|
INDIANA TERRITORY |
65 |
it improper I wish you to write to each of those Gentle & request them to take me under their Patronage so far as to give me their private advice and assistance should it at any time in their opinion be necessary & if you please you may inform them that if my conduct deserves censure I shall consider it as the greatest proof of their friendship if they will condescend to point out my errors" now my good Sir if there be nothing wrong in the request you will confer a favor also on me by being the adviser of this young Man, should this requist however be improper I pray you to reject the proposal without hesitation-I am not sufficiently acquainted with the S at War to write to him on the subject but you may if you please mention it to him with my compliments-
I shall hope to hear from whilst I am in the Inda Territory whither I am now bound52-Wm Short arrived here a few days ago from France, he is now with the Govnr who has injured his leg a little & is somewhat lame-Present me respectfully to Mrs Madison & assure yourself of my esteem & confidence I am your friend & hble Servt
|
CARTER B HARRISON |
I have shewed this letter to General Dearbourne. D B.
[Addressed] James Madison Esqr
Secretary of State Washington
[Postmarked] Richmond, Va Aug. 6 Free
[Endorsed] Harrison Carter B. August 5th 1802. Recd the 9th. Harrison C B Aug. 5.1802
_____
_____
THE SECRETARY OF WAR TO GOVERNOR HARRISON
[ID:Indian Office, Sec. War Letter Book A]
|
WAR DEPARTMENT 6th August 1802 |
Wm H. HARRISON
SIR, I have prevailed on Mr. Vertner53 of Kentuckey to forward you fifteen hundred Dollars in Silver which you will apply in such manner as you may judge most usefull to the public in furnishing cloaths and other articles to the Indian Chiefs &ca I have likewise sent fifteen Medals, of the smallest size having none of the largest size at this place. others will be forwarded from Philadelphia for some of the principal Chiefs who have not received any from the United States.
|
I am & ca |
H.D. |
_________
52Carter Harrison was present at the Indian conference of Sept. 17,1802, and signed the minutes as witness (Esarey, ed., op. cit., I, 57)
53Probably Daniel Vertner, of Lexington (Collins, Hist Ky., I, 92).
294 |
TERRITORIAL PAPERS |
conformed as far as possible to the restrictions laid down in your letter-Four out of the five are I believe Staunch Republicans but both of the persons nominated from this County (Knox) were Federalists & as it is the largest in the Territory it was necessary to take one of them-I have chosen the one that was best informed & who appeared to be the choice of the Republicans of the County.-Local policy was altogether the cause of the Nomination of two persons whose politics as to the affairs of the Union were so essentially varient from those of nine tenths of the people-in all our elections the Contest lay between those who were in favor of adopting the second grade of Government & the admission of Negroes & those who were opposed to these measures-
I am satisfied that no Combinations exist amongst the Indians in this part of the Country to effect any purpose that would prove injurious to the United States I believe that the Delawares who reside on the West side of the Mississippi have made an other attempt to induce those of their nation who live on White River to join them in a war against the Osages, but I hope that the measures I have taken to Counteract them will be effectual-
The Turtle is certainly doing us all the Mischief he can, & altho' he has little or no influence with his own Tribe he has contrived to get the chiefs of the Putawatimies of St Josephs altogether under his controle- they could however be easily detached from him & he himself brought to a proper sense of his duty & his entire dependence on us if they were not encouraged & supported not only by the Traders but as I really believe by the Agent of the United States at Fort Wayne-I have lately sent Colo Vigo to the Miamis & Putawatimies to enquire into the causes of their uneasiness & to discover the authors of the bad advice which has been given them-I expect him to return in a few days & have no doubt of receiving very satisfactory information-
The Piankeshaws the Weas the Eel River Miamis the Putawatimies of the Wabash & the Kickapoos of the Vermilion River have lately been with me & I am persuaded that they are more warmly attached to us than they have ever been.-
It gives me great satisfaction to find that the Management of the Indian Department has received from the people the same approbation which has been so justly bestowed upon the other measures of your administration. If my humble exertions have had the smallest tendency to produce this desirable result I shall always consider it as the most fortunate circumstance of my life-I have indeed exerted myself to execute your orders & to conduct the government you have entrusted to me upon principles that you would approve-
Relying upon your indulgence & forgivness (if there should be any thing improper in what I am about to say) I must beg you to take into
|
INDIANA TERRITORY |
557 |
He replyed that nothing in that treaty could be binding on him as he was no party to it. that the Indians that had signed it ware nothing but Dogs-and not chiefs that Wynamac26a who I said had signed that treaty on behalf of the poutawatamys-was not fit to mend his mockissons-that He was determined to strike the ossages this sumer that his warriors could not be Idle any longer-I then took him by the hand and told him that I wished him to remain at home and not Hurt the ossages that I did not know that they had ever Injoured his nation that I would communicate what he said to the president and that He might Expect to hear from the President respecting what He said-
