herokees had gathered at the
towns and were preparing to invade the Cumberland settlements. The best
way to meet them was by a stroke in advance, and he determined to send
an expedition against them in their strongholds. There was no question
whatever as to the hostility of the Indians, for at this very time
settlers were being killed by war parties throughout the Cumberland
country. Some Kentuckians, under Colonel Whitley, had joined the
Tennesseeans, who were nominally led by a Major Ore; but various
frontier fighters, including Kaspar Mansker, were really as much in
command as was Ore. Over five hundred mounted riflemen, bold of heart
and strong of hand, marched toward the Chickamauga towns, which contained
some three hundred warriors. When they came to the Tennessee they spent
the entire night in ferrying the arms across and swimming the horses;
they used bundles of dry cane for rafts, and made four "bull-boats" out
of the hides of steers. They passed over unobserved and fell on the towns
of Nickajack and Running Water, taking the Indians completely by surprise;
they killed fifty-five warriors and captured nineteen squaws and children.
In the entire expedition but one white man was killed and three wounded.
[Footnote: Robertson MSS., Robertson to Blount, Oct. 8, 1794; Blount to
Robertson, Oct. 1, 1794, Sept. 9, 1794 (in which Blount expresses the
utmost disapproval of Robertson's conduct, and says he will not send on
Robertson's original letter to Philadelphia, for fear it will get him
into a scrape; and requests him to send a formal report which can be
forwarded); _Knoxville Gazette_, Sept. 26, 1794; Brown's Narrative.]

This Brings the Cherokees to Terms.

Not only the Federal authorities, but Blount himself, very much
disapproved of this expedition; nevertheless, it was right and proper,
and produced excellent effects. In no other way could the hostile towns
have been brought to reason. It was followed by a general conference
with the Cherokees at Tellico Blockhouse. Scolacutta appeared for the
Upper, and Watts for the Lower Cherokee Towns. Watts admitted that "for
their folly" the Lower Cherokees had hitherto refused to make peace, and
remarked frankly, "I do not say they did not deserve the chastisement
they received." Scolacutta stated that he could not sympathize much with
the Lower Towns, saying, "their own conduct brought destruction upon
them. The trails of murderers and thieves was followed to those t