1

To his Excellency John Sevier Governor of the
State of Tenessee & Respectable Gentleman -
Richard Sparks and John Wade Captains of
The 3^d Regiment U. S. army we rec^d your
Letters By the hand of M^rSharp in which we
Thank you for your kind Salutation to us.
Whereas we are admonish^d to obedience to the Laws
Of our country it is what we wish ever to be
We have been subject both in taking up arms
To defend the rights of our country and paying
Our Lawful dues but we are drawn ignorantly
Into a transgression if in one we be and that
By the Irregular conduct of our Legislative
Body in the first place North carolina by an
Act of Assembly Granted to Colonel Richard Henderson and Co. twenty odd years ago two
Hundred thousand Acres of Land in Powels val
ley which rights has been established by Con
gress as we are informed and other gentlemen
Have obtained patents for Land in s^d valley
Which has came froward and sold and some of
Us has bought and gave our money and property
For it and has setled s^d land which has
Been previous to an act of Congress passed may
19^th 1795 as for the land being granted to the
Indian tribes after these rights being obtain^d
Is a mistery to us by these means we are in
thrall^d but Honoured gentlemen we do ^earnestly beg
your pardon if we have done wrong and hope you
Will show as much [finity?] as is in the compass
of your power & we hope you will give
us time to move off for our case is