USA > Georgia > Wilkinson County > History of Wilkinson County > Part 5
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Harrison had no compunctions against giving direct to the Indian town and taking redress. We thus find that in 1792 having lost six horses he called together his com- mand and set out to the Indian nation across this section. Arriving at their towns on the Flint, he was promised by the Uchee king and the Cussetah king they would help him get his horses. At another time having had a horse stolen and a cow killed by the Uchees, he gave chase with his command, overtaking them, and had a skirmish with them taking three of their guns. The Uchees in a rage re-
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turned to the nation and began raising a force to return and take vengeance upon Captain Harrison. However, through the influence of Timothy Barnard who had mar- ried a Uchee squaw they were induced to delay their hostile expedition. Barnard wrote to Harrison explaining the situation and asked him to give the Indians back their guns, which he did. (Indian Aff. 309.)
Captain Stokes in command at Long Bluff lost two horses in September, 1793. He immediately pursued them with his command, overtaking them as they were crossing the Ocmulgee. Stokes' men opened fire which was returned by the Indians. Stokes rushed down upon the Indians kill- ing one outright and mortally wounding two others. Not only were the two stolen horses recovered but another horse and four guns were taken. (I. A. 372.)
THE CHEHAW INDIANS DEFEAT MAJOR BRENTON'S EXPEDITION
In October, 1793, to take revenge for stolen horses, a body of 200 mounted militia from Washington county, under Captains Harrison, Stokes, Kitchin, Irwin, Carson, Wilbern, and Hampton, all under the command of Major Brenton, set out from Carr's Bluff for the Indian nation in defiance of the authority of General Irwin who ordered them to return. Their destination was the Chehaw village, on the Flint river where they expected to find many runa- way negroes and other stolen property. Arriving opposite the Chehaw town they started to ford the river when the Indians discovering them opened a fierce attack upon them. Although the Indians were only sixteen in number with four negroes aiding them, all the rest of the warriors being in Florida hunting, the advantage was with the de- fenders. In the face of a galling fire the whites had to cross the river; the number of the Indians, was unknown and the dreaded Indian ambush should they succeed in crossing was another danger. Two whites were killed and
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two others wounded before they gave up the attempt to capture the town. Three of the Indians were wounded. (I. A. pp. 415, 468, 469. )
In the meantime changes had been taking place in the federal garrison stationed at Rock Landing. Following the attempted treaty there with McGillivray in 1789, Cap- tain Savage with fifty-five men were placed there for the protection of Georgia against the whole Creek nation and Spanish forces in the Floridas. In October, 1791, two ad- ditional companies were sent there, all then under the command of Major Call. In August, 1792, Major, later Col. Gaither, was sent to relieve Major Call who had been ordered to join the main army.
In the spring of 1793 Fort Fidius was built a short dis- tance from Rock Landing and in April of that year the stores and guard from the Rock Landing were moved to Fort Fidius. (Ind. Aff. p. 257.) A few months later Sea- grove moved his headquarters to the new fort.
Another change took place as to the crossing of the river. Formerly it seemed that the main crossing was at the Rock Landing but about this time a new crossing known as Tom's Ford located three miles above Fort Fidius was becoming more and more used. The name of this seems to have been given it by reason of the fact that a Cussetah Indian named Tom was serving as courier for Seagrove, bearing messages to and from the Creek nation, and used this fording place.
CHAPTER X THE ADAMS INSURRECTION
W HILE we regard the years of 1861-1865 as the pe- riod during which Georgia had seceded from the Union, yet, during the years from 1790 to 1794, the state of Georgia was in almost open defiance of federal author- ity : Federal garrisons were being regarded as much inimi- cal to the interests of the Georgians as the Indians them- selves and the first time in history that the militia of any state might be termed to have ever arrayed themselves against the American flag after the adoption of the Con- stitution was when the Georgia militia of Hancock county under the leadership of Major David Adams in May, 1794, defied the Federal authorities and threatened to storm Fort Fidius for the purpose of seizing and executing thirty Indians who had taken refuge in the fort seeking protection from the infuriated frontiersmen of Hancock, and the demonstration was staged on the soil of Wilkinson county.
