MoosEY] MASSACRE AT CAVITTS STATION ITlt.'i 75 



Colonels Dohorty :ind McFarhuid crossed over the niouiitaiiis in the 

 suminor of this year and destroyed six of the middle towns, returning 

 with fifteen scalps and as many prisoners.' 



Late in Septemher a stronji' foi'ce estimated at one thousand wai'- 

 riors — seven hundred Creeks and three hundred Cherokee — under Jolm 

 Watts and Doublehead, crossed the Tennessee and advanced in the 

 direction of Knoxville. where the public stores were then de])osited. 

 In their eagerness to reach Knoxville thev passed quietl}' by one or 

 two smaller settlements until within a short distance of the town, when, 

 at daybreak of the 25th, they heard the garrison fire the sunrise gun 

 and imagined that they were discovered. Difi'erences had already 

 broken out among the leaders, and without venturing to advance 

 farther they contented themselves with an attack upon a small block- 

 house a few miles to the west, known as Cavitts station, in which at 

 the time were only three men with thirteen women and children. 

 After defending themselves bravely for some time these suri-endered 

 on promise that they should be held for exchange, but as soon as they 

 came out Doublehead's warriors fell upon them and put them all to 

 death with the exception of a boy, who was saved by John Watts. 

 This bloody deed was entirelj^ the work of Doublehead, the other 

 chiefs having done their best to prevent it.^ 



A force of seven hundred men under (xeneral Sevier was at once put 

 upon their track, with orders this time to push the pursuit into the 

 heart of the Indian nation. Crossing Little Tennessee and Hiwassee 

 they penetrated to Ustairali town, near the present Calhoun, Georgia. 

 Finding it deserted, although well filled with provision, they 

 rested there a few days, the Indians in the meantime attempting 

 a night attack without success. After burning the town, Sevier con- 

 tinued down the river to Etowah town, near the present site of Rome. 

 Here the Indians — Cherokee and Creeks — had dug intrenchments and 

 prepared to make a stand, but, being outflanked, were defeated with 

 loss and compelled to retreat. This town, with several others in the 

 neighborhood belonging to both Cherokee and Creeks, was destroyed, 

 with all the provision of the Indians, including three hundred cattle, 

 after whiih the army took up the homeward mai'ch. The Americans 

 had lost but three men. This was the last military service of Sevier.^ 



During the absence of Sevier's force in the south the Indians made 

 a sudden inroad on the French liroad, near the present Dandridge, 

 killing and scalping a woman and a boy. \\'hile their friends were 

 accompanying the remains to a neighboring burial ground foi' inter- 

 ment, two men who had incautiously gone ahead were fired upon. One 



' Rftmsey, Tennessee, p. 579. 



2Ibid., pp. O80-5S3. 1S53; Smith, letter. September 'J7. 1793. .\meriean State Pupers: Indian Affairs, 

 I, p. Jes. 1832. Ramsey K'ves the Indian force 1.000 \viirrit)rs; Smith says that in many places they 

 marclied in files of '2H abreast, each lile beiiiK supiiosed to number 10 men. 



^Ramsey, op. eil., pp. .5M-.'>H>v. 



