Piankashaw Locations (ca. 1776- ca. 1783) (pp. 110-113 )
/pg. 110/
County Lieutenant by the Virginia Assembly and sent to govern the Illinois Country, so Clark was now freed of civil responsibility and could devote himself to military matters. (Henry, Dft. Ex. A-42, pp. 83-88; Clark, Dft. Ex. A-42, p. 150)
A short time after Clark's departure from Vincennes some Delawares recently settled in a town "at the forks of the White River" who hunted in "the Countries of the Ohio and Mississippi" killed some American traders on their Journey between Vincennes and the Falls of the Ohio. This gave Clark an excuse to make an example of what would happen to unfaithful Indian allies of the Americans and he ordered war to be made on them. The Delawares, after their settlements and camps had been destroyed and a number of them had been killed and made prisoner, sued for peace. Clark refused to grant this unless the neighboring Indians would guarantee their future good behavior. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-42, pp. 298-299) Finally, according to Clark,
the Piankeshaws took on themselves to answer for the future good Conduct of the Delawares and the Tobaccoes Son in a long speach inform of the baseness of their conduct and how richly they had deserved the sevear blow they had met with that he had given them permition to settle in that Cuntrey but not kill his friends that they now saw the B K had refused to make piece with them but he had become Surety for their good conduct and that they might go and mind their Hunting and that if they ever did any more mischeif to this pointing to the Sacred Bow that held in his left hand which was as much as to say that he himself would for the future chastise them thus ended the war betwen us and the Delawares in this quarter much
/pg. 111/
to our advantage as the Nation about said that we ware as brave as the Indians and not affraid to put our enemy to Death (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-42, p. 299)[see footnote 36]
Clark intended to follow up his victory at Vincennes by marching troops against Detroit in the summer of 1779, but eventually had to give that project up through lack of governmental support. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-42, pp. 149 -151) While Clark was at Vincennes in June of 1779 trying to organize this abortive expedition to Detroit a number of Indians came to visit him, renewing their friendship and again offered him some land. (Ibid., Dft., Ex. A-42, pp. 151- 152) Clark this time was persuaded he should accept it and was presented with a "Deed of gift"
By the Tobacos Son Grand Chief of all the Peankeshaw Nations & of all the. Tribes. Grand Dore,to the Ouibache as ordered by the master of Life. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-42, p. 152)
This deed outlined an area on the north shore of the Great Falls area of the Ohio River, opposite the site of the present day city of Louisville, Kentucky. It reads, in part,
I [Tobacco's Son] do hereby in the names of all the Great Chiefs and Warriers of th.e Ouabash and their Allies, Declare that so much Lands at the falls of Ohio contained in the following bounds, to wit, Beginning opposite the middle of the first Island below the falls, Bounded upwards by the west bank [sic] of the River so far as to include two Leagues and a half on a straight line from the beginning, thence at right' angles with said line two Leagues & half in Breadth, in all its parts shall hereafter and ever
/pg. 112/
be the sole property of our great father (Col?Clark) with all things thereto belonging, either above or below the earth shall be and is his; except a Road through the said Land to his Door which shall remain ours, for us to walk on to speak to our father. All Nations from the Rising to the acting of the Sun, that are not in alliance with us are hereby warned to esteem the said gift as sacred and not to make that Land taste of Blood; that all people either at peace or War may repair in safety to get Council of their father. Whoever first darkens that Land shall no longer have a Name. This declaration shall forever be a Witness between all Nations and our present Gt father; that the said Lands are forever hereafter his property. In witness whereof I do in the name of all the Great Chiefs and Warriers of the Ouabash in open Council affix my mark and Seal done at St Vincents this 16th day of June 1779 (Sign'd) Francis son of Tobacco (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-42, p. 153)
These two actions by the Piankashaws--the scolding of the Delawares who had recently moved, with the permission of the Piankashaws, to the forks of White River in Southern Indiana and hunted along the Ohio River, and the gift of lands opposite the Falls of the Ohio to Clark-- are additional evidence to indicate that at least the southern group of Piankashaws who lived in the-vicinity of Vincennes felt some right to dispose of the lands in southern Indiana.
