Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c. To Major W. YOUNG, with the intelligence of our movements, and pur- a full confidence in your favorable sentiments, I chasing the property depredated of us. America, beg leave to offer you my respectful salutations. just to her treaties, and anxious to maintain peace God preserve you many years. with the world, cannot and will not permit such JOSE MAZOT. a savage war to be carried on in disguise any longer. Asylums have been granted to the persons and property of an Indian foe, (fugitives from the territory of the United States;) facilities, deemed by me necessary to terminate a war Copy of a note from Jose Mazot to Major W. Young. which, under existing treaties, should have been maintained by Spain; for feeding my troops; and liberating the subjects of Spain imprisoned by the Indians; have all been denied by the officers of His Catholic Majesty. All these facts prove the unjust conduct of Spanish agents in Florida. It cannot be longer tolerated, and although a Republic fond of peace, the United States know their rights and at the expense of war will maintain them. PENSACOLA, April 27, 1818. SIR: Your note of the 27th, dated encampment on the Escambia and Fort Crawford, accompany ing the proclamation which you were pleased to enclose, were delivered to me at three o'clock this afternoon by an artificer, a man of color, whose speedy return not allowing me at present to answer them in detail, I shall merely state, that the small number of peaceful Indians who were in this place and in its vicinity retired on the 26th, at the dawn of which day several of them, both women and children, were killed by the troops of the United States. As it is not my purpose to investigate the motives of this act, or of the violation, resulting from it, I shall only say that, in compliance with my duty, I shall give an account of the whole proceeding to my superior; and, in the meantime, I hope you will allow no further hostilities to be committed on this territory, on any Pretence whatever. If the Indians should give any further cause of complaint, I trust you will nform me of it, that they may receive due punshment, should that depend on my authority. If there are any Indians still remaining within this Territory, I will have them sought for and informed of your letter, and advise you of the result. I can assure you, both under my hand and on my word, that the information, as stated in your letter, of the aggressions committed by the Indians is the first I have had of them, for at the time I agreed to the return of the escort referred to, I had no knowledge of any others than those who were concerned in the attack on Lieutenant Eddy. repeat to you the assurance that my wishes and efforts are wholly directed to preserve the peace happily subsisting between our Governments. In I PENSACOLA, April 30, 1818. SIR: In consequence of the request expressed in your letter of the 27th instant, I assembled the chiefs of the Upper Creeks at the villages of Colome, Canaan, Cowale, and Forsatche, and communicated to them the contents of your letter. They all replied that they had for a long time been very miserable and wretched, without shelter or home, that by the counsel of a good friend they had at length found one, that they had listened attentively to it, and accepted with gratitude the offers you had made them. These Indians are about eighty-seven in number, including women and children. They agreed to divide themselves into three parties, and set out on their march, as soon as I received your answer, which they thought it would be prudent for them their resolution, you would give the necessary to keep; and that when you were informed of orders for their safe progress, and avoiding any rencounter with the Choctaws, who, if not seasonably apprized of the circumstances, might attack them, in which case the pacific arrangements, in which we both take so strong an interest, would be entirely defeated. Opahi-hola, an Aliliamon chief, on account of his advanced age, and infirmities will, for the present, remain here with his family. Í have given orders for his relief, and pledge myself for his good behaviour. You will always find me disposed, sir, to promote any measure conducive to the mutual interests of our two countries, which may, at the same time, be in conformity with existing treaties. I offer you the renewed assurances of my respect, and I pray God to preserve you. To Major WHITE YOUNG. JOSE MAZOT. PENSACOLA, May 2, 1818. True copies of the letter and documents deposited in the archives of this command. In the absence of the Secretary, (by indisposition,) BUEN. DUBIEUIL. HEADQ'RS, DIVISION OF THE SOUTH, Fort Montgomery, June 2, 1818. SIR: The Seminole war having terminated, I deem it politic and advisable to send to Washington John Blunt and his Indian comrades, who have acted as pilots to me during the late campaign. John Blunt is a Tucka batchee Indian, has long been friendly to the United States, and in consequence of his opposition to the Red Stick party during the Creek war has drawn down upon himself their vengeance during the Defeat of the Seminole Indians, fc. late contest. His settlement being in an exposed situation on the Appalachicola river, he was early attacked by Seminoles, his property destroyed, and his family rifled from him; alone he escaped and fled to Fort Scott, where, joining the American standard, he has