Untitled - the Digital Library of Georgia

476 GEORGIA AND GEORGIANS
of the rude people to which they relate; yet it may be that, when ran
sacked and studied hereafter, in distant times, they will furnish to some
child of genius yet unborn both material and inspiration for an immortal
Indian epic of which the world will not tire."
Under the pro-consular sway of Colonel Hawking the Creek Indians
for years enjoyed an unbroken peace among themselves and with the
people of Georgia. Much was done to encourage them in the arts of
civilization. They were taught pasturage and agriculture, and these
supplanted in a measure dependence upon hunting and fishing as chief
sources of food. He sought to win them by example as well as by pre
cept. He brought his slaves from North Carolina, .and, under the right
conceded to his office, he cultivated a large plantation at the agency,
making immense crops, especially of corn. He also reared great herds
of cattle and swine, and having thus ,an abundance he was enabled to
practice habitually toward the Indians a profuse though coarse hos
pitality and to bind them to him by loyal ties of friendship. The sanctity
with which the Indians throughout the nation regarded his cattle was
pronounced. "Whatever bore his mark or brand was absolutely safe.
Milk was measured by barrels and churned by machinery, and great
were the outcomes; yet not more than enough for his vast hospitality to
whites and Indians and his regal munificence to his negroes. Says Col
onel Chappell: '' Plad the great pastoral bards of antiquity not sung
and died before his day they could have seized upon these scenes and
celebrated them in strains more wonderful than anything to be found
in the charming bucolics which they have left us."
But at length there arose adverse influences so powerful that it was
impossible for Colonel Hawkins with all his weight of authority among
the Indians to maintain peace in the nation. The War of 1812 began
to stir the embers. Great Britain, through her numerous emissaries
among the Indians, by liberal supplies of arms, and by other means at
her command, had been fomenting hostility among the northwestern
tribes, toward the United States; and, succeeding along the border, she
next directed her attention to the southern and western tribes. The
eloquence of the famous Indian warrior Tecumseh was enlisted; and
since he was himself of Creek lineage he succeeded in arousing the resi
duum of suppressed enmity and in kindling the hostile fires. Still it
speaks in attestation of the influence of Colonel Hawkins that a large
portion of the Creek territory, viz., the rich domain between the Ocmul-
gee and the Chattahoochee, was never the seat of war.
This exemption was due to the fact that the official residence' of
Colonel Hawkins, having been first on the Ocmnlgee, opposite Macon,
and afterwards on the Flint at the place still called the "Old Agency,"
his personal influence was here much greater than further to the west ;
and the Indians within this belt became the fast friends and allies of
the whites. For the purpose of protecting them the friendly warriors
organized themselves into a regiment of which Colonel Hawkins became
the titular head but he never took the field in person, deeming it wiser
to place the actual command upon the noble chief, "William Mclntosh.
Like McGilliyray, the latter was only of the half-blood in the civilization
of lineage but he was of the whole blood in the loftier and finer traits
of character. The result was that the few hostile Indians scattered