TENNESSEE, river of the United States, drain ing the much larger portion of the state of the same name, and also a part of Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. Speaking generally, Tennessee river is composed of Powell's, Clinch, Holston, French Broad, Ten nessee proper, Hiwassee, Duck, and innumerable minor streams.
Powell's river, the extreme northern confluent of the basin, rises between Powell's and Cumberland mountains in Russell county, Virginia, flowing thence southwestward over Lee county of Virginia, and Claiborne and Campbell counties, Tennessee ; joins Clinch river at Grantsborough, after a compa rative course of one hundred miles. Powell's river draws its sources on the western side of the valley, from Cumberland mountain opposite to those of Cumberland river.
Clinch river has its remote sources in Tazewell county, Virginia, interlocking sources with those of Powell's, Sandy, Blue Stone, and North Holston rivers, and flowing thence southwestwardly over Russell and Scott counties, Virginia, enters Ten nessee, w herein, after separating Hawkins, Granger, and Anderson from Claiborne, it enters Campbell and receives Powell's river as noticed above. Be low their junction, the united water continues southwestwardly over Anderson and Roane counties to their union with the Tennessee at Kingston. The entire comparative course of the Clinch is 190 miles : 150 above and 40 below the mouth of Pow ell's river.
Directly opposite Kingston, Clinch receives from the northwestward, Emery's river, a comparatively small but important stream from Morgan, White, and Bledsoe counties. Including the minor valley of the latter, the entire valley of Clinch a little ex ceeds two hundred miles in length ; but with all its constituents the valley is very narrow, as it in no place exceeds thirty, and scarcely admits an allow ance of twenty miles mean width : area 4000 square miles.
Holston river rises in Tazewell and Wyche coun ties, Virginia, by two branches called relatively North and South Holston. North Holston, the most remote northeastern source of Tennessee, rises between Walker's and Clinch mountains, and flowing thence southwestwardly over Washington and Scott counties, Virginia, turns abruptly south ward into Tennessee, and joins the South Branch at Kingsport, between lIawkins and Sullivan counties.
The South Fork of Holston, issuing from Wythe, traverses Washington county, Virginia, and Sulli van county, Tennessee, unites with the North Fork as stated. The South Holston is augmented in Sullivan by a considerable branch of the Watauga. The latter rises in Ashe county, North Carolina, by several branches which pierce the Bald or Iron mountain in a northwestern direction. These streams unite in Carter county, and join the South Holston in Sullivan.
Below the union of its two main branches, the now navigable Holston maintains a southwestern course over Hawkins, Granger, and Knox counties to its junction with French Broad river above Knox ville. Still continuing the original course, over the lower part of Knox and between Blount and Roane, receives Tennessee proper from the south eastward, and turning thence to the northwest joins Holston at Kingston.
French Broad is a stream of considerable mag nitude, deriving its highest sources from the west ern spurs of Blue Ridge, near the border of Green ville district, South Carolina, and opposite to the sources of Saluda and Savannah rivers. Pursuing thence a northern course over Buncombe county, it inflects to northwestward, traverses the Bald moun tain, enters Tennessee, where, after separating Greene from Cocke county, it receives its main northern branch the Nolachucky on the border of Jefferson county. The Nolachucky issues also from the Blue Ridge, opposite to the sources of Catawba river, and flowing thence northwestward, drains the northern part of Buncombe county, pierces the Bald or Iron mountain, enters Tennessee, and traversing Washington and Greene counties, falls into French Broad between Cocke and Jeffer son counties. Below the union of the two confluent branches, the general course of French Broad is to the westward, but with a sweeping curve to the south to the mouth above Knoxville. The entire length of the French Broad by comparative courses is about 140 miles: 100 above, and 40 below the mouth of the Nolachucky.