by settlers, because as a matter of fact it was held in adverse possession by the Indians, under Spanish protection.  It was claimed by the Georgians, and its cession was sought by the United States Government, so that there was much uncertainty as to the title, which could in consequence be cheaply secured.  Wilkinson, Brown, Innes, and other Kentuckians, had applied to the Spaniards to be allowed to take these lauds and hold them, in their own interests, but on behalf of Spain, and against the United States.  The application had not been granted, and the next effort was of a directly opposite character, the adventurers this time proposing, as they could not hold the territory as armed subjects of Spain, to wrest it from Spain by armed entry after getting title from Georgia.  In other words, they were going to carry on war as a syndicate, the military operations for the occupation of the ceded territory being part of the business for which the company was organized.  Their relations with the Union were doubtless to be determined by the course of events.

    The South Carolina Yazoo Company.

This company was the South Carolina Yazoo Company.  In 1789 several companies were formed to obtain from the Georgia Legislature grants of the western territory which Georgia asserted to be hers.  One, the Virginia Company, had among its incorporators Patrick Henry, and received a grant of nearly 20,000 square miles, but accomplished nothing.  Another, the Tennessee Company, received a grant of what is now most of northern Alabama, and organized a body of men under the leadership of an adventurer named Zachariah Cox, who drifted down the Tennessee in flat-boats to take possession, and repeated the attempt more than once.  They were, however, stopped, partly by Blount, and partly by the Indians.  The South Carolina Yazoo Company made the most serious effort to get possession of the coveted territory.  Its grant included about 15,000 square miles in what is now middle Mississippi and Alabama; the nominal price being 67,000 dollars.  One of the prime movers in this company was a man named Walsh, who called himself Washington, a person of unsavory character, who, a couple of years later, was hung at Charleston for passing forged paper money in South Carolina.  All these companies had hoped to pay the very small prices they were asked for the lands in the depreciated currency of Georgia; but they never did make the full payments or comply with the conditions of the grants, which therefore lapsed.

    Its Abortive Efforts in Kentucky.

Before this occurred the South Carolina Yazoo Company had striven to take possession of its purchase by organizing a military expedition to go down the Mississippi from Kentucky.  For commander of this expedition choice was made of a Revolutionary soldier named James O’Fallon, who went to Kentucky, where he married Clark’s sister.  He entered into relations with Wilkinson, who drew him into the tangled web of