- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Reply to the deputation from Kin[ache] and Paine [i.e., Payne and the] talk [of John ?] Kinnard / Colo[nel] Benjamin Hawkins
- Creator:
- Hawkins, Benjamin, 1754-1816
- Date of Original:
- 1730/1842
- Subject:
- Creek Indians--Warfare
- Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- Copy(?) of messages from Benjamin Hawkins, U.S. Agent for Indian Affairs, in response to both the deputation from Seminole chiefs Kinache and Payne and the talk of (John?) Kinnard (also Kennard), a Creek leader. Hawkins focuses on actions taken by warring Creeks and Seminoles against the people of Georgia near Traders Hill and the St. John's River, saying that they were unwarranted and unacceptable. He urges the Indians to return plundered property to the citizens of Georgia as well as all runaway slaves living amongst them and surrender those involved in the murders to the governor. The Mikasuki leader Wolf Warrior and Georgians General George Mathews and Colonel Thomas A. Smith are mentioned. This document is undated, but judging by the content, it was probably written in late 1812.
Digital image of original manuscript, scanned by the University of Georgia Libraries in 2000, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- krc015
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc015
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc015#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc015/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Keith Read, Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, presented in the Digital Library of Georgia
- Extent:
- 3 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Keith Read, box 12, folder 28, document 01.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Colo. [Colonel] Hawkins in reply to the deputation from [unclear text: Kinhijee ] & Paine.
I have received your talk by the wolf warrior & [unclear text: Checopcheke Emautlau ] . I am the friend of the red people and shall always take pleasure in rendering them service. In applying to me as such you will never be disappointed. I know that in the late conduct of the warring Indians they did wrong. The talks of Genl. [General] Mathews & Colo. [Colonel] Smith were friendly & when the red people exchanged them for the talk of a negro they must have acted as bad men; which they have proved by their conduct. They crossed into Georgia near Traders Hill, killed one boy & wounded another, when the people of Georgia had done them no Injury. They attacked the white-people on St. John's, killed more than eight of them, plundered and burnt houses, & carried of [off] a Great many negroes; Murdered one of Colo [Colonel] Smith's Soldiers near his camp; and aided in attacking a small detachment of Soldiers going [added text: with waggons [wagons] ] for Provisions, Wounded the Capt., of which he died, & some soldiers; & continued to plunder every Plantation on St. Johns & doing other mischiefs known to all of you. All this was done before any whitepeople [white people] appeared in arms against you. You were fiting [fitting] out another plundering party, when some Georgia Volunteers heard of you, a few of them took only four days provisions to meet & give you battle. You know the rest. I believe the Volunteers had 7 men killed & 14 Wounded, & from an unexpected circumstance one company of riflemen did not aid in the battle. You lay the blame on a negroe [negro] & on Tusoki Abbee of Mauchee; you should not do this the warring Indians should blame themselves for no one else was to blame; They wanted to kill whitepeople [white people], to rob their houses, burn them & steal negros [negroes] & they did it. Instead of listening to wild people, if they had listened to the Chiefs of the nation, red people & white people would now be friends. Instead of this you have paid
Page: [2]
attention to people who have placed you in the road to ruin. You have lost blood, you will loose [lose] more, & you will loose [lose] your land I see but one way to prevent this; every negro, & all the property taken or destroyed belonging to the people on St. Johns must be returned to the owners; all the property or negros [negroes] taken from Georgia, or who run from their owners there or in any other parts of the U.S. must be given up. & the party who committed the murders on Trader's Hill must be given up to the Governor of Georgia. If the red People are ready to do this I am ready to step forward as their friend & make peace for them, If they keep the negroes Stolen or runaways from the whitepeople [white people] either in the U.S or East Florida & property plundered. If they take part with the murderers of the boys near Traders Hill they need not talk of peace as there will be no peace. I shall see the Governor Georgia in 7 days, I shall [added text: write ] to the officer commanding the Troops of the U.S. in the Southern States & to the secretary of war, as soon as I hear from them I will send a runner to you. And I myself will meet any where [anywhere] with the chiefs of the Warring Indians & Such Chiefs of the Creek Nation as may be appointed to attend for the purpose of Making peace.
Colo [Colonel] Hawkins to Mr Kinnard.-
I have received your talk. What you say is right after the friendly attention of the whitepeople [white people] to the Indians, as the Warring Indians have begun with the whitepeople [white people] they will have no peace 'till [until] they do Justice; & the sooner they are ready to do it the better. & if the warring Indians come among us we shall see the white people after them. & we shall get into difficulties. If peace is not soon made, the warring Indians will have lost their country. The whitepeople [white people] want nothing belonging to the red people & are determined to do themselves Justice, they will not pay for the delivering their own property unjustly taken from them.
Page: [3]
Those who have it must put it back. The Americans will not buy a peace, they are just to all Nations & all nations shall do justice to them.
[Signed] Benjamin Hawkins Agent for Indian Affrs. [Affairs]
[Signed] Timothy Barnard [unclear text: At ] & Intr. [Interpreter]
[Signed] Christian Lienbaugh Asstt [Assistant] Agent for I.A. [Indian Affairs]