HARMAR TO HAMTRAMCK, JULY 15, 1790 |
237 |
prospects of peace with the Indians are at an end; we are therefore planning an
expedition against them, to go forward from hence about the 1st October- 300
Kentucky militia will be ordered to join you at the post, which
with your regular force, and the French militia, will make in the whole I
suppose nearly 500 men.
The contractor assures me he will make the necessary arrangements respecting provisions, and packhorses. With this force you are to strike either at Vermillion, L'Anguille, or if you should judge It any way practicable, the Wea Towns. At any rate I expect you will manouvre in such a manner as to divert the attention of the Miamis to that quarter, whilst I shall use all possible means to destroy their village, as I hope to be furnished with the means to carry on a serious expedition against them.2 You will make every preparation to start before me: for this purpose it will be necessary that you move on the 25th September. If I should prove successful at the Miami Village, & you at the Weas, Vermillion, or L'Anguille, I would wish you to endeavor to communicate with me not in writing, but by means of some trusty Frenchman or other, so that we may concert further operations.
2St. Clair described the plans for the expedition to the Secretary of War in more detail on August 23: "The number of militia I was empowered to call for was one thousand from Virginia, and five hundred from Pennsylvania, to act in conjunction with the continental troops; these the General estimated at four hundred effective. The manner of employing this force, which was concluded upon, is this: three hundred of the militia of Virginia [Kentucky] are to rendezvous at fort Steuben, and with the garrison of that fort, to march to Post Vincennes and join Major Hamtramck; the remaining twelve hundred of the militia to assemble at fort Washington, under the orders of General Harmar, which, with the troops to be collected there, will form a body of fifteen hundred: these are intended to march directly across the country to the Miami village, while Major Hamtramck moves up the Wabash to attack any of the villages on that river to which his force may be equal; but, as it is not so respectable as I could wish, I took it upon myself to give him authority to call for aid from the militia of Post Vincennes.'' St. Clair also reported that the contractor would not be able to supply flour for the expedition, but that corn was available in Kentucky. American State Papers. Indian Affairs, I, 92.
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OUTPOST ON THE WABASH |
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, August 7, 1790
[ALS]
FORT KNOX August the 7th, 1790 |
DEAR GENERAL I have to acknowledge the
receipt of your letter of the 15th of July 1790 in which you
informed me of the expedition against the Indians. It certainly was high time
that such thing took place.
The number of men your are pleased to order me I believe will do very well, if I am to return immediatly after striking, but if I should be obliged to keep in that part of the country until I have heard from you, I am apprehensive that I should not come off so safe, for the Indians of the Vermillion who are 200 warriors, the Ouia 330, the Keecapoes (opposite the Ouia) 100 and those of Ell River 150, all whom are close to each other can assemble them selfs in to one body, amounting t0 750 men, which force would then be more than mine and perhaps make a too powerfull obstruction to my return
However be persuaded, sir, that I shall take every possible measures to comply with your direction and that if it is practicable I will send you a French man or some other man from that country.
You will see, sir, by the last return of ordinance now forwarded that there is no more than 195 doz of catriges on hand that we want near 40,000 for I should suppose that 75 pr man would not be too much. I have therefore dispatched Ensign Prior to Major Wyllys or to head quarters for some more. The men that Capt. McCurdey took up the river with him will be very much wanted, for I expect that the garrison will be very sickly at that time. Shoes will also be very necessary for the troops.
I am, dear general, with very great respect and esteem your most obedient and very humble servent,
J. F. HAMTRAMCK |
HONORABLE GEN. HARMAR
We shall also want flints as I have no tent I will be oblig'd to you to send me one.
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, AUGUST 20, 1790 |
247 |
[Addressed :] The Honorable Brigadier General Harmar Fort Washington
[Endorsed :] Major John F. Hamtramck from Fort Knox, August 7th 1790. Answered
September 3rd 1790.
