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Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

without the means of affording the protection necessary to keep the inhabitants at their homes. The regular force in this quarter has been insufficient for the defence of the country; the militia I have not had time to organize; and, above all, not a dollar in the treasury. My views of the necessity of forwarding men and money to this section of the country have been repeatedly stated to Colonel Trimble, but I apprehend it has not been in his power to meet them.

Two Lieutenant Colonels.
Two Majors.

One Assistant Adjutant General.
Four Assistant Commissaries.
Twenty-eight Captains.

Twenty-eight First Lieutenants. Twenty-eight Second Lieutenants.

One thousand five hundred and seventeen rank and file, (or other warriors.)

2d. That "the number and grades of the offiHaving endeavored in vain, with my limited cers, who commanded the Tennessee and Kenresources, to arrest the enemy after their succes-tucky volunteers," appear, from the rolls which

sive murders; and being satisfied that they sought refuge in Florida, I determined to raise a volunteer force, and order them to attack the hostile Indians without regard to our boundary. A part of the force is now under the command of Major Young, and Captain Stull is in possession of my order. Had I been furnished with funds, the enemy would have been driven from that retreat long before this time-persuaded as I am that it is the only effectual method of affording security to this territory.

Í have this moment received intelligence which leaves no doubt of your approach to this quarter; and I shall now leave the Territory perfectly satisfied that the people will not suffer by my absence. Mr. Henry Hitchcock is appointed Territorial Secretary, and will act as Governor after I set out from Fort Jackson, which will be on the 26th or 27th of this month. I may however be detained a few days longer in arranging with the Big Warrior the reception of a party of Indians who have sued for peace, and delivered themselves to Major Young. This they did so soon as the Major convinced them, by a well-timed and well-executed expedition, that they would no longer be permitted to murder our citizens, and find refuge in the Spanish territory.

mustered them into service, to have been-
One Assistant Adjutant General.
One Assistant Inspector General.

One Assistant Deputy Quartermaster General.
One Chaplain.

One Foragemaster.

One Assistant Foragemaster.
One Judge Advocate.
Two Colonels.

Four Lieutenant Colonels.
Four Majors.

Four Adjutants, (regimental.)
Two Quartermasters, (regimental.)
Two Surgeons, (regimental.)
Four Surgeon's mates, (regimental.)
Four Sergeant majors, (regimental.)
Four Quartermaster sergeants.
Twenty Captains.

Twenty First Lieutenants.
Eighteen Second Lieutenants.
Eleven Third Lieutenants.
Seventeen Cornets.

Of whom one Captain and one First Lieutenant appear to have belonged to Kentucky; the others to Tennessee.

3d. That "the number and grades of the officers who commanded (or served with) the two There are at this place forty volunteers, and companies of rangers," under Captains Boyle and the same number of militia at Camp Montgom-McGirt, appear, from a communication of the ery. Should you need any additional aid from the paymaster of the 4th regiment of infantry, dated Territory it would be promptly furnished, should the 23d of September, 1818, to have been― you notify me at Fort Jackson before my de- Two Captains. parture.

I enclose to you letters I have received from the commanding officer of the militia near Poplar Spring, which will present to you the state of things in that quarter.

Excuse this hasty scrawl, and accept the assurances of my regard and esteem.

WILLIAM W. BIBB.

No. 10.

PAYMASTER GENERAL'S OFFICE, City of Washington, Feb. 20, 1819. SIR: In answer to your letter of the 17th of the present month I have the honor to state:

Two First Lieutenants.
Two Second Lieutenants.
One Surgeon's mate.

I am, very respectfully, &c.
NATH'L FRYE, JR.,
Chief Clerk.

Hon. ABNER LACOCK,
Chairman of Committee, &c.

No. 11.

PAYMASTER GENERAL'S OFFICE,

City of Washington, Feb. 23, 1819. SIR: Your letter of yesterday's date is now before me; and, with reference to my note of the 20th instant, I have to state that "the whole number of men (rank and file) employed as volnum-unteers from Tennessee and Kentucky," appears, from the muster-rolls, to have been one thousand one hundred and sixty-three; the number employed in Captain Boyle's and Captain McGirt's companies of rangers one hundred and forty.

1st. That "the numbers and grades of the officers who commanded the detachment of Indians employed under McIntosh, and the whole ber of Indians," appear, from the accounts of the agent who paid them, to have been

One Brigadier General.

Two Colonels.

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

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a letter (confidentially written) from a person of high respectability in Pensacola, detailing the facts as stated by the captain of the schooner at St. Mark's.

