Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

DEBATES OF CONGRESS. 333 FEBRUARY, 1825.] Georgia Militia Claims. [H. OF R. order, "must be left to the provisions of the country. Such were the Oakmulgee expedition Constitution of the United States." The au- under General Twiggs, in June, 1793, which thorized claims, amounting to $13,159 63, may, consisted of about 750 horse and foot; the detherefore, be considered as founded on the struction of the Oakfuskee village, by Col. services of the one hundred horse and one Melter, in September, who had under his comhundred foot, ordered by the Secretary; and mand about eighty-eight officers and men; the the unauthorized claims, amounting to $123,375 detachment of 125 men, who marched under 66, are those which grew out of the discretion the orders of Major Brenton, against the Little which the Executive of Georgia exercised under Chehaw village, on Flint River; and several the presumed instructions of the Secretary of others of less note, which were made by volWar, or the provisions of the constitution. unteer parties of militia. It has been supAs the ground assumed by the committee, in posed that these expeditions have operated as their report, is the one so often taken, that these objections to admitting the militia claims. claims have been finally settled under the treaty Although they might have been irregular, it of cession, Mr. IH. said he would not go into a is certain that some of the detachments who minute recapitulation of the correspondence, to were then in service, afforded great security to show that the unauthorized claims were always the peaceable inhabitants on the frontiers." considered as liable to objection, in consequence If a portion of these unauthorized claims of a belief, on the part of the General Govern- comprised expeditions involved in these excurment, that the Governor of Georgia had not ex- sions into the enemy's territory, contrary to ercised a proper discretion in calling out troops, the express orders of the President, it may well the levies of which were, at times, unjustifiably be supposed, said Mr. H., that very serious large and frequent, and, consequently, entailing difficulty would have been made by the Govunnecessary expense on the United States. If ernment as to their admission. But these cirany proof were wanting of this fact, it is to be cumstances form not the only objections which found in the letter of the 22d February, 1794, were entertained as to the validity of the in which the Secretary of War informs the Gov- claims in question. Both from Col. Freeman's ernor of Georgia " that a body of militia had report, and the correspondence between the been kept up, on the frontiers of Georgia, dur- Governor and Col. Gaither, who commanded ing a greater part of the last year, greatly ex- the Federal troops, it appears that the militia ceeding the number, which, according to the were sometimes embodied without that atteninformation received at the War Office, would tion to the forms of service which were reseem to have been required by the state of quired, which led to some unpleasant conflicts things in that quarter." This number was of authority between Col. Gaither and the represented from 1,000 to 1,200; and, in this State functionaries. It is evident, from the communication, the secretary employs the cau- letters of this officer, that he did not conceive tion of reverting again to the force which the that any serious invasion of the Indians was President considered adequate to the defence threatened, but merely predatory incursions, of Georgia, which he was willing to consider and, in November, 1792, he thinks even a as raised and continued in the service by his less force than that designated by the Secretary authority, viz: 100 horse and 100 foot. of War, would be sufficient for the protection But this was not the only exception which of the frontiers; that is, two troops of cavalry, was probably taken to the claims. The cor- instead of 100 horse and 100 foot. That the respondence between the Federal and State militia of Georgia were assembled with irreguauthorities, as well as the report of Col. Free- larity, is highly probable, from another fact man, discloses the fact that, notwithstanding which appears in the correspondence between the peremptory instructions of the Govern- Col. Freeman and Major Gaither, in their rement of the United States, that the Indian spective letters of the 17th and 19th October, territory was not to be invaded, that incursions 1793. The former makes an application to the did take place, which induced the Secretary of latter, " to appoint some fit and proper person War, in his letter to Col. Freeman, of the 5th to muster and inspect the militia," to which of September, 1793, to order him "not to con- Major Gaither replies: "Yours of the 17th cur in any measures, at the expense of the inst. I have received, and declare to you, if United States, for invading the Creeks." And, there are any militia in arms under the authorin relation to the facts in connection with this ity of the United States, in Georgia, I am branch of the subject, Col. Freeman says, in ignorant thereof. When I received your inhis report on the unauthorized claims made to structions from the Secretary of War, I wrote the War Department, on the 25th of October, immediately for information, which I daily ex1802, " the periods in which these unauthorized pect to receive, and for that reason wish to claims are made, are particularly marked in the postpone the mustering the militia of Georgia, history of that State, for misunderstandings until I am properly informed. As there are between the Creeks and the frontier settlers. difficulties which nmay arise in this business, it There were faults on both sides. The Indians is highly necessary it should be delayed." were continually stealing horses, murdering, Mr. H. said that he had thus, as compendiousand doing other injuries to the inhabitants, ly as possible, endeavored to show, that these who, in retaliation, made incursions into their unauthorized claims had probably been sus

Pages

About this Item

Title: Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.
Author: United States. Congress.
Canvas: Page 333
Publication: New York, [etc.]: D. Appleton and company [etc.]; 1857-61.
Subject terms: United States -- Politics and government

Technical Details

Collection: Making of America Books
Link to this Item: https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ahj4053.0008.001
Link to this scan: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/moa/ahj4053.0008.001/335

Rights and Permissions

These pages may be freely searched and displayed. Permission must be received for subsequent distribution in print or electronically. Please go to http://www.umdl.umich.edu/ for more information.

IIIF

Manifest: https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/api/manifest/moa:ahj4053.0008.001

Cite this Item

Full citation: "Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856." In the digital collection Making of America Books. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/ahj4053.0008.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 21, 2025.

Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856.

Annotations Tools

Actions

About this Item

Technical Details

Rights and Permissions

Related Links

IIIF

Cite this Item