Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/268

 256 An Account vf the Cheerake Nation.

numerous party of his adherents kept palling, and repaying, from thence to the bloody theatre. They were there, as their loud infnlting bravadoes teftified, during our two before-mentioned campaigns, under the Hon. Col. Montgomery, and Major Grant. The wife endeavours of Governor Bull, of South-Carolina, and the unwearied application of Governor Ellis, of Georgia, in concert with the gentlemen of two great trading houfes, the one at Augufta, and the other on the Carolina fide of the river, not far below, where the Indians crowded day and night, greatly contributed to demolifh the plan of the French and their ally, the Great Mortar.

When public fpirit, that divine fpark, glows in the breaft of any of the American leaders, it never fails to communicate its influence, all around, even to the favages in the remoteft wildernefs j of which Governor Ellis is an illuftrious inftancc. He fpeedily reconciled a jarring colony calmed the raging Mufkohge, though fet on by the milchievous Alebdhma French, pacified the Cheerake, and the reft of their confederates fent them off well pleafed, without executing their bafe defign, and engaged them into a neutrality. The following, is one inftance As foon as the Indians killed our traders, they fent runners to' call home their people, from our fettle- ments : a friendly head warrior, who had notice of it at night, near Au gufta, came there next day with a few more, exprefled his forrow for the mifchief his countrymen had done us, protefted he never had any ill inten tions againft us, and faid that, though by the law of blood, he ought to die, yet, if we allowed him to live as a friend, he mould live and die one. Though thoufands of regular troops would moft probably have been totally cut off, had they been where the intended general mafifa- cre began, without an efcortment of our provincials -, yet an unfkilful, haughty officer of Fort-Augufta laboured hard for killing this wairror, and his companion, which of courfe, would have brought on what the enemy fought, a complicated, univerfal war. But his excellency's humane tem per, and wife conduft, actuating the Indian trading gentlemen of Augufta, they fuffered him to fet off to ftrive to prevent the further effufion of in nocent blood, and thus procured the happy fruits of peace, to the infant olonies of Georgia and South-Carolina.

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