Pickett's History of Alabama - Chapter 26 - The First Yazoo Sale --
Bowles, The Freebooter

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                 Albert James Pickett: HISTORY OF ALABAMA.
                  (Kindly contributed by William C. Bell)
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                               CHAPTER XXVI.
                                      
               THE FIRST YAZOO SALE-- BOWLES, THE FREEBOOTER.
                                      
   Dec. 1789: Georgia claimed, under a charter of Charles II., all the
   territory, from the Savannah to the Mississippi river, lying between
   31° and 35°. She had, as early as February, 1785, established by
   legislative enactment, the county of Bourbon, embracing the
   settlements along the Mississippi, above and below Natchez; but the
   occupation of this country by the Spanish government prevented its
   occupation and settlement.
   
   Governor Telfair approved an act of the General Assembly, at Savannah,
   which authorized a conditional sale of the larger portion of this wild
   domain, for the purpose of peopling it, and enriching the treasury of
   the State. For a little upwards of sixty thousand dollars, five
   millions of acres, now embracing the territory of the middle counties
   of Mississippi, were sold to a "South Carolina Yazoo Company."
   
   Seven millions of acres now embracing the territory of the northern
   counties of Mississippi, were sold to the " Virginia Yazoo Company,"
   for a little over ninety-three thousand dollars.
   
   Three million, five hundred thousand acres, now embracing the
   territory of the northern counties of Alabama, were sold for something
   over forty-six thousand dollars to the "Tennessee Company."
   
   Dec. 1789: Spain claimed much of this territory, by conquests made
   towards the close of the revolutionary war, as we have already seen,
   and that power and the United States were now negotiating to settle
   the boundaries; but Georgia took the matter into her own hands, as she
   has ever done with whatever concerned her, and as she always will do,
   as long as her soil is inhabited by its present enterprising, brave
   and restless population.
   
   Aug 25 1790: Washington, becoming alarmed at the collision which he
   supposed would take place between the Federal Government, Georgia,
   Spain and the Indians, in consequence of this extraordinary sale of
   territory, issued a proclamation against the whole enterprise. But the
   "Tennessee Company" heeded him not. Its head and front, Zachariah
   Coxe, with a number of his friends, floated down on flatboats from
   EastTennessee to the Muscle Shoals. Here, upon an island, they built a
   block-house, and other works of defence, intending to sell out much of
   the best lands, north and south of the river. But the Cherokees, under
   the Chief, Class, probably set forward by Governor Blount, of
   Tennessee, who was the active agent of Washington, advanced upon this
   establishment, drove Coxe and his adherents out of the block-house,
   and consumed it by fire. Other efforts were afterwards made to
   colonize this region; but were defeated by the opposition of the
   Chickasaws, the Cherokees and the Federal Government. *
   
   * Haywood's History of Tennessee, pp. 249-256. Indian Affairs, vol. I,
   p. 116.
   
   The "South Carolina Yazoo Company" also attempted to colonize their
   lands, and for that purpose constituted Dr. James O'Fallan their
   agent-general, who went to Kentucky, raised troops, and issued
   commissions, in an illegal manner, with the design of taking the
   Natchez country from the Spaniards, and peopling the territory. At the
   same time, Edmond Phelan, the sub-agent of the companmy, was piloted
   through the Creek and Choctaw country to Natchez by an old Indian
   countryman, named Thomas Basket, who was to have been their
   interpreter. But Washington caused O'Fallan to be arrested, and
   ordered General St. Clair to put down, by military force, all attempts
   to colonize the Natchez country, against which the Spanish Minister
   had vehemently remonstrated. Great excitement existed; Washington was
   much embarassed and much abused.
   
   The "Virginia Yazoo Company" made no attempts to settle the lands
   which they had purchased.
   
   These companies all failed to meet the payments due Georgia for these
   lands, and that State, by subsequent enactments, rescinded the whole
   bargain, having in the meantime withheld grants from the purchasers,
   which was a condition opf sale, until the debt was fully discharged. A
   great deal of recrimination and abuse passed between the authorities
   of Georgia and these companies, and the people who had innocently
   suffered in fitting out private enterprises to settle the new region.
   So ended the first Yazoo sale by the legislature of Georgia. An
   account of another, and a more important and extensive one, will
   hereafter be introduced.*
   
   * Indian Affairs, vol. I, pp. 116-117. Public Lands, vol. I, pp.
   120-121-163.
   
   May 1791: A Quaker of Pennsylvania, named Andrew Ellicott, appointed
   by the Federal Government to run the line between the Creeks and
   Georgians, arrived at Rock Landing, upon the Oconee, in company with
   James Seagrove, an Irishman, who was appointed Superintendent of the
   Creek nation. At this place the government erected a strong fort, and
   threw into it a large garrison. McGillivray was constantly urged from
   this point, to cause the Indians to consent to the running of the
   boundary line, and to assist in its execution; but the Chieftain
   delayed, and threw all the blame upon the hostile efforts of an
   extraordinary man, who must now be introduced to the reader.
   
