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Copy of Laws, of the Creek Nation
Chilly McIntosh Clerk
of the National
This
7th January 1825 A.D.





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Laws of Muscogee Nation


Law 1st

Murder shall be punished with death the person who commits the act shall be [added text: th [the] ] only one punish and only upon good proofs
1817

Law 2nd

If a man Kill another person and it can be [unclear text: provened ] to have done by accident he shall not be punished.

Law 3th [3rd]

If a negro kill an Indian th [the] negro shall [deleted text: be ] suffer death and if an Indian Kill a negro he shall pay the owner the value. If person not able to pay the value shall suffer death.

Law 4th

If a man [unclear text: horse ] Kills another person he shall be said nothing to the owner about it, and if two person ride one horse together and the horse flings them, and one is Killed and [unclear text: the ] lives to get up shall be considered an accident

Law 5th

If a man take a weapon in hand and goes to kill another person and the man he goes to Kill happens to Kill first, and the fact be so proven he shall be forgiven as he Killed the man to save his own life

Law 6th

If a man should Killed another in a rum drinking and it can be proven to the satisfaction of the chiefs that when he committed the act that he was out of senses and that he and all his people were friendly to the person Killed previous to his death, then he shall not be punished but forgiven

Law 7th

If a man fired his gun at [missing word: a ] Deer Bird or any thing else, and he should be so unfortunate as to wound or Kill another person it shall be considered and [an] accident and of course must not be punished


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Laws 8th

Stealing shall be punished as follows for the first offence the thief shall be whiped [whipped] for the second offence shall be [unclear text: crossed ] for the third offence he shall be put to death

Law 9th

If a man [unclear text: stolen ] another he shall pay forty Dollars and in case he has no property to pay the fine he shall be punished the same as [deleted text: stealing ] the law for stealing Viz... first time whiped [whipped] 2d [unclear text: Crossed ] 3d put to death.

Law 10th

If any person give faulse [false] evidence by which another suffers punishment he shall receive the same punishment, which be inflicted upon the one against whom [added text: he ] stated the faulshood [falsehood] .

Law 11th

When a [missing word] [unclear text: dies ] and has children shall have his property his other relations shall not take the property to the injury of His children.

Law 12th

Should any of the friendly Indian owe a debt to Hostile, Indian owe a debt to friendly Indian may have been [unclear text: contracted ] {
1817} befor [before] this time niether [neither] of them shall to the [unclear text: other ]

Law 14 [13] th

Friendly Indian must pay all debt due to each other.

Law 14th

Should two person swap horse the bargain shall be considered good unless one of the party proves that he was drunk at the time he swaped [swapped], and in case he makes these fact know [known] in five days after the swap his horse shall be return to him, but if he does not [document damaged] within five days the bargain shall be considered good and cannot get his horse back.

Law 15th

No person shall receivd [receive] for damages done to his crops by [deleted text: another ] the stock of an other


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person unless he has a lawfull [lawful] fence around his field and in case he should have a lawfull [lawful] fence, and the stock of another person should injure his property in that case he shall recover for all damages, but if he has not a lawfull [lawful] fence, and he should Kill the stock of another person for injuries his property he shall pay for all he Kill.

Law 16th

Should any person set fire to the woods when he know, that there was sows or Big or Calfs and any of them should be injured thereby he shall pay all damages to the owner, but if he can proove [prove] that he did not know of such stock being there he shall not pay damages.

Law 17th

If goes out a fire hunting and should kill property belonging to another person, and he can prove it was done accidently he shall not pay, if it can [added text: be ] proven, that he did it intentionally he shall pay the owner.

Law 18th

If a man has a dog and the dog should run away and Kill property belonging to another person the owner, shall not pay but if it can be proven that the [deleted text: dog ] owner set the dog on in the case he shall pay.

Law 19th

Should a white man take an Indian woman as a wife and have children by her and he goes out of the nation he shall have all his property with his children for their support.

Law 20th

If any of our people have children and Negros and either of the children should take a negro [deleted text: for ] as a husband or wife and should Said Child have a property given to it by his or her parent the property


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shall be taken from them and divide among the rest of the children as it is a disgrace to our [deleted text: people ] Nation for our people to marry a negro

Law 21st

Slave Shall not raise property of any kind. If the master does not take it from them the law makers shall and they may do as they please with the property.

Law 22nd

If any [deleted text: person ] man should think proper to sett [set] his negro free he shall be considered a freeman by the Nation.

Law 23th [23rd]

Prisoners taken in war shall not be considered or traded as slave and it shall be the [unclear text: tudy [duty] ] of the law makers to make them as free of ourself

Law 24th

If any Stud Horse of Bull Should Kill any man Horse or Cow the master of the Stud Horse or Bull Shall not pay damages to the owner of the property Killed or injured.

Law 25th

If Any person not living in the Nation buy a Horse From an Indian without a permit from the agent Big Warrior or Little Prince and Should lose the said Horse we will not aid or assist him in finding the Horse, but if he has a permit from either of the above named persons we will help him to get his horse.

Law 26th

These four persons appointed to receive runaway negros and astray Horses, any persons carrying them to the above mention, shall be paid as [unclear text: follow ] Runaway Negros fifteen Dollars, the owner [deleted text: [unclear text: or ] ] must pay the nation fifty Dollars Astray Horse two


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Dollar the owner must pay the Nation five Dollars

Law 27th

If an Indian lose any part of his Clothing, and they should be found by another and the finder does not tell of his having them he shall be punish.

