ALS signed “E. J. Weed,” two pages, lightly-lined on two adjoining sheets, 8.5 x 10, August 21, 1836. Letter to his father-in-law John McLean. In part: “This Creek war has turned out much of a humbug- 4 or 500 men promptly assembled—would have suppressed every hostile movement. The Indians from what I could understand were goaded to desperation by the villainous Whites around them—they were openly swindled out of their lands and other property without the slightest means of redress & had they spared the women & children in their revenge—I know not how they could be blamed—had I had a choice I should have much sooner have fought on their side than with the Whites. Our Campain [sic] has been by no means an unpleasant one the county was healthy generally high piney land & the water good—out of the 460 men of our Corps we took out—when I left on the 29th July we had not lost a one. I arrived at Tuskegee the day after Capt Taylor left there. I was much disappointed in not meeting him…The friends of Van Buren here are becoming alarmed at the news from the south & west—I can say little for the result had I a vote it should be given for none of the present candidates.” Reverse of second integral page is addressed in Weed’s hand to “The Honble John McLean, US Supreme Court.” Intersecting folds, a few chips to right edge, and some scattered toning and foxing, otherwise fine condition. The Treaty of Cusseta signed in 1832 divided up Creek lands into individual allotments, allowing them to either sell their allotments and receive funds to remove to the west or stay in the lands they had occupied for hundreds of years. White speculators swarmed into the Creek nation buying up or fraudulently stealing land rights from individual Creek families, leading to the Creek War of 1836. The Creeks were soundly defeated and rounded up by the thousands, and driven west on the Trail of Tears. RR Auction COA.
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