week of 5/8/02
 
 
 

Back Then
By George Ellison

The three great leaders of the Cherokees during the 18th century were Attakullakulla, Oconastota, and Ostenaco. The first was a great diplomat. The second was a great warrior. In the annals of Cherokee recorded history, only Ostenaco (circa 1705-1780) was equally outstanding as both diplomat and warrior. Ostenaco’s life was long, varied and distinguished; nevertheless, the most singular event — in his own mind — was a visit in 1762 to London, where he met King George III.

This curious episode is detailed in two sources: Lieut. Henry Timberlake’s Memoirs, 1756-1765 (London, 1765) and E. Raymond Evans, “Notable Persons in Cherokee History: Ostenaco,” Journal of Cherokee of Cherokee Studies I (1976), 41-54.

Ostenaco was the leader during the Cherokee siege of Fort Loudoun in present-day Tennessee in 1760 that took place after the British murdered 23 Cherokee hostages at Fort Prince George in the colony of South Carolina. In retribution, the Cherokees massacred exactly 23 British soldiers after they had surrendered at Fort Loudoun and were on their way home. In response the British entered the Cherokee homeland in full force in 1761 (under the leadership of Colonel James Grant) and soundly defeated the Indians, after which they burned their corn fields and homes. In September of that year, Attakullakulla negotiated a peace treaty with South Carolina.

Meanwhile, the colony of Virginia, which also desired a treaty with the Cheokees, dispatched Lieutenant Henry Timberlake to meet with the Overhill Cherokees just southwest of the Great Smokies. After a difficult journey, Timberlake resided for several months among the Cherokees as Ostenaco’s house guest. When he returned to Virginia, a large Cherokee delegation headed by Ostenaco accompanied him. The Cherokees camped outside of Williamsburg.

“On my arrival, I waited on the Governor, who seemed somewhat displeased with the number of Indians that had forced themselves upon me,” Timberlake recorded in his memoir. “Orders however were issued out for their accommodation, and a few days after a council was called, at which Ostenaco, and some of the principal Indians, attended ... A few days before they were to depart for their own country, Mr. Horrocks (James Horrocks, a professor at and later president of William and Mary College) invited Ostenaco and myself to sup with him at the College, where, amongst other curiosities, he showed him the picture of his present Majesty. The chief viewed it a long time with particular attention; then turning to me, ‘Long’ said he, ‘have I wished to see the king my father; this is his resemblance, but I am determined to see himself; I am now near the sea, and never will depart from it till I have obtained my desires.’ He asked the Governor next day, who, tho’ he at first refused, on Ostenaco’s insisting so strongly upon it, gave his consent. He then desired, as I had been with him so long, that I might accompany him to England: this I was to do at my own expence; but the Governor told me he would recommend me to the minister of state, which he did in as strong terms as I could desire.”

Timberlake may not have realized that Ostenaco’s ardent desire to visit London and meet the king was fueled by his competition with Attakullakulla, who had visited London and met King George II at Windsor Castle in 1730. Attakullakulla was always bringing this fact up in councils with the British, and Ostenaco wanted to match his rival in that regard.

Ostenaco made a great speech the evening before he and two other Cherokees departed for the Old World. In attendance was Thomas Jefferson, then 19 years old and a student at William and Mary College in Williamsburg. Fifty years later he could still vividly recall the occasion in a letter to John Adams:

“So much in answer to your enquiries concerning Indians, a people with whom, in the very early part of my life, I was very familiar, and acquired impressions of attachment and commiseration for them which have never been obliterated. Before the revolution they were in the habit of coming often, and in great numbers to the seat of our government, where I was very much with them. I knew much the great Outassete (Ostenaco), the warrior and orator of the Cherokees. He was always the guest of my father (Peter Jefferson who lived at Shadwell in the shadow of the Blue Ridge in western Virginia), on his journeys to and from Williamsburg. I was in his camp when he made the great farewell oration to his people, the evening before his departure to England. The moon was in full splendor, and to her he seemed to address himself in prayers for his own safety on the voyage, and that of his people during his absence. His sounding voice, distinct articulation, animated action, and the solemn silence of his people at their several fires, filled me with awe and veneration, altho’ I did not understand a word he uttered.”

“We had very fine weather during the whole voyage, yet both the Indians (there were two others besides Ostenaco) and myself were seasick all the way,” Timberlake recorded. “On the 16th of June (1762) we arrived at Plymouth, where, before we went on shore, the Indians had their desire of seeing a large man of war gratified, by being carried on board the Revenge, a seventy-four gun ship, with which they were equally pleased and surprised. While in the boat that took us to shore, Ostenaco, painted in a very frightful manner, sung a solemn dirge with a very loud voice ... The loudness and uncouthness of his singing, and the oddity of his person, drew a vast crowd of boats, filled with spectators, from all the ships in the harbour; and the landing place was so thronged, that it was almost impossible to get to the inn, where we took post for London (where) the uncommon appearance of the Cherokees began to draw after them great crowds of people of all ranks.”

Despite Timberlake’s reluctance to take them there, the Cherokees took a great liking to the Vauxhall Gardens, where, as recorded by the St. James Chronicle, they “had a very sumptious Entertainment. The Wines first set before them were Burgandy and Claret, which, however, they did not seem to greatly relish. Others were then placed on the Table, when they fixed upon Frontiniac, the sweetness of which highly hit their Palates, and they drank of it very freely ... Swallowing by wholesale Bumpers of Frontiniac, they entertained themselves and the gasping multitude by sounding the keys of the Organ, scraping upon the String of a Violin, clapping their Hands in Return for the Claps of Applause bestowed upon them.”

Before they left England, the Cherokees were admitted to a conference with King George III at St. James’s. Ostenaco dressed for the occasion in a mantle of rich blue covered with lace. On his breast he wore a silver gorget engraved with his majesty’s coat of arms.

Timberlake was present as interpreter and recorded the event in his memoirs: “They were struck with the youth, person, and grandeur of his Majesty, and conceived as great an opinion of his affability as of his power, the greatness of which may be seen on my telling them in what manner to behave; for finding Ostenaco preparing his pipe to smoak with his Majesty, according to the Indian custom of declaring friendship, I told him he must neither offer to shake hands or smoak with the King, as it was an honour for the greatest of our nation to kiss his hand. ‘You are in the right,’ says he, ‘for he commands over all next to the Man above, and nobody is his equal.’

“Their ideas were likewise greatly increased by the number of ships in the river, and the warren (arsenal) at Woolwich, which I did not fail to set out to the greatest advantage, intimating that our Sovereign had many such ports and arsenals round the kingdom ... The Indians soon reimbarked in the same vessel that brought them, and left England about the 25th of August.”

When Ostenaco and Timberlake arrived back in the Overhill towns of the Cherokee nation, they discovered that one of Ostenaco’s daughters had given birth to a son. Lo and behold, this was little Richard Timberlake, who had been fathered by Henry during his previous visit.

Richard became Ostenaco’s favorite grandson and was a delight to him in his old age; indeed, the great warrior and orator died at Richard’s home on the Hiwassee River about 1780. To the very end he would talk with anyone who cared to listen about his visit with King George III.

George Ellison is a writer who lives in Bryson City. He wrote the biographical introductions for the reissues of two Appalachian classics: Horace Kephart’s Our Southern Highlanders and James Mooney’s History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees. Readers can contact him at P.O. Box 1262, Bryson City, N.C. 28713, or at ellisongeorge@cs.com