diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-06 21:18:18 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-02-06 21:18:18 -0800 |
| commit | 385263ed883ed5533e4793d05c221f84ca94aebd (patch) | |
| tree | 1147e8469be20fc221d3212b005fa669126cdbb3 | |
| parent | b2c8efc638b50fddcbfc37278f05d83f78084aa1 (diff) | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 4 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54072-h.zip | bin | 280949 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54072-h/54072-h.htm | 11221 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54072-h/images/cover.jpg | bin | 41622 -> 0 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54072.txt | 11024 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | old/54072.zip | bin | 236160 -> 0 bytes |
8 files changed, 17 insertions, 22245 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..110063c --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54072 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54072) diff --git a/old/54072-h.zip b/old/54072-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ba6a6d6..0000000 --- a/old/54072-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54072-h/54072-h.htm b/old/54072-h/54072-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index c3b7201..0000000 --- a/old/54072-h/54072-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11221 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd"> - -<head> -<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1"> -<title>Indian Biographies--Vol. 2</title> -<style type="text/css"> -<!-- - /* Style Definitions */ - - - .image{ - text-align: center; - page-break-before: always; - } - - p { - font-family:"Times New Roman"; - margin-left: 0em; - text-indent: 2em; - text-align: left; - } - - .hang { - margin-left: 2em; - margin-top: 0em; - text-indent: -2em; - } - - .chap { - margin-left: 2em; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - font-size: 80%; - text-indent: -1em; - } - - table { - line-height: 15px; - border-spacing: 25px; - border-collapse: separate; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - } - - .direct { - font-family:"Times New Roman"; - text-align: center; - } - .direct td { - line-height: 15px; - margin-left: 1.5em; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - text-indent: 0em; - white-space: pre-wrap; - } - - .exit { - margin-top: 0em; - text-align: right; - } - - h2{ - text-align: center; - } - - .endof { - text-align: center; - } - - .page { - page-break-before: always; - } - - .caption { - font-family:"Times New Roman"; - text-align: center; - font-size: 120%; - } - - .quote { - font-family:"Times New Roman"; - font-size: 80%; - margin-left: 2em; - text-align: left; - text-indent: 0em; - } - .list { - margin-left: 2em; - margin-top: 1em; - margin-bottom: 1em; - text-indent: 0em; - white-space: pre-wrap; - } - .list2 { - margin-left: 0em; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - white-space: pre-wrap; - } - - .hang2 { - margin-left: 2.5em; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - text-indent:-2.5em; - white-space: pre-wrap; - } - - .hang3 { - margin-left: 2.5em; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - text-indent:-1.5em; - white-space: pre-wrap; - } - - dt { - margin-left: 1.5em; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - text-indent:-0.5em; - white-space: pre-wrap; - } - - dt2 { - margin-left: 4em; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - text-indent:-4em; - white-space: pre-wrap; - } - .chart { - text-align: center; - line-height: 15px; - border: 1px dotted gray; - } - .chart tr{ - border: 1px dotted gray; - } - - .chart td { - line-height: 15px; - margin-left: 0em; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - text-indent: 0em; - border: 1px dotted gray; - } - - - .chart th { - line-height: 15px; - margin-left: 0em; - margin-top: 0em; - margin-bottom: 0em; - text-indent: 0em; - border: 1px dotted gray; - } - table { - border-spacing: 15px; - border-collapse: collapse; - -} -td { - vertical-align: top; -} - - ---> -</style> -</head> - -<body lang=EN-US> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's Indian Biography; Vol II (of 2), by B. B. Thatcher - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Indian Biography; Vol II (of 2) - Or, An Historical Account of Those Individuals Who Have - Been Distinguished Among the North American Natives as . . . - -Author: B. B. Thatcher - -Release Date: January 29, 2017 [EBook #54072] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIAN BIOGRAPHY; VOL II (OF 2) *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Burch with scans from the Internet Archive. - - - - - -</pre> - - -<P class="image" style="text-align: center; page-break-before: always;"><img src="images/cover.jpg"style="max-width:100%; max-height:100%" alt="cover"></P> -<br><br><br> - -<h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;">{Transcriber's Note: Quotation marks have been standardized to modern -usage. Footnotes have been placed to immediately follow the paragraphs -referencing them. Transcriber's notes are in curly braces; square brackets and parentheses indicate original content.}</h2> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h1 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;">INDIAN BIOGRAPHY;</h1> - <p class="direct">OR,</p> - <h2 class="direct">AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT</h2> - <p class="direct">OF THOSE<br> - INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN DISTINGUISHED AMONG<br> - THE NORTH AMERICAN NATIVES<br> - AS</p> - <h2 class="direct">ORATORS, WARRIORS, STATESMEN,</h2> - <p class="direct">AND</p> - <h2 class="direct">OTHER REMARKABLE CHARACTERS.</h2> -<br> - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="direct">BY</p> - <h2 class="direct">B. B. THATCHER, ESQ.</h2> -<br> - <hr width="80%"> - - <h3 class="direct">IN TWO VOLUMES.</h3> - <h2 class="direct">VOL. II.</h2> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <h2 class="direct">NEW-YORK:</h2> - <h3 class="direct">PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. & J. HARPER,</h3> - <p class="direct">NO. 82 CLIFF-STREET,<br><br> - AND FOR SALE BY THE PRINCIPAL BOOK SELLERS <br>THROUGHOUT - THE UNITED STATES</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <h1 class="direct">1832.</h1> -<br><br><br> - - - -<p class="hang" style="page-break-before: always;"> Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1831, by J. & J. - Harper, in the office of the Clerk of the Southern District of New - York.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;">CONTENTS.</h2> - - <hr width="80%"> -<br> - - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chi">CHAP. I.</a>—Notices of Indians who submitted to Massachusetts, - continued—The <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Squaw-Sachem</span> of Medford—Her history, family, - &c.—Sagamore John and Sagamore <span style="font-variant:small-caps">James</span>—Their intercourse with the - English—Anecdotes of them—Complaints, services, death and - character—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Chickatabot,</span> Sachem of Neponset—His war with the - Squaw-Sachem—Visits Boston several times—Appears in court against - Plastowe—Anecdotes of his Government—Indian policy of Massachusetts - compared with that of Plymouth—Anecdotes of Chickatabot—His death.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">Page 9</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chii">CHAP. II.</a>—Farther account of Master Weston's settlement, and the - movements of the Indians against him—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Aspinet,</span> the Nauset, supposed to - be engaged in that affair—His tribe and power—Provocations from the - English—Magnanimous revenge of the Sachem—His hospitality and - kindness—Friendly intercourse with Plymouth—Is visited by Governor - Bradford—By Captain Standish—Is suspected of hostility by Plymouth, - and pursued by Standish—His death—Career and character of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Itanough,</span> - the "Courteous Sachem of Cummaquid"—Is suspected and pursued—His - death.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">94</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chiii">CHAP. III.</a>—Summary account of the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Five Nations</span>—Their early - history—Government—Conquests—Population—Territory—Intercourse with - the European Colonies—Their war with the Adirondacks—Adventures of - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Piskaret</span>—Their negotiations with the French, in 1684—Anecdotes of the - Onondaga Chief, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Garangula</span>—His speech at the Council, and effects of - it—Remarks on his character—History of the Five Nations continued to - the time of Adario—His exploits—Their object and results—War between - the Confederates and the French—Adventures of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Black-Kettle.</span></p> - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">34</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chiv">CHAP. IV.</a>—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Five Nations</span> continued—Remarks on their - oratory—Circumstances favorable to it—Account of a council of the - Confederates at Onondaga, in 1690—Anecdotes of various persons who - attended it—Speeches of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sadekanatie</span> and other orators—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Adarhahta</span>—The - history and character of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Decanesora</span>—His speeches at the Albany council - of 1694—Style of his eloquence—His personal and political - character—Other speeches and negotiations—Anecdotes of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sadekanatie.</span></p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">49</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chv">CHAP. V.</a>—Account of the Ottawas—Their first Chief-Sachem known to the - English, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Pontiac</span>—His interview with Major Rogers—Protects that officer - and his troops—Saves Detroit from an army of Indians—Hostility of the - northern tribes to the English, after the conquest of Canada—Adventures - of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Henry</span>—Anecdotes of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Minavavana</span>—Supposed feelings of Pontiac towards - the English—His great project of combination.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">70</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chvi">CHAP. VI.</a>—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Pontiac's</span> plan of campaign—He commences active - preparations—Council of the Ottawas—Grand Council of the Northern - tribes—Dream of the Delaware—Maxims promulgated by Pontiac—Estimate - of the number and force or his allies—Commencement of the - war—Surprisal of nine English posts—mode of surprisal—Artifice - adopted at Michilimackinac, and result—Reduction of Detroit undertaken - by Pontiac in person—His interview with the Commandant—His plan - discovered, and the surprise prevented—Letter from Detroit.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">83</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chvii">CHAP. VII.</a>—Siege of Detroit maintained by Pontiac—The Commandant - meditates a retreat—The French propose a conference With Pontiac, which - takes place—The latter demands the surrender of the fort, which the - Commandant refuses—Vigorous renewal of hostilities—Advantages gained - by the Indian army—arrival of succor to the English—Battle of Bloody - Bridge—Pontiac at length raises the siege—Causes of it—The Indians - make peace—His subsequent career until his death—Anecdotes - illustrating his influence, energy, magnanimity, integrity and - genius—His authority as chieftain—His talents as an orator—His - traditionary fame.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">98</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chviii">CHAP. VIII.</a>—Account of the Delawares—Their ancient great men, including - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tamenend</span>—History during the Revolutionary War—Two Parties among - them—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">White-Eyes,</span> leader of one, and Captain Pipe, of the - other—Manœuvres, speeches, plots and counter-plots of these men, their - parties, and foreigners connected with both—Anecdotes—Death of - White-Eyes in 1780—Tribute of respect paid to his memory.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">120</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chix">CHAP. IX.</a>—Observations on the character of White-Eyes—Pipe's comment on - his death—The latter gains and sustains an ascendancy in the Delaware - nation—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Glickhican, Netawatwees</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Wingemund</span>—Subsequent career of - Pipe—Joins the British and fights against the Americans—Grand Indian - council at Detroit—Pipe's spirited speech on that occasion—Makes - charges against the Missionaries, but fails to prove them—Remarks on - his habits, principles and talents.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">136</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chx">CHAP. X.</a>—State of several Southern tribes during the last century—The - English send deputies to the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Cherokees,</span> in 1756—Their lives threatened, - and saved by <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Attakullakulla</span>—Account of that Chieftain and his - principles—The party opposed to him headed by <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Occonostota</span>—War with the - Colonies in 1750 and two years following—Anecdotes of both these - Chiefs—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Saloush, Fifton,</span> and others—Several battles—Peace - concluded—Attakullakulla visits Charleston—His subsequent career, and - that of Occonostota—Remarks on their character.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">150</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chxi">CHAP. XI.</a>—The Cayuga Chief, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Logan</span>—Some account of his father, - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Shikellimus</span>—Residence of Logan—His friendship for the whites - interrupted by their provocations—His family misfortunes—The Shawanee - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Silver-Heels</span>—Logan joins in a war of revenge against the - "Long-Knives"—Battle of the Kenhawa—Treaty of Peace with Governor - Dunmore—Logan's celebrated Speech—His history - completed—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Buckongahelas,</span> the Delaware head War-Chief—His intercourse - with the Christian Indians—Part which he takes in the - Revolution—Defeated by Wayne, in 1794—Anecdotes of him—Death and - character.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">166</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chxii">CHAP. XII.</a>—Some account of the Shawanees, the tribe of - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tecumseh</span>—Anecdotes illustrative of their character—Early history and - lineage of Tecumseh—His first adventures as a warrior—His habits and - principles—His brothers <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Kumshaka</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Elskwatawa</span>—The first open - movements of the latter, in 1806—He assumes the character of - Prophet—His doctrines—His mode of operation upon his countrymen—Other - Indian pretenders—Anecdote of a Shawanee Chief, at Fort Wayne—Tanner's - account of the ministry of the Elskwatawa's Agents—Concert traced - between them—Witchcraft-superstition—Anecdotes of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Teteboxti, The - Crane, Leather-Lips,</span> and others.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">181</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chxiii">CHAP. XIII.</a>—History of Tecumseh and the Prophet continued—The latter - encamps at Tippecanoe—Sends a message to Governor Harrison—Visits him - at Vincennes—Increase of his forces—Attention of the General - Government aroused—Tecumseh visits the Governor—His speech, and - journey southward—Battle of Tippecanoe, November, 1811—Consequences - of it—Indian Council at Mississiniway—Council at Malden—Speeches and - Anecdotes of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">The Crane, Walk-in-the-Water, Round-Head,</span> and other - Chiefs—Sequel of the history of the two brothers—Final exertions of - Tecumseh—His death—Death of the Prophet.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">202</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chxiv">CHAP. XIV.</a>—Remarks on the character of Tecumseh and the Prophet—Their - facilities for co-operation—Difficulties the latter had to overcome—His - perseverance and ingenuity—Means by which he protected his - person—Anecdotes of the Battle of Tippecanoe—Frankness of Tecumseh in - disclosing his schemes—Causes of his hostility to the - Americans—Trespasses of the whites, and other abuses—Object of the - belligerent combination—Anecdotes of Tecumseh's first visit to - Vincennes, in 1810—His dignity, independence and courage—His ideas of - the British policy—His speech to General Proctor, and remarks on his - oratory—His humanity—His genius.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">296</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chxv">CHAP. XV.</a>—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Michikinaqwa,</span> or <span style="font-variant:small-caps">The Little-Turtle</span>—Early history—Engages in - a combination of the Indians against the United States—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Blue-Jacket</span>—The - Turtle defeats two detachments of American troops—Some account of the - North-Western war from 1791 to 1795—The Turtle defeated by General - Wayne—He becomes unpopular after the peace—Some of the charges against - him examined—Anecdotes of his intercourse with distinguished - Americans—His letter to General Harrison—His death in 1819—His - character.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">243</p> - - <p class="chap"><a href="#chxvi">CHAP. XVI.</a>—The Seneca Chief, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Red-Jacket</span>—Circumstances under which he - succeeded <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Corn-Planter</span> in his influence—Anecdotes of the - latter—Red-Jacket's earliest oratorical triumph—His speech at the - Treaty of Canandaigua—Account of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Farmer's-Brother,</span> and - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Brandt</span>—Red-Jacket's political and religious principles—Speech to Mr. - Alexander, in 1811—Speech to Mr. Richardson—Remarks on the causes of - his heathenism in the conduct of the whites—His military career—Speech - in favor of declaring war against the British, in 1812—Seneca - Manifesto—Red-Jacket's interview with Washington—His interview with - Lafayette—His Memorial to the New-York Legislature—Speech to a - Missionary in 1825—His deposition and restoration in 1827—Visits to - the Atlantic cities—Death and funeral obsequies—Anecdotes.</p> - - <p class="exit" style="font-size: 80%">270</p> -<br><br> - - - <h3 class="direct"><a href="#ap">APPENDIX.</a></h3> -<br> -<table> - <tr><td><a href="#ap1">No. I.</a> Genealogy of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Uncas.</span> </td><td>394</td></tr> - <tr><td><a href="#ap2">No. II.</a> General Wayne's Correspondence with Major Campbell. </td><td>345</td></tr> - <tr><td><a href="#ap3">No. III.</a> <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Corn-Planter's</span> letter to the Governor of Pennsylvania. </td><td>309</td></tr> - <tr><td><a href="#ap4">No. IV.</a> Speech of the same at Warren Court-House. </td><td>312</td></tr> - <tr><td><a href="#ap5">No. V.</a> Obituary Notice of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Brandt.</span> </td><td>314</td></tr> - <tr><td><a href="#ap6">No. VI.</a> <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Little-Farmer's</span> letter to the Hon. W. Eustis. </td><td>314</td></tr> - <tr><td><a href="#ap7">No. VII.</a> Crawford's letter to the Governor of Canada. </td><td>316</td></tr> -</table> -<br><br><br> - - - <h1 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;">INDIAN BIOGRAPHY.</h1> - - <hr width="80%"> -<br> - - <h2 class="direct"><a id="chi">CHAPTER I.</a></h2> - - - - <p class="chap">Notices of Indians who submitted to Massachusetts, continued—The - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Squaw-Sachem</span> of Medford—Her history, family, &c.—Her sons, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sagamore - John</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sagamore James</span>—Their intercourse with the English—Anecdotes - of them—Complaints, services, death and character—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Chickatabot,</span> Sachem - of Neponset—His war with the Squaw-Sachem—Visits Boston several - times—Appears in court against Plastowe—Anecdotes of his - Government—Indian policy of Massachusetts compared with that of - Plymouth—Anecdotes of Chickatabot—His death.</p> - -<p>Having heretofore had occasion frequently to introduce the names of -Indians who subjected themselves, more or less, to the Government of -Massachusetts, we propose in this chapter to notice a few of the most -prominent of that class, who have not yet been mentioned. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] See a sketch of Cutchamequin, of Braintee in Chapter XI, Vol. I.</p> - - -<p>Some years previous to the arrival of the English, the various -Massachusetts tribes, properly so called, are believed to have been -confederated, like the Pokanokets and others, under the government of one -great Sachem, whose name was <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Nanepashemet,</span> or the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">New-Moon.</span> His usual -residence was in Medford, near Mystic Pond. He was killed in 1619,—by -what enemy is unknown. Two years afterwards, a Plymouth party visited this -section; and they then discovered the remains of one of Nanepashemet's -forts. It was built in a valley. There was a trench about it, breast-high, -with a periphery of palisades reaching up more than thirty feet. It was -accessible only in one direction, by a narrow bridge. The Sachem's grave -had been made under the frame of a house within the enclosure, which was -still standing; and another, upon a neighboring hill, marked the spot where -he fell in battle. His dwelling-house had been built on a large scaffold, -six feet high, also near the summit of a hill. [FN] It is evident that -Nanepashemet was a chieftain of very considerable state and power.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Prince.</p> - - -<p>His successor, to a certain extent, was his widow, well known in history -as the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Squaw-Sachem,</span> and otherwise called the Massachusetts Queen. It is -probably from the latter circumstance, in part, that some modern historians -have described her as inheriting the power of her husband; but this is -believed to be incorrect. We find no evidence of it among the old writers; -though it appears, on the other hand, that some of the other Massachusetts -tribes were at war with hers, when the English first made her -acquaintance. It seems highly probable, that these were the enemy—rebels, -we should perhaps say—whom Nanepashemet fell in attempting to subdue. His -failure and death were sufficient, without the aid of that terrible -pestilence which reduced the number of the Massachusetts warriors from -three thousand to three hundred, to prevent any attempts on the part of -his widow, for recovering or continuing his own ancient dominion.</p> - -<p>Still, the Squaw-Sachem governed at least the remnants of one tribe. She -also laid claim to territory in various places, and among the rest to what -is now Concord, a grant of which place she joined with two or three other -Indians in conveying to the original settlers, in 1635. Previous to this -date, she had taken a second husband, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Wappacowet,</span> the chief priest of her -tribe, he being by custom entitled to the hand of his Sachem's widow. The -land was paid for in wampum, hatchets, hoes, knives, cotton cloth, and -chintz; beside which, Wappacowet, who figured only as an evidence in the -case, received a gratuity of a suit of cotton cloth, a hat, a white linen -band, shoes, stockings, and a great coat. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Depositions on Concord Records.</p> - - -<p>Several years after the sale of Concord, the Squaw-Sachem visited Boston, -for the purpose of subjecting herself to the Massachusetts Government. -That object she effected. Whether the priest was included in the -submission, or what was the sequel of his history, or even hers, does, not -appear.</p> - -<p>The Squaw-Sachem, like her husband, the New Moon, has maintained her -principal dignity in our early annals, as the parent of Wonohaquaham and -Montowampate, better known as <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sagamore John</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sagamore James.</span> [FN] The -former lived, before the English came, at the old residence of his father, -in Medford; subsequently, at Winnesimet, anciently called Rumney Marsh, -and situated partly in Chelsea, and partly in Saugus. James, who was -Sachem of the Saugus Indians, and had jurisdiction of Lynn and -Marble-head, resided on Sagamore hill, near the eastern end of Lynn -beach.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] There has been a controversy about the meaning of this title, and - the difference between Sagamore, (or Sagamo) and Sachem. We agree with - Mr. Lewis (from whose accurate history of Lynn we have borrowed above,) - in considering them different pronunciations of the same word.</p> - - -<p>John was one of the best, as well as earliest friends the settlers of -Boston ever had among the natives; and by their descendants his memory -should be cherished for that, if for no other reason. On all occasions, he -was courteous, kind and frank. Soon after their coming, he engaged with -the governor to make compensation for damages done by his subjects, and to -fence in his territories, both which he did. During the same year, 1630, -he seasonably gave warning to the Charlestown people, of a plot formed -against them among some of the neighboring Indians,—an act on the mention -of which an old writer pays him the deserved compliment of having "always -loved the English."</p> - -<p>His attachment was justified by the conduct of his new ally and friends, -for though he often brought complaints before the Massachusetts -authorities, it was as rarely without effect as it was without cause.</p> - -<p>At one time, two of his wigwams were carelessly set on fire by some -English fowlers, and destroyed. The chief offender was a servant of Sir -Richard Saltonstall, and the Court ordered him to give satisfaction, which -he did, being mulcted in seven yards of cloth, valued at fifty shillings -sterling. The act of firing one of the buildings, was not very easily -proved; but, say the Court, "lest he should think us not sedulous enough -to find it out, and so should depart discontentedly from us, we gave both -him and his subject satisfaction for them both."</p> - -<p>So when he and his brother James, a few weeks afterwards, applied to the -Governor for an order, to procure the return of twenty beaver-skins which -had been obtained unfairly from them by an Englishman, "the governor -entertained them kindly, and gave them his letter, &c." [FN] John must -have been permitted to manage his relations with other sachems also, as -he pleased; for when Chickatabot fought for Canonicus in 1632, as we shall -soon see, he also joined him at the head of thirty men, and the fact is -recorded not only without censure, but without comment.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] New-England Chronology, 1631.</p> - - -<p>James was a more troublesome personage, and was more than once in -difficulty with both Indians and English. A party of that formidable -eastern people, the Tarratines, attacked him in 1631, slew seven of his -men, wounded both him and his brother John, and carried off his wife -captive. Hubbard observes, that he had treacherously killed some of the -Tarratines before this, "and was therefore the less pitied of the English -that were informed thereof:" but the latter nevertheless procured the -redemption of his wife. The following extract from Mr. Winthrop's Journal, -throws some light, both on the authority which he exercised upon his own -subjects, and the liberties he took with the English. The Government, it -must be observed, had made a prudent regulation, forbidding the sale of -arms to the natives.</p> - - <p class="exit">"September 4th, 1632.</p> - -<p>"One Hopkins of Watertown was convict for selling a piece and pistol, with -powder and shot, to James Sagamore, for which he had sentence to be -whipped and branded in the cheek."—It was discovered by an Indian, one -of James's men, upon promise of concealing him, <i>or otherwise he was sure -to be killed.</i> It was probably for some offence of this description that -James was once forbidden to enter any English plantation under penalty of -ten beaver-skins; a much better dispensation of justice, clearly, than to -have sent an armed force, as the good people of Plymouth had been in the -habit of doing on such occasions, to punish him in person. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Winthrop.</p> - - -<p>The following is an item in the account of Treasurer Pyncheon, stated to -the General Court for 1632, under the head of Payments out of the Common -Treasury.</p> - -<p>"Paid <i>John Sagamore's brother,</i> the 9th Oct. 1632 for killing a wolf, one -coat at £0. 12s. 0."</p> - -<p>This account of James indicates that he was much less known among the -English than his brother; and as it appears in company of several charges -like these,—</p> -<table> - <tr><td>"To Jack Straw, one coat, by a note - from the Governor, </td><td>12s.</td></tr> - <tr><td>To Wamascus' Son, two wolves, - two coats, </td><td>£1. 4s."</td></tr> -</table> - -<p>It may be fairly inferred that the Sagamore hesitated not to put his -dignity, so far as he <i>was</i> known, on a level, in the eyes of the English, -with the lowest of his countrymen.</p> - -<p>John and James died about the same time, in 1633, of a mortal epidemic -then prevalent among the Massachusetts Indians. Hubbard says, that both -promised, if they recovered from their sickness, to live with the English -and serve their God. The reason why John, at least, had not already taken -such a course, may be gathered from some expressions in that curious -tract, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">New England's First Fruits,</span> which we cite the more willingly -because it places the character of John in its true light.</p> - -<p>"Sagamore John," says the learned author, "Prince of Massaquesetts, was -from our very first landing, more courteous, ingenious, and to the English -more loving than others of them; he desired to learne and speake our -language, and loved to imitate us in our behaviour and apparell, and began -to hearken after our God and his ways. . . . And did resolve and promise -to leave the Indians and come live with us; but yet, <i>kept down by feare -of the scoffin of the Indians,</i> had not power to make good his purpose, -&c."</p> - -<p>The same writer thus refers to the poor Sagamore's last moments. Being -struck with death, we are told, he began fearfully to reproach himself -that he had not lived with the English, and known their God. "But now," -he added, "I must die. The God of the English is much angry with me, and -will destroy me. Ah! I was afraid of the scoffs of these wicked Indians. -But <i>my child</i> shall live with the English, to know their God, when I am -dead. I'll give him to Mr. Wilson—he much good man, and much love me." -Mr. Wilson, (clergyman at Boston,) was accordingly sent for, and when he -attended, as he did promptly, the Sagamore "committed his only child to -his care, and so died."—In confirmation of this honorable testimony, the -author of the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Wonder Working Providence</span> may be cited. He observes, that -the English clergymen were much moved to see the Indians depart this life -without the knowledge of God in Christ, "and therefore were very frequent -among them, for all the Noysomness of their Disease, entering their -Wigwams, and exhorting them in the name of the Lord." John is said to have -given some good hopes, as being always very courteous to them. Then -follows the request to Mr. Wilson: "Quoth hee, 'by and by mee Mattamoy, -[dead]—may bee my sons live—you take them to teach much to know God.'" -[FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Johnson speaks as if there were several sons, and therein is clearly - incorrect. Mr. Cotton is much better authority in this case.</p> - - -<p>Mr. Cotton, himself a preacher also at Boston, at the same period, and -probably an eye-witness, furnishes a more particular and interesting -account of this scene, with which we shall conclude our notice.</p> - -<p>"At our first coming hither <i>John Sagamore</i> was the chiefest <i>Sachim</i> in -these parts. He falling sick, our Pastor Mr. <i>Wilson</i> hearing of it (and -being of some acquaintance with him) went to visit him, taking one of the -deacons of our Church with him, and withall, a little Mithridate and -strong water. When he came to his lodging, (which they call a <i>Wigwam</i>) -hearing a noyse within, hee looked over the mat of the door, to discerne -what it meant, and saw many <i>Indians</i> gathered together, and some -<i>Powwaws</i> amongst them, who are their Priests, Physitians, and Witches. -They by course spake earnestly to the sick <i>Sagamore,</i> and to his disease, -(in a way of charming of it and him) and one to another in a kind of -Antiphonies. When they had done, all kept silence, our Pastour went in -with the Deacon, and found the man farre spent, his eyes set in his bead, -his speech leaving him, his mother (old <i>Squaw-Sachim</i>) sitting weeping -at his bed's head. Well (saith our Pastour) our God save <i>Sagamore John, -Powwaw Cram</i> (that is, kill) <i>Sagamore John;</i> and thereupon hee fell to -prayer with his Deacon, and after prayer forced into the sick man's mouth -with a spoon, a little Mithridate dissolved in the strong water; soon -after the Sagamore looked up, and three dayes after went abroad on -hunting. This providence so farre prevailed with the Sagamore, that he -promised to look after the <i>English</i> man's God, to heare their sermons, -to weare <i>English</i> apparell, &c. But his neighbor <i>Indians, Sagamores,</i> -and <i>Powwaws,</i> hearing of this, threatened to <i>Cram</i> him (that is, to kill -him) if he did so degenerate from his Country Gods, and Religion, he -thereupon fell off, and took up his Indian course of life again. -Whatsoever facility may seeme to offer itself of the conversion of the -Indians, it is not so easie a matter for them to hold out, no not in a -semblance of profession of the true Religion. Afterwards God struck <i>John -Sagamore</i> againe, (and as I remember with the Small Pox) but then when -they desired like succour from our Pastour as before, he told them now the -Lord was angry with <i>Sagamore John,</i> and it was doubtful hee would not so -easily be intreated. The <i>Sagamore</i> blamed himself and justified God, and -confessed, he should not have been discouraged by their threats from -seeking our God: for those <i>Sagamores</i> and <i>Powwaws</i> who did most terrifie -him, hee had seene God sweeping them away by death, before himself, in a -short time after. And therefore, when hee saw hee must die (for he died of -that sickness) he left his sonne to the education of our Pastour, that he -might keep closer to the English, and to their God, than himself had done. -But his sonne also died of the same disease soon after." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] <span style="font-variant:small-caps">The Way of Congregational Churches Cleared:</span> London, 1648.</p> - - -<p>Another Sachem carried off by the pestilence was <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Chickatabot,</span> otherwise -called Chickataubut and Chickatalbott; and whose name, under the form of -Chickatabak, is appended with those of eight other sachems, to the deed of -submission to King James, dated 1622, which has already been mentioned in -the life of Massasoit. Some writers call him the Chief Sachem of the -Massachusetts. But so Sagamore John, and his mother, if not some others, -were vaguely entitled; nor can any thing more be inferred from the -expressions, we conceive, than that he was one of the principal chiefs. -That conclusion might be drawn also from the fact, that when the English -first knew him (in 1621,) he was at war with the Squaw-Sachem of Medford. -No doubt he had been subject to her husband, and probably she was now -struggling to continue and enforce the dominion. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Since writing the above, we have availed ourselves of Mr. Shattuck's - researches. He believes that Chickatabot was subject to <i>Massasoit.</i> One - of his reasons is the improbability of his contending against his superior - Sachem; and another, the circumstance that all his recorded conveyances of - land are south of Charles River, which Mr. S. considers the southern - boundary of the Massachusetts. With deference to an accurate writer, we - shall leave the question without an argument—only reminding the reader - that Chickatabot fought for <i>Canonicus</i> in 1632, that being about the - time when the latter made sundry attacks on Massasoit—and also that the - case of Sassacus and Uncas, (not to refer to Powhatan's history,) is a - <i>precedent</i> exactly in point.</p> - - -<p>The same causes which enabled Chickatabot and other sagamores of his -section of the country, to maintain their independence of each other, -probably induced them to submit so readily to whatever authority appeared -able and willing to protect them. King James, Massachusetts and Plymouth, -were the same to him, in this particular, with Massasoit and Canonicus; -and he submitted with an equal grace to all or either, as the case might -require. No doubt it was the influence of the Pokanoket Sachem that -induced him to visit Plymouth for the purpose of Subscribing the -submission—which he probably neither knew nor cared any thing about, -except in relation to the promised consequences of the act of signing. -With the same accommodating disposition, or rather from the same -necessity, he turned out with all his men, in 1632—to fight against the -same Massasoit, we suppose—the Narragansett Chief, Canonicus, having -"sent for him" to that end. [FN] This movement, together with the absence -of all comment upon it in history, illustrates sufficiently the sense -which, notwithstanding the submissions alluded to, both himself and his -English neighbors still entertained of his independence.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Winthrop.</p> - - -<p>The Sachem took no advantage of the freedom thus silently allowed him. Nor -does the liberality, and even courtesy, with which he was on all other -occasions treated by the Massachusetts Government, appear to have had any -other than the happiest effect upon him. On the contrary, he judged them -as they judged him; and being seldom if ever suspected, was rarely exposed -to suspicion by his conduct He esteemed his own dignity at least enough to -appreciate their politeness.</p> - -<p>Residing near Neponset river, in Dorchester, he made himself familiar with -the settlers of Boston very soon after their arrival, and that in a manner -which discredits neither of the parties. As early as March, 1631, (the -settlement having commenced in the preceding September,) he went into -Boston, attended by quite a company of men and women of his tribe, and -carrying with him a hogshead of Indian corn as a present for the Governor. -When the latter had provided a dinner for his visitors, with the much -esteemed accompaniment of "tobacco and beer," the Sachem sent his escort -all home, with the exception of one sanop and one squaw, although it -rained, and the Governor rather urged that they might be permitted to -stay. He, and the other two who remained, tarried until afternoon of the -next day but one. As he had before this time accustomed himself to wear -English clothes, we are informed that "the Governor set him at his own -table, where he behaved himself as soberly as an Englishman." His host -gave him at parting, "cheese and pease, and a mug and some other things;" -[FN] and no doubt he returned to Neponset exceedingly gratified with the -well-timed munificence of his new friend.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Winthrop.</p> - - -<p>Accordingly, he made his appearance again within a month, on which -occasion he requested Mr. Winthrop to negotiate with some tailor, on his -behalf for a suit of English clothes. The Governor civilly gave him to -understand, that English Sagamores were not accustomed to truck in this -way—but he called his own tailor, and directed him to make the proposed -suit. Chickatabot presented his host with two large skins of coat-beaver, -so called, paid the proper honours to a dinner prepared for him and his -attendants, and took his leave, promising to return for his clothes in -three days. This was the 13th of April. On the 15th he came again, and the -Governor then arrayed him in the new suit, which had been promptly made -ready for his use, and also entertained him at dinner. If the Sachem had -behaved soberly on his first visit, he deserves still higher praise for -the improvement which is evident in his manners since that time. He would -not eat now—savage as he was—at the hospitable board of his Christian -host, until the latter had craved the customary blessing which attended -his own meals; and, "after meat, he desired him to do the like, and so -departed."</p> - -<p>Nor did Chickatabot receive only compliments and new clothes from his -Boston ally. Substantial justice was rendered to him and his subjects, -whenever emergency required; and an Englishman was punished, at least as -promptly and severely for a trespass upon him or them, as an Indian would -have been expected to be punished for the same offence against the whites. -To illustrate by an instance,—in the latter part of 1631, Chickatabot -appeared in Court at Boston, and complained of one Josias Plastowe, for -stealing a quantity of his corn. Evidence of the charge having been -produced, sufficient to convict the offender, the Court gave judgment as -follows:</p> - -<p>"It is ordered, that Josias Plastowe shall, for stealing four baskets of -corn from the Indians, return them eight baskets again, be fined five -pounds, and hereafter be called by the name of Josias, and not Mr. as -formerly as he used to be; and that William Buckland and Thomas Andrew, -[servants] shall be whipped for being accessary to the same offence."</p> - -<p>Chickatabot knew how to value this honorable policy of the Government, and -was grateful for it. But even earlier than the date of the transaction -last referred to, he had himself set the example which that Government, so -far as regarded him, did but follow. The following single paragraph, taken -from the same authority which records the sentence of Plastowe, is among -the evidence to this effect:</p> - -<p>"At a Court, John Sagamore and Chickatabot, being told at last Court of -some injuries that their men did to our cattle, and giving consent to make -satisfaction, &c. now one of their men was complained of for shooting a -pig, &c. for which Chickatabot was ordered to pay a small skin of beaver, -which he presently paid." So in August of the next year, two of the -Sachem's men having been proved guilty of assaulting some of the settlers -at Dorchester in their houses, were detained in the bilboes, until -Chickatabot could be notified of the fact, and requested to beat them, -"<i>which he did.</i>" [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] "The most usuall custome amongst them," says Roger Williams, of the - Indians, "is for the Sachim either to beate, or whip, or put to death with - his owne hand, to which the common sort most quietly submit." <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Key to the - Ind. Languages.</span></p> - - -<p>It is obvious to remark, how much more satisfactory this course must have -been to him, than the more violent mode of doing <i>themselves</i> justice, -would have been, which was pursued by many English authorities on most -occasions of a similar description. It was dealing with him, as they -wished to be dealt with; which policy, whether under the circumstances -required by strict justice or not, was unquestionably best calculated to -effect the end proposed in each particular case, as well as to secure the -general affection and respect of the Indians. It may be remarked here, -without impropriety, that the conduct of the Massachusetts Government -towards Chickatabot is no more than a just specimen of the course they -usually pursued towards his countrymen. The exceptions are few and far -between.</p> - -<p>It is specially worthy of notice, that Chickatabot was never called to -account for the part which he took in the combination of the Indians -against Master Weston's infamous settlement at Weymouth, of which we shall -presently have occasion to make further mention. And yet, there was not -only some reason for suspecting him, on account of his vicinity to the -residence of the chief ringleaders; but it appears clearly, that he was -known to be engaged, and that to such an extent, as to be considered by -some the instigator and manager of the whole business. Witness, for -example, the following extract from a letter written by Governor Dudley to -the Countess of Lincoln, in England, and bearing date at Boston, March -12th, 1630:</p> - -<p>"There was about the same time, one Mr. Weston, an English merchant, who -sent divers men to plant and trade who sate down by the river of -Wesaguscus; but these coming not for so good ends as those of Plymouth, -sped not so well; for the most of them dying and languishing away, they -who survived <i>were rescued by those of Plymouth out of the hands of</i> -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Chickatalbott,</span> <i>and his Indians, who oppressed those weak English, and -intended to have destroyed them,"</i> [FN] &c. The writer then goes on to -mention a settlement soon after attempted near the same place by one -Wollaston, and a company of some thirty men, whose history may be -profitably noticed very briefly, for the purpose of comparing the Plymouth -with the Massachusetts policy.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Mass. His. Coll.</p> - - -<p>One of the Wollaston crew, mentioned by Prince, in 1625, as having been a -kind of pettifogger in England, was Thomas Morton. This person became a -notable disturber of the peace; cheating the Indians in trade, and spending -the profits with his companions in rioting; drinking, as the annalist just -cited specifies, "ten pound worth of wine and spirits in the morning," -besides setting up a may-pole for the Indian women to drink and dance -about, "with worser practices."</p> - -<p>But although Thomas changed the name of Wollaston to <i>Merry Mount,</i> [FN] -his jollity was not to last forever. Mr. Endecott, of the Massachusetts -Company, who landed at Salem in the summer of 1628, visited Master Morton -within two months from his arrival, and changing Merry Mount to Mount -Dagon, took active measures for correcting that riotous settlement. These -were not entirely successful, and even when Morton was at length arrested -and sent to England for punishment, he was not only liberated, but sent -back again: "upon which," as Prince writes, "he goes to his old nest at -Merry Mount." This was in 1629. In the summer of the next year, the -Massachusetts colonists came over with Winthrop and Dudley; and as early -as September of that season, we find the following order taken upon Master -Morton's case by the Court of Assistants:—</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Prince's Annals, 1625.</p> - - -<p>"Ordered, that Master Thomas Morton of Mount Wollaston shall presently be -set in the bilbows, and after sent prisoner to England by the ship called -the Gift; that all his goods be seized to defray the charge of his -transportation, payments of his debts, <i>and to give satisfaction to the -Indians for a canoe he took unjustly from them; and that his house be -burnt down to the ground in sight of the Indians, for their satisfaction -for many wrongs he has done them.</i>"</p> - -<p>If this summary course had been taken with Weston and <i>his</i> banditti, -there might have been, as we shall see, the saving of the lives of many -innocent men. If it could not be taken by the English, who were appealed -to, some allowance at least might have been made for those who were -finally compelled to assume the administration of justice.</p> - -<p>In the case of Chickatabot, though not in all, such allowance <i>was</i> made. -It also appears, that no evil consequences arose from this policy, but -much the reverse. The sachem was uniformly the more ready to give all the -satisfaction in his power, and no doubt partly because it was rather -requested of him than required. When the Indians were said to be plotting -against the English in 1632, and much apprehension was excited in -consequence, "<i>the three next Sagamores were sent for,</i>" says Winthrop, -"who came presently to the Governor," and this is the last we hear of the -matter. Chickatabot must have been one of them, and <i>he</i> explained away -the causes of suspicions at once. Pursuing this course, the Massachusetts -Government continued upon good terms with him until his death, which was -occasioned by the prevalent epidemic, in the latter part of 1633.</p> - -<p>His descendants, to the third generation at least, several of whom were -persons of note, followed his own peaceful and friendly example. Among the -Suffolk records, there is still to be seen, a quitclaim deed from his -grandson <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Josias,</span>—of Boston, the islands in the harbor, &c. "to the -proprietated inhabitants of Boston."</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chii">CHAPTER II.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">Farther account of Master Weston's settlement, and the movements of the - Indians against him—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Aspinet,</span> the Nauset, supposed to be engaged in - that affair—His tribe and power—Provocations from the - English—Magnanimous revenge of the Sachem—His hospitality and - kindness—Friendly intercourse with Plymouth—Is visited by governor - Bradford—By captain Standish—Is suspected of hostility by Plymouth, - and pursued by Standish—His death—Career and character of Iranough, - the "Courteous Sachem of Cummaquid"—Is suspected and pursued—His - death.