- Collection:
- Southeastern Native American Documents, 1730-1842
- Title:
- Letter, 1815 Apr. 21, District of F[ort] Hawkins [to Peter] Early, Governor [of Georgia], Milledgeville / Colo[nel] Benjamin Hawkins
- Creator:
- Hawkins, Benjamin, 1754-1816
- Date of Original:
- 1815-04-21
- Subject:
- Great Britain--Foreign relations--1800-1837
United States--History--War of 1812
Creek Indians--Warfare
Seminole Indians--Warfare
United States--History--War of 1812--Treaties
Fugitive slaves
United States--History--War of 1812--Participation, Indian - Location:
- United States, Florida, 28.75054, -82.5001
United States, Georgia, 32.75042, -83.50018 - Medium:
- official reports
military records - Type:
- Text
- Format:
- text/html
image/jpeg - Description:
- Benjamin Hawkins, U.S. Agent to the Creeks, writes to Georgia Governor Peter Early (1813-1815) on April 21, 1815. Hawkins reports that "hostile" Indians (probably rebel Creeks and Seminoles) have made five attacks since the news of peace (evidently the end of the War of 1812). He says that the chiefs convened and determined to send parties out to stop the attacks. Hawkins also includes an excerpt from a report of William Hardridge. Hardridge traveled to the British garrison near John Forbe's trade store at Prospect Bluff by the mouth of the Apalachicola River and waited for the return of Colonel Edward Nicolls. While at the fort, Hardridge spoke with Captain Ross and inquired about runaway slaves. He saw runaway slaves, who were granted their freedom by the British, as well as Indians inside the garrison. Hardridge also noted that provisions were scarce and Indians in the area were subsisting largely on alligators. Ross told Hardridge that the party of Indians who recently killed and robbed a man were from Fowltown, and they acted four days before peace was declared. Ross claimed that since then, the British have ordered the Indians to stop fighting and go home, and he told Hardridge that U.S. troops within the Creek Nation must remove themselves.
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:
- tcc892
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc892
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc892#item
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/dlg_zlna_tcc892/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 76, folder 25, document 24.
- Holding Institution:
- Hargrett Library
- Rights:
-
Page: [1]
District of F [Fort] . Hawkins
[unclear text: 21st ] apr [april] . 1815
I find the hostile Indians in small parties continue their plundering and murdering on the road. They have made five attacks some they recd. [received] the news of peace. The Chiefs have been convened on the subject and ordered out since parties to put an end to it by puting [putting] to death the guilty. I believe they must be aided by some of our troops. I shall probably know by the mail of tomorrow what success their first efforts have had. The following is William Hardridges report sent with the orders of the British admirals to Majr. [Major] Nicolls commdg. [commanding] the British troops on apalatchicola "I arrived at prospect bluff at Forbes's store the
26. feby. [february] and delivered the dispatch to Capt. Ross commanding his B. M. [British Majesty's] troops at that garrison Capn. [Captain] Ross informed me that Colo. [Colonel] Nicolls had left that about six days before his arrival there and gone to sea to see the admiral and they could not say what time he would return. I waited three days Capt. Ross said he knew nothing about the Negros [Negroes] run away from the Negros [Negroes] and white people and could not do any thing in it untill [until] the arrival of Colo. [Colonel] Nicolls It was uncertain when they would leave there they had as yet recd. [received] no orders to Embark. I left there on the 30th. I was in the British fort and saw all their works and saw nearly all the runaway Negros [Negroes], the Indians are all inside the Fort and draw rations the same as soldiers both included by report 500. As much as I have heard the British are determined to keep the Negros [Negroes] they have joined them as soldiers and they have given them their freedom provision is very scarce and the Indians in the Country are living altogether on Alligators I have heard for a certainty an Indian woman eat her own child Capt. Ross said the Indians who did mischief killed a man and stole horses between
Page: [2]
Fort Perry and Lawrence were small parties from Fowltown and gone out four days before peace. The British have given positive orders not to trouble one other man or do any man mischief to go home to their fields and go to planting"
"Capn. [Captain] Ross enquired of me particularly if the U.S soldiers had all left the Creek nation I told him no, He then answered they were all oblidged [obliged] to leave the Nation the US. were not to keep any garrisons in the Nation His B. M [British Majesty] was to protect the Indians for the future."
I am respectfully Dear Sir your ob ser [obedient servant]
[Signed] Benjamin Hawkins
Governor Early
Page: [3]
Letter from Colo. [Colonel] Benj. Hawkins dated
21st. April 1815.
Indian War
Page: [4]
Free
Fort Hawkins}
22 April 1815}
Benjamin Hawkins
P. M [Post Master] Creek agency
His Excellency Governor Early Milledgeville
Recd. [Received]
27th