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Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

tency of presuming yourself capable of resisting 15 miles from its mouth or entrance into the sea,) an army which has conquered the Indian tribes, I lost no time in proposing to my Captain General too strong, agreeably to your own acknowledg- the measures which appeared to me proper, as ment, to be controlled by you. If the force well for securing the inhabitants of the country which you are now disposed wantonly to sacrifice under my command from the damage, loss, and had been wielded against the Seminoles, the injuries which they have suffered, and still suffer, American troops had never entered the Floridas. from this establishment, as to prevent the AmerI applaud your feeling as a soldier in wishing ican citizens and the friendly Indians of the neighto defend your post; but when resistance is inef-borhood from continuing to experience them. I fectual, and the opposing force overwhelming, the sacrifice of a few brave men is an act of wantonness, for which the commanding officer must be accountable to his God.

ANDREW JACKSON,

Major Gen. com'g Division of the South. Don JOSE MAZOT, Com'g Barancas.

PENSACOLA, May 26, 1818.

ing the end. I am persuaded that the determi nation of the said chief cannot be long delayed, and, should it authorize me to act, your excellency may rest assured and persuaded that I will not lose an instant in adopting, on my part, the most efficacious measures for cutting up by the root an evil which is felt to the full extent stated in your letter by the inhabitants of this province, who are subjects of my Sovereign, and whose prosperity and tranquillity it is my duty to preserve and protect.

have hitherto received no answer, and, consequently, your excellency (who knows how limited are the powers of a subordinate officer) cannot be surprised that I should make known to you that, although my mode of thinking exactly corresponds with yours as to the dislodging of the negroes from the fort, the occupying it with Spanish troops, or destroying it, and delivering the negroes who may be collected to their lawful owners, I shall not be able to act until I receive MOST EXCELLENT SIR: On the 24th of the pre- the orders of my Captain General, and the assistsent month, Captain Amelung, of the 1st United ance necessary to enable me to undertake the States regiment, put into my hands your excel-enterprise with a moral certainty of accomplishlency's letter, dated at Washington, Mississippi Territory, on the 23d of April last; in which, after apprizing me that your Government had given it in charge to you to inform me that the fort of the Negroes, erected during the late war with Great Britain, near the junction of the Chatahoochee and Flint rivers, had been reinforced, and was now occupied by more than two hundred and fifty negroes, many of whom were seduced from the service of their masters, (who are citizens of the United States,) and that all of them are well armed, provisioned, and disciplined, you With this explanation, your before named letmake many wise reflections with respect to the ter may be considered fully answered, as it gives serious injuries which may result from tolerating you to understand that, thinking as your excelsuch an establishment, not only to those in the lency thinks with respect to the necessity of deimmediate neighborhood of it, by destroying the stroying the negroes, the fort of Appalachicola, peace of the nation, but likewise to the good un- occupied by them, was not constructed by order derstanding which happily exists between our of the Spanish Government; and that the nerespective Governments. You enter into an in-groes, although in part belonging to inhabitants vestigation to show what the Spanish authorities ought to do to put an end to an evil of so serious a nature, in a mode prescribed by those principles of good faith, which are the foundation of friendly neighborhood among nations. You distinctly state what this Government ought immediately to do; in failure of which, your Government will be obliged to do it, to insure the safety of the inhabitants of the United States; and you conclude by requesting me to state, in my answer to your But as your excellency manifests a particuletter, whether the said fort has been constructed lar desire that, in case the fort was not erected by by the Spanish Government, and whether the Spanish authority, I should state by whose order negroes who composed the garrison were deemed it was erected, I have no difficulty in satisfying subjects of His Catholic Majesty; and if the fort your curiosity, by informing you that I have unwas not built by Spanish authority, to state by derstood, ever since my arrival at this place, that what authority and by whose order it was built. the said fort, and another near the confluence of In answer to your excellency I will state (with the Chatahoochee and Flint rivers, (which it apthe veracity which comports with the character pears no longer exists,) were built by the orders of an honorable officer, in which class I rank my- of the before named Colonel Nicholls. I will not self) that, having arrived at the place nearly at assure you he did it under authority from his the close of the month of March preceding, and Government; but I can say he proceeded to place being informed of what your excellency has com- artillery, munitions, and provisions in it, by the municated to me, (with this difference, that the fort, arrangement of Vice Admiral Malcolm, and that instead of being where you placed it, is to be found when Colonel Nicholls and the troops of his deon the eastern bank of the Appalachicola, at about | tachment, after the conclusion of the expedition

