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Beyond Penn's Treaty

Committee on Indian Concerns Scrapbook

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complaints of the ill treatment of the white men, both
before and since their removal. We feared there
might be an outbreak by Wild Cat

and his party, in
thier present excited state. It was expecting that the
Agents would soon remove them from the Cherokee coun-
try to lands provided for them the General Govern-
ment
in the Creek nation; at which Wild Cat and
Alligator appeared much offended. We conversed
with several of the Agents and officers, and desired
them to consider thier peculiar dispositions, and
use all conciliatory measures in the removal of
these unhappy and unfortunate beings.

We also endeavoured to persuade these Seminoles


to live peaceably with thier neighbors, and to break
off from thier old habits and become farmers, like
the Cherokees and other Indians around them.

They are much given to drunkenness, stealing
and other vices, and live like the wild Indians.

They formerly belonged to the Creek

Nation,
and now speak the same language. Some of
them hold slaves who serve for interpretors and
sevants to them.

We next visited the Creek

Na-
tion. They are situated south of the Chero-
kees
, on lands bordering on the Verdigris River, and
number about Fifteen Thousand Indians, and
Three or Four Thousand Slaves. We had an in-
terview with Benjamin Marshall, a Native
and very intelligent man, and one of the most
wealthy and influential in the Nation.

He informed us that every family of the
Creek

nation would raise enough produce the present season to supply
thier wants throughout the year; they are fast
improving in agriculture and domestic manu-
facures, and in thier manner of living. They
expect soon to manufacture all thier own clothing
--many of them live in comfortable houses and
dress like white people, but others still wear
the blanket and are much given to dissipation

They have a late become anxious that
thier children should be educated, provided it
could be done in thier own nation, but are
generally averse to sending them abroad for
this purpose. They have made application to
our Government

for thier school fund to be ap-
propriated to education in thier nation, instead of
its being spent at the Chactaw Accademy as hereto-
fore. They have at this time but one school, and
that is continued throughout the year. They have
recently passed severe laws to prohibit the vending
of ardent spirits among them; which took effect
about six months ago, and those who had been
opposed to the law have seen the good effects of
it and become satisfied.

Many of the slaves and Indians appear
sober and religious--some of the slaves are approved
preachers, and hold meeting regularly on first days;
We attended one of these meetings, which was
conducted in a moderate and becoming manner.
It was composed of Indians, slaves and thier
masters. Thier minister was an uneducated slave:
all seemed interested in thier meeting, and several
much effected, even unto tears.

A slaveholder told us he was willing his
slaves should go to these meetings, for it made
them better men and women.

The Creeks

have long been slave holders,
and appear insensible on the subject of this
great evil. Thier laws respecting thier slaves
and the Government of thier Tribe are similar to
those of the Cherokees and Choctaws.

Thier Country is good for agriculture, will
watered and timbered, and we believe this Nation
would soon become a prosperous and flourishing
people, were it not for the injustice and de-
structive influence of slavery within and around
thier borders.

A few days previous to our arriving
there, about Five hundred slaves ran away from
thier masters. They belonged in the Creek

and
Cherokee nations; this caused much excitement
and a posse was sent after them from both
nations. Both Church and State seemed
aroused on account of these desertions, and ready
to make every possible effort to recover them
at all hazards; and in future to enact more