The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1900-12-06
Destruction of f ApaIache.

Destruction of Apalache.
In CarrOlI's Historical Collections
of South Carolina is to be found an
account of Colonel Moore's expedi-
ton against Apalache, the country
between the Suwannee and the
ApalachicOla rivers. In 1902 Colo
mel Moore, then Governor of South
Carolina, had failed miserably in an
expedition against St. Augustine,
and the present expedition was un-
dertaken to repair the loss occa-
stoned by that failure. The nara
tive is entitled, Gan account of what
the army did under the command of
Col. Moore, in his expedition last
winter, against the Spaniards and
Spanish Indians, in letter, from the
said Col. Moore to the Governor of
Carolina, printed in the Boston
News, May l, 17O4."
To the Governor of Carolina:
May it please your honor to ac-
cept of this short narrative of what
|, with the army under my COM
mand, have been doing since my de-
parture from the OckOmulgee, on
the 10Th of December.
! On the I4th of December we came
to town, and a strong and almost
irregular fort, about sun rising called
AyavilIe. At our first approach the
Indians in it fired and shot arrows at
US briSkly; from which we sheltered
ourselves under the side of a great
mud walled house, till We could take
a view of the fort, and consider of
the best way of asSaulting it; which
we concluded to be, by breaking the
church door, which made a part of
the fort, with axes. | no sooner
proposed this, but my. men readily
undertook it: ran up to it briskly,
f(the enemy at the same time shoot
ling at them) were beaten off with
out effecting it, and fourteen white
men wounded. Two hours after
that, we thought fit to attempt the
burning of the church, which
we did, three or four
Indians assisting US. The
Indians Obstinately defending
themselves, killed lis two men, viz,
Francis PlOwden and Thomas Dale.
After we were in their fort, a fryar,
the only white in it, came forth and
begged mercy. In this. we took
about twenty-Six men alive, and fifty
eight women and children. The In
dams took about as many more of
each sort. The fryar told us we
killed In the two storms of the fort
twenty-five men.
The next morning the captain of
the St. Lewis Fort, with twenty
three men and four hundred Indians,
came to fight us, which we did; beat
him; took him and eight of his men
prisoners; and, as the Indians, which
say it, told US, killed five or six
whites. We have a particular ac-
count from our Indians of one hun
dred and sixty-eight Indian men
killed and taken In the fight; but the
Apalatchias Indians say they lost
two hundred, which we have reason
to believe to be the least. Captain
John Bellinger, fighting bravely at
the head of our men, was killed at
my foot. Captain Fox dyed of a
wound given him at the first storm.
ing of the fort. Two days after, |
sent to the caSsique of Ibitachka, who,
with one hundred and thirty men,
was in his strong and well made
fort, to come and make peace with
me, the which he did, and com
pounded for it his ehurch's plate, and
ten horses laden with provisions.
After this, l marched through five
: towns, which had all strong forts, and
defences against small arms. They
all submitted and surrendered their
forts to me without cOnditioa.
have now in my company all the
whole people of three towns, and
the greatest part of four more. We
have totally destroyed all the people
, of four towns; so that we have left
the Apalatchis but that one town
which compounded with one part of
st. Lewis; and the people of one
town, which run away altogether;
/ their town, church and fort we burnt.
The people of st. Lewis came to me
4. every night. l expect and have ad :.
+. vice that the town which compounded
with me are coming after me. The
8 waiting for these people make my
marches slow; for I am willing to
3 bring away with me, free, as
.!many of the Indians as can,