etreat. What remained was
purely episodical in character, and should be so regarded.
Nevertheless, although without effect upon the issue, and indeed in
great part transacted after peace had been actually signed, it is so
directly consecutive with the war as to require united treatment.

Very soon after reaching Bermuda, Vice-Admiral Cochrane, in pursuance
of the "confidential communications with which he was charged," the
character of which, he intimated to Warren,[437] was a reason for
expediting the transfer of the command, despatched the frigate
"Orpheus" to the Appalachicola River to negotiate with the Creek and
other Indians. The object was to rouse and arm "our Indian allies in
the Southern States," and to arrange with them a system of training by
British officers, and a general plan of action; by which, "supporting
the Indian tribes situated on the confines of Florida, and in the back
parts of Georgia, it would be easy to reduce New Orleans, and to
distress the enemy very seriously in the neighboring provinces."[438]

The "Orpheus" arrived at the mouth of the Appalachicola May 10, 1814,
and on the 20th her captain, Pigot, had an interview with the
principal Creek chiefs. He found[439] that the feeling of their people
was very strong against the Americans; and from the best attainable
information he estimated that twenty-eight hundred warriors were ready
to take up arms with the British. There were said to be as many more
Choctaws thus disposed; and perhaps a thousand other Indians, then
dispersed and unarmed, could be collected. The negroes of Georgia
would probably also come over in crowds, once the movement started.
With a suitable number of British subalterns and drill sergeants, the
savages could be fitted to act in concert with British troops in eight
or ten weeks; for they were already familiar with the use of
fire-arms, and were moreover good horsemen. The season of the year
being still so early, there was ample time for the necessary training.
With these preparations, and adequate supplies of arms and military
stores, Pigot thought that a handful of British troops, co-operating
with the Creeks and Choctaws, could get possession of Baton Rouge,
from which New Orleans and the lower Mississippi would be an easy
conquest. Between Pensacola, still in the possession of Spain, and New
Orleans, Mobile was the only post held by the United States. In its
fort were two hundred troops, and in those up country not m