Early Governors' Papers

Compromised.

Ishall write you do my self the honor of Writing Communicating to you on this and every other Occurence Occurrence that falls within my province; may happen as early as opportunity may offer

Ihave the honor to be sir Your M^o Obed^t Hbl Ser^t (Signed) J. Sevier

Copy of letter to Honble Mes^rs Blount & Cocke

30th April 1796 by M^r Dinsmore N^o 11

Recorded

Knoxville 18th of Sep. 1798

Sir

Your favor of 23 March, with two Copies of inclosed ^copies of letters to Butler & Dinsmore came to hand only on the 15th instant, had the letter came forward in due time, I should have done myself the honor to have Answered it of replying in due season,- It is long Since well known, that the Executive of the state of Tennessee have taken measures to be informd [sic] himself of the intended movements of Zachariah Cox, and could not discover ^that he had any intention to of settling at the Muscle Shoals, unless permitted by Government, And it is scarcely supposeable supposable that Cox could be ignorant enough to hazard such an enterprize without first obtaining a permission on any other principle. I expected it was had been sufficient, when I had ^after Announcing to Col^o. Butler, that Cox nor his adherants would ^not in any manner, be countenanced in makeing [sic] any such Settlement, unless permitted by the General Government

It is a fact that an application was made for permission for to pass down the rivers Holoson [sic] & Tennessee with Cox's large Boat or rather Vessell) notwithstand ing I was well evinced they had no intention to make any stand until arrived within the State of Kentucky, near the mouth of Cumberland & to a place they were authorized to settle, yet, the permission was refused, lest some alarm might

Tellico, and in favor of Estanaula, his opposition to Tellico appear= ed to proceed from an opposition to the public Store at that Place which he considered a great injury to his Nation, he would prefer the Point or any other place to Tellico, he is opposed to a large sale of land, but appeared disposed to sell a lesser quantity to accom= modate Citizens of the United States resident in Tennessee - I repeat that he is a man of Consequence and of rising Importance - From James Vann's I proceeded with him to the Ball Play at Amuchcha forty miles from his House, on our way we fell in with a large Party of the Ball Players of the upper Towns, and stayed with them one Night, and next day I left them, and passing the Ball-Play-Ground I joined the Players of the Lower Towns and returned with them to the Play - The Ball-Play took place on Friday he 25^th Instant - As I have before observed the principal Chiefs whose names I have before given and others, and a great majority of the most influential warriors were at it - This afforded a very good opportunity for the objects of my Mission as before stated, and I improved it to the best of my abilities - The Chiefs however notwithstanding my efforts to draw forth their sentiments appeared very tacit and reserved, which I attributed to a report in Circulation among the Warriors that they (the Chiefs) where to be bribed to sell lands, Watts to my suggestions as to the little value of the lands adjacent to the white Settlements said that if the young Warriors wanted to hunt Ra[cut off] they might be opposed to the sale of these lands, he appeared very friendly and all his Conduct and Conversation - Late in the day [cut off] the Ball-Play M^r Dinsmore appeared, collected the Chiefs and in= formed them, he had the day before received a dispatch from [the] Commissioners at Knoxville, directing him to inquire of them at what Time it would be convenient for them and the warriors to meet the Commissioners in Treaty - The Chiefs answered on the 14^th June and added as the Commissioners had refered [sic] the time to them, that they considered they had a right to fix the place and named Estanaula as the place - To this M^r Dinsmore replied that his business as Agent was distinct from the [cut off] of the Commissioners, he had no right to agree to the place [and] offered reasons against Estanaula, the Chiefs appeared determin= ed and said they suppsed land was the object, Dinsmoore sa it was - The Chiefs again said the object was with the Commi= sioners, it was to buy their lands and when they (the Chiefs) Business in view they never thought any distance too far to effe they supposed the Commissioners would come there - M^r Dins concluded by remarking that he was to see the Commissioners