   William Augustus Bowles, a native of Maryland, at the age of fourteen,
   entered the British army, as a foot soldier, and, after a year's
   service against his countrymen, sailed with a British regiment to
   Jamaica, in 1777, as an ensign, and from thence went to Pensacola.
   Here he was deprived of his rank, for insubordination. Disgusted with
   military discipline, and fond of a roving life, he contemptuously
   flung his uniform into the sea, and left Pensacola in company with
   some Creeks. He lived upon the Tallapoosa for several years, and
   acquired the Muscogee language to great perfection. He visited the
   Lower Towns, and there married the daughter of a Chief. His elegant
   and commanding form, fine address, beautiful countenance of varied
   expressions, his exalted genius, daring and intrepidity, all connected
   with a mind wholly debased and unprincipled, eminently fitted him to
   sway the bad Indians and worse traders among whom he lived.
   
   Bowles led a party of Creeks to Pensacola, in 1781, and assisted
   General Campbell to defend that place from the attacks of Don Galvez.
   He went to New York, joined a company of comedians, and sailed to New
   Providence, of the Bahamas. Here he alternately acted upon the stage,
   and painted portraits, for which he had taste and genius. Lord Dunmore
   was then the Governor of the Bahamas. Panton, Leslie & Co., despatched
   to John Forbes, one of their associates, living at New Providence, a
   schooner, in which were six thousand piastres. Lord Dunmore seized
   upon this money, as contraband property. Panton instituted a complaint
   to the British Court, when the money was ordered to be returned.
   Dunmore ever afterwards hated Panton and his co-partners. He selected
   Bowles as an agent, to establish a commercial house upon the
   Chattahoochie, which would check the prosperous commerce of these
   merchants. Bowles shortly appeared among the Lower Creeks, and threw
   the weight of his influence against Panton, and against McGillivray
   and the Georgians, all of whom he despised. But Milfort was sent to
   the Chattahoochie, with an order for Bowles to leave the nation in
   twenty-four hours, on penalty of losing his ears. He fled to New
   Providence, and from thence was sent to England, by Dunmore, in
   company with a delegation of Creeks, Seminoles and Cherokees, to
   enlist the English government in the cause of these nations by
   repelling American aggression. The British Court treated him with
   kindness, and heaped upon him valuable presents. He soon returned to
   New Providence, and began a piratical war upon the coasting vessels of
   Panton, having taught his warriors to navigate the Gulf. He captured
   some of these vessels, laden with arms and ammunition, ran them up in
   bayous, where he and an abandoned set of white men from the prisons of
   London, together with hosts of savages, engaged in protracted
   debaucheries, and day and night made the woods echo with horrid oaths
   and panther screams. Panton's boxes of merchandise were torn open,
   distributed among the Indians, and carried to all parts of the nation.
   Such piratical successes soon gave him popularity in the Creek
   country.* He now boldly advanced to the heart of it, denouncing
   General McGillivray as a traitor to his people, and sought to
   overthrow him and place himself in power. He had many bad men of
   influence with the Indians, who endeavored to stir up rebellion. The
   most conspicuous of these were Willbanks, a native of New York and a
   refugee tory, and a half-breed Cherokee named Moses Price. His
   emissaries contended that neither the Americans nor Spaniards had any
   right to control the Indians, for that England had not ceded any of
   their country to either power, and that General McGillivray had
   endeavored to sell his people, first to Spain and next to the Federal
   Government. Indeed, at this period McGillivray, for the first time in
   his life, began to lose the confidence of many of the Chiefs and
   common Indians, who were indignant at the provisions of the New York
   treaty, which they openly disavowed. The Spanish authorities were
   angry with him, and Panton was deceived by him. Bowles even bearded
   him in his den. All this time the Federal Government was annoying him
   with urgent solicitations to comply with the treaty. Truly one might
   suppose that General McGillivray was an unhappy man, and was soon to
   fall from his high position. At length he departed for New Orleans,
   when Bowles and his emissaries exultingly declared that he had fled,
   never again to show his face upon the Coosa. He went frequently to New
   Orleans, Mobile and Pensacola during the winter, and was treated with
   great attention by the Spanish authorities, notwithstanding the treaty
   of New York. The secret one, of course they knew nothing of, nor did
   Panton. He professed to be sick of his trip to New York, and requested
   not to be given the title of General. Here he arranged for the capture
   of Bowles, and soon the freebooter was brought to New Orleans in
   chains, and from thence sent to Madrid, in Spain, where we must leave
   him for the present.
   
   * Du Lac's Voyage dans les deaux Louisianes, in 1801, 1802, 1803, pp.
   458-460. Milfort's Sejourn dans le nation Creck, pp. 116-124.
   
