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REASONS GIVEN WHY SQUATTERS SETTLED ON PUBLIC LAND WITHOUT PROPER TITLE January 20,
"American Beginnings in the Old Southwest:	The	Mississippi . . .»
by W. B. Hamilton -	1937
p. 106 - 108
Letter of Clabon Harris to the President, "MunrownCounty,
January 20, 1816
Lest it be thought that the land-hungry settlers in the Mississippi Territory confined themselves to amiable and sweetly persistent petitions in their efforts to acquire the good earth, a few hints as to less legal methods must be added. The mere squatting upon public lands vas of course itself illegal, and some of the squatters were never removed, in spite of laws, proclamations, and the dispatch of the Army to eject some of them.
The method was to forcibly remove them from the land and burn their cabins and fences. Intrusion was quite general, and wholly supported by public opinion, and by the local government.
Monroe County was erected out of the Creek cession, officers appoint there, and taxes collected, before the land vfls opened for sale. The letter of one of these squatters to the President is so amusing, and sums up so sincerely and naively the reasoning of the squatters that it deserves quotation.
Dear Sir in viewing our last Papers we find it very 0istressirig nev;s for us to be obliged to move of of the Public Lands,-which will Distress Not less than 500 families--in order for your Honour to be in possession of our Distress Situation I thought Proper to inform you we are at least 300 Milds from any State the news Reached us two late to Purchase lands on the tombiebee—and all that is werth living on has been Sold--had we had Knowledg of this we would have had land two—but genneral Jackson encouraged us to Settle on the allebarmer—there is also a Number of People from North & South Carolina & georgia and a grate Number of them has sold their Carages waggons & &—and Now how to get back god only knows—there is also a Number of Poore widows that has lost there Husbands in the late war with the British & Indians_and is not able to Move of—there assembled also about 7© Indians on the allebarmer Near the Standing Peach tree and states that the treaty between the Americans & British gave them there lands, and they Mean to work it—if we leave our Plantations the Indians will be shore to burn them the People in this Cuntry are New Settlers and Mostly Poore People that has been already Ruined by the Indians—and Now to leave there Crops of wheat gardens & turnips will Compleetly Distress them over again a grate Number of Citizens Scearcely Made bread last year oweing to the Invation with the British &
Indians—I am of the opinion that there Has been some Rong Misrepresentations made to your Honour in Regard to the