62 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [BULL. 69 
also the different parts of the frontiers of Virg@ that the Shanees are to Lie Still till the 
Western Indians arrive at which time thefy] are to.send Runners to the Cherokees — 
Choctaws, Chickisaws & Creeks, with the war Hatchett, but he says he will not accept 
of it. they appear much Better Reconciled then they were some time past.— 
I Divided What public goods was on hand among them & the Chickisaws who I serit 
for to these Towns & which had a wonderful Effect, tho after all my Exertions I fear 
the Chickamoggas will accept the war Hatchett.—I expect to set out for that quarter 
tomorrow and I beg leave to assure your Excellancy that nothing shall be Lacking on 
my part to keep them in good humour till the General Treaty which comes on with the 
Creeks the 24th of Next Month & with the Cherokees, Chickisaws & Chocktaws the 
15th Nov? after Every thing is Settled with them I shall Hurry down to Richmond 
in order to Settle all my public accts.”’ 
The letter continues and refers to certain persons living among 
the Indians, and then closes. It was written by Joseph Martin 
and was addressed to ‘His Excellency Patrick Henry at) Governor 
of the State of Virginia.”’ 
Forwarded with ihe preceding letter was a document, part of which 
is now quoted: 
CHOTEE 19th Septr 1785 
BrRoTHER— 
I am now going to Speak to you I hope you will hear me. I am an old man 
and almost thrown away by my Elder Brother—the ground I Stand on is very Slip- 
pery—tho I Still hope my Elder Brother will hear me and take pity on me. Aswe 
were all made by the Same great Being above we are the Children of the same 
parent—I therefore hope my Brother will hear me. 
It then describes the encroachménts of the whites on lands always 
acknowledged as belonging to the Cherokee, claimed and occupied 
by them, and refers to the coming treaty, then continues: 
I once more Beg that our Elder Brother will Take pity on us and not take our 
ground from us because he is Stronger than we—the great Being above that made us 
all placed us on this Land and gave it to us and it is ours—our Elder Brother in all 
the Treaties we ever had gave it to us also and we hope he will not think of taking 
it from us now. 
I have Sent with this Talk a String of White Beads which I hope my Elder 
Brother will take hold of and think of his younger Brother who is now in Trouble 
and Looking to him for Justice. 
Given out by the Old Tassell for himself & whole Nation in presence of the © 
headmen of the Upper & Lower Cherokees & Interpreted by me. 
JAMES McCormack 
For the Governor of Virginia & North Carolina. 
It is interesting to know that the string of white wampum which 
accompanied this is still preserved with the paper, now turned yellow 
with age. There are 29 beads on the string, all polished and worn, 
and these were evidently quite old even when sent from Chote, when 
the old men of the Cherokee were seeking justice for their people. 
These and other papers of a similar nature have recently been dis- 
covered by the State archivist, Morgan P. Robinson, and it is gratify- 
ing to know they will now be carefully preserved together with other 
