Letter, 1814 Sept. 26, Hartford, [Georgia to] Peter Early, [Governor of Georgia], Milledgeville, [Georgia] / Capt[ain] Rich[ar?]d H. Thomas

Page: [1]

[ Note: Mathematical calculations appear at the top and bottom of this page. ]
Hartford Ga [illegible text] 20

29th Septr. [September]
His Excellency Peter Early. Milledgeville (Ga)
Recd. [Received]
3 Oct.





Page: [2]


Hartford,
Sepr. [September] 26th 1814
Sir,
In Obedience to a general order, dated the 19 Inst. [Instant], ordering an Expedition [added text: to Flint river ] which had for its object; First, the discovery of hostile Indians if any there were, lurking in that quarter; secondly the ascertaining the most practicable rout [route] for a road from Hartford [unclear text: &.C. [et cetera] ] the command of which I was honored with, In the 21st inst. [instant] with 19 privates, 1 Sergeant, 1 corporal & 2 pilots, I commenced the march, crossed the Ocmulgee opposite [deleted text: this ] this place, and struck the Hitchetee trail, the course of which is pretty nearly [added text: 40° ] SSW. which course I pursued 2,0 miles, then changed it to 20° SS.W. till I struck Flint river, down which I proceeded for 10 miles, and arrived at a small Indian town, called Tal - lee - hoo - an - nau,. I had previously, when at the distance of 18 or 20 miles from the town, dispatched my pilots to inform the Indians of my approach, [deleted text: made of ] the number of my men, & the object of my coming At the time & place appointed, my pilots met me, & informed me, that the Indians wished us to meet them, in the above named town, the next morning for the purpose of holding a talk with the chiefs. When I arrived withintwo [within two] hundred yards of the town, ten or twelve armed Indians were discovered, posted in front of the town. -- I ordered a halt, and advanced, with the pilots, towards them; they directed us to proceed to their public square I complyed [complied] . And when arrived there, we found 40 or 50 armed warriors around the square; & in a short time about 100 unarmed war sheds up from behind a small Bluff of the river; behind which I afterwards found their guns, and among them one or two British musketts [muskets] .
Every thing being prepared for the talk, I was directed to talk first, and they would answer me. I then stated in full, from whom I had my authority, & the object of my visit [unclear text: &.C. [et cetera] ] .
To which they replyed [replied], [deleted text: that ] "the chiefs of the different towns are to meet in four days at Perrimans, in order to agree with each other, not to take up arms against either the British or Americans, but to let the two brothers fight their own battles, -- We will be friends with each, when they come among us to trade -- Col. Hawkins & the British officer that was at the


Page: [3]
fork of the river have advised us to do so."
To my enquiries [inquiries] about the British officer alluded to, and the Indians that were with him, they answered that he & they were gone to Pensacola. To that part of my instructions which directed me to proceed to the falls of Flint river they objected, first because, they say, they know of no such place; secondly because any information that we could get by going there, might be had from them, as one or two of their young men had first returned from below, and thirdly, because their hunters were down the river, and they wished them not to be alarmed, and [unclear text: besides ], they said, if the hunters should see us, they would not understand our business, and there might be mischief done -- They therefore insisted that I should return immediately, and inform the governor that they did not understand this talk, and if he wished to send them anymore talks, not to send armed men, nor more than two or three; For more would alarm them. So on the
24th, we took up the [added text: [unclear text: return ] ] march, and on the
25th all arrived safe in Hartford.
By the small plan inclosed, you may perhaps get some crude Ideas of the relative situation of several places.
With submission, I presume your information, with respect to Hitchee [unclear text: Touchee ] is incorrect, as I take the talleehooannau, to be where, in your plan, hitcheetouchee, is marked; And besides I had men with me who are well acquainted at all those places -- From them I learn that the old Hitcheetee town, which, now, is without an inhabitant, is 20 or 30 miles below where we were, on the other side of the river; and that the hitchetee new town, which is also deserted, is 30 or 40 miles beyond the river.
I suppose the most practicable rout [route] for a road, will be nearly as I went, as in that rout [route] there is generally a plenty of water, which, as I am informed by men who know, is almost always scarce below, -- for it appears that a road in a direct line from Hartford to where I struck Flint river, would be on a ridge, way nearly the whole distance --


Page: [4]


With great respect, I have the honor to be your very obedient & humble Servant.
[Signed] Richd. H. Thomas Capt.
Cavalry of Pulaski County



[ Note: A drawing of a hand appears to the left of the text. ] The draft alluded to in this letter, was enclosed to Genl. [General] Blackshear [deleted text: dated ] in a letter dated
16 Decemr. [December] 1814
[Signed] A. Porter

Letter
Rich.d H. Thomas
dated
26th Septemr. [September] 1814.
Indian War