a general rendezvous for all the Mississippi Indians. Fortunately, however, for the English, the Chickasaws in their interest plucked up this Bohon upas before its branches were yet extended. They fell upon them by surprise, killed the brother of Great-mortar, and completely destroyed the design. He fled, not to his native place, but to one from whence he could best annoy the English settlements, and commenced anew the work of death. Augusta, in Georgia, and many scattering settlements were destroyed.* Those ravages were continued until their united forces were defeated by the Americans under General Grant, in 1761, as we have narrated.

We have next to notice a chief, king, or emperor as he was at different times entitled, whose omission, in a biographical work upon the Indians, would incur as much criminality, on the part of the biographer, as an omission of Buokongehelas, White-eyes, Pipe, or Ockonostota; yea, even more. We mean

ALEXANDER M'GILLIVRAY, who was, perhaps, one of the most conspicuous, if not one of the greatest, chiefs that has ever borne that title among the Creeks; at least, since they have been known to the Europeans. He flourished during half of the last century, and such was the exalted opinion entertained of him by his countrymen, that they styled him "king of kings." His mother was his predecessor, and the governess of the nation, and he had several sisters, who married leading men. On the death of his mother, he came in chief sachem by the usages of his ancestors, but such was his disinterested patriotism, that he left it to the nation to say whether he should succeed to the sachemship. The people elected him “emperor." He was at the head of the Creeks during the revolutionary war, and was in the British interest. After the peace, he became reconciled to the Americans, and expressed a desire to renounce his public life, and reside in the U. States, but was hindered by the earnest solicitations of his countrymen, to remain among them, and direct their affairs.

His residence, according to General Milfort, who married his sister, was near Tallahassee, about half a league from what was formerly Fort Toulouse. He lived in a handsome house, and owned 60 negroes, each of whom he provided with a separate habitation, which gave his estate the appearance of a little town.

M' Gillivray was a son of an Englishman of that name who married a Creek woman, and hence was what is called a half breed. He was born about 1739, and, at the age of ten, was sent by his father to school in Charleston, where he was in the care of Mr. Farquhar M' Gillivray, who was a relation of his father. His tutor was a Mr. Sheed. He learned the Latin language under the tuition of Mr. William Henderson, afterwards somewhat eminent among the critics in London. When young M'Gillivray was 17, he was put into a counting-house in Savannah, but mercantile affairs had not so many charms as books, and he spent all the time he could get, in reading histories and other works of usefulAfter a short time, his father took him home, where his superior talents soon began to develop themselves, and his promotion followed. He was often styled general, which commission, it is said, he actually held under Charles III., king of Spain. This was, probably, before he was elected emperor.

ness.

To be a little more particular with this distinguished man, I will hazard a repetition of some facts, for the sake of giving an account of him as recorded by one who resided long with him, and consequently knew him well. He was the son of a Creek woman, of the family of the Wind, whose father was an officer in the French service, stationed at Fort Toulouse, near the nation of the Alabamas. This officer, in trading with the Indians, became acquainted with the mother of our chief, whom he married. They had five children, two boys and three girls. Only one of the boys lived to grow up. As among other tribes, so among the Creeks, the children belong to the mother; and when M'Gillivray's father desired to send him to Charleston to get an education, he was obliged first to get the mother's consent. This, it seems, was easily obtained, and young M'Gillivray was put there, where he acquired a good

* Adair's Hist. N. American Indians, 254, &c.

+ Memoire ou coup-d'oeil rapide sur mes différens voyages et mon séjour dans la nation Creck, p. 27. ó General Milfort.

+ Ibid.

386

M'GILLIVRAY.-HIS VISIT TO NEW YORK.

[BOOK IV. education. He did not return for some time to his nation, which was at the commencement of the revolutionary war; and he then went, commissioned by the royalists, to invite his countrymen to a treaty upon the frontiers, and to unite them against the rebels. He generally spoke the English language, which was not pleasing to his mother, who would not speak it. f

