The Cherokee Nation of Indians. (1887 N 05 / 1883-1884 (pages 121-378))Royce, Charles C.
History
The Cherokee Nation of Indians. (1887 N 05 / 1883-1884 (pages 121-378))
Royce, Charles C.
Cherokee Indians -- Government relations; Cherokee Indians -- Treaties
"At the convention with the Creeks, in September, 1815, the Cherokees
manifested a sincere desire to settle their boundaries with the Creeks,
but the latter first declined and then refused. Tustunnuggee Thlucco,
being asked where their boundary was west of Coosau, said there never
was any boundary fixed and known as such between the parties, and after
making Tennessee the boundary from tradition, and that the Cherokees
obtained leave of them to cross it, the policy of the Creeks receiving
all destroyed red people in their confederacy, the Cherokees were
permitted to come over and settle as low down on the west of Coosau
as Hauluthee Hatchee, from thence on the west side of Coosau on all
its waters to its source. He has never heard, and he has examined
all his people who can have any knowledge on the subject, that the
Cherokees had any pretensions lower down Coosau on that side. He does
not believe, and he has never heard, there was any boundary agreed
upon between them. Being asked by Colonel Hawkins his opinion where
the boundary should be, he says it should go up Hauluthee Hatchee,
passing a level of good land between two mountains, to the head of
Itchau Hatchee, and down the same to Tennessee, about 8 or 9 miles
above Nickajack. In the year 1798 the Cherokees had a settlement at
the Muscle Shoals, Doublehead and Katagiskee were the chiefs, and the
Creeks had a small settlement above the Creek path on Tennessee. The
Cherokee settlement extended southwardly from the shoal probably a mile
and a half. The principal temporary agent for Indian affairs south of
the Ohio was early instructed in 1777 to ascertain the boundary line
of the four nations, and instructions were given accordingly by him
to Mr. Dinsmore and Mr. Mitchell to aid in doing it. Several attempts
were made, but all proved abortive, owing to the policy of the Creeks,
which was to unite the four nations in one confederacy and the national
affairs of all to be in a convention to be held annually among the
Creeks, where the speaker for the Creeks should preside.
"At every attempt made among the Creeks when these conventions met,
the answer was, 'We have no dividing lines, nor never had, between us.
We have lines only between us and the white people, our neighbors.' At
times, when the subject was discussed in the convention of the Creeks,
they claimed Tombigby, called by them Choctaw River (Choctau Hatchee),
the boundary line between them and the Choctaws. Tustunneggee Hopoie,
brother of the old Efau Hajo (mad dog), who died at ninety-six years
of age, and retained strength of memory and intelligence to this great
age, reported publicly to the agent, 'When he was a boy his father's
hunting camp was at Puttauchau Hatchee (Black Warrior).' His father had
long been at the head of the Creeks, and always told him 'Choctaw River
was their boundary with the Choctaws.' He never saw a Choctaw hunting
camp on this side the Black Warrior.
"A true copy from the original.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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