(March 23, 1763)
Floods Seem to become annual at Fort Pitt where there has been one the 8th
of this month; higher by 22 Inches than last year. Some Parts of the Ramparts
towards the Mononghehela are fallen in the Ditch. The Front reveted with spike
has not Suffered. The Inclosures of Gardens & Fields, Several Trader's
Houses, the Smith's Forge with the Bellows, and the Timber prepared for
building the new Batteau have been carried off.
Another Forge will be Sent from Ligonier. Captain Ecuyer has Saved the Provisions, Ammunitions, and Stores.
Two of the Inhabitants are drowned. The Strong Bridge over Queemahony Creek at the East Foot of Laurell Hill, and the Flatt at the Juniatta are both carried away & the Communication to Pittsburgh by Waggons must be attended with great difficulties till they can be replaced
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[Endorsed] To Sir Jeffery Amherst 27th March 1763 by Col Geo Mercer.
(March 30, 1763)
ENSIGN
ROBERT HOLMES: COPY OF SPEECH OF MIAMI CHIEFS
[B. M., Add. MSS. 21634, f. 221, C.]
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Fort Miamis March 30th 1763 |
A Copy of a Speech made by the Chiefs of the Miami Indians at the delivery of a Belt of Wampum sent to them from the Shawanee Nation in the winter of the year 1762--
My Brother--
According to your desire and Treaties with us I have consulted with our Chief Warriors in respect to this Belt of Wampum which you discover'd to be in this Village and we all think it best to deliver it to you so that you may send it to your General; tho we were not to let this belt be known of till it ariv'd at Ouiattanon; and then we were to all Rise and put the English to death all about this place, and those at the other places.
(December 11, 1760)
Lieut Butler of the Rangers is gone to take off the Garrisons of Miamis and
Ouiatanon, as Mr. Butler Speaks french and seems very Intelligent, he has got
orders to Maintain the Post of Miamis if it be possible with a few Men during
the winter. It is of greatest Importance to this Place. it is at the head of
the Miamis and from that there is a Carrying Place of nine Miles into the
waters of Oubache, and it would prevent a Surprize in the Spring. We have given
Mr Butler a good Quantity of Ammunition and some Indian Goods.
I refer you to Captain Crochan for our Indian Affairs. I shall have a great Trouble in that Department. The French have a different manner treating them from us. The four Nattions that live in the Environs of Detroit, are as much under the Commandant, as the Inhabitants, and come for every Thing they want. I have told my situation to General Monkton, I have nothing to give them and French left us very little in their Stores only meer Trifles indeed they left us five hundred weight of good Powder, which was more than I expected. You should encourage Traders from Pittsburgh as much as possible this winter, we cannot prevail on the People to goe there with their horses, they are only acquainted with traveling in Canoes.
The Fort is very large and in good repair, there are two Bastions towards the water, and a Large flat Bastion towards the Land in the point of the Bastion is a Cavalier of wood on which there are mounted three three pounders and three small Mortars, or Coehorns
The Palisadoes are in good order. There is a Scaffolding round the whole, which is only floored towards the land for want of Plank, it is by way of a Banket
There are Seventy or eighty houses in the Fort laid out in Regular Streets. The Country is inhabitated ten Miles on each side of the River, and is a most Beautiful Country, the River is here about nine hundred yards over and very deep, and every Thing in great Plenty before this last year.
They have granted every Thing I have desired of them in Quartering our Troops, I have put them on the same footing as in our Collonies, I must tell you I have not had one Complaint
(June 13, 1762)
speaking like a Commandant. But as I have often heard Complaints of thier
Abusing the party at that Post, Should be glad when you return that you would
give Byerly and family a Severe Check on that head.
There is four or five Indians come from the Meamis, and that way, who wanted to hold a Council with me, but I Directed them to Major Ward who sat in Council with them Yesterday, where the Calumet of peace was Smooked over and Renew'd, and the Chain brightened, They produc'd a Treaty of peace Written in 1750 on Meamis River and Signed by George Croghan and Andrew Montour with the province Seals of Virginia and Pensilvania, they desird to Have that Renew'd, they also said that they and thier whole Tribes are very poor and desird some present which I have refus'd on Acct of Your and Croghans absence, they also Complain that the Traders that way imposes on them and makes them pay too dear for their goods, as likewise that they do not bring powder and lead Enough to Serve every Tenth man, They also hint (as Majr Ward tells me) that there is some French on the Illinois that are striving to Spirit up thier Young men against the English, the whole is defer'd till Yours Or George Croghans Return, in the meantime his Majesty the King of Portugal has assur'd them they shall not be Hungry as I have Ordered them to be fed out of his weekly allowance.
