USA > Georgia > The history of Georgia, Volume II > Part 6
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Of the Cherokees fifteen chiefs appeared, representing the Settlements over the Hills, the Middle Settlements, and the Lower Towns. The Over Hill chiefs were Attakullakulla, Ous- teneka, Prince of Chotil, Willanawah, Onatoi, Skiagusta of Chotih, and Moitoi. Those from the Lower Towns were Tifto- wih of Keehowee, the Wolf, Houkonata, Man Killer of Kee- howee, Good Warrior of Estatowih, Young Warrior of the same place, and the Warrior of Tuscoweh. Will, the head man of Whatogah, led the delegation from the Middle Settlement. The Catawbas were represented by their chief, Colonel Ayres, and some followers.
The conference occurring within the limits of Georgia was
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CONGRESS AT AUGUSTA.
opened by Governor Wright. Observing that the day was fair, and indulging the hope that all the talks would not prove other- wise, he invited the Indians to heed the utterances of Mr. Stuart, as he had been selected by the governors present to give ex- pression to their united sentiments.
Thus commended, Mr. Stuart, addressing the assembled In -. dians as friends and brothers, assured them that he spake by command of the great King George, who, under God, the Master and Giver of breath, was the common father and protector both of the English and of the red men : that no conference was ever intended to be more general or more friendly ; that, provoked at the repeated cruelties, insults, and falsehoods of the French and Spaniards, the King of England had put forth his strength and defeated both his perfidious enemies ; that in order to prevent a recurrence of former disturbances, his majesty insisted upon the removal of the French and Spaniards beyond the Mississippi ; that, all cause of trouble being now at an end, he hoped the In- dians and English would dwell together in peace and brotherly friendship ; " that all past offences should be buried in oblivion and forgiveness ; " that the English were prepared to deal fairly, and to supply the Indian nations with everything they might re- quire ; and that the forts recently surrendered by the French would be used for the assistance and protection of the natives and for the convenience of a trade which, it was believed, would prove mutually beneficial. " The White people," he said in con- clusion, " value themselves on speaking truth : but to give still greater weight to what we say, the great King has thought proper that his four Governors and the Superintendent from a great distance should utter the same words at the same time ; and, to remove every umbrage or jealousy, that you should all hear them in presence of one another, and bear testimony for one another in case we should ever act contrary to our declara- tions."
The responses of the chiefs and various rejoinders occupied the attention of the congress until the 10th of November, when the following treaty was formally ratified by all parties present : -
" ARTICLE I. That a perfect and perpetual peace and sincere friendship shall be continued between his Majesty King George the Third and all his subjects, and the several nations and tribes of Indians herein mentioned, that is to say, the Chicasahs, Up- per and Lower Creeks, Chactahs, Cherokees, and Catawbas : and cach nation of Indians hereby respectively engages to give
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THE HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
the utmost attention to preserve and maintain peace and friend- ship between their people and the King of Great Britain and his subjects, and shall not commit or permit any kind of hostilities, injury, or damage whatever against them from henceforth, and for any cause, or under any pretence whatever. And for laying the strongest and purest foundation for a perfect and perpetual peace and friendship, his most sacred Majesty has been gra- ciously pleased to pardon and forgive all past offences and inju- ries, and hereby declares there shall be a general oblivion of all crimes, offences and injuries that may have been heretofore com- mitted or done by any of the said Indian parties.
" ARTICLE II. The subjects of the great King George and the aforesaid several nations of Indians shall, forever hereafter, be looked upon as one people. And the several Governors and Superintendent engage that they will encourage persons to fur- nish and supply the several nations and tribes of Indians afore- said with all sorts of goods, usually carried amongst them, in the manner which they now are, and which will be sufficient to answer all their wants. In consideration whereof, the Indian parties on their part, severally engage in the most solemn man- ner that the traders and others who may go amongst them shall be perfectly safe and secure in their several persons and effects, and shall not on any account or pretence whatever be molested or disturbed whilst in any of the Indian towns or natious, or on their journey to or from the nations.
