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.
Minutes of the Provincial
Council of Pennsylvania
(Philadelphia, Dec. 4, 1759)
In: Pennsylvania Colonial
Documents, vol. 8,
pp. 429-436.
. . .
The Governor having received a Copy of the Conferences held by General Stanwix with the Indians at Fort Pitt, the same were ordered to be entered.
Minutes of the Conferences, &ca.
At a Meeting held at Pittsburgh, on the 24th of October, 1759.
Present:
His Excellency Brigadier General Stanwix, with Sundry Gentlemen of the Army.
George Croghan, Esquire, Deputy Agent of the Honourable Sir William Johnston, Baronet.
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Captain William Trent, |
Assistants to |
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Captain Thomas McKee, |
George Croghan. |
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Captain Henry Montour, Interpreter. |
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Captain Montour lighted the Pipe of peace left here by the Warriors of the Ottawas, handing it to the General and the other Gentlemen of the Army, and Indians, to smoke, then acquainted the Indians by whom the Pipe was left, and upon what Occasion, shewing them the Belts left at the same time.
The General then made the following speeches:
Brethren, Chiefs and Warriors of the several Nations present: As we are met in Council to renew and brighten the Chain of Friendship, with this String of Wampum I open your Ears that you may hear what I am going to say to you.
Gave a String.
Brethren:
You are sensible that a peace between us has been settled by your Deputies, and I expect that you, the Chiefs and Warriors of your several nations, are now gathered here with a Resolution to perform the engagements entered into with us on your behalfs, by them.
Brothers:
No nations could ever charge the English with a Breach of Treatys; everything relating to the Peace made between us has been performed on our parts; the Original Draught of the Boundary Line Settled between us at the Treaty of Easton, by the Six Nations, was delivered them, and here is a Copy sent by Governor Denny to shew the Delawares and Shawonese, to prevent any Disputes hereafter arising on that head. There is one article of the Treaty yet remains to be performed by you; that is restoring our Prisoners, which I insist on. To inforce what I have said, I give you this Belt.
Gave a Belt.
Brethren:
You are sensible that differences may happen between any nations; this is the first that ever happened between You and Us, chief occasioned by the insinuations of the French, who call themselves your fathers. These differences are settled, and we expect that you, the Chiefs and Councillors, will advise your young Men to behave towards us as Brothers ought to do; this, with the delivery of our Prisoners, is the way to convince us of the sincerity of your repeated professions of Friendship at the several Meetings held with you. In Confidence of your Sincerity I present you with this Belt of Wampum.
Gave a Belt.
Brethren:
As the peace is settled between the King's Subjects and all the Nations of Indians to the Sun sitting, I now present this Road Belt of Wampum to you that we may all Travel this Road in Peace as your fathers formerly did from the Sun rising to the Sun setting; and I expect that all Nations who chuse to live in friendship with (page 431) the Subjects of the King of Great Britain, my Master and your Father, will make this their Road, where they will find a sufficient Quantity of Goods to exchange for their Peltry, and strict Justice done them in Trade at this place, where his Majesty has been at a very Considerable expence to establish a Trading House, the better to Cultivate a lasting Friendship with all his Children to the Sun setting.
Gave a Road Belt.
Mr. Croghan then made the following speech:
Brethren:
With his Belt of Wampum I disperse the dark Clouds from over our Heads, that we may once more see the Sun clear, which formerly Blessed our Fathers in peace.
Gave a Belt.
Some Belts that were brought by Captain Lee, of the 44 Regiment from Niagara, sent there by the Chepawa and Custanoe Nations, with Profers of Friendship, were shewn the Indians, and they were made acquainted with the Substance of the Speeches delivered with them.
Captain Montour then, by order of the General, acquainted the Indians that we had taken the City of Quebeck, and that we expected soon to drive the French out of America, and desired the Indian Chiefs to caution their young Men against carrying off our Horses; that he was willing to do every thing in his power to oblige them, that he would do them all strict justice, and expected the same treatment from them. The General then acquainted them by Captain Montour that he was done speaking.
The speaker of the Wayendoots (as they are the oldest Nation) got up, shook hands with the General, and returned thanks in behalf of the whole for what had been said to them, and then recommended it to the several Nations to pay a due regard to what they had heard.
___________
At a meeting held at Pittsburg, October 25th, 1759.
Present:
His Excellency Brigadier General Stanwix, with sundry other Gentlemen of the Army.
