The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-06-21

Creek agency, 24fh May, 1915.
= On the 18th had the pleasure to receive
your communication of the 28th ult. Iexpec-
ted from the tenor OF your orders. which !
conveyed TO you from Admirals Cochrane &
Cockburn on the 18th of March that you had
left the Fioridas ERE this. with the British
troops under your command; and that Spain
and the United States would have no n re of
British interference IN the management of
their Indian affairs. The newspaper l sent
you, was one III which the official acts of our
government are published. There could he
no motive for Observation-Disclosures deem,ng it
incorrect, must have proceeded from
knowledge of your conduct in relation to the
! negroes was at variance with it. 1t would
have been acceptable in The communication
| relative tn the disposition of " the negroes
! taken from the citizens ofthe United States,
or indians lnhostiGty 10 the British" to have
! received the NUMBER, particularly belonging
TO the latter. AS peace is restored between
Geat Britain and the y. States, feel
reluctance to put OH paper any thing that
may have the tendency to tarnish the British
character, or that of any officer of it's gov
ernment. But l owe it to the occasion to
state the declaration of Captain Henry, that
the English are sent out bv their great ia
shcr and king to restore his Indian people to
their lands and we are desired by him not
20 take away their negroes, unless they free
v give them to us, or sell them for money" is
violated. 1t is proper alsn TO add. did not
enrol any Indian into the service Of the IT, 5.
! until after the negroes of Marshall, Stedham
and Kinnard, three half breeds, were taken
from them, by force or stratagem. b. British
oshcers. Your restriction OF the Captains
declaration 70 negroes belonging to the In
dams tricndly- to Great Britain, if by that is
meant Indians hostile to the United States is
an erroneous one, as there is not one Greek
who has negroes so situated.
he, Greek Chiefs to use a courtly phrase,
hayeiust cause at least to say this is an ,in-
justiilable aggression" Your having acted by
orders, and it being now beyond your con-
trout, remedy must and will be sought for
elsewhere.
The documents you enclosed, signed by 8
Chiefs, purporting to be the agreement of
the Muscogee nation to the 9th article of the
treaty OF Peace, | shall lay before the Chiefs
OF the nation at a convention soon to be held
at Cowetau and send you the result of their
deliberations on it. The result of my rehec-
tons, with due Difference, give you, as OH
the envelope, it purpoIts to be or HIS. BRI7
2hNNZc MAIESTT'S sERYfcS. It is within
my knowledge, one of the Chiefs is "a Semi
mole OF Fast florida, and has never resided
in the United States and thatpeither of the
three nave ever attended the NATIONAL
councils OF the Greeks, or are in any way
part ottbeir Executive government If the
tour witnesses had signed tas principals, and
the three Chiefs as witnesses, it would have
been entitled to equal respect from mes
Could you be serious i'll communicating such
nuility, with their mock determination "not
to permit the least intercourse between their
people, (meaning the Greek Nation) & those
OF the United States &c. AS to the terrific
~ Of the Seminoles. it being out of the United
otatcs is an affair between them and the gov
ernment of Spain and that of the Creeksis
as txed and guaranteed in their treaty stiDu
lations with tina United States. i do not
know that any occurrences can happen which
WIN render it necessary for me to communi-
cate with Lieut.. VIM. Hambly. If by do
ing so, can render acts # kindness to In
dams or others, it would afford me pleasure
but under present impressions the 5th article
OF the treaty of friendship, limits and naviga-
ton between the United States and King of
Spain, will govern me in all cases respecting
the Indians in the two Floridas.
/ am with due regard, sir,
Your obed cnt servant,
BENZ. HAWKINS"
On the receipt of the curious epistle from
Col Nicolls alluded to in the above, gov. Ear
ly transmitted copy 70 the governor of
East Florida. accompanied by a. letter of
which an extract follows:
" 1t has come to my knowledge within a
few days past, that British officer, col. Nj
coils, continues at the British encampment on
the river Appalachicola, with the Indians
heretofore in hostility against the u. States,
exercising over them an assumed superinten-
danoy, and directing their conduct in relation
TO our people. As full evidence of this fact,
take the liberty to inclose to your Excellencv
copy OF letter recently received from that
officer by Col. Hawkins, the Agent of the u
nted States with the Creek Indians. How
does 1t happen, sir, that British Officer is
permitted to reside within the territories OF
Spain, as an Agent of his Britannia Majesty
with the Indians, and to exercise such pow
ers in relation to the United States You
perceive that he speaks of the "Creeks IN
der him that he considers them an indie
pendent people--that he has made them say,
they " are declared to be independent by his
Britannia Majesty" and as such have assem-
ted to the treaty OF peace and the citizens of
the u. States, are by fugitive banditti un-
der him." warned from having any inter
course with the Greek Nation, althu' the great
body of that nation reside within the limits
ofthe u. states.
his representation is made to YOU in the
confident belief that you will not after this in
formation suffer the territory Of Spain within
the Province under your command to be us
ed tor purposes, which in their tendency must
be most ininical to us.
I'VE wish for nothing more than to be at
peace with the Indians whether within ,,r