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Article Title: Occupation of Pensacola by the British. From the Milledgeville Journal. The British have
occupied the town, have two ships at the Apalachicola, are distributing arms to the Indians, and are
treating with them (text of talk included).
Author:
Published in: Aurora For the Country
Place of Publication: Philadelphia, PA
Publication Date: 6/28/1814
OCCUPATION OF PENSACOLA BY THE BRITISH
FROM THE MILLEDGEVILLE (GEO.) JOURNAL EXTRA, JUNE 17.
An express from col. Hawkins to the executive has this moment arrived, and confirms the landing of
the enemy in Florida. Several intelligent chiefs, whose situation gave them an opportunity of knowing,
state in a report of the 7th, that" the British have taken possession of Pensacola, and given a large
quantity of arms and ammunition to the Seminoliesthat two British ships are at the mouth of the
Appalatchicola, one of 50 guns, the other a smaller vesselthat the enemy are stationed on Deer
island, and have built four houses, one of which is filled with ammunition ; and that a number of
Indians, chiefly Seminolies and Red Clubs, have joined them, to whom a British officer delivered the
following talk:
" I am sent to see whether the Indians were destroyed in their war with the United Statesif not, to
afford them help. I have some supplies, and I give to each town four large casks of powder and some
short muskets. I am directed to hold talks with the Creeks, Cherokees, Choctaws, and Chickasaws.
I have two thousand men. The red people who have been driven from the Tallapoosa must assemble
[and were assembling it is said] between the bay of Pensacola and Appalatchicola. They will
concentrate at Choc,tau,hatchee, and remain ready for further orders. Our plan is to take Mobile,
Perdido, Yellow-water, Choctauhatchee, an island near St. Mary's, an island near Savannah, and that
town, and an island near Charleston at the same time. One of my vessels will sail immediately for
supplies for the red people, and I expect in twenty-five days to receive them, when this plan is to take
effect. In the mean time the Indians can be recruiting their strength, exhausted by repeated wars and
by famine, and be ready to co-operate with their friends the British, who will strike at and occupy all
these places at the same time."
The Prophets observed to the Seminolies in the presence of the Reporters" We have brought our
difficulties on ourselves, without advice from any onethe old chiefs need not expect we will be given
up. We have friends now, and if they attempt to follow us, we will spill their blood. We have lost our
country and retreated to the sea side, where we will fight till we are all destroyedwe are collected, and
find a few more than a thousand warriors left."
It is stated in another report, that the enemy's force does not exceed a thousandthat all the troops,
with the exception of 50, had left the island, but were to return in twenty daysand that only two towns
had received ammunition, the rest refusing to take it.
Col. Hawkins observes in a letter of the 15th to the governor, that lieut. Lewis who commands a
company of spies and guards, informs, that" M'Queen and Francis had delivered themselves as
prisoners to col. Milton. Several hundred of the deluded followers of the prophets have also
surrendered themselves at our military posts, and are fed by order of government."
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