[I certify the preceeding pages to be copies from the Originals in my office / J Seagrove, Ag^t I. a. / St. Marys 30^th April 1793] James Seagrove to the Secretary of War. St. Marys 24^th May, 1793 Sir The last letter I had the honor of addressing to you was under date of the 30^th Ultimo which I hope you have received. Since then I have been using every means in my power to obtain satisfaction and preserve peace to our Country, but I am sorry to say my endeavours have not been successful. The intentions of the well disposed part of the Creek nation to give satisfaction to the United States has been frustrated by the bad men of a few Towns, who dreading the consequence of what they had done pushed out immediately to different parts of the frontier of Georgia; and have extended their outrages too far for the chiefs of the nation to be able to give satisfaction, and therefore the friendly Towns have requested that an army may without delay be sent to destroy the following Towns and people, as without so doing there can be no hope of peace, those Towns having disregarded all advice and denied all authority of the nation, are now become a riotous, murdering banditti, and will continue so and probably be joined by others, unless severely punished, and that speedily. The Towns who have injured this Country are now thrown off by the nation are as follows— The whole of the Cowetas, Broken Arrow a part of the Uchees, Uchees, Big Tallafees, and a part of the Chehaws. By the enclosed copy of a talk which I received yesterday from Hirmand and others, you will be informed of the disposition of the nation. There are seven eighths of the Creek nation that is really friendly to us, and will remain unless they are injured by parties from Georgia going in. This I dread: I fear there will be no discrimination, and should they fall on the friendly Towns, a general war is inevitable. But if matters are properly conducted, and only the Towns I have mentioned struck at the business will shortly be over, for I am persuaded all the rest of the nation will sit still, and view with pleasure the chastisement those villains may receive. The good effects of punishing in this way would soon be felt; it would forever after deter parties in the nation acting against the general opinion, and will encourage our friends, and establish our reputation, and give them a confidence in the justice and wisdom of the United States. At this time I see no alternative but that of giving the six Towns I have mentioned a severe blow. You may rely that their number of warriors of every class do not exceed four hundred and twenty five in all. A body of one thousand horsemen under a cool prudent commander, to push upon them as soon as possible would do the business and secure us peace, if delayed the flame may spread and our friends in the nation get discouraged. Permit me to suggest to you the propriety of sending to the frontier an experienced Major General on the federal establishment, to take the command of such army as may go against the Creeks. There are Generals of experience in our Militia, as well as of ability; but I fear most of them would go into a War of this kind, with ideas that a discrimination of friend from foe among Indians was ridiculous and absurd: and that if left to them it will shortly become a general business. This I am persuaded you will find to be the case, and let me tell those advocates for a general Creek War that they will find it an obstinate bloody business, as well as a ruinous burthen of expence to the United States. This I know is unpopular doctrine in Georgia, but I never shall withhold an opinion when I conceive it can be of service to my country. My candour and uniform exertions to preserve peace prevent misrepresentations, oppression and abuse on the friendly Indians has drawn the resentment of a certain class of people in this country upon me; and who will injure me if in their power, but I care not for them. I have done my duty faithfully in every instance which I can make appear to my employers whenever called on. Dreading that the well disposed in the nation would not be able to obtain satisfaction for the injuries done, and fearing that in the end the United States would be obliged to have recourse to arms, I considered it my duty to secure the friendship of as many Towns as possible, as by dividing them the work would be sooner effected, and peace restored. All my late letters and talks to the chiefs held up the idea of protection to all friendly towns and strongly urged their neutrality and by the talks now enclosed from them, you will see that it is a desirable object to a great part of the nation. From the papers herewith you will observe that the Spaniards continue to insult and injure the United States. It is a matter beyond all kind of doubt, with me, that what George Galphen swears to, is an absolute fact, and I am further convinced that the old Tallafee King was employed from the same quarter to murder on the Oconee, in short that they are at the bottom of the whole mischief. The Spaniards are now establishing a strong post on the St. Marys at a place called New Hope, twelve miles above Colerain, and four below Traders Hill. Colonel Howard (the late Secretary) was at my house four days past on his way up this river, He is appointed to the command on this frontier. I treated him polite as possible and on the 22^d instant I called on him when on my way (by water) to Colerain. He is at present quartered about thirty miles from hence, but he only waits there for the arrival of the troops from St. Augustine who are momentarily expected. He made great professions of friendship on the part of his Country towards the United States. I cautiously avoided saying a word that could give offence, or create a suspicion; and in return made a tender of our best offices, whilst he remained on this frontier. On the eighteenth instant M^r Payne, the Kingard head Chiefs of the Seminola Indians arrived at Colerain accompanied by twenty one of his people. They remained with me until yesterday afternoon. I talked a great deal to them, and gave them such advice as I thought suitable on the present occasion, and state of Indian affairs. I am happy in being able to inform you that I have been able to detach them from every idea of joining the disaffected Towns, and of having received from M^r Payne and his chiefs the most solemn assurances of continuing in peace with the United States, I found M^r Payne a very sensible, discreet Indian, and well informed; I paid him every attention, gave him and his people handsome presents, and sent them home well pleased. The Spaniards did all in their power to prevent this man's meeting me by telling him a number of falsehoods, and making use of every low artifice to injure us in the opinion of those people. They have been disappointed, and I believe my friend Howard is not a little mortified; as he came post a head of his troops to meet Payne, and with him an interpreter, which with other emissaries sent to Colerain to meet Payne on his arrival, and lead them astray, but they were discovered and properly attended to. Payne has determined to remove the whole of his people down to Cape Florida which is their hunting ground, and there remain till the present troubles are over. Panton with two Spanish agents are by this time in the Creek nation, under pretence of making peace between them and the Chickasaws, probable this is part of their business — but their great object is to destroy our interest with the Indians and at all events bring on a general Savage War. The seeds of the present troubles were sown by M^r Gillieray and Panton, and they are now coming to maturity owing in some manner, to our delicacy; we have had the means in our power to have made them repent of their unjust interference, and I think it not yet too late. The [underline: humane] and [underline: worthy] Governor O'Neill of Pensacola is promoted to the very lucrative Government of Campa-chey, for his faithful and unwearied services in distressing us through the Savages. A Major White, who you may remember came with M^r Gardoque to Philadelphia is at present Governor of Pensacola. Howard is a man full of intrigue and a bitter Spaniard, I think we shall find him troublesome. Governor Telfair declared this state in alarm since the 20^th of April but what measures he is taking either offensive or defensive I know not. I have given him regular information at all times since my appointment of every occurrence which concerned Georgia to know— but he has never deigned to reply to any of my communications. Brigadier General Gunn has been with me for some time, making arrangements of the Militia and establishing posts. I am happy to see him here as he will be able to give you a true and impartial state of matters. He has promised to write you. Major Butler hath also been in our neighbourhood some weeks, he will be able also to inform you of our situation. I cannot finish this letter without again calling your attention to the conduct of the Spaniards, who most undoubtedly are determined to involve us in a general War with the Creeks. It matters not what their professions of friendship to our country are, their actions justify my opinion. Should Spanish intrigue or the rage of our Countrymen rouse all the Creeks against us, then my advice would be a decided blow, for to look from savages so stated, for peace before corroded — would be courting insult and in the end prove abortive. The mode of correction in my humble opinion would be best effected by a body of troops under General Sevier or some other