Star. — London, England, 1819-01-08 00:00:00

I r I - • ' • .%. kept your-proraise in sending people to reside among ~ tirern Land that i(thev h2ve not some person or per sons resident in tli6 14atielt , to. watch over their inte rest, they will soon he driven to the extremity of the Peninsula. You left Mr. Hambly to watch over the Creek Nation ; but you hardly left the Nation when he turned traitor, and was led by Forbes to take the part of the Americans. His letter to me, of which annex you a copy, will spew you what lengths he could go if he had the means. It is Hambly and Doyle who give the Indians all the trouble they ex perience. They send their emissaries among the Lower Creeks, and make them believe the Cowetas, aided by the Americans, are coming to destroy them ; thus both are put in fear, and their fields are neglected, and hunting is not thought of. I have endeavoured to do away this fear by writing to the chief of thu Cowhetta towns that they ought to live on friendly terms with their brethren of the Lower Nation, whose wishes were to be on good terms with them, and not listen to any bad talks, but to chace those that give them from among them. My letter was answered from them rather favourably : and I hope that the talk that was sent to the Big Warrior last June; will heal the difference between them.— Ilillisajo arrived in my schooner, Ocklocknee-sound, last June, and was well received by all the Chiefs and others who came to welcome him home ; in con sequence of his arrival a talk was held, the substance of which was put on paper, for them, and it was .. sent with a pipe of peace to the other Nations. Hil • lisaio wished to return to Nassau with me, but I pre vaired on him to stay in the Nation, and to keep them at peace. I regret, Sir, to notice this poor maii's affairs, though hy••his desire. It appeared that he arrived at Nassau a short time after I had left it in January, and Captain W. being here, took . char &e of him, his goods, and money, prevailing on the Governor to let him stay with him, until he went down to the Nation, which was .his intention to do. Of the money received of Governor Came- 1 ron, he had only eighty dollars, from Captain W. a barrel of sugar, a bag of coffee, and a small keg of rum, and the interpreter Tliugart informed me, that when Hillisajo asked for an account, Captain W. re . fused it, saying, it would be useless to a man who could not read. He also misses two cases, one of which, he thinks, contains crockery. 1 have made inquiry of his Majesty's Ordnance Storekeeper, and he informs me, the whole were delivered to Captain, W. They are therefore lost to Ilillisajo. lam de • sired to return Hillisays warnie;t acknowledgments for the very handsome manlier' you treated him in England, and he begs hi4rayer may be laid at the foot of his Royal highness the Prince Regent. I left him and all his-family well, on the '2oth June.-- Oid Cappachimicco desires me to- send his best re spects, and requests that you will send out some peowle to live amon them, and all the land they took from Forbes sh all be theirs. 'Ai all events they must have an Agent among the . ..to see that the Americans adhere to thy-treatr it then) to live unmolested on. their lauds. This Agent should be authorised by his Majesty's Government, or he will not be attended to by the Americaht.. In the Gazettes of Georgia, the Americans repdtt dv Se minole Indians are continually committing indtders on their borders, and, making incursions inta the State. Time are fabricetions tending to ii-ritate the • American Governote44 o .44string.the.time... I. was • in %he Nation, there,w.as only one American killed, and he, with two otirs, were in the act of driving of cattle belonging tp •Boleg, Chief of Suwany ; whereas three men ausi,: k a boy were killed last Julie, by a party of American cattle-stealers, while in their hunting camps. The In) they scalped and one of Bowleg s head men wa's'tilled in St. John's River, in July. file Back-woo! tiporgiairs, and those resi dent on the borders of the Indian Nation, are con tinually*entering it, anll . tithing off cattle. They have, in sonic instances, made kettlements, and par ticularly on the Chocaohaehy River, where a consi derable nuniher have destVoled. • By the treaty with Great Britain, the Americans were to give up to the Indians all the lands that may have been taken from their) during the war, and place them on the same footing they were in 1811. It ap pears they have not done so ; that Fort Gaines, on the Chatahoochy, and Camp Crawford, on the Flint River, are both of Indian territory, that was not in