Standard of union. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 183?-18??, July 19, 1836, Image 1

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EDITED Bl TII(>HA*i HAYNES. ESQ. VOL. 111. MO. 27. Jgtanbarb of S n ’ on » Bl? 3?» X. I&D&SWJO-Kf* Publisher (By Authority.) of the Laws of the United States: OMcc Greene Street, nearly oppo site the Market. Issued eveiy Tuesday morning,at $3 per annum No subscription taken for less than a year, and no paper discontinued, but at the option of th* publisher, until all arrearages are paid. Advertisemests conspicuously inserted at the usual rates —those not limited when handed in, will bo inserted ’till forbid, and charged accord ingly. , CHANGE OF DIRECTION. -Wedesire ouch-of our subscribers as may at My time wish the direction of their papers chan t'd from one Post Office to another, to inform us, «< all cases, of the place to which they had been previously sent; as the mere order to for waid them to a different office, places it almost •utof our power, to comply, because we have no means of ascertaining the office from which they are ordered to be changed, but a search through our whole subscription Book, containing severa thousand names. POSTAGE. It is a standing rule with this office, as wel as all others, that the postage of all letters and communications to the Editor or Proprietor must be paid. We repeat it again,—and re quest all persons having occasion to address us upon business connected in any way with the establishment, to bear it in mind. Persons wishing to become subscribers to the Standard of Union, are particularly requested to give their attention to this; or they will not have the pa per forwarded them. tTNiwM, Democratic Kepublican Ticket. FOR PRESIDENT, MARTIN VAN BUREN. FOR VICE-PRESIDENT, RICHARD M. JOHNSON. ELECTORAL TICKET. THOMAS F. ANDERSON, of Franklin. WM. B. BULLOCH, of Chatham. SAMUEL GROVES, of Madison. THOMAS HAYNES, of Baldwin. REUBEN JORDAN, of Jones. WILSON LUMYKIN, of Walton. WILLIAM PENTICOST, of Jackson. THOMAS SPALDING, of Mclntosh. JAMES C. WATSON, of Muscogee. WM B. WOFFORD, of Habersham. THOMAS WOOTEN, of Wilkes. From the Montgomery Advertiser. CORRESPONDENCE. Montgomery, June Ist, 1836. Mr. Editor— l have read the genteel production of Thomas S. Woodward, pub lished in that respectable print the Alaba ma Journal. From the slight acquain tance I had formed with Colonel Petit, I had supposed he was incapable of admit ting such an article in the paper under his control, but it seems 1 am mistaken in the man. Mr. Woodward says lam a liar and a costard. Those words are only of conse quence when used by one gentleman to ano ther, and I have no doubt but every cul prit that hasjust been sentenced to be hung, would willingly say the same to the Judge who had pronounced sentence against him, if by sodoing he could escape the gallows. Even so with Mr. Woodward, he would wish to draw public attention from the true cause of the war to a personal controversy with me ; but I will not permit him, or his coadjutors in infamy, to hide themselves un der the blaze of glory they expect to real ise from such a proceeding. 1 have lived to no purpose if at the age of fifty my character for veracity or cour age must be established by noticing such corrupt and frothy creatures as Tom Wood ward. My official duties required of me to examine into the frauds committed on Indians in the sale of their reservations, and consequently 1 have had visited on me the ill-will of every man who has been concerned in robbing the Indians of their property. 1 have heretofore stated that the whole of the disturbances iu the Creek nation is the work of that portion of the speculators who wish tostop all investigation into the frauds committed on the Indians; first in the lo cations, and then in the sale of their reser vations. Thomas S. Woodward was the (first person who gave the alarm at Tuske jgee—-he had been to Columbus at the races ibut ay«ry short time previous, where I have JM> dovht the whole plan of operations was Concocted “tn high council," and regularly determined on. When | speak of the speculators on In dian reseryes it is foreign from my intention include the honest purchaser. There ore iiapy such wljo bay* fairly bought and honestly paid the Indians for their land, •nJ have made money two. 1 allude to such W»en at pertonaled the Indians and obtained Certified contracts at $5 and $lO per half faction. It is (hose men, who, in the course of a few u/onths, have amassed great for tunes, and who among themselves boast of their exploit* in the way of stealing land from the poor Indian, w itb all the levity ima ginable, and treat such a htdnious offence •» it were a goad joke. Tlie first part oftheir scheme was to force Major Abbot, Mr. Leonard and myself out o> the country by creating an excitement among the inhabitants of the Creek COUP* l'e» ; alarmiqg them and operating on *V. ir feai**. They also spread far and wide their threats of vengeance against me, in order that they might reach Mobile, and by that means induce me to resign. Their next step, (i n jpy absence) was to possess ves a copy of the cases of fraud 1 had reported on, and which they knew was of IBmoto in niy office at 1 uskegee. To effectuate this important object, they said to certain citizens <>t Macon county, (in answer to their remonstrance concerning the tardiness of the emigration) that the whole of the I pper towns would be sent off provided they could obtain possession of the list, and by exciting the honest fears of some, and tickling the cupidity ot others with the pro mise to take them as partners in the pur chase they expected to make from Opoth LayoholounA his people; the plan succee ded admirably. Major Abbot, at the in stance of the settlers and upon their urgent solicitation, gave up the