</p> - - -<p>Having necessarily, in the course of justice to some individuals -heretofore noticed, animadverted on the early Indian policy of Plymouth, -we shall devote this chapter to the further consideration of certain facts -bearing upon that subject, and especially as connected with the case of -Weston. These facts cannot be better set forth, than they are in the lives -of two among the most remarkable natives who held intercourse with the -Government in question.</p> - -<p>One of them was <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Aspinet,</span> <i>the first open enemy,</i> as the Pokanoket Sachem was -the first ally, whom the Plymouth settlement had the fortune to meet with. -He ruled over a number of petty tribes, settled in various parts of what -is now the county of Barnstable, all of whom are said to have been -ultimately subject, or at least subsidiary, to Massasoit. The principal -among them were the Nausets, at Namskeket, [FN] within the present limits -of Orleans, and round about the cove which separates that town from -Eastham. With this tribe Aspinet had his residence.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] A spot chosen with the usual sagacity of the Indians, and which at - some period probably subsisted a large population with its immense stores - of the <i>sickishuog,</i> or clam. A thousand barrels annually are said to - have been taken there in modern times, merely for fish-bait. <i>Mass. His. - Coll.</i></p> - - -<p>Aspinet, we have observed, was the first open enemy of the colonists; and -it will be admitted, that his hostility was not without cause. Of the -twenty-four Indians kidnapped by Hunt, in 1614, twenty belonged to -Patuxet, (or Plymouth,) and the residue were the subjects of the Nauset -chieftain. When the Pilgrims came over, six years after this abominable -outrage, it happened, that upon landing in the harbor of Cape Cod, before -reaching Plymouth, they sent out a small party in a shallop, to discover a -proper place for a settlement. These men went ashore a little north of the -Great-Pond, in Eastham, and there they were suddenly attacked by the -Nausets. The assailants were repulsed, but the English retreated in great -haste.</p> - -<p>Unquestionably, these men acted in obedience to the orders of Aspinet, -instigated, as he must have been, by the remembrance of Hunt's perfidy. -Winslow, in his <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Relation,</span> gives an affecting incident which occurred -subsequently at this place, going to illustrate, very forcibly, the effect -of such atrocious conduct on the disposition of the natives. "One thing," -he says, "was grievous unto us at this place. There was an old woman, whom -we judged to be no less than a hundred years old, which came to see us, -because she never saw English; yet could not behold us without breaking -forth into great passion, weeping and crying excessively. We demanding the -reason of it; they told us <i>she had three sons, who, when Master Hunt was -in these parts, went aboard his ship to trade with him, and he carried -them captives into Spain, by which means she was deprived of the comfort -of her children in her old age!</i>" The English made what explanation they -could of the affair, and gave her a few "small trifles, which somewhat -appeased her."</p> - -<p>The expedition alluded to in this case, which took place in the summer of -1621, was occasioned by the absence of an English boy, who had strayed away -from the colony at Plymouth, and was understood to have fallen into -Aspinet's hands. The accident gave that sachem an opportunity of -gratifying his revenge, which to him might have appeared providential. But -he was too intelligent a man to confound the innocent with the guilty; and -too noble to avail himself of a misfortune, even for humbling the pride of -an enemy. When, therefore, the English party, on this occasion, having -landed on his coast, sent Squanto to inform him amicably of the purpose -for which they had come,—and with instructions perhaps to appeal to his -better feelings,—he threw down his enmity at once with his arms. "After -sun-set,"—is the minute but touching description given of this singular -scene:—"Aspinet came with a great train, and brought the boy with him, -one bearing him through the water. He had not less than an hundred with -him, the half whereof came to the shallop-side unarmed with him; the other -stood aloof with their bows and arrows. There he delivered up the boy, -behung with beads, and made peace with us, we bestowing a knife on him; -and likewise on another that first entertained the boy, and brought him -thither. So they departed from us." [FN] It was indeed a magnanimous -revenge.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Journal of a Plantation.</span></p> - - -<p>After this auspicious interview, a friendly intercourse was maintained for -more than a year between the English and the Nausets. Supplies of corn, -beans and other provision, were obtained of them to a large amount, at a -period when the colonists were reduced almost to famine. The trade was -conducted on both sides with justice, and therefore with confidence. -Governor Bradford, when he touched at Namskeket, was treated with the -highest respect. On one occasion, his shallop being stranded, it was -necessary to stack the corn which had been purchased, and to leave it, -covered with mats and sedge, in the care of the Indians. The Governor and -his party traveled home, fifty miles, on foot. The corn remained as he -left it, from November to the following January, and when another shallop -touched at Nauset, it was found in perfect safety. All this is attributed -to Aspinet; "<i>The Sachim,</i>" we are told, "used the Governor very kindly." -The Indians were promised a reward for taking future good care of the corn; -"which they undertook, and the Sachim promised to make good!" And again, -"the Sachim sent men to seek the shallop," and then sent the shallop to -Plymouth within three days.</p> - -<p>He manifested the same good feeling and good faith at other times. When -Standish landed at Nauset, in the winter of 1622-3, an Indian crawled into -his shallop about dusk, as it lay in a narrow creek, and carried off some -beads, scissors and other small articles. The captain soon discovered the -theft, and taking some of his crew with him, he went immediately to -Aspinet, made his complaint, and demanded, with some bravadoes, that -either the articles or the criminal should be delivered to him forthwith. -The Sachem took no offence at his plainness of speech; but not being -prepared to give satisfaction on the instant, very composedly offered his -visitor the hospitalities of his wigwam till the matter could be settled -as it should be. These were rejected, and Standish returned to his -"rendezvous" on the shore. The next morning, Aspinet made his appearance. -He came marching down to the shore, with considerable pomp and -circumstance, attended by an escort of his subjects, probably numerous -enough to have overwhelmed the little party of Standish, and never at any -former time found wanting in courage. But the object was to do justice, -and not to enforce wrong. He approached the captain and saluted him by -thrusting out his tongue, "that one might see the root thereof, and -therewith licked his hand from the wrist to the finger's end, withal -bowing the knee, to imitate the English gesture, being instructed therein -formerly by Tisquantum." His men followed the example as well as they were -able, but so awkwardly, with all their zeal, as to furnish no little -amusement for the civilized spectators of the scene. Aspinet now gave up -the stolen articles, observing that he had beaten the thief soundly, and -"seeming to be very sorry for the fact, but glad to be reconciled." The -interview closed with a liberal provision of excellent bread upon his -part, which he had ordered his women to bake and bring in whatever -quantities it was wanted.</p> - -<p>But notwithstanding all the pains which the chief of the Nausets took to -maintain a good understanding with his new neighbors, he was destined to -incur their suspicion, and to meet with a miserable ruin under the weight -of their hostility. When the English visited Massasoit, in his sickness, -early in 1683, that chieftain disclosed to them, by the medium of -Hobamock, the particulars of an extensive combination, reported to be -formed among the Indian tribes, "against Master Weston's colony at -Weymouth," as Winslow expresses it, "<i>and so against us.</i>" The -Massachusetts Indians were ringleaders in the affair, it was said; but -Aspinet, and the sachems of many other settlements, including even -Capawack, (Martha's Vineyard) were charged with being privy to it.</p> - -<p>Whether they were so or not, need not be discussed, and cannot be decided. -It is observable, however, in relation to Aspinet, that the evidence of -Massasoit, which was the only evidence in the case, went to show, that -"<i>the men of Massachusetts,</i> were the <i>authors</i> of the intended -business." This very much confirms our conclusion to the same effect, in -the Life of Chickatabot. But, granting all that is charged, it may easily -be imagined how much provocation the Indians had received from Weston's -notorious banditti, and how much reason they had to make common cause -against them in their own self-defence. Winslow himself bears witness, -that immediately after Weston's settlement was commenced, "the Indians -filled our ears with clamors against them, for stealing their corn, and -other abuses;" as also that the Plymouth Government "<i>knew no way to -redress these abuses, save reproof.</i>"</p> - -<p>It seems to have been hardly considered,—-when the English undertook to -wage a preventative or precautionary war, as they did, upon all the -parties accused by Massasoit,—not only that the good Sachem might be -misinformed by rivals or enemies of those parties; and that there might be -a fault upon their own side; but also that the Indians might well be -disposed to punish the Weymouth ruffians, without necessarily carrying -their hostilities any farther. <i>They</i> looked upon Weston's clan as one -<i>tribe,</i> and upon the Plymouth people as another; and the conduct of the two -settlements respectively had hitherto given good cause for the -distinction.</p> - -<p>But whatever was the truth or justice of the case, the result is a matter -of no uncertainty. Captain Standish proceeded to "<i>try his conclusion,</i>" -according to the phraseology of the times, much as John Smith would have -done in his stead, upon such of the savages as were most suspected. -Several were killed, wounded and captured, "and this sudden and unexpected -execution," writes our historian, "together with the just judgment of God -upon their own guilty consciences, so terrified and amazed the other -people who <i>intended</i> to join with the Massachuseuks against us, as in -like manner they forsook their houses,—running to and fro like men -distracted,—living in the swamps, and other desert places,—and so -brought manifold diseases amongst themselves, whereof very many are dead." -Among these unfortunate persons was the Sachem of Nauset; and thus -miserably perished a man at least deserving the credit of having rendered -numerous and generous favors to a people, who had been in the first -instance flagrant trespassers upon his dominion, as they were finally the -cause of his death.</p> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Iyanough,</span> sometimes entitled the "Courteous Sachem of Cummaquid," ruled -over the Indians at that place, which was otherwise called Mattakees, or -Mattakiest, and was included in what has since been the eastern part of -the township of Barnstable and the western part of Yarmouth.</p> - -<p>The kindness of the Sachem and his subjects towards such of the English as -first made their acquaintance, amply accounts for the compliment implied -in his title. The same party which, as we have seen, went in pursuit of -the Plymouth boy, put in at Cummaquid for the first night, and -unfortunately anchored in a situation, where at low water they found -themselves aground. In the morning they espied savages near the shore, -looking for lobsters. Squanto was sent to inform them of the object of the -visit of the English, and to assure them of their friendly disposition. -Thus addressed, the Indians answered that the boy was very well, but at -Nauset; yet, since the English were so near their territory, it was hoped -they would take the trouble to come ashore and eat with them. The -invitation was accepted by six of the party, who landed as soon as their -shallop was afloat, leaving four of the Indians voluntary hostages with -the residue of the crew.</p> - -<p>They were conducted to the residence of Iyanough; a man described as not -exceeding twenty six years of age, but very personable, gentle, courteous, -fair-conditioned, and indeed not like a savage, save for his attire. [FN] -This entertainment is said to have been answerable to his "parts," and -his cheer plentiful and various. The English tarried with him until after -dinner, and then reembarked for Nauset; Iyanough and two of his men going -with them on board the shallop. The latter returned on foot, when the -design of the expedition was accomplished. The English sailed for Plymouth -with a head wind, but were obliged to put in again for the shore, where -they met with their fellow-passenger, the Sachem. He came out to greet -them, with most of his subjects, in company, men, women and children: "and -being still willing to gratify us," says the historian, "took a rundlet, -and lead our men in the dark a great way for water, but could find none -good; yet brought such as there was on his neck with them." In the -meantime, the women joined hand in hand, and began to dance and sing upon -the stand near the shallop; the men showed all the kindness in their -power; and the interview ended with Iyanough himself taking a bracelet -from about his neck, and hanging it upon that of the person who acted as -the leader of the English. His visitors took their leave of him, and "by -God's providence came safely home that night."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Journal of a Plantation</span></p> - - -<p>All that we hear of Iyanough, after this, goes to confirm the estimate -which these particulars induce one to form of his character. He supplied -the colony with a large quantity of provisions, in a period of great need; -and as late as February 1623, when Standish went to Mattakiest on a -similar errand, it is admitted that he not only "pretended" his wonted -love, but spared a good quantity of corn to confirm the same. [FN] The -account given of that meeting closes with the following language. It is -the more noticeable as illustrating the temper of Standish in cases of -excitement and the kind of evidence against the Indians, by which, through -him, the colonists were likely to be satisfied.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Window's <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Relation.</span></p> - - -<p>"Strangers," writes the historian, "also came to this place, <i>pretending</i> -only to see him (Standish,) and his company, whom they never saw before -that time, but <i>intending</i> to join with the rest to kill them, as after -appeared. But being forced through extremity [of weather] to lodge in -their houses, <i>which they much pressed,</i> God possessed the heart of the -Captain with just jealousy, giving strait command, that as one part of his -company slept, the rest should wake, declaring some things which he -understood, whereof he could make no good constructions." We are then -informed, that some beads were stolen from him in the night. Upon this, he -drew out his men, and stationed them around the wigwam of Iyanough, where -many of his people were collected. He threatened to fall upon them -forthwith, unless satisfaction should be made; and seated his indignation -upon the Sachem with an especial emphasis. Iyanough exerted himself to -discover the criminal. An adjustment of the difficulties was at length -effected; and then the Indians good humouredly brought in corn enough to -fill the shallop. "Finally, this accident so daunted their courage, as -they durst not attempt any thing against him; so that through the good -means and providence of God they returned in safety."</p> - -<p>It is not difficult to be seen that there was more prejudice against -Iyanough and his subjects, than proof. Their hospitality only made them -suspected. On the other hand, the real hostility which they may or may not -have felt towards the scoundrels and thieves who composed Master Weston's -settlement at Weymouth, was first taken for granted, and then amplified -into a cause of premature retaliation on the part of the people of -<i>Plymouth.</i> It was about this very time, that the Indians were making the -most urgent complaints against Weston—"how exceedingly," to quote again -from the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Relation</span> itself, "that company abased themselves by undirect -means to get victuals from the Indians;" and how "others by night robbed -the Indians' store, for which they had been publickly stocked and whipped, -and yet there was little amendment," &c.</p> - -<p>If Iyanough <i>had</i> indeed shown himself a little shy of his old -acquaintances in the case last alluded to, it were not much to be wondered -at; especially considering the violence of the worthy but warm-blooded -captain, and also the fact that Plymouth, though duly and distinctly -appealed to, had given the Indians no redress. It is somewhere intimated -in the ancient journals, that certain Indians,—and testimony of this kind -seems to have been received without much suspicions—stated that Iyanough -had been <i>solicited</i> to join the Massachusetts against the whites. But -this certainly, if true, was no crime. Massasoit himself acknowledged, -that he was solicited.</p> - -<p>On the whole, not to enlarge on the minutiae of a case, which at best can -afford no pleasure to those who feel their own honor involved in the -memory of Standish and his Plymouth brethren, we can hardly record the -fate of the kind and gentle Iyanough, the Courteous Sachem, on his own -soil, in the prime of his days, without a blush and a sigh together for -the <i>mistake</i> and the <i>misfortune.</i> Insulted, threatened, pursued, by an enemy -whom no restitution could satisfy, and who suspected equally his caresses -and fears, he fled in consternation and died in despair. -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chiii">CHAPTER III.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">Summary account of the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Five Nations</span>—Their early - history—Government—Conquests—Population—Territory—Intercourse with - European Colonies—Their war with the Adirondacks—Adventures of - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Piskaret</span>—Their negotiations with the French, in 1684—Anecdotes of the - Onondaga Chief, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Garangula</span>—His speech at the Council, and effects of - it—Remarks on his character—History of the Five Nations continued to - the time of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Adario</span>—His exploits—Their object and results—War between - the confederates and the French—Adventures of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Black-Kettle.</span></p> -<br> - -<p>Having concluded our notices of the most eminent Indians of New-England, -it now becomes proper, following merely the progress of history, to turn -our attention to another section of country, and to a period of time which -has not yet furnished us any considerable share of its abundant material. -We refer to the Middle States, and particularly to a large portion of the -State of New-York, which, with other neighboring territory, was formerly -occupied by that famous confederacy commonly called, by the English, the -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Five Nations.</span> Owing to circumstances not necessary here to be detailed, -these tribes—and, as an almost necessary consequence, all the -distinguished individuals they produced—came forward in their intercourse -with the foreign colonies around them, to fill the prominent station -before filled by the Indians of New-England, much as the latter had, in -their turn, succeeded the red men of the South.</p> - -<p>The Five Nations were the Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Cayugas, the Onondagas -and the Senecas. The Virginian Indians gave them the name of Massawomekes; -the Dutch called them Maquas, or Makakuase; and the French, Iroquois. -Their appellation at home was the Mingoes, and sometimes the Aganuschion, -or United People. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Governor Clinton's Discourse before N. Y. H. Society: 1811.</p> - - -<p>When the French settled in Canada, in 1603, they found the Iroquois living -where Montreal now stands. They were at war with the Adirondacks,—a -powerful tribe residing three hundred miles above Trois-Rivieres,—in -consequence of the latter having treacherously murdered some of their -young men. Previous to this date, their habits had been more agricultural -than warlike; but they soon perceived the necessity of adopting a -different system. The Adirondacks drove them from their own country, and -they retreated to the borders of the lakes, where they have ever since -lived. This misfortune it was,—ostensibly at least a misfortune,—which -gave the earliest impulse to the subsequent glorious career of these -Romans of the West.</p> - -<p>Fortunately for them, their sachems were men of a genius and spirit which -adversity served only to stimulate and renew. They, finding their -country-men discouraged by the discomfiture suffered on the banks of the -St. Lawrence, induced them to turn their arms against a less formidable -nation, called the Satanas, then dwelling with themselves near the lakes. -That people they subdued, and expelled from their territory. Encouraged by -success, and strengthened by discipline, they next ventured to defend -themselves against the inroads of their old conquerers on the north; and -at length the Adirondacks were even driven back, in their turn, as far as -the neighborhood of what is now Quebec.</p> - -<p>But a new emergency arose. The French made common cause with the nation -just named against their enemies, and brought to the contest the important -aids of civilized science and art. The Five Nations had now to set wisdom -and wariness, as well as courage and discipline, against an alliance so -powerful. Their captains came forward again, and taught them the policy of -fighting in small parties, and of making amends for inferior force, by -surprisal and stratagem. The result was, that the Adirondacks were nearly -exterminated, while the Iroquois, proudly exalting themselves on their -overthrow, grew rapidly to be the leading tribe of the whole north, and -finally of the whole continent.</p> - -<p>The efforts necessary to attain that ascendant, may be fairly estimated -from the character of the first vanquisher and the first victim. The -Adirondacks fought long and desperately. In the end they adopted their -adversaries' plan of sending out small parties, and of relying especially -on their captains. Five of these men, alone, are said, by their -astonishing energy and bravery to have well nigh turned the balance of the -war.</p> - -<p>One of the number was <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Piskaret,</span> in his own day the most celebrated -chieftain of the north. He and his four comrades solemnly devoted -themselves to the purpose of redeeming the sullied glory of the nation, at -a period when the prospect of conquest, and perhaps of defence, had -already become desperate. They set out for Trois Rivieres in one canoe; -each of them being provided with three muskets, which they loaded -severally with two bullets, connected by a small chain ten inches in -length. In Sorel River, they met with five boats of the Iroquois, each -having on board ten men. As the parties rapidly came together, the -Adirondacks pretended to give themselves up for lost, and began howling -the death-song. This was continued till their enemy was just at hand. They -then suddenly ceased singing, and fired simultaneously on the five canoes. -The charge was repeated with the arms which lay ready loaded, and the -slight birches of the Iroquois were torn asunder, and the frightened -occupants tumbled overboard as fast as possible. Piskaret and his -comrades, after knocking as many of them on the head as they pleased, -reserved the remainder to feed their revenge, which was soon afterwards -done by burning them alive in the most cruel tortures.</p> - -<p>This exploit, creditable as it might be to the actors in the eyes of their -countrymen, served only to sharpen the fierce eagerness for blood which -still raged in the bosom of Piskaret. His next enterprise was far more -hazardous than the former; and so much more so, indeed, even in prospect, -that not a single warrior would bear him company. He set out alone, -therefore for the country of the Five Nations, (with which he was well -acquainted,) about that period, of the spring when the snow was beginning -to melt. Accustomed, as an Indian must be, to all emergencies of traveling -as well as warfare, he took the precaution of putting the hinder part of -his snow-shoes forward, so that if his footsteps should happen to be -observed by his vigilant enemy, it might be supposed he was gone the -contrary way. For further security he went along the ridges and high -grounds, where the snow was melted, that his track might be lost.</p> - -<p>On coming near one of the villages of the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Five Nations,</span> he concealed -himself until night, and then entered a cabin, while the inmates were fast -asleep, murdered the whole family, and carried the scalps to his -lurking-place. The next day, the people of the village sought for the -murderer, but in vain. He came out again at midnight, and repeated his -deed of blood. The third night, a watch was kept in every house, and -Piskaret was compelled to exercise more caution. But his purpose was not -abandoned. He bundled up the scalps he had already taken to carry home -with him as a proof of his victory, and then stole warily from house to -house, until he at last discovered an Indian nodding at his post. This man -he despatched at a blow, but that blow alarmed the neighborhood, and he -was forced immediately to fly for his life. Being, however, the fleetest -Indian then alive, he was under no apprehension of danger from the chase. -He suffered his pursuers to approach him from time to time, and then -suddenly darted away from them, hoping in this manner to discourage as -well as escape them. When the evening came on, he hid himself; and his -enemies stopped to rest. Feeling no danger from a single enemy, and he a -fugitive, they even indulged themselves in sleep. Piskaret, who watched -every movement, turned about, knocked every man of them on the head, added -their scalps to his bundle, and leisurely resumed his way home.</p> - -<p>To return to the Five Nations. The career of victory, which began with the -fall of the Adirondacks, was destined to be extended beyond all precedent -in the history of the Indian tribes. They exterminated the Eries or -Erigas, once living on the south side of the lake of their own name. They -nearly destroyed the powerful Anderstez, and the Chouanons or Showanons. -They drove back the Hurons and Ottawas among the Sioux of the Upper -Mississippi, where they separated themselves into bands, "proclaiming, -wherever they went the terror of the Iroquois." [FN-1] The Illinois on the -west also were subdued, with the Miamies and the Shawanese. The -Nipeneneans of the St Lawrence fled to Hudson's Bay, to avoid their fury. -"The borders of the Outaouis," says an historian, "which were long thickly -peopled, became almost deserted." [FN-2] The Mohawk was a name of terror -to the farthest tribes of New-England; and though but one of that -formidable people should appear for a moment on the hills of the -Connecticut or Massachusetts, the villages below would be in an uproar of -confusion and fear. Finally they conquered the tribe of Virginia, west of -the Alleghenies; and warred against the Catawbas, Cherokees, and most of -the nations of the South.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] Herriot's History of Canada.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Ibid.</p> - - -<p>The result of this series of conquests, was, that the Five Nations finally -became entitled, or at least laid claim to all the territory not sold to -the English, from the mouth of Sorel River, on the south side of lakes -Erie and Ontario, on both sides of the Ohio, until it falls into the -Mississippi; and on the north side of these lakes, the whole tract between -the Outawas River and lake Huron. [FN] The historian, Douglas, estimates -their territory at about 1200 miles in length, from north to south, and -from 700 to 800 miles in breadth.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Smith's History of New-York.</p> - - -<p>The most moderate account of their population we have seen, was published -by an agent of Virginia, who held a conference at Albany with the chiefs, -in 1677. The warriors were then numbered as follows:</p> -<table> - <tr><td>Mohawks, </td><td align="right">300</td></tr> - <tr><td>Oneidas, </td><td align="right">200</td></tr> - <tr><td>Onondagas, </td><td align="right">350</td></tr> - <tr><td>Cayugas, </td><td align="right">300</td></tr> - <tr><td>Senecas, </td><td><u>1000</u></td></tr> - <tr><td align="right">Total, </td><td>2150</td></tr> -</table> -<p>This would make the whole population about 7000. Even so late as the -Revolutionary war, the British had in their service, according to the -calculation of their own agents:</p> -<table> - <tr><td>Mohawks, </td><td>300</td></tr> - <tr><td>Oneidas, </td><td>150</td></tr> - <tr><td>Onondagas, </td><td>300</td></tr> - <tr><td>Cayugas, </td><td>230</td></tr> - <tr><td>Senecas, </td><td>400</td></tr> -</table> -<p>To which must be added 200 Tuscaroras—a tribe expelled from North -Carolina in 1712, and received by the five Nations, to constitute a sixth -member of the Confederacy. We must also add 220 warriors who adhered to -the United States. The whole number actually engaged in the contest would -then amount to 1800.</p> - -<p>The Five Nations entered into a treaty of peace with the Dutch soon after -their settlement in New-York. They treated with the English subsequently -on the same terms; and this memorable engagement remained inviolate for -more than a century, during all the revolutions and machinations of the -French and English governments, on either side. With the former of these -people they were often at war.</p> - -<p>About the year 1684, the French availed themselves of a peace with the -Five Nations to build forts at several important places on the northern -waters, and to make many arrangements for extending their dominion and -commerce among the numerous tribes of the north and west. Their only -opposition came from the Confederates. The Senecas who were the most -numerous and the nearest, were particularly troublesome in cutting off -supplies of ammunition, sent by the French among their tribes, who hunted -for them. At length, M. De la Barre, the Governor of Canada, complained of -these injuries to the English, who were known to have great influence over -their Indian allies. Meanwhile he took vigorous measures for frightening -the Five Nations into friendship. He ordered his vessels on the lakes to -be repaired; and collected at Cadaraqui fort all the forces of Canada. But -the nature of the soil at this station, where he was detained six weeks in -the heat of summer, occasioned sickness and embarrassment in his army, and -he found the prospect utterly hopeless of effecting any thing, unless it -might be by treaty. He sent messengers, therefore, to some of the Five -Nations, to induce a negotiation.</p> - -<p>These movements the English Commander at Albany, Colonel Dungan, exerted -himself to counteract. The Mohawks and Senecas promised him that they -would not go near the French. But the remaining three tribes would not -even hear the messages he sent them, except in presence of the priests and -other deputies who had already brought an invitation from the French -Governor to meet him in Council, at Kaihohage. [FN-1] "Should we not go to -him after all this entreaty," said they in answer to the English, "when he -is come so far, and so near to us? Certainly. If we do not, we shall -deserve no favour. You say we are subjects to the King of England and the -Duke of York. <i>We</i> say we are brethren, and take care of ourselves." -[FN-2]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] On Lake Ontario, and called by the French La-Famine.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Colden's History of the Five Nations.</p> - - - -<p>The event justified this independence. The most distinguished of the -confederate chieftains was <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Garangula,</span> the pride of the Onondaga tribe. He -was now advanced in years, but had lost nothing of his energies. Taking -thirty warriors with him, he went with La Maine, the French Deputy, to -meet the Canadian Governor at Kaihohage. At the end of two days after -reaching that place, a Council was held. The French officers formed a -semi-circle on one side, which the Indians completed on the other; and the -Governor then addressed himself to Garangula.</p> - -<p>"The King, my master," he began, "being informed that the Five Nations -have often infringed the peace, has ordered me to come hither with a -guard, and to send Ohguesse (La Maine) to the Onondagas, to bring the -Chief Sachem to my camp." He then went on to require Garangula,—as a -condition precedent to the treaty which might be granted him,—to promise, -in the name of the Five Nations, that entire reparation should be given -the French for the past, and entire security for the future. In case of -refusal, they were threatened with war. Again, they were charged with -violence committed upon the French traders, and upon Indian nations under -French protection; and with having introduced the English to trade in the -neighborhood of the lakes. This also was cause of war. Finally, said the -Governor, with no very scrupulous regard to truth, upon one point at -least, "I shall be extremely grieved if my words do not produce the effect -I anticipate from them; for then I shall be obliged to join with the -Governor of New-York, <i>who is commanded by his master to assist me,</i> and -burn the castles of the Five Nations, and destroy you."</p> - -<p>This crafty speech was designed to strike a terror into the Indians; and -Garangula was undoubtedly surprised by a style of expression which -contrasted so strongly with the smooth and soft words of La Maine and the -priests. But fear never entered his bosom; and he had the additional -advantage of good information respecting the true state of the French -Army. He knew that the Governor's insolence proceeded in fact from his -impotence; bravado was his last resort. During the speech, however, he -manifested no emotion of any kind, but kept his eyes composedly fixed on -the end of his own pipe. But the moment the Governor had ceased, he rose -up, walked five or six times about the council-circle, and then returned -to his place, where he spoke standing, while La Barre remained in his -elbow-chair.</p> - -<p>"Yonondio!" he began—addressing the Governor by the title always given to -that Canadian officer by the Five Nations—"Yonondio!—I honor you, and -the warriors that are with me all likewise honor you. Your interpreter has -finished your speech; I now begin mine. My words make haste to reach your -ears. Hearken to them.</p> - -<p>"Yonondio!—You must have believed when you left Quebec, that the sun had -burnt up all the forests, which render our country inaccessible to the -French, or that the lakes had so far overflown the banks, that they had -surrounded our castles, and that it was impossible for us to get out of -them. Yes, surely you must have dreamed so, and the curiosity of seeing so -great a wonder, has bought you so far. <i>Now</i> you are undeceived. I and the -warriors here present, are come to assure you, that the Senecas, Cayugas, -Onondagas, Oneidas and Mohawks are yet alive. I thank you in their name, -for bringing back into their country the calumet, which your predecessor -received from their hands. It was happy for you, that you left under -ground that murdering hatchet, so often dyed in the blood of the French.</p> - -<p>"Hear, Yonondio!—I do not sleep. I have my eyes open. The sun, which -enlightens me, discovers to me a great captain at the head of a company of -soldiers, who speaks as if he were dreaming. He says, that he only came to -the lake to smoke on the great calumet with the Onondagas. But <i>Garangula</i> -says, that he sees the contrary; that it was to knock them on the head, if -sickness had not weakened the arms of the French. I see Yonondio raving in -a camp of sick men, whose lives the Great Spirit has saved by inflicting -this sickness on them.</p> - -<p>"Hear Yonondio!—Our women had taken their clubs, our children and old men -had carried their bows and arrows into the heart of your camp, if our -warriors had not disarmed them, and kept them back, when your messenger -came to our castles. It is done and I have said it.</p> - -<p>"Hear, Yonondio!—We plundered none of the French, but those that carried -guns, powder and balls to the Twightwies and Chictaghicks, because those -arms might have cost us our lives. Herein we follow the example of the -Jesuits, who break all the kegs of rum brought to our castles, lest the -drunken Indians should knock them on the head. Our warriors have not -beaver enough to pay for all the arms they have taken, and our old men are -not afraid of the war. This belt preserves my words.</p> - -<p>"We carried the English into our lakes, to trade there with the Utawawas -and Quatoghies, as the Adirondacks brought the French to our castles, to -carry on a trade, which the English say is theirs. We are born free. We -neither depend on Yonondio nor Corlear. [FN] We may go where we please, -and carry with us whom we please, and buy and sell what we please. If your -allies be your slaves, use them as such, command them to receive no other -but your people. This belt preserves my words."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] The name they gave the Governor of New-York.</p> - - -<p>"We knock the Twightwies and Chictaghicks on the head, because they had -cut down the trees of peace, which were the limits of our country. They -have hunted beaver on our lands. They have acted contrary to the customs -of all Indians, for they left none of the beavers alive,—they killed both -male and female. They brought the Satanas into their country, to take part -with them, after they had concerted ill designs against us. We have done -less than either the English or French, that have usurped the lands of so -many Indian nations, and chased them from their own country. This belt -preserves my words.</p> - -<p>"Hear, Yonondio!—What I say is the voice of all the Five Nations. Hear -what they answer. Open your ears to what they speak. The Senecas, Cayugas, -Onondagas, Oneidas and Mohawks say, that when they buried the hatchet at -Cadarackui, in the presence of your predecessor, in the middle of the -fort, they planted the tree of peace in the same place, to be there -carefully preserved. That in the place of a retreat for soldiers, that -fort might be a rendezvous for merchants; that in place of arms and -ammunition of war, beavers and merchandize should only enter there.</p> - -<p>"Hear, Yonondio!—Take care for the future that so great a number of -soldiers as appear there, do not choke the tree of peace planted in so -small a fort. It will be a great loss, if, after it had so easily taken -root, you should stop its growth, and prevent its covering your country -and ours with its branches. I assure you, in the name of the Five Nations, -that our warriors shall dance to the calumet of peace under its leaves. -They shall remain quiet on their mats, and shall never dig up the hatchet, -till their brother Yonondio, or Corlear, shall either jointly or -separately endeavor to attack the country, which the Great Spirit has -given to our ancestors. This belt preserves my words, and this other the -authority which the Five Nations have given me."</p> - -<p>Here the orator paused for a moment, and then addressed himself to -Monsieur Le Maine, who stood near him, acting as interpreter. "Take -courage, Ohguesse!" said he, "You have spirit—Speak! Explain my words. -Forget nothing. Tell all that your brethren and friends say to Yonondio, -your Governor, by the mouth of Garangula, who loves you, and desires you -to accept of this present of beaver, and take part with me in my feast, to -which I invite you. This present of beaver is sent to Yonondio, on the -part of the Five Nations."</p> - -<p>When this harangue was explained to the Governor, he quietly left the -council, and withdrew to his tent, disappointed and much incensed. -Garangula, on the other hand, feasted the French officers, and then went -home. Nothing more was heard of the treaty; and the French troops, who had -been ordered out, soon after made the best of their way to their own -habitations.</p> - -<p>The genuineness of the speech we have given above, seems to be past -dispute. It was recorded on the spot by that enlightened historian, Baron -La Hontan, from whom Colden and other subsequent writers have borrowed it. -Considering the circumstances under which it was delivered, and especially -the surprise practiced by the Governor, it may certainly be regarded as an -evidence of astonishing sagacity, spirit, and self-possession. Its proud -courtesy, so different from the Frenchman's boisterous parade of idle -threats, only adds to the sting of its sarcasm, as the imagery gives -weight to the argument. An illustrious statesman and scholar has placed it -in the same rank with the celebrated speech of Logan. [FN] But the fame of -Garangula must, at all events, rest upon this effort, for history makes no -mention of him subsequent to the council of Kaihohage.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Discourse of Gov. Clinton.</p> - - -<p>About three years after that transaction, another personage distinguished -himself as much as the Onondaga Chief, though in a very different manner. -This was <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Adario,</span> Chief Sachem of the Dinondadies, a tribe generally found -among those in the French interest, and opposed both to the Five Nations -and the English. The former Government had consequently treated them with -favor. But, notwithstanding these circumstances, they had latterly shown a -strong disposition to trade with the English—and especially upon one -occasion, when the latter, guided by the Five Nations, had opened a -commerce on the frontiers of Canada. That affair, as Adario now observed, -made them obnoxious to their ancient ally, the French; and he therefore -resolved, by some notable exploit, to redeem the character of his nation.</p> - -<p>Full of this purpose, he marched from Michilimackinac, at the head of a -hundred men; and to act with the greater security, he took Cadaraqui fort -in his way, for intelligence. The Commandant there informed him, that the -Governor was now in expectation of concluding a peace with the Five -Nations, and of receiving a visit from their ambassadors in eight or ten -days, at Montreal. He desired him to return home, without attempting any -thing which might obstruct so good a design.</p> - -<p>But Adario had another project in view. The Commandant's information -convinced him of the danger there was that his own nation, in the new -arrangement, might be sacrificed to the French interest. Deliberating on -the means proper to prevent such a result, he took leave of the officer, -but not to return home. Knowing the route by which the Iroquois must -necessarily come, he lay wait for them, with his company, at one of the -falls of Cadaraqui river. Here he had patiently waited four or five days, -when the Deputies made their appearance, guarded by forty young soldiers. -These were suddenly set upon by the ambuscade, and all who were not killed -were taken prisoners. When the latter were secured, Adario artfully told -them, that, <i>having been informed of their approach by the Governor of -Canada,</i> he had secured this pass with the almost certain prospect of -intercepting them.</p> - -<p>The Deputies were of course very much surprised at the Governor's conduct; -and they finally expressed themselves with such freedom, as to declare the -whole object of their journey. Adario was, in his turn, apparently amazed -and enraged. He swore revenge upon the Governor, for having, as he said, -made a tool of <i>him,</i> to commit his abominable treachery. Then, looking -steadfastly on the prisoners, he said to them, "Go, my brothers!—I untie -your hands. I send you home again, though our nations be at war. The -French Governor has made me commit so black an action, that I shall never -be easy after it, till the Five Nations shall have had full revenge." The -Deputies, furnished with ammunition and arms for their journey, and -completely satisfied of the truth of Adario's declarations, returned to -their own country, after having assured him that he and his nation might -make <i>their</i> peace when they pleased.</p> - -<p>This master-stroke of policy was seconded by an incident which occurred -soon afterwards, and which the same cunning and vigilant spirit profited -by to promote his design. In the surprisal of the Deputies, Adario had -lost one man, and had filled his place with a Satana prisoner, who had -been before adopted into the Five Nations. This man he soon afterwards -delivered to the French at Michilimackinac, probably at their request; and -they, for the purpose of keeping up the enmity between the Dinondadies and -Five Nations, ordered him to be shot. Adario called one of the latter -people, who had long been a prisoner, to be an eye-witness of his -countryman's death. He then bade him make his escape to his own country, -and there to give an account of the ferocious barbarity from which <i>he</i> -had been unable to save a captive belonging to himself.</p> - -<p>The Five Nations had already been upon the brink of war, in consequence of -the representations of the Deputies. Their rage was now beyond all bounds. -The Governor, having obtained some information of the state of things, -sent messengers to disavow and expose the conduct of Adario; but they -would listen to no messages; their souls thirsted for revenge. The war was -undertaken immediately, and never was one more disastrous to Canada. -Twelve hundred of the Iroquois invaded the province, while the French were -still uncertain whether hostilities would commence. In July, 1688, they -landed at La Chine, on the south side of the island of Montreal; and, -keeping the Governor himself, with his troops, confined within the walls -of the town, they sacked all the plantations, and indiscriminately -massacred men, women, and children. More than one thousand of the French -were killed, and many were carried off captive, who afterwards shared the -same fate. The Indian army lost but three men during the whole expedition.</p> - -<p>The most distinguished of the Iroquois warriors about this time, was one -whom the English called <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Black-Kettle.</span> Colden speaks of him as a famous -hero; but few of his exploits have come down to these, times. It is only -known that he commanded large parties of his countrymen, who were -exceedingly troublesome to the French. In 1691, he made an irruption into -the country round Montreal, at the head of several hundred men. He overran -Canada, (say the French annalists,) as a torrent does the low lands, when -it overflows its banks, and there is no withstanding it. The troops at the -stations received orders to stand upon the defensive; and it was not until -the enemy were returning home victorious, after having desolated all -Canada, that a force of four hundred soldiers was mustered to pursue them. -Black-Kettle is said to have had but half that number with him at this -juncture, but he gave battle, and fought desperately. After losing twenty -men slain, with some prisoners, he broke through the French ranks and -marched off, leaving a considerable number of the enemy wounded and killed.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chiv">CHAPTER IV.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Five Nations</span> <i>continued.</i> Remarks on their oratory—Circumstances - favorable to it—Account of a council of the Confederates at Onondaga, - in 1690—Anecdotes of various persons who attended it—Speeches of - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sadekanatie</span> and other orators—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Adarahta</span>—The history and character of - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Decanesora</span>—His speeches at the Albany council of 1694—Style of his - eloquence—His personal and political character—Other speeches and - negotiations—Anecdotes of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sadekanatie.</span></p> -<br> - -<p>Enough perhaps has already appeared respecting the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Five Nations</span> to justify -the observation of an eminent writer, that they were no less celebrated -for eloquence than for military skill and political wisdom. [FN-1] The -same obvious circumstances prompted them to excellence in all these -departments; but in the former, their relations with each other and with -other tribes, together with the great influence which their reputation and -power attached to the efforts of their orators abroad, gave them peculiar -inducements, facilities and almost faculties for success. Among the -Confederates, as among the Indians of all the East and South, a high -respect was cherished for the warrior's virtues; but eloquence was a -certain road to popular favour. Its services were daily required in -consultations at home and communications abroad. The council-room was -frequented like the Roman forum and the senate-house of the Greeks. Old -and young went there together; the one for discipline and distinction, and -the other "to observe the passing scenes, and to receive the lessons of -wisdom." [FN-2]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] Governor Clinton.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Ibid.</p> - - -<p>The <i>kind</i> of oratory for which Garangula and other public speakers of his -Confederacy were distinguished, it cannot be expected of us to analyse -with much precision. Indian oratory is generally pointed, direct, -undisguised, unpolished; but forcible in expression and delivery, -brilliant in flashes of imagery, and naturally animated with graphic -touches of humor, pathos, or sententious declaration of high-toned -principle,—according in some measure to the occasion, but more -immediately to the momentary impulse of the speaker as supported by his -prevalent talent. If the orators of the Five Nations differed much from -this description, it was in qualities which they owed, independently of -genius, to their extraordinary opportunities of practice, and to the -interest taken in their efforts by the people who heard, employed and -obeyed them.