Six
Killer 1842 Going Snake District Claim
Going Snake District
Personally appeared before me Jesse Bushyhead Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Cherokee Nation, Six Killer, who being duly qualified testifies and says: In 1813 or 14, I resided at Broom’s Town on Chatoogi. About two hundred troops of the United States were camped in the vicinity for some time waiting to go on to the Creek War. My hogs were enticed to the Camp by the wastage in the feeding of the horses. I endeavored to get them away but could not. On the departure of the troops I went (to the) camp and found the entrails of the slaughtered hogs scattered all about, and found sixty hogs missing from my stock. I have never received any compensation from any source.
A second company of troops on their way from Tennessee to the Creek War took forcibly from my corn crib forty bushels of corn, which was selling at one dollar a bushel.
In 1838 I resided in Island Town on Chatoogi where myself and family were captured by the troops under the command of Major General Scott. (The property specified under that date in the foregoing schedule excepting the five dollars paid to Lawyer John, the expense of removal from Camp Ross, and the ten dollars of which I was defrauded.) were all left behind on my being captured by the troops, and for which I have received no compensation from the proceeds of sales by the commissioners of Indian property or from any other source.
The facts concerning the ten dollars fraud are these: Capt. Jefferson Caldwell an officer of the volunteers stationed in the Nation, left some saddles at my house to be sold. On one occasion he borrowed of me ten dollars, but left one saddle at my house. From that time I never saw him until I met him at Ross’ Landing after my capture. I then bought the saddle of him & paid for it. I then asked him for the ten dollars but he refused to pay it without applying any reason for his refusal.
In the spring of 1836 a man professing to be the drawee in the Georgia Land Lottery, was about to take away a part of my field, affirming it to be his property. I applied to Lawyer John who prevented him from doing so, for which I paid said John five dollars.
In regard to the removal from Ross’ Landing, the facts are these: Myself and friends being prisoners wished to make the Camp near the Agency, the place of starting to the west. We obtained permission from Col. Lindsey*, the officer in command, to remove. I hired a wagon of one Vann a Cherokee for which I paid $7.75, and it cost us for provisions for part of three days ten dollars and twenty five cents.
The forty nine acres of land for which rent is charged formed a part of my field and a man named Jackson claimed it as drawee, and was put in possession of it by the Georgia Guard. The land was measured by Jackson himself.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 2nd March 1842 Six Killer X his mark
(signed) Jesse Bushyhead
Chief Justice C.N.
For further testimony see Fol 4
Six Killer’s claim continued from fol 2.
Cherokee Nation
Going Snake District
Personally appeared before me David
M. Foreman Solicitor for this district, Cricket Sixkiller who being duly
qualified saith: In the year 1838 I lived about a mile from my father Six
Killer. I knew him to be possessed of
the property described in his claim under that date. I made out the inventory of them. They were all left behind when he was captured by the U. States
troops. I know of the five dollars paid
to Lawyer John to prevent a white man from taking a part of his field. I know that my father lent ten dollars to
Capt. Jefferson Caldwell but was not present when my father bought the saddle
nor when Caldwell refused to pay the ten dollars. I know of the expense of removal from Ross’ Landing. It was eighteen dollars.
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 3rd day of March 1842
David M. Foreman Clk Cricket Six Killer X his mark
Cherokee
Nation
Going
Snake Dist.
AwW Salawee being duly qualified states as follows: In 1813 or 14 the U. States troops going to the Creek War stopped some time near Six Killers, at which time I lived about a mile from Six Killers. I know Six Killer had a great many hogs and that they were nearly all destroyed while the troops were passing backwards and forwards. I remember the time Six Killer complained of having had his hogs killed. I did not go to the camp myself to see, but I believed at the time it was true.
I was present when the troops took Six Killers corn. They took it out of the crib by large bags full. I cannot say precisely how much they took at that time, but my estimate was about thirty bushels.
Notwithstanding
the friendly manner in which our whole people were disposed to treat the troops
they took and destroyed our property.
They frequently told us the General would pay for all damages. They sometimes gave us paper saying they
were certificates, but when they come to be examined it was found they were
nothing but scraps of paper saying nothing about the property taken.
Sworn to & subscribed
before me March 9th 1842 Salawee X his mark
David M. Foreman Clk
* Colonel William Lindsay
1842 Going Snake District Claim # 2
Transcribed by Joe Scraper Jr April 2008
