https://books.google.com/books?id=zk1AAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA429&lpg=PA429&dq=muhlenburg+scott+apalachicola+1817&source=bl&ots=aec3bVUlpR&sig=O3OwlASLV6IgiD9XaK1hVGwFBwk&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjrz9SMnO7NAhXM1h4KHQKwDQw4ChDoAQgoMAI#v=onepage&q=muhlenburg%20scott%20apalachicola%201817&f=false
MUHLENBURG'S THREE SHIPS FROM MOBILE


https://palmm.digital.flvc.org/islandora/object/ucf%3A22053/datastream/OBJ/view/The_Florida_historical_quarterly.pdf

In November 1817 Major Muhlenburg was as-

cending the Apalachicola with three vessels laden

with stores brought from Fort Montgomery and

Mobile for the posts.

Lieutenant R. W. Scott of

the 7th Infantry had been sent down the river with

87

forty men to contact Muhlenburg and assist him

in ascending the river.

Contact was made, but

Muhlenburg, instead of keeping the whole detail,

retained only twenty and sent the balance back to

Fort Scott as an escort to about twenty sick sol-

diers and seven women, wives of soldiers. On his

way up the river Scott was warned by Hambly that

Indians with hostile intentions were assembling

about the forks, which stimulated Scott to request

reinforcements on the 28th. Nevertheless the lieu-

tenant proceeded.

On the 30th about a mile below

the forks, at a place where the current obliged the

boat to keep very close to the shore, several volleys

were discharged into the boat fro-m the shore, at

the first of which Lieut. Scott and most of his able

men fell.

Of the entire party only six men escaped

with their lives

58

.

It was for having led this at-

tacking party that Homathlemico was later hanged.

On receiving Scott’s letter, Gen. Gaines despatched

two armed boats with forty men to his aid, but

they were too late and continued on down the river

to Muhlenburg.

About two weeks later when

Muhlenburg was near the Ocheesee bluff with his

vessels, they were attacked from both sides of the

river by Indians, who kept up such a continuous

fire that further warping of the vessels was im-

possible. Firing was kept up for two days. In

this brush Muhlenburg lost two men and had thir-

teen wounded. He was detained by these hostili-

ties for about two weeks and did not arrive at Fort

Scott until about the middle of January

44

.

When appraised of these events, the War De-

partment granted Gaines discretionary authority

to cross the line for the purpose of punishing

depredations committed by the Indians from t