" ARTICLE III. The English Governors and Superintendent engage for themselves and their successors, as far as they can, that they will always give due attention to the interest of the Indians and will be ready on all occasions to do them full and ample justice. And the several Indian Parties do expressly promise and engage for themselves severally, and for their sev- eral nations and tribes pursuant to the full right and power which they have so to do, that they will in all cases and upon all occa- sions do full and ample justice to the English : and will use their utmost endeavours to prevent any of their people from giving any disturbance, or doing any damage to them in the settlements or elsewhere as aforesaid, either by stealing their horses, killing their cattle, or otherwise, or by doing them any personal hurt or injury ; and that if any damage be done as aforesaid, satisfaction shall be made to the party injured : and that if any Indian or Indians whatever shall hereafter murder or kill a white man, the offender or offenders shall, without any delay, excuse, or pretence
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whatever, be immediately put to death in a public manner in the presence of at least two of the English who may be in the neigh- bourhood where the offence is committed.
" And if any white man shall kill or murder an Indian, such white man shall be tried for the offence in the same manner as if he had murdered a white man, and, if found guilty, shall be exe- cuted accordingly in the presence of some of the relations of the Indian who may be murdered, if they choose to be present.
" ARTICLE IV. Whereas doubts and disputes have frequently happened on account of encroachments, or supposed encroach- ments committed by the English inhabitants of Georgia on the lands or hunting grounds reserved and claimed by the Creek Indians for their own use : Wherefore, to prevent any mistakes, doubts, or disputes for the future, and in consideration of the great marks of clemency and friendship extended to us the said Creek Indians, we, the Kings, Head-men, and Warriors of the several nations and towns of both Upper and Lower Creeks, by virtue and in pursuance of the full right and power which we now have and are possessed of, have consented and agreed that, for the future, the boundary between the English settlements and bur lands and hunting grounds shall be known and settled by a line extending up Savannah river to Little river and back to the fork of Little river, and from the fork of Little river to the ends of the south branch of Briar Creek, and down that branch to the lower Creek path, and along the lower Creek patlı to the main stream of Ogeechie river, and down the main stream of that river just below the path leading from Mount Pleasant, and from thence in a straight line cross to Sancta Sevilla on the Ala- tamaha river, and from thence to the southward as far as Geor- gia extends, or may be extended, to remain to be regulated agreeable to former treaties and his Majesty's royal instruction, a copy of which was lately sent to you.
" And we the Catawba Head-Men and Warriors, in confirma- tion of an agreement heretofore entered into with the white peo- ple, declare that we will remain satisfied with the tract of land of fifteen miles square, a survey of which by our consent, and at our request, has been already begun ; and the respective Gov- ernors and Superintendent on their parts promise and engage that the aforesaid survey shall be compleated, and that the Ca- tawbas shall not, in any respect, be molested by any of the King's subjects, within the said lines, but shall be indulged in the usual manner of hunting elsewhere.
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" And we do by these presents give, grant, and confirm unto his most sacred Majesty, King George the Third, all such lands whatsoever as we the said Creek Indians have at any time heretofore been possessed of or claimed as our hunting grounds, which lye between the sea, the river Savannah, and the lines herein before mentioned and described, to hold the same unto the great King George and his successors forever. And we do fully and absolutely agree that from henceforth the above lines and boundary shall be the mark of division of lands between the English and the Creek Indians, notwithstanding any former agreement or boundary to the contrary ; and that we will not disturb the English in their settlements or otherwise within the lines aforesaid.
"In consideration whereof it is agreed on the part of his Maj- esty, King George, that none of his subjects shall settle upon or disturb the Indians in the grounds or lands to the westward of the lines herein before described : and that if any shall presume to do so, then, on complaint made by the Indians, the party shall be proceeded against for the same, and punished according to the laws of the English." 1
The following day liberal presents were distributed by Mr. Stuart to all the assembled Indians. The four governors united in an explanatory letter to the Earl of Egremont advising him of the satisfactory manner in which the king's commands, as signified in his lordship's communication of the 16th of March, had been obeyed, and suggesting the establishment of commercial relations with the Indians upon a general, safe, and equitable footing.
In transmitting a copy of this treaty to the Board of Trade, Governor Wright, on the 23d of December, assures the Lords Commissioners that this accession of territory from the Indians will encourage the incoming of many settlers and promote the prosperity of Georgia. In this expectation he was not disap- pointed.