</p> - -<p>"The speakers whom I have heard," says Mr. Colden, "had all a great -<i>fluency of words,</i> and much more <i>grace in their manner,</i> than any man -could expect, among a people entirely ignorant of the liberal arts and -sciences." He adds, that he had understood them to be—(not knowing their -language himself)—very nice in the turn of their expressions; though it -seems but few of them were such masters of the art as never to offend -their Indian auditories by an unpolite expression. Their greatest speakers -attained to a sort of <i>urbanitas</i> or <i>atticism.</i> [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] History of the Five Nations.</p> - - -<p>For the purpose of better illustrating some points which are barely -alluded to in these observations, as well as to introduce several new -characters, not easily appreciated without the context of circumstances in -which they appeared, we shall furnish a somewhat detailed account of a -General Council of the Confederates holden at Onondaga, in January 1690. -The object of it was to take order upon a message sent them from the Count -de Frontenac, Governor of Canada, the purport of which will appear in the -proceedings. It may be premised, that the Onondaga council-house was -commonly preferred on these occasions, on account of the central position -occupied by that tribe in regard to the other four. [FN] The English -authorities at Albany were formally invited to attend; but they contented -themselves with sending their public interpreter, to take note of what -passed, together with three Indians instructed in their name to dissuade -the Five Nations from entertaining thoughts of peace, or even consenting -to a cessation of arms.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] It is impossible to say how much influence this, circumstance might - have on the ambition of the Onondaga orators. It will be observed, that - the tribe enjoyed rather more than its equal share of rhetorical - distinction.</p> - - -<p>The Council opened on the 22d of the month, eighty sachems being present -In the first place <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sadekanatie,</span> an Onondaga, rising in his place, -addressed himself to one of the English messengers from Albany. He -informed him, that four deputies were present from the Canadian Governor, -viz.: three Indians who had formerly been carried prisoners to France, and -a sachem of the Praying Indians in the French interest who lived near -Montreal; and that Governor Frontenac had notified them of his -appointment, and of his having brought over with him from France <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tawerahet</span> -and twelve other Indians formerly carried prisoners to that country. Then -taking in his hand the wampum-belt [FN] sent by the Count, and holding it -by the middle, he added:—</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] The practice of confirming stipulations and making proposals by - belts, so commonly adopted among the Indians, cannot be understood in any - way better than by observing the various instances mentioned in the text.</p> - - -<p>"What I have said relates only to one half of the belt. The other half is -to let us know that he intends to kindle his fire again at Cadaraqui next -spring. He therefore invites his children, and the Onondaga Captain -Decanesora, in particular, to treat there with him about the old chain."</p> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Adarahta</span> was Chief Sachem of the Praying Indians, a community principally -made up of members of several tribes, including the Five Nations, who had -been induced by the French to settle themselves upon <i>their</i> territory, -and were serviceable to them in various capacities. "I advise you," said -Adarahta, holding three belts in his hand, "to meet the Governor of Canada -as he desires. Agree to this if you would live." He then gave a belt of -wampum. "Tawerahet," he proceeded, "sends you this other belt, to inform -you of the miseries which he and the rest of his countrymen have suffered -in captivity; and to advise you to hearken to Yonondio, if you desire to -live. This third belt is from Thurensera, Ohguesse, and Ertel, [FN] who say -by it to their brethren: 'We have interceded for you with your order, and -therefore advise you to meet him at Cadaraqui in the spring. It will be -well for you.'"</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Indian names—meaning <i>Day-Dawn, Partridge,</i> and <i>Rose,</i> given to - Frenchmen well known to the Five Nations. The policy of sending such - messages is sufficiently obvious.</p> - - -<p>A Mohawk chief, one of those instructed by the Albany magistrates to -represent their wishes at the council, now delivered the message they had -given him. He had treasured it up word for word. The Interpreter, who had -the same message in writing, followed him while he spoke, and found him -correct to a syllable.</p> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Cannehoot,</span> a Seneca sachem, next proceeded to give the Council a -particular account of a treaty made during the summer previous, between -his own tribe and some Wagunha messengers, one of the Canadian nations, on -the river Uttawas. The latter had acted on the behalf of seven other -tribes; and he wished the other four members of his own Confederacy to -ratify what bad been done by the Senecas. The articles proposed by the -Wagunhas were as follows:</p> - -<p>1. "We are come to join two bodies into one,"—delivering up at the same -time two prisoners.</p> - -<p>2. "We are come to learn wisdom of the Senecas, and of the other Five -Nations, and of your brethren of New-York;"—giving a belt.</p> - -<p>3. "We by this belt wipe away the tears from the eyes of your friends, -whose relations have been killed in the war. We likewise wipe the paint -from your soldier's faces;" [FN]—giving a second belt.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] The Indians universally paint their faces on going to war, to make - their appearance more terrific to the enemy. To <i>wipe off the paint,</i> was - to make peace.</p> - - -<p>4. "We throw aside the axe which Yonondio put into our hands by this -third belt."</p> - -<p>5. "Let the sun, as long as he shall endure, always shine upon us in -friendship;"—giving a red marble sun, as large as a plate.</p> - -<p>6. "Let the rain of heaven wash away all hatred, that we may again smoke -together in peace;"—giving a large pipe of red marble.</p> - -<p>7. "Yonondio is drunk—we wash our hands clean from his actions;"—giving -a fourth belt.</p> - -<p>8. "Now we are clean washed by the water of heaven; neither of us must -defile ourselves by hearkening to Yonondio."</p> - -<p>9. "We have twelve of your nation prisoners; they shall be brought home in -the spring;"—giving a belt to confirm the promise.</p> - -<p>10. "We will bring your prisoners home when the strawberries shall be in -blossom, at which time we intend to visit <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Corlear,</span> [the Governor of -New-York] and see the place where the wampum is made."</p> - -<p>When Cannehoot had done, the Wagunha presents were hung up in the -council-house, in sight of the whole assembly. They were afterwards -distributed among the several Five-Nations, and their acceptance was a -ratification of the treaty. A large belt was also given to the Albany -messengers, as their share. A wampum belt sent from Albany, was in the -same manner hung up, and afterwards divided. The New-England colonies, -called by the Confederates <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Kinshon,</span> sent the wooden model of a fish, as a -token of their adhering to the general covenant. This was handed round -among the sachems, and then laid aside to be preserved.</p> - -<p>At the end of these ceremonies, Sadekanatie rose again. "Brothers!" he -said, "we must stick to our brother Quider, and regard Yonondio as our -enemy; he is a cheat." By <i>Quider</i> he meant <i>Peter,</i> referring to Peter -Schuyler, Mayor of Albany; a gentleman much esteemed by the five tribes, -but whose name, having no labials in their language, they were unable to -pronounce.</p> - -<p>After some farther proceedings, the English Interpreter was desired to -deliver his message from Albany. He told them that a new Governor had -arrived in the province, with a large number of fresh troops; that England -was at war with France; and that the people of New-England were fitting -out an expedition against Canada. He advised them not to treat with the -French, but at all events only at Albany. That people, he said, would keep -no agreement made anywhere else.</p> - -<p>The sachems now held a consultation together for some time, the result of -which, was thus declared by a speaker chosen for the purpose, and who is -supposed to have been Sadekanatie. The different passages were addressed -respectively to the deputies of the parties referred to.</p> - -<p>"Brothers! Our fire burns at Albany. We will not send Decanesora to -Cadaraqui. We adhere to our old chain with Corlear—We will prosecute the -war with Yonondio—We will follow your advice in drawing off our men from -Cadaraqui. Brothers! We are glad to hear the news you tell us—but tell us -no lies!"</p> - -<p>"Brother Kinshon! We hear you design to send soldiers to the eastward -against the Indians there. [FN] But we advise you, now so many are united -against the French, to fall immediately on them. <i>Strike at the root; when -the trunk shall be cut down, the branches will fall of course."</i></p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] New-Hampshire and Maine tribes, at war with the Colonies, and known - to be instigated and assisted by the French.</p> - - -<p>"Corlear and Kinshon,—Courage! Courage! In the spring to Quebec! Take -that place—You will have your feet on the necks of the French, and all -their friends in America."</p> - -<p>Another consultation terminated in the adoption of the following answer to -be sent to the Canadians.</p> - -<p>1. "Yonondio! You have notified your return to us, and that you have -brought back thirteen of our people who were carried to France—We are -glad of it. You desire us to meet you at Cadaraqui next spring, to treat -of the old chain. But, Yonondio! how can we trust you, who have acted -deceitfully so often? Witness what was done at Cadaraqui—the usage our -messengers met with at Uttawas, and what was done, to the Senecas at the -same place." Here a belt was given, indicating a willingness still to -treat.</p> - -<p>2. "Thurensera, Ohguesse and Ertel! Have you observed friendship with us? -If you have not, how came you to advise us to renew friendship with -Yonondio?" A belt also was attached to this answer.</p> - -<p>3. "Tawerahet! The whole Council is glad to hear of your return with the -other twelve. Yonondio!—You must send home Tawerahet and the others this -present winter—before spring. We will save all the French we have -prisoners till that time."</p> - -<p>4. "Yonondio!—You desire to speak with us at Cadaraqui;—Don't you know -that your fire there is extinguished? It is extinguished with blood. You -must send home the prisoners in the first place."</p> - -<p>5. "We let you know that we have made peace with the Wagunhas."</p> - -<p>6. "You are not to think that we have laid down the axe, because we return -an answer. We intend no such thing. Our Far-fighters shall continue the -war till our countrymen return."</p> - -<p>7. "When our brother Tawerahet is returned, then we will speak to you of -peace."</p> - -<p>Such was the result of the great exertions made at this time by the -Canadian Government to overawe the Five Nations, and to draw them away -from the English alliance. The whole proceeding, though indeed it -furnishes no extraordinary specimens of their eloquence, illustrates in -the plainest manner the very favorable circumstances under which their -orators came forward, and the inducements they had to devote their genius -to the council-house, even in preference to war.</p> - -<p>Sadekanatie, who acted a prominent part in the Onondaga Council, and was -himself of that tribe, appeared to great advantage upon several other -occasions. The favorite orator of the Confederates, however, during most -of the period in which he flourished, was <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Decanesora,</span> whose name has -already been mentioned. That Sachem was for many years almost invariably -employed as the Speaker in their negotiations with both French and -English. He was one of the deputies who fell into the hands of Adario; and -we have seen that in the message of Count Frontenac to the Onondaga -Council, he invited "his children, and Decanesora, the Onondaga Captain, -in particular," to treat with him at Cadaraqui. The Confederates, on the -other hand, signify their disposition to continue the war by saying, "we -will not send Decanesora."</p> - -<p>Mr. Colden, who knew this orator well, and heard him speak frequently, -gives him credit for a perfect fluency, and for "a graceful elocution that -would have pleased in any part of the world." He was tall, and his person -well made; and his features are said to have borne a resemblance to the -busts of Cicero. It is much to be regretted in his case, as in many -others, that but very slight indications of his eloquence are preserved to -these times. Such as are preserved, probably do him very imperfect -justice. Some of them, however, at least indicate the sagacity, the -courtesy, the undaunted courage, and the high-minded sense of honor, -which, among the countrymen of Decanesora as among those of Quintillian, -were no less recommendations of the orator than they were virtues of the -man.</p> - -<p>In the winter of 1693-4, after a long series of hostilities between the -Confederates and the French,—attended on both sides with alternate -suffering and injury, until both were heartily weary of the war,—certain -artful proposals, artfully set forth by Jesuit messengers, were at length -so well received by all the Confederates excepting the Mohawks, that a -council was summoned at Onondaga to act upon them. The English were -civilly invited to attend; and although both they and the Mohawks -neglected to do so, no measures were adopted in council, except with the -understanding that they should not be final without being first submitted -to the examination of both those parties. With this view, several sachems -were sent to Albany, and of these Decanesora was the principal and the -speaker. The account which he gave to Major Schuyler and the Albany -magistrates of the negotiation now pending, including its origin, is a -fine specimen, as Mr. Colden observes, of his art, not only in smoothing -over an affair undertaken against the English interest and advice, but -also in introducing and enforcing his own views of the sovereign dignity -of the Five Nations.</p> - -<p>"Brother Cayenguirago," [FN] he began, "we are come to acquaint you, that -our children, the Oneidas, having of themselves sent a messenger to -Canada, he has brought back with him a belt of peace from the Governor."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] An Indian appellation, signifying a <i>swift arrow,</i> given to Governor - Fletcher in consequence of the prompt succor he had once rendered the - Five Nations, in an emergency occasioned by a French invasion. Schuyler - is addressed as representing the Governor.</p> - - -<p>"As soon as Tariha [the messenger] arrived at Canada, he was asked, where -the six hundred men were, that were to attack Canada, as they had been -informed by Cariokese, a Mohawk Deserter? He assured them there was no -such design."</p> - -<p>"He was carried to Quebec, where he delivered his belt, with the following -proposition. 'Yonondio, if you would have peace go to Albany, and ask it -there, for the Five Nations we do nothing without Cayenguirago.' The -Governor of Canada was angry at this, and said, he had nothing to do with -the Governor of New York; he would treat only with the Five Nations; the -peace between the Christians must be made on the other side the great -lake! He added, he was sorry to see the Five Nations so far degenerated as -to take a sixth nation into their chain, to rule over them. 'If you had -desired me to come and treat in any of your castles, I would have done it; -but to tell me I must go to Albany, is to desire of me what I can by no -means do. You have done very ill, to suffer the people of New York to -govern you so far, that you dare do nothing without their consent. I -advise you to send two of each nation to me, and let Decanesora be one of -them. I have orders from the King my master to grant you peace, if you -come in your proper persons to ask it.' The Governor of Canada afterwards -said:"</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Colden. {TN: There does not appear to be a reference to this note in - the text. It appears at about this point.}</p> - - -<p>"'Children of the Five Nations, I have compassion for your little -children, therefore come speedily and speak of peace to me, otherwise I'll -stop my ears for the future; by all means let Decanesora come; for if the -Mohawks come alone, I will not hear them; some of all the Five Nations -must come. Now, Tariha, return home, and tell the Five Nations, that I -will wait for their coming till the trees bud, and the bark can be parted -from the trees. I design for France in the spring, and I leave a gentleman -to command here, to whom I have given orders to raise soldiers, if you do -not come in that time. And then what will become of you? I am truly -grieved to see the Five Nations so debauched and deceived by Cayenguirago, -who is lately come to New-York, and by Quider. Formerly the chief men of -the Five Nations used to converse with me; but this Governor of New York -has so deluded you, that you hearken to none but him; but take care of -what will follow, if you hearken to none but him.'"</p> - -<p>Here the orator took occasion to explain, very shrewdly, why the -deputation to which he belonged had been delayed so long, with some other -matters of the same kind. He then reported the following resolutions -agreed upon by the Council to be sent to the Governor of Canada. They were -probably his own composition, the Council having been called, and the -whole transaction in a great measure managed by himself.</p> - -<p>1. "Yonondio!—You have sent for me often, and as often asked, why I am -afraid to come? The great kettle of war that you have hung over the fire -is the reason of it." Here Decanesora said he was to lay down a belt, and -ask the Governor's consent to the other two which he held in his hand.</p> - -<p>2. "We now not only throw down the kettle, and thereby throw the boiling -water out of it, but likewise break it to pieces, that it may never be -hung up again,—by this second belt."</p> - -<p>3. "Hearken Yonondio!—You are sent from the French King, your master. So -is Cayenguirago from the Great King and Queen of England. What I am now -about to speak to you, is by inspiration from the Great Spirit. You say -that you will have nothing to do with our brethren of Cayenguirago. But I -must tell you, that we are inseparable. We can have no peace with you so -long as you are at war with them;"—which, added Decanesora, is to be -confirmed by the third belt.</p> - -<p>The noble fidelity to engagements here set forth as a sacred principle, -was far from being the result of either fear or mere affection; and this -Schuyler himself had the opportunity of testing, before the deputation -left Albany.</p> - -<p>7. {<i>sic</i>} "The Governor of Canada's words, and the Resolutions of the -Five-Nations," said the orator in conclusion, "are now before you. -Consult, therefore, what is to be done. If it be necessary for the -Brethren to go to our castle, to advise us farther, be not unwilling." -Here he laid down a large belt, eleven rows deep, and seven fathoms of -wampum. This signified an amicable disposition; but when, on the ensuing -day, Major Schuyler replied that he would consent to no treaty with the -French, and proposed that the deputation, and Decanesora in particular, -should visit him again at the end of seventy days, the rejoinder was, -after consultation, that <i>they</i> would visit him. "But as for myself," said -the old Sachem, "I cannot dispose of myself without their directions. If -they order me, I shall willingly return. We did not expect to hear such -positive prohibition of keeping any correspondence with the French. If any -mischief happen within the seventy days, let us not blame one another. -Consider again what is most for the public good—and let it be spoken -before we part."</p> - -<p>This was confirmed with a large belt of fourteen deep. Major Schuyler -afterwards asked, a second time, whether they would wholly suspend -correspondence with the French, for the term last mentioned. "I have no -authority," said the orator, "to answer this question. I shall lay the -belt down in every one of the castles, and say, that by it all -correspondence is <i>desired</i> to stop with the French. <i>I cannot promise -that this will be complied with.</i>"</p> - -<p>The conference did not end here. On the sixth day, Schuyler called the -deputation together, for the purpose of making a new and vigorous effort. -How much influence his assertions or arguments, alone, might have had, -cannot be determined, for a fortunate incident occurred which materially -altered the aspect of affairs, being just in season to enable him to -carry his point for the time. The stipulation attached to Decanesora's -final consent does him high honor. "You have at last shut up the way to -Canada," he said; "but we have one thing to ask, after mature -deliberation, which we expect will not be refused us." The Major observed, -that every thing should be granted which he thought essential to the -character or the security of the nation. He then proceeded to request, -that an English messenger might be permitted to accompany one to be sent -by himself to the Praying Indians in Canada. The objects were first, to -inform those Indians of what he had ascertained to be the true character -of the Jesuit who had been among the Five Nations; secondly, to notify -them of the meeting appointed at Albany, and of the consequent inability -of the deputies to visit <i>them</i> at the same time, as had been proposed; and -thirdly, to agree upon a continued cessation of arms until they might be -able to visit them. Decanesora further desired, that if Schuyler should -not send a messenger, he would at all events put these propositions in -writing, as a token of his assent to them.</p> - -<p>After all, events took place, owing in no small degree, as we shall find, -to the English themselves, which determined the chieftains to visit the -Canadian Governor in the spring. Some explanation of these events is -furnished by the following speech of Sadekanatie. He, with his fellow -deputies, visited Governor Fletcher at Albany, in May, (1694,) and in the -course of the conference which ensued, delivered his sentiments in the -following manly and forcible style:</p> - -<p>"Brother Cayenguirago!—Some of our sachems agreed, last winter, that we -should keep no correspondence with the French. We confess we have broken -that promise. We have received a messenger from Canada. We have sent our -deputies to Canada in return, [Decanesora being one.] The belt is not yet -arrived by which we are to acknowledge our fault in the matter. The <i>reason</i> -of our doing it is truly this,—<i>we are afraid of the enemy.</i>"</p> - -<p>"When a messenger came last year from Canada to Onondaga, our brother -Cayenguirago discharged our meeting in General Council at Onondaga, to -consult on that message, and ordered us to hold our General Council here -at Albany on that affair. The privilege of meeting in General Council when -we please, is a privilege we always have enjoyed; no former Governor, of -the name of Corlear, ever obstructed this privilege. We planted a tree of -peace in this place with them. Its roots and branches extend as far as -Virginia and New-England, and we have reposed with pleasure under its -shade. Brother, let us keep to that first tree, and let us be united and -unanimous; such prohibition of our assemblies will be of ill consequence, -and occasion differences between us.</p> - -<p>"We acknowledge, I say, our sending agents to Canada for peace. We were -encouraged in doing this by the knowledge we have of the Governor of -Canada. He is an old man, and was formerly Governor of that place. He was -always esteemed a wise peaceable man, and therefore we trust our message -will have a good issue. We did not take it amiss that you sent to the -Dewagunhas, nor that Arnout was sent to the Satanas, both of them our -enemies; and, for the same reason, our brother Cayenguirago ought not to -be displeased with our sending to the French for peace.</p> - -<p>"We, Onondagas, acknowledge ourselves to have been the chief promoters of -this Message. We have sent in all nine sachems with nine belts. It is true -we are now under much uneasiness in having trusted so many sachems in the -French hands, being almost half the number we have in our nation, but we -were in haste to prevent the designs the French had against our countries -and yours, by the great warlike preparations they were making in Canada." -[FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Colden.</p> - - -<p>He concluded with specifying the instructions their deputies had received, -and presented a belt in confirmation of all he had said. Colonel Fletcher -replied, that he would not discuss any other subject until he was -satisfied what reason there was for charging him with having forbidden the -Council, and made peace with the Indian tribes, as alleged by the orator. -This appears to have been a mistake; and accordingly, on the ensuing day, -it was frankly acknowledged to be such, and that in terms which left no -occasion to doubt the speaker's sincerity. "We assure you," he said, "we -will never separate from you. We still have one head, one blood, one soul, -one heart with you." This was said in reference to the alleged prohibition -of the Council. "As to the Dewagunhas and Shawanons," added the speaker, -"we are confident Cayenguirago will not admit them into his government, -till they have made peace with us. That we shall willingly grant. When our -enemies are humbled, and beg peace, why should they not have it? <i>Let them -come and live with us. It will strengthen our country.</i>" [FN] He then -proceeded thus:—</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] A Roman principle, recognised in the practice as well theory of the - Five Nations. Colden says, "they encourage the people of other nations - [including captives] to incorporate with them?" Thus, for example, the - Sixth Nation was added to the Confederacy in 1712.</p> - - -<p>"Brother Cayenguirago!—When the Christians first arrived in this country, -we received them kindly. When they were but a small people, we entered -into a league with them, to guard them from all enemies whatsoever. We -were so fond of their society, that we tied the great canoe which brought -them, not with a rope made of bark to a tree, but with a strong iron chain -fastened to a great mountain. Now, before the Christians arrived, the -General Council of the Five Nations was held at Onondaga, where there has -been, from the beginning, a continual fire kept burning; it is made of two -great logs, whose flame never extinguishes. As soon as the hatchet-makers -[their general name for Christians,] arrived, the General Council at -Onondaga planted this tree at Albany, whose roots and branches have since -spread as far as New-England, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and -Virginia; and under the shade of this tree all these English colonies have -frequently been sheltered."</p> - -<p>Here the orator gave seven fathoms of wampum, <i>to renew the chain;</i> and -promised, as he declared his expectation of receiving, mutual assistance -in case of an attack from any enemy.</p> - -<p>"The only reason, to be plain with you," he continued, "of our sending to -make peace with the French, is the low condition to which we are reduced, -while none of our neighbors send us the least assistance, so that the -whole burthen of the war lies on us alone. Our brethren of New-England, -Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, of their own accord -thrust their arms into our chain; but since the war began we have received -no assistance from them. We, alone, cannot continue the war against the -French, by reason of the recruits they daily receive from the other side -the great lake.</p> - -<p>"Brother Cayenguirago!—Speak from your heart. Are you resolved to -prosecute the war vigorously against the French; and are your neighbors of -Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New-England, resolved to -assist us? If it be so, notwithstanding any treaty hitherto entered into, -we will prosecute the war as hotly as ever. But if our neighbors will not -assist, we must make peace, and we submit it to your consideration, by -giving this great belt fifteen deep.</p> - -<p>"Brother Cayenguirago!—I have truly told you the reasons which have -induced us to offer peace to the French; we shall likewise, from the -bottom of our hearts, inform you of the design we have in this treaty. -When the Governor of Canada shall have accepted the nine belts, of which I -have just now told you, then we shall have something more to say by two -large belts, which lie still hid in our bosom. We shall lay down first one -and say, 'we have a brother Cayenguirago, with whose people we have been -united in one chain from the beginning. They must be included in this -treaty; we cannot see them involved in bloody war, while we sit in easy -peace.' If the Governor of Canada answer, that he has made a separate -peace with us, and that he cannot make any peace with Cayenguirago, -because the war is from over the great lake; then we shall lay down the -second great broad belt, and tell the Governor of Canada, 'If you will not -include Cayenguirago's people, the treaty will become thereby void, as if -it had never been made;' and if he persists, we will absolutely leave -him."</p> - -<p>While the conference was going on at Albany, Decanesora and his fellow -deputies arrived at the castle of the Praying Indians, near the falls -above Montreal. Thence they were conducted, by the Superior of the -Jesuits, to Quebec. They had their audience of the Governor of Canada with -great solemnity, in the presence of all the ecclesiastics and officers of -distinction, and of the most considerable Indians then in the place. Every -day, while they remained, they were entertained at the Governor's table, -or at those of the principal citizens. On the other side, it is said of -the veteran Decanesora, that shrewdly accommodating his coat to his -company, he made himself still more personable than usual, by the aid of a -splendid arrangement which might have done credit to a modern ambassador. -He was clothed in scarlet, trimmed with gold; and his reverend locks were -covered with a laced beaver-hat, which had been given him by Colonel -Fletcher a few months before. Neither ceremony nor decoration, however, -nor even good dinners, mitigated the old orator's firmness.</p> - -<p>"Father!" [FN] he said to the Governor, after mentioning the objects of -the deputation,—"If we do not conclude a peace now, it will be your -fault. We have already taken the hatchet out of the River Indians -[Hudson's river] whom we incited to the war. But we must tell you, that -you are a bad man. You are inconstant. You are not to be trusted. We have -had war together a long time. Still, though you occasioned the war, we -never hated the house of Ohguesse [the Montreal gentleman.] Let him -undertake the toilsome journey to Onondaga. If <i>he</i> will come, he shall be -welcome."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] "A term used in mere courtesy, and because the Governor chose to - call the Indians his children." So a Sachem explained it to one of the - New York Governors, that it "signified nothing."</p> - - -<p>"Father!"—he continued,—"We are now speaking of <i>peace,</i> and therefore I -must speak a word to the Praying Indians, and first to those of Cahnawaga -[chiefly Mohawks.] <i>You</i> know our customs and manners. Therefore make -Yonondio acquainted with them.—Assist in the good work of peace. As for -you," (addressing a party of praying Indians most of whom had once been -Onondagas,) "you are worse than the French themselves. You deserted from -us, and sided with our enemies to destroy us. Make some amends now by -forwarding peace." He then resumed his address to the Governor.</p> - -<p>"You have almost eaten us up. Our best men are killed in this bloody war. -But we forget what is past. Before this we once threw the hatchet into the -river of Kaihohage, [FN] but you fished it up, and treacherously surprised -our people at Cadaraqui. After that you sent to us to have our prisoners -restored. Then the hatchet was thrown up to the sky, but you kept a string -fastened to the helve, and pulled it down, and fell upon our people again. -This we revenged to some purpose, by the destruction of your people and -houses in the island of Montreal."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Near Oswego, on Lake Ontario, where the treaty with M. De la Barre - was negotiated.</p> - - -<p>"Now we are come to cover the blood from our sight, which has been shed by -both sides during this long war.</p> - -<p>"Yonondio!—We have been at war a long time. We now give you a medicine to -drive away all ill thoughts from your heart, to purge it and make it -clean, and restore it to its former state.</p> - -<p>"Yonondio!—We will not permit any settlement at Cadaraqui. You have had -your fire, there thrice extinguished. We will not consent to your building -that fort; but the passage through the river shall be free and clear. We -make the sun clean, and drive away all clouds and darkness, that we may -see the light without interruption.</p> - -<p>"Yonondio!—We have taken many prisoners from one another, during the war. -The prisoners we took have been delivered, according to our custom, to the -families that have lost any in the war. They no longer belong to the -public. They may give them back if they please. Your people may do the -same. We have brought back two prisoners, and restore them to you." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Colden.</p> - - -<p>In the course of his reply to this speech, the Governor observed, that he -should not make peace with Cayenguirago. But Decanesora, nobly and -fearlessly true to every engagement as to his own honor, promptly declared -that he never would agree to a peace for the Confederates, except on -condition of a truce for the English. "All the country," said he, "will -look upon me as a traitor; I can treat with you no longer." And -undoubtedly, anxious as he was to effect the object of his embassy, he -would have returned home disappointed, had not the Governor, after a -discussion of three days, finally yielded, by agreeing to undertake no -enterprise against New York during the summer. Another difficulty arose -upon the Governor's insisting on having hostages left with him, which the -Sachem would not consent to. The matter was adjusted by the voluntary -proposal of two Indians in his company to remain.</p> - -<p>After the return of the Deputation to the country of the Five Nations, a -conference was held at Albany between a new deputation on their part, and -the Governor of New-York. The latter, well knowing how much the -neighboring colonies were interested in the result of the French -negotiation, invited several of them to send representatives, which they -accordingly did. Among those present were the Governor of New-Jersey, and -five commissioners from Massachusetts and Connecticut. On the other hand, -Decanesora and Sadekanatie both attended in the name of the Five Nations. -The former gave an exact account of every thing which passed at Quebec. -The latter,—who seems rather to have coveted opportunities of declaring -the freest sentiments in the freest manner, which his colleague indeed -never declined,—opened the conference with a long speech upon the history -of the English and Indian intercourse; how the league had begun, and had -been enlarged and strengthened; and finally,—what was the chief aim of -his argument,—how <i>other colonies,</i> as he said, had thrust their arms into -the chain, but had given little or no assistance against the common enemy. -There was some cause for this complaint, and the orator was resolved that -he would not be misunderstood when he stated it "Our brother -Cayenguirago's arms;" he continued, "and our own are stiff, and tired with -holding fast the chain. Our neighbors sit still and smoke at their ease. -The fat is melted from our flesh, and fallen on them. They grow fat while -we grow lean."</p> - -<p>"This chain made us the enemy of the French. If all had held as fast as -Cayenguirago, it would have been a terror to them. If we would all -heartily join, and take the hatchet in hand, our enemy would soon be -destroyed. We should forever after live in peace and ease. Do but your -parts, [probably addressing the Commissioners] and thunder itself cannot -break the chain."</p> - -<p>Thus closely did the orators, who were in other words the statesmen of the -Five Nations, investigate the conduct alike of their enemies and their -allies, and thus freely and fearlessly did they in all cases express -themselves as they felt Characters of every description came under their -cognizance. Manœuvres and machinations, political and personal, were -brought to bear upon them on all sides. The French emissary plied them at -one turn, and the English peddler at the next; and they talked and traded -with either or both, as the case might be, with the same indolent -imperturbable gravity. Each party went away, perhaps, chuckling over the -ease with which he had imposed upon savage simplicity, and flattering -himself that their opinion of his honesty was at least adequate to his -own opinion of his shrewdness. But the event proved otherwise.</p> - -<p>Decanesora once said to Major Schuyler, in reply to the latter's -suggestion of fraud on the part of a Jesuit messenger of the French,—"We -know that the priest favors his own nation. But it is not in his power to -alter our affection to our brethren. We wish you would bury all the -misunderstandings you have conceived on <i>his</i> account,—<i>and we likewise -wish you gave less credit to the</i> <span style="font-variant:small-caps">rum-carriers</span> <i>than you do.</i>" This was a -palpable hit, truly, and a deserved one. And thus, generally, were the -Barbarian Orators, after all, upon the safe side. Nothing daunted their -spirit. Nothing deceived their sagacity.</p> -<br><br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chv">CHAPTER V.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">Account of the Ottawas—Their first Chief-Sachem known to the English, - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Pontiac</span>—His interview with Major Rogers—Protects that officer and his - troops—Saves Detroit from an army of Indians—Hostility of the northern - tribes to the English, after the conquest of Canada—Adventures of - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Henry</span>—Anecdotes of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Minavavana</span>—Supposed feelings of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Pontiac</span> towards the - English—His great project of combination.</p> -<br> - -<p>Having arrived regularly, according to the order observed in this work, at -the commencement of the eighteenth century, we shall now turn our -attention to a section of the continent hitherto mostly unnoticed, but -which at that period began to be the theatre of important events, and to -be illustrated by at least one character comparable to any in the whole -compass of Indian annals. We refer to the vicinity of the Northern Lakes, -to the numerous and powerful tribes resident in that region, and -particularly to <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Pontiac</span>.</p> - -<p>It has been stated by respectable authority, that this celebrated -individual was a member of the tribe of Sacs, or Saukies; but there -appears to us no sufficient reason for disputing the almost universal -opinion which makes him an Ottawa. That tribe, when the commerce of the -early French colonists of Canada first began to extend itself to the Upper -Lakes, was found in their vicinity, in connection with two others, the -Chippewas and the Pottawatamies. All three are supposed to have been -originally a scion of the Algonquin stock,—<i>that</i> being the general name of -the nation, which, in Champlain's time, was settled along the north banks -of the St. Lawrence, between Quebec and Lake St. Peters. According to -their own traditions, preserved to this day, the three tribes (as they -afterwards became,) in their flight or emigration, went together from the -East, as far as Lake Huron. A separation afterwards took place, the result -of which was, that the Ottawas, being most inclined to agriculture, -remained near what has since been Michilimackinac, while their companions -preferred venturing to still more distant regions of the North and West.</p> - -<p>Detroit was founded by the French in July, 1701, and from that time the -Ottawas began to give frequent manifestations of a spirit which finally -made them, respectively, an ally or an enemy of the first importance to -the different civilized parties with whom they held intercourse. Only -three years after the French settled in their vicinity, several of their -chiefs were induced to visit the English at Albany. The almost inevitable -consequence of the interview was, that they returned home with a firm -persuasion that the French intended to subdue them. They attempted to fire -the town, therefore, in one instance; and about the same time, a -war-party, on their return from a successful expedition against the -Iroquois,—whom they were bold enough to attack in their own -country,—paraded in front of the Detroit fortress, and offered battle. -After some hard fighting, they were defeated and driven off.</p> - -<p>But the French have always effected more among the Indians in peace than -in war, and thus it was with the Ottawas; for, from the date of the -skirmish just mentioned, they were almost uniformly among the best friends -and even protectors of the colony. "When the French arrived at these -falls," said a Chippewa Chief at a Council held but a few years since, -"they came and kissed us. They called us children, and we found them -fathers. We lived like brethren in the same lodge," &c. [FN] Such was the -impression made also upon the Ottawas; and we accordingly find them, in -conjunction with the Chippewas, aiding the French on all occasions, until -the latter surrendered the jurisdiction of the Canadas to the English. -Several hundred of their warriors distinguished themselves at the -disastrous defeat of Braddock.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] See a Discourse delivered before the Michigan Historical Society, in - 1830, by Mr. Schoolcraft. We also acknowledge our obligations, in - preparing our notice of Pontiac, to Governor Cass's Discourse of the year - previous, before the same body.</p> - - -<p>Pontiac was probably at the head of this force. Several years before, he -was known as a warrior of high standing and great success; and as early as -1746, he commanded a powerful body of Indians, mostly Ottawas, who -gallantly defended the people of Detroit against the formidable attack of -a number of combined Northern tribes. But a far more important trial, both -of his principles and his talents, was yet to come, in the transfer of -power from the French to the English, which took place at the termination -of the long war between those nations, ending with the peace of 1761. The -stations upon the Lakes were given up in 1760. The first detachment of -British troops which ever penetrated into that region, was sent, during -this year, for the purpose of taking formal possession. That force was -commanded by Major Rogers, and from the "Concise Account of North -America," written by him, [FN] we obtain our knowledge of the earliest -interview between Pontiac and the English. It is allowed to have the merit -of authenticity; and although not so definite as might be desired, it -furnishes a variety of characteristic and singular facts.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Published in London: 1765. We have a "Journal" of the same - expedition, from the same pen.</p> - - -<p>Major Rogers says, that "on the way,"—meaning generally the route from -Montreal to Detroit,—he was met by an embassy from Pontiac, consisting of -some of his own warriors, together with several chiefs belonging to -subordinate tribes. The object was, to inform him that Pontiac, in person, -proposed to visit him; that he was then not far distant, coming peaceably; -and that he desired the Major to halt his detachment, "till such time as -he could see him with his own eyes." The Deputies were also directed to -represent their master as the King and Lord of the country which the -English had now entered.</p> - -<p>The Major drew up his troops as requested, and before long the Ottawa -Chieftain made his appearance. He wore, we are told, an air of majesty and -princely grandeur. After the first salutation, he sternly demanded of the -Englishman his business in <i>his</i> territory, and how he had dared to -venture upon it without his permission. Rogers was too prudent and too -intelligent to take offence at this style of reception. Nor did he -undertake to argue any question of actual or abstract right. He said that -he had no design <i>against</i> the Indians, but, on the contrary, wished to -remove from their country a nation who had been an obstacle to mutual -friendship and commerce between them and the English. He also made known -his commission to this effect, and concluded with a present of several -belts of wampum. Pontiac received them with the single observation,—"I -shall stand in the path you are walking till morning,"—and gave, at the -same time, a small string of wampum. This, writes the Major, was as much -as to say, "I must not march farther without his leave."</p> - -<p>Such, undoubtedly, was the safest construction; and the sequel shows that -Pontiac considered it the most civil. On departing for the night, he asked -Rogers whether he wanted any thing which his country afforded; if so, his -warriors should bring it for him. The reply was discreet as the offer was -generous,—that whatever provisions might be brought in, should be well -paid for. Probably they were; but the English were at all events supplied, -the next morning, with several bags of parched corn and other necessaries. -Pontiac himself, at the second meeting, offered the pipe of peace, and he -and the English officer smoked it by turns. He declared that he thereby -made peace with the Englishman and his troops; and that they should pass -through his dominions, not only unmolested by his subjects, but protected -by them from all other parties who might incline to be hostile.</p> - -<p>These were no idle promises. Pontiac remained in company with his new -friend constantly after the first interview, until he arrived at Detroit. -He employed one hundred of his warriors to protect and assist a corps of -soldiers, in driving a large number of fat cattle which had been sent on -for the use of the troops, from Pittsburgh, by the way of Presque Isle. He -also despatched messengers to the several Indian towns on the south side -and west end of Lake Erie, to inform them that Rogers had his consent to -march through the country. Under such auspices, the Major might reasonably -have felt himself safe, after reaching his destination. But the chieftain -understood his situation better than himself. He kept near him so long as -he remained at Detroit; and Rogers acknowledges that he was once at least -"the means of preserving the detachment" from the fury of a body of -Indians, who had assembled with sinister purposes at the mouth of the -Strait.</p> - -<p>This incident leads us to remark, that almost all the tribes on the -Northern waters who had associated and traded with the French during the -term of their jurisdiction,—and but few of them there were who had -not,—sincerely lamented the change which had occurred in public affairs. -They were very generally prejudiced against the new comers, as they were -attached to the old residents. Perhaps the latter, individually, if not -otherwise, fomented the spirit of discontent. But, however this might be, -there were reasons enough in the ancient relations maintained between the -French and the Indians, independently of argument or comment, why such a -spirit should manifest itself under the circumstances we have mentioned.</p> - -<p>The fact itself is indisputable. It is proved by facts, subsequent and -consequent. It is also proved by many, respectable authorities, only one -of which will be here referred to, for the sake of illustration.</p> - -<p>Mr. Henry, the well known author of "Travels and Adventures in Canada and -the Indian Territories, between the years 1760 and 1766," speaks of an -affair in point, which happened at the little island of La Cloche, [FN] -in Lake Huron, on his voyage, in the spring of 1761, from Montreal to -Michilimackinac. He found a large village of Indians at this place, who -treated him in the kindest manner, until "<i>discovering that he was an -Englishman,</i>" they told his men that the Michilimackinac Indians would -certainly kill him, and that <i>they</i> might therefore as well anticipate their -own share of the pillage. On this principle they demanded a part of his -stores, and he deemed it prudent to make no resistance. He observes, -afterwards, that his mind was "oppressed" with the repeated warnings he -received of sure destruction where he was going. Again,—"the hostility of -the Indians was exclusively against the English;" and this circumstance -suggested to Henry a prospect of security in assuming a Canadian disguise, -which fortunately enabled him to complete his expedition.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] So named by the French, from a rock on the island which, being - struck, rings like a bell.</p> - - -<p>But the difficulty did not cease here. He was now in the neighborhood of -Pontiac, and among the tribes subject to his influence. What manner of men -they were, and how for the master-spirit may be supposed to, have filled -them with the fire of his own soul, will appear from a speech of one of -the Chippewa Chiefs, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Minavavana,</span> who, with a band of his own tribe, -visited the newly arrived trader at his house in Michilimackinac. The -courage and the eloquence of this man, blended as they are with the -highest degree of savage chivalry, almost make us suspect his identity -with the Ottawa Chieftain himself. The name is by no means conclusive -against such a conjecture, for it would be an extraordinary fact in Indian -History, if so distinguished a man as Pontiac were known only by one -appellation, and especially when he associated with a large number of -tribes, speaking as many different languages.</p> - -<p>Henry describes his hero as a person of remarkable appearance, of -commanding stature, and with a singularly fine countenance. He entered the -room where the traveler was anxiously awaiting the result of his visit, -followed by sixty warriors, dressed and decorated in the most formal and -imposing fashion of war. Not a word was spoken as they came in, one by -one, seated themselves on the floor at a signal from the Chief, and began -composedly smoking their pipes. Minavavana, meanwhile, looking steadfastly -at Henry, made various enquiries of his head-boatman, a Canadian. He then -coolly observed, that "the English were brave men, and not afraid of -death, since they dared to come thus fearlessly among their enemies. A -solemn pause now ensued for some time, until the Indians having finished -their pipes, the Chieftain took a few wampum-strings in his hand, and -commenced the following harangue:</p> - -<p>"Englishman!