Piankashaw Locations (ca. 1805-ca.1832)(Part 1, pp. 213-224)
/pg. 213/
For the next few years after the cession of Royce Area 63 Piankashaws are mentioned only briefly, usually in connection with annuity goods desired, annuity payments, and the like, with little indication of their actual residence, though Vincennes was the site of annuity distribution.[see footnote 54] In addition to the general location implied by the annuity information, there are indications of possible Piankashaw locations (in general terms) in the vicinity of Vincennes and along the lower Wabash River and the Ohio River from Louisville to below the Wabash scattered in a number of sources.[see footnote 55]
What was said to be the last Piankashaw village on the east side of the Wabash was said to be located two miles west of Owensville, Indiana, and to consist of "wigwams" scattered in a line about a mile long near a series of springs coming out of the foot of a row of sand hills. This village was destroyed by White settlers in the late summer or fall of 1807, with the Indians fleeing to the west side of the Wabash River. (Cockrum, Dft. Ex. A-27, pp. 229-230) In October of 1807, also, these refugee Piankashaws were said to have established a village on the west side of the Wabash River, "located on a small stream running in a westerly direction into Bumpas," which was defended by "fifty or sixty Indian warriours" (implying a community population of ca. 200-240 persons when the White settlers set out to attack it. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-27, p. 230)
/pg. 214/
It was further said that
The little creek that the Piankashaw village was on, drained a low, wet prairie, that since that time was named Village Creek and the Prairie named Compton Prairie. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-27, p. 231)
On this occasion the attack by the Whites was repelled and the Indian village was not destroyed. It may be doubtful that there were as many warriours as stated since this whole episode rests on frontier tradition, but the refugees from a village straggling over a mile (probably also moderately exaggerated estimate) of territory might form a modest sized community. The location of the Indian village apparently was very close to what was later known as the Boltenhouse Prairie where Morris Birkbeck and George Flower established a settlement which was called Birkbecks or the English Prairie, and a town called Albion which is now the county seat of Edwards County, Illinois, within Royce Area 63. (See Flower, Dft. Ex. A-33, pp. 73-74, 124-126; and Tucker, Dft. Ex. 106, pl. 46).
In June of 1810 Harrison reported to the Secretary of War that
The old Piankashaw Chief Groble's who is particularly attached to the United States and personally to myself Came to me Yesterday and asked my permission to remove over the Mississippi alledging that he heard amongst the Indians nothing but the News of War, and as he intended to take no part in it he wished to be out of danger, -- (Harrison, Dft. Ex. A-237)
The coming trouble referred to above immediately concerned the Shawnee Prophet and Tecumseh who by this time had established themselves near the mouth of the Tippecanoe River, had dealings with the British, and entertained hostile feelings toward the United States , and which was /pg. 215/
part of the general development of the War of 1812 in North America. A Piankashaw Indian also warned a French settler who lived about a mile above Vincennes that he should move across the Mississippi to be safe from Indian attacks. (Idem)
Not all Piankashaws were opposed to the Prophet. On June 16, 1810 Harrison wrote to John Johnston at Fort Wayne that the "Miamies, Weas & Peankashaws," together with many other Indians were being influenced and intending to council with the Prophet. (Harrison, Dft. Ex. A-238. See-also Western Sun, Dft. Ex. A-112) Among the current rumours was one that the Shawnees, Kickapoos, and Piankashaws were going to Join forces to attack Vincennes, and other groups of Indians were going to join to attack other American settlements. (Western Sun, Dft. Ex. A-113)
That some Piankashaws did join the Prophet in his anti-American activities by the end of 1811 is indicated by Harrison's suggesting to Eustis that
and his estimate that "nearly half of the Piankishaws" had taken part in the hostilities. (Idem)[see footnote 56]
By March of 1812 the "Kickapoos Winabagos & that part of the Piankeshaw Tribe which had joined the Prophet" were suing Harrison for peace and used a Wea Indian to be the intermediator. Harrison believed their professions of peace, but did not want to lessen military precautions in the area. (Harrison, Dft. Ex. A-250; See also Bacon, Dft. Ex. A-124).