This information, corroborated by so many persons, determined me to go in person to Pensacola; and I ordered Colonel Gibson forthwith to Mobile, with instructions to give every facility to Captain Sands in having the artillery secretly moved to Fort Montgomery, there to await my orders; and immediately organized a force sufficient for the execution of my orders, under date of 26th December, 1817.

WASHINGTON CITY, Feb. 5, 1819. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the present date, enclosing a communication from the chairman of the committee of the Senate, requesting of you a copy of the letter addressed by Major White Young to After crossing the Choctawhatchy, I despatched Governor Mazot, on the 27th April, 1818. Not an Indian guide with a soldier express to Fort having received a report from Major Young rel- Crawford, with orders to Colonel Gibson and ative to the correspondence with Governor Ma- Captain Sands, at Fort Montgomery, to move on zot, or his attack on the hostile Indians in the the artillery, and form a junction with me after vicinity of Pensacola, the only information II crossed the Escambia river; which order was possess on the subject is contained in the letter of Governor Bibb, dated on the 19th of May, 1818, to which I beg leave to refer to you.

promptly executed. On my reaching the Escambia I was met by Captain Boyle, express from Governor Bibb, with the letter of the 19th of May above mentioned, and, on reaching the west bank, received information that Holmes and his warriors were then in Pensacola, for which place immediately marched. For my proceedings thereafter I refer you to my detailed report.

Should you wish information on any other points growing out of my military operations during that campaign, it will afford me much pleasure to give it to you.

I am sir, yours, &c.

ANDREW JACKSON,
Major General commanding.

The Hon. J. C. CALHOUN.

No. 13.

FORT COVINGTON, NEAR BALTIMORE,
February 5, 1819.

On my return from Suwanee to St. Mark's, I was informed (through the medium of Mr. Hambly) by the captain of a vessel direct from Pensacola, that a number of hostile Indians had as-I sembled at that place. On interrogating the captain, he reluctantly stated that, at the time of his sailing, there were in Pensacola four hundred and fifty or five hundred Indians; that they had been fed and furnished with munitions of war, and were committing depredations on the persons and property of the citizens on the frontiers of Alabama, and also on the subjects of Spain. After receiving this information I informed you, in my letter dated at St. Mark's, on the 26th April, that I should leave that place for Fort Gadsden in two or three days, and, after making all necessary arrangements for the security of the position occupied, and detaching a force to scour the country west of the Appalachicola, I should pro- SIR: Yesterday I had the honor to receive ceed direct to Nashville. I then ordered Captain your letter of the 3d instant, on the subject of the Sands to Mobile, to prepare and hold in readiness late war with the Seminole Indians, and, in a train of artillery, should circumstances arising answer to your interrogatories, on all of which I out of facts disclosed render its use in the field am unable to give you the information required. necessary. On this occasion, as on all others, II was however, with the troops at Fort Scott, thought it my duty to be prepared fully to execute my orders in putting an end to the conflict. On my arrival at Fort Gadsden my quartermaster general, Colonel George Gibson, who was charged with the defence of that post, handed me several letters, brought from Fort Montgomery by Major Hogan, from respectable citizens, confirming the report made by the captain of the schooner while at St. Mark's, and detailing the murder of eighteen of our citizens on the Sepulger, and the destruction of a family near Fort Claiborne. Major Hogan also confirmed this information, and added that the citizens at Montgomery were fortifying themselves. Similar information was received from two gentlemen who arrived in a vessel laden with sutler's stores for the troops at Fort Gadsden, but whose names are not now recollected, and by the captains of the sloop Hector and barge Peacock, direct from Mobile. In addition to the foregoing I was shown

under the command of General Gaines, at the commencement of hostilities. I was never ordered with any detachment to remove the Indians from the lands of the United States. Brevet Major Twiggs, of the 7th regiment United States' infantry, commanded the first detachment that visited the Indian village called Fowltown, situated on the east side of Flint river, by the order of the General; the nature of his orders I know not, neither can I say who fired the first gun. I understood at the time, that, on the approach of our troops, the Indians fled from their houses to an adjacent swamp; they were fired on, and two warriors and, unfortunately, one woman were killed; there was one prisoner taken by the detachment, on its march to Fowltown, and who was afterwards confined as a prisoner at Fort Scott. This detachment brought, on their return, three or four Indian horses.

