General Samuel
Houston, a leading member of the revolutionary body, was an old
friend of the Cherokee, and set forth so strongly the claims of them
and their confederates that an act was passed by the convention pledg-
ing to these tribes all the lands which they had held under the Mexican
government. In accordance with this act General Houston and John
Forbes were appointed to hold a treaty with the Cherokee and their
associated bands. They met the chiefs, including Bowl and Big-mush
(( .atun'wa'll. "Hard-mush"), of the Cherokee, at Bowl's village on Feb-
ruary 23, L836, and concluded a formal trinity by which the Cherokee
and their allies received a fee simple title to all the land lying " west of
the San Antonio road and beginning on the west at a point where the
said road crossesthe river Angelina, and running up said river until
it reaches the mouth of the first large creek below the great Shawnee
village, emptying into the said river from the northeast, thence run-
ning with said creek to its main source and from thence a due north
line to the Sabine and with .said river west. Then starting where the
San Antonio road crosses the Angelina and with said road to where it
crosses the Nechesand thence running up the east side of said river in
a northwest direction." The historian remarks that the description is
somewhat vague, but is a literal transcription from the treaty. 2 The
territory thus assigned was about equivalent to the present Cherokee
county. Texas.
The treaty provoked such general dissatisfaction among the Texans
that it was not presented to the convention for ratification. General
Houston