/pg. 216/
In June of 1812 Thomas Forsyth, former Indian trader and now an Indian Agent, reported to the Governor of Illinois Territory, Ninian Edwards, from Peoria, where he had gone to take a message to the Kickapoos.
About a fortnight ago a number of Miamies have come to this country from an Island of woods in Praires commonly called White or Lynwood Island, distant from the old Kickapoo towns 25 or 30 miles -- They consist of twenty odd lodges and can furnish at least from 120 to 150 warriors. These Miamies are only about the half of the whole that were at the above mentioned Island -- The other half is gone to the S. Prophet and will make his number greater and I am of the opinion that those Miamies that are gone to the Prophet from Lynwood Island have been the Indians who done the mischief on Driftwood creek and in the vicinity of Vincennes -- I am sure that the number of Indians now at the end of this lake consisting of Putowatomies, Kickapoos, Miamies and Ottoways must exceed six hundred warriors and should they be inclined for war, they can in the course of eight or ten days draw from Kiankakee river, from the upper parts of this river, from Fox river, and from Roche river at least 600 warriors more which would make an Indian Army of at least 1200 warriors, exclusive of the prophet's band which is now considerable, and I am informed that they are augmenting daily, as I can assure you that the Indians in this country, and the Missisippi, have almost weekly intelligence from the S. Prophets town and no doubt but the prophet has the same intelligence from Detroit country, from this line or method of conveying intelligence, the Indians on the Mississippi have news conveyed to them from Detroit Country in the space of 15 or 16 days (Kinzie, Dft. Ex. A-23, p. 229; See also Forsyth, Dft. Ex. A-21, p. 570)
The "Miamies" mentioned in this quotation and on the next few pages are most probably Piankashaws. The exact location of White or Lynwood Island is in doubt, but may be in the prairies in the general area of /pg. 217/ the headwaters of the Sangamon and the two Vermilion rivers which flow into the Wabash and the Illinois (Tucker, Dft. Dft. Ex. A-106, pls. 37 and 38, and text for these plates). These Indians were planting corn in the vicinity of Peoria and appeared to be planning to remain in that area for a while. (Kinzie, Dft. Ex. A-23, p. 230) The estimate of 120 to 150 warriors would indicate a "Miami" (Piankashaw) population here of about 480 to 600 persons. If these were only half of those at Lynwood Island, as estimated by Forsyth, the population estimate should be doubled. Forsyth mentioned "Miamis" as still being located "near" Peoria in the middle of July 1812. (Forsyth, Dft. Ex. A-23, pp. 250-253) That these "Miamie" were Piankashaw Indians is indicated by Forsyth in a letter of July 26, 1812, in which he again mentions the
5 or 600 Warriours of the Potawatimie, Kicapoo and Piankeshaw Nations including some few Chippeways & Ottawas that is living among the Potawatimies (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-202)
in "the different villages near the Peorias." (Idem) In August of 1812 Ninian Edwards, in one of his numerous letters on the dire situation in the Illinois Area and estimates of probably inimical Indians, wrote that all of the
Keekapoos, Miamis {i.e., Piankashaws?], Poutawatamies, Ottawas & Chippeways of the Illinois River and its branches amount to about 1500, (Edwards, Dft. Ex. A-199)
an estimate which multiplies Forsyth's estimate of those around Peoria considerably if warriors only were intended, as seems probable from the letter's content. Edwards was an alarmist, however, and almost certainly exaggerated the number of warriors.
/pg. 218/
His major source of information about Indians on the Illinois River at this time was Forsyth.
