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RAMSAY'S HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA
From ITS FIRST SETTLEMENT IN 1670 TO THE YEAR 1808.
by David Ramsay, M.D. 
Preface dated "Charleston, December 31st, 1808"
1858, by W.J. Duffie, Newberry, S.C.
1959, by The Reprint Company, Spartanburg, S.C. 
Volume I, Chapter IV, pp 54-58

CIVIL HISTORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA.  CHAPTER IV.
Royal Government from 1720 to 1776.
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   Governor Nicholson, who was well acquainted with the manners of savages,
applied himself with great zeal to regulate Indian affairs, and to form treaties
of friendship with the different tribes around the settlement. As most of the
broils between the settlers and the Indians had been occasioned by by the former
taking unauthorized possession of lands claimed by the latter, to prevent future
quarrels from that source, he sent a message to the Cherokees, a numerous and
warlike nation, acquainting them that he had presents to make them and would
meet them at the borders of their territories, to hold a general congress, to
treat of mutual friendship and commerce. They rejoiced at a proposal which
implied they were a free people, and immediately the chiefs of thirty-seven
different towns set out to meet him.
   At this congress the Governor gave them several presents - smoked the pipe of
peace - and afterwards marked the boundaries of the lands between them and the
English settlers. He also regulated all weights and measures, that justice might
be done them in the way of traffic - appointed an agent to superintend their
affairs, and proposed to nominate one warrior as commander-in-chief of the whole
nation, before whom all complaints were to be made, and who was to acquaint the
Governor with every injury done them. After which the Indians returned to their
towns, highly pleased with their generous brother and new ally. The Governor
then proceeded to conclude a treaty of commerce and peace with the Creeks, who
were also at that time a numerous and formidable nation. He likewise appointed
an agent to reside among them, whose business was to regulate Indian affairs in
a friendly and equitable manner, and he fixed on Savannah river as the boundary
of their hunting lands, beyond which, no settlements were to extend.
   The policy respecting Indians had hitherto proceeded on the idea of peace and
commerce with independent neighbors, and seemed to have little more in view than
a share in their superfluous lands and the tranquility of the English
settlements ; but about this time the projects of the French, for uniting Canada
and Louisiana, began to be developed. They had extended themselves northwardly
From the Gulf of Mexico, and eastwardly from the upper parts of the river
Mississippi, and had made many friends among the Indians to the southward and
westward of Carolina. To counteract the views of the French, Great Britain
wished to convert the Indians, on her borders, into allies or subjects. Treaties
of union and alliance with them were therefore deemed proper and necessary. For
this purpose Sir Alexander Cumming was appointed and sent out to conclude a
treaty of alliance with the Cherokees. These Indians occupied the lands about
the head of Savannah river, and backwards among the Apalachian mountains. The
country they claimed as their hunting ground was of immense extent. The
inhabitants of their different towns, were computed to amount to more than
twenty thousand. Of these, six thousand were warriors, fit on any emergency to
take the field. An alliance with such a nation was an object of the highest
consequence, both to Carolina and the mother country ; the latter of which was
now engaged for the defence and protection of the former.
   About the beginning of the year 1730, Sir Alexander Cumming arrived in
Carolina and made preparations for his journey to the distant hills. When he
reached Keowee, about 300 miles from Charlestown, the chiefs of the lower towns
met and received him with marks of friendship and esteem. He immediately
despatched messengers to the middle, the valley, and overhill settlements ; and
summoned a general meeting of all their chiefs, to hold a congress with him at
Nequasee. In the month of April the chief warriors of all the Cherokee towns
assembled at the place appointed. After the various Indian ceremonies were over,
Sir Alexander made a speech to them ; acquainting them by whose authority he was
sent, and representing the great power, and goodness, of his sovereign King
George : how he and all his other subjects paid a cheerful obedience to his
laws, and of course were protected by him from all harm : that he had come a
great way to demand of Moytoy, and all the chieftains of the nation, to
acknowledge themselves the subjects of his King, and to promise obedience to his
authority; and as he loved them, and was answerable to his sovereign for their
good and peaceable behavior, he hoped they would agree to what he should now
require of them. Upon which, the chiefs falling on their knees, solemnly
promised fidelity and obedience, calling upon all that was terrible to fall upon
them if they violated their promise. Sir Alexander then, by their unanimous
consent, nominated Moytoy commander and chief of the Cherokee nation, and
enjoined all the warriors, of the different tribes to acknowledge him as their
King to whom they were to be accountable for their conduct. To this they also
agreed, provided Moytoy should be made answerable to Sir Alexander for his
behavior to them. After which, many presents were made to them, and the congress
ended to the satisfaction of both parties. The crown was brought from Tenassee,
their chief town, which, with five eagle tails and four scalps of their enemies,
Moytoy presented to Sir Alexander, requesting him, on his arrival at Britain, to
lay them at his majesty's feet. But Sir Alexander proposed to Moytoy that he
should depute some of their chiefs to accompany him to England, there to do
homage in person to the great King. Six of them agreed and accompanied Sir
Alexander to Charlestown, where, being joined by another, they embarked for
England.
   Being admitted into the presence of the King they, in the name of their
nation, promised to continue forever his majesty's faithful and obedient
subjects. A treaty* was accordingly drawn up and signed by Alured Popple,
Secretary to the lords commissioners of trade and plantations on one side, and
by the marks of the Indian chiefs on the other. The Cherokees, in consequence of
this treaty, for many years remained in a state of perfect friendship and peace
with the colonists, who followed their various employments in the neighborhood
of these Indians without the least terror or molestation.

