ELIJAH CLARKE'S FOREIGN INTRIGUES AND THE "TRANS-OCONEE REPUBLIC"

In the early days of the American republic, foreign nations failed to respect the independent position which had been attained by this new government. Rather, they considered it legitimate ground for intrigues, a remnant for a "tail to the European kite." And indeed many Americans themselves, still swayed by the passions of the revolution and unsettled from its turmoils, had not come to realize the part that law and order were to play. As a result, they too often became the willing tools of foreign powers; or, mistaking their own wild ambitions for patriotism, they engaged in ventures that, to say the least, tended toward the destruction of state and nation. Successive intrigues by England, France, and Spain are too well known to mention; so are the contributory ventures of such men as James Wilkinson, Burr, and George Rogers Clark. Not so well known, but of equal importance in their possibilities, were certain projects by Elijah Clarke. His name is linked with two ventures, which, though in ultimate purposes entirely separated, were in conception closely related. Hence it has been deemed proper to treat both in the same paper.

Elijah Clarke was a bold partisan leader in Georgia during the revolution. He took a conspicuous part in the war of extermination waged between the whigs and tories throughout the southern frontiers from the Carolinas to Florida. He came out of the struggle an inveterate foe to Great Britain, with his strong native passions intensified and with a consciousness of important powers wielded in the past and still capable of use. After the revolution he found a vent for his restless nature in the Creek wars that sprang up all along the frontier. But hazy ambitions for greater things began to form, and in following these Clarke failed to define clearly the limit where patriotism ended and movements destructive to his government began. The arrival of Genêt in Charleston in 1793 with his schemes of

conquest gave Clarke his first opportunity to further his larger ambitions.1

Genêt's proposed conquest of the Spanish possessions contemplated two important expeditions: one to gather in the Ohio river country under George Rogers Clark, to float down the Mississippi to take Louisiana; the other to be made up in South Carolina and Georgia to march on East and West Florida. Genêt left the active management of affairs in this latter venture to Mangourit, the French consul at Charleston. Samuel Hammond and William Tate were his chief lieutenants in South Carolina. Elijah Clarke was to be intrusted with Georgia's part, responsible especially for enlisting the Georgians and the Creek and Cherokee Indians. A number of elements entered into the situation as far as Clarke and the Georgians were concerned. As before noted, Clarke had a violent hatred of the British. For that reason, if for no other, he would have been 1 Elijah Clarke left North Carolina in 1774 and settled in Wilkes county, Georgia. He was a major general in the Georgia forces during the revolution, commanding in the battle of Kettle creek and taking an important part in skirmishes in South Carolina leading up to the battle of King's mountain. See A. D. Candler and C. A. Evans, Cyclopaedia of Georgia (Atlanta, 1906), 1:396; L. C. Draper, Kings mountain and its heroes (Cincinnati, 1881), passim; J. C. Harris, Georgia (New York, 1896), 88-96.

The following is an example of Clarke's strong-willed nature. On the failure of the grand jury to find a true bill against a trifling fellow whom Clarke had accused of horse-stealing, he seized him, and followed by the jury and judge, marched him to the place of the theft, intent on hanging him. He desisted only after the judge had made an eloquent appeal for law and order. G. R. Gilmer, Sketches of some of the first settlers of upper Georgia, of the Cherokees, and of the author (New York, 1855), 185.

2 Hammond was not previously unknown to Clarke, both having fought together in the battles of Cedar springs and Musgrove's hill in the revolution. George White, Historical collections of Georgia containing the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, etc., relating to its history and antiquities, from its first settlement to the present time (New York, 1854), 625, 628. F. J. Turner, "The Mangourit correspondence in respect to Genêt's projected attack upon the Floridas, 1793-94,'' in American historical association, Annual report, 1897 (Washington, 1898), 569-574.

3 The fact that two men prominent in this movement bore the name Clark (Elijah Clarke spelled his name with a final e, but this was not always adhered to) has led to considerable confusion in early dispatches as well as in later accounts. For example, in the American state papers: foreign relations, volume 1, index, p. v, George Rogers Clark and Elijah Clarke are listed as "General Clarke," and this results in a confusion of the doings of the Kentucky and Mississippi river expedition with the Georgia and Floridas affair.

in favor of aiding the French. Georgians in general were leaning toward Jefferson and French sympathies as opposed to the federalists and Bristish sentiment. This state of mind unconsciously predisposed many to wink at the venture if not to openly aid it. Clarke as well as many other land-hungry Georgians had with deep dissatisfaction seen the federal government make treaties with the Creeks and Cherokees which seemed to exclude white settlers forever from large tracts of land. Why not then follow the French for three months and take advantage of large bounties in land offered in the Floridas and in Louisiana? Clarke was also very popular in Georgia, and he knew that he could draw a considerable following with him in any venture he should choose. A large gathering of officers in Georgia agreed to enter the French service on hearing that Clarke would be a leader. There was also the traditional hatred of the Georgians against the Spaniards in Florida, especially intensified by their recent plottings with the Indians.

