Peace Train loses to War Train --- it will drag in Virginia
War plans on the white side are ramping up. South Carolina Governor Lyttlelton's Expedition will be the first of three to attack Cherokee country. Lyttelton had made up his mind early in October 1759 to raise this Expedition.
Expedition Start
This Expedition does not launch until 31 Oct 1758.
page 75
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.
It launches only after the Cherokee peace group arrives in Charles Town SC. and that was 17 Oct 1759.
Page 180 The Cherokee Frontier, Conflict and Survival 1740-1762, by David H Corkran, published by the University of Oklahoma Press 1962).
After several days of talks Gov Lyttelton decides to take this peace train of 55 Cherokees as hostage to take along with him as a human shield in his expedition to the Cherokee nation, with either the objective of taking the 21 Indians who murdered white settlers or to attack the nation and extract those murderers.
He rejects the idea that was presented to a previous Governor, Glen, who decided to take up the offer and that was to allow the Cherokee to attack the French and give them French scalps in lieu of the Cherokee who murdered English settlers.
He had a pen but he didn't have a phone.
And apparently he didn't need a phone because Lyttelton decided to ignore the limited financing from the SC Commons Council.
He got more financing from private investors.
He decided to ignore the warning of opposing Common Council members.
He ignored the Cherokee's deerskin proffer of peace and decided instead to hold this peace train hostage.
He decided in favor of forgiveness instead of permission, so no higher British authorities were consulted.
In October 1759 Lyttelton declared war on the Cherokee nation. He did so In the face of a divided council, of Commons unwilling to vote sufficient funds and a Cherokee delegation patently bent on peace. He threw conciliation to the winds by abducting two sets of Cherokee deputies and marched on the Lower Towns with a quarter of the militia of the province. Yet this expedition was Incapable of forcing the Cherokees to accept the will of South Carolina. Underfunded, undermanned, undersupplied and eventually ravaged by smallpox and desertion, it failed even to bring the Cherokees to action. Having concluded a treaty too humiliating for the undefeated nation to keep, he returned to Charleston In hollow triumph. There can be no doubt that Lyttelton’s ill-considered war and the subsequent massacre of his hostages at Fort Prince George ensured savage reprisals against the South Carolina frontier, and went far to make peace unattainable for a further two years. The most anyone has found to say about this debacle is that South Carolina succeeded in spreading the cost!
Peace and War on the Anglo-Cherokee Frontier, 1756–63 pp 69–112 by John Oliphant
Chapter 31 Lyttelton’s Folly: How the Anglo-Cherokee War Began
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Compiled by Jim Moyer Sept and Oct 1759, updated last 10/17/23, 10/20/23, 10/21/2023, 10/29/23
Table of Contents
Background
The embargo on black powder has been in effect since 14 Aug 1759. "Facing Hunger, exposure, and debt," on 25 Sept 1759, "Ostenaco and Oconostota, and 18 Indians went to Fort Prince George to demand the ammunition." Think about that quote. Hunger? They do not have blackpowder to hunt. Exposure and Debt? The extra hunting to provide deerskins to the white traders in a 50,000 deerskin trade a year in Charles Town SC provides them clothing. The debt is from the upfront credit white traders give the Indians before the Indians can provide the deerskins. And how much blackpower and supplies given each Indian is based on how many deerskins they produced last time. All this needs is blackpowder and other supplies, new muskets, hatchets, knives, clothing. But why give the Indians blackpower after all the recent raids on white settlements? And yet not giving the blackpowder invites all out war.
Does this parallel modern day world problems?
The Peace Train
"Affairs here are blacker than my Pen is able to paint them," writes Lt Coytmore, commander of Fort Prince George. From various points the following leading warriors began their trek to Charles Town SC (now Charleston) on 2 Oct 1759: Oconostota and Osteneco joined Wawhatchee, Serowah of Estatoe and a crowd of Lower Towns (55) people to head towards Charles Town. Three days later on 5 Oct 1759, Tistoe and the Wolf with a few others went down the path to Charlestown too. "Also on 5 Oct 1759, Round O of Stecoe, on his way with trader Aaron Price to buy hunting ammunition at Fort Ninety-Six, stopped at Fort Prince George and was persuaded to follow the mission to Charlestown.The presence of Women and Children indicated their peaceful intentions. "
Ostenaco, though, changed his mind. He didn't trust this peace mission. He went back home.
Page178
The Cherokee Frontier, Conflict and Survival 1740-1762, by David H Corkran, published by the University of Oklahoma Press 1962).
Other Cherokees over the last few months and even now are still exploring Creek assistance to help the Cherokee if war comes.
DOVES VS HAWKS
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 Council 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.
Sources and Quotes
page 71-72 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.
Page 172 The Cherokee Frontier, Conflict and Survival 1740-1762, by David H Corkran, published by the University of Oklahoma Press 1962).
22nd Commons House of Assembly - 1757 to 1760
Chapter 31 Lyttelton’s Folly: How the Anglo-Cherokee War Began byvJohn Oliphant
Lyttelton Bio
Fort Lyttelton in Pennsylvania is named after his older brother. George Lyttelton.
Before Lyttelton could assumed his duties as Governor of SC, he was captured by the French on the high seas on his way to SC.
William Lyttelton, 1st Baron Lyttelton, was Governor of SC from 1755 to 1760, when he was appointed Governor of Jamaica.
He was appointed envoy-extraordinary to Portugal in 1766.
Painting of Lyttelton is circa 1755-1760 which describes his likeness best around this time. See link: https://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/353068
Great details of the Lyttelton disastrous expedition covered here.
More links:
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Paying for the Lyttelton Expedition after the fact
July 1760
897. An Act for raising and granting to his Majesty the sum of one hundred and sixty-three thousand seven hundred and ten pounds six shillings and one penny farthing, and applying seventeen thousand four hundred 112 An Act for raising and granting to his Majesty the sum of two hundred and forty-six thousand six hundred and ninety-three pounds two shillings and five pence, which, with seventy thousand pounds, (granted for his service by the Tax Act) makes three hundred and sixteen thousand six hundred and ninety-three pounds two shillings and five pence, to de- fray the expence of the late expedition against the Cherokee; Indians, and other charges since incurred by prosecuting the war against the said Indians, and protecting the back settlements of this Province, and appointing Commissioners for stamping and signing Public Orders for the more easy and expeditious issuing of the said sum, and providing a fund for sinking the said Public Orders in five years, by a general tax and assessment on the Estates, real and personal, of the inhabitants and others interested in this Province...... .....113 ...
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