Piracy and Boundary Disputes

William Augustus Bowles, an Englishman by birth a troublemaker by nature, repeated sabotaged Indian relations between tribes and between peace seeking tribes and the United States.  Known as a “freebooter,” Bowles  staged multiple attempts to overturn treaties and trade relations with the Creek, Coweta, and Cussetah tribes and instigated horse stealing, murder, and other aggressive acts as recounted by Governor William Blount of Georgia.  His malicious acts delayed several land treaties, including the Treaty of New York which granted land from the Creeks to the United States.
James Seagrove and Benjamin Hawkins were the Indian agents for the southwestern U.S. territory and dealt directly with Bowles on a regular basis.  Correspondence between Seagrove, Hawkins, McGillivray, and Knox yield insight into the effect Bowles has on frontier politics.  Bowles was eventually captured by the Spanish in 1792 and turned over to U.S. authorities.