[Letter] 1846 Mar. 9 [to] Maj[or] Gen[era]l Winfield Scott, Washington City / W[illiam] H. Thomas

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Washington City
March 9. 1846
Maj. Genl. [General] Winfield Scott, com [commander] in chief U. S. A.
Sir,
The statement which you had the kindness to furnish me, of my services in suppressing hostilities among the Cherokee Indians, having been lost from the files of the Senate, allow me to ask of you the favor to furnish me with copies or extracts of such reports as may be on file in your office relating to the services performed by me, at the time I accompanied Col W. S. Foster at your request. The great length of time that has elapsed may have effaced from your memory both the recollection of me and my services. I beg leave therefore to make mention of a few incidents respecting both, for the purpose of strengthening your memory upon the subject.
I am the same individual that accompanied Lt Smith in capturing Charley and his hostile band on the Smokey mountain, and having gone with him, at his request to prevent, by my influence, hostilities, which from information he had received, were anticipated. After the capture was made and the Indians were deprived by me of their arms -- as far as discoverable -- when on their march to Tennessee to join the emigrants, an attack was made on the soldiers, which resulted in two being killed and one wounded, and the escape of the Indians with [unclear text: [deleted text: the ] ] arms clothing &c [et cetera], of the murdered soldiers, to the mountains. As soon as you received information of what had transpired, preparations were made to capture the hostile band -- prevent the other cherokees remaining east from uniting with them, and protect the lives and property of the citizens in the adjacent county.


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Col Foster was ordered to proceed with the 4th Regiment of the United States Troops to the place where the soldiers were murdered, in the mountains of North Carolina, On his march thither, from Fort [unclear text: Cass ] Tenn. he was instructed to call and see you at Athens, and to request me to accompany him -- I was then engaged in business at the Fort -- On our arrival you informed us of the plans contemplated for the supression [suppression] of hostilities. The success of which would much depend upon my accompanying Col Foster, you desired me, you said, "to proceed on alone in advance of the Troops, to where the Soldiers were murdered, and endeavour [endeavor] to find Euchella and other chiefs of the Indians, that had fled to the mountains to avoid emigration, and ascertain from them the place where the murders [murderers] had secreted themselves, and also prevent their union with the offenders, and if possible their aid to capture them, For which you stated in case I would consent to go, I should be liberally compensated by the Government," To which I replied that I would not consent to run so great a risque [risk] of losing my life, for any compensation he would be justified in giving me, because if I then as as hireling lost my life it would be said I was influenced to run the risque by [unclear text: [added text (appears to be different ink ): sinister motives ] ] ; but I would consent to go as a volunteer to render what service I could for my country, without compensation. you seemed fully to appreciate my motives at the time, and I proceeded, at once, in advance of the Troops to comply with your instructions. After reaching the place where the soldiers were buried, alone, I traversed the mountains in which their murderers were concealed, in hopes of obtaining an interview with Euchella who with his followers had for the past year been concealed


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in the caves of the mountains. After travelling on foot several days, I succeeded in finding an Indian who informed me where the murderers had been seen a few days before, in a [unclear text: head ] of Hemlock and laurel, about thirty miles from the place where they committed the murder, near the top of the smokey mountain. He also informed me that Euchella and his band were concealed near the same place. I requested him to proceed immediately to where Euchella and his band were, and inform them that I wished an interview with them as soon as possible. This request was complied with, in a manner peculiar to Indian runners on important occasions. His return brought me the news, that they would consent to meet me the next night on the mountain, if I would come alone with the Indian who conveyed the message. At the time and place appointed the guide and myself groped our way through the dark and obtained the desired interview, when it was so dark that I was only able to distinguish the chief Euchella by his [unclear text: voice ] . I found him in a state of desperation, his wife and brother had perished in the mountains, and he alledged [alleged] that " he had but little left to make life desirable ." It was uttered with a tone of voice which made me feel the danger of my situation, surrounded as I was alone in the dark by Indians reduced to the last extremity of desperation. If he determined to yield to the advice of Charley and his band, to join them and sell their lives as dear as they could to the whites my fate was sealed. His speech was listened to with that attention which Indians pay to their chiefs. Which was followed by one from me, in


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cherokee, in which I informed them that the state of North Carolina had passed a law for the protection of such as remained and became citizens, and had thereby, given the consent of the state, that the Officers of the Government of the United States, might permit them to do so. And all that Col Foster now desired was, the capture of Charley and his hostile band, those guilty of the murder to be punished, and the remainder to be emigrated. This no doubt determined them in favor of pursuing the course which they adopted in favor of peace. Runners were despatched [dispatched] to all the Outlying Indians, directing them not to unite with Charley and his band, and to furnish warriors to aid in their capture. This was followed by a council at the town of Cherokees that had been citizenized, situated in the valley below the mountain to aid those of Euchella. With two white men to pack provisions and have it prepared at places appointed for the Indians to meet, after spending the day in pursuit of the murderers. I served until all the offenders were captured by that company. Col. Foster's troops being incapable of capturing them, in the country where they had secreted themselves. The mountains were too steep and rugged, covered with hemlock & laurel interspersed with ravines, cliffs and precipices, to pursue them on horse back. This mountain is about one hundred miles in length and covering from twenty to thirty in width, with but a sparce [sparse] population around its base. one of its Peaks called the Black mountain is the highest mountain in the United States. The number of Indians then in the county, as shown by the census taken by the Government in
1840, as about the same as the Seminoles in Florida -- hostile to the United States & Including those citizenized and the Catawba Indians who reside with them. And in the opinion of Col Foster could not have been exterminated or captured by white troops, without much loss of life [unclear text: attended ] with a great destruction of property owned by the citizens residing near the mountain, and at a heavy expense on the part of the Government, all of which was saved by the plan adopted of permitting Euchella and his followers to remain. But when, at your request, I consented to risque [risk] my life for my country, and for reasons stated, could not consent to receive compensation. I did not suppose that the Government I served, would refuse to indemnify me for the small amount expended for [unclear text: corn ] to keep Euchella and his followers from starving. It was in the commencement of winter when -- including the 30 captured and released by Col Foster to reside with the North Carolina Indians -- several hundred Indians were left with me by Col. Foster destitute of both clothing and food, to await the decision by the Government, on the permitting them to become citizens and that decision was not obtained until near a year afterwards. Their destitute condition was caused by the act of the Government, their property had all been sold, and they were thus [unclear text: treated ] to force them to come in and emigrate.

With the highest respect your obt servt [obedient servant]
[Signed] W H Thomas

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