The War in the Northwest 383 



chastisement if they would not keep the peace. 26 

 A threat from Mad Anthony meant something, and 

 the Indians paid at least momentary heed. Geor- 

 gia enjoyed a short respite, which, as usual, the 

 more reckless borderers strove to bring to an end 

 by encroaching on the Indian lands, while the State 

 authorities, on the other hand, did their best to stop 

 not only such encroachments, but also all traveling 

 and hunting in the Indian country, and especially 

 the marking of trees. This last operation, as Gov- 

 ernor Lyman Hall remarked in his proclamation, 

 gave "Great Offence to the Indians/' 27 who thor- 

 oughly understood that the surveys indicated the 

 approaching confiscation of their territory. 



Toward the end of 1783 a definite peace was con- 

 cluded with the Chickasaws, who ever afterward re- 

 mained friendly; 28 but the Creeks, while amusing 

 the Georgians by pretending to treat, let their parties 

 of young braves find an outlet for their energies by 

 assailing the Holston and Cumberland settlements. 29 

 The North Carolina Legislature, becoming impa- 

 tient, passed a law summarily appropriating cer- 

 tain lands that were claimed by the unfortunate 

 Cherokees. The troubled peace was continually 

 threatened by the actions either of ungovernable 

 frontiersmen or of bloodthirsty and vindictive In- 



26 State Department MSS. Letters of Washington, No. 152, 

 Vol. XI, Feb. i, 1782. 



27 Gazette of the State of Georgia, July 10, 1783. 



88 Va. State Papers, III, p. 548. 



89 Do., p. 532. 



