" Dragging Canoe had painted his face black to
carry this message. Thomas now returned with an answer from "the
West Fincastle men," which was so unsatisfactory to the tribe
that war ceremonies were immediately begun. Stuart and Cameron
could no longer influence the Indians. "All that could now be
done was to give them strict charge not to pass the Boundary
Line, not to injure any of the King's faithful subjects, not to
kill any women and children"; and to threaten to "stop all
ammunition" if they did not obey these orders.
The major part of the Watauga militia went out to meet the
Indians and defeated a large advance force at Long Island Flats
on the Holston. The Watauga fort, where many of the settlers had
taken refuge, contained forty fighting men under Robertson and
Sevier. As Indians usually retreated and waited for a while after
a defeat, those within the fort took it for granted that no
immediate attack was to be expected; and the women went out at
daybreak into the fields to milk the cows. Suddenly the war whoop
shrilled from the edge of the clearing. Red warriors leaped from
the green skirting of the forest. The women ran for the fort.
Quickly the heavy gates swung to and the dropped bar secured
them. Only then did the watchmen discover that one woman had been
shut out.
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