of this province, and, as rational beings, may be subjects of the King, my master, are deemed by me insurgents or rebels against the authority not only of His Catholic Majesty, but also of the proprietors from whose service they have withdrawn themselves; some seduced by the English Colonel Edward Nicholls, Major Woodbine, and their agents; and others from their inclination to run off.

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

against Louisiana, withdrew from that point, he left orders with the negroes totally contrary to the incontestable right of sovereignty which the King, my master, exercises from the line of the thirty-first degree of north latitude to the south. My predecessors in the Government have given an account of all these actions to the authorities on whom they depended, that the satisfaction which the violation required might be demanded by those on whom this duty devolves.

I think I have answered your excellency's letter satisfactorily, and in terms which cannot leave a doubt of the sincerity of my intentions in favor of the common cause of the American and Spanish inhabitants, and that my present inaction does not proceed from a want of inclination.

enforce the treaties existing between the King of Spain and the United States; he replied to Hambly with some degree of warmth, observing that it was not in his power to prevent it. On the Indians coming into the fort, at their request, we were confined. The council was held in the commandant's quarters, he, the commandant, was present, but strictly forbade the intrusion of any of the officers of the garrison.

The Indians were in the habit of driving to Fort St. Mark's, and disposing of cattle to the commandant and other Spanish officers. While at that post three or four droves were brought in, acknowledged by the Indians to have been stolen from the citizens of the United States, and purchased by the Spanish officers.

I likewise flatter myself that, until my Captain We were present at most of these contracts, General decides, no steps will be taken by the and Hambly often referred to as an interpreter Government of the United States, or by your ex-between the purchaser and seller. cellency, which may be prejudicial to the sover- Chenubby, a Fowltown Indian, once applied eignty of the King, my master, in the district of to Hambly to mention to the commandant that Appalachicola, which is a dependency of this he was about visiting the frontiers of Georgia on Government. And, finally, I conclude, by assur- a plundering expedition, and wished to know ing your excellency that it will afford me partic-whether he would purchase the cattle brought in. ular satisfaction to have opportunities of evincing A contract was entered into, and Chenubby, some my desire not only to contribute, so far as depends on me, to the cementing of the good understanding which subsists between our respective Governments, but also to prove to your excellency the high opinion I entertain of your virtues and military talents.

God preserve your excellency many years.
MAURICIO DE ZUNIGA.

His Ex'cy A. JACKSON.

time after, brought in and disposed of eleven head of cattle to the Spanish commandant of Fort St. Mark's. These same cattle were those purchased by you from the commandant as his private property.

WM. HAMBLY,
EDM'D DOYLE.

FORT GADSDEN, May 3, 1818.

SIR: In conversation with the commandant at Fort St. Mark's, on the subject of having that work occupied by an American garrison, I had occasion to notice the aid and comfort that the hostile party of Indians had received as reported from him; that they had free access within the walls of his fort, and it was known no small supplies of ammunition had been received from that quarter.

FORT GADSDEN, May 2, 1818. SIR: We beg leave to submit to you the following statement of facts: On the 13th December, 1817, we were violently torn from our settlements on the Appalachicola river by a number of Indians headed by Chenubby, a chief from the Fowltown tribe, carried to Mickasuky, and delivered to Kenhajah, King of the Mickasukians. Kenhajah carried us to the negro towns on Su- In reply he stated that his conduct had been waney, and thence to the Spanish fort St. Marks, governed by policy, the defenceless state of his to the commandant of which he delivered us as work and the weakness of his garrison compelled prisoners captured under the orders of a Mr. Ar-him to conciliate the friendship of the Indians, buthnot, reported to us as a British agent. At St. Mark's we were treated as prisoners, and not permitted to wander beyond the walls of the garrison.

to supply their wants, to grant what he had not the power to deny, and to throw open, with apparent willingness, the gates of his fortress, lest they should be forced by violence.