At this time Hancock county embraced the territory along the east banks of the Oconee adjacent to the present city of Milledgeville and extending down the river near Fort Fidius whose federal garrison was commanded by Captain Richard Brooks Roberts.
All along the Oconee there existed in the hearts of the settlers a bitter, undying hatred for the savages who for years had waged unceasing warfare upon the scattered settlements lying near the river. Massacres of defenseless women and children, burnings of homes and the carrying away of their property had been felt by so many that every Indian was regarded as an enemy. The Federal gov- ernment, though setting at nought the treaties which Georgia had entered into with the Indians, and in doing so inspired in the red men a contempt for the Georgia offi-
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cials, yet with its handful of troops in a few garrisons was able to offer no protection against the marauding bands. Hence, Georgia was forced to organize the border counties into military units which could quickly assemble at some appointed place whenever the Indian alarms were given. Time after time these mounted commands were called on to rush to the aid of their beleaguered neighbors, some- times to pursue the red warriors over the Oconee, and oc- casionally into the very heart of the Creek nation before punishment could be inflicted upon them. Hancock had suffered her full share of Indian horrors and her trained militia had the well-earned reputation of being rough and ready fighters. Hancock could not have selected a braver or more determined man than David Adams to command these defenders of the frontiers. Born in South Carolina only nine years before the Revolution began yet before it ended he was serving in a campaign under General Hen- derson against the British and Tories. Here in Hancock we find him when the apparent incompetency of some of the federal officials in Georgia and their utter disregard to the protection of the Georgia frontiers were inspiring in the minds of a large class of people a contempt for federal authority.
Though the federal Agent, Seagrove, had entered into a treaty of peace with the Creeks in November, 1793, and Indian depredations along the Oconee had almost ceased since that time, yet the people of Georgia put no faith in the promises of the Indians. The years of the double-deal- ing of the great Indian chieftain, McGillivray had de- stroyed all faith in this race.
In the face of the innumerable dangers which might reasonably result through the presence of a large body of Indians on the frontier, Seagrove very unwisely invited the Indians to come in full force and spend their time in hunting between the Oconee and Ocmulgee rivers while he, with Efau Haujo and other chieftains journeyed to
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Augusta "to brighten the chain of friendship with the Georgia governor." Great crowds of them came, pitching their main camp on the west side of the Oconee opposite Fort Fidius, and near the present boundary of Wilkinson and Baldwin counties.
The Indians arrived about April 25th, and trouble was not long in brewing. A band of Indians on May 2nd crossed the Oconee and stole some horses near Sparks Station in Franklin county. The alarm was given and pur- suit of the outlaw band was started. Their trail led to- wards the High Shoals of the Apalachy passing near the fort which had been built by the Georgians and was manned by Georgia militia under Lieutenant Hay. Here, the pursuers were re-inforced by Lieutenant Hay and his dragoons and the pursuit resumed. For fifteen miles into the Indian country the Indians lured the Georgia militia, then doubling back on their trail and selecting the proper spot they laid the ambush which Hay with his dragoons and the other militia rode headlong into. It was the old scheme of the Indians luring the pursuing forces suffi- ciently far so that reinforcements could not arrive, and then posting their warriors in the shape of a half moon so that their foemen would be almost surrounded when the deadly warwhoop should be the signal for the volleys from the rifles of the hidden warriors. In this the Indians were successful. Lieutenant Hay and two of his soldiers were killed outright and another wounded. Thrown into confusion by the suddenness of the attack and the loss of their leader, the Georgians were soon forced to retreat. However, during the action the Indians' horses becoming frightened at the noise of the conflict, stampeded and seven of them, including one of the stolen horses, were cap- tured by the Georgians and brought off the field and back to the settlements.
No sooner had they arrived than rumors began to fly thick and fast of a general Indian uprising. Runners were
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sent quickly along the exposed territory bearing the dread- ed news. Dispatches from the Indian towns reported three tribes on the warpath. The militia began to assemble. Couriers were also dispatched to Augusta acquainting Governor Matthews of the attack. The danger in which the Indian chieftains who were then at Augusta found themselves was so great that the governor at once started them towards their homes under a strong guard com- manded by no less a person than General Glascock. And the route to the Indian nation led by way of Fort Fidius, through Hancock county.
