AUGUST 11:

 August 11, 1760:  In retaliation for the murder of seventeen Cherokee chiefs held hostage in Fort Prince George, Cherokee warriors killed 30 of the prisoners they took when Fort Loudon fell a few days before.  This "Fort Loudon Massacre" led to retaliation by the English.

August 11, 1988:  The Aleut received restitution for losses in World War II.

1990 Oka Quebec Canadian Forces soldiers arrive at Oka to support Quebec police in their standoff with Mohawk warriors at Kanasetake.

1803 London England British Parliament passes laws to cover offenses done in Indian lands as subject to courts of Canada.

BACKGROUND:
 

The Fall of Port Loudon
From http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/early_frontier_history/37822

Events taking place far away from Fort Loudon were to lead to a schism in the relations between the British and the Cherokee. The French continued to work toward stirring up discord. French agents were often in the Cherokee towns talking to whoever would listen. They discouraged many of the Cherokee from accepting any gifts or trade goods from the British. One common theme was that the British were poisoning the goods or infecting them with smallpox.

On General Forbes' Fort Duquense campaign greater conflict arose between the British and the Cherokee that went along to assist them. General Forbes had very little respect for the natives. He did not distinguish between friendly and enemy Indians. The Cherokee could not plead their case because there were to few interpreters. Bands of Cherokee warriors began drifting back to their homes. After finding that the French had abandoned Fort Duquense even Attakullakulla left with his band. General Forbes ordered him arrested for desertion, disarmed and sent back under guard.  Other returning warriors felt that they were owed some reward as Forbes had denied them their share of the spoils. They came upon a small herd of horses in the Virginia backcountry and took several. The settlers gave chase and a running battle ensued. There were casualties on both sides. During this battle the settlers took some scalps as the British were paying a bounty for Indian scalps.

Soon there were reprisals and counter-reprisals on both sides. During one of these raids braves from the village of Settico, led by the Creek chief Mortar took the scalps of 22 settlers. Attakullakulla brought these to Capt. DeMere at Fort Loudon as a way of trying to make amends. The soldiers at Fort Loudon, and many of the Cherokee chiefs worked hard at maintaining a nervous peace.

In response to the rising tension Governor Lyttelton ordered the garrison at Fort Loudon reinforced. He further ordered a trade embargo against the Cherokee. This played into the French designs as they were thus able to sway many braves with rifles and other trade goods now being denied by the British.

Tensions further increased when Lt. Coytmore and two other officers from Fort Prince George went into one of the Lower Towns and raped some of the women whose husbands were out fighting. The resultant uproar left many settlers dead. Governor Lyttelton called up the militia and was preparing to attack several of the Cherokee towns. Open war between the British and Cherokee was imminent. Hearing of this Cherokee tried once more for peace. They sent thirty-two men under the leadership of the Great chief Ocanastota to Charleston.

Governor Lyttelton refused their attempts at diplomacy. He offered them safe passage back to the frontier. The Cherokee men were led back to Fort Prince George by Governor Lyttelton's army. Once at the Fort Lyttelton demanded that twenty-four of the braves that had participated in the raids of reprisal be turned over to him to stand trial for murder. He kept twenty-four of the peace delegation as hostages until this was done. To the Cherokee this was an open declaration of war.

In an attempt to free the hostages Ocanastota drew Lt. Coytmore out of the fort under a flag of truce. Once he was out, he was attacked and killed. The soldiers of Fort Prince George vowed to exact revenge upon the twenty-four hostages. They were only appeased when the commander ordered the hostages placed in irons. When the soldiers went to carry out this order, the hostages attacked with knives and tomahawks they had hidden. All twenty-four hostages were killed in the resulting melee.

Both Fort Prince George and Fort Loudon were placed under siege. Most of Governor Lyttelton's army had already left Fort Prince George due to an outbreak of smallpox there.

There were several attempts to relieve the forts. Fort Prince George was relieved after only a few weeks. Unfortunately it was not as easy to save Fort Loudon, as it was so cut off by the mountains. Virginia sent a company of men to the aid of Fort Loudon, but their progress was so slow that their attempt was abandoned.

The siege was begun late in 1759. In January Capt. DeMere wrote that they had only four months of food left. While the fort was under siege, many of the Cherokee remained friendly with the soldiers. A little food was brought in or traded for by these friends. In the spring of 1760 the siege intensified. Food supplies were rapidly diminishing, and soldiers that attempted to leave the fort were shot.

One final attempt was made to relieve Fort Loudon. In June twelve hundred British regulars and four hundred militia under the command of Colonel Archibald Montgomery began a march towards the Overhill towns. Once in the mountains they met with an ambush. Many were killed, the rest retreated. They would not attempt the mountains again.

Finally on August fourth conditions in the fort had become unbearable. Several men deserted and the rest threatened to. They felt it was better to take their chances running for it than to die of starvation. On August sixth Capt. DeMere called a council of his officers where it was agreed to seek terms of surrender.

When Capt. DeMere first asked for terms he was refused. Capt. Stuart, who was on better terms with the Chiefs, went a second time. He was able to reach a formal agreement. Under this agreement the British were to take only their personal weapons and be escorted back over the mountains.  Two days later the garrison marched out of the fort. On the first day's march they walked fifteen miles and made camp near Cane Creek on the Tellico River. That first night their Cherokee escort began slipping away under various pretenses. The next morning they woke to find themselves surrounded. At the first yell of alarm the Cherokee attacked. Capt. DeMere fell during the first volley. After just a few minutes all but one of the officers and twenty of the enlisted men were killed. The rest of the party were taken prisoner.

Some of the prisoners were tortured to death, some were later ransomed and some were adopted into the Tribe. The Fort was soon burned and faded into history.