Speech of the Cherokee Chief Kittagusta to Indian Agent Alexander Cameron and Ensign George Price. Fort Prince George, [South Carolina]; May 8, 1766. Great Britain Indian Department Collection.
Contents
Case 1: Early Encounters - Before 1600
Case 2: Early Encounters - Samuel de Champlain
Case 3: Early Encounters - Early British and Native American Interactions
Case 4: William Penn's Treaty with the Lenni Lenape Indians
Case 6: Sacred Objects, Instruments of Negotiation, and Commodities
Case 7: Land Speculation and the Northwest Passage
Case 9: 18th Century Conflicts
Case 12: The Dakota War of 1862
Case 14: Ojibwe (Anishinaabemowin) Texts
Case 16: Recent Library Acquisitions
Indian Queens and Indian Princesses: Allegorical Representations of America
At a Congress at Fort Prince George 8th. May 1766
Present Alexander Cameron Esqr Deputy agent for the Cherokee Indians. Ensign George Price Commanding Officer of Fort P.G. Kittagusta or the Prince of Choteh head Beloved Man of the Cherokee Nation, Juds friend, & many other Heade Men & Warriors of the upper Middle & Lower Cherokee Towns; when Kittagusta Addressed himself to Mr Cameron & Mr Price as follows.
Brothers
I am to utter the united Voice of my Nation to you, & to desire you to make our Father Captain Stuart his Majestys Agent & Superintendant of Indian Affairs, acquainted as soon as possible with my Speech. we returned yesterday from marking the Boundary Line between South Carolina & our Country, a Sash of Fatigue, but nevertheless agreeable, as our Brothers who are Settled on the Frontiers of that Province & we can never now have any disputes about Land;
At our meeting with you here in October last we proposed a Line also on the North Carolina & Virginia side we repeat it once more, & desire to have it extended, from where that of South Carolina Terminates, upon Reedy River a Straight Course to Colonel Chiswells Mines which will be a just Boundary, & the only one we Can Allow of; The number of Familys that have come from North Carolina & Virginia, & settled upon a great Part of our best lands, & the bold inroads of a few that are within an easy days march from our Towns, are circumstances very alarming to us; therefore we shall be ready at the end of the [Fifth?] moon ie Septr/ from this Time to attend at the marking a Line. our minds will not be easy till it is Compleated, & if our Brothers will not be assisting in it, then we must Effect it ourselves.
When our Father Captain Stuart remembers, that he was at the Congress at Augusta held in 1763 where were also present the four Governors of Virginia No & South Carolinas & Georgia, when the great Kings proclamation Relative to his Red Children was Read to us, & we were promised
Promised quiet Possession of our Lands, & redress of our Grievances That we might claim the land a great way beyond where we propose to Run the Line, but chuse much Rather to part with it than have any disputes concerning it; & that we are a poor People dependant upon the Woods for our Support, & without the means of redressing ourselves but by Violence which we do not choose to exercise against our Brothers. He will certainly write to the Governors of Virginia & North Carolina urging strongly the Reasonableness of our demand & the Necessity of sending People of Consequence to meet us to put it in execution.
Here a String of Beads was given
Brothers
What I have now to say is also to be sent to our Father Captain Stuart. Our Enemys from the Northward has attacked us this year in all parts of our Country in greater Numbers & more frequent than we have ever known; we desire to know if they are Sett on by any Body & by whom; We know they Trade with the English & from them get their Hatchets which are very Sharp, & have been lifted up against White as well as Red Men in our Nation; We beg the favour of our Father Captain Stuart, to Contrive that they may be told, that the Cherokees send to ask for a Peace from their Town House in Chote where Peace has been made before.
Belts of Whampum & Pipes exchanged, & Tobacco smoaked;
We will send to them ourselves & employ other Nations with whom we are at Peace to [ ] for us, & shall be glad if it can be obtained, but if not we hope our Brothers will take their Hatchetts back again
Here another String of Beads was given.
Proceedings at a Congress at Fort Prince George in the Cherokee Country 8th May 1766
Recorded Vol. 387