possession of America in 1811. They are fearful that, before any aid is given by the English Govern ment, they will no longer be in possession of any ter ritory. I wrote last January t.vhis Excellency the Hon. Charles Bagot, respecting the encroachments of the Americans; as I was informed by the copy of a letter from the Right Hon. Earl Bathurst, handed me by his Excellency Governor Cameron, that his Majesty's Ambassador had received orders to watch over the interest of the Indians. Since my return here, I have received of Mr. Moodie, of Charleston, an extract of a letter from the lion. Charles Bagot, that the ex pense of postage is so considerable, any further com munications of the same nature must be sent by pri vate hands. Noss-, Sir, as no person goes direct from this to Washington, how urn I to be able to comply with this desire ? Thus he will be kept igno rant of the situation of the poor Indians, and the en croachments daily made on their lands by American, settlers; while he may be told by the American Go vernment that no encroachments have been made, and that the forts they still hold are necessary to check the unruly Seminoles. Thus, the person ap pointed to watch over the interest of the Indians, having no other means of information than from the parties interested in their destruction, and seeing from time to time, in the American Gazettes, accounts of cruel murders, &c. committed by the Indians on the frontier settlements cf the United States, he appre hends the Indians merit all the Americans du totem. e But let' his Majesty's Gov'ernment appoint an Agent, with full power to correspond with his Ma jesty's Ambassador at Washington, and his eyes will then be opened as to the motives that influence Ame rican individuals, as well as the Government, iu vili fying the Indians. The pou'er given me, and the instructions, were to•meniorialize his Majesty's Government, as well as the Governor-General of the Havannah ; but if you will be pleased to lay this letter before his Majesty's Secretary of State, it will save the necessity of the first, and I fear that a memorial to the Governor-Ge neral would he of no use. Referring you to the answer, I am, most respect lay, Your obedient servant, A. ARBUTIINVI." FROM A. ARBUTHNOT TO WILLIAM 11.kMBLY. " (kklocknee Sound, May 3, 1817. Sir—On my return home this day I received a letter signed by you, and dated 23d March. As you therein take the liberty of advising _me, asyou say, by order of the Chiefs of the creek Nation, I am glad of, and shall embrace this opening you give me, and reply to you .at some length—and, Sir, - let me pre mise, that when you lived at Prospect Bluff, a Clerk to Messrs. Forbes and Co. you did not consider Cap pachimicco, M'Queen, or any other of the Chiefs of the Lower Creek Nation, as outlaws, nor have they been considered as such by the English Government, who are the special protectors of the Indian nations ; and it ill becomes Mr. Hambly to call Cappichi micco an outlaw—that man, who has ever been his friend, and by his authority has prolonged his life. Yes, Sir, the young Chiefs and Warriors of the Creek Nation, consider you as the chief cause of their trou bles ; would have long ere this had possession of you, and perhaps with your life made you pay the forfeit for the injuries heaped on them, had not that man, who has been your friend from your early youth,' stepped in as your protector. Yes, this is the man who Mr. Hambly presumes to call an outlaw. A pardoned villain, when going to the gallows, would bless the hand that saved his life ; but Mr. Hambly blasphemes his saviour. " As Mr. Hambly's generous friend is the principal cause of my being in this country. as an honest man I shall endeavour to fulfil my promise to him and the other Chiefs. The guilty alone have fear—an honest and upright man dreads no dangers, fears no evil, as he commits no ill ; and your arm of justice ought to be applied where it would rightly fall, on the heads of the really guilty. Your mean and vile insinua tions, that I have been the cause of thetis and murders, come ill from him who has been the cause of the murder of hundreds. Though your usage was made villainous at the fort, yet your revenge was too savage and sanguinary. If your conduct, Sir, to the Indians. were guided by as pure motives as mine, it would endeavour to influence them to respect each other as brothers, and live in harmony and friendship, culti vating their lands in summer, and taking their diver dons of hunting in winter, respecting their neigh bours, and making yourselves respected by them. It thus, Sir, you would act (and by