He replyed that He would not promise me that He would not go to war against the ossages but He would be glad to hear from the President-
I am convinst that marpack intends to strike a Blow against the ossages and have given this information to governors Harrison and Lewis-
the Shawnese prophet is losing his influence very fast He has moved from green vill on to a branch of the Wabash it is yet unknown where the chiefs of this agency will suffer him to settle-
The Indians of this agency appear to be more inclined to Work this Season then is usual-they are not in want of provisions as those Indians that listened to the prophet last year are If any Indians of this country have been persuaded not to receive the aid offered them by the united states through Mr Kirk. it never has come to my knoledge-
And I am consious that no person wishes [more] for the complete Success of the benevolent views of the government towards the Indians that has been confided to the care of Mr Kirk then myself-
Agreeable to your directions of the 10 of
march I consulted Mr Johnston yesterday respecting the application of a
poutawatamy chief called Sandy with 77 of his people who live 80 mile from this
place- Mr Johnston said that He was sorry to have any thing to do with the
Issues of provisions to Indians that He well knew they ware all starving, and
that I would give them what I thought was proper that He Supposed that 3
rations for each person was as little as could be offered them, which would be
231 pound of Bread and meet-I gave the Indians 70 pound of Bread 8 quarts
whiskey 4 pound of tobacco and two quarts of Salt and they went of well
satisfied I assure you that no person can be more carefull of Issuing
provisions to the Indians then myself or satisfy them with less and if I am to
be governed by the advise of others in this respect the Indians Issues will be
at least 4 times what they usually are-all the Indians
________
26aWenameck was not a signatory of
the treaty of St. Louis. He signed the treaty of Grouseland Aug. 21,1805
(7 STAT. 92).
558 |
TERRITORIAL PAPERS |
of this country appear to be determined to be more indoustrious and provide better for their familys-in futer-
though I can discover among the poutawatamys
some discontented ones who wish to take up the tomahock against the
united States-but are kept down by the large Majority that are friendly
disposed towards us-
Should we have war with the British the appearance of a force on our frountiers will in my opinion be necessary to keep things in good order in this quarter-
|
April the 22 1808 |
The Little turtle has Jest come from seing the Shawnese prophet the following are his words verbatim-
the cheifs of the Miamies Eel river Indians Delawars and part of the Shawnese had met at massacemwey on the Wabash-60 miles South West of this place where they remained in council 10 Days. that they had Sufficent Evidence before them that the Shawnese prophet had determined to settle low down on the Wabash and Draw all the western Indians together and commence war against all those Indians that would not Listen to him these once subdued then he would attack the white people. that it was determined by the council that He the turtle should go with 9 other chiefs and forbid the prophet from Settling on the Wabash-and to point out to him the impropriety of his conduct. and that if He persested in his intentions it would be the Duty of the Indians to Cut him of-that agreeable to this resolution he had proceeded in search of the prophet and his Band and had found them on the head of massacenwey making cannues to descend that river that He had delivered his messages and that the prophet had replyed as follows-That his messages was not acceptable that his plans had been layed by all the Indians in america and had been santioned by the Great Spirit and that it was not in the power of man to interrupt them that He would go on, and nothing could stop him-that the Indians in america was poor and that the Great Spirit had told him the cause of it which He had communicated to the Indians-and that they had unanimously agreeded to meet him and remove the cause of their poverty to effect this it only requeered the Indians to be united-they would then be able to watch the Boundry Line between the Indians and white people-and if a white man put his foot over it that the warriors could Easly put him back. that he had Jest receved a speech from the President of the united States through the governor of the State of ohio where in the president had incuraged him to unite the Indians and form one large village where traders and Black Smiths should be sent to them. that a shirt would cost no more then a rackoon skin-and a Blanket a Dear Skin-that it was not the presidents wish to buy the Indians Land that the man at vincennes the one at Fort Wayne and the one
670 |
TERRITORIAL PAPERS |
ably have communicated it to his relation-altho' he declared his disbelief of the story at the time-
HONble A GALLATIN Esqr
[Addressed] The Honble Albert Gallatin Esqr Washington City Private
[Endorsed] Vincennes 29 August 1809 Goverr Harrison9
_____
_____
GOVERNOR HARRISON TO THE SECRETARY OF WAR
[NA :Indian Treaties :E10]
|
[VINCENNES, August 29, 1809] |
Extract of a letter from
his Excellency William Henry Harrison Esqre to the Honble
the Secretary of War,
dated Vincennes August 29th 1809.
