Relations with Spain. yours, with my answer, to Opoy Hatcho, and, as I am in daily expectation of letters from New Providence, perhaps they may induce me to write you further. I am, sir, your obedient servant, A. ARBUTHNOT. hear, one was killed out of three, and his horse taken and publicly sold while in the act of stealing and driving off cattle. To Mr. WM. HAMBLY. No. 63. A. A. To our good brother the Chief Tustonaky Thlucco, the Big Warrior: try. They insist on the fulfilment of my promise; and, as an honest man, I will endeavor to do it. Let your arm of justice fall on the guilty. An honest and upright man, who harms no man, and endeavors to do all the good he can, fears no man or judge; his acts are open to inspection, and will bear the test of scrutiny. Thus, sir, I answer your insinuation, that, since my arrival The murders and thefts you talk of I do not in this country, I have instigated persons to steal believe. There are a parcel of outlaws calling and murder. Ask the lieutenant commanding themselves Americans, who are continually comat Fort Gaines if the letter I wrote him bearsing into the nation, stealing cattle, &c., and lately, the features of an instigator to murder. Ask Opoy Hatcho if the recommendatory note I sent him, by order of Opony, breathes the strains of a murderer. Ask Opony himself if my language and advice to him was that of a murderer. Ask Mappalitchy, a chief residing on the Ockmulgee, among the Americans, what my advice was. All those will contradict your vile insinuation. But Mappalitchy informed me the Cowetas were all pleased with the letter and my note Opony sent them, and perfectly accorded with my sentiments Your brothers, chiefs of the Creek nation, of living as brethren, and as one large family, whose names are put to the talk we now send respecting their neighbors, but, at the same time, you, have found it necessary to hold the same, at all times ready to protect their property. Yet that their sentiments and opinions may be known several of them, a few days afterwards, (no doubt to all their red brethren of the four nations, and influenced by some humane and good man,) re-stop the mouths of bad men who are continually canted their promise, and ordered a letter to be written me; which letter, I presume, I have this day received, signed by you. Now, sir, if your principles were as humane as mine-if you took as much pleasure in fostering any spark of friendship the upper Indians may show to their brethren of the lower nation as you do in fomenting the quarrels between them, you would then be their friend and benefactor. You, sir, that speak their language fluently, have much in your power; but I fear you use that power to the injury of all, and, eventually, to your own ruin. Let me advise you to change your tone and mode of acting. How much more creditable would it be for you to propagate friendly actions, and create an attachment among the Indians of all nations one to the other, than to endeavor to foment quarrels, and have your emissaries in every quarter of the nation spreading false reports, tending to harass and disturb them. Now, sir, with regard to your It is nearly three years since we received a and Mr. Doyle's reporting that I am no English- white bead from the Cherokees; we have held it man, and only one of those wild adventurers who sacred, and it has been in our at all our risk life and property for lucre, be pleased to come talks; we now send you, that you may forward down to Ochlochnee, and I will show you a let-to their head, Minichico Mico, a pipe from his ter written by Earl Bathurst to Governor Cameron, (and which I received from him to read to the chiefs of the Creek nation,) an answer to a letter, I believe, written by you, early in the Spring of 1816. I shall not reflect on the part you took in blowing up the fort at Prospect Bluff; it is not my business. I know the blacks used you shamefully, as they did all that went near them, yet I think the revenge you took savors much of a savage. Do not think, sir, that I am to be frightened away from this place while I have the protection | of the Spaniards, and the support of honest men. An upright man is not easily daunted. I keep a copy of this letter, and send a copy of sending false and bad talks to us as well as to our brethren, for the purpose of making ill-blood between us. Know, then, we have met at Ochlochnee Sound with our warriors and young chiefs, and have held our talk, which is this: The red brethren of the four nations are all descended from the same fathers, and ought to live as brothers; and for this reason we now take them by the hand, to live henceforth at peace and united to each other, and let no bad' talks be listened to, or come among us. When