Autograph Draft Letter Signed

Their Situation is Deplorable, Etc.

Sevier reports that the Commissioners will soon finish the boundary line. However, a number or respectable inhabitants have the misfortune of being left within the Indian claim and many of them have been peaceably settled on their plantations for a considerable length of time. They had the just right to expect from the laws of North Carolina that they would never be molested. He feels their situation is deplorable.

1797

08

22

Knoxville

Partially illegible.

James McHenry

John Sevier

Secretary of War

commissioners

Indians

Knoxville

North Carolina

melancholy circumstance

winter

drought

scarcity of provisions

laws of the Union

prosperity

humanity

calamity

lands

their claim

independency of the United States

warm and zealous friends to the General Government

the executive

boundary line

Indian claim

plantation

lands

1797082240001

1

4

No 2

Letter to Secretary at

War

22 Aug.^t 1797

Post

Recorded
Knoxville 22 August 1797

Sir

The Commissioners will shortly finish running The boundary line, <s>And in consequence of</s> & a great number of respectable <s>families</s> ^inhabitants have the misfortune to be left <s>on</s> ^within the indian Claim, Many of Which very <s>been</s> contrary to expectations. - <s>it has Generally supposed could have </s> who have been peaceably settled on their plantations, a considerable length of time and had <s>been within the limits to which the indian claim had been extinguished</s> just right to expect from the laws of North Carolina passed in their favor, they would never be Molisted, -

It is a melancholy circumstance, to reflect on this Distress as a great number of these people must [undecipherable] be subjected to Should they be expected to abandon [undecipherable] especially in so short a period - The severity of the Winter & Great drought of the [undecipherable] Will have the Most fatal tendency by bringing on perhaps the Greatest Scarcity of provisions that has ever been experianced in this & several of the adjacent States

I am aware Sir, of the Great Necessity of Supporting the [undecipherable] the Union, together with the death are a [undecipherable] ^{[bergidance?]} United, and if I know my self seem with concern say, that no person on earth wish its prosperity [undecipherable], But permit me to suggest, that Humanity loudly will for my interpenance now behalf these people, their situation is deplorable, and I fear their [undecipherable] will be ^{almost all end do with} a calamity -- I therefore ncest <s>considerably</s> ^seriously select <s>an</s> ^some indulgence in their halfs and hope Sir [undecipherable] Will exctend such to hims. It will [undecipherable] their ^present [undecipherable]. The lands they inhabit is of little ^{or no} use to the Natives, And I am [undecipherable] <s>they will</s> there Claim could be [undecipherable] ^very [undecipherable] terms, ^and I am encouraged to hope that [undecipherable] will not think it improper to make the [undecipherable] few of the letters in [undecipherable], but having [undecipherable] able, and have contributed <s>very much to</s> agreeably to their members, very much towards the inde-pendancy of the United States, and are at this

time

time warm ^{& jealous} friends to the General Government <s>and [undecipherable]</s> ^{and bring} fully acquainted <s>and satisfied</s> ^with these circumstances I am the more felicitous in their favor, and pray that you will take under your national considerations their deplorable condition, in doing of which you will our only [undecipherable] to the people in question, but very much oblige [undecipherable] at large, who feel an interest in behalf of how people <s>who are [undecipherable] to suffer</s> and ^will very much attract ^it <s>them</s> to the government & the Executive <s>and [undecipherable] Repeat [undecipherable]</s> I have the honor to be [undecipherable] <s>[undecipherable]</s>

Signed,

John Sevier

Secretary of War