- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1791 Jan. 28, Highwassey [i.e., Hiwassee], to Governor Blount / Headmen of the Cherokees
- Creator:
- Headmen of the Cherokees
- Date of Original:
- 1791-01-28
- Subject:
- Creek Indians--Land tenure
Cherokee Nation
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 document is a typewritten copy of a letter, dated January 28, 1791, and sent to Governor Blount of Tennessee (1790-1795), also superintendent of Indian Affairs, by the Headmen of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokees indicate their displeasure with white settlement at a locale known as Mussle Shoals and inform Governor Blount that their neighbors, the Creek Indians, will not suffer these encroachments without bloodshed. The Cherokee indicate their unwillingness to cede more land to the whites in the surrounding territories.
Digital image of original manuscript, scanned by the University of Georgia Libraries in 2000, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- tcc095
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc095
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc095#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc095/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Telamon Cuyler, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 1 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Telamon Cuyler, box 77, folder 17, document 01.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Highwassey
January the 28th 1791
To his Excellency Governor Blount
WE have heard a very good talk from you and we Warriors thank you. We warriors think you seem to pity us and we thank you, We are going [deleted text: t ] to tell you, we hear that the Georgians have sold our land, and we want to know what it is for, we think very bad of it and if it is so, the man above will surely send Blood upon the Earth. We think the people that is going to settle the Mussle Shoals don't want the sun to shine on them but to be in darkness, that if it so their Children wont [won't] grow up for it is a bad place.
In your Country the sun shines bright and good and your children will grow up and be big and strong. We have told you the place is bad and the Creeks are not good, they will soon spill blood if that place is settled
[deleted text: Th ] They say they have given a great deal of money for the place, if they have, they gave it to them that did not own it, for it belongs to all the Red people. We are in a very bad way but we don't intend to sell this land to buy Goods: We have told you that we are in a very bad way we have but a few hills to hunt on and we don't intend to sell them, and we hope this peace will last a great while. We have had a very good talk from you and like it much, but the talk had about settling the Mussle Shoals we dont [don't] know what to think of it: We wish our Children and your Children to grow up in Love and Friendship and want you to put a stop to the settling of that Country for if it is settled there will be Blood spilled. The Warriors all talk good.
N.B. [Nota Bene] We send you no Lie about people going to [missing letter: s ] ettle the Mussle Shoals for the Man wrote to us and his name is George Handcock. On Back: "Copy of a Letter from the Headmen of the Cherokees to Governor Blount Superintendent of Indian affairs for the Southern District." [added text (appears to be in different ink): " ]