Chapter 639: Betrayal and the Betrayed
Booker descended from the hill, his face grim, his right hand hidden behind his back.
When he was about ten steps away from the group of Native Americans, he suddenly drew his pistol and shot the man with the red-feathered headdress dead. Turning to his officers, he shouted:
"Kill them! Now!"
The Native Americans were fierce fighters, but they were no match for the battle-hardened Black officers who had just survived a brutal battlefield. Within moments, half the Native Americans were dead.
The remaining six or seven fought valiantly but were soon slaughtered.
Booker faced the confused stares of his officers and pointed back toward the hill. His voice was icy as he declared:
"These damned Native Americans are as cursed as the white devils!"
The truth was, many Native tribes near the American frontier had long embraced "civilization" and "progress." They had learned horseback riding, adopted firearms, and even formed councils modeled after Western parliamentary systems.
They also adopted slavery.
Just as Americans enslaved and killed them, many Native tribes began enslaving Black people. Recognizing the profitability of plantations, these tribes used their earnings to buy more slaves and weapons, with more and more tribal leaders engaging in the practice.
In the southeastern United States, Native tribes near American settlements built more than ten European-style towns and established sprawling cotton plantations.
The Altamaha Tribe, the closest to American territory, was one such tribe.
The American Betrayal
Distant gunfire broke Booker's thoughts. His pupils shrank, and he snapped his reins sharply, urging his horse forward as he shouted:
"Damn it! Follow me, quickly!"
At Booker's encampment, near the Savannah River, about 7,000 American soldiers had appeared seemingly out of nowhere.
The Altamaha Tribe, rather than patrolling the river as promised, had negotiated with General Wayne overnight. Using their boats, they had ferried the American troops across the river under cover of darkness.
Booker had brought most of his senior officers to the feast, leaving only a young captain in charge.
The captain, utterly overwhelmed by the sudden attack, ordered an immediate retreat westward, hoping to find refuge in the Native settlement.
But as they neared the hills, they encountered nearly 2,000 Native warriors, who opened fire the moment they came into view.
On the riverbank, an American officer lowered his spyglass and turned to General Wayne.
"General, those Black devils are finished. Let me lead the cavalry to chase them down!"
"No need for American blood to be spilled," Wayne replied coldly, waving a hand. "Ensure the flanks are secure and prevent their escape. Let's sit back and enjoy the show."
Pushed back by the Americans, Booker's forces were driven directly into a chaotic battle with the Altamaha warriors.
But the Black soldiers, demoralized from recent defeats and lacking proper leadership, were in no condition to fight. They crumbled almost immediately.
Some fought desperately in their final moments, taking many Native warriors down with them.
After over an hour of brutal combat, more than 1,200 Black soldiers lay dead. The remaining three to four hundred survivors knelt trembling on the ground.
The Altamaha commander, the eldest son of Chief Hopoisser, surveyed the battlefield with blood smeared across his face. Beating his chest, he let out a triumphant howl:
"Awuuuuuuuu—!"
His warriors joined in:
"Awuuuuuuuu—!"
Three miles away, General Wayne heard the cries and smirked at his officers.
"See? The Black devils are dealt with. It only cost $30,000. Colonel Arlette, proceed as planned."
"Yes, General!"
Double Betrayal
Wayne approached the battlefield, glancing at the carnage before nodding to the Altamaha chief's son.
"You've done an excellent job, as brave as your father.
"Oh, by the way, the muskets and clothing we promised are just behind us. Send your men to retrieve them.
"Now, let us return to your settlement and celebrate this glorious victory."
The Native commander, visibly proud, responded with a grin:
"We're pleased to have cooperated with you. As agreed, the surviving Black captives are ours."
"Dead men don't need Black slaves."
Before the words had fully registered, Wayne's guards raised their muskets and fired.
The chief's son fell from his horse, half his skull shattered.
The gunshots were a signal. Thousands of American soldiers, who had already surrounded the area, began closing in.
The Altamaha warriors, still busy collecting weapons and herding their captives, were caught completely off guard. Confused, they hesitated as musket fire tore through their ranks, killing both Native warriors and surrendering Black soldiers alike.
Meanwhile, at the Altamaha settlement, Colonel Arlette led two infantry battalions to block all entry and exit points. Then, he ordered cannons to fire into the village.
The Altamaha warriors stationed there, numbering just over a hundred, rushed out to face the attackers, their eyes blazing with fury.
But they were met with a disciplined volley from Brown Bess muskets.
Once the resistance was quelled, Arlette's troops stormed the village, capturing every man, woman, and child.
Aftermath
Three days later, newspapers like the National Gazette and American News ran headlines celebrating:
"General Wayne Crushes Slave Revolt and Reclaims 70 Square Miles in Georgia!"
Meanwhile, at one of the Altamaha Tribe's plantations, Booker and his officers killed over 30 Native overseers. With just 130 loyal followers left, he retreated into the dense forests of Upper Georgia.
France
Paris
Joseph was en route to Brittany to attend the maiden voyage of the Light of the Mediterranean, when he received news from North America and the Caribbean.
By then, over 50 days had passed since the suppression of Booker's rebellion.
He read the report and frowned slightly.
He hadn't anticipated the Americans using such ruthless and underhanded tactics to crush the Booker movement.
The damage to the U.S. was minimal, meaning his hopes of triggering an early civil war between the North and South were dashed, at least for now.
Sighing, Joseph thought about how to further weaken this ambitious and increasingly powerful nation across the Atlantic.
Fortunately, Brissot had made significant progress—except for Jamaica, the entire Caribbean had declared independence. The abolitionist movement had become an unstoppable force.
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