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GEORGIA
fflSTORICAL

COLLECTIONS

VOL. Ill

PART I

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COLLECTIONS

OF THR

GEORGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

VOLUME III. PART I.

COLLECTIONS

OF THE

GEOEGIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY,

VOLUME III.

PART I.

NON SIBI SED ALUS.

SAVANNAH:

PRINTED FOR THE SOCIETY.

MDCCCXLVIII.

I

t, uos.

NEW YORK:

WILLIAM VAN NORDLN PRINTKK,

NO. 39 WILLIAM STREET.

American EtHnological
Saciety.

INTRODUCTION.

The Georgia Historical Society having, for some years,
been in possession of several manuscript volumes of the
late Colonel Benjamin Hawkins, the earliest agent of the
United States for Indian Affairs, their examination and
publication by the Society, became an object of interest.
Accordingly, they were referred to a committee, whose
report attested their value, as materials for the early his-
tory of Georgia, and especially for that of the confederacy
of the Creek or Muscogee Indians, who formerly owned
and swayed, the southwestern portion of the State. That
report recommended the immediate publication of one of
these manuscripts, which the author has called "yl Sketch
of the Creek Country in the years 1798 and 1799." As a
member of the Society, I proposed to superintend this
publication, and to defi-ay its expense, as the resources of
the Society were already anticipated by the erection of a
Library and Historical Hall. The Society did me the
honor to accept my proposition.

The Georgia Historical Society has now been in exist-
ence for nine years. During that period, it has published
two volumes of Collections and Transactions, and the
present publication wdl constitute the first part of the
third volume.

The introduction to the first volume, thus alludes to
these manuscripts of Mr. Hawkins : " In relation to the
department of Indian history, a department so interesting
in itself, and so intimately blended with the early settle-
ment of this State, the Society has obtained some very
rare and valuable manuscripts, which contain long and
minute accounts of the manners and customs of tiie In-
dians ; proceedings of Indian agents ; treaties with vari-
ous tribes ; all greatly augmenting the materials of abo-
riginal history."

4 Introduction.

Tlie eight volumes of manuscripts, in possession of the
Society, attest the industry and enhghtened zeal of the
author. He has preserved and transmitted to us, his talks
and treaties, made with various Indian tribes ; his corres-
pondence with the General Government and with State
authorities ; vocabularies of aboriginal languages, and
invaluable records of the manners, customs, rites and
civil polity of the tribes.

It is reported, that many valuable papers of Mr. Haw-
kins have been irreparably lost to the world, by the burn-
ing of his residence in the Creek country. The present
manuscripts, it is supposed, have been preserved by their
having been submitted to the Governor of the State, at
Milledgeville, for his perusal. Colonel Hawkins was still
living in the year 1825. In that year, these volumes were
in Savannah, under the charge of Mr. Joseph Bevan, who
had been appointed by the General Assembly "to collect,
arrange and publish, all papers relating to the original set-
tlement or political history of the State." I learn this
fact from a published report of his, made to Governor
Troup. At the decease of Mr. Bevan, they were prob-
ably returned to the executive department at Milledge-
ville. At the institution of the Historical Society, a for-
tunate accident brought these valuable papers to the
knowledge of J. K. TefTt, Esq., the corresponding secre-
tary of the Society, and the actual cashier of the Bank of
the State of Georgia, at Savannah. At his pressing in-
stance, in favor of the Society, they were sohcited and
obtained, for the Society's library.

It is a singular fact, unparalleled in this age of printing,
that there are five copies existing, of this " Sketch of the
Creek Country." The most plausible motive for this cu-
rious multiplication of written copies, was the desire of
speculators in Indian lands, to learn the topography, re-
sources and character of the Creek country.

In this publication I have used the original manuscript
of Mr. Hawkins, which has been attested by Mr. Tefft,
who has a wide reputation for his collection of autographs,
and for his admirable taStC in that department of aesthet-
ics. The writing and condition of the volume, give evi-
dence of its having been written as early as the year
1800.

THE AUTHOR.

Colonel Benjamin Hawkins, was for more than
thirty years, employed by the Government of the United
States, in its intercourse with Indian tribes. The in-
fluence which he obtained and exercised among these
tribes, is forcibly stated by Mr. Gallatin: " Mr. Hawkins,
under the modest name of 'Beloved Man of the Four Na-
tions,^ did govern, or, at least, exercise during his life, a
considerable influence over the Creeks, Choctaws, and
even the Chicasaws and Cherokees." A legitimate curi-
osity prompts me to trace the public career of a man,
who, on the highest authority, rendered efficient and valu-
able services to his country, for a long series of years.

The first official notice of Mr. Hawkins, presents him
as joint commissioner with Andrew Pickens, Joseph Mar-
tin, and Lachlan Mcintosh, to negotiate with the Creek
Indians, in the year 1785. They concluded the treaty of
Galphinton. In the same year, the treaty of Hopewell
was concluded with the Cherokees, By the treaty of
New York, in 1790, the Creek Indians placed themselves
under the protection of the United States, and of no other
Power. By the treaty of Galphinton, they had acknow-
ledged themselves to be within the limits of Georgia, and
members of the same. These two inconsistent states of
political relationship, and which are the origin of all sub-
sequent controversies between the State of Georgia and
the Indian tribes, led to the appointment, by General
Washington, of three commissioners to treat with the
Creek confederacy. Accordingly, he nominated to the
Senate, in June, 1795, Benjamin Hawkins, of North Car-

6 The Author.

olina, George Clymer, of Pennsylvania, and Andrew
Pickens, of South Carolina, as commissioners for that
object.

Mr. Hawkins was at this time, a Senator of the United
States, from North Carolina.

In the year 1801, he was appointed by Mr. Jefferson,
" principal agent for Indian affairs south of the Ohio,"
and as joint commissioner with General Wilkinson and
Andrew Pickens, he negotiated treaties with the Chica-
saws, Choctaws and Natchez.

Froui that period, he remained as agent of the United
States among the Creek Indians, till the year 1816, when
at his own request, as shown by his official letters, he was
succeeded in that office, by David Brydie Mitchell, of
Georgia. Colonel John Crowell succeeded this last agent ;
and from a letter of complaint against Crowell, written
to the War Department in 1825, by Mr. Hawkins, it ap-
pears that he was then living in the Creek nation. I have
not been able to learn the time of Mr. Hawkins's decease.

From the several volumes of correspondence, official
and private, of Colonel Hawkins, I have made some ex-
tracts which very forcibly pourtray the high quahties of
his mind, for the government and control of unlettered,
semi-civilized tribes. This demands sound judgment and
inflexible justice. An apparent indifference towards the
women of the tribes, who are the objects of great jeal-
ousy, is not an unimportant quality. I have been assured
from high authority, that this was one of the sources of
Mr. Hawkins's extraordinary influence. In another part
of the w^orld, I have witnessed a like mfluence acquired
by an agent of the United States, over a semi-civilized
people. To their minds, it implies a moral superiority
over other men, when accompanied by ordinary manly
energies. It is a self-control, the more respected by such
people, as it is the object of their chief indulgence, and
of their liveliest jealousies.

Extract of a letter from Mr. Hawkins to a friend.

CrssETUH, Nov. 25, 1797.

A few days ago, whilst I was sorely afflicted with rheu-
matism, so as not to be able to turn in my blanket, the

The Author. "7

arrival of the Queen of Tuckabatchee was announced to
me. That town is sixty miles distant. I invited herself
and her friends, to spend two or three days with me, which
they did. Early one morning, she came to my bed side
and sat down. I awoke, and she accosted me thus :

My visit is to you ; I am a widow ; I have a son so
high ; (holding her hand three feet from the ground ;) I
have a fine stock of cattle, and I wish them secured for
my use and for my son. I know you arc the Isle-chate-
lige-osetat-chemis-te-chcmgo, (the beloved man of the Four
JNations,) and my relations are not careful of my inter-
ests. If you will take the direction of my aflairs, the
chiefs have told me you may settle my stock where you
please, and it shall be safe. When you go to Tucka-
batchee, you will have a home. Perhaps I am too old
for you, but I'll do any thing I can for you. I shall be
proud of you if you will take me. If you take a young
girl into the house I shall not like it, but I will not say
one word ; may be I can't love her, but I won't use her
ill. I have brought some mis-ce (cassine yupon) for you.
I want some clothes for my boy and for myself You
can give them to me, and make the traders take cattle for
pay. If you direct them they won't cheat me. I was
taken prisoner by the Chickasaws, with my boy, when he
was so high (about two feet.) I ran off from them, and
was seventeen days in the woods, getting to my nation.
I had no provisions when I set out, and was hke to perish.
When you vvere in the upper towns last year, I went
twice to see you, and dressed myself You took me by
the hand nnd asked me to sit down. I wanted to speak
to you then, but I could not. I said then I would never
have an Iste-chate (red man.)

I replied to her, you shall be gratified ; you may return
home. I will have your cattle put out at a proper place,
and I will take care of them and of ycur son. If you have
any desire to call me cha-e-he, (my husband,) do so! But
you must not forget, I have not yet determined to set up
in that capacity in either of the Four Nations. But you
are at liberty, as you already have one child, and know
the trade, to carry it on under my name, and to choose
any assistant you may deem suitable. The children will
be mine and I will take care of them and of you.

8 The Author.

It is not customary among the Creeks to associate with
the women ; and it is a curious fact, that there are white
men in the nation who have been here five years, without
ever enterinn an Indian house. I visit them, take them
by the hand, talk kindly to them, and eat frequentl}^ with
them. This day I had four Indian women to dine with
me, with some chiefs and white men, a thing, they tell me,
unknown before, to either of them. One thing I have no-
ticed, in all I have conversed with, they have a great pro-
pensity to call every thing by its name. And, if the con-
current testimony of the white husbands may be relied
on, the wcmen have much of the temper of the mule, ex-
cept when they are amorous, and then they exhibit all the
amiable and gentle qualities of the cat.

Extract of a letter to William Faulkner, Esq.

CussETUH, November 25, 1797.

I am now, and have been in this town, which is on the
Chattahoche, among the lower Creek towns, (an hundred
and sixty miles from Fort Wilkinson, the residence of
Colonel Gaither on the Ocenee,) for more than a month,
and much engaged in the duties enjoined on me by my
office. It is not necessary to detail to you the difficulties
I have encountered daily, in adjusting with these people
the differences in the way of a friendly intercourse be-
tween them and their neighbors. The men are bred in
habits proudly indolent and insolent ; accustomed to be
courted, and to think that they conferred a favor when
they were naked, by receiving clothes and comforts from
the British agents; and they will reluctantly and with
great difliculty, be humbled to the level of rational life.
1 spend the day at their public places, in conversation ; or
at my hut, where I entertain a number ; and the evenings
I devote till midnight at the town house, to see their dan-
cing and amusements, or at my hut, studying their lan-
guage, or making arrangements to decide on disputed
property, and adjusting the misunderstandings between
the Four Nations. As business increased on me, I found
my mind and exertions always ready to rise above it ; or
as it would be better expressed, to be equal to my wishes,
and even beyond my expectations. In this situation I

The Author. 9

had one visiter sorely afflictive, a severe attack in ray left
leg and foot of the gout ov rheumatism, for eight or ten
nights, sometimes not able to turn in my blankets, yet
constantly crowded with visiters, and obliged to attend to
the head men and warriors of twelve towns, invited to
convene at Cowetuh, a neighboring town.

I have one faithful assistant in Mr. Barnard, one of the
interpreters. The white and red men are much indebted
to his constant, persevering and honest exertions to do
justice to all applicants. It sometimes falls to the lot of
one man, though apparently in the humble walks of life,
to render more effectual service to his fellow creatures,
than thousands of his neighbors. This has been the case
with Mr. Barnard. He was a trader in this nation before
the war, and remained in it during the whole progress of
it, constantly opposing the cruel policy which pressed
these people to war with the Americans, and urged their
being neutral. He repeatedly risked his life and fortune
in the cause of humanity, and he remains to witness that
the purity of his actions has given him a standing among
the red people, which could not be purchased with
money.

I have, since I left you, seen much of the western coun-
try, witnessed the downfall of a character whom I highly
valued, when I first had the pleasure of knowing you, and
seen a check given, I hope an effectual one, to a base
system for the destruction of the Four Nations by the
JE-cmi-nau-nux-uIgee, (people greedily grasping after all
their lands,) and I have the happiness to know, that I
have contributed much to the establishment of the well
grounded confidence which the Four Nations have in the
justice of the United States ; and this confidence is so
well grounded, that the malice or wickedness of the ene-
mies of our Government cannot destroy it.

I may here introduce some of the appellations and epi-
thets applied by the Creek Indians to white men, one of
which is used in the foregoing letter.

E-cun-nau-nux-uIgee : People greedily grasping after the
lands of the red men, against the voice of the United States.

Tucke-mico : The Dirt King, applied to Governor Blount
of Tennessee. The Cherokee name of this gentleman is
2

10 The Author.

Dirt Captain ; and in both nations it arose from their
opinion of his insatiate avidity to acquire Indian lands.

Chesse-cup-pe-tun-ne : The Pumpkin Captain ; a name
given to Captain Chisholm.

E-cun-nau-au-po-po-hau : Always asking for land. This
name was given to Governor Clark of Georgia.

Iste-chate-li.ore-osetatc-chemis-te-chauoro : The beloved man
of the Four Nations ; a name given to Colonel Hawkins.

Iste-chate : Red man.

Istc-hut-ke : White man.

Iste-semols : Wild man ; a Seminole.

Extract of a letter to James Burgess., Creek Interpreter.
CussETUH, November 27, 1797.

I have received your letter of the 14th of this month,
in answer to mine of the 30th October. It is the first I
have had from you. This letter you send me, I have read
with attention ; and if you had not informed me you were
sick, I should have supposed you were deranged in mind.
Perhaps it is a dehrium arising from sickness ; in that
case it is a misfortune, not a fault. If I did not believe
something of this sort really to affect you, I would let you
know, that if you do not know your duty, I know mine.

Whoever heard of your being talked of about what
was done at Coleraine ? Nobody but your own imagina-
tion ! You were only an interpreter, and I know the In-
dians never fault them, for doing their duty faithfully. I
can tell you another thing. You overrate your standing,
when you say the Indians blame you. The fact is they
have not blamed you, and for a very obvious reason.
The Indians do not suffer the white men in their land
even to mention, much less to influence them in their
treaties.

Another thing. You talk of Chulapockey, and the com-
plaint of the Indians about it, and the trifie of goods ;
that these things must be settled before I leave the land.
What do you mean by this stuff ? Do you not know the
Chulapockey line was settled by Mr. Gillivray and the In-
dians who went to New York ? Don't you know that this
nation appointed agents to go and run the line, and that

The Author. 11

Bowles's* coming, prevented it ? Did you not hear the
chiefs tell me this publicly at Coleraine ; and did you not
know they told the truth 't

What do you mean when you say if the Indians suffer
you must suffer ? Have you not, as it was your duty to
do, told them boldly and plainly, what all the interpreters
at Coleraine were ordered to do, that the Indians have
now nothing to fear. The United States have o-uarantied
their country to them. Did you not hear the plan of
government explained at Coleraine, to better the condi^
tion of the Indians ? And don't you know I am here
to carry that plan into execution ? Don't you know the
Indians took part with Great Britain against the United
States, and did us much injury ; and that the retaliation
on our part is to forgive them, because they were a poor,
deluded people ; to enlighten their understandings and to
better their condition, by assisting them with tools and im-
plements of husbandry, and teaching them the use of
them, by furnishing them with blacksmiths, and spinning
wheels, cards, looms and weavers. Where have you been
that you have forgotten these things ? Don't you know
that we have placed an army, at great expense, to protect
the Indians in the enjoyment of their rights, and that we
established two stores, to supply the Indians at cost and
charges ?

You want me to clear you. Of what ? Can you clear
yourself, if you have not explained these things faithfully
to the Indians ? You cannot. You ask me to send you a
certificate of what is done here, signed by two or three
chiefs. What do you mean by this ? Must Iste-chate-
lige-osetat-chamis-te-chaugo have a certificate from three
Indians ? You are surely dreaming.

One piece of information I can give you. The Indians
have appointed seven commissioners to see the fine run,
agreeably to the treaty of New York, and it will be run
just after the new year.

You must visit me about the 25th of next month, at the
store on Oconee, there to explain your conduct, and re-
ceive you salary.

BENJAMIN HAWKINS.

* This man Bowles, was at one time a portrait painter in Savannah.

THE CREEK CONFEDERACY.

All tradition among the Creeks points to the country-
west of the Mississippi, as the original habitat of those
tribes. This universal tradition is confirmed by Du Pratz,
Bernard Romans, Adair, Bartram and Hawkins. Our au-
thor asserts their migration, on the authority of Tusselo-
iah Micco, from the forks of Red river, Wcchate-hatche
'Aufuskee. We may entirely defer to the result of Mr.
Gallatin's investigation of this subject, as the most cor-
rect. His comprehensive research and powerful analysis,
have presented to the scientific world, all that can be
known, perhaps, of that which is involved in the Cimme-
rian darkness of ante-historical periods. In the second
volume of the " Archseologia Americana," he says : " In
the year 1732, when Georgia was first settled, the terri-
tory of the Creek Confederacy, including at that time the
Seminolcs, Avas bounded on the west by Mobile river, and
by the ridge that separates the waters of the Tombigbee,
from those of the Alabama ; on the north by the Chero-
kees, on the northeast by the Savannah, and on every
other quarter by the Atlantic and the gulf of Mexico. It is
believed, that at the end of the seventeenth century, the
Creeks occupied south of the 34th degree of north lati-
tude, the eastern as well as western banks of the Savan-
nah.

" It is not possible to ascertain, when the Confederacy
was consolidated to that extent. It now consists of sev-
eral tribes, speaking different languages. The Muskho-
gees are the prevailing nation, amounting to more than
seven-eights of the whole. The Hitchittees who reside
on the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers, though a distinct

14 The Creek Confederacy.

tribe, speak a dialect of the Muskhogee. The Seminoles
or Isty-Semole, (' wild men,') who inhabit the peninsula
of Florida, are pure Muskhogees, who have gradually de-
tached themselves from the confederacy, but who were
still considered as members of it, till the United States
treated with them as an independent nation. The name
of Seminoles was given to them, on account of their be-
ing hunters, and attending but little to agriculture. A
vocabulary is wanted, in order to prove conclusively, the
identity of their language with the Muskhogee.

" There is some diversity in the accounts given by the
Muskhogees of their origin. The chiefs of the delega-
tion, who attended at Washington, in the year 1826,
agreed, that the prevailing tradition among them was, that
the nation had issued out of a cave near the Alabama
river. The Hitchittees said, that their ancestors had
fallen from the sky. These modes of speaking, common
to several of the tribes, only show that they have lost the
recollection of any ancient migration, and that they con-
sider themselves as aborigines.

" The Utchees and the Natchez, who are both incorpor-
ated in the confederacy, speak two distinct languages,
altogether different from the Muskhogee. The Natchez,
a residue of the well known nation of that name, came
from the banks of the Mississippi and joined the Creeks
less than one hundred years ago. The original seats of
the Uchees were east of the Coosa, and probably of the
Chattahoochee, and they consider themselves the most
ancient inhabitants of the country. It appears certain,
that at the beginning of the eighteenth century, they were,
at least in part, seated on the western banks of the Sa-
vannah. It has already been seen, that in 1736, they
claimed the country above and below Augusta. In the
year 1715, was that of the signal defeat of the Yamassees
(in South Carolina.) The Yamassees were driven across
the river, (Savannah,) and it is probable that the Uchees
were amongst their auxiliaries, and that weakened by this
defeat, they found it safer to remove to a greater distance
from the English settlements, towards Flmt river," (and
Florida.)

" These five languages, the Muskhogee, the Hitchittee,
Uchee, Natchez and the Alabama or Coosada, are, it is

The Creek Confederacy. 15

believed, the only one spoken by the different tribes of the
Creek confcderncy. '1 he Uchee is the most guttural,
uncouth, and difficult to express with our alphabet and
orthography, of any of the Indian languages within our
knowledge.

