Notwithstanding the promise to the Cherokee in the treaty of 1798
that the Government would "continue the guarantee of the remainder
of their country forever," measures were begun almost immediately to
procure another large cession of land and road privileges. In spite
of the strenuous objection of the Cherokee, who sent a delegation of
prominent chiefs to Washington to protest against any further sales,
such pressure was brought to bear, chiefly through the efforts of
the agent, Colonel Meigs, that the object of the Government was
accomplished, and in 1804 and 1805 three treaties were negotiated at
Tellico agency, by which the Cherokee were shorn of more than eight
thousand square miles of their remaining territory.
By the first of these treaties--October 24, 1804--a purchase
was made of a small tract in northeastern Georgia, known as the
"Wafford settlement," upon which a party led by Colonel Wafford had
located some years before, under the impression that it was outside
the boundary established by the Hopewell treaty. In compensation
the Cherokee were to receive an immediate payment of five thousand
dollars in goods or cash with an additional annuity of one thousand
dollars. By the other treaties--October 25 and 27, 1805--a large tract
was obtained in central Tennessee and Kentucky, extending between
the Cumberland range and the western line of the Hopewell treaty,
and from Cumberland river southwest to Duck river. One section was
also secured at Southwest point (now Kingston, Tennessee) with the
design of establishing there the state capital, which, however, was
located at Nashville instead seven years later. Permission was also
obtained for two mail roads through the Cherokee country into Georgia
and Alabama. In consideration of the cessions by the two treaties
the United States agreed to pay fifteen thousand six hundred dollars
in working implements, goods, or cash, with an additional annuity
of three thousand dollars. To secure the consent of some of the
leading chiefs, the treaty commissioners resorted to the disgraceful
precedent of secret articles, by which several valuable small tracts
were reserved for Doublehead and Tollunteeskee, the agreement being
recorded as a part of the treaty, but not embodied in the copy sent
to the Senate for confirmation. [208] In consequence of continued
abuse of his official position for selfish ends Doublehead was soon
afterward killed in accordance with a decree of the chiefs of the
Nation, Major Ridge being selected as executioner. [209]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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