At the same time the victory of the Whigs inspirited their friends everywhere. Their revived faith in the final success of the Colonies, moved them to more hopeful effort in its behalf. The uprising of the mountaineers--so spontaneous and yet so deliberate--their cheerful march over natural difficulties, their eager and persevering pursuit of a formidable enemy, their well-planned and swiftly executed attack on his chosen ground--all these combined, give their enterprise a high place in military annals. Add to them the great need at that time to the struggling Colonies of the victory they won and its important good results, and its title to the niche of fame it fills in the temple of American history, cannot be impeached. It turned the tide of battle. It led the way to the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown, and then to peace with Great Britain. The king and his counselors were already discouraged by military reverses and tired of their vain efforts for seven years to conquer. They were compelled to acknowledge the independence of the United States. CHAPTER III. EARLY HISTORY--MOUNTAINEERS DISSATISFIED--AN INDEPENDENT STATE--CONFLICT OF AUTHORITIES. “Hail sacred Polity, by Freedom rear’d! Hail sacred Freedom, when by Law restrain’d! Without you what were man? A grovelling herd, In darkness, wretchedness and want enchain’d.” BEATTIE. The early history of East Tennessee, like that of all frontier regions of the United States in their westward march to wider empire, has its romantic and thrilling incidents of war with savages. Those may here be fitly omitted, but there is one episode in that history that should be briefly told. For it throws light upon the character of the first inhabitants, and so upon that, not only of their descendants, but also of the newer population, which it is reasonable to suppose has been more or less assimilated to the strong original type. The State of Frankland or Franklin, as it is differently called by the two historians of Tennessee, Haywood and Ramsey, had a brief and troubled life. Several causes co-operated to bring it into being. One was the uncertain legislation of North Carolina concerning its western lands, and its insufficient regard, apparent or real, for the welfare of their inhabitants. A second cause lay in the triumphant spirit of freedom and independence cherished by the mountaineers when the war of the American Revolution was over, and their quickness to assert natural rights in the face of presumed governmental neglect. The people of North Carolina west of the Alleghanies were in frequent conflicts with the Indians, but there was a difference in opinion as to the payment by the State of the expenses incurred. Mutual jealousies arose between the eastern and western counties, followed by contention.