your knowledge of their language, you have much more in your power than any other man), you would then be the true friend of the Indians. Were lan instigator of theft and murder, would I hold the language I have done to the Chiefs and others who have called on me? Ask the Lieutenant Commanding at Fort Gaines if my letter to him breathed the strains of a murderer? Ask Opy Hatchy, or Daisy, his interpreter, if the re commendatory note I sent him by order of Apiny, could be written by an instigator of murder? Ask Apinv himself if my language to him was that of a murderer ? Ask Mappalitchy, a Chief residing among the Americans on Oakmulgez, if my language and advice to him favoured that of a murderer AU those. and every Indian whn have heard my talks, will contradict your vile assertions. _ _ " But Nlappalitchy has given me a clue by which I can unravel whence the aspersion comes. Not from Apiny, Hatchy, or any of theoChiefs of the up per towns, but from he who er.deavours to lead them to mischief and quarrels with each other. Did not the Chiefs hear my note re ad with tespect, and per fectly according to my sentiments, of being all as brethren uniting with bonds of -friendship and love? Did not they agree to smoke the pipe of peace with their brethren of the Lower Nation, and live in future l as brothers ? What made some of them alter their minds afterwards ? The interference of a humans man, who counsels them to write to me, demanding my removal from a band of outlaws, and which let ter is signed, William Homily. " I shall only make one observation more, and that will shew from whence I came, and whether come amongst the Indians as revenger, or as the friend of peace and harmony. In the spring of 1816, 'W. Ilambly sent Gover nor Cameron a letter, containing talks of the Chiefs of the Indian Nation:: they are forwarded to Eng land, and his Excellency handed me, on my leaving Providence, an Answer thereto, from the Right Hon. Earl Bathurst, one of his Maje4y's Chief Secretaries of State, that 1 might make the same known to the Chiefs on my arrival in the nation. _ _ _ " What will Governor Cameron think of the man who, in 1816, could write against the encroachments of the Americans on the Indian nation, and in the spring of 1817 call the Chiefs of that nation, for whom he more especially wrote, outlaws ? Mr. Ilambly may sell his services to America : but no man can expatriate himself from that allegiance due to his native country; and a (lovernment may call on a friendly nation to give up a subject that has se riously wronged her. • " I recommend Mr. Hanlbly to be content with the douceur he may have received, and permit the unlettered Indian to live quietly and peaceably on his native land. " I shall send a copy of this letter with the one from you, to be read by the Chiefs of this nation, and shall, at the same time, take an opportunity of expressing myself more fully than I did in the note svotlby Apiny. " Wishing you a speedy tecantation of your er rors, and a return to your former way of thinking, I am your obedient, " A. ARBUTHNOT.' Letter from A. Arbuthnot to the Governor of I lavalinah. " To his Excellency Don, Governor-General, &c. " The Chiefs of the Creek Nation whose names are hereunto annexed beg leave to approach your Excellency, and represent their complaints. Long imposed on by the persons keeping stores in this country, in charging us exorbitant prices for their goods, while they only allow us a trifling ore for our peltry, we have found it necessary to look out for a person that will deal fairly with us, and we wish to establish a store for him on Appalachi River. We have made application to the Commandant bf St. Mark's, and he refers us to your Excellency. It is not alone the impositions that have been practised upon us that has made us presume to address your Excellency: we have complaints of a mote serious mature against the persons employed by the only house that has been established among us. " In the first place, some years back, under false pretences, they attempted to rob us of a very large portion of our best lands, and we the more readily acceded to it, from the faithful promise given us that they would get English people to settle and live among us; but, far from doing this, Mr. Forbes at tempted to sell it to the American Govirnment, and settle it with Americans. Thus finding ourselves de• ceived and imposed on, we withdrew our grant about three years since, which, from the stipulations con tained therein not being fulfilled on the part of Mr. ' Forbes, we conceived we had a right to do. " Secondly, Mr. Doyle and Mr. Hambly, the