Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

To Major W. YOUNG,

Com'g Am. troops on the Escambia

Copy of a note from Jose Mazot to Major W. Young.
PENSACOLA, April 30, 1818.

with the intelligence of our movements, and pur- a full confidence in your favorable sentiments, I chasing the property depredated of us. America, beg leave to offer you my respectful salutations. just to her treaties, and anxious to maintain peace God preserve you many years. with the world, cannot and will not permit such JOSE MAZOT. a savage war to he carried on in disguise any longer. Asylums have been granted to the persons and property of an Indian foe, (fugitives from the territory of the United States;) facilities, deemed by me necessary to terminate a war which, under existing treaties, should have been maintained by Spain; for feeding my troops; and liberating the subjects of Spain imprisoned by the Indians; have all been denied by the officers of His Catholic Majesty. All these facts prove the unjust conduct of Spanish agents in Florida. It cannot be longer tolerated, and although a Republic fond of peace, the United States know their rights and at the expense of war will main

tain them.

Your obedient servant,

ANDREW JACKSON,

Major General commanding.

DON JOSE MAzot,

Governor of Pensacola.

No. 2.

Copy of a note of the Commandant of West Florida to Major Young, at the encampment, banks of the

Escambia.

your letter of the 27th instant, I assembled the SIR: In consequence of the request expressed in chiefs of the Upper Creeks at the villages of Colome, Canaan, Cowale, and Forsatche, and communicated to them the contents of your letter. They all replied that they had for a long time been very miserable and. wretched, without shelter or home, that by the counsel of a good friend they had at length found one, that they had listened attentively to it, and accepted with gratitude the offers you had made them. These Indians are about eighty-seven in number, including women and children. They agreed to divide themselves into three parties, and set out on their march, as soon as I received your answer, which they thought it would be prudent for them to keep; and that when you were informed of their resolution, you would give the necessary orders for their safe progress, and avoiding any rencounter with the Choctaws, who, if not seasonPENSACOLA, April 27, 1818. SIR: Your note of the 27th, dated encampment them, in which case the pacific arrangements, ably apprized of the circumstances, might attack on the Escambia and Fort Crawford, accompany in which we both take so strong an interest, ing the proclamation which you were pleased to would be entirely defeated. Opahi-hola, an Alienclose, were delivered to me at three o'clock this liamon chief, on account of his advanced age, afternoon by an artificer, a man of color, whose and infirmities will, for the present, remain here speedy return not allowing me at present to an- with his family. Í have given orders for his swer them in detail, I shall merely state, that the relief, and pledge myself for his good behaviour. small number of peaceful Indians who were in this You will always find me disposed, sir, to proplace and in its vicinity retired on the 26th, at the mote any measure conducive to the mutual indawn of which day several of them, both women terests of our two countries, which may, at the and children, were killed by the troops of the Uni- same time, be in conformity with existing treated States. As it is not my purpose to investigate ties. I offer you the renewed assurances of my the motives of this act, or of the violation, result-respect, and I pray God to preserve you. ing from it, I shall only say that, in compliance with my duty, I shall give an account of the whole proceeding to my superior; and, in the meantime, I hope you will allow no further hostilities to be committed on this territory, on any pretence whatever. If the Indians should give any further cause of complaint, I trust you will inform me of it, that they may receive due punishment, should that depend on my authority. If there are any Indians still remaining within this territory, I will have them sought for and informed of your letter, and advise you of the result. I can assure you, both under my hand and on my word, that the information, as stated in your letter, of the aggressions committed by the Indians is the first I have had of them, for at the time I agreed to the return of the escort referred to, I had no knowledge of any others than those who were concerned in the attack on Lieutenant Eddy. I repeat to you the assurance that my wishes and efforts are wholly directed to preserve the peace happily subsisting between our Governments. In

To Major WHITE YOUNG.

JOSE MAZOT.

PENSACOLA, May 2, 1818. True copies of the letter and documents deposited in the archives of this command. In the absence of the Secretary, (by indisposition;) BUEN. DUBIEUIL.

HEADQ'RS, DIVISION OF THE SOUTH,

Fort Montgomery, June 2, 1818. SIR: The Seminole war having terminated, I deem it politic and advisable to send to Washington John Blunt and his Indian comrades, who have acted as pilots to me during the late campaign. John Blunt is a Tuckabatchee Indian, has long been friendly to the United States, and in consequence of his opposition to the Red Stick party during the Creek war has drawn down upon himself their vengeance during the

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

late contest. His settlement being in an exposed been early and well advised of the object of my situation on the Appalachicola river, he was early operations, that I hesitated no longer on the attacked by Seminoles, his property destroyed, measures to be adopted. I marched for and enand his family rifled from him; alone he escaped tered Pensacola with only the show of resistand fled to Fort Scott, where, joining the Amer-ance, on the 24th of May. The Governor had ican standard, he has proved himself a most zeal- previously fled to Fort Carlos de Barancas, ous friend and faithful pilot to this period. In where, it was said, he had resolved upon a most justice to him I am bound to state, that to his desperate resistance. A correspondence ensued correct knowledge of the country and zealous between us, (accompanying this, marked A,) deattachment to the cause in which we were en- tailing at length my motives for wishing and degaged, I am measurably indebted for the success manding that Pensacola and its dependencies be of the present campaign. occupied with an American garrison. The package marked B are documents substantiating the charges, in part, against the conduct of the Spanish Governor, having knowingly and willingly admitted the savages, avowedly hostile to the United States, within the town of Pensacola.