—It is to you that I speak, and I demand your attention!</p> - -<p>"Englishman!—You know that the French King is our father. He promised to -be such; and we, in return, promised to be his children. This promise we -have kept.</p> - -<p>"Englishman!—It is you that have made war with this our father. You are -his enemy; and how then could you have the boldness to venture among us, -his children? You know that his enemies are ours.</p> - -<p>"Englishman!—We are informed that our father, the king of France, is old -and infirm; and that being fatigued with making war upon your nation, he -is fallen asleep. During his sleep, you have taken advantage of him, and -possessed yourselves of Canada. But his nap is almost at an end. I think I -hear him already stirring, and inquiring for his children the -Indians;—and, when he does awake, what must become of you? He will -destroy you utterly!</p> - -<p>"Englishman!—Although you have conquered the French, you have not yet -conquered us! We are not your slaves. These lakes, these woods and -mountains, were left to us by our ancestors. They are our inheritance, and -we will part with them to none. Your nation supposes that we, like the -white people, cannot live without bread, and pork, and beef! But, you -ought to know, that He,—the Great Spirit and Master of Life,—has -provided food for us, in these broad lakes, and upon these mountains.</p> - -<p>"Englishman!—-Our father, the king of France, employed our young men to -make war upon your nation. In this warfare, many of them have been killed; -and it is our custom to retaliate, until such time as the spirits of the -slain are satisfied. Now the spirits of the slain are to be satisfied in -either of two ways. The first is by the spilling of the blood of the -nation by which they fell; the other, by <i>covering the bodies of the dead,</i> -and thus allaying the resentment of their relations. This is done by -making presents.</p> - -<p>"Englishman!—Your king has never sent us any presents, nor entered into -any treaty with us. Wherefore he and we are still at war; and, until he -does these things, we must consider that we have no other father, nor -friend, among the white men, than the king of France. But, for you, we -have taken into consideration, that you have ventured your life among us, -in the expectation that we should not molest you. You do not come armed, -with an intention to make war. You come in peace, to trade with us, and -supply us with necessaries, of which we are much in want. We shall regard -you, therefore, as a brother; and you may sleep tranquilly, without fear -of the Chippewas. As a token of our friendship, we present you with this -pipe, to smoke."</p> - -<p>The interview terminated in a manner which reminds us of Pontiac's meeting -with Rogers. Minavavana gave the Englishman his hand—his companions -followed his example—the pipe went round in due order—and, after being -politely entertained, all quietly departed. If this was not the Ottawa -himself; he was certainly a kindred spirit; and if the former exercised -authority over many such characters,—as he probably did,—it is not -difficult to account far the confidence which dictated the design, or for -the measure of success which attended the prosecution of one of the -mightiest projects ever conceived in the brain of an American savage.</p> - -<p>This project was a combination of all the tribes on and about the Northern -waters, perhaps partially with an ultimate view to the restoration of the -French Government, but directly and distinctly to the complete extirpation -of the English.</p> - -<p>It has been observed by a writer who has done signal justice to the genius -of Pontiac, "that we are nowhere told the causes of disaffection which -<i>separated him from the British interest.</i>" [FN-1] There is an allusion -here to the information furnished by Rogers, who indeed states that -Pontiac "often intimated to him that he should be content to reign in his -country, in subordination to the king of Great Britain, and was willing -<i>to pay him such annual acknowledgment as he was able, in furs, and to - call him his Uncle.</i>" [FN-2] But, without in the least disparaging the -honesty of Rogers, we are inclined to dispute the propriety of what we -suppose to have been rather his own inference than the Chieftain's -declaration. A disregard to niceties of expression, on the part of both -speaker and hearer, was no uncommon thing at interviews of this kind,—one -party being always eager, and both frequently ignorant enough, had they -even tolerable means of communicating together in language at all.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] Discourse of Governor Cass.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Rogers' Accounts, 242; London Edition.</p> - - -<p>The context confirms this opinion. It appears singular, at first glance, -that Pontiac should propose calling the British king his <i>Uncle.</i> An -appellation, indeed,—as the Iroquois orators told the English at -Albany,—"signified nothing," in itself; and yet, as referring to the term -<i>Father,</i> applied by Minavavana and the Northern Indians generally, to his -Christian Majesty, it did signify, at least, that Pontiac meant to pay a -slighter deference to the British king than to the French. No <i>allegiance</i> -was acknowledged to either. As Minavavana said, "the Indians had no -<i>Father</i> among the white men"—passing that courtesy for what is was -worth—"but the king of France." That, however, did not prevent them from -owning and claiming their own woods and mountains. It did not entitle the -French king to command the services, instead of "employing" the assistance -of their young men. It did not blind them to the fact, that although the -English had conquered the French, they had not conquered <i>them.</i> [FN-1] It -makes the matter still more dear, in regard to what was the understanding -of Pontiac, and what ought to have been that of Rogers, that, according to -his own statement, the Chieftain "assured him [on the same occasion when -the language last referred to is said to have been uttered.] that <i>he was -inclined to live peaceably with the English, while they used him as he -deserved, and to encourage their settling in his country, but intimated -that if they treated him with neglect, he should shut up the way, and -exclude them from it.</i>" In short, concludes the same writer, "his whole -conversation sufficiently indicated that he was far from considering -himself a conquered Prince, and that he expected to be treated with the -respect and honor due to a King or Emperor, by all who came into his -country or treated with him." [FN-2]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - [<p class="quote">FN-1] Speech of of Minavavana.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Rogers' Account, p. 242.</p> - - -<p>On the whole, we have seen no evidence, and we know of no reason for -presuming, that he was ever any farther attached to "the British -interest," or rather any otherwise affected towards the idea of becoming -attached, than is indicated by the very independent declaration made as -above stated. In regard to the question why he never did become attached -to the British interest,—taking that for the correct representation of -the fact,—history is silent, as unfortunately it is in regard to most of -the remarkable occurrences on the frontiers which accompanied and followed -his enterprise. The conjectures of any one man, who has intelligently -investigated and reflected upon such history as there is, may be worth as -much as those of any other. It seems to be probable, however, that -although hostilities might have been prevented by a system of good -management on the part of the English, (in which their predecessors could -have given them a lesson,) they did not arise from any particular acts of -aggression.</p> - -<p>Pontiac <i>reasoned</i> as well as felt. He reasoned as Philip had done before -him, and as Tecumseh will be found to have done since. He had begun to -apprehend danger from this new government and people; danger to his own -dominion and to the Indian interest at large; danger from their -superiority in arms, their ambition, their eagerness in possessing -themselves of every military position on the Northern waters;—and we may -add also, their want of that ostensible cordiality towards the Indians, -personally, to which the latter had been so much accustomed and attached -in the golden days of the French, and which they were apt to regard as a -necessary indication of good faith as of good will. In the language of the -Chippewa orator, the French had lived in the same lodge with them. They -had sent them missionaries; and invited them to councils, and made them -presents, and talked and traded with them, and manifested an interest in -their affairs, [FN] always suspected by the Indians less, and yet always -effecting their own purposes better and farther, than any other people.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Discourse of Schoolcraft.</p> - - -<p>The English, on the other hand, if they committed no aggressions,—(the -expedition of Rogers was perhaps considered one; but <i>that</i> Pontiac -forgave,)—yet manifested but a slight disposition for national courtesy, -or for individual intercourse, or for a beneficial commerce of any -description. In other words, they "neglected"—to use Pontiac's -phrase,—all those circumstances which made the neighborhood of the French -agreeable, and which might have made their own at least tolerable. The -conduct of the latter never gave rise to suspicion. <i>Theirs</i> never gave rest -to it.</p> - -<p>Thus, we suppose, the case might present itself to the mind of the Ottawa -Chieftain. And while such was the apparent disposition, or indifference to -any disposition in particular, of the English towards the Indians,—and -such the consequent liability, if not the reasonable prospect on the part -of the latter, if the former should occupy Canada,—Pontiac was not likely -to forget that they had conquered the French. He saw too that they were -rapidly and firmly establishing their new dominion, by movements which, at -all events, did not purport to promote the interest of the Indians. And he -knew, no doubt,—-certainly he soon ascertained,—that whereas the French -of Canada and the Colonies of New-England had hitherto, by their action -upon each other, left the third party in a good measure disengaged,—the -new comers were themselves from Old England, if not New;—speaking the -same language (and that a strange one to the natives;) subject to the same -government; and ready at all times to be very conveniently supplied and -supported, to an indefinite extent, by those powerful Southern Colonies -which had long before destroyed or driven off the Indians from their own -borders.</p> - -<p>So Pontiac reasoned; and he looked into futurity far enough to foresee -that ultimate fatal result to his race, which now was the only time, if -indeed there was yet time, to prevent. Immediate occasions of hostility -there might be besides; but these must be the subject of mere speculation. -Affections which do him honor, predisposed him to believe that the English -had done injustice to his old friends the French; and the French might -further endeavor to persuade him that they had also done injustice to -himself. But, it was certain, "they bad treated him with neglect." And -<i>therefore,</i> following his own principle, as well as the impulse of -pride, he resolved to "shut up the way." How far he succeeded, and by what -means, will be our next subjects of consideration.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chvi">CHAPTER VI.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">Pontiac's plan of campaign—He commences active preparations—Council of - the Ottawas—Grand Council of the Northern tribes—Dream of the - Delaware—Maxims promulgated by Pontiac—Estimate of the number and - force of his allies—Commencement of the war—Surprisal of nine English - posts—Mode of surprisal—Artifice adopted at Michilimackinac, and - result—Reduction of Detroit undertaken by Pontiac in person—His - interview with the commandant—His plan discovered, and the surprise - prevented—Letter from Detroit.</p> - - -<p>The plan of operations adopted by Pontiac, for effecting the extinction of -the English power, evinces an extraordinary genius, as well as a courage -and energy of the highest order. This was a sudden and contemporaneous -attack upon all the British posts on the Lakes—at St. Joseph, Ouiatenon, -Green Bay, Michilimackinac, Detroit, the Maumee, and the Sandusky—and -also upon the forts at Niagara, Presque Isle, Le Bœuf, Verango and -Pittsburg. Most of the fortifications at these places were slight, being -rather commercial depots, than military establishments. Still, against the -Indians they were strong-holds; and the positions had been so judiciously -selected by the French, that to this day they command the great avenues of -communication to the world of woods and waters in the remote north and -west. It was manifest to Pontiac, familiar as he was with the geography of -this vast tract of country, and with the practical, if not technical -maxims of war, that the possession or the destruction of these -posts,—saying nothing of their garrisons,—would be emphatically -"shutting up the way." If the surprise could be simultaneous, so that -every English banner which waved upon a line of thousands of miles should -be prostrated at the same moment, the garrisons would be unable to -exchange assistance, while, on the other hand, the failure of one Indian -detachment would have no effect to discourage another. Certainly, some -might succeed. Probably, the war might begin and be terminated with the -same single blow; and then Pontiac would again be the Lord and King of the -broad land of his ancestors.</p> - -<p>The measures taken in pursuance of these calculations, were worthy of the -magnificent scheme. The chieftain felt confident that <i>success</i> would -multiply friends and allies to his cause. But he knew equally well, that -friends and allies to his cause were as necessary to obtain success. Some -preliminary principles must be set forth, to show what his cause was; and -however plausible it might appear in theory, exertions must also be made -to give assurance of its feasibility in practice. A belligerent -combination of some kind must be formed in the outset; and the more -extensive, the better.</p> - -<p>Pontiac commenced operations with his own tribe; the Ottawas being, for -several reasons, peculiarly under his control, at the same time that their -influence over other tribes was hardly inferior to his own influence over -themselves. Some of these tribes had fought with them against the English, -not many years before; and the connection between them was so apparent in -the time of Major Rogers, that he considered them as "formed into a sort -of empire." He expressly states, also, that the Emperor, as he supposed -Pontiac then to be, was "elected from the eldest tribe—which is the -Ottawawas, some of whom inhabit near our fort at Detroit, but are mostly -further westward, towards the Mississippi." He might well add, that -Pontiac "had the largest empire and greatest authority of any Indian chief -that has appeared on the continent since our acquaintance with it." [FN] -The truth probably was, that the tribes here described as confederates, -were most of them related to each other by descent, more or less remotely. -Some were intimately associated. All would be rather disposed to act -together in any great project, as they already had done, (and as most of -them have since, during the American Revolution, and during the last war -with Great Britain.) Still such was and is the nature of Indian -government, that it was necessary for Pontiac to obtain the separate -concurrence and confidence of each. To gain over the Ottawas first, was -not to strengthen his authority, indeed, but it was adding much to his -influence.</p> - -<hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Roger's Account, p. 240.</p> - - -<p>The Ottawas, then, were called together, and the plan was disclosed, -explained and enforced, with all the eloquence and cunning which Pontiac -could bring to his task. He appealed to the fears, the hopes, the -ambition, the cupidity of his hearers—their regard for the common -interest of the race, their hatred of the English, and their gratitude and -love for the French. We are told by a modern historian, that some of the -Ottawas had been disgraced by blows. [FN] Such a suggestion, whether well -rounded or not, might probably be made, and would of course have its -effect. So would the display of a <i>belt,</i> which the chieftain exhibited, -and which he professed to have received from the King of France, urging -him to drive the British from the country, and to open the paths for the -return of the French.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Discourse of Governor Cass.</p> - - -<p>These topics having been skilfully managed, and the Ottawas warmly engaged -in the cause, a grand council of the neighbouring tribes was convened at -the river Aux Ecorces. Here Pontiac again exerted his talents with -distinguished effect. With a profound knowledge of the Indian character, -and especially aware of the great power of superstition upon their minds, -he related, among other things, a dream, in which the Great Spirit, (the -orator said,) had secretly disclosed to a Delaware Indian the conduct he -expected his red children to pursue. Minute instructions had been -graciously given, suitable to the existing crisis in their fortunes, and -remarkably coincident, it will be observed, with the principles and -projects of the chieftain himself. They were to abstain from the use of -ardent spirits. They were also to abandon the use of all English -manufactures, and to resume their bows and arrows, and the skins of the -animals for clothing. It is needless to eulogize the sagacity which -dictated both these proposals: "and why," the orator concluded, "why, said -the Great Spirit indignantly to the Delaware,—do you suffer these dogs in -red clothing to enter your country, and take the land I have given you? -Drive them from it!—Drive them!—When you are in distress I will help -you!" [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Discourse of Governor Cass.</p> - - -<p>It is not difficult to imagine the effect which this artful appeal to -prejudice and passion might have on the inflammable temperaments of a -multitude of credulous and excited savages. The name of Pontiac alone was -a host; but the Great Spirit was for them,—it was impossible to fail. A -plan of campaign was conceited on the spot, and belts and speeches were -sent to secure the co-operation of the Indians along the whole line of the -frontier.</p> - -<p>Neither the precise number nor power of those who actually joined the -combination can now be determined. The Ottawas, the Chippewas, and the -Pottawatamies were among the most active. The two former of these had sent -six hundred warriors in one body to the defence of Fort Du Quesne. The -Ottawas of L'Arbre Croche, alone, mustered two hundred and fifty fighting -men. The Miamies were engaged. [FN] So were the Sacs, the Ottagamies (or -Foxes,) the Menominies, the Wyandots, the Mississagas, the Shawanees; and, -what was still more to the purpose, a large number of the Pennsylvania and -Ohio Delawares, and of the Six Nations of New York. The alliance of the -two last-named parties,—in itself the result of a master-piece of policy, -was necessary to complete that vast system of attack which comprehended -all the British positions from Niagara to Green Bay and the Potomac.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Ibid.</p> - - -<p>The plan was at length thoroughly matured. The work of extirpation -commenced on or about the same day, from north to south, and from east to -west. Nine of the British forts were captured. Some of the garrisons were -completely surprised, and massacred on the spot; a few individuals, in -other cases, escaped. The officer who commanded at Presque Isle, defended -himself two days, during which time, the savages are said to have fired -his block-house about fifty times, but the soldiers extinguished the -flames as often. It was then undermined, and a train was laid for an -explosion, when a capitulation was proposed and agreed upon, under which a -part of the garrison was carried captive to the north-west. The officer -was afterwards given up at Detroit.</p> - -<p>A great number of English traders were taken, on their way, from all -quarters of the country, to the different forts; and their goods, as well -those of the residents at such places, and the stores at the depots -themselves, of course became prize to the conquerors. Pittsburgh, with the -smaller forts, Ligonier, Bedford, and others in that neighbourhood, were -closely beset, but successfully defended, until the arrival of large -reinforcements. The savages made amends for these failures by a series of -the most horrible devastations in detail, particularly in New York, -Pennsylvania, and even in Northern Virginia, which have ever been -committed upon the continent.</p> - -<p>In case of most, if not all of the nine surprisals first mentioned, quite -as much was effected by stratagem as by force, and that apparently by a -preconcerted system which indicates the far-seeing superintendence of -Pontiac himself. Generally, the commanders were secured in the first -instance, by parties admitted within the forts under the pretence of -business or friendship. At Maumee, or the Miamies, (as the station among -that tribe was commonly designated,) the officer was betrayed by a squaw, -who by piteous entreaties persuaded him to go out with her some two -hundred yards, to the succor, as she said, of a wounded man who was dying; -the Indians waylaid and shot him.</p> - -<p>A more subtle policy was adopted at Michilimackinac, and surer means were -taken to effect it. That fort, standing on the south side of the strait, -between Lakes Huron and Michigan, was one of the most important positions -on the frontier. It was the place of deposit, and the point of departure, -between the upper and lower countries; the traders always assembling -there, on their voyages to and from Montreal. Connected with it, was an -area of two acres, enclosed with cedar-wood pickets, and extending on one -side so near to the water's edge, that a western wind always drove the -waves against the foot of the stockade. There were about thirty houses -within the limits, inhabited by about the same number of families. The -only ordnance on the bastions were two small brass pieces. The garrison -numbered between ninety and one hundred.</p> - -<p>The capture of this indispensable station was entrusted to the Chippewas, -assisted by the Sacs, and those two tribes in concert adopted the -following plan. The <i>King's birth-day</i> having arrived, a game of -<i>baggatiway</i> was proposed by the Indians. This is played with a bat and -ball; the former being about four feet long, curved, and terminating in a -sort of racket. Two posts are placed in the ground, at the distance of -half a mile or a mile from each other. Each party has its post, and the -game consists in throwing up to the adversary's post the ball which at the -beginning is placed in the middle of the course.</p> - -<p>The policy of this expedient for surprising the garrison will clearly -appear, when it is understood, that the game is necessarily attended with -much violence and noise; that, in the ardor of contest the ball, if it -cannot be thrown to the goal desired, is struck in any direction by which -it can be diverted from that desired by the adversary; that, at such a -moment, nothing could be less likely to excite premature alarm among the -spectators of the amusement, than that the ball should be tossed over the -pickets of the fort; or that having fallen there, it should be instantly -followed by all engaged in the game,—struggling and shouting, in the -unrestrained pursuit of a rude athletic exercise.</p> - -<p>Such was precisely the artifice employed; and to be still more sure of -success, the Indians had persuaded as many as they could of the garrison -and settlers, to come voluntarily without the pickets, for the purpose of -witnessing the game, which was said to be played for a high wager. Not -fewer than four hundred were engaged on both sides, and consequently, -possession of the fort being once gained, the situation of the English -must be desperate indeed. The particulars of the sequel of this horrid -transaction, furnished by Henry, are too interesting to be wholly omitted.</p> - -<p>The match commenced with great animation, without the fort, Henry, -however, did not go to witness it, being engaged in writing letters to his -Montreal friends, by a canoe which was just upon the eve of departure. He -had been thus occupied something like half an hour, when he suddenly heard -a loud Indian war-cry, and a noise of general confusion. Going instantly -to his window, he saw a crowd of Indians within the fort, furiously -cutting down and scalping every Englishman they found; and he could -plainly witness the last struggles of some of his particular -acquaintances.</p> - -<p>He had, in the room where he was, a fowling-piece loaded with swan-shot. -This he immediately seized, and held it for a few minutes, expecting to -hear the fort-drum beat to arms. In this dreadful interval, he saw several -of his countrymen fall; and more than one struggling between the knees of -the savages, who, holding them in this manner, scalped them while yet -alive. At length, disappointed in the hope of seeing any resistance made -on the part of the garrison, and sensible, of course, that no effort of -his single arm could avail against four hundred Indians, he turned his -attention to his own safety. Seeing several of the Canadian villagers -looking out composedly upon the scene of blood—neither opposing the -Indians nor molested by them—he conceived a hope of finding security in -one of their houses.</p> - -<p>He immediately climbed over a low fence, which was the only separation -between the yard-door of his house, and that of his next neighbour, -Monsieur Langlade. He entered the house of the latter precipitately, and -found the whole family gazing at the horrible spectacle before them. He -addressed himself to M. Langlade, and begged that he would put him in some -place of safety, until the heat of the affair should be over—an act of -charity which might preserve him from the general massacre. Langlade -looked for a moment at him while he spoke, and then turned again to the -window, shrugging his shoulders, and intimating that he could do nothing -for him—"<i>Que voudriez-vous que J'en ferais?</i>"</p> - -<p>Henry was now ready to despair; but at this moment, a Pani woman, [FN] a -slave of M. Langlade, beckoned to him to follow her. She guided him to a -door, which she opened, desiring him to enter, and telling him that it led -to the garret, where he must go and conceal himself. He joyfully obeyed -her directions; and she, having followed him up to the garret-door, locked -it after him, and with great presence of mind took away the key. Scarcely -yet lodged in this shelter, such as it was, Henry felt an eager anxiety to -know what was passing without. His desire was more than satisfied by his -finding an aperture in the loose board wails of the house, which afforded -him a full view of the area of the fort. Here he beheld with horror, in -shapes the foulest and most terrible, the ferocious triumphs of the -savages. The dead were scalped and mangled; the dying were writhing and -shrieking under the unsatiated knife and the reeking tomahawk; and from -the bodies of some, ripped open, their butchers were drinking the blood -scooped up in the hollow of joined hands, and quaffed amid shouts of rage -and victory. In a few minutes, which to Henry seemed scarcely one, every -victim who could be found being destroyed, there was a general cry of, -"all is finished"—and at this moment Henry heard some of the savages -enter Langlade's house. He trembled and grew faint with fear.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Said to belong to an Indian nation of the South—no doubt the same - now generally called Pawnees.</p> - - -<p>As the flooring of his room and the ceiling of the room beneath consisted -only of a layer of boards, he noticed every thing that passed; and he -heard the Indians inquire, at their entrance, whether there was any -Englishman about M. Langlade replied, that "He could not say—-he did not -know of any"—as in fact he did not—"they could search for themselves (he -added) and would soon be satisfied." The state of Henry's mind may be -imagined, when, immediately upon this reply, the Indians were brought to -the garret door. Luckily some delay was occasioned—through the management -of the Pani woman—perhaps by the absence of the key. Henry had sufficient -presence of mind to improve these few moments in looking for a hiding -place. This he found in the corner of the garret, among a heap of such -birch bark vessels as are used in making maple-sugar; and he had not -completely concealed himself when the door opened, and four Indians -entered, all armed with tomahawks, and all besmeared with blood from head -to foot.</p> - -<p>The die appeared to be cast. Henry could scarcely breathe, and he thought -that the throbbing of his heart occasioned a noise loud enough to betray -him. The Indians walked about the garret in every direction; and one of -them approached him so closely that, at a particular moment, had he put -forth his hand, he must have touched him. Favored, however, by the dark -colour of his clothes, and the want of light in a room which had no -window, he still remained unseen. The Indians took several turns about the -room—entertaining M. Langlade all the while with a minute account of the -proceedings of the day—-and at last returned down stairs.</p> - -<p>Such is the traveler's account of the fall of Michilimackinac. The fate of -Detroit remains to be told, a more important position than even -Michilimackinac. An immense quantity of valuable goods,—one account says, -to the amount of five hundred thousand pounds,—was known to be there -stored. What was of more moment, its capture would release the French -inhabitants of the Strait from their temporary allegiance to the English, -and would consequently unite the hitherto separate lines of operation -pursued by the Indian tribes above and below. Under these circumstances, -its reduction was in person undertaken by Pontiac.</p> - -<p>The town is supposed at this period to have been enclosed by a single row -of pickets, forming nearly four sides of a square; there being -block-houses at the corners and over the gates. An open space intervened -between the houses and the pickets, which formed a place of arms and -encircled the village. The fortifications did not extend to the river, but -a gate opened in the direction of the stream, and not far from it, where, -at the date in question, two armed vessels, fortunately for the -inhabitants, happened to lie at anchor. The ordnance of the fort consisted -of two six-pounders, one three-pounder, and three mortars; all of an -indifferent quality. The garrison numbered one hundred and thirty, -including officers, besides whom there were in the village something like -forty individuals who were habitually engaged in the fur-trade. The -inadequate proportion of this force, even to the size of the place, may be -inferred from the fact, that the stockade which formed its periphery was -more than one thousand feet long.</p> - -<p>Such was the situation of Detroit, when the Ottawa chieftain, having -completed his arrangements, on the 8th of May presented himself at the -gates of the town, with a force of about three hundred Indians, chiefly -Ottawas and Chippewas, and requested a council with Major Gladwyn, the -Commandant. He expected, under this pretext, to gain admission for himself -and a considerable number of attendants, who accordingly were provided -with rifles, sawed off so short as to be concealed under their blankets. -At a given signal,—which was to be the presentation of a wampum-belt in a -particular manner by Pontiac to the Commandant, during the -conference,—-the armed Indians were to massacre all the officers; and -then, opening the gates, to admit a much larger body of warriors, who -should be waiting without, for the completion of the slaughter and the -destruction of the fort.</p> - -<p>Fortunately, Major Gladwyn obtained a knowledge of the scheme, before an -opportunity occurred for its execution. One of the French residents in the -vicinity, returning home on the morning of the day last mentioned, is said -to have met Pontiac and his party upon Bloody Bridge. This place, which -still retains its name, is between one and two miles from the village. The -last warrior in the file, being a particular friend of the white man, -threw aside his blanket, and significantly exhibited the shortened rifle -beneath. Whether his disclosure was communicated to Major Gladwyn, cannot -be determined.</p> - -<p>Carver states,—and his account is substantially confirmed by tradition, -as well as by other authorities,—that an Indian woman betrayed the -secret. She had been employed by the Commandant to make him a pair of -moccasins out of elk-skin; and having completed them, she brought them -into the fort, on the evening of the day when Pontiac made his appearance, -and his application for a council. The Major was pleased with them, -directed her to convert the residue of the skin into articles of the same -description, and having made a generous payment, dismissed her. She went -to the outer door, but there stopped, and for some time loitered about as -if her errand was still unperformed. A servant asked her what she wanted, -but she made no answer.—The Major himself observed her, and ordered her -to be called in, when, after some hesitation, she replied to his -enquiries, that as he had always treated her kindly, she did not like to -take away the elk-skin, which he valued so highly;—she could <i>never bring -it back.</i> The Commandants curiosity was of course excited, and he pressed -the examination, until the woman at length disclosed every thing which had -come to her knowledge.</p> - -<p>Her information was not received with implicit credulity, but the Major -thought it prudent to employ the night in taking active measures for -defence. His arms and ammunition were examined and arranged; and the -traders and their dependents, as well as the garrison, were directed to be -ready for instant service. A guard kept watch on the ramparts during the -night, it being apprehended that the Indians might anticipate the -preparations now known to have been made for the next day. Nothing, -however, was heard after dark, except the sound of singing and dancing, -in the Indian camp, which they always indulge in upon the eve of any great -enterprise. The particulars of the council of the next day, we shall -furnish on the authority of a writer already cited.</p> - -<p>In the morning, Pontiac and his warriors sang their war-song, danced their -war-dance, and repaired to the fort. They were admitted without -hesitation, and were conducted to the council house, where Major Gladwyn -and his officers were prepared to receive them. They perceived at the -gate, and as they passed through the streets, an unusual activity and -movement among the troops. The garrison was under arms, the guards were -doubled, and the officers were armed with swords and pistols. Pontiac -enquired of the British commander, what was the cause of this unusual -appearance. He was answered, that it was proper to keep the young men to -their duty, lest they should become idle and ignorant. The business of the -council then commenced, and Pontiac proceeded to address Major Gladwyn. -His speech was bold and menacing, and his manner and gesticulations -vehement, and they became still more so, as he approached the critical -moment. When he was upon the point of presenting the belt to Major -Gladwyn, and all was breathless expectation, the drums at the door of the -council house, suddenly rolled the charge, the guards leveled their -pieces, and the British officers drew their swords from their scabbards. -Pontiac was a brave man, constitutionally and habitually. He had fought in -many a battle, and often led his warriors to victory. But this unexpected -and decisive proof, that his treachery was discovered and prevented, -entirely disconcerted him. Tradition says he trembled. At all events, he -delivered his belt in the usual manner, and thus failed to give his party -the concerted signal of attack. Major Gladwyn immediately approached the -chief, and drawing aside his blanket, discovered the shortened rifle, and -then, after stating his knowledge of the plan, and reproaching him for his -treachery, ordered him from the fort. The Indians immediately retired, and -as soon as they had passed the gate, they gave the yell, and fired upon -the garrison. They then proceeded to the commons, where was lying an aged -English woman with her two sons. These they murdered, and afterwards -repaired to Hog Island, where a discharged Serjeant resided with his -family, who were all but one immediately massacred. Thus was the war -commenced. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Discourse of Gov. Cass.</p> - - -<p>As to leading facts, this account is without doubt correct. Perhaps it is -in all the minutiae. We have however seen a somewhat different version, -which, as the affair is one of great interest, we shall here annex without -comment. It was originally furnished in a letter from a gentleman residing -in Detroit at the time of the attack, addressed to a friend in New-York, -and dated July 9, 1763. It may be seen in the most respectable papers of -that period, and is believed to be unquestionably authentic. As to many -circumstances the writer's statement agrees with that just given, although -the conference (perhaps another one) is said to nave taken place on the -7th of the month. The sequel is thus:</p> - -<p>At the close of the interview, the Indians returned disconcerted, and -encamped on the farther side of the river. Pontiac was reproached by some -of the young warriors for not having given the signal (the appearance of -the garrison having surprised him.) He told them, that he did not suppose -they were willing to lose any of their men, as they must have done in that -case; if they were, he would still give them an opportunity, whether the -garrison should be under arms or not. All were satisfied with this -proposition—"in consequence of which,"—proceeds our -informant,—"Pondiac, with some others of the chiefs, came the next day, -being Sunday, to smoak the Pipe of Peace with the Major, who despised them -so much in consequence of their treachery, that he would not go nigh them, -but told Captain Campbell [FN] if <i>he</i> had a mind he might speak with -them. The Captain went, and smoaked with them, when Pondiac told him he -would come the next day and hold a conference with the Major, and <i>to wipe -away all cause of suspicion he would bring ail his old and young men,</i> to -take him by the hand in a friendly manner."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] The immediate predecessor of Gladwyn in the command of the post.</p> - - -<p>This certainly looks much like a genuine Indian artifice. The writer then -says, that "after repeating several pieces of such stuff, he withdrew with -his gang to his camp." The next morning, (Monday, the 9th,) as many as -sixty-four canoes were discovered, all or them full of Indians, crossing -the river above the fort. A few of them came to the gates and demanded -permission for the whole company to be admitted "for a council." The -Commandant refused this request, but expressed his willingness that some -forty or fifty should come in, that being quite as many as was usual in -such cases. The messengers returned to their comrades, who were lying and -standing all around the fort, at the distance of two hundred yards. A -consultation now took place, and then, we are told, "they all got up and -fled off yelping like so many Devils.—They instantly fell upon Mrs. -Turnbell, (an English woman to whom Major Gladwyn had given a small -Plantation, about a Mile from the Fort,) and murdered and scalped her and -her two sons; from thence they went to Hogs Island, about a league up the -River from the Fort, and there murdered James Fisher and his wife, also -four Soldiers who were with them, and carried off his Children and Servant -Maid prisoners; the same evening, being the 9th, had an account, by a -Frenchman, of the defeat of Sir Robert Davers and, Capt. Robertson." The -sequel of the war, and of the history of Pontiac, will form the subject of -our next chapter.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chvii">CHAPTER VII.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">Siege of Detroit maintained by Pontiac—The Commandant meditates a - retreat—The French propose a conference with Pontiac, which takes - place—The latter demands the surrender of the fort, which the - Commandant refuses—Vigorous renewal of hostilities—Advantages gained - by the Indian army—Arrival of succor to the English—Battle of Bloody - Bridge—Pontiac at length raises the siege,—Causes of it—The Indians - make peace—His subsequent career until his death—Anecdotes - illustrating his influence, energy, magnanimity, integrity and - genius—His authority as chieftain—His talents as an orator—His - traditionary fame.</p> -<br> - -<p>We have now to furnish the details of one of the most singular -transactions which has ever distinguished the multifarious warfare of the -red men with the whites—the protracted siege of a fortified civilized -garrison by an army of savages. We shall still avail ourselves of the -diary contained in the letters already cited, and of other information -from the same source.</p> - -<p>"The 10th, in the Morning, (Tuesday) they attacked the Fort very -resolutely. There continued a very hot Fire on both Sides until the -Evening, when they ceased firing, having had several killed and wounded. -They posted themselves behind the Garden-Fences and Houses in the Suburbs, -and some Barns and Out-houses that were on the Side of the Fort next the -Woods, to which we immediately set Fire by red-hot Spikes &c. from the -Cannon." In this manner, and by occasional sorties, the enemy was -dislodged and driven back, until they could only annoy the fort by -approaching the summit of the low ridge which overlooked the pickets, and -there, at intervals, they continued their fire.</p> - -<p>Little damage was done in this way, nor did the Indians at any time -undertake a close assault. The Commandant, however, ignorant of their -style of warfare, apprehended that movement; and he believed that in such -a case,—their numbers being now, according to some estimates, six or -seven hundred, and according to others, about twice as many,—the -situation of the garrison would be hopeless. Besides, he had but three -weeks' provision in the fort, "at a pound of bread and two ounces of pork -a man per day." Under these circumstances he immediately commenced -preparations for an embarkation on board the two vessels which still lay -in the stream, with the intention of retreating to Niagara.</p> - -<p>He was dissuaded from this course by the French residents, who positively -assured him that the enemy would never think of taking the fort by storm. -A truce or treaty was then suggested. Some of the French, (who were the -chief medium of communication between the belligerent parties,) mentioned -the circumstance to Pontiac; and the latter, it is said, soon after sent -in five messengers to the fort, proposing that two of the officers should -go out and confer with him at his camp. He also requested, that Major -Campbell might be one of them. That gentleman accordingly went, with the -permission though not by the command of Major Gladwyn, in the afternoon of -Wednesday, the 11th. Campbell took Lieutenant M<sup>c</sup>Dougall with him and both -were attended by five or six of the French.</p> - -<p>Whether the latter had meditated a treachery or not, does not appear. The -French residents generally, at all events, cannot be fairly charged with -improper conduct between the contending parties during the siege. They -were naturally enough suspected and accused, but we have seen nothing -proved against them. The two officers were, however, detained by the -Indians; and Pontiac, who is generally supposed to have conceived this -scheme for obtaining an advantage over the garrison, now sent in terms of -capitulation. These were to the effect, that the troops should immediately -surrender, "lay down their arms, as their fathers, the French, had been -obliged to do—leave the cannon, magazines, and merchants' goods, and the -two vessels—and be escorted in batteaux by Indians to Niagara." The Major -promptly made answer, that "his commanding officer had not sent him there -to deliver up the fort to Indians or anybody else, and he would therefore -defend it so long as a single man could stand at his side."</p> - -<p>Hostilities now recommenced, and were so vigorously sustained on the part -of Pontiac, that for some months, (says the diary,) "the whole Garrison, -Officers, Soldiers, Merchants and Servants, were upon the Ramparts every -Night, not one having slept in a House, except the sick and wounded in the -Hospital."</p> - -<p>Three weeks after the commencement of the siege,—on the 30th of May,—the -English sentinel on duty announced, that a fleet of boats, supposed to -contain a supply of provisions and a reinforcement of troops from Niagara, -was coming round "the point," at a place called the Huron Church. The -garrison flocked to the bastions, and for a moment at least hope shone -upon every countenance. But presently the death-cry of the Indians was -heard, and the fate of the detachment was at once known. Their approach -having been ascertained, Pontiac had stationed a body of warriors at Point -Pelée. Twenty small batteaux, manned by a considerable number of troops, -and laden with stores, landed there in the evening. The Indians watched -their movements, and fell upon them about day-light. One officer, with -thirty men, escaped across the lake; but the others were either killed or -captured; and the line of barges ascended the river near the opposite -shore, escorted by the Indians on the banks and guarded by detachments in -each boat, in full view of the garrison and of the whole French -settlement.</p> - -<p>The prisoners were compelled to navigate the boats. As the first batteaux -arrived opposite to the town, four British soldiers determined to effect -their liberation, or to perish in the attempt. They suddenly changed the -course of the boat, and by loud cries made known their intention to the -crew of the vessel. The Indians in the other boats, and the escort on the -bank, fired upon the fugitives, but they were soon driven from their -positions by a cannonade from the armed schooner. The guard on board this -boat leaped overboard, and one them dragged a soldier with him into the -water, where both were drowned. The others escaped to the shore, and the -boat reached the vessel, with but one soldier wounded. Lest the other -prisoners might escape, they were immediately landed, and marched up the -shore, to the lower point of Hog Island, where they crossed the river, and -were immediately put to death, with all the horrible accompaniments of -savage cruelty.</p> - -<p>During the month of June, an attempt to relieve the garrison proved more -successful. A vessel which had been sent to Niagara, arrived at the mouth -of the river, with about fifty troops on board, and a supply of stores. -The Indians generally left the siege, and repaired to Fighting Island, for -the purpose of intercepting her. They annoyed the English very much in -their canoes, till the latter reached the point of the Island, where, on -account of the wind failing, they were compelled to anchor.</p> - -<p>The captain had concealed his men in the hold, so that the Indians were -not aware of the strength of the crew. Soon after dark, they embarked in -their canoes, and proceeded to board the vessel. The men were silently -ordered up, and took their stations at the guns. The Indians were suffered -to approach close to the vessel, when the captain, by the stroke of a -hammer upon the mast, which had been previously concerted, gave the signal -for action. An immediate discharge took place, and the Indians -precipitately fled, with many killed and wounded. The next morning, the -vessel dropped down to the mouth of the river, where she remained six -days, waiting for a wind. On the thirteenth, she succeeded in ascending -the river, and reaching the fort in safety.</p> - -<p>Pontiac felt the necessity of destroying these vessels, and he therefore -constructed rafts for that purpose. The barns of some of the inhabitants -were demolished, and the materials employed in this work. Pitch and other -combustibles were added, and the whole so formed, as to burn with rapidity -and intensity. They were of considerable length, and were towed to a -proper position, above the vessels, when fire was applied, and they were -left to the stream, in the expectation that they would be carried into -contact with the vessels, and immediately set fire to them. Twice the -attempt was made, without success. The British were aware of the design, -and took their measures accordingly. Boats were constructed, and anchored -with chains above the vessels, and every precaution was used to ward off -the blow. The blazing rafts passed harmlessly by, and other incidents soon -occurred to engage the attention of the Indians. [FN]</p> - -<hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Discourse of Gov. Cass.</p> - - -<p>A week subsequent to this date, we find various letters from Detroit -published, in Atlantic papers, of which the following passages are -extracts. They will furnish the reader with an idea of the true situation -of the garrison at this time, much better than could be derived from any -description of our own.</p> - - <p class="exit">"Detroit, July 6, 1763.</p> - -<p>"We have been besieged here two Months, by Six Hundred Indians. We have -been upon the Watch Night and Day, from the Commanding Officer to the -lowest Soldier, from the 8th of May, and have not had our Cloaths off, nor -slept all Night since it began; and shall continue so till we have a -Reinforcement up. We then hope soon to give a good Account of the Savages. -Their Camp lies about a Mile and a half from the Fort; and that's the -nearest they choose to come now. For the first two or three Days we were -attacked by three or four Hundred of them, but we gave them so warm a -Reception that they don't care for coming to see us, tho' they now and -then get behind a House or Garden, and fire at us about three or four -Hundred Yards' distance. The Day before Yesterday, we killed a Chief and -three others, and wounded some more; yesterday went up with our Sloop, and -battered their Cabins in such a Manner that they are glad to keep farther -off."</p> - -<p>The next letter is under date of the 9th.</p> - -<p>"You have long ago heard of our pleasant Situation; but the Storm is blown -over. Was it not very agreeable to hear every day, of their cutting, -carving, boiling and eating our Companions? To see every Day dead Bodies -floating down the River, mangled and disfigured. But Britons, you know, -never shrink; we always appeared gay, to spite the Rascals. They boiled -and eat Sir Robert Devers; and we are informed by Mr. Pauly, who escaped -the other Day from one of the Stations surprised at the breaking out of -the War, and commanded by himself, that he had seen an Indian have the -Skin of Captain Robertson's Arm for a Tobacco-Pouch!"