To George Washington from the Officers of the Mero District, 1 August 1791
From the Officers of the Mero District
Mero District—Augt 1st 1791.1
Our remote Situation from the Seat of Your residence hath Prevented us from Steping forth so early as many have, to Congratulate Your Excellency on the Completion of the union of all the States, an event Productive of many Salutary Consequences, even at this Period, and to declare the attachment and veneration we have for Your charector and many Virtues.
We Know to promote, the Welfare of the Citizens of America in General is Your Strongest desire, an evidence of this we have in the Appointment of those Officers of the Ceded Teritory made immediately by Yourself, They meet with General Approbation. Govenor Blount we are Consious at the late Treaty hath done every thing that a man could do to restore Peace to the Teritory.
We are Situate in a part of Your Teritory which is more liable to the inroads and depredations of a Number of the Indian Tribes than Perhaps any Other People. Since the last week of May when the Cherokees were invited to a treaty, and while the talks were actually holding, the Indians Killd nine of Our Citizens and Stole fifty or Sixty head of Horses, and Still Continue their depredations, these Murders for the most part have been Commited on Persons who were Cultivating thier Plantations for the Support of their families.2 The Cherokees at the Treaty informd that this Mischief was done by the Creeks altho they Acknowledged that some of their Young men were with them, the Chicasaws also with whom we are in Perfect Amity tell us and we have every reason to believe the Creeks and Cherokees Combined are the Perpetrators of those Murders. We implore Your interposition, fully hoping to meet with a more ample Protection than we have hertofore receivd from the State of North Carolina—the expectation of which was a Powerful incentive inducing us to use Our utmost influence to obtain the Act of Cession.
That You may long and Prosperiously Preside over these States: with Satisfaction to Yourself and Still Merit the Grateful Applause of a free People is the fervent wish of
| John McNairy J. S. C. L. E. | Jno Rains Capt. Dn |
| Dan Smith Secy | Daniel Rowan Ensin |
| Jas Robertson B: G. | Thomas Maston J. P. |
| J. Winchester L. C. C. S. | Thos Johnson Capt. T. C. |
| Elijah Robertson L. C. C. D. | A. Hardin Insign |
| Robt Hays L. Colo. Cavalry | James McKa⟨in⟩ Capt. |
| Casper Manscer Lt Colo. S. | Alexr Walker Capt. |
| David Hay 1st Majr D. | Robt Ewing J. P. |
| Anthy Sharp Majr | Robt Edmondson J. P. |
| Edwd Douglass Majr | John Shannon C. D. |
| William Edmiston Majr C. | John Caughran ⟨Leu.⟩ |
| William Don⟨el⟩son Mag. | William Mares Lieut. |
| Willm Blackmore Capt. L. D. | Henry Bradford Majr B⟨rigd.⟩ |
| Josiah Ramsey Magr T. C. | Jas Ford L. C. of T. C. |
| Jacob Pennington Majr T. C. | Isaac Titsworth Lt C. ⟨T.⟩ C. |
DS, DNA: RG 59, Territorial Papers, Territory Southwest of the River Ohio. The cover is docketed: “Territory U.S. south of the River Ohio—Sept. 20 1791. From—Gov: Blount Encloses a memorial from the Officers of Miro District—The Memorial ⟨answerd⟩ by the Secy of War Oct. 28th 1791.” The cover letter, William Blount to GW, 20 Sept., has not been found but was offered for sale in the Collector, 55, no. 3 (Jan. 1941), item 631. Both may have been delivered by John Sevier, Jr., whose name appears on the cover of the memorial.
The signers were civil, judicial, and militia officers of Davidson, Sumner, and Tennessee counties of the Mero District.
1. This dateline was added by a later hand.
2. The memorialists may be referring to the Indian attack of May 1791 on a house on the Rolling Fork of the Cumberland River in which the owner and his family were murdered ( 557).