George Croghan, Esqr., and sundry Assistants.
Captain Montour then, by order of the General, acquainted the Indians that he was ready to hear what they had to say.
The speaker of the Wayondotts then got up and said:
Brethren:
I am glad to meet you in Council; here are the Six Nations: Shawnese, Delawares, and Twigtwees; as we are the oldest Nation, I shall speak first, and they shall hear what I am going to say.
Brethren:
I am glad to meet the King's General and you, who came from Sir William Johnson to treat with us, and at whose invitation we came here to Council; listen to what we are going to say.
Brethren:
It is a great while since we were first Acquainted with our Brethren, the English, at Albany, at which place we entered into a Treaty with them; the Records of that Treaty remain amongst you; we have Copys of it at home; we never intended to have violated that Treaty on our part, but when our fathers (the French) came here and took possession of this place, by this instigation the evil spirit got the better of our Understanding, and we engaged in the War against you.
Gave a string of White Wampum.
He spoke again upon a large Belt of Black Wampum, directing his speech to Sir William Johnson and George Croghan, Esqrs.
Brothers:
You are appointed by the King to transact Business with us, the Indians; you have hitherto done it to our Satisfaction; we hope the King's General will act on the same principled; you have it now in your power to have all the Indian Nations in your Interest; it is true, for some time we were led blindfold.
Brothers:
When we first joined with our Brethren, the English, they told us they looked upon us as one people, with one Head and one Heart with themselves; we looked upon the English in the same light till the evil spirit, by the persuasions of the French, got the better of our understanding and led us astray, but we hope every thing that has passed will be buried in Oblivion.
Brothers:
We received Several invitations to come here to Council; but before we left home a great Council was held there amongst the Chiefs of our Nation; we were sent here by them to confirm the peace; when we came here we found a great number of Warriors gathered, for what purpose we don't know.
Brothers:
We have repeatedly heard you intended to pursue the War against the French over the Lakes in our Country; we have been constantly alarmed with your coming, but now we are come where we find you are not gone; we should be glad you would not pursue them, they are a parcel of poor people, destitute of every thing, besides we do not know how the several Nations there might take it; but for our parts, our Hearts are with the English.
He then delivered the Belt, and shook hands with the General and Mr. Croghan.
He spoke again upon a Belt painted Green.
Brethren:
The Women of our Nation return thanks for the speeches we received by our Deputies, who were here this Summer; they are (page 433) glad to hear of Peace, and hope you are sincere; they have promised to tell their Children that it was the English that gave peace to this whole country, that it may ever be remembered in our Nation; they hope your Intentions are not go any further, or carry on the War, but to build a Trading House, where they may come and Trade and get goods at moderate prices, for they are very poor, and will be much obliged to the General for sending them a Small present.
Gave the Belt.
He spoke again upon a Belt of Black and White Wampum; the White painted Green.
Brethren:
It is a long time since this whole Country has been overspread with darkness; being led by the Evil Spirit, we have been assisting in spreading this darkness, but you, the White people, by making War upon each other, was the first Occasion of it.
Brothers:
The French put the Hatchet into our Hands the beginning of this War, and the evil spirit getting the better of our understanding made us make use of it; in the presence of our Cousins the Delawares, and the other Nations here, we bury that hatchet; we not only put it under the Ground, but we pull up a large Pine Tree, whose Roots are deep in the Ground, and bury it where it will never be found more; our Cousins, the Delawares, have done it before.
Gave the Belt.
Brethren:
These are the Speeches made and settled on in Council before we left home, and with which we were charged.
He then acquainted the General they were done; the General returned thanks for what he had said, the General drank their Healths and broke up the Meeting.
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At a Meeting held at Pittsburgh, October 26th, 1759.
Present:
George Croghan, Esqr. Deputy Agent to the Honourable Sir William Johnson, Bart.
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Captain William Trent, |
Assistants to |
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Captain Thomas McKee, |
George Croghan. |
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Captain Henry Montour, Interpreter. |
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Teedyuscung's Brother, in behalf of Custalogo, made the following Speeches:
Brethren:
We are met this day in Council in the presence of our Uncles the Six Nations and Wyandotts, & our Grand Children the Shawa- (page 434) nese & Twightwees; with this string of Wampum I wipe the Tears from your Eyes and open your Ears that you may hear what I am going to say, and I clear the passage of your Heart that nothing that is ill may harbour there.