</p> - -<p>"Three Days ago, a Party of us went to demolish a Breast-work they had -made. We finished <i>our</i> Work, and were returning Home; but the Fort -espying a Party of Indians coming up, as if they intended to fight, we -were ordered back, made our Dispositions, and advanced briskly. Our Front -was fired upon warmly, and returned the Fire for about five Minutes. In -the mean time, Captain Hopkins, with about twenty Men, filed off to the -left, and about twenty French volunteers filed off to the Right, and got -between them and their Fires. The Villains immediately fled, and we -returned, as was prudent, for a Centry whom I had placed, informed me he -saw a Body of them coming down from the Woods, and our Party being but -about eighty, was not able to cope with their united bands. In short, we -beat them handsomely, and yet did not much Hurt to them, for they ran -extremely well. We only killed their Leader, and wounded three others. One -of them fired at me at the Distance of fifteen or twenty Paces, but I -suppose my terrible Visage made him tremble. I think I shot him."</p> - -<p>This "leader" was, according to some accounts, an Ottawa Chief; according -to others, the son of a Chief. At all events, he was a popular if not an -important man; and his death was severely revenged by one of his -relatives, in the massacre of Captain Campbell. That gentleman had been -detained a prisoner ever since the proposal of a capitulation, together -with his friend M<sup>c</sup>Dougall. The latter escaped a day or two before the -skirmish; but his unfortunate comrade was tomahawked by the infuriated -savage. One account says, "they boiled his heart and ate it, and made a -pouch of the skin of his arms!" The brutal assassin fled to Saginaw, -apprehensive of the vengeance of Pontiac; and it is but justice to the -memory of that Chieftain to say, that he was indignant at the atrocious -act, and used every possible exertion to apprehend the murderer.</p> - -<p>The reinforcement mentioned above as expected, arrived on the 26th of -July. It was a detachment of three hundred regular troops. Arrangements -were made the same evening, for an attack on the Indian camp. But by some -unknown means, Pontiac obtained information of the design; and he not only -removed the women and children from his camp, but seasonably stationed two -strong parties in ambuscades, where they were protected by pickets and -cord-wood, and concealed by the high grass. Three hundred men left the -fort, about an hour before day, and marched rapidly up the bank. They were -suffered to reach the bridge over Bloody-Run, and to proceed about half -way across it, before the slightest movement indicated that the enemy was -aware of their approach. Suddenly a volume of musketry was poured in upon -the troops; the commander fell at the first discharge, and they were -thrown into instant confusion. A retreat was with some difficulty effected -by driving the Indians from all their positions at the bayonet's point, -but the English lost seventy men killed, and forty wounded.</p> - -<p>This was the last important event attending the prosecution of the siege. -A modern author observes, that Pontiac relaxed in his efforts, that the -Indians soon began to depart for their wintering-grounds, and that the -various bands, <i>as they arrived in the spring, professed their desire for -peace.</i> Such seems to have been the case at a much earlier date; for we -find it stated under date of the 18th of August (1763,) that "the Hurons, -who begin to be wearied of the war," had brought in and given up eight -prisoners. The writer adds, that "the Hurons and Pouteouatamies, who were -partly forced into the war by the menaces of the Ottawas, begin to -withdraw." Pontiac had been so confident of success as to have made some -arrangements, it is said, for dividing the conquered territory with the -French; and several Indians planted fields of corn. But his warriors grew -weary of the siege, and his army was at this time reduced to about five -hundred.</p> - -<p>Where or how he passed the winter, we are not told. But his movements were -still watched with anxiety, and the garrison at Detroit, especially, seem -not to have thought themselves safe from his operations, from day to day. -"We have lately been very busy," says a respectable writer, under date of -December 3, 1763,—"in providing Abundance of Wheat, Flour, Indian Corn -and Pease, from the Country, in which we have so far succeeded as not to -be in Danger of being starved out." It further appears, that detachments -of the enemy were still in the neighborhood; "The Approach of Major -Wilkins' Party had a very good effect; the Enemy moved farther off. <i>'Tis -said that</i> <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Pondiac</span> <i>and his tribe have gone to the Mississippi, but we -don't believe it.</i>" Again,—-"The Wyandots, of Sandusky, are much animated -against us; they have been reinforced lately by many villains from all the -nations concerned in the war." So late as March 25th, we are told that -"about twelve Days ago, several scalping-Parties of the Potewatamies came -to the Settlement, &c. <i>We now sleep in our Clothes, expecting an Alarm -every Night.</i>"</p> - -<p>But the reign of terror maintained by the movements of Pontiac was drawing -to its close. The power of the civilized party was too much for a -combination like his. General Bradstreet, with a force of three thousand -men, proceeded to Niagara early in the summer of 1764, on his way to the -north-west. Here a grand council was held, at which nearly two thousand -Indians attended. One account says there were representatives present from -twenty-two different tribes, including eleven of the western,—a fact -strikingly indicating the immense train of operations managed by the -influence of Pontiac. Many of his best allies had now deserted the -chieftain. The traveler, Henry, who was under Bradstreet's command, -mentions that he was himself appointed leader of ninety six <i>Chippewas</i> of -the Sault de Sainte-Marie, and other savages, under the name of the Indian -Battalion;—"Me," he adds, "whose best hope it had very lately been, to -live through their forbearance." It ought to be observed, however, in -justice to the men who were thus led against their own countrymen and -kinsmen, that by the time the army reached Fort Erie, their number was -reduced to fourteen by desertion.</p> - -<p>On the arrival of the army at Detroit, which they reached without -opposition, all the tribes in that region came in and concluded a peace, -with the exception of the Delawares and Shawanees. But Pontiac was no more -seen. He not only took no part in the pending negotiation, but abandoned -the country, and repaired to the Illinois.</p> - -<p>We find no authority for the assertion of Carver, that henceforward he -laid aside his animosity for the English; and still less, that "to reward -<i>this new attachment,</i> Government allowed him a handsome pension." Even this -writer admits that his conduct "at length grew suspicious." Rogers, on the -other hand, who had good opportunities of knowing the facts, says, that -while "some of the Indians left him, and by his consent made a separate -peace, <i>he would not be personally concerned in it,</i> saying, that when he -made a peace, it should be such a one as would be useful and honorable to -himself, and to the King of Great Britain. <i>But he has not as yet proposed -his terms.</i>" [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Rogers' Account, p. 244.</p> - - -<p>This account bears manifest marks of correctness. It agrees with many -other illustrations of a magnanimity which might have made Pontiac a fit -comrade for the Knights of the middle ages. But confirmations of it may be -found elsewhere. It was the common belief of the times, that he had gone -among the Illinois, with a view of there holding himself in readiness for -whatever might happen to the benefit of the great cause for which he was -resolved to live and die; and probably, also, to use active measures as -fast and as far as might be advisable. The following passage occurs in an -authentic letter from Detroit, dated May 19, 1765.</p> - -<p>"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Pondiac</span> is now raising the St Joseph Indians, the Miamies, the -Mascontins, the Ouiattenons, the Pians and the Illinois, to come to this -place the beginning of next month, to make what effect they can against -us; for which purpose he has procured a large belt for each nation, and -one larger than the rest for a <i>'hatchet'</i> for the whole. They are to be -joined by some of the northern Indians, as is reported. This, they say, is -to be an undertaking of their own, as they are not to have any assistance -from the French. . . . When Pondiac left the Miamies, he told them to -remain quiet till he came back; it should then be 'all war, or all peace.' -. . . I make no doubt of their intention to perform what we have heard of, -though I don't think it will come to any head. I am likewise well -convinced, <i>if Pondiac be made to believe he would be well received at -this place, he would desist from any intention he may have;</i> but it will -be impossible to convince him of that, while there are such a number of -traitorous villains about him. You can't imagine what most infamous lies -they tell," &c.</p> - -<p>It appears from this testimony, that Pontiac had at this period re-engaged -in his plan of combination. It would also appear, that he was instigated -by some of the French; for it is believed that only <i>individuals</i> among -them were guilty of the practices alleged. Those at Detroit conducted -themselves amicably, even during the war; and some of them, we have seen, -volunteered to fight against the Indians. Still, where Pontiac now was, -there would be the best possible opportunity of exerting a sinister -influence over him, there being many Frenchmen among the Illinois, and they -not of the most exemplary character in all cases. On the whole, it seems -to us probable, that while the last mentioned combination was really "an -undertaking of his own," it might have been checked at any moment, and -perhaps never would have been commenced, had not Pontiac been renewedly -and repeatedly prejudiced against the English interest by the artifice of -some of the French, and perhaps some of the Indians. However his -principles in regard to that subject might remain unchanged, no abstract -inducement, we think, would have urged him to his present measures under -the circumstances to which he was now reduced. But, be that as it may, the -principles themselves need not be doubted; nor can we forbear admiring the -energy of the man in pursuing the exemplification and vindication of them -in practice. His exertions grew only the more daring, as his prospects -became more desperate.</p> - -<p>But his death at length ended at once his disappointments and hopes, -together with the fears of his enemies. This event is supposed to have -taken place in 1767. He was assassinated, at a council held among the -Illinois, by an Indian of the Peoria tribe. Carver says, that "either -commissioned by one of the English Governors, or instigated by the love he -bore the English nation, the savage attended him as a spy, and being -convinced from the speech Pontiac made in the council, that he still -retained his former prejudices against <i>those for whom he now professed -a friendship,</i> he plunged his knife into his heart, as soon as he had done -speaking, and laid him dead on the spot."</p> - -<p>As to what is here said of professed friendship, the writer evidently -alludes to his own previous assertion, which we have shown to be -unfounded, and for which we are still unable to perceive the slightest -grounds. Still several of these suppositions, though only to be received -as such, are probably true. There is little doubt that Pontiac continued -firm in his original principles and purpose; that he expressed himself -without disguise; that he endeavored to influence, and did influence, a -large number of his countrymen; and that the Peoria savage, whether a -personal enemy or a "spy"—or what is most probable, <i>both</i>, (a spy -<i>because</i> an enemy,)—did assassinate him with the expectation, to say the -least, of doing an acceptable service to some foreign party, and a -lucrative one for himself. We need not assert that he was "commissioned by -an English <i>Governor.</i>" Pontiac was an indefatigable and powerful man, and -a dangerous foe to the English. He was in a situation to make enemies -among his countrymen, and the English were generally in a situation and -disposition to avail themselves of that circumstance.</p> - -<p>From the manner of life adopted by the chieftain subsequent to the treaty -at Detroit, it might be inferred, perhaps, that he became alienated from -the Northern tribes, including his own, who had been his best friends, or -that they became alienated from him. We are inclined to believe, on the -contrary, that their negotiations took place "by his consent," as has been -stated heretofore; and that he removed southward, as well with a view to -their good (as regarded the friendship of the English,) as at the same -time for the purpose of recommencing his own operations upon a new -theatre, and with fresh actors. He would thereby gain new influence, while -he would lose little or none of the old.</p> - -<p>This supposition is confirmed by the well-authenticated fact that the -Ottawas, the Chippewas, and the Pottawatamies—some writers add the Sacs -and Foxes—made common cause in the revenge of his death. Following that -principle with the customary Indian latitude of application, they made war -upon the Peoria tribe. The latter associated with themselves, in defence, -the Kaskaskias, the Cahokias, and the Illinois; but to no purpose. The two -latter tribes are believed to have been wholly exterminated, and of the -former only a few families remain. "The memory of the great Ottawa Chief," -says a distinguished historian of that section, "is <i>yet</i> held in reverence -among his countrymen; and whatever is the fate which may await them, his -name and deeds will live in their traditionary narratives, increasing in -interest as they increase in years."</p> - -<p>The astonishing influence exerted by this remarkable man so long as he -lived, may be inferred from the period of peace which succeeded his death -and the punishment of his murderer, still more forcibly than from any -circumstances we have noticed. It has been seen, that more than twenty -tribes, who had engaged in his combination, appeared at the Niagara -Council. His movements are believed to have been felt as far east as among -the Micmacks of Nova-Scotia. As far south as Virginia, they were not only -perceptible, but formidable in the highest degree. The agitation produced -among the inhabitants of a part of our Western territory, within a few -months, by <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Black-Hawk</span> and his associates, scarcely illustrates the similar -excitement which, in 1763, prevailed over a much larger portion of the -continent A few passages from periodical publications of that date will -give a better conception of the truth.</p> - - <p class="exit">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">New York</span>, June 13th, 1763.</p> - -<p>"We hear that on Monday last arrived an Express from Pittsburgh, advising -that a Party of Indians had murdered Col. Clapham and all his Family." -. . .</p> - - <p class="exit">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Fort Pitt</span>, May 31st.</p> - -<p>"There is most melancholy News here. The Indians have broken out in divers -Places, and have murdered Col. C. and his Family. An Indian has brought a -War belt to Tusquerora, who says Detroit was invested, and St. Dusky cut -off. All Levy's goods are stopped at Tusquerora by the Indians; and last -Night eight or ten Men were killed at Beaver Creek. We hear of scalping -every Hour. Messrs. Cray and Allison's Horses, twenty-five, loaded with -Skins, are all taken." . . .</p> - - <p class="exit"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Fort Pitt,</span> June 16th.</p> - -<p>"We have destroyed the Upper and Lower Towns, and by Tomorrow Night shall -be in a good Posture of Defence. Every Morning, an Hour before Day, the -whole Garrison are at their Alarm-posts. Ten Days ago, <i>they</i> killed one -Patrick Dunn, and a man of Major Smallman's; also two other men. Capt. -Callender's people are all killed, and the goods taken. There is no -account of Mr. Welch, &c. Mr. Crawford is made prisoner, and his people -all murdered. Our small posts, I am afraid, are gone." . . .</p> - - <p class="exit">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Fort Bedford,</span> June 8th.</p> - -<p>"On Tuesday, one Smith was attacked, and by an Indian without arms, at -Beaver Creek, who endeavored to put him under water; but Smith proving too -strong for him, put the Indian under water, and brought off a piece of his -ear, and left him. . . . We have a numerous militia who are under arms -almost continually. Regular piquets, town-guards, fort-guards, centinels, -&c. are observed." . . .</p> - - <p class="exit">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Albany,</span> June 16th.</p> - -<p>"You must have heard of the many murders committed on the English, by -different tribes of Indians, at different places, which makes many fear -the rupture is or will become <i>general among the southern tribes.</i> We have -accounts, &c. . . . Lieut. Cuyler, with a party of Green's rangers, -consisting of ninety-seven men, set out from Niagara, with provisions for -Detroit. On the evening of the 4th, they went on shore to encamp, within -fifty miles of Detroit. Cuyler sent his servant to gather greens, and the -lad being gone so long, a party was sent for him, who found him scalped; -He put his men in the best position for a sudden attack. The Indians fell -upon them, and killed and took all but the Lieutenant and thirty of his -men, who retreated back to Niagara, leaving near two hundred barrels of -provision with the enemy. . . .</p> - - <p class="exit">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Philadelphia,</span> June 23d.</p> - -<p>"By an express just now from Fort Pitt, we learn that the Indians are -continually about that place; that out of one hundred and twenty traders -but two or three escaped," &c. . . . "It is now out of doubt it is a -general insurrection among all the Indians." . . .</p> - - <p class="exit">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Winchester,</span> (Virginia,) June 22d.</p> - -<p>"Last night I reached this place. I have been at Fort Cumberland several -days, but fine Indians having killed nine people there, made me think it -prudent to remove from those parts, <i>from which I suppose near five hundred -families have run away within this week.</i> It was a most melancholy sight -to see such numbers of poor people, who had abandoned their settlement in -such consternation and hurry, that they had scarcely anything with them -but their children." . . .</p> - - <p class="exit">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Carlisle,</span> July 3d.</p> - -<p>"Ligonier was attacked on the 23d, by the Savages, for a day and a night, -but they were beat off; this we had from an Indian. We killed one of the -Scoundrel's from the Fort, who had trusted himself a little too -near." . . .</p> - - <p class="exit">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Philadelphia,</span> July 27th.</p> - -<p>"I returned home last night. . . . There has been a good deal said in the -papers, but not more than is strictly true. Shippersburgh and Carlisle are -now become our frontiers, none living at their plantations but such as -have their houses stockaded. Upwards of two hundred women and children are -now living in Fort Loudoun, a spot not more than one hundred feet square. -I saw a letter from Col. S. late of the Virginia Regiment, to Col. A. -wherein he mentions that Great-Brier and Jackson's River are -depopulated—upwards of three hundred persons killed or taken prisoners; -that for one hundred miles in breadth and three hundred in length, not one -family is to be found in their plantations; by which means there are near -twenty thousand people left destitute of their habitations. The seven -hundred men voted by the assembly, recruit but very slowly, &c. . . .</p> - - <p class="exit">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Goshen,</span> N. Y. August 5th.</p> - -<p>"Last week the following accident happened in this place. Several men -having been out upon the hills hunting for deer, in their return they met -with a flock of partridges, at which four guns were discharged, three of -them pretty quick after each other. This, being an uncommon accident in -the Place, was mistaken by some of the inhabitants of the Wall-Kill for -firing of Indians. Immediately alarm-guns were fired and spread over the -whole Place, which produced an amazing panic and confusion among the -people, near five hundred families. Some for haste cut the harnesses of -their horses from their ploughs and carts, and rode off with what they -were most concerned to preserve. Others, who had no vessel to cross the -river, plunged through, carrying their wives and children on their backs. -Some, we have already heard, proceeded as far as New-England, spreading -the alarm as they went, and how far they may go is uncertain." . . .</p> - - <p class="exit">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Bethlehem,</span> (Penn.) Oct 9th.</p> - -<p>"I cannot describe the deplorable condition this poor country is in. Most -of the inhabitants of Allen's town, and other places, are fled from their -habitations. I cannot ascertain the number killed, but think it exceeds -twenty. The people at Nazareth, and the other places belonging to the -[United] Brethren, have put themselves in the best posture of defence they -can; they keep a strong watch every night, and hope, by the blessing of -God, if they are attacked, to make a stand."</p> - -<p>Nothing can be added, to enforce the impression which these various -descriptions must make upon the mind of the reader. They shew that the -apprehension excited by the movements of Pontiac, though the Chieftain -himself was not yet thoroughly appreciated, exceeded every thing of the -kind which has occurred on the continent since the days of King Philip.</p> - -<p>It is mainly from his actions, of necessity, that the character of such a -man, in such a situation, must be judged. There are, however, some items -of personal information respecting him, and these all go to confirm the -opinion we have already expressed. His anxiety to learn the English -methods or manufacturing cloth, iron and some other articles, was such -that he offered Major Rogers a part of his territory, if he would take him -to England for that purpose. He also endeavored to inform himself of the -tactics and discipline of the English troops. Probably it was in -consequence of suggestions made by Rogers at some of the conversations he -had with that officer, (and at which the latter allows that "he discovered -great strength of judgment, and a thirst after knowledge,") that -afterwards, in the course of the war, he appointed an Indian Commissary, -and began to issue bills of credit. These, which are said to have been -punctually redeemed, are described as having the figure of whatever he -wanted in exchange for them, drawn upon them, with the addition of his own -stamp in the shape of an otter. The system was set in operation partly -for the benefit of the French. They had been subjected, occasionally, to -indiscriminate pillage, but Pontiac become satisfied that such a process -would soon put an end to itself, besides doing no honor to his cause. The -supplies which they subsequently furnished, were regularly levied through -the medium of his commissariat department.</p> - -<p>The authority Pontiac exercised over the combined tribes, seems to have -been little less than that of a complete Dictator. In the Detroit diary, -heretofore cited, we are informed that about the commencement of the -siege, a Mr. Rutherford "fell into the hands of the savages. One of the -garrison afterwards employed a Frenchman to redeem him from his Indian -master, and furnished eighty pounds worth of goods for that purpose. The -bargain was effected, but the gentleman had been liberated but one day and -one night, when Pontiac, whose notice nothing escaped, sent a band of -fifty Indians to take him away by force. '<i>No nation,</i>' he said, '<i>should -have liberty to sell their prisoners till the war was over.</i>'"</p> - -<p>As the notice we have given of the fate of Campbell may leave an -unfavorable impression in regard to the Chieftain's good faith, it should -be observed, that the Indian maxims on the use of artifice in war are -universally different from those of most civilized nations. Nor can we -expect to know what circumstances might have occurred, subsequent to the -visit of Campbell to the Indian camp, which would justify his detention, -though contrary to the expectation of all parties. It appears, however, -from the Diary, that he was first induced to go out, not by Pontiac, (as -we have seen it stated,) but by some of the French, who "told him there -was no Risque in going out; they would answer Life for Life, that he -should return safe into the Fort."</p> - -<p>It is well settled that the <i>detention</i>—whether in pursuance of a scheme -of Pontiac, thereby to induce a capitulation, or for other reasons -unknown—was by no means intended to result as it unfortunately did. The -same writer who states that Pontiac solemnly pledged his word for the -Captain's safety, states that the assassin fled to Saginaw, apprehensive -of his vengeance; and that <i>he</i> used every exertion to apprehend the -murderer, who would no doubt have paid for his temerity with his life. -[FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Governor Cass.</p> - - -<p>No act has ever been ascribed to Pontiac which would lead us to doubt this -conclusion. Nothing like sanguinary disposition, or a disposition to -tolerate cruelty in others, belonged to his character. We have observed -his treatment of Rogers, at a time when he had no doubt resolved upon war, -and when he already felt himself to have been ill-treated by the English. -That gentleman relates an anecdote of him which occurred during the war, -still more honorable to the chieftain. As a compliment, Rogers sent him a -bottle of brandy, by the hands of a Frenchman. His Councilors advised him -not to taste it; it must be poisoned, said they, and sent with a design to -kill him. But Pontiac laughed at their suspicions. "He cannot," he -replied, "<i>he cannot take my life, I have saved his!</i>"</p> - -<p>In 1765, an English officer, Lieutenant Frazer, with a company of -soldiers, went among the Illinois, where was a French station, at which -Pontiac then was,—probably with a view of observing the chieftain's -movements. <i>He</i> considered it an aggression, and called upon the French -Commandant to deliver his visitors into his bands. The Officer attempted -to pacify him, in vain. "You," [the French,] said he, "were the first -cause of my striking the English. This is your tomahawk which I hold in my -hand." He then ordered his Indians, whom by this time he had mustered in -large numbers from the neighborhood, to seize upon the English at once. -The order was generally obeyed, but Frazer escaped. The Indians threatened -to massacre all the rest, unless he should be given up, upon which, he -gallantly came forward, and surrendered to Pontiac.</p> - -<p>The sequel is worthy of notice. "<i>With the interest of Pontiac,</i>" say the -papers of the day, "he [Frazer] got himself and his men back again." On -the arrival of another Indian chief; with a white woman for a wife, who -did all in their power to exasperate the savages, they seized upon the -English again, "But Pontiac ordered them to give the men back," and the -order was again obeyed. Frazer wished to stay longer, and Pontiac promised -to protect him. He however advised him, considering the disposition of the -Indians, to leave the country, and he accordingly went down the river in a -batteau, and at length made his way to New-Orleans. "He says, <i>Pontiac is -a clever fellow, and had it not been for him, he should never have got -away alive.</i>"</p> - -<p>Of the oratory of the Ottawa Chieftain there remain but few and scanty -memorials. Like Philip, he has derived his distinction more from actions -than words, and that (as also in Philip's case,) without the aid of any -very signal renown as a mere warrior. The only speech of his we have met -with, was made on the occasion of a conference with the French at Detroit, -held upon the 23d of May, 1763, in the hope of inducing them to join him -in the reduction of the fort. The style of delivery cannot now be -ascertained; but the reasoning is close and ingenious.</p> - -<p>"My Brothers!" he said, "I have no doubt but this war is very troublesome -to you, and that my warriors, who are continually passing and re-passing -through your settlements, frequently kill your cattle, and injure your -property. I am sorry for it, and hope you do not think I am pleased with -this conduct of my young men. And as a proof of my friendship, recollect -the war you had seventeen years ago, [1746] and the part I took in it. The -Northern nations combined together, and came to destroy yon. Who defended -you? Was it not myself and my young men? The great Chief Mackinac, [the -Turtle] said in Council, that he would carry to his native village the -head of your chief warrior, and that he would eat his heart and drink his -blood. Did I not then join you, and go to his camp and say to him, if he -wished to kill the French, he must pass over my body, and the bodies of my -young men? Did I not take hold of the tomahawk with you, and aid you in -fighting your battles with Mackinac, and driving him home to his country? -Why do you think I would turn my arms against you? Am I not the same -French Pontiac, who assisted you seventeen years ago? I am a Frenchman, -and I wish to die a Frenchman."</p> - -<p>After throwing a war-belt into the midst of the council, he concluded in -the following strain:</p> - -<p>"My Brothers! I begin to grow tired of this <i>bad meat,</i> which is upon our -lands. I begin to see that this is not your case, for instead of assisting -us in our war with the English, you are actually assisting them. I have -already told you, and I now tell you again, that when I undertook this -war, it was only your interest I sought, and that I knew what I was about. -I yet know what I am about. This year they must all perish. The Master of -Life so orders it. His will is known to us, and we must do as he says. And -you, my brothers, who know him better than we do, wish to oppose his will! -Until now, I have avoided urging you upon this subject, in the hope, that -if you could not aid, you would not injure us. I did not wish to ask you -to fight with us against the English, and I did not believe you would take -part with them. You will say you are not with them. I know it, but your -conduct amounts to the same thing. You will tell them all we do and say. -You carry our counsels and plans to them. Now take your choice. You must -be entirely French, like ourselves, or entirely English. If you are -French, take this belt for yourselves and your young men, and join us. If -you are English, we declare war against you." . . .</p> - -<p>The man who had the ability and the intrepidity to express himself in this -manner, hardly needed either the graces of rhetoric or the powers of the -warrior, to enforce that mighty influence which, among every people and -under all circumstances, is attached, as closely as shadow to substance, -to the energies of a mighty mind. Those energies he exerted, and that -influence he possessed, probably beyond all precedent in the history of -his race. Hence it is that his memory is still cherished among the tribes -of the north. <span style="font-variant:small-caps">History</span> itself, instead of adding to his character in their -eyes, has only reduced him to his true proportions in our own. <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tradition</span> -still looks upon him as it looked upon the Hercules of the Greeks.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chviii">CHAPTER VIII.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">Account of the Delawares—Their ancient great men, including - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tamenend</span>—History daring the Revolutionary War—Two Parties among - them—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">White-Eyes,</span> leader of one, and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Captain Pipe,</span> of the - other—Manœuvres, speeches, plots and counter-plots of these men, their - parties, and foreigners connected with both—Anecdotes—Death of - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">White-Eyes</span> in 1780—Tribute of respect paid to his memory.</p> -<br> - -<p>The most formidable antagonist the Five Nations ever had to contend with, -were the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Delawares,</span> as the English have named them (from Lord de la War) -but generally styled by their Indian neighbors, Wapanachi, and by -themselves Lenni Lenape, or the Original People. The tradition is, that -they and the Five Nations both emigrated from beyond the Mississippi, and, -by uniting their forces, drove off or destroyed the primitive residents of -the country on this side. Afterwards, the Delawares divided themselves -into three tribes, called the Turtle, the Turkey, and the Wolf or Monsey. -Their settlements extended from the Hudson to the Potomac; and their -descendants finally became so numerous, that nearly forty tribes honored -them with the title of <i>Grand-father,</i> which some of them continue to -apply at the present day.</p> - -<p>The Delawares were the principal inhabitants of Pennsylvania, when William -Penn commenced his labors in that region; and the memory of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Miquon,</span> their -Elder Brother, as they called him, is still cherished in the legends of -all that remains of the nation. That remnant exists chiefly on the western -banks of the Mississippi, to which ancient starting-place they have been -gradually approximating, stage by stage, ever since the arrival of the -Europeans on the coast. Their principal intermediate settlements have been -in Ohio, on the banks of the Muskingum, and other small rivers, whither a -great number of the tribe removed about the year 1760.</p> - -<p>The Delawares have never been without their great men, though -unfortunately many of them have lived at such periods and such places, as -to make it impossible for history to do them justice. It is only within -about a century last past, during which they have been rapidly declining -in power and diminishing in numbers, that a series of extraordinary -events, impelling them into close contact with the whites, as well as with -other Indians, has had the effect of bringing forward their extraordinary -men.</p> - -<p>Among the ancient Delaware worthies, whose career is too imperfectly known -to us to be the subject of distinct sketches, we shall mention only the -name of the illustrious <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tamenend.</span> This individual stands foremost in the -list of all the great men of his nation in any age. He was a mighty -warrior, an accomplished statesman, and a pure and high-minded patriot. In -private life he was still more distinguished for his virtues, than in -public for his talents. His countrymen could only account for the -perfections they ascribed to him, by supposing him to be favored with the -special communications of the Great Spirit. Ages have elapsed since his -death, but his memory was so fresh among the Delawares of the last -century, that when Colonel Morgan, of New-Jersey, was sent as an agent -among them by Congress, during the Revolution, they conferred on him the -title of Tamenend, as the greatest mark of respect they could show for the -manners and character of that gentleman; and he was known by his Indian -appellation ever afterwards.</p> - -<p>About this time, the old chieftain had so many admirers among the whites -also, that they made him a saint, inserted his name in calendars, and -celebrated his festival on the first day of May, yearly. On that day a -numerous society of his votaries walked in procession through the streets -of Philadelphia, their hats decorated with bucks'-tails, and proceeded to -a sylvan rendezvous out of town, which they called the <i>Wigwam,</i> where, -after a long talk or speech had been delivered, and the <i>Calumet</i> of -friendship passed around, the remainder of the day was spent in high -festivity. A dinner was prepared, and Indian dances performed on the -green. The custom ceased a few years after the conclusion of peace, and -though other "Tammany" associations have since existed, they retain little -of the model they were formed upon but the name.</p> - -<p>The commencement of the Revolutionary war was among the Delawares, as -among their more civilized neighbors, a period of great excitement. Strong -efforts were made by the British authorities on the northern frontier, and -yet stronger ones by individual refugees and vagabonds in the British -interest, to prejudice them against the American people, and to induce -them to make common cause with their "Father" over the "Big Water," in -correcting the sins of his disobedient children. Congress, on the other -hand, contented itself with keeping them, as far and as long as possible, -in a state of neutrality. In consequence of these opposite influences, and -of old prepossessions entertained by various parties and persons in the -nation, a violent struggle ensued,—for war on one side, and for peace on -the other—in the course of which were developed some of the most -remarkable individual traits and diplomatic manœuvres which we have yet -had occasion to notice.</p> - -<p>The leader of the peace-party was Koguethagechton, called by the Americans -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Captain White-Eyes.</span> He was the Head-Chief of the Turtle tribe in Ohio; -while <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Captain Pipe,</span> of the Wolf tribe, living and having his council-fire -at the distance of fifteen miles northward from the former, devoted his -talents to promoting the plan of a belligerent union with the British. -Accidental circumstances,—such as old wrongs, or at least imagined ones, -from the Americans, on one side, and old favors on the other,—no doubt -had their effect in producing this diversity of feeling; but the ambition -and jealousy of Pipe,—whose spirit, otherwise noble, was of that haughty -order, that he would not "have served in heaven" when he might "reign" -elsewhere in the universe—are believed to have gone farther than any -other cause, both to create and keep up dissensions among the Delawares, -and disturbances between them and the whites. Pipe, as even the good -Heckewelder allows, was certainly a great man, but White-Eyes was still -both his superior and his senior, besides having the advantage of a clean -cause and a clear conscience.</p> - -<p>Pipe, like other politicians, uniformly professed his readiness, from time -to time, to join in any measures proper to "save the nation;" but the -difficulty as uniformly occurred, that these were precisely the same -measures which White-Eyes thought would destroy it. The former, like most -of the Wolf tribe, whose temperament he had studied, was warlike, -energetic, and restless. He brooded over old resentments,—he panted for -revenge,—he longed for the coming of an era which should turn "rogues" -out of office, and bring "honest men" in. With these feelings, his -ingenuity could not be long without adequate arguments and artifices to -operate on the minds of his countrymen. Their most remarkable effect, -however, it soon became manifest, was to attach them to himself rather -than to any particular principles. They were as ready to fight as men need -be; but Pipe was expected to monopolize the thinking and talking.</p> - -<p>For the better understanding of the principles of the Peace-party, we -shall here introduce the exposition made by White-Eyes and others, of the -character of the contest between the English and the Americans. Its effect -was to convince the Indians, that they had no concern with either, while -their welfare clearly suggested the policy, as well as propriety, of -maintaining amicable terms with both.</p> - -<p>"Suppose a father," it was said, "had a little son whom he loved and -indulged while young, but growing up to be a youth, began to think of -having some help from him; and making up a small pack, bade him carry it -for him. The boy cheerfully takes this pack, following his father with it. -The rather, finding the boy willing and obedient, continues in this way; -and as the boy grows stronger, so the father makes the pack in proportion -larger—yet as long as the boy is able to carry the pack, he does so -without grumbling. At length, however, the boy having arrived at manhood, -while the father is making up the pack for him, in comes a person of an -evil disposition, and learning who was the carrier of the pack, advises -the father to make it heavier, for surely the son is able to carry a large -pack. The father, listening rather to the bad adviser, than consulting his -own judgment and the feelings of tenderness, follows the advice of the -hardhearted adviser, and makes up a heavy load for his son to carry. The -son, now grown up, examining the weight of the load he is to carry, -addresses the parent in these words: 'Dear father, this pack is too heavy -for me to carry, do pray lighten it; I am willing to do what I can, but am -unable to carry this load.' The father's heart having by this time become -hardened—and the bad adviser calling to him, 'whip him if he disobeys and -refuses to carry the pack,' now in a peremptory tone orders his son to -take up the pack and carry it off, or he will whip him, and already takes -up a stick to beat him. 'So!' says the son, 'am I to be served thus, for -not doing what I am unable to do! Well if entreaties avail nothing with -you, father—and it is to be decided by blows, whether or not I am able to -carry a pack so heavy—-then I have no other choice left me, but that of -resisting your unreasonable demand, by my strength; and so, by striking -each other, we may see who is the strongest.'"</p> - -<p>But this doctrine, however sound, did not prove wholly effectual against -the exertions of Pipe, who was continually either making movements, or -taking advantage of such as occurred, to disparage the influence of his -rival, and, of course, to extend and establish his own. He contradicted -whatever was said, and counteracted whatever was done by White-Eyes; until -the whole system of intercourse of the Delawares with each other and with -other nations, became a labrynth of inconsistencies and counter-plots.</p> - -<p>About the commencement of the war, White-Eyes; with some of his tribe, -visited the Americans at Pittsburg, where they met in conference with a -number of the Seneca tribe, a people particularly attached to the British -interest at that time. The object of their visit probably was to ascertain -and perhaps influence the politics of the Delawares; and they relied much -on the power of the great confederacy to which they belonged. Not only, -however, did they fail to overawe White-Eyes, politically or personally; -but they could not prevent him from publicly advocating the principles he -avowed. So angry were they at a speech he addressed to the meeting at -Pittsburg, that they undertook to check him by hinting, in an insolent and -sullen manner, that it ill became him to express himself thus -independently, whose tribe were but women, and had been made such by the -Five Nations—alluding to an old reproach which had often before this been -used to humiliate the Delawares.</p> - -<p>Frequently it had that effect. But White-Eyes was not of a temper to brook -an insult, under any circumstances. With an air of the most haughty -disdain, he sat patiently until the Senecas had done, and then rose and -replied:</p> - -<p>"I know," said he gravely, "I know well, that you consider us a conquered -nation—as women—as your inferiors. You have, say you, shortened our -legs, and put petticoats on us! You say you have given us a hoe and a -corn-pounder, and told us to plant and pound for you—you men—you -<i>warriors!</i> But look at me. Am I not full-grown, and have I not a -warrior's dress? Aye, I am a man, and these are the arms of a man, -[showing his musket]—and all that country, [waving hand proudly in the -direction of the Allegheny river] all that country, on the other side of -that water, is <i>mine,</i>" [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Speaking, according to common custom, in the name of the nation.</p> - - -<p>A more courageous address was perhaps never made to any Council of -Indians. Indeed, it went so beyond the spirit of his tribe, apprehensive -as they were of the indignation of the powerful people he had thus -bearded, that, although many were gratified, many others were -frightened,—or, perhaps, at Pipe's instigation, pretended to be -frightened,—out of the ranks of the Peace-party into those of the War. -The Monseys took the lead in that movement, and they even humiliated -themselves so much as to send word to the Five Nations that they -disapproved of what White-Eyes had said. Pipe, about the same time, left -off attending the councils of the Turtle tribe, which he had hitherto done -regularly,—probably from a conviction that his intrigues were becoming -daily more manifest,—and he also endeavored to circulate an impression -that White-Eyes had made secret engagements with the Americans, with the -view of aggrandizing himself at the expense of his countrymen.</p> - -<p>The latter, meanwhile, was laboring, night and day, to preserve peace -among the tribes, by sending embassies, and by other energetic measures. -In some places, he succeeded, but in others the manœuvres of his adversary -prevailed. A message sent to the Sandusky Wyandots, in 1776, was -insolently answered by a hint to the Delawares, "to keep good shoes in -readiness for joining the warriors." White-Eyes himself headed a -deputation to a settlement of the same people near Detroit. They however -refused to receive his peace-belts, except in presence of the British -Governor at that station; and he, when they were tendered in his presence, -seized them violently, cut them in pieces, threw them at the feet of the -Deputies, and then told White-Eyes, that "if he set any value on his head, -he must be gone within half an hour."</p> - -<p>Such indefatigable efforts were made by the war-party, and by those -foreigners who co-operated with them, especially in circulating reports -unfavorable to the American character and cause, that White-Eyes was very -near being sacrificed to the hot-headed rashness of his own followers. In -March, 1778, a number of tones of infamous character, having escaped from -Pittsburg, told the Indians, wherever they went, that the Americans were -coming upon them from all quarters; and that now was the time, and the -only time, for saving themselves, by commencing active hostilities. The -Delawares were filled with consternation, and, for a day or two, -White-Eyes was unable to stem the torrent of popular feeling. But he -recovered his influence as they recovered their composure; and well -knowing that his conduct in this affair would be closely watched by his -rival, he called a general council of the nation, in which he proposed to -delay committing hostilities against the American people for ten days, -during which time they might obtain more certain information as to the -truth of the assertions of these men. Pipe, considering this a proper time -for placing White-Eyes in the back-ground, construed his wise and prudent -advice as though <i>he</i> was in the secret, and now proposed to his own -council, "to declare every man an enemy to the nation, that should throw -an obstacle in the way, that might tend to prevent the taking up arms -instantly against the American people."</p> - -<p>White-Eyes perceived that the blow was aimed at himself; but he parried it -by immediately assembling and addressing his party by themselves; "If you -<i>will</i> go out in this war," said he, observing the preparations of some of -them, "you shall not go without me. I have taken peace measures, it is -true, with the view of saving my tribe from destruction. But if you think -me in the wrong, if you give more credit to runaway vagabonds than to your -own friends, to a man, to a warrior, to a Delaware,—if you insist upon -fighting the Americans,—go! and I will go with you. And I will not go -<i>like the bear-hunter, who sets his dogs upon the animal to be beaten -about with his paws, while he keeps himself at a safe distance.</i> No! I -will lead you on. I will place myself in the front I will fall with the -first of you! You can do as you choose, but as for me I will not survive -my nation. I will not live to bewail the miserable destruction of a brave -people, who deserved, as you do, a better fate."</p> - -<p>This spirited harangue had the desired effect. The assembly declared, with -all the enthusiasm which a grave Indian council are ever willing to -manifest, that they would at least wait the ten days, as he wished. Some -added that they would never fight the Americans, but with him for a -leader.</p> - -<p>But Pipe and his party redoubled their efforts, and before the appointed -term had expired, many of the Delawares had shaved their heads in -readiness for the war-plume; and White-Eyes, though his request for delay -was still attended to, was threatened with a violent death if he should -say one word for the American interest. On the ninth day, vigorous -preparations were made for sending out war-parties, and no news had yet -arrived to abate the excitement.</p> - -<p>At this critical juncture it happened that the German missionary, Mr. -Heckewelder, with some attendants, had arrived among the Christian -Delawares in the neighborhood of Goschocking, the settlement of -White-Eyes, from Pittsburg. He became an eye and ear witness of the sequel -of the affair, and we shall therefore avail ourselves of his narrative.</p> - -<p>"Finding the matter so very pressing, and even not admitting of a day's -delay, I consented, that after a few hours' rest and sleep, and furnished -with a trusty companion and a fresh horse, I would proceed on, when -between three and four o'clock in the morning, the national assistant, -John Martin, having called on me for the purpose, we set out, swimming our -horses across the Muskingum river, and taking a circuit through the woods -in order to avoid the encampment of the war-party, which was close to our -path. Arriving by ten o'clock in the forenoon within sight of the town, a -few yells were given by a person who had discovered us, intended to notify -the inhabitants that a white man was coming, and which immediately drew -the whole body of Indians into the streets; but although I saluted them in -passing them, not a single person returned the compliment, which, as my -conductor observed, was no good omen. Even Captain White-Eyes, and the -other chiefs who always had befriended me, now stepped back when I reached -out my hand to them, which strange conduct however did not dismay me, as I -observed among the crowd some men well known to me as spies of Captain -Pipe's, watching the actions of these peace-chiefs, wherefore I was -satisfied that the act of refusing me the hand, had been done from policy, -and not from any ill will towards my person. Indeed, in looking around, I -thought I could read joy in the countenances of many of them, in seeing me -among them at so critical a juncture, when they, but a few days before, -had been told by those deserters, that nothing short of their total -destruction had been resolved upon by the 'long knives' (the Virginians, -or <i>new</i> American people.) Yet as no one would reach out his hand to me, I -inquired into the cause, when Captain White-Eyes boldly stepping forward, -replied; 'that by what had been told them by those men, (M<sup>c</sup>Kee and party,) -they no longer had a single friend among the American people; if therefore -this be so, they must consider every white man who came to them from that -side, as an enemy, who only came to them to deceive them, and put them off -their guard, for the purpose of giving the enemy an opportunity of taking -men by surprise.' I replied, that the imputation was unfounded, and that, -were I not their friend, they never would have seen me here. 