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Correspondence of the American Revolution: Being Letters of Eminent Men to George Washington, from the Time of His Taking Command of the Army to the End of His Presidency, Vol. 4
Contents:
U.S. History
From David Humphreys.
Rock Landing, 27 September, 1789.
MY DEAR GENERAL,
Since I had the honor of writing to you yesterday, some things have happened, of which I conceive it expedient to give information by tiffs conveyance.
On the evening of the 25th, McGillivray omitted to comply with his positive promise, to write to us, or come over the river, in order to explain the objections of the Chiefs to the project of the treaty which we had proposed to them, and to propose alterations. Instead of removing, as he had intimated by Galphin, two miles back, for the sake of pasture, we were informed, in the forenoon yesterday, that he had set out on his return to the nation, without even deigning to send us any written or verbal message. It is true, he permitted an Indian trader to inform us (of his own motion) of this fact, and that he (McGillivray) would halt for that day, at Commissioners’ Creek, fifteen or eighteen miles distant.
McGillivray’s pretences for this movement homeward (if rightly reported) are of the most frivolous and unjustifiable nature. He is said to pretend to be dissatisfied, that, in a private conversation, I had questioned the powers of himself and those present, to make a treaty that would be binding upon the whole nation. The fact is far otherwise. When he spoke of the invalidity of some of the treaties between Georgia and the Creeks, because the latter were not fully represented, I asked him how it was to be proved, that their nation was fully represented at this time. I lamented that the uncivilized state of the nation would not perhaps admit of the same evidence to legalize proceedings, which civilized nations required, and inquired whether the White Lieutenant (a very great Chief, not present) would agree to whatever should now be done. It is farther said, by the Indian trader above mentioned, that McGillivray pretended I had told him that, upon making this treaty with us, he must entirely break with the Spanish Government. I told him, on the contrary, that, as far as I could learn from him the nature of his connection with Spain, I did not suppose the proposed treaty to be incompatible with it; that I would not wish him to do any thing which should in the least injure his good faith; but that, if a connection with us and with Spain was incompatible, it was doubtless in his option to decide which of the two powers he would be connected with.
These misrepresentations are not the only reprehensible things we have seen in his conduct. He made a false pretext, "that the Indians were so much alarmed for their personal safety that they dared not trust themselves in our camp, and that two towns were on the point of going home, on the same account," in order that we might go over and make our talk in their camp. And, indeed, he insists that, though we were formerly, when connected with Britain, styled their father and older brother, yet we are at present truly their younger brother. The falsehood of the pretext that the Indians were so much alarmed for their safety that they dared not trust themselves in our camp, was clearly evinced yesterday. About eleven o’clock, almost or quite all the principal Chiefs of the Upper and Lower towns, with a great number of individuals, came over to shake hands with us, and to assure us, in a long talk, that they were not at all offended with us; that they desired peace very much; that, though they could not conclude a peace without McGillivray, their beloved man, who was sick, yet they had inculcated upon all their people to abstain from all hostility and plundering, under threats of the severest punishment. In short, they seemed to consider a peace as mutually wished for, and in fact agreed upon, except in the forms.
In answer, we gave them assurances that the United States entertained the most just and friendly dispositions towards them, and hoped that a treaty might still be concluded before we separated finally. We wished them to use their influence with McGillivray, that he would return and renew the negotiation. For which purpose we informed them we were sending one more pressing message to McGillivray, by General Pickens and Mr. Few, who went, soon after, to see him accordingly. Several of the Kings dined with us, and remained until night, with the greatest possible apparent good humor, and indications of a sincere desire for peace.
The White Bird King spoke first, in the name of the whole. The Tallassee King, after dinner, made a long, and, as well as we could understand from an indifferent interpretation, a pathetic oration to all the Kings, head men, and people, urging the necessity of being in strict amity with the whites, as they prized their existence and every thing dear to them. All were greatly affected, and some shed tears. The only great representative from the Seminoles, sent back, after he left us, a confirmation of the same good dispositions, by the interpreter. Upon the whole, I believe that no room for doubt was left in the mind of any one present, that, if a peace shall not be concluded, the fault will rest with McGillivray alone, who holds up, in his conversations, as it best suits his convenience, that he does every thing himself in national affairs; or, that he can do nothing without humoring and consulting the Indians. It is a melancholy consideration, to reflect that a whole nation must sometimes perish for the sins of one man.
