﻿108 
  HISTORICAL 
  OUTLINE. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  June, 
  1797, 
  the 
  proposed 
  meeting 
  of 
  

   the 
  inhabitants 
  took 
  place 
  at 
  the 
  house 
  of 
  Benjamin 
  

   Bealk, 
  about 
  eight 
  miles 
  eastward 
  of 
  Natchez, 
  near 
  the 
  

   then 
  crossing 
  of 
  the 
  Natchez 
  trace, 
  at 
  the 
  muddy 
  fork 
  of 
  

   St. 
  Catharine's 
  Creek. 
  

  

  In 
  consequence 
  of 
  the 
  arrangements 
  previously 
  agreed 
  

   upon 
  by 
  persons 
  of 
  property 
  and 
  influence 
  in 
  the 
  coun- 
  

   try, 
  little 
  difficulty 
  was 
  found 
  in 
  prevailing 
  upon 
  the 
  

   people 
  to 
  submit 
  the 
  future 
  management 
  of 
  their 
  affairs 
  

   to 
  a 
  committee 
  to 
  be 
  chosen 
  by 
  themselves. 
  

  

  Colonel 
  Anthony 
  Hutchins, 
  contrary 
  to 
  expectation, 
  

   took 
  an 
  active, 
  useful, 
  and 
  decided 
  part 
  in 
  bringing 
  about 
  

   this 
  result. 
  

  

  The 
  election 
  was 
  consequently 
  held, 
  and 
  resulted 
  in 
  

   the 
  choice 
  of 
  Anthony 
  Hutchins, 
  Bernard 
  Lintot, 
  Isaac 
  

   Gaillard, 
  William 
  Ratliflf, 
  Cato 
  West, 
  Joseph 
  Bernard, 
  

   and 
  Gabriel 
  Benoist. 
  

  

  To 
  the 
  foregoing 
  committee, 
  with 
  a 
  singular 
  impro- 
  

   priety, 
  as 
  would 
  now 
  seem, 
  considering 
  their 
  official 
  re- 
  

   lations, 
  and 
  in 
  which 
  it 
  seems 
  strange 
  they 
  should 
  have 
  

   acquiesced, 
  Andrew 
  Ellicott 
  and 
  Lieutenant 
  Pope 
  were 
  

   added 
  by 
  unanimous 
  vote. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  same 
  evening 
  the 
  committee 
  assembled 
  at 
  

   Natchez, 
  and 
  informed 
  the 
  governor 
  of 
  their 
  appoint- 
  

   ment. 
  The 
  governor 
  offered 
  them 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  the 
  govern- 
  

   ment-house, 
  which 
  they 
  declined, 
  and 
  then 
  proceeded 
  to 
  

   business 
  in 
  a 
  building 
  of 
  Mr. 
  William 
  Dunbar, 
  which 
  

   was 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  preparation 
  for 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  Ellicott, 
  

   having 
  been 
  gratuitously 
  tendered 
  to 
  him. 
  

  

  On 
  the 
  22d 
  of 
  June, 
  the 
  committee 
  submitted 
  the 
  fol- 
  

   lowing 
  propositions 
  to 
  Governor 
  Gayoso, 
  and 
  requested 
  

   him 
  to 
  obtain 
  the 
  concurrence 
  of 
  Governor 
  Carondelet 
  

   therein 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  