The New Hampshire Gazette

Extract of a Letter from Charleston, in South-Carolina, dated May 5. 1760

Our army, under the command of Col. Montgomery, is advanced to the Congarees, 140 miles from hence. The waggons for his provisions will be collected in a few days, but the weather has been so dry for some time past, that it is feared the small rivulets, which would be very convenient for watering the horses and cattle that attend the troops, will in many places fail, which will make their marches very fatiguing. We are in hopes they will reach Keowee by the end of this month.

The garrison at Fort Loudoun, in the Cherokees, to prepare for the worst, have, for some time past, been put to the short allowance of a pint of corn a day to a man. They were attacked on the 20th of March by all the Overhill Cherokees, except the Little Carpenter and his family, who are retired into the woods, to avoid being witness to a scene he cannot prevent; and the great warrior Ocunnaftota, who went out to hunt down the river about 100 miles. The enemy kept an incessant firing for 4 days and nights without doing much damage. At present they seem to cease their hostilities; but we have intelligence, that they have sent down to New Orleans, to the Iowas or Outawas, and Nontooyas, and other French Indians, for assistance. Their intention seems to be to amuse us, by making some proposals for peace, which are so trifling, that they must think strange in us to accept; therefore we conclude, it is only to gain time, till their messengers return.

The Creek Indians seem, in general, inclined to observe their plan of neutrality; but we are endeavouring to prevail on some of them to go against the Cherokees, led on by some bold Englishmen, who have got commissions, and are to have good pay. This would make a very good diversion on one side, while Colonel Montgomery attacks them in front, and must throw the Cherokees into great consternation and confusion.

The nations of Indians that surround us are so numerous, that the French so near the Creeks and Choctaws, that it requires the greatest attention to the whole system of Indian politics, to extricate ourselves from this critical situation, in which we are at present entangled.