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relative to Virginia giving by a Law of the State 14 or 1500 dollar bounty for
an 18 months enlistment. However if the men should not enlist freely the money
must be employed to other occasions (such for instance as pay for the regiment)
as it is difficult to obtain the requisite supplies.
You seem to be so well acquainted with the policy of cultivating and preserving a good understanding with the Delawares and other well disposed Indians as to render any thing in addition to that I have said in my last letter unnecessary, - I wish we had in our hands a sufficiency of such articles as have weight with these people in directing their arms, or conciliating their friendship. But when these are not [to] be procured we must use the best means in our power to effect these purposes.
I cannot conclude without recommending the strictest economy in all your conduct & operations - you may be assured it has become indispensably necessary, & that you cannot pursue more effectual means of recommending yourself to public favor or thanks than by an attention to its interests at this period of its affairs. - I earnestly recommend that the Batteaux & other vessels which are built for public use be held in a manner sacred otherwise they will get dissipated & when the moment arrives that they will be wanted none will be found.
I am D Sir &c
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G.W. |
__________
DELAWARE CHIEFS IN EAST
[Speech of Delawares to Washington and Congress.1 1H75-77. D. S.]
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May 10th. 1779 |
The Delaware Nation by their Chief Men, chosen for that purpose, beg leave to represent to the United States of America in Congress assembled, & to his Excellency General Washington as follows -
1Several of the documents connected with the Delawares' eastern visit are in the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Publications, XIII, Transactions, 1910-11, 260-65. The Indians' speech was publish from the Draper Mss.
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WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS |
1th That at their several Treaties with the Commissioners of Congress & with Agent for the United States held at Pittsburgh in the years 1775, 1776, & 1777, the said Nation was solicited, and they agreed to renew and strengthen their Friendship with the Inhabitants of the said States under their present Revolution and the Government. This Friendship the said Nation have preserved inviolate; observing a strict Neutrality between the United States and Britain, agreeable to the repeated Recommendation of Congress through their Commissioners and Agent as aforesaid notwithstanding the unprovoked Injuries they have repeatedly received, which they have been willing to attribute to ill designing ignorant Men & not to any evil Intentions of the United States or any of them, or their Officers.
2d That when Congress and the Delaware Nation renewed their Friendship, as above mentioned, the former promised, & engaged to supply the latter, in Exchange for their Peltries, with Cloathing and other Goods; which from Custom have become absolutely necessary for the Subsistance of their Women and Children. This Engagement has been renewed on the party [sic] of Congress at four different Treaties successively, without ever having been complied with in any degree, whereby the said Delaware Nation have become poor & naked and are now reduced to such extremity as to induce them to send the undermentioned Chiefs, & Councellors of their Nation to represent in person their Situasion to Congress & to his Excellency General Washington that they may receive a certainty whether or not their Necessities can be relieved & their several Requests complied with, or whether they must look to the English alone for the supplies of all their Wants.
3d That the Delaware Nation have ever been, dureing the present War between Brittain and the United States, & still are of opinion, that it is their Interest & the Interest of the United States that the said Nation should observe the strictest Neutrality; which Neutrality they are determined to maintain, so long as in their Power, agreeable to the wise recommendation of Congress; & they hope and expect that Congress & his Excellency General Washington will give such orders as will prevent any further Infringment on the Friendship & Alliance subsisting between the Delaware Nation and the United States of America, [a]greeable to the Treaties at Fort Pitt before mentioned.
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4th That the said Delaware Nation have on the Invita[t]ion of Congress by their Commissioners & Agent, sent down three Children of their principal Chiefs to be placed at School by Congress.1 These Children if they live, and imp[r]ove the Advantages offerd to them will naturally have great Interest & Influence in the Councils of the said Nation who therefore wish them to be educated accordingly & for this favour we beg leave to be obligated to the Wisdom and Genarosity of Congress alone. And should it be agreeabl[e] to Congress, we are ready to increase the number in order that our Nation may the sooner and more efectually be brought to embrace civilized Life, & become one Peopl[e] with our Brethren of the United States. The Delaware Nation think they cannot give more ample Testimony than this, of their firm Resolution to continue an inviolate Friendship with the United States of America to the end of time; and for this desirable purpose the said Delaware Nation repeatedly applyed to Congress through their Commissioners & Agent, for School Masters and Mistresses to be sent among them, & for useful Tradesmen and Husbandmen
1These three boys were George White Eyes, aged eight, son of the
chief, Captain White Eyes; John Killbuck, aged sixteen, son of Captain
Killbuck; and Thomas, aged eighteen, half-brother of Captain Killbuck. Their
experiences at Princeton form an interesting chapter in the history of attempts
to civilize the American Indians. Thomas did not prove to be
"academic." Accordingly he was apprenticed to a farmer to learn
farming and the blacksmith trade. He also learned other less valuable things,
and became somewhat dissipated. In 1783 he was very "homesick" and
petitioned Congress to be allowed to return to his tribe. Meanwhile John
Killbuck, living at Colonel Morgan's, made good progress with his studies. He
contracted, however, a clandestine alliance with a serving maid, which was
later legalized. In 1784 John petitioned to return to his people; finally, in
October, 1785, both Thomas and John, with the latter's wife and child, were
sent to their tribal home. In 1810 Congress granted a pension to the chief,
Killbuck, and a rifle to each of his sons. After the father's death in 1811,
John Killbuck became chief of the tribe; he lived on White River, Indiana, and
was exemplary in morals, and faithful to one wife. For an account of his later
years see Draper Mss., 11YY30.
