Consolidated Docket No. 317, Defendant Exhibits 61-171

Dft. Ex. 79

Indiana Historical Society Publications

Vol. 19, pp. 123, 124, 139, 150, 159, 161,
             162, 166, 169, and 170.

I hope you will be pleased to approve of such Q. M. and Indians acct. against the United States as may be presented to you. I have used as much oeconomy as possible in both departments. You well know your self that it is impossible when fifty or hundred Indians come to you on a visit or on business for their nation to get clear of them without giving them something, and I think without flatering myself that considering how I am plagued every day with them that the United States will have no reason to complain of my generosity. On the contrary I am of the opinion that I have not been sufficiently liberal, but you can well judge of the reason.

About a mounth ago a large party of the Shawnese passed through the village and had with them three prisoners. I have made out to rescue them at the moderate price of little

Pakan, the Indian who I had send to the Miami to know the result of the conseil of La Roche du Bout, hearing of the desaster of his ban² has return'd before the conseil began. On the 11th September at night two woman and a sucking
baby were murdered by the Indians on the other side of the river at Mr. Vigo farme.

The conduct of the magistrates and of the poeple of the twon prohibiting Mr. Brown to pass through their village has so much exasperated those villains that their is no doubt but they would be bad enuff (if it was not for the protection of the troops of this place) to raise a body of men and form an expedition against the village. It has been talked of on Green River.

I will be much oblig'd to you if you will be pleased to inform me how the men who have reinlisted are to be mustered, whether their reinlistment is to be taken from the time they reinlisted or from the time that their first inlistment expired.

The greatest part of the Shawnese nation are gone to the Mississippi and our gent. of the Wabash are continuing their depradation. About 300 of them were some time ago in Kentuck.

Soon as any body arrives from the Falls of the Ohio I shall for the security of the governor and judges forge a letter which I shall publish in twon annoncing that for some particular reasons the governor or judges are not comming until next spring. This newse will be at the Weeya in four or five days and may prevent the Indians of forming a plan to come acros His Excellency (if they should be disposed so to do), for they are knowing to his coming, and their past conduct

²Hamtramck probably refers to the attack made by the force commanded by Patrick Brown. See above, Hamtramck to Harmar, August 31, 1788, and note on Brown.

DEAR GENERAL I had the honor of your letter of the 13th of Octobre, and altho' I have nothing of consequence to inform you of, this will at least let you know that nothing has happened since my last, which was by Capt. Furgeson.

The hostile disposition of the Indians appears to me to be in a great measure relased in this quarter, but for all that I do not flater my self that they will be at perfect peace with us, for vengeance is their darling passion, and they for ever will have some old or new grudge to satisfy. They have no doubt during last war and perhaps since, lost some of their relation in some of their excursion. Those lives must be paid for, as no length of time ever closes their wounds, let them be ever so slight, and altho' the nations should determine to be at perfect peace with us, their yong warriors in my opinion will alwais in a secret maner commit depredation unless prevented by a good chastisement.

The Peankichas who were in the village have gone to make a setlement near Kaskaskias in consequence of Major Brown expedition. They are joined by the greatest part of the Vermillion Indians and some other nation. The two woman and the child that were killed on the other side of the river at Mr. Vigo farm were dispatched by two Indians of the village, who had some of their near relation killed by Major Brown.

I am fear Mr. Will'm,¹ the contractor, will desapoint you respecting his attention to the supplys at this place for he has not send any worth mentioning. We are and have been for a long time without flour, except a dayly supply which the commissary has made out to proccure in the village. But that resource is almost exosted.

¹Eli Williams of Elliott & Williams, contractors.

HARMAR TO HAMTRAMCK, February 15, 1789[ALS]

DEAR MAJOR, I had the pleasure of addressing you last on the 13th October: the letter was forwarded by Mitchell (one of Captain Ashton's company) on a Kentuck boat, since which I have to acknowledge the receipt of your two letters dated the 31st August, and the 13th October with their several enclosures. I observe the insolent conduct of a certain Patrick Brown, who under the style of a major came with a party of Kentuckyans and murdered nine friendly Indians of Demoiselle's and Packan's bands in the vicinity of Post Vincennes. This is really setting the sovereign authority of the United States at defiance. I wish you had been strong enough and had it in your power not only to have recovered the horses which he stole but also to have severely chastized him and his party. The fellow in my opinion deserves to be hanged. The extract of your letter relative to the whole of this transaction has been forwarded by me to the Secretary at War, but I have not yet received an answer thereto.

I now send you the whole of Captain Bradford's company, total sixty six, in order to relieve Ferguson's, whose times principally expire next month. You will please to direct them to embark (under the command of Lieutenant Ford) on board Bradshaw's boat, and to repair to this post as soon as possible. I would have you previously to use every means in your power to re-enlist them from Smith's company, but if you cannot succeed, it is very likely that when they arrive here, the chief part of them will reengage for Ferguson.

