Today in Chickamauga History - September 10
1792, September 10: The two diplomatic letters, or talks, as he called them, did not nearly express CHICKAMAUGA Chief BLOODY FELLOW’s true feelings about the state of affairs between the white settlers of the Cumberland and his own Lower Town Cherokee/CHICKAMAUGA people that September of 1792.
But as a Chief of the five lower towns, it made tactical sense for him to extend the language of pact to Tennessee’s Governor William BLOUNT. BLOUNT knew full well from the just completed council at Willstown that a three-pronged Cherokee attack on the Kentucky Road, the Walton Road, and on Nashville was imminent. The idea was to offer up this ruse to BLOUNT, in the hope that it would forestall BLOUNT’s suspicions, which might otherwise lead to a counter offensive. The BLOODY FELLOW had not volunteered to write this missive, however. The war council assembled at Willstown [near today’s Ft. Payne, AL] had instead selected him to be their mouthpiece, because they assumed whatever he wrote would be believed by the whites.
BLOODY FELLOW had been warmly embraced by none other than George WASHINGTON during a diplomatic visit to Philadelphia to air Cherokee grievances in the early months of that same year. Hadn’t WASHINGTON conferred upon him the title of ‘General’? The BLOODY FELLOW was perhaps the only member of his race to receive this honor prior to the Civil War. He had returned with his comrades to his people sporting a scarlet match coat with silver epaulets, broad silver lace and a shining silver star, and vowing eternal gratitude and loyalty to his Great White Father George WASHINGTON) and benefactor.
BLOODY FELLOW was not the least bit enthusiastic about this plan to invade. He had spoken forcefully at the Willstown council against the idea of attacking a much larger, better-armed force, but the younger Cherokee, Creek and CHICKAMAUGA (Lower Town Cherokee) braves had cast his views aside. BLOODY FELLOW certainly held no love for the American settlers in his heart; he’d lost his wife’s brother to the white man’s treachery just four years earlier. Remember that in 1788, a band of John SEVIER’s men had killed OLD TASSEL, the principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, along with another unarmed, friendly chief, as they approached the whites under a flag of truce. The act was considered an atrocity by the Cherokee, and briefly brought all the Cherokee to support the hostile actions of the warriors following a CHICKAMAUGA chief named DRAGGING CANOE, even though OLD TASSEL’s heir apparent LITTLE TURKEY was elected First Beloved Man by the general council of the Cherokee. In August that same year, Tennessean Joseph MARTIN, Brigadier General of the frontier militia, had led an army of five hundred in an unsuccessful attempt to destroy the Five Lower Towns. However, Cherokee (includes CHICKAMAUGA) warriors had ambushed the white army at the pass of Lookout Mountain, forcing them back in disarray, with the Cherokees in hot pursuit. That October, an army of 3,000 Cherokee, led by BLOODY FELLOW, attacked Gillespie’s Fort, below the mouth of the Little Tennessee River on the Holston. They demanded that the occupants surrender; when the demand was rejected, the Cherokees (includes CHICKAMAUGA) stormed the fort, killing 28 people, most of them women, and capturing others. BLOODY FELLOW took fifteen scalps in revenge for his brother in law’s death.
BLOODY FELLOW left a defiant note at the burning ruins for SEVIER and MARTIN, saying that the killing of women and children was unintended: “The BLOODY FELLOW’s talk is that he is now upon his own ground. He is not like you are; for you kill women and children, and he does not…you beguiled the head man (OLD TASSEL) that was your friend and wanted to keep peace; but you began it, and this is what you get for it. When you move off the land, then we will make peace…Five thousand men is our number.” BLOODY FELLOW’s war captains John WATTS, KITEGISKY, and THE GLASS also signed the note. WATTS had such a close attachment to OLD TASSEL, his uncle, that he was known as ‘YOUNG TASSEL.’ While BLOODY FELLOW was in Philadelphia, DRAGGING CANOE died, in March, 1792. John WATTS was elected his successor as War Chief in May. WATTS was a magnetic personality, an eloquent orator, and a man of proven bravery. The Cherokees flocked to his banner with even more enthusiasm than they had to DRAGGING CANOE. In addition, a large number of Creek warriors placed themselves under his command.
