- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1838 Jan. 4, Cherokee Agency [to] John Ross, Washington City D.C. / Lewis Ross
- Creator:
- Ross, Lewis, d. 1869
- Publisher:
- Manuscript held by the The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN, State Library Cherokee Collection, box 1, folder 24, document ch035.
- Date of Original:
- 1838-01-04
- Subject:
- Cherokee Indians--Treaties
Trail of Tears, 1838
Ross, John 1790-1866 - Location:
- United States, Southern States, 33.346678, -84.119434
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- Letter dated January 4, 1838 from Lewis Ross to his brother John Ross, Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, concerning the removal of the Cherokee people and the possibility of negotiating a treaty with better terms than the Treaty of New Echota, 1835.
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Libraries in 2000, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- ch035
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_ch035
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_ch035#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_ch035/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], State Library Cherokee Collection, The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 3 pages/leaves
- Holding Institution:
- Tennessee State Library and Archives
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Cherokee Agency
January 4. 1838
Dear Brother
Ere this I suppose that you will have recd. [received] the Extra Circular of the Commissioners and the Superintendant [Superintendent] of Cherokee removal together with a copy of Mr. Harris's letter which I sent you by the last mail. from appearances I have no hopes that you will be able to effect any thing on any other basis than that of general removal. If this be the case. the grave question presents itself what will be best [added text: to do ] under all circumstances. two alternatives only presents itself to my mind. to Stay and be forced off under the false treaty, or to treat on the basis of general removal. under such circumstances I would say let us make a treaty. if the details could be made more satisfactory [added text: to ] us. that is if we can get a longer time given to remove in the money placed under the control of the Nation and left free to move to whatever place we may choose the greatest difficulties must follow in either cases, but the latter course in my own opinion would be best for us. we can expect Nothing else but oppression from the Govmt [Government] of the U.S. So long as we remain in their limits. and if we had the means It may be possible that we could find a Country. out of the United States Which we might live in. I can [added text: well ] imagine the situation the delegation are placed in the people expect you to do the best you can for them. under [added text: the present ] [deleted text: all ] circumstances It will be impossible to please all. and the time seems to be at hand when something must be done and
Page: [2]
that without much delay. -- I have not heard from you since your [added text: letter ] dated
16 Ult. [Ultimo] we are all labouring [laboring] in great suspense to hear our final doom. there is very little business going on in the immigrating line. the late Extra Circular wont have the desired effect of those who issued it. all are waiting to hear from you.
We are generally will [well] I remain Your affectionate Brother
[Signed] Lewis Ross
My Respects to your Colleagues-
Page: [3]
Calhoun [illegible text]
January 25
Mr. John Ross Washington City D.C.
Lewis Ross
38