   June 1792: It was not long before measures were adopted to expel the
   American inhabitants, principally traders, from the Creek nation.
   Governor Carondelet decreed that they were all to take the Spanish
   oath of allegiance, and "fight for the King from the head waters of
   the Alabama to the sea. "James Leonard, who had recently arrived at
   Tensaw, refusing to take the oath, was stripped of his property, and,
   while arrangements were making to send him to Moro Castle, in Havana,
   he made his escape to Rock Landing, upon the distant Oconee.
   
   1792: McGillivray returned to the banks of the Coosa, still in power
   and authority. It was suspected that he had intrigued with the Spanish
   authorities. Not long afterwards, one Captain Don Pedro Oliver, who
   was a Frenchman, but wore the Spanish military uniform, made his
   appearance in the nation, and was stationed at the Hickory Ground,
   upon the Coosa. His pay was one hundred dollars a month, and he was
   accompanied by an interpreter named Antonio. These things looked very
   suspicious to the federal agents upon the Oconee. It was believed by
   many that General McGillivray did not openly act against the American
   government, but that he was doing it secretly, through Captain Oliver
   and others. It was certain that, upon the representations of
   Carondelet to the Court of Spain, respecting the treaty of New York,
   and the remonstrances of Panton to that power, in regard to its
   neglect of the Chieftain, his Catholic Majesty made McGillivray
   Superintendent General of the Creek nation, with an annual salary of
   two thousand dollars! In July, to this amount was added a salary of
   fifteen hundred dollars by the same power.* He was, at this time, the
   agent of Spain, with a salary of thirty-five hundred dollars; the
   agent of the United States, with a salary of twelve hundred dollars;
   the co-partner of Panton, and the Emperor of the Creek and Seminole
   nations. He was almost unrivalled in intrigue, and we doubt if Alabama
   has ever produced, or ever will produce, a man of greater ability.**
   We wish we could defend his conduct with a clear conscience, but we
   cannot. It was eminent for treachery, intrigue and selfish
   aggrandizement. However he may have been wronged by the Americans, he
   ought to have acted in good faith with them, after he had made the
   treaty with Washington. But McGillivray was like many ambitious and
   unscrupulous Americans of our day, who view politics as a trade. But,
   notwithstanding he displayed eminent selfishness in his relation
   towards these rival powers, he was generous to the distressed, whom he
   always sheltered and fed, and protected from the brutalities of his
   red brethren. He had many noble traits, and not the least of which was
   his unbounded hospitality to friends and foes.
   
   * Papers filed in the District Court of Louisiana
   ** I have only introduced a few of McGillivray's letters, to show the
   order of his mind. The American State Papers contain many of his
   ablest letters, addressed to Congress and to the Secretary of War.
   
   During the summer and fall of 1792, General McGillivray secretly
   caused large meetings to be held over the Creek and Cherokee nations,
   at which he appeared to be only a visitor, while Panton and Captain
   Oliver, in speeches, forbid the running of the line between them and
   the Georgians, in the name of the King of Spain, and decreed that no
   American trader should enter the nation. Governor Carondelet was also
   active in endeavoring to defeat the provisions of the New York treaty.
   He sent to the Creek nation a large body of bloody Shawnees, armed and
   equipped, who took up their abode at Souvanoga, upon the Tallapoosa.
   McGillivray moved his negroes to Little river, gave up his house to
   Captain Oliver, whom he had so well established in the affections of
   his people, and was gone a long time to New Orleans and Pensacola. The
   Spaniards not only had in view the prevention of the advancement of
   the Americans on the east, but determined to oppose the settlements
   upon the Mississippi, to effect all of which they attempted to unite
   the four nations of Indians on their side. They strengthened all their
   forts, and authorized Captain John Linder, of Tensaw, and other active
   partisans, to raise volunteers. Carondelet gave Richard Finnelson and
   Joseph Durque passports to go through the Spanish posts to the
   Cherokee nation as emissaries to incite those Indians to make war upon
   the Cumberland people. John Watts, a half-breed of Willstown, was also
   an active agent. There was, suddenly, great excitement produced over
   the whole Indian country. One Chief declared at Willstown * that he
   had taken the lives of three hundred Americans, but that now he
   intended to "drink his fill of blood. " The Cumberland people fell
   victims on all sides, while the settlers upon the frontiers of Georgia
   shared the same fate. During all this time McGillivray and the Federal
   authorities at Rock Landing were engaged in fruitless
   correspondence--the former professing his willingness to carry out the
   provisions of the New York treaty, but never doing it. Everything
   conspired to defeat the hopes of Washington. Even Captain Oliver had
   become intimate with Willbanks and the rest of the adherents of
   Bowles, and used them against the American interests. McGillivray also
   carried on a correspondence with the Secretary of War, in which he
   displayed his usual powers of diplomacy.**
   
   * Willstown, named for a half-breed Chief called Red Head Will, whose
   father was a British officer, was an important Cherokee village. The
   grave of Red Head Will is within two hundred yards of the residence of
   Jesse G. Beeson, who owns the entire site of Willstown, situated in
   Little Will's Valley, DeKalb county, Alabama.
   ** Indian Affairs, vol. 1, pp. 305-315-288-290-432.
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