James Mooney - Native Americans - 22 Books on History, Mythology, Culture & Linguistic Studies

225.Confidential message of President Jefferson to Congress, January 18, 1803.

226.The letter of President Jefferson authorizing a delegation of Cherokees to visit the Arkansas and White River country was dated January 9, 1809, and will be found in the American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. II, p. 125, as well as among the records of the Indian Office.

227.January 9, 1817.

228.Letter of Secretary of War to General Jackson, May 14, 1817.

229.In a letter to Return J. Meigs, under date of September 18, 1816, the Secretary of War says that "the difficulties which have arisen between the Cherokees and the Osages, on the north of the Arkansas, and with the Quapaws, on the south, cannot be finally settled until the line of the cession shall be run and the rights of the Quapaws shall be ascertained. Commissioners appointed by the President are now sitting at Saint Louis for the adjustment of those differences; but should the line of the Osage treaty prove that they are settled upon the Osage lands, nothing can be done for the Cherokees. It is known to you and to that nation that the condition upon which the emigration was permitted by the President was that a cession of Cherokee lands should be made equal to the proportion which the emigrants should bear to the whole nation. This condition has never been complied with on the part of the nation, and of course all obligation on the part of the United States to secure the emigrants in their new possessions has ceased. When the subject was mentioned to the Cherokee deputation last winter, so far were they from acknowledging its force, that they declared the emigrants should be compelled to return."

230.May 14, 1817.

231.On the 17th of May, 1817, these commissioners were advised that the lands proposed to be given the Cherokees on the west of the Mississippi River, in exchange for those then occupied by them, were the lands on the Arkansas and immediately adjoining the Osage boundary line.

232.United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 156.

233.These tracts are designated on the accompanying map as Nos. 23 and 24.

234.These tracts are designated on the accompanying map as Nos. 25 and 26.

235.August 1, 1817, the Secretary of War advised the governor of North Carolina that a treaty with the Cherokees had been concluded, by which the Indian claim was relinquished to a tract of country including the whole of the land claimed by them in North Carolina.

236.This memorial bore date of July 2, 1817.

237.United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 156.

238.Letter of Secretary of War to Treaty Commissioners August 1, 1817.

239.Letters of Secretary of War to General Jackson and Colonel Meigs, August 9, 1817.

240.Letter of Governor McMinn to Secretary of War, November 29, 1818, and subsequent correspondence during 1819. Governor McMinn's letter of November 29, 1818, states that 718 families had enrolled for emigration since December 20, 1817, and 146 families had taken reservations, which made in all, including those who had already emigrated, about one-half of the Cherokee Nation as committed to the support of the policy involved in the treaty of 1817.

February 17, 1819, a Cherokee delegation advised the Secretary of War that, while Governor McMinn's enrollment showed the number of Cherokees who had removed or enrolled to go prior to November 15, 1818, to be 5,291, by their calculation the number did not exceed 3,500, and that they estimated the number of Cherokees remaining east of the Mississippi at about 12,544.

241.The instructions of the Amoha council to the delegation of six bear date of Fortville, Cherokee Nation, September 19, 1817.

242.United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 195.

243.May 8, 1818.

244.Secretary of War to Reuben Lewis, United States Indian agent, May 16, 1818.

245.May 16 to 24, inclusive.

246.July 22.

247.United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 156.

248.Letter of Secretary of War to Capt. William Bradford, September 9, 1818.

249.Secretary of War to Agent Lewis, July 22, 1819.

250.Field notes and diagram on file in Indian Office.

251.October 6, 1818.

252.July 29, 1818.

253.November 13, 1818.

254.December 29, 1818.

255.November 29, 1818.

256.December 19, 1818.

257.February, 1819.

258.February 11, 1819.

259.Cherokee delegation to Secretary of War, February 17, 1819.

260.United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 195.

261.March 6, 1819.

262.March 11, 1819.

263.March 12, 1819.

264.Mr. Houston began his survey at the point where the first hill closes in on Hiwassee River, which he found to be 2 1/ 2miles above Hiwassee Old Town. He also states in his report that he found no ridge dividing the waters of Hiwassee from those of Little River. This line from the Hiwassee River to the Tennessee River at Talassee was 46 miles and 300 poles in length. It was begun May 28 and completed June 12, 1819. The line from the junction of Cowee and Nauteyalee Rivers to the Blue Ridge was begun June 12 and completed June 18, 1819, and was 36 miles long. His report, with accompanying map, was communicated to the Secretary of War with letter dated July 30, 1819. A copy of the field notes may be found in American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. II, pp. 192 and 193.

265.July 24, 1820.

266.Secretary of War to Agent Meigs, August 14, 1820.

267.February 9. See letter of Return J. Meigs to Secretary of War.

268.June 15, 1820.

269.United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 311.

270.Meigs was appointed, May 15, 1801, superintendent of Indian affairs for the Cherokee Nation and agent for the War Department in the State of Tennessee.

271.Letter of Meigs to General Wilkinson, dated Marietta, Ohio, February 10, 1801. This letter is in reply to one received from General Wilkinson, in which the latter, among other things, inquires if he can in any way serve the former. Meigs replies: "I will answer these kind inquiries truly. In the first place, I enjoy excellent health; in the next place, I am doing what I can at farming business, endeavoring to maintain a credible existence by industry. I have been for more than two years one of the Territorial legislators; this, though credible, is not profitable. My principal dependence for living is on the labor of my own hands. I am confident, sir, you can serve me, as you are conversant with every department of the Government and may know what places can be had and whether I am capable of being usefully employed. I don't care what it is, whether civil or military or where situated, provided it be an object which you shall think proper for me. I don't know Mr. Jefferson; have always revered his character as a great and good man. I am personally acquainted with Colonel Burr. He ascended the river Kennebeck as a volunteer in the year 1775 and was with me in the Mess a great part of that march to Canada. I think I have his friendship, but he is not yet, perhaps, in a situation to assist me." Colonel Meigs was also a member of the court-martial convened for the trial of General Arthur St. Clair for the evacuation of Ticonderoga. He died at his post of duty in February, 1823, as shown by a letter to the Secretary of War from ex-Governor McMinn, dated the 22d of that month.

272.May 30, 1820.

273.Letter of Secretary of War to Attorney-General, July, 26, 1820.

274.August 12, 1820.

275.August 14, 1820.

276.March 7, 1821.

277.American State Papers, Public Lands, Vol. I, p. 125.

278.January 7, 1822.

279.June 15, 1822.

280.August 24, 1822.

281.November 19, 1822.

282.March 17, 1823.

283.February, 1823.

284.March 17, 1823.

285.Report of commissioners on file in Office Indian Affairs.

286.See correspondence between commissioners and Cherokee council. American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. II, pp. 465—473.