Mr. Hambly accompanies John Blunt. Mr. H. is a Spanish subject by birth, and has long been a resident as a trader on the Appalachicola river. In consequence of his attachment to the American cause, and his active exertions to check the hostile feelings of those Indians disposed to war against the United States, he drew down upon himself and family their vengeance. He was forcibly taken from his house at an early period of the war; his property, goods, and negroes taken from him, and he violently transported from Mickasukey, Suwanee, and St. Marks, until finally relieved by Captain McKeever of the American Navy; since which period he has been attached to my army as Indian interpreter. You will find him an honest and faithful friend of our Government, and valuable for the information which he can afford of Spanish policy and intrigue. He is well acquainted with all the transactions of foreign agents in this country, of their practices, &c., and how far encouraged by the Spanish authority, &c. With respect, &c. ANDREW JACKSON,

Major General commanding. Hon. J. C. CALHOUN, Sec'y of War.

HEADQ'RS, DIVISION OF THE SOUTH,

The peaceable surrender of the fort at the Barancas was denied. I marched for and invested it on the evening of the 25th of May, and on the same night pushed reconnoitering parties under its very guns. On the morning of the 26th, a military reconnoissance was taken; and on the same night, a lodgement was made, under a fire from the Spanish garrison, by Captain Gadsden of the engineers, aided by Captains Call and Young, on a commanding position, within three hundred and eighty-five yards of the Spanish works, and a nine-pounder mounted. A howitzer battery was simultaneously established on the capitol of, and within seven hundred and fifty yards of the fort. At daylight on the 27th, the Spanish garrison opened their artillery on our batteries; a parley was sounded, a flag sent in and the surrender of Fort Carlos de Barancas again demanded; the favorable positions obtained were pointed out, and the inutility of resistance urged. Anxious to avoid an open contest, and to save the effusion of blood, the same terms previously offered were again tendered. These were rejected, and offensive operations recommenced. A spirited and well-directed fire was kept up the greater part of the morning, and at intervals during the afternoon. In the evening a flag was sent from the Spanish commandant, offering to capitulate, and a suspension of hostilities was granted until eight o'clock next day, when the enclosed articles of capit ulation (marked C) were signed and agreed to. The terms are more favorable than a conquered enemy would have merited; but, under the peculiar circumstances of the case, my object obtained, there was no motive for wounding the feelings of those whose military pride or honor had prompted to the resistance made. The articles, with but one condition, amounted to a complete cession to the United States of that portion of the Floridas hitherto under the gov ernment of Don Jose Mazot.

Fort Montgomery, June 2, 1818. SIR: In a communication to you of the 5th of May, I detailed at length the operations of my army up to that period. Leaving a strong garrison of regulars in Forts Scott and Gadsden, I resumed my march, with a small detachment of the 4th regiment of infantry, one company of artillery, and the effectives of the Tennessee volunteers, the whole not exceeding twelve hundred men, to fulfil my intentions, communicated to you, of scouring the country west of the Appalachicola river. On the 10th of May, my army crossed that river at the Ochesee village, and, after a fatiguing, tedious, and circuitous march of twelve days, misled by the ignorance of our pilots, and exposed to the severest of privations, we finally reached and effected a passage over the Escambia. On my inarch, on the 22d of May, a protest from the Governor of Pensacola was delivered me by a Spanish officer, remonstrating in warm terms against my pro- The arrangements which I have made to secure ceedings, and ordering me and my forces in- Pensacola and its dependencies are contained in stantly to quit the territory of His Catholic Ma- the general orders, marked D. I deemed it most jesty, with a threat to apply force in the event of advisable to retain, for the present, the same a non-compliance. This was so open an indica-government to which the people had been accustion of a hostile feeling on his part, after having tomed, until such time as the Executive of the

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

United States may order otherwise. It was necessary, however, to establish the revenue laws of the United States, to check the smuggling which had been carried on successfully in this quarter for many years past, and to admit the American merchant to an equal participation in a trade which would have been denied under the partial operations of the Spanish commercial code.

Capt. Gadsden was appointed by me collector, and he has organized and left the department in the charge of officers on whom the greatest confidence may be reposed.

Though the Seminole Indians have been scattered, and literally so divided and reduced as no longer to be viewed as a formidable enemy, yet, as there are still many small marauding parties supposed to be concealed in the swamps of the Perdido, Choctawhatchy, and Chapouley, who might make occasional and sudden inroads on our frontier settlers, massacreing women and children, I have deemed it advisable to call into service for six months, if not sooner discharged, two companies of volunteer rangers, under Captains McGirt and Boyles, with instructions to scour the country between the Mobile and Appalachicola rivers, exterminating every hostile party who dare resist, or will not surrender and remove with their families above the thirty-first degree of latitude.