Lieut. Peters's report of his unfortunate action on the Wabash, as also the return of the provisions lost at the Mouth

Some of the Potowatomies who send to me a message offering to come under the protection of the United States have been at war in Kentuck headed by one of their Chief La Grande Couete. This party was overtaken on their return by a body of militia and killed the chief and wonded four of his warriors. This information I had by a letter I recived from Jean Baptiste Constans of Weeya.

The boat which was left at Kaskaskias I have sold for 150 dollars which mony I have been obliged to pay for the part of the subsistance of the soldiers that were left sick in that country, the contractor not having in power to pay for it. I have given an ordre for the payment of that subsistance (which is 1/3 of a doll pr ration) to the contractor and on which their is the receipt for 150 dollars pay'd by the United States.

Capt. Bradford has paid me five doubloons and Vigo will pay me the £ 8. Pens.mony for which I inclose duplicate receipts.

I shall agreably to your ordres muster the men as pointed out by your direction. Capt. Bradford has some objections but they are immeterial to me.⁵ One of the great difficulties is that he does not know the expiration of the time of those men that he got from Capt. Zeagler. I will be much oblige to you to have it forwarded as soon as possible.

I shall be very glad to know the result of Mr. St. Marie affair.

alarming to some in the United States. It came at the very time the Confederation was dying and the Federal government was being established. Some feared such projects would draw heaviIy on American manhood. Thomas Jefferson saw it in a different light, and history justified his view. He felt that Spain instead of building up a population loyal to herself was attracting to her side loyal Americans who would remain loyal. Harmar wrote to St. Clair: "The people are all taken up with Colonel Morgan's New Madrid. They are in my opinion Mad-rid indeed." Max Savelle, George Morgan Colony Builder (New York, 1932), Chapter X. See also John Rice Jones to Hamtramck, October 29, below, and note.

⁶See below, Bradford to Harmar, March 29.

La Grose Tete, a Pyankeshaw chief who killed a man a yong boy at Sullivan Station last year, in now in confindment.

Alvord (ed.), Kaskaskia Papers, pp. 488, 493. The committee of Congress reporting on Tardiveau's memorial offered a resolution, September 25, 1789, "That the . . . Ordinance . . . shall not be construed to deprive the inhabitants of Kaskaskia Illinois Post St. Vincents and the other Villages formerly settled by the French and Canadians, of their Right and property in Negro or other Slaves which they were possessed of at the time of passing the said Ordinance, or in any manner to Manumit or Set free any such negroes or other persons under Servitude within any part of sd. Western territory; any thing in the said Ordinance to the contrary notwithstanding." Journals of the Continental Congress, XXXIV, 541. No action was taken on this report and the Congress was dissolved. The new Congress under the Constitution took no action.

On June 30, 1789, Tardiveau wrote to Governor St. Clair: "The wretched inhabitants of Illinois, who had seen themselves for ten years neglected by the power from which alone they could expect protection, now found that the very first act of attention paid to them pronounced their utter ruin. It was not intended, I know; but it was designedly represented to them, and with many aggravating circumstances rumored that the very moment your Excellency landed at the Illinois all their Slaves would be set free. A panic seized upon their minds, and all the wealthiest among them, having but the wreck of once affluent fortunes, have gone to seek from the Spanish Government that security which they conceived was refused to them. . . . Before the evil becomes more general - before a total desertion of the country - it is in your Excellency's power to apply a corrective for the threatening disaster by obtaining from the Federal Government a resolution declaring the true intent and meaning of the original action." Smith (ed.), St. Clair Papers, II, 118-19. See also below, Hamtramck to Harmar, August 14, 1789.

Governor St. Clair, who had been president of the Congress when the Ordinance passed, apparently agreed with the interpretation expressed in the resolution quoted above. In his report to the President on his sojourn in the Illinois country in 1790, he said: "The construction that was given to that part of the Ordinance which declares that there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, was, that it did not go to the emancipation of the slaves they were in possession of and had obtained under the laws by which they had formerly been governed, but was intended simply to prevent the introduction of others. In this construction, I hope, the intentions of Congress have not been misunderstood, and the apprehension of the people were quieted by it. But the circumstance that slaves can not be introduced will prevent many people from returning who earnestly wish to return, both from a dislike to the Spanish Government and that the country itself is much less desirable than on the American side. . . ." Ibid., II, 176.

Since I have wrote the above I have recived a letter from a French man respecting the Petowatamies. He tels me that he can bring me seven villages. I shall amuse him until I am able to accept of them. For the present, it is out of question. For those people ammunition is wanted (that I have not) as well as provision presents etc.

Some French men from the Weya arrived the 27. They tel me for certain that the Weya Indians as well as some of other villages are gone to war, and that some are for this place.

The contractor boat can not have too strong an escort when it assend the Wabash.

Permit me sir to request that my best respects may be presented to Mrs. Harmar. It is with very great regret that I must inform her that not a pekan can be got in the village but I have thought of her and have precaution to procure some on the Mississipi which will be send to her.

