- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Letter, 1814 May 5, Highwassee [i.e., Hiwassee] Garrison to General [John] Armstrong, [Jr.], Secretary of War
- Publisher:
- Manuscript held by the Special Collections Library, The University of Tennessee Knoxville, Penelope Johnson Allen, document pa0033.
- Date of Original:
- 1814-05-05
- Subject:
- Cherokee Indians--Crimes against
- Location:
- United States, Tennessee, 35.75035, -86.25027
- Medium:
- petitions
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- Letter dated May 5, 1814 from (Return J. Meigs, United States Agent to the Cherokee Nation ?) to Secretary of War, John Armstrong, Jr. concerning depredations committed by Tennessee troops upon the Cherokees. The Tennessee troops marched through the Cherokee Nation destroying much property and threatening the Cherokees. The author wants the Cherokees, who have displayed much loyalty to the U.S. in fighting against the Red Stick Creeks and furnishing supplies to the troops, to be compensated for the damage done to their property.
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:
- pa0033
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_pa0033
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_pa0033#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_pa0033/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Penelope Johnson Allen, Special Collections Library, The University of Tennessee Knoxville, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 4 pages/leaves
- Holding Institution:
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Special Collections
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Highwassee Garrison
5th May 1814.
Sir.
I herewith transmit a statement of claims of Cherokees who respectfully ask for indemnity for losses suffered by the wanton maraudings & depredations of the Tennessee levies on their marches & countermarches through the Cherokee County in the late expeditions against the Creeks: said to be all done by the left wing or division of those levies. There has been no complaint of the conduct of the right wing of the army or the 39th Infantry commanded by Colo. [Colonel ] Williams. In the large detailed statement now transmitted, the kinds of property lost by each claimant is described opposite to his name & [unclear text: N ] -- & supported by his narative [narrative] as taken by a faithfull [faithful] intelligent Interpreter: from the large statement I have made an abstract that the whole may be seen at one view. These depredations may at first seem incredible, but I have no dout [doubt] of the justness of the statements: they are well known to thousands. I received a letter from an officer of high rank in that army in which he says, "The return of the horse through their Country has been marked by plunder and prodigal unnecessary and wanton destruction of property: their stocks of cattle & hogs have been shot and suffered to rot untouched -- their horses in some instances shared the same fate. their cloathing intened [clothing intended] to defend them from the wet & cold in the present campaign has been stolen and in some instances where they remonstrated their lives have been threat [added text: [unclear text: e ] ] ned,
Page: [2]
this conduct is well calculated to dishearten & may withhold their services which would be severely felt by us." I have been well informed that when in some instances applications were made by the Indians to officers they received for answer that their men felt themselves unfettered by the laws & that they could not restrain them. The task of Genl. [General] Jackson to break down the spirit of licentiousness & insubordination of such men & turn the current of barbarity against the Creeks has been done by a kind of address unconquerable resolution united rarely to be found & the successful termination of the Creek war aught [ought], perhaps, to spread a veil over every vice & every expense in the prosecution of such a war since it is now impossible to place the expence [expense] on the individuals who committed those excesses, some of the Cherokees have been deprived of all their Cattle & hogs: others nearly all. The Cherokee chearfully supplyed [cheerfully supplied] the army with Beef & pork and nearly all the corn they had. General Jackson wrote me that on his route south of the mountains with the right wing or division of the army that the Indians let him have all their corn.
The Cherokee warriors have faught [fought] and bled freely and according to their numbers have lost more men than any part of the army. They know that they have rendered great service in this Creek war and have no dout [doubt] their services are properly appreciated by the Government.
They are a little uneasy about the intrusions on their lands but believe the intruders will be removed as soon as troops can be spared for this part of the country for they confide
Page: [3]
in the government they know their standing. There are people who regret that the Cherokees have taken arms in our favor they would rejoice to have some pretext to drive them off their lands.
I have the honor to be with great respect your obedient servt. [servant]
General Armstrong Secretary of War
Page: [4]
To the Secretary of War
5th May 1814. Letter on the subject of [illegible text] by the Tennessee Levies in the Creek war