" Although partial and transient collisions with the
Creeks, occurred subsequently to the settlement of Geor-
gia, no actual war with them took place for near fifty years.
They took an active part in that of the Revolution, against
the Americans, and continued their hostilities till the
treaty concluded at Philadelphia, in 1795. They then re-
mained at peace eighteen years ; but at the beginning of
the last war with Great Britain, a considerable portion of
the nation, excited, it is said, by Tecumseh, and probably
receiving encouragement from other quarters, took arms,
without the slightest provocation, and at first committed
great ravages. They received a severe chastisement; and
the decisive victories of General Jackson, at that time and
some years later, over the Seminoles, who had renewed
the war, have not only secured a permanent peace with
the southern nations, but have placed them all under the
absolute control of the United States. The Creeks and
Seminoles, after some struggles among themselves, have
ceded the whole of their territory, and accepted in ex-
change, other lands beyond the Mississippi."

Such is the succinct, but comprehensive account of the
Creek Confederacy, by Mr. Gallatin. Bernard Romans,
who wrote his book in 1770, says that, '* this confederacy,
of remnants of tribes, are very cunning fellows. They
are a mixture of Cowittas, Talepoosas, Corsas, Apalach-
ias, Conshaes or Coosadas, Oakmulgees, Oconees, Ok-
choys, Alibamons, Natchez, Wetumkas, Pakanas, Taen^
sas, ( hacsihoinas, Abekas, and other tribes." Classifying
these numerous tribes by the science of philology, they
must be reduced to the number of five, as Mr. Gallatin
has shown.

They are jealous, says Romans, of their lands, and en-
deavor to enlarge their territories by conquest, and claim-
ing large tracts from the Cherokees and Choctaws. They
have foiced these two tribes into alliance, and they wish
to unite a!! tribes and languages under one general con-
federation or commonwealth. As an instance of their

16 The Creek Confederacy.

jealous policy, it may be related, that in 1764, Messrs.
Rea and G^lphin, having contracted to supply Pensacola
with beef, the Creeks would not allow any other cattle
than oxen to pass through their territory.

To my mind, it is evident, that the whole Atlantic
coast, from the Mississippi to the country of the Six Na-
tions, in the north, has for centuries past been the theatre
of constant revolutions among the aborigines of the soil.
Wars, conquests, subjugations, extinctions and productions
of new races, migrations and new settlements, I do not
doubt, have marked the life of western as well as of
eastern nations. On this continent there are no Perse-
politan, Etruscan, Egyptian or Runic inscriptions, to at-
test the rise and decay of nations, their wars, conquests
and migrations ; and where no records have been made
of such movements among races and tribes, the modern
science of comparative philology has detected, by speech,
the far distant emigration of tribes of men, with as great
certainty, as the comparative anatomist detects congeners,
amon"- fossil mammals. Tluis, the An^lo-Saxon derives
his origin through Teutonic and Zend, to Sanscrit in cen-
tral Asia, with positive certainty.

The historians of Carohna and Georgia, have pre-
served some slight vestiges of the original inhabitants.
The Shawnees appear to have been a peculiarly roving,
romantic race. Lawson reports that the Catawbas in
Carolina, drove back the Shawnees from the Pedee and
Santee rivers. At one time, they were repelled by the
Six Nations and retired to the valley of the Ohio. At
another, they were found on the Savannah river, which
was called Ckisketalia fan liatche ; and sometimes Sau-
vannogee^ the name for Shawanoe. This is the report of
Mr. Hawkins. It was called Isundiga, by the Carolina
tribes. My own opinion is, that the river was so called,
from the tribe of Savannahs occupying its banks; who
belonged to the great Uchee family. There are many
indications however, which favor the settlement of Shaw-
nees on this river.

Hawkins says, thai* " the village of Sauvanogee, on the
waters of Coosa and Tallapoosa, is inhabited by Shawa-
nee. They retain the language and customs of their
countrymen to the northwest, and aided them in their late

The Creek Confederacy. 17

war with the United States. Some lichees have settled
with them."

Entertaining the suspicion, that these Shawanee were
in reahty Uchees, I found confirmation in Bartram. He
says, " their (Uchees) own national language is radically
different from the Muscogulgee tongue ; and is called Sa-
vanna or Savannuca, Savanogee. I was told by the tra-
ders, that it was the same as the dialect of the Shawa-
nese. The Uchees are in confederacy with the Creeks,
but do not mix with them."

The language of the Shawnese is most certainly not
likelUchee ; and this contradiction of the traders I can-
not well explain. Yet I have the conviction, that the tribe
of Savannahs were Uchees. All travellers concur in as-
signing to the Uchees great influence in the confederacy ;
and Bartram asserts that " they excite the jealousy of the
whole Creek union." Palachoocla or Parachoocla, the cap-
ital of the confederacy, with two thousand inhabitants, on
the waters of the Chattahoochee, is a very ancient Uchee
town. There is at this day an old Indian station in Car-
olina, on the Savannah river, called Parachoola, which is
Uchee. Saukechih, (saltketchers,) where Governor Cra-
ven defeated the Yamassees, is most likely to be a Uchee
word. Indeed, until the contrary shall be proved by com-
parative vocabularies, I shall think that the Savannahs,
Sevannahs and Uchees, who conquered and expelled the
Westos and Stonos, were one people with the Yamassees.

The Yamassees were, in turn, expelled from Carolina
by the English, and took refuge in Florida. The Yama-
craws belonged to this tribe. The Uchees seem to have
been a conquering people, whose tide of success havmg
been checked, flowed back towards the west, and there
met the advancing waves of the Muscogee emigration
from the west, rolling eastwardly. Policy and self-pre-
servation combined to suggest a coalition. And thus,
from these principles, acting upon other nomadic or mi-
grating tribes, may have sprung the powerful Creek or
Muscogee confederacy.

The existence of the numerous aboriginal tribes within

the borders of the United States will, ere long, belong

only to history. The generations of Indians that have

passed away since the first English settlements in Amer-

3

18 The Creek Confederacy,

ica, have left no monuments to attest their dominion.
There exist in the valleys of the great west, striking evi-
dences of an anterior civilization, which are objects of
wonder to the Indians of our day as well as to ourselves.
The only vestiges of their creation, that will be left to
posterity, are the books of missionaries printed in their
idioms, and vocabularies, unsatisfactory but invaluable
to science. Too much honor and praise cannot be
accorded to those enlightened men, who have devoted
themselves to the preservation of these vestiges which are
to become the fossil, organic remains of intellectual hu-
manity. Du Ponceau and Gallatin are the two names
which stand pre-eminent in this department of scientific
labor. The one has closed his honorable career ; the
other still devotes, with advancing years, his philosophic
mind to these subjects of human and scientilic interest.
At this moment he is preparing for press a volume of
ethnographic investigations in Cahfornia and New Mex-
ico. The labors of the scholar and historian, will beauti-
fully close the career of the benevolent and disciplined
statesman.

WxM. B. HODGSON.
June 20, 1848.

A SKETCH OF THE CREEK COUNTRY,

IN THE YEARS 1798 AND 1799. ^

TiiE origin of the name Creek is uncertain. The tra-
dition is, tliat it was given by white people, from the num-
ber of Creeks and water courses in the country. The
Indian name is Muscoor e.*

The Creeks came from the west. They have a tra-
dition among them, that there is, in the fork of ]{ed
river, west of the iMississippi, two mounds of earth ; that
at this place, the Cussetuhs, Conetuhs and Chickasaws,
found themselves ; that being distressed by wars with red
people, they crossed the Mississippi, and directing their
course eastwardly, they crossed the fidls of Tal-lapoo-sa,
above Took-au-bat-che, settled below the falls of Chat-to-
ho-che, and spread out from thence to Oc-mul-gec, O-co-
nee. Savannah, and down on the seacoast, towards Charles-
ton. Here, they first saw white people, and from hence
they have been compelled to retire back again, to their
present settlemejits.

The country lying between Coosau, Tallapoosa and
Chat-to-ho-clie, above their falls, is broken. The soil is
stiffs, with coarse gravel, and in some places, stone. The
trees are post oak, white and black oak, pine, hickory
and chesnut, all of them small. The whole is well wa-
tered, and the rivers and creeks have rocky beds, clad in
many places with moss greatly relished by cattle, horses
and deer, and are margined with cane or reed, on narrow
strips or coves, of rich flats. On the Coosau, sixty miles
above its junction with Tallapoosa, there is limestone, and
it is to be found in several places from thence up to Etow-
woh, and its western branches.

* G is always hard in Greek. Mus-co-gee, a Creek Indian ; Mus-co-gul-gt-e, the
Creeks. Ghe-io-kee, a Cherokee. Ghe-loc-ul-gee, the Cherokees.

20, A Sketch of the Creek Country.

The country above the falls of Oc-mul-gee and Flint
rivers, is less broken than that of the other rivers. These
have their sources near each other, on the left side of
Chattohoche, in open, flat, land, the soil stiff, the trees
post and black oak, all small. The land is generally rich,
well watered, and lies well, as a waving country, for culti-
vation. The growth of timber is oak, hickory, and the
short leaf pine ; pea-vine on the hill sides and in the bot-
toms, and a tall, broad leaf, rich grass, on the richest land.
The whole is a very desirable country. Below the falls
of these two rivers, the land is broken or waving. The
streams are, some of them, margined with oak woods ;
and all of them with cane or reed. The upland of Oc-
mul-gee is pine forest ; the swamp wide and rich ; the
whole is fine for stock. On its right bank, below the
old Uchee path, there is some light pine barren, with
saw palmetto and wiregr.'iss.'

Flint river, below its falls, has some rich swamp, for
not more than twenty miles. Its left bank is then poor,
with pine flats and ponds, down within fifteen miles of its
confluence with Chat-to-ho-che. These fifteen miles is
waving, with some good oak in small veins. On its right
bank there are several large creeks, which rise out of the
ridge dividing the waters of Fhnt and Chattohoche. Some
of them are margined with oak woods and cane ; and all
the branches, for seventy miles below the falls, have reed ;
from thence down there are bay galls and dwarf ever-
greens, and cypress ponds, with some live oak. Between
these rivers, there is some good post and black oak land,
strewed over with iron ore, and the ridge dividing their
waters has a vein of it, extending itself in the direction
with the ridge. Within twenty-five miles of the conflu-
ence of the rivers, the live oak is to be seen near all the
ponds, and here are limestone rocks. The land here is
good in veins, in the flats and on the margins of the rivers.
The trees of every description are small. The range is
a fine one for cattle.

That exclusive body of land between Flint river, O-ke-
fi-no-cau, A-la-ta-ma-ha and the eastern boundary of the
creek claims, is poor pine land, with cypress ponds and
bay galls. The small streams are margined with dwarf
evergreens. The uplands have yellow pine, with dwarf

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 21

saw palmetto and wiregrass. The bluffs on St. Illas, are,
some part of them, sandy pine barren ; the remainder is
a compact, stiff, yellowish sand or clay, with large swamps ;
the growth is the loblolly bay, gum and small evergreens.
The whole of these swamps is bogs. In the rainy sea-
son, which commences after midsummer, the ponds fill,
and then the country is, a great part of it, covered with
water ; and in the dry season it is difficult to obtain water
in any direction, for many miles.

Bees abound in the 0-ke-fin-a-cau and other swamps,
eastward of Flint river. The wortleberry is to be found
in the swamps, and on the poorest of the land bordering
on the cypress ponds. When the woods are not burnt
for a year or more, the latter are on dwarf bushes, grow
larger, and in great abundance.

The dwarf saw palmetto, when the woods are not burnt,
in like manner bears a cluster of berries on a single stem,
which are eaten by bear, deer, turkeys and Indians. The
berries are half an inch in diameter, covered with a black
skin, and have a hard seed ; they are agreeable to the
taste, sweet, accompanied with bitter, and when full ripe
they burst, and the bees extract much honey from them.
The China briar is in the flat, rich, sandy margins of
streams. The Indians dig the roots, pound them in a
mortar, and suspend them in coarse cloth, pour water on
them and wash them. The sediment which passes through
with the water is left to subside ; the water is then poured
off, and the sediment is baked into cakes or made into
gruel sweetened with honey. This briar is called Coonte,
and the bread made of it, Coon-te-tuc-a-li-sa, and is an
important article of food among the hunters. In the old
beaver ponds, in thick boggy places, they have the bog
potatoe (Uc-lau-wau-he-aha) a small root, used as food in
years of scarcity.

The 0-ke-fin-o-cau is the source of the St. Mary's and
Little St. Johns, called by the Indians Sau-wau-na. It is
sometimes called E-cun-fin-o-cau, from E-cun-nau, earth ;
and Fin-o-cau, quivering. The first is the most common
amongst the Creeks. It is from Ooka a Chactau word
for water, and Fin-o-cau, quivering. This is a very ex-
tensive swamp, and much of it a bog ; and so much so,

22 A Skelch of the Creek Country*

that a little motion will make the mud and water quiver to
a great distance. Hence tlie name is given.

Ho-ith-Jepoie Tus-tun-nug-ge-thluc-co, an Indian who
resided in it many years, says that, " the Little St. John's
may be ascended far into the swamp, and that it is not
practicable to go far up the St. Mary's, as it loses itself
in the swamp ; that there is one ridge on the west side of
the St. John's, and three on the east. The growth is pine,
live and white oak ; the soil good ; the lakes abound in
fish and alli;2;ators. On the ridges and in the swamps
there were a great many bear, deer, and tigers. He lived
on the ridge west of the St. John's, and was, with his fam-
ily, very healthy. Being unwillin;^ to take part in the war
between the United States and Great Britain, he moved
there to be out of the way of it, was well pleased with
his situation, and should have continued to reside there,
but for the beasts of prey, which destroyed his cattle and
horses. He could walk round the swamp in five days."

The land between Chat-to-ho-che and Alabama, border-
ing on the southern boundary of the United States, is bet-
ter than that on the east side of Flint river. The Ko-e-
ne-cuh rises between these two rivers, and makes the bay
Escambia at Pensacola. Between Ko-e-ne-cuh and
Chat-to-ho-che, the land is broken or waving. The ridge
dividing their waters, has high flats of light land, well set
with willow-leaved hickory, and iron ore in places, and
all the streams have reed or cane on their margins.

This country has the appearance of being a healthy
one, and the range is fine for cattle, hogs, and horses.
The pine flats have the wiregrass, and in some places,
the saw palmetto. The soil of the waving land is, some
of it, stiff and red, with stones on the ridges. The pine
land is stiff, generally, and pretty good for corn.

The Tal-la-poo-sa from its falls to its confluence with
the Coosau, about thirty miles, has some good flat land.
The broken land terminates on its right bank, and the
good land spreads out on its left. There are several pine
creeks on this side, which have their source in the ridge
dividing these waters from Ko-e-ne-cuh. The land bor-
dering on them is rich ; the timber large, and cane abund-
ant. This good land extends to the Alabama, and down
it for thirty miles, includmg the plains, (He-guc-pul-gee.)

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 23

These are seventeen miles through, going parallel to Ala-
bama south 20 west. They are waving, hill and dale,
and appear divided into fields. In the fields the grass is
short, no brush ; the soil in places is a lead color, yellow
underneath, within the abode of the ants, and very stiff.
In the wooded parts the growth is generally post oak, and
very large, without any under brush, beautifully set in
clumps. Here the soil is a dark clay, covered with long
grass and weeds, which indicate a rich soil. One observ-
ation applies to all the fields; in the centre the land is
poorest, the grass shortest, and it rises gradually to the
wooded margins, where it is tall, and the land apparently
rich. Four large creeks meander through the plains to
the Alabama. They all have broad margins of stiff, level,
rich land, well wooded and abounding with cane. There
is, notwithstanding these creeks, a scarcity of water in
the dry season, and all the creeks were dry in 1799, and
not a spring of water was to be found.

The Alabama is margined with cane swamps, and these,
in places, with flats of good land or poor pine flats. The
swamps at the confluence with the Tombigby and below
on the iMobile, is low and subject to be overflowed every
spring. Above, it is of great width, intersected with
lakes, slashes, and crooked drains, and much infested
with musketoes. The people who cultivate this swamp,
never attempt to fence it, as the annual freshes, always
in the spring, rise from three to ten feet over it. The
land, borderincr on the swamp, and for a mile back, is a
poor, stiff clay ; the growth is pine and underbrush, back
of this broken pine barren, there are cypress ponds, and
veins of reeds in the branches. The range is said to be
a fine one for cattle. The settlement of Ta-cn-sau bor-
ders on the Mobile and Alabama, on the left side. On
the same side of Alabama, fifty miles above its confluence
with the Tombigby, the high broken lands commence and
extend for sixty or seventy miles upwards, and abound in
places with large, fine, tall cedar.

The land between Alabama and Ko-o-ne-cuh, below
the plains, is broken or waveing; the soil is stiff, very
red in places, and gravelly ; for thirty miles then succeeds
stiff pine barren. Limestone, a creek which enters the
Alabama, has some good broken land, with limestone,

24 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

which gives name to the creek. At its sources there is a
fine body of land called the " dooj woods," the growth is
oak, chesnut, poplar, lind and dogwood. This vein of
land is nearly twenty miles in length, and eight wide*
The dogwood is very thick set, and some of them large,
ten inches diameter. The whole is finely watered.

The Coosau has its source high up in the Cherokee
country. E-tow-woh and Oos-te-nau-lih, are its main
branches. The land on these rivers is rich, and abounds
with limestone. Sixty miles above the confluence of the
Coo-sau with Tallapoosa, there is a high, waving, hme-
stone country settled by the Indians of Coo-sau, Au-be-
coo-che nau-che and Eu-fau-lau-hat-che. The settlements
are generally on rich flats of oaks, hickory, poplar, wal-
nut and mulberry. The springs are fine ; there is cane
on the creeks, and reed on the branches. The surround-
ing country is broken and gravelly. The land fit for cul-
ture, is generally the margins of the creeks, or the waving
slopes from the high broken land.

Throughout the whole of this country, there is but
little fruit of any kind ; in some of the rich flats there
are fox grapes and muscadines ; the small cluster grapes
of the hills is destroyed by fire, and the persimmon, haw
and chesnut, by the hatchet ; there are a few blackberries
in the old fields, red haws on the poor sand hills, and
strawberries thinly scattered, but not a gooseberry, rasp-
berry or currant, in the land.

The traveller, in j)assing through a country as extensive
and wild as this, and so much in a state of nature, ex-
pects to see game in abundance. The whole of the creek
claims, the Seminoles inclusive, cover three hundred miles
square; and it is difficult for a good hunter, in passing
through it, in any direction, to obtain enough for his sup-
port.

The towns, with a description of their position, and the lands
of their neighborhood.

There are thirty-seven towns in the Creek nation ;
twelve on the waters of Chat-to-ho-che, and twenty-five
on the waters of Coo-sau and Tal-la-poo-sa. The small
towns or villages belong to some one of these. The old

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 25

towns have the exclusive right of governing the ceremony
of the Boos-ke-tuh.*

The towns on Chat-to-ho-che.

1 Cow-e-tuh. 7 Hitch-e-tee.

2 Cow-c-tuh-tal-lau-has-see. 8 Pa-la-chooc-la.

3 Cus-se-tuh. 9 O-co-nee.

4 U-chee. 10 Sau-woog-e-lo.

5 Oo-se-oo-che. 11 Sau-woog-e-loo-che.

6 Che-au-hau. 12 Eu-fau-lau.

The towns on Coo-sau and Tal-la-poo-sa.