'Then, -(continued Captain White-Eyes,) you will tell us the truth with regard to -what I state to you!'—Assuring him of this, he, in a strong tone, asked -me: 'Are the American armies all cut to pieces by the English troops? Is -General Washington killed? Is there no more a Congress, and have the -English hung some of them, and taken the remainder to England, to hang -them there? Is the whole country beyond the mountains in the possession of -the English; and are the few thousand Americans who have escaped them, now -embodying themselves on this side of the mountains, for the purpose of -killing all the Indians in this country, even our women and children? Now -do not deceive us, but speak the truth' (added he;) 'is this all true, -what I have said to you?' I declared before the whole assembly, that not -one word of what he had just now told me was true, and holding out to him, -as I had done before, the friendly speeches sent by me for them, which he -however as yet refused to accept, I thought by the countenances of most of -the by-standers, that I could perceive that the moment bid fair for their -listening at least to the contents of those speeches, and accidentally -catching the eye of the drummer, I called to him to beat the drum for the -Assembly to meet for the purpose of hearing what their American Brethren -had to say to them! A general smile having taken place, White-Eyes thought -the favorable moment arrived to put the question, and having addressed the -assembly in these words: 'Shall we, my friends and relatives, listen once -more to those who call us their brethren?' Which question, being loudly -and as with one voice answered in the affirmative, the drum was beat, and -the whole body quickly repairing to the spacious council-house, the -speeches, all of which were of the most pacific nature, were read and -interpreted to them, when Captain White-Eyes rose, and in an elaborate -address to the Assembly, took particular notice of the good disposition of -the American people towards the Indians, observing, that they had never as -yet, called on them to fight the English, knowing that wars were -destructive to nations, and they had from the beginning of the war to the -present time, always advised them (the Indians) to remain quiet, and not -take up the hatchet against either side. A newspaper, containing the -capitulation of General Burgoyne's army, being found enclosed in the -packet, Captain White-Eyes once more rose up, and holding this paper -unfolded, with both his hands, so that all could have a view of it, said, -'See, my friends and relatives, this document containeth great events, not -the song of a bird, but the truth!'—then, stepping up to me, he gave me -his hand, saying, 'you are welcome with us, brother;' when every one -present followed his example."</p> - -<p>Thus White-Eyes again triumphed over his rival; and the chagrin of the -latter was the more keen, because, relying on the improved prospects of -his party, he had recently committed himself more openly than ever before. -But the spies whom he kept constantly at Goschocking, now brought him the -doleful news that the predictions of White-Eyes were all verified. That -Chieftain himself completed his success by sending runners, immediately -after the Council broke up, to the Shawanese towns on the Scioto, where -the Tories had already gone for the purpose of trying their game upon that -tribe. "Grand-children!" was the laconic message, "ye Shawanese! Some days -ago a flock of birds from the East lit at Goschocking, singing a song here -which had well nigh proved our ruin. Should these birds, which, on leaving -us, took their flight towards Scioto, endeavor to impose their song on -you, do not listen to them, <i>for they lie!</i>"</p> - -<p>But White-Eyes was not destined to enjoy the result of his labors. In the -winter of 1779-80, he visited Pittsburg, for the purpose of consulting -with the Indian Agent on the means suitable for preserving peace. He -accompanied General M<sup>c</sup>Intosh and his army to Tuscarowas, (where a fort was -to be built for the protection of the neutral Indians,) took the small-pox -at that place, and soon died.</p> - -<p>The event produced a sensation almost unprecedented in the Delaware tribe, -and throughout a wide region in their vicinity. The intelligence was sent -to various confederate or relative tribes, at the distance of hundreds of -miles, and counter deputations of condolence soon came in from all -quarters. We shall close this chapter with Mr. Heckewelder's account of -the embassy of the Cherokees, which strikingly indicates the reputation -acquired by White-Eyes during his life, as well as the great respect -subsequently paid to his memory.</p> - -<p>The deputation, consisting of fourteen men, of whom two were principal -chiefs, were accompanied from their country to Goschocking, by a nephew of -the late Captain White-Eyes, who, soon after the commencement of the -American revolution, had been despatched thither by the Delaware Chiefs, -for the purpose of using his endeavors in keeping that nation at peace. -When this deputation had arrived within three miles of Goschocking, and -within one of Lichtenau, they made a halt for the purpose of having the -customary ceremony performed on them. This was done by one of the -councilors from the village, who, by an address and with a string of -wampum, drew the thorns and briars out of their legs and feet; healed the -sores and bruises they had received by hitting against logs; wiped the -dust and sweat off their bodies; and cleansed their eyes and ears, so that -they might both see and hear well; and finally anointed all their joints, -that their limbs might again become supple. [FN] They were then served -with victuals brought from Lichtenau, and they continued there the -remainder of that day.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] All which ceremonies are performed figuratively.</p> - - -<p>On the next morning, two of the councilors from Goschocking, deputed for -the purpose, informed the missionary and national assistants at Lichtenau, -that, by order of their Chiefs, they were to conduct the Cherokee -deputation into their village, from whence they were expected to join in -the procession to Goschocking, and there attend the condoling ceremonies; -all which being agreed to, these soon brought them on, one leading them in -front, and the other bringing up the rear.</p> - -<p>Arriving within about two hundred yards of the town, and in sight of it, -(all marching Indian file), they fired off their pieces, which compliment -was instantly returned by the young men or the town, drawn up for the -purpose; then raising a melancholy song, they continued singing, until -they had reached the long house, purposely built for their reception; yet -not without first having lodged their arms against some trees they had -passed, at a small distance from the town. Being seated on benches -prepared for the purpose—(the deputies on the opposite side,)—a dead -silence prevailed for about half an hour, and all present cast their eyes -on the ground. At length one of these Chiefs, named the Crow, rose, and -with an air of sorrow, and in a low voice, with his eyes cast up to -heaven, spoke to the following effect:</p> - -<p>"One morning, after having arisen from my sleep, and according to my -custom, I stepped out at the door to see what weather we had. I observed -at one place in the horizon a dark cloud projecting above the trees; and -looking steadfastly for its movement or disappearance, found myself -mistaken, since it neither disappeared nor moved from the spot, as other -clouds do. Seeing the same cloud successively every morning, and that -always in the same place, I began to think what could be the cause of this -singular phenomenon; at length it struck me, that as the cloud was lying -in the direction that my grandfather dwelt, something might be the matter -with him, which caused him grief. Anxious to satisfy myself, I resolved to -goto my grandfather, and see if any thing was the matter with him. I -accordingly went, steering a course in the direction I had observed the -cloud to be. I arrived at my grandfather's, whom I found quite -disconsolate, hanging his head and the tears running down his cheeks! -Casting my eyes around in the hopes of discovering the cause of his grief, -I observed yonder a dwelling closed up, and from which no smoke [FN-1] -appeared to ascend! Looking in another direction, I discovered an elevated -spot of fresh earth, [FN-2] on which nothing was seen growing; and here I -found the cause of my grandfather's grief. No wonder he is so grieved! No -wonder he is weeping and sobbing, with his eyes cast towards the -ground!—Even I cannot help weeping with my grandfather, seeing in what a -situation he is! I cannot proceed for grief!"</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] Meaning no person occupying the house.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] The grave.</p> - - -<p>Here, after having seated himself for about twenty minutes, as though -deeply afflicted, he again arose, and receiving from the principal chief, -who was seated by his side, a large string of wampum, said: "Grandfather! -Lift up your head and hear what your grand-children have to say to you! -These having discovered the cause of your grief, it shall be done away! -See, grandfather! I level the ground on yonder spot of yellow earth, -[FN-1] and put leaves and brush thereon to make it invisible! I also sow -seeds on that spot, so that both grass and trees may grow thereon!" (Here -handing the string to the Delaware Chiefs in succession, and taking up -another, he continued:) "Grandfather!—The seed which I had sown has -already taken root; nay, the grass has already covered the ground, and the -trees are growing!" (Handing this string, likewise to the Delaware Chief, -and taking up a third string of wampum, he added:) "Now, my grandfather, -the cause of your grief being removed, let me dry up your tears! I wipe -them from your eyes! I place your body, which, by the weight of grief and -a heavy heart, is leaning to one side, in its proper posture! Your eyes -shall be henceforth clear, and your ears open as formerly! The work is now -finished!" Handing this string likewise to the Delaware Chief, he now -stepped forward to where the Chief and his Councilors were seated, and -having first shaken hands with these, he next did the same with all -present, the whole embassy following his example. This being done, and all -again seated as before, the Delaware Chief, Gelelemend, [FN-2] replied:</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] The grave.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Commonly called Kill-Buck.</p> - - -<p>"Grand-children!—You did not come here in vain! You have performed a good -work, in which the Great Spirit assisted you! Your Grandfather makes you -welcome with him."</p> - -<p>The meeting, having continued nearly three hours, then broke up. On the -day following, the Chiefs of both nations entered on business relating to -their national concerns, and finally made a mutual covenant for the -continued maintenance of the party and principles of White-Eyes.</p> - -<p>It is honorable to the American Congress that after the decease of their -best friend among the Indians, they took measures for the maintenance and -education of his son. On the journals of that body, under date of June -20th, 1785, is the following passage:</p> - -<p>"<i>Resolved,</i> That Mr. Morgan [<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tamenend,</span> probably,] be empowered and -requested to continue the care and direction of George White-Eyes for one -year, and that the Board of Treasury take order for the payment of the -expenses necessary to carry into execution the views of Congress in this -respect."</p> - -<p>The journal of December, 1775, records an interview of Congress with the -father.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chix">CHAPTER IX.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">Observations on the character of White-Eyes—Pipe's comment on his - death—The latter gains and sustains an ascendancy in the Delaware - nation—Glickkican, Netawatwees and Wingemund—Subsequent career of - Pipe—Joins the British and fights against the Americans—Grand Indian - council at Detroit—Pipe's spirited speech on that occasion—Makes - charges against the Missionaries, but fails to prove them—Remarks on - his habits, principles and talents.</p> -<br> - -<p>The feet that Captain Pipe and his associates began to gain the ascendancy -in the Delaware nation immediately on the death of his great antagonist, -and that they afterwards supported it with almost uninterrupted success, -is alone sufficient to indicate the influence and character of White-Eyes. -Indeed, Pipe himself paid to his memory the compliment of declaring, with -a solemn air, that "<i>the Great Spirit had probably put him out of the way, -that the nation might be saved.</i>" That sagacious personage was well aware -that neither Kill-Buck, nor Big-Cat, nor Glickkican, [FN] nor even all -together, would adequately occupy the station of the deceased Chieftain.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] "<i>The sight of a gun-barrel,</i>" and afterwards baptised by the - Moravians, and named Isaac. He was Chief Councilor and Speaker of the old - Sachem, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Pakanke,</span> who ruled over the Delawares at Kaskaskunk (in Ohio,) - and was a man of uncommon military and oratorical talent. After his own - christianization, he was a highly efficient advocate and patron of the - Christian party. Having thereby, as well as by his spirit and influence, - become obnoxious to <i>their</i> enemies during the Revolution, several attempts - were made to overawe, bribe and destroy him; but they all failed. At - length a considerable party was fitted out, in 1781, for the express - purpose of taking him prisoner. They found him at Salem, but doubting - whether the old warrior's pacific principles would assure their safety, - they dared not enter his hut. He saw some of them before long from a - window, and instantly stepped out, and called to them. "Friends!" said - he, "by your manœuvres I conclude you are come for me. If so, why do you - hesitate;—Obey your orders; I am ready to submit. You seem to fear old - Glickkican. Ah! there was a time when I would have scorned to submit to - such cowardly slaves. But I am no more Glickkican, I am Isaac, a believer - in the true God, and for his sake I will suffer anything, even death." - Seeing them still hesitate, he stepped up to them with his hands placed - upon his back. "There!" he continued, "you would tie me if you dared—tie - me, then, and take me with you—I am ready." They now mustered courage to - do as he directed. Soon after, Glickkican was murdered, with a large - number of his Christian countrymen, by a banditti of American ruffians - who suspected, or pretended to suspect them, of hostile designs. Probably - the result was brought about by the machinations of his Indian enemies.</p> - -<p>White-Eyes was distinguished as much for his milder virtues as for his -courage and energy; and as to his friendly disposition towards the -Americans, particularly, on which some imputations were industriously -thrown by his enemies, we could desire no better evidence of its sincerity -than are still extant In that curious document, the Journal of Frederic -Post, [FN] who, as early as 1758, was sent among the Ohio Delawares by the -Governor of one of the States, for the purpose of inducing them to -renounce the French alliance, is recorded, the "speech" which Post carried -back, and the closing paragraphs of which were as follows:—</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] In Prond's History of Pennsylvania.</p> - - -<p>"Brethren, when you have settled this peace and friendship, and finished -it well, and you send the great peace-belt to me, I will send it to all -the nations of my colour; they will all join to it, and we all will hold -it fast.</p> - -<p>"Brethren, when all the nations join to this friendship, then the day will -begin to shine clear over us. When we hear once more of you, and we join -together, then the day will be still, and no wind, or storm, will come -over us, to disturb us.</p> - -<p>"Now, Brethren, you know our hearts, and what we have to say; be strong, -if you do what we have now told you, and in this peace all the nations -agree to join. Now, Brethren, let the king of England know what our mind -is as soon as possibly you can."</p> - -<p>Among the subscribers to this speech appears the name of White-Eyes, under -the form of the Indian term Cochguacawkeghton; nor have we met with any -proof that he ever from that time wavered for a moment in his attachment -to the American interest, as opposed first to the French, and afterwards -to the English. Post himself, in 1762, was permitted to build a house on -the banks of the Muskingum, where he had a lot of land given him, about a -mile distant from the village of White-Eyes; and so, when Heckewelder -first visited that country, during the same season, he informs us that, -"the War-Chief Koguethagechtan," kindly entertained and supplied him and -his party.</p> - -<p>About the beginning of the Revolutionary war, when some of the Indians -were much exasperated by murders and trespasses which certain civilized -ruffians committed on the frontiers, an Ohio trader was met and massacred -in the woods by a party of Senecas, who, having in their rage cut up the -body and garnished the bushes with the remains, raised the scalp-yell and -marched off in triumph. White-Eyes being in the vicinity and hearing the -yell, instantly commenced a search for the body, the remnants of which he -collected and buried. The party returned on the following day, and -observing what had been done, privately opened the grave, and scattered -the contents more widely than before. But White-Eyes was this time on the -watch for them. He repaired to the spot again the moment they left it, -succeeded in finding every part of the mangled body, and then carefully -interred it in a grave dug with his own hands, where it was at length -suffered to repose unmolested.</p> - -<p>It was about the same time when this affair happened, that the Chieftain -saved the life of one Duncan, an American peace-messenger, whom he had -undertaken to escort through a section of the wilderness. A hostile -Shawanee was upon the point of discharging his musket at Duncan from -behind a tree, when White-Eyes rushed forward, regardless of his own -peril. And compelled the savage to desist. In 1777, Heckewelder had -occasion to avail himself of a similar kindness. Rather rashly, as he -acknowledges, he that year undertook to traverse the forests from the -Muskingum to Pittsburg, wishing to visit his English friends in that -quarter. White-Eves resided at a distance of seventeen miles, but hearing -of his intended journey, he immediately came to see him, accompanied by -another Chief named <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Wingemund,</span> [FN] and by several of his young men.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] A noted religious impostor.</p> - - -<p>These, he said, his good friend, the Missionary, should have as an escort. -And moreover he must needs go himself: "He could not suffer me to go," -says that gentlemen, "while the Sandusky warriors were out on -war-excursions, without a proper escort and <i>himself</i> at my side." And it -should be observed, that besides the Sandusky savages, there were several -other tribes who had already engaged on the British side, and were -spreading death and desolation along the whole of the American frontier. -The party set out together, and reached their destination in safety. An -alarm occurred only on one occasion, when the scouts discovered a -suspicious track, and report was made accordingly. White-Eyes, who was -riding before his friend, while Wingemund brought up the rear, turned -about and asked if he felt afraid? "No!" said the Missionary, "not while -you are with me." "You are right," quickly rejoined White-Eyes. "You are -right; no man shall harm you, till I am laid prostrate." "Nor even then," -added Wingemund, "for they must conquer me also—they must lay us side by -side." Mr. Heckewelder certainly did them but justice in believing that -both would have redeemed their promises.</p> - -<p>The other Moravians, and the Indian Congregation under their charge in -Ohio, were still more indebted to the good Chieftain. Loskiel states [FN] -that in 1774, the Christian party had become obnoxious to a majority of -the Pagan Delaware chiefs, and it was several times proposed to expel them -by force. But God brought their counsel to nought, he adds, "and appointed -for this purpose <i>the first Captain among the Delawares, called -White-Eyes,</i>" who kept the chiefs and council in awe, and would not suffer -them to injure the Missionaries. Finding his efforts still unavailing, -he at length went so far as to separate himself wholly from his opponents, -resolved to renounce power, country and kindred for the sake of these just -and benevolent men whom he could not bear to see persecuted.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] History of the Missions of the United Brethren, &c. London, 1794.</p> - - -<p>His firmness met with a deserved success. Even the old Chief Netawatwees, -who had opposed him most fiercely, acknowledged the injustice which had -been done him; and not only changed his views in regard to the Christians, -but published his recantation in presence of the whole council. White-Eyes -then again came forward, and repeated a proposal for a national regulation -to be made—whereby the Christians should be specially put under the -Delaware protection—which had formerly been rejected. It was promptly -agreed to, and the act was passed. The old Chieftain expressed great joy -on that occasion;—"I am an old man," said he, "and know not how long I -may live. I therefore rejoice, that I have been able to make this act. Our -children and grand-children will reap the benefit of it,—and now I am -ready to die whenever God pleases." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] He died at Pittsburg in 1776, much lamented by the Delawares and - many neighboring nations. "This wise man," says Loskiel, "spared no pains - to conciliate the affection of all his neighbors. He sent frequent - embassies to his <i>Grand-Children,</i> admonishing them to keep peace, and - proved in truth a wise Grandfather to them," Being the Senior Chief of - the nation, his opinion was of great weight, and he declared himself - warmly in favor of the Christians, and first invited them to settle on - the Muskingum. His grandson, nephew, and son and family, also joined - them.</p> - - -<p>Loskiel states, that White-Eyes was in his own heart convinced of the -truth of the gospel; that this was evident in all his speeches in behalf -of the Christians, during which he was frequently so moved that tears -prevented his words; and that he likewise declared with confidence, that -no prosperity would attend the Indian affairs, unless they received and -believed the saving gospel sent them from God, by means of the Brethren. -Not long before his death he took public occasion to repeat the last will -and testament of Netawatwees,—"That the Delawares should hear the word of -God." He held the bible and some spelling-books in his hand, and addressed -the Council in a strain of the most animated and moving eloquence. "My -friends!" he concluded, "You have now heard the dying wish of our departed -Chief. I will therefore gather together my young men, and their -children—I will kneel down before that Great Spirit who created them and -me—I will pray unto him, that he may have mercy upon us, and reveal his -will unto us,—And as we cannot declare it to those who are yet unborn, we -will pray unto the Lord our God, to make it known to our children and our -children's children."</p> - -<p>Still, White-Eyes regarded Christianity more as a civil than a religious -system. He was a man of enlarged political views, and no less a patriot -than a statesman. The ends he aimed at were far more his country's than -his own. He observed the superiority of the white men to the red; and -nearer home, the prosperity and happiness of the Christian Delawares; and -he convinced himself thoroughly of the true causes of both. He therefore -earnestly desired, that his whole nation might be civilized, to which -result he considered Christianity, as he had seen it taught by the good -Moravians, the best possible promotive, as undoubtedly it was.</p> - -<p>But in this noble solicitude for his countrymen, he forgot <i>himself.</i> Hence -even Loskiel, on mentioning his decease, states, with an almost reluctant -honesty, that "Captain White-Eyes, who had so often advised other Indians, -with great earnestness, to believe in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, <i>but had -always postponed joining the believers himself on account of being yet -entangled in political concerns,</i> was unexpectedly called into eternity;" -adding, affectionately, that the "Indian Congregation to whom he had -rendered very essential services, was much affected at the news of his -death, and could not but hope, that God our Saviour had received his soul -in mercy." Mr. Heckewelder sums up the matter by saying—"His ideas were -that unless the Indians changed their mode of living, they would in time -come to nothing; and to encourage them towards such a change, he told them -to take the example of the Christian Indians, who by their industry had -every thing they could wish for." In a word, there was more philanthropy -and more philosophy in the religion of White-Eyes, than there was piety. -Hence his eloquence, his energy, his strong affection for the -Missionaries, and his sacrifices and services for them and for his -countrymen. He was a good man, we believe, by the force of native -conscience, as he was a great man by the force of native sense; and though -to have learned Christianity, in addition to loving some of those who -professed it, might have made him both better and greater than he was, we -cannot but hope, as it is, with the Christian Delawares, "that God our -Saviour has received his soul in mercy."</p> - -<p>It would give us very sincere pleasure to be able to say as much for the -Paganism of Captain Pipe, who, on the contrary, was opposed to the -religion of the whites as inveterately as any of the New-England Sachems -of the seventeenth century, and apparently for similar reasons. "The -Sachems of the country were generally set against us," wrote Mr. Elliot in -1650,[FN-1]—"and counter-work the Lord by keeping off their men from -praying to God as much as they can; and the reason of it is this; they -plainly see that religion will make a great change among them, and cut -them off from their former tyranny, &c." Pipe, too, with all his talent, -was obnoxious to some very plain strictures regarding his own morality, -and of course had no theoretical partiality for lectures upon that -subject. [FN-2] He was inimical to White-Eyes, especially, because the -latter supported the cause of reform; and rather than stand second to him, -and at the same time surrender his own bad habits, he determined at all -hazards to array a party in opposition. It was both a personal and a -political movement, the objects being self-defence, in the first place, -and in the second, distinction.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] <span style="font-variant:small-caps">The light appearing,</span> &c. London, 1651.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Narrative, p. 286 and <i>passim:</i> "We were obliged to wait for - Pipe's becoming sufficiently sober,"—&c.</p> - - -<p>Such being the character of the scheme, it must still be admitted that he -exhibited great energy and great ingenuity in promoting it. Some of his -manœuvres have been noticed; and after his rival's decease, his own -declarations, particularly, were much more frequent and fearless, and -therefore more effectual than they had been before. "Thus," says -Heckewelder, "when a young man of his tribe, who had received his -education in Virginia, under the influence of Dr. Walker, on his return -into the Indian country in 1779, spread unfavorable reports of the -Virginian people; representing them as exceeding the Indians in vicious -acts—their beating the Negroes so unmercifully, &c. &c. Pipe would -mockingly enumerate such vicious and cruel acts, as the benefits of -civilization." He could at the same time, with truth, set forth the -poverty of the United States, in not having even a blanket, a shirt, or -other article of Indian clothing, to give them in exchange for their -peltry; whereas, (said he) were it not for the English, we should have to -suffer, and perhaps many of us perish for want. Pipe and the Monseys, we -are told elsewhere, were those who were most dreaded, and the effect of -his operations was such, but one year after the decease of White-Eyes in -the midst of his triumphs, that in 1781, the Peace-Chiefs had for their -own safety to withdraw themselves from their several nations, and take -refuge at Pittsburg.</p> - -<p>In regard to the personal habits of Pipe, it may be doing him, as well as -several other Indians of some distinction, no more than justice, to allude -in extenuation to the well known nature of the temptations to which they -have sometimes been exposed, and especially on the frontiers, during war, -and the excitement of an attempt by one civilized party to engage their -services against another. The peculiar physical circumstances which, -together with the character of their education, go to diminish their power -of self-control, need not be enlarged on. It is sufficient to say, that it -would be a task more easy than gratifying to prove, that their misfortune -in this particular has only followed after the fault of their civilized -neighbors. "Who are you, my friend?" said a gentleman in Pipe's time to an -Indian at Pittsburg, who was not so much intoxicated as not to be ashamed -of his situation. "My name is Black-fish," he replied; "At home I am a -clever fellow—<i>Here,</i> I am a hog." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Mr. Heckewelder's anecdote of the Indian who came into Bethlehem - (Penn.) to dispose of his peltry, throws light on a great source of the - evil not alluded to in the text, and the effects of which, among the - Western tribes to this day are beyond calculation. "Well Thomas," said a - trader to him, "I believe you have turned Moravian." "Moravian!" answered - the Indian, "what makes you think so?"—"Because," replied the other, - "you used to come to us, to sell your skins and peltry, and now you trade - them away to the Moravians." "So!" rejoined the Indian, "now I understand - you well, and I know what you mean to say. Now hear me.—See, my friend! - when I come to this place with my skins and peltry to trade, the people - are kind; they give me plenty of good victuals to eat, and pay me in - money, or whatever I want, and no one says a word to me about drinking - rum—neither do I ask for it! When I come to your place with my peltry, - all call to me: 'Come, Thomas! here's rum, drink heartily, drink! it will - not hurt yon.' All this is done for the purpose of cheating me. When you - have obtained from me all you want, you call me a drunken dog, and kick - me out of the room."</p> - - -<p>But we are not under the disagreeable necessity of apologising for every -thing we relate of Captain Pipe. He gave many evidences of a natural honor -and humanity, even amid the bloodiest scenes of the Revolution, and -contrary to the dictation of those who were qualified, by every thing but -feelings, to understand his duty better than himself. Under strong -excitement he attached himself to the British interest, and towards the -close of the war scalping-parties went out from his settlement. He was -also prejudiced against the Christian Indians, and molested them much. But -none of these things were done in his cooler moments; and what is more -creditable to him, there is good reason to believe that he repented of -all. The evidence of this fact appears in a transaction which took place -at Detroit in November, 1781, with the particulars of which, as furnished -by Loskiel and others, we shall conclude this narrative.</p> - -<p>On the occasion referred to, a grand Indian Council was convened at -Detroit, at which were present large numbers of various tribes, including -Captain Pipe's Wolf warriors, who had just returned from a scalping -expedition. Four of the Moravian Missionaries were also there, having been -summoned to attend, at the suggestion of Pipe and others, for the purpose -of deciding upon several charges alleged against them. The hall was filled -with the concourse, the tribes being separately seated all around it, on -the right and left hand of the Commandant, while the Delawares, with Pipe -and his Councilors at their head, were directly in front. A war-chief of -each of the two divisions of Indians, held a stick in his hand, of three -or four feet in length, strung with scalps which they had taken in their -last foray on the American frontier.</p> - -<p>The Council was opened by the Commandant's signifying to Captain Pipe, -that he might make his report, when the latter rose from his seat, holding -a stick in his left hand:</p> - -<p>"Father!"—he began; and here he paused, turned round to the audience with -a most sarcastic look, and then proceeded in a lower tone, as addressing -them,—"I have said <i>father,</i> though indeed I do not know why I should -call <i>him</i> so—I have never known any father but the French—I have -considered the English only as brothers. But as this name is imposed upon -us, I shall make use of it and say—</p> - -<p>"Father"—fixing his eyes again on the Commandant—"Some time ago you put -a war-hatchet into my hands, saying, 'take this weapon and try it on the -heads of my enemies, the Long-Knives, and let me know afterwards if it was -sharp and good.'</p> - -<p>"Father!—At the time when you gave me this weapon, I had neither cause -nor wish to go to war against a foe who had done me no injury. But you say -you are my father—and call me your child—and in obedience to you I -received the hatchet. I knew that if I did not obey you, you would -withhold from me [FN] the necessaries of life, which I could procure -nowhere but here."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Meaning his tribe.</p> - - -<p>"Father! You may perhaps think me a fool, for risking my life at your -bidding—and that in a cause in which I have no prospect of gaining any -thing. For it is your cause, and not mine—you have raised a quarrel among -yourselves—and you ought to fight it out—It is your concern to fight the -Long-Knives—You should not compel your children, the Indians, to expose -themselves to danger for your sake.</p> - -<p>"Father!—Many lives have already been lost on <i>your account</i>—The tribes -have suffered, and been weakened—Children have lost parents and -brothers—Wives have lost husbands—It is not known how many more may -perish before <i>your war</i> will be at an end.</p> - -<p>"Father!—I have said, you may perhaps think me a fool, for thus -thoughtlessly rushing on your enemy! Do not believe this, Father. Think -not that I want sense to convince me, that although you now pretend to -keep up a perpetual enmity to the Long-Knives, you may, before long, -conclude a peace with them.</p> - -<p>"Father! You say you love your children, the Indians.—This you have often -told them; and indeed it is your interest to say so to them, that you may -have them at your service.</p> - -<p>"But, Father! Who of us can believe that you can love a people of a -different colour from your own, better than those who have a white skin, -like yourselves?</p> - -<p>"Father! Pay attention to what I am going to say. While you, Father, are -setting me [FN] on your enemy, much in the same manner as a hunter sets -his dog on the game; while I am in the act of rushing on that enemy of -yours, with the bloody destructive weapon you gave me, I may, perchance, -happen to look back to the place from whence you started me, and what -shall I see? Perhaps, I may see my father shaking hands with the -Long-Knives; yes, with those very people he now calls his enemies. I may -then see him laugh at my folly for having obeyed his orders; and yet I am -now risking my life at his command!—Father! keep what I have said in -remembrance."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Meaning his nation.</p> - - -<p>"Now, Father! here is what has been done with the hatchet you gave me," -[handing the stick with the scalps on it] "I have done with the hatchet -what you ordered me to do, and found it sharp. Nevertheless, I did not do -all that I might have done. No, I did not. My heart failed within me. I -felt compassion for your enemy. Innocence [FN] had no part in your -quarrels; therefore I distinguished—I spared. I took some live flesh, -[FN-2] which, while I was bringing to you, I spied one of your large -canoes, on which I put it for you. In a few days you will receive this -flesh, and find that the skin is of the same color with your own."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] Meaning women and children.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Prisoners.</p> - - -<p>"Father! I hope you will not destroy what I have saved. You, Father, have -the means of preserving that which would perish with us from want. The -warrior is poor, and his cabin is always empty; but your house, Father, is -always full."</p> - -<p>During the delivery of this harangue, which is said to have produced a -great effect on all present, and especially on those who understood the -language in which it was spoken, the Orator two or three times advanced so -far towards the Commandant, in the heat of his excitement, that one of the -officers present thought proper to interfere and request him to move back. -The other war-chiefs now made their speeches, and then the Commandant (an -honorable and humane man, notwithstanding the Orator's strictures on his -<i>Father,</i>)—called upon him to substantiate his charges against the -Missionaries. Pipe, who was still standing, was unwilling to make the -attempt, but felt embarrassed. He began to shift and shuffle, (says -Loskiel,) and bending towards his Councilors, asked them what he should -say. They all hung their heads, and were silent. Suddenly, recollecting -himself and rising up, he addressed the Commandant "I said before that -some such thing might have happened, but now I will tell you the plain -truth. The Missionaries are innocent. What they have done, they were -compelled to do." [alluding to their having interpreted letters which the -Delaware Chief received from Pittsburg, &c] "We were to blame—We forced -them to it, when they refused." After some farther conversation the -Commandant declared the Missionaries to be acquitted of all the -accusations brought against them.</p> - -<p>Pipe expressed his satisfaction at the result, and on returning from the -council-house, he asked some of the Delaware Chieftains who were present -how they liked what he said. He observed, that he knew it was true, and -added; "I never wished your teachers any harm, knowing that they love the -Indians; but, I have all along been imposed on, and importuned to do what -I did by those who do not love them; and now, when these were to speak, -they hung their heads, leaving me to extricate myself, after telling our -Father things they had dictated and persuaded me to tell him." This -declaration has decidedly the air of candor and truth; and the Captain's -subsequent conduct was much more in accordance with the spirit of it than -it had been before. He did not however distinguish himself particularly -after the close of the war, and even the time of his death has not come -within our knowledge, although we have reason to believe that he was -living, and able to visit the City of Washington, as late as 1817.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chx">CHAPTER X.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">State of several Southern tribes during the last century—The English - send deputies to the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Cherokees,</span> in 1756—Their lives threatened, and - saved by <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Attakullakulla</span>—Account of that Chieftain and his - principles—The party opposed to him headed by Occonostota—War with the - Colonies in 1759 and two years following—Anecdotes of both these - Chiefs—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Saloueh, Fiftoe,</span> and others—Several battles—Peace - concluded—Attakullakulla visits Charleston—His subsequent Career, and - that of Occonostota—Remarks on their character.</p> - - -<p>Contemporary with the individuals who have just been mentioned, were a -number of noted chieftains among the more Southern tribes. Of them we may -take this occasion to say, that the Chickasaws generally affected the -English interest; and the Creeks, the French;—so that the friendship or -the hostility of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Great-Mortar,</span> the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Standing-Turkey,</span> the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Wolf-King,</span> and the -other leading men among the latter tribe was nearly neutralized, as -regarded the several civilized parties, by the counteraction of the -former.</p> - -<p>The Cherokees had been friendly to the English ever since the treaty of -1730; but, owing partly to the influence of the Mortar, and partly to the -direct exertions of the French, they had now become wavering and divided -in sentiment. In 1756, deputies were sent among them, to secure their aid -against the French. A council was convened, and was likely to terminate -favorably, when tidings suddenly came that a party of Cherokees, who had -visited the French on the Ohio, were massacred by some of the Virginians -on their return home. The Council was in an uproar, as much as an Indian -Council could be,—the gravest political assembly on earth,—at once. Many -cried aloud that vengeance should be taken on the persons of the Deputies; -and it was not without a great exertion of influence, that they were at -length rescued by <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Attakullakulla,</span> or the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Little-Carpenter.</span></p> - -<p>This is the earliest appearance of that renowned Chieftain in history, -though he is said to have been already famous both among the Cherokees and -the English, especially for his magnanimity, wisdom, and moderation. Nor -has there ever been, upon the continent, a more faithful or useful friend -to the English cause. We cannot better illustrate his career or his -character than by comparing both with those of White-Eyes; and indeed, -some of the incidents related of <i>that</i> chief, independently of other -circumstances, make it highly probable, that a diplomatic and personal -good understanding was constantly maintained between them.</p> - -<p>Like White-Eyes, too, Attakullakulla was opposed by a war-party, the chief -difference being that it was less formally organized, and that it -generally operated in favor of the French. At the head of it was -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Occonostota,</span> or the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Great-Warrior,</span> a man whose extraordinary prowess -procured him his title, and whose memory is to this day warmly cherished -among his countrymen. Pursuing our comparison, he should remind us of -Pipe; but the suggestion does him injustice. He was not only <i>for</i> war, -but a warrior—in truth, a "<i>great</i> warrior." He fought, and bled, and -led on, where the other appeared only in that capacity of bear-hunter with -dogs, which White-Eyes imputed to him. He was sincere to enthusiasm in his -principles, and frank and fearless almost to fool-hardiness in professing -and pursuing them. He had as much talent as Pipe, and far more virtue.</p> - -<p>"Occonostota," says a respectable authority of a date a little subsequent -to that just mentioned, "is returned again from the French fort with -powder and ball, accompanied with some Frenchmen—how many I cannot -learn." And again, soon afterwards,—"Since Occonostota returned from the -French with the goods and ammunition, and has had those assurances from -the Creeks, he says, 'What nation, or what people am I afraid of? I do not -fear all the forces which the great King George can send against me among -these mountains.'" [FN] And yet the Great-Warrior was not rash, as we -shall soon learn from the sequel.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] We refer to Charleston, (S. C.) papers.</p> - - -<p>A strong excitement followed the provocation already mentioned; and -although the elder part of the nation remained calm, and Attakullakulla -and Occonostota were both against instant war, the French emissaries -wrought so effectually on the younger warriors, that parties of them took -the field, and the English frontiers became the scene of a horrid series -of devastation and massacre. The Governor of South Carolina prepared for -active hostilities, and the militia of the whole Province were summoned to -meet at Congarees.</p> - -<p>But no sooner did the Cherokees hear of this movement than they sent -thirty-two of their chief men, among whom was the Great-Warrior, to settle -all differences at Charleston. A conference ensued, the burthen of which -however was assumed by the Governor alone; for when,—after he had made a -long speech of accusations, and concluded with saying that the Deputies -must follow his troops, or he would not be answerable for their -safety,—Occonostota gravely rose to reply, the Governor interrupted him -and forbade him to proceed. He was determined that nothing should prevent -his military expedition; and at all events "he would hear no talk in -vindication of the Orator's countrymen, nor any proposals with regard to -peace." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Ramsay's History of South Carolina.</p> - - -<p>The Great-Warrior was indignant, and his companions were still more so -than himself. It must be allowed, that the Governor's deportment on this -occasion, independently of his treatment of the Deputies out of Council, -was in the highest degree insulting. The Warrior felt it the more keenly, -because he had been appointed to speak, and had prepared himself. The -Cherokees were conscious, too, that the English had originally occasioned -the war. The sacred respect attached in their view,—as it is in that of -the Indians quite generally even now,—to the dignity of their orators, -may be gathered from the well-authenticated anecdote of the Virginian -Chieftain who was rashly interrupted in a Conference with the English by -one of his own subjects. He split the offender's head with a tomahawk at a -single blow, and then calmly proceeded with his speech. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Beverly.</p> - - -<p>The Deputies were detained several days, at the end of which they -accompanied the Governor and his troops to Congarees, where were collected -fourteen hundred men. Accompanied, we say,—but not freely; they were even -made prisoners, to prevent their escaping, (as two had already done,) and -a Captain's guard was set over them. No longer, says the historian, could -they conceal their resentment; sullen and gloomy countenances showed that -they were stung to the heart. To make the matter worse, on reaching Fort -Prince-George, on the borders of their own territory, they were all -confined in a miserable hut scarcely sufficient to accommodate a tenth -part of their number.</p> - -<p>But the troops becoming discontented and mutinous, the Governor dared not -advance any farther against the enemy. He therefore sent for -Attakullakulla, as being "esteemed the wisest man in the nation, and the -most steady friend to the English." [FN] The summons was promptly obeyed, -and a conference took place on the 17th of December, (1759.) The Governor -made a long speech as before, to the effect that the Great King would not -suffer his people to be destroyed without satisfaction; that he was -determined to have it; and that twenty-four Cherokee murderers, whom he -named, must be given up in the outset, for which he would graciously allow -the term of twenty-four hours.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Ramsay.</p> - - -<p>The Little-Carpenter very calmly replied;—He remembered the treaties -alluded to by the Governor, because he had helped to make them. He owned -the good conduct of South Carolina, as also alleged, but complained of -Virginia, as having caused the present misunderstanding. He could not -forbear adding, that the Governor did not treat all the tribes alike, any -more than all the whites treated the Cherokees alike; he remembered that, -when several Carolinians were killed a few years before by the Choctaws, -satisfaction was neither demanded nor given. Finally, he desired the -release of some of the Deputies, that they might assist him in endeavoring -to procure the performance of the Governor's terms, though he was by no -means confident that they either would or could be complied with.</p> - -<p>Agreeably to this suggestion, the Governor released the Great-Warrior, -together with <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Fiftoe</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Saloueh,</span> the Chief-Men of the towns of Keowee and -Estatoe. The latter, on the day ensuing, surrendered two Indians, who were -immediately put in irons. But all the Cherokees in the vicinity now fled, -through fear of the same fate, and it became impossible to complete the -required number. Attakullakulla abruptly commenced his return home in -despair; but the moment the Governor ascertained his departure, messengers -were sent to induce him to turn back. The good Chief again obeyed the -summons. A treaty was negotiated, the result of which was that twenty-six -of the deputies were detained "until as many of the murderers should be -given up," nominally by their free consent, but in fact by force. One more -Indian was surrendered, making three in all, and all three soon after died -in confinement at Charleston. The small-pox breaking out in the army about -the same time, the troops dispersed in disorder,—the expedition having -already cost the province £25,000,—and the Governor returned "in -triumph" to his capital.