Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1837-01-24
EIS'H,EE.
MILITARY COURT OF INQUIRY.
Correspondence Of the BAi;morc thro"irlc

Capt. ETHAN ALLEH IlIrcHCoCK was examined.
Q"es.-"We1e you with Cen. Gaines in the late In
camPaigns, and in what caplcity:'
.7as!-"On the 18th January, l-3j, Gra. Gaines ap
pointed me acting Assistant 4 djutant General. lie
subsequently superseded the ORDER conlarrIng on INC isial
rank, by issuing another, appointing me Inspector Gs'
neral. | continued with General Gaines lIr"ugl his
campaigns in Florida, and for SONG time after
Ones. 2d.-''PieasG 20 state The principal events %ilirl
il lie catnfaigas Of General Gaines, III fl'-
riLa:'
.I9s.-"1'lc army under Gen. Gaines marched from
Fort Brook. OH the i3:lr Feb, lc:iG. Nothing o; i:mp"r.
lance occurred Ga.!l Tn" l7llI; whrn we tG5cUrr:ci the
ruins nI SONIC Indian villages: they appeared 10 have
been burnt some L.nc. AT this IiHic, believe tIcrr vas
a general expectation throughput; the a'ny: That Gen
Scutl would be soon in that vicinity in cora;drri!'l" force.
was in person about Il mile from the main force. "icm
a Ecud report vas heard, similar TO that 81 Il canon. On
j,iuing The army, / found this report, had hcen The sab.
i.ct Of q; i."ral cun"crsaliOn, and the opinion seemed TO
be almost unanimous, that it was the report OF i piece ol
ordnance, with The force vi Gen. Scott.
On the iGth Of February, the army cncampcd about
81 miles i.nan tie mpuih on the North bank 81 the \! iGl'
iacnGciee, 6Gruin. one other Indian tnwn before "ccu.
pyiHy thc camp, Which appeared IL maze been "GAnd'ii
ri several days. We found az his camp, ne remains 9!
Major Dadr ANA his larirnted associates. The bodies 81
tLc dead were hcnorsb!y buried, and the army continued
rs l:larc!i, arriving On the I'D OF the month al Fort h!ng
Ga the %i!h Il detachment Of Tie lth u ;. Infantry: un'
der Lieut.. ca. Foster. vas drspatcEcd 20 Fort CranG l9r
supplies and information. The supplies IT that post:
huwryrr we're discovered 10 be Insufficient !rr c"c com.
plm;. Colonel Foster returned next evening u Il
forced march. bringing with him seven ddys EaI:ons !nr
G1n. Gaines cc!umnnd. The Cul0nri was recon paHi.
ed Ly Gen. { Inch from Fort Dlane. On Tie 2j!h Feb
Mairc- Genera Gaines resumed his march III direction
Of Il point on the Wytlilacoochrc where It was under
stood that Gen. CiihCh had fDught the Indians on the
2lst December. The army reached this point on II"
y7liI. W.Ilr the General was accommodating the CROSS
ing, lie centre and lett columns were fired upon b. lii.
Sr,iinUl"s from tie opposite side Of tn: river, The bag
gage :rain was halted and a proper place for an cncaNAP.
meat selected: rs it YVES nct lie purpose OF Gen. Gui:ics
to cross The river That night. The firing ot the enemy
was tIisklv returned. and after Keeping Il UP tDr about
an half hour, The General directed Lieut. -C"I. T"i.sS:
and his second in command (who had been appointed 10
lead Iii" ID BIZ gadc as il light h?igadcl 10 WITHDRAW" from
tic river after tie meu had become familiar with ihr
new scenes presented to them; or words 20 HAT elect.
The array withdrew and rncaInprd accordingly, having
sustained Tie loss Of one killed and seven w"uiGtd.--
The crossing at tbs point OF the river va: retarded by he
sgarupy character Of the shore IN It's vicinity. Ihc ARMY
oil the 2S!h moved t0wn the river I few miles, ~Icrhnls
two miles, from The place last III nl!oned. Iic advance
guard was comrnandedby Brigade Alajor iz.rd. The a4'
vance was fired upon, and its leader niO:ta!ly wounded.
lis tnIcc was sustained by two companies ut tie III I.
5. Infantry and a portion OF volunteers. The hriEg con-
tinucd across tee river, until between II and | o'c!nck.
