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Letter No 4 [Fortville?] May 4th, 1826
It is [an] extremely difficult task to give circumstantial details of the occurrences of the frequent wars that had existed between this nation and that of the Creeks; and from so remote a period since they had occurred: but from what has already been related in No 3 of the first war between the two nations, and the peace that was made by the parties, [it] is probable [that the peace] did not last many years, as there is some account related by traditioners of the interchanges of names of towns having been swapt between the two nations the nation: - *that the Occhays in the Creek Nation, was to be called Echota and Echota to be called Oochays; and it has been still further related that the **Nan, tu, wa, kws, came in considerable numbers about Ket, tu, wauh, Tuckelechee, - and came to war against the Creeks, and brought in considerable numbers of the Creek prisoners they had taken; and no doubt the Cherokees had invited them to their assistance; and it is probable that this war was about the commencement of Occunnastatoc's? life time and the Little Carpenter's time - this last, was, however, much younger in his appearance than Occunnastatoc, as I have seen them both when quite a boy; - but their principal leader is not known, and it is very probable that fire arms had then began to be used among the two nations; and the peace that followed after this war, was established upon the same principles, as the Delawares had established [a] mediatory town at Cannoo, kee, from the circumstances already related in the interchanges of the names of towns: and it must have been before this war had took place when the small pox had been introduced in the nation by some of the visitant Cherokees from the seashore; which became so destructive to the inhabitants of the valley towns, in depopulating mostly whole towns: and in some whole families falling victims to this epidemic disorder; and only two towns had
- The meaning here probably is that the names of beloved towns, which are exchanged between nations of indians when they make peace, were in this instance speedily exchanged back again: and this sudden return of each other's names is considered as indicating a sudden breaking of friendship - like the return of love tokens when courtships are broken off.
- Mohawks and Senecas both bore this name.