- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- [Depositions with petition] 1792 June 25, Greene County, Georgia / [taken by] W[illia]m Cochran
- Date of Original:
- 1792-06-25
- Subject:
- Creek Indians--Treaties
Creek Indians--Claims against
Georgia--Politics and government--1775-1865 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018
- Medium:
- depositions
petitions - Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This document consists of two depositions taken by William Cochran, Justice of the Peace for Greene County, Georgia, and a petition, relative to the court martial of Thomas Houghton for refusing to follow orders delivered by Colonel Henry Karr to march into Indian land in pursuit of alleged horse thieves. The first deponent was Richard Royston, who testified regarding orders given by Col. Karr while in pursuit of said Indians. The second deponent was David Fowler, who was present at Houghton's court martial where he was charged with mutiny, sedition, and desertion. The petition, directed to Georgia Governor Edward Telfair (1786-1787, 1790-1793), was written by Houghton and explains that he disobeyed Karr's orders because he felt they violated the Treaty of New York (1790) between the Creek Indians and the United States.
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:
- tcc340
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc340
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc340#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc340/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:
- 6 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Telamon Cuyler, box 42, folder 06, document 02.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
State of Georgia Greene County
June 25th Day 1792
This day Personally appeard [appeared] before me one of the Justices of the Peace for the County afforesaid [aforesaid] Richard Royston of the Sd. [Said] County & being duly Sworn Deposeth & Sayeth [Saith] that on the
twenty Eighth [eighth] of May last Past he receiv'd [received] orders to be at Joseph [unclear text: Carmichals ] by 6 o clock the next Morning well accutred [accoutred] with five days Provision, & met accordingly, and Proceded [Proceeded] up the [unclear text: ocona ] to Capt. John Fielders where there were a number of Men gather'd [gathered] in order to Cross the [unclear text: ocona ] River after the Indians, & Colo [Colonel] Henry Karr being Present he heard him order a ceartain [certain] Elijah Wiatt a Poor young man without a gun or Horse & barefoot to Cross the river with the other men, which was thought inconsistent by some of them as they were all Mounted to which Colo [Colonel] Karr answer'd [answered] that he Expected Some of them would Soon be Kill'd [Killed] & he the Sd. [Said] wiatt could take their Place. afterwards he was [deleted text: [illegible text] ] [added text: left as was Said ] to work on a fort [added text: or blockhouse ] for five days which was the Term they were call'd [called] out fore [for] . Thirty three Men then Crossed the River & Proceeded as far as the first fork of the Oakmulga River as it was Call'd [Called] where they Made a halt and were overtaken by Colo [Colonel] Joseph Phillips & Six or Seven men when he the S.d [Said] Phillips Took the Command & Proceeded on as fair [far] as a river they call'd [called] Rockey River [deleted text: [illegible text] ] a considerable distance beyond the third fork of the oakMulge at which Place they were fired on by the Indians as was Said and one man kill'd [killed] & a Horse wounded at which the Indians retreated [deleted text: [illegible text] ] and further this deponent Saith not. Sworn to the day & date above written.
[Signed] Wm [William] Cochran J. P. [Justice of the Peace]
Page: [2]
Rich.d [Richard] Roystons Deposition
Page: [3]
State of Georgia Greene County
June 25th day 1792
This day Personally appeared before me one of the Justices of the Peace for the County aforesaid. David Fowler of this County & being Solemnly Sworn deposeth & Say [added text: e ] th that on Saturday the
23d day of this Month he was Present at the Town of Greensbourrough at a Court Martial when Thomas [unclear text: Houghton ] Esquire was by Colo. [Colonel] Henry Karr Charged with Mutiny Sedition & desertion and by the Court find in the Sum of Ten Pounds that he also heard the S.d [Said] Thomas Houghton Esqr. [Esquire] Require a Copy of the Charge & a copy of Colo [Colonel] Karr oath which was Given into the Court in Suport [Support] of the Charge & also a copy of the Judgment of the Court thereon which he believes was Refus'd [Refused] to be given him, and further Sayeth [Saith] that at the same time this deponent understood the whole of the charge to arise from the S.d [Said] Tho.s [Thomas] Houghtons Refusing on or about the
twenty ninth of May last Past to March [document damaged: into ] the Indian Lands as Colo [Colonel] Karr had inform'd [informed] [document damaged: him ] [added text: the S.d [Said] Thomas Houghton ] they should do in [document damaged: pursuit ] of Indians [unclear text: as a [document damaged] ] Alexander Houghton & further this deponent Sayeth [Saith] not. Swor [Sworn] to the day & date above written.
[Signed] Wm [William] Cochran J. P. [Justice of the Peace]
Page: [4]
David Fowler Deposition
Petition Thomas Houtoun
Order taken
28th June 1792
Page: [5]
To his Excellency Edward Telfair Esquier [Esquire] Captain General Governor and commander in chief of the State of Georgia
The petition of Thomas Houghton of the County of Greene and State aforesaid Humbly Sheweth that on the
twenty third of this present month June your petitioner was fined in the sum of Ten pounds for Refusing to March out into the Indian lands in persuit [pursuit] of Indians which had stolen Some Horses on the
27th and your petioner [petitioner] caled [called] on the
twenty ninth of May last past by Colonel Henry Karr. The Reason of my Refusing to go out was not out [missing word: of ] any Contempt of Authority, [deleted text: but because I had sworn to support the [unclear text: contutution ] of the United States, and that [unclear text: command ] appeared to me a violation of the Articles of peace Entered into at New York between the United States and Creek Indians, and therefore the breach of them, to me seems as a breach of my oath which I could not [unclear text: agree ] to do, ] Therefore beg your Excellency to Remit the fine The deposition Inclosed [Enclosed] More fully proves the truth of what I have declaired [declared] .
And your petioner [petitioner] as In duty bound, Shall Ever pray
[Signed] Tho. [Thomas] Houghton
Page: [6]
Petition of Thomas Houghton Esqr. [Esquire]