2o The Winning of the West 



Cumberland stations was Mansker's (usually called 

 Kasper's or Gaspers he was not particular how his 

 name was spelled), Stone River, Bledsoe's, Freed- 

 land's, Eatons', Clover-Bottom, and Fort Union. 



As the country where they had settled belonged 

 to no tribe of Indians, some of the people thought 

 they would not be molested, and, being eager to 

 take up the best lands, scattered out to live on sepa 

 rate claims. Robertson warned them that they would 

 soon suffer from the savages; and his words speed 

 ily came true whereupon the outlying cabins were 

 deserted and all gathered within the stockades. In 

 April roving parties of Delawares, Chickasaws, and 

 Choctaws began to harass the settlement. As in 

 Kentucky, so on the banks of the Cumberland, the 

 Indians were the first to begin the conflict. The 

 lands on which the whites settled were uninhabited, 

 and were claimed as hunting-grounds by many hos 

 tile tribes ; so that it is certain that no one tribe had 

 any real title to them. 



True to their customs and traditions, and to their 

 race-capacity for self-rule, the settlers determined 

 forthwith to organize some kind of government un 

 der which justice might be done among themselves, 

 and protection afforded against outside attack. Not 

 only had the Indians begun their ravages, but turbu 

 lent and disorderly whites were also causing trouble. 

 Robertson, who had been so largely instrumental in 

 founding the Watauga settlement, and giving it 

 laws, naturally took the lead in organizing this, the 

 second community which he had caused to spring 



