8 The Winning of the West 



stated that the expedition itself, carried on, as he 

 understood it, mainly against the French traders, 

 "was no concern of ours and would have been en- 

 tirely disregarded by us; but in the execution of it 

 some of our people were there, who went as well 

 from motives of curiosity as to traffic in silverware ; 

 and six of whom were rashly killed by your men" ; 8 

 and inasmuch as these slain men were prominent in 

 different Creek towns, the deed led to retaliatory 

 raids. But now that vengeance had been taken, 

 McGillivray declared that a stable peace would be 

 secured, and he expressed "considerable concern" 

 over the "tragical end" of Robertson's slain kinsfolk. 

 As for the Georgians, he announced that if they 

 were wise and would agree to an honorable peace he 

 would bury the red hatchet, and if not then he would 

 march against them whenever he saw fit. 9 Writing 

 again at the end of the year, he reiterated his as- 

 surances of the peaceful inclinations of the Creeks, 

 though their troubles with Georgia were still unset- 

 tled. 10 



Nevertheless these peaceful protestations pro- 

 duced absolutely no effect upon the Indian ravages, 

 which continued with unabated fury. Many in- 

 stances of revolting brutality and aggression by the 



8 McGillivray's Letter of April 17, 1788, p. 521. 



9 Do., p. 625; McGillivray's Letter of April 15, 1788. 



10 Robertson MSS. McGillivray to Robertson, December 

 i, 1788. This letter contains the cautious, non-committal an- 

 swer to Robertson's letter in which the latter proposed, that 

 Cumberland should be put under Spanish protection ; the let- 

 ter itself McGillivray had forwarded to the Spaniards. 