1 Tal-e-see.

14 O-che-au-po-fau.

2 Took-au-bat-che.

15 We-wo-cau.

3 Aut-tos-see.

1 6 Puc-cun-tal-lau-has-see,

4 Hoith-le Waulee.

17 Coo-sau.

5 Foosce-hat-che.

18 Au-be-coo-chee

6 Coo-loome.

19 Nau-chee.

7 E-cun-hut-kee.

20 Eu-fau-lau-hat-che.

8 Sau-va-no-gee.

21 Woc-co-coie.

9 Mook-lau-sau.

22 Hill-au-bee.

10 Coo-sau-dee.

23 Oc-fus-kee.

11 Hook-choie.

24 Eu-fau-lau.

12 Hook-choie-oo-che.

25 Ki-a-li-jee.

13 Tus-ke-gee.

The towns of the Simenolies deserve a place here, as
they are Creeks. The}'' inhabit the country bordering on
the gulf of Mexico, from A-pa-la-che-co-la, including
Little St. John's and the Florida point. They have seven
towns.

1 Sim-e-no-le-tal-lau-haf-see 5 Oc-le-wau-hau thluc-co.

2 Mic-co sooc-e. 6 Tal-lau-gue chapco pop-cau

3 We-cho-took-me. 7 Cull-oo-sau hat-che.

4 Au-lot-che-wau.

Sim-e-lo-le or Sim-e-no-le, means wild. These towns

* Hereafter described.

26 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

are made from tlie towns 0-co-nee, Sau-woog-e-lo, Eu-
fau-lau, Tuin-rnault-lau, I'a-lri-chooc-le arid Hitch-e-tee.
Tliey are called vild people, because they left their old
towns and made irregular settlements in this country to
which they were invited by the plenty of game, the mild-
ness of the climate, the richness of the soil, and the
abundance of food for cattle and horses. The range is
equally fine for hogs, but they are raised with difficulty,
as the ponds and swamps abound with alligators.

A description of the towns on Coosaii and Tal-la-poo-sa, gen-
erallij called Upper Creeks.

I. Tal-e-scc^ from Tal-o-fau, a town, and e-see, taken.
Situated in the fork ot Eu fau-le on the left bank of Tal-
ja-poo-sa, opposite Took-au-l'at-che. Eu-fau-be has its
source in the ri ge dividing the waters of Chat-to-ho-che,
from Tal-la-poo-sn, and runs nearly west to the junction
with the rrer; there it is sixty feet wide. The land on it is
poor for some miles up, then rich flats, bordered with pine
Ian': with reedy l)ranches, a fine range for cattle and horses.

The Indians have mostly Kft the town, and settled up
the creek, or on its waters, for twenty miles. The settle-
ments are some of them well chosen, and fenced with
worm fences. The land bordering on the streams of the
right side of the creek, is better than that of the left; and
here the settlements are mostly made. Twelve miles up
the (reek from its mouth it forks ; the large fork of the
left side has some rich flat swamp, large white oak, pop-
lar, ash and white pine. 'Ihe trading path from Cus-se-
tuh to the Upper Creeks crosses this li;rk twice. Here
it is called big swamp, (opil-lhluc-co.) The waving land
to its source is stiff". The growth is post oak, pine and
hard shelled hickory.

The Indian- who have settled out on the margins and
branches of the creek, have, several of them, cattle, hogs
and horses, and begin to be attentive to them. The head
warrior of the town, Teter iVIcQueen, a half breed, is a
snug trader, has a valuable property in negroes and stock
and beiJins to know their value.

These Indians were very friendly to the United States,
during the revolutionary war, and their old chief, Ho-bo-

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 27

ith-le Mic-co, of the halfway house, (improperly called
the Tal-e-see king,) could not be prevailed on by any of-
fers from the agents of Great Britain, to ta'e part with
them. On the return of peace, and the establishment of
friendly arrangements between the Indians and citizens of
the United iStates, this chief felt himself neo-lectrd bv
Mr. Seagrove, which resenting, he robbed and insulted
that gentleman, compelled him to leave his house near
Took-au-bat-che, ami fly into a swamp. He has since
then, as from a spirit of contradiction, formed a party in
opposition to the will of the nation, which has given
much trouble and difficulty to the chiefs of the land. His
principal assistants were the leaders of the banditti who
insulted the commissioners of Spain and ihe United States,
on the 17th September, 1799, at the confluence of Flint
and Chat-to-ho-che. 'I he exemplary punishment inflicted
on them by the warriors of the nation, has effectually
checked their mischief-making and silenced them. And
this chief has had a solerrm warning from the national
council, to respect the laws of the nation, or he should
meet the punishment ordained by the law. He is one of
the great medal chiefs.

This spirit of party or opposition, prevails not only
here, but more or less in every town in the nation. I'he
plainest proposition for ameliorating their condition, is
immediately opposed ; and this opposition continues as
long as there is hope to obtain presents, the infallible mode
heretofore in use, to gain a point.

2. Took-au-bat-che. The ancient name of this town
is Is-po-co-gee ; its derivation uncertain ; it is situated
on the right bank of the Tallapoosa, opposite the junc-
tion of Mu-fau-be, two and a half miles below the falls of
the river, on a beautiful level. The course of the river
from the falls to the town, is south ; it then turns east
three-quarters of a mile, and short round a point opposite
Eu-fau-be, thence west and west-by-north to its conflu-
ence with Coosau, about thirty miles. It is one hundred
yards wide opposite the town house to the south, and
here are two good fords during the summer. One just
below the point of a small island, the other one hundred
yards still lower.

The water of the falls, after tumbling over a bed of

28 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

rock for half a mile, is forced into two channels ; one
thirty, the other fifteen feet wide. The fall is forty feet in
fifty yards. The channel on the right side, which is the
widest, falls nearly twenty feet in ten feet. The fish are
obstructed here in their attempts to ascend the river.
From appearances, they might be easily taken in the sea-
son of their ascending the rivers, but no attempts have
hitherto been made to do so.

The rock is a light gray, very much divided in square
blocks of various sizes for building. It requires very
little labor to reduce it to form, for plain walls. Large
masses of it are so nicely fitted, and so regular, as to im-
itate the wall of an ancient building, where the stone had
passed through the hands of a mason. The quantity of
this description at the falls and in the hill sides adjoining
them, is great ; sufficient for the building of a large city.

The falls above spread out, and the river widens to half
a mile within that distance, and continues that width for
four miles. Within this scope are four islands, which
were formerly cultivated, but are now old fields margined
with cane. The bed of the river is here rocky, shoally,
and covered with moss. It is frequented in summer by
cattle, horses, and deer ; and in the winter, by swans,
geese and ducks.

On the right bank opposite the falls, the land is broken,
stoney and gravelly. The hill sides fronting the river,
exhibit this building rock. The timber is post oak, hick-
ory and pine, all small. From the hills the land spreads
off level. The narrow flat margin between the hills and
the river is convenient for a canal for mills on an ex-
tensive scale, and to supply a large extent of flat land
around the town with water. Below the falls a small
distance, there is a spring and branch, and within five
hundred yards a small creek ; thence within half a mile,
the land becomes level and spreads out on this side two
miles, including the flats of Wol-lau-hat-che, a creek ten
feet wide, which rises seventeen miles from its junction
with the river, in the high pine forest, and running south-
south-east enters the river three miles below the town
house. The whole of this flat, between the creek and
the river, bordering on the town, is covered with oak and
the small hard shelled hickory. The trees are all small ;

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 29

the land is light, and fine for corn, cotton or melons. The
creek has a little cane on its margins, and reed on the
small branches ; but the range is much exhausted by the
stock of the town.

On the left bank of the river, at the falls, the land is
broken pine forest. Half a mile below there is a small
creek which has its source seven miles from the river, its
margins covered with reed or cane. Below the creek the
land becomes flat, and continues so to Tale^ee on the Eu-
fau-bee, and half a mile still lower, to the hills between
this creek and Ca-le-bc-hat-che. The hills extend nearly
two miles, are intersected by one small creek and two
branches, and terminate on the river in two high bluffs ;
from whence is an extensive view of the town, the river,
the flat lands on the opposite shore and the range of hills
to the northwest ; near one of the bluffs there is a fine
spring, and near it a beautiful elevated situation for a set-
tlement. The hills are bounded to the west by a small
branch. Below this, the flat land spreads out for one
mile. It is a quarter of a mile from the branch on this
flat to the residence of Mr. Cornells, (Oche Haujo,) thence
half a mile to the public establishment, thence two miles
to the mouth of Ca-le-be-hat che. This creek has its
source thirty miles to the east in waving, post oak, hick-
ory and pine land ; in some places the swamp is wide,
the beach and white oak very large, with poplar, cy-
press, red bay, sassafras, Florida magnolia, and white
pine. Broken piny woods and reedy branches on its
right side ; oak flats, red and post oak, willow leaved
hickory, long and short leaf pine and reedy branches on
its left side. The creek at its mouth is twenty-five feet
wide. The flat between it and the river is fine for corn,
cotton and melons, oak, hickory, and short leaf pine.
From this flat to its source, it is margined with cane, reed,
and palmetto. Ten miles up the creek, between it and
Kebihatche, the next creek below and parallel with this,
are some licks in post and red oak saplin flats ; the range
on these creeks is apparently fine for cattle ; yet from the
want of salt or moss, the large ones appear poor in the
fall, while other cattle, where moss is to be had, or they
are regularly salted, are fat.

They have 116 gun men belonging to this town ; they

30 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

were formerly more numerous, but have been unfortunate
in their wars. In the last they had with the Chickasaws,
they lost thirty- five gun men ; they have begun to settle
out in villages for the conveniency of stock raising, and
having firewood ; the stock which frequent the mossy
shoals above the town, look well and appear healthy ; the
Indians begin to be attentive to them, and are increasing
them by all the means in their power. Several of them
have from fifty to one hundred, and the town fiirniMied
seventy good beef cattle in 1799. One chief, Toolk-au-
bat-che Haujo, has five hundred, and although apparently
very indigent, he never sells any ; while he seems to deny
himself the comforts of life, he gives continued proofs of
unbounded hospitality ; he seldom kills less than two large
beeves a fortnight, for his friends and acquaintances.

The town is on the decline. Its appearance proves the
inattention of the inhahitants. It is badly fencrd ; they
have but a few plum trees, and several clumps of cassine
yupon ; the land is much exhausted with continued cul-
ture, and the wood for fuel is at a great and inconvenient
distance, unless boats or land carriages were in use ; it
could then be easily supplied ; the river is navigable for
boats drawing two and a half feet in the dry season, from
just above the town, to Alabama. From the point just
above the town to the tails, the river spreads over a bed
of flat rock in several places, where the depth of water
is something less than two feet.

This is the residence of Efau Haujo, one of the great
medal chiefs, the speaker for the nation at the national
council. He is one of the best informed men of the land,
and faithful to his national engagements. He has five
black slaves, and a stock of cattle and horses ; liut they
are of little use to him ; the ancient habits instilled in
him by French and British agents, that the red chiefs are
to live on presents from their white friends, is so riveted,
that he claims it as a tribute due to him, and one that
never must be dispensed with.

At the public establishment there is a smith's shop, a
dwelling house and kitchen built of logs, and a field well
fenced. And it is in the contemplation of the agent, to
have a public garden and nursery.

The assistant and interpreter, Mr. Cornells, (Oche

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 31

Haujo,) one of the chiefs of the Creek nation, has a farm
well fenced and cultivated with the plough. He is a half
breed, of a strong mind, and fulfils the duties enjoined on
him by his appointment, with zeal and fidelity. He has
nine negroes un ler good government. Some of his family
have good farms, and one of them, Zachariah McGive is
a careful, snug farmer, has good fences, a fine young
orchard, and a stock of hogs, liorses and cattle. His wife
has the neatness and economy of a white woman. This
family and Sullivan's, in the neighborhood, are spinning.*

3, Aut-tos-se, en the left side of Tallapoosa, below
and adjoining Ca-le-be-hat-che. A poor, miserat>le look-
ing place, fenced with small poles ; the first on forks in a
fine and two others on slakes hardly sufficient to keep out
cattle. They have some plum and peach trees ; a swamp
back of the town and some good land back of that, a fiat
of oak, hickory and pine. On the right bank of the river,
just below the town, they have a fine rich cove of land
which was formerly a cane brake, and has been cultivated.

There is, below the town, one good fiirm made by the
late Richard Bailey, and an orchard of peach trees Mrs.
Bailey, the widow, is neat, clean and industrious, and
very attentive to the interests of her family ; qualities
rarely to be met with in an Indian woman. Her example
has no efl[ect on the Indians, even her own family, with
the exception of her own children. She has fifty bee-hives
and a great supply of honey every year ; has a fine stock
of hogs, cattle and horses, and they all do well. Her
son, Richard Bailey, was educated in Philadelphia by the
Government, and he has brought with him into the nation
so much contempt for the Indian mode of life, that he
has got himself into discredit with them. His young
brother is under the direction of the Quakers in Philadel-
phia. His three sisters promise to do well, they are in-
dustrious and can spin. Some of the Indians have cattle ;
but in general, they are destitute of property.

* January 1st, 1801. Mr. Cornells has a flock of sheep presented to him by the
agent, of which he is very careful. His farm is in fine order, the fences well made and
straight, his garden 150 feet square, well paled, laid off and planted with the variety
usual in good gardens. He has a nursery of peach trees, and two bushels of peach
stones to plant, by order of the agent, for a public nursery. He is very attentive to all
imprcvenients suggested to him, and has now pepared a field of two acres for cotioii.
He ha? a field of rye which looks well, and is about to sow a field of oats. He retains
his Indian dress, but has the manners of a well bred man.

32 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

' In the year 1766 there were forty-three gun men, and
lately they were estimated at eighty. This is a much
greater increase of population than is to be met with in
other towns ! they appear to be stationary generally, and
in some towns are on the decrease ; the apparent differ-
ence here, or increase, may be greater than the real ; as
formerly men grown were rated as gun men, and now
boys of fifteen, who are hunters, are rated as gun men ;
they have for two years past been on the decline ; arc
very sickly, and have lost many of their inhabitants ;
they are now rated at fifty gun men only.*

4. Ho-ith-le Waule, from Ho-ith-le, war, and wau-le, to
share out or divide. This town had, formerly, the right to
declare war ; the declaration was sent first to Took-au-
bat-che, and thence throughout the nation, and they ap-
pointed the rendezvous of the warriors. It is on the right
bank of the Tallapoosa, five miles below Aut-tos-see. In
descending the river on the left side from Aut-tos-see, is
two miles across Ke-bi-hat-che ; thence one mile and a
half O-fuck-she, and enter the fields of the town ; the
fields extend down the river for one and a half miles ; the
town is on the right bank, on a narrow strip of good land ;
and back of it, under high red cliffs, are cypress ponds.
It borders west on Autoshatche twenty-five feet wide.

These peeple have some cattle, and a few hogs and
horses ; they have some settlements up O-fuck-she ; the
increase of property among them, and the inconvenience
attendant on their situation, their settlement being on the
right side of the river, and their fields and stock on the
left, brought the well-disposed to listen with attention to
the plan of civilization, and to comment freely on their
bad management. The town divided against itself; the
idlers and the ill-disposed remained in the town, and the
others moved over the river and fenced their fields. On
this side the land is good and level, and the range out from
the river good to the sources of 0-fuc-she. On the other
side, the hi<ih broken land comes close to the river. It
is broken pine barren, back of that.. The situation of the

* January 1st, 1801. Richard Bailey being dead, much of the Indian appears. The
fifty bee-hives are reduced to one, and his son Richard is neither an Indian nor white
man ; yet he promises to mend, as the agent for Indian affairs is soon to reside in his
neighborhood. The date to the calculation of numbers, is here noted from a British
return, but it is probably erroneous.

A Sketch of the Creek -Country. 33t

town is low and unhealthy ; and this remark applies to all
the towns on Tallapoosa, below the falls.

O-fuc-she has its source near Ko-e-ne-cuh, thirty miles
from the river, and runs north. It has eight or nine forks,
and the land is good on all of them. The growth is oak,
hickory, poplar, cherry, persimon, with cane brakes on
the flats and hills. It is a delightful range for stock, and
was preserved by the Indians for bears, and called the
beloved bear-ground. Every town had a reserve of this
sort exclusively ; but as the cattle increase and the bears
decrease, they are hunted in common. This creek is
sixty feet wide, has steep banks, and is difficult to cross,
when the waters are high.

Kebihatche has its source to the east, and is parallel
with Ca-le-be-hat-che ; the margins of the creek have
rich flats bordering pine forest or post oak hills.

5. Foosce-hat-che ; from foo-so-wau, a bird, and hat-che,
tail. It is two miles below Ko-ith-le-wau-le, on the right
bank of Tal-la-poo-sa, on a narrow strip of flat land ; the
broken lands are just back of the town ; the cornfields
are on the opposite side of the river, and are divided from
those of Ho-ith-le-wau-le by a small creek, Noo-coose-
chepo. On the right bank of this little creek, half a mile
from the river, is the remains of a ditch, which sur-
rounded a fortification, and back of this for a mile, is the
appearance of old settlements, and back of these, pine
slas?ies.

The cornfields are narrow, and extend down, bordering
on the river.

6. Coo-loo-me, is below and near to Foosce-hat-che,
on the right side of the river ; the town is small and com-
pact, on a flat much too low, and subject to be overflowed
in the seasons of floods, which is once in fifteen or six-
teen years, always in the winter season, and mostly in
March ; they have, within two years, begun to settle back,
next to the broken lands ; the cornfields are on the oppo-
site side, joining those of Foosce-hat-che, and extend to-
gether near four miles down the river, from one hundred
to two hundred yards wide. Back of these hills there is
a rich swamp of from four to six hundred yards wide,
which, when reclaimed, must be valuable for corn or rice,

5

34 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

and could be easily drained into the river, which seldom
overflows its banks, in spring or summer.

They have no fences ; they have huts in the fields to
shelter the laborers in the summer season from rain, and
for the guards set to watch the crops while they are
growing. At this season some families move over and
reside in their Helds, and return with their crops into the
town. There are two paths, one through the fields en
the river l)an!<, and the other back of the swamp. In the
season for melons, the Indians of this town and Foosce-
hat-che show in a particular manner their hospitality to
all travellers, by callmg to t'r.em, introducing them to their
huts or the shade of their trees, and giving them excellent
melons, and the best fare they possess. Opposite the
town house, in the fields, is a conical mound of earth
thirty feet in diameter, ten feet high, with large peach
trees on several places. At the lower end of the rields,
on the left bank of a fine little creek, Le-cau-suh, is a
pretty little village of Coo-loo-me people, finely situated
on a rismg ground; the land up this creek is waving pine
forest.

7. E'Cua-hut-ke ; from e-cun-nau, earth, and hut-ke,
white, called by the traders while ground. This little
town is just below Coo-loo-me, on the i-ame side of the
river, and five or six miles above ISam-beMoh, a large fine
creek which has its source in the pine hills to the north,
and its whole course through broken pine hills. It ap-
pears to be a nover-failing stream, and fine for mills ; the
fields belonging to this town, are on both sides of the
river.

8. Sau-wa-no-gee, is on a pine forest, three miles below
Le-cau-suh, and back from a swamp bordering on the
river ; their fields are on both sides of the river, but
mostly on the left bank, between the swamp and the river,
on a vein of rich canebrake land ; they are the Shaw-a-
nee, and retain the language and customs of their coun-
trymen to the northwest, and aided them in their late war
with the United Staters. Some Uchees have settled with
them ; they arc industrious, work with their women and
make plenty of corn ; they have no cattle, anil but few
horses and hogs ; the town house is an oblong square

A Sketch of tlie Creek Country. ^

cabin, roof eight feet pitch, the sides and roof covered
with the bark of the pine ; on the left side of the river.

9. Mook-lau-sau, is a small town one mile below Sau-
va-noo-<i;ee, on the left bank of a fine little creek, and
bordering on a cypress swamp ; their fields are below
those of Sau-van-no-gee, bordering on the river ; they
have some lots about their houses fenced for potatoes ;
one chief has some cattle, horses and hogs ; a few others
have some cattle and hogs.

In the season of floods, the river spreads out on this
side below the town, nearly eight miles from bank to
bank, and is very destructive to game and stock.

