Letter books of William Charles Cole Claiborne

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Letters of William Charles Cole Claiborne July 1802 - September 1802 Claiborne continues to improve the government and the militia. He begins to organize land claims, which will bring him praise and experience he will need later in Louisiana. Mississippi's land claims include a claim by the state of Georgia, whose Bourbon County reached all the way to the Mississippi River. Georgia has ceded this claim in April of 1802. A site for the future Ft. Dearborn is chosen near the town of Washington. Note: The documents are sometimes out of chronological order because they may be enclosures with letters to Federal officials in Washington or are letters from the Federal government which take perhaps a month to be delivered.
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Date Written	From	To	Subjects
7/1/1802 Thursday	Wm. C. C. C.	Appointments	Various appointments made by Claiborne during the last three months, mostly Justices of the Peace of Jefferson, Adams, Claiborne and Wilkinson Counties.
7/1/1802 Thursday	Wm. C. C. C.	Appointments	Various appointments made by Claiborne during the last three months, mostly Justices of the Peace of Jefferson, Adams, Claiborne and Wilkinson Counties.
7/1/1802 Thursday	Wm. C. C. C.	Capt. Richard Sparks	From the town of Washington, Claiborne writes that the blockhouse has begun under the direction of Lt. Williams, but before it was completed the detachment had to return to Fort Adams for a reorganization of the troops there. He asks that Sparks send another detachment with tools along with 60 of the 300 muskets that are to be stored in the blockhouse.
7/1/1802 Thursday	Wm. C. C. C.	Comptroller of the Treasury	Account of Samuel Postlethwait and Co. for stationary.
7/6/1802 Tuesday	Wm. C. C. C.	Capt. Sparks	A letter from the vice-consul of the U. S. at New Orleans reports 500 rifles for delivery to the Mississippi Territory needs speedy delivery . Claiborne asks Sparks to send a confidential noncommissioned officer and a few good men and encloses a letter to the vice-consul William Hailing.
7/6/1802 Tuesday	Wm. C. C. C.	Hailing.	Claiborne tells Hailing. that if the entire shipment will not fit on the army boat sent by Captain Sparks, Hailing. is to arrange a shipment on a public schooner. One is now at Natchez, heading soon for New Orleans. If that doesn't work he is to hire another private vessel if the shipment can be made sooner.
7/10/1802 Saturday	Wm. C. C. C.	Commander at Ft. Stoddert	Fort Stoddert, which is established at Ward's Bluff on the Mobile River in July of 1799 was named in honor of the acting Secretary of War at that time. This letter sends Lewis LeFleur with goods for the Choctaw Indians along with LeFleur's receipt of goods marked Choctaw Annuity or U. S. Choctaw Indians and a copy of a passport to get him through Louisiana and West Florida.
7/29/1802 Thursday	John Girault	Wm. C. C. C.	Girault resigns as Clerk of Court in Jefferson County.
8/4/1802 Wednesday	Wm. C. C. C.	John Girault	Accepts Girault's resignation, explaining that the wording of the commission was standard and the same as other appointees.
6/7/1802 Monday	Dearborn	Wm. C. C. C.	This letter announces Wilkinson's orders to survey the boundary between the Mississippi Territory and the Choctaw Nation. It is a line agreed upon by the British government in a treaty of March 26, 1765, some time before the Spanish reclaimed the Floridas. Claiborne is to provide a surveyor, chainmen, pack horses, etc. In addition $10,000 will be sent to establish a trading house (factory) for the Choctaws. A similar, smaller factory is to be established at Chickasaw Bluffs for the Chickasaw.
7/20/1802 Tuesday	Wm. C. C. C.	Dearborn	Claiborne will do as Dearborn asks but labor is very expensive. He believes a site on the Tombigbee River near the mouth of the Alabama River is best but will consult with the agent. He has met with Sparks and decided on the best site for the new garrison. It has high ground with spring water and is near the center of the territorial population. The land, only six miles from the Mississippi River is owned by a Mr. Calvit. A Lt. and a detachment of 30 men is now camped near the town of Washington and a small detachment has been sent to New Orleans for the rifles. He believes the militia is finally coming together. It has received 60 muskets from Ft. Adams. They are not in good shape and he will sell them for $8 apiece. John McKee is the current acting agent to the Choctaws. The Choctaw Annuity has been forwarded to Fort Stoddert.
8/6/1802 Friday	Wm. C. C. C.	Dearborn	Claiborne discusses the advantages of putting the Choctaw factory on the Tombigbee River. He worries about the possible hindrance of trade by the Spanish officers at Mobile, though relations are at present very good.
8/6/1802 Friday	Wm. C. C. C.	Dearborn	Claiborne presents Mr. Calvit's terms for the garrison land. He praises Spark's abilities and demeanor and wants him attached to the new garrison.
8/6/1802 Friday	Wm. C. C. C.	Samuel Mitchell	Claiborne mentions the possibility of a trading house for the Chickasaw to this agent for the U. S. to the Chickasaw Nation.
8/17/1802 Tuesday	Wm. C. C. C.	Abner Green	Asks the treasurer General of Mississippi to pay James Farrall $268 for printing copies of the laws passed by the legislature earlier in the year.
6/11/1802 Friday	Dearborn	Wm. C. C. C.	John McKee, former agent to the Choctaw Nation says that a considerable amount owed by Choctaws to the English trading firm Panton, Leslie and Co. at Pensacola and they had proposed receiving a tract of land in return if the U. S. government will sanction. McKee is in favor of the deal due to a promise in the summer of 1797 that debt payment would be prompt, a promise not consented to by the government. Claiborne points to the impropriety of foreigners possessing large tracts of land among "'our' Indian nations". Mr. Dinsmore should be contacted for knowledge of sum, etc.
