DIFFICULTIES IN ENSLAVING EXILES CONTINUED.
Collins, Agent for the Slave-dealer, reaches Fort Pike—Prisoners gone—He repairs to New Orleans—reaches that City one day after the Exiles and Indians had left—He follows them up the River—Whole number of Prisoners on the two boats—They stop a few hours at Vicksburg—Collins overtakes them—Hands his Order to Reynolds—They consult together—Difficulty in separating Indians from Negroes—They all proceed together—Reynolds and Collins endeavor to persuade Indians to deliver over Negroes—They refuse—They reach Little Rock—Call on Governor Roane for military aid—His emphatic Answer—They proceed to Fort Gibson—Call on General Arbuckle to separate them—He refuses—Collins gives up all as lost—His Letter to Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
Collins, the agent of Watson, left the City of Washington on the tenth of May with full powers to act for the Creek chiefs as well as for his principal; fully provided, also, with orders from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, directing all officers of the United States, in whose custody the Exiles might be, to deliver them to this agent of the slave-dealer. Expecting to find his victims at Fort Pike, he repaired to that place; but on his arrival found they had left for New Orleans some days previously. He forthwith followed them, and reached that city on the twenty-second of June, being one day after Reynolds and his prisoners had left that city for Fort Gibson.
Thus it will be seen, that the efforts of General Gaines, and the active vigilance of Major Clarke and Lieutenant Reynolds, had barely succeeded in getting these people under way for their western homes, when the authority for their re?nslavement arrived.
Vexed and mortified at this disappointment, Collins took passage on the first packet bound up the river, determined to secure the victims of Watson’s cupidity wherever he should find them.
While Collins was thus speeding his way up the river, Reynolds and his charge, unconscious that the slave-hunter was on their track, stopped at Vicksburg for a few hours to obtain supplies for their journey. While passing up the river, Reynolds wrote a report to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs, stating that on the boat which left New Orleans on the nineteenth, six hundred and seventy-four prisoners had been placed for emigration; that on the boat which left the twenty-first, on which he had taken passage, there were four hundred and fifty-three—making in all twelve hundred and twenty-one Indians and negroes, who were now emigrating to the Western Country. While they were lying at Vicksburg, Collins arrived, and, as he states, “succeeded in getting the order of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs handed to Reynolds.” This was undoubtedly correct, for Reynolds wrote the Department the same day, saying, “Since my letter this morning, enclosing an abstract of my muster-roll, Mr. Collins, the attorney, recognized by you, has sent off various papers, in relation to certain claims for negroes taken by the Creek Volunteers, and your order has been received. I have therefore made arrangements with Mr. Collins to accompany me to Little Rock on board of my boat, that no time may be lost in the emigration on the passage from here thither. Due care will be had in selecting such only as come within your order, as also to apprise the chiefs and other Indians with regard to the claim. The excitement evinced at New Orleans on the part of the Indians, convinced me of the necessity of this measure. I think that, between this and Little Rock, I will be enabled to persuade them to consent without any resistance on their part.”
As stated in this letter, Mr. Collins took passage at Vicksburg with Lieutenant Reynolds, and agreed to go on with him and his prisoners, until they could persuade the Indians to separate from their friends and companions, their wives and children, or until they could obtain a military force sufficient to compel the separation. Mr. Reynolds says that the excitement on the part of the Indians at New Orleans, had convinced him of the necessity of this measure; and the only doubt of his perfect sincerity rests on the assertion, that he thought he could, while on the voyage, induce the Indians to consent to such separation.
On the twenty-seventh, they left Vicksburg for Fort Gibson. While on their passage, they had full opportunity to deliberate and consult together as to the best mode of carrying out the plan of transforming this small portion of mankind into property; but the universal laws of Nature and of Nature’s God appeared to conflict with this slave-dealing theory. While on the passage up the river, Mr. Reynolds assembled the Indian chiefs and warriors, and laid before them the facts concerning the claim of Watson, and, as he says, “explained every thing calculated to appease them.” But the result we give in his own words, expressed in a letter dated at Little Rock, Arkansas, June second, being one week after they left Vicksburg, in which he says: “They (the Indians) at once demurred: Micanopy taking the lead, saying, it was contrary to the express words of General Jessup, and would listen to nothing calculated to dispossess them of their negroes. Finding them thus determined, I prevented any communication with them on the subject until reaching this place, when they were again called together, and I repeated all that had been mentioned to them before. I told them it was needless to object; my orders were positive, and must be obeyed. All was of no use; they became, if anything, more vexed than before, and left me much exasperated. Mr. Collins witnessed my exertions to carry out your instructions; indeed, sir, I have been excessively perplexed with these Indians and negroes. I see no method in the absence of force by which possession of the negroes can be had. The authorities here show a decided inclination to protect the Indians, and there is no doubt every attempt will fail on our part. I have in no instance acted with duplicity. The statements made, have been as they actually exist. Thirty-one of the number left at New Orleans are on the official list handed me by Mr. Collins.”
The whole party were detained several days at Little Rock in consequence of the low stage of water. While waiting here, Collins appears to have become impatient, and anxious to get possession of the negroes. Indeed, from the closing remark of Mr. Reynolds’s letter, last quoted, we are led to suspect that little sympathy existed between Reynolds and this agent of the slave-dealer; nor is it unlikely that an officer, bred up in the cultivation of a high and chivalrous sense of honor, would feel some repugnance at being constrained to associate with any man employed in the business which brought Collins to the Western Country. Knowing, however, that the Executive of the United States had become in fact a party in this disreputable transaction, he endeavored to manifest at least a respect for those officers of Government who had become participants in it.
On the third of June, Lieutenant Reynolds addressed an official letter to Samuel C. Roane, Governor of Arkansas, stating the circumstances in which he was placed. He set forth the claim of the Creeks, and their sale to Watson, together with the fact that Collins was then at Little Rock, anxious to obtain possession of the negroes; that he (Reynolds) could not deliver them to Collins without assistance, and on that account demanded of his Excellency assistance of the civil authority to aid him in carrying out the policy of the Federal Government.
Here again the workings of the human heart, and the laws of human nature, cast insurmountable obstacles in the way of carrying out the Executive designs. True, Arkansas was a slave State, and her Governor was a slaveholder, characterized by that bold and generous nature which usually distinguishes the pioneers of the West; but his letter breathes such a spirit of independence, such a bold and unhesitating regard for justice and propriety, that we prefer to let his Excellency speak for himself. The letter is couched in the following language:
“EXECUTIVE OFFICE,
“Little Rock, June 4th, 1838.
“SIR: Your note of this day has been duly received, in which you call on me as the Executive of the State of Arkansas to furnish you military force, sufficient to coerce obedience to your instructions to surrender a number of negroes, now with the Seminole Indians under your command; and stating that the Indians manifest a hostile determination not to permit the negroes in question to be surrendered to the agent or attorney of the Creek Indians. I have also examined the copies of the order from the War Department, directed to you on this subject, as well as the schedule of the negroes and letter of attorney, in the possession of Mr. N. F. Collins, the Creek agent or attorney, to receive the negroes in controversy. After due reflection on the subject, I have determined not to afford you any assistance to carry these instructions into effect, and respectfully request of you not to attempt to turn over those negroes to the claimants within the State of Arkansas, and more especially in the neighborhood of L............