Whilst at that port the ingress and egress of That he had been repeatedly threatened by the Indians, hostile to the United States, was un- Indians and negroes, and that his security derestrained, and several councils were held, at pended upon exhibiting an external friendship. one of which Kenhajah, King of the Mickasu-After Fort St. Mark's was occupied by the Amerkians, Francis or Hillis Hago, Hamathlemeco, can troops a black man and Spanish soldier was the chief of Autesses, and the chief of the Kole-reported to me as having been arrested clad in mies, all of the old Red Stick party; and Jack Mealy, chief of the Ochewas, were present. When it was reported that the chiefs, and that warriors were entering Fort St. Mark's for the purpose of holding a council, Hambly represented to the commandant the impropriety of permitting such proceedings within the walls of a Spanish fortress, the officer of which was bound to preserve and

the American uniform, recognised as part of the clothing of the fourth and seventh regiments, captured in the boat commanded by Lieutenant Scott, in ascending the Appalachicola river.

In explanation, the Spanish commandant observed, that his soldiers and the Seminole Indians were in the habit of trading with each other, and that this negro, with others of his gar

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

rison, had received his permission to purchase some clothing repórted to have been brought in by the Indians. Respectfully, &c.

JAMES GADSDEN, Aid-de-camp.

Major General A. JACKSON,

Com'g Southern Division U. S. A.

I certify that, on the 23d of May, being in the Bayou which enters Pensacola Bay, one and a half miles from the town, I saw at the ferry, on the Barancas, a number of Indians, I think about seventeen, in company with four Spanish officers. The officers were carried over, and the boat returned to ferry over the Indians. I saw one boat-load landed on the side next the Barancas. The Indians concealed themselves in the bushes on discovering us.

RICHARD BRICKHAM.

Witness: T. CROSS, Lieut. of Infantry.

I certify that I was in the boat with Brickham at the place and time mentioned in the above certificate; that I saw several Indians in company with four Spanish officers. The officers were ferried over with one Indian. I did not see the Indians ferried over; they concealed themselves on discovering us.

JOHN BONNER, his X mark. Witness: T. CROSS, Lieut. of Infantry. Witness to both certificates:

W. S. FULTON, Sec'ry to Com. Gen.
We certify that, being in Fort St. Charles,
Barancas, on the 28th of May, 1818, in the after-
noon, soon after the American troops took pos-
session of the work, and as the Spanish troops
were marching out, we saw an Indian carried
out by some Spanish soldiers; he was laid on
his back to put on board a boat; he was wounded
in the leg or thigh, and had every appearance of
having been engaged in the defence of the fort.

WM. RUSSELL, Captain of Spies.
JAMES L. BELL, Captain, &c.

Witness: WM. S. FULTON,

States, do hereby certify that we were at Fort
St. Mark's, East Florida, at the time of its cap-
ture by Major General A. Jackson, on the 7th
April, 1818, and saw some cattle that were pur-
chased on account of the United States, from the
Spanish authorities, which we were ready to
swear to as the property of our friends and neigh-
bors in Georgia.
ANDREW FRAZIER, Captain.
DANIEL F. SULLIVAN, Ĝ. M. S.

FORT GADSDEN, May 3, 1818. SIR: After the occupancy of Fort St. Mark's with the American troops, on the 7th of April last, it became my duty to take charge of some goods found in one of the public stores.

These goods were pointed out by the Spanish commandant, who, through Mr. Hambly as interpreter, separated several of the articles claimed as his own private property, and designated others as the property of Francis or Hillis Hajo, and Arbuthnot, a British agent or trader: an inventory of these were taken, and deposited with the American officer left in command at Fort St. Mark's. With respect, &c.,

D. E. TWIGGS,

Brevet Major 7th Infantry.

