- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1841 Mar. 26, War Department, [Washington, D.C. to] Charles J. McDonald, Governor of Georgia, Milledgeville, Georgia / John Bell
- Creator:
- Bell, John, 1797-1869
- Date of Original:
- 1841-03-26
- Subject:
- Georgia. Militia
Military assistance
Federal government
Separation of powers
Seminole War, 2nd, 1835-1842 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Ware County, 31.05363, -82.42368
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
military records - Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- On March 26, 1841, U.S. Secretary of War John Bell responds to Georgia Governor Charles J. McDonald (1839-1843) who requests that Bell establish a militia force to protect the inhabitants of Ware County, Georgia against unnamed Indians (ostensibly Seminoles). Bell informs McDonald that his department cannot authorize such a request without a congressional appropriation and further states that militia action is unjustified since current negotiations with Indians in Florida are proving to be fruitful. Unless these negotiations fail, Bell advises the governor to rely on regular troops and Georgia militia for protection.
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2001, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- tcc624
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc624
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc624#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc624/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:
- 3 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Telamon Cuyler, box 52, folder 03, document 05.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
War Department
March 26th 1841
Sir,
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 9th and 16th instant, in relation to the exposed condition of the inhabitants of Ware County and requesting that a further militia force may be called out and stationed at Fort North for their protection.
The Department is without the means to authorize it to comply with this application, Congress having made no appropriations for the payment of militia. Nor would this measure be justified by the present state of affairs in Florida: intelligence just received from there authorizes the hope that the negotiations now going on with the Indians for their emigration will prove entirely successful. Instructions have, however, been given to the proper officer in Florida to provide such additional protection as may be necessary for the section referred to, by means of the regular troops, or, if advisable, by putting the four companies of Georgia militia, or a portion of them, in better positions for this purpose.
Should the negotiation with the Indians unfortunately fail, the most effectual measures in the power of the Department will be adopted for the protection
Page: [2]
and security of the country.
Very respectfully
Yr Mo Obt Serv [Your Most Obedient Servant]
[Signed] Jno: [John] Bell
His Excellency Charles J. McDonald Governor of Georgia Milledgeville Georgia.
Page: [3]
Hon John Bell
Sec [Secretary] of War
1841