 The following year, in 1780, he became a justice of the peace for the newly created county of Sullivan County, North Carolina; in 1781 and 1782, he served as its state Senator.In 1783, he was one of the surveyors of the North Carolina military land grant reservation.The same year, in 1783, he became a justice of the peace for new Davidson County, Tennessee, named after North Carolina General William Lee Davidson (1746–1781).