
Nashville,in the presence of the Chero.
iees, who did not contradict them.
The Cherokees afterwards admitted in
council that what they said was correct.
Cherokee chief at the long island of
1olston, said to Col Henderson, You
carolina Dick have deceived your peo.
lie, you told them that we sold you
he Cumberlauds; we only sold our
lain. They belong to our brothers
he Chickasaws as far as the head
waters CT Duck and Elk Rivers" The
orthern nations claimed and ceded
he Cumberland lands with others to
he crown of Great Britain. The chiefs
o avoid becoming unpopular with the
oung warriors, often deny when the
omplaint is made, that they have sold
he lands of the nation, or if they &C.
nowledge it they say that they were
imposed upon, which according to In.
ian ideas rescinds the contract.
AS to the Creeks they have unques
ionably no claim to the Cumberland
ands, nor to any lands north of the
'ennessee, and never had. Since the
reaty of New York, they have killed |
ndiscriminately all the people in the
cumberland settlements whom they
ould bring within their reach. The
'herokees or any part of the nation
ave never complained of the Cumber-
and settlers. He then showed that
hO huiuUcT VI ulilltld Ctlltu lutO ser |
ice, at the approaching invasion OF |
even hundred Greeks and Cherokees
nder Watts, was not geater number,
light hundred and fifty, than the occa-
ion called for: and that they were not |
ontinued in service beyond the time
hat necessity required. He stated to
he Secretary, the very exposed situ.
ton of the district of Nero and the
xecration that would have fallen both |
pom himself and the Government of |
he United States, had ne not resorted |
0 those measures of defense and pro.
ection which their circumstances de
handed and had the Indians been per
nitted to fall upon them in defense
ess and exposed state. The Govern
nent made his vindication with a
pirt and ability which entitled him to