Patrols were being made at this time by rangers along the Wabash and along the trail between Peoria and the Prophet's Town to keep the Indians in a state of alarm. (Russell, Dft. Ex. A-332)
Whether Piankashaws took part in the burning of the United States fort at Chicago and the capture and killing of most of its garrison in August of 1812, is not known. "Miamis or Weas" were reported to be among the Indians of the Prophet's party who attacked Fort Harrison in the vicinity of Terre Haute the first part of September 1812, but whether any of these "Miamis" were Piankashaws also is not known. (Taylor, Dft. Ex. A-334)
In October of 1 &2, Ninian Edwards, Col. William Russell, and a large military force marched into the Indian country in the Illinois area. A description of the expedition, based on information furnished by Edwards, states that after burning two villages on the Saline fork of the Sangamon River the party went to the
head of Peoria lake, 24 miles above the villages; there they found the Kickapoos and a party of the Miamies embodied, but were vigorously charged-upon and broken, and induced to take shelter in an immense swamp which skirt the Illinois river ...
Immediately after burning the Kickapoo town, a party was detached to Peoria who burnt a village within a half a mile of that place; this last mentioned place was lately erected by the Miamies [i.e., Piankashaws]. (McVicker, Dft. Ex. A-74)
/pg. 219/
Col. Russell's report to the Secretary of War does not mention the "Miami" (Piankashaw) Indians or much detail of the excursion but confirms that it did take place (Russell, Dft. Ex. A-23, pp. 268-269; See also Petition to Congress..., Dft. Ex. A-23, p. 271)
In a letter of January 1813 Edwards informed the President that
The Kickapoos & Miamies [Piankashaws] that I defeated at the head of Peoria Lake run off to Rock river and are now with the Sacs, (Edwards, Dft. Ex. A-23, p. 286)
who were said to be inimical to the United States. Later in this same letter "the great village" of the Sacs was reported to be "three miles above the mouth of Rock river." (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-23, p. 287)
In February Piankashaws are mentioned as one of many Indian groups attracted to the shores of Lake Michigan by British supplies and who were hostile to the United States. (Dft. Ex. A-21, p. 630) In the same month Forsyth mentioned, in a letter to Edwards, a party of Whites which had been at Peoria recently that had
seen no Indians. but from the fires in the Prairies. they Supposed the Indians were not more than 10 or 12 miles above the Village of Peorias. and Supposing them to be Kicapoos and Miamies [Piankashaws]. they did not Sleep one night in the Village but came off -- (Forsyth, Dft. Ex. A-203)
In a letter of February 9 (in which he sent on the above information), Edwards reported that
they [the British] have made deposits of arms ammunition &c at Chicago to which place the Illinois & Rock river indians are invited to receive their supplies Peoria is now inhabited by Indians - The Wennebagoes some bands of Ottawas Miamies Wild oats and the hostile part of the Sacs & Foxes are at the mouth of Rock river waiting for the breaking up of the ice. (Edwards, Dft. Ex. A-200)
/pg. 220/
possibly indicating his belief that Piankashaws were both in the neighborhood of Peoria and with the Sac, Fox and other hostile Indians at the mouth of Rock River.
