The French War being over & the Indians at peace, the frontier, which had long been pent up by the war, began to expand. From this point, Ft Chisel, westward, there was a pretty open country, varying in width from 30 to 80 miles for a great distance, (bordered on each side N. & S. by mountainous regions) a good deal of which is now comprised within the counties of Wythe and Washington Va. and Sullivan - Washington and Carter Tenn. Within this region, emigration began, and continued to flow, slowly (once in a while interrupted by Indian wars) & until the outbreak of the Revolution. At this time, the settlements had advanced to the neighborhood of the Long Island of Holston, and formed a kind of peninsula, more than 100 miles from Ft. Chisel.

It may be remarked, that, at this time, there were no settlements to the N. or S. of this whole bounds, except there an there a squatter to hunt etc. Thus isolated, and the war coming on (all the western Indians taking part with the enemy,) they, the Indians, commenced and continued, with short intervals, as desolating war, on those frontiers, for many years. History has told something of those wars, but not one fourth of the suffering and privations. The prowess and daring of these people never can be told. Finding themselves thus situated, far removed from succor, owing to the claims the Government had on all its resources, to support the war against the common enemy they were obligated, of necessity, to rely on themselves alone for protection, annoyed as they were by the Cherokees (then a powerful people, on their front & south quarter) and by the Shawnees and other tribes, no less powerful, on their north. They finally sustained themselves. This was a remarkable race of men, generally poor, but of the enterprising, chivalrous description, and well fitted for the occasion on which, from circumstances, they were called to act. Every man considered himself a soldier - had his horse and his rifle, which he knew well how to use. Always ready to join at short notice, his fellow on any emergency. This was general, all having a common interest, and that the most vital, their homes, their families, and every thing most dear to man.

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One body of them lived immediately on the Tenn. River, south side, say 50 miles up and down. These were called the Lower Settlements. East of them, some 50 miles, and beyond the Unica or great Smoky mountain, commenced the Valley Towns or middle settlements. Beyond this valley, pretty wide, going E., there is a range of hilly, broken country, say 20 miles, was another Settlement, called Over Hills. Thus were they, at the time referred to, located and denominated. These later resided on Tugalo & Senica rivers, and more than 100 miles from East to West, and perhaps 50 or 60 from North to South. These three divisions, altogether, were powerful in numbers, and well skilled in the arts of Savage warfare.

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And I believe, that all the outbreaks of the Cherokees, after Christian's Campaign of 1776, might be traced to the intrusions of the whites.

[Letter dated 7/7/1842 from William Martin to Lyman Draper, Draper Manuscripts, 3 XX [Tennessee Papers] 4]