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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Deposition of Jarret Williams concerning the actions of the Cherokee Nation
Williams, Jarret
July 11, 1776
Volume 10, Pages 660-661

[Reprinted from Ramsay's History of Tennessee. P. 148.]
Deposition of Jarret Williams about the Hostile Intentions of the Cherokees.

Fincastle, ss—The deposition of Jarret Williams taken before me, Anthony Bledsoe, a justice of the peace for the county aforesaid, being first sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, deposeth and saith: That he left the Cherokee Nation on Monday night the 8th inst. (July), that the part of the Nation called the Over-hills were then preparing to go to war against the frontiers of Virginia, having purchased to the amounts of 1000 skins or thereabouts, for mockasons. They were also boaling flour for a march and making other warlike preparations. Their number from calculation made by the Raven Warrior amounts to about six hundred warriors, and according to the deponents idea he thinks we may expect a general attack every hour. They propose to take away negroes, horses and kill all kinds of cattle, sheep, &c., for which purpose they are well stocked with bows and arrows; also to destroy all corn, burn houses, &c. And he also heard that the Valley towns were, a part of them, set off; but that they had sent a runner to stop them till all were ready to start. He further relates that Alexander Cameron informed them that he had concluded to send Captain Nathaniel Guest, William Faulin, Isaac Williams and the deponent with the Indians till they came near to Nonachucky; then the Indians were to stop and Guest and the other whites above mentioned, were to go to see if there were any King's men among the inhabitants; and if they found any they were to take them off to the Indians or have a white signal in their hands or otherwise to distinguish them. When this was done they were to fall on the inhabitants and kill and drive all they possibly could; That on Saturday the 6th inst. in the night he heard two prisoners were brought in about midnight, but the deponent saw only one; that the within Williams saw only one

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scalp brought by a party of Indians with a prisoner, but from accounts they had five scalps. He also says he heard the prisoner examined by Cameron, though he gave a very imperfect account, being very much cast down. He further says that the Cherokees had received the war-belt from the Shawnese, Mingo, Taawah and Delaware Nations to strike the white people; that fifteen of the said nations were in the Cherokee towns and that few of the Cherokees went in company with the Shawnese, &c.; that they all intended to strike the settlers in Kentucky, and that the Cherokees gave the said Shawnese, &c., four scalps of white men which they carried away with them. The said Shawnese and Mingoes informed the Cherokees that they were at peace with every other nation; that the French were to supply them with ammunition and they wanted the Cherokees to join them to strike the white people on the frontiers, which the Cherokees have agreed to do. And the deponent further saith that before he left the nation a number of the Cherokees of the Lower towns were gone to fall on the frontiers of South Carolina and Georgia and further saith not.

JARRET WILLIAMS.
Signed before
Anthony Bledsoe.