enemies to each other. In the woods, the former discovered a sprightly
warrior belonging to the latter, hunting in their usual light dress; on
his perceiving them, he sprung off for a hollow rock, four or five miles
distant, as they intercepted him from running homeward. He was so
extremely swift, and skilful with the gun, as to kill seven of them in
the running fight, before they were able to surround and take him. They
carried him to their country in sad triumph: but, though he had filled
them with uncommon grief and shame, for the loss of so many of their
kindred, yet the love of martial virtue induced them to treat him,
during their long journey, with a great deal more civility, than if he
had acted the part of a coward. The women and children, when they met
him at their several towns, beat and whipped him in as severe a manner
as the occasion required, according to their law of justice, and at last
he was formally condemned to die by the fiery tortures. It might
reasonably be imagined that what he had for some time gone through, by
being fed with a scanty hand, a tedious march, lying at night on the
bare ground, exposed to the changes of the weather, with his arms and
legs extended in a pair of rough stocks, and suffering such punishments
on his entering into their hostile towns, as a prelude to those sharp
torments for which he was destined, would have so impaired his health,
and affected his imagination, as to have sent him to his long sleep out
of the way of any more sufferings. Probably, this would have been the
case with the major part of white people, under similar circumstances;
but I never knew this with any {393} of the Indians: and this
cool-headed brave warrior did not deviate from their rough lessons of
martial virtue, but acted his part so well, as to surprise and sorely
vex his numerous enemies. For, when they were taking him unpinioned, in
their wild parade, to the place of torture, which lay near to a river,
he suddenly dashed down those who stood in his way, sprung off, and
plunged into the water, swimming underneath like an otter, only rising
to take breath till he made the opposite shore. He now ascended the
steep bank; but though he had good reason to be in a hurry, as many of
the enemy were in the water, and others running every way, like
blood-hounds, in pursuit of him, and the bullets flying around him, from
the time he took to the river, yet his heart did not allow him to leave
them abruptly, without taking leave in a formal manner, in return for
the extraordinary favours they had done, and intended to do him. He
first turned his backside toward them, and slapped it with his hand;
then moving round, he put up the shrill war whoo whoop, as his last
salute, till some more convenient opportunity offered, and darted off in
the manner of a beast broke loose from its torturing enemies. He
continued his speed so as to run by about midnight of the same day, as
far as his eager pursuers were two days in reaching. There he rested,
till he happily discovered five of those Indians, who had pursued him—he
lay hid a little way off their camp, till they were sound asleep. Every
circumstance of his situation occurred to him, and inspired him with
heroism. He was naked, torn, and hungry, and his enraged enemies were
come up with him. But there was now every thing to relieve his wants,
and a fair opportunity to save his life, and get great honour, and sweet
revenge, by cutting them off. Resolution, a convenient spot, and sudden
surprize, would effect the main object of all his wishes and hopes. He
accordingly creeped towards them, took one of their tomohawks, and
killed them all on the spot. He then chopped them to pieces, in as
horrid a manner, as savage fury could excite, both through national and
personal resentment,—he stripped off their scalps, clothed himself, took
a choice gun, and as much ammunition and provisions as he could well
carry in a running march. He set off afresh with a light heart, and did
not sleep for several successive nights, only when he reclined as usual
a little before day, with his back to a tree. As it were by instinct,
when he found he was free from the pursuing enemy, he made directly to
the very place where he had killed seven of his enemies, and was taken
by them for the fiery torture. {394} He digged them up, scalped them,
burned their bodies to ashes, and went home in safety with singular
triumph. Other pursuing enemies came on the evening of the second day to
the camp of their dead people, when the sight gave them a greater shock,
than they had ever known before. In their chilled war council, they
concluded, that, as he had done such surprising things in his defence,
before he was captivated, and since that, in his naked condition, and
was now well armed, if they continued the pursuit, he would spoil them
all, for he surely was an enemy wizard. And therefore they returned
home.