</p> - -<p>But the rejoicings on account of the peace were scarcely over, when news -arrived that the Cherokees had killed fourteen whites within a mile of -Fort George. The Commandant at that station, Captain Coytmore, had become -peculiarly odious to the Indians, and the continued imprisonment of the -Deputies, above all, incensed them beyond endurance. From this moment, -indeed, Occonostota was the fierce enemy of the Province; and he -resolved, much as he despised treachery, to avail himself of the first -opportunity of revenge. With a strong party, he surrounded Fort George, -and kept the garrison confined; but finding that no impression could be -made on the works, he resorted to stratagem.</p> - -<p>He placed a party of savages in a dark thicket by the river-side, and then -sent an Indian woman, whom he knew to be always welcome at the fort, to -inform the Commander that he had something of consequence to communicate -and would be glad to speak with him near the water. Coytmore imprudently -consented, and without any suspicions of danger walked down towards the -river, accompanied by Lieutenants Bell and Foster. Occonostota, appearing -upon the opposite side, told him he was going to Charleston, to procure a -release of the prisoners, and would be glad to have white men accompany -him as a safeguard. To cover his dark design he had a bridle in his hand, -and added he would go and hunt for a horse. Coytmore replied that he -should have a guard, and wished he might find a horse, as the journey was -very long. Upon this, the Indian, turning about, swung the bridle thrice -round his head as a signal to the savages placed in ambush, who instantly -fired on the officers, shot the Captain dead, and wounded his two -companions. Orders were riven to put the hostages in irons, to prevent any -further danger from them, which, while the soldiers were attempting to -execute, the Indians stabbed one and wounded two more of them. The -garrison then fell on the unfortunate hostages, and butchered all of them -in a manner too shocking to relate.</p> - -<p>There were few men in the Cherokee nation that did not lose a friend or -relative by this massacre, and therefore with one voice all immediately -declared for war. The leaders in every town seized the hatchet; "the -spirits of their murdered brothers were hovering around them and calling -out for vengeance on, their enemies." Large parties of warriors took the -field. Burning with impatience to imbue their hands in the blood of their -enemies, they rushed down among innocent and defenceless families on the -frontiers of Carolina; and there men, women and children, without -distinction, fell a sacrifice to their merciless fury. Such as fled to the -woods and escaped the scalping-knife, perished with hunger; and those whom -they made prisoners were carried into the wilderness, where they suffered -inexpressible hardships. Every day brought fresh accounts of their ravages -and murders.</p> - -<p>Great alarm prevailed throughout the Province, and corresponding efforts -were made for defence. Seven troops of rangers were raised to protect the -frontiers. Application was made to Virginia and North Carolina for aid; as -also to General Amherst, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in -America, who immediately despatched twelve companies to the theatre of -hostilities. The various detachments mustered at Congarees in May, 1760, -and the campaign began with a rapid invasion of the Cherokee territory. -Considerable ravages were speedily made, including the destruction of -Estatoe and Keowee, (the latter of which contained two hundred houses,) -and the army then marched to relieve Fort George.</p> - -<p>And now the war grew fervid. Saloueh and Fiftoe had sworn vengeance over -the ashes of their homes, and the soul of the Great-Warrior was hot within -him. The invaders were suffered to pursue their hazardous and difficult -march, through dark thickets and deep defiles, and over mountains, rivers -and swamps, till they came within five miles of Etchoe. Here was a low -valley, covered so thick with bushes that the soldiers could scarcely see -three yards before them. The army was obliged to pass through it, and that -in such a manner as to permit but few of the troops to act together. An -officer was ordered to advance, and scour the thicket with a company of -rangers. He obeyed, but a sudden discharge from unseen fire-arms laid him -dead on the spot, with several of his soldiers. The light-infantry and -grenadiers now charged their enemy,—a heavy fire commenced on both -sides,—and the woods around rang with the warrior's whoop, the shouts of -the soldiery, and the cries of the dying. The action lasted more than an -hour,—the English losing about twenty men killed and eighty -wounded,—when, the Indians slowly retreated and disappeared, carrying off -the bodies of their slain. "Upon viewing the ground," (says our -historian,) "all were astonished to see with what judgment they had chosen -it. Scarcely could the most experienced officer have fixed upon a spot -more advantageous for attacking an enemy." Orders were immediately given -for an expeditious retreat.</p> - -<p>Thus Occonostota succeeded in the field. But his heart still thirsted for -blood, and he found means to gratify his revenge in another quarter. Fort -Loudon, (built, like Fort George, on the frontier,) with a garrison of -twenty men, was surrounded by the enraged enemy, and reduced to the -extremities of famine. Under these circumstances Captain Stuart, a -gentleman well known to the Cherokees during a long official and private -intercourse with them, obtained leave to go to Choteh, the town of the -Great-Warrior,—who was sometimes called "<i>Prince</i> of Choteh." A -capitulation was agreed upon with him. The arms of the garrison were -surrendered on the faith of it; and they marched out, on their way towards -Fort George, under the escort of an Indian detachment headed by the Prince -himself. Having gone fifteen miles, they encamped at night near an Indian -town. All the escort left them, but still they remained unmolested. At -length, about day-break, a guard came running in with intelligence that -the woods and bushes around them were full of hideously painted savages, -who had already enclosed them. In a moment after, the enemy rushed upon -them, and fired, and thirty of their number fell dead. The residue either -fled or were captured; and the latter, including Stuart, were pinioned and -sent back to Fort Loudon.</p> - -<p>And now Attakullakulla came forward. He had taken no part in the war, on -either side, but Stuart had been his best friend in former times, and he -could not think of seeing him a prisoner and in peril of his life. He -hastened to the fort, and purchased him of his Indian master, giving his -rifle, clothes, and all he could command as a ransom; and then took him -into his own family, and shared with him the provisions which his table -afforded.</p> - -<p>Occonostota, meanwhile, had formed the design of attacking Fort George, -and sent messengers throughout the Cherokee country to collect his -warriors for that purpose. At this juncture, a quantity of ammunition was -found in Fort Loudon (where the English captives were still confined) -which the garrison had buried before leaving it, The discovery had nearly -cost Stuart his life, but his protector again rescued him. The Indians, -indeed, found occasion for his services. At a great Council held at -Choteh, whither he was carried, the warrior told him they had resolved to -march against Fort George with a quantity of English cannon, to be managed -by men under his (Stuart's) command, and they wished him previously to -write letters for them to the Commandant, demanding a surrender. If he -refused, they intended to burn his companions, one by one, before his -face.</p> - -<p>Captain Stuart was now really uneasy in his situation, and he determined -from this moment to make his escape or perish in the attempt. He privately -communicated his feelings to Attakullakulla, and appealed to his -magnanimity. The old Warrior took him by the hand. "Be calm," said he, "be -calm, my son; I am your friend—trust me." He went forward, and claimed -the Englishman for <i>his</i> prisoner; and then gave out word among his -countrymen, that he intended to "go a-hunting" for a few days, and to take -his Englishman with him.</p> - -<p>They set out together, accompanied by the warrior's wife, his brother, and -two others. For provisions they depended on what they might kill by the -way. The distance to the frontier settlements was great, and the utmost -expedition necessary to prevent any surprise from Indians pursuing them. -They traveled nine days and nights through a dreary wilderness, shaping -their course for Virginia, by the light and guidance of the heavenly -bodies. On the tenth they arrived at the banks of Holstein river; where -they fortunately fell in with a party of three thousand men, sent out by -Colonel Bird for the relief of such soldiers as might make their escape -that way from Fort Loudon.</p> - -<p>Here the Chieftain was content to relinquish his charge. He bade his -friend farewell, and, as composedly as if the whole transaction were a -matter of course, turned back into the wilderness, and retraced his long -and wearisome journey.</p> - -<p>Such was the issue of the first campaign. The spring of 1761 opened with -new efforts on the part of Carolina. A new provincial regiment was raised; -fresh reinforcements of regulars arrived from the north; and numbers of -the Chickasaw and Catawba Indians were induced to give their -assistance—so that, on the 27th of May, an army of two thousand six -hundred men mustered at Fort George.</p> - -<p>Latinac, a French officer, was at this time among the Cherokees, and he -proved an indefatigable instigator to mischief. He persuaded them, that -the English would be satisfied with nothing less than to exterminate them, -man, woman, and child, from the face of the earth. He gave them arms, too, -and urged them to war. At a grand meeting of the nation, he brandished his -hatchet, and, striking it furiously into a log of wood, cried out—"Who is -the man that will take this up for the King of France? Where is he? Let -him come forth!" Saloueh, the young Warrior of Estatoe, instantly leaped -forward, laid hold of it, and cried out—"I will take it up. I am for war. -The spirits of the slain call upon us; I will avenge them; and who will -not? He is no better than a woman that refuses to follow me." Many a -fierce look, and many a lifted tomahawk answered the appeal of the Orator, -and again did the war-torrent rush down upon the frontiers.</p> - -<p>The Great-Warrior too, more a general, and not less a soldier, was again -ready for his enemy. They commenced their march into the interior on the -7th of June, and advanced unmolested as far as the well remembered -battle-ground of the year previous; but there, the Indian scouts in front -observed a large body of Cherokees posted upon a hill on the right flank -of the army. Immediately the savages, rushing down, began to fire on the -advanced guard, which being supported repulsed them; but they recovered -their heights. Colonel Grant ordered a party to march up the hills, and -drive the enemy from them. The engagement became general, and was fought -on both sides with great bravery. The situation of the troops was in -several respects deplorable—fatigued in a tedious march in rainy -weather—surrounded with woods so that they could not discern the -enemy—galled by the scattering fire of savages who when pressed always -fell back, but rallied again and again. No sooner was any advantage gained -over them in one quarter than they appeared in another. While the -attention of the Commander was occupied in driving the enemy from their -lurking-place on the river's side, his rear was attacked, and so vigorous -an effort made for the flour and cattle, that he was obliged to order a -party back to the relief of the rear-guard. From eight o'clock in the -morning until eleven, the savages continued to keep up an irregular and -incessant fire, sometimes from one place and sometimes from another, while -the woods resounded with hideous war-whoops frequently repeated, but in -different directions. At length the Cherokees gave way and were pursued.</p> - -<p>Such is the account of this famous engagement given by history. The -English lost between fifty and sixty killed and wounded. The loss of the -Cherokees was uncertain, as that of an Indian army always is,—they -carried off the slain.</p> - -<p>And now commenced a scene of devastation scarcely paralleled in the annals -of the continent. For thirty days, the English army employed themselves in -burning and ravaging the country and settlements of the enemy. "<i>Heaven -has blest us,</i>" says a letter-writer from the camp, under date of July -10th, "with the greatest success; we have finished our business as -completely as the most sanguine of us could have wished. All their towns, -fifteen in number, beside many little villages and scattered houses, have -been burnt; upwards of fourteen hundred acres of corn, according to a -moderate computation, entirely destroyed; and near five thousand -Cherokees, men, women and children, driven to the mountains to -starve—their only sustenance for some time past being horseflesh." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Charleston Paper of 1761.</p> - - -<p>The result of these measures was decisive. A great part of the Cherokee -nation became desirous of procuring peace upon any terms; and the army had -no sooner reached Fort George, than a deputation of about twenty chiefs -visited the camp. Neither the Great-Warrior nor his staunch aid-de-camp, -Saloueh, was among them; but the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Man-Killer,</span> came, and the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Raven,</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Old -Cesar</span> of Hywassih, and at the head of all the Little Carpenter himself.</p> - -<p>On the 28th of August they waited upon Colonel Grant, who had prepared a -bower for their reception. Having seated themselves in grave array, the -Little Carpenter was asked, if he had come to sue for peace. He answered -in the affirmative. "Have you authority from the whole nation?" demanded -the Colonel; to which all the chiefs replied that they would confirm -whatever the Carpenter should agree to. The latter then delivered his -talk.—</p> - -<p>"<i>You</i> live at the water-side," said he, "and are in light. We are in -darkness; but hope all will yet be clear. I have been constantly going -about doing good, and though I am tired, yet I am come to see what can be -done for my people, who are in great distress." Here he produced the -strings of wampum he had received from the different towns, denoting their -earnest desire of peace, and added,—"As to what has happened, I believe -it has been ordered by our Father above. We are of a different color from -the white people. They are superior to us. But one God is father of us -all, and we hope what is past will be forgotten. God Almighty made all -people. There is not a day but some are coming into, and others going out -of the world. The Great King told me the path should never be crooked, but -open for every one to pass and repass. As we all live in one land, I hope -we shall all love as one people."</p> - -<p>This account is taken partly from news-papers of the period under -consideration. Ramsay only adds, that peace was formally ratified; and -that the ancient friendship of the parties being renewed, both expressed -their hope that it would last as long as the sun might shine and the -rivers run. Some little difficulty appears to have occurred in the -adjustment, which should mentioned to the credit of Little-Carpenter. He -consented to every requisition excepting that which demanded the surrender -of four Cherokees, to be put to death in front of the camp. This he would -not promise. The Colonel gave him a day to think of it, but he still -refused. Finally, it was thought advisable to refer him to the Governor, -and he undertook a journey to Charleston, several hundred miles distant, -for the express purpose of procuring a mitigation of the treaty of peace -in regard to the single obnoxious provision.</p> - -<p>His perseverance and firmness were rewarded as they deserved. "This day," -says a Charleston paper of September 23d, "Attakullakulla had his last -public audience, when he signed the treaty of peace, and received an -authenticated copy under the great seal. . . . <i>He earnestly requested -that Captain John Stuart might be made Chief White-Man</i> [Indian Agent] <i>in -their nation.</i> He said, 'all the Indians love him; and there would never -be any uneasiness if he were there.' This faithful Indian afterwards dined -with his Honor the Governor, and tomorrow sets out for his own country. He -has received several presents as a mark of the regard this government has -for him."</p> - -<p>Thus ended the Cherokee war. That its conduct did no discredit to the -talents of the Great-Warrior, we need not argue. As to the principles upon -which it was fought, we may content ourselves with the comment of an -impartial historian. "In the review of the whole," says Ramsay, "there is -much to blame, and more to regret. The Cherokees were the first aggressors -by taking horses from the Virginians; but by killing them for that offence -the balance of injury was on their side. Then treachery begat treachery, -and murder produced murder. The lives of those men who came originally as -messengers of peace, though afterwards retained as hostages, were -barbarously taken away without any fault of theirs, other than their -obeying the laws of nature in resisting a military order for putting their -persons in irons. A deadly hatred and a desolating war was the -consequence."</p> - -<p>We do not meet with frequent mention of either of the Chieftains named in -this chapter, after the campaign of 1761. They fought against the -neighboring tribes occasionally, but with the English they preserved a -firm peace of at least fifteen years. The character of the contest between -England and the Colonies appears to have confused them, and their -embarrassment was not at all relieved by the unsparing efforts made to -instigate them to hostilities against the latter. The result was a -division of opinion, and a diversity of practice, as in the case of their -Northern neighbors. A part of the nation took up arms for the -English,—probably the younger warriors;—but the whole were compelled to -suffer in consequence. A powerful army from South Carolina invaded their -territory, and after a severe struggle, peace was once more enforced at -the point of the bayonet.</p> - -<p>It is doubtful whether the Great-Warrior was living at this period, for -his name does not appear in the history of the conflict or the treaty. -Little-Carpenter still survived, but, as usual, took no part in the war. -Indeed he must now have been nearly disabled from very active service by -his advanced age,—as well as disinclined for better reasons,—for he is -believed to have been one of the seven Cherokees who visited England and -were introduced to George II, as early as 1730. But this cannot be -affirmed with certainty.</p> - -<p>We shall close our imperfect sketch of this wise and worthy Chieftain, -with the characteristic account of an interview with him, given by -Bertram, author of the well-known Southern Travels. It occurred early in -the Revolution:—</p> - -<p>"Soon after crossing this large branch of the Tanase, [in Upper Georgia,] -I observed, descending the heights at a distance, a company of seven -Indians, all well mounted on horseback. They came rapidly forward. On -their nearer approach I observed a Chief at the head of the caravan, and -apprehending him to be the Little Carpenter, Emperor or Grand Chief of the -Cherokees, as they came up I turned off from the path to make way, in -token of respect. The compliment was accepted, and returned, for his -Highness, with a gracious and cheerful smile, came up to me, and clapping -his hand on his breast, offered it to me, saying, '<i>I am -Attakullaculla,</i>' and heartily shook hands with me, and asked me '<i>If I -knew it.</i>' I answered, that the Good Spirit who goes before me, spoke to -me and said, 'That is the great Attakullaculla,' and added that I was of -the tribe of the white men of Pennsylvania, who esteem themselves brothers -and friends to the Red Men, but particularly to the Cherokees, and that -the name of Attakullaculla was dear to his white brethren. After this -compliment, which seemed to be acceptable, he inquired 'if I came lately -from Charleston, and if <i>John Stuart was well,</i>' [the agent,] saying that -he was going to see him. I replied that I had come lately from Charleston, -on a friendly visit to the Cherokees; that I had seen the Superintendent, -the Beloved Man, &c. The Great Chief was pleased to answer, that I was -welcome in their country, as a friend and brother, and then shaking hands -heartily he bade me farewell, and his retinue confirmed it by a united -voice of assent."</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chxi">CHAPTER XI.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">The Cayuga Chief, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Logan</span>—Some account of his father, - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Shikellimus</span>—Residence of Logan—His friendship for the whites - interrupted by their provocations—His family misfortunes—The Shawanee - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Silver-Heels</span>—Logan joins in a war of revenge against the - "Long-Knives"—Battle of the Kenhawa—Treaty of Peace with Governor - Dunmore—Logan's celebrated speech—His history - completed—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Buckongahelas,</span> the Delaware head War-Chief—His intercourse - with the Christian Indians—Part which he takes in the - Revolution—Defeated by Wayne, in 1794—Anecdotes of him—Death and - character.</p> -<br> - -<p>Few Indians names have been oftener repeated than that of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Logan,</span> and yet -of scarcely any individual of his race is the history which has reached us -less complete. He was a chief of the Six-Nations—a Cayuga—but resided -during most of his life in a western settlement, either at Sandusky or -upon a branch of the Scioto—there being at the former location, a few -years before the Revolution, about three hundred warriors, and about sixty -at the latter.</p> - -<p>Logan was the second son of <i>Shikellimus;</i> and this is the same person -whom Heckewelder describes as "a respectable chief of the Six Nations, who -resided at Shamokin (Pennsylvania,) as an agent, to transact business -between them and the Government of the State." In 1747, at a time when the -Moravian Missionaries were the object of much groundless hatred and -accusation, <i>Shikellimus</i> invited some of them to settle at Shamokin, and -they did so. When Count Zinzendorff and Conrad Weiser visited that place, -several years before, they were very hospitably entertained by the Chief, -who came out to meet them (says Loskiel,) with a large fine melon, for -which the Count politely gave him his fur cap in exchange; and thus -commenced an intimate acquaintance. He was a shrewd and sober man,—not -addicted to drinking, like most of his countrymen, because "he never -wished to become a fool." Indeed, he built his house on pillars for -security against the drunken Indians, and used to ensconce himself within -it on all occasions of riot and outrage. He died in 1749, attended in his -last moments by the good Moravian Bishop Zeisberger, in whose presence, -says Loskiel, "he fell happily asleep in the Lord."</p> - -<p>Logan inherited the talents of his father, but not his prosperity. Nor was -this altogether his own fault. He took no part except that of peace-making -in the French and English war of 1760, and was ever before and afterwards -looked upon as emphatically the friend of the white man. But never was -kindness rewarded like his.</p> - -<p>In the spring of 1774, a robbery and murder occurred in some of the white -settlements on the Ohio, which were charged to the Indians, though perhaps -not justly, for it is well known that a large number of civilized -adventurers were traversing the frontiers at this time, who sometimes -disguised themselves as Indians, and who thought little more of killing -one of that people than of shooting a buffalo. A party of these men, -land-jobbers and others, undertook to punish the outrage in this case, -according to their custom, as Mr. Jefferson expresses it, in a summary -way. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Notes on Virginia.</p> - - -<p>Colonel Cresap, a man infamous for the many murders he had committed on -those much injured people, collected a party, and proceeded down the -Kenhawa in quest of vengeance. Unfortunately, a canoe of women and -children, with one man only, was seen coming from the opposite shore, -unarmed, and not at all suspecting an attack from the whites. Cresap and -his party concealed themselves on the bank of the river, and the moment -the canoe reached the shore, singled out their objects, and, at one fire, -killed every person in it This happened to be the family of Logan. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Jefferson.</p> - - -<p>It was not long after this that another massacre took place, under still -more aggravated circumstances, not far from the present site of Wheeling, -Virginia,—a considerable party of the Indians being decoyed by the -whites, and all murdered, with the exception of a little girl. Among -these, too, was both a brother of Logan, and a sister, and the delicate -situation of the latter increased a thousand fold both the barbarity of -the crime and the race of the survivors of the family.</p> - -<p>The vengeance of the Chieftain was indeed provoked beyond endurance; and -he accordingly distinguished himself by his daring and bloody exploits in -the war which now ensued, between the Virginians on the one side, and a -combination mainly of Shawanees, Mingoes and Delawares on the other. The -former of these tribes were particularly exasperated by the unprovoked -murder of one of their favorite chiefs, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Silver-Heels,</span> who had in the -kindest manner undertaken to escort several white traders across the woods -from the Ohio to Albany, a distance of nearly two hundred miles. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Heckewelder's History.</p> - - -<p>The civilized party prevailed, as usual. A decisive battle was fought upon -the 10th of October, of the year last named, on Point Pleasant at the -mouth of the Great Kenhawa in West-Virginia, between the Confederates, -commanded by Logan, and one thousand Virginian riflemen constituting the -left wing of an army led by Governor Dunmore against the Indians of the -North-West. This engagement has by some annalists,—who however have -rarely given the particulars of it—been called the most obstinate ever -contested with the natives, and we therefore annex an official account of -it which has fortunately been brought to light within a few years.</p> - -<p>"Monday morning, [the 10th,] about half an hour before sun-rise, two of -Capt. Russell's company discovered a large party of Indians about a mile -from camp; one of which was shot down by the Indians. The other made his -escape and brought in the intelligence; two or three minutes after, two of -Capt. Shelby's men came in and confirmed the account.</p> - -<p>"Col. Andrew Lewis being informed thereof, immediately ordered out Col. -Charles Lewis to take the command of one hundred and fifty men, of the -Augusta troops; and with him went Capt. Dickinson, Capt. Harrison, Capt. -Wilson, Capt. John Lewis of Augusta, and Capt. Lockridge, which made the -first division; Col. Fleming was ordered to take command of one hundred -and fifty more, consisting of Botetrout, Bedford and Fincastle -troops—viz: Capt. Bufort of Bedford, Capt. Love of Botetrout, and Capt. -Shelby and Capt. Russell of Fincastle, which made the second division. -Col. Charles Lewis's division marched to the right some distance from the -Ohio; Col. Fleming, with his division, up the bank of the Ohio, to the -left. Col. Lewis's division had not marched quite half a mile from camp, -when about sun-rise, an attack was made on the front of his division, in a -most vigorous manner, by the united tribes of Indians, Shawanees, -Delawares, Mingoes, Iaways, and of several other nations, in number not -less than eight hundred, and by many thought to be a thousand. In this -heavy attack Col. Lewis received a wound which in a few hours occasioned -his death, and several of his men fell on the spot; in fact the Augusta -division was forced to give way to the heavy fire of the enemy. In about a -minute after the attack on Col. Lewis's division, the enemy engaged the -front of Col. Fleming's division, on the Ohio; and in a short time the -Colonel received two balls through his left arm, and one through his -breast, and after animating the officers and soldiers, in a spirited -manner, to the pursuit of victory, retired to camp.</p> - -<p>"The loss of the brave Colonels from the field was sensibly felt by the -officers in particular; but the Augusta troops being shortly after -reinforced from camp by Col. Fields with his company, together with Capt. -M<sup>c</sup>Dowel, Capt. Mathews and Capt. Stuart, from Augusta, and Capt. Arbuckle -and Capt M<sup>c</sup>Clenahan, from Botetrout, the enemy, no longer able to maintain -their ground, was forced to give way till they were in a line with the -troops of Col. Fleming, left in action on the bank of Ohio. In this -precipitate retreat Col. Field was killed. Capt. Shelby was then ordered -to take the command. During this time, it being now twelve o'clock, the -action continued extremely hot. The close underwood, and many steep banks -and logs, greatly favored their retreat, and the bravest of their men made -the best use of them, whilst others were throwing their dead into the Ohio -and carrying off their wounded.</p> - -<p>"After twelve o'clock the action, in a small degree, abated; but continued, -except at short intervals, sharp enough till after one o'clock. Their long -retreat gave them a most advantageous spot of ground, from whence it -appeared to the officers so difficult to dislodge them that it was thought -most advisable to stand as the line was then formed, which was about a -mile and a quarter in length, and had till then sustained a constant and -equal weight of the action, from wing to wing. It was till about half an -hour of sunset they continued firing on us scattering shots, which we -returned to their disadvantage; at length night coming on, they found a -safe retreat. They had not the satisfaction of carrying off any of our -men's scalps, save one or two stragglers, whom they killed before the -engagement. Many of their dead they scalped rather than we should have -them; but our troops scalped upwards of twenty of those who were first -killed. It is beyond a doubt their loss in number far exceeds ours, which -is considerable." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Niles's Register, Vol. XII.</p> - - -<p>The Virginians lost in this action two of their Colonels, four Captains, -many subordinate officers, and about fifty privates killed, besides a much -larger number wounded. The Governor himself was not engaged in the battle, -being at the head of the right wing of the same army, a force of fifteen -hundred men, who were at this time on their expedition against the towns -of some of the hostile tribes in the North-West.</p> - -<p>It was at the treaty ensuing upon this battle that the following speech -was delivered,—sufficient to render the name of Logan famous for many a -century. It came by the hand of a messenger, sent, (as Mr. Jefferson -states,) that the sincerity of the negotiation might not be distrusted on -account of the absence of so distinguished a warrior as himself.</p> - -<p>"I appeal to any white man to say, if he ever entered Logan's cabin -hungry, and he gave him not meat; if he ever came cold and naked, and he -clothed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan -remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for -the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they passed, and said, 'Logan is -the friend of white men.' I had even thought to have lived with you, but -for the injuries of one man. Colonel Cresap, the last spring, in cold -blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not sparing -even my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins -of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I have sought it; I -have killed many; I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I -rejoice at the beams of peace. But do not harbor a thought that mine is -the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to -save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan?—Not one."</p> - -<p>Of this powerful address, Mr. Jefferson says, "I may challenge the whole -orations of Demosthenes and Cicero, and of any more eminent orator, if -Europe has furnished more eminent, to produce a single passage, superior -to the speech of Logan;" and an American statesman and scholar, scarcely -less illustrious than the author of this noble eulogium, has expressed his -readiness to subscribe to it. [FN] It is of course unnecessary for any -humbler authority to enlarge upon its merits. Indeed, they require no -exposition; they strike home to the soul.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Clinton's Historical Discourse: 1811.</p> - - -<p>The melancholy history of Logan must be dismissed with no relief to its -gloomy colors. He was himself a victim to the same ferocious cruelty which -had already rendered him a desolate man. [FN] Not long after the treaty a -party of whites murdered him, as he was returning from Detroit to his own -country. It grieves us to add, that towards the close of his life, misery -had made him intemperate. No security and no solace to Logan, was the -orator's genius or the warriors glory.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Drake's Biography.</p> - - -<p>Campbell, in his <i>Gertrude of Wyoming,</i> has appropriated the affecting -sentiment of Logan to an Indian hero of his own, but the sin of the -transfer may be excused for its skill.</p> - -<p class="list"> . . . "He left of all my tribe - Nor man nor child, nor thing of living birth; - No! not the dog, that watched my household hearth, - Escaped, that night of blood, upon our plains! - All perished! I alone am left on Earth! - To whom nor relative nor blood remains, - No!—not a kindred drop that runs in human veins!"</p> - -<p>A more noted personage in his own time than even Logan, was the Delaware -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Buckongahelas,</span> who rose from the station of a private warrior to be, as -Heckewelder calls him, the head war-chief of his nation. That writer -speaks of meeting him at Tuscaroras as early as 1762: and the Chieftain -accordingly reminded him of the fact when, in 1781, he visited the -settlement of the Christian Indians in Ohio. His deportment on that -occasion was singularly characteristic of the man; for all writers agree -in representing him as fearless, frank and magnanimous. It should be -premised, that he lived on the Miami, and being rather in the British -interest, was disposed to watch quite closely the movements of the -peace-party. What he <i>did,</i> however, he did openly, and he never hesitated -to explain himself with the same freedom.</p> - -<p>One morning, late in the season last named, two Christian Indians of -Gnadenhutten having gone out to look in the woods for strayed horses, were -met by a chieftain at the head of eighty warriors, who without ceremony -made them both captives. "Then," says Heckewelder, "taking a course -through the woods, until they had come within a short distance of -Gnadenhutten, they rested until nearly break of day, guarding the -Brethren, that they might not escape and give information of them. The day -approaching, they moved on, and having surrounded the town completely, -hailed the inhabitants, to deliver into their hands the chief, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Gelelemend,</span> -(Kill-Buck) with the other chiefs and councilors; whom they must have -either alive or dead." [FN] The party being informed, that not one of -those they were in search of, was here at the time, but had all gone to -Pittsburg some time past, they then searched every house, stable and -cellar; and being finally satisfied that they had been told the truth, -they demanded that deputies, consisting of the principal men of the three -towns, should be called together, to hear what they had to say to them. -The principal men assembled from Salem and Shonbrun; and Buckongahelas, -for such they discovered him to be, addressed them as follows:</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Their object was, to take these off to a place where they would have - them under <i>their</i> control, and prevent them from governing the nation - while the war lasted; it being a custom with the Indians, that as soon as - the peace-chief has gave his consent to war measures, his office ceases, - and the power is vested in the head captains of the nation, until his - services, in making peace are again wanted.</p> - - -<p>"Friends!—Listen to what I say to you! You see a great and powerful -nation divided! You see the father fighting against the son, and the son -against the father!—The father has called on his Indian children, to -assist him in punishing his children, the Americans, who have become -refractory!—I took time to consider what I should do—whether or not I -should receive the hatchet of my father, to assist him!—At first I looked -upon it as a family quarrel, in which I was not interested—However, at -length it appeared to me, that the father was in the right; and his -children deserved to be punished a little!—That this must be the case, I -concluded from the many cruel acts his off-spring had committed from time -to time, on his Indian children; in encroaching on their land, stealing -their property, shooting at, and murdering without cause, men, women and -children—Yes! even murdering those, who at all times had been friendly to -them, and were placed for protection under the roof of their father's -house—The father himself standing centry at the door, at the time."</p> - -<p>The writer here referred to a number of Pennsylvanian Indians, murdered in -a <i>jail,</i> where they were placed for security against the whites. The -sentry was the jailer. He continued thus:</p> - -<p>"Friends! Often has the father been obliged to settle, and make amends for -the wrongs and mischiefs done to us, by his refractory children, yet these -do not grow better! No! they remain the same, and will continue to be so, -as long as we have any land left us! Look back at the murders committed by -the Long-Knives on many of our relations, who lived peaceable neighbors to -them on the Ohio! Did they not kill them without the least -provocation?—Are they, do you think, better now than they were then?—No, -indeed not; and many days are not elapsed since you had a number of these -very men at your doors, who panted to kill you, but fortunately were -prevented from so doing by the <i>Great Sun,</i> [FN] who, at that time, had -been ordained by the Great Spirit to protect you!"</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] The name the Indians had given to Col. Daniel Broadhead.</p> - -<p>"Friends and relatives!—Now listen to me, and hear what I have to say to -you.—I am myself come to bid you rise and go with me to a secure place! -Do not, my friends, covet the land you now hold under cultivation. I will -conduct you to a country [FN] equally good, where your fields shall yield -you abundant crops, and where your cattle shall find sufficient pasture; -where there is plenty of game; where your women and children, together -with yourselves, will live in peace and safety; where no Long Knife shall -ever molest you!—Nay! I will live between you and them, and not even -suffer them to frighten you!—There, you can worship your God without -fear!—Here, where you are, you cannot do this!—Think on what I have now -said to you, and believe, that if you stay where you now are, one day or -another the Long-Knives will, in their usual way, speak fine words to you, -and at the same time murder you!"</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] The Miami country.</p> - - -<p>To this speech the Brethren replied by civilly declining the proposition -of the Orator; and he then offered a new one,—that they should permit all -who wished to leave them, to do so. Thus the matter was settled. -Buckongahelas then proceeded to another village of the Christian -Delawares, Salem, before entering which place he cautioned his warriors to -leave their arms behind them, "lest the women and children should be -frightened." "And destroy nothing," he added, "which belongs to our -friends; no, not even one of their <i>chickens.</i>" The conference which -ensued with the Salem authorities is thus stated by Mr. Heckewelder, who -was present.</p> - -<p>"The Christian Indians," said the Chieftain, "were a happy people; and he -would never trouble them on account of their not joining in the -war.—Indeed, they could not with propriety join in wars, without first -renouncing praying, [meaning Christianity].—And every Indian, or body of -Indians, had a right to choose for themselves, whom they would serve!—For -him, he had hired himself to his father, the king of England, for the -purpose of fighting against his refractory children, the Long-Knives; -whilst his friends and relations, the Christian Indians, had hired -themselves to the Great Spirit, solely for the purpose of performing -prayers!" [meaning, attending to religion]—"He added, that both were -right in their way, though both employments could not be connected -together. And only yesterday they were told, whilst at Gnadenhutten, that -God had instructed all Christian people to love their enemies—and even to -pray for them!—These words, he said, were written in the large book that -contained the words and commandments of God!—Now, how would it appear, -were we to compel our friends, who love and pray for their enemies, to -fight against them!—compel them to act contrary to what they believe to -be right!—force them to do that by which they would incur the displeasure -of the Great Spirit, and bring his wrath upon them!—That it would be as -wrong in him to compel the Christian Indians to quit praying and turn out -to fight and kill people, as it would be in them to compel him to lay -fighting aside, and turn to praying only!—He had often heard it stated, -that the believing Indians were slaves to their teachers, and what these -commanded them to do, they <i>must</i> do, however disagreeable to them!—Now, -(said he) how can this be true, when every Indian is a free man, and can -go where he pleases!—Can the teacher stop him from going away?—No! he -cannot!—well! how can he then be made a slave by the teacher!—When we -come here among our friends, we see how much they love their -teachers.—This looks Well!—Continue, my friends, (said he to the -national assistants) in loving your teachers, and in doing all good -things; and when your friends and relations come to see you, satisfy their -hunger as you have done to us this day!" [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Narrative of the Christian Indians.</p> - - -<p>Having taken leave of all who were in the house, he proceeded to the -middle of the street, from whence he addressed the inhabitants of the -place and thanked them for their hospitality, assuring them of his regard -and good wishes for them, and adding, that "If at any time they should -hear it said, that Pachgantschihilas was an enemy to the believing -[Christian] Indians; they should consider such words as lies!"</p> - -<p>The reasoning of the Chieftain speaks for itself. His predictions in -regard to the fate of the Christian Delawares, were but too speedily -accomplished. But it was no fault of his; and indeed, in 1783, when -Captain Pipe sent word to him not to suffer any of them to leave his -territory, he returned answer, with his usual spirit, that he never would -prevent them from going to their teachers. "And why did you expect them?" -he added. "Did I not tell you beforehand, that if you drove the teachers -off, the believing Indians would follow them? But you would not listen to -me, and now we lose both! Who, think you, is the cause of all the -disasters, which have befallen these people! <i>I say you!—You!</i> who -threatened them with destruction! <i>You,</i> who instigated the Wyandots to -act the treacherous part they did,—agreeing with them, that, as a -recompense for their services, they should be entitled to all the plunder -they could lay hold of!"</p> - -<p>In Dawson's Memoirs of Harrison, Buckongahelas is mentioned as being -present at a council of the chiefs of various tribes, called at Fort Wayne -in 1803, for the purpose of ratifying a negotiation for land, already -proposed in a former one which met at Vincennes. The Governor carried his -point, chiefly by the aid of an influential Miami chief and by being -"<i>boldly seconded in every proposition</i>" by the Pottawatamies, who (as Mr. -Dawson states,) "<i>were entirely devoted to the Governor.</i>" It is not our -intention here to discuss at length the character of this transaction, -which rather belongs to the general history of the period. How the -Delaware Chief and the Shawanees understood it, and how they expressed -their sentiments, may be inferred from the following statement of -Dawson:—</p> - -<p>"When the transaction at the council of Vincennes was mentioned, it called -forth all the wrath of the Delawares and the Shawanees. The respected -Buckongahelas so far forgot himself that he interrupted the Governor, and -declared with vehemence, that nothing that was done at Vincennes was -binding upon the Indians; that the land which was there decided to be the -property of the United States, belonged to the Delawares; and that he had -then with him a chief who had been present at the transfer made by the -Piankishaws to the Delawares of all the country between the Ohio and White -rivers, more than thirty years before. The Shawanees went still further, -and behaved with so much insolence, that the Governor was obliged to tell -them that they were undutiful and rebellious children, and that he would -withdraw his protection from them until they had learnt to behave -themselves with more propriety. These Chiefs immediately left the council -house in a body."</p> - -<p>Subsequently the Shawanees submitted, though it does not appear that -Buckongahelas set them the example; and thus, says the historian, the -Governor overcame all opposition, and carried his point.</p> - -<p>But he did not gain the good will, or subdue the haughty independence of -the War-Chief of the Delawares, who, as long as he lived, was at least -consistent with himself in his feelings towards the American people. Nor -yet was he in the slightest degree servile in his attachment to the -British. He was not their instrument or subject, but their ally; and no -longer their ally, than they treated him in a manner suitable to that -capacity and to his own character.</p> - -<p>He was indeed the most distinguished warrior in the Indian confederacy, -and as it was the British interest which had induced the Indians to -commence, as well as to continue the war, Buckongahelas relied on their -support and protection. This support had been given, so far as relates to -provisional arms, and ammunition; and in the celebrated engagement, on the -20th of August, 1794, which resulted in a complete victory by General -Wayne over the combined hostile tribes, there were said to be two -companies of British militia from Detroit on the side of the Indians. -[FN-1] But the gates of Fort Mimms being shut against the retreating and -wounded Indians, after the battle, opened the eyes of Buckongahelas, and -he determined upon an immediate peace with the United States, and a total -abandonment of the British. He assembled his tribe and embarked them in -canoes, with the design of proceeding up the river, and sending a flag of -truce to Fort Wayne. Upon approaching the British fort, he was requested -to land, and he did so. "What have you to say to me?" said he, addressing -the officer of the day. It was replied, that the commanding officer wished -to speak with him. "Then he may come here," was the reply. "He will not do -that," said the officer, "and you will not be suffered to pass the fort if -you do not comply." "What shall prevent me?" said the intrepid Chief. -"These," said the officer, pointing to the cannon of the fort. "I fear not -your cannon," replied the Chief. "After suffering the Americans to defile -[FN-2] your spring, without daring to fire on them, you cannot expect to -frighten Buckongahelas;" and he ordered the canoes to push off, and passed -the fort.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] Dawson's Memoirs.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] This was spoken metaphorically, to express the contempt and insult - with which the garrison had been treated by the Americans, for their - treachery towards the Indians who had been their allies.</p> - - -<p>Never after this would he, like the other chiefs, visit the British, or -receive presents from them. "Had the great Buckongahelas lived," says Mr. -Dawson, alluding to these circumstances, "he would not have suffered the -schemes projected by the Prophet (brother of Tecumseh) to be matured." And -the same writer states, that on his death-bed he earnestly advised his -tribe to rely on the friendship of the United States, and desert the cause -of the British. This was in 1804.</p> - -<p>It is said of Buckongahelas, that no Christian knight ever was more -scrupulous in performing all his engagements. Indeed he had all the -qualifications of a great hero. His perfect Indian independence,—the -independence of a noble <i>nature,</i> unperceived to itself, and unaffected to -others,—is illustrated by an authentic anecdote which will bear -repetition.</p> - -<p>In the year 1785, he was present, with many other chiefs of various -tribes, at a treaty negotiated by order of Congress at Fort M<sup>c</sup>Intosh on -the Ohio river. When the peace-chiefs had addressed the Commissioners of -the United States, who were George Rogers Clark, Arthur Lee, and Richard -Butler, the two latter of whom he did not deign to notice, approaching -General Clark and taking him by the hand, he thus addressed him: "I thank -the Great Spirit for having this day brought together two such great -warriors as Buckongahelas and General Clark." [FN] The sentiment reminds -one of the Little-Carpenter's address to Mr. Bartram:—"I am -Attakullakulla;—did you know it?"</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Dawson's Memoirs.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chxii">CHAPTER XII.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">Some account of the Shawanees, the tribe of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tecumseh</span>—Anecdotes - illustrative of their character—Early history and lineage of - Tecumseh—His first adventures as a warrior—His habits and - principles—His brothers <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Kumshaka</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Elskwatawa</span>—The first open - movements of the latter, in 1806—He assumes the character of - Prophet—His doctrines—His mode of operation upon his countrymen—Other - Indian Pretenders—Anecdote of a Shawanee Chief, at Fort Wayne—Tanner's - account of the ministry of the Elskwatawa's Agents—Concert traced - between them—Witchcraft-superstition—Anecdotes of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Teteboxti, The Crane, - Leather-Lips,</span> and others.