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AMERICAN STATE PAPERS: INDIAN AFFAIRS, VOL. I, PAGE 309.
Timothy Barnard to James Seagrove.
Flint River, July 13, 1792.
Dear Sir:
I was honored yesterday with your letter by the Uchee king,
and am exceedingly sorry that it is out of my power to comply
with your request with respect to coming down immediately to
the Rock Landing, as nothing should have hindered me at this time
but so insurmountable an accident as, about ten days ago, the
distemper got amongst my horses, and I have lost nineteen head,
the chief of them the best I had. I had but three valuable riding
horses that I kept purposely for my own riding, which are all three
dead. I have not more than six or seven pack horses left, and they
have, but about ten days ago, come from Beard's Bluff loaded
with salt, and are none of them able to go twenty miles; therefore,
I am sorry to be under the necessity of informing you that I have
not a horse in the world that would carry me ten days to where
you are, at Rock Landing. Had it not been for the misfortune of
losing my horses, I could have furnished you with an excellent one
for Mrs. Seagrove, and one for yourself to ride home upon, which
I could have come down to you immediately with. If I can procure a horse that I think will suit a lady to ride, against I come
down to St. Marys, which will be in about two months from this,
I will bring one down to you there.
I am informed by the Uchee king that you mean to have your
next meeting at your brother's store, on St. Mary's, which I think
will answer a very good purpose, as it will be the means of getting
the Chehawuseche and Kitaheeta people down there, and perhaps
the means of settling matters with them, which there is a great
necessity for at this time, as that villain Bowles has put such
notions in their heads that the devil seems to be in them ever since.
The Cussetah king has been here with me these five days past,
and went off for the town yesterday, just before I received your
letter. The chief of his business was, to inquire of me what I
thought of the present situation of affairs in the nation, as they
found what I had told them respecting Bowles had turned out nearly
as I had told them. He wished to know a little about the grounds
of what this Spanish officer meant by the talks he had given them,
which was, in the first place, not to run the line, but to come down
to a meeting at Pensacola and Mobile, where the Spaniards, this
officer told them, would call the Choctaws, Chickasaws, Cherokees,
and Creeks, and give them all one talk and, when they had all
agreed to one talk, that they should all be furnished with arms
and ammunition, and all other implements of war in their land;
and then, they were to lay still, till they found that the subjects
encroached on their lands, and, if they did, for them to defend
their rights, and that they, the Spaniards, would be at their backs.
This, I told the Cussetah king, he might easily see into, as I had
lately heard that there were some disputes on the Mississippi,
between the Spaniards and Americans, about the land; that the
Spaniards were afraid of the Americans, and that they wanted to
get the Indians to fight the Americans first, to save themselves,
and get the Indians all destroyed, and then think it will be time
enough for them to begin. I told him many other things that I
thought would take with him, which he seemed to take great
notice of.
He says, that as matters cannot be settled till towards the fall,
with the State of Georgia, they have agreed to go and hear the
Spaniards' talk, and if they have any thing to give them they will
take it; but that they are determined not to take any talks to do
any mischief to their friends, the Americans; and if you call a
meeting in the fall they will attend to it, and hopes by that time
matters will be settled agreeable to both parties. The Cussetah
king says, that, if it should be so that any of the other parts of the
nation should stand out and make a war with the United States,
that they will single themselves off from those that want war, and
let them abide by the consequences of it. The part of the nation
that has taken Bowles' part has come into a resolution not one
of them to go down to the Spaniards' talk, as they are, I imagine,
afraid of being taken to task about robbing Mr. Panton's stores,
which I think will be nothing against our country that they do
not go. The busk is now near on hand; if any thing particular
should transpire at that time, I shall do my endeavor to give you
the earliest information. The Cussetah king informs me that
they have, a few days ago, on a meeting of several of the towns,
come to a resolution to take all the horses that may be stolen from
the frontiers of Georgia, and send them immediately back, and if
those that bring them in make any hesitation about delivering
them up, to beat them severely.
This I now write you, goes by one Captain Harrison, that lives
at Carr's Bluff, who arrived here yesterday in quest of six head of
valuable horses, stolen from him by the Uchees. The Cussetah
king and the Uchee king both have promised him very faithfully
to send the horses out to me, that I may send them down to him
early in the spring. The same Captain Harrison had a horse
stolen and a cow killed, and other property robbed from him by
the Uchees, to the amount of six pounds. Captain Harrison
followed them and got his horse, after having a skirmish with them,
as they fought, and were unwilling to give up the horse. As they
were so rusty, and would not give up the horse willingly, he took
back three of their guns, as he did not get any of the rest of his
things. After they came home, they gathered a gang and was
going back by my house to do mischief on the settlements; I therefore thought proper to persuade some of them back, which I
effected, and gave them a letter to Captain Harrison, and informed
him with what I had done, and mentioned as you were now about
bringing on a treaty with the Indians, at the Rock Landing, that
I made no doubt but that you would, if he gave up the guns, make
him satisfaction for his losses, as you would not wish any irruption
with the Indians at this time. Captain Harrison, on seeing my
letter, readily complied, and gave up their guns, and they returned
back in peace. All this happened while you was in the height of
your business at the Rock Landing. Now, sir, as I did this with
a view that nothing might interrupt your business, I shall take it
kind in you to make Captain Harrison retaliation for his losses,
as I promised him that you would do it. He has promised to take
or send this letter up to you. I shall endeavor to be at your treaty
at St. Marys, if possible I can in the Fall, and should be glad to
hear from you by the first opportunity. Nothing more, but wish
you health, and remain yours, &c.
