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Lamhatty was captured by an invasion of Creeks
Source: Early History of the Creek Indians and Their Neighbors #121
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A great deal of light has been thrown upon the ethnographical complexion of the region along Apalachicola River by the discovery by Mr. D. I. Bushnell, Jr., of an old manuscript already alluded to (p. 13), preserved among the Ludwell papers in the archives of the Virginia Historical Society.5 This gives the account of an Indian named Lamhatty, who was captured by a band of "Tusckaroras," in reality probably Creeks, and who, after having been taken through various Creek towns, was sold to the Shawnee. Later he came northward with a hunting party of Shawnee, escaped from them, and reached the Virginia settlements. As much of his story as he was able to communicate was taken down by Robert Beverly, the historian, and on the reverse side of the sheet containing it was traced a map of the region through which Lamhatty had come, as Lamhatty himself understood it. In his narrative this Indian represents himself as belonging to the Tawasa, or, as he spells it, "Towasa," people, which he says consisted of 10 "nations." In the year 1706, however, the "Tusckaroras" (or Creeks?) made a descent upon them and carried off three of the "nations." In the spring of 1707 they carried off four more, and two fled. The narrative says "the other two fled," but that would leave one still to be accounted for. It is difficult to know just what Lamhatty means by the 10 "nations." On his map there are indeed 10 towns laid down on and near the lower Apalachicola, but only one is marked "Towasa." Nevertheless it appears likely that the 10 towns are the "nations" to which Lamhatty refers, especially as what he says regarding their fate may be made to fit in very well with other information concerning them. The names of these 10 towns are given as: Towasa, Pouhka, Sowolla, Choctouh, Ogolaughoos, Tomooka, Ephippick, Auledly, Socsosky, and Sunepah. Towasa is of course the well-known Tawasa tribe. The five following may probably be identified with the Pawokti, Sawokli, Chatot, Yuchi, and a band of Timucua. This last and the Pouhka are the only ones the identification of which is uncertain. With the remaining four nothing can be done. Of the first six, the Tawasa and Chatot are known to have taken refuge with the French and may have been the two that Lamhatty says fled on the occasion of the second attack. [Note: Later information shows, however, that the Chatot must have fled after the first attack, for they had gone to Mobile before July 28, 1706.] The band of Yuchi evidently remained in this country much longer and may have been the "nation" left out of consideration. The three others identified always remained separate, and we are reduced to the conclusion that the four unidentified towns represented the people afterwards called Apalachicola. They were perhaps those carried off on the last raid. (Swanton)
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