Article Title: Savannah, Feb. 16. Extract of a letter from a gentleman at St. Mary's. Bowles has
raided the Fatio plantation of slaves and has also harmed the settlement of Judge Hull near Smyrna.
Author:
Published in: Connecticut Journal
Place of Publication: New Haven, CT
Publication Date: 3/11/1802




SAVANNAH, Feb 16.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman in the town of St. Mary's, dated 10th February, 1802stating a few
absolute facts.
" I am sorry to inform you that our neighbours in East Florida are in a dreadful situation at present.
That infamous fellow Bowles has at length brought the Indians and Spaniards to open hostility. Four
months past, the Machasooky Town Indians, (where Gen. Bowles makes his head quarters) took from
the plantation of F P Fatio, Esq. on the river St. John's, 49 of his negroes, which were conveyed to
Bowles ; Mr. Fatio's son followed a few weeks after to the Indian town, and saw Bowles, but could not
recover one of his negroes, and not without great difficulty got back himself, being greatly insulted,
and having his horses taken from him. A gentleman from New England named Hull, (commonly
called Judge Hull) obtained from the governor of Florida, leave to form an extensive settlement at the
Metanzas, about 60 miles to the southward of St. Augustine, the same spot where Dr. Turnbull had
his Creek Settlement. Mr. Hull had brought from the northward, a number of settlers, with whom he
began to prepare for planting : but Bowles's Indians came ; whipped some ; plundered the whole of
them of every thing they had, and drove them out of the country. This took place about a month or six
weeks past.About 3 weeks ago a party of the same Indians plundered Mr. Dupong, who lived about
30 miles south of St. Augustine, of ten grown negroes, and the same day killed a young man named
Bonnelly, carried off his mother and three sisters. Four days past, a party of friendly Indians, who had
been selling their deerskins, horses, c. in this town, and who were well known to belong to towns who
never favored Bowles's measures where met by some of the inhabitants of Florida, within three or
four miles of this place, on the Spanish territory, when four of them were shot. This ill-timed
imprudent act, will in all probability, bring a Creek war on the Floridas. The thinly scattered
inhabitants are flying in all directions for safetysome to St. Augustine, some to the Islands on the sea
coast, and several have come on our side of the St. Mary's river. It is now evident that all the
settlements in Florida will be totally broke up ; and of course, those restless Americans who have
gone there, will with themselves once more quietly settled under a government which is both willing
and able to protect the lives and property of its citizens. What renders the situation of the planters in
Florida more deplorable is, that the whole force of the province, (militia included) is by no means
equal to meet three hundred Indians in the woods. And to this, that there is not a single military post
on the frontier towards the Indians. Poor encouragement this, indeed, for emigrants to that country."