To Thomas Jefferson from George Doherty, 8 September 1804
From George Doherty
Dandrige State of Tenesee September 8th. 1804
Sir
I Wase Apointed by the Governor of this state to take the Command of a regement of Volunteers that marched to the Nachez last Winter from this state, I am Very sorry to trouble Your honour With statements of this kind Respecting the maner in which the Regement has been paid; I find by the statements on they pay Roles that their hase been a Reduction on the pay of the sum of twelve thousand Dollars When I Returned from that fetagueing Journey Which lasted fore Months And seventeen Days traviling Eight hundred Miles from Where I live to Natchez and back-Again And the grater part of it through A Wilderness I on My start made no doubt but that the United states would have paid my Expence; but the have Reducted one hundred and thirty Dollars off the pay the Allow’d. me, and paid me the pityful sum of three hundred and thirty Dollars A sum Not Equal to my Expance as it Wase Oblidg’t to be grate by reason that no way wase provided by goverment for the suport of the Regement And Coul’d Not see them suffer on the Road I Wase Oblidg’t to take with me A servant & three horses to Carry my baggage and provisions for My suport travilling through the Wilderness And I purchased All for my own horses And paid for it and I have not been allow’d One Cent for all this Expence; I would beg leave to Refer you to a statement I have made to the secritary of Ware of the same Date Which will show to Your Honner more fully the statement of the hole business pray sir Advise With the secretary And if You cannot give No further Compensation to the Regement I beg Your honour to ley the Matter before Congress at their Next Meeting
Sir I am Your Most. Obediant Humble Servant &c
George Doherty
RC (DLC); addressed: “To Thos. Jefferson President of the Uniteded states City of Washington”; endorsed by TJ as received 11 Oct. and so recorded in SJL with notation “W”; also endorsed by TJ: “referrd to Secy. at War Th:J.”
Virginia native George Doherty (1749-1833) moved to North Carolina during the American Revolution, where he served in the battle of Kings Mountain. In 1785, he relocated to Jefferson County. Originally a leader in the State of Franklin movement, Doherty went on to be a member of the Tennessee territorial assembly, served at its first constitutional convention, and represented his district in the state legislature for several terms. Doherty commanded the Jefferson County militia and was chosen by Governor John Sevier to lead the 1803 military expedition to New Orleans, which was recalled before reaching its destination. At the time of his death, Doherty owned farmland, livestock, and slaves in Jefferson County (Zella Armstrong, Some Tennessee Heroes of the Revolution [Baltimore, 1975], 101; Samuel C. Williams, “Tennessee’s First Military Expedition [1803],” Tennessee Historical Magazine, 8 [1924], 184; Works Progress Administration Historical Records Project, Tennessee: Records of Jefferson County, Sales and Will Book Vol. 3, 1836-1840 [typescript, 1938; Tennessee State Library and Archives], 180-1).
statement I have made: Doherty wrote to Dearborn, 5 Sep., enclosing copies of letters from James Wilkinson and Cato West (recorded in DNA: RG 107, RLRMS).
Tennessee senator William Cocke had asked Congress in March to compensate Doherty’s regiment, but the bill failed (, 3:368, 387).