"In my letter making the proposal for
the Treaty11 which the President has now sanctioned,12 it
appears that I neglected to mention an extinguishment in another quarter which
appears to be even more desireable and necessary than that which has been
approved. The County in this Territory, called Dearborn, is perfectly a
triangle; its base the Ohio, and its two sides, the lines dividing this
Territory from the Ohio, and the Indian boundary (fixed by the Treaty of
Greenville), running from the mouth of the Kentucky river to Fort Recovery. In
the neighbourhood of the latter they meet and form an angle so very accute that
at the distance of sixty or seventy miles from their junction they are but a
very few miles apart.13 The Country is rich & pretty well filled
with settlers, but is nevertheless so extremely narrow as not to admit of a new
County being formed out of the upper part of the triangle. The inhabitants are
therefore obliged to attend the Seat of Justice at Lawranceburgh on the Ohio,
to their great in-
________
9Answered Sept. 27, 1809 (Adams, ed., Writings Gallatin, I, 463), deprecating the possibility of anything more than a difference of opinion between Badollet and Harrison.
See also the following relevant letters, published in the Western Sun (ISL), which should be studied in connection with the controversy in question: Samuel McKee, Jr., to the editors of the Sun (two letters), undated, in the issues of Aug.8 and Sept. 12, 1807; G. W. Johnston to the editors of the Sun, Aug. 10, 1807, in the issue of Aug. 15, 1807; Governor Harrison to the public, Sept. 16, 1807, in the issue of Sept. 19, 1807; Elias McNamee to the public, undated, in the issue of May 6, 1809; and an anonymous letter to the public, undated, in the issue of May 27, 1809. While on the whole these letters are vituperative in character they throw further light on the charges against Harrison.
10The original letter has not been found.
11May 16, 1809, Esarey (ed.), Messages and Letters, I, 346-347.
12The Secretary of War to Harrison, July 15, 1809, ibid., pp. 356-357.
13See Pence and Armstrong (eds.), Indiana Bounds., p. 309, for the outline of Dearborn County as first organized.
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INDIANA TERRITORY |
671 |
jury and inconvenience. To
remedy this, I endeavoured at the Treaty of Grouseland to extinguish the title
to 3 or 400,000 acres adjoining on the west the line running from the mouth of
the Kentucky river, as far south as the line which was to form the north
boundary of the other purchase made by that treaty, and south by the said line.
The Treaty containing a clause to this effect was actually agreed to and signed
by nearly all the chiefs present, but I was obliged to have it expunged for the
reasons mentioned in my letter to the Secretary of War of the 16th
September 1805.14 Believing that the President would certainly have
sanctioned the purchase of this Tract if the above circumstances had been
stated to him I shall endeavour to effect it. And for the purpose of
ascertaining the best manner of running the lines, and the quality of the Soil
I have determined to proceed immediately to Fort Wayne through the Tract in
question, and to assemble the Miamis, Putawatamies & Delawares at that
place, as being a situation infinitely more eligible to treat with them than
this, where the facility of procuring spirits and the constant intrusion of bad
men amongst them would probably render them unmanageable. The Weas and
Kickapoos (if I should ultimately determine to admit the latter to the Treaty)
I will assemble upon my return at such a distance above this place as to put
them out of the way of bad advisers. My greatest embarassment will arise from
the difficulty of determining what Tribes ought to be made parties to the
Treaty; but this as well as every other question shall be determined with due
deliberation after having weighed all the consequences present and future,
which will be likely to arise from the plan which I may determine ultimately to
adopt."15
_________
14Esarey (ed.), op. cit., I, 164-166. See the Secretary of the Treasury to Mansfield, May 1,1806, ante, p. 349; and Harrison to Mansfield, Aug. 8, 1806, ante, p. 375.
