- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Letter with enclosure], 1825 May 3, Fayett[e] County, Georgia [to] Geo[rge] M. Troup, Gov[erno]r [of Georgia], Milledgeville, Geo[rgi]a / Francis Flournoy
- Creator:
- Flournoy, Francis
- Date of Original:
- 1825-05-03
- Subject:
- Creek Indians--Land tenure
McIntosh, William, approximately 1775-1825--Assassination
Hawkins, Samuel, d. 1825--Assassination
Tustunnuggee, Etome, d. 1825--Assassination - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- Letter dated May 3, 1825 from Francis Flournoy to Georgia Governor George M. Troup containing a copy of the letter Jane Hawkins wrote to United States Commissioners Duncan Campbell and James Meriwether reporting the attack by Creeks opposed to the Treaty of Indian Springs, 1825, upon the estate of Creek leader William McIntosh, a signer of the treaty. Jane Hawkins' letter is tcc189 of the Southeastern Native American Documents Database. Flournoy is purported to be an eyewitness of the attack that resulted in the deaths of William McIntosh, Samuel Hawkins, and Etomme Tustenuggee, all party to the recent land cession. He is also thought by some to be the author of the Jane Hawkins' letter since it is believed that Hawkins could not write.
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:
- tcc190
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc190
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc190#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc190/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: [title of item], Telamon Cuyler, 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, Telamon Cuyler, box 78, folder 07, document 02.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Jane Hawkins
3 May 1825
Indian murders
His Excellency Geo. [George] M. Troup Milledgeville Geoa [Georgia]
Page: [2]
Fayett County
3rd May 1825
[unclear text: Colo. [Colonel] ] Campbell and Major Meriwether,
My dear friends, I send you this paper, which will not tell you a lie, but if it had ten tongues it coud [could] not tell you all the truth. -- On the Morning of the
30th of April at break of day, my Fathers house was surrounded by a party of Hostile Indians, to the number of several hundred, who instantly fired his dwelling, and Murdered him, and Thomas Tustunnuggee by shooting more than one hundred balls into them, and took away the whole of Fathers money and property which they coud [could] carry off, [added text: and destroyed the rest ] leaving the family no Clothes (some not one rag) nor provision. Brother Chilly was at Fathers and made his escape through a Window under cover of a Travelling white man who obtained leave for them to come out that way. It being not yet light, he was not discovered.
While those hostiles were Murdering my beloved Father, they were tying my Husband (Colo Saml. [Colonel Samuel] Hawkins) with Cords, to wait the arrival of [unclear text: Itockchunga, Thloccocoscomicco and Munnawwa ], who were the commanders at Fathers, to give orders for the Colos [Colonel's] execution Also, which took place about 3 oclock the same day. And these barbarous men, not content with spilling the blood of both my Husband and Father to attone [atone] for their constant friendship to both your Nation and our own; refused my hands the painful previledge [privilege] of covering his body up in the very ground which he lately defended, against those Hostile Murderers, and drove me from my home, stript [stripped] of my two best friends in one day, stript [stripped] of all my [added text: property ], my provision, and my Cothing [Clothing] with a more painfull [painful] reflection than all these, that the body of my poor murdered husband shoud [should] remain unburied, [unclear text: be ] devoured by the birds, and the beasts. (Was ever poor woman worse off than I ?). I have this moment arrived among our white friends, who altho [although] they are very kind, have but little to be stow [bestow] on me, and my poor helpless infant, who must suffer befor [before] any aid can reach us from you, but I can live a great while, on very little, besides the Confidence I have on you, and your Government. For I know by
Page: [3]
your promise, you will aid and defend us, as soon as you hear from our situation. These Murderers are the very same Hostiles who treated the whites 10 years ago, as they have now treated my husband and Father who say they are determined to kill all who had any hand in selling the Land, and when they have Completed the work, of Murdering, Burning, plundering and distruction [destruction], they will send the President word that they have saved their Land, and taken it back and that he and the white people never shall have it again. Which is the order of the heads of the Nation, by the advice of the Agent. We expect that many of our best friends are already Killed but have not heard, by reason of the waters being too high for word to go quick, which is the Only reason Colo. [Colonel] Miller and others on his side of the River were not Killed. We are in a dreadful Condition, & I don't think there will be one ear of corn made in this part of the Nation, for the whole of the friendly party have fled to Dekalb and Fayett Counties, two [too] much alarmed to return to their houses to get a little grain of what corn they left, for themselves and their families to subsist on, much more to stay at home to make more, and we fear every day that what little provision we left will be destroyed. I am afraid you will think I make it worse, but how can that be, for it is worse of its self than any pen can write, My Condition admits of no equal, & mocks me when I try to speak of it, After I was [deleted text: was ] stript [stripped] of my last Frock but one, humanity and duty called on me to pull it off, and spread it over the body of my dead Husband, (which was allowed no other Covering) which I did, as a Farewell witness of my Affection, I was 25 miles from any friend (but sister Catharine, who was with me) and had to stay all night in the woods, surrounded by a thousand hostile Indians, who were constantly insulting and affrighting us. And now I am here with only One Old Coat to my back, and not a Morsel of Bread to save us from perishing, Or a rag of a Blanket to Cover my poor little boy from the sun at Noon
Page: [4]
or the due [dew] at Night. & I am a poor distracted orphan and Widow.
[Signed] Jane Hawkins
Colo. Duncan G. Campbell and Majr Jas. [Major James] Meriwether United States Commiss [Commissioners]
P.S. If you think proper I wish this to be published
[Signed] J. H. [Jane Hawkins]
Sir, this Sheet Contains a Copy of a letter I promised to send with safety, to Colo Saml. [Colonel Samuel] Hawkins' Widow, who is now in Genl. [General] Wares Neighbourhood [Neighborhood] Fayett County, or at the Indian Springs -- you will do her a great favor by sending it on -- This letter is (as you see) written [added text: by Mrs Hawkins ] to the Commss [Comissioners] soon after the death of Colo [Colonel] Hawkins, & was sent [unclear text: Open ] as far as Madison, that I might draw her a copy and send back to her -- .
I have the Honor to be your most Obt Hble Servt [Obedient Honorable Servant]
[Signed] Francis [unclear text: Flournoy ]
Govr. [Governor] Troup. --