Louisiana and Aaron Burr 143 



kind. The little Western papers, like those in the 

 East, had their poets' corners, often with the head- 

 ing of "Sacred to the Muses," the poems ranging 

 from "Lines to Myra" and "Epitaph on John Top- 

 ham" to "The Pernicious Consequences of Smok- 

 ing Cigars." In one of the issues of the "Knoxville 

 Gazette" there is advertised for sale a new song by 

 a "gentleman of Col. McPherson's Blues, on a late 

 expedition against the Pennsylvania Insurgents" ; 

 and also, in rather incongruous juxtaposition, "Top- 

 lady's Translation of Zanchi on Predestination." 



Settlers were thronging into East Tennessee, and 

 many penetrated even to the Indian-harassed west- 

 ern district. In traveling to the western parts the 

 immigrants generally banded together in large par- 

 ties, led by some man of note. Among those who 

 arrived in 1792 was the old North Carolina Indian 

 fighter, General Griffith Rutherford. He wished 

 to settle on the Cumberland, and to take thither all 

 his company, with a large number of wagons, and 

 he sent to Blount begging that a road might be cut 

 through the wilderness for the wagons; or, if this 

 could not be done, that some man would blaze the 

 route, "in which case," said he, "there would be 

 hands of our own that could cut as fast as wagons 

 could march." 11 



In 1794, there being five thousand free male in- 

 habitants, as provided by law, Tennessee became 

 entitled to a Territorial Legislature, and the Gov- 

 ernor summoned the Assembly to meet at Knoxville 



11 Blount MSS., Rutherford to Blount, May 25, 1792. 



