When Oglethorpe landed at Yamacraw Bluff, he was greatly aided in
his efforts to conciliate the Indians by the wife of John Musgrove, a
half-breed woman whose Indian name was Coosaponakesee. She was known by
the colonists as Mary Musgrove, and her friendship for the whites was
timely and fortunate. She was Oglethorpe's interpreter in his first
interview with Tomochichi. She was very friendly and accommodating,
giving aid to Oglethorpe and his colony in every possible way. Finding
that she had great influence, and could be made very useful to the
colonists, Oglethorpe employed her as interpreter, and paid her yearly
one hundred pounds sterling, which in that day was equal to a great deal
more than five hundred dollars; but Mary Musgrove earned all that was
paid her, and more. She used all her influence in behalf of the whites.
She aided in concluding treaties, and also in securing warriors from
the Creek nation in the war that occurred between the colonists and the
Spaniards who occupied Florida.
General Oglethorpe had a sincere friendship for Mary Musgrove, and his
influence over her was such that she never refused a request he made.
If Oglethorpe had remained in Georgia, it is probable that the curious
episode in which Mary took a leading part would never have occurred.
Oglethorpe left Georgia on the 23d of July, 1743, and never returned.
John Musgrove died shortly afterwards, and Mary married a man named
Matthews, who also died. She then married a man named Thomas Bosomworth,
who had been chaplain to Oglethorpe's regiment. In 1743, before
Oglethorpe's departure, Bosomworth had been commissioned to perform all
religious and ecclesiastical affairs in Georgia. Previous to that he had
accepted a grant of lands, and had taken up his abode in the Colony. He
appears to have been a pompous and an ambitious person, with just enough
learning to make him dangerous.
Before Mary Musgrove married Bosomworth she had never ceased to labor
for the good of the Colony. No sacrifice was too great for her to make
in behalf of her white friends. It is true, she had not been fully
paid for her services; but she had faith in the good intentions of
the government, and was content. In 1744, a year after Oglethorpe's
departure from the Colony, Mary married Bosomworth, and after that her
conduct was such as to keep the whites in constant fear of massacre and
extermination.
In 1745, Thomas Bosomworth went to England and informed the trustees
of the Georgia Company that he intended to give up his residence in the
Georgia Colony. The next year he returned to Georgia, and violated
the regulations of the trustees by introducing six negro slaves on the
plantation of his wife near the Altamaha River. This action was at once
resented; and President Stephens, who had succeeded Oglethorpe in the
management of the Colony's affairs, was ordered to have the negro slaves
removed from the territory of Georgia. This was done, and from that time
forth Bosomworth and his wife began to plot against the peace and
good order of the Georgia Colony. He used the influence of his wife to
conciliate the Indians, and secure their sympathy and support. While
this was going on, he was busy in preparing a claim against the
government of the Colony for the services rendered and losses sustained
by his wife, which he valued at five hundred pounds sterling. In
her name he also claimed possession of the islands of Ossabaw, St.
Catharine, and Sapelo, and of a tract of land near Savannah which in
former treaties had been reserved to the Indians.
Bosomworth was shrewd enough not to act alone. In some mysterious way,
not clearly told in history, he secured the sympathy and support of
Major William Horton, commander of Oglethorpe's regiment stationed at
Frederica, and other officers. Colonel Heron, who succeeded Major Horton
as commander of the regiment in 1747, was likewise gained over to the
cause of the Bosomworths. By the connivance of this officer, a body
of Indians, with Malatche at their head, marched to Frederica for a
conference. At this conference Malatche made a speech in which he told
of the services which his sister Mary had rendered the colonists, and
requested that a messenger be sent to England to tell the King that he,
Malatche, was emperor of all the Creeks. He declared, also, that Mary,
his sister, was confided in by the whole Creek nation, and that the
nation had decided to abide by her will and desire.
Bosomworth saw the necessity of pushing the matter forward, and so
he suggested to Malatche the importance of having himself crowned as
emperor by those who were with him. Accordingly a paper was drawn up
giving to Malatche full authority as emperor. This done, Bosomworth was
quick to procure from the Creek emperor a deed of conveyance to
Thomas and Mary Bosomworth of the islands of Ossabaw, Sapelo, and St.
Catharine.
Matters went on peaceably for a while; but Bosomworth was active and
energetic, and his wife appears to have been entirely under his control.
He bought on credit a great number of cattle from planters in South
Carolina, and these he placed on the islands that had been given him
by Malatche. When his debts fell due, he was unable to pay them. Rather
than surrender the property for which he was unable to pay, he suggested
to his wife that she take the title of an independent empress. It is
doubtful if she knew what an empress was; but she had an idea, that, if
she claimed to be one, she would be able to buy some red calico at the
nearest store, as well as an extra bottle of rum. So she fell eagerly
into the Rev. Mr. Bosom-worth's plans. She sent word to the Creeks that
she had suddenly become a genuine empress, and called a meeting of the
big men of the nation. The big men assembled; and Mary made a speech,
in which she insisted that she was the Empress of Georgia. She must have
been a pretty good talker; for the Indians became very much excited, and
pledged themselves to stand by her to the last drop of their blood.
