Tustanagee George Washington Cornells, "Big Warrior"

Big Warrior who actually came from the North to take over the Creek Nation upon the death of Chief Mad Dog is also known as George Washington Cornells.

LifeNotes: Big Warrior, or Tustenuggee Thloco, was a principal chief of the Upper Creeks before the Removal.

Married widow of Mad Dog. Big Warrior raised Mad Dog's children as his own, and it is thought that those children took Cornells as their surnames.

Big Warrior signed the Treaty of Indian Springs.

Born: Married: Died: 2/1825. See the will of Big Warrior. Parents:

Autucky aka Tuskenua

LifeNotes: She was the widow of Mad Dog when she married Big Warrior. Her daughter by Mad Dog was Big Woman.

Born: Married: Died: Parents:

Their children were: •Tuskeneah. A principal chief of the Upper Towns (1831). •Checartha Yargee. He had 5 wives. Married Millie McQueen, Nancy McQueen, Tallassee McQueen, daughters of Elizabeth Durant and Peter McQueen. It is said Checartha was a loving husband to all three wives and to all children). David Yargee, perhaps Yargee's son, was among the Creek students at Arkansas College in 1854. •Richard Cornell / Tutenuggee Hopoin. He inherited a slave named Jack in his father's will. Married Sukey Cornell. •Suchee Cornell. He inherited a slave named Cupid and a slave child named Pompy in his father's will. Married ?. Their daughter: Tomger (m. Spire M. Hagerty). •Sethocky Cornells. She inherited a slave named Nanna and a slave child named Samuel in her father's will. •Thlany Cornells. She inherited a slave named Jenny and a slave child Ben in his father's will. •Liba Cornells. She inherited a slave named Bess and a slave child named Harry in his father's will. Is she Elizabeth Cornells? If so, she married her uncle George Cornells. •Choefulhoky Cornells. She inherited a slave named Suzy and a slave child named Stepanny in his father's will. •Susa Cornells. He inherited a slave named Jack and a slave child named Tom in his father's will. •Seechy Cornells. Married a son of Mad Dog. "

"BIG WARRIOR, Creek chief, was born probably at Tuckabatchee and about 1760. No facts have been preserved of his early life. His marriage to the deserted or discarded wife of Efa Hadjo, must have taken place about 1785, as Tuckenea, his oldest son by her, was a man of affairs in 1810. Big Warrior was not of full Muscogee blood, but was a descendant of a Piankashaw Indian, and he made no little boast of this northern Indian blood. His first recorded appearance in public life was at the treaty of Coleraine in June, 1796; his next appearance at the treaty of Fort Wilkinson in June, 1802. Thirteen days after this treaty, but on the treaty ground, Efa Hadjo, the speaker and first chief of the nation, abdicated his office to Micco Hopoie, and the place of the national council was transformed from Tuckabatchee to the Hickory Ground.

From the lack of records it cannot be stated in what year Big Warrior became Speaker of the Upper Creeks. It may have been in 1812, on the death of Efa Hadjo. On his attaining this office it seems that Tuckabatchee again became the national capital. In 1810, or thereabouts, a Scotchman from Pensacola came to Tuckabatchee and spent some time with Big Warrior, with whom he had many talks through a negro interpreter belonging to the Tuckabatchee chief. The topics of these conversations were never revealed, except that during his visit the Scotch man asked William Weatherford, who was then in Tuckabatchee, how many warriors the Creek nation could raise. Soon after the departure of the Scotchman, Tuskenea, Big Warrior's son, with a party went north and visited the Shawnees and some other tribes. He returned in the summer of 1811. In the fall of the year, Tecumseh at the head of a band of Shawnees came to Tuckabatchee. It is possible that the visit of the Scotchman to Tuckabatchee, and the visit of Tuskenea to the north, may have had some connection with the coming of Tecumseh. Soon after the Shawnees arrived at Tuckabatchee, the notable council took place, about which much has been written, some fact and some fiction. During his stay in the Creek nation, Tecumseh made several efforts to detach Big Warrior from his friendly attitude towards the United States.

