mons, a worthy magiftrate, and the officer of the militia in that quarter, found it neceffary to iffue his warrants for levying the penalty of the laws upon them. But by this time Judith Dutartre, the wife the prophet obtained by revelation, proving with child, another warrant was iffued for bringing her before the juftice to be examined, and bound over to the general feffions, in confequence of a law of the province, framed for preventing baftardy. The conftable having received his warrants, and being jealous of meeting with no good ufage in the execution of his office, prevailed on two or three of his neighbours to go along with him. The family obferving the conftable coming, and being apprized of his errand, confulted their prophet, who foon told them that God commanded them to arm and defend themselves against perfecution, and their fubftance against the robberies of ungodly men; affuring them at the fame time that no weapon formed against them should profper. Accordingly they did fo, and laying hold of their arms, fired on the conftable and his followers, and drove them out of their plantation. Such behaviour was not to be tolerated, and therefore Captain Simmons gathered a party of militia, and went to protect the conftable in the execution of his office. When the deluded family faw the juftice and his party approaching, they shut themfelves up in their houfe, and firing from it like furies, fhot Captain Simmons dead on the fpot, and wounded feveral of his party. The militia returned the fire, killed one woman within the houfe, and afterwards forcibly entering it, took the rest prifoners, fix in number, and brought them to Charlestown.

At the Court of general feffions, held in September 1724, three of them were brought to trial, found guilty and condemned. Alas! miferable creatures, what amazing infatuation poffeffed them! They pretended they had the Spirit of God leading them to all truth, they knew it and felt it: but this fpirit, inftead of influencing them to obedience, purity, and peace, commanded them to commit rebellion, inceft, and murder. What is still more astonishing, the principal perfons among them, I mean the prophet, the father of the family, and Michael Boneau, never were convinced of their delufion, but perfifted in it until their last breath. During their trial they appeared altogether unconcerned and fecure, affirming that God was on their fide, and therefore they feared not what man could do unto them. They freely told the incestuous story in open court in all its circumftances and aggravations, with a good countenance, and very readily confeffed the facts refpecting their rebellion and murder, with which they ftood charged, but pled their authority from God in vindication of themfelves, and infifted they had done nothing in either cafe but by his express command.

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As it is commonly the duty of clergymen to vifit perfons under fentence of death, both to convince them of their error and danger, and prepare them for death by bringing them to a penitent difpofition; Alexander Garden, the epifcopal minifter of Charlestown, to whom we are indebted for this account, attended thofe condemned perfons with great diligence and concern. What they had affirmed in the court of juftice, they repeated and confeffed to him in like manner in the prifon. When he began to reafon with them, and to explain the heinous nature of their crimes, they treated him with disdain. motto was, Anfwer him not a word; who is he that fhould presume to teach them, who had the Spirit of God speaking inwardly to their fouls. In all they had done, they faid they had obeyed the voice of God, and were now about to fuffer martyrdom for his religion. But God had affured them, that he would either work a deliverance for them, or raife them up from the dead on the third day. These things the three men continued confidently to believe, and notwithstanding all the means used to convince them of their mistake, perfifted in the fame belief until the moment they expired. At their execution they told the fpectators with feeming triumph, they should foor fee them again, for they were certain they fhould rife from the dead on the third day.

With respect to the other three, the daughter Judith being with child, was not tried, and the two fons, David and Joht Dutartre, about eighteen and twenty years of age, having been alfo tried and condemned, continued fullen and referved, in hopes of feeing those that were executed rife from the dead; but being disappointed, they became, or at least feemed to become, fenfible of their error, and were both pardoned. Yet not lag. afterwards one of them relapfed into the fame fnare, and murdered an innocent perfon, without either provocation or pe vious quarrel, and for no other reafon, as he confefled, but that God had commanded him fo to do. Being a fecond ime brought to trial, he was found guilty of murder and condemned. Mr. Garden attended him again under the fecond fentence and acknowledged, with great appearance of fuccefs. N man could appear more deeply fenfible of his error and delufn, or could die a more fincere and hearty penitent on accoun of his horrid crimes. With great attention he liftened to M. Garden, while he explained to him the terms of pardon að falvation propofed in the Gospel, and feemed to die in thhumble hopes of mercy, through the all-fufficient merits a Redeemer.'

Thus ended that tragical fcene of fanaticifm,n which feven perfons loft their lives, one was killed, two ere murdered, and four executed for the murders. A figil and me

lancholy

1752.

nce of the weakness and frailty of human nature, giddy heights of extravagance and madness, an inagination will carry unfortunate mortals.'

his we fhall fubjoin the following entertaining relation congrefs between Governor Glen and the Creek Indians in

About the year 1752 the flames of war broke out among fome Indian nations, which threatened to involve the province of Carolina in the calamity. The Creeks having quarrelled with their neighbours for permitting fome Indians to pafs through their country to wage war against them, by way of revenge had killed fome Cherokees nigh the gates of Charlestown. A British trader to the Chickefaw nation had likewise been fcalped by a party of warriors belonging to the fame nation. Governor Glen, in order to demand fatisfaction for the fe outrages, fent a meffenger to the Creeks, requefting a confer ence at Charlestown with their leading men. The Creeks returned for answer, that they were willing to meet him, but as the path had not been open and fafe for fome time, they could not enter the fettlement without a guard to escort them. Upon which the Governor fent fifty horfemen, who met them at the confines of their territories, and convoyed Malatchee, with above ar hundred of his warriors, to Charlestown.