report, and soon was it in the hands of a lawyer to copy for the benefit of the company, and as vet they have not returned it, as will be seen by reference to the communicatious of Ab bot and Leonard. To them the document was of great use and benefit, because it placed in their hands all the information they could ask to aid them in their nefari ous traffic, and hence arose their great anx iety to procure it. Whether they have been able to succeed in their purchase or not, is more than I can say, but to enlist backers in their behalf they have agreed to take ev ery man who possesses influence into their company for the purpose of effecting the speculation, and at the same time silencing all inquiry into their past transactions. Another object of these Emigrating Contractors is to get their bargain, which expires on the Ist of July, renewed and price increased. To succeed in this, they authorized Captain Walker to propose to me to join them as one of the company. When they found I was not to be had as a partner, they they then commenced the as sault on me through the press charging that 1 had advised a Chief to cut throats, and as Woodward bad no talent to make the most of it, they employed a lawyer to write for him.—As I have already answer ed that charge, I shall say no more in re gard to it, but lay before the public two or three epistles which have been addressed to me, and by others show the villany that has been practised on the red men, and the measures that have been resorted to, to goad them on to commit hostilities on many of the peaceable and unoffending whites. The contract for emigrating the Indians was made with General Sanford, which the War Department had every reason to sup pose would be faithfully executed, and that it would be the means of saving a great deal of money to the Government. He soon retired from it in perfect disgust, and at that time it should have ceased. That it did no:, is truly unfortunate for the country. Trough influential men ofGeor giaitwas continued, and Woodward and Walker were taken into the concern as | partners ; the very men who the year before had done every thing to oppose the remo val of the Indians, not only by loud objec tions to the Columbus company of contrac tors, but by a promise to colonize Tuskina and his friends on the prairies. Lutherßlake ' and others presented Neo Micco with a piece ! of land, in consideration, I presume, of his ’ services among the Cuseta Chiefs. How ' was it possible for such men to emigrate tire 1 Indians t One day they tell them to re main where they are, and offer them land i to colonize on, and t'.e next advise them to ! leave. Mr. John D. Howell another of j the emigrating contractors, told me that the , company bad voted Mr. Blake out ; of the concern for giving Neo Micco the ' half section of land, and every man who resides in the Creek ation, knows that Neo Micco and Tuskina have great influ ence, and can emigrate their part of th«* nation at once, if tliey themselves would consent to the removal. Neah Emathla, now the leader of the hostile tribe, told me at Hatchachubbie, in February last that he would emigrate at any time, when Neo Mic co said the word ; he was the head Chief, and it was for him to speak and he would obey it ; yet we find these Chiefs opposed to leaving. Neo Micco, under the influ ence of Luther Blake, Paddy Carr k Co., and Tuskina, the mere puppet in the hands of Woodward &. Co. also objecting, and still under the control of the emigrating contractors. It is true, they say, they were never seri ous in the plan of colonizing Tuskina, but that the inducements held out by them to him, was done to obtain his influence among his people, and get them to sell their land to their company. —But is it not such tricks as these, that have been the means of creating the present difficulties ? and have not these difficulties arisen principally among the three Chiefs Neo Micco, Neah Emathla and Tuskina? The broken sticks for a general rush on the defenceless inhabitants were sent from Neo Micco to Tuskina, say ing, “we are ready.” Tuskina sent in return, to put it off till rousting ear time. The Lochaipaoga Indians received two sticks in Neah Mathla’s camp, and on their return home they commenced mur dering indiscriminately, believing the war had commenced below, as the time had ex pired. Tuskina’* holding back saved Co lumbus, and also the attack on Fort Mitch ell.—This information is derived from two sources. Hotulgar Largo’sconfession, and from friendly Chiefs, and all unite that Tus kina, Neo Micco, Neah Emathla and Oc truchee Emathla, the Oswitehie chief, are the conspirators ; yet, notwithstanding all this, it is worthy of remark, that Wood ward and his party, continue their talks and messages through Tuskina with Neo Mic co, and also that Woodward’s information should be so particularly correct as to the time when the hostilities were to com mence. When I left Tuskegee on the 25th A pril, there was no more apparent danger than therein now in the city of Washington, but some how or other Mr. Woodward got the most correct information, and while en gaged in the amusements of the race field in Columb, and eame posting home to give the alarm. Let any man who is un- Georgia, rn spn moiining, jilv isae. I prejudiced view the causes of complaint that exists among the Indians; see the influence that certain men have with certain Chiefs, and know that these Chiefs are accused by the friendly Indians, and the confession of the hostile Chief Holulgar-Hargo, as be ing at the bottom of all the disturbances, the great stake these speculators have in the investigations, and how important it must be to them to put a stop to all inquiry, and if he is not blind or interested he w ill at once say, that my opinion is correct. Another very suspicious circumstance is, as