By the time Euro-American explorers arrived in the area in the 18th century, the Overhill Cherokee had established several villages along the Little Tennessee. These villages included Tanasi, the name source for the state of Tennessee, and Chota, the mother town of the Overhills.
A Writ of Habeas Corpus. On April 27th Lincoln startled the country by suspending the Constitutional privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus along the military lines from Washington to Philadelphia. Habeas Corpus is a personal right that goes back to English common law, predating our own Constitution.
In cases where the defendant has been sentenced to death, a writ of habeas corpus often leads to life imprisonment. Between 1976 and 1991, approximately 47% of the habeas petitions filed by death row inmates were granted. [2]. There are specific procedures that govern the filing for a writ of habeas corpus.