as follows: twenty at Picolatta, forty at the depot, at Six Mile Creek, a block house to be thrown up, forty at the Big Swamp, with a block house, being about half way, two hundred and fifty on the neck, formerly occupied by me, with two field pieces to prevent boats going up the north river, two hundred and twenty, with the heavy pieces and a strong redoubt opposite the lines by the Soliwoes ferry. This arrangement will prevent any communication with the Indians, and secure the convoys with provisions: if they should be supplied by the British, it will then be an easy matter to destroy the towns, and see what effect that will produce. There should be an allowance for sick, lame, and lazy, as a smaller force capable of duty, will not secure the fall of the place.

The Dons did not attempt to molest me, on my way to this place. I commenced the movement about ten o'clock, and set fire to my huts, which was no doubt a pleasing sight to them.

The inhabitants have all abandoned their houses with as much of their moveables as they could carry with them; some have stopped on Amelia Island, but I believe the greater part have gone to Georgia. The province (never thickly settled) will soon become a wilderness.

A Spaniard who escaped from the Indians informed me that they intended to attack St. Marys as soon as they had given us a little employment here; they made an attack some time since on Picolatta, but were beaten off. They succeeded, however, in burning the trading houses, with what was in them

I have the honour, &c. &c.

F. A. SMITH, Lt. Col. Riflemen.

Governour Mitchell to the Secretary of State. Milledgeville, October 19, 1812.

SIR,-I have received from colonel Hawkins, the agent for Indian affairs residing among the Creeks, the papers of which the enclosed are true copies. By these, it would appear, as if the Spaniards at Pensacola and St. Marks, were in the daily expectation of assistance from the British, and of large supplies of arms and ammunition for the

Indians. I think we are in the present situation of affairs, bound to believe their own declarations, and if we do, we have reason to regret the words of the act of Congress, which restrains us until there is an actual attempt to take possession; for as I have heretofore observed, in these sea ports, the attempt and the occupancy, as respects the British, are the same thing. It appears also by the enclosed, that the Seminolie Indians within the Florida line, are determined upon war with us, and that they are set on by the Spaniards. The conversation of the commandant of St. Marks, with Feard the Cussetau chief, is conclusive evidence of this fact, if we had not more convincing proof by having felt their cruelties on our frontier, by the murder of our inhabitants, and the plunder of their property. I have as yet, taken no other steps on this subject, than mere precautionary ones, to guard against any sudden irruption by these savages on our frontier, but should they make their appearance on this side of our boundary, or near it, in a menacing and warlike aspect, the President cannot be surprised, if I order them pursued into their own territory, for I cannot think of suffering them to come into ours. If they are determined upon hostilities, and I have no doubt but they are (I mean the Seminolies) it will be far better for us to meet them in their own towns, and punish them there, than to wait for their approach or arrival among our settlements. Those of them, who are disposed to be at peace with us, shall not be molested. I sent to demand that those who had committed the murders on the St. Marys, of which I informed you in a former letter, should be given up to the civil authority of Camden county, there to take their trial, and I received no other satisfaction than, that they received nothing from the United States, and that their head man, Paine, was at war with the Americans, and was then out on the St. Johns and St. Marys with a war party from the Lochaway and Alligator towns. We have therefore nothing to expect but, that they will do us all the mischief they can, if we do not anticipate their intentions by meeting them in their own territory.

Every letter which I receive from Mobile and other parts of our western country, assure me, that the British carry in American vessels to Pensacola, and that they are

there permitted to condemn and sell them. This circumstance is certainly a breach of their neutrality, and when taken in conjunction with the recent attack upon colonel Smith's convoy, is an evident proof to me, that they are disposed to be hostile to us, and that they derive confidence from the certain expectation of British support. I have no doubt, if we do not get possession of Augustine before the expected British fleets arrive upon our coast, but that they will throw troops into both Augustine and Pensacola, and if they do, the situation of the southern section of the Union, will be a deplorable one indeed. Colonel Smith, in his letter of the 22d of September, a copy of which, I had the honour to transmit in my letter by last mail, speaks of the attack made upon his convoy, as an open declaration of hostilities on the part of the Spaniards, which he would have immediately resented, if he had had a sufficient force. His present situation is on the St. Johns, about forty miles from Augustine, and is not only a very secure, but a very healthy one, and where he is capable of defending himself against any force at present in Augustine, or he can retire at pleasure, having the command of the river. His expectations of taking Augustine, are founded on the belief, that the measure will be authorized as soon as Congress meets, if the hostilities already commenced by the Spaniards, should not be considered as authorizing it sooner, and on the reinforcements which he may receive. I have not sent any more volunteers to him since the detachment whose term of service expired on the last of September, because he had determined on retiring to the St. Johns as soon as they left him, and long prior to the attack made upon his convoy; but his removal was deferred until the last moment, on account of some of his sick, whose situation made it dangerous to remove them; he however finally effected it without loss. Under the present circumstances and aspect of affairs, I shall endcavour to have a force organized under the orders of colonel Smith, and ready to execute any order the President may think proper to give, either before or after any decision which Congress may again make upon the subject.

