The Indians, however, desired them to remain. But since
it was illegal to purchase Indian lands, Robertson negotiated a
lease for ten years. In 1775, when Henderson made his purchase
from the Cherokees, at Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga, Robertson
and Sevier, who were present at the sale with other Watauga
commissioners, followed Henderson's example and bought outright
the lands they desired to include in Watauga's domain. In 1776
they petitioned North Carolina for "annexation." As they were
already within North Carolina's bounds, it was recognition rather
than annexation which they sought. This petition, which is the
only Wataugan document to survive, is undated but marked as
received in August, 1776. It is in Sevier's handwriting and its
style suggests that it was composed by him, for in its manner of
expression it has much in common with many later papers from his
pen. That Wataugans were a law-loving community and had formed
their government for the purpose of making law respected is
reiterated throughout the document. As showing the quality of
these first western statemakers, two paragraphs are quoted:
"Finding ourselves on the frontiers, and being apprehensive that
for want of proper legislature we might become a shelter for such
as endeavored to defraud their creditors; considering also the
necessity of recording deeds, wills, and doing other public
business; we, by consent of the people, formed a court for the
purposes above mentioned, taking, by desire of our constituents,
the Virginia laws for our guide, so near as the situation of
affairs would permit.
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