. 10. Coo-sau-dee, is a compact little town situated three
miles below the confluence of Coosau and Tallapoosa, on
the right bank of Alabama ; they have fields on both
sides of the river ; but their chief dependence is a high,
rich island, at the mouth of Coosau. They have some
fences, good against cattie only, and some families have
small patches fenced, near the town, for potatoes.

These Indians are not Creeks, although they conform
to their ceremonies ; the men work with the women and
make great plenty of corn ; all labor is done by the joint
labor of all, called public work, except gathering in the
crop. During the seasen for labor, none are exempted
from their share of it, or suffered to go out hunting.

There is a rich flat of land nearly five miles in width,
opposite the town, on the left side of the river, on which
are numbers of conic mounds of earth. Back of the
town it is pine barren, and continues so westward for
sixty to one hundred miles.

The Coo-sau-dee generally go to market by water, and
some of them are good oarsmen. A part of this town
moved lately beyond the Mississippi, and have settled
there. The description sent back by them that the
country is rich and healthy, and abounds in game, is liiscly
to draw others after them. But as they have all tasted
the sweets of civil life, in having a convenient market for
their products, it is likely they will soon return to their
old settlements, which J^re in a very desirable country,
well suited to the raising of cattle, hogs and horses; they
have a few hogs, and seventy or eighty cattle, and some
horses. It is not more than three years since they had

^ A Sketch of the Creek Country.

not a hog among them. Robert Walton, who was then
the trader for the town, gave the women some pigs, and
this is the origin of their stock.

There are four villages below this town on A-la-ba-ma,
which had formerly a regular town ; they are probably the
ancient A-la-ba-mas.

1st. E-cun-chate ; from E-cnn-na, ear^A, and chate, re<?.
A small village on the left bank of Alabama, which has
its fields on the right side, in the cane swamp ; they are
a poor people, without stock, are idle and indolent, and
seldom make bread enough, but have fine melons in great
abundance in their season. The land back from the set-
tlement, is of thin quality, oak, hickory, pine and ponds.
Back of this, hills, or waving. Here the soil is of good
quality for cultivation ; that of thin quality extends nearly
a mile.

2d. Too-wos-sau, is three miles below E-cun-cha-te,
on the same side of the river, a small village on a high
bluff; the land is good about, and back of the village ;
they have some lots fenced with cane, and some with
rails, for potatoes and ground nuts ; the corn is cultivated
on the right side of the river, on rich cane swamps ; these
people have a few hogs, but no other stock.

3rd. Pmi-woc-te ; a small village two miles below Too-
was-sau, on a high bluff, the same side of the river ; the
land is level and rich, for five miles back ; but none of it
is cultivated around their houses ; their fields are on the
right bank of the river, on rich cane swamp ; they have
a few hogs and horses, but no cattle ; they had, formerly,
the largest and best breed of hogs in the nation, but have
lost them by carelessness or inattention.

4th. At-tau-gee ; a small village four miles below Pau-
woc-te, spread out for two miles on the right bank of the
river ; they have fields on both sides, but their chief de-
pendence is on the left side ; the land on the left side is
rich ; on the right side the pine forest extends down to
At-tau-gee creek ; below this creek the land is rich.

These people have very little intercourse with white
people ; although they are hospitable, and offer freely any
thing they have, to those who visit them. They have
this singular custom, as soon as a white person has
eaten of any dish and left it, the remains are thrown

A Sketch of the Creek Country, 37

away, and every thing used by the guest immediately
washed.

They have some hogs, horses and cattle, in a very fine
range, perhaps the best on the river ; the land to the east
as far as Ko-e-ne-cuh, and except the plains, (Hi-yuc-pul-
gee,) is well watered, with much canebrake, a very desi-
rable country. On the west or right side, the good land
extends about five miles, and on all the creeks below At-
tau-gee, it is good ; some of the trees are large poplar,
red oak and hickory, walnut on the margins of the creeks,
and pea-vine in the valleys.

These four villages have, in all, about eighty gun men ;
they do not conform to the customs of the Creeks, and
the Creek law for the punishment of adultery is not known
to them.

11. Hook-choie ; on a creek of that name which joins
on the left side of Ki-a-li-jce, three miles below the town,
and seven miles south of ihlo-tlo-gul-gau. The settle-
ments extend along the creeks; on the margins of which
and the hill sides, are good oak and hickory, with coarse
gravel, all surrounded with pine forest.

12. Hook-choie-oo-che ; a pretty little compact town,
between 0-che-au-po-fau and Tus-ke-gee, on the left bank
of Coosau ; the houses join those of Tus-ke-gee ; the
land around the town is a high, poor level, with highland
ponds ; the corn fields are on the left side of Tallapoosa,
on rich low grounds, on a point called Sam-bel-loh, and
below the mouth of the creek of that name which joins
on the right side of the river.

They have a good stock of hogs, and a few cattle and
horses ; they formerly lived on the right bank of Coosau,
just above their present site, and rapioved, lately, on ac-
count of the war with the Chickasaws. Their stock
ranges on that side of the river ; they have fenced all the
small fields about their houses, where they raise their
peas and potatoes ; their fields at Sam-bel-loh, are under
a good fence ; this was made by Mrs. Durant, the oldest
sister of the late General McGiUivray, for her own con-
venience.

13. Tus-ke-gee ; this little town is in the fork of the
two rivers, Coo-sau and Tal-la-poo-sa, where formerly
stood the French fort Toulouse. The town is on a bluff

38 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

on the Coo-sau, forty-six feet above low watermark; the
rivers here approach each other within a quarter of a
mile, then curve out, making a flat of low land of three
thousand acres, which has been rich canebrake ; and one-
third under cultivation, in times past'; the centre of this
flat is rich oak and hickory, margined on both sides with
rich cane swamp ; the land back of the town, for a mile,
is flat, a vvhilish clay ; small pine, oak and dwarf hickory,
then high pine forest.

There are thirty buildings in the town, compactly situ-
ated, and from the bluft' a fine view of the flat lands in
the fork, and on the right bank of Coosau, which liver is
here two hundred yards wide. In the yard of the town
house, there are five cannon of iron, with the trunions
broke off", and on the bluft' some brickbats, the only re-
mains of the French establishment here. There is one
apple tree claimed by this town, now in possession of one
of the chiefs of Book-choie-oo-che.

The fields are the left side of Tal-la-poo-sa, and there
are some small patches well formed in the fork of the
rivers, on the flat rich land below the bluflf.

The Coosau extending itself a great way into the Cher-
okee country and mountains, gives scope for a vast accu-
mulation of waters, at times. The Indians remark that
once in fifteen or sixteen years, they have a flood, which
overflows the banks, and spreads itself for five miles or
more in width, in many parts of A-la-ba-ma. The rise
is sudden, and so rapid as to drive a current up the Tal-
la-poo-sa for eight miles. In January, 1796, the flood
rose forty-seven feet, and spread itself for three miles on
the left bank of the A-la-ba-ma. The ordinary width of
that river, taken at the first bluff" below the fork, is one
hundred and fifty y'ds. This bluff" is on the left side,
and forty-five feet high. On this bluff" are five conic
mounds of earth, the largest thirty yards diameter at the
base, and seventeen feet high ; the others are smaller.

It has been for sometime a subject of enquiry, when,
and f"or what purpose, these mounds were raised ; here it
explains itself as to the purpose ; unquestionably they
were intended as a place of safety to the people, in the
time of these ffoods ; and this is the tradition among the
old people. As these Indians came from the other side

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 39

of the Mississippi, and that river spreads out on that side
for a great distance, it is probable, the erection of mounds
originated there ; or from the custom of the Indians here-
tofore, of setthng on rich flats bordering on the rivers,
and subject to be overflowed. The name is o-cun-lt-ge,
mounds of earth, or literally, earth placed. But why erect
these mounds in high places, incontestably out of the*
reach of floods ? From a superstitious veneration for an-
cient customs.

The Alabama overflows its flat swampy margins, annu-
ally ; and, generally, in the month of March, but seldom
in the summer season.

The people of Tuskogee have some cattle, and a
fine stock of hogs, more perhaps than any town of the
nation. One man, Sam Macnack, a half breed, has a
fine stock of cattle. He had, in 1799, one hundred and
eighty calves. They have lost their language, and speak
Creek, and have adopted the customs and manners of the
Creeks. They have thirty-five gun men.

14. 0-che-au-po-fau ; from Oche-ub, a hickory tree, and
po-fau, in, or among, called by the traders, hickory ground.
It is on the left bank of the Coosau, two miles above the
fork of the river, and one mile below the falls, on a flat of
poor land, just below a small stream ; the fields are on
the right side of the river, on rich flat land -, and this flat
extends back for two miles, with oak and hickory, then
pine forest ; the range out in this forest is fine for cattle ;
reed is abundant in all the branches.

The falls can be easily passed in canoes, either up or
down : the rock is very diflerent from that of Tallapoosa ;
here it is ragged and very coarse granite ; the land bor-
dering on the left side of the falls, is broivcn or waving,
gravelly, not rich. At the termination of the falls there
is a fine little stream, large enough for a small mill, called,
from the clearness of the water, We-henit-le, good wafer.
Three and a half miles above the town are ten appie
trees, planted by the late General McGillivray ; half a
mile further up are the remains of Old Tal-e-see, formerly
the residence of Lochlan McGillivray and his son, the
general. Here are ten apple trees planted by the father,
and a stone chimney, the remains of a house built by the

40 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

son, and these are all the improvements left by the father
and son.

These people, are some of them, industrious. They
have forty gun men, nearly three hundred cattle, and some
horses and hogs ; the family of the general belong to this
town ; he left one son and two daughters ; the son is in
Scotland, with his grandfather, and the daughters with
Sam Mac-nac, a half breed, their uncle; the property is
much of it wasted. The chiefs have requested the agent
for Indian affairs, to take charge of the property for the
son, to prevent its being wasted by the sisters of the
general, or by their children. Mrs. Durant, the oldest
sister, has eight children. She is industrious but has no
economy or management. In possession of fourteen
working negroes, she seldom makes bread enough, and
they live poorly. She can spin and weave, and is making
some feeble efforts to obtain clothing for her family. The
other sister, vSehoi, has about thirty negroes, is extrava-
gant and heedless, neither spins nor weaves, and has no
government of her family. IShe has one son, David Tale,
who has been educated in Philadelphia and Scotland. He
promises to do better.

15. We-wo-cau ; from we-wau, z^a^er and wo-cau, &rA:-
ing or roarings as the sound of water at high falls. It lies
on a creek of the same name, which joins Guc-cun-tal-
lau-has-see, on its left bank, sixteen miles below that
town. We-wo-cau is fifteen miles above O-che-au-po-
fau and four miles from Coosau, on the left side ; the land
is broken, oak and hickory, with coarse gravel ; the set-
tlements are spread out, on several small streams, for the
advantage of the rich flats bordering on them, and for
their stock ; they have cattle, horses and hogs. Here
commences the moss, in the beds of the creeks, which
the cattle are very fond of; horses and cattle fatten very
soon on it, with a little salt; it is of quick growth, found
only in the rocky beds of the creeks and rivers north from
this.

The hills which surround the town are stoney, and unfit
for culture ; the streams all have reed, and there are some
fine licks near the town, where it is conjectured salt might
be made. The land on the right side of the creek, is

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 41

poor pine barren hills, to the falls. The number of gun
men is estimated at forty.

16. PuC'Cun-tal-lau-has-see ; from E-puccun-nau, a mat/-
apple, and tal-lau-has-see, old town. It is in the fork of a
creek which gives name to the town ; the creek joins on
the left side of Coosau, forty miles below Coosau town.

17. Coosau; on the left bank of Coo-sau, between
two creeks, Eu-fau-lau and Nau-che. The town borders
on the first, above ; and on the other below^ ; they are a
quarter of a mile apart at their junction with the river.
The town is on a high and beautiful hill ; the land on the
river is rich and flat for two hundred yards, then waving
and rich, fine for wheat and corn. It is a limestone coun-
try, with fine springs, and a very desirable one ; there is
reed on the branches, and pea-vine in the rich bottoms
and hill sides, moss in the river and on the rock beds of
the creek.

They get fish plentifully in the spring season, near the
mouth of Eu-fau-lau-hat-che ; they are rock, trout, buf-
faloe, red horse and perch. They have fine stocks of
horses, hogs and cattle ; the town gives name to the river,
and is sixty miles above Tus-ke-gee.

18. Au-be-coo-che, is on Nau-che creek, five miles from
the river, on the right bank of the creek, on a flat one
mile wide. The growth is hard-shelled hickory. The
town spreads itself out and is scattered on both sides of
the creek, in the neighborhood of very high hills, which
descend back into waving, rich land, fine for wheat or
corn ; the bottoms all rich ; the neighborhood abounds in
limestone, and large limestone springs ; they have one
above, and one below the town ; the timber on the rich
lands is oak, hickory, walnut, poplar and mulberry.

There is a very large cave north of the town, the en-
trance of which is small, on the side of a hill. It is
much divided, and some of the rooms appear as the w^ork
of art ; the doors regular ; in several parts of the cave
saltpetre is to be seen in crystals. On We-wo-cau creek,
there is a fine mill seat ; the water is contracted by two
hills ; the fall twenty feet ; and the land in the neighbor-
hood very rich ; cane is found on the creeks, and reed
on the branches. From one or two experiments, tobacco
grows well on these lands.
6

43 A Sketch of tlie Creek Country.

This town is one of the oldest in the nation ; and some-
times, among the oldest chiefs, it gives name to the na-
tion, Au-be-cuh. Here some of the oldest customs had
their origin. The law against adultery was passed here,
and that to regulate marriages. To constitute legal mar-
riage, a man must build a house, make his crop and gather
it in, then make his hunt and bring home the meat ; put-
ting all this in the possession of his wife, ends the ceremony
and they are married, or as the Indians express it, the
woman is bound, and not till then. This information is
obtained from Co-tau-lau, (Tus-se-ki-ah Mic-co,) an old
and respectable chief, descended from Nau-che. He lives
near We-o-coof-ke, has accumulated a handsome prop-
erty, owns a fine stock, is a man of much information,
and of great influence among the Indians of the towns
in the neighberhood of this.

They have no fences, and but a few hogs, horses and
cattle ; they are attentive to white people who live among
them, and particularly so to white women.

19. Nau-chee ; on Nauchee creek, five miles above Au-
be-coo-che, below the fork of the creek, on a rich flat
of land, of a mile in width, between two small mountains.
This flat extends from the town three-quarters of a mile
above the town house. The settlements are scattered on
both sides of the creek for two miles ; they have no worm
fences, and but little stock. One chief, a brother of
Chin-a-be, has a large stock of hogs, and had ninety fit
for market, in 1798.

This town is the remains of the Nat-chez who lived on
the Mis-sis-sip-pi. They estimate their number of gun
men at one hundred ; but they are, probably, not more
than fifty. The land, oft' from the mountains, is rich ; the
flats on the streams are large and very rich ; the high,
waving country is very healthy and well watered ; cane
grows on the creeks, reed on the branches, and pea-vine
on the flats and hill sides. The Indians get the root they
call tal-e-wau, in this neighborhood ; which the women
mix with bears' oil, to redden their hair.

20. Eu-fau-lau-hat-chey is fifteen miles up that creek,
on a flat of half a mile, bordering on a branch. On the
left side of the creek, the land is rich and waving ; on
the right sides are steep hills sloping ofi", waving, rich

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 43

land ; hickory, oak, poplar and walnut. It is well watered,
and the whole a desirable limestone country ; they have
fine stocks of cattle, horses and hogs.

21. Woc-co-coic; from woc-co, a blow-horn, and coie, a
nest, these birds formerly had their young here. It is on
Tote-pauf-cau creek, a branch of Po-chuse-hat-che, which
joins the Coo-sau, below Puc-cun-tal-lau-has-see. The
land is very broken, sharp-hilly and stoney ; the bottoms
and the fields are on the small bends and narrow strips of
the creek; the country, off from the town, is broken.

These people have some horses, hogs and cattle ; the range
good ; moss, plenty in the creeks, and reed in the branches.
Such is the attachment of horses to this moss, or as the
traders call it, salt grass, that when they are removed,
they retain so great a fondness for it, that they will at-
tempt, from any distance within the neighboring nations,
to return to it.

22. Hill-au-hee ; on Col-luffa-de, which joins Hill-au-
bee creek, on the right side, one mile below the town.
Hili-au-bee joins the Tallapoosa on its right bank, eight
miles below New-yau-cau. One chief only, Ne-hau-thluc-
co Hau-jo, resides in the town ; the people are settled out
in the four following villages.

1st. Thh-tioo-che au-bau-lau ; from thlen-ne, a moun-
tain, oo-che, little, and au-bau-lau, over. The name is ex-
pressive of its position. It is situated over a little moun-
tain, fifteen miles above the town, on the northwest branch
of Hill-au-bee creek ; the town house of this village is on
the left side of the creeL

2d. Au-net-te chap-co ; from au-net-te, a swamp, and
chapco, long. It is situated on Choo-fun-tau-lau-hat-che,
which joins Hill-au-bee creek, three miles north from the
town J the village is ten miles above the town.

3rd. E-chuse-is-li-gau ; (where a young thing was
found.) A young child was found here, and that circum-
stance gives it the name. This village is four miles below
the town, on the left side of Hill-au-bee creek.

4th. Ook'tau-hau-zau-see ; from ook-tau-hau, sand, and
zau-see, a great deal. It is two miles from the town, on a
creek of that name, a branch of Hill-au-bee, which it
joins a quarter of a mile below Col-luffa-dee, at a great
shoal.

44 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

The land on these creeks, within the scope of the four
villages, is broken and stoney, with coar.-e gravel ; the
bottoms and small bends of the creeks and branches, are
rich. The upland is generally stiff, rich and fit for cul-
ture. Post oak, black oak, pine and hickory, all small,
are the growth. The whole abounds in veins of reeds,
and reedy branches. They call this the winter reed, as it
clusters like the cane.

The villages are badly fenced, the Indians are attentive
to their traders ; and several of them are careful of stock,
and have cattle and hogs, and some few have horses.
Four half breeds have fine stocks of cattle. Thomas has
one hundred and thirty cattle and ten horses. Au-wil-
au-gee, the wife of 0-pi-o-che-tus-tun-nug-gee, has seven
cattle. These Indians promised the agent, in 1799, to.
begin and fence their fields ; they have one hundred and
seventy gun men in the four villages.

Robert Grierson, the trader, a native of Scotland, has
by a steady conduct, contributed to mend the manners of
these people. He has tive children, half breeds, and gov-
erns them as Indians, and makes them and his whole 1am-
ily respect him, and is the only man who does so, in the
Upper Creeks. He has three hundred cattle and thirty
horses ; he has, on the recommendation of the agent for
Indian affairs, set up a manufactory of cotton cloth ; he
plants the green-seed cotton, it being too cold for the black-
seed. He has raised a quantity for market, but finds it
more profitable to manufacture it ; he has employed an
active girl of Georgia, Rachael Spillard, who was in the
Cherokee department, to superintend, and allows her two
hundred dollars per annum. He employs eleven hands,
red, white and black, in spinning and weaving, and the
other part of his family in raising and preparing the cot-
ton for them. His wife, an Indian woman, spins, and is
fond of it ; and he has a little daughter who spins well.
He employs the Indian women to gather in the cotton
from the fields, and has expectations of prevailing on them
to take an active part in spinning.

Hill-au-bee creek has a rocky bottom, covered in many
places with moss. In the spring of the year, the cattle
of the villages crowd after it, and are fond of it. From

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 45

thence they are collected together by their owners, to
mark and brand the young ones.

The climate is mild ; the water seldom freezes ; they
have mast every other year, and peaches for the three last
years. The range is a good one for stock. The owners
of horses have a place called a stomp. They select a
place of good food, cut down a tree or two, and make
salt logs. Here the horses gather of themselves, in the
fly season. They have in the villages a few thrivino-
peach trees, and there is much gravelly land, which would
be fine for them.

