Transcribed from microfilm and contributed by: Charles A. Sherrill, 1992
A project of the Bradley County Historical Society

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Petition Number 64, Year 1839_[No envelope. Cover sheet marked “Petition of citizens in Ocoee District suggesting certain acts regarding preference of claims, etc. No date. In 1839 papers. No county.”

Isaac Smith

John Gallaspy, Esq.

To the honourable General Assembly of the State of Tennessee now in Session: Your petitioners Represent to your honourable Body that a portion of our citizens in the Ocoee district was settled on School Sections at the running of the land and passing of the law gaving [sic] a preference and priority of entery in said District to occupant Setlers and by the provisions of the afore said laws are prohibited from a preference of Entery on the same and now expect to be removed in a short time by the School commissioners and no provisions in the law autherising the above class of citizens to receive any compensation for their improvements or for any amount paid to the native Cherokees for the same.

Your petitioners would further represent that there is a class of citizens who settled in said District on vacant lands since the passing of the afore said law, and others purchased of the commissioners of the General government the improvements of Indians. We would further recommend to your consideration the pollicy of gaving the last named Citizens a preference of entry on said improvements so purchased of said commissioners to the owner of said improvements and not the renter, and if not entered by them as occupants that they be entitled to pay for improvement or at least as much as they payed to the afore said commissioners.

We would also submit to your consideration the propriety of autherising the entry of forty acres after the price of said land in said District should come down to one dollar per acre.

We your petitioners pray that you would take the above name cases separately and distinctly in to view and grant each of them that Relief your in your wisdom may deem Just and right. And in duty bound we will ever pray & etc.