- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Lett[e]r to the chiefs of the Creek Nation / the inhabitants residing on the Shawnee River of an image
- Publisher:
- Manuscript held by the Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN, Tennessee Historical Society, box 11, folder n/a, document tl025.
- Date of Original:
- 1730/1842
- Subject:
- Creek Indians--Government relations
Chickasaw Indians--Government relations
Creek Indians--Claims against - Location:
- United States, Southern States, 33.346678, -84.119434
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- The following document is an undated letter addressed to the chiefs of the Creek Nation, which appears to have been written on behalf of the white settlers living along the Shawnee River. In this letter, the settlers appear to have been making an offer of peace with the Creeks. The letter states that the Chickasaws, who were in good relations with the whites, had informed the settlers that the majority of the Creek people wished to be at peace with them. However, the letter refers to several instances that were looked at as being acts of aggression by the Creeks, including the theft of some horses and the loss of white lives. The letter also mentions an instance in which the settlers stumbled upon a deserted Indian camp and retained the horses and other articles from that camp, securing them until it was known to what tribe they belonged. The settlers contend they moved to the West with the intention of being at peace with all the tribes there, nor, they state, do they wish to encroach upon Indian lands or molest Indian peoples.
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:
- ths025
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_ths025
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_ths025#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_ths025/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Tennessee Historical Society, Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, TN, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 2 pages/leaves
- Holding Institution:
- Tennessee State Library and Archives
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]2I
Brothers if We may so Tirm [Term] you We have had accounts from our Brothers the Chicasaws that the majority of your Nation are desierous [desirous] to be at [deleted text: peace ] [added text: Brotherhood ] With us
To the Chiefs of the Creek Nation, The Inhabitants Residing on the Shawnee River Sends Greetting [Greeting] --
We Have Been Informed by our Brothers The Chickasaws that if [added text: a ] Majority of your Nation are Desirous to be at Peace and Brotherhood [illegible text] [deleted text: of Which ] [illegible text] Shawnee River; And Although we have all along Last fall And this Winter have Been Lossing [Losing] of Horses; And sometimes some of Hunters have Been killed; by some that have been Enemies to us, And have Never Molested Any Indians; Untill [Until] Lately [illegible text] some of our Young Men was Occasionally over on ye Waters of Tennsee And happened to Come on Several Camps Deserted by ye Indians, Whom we Would fondly have Spoken With, but could not find any, And we then Judging by there [their] Leaving of there [their] Camps that they had perhaps Come in to [unclear text: Destresse [Distress] our ] Settlement And And [And] finding some horses [added text: & other Articles ] we Carried them off with us; But Upon a Council held by our Chiefs, the Horses was Order to be secured, Untill [Until] it Could be known to What Indians they Belonged unto; in Order To be Returned And If they Belong to Any Who are at peace [illegible text] us or would be Willing to be At peace With us; Upon Condition that If Any Horses from us should be Carried into the Creek Nation the Chiefs Would secure them so as that we May have them Again, And We on our Parts shall Always be Ready to do the Same by you, these Terms our Brothers ye Chickasaws have Agreed to With us And as they are Young the More Among us As Well as Amongst you Who Are not to be [unclear text: Restrained ] Any Other ways then by [unclear text: Seizing ] of Such horses As they Shall Either Carry into You or us -- [deleted text: And ] Delivering of [illegible text] Again
And Whereas We Came [deleted text: here ] & settled here in hopes of having been at Peace With all ye. Nations of the Indians As we had Purchased the Lands on this River from ye. Cherokee Indians in a Publick [Public] treaty [unclear text: wt. [with] ym. ] At Watauga And As We have Drawn a line Lately very near to us Which [document damaged] Not settle over nor Molest [unclear text: yu. [you] in yr. [your] ] Hunting Ground, in Case ye. [document damaged] to these our Terms, Otherwise we Cannot Engage for our Young men [document damaged]
Page: [2]
Coppy [Copy] of a Lettr [Letter] to ye. Creek Nation of Indians