Law 28th

If any one or two Towns belonging to our Nation remove from the nation to any other Country they shall have no claim upon this Country without the consent of the Hole [Whole] nation {
1819}

Law 29th

If a man has a wife and he Should make use of or unfortunately lose his propperty [property] of any discription [description] and they Should part, the husband cannot call upon the woman for pay.

Law 30th

If a man makes a field and in doing so he turns a road belonging to the nation he shall not be interrupted, and if any wishes to erect a mill he is at liberty to do so.

Law 31st

No master shall be bound for any trade or bargain made by his Slave

Law 32nd

No person belonging to the Creek Nation shall go into any of the United States Territories or Cherokee Nation and procure goods or any [deleted text: of ] thing else upon a Credit. And should any citizens of the United States, Territories or Cherokee Nation sells goods on a Credit to any person residing in the Nation they do it upon their own responsibility, as the chief and Warriors, will not [unclear text: inerfare [interfere] ] between the parties, when any Claim is brought before them


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Law 32nd

If the men who are or shall be appointed to put the laws in force shall neglect [unclear text: this tudy [duty] ] or abuse their power by doing injustice to any one under color of their authority they shall make satisfaction to the party injoured [injured] and be broke, and any one [unclear text: threden [threaten] ] them for doing, their tudy [duty] or offers to commit violence upon their persons the party offending him shall be punished at the discretion of the chiefs of the town they may belong to

Law 33th [33rd]

And be it farther enacted if any person or persons should tell such lies as should brought to [unclear text: disturbance ] of the Nation the punish shall be death

Law 34th

And be it farther enacted if any slave should Kill a slave such punishment shall be death.

Law 35th

And be it farther enacted if any person or persons should under take to force woman and did it by force, it shall be left to the woman what punishment she Should [unclear text: satisfied ] with to [document damaged] or pay what she say it be law

Law 36th

And be it farther enacted if any person or persons, borrow a horse and the horse should die before return to the owner, and if the owner of the [deleted text: owner ] horse Should mention before lone [loan] if the horse should should [should] die in his hand before return that he should pay full price and if never mention before lone [loan] it Shall be his own loss


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Law 37th

And be it farther enacted if a woman should Kill a child and proof on her that she was gilty [guilty] of it first whip second [unclear text: crossed ] third death.

Law 38th

And be it farther enacted if two person Should steal and one Should tell on the other one should be whiped [whipped] and the latter stand Clair [Clear]

Law 39th

And be it farther enacted if a man and wife should steal, while living together and after parted one Should tell on the other both Shall be punish as a thief

Law 40th

And be it farther enacted if any person or persons should die without leaving property behind or [unclear text: haden ] the [unclear text: Creditator ] shall loss [lose] if he had property when they did and put it into some persons hand the [unclear text: creditator ] shall look unto him for Paym [added text: ent ]

Law 41st

And be it farther enacted if any person or persons Should employed a White man to work, after work done he shall go back into his own Country, shall not stay no longer than the work done.

Law 42nd

If a White man Should be ordered out of the nation and if he Should stay longer than the time [unclear text: expired ] he shall pay one dollar for every day.

Law 43th [43rd]

If a person or persons should give bad talk [deleted text: to the ] against Warriors or chief he shall be punish by the section 8th

Law 44th

The citizens of the Nation shall pay Taxes for every year, or twelve months twenty five cts pr [cents per] head ten dollars stand stores and [unclear text: Ferries ]

Law 45th

If any person or persons should [unclear text: blow ] for rain or poison they shall not be interrupted

Law 46th

Man and Wife if a husband Should die it Shall be left to the Kin people who died how long she should be a widow [deleted text: for four ] two three or for [four] years, [deleted text: and before four years ends ]


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and if she Should be widow for four years and before four years end if She Should get to a man and [unclear text: proof ] on her She Shall be Whip [Whipped] and Cut the ears & Set her free

Law 47th

If a lawyer Should violite [violate] the law first and Second Shall be [unclear text: tole ] and the third time shall be broke as a chief.

Law 48th

If a man may have a wife and lived with her and his wife should sleep with another man and husband proof on her he Shall [deleted text: cut ] Whip his wife and the man Cut the ears off. And Set her free.

Law 49th

No person Shall permit a White into the nation to live except the hole [whole] Nation agree to it.

Law 50th

If any person or persons Should get Kill in playing ball shall not be punish if person Should take Stick and Knock person and kill it Shall be death.

Law 51st

Person or persons Should take man wife way and be punish for it and Should die with it the [unclear text: punish ] [deleted text: [unclear text: ment ] ] Shall be kill as a murder.

Law 52th [52nd]

If one family Should Kill Brother or Sister the punishment Shall be death by Section 1st.

Law 53th [53rd]

If person Should get drunk and want to fight it Shall be Rope untill [until] he get Soper [Sober] .

Law 54th

And be farther enacted if person or persons Should violate the law of the Creek Nation Shall be punish by the law of Section 8th And their [there] Shall be one person appointed to command the lite horse, to punish the [unclear text: violator ], and he who appoint it, to command, he shall see justice done, [illegible text] and not take property, but be punish by law

Law 55th

And it be it farther enacted if person or persons


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of the Creek Nation Should take up White man with family into his house under employ for or any business, and if the chiefs Should Complain to the employer to have them order out of the Nation before done, if they Should Steal, the person who keep them Shall pay the full value of the losses

Law 56th

If a White man Should want to keep store or stand in the Nation he shall come before the National chiefs and Warriors and is Willing to pay what sum the national chiefs and Warriors may ask and than [then] he shall obtain license from the Agent of the Nation

Laws Ended this day
15th
March 1824th A.D.

It is understood that these are the laws at present in force in the Creek Nation & that none other are of any authority there