The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1912-06-13

Bv Miss Willie Rutherford Historian Of che Council Safety Chapter
Daughters Of the American Revolution.
BErNG AN AIyTHORITA ALIVE COMPILATION OF FACTS CON
CERNING THE ANCIENT INDIAN VILLAGE OF
CHEHAW IN LEE COUNTY.

The monument piacel hs SAiCii"",
which will be unveiled on Friday,
marks the scene Of historic events.
In the year 1918, threeyears after
the Battle d New Orleans had
brought Andrew Jackson Mt Q
.,ron.inenc. as .&sional figure, the
Seminole Indians, on our southern
border, melted by the Spanish aud
Allotted BY the still hostils British.
maintained bloody warfare against
the settlers in that sparsely people
region.
Since that time nearly a century
ago, the geographical changes have
been great. Florida was then q Span
;sh possession. Alabama was not yet
a state. The subdivision Of Georgia
into counties was large, and what is
now Sumter was then part OF Lee.
In January Of that year General
Jackson, then residing at Nashville,
was ordered South to subdue the
seminoles, ostensibly, but in reality
he was expected to sweep down into
Florida, and unless the Spaniards
behaved unexpectedly well, +" to
oyerrun that province and hold it
for the United States.
With two regiments of over q
thousand men, yoemanry Of West
Tennessee, he left Nashville amid
the cheers Of the entire populace.
The distance from Nashville to
Fort Scott, onthe boundary between
Georgia and Florida, was 450miles,
and the troops left Nashville with
only 20 days rations. Orders were
given that the army contractors
should furnish them with supplies
after they reached Georgia.
Leaving Nashville, they came,
marching through the country, over
rough roads and through dense for
ests.
Reaching old TT. Hawkins, nea'
Macon, Gen. Jackson was met with
had news. The Georgia militia had
abandoned the war and returned
home, while the army contractors
had failed to supply adequate pro-
visions. TT. Scott was starving and
the situation was perplexing.
After writing a letter to thesecre-
tary Of war denouncing the system
Of supplying armies by contract.
Jackson pushed on to the now ex-
tinct town of Hartford, near Hawk
insyille, and thence to the friendly
Indian village Of Chehaw, go miles
north Of TT. Scott.
Atthat time Chehaw was one OF
the six largest Indian towns in the
state Of Georgia. In marked con-
trast to the Seminoles, and contrary
to the popular idea Of an Indian with
scalp in one hand and tomahawk
in the other, the inhabitants OF the
village and its surrounding country,
were a peaceable, farming people, Of
marked industry, and friendly to the
white pioneers.
Corn they raised in large quanti-
ties and their cattle roamed in great
herds over the fine pasture lands OF
Lee. They were shrewd in their
primitive way, and with most
business-like ability carried on abrlsk
traffic with the white tradersin that
vicinity. Many Of their children were
well educated and letters written by
them, still in existence, show not
only fair amount Of education.
but marked intelligence as we'll.
These were the people found by
Andrew jackson on his march to
Fit. Scott.
Arriving at The village after many
days Of marching, his men worn
and exhausted, his horses sick and
broken, he stopped to rest, and for
severa! days the man destined to be-
come a president Of the United
States, camped in the land Of Lee,
surrounded by his troops, and min
istered to by the Indians.
With an open hospitality the guests
were entertained and the contractors
having failed to furnish the troops