CHAPTER IV.

EARLY HISTORY--FRANKLAND’S CORRESPONDENCE--ITS STRIFES--ITS DEATH, UPON DEFEAT OF ITS CHIEF--HIS ESCAPE.

“Contention, like a horse Full of high feeding, madly hath broke loose, And bears all down before him.” SHAKS.; _Henry IV_.

“How just soever Our reasons are to remedy our wrongs, We’re yet to leave them to their will and pow’r, That to that purpose have authority.” MASSINGER.

The State of Frankland, although weakened by defections of its former friends at home, still stood with unbroken frame, but over it hung portentous signs of more deadly strife among its citizens and of disaster to itself that might be fatal. In view of them, all aid and support that could properly be had, were important to it. As early as 1784, at Gov. Sevier’s suggestion, the General Assembly had, by a competent diplomatic agent, expressed to the Governor of Georgia, its willingness to unite with that State in a war which threatened to become necessary against the Creek Indians. The Legislature of Georgia gave respectful consideration to the letters, and friendly communications were interchanged in 1787; but the Governor of Georgia, while acknowledging gratefully the readiness of the Frankland government to co-operate as desired, was prudent to limit his assurances of reciprocal service to his power, and to consistency with the interests of the State of Georgia and its paramount duty to the United States. Less reserve of sentiment was shown by prominent citizens of Georgia. They spoke in warm praise of the zeal for liberty manifested by the Franks, and of the independent State they had organized. Sevier was addressed by letter as its Governor, and in social circles men drank “success to the State of Frankland, His Excellency, Governor Sevier and his virtuous citizens.”

Dr. Benjamin Franklin had a wide reputation for great wisdom concerning public affairs, and Gov. Sevier wrote to him for advice as to the new State. He replied from Philadelphia, June 30, 1787, acknowledging the honor done him by “His Excellency and Council.” “There are two things,” he said, “which humanity induces me to wish you may succeed in: the accommodating your misunderstanding with the government of North Carolina, and the avoiding an Indian war by preventing encroachments on their lands. Such encroachments are the more unjustifiable, as these people in the fair way of purchase, usually give very good bargains, and in one year’s war with them you may suffer a loss of property and be put to an expense vastly exceeding in value what would have contented them perfectly in fairly buying the lands they can spare.... I have no doubt of the good disposition of your government to prevent their receiving such injuries; but I know the strongest governments are hardly able to restrain the disorderly people who are generally on the frontiers, from excesses of various kinds, and possibly yours has not as yet acquired sufficient strength for that purpose. It may be well, however, to acquaint those encroachers that the Congress will not justify them in the breach of a solemn treaty; and that if they bring upon themselves an Indian war, they will not be supported in it. I will endeavor to inform myself more perfectly of your affairs by enquiry and searching the records of Congress; and if anything should occur to me that I think may be useful to you, you shall hear from me thereupon.

“I conclude with repeating my wish that you may amicably settle your difficulty with North Carolina. The inconvenience to your people of attending so remote a seat of government, and the difficulty to that government in ruling well so remote a people, would, I think, be powerful inducements to it to accede to any fair and reasonable propositions it may receive from you, if the Cession Act had now passed.”

The course of events in the last months of 1787 moved rapidly towards their definite conclusion. John Sevier was still addressed in letters by Dr. Franklin and the Governor of Georgia as Governor of Frankland. While the eminent, philanthropic statesman persuaded to a policy of peace,--the fruit of fair dealing with the Indians; the Legislature of Georgia passed an Act to levy three thousand of its own citizens for war with the Creeks as irreconcilable enemies, and Gov. Mathews sent a copy of that Act to Gov. Sevier with the request for fifteen hundred men from Frankland to assist in the campaign. Gov. Sevier yielded to this solicitation, and about the end of the year gave orders for arraying his militia.

Meanwhile the rival Governments proceeded with their respective affairs in the disputed territory. The Legislature of Frankland met at Greeneville in September, 1787. It appointed two prominent citizens to represent it before the North Carolina General Assembly, to which members were elected from all the western counties. That Assembly met in November, offered anew to all who had departed from their allegiance full pardon and restoration to citizenship, and passed other lenient measures relating to non-compliance with the State revenue laws and delay in reporting taxable property. A proof of the waning fortunes of Frankland was given in the acceptance of a Superior Court Judgeship for the West by David Campbell under an appointment from the North Carolina Legislature at that session. He had been a member of the Convention of 1784 that led to the formation of the new State, and of the Convention in 1785 to frame a Constitution, and had also been a Judge of its Superior Court by election of the Legislature in 1785: and his consent to serve its adversary at such a juncture, though it brought upon him severe reproach for desertion, in one instance directly from Gen. White, a fast friend of Frankland, nevertheless tended to convince some that he had left “a sinking ship.”