After the war he became attached to the Americans, and although the borderers caused frequent troubles, yet he made and renewed treaties with them. In 1790, he came to New York with 29 of his chiefs. Owing to some misunderstanding, he had refused to treat at Rock Landing a short time before, where commissioners from the U. States had attended; and the government, justly fearing a rupture, unless a speedy reconciliation should take place, despatched Colonel Marinus Willet into the Creek country, with a pacific letter to General M'Gillivray. He succeeded in his mission, and the chiefs arrived in New York 23 July, 1790. They were conducted to the residence of the secretary of war, General Knox, who conducted them to the house of the president of the U. States, and introduced them to him. President Washington received them "in a very handsome manner, congratulated them on their safe arrival, and expressed a hope that the interview would prove beneficial both to the U. States and to the Creek nation." They next visited the governor of the state, from whom they received a most cordial welcome. They then proceeded to the City Tavern, where they dined in company with General Knox, and other officers of government. A correspondence between Governor Telfair, of Georgia, and "Alexander M'Gillvary, Esq." probably opened the way for a negotiation, which terminated in a settlement of difficulties. From the following extract from M'Gillivray's letter, a very just idea may be formed of the state of the affairs of his nation previous to his visit to New York. "In answer to yours, I have to observe, that, as a peace was not concluded on between us at the Rock-landing meeting, your demand for property taken by our warriors from off the disputed lands cannot be admitted. We, also, have had our losses, by captures made by your people. We are willing to conclude a peace with you, but you must not expect extraordinary concessions from us. In order to spare the further effusion of human blood, and to finally determine the war, I am willing to concede, in some measure, if you are disposed to treat on the ground of mutual concession. It will save trouble and expense, if the negotiations are managed in the nation. Any person from you can be assured of personal safety and friendly treatment in this country." "It was dated at Little Tellassee, 30 March, 1790, and directed to "His Excellency Edward Telfair, Esq." and signed "Alex. M'Gillivray.”

This chief seems afterwards to have met with the censure of his people, at least some of them, in a manner similar to that of M'Intosh recently; and was doubtless overcome by the persuasions of designing whites, to treat for the disposal of his lands, against the general voice of his nation. One Bowles, a white man, led the councils in opposition to his proceedings, and, for a time, M'Gillivray absented himself from his own tribe. In 1792, his party took Bowles prisoner, and sent him out of the country, and solicited the general to return. To this he consented, and they became more attached to him than ever. He now endeavored to better their condition by the introduction of teachers among them. In an advertisement for a teacher, in the summer of 1792, he styles himself emperor of the Creek nation. His quiet was soon disturbed, and the famous John Watts, the same summer, with 500 warriors, Creeks, and five towns of the Chickamawagas, committed many depredations. The Spaniards were supposed to be the movers of the hostile party. M'Gillivray died at Pensacola, February 17, 1793, || and is thus noticed in the Pennsylvania Gazette:-"This idolized chief of the Creeks styled himself king of kings. But, alas, he could neither restrain the meanest fellow of his

*Milfort, 323, 324. See Holmes, Amer. Annals, ii. 384. Colonel Willet's Narrative, 112. "They were received with great splendor by the Tammany Society, in the dress of their order," on their landing. Ib.

In 1791, this Bowles, with five chiefs, was in England, and we find this notice of him in the European Magazine of that year, vol. 19, p. 268-"The ambassadors consisted of two Creeks, and of Mr. Bowles, (a native of Maryland, who is a Creek by adoption, and the present general of that nation,) and three Cherokees.

|| Milfort, $25.

nation from the commission of a crime, nor punish him after he had committed it! He might persuade or advise, all the good an Indian king or chief can do." This is, generally speaking, a tolerably correct estimate of the extent of the power of chiefs; but it should be remembered that the chiefs of different tribes exercise very different sway over their people, according as such chief is endowed with the spirit of government, by nature or circumstance. There is great absurdity in applying the name or title of king to Indian chiefs, as that title is commonly understood. The first Europeans conferred the title upon those who appeared most prominent, in their first discoveries, for want of another more appropriate; or, perhaps, they had another reason, namely, that of magnifying their own exploits on their return to their own countries, by reporting their interviews with, or conquests over, "many kings of an unknown country."

Contemporary with General M'Gillivray was a chief called the

TAME-KING, whose residence was among the Upper Creeks, in 1791; and he is noticed in our public documents of that year, as a conspicuous chief in matters connected with establishing the southern boundary. At this time one Bowles, an English trader, had great influence among the Lower Creeks, and used great endeavors, by putting himself forward as their chief, to enlist all the nations in opposition to the Americans. He had made large promises to the Upper Creeks, to induce them not to hear to the American commissioners They so far listened to him, as to consent to receive his talk, and accordingly the chiefs of the upper and lower towns met at a place called the Half-wayhouse, where they expected Bowles in person, or some letters containing definite statements. When the chiefs had assembled, Tame-king and Mad-dog, of the upper towns, asked the chiefs of the lower, "whether they had taken Bowles's talks, and where the letters were which this great man had sent them, and where the white man was, to read them." An Indian in Bowles's employ said, "he was to give them the talk." They laughed at this, and said, "they could hear his mouth every day; that they had come there to see those letters and hear them read." Most of the chiefs of the upper towns now left the council, which was about the termination of Bowles's successes. He was shortly afterwards obliged to abdicate, as we have already declared in the life of M'Gillivray. He returned again, however, after visiting Spain and England, and spending some time in prison.*