When the Chikkasah were engaged in a former war with the Muskohge, one
of their young warriors set off alone against them, to revenge the blood
of a near relation:[233] his burning heart would not allow him to delay
its gratification, and proceed with a company, after their usual forms
of purification were observed, in order to gain success. He was replete
with martial fire, and revenge prompted him to outrun his war virtue:
however, he pursued as mortifying a regimen, as if he had been publicly
fed like a dove, by the scanty hand of a religious waiter. But, as he
would not wait a few days, and accompany the reputed holy ark, they
reckoned him irreligious, by depending on the power of his own arms,
instead of the powerful arm of the supreme fatherly chieftain, _Yo He
Wah_, who always bestows victory on the more virtuous party. He went
through the most unfrequented and thick parts of the woods, as such a
dangerous enterprise required, till he arrived opposite to the great,
and old beloved town of refuge, Koosah,[234] which stands high on the
eastern side of a bold river, about 250 yards broad, that runs by the
late dangerous Alebahma fort, down to the black poisoning Mobille, and
so into the gulph of Mexico. There he concealed himself under cover of
the top of a fallen pine tree, in view of the ford of the old trading
path, where the enemy now and then passed the river in their light
poplar canoes. All his war store of provisions consisted in three stands
of barbicued venison, till he had an opportunity to revenge blood, and
return home. He waited, with watchfulness and patience almost three
days, when a young man, a woman, and a girl passed a little wide of him,
about an hour before sunset. The former he shot down, tomohawked the
other two, and scalped each of them in a trice, in full view of the
town. By way of bravado, he shaked the scalps before them, sounded the
awful death whoop, and {395} set off along the trading path, trusting to
his heels, while a great many of the enemy ran to their arms, and gave
chace. Seven miles from thence, he entered the great blue ridge of
Apalahche mountains. About an hour before day, he had ran over seventy
miles of that mountainous tract;—then, after sleeping two hours in a
sitting posture, leaning his back against a tree, he set off again with
fresh speed. As he threw away his venison, when he found himself pursued
by the enemy, he was obliged to support nature with such herbs, roots,
and nuts, as his sharp eyes with a running glance, directed him to
snatch up in his course. Though I often have rode that war path alone,
when delay might have proved dangerous, and with as fine and strong
horses as any in America, it took me five days to ride from the
aforesaid Koosah, to this sprightly warrior’s place in the Chikkasah
country, the distance of 300 computed miles; yet he ran it, and got home
safe and well, at about eleven o’clock of the third day; which was only
one day and half, and two nights.
These two well known instances of the young Katahba, and this Chikkasah
warrior, evince the surprising and superior abilities of the Indians in
their own element. And the intrepid behaviour of the two other red
stoics, their surprising contempt of, and indifference to life or death,
instead of lessening, helps to confirm our belief of that supernatural
power, which supported the great number of primitive martyrs, who sealed
the christian faith with their blood. The Indians, as I observed in the
former part, have as much belief, and expectation of a future state, as
the greater part of the Israelites seem to have possessed. But the
christians of the first centuries, may justly be said to exceed even the
most heroic American Indians; for they bore the bitterest persecution,
with steady patience, in imitation of their divine leader, Messiah, in
full confidence of divine support, and of a glorious recompence of
reward; and, instead of even wishing for revenge on their cruel enemies
and malicious tormentors (which is the chief principle that actuates the
Indians) they not only forgave them, but in the midst of their tortures,
earnestly prayed for them, with composed countenances, sincere love, and
unabated fervor. And not only men of different conditions, but the
delicate women and children suffered with constancy, and died praying
for their tormentors: the Indian women and children, and their young men
untrained to war, are incapable of displaying the like patience and
magnanimity. {396}
When the Indians have finished their captive tragedies, they return to
the neighbouring town in triumph, with the wild shrieking noise of
destroying demons: there, they cut the scalps into several pieces, fix
them on different twigs of the green leaved pine, and place them on the
tops of the circular winter houses of their deceased relations—whose
deaths (if by the hand of an enemy) they esteem not revenged till then,
and thus their ghosts are enabled to go to their intermediate, but
unknown place of rest, till, after a certain time, they return again to
live for ever in that tract of land which pleased them best, when in
their former state. They perform this supposed religious duty with great
solemnity, attended by a long train of rejoicing women, chanting with
soft voices, their grateful song of triumph to _Yo He Wah_; while the
favoured warriors echo their praises of the giver of victory, with awful
notes, and intermix with them the death whoo-whoop. They dance for three
days and nights, rejoicing before the divine presence, for their
victory; and the happiness of sending the spirits of their killed
relations from the eaves of their houses which they haunted, mourning
with such painful notes as _Koo-Koo-Koo_, like the suffering owls of
night in pinching winter, according to their creed. In their dance, they
represent all the wild-cat movements they made in crawling to surprise
the enemy, and their wolfish conduct in killing with safety; or the
whole engagement, when they could no way attack by surprise. Now, they
lift up one foot, then put it down slowly on tip-toe in a bent posture,
looking sharply every way. Thus, they proceed from tree to tree, till
the supposed enemy be either defeated by stratagem, or open battle. Then
they strut about in parade, and the chief will tell the people he did
not behave like a blind white man, who would have rushed on with his
eyes shut, improvident of danger; but having wisely considered that his
bare breast was not bullet proof, he cunningly covered himself from tree
to tree, and by his skilful conduct vanquished the hateful enemy,
without exposing his own valuable life to danger. All people praise, or
blame another’s conduct, in proportion to the parity or disparity it
bears to their own standard, and notion of virtue.