I have been Informed, that on the late scouting parties of whites, with Jim Boy and his Indians, and with Woodward and Walker, that several secret councils were held by them, and peihaps Tuskina, and although Major Abbot was one of the whites of that party, and an agent of the govern ment, he was neither asked or permitted to be present, to hear the substance of these pri vate conferences. In times like these, every honest man would prefer having the presence of the - nited States’Agents, where they hold talks with the Chiefs, if their presence can be had. Major Abbot was there, but not invi ted, and I will venture to predict, that while snch men continue to exercise the control they now have among the Indians, and they remain in the country, we may look for no thing else but confusion and trouble. The murder of the stage passengers and the robbing of the mail, turns out to be the work of awhile man and some Indians, and ere long, further and greater developements w ill be made. Mr. Wm. J. Beattie, another of the con tractors, who has figured largely in the pur chase ofEuiaula towd lands, and who gain ed some notoriety in Florida, in Colonel Blount’s case, (the Seminole Chief,) has threatened me with “ Vicksburgh cases," and has identified himself with Woodward in endeavoring to agitate and scare off the Government Agents. Mr. Beattie had better becarefid, Ims position in the contract is well understood, and “ a word to the wise is sufficient.” This noted individual wrote a letter from Fort Mitchell to Mr. Leonard, while in my employ al Tuskegee, w hich ispublished, although marked private. (See No. -5.) Mr. Woodward says he can prove that I am a liar, and that 1 said Governor Clay was an old woman, and many other things equally as choice and equally as true, and that I was prevented from running for Governor on account of an affair of honor. I have no doubt Mr. Thomas S. Woodward can prove any thing he pleases, if the oaths of himself and such filthy creatures as he can command, would answer his purpose. In relation to the affair of honor, ofwhii h Mr. Woodward has spoken, everyman in the State who knows me, must be satisfied that the story is false. I have had no affair of honor on hand, that could prevent me from being eligible to any office since 1822, and I was relieved from that inability by an act of our Legislature passed in January, 1826 and since that time I have served six years in the Senate of Alabama, and have only been out of the Legislature one session, (the last year.) On the subject of a difference, which for a few months interrupted the relations of friendship that for years existed between Gov. Clay and myself, it was adjusted the first time we met thereafter, by such mutual explanations as should always characterize the differences among gentlemen, and all feelings of irritation that had arisen, were entirely and satisfactorily done away. Mr. Thomas S. Woodward is a man I never could think of conversing with in relation to poli tics, or any other subject, voluntarily, as he is too much of an ass, to afford me the least gratification whatever. He calls himself a nullifier, but the honest nnd respectable members of that party disown him. It is well known thatl am now, and always have been, a Union man, and that among my personal friends are ma-ny who call themselves nullifiers, but they know that I am not in the ha bit of introducing politics as a subject of conversa tion among those who so materially differ with me in opinion, and certainly 1 never could have been guilty of the folly that has been imputed to me, by Gen. Woodward, of accusing Gov. Clay of being that, which every one who knows him, would pronounce false and unfounded. In introducing the letters of Judge Shorter and his partner Mr. Tarver, no apology is necessary. These letters throw great light on the transactions in the Creek nation, and fix beyond a reasonable doubt, the time when the stealing began in M’- Henry’s District, viz. Ist February, 1835. Mr. Shot ter is said to be a man of talent, and his letter proves him to be one who has an aptness for many things. I have among my papers a great many documents equally as curious as these that are published, and as I have very little doubt butthat I shall be attacked from every quarter by the “land stealers," I shall only publish them in my own defence. It is not my wish to drag individu als before the public,or unnecessarily exposethem toils gaze, and I regret to learn that some men in Columbus, that apart from their land matters, I had thought well of, have recently been very vio lent in their censure of me. lam willing to make allowance, but at the same time, advise them to be careful how they “throw stones,” and to re flect on what sort of houses they live in. JOHN B. HOGAN, Superintendant Creek Emigration. LETTER—No. 1. Tuskegee, May Sth, 1836. Dear Sir—Herewith you will find transmitted a copy of a communication of this date from sun dry citizens of Macon county in behalf of them selves and others in relation to a demand by them on me for a list from your office of the cases of al leged frauds in the sale of Indian Lands, reported upon by you in what is denominated M’Henry’s District. The gentlemen whose signatures are affixed to the within communication, called upon me, stating as will be perceived in it, that they had held a conversation with some of a company engaged in thespeculatiou upon Indian Lands, the same being also contractors to remove the Creeks by emigration, (viz.) Messrs. Woodward & Wal ker, and it had been represented to them by the latter, that provided there could be obtained from them a copy of the above mentioned cases, as marked for reversal by you, “they believed they could compromise and settle with the Indians, and immediately remove them," and that in order to bring about