When in March, 1788, the term of Sevier as Governor came to an end, there was no one to take his place, and the officers of North Carolina were left in undisputed possession of whatever governmental authority there was.  The North Carolina Assembly which met in November, 1787, had been attended by regularly elected members from all the western counties, Tipton being among them; while the far-off log hamlets on the banks of the Cumberland sent Robertson himself. [Footnote:  Haywood, 174.] This assembly once more offered full pardon and oblivion of past offences to all who would again become citizens; and the last adherents of the insurrectionary Government reluctantly accepted the terms.  Franklin had been in existence for three years, during which time she had exercised all the powers and functions of independent statehood.  During the first year her sway in the district was complete; during the next she was forced to hold possession in common with North Carolina; and then, by degrees her authority lapsed altogether.

    Fight between Tipton and Sevier.

Sevier was left in dire straits by the falling of the state he had founded; for not only were the North Carolina authorities naturally bitter against him, but he had to count on the personal hostility of Tipton.  In his distress he wrote to one of the opposing party, not personally unfriendly to him, that he had been dragged into the Franklin movement by the people of the county; that he wished to suspend hostilities, and was ready to abide by the decision of the North Carolina Legislature, but that he was determined to share the fate of those who had stood by him, whatever it might be. [Footnote:  Va.  State Papers, IV., 416, 421.  Sevier to Martin, April 3 and May 27, 1788] About the time that his term as Governor expired, a writ, issued by the North Carolina courts, was executed against his estate.  The sheriff seized all his negro slaves, as they worked on his Nolichucky farm, and bore them for safe-keeping to Tipton’s house, a rambling cluster of stout log buildings, on Sinking Creek of the Watanga.  Sevier raised a hundred and fifty men and marched to take them back, carrying a light fieldpiece.  Tipton’s friends gathered, thirty or forty strong, and a siege began.  Sevier hesitated to push matters to extremity by charging home.  For a couple of days there was some skirmishing and two or three men were killed or wounded.  Then the county-lieutenant of Sullivan, with a hundred and eighty militia, came to Tipton’s rescue.  They surprised Sevier’s camp at dawn on the last day of February, [Footnote:  State Dept.  MSS., No. 150, vol. iii.  Armstrong to Wyllys, April 28, 1788.] while the snow was falling heavily; and the Franklin men fled in mad panic, only one or two being slain.  Two of Sevier’s sons were taken prisoners, and Tipton was with difficulty dissuaded from hanging them.  This scrambling fight marked the ignoble end of the state of Franklin.  Sevier fled to the uttermost part of the frontier, where no writs ran, and the rough settlers were devoted to him.  Here he speedily became engaged in the Indian war.