was the best behaved of any that had ever been stationed there, and that he was sorry that it was ordered away. His name is Rawlison, one of the signers of the petition. The other case was that of a Mr. Mincy, who found one of his hogs dead near the post, and accused the company of killing it. I asked him if he could produce any evidence of the fact. He replied, he could not. I then asked him how he knew whether the hog was killed by the soldiers or by Mr. Hogan, near whose field he found it. He could make no reply. I then told him, that I did not believe that the soldiers had killed it; that "C" company had been previously stationed in the vicinity of the settlements, and no charge of the kind had ever before been alleged against them; and gave him to understand, that if any depredations were committed by the soldiers under my command, if they could be identified, they should make good the damage. And, so far from being accused heretofore of such offences, the citizens had frequently asserted that "C" was the best company, in this respect, they had ever seen in service. I will further add, that several citizens whose names are appended to this petition, residing near the post, have frequently and voluntarily testified, in my presence, to the orderly and exemplary conduct of the enlisted men of "C" company, and expressed much regret on their removal. It will perhaps throw some light on this subject, to refer to the fact, that the first signer of this petition, and the most influential of their number, has recently been in the service of the United States, and is known to be very anxious to re-enter it. Most of the other signers are similarly interested. The regular troops are in their way; the object can only be effected by their removal. To gain their point, truth and justice are sacrificed. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, EDW. R. LONG, 2d Lieutenant 2d Infantry. I concur in the foregoing statement of Lieutenant Long, and know the facts therein contained, to be correct. Captain S. CASEY, GEO. C. WESTCOTT, 2d Lieutenant 2d Infantry. Commanding "C" Company, 2d Infantry, Fort King, E. F. [Enclosed in the foregoing letter of Captain Casey.] FORT KING, (EAST FLORIDA,) March 22, 1842. SIR: In compliance with your request, I beg leave to submit the following report of a scout under my command, sent out by you from Fort Moniac, East Florida, during the latter part of January or 1st of February last, and which scout is referred to in a communication from Captain A. Jernigan to the Governor of Georgia, dated "Camden county, Georgia, February 10, 1842.” The facts of the case, as near as I can recollect, are as follows: About the time above referred to, Mr. Wrey, the wagon master in charge of the train from the depot at Trader's Hill, arrived about 10 o'clock in the morning, with supplies for the command at Fort Moniac; he having reported to you, that he saw that day in the road, about five or six miles from Moniac, what he supposed to be the track of an Indian crossing the road; and that he had seen, two or three days previous, a track on the south side of the road, near the same spot. As you directed, I immediately started out with six mounted men, to examine the ground and to ascertain the correctness of the report. Mr. Wrey accompanied me to the point where he stated he had discovered the sign. On our arrival there, he showed me the place where he saw the track, but there was so much water in the road that I could see nothing which bore any resemblence whatever to either a moccasin or barefoot track. I examined the road closely, and, after scarching here some time without making any discovery of Indian signs, I left the road, took a northerly course towards the swamp, skirting along the edge of it, and examining the bogs near it for two miles north of the road, not being able to discover a single track; and returned and recrossed the road, taking a southerly direction, and examined in the same manner the country for about four miles south of the road. Here I was also unsuccessful in finding any evidence of the presence of the Indians; and satisfied, after a careful examination, that there were none in the neighborhood, I returned to the post, coming up the north prong of the St. Mary's, and arriving at Moniac a short time after retreat. It may be proper here to add, that it was ascertained on the following day, after the sign was seen by the wagon master, that a citizen passed over the road barefooted, and that it was probably his track which caused the alarm. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Captain S. CASEY, GEO. C. WESTCOTT, 2d Lieutenant 2d Infantry. 