Mr. Ephraim Blane I believe does not chuse to proceed to St Dusky therefore the Sending of the flower must be defer'd till another Opertunity.
We are all in health and good Spirits, only five Reported Sick this morning, the Garrison behaves well, and everything goes on with the Greatest Harmony
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I am
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(June 15, 1762)
MAJOR
EDWARD WARD TO COL. HENRY BOUQUET
[B. M., Add. MSS. 21648, f. 222, A. L. S.]
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[Fort Pitt, June 15, 1726.] |
Sir.
There Arived on the 11th Inst A chief Man of the Wawayoughtinne, of Indians with a fiew of his own Nation and a few Indians who live at a Great distance to the Westward of the Posts that Lieut Jenkins Commands at this young Chief came from said Posts.
The 12th Inst at 10 Ck this young Chief sent a speaker to Inform me that he and an old Chief of the Pieyankeishuka Nation Who Came from the Post where Lieut Holms Commands At, That they would deliver me a speech at 12 O Clock and that they Requested that the Commanding Officer should be Present.
I waited on Captain Barnesley and Informed him of the Message I Received, Captain Barnesley and I Concluded it would be most Prudent to put them off til the Arival of Mr Croghan or Your Arrival and if that they would not be put off that I should Excuse his not Waiting on them as we Judged they would Crave Presents. Those Indians would not Wait a moment but would deliver their speech at the time Appointed by them
After the Ceremonies was over at our Meeting the Young Wawayoughtinne Informed me that he spoke for those Indians present and all the Indian Nations to the Westward that were in Allience with them. He then Expressed how Cincerely all those Nations of Indians were Attached to their Brethern the English and that they were Rejoiced that they had a Clear open Road to Come to their brethren with many speeches of this Kind all tend to give us a Just sense of their Friendship he then laid before me the Writings of a Treaty held by Mr Croghan which Pass'd between those Nations of Indians and the Governments of Virginia and Pennsylvania in the Year 1750 and this he said was the first of their Allience with the English that they Ever held this Treaty in the greatest Esteem and that they never had Violated their Promises made in Sd Treaty tho' some of their Unthinking Young Men had been Active in the War in favour of the French but that they were but a few
That they Esteemed it as the greatest Blessing that they now had the Opportunity to Renew their Friendship the Young Chief gave a large Pipe and in a little time after he gave a Beaver Blanket to Conform the Truth of what they said and of what they had to say.
(July 3, 1762)
CAPT.
DONALD CAMPBELL TO COL. HENRY BOUQUET
[B. M., Add. MSS. 21648, f. 243, A. L. S.]
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Detroit 3d July 1762 |
Sir
I had the honor to Receive your Letters of the 19th April, and 25th May only a few days agoe. I wrote you lately by Mr Walsh the Trader and sent a Return for the 24th June Mentioning the Arrival of a Serjeant and fifteen Men from Niagara, to Reinforce this Garrison.
I still labour under the same Difficulty with Regard to Provisions the Batteaus are returned a second time, but that will not doe without the assistance of the vessels; The General trusts to the Vessels supplying the Posts, in good time, but by the last accounts from that I have from Niagara, I am affraid there is but litle dependance to be made upon them. Soe I am oblidged to prepare for the worst, I shall soon know it, this is the best Season to Navigate the Lakes; and Indeed after this month the navigation is very precarious.
The General says that Crown is to be noe longer
at the Expence of maintaining the Indians that they may very well live by their
hunting and desire to keep them Scare of Powder, I should be glad to know what
you doe in that Respect I am certain if the Indians in this Country had the
least hint that we intended to prevent them frome the use of Ammunition, it
would be impossible to keep them Quiet, I dare not trust even the Interpreters
with the Secret. The Indians are a good deal elevated on the news of a Spanish
War, and dayly Reports Spread amongst them, that the french and Spaniards are
soon to retake Quebec &c this goes from one Nation to another, and it is
impossible to prevent it. I assure you they only want a good Opportunity; to
fall upon us if they had any encouragement from an Enemy.
These gentlemen at the Posts are absolutely oblidged to give Some trifles to the Indians, soe that I shall still have large accompts to Setle.
