- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter] 1814 Jan. 26, Washington, [D.C. to] David B. Mitchell, Milledgeville, Georgia / Cha[rle]s Tait
- Creator:
- Tait, Charles, 1786-1835
- Date of Original:
- 1814-01-26
- Subject:
- United States--Politics and government--1812-1815
Creek War, 1813-1814
Florida--History--Spanish colony, 1784-1821 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This document is a letter from Charles Tait, U.S. Senator from Georgia, to David B. Mitchell, Governor of Georgia (1809-1813, 1815-1817), dated January 26, 1814. Tait reports on a number of different issues in the current session of Congress, paying particular note to the situation in East Florida where hostilities have been prolonged in the attempt to secure the territory for the U.S. Tait also discusses the Creek War and laments that it has become a protracted action. He had hoped the war would end before winter, but confesses it may drag on for quite some time. He mentions that the mismanagement of the war may cause its leaders to become unpopular, though he is careful not to criticize the commanders in the field.
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:
- krc162
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc162
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc162#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_krc162/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:
- 4 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Keith Read, box 27, folder 11, document 01.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Washington
Jany. [January] 26th. 1814.
Dear Genl. [General]
Your letter of the 3d instant has been duly received. I have written you twice or thrice since the commencement of the present Session of Congress, in which I gave you all the information in my power relative to the particular object of the [unclear text: wishes ] of both of us. Docr. [Doctor] Bibb also wrote you a few day past relative to our joint efforts in that business. We have heard nothing directly from the Govt. on this subject; nor do I now expect to hear anything. Last week Brigadiers Brown & Izzard of the Northern Army were nominated to the Senate Major Generals and Colonels McComb & J. Smith, Brigadiers- These nominations have been [unclear text: advised ] & consented to by the Senate -- So that we now have all the Major Generals allowed by Law and all
Page: [2]
the Brigadiers, except one. From these nominations I infer that it is the policy of the War Department not to take away any more Generals from civil life. If this inference is correct, I [unclear text: reject ] it on your account. I have urged your pretensions because I think them well founded & that the interest of the Country would be protected by your entering the Service -- I am sensible too of the injustice you have suffered and should have been gratified on that account, if an opportunity had been afforded you of acquiring reputation in the field --
I suspect our southern friends are too sanguine on the Subject of the Floridas. I believe it is not the wish at Head Quarters that that question should be stired [stirred] at present. Negotiation is the order of the day and it is not the policy of Govt. to create any new obstacles to Peace. Indeed such are the strange events in these eventful times, who knows but [unclear text: Don Onis ] may be shortly received as minister from Spain and that we may get the Floridas by negotiation. It is certain we make
Page: [3]
a bad hand at fighting on Land. Little except disgrace, disaster & mortification have followed our arms on that theatre. The Creek War drags heavily on. I had confidently hoped it would be finished before the end of the Winter, but I begin to fear that it is to be a protracted struggle, not for want of men nor courage but for want of proper management in the Staff -- -- It is said our poor fellows [added text: to the South ] have suffered much for want of Supplies - this is shameful. I fear, from these & other causes the War & those who conduct it, must, if no change take place, become unpopular. I mean those who have the management here. As to Genl [General] Floyd & our officers who are concerned in the Indian War, I presumed all have been done which could have been done.
You will have seen before this reaches you the propositions of the B.G. [Brigadier General] for a direct negotiation with this Country- And that Mssrs. [unclear text: Bayard ], Adams, Clay & Russell have been appointed on our part. You will have seen also that great changes have taken place in Europe in a few months past -- The French have suffered
Page: [4]
greatly - Will great Britain be [illegible text] on this account? Have we any good ground to believe that she will bring into the conferences [illegible text] our Envoys, really, the spirit of moderation and disposition to do us justice on the subject of impresment [impressment] ? If she should, it is contrary to her usual character & conduct and I shall be agreeably disappointed.
I am Sir Your very hl. Sert. [humble Servant]
[Signed] C. Tait
From
C. Tait . Genl. [General] David B. Mitchell Milledgeville Georgia.
Mail.
Chas. [Charles] Tait
26 Jany. [January] 1814