23. Oc-fus-kee ; from Oc, in, and fuskee, a point. The
name is expressive of the position of the old town, and
where the town house now stands on the right bank of
Tal-la-poo-sa. The town spreads out on both sides of
the river, and is about thirty-five miles above Took-au-
bat-che. The settlers on the left side of the river, are
from Chat-to-ho-che. They once formed three well set-
tled villages on that river. Che-luc-co ne-ne, Ho-ith-le-ti-
gau and Chau-kethluc-co.

Oc-fus-kee with its villages, is the largest town in the
nation. They estimate the number of gun men of the
old town, at one hundred and eighty ; and two hundred
and seventy in the villages or small towns. The land is
flat for half a mile on the river, and fit for culture ; back
of this, there are sharp, stoney hills, the growth is pine,
and'the branches all have reed.

They have no fences around the town ; they have some
cattle, hogs and horses, and their range is a good one ;
the shoals in the river aflbrd a great supply of moss, called
by the traders salt grass ; and the cows which frequent
these shoals, are the largest and finest in the nation ; they
have some peach trees in the town, and the cassine yupon,
in clumps. The Indians have lately moved out and set-
tled in villages, and the town will soon be an old field ;
the settling out in villages, has been repeatedly pressed
by the agent for Indian aftairs, and with considerable suc-
cess ; they have seven villages belonging to this town.

1st. New-yau-cau ; named after New York. It is on
the left bank of Tallapoosa, twenty miles above Oc-fus-
kee ; these people lived formerly at Tote-pauf-cau, (spunk-
knot,) on Chat-to-ho-che, and moved from thence in J 777.

46 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

They would not take part in the war between the United
States and Great Britain, and determined to retire from
their settlements, which, through the rage of war, might
feel the effects of the resentment of the people of the
United States, when roused by the conduct of the red
people, as they were placed between the combatants.
The town is on a flat, bordering on the river ; the adjoin-
ing lands are broken or waving and stony ; on the oppo-
site side they arc broken, stony ; the growth is pine, oak
and hickory. Tiie flat strips of land on the river, above
and below, are generally narrow ; the adjoining land is
broken, with oak, hickory and pine. The branches all have
reed ; they have a fine ford at the upper end of the town;
the river is one hundred and twenty yards wide. Some
of the people have settled out from the town, and they
have good land on Inn-nook-fau creek, which joins the
right side of the river, two miles below the town.

2d. Took-au-bat-che tal-lau-has-see ; this village received
in part a new name in 1797. Tal-lo-wau mu-chos-see,
(new town.) It is on the right bank of the river, four
miles above New-yau-cau ; the land around it is broken
and stony ; off from the river the hills are waving ; and
post oak, hard shelled hickory, pine, and on the ridges,
chesnut is the growth.

3rd. Im-mook-fau ; (a gorget made of a conch.) This
villase is four miles west from Tookaubatche Tal-lau-
has-see, on Immookfau creek, which joins the right side
of Tallapoosa, two miles below New-yau-cau. The set-
tlers are from Thu-le-oc-who-cat-lau and Sooc-he-ah ;
they have fine rich flats on the creek, and a good range
for their cattle ; they possess some hogs, cattle and horses,
and begin to be attentive to them.

4th. Tooh-to-cau-gee ; from tooh-to, a corn house, and
cau-gee, fixed or standing. The Indians of Oc-fus-kee,
formerly built a corn house here, for the convenience of
their hunters, and put their corn there for their support,
during the hunting season. It is on the right bank of Tal-
lapoosa, twenty miles above New-yau-cau ; the settle-
ments are on the narrow flat margins of the river, on both
sides. On the left side the mountains terminate here, the
uplands are too poor and broken for cultivation ; the
path Irom E-tow-wah, in the Cherokee country, over the

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 4f

tops of these mountains, is a pretty ^ood one. It winds
down the mountains to this village ; the river is here one
hundred and twenty yards wide, a beautiful clear stream.
On the right side, off" from the river flats, the land is
waving, with oak, hickory and pine, gravelly, and in
some places large sheets of rock which wave as the land.
The grit is coarse, but some of it is fit for mill stones ; the
land is good for corn, the trees are all small, with some
chesnut on the ridges ; the range is a good one for stock ;
reed is found on all the branches ; on the path to New-
yau-cau, there is some large rock ; the vein lies south-
west ; they are in two rows parallel with each other, and
the land good in their neighborhood

5th. Au-che-nau-ul'gau ; from Au-che-nau, cedar ; and
ul-gau, a// ; a cedar grove. These settlers are from Loo-
chau po-gau, (the resort of terrapins.) It is on a creek,,
near the old town, forty miles above New-yau-cau, This
settlement is the farthest north of all the Creeks ; the land
is very broken in the neighborhood. West of this village
a few miles, there are large reedy glades in flat land ; red,
post and black oak, all small ; the soil is dark and stifl*,
with coarse gravel, and in some places stone ; from the
color of the earth in places, there must be iron ore ; the
streams from the glades form fine little creeks, branches
of the Tallapoosa. The land on their borders is broken,
stiff", stony and rich, affording fine mill seats, and on the
whole it is a country where the Indians might have desir-
able settlements ; the path from E-tow-woh to Hill-au-
bee passes through these glades.

6th. E-pe-sau-gee ; this village is on a large creek which
gives name to it, and enters the Tallapoosa, opposite Oc-
fus-kee. The creek has its source in the ridge, dividing
the waters of this river from Chat-to-ho-che ; it is thirty
yards wide, and has a rocky bottom ; they have forty
settlers in the village, wlio have fenced their fields this
season, for the benefit of their stock, and they have all
of them cattle, hogs and horses. They have some good
land on the creek, but generally it is broken, the strips of
flat land are narrow; the broken is gravelly, with oak,
hickory and pine, not very inviting. Four of these vil-
lages have valuable stocks of cattle. McCartney has one

48 A Sketch of the Creek Country,

hundred ; Ecun-cha-te E-maut-lau, one hundred ; lote-
cuh Haujo, one hundred, and Tools Micco, two hundred.
7th. Sooc-he-ah ; from Sooc-cau, a hog ; and heah, here,
called by the traders, hog range. It is situated on the
right bank of Tallapoosa, twelve miles above Oc-fus-kee.
It is a small settlement ; the land is very broken ; the flats
on the river are narrow ; the river broad and shoally.
These settlers have moved, and joined Immookfau, with a
few exceptions.

24. Eu'fau-laii ; on the right bank of Tallapoosa, five
miles below Oc-fus-kee, on that side of the river, and but
two in a direct line ; the lands on the river are fit for cul-
ture ; but the flats are narrow, joined to pine hills and
reedy branches.

They have hogs and cattle, and the range is a good
one ; they have moss in the shoals of the river ; there
are, belonging to this town, seventy gun men, and they
have begun to settle out for the benefit of their stock.
This season, some of the villagers have fenced their
fields. They have some fine land on Hat-che-lus-ta, and
several settlements there but no fences ; this creek joins
the right side of the river, two miles below the town. On
Woc-cau E-hoo-te, this year, 1799, the villagers, five fami-
lies in all, have fenced their fields, and they have prom-
ised the agent to use the plough the next season. On
black creek, Co-no-fix-ico has one hundred cattle, and
makes butter and cheese. John Townshend, the trader
of the town, is an honest Englishman, who has resided
many years in the nation, and raised a numerous family,
who conduct themselves well. His daughters, who are
married, conduct themselves well, have stocks of cattle,
are attentive to them, make butter and cheese, and prom-
ise to raise cotton and learn to spin. The principal cattle
holders are, Conofixico, who has one hundred ; Choc-lo
Emautlau's stock is on the decline, thirty ; Well Geddis
Taupixa Micco, one hundred ; Co Emautlau, four hun-
dred, under careful management. John Townshend, one
hundred and forty, and Sall}^ his daughter, fifty.

25. Ki-a-li-jee ; on the right side of Kialijee creek, two
and a half miles below the junction with Hook-choie.
This creek joins the right side of Tallapoosa, above the
falls ; all the rich flats of the creek are settled ; the land

A Sketch of the Creek Country, -tcr

about the town is poor and broken ; the fields are on the
narrow tlats, and in the bends of the creek ; the broken
land is gravelly or stony ; the range for cattle, hogs and
horses, is the poorest in the nation ; the neighborhood of
the town and the town itself, has nothing to recommend
it. The timber is pine, oak and small hickory ; the creek
is fifteen feet wide, and joins Tallapoosa fifteen miles
above Took-au-bat-che. They have two villages belong-
ing to this town.

1st. Au-che-nau-hat-che ; from au-che, cec?ar ; and hat-
che, a creek. They have a few settlements on this creek,
and some fine, thriving peach trees ; the land on the creek
is broken, but good.

2d. Hat-che chub-bau ; from hat-che, a creek ; and chub-
bau, the middle, or half way. This is in the pine forest, a
poor, ill-chosen site, and there are but a few people.

The remaining villages of the towns on Coosau and
Tallapoosa.

I St. Sou-go-hat-che ; from sou-go, a cymbal ; and hat-
che, a creek. This joins on the left side of Tallapoosa,
ten miles below Eu-fau-lau. It is a large creek, and the
land on the forks and to their sources, is stiff" in places,
and stony. The timber is red oak and small hickory ;
the flats on the streams are rich, covered with reed ;
among the branches the land is waving and fit for culti-
vation.

They have thirty gun men in this village, who have
lately joined Tal-e-see. One of the chiefs. 0-fau-mul-
gau, has some cattle, others have a few, as they have only
paid attention to their stock within two years, and their
means for acquiring them were slender.

Above this creek, on the waters of Eu-fau-lau-hat-che,
there are some settlements well chosen. The upland is
stiff and stony or gravellv; the timber is post and red
oak, pine and hickory ; the trees are small ; the soil ap-
parently rich enough, and well suited for wheat, and the
streams have some rich flats.

2d. Thlot-lo-gul-gau ; from thlot-lo, fish ; and ul-gau,
all ; called by the traders fish ponds. It is on a small,
pond-like creek, a branch of Ul-kau-hat-che, which joins
Tallapoosa four miles above Ocfuskee, on the right side.
The town is fourteen miles up the creek ; the land about
7

50 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

it is open and waving ; the soil is dark and gravelly ; the
general growth of trees is the small hickory ; they have
reed in the branches.

Hannah Hale resides here. She was taken a prisoner
from Georgia, when about eleven or twelve years old, and
married the head man of this town, by whom she has five
children. This woman spins and weaves, and has taught
two of her daughters to spin ; she has labored under
many difficulties ; yet by her industry has acquired
some property. She has one negro boy, a horse or
two, sixty cattle, and some hogs ; she received the friendly
attention of the agent for Indian affairs, as soon as he
came in the nation. He furnished her with a wheel, loom,
and cards ; she has an orchard of peach and apple trees.
Having made her election at the national council, in 1799,
to reside in the nation, the agent appointed Hopoithle
Haujo to look out for a suitable place for her, to help her
to remove to it with her stock, and take care that she
receives no insults from the Indians.

3d. 0-pil-thluc-co ; from O-pil-lo-wau, a swamp ; and
thluc-co, big. It is situated on a creek of that name,
which joins i*uc-cun-tal-lau-has-see on the left side. It is
twenty miles from Coosau river ; the land about this vil-
lage is round, flat hills, thickets of hickory saplins, and on
the hill sides and their tops, hickory grub and grape vines.
The land bordering on the creek is rich, and here are
their fields.

4th. Pin-e-hoO'te ; from pin-e-wau, a turkey ; and choo-
te, Jiouse. It is on the right side of a fine little creek, a
branch of E-pee-sau-gee. The land is stiff and rich, and
lies well ; the timber is red oak and hickory ; the branches
all have reed, and the land on tliem, above the settlement,
is good black oak, saplin and hickory. This, and the
neighboring land, is fine for settlement ; they have here
three or four houses only, some peach trees and hogs, and
their fields are fenced. The path from New-yau-cau to
Cou-e-tuh-tal-lau-has-see passes by these houses.

5th. Po-chuse-hat-che ; from po-chu-so-wau, a hatchet,
and hat-che, a creek. This creek joins Coosau, four miles
below Puc-cun-tal-lau-has-see, on its right bank ; this vil-
lage is high up the creek, nearly forty miles from its
mouth, on a flat bend on the right side of the creek ; the

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 51

settlements extend up and down the creek for a mile. A
mile and a half above the settlements there is a large
canebrake, three-quarters of a mile through, and three or
four miles in length.

The land adjoining the settlement is waving and rich,
with oaiv, hickory, and poplar. The branches all have
reed ; the neighboring lands above these settlements, are
fine ; those beiow, are high, broken hiils. It is situated
between Hill-au-bee and Woc-co-coie, about ten miles
from each town ; three miles west of the town, there is a
small mountain ; they have some hogs.

6th. Oc-fus-coo-che ; (little Ocfuskee ;) is a part of the
small village, four miles above New-yau-cau. Some of
these people lived at Oc-fus-kee-nene, on the Chat-to-ho-
che, from whence they were driven by an enterprising
volunteer party from Georgia, the 27th September, 1793.

The toums classed, and a Commander appointed over

each class.

At a meeting of the national council, convened by order
of the agent for Indian affairs, at Tookaubatche, the 27th
November, 1799, the chiefs, after a long and solemn delib-
eration, on the affairs of the nation, which were laid before
them by the agent for Indian affairs, came to a resolution
to adopt the plan of the agent, " to class all the towns,
and to appoint a warrior over each class, denominated the
warrior of the nation."

The towns thus classed, with the warriors for the nation,
are :

1st. Hook-choie, We-wo-cau, Puc-cun-tal-lau-has-see,
O-pil-thluc-co and Thlot-lo-gul-gau. For these five towns
they appointed Sim-mo-me-jee of Wewocau.

2d. Ki-a-li-jee and Eu-fau-lau. For these two towns,
they appointed E-maut-lau Hut-ke.

3d. Hill-au-bee, Woc-co-coie and Pochusehatche. For
these three towns they appointed Cussetuh Tus-tun-nug-
gee, of Hill-au-bee, and Thle-chum-me Tustunnuggee, of
Woc-co-coie.

4th. Au-bee-coo-che, Nau-che, Coosau and Eu-fau-lau-
hat-che. For these four towns, they appointed Olohtau
Haujo.

52 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

5th. Ilo-ith-le-wau-le, Ecunhutke, Sauvanogee, Mook-
lau-sau and Took au-bat-che. For these five towns, they
appointed O-poie E-maut-laii, of llo ith-le-wau-le.

These five classes comprise the towns called Ke-pau-
yau, or warriors of the nation. But on the present occa-
sion, when their existence as a nation depends on their
ability to carry the laws into eflfect, the chiefs assembled
unanimously agreed that the E-tall-wau, white lowns,, should
be classed as warriors.

6th. Oc-fus-kee and its villages, Sooc-he-ah, New-yau-
cau, Im-mook-fiiu, Took-au-bat-che, Tal-lau-has-see,Took-
to-cau-gee, Au-che-nau-ulgau, Oc-fus-coo-che and E-pe-
sau-gee. For this town and its villages, they appointed
Hopoie Tus-tun-nug-gee, of Oc-fus-kee, and Tal-lo-wau-
thlucco Tus-tun-nug-gee.

7th. O-che-au-po-fau and Tus-kee-gee. For these two
towns, they appointed Ho-po-ithle Ho-poie.

8th. Tal-e-see, Aut-tos-see, Foosce-hat-che and Coo-loo-
me. For these four towns, they appointed Foosce-hat-
che Tus-tun-nug-gee, of Tal-e-see, and Eu-fau-lau Tus-tun-
nug-gee, of Foosce-hat-che.

9th. Hook-choie-oo-che, Coo-sau-dee, E-cun-cha-te,
Too-wos-sau, Pau-woc-te, and At-tau-gee. For these
towns and villages, they appointed Ho-ith-le-poie Hau-jo
and Tus-tun-nuc, of Hook-choie-oo-clie.

6 and 8 are E-tall-wau, or white towns.

The towns on Chat-to-ho-che, generally called the
Lower Creeks.

The name of this river is from Chat-to, a stone ; and
ho-che, marked or flowered ; there being rocks of that
description in the river, above Ho-ith-le-ti-gau, at the old
town Chat-to-ho-che.

1. Cow-e-tugh ; on the right bank of Chat-to-ho-che,
three miles below the falls, on a flat extending back one
mile. The land is fine for corn ; the settlements extend
up the river for two miles on the river fiats. These are
bordered with broken pine land ; the fields of the settlers
who reside in the town, are on a point of land formed by
a bend of the river, a part of them adjoining the point,
are low, then a rise of fifteen i'eet, spreading back for

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 53

half a mile, then another rise of fifteen feet, and flat a
half a mile to a swamp adjoining the high lands ; the
fields are below the town.

The river is one hundred and twenty yards wide, with
a deep steady current from the fall ; these are over a
rough, coarse rock, forming some islands of rock, which
force the water into two narrow channels, in time of low
water. One is on each side of the river, in the whole
about ninety feet wide ; that on the right is sixty feet
wide, with a perpendicular fall of 'twelve feet; the other
of thirty feet wide, is a long sloping curve, very rapid, the
fall fifteen feet in one hundred and fifty feet ; fish may
ascend in this channel, but it is too swift and strong for
boats ; here are two fisheries ; one on the right belongs
to this town ; that on the left, to the Cussetuhs ; they are
at the termination of the falls ; and the fish are taken
with scoop nets ; the fish taken here are, the hickory
shad, rock, trout, perch, cat fish, and suckers ; there is
sturgeon in the river, but no white shad or herring ; dur-
ing spring and summer, they catch the perch and rock
with hooks. As soon as the fish make their appearance,
the chiefs send out the women, and make them fish for
the square. This expression includes all the chiefs and
warriors of the town.

The land on the right bank of the river at the falls, is
a poor pine barren, to the water's edge ; the pines are
small ; the falls continue three or four miles nearly of the
same width, about one hundred and twenty yards ; the
river then expands to thrice that width, the bottom being
gravelly, shoal and rocky ; there are several small islands
within this scope ; one at the part where the expansion com-
mences is rich and some part of it under cultivation ; it is
half a mile in length, but narrow ; here the river is fordable ;
enter the left bank one hundred yards above the upper
end of the island, and cross over to it, and down to the
fields, thence cross the other channel ; at the termination of
the falls, a creek twenty feet wide, (0-cow-oculi-hat-che,
falls creek,) joins the right side of the river. Just below
this creek, and above the last reef of rocks, is another
ford. The current is rapid, and the bottom even.

In ascending the river on this side, on the river path,

54 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

travelling at the rate of three miles the hour, the following
distances are noted.

Ih. 30in. Cross a creek running to the right, three feet
wide. The land, the whole distance, is poor,
broken and unfit for culture.
12m. Some settlements on the river bank, at We-

at-lo-tuck-e. The land is stiff and rich.
58m. Cross Hatche Canaue, (crooked creek,) run-
ning to the right, ten feet wide ; the land stiff
and good ; oak, hickory, and a few poplar.
39m. Chat-to-hat-che, (stony creek,) running to
the right ten feet wide ; the land broken and
poor. There is one settlement on the path, and
one at the creek.
49m. Woc-coo-che, (calf creek,) over broken
land ; pine, willow-leaved hickory, and post
oak ; the land bordering on the creek is rich ;
there is one plantation, on the left bank, under
fence, and some peach trees around the houses.
The creek is forty feet wide and runs to the
right.
41m. To a creek running to the riidit, bordered

with fine winter reed.
55. Hal-e-woc-ke, sixty feet wide, running to the
right. One plantation on the left bank of the
creek ; the land broken, chesnut, pine, post oak,
hickory, and red o-ak.
27m. To a branch running to the right.
8m. A reedy branch running to the right, the land

rich.
3m. A branch, reedy, running to the right.
11m. A reedy branch running to the right.
17m. O-sun-nup-pau, (moss creek,) sixty feet wide,
running to the right. The bottom rocky with
moss ; the land for this stage is broken ; a mixed
growth of post and red oak, pine and hickory.
Pn the left bank of the^ river at the falls, the land is
level ; and in approaching them one is surprised to find
them where there is no alteration in the trees or uneven-
ness of land. This level continues back one mile to the
poor pine barren, and is fine for corn or cotton ; the tim-
ber is red oak, hickory and pine ; the banks of the river

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 55

on this side below the falls are fifty feet high, and continue

so, down below the town house ; the flat of good land

continues still lower to Hat-che thiuc-co, (big creek.)

