44 |
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS |
lit[tle Cloathing]1 and a little rum to drink on the road, as they2
had come a great way to see their3 Fathers. Then the Wyondats spoake
to the Shawanese, & all the Western Nations on severall Belts &
strings, by which they exhorted the several Nations to behave themselves well
to their Fathers the English, who had now taken them under their Protection,
that if they did, they would be a happy People, that if they did not listen to
the Councils of their Fathers, they must take the Consequences, having assured
them that all Nations to the Sun riseing had taken fast hold of their Fathers
the English by the hand, & would follow their Advice, & do every thing
they desired them, & never would let slip the Chain of Friendship now so
happily renewed.
August 24th We had another Meeting with the several Nations, when the Wawcotonans, Twightwees, Pyankeshas, Kickapoos & Musquatamies made several speeches to Colo Campbell & me, in presence of all the other Nations, when they promised to become4 the Children of the King of Great Brittain, & farther acknowledged that they had at Ouiatonon before they came there given up the Soverignty [sic] of their Country to me for His Majesty, & promised to Support his subjects in taking possession of all the Posts given up by the French their former Fathers to the English, now their present Fathers, all which they Confirmed with a Belt.
25th We had another meeting with the same Indians, when Colo Campbell & I, made them several Speeches in Answer to theirs of the 23 & 24th then delivered them a Road Belt in the Name of Sir William Johnson Baronet to open a Road from the rising to the Setting of the Sun which we Charged them to keep open through their Country, & Cautioned them to stop their Ears against the Storys or idle reports of evil minded People & Continue to promote the good Works of Peace, all which they promised to do in a most sincere manner.
26th Colo Campbell & I made those Nations some presents, when after taking leave of us, they sett off for their own Country well Satisfied.
27th We had a
Meeting with Pondiac & all the Ottawa Tribes, Chipwaes & Puttewatamies
wth the Hurons of this place & the Chiefs
_____________
1Omissions supplied from Franklin's copy.
2"we have"
3"our"
4"acknowledged themselves to be"
|
CROGHAN'S JOURNAL, AUGUST 27, 1765 |
45 |
of those settled at Sandusky & the Miamis River, when we made them the
following Speeches.1
Children Pondiac & all our Children the Ottawas, Puttewattamies, Chipways & Wyondatts-
We are very glad to see so many of our Children here present at your Antient Council Fire, which has been neglected for some time past, since those high Winds has arose & raised some heavy Clouds over your Country, I now by this Belt dress up your Antient Fire, & throw some dry Wood upon it, that the Blaze may ascend to the Clouds, so that all Nations may see it, & know that you live in Peace & Tranquility with your Fathers the English.
|
A Belt. |
By this Belt I disperse all the black Clouds from over your heads, that
the Sun may shine clear on your Women and Children, that those unborn may Enjoy
the blessings of this general Peace, now so happily settled between your
Fathers the English & you, & all your younger Bretheren to the Sun
Setting.
|
A Belt. |
.
Children By this Belt I gather up all the Bones of your deceased friends, &
bury them deep in the Ground, that the Herbs & Sweet flowers of the Earth
may grow over them, that we may not see them any more.
|
A Belt. |
Children With this Belt I take the Hatchet out of your Hands & I pluck up a
large Tree & Bury it deep, so that it may never be found any more, & I
plant the Tree of Peace, where all our Children may sit under & smoak in
Peace with their Fathers.
|
A Belt. |
Children We have made a Road from the Sun rising to the Sun setting, I desire
that you will preserve that Road good and pleasant to Travel upon, that we may
all share the Blessings of this happy Union. I am sorry to see our Children
dispersed thro' the Woods, I therefore desire you will return to your Antient
Settlements & take care of your Council Fire which I have now dressed up,
& promote the good Work of Peace.
|
A Belt. |
After which Wapicomica delivered his Messages from Sir William Johnson to
Pondiac & the rest of the Several Chiefs.
_____________
1Hildreth's copy passes over the speeches on the twenty-seventh, inserting the following paragraph: "The speeches are brief, and relate chiefly to their keeping the peace in sincerity and good faith. On the following day, or the 28th August they had another meeting with the Indians, when Pondiac made the following speech, which is worth preserving, as coming from so celebrated a man:" Then follows Pontiac's speech post, 46.
46 |
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS |
August 28th We had a Meeting with Pondiac & the
several Nations when Pondiac made the following Speeches.
