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Sir
Ever Since my letter of
May I have lost no time from [unclear text: rising ] my Indeavers [Endeavors] to Cultivate our friendship with the Chickesaw and Choctaw Nations and have fully Succeeded as yet
But from the Artfullness [Artfulness] of Spain I fear if they are not amediatley [immediately] by us Supplyed [Supplied] we shall loose [lose] their friendship, [added text: the Spaniards ] [deleted text: they ] found but little attention was Payd [Paid] to thire [their] Talks and they have now got Messrs [Misters] Meathers and Strothers Two English Merchants in N. [New] Orleans to write their talks, and it is said they Come from their Old Brothers, It is then Urged to them by the traders who formerly were Enemys [Enemies] to America that Britton and Spain has Joined and Are going to war with America this Language has taken some Impression on them as they are yet fonder of Britton than any other Power I have inclosed [enclosed] your honour [honor] a letter I Recd [Received] from [unclear text: Francey Mestubley ], our Private Talk, and a Talk the Chickesaws Maid [Made] at a Genl [General] Meeting in Concequence [Consequence] of my leaving their Land


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I waited on F. M. Agreable [Agreeable] to his Request and was in Council with him before the talks, and Advised him to sutch [such] answers as I thought best -- (the talks Agreing [Agreeing] with the Letter he wrote me) I desired him to ask them If Britton and they had Taken hands and were our People why they wanted him to give up that Meddle [Medal] and Connection he had so faithfully Stuck to, was it not as well if they were our People for him to keep the British [unclear text: Meddle [Medal] ] as to take a Spanish One
(The traders had Just got up the full Goods,) Therefore I desired he might inform them the Season was so far advanced that they had not time to attend their Treaty, and as he was going out himself no More Talks Could be had untill [until] Spring -- Govr. [Governor] [unclear text: Miro ] Returned his thanks [added text: in the same letter ] to Mr. Alexander Fraser for the grate [great] Attention he had Paid to them by Indeavouring [Endeavoring] to gain the Indians to them Intrust -- and more Particular for his Sending him a Copy of the Treaty Betwean [Between] America and the Indians not doubting But he would Still run his [unclear text: Intrest ] to get the Indians to Come down


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Mr. Benj. [Benjamin] James then informed the Indians It was Impossable [Impossible] for America to Supply them the distance was so far Besides thire [their] Credit was [illegible text] so they need not Expect any good, from them he then Called to the Traders and informed thim [them] he had Recd [received] Letters from the [unclear text: Commt. [Commandant] ] of Mobeall Giving him a full Power to Act in that Nation and to see that all Orders that should Come to the Nations from the Spaniards Should Punctually be Attended to and that any person that was found in the Nation without a Spanish Passport he must have Confined and Sent down to him I now inform you says he If I hear of Any person Being in any of your Company that is not a trader and you do not bring him to me I will have you taken and Sent down in their Place he then turned to me and said I had herd [heard] his Orders and demanded to know my business there for he beleaved [believed] I had bean [been] giving the Indians my Advise [Advice] not to Lissen [Listen] to the Talks that had bean [been] Brought to them -- I maid [made] him no answer but spoke to the King and informed him what


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had bean [been] Said, he amediately [immediately] informed Mr. James he had Sent for me It was his land and desired he might hear no more of that Talk from him -- About fifteen days after I Recd [Received] a Letter from Govr. [Governor] Miro informing me I had before herd [heard] then [unclear text: Clasin ] was as far up as the Mouth of the Ohio and Expected I had Continued my Jorney [Journey] beyond that, but finding I had Stoped [Stopped] in the Nation had to inform me if I was not gown [going] Amediatily [Immediately] he Should have me Aprehendid [Apprehended], I Red [Received] the Letter to the Chickesaw King where I was when I Recd. [Received] it he Said the gentleman would be mutch [much] mistaken if he Tryed [Tried] it -- Finding things in This Situation I was than [then] Resolved to work on your Honour [Honor] in Person with the Chickesaw King who has Accompanyed [Accompanied] me to this place, but Meeting with the [unclear text: Baner ] and Mr. Geo [George] Walton hear [here] both amediately [immediately] from the State and after Conversing with them I thought best to Return and send on to your honour [honor] as I Know they will be mutch [much] Better Reconciled if I am with them for I have the Pleasure to inform you I can do more in the Nations than any man in them