2d Infantry, Fort King. No. 16. HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF FLORIDA, Fort King, March 30, 1842. SIR: On the 28th instant, I directed the withdrawal of the depot and garrison at Trader's Hill, in order to adopt a shorter and more economical route of supply, and to give such positions to the companies and their detached camps as would better cover the country, especially any approach to the Georgia border. This arrangement was in no degree influenced by the petition of the citizens of that border to the Governor, much less by his excellency's letter to the Secretary of War of the 10th instant, of which I had no knowledge until yesterday through the public prints. Advised of this correspondence, I should have regarded any withdrawal of the detachments until instructed by the superior authority as premature, and calculated to embarrass the Department on a question of much interest and delicacy. I forward herewith a map, on which is indicated generally the position of the troops, showing (thus A) detached camps. Several official reports are herewith forwarded, of little interest other than as exhibiting the systematic efforts to get up alarms, for very obvious purposes. The recent discharge of a large number of hired persons has, as was anticipated, greatly increased this disposition. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, W. J. WORTH, Colonel commanding. The ADJUTANT GENERAL OF THE ARMY, Headquarters, Washington City. [Enclosed in the foregoing letter of Colonel Worth.] HEADQUARTERS, OCK. AND ST JOHN'S DISTRICTS, Fort Shannon, (East Florida,) March 28, 1842. SIR: I have the honor to report that I arrived here on the night of the 25th instant, from a tour of inspection of the posts on the Georgia frontier. I also extended my ride to North's station, which is 12 miles by land below Fort Gilmer, at what is called Blunt's ferry, in the vicinity of which there are many settlements, and in the midst of them, near the ferry, I have directed Captain McKavett to establish his principal camp. Enclosed you will find a copy of my letter of instructions to him upon the subject. As to Trader's Hill, I would respectfully represent that, beyond the preservation of the depot, there is but little use for troops at that place; and, as matters exist there at present, it may be doubted whether the troops afford that service, inasmuch as the depot is three-quarters of a mile or a mile from the garrison. I would recommend the breaking up of that post, and the removal of the company to Fort Moniac. In the mean time, by establishing a small depot at Black creek, in charge of a subaltern, with a small guard, the troops at Barber's, Fort Moniac, and North's station, might be supplied with much more economy. In my route, I hastened the changes directed by your order, and by this time they have, no doubt, taken place. On my arrival at Fort Gilmer, I found a letter of instructions in the hands of Captain Hunter, conflicting with a portion of the orders, &c., which I had previously seen; and I directed Captain Hunter so to modify as to embrace those instructions, they appearing more recent than any others. Every thing appears to be perfectly quiet on the frontier; and from the number of persons I found travelling through the woods, without any kind of arms whatever, I should not judge there was much fear among the settlers, although, on their representations of the murder on Tom's creek, and their exposed situation, the Governor of Georgia has authorized the mustering of three companies of volunteers into the State service, under Captains Jernigan, Johnson, and North. They were mustered in while I was on the frontier, and are, no doubt, anxious to have the protection of the frontier in their own hands, in order to ensure their pay. I instructed the different officers of the army in their vicinity to be particularly careful not to recognise them by any act whatever. Company D, 8th infantry, at Trader's Hill, is much cut up by details of the assistant quartermaster; it numbered only 19, total, present on the 20th instant, a portion of the company being absent on a scout. Company E, 8th infantry, at Fort Moniac, mustered 70, total, present on the 21st. Company C, Sth infantry, at Camp Brown, mustered 54, total, present on the 24th ; and Captain Hunter's company 2d dragoons mustered 50, total, present, and 43 effective horses, on the 22d. I do not consider any accession of troops on the Georgia line necessary. With what there are, kept detached in small parties and in constant activi ty, as much may be achieved as could be done by a much larger force. Besides, no number of troops that could be stationed there would cause the clamor of the citizens to cease. Many of them are too indolent to work, and are in the habit of raising a clamor in order to be mustered into ser rice, and at the same time petition to have the regular troops