Colonel Nicholls, the English officer who was last among us, went away, he gave us a good talk, desiring us to live well with all our brethren, and never permit ill-blood to be between us, and to respect the Americans that were our neighbors, and not molest them, or permit our people to steal. We have carefully kept this talk, followed his advice, &c. old friends; you will also send him the present talk, and from him let it be sent to the Chickasaws, and from them to the Choctaws. Colonel Nicholls promised us to send people from England to keep stores in different parts of the nation to furnish us with goods; he had found people willing to come, but when they heard that the fort of Appalachicola was destroyed, they were fearful of coming, and withdrew their promise. Let us protect all white men that give us good talks, but let us not regard or listen to those who give us bad ones, but rather send them from among us, for he must be a bad man who wishes ill-blood between brothers. Relations with Spain. Mr. Arbuthnot to the Honorable Charles Bagot. [Found with Arbuthnot's papers.] SIR: On my return to this from the Indian nation, about a month since, I received a letter from Mr. Moodie, annexing an extract from a letter of your excellency, and which in future shall be attended to, when I have occasion to write on Indian affairs. As I am now especially authorized by the chiefs whose names I beg leave to annex to the present to make such representations as may be of service to the nation, and learning by the copy of a letter from the right honorable Earl Bathurst, handed me by his excellency Governor Cameron, that your excellency is instructed to watch over the interests of the four nations, I shall take the liberty to lay before your excellency such matters as have come under my own observation, and what has been reported to me by chiefs in whose veracity I can place some confidence. On my arrival at Ochlochnee Sound last January, I was met by several of the principal chiefs, who reiterated the complaints that were stated to your excellency in their letter of last November. On the Chatahoochee particularly, they stated the Americans were descending in numbers, driving the poor Indian from his habitation. The report was confirmed some weeks after by Otosmico, the chief of the town of Ecan Halloway, on the Chatahoochee, who informed me that the officer commanding at Fort Gaines had repeatedly sent messages to him, desiring he would submit to live under the American Government, and threatening that his non-compliance would force him to turn the guns of the fort against the town and drive them out. These threats, and swarms of American settlers descending, drove the poor Indians from their homes, and thirty-six fields in a state of cultivation were occupied by the new settlers, and where the houses stood the plough has passed over. On the Choctawhatchy, which is far within the Indian territory, Americans have formed a large settlement, which, if persisted in, will soon drive the Indians to the extremity of the peninsula. Agreeably to the treaty between Great Britain and America, the latter were to confine them selves to the same boundaries they enjoyed in 812, prior to the war. This they have not done, but encroached on almost every point of the Indian territory. The chiefs think that it is impossible the conduct of the persons acting so contrary to the treaty can be known to the American Government; and, the more to blind the Government, and to mislead them as to the true state and disposition of the Indians, they are continually spreading reports in the public gazettes, of Georgia, &c., of cruelty committed by the Seminole Indians on inhabitants living on the borders of the United States; whereas it is persons in the back settlements of Georgia who enter the Seminole territory in large parties to steal cattle, which they frequently drive off in gangs of fifty and one hundred at a time; and if in these excursions the Indians meet them and oppose these predatory plunderers, blood sometimes has been spilt, which was the case in April last, when a party of Mickasuky Indians met three men driving off cattle, and attacked them, killing one, and retaking the cattle. But those bloodthirsty back-settlers of Georgia soon retaliated on the poor Indians, for early in June they returned to plunder, and meeting with an Indian encampment they killed one man; another making his escape, they pursued him to another encampment, where they killed two others and a boy; the boy they scalped. Early in July a headman of the town of Suwanee was killed on St. John's river, while hunting, but the chief does not reckon the persons who killed him true Americans. For the better showing your excellency