Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-03-04


that force, aud the United States can. have
to request. il consistent with your duty, or the
orders otth"ecnerai snyeinmeut, that youwiil
order detachment OF trooi,s 10 proceed totle
spot, and remove these inundCt>. l am
unwilling To give the Indians amy just cause OF
complaint against IT'S. and the 50,
because am determined as long a. hO,dIhe
station | now occupy. never TO permit any
aggression on their part, TO pass with inpuniiy.
hold II n good rule however" IL do IA |
would be done BY and ann DESTROYS Of cou-
forming 10 this rule in the present instance.
am, sir, with high consideration and
reSpcrt, Your verv obcdient servant,
Major G4Rerdi Edmund T.. Gaines.
tdsni: been sn monCd TO attend commit
zee OF the honorable The Senate OF the United
states, to si,etNidencr tonchine the Seminole
war, did attend accordingly; and after IA
verbal statement TO. and eNamts,ai0n by the
comm'ttee. She following questions were asked
me, with request that lwould answer in
writing.
Fus,. As to "the origin of Tie SEEMING
war, and the Fowl Town affair I"
1t is, no doubt. within the knowledge ofthe
hohorablc it'e tomiriice. shat. duiius The iaie
war with The British aud Greeks, posts were
esiabiishe d and occupied on tie ApIal4c nicola
ny Brush oihcers and agents and a cousidr-
raDie iorce There orpanized, TOT the purpose of
annoying The southern trcHtIer OF the Usited
States. Ia Is also known that the hostile
Indians oil the Creek war. who had NOT EN-
btaccd The terms OF peace proposed by gen.
Ptnckney. aud finally settled by the treaty Of
FORT Jackson. had taken shelter in the Flori-
das From their resentment, and the motley
Grew collected by Nichol. much mischief was
10 he apprehended by the inhabitants GU ths
frontier OF Georgia and the posi- OF toIt
scott, siinate in the fork OF tie Flint and
Ihattahouchie rivers, and near their junction
was established amt occupied nv considera-
NE iorce OF United States troops, for the
| protection OF that frontier and the same
troops. with the aid of some naval force which
assembled the Appalachcola destroyed fort
about SIXTY miles below, hniit by col Nichol,
I occupied ana defended Shy negroes The
blowing zap OF this fort, with It's negro garrison
Tor, except a few Choctaw India.S Who were
taken, II Is believed that no other indians were
IN me Fort, had salutary infiueHce in res
training The fHgi,iVes from the Greek war and
those under the iniiuenc. of Michel and his
patiizans. l say the fugilves from the Creek
wal aud the pariizans of Nichoi because tits
wen understood that the S,minuies look no
part IN the Greek war; unless the recent of
goods &c. from NcbOl, or hi, suii-ayeuis he
considered a. proof of this tact But the truth
l., they VIII receive presents from ANY pariv
without any lnientiOn OF adopting Ills projects
and such, / have no doubt was tie ease with
ia" SeunlnCleS upon This occasion The tr0ons
occupying Fort Scotl were, however soon
aiter removed, aud the post abandoned or so
nearly so. mat u was ia the powet of The
Indians at any time TO have DESTROYED II 80
tillDS. al Tia, time, The executive chair of
Georgia, addressed the then Secretary of
war on The suiJect OF The removal Of the
troops, pointing out SOME OF lie evils which
were hhely tOreSuit, and urging TIE necessity
oi the re occupation of the post by resnecta.
b'S force 10 this communication an answer
Was received, by which was Informed that
aiihough III was The intention Of the govern
mrntto concentrate arcSpecta force farther
| 10 the west, yet II never was contemplated TO
leave The frontier ofGeorgia exposed
The peace of the frontier of Grarpia has
always been exposed aud disturbed more or
Tess DS acts OF violence committed as well by
me whites al the Indians, and spirit of reti-
hation has mutually prevailed. These petty
ia. a
pied bya set oil lawlesS and abandoned cha
racters, who had taken refuge on both sides of
me -. Marys river, living principally by
plumber. bCiiey The first OUTRAGE committed
on the frontier of Georgia after the Treaty of
FORT Jackson, was by thesr bandit j. who
plundered party of The Seminole indians ON
theii way To Georgia for the purpose of trade,
and killed one Oftbem. This produced tetall-
alton on the part OF the Indians, and hence The
kH'ihg oil Mrs. Garrett and her child The
evidence OF these PIuuderings aud murders, is
| on the files OF the executive of Georgia
Early IN March 1917, | resigned the govern.
| heht OF georgia, and accepted my present
| appointment, and in July OF the same year
| can general meeting 81 the Greek nation
at fort Hawkins. A This meeting endeayor-
| ca 10 impress upon The minds OF the Indians
| the necessity on their part of preserving
| peace-that many of the people OF the lower
towns had been led astray bV evil counsel had
\ received presents from the British Agent
| colonel Nlchol and although il was acknuw-
| lodged that they had not tak en- an active part
| WIN Inc Red Sticks in the Greek war, yet
their conduct had made them in 40 me measure
| obnoxious 10 the friendly part OF their own
| hation, and TO the United States and that il
was The duty OF friendly chiefs 10 reclaim
| those people, and restrain the restless spirits
among them, whose conduct might eventually
| ~ not checked in time, bring them into much
| tfonbie II not utter ruin; assuring them al
| the same time, that the United States would
| puhc'uaiiy inihl all their engagements with
them, OF which had then given them sub
staniiai proofs, and that all except murdererS
| who should return TO their duty and renew
| their friendly relations with the nation, should
| receive protection and forgiveness.
| | state these particulars or account of
| their connexion With what imIne diaiely follows
| ABOUT the last Of August of the same year.
! LAY something more than one month before
| the NEE tug at fort Hawkins L received a
| letter, from major rwggs then al fort Scott
| dared tue fourth OF that mouth. written as he
says, at the request of the chiefs of three
towns near that place, expressive of their
| Willingness to agree 10 the talk delivered bv
me IN July, at iOit Hawkins. copy of maisr
| iWigss letter, aud tie memorandum enclosed
| lhelein, rs herewith exhibited Of tile three
| towns referred to, the Fowl rown was one
| Dnt before had OppoFtunty OF sending
| tor those chiefs, or of taking ans measures for
meeting their proposition, general Gaines
| arrived with detachment of troops from the
| west, sent for the chief Of Fowl Tswn aud
| for Ills contunacy la not Immediately appear.
| Ing before him, the town was attacked and
| destroyed by the troop. Of the United States
by order of general Gaines. This fact was
conceive, the immediate cause OF the Semimols
war. The reasons assigned for the destruc-
ton of Fowl Town, in addition TO the contd.
macy of the chief, we're, the refusal OF the
chiefs OF the SenIiIoles 10 give up some muf.
dereIs, and the hostile aspect which they had
assumed. OF THIS demand and refusal know
nothing more than what has been publised
bur truth cOmpels me- to say, that before the
attack on Fowl rswn, agg;reSsiOus OF this
kmd were as frequent or the part of the
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