The Cherokee, however, were dissatisfied with the arrangement,
and before the end of the year a delegation of six principal chiefs
appeared at Philadelphia, then the seat of government, without any
previous announcement of their coming, declaring that when they
had been summoned by Governor Blount to a conference they were not
aware that it was to persuade them to sell lands; that they had
resisted the proposition for days, and only yielded when compelled
by the persistent and threatening demands of the governor; that the
consideration was entirely too small; and that they had no faith
that the whites would respect the new boundary, as they were in fact
already settling beyond it. Finally, as the treaty had been signed,
they asked that these intruders be removed. As their presentation of
the case seemed a just one and it was desirable that they should carry
home with them a favorable impression of the government's attitude
toward them, a supplementary article was added, increasing the annuity
to eight thousand five hundred dollars. On account of renewed Indian
hostilities in Ohio valley and the desire of the government to keep
the good will of the Cherokee long enough to obtain their help against
the northern tribes, the new line was not surveyed until 1797. [168]
As illustrating Indian custom it may be noted that one of the principal
signers of the original treaty was among the protesting delegates,
but having in the meantime changed his name, it appears on the
supplementary paragraph as "Iskagua, or Clear Sky, formerly Nenetooyah,
or Bloody Fellow." [169] As he had been one of the principal raiders
on the Tennessee frontier, the new name may have been symbolic of
his change of heart at the prospect of a return of peace.
The treaty seems to have had little effect in preventing Indian
hostilities, probably because the intruders still remained upon the
Indian lands, and raiding still continued. The Creeks were known to
be responsible for some of the mischief, and the hostile Chickamaugas
were supposed to be the chief authors of the rest. [170] Even while the
Cherokee delegates were negotiating the treaty in Philadelphia a boat
which had accidentally run aground on the Muscle shoals was attacked
by a party of Indians under the pretense of offering assistance,
one man being killed and another severely wounded with a hatchet. [171]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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