John Walton Caughey (1902–1995)

Caughey's book on Chief Alexander McGillivray is a "must own" book for serious students of Creek Indian or Alabama history. The primary value of this book is the reprinting of the many letters by McGillivray in his roles as Creek Chief and Creek diplomat, painstakingly taken from the Spanish archives. McGillivray was the only 18th century Indian chief who wielded a pen in such a powerful fashion dealing with various southern states, English and Spanish governors, and the US government. It also illustrates his role in the Scots owned Panton-Forbes trading company in Spanish Florida which was the "walmart" of its day which ran its own ships to the Bahamas and Europe for import/export purposes, maintaining several stores in florida and the Bahamas with sub-agents and traders in what is now Alabama,Mississippi, and Georgia.
Alexander McGillvray has a close relationship with William Panton the primary owner of the business.
The apex of his career is his meeting in person with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in New York City to negociate the famous New York Peace Treaty of 1790 just before the US capitol is moved to Philadelphia.
With this collection of letters in his own handwriting we get to see these events through his eyes.
This book is not a complete history of Alexander and his father Lochlan but the letters presented give us a view of him we can find no other place. There are other more recent scholarly books on
Alexander and his dad Lochlan for the interested student.( see Wright or Cashin).… (mere)