35 8 The Winning of the West 



five scalps 70 ; at any rate the South Carolina Legisla- 

 ture had offered a reward of 75 for every warrior's 

 scalp, as well as 100 for every Indian, and 80 

 for every tory or negro, taken prisoner. 71 But the 

 troops were forbidden to sell their prisoners as 

 slaves not a needless injunction, as is shown by the 

 fact that when it was issued there had already been 

 at least one case in Williamson's own army where a 

 captured Indian was sold into bondage. 



The Virginian troops had meanwhile been slowly 

 gathering at the Great Island of the Holston, under 

 Colonel William Christian, preparatory to assault- 

 ing the Overhill Cherokees. While they were as- 

 sembling the Indians threatened them from time to 

 time ; once a small party of braves crossed the river 

 and killed a soldier near the main post of the army, 

 and also killed a settler; a day or two later an- 

 other war-party slipped by toward the settlements, 

 but on being pursued by a detachment of militia 

 faced about and returned to their town. 72 On the 

 first of October the army started, two thousand 

 strong, 73 including some troops from North Caro- 

 lina, and all the gunmen who could be spared from 

 the little stockaded hamlets scattered along the Wa- 



70 Do., p. 990; Bray ton puts the total Cherokee loss at two 

 hundred. 



71 Do., Vol. Ill, p. 33. 



72 These two events took place on September 26th and 2gth ; 

 "Am. Archives," 5th Series, Vol. II, p. 540. Ramsey is thus 

 wrong in saying no white was killed on this expedition. 



73 McAfee MSS. ; one of the McAfees went along and pre- 

 served a rough diary of dates. 



