# James Neelly (U.S. agent to the Chickasaw, 1809-1812): appointment, dismissal, retention of Lewis's effects — SECONDARY excerpts compiled for reference STATUS: SECONDARY / SUMMARY file. Verbatim primary documents about Neelly saved elsewhere in this folder: Neelly to Jefferson 18 Oct. 1809 (with the Princeton editors' identification note giving his term "from 8 July 1809 until 4 June 1812", citing Madison, Papers, Pres. Ser., 4:592n); Brahan to Jefferson 18 Oct. 1809; Brahan to Stoddard 18 Oct. 1809 ("Majr Neeley has his pistols, Rifle, Watch, &c"); Russell to Jefferson 4 and 31 Jan. 1810 (Neelly "has detain'd his pistols & perhaps some other of his effects", "the pretended Claim of ... Neely"); Jefferson to Madison 26 Nov. 1809; Madison to Jefferson 11 Dec. 1809 ("I have written to Majr Neele, according to your suggestion"); Jefferson to Russell 18 Apr. 1810; Jefferson to Paul Allen 18 Aug. 1813. Not obtained: Neelly to the Secretary of War (Eustis), 18 Oct. 1809 (NARA RG 107, M221, roll 27, item 9225 — an image is reproduced in Gale, WPO 42:4, p. 26); Eustis to Neelly 4 June 1812 (M15, roll 3, p. 134); Neelly to Eustis 3 July 1812 (M221, roll 47); John Marks to Reuben Lewis, 22 Jan. 1812, and the unsigned note about the pistols and gold watch (Lewis-Marks Collection, University of Virginia Library); Madison, Papers, Pres. Ser., 4:592n. CITATIONS (secondary texts excerpted below): (A) Thomas C. Danisi, "The Real James Neelly: Meriwether Lewis's Caretaker," We Proceeded On 40:4 (Nov. 2014), pp. 9-23 and notes; (B) Kira Gale, "A Cold Case Mystery: Why Didn't Meriwether Lewis's Two Best Friends Investigate His Death?," We Proceeded On 42:4 (Nov. 2016), pp. 20-28 and nn. 29-30. Danisi defends Neelly; Gale accuses him; both are quoted only for the documentary facts they cite. URL fetched: https://lewisandclark.org/wpo/pdf/vol40no4.pdf ; https://lewisandclark.org/wpo/pdf/vol42no4.pdf (text extracted with PyMuPDF) DATE FETCHED: 2026-09-14 ---- (A) Danisi, WPO 40:4 (Nov. 2014): appointment (verbatim as extracted) ---- The death in September 1808 of the previous Chickasaw Agent, Thomas Wright, was the catalyst for Neelly to be recommended as his successor. General James Robertson and Tennessee Senator Daniel Smith had written to the Secretary of War endorsing David Hogg, the factor at Chickasaw Bluffs.19 In February 1809 the Chickasaw Chiefs appealed to the Secretary of War regarding whom they wanted to serve as their agent: Father if you would be so good as to indulge us, we could recommend an old Gentleman of our acquaintance that is not so fond of Speculation, as our former agents have been, his name is Major James Neely but perhaps it may be too forward in us to recommend any person to Gov- ernment – therefore we will leave it to your superior judgment to send us a good man…we would prefer an Elderly man as an agent as young men in the heat of youth may abuse their Authority…we conceive that an Old is more suitable to do business with red people than a young man. 20 The hierarchy of the Chickasaw Indians, as with most American Indian tribes, placed a great deal of trust in their tribal elders, which may in part have been the reason they favored an older, wiser, and less self-seeking man. In a newly discovered letter, Robertson, a well- known figure in Tennessee history, wrote to Congress- man John Sevier agreeing with the Chickasaw Chiefs. “I was acquainted with Major James Nealy in the ’74 Shawny Expedition and since in this country all ways very friendly & recommended him to the Secretary of war.” 21 In August 1809, Robertson personally handed Neelly his commission as Chickasaw Agent, which ran for a term of three years, ending on June 4, 1812.22 When Neelly took his commission, his tenure as agent commenced, which included a salary of $1,000 a year with an extra $365 for subsistence. When the pre- vious Chickasaw Agent Thomas Wright was appointed in 1806, he was given an advance of $450, which equaled the agent’s first quarter salary. James Neelly was also able to draw upon his salary for advance funds, but the records do not show when he did so. Neelly departed Franklin, Tennessee, in mid-August for the Chickasaw Agency and wrote his first report to the Secretary of War on August 27 describing the decrepit condition of the agency house. He bought a govern- ---- (A) Danisi, WPO 40:4: dismissal in 1812 (verbatim as extracted) ---- In February 1812 Neelly wrote to Eustis and complained again about McGee who had been “giv- ing proofs of disaffection to the government,” and adversely advising the Chickasaws to oppose what Neelly had been telling them or the wishes of the U.S. Government. He wanted to appoint James Colbert, a Chickasaw Chief, as interpreter, which was accordingly done a couple of months later.81 In May 1812 Neelly had several heated confronta- tions with a James Brown who