Gen. John Sevier, Governor of Frankland, and Col. John Tipton, Judge, by appointment of North Carolina, were universally recognized as chief champions of the two State sovereignties that struggled for the supremacy. Even they were once betrayed into a trial of personal prowess after a primitive and comparatively harmless method. In colloquy they were led into discussion upon the exciting questions of the day and locality, then into an exchange of angry words, and finally to engage in pommeling each other with clenched and ungloved hands, without important results. The encounter, however, occurring as it did early in the history of social alienations, served hurtfully as an example that was abundantly imitated by members of the chieftains’ families and by their adherents. Col. Tipton, at the election in Washington County to the North Carolina General Assembly, was elected Senator. At the same time many of the people manifested the change wrought in their political sentiments by enrolling their names, in token that they accepted the amnesty offered by North Carolina in 1785, and returned to their allegiance. It was evident that hostility to the revolution in government had become strong enough within its own orbit of movement to endanger the ultimate success of the new State. In 1786 disorder prevailed in the disputed territory concerning ordinary revenues from the people. For, on the plea of uncertainty as to the validity of taxation by either government, no payment would be made to either; and both governments feared to enforce collections from delinquents, lest they might lose the taxpayers’ allegiance.