an event so desirable as their removal in lite present stale of affairs in the country, dis turbances having recently before commenced a mottg some of the Towns of the Lower Creeks, and also that there might no longer remain to the members with whom they conversed any suffi ciently good or assignable cause on that account . for longer delay in the effecting of such removal i they had made the demand on me, &c, To which I replied that you were then absent, that you had * strictly and uniformly forbidden the furnishing of • transcripts of such matters, from the records of Our Conscienct—Our Country •—Our Party. your office, whensoever there was a probability of there being employed for speculative purposes; but as the object contemplated by their application at least on their part, could manifestly have been made by them for no such end, but as they had a vowedlor the present tranquihzing of the excite ment of the country and the effecting of an imme diate emigration of the Indians of that part of the nation or district, I would take upon myself the responsibility of delivering to them the list of cases demanded, believing that had you been present for the promotion and accomplishment of the end avowed by the citizens, you would not most likely have withheld it, but have yielded it according to their wishes. At the time of the delivering of the copy, I informed the gentlemen that it was the only correct one on the files of the office, and in consequence “its restoration was promised as soon as a transcript could he made of it, for which pur pose I was informed, it was handed to the before named contractors, Walker and Woodward, in whose possession the citizens left itl Your obedient servant, „ c o ABBOT ’ Certifying Agent. Io Colonel John B. Hogan, Superintendant Creek Removal, Mobile. LETTER—No. 2. Montgomery, May 291 h, 1836. Dear Sir—On or about the Bth iust., a com mittee of settlers of Macon county, called at your office in Tuskegee, where they understood Major Thomas J. Abbott was; the purport of their mis sion. (as I understood them to say) was, that they had been remonstrating with Gen. Tbos. S. Wood ward, as one of the Emigrating Contractors, and wanted to know the reason why the contractors were not making any exertions to remove the In dians? To which Woodward (as I understood the committee) replied that it was not the con tractor’s fault, that it was the Investigating Agent’s fault, and not their’s;—but that if he (Woodward) eould get a list of the reversed or disputed claims, he believed he could get them (the Indians) off, by making a compromise with them for the dispu ted reservations. The committee appeared exci ted, called on Maj. Abbott for a copy of the re versed contracts to give to Mr. Woodward, in or der, as they said, that Woodward or the contrac tors have no excuse any longer. Major Abbott at first hesitated to deliver a copy of the reversed contracts in consequence of your absence, but at length on reflection, yielded to their solicitations, and gave the committee the copy al ready made out. Had Major Abbott not been pre sent, and that I considered him having more au thority over that list than I had, being the certify ing Agent—l undoubtedly would not have acced ed to their request, or to any other committee that might be sent without your knowledge and con currence, no matter how cogent their reasons might have been; believing that it would be used for speculative purposes, as I firmly believe that was Woodward's object in requesting the list. I hope, sir. that you will consider the foregoing a sufficient apology for permitting the list to be taken out of the office. 1 am, sir, your obedient servant and friend. JAMES LEONARD. LETTER-No. 3. REQUISITIONS OF THE CITIZENS OF MACON COUNTY. Tuskegee, May 9lh, 1836. Major Thomas J. Abbott : Sr— Ve the aadorsigned citizen* of Ma con county, induced by the disturbances which recently have taken place in the lower part of the Creek Nation, and the unfriendly symptoms e vinced by the Creeks there, having had a conver sation with some of the company speculating on Indian reserves, the same being also contractors to remove or take off the Creek Indian Tribe by emigration, and m that conversation having in formed them that the Indians of this district were, for the most part, so far as we could learn, desi rous and even anxious to emigrate immediately to Arkansas, but were kept from so doing, mid de tained here by the unsettled state of their affairs, and more particularly of their lands, numerous complaints having been made by them of having in the matter of the sale of them been personated fraudulently by others, and of having never them- 1 selves alienated or conveyed them, and being made to understand by said purchasers of Indian lands, and also contractors, that if they could procure a copy of thecotnplaints that had been made before Dr. M'Henry and Col. Hogan in the Land District of said M’Henry marked for reversal and already reported on, they believed they could compromise and settle with the complainants, and then im mediately remove them. We have, in consequence, called upon you with a view of procuring such a j copy, understanding that aschedule of these com- , plaints was in your possession, in order, that by furnishing the gentlemen alluded to, with the ' same, there might no longer he any specious or ■ good assignable cause on tfiis account, for their delay in the emigration of these Indians, or the subsequent detention of them. Your compliance will oblige very respectfully &c. JAMES HOWARD. JOSEPH F. CLOUGH, JOHN PINCKARD, C. G. RUSH, WILLIAM PINCKARD, MOSES PEARSON; JACOB SEGREST, W. P. MERRIWETHER, J. DRAKEFORD. LETTER—No. 4. AFFIDAVIT OF JAMES LEONARD. State of Alabama, Montgomery County. Personally appeared before me, Robert Parker, a justice of the peace for