Having thus obtained the support of the Indians, Mary set out for
Savannah, accompanied by a large body of them. She sent before her a
messenger to inform the president of the Province that she had become
empress over the whole territory belonging to the Upper and Lower
Creeks; that she was on her way to demand the instant surrender of all
the lands that had belonged to Doth nations; and that, if there should
be any serious opposition to her demands, the settlement would be
attacked and destroyed.
[Illustration: Empress Mary 039]
It was a dark hour for the colonists, who were vastly outnumbered by the
Indians. The president and council were disturbed by the bold threats
made by Mary Bosomworth. Their first plan was to meet the Indians
peaceably, and, by gentle measures, find an opportunity to seize Mary
Bosomworth and ship her to England. In the town of Savannah there were
only one hundred and seventy men able to bear arms. The president of
the Province sent a messenger to Mary, while she and her followers were
still several miles distant, warning her to give up her wild scheme.
Mary sent back a message expressing her contempt for the Colony and its
officials. Thereupon the president of the Province determined to put
the best possible face on the matter, and receive Mary and her savage
followers boldly. Accordingly the militia was ordered under arms; and as
the Indians entered the town, they were stopped by Colonel Noble Jones,
who, at the head of a company of horse, demanded to know whether they
came with friendly or hostile intentions. He received no satisfactory
answer to his demand, whereupon he informed the Indians that they must
ground their arms, as he had orders not to permit an armed man
among them to set foot within the town. The Indians submitted to the
unexpected demand, but with great reluctance.
Having grounded their arms, the Indians were allowed to enter the town.
They marched in regular order, headed by Thomas Bosomworth, who, decked
out in full canonical robes, with Mary by his side, was followed by
the various chiefs according to their rank. The army of Indians made a
formidable appearance as they marched into the town, and the inhabitants
were terror-stricken at the sight. They marched to the parade ground,
where they found the militia drawn up to receive them. Here they were
saluted with fifteen guns, and then conducted to the president's house.
When the Indians were assembled there, Thomas and Mary Bosomworth were
ordered to withdraw. Then the president and council asked the Indian
chiefs in a friendly manner why they visited the town in so large a
body, not having been sent for by any person in lawful authority. The
Indians replied that Mary, their empress, was to speak for them, and
that they would abide by what she said. They had heard that she was to
be made a prisoner and sent across the great waters, and they wanted to
know why they were to lose their queen. They said they intended no harm
to the whites, and begged that their arms might be restored to them.
Then, after talking with Bosomworth and his wife, they would return and
settle all public affairs. Their arms were restored to them, but orders
were given that on no account should any ammunition be issued until the
true purpose of their visit was made known.
The Indians then had a conference with Mary Bosomworth, and on the
following day began to conduct themselves riotously, running up and down
the streets like madmen. As all the men were obliged to perform guard
duty, the women were compelled to remain alone in their houses. They
were in a constant state of terror and alarm, expecting every moment to
be set upon and killed by the unruly savages. While the confusion was at
its worst, a rumor was circulated that the Indians had cut off the head
of the president of the council. The report was false; but the colonists
were in such a state of excitement, that they could scarcely be
restrained from firing on the Indians. The situation was very critical.
Great prudence was necessary in order to prevent bloodshed, and save the
town from destruction.
At this crisis orders were given to the militia to lay hold of Thomas
Bosomworth, and place him in close confinement. When this order was
carried out, Mary became frantic, and made threats of vengeance against
the whole Colony. She cursed General Oglethorpe, declared that his
treaties were fraudulent, and ordered the colonists to depart from her
territory. She raved furiously, and claimed control over the entire
earth. But while engaged in cutting up these extraordinary capers, she
kept an eye on the leading men among the Indians, who she knew could be
easily bribed.
The president of the Province, finding that nothing could be done with
the Indians while they remained under the influence of their so-called
empress, caused Mary to be privately arrested, and placed her under
guard with her husband. When this was done, quiet was at once restored.
The Indians ceased to be boisterous. When the time seemed to be ripe,
the president of the Province employed men acquainted with the Creek
language to entertain the chiefs and their warriors in the friendliest
way. A feast was prepared; and in the midst of it the chiefs were told
that Bosomworth had become involved in debt, and was anxious to secure
not only all the lands of the Creeks, but also a large share of the
bounty paid to them by the King of England, so that he might be able to
pay his creditors in Carolina. He was also told that the King's presents
were intended only for the Indians; that the lands near the town were
reserved for them for their encampments; that the sea islands were
reserved for them to hunt upon when they should come to bathe in the
salt waters; and that neither Mary nor her husband had any right to
these lands, which were the common property of the Creek nations.
