elected to the legislature of Georgia. He also engaged in trade with the Cherokees. He seems to have continued this business through the year 1793, and it seems sustained some heavy losses, perhaps from Indian depredations. But the spirit of care which he had been accustomed to exercise did not forsake him. In November, 1790, he writes that the Chickamaugas were threatening Russell County, Va., and June 6, 1791, Blount writes him from the treaty ground near the mouth of the French Broad River: " Reports have prevailed to your disadvantage that are happily contradicted in decided Terms by Mr. Ore and Mr. Hacket and Capt. Fauche witnesses your endeavors to put the Indians in the proper way of Thinking for which I return you Thanks, pray continue them.

XX.-MARTIN IN THE MILITARY SERVICE OF VIRGINIA.

On the 11th of December, 1793, Governor Henry Lee, of Virginia, commissioned Martin brigadier-general of the Twelfth Brigade of Virginia militia. Martin was elected to this posi tion by the assembly over a Mr. Clay, a good speaker, an exmember of Congress, and of considerable popularity.

The cause of this action was the whisky insurrection, and the occasion was said to be "pressing." In August, 1794, a detachment of 2,816 men was formed in the first division of Virginia militia, of which Gen. Jones's brigade district was to furnish 901 men with officers, Gen. Meade's 564, Gen. Carrington's 676, and Gen. Martin's 675. September 1, 1794, 833 additional were to be raised, of which Martin was to furnish 3 captains, 3 lieutenants, 3 ensigns, 12 sergeants, 6 drums and fifes, 180 rank and file. These troops were to be organized, armed, and equipped and to be held in the most perfect readiness to march at a moment's notice.

It seems that the purpose for which this expedition was organized was not liked by all sections of Virginia. They no doubt had a good deal of a fellow-feeling with the insurgents, for we find that on October 4, 1794, Martin was instructed to institute "legal proceedings against all delinquences under the requisitions of the United States, which have arisen within your brigade district," and Edward Carrington, the U. S. agent, says that mutinies happened in some of the counties that composed Martin's district. This so delayed matters that the troops did not reach Winchester until the 22d of October,

when they should have been there on the 1st. They were therefore of no service, were paid off, and discharged. Carrington recommended an investigation. This seems never to have been made, because, probably, the whisky insurrection had come to an end about this time and because the temper of the people would not allow it. There was no charge against Martin.

XXI.-MARTIN A BOUNDARY COMMISSIONER.

The boundary between Kentucky and Virginia had come up for settlement in 1795. The Kentucky commissioners were John Coburn, Robert Johnson, and B. Thurston. The Virginia commissioners were Judge Archibald Stuart, Chancellor Creed Taylor, and Gen. Joseph Martin.

The Kentucky commissioners claimed the northeast fork of Sandy as their boundary and a row began. The Kentucky legislature approved the claims of its representatives and directed them to proceed no further "unless the legislature of Virginia (by their acts) show a disposition to settle the business in an amicable way. The matter seems to have been settled, for we find them agreeing to meet at the fork of the Big Sandy October 1, 1799, for further work.

The boundary between Tennessee and Virginia had never been fixed. Various efforts had been made to fix it while Tennessee was still a part of North Carolina. Fry and Jefferson had carried it as far west as what has been since known as the Laurel Fork of Holston, and in 1779 Thomas Walker and Daniel Smith for Virginia, with Richard Henderson and James Smith for North Carolina, met and agreed to resume Fry and Jefferson's line. But they soon fell into disagreement and after abusing each other in the orthodox manner characteristic of the boundary commissioners of these two States, Henderson ran another line 2 miles to the north of Walker's. These lines represented the respective claims of the States,t and the matter remained unsettled. In 1790 Martin was sent to North Carolina to get matters straight. He got the assembly to refer it to a committee: "I found it very Difficult to Collect the Committee Being obliged to do the duty of a door-keeper, by applying personally to every one, & soliciting *Calendar Virginia State Papers, VIII, 330. Ibid., IV, 365.

them to attend."* The Carolinans would do nothing. In 1802 commissioners were appointed to settle the line between Virginia and Tennessee, Joseph Martin, Creed Taylor, and Peter Johnston representing Virginia, while John Sevier, Moses Fiske, and George Routlege appeared for Tennessee. Brice Martin was one of the surveyors. The commissioners now effected a compromise under which they ran a third line, equidistant from the other two, from the summit of White Top Mountain westward to the top of Cumberland Mountain. This survey was ratified by the two States in 1803, and has since been their boundary.

XXII.-ESTIMATE OF MARTIN.

The career of Gen. Martin was now drawing to a close. Despite his opposition to Sevier and his abortive State of Franklin, the regard in which the people of Sullivan County, among whom he had lived and worked for twelve years, held him is shown clearly by the fact that they sent him as their representative to the North Carolina assembly in 1784 and 1787. They chose him to serve them also in the Hillsboro convention in 1788. This convention discussed the adoption of the Federal Constitution and postponed action, neither ratifying nor rejecting, until certain amendments were passed. Martin was with the minority that favored immediate ratification. He was also a member of the Fayetteville convention in 1789, when the Constitution was adopted. A creek in Lee County, Va., near Martin's Station, was called for him, and that this confidence was general is shown equally as clearly by his Virginia neighbors when they called the county seat of Henry, in which he was then living, Martinsville, in his honor in 1791.