two persons left in the nation to carry on Mr. Forbes's business, have for more than two years been endea vouring to influence us to join the Americans ; and, finding that fair means would not sever us from our attachment to our ancient friends the English, they have recently had recourse to threats of bringing the Americans down upon us; and that people only want a pretext to attack us, which the said Doyle and Hambly attempt to give-them, by spreading false re ports of our murdering the Americans, stealing their cattle, and preparing for war against them ; while in fact it is the Americans who murder our red brethren, and steal our cattle by hundreds at a time, and are daily encroaching on our lands, and maintaining the settlers in their ill-gotten possessions by armed force. On the Choctawhatchy rivet, there are a large body of Americans forming settlements, and more are joining them. As that river is far within that line marked out by your Excellency's Government, and the Americans some years since (though that line was unknown to us until very lately, and we never gave our sanction, nor in fact knew of any sale of our lands made to the Americans), we trust your Excellency will give orders to displace them within the line, and send them back to their own count y. " Our delaying to address your Excellency, to re present the forementioned grievances, has been owing to the want of a person to attend our talks, and put them in writing for us. The Commander of the fort of St. Mark's has heard all of our talks and com plaints. lie approves of what we have done, and what we are doing; and it is by his recommendation we have thus presumed to address your Excellency. We have the honour to be, your Excellency's most obedient and very humble servants, (Signed) 6 ' A. ARBUTHNOT. No. I.—Powers OF ATTORXIV MR TVS INDIAN CUM% so. A. AIM:7,O:OT. " Know all men by these presents, that we, Chiefs of the Creek Nation, whine names are affixed to this Power, having full faith and confidence in A. Arbuthnot, of New Providence, who, knowing, all into talks, is hilly acqUainted with our inten tions and widies, do hereby, by these presents, constitute and appoint him, the said Alexander Arbuthnot. our Attorney and Agent, with full power anti authority t act for us, and in our names, in all affairs relating to our Nation, and also to write such letters and papers as to him may appear neensary and proper, for our benefit, and that of the Creek Nation. " Given at IJcklocknce Sutind, in the Creek Nation, this 17th of June, 1617. " I. eappachimicco, his X mark. " tt. inlemohtlo, his X (nark. " 3. Charles Tuctonuky. his X mark. " 4. (has Mien, his X mark. " 5. (kuacune 1 his X mark. " 6. Imatchlacle, 1. X. mark. " 7. lithimatcchmr. lu, X hulk. • " 8. Imhoe Itamatehlq, hi, X mark. " 9. Iluwrathlr, his X murk. " 111. 11illisajo, hi. X mark. " 11. Tamuches litho. hi. X maok. " irchlomico, hi, X mal k. " Certified elplanation of names and trot,n3 to tsht•:h the rore .going Chiefs belong, agreeably to the numWr. et thereto. I. Klithisee, Chief of Mickasulty. " Y. Inhimatthlo, Chief of Fte.%l Town. " 1. Charles Tustonoky, scram! Chief of O tkmulgre Town. " 4. Chief of the Coals.)Lowry, blow Fort Li.,ines. " 5. °potty, Chief of Oaktuulgee Town.. " ti. Chiefs of the AthipaLos. " 7. Chief of Pallaichwoley. " S. Chief of the Cliehaws. " 11. Chief of the Red Sticks. " 10. Ft4llth (the Prophet.) " 11. Peter l*ltueeit, Chief of Tallshasses (Old HA Stick.) " 12. lied Stick, ere.itra Chiet by the Litres Towns." By the Coml.—Have you at any time within the last twelve months, heard any conversation between the prisoner and the Chief called 13owlbgs, relating to the war between the United States and the Semi noles ?—I heard the prisoner tell Bowlegs that he had sent letters to the Prince Regent, and expected soon' to have an answer. Some time afterwards, some of the Negroes doubted his carrying those letters, when the prisoner stated that he had ; but the distance being great, it would take some time to receive an answer. By the Conrt.—State to the Court when and where r.O first saw the letter signed A. Arbuthnot, dated April '2, 1818, referred to in the first specification and the second charge ?—About the 6th of April, a black man, who said he had received it from. an In • dian, gave it to Mr. Ambrister, whom I saw reading it. By the Court.--Do you know by what means that letter was conveyed to Suwany ?—I understood by an Indian, who was sent from Fort St. Mark. By the Court.—Who paid the Indian for carrying the letter referred to in the last interrogatory ?—I do not know. By the Court.