In the time of their rejoicings, they fix a certain day for the warriors
to be crowned; for they cannot sleep sound or easy, under an old title,
while a new, or higher one is due.[235] On that long-wished for day,
they all appear on the field of parade, as fine and cheerful as the
birds in spring. Their martial {397} drums beat, their bloody colours
are displayed, and most of the young people are dancing and rejoicing,
for the present success of their nation, and the safe return and
preferment of their friends and relations. Every expectant warrior on
that joyful day wears deer-skin maccaseenes, painted red, his body is
anointed with bear’s oil, a young softened otter-skin is tied on each
leg, a long collar of fine swan feathers hangs round his neck, and his
face is painted with the various streaks of the rain-bow. Thus they
appear, when two of the old magi come forth holding as many white wands
and crowns, as there are warriors to be graduated: and in a standing
posture, they alternately deliver a long oration, with great vehemence
of expression, chiefly commending their strict observance of the law of
purity, while they accompanied the beloved ark of war, which induced the
supreme chieftain to give them the victory, and they encourage the rest
to continue to thirst after glory, in imitation of their brave
ancestors, who died nobly in defence of their country. At the conclusion
of their orations, one of the magi calls three times with a loud voice,
one of the warriors by his new name, or war title, and holds up the
white crown, and the scepter, or wand. He then gladly answers, and runs
whooping to, and around them, three times. One of the old beloved men
puts the crown on his head, and the wand into his hand; then he returns
to his former place, whooping with joy. In like manner, they proceed
with the rest of the graduate warriors, to the end of their triumphal
ceremony, concluding with this strong caution, “Remember what you are
(such a warrior, mentioning his titles) according to the old beloved
speech.” This is equal to the bold virtuous lessons of the honest
Romans, and uncorrupted Greeks. The concluding caution of the magi to
the warriors, points at the different duties of their honourable
station, that they should always aspire after martial glory, and prefer
their own virtue, and the welfare of their country, more than life
itself. The crown is wrought round with the long feathers of a swan, at
the lower end, where it surrounds his temples, and it is curiously
weaved with a quantity of white down, to make it sit easy, and appear
more beautiful. To this part that wreathes his brows, the skilful artist
warps close together, a ringlet of the longest feathers of the swan, and
turning them carefully upward, in an uniform position, he, in the
exactest manner, ties them together with deer’s sinews, so as the
bandage will not appear to the sharpest eyes without handling it. It is
a little open at the top, and about fifteen inches high. The crowns they
use in constituting {398} war-leaders, are always worked with feathers
of the tail of the cherubic eagle, which causes them to be three or four
inches higher than the former. This latter custom bears a striking
resemblance to the usage of the ancients on similar occasions, according
to the constitution of their different forms of government.
They are exceedingly pointed against our methods of war, and conferring
of titles. By the surprising conduct of a Georgia governor, both the
Muskohge and Cheerake, who attended our army in the war before the last,
against St. Augustine,[236] have entertained, and will continue to have
the meanest opinion of the Carolina martial disposition, till by some
notable brave actions, it wears off. The Indians concluded that there
was treachery in our letting prisoners of distinction return to the fort
to put the rest on their guard, and in our shutting up the batteries for
four or five days successively, not having our cannon dismounted, nor
annoying the enemy, but having flags of truce frequently passing and
repassing. They said, that it was plain to their eyes, we only managed a
sham fight with the Spaniards—and they became very uneasy, and held many
conferences about our friendly intercourse with the garrison; concluding
that we had decoyed them down to be slaughtered, or delivered to the
Spaniard to purchase a firm peace for ourselves—and they no sooner
reached their own countries, than they reported the whole affair in
black colours, that we allured them to a far-distant place, where we
gave them only a small quantity of bad food; and that they were obliged
to drink saltish water, which, instead of allaying, inflamed their
thirst, while we were carousing with various liquors, and shaking hands
with the Spaniards, and sending the white beloved speech to one another,
by beat of drum, although we had the assurance to affirm that we held
fast the bloody tomohawk. The minutest circumstance was so strongly
represented, that both nations were on the very point of commencing war
against us. But the “Raven” of Euwase, a leading head warrior of the
Cheerake, was confined in Augusta garrison, till he sent up runners to
stop a war, that his speeches and messages had nearly fomented—his life
was threatened on failure, and he had large promises given, if he
complied and succeeded.
