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SATURDAY, December r, 1787.
GEORGIA STATE GAZETTE
O R
INDEPENDENT REGISTER.
FREEDOM of the PRESS, and TRIAL by JUR Y, to remain inviolate forever. Confiituticn of Georgia.
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4 U G U S TAt Printed fa JOII N E. SMITH, Printer to the State % Ejfays, Articles of Intelligence ,
Advert foments, isc. will be gratefully received, and every kind of Printing ferfortned.
NASSAU, Cooler 20, 1787.
Extrafl of a letter from Colonel Alexander M‘Gil
levray, Chief of the Creek Indians.
“ Little x falla[fee y 30th June, 1787.
«• "m M ATTERS stand with our neighbours to-
V L war d fo* l riling and us, much in the
fame way as they were when I wrote you in last
January.
“ The trifling; and insolent conduit of the Geor
gians toward this nation, in regard to our requi
sitions for speedy and effectual fatisfaftion, con
cerning their encroachments on our hunting
grounds, caused a general clamour, and called
loudly upon me to take vigorous measures to ob
tain from them by force, what was not to be ex
pected from their justice.
“ Just as we were about to prepare ourselves
for -that purpose, there arrived among us a Mr.
White, a gentleman appointed by the American
Congress to enquire into the nature and cause of
the disputes that had arisen between this nation
2nd Georgia, and, if poflible, to effeft an amica
ble accommodation of them.
“ In an AfTembly of the Chiefs of the Lower
Creeks, he explained the nature of the bulinefs
upon which he was sent to this country, and de
livered a Talk from' the honourable body that sent
him, which was approved of. It exprefied sen
timents of benevolence, well calculated to eftab
lilh a good understanding between us. One from
the Georgians was not so well received, as it
lhewed no intention of relinquishing their unjust
claims; and the whole of their propofitiofts of
fered for an adjustment of differences on those
grounds, were with anger by the Chiefs.
“ The Chief of the Cow ctas Town on the part
of the Assembly, answered Mr. White. He de
clared his fatisfaftion at the good disposition of
Congress for the Red people, and wished they had,
as Chief Council of the Thirteen Fires of Ame
rica, taken up the matter sooner, and, by con
cluding a peace and putting the Red People on the
footing they were at the beginning of the late war,
removed all future cause of animosity, —As to the
Georgians, there are warriors now living who tell,
that the Enelifli were permitted to build a town
on Savannah river, for the advantage of enjoying
a good trade, but for confined to the sea lhores,
and a (Jiftrift round them as far as the tide flowed
up the rivers ; and, by solemn compaft, that go
vernment was never to fuffer any of its people to
go beyond these preferibed limits, without leave
given by the nation.—This agreement was always
faithfully adhered to by the Englifli; and when a
foreign nation attempted to drive the new settlers
from their habitations, and would have Succeed
ed, had not this uatiou taken up arms and aflifted
them to repel the invaders, and thereby fecuied
them in the poffeflions which our fathers had grant
ed. That a friendly intercourse was ever since
kept up between us with but little interruption,
until a general madness had overspread the land
some summers ago, and which ft ill seems to pre
vail, otherwise the children of a people who have
so lately fettled on our lands, and have been defend
ed by us from their enemies, could not be so re
gardless of all sense of such great obligations as
to purfne the deftraftion of a nation to whom they
and their fathers owe so much. There are also war
riors still living who rendered them such services
and are still able to puniih such ingratitude. On
the whole, we were glad to fee so refpeftable a
character among us; and although we could not,
with a due regard to our own interest, agree to
the whole of his proportions, yet we wilhed that
Congress ftiould learu the truth from him; and
hoped that the Gfrand Council of America, as
wife ahd good men, would confider our difeon
tents in theif proper light, and take the quickert
measures to do away the injuries complained of,
and a tailing peace be eftablilhed between the
White and Red People.
“ Upon my taking leave of Mr. White, he
returning to Georgia, I promised him, at his re
quest, to fufpeud hostilities on our parts, and if the
nation could not be prevailed on to forbear them
altogether, yet, at lead, wait the result of the
deliberations of Congress on this affair, which we
ftiould receive in all August next. I advised the
Chiefs of this, to which they all aflented ; but an
affair has just happened, which I am apprebenfive
will fruftrate their pacific intentions.
“ You may have seen in the Georgia newspapers
of last summer, an account of Colonel Clarke hav
ing attacked and dispersed a large body of Indians
with a small number of his men, only losing two
killed.—l dial! now relate to you the faft. A con
siderable body of our Indians had driven off the
settlers on the fouth fork of Oconee, which they
effefted without any eppofition whatever, the
Georgians having fled before them ; as loon as the
Indians were returned, Colonel Clarke went out,
came into the Indian limits, and fell upon two
Indians, (not belonging to the before-mentioned
Indian party) who were hunting game; the In
dians, in defending themselves, killed two of
Clark’s men and wounded a third, before they
themselves fell.
