Andrew Jackson to John A. Bell and Stand Watie, October 5, 1839 · Retracing the Bell Route: An Archive of Cherokee Removal · Retracing the Bell Route: An Archive of Cherokee Removal

Transcription

Note: In 1839, John A. Bell visited former president Andrew Jackson at his home at the Hermitage outside of Nashville. Bell and Stand Watie were delegates of the Treaty Party seeking federal assistance after other Treaty Party leaders were killed. Predictably, Jackson sided with the Treaty Party and dismissed the authority of Chief John Ross, blaming him for the violence and writing to President Martin Van Buren to recommend federal intervention.

“Hermitage
Octbr 5th 1839

Gentlemen:

My health will not allow me to visit Nashville today as I expected when you left me. You will find enclosed the papers left with me & a letter to the president of the United States in as strong language in your behalf & that of your friends as the facts and the outrageous & tyrananical [sic] conduct of John Ross & his self created council would authorize, & I trust the president will not hesitate to employ all his rightfull [sic] power to protect you and your party from the tyranny & murderous schemes of John Ross.
I hope peace and friendship among your whole people may be restored by peacefull [sic] & just means. Should this not be the happy result then, when oppression comes and murder ensues, resistance becomes a duty and let the arm of freemen lay the tyrants low & give justice & freedom to your people—but before this stand against oppression is taken, you must appeal & resort to all peacefull [sic] means to obtain justice & if the murderers of the two Ridges & Boudenot are not surrender[ed] & punished and security for the future gurranteed [sic], then & not until then will the great and good Spirit smile upon your exertions by force to obtain justice by freeing yourselves & people from oppression.

I remain respectfully yours Andrew Jackson
[addressed to]
Messrs Bell & Waity
Cherokee delegation”

From Edward Everett Dale and Gaston Litton, Cherokee Cavaliers: Forty Years of Cherokee History as told in the Correspondence of the Ridge-Watie-Boudinot Family (University of Oklahoma Press, 1995), 17.

Title

Andrew Jackson to John A. Bell and Stand Watie, October 5, 1839

Name of Writer

Andrew Jackson

Name of Recipient

John A. Bell and Stand Watie

Location Correspondence is Sent From

Hermitage (Tennessee)

Location Mentioned

Hermitage, Nashville