The Indians are much addicted to gaming,[237] and will often stake every
thing they possess. Ball-playing is their chief and most favourite game:
and is such severe exercise, as to shew it was originally calculated for
a {399} hardy and expert race of people, like themselves, and the
ancient Spartans. The ball is made of a piece of scraped deer-skin,
moistened, and stuffed hard with deer’s hair, and strongly sewed with
deer’s sinews.—The ball-sticks are about two feet long, the lower end
somewhat resembling the palm of a hand, and which are worked with
deer-skin thongs. Between these, they catch the ball, and throw it a
great distance, when not prevented by some of the opposite party, who
fly to intercept them. The goal is about five hundred yards in length:
at each end of it, they fix two long bending poles into the ground,
three yards apart below, but slanting a considerable way outwards. The
party that happens to throw the ball over these, counts one; but, if it
be thrown underneath, it is cast back, and played for as usual. The
gamesters are equal in number on each side; and, at the beginning of
every course of the ball, they throw it up high in the center of the
ground, and in a direct line between the two goals. When the crowd of
players prevents the one who catched the ball, from throwing it off with
a long direction, he commonly sends it the right course, by an artful
sharp twirl. They are so exceedingly expert in this manly exercise,
that, between the goals, the ball is mostly flying the different ways,
by the force of the playing sticks, without falling to the ground, for
they are not allowed to catch it with their hands. It is surprising to
see how swiftly they fly, when closely chased by a nimble footed
pursuer; when they are intercepted by one of the opposite party, his
fear of being cut by the ball sticks, commonly gives them an opportunity
of throwing it perhaps a hundred yards; but the antagonist sometimes
runs up behind, and by a sudden stroke dashes down the ball. It is a
very unusual thing to see them act spitefully in any sort of game, not
even in this severe and tempting exercise.[238]
Once, indeed, I saw some break the legs and arms of their opponents, by
hurling them down, when on a descent, and running at full speed. But I
afterward understood, there was a family dispute of long continuance
between them: that might have raised their spleen, as much as the high
bets they had then at stake, which was almost all they were worth. The
Choktah are exceedingly addicted to gaming, and frequently on the
slightest and most hazardous occasion, will lay their all, and as much
as their credit can procure. {400}
By education, precept, and custom, as well as strong example, they have
learned to shew an external acquiescence in every thing that befalls
them, either as to life or death. By this means, they reckon it a
scandal to the character of a steady warrior to let his temper be
ruffled by any accidents,—their virtue they say, should prevent it.
Their conduct is equal to their belief of the power of those principles:
previous to this sharp exercise of ball playing, notwithstanding the
irreligion of the Choktah in other respects, they will supplicate _Yo He
Wah_, to bless them with success. To move the deity to enable them to
conquer the party they are to play against, they mortify themselves in a
surprising manner; and, except a small intermission, their female
relations dance out of doors all the preceding night, chanting religious
notes with their shrill voices, to move _Yo He Wah_ to be favourable to
their kindred party on the morrow. The men fast and wake from sunset,
till the ball play is over the next day, which is about one or two
o’clock in the afternoon. During the whole night, they are to forbear
sleeping under the penalty of reproaches and shame; which would sit very
sharp upon them, if their party chanced to lose the game, as it would be
ascribed to that unmanly and vicious conduct. They turn out to the ball
ground, in a long row, painted white, whooping, as if Pluto’s prisoners
were all broke loose: when that enthusiastic emotion is over, the leader
of the company begins a religious invocation, by saying _Yah_, short;
then _Yo_ long, which the rest of the train repeat with a short accent,
and on a low key like the leader: and thus they proceed with such
acclamations and invocations, as have been already noticed, on other
occasions. Each party are desirous to gain the twentieth ball, which
they esteem a favourite divine gift. As it is in the time of laying by
the corn, in the very heat of summer, they use this severe exercise, a
stranger would wonder to see them hold it so long at full speed, and
under the scorching sun, hungry also, and faint with the excessive use
of such sharp physic as the button snake root, the want of natural rest,
and of every kind of nourishment. But their constancy, which they gain
by custom, and their love of virtue, as the sure means of success,
enable them to perform all their exercises, without failing in the
least, be they ever so severe in the pursuit.