said county, James Leon ard, who, being duly sworn, deposeth and saith that he has been engaged in the Creek Nation for several months past, as an assistant of Colonel John B. Hogan, who has been charged with the investigation of the frauds committed on the Creek Indians, in the sale of their reservations ; that about the last of April, Colonel John B. Ho gan left Tuskegee, where he had established an office for more convenience, and went to Mobile to attend, as he said, the district court; and that about the Bth instant, this deponent being in said office, General Tnomas S. Woodard, who is one of the emigrating contracters, came into said of ficeincompany with Major Thomas J. Abbott, who is the certifying agent for this part of the Creek Nation. Major Abbott exhibited to Wood ward a copy of a letter he had written making a a report of his late visit to Fort Mitchell—some conversation commened between them, when Woodward remarked that he, as a friend, advised said Abbott to immediately quit that section of the country, that the Indians wanted no agents there : that they weie able and capable of attending to their own affairs, and that the Chiefs had said so to Captain Page Major Abbott replied that he should not leave his post, that his conscience ac quitted him of all harm, and he should not go, and take his advice. Woodard went on to say that as to Colonel Hogan, he' B Woodard, and Hogan could not remain in one town or the same place to gether. This deponent says that although the language here used may not be the exact words used by said Woodard, the substance of his remarks are cor rectly and justly stated, and that ho thinks the name ofTaptain Page was the officer mentioned, that received from the Indians the information that they wanted no Government agents in the Creek Nation JAMES LEONARD. Sworn to, and subscribed before me, at office, this 30th May, 1836. ROBERT PARKER, J. P. LETTER—No 5. [marked private.] Fort Mitchell, Ala. May 10th, 1836. Mr. James Leonard: Dear Sir—We have war and rumors of war with us. and all is excitement. T- Scott and D. Neves are here kept prisoners, and take my advice, my dr. Len, and leave the Nation. Tho public is much excited towards Col. Hogan, Ab bott and yourself. Leonard, leave, or you will see Vicksburgh cases. In haste. Your's truly. WM. J. BEATTIE. LETTER—No. 6. FROM OPOTHLE YOHOLO. Tuckabatchie, February 14th, 1836. •Dear Friend—l have been waiting in anxious expectation to see you for some time, but have been disappointed. Owing to the many com plaints, which are lodged with me daily, from tho Chiefs of the different Towns of Judge Tarrant's District, compels me to address you a few lines in behalf of them, to inform you of the frauds, which are practiced on them daily in that District. You being the only friend at this time to whom we can look for protection, or in whom we can confide, compels me thus to address you. The Chiefs in form me, that the white people have persuaded nearly all their people to sell their lands, and after having had their lands certified to, and received their money, have beed made to give it up again, by the very meu who have bought their lands, ei ther by force, or tales raised for the purpose. They have been told by these men, that it was General Jackson’s wish, that they should not hold money, and that they had been sent as agents to receive their money, and hold it until they ar rive in Arkansas : and consequently a great ma ny of them have given up their money, thinking that whatsoever their Great Fathersaid could not be otherwise than for their benefit, and whenever these tales would fail, it has been taken by force. It was their calculation to have emigrated last fall, and consequently sold all their cattle, corn, and every thing necessary for a support, and are now left in a state of starvation. It is their ear nest request, that you should come up among them; for it is highly necessary that something should be done immediately. You will please answer this as soon as you re ceive it, and inform me at what time you can go up, or whether you go or not, in order that I can inform the Chiefs when to expect you. Your friend, his OPOTHLE f YOHOLO. mark James L. Alexander. Col. John B. Hogan, Fort Mitchell, Russell, Ala. LETTER—No. 7. Columbus, February 18th, 1836. To Colonel Hogan: Su—Having just returned home from Missis sippi, and being informed that in your recent in vestigations, you have deemed it necessary to mark for report to the War Department, several contracts made by Shorter &• Scott, Shorter, Tar ver and Shorter, Benjamin P. Tarver, Eli S. Shor ter & Co., and J. J. Fannin, (with Creek Indians. Mr. Tarver and myself were both in Mississippi. Scott in Texas, aud Fannin dead at the time of your investigation, so that neither of us were or could be present. I therefore askjlhat you will do me thejustice to furnish me with a list of all such contracts, with the grounds of complaint, before you make your report, that 1 may be prepared and offer through you to the Department, such evidence and defence as may be in my power. 