how those poor Indians are abused, I beg leave to enclose you paragraphs taken from American papers, the whole of which are complete fabrications, tending to mislead the American Government. I also beg your excellency's attention to a letter from an American officer, dated at Fort Gaines, with Cappachimico, the head chief of the Seminoles' answer thereto; but notwithstanding it is stated to be by authority of the President of the United States, the gentleman waited no time to receive an answer, but, prior to the chief's messenger arriving at the fort, had continued his road for St. Mary's, leaving them ignorant of what talk be was authorized to give them; and I have since learned that Mr. Dinkins was an officer of General Jackson's staff, travelling through the nation. Hon. CHARLES BAGOT, H. B. M.'s Ambassador, Washington. No. 65. A. Arbuthnot to a person of rank in England. [Taken from the London Times newspaper of 7th August, 1818.] SUWANEE, LOWER CREEK NATION, When I last took the liberty of writing to you, by desire of the chiefs of the Creek nation, Í litthe expected that war would so soon have commenced between the Americans and them. It is, however, actually begun, by the wanton aggressions of the former, in an attack on Fowl Town, daring the night. Though this wanton attack has been disavowed by General Mitchell, the Relations with Spain. American agent for Indian affairs, and he has rica; at the peace they agreed to see them pro made reparation for the injury and loss sustained by Inhimathlo and his people, yet the continued aggressions of the Americans, and the numbers pouring into the nation, not from the land side alone, but from Mobile and elsewhere, by the Ap-bassador had orders to see that those people were palachicola river, have compelled the Indians to take arms as their only resource from oppression. Your friend Hillis Hadjo has been called by his people to put himself at their head, and he is now encamped at Spanish Bluff, the residence of Doyle and Hambly, which is now in the possession of the Indians, with from one thousand to one thousand two hundred men; those men are principally Red Sticks, who are scattered about in the nation, aud who have collected and put them selves under his command, with a few hundred Upper Indians who have joined them. tected in their rights and privileges, and placed on the same footing as before the war; since then they have never troubled themselves about them, thinking it enough that His Majesty's Amprotected in their rights and privileges. But how is his excellency the British Ambassador to know if the Indian is righted, and permitted to live quietly on his own land? He interdicts the correspondence of any private individual on Indian affairs, unless it can be put into his hand without any expense. Does he expect a true account of what passes in the Indian nation from the American Government, or from the hireling gazettes of the towns of Upper Georgia? It is the interest of both to deceive, and unless the door is opened for British subjects to speak what they know, and instruct his excellency of such matters respecting the Creek nation as they are certain to be true, he can never have the means of judging what is proper to be done. I cannot allow myself to believe that those encroachments on Indian territory are made with the knowledge of the American Government, and General Mitchell's conduct and message to Kenhagee assure me it is not so. But there are persons who wish to get hold of the Indian lands, and they stick at no means, however cruel and oppressive, to obtain their ends. General Gaines's fetter, of August last, to Kenhagee, clearly shows that he and General Jackson are determined, if possible, to get hold of the whole Indian lands. After falsely accusing them of murders, thefts, burning houses, &c., he says: "But there is something out in the sea, a bird with a forked tongue; whip him back before he lands, for he will be the You will pardon the liberty I take, which ruin of you yet. Perhaps you do not know what nothing but the pressing solicitations of Kenhaor whom I mean. I mean the name of English-gee would have induced me to take; and, with much respect, I am, sir, &c. man." The other contents of this letter plainly showi me that those two Generals have formed a plan of possessing themselves of the whole Indian lands. That this plan has originated with Forbes, Inneraritys, or those of their subordinate agents, I have little doubt, as every part of the conduct of those inferior actors, shows they have been employed for the express purpose of rooting out the poor Indian from his paternal inheritance. The report of Hambly having made sales, in the name of the chiefs, of all the lands from Pensacola to