I shall defer closing this letter until the return of General Pickens and Mr. Few. While I feel a consciousness that our transactions will stand approved in the eye of reason and justice, I apprehend that we never can depend upon McGillivray for his firm attachment to the interests of the United States. And yet I believe he regards the interests of the United States just as much as he does the interests of the Creek nation. If I mistake not his character, his own importance and pecuniary emolument are the objects which will altogether influence his conduct. It was held out, in discourse, yesterday, by John Galphin, a creature of McGillivray, that a pressing invitation has just been sent from the Spaniards, accompanied by a vast quantity of ammunition, for McGillivray to come and treat with them. I fancy that he now wavers between Spain and America; for which reason he wishes, in all likelihood, to postpone the further negotiation with the latter until the spring. It is, however, questionable whether he has ever had formal treaty with, or received a genuine commission from, the King of Spain. Probably his hopes have been much elevated lately, insomuch as to induce him to believe that he can obtain better terms for himself from the King than from us.
General Pickens and Mr. Few are just new returned, and report that they found McGillivray not at the distance he was said to be, but on the other side of the Ocmulgee. He would not give the terms on which the Creeks would make peace, or come back to renew the negotiations on the subject. He objected only to three articles;—being under the protection of the United States; not having a port perfectly free from duties; and the proposed boundary. But his objection seemed to be of the least weight with himself, against the last. They fully coincide with me in opinion that he is determined to see whether he cannot obtain more advantageous terms from Spain than from the United States.
The fact is also said by these gentlemen to be established, that a large quantity of arms and ammunition has lately arrived in the Creek nation, with a friendly talk from the Governor of Pensacola. McGillivray wrote us a letter in very general terms, in which he affected to consider our first draught of a treaty as our ultimatum. This was both contrary to his good sense, and to repeated positive assurances. We shall write to him by an Indian trader, to-day, very explicitly; and, after taking such farther measures to ascertain facts as may be in our power, we shall commence our journey through North Carolina to New York. Thus the business seems to be terminated for the present; though not according to our wishes. With sentiments of the purest respect, I have the honor to be, my dear General,
Your most obliged and most humble servant,
DAVID HUMPHREYS.
Contents:
Chicago: David Humphreys, "From David Humphreys.," Correspondence of the American Revolution: Being Letters of Eminent Men to George Washington, from the Time of His Taking Command of the Army to the End of His Presidency, Vol. 4 in Correspondence of the American Revolution: Being Letters of Eminent Men to George Washington, from the Time of His Taking Command of the Army to the End of His Presidency, ed. Jared Sparks (Freeport, NY: Books for Libraries Press, 1853), 279–283. Original Sources, accessed October 11, 2024, http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=KSE72MZ37HWAVMV.
MLA: Humphreys, David. "From David Humphreys." Correspondence of the American Revolution: Being Letters of Eminent Men to George Washington, from the Time of His Taking Command of the Army to the End of His Presidency, Vol. 4, in Correspondence of the American Revolution: Being Letters of Eminent Men to George Washington, from the Time of His Taking Command of the Army to the End of His Presidency, edited by Jared Sparks, Vol. 4, Freeport, NY, Books for Libraries Press, 1853, pp. 279–283. Original Sources. 11 Oct. 2024. http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=KSE72MZ37HWAVMV.
Harvard: Humphreys, D, 'From David Humphreys.' in Correspondence of the American Revolution: Being Letters of Eminent Men to George Washington, from the Time of His Taking Command of the Army to the End of His Presidency, Vol. 4. cited in 1853, Correspondence of the American Revolution: Being Letters of Eminent Men to George Washington, from the Time of His Taking Command of the Army to the End of His Presidency, ed. , Books for Libraries Press, Freeport, NY, pp.279–283. Original Sources, retrieved 11 October 2024, from http://www.originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=KSE72MZ37HWAVMV.
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