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John Heckewelder's Journey to the Wabash in 1792. |
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crisis and we hoped that he would soon recover, as he had agreed to go to Philadelphia with several chiefs. He wished that they might set out on their journey and that I should accompany them to Marietta and remain there until his arrival. Another company of these illustrious savages was dispatched with addresses to the hostile Indians, they were to be accompanied by the interpreter Wells.
On the afternoon of the 5th the chiefs, sixteen in number, besides a squaw, started on their journey to Philadelphia. In their company was Lieut. Prior as leader, two Kentucky guides or scouts and two soldiers and myself; forming together a party of 23 souls. As we passed Fort Knox seven cannon shots were fired. The journey was overland to the falls of the Ohio. We encamped this evening 5 miles from the place.
On the 6th we travelled all day through a fine rich level country and the pleasant odor of quantities of ripe persimmons made the day very agreeable. Towards evening we crossed the beautiful White river, which is as wide as the Lehigh at Bethlehem. It is a branch of the Wabash and empties about 14 miles below Post Vincennes into the Wabash. Our Kentucky hunters had today shot five wild turkeys.
On the 7th we still traveled along the eastern branch of the White river at least l 2 miles down, but then our way led us into the wilderness where we could with difficulty pass through the grape vines and bushes. Our guide had today shot a very large old buffalo estimated as weighing 800lb.
On the 8th we marched all day through a wilderness and over steep, disagreeable mountains. We encamped along a stream, but it was almost dried up.
On the 9th we reached the socalled Buffalo Salt Lick where it is said 500 buffaloes may sometimes be seen at one time, especially during the months of June, July and August. The salt spot, several acres in size, is so much trodden down and grubbed up, that not a blade of grass can grow and the entire woods are for miles around quite bare. Many heads and skeletons of these animals are to be found which were either shot from time to time, or had died there. From
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John Heckewelder's Journey to the Wabash in 1792. |
here a great many buffalo trails lead out, and we had the misfortune to take such an one instead of the right one, our "aides not being with us, but when they came back again, they led us in to the right path and preceded, in order to hunt.
After we had now marched about five miles, a herd of buffaloes came directly towards us as if they intended running us down. We fired into them, killed one, wounded another and took the meat of the former. In the evening we came to a slough where we spent the night and where several Indians made such gluttons of themselves, that they were taken sick and the next day we were obliged to carry their bundles on our horses.
On the 11th suddenly in the night we were overtaken by a thunderstorm. We had neither huts nor covering and the night was pitch dark. The rain fell in torrents, we were drenched to the skin, and under us flowed streams. We were only 18 miles from Fort Steuben, but in a neighborhood through which the Miami warriors frequently pass on their way to Kentucky and are also frequently pursued by those from there. We had cause for anxiety, viz., that if the warriors had recently committed ravages in Kentucky and they were pursued, our Indians would have to pay the penalty. For this reason Mr. Prior spoke with them and the guides, and commanded a forced march. We had scarcely proceeded half a mile when a similar thundergust overtook us; it continued so long, that at 1 o'clock at night, when we arrived at Clarkville and I stepped down from my horse, the water oozed out at the tops of my boots, although I wore two great coats, one over the other and I tried to protect myself as well as possible. Here I saw the well known Indian murderers, David Oven and Robbin George, now Capt. George, who had once stolen some of our horses on the Muskingum. From here we were three miles from Fort Steuben, a distance we were obliged to travel in the pouring rain. As soon as we arrived there, the Indians said: Give us enough brandy or we will be sick. Their guide gave them more than enough for all became intoxicated and remained in this condition
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and a Doctor to attend our People when Sick, we expect you will do the same, and as we make no doubt you have something to say to us from the English General and Sir William Johnson we wou'd be glad [to know] how Soon you'd go on Business, as this is our hunting Season, on which the Conference began.154
The 7th [December, 1760] Mr. Butler of the Rangers with another Officer and a Party set off to relieve the Garrison at the Miamies,156 with whom I sent an Interpreter and gave him Wampum and such other things as was necessary for his Journey, with Instructions in what manner to Speak to the Indians in those Parts.