On August 5, 1779 Clark, in his General Orders on military affairs after finally giving up the idea of attacking British-held Detroit, appointed Capt. Leonard Helm as Indian Agent for "Fort Patrick Henry [at Vincennes] & the Dept. of Wabache," with the agent "of Ouyas [Ouiatanon]" to be in his department, but to report to the headquarters
/pg. 113/
to be established by Clark at the Falls of the Ohio or to Kaskaskia. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-42, pp. 354-355) A difficult supply situation continued in the west for the civil population as well as the army. (See, e.g., Clark, Dft. Ex;. A-42; pp. 364-367; Shelby, Dft. Ex. A-42, p. 371; Todd, Dft. Ex. A-42, p. 371; Logan, Dft. Ex. A-12, pp. 371-372) The Indians, too, were affected by this inadequate support of the western area by both the central and Virginia Governments. Leonard Helm wrote to John Todd, the head of the Government in the Illinois country, from Vincennes asking T odd to give "Generous Treatment" to
The Tobaco Chief [who] being destitute of Powder or Lead for Him Self and People to subsist on and is going to see you for relief (Helm, Dft. Ex..A-243)
.
American affairs continued to be unsatisfactory in the west, with most of the army being forced to leave on account of lack of supplies. The British, on the other hand, did not easily give up the idea of re-taking the country, and continued to rally the northwestern Indians to their support. The British Army officer Arent Schuyler De Peyster, stationed at Detroit, informed Haldimand in March of 1780 that the Rebels had "totally evacuated the Illinois country." (DePeyster, Dft. Ex. A-77, pp. 378, 452, ibid, Dft. Ex. 76, pp. 580-581; ibid., Dft. Ex. 81, p. 501) He further reported that
Thirty Indians also arrived [at Detroit] from the Omat [Quiatenon?], and PostVincent, in consequence of my Invitation, they are now on their way back, having promised that the Rebels shall not recross the Wabash. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-77, p.378)
Later on in the same letter he reported that Hamilton had promised the Indians north of the Ohio River military support against the Americans
/pg. 114/
and now the Indians were asking for it. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-77, p. 3?9; see also Brehm, Dft. Ex. A-76, p. 410) He supported this declaration by stating
The principal Chiefs of the Hurons, Pottawatamies,
Chippawas, Ottawas, Ouiattons, Miamis, Ouiats and the Pirorias, with the
Keekapoos, being present in Council declared, that if I would send a few Soldiers,
'till a larger body could be spared, they would all rise & assist their
elder brothers, and act in conjunction in future for the good of the King's
Service. I see the necessity of sending some soldiers & I therefore propose
to send one Capt. one Lieut. & about fifty men with two small pieces of
ordnance to help them to knock down the Pickets' of the first Fort. (De
Peyster, Dft. Ex. 77, p. 379)
To this statement De Peyster added that
The Wabash Indians & some from Michilimackinac have promised to amuse Mr. Clark at the falls. (Idem; see also Haldimand, D!f. Ex. A-76, p. 634)
In April Valentine Thomas Dalton, now in charge for the Americans at Vincennes, wrote to Clark at the Falls of the Ohio that he had heard from the Officer at Ouiatenon about English messages to the Indians, but reported that "the Savages'on the Wabache [were] seemingly attached to Us." (Dalton, Dft. Ex. A-176) By the middle of May 1780 Dalton, however, had to report that Ouiatenon had been taken by the British and that two Piankashaws from Vincennes had been captured. After urging the Indians
to kill Burn & destroy all before them on the Missisipi & Wabash &c., (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-177)
the English returned to Detroit, although a Kickapoo Chief offered to
/pg. 115/
lead them on to Vincennes. The "Grand Coit" (Piankashaw Chief Grande Coete) showed Dalton a war belt he had refused from the British and urged Dalton to send them a trader with ammunition since "his Young People are now making use of Bows & arrows." (Idem) By a later letter from Vincennes Clark learned that the French from Ouiatenon
Beg that the Americans would Send them Releafe of troops and amminitions or Else by the force of arms they Expect to be taken Prisoners The Kiccabeau Peankeshaw and Wearthternans their Wives and Children is Crying every Day for to come with troops for their assistants if he Do not and that Place is Destroyed and that they must go Some where else for Succor for they cannot Stand it out any Longer for they Been Waiting a Long time to take up the Tomhaws and go with the Americans. (Wilson, Dft. Ex. A-348)
This letter also reported that-the two Piankashaws captured by the Ottawa and "Lake" Indians were of the friendly "Grande Kite [Grande Coete?] Party." (Idem")
By these letters it seems apparent that there were still at least, two Piankashaw groups, the one around Vincennes and the one nearer Ouiatenon, probably in the vicinity of the Vermilion River.