TlMOTHY BARNARD.
AMERICAN STATE PAPERS: INDIAN AFFAIRS, VOL. I, PAGE 386.
Copy of a letter from Timothy Barnard.
Flint River, April 19, 1793.
Dear Sir:
I wrote you a few days ago by Aikens, who went on by way of
Newport, and acquainted you with every matter that occurred to
me at that time. Your demand for satisfaction has been fully
explained to the Indians.
Mr. Kinnard, before your express arrived, sent me word, that
when expresses came up for that purpose, to leave it to him, as he
knew it would endanger my life to interfere in that business, as I
was a white man, which I was daily informed of by Indians and
white people from the Chehaws.
That notorious fellow, Galphin, has done all in his power to
set those Chehaw villains on me; and Mr. Hanard, by what I
can learn, has done the same; but I am in hopes that those two
villains' race is nearly run. I am fully convinced, that if it had
not been for those two scoundrels, there would have been none of
this mischief that has happened. I have great reason to believe,
before many days, to hear of some of the offenders losing their
lives, at least as many as were murdered on the St. Marys; but
as to their giving up the whole of the offenders to be punished, I
fear that is totally out of their power.
The Upper Creeks are determined, by what I can learn, to give
full satisfaction, which you will be fully informed of by Mr. McDonald, who is the bearer of this, with the express from Alexander
Cornell, and the Mad Dog. Alexander Cornell has been down to
the Cussetahs, on the business of getting satisfaction, and they have
settled it among themselves what is to be done. I should, though
at the risk of my life, have went myself to the towns on the business,
but the day after I received your express, had information of the
Half-way-house King, or Tail King, and all his towns round him,
setting off to war on the upper parts of Georgia, and a number of
the Tusehatche in the Upper Creeks, and the Tail King. On hearing of this, I sent off a runner to a village about thirty miles this
side the Cussetahs, and about forty miles from where I live, where
the Warrior king and one of the head warriors of the Cussetahs
resided; they immediately came, and I sent the head warrior off
next morning to the town, to despatch off runners after those
gangs of the Upper Creeks that I heard were turned out. I, at the
same time, made them both fully acquainted with your demand for
satisfaction, which was immediately made known fully in the
Cussetah's square, where they consulted, and were fully determined
to give satisfaction; and it would have been done before this,
had not those Upper town gangs turned out to war.
The people that I sent out, stopped the Tallassee king and his
party, and turned them back. I have not heard of the return of
the other gang, but there are five runners after them, therefore,
I hope they will be stopped. I need not say much to you respecting the disposition of the Upper Creeks, as Mr. Alexander Cornell's
letter will inform you fully; by what I can learn, the chief of all the
Upper Creeks are much inclined for peace. It is thought those
two towns that went out, were persuaded to it by that villain
Grearson, which, if it is proved against him, the Mad Dog and
Alexander Cornell says, shall cost him his life. Almost all the
Upper Creeks, to a man, are turned out against the Chickasaws;
near two thousand of them it seems have started.
Charles Weatherford, by what I can learn, is doing all he can for
the good of the United States; and I think, was he sure of your
protection, would be a very useful man in that quarter against
the Spanish commissaries, as there is one, I hear, just arrived at
the Upper Creeks, and that rascal, Melford, is at the Tuckaubtachees. Weatherford has great influence in that quarter, and
wants revenge from the Dons for making a prisoner of him. I
think, if you were to give him instructions, and the same to Alexander Cornell, they would soon run off the Spanish commissary, as, while they are there, there will be no good talks from them
towards us. Mr. McDonald, the bearer of this, informs me, that
Mr. Panton and Governor O'Neal, both, are called home to the
Court of Madrid, to answer to a complaint lodged there against
them by the United States, and that a Colonel White is made
Governor of Pensacola; the truth of this, a little time will make
appear. Mr. Panton, I find, has sent very pressingly for the headmen of the Upper and Lower Creeks to come down to him; but I
have done all I can to stop the Lower towns, and wrote Alexander
Cornell to stop the Upper towns, and believe there is no danger of
any of them going, as the Chickasaw's war will help keep them
back. The Chickasaws have already killed some of the Cussetahs,
near the Mobile, and carried off some children.