removed, the better to ensure the same object. I am, sir, your obedient servant, B. RILEY, Lt. Col.com. the Ocklawaha and St. John's districts. Maj. S. COOPER, No. 17. [Transmitted by Colonel Worth to the Adjutant General.] HEADQUARTERS, ARMY OF FLorida, SIR: On the 28th of March I issued instructions to abandon the position of Trader's Hill (within the limits of Georgia) as a depot, and for withdrawing the garrison to a point within the limits of Florida. It was not until the 31st of that month that I was apprized, through the public prints, of your excellency's correspondence with the honorable Secretary of War, which is presumed to be authentic, intimating wishes and demands with which my action would seem to be a compliance, of course, under instructions from the Government. My sole object in the new disposition simply was to establish a better and more economical covering line, especially in reference to the Georgia border and Florida settlements in that quarter. To guard against any public misapprehension on this subject, I beg to be permitted to assure your excellency that, had I been aware of the published correspondence referred to, no consideration of convenience or expediency could have induced me to adopt a measure seemingly touching an issue which your excellency has been pleased to make with the Federal Government, much less do I presume to discuss that question; and quite as foreign was it from my design thereby to admit the justice or truth of the imputations which your petitioners have attempted to fix upon the soldiership and discipline of the troops and the honor of the officers of this army. My purpose, however, mainly is, in all respect and sincerity, to assure your excellency that, up to this moment, I have not had the honor to receive any instructions touching your demand for a withdrawal of the troops from the State of Georgia. I am, sir, your most obedient servant, His Excellency Governor C. J. McDONALD, W. J. WORTH, Colonel commanding. Milledgeville, Georgia. No. 18. [Enclosed in the foregoing letter of Colonel Worth.] FORT HENDERSON, TRADER'S HILL, GEORGIA, April 3, 1842. SIR: I have caused to be copied from the Federal Union of the 22d ultimo, published at Milledgeville, Georgia, and now, here with, have the • See letter of the Governor of Georgia of March 10, 1842, in the 1st series. honor to transmit, for the inspection of the colonel commanding the army of Florida, a very nervous and denunciatory despatch from the Executive of Georgia to the Secretary of War, requesting the withdrawal of the regular troops from the territory of Georgia, charging upon them misconduct and supineness. Upon this I have to remark, that if it be his excellency's purpose to scandalize, generally, the forces of the United States, I am not unwilling (in such good company) to sink as low as it may be in his power to plunge us; if he refer only to the troops which have heretofore, and until the 26th of February, 1842, garrisoned this post, it is neither my business nor my purpose, by this communication, to herald myself forth as their champion; but if he refer to the troops which I now have the honor to command, and which have been in position here since the above date, then I declare, most positively, that his accusations are wholly destitute of true and sufficient data. It is not, generally, an honorable defence to resort to recrimination; but I have to assure you that the very few and trifling cases of misconduct which have occurred in this command have been promptly and properly noticed, and have arisen, chiefly, from an illicit traffic by the settlers in this vicinity in soldier's clothing and whiskey, which I promise you to suppress, if there is law in the land to do it. I have, in conclusion, briefly to state that, in so far as I am informed, there is no cause whatever for alarm (nor can I learn that there does exist any alarm) from hostile Indians in this neighborhood; and, in order to corroborate this assertion, it is my intention, in the course of the next week, to penetrate and examine the Okefenokee swamp, in two small detachments from Forts Floyd and Norton-the first composed of one sergeant and eight privates, commanded by Second Lieutenant T. S. Johnson, Sth infantry; and the second, of one sergeant, one corporal, and eight privates, commanded by myself, leaving only one sergeant and seven privates for the protection of this post and depot. The two detachments will rendezvous on Floyd's island, and, united, emerge from the swamp via Forts Tatnall and Gilmer, (see map,) and so return to this post via Fort Moniac. Of the result of this operation I shall give you timely advice. I have the honor to be your most obedient servant, R. B. SCREVEN, Captain 8th Infantry, commanding. Major S. COOPER, |