150, vol.ii.Joseph Martin to H.Knox, July 15, 1788.] Here he found that a couple of settlers had been killed by Indians a few days before, and he met a party of riflemen who had gathered to avenge the death of their friends by a foray on the Cherokee towns.

Martin did not believe that the Cherokees were responsible for the murder.

After some talk he persuaded the angry whites to choose four of their trusted men to accompany him as ambassadors to the Cherokee towns in order to find out the truth.
Mutual Outrages.
Accordingly they all went forward together.

Martin sent runners ahead to the Cherokees, and their chiefs and young warriors gathered to meet him.
The Indians assured him that they were guiltless of the recent murder; that it should doubtless be laid at the door of some Creek war party.
The Creeks, they said, kept passing through their villages to war on the whites, and they had often turned them back.

The frontier envoys at this professed themselves satisfied, and returned to their homes, after begging Martin to stay among the Cherokees; and he stayed, his presence giving confidence to the Indians, who forthwith began to plant their crops.
Unfortunately, about the middle of May, the murders again began, and again parties of riflemen gathered for vengeance.