- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Letter, 1836 June 20, Danielsville, [Georgia to] William Schley, Governor of Georgia, Milledgeville, [Georgia] / Augustus Crawford
- Creator:
- Crawford, Augustus
- Date of Original:
- 1836-06-20
- Subject:
- Cherokee Indians--Warfare
Creek Indians--Warfare
Seminole Indians--Warfare
Osceola
Georgia. Militia--Mobilization
Georgia. Militia--Recruiting, enlistment, etc - Location:
- United States, Southern States, 33.346678, -84.119434
- Medium:
- official reports
military records - Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- Augustus Crawford of Madison County writes to Georgia Governor William Schley (1835-1837) to report on the status of volunteer troops in the county. He discusses resistance among some citizens to report for service, but assures the governor that most are eager to serve. According to Crawford, approximately 150 volunteers are available for service in the Cherokee Nation or the Upper Creek territory; however, they prefer not to be sent to Florida to fight the Seminoles, especially during the warmer months. Crawford mentions that the Seminole leader Osceola "out-generaled" both Winfield Scott and Edmund P. Gaines. The original enclosure is no longer attached.
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:
- tcc580
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc580
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc580#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc580/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 09, document 03.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
Danielsville
20 June 1836
Dear Sir,
You will receive by the same mail, with this, a return of an election held by the Volunteers of Madison County the day before yesterday, I have deemed it necessary as some misrepresentations may reach you to detail the facts in relation to the raising of the company. Col. Jones who now commands the militia of Madison from motives of pure patriotism I hope issued orders to the several captains commanding the various districts, in the county, to meet at the County site on Saturday the 11th Inst. [Instant] for the purpose of raising a volunteer company of dragoons after the orders were issued & before the day assigned a notice appeared in the Standard of Union a paper of your place, that a requisition would be [added text: made ] upon the [unclear text: 4th ] division with the exception of some counties named, for the sixth man of the Effective Militia of said division. About the time of parade Col. Jones
Page: [2]
called upon me to make an address to the regiments and state [deleted text: the ] [added text: his ] views in the call upon the County and also to give notice to the regiment that a requisition was about to be made as stated, though he had not received orders, I did as requested by Col Jones and made a [added text: an ] appeal to the patriotism of the regiment to turn out and save the alternative of a draft, though it was in anticipation of the Executive order, which had not then reached us, to my gratification in a short time we mustered 86 strong, appointed the following Saturday to organize Select Officers It was then on the second meeting [illegible text] Saturday 18 Inst. [Instant] , no doubt with the view of exciting confusion, (after noses were counted) that a part of the company would not permit their names to be enrolled in lieu of drafted men and attempted to draw a very labored distinction between companies of Volunteers, calling one kind Independent Volunteers & the other Substitutes for drafted men, I do not desire to be invidous [invidious], I will not be personal as the matter is settled or rather quieted amongst ourselves & the company regularly officered & organized with the distinct understanding again that we supply the Executive [unclear text: requisition ] all but the Commission
Page: [3]
which I hope your excellency will dispatch by the earliest conveyance, with an order for immediate service if necessary. I will premise, however, that we should [deleted text: [illegible text] ] greatly regret being called to Florida before frosts, it would, indeed be literally calling us to the grave, for our constitutions could not [deleted text: undergo ] [added text: bear ] up under [added text: the ] vicissitudes of a climate so entirely variant to the one we [deleted text: [illegible text] ] [added text: have ] been so long accustomed The transition from Salubrious mountain air to the [deleted text: [illegible text] ] damp infected heat of the lowlands from the cool & limpid streams of [unclear text: freestone ] water, of Madison Co [County] to the muddy, sluggish limestone pond & morass of Florida would be as certain death to the highlander as that Oseola out-generaled both Scott & Gaines and a man sceptic [skeptic] enough not to believe that fact in [document damaged: that ] quarter, & imprudent enough to express the opinion would be regarded as the [unclear text: veriest ] [document damaged: infidel ] & probably denied the rights of buriel [burial] during the present drought at least.
The company is composed, in my opinion, of [unclear text: its ] decidedly [illegible text] of the Intelligence of the county & the most of them anxious to see [deleted text: [illegible text] ] [added text: and ] do service. I believe an hundred & fifty men can be called into the Cherokee nation or the Upper Creek in less than a week, from this county, but a general aversion to Florida Service,
Yours, with considerations of respect & esteem
[Signed] Augustus Crawford
His excellency William Sley. Govr. &c. [Governor et cetera]
Page: [4]
Danielsville
21 June}
12 [illegible text]
His Excellency William Schley Governor of the State of Georgia Milledgeville
Letter
answered
25 June 1836
Augustus Crawford
21 June 1836.
Vol. [Volunteer] Companies