after
which the three cui him to pieces with their knives and tomahawks. This murder
taking place within two miles of the residence of John Ross, his friends were appre-
hensive it might be charged to his connivance: and at this moment I am writing
there are six hundred armed ( Iherokee around the dwelling of Ross, assembled for
his protection. The murderers of the two Ridges and Boudinot are certainly of the
late Cherokee emigrants, and. of course, adherents of I loss, but I can not yet believe
that Ross has encouraged the outrage. He is a man of too much good sense to em-
broil his nation at this critical time: and besides, his character, since I have known
him, which is now twenty-five years, has been pacific. . . . Boudinot's wife is a
whitewoman, a native of New Jersey, as I understand. He has six children. The
wife of John Ridge, jr.. is a white woman, but from whence, or what family left, I
am not informed. Boudinot was in moderate circumstances. The Ridges, both
father and son, were rich. . . .'
While till the evidence shows that Ross was in no way a party to the
affair, there can be no question that the men were killed in accordance
with the law of the Nation — three times formulated, and still in exist-
ence — which made it treason, punishable with death, to cede away
lands except by act of the general council of the Nation. It was for
violating a similar law among the Creeks that the chief. Mcintosh, lost
his life in 1825. and a party led