- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Letter, 1836 Jan. 30, Camden [County, Georgia] to William Schley, Governor [of Georgia], Milledgeville, [Georgia] / Col[onel] W[illia]m W. Hazzard
- Creator:
- Hazzard, William W., 1793-1861
- Date of Original:
- 1836-01-30
- Subject:
- Military assistance
Creek Indians--Warfare
Cherokee Indians--Warfare
Seminole War, 2nd, 1835-1842
Georgia. Militia--Recruiting, enlistment, etc.
Military service, Voluntary - Location:
- United States, Florida, 28.75054, -82.5001
United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018 - Medium:
- letters (correspondence)
military records - Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- This letter dated January 30, 1836 from Colonel William W. Hazzard to William Schley, Governor of Georgia (1835-1837), concerns efforts by Hazzard and General Charles R. Floyd to raise an army of volunteers to be sent to Florida to fight in a military campaign, probably related to the Second Seminole War (1835-1842). Hazzard complains that they have been unable to raise volunteers fast enough and asks the governor to order the whole of General Floyd's brigade in Camden County to join the volunteers immediately. He also asks that these troops be allowed to use the armaments in General Floyd's possession. Hazzard stresses the urgency of these measures in light of Major Benjamin Putnam's recent defeat and claims by Osceola, a Seminole leader, that his forces, alleged to include Seminoles, Creeks, Cherokees, and freed slaves, far outnumber those of the Georgia Militia.
Digital image and encoded transcription of an original manuscript, scanned, transcribed and encoded by the Digital Library of Georgia in 2001, as part of GALILEO, funded in part by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. - Local Identifier:
- tcc554
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc554
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc554#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc554/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:
- 4 pages/leaves
- Original Collection:
- Manuscript held by the Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library, The University of Georgia Libraries, Telamon Cuyler, box 50, folder 04, document 07.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Jan. 30, 1836
To His Excellency
Governor Schley &c. &c. [et cetera et cetera]
Dear Sir.
Brigadier General Charles R. Floyd & myself have been for three weeks past endeavouring [endeavoring] to raise Volunteers to proceed to Florida but have not yet collected a sufficient number -- to act with that promptness & effect which the emergency of the occasion requires, & believeing [believing] that the whole of the 1st Brigade would march at your order, if the state would equip, provision & pay the Troops for their services (as many of them depend on their labor for the support of their families,) We request that in place of the tardy mode of raising troops by a draft from the 1st Brigade, that you will issue an order to General C.R Floyd; Jeffersonton, Camden County, to order out the whole of his Brigade, to rendezvous at any point he may direct with the least possible delay & in the event of his absence that your order shall be transmitted to me as Senior Colonel of the Brigade.
You will please at the same time [deleted text: to ] authorise [authorize] General Floyd to have the state Arms now [illegible text] in Jefferson & in his possession put in immediate order for service & removed to the place of rendezvous which will no doubt be St Marys, for the use of the Troops who may arrive there with out efficient arms & direct all volunteers who have gone on to Florida from Georgia to unite under our command & cooperate with Generals Scott & Clinch.
Page: [2]
The necessity of this movement without the delay unavoidable in case of a resort to drafts must be apparent to your Excellency when you see the recent defeat of Major Putnam at the head of the St Augustine Guards & the conflagrations & murders in various parts of Florida & when I assure you (that being recently near the Frontier,) that the Inhabitants will sacrifice their little all & move off, if Troops are not sent very soon into Florida, as a detachment of Indians have been committing some depredations on the Camden side of the St. Marys & their [there] are but 40 or 50 Volunteers from my Regiment (the 3d) protecting Centerville & its defenseless & alarmed Inhabitants.
From all the information I can collect, the whole disposeable [disposable] force now in Florida does not exceed five hundred, which the combined forces of the enemy consisting of Seminoles Creeks, Cherokees, Renegades & negroes will be three thousand; at least it is said, Powell or Osiola has boasted, he will have this number in readiness for any Troops sent against him.
Earnestly hoping that these suggestions may meet the approbation of your Excellency & remove some of the anxeity [anxiety] incident to your responsible situation in responding to the call of the President of the United States for aid, I pray you be assured of my highest consideration & respect.
[Signed] W. [William] Whig Hazzard Col. [Colonel] & Regt. [Regiment] G. M. [Georgia Militia]
West Point St. Simons Island
30th Jan. 1836.
Page: [3]
Letter
Col. Wm [Colonel William] W. Hazzard
30h January 1836.
Vol. [Volunteer] Florida Expedition
Page: [4]
18 ⅗
To His Excellency William Schley Governor of Georgia &c. &c. &c. &c. [et cetera et cetera et cetera et cetera] Milledgeville
DARIEN [illegible text]
FEB
A postmark appears at the bottom of the page.
Col. Hazzard, Camden