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.
Memoir Upon the Late War
in North America
Pouchot in: Hough, Franklin B., trans.
and ed., Memoir Upon the Late War
in North America, between the
French and English, 1755-60,
vol. 1, Roxbury, Mass.,
1866, pp. 143-151.
On the 14th, Pakens, a Missisake, and forty warriors came to form a party. On the 17th, a Sauteur of Saguinan informed us, that the commandant, M. Belestre was there, and only waited an order from M. Pouchot to come from Detroit, and that he had come to inform him. The succors expected were greatly delayed and still more than a hundred leagues distant. Langlade, a colonial officer living in the country, was to have come down to Montreal with 1,000 Indians. Of this number, there were some Folles Avoines, who, as we have said, had killed two Frenchmen. They brought with them two of those most culpable in this murder, and delivered them to M. de Vaudreuil, in an assembly where they covered these bodies. M. de Vaudreuil gave them back to do justice, and they slew them with their arms, the first event of the kind on the part of the Indians since Europeans had lived in the country. Finally, all the nations of Upper Canada decided to leave, and to descend by way of the Great river and Presque isle.
On the 17th there arrived a large deputation of the (page 144) Senecas, composed of all their chiefs. They brought the words of the Loups of Theaogen, who were our friends in 1757, saying they were in the way to come and see their father Sategariouaen,1 but that a Seneca chief had barred the road by a belt,- a ceremony to deter them from coming to the French.
M. Pouchot reproached these chiefs for their little zeal to serve the French, after all the care they had taken of them, and which was different from the treatment they had received from Johnson. He reproached them for having sent belts to the Hurons and Outaouais to separate them from the French. These belts say: "My brothers,2 and cousins3 we see ourselves dead. The English and the French have stained our thresholds with blood. They are so great that we are crushed. Regard us as dead. But the smoke of our bones shall spread over you, and over all the nations of America, and you in your turn shall mourn. We invited you to take us by the hand, to defend your homes and your lives, but you counted nothing upon us, we are dead.4
. . . All the troops and succors destined for it were assembled at Niagara to maintain that post. The minds of the Indians were then in agitation, for or against the French. Those of the Ohio invited those of Detroit to ally themselves with those of Sandusky, and the latter wished to hear nothing without the consent of M. de Vaudreuil.
Some Hurons and Iroquois, who had been at Fort Pittsburgh, formerly Du Quesne, reported that they had met four Indians of the Flat-Head nation, our enemies, who told them to defy the English, who sought only to embroil them, and to destroy one after another, after they had driven off the French, and that several of them had gone to make up parties against the English with whom they were then at war.5
Several nations had been at Pittsburgh for council. The commandant, (who was still Forbes6) had spoken with arrogance. "When I came to this country," said he, "I thought some one would oppose me. But those whom I found, fled like frogs when you throw a stick at them. You Indians, have always let the French cheat you for a piece of tobacco as long as your finger. You have taken up the hatchet, and when you lose a man you will weep a whole year. That is not our way, and we learn to lose an army or a battle, with as much cheerfulness as if we won. We wish to hold you with the same friendship we had for your ancestors when we first came to your country, but if you mingle again with the French, you will be dead, and we shall strike on every side." The Indians replied to him; "The French, brothers,7 are a hundred times braver than you are, your price deserves no other reply," and at once left him.
Some Iroquois hold the Hurons, that in the words addressed to them,8 there were some things so well enveloped, that they had not the sagacity to understand them, and which got no further than to the chiefs. They added that they had resolved to keep their country quiet, and that they wished first to drive off the French, who were the bravest, and then the (page 149) English. The Hurons replied; "Take care what you do, brother Iroquois: Who can hold the French, and when you become strong enough to drive them, then the northern nations will come, and say to you 'come, get up, we have come with the hatchet which you sent to kill our fathers' enemies.' Then what will you reply? Take care brothers and dont do any thing foolish." M. Pouchot blamed this advice to the Iroquois, who had carried the word to Sandusky before a great Huron chief. The Iroquois denied having ever thought of such an explanation. The Huron chief replied: "He was not astonished that they had made these proposals at Sandusky, which was a fire kindled without any consent of the nation, and that there were there only blunderers and evil doers who are always engaged in mischief, but that his nation had firmly promised to listen to nothing that came from that place, as they could judge by the belts which had been sent to M. Bellestre, and that they did not wish to reply.
On the 28th of May, there came to Niagara four Tonniac chiefs and 33 Cayugas, to council. M. Pouchot blamed them for having sent belts to turn the nations from our friendship. They replied by a belt. "It is true father, that we have no courage. We thank you for recalling us. We well know all the evil that we do, but no one is more embarrassed than ourselves. The French draw us one way, and the English the other. Both of you give us very (page 150) plausible reasons. The English tell us to defy the French who are courageous, and who endeavor to deceive us by adroit words. Each nation loads us with presents. As for ourselves we know this, that the Master of Life gave the Island of America to the Indians who inhabit it. We do not understand the pretensions of the English and the French, we do not know the secret motive which leads them to make war. Our true intention is, to remain neutral, you are both so great that we see ourselves crushed however we may do. The English who are always wanting warriors, draw us to them by brandy and large presents, yet we have positively forbidden to go with them, and complain when we know that they do. You French also wish us to go, but we are well content to remain. You may judge by our relations who have all been to war for you." They could not have expressed these sentiments in a more artless manner. After having asked for some strings to mend their implements they said: "Father, we know that the English stole Catarcoui, but it was not our fault, as we notified you of it. If we learn that the English are planning any thing against you, we notify you at once, so that you may not be surprised. We beg you to attach a blade of Indian corn round your nipples, so that the milk shall not flow, and that we may talk quietly upon good things."
This Tonniac was really attached to the French. He
was a man of much sense, and of influence with (page 151)
his nation, but the bad general had gained him over, and he was
perverted. Fearing that some Iroquois partisan of the English should do
something foolish in the fort, he forbade his comrades from drinking. It was
the only time these Indians had refused, and we gave it to them
notwithstanding.
___________________________
1 This word signifies "the midst of good affairs," and had been given to M. Pouchot by the Five Nations.- Note in Original.
2 The Hurons.- Ib.
3 The Outaouais.- Ib.
4 They understood by this that they were restricted by the posts and armies of the French and English.- Ib.
5 (1, p. 147) M. Pouchot here doubtless speaks of the general rising of the Ohio Indians, and those of the upper country which happened in 1763-64, which was intended to drive the English from the interior of North America.- Note in Original.
6 (1, p. 148) This is an error, Gen. Forbes had died in March preceeding.- Ed.
7 (2, p. 148) They always addressed the English by this term, while they used that of father, in speaking to the French.- Note in Original.
8 (3, p. 148) We have made mention above of some belts.- Note in Original.
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