I certify that I acted as interpreter in the transaction above alluded to, and two separate parcels of goods were designated by the Spanish commandant of St. Mark's as belonging to Hillis Hajo and Arbuthnot. WM. HAMBLY.

FORT MONTGOMERY, June 2, 1818. I certify that between the 5th and 17th of May, 1818, whilst at Fort Gadsden on the Appalachi cola river, I was informed by a Mr. Larua and Benneto Gassea, both citizens of, and at that time direct from, Pensacola, that, at the time of their departure thence, there were five hundred Indians in and about Pensacola; and I further certify that, on my arrival at Pensacola on the 23d of May, I was informed by Mr. Skeets, and other citizens of that place, that, on the 22d, which was the day before my arrival, Holmes, a noted Red Stick, with his party, had left Pensacola to proceed to the Choctawhatchy for safety, having been for several days previous in town. All which I certify on honor.

WM. HAMBLY.

Witness-WM. S. FULTON,

Private Secretary of the Com'g General.

Sec'ry to Commanding General. We, the undersigned, do hereby certify that, at the capture of Fort St. Mark's East Florida, by Major General Andrew Jackson, on the 7th April, 1818, there were some cattle purchased on account of the United States, and turned over to us, which we are of an opinion had been driven from the frontiers of Georgia, (a part of them at least) and we were strengthened in our opinion dence on the river Appalachicola, my knowledge I do hereby certify that, during my long resiby a number of officers and men from Georgia of the Indian language, and my intimate acquaintoffering to swear to a number of them as the pro-ance with the different chiefs, gave me many opperty of their neighbors and friends. Given under our hands, at Fort Gadsden, this 3d of May, 1818.

JACOB R. BROOKS,
Act. Cont. Agent. U. S. Army.
PETER CONE,

Assistant Commissary.
We, the undersigned officers and men of the
Georgia militia, in the service of the United

portunities of knowing, through them, the advices given them from time to time by the Governors of West Florida, hostile to the United States. In the year 1812 or 1813, I saw a letter from the Governor of Pensacola to the late chief of the Seminoles, T. Perryman, advising him to collect his forces and join his upper town brethren, whom he said had come to a determination to rise in arms and shake off the American yoke; he would supply

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c.

her arrival, the commandant said to us that he
had no objection to our getting out of the power
of the Indians, but that he should first demand
a written obligation that we should never return
to that country, nor hold communication directly
or indirectly with the United States Govern-
ment, or any of her officers; this being settled,
we left St. Mark's in the night of the 28th March,
and joined Capain McKeever in his gunboats
in the Bay of Appalachicola; on the 30th re-
turned with him to St. Mark's, where we joined
General Jackson on the 6th of April.
Given under my hand this 24th of July.
WM. HAMBLY.

PROVINCE OF WEST FLORIDA,

Town of Pensacola, Sept. 18, 1818.

ish authorities of this province, and the hostile Indians, during the recent war with the United States.

