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Cowetau
13 June 1814
[unclear text: Tustunnuggee Thlucco Tustunnuggee Hopoie ] and John Steddam, Their Talk to Col. Benjamin Hawkins Agent for Indian affairs;


Col. Hawkins our friend and Agent,
Whenever we hear of any Talk we send it to you, we now send you this talk; we heard sometime past the English had landed at the Mouth of this river, we could not find out The truth untill [until] this day -- when we received the whole truth from Mr. Steddam He had sent his boat down this river to The [unclear text: Stores ] of Messrs. [Messieurs] Forbes &Co. And was in hopes to receive a letter from Mr. Hamlin when the boat returned. The boat arrived without [unclear text: a letter ], But he received the whole truth from his men that went down in the boat; When Mr. Steddams boat arrived at the [unclear text: store ] he found a good many of the British Officers and Soldiers at the store, The British Officers wanted to Borrow the boat, of Steddams men to go to deer island the men refused for sometime, and would not land the boat; After a great deal persuasion they agreed to land it and went with the British Officers to deers Island and when they arrived there they found Two Vessels One a fifty gun Ship the other a small Vessel and saw the whole British force that had landed there. They supposed to be about one thousand upon said Island. The British had landed on shore, guns, and ammunition, The Indians had four houses built for them, one house was filled with Ammunition The British had all left there before Steddams men left the Island. About 50 of the British Troops were left. The remainder said they would all return again in about Twenty Days --


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The British offered arms and ammunition to all the red people That came and saw them. There was none of the red people that would Receive it but Two Towns [unclear text: Tolloloosa ] and [unclear text: Okeleyoccannee ] all below Perrymans and down to see the English, we have not heard of any receiving any ammunition but those two Towns -- The [unclear text: Tolloloosa ] and [unclear text: Okeleyocannee ] [deleted text: [unclear text: fyoineoocoinee ] ] people asked for 200 Kegs Ammunition for each Town. The answer was by the English, they could not spare them that quantity, They said they had a Talk for [unclear text: Cusstau ] and [unclear text: Cawetaw ] and said you Two towns come a head of them, And they give them two Towns four kegs of Cartridges to each Town, Containing 100 [unclear text: lbs ] in each Keg; when the [unclear text: Okele [deleted text: ] [added text: yocannee ] ] people got their ammunition they carried it off some distance a great Squall of Thunder & Lightning come up, and the Lightning struck one of their Kegs burnt a good many of their people very badly one they expect will die, and one of the Kegs blew up they returned again to the English and told them their misfortune they give them another keg in the [unclear text: room ] .
When the British give the Indians ammunition they give them a Short Talk.

You Red people our Children

We thought you were all done over; And the Heads of our Nation sent us here to see you We were told you our Children were very poor, when we arrived we found it was true, and we make a present to you of this ammunition, not to do any mischief with it, we give it to you for your hunting and support your families, you are not to do any mischief To no person whatever you do, do not lift up your hands against the American people, if you do, your Nation will be ruined and distroyed [destroyed] ;


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we understand your nation was fighting one another, which was a bad policy among you, you must quit that if you do not [unclear text: Stop ] it, you will loose [lose] the whole of your Country; Our Heads gave us a talk which brought us here, We were sent here to Talk to the [unclear text: Cussetau ] & [unclear text: Cowetaw ] these two [unclear text: fires ], and also Cherokees Chickasaw & Choctaw to the whole of the four Nations there is none left out, We was sent to come a shore here; A part of our Troops is to land near Savannah and Amelia Island, and others are to land below Mobill, which last place will not be for some time; The white people are fighting their own battles, and we are in hopes to have peace with the American people sometime this year; We want the Red people to have no hand in it, in our Warfare -- We don't want the red people to assist the white people in any of white peoples affairs -- We do not give you Arms & ammunition for that purpose.

[unclear text: Kinhijee ] The Micco Suckey King sent a short Talk to the people up this river To his friends

The British give us a fine Talk I have listen to it, I do not like their talk, as soon as the British saw me they want to give me arms and ammunition, I told them no, I want no such articles among my people, and took nothing from them. They called us their Children; if they had offered us some Clothing to hide our nakedness, I should have received it with pleasure but such as arms & ammunition I have an opinion of it -- I dont like it -- I am sensible of their talk, I understand their ways very well; They sent us a Bowles here once, he acted in the same manner he was very near bringing our nation into Ruin. -- it will not be long before the British will give us a bad Talk,


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Whenever the [unclear text: Cussetau and ] takes this talk I will take it too, but not before. I shall always abide what the [unclear text: Cussetau ] and [unclear text: Cowetaw ] do We are about holding a talk of the whole Seminole tribes down this river, It was agreed to hold a Talk at Perrymans, but it is agreed upon To have the Talk at Eufaulee -- We shall send the broken [unclear text: days ] & a letter with it up to Cussetau [unclear text: and Cowetau ] when you are to meet us at Eufaulee. --
This is all the Talk that Mr. Steddam has heard & brought & we now send it you

We are here, and hear this Talk His Talk put us all to a stand, and dont know what to think of it. Those two towns are always sending good talks down this river we do not know what we shall do with this Lower Towns; We are afraid it will commence in the same manner with the Seminoles as it did with the upper Towns. There were two places appointed to hold public Talk, one place is broken up by the [unclear text: hostile Cowetaus ] still remains; This place was appointed by you Colo. [Colonel] Hawkins for to hold public talk, We shall send them word for all their Chiefs and Head men to attend the talks at Cowetaw we are here & dont know what they are doing down [unclear text: There When they ] all come [unclear text: hereat ] Cowetau we shall then know, what they are doing -- This is all we know our friend Colo. [Colonel] Hawkins.

[Signed] Tustunnuggee Thlucu BW [Big Warrior]
Speaker of the Council
[Signed] Tustunnuggee Hopooie
his X mark
Head Chiefs of the Lower Towns
[Signed] John Steddam
his X mark

[Signed] George G L [unclear text: Lovett ]
public interpreter
[Signed] James [unclear text: Lovett ]
his X mark
Interpreter [unclear text: Protm. ]
Written as interpreted
Christian Limbaugh
[unclear text: Asst. [Assistant] ] Agent for Indian Affairs