The extension of the territorial limits of Georgia rendered it proper that a new commission should be issued to Governor Wright. Accordingly, the former letters-patent, constituting him Captain General and Governor in Chief of the Colony of Georgia as then constituted, were revoked, and by a commission sealed at
1 See Journal of the Congress of the four dians at Augusta, 1763, pp. 1-45. South Southern Governors and the Superintendent Carolina. Charles-Town. Printed by of that District with the five Nations of In- Petor Timothy. MDCCLXIV.
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SCHEME OF DENNIS ROLLE.
Westminster on the 20th of January, 1764, he was invested with gubernatorial powers and authority commensurate with the en- larged confines of the province.
No longer plagued by the French and Spaniards, at peace with the circumjacent Indian nations, its boundaries widened and guarded on the south and west by two new English plantations, Georgia now occupied a position which it never before enjoyed. With an increasing population and expanding commerce, and presided over by a chief magistrate eager for the promotion of its best interests, the province day by day rose in importance and was fast realizing the expectations which its illustrious founder had conceived for it.
Among the parties applying for lands in the newly acquired territory were Dennis Rolle, a member of Parliament; William Reynolds, a London merchant and an elder brother of the Trin- ity house ; George Buch, colonel of the Devonshire militia; Cap- tain John Buch, his brother; and Dr. Robert Willan, of London. From the Board of Trade they requested a cession of lands " to extend from the Georgian line on the north to another line south- ward to be drawn parallel with the equator from two miles below the forks of the river Apalachicola to the river Alatamaha, to be bounded on the west by the first, and on the east by the last of these rivers."
On the south side of the Alatamaha they proposed to lay out and settle a town. The capital of the plantation was to be lo- cated on the Appalachicola. The avowed objects of the peti- tioners were the cultivation of silk, indigo, and cotton, the col- lection of ship-timber and naval stores, and the establishment of facile communication with the Creeks and with the Gulf of Mexico. It was proposed to populate this region with European immigrants; and that the good government of the projected set- tlement might be assured, the petitioners requested either the appointment of a governor at the charge of the Crown during the infancy of the expensive undertaking, or that the applicants should be invested with gubernatorial powers such as were ac- corded in the cases of Pennsylvania and Maryland. The erec- tion of such an imperium in imperio failing to commend itself to the approbation of the Board of Trade, the applicants, nothing daunted, petitioned the Earl of Hillsborough and the other Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations for a grant of Cumber- land Island on the Georgia coast " for the purpose of raising cotton, silk, oil, and wine, and such other commodities as may bo
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THE HISTORY OF GEORGIA.
hoped for in a warm climate." Distrusting the expediency of such a cession, and perhaps not thoroughly persuaded of the ability of the petitioners to consummate their design in a man- ner conducive to the best interests of the province, the Lords Commissioners denied this application also.
A few months afterwards another Utopian scheme was pre- sented for the consideration of the Board of Trade. Alexander Montgomerie, the tenth Earl of Eglintoun, and his associates submitted a proposition to the king in council whereby they ex- pressed a willingness to introduce at their own expense one hun- dred thousand colonists. During the first five years ten thousand were to be sent over to Georgia, and eighteen thousand within every five years thereafter until the whole number should have been transported and settled. In return for such labor and the necessary expenditure of time and money, the Crown was memo- rialized to vest in the applicants and their associates the ownership of the region to be thus peopled. General jurisdiction was to be retained by the king; and the proprietors, in making grants, were to conform to such instructions as might be promulgated by the Secretary of State or the Lords Commissioners of Trade and Plantations.
The petitioners begged that a member of the royal family should be placed at the head of the undertaking. They con- fessed a willingness to observe in all respects the terms of his majesty's proclamation encouraging the settlement of the newly acquired territory. They proposed to give ample security to pay into the royal exchequer, free from all charges and deductions, one shilling per annum for every hundred acres of land granted. Such quit rents, however, were not to be payable until fifteen years after the dates of the respective grants.