During the Conference 42 Prisoners was delivered up in Council by the several Nations.
The 8th [December, 1760] Major Rogers set out for Mishali-mackinac156 with whom I sent Captn. Montour and four Indians who was well acquainted with the Country and the Indian Nations that Inhabit it.
The 9th & 10th [December, 1760] Captain Campbell assembled all the Inhabitants and Read the Act of Parliament to them and accommodated matters to his satisfaction; they agreed to the Victualing of Troops, Furnishing Firewood and Provisions for the Garrison, and Promised every thing in their power for his Majesty's service.
The 11th [December, 1760] in the evening Captain Campbell finished his Letters, when I set off for Fort Pitt, Leaving him all the Wampum, Silver Truck, and goods I had for the Indian Service.
The 16th [December, 1760] Reached the Little Lake call'd Sandusky which we found Froze over 80 as not to be Passable for some days.
The 22nd [December, 1760] We Crossed the little Lake on the Ice which is about 6 Miles over to an Indian Village, where we got
154Thwaites, 115-121 gives the minutes of the conference held on December 4 and 5. Minutes for December 3, 4, and 5 are in the Bouquet Papers.
155Aside from Lt. Butler this party consisted of another Ranger officer, Ensign Wait, twenty men, and an Indian interpreter. In addition to Fort Miami, located on the Maumee River near the present site of Fort Wayne, they took over the French post at Ouiatanon on the Wabash. These officers were superseded about a year later by the Royal Americans. Wisconsin Historical Collections, XVIII, 226.
156 This ice in Lake Huron prevented Rogers from reaching his objective and relieving the French at Michillimackinac. He returned to Detroit and made his way back to Fort Pitt which he reached January 23, 1761. Hough, Rogers' Journals, 198-202.
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The 24th [January,
1761] A Great Number of Indians came here to Trade.165
The 29th [January, 1761] an Indian Was Kill'd
over the Monongahela.
February 10th [1761]166 A Number
of the Shawneese came here by Water with the traders Skins and Deliverd up 2
prisners.
The 12th [February, 1761] Mr
McKee,167 with Mr Artill168 a French Officer
and his party, arrived here from the Lower Shawnee Town.
The 21st [February, 1761 ] An Indian kill'd
over the Ohio.
The 26th [February, 1761] Some of the Six
Nation Indians came here and inform'd me that 5 Cannoes of their People were
coming down the Allegheny.
165"I Cant Close my Leter without aquainting your Honour that
tho you thought itt for ye Good of his Majestys Indian Intrest to prohibett the
sale of Speritoss Liquers to ye Indians that the Province of Pensylvaine has
Sent thire Agent hear a Large quantity which he Sells them. Such is ye Conductt
of those pople who fer 50 years past has been making Laws against Selling
Liqurs to ye Indians and Sence ye Warr wd. Insinuate that ye Selling of Liquers
to ye Indians by his Majestys Subjects who carreyd on a Treade with ye Indians
fermerly was a mains of Alinated thire affections from ye British
Intrest." Final paragraph of a letter from Croghan to Monckton, Jan. 13,
1761. Cadwalader Coll.
The selling of liquor by the Pennsylvania agent was doubtless due to his importunities to the Indian Commissioners. In a letter dated "8-28-1760," probably in error for 10-8-1760 as he stated that Monckton had left Fort Pitt the previous day (Monckton's date of departure was 10-27-1760), he urged the expediency of selling rum in their store at Pittsburgh, "to enter into the arguments & adduce all ye. reasons for it, could not be contained in one letter...." Gratz Coll., H.S.P. This agent, John Langdale, discredited himself with Governor Hamilton by his aggressive independence of the military and Crown agents. When criticized by Bouquet for selling liquor, Langdale retorted by placing the blame on his e employers of whose policy he was the servant. Bouquet Papers, 21646, 52.