Mr. Ellicott observes, † that, at the close of a conference with sundry tribes, held 15 August, 1799, in which objects were discussed concerning his passage through their country, that "the business appeared to terminate as favorably as could be expected, and the Indians declared themselves perfectly satisfied; but I nevertheless had my doubts of their sincerity, from the depredations they were constantly making upon our horses, which began upon the Coeneuck, and had continued ever since; and added to their insolence, from their stealing every article in our camp they could lay their hands on." Mr. Ellicott excepts the Upper Creeks, generally, from participating in these robberies, all but Tame-king and his people.

Though we have named Tame-king first, yet Mad-dog was quite as conspicuous at this time. His son fought for the Americans in the last war, and was mentioned by General Jackson as an active and valuable chief in his expeditions. His real name we have not learned, and the general mentions him only as Mad-dog's son.

In the case of the boundary already mentioned, the surveyors met with frequent difficulties from the various tribes of Indians, some of whom were influenced by the Spanish governor, Folch, of Louisiana. Mad-dog appeared their friend, and undeceived them respecting the governor's pretensions. A conference was to be held about the 4 May, between the Indians, Governor Folch, and the American commissioners. The place of meeting was to be upon Coenecuh River, near the southern estuary of the bay of Pensacola. When

* He was confined in the Moro castle in the Havana, with three Cherokees that accompanied him. This was in 1792. It was said that this inveterate enemy of the United States, Bowles, was with the Indians, at St. Clair's defeat.-Carey's Museum, xi. 40 t.

+ In his Journal, 214.

388

WEATHERFORD.

[BOOK IV. the Americans arrived there, Mad-dog met them, and informed Colonel Hawkins, the Indian agent, that two Indians had just gone to the Tallessees with bad talks from the governor. The colonel told him it could not be possible. Shortly after, Mad-dog asked Colonel Hawkins and Mr. Ellicott, the commissioner, if they supposed that Governor Folch would attend at the treaty; they said, "Most assuredly." "No," returned Mad-dog, “he will not attend, he knows what I shall say to him about his crooked talks. His tongue is forked, and, as you are here, he will be ashamed to show it. If he stands to what he has told us, you will be offended, and if he tells us that the line ought to be marked, he will contradict himself: but he will do neither; he will not come." It turned out as Mad-dog declared. When it was found that the governor would not attend, the chief went to Colonel Hawkins and Mr. Ellicott, and, by way of pleasantry, said, "Well, the governor has not come. I told you so. A man with two tongues can only speak to one at a time." This observation has reference to the gov ernor's duplicity, in holding out to the Indians his determination not to suffer a survey of the boundary, while, at the same time, he pretended to the Americans that he would facilitate it.*

Mad-dog was an upper town Creek, of the Tuckaabatchees tribe.

<000⇒

CHAPTER VI.

WEATHERFORD-His character and country-The corner-stone of the Creek confederacy-Favors the designs of Tecumseh-Captures Fort Mimms-Dreadful mas sacre- -Subjection of the Creeks-Weatherford surrenders himself-His speechesM'INTOSH-Aids the Americans-Battle of Autossee-Great slaughter of the Indians -Battle of the Horse-shoe-bend-Lute troubles in, the Creek nation-M'Intosh makes illegal sale of lands-Executed for breaking the laws of his country-MENAWWAY -TUSTENUGGE-HAWKINS-CHILLY M'INTOSH, Son of William-Marriage of his sister-LOVETT.

