hand against the English. The war opened with a terrible
massacre by the Yamassee in April, 1715, followed by assaults along
the whole frontier, until for a time it was seriously feared that the
colony of South Carolina would lie wiped out of existence. In a
contest between savagery and civilization, however, the final result is
inevitable. The settlers at last rallied their whole force under Gov-
ernor Craven and administered such a crushing blow to the Yamassee
that the remnant abandoned their country and took refuge with the
Spaniards in Florida or among the Lower Creeks. The English then
made short work with the smaller tribes along the coast, while those
in the interior were soon glad to sue for peace. 1
A number of Cherokee chiefs having come down to Charleston in
company with a trader to expresstheir desire for peace, a force of
several hundred white troops and a number of negroes under Colonel
Maurice Moore went up the Savannah in the winter of 1715-16 and
made headquarters among the Lower Cherokee, where they were
met by the chiefs of the Lower and some of the western towns,
who reaffirmed their desire for a lasting peace with the English, but
refused to fight against the Yamassee, although willing to proceed
against some other tribes. They laid the blame for most of the
trouble upon the traders, who "had been very abuseful to them of late."
A detachment under Colonel George Chicken, sent to the Upper
Cherokee, penetrated to " Quoneashee " (Tlanusi'yi. on Hiwassee,
about the present. Murphy) where they found the chiefs more defiant,
resolved to continue the war against the ('reeks, with whom the