1 am in terested in each one of the cases certified to said parties. Respectfully, your obedient servant, ELI 8 SHORTER. LETTER—No. 8. Letter of Eli S Shorter, to Col. John B. Hogan, proving himself an honorable man. Columbus, February 24th, 1836. Sir—l am just informed that you have been furnished with a copy of a letter drafted by my self by request, and intended to be sent by Bird Fitzpatrick, Esq. and other sellers iu the creek territory, to the Secretary at War, in relation to our Indian matters, ana that you particularly ob ject to one statement in the letter, to wit that you had certified approved reserved contracts. I have received such information from Dr. W. A. Rich ardson, Daniel Neeves and James E. Glennjr., and immediately I exhibited to the Secretary at War, a direct charge against you, for having cer tified the case of Ho-mar-ho-da, who was located upon W. 32, 14, 29, and that the re-certifioation wasiu favorof A. Seals & Co. The morning after my letter had been sent to the War Department, in conversing with Mr. J. A. Hudson upon the sub ject, he stated that I must certainly have been misinformed, for that you had been applied to and urged to re-certify, another case of the character, that you had refused to do so, and had declared that you never han re-certified such a contract. I immediately sought an interview with each ofmy informants and the following was the result, Rich ardson did not see, nor did he he know, that the contract had been re-certified—he was present at the investigation and saw the contract reversed— that he was so vexed and disgusted that he left the square and was afterwards informed that the land had been re-sold and re-certified—and in the re-certification, that you stated publickly that you did not know that you were authorized to act, aud gave notice that by acting you were not to be considered as of responsibil ity. Neeves says he did not see aud does not know of the re-certification—that he was one of the firm of A. Seals &.Co.—that they informed, him that the land had been re-purchased and re-certifi ed, and called upon and received from him his prporportion of the purchase money. Glenn says that he did not see and does not know that the re-certification had been made— but was informed by several members of the firm of A. Seals & Co. that the land was re-sold, and re-certified. Finding upon this close and particular re-examination, that the proof was deficient, I, the same day. wrote again to the Secretary of War stating the facts specially, my belief of a misrepre sentation by some of the firm of A. Seals & Co. and that I felt it my duty as an honorable man. promptly to retract the charge against you. The letter making the charge was written one day, and the letter explaining and retracting it written the first herein mentioned. Thus, sir, I hope you will perceive that whilst I have been and am determin ed to maintain my own rights as far as I have the next day and all about the time of drafting the let ter power I have been and am as scrupulously re gardful of the rights of others. As the letter first mentioned is known to you 1 felt it due, no less to you than to myself, but that you should be put in possession of the whole facts precisely as they ex ist. Respectfully, yourob’t servant, ELI S. SHORTER. LETTER—No. 9. From the honorable EH S. Shorter, addressed to John S. Scott—E. Corley, and M. M. if N. H. Craven—Talapoosa. Columbus, March!, 1836. Gentlemen—l have just returned from Dr. M’Henry’s—when there. Yargasold and certified his land to Dr. Billingslea for six thousand dol lars, and then gave back three thousand dollars of the money, and took a bond for the occupancy of the land west of the river, I left at the agency Hayden and his son, general Woodward, Stone M’Brydeand Collins, the whole Columbus com pany. and a host of others, with, I firmly belive, four hundred Indians hid out all around the hill- Certifications commenced late yesterday morning and about sixty were taken through. The agent will he at home certifying the whole of next week and iu that time most if not all of the land will be swept that is worth notice. I have the agent’s promise to meet us at any place of our appoint menton the Monday after vards, and to obtain this, 1 have had to interest another man in our company, so far as it regards M’Henry’s district —1 am to give him one-eight part. It is unneces sary to mention names—the thing was necessary and was therefore done. Now if we are to do any thing, you must instantly upon reading this letter, lay all other bu siness aside andgather up as many Indians who can de depended oq as possible and Corley or Craven, and one of the Griersons must came on with them towards the agency in Chambers.— The other with the other Grierson must remain behind, and collect and come on with another company. When you get within from five to ten miles of the agency, stop where you can gel wa ter, and provisions, and send a messenger to us at the agency to let us know where yon are and we will meet you Mon Jay morning with.the agent and pioceed to business. Your messenger must reach us on Sunday night, Camp your Indians out of sight of the road. You need give your self no trouble about the value of the land, 1 will arrange all that. Stealing is the order of the day, and out of the host of Indians at the agency, I don't thiuk there were ten true holders of land. When I left there were not more than eighty reservations left iu all Tuckabactchee, they willjall go tomorrow, then I will follow Thlob locco—then Kialiga—then Oak-tansar day—then Eu-fau-la, and in two weeks the whole host of Philistines will be in your quarter, rely upon it, they will car ry all before them. Now Scott may wrap himself in his Indian blan ket, and say this is impossible, but 1 say it is not only possible but certain. When I see such men with so few advantages getting so much valuable land at ten dollars per tract, see how much money we havo paid out, the power we have had, and see the quantity aud quali ty of land we have received particularly when I think of the reason why these things are so, I can almost tear my hair from my head. There is yet time to do something but almost despair of its being done. If Scott’s Indian wife was at the devil, I should have some hope. We shall go into the strife and do what we can—it you will join us well, if not well, we have plenty of money. You ueed not come unless you will drill your Indians and prepare them to receive ten dollars, in the store, for every contract certified. Be sure to bring twooldwomen and