Handley, George (1752-1793) [Letter related to the Creek Nation and minutes of the Georgia Executive Council]
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
A high-resolution version of this object is available for registered users. LOG IN
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.03153 Author/Creator: Handley, George (1752-1793) Place Written: Savannah, Georgia Type: Manuscript document signed Date: 9 June 1785 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; 31.7 x 19.4 cm. Order a Copy
The first part of this document consists of a letter from the Creek Nation presented before "the board," or Executive Council of Georgia, of which Handley was secretary. The letter, written by James Durouzeaux and copied by Handley, indicates: "The Fat King and the good Child King of the half way House desired me to acquaint you of their coming down to meet the Governor or the beloved men at your place Beard Bluff, there to hold a treaty and there settle every point of the line and boundary of Land and all matters relative to their Nation, as provision is vastly scarce, and there planting time coming on that the Nation has left the whole to them to Act in part of their Nation." The second part of this document consists of an extract from minutes of the Georgia Executive Council, written by Handley, who reports that due to the expense of transporting articles to Beard Bluff and the late notice given by the Creeks, commissioners will be sent to meet the Creek deputies at Savannah instead of Beard Bluff. Notes that Indian commissioners General [Lachlan] McIntosh, Colonel Elijah Clarke, and Colonel [Benjamin] Hawkins should be notified to attend.
According to Library of Congress records, James Durouzeaux was a Spanish interpreter for the Creek nation. Ancestral records indicate he was born in Georgia circa 1742 and married a Creek woman.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.