For the moment this policy was successful. Even Malatche, Mary's
brother, seemed to be satisfied; and many of the chiefs declared that
they were convinced that Bosomworth had deceived them, and that they
would trust him no more. But Malatche, at his own request, had another
talk with Thomas and Mary Bosomworth, and was again won over to support
their wild pretensions; so that, when the Indians were gathered together
to receive their shares of the royal bounty, Malatche stood up in the
midst of them, and delivered a most violent speech in favor of the
claims of Mary as the Empress of Georgia. He declared that she had three
thousand warriors at her command, and that every man of them would take
up arms in her defense. At the conclusion of his speech, Malatche drew
forth a paper and presented it to the president of the council This
paper was merely the sum and substance of Malatche's speech; and it
was so clearly the production of Bosomworth, that the effect was far
different from what the Indians had expected. The astonishment of the
president and council was so apparent, that Malatche begged to have the
paper again, so that he might deliver it to the person from whom he had
received it.
It was important that another conference should be had with the Indians.
Accordingly they were called together again; and the president of the
Province made an address, recalling to their minds the fact that when
General Oglethorpe and his colony landed in Georgia, they found Mary,
then the wife of John Musgrove, living in a hut at Yamacraw; that at
that time she was comparatively poor and friendless, being neglected
and despised by the Creeks, and going about in rags; that General
Oglethorpe, finding that she could speak both the English and the Creek
tongues, employed her as an interpreter, gave her rich clothes, and made
her a woman of some consequence; that she was respected by the colonists
until she married Thomas Bosomworth, but from that time forth they no
longer had any confidence in her; that she had no lands of her own; and
that General Oglethorpe had no treaty with her, but dealt with the old
and wise leaders of the Creeks, who voluntarily surrendered their waste
lands to the whites. The president then went on to show that Mary's
claims had been invented by Thomas Bosomworth as an easy means of
paying a debt of four hundred pounds which he owed in South Carolina for
cattle, and that his quarrel with the colonists was due to the fact
that they had refused to give him a third part of the royal bounty which
belonged by right to the Indians.
At this point the Creek chiefs begged the president to stop. They had
heard enough to convince them, they said, and now they wanted to smoke
the pipe of peace. Apparently this was a happy ending to a very serious
dispute. But at the very moment when everything was serene, Mary
Bosomworth made her appearance amongst those who were patching up their
differences. She had escaped from her guards, and, having secured a
supply of rum, now made her appearance drunk and furious. She filled the
air with threats. The president told her, that, unless she ceased her
efforts to poison the minds of the Indians, he would again order her
into close confinement. Thereupon Mary turned to Malatche and told him
what the president had said. In a rage, Malatche seized his arms, and,
calling to the rest of the Indians to do the same, dared the whites to
touch the empress. The uproar was great. Every Indian had his tomahawk
in his hand, and the council expected nothing less than instant death.
At this moment, Captain Noble Jones, who commanded the guard, ordered
the Indians to deliver up their arms. The savages were overawed by the
coolness and courage of this intrepid officer. They yielded up their
arms, and Mary was shut in a private room, and a guard set over her.
There she was securely kept, and while the Indians remained she had no
further communication with them. Her husband was then sent for, and
the president and council tried to reason with him; but he remained
obstinate, declaring that he would stand up for his wife's rights to
the last. Finding Bosomworth unreasonable, the council caused him to
be seized and confined. This done, the authorities then set about
persuading the Indians to leave the town peaceably and return to their
own settlements. This the savages did after a while, leaving Savannah in
small parties until all were gone.
Finding himself no longer supported by the Indians, Thomas Bosomworth
at last repented of his folly. He wrote to the president and council,
apologizing for his wanton conduct. He acknowledged the title of his
wife to be groundless, and relinquished all claim to the lands of the
Province. Though his offense had been serious, the colonists pardoned
him, and thus ended the career of Coosaponakesee as Empress of Georgia.
And yet, after all, the Rev. Thomas Bosomworth had his way. Mary seems
to have lived long; and her husband pressed her claims in London,
so that, when Henry Ellis was made governor of the Province, he was
authorized, in 1759, to sell the islands of Ossabaw and Sapelo, as well
as other Indian lands near Savannah, and out of the moneys received to
settle the demands of the Bosomworths, and to give them a title to
the Island of St. Catharine, which they had settled and improved. Mary
Bosomworth was given four hundred and fifty pounds for goods she had
expended in the King's service, and it was provided also that she should
be allowed sixteen hundred and fifty pounds for her services as agent.
In addition, she was given two thousand pounds, the sum for which
Ossabaw and Sapelo sold at auction. A grant of St. Catharine Island was
also made to Mary Bosomworth; so that it may be considered that she was
richly rewarded for the many good turns she did the colonists in
her better days, before her mind had been poisoned by the Rev. Mr.
Bosomworth.