THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Vaudreuil to Macarty
(April 25, 1752)
Vaudreuil in: Huntington Library
Mss., Loudoun Coll., 360 and
in Pease and Jenison,
French Series, III,
pp. 590-605.
I have seen with pleasure your good conduct of your journey and your diligence to reach your destination, where it was high time you arrived, both to anticipate the ice and to lay down the law by the strength of your convoy to the tribes which seemed disposed to disquiet the Illinois country, where the conspiracy with which it was threatened had first appeared December 7 last.
There is no doubt that your domiciled Indians are concerned in it; at least appearances are much against them, if one can rely on the fact that two of these people were in the party of Pinakashaw and of the Vermilion who attacked. It is however fortunate that M. Benoist had penetrated the enemy's design and that by his precautions his insured the failure of an enterprise so conceived that it might have had more unfortunate results.
It would also have been much to be desired that the detachments you sent out in pursuit of these enemies might all have had the success of that of the Sieur Montchervaux, or at least that they might have inflicted on the Indians act of hostility that might have made some impression.
For the rest, Monsieur, I can only praise the wise precautions you have taken to that end and the arrangements you will have since made to shelter yourself from their resentment and to forestall the revolutions that you have to fear today, both from the rebels of Great Miami River and from the Wabash tribes. (page 592) Nothing should be neglected to maintain the Kickapoo and Mascoutens in our interest and to procure you partisans among those who seem to you most aloof by way of avoiding their declaring altogether against us.
I do not think it will be hard to you to conciliate the domiciled Indians, once you are assured of the Cahokia and Peoria. It is certain that this resource, joined to the increase of our forces which they perceive, will make an impression on them and will presumably make them return to their duty. In case they take that course, it will be necessary to watch them closely as if they were about to diverge from it, and to employ force to reduce them to reason, especially since the situation in which things are, no longer obliges us to humor them as formerly. You are, Monsieur, prudent and wise, and I am persuaded that you will conduct yourself toward them according to the circumstances of the revolutions you may have to fear, and on which in view of changing conditions I can give you no positive orders.
I have long foreseen the fatal results of their settlement on Great Miami River. I have omitted nothing to make M. de la Jonquiere perceive its importance; but he seems to have lost all disposition to subdue these rebels by force and make them return to their duty, since today he is preparing to turn upon them the tribes which remain faithful to us; and it is said that he has given orders in consequence to M. Benoist as well as to the commandants of Detroit and of the other posts of Canada.
Although the course is subject to many difficulties, I must leave you to engage yourself to second in that and with all your power the intentions of M. de la Jonquiere with the tribes of your territory who may be disposed to act sincerely. You will have the Peoria and the Winnebago who have offered to take up (page 594) the tomahawk. It will be necessary to set them in motion and to interest in these enterprises the Osage and the Missouri tribes. It will be well even to see your domiciled Indians to put them in a way to repair their faults. As to the Quapaw, it is not the policy of the government to engage them, both for the information they might acquire and for the risk of drawing on the river and on them the retaliation of our enemies.
You do not indicate what you are to do with respect to the two Pinakashaw and the two Illinois whom you carefully hold in (page 600) the fort. I feel sure that you will act only with reflection and that you will act respecting them according to the disposition in which you find the tribes to which they belong. If you take the course of pardoning the guilty as you can hardly avoid doing, it will be well to make them appreciative of it, and not to release these prisoners until after acts of hostility against our enemies on the part of the conspirators in satisfaction for their attempt against us.
I cannot but approve, Monsieur, that you have taken it on yourself to accord to the Peoria the officer they asked of you. The Sieur de Villiers was in a position to govern them better than a new man, but furnished with your instructions as to the conduct to be followed toward that tribe and the complacences that must be had for them, I am persuaded the Sieur Adam will fulfil your intentions there. You can do no better than write to the Sieur Marin to stop the raids the Foxes and the Sioux were (page 601) to make this spring. I am writing on the subject to M. de la Jonquiere also.
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