Editing Seminole Wars (section)

===Fowltown and the Scott Massacre===
[[Battle of Fowltown|Fowltown]] was a [[Miccosukee|Mikasuki]] (Creek) village in southwestern Georgia, about {{convert|15|mi|km}} east of [[Fort Scott (Flint River, Georgia)|Fort Scott]]. Chief [[Neamathla]] of Fowltown got into a dispute with the commander of Fort Scott over the use of land on the eastern side of the Flint River, essentially claiming Mikasuki sovereignty over the area. The land in southern Georgia had been ceded by the Creeks in the Treaty of Fort Jackson, but the Mikasukis did not consider themselves Creek, did not feel bound by the treaty which they had not signed, and did not accept that the Creeks had any right to cede Mikasuki land. On 21 November 1817, General Gaines sent a force of 250 men to seize Fowltown. The first attempt was beaten off by the Mikasukis. The next day, 22 November 1817, the Mikasukis were driven from their village. Some historians date the start of the war to this attack on Fowltown. [[David Brydie Mitchell]], former governor of Georgia and Creek [[Indian agent]] at the time, stated in a report to [[United States Congress|Congress]] that the attack on Fowltown was the start of the First Seminole War.<ref>Missall. Pp. 33-37.</ref>

A week later a boat carrying supplies for Fort Scott, under the command of Lieutenant Richard W. Scott, was attacked on the [[Apalachicola River]]. There were forty to fifty people on the boat, including twenty sick soldiers, seven wives of soldiers, and possibly some children. (While there are reports of four children being killed by the Seminoles, they were not mentioned in early reports of the massacre, and their presence has not been confirmed.) Most of the boat's passengers were killed by the Indians. One woman was taken prisoner, and six survivors made it to the fort.<ref>Missall. Pp. 36-37.<br />Knetsch. Pp. 26-27.</ref>

While General Gaines had been under orders not to invade Florida, he later decided to allow short intrusions into Florida. When news of the [[Scott Massacre]] on the Apalachicola reached [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], Gaines was ordered to invade Florida and pursue the Indians but not to attack any Spanish installations. However, Gaines had left for East Florida to deal with pirates who had occupied [[Original Town of Fernandina Historic Site|Fernandina]]. [[United States Secretary of War|Secretary of War]] [[John C. Calhoun]] then ordered Andrew Jackson to lead the invasion of Florida.<ref>Missall. P. 38.</ref>