80 MYTHS OF THE CHEKOKEE [eth.axn.19 



The Creeks were still hostile and continued their inroads upon the 

 western settlements. Early in January, 1795, Governor Hlount held 

 another eonference with the Cherokee and endeavored to pei'suade 

 them to organize a company of their young men to patrol the frontier 

 against the Creeks, but to this proposal the chiefs refused to consent.' 



In the next j'ear it was discovered that a movement wa.s on foot to 

 take possession of certain Indian lands south of the Cumberland on 

 pretense of authority formerly granted by North Carolina for the 

 relief of Revolutionary soldiers. As such action would almost surely 

 have resulted in another Indian war. Congress interposed, on the rep- 

 resentation of President Washington, with an act for the regulation of 

 intercourse between citizens of the United States and the various 

 Indian tribes. Its main purpose was to prevent intrusion upon lands 

 to which the Indian title had not been extinguished ])y treaty with the 

 general government, and under its provisions a number of squatters 

 were ejected from the Indian country and removed across the boundary. 

 The pressure of border sentiment, however, was constantly for extend- 

 ing the area of white settlement and the result was an immediate agita- 

 tion to procure another treaty cession." 



In consequence of urgent representations from the people of Ten- 

 nessee, Congress took steps in 1797 for procuring a new treaty with 

 the Cherokee bj^ which the ejected settlers might be I'einstated and the 

 l)oundaries of the new state so extended as to bring about closer com- 

 munication between the eastern settlements and those on the Cumlier- 

 land. Th(^ Revolutionary warfare had forced the Cherokee west and 

 south, and their capital and central gathering place was now Ustanali 

 town, near the present Calhoun, Georgia, while Echota, their ancient 

 capital and lieloved peace town, was almost on the edge of the white 

 settlements. The commissioners wished to have the proceedings con- 

 ducted at Echota, while the Cherokee favored Ustanali. After some 

 debate a choice was made of a conv^enient place near Tellico block- 

 house, where the conference opened in July, but was brought to an 

 abrupt close by the peremptory refusal of the Cherokee to sell any 

 lands or to permit the return of the ejected settlers. 



The rest of the summer was spent in negotiation along the lines 

 already proposed, and on October 2, 1798, a treaty, commonly known 

 as the "tirst treaty of Tellico," was concluded at the same place, and 

 was signed by thirty-nine chiefs on behalf of the Cherokee. By this 

 treaty the Indians ceded a tract between Clinch river and the Cumber- 

 land ridge, anotiier along the northern bank of Little Tennessee 

 extending up to Chilhowee mountain, and a third in North Carolina on 

 the heads of French Broad and Pigeon rivers and including the sites 



1 Royoe, Clierokoe Nation. Fifth Ann. Rep. Bureau of Ethnology, p. 173, 1888. 

 = Ibid.,pp.l74,175; Ramsey, Tennessee, pp. 679-685, 1853. 