them in arms and ammunition, and he said he | was sure that in less than a month their fathers and protectors, the Spaniards, would have a sufficient army in the field to aid and protect them. Not long after I saw this letter, a large party of Indians went down to Pensacola, where they received a large supply of ammunition and some arms; it was but shortly after this, when they attacked and destroyed the garrison of Fort Mims; this was the commencement of the first Indian war; on the 13th of December last, when on my plantation on the Appalachicola, I was made a prisoner of by a party of Seminole Indians, and was taken up to the Ochesee Bluff in company with Mr. Doyle, who was made a prisoner of with me. They kept us there three days, during which time they were busily engaged with some transports, which were then ascending the In pursuance with an order to me directed by river to Fort Scott; from thence they took us to Colonel William King, civil and military Govthe Mickasukey, where the Indians informed me ernor of said province, (a copy whereof is hereto that they had been told by the commandant of annexed,) I caused to appear before me, at the St. Mark's that war was declared between Spain quarters of Captain Hugh Young, of the army and the United States. From this place we were of the United States, in this town, the following carried to the Suwanee, when Kenhagee, princi- persons, viz: Manuel Gonzales, Dr. Brosnaham, pal chief of the Seminoles, told me that we had William Cooper, J. Dauphin, Skeate, Felipbeen taken and robbed by order of Arbuthnot, pa Prieto, Joachim Barrelas, P. Alba, Jun., Jose and brought there to be tried by him. Shortly Bonefi, (Marian) and Charles Leseau, to answer, after we reached this, Arbuthnot arrived from on oath, such interrogatories, not tending to Providence, when we were tried and sentenced criminate themselves, as might be propounded to by said Arbuthnot to be tortured. This sentence them by Captain Young, relating to the interwas not put in execution by the friendly inter-course which took place between the late Spanference of Mr. Cook, clerk to Arbuthnot, and the negro chief Nero. We were then conducted back to the Mickasukey, then Kenhagee went down to the fort of St. Mark's to consult the commandant if he would take us as prisoners, to keep at his order. They held a council among the neighboring chiefs, and on the fifth day he returned and ordered us to be conducted down next morning. We arrived at St. Mark's on the 12th of February at night. The Spanish officers received us kindly, but the commandant did not forget to remind us that we were still prisoners, and marked out that night the limits of our prison they rigidly kept during the time of our stay. Next morning the first thing that presented itself to my view, was my saddle horse, which had been taken from me by the Indians; he was in the possession of the commissary. I mentioned it to the commandant, but he said he bought him of an Indian, and he could do nothing in it. A few days after, in the course of a conversation, I mentioned it to the Spanish Doctor; he assured me that two-thirds of the property taken from us by the Indians had been bought by the commissary and others in the fort; the plundered property taken from Georgia, was every day luckily bought by the commandant and others; I knew one instance of an Indian making an engagement with the commandant for cattle, that he was then going to plunder, and in fourteen or fifteen days brought them in and sold them. On our first arrival at St. Mark's we had, by help of a friendly Indian, conveyed intelligence to our friends in Pensacola of our situation, and they sent us on a small vessel to effect our escape. At

Joachim Barrelas, being duly sworn, declares, that he has frequently seen parties of Indians in the town of Pensacola since the month of November, 1817; says that parties of Indians have been provisioned by the late authorities at this place, on several occasions; has frequently heard, and believed, that the Indians were in the habit of bringing into this place, horses, cattle, &c., for the purpose of selling them and other plunder; says he was at Barancas at the time that General Jackson came to Pensacola, in May last; deponent acted there as commissary, and knows that several Indians went from town down to Barancas, with the Spanish forces, and took refuge in the fort; that at the same time several small parties were encamped about the Barancas; that, upon the arrival of General Jackson before the Barancas, Tapaulca and family were also in the fort; deponent has seen said chief several times in Pensacola, and believes him to be either a Creek or Seminole Indian; that while deponent was at Barancas, and subsequently to the said month of November, 1817, he saw an Indian named Lunæ, an express from St. Marks, cross over from Santa Rosa island, to Barancas, with despatches for the Governor here; says that since the said month of November, 1817, Governor Mazot, being himself at Barancas, did order this deponent to give rations to several parties of Indians then there, of at least from thirty to forty strong, men, women, and children.

JOACHIM BARRELAS.

1

Defeat of the Seminole Indians, fc.

Question. Have you seen in said town, or its vicinity, within or since that period, any Indians? Answer. I have.

Question. How many did you see at any particular time?

Answer. About the latter end of last Spring I saw in town from fifty to sixty Indians, but few of them were armed, because they were prohibited from coming into town armed. I suppose their arms were left in their camps in the neighborhood.