** All people who know any thing of Indians,
know that they make it a point of honor to re
venge those killed in war. Accordingly the friends
of the deccafed Indians, this summer, killed two
Americans. The Georgians, inflead of puifuing
the party that did the action, fell upon several lit
tle parties of their friendly Indians, of the Cuffi
tahs Town, and killed and took eleven*, who were
hunting in the settlements, tinder fanftion of the
ftrift friendfhip that had always fubfifled between
them, This affair will cause an immediate rup
ture, and, when the circnmftances that brought it
on are known, we cannot be accused of breaking
our promises made to Mr. "White, the Commif
f,oner of Congress; and it will convince him of
the justness of my observations, aefpefting Upper
Georgian faith and honor; as by the late aft ion,
they have manifefted the most glaring disregard for
treaties confirmed by every tie that binds civilized
people*. Afts of retaliation were exploded in
the flrongeft terms; it was stipulated that neither
fide was to have recourse to it, but fatisfaftion firft
be demanded from the offending patty, and in
case of refufal, a declaration of war ftiould en
sue. We have sent a formal demand for fatisfac
tion, and if refufed, it will be taken; then this
breach may be repaired.
. « On the toth inst. we had a General Meeting of
the Creek Nation, to receive a deputation from
the Northern Indians, confiding of chief warriors
of the Mohawks, Iroquois, Hurons, Oneidas,
and Shawanefe, when the Mohawk Chief, with a
large belt of wampum in his hand, thus addrefled
himfelf:
« Brothers the Warriors of the Crerk Nation ,
. « We are come deputed from your elder bro
thers, the Chiefs and Warriors of the Northern
Nations, to renew and strengthen the friendfhip
and confederacy formed with you and other red
people, our brothers, at the beginning of the Jaft
war. This Belt, the token of amity from twenty
four nations, we were desired to deliver to you
from cur Grand Council, held near Detroit last
winter.
%
* Ten killed) one mijf.ng,
THE
“ A Belt es If'bite Wumpum.
* c Brothers ,
“ This is the belt of peace, given to us by our
fatbets ami friends, the Englilh, when they told ns
that a peace was concluded between them and the
Americans, at the fame time dcliring us and all
red people, to hold it fart with both hands, and
to lay down our (harp weapons of war; We
obeyed the advice of our fathers, and we sent to
you, three so miners ago, to do the fame, but still
to keep them in view, in the roofs of your houses,
that they might he again tiled when neccfl'aty, in
the defence of our lands, women, and children.
“ Brothers,
“ Soon after we had agreed to lay by our arms,
the Americans begun to encroach upon our land-.;
when we have spoken to them m tit it, they have
told us, that our fathers, the Hritiih, gave them
our lands to purchase peace from them; this we
believed to be falfe, for not only the land was not
thei is to give away for the lliameful pnrpofe as
have been told us by the Americans, neither can
we believe that our Great Father, the King, would
confcnt to distress his faithful children, who had
Hied their blood for him; such a mcafure would
be punithing us, when we merit reward.—One of
our War Captains is gone over the Great Waters
to speak, concerning these matters, to our fathers ;
from him, on his return, we Ihall know the
truth.
“ Brothers,
«« We have heard, in our country, of the dif
pmes you have with the Georgians about your
lands; it made our hearts glad to hear that you
Aruggled hard against them, and spilled the blood
of those bad people You were the flirt to refill:
such injurtice. This put us iu mind of what we
ought to do. We sent to all our different tribes
to "meet at the Great Water-Fall, (Niagara) to
ronfult together for flopping the Americans, and
confining them within their proper bounds.
“ Brothers ,
r< We next and last held a Great Council neat?
Detroit, where the Chiefs of twenty-four nations,
including Waballi and Ohio, met and con fu I ted.
It was agreed upon, that we rtiould follow the ex
ample of ot:r warlike and numerous brotheis the
Creeks and we are sent to eo'ifuh with you con
cerning the good of all.—The Americans, last
year, defitoyed a Shawanfcfe town; there were
only women and children, except an old ( h cf, in
it, whom they carried away captives, but mur
dered the old man. This Chief was a great friend
of theirs, and used to fide with them upon all oc
casions. This we have told yon, that you may not
be deceived bv their smooth talks. If such be the
way they treat their friends, ought not the know
ledge of this to unite us all, to effect the deduc
tion of so wicked a people, whose hearts are
rotten ?
“ A large White Belt.
“ This is a token from our Chiefs to yours;
hy this they desire that you will confider well
what we the Warriors have spoken, and that you
likewise will open yonr hearts, th..t we may ue it,
as we have done to you ; we then fhal ,ctl,r, ‘
hafie ; our Chiefs of the Grand Counci are
expecting us. We have been four moons on on
journey hither, but we lhall get home m t iee.
. “ Brothers , ~
“ When our Great Council shall hear your a ,
they intend to inform the Americans of l 18 I,e:1 .
ly league of all the Red Nations to defend their
lands and families; that we have joined our hands
and bodies, from the Great Water-half to De
troit, from thence to pur brothers, the ( reeks,
forming a Arong wall of defence to maintain our
[No. LXII.]