166By a letter of this date to Monckton, Croghan writes that "one of the Bobeys is hear with two of his men from ye uper Shanna Town ye Rest of his men are Comeing by Water with what Effects he had there butt as ye River is full of Ise att this Sason of ye year they will nott be hear befere ye Last of the month as far as I can Larn by him he Expects Liberty on his parole of honour to Spend Next Sumer att Detroit to Settle his affairs & then to go to old france." Cadwalader Coll. For other references to Baby see the letters of Bouquet to Monckton in the Aspinwall Papers. Although Baby did make preparations to go to France, he returned to Detroit, and when Pontiac's war broke out was very helpful to the English.
167 Alexander McKee was for many years Croghan's right hand man and ultimately succeeded the latter as deputy agent. During the Revolution McKee, an ardent Tory, removed to Detroit, whence he sent forth or led many Indian war parties upon the frontiers.
168Pierre Antoine, Chevalier de Hertel. See Wisconsin Historical Collections, XVIII, 218. In a letter to Monckton of Jan. 3, 1761, Croghan recounted the measures he had taken to bring in the French from the two Shawnee towns. Cadwalader Coll. Hertel arrived sick with only six of his eighteen men, the others having deserted or having been physically unable to make the trip. Aspinwall Papers, 391.
426 |
GEORGE CROGHAN |
October |
27th [May,
1762] the Treading Indians Returnd home.
June 4th [1762] 30 Six Nation Indians Returnd
from Warr brought with them four Cherrokey Sculps and one prisner.
1Oth [June, 1762] Several Indians Came hear
to Treade.
16th [June, 1762] ye above Indians
Sett of home haveing Treaded of thire peltry.
25th [June, 1762] a party of Six Nation Warrers
Returnd from Warr & brought with them 5 Cherrokeys Sculps &
two prisoners.
30th [June, 1762] the above Warrers Sett out
for Thire own Cuntrey.
July 5th [1762] a perty of 20 Six Nation
Indians past by hear going to Warr.
8th[July, 1762] a party of Dallaways Came
hear to Treade.
12th [July, 1762] party of Waweaughtannas
Peeonkeekes & kinkepoes Came hear from thire Cuntrey on ye River
Wabouce.
14th [July, 1762] Came hear ye
beaver & Several other Dallaway Cheeffs on tshire Way to meet Governer
hamilton att Lancaster where they was to have a Conferance they had with them
18 prisners wh they offerd to Deliver up heer Butt ye
Commanding offiser advised them to Take them Down & Deliver them to ye
Governer.
20th [July, 1762] The Bever Sett of &
Tuck with him ye Deputys of the Waweoughtannes Puankeches &
kickepoes.
21th [July, 1762] Several Indians Came hear
to Trade from ye Lacks.
27th [July, 1762] a party of 12 Six Nation
Indians Returnd from Warr and brought two Cherrokeys Sculps.
August 5th[1762] five Six Nation Warrers past
by hear to Warr.
10th [August, 1762] Several Dallaways Came
heer to Trade.
17th[August, 1762] the above Indians Sett of
haveing Delt all thire Skins.
25th[August, 1762] a perty of Six Nation
Warrers Returnd from Warr & brought with them two Sculps &
one prisner.
Septr 1st [1762] Several Dallaways Came
heer to Trade.
8th [September, 1762] ye above
Indins Returnd home haveing Dalt thire Skins.
14th [September, 1762] the Beaver &
other Indians wh a Companyd him Returnd heer
from Lancaster Seemingly much Disatisfyd
428 |
GEORGE CROGHAN |
October |
Dispute and itt apeard to me that ye Indians in Gineral was much Displasd with the Conduct of ye province att that Traty.217
Sepr 17th [1762] twealf Deputys of ye Waweaughtannas Peaukeekess & keekipoes Came to me & Spoake as follows,
BROTHER,
Last Winter when an offiser & soldiers belonging to our Brethren ye English Came to our Cuntry & tuck posison of ye french fort our Nations were all glad & Received them as our brethren & furnished them with provisions as farr as in our powers & ye Treaders that Came there we Treaded with & this Spring we Sent by one of ye Treaders 7 beaver blanketts one Councel pipe & 60 beaver Skins to be Deliverd to you & the Commanding ofiser hear & Some Speachess wh he Wrote Down & we Desier to know whether you have Received them.