In July 1780 the British officer De Peyster reported from Detroit that
The Indians of St. Joseph's have been attacked near Post Vincennes by the Piankishaws & lost 4 men killed & 5 wounded.
/pg. 116/
The reason given by the Piankashaws [for this attack] is, that the Ottawas of Michilimackinac carried off one of their Chiefs to speak to Lt. Gov. Sinclair [of Canada], to answer [for] his conduct to them when at war in their neighbourhood. Lt. Gov. Sinclair sent that Indian to me, & I sent him home but he arrived too late [to prevent the attack]. (De Peyster; Dft. Ex. A-81, p. 540; see also Ainsse, Dft. Ex.A-77, p. 406; De Peyster, Dft. Ex. A-77, p. 424; Sinclair, Dft. Ex. A-81, p. 529)
De Peyster feared an Indian war might develop on the Wabash as a result of this disturbance, but determined not to do anything about it unless the Americans aided the Piankashaws by fighting. (De Peyster, Dft. Ex. A-81, p. 540) The expedition on which these St. Joseph Potawatomis were killed probably took place in June of 1780 when they planned to attack the Post at Vincennes, then commanded by Dalton, and then to go on to the Falls of the Ohio. (See, e.g. De Peyster, Dft. Ex. A-77, pp. 395-396, 398-399, Ainsse, Dft. Ex. A-77, p. 406; Chevallier, Dft. Ex. A_77, p. 439; De Peyster, Dft. Ex. A-81, pp. 519-520, 527, 532; Haldimand, Dft. Ex. A-81, p. 557) Dalton reported a skirmish that had taken place on June 17 in which the "head Chief" of the enemy was killed and two Indians were left dead. In this fight "Grand Coit" the Piankashaw chief, also was killed, and Dalton had him buried with honors of war and stated that both the French and the Piankashaws had behaved well. (Dalton, Dft. Ex. A-178)
By the end of August De Peyster reported that a "Canadian,'' acting as an Indian Agent for the British at St. Joseph,
Monsr. Du Quindre is just arrived [at Detroit] from S G. Joseph's with 200 Pottewatimies & one Scalp, taken near the falls of the Ohio, by a few who followed him that
/pg. 117/
far, his main body left him on hearing that the Piankashaws had killed some of their people. (De Peyster, DM. Ex. A-77, p. 424)
The relationships between the Americans, British, and various Indian groups continued uncertain in the west, the Americans fearing British intrigue with Indians and attacks from them, the British fearing American attacks on Detroit and other British strongholds, and the intermediate Indians, including Piankashaws, being uncertain which side to favor since they did not know which side would eventually be victorious and hence in a better position to supply them with needed trade goods. Added to this uncertainty was an unsuccessful attempt by some of the French settlers to reestablish their power in their old Illinois and Wabash centers. The Spanish, too, now established on the Mississippi, also tried to influence the course of events. (See, e g., Haldimand, Dft. Ex. A-77, pp. 431, 444, 465; De Peyster, Dft. Ex. A-77, pp. 433-434, 444, 455; Ibid. , Dft. Ex. A-81, pp. 519-520, 527, 536-537, 581, 591-596; Sinclair, Dft. Ex. A-8, pp. 529-530; Bentley, Dft. Ex. A-8l, pp. 563-565; Linctot, Dft. Ex. A-42, pp. 490-492; Rogers, Dft. Ex. A-42, p. 546; La Balme, Dft. Ex. A-41, pp. 163-168, 181-189, Bentley, Dft. Ex. A-41, pp. 169-170; Inhabitants of Kaskaskia, Dft. Ex. A-41, pp. 189-192, 199-201)
Despite the fact that in January of 1781 Geoffrey Linctot, in charge for the Americans at "Opost [Vincennes]," wrote to headquarters at the Falls of the Ohio reporting the "good Disposition" of the Indians there, who despite desperate need for powder, lead, and other supplies had refused British offers of such,
