tions; these were confined in a small hut not more than sufficient for the comfortable accommodation of six soldiers. The small-pox broke out in the governor's camp, his men became dissatisfied and mutinous, and the governor was obliged to return to Charleston. The rejoicings on his return were scarcely ended, when hostilities were recommenced by the Indians, who were dissatisfied with the conditions of the treaty, and denied the powers of the few chiefs who had framed it: fourteen men had been killed within a mile of fort Prince-George: the Indians had contracted an invincible antipathy to captain Coytmore who commanded in the fort the imprisonment of their chiefs had converted their desire for peace into the bitterest rage for war. Occonostota, a chieftain of great influence, had become a most implacable and vindictive enemy: he collected a strong party of Cherokees, surrounded the fort, and compelled the garrison to keep within their works, but finding he could make no impression on them, nor oblige the commander to surrender, he contrived the following stratagem for the relief of his countrymen, confined in it as hostages: as the underwood was well calculated for his purposes, he placed a party of savages in a dark cane-brake by the river side, and then sent an Indian woman whom he knew to be always welcome at the fort, to inform the commander that he had something of consequence to communicate to him, and would

be glad to speak to him at the river side: captain Coytmore imprudently consented, and without any suspicion of danger walked to the river, accompanied by lieutenants Bell and Foster: Occonostota appeared on the opposite side, and told him he was going to Charleston to procure the release of the hostages, and would be glad of a white man to accompany him as a safe-guard; the better to cover his design, he had a bridle in his hand, and added that he would go and hunt for a horse: the captain replied that he should have a guard and wished he might find a horse, as the journey was very long, and performing it on foot would be fatiguing and tedious: upon which the Indian turned quickly round, swung the bridle rouud his head as a signal to the savages placed in ambush, who instantly fired upon the officers, shot the captain dead upon the spot, and wounded the other two; in consequence of which, orders were given to put the hostages in irons, to prevent any farther danger from them: but while the soldiers were attempting to execute these orders, the Indians stabbed with a knife, the first man who laid hold of them, and wounded two more, upon which the garrison, exasperated to the highest degree, fell upon the unfortunate hostages and butchered them in a manner too shocking to relate.

There were few men in the Cherokee nation that did not lose a friend or relation by this massacre; and therefore with one voice all declared for war.

The leaders in every town seized the hatchet, telling their followers that the spirits of their murdered brothers were hovering around them, calling out for vengeance on their enemies. From the different towns large parties of warriors took the field, painted according to their custom, and arrayed with all their instruments of death, shouting the war-whoop and burning with impatience to imbrue their hands in the blood of their enemies: they rushed down among innocent and defenceless families on the frontiers, where men, women and children, without distinction, fell a sacrifice to their merciless fury: such as fled to the woods and escaped the scalping knife, perished with hunger, and those whom they made prisoners, were carried into the wilderness, where they suffered inexpressible hardships: every day brought fresh accounts of these desolating ravages. In this extremity, an express was sent to general Amherst, the commander in chief in America, acquainting him with the deplorable situation of the southern provinces, and imploring his assistance in the most pressing terms.

Ac

cordingly a battalion of Highlanders, and four companies of the royal Scots, under the command of colonel Montgomery, were ordered immediately to embark at New York, and sail for the relief of Georgia and Carolina. Application was made to the neighboring provinces of NorthCarolina and Virginia for relief, and seven companies of rangers were raised to patrol the fron

tiers, and prevent the savages from penetrat ing farther down among the settlements. A considerable sum was voted for presents to such of the Creeks, Chickesaws and Catabaws, as should join and go to war against the Cherokees; provisions were sent to the families that had escaped to Augusta, and fort Moore, and the best possible preparations made for chastising the enemy, as soon as the regulars expected from New York should arrive.

In April, 1760, colonel Montgomery landed in Carolina: great was the joy in the province of Georgia upon the arrival of this gallant officer; but as the conquest of Canada was the grand object of this year's campaign in America, he had orders to strike a sudden blow for the relief of the southern provinces, and return to head quarters at Albany without loss of time; nothing was therefore omitted that was judged necessary to forward the expedition. Soon after his arrival he marched to the Congarees in South-Carolina, where he was joined by the military strength of that province, and immediately put his little army in motion for the Cherokee country. Having but little time allowed him, his march was uncommonly spirited and expeditious: after reach. ing Twelve Mile river, he encamped on an advantageous ground, and marched with a party of his men in the night, to surprise Estatoe, an Indian town about twenty miles from his camp: the first noise he heard by the way, was the barking of a

dog before his men, where he was informed there was an Indian town called little Keowee, which he ordered his light infantry to surround, and, except women and children, to put every Indian in it to the sword. Having done this piece of service, he proceeded to Estatoe, which he found abandoned by all the savages, excepting a few who had not time to make their escape. The town which consisted of two hundred houses, and was well provided with corn, hogs and poultry, was reduced to ashes. Sugar-town, and every other settlement eastward of the Blue Ridge, afterwards shared the same fate. In these lower towns about sixty Indians were killed, forty made prisoners, and the rest driven to seek for shelter among the mountains. Having finished this business with the loss of only three or four men, he marched to the relief of fort PrinceGeorge, which had been for some time invested by savages, insomuch that no soldier durst venture beyond the bounds of the fort, and where the garrison was in distress, not so much for the want of provisions, as fuel to prepare them.

While the army rested at fort Prince-George, Edmund Atkins, agent of Indian affairs, despatched two Indian chiefs to the middle settlements, to inform the Cherokees, that by suing for peace they might obtain it, as the former friends and allies of Britain: at the same time they sent a message to fort Loudon, requesting captains Demere and Steuart, the commanding officers at