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, August 20, 1790
[ALS]
FORT KNOX August the 20th 1790 |
DEAR GENERAL Since I had the honor to write you which was by Major Sargent and Ensign Prior two Potawatomies and some Weeya Indians have come to the garrison to make peace. Those Potawatomies are of a band who lives near the Weeya (they are about 100 warriors) They made many protestations of friendship in their usual way. I told them that the Governor had sent his speach to all the nations on the Wabash last Spring, that they had thought propre to pay no attention to it and that in consequence of their not being disposed to make peace with him he had return to his country, he having no other business in this. That I have not authorized to make any treaty with them: but that if they were so well disposed as they pretended to be, they should bring all our prisoners they had in their villages. They went a way much disatisfied. I would have deceived them by making peace with them but it could not be done without giving them goods. That I did not have.
Here is inclosed Ensign Melcher letter to me.1
I have ordered him to be on an iland at the Mouth of the
Wabash the 5th of September where he will see Prior and they will come up
together.
The village is very sickly as well as the
garrison. I have had a remitting fever on me for 10 days but I am geting
better. I enclose Mr. Tardiveau's letter to me.2 In my answer I have
refered him to you. Also is inclosed
the state of the
1See above, July 28.
2See above, August 1, and Harmar's reply in his letter of September 3, p. 256.
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, NOVEMBER 2, 1790 |
259 |
persuaded that I will take every possible measure to prevent the Wabash Indians
of giving assistance to the Miami. As for drawing the attention of the Miamie
this way I believe their is no probability for I am well informed that they
know of your comming. I have it from authority. I suppose that the 15 or 16 of
Octobre you will be at the Miamie.
I am dear general with every great respect and esteem your most obedient,
J. F. HAMTRAMCK |
[Addressed:] The Honorable General Harmar
Fort Washington
[Endorsed:] Major John F. Hamtramck from Fort Knox September 21st
1790 Answered Jan'y 15, 1791
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, November 2, 1790
[ALS]
FORT KNOX VINCENNES NOV. the 2d 1790
|
DEAR GENERAL The militia of Kentucky did not arrive for me to marche by the time appointed in your ordres of the 15th July. They arrived at the village on the 29th of September, and on the 30th I marched for the Vermillion with about three hundred and thirty men, leaving the sick and lame of Kentucke and ours in the garrison which amounted to about ninety men.
The flour I took with me was computed to be sixteen thousan weight, and I had twenty six beaves. I am told that one hundred and fifteen had come to the Ohio for the expedition.1 On the 10th I arrived at the Vermillion where I found nothing but empty houses, the Indians having left their village for some days before.
As I suspected a great wast in the flour, I appointed a board of officers to enquire and examine in to the state of the provision, and they made me a report that there was only remaining on hand forteen days' flour, and ten days' beef.
1See below. p 274n.
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OUTPOST ON THE WABASH |
With so little provision I could not proceed on full allowance to the Weeya
where I had an anxious desire to go,
and which could not be done in less than nine days (without any interruption)
to return to the Vermillion, for I
had to cross the Wabash altho' it is represented on Hutchings' map to be on the
north side of the river. There is the Keekapoos Village on the north side, but
it would have taken me one day more to go to it, owing to the length and badnes
of the road, which was the reason why I prefered to go the Weeya.
I had in a moment a number of very chagrining reflections to surmount- the first to have gone so far without seeing an enimy, the small state of my supplys, so small a body of troops and in whom (from a number of information) I had so little confidence of their keeping with me, the regulars exepted. A number of militia had deserted on our march, and the moment I got to the Vermillion when it was talked of in camp among the soldiers that I would go to the Weeya, eleven of them deserted.
Thus, sir, I was situated, and at last concluded to go to the Weeya if possible, and thought that it could not be done with such men as I had without using in the first place mild measures. In consequence of which I issued an ordre recommending to the officers commanding the militia to make use of all their influence to have their men to go on half allowance as the state of the provision could not admit of a full one. My tryal was in vain, but few of them had a dispotition to go. The next day I sent for Major Withly2 who commanded the Kentuck militia, and in the presence of Major Vanderburgh who commanded the Post militia, Captains McCurdey and Bradford, addressed my self to him in the following terms:
"Sir, the object I had in view on this
expedition was to divert the Indians from assembling themselves in one body to oppose
General Harmar who is gone to the Miamie. I know not that I have accomplished
my object. Wee have come so far without seeing an enimy, and I feel myself very
much mortified, not only for my reputation, but that
of the whole
2Maj. William Whitley.