Gave a String.
Brethren:
It Gives us great Satisfaction to hear what you have said to us, you have spread peace over the Country we live in, and made a road from the sun rising to the Sun setting; we return thanks for what you have done, and we hope you will continue to do good to us, and we return you thanks in behalf of our Women & children, and we shall take care to acquaint our Children as they grow up with what you have done, that it may never be forgot in our nation.
Gave a Belt.
Brethren (the Beaver Speaker):
I have heard what has been said by you at the several Conferences you had here; it was all good, and pleasing to all Nations that heard you, and agreeable to the Treaty of Easton. The Belts you sent me last fall I took over the Lakes, and made known your Speeches to the several Nations, who you have seen here; but there is several Nations yet who now has your Speeches, considering of them; and I hope they will come next Spring and take hold fast of the Chain of Friendship.
Gave a String.
Brethren (the Beaver speaker):
By the speeches sent me last fall by Frederick Post, the Governor of Pennsylvania promised that we, the Indians of all Nations, should have Goods here as cheap as they were sold in Philadelphia. This I have made known to all Nations, and they expects Goods to be sold here as he promised. Be strong and perform your Promises; don't make me ashamed. At present Goods are dear here, on account of the great number of White Men; but I hope Goods will be sold at Such Rates as will encourage all Nations to come here and Trade.
Gave a Belt.
Brethren (the Beaver Speaker):
We have heard what you have said to us, and you have heard what we have said to you. God above has heard all; and I hope at the next meeting that we will be able to convince each other of our Sincerity.
Brethren:
We are very well pleased with the speeches you have made us. In one of your Speeches you desired to see your Flesh and Blood that lives amongst us; it is only a reasonable Request, and what all Nations should comply with. Here is the Number of all your (page 435) people in our Nation (holding a bunch of sticks in his Hand); we have killed none, but what were killed in Battle. Those that are amongst us you shall see every one, but it is impossible for us to set the time; but this was agreed to in Council before we left our own Country; and you may depend upon this promise being performed, to a single person, unless any of them should dye with sickness before we can bring them here.
Gave a bunch of Strings containing 4l.
Brethren:
By this String of Wampum, I return you thanks in behalf of our Nation for the Road you have made to the Sun Setting, for all Nations to travel in Peace; you have dispersed the dark Clouds from over our heads, that we may all see the Sun again, and I hope we shall live in Peace and Friendship, as our fore Fathers formerly did.
Gave a String.
Brethren:
I was charged by the Council of our Nation when I left home, to assure you that they had in fresh remembrance all the former Treatys they held with their Brethren, the English, and that they were determined to hold fast by the ancient Chain of Friendship subsisting between the English, Six nations, and us, and to brighten the chain of Friendship, which has contracted some Rust since the commencement of this War.
Gave a Belt.
After the Conference was ended, the General sent for the Chiefs of the several nations, and made each of them a present of a medal, for which the Indians returned thanks. After drinking the King's Health, and all the Indian Nations, the General took leave of them.
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A Conference with Teedyuscung, the 28 January, 1760.
Present:
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &ca. and Richard Peters, Esquire.
Teedyuscung visited the Governor, and acquainted him that he had received a Message from Eckoang, the head man of the Minisinks, alias munsies, by an Indian Messenger on Snow Shoes, called Punicheckan, who came to him at Fort Allen, where he had mostly been since he left this City, and taking out a String of Wampum, he repeated Eckoang's Message, vizt.: That the munsiers would deliver all their prisoners in the Spring; he added, that his gave him great satisfaction because Eckoang, who came with many other Indians to the meeting at Atsuntsing, did not then seem hearty in (page 436) this matter, tho' he acknowledged he had thirteen prisoners, and declined answering him when he demanded the English prisoners, but now being come to a better mind, he has sent this favourable Message.
Gave the Governor Eckoang's String.
Teedyuscung acquainted the Governor that he proposed to go to Atsuntsing as soon as the weather will permit, and desired he may be assisted with Wampum and other necessaries. He likewise told the Governor that the Indians were not pleased with Andrew McNeer, into whose care they were put, and desired David Edwards might be appointed to take care of the Indians, as he was better acquainted with Indians, and had always given them Satisfaction.
The Governor the next day had a Conference with the provincial Commissioners, at which Teeedyusucng was present, and everything was done for him that he requested.
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