White Bird-tail king & Captain Jonathan Adams 1793.

On the 28, of December 1793, White Bird-tail king and eight Cussetahs, encouraged by assurances of safety were hunting on this side the Oakmulgee, when two of their number were most treacherously murdered by a party of whites, about midway between that river and the Oconee. Three men, who appeared to be hunters, came to their camp, without arms. The Indians received and entertain them in a friendly manner, gave them something eat, and shrewd them every attention in their power. After staying some time with the Indians, they left them, and returned, with their arms and the rest of their party, fired upon and killed two of them. The Bird-tail king and the other six immediately fled

Bartlet Walker, gives a statement, at fort Fidius, 14 January, 1794.

Bartlet Walker, aged sixteen years, and declares, in presence of Almighty God, that he was at Chambers’ mill upon Shoulderbone creek, on the 31st of last month and that he there heard Captain Jonathan Adams, of Greene county, in the Sate of Georgia declare, that he and three others did on last Saturday, fire upon, and kill, two Indians, on the other side of the Oconee that he the said Adams, did kill one of the said Indians himself and the other was killed by the fire of two of his party that one of his party did not fire, and that he, nor any of his party, did not go near the Indians whom they. had killed.

Here is a letter of September 25, 1793, that lead up to the Killings.

Ninety-one men, including officers, set off on Sunday morning (14th instant) on the trail of some horses that had been stolen about a week before, above Greensborough. As soon as the horses were missed, five men pursued them as far as the Oakmulgee. The Indians had encamped at the mouth of a creek, and waylaid their own trail, or, in other words, lay in ambush. As soon as the party had passed them, the Indians fired in their rear, mortally wounded two of their horses, and obliged them to make a precipitate retreat into the settlement In consequence of this defeat, the above party set out, headed by Colonel Alexander, Colonel Melton, Colonel Lemar, Major Fauche, Major Adams and several subaltern officers; they were to rendezvous at the High Shoals of the Apalachy. Colonel Alexander expressed a wish to waylay the path between the Oakmulgee and fort Fidius, to intercept any Indians that might be coming in to treat with Major Seagrove. Colonel Melton rather wished to follow the trail into the towns and destroy that to which it went; from the course of which, they think it almost certain to be one of the cussetah towns.

They were to settle this difference on their arrival at the Appalache. Mr. Adams (near Shoulder-bone) expressed a great wish that Major Seagrove and his deputy, Mr. Barnard, should be both sacrificed that, instead of pacifying the Indians they were only encouraging and paying them to destroy our frontier inhabitants; and, as Congress are a set of rascals, and the Secretary of tar an enemy to his country, if he had it Hi his power, he would drown them in the sea; observing, at the same time, that he was confident, the Executive officers of the Federal Government wished that the Indians might destroy the whole State of Georgia. The Federal troops, he supposes, are of no service in protecting the frontier, and laughs at the two hundred men which the Governor is authorized to raise, and put command of Major Gaither. One of Adams’ sons is a spy or ranger, who patrols over the river asked Adams, in his son’s presence, whether he supposed any of the spies would kill an Indian or party of Indians, either coming in with a flag or hold a treaty of peace with Major Seagrove, by order of the Federal Government? He answered me they were determined to kill any they saw, let their tribe or business be what it would. I considered the silence of hiss son as a tacit acquiescence of the declaration. I inquired by what authority they went out? They told me it was recommended by Colonel Melton.
Mr. Armour (of Greensborough) also confirmed the substance of the above particularly as to Colonel Alexander’s intentions.
Done at Fort Fidius, this twenty-fifth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-three.
FRED’K DALCHO.
Surgeon’s mate in the Legion of the United States.