Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/263

 An Account of tie Cheerake Nation. 251

vage war, and in cafe of an ambufcade attack, were utterly incapable of Handing the (hock. In Georgiana, we were allured by a gentleman of cha racter, a principal merchant of Mobil!?, who went a voluntier on that expedition, that toward the conckifion of it, when he went round the delicate camp, in wet weather, and late at night, he faw in different places from fifteen to twenty of their guns in a clufter, at the diftance of an equal number of paces from their tents, feemingly fo rufty and peaceable, as the lofs of them by the ufual fudden attack of Indian favages, could not in the leaft affect their lives. And the Cheerake nation were fenfible of their inno cent intentions, from the difpofition of the expedition in fo late a feafon of the year : but their own bad fituation by the ravaging fmall-pox, and the dan ger of a civil war, induced the lower towns to lie dormant. However, foon after our people returned home, they firmly united in the generous caufe of liberty, and they acted their part fo well, that our traders fufpected not the impending blow, till the moment they fatally felt it : fome indeed efcaped. by the affiftance of the Indians. In brief, we forced the Cheerake to be-/- come our bitter enemies, by a long train of wrong mealures, the confe- quences of which were feverely felt by a number of high affeffed, ruined, and bleeding innocents May this relation, be a lading caution to our co lonies againft the like fatal errors ! and induce them, whenever neceflity compels, to go well prepared, with plenty of fit ftores, and men, againft any Indian nation, and firft defeat, and then treat with them. It concerns us to remember, that they neither mew mercy to thofe who fall in their power, by the chance of war -, nor keep good faith with their enemies, unlefs they are feelingly convinced of its reafonablenefs, and civilly treated after ward.

Had South-Carolina exerted herfelf in due time againft them, as her fitua tion required, it would have faved a great deal of innocent blood, and pub lic treafure : common fenfe directed them to make immediate preparations for carrying the war into their country, as the only way to conquer them ; but they ftrangely neglected fending war-like ftores to Ninety-fix, our only barrier-fort, and even providing horfes and carriages for that needful occa- fion, till the troops they requefted arrived from New-York : and then they fent only a trifling number of thofe, and our provincials, under the gal lant Col. Montgomery, (now Lord Eglington). His twelve hundred brave, hardy highlanders, though but a handful, were much abler, however, to

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