Ascending the river on this bank, above the falls, the

the following stages are noted in miles.

2i miles, the flat land terminates ; thence

3^ miles, to Chis-se hul-cuh running to the left; thence

4 miles, to Chusse thluc-co twenty feet wide, a rocky
bottom.

5 miles, to Ke-ta-le, thirty feet wide, a bold, shoally,
rocky creek, abounding in moss. Four miles up this
creek, there is a village cf ten families, at Hat-che
Uxau, (head of a creek.) The land is broken with hick-
ory, pine and chesnut ; there is cane on the borders of
the creek and reed on the branches ; there are some set-
tlements of Cowetuh people made on these creeks ; all
who have settled out from the town, have fenced their
fields, and begin to be attentive to their stock.

The town has a temporary fence of three poles, the
first on forks, the other two on stakes, good against cattle
only ; the town fields are fenced in like manner ; a few
of the neighborino; fields, detached from the town, have
good fences ; the temporary, three pole fences of the
town, are made every spring, or repaired in a slovenly
manner.

Mr. Marshall, the trader here, has sot up a manufactory
of cotton cloth, at the recommendation of the agent ; the
cotton raised by him the last season, is fine ; it is the
green-seed ; the experiment was commenced with the
green-seed, and this year the black-seed of the seacoast
has been tried ; it is very good, but the season too short
for it, although there was no frost this year, 1799, till the
13th of November. In light, rich, sandy land it will certainly
succeed. The traders here adopted with spirit, the plan
of the government; they have made gardens, fenced their
fields, and they have this year raised wheat, rye, and
barley.

2. Cow-e-tuh Tal-lau-has-see ; from Cow-e-tuh, Tal-
lo-fau, a town ; and basse, old. It is tu o and a half miles
below Cowetuh, on the right bank of the river. In going
down the path between the two towns, in half a mile cross
Kotes-ke-le-jau, ten feet wide, running to the left is a fine

56 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

little creek sufficiently large for a mill, in all but the dry
seasons. On the right bank, enter the flat lands between
the towns. These are good, with oak, hard-shelled hick-
ory and pine ; they extend two miles to Che-luc-in-te-ge-
tuh, a small creek five feet wide, bordering on the town.
The town is half a mile from the river, on the right bank
of the creek ; it is on a high flat, bordered on the east by
the flats of the river, and west by high broken hills ; they
have but a few settlers in the town ; the fields are on a
point of land three-quarters of a mile below the town,
which is very rich, and has been long under cultivation ;
they have no fence around their fields.

Here is the public establishment for the Lower Creeks ;
and here the agent resides. He has a garden well culti-
vated and planted, with a great variety of vegetables, fruits
and vines, and an orchard of peach trees. Arrangements
have been made, to fence two hundred acres of land
fit for cultivation, and to introduce a regular husbandry to
serve as a model and stimulus, for the neighboring towns
who crowd the public shops here, at all seasons, when the
hunters are not in the woods.

The agent entertains doubts, already, of succeeding
here in establishing a regular husbandry, from the diffi-
culty of changing the old habits of indolence, and sitting
daily in the squares, which seem peculiarly attractive to
the residenters of the towns. In the event of not suc-
ceeding, he intends to move the establishment out from
the town, and aid the villagers where success seems to be
infallible.

They estimate their number of gun men at one hun-
dred ; but the agent has ascertained, by actual enumera-
tion, that they have but sixty-six, includmg all who reside
here, and in the villages belonging to the town.

They have a fine body of land below, and adjoining the
town, nearly two thousand acres, all well timbered ; and
including the whole above and below, they have more
than is sufficient for the accommodation of the whole
town ; they have one village belonging to the town, We-
tumcau.

We-tum-cau ; from we-wau, water ; and tum-cau, rum-
hUng. It is the main branch of U-chee creek, and is
twelve miles northwest from the town. These people

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 57

have a small town house on a poor pine ridge on the left
bank of the creek below the falls ; the settlers extend up
the creek for three miles, and they cultivate the rich bends
of the creek ; there is cane on the creek and fine reed on
the branches ; the land hif^her up the creek, and on its
branches is waving, with pine, oak, and hickory, fine for
cultivation, on the flats and out from the branches ; the
range is good for stock, and some of the settlers have
cattle and hogs, and begin to be attentive to them ; they
have been advised to spread out their settlements on the
waters of this creek, and to increase their attention to
stock of every kind.

3. Ciis-se-tuh ; this town is two and a half miles below
Cow-e-tuk Tal-lau-has-see, on the left bank of the river.
They claim the land above the falls on their side. In de-
scending the river path from the falls, in three miles you
cross a creek running to the right, twenty feet wide ; this
creek joins the river a quarter of a mile above the Cow-
etuh town house ; the land to this creek, is good and level,
and extends back from the river from half to three-quar-
ters of a mile to the pine forest ; the growth on the level,
is oak, hickory and pine ; there arc some ponds and
slashes back next to the pine forest, bordering on a branch
which runs parallel with the river ; in the pine forest
there is some reedy branches.

The creek has its source nearly twenty miles from the
river, and runs nearly parallel with it till within one mile
of its junction ; there it makes a short bend round north,
thence west to the river ; at the second bend, about two
hundred yards from the river, a fine little spring creek
joins on its right bank ; at the first bend north there is a
mill seat; the water might here be stopped with a dam,
and taken across by a canal, at a little expense of labor,
to the river, and the mills might be either here or at the
river. About one mile up from the bend, there is another
good mill seat in the neighborhood of the pine forest.

The flat of good land on the river continues two and a
half miles below this creek, through the Cussetuh fields
to Hat-che-thluc-co. At the entrance of the fields on the
right, there is an oblong mound of earth ; one quarter of
a mile lower, there is a conic mound forty-five yards in
diameter at the base, twenty-five feet high, and flat on the
8

58 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

top, with mulberry trees on the north side, and evergreens
on the south. From the top of this mound, they have a
fine view of the river above the flat land on both sides of
the river, and all the field of one thousand acres ; the
river makes a short bend round to the right, opposite this
mound, and there is a good ford just below the point. It
is not easy to mistake the ford, as there is a fiat on the
left, of gravel and sand ; the waters roll rapidly over the
gravel, and the eye, at the first view, fixes on the most
fordable part ; there are two other fords below this, which
communicate between the fields, on both sides of the
river ; the river from this point comes round to the west,
then to the east ; the island ford is below this turn, at the
lower end of a small island ; from the left side, enter the
river forty yards below the island, and go up to the point
of it, then turn down as the ripple directs, and land sixty
yards below ; this is the best ford ; the third is still lower,
from four to six hundred yards.

The land back from the fields to the east, rises twenty
feet, and continues flat for one mile to the pine forest ;
back of the fields, adjoining the rise of twenty feet, is a
beaver pond of forty acres, capable of being drained at a
small expense of labor ; the large creek bounds the fieids,
and the flat land to the south.

Continuing on down the river from the creek, the land
rises to a high flat, formerly the Cussetuh town, and after-
wards a Chickasaw town. Tliis flat is intersected with one
branch. From the southern border of this flat, the Cusse-
tuh town is seen below, on a flat, just above flood mark,
surrounded with this high flat to the north and east, and
the river to the west ; the land about the town is poor,
and much exhausted ; they cultivate but little here of early
corn ; the principal dependence is on the rich fields above
the creek ; to call them rich must be understood in a lim-
ited sense ; they have been so^ but being cultivated be-
yond the memory of the oldest man in Cussetuh, they are
almost exhausted ; the produce is brought from the fields
to the town in canoes or on horses ; they make barely a
sufficiency of corn for their support ; they have no fences
around their fields, and only a fence of three poles, tied
lo upright stakes, for their potatoes ; the land up the

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 59

river, above the fields, is fine for culture, with oak, hick-
ory, blackjack and pine.

The people of Cussetuh associate, more than any other
Indians, with their white neighbors, and without obtaining
any advantage from it ; they know not the season for
planting, or if they do, they never avail themselves of
what they know, as they always plant a month too late.

This town with its viI]ao;es is the larg-est in the Lower
Creeks ; the people are and have been friendly to white
people, and are fond of visiting them ; the old chiefs are
very orderly men and much occupied in governing their
young men, who are rude and disorderly, in proportion to
the intercourse they have had with white people ; they
frequently complain of the intercourse of their young
people with the white people on the frontiers, as being
very prejudicial to their morals ; that they are more rude,
more inclined to be tricky, and more difficult to govern,
than those who do not associate with them.

The settlements belonging to the town, are spread out
on the right side of the river ; here they appear to be in-
dustrious, have forked fences, and more land enclosed
than they can cultivate. One of them desires particularly
to be named, Mic E-maut-lau. This old chief has with his
own labor, made a good worm fence, and built himself a
comfortable house ; they have but a few peach trees, in
and about the town ; the main trading path, from the up-
per towns, passes through here ; they'estirnate their num-
ber of gun men at three hundred ; but they cannot exceed
one hundred and eighty.

Aii-put-tau-e ; a village of Cussetuh, twenty miles from
the river, on Hat-che thluc-co ; they have good fences,
and the settlers under the best characters of any among
the Lower Creeks ; they estimate their gun men at forty-
three. On a visit here the agent for Indian affairs was
met by all the men, at the house of Tus-se-kiah Mic-co.
That chief addressed him in these words ? " Here, I am
glad to see you ; this is my wife, and these are my chil-
dren ; they are glad to see you ; these are the men of the
village ; we have forty of them in all ; they are glad to
see you ; you are now among those on whom you may
rely. I have been six years at this village, and we have '

60 A Sketch of the Creek Country,

not a man hero, or belonging to our village, who ever
stole a horse from, or did any injury to a white man."

The village is in the forks of Hatche thlucco, and the
situation is well chosen ; the land is rich, on the margins
of the creeks and the cane flats ; the tinjber is large, of
poplar, white oak and hickory ; the uplands to the south,
are the long-leaf pine ; and to the north waving oak, pine
and hickory ; cane is on the creeks and reed in all the
branches.

At this village, and at the house of Tus-se-ki-ah Mic-
co, the agent ibr Indian aftairs has introduced the plough;
and a farmer was hired in 1797, to tend a crop of corn,
and with so good success, as to induce several of the vil-
lagers to prepare their fields for the plough. Some of
them have cattle, hogs and horses, and are attentive to
them. The range is a good one, but cattle and horses
require salt ; they have some thriving peach trees, at sev-
eral of the settlements.

On Ouhe-gee creek, called at its junction with the river,
Hitchetee, there is one settlement which deserves a place
here. It belongs to Mic-co thluc-co, called bv the white
people, the " bird tail king." The plantation is on the
right side of the creek, on good land, in the neighborhood
of pine forest ; the creek is a fine flowing one, margined
with reed ; the plantation is well fenced, and cultivated
with the plough ; this chief had been on a visit to New
York, and seen nwich of the ways of white people, and
the advantages of the plough over the slow and laborious
hand hoe. Yet he had not firmness enough, till this year,
to break through the old habits of the Indians. The
agent paid him a visit this spring, 1799, with a plough
completely fixed, and spent a day with him and showed him
how to use it. He had previously, while the old man was
in the woods, prevailed on the family to clear the fields
for the plough. It has been used with effect, and much
to the approbation of a numerous family, who have more
than doubled their crop of corn and potatoes ; and who
begin to know how to turn their corn to account, by giv-
ing it to their hogs. This Micco and his family, have
hogs, cattle and horses, and begin to be very attentive to
them ; he has some apple and peach trees, and grape
vines, a present from the agent.

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 61

The Cussetuhs have some cattle, horses and hogs ; but
they prefer roving idly through the woods, and down on
the frontiers, to attending to farming or stock raising.

The three towns just described, have had a powerful
stimulus to their industry, in the regulations adopted by
the agent for his supphes. Heretofore, there was no
market for provisions. The wants ot the traders were
few, and those procured Avith beads, binding, thread or
needles. There is now a regular market, and weights and
measures are introduced. To call the supply of a single
table a regular market, requires some explanation. The
annual expenses of the agent's table, for the two last
years, has been 2,750 dollars; and for 1799, the articles
were paid for in money and merchandise; 1000 dollars
of the former, and 1,750 of the latter; this was more
than would be supplied by the three towns. The prices
established were :

Pork, gross, per cwt. $3 00 Capons, per pair . 25

Pork, net, per hundred 4 00 Fowls, 4 for . . 25

Bacon, do 10 00 Eggs, per dozen . 12^

Beef, do 3 00 Butter per lb. in the

Corn, per bushel . . 50 spring ... 25

Potatoes, 50 During summer . 17

Pumpkins, .... 18 Cheese, .... 17

Ground Peas, . . . 50 Od of hickory nut per

Field Peas, ... 1 00 bottle ... 75

4. U-chee ; is on the right bank of Chat-to-ho-che, ten
and a half miles below Cow-e-tuh-tal-lau-has-see, on a flat
of rich land, with hickory, oak, blackjack and long-leaf
pine ; the flat extends from one to two miles back from
the river. Above the town, and bordering on it, Uchee
creek, eighty-five feet wide, joins the river.* Opposite the
town house, on the left bank of the river, there is a nar-
row strip of flat land from fifty to one hundred yards
wide, then high pine barren hills ; these people speak a
tongue different from the Creeks ; they were formerly
settled in small villages at Ponpon, Saltketchers, (Sol-ke-
chuh,) Silver Bluff", and 0-ge-chee, (How-ge-chu,) and were

The two forks eight miles up ; on the right, We-tum-cau ; the left, Hosa-po-li-gee,

'$

62 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

continually at war with the Cherokees, Ea-tau-bau and
Creeks.

In the year 1729, an old chief of Cussetuh, called by the
white people Captain Kllick, married three Uchce women,
and brought them to Cussetuh, which was greatly disliked
by his towns peojde ; their opposition determined him to
move from Cussetuh ; he went down opposite where the
town now is, and settled with his three brothers ; two of
whom, had Uchee wives ; he, after this, collected all the
Uchees, gave them the land where their town now is, and
there they settled.

These people are more civil and orderly than their
neighbors ; their women are more chaste, and the men
better hunters ; they retain all their original customs and
laws, and have adopted none of the Creeks ; they have
some worm fences in and about their town, and but very
few peach trees.

They have lately begun to settle out in villages, and
are industrious, compared with their neighbors ; the men
take part in the labors of the women, and are more con-
stant in their attachment to their women, than is usual
among red people.

The number of gun men is variously estimated ; they do
not exceed two hundred and fifty, including all who are
settled in villages, of which they have three.

1st. In-tuch-cul-gau ; from in-tuch-ke, a dam across
water ; and ul-gau, all ; applied to heaver dams. This is
on Opil-thluc-co, twenty-eight miles from its junction with
Flint river. This creek is sixty feet wide at its mouth,
one and a half miles above Timothy Barnard's; the land
bordering on the creek, up to the village, is good. Eight
miles below the village the good land spreads out for four
or five miles on both sides of the creek, with oaky woods;
(Tuck-au-mau-pa-fau ;) the range is fine for cattle ; cane
grows on the creeks, and reed on all the branches.

They have fourteen families in the village ; their indus-
try is increasing ; they built a square in 1798, which
serves for their town house ; they have a few cattle, hogs
and horses.

2d. Pad-gee-li-gau ; from pad-jee, a pidgeon; and li-
gau, sit ; pidgeon roost. This was formerly a large tOAvn,
but broken up by Benjamin Harrison and his associates,

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 63

who murdered sixteen of their gun men in Georgia ; it is
on the right bank of Flint river, and this creek, adjoining
the river ; the village takes its name from the creek ; it
is nine miles below the second falls of the river ; these falls
are at the Island's ford, where the path now crosses from
Cussetuh to Fort Wilkinson ; the village is advantageously
situated ; the land is rich, the range good for cattle and
hogs ; the swamp is more than three miles through, on
the left bank of the river, and is high and good cane-
brake ; on the right bank, it is one mile through, low and
flat ; the cane, sassafras and sumach, are large ; this ex-
tensive and valuable swamp extends down on one side or
the other of the river, for twelve miles.

They have but a few families there, notwithstanding it
is one of the best situations the Indians possess, for stock,
farming and fish. Being a frontier, the great loss they
sustained in having sixteen of their gun men murdered,
discourages them from returning.

3d. Toc-co-gul-egau ; (tad pole ;) a small settlement
on Kit-cho-foone creek, near some beaver dams on
branches of that creek ; the land is good but broken ;
fine range, small canes and pea vines on the hills, and
reeds on the branches ; they have eight or ten families ;
this establishment is of two years only, and they have
worm fences. U-che Will, the head of the village, has
some cattle, and they have promised to attend to hogs,
and to follow the direction of the agent for Indian affairs,
as soon as they can get into stock.

Some of the lichees have settled with the Shaw-a-nee,
at Sau-va-no-gee, among the Creeks of the upper towns.

5. Oose-oo-chee ; is about two miles below Uchee, on
the right bank of Chat-to-ho-chee ; they formerly hved
on Flint river, and settling here, they built a hot house in
1794 ; they cultivate with their neighbors, the Che-au-hau,
below their land in the point.

6. Che-au'hau ; called by the traders Che-haws, is just
below, and adjoining Oosc-oo-che, on a flat of good land.
Below the town, the river winds round east, then west, mak-
ing a neck or point of one thousand acres of canebrake,
very fertile, but low, and subject to be overflowed; the
land back of this, is level for nearly three miles, with red,
post, and white oak, hickory, then pine forest.

64 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

These people have villages on the waters of Fhnt river;
there they have fine stocks of cattle, horses and hogs,
and they raise corn, rice and potatoes, in great plenty.

The following are the villages of this town :

1st. Au-muc-cul-le ; (pour upon me ;) is on a creek of
that name, which joins on the right side of P'lint river,
forty-five miles below Timothy Barnard's. It is sixty feet
wide, and the main branch of Kitch-o-foo-ne, which it
joins three miles f;om the river; the village is nine miles
up the creek ; the land is poor and flat, with limestone
springs in the neighborhood ; the swamp is' cypress in
hammocks, with some water oak and hickory ; the pine
land is poor with ponds and wire grass ; they have sixty
gun men in the village ; it is in some places well fenced ;
they have cattle, hogs and horses, and a fine range for
them, and raise corn, rice and potatoes in great plenty.

2d. O-tel-le-who-yau-nau ; (hurricane town ;) is six
miles below Kitch-o-foo-ne, on the right bank of Flint
river, with pine barren on both sides ; they have twenty
families in the village, which is fenced ; and they have hogs,
cattle and horses ; they plant the small margins near the
mouth of a little creek ; this village is generally named as
belonging to Che-au-hau ; but they are mixed with Oose-
oo-ches.

3. Che-aU'hoo-che ; (little che-au-hau ;) is one mile and
a half west from Hit-che-tee, in the pine forest, near Au-
he-gee ; a fine litile creek, called at its junction with the
river, Hit-che-tee; they begin to fence and have lately
built a square.

7. Hit-che-tee ; is on the left bank of Chat-to-ho-che,
four miles l)elow Che-au-hau ; they have a narrow strip
of good land, bordering on the river, and back of this it
rises into high, poor land, which spreads off flat. In ap-
proaching the town on this side, there is no rise, but a
great descent to the town flat ; on the right bank of the
river the land is level, and extends out for two miles, is
of thin quality; the growth is post oak, hickory, and
pine, all small, then pine barren and ponds.