Some of Big Warrior's contemporaries have represented him at the time of the outbreak of the Creek War, and even during its continuance, as being at heart unfriendly to the American government, and only adhered to it from a fear of the consequences, should he take the opposite side. This view was adopted by Pickett, the historian, but it does not seem to be borne out by a close study of Big Warrior's actions during those troubled times. The peace party among the Upper Creeks were greatly in the minority.

There were twenty-nine Upper Creek towns and villages that belonged to the war party and only five to the peace party. Notwithstanding this preponderating majority. Big Warrior, who, at this time was certainly the Speaker of the Upper Creeks, did all in his power to induce the hostile chiefs to come over to the side of the Federal Government. He sent a special messenger to the Alabamas, who were the most implacably hostile of all the Upper Creeks. But all of Big Warrior's efforts towards the pacification of the hostile element were of no avail from their point of view, since he had been mainly instrumental in the execution of Little Warrior and his party for the murders committed by them in February, 1813, near the mouth of Ohio. For using,in this matter his executive authority, which was directed agreeably to the requirements of the treaty of Coleraine, Big Warrior, along with six other chiefs, was formally condemned to death by a council of the war party.

By midsummer of 1813 this party had become so dangerous, that Big Warrior built for himself and followers a fort at Tuckabatchee, which he filled with supplies. Here he was besieged a number of days by the Red Sticks until two hundred warriors from Coweta came to his relief, and carried Big Warrior and all his people safe to Coweta, which became the great place of refuge for the friendly Creeks. Big Warrior from the very beginning of the Creek troubles until his arrival at Coweta certain!y conducted himself as a brave and honorable chief. Without fear or favor he cooperated in the execution of Little Warrior's party, and did his whole duty in attempting to pacify the large hostile element of his people. Lastly, we see him with his few faithful followers in their fort at Tuckabatchee besieged by their enraged countrymen, bravely holding the fort for weeks, with the full knowledge that should the fort fall no mercy would be extended to its inmates. A consideration of these facts show that historians have been unjust to the memory of Big Warrior. While he contin/// -- -- far as the records show, he does not figure in any of the battles. Perhaps he was serving his people better by remaining with them at Coweta. Pickett represents him as being present at Weatherford's surrender.

Four months later, as Speaker of the Upper Creeks, he was one of the signers at Fort Jackson. Before signing the treaty Big Warrior made an address to General Jackson, in which, in the name cf the Creek Nation, he tendered donations of land to him, to Colonel Hawkins, the Creek agent, and to George Mayfield and Alexander Cornells, Creek interpreters. Big Warrior was also a signer of the treaties of the Creek Agency, January 22, 1818, and of the treaty of Indian Spring, January 8, 1821.

Big Warrior died in 1824 in Washington while in attendance there with a delegation of his people. General Woodward describes Big Warrior as the largest man that he had ever seen among the Creeks and as spotted as a leopard. The name of only two of his children, both sons, Tuskenea and Yargee, have been preserved. As an incident in the career of Big Warrior, may be cited,--his conversation in 1822, with the Missionary, Rev. Lee Compere, in which, in giving the traditional history of the Creeks, he stated that in remote times they "had even whipped the Indians then living in the territory of South Carolina and wrested much of their country from them." Modern philological research has confirmed this tradition of Big Warrior as being true history; for the local names of the parts of South Carolina, traversed by the Del Pardo expedition of 1567, and recorded by its historians are significant in the Muscogee tongue, showing a Muscogee occupancy of these parts. Hence, apart from being a wise Creek counsellor, Big Warrior should be accorded some reputation as a man thoroughly and patriotically conversant with the traditional history of his people.

