The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-01-03

f9nP
SEWERS men advancing and a collision
occurred. MaxwelTs militia
a yolley and raised a great snoct,
which led Upton to sally out, t3hins
Sewers party in the rear or 1ank. AS
it probably had never been sewer
purpose to engage in battle. ne anu
his men quickly dispersed. olloWe
but not aggressively, by the militia
On March 3 Sewer sent a verbal mes
sage that if his life was spared. ne
would submit to North Carolina. Up
ton, in reply, offered to cease nostin-
ties. giving Sewer and his party untli
the nth to submit to the laws Inc
Council of the Franklin State MADE
reply that they would be obedient TO
the laws of the Union, and they
wished a convention of h people
| called at once. AS for Governor
Sewer, they stipulated hat he should
be left at liberty to act for hlmseil;
and ne, with some anxiety, required
a plain understanding as to what he
could depend on. Ten days later Sem
eral Joseph Martin. h b~rigadler Of
the district, appealed to General Ken
nedy to bring about a RECOMMENDATION.
Martin declared that he would be
sorry to imbrue his hands in the blood
of his countrymen, but nothing VIII
do but a submission to the laws OF
North Carolina" This, he urged, lis
the only wa that would relieve Gov
ernor Sewer from a very disagreeble
situation" He offered Kennedy a
commission under North Carolina, and
urged him to prepare for action, as a
general Indian war was expected. Mar
tins c~onciliatery steps and firm action
had a very salutary effect. All oppo-
sition ceased. Every trace Of the State
Of Franklin disappeared.
In the meantime Sewer, no longer
Governor, left Washington county and
ook shelter in the distant settlements.
A period of repose now set in; but in
June Sewer, having gathered some
forty bold and daring men, fell on the
Indians on the Hiawassee and killed
twenty Of them, following this with
another raid and bringing in fourteen
scalps; and then, in July, he made a
third invasion of the Indian country
which precipitated an Indian war.
Notwithstanding hat the State Of
had fallen, Sewer and his
friends INDUCED a hope that the State
Convention, which was to meet at
HillsbOro in July, to consider the pro-
posed Federal Constitution, might
cede the western territory, or other
wise provide for a separation, but that
body adjourned without action favor
able to their desires. On the other
hand, while the convention was still
in session. Governor Johnston wrote
to Judge Campbell: 1T mas been rep
resented to the Executives that John
Sewer, who styles himself Captain
General of the State Of Franklin, has
been guilty of MIG treason in Ievying
troops to oppose the laws and gov
eminent Of this State, and has with
an armed force put to death several
good citizens. If these facts shall ap-
pear to you by the affidavit Of credible
persons O will issue your warrant
to apprehend him. Judge Campbell.
/ hnCyoUnT took No action tnr
Judge Samuel Spencer crossed he
mountains to hold court at Jonesboro.
and he issued a warrant for the arrest
of Sewer. On the evening of Octo-
Der 9, 1888, Sewer, with a number
Of men, had q violent alteration with
one Deadricks in Washington county,
and Colonel Upton, armed with a
bench warrant and doubtless feeling
that his hour Of triumph had arrived,
fastened in pursuit with a body Of
horsemen. AT early dawn the posse
surrounded the premises Of Widow
Brown, where Sewer lodged that
night, and at sunrise the arrest was
made. Sewer was TAX en- to ~Jonesboro
and then was conveyed to Morganton
for trial. It is said that he was
treated with great discourtesy and
ma%levolence, and for a time was sub
jected to the indignity of being hand
cuffed; but the details are obscure,
and the circumstances were such as to
require unusual care on the part of
those charged with his safe-keeping.
In a letter to the General Assembly
he alleged that he was treated with
wanton cruelty and savage insult"
and he complained of being borne off
out of the district for trial. Arrived
at MOrganton he was released on pa
role to visit a brother-in-law in the
vicinity. The court being convened,
he attended a~greeably to his parole.
In the meantime. two sons and other
friends had followed to rescue him.
AT night, when the court broke, and
the people dispersed, they. with the
Governor, pushed forward towards the
Mountains with the greatest rapidity
n before morning arrived at them.
and were beyond the reach Of any
who might think proper to pursue
apparently 10 further effort was
maze 20 ca re him. At the Novem-