The second detachment that visited the village

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

of Fowltown, was placed under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Arbuckle, of the 7th infantry, who, on a near approach, detached me with a command to advance on the village by a different route from that which he took; my orders from him were to take prisoners, if possible, but if an attempt to escape was made, to fire; and to examine all the buildings for corn. We were. however, discovered when within two hundred yards, and the Indians took to flight, giving the war whoop, and firing alarm guns. Corn, cattle, and other provisions, I have no hesitation in say ing, was the object of this visit. We had one or two wagons with the detachment, which were loading with corn from the cribs of the Indians, when an attack was commenced by them, in which we had one man killed; as the Indians fought in the edge of the swamp, their loss was not ascertained, otherwise than by their own acknowledgment, which was afterwards said to be five or six warriors killed. We brought off all the corn which we conveniently could, and, perhaps, fifteen or eighteen head of cattle, and a few horses. Previous to our return to Fort Scott, the detachment was halted on the Flint river, three miles from Fowltown, and twelve from Fort Scott, where they remained four or five days in building a small picket work, called Fort Hughes. The provisions thus taken was just sufficient for the support of the troops during their absence from Fort Scott.

The third and last visit paid the village by our troops, was during the absence of General Gaines, who was at Amelia Island. This detachment was also commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Arbuckle, and, on our arrival, finding the place entirely abandoned by the Indians, it was destroyed by fire.

The horses taken by the detachment under Major Twiggs, as well as those taken by that under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Arbuckle, were considered of no value, but were ordered by the General to be turned into the quartermaster's hands. I afterwards saw some of them in his possession; others were claimed by the friendly Indians as their property, which were given up to them by the General's order. I believe, sir, that this is all the information which it is in my power to give on the subject that you have requested. I am, sir, &c.

JOHN N. MCINTOSH,
Captain 4th regt. U. S. Inf.

The Hon. A. LACOCK.

No. 14.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, Milledgeville, Ga. Feb. 6, 1817. SIR: I understand that the 4th regiment of the United States' infantry, which, for some time past, has been stationed on the frontier of this State, near the junction of the Flint and Chatahoochee rivers, is ordered to Fort Montgomery, on the waters of Mobile, and I have not heard of any other troops being ordered to supply their place. By this movement, not only the frontier of

Georgia is left without defence, but the restless and dissatisfied part of the Creeks, who are concentrated within the Spanish line, and at no great distance from the post (Camp Crawford) lately occupied by the 4th regiment, under Lieutenant Colonel Clinch, will be without any check, and I have no doubt will indulge their propensity for mischief, by acts of murder or rapine, upon defenceless travellers and frontier settlers. It is a fact well known to Lieutenant Colonel Clinch, and to every officer with him at Camp Crawford, that nothing has kept those Seminole Indians, who have been joined by the most inveterate of the hostile fellows from the upper towns in check, but the presence of the troops; and, if they are removed, some serious consequences are to be apprehended. Besides, it is very evident that, by the removal of the troops from Camp Crawford and the neighboring country, that portion of the territory acquired by Jackson's treaty, as it is usually called, lying east of the Chatahoochee, and which, of course, falls to Georgia, will be abandoned to the Indians.

Against measures which, in my judgment, will produce these results, it is my duty, as chief magistrate of Georgia, to protest. I am very far, however, from believing that it is the intention of the President, with knowledge of the fact, to leave Georgia, as a frontier State, on the Indians and the Spanish provinces of Florida, unpro tected; and that if the removal of the troops, under Lieutenant Colonel Clinch has been by him deemed indispensable, he will order their place to be supplied by a competent force.

I have to request that the substance of this letter may be communicated to the President, and that his determination thereon may be transmitted to the Executive of Georgia, with as little delay as possible. I am, sir, &c.

D. B. MITCHELL. Hon. the SECRETARY OF WAR.

No. 15.

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT, GEORGIA,
Milledgeville, Feb. 5, 1817.

SIR: Understanding that you are thus far on your way to Fort Montgomery, I avail myself of the present opportunity to communicate some facts, in the expectation that you will have it in your power, if your judgment approve, to adopt the measures I am about to propose.

You, no doubt, have already been informed that the notorious Woodbine has recently made his appearance again at the mouth of the Appalachicola, and that he has an agent now among the Seminole Indians and negroes in that quarter, stirring them up to acts of hostility against this country; and that Woodbine himself has gone in an armed vessel to some part of the West Indies for supplies. Connected with this fact is another, which may serve as an intimation of the future conduct of these people, when once in possession of the supplies, which it is said they expect on the return of Woodbine. About ten or twelve days ago, a small party of those Indians entered

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

the frontier of Wayne county, and stole two horses and some cattle. They were pursued by some of the inhabitants, who peaceably demanded a restoration of the stolen property, and, instead of a compliance on the part of the Indians, they immediately fired upon the whites, who retired without firing a shot; one of the whites was mortally wounded.

