Retired Hereditary Chief of the Notowega Band of Chickamauga Creeks

Was Head & Hereditary Sachem of the Chigamaugua Notoweega Creeks, whose Councils at the time were held in Staten Island, N.Y. until the year 2000. He was the signer of our Federal Petition with the United States Government. The Council was then moved to the ancestral homelands of the Ohio Valley under then, New Principle Sachem Sylvester Myrick and Original Council Member, War Sachem Great Elk Dancer For His Elk Nation.

 

Nanticoke Moorish And Mingo Family History

ANCESTRAL LETTERS

From Colonial Office Records (, Vol 80) in Public Records Office, London U. K.
Transcribed from microfilm copy in Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. by Jerry L Clark

Letter dated April 9, 1779
Ustenalla Town
Robert Dews to Alexander Cameron:

This will be handed to you by the bearer of Mr. Scott's letters which was to have been dispatched the day after they were dated. Anthony Foreman, who was to have carried them, was prevented by sickness. I then applied to an Indian who promised to sett out in four days after Mr Scott left this [place]. He came at the time appointed [&] said that he missed his horse. It was with some difficulty that the Cowee Warrior engaged the bearer.

Mr Scott sett off on his expedition the 30th ult. accompanied by the Good Warrior & ten men from Quallakee [?] where the Esemakia [?] Indians live. The Raven and Categiskee with fifteen men from Salugoe, white men, Greaves, Proctor, Row, Springston, Riley, Cery, & Vernon of your company, John Ramsay, John Christie, and Samuel Benjamin from the Rebel towns & Charles Hughes and Joseph Vann. Since passes this [force?] to join him, Six of the Cohutta Indians & followed by John Brown, the Bear & Charles Beamer & the day following the Young Turkey & Terrapin (the Great Warrior's son) with twenty five men. James Hughes & this day twenty four of the Toquoa people & twenty one of the Cossacohatchee [?] people accompanied by Hicks, Morross & Luke sett off from Cusachetehee [?]. The Little Bird & a large party with him likewise sett off this day from the town to join the former parties & a Considerable number from the disaffected towns is expected to join the last parties.

Mr McDonald passed this river at Cusawahtee yesterday with a number of his division, the Bloody Fellow or Nenetuya. [Parted?] from them three days since with an order for Ammunition. He took about twenty Indians and four white men is with Mr McDonald: John Vann, Campbell, Levett, & Bench. This party was to have joined Mr Scott at this place but a report [was?] transmitted that a number of Rebels were on their way from the Long Island in Boats to Rout the towns on [the] Tennessee [River]. However the party setting out at the Island is intended as a reinforcement of the Illinois so that Mr McDonald have left Jud's Friend with about Seventy five men to prevent their passing & take as many prisoners as Possible, if the Rebels should not be superior in force.

I am proud to inform you that the whole Nation seems Unamimous against the Rebels. Every town & village in the woods have sent & are daily sending men against them. The disaffected in the Valleys, Middle [Towns?] & Lower Towns are daily falling off from them & surely Believe that with a little encouragement at this time from you would in the course of this summer bring them entirely out of the Old Towns.

The Raven & Old Tassel have been with Mr McDonald. I have not heard the particulars of their Business but the Great Warrior has left his medal with his son the Terrapin, who intends seeing you after his return from the War.

By two fellows from the Esenota [?] settlement now in the House I am informed of a large party consisting of Highawassee & Chestee people on their way to join Messers McDonald & Scott at the Rendevous at the Standing Peach Tree so that a moderate computation [shows] those gentlemen will have 300 men exclusive of what may join them from the disaffected Towns. This much Sir, I have taken the liberty of Acquainting you with, as I thought it a part of my duty being subsequent to Mr Scott's departure.

I must begg your patience a little to acquaint you that the number of Traders on this River is too great for the number of hunters, they not being sufficient to support five of us: viz. John Morris at Cusawahtehee, John Yarwook [?] at Saligoe, John Seeke [?] & James Ramsay & myself at this place. As I am the latest I hope you will grant me a permit for some other town. Of them on [the] Tennessee, I would prefer Tuskegee as many of my old customers reside in & about that town. My reason for applying to you at this time is that I may not be too late as the Fall of the Year with time enough for me to move to that place should it be to your pleasure.
 

Your Obediant Servant,
Robert Dews

NOTES:

Robert Dews = Robert Due (grandfather of Diana Rogers, Cherokee wife of Sam Houston) Alexander Cameron = British Agent to Cherokees since 1868; he had at least 3 mixed-blood children. [John] McDonald, [Walter] Scott, [Nathaniel] Hicks, and Anthony Foreman. [Jerry Clark] (Walter Scott is also the ancestor of our retired Hereditary Chief of the Notowega Band of Chickamauga Creeks) . Walter Scott was born ca. 1750 in Ringgold Ga. and died ca. 1796 in the Pendleton District of South Carolina, which contained many small enclaves of residue isolated Chickamauga communities. Other Indian Countrymen (white traders with Indian wives) listed are [William] Springston, [Richard] Riley, Proctor, John Christie, Cery [William Carey], Charles Beamer, John Brown (perhaps the mixed-blood father of Catherine & David Brown?), [William] Campbell, Levett [Lovett?] and Bench [John Benge?] are mentioned in Emmet Starr's OLD CHEROKEE FAMILIES. John Vann and Joseph Vann were the progenitors of a wealthy Cherokee family (Joseph was probably the father of Chief James Vann). John Vann (or his son) married the daughter of The Terrapin. Who were Vernon, John Ramsay, Morross, Luke, Samuel Benjamin, John Morris, John Yarwook, and John Seeke?

Note the Chiefs and warriors listed: The Great Warrior of Chota (Oconostota), his son The Terrapin, his brother Categiskee (Kittagusta) and his nephew the Raven of Chota. Others mentioned were The Bloody Fellow, The Bear, The Cowee Warrior, The Young Turkey, Little Bird, and Jud's Friend (= Judd's Friend or Oostenaca).