Page:The History of the American Indians.djvu/332

 320 An Account of the Choktah Nation.

of the Mufkohge, that I found it neceflary to confent that the fcalps fhould be fent with the other trophies, in a Mufkohge white deer-fkin, to the French fort at the diftance of feventy miles, to be buried deep in the ground, inftead of fending them by the Choktah runners, to his excellency the governor of South-Carolina, who had engaged me to drive to open a trade with thofe Indians. Thefe opulent and mer cenary white favages being now dead, I fhall not difgrace the page with their worthlefs names. Soon after we had reached the Chikkafah country, Red Shoes came to pay us a friendly vifit, accompanied with a great many head-men and warriors, both to be relieved in their poverty, and to con cert the beft meafures of ftill annoying the common enemy. We behaved kindly and free to them, to their entire fatisfaftion, and fent confiderablc prefents to many head-men who (laid at home, in confirmation of our ftrong friendfhip, acquainting them of our various plans of operation againft 'the enemy, IR defence of their lives, freedom, and liberty of trade, in which 'the Englim and Chikkafah would faithfully fupport them. Every thing was delivered to them according to our intention, and as kindly re ceived. And as all the Indians are fond of well-timed novelty, efpeci- ally when they expect to be gainers by it, the name of the friendly and generous Englim was now echoed, from town to town, except in thofe few which had large penfions from the French.

In the beginning of the following fpring, which was if 47, above fifty- warriors from feveral towns of the Mufkohge, came to the Chikkafah coun try, on their way to war againft the Aquahpah Indians, on the weftern fide of the Miffifippi, one hundred and fifty miles above the Nahchee old fields. By our good treatment of them, and well-timed application, they joined a body of Chikkafah warriors under Payah Matahah^ and made a fleet of large cyprefs-bark-canoes, in which they embarked under the direction of three red admirals, in long pettiaugers that had been taken from the French, as they were pafling from New Orleans up to the Illinois. They pro ceeded down the Miflifippi to the French fettlements, and attacked and burned a large village at break of day, though under the command of a ftockade-fort ; from which the Chikkaiah leader was wounded with a grape-mot in his fide. On this, as they defpaired or" his life, according co their univerfal method in fuch a cafe, they killed moft of their unfortu nate raptives on the weftern bank of the Miflifippi, and enraged with J fury,

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