—What steps were taken by the Ne groes and Indians on the receipt of the letter % They first believed the bearer to be an enemy, and confined him ; but learning the contrary, began to prepare for the enemy, and the removal of their fa milies and effects across the River: the Indians lived on the opposite side. By the Conn.—Did the Indians and Negroes act together in the performance of military duty ?—No ; but they always said-they would fight together. 13Y the Court.—Did not Nero command tke blacks, and did not Bowlegs own Nero, and was not the lat ter under the immediate command of Bowlegs ? Nero commanded the blacks, and was owned and commanded by Bowlegs ; but there were some Ne gro Captains, who obeyed none but Nero. By the Court.--What vessel brought to Suwany the ammunition which you said was sold by the pri soner to the Indians and Negroes?—The schooner Chance, now lying at this wharf: she is a foretop sail vessel belonging to the prisoner. The witness also identified to the manuscript of the prisoner on the following document, viz. No. 1, granting him full power to act in all cases for the Indians, as recorded before; and also a letter without signature, to the Government of St. Augustine, num- ' bered 2 ; and, further, a letter without date, to Mr. Mitchell, the Indian Agent, numbered 3, and an unsigned Petition of the Chiefs of the Lower Creek Nation, to Governor Cameron, praying his aid in men and munitions ofwar, numbered 4, all of which documents the witness stated to be in the hand-writ ing of the prisoner. (Nu. 2.)—Supposed to be from Bowlegs to the governor of St. Augustine. " To his Excellency Don Jose roppingen—To his Excellency James Green, Governor of St. A ugust i ne . • • ' " Sir—l had the honour of receiving your letter of September, but the impossibilit y of finding a to write an answer to the same is the cause apparent neglect. " I shall be very happy to keep up a good standing and correspondence with von, and will, when occasion offers, advise me of such thln : may be of service to myself and people. My wa / and others that go to St. Augustine return with reports, tending to harass and distress my and preventing them from attending to their t \ ma i avocations. At one time the Americans and Unpe t Indians, supported by a force of :about 8000 rec. ; were running lines far within the Indian tarri•—:,.. another time, are collecting a force at Fort Alitc!;4, in the forks of Flint and Chatoochy rivers, tc on the towns below. Now, Sir, we know of no son the Americans can have to attack ns, an ;r.k sive and unoffending people. We have none of slaves; we have taken none of their property the Americans made peace with our good f;•!.. King George. We have followed the orders of officer that was with ns. Lieutenant-Colonel Ech.s. : ! Nichitl'„ and in no wise molested the Ames though we daily see them enemaching on our tore, stealing out cattle, and mnrdering and tarry . otf our people. The sinie officer also told it, - allies to the Great King, our father, were inclndr•i the treaty of peace made between o.tr good G. ' and the Americans, and that the latter were 1-.) up all the territory that had been taken &obi 12% fore and during the war. Yet, so far from com ; .- ing with the 9th article of that treaty, they are d...:• making encroachments'on our land, fretting per , , who are not known to the Chiefs, and n ithout ar power or authority, to graat and sign over lands t them. Thus they deceive the world, and make ou very friends believe we are in league with then. The principal Chiefs of the nation, wish the hea! warriors, assembled at my town on the Bth inst. an.: came to the resolution of informing the British M nister at Washington, of the conduct of the Amer. cans and the officers of their Government, towan us ; it has been done accordingly, and copies sent • England. We demand of the King, our father, fir some of his people among us, who may irror• him, from time to time, of what is pnssing, and the Americans do not extend themselves on our land The Spanish subjects in the Florid:is are too much the interests of the A met icani to he n•tr friends. Fi the Governors I shall always en►_main tire gre4te regard ; but, for the people, they do not act so ass merit any esteem and protection. You desire I won; • chase those marauders who steal my cattle; my pe! plc have lately driven some Americas from La! heway, and I have no doubt the Americans will hol off this as a pretextto make war on uf, as they ha before done, in stating we harbour their runawa. slaves." I\o..'.