proved himself a most zealous friend and faithful pilot to this period. In justice to him I am bound to state, that to his correct knowledge of the country and zealous attachment to the cause in which we were en-tailing at length my motives for wishing and degaged, I am measurably indebted for the success of the present campaign. Mr. Hambly accompanies John Blunt. Mr. H. is a Spanish subject by birth, and as long been a resident as a trader on the Appalachicola river. In consequence of his attachment to the American cause, and his active exertions to check the hostile feelings of those Indians disposed to war against the United States, he drew down upon himself and family their vengeance. He was forcibly taken from his house at an early period of the war; his property, goods, and negroes taken from him, and he violently transported from Mickasukey, Suwanee, and St. Marks, until finally relieved by Captain McKeever of the American Navy; since which period he has been attached to my army as Indian interpreter. You will find him an honest and faithful friend of our Government, and valuable for the information which he can afford of Spanish policy and intrigue. He is well acquainted with all the transactions of foreign agents in this country, of their practices, &c., and how far encouraged by the Spanish authority, &c. With respect, &c. ANDREW JACKSON, Major General commanding. Hon. J. C. CALHOUN, Sec'y of War. HEADQ'RS, DIVISION OF THE SOUTH, been early and well advised of the object of my operations, that I hesitated no longer on the measures to be adopted. I marched for and entered Pensacola with only the show of resistance, on the 24th of May. The Governor had previously fled to Fort Carlos de Barancas, where, it was said, he had resolved upon a most desperate resistance. A correspondence ensued between us, (accompanying this, marked A,) demanding that Pensacola and its dependencies be occupied with an American garrison. The package marked B are documents substantiating the charges, in part, against the conduct of the Spanish Governor, having knowingly and willingly admitted the savages, avowedly hostile to the United States, within the town of Pensacola. The peaceable surrender of the fort at the Ba rancas was denied. I marched for and invested it on the evening of the 25th of May, and on the same night pushed reconnoitering parties under its very guns. On the morning of the 26th, a military reconnoissance was taken; and on the same night, a lodgement was made, under a fire from the Spanish garrison, by Captain Gadsden of the engineers, aided by Captains Call and Young, on a commanding position, within three hundred and eighty-five yards of the Spanish works, and a nine-pounder mounted. A bowitzer battery was simultaneously established on the capitol of, and within seven hundred and fifty yards of the fort. At daylight on the 27th, the Spanish garrison opened their artillery on our batteries; a parley was sounded, a flag sent in and the surrender of Fort Carlos de Barancas again demanded; the favorable positions obtained were pointed out, and the inutility of resistance urged. Anxious to avoid an open contest, and to save the effusion of blood, the same terms previously offered were again tendered. These were rejected, and offensive operations recommenced. A spirited and well-directed fire was kept up the greater part of the morning, and at intervals during the afternoon. In the evening a flag was sent from the Spanish commandant, offering to capitulate, and a suspension of hostilities was granted until eight o'clock next day, when the enclosed articles of capit ulation (marked C) were signed and agreed to. The terms are more favorable than a conquered enemy would have merited; but, under the peculiar circumstances of the case, my object obtained, there was no motive for wounding the feelings of those whose military pride or honor had prompted to the resistance made. The articles, with but one condition, amounted to a complete cession to the United States of that portion of the Floridas hitherto under the government of Don Jose Mazot. Fort Montgomery, June 2, 1818. SIR: In a communication to you of the 5th of May, I detailed at length the operations of my army up to that period. Leaving a strong garrison of regulars in Forts Scott and Gadsden, I resumed my march, with a small detachment of the 4th regiment of infantry, one company of artillery, and the effectives of the Tennessee volunteers, the whole not exceeding twelve hundred men, to fulfil my intentions, communicated to you, of scouring the country west of the Appalachicola river. On the 10th of May, my army crossed that river at the Ochesee village, and, after a fatiguing, tedious, and circuitous march of twelve days, misled by the ignorance of our pilots, and exposed to the severest of privations, we finally reached and effected a passage over the Escambia. On my march, on the 22d of May, a protest from the Governor of Pensacola was delivered me by a Spanish officer, remonstrating in warm terms against my pro- The arrangements which I have made to secure ceedings, and ordering me and my forces in- Pensacola and its dependencies are contained in stantly to quit the territory of His Catholic Ma- the general orders, marked D. I deemed it most jesty, with a threat to apply force in the event of advisable to retain, for the present, the same a non-compliance. This was so open an indica-government to which