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THE INDIAN STRATEGY UNFOLDS As 1780 began, Brown lost no time in getting his department up and running. He decided to keep Stuart’s personnel but cut expenses. Under Brown’s organization one Deputy, David Taitt, would be assigned to the Creeks, with commissaries Alexander McGillivray for the Upper Creeks and William McIntosh for the Lower Creeks. He would assign one commissary for the Cherokee Overhill towns and another for the Lower Towns. Each commissay would employ an interpreter, a packhorseman, and a guide. In addition each would have two “conductors” or "war captains" and three packhorsemen, presumably for escorting the Indians on their raids. Brown realized that his assignment was different than Stuart’s. Stuart had been focused on preventing the Indians from joining the enemy. Brown’s job was to bring them into action against the rebels. In addition to the above, a clerk and an interpreter would be stationed as storekeeper at Savannah and at St. Augustine because of the frequent traffic of Indians to those places. Brown’s most pressing and immediate problem however, was what to do with the 300 Cherokees who were in Savannah that winter. He had the responsibility to feed and clothe them. Brown’s world was suddenly upended by the arrival of Sir Henry Clinton and the British Invasion force at the end of January. Clinton conferred with Brown shortly after his arrival and advised him to cancel the planned congress in Savannah. Brown was instructed to cooperate with Brigadier General Patterson, who would command the expedition to recapture Augusta. Brown met with Patterson on February 15 and informed him that the Indians were already alerted and he would only need one month’s notice to have them in Augusta to meet the King’s troops. Patterson instructed Brown to call the Indians to Augusta in mid-April. Brown planned to use the Cherokees camped near Savannah, and he was certain that the Creeks would be eager to cooperate. Brown, in writing to Germain, recommended the establishment of a post at Augusta where it would be contiguous to the Creeks, Cherokees, and Carolina Loyalists, which he reminded Germain consisted of over 2500 men to whom he had administered the oath of allegiance by order of Lord William Campbell. This force was ready to take the field and waited only for arms and ammunition. As Clinton prepared to attack Charles Town he decided that it would be a bigger chore than he had thought. Lincoln had collected all available troops for its defense, leaving only a token force in Augusta. “I therefore find it necessary to reverse my plan for operations in the backcountry for the present.” He directed Patterson to join him instead of advancing upon Augusta. At the same time, Clinton sent Col. Alexander Innes to Savannah on a matter regarding Brown and the Indians. Innes was “to reconcile Col. Brown to remaining behind with the Indians….to keep them in good humor.” As soon as Charles Town fell, he would get back with Brown regarding the Indians. He hoped that Brown would explain to the Indians the reasons for the sudden change of plans. Clinton also instructed Innes to bring back a few Indians to Charles Town so they would be awed by the size and power of the King’s army. Brown was a loyal officer and did his best to to manage the Indians. He sent word to the Creeks to ignore his previous instructions. Keeping the Cherokees engaged and happy was a different matter. An outbreak of smallpox in Savannah terrified the Cherokees, who had been devastated by the disease before. They told Brown that they were ready to face the enemy whenever he asked but they would not stand against the pox. Brown, with Prevost’s agreement, let them return to their mountains. Brown informed Lord Germain of Clinton’s change of plans and begged his lordship not to forget Augusta. It was at this point that Brown demonstrated a grasp of the true scope of his jurisdiction. On April 11, 1780 he informed Germain that his deputies McGillivray and McIntosh were leading 600-800 Creeks to Pensacola in response to General John Campbell’s call for help against the Spaniards. Brown also established a line of communication with the British at Fort Detroit with the object of coordinating the activities of the northern and southern Indians. Unfortunately, at this very time, there was a change in the British military leadership in the south. Clinton ordered Lieutenant Colonel Alured Clarke to relieve General Prevost of command in Savannah and to dispatch Brown to Augusta, in cooperation with the British forces on the Carolina side under Lieutenant Colonel Nesbit Balfour. Then, Clinton announced that he was departing for New York and would leave Major General Charles Cornwallis in charge. Cornwallis’ appointment was disturbing due to his vagueness about the plan for using the southern Indians as well as his professional soldier’s dislike for Indians and Rangers. Brown had trouble finding enough horses and wagons for his expedition. Before leaving Savannah he sent a message to the Chiefs of the pro-Galphin faction and asked them to meet him in Augusta. He was convinced that, with the collapse of Whig resistance following the fall of Charles Town, they would remain in the British interests for the remainder of the war. He estimated at this time that there were 360 Creeks in service to the Crown on the frontiers of Georgia and South Carolina. As a last act before leaving Savannah, due to concerns that his residence in Augusta might interfere with the routine business of the Department, he named Charles Shaw, a former deputy of Stuart’s, to act as deputy superintendent in Savannah. Brown’s march to Augusta crossed the river at Ebenezer and moved up along the South Carolina side. He stopped at Silver Bluff, the home of George Galphin only long enough to arrest him and charge him with high treason. Galphin had fought to keep the Indians out of the British camp while Brown had waged an equally hard campaign to involve them. Galphin died at his home before he could be tried or punished. Meanwhile Brown sent word to the dissident chiefs that they would once again be welcomed at Augusta if they rejoined with the crown. Before he left Charles Town for New York, General Clinton had issued a number of dispatches offering pardon to all who would declare allegiance to the King by June 20. The deadline created difficulties for officers who were on the march, such as Brown. As he proceeded up the Savannah numerous Whig militia units submitted their surrenders and offered to change sides. Brown simply accepted their surrender and sent the men home as prisoners on parole. They had to yield their arms but would be under the King’s protection. But Brown made it clear that he would hang “without favour or distinction” any person who should disturb the peace. It was at this time that General Cornwallis, under the influence of the arrogant Lt. Col Balfour at Ninety-Six, issued orders that Brown was to be relieved of his command of the King’s Rangers and that while he could remain in Augusta to manage the Indian business, he was not to take any initiative. He was instructed to keep the Indians in good humor but not to employ them in operations of war. Brown realized that the war was not over, even if Cornwallis thought otherwise. He had been given the Indian Department with the understanding that he would use the Indians in cooperation with the troops and regulate their behavior. He also understood that for the Indians to be effective they needed the King’s Rangers to ride with them. It is a testimony to Brown’s diplomatic skills that he was able to keep his command in Augusta. Brown took 250 of his Rangers with him to ninety-six and was able to convince Balfour of the need to construct a fort at Augusta and eventually, through political influence, to get General Cornwallis to recind his orders removing him from command of the Rangers. Meanwhile, Brown had invited the Indians – Upper and Lower Creeks and the Cherokees – to visit him in Augusta following the August harvest celebration. Approximately 1,000 Creeks answered Brown’s summons and began the journey to Augusta led by David Taitt. The large party had crossed the Chattahoochie and reached the forks of Upatoi Creek when Taitt became violently ill and was said to be deranged. The devotion of the Creeks to this deputy was so great that the majority of the Indians returned with him to Coweta town, where he died and was buried. Little Prince of the Tuckabatchies and about 250 Creeks continued the journey to Augusta. Taitt had served Stuart loyally and well. When Brown superseded him he accepted the new administration, served it with the same determination he had always displayed, even to the point of giving his life for the service. If Taitt had lived, and the 1,000 Creeks had arrived at Augusta, Elijah Clarke’s upcoming raid might well have had a different outcome.
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