Report : Claim of of Rev. Willey

The Committee on Claims, to whom was ' referred the bill (S.565) fo'r the ' relief of Rev. Worcester Willey, make the following report:It appears by the evidence in this case that the American Board of Missions commenced their labors among the Cherokees as early as 1817.After the removal of the Cherokees to the Indian Territory the said Board established a mission at Dwight Station, in the Chl3rokee country; that at different times thereafter they established missions at Park Hill, Fairfield, and Lee's Creek, in the said Cherokee country; that at the time the said Board commenced missionary labors among the Cherokees it was promised by the Government that the Board and their missionary laborers should be protected in their persons and property by the Government; that for years prior to 1864 the mission stations were under the general management of the Rev. Worcester Willey; that they had in use and had accumulated in connection with these various missions a la.rge amount of property; that on or about the 3d day of December, 1863, the said American Board sold and conveyed to the said Rev. Worcester Willey all the property at Dwi~ht Station to his sole use and benefit; that the balance of the property belonging to the Board at Park Hill, Fairfield, and Lee's Creek remained the property of the said Board ; that the work of the mission had been carried on at all the mission stations under the direction of the said Willey until the year 1864; that in that year the property belonging to the said Willey, to the American Boa.rd, and to :Esther Smith, a teacher, was taken, and for the most part used by the United States forces under the orders of the officers of the various commands; that the value of the property taken as claimed, and as •shown by schedules annexed to the testimony belonging to the Rev.Worcester Willey, was $15,611.60; to the American Board, $5,516.75, and to Esther Smith, $749.40; that no part of the property so taken was ever recovered by any of the said owners.That the thirtieth article of the treaty of July 19, 1866, provided that "the United States agree to pay to the proper claimants all losses of property by missionaries or missionary societies from their being ordered or driven from the country•by United States agents, and from their property being taken and occupied or destroyed by the United States troops, not exceeding in the aggregate $20,000, to be ascertained by the Secretary of the Interior"; that the act of March 2, 1867, appropriated "for the payment of losses of property by missionaries or missionary so.cieties, on account of the troops and agents of the United States, treaty July 19, 1866, thirtieth article, $20,000 "; that there had been in the said Cherokee country missionaries and missionary stations of several other religious denominations than that of the American Board ; that soon

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