Early Governors' Papers

24^th February 1801

Sir

I have for some time acted as a Justice of the peace for the County of Washington and finding it inconvenient for me to attend to business of that nature would thank you to except of this as my resignation of that appointment and oblidge your sincere friend

Tho^s Brown

Tho: Brown esq^r Resignation

Washington County

His Excellency John Sevier

plum Grove

would be promoted by pursueing [sic] from Knoxville the nearest and best route leading in the direction for Neworleans so as to make (if possible) this route the nearest and best for the construction of the road. Whereby it would be most likely to obtain the preference over the other two routes, with which it must be held in view, we are now in competition, at the same time I believe not entirely without some prospect of success. To effect this object to the utmost extent that was practicable in the very expostitious examination the enginiers [sic] are instructed at this time to make I found it necessary to call to my aid Maj. Thos Brown of Kingston who had an entire knowledge of the country not only along the route we view^d, but also that leading through the Tennessee and Wills town Valleys, and whose information in this respect was of considerable importance to us. He Joind [sic] us at Campbells Station, and continu^d with us a small distance after we cross^d the Highuassee River, where we were furnish^d by Col^o Montgomery the agent ^with an interpreter and guide through the cherokee nation, I continu^d on with the engineers untill [sic] we cross^d the Southern boundary of our state into that part of the Territory of Georgia inhabited by the cherokees on the head waters of the chickamaggy near the South Eastern part of the Lookout Mountain from, which place

Jonathan Scott william weaver Jesse [Dals?] John Miller Wm Price James Sinegar William Rats Charles Certain Rasel davis Solomon Caker [?] Tucker Brice Byrne Peter Miller Preston Anderson William. K. Savage John Anderson John Scott Thomas Talbant Stephen Farley Jeremiah Farley Daniel Kelly Levi Bennett Sr John Willhite Nicholas nanes Josiah Williams David Meeyels

Joab hutson William Linville John Cooley Burte Defreese James parker James Bennett John Avery William S [?] Joseph Ferris Gilam king Thomas Scott Sr John Scoggin Charles king Levi Bennett Sr Watson Bennett Oliver Bennett Nicholas Avery W. G. Stuart Thomas usery Samuel Brown Charles kenedy Henry [A C?] Atkinson Jonathan Scoggin John Warren Berbin Brayle Thomas Brown

187

To his Excellency The Governor of The State of Tennessee.

We your petitioners respectfully represent to your Excellency that from a statement made by James Trimble and Robert H Adams, Esq^r.(who [wear? we are?]] council for James H Hindman in the case where the said Hindman has been convicted of manslaughter,) of the evidence given on the trial, and from a petition sign'd by a number of respectable citizens of the town of Nashville Setting forth the evidence on the trial of the case. we are induc'd to solicit your Excellency to grant him a pardon for that part of punishment yet to be inflicted.

Thos. Campbell Jn H? Montgomery Jesse Beene Nat. Dodson James M.? Campbell Thomas N. Clark John Brown William H? Clellan Solomon [illegible] James Standifer W. Brown W^m B. Senior Tho^s C Clark John M^cEwen [Ja^s G. Williams?] Walter King Richard Meredith Calum Morgan

[H? JC?] Mitchell Tho Brown J. [Perris?] [N. Perris?] Sam^l Eskridge J. N. Gamble Will^m Lyon

This ? from the Statement of the [Evidence?] which I have Seen made out by the council for Hindman I consider it a case of justifiable Homicide therefore I Signe [sic] this petition

John M Campbell John S. Fulton A. Hutchinson James Park John [C?] John Sutherland Jr D [C?] Roane