In the meantime the militia was beginning to cross the Oconee for the purpose of attacking the Indians where- ever found. On May 8, a detachment discovering the Dog King of the Cussetahs on Little River in Putnam county hunting with his brother, opened fire, wounding the king but both Indians escaped into the swamp.
None of the militia were more infuriated than that of Hancock county. Major Adams collected 150 men and at their head crossed the Oconee with the avowed intention of killing every Indian that fell into his hands.
Though the greater portion of the Indians encamped opposite Fort Fidius was in the woods hunting, having left their horses, saddles and other equipment in the main camp, news of the happenings soon reached them. Timo- thy Barnard arriving on the scene in advance of the forces of General Glascock guarding the Indian chieftains, and learning of what had occurred and knowing the mood the Georgia militia was in, on May 9th ordered all the Indians to return to their homes at once. Many set out imme- diately but a considerable number remained. About ten o'clock on May 10th, Major Adams and his Hancock avengers arriving opposite Fort Fidius swooped down upon the Indian encampment without a moment's warn- ing, firing as they charged. Though surprised at the sud- den onslaught of the infuriated Georgians the Indians
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having no time in which to prepare a defense against the overwhelming numbers, yet they did not retire from their camp until they had offered a short, sharp resistance, mortally wounding one of Adams' command, and then quietly slipping into the swamp carrying with them one of their own number slightly wounded, their only casualty. Ten of the fleeing Indians crossed the Oconee and took refuge in Fort Fidius expecting to be protected by the federal garrison. Major Adams' forces proceeded to seize the Indian horses, saddles and other property as spoils of war.
In the meantime the noise of the firing had aroused the federal garrison at Fort Fidius and Captain Roberts evi- dently recognizing that it was unquestionably the Georgia militia wreaking vengeance for the death of Lieutenant Hay and his two dragoons, sent one of the officers in the fort, Dr. Frederick Dalcho, across the river to investigate. Dr. Dalcho's written report as taken from American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. 1, page 484, gives us a very vivid picture of what occurred. It is as follows :
"In consequence of an order from Richard Brooke Roberts, captain commander, to ascertain the cause of the firing that was heard over the river, I crossed this morn- ing for the purpose.
"On rising out of the canebrake, I saw two different parties of militia : the one on the edge of the canebrake, employed in plundering the Indian camp; the other at some considerable distance, on the hill. I inquired for the commanding officer, whom I found to be Major Adams. I demanded, in the name of the United States, the cause of their attacking the Indians, who were on a friendly visit, with Major Seagrove, at this post, and while they were under the protection of the United States ? He told me, that, in consequence of the death of Lieutenant Hay, on the Apalachy, he had raised one hundred fifty men, to pursue and destroy any party of Indians he might gain in-
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telligence of; that an Indian who was wounded at that time was now in our garrison, under the care of the sur- geon, from which supposed he was one of the party who are now here, and that he was determined not to return until the whole of them were killed; that he would ad- vance to the mouth of the cannon, and take them from the fort; for he was able to do it. I assured Major Adams that the wounded Indian had not been at our garrison since the accident happened. I demanded Mr. Barnard's horses. This brought on the most bitter exclamations from a num- ber of them, particularly Major Adams, who swore he would rather kill Barnard than an Indian; for he had given a pass to the Indians who killed Lieutenant Hay, certifying that they were friendly disposed towards this country ; that this pass was found sticking up on a sapling, over the dead body. He told me that Mr. Barnard's horses should not be taken; when a number of his men exclaimed, that it was the lives of the Indians they wanted, and not their property; notwithstanding which, I discov- ered several of them with Indian horses, rifles, skins, etc. Mr. Barnard's negro boy, who was with me, was threat- ened by a number of men. I was further informed, that the Big King, and the rest of the chiefs who are now on their return from Augusta, where they have been on a visit to the Governor, should be killed; that they should make no distinction of tribes. I told them it was in vain to talk so, for the Governor had given assurances to Major Sea- grove that they should be escorted by a strong guard, un- der the command of Brigadier General Glascock. Some of them immediately replied, that they could raise more men than General Glascock, and would take them. I heard sev- eral of them mention, that a party, under Colonel Lamar, were on their way down, on this side of the river. One of the militia received a ball through his belly, which I be- lieve will prove mortal; the loss of the Indians is not yet known ; one only was seen to fall, who crept into the cane-
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brake. Just before I left them Major Adams swore he would have hair before tomorrow night; and that Briga- dier General Clarke had marched against the Creek towns.