the people had been accustion of a hostile feeling on his part, after having tomed, until such time as the Executive of the Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c. United States may order otherwise. It was necessary, however, to establish the revenue laws of the United States, to check the smuggling which had been carried on successfully in this quarter for many years past, and to admit the American merchant to an equal participation in a trade which would have been denied under the partial operations of the Spanish commercial code. 1 Capt. Gadsden was appointed by me collector, and he has organized and left the department in the charge of officers on whom the greatest confidence may be reposed. Though the Seminole Indians have been scattered, and literally so divided and reduced as no longer to be viewed as a formidable enemy, yet, as there are still many small marauding parties supposed to be concealed in the swamps of the Perdido, Choctawhatchy, and Chapouley, who might make occasional and sudden inroads on our frontier settlers, massacreing women and children, I have deemed it advisable to call into service for six months, if not sooner discharged, two companies of volunteer rangers, under Captains McGirt and Boyles, with instructions to scour he country between the Mobile and Appalachicola rivers, exterminating every hostile party who dare resist, or will not surrender and remove with their families above the thirty-first degree of latitude. A topographical sketch, of the country from the Appalachicola to Pensacola Bay, accompanies this. Captain Young will prepare, as soon as practicable, a topographical memoir of that part of the Floridas in which my army has operated, with a map of the country. Captain Gadsden is instructed to prepare a report on the necessary defences of the country, as far as the military reconnoissance will permit, accompanied with plans of existing works, what additions or improvements are necessary, and what new works should, in his opinion, be erected to give permanent security to this important territorial addition to our Republic. As soon as this report is prepared, Captain Gadsden will receive orders to repair to Washington City with some other documents which I may wish to confide to his charge. did not particularly notice the exertions of my At the close of a campaign which has terminated so honorably and happily, it gives me pleasure to express my approbation generally of the officers and soldiers of every species of corps · which I have had the honor to command. The patience with which they endured fatigue and submitted to privations, and the determination with which they encountered and vanquished every difficulty, are the strongest indication of the existence of that patriotic feeling which no circumstances can change, and of that irresistible ardor in the defence of their country which will The Seminole war may now be considered as prove her strength and bulwark under any exit a close, tranquillity again restored to the south-posure. I should do violence to my feelings if I ern frontier of the United States; and, as long as a cordon of military posts is maintained along the Gulf of Mexico, America has nothing to apprehend from either foreign or Indian hostilities. Indeed, sir, to attempt to fortify or protect an imaginary line, or to suppose that a frontier on the thirty-first degree of latitude, in a wilderness, can be secured by a cordon of military posts, whilst the Spanish authorities were not maintained in the Floridas, and the country lay open to the use and excitement of any enemy, is visionary in the extreme. On the immutable principles, therefore, of self defence, authorized by the law of nature and of nations, have I bottomed all my operations; on the fact that the Spanish officers had aided and abetted the Indian enemy, and thereby became a party in hostilities against us, do I justify my occupying the Spanish fortresses. Spain had disregarded the treaties existing with the American Government, or had not power to enforce them; the Indian tribes within her territory, and which she was bound to keep at peace, had visited our citizens with all the horrors of savage war; negro brigands were establishing themselves when and where they pleased; and foreign agents were openly and knowingly practising their intrigues in this neu. tral territory. The immutable principles of selfdefence justified, therefore, the occupancy of the Floridas, and the same principles will warrant the American Government in holding it until such time as Spain can guarantee, by an adequate military force, the maintaining her authority within the colony. 15th CoN. 2d SESS.