St. Augustine, comes from St. Mark's fort. I shall soon be there, and learn from what source they derive their information. That false and improper sales have been made, I have no doubt; without such had been the case, the Americans would never have poured into the Indian nation by the Appalachicola. It is reported that John Forbes has withdrawn from all Indian concerns; but the Inneraritys are enough, with their subordinate agents, to disturb the whole Indian nation; and I have not the least doubt that through them the present troubles come. The chiefs have written to Governor Cameron for a supply of ammunition, and which Kenhagee informs me Hillis Hadjo, when in England, had orders to demand, in case of actual need. It is really necessary the English Government should do something for those people. In the late war | they drew them into their quarrel against Amer I have, by desire of the chiefs, written to his excellency the honorable Charles Bagot on their affairs, and also Governor Cameron, with a demand for a small supply, [of arms, munitions, &c.] of which they stand greatly in need. I trust, sir, you will make such representations to His Majesty's Government as the circumstances of the case require, that those unfortunate people, who look up to you as their friend, may soon rest peaceably and quiet in their country. A. ARBUTHNOT. No. 66. Boleck to Governor Coppinger. [Translation from the Spanish translation received from Governor Coppinger, and communicated by Mr. De Onis, enclosed in his letter of the 27th March, 1818, to the Secretary of State. For the original, in English, see No. 49, court-martial proceedings, No. 2.] SUWANEE, November 18, 1816. SIR: I had the honor of receiving your letter of September, but the impossibility of finding a person to write an answer is the cause of this apparent neglect. At one I shall be very happy to keep up a good understanding and correspondence with you; and I hope you will, when occasion offers, advise me of such things as may be of service to myself and my people. My warriors and others who go to St. Augustine return with false reports, tending to harass and disturb my people, and prevent them attending to their usual avocations. time, the Americans, supported by a force of three thousand men, and such of our brethren as they have compelled to join them, are running lines far within our territory; at another, they are collecting a large force at Fort Mitchell, in the forks of the Flint and Chatahoochee rivers, to fall on the towns that may not join them. Now, sir, we Relations with Spain. know of no reason they can have for attacking an inoffensive and unoffending people, whose wish is to inhabit their woods, without disturbing or being disturbed by any one. We have none of their slaves; we have taken none of their property since they made peace with our good father, King George. We have followed the orders of the officer of our father who was among us, Colonel Edward Nicholls, and in nowise molested the Americans, though we daily see them encroaching on our lands, stealing our cattle, and murdering or carrying off our people. We were told by the same officer that, as allies of our father, we were included in the treaty of peace between our good father and the Americans, and that the latter were to give up all the territory that had been taken from us before the war; but, so far from complying with the ninth article of that treaty, they are making daily encroachments, and forging treaties (which they pretend are consented themselves as commissioners of the Engcluded with our people) for cessions and grants of lands which never were in existence, and the signatures of which are unknown to the chiefs of the Creek nation, who alone have a right to assign or transfer the common property. The want of a proper person among our people to acquaint us with these transactions is the cause of our long silence on them, and leads the world, as well as our friends, to think we are in league with the Americans. you and your warriors uneasiness. I see with pain that the whole comes from the information of persons in whom you ought not to place the smallest confidence, it being their principle to employ such opportunities for the purpose of seducing you and your people from their daily labors. In consequence of this, and of what you tell me of your desire to keep up the best understanding and correspondence with me, and of your hope that the opportunities will not be wanting, let me give you such counsel as may be useful to you, your people, and warriors. I will do so from the sentiments of sincere friendship I bear towards you, fearful, however, that the sentiments of others, who come into the territory under the appearance of friendship, but