after receiving news of the fort's capture, governor kerlerec of louisiana dispatched french ships into the interior in an attempt to occupy the fort, but the ships were unable to navigate the tennessee river. in the summer of 1761, an invasion led by james grant destroyed a dozen lower and middle towns. seeing their position as untenable, the cherokee negotiated a peace treaty with grant, which was signed on september 23, 1761. in november, old hop negotiated a peace treaty with byrd's men at long island of the holston. henry timberlake and thomas sumter, soldiers in byrd's expedition, visited the overhill towns in 1761–1762 as part of a peace mission. in his "memoirs", timberlake merely noted that fort loudoun was in ruins.