Father
We have all smoaked out of the Pipe of Peace its your Childrens Pipe, & as the War is all over, & the Great Spirit and giver of Light who has made the Earth & every thing therein, has brought us all together this day for our mutual good to promote the good works of Peace, I declare to all Nations that I had settled my Peace with You before I came here, & now deliver my Pipe to be sent to Sir William Johnson, that he may know I have made Peace, and taken the King of England for my Father, in presence of all the Nations now Assembled, & whenever any of those Nations go to Visit him, they may smoak out of it with him in Peace. Fathers we are oblidged to you for lighting up our old Council Fire for us, & desiring us to return to it, but we are now settled on the Miamis River, not far from Hence, whenever you want us you will find us there ready to wait on You, the reason I choose to stay where we are now settled, is, that we love Liquor, & did we live here as formerly,1 our People would be always drunk, which might Occasion some Quarrels between the Soldiers & them, this Father is all the reason I have for not returning to our old Settlements, & that2we live so nigh this place, that when we want to drink, we can easily come for it.
Gave a large Pipe with a Belt of Wampum tied to it.
Father Be strong and take pity on us your Children as our former Father did, 'tis just the Hunting Season of our3 Children, our Fathers the French, formerly used to Credit his Children for Powder & Lead to Hunt with, I request in behalf of all the Nations present, that you will speak to the Traders now here to do the same, my Father once more I request you will take pity on us, &4 tell your Traders to give your Children Credit for a little powder & Lead, as the Support of our Familys depend upon it, we have told you where we live,5 that whenever you want us & let us know it, we will come directly to you.
|
A Belt. |
_____________
1"and to be so near this as we formerly lived"
2" where"
3"your"
4"that you tell" omitting "will take pity on us and"
5"not far from here" inserted.
|
CROGHAN'S JOURNAL, AUGUST 30, 1765 |
47 |
Father You stoped up the Rum Barrel when we came here, 'till the Business of
this Meeting was over, as it is now finished, we request you may open the
Barrel that your Children may drink and be merry.1
August 29th A Deputation of several Nations sett out from Detroit for the Ilinois Country, with several Messages from me &2 the Wyondats, Six Nations, Delawares, Shawanese & other Nations, in Answer to theirs delivered me at Ouiatonon.
30th The Chiefs of the several Nations who are settled on the Ouabache returned to Detroit from the River Roche, where they had been Encamped, & informed Colo Campbell & me, they were now going off for their own Country, & that nothing gave them greater pleasure, than to see that all the Western Nations & Tribes had agreed to a general Peace, & that they should be glad how soon their Fathers the English, would take possession of the Posts in their Country, formerly possessed by3 their late Fathers the French, to open a Trade for them, & if this could not be done this Fall, they desired that some Traders might be sent to their Villages to supply them for the Winter, or else they would be oblidged to go to the Ilinois and apply to their old Fathers the French for such necessarys as they might want.
They then spoke on a Belt & said Fathers,
every thing is now Settled, & we have Agreed to your taking possession of
the Posts4 in our Country. we have been informed, that the English
where ever they settle, make the Country their own, & you tell us, that
when you Conquered the French, they gave you this Country. That no differnce
may happen hereafter, we tell you now the French never Conquered [us] neither
did they5 purchase a foot of our Country, nor have [they a right]6
to give it to you, we gave them liberty to settle for
_______________
1Hildreth's copy inserts the following paragraph: "There were present at this treaty about thirty chiefs and five hundred warriors. A list of the tribes is given and the names of the chiefs. This was the last public transaction in which Pondiac was engaged with the English. The year following, in a council with the Indians on the Illinois, this noted chief was stabbed to the heart, by an Indian who had long followed him for that purpose."
2"to"
3"which had formerly been in possession"
4"of the posts" omitted.
5" Conquered us neither did they" omitted.
6Supplied from the Franklin copy.
48 |
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS |
which they always rewarded us & treated us with great Civility1 while
they had it in their power, but as they are become now your People, if you
expect to keep those Posts,2 we will expect to have proper returns
from you.
|
A Belt. |
Septbr 2d The Chiefs of the Wyondatts or
Huron, came to me & said they had spoake last Summer to Sir Willm
Johnson at Niagara about the Lands, on which the French had Settled near
Detroit belonging to them, & desired I would mention again to him, they
never had sold it to the French, & expected their new Fathers the English
would do them Justice, as the French were become one People with us.
