Early Governors' Papers

Knoxville 24 July 1798

Sir

Yours of the 18th Ins. I rec.^d to day by the hand of M^r Tiner, stateing [sic] a talk given from John Watts, concerning the two Cherokees killed near the mouth of Stones River - The murders committed on those two Cherokees, I deprecate reprobate as highly as any man living and wish to god the perpetrators of the Crime may be brought to condign punishment; and every measure has, and will be pursued to have the same effected.

Watts has been told by myself that if the Murder aggressors could be convicted that they most assuredly should be punished with death; I also told him that some persons had been apprehend ed, but no proof ^sufficient could be obtained sufficient to convict them- I wish I dont I am at a loss to understand what is meant by the word satisfaction, if unless it means that innocent two persons must be put to death in retaliation for the indians killed Whether those two were guilty or not of the murder or not, agreably to their own custom - It ought to be explained to the indians, and I make no doubt is ^has that our