Doves v Hawks South Carolina

Who are the doves and the hawks before the first of 3 Expeditions launches to punish the Cherokee nation for not giving up those who murdered settlers in last several months.

Who's for war

Miltia Muster

South Carolina militia draft is taking place 12 Oct 1758. Pastor Archibald Simpson described the day's events from Prince William Parish: "Early this Morning an Alarm was fired by the discharge of three muskets at every dwelling place in this Province" Men grabbed their firearms and rushed to designated muster grounds. There, Simpson, added, "the one half were draughted and ordered to be in readiness at an hour warning to march against the Indians." The draft and the impending war confirmed the millenarian spirit of the times.

"We seem a people ripe for judgement," Simpson added.

Private Investors

Many with a vested interest in the lucrative 50,000 deerskin annual trade wanted it to resume.

Page 6 and Page 72, The Cherokee Frontier, Conflict and Survival 1740-1762, by David H Corkran, published by University of Oklahoma Press 1962, paperback published 2016

To further their interests they made loans to Governor Lyttelton of £45000.

Page 72 Carolina in Crisis: Cherokees, Colonists, and Slaves in the American .Southeast 1756-1763 By Daniel J. Tortora, published by the University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2015.

Help asked of Virginia

Prior to the Lyttelton Expedition going bad. Lyttelton asks Virginia to stop it's shipment of it promised supplies to the Cherokees. This stops the circumventing of his Embargo of blackpower and other supplies put in effect since 14 Aug 1759. This supply train stopped and sat in Salisbury NC.

He also sends a letter to Virginia House of Burgesses for help with from the Virginia Regiment. The House of Burgesses does vote on 8 Nov 1759 to send SOME of its Virginia Regiment troops who are currently stationed in Pittsburg, helping the building of a great fort there.

Cherokee for continuing hostilities

The Cherokee nation was split. Those who wanted peace went to Charles Town to plea for it. Those who did not trust South Carolina kept urging the Creek and Choctaw to join them against South Carolina. But the Creek liked the support and trade from the Georgia colony. And the Choctaw did too and even joined Lyttelton's expedition.

Who's Against War

SC Commons House of Assembly members Opposing

Speaker Benjamin Smith reported, "Some think there was no necessity for the Expedition." Lyttelton might have kept the embargo in place "till ample Satisfaction was made."

The embargo on black powder has been in effect since 14 Aug 1759.

Christopher Gadsen predicted war would be "attended with the greatest Evils and Calamities, and be productive of the most dangerous and even fatal Consequencess."

The Commons House did not supply all the requests desired by Crown appointed Governor Lyttelton. The Commons house did supply pay for troops until 1 Jan 1760. The Commons House prohibited the Governor from leading those troops outside the colony's borders.

55 Cherokee against continuing hostilities

On 19 Oct 1759 the peace train of 55 Cherokees crowded into the South Carolina Common Council Chamber in Charles Town SC. Gov Lyttelton and his advisors were there too.

It all went bad from there.

Page 73

Carolina in Crisis: Cherokees, Colonists, and Slaves in the American .Southeast 1756-1763 By Daniel J. Tortora, published by the University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2015.

The eleventh session 22nd Commons House of Assembly - 1757 to 1760 met from October 4th to October 13th in 1759. So this meeting with the Cherokees had to have been a special session, being 6 days after they adjourned their 11th session.

Divided Council

The South Carolina 8 man Council was the upper chamber to the Commons House of Assembly.

The South Carolina Council met twice to review the accounts of Cherokee violence. Four voted to conduct the expedition "as proposed." The four others voted "for keeping a certain number of Indians now in Town as Hostages till the Cherokee Nation should make the satisfaction to be demanded."

That afternoon [21 Oct 1759], the Governor summoned the Cherokees. He harangued them for the violence of the past 11 months. Peace would be restored, and trade goods would flow again, but first he would march to Cherokee country to secure the "murderers."

Oconostota attempted to speak, but [Governor] Lyttelton abruptly terminated the conference. In so doing, he ignored not just the Cherokee but also one of his own: Councilman William Bull II.

Bull had extensive experience in Indian diplomacy and was also the commander of the Charles Town Regiment of Horse. He urged Lyttelton to hear Cherokee "Proposals for Satisfaction, which the Indians then in Town were contriving to propose."

Lyttelton instead sent the Indians away under an armed guard. The Cherokees would march with the army -- as hostages.

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Carolina in Crisis: Cherokees, Colonists, and Slaves in the American .Southeast 1756-1763 By Daniel J. Tortora, published by the University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 2015.