168 CHEROKEE NATION OF INDIANS. 
intended in the treaty; that to accommodate them a new treaty must 
be had and a new line agreed on, and, in our opinion, at this time it 
could not be effected ; that the Indians were much alarmed for their situ- 
ation, and viewed every attempt to acquire land as a violation of the 
solemn guaranty of the Government; that we need not expect ever to 
obtain fairly their consent to part with their land, unless our fellow-citi- 
zens would pay more respect than we saw they did to their treaties. 
Following this conference with the Indians, the commissioners pro- 
ceeded (examining the country carefully en route) to South West Point, 
at the mouth of Clinch River, which they reached on the 6th of May, and 
the journal of Colonel Hawkins concludes with this day’s proceedings. 
It is learned, however, from an old map of the line now on file in the office 
of Indian Affairs, that the survey was not begun until more than three 
months after their arrival at South West Point. From another map in 
the same office it appears that the line as surveyed extended from a 
point about 1,000 yards above South West Point in a course 8. 76° E. 
to the Great Iron Mountain, and was known as ‘* Hawkins Line.”! 
From this point the line continued in the same course until it reached 
the treaty line of 1785, and was called “ Pickens Line.” The supposi- 
tion is that as the Commissioners were provided with two surveyors, 
they separated, Colonel Hawkins with Mr. Whitner as surveyor running 
the line from Clinch River to the Great Iron Mountains, and General 
Pickens with Colonel Kilpatrick as surveyor locating the remainder 
of it. This supposition is verified so far as General Pickens is concerned 
by his own written statement.? 
From the point where it struck the Clinch River, the line of cession 
by this treaty of 1791 followed up the course of that river untilit struck 
Campbell’s line at a point 3 or 4 miles southwest of the present town of 
Sneedville. From this point it became identical with the boundary 
line prescribed by the treaty of November 28, 1785 at Hopewell, 
The tract of country ceded by this treaty comprised the territory 
within the present limits of Sevier, Cocke, Jefferson, Hamblen, Grainger, 
and almost the entirety of Knox, as well as portions of Roane, Loudon, 


1See preamble to treaty of 1798; American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. I, 
pp. 639-641; letters of Indian Bureau, War Department, December 13 and 14, 1828; 
also, old manuscript maps in Office of Indian Affairs, Nos. 716and 749, By the former 
of these maps it appears that the survey of “ Hawkins Line” from Clinch River was 
begun August 13, 1797, and that ‘‘the line commences on the Clinch, one-fourth mile 
above the ferry, in view of South West Point. (The ferry was 600 yards above the 
point.) From this point the view through the Vista or street passing Captain Wade’s 
garden to the right 8S, 26 W. the same side of the river above N. 47 W. The begin- 
ning tree, a Spanish oak, marked U.S. on the north side and C. on the south; on the 
oak 1797, A wahoo marked U.S. and C. under the U. 8. Aug. 13, continues the line 
4 cuts 7 strikes to the Cumberland road, here a white oak marked U.S.and C. The 
mile trees have U.S. and C. marked on them,” ete. 
* Letter of Gen. Andrew Pickens to Hon. Mr. Nott, of South Carolina, January 1, 
1800. See American State Papers, Public Lands, Vol. I, p. 104. 
‘cel 