The appearance about this town indicates much pov-
erty and indolence ; they have no fences ; they have
spread out into villages, and have the character of being
honest and industrious ; they are attentive to the rights

A Sketch of the Creek Country, 65

of their white neighbors, and no charge of horse stealing
from the frontiers, has been substantiated against them.
The villages are,

1st. Hit-che-too-che, (Little Hit-chetee,) a small village
of industrious people, settled on both sides of Flint river,
below Kit-cho-foo-ne ; they have good fences, cattle,
horses, and hogs, in a fine range, and are attentive to
them.

2d. Tut-tal-lo-see ; (fowl ;) on a creek of that name,
twenty miles west from Hit-che-too-che. This is a fine
creek on a bed of limestone ; it is a branch of Kitch-o-foo-
ne ; the land bordering on the creek, and for eight or nine
miles in the direction towards Hit-che-too-che, is level,
rich, and fine for cultivation, with post and black oak,
hickory, dogwood and pine. The villagers have good
worm fences, appear industrious, and have large stocks of
cattle, some hogs and horses ; they appear decent and
orderly, and are desirous of preserving a friendly inter-
course with their neighbors ; they have this year, 1799,
built a square.

8. Pa.-lsi-chooc-le ; is on the right bank of Chat-to-ho-
che, one and a half miles below Che-au-hau, on a poor,
pine barren flat ; the land back from it is poor, broken,
pine land ; their fields are on the left side of the river, on
poor land.

This was formerly the first among the Lower Creek
towns ; a peace town, averse to war, and called by the
nation, Tal-lo-wau thluc-co, (big town.) The Indians
are poor, the town has lost its former consequence, and is
not now much in estimation.

9. 0-co-nee ; is six miles below Pa-Ia-chooc-le, on the
left bank of Chat-to-ho-che. It is a small town, the re-
mains of the settlers of O-co-nee ; they formerly lived just
below the Rock landing, and gave name to that river ;
they are increasing in industry, making fences, attending
to stock, and have some level land moderately rich ; they
have a few hogs, cattle and horses.

10. Sau-ivoo-ge-lo ; is six miles below O-co-nee, on the
right bank of the river, a new settlement in the open pine
forest. Below this, for four and a half miles, the land is
flat on the river, and much of it in the bend is good for
corn. Here We-lau-ne, (yellow water,) a fine flowing

9

66 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

creek, joins the river ; and still lower, Co-wag-gee, (par-
tridge,) a creek sixty yards wide at its mouth. Its source
is in the ridge dividing its waters from Ko-e-ne-cuh, Choc-
tau hatche and Telague hatche ; they have some settle-
ments in this neighborhood, on good land.

11. Sau-woog-e-loo-che ; is four miles below Oconee,
on the left bank of the river, in oaky woods, which ex-
tend back one mile to the pine forest ; they have about
twenty families, and plant in the bends of the river ; they
have a few cattle.

12. Eu-fau-lau ; is fifteen miles below Sau-woog-e-lo,
on the left bank of the river, on a pine flat ; the fields are
on both sides of the river, on rich flats ; below the town
the land is good.

These people are very poor, but generally well behaved
and very friendly to white people ; they are not given to
horse-stealing, have some stock, are attentive to it ; they
have some land fenced, and are preparing for more ; they
have spread out their settlements down the river, about
eight miles below the town, counting on the river path,
there is a little village? on good land, 0-ke-teyoc-en-ne.
Some of the settlements are well fenced ; they raise
plenty of corn and rice, and the range is a good one for
stock.

From this village, they have settlements down as low
as the forks of the river ; and they are generally on sites
well chosen, some of them well cultivated ; they raise
plenty of corn and rice, and have cattle, horses and hogs.

Several of these Indians have negroes, taken during the
revolutionary war, and where they are, there is more industry
and better farms. These negroes were, many of them,
given by the agents of Great Britain to the Indians, in
payment for their services, and they generally call them-
selves " King''s gifts.'''' The negroes are all of them, at-
tentive and friendly to white people, particularly so to
those in authority.

Timothy Barnard's.

This gentleman lives on the right bank of Flint river,
fifteen miles below Pad-je-li-gau. He has eleven children
by a U-chec woman, and they are settled with and around
him, and have fine stocks of cattle in an excellent ran^e.

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 67

He has a valuable property, but not productive ; his farm
is well fenced on both sides of the river ; he has a peach
orchard of fine fruit, and some fine nectarines, a garden
well stored with vegetables, and some grape vines pre-
sented to him by the agent. He is an assistant and inter-
preter, and a man who has uniformly supported an honest
character, friendly to peace during the revolutionary war,
and to man. He has forty sheep, some goats, and stock
of every description, and keeps a very hospitable house.
He is not much acquainted with farming, and receives
light slowly on this subject, as is the case with all the In-
dian countrymen, without exception.

Government.

The Creeks never had, till this year, a national govern-
ment and law. Every thing of a general tendency, was
left to the care and management of the public agents, who
heretofore used temporary expedients only ; and amongst
the most powerful and persuasive, was the pressure of
fear from without, and presents. The attempt, in the
course of the last and present year, to establish a national
council, to meet annually, and to make general regula-
tions for the welfare of the nation, promises to succeed.
The law passed at the first meeting, to punish thieves and
mischief-makers, has been carried into effect, in a ^ew
instances, where the personal influence of the agent for
Indian affairs, was greatly exerted. On a trying occa-
sion, the chiefs were called on to turn out the warriors,
and to punish the leaders of the banditti, who insulted
the commissioners of Spain and the United States, on
the 17th of September. After this was repeatedly urged,
and the agent agreed to be responsible for all the conse-
quences, the chiefs turned out the warriors, and executed
the law on the leader and a few of his associates, in an
exemplary manner. While this transaction was fresh in
the minds of the Indians, the agent for Indian affairs
convened the national council, and made a report on the
state of the nation to them, accompanied with his opinion
of the plan indispensably necessary, to carry the laws of
the nation into effect.

The council, after mature deliberation, determined that

68 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

the safety of the nation was at stake ; that having a firm
rehance on the justice of the President of the United
States, and the friendly attention of his agent for Indian
affairs, they would adopt his plan.

1st. To class the towns, and appoint a warrior over
each class, denominated the warrior of the nation, to su-
perintend the execution of the law.

12d. To declare as law, that when a man is punished by
the law of the nation, and dies, that it is the law that
killed him. It is the nation who killed him ; and that no
man or family is to be held accountable for this act of
the nation.

3d. That all mischief-makers and thieves, of any coun-
try of white people, shall be under the government of the
agent for Indian affairs, and that he may introduce the
troops of the United States to any part of the Creek
country, to punish such persons ; and that, when he calls
in the troops of the United States, he is to call for such
number of warriors as he may deem proper, to accom-
pany them, to be under pay : that, in apprehending or
punishing any white person, if Indians should interpose^
the red warriors are to order them to desist ; and if they
refuse, the agent may order them to fire, at the same time
ordering the troops of the United States to make com-
mon cause.

Government of the Towns,

The towns, separately, have a government and cus-
toms, which they derive from a high source. They have
their public buildings, as well for business as pleasure ;
every town has a chief who presides over the whole ; he
is their Mic-co, called by the white people, " King." The
grades from him are regular and uniform, throughout all
the towns. In the description of the public buildings,
these grades will be explained.

The Public Buildings.

CO, (big house,) the to^

:s of four square buildi

facing each other, forty by sixteen feet, eight feet pitch 5

''' Choo-co-thluc-co, (big house,) the town house or pub
lie square, consists of four square buildings of one storj^i

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 69

the entrance at each corner. Each building is a wooden
frame, supported on posts set in the ground, covered with
slabs, open in front like a piazza, divided into three rooms,
the back and ends clayed, up to the plates. Each divis-
ion is divided lengthwise, into two seats ; the front, two
feet high, extendmg back half way, covered with reed-
mats or slabs ; then a rise of one foot, and it extends
back, covered in like manner, to the side of the building.
On these seats, they lie or sit at pleasure.

The rank of the Buildings which form the Square.

1st. Mic-ul-gee in-too-pau, the Mic-co^s cabin. This
fronts the cast, and is occupied by those of the highest
rank ; the centre of the building is always occupied by
the Mic-co of the town ; by the agent for Indian affairs
when he pays a vist to a town ; by the Mic-cos of other
towns, and by respectable white people.

The division to the right is occupied by the Mic-ug-
gee, (Miccos, there being several so called in every town,
from custom, the origin of which is unknown,) and the
counsellors. These two classes give their advice, in re-
lation to war, and are in fact the principal counsellors.

The division to the left, is occupied by the E-ne-hau
Ul-gee, (people second in command, the head of whom
is called by the traders, second man.) These have the di-
rection of the public works appertaining to the town,
such as the public buildings, building houses in town for
new settlers, or working in the fields. They are particu-
larly charged with the ceremony of the a-ce, (a decoction
of the cassine yupon, called l)y the traders black drink,)
under the direction of the Mic-co.

The Mic-co of the town superintends all public and
domestic concerns ; receives all public characters ; hears
their talks ; lays them before the town, and delivers the
talks of his town. The Mic-co of a town is always
chosen from some one family. The Mic-co of Tuck-au-
bat-che is of the eagle tribe, (Lum-ul-gee.) After he is
chosen and put on his seat, he remains for life. On his
death, if his nephews are fit for the office, one of them
takes his place as his successor ; if they are unfit, one
is chosen of the next of kin, the descent being always in

70 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

the female line. They have, in this town, a Mic-co of an-
other family, the Is-po-co-gee Mic-co, the ancient name
of the town.

When a Mic-co, from age, infirmity, or any other cause,
wants an assistant, he selects a man who appears to him
the best quahfied, and proposes him to the counsellors
and great men of the town, and if he is approved of by
them, they appoint him as an assistant in public affairs,
and he takes his seat on this cabin accordingly.

The Micco of a town generally bears the name of the
town, as Cussetuh Mic-co. He is what is called by the
traders the Cussetuh King.

2d. Tus-tun-nug-ul-gee in-too-pau, the warriors' cabin.
This fronts the south ; the head warrior sits at the west
end of his cabin, and in his division the great warriors sit
beside each other. The next in rank sit in the centre
division, and the young warriors in the third. The rise is
regular, by merit, from the third to the first division.
The Great Warrior, for that is the title of the head war-
rior. He is appointed by the micco and counsellors, from
among the greatest war characters. *

When a young man is tramed up and appears well
qualified for the fatigues and hardships of war, and is
promising, the Mic-co appoints him a governor, or as the
name imports, a leader^ (Is-te-puc-cau-chau,) and if he
distinguishes himself, they give him a rise to the centre
cabin. A man who distinguishes himself, repeatedly, in
warlike enterprises, arrives to the rank of the Great
Leader, (Is-te-puc-cau-chau thlucco.) This title, though
greatly coveted, is seldom attained ; as it requires a long
course of years, and great and numerous successes in war.

The second class of warriors is the Tusse-ki-ul-gee.
All who go to war, and are in company, when a scalp is
taken, get a war name. The leader reports their con-
duct, and they receive a name accordingly. This is the
Tus-se-ki-o-chif-co, or war name. The term leader, as
used by the Indians, is the proper one. The war parties
all march in Indian file, with the leader in front, until
coming on hostile iiround ; he is then in the rear.

3d. Is-te-chaguc-ul-gee in-too-pau, the cabin of the
beloved men. This fronts the north.

There are great men who have been war leaders, and

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 7t'

who although of various ranks, have become estimable in
a long course of public service. They sit themselves on
the right division of the cabin of the Mic-co, and are his
cousellors. The family of the Mic-co, and great men
who have thus distinguished themselves, occupy this cabin
of the beloved men.

4th. Hut-te-mau-hug-gee in-too-pau, the cabi?i of the
young people and their associates. This fronts the west.

The Convention of the Town,

The Micco, counsellors and warriors, meet every day,
in the public square ; sit and drink a-cee, a strong decoc-
tion of the cassine yupon, called by the traders, black
drink ; talk of news, the public and domestic concerns,
smoke their pipes, and play Thla-chal-Jitch-cau, (roll the
bullet.) Here all complaints are introduced, attended
to, and redressed. They have a regular ceremony for
making, as well as delivering the a-cee, to all who attend
the square.

5th. Chooc-ofau thluc-co, the rotunda or assembly room,
called by the traders, " hot-house.'''' This is near the
square, and is constructed after the follov*^ing manner :
Eight posts are fixed in the ground, forming an octagon
of thirty feet diameter. They are twelve feet high, and
large enough to support the roof. On these, five or six
logs are placed, of a side, drawn in as they rise. On
these, long poles or rafters, to suit the height of the build-
ing, are laid, the upper ends forming a point, and the
lower ends projecting out six feet from the octagon, and
resting on posts five feet high, placed in a circle round
the octagon, with plates on them, to which the rafters are
tied with sphts. The rafters are near together, and f ist-
ened with sphts. These are covered with clay, and that
with pine bark ; the wall, six feet from the octagon, is
clayed up ; they have a small door into a small portico,
curved round for five or six feet, then into the house.

The space between the octagon and the wall, is one en-
tire sopha, where the visiters lie or sit at pleasure. It is
covered with reed, mat or splits.

In the centre of the room, on a small rise, the fire is
made, of dry cane or dry old pine slabs, split fine, and laid

72 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

in a spiral circle. This is the assembly room for all
people, old and young ; they assemble every night, and
amuse themselves with dancing, singing, or conversation.
And here, sometimes, in very cold weather, the old and
naked sleep.

In all transactions which require secrecy, the rulers
meet here, make their fire, deliberate and decide. When
they have decided on any case of death or whipping, the
Micco appoints the warriors who are to carry it into ef-
fect ; or he gives the judgment to the Great Warrior,
(Tustunnuggee thlucco,) and leaves to him the time and
manner of executing it.

War.

This is always determined on by the Great Warrior.
When the Micco and counsellors are of opinion that the
town has been injured, he lifts the war hatchet against the
nation which has injured them. But as soon as it is taken
up, the Micco and counsellors may interpose, and by their
prudent councils, stop it, and proceed to adjust the mis-
understanding by negotiation. If the Great Warrior per-
sists and goes out, he is followed by all who are for war.
It is seldom a town is unanimous, the nation never is ;
and within the memory of the oldest man among them, it
is not recollected, that more than one half the nation have
been for war at the same time ; or taken, as they express
it, the war talk.

The Great Warrior, when he marches, gives notice
where he shall encamp, and sets out sometimes with one
or two only. He fires off his gun and sets up the war
whoop. This is repeated by all who follow him, and they
are sometimes for one or two nights marching off.

Peace.

This is always determined on and concluded, by the
Mic-co and counsellors ; and peace talks are always ad-
dressed to the cabin of the Mic-co. In some cases, where
the resentment of the warriors has run high, the Micco
and council have been much embarrassed.

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 73

Marriage.

A man who wants a wife never applies in person ; he
sends his sister, his mother, or some other female relation,
to the female relations of the woman he names. They
consult the brothers and uncles on the maternal side, and
sometimes the father ; but this is a compliment only, as
his approbation or opposition is of no avail. If the party
applied to, approve of the match, they answer accord-
ingly, to the woman who made the application. The
bridegroom then gets together a blanket, and such other
articles of clothing as he is able to do, and sends them
by the women to the females of the family of the bride.
If they accept of them the match is made ; and the man
may then go to her house as soon as he chooses. And
when he has built a house, made his crop and gathered it
in, then made his hunt and brought home the meat, and
put all this in the possession of his wife, the ceremony
ends, and they are married ; or as they express it, the
woman is bound. From the first going to the house of
the woman, till the ceremony ends, he is completely in
possession of her.

This law has been understood differently, by some
hasty cuckolds, who insist, that when they have assisted
the woman to plant her crop, the ceremony ends, and the
woman is bound. A man never marries in his own tribe.

Divorce.

This is at the choice of either of the parties ; the man
may marry again as soon as he will ; but she is bound, till
all the Boosketau of that year are over; excepting in the
cases of marriage and parting in the season when there
is no planting, or more properly speaking, during the sea-
son the man resides at the house of the woman and has
possession of her, during the continuation of the marriage
ceremony ; in that case the woman is equally free to con-
nect herself as soon as she pleases.

There is an inconsistency in the exception above ; since

in fact, in such season, there can be no marriage ; but

the chiefs, on their report on this article, maintained it as

an exception, and this practice, in these cases of half

10

74 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

marriage prevail universally. As soon as a man goes to
the house of his bride, he is in complete possession of
her, till the ceremony ends ; and during this period the
exception will apply.

Marriage gives no right to the husband over the prop-
erty of his wife ; and when they part she keeps the chil-
dren and property belonging to them.

Adultery.

This is punished by the family or tribe of the husband.
They collect, consult and decree. If the proof is clear,
and they determine to punish the offenders, they divide
and proceed to apprehend them. One half goes to the
house of the woman, the remainder to the family house
of the adulterer ; or they go together, as they have de-
creed. They apprehend the offenders, beat them severely
with sticks, and then crop them. They cut off the hair
of the woman, which they carry to the square in triumph.
If they apprehend but one of the offenders, and the other
escapes, they then go and take satisfaction from the near-
est relation. If both the offenders escape, and the tribe or
family return home, and lay down the sticks, the crime is
satisfied. There is one family only, the " Wind," (Ho-
tul-ul-gee,) that can take up the sticks a second time.
This crime is satisfied in another way, if the parties of-
fending absent themselves till the Boos-ke-tuh is over.
Then all crimes are done away except. murder. And the
bare mention of them, or any occurrence which brings
them in recollection, is forbidden.

Murder.

If murder is committed, the family and tribe alone have
the right of taking satisfaction. They collect, consult and
decide. The rulers of the town, or the nation, have
nothing to do or to say in the business. The relations
of the murdered person consult first among themselves,
and if the case is clear, and their family or tribe are not
likely to suffer by their decision, they determine on the
case definitively. When the tribe may be effected by it,
in a doubtful case, or an old claim for satisfaction, the

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 75

family then consult with their tribe ; and when they have
deliberated and resolved on satisfaction, they take the
guilty one, if to be come at. If he flies, they take the
nearest of kin, or one of the family. In some cases, the
family which has done the injury promise reparation ;
and in that case are allowed a reasonable time to fulfil
their promise ; and they are generally earnest of them-
selves, in their endeavors to put the guilty to death, to
save an innocent person.

This right of judging, and taking satisfaction, being
vested in the family or tribe, is the sole cause why their
treaty stipulations on this head, never have been execu-
ted. In hke manner, a prisoner taken in war, is the pro-
perty of the captor and his family, it being optional with
his captor, to kill or save him at the time. And this
right must be purchased, and it is now the practice, intro-
duced within a few years, for the nation to pay. The
practice has been introduced by the agent for Indian af-
fairs, and he pays on the orders of the chiefs, out of the
stipend allowed by the United States to the Creeks.
Claims of this sort of seventeen years standing, where the
prisoner has been delivered to the order of the chiefs, have
been revived, allowed and paid.

Boos-ke-tau.*

This annual festival is celebrated in the months of July
or August. The precise time is fixed by the Mic-co and
counsellors, and is sooner or later, as the state of the af-
fairs of the town, or the early or lateness of their corn,
will suit for it. In Cussetuh, this ceremony lasts for eight
days. In some towns of less note, it is but four days.

FIRST DAY.

In the morning, the warriors clean the yard of the
square, and sprinkle white sand, when the a-cee, (decoc-
tion of the cassine yupon,) is made. The fire-maker
makes the fire as early in the morning as he can, by fric-
tion. The warriors cut and bring into the square, four
logs, as long each as a man can cover by extending his

* See page 25.

76 A Sketch of the Creek Country,

two arms ; these are placed in the centre of the square,
end to end, forming a cross, the outer ends pointed to the
cardinal points ; in the centre of the cross, the new fire
is made. During the first four days, they burn out these
four logs.

The pin-e-bun-gau, (turkey dance,) is danced by the
women of the turkey tribe ; and while they are dancing,
the possau is brewed. This is a powerful emetic. The
possau is drank from twelve o'clock to the middle of the
afternoon. After this, the Toc-co-yule-gau, (taapole,) is
danced by four men and four women. (In the evening,
the men dance E-ne-hou-bun-gau, the dance of the people
second in command.) This they dance till daylight.