A topographical sketch, of the country from the Appalachicola to Pensacola Bay, accompanies this. Captain Young will prepare, as soon as practicable, a topographical memoir of that part of the Floridas in which my army has operated, with a map of the country. Captain Gadsden is instructed to prepare a report on the necessary defences of the country, as far as the military reconnoissance will permit, accompanied with plans of existing works, what additions or improvements are necessary, and what new works should, in his opinion, be erected to give permanent security to this important territorial addition to our Republic. As soon as this report is prepared, Captain Gadsden will receive orders to repair to Washington City with some other documents which I may wish to confide to his charge.

did not particularly notice the exertions of my
quartermaster general, Colonel George Gibson,
who, under the most embarrassing circumstances,
relieved the necessities of my army, and to whose
exertions I was indebted for the supplies received.
His zeal and integrity in this campaign, as well
as in the uniform discharge of his duties since
his connexion with my staff, merit the approba-
ion and gratitude of his country.
With respect, yours, &e.

At the close of a campaign which has terminated so honorably and happily, it gives me pleasure to express my approbation generally of the officers and soldiers of every species of corps which I have had the honor to command. The patience with which they endured fatigue and submitted to privations, and the determination with which they encountered and vanquished every difficulty, are the strongest indication of the existence of that patriotic feeling which no circumstances can change, and of that irresistible ardor in the defence of their country which will The Seminole war may now be considered as prove her strength and bulwark under any exat a close, tranquillity again restored to the south-posure. I should do violence to my feelings if I ern frontier of the United States; and, as long as a cordon of military posts is maintained along the Gulf of Mexico, America has nothing to apprehend from either foreign or Indian hostilities. Indeed, sir, to attempt to fortify or protect an imaginary line, or to suppose that a frontier on the thirty-first degree of latitude, in a wilderness, can be secured by a cordon of military posts, whilst the Spanish authorities were not maintained in the Floridas, and the country lay open to the use and excitement of any enemy, is visionary in the extreme. On the immutable principles, therefore, of self defence, authorized by the law of nature and of nations, have I bottomed all my operations; on the fact that the Spanish offi cers had aided and abetted the Indian enemy, and thereby became a party in hostilities against us, do I justify my occupying the Spanish fortresses. Spain had disregarded the treaties existing with the American Government, or had not power to enforce them; the Indian tribes within her territory, and which she was bound to keep at peace, had visited our citizens with all the horrors of savage war; negro brigands were establishing themselves when and where they pleased; and foreign agents were openly and knowingly practising their intrigues in this neu- Your excellency inquires of me in what mantral territory. The immutable principles of self- ner these articles came into my possession; and defence justified, therefore, the occupancy of the you further state that you feel yourself obliged to Floridas, and the same principles will warrant inform me that the documents and the proofs found the American Government in holding it until in St. Juan, the detention of American cattle, such time as Spain can guarantee, by an ade- found in St. Marks, and the correspondence carquate military force, the maintaining her author-ried on between this post and the hostile Indians, ity within the colony.

15th CoN. 2d SESS.-70

ANDREW JACKSON,
Major General commanding.
Hon. J. C. CALHOUN, Secr'y of War.

PENSACOLA, May 18, 1818.

MOST EXCELLENT SIR: On the 10th instant I received your excellency's letter of the 27th of April last, informing me that some articles of clothing used by the troops of the United States, and supposed to be part of those taken in the boat in which Lieutenant Scott and his escort were so inhumanly murdered, were found in a small schooner despatched from this port for that of Appalachee with provisions.

are sufficient to create a belief that they were

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

PENSACOLA, May 18, 1818. Being informed of what, amongst other subjects, Major General Andrew Jackson, of the United States troops, states to you in his letter of the 27th of April last, and communicated to me The last complaints of your excellency have a in yours of the 13th instant, in which you direct personal and direct application to myself, and are me to explain to you what description the artirelative to the asylum granted to the persons and cles were, referred to by the said General, and property of the fugitive Indians, and to the passage by whom the coats worn by the men belonging of provisions up the Escambia. It is easy for me to to the Grey and Brown companies, (de pardos y remove these charges, and I think your excel-morenos,) from the Havana, under my command, lency will be satisfied with a short and true relation of facts.

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

I hereby certify that, on the 10th of February Sacks, sewing, and transportation last, I sold to Captain Don Benigno Garcia Calderon, commanding the Grey and Brown companies from Havana, two hundred and eighteen pairs of French shoes, iron shod, for the use of the men belonging to the said companies; and, at the request of the said officer, I give him the present certificate, at Pensacola, this 18th day of May, 1818.

Account of cost and charges of ten sacks, conI hereby certify that, on the 12th of February taining one hundred and thirty-one coats, shiplast, I sold to Captain Don Benigno Garcia Cal-ped on board the schooner Maria, Captain Gran