Died, on the 8th inst. at Washington City, Big Warrior, principal chief of the Creek nation. He was a man of great talents as a savage warrior--a person of immense bodily powers, and it has been said of him that he was endowed with a mind as colossal as his body. Although he possessed not the advantages of education, or even of understanding but little of the English language, yet he has done much towards improving the condition of his people, and had great influence over them. During the late Indian wars, he had been uniformly friendly to the whites and fought for them in many battles.--(From Nile's Register, March 19, 1825. ) "
The Will of Big Warrior

From the Mormon Genealogy Library in Norman, Oklahoma, with thanks to Shirley Hall

Will of "Big Warrior" or George Washington Cornell was recorded in Orphans Ct. Record, Macon Cty AL Bk 1 1834-1838 pg 6-7

In the Name of God Amen I George Cornells a half breed Indian of the Creek Nation & town of Tuckabatchee upper Creek, being at this time in bodily strength as well as possible of sound mind and perfect understanding but considering the uncertainty of human life at all times, but more so in advanced age, I have thought it advisable to make and ordain this my last will and testament hereby revoking all wills heretofore made by me and to dispose of my whole property in the following manner (viz).

Item (after my death) I give and bequeth to my son Suchee Cornells one negro boy named Cupid, to my daughter Sethoky Cornells one girl named Nauna, to my daughter Choefulhoky Cornells one negro (sic) girl named Suzy, to my son Richard Cornells one negro boy named Jack, to my daughter Thlany Cornells one negro girl named Jenny, to my daughter Liba Cornells one negro girl named Bess, to my son Susa Cornells one negro boy named Jack, I also leave to my children aforenamed the following negro children, beginning at the eldest and so on down agreeable to their names in the will (viz) Pompy to Suchee, Samuel to Sithoky, Stepanny to Choefolheky, Peter to Richard, Ben to Thlany, Harry to Liba, Tom to Susa (item) I give and bequeth to my brother James Cornells one negro boy named Ned.

(item) I will and bequeth to my wife Autucky Cornells the balance of my negroes during her lifetime at her death to be equally divided amongst my children named in the will (the negroes named as follows) (viz) Tom and his wife Bick, one negro woman named Mary, one negro woman named Abby, one negro woman Chloe, one negro man Primie, one negro boy Billy, one negro boy Nat. (Item) I will and bequeth to my to my Granddaughter Siphou one child named Anna, I do hereby nominate and by these presents do consitute and appoint Neluckoboy (or Little Doctor) executor of this my last will and testament, given under my hand and seal near the Town of Tuckabatchee in the Upper Creeks, this 12th day of March in the year of our Lord One thousand and eight hundred and twenty-five, signed, sealed, Delivered an acknowledged in present of us as the last will and Testament of the Subscriber he having at the same time executed this which is lodged in the hands of Neluckoboy for the use of the heirs."

Tuskeneha his mark x Neluckoboy his mark x Charles Cornells Interpreter his mark x Elis Jacoby his George x Cornells mark

Rec'd in office 26 January 1835 Recorded in office 27 January 1839"

"NameGeorge W. CORNELL Birth1761, Blount, AL DeathJan 1835, Macon, AL FatherJoseph CORNILL (1707-) MotherTuckbatchee WOMAN Spouses 1Autucky CREEK ChildrenRichard Dick (1790-) Suchee (1800-) Sethoky (1802-) Choefulhoky (1804-) Thiany (1808-) Liba (1810-) Susa (1812-) Last Modified 5 Jan 2005" ∼
"The attack was part of the Creek War of 1813-1814, a conflict that had started as a civil war among the Upper Creeks who lived along the Alabama, Coosa and Tallapoosa Rivers. A large segment of the nation had broken away from its traditional leadership - the Big Warrior, Little Prince, William McIntosh and others - and taken up the war club under the leadership of Josiah Francis, a man remembered today as the Alabama Prophet."

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/127959515/george-washington-cor...