At the same time the internal dissension drew near its crisis. Late in the year 1787, a writ of _fieri facias_ had been issued, and early in 1788, the sheriff, under authority of North Carolina, executed it against the estate of Gov. Sevier; visited his farm on the Nolachucky River, carried off his negroes and lodged them securely at the house of his principal foe, Col. John Tipton. Sevier, at the time, was absent from home and near Greene County, providing for defence of the people against a threatened attack by Indians. Hearing of the sheriff’s procedure, he at once rallied to him one hundred and fifty men from the Counties of Greene and Sevier and what is now Blount County, and went with them to the house of Tipton, against whom the fuel of his wrath had but a short time before been freshly kindled by his adversary’s attempt, foiled by Sevier’s absence, to seize his person. Tipton had but fifteen men in his dwelling when the Governor arrived with his militia and a small piece of artillery. It was in the afternoon. Sevier demanded an unconditional surrender, and was answered defiantly, with an expletive. The oral summons to yield was then followed by one in writing. To it Tipton made no reply, but sent it to Col. Maxwell of Sullivan County, with a call for help. Several days passed, but Sevier forbore to make an assault. Messengers successfully escaped from the house to gather recruits, some of whom afterwards made their way into it. The third night a reinforcement of one hundred and eighty men under Col. Maxwell arrived, awaited the break of day and then approached the beleaguered dwelling simultaneously with an attack upon its defenders by the Governor. The recruits fired their guns and dashed forward with a ringing shout that was answered by another from the besieged, and followed by a sally. The united forces triumphed. Sevier’s men were thrown into a panic and fled. Some of them and their one unused piece of artillery were captured. Among the prisoners were two of Sevier’s sons, whom two brothers Webb would have killed in revenge for the death of their brother in the fight, but Tipton prevented them. According to a more dramatic account, Tipton himself was determined to hang the two youths, but was dissuaded by friends, who drew an imaginary picture of his own sons as captives and about to be slain in enmity to their father. He was melted to tears, and with strong self-reproach for his weakness, gave the young men their liberty. Indeed the two parties appear to have been animated throughout the affair by a spirit not altogether unneighborly. Sevier, from the beginning of the troubles, had been disposed to moderation. He sought on this occasion the recovery of his slaves, but delayed, although urged by others, to make an assault. Many of the men on both sides were unarmed, and some having weapons did not load them, or loading them, fired into the air. One of them said: “We did not go there to fight. The men did not try to hit anybody. Most of us went to prevent mischief, and did not intend to let the neighbors kill one another.”

Account is given of only two persons who were killed during the whole encounter, and but two or three were wounded. Right royal citizens were these in carrying on a civil war! Their example of mutual forbearance deserves at least historical transmission. A fatal blow had been received by the Government of Frankland. In May, 1788, the authority of North Carolina was established without dispute over the western counties. Sevier, after his defeat, devoted himself unreservedly to the service of the people against the Indians, and collecting troops led them victoriously into that enemy’s country. While employed in military duties on the frontier, a bench warrant was issued from the Superior Court of North Carolina, at Jonesboro, against him for the crime of high treason. His seizure, arraignment for trial and perhaps his punishment were therefore from that date, reasonably certain; but the time of their occurrence was to be determined by circumstances. His eminence among the men of his day was partly owing to solid and brilliant qualities, which under proper culture would have given him distinction in much less rude society and more peaceful surroundings than those in which he lived. The facts that he served as first Governor of Tennessee three successive terms, and after an interval of a few years, three other terms by election of the people biennially and was then twice chosen a Representative in Congress, are weighty evidences of his ability, as well as his popularity. Judge Haywood, who was the Governor’s contemporary during the latter part of his public life, says that John Sevier “had by nature a talent for acquiring popular favor, ... a friendly demeanor, a captivating address, ... was generous, liberal and hospitable, ... and to crown all, was a soldier. To him it was no secret that in republican government, where the democratic principle is a main ingredient in its composition, the love of the people is substantial power. The frontier people adored him. They called him familiarly ‘Nolachucky Jack.’ Whenever at future elections that name was pronounced, it had the effect of electrical power in prostrating the pretensions of every opposing candidate.”[14]

The State of Frankland was numbered among the things that were and are not. All that remains in this brief narrative is to tell what afterwards befell him who was its faithful head while it survived, in consequence of his official connection with it.

In October, 1788, Sevier returned home from the frontier and appeared openly among the people. At Jonesboro in company with some personal followers, he was charged by a returned soldier with failing to prevent, when he had the power, the murder of certain friendly Indians, and there was a quarrel, followed soon afterwards by another in the vicinity. A door was thus opened to the revival of animosities and to violent procedures against him for grave reasons of State. He was pursued during the night by armed men, was sought for at several houses, and found about sunrise, when he surrendered without resistance. After running the risk of injury from his enemies in the first flush of their wrath, he was led a prisoner to the county town and from there was sent under guard to Morganton, North Carolina. In the journey, his hands were unbound, and he attempted to escape. The earliest historian of Tennessee has been followed by the second in stating that Sevier failed in that attempt and in representing that he was rescued by a few of his friends from the custody of the sheriff, in the presence of the judge, at Morganton: but according to an oral tradition which has been recently published and appears to be authentic, Sevier succeeded in escaping while on the way to that town. The narrative heretofore accepted as accurate beyond doubt, is, in substance, appended, and also, the statement lately made, in contradiction of it.[15]

In November of the same year, the Legislature of North Carolina excluded Sevier from its amnesty to political offenders and from all State offices, but he was elected with great unanimity to the State Senate in August, 1789. Of that body he was admitted as a member--not without a brief delay after his appearance at the capital; and subsequently he was appointed to his former office of Brigadier General of the western counties, now included in East Tennessee.

[Illustration: WILLIAM G. BROWNLOW.]