George White Eyes had a longer academic experience than the two Killbucks. He
remained at Princeton until 1788, living for the most part at Colonel Morgan's.
In 1783 it was reported that his progress had equalled all expectations, and
that he was about ready to enter college. In 1788 Morgan declined to be longer
responsible for young White Eyes, and after a short time in New York he drifted
back to his tribe in the West. He had acquired the vices as well as the virtues
of civilization. In 1798 while drunk and attacking a white lad on Beaver Creek,
Pa., he was killed. See Draper Mss., 9S175, 16S288. The relations of these
Indians to the college is narrated in Princeton University, Bulletin,
XIII, 101-6.
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WISCONSIN HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS |
to instruct the Youth of their Nation in useful Arts: These, tho expensive at
present, may in time be fully repaid to the United States in many respects.
5th That the said Delaware Nation have established a Town where numbers of them have embraced Christianity under the Instruction of the Reverend and worthy Mr David Ziesberger whose honest zealous Labours & good Examples have Induced many of them to listen to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which has been a means of introducing considerable order, Regularity and love of Peace into the Minds of the whole Nation - the[y] therefore hope Congress will countenance & promote the Mission of this Gentleman, so far away as they may deem expedient; and they may rely that the Delaware Nation will afford every encouragement thereto in their power.
6th That in the year 1778 General McIn[t]osh and the Commissioners of Congress put a War Belt & Tomhawk into the Hands of the said Delaware Nation & induced some of their Chiefs to sign certain Writings, which to them were perfectly unintelligible & contain'd Declarations and Engagements they never intended to make or enter into. The said Delaware Nation have since return'd the said Tomhawk and Belt into the Hands of the Agent for the United States and desir'd him to bury them as they have created great confusion among Us & drove off two hundred of out Peopl[e] into the Neighbourhood of the English. But as the Agent of Congress has now buried the said Tomhawk and Belt so as never to rise again, the Delaware Nation promise to bring back their People to their own Towns on Muskingham. This Tomhawk and Belt were well driving our whole Nation off but by a timely message from Congress we are de[te]rmined to sit still untill we know their Minds further on this Business.
7th That as a free and Independant People (which the Delaware Nation have ever Declared them selves to be) they claime as their sole Property all the Lands they have long Inhabited and Hunted on, contain'd within the following Boundaries - Vizt - From the mouth of the Alegany River at Fort Pitt to Venango & from thence up French Creek & by Labeuf along the old Road to Presque' Isle on the East The Ohio River Includeing all the Islands in it from Fort Pitt to the Wabachee on the South. Thence up the River Wabache to that Branch call'd Opecomeecah1 and up same to the Head
1The Opecomeecah is the White River of Indiana, an eastern tributary
of the Wabash. Upon Franquelin's map of 1684 it is designated,
"Oiapikaming," a word signifying "white" in the Algonquian
dialects. A portion of the Delaware
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of it, & from thence to the Head Waters & Springs of the Great Miami or
Rocky River, thence across to the Head Waters & Springs of the most
Northwestern Branches of Scioto River, thence to the Head Westernmost Springs
of Sandusky River. Thence down the said River Including the Islands in it and
in the Little Lake to Lake Erie, on the West & North West and Lake
Erie on the North. These Boundaries contain the Cessions of Lands made
to the Delaware Nation by the Wyondots and other Nations, in the Country we
have seated our Grand Children the Shawnese upon in our Laps.1 And
we promise to give to the United States of America, such a part of the above
described Country, as will be convenient to them and Us, that they may have
room for their Childrens Children to sit down upon.
We pray that God may put Wisdom and Virtue
into the Minds & Hearts of the Representatives of the United States of
America & the Commander in Chief of their Forces & instruct them to
give such an Answer to the Delaware Nation as may cement & make an
everlasting Union between their respective Nations so that they may be
considered as one People.
|
Sign'd at Princeton New
Jersey at the house of Colonel George Morgan Agent for the United States of
America & in his presence and in Presence of Us -
|
} |
The Mark2 of
Cay,ley,la,mont or John Kilbuck 1t Chief |
nation under their chief, Custaloga, retreated to White River after Bouquet's
Treaty of 1764, and made their permanent home on this stream.
1Compare these boundaries with those claimed by White Eyes at the
Treaty of Pittsburgh in 1776. See Rev. Upper Ohio, 86. It will be seen
that the Delawares within the tree years that had elapsed had much enlarged
their territorial claims, now including the Shawnee lands and those of their
own western division.
2The marks which in the manuscript accompany the signatures have
been
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