Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-04-25


} OF submission
! II IL well known 10 all those acquainted
with ihe character OF Indians, and their
peculiar mode %. warfare. that II Is Ill
mast Impossible 10 form IA correct est
mate ot their aggregate force, until the
iermImalion at he war. In this case Ge-
{ neral Games had computed them al
$500 and buihnoi, WHO ofiiciaied as a
! nl itdry ciiici OF the savagCs, had repre-
! Stnled them, III 4 communication To The
| British minister, MI. Bsgot, 10 b. {, $40
s'toug. Tins calculation was by no
! means eNtravagant, when IL is considered
than tom s 10 1900 had been concentra-
! ted AZ single point, when lieut.. Scott
1 ANA par v were attacked, and that they
were daily increasing in number. Whal
ever m'g!li have been III ir whsle cfiec>
tive strength, a any period o. The war,
II con!" base been augmented by aUAil-
AIRY bands IA Florida. aud IL vas ccr'aiu-
| W TIE duty ,i the commanding general
| Ia call oui such an additional force, as
/ should insure SucteSS ~ every emcrgSu-
| cE. Furthermore tli greatest portion OF
! tie Georgia militia thenia the field, could
| be retained ia the service QUIZ far about
! three mnn;lIs. And il was expected that
| HEY wonld apply for dis, hayges so SNOu
as their tune expired Ianr responded,
considered the lives OF our vi izrns as To-
! precious 10 he r!sked in contest With
| Indians "hrrr there was AN odds al two
! 10 one, unless dire necessity demanded
| the cHpnSlre. The consequence Of an
| oppo>llr p,licy was. that ;hc decisive ami
rapid ovrmeni OF our oyerW helmng
! uumbrr, distracted and dispersed the rn
cnly, compelled them 10 seek refuge in
| lie spanish !Oriresses, woods x SWampS
and HEY never were afforded an Oppor-
tuhiiN TO display their whole force by
concentration. The war was speedily
and eH"ct"a'iv terminated, aud much
binn! aud treasure saved TO the nalion.
With regard Ia the Indian and militia
force, under the command of General
Games, previous 10 the lime your res
pondeai assumed The command of the
army, he has 10 remark, that, until a few
days anterior 10 his arrival al Fort Scott,
not "A single Indian warrior bad Joined The
standard Of Che United States; nor had
the fist reqUsiIion of Georgia militia p
VET uailed with the command OF General
Gaines A; The latter had returned home,
in consequence OF which, il became alb
soIn'"iS necessary on The part OF General
Games To make a second call on The Go
vernon nf that Stat, for the double pur-
pose of defending the frontier aud occu
pring Amelia Island.
4 few Of The friendly Indians joined
vour respondent before he reached Fort
Scnii, and "a considers ole number al That
place, making in theaggrega,e about inur
rr five hundred The balance of The
force under his command, was not. al
Ina, time, NOR ihau nine hundred ctfRu-
tlvts aud he confidently ariirms, that
when he took up the line OF march from
For Gadsd u on III both ot March 1918
his whole command I'll Tor dui consisted
oniy oi $50 priva'es OF The regulars, about
500 Georgia militia. and Major Luvets
detachment. of irieadlv Greeks Mciu
tosh and his warriors were organized al
Fort Mitchell, after the arrival o! your
respondent al Fort Hawkins, and never
nnIied with him until The FIRST Of April
about six miles in The rear Of MickaSuky.
All these facts were accessible To your
com mIi!ee, lad they been disposed 10 ex
anime the letters OF your respondent, on
The file IN the Department of war. To
this department all his commute ations
w're made; aud there they should have
applied for correct information, If il had
been wanted.
The next subject which has exposed
your respondent TO bitter reproach from
the committee, is The order which was
directed TO General Gaines, TO occupy
Il.
had conveyed the intelligence that our
savage enemies had been fed and fur.
nisbrd from thai garrison; and it was
rendered highly probable, Thai, aided, d.
bcited and encouraged by the cOmman
dani, they we're recruiting and embody-
ing al that place with Il view Of renewing
h'sfilIiirs. \ strong ,presumpn1n vas
created that This, Ike the other Spanish
pisis, had become depot. and raliyiug
point OF Negroes and Indians, TO which
they had retrsaled for refuge and pro-
lection, after being driven from Negro
Fort, 81. Marks and Pensacola.
The order given TO Gen. Gaines was
entirely conditional and pyOspectivc aud
bad the Ia Is reported been established,
as directed, there would have existed lie
same incontrOveriible reason for the Oc-
cupapcy OF 81. Augustine, as Of the other
Spanish i0rtTesses. TIE orders Of yOur
respondent bad undergone no modifica
ton and the measure would have been
indIsprusably necessary 10 their execu
ton, as well as To- the peace and security
Ol our frontiers Besides, he had trans
mlited 10 the War Depar; nent regular
information OF his proceedings in Florida
with the reasons and motives bv which he
had been governed, from The 25ih Of
March TO the 7ih of August, without a
sentence OF dissatisfaction ever having
been expressed by the government.
Your committee also report, that "long
before this period, the commanding ge.
neral had, by his letter To The Secretary
of Waf, declared The So minole war al an
enG and after which moi single neW
acl Of hostility had been commiifed."-
" - true. after the defeat OF lie Negroee
a, tka,uky, the destruction OF Suwanv,
and Tie asylum Of 81 Marks had been |
!. rnslnI nni nf ilrir nnrnnntiu., H.. 49, |