Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-01-16


ter, who had not been put upon his trial at
that t;me, and Whose evidence would have
been received by any court OF law as leraI III moi
credioie. Many other exceptions might be
made 10 the evidence recorded in these pro.
eeedings: particularly 10 the question pBt to
Tie witness Handy, VIZ" DO YOU teiiere the
srminoies would have, commenced the bnsi-
! ness OF murder and depreciation on the white
inhabitants, had II not been at the instigaiion
of tue iiirsoner Al buthmot, aud ID promise.
ON his part, OF British riOteciion2" Answer
do not ceiirce they wOnid, wi,lu at they had
been assured Of Brush p,oteciioD." a lead.
ing question is expressly forbidden 10 be used
ny court a,art'al, by Macomh on Martial
Lay, and OF " hich The court must have beeu
appiized, as u IS work common in the army
ahd usually referred TO by every court martial
wien IA session and the question was calcu.
lated 10 elicit an expression of opinion aud be.
np from the witness, rather than "A statement Of
iactS, upon which alone could the court net .
tearsay evidence, ia case OF life and death
your committee viii venture to assert, was ne.
YER before received against the accused in any
cohtt oi this country. aud yet on the face of
the recoid OF the proceedings OF the court
martial, heatsay testimony is admitted, which
had been received from am Iujian, who If
present, would not have been allowed TO give
evidence himself
Alter mature deiiberatiOn, your committee
Deg leave to submit the following resolution
Resoiced, That the House of Representatives
oi Tie United States disapproves the proceed.
'nss IN the ria' aud execution of Alexander
H.ou'hho, an0 NOOeit u. AmbriSter.
That, Gen. Jackson, i'm short, though
sangulnary war viii, the Creek nation of
Indians, brought them TO terms ofpeace:
and in The summer of 1914, a treaty was
concluded with them, wherein they ceded
10 lie United States a territory embrac-
ing several millions of acres of land: the
eHect OF tins cession was, the cutting off
Tie Indian establishments between the
settlements OF the United States in Geor-
Sia and Alabama, and The Spanish terri
tory. This object being obtained, future
peace and safety 10 our citizens, in that
quarier, were confidently Anticipated
but, contrary 10 these jasi expectations,
IL Sas discovered that d hostile disposition
was still entertained by the Seminole
Tribe OF that nation, aided by fugitive ne
sroes, aud insiigated by foreign incendi-
aries. Ii having been represented 10 lie
government, that murders had been com
mllted on our deienceleSs citizens, Gen.
Games was ordered, in The summer of
1917, with a considerable force, TO take a
station in that section, for their protec-
non. Gen. Gaines was directed to keep
within the territorial limits of The United
Siaies, and abstain from every attempt to
cross the Florida line; but to demand of
me Indians The perpetrators of the crimes
mus committed, III order HAT punishment
might be inflicted upon the guilty, with
out involving the innocent, and without
general rupture with these deluded sa-
wages. The fact of such murders having
been ascertained, attended with aggra-
vating circumstances Of rapine and cru
city, Gen. Gaines, in conformity with his
orders, made the demand. The sayages,
through the deceptive representations Of
foreign incendiaries, we're led 10 believe
tIt,f 81. - 81 L. -
not sufficient To subdue them; or, if their
| own f0rees were incompetent to sustain
the onflict, they would receive assis-
! lance from the British. These promises,
made by these unauthorized agents, were
predicaled upon pretence, that the u.
States had bound themselves, by the lrea-
~ OF Ghent, 10 restore the lands which
The Indians had coded, previously TO that
treaty, at Fort Jackson; and that the
British government would enforce lis OBJ
servance. Under This influence, thew
not only refused To deliver the murder.
ers, but repeated their masacres when
ever opportunity offered and, to evade
the arm of justice, took refuge across the
line, III Florida. In this slate Of affairs,
III November, 1917, 1t. Scott, of the u.
States army, under Gen. Gaines, with A.
persons, men, women and children, in
boat on The hppalachicola river, about
"a mile below the junction ofihc Flint aud
the Chataboocliie, was surprised by an am
buscade OF Indians, fired upon, and lie
whole detachment killed aud taken by
the Indians, except six men, who escaped
by flight, zone Of whom Was Wounded. y
Those who were taken alive Oh this occa
sion, we're wantoHly murdered iy the te-
r0ciOuS sayagrs, who look The little chill
dren, and dashed Oul their brains against
the side of lie boai, and butchered all
lie helpless females except one, who was
afterwards Tetaken. Gen. Games was
not YET authorised 10 cross into Florida
10 enforce a compliance with his demand
for The delivery oil the murderers, while
the Indians were collecting in large num-
bers upon The line, which they seemed to
THINK aperfect safeguard. and from which
they continued their PRE- datory iDcursions,
as opportunity permitted. A letter from
The secretary of war, of the 9Th Dec.
1917, authorised Gen Gaines, in case The
STATE Ot things should continue, and it
should become impossible, by any other
means, 10 prevent their Expectations, TO
exercise sound discretion asto crossing
The Florida line, 10 break up their establish
tHcnl-and, OH the 10Th of The same month,
The secretary OF war, by letter, directed to
Gen. Gaines, fully authorised bin 10 cross
The line, and attack The Indians within
the Spanish territory, should they still
refuse 10 make reparaiiOn for depreda-
lions already unless they
should shelter ihemelyes under Spanish
fort, III which case he was directed TO no
tify the department..
Intelligence being received by the war
department of the massacre OF Lit. Scott
| and his companions, Gen. Jackson, was
directed, by letter OF the Goth December,