The Kentucky Gazette

Lexington, January 10.

Knoxville, November 1, 1794.

Colonel Whitley,

SIR,

I HAVE been informed, first by Housen Kear, which has been in a greater degree confirmed since, by the examination of Major O're, the bearer, that you passed this place yesterday, with an intention to join General Logan, who is said to have marched from Kentucky in force to invade the Lower Cherokee towns.

The newspaper you will receive herewith, contains copies of a letter, of the 20th ultimo to me, from Double-head, a principal chief of those towns, and my answer to him of the 20th, by which you will understand these towns, as well as every other part of the Cherokee nation, are considered in the peace of the United States.

By what authority General Logan has raised an armed force to invade a nation declared by public authority in peace with the United States I am uninformed. Hence I am compelled to suppose he has no legal authority for so doing, and to command him, you, and all others concerned, to desist from such illegal and unauthorised enterprize.

Having so recently received from, and given to the Cherokees assurances of peace, as the above mentioned letters will prove to you, it becomes an official duty in me, to give information to the Cherokees, of the intended invasion of General Logan; and the feelings of humanity equally compel me so to inform you, and if possible the General himself.

It is my wish to act so as that neither party can charge me with improper conduct, and to save the effusion of human blood.

From the character of Gen. Logan and yourself, I readily believe that you both wish peace and security to the frontier inhabitants; but should you persevere in your intended attack upon the lower towns, it is my opinion, that the effect will be the drawing the low- Cherokees and upper Creeks highly incensed upon those exposed people.

I am your obedient servant.

(Signed) WILLIAM BLOUNT.

Colonel William Whitley, of Kentucky, now at South West Point.

Knoxville, Nov. 1, 1794.

General Logan,

SIR,

ENCLOSED is a copy of my letter to Colonel Whitley, of this date, forwarded to him express, and one of the newspapers, containing the copies of the letter of Double Head, a principal chief of the Cherokees, of the 20th ult. to me, and my answer of the 29th, as alluded to in my letter to the Colonel.

The first (the letter to the Colonel) serving to shew you the information I have received respecting your intended invasion of the Lower Cherokee towns, and the latter the pleasing prospects of a continued peace between the United States and the Lower Cherokees.

Upon your receiving this information, I cannot suffer myself to doubt, but your love of peace and order will induce you immediately to desist from your intended enterprize. But in this instance it is my duty to command as well as inform. Therefore I command you and the men with you, or under your command, forthwith to desist from the attempt of invading the lower Cherokee towns, who are in the peace of the United States.

And I further command you, and the men with you respectively, not to enter in a hostile manner the country or lands guaranteed to the Cherokee nation, by the treaty between the United States and the said Cherokees, commonly called the treaty of Holston, warning you and them, that in case of a violation of this order, which is issued by virtue of the authority in me vested. you and they will answer the same at your peril.

Having received my appointment from the Federal government, I am answerable for my acts only to it: Yet it may not be improper to give you my reasons for my conduct on this occasion. They are contained in part in my letter to Col. Whitley, to which I refer you; and an additional one is my great desire to promote the peace and happiness of our frontier fellow citizens, and our common country at large.

This letter will be delivered to you by Serjeant M'Clellan, who I have sent with ten men for that purpose, under instructions to follow you, if he does not sooner meet with you, to the banks of the Tennessee.

I am your obedient servant.

(Signed) WILLIAM BLOUNT.

General Logan, reported to be on his march from Kentucky, with an army to invade the Lower Cherokee towns.

WILLIAM BLOUNT, Governor in and over the Territory of the United States of America south of the river Ohio, and Superintendent of Indian affairs.

To the Chiefs and Warriors of the Lower Cherokees.

IT is only two days since I wrote you, in answer to your letter of the 20th October, and informed you, the citizens of the United States all wished peace with you, since you are determined to be at peace with them; and so I then believed. But now I have to tell you, that I am just informed, that General Logan of Kentucky, has raised, or is about to raise, a large army of volunteers, unauthorised by government, to invade and destroy the Lower Cherokee towns.

The reason given for raising this army to destroy the lower towns is, that the people of the lower towns have unprovokedly shed a great deal of blood of the frontier citizens, and robbed them of much property, which they yet hold in their hands, consisting of negroes and horses.

I give you this information, that you may not charge the United States, nor myself, of having deceived you, by telling you all wished peace, when a large party are just about to invade your country.