Several days later Forsyth, probably referring to the same party as in his letter of February 4, wrote to Governor Benjamin Howard of Louisiana Territory
I am informed that some of Govr Edwards's Spies arrived a few days ago from the Peoria; seeing smoke in several chimneys they did not think it prudent to go into the village supposing they were Kicapoos and Miamies that had taken up their quarters in that village & living on our cattle. those spies returned from that place. (Forsyth, Dft. Ex. A-204)
Another indication of "Miamies" in the Illinois area who may be Piankashaws is seen in a statement that the Indian Agent Maurice Blondeau had been at Cahokia "with a number of Sacks, Foxes and Miamies" and was going to Prairie du Chien. (Widen, Dft. Ex. A-23, p. 306) Edwards identified these "Miamies" as ones who had "lately resided on the Wabash," (Edwards, Dft. Ex. A-23, p. 306) and early in March reported that he had been informed
that two strong indian parties, consisting of Pottowottomies Kickapoos Miamies Shawanese &c (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-201)
were on the point of attacking the Illinois country. The Sacs and Foxes were divided in their loyalties between the British and the United States. Some wanted to remain peaceful and others did not. Blondeau on a trip to those Indians reported that some Miamis (Piankashaws?) had counseled with the United States officer at Fort Madison in February, and also that on March 8
/pg. 221/
the Sack and foxes went for the Miamis [Piankeshaws?] that were at Pole Cat river, the Miamis beged of then, to let them remain their some time and then they would join them; (Blondeau, Dft. Ex. A-21, p. 659)
The location of Pole Cat River is not certain. A map compiled by Meriwether Lewis after his expedition to the west with William Clark and copied by Nicholas King in 1805 and 1806 indicates Pole Cat Creek as a small western tributary to the Mississippi River about half way between Rock River, an eastern tributary and River de Moin, a western tributary (Lewis, Dft. Ex. A-369 and A-370) An anonymous map drawn ca. 1815-1816 also indicates such a river on the west side of the Mississippi River a few miles downstream from the mouth of Rock River, just above Fort Madison. (Tucker, Dft. Ex. A-106, pl. 39 and text for this plate) However, if the reports of Edward's spies are correct (see below) the Pole Cat River may be a tributary to Bureau Creek which flows into the Illinois River above Peoria with headwaters in the direction of Rock River. It is also possible that there were two Pole Cat rivers and that Piankashaws were at both locations, that is near Pole Cat River on the Mississippi and at Eureau River. Certainly some were at the location on the Mississippi River since on April 25 Blondeau sent a "runner" to ask "the Chiefs of the Pioncacha who had settled near River Le Moin" to give him an account of their intentions. (Blondeau, Dft. Ex. A-126)
In April of 1813 Forsyth reported to the Secretary of War that the "Piankashaw and Kicapoo Indians" had robbed Peoria in the fall of 1812. As a result the white settlers had to leave the village, and their buildings and stores, provisions, animals and other property were lost.
/pg. 222/
What the Indians did not take or destroy the militia who later removed the Whites from the area apparently did. Forsyth felt that the Indians would permit the re-establishment of the White village if the U. S. Government would assist the settlers to return, and stated that he would like to return also to continue his work there as Indian Agent. (Forsyth, Dft. Ex. A-23, pp. 310-312; Forsyth and others, Dft. EX. A-23, pp. 379-382) Late in April, Forsyth was informed by some Potawatomi Indians, while he was on a tour of the Illinois River, that they would welcome back the old (mainly French) settlers at Peoria and that they had driven out the Indians who had attacked the village, but at the same time he was informed that they had been called to Detroit by the British to council and would fight the Americans in the summer. (Forsyth, Dft. Ex. A-23, pp. 324-327) Miamis in the Illinois country are not mentioned.
Edwards reported that he had information from his spies that as a result of the expedition against them in the fall of 1812 the Indians who lived around Peoria moved to
Bureau river (which enters the Illinois River 60 miles above Peoria) where they erected a strong fortification. (Edwards, Dft. Ex. A-23, p. 312)
These entrenched Indians, if the earlier information is correct, probably included some Piankashaws who were associating with Kickapoos. Toward the end of May, Edwards, in justifying his sending out of various expeditions of rangers, reported that
Every since last fall the Illinois indians have constantly apprehended an attack upon them & I have done every thing in my power to encourage that belief -- They collected together last