The last sentence in colonel Smith's letter corroborates the information I have received from other quarters, of the determined hostility of the Florida Indians to us, and I

am perfectly confident that nothing short of chastisement in their own towns, will restrain them. Indeed I am fearful that a number of the young and thoughtless fellows of the Creeks within our line, will be induced to join them under the allurements held out to them by the Spaniards, and particularly if a supply of British goods should arrive at the places mentioned by the commandant of St. Marks, to Feard. These details concerning the Indians, have no direct reference to the instruction under which I act for the government, but inasmuch as they have in some measure grown out of the affairs of Florida, by the intrigue and arts of the Spanish officers, and the peace of Georgia is likely thereby to be disturbed, have thought it but proper to apprize the government of all circumstances of any importance, which occur from time to time on this frontier, With sentiments of high respect and esteem, &c.

D. B. MITCHELL.

Copy of a Letter from Colonel Benjamin Hawkins, Agent of Indian Affairs, Creek Nation, to His Excellency David B. Mitchell, Governour of Georgia. Creek Agency, Sept. 20, 1812.

I SEND YOU the report of the mission sent to the Seminolies. It is long, but I preferred sending the whole to abridging of it, that you may have as correct a view of occurrences in that quarter as I have. The Spanish commandant at St. Marks explained himself clearly to Feard. I have added to the report, some information obtained from Mr. Barnard, of Alligator Hole, and Alilotcherwau. The chiefs of the Creek nation are to convene at Tookaubatchu on the 22d October, to which they have invited the Choctaws, Chickasaws, and Cherokees.

The capture of general Hull's army to the northwest being among the wonders of modern warfare, if a sufficient force is not immediately applied to recover what was lost, the Indians in that quarter will be active against us, and some of them will be among us to endeavour to draw our Indians into the vortex of British influence. If the supply of arms contemplated by the St. Marks commandant ar rives, and the British force at the points mentioned by

him, or either of them, I suppose you will then have authority under the act of Congress to take possession of East Florida, and to apply a military corrective to the Alligator people.

I am, respectfully, &c. &c.

BENJAMIN HAWKINS.

Tuskegee Tustumugee to Colonel Hawkins. Copy of a Report made by Tuskegee Tustumugee, otherwise called "Big Feard," to Colonel Benjamin Hawkins, Agent of Indian Affairs, Creek Nation, enclosed in a Letter to the Governour of Georgia, by Colonel Hawkins, dated Sept. 20, 1812. Creek Agency, Sept. 18, 1812.

WE of Cusoetau with the Cowetau chiefs have executed our long and fatiguing mission, and I am now to inform you of what has occurred. We had a meeting at Cowetau with Mr. Cornells and some chiefs of the upper towns; these appointed the meeting for the Seminolies, sent it to them, and particularly to Paine, the Autotchervau, to attend. It was once talked over at Ocheubofau and agreed that all the red people hereabouts should be as one people, friendly among each other, and towards their neighbours-Upon this we were sent to the Seminolies to put them to rights: when we arrived at Aumucculle we were informed by Youbau Tustumugee, that the talks of the nation had been sent to the Seminolies, and when we got to Miccosookee, we should know what they would be at. It had been reported that Mr. Paine had altered the talks of the nation. When we got to Miccosookee we were met by the chiefs of the towns below us, Chiskitalloafoochee, and all the others. When we had met, Kinhijee the Micco of Micoo Sookee told us he was glad we were come, some of his people had been talking foolishly, but he had put a stop to it. When we got to Miccosooke, we asked Kinhijee to inform us of every thing, he said he would do so; that Mr. Paine had informed him he had been to St. Augustine and had a talk with the commandant of the United States there;* when

Supposed to be general Matthews, that had had a conference with him at Picolotta.