As they arrived on Sunday, the Governor did not summon hs council until the day following, to hold a congrefs with At this meeting a number of gentlemen were prefent, whom curiofity had drawn together to fee the warriors and hear their speeches. When they entered the council-chamber the Governor arofe and took them by the hand, fignifying that he was glad to fee them, and then addreffed them to the folloving effect: " Being tied together by the most folemn treaties I call you by the beloved names of friends and brothers. In te name of the great King George, I have fent for you, on bufiefs of the greatest confequence to your nation. I would have eceived you yesterday on your arrival, but it was a beloved'ay, dedicated to repofe and the concerns of a future life. I am rry to hear that you have taken up the hatchet, which I fatted myself had been for ever buried. It is my desire to have th chain brightened and renewed, not only between you and the hglish, but alfo between you and other Indian nations. You areall our friends, and I could wish that all Indians in friendshipwith us were alfo friends one with another. have comlained to me of the Cherokees permitting the northern Indianto come through their country to war against you, and fupplyng them with provifions and ammunition for that purpofe. The Cherokees, on the other hand, allege, that it is not in the power to prevent them, and declare, that while

You

their people happen to be out hunting, thofe northern Indians come into their towns well armed, and in fuch numbers that they are not able to resist them.

"I propose that a treaty of friendship and peace be concluded first with the English, and then with the Cherokees, in fuch a manner as may render it durable. Some of your people have from fmaller crimes proceeded to greater. Firft, they waylaid the Cherokees, and killed one of them in the midst of our fettlements; then they came to Charlestown, where fome Cherokees at the fame time happened to be, and though I cautioned them, and they promised to do no mischief, yet the next day they affaulted and murdered feveral of them nigh the gates of this town. For these outrages I have fent for you, to demand fatisfaction; and alfo for the murder committed in one of your towns, for which fatisfaction was made by the death of another perfon, and not of the murderer. For the future, I acquaint you, that nothing will be deemed as fatisfaction for the lives of our people, but the lives of thofe perfons themselves who fhall be guilty of the murder. The English never make treaties of friendship but with the greatest deliberation, and when made obferve them with the strictest punctuality. They are, at the fame time, vigilant, and will not suffer other nations to infringe the smallest article of fuch treaties. It would tend to the happiness of your people, were you equally careful to watch against the beginnings of evil; for fometimes a small spark, if not attended to, may kindle a great fire; and a flight fore, if suffered to spread, may endanger the whole body. Therefore, I have fent for you to prevent farther mischief, and I hope you come difpofed to give fatisfaction for the outrages already committed, and to promise and agree to maintain peace and friendship with your neighbours for the future.'

This fpeech delivered to the Indians was interpreted by Lachlan M'Gilvray, an Indian trader, who understood their language. After which Malatchee, the king of the Lower Creek nation, ftood forth, and with a folemnity and dignity of manner that aftonished all prefent, in answer, addressed the Governor to the following effect: "I never had the honour to fee the great King George, nor to hear his talk-But you are in his place I have heard yours, and I like it well-Your fentiments are agreeable to my own-The great King wifely judged, that the best way of maintaining friendship between white and red people was by trade and commerce :-He knew we are poor, and want many things, and that skins are all we have to give in exchange for what we want-I have ordered my people to bring you fome as a prefent, and, in the name of our nation, I lay them at your Excellency's feet-You have fent for us-we are come to hear what you have to fay-But I did not expect to hear our whole nation accufed for the faults of a REV. Dec. 1779. few

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few private men-Our head-men neither knew nor approved of the mifchief done-We imagined our young men had gone a-hunting as ufual-When we heard what had happened at Charlestown, I knew you would fend and demand fatisfactionWhen your agent came and told me what fatisfaction you required, I owned the justice of it-But it was not adviseable for me alone to grant it-It was prudent to confult with our be loved men, and have their advice in a matter of fuch importance-We met-we found that the behaviour of fome of our people had been bad-We found that blood had been fpilt at your gates-We thought it just that fatisfaction fhould be made-We turned our thoughts to find out the chief perfons concerned; (for a man will sometimes employ another to commit a crime he does not chufe to be guilty of himfelf)-We found the Acorn Whiftler was the chief contriver and promoter of the mischief-We agreed that he was the man that ought to fuffer-Some of his relations, who are here prefent, then faid he deferved death, and voted for it-Accordingly he was put to death-He was a very great warrior, and had many friends and relations in different parts of the country-We thought it prudent to conceal for fome time the true reafon of his death, which was known only to the head-men that concerted it—We did this for fear fome of his friends in the heat of fury would take revenge on fome of your traders-At a general meeting all matters were explained-The reasons of his death were made known-His relations approved of all that was done.-Satiffaction being made, I fay no more about that matter-I hope our friendship with the English will continue as heretofore.

"As to the injuries done to the Cherokees, which you spoke of, we are forry for them-We acknowledge our young men do many things they ought not to do, and very often act like madmen-But it is well known I and the other head warriors did all we could to oblige them to make reftitution-I rode from town to town with Mr. Bofomworth and his wife to affift them in this matter-Moft of the things taken have been restored— When this was over, another accident happened which created fresh troubles-A Chicke faw who lived in our nation, in a drunken fit fhot a white man-I knew you would demand fatiffaction-I thought it beft to give it before it was afked-The murder was committed at a great diflance from me-I mounted my horfe and rode through the towns with your agent-I took the head-men of every town along with me-We went to the place and demanded fatisfaction-It was given-The blood of the Indian was fpilt for the blood of a white man-The uncle of the murderer purchafed his life, and voluntarily killed himfelf in his fiead-Now I have done-I am glad to see you face to face to fettle thefe matters- -It is good to renew treaties

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