The  frontiers  are  to  be  defended — if  at  all — by  carrying  the
war  into  the  enemy's  country;  defended  on  the  banks  of  the
Coosa  and  the  Tallapoosa,  not  on  those  of  the  Tennessee.  All
other  plans  of  defence  are  more  visionary  than  dreams.
What,  then,  is  to  be  done  ?  I'll  tell  you :  You  have  only  to  act
with  the  energy  which  both  the  crisis  and  your  own  reputation
as  the  patriotic  governor  of  a  brave  people  demand  and  all
will  go  well.  Send  me  a  force  enlisted  for  six  months  and  I
will  answer  for  the  rest.  But  withhold  it  and  all  is  lost — the
reputation  of  the  State  and  yours  and  mine  along  with  it.
This  was  throughout  a  rugged  letter.  We  have
omitted  some  parts  of  it  that  were  more  vehement  than
those  reproduced.  Most  men  in  Governor  Blount's  posi-
tion would  have  been  displeased,  if  not  angered,  by  its
text  and  tone.  But  Blount  knew  Jackson  thoroughly
and  accepted  his  outburst  in  accordance  with  its  spirit
rather  than  with  the  strict  letter  of  it.  He  redoubled  his
exertions  to  raise  and  forward  troops.  By  the  I3th  of
January  600  mounted  troops — about  half  of  whom  were
Coffee's  old  riflemen — joined  Jackson  at  Strother,  bring-
ing his  force  up  to  nearly  800.  Two  days  later  Coffee
himself  came  in  with  250  more.  This  and  other  small
detachments  brought  his  force  at  Strother  up  to  about
1,000  effectives.  But  the  600  who  came  January  i3th
were  enlisted  for  only  sixty  days — from  January  loth


318       HISTORY    OF    ANDREW    JACKSON

to  March  loth — and  it  was  necessary  to  use  them  quickly
if  at  all.