tablished and occupied on the Appalachicola by British officers and agents, and a considerable force there organized for the purpose of annoying the Southern frontier of the United States. It is also known that the hostile Indians of the Creek war, who had not embraced the terms of peace proposed by General Pinckney, and finally settled by the treaty of Fort Jackson, had taken shelter Before this last circumstance came to my knowl- in the Floridas. From their resentment, and the edge, I had addressed the acting Secretary of motley crew collected by Nicholls, much mischief War, and desired the contents of my letter to be was to be apprehended by the inhabitants on the communicated to the President, in which I rep- frontier of Georgia; and the post of Fort Scott, resented the evil consequences that were likely to situate in the fork of the Flint and Chatahoochee result to Georgia, in particular, by the removal of rivers, and near their junction, was established the 4th regiment from Camp Crawford, without and occupied by a considerable force of United their place was supplied by an adequate force States troops, for the protection of that frontier; from some other quarter; and requested the order and the same troops, with the aid of some naval for the removal of that regiment might be coun- force which ascended the Appalachicola, determanded, or their place supplied. To this stroyed a fort about sixty miles below, built by communication there has not yet been time to Colonel Nicholls, occupied and defended by receive an answer. One object of my present negroes. The blowing up of this fort, with its address is to know if you cannot suspend the negro garrison, (for, except a few Choctaw Inmarch of the 4th regiment until I can hear from dians, who were taken, it is believed that no other the War Department, if you do not feel author- Indians were in the fort,) had a salutary influence ized or disposed to order them back to their former in restraining the fugitives from the Creek war, station at Camp Crawford. Another object of and those under the influence of Nicholls and his the present address grows out of the following partisans. I say the fugitives from the Creek fact some of our people have gone over the war and the partisans of Nicholls, because it is Ockmulgee, and settled between that river and well understood that the Seminoles took no part the line run under the late treaty with the Creeks, in the Creek war, unless the receipt of goods, &c. on or near Goose creek, of which the Indians from Nicholls or his sub-agents be considered as complain. I have appointed an agent to go and proof of this fact; but the truth is, they will order them off, and bring me the names of all receive presents from any party, without any such as refuse to move from the Indian land. I intention of adopting his projects; and such, I am doubtful, from the character of those intruders, have no doubt, was the case with the Seminoles that they will not remove without force is used upon this occasion. The troops occupying Fort to compel them; and it is doubtful whether I Scott were, however, soon after removed, and the can legally apply that force, and the United post abandoned, or so nearly so, that it was in the States can. I have to request, if consistent with power of the Indians at any time, to have destroyyour duty, or the orders of the General Govern-ed it. Filling, at that time, the Executive chair ment, that you will order a detachment of troops to proceed to the spot, and remove those intruders. I am unwilling to give the Indians any just cause of complaint against us, and the more so, because I am determined, as long as I hold the station I now occupy, never to permit any aggression on their part to pass with impunity. I hold it a good rule, however, "to do as I would be done by," and am desirous of conforming to this rule in the present instance. I am, sir, yours, &c.

D. B. MITCHELL.
Major Gen. EDMUND P. GAINES.
No. 16.

Having been summoned to attend a committee of the honorable the Senate of the United States, to give evidence touching the Seminole war, I did attend accordingly, and, after a verbal statement to, and examination by, the committee, the following questions were asked me, with a request that I would answer in writing:

First, as to "the origin of the Seminole war, and the Fowltown affair."

It is, no doubt, within the knowledge of the honorable the committee, that, during the late war with the British and Creeks, posts were es

of Georgia, I addressed the then Secretary of War on the subject of the removal of the troops, pointing out some of the evils which were likely to result, and urging the necessity of the re-occupation of the post by a respectable force. To this communication an answer was received, by which I was informed that, although it was the intention of the Government to concentrate a respectable force further to the west, yet it never was contemplated to leave the frontier of Georgia exposed.

The peace of the frontier of Georgia has always been exposed and disturbed, more or less, by acts of violence, committed as well by the whites as the Indians; and a spirit of retaliation has mutually prevailed. These petty acts of aggression were increased and multiplied by a set of lawless and abandoned characters, who had taken refuge on both sides of the St. Mary's river, living principally by plunder. I believe the first outrage committed on the frontier of Georgia, after the treaty of Fort Jackson, was by these banditti, who plundered a party of the Seminole Indians, on their way to Georgia for the purpose of trade, and killed one of them. This produced retaliation on the part of the Indians, and hence

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

the killing of Mrs. Garret and her child. The evidence of these plunderings and murders is on the files of the Executive of Georgia.

