The Indian Wars, 1784-1787 275 



rambling cluster of stout log buildings, on Sinking 

 Creek of the Watauga. Sevier raised a hundred 

 and fifty men and marched to take them back, carry 

 ing a light fieldpiece. Tipton's friends gathered, 

 thirty or forty strong, and a siege began. Sevier 

 hesitated to push matters to extremity by charging 

 home. For a couple of days there was some skir 

 mishing and two or three men were killed or wound 

 ed. Then the county-lieutenant of Sullivan, with 

 a hundred and eighty militia, came to Tipton's res 

 cue. They surprised Sevier's camp at dawn on the 

 last day of February, 26 while the snow was falling 

 heavily; and the Franklin men fled in mad panic, 

 only one or two being slain. Two of Sevier's sons 

 were taken prisoners, and Tipton was with difficulty 

 dissuaded from hanging them. This scrambling 

 fight marked the ignoble end of the State of Frank 

 lin. Sevier fled to the uttermost part of the frontier, 

 where no writs ran, and the rough settlers were de 

 voted to him. Here he speedily became engaged in 

 the Indian war. 



Early in the spring of 1788, the Indians renewed 

 their ravages. 27 The Chickamaugas were the lead 

 ers, but there were among them a few Creeks, and 

 they were also joined by some of the Cherokees 

 proper, goaded to anger by the encroachments of 

 the whites on their lands. Many of the settlers 

 were killed, and the people on the frontier began 



48 State Dept. MSS., No. 150, Vol. III. Armstrong to 

 Wyllys, April 28, 1788. 

 *' Va. State Papers. IV, 396, 432. 



