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Marion County Ga
June 24 1836
Dear Sir,
Your Excellency's letter from Columbus dated 20 inst [instant] was received yesterday, in which you speak of representations haveing [having] been made, of Indians in my possession who are troublesome to the country, and that from petitions and other sources of information you draw the conclusion that I have them contrary to the general wish of my fellow citizens; I thank you Sir, for the mild character of your letter, under the many tales which have no doubt been told you, and I now beg leave to reply to it, not that I think a reply necessary, but merely to disabuse my self with your Excellency First then as to the Indians. I have one fellow whom I brought with me from Clinton Jones County twelve years ago. I have another fellow who has lived with me several years, and I have four boys whom I have raised from children, some of whom are nearly grown, these six constitute the males; Two of the men have wives and there are some girls and children, their good character I can sustain by the evidence of every neighbor I have whose evidence would be given credit to in a court of Justice. As to the individuals who are [unclear text: to busy ], I wish to say one word. The first petition, and perhaps the only one which your Excellency has received, was borne to you by a man who has kept Indians in his employ for several years until recently, and the Indians refused to work for him because he would not pay them for their labour [labor] . His conduct is therefore influenced by envy and malignity. Your letter to which this is a reply was delivered by about twenty ragamuffin looking fellows, armed and equipped, and I must add accoutred in a great variety of dresses. If I were better acquainted with your Excellency, and you had time from your arduous duties to read, I would attempt to give you a description of them, suffice it to say the celebrated New York military burlesque was a [unclear text: foul ] to them. The abuse and epithet which a decent man and his family were likely to receive from a set of such vagabonds, your Excellency's imagination is not


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sufficiently schooled to conceive of Your Excellency is aware that there are some men, who by their merits are not entitled to the respect of the community in which they live, and who are always ready to tie on to the tail of some respectable man, and thereby increase their own importance, or else they will pick a quarrel with him to effect the same object, now if they can use the Governor of Georgia in either of these ways they effect their purpose in proportion to the disproportion which exists in the slandering before the world Directly after they had retreated from my house they dressed five or six of their number like Indians and started then with directions to run in sight of the neighbors houses, whilst they would follow shooting guns and halloing [hallowing] "Indians" This was done to alarm the neighborhood and create excitement: which has been confessed by two of their gang- Now I do not complain to you of their conduct, neither do I care for them or their opinions. whilst I am restrained by the good feelings of my neighbors but I state this to show your Excellency that notwithstanding you sent me a kind and gentlemanly letter; yet you employed very bad messengers to deliver it. I have always been ready to comply with any order given by the proper authority, and will conform to any request made by the Governor of Georgia, with great pleasure. But that I will not suffer a few trifling fellows to urge one into measures of their own making, the vagabond set who delivered your Excellencys letter yesterday have some reason to know.

With considerations of respect I am your Excellencys humble servant
[Signed] William Williams Sr. The Governor of Georgia





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Letter
William Williams Senr. [Senior]
24 June 1836.
Mis



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[illegible text]

June 27

12 1/2

To His Excellency William Schley Gov of Geo [Georgia] At Columbus

Wm [William] Williams Senr [Senior]
Marion County