[Letter], 1817 Dec. 2, Headquarters, Fort Scott [Decatur County, Georgia to] D[avid] B. Mitchell, Creek Agency / Major Gen[era]l Edmund P. Gaines

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(Copy)

Hd. Qrs. [Headquarters] Fort Scott
Decr [December] 2nd 1817
Sir
I deem it proper to communicate to you the state of our relations with the Seminoles and other hostile Indians In the Vicinity of this Place
Detachments of our troops have recently had three affairs with these Indians, In each of the two first the Enemy were beaten and put to flight In less than twenty minutes with a Loss which the Commanding Officers present state at from ten to twelve Killed and a much greater number wounded. We had one man Killed and two Wounded. The third affair however Is of a different Character. A large party formed an Ambuscade the day before yesterday on the Appalachicola River a mile below the junction of the Flint & Chatahotchie Attacked one of our Detachments in a Boat ascending near shore and Killed, wounded, and took the greater part of the Detachment consisting of forty men Commanded by Lieutenant R. W. Scott There were also on board the boat Killed or taken Seven Women the Wives of Soldiers Six men only escaped four of whom wounded. They report that the strength of the current at the point of Attack had obliged the Lieutenant to Keep his boat near the shore that the Indians had formed along the bank of the River and were not discovered until their fire commenced In the first volley of which Lieut. Scott and his most active men fell.
The Lieutenant and his party had been sent from this place some days before to assist Major Muhlenburgh in ascending the River with three vessels Laden with Military supplies brought from Montgomery and Mobile. The Major it seems deemed it proper to retain only about twenty men of the party and in their place put a like number of sick with the Women and some Regimental Clothing. The boat thus Laden was unfortunately detached alone for this place it is due to Major Muhlenburgh to observe that at the time he detached the Boat I have reason to believe he was not apprised of any recent acts of hostility having taken place in this quarter, It appears however by a letter from Lieut: Scott received about the hour in which he was attacked that he had been warned of the danger which awaited him, I must therefore conclude that he considered it to be his duty to proceed. Whether he had recieved [received] from Major Muhlenburgh a positive order to this effect or not I have not learned upon the receipt of Lieut: Scotts Letter I had two boats fitted up with covers of plank Portholes &c [et cetera] for defence and detached them under Capt: Clinch with a [illegible text] officer and forty men with an order to secure the movement of Lieut: Scott and then to assist Major Muhlenburg This detachment embarked late in the Evening of the 30th Ultimo and must have passed the scene of action (fifteen miles below this place) at night and some hours after the


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affair had terminated I have not yet heard from Captain Clinch I shall Immediately strengthen the detachment under Major Muhlenburg with another Boat secured against the Enemy's shot, He will therefore move up safely by Keeping near the Middle of the River which with his vessels and force is quite practicable, I shall moreover take a position with my principle force near the junction of the Rivers at the line of Demarcation between the United States & Spain and shall Attack any force [deleted text: that ] near that place or that may attempt to Intercept our Vessels or Supplies below. The Wounded men who made their escape concur in the opinion that they had seen upwards of five hundred Warriors (supposed to be hostile) at different places on the River below the point of Attack, Of the force engaged they differ in Opinion but all agree the number was very considerable extending about one hundred and fifty yards along the shore at the edge of a swamp or thick woods, I am assured by the friendly chiefs that the hostile warriors of the Towns on the Chatahotchie have been for some time past moving off down the River to join the Seminoles Those now remaining on that River are believed to be well disposed, One of the new settlers there however has recently been killed but it has been clearly proven that the perpetrators of this act together with most of the Warriors of the Town (High Town) belonged to and have joined the hostile party, The friendly chiefs in the Neighbourhood [Neighborhood] promptly despatched a party in pursuit of the offender who made his escape towards the Mickasukee Town [unclear text: Onis ] Harjo and several other friendly chiefs have tendered to me their Services with their Warriors to go against the seminoles, I have promised to give them notice of the time that may be fixed for my departure and then to accept of their services, The inclosed paper contains the substance of what I have said to the Chiefs who have visited me several of whom reside south of the Spanish line and West of the Appalachicola The chiefs were desirous that I should Communicate to them my views and wishes -- I felt authorised [authorized] to say but little and deemed it necessary in what I should say to Counteract the Erroneous Impressions by which they have been misled by pretended British Agents

I am Very Respectfully your Most Obdt Servt: [Obedient Servant]
[Signed] Edmund P. Gaines Major Genl Comg: [General Commanding] General D B Mitchell U.S.S.I.A Creek Agency