356 |
Ohio, should move away.-- Our request is that no other settlement shall be
made.--
My older Brother,
Consider, were [we] to sell the graves of our Ancestors would not he who gave us life, and placed us on these lands be displeased. I believe there is no son so unworthy of his Ancestors as to sell the graves they are buried in. Were we to sell our lands, we must sell their graves: and the Game which affords us daily subsistance.-- We, therefore, wish you never to take our lands by force.-- There is nothing will prevent a lasting peace and friendship between us but your attempting to take our Land from us. Fulfil what you have said-- Why would I make a new handle for the Axe? I know it would be impossible for us to overcome you in the end. And we believe you have no intention of destroying us.--
My older Brother,
We have already informed you that our Ancestors lighted the fire here first. We are glad now that you have made it up anew.--
My older Brother,
We all wish you to make known to Genl Washington all we have said, and all we have to say yet.--
The whole you will see is; that by leaving us our Lands you secure to yourselves our friendship.-- We do not wish you to be strangers to us. We wish to be your good Neighbours and you to send Traders among us, to furnish us for our wants as the French, English and Spainards have done.-- The white People cloath their women and children ours are running naked. Take pity on them & send something every spring to make them glad.--
He delivered two strings, and introduced a Young
357 |
Chief of the Peankeshaw tribe, who held two strings of old grey Wampum; saying,
No 10
You see this Wampum. It represents the bones of our Forefathers, who have been dead long ago.-- It shows our poverty. You have it in your power to make us happy.--
He delivered the Wampum.-- No 11
Then addressing the Indians said, You who live near the British, shut your ears to all bad things they may tell you.-- Never listen to any things they may say to you about the Axe.-- If they have a mind to quarrel with our brothers of the United States, let them settle that among themselves.--
(Shook hands with Genl Putnam)-- Our throats are dry. A dram would not hurt us, And after that we will retire to eat.--
A Chief of the Weaughtenows rose & said, Our Wampum is almost expended; and it seems the business is near a close. You have got our sentiments in your hands.-- They are all true.--
My older Brother,
I am indeed happy that we have met and have made an acquaintance together.-- We have said a great deal, but it all tends to peace-- You know jelousies are occasioned by many things.-- We hope every cause is now removed.-- We want Traders among us, who will supply us with our wants: and we hope you will always find something that will make our women and children comfortable.--
My older Brother,
We hope you and the French are as one.-- we wish it to be so.--
He shook hands with General Putnam and then recommended peace to all the Tribes.--
358 |
And shaking hands with a Powtowattemow Chief said,
We and you live on the Wabash.-- We are glad you join with us in peace; and retired.--
The General returned an answer to the Tribes thus,
Brothers,
I have but little to say at this time. All the difficulties are now removed except that the Bounds have not been defined, but as that concerns but a few of you, I will not detain others on that account.-- I have no doubt but the great Spirit, who witnesses every transaction will direct us to do this with harmony and contentment to all parties.-- We will meet to-morrow to transact the main part of the treaty--
Let us now drink a Dram.--
Adjourned in the Afternoon late.--
In Council at 10 OClock forenoon 27th Septr--
A Peankeshaw Chief rose, shook hands and said,
My older Brother,
This is the first time I ever met in council with my brothers of the United States. I shall now inform you what has passed between our Ancestors and the French.-- I am positive my brother the Tobacco and the other Chiefs have long since given a quantity of Land to the French.-- We have given to the French the land between Cut-point above the Post and white River below the Post, with as much on each side of the Wabash as there is between those two marks. We have not only given this land to them for themselves only, but also for them, their children and children's children forever.--
My older Brother,
We know nothing of your measures, but depend
359 |
we are not come to play, and be laughed at.-- We have had this writing and
signed it.-- And it is to these writings we refer for the truth.-- I speak the
sentiments of all of us present.--
Another Chief of the same tribe rose and said,
My older Brother,
Be assured I never have, nor ever will forget the French.-- They are our friends.-- They always have furnished us with our wants.-- We and They have lived to gether-- Our Ancestors and theirs are burried together-- What we have given them must remain forever theirs.
My Older Brother
I recommend this matter to You, to General Washington, and to the United States-- When the French first came here, we opened the Roads for them--- We gave them Lands, and they must never be taken from them-- He shook hands and said.
My Older Brother
I hope you will regard and keep the writings sacred which we gave the French-- Writings, when they are justly executed never Lye-- Let them therefore be respected-- (shook hands and retired)
Ducoigne rose and said; presenting a Young Chief
My Older Brother
Here is a Young Chief whose Father was killed by the People of Kentucky, while he carried them Meat-- Notwithstanding this, he gives You his hand, and forgets the crime. He is my Relation. I wish you would give him a Recommendation from your hand-- His Sister is not here, but she will come shortly from the Illinois.
The Chief retired and Ducoigne continues:
My Older Brother.
You have heard our sentiments, and those of the
360 |
great Chief Tobacca-- Evry one present know they are true-- tho some are dead,
yet they direct us to confirm what they gave to the French. (shaking hands went
on)
My Older Brother
I was the first who took You by the hand-- all the others have done so since.
My Older Brother
Our Father the French never took any land from Us on the Missisippi. I hope you will do as he did-- I never will tell lies, neither will I take anything from another-- Tell General Washington what I have said-- When we hear from him, we will open our Ears wider.
My Older Brother
You know what lands I have given to the French on the Missisippi-- You know what lands I have given to the Americans
My Older Brother
I expect everything will go well- Report all that has been done and said between us, to the great Chief General Washington-- Let us have a Confirmation from him, of what has been done-- This is all we have to say. (shook hands fervently and retired : )
General Putnam then rose, laid the Belts at full length on a Stroud spread over the Table; and after shaking hands with all present; addressed them in the follow manner:
Brothers!
