Knoxville 5 March 1797
Brother
Your letter of the 4th came to hand to today, in which you say
that your people have done no damage on either the person or
property of the whites. I wish this was the case, and I make
no doubt you think so, but you may be sure, several is killed
one in Powell Valley by a fellow called Dick, can talk some English
has hunted there, and is well known by the people. I mention
this that you may know the person, there has also been
a great many horses taken from Cumberland and one man killed
and another wounded, and yesterday another was killed and scalped
on Little Pigeon about thirty miles from this place. This conduct
my brother has a bad appearance and as I told you before will
be attended with disagreeable events should your people be so
foolish and unwise not to decline such practices. You mention
that I wrote you in a threatening manner, but my brother if you
listen to the words of my letter, there is no threats in it,
I have only spoken to you the language of truth, and the fatal
consequences, that must attend your Nation, should you be so
imprudent as to again go to war I don't nor never did
speak to you with a false tongue, nor do I wish your people to
be treated ill, but on the contrary that they may live in peace
and safety and raise their children in quietude.
I know very well, that some of
the white people are bad men and have been guilty of a horrid
crime in killing the Red Bird and Will, and whenever they can
be taken they shall suffer for it, one of them has run away and
the other as yet is not taken; as I told you in my last I tell
you in this, that the innocent ought not to suffer for the guilty,
neither ought your people to take any satisfaction until you
had first made your complaint and stated your sufferings.
It is impossible for me to know
when damage is done to your people without you inform me; and
your own good sense will point out to you that a murderer seldom
ever discovers upon himself, which I suppose is the reason why
your people denies they have done any mischief. You say you have
been a long journey and while at Philadelphia received very different
talks from that of mine; and say that I say you are but a handful
of people and in consequence of our superiority in numbers suppose
we have a right to do as we please I deny saying we had
a right to do as we please and on any such a supposition, neither
is there any such a word in any letter. It is true I said you
were only a handful of people, which is the truth and I also
advised you of the danger of going to war. If the people at Philadelphia
have told you that you are a numerous and strong people, and
that you ought to go to war and kill your white brothers, they
have not told you that which is true, nor that which would be
for your good and the interest of your nation was you to take
such advice.
What I said in my letter was to
convince your nation of their danger and the great evils that
always attend a war, and the distressing condition your people
would be in, should such a thing take place you wish I
would talk to my people and tell them not to cross the Tennessee
River or to survey your land I have often told them that,
neither do I wish or intend any such thing should be done. But
you know I am a great way from that place, and can't see what
every foolish man is doing, I expected that the guards at Tellico,
would stop such people from crossing over, and I suppose, they
would was they to see them, but neither them nor myself can see
the transaction of every bad man, no more, than you can your
people, who come over on our side and kill our people and steal
our horses. Now brother I hope I have said enough to convince
you, that I don't wish our people and yours to enter into war
against each other, and I hereby declare that I wish to have
peace and friendship subsisting between the two Nations, and
shall with all my heart and strength do everything in my power
to promote the same I hope you will also endeavor to keep
your people within the bounds of reason; and let us try to prevent
any further effusion of blood. I wish us to live friendly and
bury all animosities deep in the earth. If you have complaints,
the government will redress them, and you know they are taking
measures to effect the same, but if your people will undertake
contrary to the Articles of the treaty to redress themselves,
you can't expect the government will do it I request that
you will make enquiry into the murder lately done on Pigeon;
and if possible have the murderers punished agreeably to the
Articles of Treaty. Your people could have no color of
excuse for committing any depredations on that quarter for they
are not on lands claimed by your Nation, neither have they interrupted
any of your people I hope to have an answer from you as
soon as possible.
Your friend
John Sevier
To John Watts and other Chiefs
of the Cherokee Nation
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