" And all these conditions," they added in conclusion, " we will be obliged to perform upon a penalty of the resumption of the grants and the loss of whatever we may have laid out pre- vious to the forfeiture, together with any other security that may be adjudged necessary for the performance of this task, particu- larly against the monopoly of the lands, by being subject to such directions respecting grants as your Majesty shall from time to time signify to us by your Secretary of State and Lords of Trade and Plantations, whereby we shall be as much under the control of your Majesty's Government as the present Governors and Coun- cils of those provinces, or any other part of the Continent of America, who are now vested with a power of granting lands
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REGULATIONS FOR INDIAN TRADERS.
under your Majesty's commissions and instructions ; and we are also ready to submit to any other measures for the true and rea- sonable interest of the colony and mother country which can be contrived so as to make the one grow and flourish under the pro-, tection and superintendency of the other."
The newly acquired territory having been already assigned to the provinces of Georgia and of East and West Florida, his majesty refused to sanction this application of the Earl of Eglin- toun and his associates, which savored much more of private emolument to those who submitted it than of general advantage to the royal possessions in America.
In order that the promises contained in the treaty entered into at Augusta with regard to fair dealing with the Indian nations might be duly observed by the licensed traders, Governor Wright established stringent regulations, among which the fol- lowing may be mentioned : -
Every trader was so to conduct himself that " no offence be given to the Christian Religion." All horses, hogs, and cattle accompanying the trader were to be carefully guarded in order that no damage should be done by them to the growing crops of the natives. It was expressly forbidden to compel an Indian by threats to perform any labor, to carry any pack or burthen, or to buy or sell contrary to his will and inclination. The trader was not allowed to receive any present, gift, fee, or reward from an Indian, or to credit any member of the community to a greater extent than one pound of powder and four pounds of bullets. The savages were to be informed that they were re- lioved from all obligation to pay dobts previously contracted. No arms, ammunition, or goods were to be sold to Indians ac- knowledging allegiance to the Crowns of France and Spain. Traffic in swan shot was prohibited. Any information acquired touching the movements or designs of the French and Spaniards was to be promptly and faithfully communicated. It was not permitted to a trader, without special permission from the gover- nor, to bring an Indian within the limits of the white settle- ments. Persons found trading with the natives without license were to be immediately reported. Matters relating to the affairs und government of the province could not form subjects of con- versation with the natives, and the servants of traders were for- bidden to traffic with the Indians. No servant could remain in the Indian territory ; and if any person in the employment of the trader committed a capital offense, it was made the duty of VOL. 11. 4
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the trader to take him before a magistrate for trial and punish- ment. Upon the renewal of his license each trader was required to submit a statement of all skins and effects purchased from the Indians and of all goods sold or left at his trading-post. It was also incumbent upon him to hand in a journal of all proceedings during his sojourn in the Indian country. No free Indian, ne- gro, or slave could, without special leave, be employed to assist the trader in the prosecution of his calling, or in rowing his boats from any garrison into the red man's territory. Rawhides could not be accepted in exchange for goods. The sale of rum, spirit- uous liquors, and " rifled barrelled guns " was absolutely pro- hibited.
With the exception of an occasional murder resulting from some personal quarrel, or committed under the influence of strong drink, the intercourse between the colonists and the Indians was for many years amicable and satisfactory. This happy state of affairs was largely due to the watchfulness, wisdom, and liberality of Governor Wright, who held the traders to strict accountability and, by apt interviews with the influential chiefs of the Creeks and the Cherokees, and by generous presents, inculcated and maintained friendly relations.
The province of Georgia now consisted of eight parishes which, in pursuance of writs of election issued by Governor Wright in 1761, had the following representation : -
CHRIST CHURCH PARISH. - Savannah. Joseph Ottolenghe, Grey Elliott, Lewis Johnson, and Joseph Gibbons. Acton. Will- iam Gibbons. Vernonburg. Edmund Taunatt. Sea Islands. Henry Yonge. Little Ogeechee. James Read.
ST. MATTHEW'S PARISH. - Abercorn and Goshen. William Francis. Ebenezer. William Ewen, N. W. Jones, and James de Veaux.
ST. GEORGE'S PARISH. - Halifax. Alexander Wylly and James Whitefield.
ST. PAUL'S PARISH. - Augusta. Edward Barnard, John Graham, - Williams, or L. McGillivray.
