Although the Indians had remitted their depredations partially upon the Ohio River, they were actively engaged in forming alliances with western and southern tribes, and concentrating upon the waters of the Maumee their utmost strength, to meet the hostile invasion with which they were threatened. [A.D. 1794.] Want, privation, and distress had been experienced by the new settlements, until they had almost despaired of a change. But the movements of General Wayne, upon the opening of the campaign, early in the summer of 1794, withdrew the Indian warriors to the immediate defense of their own towns. A succession of bold advances from Fort Jefferson drove the Indian forces before him, with the loss of all their towns, fields, and possessions, until they made a stand upon the north bank of the Maumee, within two miles of the British "Fort of the Miamis." In a pitched battle, on the 20th day of August, the American army completely routed and defeated the combined army of Indians and Canadians, driving them under the protection of the guns of the British fort.* On the other hand, the whites took fresh courage; the settlements near the Ohio began to increase their numbers by the arrival of new immigrants, and those who two years before had retired in despair to the secure settlements of Kentucky, began to return to the occupation of their former improve ments. [A.D. 1795.] Although few or no hostilities were perpetrated upon the inhabitants after the battle of the Miamis, yet suspicion of danger, and the uncertain security from Indian incursions, deterred immigrants from attempts to form new settlements. The treaty of Greenville,† in the following summer, put an end to doubts and fears as to danger from the Indians; and hundreds were ready, waiting the result of the negotiations known to have been undertaken by General Wayne. The whole white population within the limits of the present State of Ohio at that time, exclusive of the army, did not exceed five thousand souls, distributed in the sparse settlements. *See chap. x., "Military Operations of the United States." CHAPTER X. 66 EARLY SETTLEMENT AND INDIAN HOSTILITIES IN THE SOUTH WESTERN TERRITORY," UNTIL ITS ADMISSION INTO THE FEDERAL UNION AS THE STATE OF TENNESSEE.-A.D. 1776 To 1796. Argument.-Retrospect of the First Settlements of East Tennessee.-First Settlements on Cumberland River.-Cherokee Hostilities in 1780.-North Carolina encourages Emigration to the Cumberland in 1783.-Military Land District erected.— Chickasa Cession in 1784.-Increased Emigration to Holston and Cumberland in 1785.-Political Difficulties in Washington District.-Attempted Organization of the "Republic of Frankland."-Colonel John Sevier attainted for Treason, and restored to his Rights.-Authority of North Carolina sustained.-Spanish Influence in the Cumberland Settlements.-Population of Washington and Miro Districts in 1789.North Carolina cedes her Western Territory to the Federal Government.-" Southwestern Territory" organized in 1790.-Indian Hostilities commence.-Efforts of the Federal Government to maintain Peace.-Rapid Increase of Emigration Westward in 1791. Indian Hostilities in 1791 to 1793.-Spanish Intrigue with the Indians.— Colonel Sevier and General Robertson conduct Defenses.-Population of Southwestern Territory in 1794.-Population of the Territory in 1795.-Second Grade of Territorial Government assumed.-State Constitution adopted in 1796.-"State of Tennessee" admitted into the Union.-Features of Constitution.-Progressive Increase of Population and Extension of Settlements to the Mississippi until 1840.Displacement of the Indian Tribes.-West Tennessee and Memphis.-Population and Enterprise.-Colonies sent out from Tennessee. * [A.D. 1776.] In another portion of this work, we have shown that the country now comprised in the extreme eastern and southeastern counties of Tennessee, and especially the counties of Washington, Carter, Sullivan, Greene, and Hawkins, was sparsely settled by Virginians and North Carolinians as early as the beginning of the Revolutionary war. These settlements, early in the latter period, gradually extended upon the tributaries of the north and south branches of the Holston, and upon the Watauga and French Broad, for more than one hundred miles toward the southwest, along the western base of the great Alleghany range of mountains, and within the former limits of North Carolina. Soon after the Declaration of Independence, the people of these remote settlements were invited by the British authorities to espouse the royal cause against the revolted provinces; but, with noble firmness, they indignantly rejected the proffered protection of the crown. and adhered to the cause of independence.† * See book iii., chap. iii., “Advance of Anglo-American Population," &c. In the autumn of 1776, these settlements, as the "Western District," were entitled to a delegate in the convention for the adoption of a state constitution. Among the prominent men of this region at that early period was Captain John Sevier, who had been an active defender of the frontiers in the preceding Indian wars. The confidence reposed in him by the western people was such that they elected him to represent the Western District in the convention for adopting a state constitution for North Carolina. During the continuance of the struggle for independence, he was a prominent soldier in resisting the incursions of the British cavalry in the western settlements. [A.D. 1777.] During the year 1777, the jurisdiction of North Carolina was formally extended over the Western District, which was organized into the "county of Washington," having a nominal jurisdiction westward to the Mississippi.* The militia of Washington county was organized under Colonel Carter and Lieutenant-colonel John Sevier.