No Silver Arm Bands for Attakullakulla's men
That's all this is about. Silver arm bands. We are covering the year of 1758 in this year of 2022. We run into a request by a Cherokee leader for silver arm bands for himself and his men.
See the silver arm band on the forward leaning Indian?
This is a Robert Griffing painting.
This particular painting titled "Unconquered" shows an Indian sporting a silver arm band.
But none for Attakullakulla. No silver arm bands for Little Carpenter's (Attakullakulla) men.
He wanted them from Charleston.
None in Charleston, then styled Charles Town in South Carolina.
Now just wonder about that?
Charleston is rich with commerce, rich from the slave trade, rich from the indigo plantations. And they got no silver arm bands for the Cherokee?
So maybe that silver was more available elsewhere --- like from the industrious citizens of Pennsylvania?
We wonder if there was a paucity of silver arm bands, that their existence was not so widespread.
That's it.
That's our lead story.
Below is some research on evidence of those silver arm bands, and silver wrist bands, and gorgets.
And further below is Little Carpenter's long trip to Charleston ending with no silver arm bands.
Skip around.
Read bits and pieces.
Compiled and researched by Jim Moyer researched in April and May 2022,
posted 6/7/2022 on wix site
but backdated for April 10, 2022
Silver for the Indians
PENNSYLVANIA MAGAZINE - Journals by HE Gillingham · 1934
https://journals.psu.edu › article › download PDF
Just when the giving of silver ornaments to the Indians started is a mere matter of conjecture.
Arthur Woodward, in a manuscript for the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation, entitled "The Use of Silver Ornaments among the Indians East of the Mississippi" states that it was about 1730 that the American colonists first introduced silver ornaments among the Indians.
One of the earliest records
thus far obtained of silver ornaments being used by the Indian traders is to be found in Conrad "Weiser's Journal under date of September 21, 1750, giving an account of his journey to Onondaga with a message from Thomas Lee of Virginia to the Indians: Mr. Camerhoff made answer that he gave to Canasatego.
16: Silver Armbands to wear above the Elbow and
17 dito to wear under the Elbow about the Wrest, a quantity of Silver Erings
Several Silver Neckloath [necklaces],
two broad pieces of wrote [wrought] Silver to be divided among the Indians as Conasatego pleased.
Our next record is obtained from the Papers of the Ohio Company
where is a list of goods " Taken by a French Commanding officer and 30 men" from James Young and John Frazier, on the east side of Lake Erie, November 24, 1750.
Among a long list of articles taken is:
To 6 Dozn . of Silver Broches at 13s pr.Doz11 . £3.18.0
To 9 large Silver Crosses at 4/6 p.piece 2. 0.6
To 6 Braceletts at 10s p.piece 3. 0.0
To 4 Hair Plates at 1£ p.piece 4. 0.0
To 4 Arm bands at £1.2s.pr do 4.8. 0
Again on July 3,1754, John Fraser lost at the battle of Great Meadows
the following:
4 Groce Silver Broaches @ 7.4.0 £28.16.0
3 Dozen Silver hair Plates @1.0.0 36. 0.0
6 Ditto Ditto Wrist bands @ 4.4.0 25. 4.0
3 Ditto Ditto Arm bands @1.0.0 36. 0.0
We also find that under date of April 24, 1756,
William Trent and George Croghan sent the following goods to Venango, in care of Samuel Arsdale:
50 Dozen of Silver Broches @12 £ 30
20 Silver Arm bands @25 £ 25
20 Womens Hair Plates @20/ £20
Among the goods sent up the river to Kentucky in 1756,
which were destroyed by the "Chipewas and Frenchmen" were:
14 Dozen Silver Broches @12/ £ 8
12 Silver Arm Bands @20/ £ 12
12 Womens Silver Hair Plates @20/ £ 12
It will be noted that the prices of these pieces varied at the different posts.
In Sir William Johnson's Journal of September 17, 1761,
he said " I counted out and delivered to Mr. Croghan some silver work, viz.,
150 Earbobs,
200 brooches or breast buckles,
and 90 large crosses, all of silver, to be sent to Ensign Gorrel".
Unfortunately, none of these entries give us any clue
as to which of the many silversmiths of Philadelphia made these articles,
nor whether they were imported from England.
And there was much Indian silverwork imported from London, as will be shown later on.
Source:
PENNSYLVANIA MAGAZINE - Journals by HE Gillingham · 1934 https://journals.psu.edu › article › download PDF
More Sources:
Metallic ornaments of the New York Indians by Beauchamp, William Martin, 1830-1925 Publication date 1903
An Illustrated Handbook of Indian Arms:
Being a Classified and Descriptive ... by Indian Museum , Wilbraham Egerton Egerton Publication date 1880 Publisher W.H. Allen
Little Carpenter's
Long trip to
Charleston SC
.
Before Little Carpenter arrives in Charleston on April 10, 1758, he attacks the French and Chippewas on the Mississippi in the Fall of 1757.
He got two Scalps to present to Gov Lyttleton of SC in Charleston:
Then Little Carpenter goes to Charleston, known as Charles Town back then.
And Little Carpenter is also known as Attakullakulla with different spellings.
The Silver Arm bands were requested.
But the request was denied.
See end of blue text below.