5

Clarke entered actively into the service of the French in the fall of 1793, receiving the commission of a major general with an annual salary of $10,000. He immediately set to work enlisting Georgians for the enterprise. Many veterans of the revolution who had served with him in that war joined him again. Agents were sent out to many points with ample supplies of money to enlist men and buy provisions, some carrying as much as $10,000 with them. Different points in Georgia were designated as posts for rendezvous preparatory to proceeding to St. Mary's, the general rendezvous for all troops from both South Carolina and Georgia. The collecting posts in upper Georgia were mostly in the Indian land where the governor of Georgia supposedly

6

A committee appointed by the South Carolina house of representatives to investigate the Genêt affair reported: "Many citizens of the United States have been seduced from their duty by insidious arts practiced on their kindred affections to the French republic." American state papers: foreign relations, 1:309. See also Ibid., 459.

5 Hammond said that at this meeting the officers unanimously expressed the desire to enter the venture immediately "as General Clarke is determined to follow me to aid in the conquest of east Florida." Turner, "Mangourit correspondence,'' in American historical association, Annual report, 1897, p. 636.

6 T. S. Arthur and W. H. Carpenter, The history of Georgia from its earliest settlement to the present time (Philadelphia, 1854), 291. 292; W. B. Stevens, History of Georgia (Philadelphia, 1859), 2:405; A. H. Chappell, Miscellanies of Georgia (Atlanta, 1874), 40; American state papers: foreign relations, 1:459.

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had no control and to which, indeed, the United States could not lay undisputed claim. Troops from the up-country were to assemble on the west side of the Oconee river opposite Greensborough, and troops from the central part of the state were to gather on the same river opposite Kerr's bluff." The whole length of the Georgia frontier from Tennessee to the Florida line was at this time in a state of great unrest. Private parties were gathering at numerous places bent on invading the Creek country; half-organized commands were camping here and there supposedly to fight the Creeks; and, to make the conditions still more unsettled, the Georgia militia and the federal troops which were scattered in different forts and camps mostly along the Oconee river were actuated by no friendly feelings toward each other. Out of these discordant elements Clarke was enlisting his recruits. And it can scarcely be doubted that he was using hostility to the Creeks as a cloak for his real designs. * At the same time efforts were being made to enlist as many Creeks and Cherokees as possible and to make friends with the remainder. Genêt was enabled to use this as proof against the charge that he was plotting on American territory against Spain, claiming that certain persons had merely agreed "to go among the independent Indian tribes, ancient friends and allies of France," to enlist their aid."

8

Clarke seems to have made considerable progress in gathering 7 Turner, "Mangourit correspondence," in American historical association, Annual report, 1897, pp. 635, 636.

8 Henry Knox, secretary of war, in a statement to the United States senate, December 16, 1793, said: "The present state of this part of the frontier involves national considerations of great magnitude whether viewed as relative to the expense which has been incurred during the past summer, of which payment will most probably be demanded of the United States, whether with regard to the claims of the Governor of Georgia, of a right of interference in any treaty with the Creeks, which is presumed to be contrary to the constitution of the United States, or whether with regard to a war with the powerful tribes of the Creeks, with the long and almost unlimited train of collateral and consequent evils attendant thereon, a measure which may perhaps be avoided, if means could be devised to keep the bold and turbulent of both sides in order." American state papers: Indian affairs, 1:362. Ibid., 361429 passim.

9 American state papers: foreign relations, 1:311. A plan for a treaty of alliance and friendship with the Creeks may be found in Turner, "Mangourit correspondence" in American historical association, Annual report, 1897, pp. 591-593. Many Creeks and Cherokees were enlisted, according to Arthur and Carpenter, History of Georgia, 291, 292.

men. According to the commander of the federal troops in Georgia, the French "appear to have many friends in this undertaking among the inhabitants of this State." He said three hundred men from upper Georgia were expected to join eighty others encamped on the St. Mary's river, and that these together with a French sloop of war would "be sufficient, they say, to take the Floridas as soon as they please." This service was especially attractive to the United States troops, many of whom agreed to join the French "on the expiration of their engagements with the United States." Some, however, did not wait for this, but, prevailed upon by Clarke's recruiting agents, deserted outright. Clarke became fearful of immediate trouble with the United States if this procedure were kept up. Major Williamson, paymaster of Clarke's troops, wrote assuring a United States army officer, "General Clarke requested me to urge the necessity of not interfering with Government, particularly in that of persuading the troops of the United States to desert and join them; and that, if he could find out that any officer or soldier had acted in that manner, contrary to the interests of the United States, should be given into the hands of the law, and be published as the law directs.'"10

This unsettled state of affairs lasted throughout the winter of 1793-1794. The main work of Clarke during this period was to collect as many troops as possible on the Georgia frontier along the Oconee river and march them to the St. Mary's river, and from there make a descent in force on East Florida. After this province should be in his possession, he was to invade and seize West Florida. There was very little, if any, actual fighting. Clarke was busily engaged in recruiting and commanding troops on the Florida border at one time, and in the Oconee river region at another. He was reported to have attacked West Florida in October but to have been frustrated by the United States troops. In the following April he was back on the Oconee river ready to take command of troops gathering there; while in May he was reported to be on the Florida border again with from 150 to 300 men ready to join the French."

This movement, so disruptive of law and order, could not go 10 American state papers: foreign relations, 1:459, 460.

11 Turner, "Mangourit correspondence," in American historical association, Annual report, 1897, p. 669; American state papers: foreign relations, 1:459, 460.