Historical Background: "The Militia at Cavet's Station, June 12, 1793 President Washington requested a meeting with the Indians at the Hanging Maw to discuss peace with representatives of the US. During this meeting Capt. John Beard and his company of mounted militiamen fell without warning on these friendly Indians - killing about a dozen. The Hanging Maw and his wife were injured. This became a general war. In September of 1793 an army of Creek and Cherokee warriors under the leadership of John Watts, marched on Knoxville. They had planned to surprise the little town before daylight on Sept 25, but were delayed. In Knoxville there was a small United States garrison which, according to custom, fired a cannon at day break. Hearing this the Indians, while they were about eight miles away, thought that their approach had been discovered. Accordingly, instead of proceeding against Knoxville, where only fourty men were available to oppose them, they attacked a nearby station of Alexander Cavet, in which were only three men and thirteen members of Cavet's family. After a brief resistance the whites surrendered and were treacherously slaughtered. Warned of their danger by news of this attack, thirty-eight of Knoxvilles' defenders left their little fort and prepared an attempt ambush of the enemy, but the Indians did not attack." Source: Joann Orr

Category: The 1600's and 1700's