The documents below are referring to the applications payment made to the Cherokee Indians

 in 1909.  These were to compensate them for the hardships experienced during the Great

 Removal (Trail of Tears).  This letter was written 29 July 1909 by Return J. Meigs Only.

Be sure to scroll down after reading the documents for comments and corrections made by a knowledgeable and trusted Hawk researcher.

The following document was submitted by a long time Hawk researcher and is very reliable.

Comments on R. J. Meigs Only letter:

“Charleston, Tennessee, is laid out on the grounds occupied for nearly forty years as a U. S. Government Agency among the Cherokees.”  The Agency was located there only from 1817 to 1838.  It was at Southwest Point from 1801 to1807, then moved to Hiwassee Garrison in 1807 where it remained until 1815 when a lawsuit over the land require the removal temporarily up the Hiwassee and in 1817 was moved to the site of present day Charleston, TN.  It closed following the removal of the Cherokees to Indian Territory.

“It was the home of Chief Hildebrand, Chief John Ross and his brother, Louis Ross, a son-in-law of Chief John Walker, as was John Ross.”    Lewis (not Louis) Ross married Frances (Fanny) Holt, daughter of Robert Holt and Mildred Stanfield; John Ross married first Quatie Brown, daughter of Thomas Brown, and then Mary Bryan Stapler, daughter of John Stapler. 

“It was the home of many mixed bloods, prominent among the Cherokees . . . the Calloways.”  The Callaways (not Calloways) were not Indian or mixed blood.  Grace Meigs, granddaughter of Return J. Meigs, married Dr. T. F. M. Callaway son of John Callaway and Sarah Hardin.  He had no Indian blood. 

“Return Jonathan Meis was agent for the government from about 1797 to 1820, or to his death.”  He was Agent from 1801 to 1823.

“Rev. Madison C. Hawk . . . . About 1834 he married to Betsy Jane Meigs daughter of Col R. J. Meigs . . . . she was a sister of Attorney General Return J. Meiggs of Washington D. C., a sister of Grace Calloway, wife of Marshall Calloway, who got a portion of the Jack Walker reservation. . .   Jack Walker married Peggy, or M. V. Meiggs . .  .”  Elizabeth Jane Meigs and Grace Starr Meigs were the granddaughters, not the daughters, of Col. R. J. Meigs.  Marshall [Dr. T. F. M. Callaway] got none of the land of Jack Walker’s as Dr. Callaway died in 1828 – 7 years before Jack Walker.   Return J. Meigs, son of Col. Return J. Meigs was Postmaster General, not Attorney General.    Jack Walker married Emily Stanfield (not Peggy or M. V.) Meigs, a sister of Grace and Elizabeth Jane.  The three Meigs sisters were the daughters of Timothy, youngest son of Col. R. J. Meigs.

“M. C. Hawk . . . was buried here in the Calhoun Methodist Cemetery in line with the daughter or Louis [sic] Ross, Col. R. J. Meiggs . . . .”  Col. R. J. Meigs is buried at the Garrison Cemetery in Rhea County alongside his wife Grace and son Timothy.