Although East Tennesseans had little interest in protecting slave ownership in 1861, they did, at one time, have a vested interest in doing so in late 1812. The need to prevent slave and Indian revolts near their borders was enough for them to join with the slave owning South to volunteer to go to war. The United States and the State of Georgia were about to go to war with the Spanish Colony of East Florida over land (by the Georgians) and the issue of border attacks by Spainish supported Seminoles and armed and organized runaway slaves (who defeated a detachment of U.S. Marines- capturing their wagon train). The first to answer the call from Tennessee was the Mounted Volunteers of East Tennessee led by Colonel John Williams out of Knoxville...leaving at the same time Andrew Jackson's force was marching out of Nashville to Natchez.

They would be one of eleven regiments and battalions from East Tennessee that would fight in the wars with the Creeks, Seminoles, runaway slaves, Spanish and English in the next several years during the War of 1812.