with bad intentions, may influence your minds and obtain your confidence by their flattering representations. It is ascertained here that two persons have lately prelish nation, who have carried off several runaway negroes belonging to the subjects of the King, my master, and your friend, among whom was one of Don Francisco Pellicer's, and another of Mr. Bunch's, both inhabitants of this province. This did not seem credible to me, as I could not suppose that so good a friend to our nation as you are could consent to such proceedings; but, in case they have really happened, you will be sensible of their great impropriety, and of the just The principal chiefs of the nation assembled grounds of complaint on the part of the persons lately at my town of Suwanee, and resolved to so injured, who are desirous, as well as myself, of inform the Minister of King George at Washing-assuring you of the sincere good-will and friendton of our grievances, and of the conduct and ship we have for the Seminole tribe of Indians, usurpation of the Americans; which was accord- of which you are the chief. ingly done, and copies sent to England. Until we have one or more persons among our people to watch over our rights and interests, we shall continue to be exposed to the same conduct on the part of the Americans, whose system appears to be the destruction of our peace and tranquillity, and expelling us from our native land. You desire that I would chase off those who steal my cattle, &c. Some of my people have lately driven away several Americans who were endeavoring to settle at Lachua; and I do not doubt they will represent that as an act of hostility, although you well know that Lachua is in the heart of my territory, and was, until the Americans killed my brother, our chief town. return you my thanks for your letter, And am, with great respect, your most obedient, humble servant, BOLECK, his X mark, I am, with great respect, your most affectionate and faithful servant, JOSE COPPINGER. Copy of a sheet of Arbuthnot's journal, found October 23d (continued.) They had a long talk with Captain W., and stopped all night; this day, meridian, observed in latitude 29o 21', Suwanee bearing northeast three miles. 24th. StartIed with two men in boat to survey if any entrance to the west branch of the river; found all shallow; pulled boat over the mud, and entered west branch; made poles to mark the easternmost outlet, and descended, but could not this day find the direct channel through the oyster bank, the tide having flowed too much. 25th, at 2 A. M., wind shifted to east, and by 8 A. M. to southeast, when we got under way, and stood off to sea, wind freshening and a nasty short sea rising; at 10 tacked in shore, three fathoms, Suwanee northeast seven miles; the north point of the bay north FRIEND AND BROTHER BOLECK: Your letter of ten miles, Cedar Keys south seven miles; from the 18th of November was delivered to me yes- sundown to midnight, heavy squalls, with rain terday by one of your servants, in which you in- and much thunder and lightning; at 0 anchored form me of the receipt of mine of the 26th Sep-in four fathoms, no wind, and heavy swell. 26th. tember last, and other circumstances which give First part rainy and squally; at 10 A. M., got No. 67. Relations with Spain. under way, Cedar Keys just in sight from deck; stood east-northeast, and at 2 P. M. hove to, to wait for canoes seen coming off; came to anchor in two fathoms; six canoes came on board full of Indians and blacks, Billy and Jack among them, with several negroes that were at the bluff; found that Bowlegs and Doherty had started in a canoe last night; this day at meridian observation good, latitude 29° 13', Cedar Keys, the outermost, bearing east-southeast six miles. At 6 P. M. Bowlegs, with retinue, consisting of five canoes, came on board, and continued all night; had a very long talk with Captain W. 27th. The brotherin-law of Bowlegs desired Captain W. to listen to what he had heard from the Spaniards of the Americans' intention of attacking them; they wished to live quietly and attend to their cattle, &c., but could not for the Americans and revolted Spaniards, who daily killed their cattle, &c. This day bought six deer skins, sixteen racoon skins, and three pounds wax, paid in taffia. Bowlegs and retinue left me at 2 P, M.; Captain W. had started about an hour before for Suwanee. At 8 P. M. began to blow fresh from southeast, continued blowing all night. 28th, at 2 P. M., got under way and stood to sea. 29th. Wind north west, blowing hard and squally, all day beating off and on, double-reefed foresail, reefed mainsail, &c.; at 4 P. M. struck on a shallow bank six miles southeast from the mouth of the river; bore up and stood off; lowered jib and mainsail, and repaired latter, which had given way near the gaff; wore and stood in shore, and came to anchor in fourteen feet water, Great Cedar Key bearing southeast six miles. 