(July 12, 1763)
were on the bank not Sixty yards fireing upon them, the Three Soldiers escaped aboard the Vessel, with the Battoe Loaded with sight Barralls of Provission and Gives the following Account of their Misfortune (Vizt) that two nights before, at 10, 0'Clock, they Arrived about Six Leagues from the Mouth of the River, where they Encamped, that two Men went a little from the Camp for Fire-wood to Boil their Kittle, where one of the two was Seized on by an Indian; Killed and Scalped in an instant; The other Soldier ran directly and alarmed the Camp, upon which Lieutenant Cuyler immediately Ordered to give Ammunition to the Detachment, which Consisted of One Serjeant and Seventeen Soldiers of the Royal Americans, Three Serjeants and Seventy five Rank and File of the Queens Independent Company of Rangers. After having Delivered them Ammunition, and a Dispossition made of the men, the Enemy came close to them without being Observed behind a band and fired very smartly upon one Flank, Which Could not sustain the Enemys Fire, and they retireing Precipitately throw the whole in Confusion, by that means the Soldiers Embarked aboard the Battoes with One, two, and three Oars in each Battoe, which gave an Opportunity to the Savages of taking them all except Lieut Cuyler and thirty men that made their escape in two Battoes to Niagara. Sunday the 5th of June we were acquainted that Fort Maimies was taken, that Ensign Holms who Commanded there, had been informed (by two French Men who arrived there the proceeding day) of Detroits being attacked by the Indians, which he would hardly believe, but threatened to Imprison the French for That Report, That an Indian woman had betrayed him out of the Fort, by pretending that another woman was very sick and begged him to come to her Cabbin to Lot blood of her, and when he had gone a little distance from the Fort was Fired on and Killed, the Serjeant hearing the Report of the Fireing ran to see what it was, and was immediately taken Prisoner, the Soldiers shut the Gates; and would have probably Defended the Fort, If one Welsh a Trader, who had been taken Prisoner a few days before, had not advised them to Open the Gates, adding that if they did not Comply, the Indians would set Fire to the Fort, And put them to death; Whereas if they Opened the Gates they would be well treated. Whereupon the Gates were opened, and the Soldiers Grounded their Arms. The 10, June we heared that Ensign Schlosser the Commanding Officer at St. Josephs was taken Prisoner, and that all his Garrison (except three men) were massacred, That the Indians Came on the 25th of May with a pretence to Council, and as soon as the Chiefs had Shaked hands with Mr Schlosser they Seized on Him, gave a Scriech and instantly Killed Ten men. The 12th we were told that Lieut Jenkins and all the Garrison of Ouiattanon
(1759)
The Waggueoughtennees, Nation living on The Wabash, have two Towns. They are computed at 200 fighting Men, Beaver & small skins their hunting.
The Pianquishaws, a Nation living on the heads of the Wabash, are computed at 300 fighting Men, have two Towns, Beaver & Small furs their chief hunting.
The Twightwees a Nation living on the Miame River consisting of about 300 fighting Men have Towns their chief Hunting Deer Beaver & small furs
These three last mentioned Nations desired to be received into Friendship with The English on a time when I was transacting business with them, from Pennsylvania I accepted of their offers of Friendship & a considerable Trade was carried on. I was afterwards condemn'd for Accepting their Friendship, as The Government feared it would draw on an Additional Expence in Presents, for which reason these Indians were neglected, and tho' inveterate Enemies to the French on account of having Murdered some of their People, was at last Obliged to Join in the War against us for to be Supplied with necessary Goods in exchange for their Skins & furs.
The Weyondotts They have a Town at Fort D'Troit, and one at a place called Cheundea on this side the Lake, a brave honest Warlike People, have a regard for the English tho' engaged in the War against us, being obliged from their Situation, They consist of about three hundred fighting Men, their Hunting Deer Beaver & smal furs.
Ottawas, Chepaways, Putuvatimies, Melkomineys, or Shockeys. These Nations are in confederacy somewhat like the Six Nations. They live on the West Side of Lake Erie consisting of about Two Thousand fighting Men, are not by the other Indians esteemed good Warriors, have Three large Towns in Sight of Fort D'Troit. Their Hunting Beaver, Deer, Elks & Small furrs.
Nottoweases " " " a Nation called by the French Le Tue. They live on a River that runs parallel with The Missisippi. Their Settlements extend down The River to a small Lake call'd Sacrama, where the French have a Trading House, which place only they Trade with this great Nation of Indians which covers a Country of 2,000 Mile in length, some Indians who have travelled that way, say, They have
(1762)
English had Countinanced the killing of one of their People in the Fort at Michilimackinac that it was more than Probable they would do me an Injury and advised me to Return to Michilimackinac and go from their to St Josephs which I did.
The 28th of June Set out from the Bay and Return'd to Michilimackinac the 7th of July when I was detained for want of a Passage untill the 11th I then set out and arrived at St Josephs the 6th of August.
The 7th Assembled the Poutawautamies and made them acquainted with my Instructions and gave them a Belt of Wampum.
