friends, which has for a while put a stop to it, but the heads of the Upper Creeks seems determined to pursue what they begin, there is one of the head men of the Upper Creeks sett off yesterday from my house down to Major Seagrove to receive his full instructions, to know particularly what he would have done, he wants likewise to desire to get Major Seagrove to come up with him if he can but I do not imagine he will venture up, tho' if he was to come up with that man he would be perfectly safe, the Indians at their meeting at the Tuchabatche agreed to gather all the horses that have been stole from Georgia that they might be sent down to their owners to the frontiers of Georgia but the Bowdlas and Chichasaws as soon as they get back to their own towns again I just have refused to comply, those two towns are the chief offenders and there it was that begun all this disturbance, the Upper Creeks and Cusitals seem determined to force them to give up the property, if they still refuse how far they may succeed in that business a little time will bring about. The resolution that the upper Creeks and Cusitals have fell into seems to have put a stop to hostilities for a while as I do not find that there has been any parties gone out for some times past to do mischief on the frontiers, there may be a horse thief or so out but no gangs as I can hear going out as going for War, how long it may hold so I will not take upon me to say, but I am apt to think that if Major Seagrove was to come up himself that matters might still be settled and, he would get almost any satisfaction he could demand. The Spanish agent and old Parton are Very busy in the Upper Creeks, I have said all I could say against them and would have gone up and faced them them but have been very unwell for this twenty days past have been taken down with a head pleurisy attended with a violent cough which has reduced me very low and have not yet got better of it, besides I labour under one very great disadvantage and that is that I have no commission from the President of the United States nor from none that is an authority under him therefore if I was by chance to fall into the power of the Spaniards they would shew me no quarters, besides the Indians are daily threatening to kill me or rob me of my property, which if they should only rob me, would be hard upon me to lose what I have on account of my services to the United States and nothing to shew that I was in that service am under some apprehension that I should not be made which as the appointment was verbal from Major Seagrove at which time he told me that a commission would come on from Congress to me, which came in November last, and have not had a scrap of a pen from him about it since. Reason must dictate to you Sir that such neglect as this is enough to make any man backward in risking his life and property to pursue the country business especially one that has before by paying attention to the service of the unthankfull State of at the risk of my life and got nearly ruined by it and never no retaliation made me, I have likewise sent to Major Seagrove for a few goods to support me and to defray public expenses that have been under the necessity of borrowing goods to defray and I think I find myself somewhat neglected in that part as I have never had a ray of goods sent me since Post St. Mary — I was obliged to borrow part of the goods the other day to relieve this poor woman that I now send down to you from one of the Spanish subjects a trader in Cusitah, Thomas Law, who I must give the character of being a good friend to the United States, you will see when this poor woman gets down to you whether she was in a situation to stay long in this quarter, I have been trying to get her ever since she has been up, which has been a month and never could effect it till about seven days ago and was then obliged to get two head men out of the Cusitahs, and one that came down from the Upper Creeks to go down to the Chicksaw rascals that had her and demand her besides paying a great deal for her and still they were loath to give her up. I could wish those five towns, Bowdlas, broken Arrow which live nearly together within a mile, may say as partly one town, the Cusitahs and Chicksaw which are twelve miles below that and on the same side of the river which is three miles above the Chicksaws on the same side, westside of the river, if they could be made to suffer it would be the most effectual means to settle peace, but if men come up and fall on without distinction and kill any of the Cusitahs which are still our steadfast friends, it will bring on a very hot War and make the matter general, besides as all the upper Creeks are laying quiet it would be a pity to put all on a footing which should be the case that they are drove out of their lands, they would move over the Buro river which is more fordable and get down amongst the Spanish territories where they would not be easily come at and would then be desperate. And the Spaniards would make the Choctaws and Chickasaws join them, and then they would be a more terror to Georgia than the Shawnees are to the Northward States. I have been informed a few days that some of this scouts from the Upper parts have come out as far as this side the Echamulge on the Cusitah path which has frightened the Cusitahs a good deal, they have beged of me to mention to you to speak to the Captain of the Scouts not to trouble any one along that path, as they are their friends, except any parties should do mischief and come back that way, in such case to follow them and do as they please with them, as they may know them they are bountas that does it as none of their people are so much distrest for provisions they are obliged to go out that way to hunt, shall have you to the bearer Mr. Mordecai for further particulars — and remain — Sir Yours &^c (Signed) Timothy Barnard. Major Henry Gaither Flint River, 7^th July 179[undecipherable] Sir This goes by express by Barr bluff by General Trigg man that arrived here several days ago on business to me, who I have fully informed of matters in this quarter, which I think has a worse appearance than when I wrote you last, chiefly owing to a rash piece of murder I suspect is committed on the body of David Bornel a head man of the Tuchabatches a friend town to the United States as was nearly all the whole upper Creeks, this young man was sent down by the whole Upper and lower Creeks on important business to Major Seagrove the thirteenth day after he passed my house two of the men that went with him him returned to my house naked and almost perished, and informed me that when they got within about thirty miles of Major Seagrove's station on St. Mary's the rascal of a white man one McDonald that conducted them down pushed off a head and left them still to proceed on, four of them in number, David Bornel and an Indian boy and those two men that made their escape back which informed me that when they got within three miles of the station they discovered a company of horsemen riding up towards them, Bornel never halted but as he was on horseback foremost rode on, the boy was just returned driving three pack horses, neither Bornel nor he had a gun in their hands, as Bornel had no gun when he past my house, which could not appear to be enemies, the other two fellows were a small distance behind a foot and say that when the white people came up within thirty yards that then that was a head began to speak out loud, and one never let off his horse and stept to a tree and presented his gun at Bornel who stood still till the gun fired and then turned his horse about and ran and the boy followed him, the whites pursued them, past pursued them two that were a foot, but they both got to a branch that was thick and saved themselves, one got a small cut on his arm by a sword as he entered the thicket and was fired on as they entered the Swamp, one says as he lay concealed he saw one of the White people coming up to the rest with Bornels hat in his hand which was easily known as it was stuck full of White and red feathers from, these circumstances we may judge he is no more, this business has been done I judge by some of Major Seagrove's enemies or by some rascals