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The success that Sevier and his
followers had in every contest with the
Indians was not sufficient to keep him
inspirited. As one after another of his
supporters in the older settlements of
Franklin fell away and acknowledged
allegiance to North Carolina, he became
despondent, and for a time lost grip of
himself while among the rough fighters
of the lower country. He drank freely.
Added pressure was now brought to bear
upon Sevier. In July, 1788, Governor
Johnston issued an order to the
authorities of Washington District that,
on facts being made to appear, a warrant
issue for his arrest on the charge of
treason to the State of North Carolina,
the military force to aid if necessary.
Such order coming to Judge Campbell, he
withheld action, he being so close to
Sevier and his former conduct as to
render adverse action unseemly if not
openly hostile. The matter laid over
until the arrival from across the
mountains of Judge Samuel Spencer, who
issued the required writ.
Early in October Sevier resolved to
visit Jonesborough. On the 9th a council
of the Carolina militia officers was
held in that village to consult as to
the feasibility of a second campaign
against the Chickamaugas, General
Martin, Colonel Tipton, Colonel Love and
others attending. Sevier late in the
afternoon of the same day appeared in
the little town, and in an ugly mood.
The council had adjourned and Tipton had
left for his home ten miles away. Sevier
engaged in a wordy altercation with
Major David Craig and David Deaderick, a
merchant. After nightfall he rode to the
house of the widow of one of his old
captains, Jacob Brown, to spend the
night. News of his presence was borne to
Tipton who left his home to collect a
force of ten men to effect Sevier's
arrest. This group went first to the
house of Colonel Charles Robertson, who
was then living five miles south of
Jonesborough. There, however, on
thorough search of the house, they
failed to find the governor. The
pursuers went next to Mrs. Brown's,
reaching there about sunrise.
Recognizing Tipton and seeing that his
party was armed, Mrs. Brown seated
herself in the front doorway to obstruct
Tipton who endeavored to force a
passage. The bustle roused Sevier from
slumber; looking out and seeing Colonel
Love who had attached himself to
Tipton's party, he opened a door and
surrendered to Love. Tipton, upon seeing
Sevier, was greatly enraged and swore
that he would hang the prisoner. He
ordered Sevier to get his horse to go to
Jones- borough. On reaching that place,
by Tipton's command iron handcuffs were
put on Sevier, who now asked Love to
intercede to prevent his being carried
across the mountains, far away from
family and friends. Love urged upon
Tipton that this would be bad policy as
Sevier's friends would undoubtedly
attempt a rescue and bring on a serious
conflict. Under Tipton's orders a deputy
sheriff with two other guards, started
with Sevier for Morganton, North
Carolina, to be carried farther east if
it should be thought necessary. Colonel
Love traveled with the party as far as
his estate in the Greasy Cove and
treated the prisoner with consideration
and kindness.
As the guard and prisoner passed through
Burke county, the McDowell neighborhood
was reached. Colonel Charles McDowell,
who with his companions had been given
shelter under Sevier's roof when harried
and driven to cover in 178o by the
British forces, and Joseph McDowell, a
comrade-in-arms of Sevier in more than
one battle of the Revolution, went with
the prisoner to Morganton and became
sureties on a bail bond until Sevier
procured a Caro-. lina kinsman who could
sign as surety for his appearance. Court
was in session and Sevier attended as
his bond required.
By this time a group of Sevier's
relatives and friends had crossed the
mountains intent upon a rescue. Joseph
Sevier, the governor's brother, John
Sevier, Junior, Nathaniel Evans, George
North, James Cozby, Jesse Green and
William Matlock composed the party.
After crossing the mountains they
separated and went into Morganton
singly. They went to a tavern where they
found Sevier in company with Major
Joseph McDowell. They frankly disclosed
that they had come for him and that he
must go. After tarrying for an hour or
two, Sevier ordered his horse and all
openly rode out of town headed for the
mountains.
The sheriff of the county, William
Morrison, himself a participant in the
battle of King's Mountain, did not order
a pursuit.1
After reaching home, Sevier was
constrained to write a letter (October
3oth) to the Carolina Assembly, soon to
convene, protesting against the "rigid
persecution carried on to gratify the
ambition and malice of an obscure and
worthless individual"; and saying that,
in opposition to the Constitution and
laws of that State, he had been
subjected to wanton cruelty and savage
insults and borne out of the district
for trial at a distance from his
neighbors who could best judge of his
innocence or his guilt.2
Towards the end of the year, so full of
strife between Sevier and his opponents
and of bloody battles with the redmen,
the murk lifted at last to bring into
view a pleasing scene of frontier life.
On his return from Morganton large
numbers of Sevier's friends and
acquaintances, whole families, without
preconcert paid him a visit of cheer and
welcome at his Mount Pleasant home where
at all times unstinted hospitality was
dispensed by his wife, "Bonny Kate." The
horses of all who came from distant
points were turned into the cornfield,
and all gave themselves over to
gaieties. "An old fiddler from Virginia,
of the name of Black, happened along at
the time, and Colonel Sevier got the old
musician to tune up his violin, and for
nearly a week it was a jubilee. Colonel
Sevier led off in the old country
dances, such as 'The White Cockade' and
'The Flower of Edinburgh.'
Sevier liked to make others happy and
mingled with young and old—the life of
all. The bright-eyed fair ones lent
helping hands in providing substantials
and luxuries for the table."
While Sevier was yet held at Morganton,
the Indians made an attack on
Gillespie's Fort, below the mouth of
Little river on Holston, about eight
miles from the present Knoxville. An
onslaught was made at sunrise of October
17th, by above two hundred Cherokees and
Creeks, under the command of John Watts
(Kunoskeskie). The small garrison was
overpowered after a short resistance,
ammunition being expended; and
twenty-eight persons, mostly women and
children were killed.3 The
Indians left behind a letter addressed
to Sevier and Martin and "the
inhabitants of the New State" in which
the reasons for their attack were given.4
Stark terror ran through the frontier
south of the French Broad. An appeal for
succor went to Colonel Daniel Kennedy,
of Greene, who in turn wrote urgently to
Colonel John Tipton, of Washington
County: "The Indians are a thousand
strong and reinforced by a large body of
Creeks; they intend driving all the
white people out of this country. . . .
I hope you will exert yourself on this
occasion, so very important and
distressing. The stations are, chiefly,
evacuated south of the French Broad and
the road crowded with women and children
making their escape, many of them on
foot, who have lost all but their lives.
The women carry their tender babies in
their arms. . . . The inhabitants are in
great want of provisions."5
Sevier returned to the southern border
settlements, and in December conceived a
design to acquire from the friendly
Chickasaw Indians the lease of a body of
land on the lower reaches of the
Tennessee river, and to colonize it.6
He counted largely on the cooperation of
the inhabitants south of the French
Broad river for settlers. The scheme was
abandoned when he was able to descry not
far off a turn in the tide of adversity.
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1 Based, for the most part,
on the account of John Sevier, Jr., to
Draper, in Draper's MSS. The alternative
account given by Ramsey (p. 428), based
on the William Smith MS., while
picturesque, is not authentic.
2 N. C. State Records, XXII,
697.
3 Letter of October 25th, in
Georgia State Gazette, of Dec. 27, 1788.
4 Ramsey, 519. Forty-two
killed and taken prisoners. D. Kennedy's
account, Oct. 22, 1788.
5 From Evan's Ferry, Oct.
22nd. N. C. Hist. Corn. MSS. Kennedy
took the lead in sending a memorial to
the N. C. General Assembly asking
military aid from the State.
6 North Carolina State
Records, XXII, 719, et seq.
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