- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Petition] 1787 July 20, [from] inhabitants of Greene County [Georgia] to [Governor] Geo[rge] Mathews and members of the Council
- Date of Original:
- 1787-07-20
- Subject:
- Creek Indians--Claims against
Creek Indians--Crimes against - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- petitions
- Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This document is a petition from various inhabitants of Greene County, Georgia, to Governor George Mathews, dated July 20, 1787, respecting the recent murders of settlers and Creek Indians in their vicinity. The petitioners explain how the murder of two whites led to an attack on a party of innocent Creeks. They say that the citizens who murdered the Creek men were led by Colonel Henry Karr, and further state that Karr brought charges against men who refused to take part in the retaliatory attack.
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:
- tcc285
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc285
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc285#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc285/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:
- 2 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Telamon Cuyler, box 40A, folder Mathews Petitions, document 03.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
To the Hounourable [Honorable], Geo [George] Mathews and Members of the Council -- for the time being
The Petition of a Number of the Inhabitants of Green County Humbly [unclear text: sheweth ] that for some time preceeding [preceding] the thirty first or last day of May last past, there had been a Number of Indeans [Indians] in our Settlement, which did upon that day Kill two of our Inhabitants and carry away a quantity of property, the alarm spread tolerable [illegible text] that Night upon which a Number of the Ihabitants [Inhabitants] (the following day) Rose up voluntarily in divers [diverse] companies and went over the Oconee River in pursuit of the Murderers But was not successfull [successful], although one of our companies meeting with a partie [party] of Indeans [Indians] Killed six that was generally thought to be Innocent the Killing of which appear'd [appeared] to alarm our Inhabitants more than the killing of the two white persons knowing that there was a number of the Telasee Indeans [Indians] all along in front of us peacibly [peaceably] following their huntings But [added text: what ] appears most to add misery to our misfortune is; that upon Return of our companies Coln. [Colonel] Kerr commandant of sd [said] County issued his orders to the several officers under him throughout sd [said] County, Commanding them to Draft their several companies into three Divisions the first Class of which was to appear on Tuesday
the fifth of June Equipt [Equipped] for a five days tour and to proceed over the Oconee River with Instructions to kill all the Indeans [Indians] they Could find, accordingly a Number went and kill'd [killed] a number of the Indeans [Indians] and Returned in three days, now Eight days being Expired since the mischief was done, and not the least measure (to our knowledge) carried into Execution for our preservation, and being alarmed with expectation of Retaliation from the Indeans [Indians], together with Coln. [Colonel] Kerr's moving off his family our country in a great measure became Depopulated: Coln. [Colonel] Kerr further order'd [ordered] Court martials [Court-martials] strictly to be called in Each company for the trial of those delinquants [delinquents] that did not obey his orders in going over the Oconee River against the Indeans [Indians] which orders was accordinly [accordingly] obey'd [obeyed] in some of the companies at which time Coln. [Colonel] Kerr attended and sat in Court Martial and when some of the Delinquents offered to Excuse themselves by saying they could not in conscience go against the Innocent Indeans [Indians] and that they conceived the step to be illegal, he order'd [ordered] the Court to fine them to the Extent of the Law, which accordingly was done, from which time Coln. [Colonel] Kerr in a great measure absconed [absconded] our County -- All which we your petitioners conceive to be grievances -- Therefore we your petitioners Commit our Case to your Honourable [Honorable] Council to be Dealt with as you in your wisdoms think meet -- and your petitioners as in duty bound will Ever pray
N. B. [Nota Bene] The patie [party] of Indeans [Indians] above Mentioned is since found Not to be of Transgressors
Also neither is it our Meaning or wish to act against any of those men that was at the killing of Ideans [Indians] .
[Signed] William Curry
[Signed] John Patrick
[Signed] James Patrick
[Signed] Robert Patrick
[Signed] Alexdr. [Alexander] Curry
[Signed] Joshua Patrick
[Signed] [unclear text: Isiah ] Curry
[Signed] [unclear text: J. ] Sanford
[Signed] John [unclear text: Leard ]
[Signed] Wm [William] Cochran
[Signed] Richens Cochran
[Signed] Samuel Barnet
[Signed] William Campbell
[Signed] Thos. [Thomas] Barnett
[Signed] [unclear text: Jno ] . Campbell
[Signed] Wm. [William] Richey
[Signed] Robt. [Robert] Corry
[Signed] [illegible text] Barnett
Page: [2]
Petition
Sundry Inhabitants
Greene County
Order taken
20 July 1787
July 20, 1787