Indians and Exiles on the Appalachicola River--Other Exiles at Withlaeoochee, St. John's, Cyprus Swamp, Waboo Swamp--Indians in various parts of Territory--Difficulty of the subject--President's Message--Committee of Congress--Interrogations--Mr. Penieres' Answer--General Jackson's Answer--He relies on Force--United States recognize the Florida Indians as an Independent Band--Willing to treat with them--Difficulties--Instructions to Commissioners--Treaty of Camp Moultrie--Reservations--Covenants on part of United States--Covenants on part of the Seminoles--Congress makes no objection--Effect of Treaty--Its Objects--Election of the younger Adams--His Policy--Indian Agent, Colonel Humphreys--William P. Duval's Instructions--Claimants complain of the Agent--Commissioner of Indian Affairs reproves him--His Letter--Reply--Difficulty of Agent--Dangers which threaten the Exiles--Colored Man seized and enslaved--Indians Protest--Colonel Brooke's Advice--United States Judge expresses his Opinion--Effect on Exiles--Mrs. Cook's Slave--Demand for Negroes--Suggestions of Agent--Practice of Government--Treaty of Payne's Landing--Its Stipulations--Abram--His Character--Chiefs become Suspicious--Delegations sent West--Executive Designs--Supplemental Treaty--Major Phagan--Petition of the People of Florida--Indorsement thereon--Treaties approved by Senate--Creeks remonstrate--Payment of $141,000 to Slave Claimants--Supineness of Northern Statesmen--Creeks demand Exiles or Slaves--Georgians kidnap Exiles--Their Danger--They dissuade from Emigration--Their Warriors--Wiley Thompson's Statement--General Clinch's Interest--Colonel Eaton's Views--General Cass's Reply--His Address to Indians--He authorizes Slave trade--Effects of such License--Agent and others Remonstrate--He replies--Agent rejoins--Exiles prepare for War. After the close of the war of 1818, many of the Seminole Indians took possession of the deserted plantations and villages along the Appalachicola River, whose owners had fallen in the massacre of Blount's Fort, in 1816; and some of the Exiles united in reoccupying the lands which had been reduced to cultivation by their murdered brethren. Some six or eight small bands of Indians thus became resident along that river. The fertile bottom lands, near that stream, constituted the most valuable portion of Florida, so far as agriculture was concerned. These towns afforded convenient resting places for fugitive slaves, while fleeing from their masters in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Louisiana, to the interior portions of Florida.