- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1816 May 27, Department of War, [Washington, D.C. to] Col[onel] Return J. Meigs, Cherokee Agency / William H. Crawford
- Creator:
- Crawford, William Harris, 1772-1834
- Publisher:
- Manuscript held by the Special Collections Library, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, MS2033 Penelope Johnson Allen, box 1, folder 84, document pa0219.
- Date of Original:
- 1816-05-27
- Subject:
- Cherokee Indians--Land tenure
- Location:
- United States, Southern States, 33.346678, -84.119434
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This letter, dated May 27, 1816 was written to Col. Return J. Meigs, U.S. Agent to the Cherokees, from William H. Crawford, concerning the government's purchase of Cherokee lands for a sum of twenty thousand dollars. Compensation to be given to the Cherokees in return for the land is also outlined.
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:
- pa0219
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_pa0219
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_pa0219#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_pa0219/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], MS2033 Penelope Johnson Allen, Special Collections Library, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 4 pages/leaves
- Holding Institution:
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Special Collections
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Department of War,
May 27th,, 1816
Sir,
The Senators and representatives from Tennessee, before [added text: the ] adjournment of Congress, presented an address to the President, urging the expediency of extinguishing the Cherokee title to the lands north of the Tennessee, within the limits of that state. As there is no game upon the lands, and I believe, no Indians settled upon it, but colo. [colonel] Lowry, it would appear to be their interest to sell it for a fair consideration. By giving Lowry a present, equal to the value of his possessions, it is probable, that a purchase can be effected of all their lands to the north of the river. The President desires, that you shall make every exertion to obtain this cession at their next national council. To enable you to effect this, you are authorised [authorized] to give them, either by way of annuity, or to be paid at one or more payments after the ratification, the sum of Twenty thousand dollars, and to distribute presents among them to the amount of five thousand dollars; and to Lowry, the value
Page: [2]
of his possessions north of the Tennessee river. It will be proper to ascertain the relative value of the lands belonging to Tennessee, compared with that in the Mississippi territory, as the state of Tennessee ought and must pay her proportion of it.
Major Walker, in private conversation told me, that he thought the Cherokee nation would sell the land which we attempted to purchase last winter. It is deemed expedient to make the effort. You are therefore authorised [authorized] to offer them for their claim to the lands lying west of a line to be run due south from that point on the Tennessee river which is intersected by the Eastern boundary of Madison County, to the line agreed upon by the late treaty, an annuity of six thousand dollars a year in perpetuity. Considering that the most of this land is claimed by the Chickasaws, and that there is little or no game upon it, there is some reason to believe, that this offer will not be rejected by the nation, in their grand council.
The President calculates upon the exercise of all your influence in effecting these objects. No commissioner will be appointed, as it is deemed inexpedient to make an impression upon them, that we are extremely solicitous to obtain the cessions in
Page: [3]
question.
I have the honor to be, Your most obedt. [obedient] & very humble servant,
[Signed] Wm [William] H. Crawford
Colo. Return J. Meigs, Cherokee Agency }
Page: [4]
letter from Secy [Secretary] war
Treaty with the Cherokees copied
27th May 1816