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DEFEAT of the SEMINOLE INDIANS, &C

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DEFEAT of the SEMINOLE INDIANS, &C 1818.] DEFEAT OF THE SEMINOLE INDIANS, &c. 681 the powers necessary to give it effect. Thie season of the yeur being Unf'avorable to active l pratIlos, ti(l the-re- cesses of the country affording shelter to these savages, case of retreat, Invy pIevent a proifiit termingititon of the war, but it may be fairly presumed that it will not be long before this tribe atl iti associates receive the pinshmenit which they have provoked and justly merited. As almost the whole of this tribe inhabits tho country thewfinh linjts of Florida,' Spa n.awabnd, iy ihe treaty of 1795, to restrain them from committing hostilities against the Uiilted States. .We have seen with Oigr,.t that her Government has altogether failed to fulfil this obligation, nor are we aware thit it has made any effort to that effect. When we consider her utter-inability to check, even in the slightest degree, the movements of this tribe, by her very small and incompetent force in Florida, we are not disposedl to ascribe tho failure to any ot er cause. The inability, however, ot Spain to maintain her authority over the territory and Indians within her'llin ts, and in consequence to fulfil the treaty, ought not to expos, the United States to other and greater ljuries. Whenltn the authority of Spain ceases to exist there, the United State. have a right to pursue their enemy, on an principle, of' self-defence. In this instance, the right is more complete and obvious, because we shall perform otily what Spain was bound to have performed herself. To the high obligations an(l privileges o this great and sacred 'right of self- defence will the Miovement of our troops be strictly confined. Orders have been given to the General inii command not to enter Florida, unless it be in the pursuit of the enemy, andl(, in that case, to respect the Spanish nauthoriity wherever it is maintained; and he will be instructed to withdraw his forces roin the province as soon as he shal have reduced that tribe to order, and secure our fellow-citizens in that quarter, by satisfactory arrangements, against its unprovoked and savage hostilities in fututi. JAMES MONROE. 151h CoNORESS.] No. 164. r.2d SEsSION. DEFEAT OF THE SEMINOLE INDIANS-CAPTURE OF SPANISH POSTS IN FLORIDA-AND THE TRIAL. AND EXECUTION OF ARBUTHNOT AND AM BRISTER. COMMUNICATED TO CONGRESS, BY THE PRESIDENT OF TIlE UNITED STATES, WITH llIS OPENING MESSAGE OF TIIE 17Tn OF NOVEMBER, 1818. Extract of a letterfrom R. Sands, commanding Fort Gaines, to the officer of Fort Hawkins, dated FEIn1RUARY 2, 1817. When the colonel, with the troops, left Fort Scott, he gave the buildings in charge of one of the 1Perrymans, from whoin I have just received a letter, handed me by his brother, who arrive(l here after I had commenced writing this. Perryman states in his letter that the Red Sticks, (or hostiles) after we had left the fort. came in companies, and carried off every thing we had left with him, and what he had purchased of Butler, burnt three houses, and threat- ened, if he did not leave the place, to burn it over his head. lie got what ftew articles lie could, with his family, in a canoe, and came to his brother's, who informs me that there is at present about three hundred Indians embodied at the Forks, and others constantly joining them. Ile does not know their intentions, but understood a party was going out to steal horses, &c. This morning, (3d,) one of the settlers waited on nme to advise in what manner to act. as eight or ten Indians had been at his house, and ordered him off; telling him that in six days they would come back, and, if he was not gone, they would drive him away. Extract qf a letterfrom the Governor of Georgia to General Gaines, dated MILLEDGEVILLE, February 5, 1817. You, no doubt, have already been informed that the notorious Woodbine has recently made his appearance again at the mouth of the Appalachicola, and that lie has an agent now among the Seminole Indians andl neroes in that quarter, stirring them tip to acts of hostility against this country; and that Woodbine himself has gone, in an armed vessel, to some part of the West Indies for supplies. Connected with this fact is another., which may serve as an intimation of the future conduct of these people, when once in possession of the supplies which it is said they expect on the return of Woodbine. About ten or twelve days ago, a small party of those Indians entered the frontier of Wayne county, and stole two horses and some cattle. They were pursued by some of the inhabitants, who peace- ably demanded a restoration of the stolen property; and, instead of' a compliance on the part of' the Indians, they immediately fired upon the whites, who retire(l without returning a shot. One of the whites was mortally wounded. Copy of a letterfrom General Gaines to the Governor of Georgia, dated MILLEDGEVILLE, February 5, 1817. