MOONEY] KUTIIKHKOUd's UoI'TK 205 



United States, but met a patriotic refusal, llaviiif; been (•i>niniissi()ue(l a lirifjailier- 

 fieneral in ITiU), he eontinued to oriranize canipaisns, resist invasions, anil nej^otiate 

 treaties until the final elose of the Indian wars in Tennessee, lleafterward heldtlie 

 appointment of Indian eonnnissioner to the Chickasaw and Choctaw. See Kamsey, 

 Tennessee; Roosevelt, Winniut; of Ihe West; .\ppli'ton'h Cvclopiedia of .Vmeriian 

 Biograjihy. 



(16) General Griffith Rutiiekfori) (p. 4.S): Althoufih this Revolutionary offi- 

 cer commanded the greatest expedition ever sent afiainst the Cherokee, with such 

 distinguished success that f)Oth North Carolina and Tennessee have nauied cMuiities 

 in his honor, little appears to be definitely known of his history. He was born in 

 Irelanil about 17.31, and, enngrating to America, settled near Salisbury, North Caro- 

 lina. On the opening of the Revolutionary struggle he became a meml)er of the 

 Provincial Congress an<l Council of Safety. In June, 1776, he was comnussioncd a 

 brigadier-general in the American army, and a few months later led his celebrated 

 ex])edition against the Cherokee, as elsewhere narrated. He rendered other impor- 

 tant service in the Revolution, in one battle being taken prisoner by the British and 

 held by them nearly a year. He afterward served in the state senate of North Caro- 

 lina, and, subsequently removing to Tennessee, W"as for some time a member of its 

 territorial council. He died in Tennessee about 1800. 



(17) Rctherford's route (p. 49): The various Nortli Carolina deluchmcnts 

 which combined to form Rutherford's expedition against the Cherokee in the 

 autumn of 1776 organized at different points about the upper t'atawl)a an<l probably 

 concentrated at Davidson's fort, now Old fort, in McDowell county. Thence, 

 advancing westward closely upon the line of the present Southern railroad and its 

 Western North Carolina branch, the army crossed the Blue ridge over the Swanna- 

 noa gap and went down the Swannanoa to its junction with the French Broad, 

 crossing the latter at the Warrior ford, below the present Asheville; thence up 

 Hominy creek and across the ridge to Pigeon river, crossing it a few miles below the 

 junction of the East and West forks; thence to Richland creek, crossing it just above 

 the present Waynesville; and over the dividing ridge between the pre.sent Haywood 

 and .lackson counties to the head of Scott's creek; thence down that creek liy "a 

 blind path through a very mountainous bail way," as Moore's old narrative has il, 

 to its junction with the Tnckasegee river just below the present Webster; thence, 

 crossing to the west (south) side of the river, the troops followed a main trail down 

 the stream for a few miles until they came to the first Cherokee town, Stekoa, on 

 the site of the farm formerly owned by Colonel William H. Thomas, just above the 

 present railroad village of Whittier, Swain county. North Carolina. After destroying 

 the town a detachment left the main body and pursued the fugitives northward on 

 the other side of the river to Oconaluftee river and Soco creek, getting back afterwan I 

 to the settlements by .steering an easterly course across the mountains to Richland 

 creek (Moore narrative). The main army, under Rutherford, crossed the diviiling 

 ridge to the southward of Whittier and descended Cowee creek to the waters of Little 

 Tennessee, in the present Macon county. After destroying the towns in this vicinity 

 the army ascended Cartoogaja creek, west from the present Franklin, and crossed the 

 Nantahala mountains at Waya gap — where a tight took place — to Nantahala river, 

 probably at the town of the same name, about the pre.sent Jarretts station. From 

 here the march was west across the mountain into the present Cherokee county and 

 down Valley river to its junction with the lliwassee, at the present Mm-phy. 

 Authoritii's: Moore narrative and Wilson letter in North Carolina University Maga- 

 zine, February, 1888; Ramsey, Tennessee, p. 164; Roosevelt, Winning of the West, 

 I, pp. 300-302; Royce, Cherokee map; personal infornuition from Colonel William 

 H. Thomas, Major James Bryson, whose grandf;ithcr was with Kuthcrford. and 

 Cherokee informants. 



(18) Colonel Willi.vm Christh.v (p. 50): Colonel William Christian, some- 