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, NOVEMBER 2, 1790 |
261 |
detachment to return without it. Our supplys are so small that it is impossible
to go to the Weeya and return to the post on full allowance, which was the
cause of my requesting in the orders of yesterday for the militia officers to
use their influence with their men to accept of half allowance. My reason for
requesting and not peremptory ordering the militia to accept it, was owing to a
suspition I had founded on very good information (which yourself will be the
best judge knowing the dispo[si]tion of your men), that they would not go
farther. Had I to deal only with regular troops I should order them to live on
the barks of the trees if I though[t] it necessary, but with your men unused to
military disipline I thought it necessary to take the steps I did yesterday,
for I was apprehensive if they were forced on half allowance that they would
desert me; ho[w]ever as I wish still to go farther, I now propose to you for me
to give a possitive ordres to your men to accept of half allowance and in case
of refusal to make use of such force as I have to compel them."
To which the major gived me for answer that it was unnecessary to try, for he know'd they would not go. Which induced me not to make the tryal, for it must have come to some extremity and beside I must confess that I did not promis my self any great success by going to the Weeya, as I promised myself but two things, the first that I might go and burn their town provoided they had not assembled to give me battle, and on the other hand if they had, I calculated very much to receive a severe drubbing, for my force was at that time very small having many sick with the feaver and measles. I believe no less than 30 men were sick. The Indians if they had collected must have been about six hundred men.
Now, sir, it may be necessary to make some observations respecting Major Whitly, for perhaps it might be supposed that the reason why he give me the answer he did was that he did not want to go himself. No. On the countrary, no man on the expedition was more willing than he was, had we been obliged to live on four ounces of bread a day, I must do
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OUTPOST ON THE WABASH |
him the justice to say that he would have gone with cheerfulness, and as a
proof of it the day before when the ordres were given respecting the half
allowance he had his men paraded, made use of all he could, and when he found
that they were determined not to go farther he abused them and called them a
set of cowards. So much can I say for Major Whitly that at all times he shew'd
me every dispotition to go as far as I pleased to go.
As for the post militia, perhaps they could
have been made to go had the Kentuck gone, altho' the French wanted
to return to the village for they had left their corn at the mercie of
providence who I must say has not taken a very good care of it. A very great
part has been destroy'd by the cattle. A number of families who have lost their
corn
are now making rady to go and pass the winter into the woods, and their is not
one family but has suffer'd more or less.
The above, sir, are the occurances of the expedition and altho' I have not had the fortune of seeing an enimy, I hope that I have diverted the Indians of the Wabash from giving assistance to the Indians of the Miamie and hope also that my conduct in my difficulties may be to your satisfaction for two considerations, the first, from a desire I had to discharge my duty towards the public, and the secound that I sincerely wish to merit your approbation.3
The couriers you requested me to sent you went from the Vermillion but were chased by the Indians in such maner that they were obliged to return. They were fired upon at the very place I suspected the Indians would have made a stand, the
3Secretary of War Knox wrote to the President on December 14, that Lieut. Ebenezer Denny emissary from Fort Washington, had reported "that, after he left fort Washington he saw, in Kentucky, several men of the militia district, who had been out with Major Whitly, under Major Hamtramck, of the federal troops who commanded a separate expedition. The said militiamen informed Lieutenant Denny, that Major Hamtramck had destroyed several of the hostile Indian towns, on the Wabash, and had returned to his garrison, at Post Vincennes, without having met opposition." American State Papers. Indian Affairs, I, 104.
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, NOVEMBER 2, 1790
|
263 |
very place where they had assembled to meet General Clark in 1786.4
A large number of horses have been stold by the Indians. Others have given out on the march. The only way that the commissary can account for the difficiency of the flour was occasioned by the bags being rotten.
I can not find what the British are doing at Detroit.
The ordres of the 2d August will be paid attention to.5
The officer who commanded the guard when Corporal Coar and Graff made their escape was confind as also the sentinel. The court acquited the officer and punished the centry with 100 lashes.
