- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1839 Dec. 14, Washington City, [D.C. to] Geo[rge] W. Churchwell, Knoxville, Ten[nessee] / W[illiam Holland 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 wt128.
- Date of Original:
- 1839-12-14
- Subject:
- Cherokee Indians--Claims
Cherokee Indians--Treaties
Cherokee Indians--Government relations
United States. Office of Indian Affairs - Location:
- United States, North Carolina, 35.50069, -80.00032
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This is a letter, dated December 14, 1839, from William Holland Thomas to George W. Churchwell in which Thomas relates the current state of the Eastern Cherokee claims. Thomas says that the Secretary of War has the report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs under consideration and explains that the decision has been made to withhold payments to all of the Cherokees until conflict among the Cherokees who emigrated is resolved. He also believes that Congress may form a committee to investigate the matter, which would even further delay action. Thomas states that he will not give up on the previously rejected claims and that eventually the Cherokees will be compensated under the treaty of 1835.
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:
- wt128
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_wt128
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_wt128#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_wt128/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]
Washington City
Dec 14, 1839
Geo. [George] W. Churchwell Esqr. [Esquire] Knoxville Ten.
your favor of the
1st inst [instant] was duly recived [received] . The Secretary of War yet has the Commissioners report under consideration I have no doubt is progressing with it as fast as he can.
Whereas the Department has passed an order prohibiting the payment of the Cherokees of any of their dues under the treaty until their difficulties growing out of the death of Ridges &
Page: [2]
Boudinott are settled (this was done at the request of both parties of the cherokees). I therefore presume it will be unnecessary for you to come here before those difficulties are settled
As I have previously suggested to you I deem it is expedient to buy any of the rejected claims before Congress until after those allowed are paid If [unclear text: we were ] to lay them before Congress before payment is made on such as have been allowed a committee might be appointed to investigate all the Cherokee business which in all probability would occasion further delay of at least 2 years
It is now too late for you to be of advantage here in settling the rules and construction of the treaty -- the secretary of War will have completed that before you could get here
As I have before stated to you we must not loose [lose] sight of the rejected claims I have and will do all I can to have established principles which will lead to their being allowed when the proper time arrives. If once decided that the life estate reservees could only dispose of their own interest in reservations and that they could do no act to the prejudice of their children's rights to the fee simple title It would follow of course that all such claims would follow of course that all such claims [would follow of course that all such claims] would constitute just claims against the us. and if the claimants are not compensated therefor [therefore] under the treaty of
1835 Congress no doubt will on a statement to that effect from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs make an additional appropriation to satisfy such claims but what I have said in relation to our Indian business is intended for your information only as it might be considered improper in me to even state this much under existing circumstances
I called to see Mr Grundy in relation to the appointment he [illegible text]
[Signed] W [William]