Mr. Henery of this village his made his exit.⁸

A monthly return of the troops is also inclosed and a return of com'y stores. The cloathing arrived in good ordre. I will be very much oblig'd to you if you will inform me in your next of our new goverment.

⁷See above, pp. 89-90, 92-93.

⁸Hamtramck is probably referring to the death of Moses Henry.

HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, April 11, 1789 [ALS]

DE.AR GENERAL My last letter although dated Feb'ry 28, it is intended to be for March the 28th, since which the Indians have been here and stold cattle. It was said at the Weya some days ago by an Indian chief "We have killed white men, we have stold their horses, we are now going to steal their cows, and after that we will go and get their women to milk them." This is a strong figure in the Indian way of expressing themselves. They never had before pretended to steal cattle. I did send a detachment of horse and foot after them but to no purpose.

This moment a Frenchman arrived from the Weya and tels me that all the Wabash Indians (except those that are out hunting) have gone to war in Kentucky. This will for ever be the case as long as we have not Detroit, for they get all their war supplys from that place.

I hope that the commandant of our Miami¹ will keep a good look out for it has been in contemplation and perhaps is yet to attack that setlement. I have also been told that the

¹Ens. Francis Luce commanded a small contingent on the Ohio at the Big Miami, guarding the tiny settlement made on Symmes's Miami purchase. On May 8 Harmar described to the Secretary of War the "piecemeal" division of his force of five hundred men: a company at Venango, a subaltern 's command near the Falls of Big Beaver River, part of four companies at Fort Harmar from which special detachments were constantly being made, the subaltern's command at the Big Miami mentioned above, part of two companies at the Falls of the Ohio "to afford escorts in ascending the Wabash," and finally a complete company of artillery and twenty men of Captain Smith's company at Fort Knox. According to this only about ninety noncommissioned soldiers were at Fort Knox.

We have not the article of war in the garrison. I had one but it is gone. Orde[r]ly book much wanted.

[Addressed:] Brig'd Gen'r Harmar Fort Harmar
[Endorsed:] Major John F. Hamtramck from Fort Knox at Post Vincennes, April 11th 1789. Answered 1789.

HAMTRAMCK TO MAJ. JOHN P. WYLLYS, May 27, 1789¹[ALS]

DEAR WYLLYS A number of events compels me to send an express to the falls. I informed you in my last that by every information I had obtained I had reason to suppose that the Indians of the Wabash and Miami were badly disposed. They have (to my mortification) not disappointed me for, for some days passed they have killed a number of people. The discrimination of French & English is done with; the Negros are the only ones who, have a chance of their lifes (I suppose because they sell well).

On the 16th instant a French man who leaved on the other side of the river was killed in the night, his wife and one children were scalped an[d] wonded. They are stil a life. On the 24 four French pirogues were defeated 7 leages from here, 4 men were killed, 3 mortally wonded, one is prisoner, and the remaining made their escape to the village.² The first

¹Wyllys had left the Falls for the East by this time and Captain Joseph Asheton was in command. He forwarded this letter to Harmar and dispatched Lieut. John Armstrong to Fort Knox with supplies.

²This may be the incident that was reported as follows in the Lexington Kentucky Gazette, June 6, 1789: "About the 20th ult. the Indians fired on 9 French men going up the Wabash River, killed 4 and wounded three: coming to the dead, they discovered one of them to be a French trader, who was married to a daughter of Jo Brant the famous Indian chief, on which they assisted in pulling the arrows out of the wounded men, then went off, leaving everything unmolested farther." According to a letter of Antoine Gamelin to John Askin, Detroit merchant, it was the Kickapoo, not the Miami, who made this attack. Quaife (ed.), John Askin Papers, I, 319-20.

But now to the point. Yesterday a French man in whom from his general character I must put confidance informed that he had that day gone to the woods and that four Indians come to him and finding him to be one of their parents told him we will not hurt you but you must tel our parents in the village (meaning a number of French families with whom they were related) that we are sorry for their situation for the Indians from above are coming at the latter end of this moon (this is the commencement ) to strike on the village.

This news my friend may and may not be true. I have found by experience that many Indian neus have proved to be faulse; also others have been true. I think however that an officer should always prepare for the worst, and I s[h]all do it. I am no ways conserned for the garrison provoided I have provision. I would therefore beg of you to send me a supply immediatly, and it must arrive in 16, 18, or 20 days from this: for if it can not be here at that time my opinion (with submition to yours) would be not to send any until you heard from me, for if the place should be invaded before it arrives, and that it should be coming up, it must unevitably fall in the hands of the Indians, but on the other hand if nothing should happen, we can get supplys from the village such as it is, but the most important question, to us must remain undeterminate, if the provision should not come in time and that we should be attacked.

Time dos not permit me to write to the general. I never had so much business as I have had this day, but I mean that you will send him this immediatly or an extract of it. Inform the troops at the Miami to keep a good look out. I cannot

³A citizen of Kaskaskia. See Alvord (ed.), Kaskaskia Papers, index., for references to him.