-70 ANDREW JACKSON, PENSACOLA, May 18, 1818. MOST EXCELLENT SIR: On the 10th instant I received your excellency's letter of the 27th of April last, informing me that some articles of clothing used by the troops of the United States, and supposed to be part of those taken in the boat in which Lieutenant Scott and his escort were so inhumanly murdered, were found in a small schooner despatched from this port for that of Appalachee with provisions. Your excellency inquires of me in what manner these articles came into my possession; and you further state that you feel yourself obliged to inform me that the documents and the proofs found in St. Juan, the detention of American cattle, found in St. Marks, and the correspondence carried on between this post and the hostile Indians, are sufficient to create a belief that they were Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c. armed and incited to this cruel war against the United States by the Spanish officers. Your excellency adds that there exists positive proofs that the Indians were supplied with munitions by the last commander of St. Marks; and you conclude by saying that an asylum has been granted here to the persons and property of the Indians, who are enemies to the United States, and fugitives from the American territory; and that these proceedings, and the refusing to allow the passage of provisions for your troops, prove the unjust conduct of the Spanish agents in the Floridas. I shall answer the charges alleged in their proper order, and without evasion or reservation. The first complaint made by your excellency is relative to the articles of clothing found on board the schooner Maria, and which have been detained on the supposition that they are the property of the United States. Part of these articles, as is proved by copy No. 1, were purchased at New Orleans in the month of May, last year; part came from the Havana; and part were purchased in this place. All this is established. The charge is, of course, done away, and your excellency's question is satisfactorily answered. The succeeding one is more serious, and relates to the course observed of late by the Governor of St. Marks. I immediately required of him an account of his conduct, and he made me the communication found in copy No. 2. However, your excellency affirms that you possess positive proofs of the misconduct of this officer, I must, as a necessary consequence, entreat you to submit them to me, that, the fact being established, I may inflict on him deserved punishment. I assure your excellency, with the sincerity natural to me, that he has acted in entire opposition to his instructions; and that, if your excellency will transmit the proofs I request, he shall be brought before a council of war, and punished with all the severity his transgressions deserve; but your excellency will be just enough to allow that the Spanish Government cannot be responsible for the misconduct of its agents, when it neither upholds them therein, nor suffers their mal-practices, being ascertained, to pass unpunished. The last complaints of your excellency have a personal and direct application to myself, and are relative to the asylum granted to the persons and property of the fugitive Indians, and to the passage of provisions up the Escambia. It is easy for me to remove these charges, and I think your excellency will be satisfied with a short and true relation of facts. With respect to the Indians, your excellency has been assuredly misinformed, as, although it is true that some remained here, the greater part of them were women and children, who procured a subsistence by furnishing the inhabitants with wood, fish, and other trifling objects, and were here before the present war with the Seminoles. Others, now and then, assembled on account of the war, but in very small numbers; as, when I had them collected, in compliance with the proposition made by Major Young, they, altogether, amounted to eighty-seven, and, assuredly, these few unarmed and miserable men were not hostile to the United States. The continual passing of American citizens from the frontier to this people, who travelled alone and unarmed among them, without being, at any time, insulted of molested in their persons or property, is a proof of this. With respect to the passage of provisions up the Escambia, I have not hitherto prevented it, but, on the contrary, have facilitated it so far as I was able, and my limited powers have permit ted, even to the compromitting of myself; for, being only a subordinate officer, I could not consent to it, as it is unauthorized, but I took the responsibility on myself, in consideration of exist ing circumstances, and so I stated to your excellency in my letter of the 15th of last month, which I wrote to you by Major Perault, and to which I refer you in support of my assertion. Now, that the free commerce of this people with those of the interior is declared admissible by higher authority, there will, in future, be no difficulty in allowing the merchants to transport from hence to Fort Crawford, and other forts on the frontier, as well by water as by land, whatever provisions and effects they may need or desire; by which means these posts will readily be provisioned, and your excellency will be satisfied. I think I have answered your excellency's let ter satisfactorily, and in a manner which can leave no doubt of the sincerity of my intentions, and which evinces my desire to contribute, so far as depends on me, to the good understanding existing between our respective Governments. God preserve your excellency many years. JOSE MAZOT. His Exc'cy ANDREW JACKSON, Major General U. S. Army. No. 1. PENSACOLA, May 18, 1818. Being informed of what, amongst other subjects, Major General Andrew Jackson, of the United States troops, states to you in his letter of the 27th of April last, and communicated to me in yours of the 13th instant, in which you direct me to explain to you what description the articles were, referred to by the said General, and by whom the coats worn by the men belonging to the Grey and Brown companies, (de pardos y morenos,) from the Havana, under my command, were sold or brought to this