Thomas Perryman facts for kids

Thomas Perryman (whose native name was Kinache) was an important Creek Indian leader. He lived from around the late 1700s until 1815 or 1816. He became a very respected leader, sometimes called the "patriarch" of the lower Creek people.

Thomas Perryman came from the town of Tocktoethla. This town was located on the east side of the Chattahoochee River. Today, that area is known as Seminole County, Georgia. His father was Theophilus Perryman, an English trader. His mother was a Creek woman from the town of Eufaula. In the Creek culture, family lines were traced through the mother. This meant Thomas was fully accepted as a member of the Creek tribe.

A Leader in Times of War

Thomas Perryman was a significant figure during several conflicts. He played a role in the American Revolutionary War and later in the events leading up to the War of 1812.

Revolutionary War Role

During the American Revolutionary War, Thomas Perryman fought alongside the British. He was part of the forces led by Colonel Thomas Brown. Interestingly, one of Perryman's daughters married Colonel Brown. Thomas Perryman himself held the title of Colonel. His son, William Perryman, also served as a captain in the same war. William's son, Osceola, later became a famous leader. Osceola's mother, Polly Copinger, was Creek with Scottish and African family roots.

Alliances and British Contact

Another of Thomas Perryman's daughters married William Augustus Bowles. Bowles was an adventurer who tried to create his own nation, the short-lived State of Muskogee, in Spanish Florida. Perryman was a strong ally of Bowles for many years. He even helped supply Bowles' ships.

Perryman also had a close friend and ally, the Miccosukee chief Cappachimico. In 1814, the British contacted these two chiefs. The British ships anchored off the coast of Apalachicola, Florida. They were looking for Native American allies to help them. The British called Perryman the "King of the Creek" and Cappachimico the "King of the Miccosukee." They also described them as "majestic beasts." Perryman and Cappachimico gave the British permission to unload supplies. These supplies were for a planned invasion of the United States through Georgia. This happened on St. Vincent Island. The British and Americans didn't fully understand that Creek society had different kinds of leaders than European countries.

Perryman and Cappachimico even traveled by ship with Lieutenant Colonel Edward Nicolls. They went to New Orleans. This trip was probably meant to show them the strength of the British military. However, the Battle of New Orleans was a big defeat for the British. Thomas Perryman was also present when the Treaty of Nicolls' Outpost was signed.

His Final Years

Thomas Perryman passed away in 1815 or 1816. He was buried in an unmarked grave. His burial place is believed to be somewhere in or near Fairchild Park in Seminole County, Georgia.