"the organization of McIntosh's brigade, how and by whom done, with a roster of the field and other officers; with the notice thereof given to the War Department; what answer, if any, was received?"

Early in March, 1817, I resigned the Government of Georgia, and accepted my present appointment; and, in July, of the same year, called At the meeting at Fort Hawkins, in July, 1817, a general meeting of the Creek nation, at Fort Colonel Brearly, of the 7th infantry, attended, Hawkins. At this meeting I endeavored to im- and stated to me that he was directed by General press upon the minds of the Indians the necessity, Gaines to apply for the assistance or services of on their part, of preserving peace; that many of General McIntosh and five or six hundred of his the people of the lower towns had been led astray friendly warriors, in case he should go against by evil counsel, had received presents from the the Seminoles. I immediately communicated the British agent, Colonel Nicholls; and although it application to the chiefs in council, and received was acknowledged that they had not taken an for answer that they would leave that business active part with the Red Sticks in the Creek to McIntosh and myself. I then told McIntosh war, yet their conduct had made them, in some that he must hold himself and his warriors in measure, obnoxious to the friendly part of their readiness to join the United States' troops whenown nation, and to the United States; and that ever ordered. This he readily agreed to. Whether it was the duty of the friendly chiefs to reclaim I received a written communication from General those people, and restrain the restless spirits Gaines upon this subject or not, I do not recollect; among them, whose conduct might eventually, but I was told by some one that he had written if not checked in time, bring them into much to McIntosh for his assistance. However, before trouble, if not utter ruin; assuring them, at the a call was made on the warriors to take the field, same time, that the United States would punc- I received a letter from the then acting Secretary tually fulfil all their engagements with them, of of War, communicating the fact to me that Genwhich I had then given them substantial proof; eral Gaines was prohibited from crossing the and that all, except murderers, who should return Spanish line, without a special order from that to their duty, and renew their friendly relations Department. This I considered as notice, or with the nation, should receive protection and rather as an order, to me not to permit the forgiveness. friendly warriors to cross the line under sanction of, or in the service of, the United States. This letter, I think I received some time in November; and a meeting of the chiefs having been called by the Little Prince, to take into consideration the affair of Fowltown, I informed them of the determination of the Government in this particular, and desired them to remain quiet until they heard from me again. This meeting was held in December, at the Broken Arrow, on the Chatahoochee; and, on my return to the Agency, I fell in with General Gaines to whom I communicated the contents of the Acting Secretary's letter and the course I had taken with the Indians. The General then informed me that he had received the order spoken of, but that, from the representations he had made, he did not doubt but that the prohibition to crossing the Spanish line would be removed. I had appointed another meeting with the Indians, to take place at the Agency, at the end of twenty-five days, expecting to hear from the War Department in the meantime; but, upon the subject of crossing the Spanish line, I received no immediate answer. A meeting was accordingly held at the Agency, which commenced on the 9th of January, 1818, at which Colonel Brearly attended; and, although he brought no communication in writing from General Gaines, yet he informed me that he knew the prohibition to crossing the Spanish line had been withdrawn, and that General Gaines had ordered him to muster as many of the friendly Indians into service as were willing to engage. Arrangements were immediately made, and a day assigned, for enrolling the friendly warriors, and Colonel Brearly attended at Fort Mitchell, for that purpose, and there mustered the greater part

I state these particulars on account of their connexion with what immediately follows: About the last of August of the same year, say something more than one month after the meeting at Fort Hawkins, I received a letter from Major Twiggs, then at Fort Scott, dated the 4th of that month, written, as he says, at the request of the chiefs of three towns near that place, expressive of their willingness to agree to the talk delivered by me, in July, at Fort Hawkins. A copy of Major Twigg's letter, and the memorandum enclosed therein, is herewith exhibited. Of the three towns referred to, the Fowltown was one; but, before I had an opportunity of sending for those chiefs, or of taking any measures for meeting their proposition, General Gaines arrived with a detachment of troops from the West, sent for the chief of Fowltown, and for his contumacy in not immediately appearing before him, the town was attacked and destroyed by the troops of the United States, by order of General Gaines. This fact was, I conceive, the immediate cause of the Seminole war. The reasons assigned for the destruction of Fowltown, in addition to the contumacy of the chief, were, the refusal of the chiefs of the Seminoles to give up some murderers, and the hostile aspect which they had assumed. Of this demand and refusal I know nothing more than what has been published; but truth compels me to say, that, before the attack on Fowltown, aggressions of this kind were as frequent on the part of the whites as on the part of the Indians, the evidence of which can be furnished from the files of the Executive of Georgia, to which I have before referred.

The second question put by the committee is,

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