The Indian veil was continuous all this time. Atone tliIIe
it appeared To be very greatly increased. rs III by the aces
sion Of new forces. Our LOSS up 10 this period was 1t. IL
ard MORALLY On tic 2-tl, died on The fill! OF March, ore
Sergeant OF Arli lrry aud two fU.untt crs Killed, anu
thirty or forty wounded. On The 9Th March, at III
O'Clock 4. N. 4 loud voice was heard ir"n Tie woods,
haiiing our camp, and some one CRIED out, tAr Indians
have had fighting enough, they want 10 come and have
4 friendly talk aud make peace tie was answered by
order Of The General. that if ';ouc Of the Chiefs came
with 4 white flag nj xL morning, they should not BE- fred
unon:' the man in the woods shouted Every we'll "s
sill Ge in after breakfast, and babe US good night. On
the morning following, lLimk about 10 O'clock, Ia
dams were seen filing of at The cast and west side Of
OF. camp, passing from the r:rcr and unl!!rg III tie
rear Of Us, perhaps six hundred yards distant and $40
in number. From th!s body, 4 few Indians came With
i white flag. They were first met from oiF emp by
Adiutant barron. Of Inc Louisiana regiment Of r"iun-
tsrrs, vino reported TO Gen. Gaines, That Tie Indians
stated l!icy did not want any iaore fighting. | was d.
rrcled BY the General TO 20 and hear wIIat the Indians
had 10 say! requested Two gentlemen 10 =" "!tsI me,
Surgeon Harold, OF the volunteers. and AiJutant Bar
ron. | tod these gentlemen that had instructions
from General Gaines for my government III the APP
pronc!Iinm conference, that | woGld attend TO Item, and
requested my companions to observe what passed.
We accordingly met at about one hundred and h!tr
yards from cur camp, several Indian chiefs with their
MISUNDERSTANDING the chiefs was Jumper, (un!cr-
stood 10 be the principal adviser Of hIicaEopr) and Osa.
ola, who was considered Il PrincIpa war Chief. ihcrr
was another called Alligator. prescnt--tiie names ni line
others have escaped my memory. Jumper conducted
the council on the part of the Indians. through their
interpreter. had employed and brought with me an
interpreter frcn Gr camp, who was directed iiUI |"
make himself known, but to listen 10 w!'nt insight bc
said among the Indians. Jumper al hrst enllifrd ui
me :.whal / had To say" | answered 'nothiny ~ lin,
but that ! had come to hear what they had 10 say.'--
They llien repeated tie rurport Of what they said in The
woods on the night before; Z "Thmt they Ind lost ma
ny warriors; that they did not wish to lose any .n"re,
but wanted 10 make peace communicated this TO the
General, q will remark 10 the Court, that my lns'rGc-
TONS from General Gaines were general, not spec!!IcJ
had many conversations with Gen. Gaines IN the sub
lrct nf the proper manner OF treating witl lnd!als. In
these conversations, lc had invariably declared, that lie
would not deal with them on any other terms than the
known and acknoH l~dgcd principles ,wh.ch should govern
the intercourse OF enlightened nations. frequently drc!aT-
iny that the ignorance and de endencc Oillr Indians made
it matter OF obligation on US, to deal with them humanely
and Justly. Il was in reference to these :icws: as under
stood them, that the Gcn1. had directed me 10 Confer With
the Indians, observing at The same time. you Know my
principles. or something ~ that eiIrct.-lt accordance
with this, stated in all interviews with the indians, that
Gen. G. was commanding officer in our camp. The In
dams said, they knew Gen. Gaines; had 4 high opinion
of him, and appeared pleased TO find thai he was The com
handing officer in our camp. stated IL them that Gen.
Gaines was bat one OF several chiefs, sent by the P:csl-
dent Of The u. States among them, to compel them TO u
pcacc. desired 10 show them; that they would, Il ne
ccssarY, be ro1HlcHtd 20 submi;-and for this purpose,
eEGrayored TO show ttrm The extent If territory occu-
MED Uv The whites; their dense population; their re-
sources, &c; using the si;iie, often rescrled 10 in
C luncil with the Indians, ';the whites cover HE con"-
try Ike the trees of The forest" h!lcr talking 10 them
in language like lhis-assuring them, over and over
again, that they would he %cnmpcil2d TO submit, they
answered, that they would take Council aaloug them
selves, would assemble again in lie afternoon aud
have another talk. In the AFTERNOON they accord.
lngiy came in The same order rs in the mo;ning-l
had, in the iusan time, been advised by The General,
tint lie did not feel authorized in making any terms
with hem-l!Iat If they persisted in asking for peace,
must give it TO them conditicnaily aad r"faire them 10
pledge observance of their agreement. These cnndi.
lions were. that they sllnuld cease entirely from all arls
Of hostility against the whites, cross to Inc South side Of
tho Wi,hlacoocllee, and promise 10 attend council when
ever and wherever they would be serl Tor. & wopld
10 The court, that At this time Major Gen. Scott was
not 80 miles distant from MS The chiefs answered.,
THAT Micanopy was not with Them, aud had not been for
several days, they wanted time TO consult him-that
would make no permanent arrangement without do
ing SO; but that for themselves, they engaged 10 comply
with the terms dictated TO them by Ma Gen. Gaines. TO
prevent any misunderstanding Of these terms, repeated
them distinctly twice over. Towards lie close of The
last interview, there Were Indications Of an arproachirr