—General Airrnt fur Indian Main. " King llatchy, the Head Chief of the Lower (*lige Nation, - has called on me to request I would red eser to you the cruel and oppressive conduct ofdte Amr tican people, living on the borders of the Indian n:. tion, and which, he was,.in hopes, from a talk yo were pleased to seud hint some weeks since, won: , have put a stop to and restcred peace between tl. Indians and American people. Hut fa; from az stop being put to their inroads anti encroachments they are pouting in by hundreds at a time. N. only from the land side, but ascending the Appal chicola in vessel loads: thus the I n di ans hat been compelled to take up arms to defend the. homes front a set of lawless invaders. Your know philanthropy and good will to the Indi a n s ind ucts t i head Chiefs to hope, that you. will lose no time is lasing your influence to put • a stop to these inva.,int. ' of their lands, ald order that those who have airead presumed to seize our fields may retire therefrom. " The Indians have seized two persons they thin! have been greatly instrumental in bringing the .Ame r upon them, and they ate now in their posts' sion as prisoners. It is even reported, they hat made sales of Indian lands without the knowledge 'consent, or approbation of the Chiefs of the nation and from their long residence in the nation, and th great influence that those people formerly enjose. among the Chiefs, their Chief there is some reason to believe he has been guilty of improper conduct t. the Indian nation." No. 4.—Petition of thy Chiefs of the Lower Creek Melon, t Governor Cameron. " We the undersi ned, are deputed by the Creek Nation to Wai • on your Excellency, and lay before you their heavy complaint. To the English we have always looked up as friends„as proem tors, and on them we now call to aid us in repelling the a p proaches of the Americans, who, regardless of treaties, are ‘l,O seizing our lands and robbing our people ; they have alrea6 built seven forts on our lands ; they are making roads and rur. ring lines into the very heart of our country, and, without th , interference of the English, we shall soon be driven flour thr land wu inherited from our foretathers. " The Americans tell us the English will regard us ro • more and we had better submit to them ; but we cannot sebitat their shackles, and will Lather die in defence of our coui.•rc. " When peace was made between the English and the. .(tae ricani, we were told by Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholls, that the Americans were to give up our lands they had taken, anti wt were desired to live quietly and peaceably, in no wise Miskstini the Americans. We have strictly billowed these ordets; but the Americans have not complied with the treaty. Solot,ci Nicholls left Mr. Hambly in charge of the tort at Prospect bluff, with orders to hear us, if any cause of complaint, at.d represent the same to the Rakish Government ; but he Land traitor, and brought the Antc•rican. down on the fort, whico was blown up, and many of our red brethren destroyed in tt. The ammunition stores intended for our use were either de stroyed or taken off by the Americans. We have sent several messengers to inform your Excellency of the proceedings of the Americans, but they have never returned to us with an answer. Three of our red brethren have lately been killed by t)te Anx• ticans, while hunting on our lands, and they threaten to .etaA the towns of Nickasttky and Sahwahnee, the only two larfs towns left us in the Creek station, and, without aid front yu•.t ' Excellency, we cannot repel their attack. We are, thereto rc deputed to &mold of your Excellency the assistance of trOUP and ammunition, that we may be able effectually to eepel •Le attack of the Americans, and prevent their further encanzih meats; and it we return without assistance, the Americans, who have their epics among us, will the more quickly Toms upon ns. We most humbly pray your Excellency will send es such a force as will be respectesl, and make us respectable." The following endorsed on the fcregoing : " Charles Cameron, Esq. Governor, Commander in Chief, he. " I beg leave to represent to your Excellency the necessity of my again returning to the Indian nation, with the Deyuttes from the Chiefs; and as my trouble and expense can only be defrayed by permission to take goods to dispose of mons: them, I pray your Excellency will be pleased to grant toe roc% a letter or license, as will prevent me (non being captured in case of meeting any Spanish cruizrr on the coast of Florida." The Court adjourned to meet to-morrow morning at seven o'clock. Fo:t. St. Mark. 211th Aprilo Si S. • The Court convened puraunt to adjottrunidai