Today in Chickamauga History - January 18
1826, January 18: ARKANSAS TERRITORIAL PAPERS VOL XX – Page 184 - ALEXANDER CUMMINGS TO THE ADJUTANT GENERAL – [NA:WD, AGO Lets. Recd.:ALS]
FORT TOWSON Jany 18. 1826.
SIR, I had the honour to address you on the 2gth July last,26
respecting the establishment of a Mil. Post high up on the Arkansas, I am more convinced of the correctness of the Statement I then gave, from the best information I have been able to obtain since, and particularly, from a paragraph which I have recently seen in a newspaper published in St Louis. The information contain'd in the paragraph alluded to, was obtain'd from the SecY to the Commissioners appointed to mark the road from Missouri to Santa Fee, and, (I have no doubt) is correct. After giving a description of the country through which the road passes, he observes; "There is a part of the route (however,) as you approach the Arkansas, that must forever be scarce of wood & water, it is a high & level plain, extending across from the cotton wood fork of the Neeozho, nearly west, about 30 miles, the substitute for wood here, is the Buffaloe Ordure, which answers a good purpose, & even in the driest seasons, the traveller will
be able to find a sufficiency of standing water."
The scarcity of wood & water, would be a sufficient objection to the location of a post at the point mentioned, but there is still a stronger one, viz the impossibility of subsisting it; it is true that after the fist or second year, they might supply themselves with provisions, provided they were in sufficient strength to awe the Indians, which cannot be the case, without leaving more important positions destitute of protection-
A number of Indians: Piankashaws, Kickapoos, Delewares, Shawanese & Cherokees, are forming new settlements on Red river, about forty to one hundred miles above this post. they are generally the lawless & disaffected part of their tribe & are the more likely to create trouble on the frontier; besides the above nam'd Indians the Osages, Choctaws, Caddoes, Camanches, Pawnees & several others, range over this section of country, indeed, the principal hunting ground of the South western Indians, is on Red river & its branches, where they meet in the fall, & commit depredations on each other, and on the whites, many of whom, cannot be class'd much above the savage.
We have here, both a western & southern frontier, on which the Indians are collecting in considerable numbers, a few day ago, a party of Shawanese & Delewares, about 170 in number, pass'd this post, on their way to Sulphur Fork where they say, they intend making corn next summer, about 30 miles from the settlements at Pekan point.-
I have the honour to be Very respectfully. Your Obedt Servt
ALEX' CUMMINGMS aj. 7th Inf.
COL, R. JONES Ad jt General Washington City.
[Addressed] Col, R, Jones Adjt General U. S. Army Washington
City. Free
[Endorsed] Cantonment Towson Jany-18. 1826 Major A. Cummings 7 Inf. Makes further Suggestions in connection with his letter of the 29. July. respecting the Establishment of a Military Post high up on the Arkansas. March 2-1826
1926, January 28: ARKANSAS TERRITORIAL PAPERS VOL XX – Page 190 – 191 - GEORGE GRAHAM TO DAVID BARTON 36 - [NA:GLO, Misc. Lets. Sent, Bk. 161
GEN' LAND OFFICE 28th Januarg 1826
THE HON: DAVIDB ARTONC h. Com.
SIR, I return you the "Bill to extend the Land District in the Territory of Arkan~as",a~n~d in compliance with your request, have to state that that part of the bill extending the limits of the Lawrence District includes a part of the Lands ceeded to the Cherokees 38 and Choctaws also that part of the Territory of Arkansas lying west and North of the Lands ceeded to the Cherokees, and west of the old Osage boundary line. That part of the bill extending the limits of the Arkansas Land District, includes, it is believed, no other lands than those ceeded to the Choctaws.
I am &c
GEO. GRAHAM
P. S. I shall furnish you tomorrow with some information in relation to fees received by Land Officers under the relief law of 1821.
[Editorial]: The "Cherokee" mentioned in this item are in fact Chickamauga. in 1826, there are only Chickamauga in the Arkansas Territory since it was illegal for a Cherokee to cross the Mississippi and retain their citizenship in the du Chat Nation.