Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1836-02-02
-'I DOMESTIC.

melt is censured for not having paid proper atentonto
this matter and made such arrangements as prudence
demanded very few words, and reference 10 oates'
will mt down all this censurc, and ought TO satisfy the
Gentlemen with whom it originated, that lhey were not
acouain,cd with the facts of the case There no doubt
great and Jus, sympathy in Charleston for the situation
of the exposed portion OF Tue oil @ 0ue
thew could render and not be manifested IN undrserred
rTbe renort of the cmgtating officer, Lieut. Harris,
who had charge, in conjunction win zen thompson, OF
the duty of removing the Seminole Indians of SePem-
her DO 1885 contains this estilpate: consider the po
puIaton Speaking of the Seminole lndlans including
npgrocs moi 10 exceed 000 of which should say l6O0
are females" This census taken with 4 view 10
provide the necessary articles to which each was en-
titled and therefore The Indians would not underrate
their numbers Now, it is well known that these Indian
difficulties have arisen out of the ndisposltion OF por
ton of these Indians CRATE west Ut the Mississippi
mart were in favor and part against il; and if
suppose them have been equally divided on this SUBJ
irct as il is probable they were, there wou Id be 1900
Indians including men, women, children and negroes,
in disafected at the commencement OF these dis
turbanccs No person in his senses would estimate the
number of warriors that such force could give
300 The general direction OF affairs IN Florida was
entrusted to Gen. Clinch, brave and experienced Off
ccr and who has no doubt, dene every thing IN his
power to subdue these Indians But The country isa
terrible to operate in, and the number of hostile
warriors has been, doubt, much increased nce the
of Disturbances by accessions from the
other parties, and from the Greeks.
On the 9Th Of October last, Gen Clnch informed the
Adutant General that lie appchensve that large
number Of Seminoles, who were unwilling to remove,
would have be removed force he suggested the
employment of $50 mounted mililia.men, together with
revenue cutler, and the employment OF Ma or D1des
command at Key West. In answer to this, General
Clnch was informed that, as there were no hosties
then commenced immediate apprehension ottrem
and the object was merely TO remove the Indians
the President had legal authority to call out the militia
And this decision was the particularly proper, as
the whole force required could be supplied from regul
troops. This letter Of Gen Cnch received the
2lsl of October but, the 18th of the same month
Lieutenant Harris the dsbursDg Indian agent had sug
gcsed to the department. the proprety of adding to the
force Of General Clinch. But communication had
al that time been received from Gen. Cnch requiring
but Gen Clinch authorized to order the two conpa
mics from Forts Morgan and Pickens TO DIN him.
Immediately the receipt of General Cllnch's des
patch of the 9Th Of October two other companies those
at Forts Wood and Pike, were placed at his disposal
making four companies of regular troops, instead OF the
$50 mounted men, and forming fourteen companies
which Gen. Cnch authorized TO call into the field
in defence of Florida. No order issued con-
corning Major Dade's company, because he had bcen
placed under Gen. Clinchs command by order Of
February T. 1895. This force, however has taken much
time concentrate, but this is not the fault of General
Clinc, of any other person, but results from the
small number of army and its dispersed condition.
Instead Of the Revenue Cutter, suggested by General
Clinch order issued by the Navy Department 10
Commodore Dallas, to detach one of his 81 adron fer
that purpose.
On the 29th Of November, General Cnch in a letter
received by tho Adjutant- General the 9th Of Decem
Der, communicated the fact that the unrendy Indians
determined mischief. lie stated that he should
call into service hundred mounted men, in The con-
fdcucc that his measures would be approved. This let
ter was answered the 9th and the Presidents appro
val Of the conveyed to General Clnch, and,
on the same day, the War Department, Of
prccaution, without any application from General Cinch,
requested Governor Eaton 10 place at the disposal Of &C.
neral Clinch any portion Of the mi.ie "t t:5a, which
he might find necessary in subdulng the Indians, OF
which General Clinch informed
Tn the 9TH OF Dccc,s-: General Clinch stated that,
in CONSCIENCE Of the uncertainty as 10 tie time when the
companies from Louisiana would join him, lie requested
that four additional companies be ordered But rs
il reported the Adjulant Generals Hicc that the
companies from Louisiana were on tbcII ay to JOIN
General Clnch, and has since been asccrtancd were
actually Tampa Bay before tho receipt OF the letter.
evidently not necessary under the views thus pre-.
sented to substitute any other companies for them.
These all the occurrences SO far regards any
call made by the military authorities in Florida upon
the War Department for force. The first report of
tua hostiitics against the white people in Florida
received the Ndjutant Generals Office the 9TH Of
Januafy in letter from Gen. Clinch OF December lG.
Without waiting for any demand Of such measure the
War Department. the 9Th, requested the Governors
Of South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama TO call into
the field any force that Gen. Clnch might require, and
advised Cen Clinc of the fact. And The reason given
was that the Governor of Florida mg ht not have it in
his power order out sufficient militia. 1t will be seen
that this precautionary measure originated here:
newspaper report received here OH the 18th inst,
conveyed the first intelligence of the aclon with the In
dians and the day it was apprchcnded that
the communication with Gen. Clinch might be inter
rupted, Gen. Euss. then at Charleston was authorised
to call the Governor of South Carana for such force
might be deemed necessary; and TO proceed with that
and such volunteers he might accept, and with the
garrsons Of Charleston and Savannah tn ST. Augustine,
and there assume the direction, and 10 open d
nicatiun with Gen. Clinch.
On the 18TH information received for the first
time stating the probability that the Creeks had joined
the Scminolcs; and in consequence, and because the
theatre Of operations mi ght be much extended and there
fore require officer Of superior rank General Scott
was ordered TO proceed TO Florida, and take the
nand and the power to call for a militia force from the
aforementioned States and Territory transferred
TO him. He had full authority to act, and ample power
and given 10 him; and also Il companies OF
regular troops, including these in Florida and Including
those that are under orders proceed there besides
detachment of dragoons This will give him force Of
about 100 men.
Independently of these arrangements, ample sup
niles of ordnance and ordnance stores and PROVISIONS
were seasonably provided and instructions had been
given TO the commanding officers of the arsenals at Au
gisa and Mount Vernon (Alabama) to issue whatever
was wanted upon the rcquiston ol Tie United States
military officers of the Governor Of FoIda the
commanding officers of expeditions.
Three revenue cutters and soop of war have been
directed to cooperate in order TO prevent the cxporta
ton Of captured negroes and to intercept any supplies
Of ammunition for The Indians, both Of these
were feared
Never since the settlement Of the country has greater
force been organized in proportion TO the probable amount
Of enemy, and in every instance the arrangements of
the Government have kept ahead of the information
ccived here.
We may ask the committee OF the citizens of
Charleston where is the evidence of the confusion that
"scems TO prevail both in the War and Financial De-
par,ments Of the Government at Washington ~ As 10
the Treasury Department, the ccnsurc is wholly gratu
1t has to do in this matter than the man
in the moon. except to place the appropriations, after
they arc made, at The points wanted This it has prompt
ly done. =:
We again repeat that Gen. Clincll has had very DIFF