† Before the close of the year, large bodies of land were relinquished by the Cherokees, in conformity with the stipulations in the treaty of the preceding year. The settlements began immediately to extend upon the ceded territory down the north fork of Holston, and upon the branches of the south fork, and emigration continued gradually to swell the population. [A.D. 1778.] Only a few months elapsed from the organization of Washington county, when the adventurous pioneers began to plunge into the remote western forest, more than three hundred miles by the only route from the older settlements of the new county. A settlement was commenced on the lower valley of the Cumberland River, nearly one hundred miles west of the chain of the Cumberland Mountains. . To reach this remote region, the pioneers advanced through Cumberland Gap, and, diverging from the wilderness route to Kentucky, they proceeded nearly one hundred miles through the southern part of the present State of Kentucky, and thence down the Cumberland Valley to the vicinity of the present site of Nashville. This route traversed the country which had been partly relinquished by the Cherokees to Richard Henderson and Company. South of it was the undisputed territory of the Cherokees and Creeks, who permitted no encroachment with im * Martin's Louisiana, vol. ii., p. 41. Flint's History and Geography, vol. ii., p. 21, edition of 1828. punity. The first settlement in this remote region was that near Bledsoe's Station, in the vicinity of Bledsoe's Lick; it was occupied the first year by less than a dozen families, isolated in the heart of the Chickasâ nation, with no other protection than their own courage and a small stockade inclosure.* About the same time, a number of French traders advanced up the Cumberland River as far as "the Bluff," near the present city of Nashville, where they erected a trading-post and a few log cabins,† with the approbation of the Chickasâs. [A.D. 1780.] Bledsoe's Station, in the year 1779, received an accession of several additional families, who advanced by the same route from the Holston settlements. With this accession to their numbers, the little colony continued to hold undisputed possession of the country now comprised in Middle Tennessee, until the autumn of 1780, when Colonel James Robertson led out a colony of forty families, who were anxious to retire beyond the reach of the marauding incursions of the British cavalry, which had repeatedly ravaged the remote western settlements of North Carolina. So long as they remained within striking distance of Tarlton's troop, they were allowed the only alternative of submitting to the insolent ravages of the British soldiery, or of espousing the royal cause against their friends and fellow-citizens. Colonel Robertson and his colony, preferring to encounter the dangers of savage warfare to the ruthless incursions of the English, set out for the remote wilderness upon the lower Cumberland Valley. His location was made not far from the present site of Nashville, where he proceeded to erect a stockade inclosure for the protection of the colony from Indian hostility. This was the beginning of "Robertson's Station," which became the nucleus of the Cumberland settlements, around which were gathered the numerous emigrants who soon afterward advanced to this region. This remote point continued to be the object of adventurers. for three years, when the flood-gates of emigration were opened by North Carolina, in establishment of a military land district in this vicinity. In the mean time, the Cherokees had become impatient of * Flint's History and Geography, vol. ii., p. 21. † Martin's Louisiana, vol. ii., p. 41. Imlay's America, p. 14, 15. Also, Guthrie's Geography, vol. ii., p. 472. the advance of the white population upon the Holston, and before the close of the year 1780 they commenced active hostilities upon the frontier inhabitants of Washington District. To protect the exposed colonies, and to chastise the warlike savages, Colonel Campbell, of North Carolina, invaded the Cherokee country with a force of seven hundred mounted riflemen, and spread consternation and desolation in his march. This was the first time that cavalry in the character of mounted riflemen had been employed successfully against the hostile Indians, and it was the beginning of a new era in savage warfare in the West.* It was in the summer of 1782 that the government of North Carolina determined to establish a military land district in her western territory for the liquidation of military land-scrip and Revolutionary claims in favor of officers and soldiers of the old Continental line. The same year commissioners were appointed to explore the country upon Cumberland River, and select a suitable region for the military district. After due exploration, they reported in favor of the country south and west of the new settlements upon that river, which was still in the occupancy of the Chickasâ Indians. [A.D. 1783.] At the next session of the Legislature, provision was made for the formal extension of the state jurisdiction over this country in the organization of a land district, with a land-office, together with a pre-emption law in favor of actual settlers. The latter opened the way of emigration to the Cumberland River, and was a virtual invitation to the people to advance to the occupancy of this valuable region of country. To prevent collision with the Chickasâ nation, commissioners were appointed to hold a council with the chiefs, head men, and warriors of that tribe for the amicable relinquishment of the country designated. The Indians were assembled early in the year 1783, in the vicinity of Robertson's Station, where a treaty was concluded. In this treaty, the Chickasâs, for and in consideration of certain amounts to them paid, agreed to cede and relinquish to the State of North Carolina an extensive region of country extending nearly forty miles south of the Cumberland River, to the dividing ridge between the tributaries of that river and those of Duck and Elk Rivers. This cession, subsequently confirmed by the treaty of Hopewell, in the year * See Winterbotham's America, vol. ii., p. 27. |