We have been for some time past industriously employed in making Peace-- I believe all parties are now agreed.
Brothers
The White People commit to writing what they
361 |
transact, that the paper may speak when they are dead. Your custom is to record
by Belts. We shall do it both ways. Here are now the Articles of the Treaty, to
which if we agree; we will subscribe our Names. I will now read it to You.
( : Here come the Articles, which being unanimously agreed to : ) General Putnam said:
According to our custom, I will subscribe this in Your presence, and in the presence of the White People here. You will also sign it.
( : They having signed the Articles of the Treaty : ) General Putnam rose, and delivered the following Speech to the Chiefs of the several Tribes. Brothers &cc as before.
Listen to what I say,
We have been for some Days past industriously engaged in a good Work, namely in establishing a Peace; And we have happily succeeded thro' the influence of the great Spirit.
Brothers
We have wiped off the Blood-- We have burried the Hatchet on both sides; and all what is past, shall be forgotten. ( : takes up the Belts : )
Brothers:
This is the Belt of Peace, which I now present You in the Name of the United-States-- This Belt shall be the Evidence of, and the Pledge for the performance of the Articles of the Treaty of Peace, which we have concluded between the United-States and Your Tribes this day.
Brothers
Whenever You look on this Belt, remember that there is a perpetual Peace and Friendship between You and Us: And that You are now under the Protection of the United-States.
362 |
Brothers
We both hold this Belt in our hands-- Here at this end the United-States hold it; and You hold it by the other end-- The Road, You see is broad, level and clear-- We may now pass to one another easy and without difficulty.
Brothers
The faster we hold this Belt, the happier we shall be-- Our Women and Children will have no Occasion to be afraid any more-- Our Young Men will observe, that their Wise Men performed a good Work.
Brothers
Be all strong in that which is good-- Abide all in this path Young and Old; and You will enjoy the sweetness of Peace. ( : delivers the Belts : )
And after some silence says
Brothers
I have brought some cloathing with me for Your Women and Children; and some Amunition for Your young Men to hunt with; which I shall distribute among You, before You go away.
Peace being now Proclaimed; General Putnam informed them: that he should have a piece of Artiliry fired on the Occasion, and that he would fire the first; and that each of those Chiefs who had received the Belts, should follow his Example. The General fired and the Indians, and white People joined the report with three cheers of acclamations.
( : returned to the Council-house : )
General Putnam now told them, that he would give them Beeves, Bread & Whisky to Feast upon.
|
(signed) WILLM 'INTOSH sworn Clerk |
371 |
Sir
I have the honour to transmit to you the oreginal treaty of Peace1 with Sundry tribes of Indians,
(page 372)
Signed at Post Vincennes the 27th of September last of which Major Hamtramick forwarded a Copy by Mr Prior I also enclose you, A Journal of the proceedings during the negotiation,1 together with my Speech to the Indians on the 29th of September2 (inviting them to Send a Speech to their hostile neighbours, &c--&c&c) and a Speech I sent to the Dellawares & other tribes Dated the 6th of october,3 with my instructions to Mr Wells the Messenger4
I am extreamly mortified that So much time has elapsed before it was in my power to forward these papers
the circumstancs which has ocationed this delay are these. on the 25th of September I was taken with the ague and fevor which returned upon me ever 2d day untill the 30th from which time the fitts returned every Day Successively for three days, and the fevor run So high as rendered me incapable of any busi[ness] until the 6th of october in which time Major Hamtramick thought proper to Send off the chiefs which on the 28th of Sept departed [?] to go to Philadelphia besides it would not have ben proper to resque the oreginal treaty with Mr Prior by land to the falls, for their was real danger not only from the hostile Indians but from parties of Militia who ware about that time frequently out in that quarter in pursute of Stolen horses
on the 6th of october the feavor left me.
althoe very weak and feable I Set out from Post Vincennes by warter for the
falls of Ohio. on the 18th I was taken with a relaps of the Same disordr and it
was the 29th before I got ashore at the falls haveing for 12 days Suffered much
being without any Phisictian or Medicen and no accommodation but what the
__________
1Page 363.
1Page 335.
2Page 366.
3Page 368.
4Page 370.
378 |
Sir
In explination of the proceedings of the
Council at Vincens Sept 17922 of my letter of November
[December] 20th 17923 and of my Certificet of Feby 6th
1793 I beg leve to observe as the Chiefs did not express them Selves clearly in
council with respect to the lands they had given away of Sold, I made it a
point to enquire of Some principle Chiefs with respect to a Sale made to Louis
Viviatte4 and others, and was informed (by Rene Codert) an
inhabitant of
________
2Page 335.
3Page 371.
4In the original manuscript the name Louis Viviatte is not in General Putnam's script. In 1775 Louis Viviat, acting as agent for the Wabash Land Company, obtained a deed from eleven Piankeshaw chiefs for a tract of more than thirty-seven million acres. See Dillon's History of Indiana, pp. 104-109.
379 |
Vincens and an Adopted Chief among the Piankeshaws, and by Wm Wells,
who has previous to June last resided eight or nine years with the Eel Creek
and is an adopted Chief in that tribe (both Sworn interpreters at the Treaty)
that the Indians disclaimed the Validity of that pretended Sale, alledging that
it was don by those who had no right to Sell, that none by the Piankeshaws
recived the pay or ware concerned in the business and that the lands belonged
to all the Wabash Tribes in Common
|
RUFUS PUTNAM |
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