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Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842

Document: GRP004

[Letter] 1803 Apr. 13, Knoxville, [Tennessee to] the citizens of Anderson County settled on lands reserved to the Indians / Archibald Roane, Governor of Tennessee

author: Roane, Archibald, 1760-1819
date: April 13, 1803
extent: 2p
summary: This letter, dated April 13, 1803, is from Archibald Roane, Governor of Tennessee, to citizens of Anderson County who are illegally settled on Cherokee lands. Roane warns the citizens that Return J. Meigs, U.S. Agent to the Cherokees, has received orders from the President to secure the land for the Cherokees, and he urges them to remove from the land voluntarily in order to spare themselves from impending legal prosecution, forced removal or both.
repository: Tennessee State Library and Archives, Nashville, Tenn.
collection: Governor Roane Papers
box: 1
folder: 3
document: tl004
subject headings:

Letters

Indians of North America--Government relations

Indians of North America--Land tenure

Trespass

Tennessee

Anderson County (Tenn.)

United States

Page: [1] [djvu image | jpg image]

Knoxville 13th april 1803
Gentlemen

About the Beginning of last month I addressed a Letter to Capt. [Captain] Arbuckleto be communicated to you at that time my information [added: was not official] on the subject of the Prosecutions intended to be brought against you at the next federal Court [deleted: was since that time] [added: since the date of that Letter] Colo. [Colonel] Meigsthe Agent has [deleted: officially stated to me by] [added: sent me a] letter in his official capacity containing a list of a number of names [deleted: stated by him] of persons (as he says) residing on Indian lands contrary to treaty and that the Indians demanded thier [their] removal. He says that the President is determined to prevent all such intrusions and that [added: he ( Col [Colonel] Meigs) ] by his orders [deleted: he] is bound to take effectual measures to have all such settlers removed. Whether this will be done by [added: commencing] prosecution as law or by the federal troops or both, I have not been informed

Knowing [deleted: this to be the case] these facts I think it a duty I owe you as Citizens of Tennesseeto communicate the information and again to repeat my former advice, [deleted: that] [added: to] you [added: to] remove from the lands secured to the Indians by treaty, that you may avoid the disagreeable consequences which will probably result from a contrary conduct.

In my official capacity as Governor of the state I have nothing to do in any business of this nature. [added: [unclear: To]] The federal authority [deleted: [unclear: above]] It is committed by an [deleted: [illegible]] act of Congress and over that authority I have no control

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This Letter as well as the former, has been dictated [deleted: [illegible]] by a [added: sencere [sincere]] wish to [deleted: [illegible]] to give you such information and advice as may [added: induce] [deleted: enable] you to avoid the [deleted: evils] embarrassments to which you are now liable. If in the moment of calm reflection you think with me on this subject I shall be glad [deleted: for you [illegible]] to hear it from yourselves. But if you should think otherwise it might perhaps be proper to [added: decline] [deleted: avoid] making any communication to me on the subject

I am Gentlemen your real friend and Hum. [Humble] Servant
[Signed] Archibald Roane

To those Citizens [added: of Anderson County] [deleted: of Tenn [Tennessee] ] who are settled [added: on] [deleted: within] the lands reserved to the Indians within the limits of the State of Tennessee

Settlers on Indian Lands
13 Apl [April] 1803

Recorded