The Cherokees had long before this time discontinued using bow and arrows in active warfare. Although the bow, at short range, was probably more deadly than the defective guns handled by the settlers, the white man’s weapon was used whenever it could be procured. That fact was unfortunate from the standpoint of the Cherokees, for it made them entirely dependent on outside sources for their ammunition. Up to and during the American Revolution, the Cherokees secured their ammunition from the English. The close of the American Revolution would have ended the Indian wars by shutting off their supplies of powder and ball, but for one reason. By the terms of the treaty which ended the Revolution, Spain was awarded Florida. Furthermore, Spain already controlled the Mississippi and the port at New Orleans. She regarded America’s southern and western settlements as a menace to her sovereignty over both regions, and was willing, even anxious, that they be destroyed. To that end, Spain supplied the Indians with unlimited ammunition, “to be had for the asking,” which enabled the Cherokees to carry on. Arming the Indians looked like a shrewd tactical move to Spain. Either it would drive the U.S. settlers out of an area Spain wanted to control, or it would force the settlers to become Spanish. There was no downside Spain could see to supplying the Indians with weapons — as long as the U.S. had no direct proof they were doing so. In 1789 North Carolina ceded its western lands to Congress, which organized the ‘Territory South of the River Ohio,’ comprising the present Tennessee. William BLOUNT, friend of George WASHINGTON and member of the convention which had just framed the United States Constitution, was named Governor. Governor Blount took up his duties in 1790. His first act was an attempt to end the Indian war by diplomacy. He announced that he would rectify the wrongs done the Indians. Hence, practically every chief of prominence, with the lone exception of DRAGGING CANOE, attended Blount’s Treaty of Holston in 1791. At this assemblage, the Cherokees, led by LITTLE TURKEY, forcefully shifted their stance away from traditional diplomacy. They placed their emphasis on a sense of Cherokee power among those attending, instead of embracing the importance of a peaceful state of mind. The chiefs opened the treaty conference with the eagle tail dance.
BLOUNT thought the Cherokees were bestowing an honor not previously given to an American treaty participant. In fact, the Cherokees performed the eagle tail dance to inculcate a warlike spirit in the young and to symbolize victory. The Indians had understood that BLOUNT would remove white settlers from Indian land. They were bitterly disappointed when, instead of removing the settlers, he proposed to buy the land which had been wrongfully taken. (BLOUNT was a land speculator with extensive holdings in the Tennessee region, and his use of treaty talks to advance his land interests quickly earned him a Cherokee name — the DIRT CAPTAIN.) John WATTS and BLOODY FELLOW, who spoke for the Cherokees, protested. WATTS, overcome by the memory of the treacherous death of his uncle, withdrew from the treaty. BLOUNT offered the Cherokees some presents, and an annuity of $1000.00 for the land. “It would not buy a breech cloth for each member of my Nation!” BLOODY FELLOW replied, but signed the treaty, feeling himself pressured to do so. This paltry annuity is what had prompted the BLOODY FELOW (without consulting BLOUNT further), to set out at the head of the delegation for Philadelphia, to attempt to secure better terms from President WASHINGTON. The effort resulted in an increase of the Cherokee annuity to $1500.00 per year. At the beginning of September 1792, John WATTS gathered hundreds of Cherokee, Creek, CHICKAMAUGA, and Shawnee at Willstown to orchestrate a sweeping campaign to attack the Holston region. It would feature a combined army in four bands of two hundred each. WATTS had only been in charge of the CHICKAMAUGA (Lower Town Cherokee) since March. The attack he was planning — coordinated against many different settlements, uniting disparate Indian nations in battle, armed with Spanish weapons — was to be WATTS’ triumphant introduction as war chief of the Lower Town Cherokees (CHICKAMAUGA). Meanwhile BLOUNT, as Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the Southern Department, kept tabs on the Willstown proceedings via two spies among the Cherokee. Richard FINNELSON and Joseph DE RAQUE, both of whom were present at Willstown, furnished him with transcriptions of the proceedings. (FINNELSON and DE RAQUE were double agents: they were also delivering messages between the Spaniards in Pensacola, FL and the Indians assembled at Willstown). FINNELSON says in letters that when he and DE RAQUE arrived at Willstown, BLOODY FELLOW was arguing against going to war, saying that “it was a bad step they were taking.”
For one thing, the Indian warrior coalition was tenuous: the Creeks and the Cherokees had engaged in a vicious, bloody war against each other in the 1750s. And while they understood they had to work together to keep the U.S. on the eastern side of the mountains — and Spain near the Mississippi — this was not an easy, natural alliance. BLOODY FELLOW spoke to the assemblage of his trip to Philadelphia: “Look here at these things I fetched for myself. Others went with me. If I had gone by myself, perhaps you might have thought that I made them myself. You had better take my talk, and stay at home, and mind your women and children.” He was interrupted in his comments with much grumbling and disagreement. He struggled to maintain his position, pointing out that the Americans were too powerful. “Look at that flag! Don’t you see the stars on it? They are not towns. They are nations. There are thirteen of them.
