196 The Winning of the West 



to the Cherokee towns. Thither Sevier followed 

 them, and went entirely through the Cherokee coun- 

 try to the land of the Creeks, burning the towns and 

 destroying the stores of provisions. He marched 

 with his usual quickness, and the Indians were never 

 able to get together in sufficient numbers to oppose 

 him. When he crossed High Tower River there 

 was a skirmish, but he soon routed the Indians, kill- 

 ing several of their warriors, and losing himself but 

 three men killed and three wounded. He utterly 

 destroyed a hostile Creek town, the chief of which 

 was named Buffalo Horn. He returned late in Oc- 

 tober, and after his return the frontiers of Eastern 

 Tennessee had a respite from the Indian ravages. 

 Yet Congress refused to pay his militia for the time 

 they were out, because they had invaded the Indian 

 country instead of acting on the defensive. 79 



To chastise the Upper Cherokee Towns gave re- 

 lief to the settlements on the Holston, but the chief 

 sinners were the Chickamaugas of the Lower Chero- 

 kee Towns, and the chief sufferers were the Cumber- 

 land settlers. The Cumberland people were irritated 

 beyond endurance, alike by the ravages of these In- 

 dians and by the conduct of the United States in 

 forbidding them to retaliate. In September, 1794, 

 they acted for themselves. Early in the month Rob- 

 ertson received certain information that a large body 

 of Creeks and Lower Cherokees had gathered at the 

 towns and were preparing to invade the Cumber- 



19 Robertson MSS., Blount to Robertson, Oct. 29, 1793; 

 "Knoxville Gazette." Oct. 12 and Nov. 23, 1793. 



