Governor Blount appointed Major James Ore to head an expedition against the Chickamauga, or "Lower Cherokee" as they had come to be known. Col. John Montgomery commanded the territorial militia, and Col. William Whitley of Kentucky (whose state had also been subject to Cherokee attack from this area ) commanded his 6th Regiment of militia. They singled out two Chickamauga villages, Nickajack Town and Running Water Town, as targets, as these had been the source of many raiding parties. In the mountainous areas, the American force struggled to find the sites and plan attacks.