its quality, not exceeding five shillings per acre. Land courts were opened in September at Augusta; and at the confluence of Broad and Savannah rivers, where captain Thomas Waters' company was garrisoned in fort James. A town was soon after laid off at this fort called Dartmouth, now Petersburgh; and several plantations were opened in its vicinity.

During the session of the assembly in Savannah in September, a law was passed, forming the tract of country between the Alatamaha and St. Mary's rivers, into four parishes, to be known by the names of St. David, St. Thomas, St. Patrick and St. Mary. These parishes were afterward represented in the provincial legislature, according to their population. The other provinces had appointed agents to the court of Great Britain, to represent their wants and wishes, and to remonstrate against such acts of the crown, as had become oppressive to the American colonies, and to oppose the introduction of any new species of taxation at variance with the constitution. Many of the provinces had confided this trust to doctor Benjamin Franklin, and during the session abovementioned, he was appointed for the same purposes from this province, and a fund was appropriated to meet the expenses of the mission. Gray Elliott, an inhabitant of this province, was appointed to act as an assistant to doctor Franklin, and to communicate the wishes of the assembly in person. He was also vested with the same

powers which had been confided to doctor Franklin, in case of his absence, or of vacancy in the office to which he had been appointed.

These measures did not meet with the approbation of governor Wright, as this duty was specially confided to the executive, and properly became his business: he did not, however, feel disposed to irritate the public mind, by an interference with what was claimed, and generally believed to be a constitutional right; therefore, he only advised another course, which, he said, would be more likely to succeed.

When the peace of the county was disturbed by Indian warfare, it was generally to be attributed to the improper conduct of the Indian trading-houses, and persons in their employ. An extensive trading-house had been established at Pensacola, under the firm of Panton and Lessly; and it was believed, that their interest prompted them to cherish the evil disposition of the Indians, toward the people of Georgia, and to draw the Indian trade from this province to their own establishIt was suggested to governor Wright, that that house had offered rewards for scalps of the people of Georgia; and that in consequence, of such reward being proffered, several scalps were actually taken from the head of one white Governor Wright remonstrated against this abominable and inhuman practice, and it was afterward discontinued.

ment.

man.

The Quakers, who had been driven from their settlements on the south side of Little river in 1751, had returned to their farms, and had made considerable progress in agriculture. These people are valuable inhabitants of a country in a state of peace, but the most useless in time of war. The settlements on the ceded lands, on Ogechee, and north of Little river, increased in numbers beyond the most sanguine expectation; but in January, they were invaded by a party of Creek Indians, who attacked Sherrill's fort, in which there were five white men, three negro men and twelve women and children. About nine o'clock in the morning, the Indians approached secretly, and fired upon the people, where they were at work on the fort. Sherrill and two others fell on the first fire; the remainder retreated into the houses, where they were encouraged to make good their defence, by the bravery and example of one of the negro men, who rushed out upon an Indian and shot him through the head. The Indians set fire to the fort and houses in three plaees, but fortunately it was extinguished. Two men of the neighbourhood heard the firing, and approached so near the fort as to be discovered by the Indians, and were pursued, but they escaped and gave notice of the attack to captain Barnard, who collected about forty men and advanced to their relief. Barnard attacked the Indians in the rear, and compelled them to retreat into a swamp. In the fort, seven persons

were killed, and five wounded.

Five Indians

were killed, but the number wounded was not known, as they were carried off by their compa

nions.

A few days afterward a skirmish took place, in which twenty-five white men were engaged against one hundred and fifty Indians. Grant, Weatherford, Hammond and Ayers, were killed, and one man wounded, who died next day at Wrightsboro'. The Indians burned several forts and houses, which had been abandoned by the inhabitants. Captain Few and lieutenants Williams and Bishop, collected a party of men and buried the bodies of those who were slain in the recent action. Lieutenant Samuel Alexander, collected a few militia and pursued a small party of Indians, who were separated from the main body, and on the succeeding day, attacked and defeated them: two Indians were killed. Colonel Rae, who was an agent of Indian affairs, threatened Alexander with punishment for having taken such rash measures without authority; but on being fully informed of the circumstances, he was convinced of the necessity of them. He conjectured that when the whole of these transactions were explained to the Chiefs of the nation, they would view the provocation in its proper light, and acquiesce in the justness of the retaliation."

This unexpected invasion of the settlements on the ceded lands, occasioned the settlers to retreat to places of greater security. On the Savan.

1

nah and Little rivers, they constructed forts for the lodgment of their families and moveable property, and for places of retreat for the men in the event of being driven from their farms, on which they performed their labour in companies for mutual safety.

Mr. George Galphin, a principal agent for Indian affairs, despatched a messenger to the chiefs of the nation, to ascertain whether they were determined on war, or disposed to peace; and to demand the reasons for the recent unprovoked attack. The chiefs disavowed the authority of the attack; and declarations of their pacific dispositions, toward the people of Georgia, were returned by the messenger.

The Indian chief, called the big Elk, who was the leader of the savages in the attack on Sherrill's fort, finding that his own nation was not disposed for the war, went to the Cherokees, and invited them to join him against the white people. The Cherokees declined the invitation. In returning home, that chief, and his party, killed and scalped three white men. About the last of March, the head Turkey, a chief of the upper Creeks, accompanied by two other chiefs and an Indian trader, visited the lower towns to prevail on them to make peace with Georgia. He obtained their consent to visit the governor and make propositions. On his way, at Augusta, he was murdered, by one Thomas Fee, in revenge for a relation of his who had been murdered by the Indians, on