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spiked its guns, and retreated to Frederica. With a force amounting to little more than seven hundred men, exclusive of Indians, he could not hope to act but on the defensive, until the arrival of the lingering aid of Carolina. On all sides he detached scouting parties of Highlanders and Indians to watch the motions, harass the outposts, and obstruct the advances of the enemy, while the main body of his troops were employed in strengthening the fortifications of Frederica. The provisions of his garrison were scanty and of indifferent quality; and as the Spaniards possessed the command of the river, all prospects of a farther supply were cut off. Yet hoping for relief from Carolina, Oglethorpe studied to prolong the defence, by concealing every discouraging circumstance from his little army; and in order to animate their perseverance, he cheerfully exposed himself to the same privations and fatigues which the common soldiers endured. This generous policy was attended with its usual success, and sustained the patience of the troops under labors and hardships, which were divested of the appearance of constraint by the voluntary participation of the commander. The Spanish troops now made several attempts to pierce through the woods in order to besiege Oglethorpe's head-quarters, but encountered such stubborn resistance from deep morasses, and dark and tangled thickets, lined with fierce Indians and active Highlanders, that some of them protested impatiently that the devil himself could not make his way to Frederica. In two skirmishes, a Spanish captain and two lieutenants were killed, and a hundred of their men taken prisoners. Encouraged by this ray of success, and learning from an English prisoner who escaped from the Spanish camp, that a disagreement had arisen between the forces from Havanna and those from Augustine, which occasioned a separation of their encampments, Oglethorpe resolved to attempt the daring measure of sallying from his stronghold and attacking the enemy while thus divided. Availing himself of his acquaintance with the woods, he marched in the night, with three hundred of his regular soldiers, the Highland company, and a troop of provincial rangers, in the hope of surprising one of the Spanish camps." Having arrived within two miles of it, he halted his troops, and advanced himself, with a small corps, to reconnoitre the enemy's position; but while he was cautiously manoeuvring to conceal his approaches, one of his attendants, a Frenchman, who had harbored the intention of deserting, seized this opportunity of carrying it into effect; and, discharging his musket to alarm the Spaniards, ran off and gained the shelter of their lines.

This act of treachery defeated the hopes of the assailants, and compelled a hasty retreat to Frederica, where Oglethorpe endeavored to

accomplish by stratagem what he had failed to do by surprise. Apprehensive that his weakness would be discovered to the enemy by the descrter, he wrote a letter to this man, in which he addressed him as a spy in his employ, and instructed him to assure the Spaniards that Frederica was in a defenceless state, and that its garrison might be easily cut to pieces. He pressed him to bring forward the Spaniards to an attack, and, if he could not prevail thus far, to use all his art and influence to detain them at least three days more in their present situation; for within that time, according to advices which had just arrived from Carolina, the Georgian troops would be reinforced by two thousand auxiliaries, accompanied by six British ships of war. The letter concluded with a caution to the deserter against suffering the intelligence of Admiral Vernon's approaching attack upon Augustine to transpire, and with assurance of the amplest récompense that the British king could bestow on him, if he succeeded in preventing the escape of the Spaniards from Georgia. This ingenious production was committed to a Spanish prisoner, who, for a small reward, together with his liberty, undertook to convey it privately to the deserter; but, on rejoining his countrymen, delivered it, as Oglethorpe expected, to the commander-in-chief, who instantly put the deserter in irons. The Spanish officers were not a little perplexed and confounded by the contents of the letter; some shrewdly suspecting it to be a stratagem to prevent an attack on Frederica; and others duped by its literal import, and believing it to convey sincere instructions to direct the conduct of a spy. While they were deliberating on these opposite probabilities, and hesitating what measures to pursue, their counsels were suddenly decided by an incident beyond the calculation of human ingenuity. Three ships, which the governor of South Carolina had at length despatched to Oglethorpe's aid, appeared at this critical juncture off the coast; and an effect, more than proportioned to the power or numbers of this reinforcement, was produced by its opportune arrival. All doubts of the purpose of Oglethorpe's letter were terminated by so palpable a confirmation of its contents. A universal panic was spread through the Spanish army, and nothing was heeded but instant departure. Setting fire to the fort they had built, and leaving behind them a great quantity of artillery, provisions, and military stores, they precipitately embarked in their vessels, and returned to Augustine and Havanna. [July, 1742.]*

Though relieved from foreign danger, Georgia still suffered from internal evils. The colonists complained that the absurd laws kept them from realizing any profit from their productions. Many removed to South

* Grahame.

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Carolina, to be free from such restraints, and the Moravians, being called upon to bear arms, removed to Pennsylvania. Some very remarkable circumstances happened at this time, and threatened the colony with destruction.

