By the
close of Sevier's third term, however, in 1802, when Archibald
Roane became Governor, the post of Major General was again vacant.
Both Sevier and Jackson offered themselves for it, and Jackson
was elected by the deciding vote of the Governor, the military
vote having resulted in a tie. A strong current of influence had
now set in against Sevier and involved charges against his honor.
His old enemy Tipton was still active. The basis of the charges
was a file of papers from the entry-taker's office which a friend
of Tipton's had laid before the Governor; with an affidavit to
the effect that the papers were fraudulent. Both the Governor and
Jackson believed the charges. When we consider what system or
lack of system of land laws and land entries obtained in Watauga
and such: primitive communities--when a patch of corn sealed a
right and claims were made by notching trees with tomahawks--we
may imagine that a file from the land office might appear easily
enough to smirch a landholder's integrity. The scandal was, of
course, used in an attempt to ruin Sevier's candidacy for a
fourth term as Governor and to make certain Roane's reflection.
To this end Jackson bent all his energies but without success.
Nolichucky Jack was elected, for the fourth time, as Governor of
Tennessee.
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