*

He was elected to the Virginia legislature from Henry

Calendar Virginia State Papers, v, 242; vi, 106, 125.

+ See sketch of this survey by John Allison in Knoxville Weekly Tribune, July 11, 1888. It is interesting to note in this connection that on February 24, 1886, the assembly of Virginia instructed her governor to bring suit, if necessary, against Tennessee to secure the removal of this line to the southward. The suit was brought in the Federal court in 1889. The attorneygeneral of Virginia claimed that a serious conflict of jurisdiction had arisen, especially over matters connected with Bristol, Tenn., and Goodson, Va.; he asked that the agreement of 1803 be declared null and void, and that Virginia be quieted in possession of the disputed territory. In an elaborate opinion delivered on the third of April, 1893, Justice Field declined to grant the prayer of Virginia.

County for nine successive years, 1791-1799, and possibly served several years after that-until he thought it best to retire on account of age. Here he took a high stand for integrity, foresight, and firmness of purpose. He was a strong supporter of Madison in the Virginia resolutions in 1798 and 1799. He was fond of office, but never aspired higher than his acknowledged merits gave him the right, and this is perhaps the cause of his popularity with his neighbors. He might have been a member of Congress, but thought this higher than he could fill with honor to himself and honor to the countrya model worthy of our imitation to-day.

After the Tennessee survey Gen. Martin seems not to have been again in public life. He removed from Smith River to Leatherwood Creek, in the same county, devoted himself to his domestic concerns, and had accumulated a considerable estate. This consisted largely of negroes and land lying in Virginia and Tennessee. During the summer of 1808 he made a long journey to the West on private business. He visited many of the scenes of his early years and also his former friends, the Cherokees. He returned in the fall much fatigued and debilitated, and died of paralysis in Henry County, Va., on the 18th of December, 1808, and was buried with masonic and military honors. His widow, by whom he had eleven children, lived at the family seat until its destruction by fire in 1836, and died there November 9, 1837, in the seventy-fourth year of her age.

Gen. Martin represented the physical characteristics of his family. He was 6 feet in height, weighed more than 200 pounds, was of prepossessing appearance, with bland and courteous manners. In disposition he was energetic, with a good deal of a roving element that drove him to the wild life of the forest and well fitted him for the theater that became his by choice. He became bald many years before his death, and for many years wore a heavy chin beard which he plaited and hid beneath his shirt. He was fond of fine clothes, but held tenaciously on to old styles, the small clothes, long stockings, short knee buckles, the wide back, straight breasted coat, skirted vest, and neck stock with the buckle.

He was easy and sociable with equals and inferiors, grave, dignified and commanding with superiors; temperate in habits, was never drunk, and never took more than a social glass; never sick, never lost blood from a lancet, and lost no teeth. In his domestic relations he was reserved, and seldom entered

into the lighter and gayer life of the family, and this reserve was maintained to a considerable extent with his oldest son after the latter had attained distinction. Gen. Martin's most conspicuous talent was in Indian diplomacy. His military career was within a limited sphere. Had he had a wider field the talent might have been more developed. In partisan warfare against the Indians ability to command was needed less than strategic ability and personal bravery. This quality he had to the fullest; he was recklessly brave; he knew no such word as fear. His daring is illustrated by an incident that happened near the Rye Cove fort on Clinch River in the spring of 1777. The settlement in Kentucky had been attacked, and had sent couriers to Virginia for aid. These fell into an ambuscade just beyond the Rye Cove, and one was slain, but not before he wounded his antagonist. The wounded Indian was traced by his blood to a cave; Gen. Martin entered and killed him, although the Indian was armed with a gun and had the advantage of darkness. This reveals far more bravery than the more famous story of Putnam and the wolf.

He

Martin was a man of strong feelings, with many personal likes and dislikes. He made mistakes and he made enemies, but no charge can be maintained against him that he at any time sought his interest more than the public good. Nor did he ever hesitate to sacrifice personal popularity for what he believed to be the right, a most notable instance of which we see in his course in connection with the State of Franklin. was willing to suffer the abuse and misrepresentation which the Franklinites heaped upon him, and bided his time for the vindication of the right. He numbered among his friends many of the best men of the day. His military ability was clearly recognized by his fellow pioneers, Bledsoe, Campbell, Christian, Shelby, Donelson, Hawkins, Pickens, and others, while the letters from Governor Henry, Governor Harrison, Governor Randolph, and others from Virginia, from Governors Caswell and Martin, of North Carolina, and Blount, of Tennessee, indicate the highest esteem and respect. His correspondence was large and with the best men of the country.

XXIII.-THE MARTIN FAMILY.

Gen. Martin was the second generation in America and the third son in a family of 5 sons and 6 daughters. We know very little of his brothers and sisters. One of them, Brice,