"Given under my hand, at Fort Fidius, this 10th day of May, 1794."
The situation of the garrison at Fort Fidius was now most desperate. No one in the fort doubted for a moment that Major Adams would make good his threat and either storm the fort or by siege force a surrender in order to get the Indians therein.
The fort was in no condition to be defended against the odds that could easily be brought against it should the pent up anger of the Georgians be directed against it. The thirty Indians who had taken refuge in it, instead of being a help in the impending assault, would only the more en- rage the Georgians should they be used to prevent the cap- ture of the fort. The sixty-nine soldiers in the fort could not long hope to hold at bay Major Adams' superior num- bers who were momentarily expecting the arrival of the reinforcements of Col. Lamar's contingents from Han- cock county. Thus in the heart of a hostile country sur- rounded on all sides by the families and friends of those who were on the verge of storming the fort who could possibly bring thousands more to reinforce Adams ; added to this the fact that the fort was located three hundred yards from a supply of drinking water which made it es- pecially vulnerable in case of a siege, well might Captain Roberts worry over his predicament.
To add still more to the worries of the harassed com- mandant there was the almost assured probability that Efau Haujo and the other Creek chieftains would be at- tacked and slain, so great was the anger of the people. Rumors also arrived that bodies of militia had already started to invade the Creek country. These acts must un- questionably bring ten thousand Creek warriors into the field in a general Indian war. In such event even though
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he should be able to defend the fort successfully against the assaults or siege of Major Adams, yet being on the frontier this must necessarily be one of the first places to be attacked by the Indian hordes.
Couriers were at once despatched to the War Depart- ment acquainting the Secretary of War of the desperate situation Fort Fidius was in and assuring the War Depart- ment that the fort would be defended to the last. Weeks must elapse though before these messages could reach the capital and Captain Roberts could expect no succor from that source. At the same time messages were sent toward Augusta to intercept General Glascock who was now en- route with the Creek chieftains, advising him of what might be expected should he continue his course by way of Fort Fidius. However, there was no assurance that any of these despatches would ever reach their destination as messages sent the following day were intercepted by armed men. (Ind. Aff. Vol. I, p. 486. )
Captain Roberts now determined to spirit the Indians out of the fort and across the river before Major Adams could post guards all along the river banks. Although some of the Indians wanted to remain and help protect their chiefs they were induced to depart. These had not been long gone before Long Tom, a prominent Cussetah courier, and very friendly to the whites, arrived at the fort with two other Indians, having in some manner crossed the river without being discovered by Adams' men. These, too, were hustled across the river to safety a short time before the guards were posted. Not knowing of the escape of all the Indians Major Adams posted a cordon of men along the Oconee that night to intercept every Indian that might attempt to cross.
In the meantime the couriers had reached General Glas- cock with the news from Fort Fidius. Instead of pursuing his line of march by that point he altered it and during the night he was successful in getting his Indian chieftain
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charges safely across the Oconee at White Bluff, fifteen miles below Fort Fidius, where taking another path across what is now Wilkinson county they continued their way to their homes without mishap. The departure of all the Indians from the frontiers seems to have allayed the wrath of the Georgia militia and no further demonstra- tions were made against the fort.
While the escape of all the Indians in the fort as well as the safe arrival of the Indian chieftains into their own country on the night of the 10th of May greatly lessened the danger the garrison at Fort Fidius was facing yet the morning of the I Ith found the communications of the fort with Savannah now cut and armed men standing guard. The courier bearing despatches to the Secretary of War acquainting him of the escape of the Indians, seeing the hostile party returned to the fort, and thus saved his despatches.
