Early in the year 1820[267] complaints began to arise as to the status
of those Cherokees who had made their election to remove to the
Arkansas country but had subsequently concluded to remain east. These,
it was stated, numbered 817, and they found themselves placed in rather
an anomalous situation. Their proportion of the Cherokee national
domain had been ceded to the United States by the treaties of 1817
and 1819. Their share of annuities was being paid, under the treaty
of 1819, to the Cherokees of the Arkansas. Their right to individual
reservations under either treaty was denied, and they were not even
allowed to vote, hold office, or participate in any of the affairs of
the nation.
In this condition they soon became an element of much irritation in the
body politic of the tribe. The Cherokee authorities urged that they
should be furnished with rations and transportation to their brethren
in the West, whither they were now willing to remove, but the Secretary
of War instructed Agent Meigs[268] that emigration to the Arkansas
under the patronage of the Government had ceased, and that those
Cherokees who had enrolled themselves for removal but had not yet gone,
as well as all others thereafter determining to go, must do so at their
own expense.
[Footnote 242: United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 195.]
[Footnote 243: May 8, 1818.]
[Footnote 244: Secretary of War to Reuben Lewis, United States Indian
agent, May 16, 1818.]
[Footnote 245: May 16 to 24, inclusive.]
[Footnote 246: July 22.]
[Footnote 247: United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 156.]
[Footnote 248: Letter of Secretary of War to Capt. William Bradford,
September 9, 1818.]
[Footnote 249: Secretary of War to Agent Lewis, July 22, 1819.]
[Footnote 250: Field notes and diagram on file in Indian Office.]
[Footnote 251: October 6, 1818.]
[Footnote 252: July 29, 1818.]
[Footnote 254: December 29, 1818.]
[Footnote 253: November 13, 1818.]
[Footnote 255: November 29, 1818.]
[Footnote 256: December 19, 1818.]
[Footnote 257: February, 1819.]
[Footnote 258: February 11, 1819.]
[Footnote 259: Cherokee delegation to Secretary of War, February 17,
1819.]
[Footnote 260: United States Statutes at Large, Vol. VII, p. 195.]
[Footnote 261: March 6, 1819.]
[Footnote 262: March 11, 1819.]
[Footnote 263: March 12, 1819.]
[Footnote 264: Mr. Houston began his survey at the point where the
first hill closes in on Hiwassee River, which he found to be 2-1/2
miles above Hiwassee Old Town. He also states in his report that he
found no ridge dividing the waters of Hiwassee from those of Little
River. This line from the Hiwassee River to the Tennessee River at
Talassee was 46 miles and 300 poles in length. It was begun May 28
and completed June 12, 1819. The line from the junction of Cowee and
Nauteyalee Rivers to the Blue Ridge was begun June 12 and completed
June 18, 1819, and was 36 miles long. His report, with accompanying
map, was communicated to the Secretary of War with letter dated July
30, 1819. A copy of the field notes may be found in American State
Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. II, pp. 192 and 193.]
[Footnote 265: July 24, 1820.]
[Footnote 266: Secretary of War to Agent Meigs, August 14, 1820.]
[Footnote 267: February 9. See letter of Return J. Meigs to Secretary
of War.]
[Footnote 268: June 15, 1820.]