MONG the Georgia settlers was a man by the name A of Thomas Bosomworth, a chaplain in the regiment.

of Oglethorpe. It appears that he was an artful and avaricious man. In 1747, he laid a plan, either to destroy the colony or acquire a fortune. Among a number of Indians present at Frederica, in December, was an Indian king by the name of Malatche. Bosomworth suggested to him the idea of being crowned in imperial form by those of his tribe, who were with him: accordingly a paper was drawn up, filled with royal ceremonies, acknowledging Malatche Opiya Meco to be the rightful, natural prince and emperor of the dominions of the Creek Nation; vesting him with powers to make laws, frame treaties, declare war, convey lands, and transact all affairs relating to the nation; binding themselves on the part of their several towns, to abide by and fulfil all

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his contracts and engagements. This paper being signed and sealed by the pretended kings and chiefs, and witnessed in due form, Malatche requested that a copy might be sent over to the king of England, for his sanction, and to have it put on record among the archives of his great ally.

OSOMWORTH had thus accomplished an

important object. He had some time before married Mary Musgrove, a half-breed Indian. He now drew up a deed of conveyance in the common form, from Malatche Opiya Meco, emperor of the Upper and Lower Creek Nations, to Thomas and Mary Bosomworth, of the colony of Georgia, "for and in consideration of ten pieces of stroud, twelve pieces of duffles, two hundred weight of powder, two hundred weight of lead, twenty guns, twelve pair of pistols, and one hundred weight of vermilion; warranting and defending to the said Thomas and Mary, all those tracts of land, known by the names of Hussoope, or Ossabaw, Cowleygee, or St. Catherines, and Sapelo Islands, with their appurtenances, &c., to the said Thomas and Mary his wife, their heirs and assigns, as long as the sun shall shine, or the waters run in the rivers, forever. Signed on the 4th day of the windy moon, corresponding with the 14th of December."

His next object was to induce Mary to claim to be the elder sister of Malatche, and of having descended in a maternal line from an Indian king, who held from nature the whole territories of the Creeks; and Bosomworth now persuaded her to assert her right to them, as superior not only to the trustees, but also to that of the king.

Accordingly, Mary assumed the title of an independent empress. A meeting of the Creeks was summoned, before which she set forth her claims. The Indians became excited through her eloquence, and escorted her towards Savannah to prosecute her claim.

A messenger was despatched to notify the president and council of the royal family's approach. On receiving this intelligence, the council felt embarrassed. Mary was an artful and eloquent woman; the English were few in number, and small their means of defence. The militia were ordered under arms. Captain Noble Jones, at the head of a troop, was despatched to prevent if possible their entrance into Savannah armed. Having met them, he ordered them to stop and lay down their arms. first they refused; but his determined appearance at length prevailed, and they laid aside their arms, upon which Thomas Bosomworth, in his

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At

canonical robes, with his queen by his side, followed by the king and chiefs, marched into the town.

HE inhabitants were struck with terror at the sight of this ferocious tribe of savages. When they advanced up to the parade, they found the militia drawn up under arms to receive them, by whom they were saluted with fifteen cannons, and conducted to the president's house. Bosomworth being ordered to withdraw, the Indian chiefs, in a friendly manner, were requested to declare their intention in paying this visit in so large a body, without being sent for by any person in authority: the warriors, as they had been instructed, answered that Mary was to speak for them, and that they would abide by whatever she said; that they had heard that she was to be sent like a captive over the great waters, and they were come to know on what account they were to lose their queen; that they intended no harm, and begged that their arms might be restored to them; and after consulting with Bosomworth and his wife, they would return and amicably settle all public affairs. To please them, their guns were returned, but strict orders were issued to allow them no ammunition, until the council should see more clearly into their dark designs. On the day following, the Indians having had some private conferences with Mary, were observed, with sullen countenances, to march in a tumultuous manner through the streets, evidencing a hostile temper, apparently determined on mischief: all the men being obliged to mount guard, the women and children were terrified and afraid to remain in the houses by themselves, expecting every moment to be murdered and scalped. During this confusion, a false rumor was circulated, that they had cut off president Stephen's head with a tomahawk, which so exasperated the inhabitants that it was with difficulty the officers could restrain the troops from firing upon the savages: perhaps the exercise of the greatest prudence was never more requisite to save the town from being deluged with blood. Orders were given to lay hold on Bosomworth, to whom it was insinuated that he was marked as the first victim in case of extremities; and he was carried out of the way, and closely confined, upon which, Mary, his beloved queen, became outrageous and frantic, and threatened the thunder of her vengeance against the magistrates, and the whole colony: she ordered all white persons to depart immediately from her territories, and at their peril to refuse; she cursed Oglethorpe, and his fraudulent treaties, and, furiously stamping her foot upon the earth, swore by her Maker, that the whole globe should know that the ground she stood upon was her own. To prevent any ascendency by bribes over

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