WEATHERFORD, one of the most conspicuous war chiefs of the Creek nation, demands an early attention, in the biographical history of the late war. Mr. Claiborne, in his NOTES ON THE WAR IN THE SOUTH, informs us that, "among the first who entered into the views of the British commissioners was the since celebrated Weatherford;" that he was born in the Creek nation, and whose "father was an itinerant pedler, sordid, treacherous, and revengeful; his mother a full-blooded savage, of the tribe of the Seminoles. He partook (says the same author) of all the bad qualities of both his parents, and engrafted, on the stock he inherited from others, many that were peculiarly his own. With avarice, treachery, and a thirst for blood, he combines lust, gluttony, and a devotion to every species of criminal carousal. (Fortune, in her freaks, sometimes gives to the most profligate an elevation of mind, which she denies to men whose propensities are the most vicious.) On Weatherford she bestowed genius, eloquence, and courage. The first of these qualities enabled him to conceive great designs, the last to execute them; while eloquence, bold, impressive, and figurative, furnished him with a passport to the favor of his countrymen and followers. Silent and reserved, unless when excited by some great occasion, and superior to the weakness of rendering himself cheap by the frequency of his addresses, he delivered his opinions but seldom in council; but when he did so, he was listened to with delight and approbation. His judgment and eloquence had secured the respect of the old; his vices made him the idol of the young and the unprincipled." "In his person, tall, straight, and well proportioned; his eye black, lively, and penetrating, and indicative of courage and enterprise; his nose prominent, thin, and elegant in its formation; while all the features of his

* Ellicott's Journal, 203, &c.

The reader should be early apprized that this was written at a time when some prejudice might have infected the mind of the writer.

face, harmoniously arranged, speak an active and disciplined mind. Passionately devoted to wealth, he had appropriated to himself a fine tract of and, improved and settled it; and from the profits of his father's pack, had decorated and embellished it. To it he retired occasionally, and, relaxing from the cares of state, he indulged in pleasures which are but rarely found to afford satisfaction to the devotees of ambition and fame. Such were the opposite and sometimes disgusting traits of character in the celebrated Weatherford, the key and corner-stone of the Creek confederacy!"

It is said that this chief had entered fully into the views of Tecumseh, and that, if he had entered upon his designs without delay, he would have been amply able to have overrun the whole Mississippi territory. But this fortunate moment was lost, and, in the end, his plans came to ruin. Not long before the wretched butchery at Fort Mimms, General Claiborne visited that post, and very particularly warned its possessors against a surprise. After giving orders for the construction of two additional block-houses, he concluded the order with these words:-"To respect an enemy, and prepare in the best possible way to meet him, is the certain means to ensure success." It was expected that Weatherford would soon attack some of the forts, and General Claiborne marched to Fort Early, as that was the farthest advanced into the enemy's country. On his way, he wrote to Major Beasley, the commander of Mimms, informing him of the danger of an attack; and, strange as it may appear, the next day after the letter was received, (30 August, 1813,) Weatherford, at the head of about 1500 warriors, entered the fort at noon-day, when a shocking carnage ensued. The gate had been left open and unguarded; but, before many of the warriors had entered, they were met by Major Beasley, at the head of his men, and for some time the contest was bloody and doubtful; each striving for the mastery of the entrance. Here, man to man, the fight continued for a quarter of an hour, with tomahawks, knives, swords and bayonets: a scene there presented itself almost without a parallel in the annals of Indian warfare! The garrison consisted of 275: of these only 160 were soldiers; the rest were old men, women and children, who had here taken refuge. It is worthy of very emphatical remark, that every officer expired fighting at the gate. A lieutenant, having been badly wounded, was carried by two women to a block-house, but when he was a little revived, he insisted on being carried back to the fatal scene, which was done by the same heroines, who placed him by the side of a dead companion, where he was soon despatched.

The defenders of the garrison being now nearly all slain, the women and children shut themselves up in the block-houses, and, seizing upon what weapons they could find, began, in that perilous and hopeless situation, to defend themselves. But the Indians soon succeeded in setting these houses on fire, and all such as refused to meet death without, perished in the flames within!! Seventeen only escaped of all the garrison, and many of those were desperately wounded. It was judged that, during the contest at the gate, near 400 of Weatherford's warriors were wounded and slain.

The horrid calamity at Fort Mimins, in the Tensau settlement, as it is called, was not the commencement of the bloody war with the Creek Indians. The motions of the Shawanee Prophet had been scrutinized by people upon the frontiers of several states, and memorials from Indiana and Illinois had been sent to the president of the United States by some of their principal inhabitants, in 1811, calling on him to send out an armed force for their security.

In the summer of 1812, some families were cut off near the mouth of the Ohio, and soon after, upon the border of Tennessee, two other families, consisting of women and children, were butchered in a manner too shocking for description! Georgia was also a sufferer in the same kind.

In respect to the bloody affair at Fort Mimms, a different aspect has been thrown around it from that generally given in the histories of the war. The severe, though probably just reflections of Judge Martin upon the conduct of the unfortunate Beasley, has passed without contradiction. Not only had that officer been warned by General Claiborne of his danger, as already stated, but a Creek Indian informed him in a friendly manner that he must