15For other correspondence respecting the background and preparatory steps for negotiating the treaty of Fort Wayne of Sept. 30, 1809, see Harrison to the Secretary of War, Apr. 18, 26, May 3, and July 5, 1809, Esarey (ed.), op. cit., I, 340-343, 344-345, 349-355; and the Secretary of War to Harrison, June 5, 1809, ibid., p. 347. The original text of the treaty is in NA, and is printed, A.S.P., Ind. Affairs, I, 761-762; 7 STAT. 113-116; Kappler (ed.), Treaties (1904 ed.), Il. 101-103; Esarey (ed.), op. cit., I, 359-362. The journal of the proceedings at Fort Wayne, and subsequently at Vincennes, Sept. 1-Oct. 27, 1809, is also printed ibid., pp. 362-378. The treaty was enclosed by Harrison to the Secretary of War, in a lengthy explanatory letter, Nov. 3, 1809, ibid., pp. 387-391. See also id. to id., Nov. 15, 1809, ibid., pp. 392-393, enclosing sketch of the lands ceded, and the Secretary's acknowledgment, Dec. 7, 1809, ibid., pp. 395-396. For location of the two ceded tracts, see Royce, Indian Land Cessions, map 19, cession designations 71 and 72. The latter describes the tract referred to in the above letter. The treaty was ratified Jan. 2, 1810 (Senate, Exec. Journal, II, 134-135), and proclaimed by the President, Jan. 16, 1810.
See the Secretary of War to Harrison, Jan. 10, 1810, post, p. 708, and act approved Apr. 30, 1810 (2 STAT. 590 - 591).
|
INDIANA TERRITORY |
681 |
son for re-appointment,32 Mr Caldwell33 tells me you informed him you were provided with, as also the remonstrance to Congress.34
Nothing New has transpired Since you left
here.
Health & happiness attend you Adieu
GENl W. JOHNSTON.
[Addressed] Thomas Randolph, Esqr of Vincennes. Now at Washington City. Mail/. [Postmarked] Vincennes Nov 8 I T. Genl W. Johnston. p. m. Vincennes. Free.
_____
_____
JARED MANSFIELD TO THE SECRETARY OF THE
TREASURY
[GLO:Div. E, Ohio SG, vol. 66,1807-1812:ALS]
|
CINCINNATI Novembr 30th1809 |
SIR, I have the honor to enclose the Estimate of expenses, which I conceive may arise in this Department, the ensuing year-I have no knowledge of the determination of Government to survey either of the late purchases; but in case of such determination I supposed it necessary, that provision for the expenses be made, by Antecedent Appropriations. The last purchase of Govr Harrison has this to recommend it, that it includes much land of a superior quality & which will undoubtedly command a ready sale if my information be correct-
I am very respectfully Your Obt Humle Set
JARED MANSFIELD
HON. ALBERT GALLATIN
[Addressed] Hon. Albert Gallatin
Secretary of the Treasury Washington-City [Postmarked] Cincinnati
7 Decemr 1809. Free
[Endorsed] Cincinnati Nov. 30.1809,
recd Dec. 18. Jared Mansfield Survr Gen-with estimate of
expences for surveying for next year- Note. There is a balce of
70,000 Dolls on the appropn for surveys & 30,000.
more has been added for next year. No 199
_________
32Ewbank and Riker (eds.), op. cit., pp. 770-771. Cf. Jennings to William Duane, December, 1809, in opposition to the resolution in question (Riker, ed., "Letters Jonathan Jennings", Ind. Hist. Soc. Pubs., x, 170-172).
33William Caldwell.
34Probably referring to the legislative memorial relative to the organization of the Legislature, referred Nov. 22, 1809, printed, Ewbank and Riker (eds.) op. cit., pp. 768-770. There is a ``Remonstrance", referred Apr. 6, 1808, ante p. 551, though its relevancy in the present instance is doubtful.
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