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J. Habersham to P. Chiffelle [MSS. letter] Mr. Philotheos Chiffelle. Savannah, Friday, 16th June, 1775. Dear Sir:The alarming height to which our disputes with the mother country has at length arisen, and the many detestable arts that are made use of by our enemies to involve us in one general scene of distress, are motives sufficient to stimulate every honest man to use his best endeavors to counteract the wicked designs of our enemies, which will be a sufficient excuse for my troubling you with this, as it conveys a piece of intelligence that I think very interesting, and should, when thought proper, be made known to the good people of your Province as well as our own. Mr. John Stuart, who is now at Col. Muhynes' house at Thunderbolt, desired that the Colonel would wait on some gentlemen who are in opposition to Government, as it is called here, and beg that they would be so good as to call on the Superintendant at his house yesterday, as he wanted to have an opportunity of clearing himself of some aspersions, and likewise to lay before us his letters with respect to Indian affairs, accordingly four or five of us, malcontents, attended, when Mr. Stuart, began with informing us that he had received letters by the last post from Charles Town, which made him very uneasy as a report had been circulated there that he had been tampering with certain Indians, at which he manifested not a little surprise, he showed us the letter he received from Charles Town, and his answer to Col. Howarth, whom he has desired to make the contents public, and which he means as a justification of his conduct. So far, every thing appeared to me plausible, but unluckily for Mr. Stuart he produces a number of his letters to his deputy, Mr. Cameron, and the answer in one of which he writes thus: "I have received information from Gen. Gage, that certain persons at the northward have been tampering with the Six Indian Nations and endeavoring to alienate their affections from his Majesty. I mention this to caution you against any thing of the kind with you, and that you will use your influence to dispose those people to act in defence of his Majesty and Government, if found necessary." Mr. Cameron's answer was couched nearly in the following words (I do not differ, I am positive as to the substance, though I may in some of the words): "That Mr. Stuart's interest with the Indians was much greater, and that he was more beloved by them than any other man, and that he (Mr. Cameron) had the vanity to think that he could head any number he thought proper, whenever called upon in support of his Majesty and Government." Now, sir, I shall leave you to make your own comments on the above, though I will acquaint you with what I said to him on its being read, "that we were at no loss to know what was meant by assisting or acting in defence of his Majesty and Government, if found necessary, for, as we were not at war with the French or Spaniards, it could not be against them that they were meant to act." Mr. Cameron further tells Mr. Stuart that the Traders must by some means or other get ammunition among them or otherwise they may become very troublesome to him for the want of it. I do not know how far I am at liberty to make this public, but as Mr. Stuart has wrote to Mr. Howarth in order to justify himself in the eyes of the people of Carolina, I think as a further justification, he should produce his letters to and from Mr. Cameron. Mr. Stuart's letter, that contains the foregoing paragraph is dated about the middle of January last, and as copied among a number of others in a large book bound in calf. You may give the Secret Committee intelligence of this, and if they should think it of sufficient importance to deem a demand from Mr. Stuart of these letters, and he should then hesitate and will not grant what they request, and it should further be thought necessary, I can find four persons besides myself, to avow what I have said to be true, as any thing of this kind should come well authenticated. We are going on here tolerably well with respect to our political proceedings, and hope soon to convince the world that Georgia will not take advantage of her sister colonies, in the present disputes. I am, dear sir, your most obedt. servt. JOSEPH HABERSHAM (From Documentary History of the American Revolution, by Gibbes, Volume 1, pp. 102-104) Doc ID: Gibbes, v. 1, p. 102 Date: 6/16/1775 |
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