was visiting McGee at the Agency. On June 5 Neelly wrote to the Secretary of War: “there was a certain man [who] came to this nation by the name of Brown who made use of very insolent & abusive language. I have ordered him out of this Agency. I am fully convinced that he will make use of false & malicious representations to injure my character with Government.”82 When Brown became too aggressive, Neelly’s son, James S. Neelly, and a Thomas McCoy, tossed him out of the Agency and told him to leave the Chicka- saw Nation. Brown wrote to the War Department on June 11 and listed many complaints that he identified as “charges” against Neelly. One of the charges stated he “keeps a weaver by the name of Thomas McCoy who writes for Neelly and nothing more.”83 McCoy had been employed as a weaver and an instructor, so his role at the Chickasaw Agency was officially sanctioned by the War Department.84 Apparently, Tony Turnbow sided with Brown, list- ing the other charges in his article as if they had been officially investigated and proven to be true.85 There is no evidence Neelly’s service as Chickasaw Agent ended for any reason other than the expiration of his three- year term. Furthermore, Brown’s letter arrived at the War Department on June 24, after ­Neelly’s term had James Neelly letter, May 24, 1812. Since Neelly’s appointment as Chickasaw Indian Agent in 1809, this is the first letter that has surfaced that shows his handwriting. It was a known fact that Neelly’s letters to Thomas Jefferson and the War Department were written by other persons. Research for this article has uncovered that Neelly had a known infirmity and could barely write. In this letter he is writing to James Brown, who manifested an insulting and menacing behavior toward him.     “Sir: Youre conduct in this Nation dose not appear frendly you I hope will clear youre self out of the Nation as soon as you can possible otherwise I will put the cais [case] in for against you” RG107, M221, B287, roll 42, frame 7909, NARA === PDF PAGE 24 === 22      We Proceeded On  November 2014 James Neelly’s son’s letter, May 24, 1812. James S. Neelly, the son of Major James Neelly, explained why Brown was expelled from the Agency.     “Mr. James Brown, I perceive from your note in answer to my fathers request that the violence commited on your person this morn- ing you have attached to my father you are entalely [entirely] under a Grand mistake I will assure you he knew nothing at all of the busi- ness nor in the manner in which the insult was given untill I returned from Mr. MGees after the action had hapened & if their was any violence used in the case you was the man intraduced it a guilty consaince [conscience] suggested to you when you drew your speir [spear] that you had insulted a man without any just pravacation & that was the only resource which gained you much” RG107, M221, B287, roll 42, frame 7909, NARA === PDF PAGE 25 === November 2014  We Proceeded On      23 already ended, and the letter from Eustis informing Neelly of his successor did not reach him until July 3, 1812.86 Epilogue [Danisi's notes cited above:] 61. Secretary of War to James Neelly, June 4, 1812, M15, roll 3, p. 134; James Neelly to William Eustis, July 3, 1812, N38, M221, roll 47, NARA. 81. Secretary of War to James Neelly, May 25, 1811, M15, roll 3, p. 82; James Neelly to William Eustis, February 28, 1812 and April 24, 82. James Neelly to Secretary of War, June 5, 1812, N33, M221, roll 47, NARA. 83. James Brown to the Secretary of War, June 11, 1812, B287, 86. James Neelly to Secretary of War, July 3, 1812, N38, M221, roll 47, NARA. ---- (B) Gale, WPO 42:4 (Nov. 2016): John Marks's visit to Mrs. Neelly, Dec. 1811 - Jan. 1812 (verbatim as extracted) ---- Neelly of stealing Lewis’s possessions.29 The only mem- ber of Lewis’s family to visit Tennessee was his half- brother John Marks, who went to Tennessee in Decem- ber 1811 to retrieve Lewis’s possessions from Neelly. Mrs. Neelly, at the family farm near Franklin, gave him ­Lewis’s horse and rifle. Neelly himself was at the Indian Agency, where John Marks was “informed that Neelly carries Lewis’s two pistols, dirk (dagger) constantly with him.” Neelly also had possession of Lewis’s gold watch. Neelly must have gotten the gold watch back Meriwether Lewis Monument, Grinder’s Stand. TONY TURNBOW === PDF PAGE 30 === 28      We Proceeded On  November 2016 from Pernier. Marks did not travel to the Indian agency and Neelly retained possession of Lewis’s belongings.30 [Gale's notes 29-30:] 29. Search Thomas Jefferson Papers, 1606-1827, Library of Congress; 30. John Marks to Ruben Lewis, January 22, 1812, and unsigned note about Neelly having Lewis’s pistols and gold watch. (Charlottes- ville, University of Virginia Library, Special Collections, Lewis-Marks Collection). Gale. Meriwether Lewis, 423; Turnbow, “Letters.” We