|
A Belt. |
4th Pondiac with several Chiefs of the Ottawas,
Chippawaes & Potowatamies likewise complained, that the French had settled
part of their Country, which they never had sold to them, & hoped their
Fathers the English, would take it into Consideration, & see that a proper
Satisfaction was made to them. That their Country was very large, & they
were willing to give up such part of it, as was Necessary for their Fathers the
English, to carry on Trade at, provided they were paid for it, & a
sufficient part of the Country left them to Hunt on.
|
A Belt. |
6th The Sagina Indians came here, & made
a Speech on a Belt of Wampum expressing their Satisfaction on hearing that a
general Peace was made with all the Western Nations & with Pondiac,
they desired a little Powder, Lead & a few Knives3 to enable
them to Hunt on their way Home, & a little rum to drink their new Fathers
health.
|
A Belt. |
9th Altewaky4 and Chamindiway
Chiefs of a band of Ottawas from Sandusky with 20 Men came here and informed
me, that their late Conduct had been peaceable, that on hearing there was a
great Meeting of all Nations at this place, they came to hear what would be
done, & on their way here they had been informed that a general Peace was
settled with all Nations to the Sun setting, & they now came to
______________
1Reads: "to settle and they were always very civil to us."
2"posts as your own property, we will expect to have equivalent made us, for such parts of our country as you may want to possess."
3"a few knives" omitted.
4The transactions of the ninth and eleventh are omitted, but the following is inserted: "N.B. The transactions of the 9th and IIth are written with such poor ink, and so faded, that they cannot be deciphered."
|
INDIANS MET AT THE DETROIT CONFERENCE |
57 |
|
Wabicomica |
Chief from Niagara with I3 Warriors, with Messages from |
|
|
Sir William Johnson to Pondiac and the other Nations. |
|
Puttewattamies. |
|
Nineway |
|
Manamack Chiefs with 37 Warriors. |
|
Washad |
|
Sagginna Indians.1 |
|
Ashewabemy. Chief with 27 Warriors. |
|
La Cheas. Chief from St Josephs with 5 Warriors. |
|
Twightwees. |
|
La Greass. |
|
Gross Cope Chiefs, with 49 Warriors. |
|
Hairy thighs |
|
Waweottonans.2 |
|
La Natt |
|
Crooked Legg Chiefs with 35 Warriors. |
|
the Goose. |
|
Pyankeshas. |
|
The black fly. Chief with IO Warriors. |
|
Kickepoos. |
|
Majawabia. Chief with Nine Warriors. |
|
Musquattamies3 |
|
Majinoboa. Chief with 8 Warriors. |
|
Deputies from the Six Nations Delawares, and Shawanese I2 Men. |
|
Indians from Michillimackinac, and L'bay 22 Men. |
|
In all 530 Men. |
______________
1An Indian village at the present site of Saginaw, Michigan. At first it was occupied by the Sauk, but at this time was settled by a band of Ottawa and Chippewa, known as Saginaw. American Indians.
2Ouiatanon or Wea.
3Mascoutens.
|
JENNINGS' JOURNAL, MARCH 15, 1766 |
I69 |
in the afternoon passed by little Kanawa or lifting Creek. At five passed the
Wanduxales Creek; At half past five, Encamped for the Night. This day very
Cold.
1766 Wednesday I2th March
At Six O'Clock this Morning, left our Camp, at Seven, passed the Hockhocking Creek, At twelve, entered the Big Bent, at two got through it, passed by an Indian Encampment, with Several hunters there, at five in the Evening came to the great Kanawa River, encamped opposite to it this Night; Still very Cold.
Thursday I3th
At Six O'Clock this Morning, disencamped, at Ten pass'd two Indian Encampments, where was Several Indians, supposed to be Hunter's. At twelve pass.d by Guyandot Creek. (Here the Six Nation Indians throw away Canoe's when they go to War against the Southern Nations). At half past one O'Clock, in the afternoon, pass'd Tottery, or Big Sandy Creek; At four pass'd little Tottery Creek: at five encamped for the Night, saw several Parrotkites: Continues very Cold.
Friday I4th.
Set out this Morning. at Six O'Clock; At Nine, four Canoe's with Twenty Shawanese, joined us, they gave us some fresh Meat, returned the Compliment with Buiscuit, & Tobacco, At Eleven passed by the Sioto River. Three hundred forty five computed Miles from F. Pitt, here the Shawanese left us, & went up the River, the entrance of it is Narrow, & the Land low, At a small distance on the West side are some hills, & on the same side, on the point of the River, formerly stood the Large lower Shawanese Town, which was entirely destroyed by a flood in the Year-At five in the afternoon passed a large fine Island, At Six Encamped on the West Side the River, For the Night. saw some parotkites, Cold still Continues
Note-after we pass'd the Sioto, we always encamp'd on the North side the River, if possible it being thought most safe.
