- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1804 Apr. 1, Knoxville, [Tennessee] to the inhabitants and people said to be settled on the Indian lands / [John Sevier] of an image
- Creator:
- Tennessee. Governor (1803-1809 : Sevier)
- Publisher:
- Manuscript held by the The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN, Governor Sevier, box 1, folder 1, document tl056.
- Date of Original:
- 1804-04-01
- Subject:
- Cherokee Indians--Treaties
Cherokee Indians--Land tenure
Trespass
Cherokee Indians--Government relations - Location:
- United States, Tennessee, 35.75035, -86.25027
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This is a letter written by Tennessee Governor John Sevier (1796-1801, 1803-1809) on April 1, 1804 and addressed to the white inhabitants residing on lands reserved by the U.S. government for the Cherokee Indians. Sevier informs the settlers that by encroaching upon the Cherokee lands, they are violating the laws of the United States and treaties between the U.S. and the Cherokee Nation. He warns them that, if they continue there, they will be forcibly removed. Sevier expects that the Cherokee title to lands in northern Tennessee will soon be extinguished and that it will be possible to acquire land to the east of the Mississippi River in exchange for land west of the river. He encourages the settlers to venture out onto the great expanse of land newly acquired from France instead of remaining on Cherokee lands.
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Libraries in 2001, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- gs056
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_gs056
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_gs056#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_gs056/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Governor Sevier, The Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 2 pages/leaves
- Holding Institution:
- Tennessee State Library and Archives
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Knoxville
[deleted text: 20th March ] [added text: 1 April ] 1804
To the Inhabitants and people said to be settled on the Indian Lands
Gentlemen
The Executive of the State of Tennessee have been officially informed by the Agent of the War department And Indian affairs, that a number of Persons contrary to the existing treaties between the United States and Cherokee Indians, are settled on, [deleted text: and ] improving, and cultivating a part of the lands allotted and reserved for the use of the [deleted text: Cherokee ] Aforesaid tribe or nation of Indians: You must be well informed Gentlemen that such encroachments are contrary to the laws of the United States and in open violation [deleted text: to ] [added text: of ] the treaty [added text: [deleted text: existing ] ] [deleted text: Already ] entered into [added text: between the [illegible text] United States with the ] Cherokees, and that if you continue the Aggression an armed force under the Authority of the General Government will inevitably be employed for the purpose of removing all those who may be found trespassing on the Aforesaid lands. It is with extreme sensibility I am under the compulsion of addressing You on this occasion, but my official duty as chief magistrate of the State, [deleted text: and ] the duties I owe to the General Government, And Also the regards I have for humanity, impels and constrains me to give you this notice, and Warn you in [added text: due ] time [added text: in order ] that you may evade and abandon the dangers, [deleted text: that ] you consequently must [added text: be ] involved into Should you [added text: not ] [deleted text: relinquish ] [added text: decline ] the [deleted text: present ] [added text: intrusion ] which I earnestly recommend to be done agreably [agreeably] to [deleted text: the ] [added text: your ] promises and engagements entered into with the officer [deleted text: that ] [added text: who ] Visited your settlements on the occasion heretofore -- I have the pleasure of informing you that [deleted text: I expect on this ]
Page: [2]
Measures are constantly pursueing [pursuing] for the purpose of extinguishing the Indian Claims [deleted text: on ] [added text: to ] all the lands on the No. [North] of Tennessee, and that the President is by law [added text: further ] Authorized to exchange with any of the Indian tribes, lands [deleted text: of ] [added text: lying ] on the Ws. [West] Side of the Mississippi, for lands on the east side [added text: of that river ], And should the [added text: present ] friendly disposition of our neighboring tribes [deleted text: be that ] continues And [added text: be ] preserved, I have not a single doubt I am remaining but [deleted text: the this ] [added text: such a ] desireable [desirable] exchange may [added text: and will ] be Accomplished: When we further contemplate the Great and almost boundless Acquisition of lands, lately obtained [added text: from France ] on both east and West [added text: sides ] of the Mississippi, no doubt can remain but an ample [added text: and sufficient ] Quantity of Lands will be appropriated [deleted text: for ] to supply the wants of every description of our fellow Citizens, that may wish or be disposed to become adventurers in settling those fertile regions, to [deleted text: Widely, ] [added text: Wide ] [deleted text: and ] extensive, and [deleted text: also so ] desireable [desirable] as are now placed before us -- I therefore hope you will [added text: deliberate and ] reflect seriously, and discard from your intentions [deleted text: any object ] [added text: every Idea [deleted text: and ] ] that will have a tendency, to either involve yourselves, or [deleted text: your ] Country, in any unnecessary and disagreable [disagreeable] consequences --
I have the honor to be very respectively
Gentlemen,
Your most ob. Hbl., servt. [obedient Humble Servant]
1 copy sent to the Inhabitants by Colo. [Colonel] Montgumry
1 ditto to Colo. [Colonel] Meigs [illegible text] Post
April 1st 1804