Today in Chickamauga History - February 18
1828, February 18: ARKANSAS TERRITORIAL PAPERS VOL XX – Page 602 – 605 -
DELEGATE SEVIER 20 TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR - {NA:OIA, Lets. Recd. (Ark.) :ALS] - WASHINGTON Feby 18th 1828. 21To HON JAMES BARBOUR Secretary of War
Sir The visit of the Cherokee indians to this city at this time, has excited the fears of the citizens of Arkansas-They believe the Indians
20 Ambrose Hundley Sevier (1801-1848) was a native of Greene County, Tenn.,a grandson of John Sevier, of Tennessee fame; and a cousin of Henry W. Co;nway,his predecessor as Delegate, who was likewise from the same East Tennesseecounty. The careers of the two men were strikingly parallel: they emigrated atabout the same time to Missouri Territory (1818-1820), and thence very shortlyboth went to Little Rock, Arkansas Territory. Conway held Federal office for atime as receiver of the Little Rock land office, and was then elected Delegate toCongress in 1822. Sevier served first as a clerk in the territorial House of Representativesand subsequently as a member of that body. Conway was twentynineyears old at the time of his first election as Delegate to Congress, whileSevier was only twenty-six years of age at the time of his elevation. The lattercontinued as Delegate until the close of the territorial period, when he became thefirst Senator of the United States from the new State of Arkansas, and subsequently,in 1848, he was appointed United States minister to Mexico to conductthe negotiations closing the Mexican war (Biog. Direct. Amer. Cong., 1950 ed.,pp. 1013, 1795-1796). Conway had been reelected as Delegate to Congress in the regular territorialelection of 1827 in a contest with Robert C. Oden, whom he defeated by a majorityof 1510, according to the official election returns published in the Ark. Gazette,Aug. 21, 1827 (Vol. 8, No. 34). The issue of the same newspaper for Aug. 14contains incomplete returns, and includes also a communication from "A Voterof Pulaski County" to Crittenden in which he stated that Crittenden's friendshipfor Oden cost the latter at least 500 votes. Crittenden had been the spearhead ofthe opposition to Conway's reelection. Many of the letters cited post, p.824, n., concern various phases of the campaign. See in particular Oden to the people of Arkansas, Apr. 21, 1827 (ibid., Apr. 24,1827), announcing his candidacy and setting forth his qualifications. The issuealso contained an open letter from Oden to Conway Apr. 21, 1827, giving hi1itinerary for speeches and assailing Conway's record as Delegate. Conway's bidfor reelection is found in a circular dated May 25, 1826 (ibid., Aug. 8, 1826), inwhich he detailed his efforts on behalf of Arkansas. See also "A Farmer" to the Editor (ibid., Jan. 26, 1827), enumerating 16 acts Conway had been instrumentalin obtaining for Arkansas. In the course of the campaign, Conway was accused of misapplying a portionof the Quapaw funds (ibid., May 22, June 5, June 12, June 14, June 22, July 24,and Aug. 17, 1827). Oden, on the other hand, was assailed for his oppositionto the construction of new roads by the Federal government (ibid., June 21,June 26, and July 24, 1827), for the publication of libeloui matter (ibid., June 26,July 8, and July 17, 1827),for lack of moral stability (ibid., May 29, 1827), andfor manipulating the sale of town lots in Little Rock (ibid., June 12, 1827). The difficulty of the position of Governor Izard respecting the candidates andthe issues involved appears in Izard to Bernard Smith, July 13, 1827 (ibid., July17), in which he brands as untrue certain accusations by Oden that Izard was inleague with Conway and others against the former's candidacy. See "A Voterof Pulaski County" to the voters of Arkansas, July 17, 1827 (ibid.), in answer toa circular of Oden, which set forth the same arguments against Conway coveredin other letters, and which asserted that Izard, Conway, Ashley, and Woodruffhad formed a combination to defeat Oden. "The Voter of Pulaski County"denounced the accusation against Izard as baseless. See post, p. 822. Sevier was elected Delegate to Congress in a special election called to fill thevacancy caused by Conway's death, as a result of a duel with Crittenden, Nov.9, 1827, with a majority of 51 over candidates Richard Searcy and Andrew Scott,the last named running a poor third (Ark. Gazette, Jan. 8, 1828). Scott had beenamong the first to announce his candidacy, which occurred Nov. 17, 1827(ibid., Nov. 20, 1827). In the same issue of the Gazette it was announced thatBenjamin Desha and A. H. Sevier were also candidates. See Sevier to the Peopleof Arkansas, Nov. 20, 1827, Searcy to id., Nov. 23, 1827, and Scott to IndependentVoters, Nov. 24, 1827 (ibid., Nov. 27, 1827), each setting forth his principles andpromises. In the same issue of the Gazette is an announcement that Desha hadwithdrawn his name from the contest; it also contained the name of Alexanders. Walker as a candidate, which name was later withdrawn (ibid., Dec. 4, 1827).On Nov. 26 a committee from Crawford County requested Gen. John Nie~ toenter the race but he declined on Nov. 27 due, he stated, to the pressure of pnvateinterests (ibid., Jan. 1, 1828). The special election appears to have been a fairlyquiet one in contrast to the preceding contest. See _post, p. _823, n. .