Saturday I5th.
At half past five this Morning left our Camp, which is about fifty Miles below the Sioto, At Nine passed by Elk Creek, saw
170 |
ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS |
some Indian Cabbins, At four O'Clock came up with, & pass'd Major
Smallman, & the Indians, who left us last Night to go a Hunting; At
half past, four pass'd by the Little Mineami River, low land at the Entrance,
is about forty Miles below Elk Creek; at five encamped for the Night, where is
a Buffalo Lick, with several beaten paths made by them, & near our own Camp
is several Indian Cabbins; At seven O'Clock this Evening Major Smallman,
with the Indians came to our Camp, brought us fresh Meat, & set out again
immediately.
Sunday I6th.
At half past five this Morning left our Camp, a quarter past six, we passed by the great Salt Lick River, about six Miles below the little Mineami River, on the opposite Side. At half past Nine, saw Several Indian Cabbins, with two Houses well built for defence, the Logs standing upright, & close to each other. At Ten passed by the great Mineami River, which appeared to be Large at the entrance, the Land at the Mouth low, at a small distance on the East side, is a rising Ground, about twenty Miles below the great Salt Lick River. It rained, & blowed so excessive hard, was obliged to encamp at four this afternoon, were [sic ] was two very large Indian Encampments, & from its appearance they had not left it, above two days, near this is a Large Buffalo Lick, with a great many beaten paths. It rained, & snowed all this Night.
Monday I7th.
At six O'Clock this Morning, left our Camp. At eight, passed by the Salt Lick, back of which about four Miles, is the place where the Elephant Bones are found. At ten was obliged to bring too, & encamp for the Night had such a great Snow Storm, & the Cold so intense, that we could not continue on the River. saw Several flocks of Parrotkites.
Tuesday I8th.
At half past six O'Clock, this Morning left our Camp. At Eight, passed some Warriors Cabbins, these are known by a Tree having the Bark Strip'd of all round, about four feet from the Ground, with particular marks Cut on it, denoting what Nation they are, & their good or bad success in War, which is known by the Indians, who happen to pass that way. At Nine was obliged to encamp. It blowed so very hard & the cold so intense. that we could not con
|
JENNINGS' JOURNAL, MARCH 21, 1766 |
171 |
tinue on the River. the Otter Batteau who was astern, was not able to
join us till four O'Clock in the afternoon. continued here all Night.
Wednesday I9th.
At six O'Clock this Morning sett off. At half past Nine, passed by the Kentucke River, Large at the Entrance, & pleasant Banks, on each side, is about thirty Miles below the Salt Licks, where the Elephant's Bones are found. At Eleven Majr Smallman & the Indians. joyned us, with plenty of Buffalo & Bears Meat. At four O'Clock in the Afternoon, saw some Warriors Cabbins at the Point of a Creek on the West side of the River. At Seven encamp'd for the Night, on an Island full of Canes about ten Miles above the falls, & forty below the Kentucke River.
Thursday 20th.
Left our Camp at half past Six O'Clock this Morning. At Eight pass'd a Large Island, about five Miles above the falls. At Nine came through them, but the Water being very high, was not perceptible, except a few Small Whirlpools. At the beginning of the falls, is a small Island, on the East side of the River, which is necessary to keep close on board. The Land about them is low.
The Shape of the River. and description of the falls, as they appear'd when I came through them, the dots, describe the passage, the scratches describes the Whirlpools.1 At half past three O'Clock in the afternoon, we passed a fine River, on the Cherrokee Side, Called the Big Deer River, about Thirty Miles below the Falls. At Six encamp'd for the Night, about Six Miles below the Big Deer River, saw several Warriors Cabbins this day. The Weather Moderate.
Friday 2Ist.
Left our Camp, at half past
five this Morning. at six brought too, & took two Bundles each Batteau,
from on board the Otter, to lighten her, that she may be able to keep up with
us, in blowing Weather. heard a Gun fire, not far from were we encamp'd,
supposed some Indians a hunting, At One O'Clock this afternoon, the Wind
rose so sudden, & blowed so very hard, that the Batteau's, Good Intent,
& the Dublin Ship'd a great deal of Water, before it was possible for them
to make the Shore. At five encamp'd for the Night which was
______________
1At this place in the original there is drawn a very rough map of the falls.
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