The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 207 



plained that among them were many knaves and 

 outlaws from every State in the Union, who flew to 

 the frontier as to a refuge; while even those who 

 did not share this distrust admitted that the fact 

 that the people in Kentucky came from many dif 

 ferent States helped to make them discontented with 

 Virginia. 17 



In Georgia the conditions were much as they were 

 on the Ohio. Georgia was a frontier State, with 

 the ambitions and the lawlessness of the frontier; 

 and the backwoodsmen felt toward her as they did 

 toward no other member of the old Thirteen. Soon 

 after Clark established his garrison in Vincennes, 

 various inflammatory letters were circulated in the 

 Western country, calling for action against both the 

 central government and the Spaniards, and appeal 

 ing for sympathy and aid both to the Georgians and 

 to Sevier's insurrectionary State of Franklin. 

 Among others, a Kentuckian wrote from Louisville 

 to Georgia, bitterly complaining about the failure 

 of the United States to open the Mississippi; de 

 nouncing the Federal Government in extravagant 

 language, and threatening hostilities against the 

 Spaniards, and a revolt against the Continental Con 

 gress. 18 This letter was intercepted, and, of course, 

 increased still more the suspicion felt about Clark's 

 motives, for though Clark denied that he had actu- 



11 Draper MSS. Clark Papers, Walter Darrell to William 

 Fleming, April 14, 1783. 



18 Do., Letter of Thomas Green to the Governor of Georgia, 

 December 23, 1786. 



