1828 Miller County PetitionArkansas TerritoryThis petition can also be found transcribed on pages 629-630 of The Territorial Papers of the United States, The Territory of Arkansas 1825-1829, Volume XX, compiled and edited by Clarence Edwin Carter, Government Printing Office, 1954. Copies of the original 1828 Miller County, Arkansas Territory petition were a little harder to locate. A microcopy of the original petition is located on National Archives Microfilm Publications, Microcopy No. 234, Letters Received by the Office of Indian Affairs, 1824-81, Roll 29, Arkansas Superintendency, 1824-1834, The National Archives, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, Washington, 1957. Special thanks to Mary Frances Ronan, Indian and Land Records, Archives 1 Reference Section, Research Services, National Archives, Washington, D.C. for her assistance in locating the microfilm roll upon which the 1828 petition was located. A similar petition was submitted to the President of the United States in 1825. See a complete transcription of the 1825 Miller County Petiton here. The Reference section of the Clayton Library in Houston, Texas produced an excellent scan of both the 1825 and 1828 petitions as transcribed by Clarence Edwin Carter. Click here to read both petitions. *Montgomery County, Texas historians should notice Andrew Montgomery's signature on both petitions. In the 1820s, Andrew Montgomery was not operating a trading post in what is today Montgomery County, Texas. He was living in Miller County in the Arkansas Territory of the United States of America during the 1820s. PETITION TO GOVERNOR IZARD BY CITIZENS OF MILLER COUNTY [March 20, 1828] To his Excellency Genl Geo Izard Govr of Arkansas Territory Your petitioners Citizens of the Territory of Arkansas Miller County, and living within the Civil and Military jurisdiction of the United States humbly sheweth, that we are and for some time past been verry much annoyed by the Indians, particularly Shawanees, setling among us, building their huts contiguous to our corn Cribs & fields, pilfering from houses and Corn-cribs Killing Hogs, Driving their Stocks of Horses and Cattle among us, Cutting Down Timber &c and all done under authority of his Excellency Don Jose Antonio Saucedo of the Department of texas who has given them a permission in writing, dated the 20th March 1827 at Nacogdoches to settle at this place (pecan point) untill the line between the two Governments shall be run, then they are to be confirmed in their title—Your petitioners believing it to be within the power of the Executive of this Territory to cuase the removal of the aforesaid Indians, humbly solicit the Interferences of His Excellency—in the behalf this section of the country, Otherwise we see no prospect but of being oblidged to abandon our homes and fields which most of us have cultivated from Ten to 12 years or be oblidged to come to an open rupture with them as they have frequently threatened to drive us off if not pleased with their conduct Your petitioners will await with impatience the commands of his Excellency and in duty bound will ever pray Pecan Point 20th March 1828. Petitioners Names J. G. W. Pierson Geo: C Wetmore Isaac Clover James Leavins Joseph Leavins James Walters James Ferguson William Montgomery Edley Montgomery Andrew Montgomery James J Ward Sen James J. Ward Juni Joseph Green John Rolins Thomas Humphris Peter Hammond David Clapp J. Wallis Wyatt Woods Jno Newman J. Edmondson H. Shaw James S. Hanks H. McHanks Wm Slingland Jonathan Jones Franklin J. Greenwood Clayborn Wright Elijah Cutbirth Peter Cleck Geo. F. Lawton David Tammell John Bowman Jas Hordy Walter Hagan John Cutbirth J B Ballard Pharo Kitchens Wm Hogan Zachariah Killey David Lorrence William House John Pelin— Martin G. Noll We the Undersigned Grand Jury impanneled at the March term of the Miller circuit court for the year 1828 present that the facts stated in the foregoing petition are true and the community suffer much from indian depredations. Geo: C Wetmore Jno Robins James T Ward Senr Willis Mccann James Clark John Teal Pharah Kitchens John Dunlop Wm McAtee Thomas hunpres Levi Davis James S. Hanks Andrew Dolahide H McHanks Ben Patton [Endorsed] Petition to His Excellency Genl Geo Izard Govr of Arkansas Territory |