SECOND DAY.

This day, about ten o'clock, the women dance Its-ho-
bun-gau, (gun-dance.) After twelve, the men go to the
new fire, take some of the ashes, rub them on the chin,
neck and belly, and jump head foremost into the river,
and they return into the square. The women having pre-
pared the new corn for the feast, the men take some of it
and rub it between their hands, then on their face and
breasts, and then they feast.

THIRD DAY.

The men sit in the square.

FOURTH DAY.

The women go early in the morning and get the new
fire, clean out their hearths, sprinkle them with sand, and
make their fires. The men finish burning out the first
four logs, and they take ashes, rub them on their chin,
neck and belly, and they go into the water. This day
they eat salt, and they dance Obungauchapco, (the long
dance.)

FIFTH DAY.

They get four new logs, and place them as on the first
day, and they drink a-cee, a strong decoction of the cas-
sine yupon.

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 77

SIXTH DAY.

They remain in the square.

SEVENTH DAY.

Is spent in hke manner as the sixth.

EIGHTH DAY.

They get two large pots, and their physic plants, 1st.
Mic-co-ho-yon-e-juh. 2. Toloh. 3. A-che-nau. 4. Ciip-
pau-pos-cau, 5. Chu-lis-sau, the roots. 6. Tuck-thiau-
lus-te. 7. Tote-cul-hil-lis-so-wau. 8. Chofeinsuck-cau-
fuck-au. 9. Cho-fe-mus-see. 10. Hil-hs-hut-ke. ll.To-te-
cuh chooc-his-see. 12. Welau-nuh. 13. Oak-chon-utch-
co. 14. Co-hal-le-wau-gee. These are all put into the
pots and heat up with water. The chemists, (E-lic-chul-
gee, called by the traders physic makers,) they blow in it
through a small reed, and then it is drank by the men, and
rubbed over their joints till the afternoon.

They collect old corn cobs and pine burs, put them into
a pot, and burn them to ashes. Four virgins who have
never had their menses, bring ashes from their houses,
put them in the pot and stir all together. The men take
white clay and mix it with water in two pans. One pan
of the clay and one of the ashes, are carried to the cabin
of the Mic-co, and the other two to that of the warriors.
They then rub themselves with the clay and ashes. Two
men appointed to that office, bring some flowers of to-
bacco of a small kind, (Itch-au-chu-le-puc-pug-gee,) or,
as the name imports, the old man's tobacco, which was
prepared on the first day, and put in a pan on the cabin
of the Mic-co, and they give a httle of it to every one
present.

The Micco and counsellors then go four times round
the fire, and every time they face the east, they throw
some of the flowers into the fire. They then go and
stand to the west. The warriors then repeat the same
ceremony.

A cane is stuck up at the cabin of the Mic-co with
two white featliers in the end of it. One of the Fish

78 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

tribe, (Thlot-lo-ul-gee,) takes it just as the sun goes down,
and goes off towards the river, all following him. When
he gets half way to the river, he gives the death whoop ;
this whoop he repeats four times, between the square and
the water's edge. Here they all place themselves as thick
as they can stand, near the edge of the water. He sticks
up the cane at the water's edge, and they all put a grain
of the old man's tobacco on their heads, and in each ear.
Then, at a signal given, four different times, they throw
some into the river, and every man at a like signal plunges
into the river, and picks up four stones from the bottom.
With these they cross themselves on their breasts four
times, each time throwing a stone into the river, and giv-
ing the death whoop ; they then wash themselves, take
up the cane and feathers, return and stick it up in the
square, and visit through the town. At night they dance
0-bun-gau Haujo, (mad dance,) -diii this finishes the cer-
emony.

This happy institution of the Boos-ke-tuh, restores man
to himself, to his family and to his nation. It is a general
amnesty, which not only absolves tbe Indians from all
crimes, murder only excepted, but seems to bury guilt it-
self in oblivion.

The Ceremony of initiating Youth into Manhood.

At the age of from fifteen to seventeen, this ceremony
is usually performed. It is called Boos-ke-tau, in like
manner as the annual Boosketau of the nation. A youth
of the proper age gathers two handsfuU of the Sou-watch-
cau, a very bitter root, which he eats a whole day ; then
he steeps the leaves in water and drinks it. In the dusk
of the evening, he eats two or three spoonfulls of boiled
grits. This is repeated for four days, and during this
time he remains in a house. The Sou-watch-cau has the
effect of intoxicating and maddening. The fourth day he
goes out, but must put on a pair of new moccasins (Stil-
la-pica.) For twelve moons, he abstains from eating
bucks, except old ones, and from turkey cocks, fowls,
peas and salt. During this period he must not pick his
ears, or scratch his head with his fingers, but use a small
stick. For four moons he must have a fire to himself, to

A Sketch of the Creek Country, 79

cook his food, and a little girl, a virgin, may cook for
him ; his food is boiled grits. The fifth moon, any per-
son may cook for him, but he must serve himself first,
and use one spoon and pan. Every new moon, he drinks
for four days the possau, (button snakeroot,) an emetic,
and abstains for these days, from all food, except in the
evening, a little boiled grits, (humpetuh hutke.) The
twelfth moon, he performs for four days, what he com-
menced with on the first. The fifth day, he comes out
of his house, gathers corn cobs, burns them to ashes, and
with these, rubs his body all over. At the end of this
moon, he sweats under blankets, then goes into water,
and this ends the ceremony. This ceremony is some-
times extended to four, six, or eight moons, or even to
twelve days only, but the course is the same.

During the whole of this ceremony, the physic is ad-
ministered by the Is-te-puc-cau-chau thluc-co, (great
leader,) who in speaking of a youth under initiation, says,
" I am physicing him," (Boo-se-ji-jite saut li-to-mise-cha,)
or " I am teaching him all that is proper for him to know,"
(nauk o-mul-gau e-muc-e-thli-jite saut litomise cha.)
The youth, during this initiation, does not touch any one
except young persons, who are under a like course with
himslf, and if he dreams, he drinks the possau.

War Physic, Ho-ith-le Hil-lis-so-wau.

When young men are going to war, they go into a hot-
house of the town made for the purpose, and remain
there for four days. They drink the Mic-co-ho-yon-e-jau
and the pos-sau, and they eat the Sou-watch-cau. The
fourth day, they come out, have their bundle ready, and
march. This bundle or knapsack, is an old blanket, some
parched corn flour, and leather to patch their moccasins.
They have in their shot bags, a charm, a protection
against all ills, called the war physic, composed of chit-
to gab-by and Is-te-pau-pau, the bones of the snake and
lion.

The tradition of this physic is, that in old times, the
lion, (Is-te-pau-pau,) devoured their people. They dug a
pit and caught him in it, just after he had killed one of

80 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

their people. They covered him with hghtwood knots,
burnt him and reserved his bones.

The snake was in the water, the old people sung and
he showed himself. They sung again, and he showed
himself a little out of the water. The third time he
showed his horns, and they cut one ; again he showed
himself a fourth time, and they cut off the other horn.
A piece of these horns and of the bones of the lion, is
the great war physic.

The opinion of Efau Haujo, great Medal Chief of Took-
au-bat-che, and Speaker for the Nation in the National
Council^ on these Ceremonies, given in answer to some
queries put to him.

1st. What is the origin of the new fire, and of the
Boosketau ? Answer. I have been taught from my infancy,
that there is an E-sau-ge-tuh E-mis-see, (master of breath,)
who gave these customs to the Indians, as necessary to
them and suited to them ; and that to follow them, en-
tities the red people to his care and protection, in war
and difficulties. It is our opinion that the origin of the
Boosketau and our physics, proceeds from the goodness
of Esaugetuh E-mis-see ; that he communicated them in
old times to the red people, and impressed it on them to
follow and adhere to them, and they would be of service
to them.

2d. Do the red people believe in a future existence ?
Answer. The old notion among us, is, that when we die,
the spirit, (po-yau-fic-ciiau,) goes the way the sun goes,
to the west, and there joins its family and friends, who
went before it.

3rd. Do the red people believe in a future state of rewards
and punishments ? Answer. We have an opinion that those
w^ho behaved well, are taken under the care of E-sau-ge-
tuh E-mis-see and assisted ; and that those who have be-
haved ill, are left there to shift for themselves ; and that
there is no other punishment.

4th. What is your opinion of retaliation, as practised
among the Indians ; can it be just to punish the innocent
for the guilty ; and do you believe that this custom of the
Indians proceeded from E-sau-ge-tuh E-mis-see ? Answer.

A Sketch of the Creek Country, 81

I believe our custom did not proceed from E-sau-ge-tuh
E-mis-see, but from tlie temper of rash men, who do not
consider consequences before they act. It is a bad cus-
tom.

5th. What is your opinion of the custom of the red
people, to punish for accidental death, with the same se-
verity, as where there has been a manifest intention to
kill ? Answer. This custom of ours is a bad one, blood
for blood ; but I do not believe it came from E-sau-ge-
tuh E-mis-see, but proceeded from ourselves. Of a case
of this sort, I will give you my opinion, by my conduct.
Lately, in Tookaubatche, two promising boys were play-
ing and slinging stones. One of them let slip his sling,
the stone flew back and killed his companion. The family
of the deceased took the two boys, and were preparing
to bury them in the same ajrave. The uncles, who have
the right to decide in such cases, were sent for, and I was
sent for. We arrived at the same time. I ordered the
people to leave the house, and the two boys to remain
together. I took the uncles to my house, raised their
spirits with a little rum, and told them, the boy was a fine
boy, and would be useful to us in our town, when he be-
came a man ; that he had no ill will against the dead one ;
the act was purely accidental ; that it had been the will
of E-sau-ge-tuh E-mis-se to end his days, and I thought
that the living one should remain, as taking away his life
would not give it to the other. The two uncles, after
some reflection, told me, as you have advised us, so we
will act ; he shall not die, it was an accident.

The Opinion of Tus-se-kiah Mic-co, on the Origin of the
Creeks, and the New Fire.

" There are in the forks of Red river, (We-cha-te-hat-
che Au-fus-kee,) west of Mississippi, (We-o-coof-ke,
muddy water,) two mounds of earth. At this place, the
Cussetuh, Cowetuh and Chickasaws found themselves.
They were at a loss for fire. Here they were visited by the
Hi-you-yul-gee, four men who came from the four corners
of the world. One of these people asked the Indians,
where they would have their fire, (tote-kit-cau.) They
pointed to a place ; it was made ; and they sat down
11

82 A Sketch of the Creek Country,

around it. The Hi-you-yul-gee directed, that they should
pay particular attention to the fire, that it would preserve
them and let E-sau-ge-tuh E-mis see, (master of breath,)
know their wants. One of these visitors took them and
showed them the pas-sau; another showed them Mic-co-
ho yon-ejau, then the Au-che-nau, (cedar,) and Too-loh,
(sweet bay.) [There are one or two other plants, not
recollected. Each of these seven plants was to belong
to a particular tribe,] (E-mau-li-ge-tuh.) After this, the
four visiters disappeared in a cloud, going from whence
they came."

" The three towns then appointed their rulers. The
Cussetuhs chose the Noo-coose-ul-gee, (bear tribe,) to
be their Mic-ul-gee, (mic-cos,) and the Is-tau-nul-gee, to
be the E-ne-hau-thluc-ul-gee, (people second in com-
mand.) The Cowetuhs chose the Thlot-lo-ul-gee, (fish
tribe,) to be their Mic-ul-gee, (miccos.")

" After these arrangements, some other Indians came
from the west, met them, and had a great wrestle with the
three towns ; they made ball sticks and played with them,
with bows and arrows, and the war club, (Au-tus-sau.)
They fell out, fought, and killed each other. After this
warring, the three towns moved eastwardly, and they met
the Au-be-cuh at Coosau river. Here they agreed to go
to war for four years, against their first enemy ; they
made shields, (Te-po-lux-o,) of Buftalo hides, and it was
agreed that the warriors of each town, should dry and
bring forward, the scalps (E-cau halpe) of the enemy
and pile them ; the Aubecuh had a small pile, the Chick-
asaws were above them, the Cowetuhs above them, and
the Cussetuhs above all. The two last towns raised the
scalp pole, (Itlo chate, red wood,) and do not suffer any
other town to raise it. Cussetuh is first in rank."

" After this, they settled the rank of the four towns
among themselves. Cussetuh, called Au-be-cuh and Chick-
asaw cha-chu-see, (younger brothers.) The Chickasaws
and Aubecuhs, called Cussetuh and Cowetuh, chat-la-hau,
(oldest brothers.) Au-be-cuh, called Chickasaw, Um-
mau-mau-yuh, (elders, or people a head of them.) Chick-
asaws sometimes use the same expression to Aubecuh."

This being done, they commenced their settlements on
Coo-sau and Tal-la-poo-sau, and crossing the falls of Tal-

A Sketch of the Creek Country. 83

lapoosa above Tool-cau-bat-che, they visited the Chat-to-
hoche, and found a race of people with flat heads, in
possession of the mounds in the Cussctuh fields. These
people used bows and arrows, with strings made of sinews.
The great physic makers, (Au-lic-chul-gee,) sent some
rats in the night time, which gnawed the strings, and in
the morning, they attacked and defeated the flats. They
crossed the river at the island, near the mound, and took
possession of the country. After this, they spread out
eastwardly, to 0-cheese-hat-che, (Ocmulgee,) Oconee,
O-ge-chee, (How-ge-chuh,) Chic-ke-tal-lo-fau-hat-che,
(Savannah,) called sometimes Sau-va-no-gee, the name
for Shaw-a-nee. They met the white people on the sea-
coast, who drove them back to their present situation."

" Cussetuh and Chickasaw consider themselves as peo-
ple of one fire, (tote-kit-cau humgoce,) from the earliest
account of their origin. Cussetuh appointed the first
Micco for them, directed him to sit down in the bis Sa-
vanna, where they now are, and govern them. Some of
the Chickasaws straggled off and settled near Augusta,
from whence they returned and sat down near Cussetuh,
and thence back to their nation. Cussetuh and Chicka-
saw have remained friends ever since their first ac-
quaintance."

During the late war between the Creeks and Chicka-
saws, Cussetuh refused her aid, and retained her long es-
tablished friendship for the Chickasaws ; and when the
Creeks offered to make peace, their oflfers were rejected,
till Cussetuh interposed their good offices. These had
the desired effect, and produced peace.

State of the War Party in September, 1813.

Oc-fus-kee, Aut-tos-see.
Tal-e-see,

These towns formed a front of observation towards
Cowetau.

Ho-ith-le-wau-lee, Coo-loo-me,

Foosce-hat-che, E-cun-hut-kee,

84 A Sketch of the Creek Country.

Sau-van-no-gee, We-wo-cau,

Mook-lau-sau, Puc-cun-tal-lau has-see,

A-la-ba-mo, Woc-co-coie,

Hook-choie-oo-che, Po-chuse-hat-che.
O-che-ub-e-fau,

These towns furnished the warriors for the expedition
against Tensau. They did not intend an expedition
against the white people till they compelled Cowetau and
Tookaubatchee to join or fly the nation, and every town
to join with them. But being attacked by the half breeds
and whites, at Burnt Corn, in their own land, they deter-
mined to retaliate, and planned the expedition accord-
ingly.

Thlot-lo-gul-gau, Ki-a-li-je,

Eu-fau-lau,

These are neutral. Ho-bo-kei-eth-le Haujo, hearing
that the war party intended to cut off Kialije, sent word
he had warriors, and would fight for Kialijee. This last
town has taken the war club, and dance the prophets
dances, and are used as spies on the war party.

Too-to-gau-gee, Au-che-nau ulgau.

These are at Tookaubatche Tal-lau-has-see. Chat-
tuck-so-cau is above Oc-fus-kee and with it.

This settlement is on the east of Tallapoosa, on a wide
creek which gives name to it, twelve miles nearly from
the river.

From Burges's 30 miles above the mouth of the river Flint,
To We-thluc-coo-chee, 16 miles, 20 yards wide.
0-ke-lock-ei-me, 1 8 miles, 30 yds wide, and deep.

St. Marks, 40 miles, half a mile wide.

Aussille, 40 miles, 50 yards wide, shallow.

Sawaune, 70 miles, 120 yards wide.

Picaulata, 130 miles, two miles wide.

St. Augustine, 26 miles.

A Sketch of the Creek Country.

85

Information relative to the waters and country on the
post road, commencing at Ka-le-be, near the agency on
that creek.

Ka-le-be,
Ke-bi-hatch-e,

O-fuk-she,

Miles. Width in feet.

30
4 30

2 60

Noo-coose Chepo, 2

Kit-to-me,

Pilth-lau-le,

Pinchunc,

In-tuck-kee,

Opil-thluc-co,

1 St Fork of,

2d do
Us-se-wau-sau,

Suck-pul-gau,

14
7
2
4
6
3
3
4

10

23
3

Murder Creek, 8

Burnt Corn, 12

Limestone, 5

Little Escambia, 4

Big Escambia, 9

8
60
20
20
10
10
10
15

4

15

20

10

20
90

*.,

o

d

!B

g

;-<

a;

^

M

<

<

lands post oak, clay, good

range for stock.
post oak, small hickory, clay,

red oak.
post oak, plains, clay, red oak.
post, black oak, plains, clay.

do. do.

do. do.

do. do.

do. do.

do. do.

do. do.

oak, hickory, chesnut, water

Ko-ne-cau.
first pine land, left 4 by 5

miles, clay,
oak, hickory, walnut,
pine ridge to Ko-ne-cau, wide

in places, 10 to 15 miles

level clay land,
a belt of pine land 5 by 4

miles, clay,
between these creeks on the

left,
a small branch of Alabama,
waters of Ko-ne-cau.

do. do.

The pine lands commence near Burnt Corn, around the
head of Limestone, to the two Escambias, and to Ko-ne-
cau. Half way from Burnt Corn to Little Escambia, the
pine land loses the quality of clay, and is sandy, the pine
tall and large.

APPENDIX

INDIAN TREATIES.

TREATY AT AUGUSTA, JUNE 1, 1773.
By Sir James Wright and JoH>f Stewart, with the Cherokees and Creeks.

This treaty fixes the eastern bounds of the Cherokees to be from the
tree marked by the Cherokees, near the head of a branch falling into the
Oconee river, and from thence to Savannah river.

TREATY AT HOPEWELL, NOVEMBER 28, 1785.

From Tugalo river, " thence a direct line to the top of Currohe moun-
tain ; thence to the head of the South fork of Oconee river."

In 1803, at the treaty near Fort Wilkinson, this boundary admitted by
the Creeks, and that a line from the High Shoals of Apalatche, along the
old path to Sauwanna, on Chat-to-ho-che, bounds the Creek claims on
this quarter.

TREATY AT NEW YORK, AUGUST 1, 1790.

Article III.

" The Creek Nation shall deliver, as soon as practicable, to the com-
manding officer of the troops of the United States, stationed at the Rock-
landing on the Oconee river, all citizens of the United States, white in-
habitants or negroes, who are now prisoners in any part of said nation.
And if any such prisoners or negroes should not be so delivered on or before
the 1st day of June ensuing, the Governor of Georgia may empower
three persons to repair to the sard Nation in order to claim and receive
such prisoners and negroes.^'

88 Appendix.

Treaty at colerain, june 29, 1796.

Article VII.

" The Creek Nation shall deliver, as soon as practicable, to the Super-
intendent of Indian affairs, at such place as he may direct, all citizens
of the United States, white inhabitants and negroes, who are now pris-
oners in any part of the said Nation, agreeable to the treaty of New
York, and also all citizens, white inhabitants, negroes and property taken
since the signing of that treaty. And if any such prisoners, negroes or
property should not be delivered, on or before the first day of January
next, the Governor of Georgia may empower three persons to repair to
the said Nation, in order to claim and receive such prisoners, negroes,
and property, under the direction of the President of the United States."

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