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240 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS
Governor Littleton, who, some days later, finding his army too weak
for a successful attack upon the Cherokees, concluded to make peace
with them and return to Charleston. He, therefore, sent for Atta-
kulla-kulla, a chief whose friendship for the British was of long stand
ing, and with his assistance a peace was concluded on the following
terms, to wit.- Twenty-two Indians were to be held in the fort as host
ages for an equal number of redskins who had been murdering the
whites, and all speed was to be employed in bringing these marauders
to bay.
Governor Littleton then set out for home. But his harsh treatment
of the chiefs still rankled in the breasts of the Cherokee warriors, who,
taking advantage of his departure, besieged the fort and killed out
right fourteen men. However, the fort itself was not taken. Cha
grined at this failure, the Indians resorted to stratagem. Whereupon
Captain Cotymore, with two lieutenants were decoyed beyond the bar
ricade and murdered in cold blood. Incensed at this foul play, the
soldiers within the fort retaliated by attempting to put the hostages in
irons; but one of the Indians, in resisting this indignity, stabbed a
soldier, to avenge which all the Indians were slaughtered.
The Cherokees needed no further goad. With a savage war cry
they descended upon the South Carolina frontier, bearing both torch
and tomahawk. Nor was any resistance offered for weeks, an epidemic
of smallpox .having broken out, in consequence of which the militia
could not be called into action. But Colonel Montgomery was in this
crisis dispatched from New York, with a force of regulars, supported
by seven companies of rangers from North Carolina and Virginia.
Attacking the Cherokees in South Carolina, he burned several towns,
killed men, women and children, in an indiscriminate slaughter, and
finally drove the remaining savages to the shelter of the mountains,
where an effort to follow them drew him into an ambuscade, from which
he was fortunate enough to escape. Returning to Charleston, he thence
embarked for New York.
Meanwhile, on August 7, 1760, the garrison at Fort Loudoun,
reduced to the point of starvation, was forced to capitulate. It was
stipulated in the terms of surrender that the garrison was to be trans
ferred to Fort George, but on the first night of the journey a party of
Indians waylaid the soldiers and those who escaped death were taken
back as prisoners to Fort Loudoun. The Cherokee war had assumed
serious proportions.
We have gone thus fully into particulars because the whole of upper
Georgia was at this time occupied by the Cherokees and the future
course of events in the province was to some extent affected. Since this
crimson holocaust was the result of Governor Littleton's folly in dealing
with the Indians, it will only serve to bring into clear relief the supe
rior tact, humanity and wisdom of Governor Ellis and to emphasize how
fortunate it was for Georgia that at this time—in the hour of her weak
ness—she was served by such a man—one whose policy was to befriend,
not to mistreat, the savage tribes of the forest. Throughout all this
period of bloodshed not a settler in the province of Georgia was attacked.
Oglethorpe was beyond the seas, but in his place was one who breathed
his spirit—an Ellis. • - '