Ravages in Cumberland Country.

The most dangerous marauders were some Creek and Cherokee warriors who had built a town on the Coldwater, a tributary of the Tennessee near the Muscle Shoals, within easy striking distance of the Cumberland settlements.  This town was a favorite resort of French traders from the Illinois and Wabash, who came up the Tennessee in bateaux.  They provided the Indians with guns and ammunition, and in return often received goods plundered from the Americans; and they at least indirectly and in some cases directly encouraged the savages in their warfare against the settlers. [Footnote:  Robertson MSS., Robertson to some French man of note in Illinois, June, 1787.  This is apparently a copy, probably by Robertson’s wife, of the original letter.  In Robertson’s own original letters, the spelling and handwriting are as rough as they are vigorous.]

    Robertson’s Expedition against the Coldwater Town.

Early in June, Robertson gathered one hundred and thirty men and marched against the Coldwater town, with two Chickasaws as guides.  Another small party started at the same time by water, but fell into an ambush, and then came back.  Robertson and his force followed the trail of a marauding party which had just visited the settlements.  They marched through the woods towards the Tennessee until they heard the voice of the great river as it roared over the shoals.  For a day they lurked in the cane on the north side, waiting until they were certain no spies were watching them.  In the night some of the men swam over and stole a big canoe, with which they returned.  At daylight the troops crossed, a few in this canoe, the others swimming with their horses.  After landing, they marched seven miles and fell on the town, which was in a ravine, with cornfields round about.  Taken by surprise, the warriors, with no effective resistance, fled to their canoes.  The white riflemen thronged after them.  Most of the warriors escaped, but over twenty were slain; as were also four or five French traders, while half a dozen Frenchmen and one Indian squaw were captured.  All the cabins were destroyed, the live stock was slain, and much plunder taken.  The prisoners were well treated and released; but on the way home another party of French traders were encountered, and their goods were taken from them.  The two Chickasaws were given their full share of all the plunder.

This blow gave a breathing spell to the Cumberland settlements.  Robertson at once wrote to the French in the Illinois country, and also to some Delawares, who had recently come to the neighborhood, and were preserving a dubious neutrality.  He explained the necessity of their expedition, and remarked that if any innocent people, whether Frenchmen or Indians, had suffered in the attack, they had to blame themselves; they were in evil company, and the assailants could not tell the good from the bad.  If any Americans had been there, they would have suffered just the