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
The Cherokees by this treaty also relinquished all claim they might
have to the Long Island or Great Island, as it was sometimes called,
of Holston River. This island was in reality outside the limits of the
country assigned the Cherokees by the first treaty between them and
the United States, at Hopewell, in 1785, but they had always since
maintained that no cession had ever been made of it by them, and
it was deemed wise to insert a specific clause in the treaty under
consideration to that effect.[167]
_Boundaries to be surveyed._--Early in 1807[168] the Secretary of War
notified Agent Meigs that Mr. Thomas Freeman had been appointed to
survey and mark the boundary line conformably to both the treaty of
1805 with the Chickasaws and of 1806 with the Cherokees, as well as
to survey the land ceded between the south line of Tennessee and the
Tennessee River, lying west of the line from about the Chickasaw Old
Fields to the most eastern source of Duck River. He was also advised
that General Robertson and himself had been designated to attend and
superintend the running of such boundary lines. Furthermore, that it
was desirable that the eastern line of both cessions should be one
and the same, for although by the Chickasaw treaty the whole waters
of Elk River were included, it was evident their claim to any lands
east of the line agreed upon by the Cherokees was more than doubtful;
that, therefore, the United States ought not to insist on such a
line as would go to the eastward of the one defined in the Cherokee
treaty, unless the latter could be prevailed upon to extend the same,
in which event they were authorized to offer the Cherokees a moderate
compensation therefor.
EXPLANATORY TREATY NEGOTIATED.
This led, upon the assembly of the commissioners and surveyor at
Chickasaw Old Fields, in the fall of 1807 (for the purpose of surveying
and marking the boundary lines in question), to the negotiation of an
explanatory treaty with certain of the Cherokee chiefs, on the 11th of
September, 1807,[169] whereby it was agreed that the Cherokee cession
line should be extended so far to the eastward as to include all the
waters of Elk River and thereby be made coincident and uniform with the
Chickasaw line.
_Secret article._--The ostensible consideration paid for this
concession, as shown by the treaty, was $2,000; but it was secretly
agreed that $1,000 and two rifles should be given to the chiefs with
whom the treaty was negotiated.[170]
President Jefferson transmitted this latter treaty to the Senate on
the 29th of March, 1808, and having received the consent of that body
to its ratification, it was proclaimed by the President on the 22d of
April following.
[Footnote 160: United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 103.]
[Footnote 161: United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 101.]
[Footnote 162: May, 1807.]
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