198 The Winning of the West 



self, very much disapproved of this expedition; 

 nevertheless, it was right and proper, and produced 

 excellent effects. In no other way could the hostile 

 towns have been brought to reason. It was fol- 

 lowed by a general conference with the Cherokees 

 at Tellico Block-house. Scolacutta appeared for the 

 Upper, and Watts for the Lower, Cherokee Towns. 

 Watts admitted that "for their folly" the Lower 

 Cherokees had hitherto refused to make peace, and 

 remarked frankly, "I do not say they did not de- 

 serve the chastisement they received." Scolacutta 

 stated that he could not sympathize much with the 

 Lower Towns, saying, "their own conduct brought 

 destruction upon them. The trails of murderers and 

 thieves was followed to those towns . . . Their bad 

 conduct drew the white people on me, who injured 

 me nearly unto death. . . . All last winter I was 

 compelled to lay in the woods by the bad conduct of 

 my own people drawing war on me." At last the 

 Cherokees seemed sincere in their desire for peace. 81 

 These counter-attacks served a double purpose. 

 They awed the hostile Cherokees; and they forced 

 the friendly Cherokees, for the sake of their own 

 safety, actively to interfere against the bands of hos- 

 tile Creeks. A Cherokee chief, The Stallion, and 

 a number of warriors, joined with the Federal sol- 

 diers and Tennessee militia in repulsing the Creek 

 war parties. They acted under Blount's directions, 

 and put a complete stop to the passage of hostile In- 



81 Robertson MSS., Blount's Minutes of Conference held 

 with Cherokees, Nov. 7 and 8, 1794, at Tellico Block-house. 