George Skeate, being duly sworn, declares, that he has constantly resided in the town of Pensacola since November, 1817, since which, he has repeatedly seen at different times in said town, from thirty to forty Indians; has not seen any ammunition given to the Indians within the period above alluded to; has heard, and believes, that horses, cattle, &c., were brought into this place by the Indians and sold, which deponent, however, did not see. Deponent believes that the Jate Governor Mazot was well acquainted with the several murders that were committed on the Question. How did these Indians subsist them. neighboring American frontier; knows of no sup-selves, and how did they procure ammunition ? plies furnished by order of the Spanish Government, since about the month of March, 1817, when a supply of knives, a few blankets, and some copper kettles, were furnished and delivered to a party of Indians, for the purpose, as was then said, of acting against the insurgents who were expected; that the said party of Indians shortly after disappeared, and nothing more was heard of them. Deponent saw, on the day that Major Young attacked a party of Indians in the neighborhood of this town, a number of Indians whom he believes were sent (or went themselves) across the bay in a boat belonging to Don Antonio Modina, Captain of the port.

GEORGE SKEATE.

Mr. Charles Le Jeune, being duly sworn, declares, that he has resided in Pensacola since November, 1817, since which he has frequently seen in this town, or its vicinity, parties of upwards of a hundred Indians encamped; that these parties were armed with rifles, or with the arms that were furnished them by the English; that although he cannot state that those parties had received ammunition from the Spanish Government here, he nevertheless can, and does state, that the said parties were provisioned from the King's stores, by Prieto, King's storekeeper; that previous to November, 1817, the Government was regularly in the habit of giving out ammunition to the Indians, from a store which was expressly for that purpose here; that on the day that Major Young attacked the Indians near this town, there was a considerable number encamped near the water side in town, who, upon hearing the report of the fire-arms, crossed the bay in their own boats, and in other larger boats belonging to others. CHARLES LE JEUNE.

William Cooper, being duly sworn, declares, that he has resided in Pensacola since November, 1817, during which period he has frequently seen in town and its vicinity, several parties of Indians saw one in particular with some sheet lead, and has heard that the Indians had introduced some clothes into town that looked like American manufacture; states, also, that Tapaulca was Red Stick chief, and had been frequently about Pensacola, for several years past.

WILLIAM COOPER.

JOHN DUFFY, being duly sworn, declares as follows:

Question. Have you resided in and about Pensacola since November, 1817 ?-Answer. I have.

Answer. Probably from Government here; of this, however, I am not certain.

Question. Did you see any horses, cattle, or other plunder, brought into this place by the Indians ?-Answer. No.

Question. How many Indians were in Pensacola, and its neighborhood, at the time that Major Young attacked a party near this town?

Answer. Of all descriptions, viz: men, women, and children, there must have been a considerable number; not less probably than one hundred and fifty or sixty.

Question. When Major Young attacked the party near town, how did those in town find means to escape across the bay?

Answer. I have understood, and believe, that they were set across by order of the Governor. SANTIAGO PAUPHIN.

A true copy: R. K. CALL, A. L. C. JOSEPH BONEFI, being duly sworn, declares as follows, viz:

November, 1817 ?-Answer. I have.
Question. Have you lived in Pensacola since

and the approach of the American forces, under
Question. Have you not between that period
Major General Jackson, repeatedly seen divers
parties of hostile Indians in this town or its
neighborhood?

month of November and the time that the hos Answer. I have. Indeed, between the said tile party surrendered to Major Young, there were more or less in town; sometimes in numbers considerable, sometimes fewer.

dians subsisted, and from whom, or by what Question. How, or by whom, were those In. means, did they procure ammunition and other warlike stores or weapons?

Answer. I have understood, and do believe, that they were fed by the Government here; as to ammunition, &c., I cannot state how they procured supplies, except it might have been from the stores about town.

Question. Have you seen or been informed of any horses, cattle, or other plunder, having been brought in here by the Indians within the time above alluded to ?-Answer. No.

JOSEPH BONEFI.
PENSACOLA, Sept. 19, 1818.
I certify that the foregoing depositions were
sworn to and subscribed before me on this day.
M. McKENSEY, SEN., J. P.
R. K. CALL, A. L. C.

A true copy:

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