Col^o Dec^r 24 July 1797. The Conference commenced about 10 Oclock Present the Commissioners of the United States M^r Dinsmore Temporary Agent for Indian affairs among the Cherokees, The commandant Ensign Dickenson, and several other persons, and the following Gentlemen who were of the deputation. Elijah Chisholm, Isaac Laine, John Hunt, Peter Hagave, John Owen, Hezekiah Joudon, John Vanbibber, Jacob Womack, John Jones, [strikethrough: and John [undecipherable]] and James Davis. These Gentlemen were a deputation from the Settlements North side of Clinch river between that and Cumberland mountains, below Campbells line, having visited the Commissioners of U.S. appointed to ascertain and mark the boundary line between the Indian nations and the United States for the purpose of expressing to them the fear of the settlers at the running and marking the line from the Kentucky trace on Cumberland to the gaps on Cumberland mountain, and a line Campbells line to Clinch. They made the following statement. They were deputed by their fellow citizens to present that there were a number of families who would be in the intention of that line formed below and on the lands which will be deemed Indian lands. That all those had been obtained by fair purchase from North Carolina, under the land laws of that State. That all the Citizens had formed, many of them made at considerable expences of money and labour, and that a removal from them will greatly distress all, and be ruinous to some. That the settlers were apprehensive that by stoping the line bordering on Cumberland they would be [undecipherable] and something like an advantage taken of them as the running of that line gave them a hope that they would be [undecipherable]. or at all events, if they were compelled by dire necessity to remove that there would be on the west side of it, an asylum for them, their families and the wreck of their property. They hoped the Commissioners would be attentive to their fears, and wishes, and as they had stoped the line to gratify the Indians as it is understood That they will postpone the ascertaining this line, till after that is ascertained and fixed. That they were a plain [undecipherable: industrious] peoples who lived by their labour, were not opposed to Law, and were not well able to express the [undecipherable] of mind which pervades all the settlers, but it was their duty to endeavour to make their statement known to the Commissioners, and to try what could be done for them. The Commissioners replied at great length on their part, the shewed their Commision, the conference with the Indians at Tuskegee, a letter from M^r William Blount of the 6^th June, to the Secretary of War, and their reply, and stated that the information received by the settlers relative to the stoppage of the line was erroneous. That two of Commissioners were of opinion that the line was not the true line, as it would not in its extention [strikethrough: strike] touch the Cumberland; and on a conference it was agreed to stop it. Which was done at Walton's road on reather at the 59^th miles. That an experiment line was to be run to ascertain its termination and if it struck the Cumberland below the Kentucky traces, it was the true line, [undecipherable] the true line would be commenced on the Cumberland and extended to the point now ascertained to be forty miles above Nashville, on the ridge dividing the waters of Duck river from those of Cumberland. That this line gave a scope of unsettle country from 20 to 25 miles wide from the [undecipherable] point on the ridge to Waltons road, and there would be a proportionate scope to the end of the lines. That the Commissioners were incapable of doing any things that would be injurious to their fellow Citizens, by giving a preference to any particular spot. They had excepted the trust reposed in them with the intention of executing it in a manner strictly in conformity with their best judgement of the meaning of the parties as expressed in the Treaty, and they had [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] determined to report the whole of the Cherokee line when consolidated. [undecipherable] their report would not be made till October. This would afford time to the citizens who felt themselves aggrieved to apply to the Government for redress, and to obtain it. If it was in the power of the President to afford it. They stated that the line in question called Campbells Line was made in 1777, it was repeated at Hopewell in 1785, in the Holston Treaty of 1791 and was the same as contemplated in the Treaty of 1794 for giving effect to the Holston Treaty. That the guarantee in the Holston Treaty was a solemn and important act which committed the whole Government. That the Indians had expressed on various occasions their desire that the line might be closed agreeably to the Treaty. That the President had sent a message to the whole nation in August or September last inviting them to send some of their principal Chiefs to Philadelphia for the purpose of fixing on the time for running the [boundary] line. That the Indians went on this invitation and were promised it should be run, and that men should be appointed [undecipherable] might confide to run the same, and the time for running was fixed for April. They further stated that in the present situation of our political affairs it appeared to them of the highest importance particularly that the United States should preserve their faith plighted to the Indians. That the United States had some difficulties to encounter in the adjustment of their political concerns, with Spain and with France. That if any thing should arise from that quarter and we should have violated [undecipherable] faith it [undecipherable] to be feared that they would avail themselves of [that] moment, & seize that confidence which the Indians ever had in the justice of the Government, and turn it to their own account. The Gentlemen themselves must see this from the intercepted letter, and some other information which the Government were now possessed of, that something serious was the contemplation of some men to disturb the peace in the South West. The Commissioners under their impressions could only advise that the setters would avail themselves of the earliest opportunity to place their situation in a just point of view before the President, and to abide by the law; that if the President could afford any redress his disposition was not to be doubted if he could not, the case was a plain one, and they were then to judge for themselves. That probably in the present temper of the Indians, after knowing the scope of unsettled lands in Cumberland, in the midst of their hunting grounds, it would be difficult to obtain what was in the contemplation of the settlers, as the Indians would with great difficulty be brought to part with their lands, unless they could have impressed on them a confidence that our fellow citizens would respect their Treaties established with them and keep off from their lands.