»»»»»»»•«««««««

   * The preamble to this treaty recites "That, whereas, the six Chiefs, with
the consent of the whole nation of Cherokees, at a general meeting of their
nation at Nequassee, were deputed by Moytoy, their chief warrior, to attend Sir
Alexander Cumming to Great Britain, where they had seen the great King George:
and Sir Alexander, by authority from Moytoy and all the Cherokees, had laid down
the crown of their nation, with the scalps of their enemies and feathers of
glory at his majesty's feet, as a pledge of their loyalty. And, whereas, the
great King had commanded the lords commissioners of trade and plantations, to
inform the Indians that the English on all sides of the mountains and lakes,
were his people, their friend, his friends, and their enemies, his enemies -
that he took it kindly the great nation of Cherokees had sent them so far to
brighten the chain of friendship between him and them, and between his people
and their people ; that the chain of friendship between him and the Cherokees is
now like the sun which shines both in Britain and also upon the great mountains
where they live, and equally warms the hearts of Indians and Englishmen ; that
as there is no spots or blackness in the sun, so neither is there any rust or
foulness on this chain. And as the King has fastened one end to his breast, he
desired them to carry the other end of the chain and fasten it to the breast of
Moytoy of Telliquo, and to the breasts of all their old wise men, their captains
and people, never more to be made loose or broken.
   The great King and the Cherokees being thus fastened together by a chain of
friendship, he has ordered, and it is agreed, that his children in Carolina do
trade with the Indians, and furnish them with all manner of goods they want, and
to make haste to build houses and plant corn from Charlestown towards the towns
of the Cherokees behind the great mountains. That he desires the English and
Indians may live together as children of one family ; that the Cherokees be
always ready to fight against any nation, whether white men or Indians, who
shall dare molest or hurt the English - that the nation of Cherokees shall, on
their part, take care to keep the trading path clean - that there be no blood on
the path where the English tread, even though they should be accompanied with
other people with whom the Cherokees may be at war. That the Cherokees shall not
suffer their people to trade with white men of any other nation but the English,
nor permit white men of any other nation to build any forts or cabins, or plant
any corn among them upon lands which belong to the great King ; and if any such
attempt shall be made, the Cherokees must acquaint the English Governor
therewith, and do whatever he directs, in order to maintain and defend the great
King's right to the country of Carolina. That if any negroes shall run away into
the woods from their English masters, the Cherokees shall endeavor to apprehend
them and bring them to the plantation from whence they run away, or to the
Governor, and for every slave so apprehended and brought back, the Indian that
brings him shall receive a gun and a watch-coat ; and if by any accident, it
shall happen that an Englishman shall kill a Cherokee, the king or chief of the
nation shall first complain to the English Governor, and the man who did the
harm shall be punished by the English laws as if he had killed an Englishman ;
and in like manner if any Indian happens to kill an Englishman, the Indian shall
be delivered up to the Governor, to be punished by the same English laws as if
he were an Englishman."
   This was the substance of the first treaty between the King and the
Cherokees, every article of which was accompanied with presents. A speech was at
the same time addressed to the Indians, in which they were informed "that these
were the words of the great King whom they had seen and as a token that his
heart was open and true to his children the Cherokees, and to all their people,
a belt was given the warriors, which, they were told, the King desired them to
keep and show to all their people, to their children, and children's children,
to confirm what was now spoken, and to bind this agreement of peace and
friendship between the English and Cherokees as long as the rivers shall run,
the mountains shall last, or the sun shall shine."
   In answer to which Skijagustah, in name of the rest, made a speech to the
following effect: "We are come hither from a mountainous place, where nothing
but darkness is to be found - but we are now in a place where there is light. We
look upon you as if the great King were present - we love you as representing
the great King - we shall die in the same way of thinking - the crown of our
nation is different from that which the great King George wears, and from that
we saw in the tower, but to us it is all one - the chain of friendship shall be
carried to our people - we look upon the great King George as the sun and as our
father, and upon ourselves as his children; for though we are red and you are
white, yet our hands and hearts are joined together. When we shall have
acquainted our people with what we have seen, our children from generation to
generation will always remember it. In war we shall always be one with you - the
enemies of the great King shall be our enemies - his people and ours shall be
one, and shall die together. We came hither naked and poor as the worms of the
earth ; but you have every thing, and we that have nothing must love you, and
will never break the chain of friendship which is between us. This small rope we
show you is all that we have to bind our slaves with, and it may be broken, but
you have iron chains for yours - however, if we catch your slaves, we will bind
them as well as we can, and deliver them to our friends and take no pay for it.
Your white people may very safely build houses near us ; we shall hurt nothing
that belongs to them, for we are children of one father, the great King, and
shall live and die together." Then laying down his feathers upon the table, he
added: "This is our way of talking, which is the same thing to us as your
letters in the book are to you, and to you, beloved men, we deliver these
feathers in confirmation of all we have said."

[To be continued....]

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