In my next I shall give you all the information I can of the speculation of the garrison. I inclose Mr. Schyler deffence on his being suspected as a speculator.6 I inclose the choice of the officer for a paymaster,7 as also the returns of the inspection of November the 1st, the muster rolls and the monthly returns of the troop and Q master. We have not a pound of musket powdre in the magazine and not above 300 or four hundred flints.
The officers have made application to me that one button more on the leg of the overalls [is] much wanted. As I had no authority to make any addition in the uniform I could not permit it. Beg you will be pleased to let me know.
The garrison is without flower or beef. The contractor has very little credit in the village. I have my self being obliged a number of times to be his security to obtain provision. The public business now being over I must beg to say something for myself. Major Sergent who is my friend informs me that it is talk of at head quarters that I have been indirectly conserned in speculation. I hope that you will do
4At Pine Creek, which enters the Wabash in present Warren County northeast of Williamsport. Dillon, History of Indiana, p. 185.
5Respecting the effects of deceased soldiers, etc. See Harmar to Hamtramck, above, August 27.
6See below.
7See below.
264 |
OUTPOST ON THE WABASH |
me the justice to inform me who has supported such an opinion at the expence of
my military reputation. Whatever the rights of men may be no one has a wright
to support an opinion at the prejudice of an other. My saying that I believe
Major Wyllys to be a rascal, Major Doughty to be a thief are not only
unwarranted but are in themselfs criminels for which I ought to be prosecuted,
who ever has sayd that I was conserned in speculations has injured me because
it is unbecoming the officer, and must beg permition to have him arrested if it
is an officer unless he should make me satisfactory acknowledgment. If it is a
private gent. I shall take some other measures with him.
I see no great prospects of inlisting men on the new establishment.
Two Indians of the Cro[o]ked Leg Band came
last night in town with a request from the old man to come this winter with his
tribe near the village. As he had been before under the protection of the
United States I have permited him. I am very much at lost how to acte
respecting the Indians. I know that many of them will come in
the village this winter to trade. Many of them will be hunting about the post.
For me to request the French and the Americans to kill them when ever they see
them would be the means of geting the inhabitans serve[d] the same way, for
they are out every day and are not in a state of deffence against the Indians.
I beg you will inform me
how I am to govern myself.
These Indians says that non of the Wabash
Indians had gone to the Miamie, as they suspected that an
expedition was coming against them and that the Weeya was the place of
rendezvous.
I would have sent Lt. Spear before but could
not for the want of provision. I am dear general with every
sentiment of respect and esteem your most obedient &c, &c,
J. F. HAMTRAMCK |
[Endorsed:] Major John F. Hamtramck from Fort
Knox, Vincennes November 2nd 1790.
Answered January 15th 1791.
266 |
OUTPOST ON THE WABASH |
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, November 28, 1790
[LS]
FORT KNOX (VINCENNES) Nov'r 28th 1790
|
DEAR GENERAL The dissagreeable intelligence I have received this day by two Frenchmen who came from the Weeya makes me dispatch this letter to ascertain the facts. They tell me that the Indians of the Miamie burnt their village and had retired on Elk River, where they had lodged their women and children, that a party of six hundred men of your army had been detached from the Miamies to attack them; that our people were defeated and at that time the Indians were from 3 to 400 strong, that the next day a large number of Otawas and of the Five Nations arrived to their assistance, and attacked you on your return and totally defeated you. Those people also informs me that at a river called la Rejouissance, a few miles above the Vermillion, the Wabash Indians to the amount of six hundred men had made a stand to receive me, besides the Kickapoos, from the prairies who were on their march to the place of rendezvous, they assure me for certain that none of the Wabash Indians were at the Miamie.
I hope, my dear sir, that if this unfortunate event has happened that you may not be one of the unfortunate. I hope you will be pleased to give me the account of your expedition as soon as possible which will I hope releave not only myself from very great unessiness but every officer of the garrison
I have not had the honor to hear from you since your letter by Ensign Prior. The garrison is in a very dissagreeable situation. We have been ever since the expedition without meat or flour. I have advanced all the cash I had to the commissary to procure provisions but my purse is exausted. The commissary has no credit himself, and at present we live on corn and whatever we can get from a hunter that he has on White River. The want of provisions has been the cause of a number of cattle of the village being killed by the soldiers to the great injury of the citizens and to my great mortifica-