Memorial from the Civil and Military Officers of Mero District

Item

Type

Modern Printed Transcription of Letter/Document

Title

Memorial from the Civil and Military Officers of Mero District

Description

The civil and military officers of Mero District [North Carolina] formally request that President Washington intervene on behalf of the citizens of their district, some of whom have been the victims of Indian violence. The state of North Carolina has been derelict in its duty to protect its citizens from Indian depredations.

year created

1791

month created

08

day created

01

secondary recipient

in collection

content note

Territorial Papers, Vol. 4

notable person/group

William Blount
Officers of the ceded territory
Governor Blount
Indian tribes
Cherokees
Creeks
Chickasaws
civil and military officers of Mero District
President Washington
citizens

notable location

Mero district
State of North Carolina

notable item/thing

address and memorial of the Officers, Civil and Military of Mero District
our remote situation
completion of the union of all the States
salutary consequences
attachment and veneration
welfare of the citizens of America
late treaty
peace to the territory
inroads and depredations of a number of the Indian tribes
horses
murders
plantations
support of their families
perfect amity
perpetrators of those murders
more ample protection
Act of Cession
grateful applause of a free people

document number

1791080190000

transcription

The address and memorial of the Officers, Civil and Military of Mero District--
Our remote situation from the seat of your residence hath prevented us from stepping forth so early as many have, to congratulate your Excellency on the completion of the union of all the States, an event productive of many salutary consequences, even at this period and to declare the attachment and veneration we have for your charactor and many virtues.
We know to promote the welfare of the citizens of America in general is your strongest desire, an evidence of this we have in the appointment of those officers in the ceded territory made immediate by yourself, they meet with general approbation, Governor Blount we are conscious at the late treaty hath done every thing that a man can do to restore peace to the territory.
We are situated in a part of your territory which is more liable to inroads and depredations of a number of the Indian tribes than perhaps any other people. Since the last week of May when the Cherokees were invited to a treaty, and while the talks were actually holding, the Indians killed nine of our citizens and stole fifty or sixty head of horses and still continue their depredations, these murders for the most part have been committed on persons who were cultivating their plantations for the support of their families. The Cherokees at the treaty inform that this mischief was done by the Creeks although they acknowledged that some of their young men were with them, the Chickasaws also with whom we are in perfect amity tell us and we have every reason to believe the Creeks and Cherokees combined are perpertrators of those murders. We implore your interposition, fully hoping to meet with a more ample protection than we have heretofore received from the state of North Carolina the expectation of which was a powerful incentive inducing us to use our utmost influence to obtain the Act of Cession.

Item sets

Document instances

In image In source Location in source
[view document] (0 pages) [no image] Collection: Printed Versions [unknown]
[view document] (0 pages) [no image] Publication: Territorial Papers, Vol. 4 [unknown]

Document names

Type Name Location Notes
Author William Blount [unknown] [n/a]
Recipient George Washington [unknown] [n/a]