To wh I answerd I had herd Nothing from them by any Trader nor Received any Speeches or presents.
BROTHER,
As you have Nott Received ye Speechess our Nations has Sent you we Desier to Renu our frendships with you & hope you will give us a present of Clothing as we are very poor & Likewise a Sett of Coulers to Teke home with us & we Desier Mr Hugh Crafferd may be Sent to our Cuntrey to Trade with us as we are & have been Long aquanted with him heer they
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Gave a Belt Wampum. |
18th [September, 1762] I Shoed Coll Boquet ye above Speechess who agreed that Mr Crafferd Should go to Trade with them and that a Coulers might be given them & a few Clothing as they had behaved very kindly to ye Garrison in thire Cuntrey.
21st [September, 1762] in Council I Renewd our Ancent frendshipe with those Nations & gave Each a Sute of Indian Clothing and
217Croghan attended the Lancaster Treaty, August 11-29, 1762, in a
semiofficial capacity, his name not appearing in the minutes as a participant.
As at Easton, he was occupied in foiling the attempts of the Quakers to
influence the Indians. Governor Hamilton acknowledged his usefulness in that
particular. Sullivan, III, 940.
Evidence of Croghan's earlier activities as an Indian agent was furnished during this absence from Fort Pitt when Indians from the Miami country arrived with a treaty of peace signed on the Miami River in 1750 by Croghan and Montour on behalf of Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Indians wanted it renewed. Bouquet Papers, 21648 Part I, 152.
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a Sett of Coulers, they Seemd much Displast with ye present & Sd they Expected to have had a present given them to Take home to Cloath thire Natione and Refusd Taking ye Speechess I had made them & Said they Could Live without us & Desierd that I wold Send for ye Treaders that was in thire Cuntrey as we Sett So Little Store by thire frendshipe.
the Day after they Came again & Tould me they were Sorry fer what hapend & Diseerd that Every thing they had Sd ye Day befere might be fergoten that they Bleved ye Interpreter had nott tould them what I had Said & that what had been Spoken by them was in a hate as they misunderstood me and that ye french who Lived & Traded amoungst them was allways Speking bad things of the English So they Tuck thire Speeches & Coulors & Every thing being Setled on an fair footing they Sett of Seemingly well Satisfeyd.
25th [September, 1762] a Six Nation Indian Deyd over the River of a feavor.
26th [September, 1762] the Last gang of ye Indians that Went to meet ye governer of pensylvaine past by hear in very Bad Temper haveing been Robd of allmost all thire horses & other things on thire Way up.
27th [September, 1762] a Number of ye Six Nations Came heer from thire vilidge above ye mouth of pine Creeke & and [sic] Desierd I wold Lett them know what past between ye Governer of Pensylvaine & ye Several Nations that meet him att Lancaster. I aquainted them with what past att ye Tratey wh Seemd to plase them very Well then they Requestd to have Some powder & Lead given to them as they were very pour & nott able to purchass any fer themselves.
28th [September, 1762] I aquainted those Indians of ye Six Nations that there was No powder Nor Lead or other goods in ye Kings Store att present & Desierd they wold go to hunting and purchess with thire Skins Such Neseserys as they Wanted.
Then I Deliverd them a Belt and Tould them that Several of thire Indians Traveling past this post had Stolen horses wh they were well aquainted with and that I was much Surprised how they Could Expect presents from us while thire pople behaved So Ill & that I was Determind Neaver to give any Indians any presents while thire young pople behaved in ye manner theres Did.
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