The 8th They expressed great uneasiness that Rum was not Allowed them as usual an desired that as their whole Nation was afflicted with Sickness which Rendered them uncapable of hunting that Sir William Johnson wou'd send them some few Presents to keep their Women and Children from the Cold. And further said they were greatly Surprised that I had not a Present for them.
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They gave a String of Wampum |
The 9th Set out for the Fort at the Miamie where I arrived the 12th
The 13th had a Meeting with the Mineamie Indians and acquainted them with my Business
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Gave them a Belt of Wampum |
I then told them I had some Business at the Ouiatanon & on my Return wou'd hear what they had to say.
The 14th Set out for the Ouiatanon and arrive there the 18th
The 19th had a meeting with the following Indians Vizt Ouiatanons, Kickaupooze, Musquetons, and Pyankishaws who I made acquainted with my Instructions and gave each Nation a Belt of Wampum.
They then desired I wou'd here them to morrow,
The 20th the above Indians met and the Ouitanon Chief spoke in behalf of his and the Kickaupoo Nations as follows.
(1762)
Brother,
We are very thankful to Sir William Johnson for sending you to enquire into the State of the Indians. We assure you we are Rendered very miserable at Present on Account of a Severe Sickness that has Seiz'd almost all our People many of which have died lately and many more likely to Die, however this we don't grumble at it was God that put us upon the Earth and when he pleases to take us away we must be Satisfy'd; but what we think hardest of is that the English have never so much as given us the least Present or even allowed a smith to be at the Post to mend our Gunns &c We know very well that other Indian Nations have had Presents given them at two or three different times and a smith allowed to mend their Guns; what those Indians have done to get themselves in so great favour with the English we have never heard; but this we are sure of that we are ready on all Occasions to serve our Brethren the English and will advise our Young Men to behave well.
If we were to go to the french at the Ilonois they wou'd give us some Ammunition at least, but our Brother hear has Desired us to have as little dealings with them as Possible, you see we mind what he says as none of our People has offered to go near the french since the English came here
We desire you will acquaint Sir William Johnson with all we have said to you and we hope he will allow a smith at this Post and also send some Presents for our Women and Children.
As for English Prisoners We have not any remaining amongst our Nations, And to assure you all I have said is true I give you this Wampum & Council Pipe.
The 21st Detain'd here on account of my Horse being Stole by the Indians.
The 22nd Sit out for the Mineamie and arrived there the 26th
The 27th the Mineamie Indians Assembled and desired that I would request of Mr Croghan to send them a Smith to mend their Guns and Tomhawks and also to allow them some presents as their People were mostly Sick
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Gave a String of Wampum |
(1762)
The Officer at the Post assured me that it was almost impossible to keep friendship with the Indians without allowing them some Presents, and that they were Extreamly uneasy that a Smith was not allowed them.
The 28th & 29th detained here on Account of wet Weather the 30th Set out for the Lower shawneese Town and arriv'd their the 8th of September in the afternoon. I could not have a Meeting with the Shawneese untill the 12th as their People were Sick and are Dying every day.
The 12th I made them Acquainted with my Instructions and gave them a Belt of Wampum.
They gave me for answer that as their Chiefs were gone to a Councill with the English, they could not Transact any Business in their Absence, that they expected them to arrive in a few days and as soon as they came they would send an Answer to my Speech to Mr Croghan.
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Gave some Wampum |
The 13th Set out for Fort Pitt and arrived there the 24th of Septr 1762.
Sir
[.........................................................] Relating to what has Pass'd between the Indians Inhabiting near the D'Troit Posts and me, And notwithstanding the Manner they have expres'd themselves
[.....................] I found in private Conversation with them that they were not so well [pleased] as I could have wished as they were dissappointed in their Expectations of my having Presents for them, and as the french had always Accustomed themselves both in time of Peace and during the Late War to make these People great Presents three or four times a Year and always allowed them a Sufficient Quantity of Ammunition at the Posts they think it very strange that this Custom should be so immediately broke off by the English and the Traders not allowed even to take so much Ammunition with them as to enable those Indians to Kill game Sufficient for the support of their families.
(1762)
[...........................] Officers of the Different Posts has been obliged to give those Indians some Presents as it wou'd be impossible to keep friendship with them without; they never the less look on those Presents as mere trifles, and are in great Expectations of having Presents for them from Sir William Johnson [.....] And I see it is with the greatest Difficulty [at this] place to keep them in good [spirits]
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[..............]
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To Geo. Croghan Esqr
The Chief of the Musquetons spoke in behalf of their and the Pyankishaws Nations to the same Effect that the Ouiatanons had done Confirming what they said by giving
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[some] Wampum & a Council Pipe |
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Dft. Ex. 112.
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