Great site

I am finding this stuff amazing. I think I am a little in shock and not thinking clearly. I had no idea that there were so many document available and they includes names etc. and the language that they used!! I can’t resist this one. I put in Doublehead and found that William Blount was thrown out of Congress. Blount asks that he read the letter 3 times and then burn it. Suprise, Suprise It has been preserved for two hundred years.

Dear Carey: I wished to have seen you before I returned to Philadelphia; but I am obliged to return to the session of Congress, which commences on the 15th of May.

`Among other things that I wished to have seen you about, was the business captain Chesholm mentioned to the British minister last winter, at Philadelphia.

`I believe, but am not quite sure, that the plan then talked of will be attempted this fall; and if it is attempted, it will be in a much larger way than then talked of; and if the Indians act their part, I have no doubt but it will succeed. A man of consequence has gone to England about the business, and if he makes arrangements as he expects, I shall myself have a hand in the business, and probably shall be at the head of the business on the part of the British. You are, however, to understand, that it is not yet quite certain that the plan will be attempted; yet, you will do well to keep things in a proper train of action, in case it should be, attempted, and to do so, will require all your management, I say require all your management, because you must take care, in whatever you say to Rogers, or any body else, not to let the plan be discovered by Hawkins, Dinsmore, Byers, or any other person in the interest of the United States or Spain.

`If I attempt this plan, I shall expect to have you, and all my indian country and Indian friends, with me; but you are now in good business, I hope, and you are not to risk the loss of it by saying any thing that will hurt you, until you again hear from me. Where captain Chesholm is I do not know; I left him in Philadelphia in March, and he frequently visited the Minister, and spoke upon the subject; but I believe he will go into the Creek nation, by way of South Carolina or Georgia. He gave out he was going to England, but I did not believe him. Among things that you may safely do, will be to keep up my consequence with Watts, and the Creeks and Cherokees generally, and you must by no means say any thing in favor of Hawkins, but, as often as you can, with safety to yourself, you may teach the Creeks to believe he is no better than he should be. Any power or consequence he gets, will be against our plan. Perhaps Rogers, who has no office to lose, is the best man to give out talks against Hawkins. Read the letter to Rogers, and if you think it best to send it to him, put a wafer in it, and forward it to him by a safe hand, or perhaps you had best send for him to come to you, and speak to him yourself respecting the state and prospect of things.

`I have advised you, in whatever you do, to take care of yourself. I have now to tell you, to take care of me too, for a discovery of the plan would prevent the success, and much injure all parties concerned.

‘It may be that the commissioners may not run the line as the Indians expect or wish, and, in that case, it is probable the Indians may be taught to blame me for making the treaty. To such complaints against me, if such there are, it may be said by my friends, at proper times and places, that Doublehead confirmed the treaty with the President, at Philadelphia, and receives as much as 5000 dollars a year, to be paid to the nation, over and above the first price: indeed, it may with truth be said, that, though I made the treaty, that I made it by the instructions of the President, and, in fact, it may with truth be said, that I was, by the President, instructed to purchase much more land than the Indians would agree to sell. This sort of talk will be throwing all the blame off me upon the late President, and as he is now out of office, it will be of no consequence how much the indians blame him. And among other things that may be said for me, is, that I was not at the running of the line, and that if I had been, it would have been run more to their satisfaction. In short, you understand the subject, and must take care to give out the proper talks, to keep up my consequence with the Creeks and Cherokees. Can’t Rogers contrive to get the Creeks to desire the President to take Hawkins out of the nation? for, if he stays in the Creek nations and gets the good will of the nation, he can and will do great injury to our plan. When you have read this letter over three times, then burn it. I shall be at Knoxville in July or August, when I will send for Watts, and give him the whiskey I promised him.

I am, &c. WILLIAM BLOUNT.’