Settlers and Intruders on Cherokee Indian Lands 1801 - 1816

Abstracted from the Records of the Cherokee Agency in Tennessee:

Correspondence and Miscellaneous Records. National Archives Microcopy M-208, Rolls 1-7, 13.

Transcribed by Janelle Swearingen 1989 

From 1801 to 1823 Col. Return Jonathan Meigs of Middletown, Connecticut was the agent to the Cherokees. The Agency was first located at Southwest Point, then moved to Hiwassee Garrison near Dayton, TN. Following a dispute over the title to the Garrison land, it was moved to Calhoun, Tennessee. During the time Meigs was the agent, settlers passing through the Cherokee land had to have a pass issued by the agent. In addition, some settlers who had special skills, such as blacksmiths, were invited onto the land by the tribe. But there were also many intruders who attempted to settle illegally and had to be removed by the agent.

A list of settlers on the Indian lands on the Frontier of Georgia 1804

 Names of the settlers left outside the line (which designated the Indian lands), the day it was said to be finished, which was the 1st February 1798:

1. William Wofford

2. Lucas LeCroy 

3. Benjamin Wofford 

4. Thomas Barnard

5. Moses Halcom 

6. William Bright 

7. Nathaniel Wofford

8. George Hopper

9. Thomas Hopper

10. Richard Lay

11. William Weatherspoons

12. Amy Bowling

13. Samuel Reid

14. Charles Wells

15. Richard Burkas

16. Equila McCracken

17. James McCracken

18. John Collins 

19. Jesse Austin

20. Augustine Brown

21. John Shawn

22. Garnet Smethers

1. William Wofford *

2. Benjamin Wofford *

3. Nathaniel Wofford *

4. James McCracken *

5. Richard Burkaes *

6. William Weatherspoons*

7. Robert Brown

8. William Brown +

9. William Alred

10. Robert Little

11. William Hartgrave

12. Hugh Hartgrave +

13. Samuel Bright

14. Jesse Austin *

15. Lucas LeCroy *

16. William LeCroy +

17. Robert Mahan +

18. Jesse Dean

19. William Taylor

20. Garland Lean

21. Charles Crawford

22. Moses Halcom*

23. David Clarke

24.Mathew Alexander

25. Jacob Southridge

26. John Bland+

27. George Hopper* 

28. William Taylor
In my settlement there were 22  living the day the line was finished;  settlers the day that the orders for  removal &c. there was but 28;  which makes but 6 of an increase. Circumstances in the interim. All those marked thus * in the second column are the old settlers. All those marked + are small families increased by intermarriages with the old settlers children; and consequently have but small families, which are five in number.

History of Franklin Co. GA page 107

13th September 1798

His Excellence James Jackson, Gov. of Georgia.

 

We are induced from the peculiarity of our situations as Frontier citizens of Jackson & Franklin Counties to address your Excellency and implore your interposition in our favor. - We beg leave to represent that we hold titles derived from Grants issued by the State of Georgia for Lands which have proven to lie beyond the temporary boundary line, lately extended under the Superintendence of Colo. Hawkins, Agent of Indian affairs for the United States; that these lands, which we have honestly paid for, which we have been at great Labour and expence to improve and on which (exposed to savage depredations for Several years) we have hazarded the lives of ourselves and our families, we are now forbidden to occupy. - Thus after exhausting all our resources in the purchase & improvement of Lands, we are now told that we must abandon these homes, destitute (as we are) of the means of providing others for our families.

   The lands we hold were granted between the years 1783 & 1788 which we need not remark to your excellency was anterior to the Treaty concluded to New York.- We think it proper also to observe that evident inaccuracies have been commited in running of the line from the Currawhee Mountain to

the source of the Appalachee, by which that line has been thrown much further in upon the inhabitants than it would have gone if it had been carried direct from one of these points to the other.-

  We pray that your excellency will have the goodness to signify to us by letter addressed to Capt. John Little to the care of  Daniel Beall Esq. at Franklin Court House, or in any other way that your Excellency may deem proper and expedient, your opinion.

  If  your excellency has the power of affording us relief we count with great confidence on receiving it.  If your Excellency has not that power, we beg that you will represent our situation to the next Ligislature and implore for us that redress which your excellency may think our cases entitled to.

  We have the honor to be with profound respect,

  Your Excellencies Most Obedt Servts,

                                                                          

   (Signed)

There followed the signatures of Philip Thomas, John Thomas, Wm. Thomas, Philip Thomas Jr., Abednego Downing, Geo. Waters, Levi Taylor, James Huit, Solomon Huitt, Wm. Alexander Tansey, Jesse Austin, Tho. Barnard, Lucas LeCroy, Thomas Lean, Equila McKrakin, (?) McKrakin, Holcom, Geo. Hopper, Wm. Weatherspoons, Hugh Hartgrove, Nathaniel Wofford, Richard Burkes, Richard Lay, Nicholas Smith, Nathan Smith, O(w)en Carpenter, James Minnerd, Nicholas Nuton, Stephen Smith, (an illegible signature of the original document), Lewes Dickeson, Joseph Halcom, Jno. Parker, John Ratley, Thomas Warren, Robert Shipley, John Shipley, Nathaniel Shipley, William Little, (another illegible name), E. Dunnegane, Moses Terell, Jno. Little.