These are people who are very strong, and are the same as one man!” WATTS was not dissuaded from his course: Said FINNELSON in a letter to BLOUNT: “John WATTS had been to Pensacola; he brought home seven horse loads of ammunition, and as many accoutrements as were sufficient to equip two hundred horsemen, to wit, swords, &c. and that WATTS was appointed to command the Creeks and the Cherokees who should be called into the field, and be for war, and that the Creek nation had met in council, and agreed to the appointment.” It must have been a stirring scene when WATTS threw the weight of his influence into the scales, and announced “To war we will go together!”
Based on FINNELSON’s and DERAQUE’ regular reports from Willstown, BLOUNT requested General James ROBERTSON to muster his brigade with which to repel the invaders should they attack the Cumberland country. Anticipating this precaution, WATTS hastened to counter it by a clever deception. He induced BLOODY FELLOW, who still opposed war, and another chief named THE GLASS to write BLOUNT a letter calculated to throw him off his guard. They alleged that ROBERTSON, in a meeting with the Chickasaw and Choctaw, had told them that he would sweep clean with their blood any blood they might spill in Nashville. BLOODY FELLOW and THE GLASS wrote that the threat had caused the young men of the aforementioned tribes to plan an attack on the white settlements, but that they, with the aid of Watts and some other headmen, had frustrated it by sending them to their different homes to mind their hunting.
1792, September 10: A talk from the BLOODY FELLOW to His Excellency Governor BLOUNT dated the Lookout Mountain Sept. 10 1792
Friend & Brother, at this time I am in a bad State of Health and as my brother the Glass has told you the reason of our young warriors being assembled together at this time from different parts I overtook them at this place and it was a long time before I and the other headmen could put a stop to their intended proceedings as we much pitied the innocent people that must have suffered on both sides.
It’s but a short time since I came from seeing the President of the United States my tracks are scarce yet blotted out, the talks we had was that we should not war with one another, and that his people should not encroach on our land.
But in place of that they are daily encroaching and building on our land, this is not what he and I agreed upon; I let all my people know what we agreed upon; he was to let the different Governors know so as they might not let the people settle on our land as they have formerly done.
I hear you are displeased with us for holding talks with the Spaniards or any other neighboring power, why should we not talk with our neighbors as we do not want to be at war with anybody if we can avoid it.
What I tell you is the truth it has given me a great deal of trouble, but I am glad it was in our power to put a stop to the effusion of blood.
If you was to consider well you would see its more your people’s fault than mine by daily encroaching on our Land and sending threatening talks if there is any bad people in your land that wants to hurt us I hope you’ll stop them as I have done mine and that they may live in peace one with another and hear no more of war, you’ll likewise please to send to Cumberland and let them know that it’s not our people that may do them any harm for the future as we wish to be at peace with them. The friends of the White man killer of this Town think very hard of him losing his at your place and the other fellow that was with him, if his creature was proven away, he did not steal it but bought of the Creeks, therefore I think the owner ought to pay one half the value. If they are found pray have them sent to the Hanging Maws. This is all at present from Your Friend & Brother the Bloody Fellow– To his Excellency Gov. Blount”
1792, September 10: BLOODY FELLOW to Governor BLOUNT
Having forwarded this and one other letter, which they hoped would prevent Governor BLOUNT from sending any troops to the relief of the Cumberland, the Indians hastened to take possession of the main roads leading to the Mero District (the Superior Court district that served the Cumberland frontier).
BLOUNT’s desire for peace and his faith in WATTS led him straight into the trap. On September 14 he ordered the Knox Regiment and the Mero Brigade to disband; but when four days later he heard, much to his chagrin, that a large force of Indians was crossing the Tennessee, he ordered John SEVIER to augment by sevenfold the number of militia companies in the Washington District.
General ROBERTSON, meanwhile, shared none of BLOUNT’s faith in WATTS. The reports from Richard FINNELSON and Joseph DE RAQUE only supported his undying suspicions of WATTS, BLOODY FELLOW, and THE GLASS, and any other “savage”. He had ignored BLOUNT’s order to disband the Mero Brigade.
Sources: “Origins of National Indian Policy,” by Cynthia CUMFER, Journal of the Early Republic, 23 (Spring 2003)
Tecumseh: A Life, by John SUGDEN, Henry HOLT and Company, NY, 1998
Chronicles of Oklahoma, Volume 16, No. 1, March, 1938, EASTERN CHEROKEE CHIEFS, By John P. BROWN; BLOODY FELLOW original letter: James ROBERTSON Papers/University of Tennessee Libraries (Knoxville, Tennessee)
The Appalachian Frontier: America’s First Surge Westward, by John Anthony C, University of Tennessee Press, 2003
History of Middle Tennessee: Or Life and Times of General James ROBERTSON, by A.W. PUTNAM, 1859
Considering one of history’s mysteries: whether a Cherokee operative betrayed his people at the Battle of Buchanan’s Station — and saved Nashville, by Betsy PHILLIPS, September 27, 2012, NashvilleScene.com