place, they being the same uniform as that worn by the troops of the United States, I have to inform you, in reply that the articles of clothing shipped on board the schooner Maria, for the supply of a detachment from the aforesaid companies at Appala chie, and detained by General Jackson, consisted of fifteen four-point woollen blankets, brought here in His Majesty's hermaphrodite brig El Don Henrique Granpré, as is shown by voucher No. 1, annexed; 15 common black hats, bought of Don 2 Defeat of the Seminole Indians, &c. deron, commanding the Grey and Brown com- No. 3. Henrique Michelet, as is proved by voucher No. 2; and 20 shirts of Crea linen, and the same number of pantaloons, received by the above named hermaphrodite armed brig, with the exception of three or four of the latter articles, which were made in North America for the use of their troops, and came into my possession in the manner I shall explain to you. All which clothing I requested you, in mine of the 7th April last, to report to the NEW ORLEANS, April 30, 1817. Department of Royal Finance, that they might be regularly entered in the clearance, on account, Annexed you have an account of cost and and at the risk, of the same. By voucher No. 3, charges of fifty-four shirts and twenty-eight pairs annexed, you will perceive that, on the 1st and of shoes, for amount whereof you are debited, in 6th of May, and 29th of July last, there were account, fifty-three dollars. Although I had no ་ shipped for me, from New Orleans, by Don Pedro orders from you for the shirts, I was induced to Dalhaste y Claveria, merchant and citizen of the purchase them by the low price, and the probaUnited States, one hundred and thirty-one coats bility of your employing them to advantage. In of the uniform altered there, as is stated in his the sack which contains them, you will find a letter of advice; also twenty-eight pairs of shoes; uniform coat, altered here, and which can be ob one hundred and eighteen shirts; seventy-six tained of the storekeeper at twelve rials. I think There are about a hundred pairs of pantaloons; two hundred and thirty-six this would answer. woollen waistcoats, without sleeves; twenty and twenty of them. I am offered by the same Russia jackets; two hundred and fifty-three storekeeper fifty field-tents, nearly new, at three leather caps, for the use of the Chasseurs; and a dollars, and a parcel of strong leathern caps, such quantity of leather gaiters and stocks; which as are worn by the Chasseurs, and which he will articles were purchased from the military store- sell at less than two rials; of these there are keeper at New Orleans, and brought here in the about two hundred. The storekeeper having schooners Maria and Jalouse, under the charge made me a second offer of the coats, I proposed of their masters, Bartelome Alberty and Joze to take them in barter for coffee, at eighteen and Medina, who included them in the manifests they a half. At ten rials, I am persuaded it would be presented to the custom-house here, and the duties a good bargain, and would afford an opportunity on them were paid, as appears from the estimate of putting off the coffee, the low quality of which of them, made by the Department on the 19th of makes it a dull sale. The only quality asked for, May and the 11th of August last. It follows, and which sells with great difficulty at twenty from this statement, that the conjecture formed dollars, is the very superior green coffee. I enclose by General Jackson, that the articles of clothing the account of the cost and charges of the said detained by him were part of those taken from coats, which you will receive by the schooner the escort of Lieutenant Scott at the time he was Maria, and whose amount is charged to your Ekilled, within the territory of the Republic, is debit, in account current, viz: $176 13. deprived of all foundation, as the unfortunate fate of that officer and his escort happened on the Appalachicola in December last; and the articles of clothing alluded to were purchased in New Orleans in May and July of the same year, as is proved by the letters of advice and invoices com. prised in voucher No 3, to which I have referred. God preserve you many years. B. GARCIA CALDERON. To Don JOSE MAZOT. No. 1. Account of cost and charges of the following articles, shipped on board the schooner Maria, Captain Elberty, bound to Pensacola, on account and at the risk of, and to be delivered to, Don Benigno Garcia Calderon: C.-No. 1. One sack, containing twenty-eight pairs of shoes, $21 00 at six rials C.-No. 2. One sack, containing fifty-four shirts, at · Commission, at five per cent. I hereby certify that, on the 10th of February Sacks, sewing, and transportation last, I sold to Captain Don Benigno Garcia Calderon, commanding the Grey and Brown companies from Havana, two hundred and eighteen pairs of French shoes, iron shod, for the use of the men belonging to the said companies; and, at the request of the said officer, I give him the present certificate, at Pensacola, this 18th day of 1 May, 1818. HENRIQUE DE GRANPRE. Amount to the debit of Don. B. G. Cal- 27 00 150 1.00 50 50 2 50 $53 00 P. DALHASTE Y CLAVERIA. To Don B. G. CALDERON, Pensacola. Account of cost and charges of ten sacks, conI hereby certify that, on the 12th of February taining one hundred and thirty-one coats, shiplast, I sold to Captain Don Benigno Garcia Cal-ped on board the schooner Maria, Captain Gran |