The Cussetahs are still as firm friends as ever, and I believe will
do every thins they can to give satisfaction for what's done. Mr.
Holmes has acquainted you fully with what has happened lately
with the Cowetas, on the upper frontier. I am almost afraid that
such intermission taking place will put matters past being settled.
Those villains, the Chehaws, when some of them gets killed for
what they have done, will perhaps be for doing more mischief,
to make matters general. They threaten Kinnard's life, as well as
mine, about satisfaction being demanded; therefore I could do
no more than what I have done. I expect I shall have to clear out
from this, somewhere, soon, especially when some of the murderers
get killed, which I expect will be as soon as they find that those
Upper Creeks are turned back, without doing any mischief. I
need not mention to you, as you are able to judge, what confusion
there is at this time here. Every white man that is a friend to the
United States is in danger, therefore cannot act as they would wish.
I now expect Mordecai up every day from you; and, if affairs do
not take too bad a turn, will set off to the Cussetahs, and, from
that, to the Upper Creeks, and endeavor to do the best I can.
I would have stayed at the Cussetahs, but, if I had, I must have
starved, as there is not a quart of corn to be bought there at any
price, nor within seventy miles round.
Alexander Cornell says he does not know how to act respecting
those Spanish commissaries, without you send him instructions
how. to act, which, I think, if you did, between him and Charles
Weatherford, they would soon rout them. Yesterday Fed. Charves
arrived here back from Carr's Bluff on the Oconee, where he had
been to conduct Aikens that far into Georgia, as he found it not
safe to stay any longer at the Chehaws, nor yet to go the path from
there down. Charves informs me that, while he was there, General
Irwin. and the Brigadier General of the State, were laying out
the ground for a fort at Carr's Bluff; and, by a letter I had from
there, am informed, the next day they were to proceed to Long
Bluff, and, from that, to the White Bluff, for the purpose of laying
the ground out for two more forts, which I am glad to hear that
there is some preparation making in that way, as I am much afraid
there will be a call for forts before the matter ends. I wish it may
not be the case. While Charves was at Carr's Bluff, there came
a man just from on John Fords, who was shot at, at Ford's house,
the house plundered, and Ford's wife stripped naked. Such things
as these are enough to agitate the minds of the people on the
frontier, not to spare one wherever they find them. This I know
to be a party of the Chehaws, who went off to steal horses, since
the murders were committed, and came up, just before Charves,
with six or seven head.
The sooner you can despatch McDonald back with the letters
the better, as Cornell and the Mad Dog will be very uneasy till he
returns. Our friends, Cornell and Kinnard, both, by what I can
learn, has neither slept nor ate much since this mischief has happened. Kinnard, I am told, keeps the American colors
flying,
and means to do so, and remain at home, if he hears of any army
marching, and the Cussetah town means to follow the same step.
My best wishes for your health, &c.
T. B.
St. Marys, April 30, 1793. - I certify the preceding pages to be copied from the originals, in my office.
J. S. SEAGROVE, Agent I. A.
Timothy Barnard to Gen. Blackshear.
Flint River, January 14, 1815.
Sir:
I received a letter for you from the Agency last evening by express, which I send to you this morning by a red man of Chehaw.
I had to promise him four dollars before he would undertake the
business, which you will please pay him on delivery of the letter.
He says he will take the value in homespun if you do not wish to
pay money.
If the Chehaw man I send you had not been here, I know not how
I could have got your letter to you, as I could not have got one of
the Uchees to have undertaken the business if I had offered them
ten dollars, as they say some of the red people in that quarter are
much displeased with them for acting as spies here and at the
Agency. I have given the bearer a strict charge: therefore I
hope you will get your letter safe delivered.
Remain, sir, your most obedient,
TIM'Y BARNARD.
Timothy Barnard (Indian Chief) to Gen. Blackshear.
Flint River, December 2, 1815.
Sir:
I received yours last evening by Mr. Volice and Mr. Jas. Joice,
and fully observed the contents. I send on your letters this morning to the Agency, by express to Gen. McIntosh. The general, I expect, got to Fort Mitchell last evening. I had some information
yesterday by a red man which I believe is true, - that is, that the
British have erected their forts near the forks of these rivers, and
one down at Forbes's Store, and that there is a number of British
landed there. It is reported by the red people from the quarter
that the red people do not wish to join the British in these wars.
The Chehaw people - near where you will arrive on Flint River -
are all inclined to be peaceable and assist our army. A man arrived
from there yesterday, requesting me to send the chiefs a few lines
to show when you arrive on Flint River, that you may know your
friends. The chiefs of Chehaw say they will be glad to furnish
you with all the beef and hogs they have to spare, and render you
any other service in their power. I expect one of my sons will be
down there, to assist you, that speaks our language.
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