The destruction of the official records renders it very difficult to
ascertain the details of the misunderstandings alleged in the preamble
of this treaty of June 26, 1794,[97] to have arisen concerning the
provisions of the treaty of 1791. But it is gathered from various
sources that the principal cause of complaint was in reference to
boundaries.
After that treaty was concluded, however, it became evident that there
would be difficulty in determining satisfactorily where the ridge came
in contact with the Holston, inasmuch as the white settlers in the
vicinity could not agree upon it. The Indians also changed their minds
in some respect as to the proper course of the line; but, in view of
the fact that settlers were encroaching with great persistency upon
their territory, they saw the necessity of taking immediate steps to
have the boundary officially surveyed and marked. They also revived an
old claim to pay for lands yielded by them in the establishment of the
treaty line of 1785, for which they had received no compensation.
_Increase of annuity._--In the conference preceding the signature of
this treaty of 1794 they insisted that for this and other reasons an
increase should be made in the annuity provided by the treaty of 1791,
as amended by that of 1792. This was agreed to by the United States,
and the annuity was increased from $1,500 to $5,000.
_Boundary line to be surveyed._--It was also agreed that the treaty
line of 1791 should be promptly surveyed and marked after ninety days'
notice had been given to the Cherokees of the time when and the place
where the survey should begin.
This, as has already been stated in connection with the treaty of
1791, had been so far performed in the fall of 1792 as to run but not
mark a preliminary line for a short portion of the distance, but in
spite of the additional agreement in this treaty of 1794 the actual
and final survey did not take place until 1797,[100] three years after
the conclusion of this treaty and more than seven years after it was
originally promised to be done.
The treaty of 1794 was concluded by the Secretary of War himself with
a delegation of the Cherokees who had visited Philadelphia for that
purpose. It was communicated by President Washington to the Senate on
the 30th of December, 1794.[101]