The War in the Northwest 47 



had seen that justice was done between man and 

 man, had provided for defence against the outside 

 foe, and had striven to prevent any wrongs being 

 done to neutral or allied powers. When they be 

 came magistrates of a county of North Carolina 

 they continued to act on the lines they had already 

 marked out. The increase of population had brought 

 an increase of wealth. The settlers were still fron 

 tiersmen, clad in buckskin or homespun, with raw 

 hide moccasins, living in log-cabins, and sleeping 

 under bearskins on beds made of buffalo hides ; but 

 as soon as they ventured to live on their clearings 

 the ground was better tilled, corn became abundant 

 and cattle and hogs increased as the game dimin 

 ished. Nashborough began to look more like an or 

 dinary little border town. 11 



During this year Robertson carried on some cor 

 respondence with the Spanish governor at New 

 Orleans, Don Estevan Miro. This was the begin 

 ning of intercourse between the Western settlers 

 and the Spanish officers, an intercourse which was 

 absolutely necessary, though it afterward led to 

 many intrigues and complications. Robertson was 

 obliged to write to Miro not only to disclaim re 

 sponsibility for the piratical deeds of men like Col 

 bert, but also to protest against the conduct of cer 

 tain of the Spanish agents among the Creeks and 

 Chickamaugas. No sooner had hostilities ceased 



11 The justices built a court-house and jail of hewed logs, 

 the former eighteen feet square, with a lean-to or shed of 

 twelve feet on one side. The contracts for building were let 

 out at vendue to the lowest bidder. 



