Autograph Letter Signed

Land Claims

Cited original land charter of Virginia and the state is not obliged to assist John Nelson with his bounty claim who currently resides on Indian land.

1797

02

02

Philadelphia

James McHenry

Charles Lee

Indians

state officers

John Nelson

Chickasaws

Philadelphia

frontier

bounty land

Virginia

Ohio River

Cumberland River

Tennessee River

charter

state line

boundary line

treaty

title

Act of Congress

land claims

Indian land rights

bounty

1797020240101

1

3

2 Feby 1797
Charles Lee Atty General
Philadelphia 2 Feby 1797
Sir
taken Virginia [undecipherable] added to the
United States the lands north east of the Ohio within
the limits of her charter. no reservation was made
for satisfying the claims for [undecipherable] land of the
state officers not on continental establishment
of which description John Nelson in his petition
is stated to be Consequently the United States are
not bound by the terms of cession to satisfy the claim
of John Nelson or any other of the like kind.
The Indian right to the land between Cumber
land and Tenessee ruins, whereon locations were
made for the one of John Nelson and others in the
state line of Virginia was not extinct at the
time of these locations and ransom pay must
be viewed as made subject to [undecipherable] night and
[unedecipherable] to the possibility of [undecipherable]
the boundary line of the land attend to the indians
when a [undecipherable] should be made with [undecipherable] on a
contract concluded with [undecipherable]. In making the
treaty of 10th Jany 1786 with the Chickasaw [undecipherable]
[undecipherable] lad at right and did not do [undecipherable]
to which John Nelson was deprieved of lands to which
he or Virginia under whom he claims had a complete
title. The indians had never consented to
take those to Virginia, and the utmost right
of Virginia was a preemption right - this
pre-emption right is not violated or taken
away by any act of Congress but is deemed to
exist in full form. Whenever the Indians will
surrender their right to those lands by treaty, the
state of Virginia ought to exercise his right
of pre-emption and when obtained, the locateion
title of John Nelson to the lands in [undecipherable]
plant he preferred to all others under Virginia
[udecipherable] to it. Till he in[?] right shall
he estimated in a valid and regular manner
to this tract of country or Virginia shall find
[undecipherable] satisfying claims of this kind
[undecipherable] they are. The United
States are under no obligation to satisfy
them in any manner whatsoever.
I am respectfully your
most obed Servant
Charles Lee


The Secretary
at War