if you posilily can, be sure and bring Tallar har—an old woman of Tholb-loco-town, who is the mother or mother-in law of John Reed, an interperter who was killed last yetir. The whole show will he up in four weeks from this time and all the Indians who do not sell will lose their lands. This system has not been working more than three weeks, and upwards of one thou sand tracts have been certified. The stream is getting wider, deeper and stronger every day. if things are to be radically altered as to money at Tallapoosa, I will furnish funds in paper money to certify ths balance, if not the Indians may. be disbanded, and we will quit the drive for I will stand the past pull, no longer, and if Dr. Scott adopts the rule of settlement at the certified prices it must be a good rule and shall apply it*to all ca ses. Respectfully, &c. , ELI S. SHORTER. LETTER—No, 10. From Benjamin P. Tarver: Sir—Mr. Corley gave me time to be there to close the trade vxite him until I could get out, or until they commenced certifying. As my business iu couise is not settled, I am unable to sav when 1 shall be there, and if you have not closed the trade with Mr. Corley, you will do it for me—if you are not disposed to go into it, but I prefer your con nexion in the matter. There is nothing going on at this time, but stealing of land with about fifty In dians. Pay them teudollarsoi five when certified and get all the balance back and get four hundred or five hundred contracts certified with fifty Indi ans, is all the game. Judge Shorter has just returned from Dr. M’Henry’s—he states the dif ferent speculators have about five hundred Indians hid out and certifying at night. Yarga is certified to—without a rush we are gone. B. P. TARVER. Jas, S. Moore was married on to-night. The judge thinks that the largest proportion if not all the laud that is before Dr. M’Henry, will be certi fied on this week, now is the the time or ties er. Hur ia boys—here goes it-—less steal all we can, I shall go for it, or get no lands—now or neuer. B.P. TARVER. To the Public. I have always felt unwilling to obtrude my self upon the notice of ti e public through the medium of a newspaper, but the demand upon me to do so at this time is of a character that 1 may not disregard. This is a contest neither of my own provoking or seeking; but as it has been pushed upon me, 1 have no choice but to meet it. In doing so I shall not assail the char acter or feelings of others, further than may be demanded by a due regard to my own vindica tion. Col. John B. Hogan, late “superintendent of Indian removals,” & late “investigating agent,” has made his appearance in a Montgomery pa per, and has presented to the public a perfect “salmagundi” of matter. So far as I have been able to dissect and analyze its contents, it con sists of a violent personal altercation between himself and Gen. Woodward—a controversy between himself and the contractors for emi grating the Creek Indians, and a personal at tack upon myself. With the controversy be tween Col. Hogan and Gen. Woodward, or with that between him and the contractors, 1 have no manner of interest or concern. I pro pose to reply to and repel only so much of Col. Hogan’s production as concerns myself person ally. Why Col. Hogan has, from the very commencement of his official career, been dis posed to mark me as a victim, is best known to himself; for up to that time we were unknown to each other, and consequently, I never could have given him cause of offence, or hindered or obstructed his course toward personal or politi cal distinction. Yet I am informed that at a very early stage of the investigation of Indian contracts, and even before we had commenced, he did remark to Gen. Woodward in substance, that “there were several persons about Colum bus that he would be glad io pass by unnoticed; but as for Gen. McDougald and Judge Shorter, he would be damned it he did not intend to use them." Upon receiving this information, 1 felt as any other man would feel under the same circumstances—exceedingly unwilling to have sacA a judge decide upon my rights. His subsequent course toward me upon all occa sions down to the present moment, so far as I could learn, has been marked by the spirit of his threat at the outset; but relying upon the justice of the intelligent community among whom I resided, and by whom I am best known, I have been ready at all times, and am yet rea dy to bid Col. Hogan defiance, or to give him full permission to go on and do me all the harm of which he is capable, either by means just or unjust—honorableor dishonorable—tru or false. I have by no act provoked his wrath, and am very sure that I shall never implore his mercy. Col. Hogan pretends to justify his late attack upon me. by undertaking to show that frauds have been practised upon the Indians in the sale of their lands—that in those frauds I largely participated—that such frauds irritated and in flamed the passions of the Indians, and ulti mately drove them to take up aims against the whites. The object of this effort is too plain to admit of a moment’s doubt. Col. Hogan is himself very generally believed to have been instrumental in prodneing the war'—not design edly, but that it naturally grew out of his course of policy during his round of investigations.