To the surprise of not only the federal authorities but to the Georgians as well, the events which had just trans- pired did not bring on an Indian war against the frontiers of Georgia. The reasons for this are obvious, however. Prior to this the Indians considered the federal authority supreme and had no respect for the authority of Georgia. But now they had experienced the temper of the Georgia frontiersmen, and had seen them in such a rage that the soldiers, the cannon and the forts of Longknife (Con- gress) furnished no refuge. The erstwhile respect and awe for the Georgians which Elijah Clarke and other Georgians had inspired years before now returned. Efau Haujo and other able chiefs had talked with Governor Matthews and the precautions taken by the Governor to have them safely escorted to their lands seems to have made a favorable impression on them. The years follow- ing found fewer Indian troubles along the Oconee than had been since the white settlements had first been made.
As for Major Adams and his Hancock militia, they re-
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turned to their homes and nothing further was said about their having violated the federal laws. For years he re- mained one of the most prominent and respected men of that county, serving in the legislature. Later when the Indian lands west of the Oconee were opened for settle- ment he removed into what is now Jasper county where he continued to serve the state. The legislature in recognition of his ability elected him Brigadier General and later Major General. He commanded an expedition against the Indians in the War of 1812 and distinguished himself in the battles fought in Alabama. Still later he served as one of the commissioners for Georgia in acquiring the Indian lands lying between the Ocmulgee and the Flint rivers.
(American State Papers, Indian Aff. Vol. 1, pp. 482 et seq., Cyclopedia of Georgia.)
CHAPTER XI
CLARKE'S EXPEDITION AGAINST FLORIDA
TT would seem that the territory which was later to be- - come Wilkinson County has never had a more interest- ing period than during these years. Not only was it the bone of contention in the British, Spanish, and Indian in- trigues and the scene of warfare between the Georgia frontiersmen and the Creek Indians, but in April and the early part of May, 1794, it was on this soil that the ad- herents of Elijah Clarke from Georgia and South Caro- lina collected for the memorable expedition against the Spaniards. And along the old Indian trail down the west side of the Oconee marched this redoubtable veteran of the Revolution at the head of his band of Sans Culottes, Georgians and South Carolinians, but now flying the French flag, en route to the St. Mary's from which place after being reinforced by the French fleets they planned to lay siege to St. Augustine and seize all Florida for the French.
These years found pandemonium not only evident along the Oconee but ruling the whole civilized world. Europe stood aghast at the victorious progress of the ap- parently invincible armies of the new French Republic, and in fear was uniting against France. Likewise the newly constituted American Republic with Washington at the head was sharing in the general chaos, as on all sides were rampant insurrections, threats of secession, revolts against Federal authority, foreign intrigues, treachery of public servants, sectional jealousies, disastrous Indian wars, and the constant threat of wars with foreign nations which looked with contempt upon the new government.
Chiefest among these was Spain whose East and West Florida and Louisiana colonies were a constant irritant to the southern and western settlers, forbidding the settlers
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west of the Alleghanies the right to transport their prod- ucts down the Mississippi to market, a right, which in the day before the advent of the railroad destroyed all prog- ress for these western American settlements. For years clashes between the western settlers and the Spanish set- tlements had been frequent recurrences and more than once there had been threats of an invasion and the seizure of the Spanish colonies. Added to this the bulk of the In- dian trade had been diverted through Spanish ports.
But Georgia considered herself more aggrieved than any other section. Her boundaries as fixed by the treaty of Paris following the close of the Revolution conflicted with the claims of Spain, and Spanish troops were sta- tioned at Natchez and Fort Panmure in Georgia's Mis- sissippi territory, and no amount of peaceable persuasion could induce them to remove. Added to this, Spanish agents were constantly among the Cherokees, the Creeks, and other tribes stirring the Indians to hostility against the Georgians, and for years had kept the Georgia fron- tiers in a continuous state of war, with massacres fre- quently occurring, and there was ever the constant threat of the uniting of all the tribesmen with the Spaniards in a general war of extermination of the whole state, not an idle threat, for it was well known that the arsenals at Pen- sacola, St. Augustine, New Orleans and elsewhere were supplying the Indians with all the arms and ammunition they needed. Three companies of cavalry had been or- ganized and equipped among the Cherokee Indians for service whenever the expected war between Spain and America should break out, and it was revealed to the American authorities that as a whole the Indian tribesmen were better armed and equipped than the Georgia militia, who thoroughly alarmed at the impending dangers were hurriedly being prepared for the defense of the state. Pro- tests to the Spanish authorities over their acts were treated with contempt. War with the Indians appearing
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