ST. PHILIP'S PARISH. - Great Ogeechee. Elisha Butler and John Maxwell ..
ST. JOHN'S PARISH. - Midway and Sunbury. Thomas Carter, Parmenus Way, and John Winn.
ST. ANDREW'S PARISHI. - Darien. Robert Baillie and John Holmes.
ST. JAMES' PARISH. - Frederica. Lachlan McIntosh.
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HAPPY INFLUENCE OF GOVERNOR WRIGHT.
In 1765 four additional parishes were laid off between the Alatamaha and the St. Mary's rivers, viz., ST. DAVID, ST. PAT- BICK, ST. THOMAS, and ST. MARY.1
To testify his appreciation of the successful services of his sol- diers in the recent war, and to encourage the rapid settlement of the newly acquired territory, his majesty King George was pleased to grant to each field officer who had served in America five thousand acres of land, to every captain three thousand, to a subaltern officer two thousand, to every non-commissioned officer two hundred, and to each private soldier fifty acres. These grants were to remain free of tax for ten years, but they were subject to the same conditions as to cultivation and. occupancy as were attached to other royal alienations within the same limits.
Alluding to the condition of Georgia at this epoch, Captain McCall 3 thus writes: " No province on the continent felt the happy effects of this public security sooner than Georgia which had long struggled under many difficulties arising from the want of credit from friends and the frequent molestations of enemies. During the lato war the government had been given to a man who wanted neither wisdom to discern nor resolution to pursue the most effectual means for its improvement. While he proved a father to the people and governed the province with equity and justice, he discovered at the same time the excellence of its low- lands and river swamps, by the proper management and diligent cultivation of which he acquired in a few years a plentiful for- tune.3 His example and success gave vigor to industry and pro- moted a spirit of emulation among the planters for improvement. The rich lands were sought for with that zeal, and cleared with that ardor, which the prospect of riches naturally inspired. The British merchants observing the Province safe and advancing to a hopeful and promising state were no longer backward in extend- ing credit to it, but supplied it with negroes and goods of British manufacture with equal freedom as other provinces on the Conti- nent. The planters no sooner got the strength of Africa to assist them than they labored with success, and the lands every year yielded greater and greater increase. The trade of the Province
1 See MeCall's History of Georgia, vol. i. pp. 285, 302. Savannah. 1811.
2 History of Georgia, vol. i. p. 288. Savannah. 1811.
South Carolina had rendered him famil- iar with rice culture ; and, during his so- journ in Georgia, he was recognized as one of the largest and most successful
" Governor Wright's long residence in planters in the colony.
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kept pace with its progress in cultivation. The rich swamps attracted the attention not only of strangers but even of the planters of Carolina who had been accustomed to treat their poor neighbors with the utmost contempt; several of whom sold their estates in that Colony and removed with their families and effects to Georgia. Many settlements were made by the Caro- linians about Sunbury and upon the Alatamaha. The price of produce at Savannah increased as the quality improved, - a cir- cumstance which contributed much to the prosperity of the coun- try. The planters situated on the opposite side of Savannah River found in the capital of Georgia a convenient and excellent market for their staple commodities. In short, from this period the rice, indigo, and naval stores arrived at the markets in Eu- rope of equal excellence and perfection and, in proportion to its strength, in equal quantities with those of its more powerful and opulent neighbors."
So rapid had been the development of the Midway District, and such importance had the town of Sunbury attained, that in September, 1762, Governor Wright,1 with the assent of council, constituted it a port of entry, and appointed Thomas Carr col- lector, John Martin naval officer, and Francis Lee searcher.
Much attention was bestowed upon the public roads of the province, upon the maintenance of ferries at important points, and upon establishing easy communication, by direct lines, be- tween the principal towns. To Captain DeBrahm is great credit due for the intelligence and industry exhibited in the location and construction of these highways. As late as December, 1764, the road from Charlestown to Savannah terminated at Purrys- burg, whence the conveyance was down the river by boat. Soon afterwards, however, a new highway was opened which rested upon the Savannah River less than two miles below the town of Savannah, and there a ferry was established which greatly facili- tated travel and the transmission of postal matter.2
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