204 The Winning of the West 



towered head and shoulders above the rest in im- 

 portance and merit especial mention; for they were 

 destined for the next thirty years to play the chief 

 parts in the history of that portion of the Southwest 

 which largely through their own efforts became the 

 State of Tennessee. These two men, neither of 

 them yet thirty years of age, were John Sevier and 

 James Robertson. 16 



Robertson first came to the Watauga early in 

 I77O. 17 He had then been married for two years, 

 and had been "learning his letters and to spell" 

 from his well-educated wife; for he belonged to a 

 backwoods family, even poorer than the average, 

 and he had not so much as received the rudimentary 

 education that could be acquired at an "old-field" 

 school. But he was a man of remarkable natural 

 powers, above the medium height, 18 with wiry, ro- 

 bust form, light-blue eyes, fair complexion, and 



16 Both were born in Virginia; Sevier in Rockingham 

 County, September 23, 1745, and Robertson in Brunswick 

 County, June 28, 1742. 



17 Putnam, p. 21 ; who, however, is evidently in error in 

 thinking he was accompanied by Boone, as the latter was 

 then in Kentucky. A recent writer revives this error in 

 another form, stating that Robertson accompanied Boone to 

 the Watauga in 1769. Boone, however, left on his travels on 

 May i, 1769, and in June was in Kentucky; whereas Putnam 

 not only informs us definitely that Robertson went to the 

 Watauga for the first time in 1770, but also mentions that 

 when he went his eldest son was already born, and this event 

 took place in June, 1769, so that it is certain Boone and Rob- 

 ertson were not together. 



18 The description of his looks is taken from the statements 

 of his descendants, and of the grandchildren of his contem- 

 poraries. 



