dealt the Indians in this campaign, that it put an end to the serious Indian troubles in the settlement. General Robertson was severely criticized by the government, and as a result offered his resignation as brigadier general. But it was never accepted, and within a short while the whole matter was dropped.

CHAPTER VI

JOHN SEVIER'S LAST INDIAN CAMPAIGN

When Tennessee became a territory of the United States, John Sevier was appointed brigadier general and given the command of the troops of East Tennessee. Here as in Middle Tennessee Indian outrages were almost unbearable. They became so bad that in the year 1793 General Sevier was given authority to do what the people had long desired, that is, to go into the Indian country and wage a bitter war against them.

In September, 1793, General Sevier at the head of an army of about 700, crossed the Little Tennessee River, and made a rapid march till he reached an Indian village called Estimaula. They burned this village and went in camp nearby. He then marched south to the Indian town called Etowah. This was near the present site of Rome, Georgia. Here he met the Indians in a furious battle. The Indians were routed, many being killed, and the town was destroyed. Sevier lost three men in this battle. Besides doing other things General Sevier took and destroyed nearly three hundred towns belonging to the Indians.

This blow put a stop to Indian outrages in East Tennessee. This was General Sevier's last military campaign, and was the only one of his life for which

he received any compensation. He was in thirtyfive battles and was never wounded, notwithstanding the fact that he always led his soldiers. He never lost a battle. He was careful of the lives of his soldiers; in all of his thirty-five engagements with the enemy he lost only fifty-six men. The secret of his invariable success was the impetuosity and vigor of his charge. Himself an accomplished horseman, a graceful rider, passionately fond of a spirited charger, always well mounted at the head of his dragoons, he was at once in the midst of the fight. His rapid movement, always unexpected and sudden, disconcerted the enemy and at the first onset decided the victory. He was the first to introduce the Indian war-whoop in his battles with the savages, the Tories, or the British. Less harmful than the leaden missile, it was not less effectual, and was always the precursor of victory. The prisoners at King's Mountain said: "We could stand your fighting but your accursed hallooing confused us; we thought the mountains had regiments instead of companies." Sevier's enthusiasm was contagious; he imparted it to his men. He was the idol of the soldiers, and his orders were obeyed cheerfully and executed with precision. In a military service of twenty years, not one instance is known of insubordination on the part of the soldiers, or of discipline by the commander.

When this census was made in 1795, a vote was taken to determine whether the people wished to form a state government. The result of this vote was that 6,504 voted in favor of forming a state government, and 2,562 voted against it. Middle Tennessee for some reason was strongly opposed to the formation of a state government, Davidson County voting more than five to one against it. But General Sevier and East Tennessee were enthusiastically for the new state and it carried by a large majority.