Louisiana and Aaron Burr 193 



cutta, the chief of the Upper Cherokees. He tried 

 to keep his people at peace, and repeatedly warned 

 the whites of impending attacks. Nevertheless, he 

 was unwilling or unable to stop by force the war 

 parties of Creeks and Lower Cherokees who came 

 through his towns to raid against the settlements 

 and who retreated to them again when the raids 

 were ended. Many of his young men joined the 

 bands of horse-thieves and scalp-hunters. The ma- 

 rauders wished to embroil him with the whites, and 

 were glad that the latter should see the bloody trails 

 leading back to his towns. For two years after the 

 signing of the treaty of Holston the war parties thus 

 passed and repassed through his country, and re- 

 ceived aid and comfort from his people, and 

 yet the whites refrained from taking vengeance; 

 but the vengeance was certain to come in the 

 end. 



In March, 1793, Scolacutta's nearest neighbor, 

 an Indian living next door to him in his own town, 

 and other Indians of the nearest towns, joined one 

 of the war parties which attacked the settlements 

 and killed two unarmed lads. 75 The Indians did 

 nothing to the murderers, and the whites forbore to 

 attack them ; but their patience was nearly exhausted. 

 In June following a captain, John Beard, with fifty 

 mounted riflemen, fell in with a small party of In- 

 dians who had killed several settlers. He followed 

 their trail to Scolacutta's town, where he slew eight 



15 American State Papers, Blount's letter, March 20, 1793. 

 Scolacutta was usually known to the whites as Hanging Maw. 

 VOL. VIII. 9 