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's letter of this date. The facts which you have been pleased to communicate, in relation to the late hostile conduct of the Seminole Indians, must and shall receive my imme(liate and particular attention. I am not authorized to change the destina- tion of the 4th infantry, but, should I receive no authority to recall a part of that corps, I shall oriler one or two companies of artillery (to do duty as infantry) from Charleston to the southern frontier of this State, with instruc- tions to check Indian hostilities, and at the same time to remove from Indian land such intruders as may remain, after being duly notified to remove. Extract of a letterfrom George Perryman to Lieutenant Sands, dated iFEBRUARY 24, 1817. The charge given me by Colonel Clinch and yourself, and other officers of the United States, induces me to be- lieve there is a confidence placed in me which I ought not' to deceive. I therefore think it my duty, as well as inclination, to give you the following information: my here was a friend of mine not long since in the Fowltown, on Flint, and he saw many horses, cattle, and hogs, that had come immediately from the State of Georgia, and they are bringing them away continually. They speak a i A ..f ,I v nC P. - - 682 MliLAltIt AirlA^Jl&0. 111& in the most contemptuous manner of the Americans, and threaten to have satisfaction for what has been done- meanin' the dIestructionl of the negro .frt. There is another of my acquaintances returned immediately from the Semino'Te towns, and saw thie ineroes oi parade there. lie counted about six hundred that bore arms.. lhey have chosen officers of every description, anid endeavor to keep utip a regular discipline, and are very strict in punishing violators of their military rules. There is said to be about the same number of' Indians belonging to their party, ant there are both negroes and I ldians (daily going to their standard. T1hey say they are in complete fix for fighting, with itor Mclntosh's troops; they would let them know they )had and wish tin engagement tihe Americans, and something more to (1o than they had at Appalachicola. They have chosen Bowlegs for their head, nominated him King, and him all kind of monarchical respect, almost to idolatry, keeping a picket guard at the distance of five inile%. pay are one or two chiefs are not of the Theyl' have a number of thile likeliest American horses; but there who choir. Kenhijah, the Missioukey chief', is one that is an exception. Copy of a letterfrom .lrchibald Clarke, Intcndant, St. Mary's, Georgia, to General Gaines, dated S.3ai: FEBRUARY 26, 1817. In consequence ol'a recent and most obnoxious act perpetrated by a party of Indians, (supposed to be of the Lower Creeks,) in this county, in thlie murder of an unfortunate white *'oman and her two infant children, by which the defenceless inhabitants on our frontier have been thrown into a distressing state of alarm, I avail mLyself of the earliest opportunity 'in giving information that may be relied on, under the fullest assurance that immediate measures willI be to and prevent a repetition of such cruel and barbarous acts. adopted guard near On the . ilth instant. the houseof'a MrN'. Garret, residing in the upper part of this county, thile boundary ol' Wayne county, was attacked during his absence, near the middle of the day, by this party, consisting of about fif. teen, wlieo shot Mrs. Garret in two places, and then despatched her by stabbing and scalping. Iler two children (one about three years, the other two months) were also murdered, aid thle eldest scalped. Fhe house was then plundered of every article of value, and set on fire. A young man in this neighborhood, hearing the report of guns, went immediately towards the house, where hie discovered the murdered family. The times having only corn.m menced, they were extinguished, and hlie spread the alarm. The workmen from my mills and a few others assem- bled to pursue; but, having but tew arms, and not otherwise equipped, their pursuit proved fruitless. The Indians were tracked as far as the men dared venture. Their course was parallel with the western branch of Spanish creek, which induces the belief of their being Indians of the lower tribes.
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