You will see herewith a copy of a circular letter which I sent to the commanding Officers of the Militia of every County in this State being much in need of your advice and direction in the present conjuncture of affairs I am very anxious to hear from you. James Seagrove to the Kings, chiefs, Head men and Warriors of the whole Creek Nation singly as well as collectively. St. Marys 7^th March 1793. Brothers. From the solemn assurances given me by a large majority of the chiefs of your nation on many recent occasions but more particular at our conference on this river in November last that you would at all events preserve peace with the United States and on no account join with any people whatever that were unfriendly to them, I was led to believe your declarations just, and as such communicated them to my country who was pleased to think that your nation were acting with Justice and wisdom. But alas of how short duration was this pleasing prospect. Scarcely had all those of your people who had been with me at the conference returned to their homes when the most wanton, unprovoked murder and robbery was committed on this frontier by a body of Creek Indians on the peacful, honest, unoffending inhabitants of the United States. Duly to my country as well as regard for your future peace obliges me now to make known to you as head and rulers of the Creek nation that on the night of the eleventh of this month a party of the Creek Indians in number from twenty five to thirty entered the store of Robert Seagrove at Traders hill on this river, and then and there murdered M^r John Henning the storekeeper and M^r Daniel [undecipherable], scalped and tomahawked them, beat and abused others, then robbed the Store of every thing therein to upwards of ten thousand dollars — which they took off with them to your nation — Next day three men and a Girl were killed within six miles of Colerain by a party of your people. These last that were killed were inoffensive Travellers coming to settle in this Country and of course could not have offended. The bodies of those unhappy victims to wanton barbarity I beheld with horror and could scarcely allow myself to think it possible that men belonging to a nation whom I had been feeding and loading with every mark of my country's kindness to them could be guilty of such villainy — Indeed I cannot yet believe that the nation were acquainted with it. I pray God this may have been the case, and that they will give immediate satisfaction for so daring an outrage; by delivering up to me the whole of those concerned in the before mentioned murder and robbery, which alone can appease the just resentment of the United States. Brothers. What I have here stated to you are truths and the same is supported by testimony on oath sent herewith. It therefore admits of not a moment's delay with honest men, the part they ought to take. If you have a wish that your lands should not be deluged with blood, and that you should possess the same and live in it in peace you will on receiving this call together the chiefs of your land and take immediate measures for delivering to me those murderers and plunderers that they may be punished agreeable to our laws. The outrage is so enormous and unprovoked as not to admit delay on your part. Vengeance will be showered on your nation if justice is not immediately done. Attend to what I say. It is my love for you and a belief that you were ignorant of the late perfideous act of your people that gives you this opportunity of yet living in peace with my country — You men found me to tell you an untruth, and be assured that what I now tell will come to pass and that is inevitable ruin awaits your whole land if you do not comply with my demand of giving up the villains who committed the late murders. Do not suffer yourselves to be longer deceived or suppose that the United States will stop short of doing ample justice to their Citizens and punish in the most exemplary manner offenders against their government. But peace and friendship is their wish towards your whole nation as long as your Conduct as honest men justify it. What could have driven your people to act as they have done, is what I cannot account for. Every body in this land were in perfect peace and friendship with your people, and at the moment those murders were committed near fifty families of your Towns were at Colerain receiving supplies of provisions from the public store of the United States, which has already been the means of saving several hundreds of them from perishing by famine. Shameful ingratitude to so generous a benefactor as you have found the President of the United States. If there is a spark of manly virtue left in your nation, you must shudder at the recollection and dread how much the world must despise a people capable of such perfidy. I have reason to think that you will find that base ungrateful man John Galphin a principal in this business, if so he deserves no mercy. The Indians who compose the party that robbed and murdered at Traders Hill were from