/pg. 223/
winter, built & occupied a fort, consumed their provisions' had little opportunity of hunting, and have all this year been kept out of their best hunting grounds Wherefore the want of provisions and not knowing precisely when to expect us must prevent them from embodying in any great number on this side of the Illinois river. On that river they can subsist on the fish which it abundantly affords -- (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-23, p. 332)
In July of 1813, Forsyth summarized for William Clark, Superintendent for Indian affairs at St. Louis, the current locations of various Indian groups in the Illinois country, and in talking about the Kickapoos mentioned Piankashaws, saying that
on Illinois River are with the Piankisaus on the Mississippi...(Forsyth, Dft. Ex. A-205)
This may indicate that the Pole Cat River location of the Miamis (mentioned above) is the one on the west side of the Mississippi River. Forsyth also mentioned that Piankashaws had taken part in a mixed party of about 400 Indians in the fairly ineffective Indian attack on the frontiers of Illinois area in the fall of 1812. (Idem)
Blondeau in July reported to Clark that there were 25 Miami (Piankashaw) men at "river lemoin," a western tributary to the Mississippi River south of Fort Madison and Pole Cat River, who were friendly to the Americans. (Blondeau, Dft. Ex. A-127) John Johnson reporting to Clark several days later mentions 28 Miami (Piankashaw) men living near the mouth of the "river lemoin," who were friendly to the United States. (Johnson, Dft. Ex. A-248)
Apparently, these friendly "Miamis" of Lemoin River participated in an attack on Boone's Lick on the Missouri River cat 120 miles west /pg. 224/ of the Mississippi River in 1814, and were removed by an armed force under Col. Henry Dodge, sent from St. Louis, from a 1ocation where they had made a fort about two miles from the south side of Missouri River in Saline County, Missouri, (Draper Mss, 22S 118, Dft. Ex. A-196, Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-197, 23S 76-77, 94, 121, 131) One pioneer's memory account of this event states that there were about 300 "Miamis" (Piankashaws) altogether, including 9 chiefs, who surrendered to Dodge. (Draper, Dft. Ex. A-197, 94, 121, 131, 132) This pioneer had taken part in the expedition as a spy. He reported that the "Miamies" had
encamped near a salt spring about 3 miles, from their fort, in a beautiful grove of timber. They had but Just abandoned their fort, perhaps the day before; the spies had seen at a distance several Indians that day. As soon as the Miamies had an opportunity they surrendered; & were brought in by nine o'clock next morning under escort of the friendly Indians.
The Miami Fort was in an elevated prairie bottom [p. 132] some 60 or 80 yards back from the river -- in Saline county [Mo.] four or five miles below the town of Miami -- with high grass surrounding it -- & some three or four hundred yards back to the timber. It was right new -- built that year. It enclosed perhaps a quarter of an acre. It was found very cleaned -- the wigwams or lodges were scattered around near the log walls. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-197, 23S 131-132)
This group seems to have been larger than the 25 or 28 warriors previously mentioned at Pole Cat River or River Lemoin and must have included a number of Piankashaws from the Illinois River area.
That these "Miamies" did include Piankashaws from the Peoria area is indicated by Edwards letter to the Secretary of War in October 1814 in which he reports that some of the "Miamie" Indians who were brought down the Missouri River and had come to Kaskaskia had fought with the Kickapoos against the Americans in the fall of 1812 at the head of Lake Peoria and that "the rest were in the neighborhood at that time." (Edwards, Dft. Ex. A-24, p. 34)
Footnote 54: See e.g., Dearborn, Dft. Ex. A-187; ibid., Dft. Ex. A-188; ibid., Dft. Ex. A-189; ibid, Dft. Ex. A-190; ibid., Dft. Ex. A-191; Office of Indian Trade, Dft. Ex. A-245; Indian Annuities for 1811, Dft. Ex. A-246; Mason, Dft. Ex. A-265; ibid. Dft. Ex. A-266; ibid., Dft. Ex. A-267; Harrison, Dft. Ex. A-18, pp. 640-641.[return to text]
Footnote 55: See e.g., Cockrum, Dft. Ex. A-27, pp. 209-210, 210-211, 225-227, 227, 229-231; Harrison, Dft. Ex. A-51, p. 229; Western Sun, Dft. Ex. A-111; Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-112; Harrison, Dft. Ex. A-237.[return to text]
Footnote 56: The war referred to by Harrison was the Battle of Tippecanoe which took place in November of 1811. See also Western Sun, Dft. Ex. A-114, for a mention of Piankashaw participation in these hostilities.[return to text]
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