Sacred Metal Plates In the Creek Nation

[Convert55]

In Albert James Pickett’s History Alabama is recorded an account of Creek Indians that possessed metal plates with engravings on them that they considered of secret nature.

Albert James Pickett: HISTORY OF ALABAMA.

1759: The Tookabatchas (Tukabatchee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) brought with them to the Tallapoosa some curious brass plates, the origin and objects of which have much puzzled the Americans of our day, who have seen them. 1759 Such information respecting them as has fallen into our possession, will be given. On the 27th July, 1759, at the Tookabatcha Square, William Balsolver, a British trader, made inquiries concerning their ancient relics, of an old Indian Chief, named Bracket, near a hundred years of age. There were two plates of brass and five of copper. The Indians esteemed them so much they were preserved in a private place, known only to a few Chiefs, to whom they were annually entrusted. They were never brought to light but once in a year, and that was upon the occasion of the Green Corn Celebration, when on the fourth day, they were introduced in, what was termed the "brass plate dance". Then one of the high Prophets carried one before him, under his arm, ahead of the dancers -- next to him the head warrior carried another, and then others followed with the remainder, bearing aloft, at the same time white canes, with the feathers of a swan at the tops.

Shape of the five copper plates: One a foot and a half long, and seven inches wide; the other four a little shorter and narrower.

Shape of the two brass plates: Eighteen inches in diameter, about the thickness of a dollar, and stamped as exhibited upon the face.

Formerly, the Tookabatcha tribe had many more of these relics, of different sizes and shapes, with letters and inscriptions upon them, which were given to their ancestors by the Great Spirit, who instructed them that they were only to be handled by particular men, who must at the moment be engaged in fasting, and that no unclean woman must be suffered to come near them or the place where they were deposited. July 27, 1759: Bracket further related, that several of these plates were then buried under the Micco's cabin in Tookabatcha, and had lain there ever since the first settlement of the town; that formerly it was the custom to place one or more of them in the grave by the side of a deceased Chief of pure Tookabatcha blood, and that no other Indians in the whole Creek nation had much sacred relics. * Similar accounts of these plates were obtained from four other British traders, "at the most eminent trading house of all English America." ** The town of Tookabatcha became, in later times, the capital of the Creek nation; and many reliable citizens of Alabama have seen these mysterious pieces at the Green Corn Dances, upon which occasions they were used precisely as in the more ancient days.*** When the inhabitants of this town, in the autumn of 1836, took up the line of march for their present home in the Arkansas Territory, these plates were transported thence by six Indians, remarkable for their sobriety and moral character, at the head of whom was the Chief, Spoke-Oak, Micco. Medicine, made expressly for their safe transportation, was carried along by these warriors. Each one had a plate strapped behind his back, enveloped nicely in buckskin. They carried nothing else, but marched on, marched on, one before the other, the whole distance to Arkansas, neither communicating nor conversing with a soul but themselves, although several thousands were emigrating in company; and walking, with a solemn religious air, one mile in advance of the others. **** How much their march resembled that of the ancient Trojans, bearing off their household gods! Another tradition is, that the Shawnees gave these plates to the Tuckabatchas, as tokens of their friendship, with an injunction that they would annually introduce them in their religious observances of the new corn season. But the opinion of Opothleoholo, one of the most gifted Chiefs of the modern Creeks, went to corroborate the general tradition that they were gifts from the Great Spirit. ***** It will be recollected that our aborigines, in the time of De Soto, undertook the use of copper, and that hatchets and ornaments were made of that metal. The ancient Indians may have made them, and engraved upon their faces hieroglyphics, which were supposed to be Roman characters. An intelligent New Englander, names Barent Dubois, who had long lived among the Tookabatchas, believed that these plates originally formed some portion of the armor or musical instruments of De Soto, and that the Indians stole them, as they did the shields, in the Talladega country, and hence he accounts for the Roman letters on them. We give an opinion, but leave the reader to determine for himself -- having discharged our duty by placing all the available evidence before him.

* Adair's "American Indians," pp. 178-179.

** Adair's "American Indians" p. 179.

*** Conversations with Barent Dubois, Abraham Mordecai, James Moore, Capt. William Walker, Lacklan Durant, Mrs. Sophia McComb, and other persons who stated that these plates had Roman characters upon them, as well as they could determine from the rapid glances which they could occasionally bestow upon them, while they were being used in the "brass plate dance."

**** Conversations with Barent Dubois.

***** Conversations with Opothleoholo in 1833.

[annewandering]

Where are they?

[Convert55]

Where are they?

Evidently they were last seen headed west into Arkansas on the backs of 6 noble braves in 1830. This appears to me to have been a "trail of tears" kind of thing and Pickett didn't furnish any information on the plates final repository.

[annewandering]

Evidently they were last seen headed west into Arkansas on the backs of 6 noble braves in 1830. This appears to me to have been a "trail of tears" kind of thing and Pickett didn't furnish any information on the plates final repository.

Too bad in a way but then again sacred things dont belong in museums.

[Flashman]

On 8/10/2012 at 10:12 AM, Convert55 said:

Evidently they were last seen headed west into Arkansas on the backs of 6 noble braves in 1830. This appears to me to have been a "trail of tears" kind of thing and Pickett didn't furnish any information on the plates final repository.

Wrong: They were last seen in 1850. 

See the "42nd Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology", pg. 506-507 (https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/107718#page/506/mode/1up). The Creeks (specifically the Iskopogis) had the plates in their possession as late as 1850. They were closely examined by a minister who had heard that they might contain Hebrew: The minister found no evidence of writing save for a stamped "AE". 

And, though not seen, they were inquired after by one G.W. Grayson in 1917: They apparently still existed, though were in a state of disrepair (pg. 510). 

The entire account from Swanton I linked to (pg. 503-510) would make interesting reading for any faithful saint, there's a lot of fodder in there: Mention that there were once plates that did contain writing that have been buried, that they were received from a moral teacher, that they were recieved from some mysterious "other" race, etc. I'm surprised Heartlanders are not all over this one: Aside from a few footnote mentions in Sorenson, this forum post seems to be the only discussion extant in LDS circles discussing this incident. 

[pam]

9 hours ago, Flashman said:

Wrong: They were last seen in 1850. 

See the "42nd Annual Report of the Bureau of American Ethnology", pg. 506-507 (https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/107718#page/506/mode/1up). The Creeks (specifically the Iskopogis) had the plates in their possession as late as 1850. They were closely examined by a minister who had heard that they might contain Hebrew: The minister found no evidence of writing save for a stamped "AE". 

And, though not seen, they were inquired after by one G.W. Grayson in 1917: They apparently still existed, though were in a state of disrepair (pg. 510). 

The entire account from Swanton I linked to (pg. 503-510) would make interesting reading for any faithful saint, there's a lot of fodder in there: Mention that there were once plates that did contain writing that have been buried, that they were received from a moral teacher, that they were recieved from some mysterious "other" race, etc. I'm surprised Heartlanders are not all over this one: Aside from a few footnote mentions in Sorenson, this forum post seems to be the only discussion extant in LDS circles discussing this incident. 

And we haven't discussed it in 13 years. 

[zil2]

Welcome to ThirdHour, @Flashman!

[LDSGator]

@Flashman-I have to ask this. Is your name a Mega Man reference? 
 

https://megaman.fandom.com/wiki/Flash_Man

 

I only ask because I’m a huge fan of the series.