8/19/1802 Thursday	Wm. C. C. C.	Dearborn	The Choctaw Indians want to sell the land. Claiborne believes that permission to trade with the Indians should be withdrawn from Panton, Leslie and Co. To Lt. Schuyler, Commander at Ft. Stoddert, he has sent word that the Choctaw annuity has arrived and will be delivered to the agent. Wilkinson is to meet with the Choctaws to discuss redrawing the boundary line.
6/11/1802 Friday	Wm. C. C. C.	Madison	Citizens of the territory still lack confidence in two justices of the Supreme Court. Judge Tilton has resigned and gone to Europe on commercial business, leaving Natchez in January or February. Claiborne recommends David Ker as a replacement. Ker was a founder of the University of Carolina. Col. Steele's commission as territorial secretary has expired on May 7. so Claiborne states that he needs a new secretary. John Pitchlynn is an interpreter to the Choctaw Nation.
7/23/1802 Friday	William Hailing.	Wm. C. C. C.	The Vice Consul at New Orleans has delivered 16 boxes of rifles (160 weapons) to Sgt. Parsons. He has seen no public schooner yet. There is much speculation in New Orleans concerning its destiny by transfer to France. The brig Sophia brings news that the Treaty of Madrid is null and void. The city of New Orleans is healthy so far during yellow fever season.
8/1/1802 Sunday	P. P. Schuyler	Wm. C. C. C.	Lt. Schuyler as received all of the Choctaw annuity at Ft. Stoddert. Schuyler will later be the second treasurer of the State of Mississippi.
8/22/1802 Sunday	Wm. C. C. C.	Col. Daniel Burnett	Mr. McCaleb delivers a letter from Col. Brunett.
8/22/1802 Sunday	Wm. C. C. C.	Dearborn	John Pitchlynn was an Indian interpreter at Hopewell from 1786 until 1792 when he received a commission from William Blount, Governor of the Southwestern Territory and Superintendent of Indian Affairs. He was to receive $300/year.
9/1/1802 Wednesday	Wm. C. C. C.	Dearborn	On July 29 Andrew Brackin is robbed by Indians but the property is returned. Dinsmore's presence is needed but he is reported mortally wounded in a duel in Tennessee.
9/6/1802 Monday	Wm. C. C. C.	Granger	Claiborne wants a Post Office in Greenville which is 28 miles from Natchez. He recommends Dr. John Shaw as the postmaster. Shaw will be a member of the Mississippi constitutional convention in 1817.
9/9/1802 Thursday	Wm. C. C. C.	Peter Walker	The clerk of Adams Co. has been replaced by James Nelson.
9/9/1802 Thursday	Wm. C. C. C.	John Coller	Claiborne names officers of the 3rd militia.
9/9/1802 Thursday	Wm. C. C. C.	Nathaniel Christmas	Claiborne asks for information on the extent of territory on the Mobile River within Washington County.
7/26/1802 Monday	Madison	Wm. C. C. C.	Madison encloses a copy of the agreement from a commission of the United States and the state of Georgia, an act of May 10,1800. The agreement authorized settlement of lands settled and claimed prior to October 27, 1795 by the former British government of West Florida or the government of Spain and the County of Bourbon lying on the Mississippi River. On April 24, 1802 Georgia ceded its claim of the Mississippi Territory.
9/10/1802 Friday	Wm. C. C. C.	Richard Lee	Encloses handbills to claimants of land. The claims are to be classified by British grants, the act of Georgia called the Bourbon Act, The second article of the agreement between the U. S. and Georgia.
9/12/1802 Sunday	Wm. C. C. C.	Madison	Claiborne encloses a copy of a handbill in which someone warns citizens against filing their claims with the territorial government.
9/14/1802 Tuesday	Wm. C. C. C.	Peter Walker	Claiborne tells Walker that he has been succeeded in office by David Ker.
9/19/1802 Sunday	Wm. C. C. C.	James Hoggatt	Captain Claiborne will deliver 22 rifles, to be distributed to certified militiamen.
7/28/1802 Wednesday	Dearborn	Wm. C. C. C.	Thomas Peterkin has been appointed factor at the Chickasaw Bluffs factory.
9/17/1802 Friday	Wm. C. C. C.	Dearborn	Encloses the number and strength of the militia and the conditions he has stated for purchase of rifles by citizens. The rifles are popular with the militia, while the muskets are not. Claiborne asks that Col. Benajah Osmun be promoted to Brigadier General to command the militia. Some reports claim that it is true that Dinsmore, the Indian agent, was killed by a Capt. Johnson in a duel at the mouth of Bear Creek.
9/19/1802 Sunday	Wm. C. C. C.	Matthew Tierney	Claiborne sends another packet of the claimant hand bill with instructions for all county clerks which must not have reached the Clerk of Claiborne County.
8/13/1802 Friday	David Rawn	Wm. C. C. C.	The Comptroller of the Treasury is away from Washington. Rawn, a clerk asks Claiborne to clarify a stationary purchase.
9/21/1802 Tuesday	Wm. C. C. C.	David Rawn	Claiborne explains why the stationary is assigned to his office rather than the Secretary of the Territory. At this time there is no territorial secretary
Date Written	From	To	Subjects
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7/20/02 8:17 PM

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