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Some time past one hundred and Upwards of Deleware Indians wated [waited] on the Chickesaw Nation with a Talk as they Said from Six Northern Nations desiring they might Set Down Between them and the Mussle Sholes Said they had to inform them the white People had Killed up their nations and taken their Lands, So they were Oblijed [Obliged] to wander about and had no place to set down (Two Creek Cheafs [Chiefs] Came with them) and I found from a letter that came to the Nation McGilvery had sent for them -- I desired the King to have the talks put of [off] untill [until] we Could send and Consult the Choctaws and have some of their Chiefs Present as I looked on it as a matter of mutch [much] Importance whitch [which] was Agreed to, In the mean time I Used my Indeavers [Endeavors] to have them Removed from the nation as quick as possable [possible] for I found they were getting very Impudent, and a Number of Creeks had Come to their Camps I ashored [assured] the Chickesaws they ware [were] a bad Indian and by letting them Set down between them and the white People they would do mischief and Lay it on them and by that means Involve their Nation In a war


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So that I thought it best for [unclear text: to ] Order them Amediately [Immediately] from whence they Came, Agreable [Agreeable] [unclear text: the ] Request they gave them only Ten days and if not gown [gone] they [added text: were ] [deleted text: [illegible text] ] to abide by the Concequences [Consequences] -- The Choctaw Chieff [Chief] Told them the Chicksaw and Chocktaws was now One people and had but one Talk so if they did not pay attention to the Talk they had Red. [Received] their nation was Strong and they would come and make them, They Accodingly [Accordingly] Left that Quarter and the Last I herd [heard] of them they was doing mischief on the Ohio, tho [though] Amagine [Imagine] they are Removed from there as Genl. [General] Clarks from [unclear text: the falls ] [deleted text: of ] is with a Large Body of troopes [troops] down that River A number of Gentlemen came in [unclear text: Compy [Company] ] with me from the nation that had Last left the Natchez they had caried [carried] down large Cargoes of Flour and dry goods whitch [which] was amediately [immediately] Seased [Seized] [illegible text] days only given them to Stay in the district, A Generale [General] Order was Issued whilst [while] they was their [there] for all Americans that had setled [settled] their [there] Since the year
Eighty Three to [illegible text] In One month from that date -- their [there] is a Number of Familys [Families] on the Path from Accounts I fear will perish


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Captain [unclear text: Amis ] from Holston was One of the Gentlemen that was Amediately [Immediately] from Natchez about Six mounths [months] ago Recd. [Received] Permietion [Permission] to Settle this but Recd. [Received] a Letter from the Commandant to depart in fifteen days as their doors was now Shut against all Americans, that Gentleman Ashores [Assures] me from his Intimacy with the Comdt. [Commandant] and other Officers he beleavs [believes] a war Is in Evetable [inevitable] -- Finding it almost Impossable [Impossible] to put down Every particular Respecting this western Country has Obliged me to Prevail on the [unclear text: Bearer ] Mr Lewis to wate [wait] on your Honour [Honor] with the Express as he is fully acquainted and can answer Sutch [Such] Questions as you may think Proper to ask -- I Met Capt Woods on his way to the Choctaws and fear it may be attended with bad Consequences tho [though] Refers [deleted text: to ] Your Honour [Honour] to the [illegible text] for his Intended proceading [proceeding] for the word Land must not be mentioned to the Indians in the Present Situation of Things for the Spaniards make a graet [great] handle of that that the Americans are Craving their Land and they want None


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I Shall Return with spead [speed] to the Nations and shall [illegible text] my Indeavor [Endeavor] to Continue our friendship with them, Untill [Until] I Receive further Orders, and [unclear text: flatter ] my Self your Honour [Honor] will froward [forward] as Soon as possable [possible] Instruction in what manner hear [here] after I am to Procead [proceed] Untill [Until] which time I shall Remain with Impatiance [Impatience]

Cumberland
[illegible text] 1 Novembr 1786
I have the Honor to be Sir With grate [great] Respect Yr Ob Serv [Your Obedient Servant]
[Signed] William Davenport
The Honourable [Honorable] Governor Georgia





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Mr Davenport
The Honourable [Honorable] Governor Georgia By Express

Letter
William Deavenport

1 November 1786
Cumberland --
Order taken

13 Decem [December] 1786.

Indian Affairs
1786