Settlers versus Natives: the Trans-Oconee Republic

The end of the Revolutionary War left the United States and individual states with a lot of disposable land.  What to do with this land and who had the rights or authority on it remained a bone of contention between the federal government, states, and the various Native tribes.  Georgia's colonial boundaries technically gave it possession of all land between its seacoast line all the way back to the Mississippi.  This hadn't set well with the Muscogee/Creek.  Under Alexander McGillivray's guidance the Creek were able to agree the Treaty of Washington of 1790, setting out the boundaries of their land.  That included the Oconee River. 

Enter General Elijah Clarke (1742-1799), no relation to George Rogers or William Clark.  Elijah Clarke was a Revolutionary War hero and "Indian Fighter" who had become a general in the Georgia state militia.  He resigned his commission to stage an invasion of Spanish East Florida, and when that didn't materialize, led his men west of the Oconee River, in what is now Greene, Morgan, Putnam and Baldwin counties, in land clearly promised to the Creek.  When neither Georgia nor the federal government would recognize their claim, Clarke and his men drew up their own constitution and declared themselves an independent Trans-Oconee Republic, in May 1794. 

The Creek demanded that the federal government honor the terms of the Treaty of Washington to evict the trespassers.  The Washington Administration demanded that Georgia officials evict Clarke's men, who were busy erected farms, stockades and planting fields.  Georgia officials were reluctant to move against Clarke, who was a popular war hero who had a lot of support in high places.  Fortunately, Judge George Walton ordered a grand jury in Augusta County to investigate and publicly called out and condemned Clarke's settlement.  Georgia authorities were forced to act.  Another Revolutionary hero, General Jared Irwin, led a force of 1200 men to surround the Oconee settlements in September, 1794.  Clarke realized the game was up and gave in without a fight.  He and his men left and the militia burned down their buildings behind them.

The final sentence should read, and the Creeks got their land back.  Hardly!  Georgia authorities now laid claim to this same land, intending to use it as rewards for Revolutionary War veterans.  Unfortunately, land speculators became involved, buying up swaths of real estate and promissory land claims from veterans in the mess known as the Yazoo Land Speculation.  It would take McGillivray and his people threatening all out war before Georgia authorities got a handle on the land speculation and the Washington Administration stepped in to affirm the Treaty of Washington.