- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1839 Nov. 19, Washington City, D.C. [to] J[ohnson] W. King, Murphey [i.e., Murphy, North Carolina] / W[illiam] H. Thomas of an image
- Creator:
- Thomas, William Holland, 1805-1893
- Publisher:
- Manuscript held by the Special Collections Library, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, MS2058 William Holland Thomas, box 1, folder 1, document wt111.
- Date of Original:
- 1839-11-19
- Subject:
- Cherokee Indians--Claims
Cherokee Indians--Government relations
United States. Office of Indian Affairs
General stores - Location:
- United States, North Carolina, 35.50069, -80.00032
- Medium:
- business letters
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This is a letter, dated November 19, 1839, from William Holland Thomas to J.W. King in which Thomas discusses several different financial and business matters. Thomas tells King to sell goods on credit to the Cherokees if they are unable to pay. He also notes that the Commissioner of Indian Affairs is expected to make his decision regarding the Cherokee claims within the next week.
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:
- wt111
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_wt111
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_wt111#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_wt111/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], MS2058 William Holland Thomas, Special Collections Library, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 2 pages/leaves
- Holding Institution:
- University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Special Collections
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
(Extract)
Washington City DC
Nov. 19, 1839
J W King Murphey
your favor of the
4 th inst [instant] was recived [received] on yesterday. In relation to collecting debts due at that place it has never been my intention to suspend on such as you deemed of a doubtful class. where debts were certain as money was scarce and hard to raise I deemed it expidient [expedient] to indulge such customers as long as I could and yet am of opinion it would be advisable to indulge them until until [until] I come home as I have private settlements to make that could not be made before But I concur with you in opinion the pay [illegible text] must be kept moving. Owing to the scarcity of money I deem it advisable to restrict the sales to such customers as are known to be intirely [entirely] solvent when times are hard and collections have to be forced by law it is better to have the goods than debts which have to be collected in that way, however as to the Indian customers you can extend the same credit to them as [deleted text: before ] heretofore and in such cases as you may think their circumstances justify it a little further I presume that many of them are in need of articles of clothing which it would not be advisable to withold [withhold] on account of their being unable to pay down for them I have always credited them and have been paid whenever they had any thing [anything] to pay
Page: [2]
As to the debt on Martin Angel think I left it at Qualla Town have decided that it be forwarded to you. when we proceed in such manner to secure it as you think proper. The curtailment of expenses to your board is approved of. You seem still to have a desire of visiting the west with a view of settling there. should you on my return continue of what opinion I will endeavr [endeavor] to make the necessary arrangements for you to do so The probabity [probability] is by next spring I could obtain for you a situation that would pay all expenses in going to see that country and then if you did not like it you could return. in determining on that point you should way [weigh] matters and things and study your present and future interest As to the ginsang [ginseng] I presume you have recived [received] my letter on that subject if not sent it will be unnecessary to send it
The Commissioner of Indian Affairs has not completed his decisions he designs finishing next week I design leaving the charge of some of my unfished [unfinished] business with some members of Congress and returning home to complete my private business and to make out some claims which have not been made out. Tell Mr Cuningham I have collected a part of his money and hope to collect the balance
In relation to [deleted text: your ] the debts in Augusta pay them as fast as you can I have written to those men on the subject give my respects to enquiring friends
yours & c [et cetera]
[Signed] W [William] H Thomas