I have sent to General Logan, informing him of the good talks that have lately passed between you and myself, with orders to desist from his intended invasion of your country, which I hope he will attend to. and return home. But it may be that he will not return. but pursue his first intention, and invade your country.-Here I feel myself at a loss in case General Logan does invade your country, how to act for the best: But knowing the government of the United States wish peace with your Nation, and all the world, and believing you have now seen the folly of war, and also wish peace; I advise you, in case General Logan does enter your country, that you quit your towns, and remove your stock and other property to the woods, leaving your houses and such of your corn as you cannot remove, to the mercy of General Logan and his party, and forbear to do him or his party the least injury in person or property, relying that government will compensate your losses of houses and corn, in preference to having the blood of their citizens shed in defence of them. Too much blood has been shed already, and if more is shed it will increase the difficulty of securing the blessings of returning peace. Peace ought to be the wish of both parties-for in peace consists the true interest and happiness of both parties. War will cost the United States some lives and much money, but it will destroy the existence of your people as a nation for ever.

I would advise you to deliver up at Tellico block house, to John M'Kee, without delay, all deserters, prisoners, negroes and horses-then the people of Kentucky can have no further cause of complaint against you, and peace will be lasting between the United States and the Cherokee nation.
have no more cause to invade your country.

(Signed) WILLIAM BLOUNT.

Knoxville, Nov. 1, 1794.

The Cherokee chiefs are requested, after this letter has been explained to them at Will's town and Look Out Mountain town, to forward it to Mr. Dinsmore at the Turkey's town.

Knoxville, Nov. 2, 1794.

Serjeant M'Clellan,

THE object of your being ordered on duty is to go express with a letter to Gen. Logan, who, from the information I have received, I have reason to believe is on his march from Kentucky, with an army of volunteers, having an intention to invade the lower Cherokee towns, unauthorised by government. My information respecting the time when the General would march from Kentucky is so vague as not to enable me even to form any tolerable conjecture where or when you will most probably fall in with him; but it is certain if he does not desist from his enterprise that he will march by way of Mero district, and from thence by way of Ore's trace to the Tennessee, where Ore crossed it.—You will take such course as will intercept him to the greatest certainty before he arrives at the Tennessee, which will be to turn off the common trace to Nashville, at or near the Crab Orchard, and to proceed by such course as shall strike Ore's trace from Nashville to the Tennessee, about half way between the two places; and upon striking of it, you will readily discover whether he has passed on towards the Tennessee or not; if he has, you will pursue to the Tennessee; if not, you will turn towards Mero district, and upon finding the General will deliver him the letter addressed to him.

It may be that you may fall in with a part of the army of General Logan, and not with himself; and to provide against such an event, I herewith deliver to you a copy of my letter to the general, a copy of my letter to Colonel Whitley, also a newspaper containing copies of Double Head's letter to me, of the 20th ult. and my answer of the 29th, all of which you will read publicly to such party, and make known to them that it is my order and command to them to desist from their attempt to invade the lower Cherokee towns. And should Gen. Logan, upon your delivering the letter to him addressed, refuse to open it, or after he does open it should neglect to make the contents known, you will in either case inform him, that you have it in command from me, to order him and the men with him, to desist from his and their intended invasion of the Cherokee country, and in either case you will read aloud to him, and the men with him or under his command, the letters above mentioned. And so the end that no party may enter the Cherokee towns or country unadvised of their danger, you are commanded to declare to all and every party which appears to have the entering of either for their object, that I have apprised the indians of their approach; and you may add that I considered it my official duty so to do, and that a copy of my letter to the Indians, or that part will appear in the next number of the Knoxville Gazette, to the end that the impartial public may judge of the propriety of my conduct in so doing.

You have also herewith a letter addressed "General Robertson, or Colonel Winchester, Mero district" with which you will dispatch two of your command from the Crab Orchard, along the old trace, directly to Col. Winchester and from thence to General Robertson.

I am your obedient servant.

(Signed) William Blount.

AN AFTER ORDER.

Monday morning, Nov. 3, 1794

Serjeant M'Clellan,

Having received more certain information of the intended movements of Gen. Logan, namely, that he, with his party are to rendezvous at the foot of the Cumberland mountain, on the north side, on the 5th instant, I find it proper to order that you, instead of turning off to the left at the Crab Orchard, push directly with all possible haste to Mero district, where you will probably arrive before the General leaves that district and deliver the letter to him. But should he have marched from Mero district before your arrival, you will instantly follow him, and pursue to the banks of the Tennessee, if you do not sooner overtake him.

You are to consider the order of the second instant in full force, except where this order otherwise directs.

I am your obedient servant.

(Signed) WILLIAM BLOUNT.