30th, at 7 A. M., got under way, and stood for the entrance between the two large keys, luffing and bearing away so as to keep in two fathoms; came to anchor at 9 A. M., a mile and a half from islands. Captain went to sound channel; returned and reported channel to the southward, and that the large island must be brought to bear northeast. At 11 A. M., a canoe, two men, three women and their children, from Cape Anetole; got under way, rounded the bank, and grounded between two banks, where we lay all night. 31st October, warped into a deep channel, with much difficulty drawing her through the mud; wrote W. and Auchisee Indians, and also fishermen; cut poles to stake out channel. 1st November. Wind northeast, extremely cold, again warping, but did not succeed in getting into anchorage; observed meridian, latitude 29° 11', the south end of the Great Cedar Key northwe st by north, three-quarters of a mile; the outer or southwest point of the high or South Key southeast and by south one and a half mile; lay quite dry at low water; at 10 P. M. floated off, and stood into a good channel, but laying the warp too far out she tailed on the west side, where we lay for the night, after bowsing taut our best bower, laid in mid channel. 2d. Floated off at 10 A. M., and pulled up to good anchorage under the lee of the island; boat went to an inshore key to look for water, and returned two casks full. 3d. Self and captain on shore until half-past 11 A. M.; caught nothing; observation good, latitude 29° 11'; the high part of South Key due east two miles, the sandy beach of Great Cedar Key west half a mile. At sundown, Captain W. arrived from Suwanee; several canoes with negroes at the point; captain returned from fishing on point; some good fish. 4th. Idle all day; afternoon prepared rum, sugar, coffee, and molasses to send Robin Creighton, per colored lad named Charles, (see note thereof;) during the night the wind shifted to the north and northnortheast, drizzling rain and very cold. 5th. Wind north-northeast, rain, and very cold; cleared up before midday; at 4 P. M. two canoes from Suwanee; one came on board, reported Cappachimico and all the chiefs waited for Captain W.; prepared sundry articles for Suwanee, and sent a canoe off to get Frank's canoe to go with Captain W. and self. 6th, at 12 o'clock M., started for Suwanee, in Frank's canoe, camped for the night at the little island, mouth of the river; a canoe, with several men and women, camped at same place, bound for schooner, with corn, &c. 7th. At 4 o'clock A. M. started up the river; at 8 o'clock A. M., camped and breakfasted at Pine bluff, and at 2 o'clock P. M. arrived at Buera landing, took through the pine barren, and lost our way to Christophertown; again getting to the river, at half past 4 P. M. arrived at Robert's; Captain W. and guide had arrived a little before; visited Cappachimico and McQueen at Indiantown. 8th. A long talk with Indians; their complaints of the conduct of the Americans. McQueen mentioned they had taken one of his negroes and confined him in the fort at the forks. A chief from Chehaw said that they had killed. three Indians in his neighborhood, on their own ground, and taken eleven horses; several others stated losses in cattle and horses, and the Seminole chiefs in particular; a chief of said that, in confidence of the treaty being faithfully fulfilled on the part of the Americans, a halfbreed man, named Moses, before the war, settled near the forks, returned to take possession of his fields, and was murdered by the Americans. The chiefs ordered a letter, in way of memorial, to be written to our ambassador in America, and copies to be sent to England, representing the conduct of Americans; the same was done agreeably to the substance of their talk, read and interpreted to them by their own interpreters afterwards; each chief put his mark in my presence, which I certified. 9th. Cold and clear; Cappachimico, McQueen, and the other chiefs met, and had a long talk, more fully particularizing their particular grievances; they also stated the number of forts (seven) the Americans had built, and the roads they had cut, and were still continuing to cut, within their territory. McQueen stated that McIntosh and the Coweta Indians were the cause of the Americans' conduct; that, after the peace, a deputation had been sent up to have a talk with the commander at Fort Mitchell, in the forks, who were instructed to inform him of what Colonel Nicholls had stated to them with regard to their rights to the |