— To relieve himself from this imputation, it be came important for him to find out some other excuse for the war, and to cast the responsibility PI BLISHGir my F. 1.. Mt. I INM N. WHOLE IVO. 130. upon tome other parties; no matter who suf fered so that he escaped. Self-preservation with him silenced all other considerations. I regard the discussion of the question as to the cause or origin of the war at this time as p« - culiarly unfortunate. So far a* Georgia and Alabama are concerned, it is sufficient for the present, that war in its most aggravated and appalling form does exist—that many of our people, (men, women, and children) have been butchered—that hundred* have been ruined thousand* essentially injured, and the whole community excited and convulsed to its very centre. At such a time every man of any in fluence, instead of adding fuel to the fire, should pour oil upon the troubled waves, so that the undivided attention, and the unimpaired energy of every man migfc* be employed in arresting the evil—subduing the enemy, and restoring peace to a distracted country. When this shall have been done, an inquiry may with much more propriety be instituted into the causes which led to the war. Upon this inquiry, so far as I am concerned, I am always ready to enter. For the reason assigned I would have prefeered its postponement; but as Col. Hogan will have it now, I yield a reluctant consent. The prime cause of the war must be obvious to any man who is at all conversant with the history of Indian affairs for the last ten years in Florida, Georgia, and Ala bama, and who has particularly noted the progress of this business. In an early stage of Gen. Jackson’s admiristration, it was both wisely and humanely determined, as soon as possible, to remove the Seminoles, Creeks, Cherokees west of the Mississippi. This determination was made known to the three tribes ; a large number in each tribe promptly refused to go, declared that they never would go, and that they would sooner die upon their native soil. This language they have . uniformly used since, and yet use. The time at length arrived when the Seminoles were called upon and required to remove, according to the ex press terms of their treaty ; they were not ready, and begged for further lime, which was granted. So soon as the enlarged time was out, they were again required to re move. No cause for further delay conld be assigned, no further could be permitted; and what was the consequence? they went to war, at d assigned as a reason, not that they had bien defrauded, but that they did notintend to remove. In the first c: mpaign, the Seminoles were victors, and are y< t masters of the field. The Creeks had, and yet have, the same repugnance to remo ving ; they acted in concert with the Sem inoles—they perfectly understood the pro gress of the war in Florida—they were stimulated to the same deeds of war nnd daring ; and as they saw the day for tArir removal was almost at hand, they determin ed to redeem their pledgejo the Seminoles, and accordingly sounded the war-whoo]'. Let the war with the Creeks result as did the campaign in Florida, and we may rea sonably expect a war of the same character with the Cherokees. That the war with the Creeks was inevitable 1 firmly believe ; Lut that it may have been hastened in its commencement by other circumstances, is porsible and even probable. That Col. Hogan has, by his acts and policy, contri buted largely to accelerating the war, I be lieve few well informed persons can doubt. The safest course that conld have been pur sued to prevent a war was to hasten emi glktion. Every Indian emigrated would so far have reduced the chances for a war, and in the event of war, the emigration of every Indian would so far have reduced its importance. Col. Hogan was placed in a station where he was able essentially to pro mote emigration, or entirely to defeat it. It was his duty to promote it by all the means in his power; the government ex pected him to do so, and the situation of the whole country required it of him. in stead, however, of doing so, he chose t<» use all his art, power and influence, to pre vent and defeat the emigration until the whole business should be remodelled, reor ganized, and put upon a footing to suit hi* own particular views and interests. T<» attain this object, he conducted the investi gations upon a plan so as to induce the In dians to believe they had been cheated—to encourage < omplaints, and to delay a final decision until the time limited between the government and contractors should expire. In all this, Col. Hogan trifled with the in structions under which he acted—disregar ded the wishes of the government, and act ed in bad faith to the people of his own state. When Col. Hogan was appointed to the office of investigating agent, it was believed that a proper discharge of his duties would not require but a few weeks, and he was expressly told, that “ an investigation into all contracts not acted upon by the Presi dent, was not expected or desired.” His duty only required of him to attend each town of Indians after giving them due no tice—to listen to any complaints which mig ht be brought before him—to take down the evidence abduced, and report it to the department. Instead of this, Col. Hognn assembled the Indians, sent runners after absentees, commenced at the head of the roll, and called up each Indian in his turn, and entered into an examination, not only of “ all contracts not acted upon by the President,” but into all, whether acted up on or not, from the first to the last day <.f certification. He even went so far as to enter into such examination, when the In dians has sold, been paid, and emigrated to Arkansas ; and in some instances when the Indians appeared before him, and admitted that they had sold, been paid, and went satisfied, he told them they were liars, and he would reverse the contract. Such a course, upon such a people, could not fail of creating complaints where none had been before heard of or anticipated. It served however to create delay, to procras tinate emigration, to create excitement and disaffection amongst the Indians—and to obtain for the time being their confidence, that he might more effectually mould them to his own purposes. The effect was soon seen and felt by the settlers in Alabama, The storm was anticipatt<d--appeals were