Blue text from Pages 144-146 of The Cherokee Frontier, Conflict and Survival 1740-1762, by David H Corkran, published by University of Oklahoma Press 1962, paperback published 2016
But the Little Carpenter was to find that In Charlestown times had changed.
[William] Lyttelton [Gov of SC] had accepted the ascendancy of Superintendent [Edmond] Atkin in Indian Affairs and regarded his own role as but secondary. The Superintendent had commissioned Colonel William Byrd of Virginia to treat with the Cherokees for auxiliaries.
The Carolina trading interest had ceased opposing Cherokee participation in the Virginia campaigns; for the the Carolina assembly had vote 20,000 pounds to underwrite rewards to Cherokees returning from service in Virginia, the goods to be purchase from the traders and their suppliers.
[ Footnote for that statement refers to March 21, 1758 Amherst papers.
We are still looking for that expenditure authorized by the South Carolina Assembly.
What we found so far is the one enacted 19 May 1758, agreed to by William Henry Lyttelton, Gov of SC.
The act shows expenditures to pay for Fort Loudoun (in today's Tennessee) and for the traders and for soldiers.
But nothing is earmarked directly to the Cherokee.
Look at page 53 (95) to page 73 (115), in VOLUME 4, 1752 to 1786 Statues of South Carolina.]
This statesman like measure relieved the credit difficulties of important traders and mitigated the hardships Cherokee families experience when their men were too long at war to do much hunting.
[ This could be interpreted as charitable spin favoring the White colonists.
The actual bill and money really went to the traders, not the Cherokee.
But such a bill did quiet down the traders' objections to the Cherokee going north to help on the Forbes Expedition.]
Though the policy appears to have grown from his proposals of the year before, the Little Carpenter himself was not wanted in Charlestown.
Colonel Byrd, going tardily up the path to commence his in the nation, met the Second Man on his way down and attempted to convince his that he would much more useful to the English if he retuned to the nation or went to Virginia; but the Indian would not be convinced. However, to show Byrd his good will, he promised to go to Virginia on his return and detached sixty of his warriors to accompany the colonel to Keowee. Then he continued his way to the colony's capital.
On April 10 [1758], uninvited and unwanted, he entered Charlestown.
[ Meanwhile other Cherokee were just arriving on 12 April 1758 at Fort Loudoun Winchester VA. For that story see this link:
Diplomatically concealing his thoughts, the Governor received the Cherokee with all the honors due a visiting potentate.
While cannons thundered and kilted regulars lined the streets, a red-coated column escorted the proud and painted headman to the council house.
He deserved well of the English, and to remind them of it, he bore a pole from which dangled the scalps to two Frenchmen he had killed in his Mississippi raid.
Eager to speed his return, Lyttelton greeted him with a show of warmth and proceeded immediately to inquire his business.
Conscious that he confronted a bargaining vacuum, the Little Carpenter could on speak for himself and his personal services. Not altogether disingenuous, he spoke of the return of the Great Tellico to friendship and presented White beads for Keowee to wipe away the memory of the black beads that town had sent to wipe away the memory of the black bead that town had sent earlier. He stressed the importance of his services against Fort de l'Assomption, which he pictured as a threat to Fort Loudoun [in territory then claimed by SC, but today sits in Tennessee], and he promised to expose French agents who came to the nation. ten, as usual, he made demands.
They [the demands] were minor;
ammunitions for the Overhills,
a remedy for trader Elliott's continued unregeneracy,
silver arm bands for each of his men.
Results of the visit?
Lyttelton, unwilling to be troubled further by Cherokee affairs, said he had already sent sizable amounts of ammunition to the forts for Cherokee use.
Petty trade complaints should be made only to the commanders of the forts, and all other Cherokee troubles should be taken to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Edmund [Edmond] Atkin.
Finally, however, faced with the problem of obtaining Attakullaculla's [this is Little Carpenter and his name has different spellings] French prisoners, he promised to remove the incorrigible Elliott and to to give the Indian the ammunition he desired.
The Little Carpenter then attempted to exchange the Frenchmen for two Negro slave to take their places helpers for his wife. But Carolina law forbade the giving or selling of slaves to the Indians.
Nor could his request for silver arm bands be met;
there weren't enough silversmiths in Charlestown to the job.
He had to be content with a wagonload of ammunition and a heap of sundry presents, a bare sufficiency to indicate English good will.
Lyttelton honored him with a review of the Charlestown militia and the regular garrison; and he returned to the nation apparently ready to to the Virginia wars.
[Lt Col Adam Stephen and Captain George Mercer, each heading 2 companies of the Virginia Regiment on loan to South Carolina, might have been there for this visit by Attakullakulla.
Shortly after Attakullakulla's appearance in Charleston 10 April 1758, both Virginia Regiment Companies returned to Virginia.
Adam Stephen is in Fredericksburg VA 22 April 1758.
Adam Stephen then arrives in Winchester VA 3 May 1758.
Attakullakulla [Little Carpenter] left in May 1758 to back to the Cherokee Nation.
.
Sources:
Blue text from Pages 144-146 of The Cherokee Frontier, Conflict and Survival 1740-1762, by David H Corkran, published by University of Oklahoma Press 1962, paperback published 2016
Black text are notes by Jim Moyer, compiler of this blog.
Lt Col Adam Stephen writes to Col George Washington 22 April 1758 from Fredericksburg VA
See letter:
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