64 MYTHS OF THE CHEROKEK [eth.a.nn.19 



called, concluded a negotiation, locally' known as the "treaty of 

 Coyatec." with the chiefs of the Overliill towns. In spite of references 

 to peace, love, and hrotlicrly friendship, it is very doubtful if the era 

 of good will was in any wise hastened by the so-called treaty, as the 

 Tennesseeans, wlio had just Imrned another Indian town in reprisal for 

 the killing of a white man, announced, without mincing words, that 

 they had been given by North Carolina — against which state, by the 

 way, they were then in organized rebellion —the whole country north 

 of the Tennessee river as far west as the Cumberland mountain, and 

 that they intended to take it "by the sword, which is the best right to 

 all countries." As the whole of this country was within the limits of 

 the territory solemnly guaranteed to the Cherokee by the Hopewell 

 treaty only the year before, the chiefs simply replied that Congress 

 had said nothing to them on the subject, and so the matter rested.' 

 The theoi-y of state's rights was too complicated for the Indian under- 

 standing. 



While this conflict between state and federal authority continued, 

 with the Cherokee lands as the prize, there could be no peace. In 

 March, 178T, a letter from Echota, apparently written by Agent 

 Martin, speaks of a recent expedition against the Cherokee towns, 

 and the confusion and alarm among them in consequence of the daily 

 encroachments of the "Franklinites" or Tennesseeans, who had pro- 

 ceeded to make good their promise by opening a land office for the sale 

 of all the lands southward to Tennessee river, including even a part of the 

 beloved town of Echota. At the same time messengers were coming 

 to the Cherokee from traders in the foreign interest, telling them that 

 England, France, and Spain had combined against the Americans and 

 urging them with promises of guns and ammunition to join in the 

 war." As a result each further advance of the Tennessee settlements, 

 in defiance as it was of iiny recognized treaty, was stubl)ornly con- 

 tested by the Indian owners of the land. The record of these encoun- 

 ters, extending over a period of several years, is too tedious for recital. 

 "Could a diagram be drawn, accurately designating every spot sig- 

 nalized by an Indian massacree. surprise, or depredation, or courageous 

 attack, defense, pursuit, oi' victory 1;)y the whites, or statioii or fort 

 or battlefield, or personal encounter, the whole of that section of 

 country would be studded over with delineations of such incidents. 

 Every spring, ever}' ford, every path, everj' farm, everj' trail, every 

 house nearly, in its first settlement, was once the scene of danger, 

 exposure, attack, exploit, achievement, death. "^ The end was the 

 winning of Tennessee. 



In the meantime the inroads of the Creeks and their Chickamauga 



1 Reports of Tennessee commissioners and replies hy Cherokee chiefs, etc., 1786, in Ramsey, Tennes- 

 see, pp. 343-346, 1853. 

 ^Martin (7) letter of March 25, 1787, ibid., p. 3-59. 

 3 Ibid., p. 370. 



