At the same time the internal dissension drew near its crisis. Late in the year 1787, a writ of _fieri facias_ had been issued, and early in 1788, the sheriff, under authority of North Carolina, executed it against the estate of Gov. Sevier; visited his farm on the Nolachucky River, carried off his negroes and lodged them securely at the house of his principal foe, Col. John Tipton. Sevier, at the time, was absent from home and near Greene County, providing for defence of the people against a threatened attack by Indians. Hearing of the sheriff’s procedure, he at once rallied to him one hundred and fifty men from the Counties of Greene and Sevier and what is now Blount County, and went with them to the house of Tipton, against whom the fuel of his wrath had but a short time before been freshly kindled by his adversary’s attempt, foiled by Sevier’s absence, to seize his person. Tipton had but fifteen men in his dwelling when the Governor arrived with his militia and a small piece of artillery. It was in the afternoon. Sevier demanded an unconditional surrender, and was answered defiantly, with an expletive. The oral summons to yield was then followed by one in writing. To it Tipton made no reply, but sent it to Col. Maxwell of Sullivan County, with a call for help. Several days passed, but Sevier forbore to make an assault. Messengers successfully escaped from the house to gather recruits, some of whom afterwards made their way into it. The third night a reinforcement of one hundred and eighty men under Col. Maxwell arrived, awaited the break of day and then approached the beleaguered dwelling simultaneously with an attack upon its defenders by the Governor. The recruits fired their guns and dashed forward with a ringing shout that was answered by another from the besieged, and followed by a sally. The united forces triumphed. Sevier’s men were thrown into a panic and fled. Some of them and their one unused piece of artillery were captured. Among the prisoners were two of Sevier’s sons, whom two brothers Webb would have killed in revenge for the death of their brother in the fight, but Tipton prevented them. According to a more dramatic account, Tipton himself was determined to hang the two youths, but was dissuaded by friends, who drew an imaginary picture of his own sons as captives and about to be slain in enmity to their father. He was melted to tears, and with strong self-reproach for his weakness, gave the young men their liberty. Indeed the two parties appear to have been animated throughout the affair by a spirit not altogether unneighborly. Sevier, from the beginning of the troubles, had been disposed to moderation. He sought on this occasion the recovery of his slaves, but delayed, although urged by others, to make an assault. Many of the men on both sides were unarmed, and some having weapons did not load them, or loading them, fired into the air. One of them said: “We did not go there to fight. The men did not try to hit anybody.