- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter], 1869 Jan. 14, Asheville, N[orth] C[arolina to] Capt[ain Silas H.] Swetland, Washington City, D.C. / W[illia]m H. Thomas
- Creator:
- Thomas, William Holland, 1805-1893
- Date of Original:
- 1869-01-14
- Subject:
- Cherokee Indians--Land tenure
- Location:
- United States, Southern States, 33.346678, -84.119434
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- Letter dated January 14, 1869 from William H. Thomas, legal representative of the Eastern Band of Cherokees of North Carolina, to Silas H. Swetland in Washington, D.C. regarding an unnamed treaty under negotiation which would provide for the cession of some Cherokee land west of the Mississippi. Thomas advises that the involvement of the North Carolina Cherokees is necessary and names Tah,qua,tta,hee, Henry Smith, Tetonneeska, Flying Squirrel, and Enola as chiefs who might form a delegation. He also gives his opinion on the payment the Cherokees should receive for the lands.
Digital image of original manuscript, scanned by the University of Georgia Libraries in 2000, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- wtp157
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_wtp157
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_wtp157#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_wtp157/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], William H. Thomas Papers, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 4 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, William H. Thomas Papers, box 01, folder 27, document 01.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Asheville NoC [North Carolina]
Jan 14th, 1869
Capt Swetland [unclear text: aget [agent] ] Washington City DC
Dear Sir
I wrote you to washington a short time ago, having been informed that you had been called there on business before the business of taking the census & c [et cetera] had been completed.
I now write you to inform you that the Hon John [unclear text: B ] Pool member of the Senate of the US will as the representative of the State of North Carolina and in part the representative of the North Carolina Cherokees has been furnished with an explanation of their claims and rights which it is desirable to embrace in the proposed Treaty. He has also been informed of your opinion of the Services of General Blount And been informed that a fair compensation will be allowed for past as well as the future services of yourself and general Blount in allowing justice to be done the Eastern Cherokees, who with but few exceptions have authorized me to act as their general Attorney with power to appoint one or more attorneys in the city of washington to aid me. Which powers are declared to be irrevocable on their face. And made so in law as coupled with an interest. I still believe that it will become necessary
Page: [2]
to have a responsible and reliable delegation from the East as well as the West. This need not be large, And I will suggest the names of a few chiefs who are regarded as chiefs and have some standing at home. And whose word would be taken on their return.
Of Cherokee county,
Tahquattahee the present chief of the Cheoih Town,
Henry Smith Interpreter,
Of Jackson county
Qualla Town,
Tetonneeska
Flying Squirrel
Enola,
Will west Interpreter
I am clearly satisfied that unless a delegation of Eastern as well as western Cherokees are present at the conclusion of a treaty for the Cession of lands in which both portions of the tribe are interested it will be unsatisfactory and very probably be attended with litigation in the Federal Court which might for years delay the construction of the Pacific Rail road. This it is desirable to avoid. If the delegation from the East go on to Washington I will very probably [unclear text: to ] too. As I am some sort of a Chief as well as attorney.
I do not believe that the Cherokees aught [ought] to take less for the 800,000 acres of the Neutral lands than what they paid with interest on that sum from the
23rd of May 1836 to the
23rd of May 1869, which would give the following result as the basis of negotiation
Page: [3]
Amount paid the United States in [illegible text] or its equivalent for the Neutral lands on the
23rd of May 1836 $ [unclear text: 500.000.00 ]
Interest from the
23rd of May 1836 to the
23rd of May 1869, 33 years [unclear text: 990.00000 ]
[unclear text: 1,490,00 ]
which gives the sum paid the united States with interest [unclear text: in ] or its equivalent one million four hundred and ninety thousand dollars. Which if now paid in Green back would amount to $ [unclear text: 2000,000,00 ] I am also satisfied that the idea of Congregating the Indian Tribes within the Indian Territory west will have to be abandoned. That locality is [unclear text: decidly [decidedly] ] worse for the Indians and will much more retard the march of civilization than a location in Western North Carolina. Where the uninhabited mountains furnish the Indians [unclear text: such ] protection against the encroachments of the white settlements. And at no distant day the whole of the Indian Territory will be in the heart of the white settlements in the valley of the Mississippi separated from the Indian settlements by marked lines, which will soon render that location unfit for the residence of the Indians. And sooner or later all that country will have to be sold And the Indians who are not far enough advance to become merged in the white population will have to be furnished a home in the Eastern or Western [unclear text: mountains ] . I expect to leave here for home tomorrow, you can therefore when you write direct your letters to Qualla Town, NoC [North Carolina]
with the highest respects your obt Servt [obedient Servant]
[Signed] Wm [William] H Thomas
Page: [4]
W. H. Thomas
Jany [January] 14th 1869
From Ashville