The warriors have another favourite game, called _Chungke_;[239] which,
with propriety of language, may be called “Running hard labour.” They
{401} have near their state house, a square piece of ground well
cleaned, and fine sand is carefully strewed over it, when requisite, to
promote a swifter motion to what they throw along the surface. Only one,
or two on a side, play at this ancient game. They have a stone[240]
about two fingers broad at the edge, and two spans round: each party has
a pole of about eight feet long, smooth, and tapering at each end, the
points flat. They set off a-breast of each other at six yards from the
end of the play ground; then one of them hurls the stone on its edge, in
as direct a line as he can, a considerable distance toward the middle of
the other end of the square: when they have ran a few yards, each darts
his pole anointed with bear’s oil, with a proper force, as near as he
can guess in proportion to the motion of the stone, that the end may lie
close to the stone—when this is the case, the person counts two of the
game, and, in proportion to the nearness of the poles to the mark, one
is counted, unless by measuring, both are found to be at an equal
distance from the stone. In this manner, the players will keep running
most part of the day, at half speed, under the violent heat of the sun,
staking their silver ornaments, their nose, finger, and ear rings; their
breast, arm, and wrist plates, and even all their wearing apparel,
except that which barely covers their middle. All the American Indians
are much addicted to this game, which to us appears to be a task of
stupid drudgery: it seems however to be of early origin, when their
fore-fathers used diversions as simple as their manners. The hurling
stones they use at present, were time immemorial rubbed smooth on the
rocks, and with prodigious labour; they are kept with the strictest
religious care, from one generation to another, and are exempted from
being buried with the dead. They belong to the town where they are used,
and are carefully preserved.
Their manner of rambling through the woods to kill deer, is a very
laborious exercise, as they frequently walk twenty-five or thirty miles
through rough and smooth grounds, and fasting, before they return back
to camp, loaded. Their method of fishing may be placed among their
diversions, but this is of the profitable kind. When they see large fish
near the surface of the water, they fire directly upon them, sometimes
only with powder, which noise and surprize however so stupifies them,
that they instantly turn up their bellies and float a top, when the
fisherman secures them. If they shoot at fish not deep in the water,
either with an arrow or bullet, they aim {402} at the lower part of the
belly, if they are near; and lower, in like manner, according to the
distance, which seldom fails of killing. In a dry summer season, they
gather horse chestnuts, and different sorts of roots, which having
pounded pretty fine, and steeped a while in a trough, they scatter this
mixture over the surface of a middle-sized pond, and stir it about with
poles, till the water is sufficiently impregnated with the intoxicating
bittern. The fish are soon inebriated, and make to the surface of the
water, with their bellies uppermost. The fishers gather them in baskets,
and barbicue the largest, covering them carefully over at night to
preserve them from the supposed putrifying influence of the moon. It
seems, that fish catched in this manner, are not poisoned, but only
stupified; for they prove very wholesome food to us, who frequently use
them. By experiments, when they are speedily moved into good water, they
revive in a few minutes.
The Indians have the art of catching fish in long crails,[241] made with
canes and hiccory splinters, tapering to a point. They lay these at a
fall of water, where stones are placed in two sloping lines from each
bank, till they meet together in the middle of the rapid stream, where
the intangled fish are soon drowned. Above such a place, I have known
them to fasten a wreath of long grape vines together, to reach across
the river, with stones fastened at proper distances to rake the bottom;
they will swim a mile with it whooping, and plunging all the way,
driving the fish before them into their large cane pots. With this
draught, which is a very heavy one, they make a town feast, or feast of
love, of which every one partakes in the most social manner, and
afterward they dance together, singing _Halelu-yah_, and the rest of
their usual praises to the divine essence, for his bountiful gifts to
the beloved people. Those Indians who are unacquainted with the use of
barbed irons, are very expert in striking large fish out of their
canoes, with long sharp pointed green canes,[242] which are well
bearded, and hardened in the fire. In Savanah river, I have often
accompanied them in killing sturgeons with those green swamp harpoons,
and which they did with much pleasure and ease; for, when we discovered
the fish, we soon thrust into their bodies one of the harpoons. As the
fish would immediately strike deep, and rush away to the bottom very
rapidly, their strength was soon expended, by their violent struggles
against the buoyant force of the green darts: as soon as the top end of
them appeared again on the surface {403} of the water, we made up to
them, renewed the attack, and in like manner continued it, till we
secured our game.