William Augustus Bowles, also known as Estajoca, was a Maryland-born Loyalist officer during the Revolutionary War. He was sympathetic to Native American causes and was one of the first to propose a separate Native American country that would exist outside of the control of the United States and European powers.
His idea for a unified Native American country pre-dated Tecumseh, who wanted to achieve the same thing during the War of 1812 and was similar to that of Joseph Brant, the Mohawk leader during the American Revolution.
Early Life and American Revolution
There is not much known of Bowles's childhood, but he shows up on the pages of history as a 13-year-old boy who joined the Maryland Loyalist Battalion as a junior officer and traveled to Pensacola, Florida.
While France often gets much of the credit for their role during the American Revolution, the Spanish are often forgotten. While their contribution was minor compared to the French, the Spanish still maintained a decent navy and were a threat to British holdings in the Caribbean.
William Augustus Bowles resigned his commission in Pensacola and left the fortification. He would be captured by the Creek Nation and soon lived among them. The Spanish navy launched attacks on British forts along the Gulf Coast, which would affect the Creeks.
Bowles then convinced the leaders of the Creek Nation to support the British garrison of Pensacola against the Spanish. They agreed to do so but were unable to stop the Spanish from gaining control of the garrison.
Bowles had a surprising influence over the Natives despite his age. This event would have occurred in May of 1781 when he was just 16 or 17 years old.
After the battle, he was reinstated into the British Army and sent to the Bahamas. His presence in the Bahamas did not last long, as he was sent back to live among Creeks and establish a large trading post.
He established a trading post and then married two wives. One was a Cherokee, and one a Creek. He used these marriages to exert political influence over the Creeks.
Later Years
Pursuing his idea of an American Indian state after the end of the Revolutionary War, he was received by King George III as "Chief of the Embassy for Creek and Cherokee Nations," and it was with British backing that he returned to Florida.
In 1795, he managed to form a short-lived state in northern Florida known as the State of Muskogee. A flag was designed, and a constitution was written for his state. He even was able to raise an army and carry out raids against the Spanish. He saw some small success and, in 1800, declared war against the Spanish.
This enraged the Spanish, who offered $6,000 and 1,500 kegs of rum for his capture.
When he was finally captured, he was transported to Madrid, where he was unmoved by King Charles IV's attempts to make him change sides. He then escaped, commandeering a ship and returning to the Gulf of Mexico. One of the main victims of his piracy was the trading firm of Panton, Leslie & Company.
In 1803, not long after having declared himself "Chief of all Indians present" at a tribal council, he was betrayed and turned over to the Spanish. William Augustus Bowles died in 1805 at Castillo Morro in Havana, Cuba, having refused to eat.
Bowles is an interesting character during the Early years of America and the territories that surrounded them. He was one of the only men who were able to establish an independent Native American nation, albeit short-lived.