Consolidated Docket No. 317, Defendant Exhibits 61-171

Dft. Ex. 75

Massachusetts Historical Society, Ms.,
W. Sargent Collection
pp. 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Hamtramck, Francis
Letter to Winthrop Sargent, February 24, 1789 [1790]

Fort Knox Febry. 24 1789-[1790]

my Dear friend

you may Easely immagine with what Satisfaction I Recived your letter, but what greater one it would be to me to see you- this I hope will not be long-. the Governor had Directed me to send his Speach to the Different towns but this Could not be done imediatly for all the Indians are now out hunting and as it is Necessary that the Chiefs and warriors of the nations to be present and Deliborate on the proposition made to them. it was Consequentely Necessary to Call them in to their town before a Messenger went on- for it would have been of no service to send one before they Could be Collected together- for which purpuse I have given information to the first village of the Governor arrival and of his intention twards them that a Messenger would be send them with the Governor^s Speach- and that they should Collect in their town to receive the Messeeger this information is to go from Village to Village as far as the Miamie after which I shall immediatly send the speach- I am almost shure of the Wabash Indians their local situation will oblige them to be at peace with us- but I am fear that the British will prevent the Miamie- I think that the best treaty would be a D- Good flogging- adieu and be persuaded that it is with Every Sentiments of

Col. John Francis Hamtramck to
Major Winthrop Sargent, Fort Vincennes,
July 2^d 1790.

Sir

M^r Vincennes a Captⁿ of Infantry in the French Service came to Post Vincennes with 20 Soldiers- Here he established a Post of Communication while they were at war with the Chicasaws- M^r Vincennes- remained- years Commanding officer at this place, and on an Expedition which he commanded in person against the Chicasaw Indians ----- was killed; his little Army --- defeated and himself burned- His Successor was one M^r S^t Ange de bellerive, who was also a Captain in his Christian majesty's Service, and took the Command in 1736 and continued untill 1764, when he was obliged to deliver the Country to the British Gouvernment, who remained in peaceable possession, untill July 1778, when Capⁿ Helms an officer of Virginia took it and kept it untill 17^{thl Clark in February 1779- The Inhabitants of this Country who were all French lived in perfect Harmony with the natives and traded with them to the amount of 1100 Packs Each Year (which are estimated at 15 New York Currency each) untill the Americans settled with them; who were the Cause of a number of Insults the village has received since. The first Impropriety- committed by them was the murder made by one Conger in 1785- who killed an Indian Chief of the Vermilion, and in the Spring 1786 an Indian was killed by some Americans, and draged thro' the streets tied to a Horse's Tail- Some time after they killed another, which provoked the Indians in such a manner that the 16th July 1786 an Army of 500 Indians appeared before the Village to revenge the ignominious Treatment of their Friends- However they were persuaded with great Presents by the French to return without hurting any Body, only killing a large number of horned Cattle}

^{I shall now give you the Distances to the Miamis with the obstructions in the navigation-From Post Vincennes to the mouth of the Wabash it is called Sixty Leagues; From Post Vincennes to Terre haute forty Leagues without Rapids and a good navigation; From Terre haute to Vermillion River, north side Twenty Leagues; The navigation as before; From Vermilion to the ouiah Twenty Leagues, the navigation still better; From the Wiah to the River and Town Tbopicanos (north side) Six Leagues, Excellent: From the Tbopicanos to the vache que pisse Two Leagues; Here is a flat Rapid of about Ten acres, and sometimes there is not more than one foot water: - From La Vache que pisse, to L'Ile à Laile four Leagues; The Channel is on the left}

<sup>Col. John Francis Hamtramck to
Major Winthrop Sargent, Fort Vincennes,
July 2d 1790.
(page 2)

going up, and sometimes there is not above Eight Inches water for 15 Acres in Length; from L'Ile à Laile petit Rocher is Six Leagues, Here is a strong Rapid of Eight acres but plenty of water and directly [page 2] above the Rapids is a flat of three miles</sup>

^{From petit Rocher to the mouth of Eel River (north side) Two Leagues; a good navigation from the Eel River to the great Rapids one league; This Rapid is 15 acres in length, and in some places not above Eight Inches Water, and above this Rapid is a flat of half a League- with Six Inches water- From the great Rapids to Calumet River (South side) four leagues; Here is a Rapid of Ten Acres in length but good water; From Calumet River to an Island is one League, the passage in on the left; Above this Island is a flat for one acre with about Six Inches water From the Island to Rapid St Syr is three Leagues; This Rapid in half a league long but good water; From Rapid St Syr to River Mussissinoue (South side) is two leagues; Here is a Rapid of twelve Acres long and sometimes there is not more than one foot water: From Mussissinoue to the Hospital Seven Leagues- Those Seven- Leagues are in a very low Country and very little water, and at the Hospital there is one league that is uncommonly low, so much so that Perogues are obliged to lighten to ascend it- This Place is remarkable by a Rock on the north Side: From the Hospital to River Salamanic South side is three leagues- Here is an Island, the Passage is on the South aide where there is a Rapid of three Acres with good water. From Salamanic River to the bended maple is one league- there terminates the navigation: From the bended maple to little River, north side, is four leagues; Here you take this little River & quit the wabash on the South Side.--}

^{From the little River to the Portage of the miami is twelve leagues; The Portage is three leagues and a half which carries you to the miamii Village on River St Joseph- From the miamii Village to the Rapid of the Wolf is- fifty one Leagues- Here sometimes you are obliged to unload and the intermediate navigation is full of small Rapids- but with Plenty of Water- From the Wolf Rapid to la Roche de boute is three leagues- Here is a Rapid of three leagues long but with good water- From la Roche de- boute to Lake Erie is Six Leagues, From the Entrances of the lake to the mouth of Detroit River is twelve leagues- From the mouth of Detroit River to the fort is Six Leagues- Here is water enough for any thing.}

^{NB It must be observed that at high water, such [p. 3] as in the months of march, april, and few Days in may there is water enough to go to the Portage of the miamii, at which place the water divides; some of the waters discharge themselves- into Lake Erie and others into the River Wabash--}

^{Col. John Francis Hamtramck to
Major Winthrop Sargent, Fort Vincennes,
July 2d 1790.
(page 3)}

<sup>440 Bushels of wheat 155 of Corn has been sowd this
last Spring, and the Number of Cattle is 317.
the Number of horses is 161.

           I have the honer to be sir
             with very great Respect
                  your most obedient servant

                  J F Hamtramck

Fort Vincennes July 20th 1790.</sup>

^{at the Station there is 41 Bushels of Corn planted they have 89 Cattle and 27 horses--}

^{the chawnesse and Delware that have taken refuge at the miamie since Logan expedition
are not included}