Andrew Jackson Learns of the Chehaw Affair

On April 23, 1818, Captain Obed Wright ordered the Georgia militia under his command to attack a Chehaw village in southwest Georgia, resulting in the slaughter of villagers. In this letter, Brigadier General Thomas Glascock reports what he has learned about the encounter to his superior officer, General Andrew Jackson. Written a week after the incident, this account of the Chehaw Affair is important for both its description of how 230 militiamen killed "seven men...one woman and two children" and its role in shaping Jackson's response to the massacre.

The affair was especially shocking because the Chehaw, a faction in the larger nation of Creek Indians, were American allies in the First Seminole War. A month before Wright's attack, General Jackson's weary soldiers sojourned in the village while traveling from Tennessee to Florida. The local chief, referred to as "Major Howard" by the whites, fed and provisioned the men. Subsequently, many Chehaw warriors joined Jackson's troops to help pursue the Seminoles. Glascock was again seeking out their hospitality when he learned of the massacre: "I sent...Robinson...to procure Beef[.] on his arriving there the Indians had fled every direction[,] the Chehaw Town having consumed about four days before..."

There is no definitive account the massacre. Historians agree that Wright burned the village and, as Glascock recounts here, viciously murdered innocent men, women, and children. But there were conflicting reports of how many perished, ranging from as little as seven to as many as fifty; Glascock cites ten. The question of why Wright ordered the attack -- whether he was genuinely suspicious or willfully ignorant of the allegiance of Major Howard's town -- also remains unanswered. As Glascock explains, Captain Wright earlier learned of a skirmish between white settlers and the Chehaw led by chiefs Philemma and Oponee, after which he "immediately sent or went to the Governor and obtained orders" to raze their towns.

Glascock narrates Wright's terrible misjudgments as he followed those orders. Captain Ebenezer Bothwell declined to join the party because he had "no doubt of the friendship of the Indians," noting a gesture of friendship by Oponee that Wright interpreted as "mock patriotism." After capturing a young Chehaw, Wright did not oblige his offer to "bring any of the Chiefs for the Capt to talk with." Instead, he "ordered the Cavalry rushed forward and commenced the massacre[.] even after the firing and murdering commenced maj. Howard...came out from his House with a white flag in front of the line. it was not respected...he fell and was Bayoneted."

News of the massacre enraged Jackson. The act was both shamefully disloyal and extremely dangerous, threatening to turn the friendly Chehaw, who Glascock described as "at a loss to know the cause of this displeasure of the white People," into enemies. Jackson responded by sending a copy of this letter to Georgia's Governor William Rabun, along with his own scathing critique of the "cowardly and inhuman attack on the old women and men of the Chehaw Villages..." (see GLC00782.11.01). The incident instigated a conflict between Rabun and Jackson in which they clashed over how to discipline Wright, who avoided prosecution by the state and fled before the federal inquiry preferred by Jackson could be arranged.



Bibliography:

Heidler, David Stephen and Jeanne T. Heidler. Old Hickory's War: Andrew Jackson and
the Quest for Empire. Baton Rouge, LA: Lousianna State University Press, 2003.

Remini, Robert V. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Empire, 1767-1821.
New York: Harper & Row, 1977.

GLC00782.11.03 Thomas Glascock to Andrew Jackson

For more information or to obtain copies, contact Ana Ramirez-Luhrs at reference@gilderlehrman.com or call (212) 787-6616 ext. 209.

Fort Early 30 April 1818

Sir

I have the pleasure to inform you that my command has safely reached this place having suffered some [little] for the want of meat the Gods have proved equally propitious to us on our return as on our advance at [?ee]kasuskic some of my [men] were nearly out of corn and searching about some old houses that had not been consumed to see if they could make any discovery in entering one of them to their great astonishment and surprise they came a cross the man who was lost from Captain [Patkins] Company on the 2d day of April. it appears from his statement that he was taken with a sort of cramp and was unable to move and became senseless. when he recovered he became completely bewildered and never could reach the Camp. he therefore concluded it was prudent to secret himself in some Swamp and after wandering about for some time came across a parcel of Corn on which he subsisted until we found him - he was very much reduced and apparently perfectly wild on that Night Gray struck a trail pursued it about a mile and a half came to a small hut which fortunately contained 50 or 60 bushels of Corn and some potatoes and peas which enabled us to reach the [Flint] opposite Chehaw Village, when arriving within 30 miles, I sent on Brig Robinson with a detachment of 20 men to procure Beef on his arriving there the Indians had fled in every direction the Chehaw Town having consumed [2] about four days before by a party of men consisting of 230 under a Capt Wright now in command of Hartford it appears that after he assumed the Command of that place he obtained the Certificates of several men on the frontier that the Chehaw Indians were engaged in a skirmish on the big bend he immediately sent or went to the Governor and obtained orders to destroy the Towns of [Philemme] and [Oponce], two Companies of Cavalry were immediately ordered out and placed under his command, and on the 22d he reached this place, he ordered Capt Bothwell to furnish him with 25 or 30 men to accompany him having been authorised to do so by the Governor, the order was complied with Capt Bothwell told him that he could not accompany him, himself disapproved the plan and informed Capt Wright that there could be no doubt of the friendship of the Indians in that quarter and stated that [Oponce] brought in a public House that had been lost that day, this [illegible] nothing, mock patriotism burned in their Breasts they crossed the River that Night and pushed for the Town when arriving near there an Indian was discovered grasing some Cattle he was made a prisoner by Sergt James, that the Indian immediately proposed to go with the Interpreter and bring any of the Chiefs for the Capt to talk with, it was not attended to an advance was ordered the Cavalry rushed forward and commenced the massacre even after the firing and murder commenced maj Howard an old Chief who persisted [3] on with considerable Corn came out from his House with a white flag in front of the line. it was not respected. an order for a general fire was given, and nearly 400 guns were fired at him before one took effect he fell and was Bayoneted. his son was also killed. these are the circumstances relative to the transaction. seven men were killed one woman and two Children, since then three of my command who were left at Fort Scott obtained a furlough and on their way to this place one of them was shot in endeavoring to get a Canoe a cross the [Flint] I have sent on an express to the Officer commanding Fort Scott approving him of the affair and one to Adjt Porter to place him on his guard on my arrival opposite Chehaw I sent a runner to get some of them in I succeeded in doing so they are all at a loss to know the cause of this displeasure of the white People. Wolf has gone to the Agent to have it ensured until we obtained from them a sufficient supply of beef to last to Hartford at which place I am informed there is a plentiful supply of provision.

I have the honor to be
very Respectfully
Yours
Thos Glascock
Brig Genl G M

Maj Genl Andrew Jackson

Heidler, David Stephen and Jeanne T. Heidler. Old Hickory's War: Andrew Jackson and
the Quest for Empire, 2003.

Remini, Robert V. Andrew Jackson and the Course of American Empire, 1767-1821, 1977.

Schlesinger, Arthur. Age of Jackson, 1945.

Sellers, Charles. The Market Revolution: Jacksonian America 1815-1846, 1991.

White, Richard. It's Your Misfortune and None of My Own: A New History of the American West, 1993.