i jo The Winning of the West 



der the militia under no circumstances to assume the 

 offensive, or to cross into the Indian hunting grounds 

 beyond the boundaries established by the treaty of 

 Holston. 47 The inhabitants of the Cumberland re- 

 gion, and of the frontier counties generally, peti- 

 tioned strongly against this, stating that "the fron- 

 tiers will break if the inroads of the savages are not 

 checked by counter expeditions." 48 It was a very 

 disagreeable situation for Blount, who, in carrying 

 out the orders of the Federal authorities, had to 

 incur the ill-will of the people whom he had been ap- 

 pointed to govern; but even at the cost of being 

 supposed to be lukewarm in the cause of the settlers, 

 he loyally endeavored to execute the commands of 

 his superiors. Yet like every other man acquainted 

 by actual experience with frontier life and Indian 

 warfare, he knew the folly of defensive war against 

 Indians. At this very time the officers on the fron- 

 tier of South Carolina, which was not a State that 

 at all inclined to unjust aggression against the In- 

 dians, notified the Governor that the defensive war 

 was "expensive, hazardous, and distressing" to the 

 settlers, because the Indians "had such advantages, 

 being so wolfish in their manner and so savage in 

 their nature," that it was impossible to make war 

 upon them on equal terms if the settlers were con- 

 fined to defending themselves in their own country, 

 whereas a speedy and spirited counter-attack upon 

 them in their homes would probably reduce them to 



41 Robertson MSS., Blount to Robertson, April i, 1792. 

 48 Do., Feb. i, 1792. 



