- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1818 May 20, Milledgeville, [Georgia to] General D[avid] B. Mitchell, Creek Agency / W[illia]m Rabun, [Governor of Georgia]
- Creator:
- Georgia. Governor (1817-1819 : Rabun)
- Date of Original:
- 1818-05-20
- Subject:
- Creek Indians--Violence against
Creek Indians--Government relations
Seminole War, 1st, 1817-1818 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This is a letter from William Rabun (Governor of Georgia, 1817-1819) to General David B. Mitchell (former Governor of Georgia, 1809-1813 and 1815-1817), current U.S. agent to the Creek Indians. Rabun mentions recent letters that he has received about Captain Obed Wright's unwarranted attack on innocent Creeks in the Chehaw Village in April 1818. Rabun tries to justify the attack by explaining that Captain Wright's detachment descended on the village because they had been told by credible sources that the Indians living there were under the leadership of Chief Hopaunee, whose warriors had been hostile towards frontier settlers. Rabun apologizes for the mistake but says that civilian casualties are an unfortunate part of war. He laments the negative attention that this attack has generated among the people of the state, particularly as it obscures the recent "outrages" committed by the Creeks. To appease the public, Rabun has ordered a tribunal to investigate the attack. In the meantime, he urges Mitchell to express his apologies to the Creeks.
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2001, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- krc140
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc140
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc140#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc140/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:
- 6 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Keith Read, box 20, folder 51, document 02.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Executive Department Georgia Milledgeville
20th. May 1818.
Sir
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 6th inst. [instant] enclosing a Copy of a letter from Old Mr. Barnard, & one from the Little Prince Speaker of the Lower Creeks, both on the subject of the late unfortunate attack made by a detachment of Georgia Militia under Captain Wright on the Chehaw Village which had previously been supposed to be friendly.
I have examined these Communications with the candor their importance naturally required. It is unquestionably your duty as Agent to attend to the complaints of the Red people and cause justice to be done to them as far as your powers will extend. -- It will also readily be acknowledged by all, that my duty as Governor of the State, requires that I should defend the cause of the Whites as far as that cause can be supported by the great principles of Justice. -- As you have furnished me with the Indian
Page: [2]
account of this transaction, and assured me of the friendship towards the whites that existed among them prior to the attack; I feel it incumbent on me to explain to you and thro' [through] you to the Nation over which you preside, the motives by which the Officers were actuated who conducted the enterprise and the grounds upon which they will attempt to justify the proceeding, or extenuate the guilt that may in the view of some men be attached to them -- You will readily acknowledge the decided and inveterate hostility of those Indians which belong to the Vilages [Villages] under the immediate direction and controul [control] of the Chiefs Hopaunee and Phelemmee, and that the orders which eminated [emanated] from this department for their chastisement was both necessary and proper -- You are also well apprised that the orders given confined them Specially to that object -- So far then as respects myself I feel perfectly justified in the measures I adopted and which I deemed essentially necessary to prevent a repetition of the horrid murders and depredations committed by those Indians on our unprotected frontier --
Page: [3]
I will now undertake to offer in behalf of the detachment the best apology for their conduct that I may be able to furnish and which I am authorized to state, can be supported by ample proof. -- When the detachment was on their way to and reached the neighborhood of Fort Early they were credibly informed by several persons of veracity that the celebrated old Chief Hopaunee (whose town had all joined the hostile party) had removed and was at that time living in [added text: the ] Village upon which the attack was made, and was considered as their principal leader, and that a great portion of them was alledged [alleged] to be under his immediate direction, altho' [although] part of them might be with McIntosh -- They therefore considered themselves authorized to attack it as being one of Hopaunee's Towns. -- The result I need not mention, as you have seen the statements made by Captains Wright and Robinson which I am authorized by very respectable testimony to assure you, was substantially true, except as to the number reported to have been killed, which was fortunately incorrect. --
Page: [4]
Now Sir if I have been misinformed and given a wrong construction to this affair, I should like very much to have more Correct information, but if it should be founded in fact, what more can you or the Indians require, than for me to assure you, that I regret the circumstance, and consider it as one of the misfortunes attendant on war, where the innocent frequently suffer in Common with the guilty -- I have however, for the satisfaction and information of the public, as well as for the reputation of the Officer who commanded the expedition, Ordered him to this place for the purpose of having his conduct investigated by a military tribunal. -- This unfortunate affair has been shamefully misrepresented by many of our Citizens, whose delicate feelings seem to have forgotten the many wanton outrages that have been committed on our frontier by the Indians, and would even cover the whole State with disgrace, merely because this small detachment have in this instance [added text: mistook their orders and ] carried their resentment to an improper extent. --
The experience of all ages have shewn [shown], that it
Page: [5]
it is much easier for us to complain of the conduct of others (and especially those in responsible Stations) than to correct our own. --
I have ascertained, that the property left by the Indians who were run off from, or near Docr. [Doctor] Birds Store on the Ocmulgee, some time past, is now in the possession of Mr. Richard Smith in the lower end of Twiggs County, and will be delivered at any time when proper application shall be made. --
You will please to assure the Red people under your care, that I feel a disposition to maintain peace and friendship with them on liberal terms. --
I have the honor to be,
Very Respectfully your Ob. [Obedient] Servant.
[Signed] Wm [William] Rabun
Genl. D. B. [General David Brydie] Mitchell Agent for Indian Affairs Creek Agency.
Page: [6]
Governor Rabun
20th. May 1818.