Adair's History of the American IndiansAdair, James
History
Adair's History of the American Indians
Adair, James
Indians -- Origin; Indians of North America -- Southern States
Within half a day’s ride of Augusta, I met the gentlemen who were
appointed to meet certain head-men of the Muskohge, to run a line,
between Georgia and the Muskohge country. The superintendant’s deputy
before-mentioned, accompanying them; I then informed him of the bad
situation of the Indian trade, both in the Chikkasah, and Muskohge
nations—The cause thereof—The dangerous policy of having reconciled
those jarring warlike savages—the ill disposition of the latter toward
us,—and it was the opinion of all the traders (one excepted) that
nothing, but their hot war with the Choktah, prevented them from
executing their mischievous intentions against us. I said this to the
commissary before the several gentlemen; but his conduct, and that of
his brother officer in the Chikkasah country, were no way correspondent
to the advice. While he benefited the ungrateful Muskohge, and gave them
a plea to injure the traders, he was free from personal danger, from the
red quarter; but one night at camp, after the line had been, at the
friendly and artful persuasions of G. G. Esq; run above twenty miles
beyond the southern limites agreed upon, he almost fatally experienced
the effects of their revengeful temper; which cannot be restrained when
they imagine themselves really injured, and afterwards insulted: for as
he was chiding a noted warrior with sharp language, the savage leaped
up, seized the other’s gun, cocked, and presented it against his breast;
but luckily he could not discharge it, as it was double-tricker’d,
contrary to the model of their smooth-bored guns. The public prints,
however, echoed the success of our directors of Indian affairs, on this
important occasion; though it was entirely owing to the abilities and
{275} faithful application, first, of Mr. G. G. and afterwards of Mr. L.
M. G. which the deputy almost prevented by his imprudent conduct, that
had nearly cost him also his life, and endangered the public
tranquility.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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