have come hither to obtain a tract of country in Arkansas known by the name of "Loveleys purchase."-To obtain this section of country or a part of it, our citizens believe the indians intend to set up a claim against the United States for more land, or intend, if they are unable to convince the government that more land is due them, to exchange with the United States, if possible, a portion of their country on which they at present reside22
If such sir is the object of their visit here, my instructions are to oppose it-Of this I wish to be informed by you, and I wish also to know what prospect there is of their success. - Loveley's purchase was lately by the Arkansas legislature organized into a separate and distinct county, and contains, at this time, upwards of three thousand souls and is daily increasing in population. Thistract of country is bounded on the east by the cherokee nation, and is much the most healthy-populous and wealthy portion of Arkansas -It was purchased by Gen 1 Clark of the Osage nation of Indians at least a year after the treaty was made with the Cherokees; 34 and it was therf ore impossible for the cherokees to have gone farther west than they did, because,. at the time, t~e United States did not own the tract of country the Cherokees now wish to possess. Our Citizens did not settle in Loveleys purchase until they had obtained permission of the general government; as will appear by your revocation of the Order previously given to Col Arbuckle.-Upo!1 the petition of our Citizens that country was surveyed by the United States; upon thepetition of our citizens an act of congress was passed two years ago attaching that section of country to the Lawrence land distinct in Arkansas. What stronger assurances than these could they have that in making their settlement there, they would not be disturbed in their possessions by Indians; especially when, by the government, the Indian boundary of our citizens had settled.
Though the people of Arkansas have repeatedly been the victim of indian negociations, I claim nothing of you for them on the score of sympathy. -The have repeatedly been driven from their farms and improvements to make way for Indians; they were driven from the very ground that the Cherokees now occupy to make room for the Cherokee and afterward by a treaty made with the Choctaws by Generals Jackson and Hinds upwards of five thousand of our citizens were bartered away;26 three fourths of whom moved to Texas and are lost forever to the United States -Many of the residue have removed to Loveley's purchase, and many of them by your kind indulgence for which they are thankful, have been permitted to remain, & where, I trust as there are but few Choctaws in our country they will be permitted to remain still longer –
I learn that it will be contended by the Cherokees that in their last treaty with the United States an outlet to the west was guarranteed to them.21 Not having the treaty by me I am unable to say if such a provision is to be found or not. But sir they have an outlet to the west.- I am further told they expect to obtain a part if not all of Loveley's purchase, (for sir it is a small tract of country) on the ground that they have not received of the United States as much land as they are entitled to -Upon this subject you are better informed than either myself or my constituents, but we have been impressed with the belief that the Indians have received more than they are entitled to---, if however they are entitled to more, which I solemnly controvert and of which I shall not be convinced, unless by a view of the surveys of the country ceeded by them to the United States-there is yet contiguous to their nation, north and east of Loveley's purchase and which is measureably uninhabited an ample quantity of land to satisfy them-It abounds with game and range-I am further told they entertain hopes of success for an alledged parol promise made them by Mr Monroe-I ask in the first place what credence is there that such a pledge was ever given as the one of which they speak-and secondly I say I am unwilling that the promises of that distinguished gentleman should be fulfilled (if promises he made) when by their fulfilment ruin and destruction would ensue to my constituents-In short if Loveley's purchase should be given of and our citizens again compelled to abandon their homes and firesides, I would be unwilling to guarrantee the peaceable possession of that country to the Cherokees-Numbers of our Citizens have fought for the United States in its most perilous days; and they believe as I do that they have a right to enjoy the soil they fought for-Should their farms and improvements be given up to the indians, it will require the strong arm of the United States to restrain them from acts of violence against the Cherokees 28- your obt Servt
A.H. SEVIERP. S. Should the Cherokees make any written communications to the Secretary at War. I should be glad to get copies directed to me at Browns Hotel. 29 Yours, A. H. Sevier
[Addressed] The Honble James Barbour Secretary at War Washington.
[Endorsed] Washington Feby 18. 1828 A.H. Severe Relative to the object of the Visit of a deputation of Cherokees from Arkansas Citizens of Arkansas fear it is to obtain the tract of country called "Lovely's purchase"-Indian Office 21 May