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Creek Agency
28 May 1815
On the
24th I wrote to you in reply to yours of the 28 ult [ultimo], and since, have had the pleasure to receive yours of the
12th. I had received from Bowlegs direct, a complaint of an outrage commited [committed] "by the people of Georgia who had gone into East Florida, driven off his cattle and destroyed his property." I have sent this complaint to the Governor of Georgia, who will readily cooperate with the officers of the general Government, to cause justice to be done the injured, if the complaint is true. The Laws of the United States provide completely for the protection of the Indian rights, and those interested with their execution, have the power of doing it. all that is wanted is proof against the transgressors.
The Indians of Aulotchewau who without provocation murdered & plundered a number of the Subjects of Spain on St. Johns, have engendered such a deadly feud between the parties, that it will be long before the descendants of the injured, can forget and forgive. Spain from his internal commotions, has not found it convenient, to settle a peace between them; and these people it is probably are mistaken for Georgians. -- The Indians of this agency, as well as those in the Floridas, have long known, they are to apply through their Chiefs to me for a redress of their grievances. The Government of the creeks is not an Ephemeral one, Its last modification is of more than ten years standing, It was the work and choice of the nation; and has a check on the conduct of the Simenolies.
In
1799 a gentleman arrived where you are from England, who had been an officer on half pay. He came in the Fox sloop of War furnished by the admiral on the Jamaica Station by order of the admiralty "to facilitate to him a passage to his nation the Creeks." This gentleman after attempting in various wars with the Seminolies, to usurp the government of the Creeks without success, created himself Director General of Muscogee, declared war against Spain, murdered some of her Subjects, and took St. Marks. He ordered me with my assistants in the plan of Civilization out of the Creek nation


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I communicate his proceedings to the National Councils who had been previously acquainted with him and [added text: who ] replied to him "that he had a title among them which he well merited Cappetunne Loxau (the Prince of liars) and no other." This Director General of Muscogee, after playing a farce for two years, experienced a tragic scene which deprived him of his liberty. He was put in irons by order of the Council who's [whose] government he attempted to usurp, and sent to the Governor General of Louisiana to answer for his Crimes. His Simenolie Chiefs were glad to retire with impunity. After this, it was unanimously determined in a national Council, of distinguished Chiefs from every town, and a deputation of Choctaws, Chickasaws and Cherokees; "that the Warriors should be class'ed [classed] and held in readiness to execute the orders of the executive Council, and that the Agent for Indian Affairs should have the power of executing the treaty stipulations of the Creeks, with their white neighbours [neighbors] . Tookaubatche and Cowetau alternately as the occasion required, was appointed the permanent seat of their National Councils, where national officers alone could be transacted." They have now two speakers. When the Council meets at Cowetau, Tustunnuggee Hopoie as Speaker for the Lower Creeks is speaker for the Nation; and when they meet at Tookaubatchee, Tustunnuggee Thlucco of the upper Creeks is Speaker for the Nation. Cowetau is head quarters for the present. The Agent for Indian affairs can convene the Council.
To this Council I communicated in your own words the pretentions [pretensions] of your three Chiefs. They answer, "We have had Colo. [Colonel] Nicolls communication before us, that [unclear text: Hopoith ] Micco Conipeschau Micco and Hopoie Micco are the Sovereigns of their nation. We know nothing about them as such. We have often invited them to attend our talks They never would come forward, and Hopohilth Micco is a hostile Indian. They have nothing to do with our affairs, They reside in the Spanish Territory."
After mentioning a solitary effort of yours "to keep the peace" you say "I am sorry to say the same line is not taken on your side


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nor have you written to me to say what steps you are taking or intend to take to secure this mutual good." You could not have expected I should communicate with you, when from your orders you were so soon to leave the Country. I have communicated to the National Council Several outrages commited [committed] by banditties [banditti] from the Simenolies, and other parts, upon the post road and frontiers of Georgia, repeatedly. They have in two instances had the guilty shot, and sent armed parties after others. As late as the
17 April one man was killed and four wounded on the post road. Our waggons [wagons] twice attacked and one Waggoner [Wagoner] killed several horses taken and carried as reported, to your depot, at the very time the waggons [wagons] were carrying seed corn for the Indians and flour for the support of nearly 5000 totally destitute of food --
The measures in operation here to preserve peace is with an efficient force red and white troops, to pursue apprehend & punish all violaters [violators] of the public peace. The Executive Council of the Creeks are Continually at Cowetau with an assistant Agent to to [to] take order with the warriors when the necessity is apparent and to call on me when the aid of regular troops are necessary. We do not rely on the exertions of any one but ourselves, to preserve peace among the Creeks, and between them and their neighbours [neighbors] of the United States and the Floridas. We examine fairly, spare the innocent and punish the guilty; and in no case to suffer revenge to carve for itself.
On an exporte [export] hearing, you have "armed the Simenolies and given orders to put to death without mercy every one molesting them." This is cruelty without example, scalping men women and children for troubling or vexing only, and the executioners the judges. To gratify their revenge the good are innocent Citizens on the frontiers are to be the victims of such barbarity. Suppose a banditti of White people were to commit a violent outrage such as that of the
17 April are we to charge it to on the unoffending people on the frontiers,? and kill them without mercy


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if we could not find out the guilty? You have issued the order provided and issued munitions of War for its execution, prepared and provisioned a strong hold to relie [rely] upon, in case a superior force appearing, to protect them, in this mode of gratifying their revenge. You will be held responsible and your strong hold will certainly not avail. If you are really on the service of his Brittannic Majesty, it is an act of hostility which will require to be speedily met and speedily crushed. But Sir, I am satisfied you are acting from yourself on some speculative project of your own. The Sovereign of Great Britian could not from his lave of justice in time of peace, his systematic persevereance [perseverance] in support of legitimate Sovereigns, almost to the impoverishing of his own nation, suffer any of his officers to go into a neutral country to disturb its peace.
If the Simenolie Indians have complaints to make, if they will do it through the Chiefs of the Creek Nation, or direct to me through an officer of his Catholic majesty as heretofore, I will cause justice to be done. In cases of murder the guilty if practicable, shall be punished, in cases of theft restitution shall be made.
The Treaties you have made for the Creek Nation with the authority created by yourself for the purpose, must be a novelty. It would surprise me much to see your Sovereign ratify such as you have described them to be, with a people such as I know those to be, in the Territories of his Catholic Majesty -- I shall communicate what has passed on the subject between us to the officers of Spain in my neighbourhood [neighborhood], that they may be apprised of what you are doing.
As you may not have recent news from Europe I send you some newspapers detailing important events thereto The
4 April.

I am with due regard Sir yr. Obt. [your Obedient] Servant
[Signed] Benjamin Hawkins agent for [unclear text: S.A. ]
Colo. [Colonel] Nicolls Commdg. [Commanding] His B. M. [Brittanic Majesty's] troops Apalatchicola


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P.S I perceive you now subscribe yourself as Colonel Commanding His Brittannic Majestys forces in the Creek Nation. Being a stranger is an apology for not knowing the Geography of the Country where you are, You have never been in the Creek Nation nor within fifty miles of it nor has his Brittanic Majesty had any forces there since
1783.





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28 may in answer to the 12. From Colo. [Colonel] Hawkins to Colo. [Colonel] Nicolls.
For the Governor of Georgia