/pg. 118/
(Linctot, Dft. Ex. A-52, pp. 490-491; see also La Balme, Dft. Ex. A-41, pp. 163-167) by the middle of February some Piankashaws, at least, had joined with some of the French settlers of Vincennes in a message carried by the Weas to the Miamis which urged the Miamis to Join the French in re-establishing the old French supremacy. (De Peyster, Dft. Ex. A-81, pp. 593-594) The Miamis rejected the message saying that since the Piankashaws had Joined the "French, Spaniards, Virginians" in opposition to the British the Piankashaws had not enough supplies of any kind, but that the British were still interested in making peace with all the Wabash Indians, including the Piankashaws, and in helping them with supplies. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-81, pp. 595-596) Pecanne, a Miami chief, threatened to come "to the French of Post Vincennes and to the Pians" in a war-like manner, if they persisted in their stubborn course. (Idem) The Miamis sent a message to De Peyster early in March to say they wanted to attack Vincennes and to ask for his help. (De Peyster, Dft. Ex. A-81, pp. 596-597; see also Thompson, Dft. Ex. A-81, pp. 599-600; De Peyster, Dft. Ex. A-81, p. 615; Haldimand, Dft. Ex. A-81, p. 628)
The people of Vincennes, both Indians and Whites, feeling threatened by rumours of impending attacks asked for reinforcements from the Americans and for help in the form of supplies and presents for the Indians. Some Ottawa and Piankashaw chiefs made similar requests. (See, e.g., Linctot, Dft. Ex. A-42, pp. 490-492, 518, 574-576; George, Dft. Ex. A-42, pp. 506-507; Floyd, Dft, Ex. A-42, pp. 543-544; Helm, Dft. Ex. A-245; George, Dft. Ex. A-208; Demunbrunt, Dft. Ex. A-75, p. 315)
/pg. 119/
The "British" Indians also kept demanding supplies and help, and to the best of his ability, De Peyster responded to their requests. At times he could do little but promise moral support, though he kept requesting and expending increasing amounts of supplies' for the Indians in opposition to repeated orders he received to cut Indian expenses. (See, e.g., Haldimand, Dft. Ex. A-77, pp. 416-417, 444-445, 465-466, 471, 490-493; De Peyster, Dft. Ex. A-77, pp. 433-434, 453-455) This indecisive state lasted for several years in the west after Hamilton's defeat, though Indian conferences were held by both sides, plans were made, and some sorties did take place. The British Government did not wholeheartedly support the very expensive war, with the Colonies, especially after the defeat of General Burgoyne at Saratoga in October 1777.[see footnote 37]
Despite their problems, leaders on both sides continued to feel hopeful of the final outcome in their favor in the west. In May of 1781 Clark could still write that
upwarde of one thousand Ouabash Indians have again declared themselves in our favour.(Clark, Dft. Ex. A-42, p. 553)
Footnote 36: "B K" is Clark's abbreviation of "Big Knife," a name applied by the Indians to the Virginians.[return to text]
Footnote 37: See Bemis, Dft. Ex. A-2, pp. 326-327, and ibid., Dft. Ex. A-4, pp. 231, 470; Burnett, Dft. Ex. A-4, pp. 464-470: Warren, Dft. Ex. A-4, pp. 470-471, for a brief discussion of the politics, financing, and diplomacy involved in the American Revolution which is reflected in the events in the west, end to some extent explains the limitations in the west on both sides of sufficient arms, food, and men, but with the balance tipped in favor of the British because of their greater resources in general. [return to text]
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