</p> - - -<p>As the distinguished personage whose history now claims our attention, was -a member of the Kishopoke tribe of the Shawanee nation, a brief account of -that somewhat celebrated community may not be irrelevant in this -connection.</p> - -<p>As their name indicates, they came originally from the <i>South,</i> (that -being the meaning of the Delaware word <i>Shawaneu;</i>) and the oldest -individuals of the Mohican tribe, their <i>elder brother,</i> [FN] told Mr. -Heckewelder, they dwelt in the neighborhood of Savannah, in Georgia, and -in the Floridas. "They were a restless people," we are further informed, -"delighting in wars;" and in these they were so constantly engaged, that -their neighbors,—the Cherokees, Choctaws, Creeks, Yamassees, and other -powerful tribes,—finally formed a league, offensive and defensive, for -the express purpose of expelling them from the country. But the Shawanees -were too wise to contend with such an enemy, and they adopted the more -prudent policy of asking permission to leave their territories peaceably, -and migrate northward. This favor being granted them, their main body -settled upon the Ohio; some of them as far up as where the French -afterwards built Fort Duquesne,—now Pittsburg,—others, about the forks -of the Delaware, and a few even upon the site of what is now Philadelphia.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] So called, because their separation from the parent stock was one of - the most ancient of which the tradition was distinctly preserved. - Following the same principle, the Delawares themselves have uniformly - given the title of <i>Uncle</i> to the Wyandots.</p> - - -<p>Those who remained on the Ohio becoming numerous and powerful, it was not -long before they crossed the Allegheny mountains, and fell upon a -settlement of the Delawares, on the Juniata,—of which very people, their -<i>grandfather,</i> they had solicited peace and protection, through the -interposition of the Mohicans, on their first arrival in the country. -Murders were committed, plunder was carried off, and a war ensued. As soon -as this could be disposed of, they engaged in the French war, which broke -out in 1755, against the English. That being terminated in 1763, and the -tribe being elated by its increased numbers, and by the strong confederacy -now established between themselves and the Delawares, they commenced -hostilities against the Cherokees. In the course of this war, the latter -occasionally pursued the aggressors into the Delaware territories, and -thus that nation was aroused again. The union of forces which ensued, -added to the already existing hostility of the Five Nations, proved too -much for the Cherokees, and in 1768, they solicited and obtained a peace. -Owing chiefly to the influence of the Delawares, the Shawanees were now -kept quiet for the unusually long term of six years, when they were -involved in a war with the people of Virginia,—then comprising -Kentucky,—occasioned by the noted murders committed upon Logan's -relations and others, by white people. The burning of some of their -villages had scarcely driven them to a sort of truce with mis new enemy, -when the war of the Revolution commenced, in which they allied themselves -with the English, and continued openly hostile, notwithstanding the peace -of 1783, until the famous victory of General Wayne, in 1795.</p> - -<p>Their reputation as warriors suffered nothing during all this long series -of hostile operations. The first settlers of Kentucky were molested and -harassed by them, more than by any other tribe. Boone, who was taken -captive by them in 1778, saw four hundred and fifty of their warriors -mustered at one place,—still called Chilicothe,—ready for a foray among -the white settlements, which soon after ensued. Marshall, in his History -of Kentucky, gives the particulars of an expedition against them, the -season after this, in which, "many of the best men in the country were -privates;" the invaders were defeated and driven off, and nearly two -hundred of them pursued with considerable loss, by about thirty of the -Shawanees. "Of all the Indians who had been marauding in the country," the -same writer observes elsewhere, "the Shawanees had been the most -mischievous, as they were the most active." Loskiel represents the tribe -in question as "the most <i>savage</i> of the Indian nations."</p> - -<p>An incident, showing the disposition which they manifested, even at this -period, (1773,) towards their American neighbors, may throw some light -upon their character, and upon subsequent events. The celebrated -missionary, Zeisberger, visited some of their settlements, during the year -last named, in the hope of establishing a mission among them. At one of -their villages, he met with the head-chief of the tribe. The latter gave -him his hand and addressed him: "This day," said he, "the Great Spirit has -ordered that we should see and speak with each other, face to face." He -then entered into a long detail of the practices of the white people, -describing their manner of deceiving the Indians, and finally affirmed -that they were all alike,—all hypocrites and knaves. The Missionary made -some reply to these charges, but the Chief was "so exceedingly exasperated -against the white people," adds Loskiel, "that brother Zeisberger's -exhortation seemed to have little weight with him." He at length gave the -Preacher permission to visit the other Shawanee towns, taking care to -suggest, as a parting word of comfort, that he must rely upon having his -brains beat out very speedily. Thirty years previous to this, when Count -Zinzendorff himself went among the Wyoming Shawanees, to convert them, -they rewarded that pious pilgrim for his labor of love, by conspiring to -murder him; but, by a fortunate accident, he escaped safe from their -hands.</p> - -<p>On the whole, setting aside for the present the history of this nation for -the last thirty years, during which we have suffered most from them, it -would seem that a more warlike or more hostile people has scarcely existed -upon the continent. Where, rather than here, should we look for the birth -and education of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tecumseh,</span> [FN] the modern Philip, and when, rather than -at the stormy period of the Revolution? Probably, at the very time when -the troops of our Congress (in 1780,) were expelling them westward from -the river Scioto, and burning their villages behind them, the young hero, -who afterwards kindled the flame of war upon the entire frontier of the -States, by the breath of his own single spirit, was learning his first -lessons of vengeance amid the ruins of his native land, and in the blood -of his countrymen.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Pronounced by the Indians <i>Tecumthé</i> and sometimes so written.</p> - - -<p>His native land, we say, for it is tolerably well ascertained that he was -born on the banks of the Scioto, near Chilicothe. His father, who was a -noted Shawanee warrior, fell at the battle of Kenhawa, while Tecumseh was -yet a mere boy. His mother is said by some to have been a Shawanee, and by -others a Creek; but he is understood himself to have told a gentleman at -Vincennes, in 1810, that she was a Cherokee, who had been taken prisoner -in a war between that nation and the Shawanees, and adopted, according to -Indian custom, into a family of the latter nation which resided near the -Miami of the Lake. This account is confirmed by the circumstance of this -woman having migrated into the Cherokee territory in advanced age, and -died there. The <i>totem</i> of her tribe is said to have been a turtle, and that -of the father's a tiger.</p> - -<p>From all the information which can now be gathered respecting the early -years of Tecumseh, it appears that he gave striking evidence in his -boyhood of the singular spirit which characterized him through life. He -was distinguished for a steady adherence to principle, and generally to -that of the best kind. He prided himself upon his temperance and his -truth, maintaining an uncommon reputation for integrity, and, what is -still rarer among his countrymen, never indulging in the excessive use of -food or liquor. He would not marry until long after the customary period; -and then, as a matter of necessity, in consequence of the solicitations of -friends, he connected himself with an elderly female, who was, perhaps, -not the handsomest or most agreeable lady in the world, but nevertheless -bore him one child, his only offspring. With this exception, he adopted in -his matrimonial life, the <i>practices</i> of the sect of Shakers, whose -<i>principles,</i> as is well known, were afterwards so strenuously promulgated -by his brother, the Prophet, that a certain prime functionary in that -denomination gave him the credit of being as good a disciple as himself. -[FN] Whether there was an express concert or actual cooperation between -the two, at this early period, respecting this or any other project or -policy in which they subsequently engaged together, does not appear to be -positively ascertained.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] See an authority cited at large in the following pages.</p> - - -<p>It is not to be supposed, that any remarkable achievements of the young -warrior in his first battles, should be preserved on record. Some -Shawanees have said that he made his <i>debut</i> in an engagement with the -Kentucky troops, which took place on the banks of Mad River; that in the -heat of the skirmish he most ungallantly turned right-about-face, and made -the best of his way from the field, with all possible diligence,—and that -too while one of his brothers stood his ground with the other Indians, and -fought till he was wounded and carried off. It must be admitted, this was -not so creditable a proceeding as may be conceived; but the extreme youth -of the party goes some way to explain, as his subsequent conduct did to -excuse it.</p> - -<p>But from this time, whatever might be his animal courage, he was never -known to shrink. Indeed, previously to the treaty of Greenville, (in 1795) -when he was probably about twenty-five years of age, he is said to have -signalized himself so much, as to have been reputed one of the boldest of -the Indian warriors. No individual was more regularly engaged in those -terrible incursions by which the first settlers of Kentucky were so much -harassed; and few could boast of having intercepted so many boats on the -Ohio river, or plundered so many houses on the civilized shore. He was -sometimes pursued, but never overtaken. If the enemy advanced into his own -country, he retreated to the banks of the Wabash, until the storm had -passed by; and then, just as they were laying aside the sword for the axe -and plough-share, swooped down upon them again in their own settlements. -It goes to show the disinterested generosity always ascribed to him, that, -although the booty collected in the course of these adventures must have -been very considerable in quantity and value, he rarely retained any -portion of it for his own use. His ruling passion was the love of glory, -as that of his followers was the love of gain; and, of course, a -compromise could always be effected between them, to the perfect -satisfaction of both parties. He was a feudal baron among boors. It -remained for subsequent occasions, then little dreamed of to show that his -temperament, like his talent, was even better adapted to the management of -a large engagement, than to the <i>melée</i> of a small one.</p> - -<p>We have now arrived at an epoch in his life, when it is no longer possible -to give his own history to much advantage, but by connecting it with that -of his celebrated brother, the Prophet already mentioned. The name of this -personage was <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Elskwatawa.</span> [FN] He and Tecumseh, and still another, -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Kumshaka,</span> were the offspring of the same mother at the same birth. -Probably there was an understanding between the three, at an early date, -respecting the great plans which the prophet and the orator afterwards -carried into execution; but as we hear little or nothing of the subsequent -co-operation of Kumshaka, it may be presumed that he did not -live,—employment would certainly have been found for him, if he had.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Meaning, says Mr. Schoolcraft, <i>a fire that is moved from place to - place.</i> Elsewhere we find him called Olliwayshila, on good authority. A - compromise may be effected, by suggesting that he assumed various names - at various periods.</p> - - -<p>It is said to have been about the year 1804, when the two brothers, who -afterwards acted so prominently together, first conceived the project of -uniting all the western Indians in a defensive and perhaps belligerent -combination against the Americans. The probable inducements in their minds -to the adoption of that policy, being rather a matter of speculation than -history, will be left for subsequent comment. The course actually taken to -effect the proposed object admits of little controversy. Elskwatawa -summarily undertook to personate a religious character, and began -preaching in the summer of 1804.</p> - -<p>He inculcated, in the first place, that a radical reform was necessary in -the manners of the red people. This was proved, by enlarging upon the -evils which had ensued from the neighborhood of the whites,—the imitation -of their dress and manners, the introduction of ardent spirits, diseases, -contentions, and wars; by the vast diminution of the means of subsistence, -and the narrowed limits of territory to which they were now hemmed in; and -by other considerations of the most irritating, as well as plausible kind, -the force of which was not at all lessened by occasional comment on -particular transactions, and glowing references to the long, peaceful, and -happy lives of their forefathers. That point being gained, and a favorable -excitement produced, the next thing in order was his own commission from -the Great Spirit. This was authenticated by the astonishing miracles he -was able to perform, and still more by the great benefits he proposed to -confer on his followers.</p> - -<p>The budget of reform was then brought forward. There was to be no more -fighting between the tribes,—they were brethren. They were to abandon the -use of ardent spirits, and to wear skins, as their ancestors had done, -instead of blankets. Stealing, quarreling, and other immoral modern habits -were denounced. Injunctions of minor importance seem to have been enforced -merely with a view to test the pliability of savage superstition, to -embarrass the jealous scrutiny of those who opposed or doubted, and to -establish a superficial uniformity whereby the true believers should be -readily distinguished. The policy of the more prominent tenets cannot be -mistaken. Just in proportion to their observance, they must inevitably -promote the independence of the Indian nations, first, by diminishing -their dependence upon the whites, and, secondly, by increasing their -intercourse and harmony with each other.</p> - -<p>In addressing himself to such subjects, with such a system, Elskwatawa -could hardly fail of success. For some years, indeed, his converts were -few; for, great as the influence is which a man of his pretentions -exercises over his ignorant countrymen, when his reputation is once fairly -acquired, it is by no means so easy an undertaking to establish it in the -outset.</p> - -<p>The means used by Elskwatawa, or by him and Tecumseh in concert, to effect -the object in his own case, are more indicative of the talent of both, -than the conception of the policy itself, which was comparatively -common-place. A prophet is a familiar character among the Indians, and -always has been. "The American impostors," said Charlevoix, "are not -behind-hand with any in this point; and as by chance (if we will not allow -the devil any share in it,) they sometimes happen to divine or guess -pretty right, they acquire by this a great reputation, and are reckoned -<i>geníí</i> of the first order." Mr. Tanner, who has recently published a -narrative of his thirty years' residence among the Indians, gives -incidental accounts of as many as three or four pretenders, who, indeed, -judging from the time of their appearance, may fairly be considered as -emissaries of Elskwatawa and Tecumseh. The former had an immediate -predecessor among the Delawares, a notorious preacher named <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Wangomend,</span> -[FN] who began his career in 1766. This man wholly <i>failed,</i> as did most -of the others; and the result is so common in similar cases, that it -becomes the more interesting to ascertain how the inspired candidate now -under consideration <i>succeeded.</i></p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Or <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Wingemund;</span> the same man mentioned in the life of White-Eyes, as - having protected Mr. Heckewelder on his journey through the woods.</p> - - -<p>Tecumseh was, of course, his first convert and most devoted disciple, but -some of their relatives or particular friends soon followed in his train. -The wary intriguant then most wisely commenced operations upon the residue -of his own tribe. Previous to any violent promulgation of the doctrines -already stated, he gained their attention and flattered their pride, by -reviving a favorite tradition which made them the most ancient and -respectable people on the globe. The particulars cannot be better -understood than from the representation of an old Shawanee Chief; who, in -1803, harangued a council at Fort Wayne upon the subject.</p> - -<p>"The Master of Life," said he, very proudly, "who was himself an Indian, -made the Shawanees before any others of the human race, and <i>they</i> sprang -from his brain." He added, that the Master of Life "gave them all the -knowledge which he himself possessed; that he placed them upon the great -island; and that all the other red people were descended from the -Shawanees:—that after he had made the Shawanees, he made the French and -English out of his breast, and the Dutch out of his feet; and for your -Long-Knives kind," said he, addressing himself to the Governor, "he made -them out of his hands. All these inferior races of men he made white, and -placed them beyond the great lake,"—meaning the Atlantic Ocean.</p> - -<p>"The Shawanees for many ages continued to be masters of the continent, -using the knowledge which they had received from the Great Spirit, in such -a manner as to be pleasing to him, and to secure their own happiness. In a -great length of time, however, they became corrupt, and the Master of Life -told them he would take away from them the knowledge they possessed, and -give it to the white people, to be restored when, by a return to good -principles, they would deserve it. Many years after that, they saw -something white approaching their shores; at first they took it for a -great bird, but they soon found it to be a monstrous canoe, filled with -the very people who had got the knowledge which belonged to the Shawanees. -After these white people landed, they were not content with having the -knowledge which belonged to the Shawanees, but they usurped their lands -also. They pretended, indeed, to have purchased these lands; but the very -goods which they gave for them was more the property of the Indians than -the white people, because the knowledge which enabled them to manufacture -these goods actually belonged to the Shawanees. But these things will soon -have an end. The Master of Life is about to restore to the Shawanees both -their knowledge and their rights, and he will trample the Long-Knives -under his feet."</p> - -<p>This speaker was supposed to be in the British interest, and to have been -sent to Fort Wayne for the purpose of preventing a negotiation expected to -be there settled. The probability is, that he derived his ideas of -Shawanee dignity from the preaching of Elskwatawa. But the latter had more -good sense than personally to <i>continue</i> the same strain, after having -secured about one hundred followers by the use of it. It was then -abandoned, and other inducements and arguments brought forward, of a wider -application. Some of the Shawanees grew cool and deserted him, but he -still persevered. His brother was indefatigable in his cooperation; other -agents and instruments were set to work; and stragglers of various tribes -soon flocked to his quarters at Greenville from every direction.</p> - -<p>The minutiæ of this proselyting or electioneering system are so well -developed in the faithful and simple narrative of Tanner, as to justify -extracting his account at length. It cannot fail to give a much clearer -idea of the mode of operation, than any exposition whatever in general -terms. The locality, it will be observed, is a quite remote one:—</p> - -<p>"It was while I was living here at Great Wood River, that news came of a -great man among the Shawanees, who had been favored by a revelation of the -mind and will of the Great Spirit. I was hunting in the prairie, at a -great distance from my lodge, when I saw a stranger approaching; at first -I was apprehensive of an enemy, but, as he drew nearer, his dress showed -him to be an Ojibbeway [Chippeway;] but when he came up, there was -something very strange and peculiar in his manner. He signified to me that -I must go home, but gave no explanation of the cause. He refused to look -at me, or enter into any kind of conversation. I thought he must be crazy, -but nevertheless accompanied him to my lodge. When we had smoked, he -remained a long time silent, but at last began to tell me he had come with -a message from the prophet of the Shawnees, 'Henceforth,' said he, 'the -fire must never be suffered to go out in your lodge. Summer and winter, -day and night, in the storm, or when it is calm, you must remember that -the life in your body, and the fire in your lodge, are the same, and of -the same date. If you suffer your fire to be extinguished, at that moment -your life will be at its end. You must not suffer a dog to live. You must -never strike either a man, a woman, a child, or a dog. The prophet himself -is coming to shake hands with you; but I have come before, that you may -know what is the will of the Great Spirit, communicated to us by him, and -to inform you that the preservation, of your life, for a single moment, -depends on your entire obedience. <i>From this time forward, we are neither -to be drunk, to steal, to lie, or to go against our enemies.</i> While we -yield an entire obedience to these commands of the Great Spirit, the -Sioux, even if they come to our country, will not be able to see us; we -shall be protected and made happy.' I listened to all he had to say, but -told him, in answer, that I could not believe we should all die, in case -our fire went out; in many instances, also, it would be difficult to avoid -punishing our children; our dogs were useful in aiding us to hunt and take -animals, so that I could not believe the Great Spirit had any wish to take -them from us. He continued talking to us until late at night; then he lay -down to sleep in my lodge. I happened to wake first in the morning, and -perceiving the fire had gone out, I called him to get up, and see how many -of us were living, and how many dead. He was prepared for the ridicule I -attempted to throw upon his doctrine, and told me that I had not yet -shaken hands with the prophet. His visit had been to prepare me for this -important event, and to make me aware of the obligations and risks I -should incur by entering into the engagement implied in taking in my hand -the message of the prophet. I did not rest entirely easy in my unbelief. -The Indians, generally, received the doctrine of this man with great -humility and fear. Distress and anxiety were visible in every countenance. -Many killed their dogs, and endeavored to practice obedience to all the -commands of this new preacher, who still remained among us. But, as was -usual with me, in any emergency of this kind, I went to the traders, -firmly believing, that if the Deity had any communications to make to men, -they would be given, in the first instance, to white men. The traders -ridiculed and despised the idea of a new revelation of the Divine will, -and the thought that it should be given to a poor Shawnee. Thus was I -confirmed in my infidelity. Nevertheless, I did not openly avow my -unbelief to the Indians, only I refused to kill my dogs, and showed no -great degree of anxiety to comply with his other requirements. As long as -I remained among the Indians, I made it my business to conform, as far as -appeared consistent with my immediate convenience and comfort, with all -their customs. Many of their ideas I have adopted; but I always found -among them opinions which I could not hold. The Ojibbeway whom I have -mentioned, remained some time among the Indians in my neighborhood, and -gained the attention of the principal men so effectually, that a time was -appointed, and a lodge prepared, for the solemn and public espousing of -the doctrines of the prophet. When the people, and I among them, were -brought into the long lodge, prepared for this solemnity, we saw something -carefully concealed under a blanket, in figure and dimensions bearing some -resemblance to the form of a man. This was accompanied by two young men, -who, it was understood, attended constantly upon it, made its bed at -night, as for a man, and slept near it. But while we remained, no one went -near it, or raised the blanket which was spread over its unknown contents. -Four strings of mouldy and discolored beans were all the remaining visible -insignia of this important mission. After a long harangue, in which the -prominent features of the new revelation were stated and urged upon the -attention of all, the four strings of beans, which we were told were made -of the flesh itself of the prophet, were carried, with much solemnity, to -each man in the lodge, and he was expected to take hold of each string at -the top, and draw them gently through his hand. This was called shaking -hands with the prophet, and was considered as solemnly engaging to obey -his injunctions, and accept his mission as from the Supreme. All the -Indians who touched the beans, had previously killed their dogs; they gave -up their medicine-bags, [a <i>charm,</i>] and showed a disposition to comply -with all that should be required of them.</p> - -<p>"We had already been for some time assembled in considerable numbers; much -agitation and terror had prevailed among us, and now famine began to be -felt. The faces of men wore an aspect of unusual gloominess; the active -became indolent, and the spirits of the bravest seemed to be subdued. I -started to hunt with my dogs, which I had constantly refused to kill, or -suffer to be killed. By their assistance, I found and killed a bear. On -returning home, I said to some of the Indians, 'Has not the Great Spirit -given us our dogs to aid us in procuring what is needful for the support -of our life, and can you believe he wishes now to deprive us of their -services? The prophet, we are told, has forbid us to suffer our fire to be -extinguished in our lodges, and when we travel or hunt, he will not allow -us to use a flint and steel, and we are told he requires that no man -should give fire to another. Can it please the Great Spirit that we should -lie in our hunting-camps without fire; or is it more agreeable to him that -we should make fire by rubbing together two sticks, than with a flint and -a piece of steel?' But they would not listen to me, and the serious -enthusiasm which prevailed among them so far affected me, that I threw -away my flint and steel, laid aside my medicine-bag, and, in many -particulars, complied with the new doctrines; but I would not kill my -dogs. I soon learned to kindle a fire by rubbing some dry cedar, which I -was careful always to carry about me; but the discontinuance of the use of -flint and steel subjected many of the Indians to much inconvenience and -suffering. The influence of the Shawnee prophet was very sensibly and -painfully felt by the remotest Ojibbeways of whom I had any knowledge; but -it was not the common impression among them, that his doctrines had any -tendency to unite them in the accomplishment of any human purpose. For two -or three years, drunkenness was much less frequent than formerly; war was -less thought of; and the entire aspect of affairs among them was somewhat -changed by the influence of one man. But gradually the impression was -obliterated; medicine-bags, flints and steels were resumed, dogs were -raised, and women and children were beaten as before."</p> - -<p>The following passage occurs in a subsequent part of Tanner's volume, -referring to a date about two years later than the one just quoted. The -writer evidently had but little suspicion of a connection between the -second impostor and the first, and we have as little doubt of it. The -Prophet renewed his labors in another form, as fast as the former -impression, to use Tanner's words, was "obliterated." The unpopular -injunctions, only, were omitted in the second edition, while all the -substantial ones, it will be observed, were retained:—</p> - -<p>"In the spring of the year, after we had assembled at the trading-house at -Pembinah, the chiefs built a great lodge, and called all the men together -to receive some information concerning the newly revealed will of the -Great Spirit. The messenger of this revelation, was Manito-o-geezhik, a -man of no great fame, but well known to most of the Ojibbeways of that -country. He had disappeared for about one year, and in that time, he -pretended to have visited the abode of the Great Spirit, and to have -listened to his instructions, though some of the traders informed me, he -had only been to St. Louis, on the Mississippi.</p> - -<p>"The Little Clam took it upon him to explain the object of the meeting. He -then sung and prayed, and proceeded to detail the principal features of -the revelation to Manito-o-geezhik. <i>The Indians were no more to go -against their enemies; they must no longer steal, defraud, or lie; they -must neither be drunk, nor eat their food, nor drink their broth when it -was hot. Few of the injunctions of Manito-o-geezhik were troublesome, or -difficult of observance, like those of the Shawnee prophet.</i> Many of the -maxims and instructions communicated to the Indians, at this time, were of -a kind to be permanently and valuably useful to them; and the effect of -their influence was manifest for two or three years, in the more orderly -conduct, and somewhat amended condition of the Indians."</p> - -<p>Disaffection and indifference were not the only obstacles the Prophet and -his brother were obliged to surmount. The chiefs of most of the tribes -were their resolute opponents. They were jealous or suspicious of the new -pretenders, ridiculed and reproached them, and thwarted their exertions in -every possible way. What was to be done with these persons? Elskwatawa -availed himself of a new department of that unfailing superstition which -had hitherto befriended him; and a charge of <i>witchcraft</i> was brought up. -His satellites and scouts being engaged in all directions in ascertaining -who were, or were likely to be, his friends or his enemies, it was readily -determined, at head-quarters, who should be accused. Judge, jury and -testimony were also provided with the same ease. He had already taken such -means of gaining the implicit confidence of his votaries, that his own -suggestions were considered the best possible evidence, and the most -infallible decision; and the optics of his followers becoming every day -more keen, upon his authority, there was do want of the most suitable -convicts.</p> - -<p>When the excitement had grown to such a height as to ensure the success of -his scheme, he went the length of declaring, that the Great Spirit had -directly endowed him with the power of pointing out, not only those who -were in full possession of the diabolical art, but those who were -impregnated with the least tincture of the diabolical disposition,—let -them be old or young, male or female. This convenient arrangement proving -perfectly satisfactory, he had only to speak the word,—or, as Heckewelder -expresses it, even to nod,—and the pile was prepared for whomsoever he -thought proper to devote. The Indians universally have an extreme horror -of a wizard or a witch, which no reputation, rank, age, or services, are -sufficient to counteract; and of course, resistance or remonstrance on the -part even of an accused chieftain, only went to exasperate and hasten the -sure destruction which awaited him.</p> - -<p>Among the sufferers were several noted Delawares, including the venerable -Chief, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Teteboxti,</span> whose head had been bleached with more than eighty -winters. On being brought to the place of execution, he was told that if -he would confess his crime, and give up his medicine-bag, [FN] he would be -pardoned. Upon this he "confessed," and said his medicine-bag would be -found under a certain stone which he described. The stone was examined, -but nothing was found. Other places were named in succession, and search -made to as little purpose. It therefore became evident that he only wished -to procrastinate. He was bound, and the fire about to be kindled, when a -young man, more merciful than the rest, terminated his existence with the -tomahawk.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] This was supposed to contain tobacco, bones, and other simple - matters necessary to the incantations of the sorcerers; and when they - were deprived of them, they were supposed to be incapable of further - mischief.</p> - - -<p>Another of the accused was named <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Billy Patterson.</span> He had resided many -years with the whites, and learned so much of the business of a gun-smith, -as to be enabled to repair the guns of the Indians; but neither his -usefulness nor his irreproachable life could save him. The same offer was -made to him which was made to Teteboxti. He boldly answered that he had -nothing to confess,—that he was a Christian, and had no connexion with -the devil. "You have," said he, "intimidated one poor old man, but you -cannot frighten me; proceed, and you shall see how a Christian and a -warrior can die;" and, with a small hymn-book in his hand, he continued to -sing and pray till his voice was stifled by the flames.</p> - -<p>Another eminent victim was the Wyandot Chief known by the English name of -<i>Leather-Lips,</i> whose Indian appellation, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Shateyaronrah,</span> appears among the -signatures to Wayne's famous treaty of Greenville. He was sixty-three -years of age, had sustained a most exemplary moral character, and was -particularly attached to the American cause, as opposed to the English. -The latter circumstance throws some light upon his fate. But whatever the -accusation or the evidence was,—and probably the one constituted the -other,—orders were given to an influential chief, [FN-1] of the same -nation with the convict, in the Prophet's service, who, with four other -Indians, immediately started off in quest of him. He was found at home, -and notified of the sentence which had been passed upon him. He entreated, -reasoned and promised, but all in vain. The inexorable messengers of death -set about digging his grave, by the side of his wigwam. He now dressed -himself with his finest war-clothes, and, having refreshed himself with a -hasty meal of venison, knelt down on the brink of the grave. His -executioner knelt with him, and offered up a prayer to the Great Spirit in -his behalf. This was the last ceremony. The Indians withdrew a few paces, -and seated themselves around him on the ground, "The old Chief" says the -original describer of this horrid scene, [FN-2] "inclined forward, resting -his face upon his hand, his hand upon his knees. While thus seated, one of -the young Indians came up, and struck him twice with the tomahawk. For -some time, he lay senseless on the ground, the only remaining evidence of -life being a feint respiration. The Indians all stood around in solemn -silence. Finding him to breathe longer than they expected, they called -upon the whites (one or two of whom were spectators,) to take notice how -hard he died; pronounced him a wizard,—no good,—then struck him again, -and terminated his existence. The office of burial was soon performed." We -have given these particulars, disagreeable as they are, to illustrate more -clearly the astonishing influence of the Prophet, as well as the means by -which he obtained it. The executioners in this case were apparently -sincere and conscientious men; and one of the party was a <i>brother</i> of the -victim.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tarhe,</span> or <span style="font-variant:small-caps">The Crane,</span> said to be the oldest Indian at this time in - the western country. He lived at Upper Sandusky, about one hundred miles - from the mouth of Detroit river, and was principal chief of the Porcupine - Wyandots, who resided at that place. More will be seen of him hereafter.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] A correspondent cited in the <i>History of the Indian Nations.</i></p> - - -<p>It is not to be presumed, that the Prophet was, in all these instances, -without the assistance of his brother, though the latter was for the -present acting his part chiefly behind the curtain. But Tecumseh seems -rather to have favored a different system, if he did not oppose this; and -accordingly we find that about the time when most of the Kickapoos joined -the Indian Confederation, one of their leading men, a chieftain, opposed -to the new-fangled doctrine and policy, was quietly disabled by being -reduced to a private capacity. Again, an Indian scout, sent to the -Prophet's encampment, in 1810, by an American authority, to gain -information of his designs, reported that the same course had been taken -among that proverbially warlike tribe, the Winnebagoes; and that one of -<i>their</i> old chiefs had told him, with tears in his eyes, that the other -village sachems were <i>divested of their power,</i> and that every thing was -managed by the warriors. A more audacious proposal, to murder all the -principal chiefs of several tribes, was covertly circulated at one time. -These were the men, it was said, who had bartered the Indian territory -away for a song, and had traitorously connived at the inroads and -trespasses of the settlers.</p> - -<p>This suggestion bears marks of the energy and courage of Tecumseh, as -decidedly as the witchcraft policy does of the cunning and ingenuity of -the Prophet. There is an anecdote recorded of the former, which would lead -us to the same inference respecting his character.</p> - -<p>Two or three years after the bloody transactions just detailed, which -happened chiefly in 1807, Tecumseh had a conference, (to be noticed more -fully hereafter) with Governor Harrison of Indiana, at Vincennes. On that -occasion, being charged with hostile designs against the Americans, he -disclaimed them. A Potawatamie, called the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Dead Chief,</span> from being deaf, -was present, but did not learn what passed until the next day. He then -came to the Governor, and asked him why he had not been called upon to -confront Tecumseh, in relation to those charges. He said he should have -been very willing to assert the truth in the presence of the brothers and -their followers. This declaration being made in the presence of several -Indians, soon came to the knowledge of Tecumseh, who gave directions to -his brother, to have the Potawatamie killed on his return home. A friend -of the latter informed him of his danger, but, no way alarmed, the -intrepid Chief returned to his family, who were encamped on the bank of -the Wabash, opposite Vincennes, and having put on his war-dress, and -painted himself in the best style of a warrior, he seized his rifle, his -tomahawk, war-club, and scalping-knife, and thus equipped, paddled over in -his canoe to the camp of Tecumseh. The Governor's interpreter, Mr. Baron, -was at that time in the tent of the latter. As soon as the Potawatamie -came near it, he upbraided Tecumseh for having given the order to -assassinate him, as cowardly, and unworthy of a warrior; "but here I am -now," said he, "come and kill me." Tecumseh made no answer. "You and your -men," he added, "can kill the white people's hogs, and call them bears, -but you dare not face a warrior." Tecumseh still remaining silent, he -heaped upon him every insult that could provoke him to fight. He -reproached him with being the slave of the "red-coats," (the British,) and -finally applied to him a term of reproach which can never be forgotten by -an Indian. During the whole time, Tecumseh seemed not in the least to -regard him, but continued to converse with Mr. Baron. Wearied, at length, -with his useless efforts to draw out his adversary, he gave the war-whoop -of defiance, and paddled on in his canoe. There is reason, adds our -authority, to believe that the order of Tecumseh was obeyed. <i>The Dead -Chief was no more seen at Vincennes.</i> [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Dawson's Memoirs of Harrison.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chxiii">CHAPTER XIII.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">History of Tecumseh and the Prophet continued—The latter encamps at - Tippecanoe—-Sends a message to Governor Harrison—Visits him at - Vincennes—Increase of his forces—Attention of the General Government - aroused—Tecumseh visits the Governor—His speech, and journey - southward—Battle of Tippecanoe, November, 1811—Consequences of - it—Indian Council at Mississiniway—Council at Malden—Speeches and - Anecdotes of the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Crane, Walk-in-the-Water, Round-Head,</span> and other - Chiefs—Sequel of the history of the two brothers—Final exertions of - Tecumseh—His death—The death of the Prophet.</p> -<br> - -<p>To resume our narrative;—such reports came to the ears of Governor -Harrison, during the year 1807, respecting the movements of the Indians, -and especially those of the Prophet in pursuit of his victims, that he -thought proper to send a "speech" to the Shawanese chiefs, couched in very -severe terms. Most of those addressed being absent, the necessity of -replying devolved on the Prophet, and he requested the messenger to indite -for mm the following address:</p> - -<p>"Father!</p> - -<p>"I am very sorry that you listen to the advice of bad birds. You have -impeached me with having correspondence with the British; and with calling -and sending for the Indians from the most distant parts of the country, -'to listen to a fool that speaks not the words of the Great Spirit, but -the words of the devil.' Father! these impeachments I deny, and say they -are not true. I never had a word with the British, and I never sent for -any Indians. They came here themselves, to listen and hear the words of -the Great Spirit.</p> - -<p>"Father! I wish you would not listen any more to the voice of bad birds; -and you may rest assured that it is the least of our idea to make -disturbance, and we will rather try to stop such proceedings than -encourage them."</p> - -<p>The year 1808 opened with immense numbers of Indians from the lakes -crowding round the neighborhood of Fort Wayne. Their attendance on the -Prophet, the year previous, had induced them to neglect raising corn, and -they now found themselves in a state of starvation. It was considered -necessary by the Governor, to supply them with food, lest hunger might -drive them to extremities, and to marauding upon the frontier settlers of -the United States; and he therefore sent orders to the Agent at Fort Wayne -to allow them provisions from the public stores.</p> - -<p>In May or June of the season just mentioned, the Prophet selected, for his -future and permanent residence, a spot on the upper part of the Wabash, -which was called Tippecanoe. He removed thither, and his motley forces -moved after him. These now consisted of some thirty or forty Shawanees, -with about one hundred Potawatamies, Chippewas, Ottawas and Winnebagoes. -The manœuvre met with no little opposition. Some of the Miamies, and -Delawares in particular, had been determined to prevent it, and they sent -a deputation of chiefs to effect that purpose; but the Prophet would not -even see them, and Tecumseh, who encountered them on the way, gave them -such a reception as at once altered their disposition to advance any -farther in the business.</p> - -<p>In July the Prophet sent a pacific message to Governor Harrison, -complaining bitterly of the manner in which he had been misrepresented, -and proposing to visit the Governor in person. He fulfilled this promise -during the next month, and spent a fortnight at Vincennes. Long -conferences and conversations ensued, but it could not be ascertained that -his politics were particularly British. His denial of his being under any -such influence, was strong and apparently candid. He said that his sole -object was to reclaim the Indians from the bad habits which they had -contracted, and to cause them to live in peace and friendship with all -mankind, and that he was particularly appointed to that office by the -Great Spirit. He frequently, in presence of the Governor, harangued his -followers, and his constant theme was the evils arising from war and from -the immoderate use of ardent spirits. His farewell speech exhibits the -view of his system which he chose to promulgate at Vincennes.</p> - -<p>"Father!</p> - -<p>"It is three years since I first began with that system of religion which -I now practice. The white people and some of the Indians were against me; -but I had no other intention but to introduce among the Indians those good -principles of religion which the white people profess. I was spoken badly -of by the white people, who reproached me with misleading the Indians; but -I defy them to say that I did anything amiss.</p> - -<p>"Father!—I was told that yon intended to hang me. When I heard this, I -intended to remember it, and tell my father, when I went to see him, and -relate to him the truth.</p> - -<p>"I heard, when I settled on the Wabash, that my father, the Governor, had -declared that all the land between Vincennes and Fort Wayne was the -property of the Seventeen Fires.</p> - -<p>"I also heard that you wanted to know, my father, whether I was God or -man; and that you said, if I was the former, I should not steal horses. I -heard this from Mr. Wells, but I believe it originated with himself.</p> - -<p>"The Great Spirit told me to tell the Indians, that he had made them and -made the world—that he had placed them on it to do good, and not evil.</p> - -<p>"I told all the red-skins that the way they were in was not good, and that -they ought to abandon it. I said that we ought to consider ourselves as -one man, but to live agreeable to our several customs, the red people -after their mode, and the white people after theirs. Particularly that -they should not drink whiskey—that it was not made for them, but the -white people, who alone know how to use it—that it is the cause of all -the mischiefs which the Indians suffer; and that they must always follow -the directions of the Great Spirit, and we must listen to him, as it was -he that has made us.</p> - -<p>"Brothers!—Listen to nothing that is bad. Do not take up the tomahawk, -should it be offered by the British, or by the Long-Knives. Do not meddle -with any thing that does not belong to you, but mind your own business, -and cultivate the ground, that your women and your children may have -enough to live on. I now inform you that it is our intention to live in -peace with our father and his people forever.</p> - -<p>"My father!—I have informed you what we mean to do, and I call the Great -Spirit to witness the truth of my declaration. The religion which I have -established for the last three years, has been attended to by the -different tribes of Indians in this part of the world. Those Indians were -once different people; they are now but one; they are all determined to -practice what I have communicated to them, that has come immediately from -the Great Spirit through me.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—I speak to you as a warrior. You are one. But let us lay aside -this character, and attend to the care of our children, that they may live -in comfort and peace. We desire that you will join us for the preservation -of both red and white people. Formerly, when we lived in ignorance, we -were foolish; but now, since we listen to the voice of the Great Spirit, -we are happy.</p> - -<p>"I have listened to what you have said to us. You have promised to assist -us. I now request you, in behalf of all the red people, to use your -exertions to prevent the sale of liquor to us. We are all well pleased to -hear you say that you will endeavor to promote our happiness. We give you -every assurance that we will follow the dictates of the Great Spirit.</p> - -<p>"We are all well pleased with the attention that you have showed us; also -with the good intentions of our father, the President. If you give us a -few articles, such as needles, flints, hoes, powder, and other things, we -shall be able to take the animals that afford us meat with powder and -ball."</p> - -<p>After this affair, nothing material occurred till the latter part of -April, 1810, when the Governor received information that the Prophet was -again exciting the Indians to hostilities against the United States. A -trader, of undoubted veracity, who had been for some time at the residence -of the impostor, assured him, (the Governor,) that the Prophet had at -least a thousand souls under his control—perhaps from three hundred and -fifty to four hundred men—principally composed of Kickapoos and -Winnebagoes, but with a considerable number of Potawatamies and Shawanees, -and a few Chippewas and Ottawas. About the middle of May, rumor magnified -this force to six or eight hundred warriors, and the combination was said -to extend to all the tribes between Illinois river and Lake Michigan,—the -Wyandots, and the Sacs and Foxes being among the number. Still, nothing -could be distinctly proved against the Prophet. Governor Harrison sent for -the leading member of the Shaker society, who resided about twenty miles -from Vincennes, and endeavored to prevail on him to take a speech to the -Prophet, who affected to follow the Shaker principles in every thing but -the vow of celibacy; and this leader of the Shakers had no hesitation in -asserting that the Shawanee was under the same divine inspiration that he -himself was, although, for reasons growing out of his situation as a -savage, he and his immediate followers were permitted to cohabit with -their women.</p> - -<p>But this was not the general feeling. Much alarm existed on the frontiers, -especially as some lawless acts had been committed by individuals -nominally under the Prophet's management. The Governor made active -preparations for open hostilities; and the attention of the General -Government itself had at length become so much aroused, that an order from -the President to make prisoners of both Tecumseh and his brother, was -suspended only that a last effort might be more advantageously made for a -compromise with the disaffected tribes. Early in 1811, the Indian force -mustered at Tippecanoe was larger than Governor Harrison himself could -easily collect; and the body-guard of Tecumseh, on the visit which he paid -the former at Vincennes, in July of this season, consisted of more than -three hundred men.</p> - -<p>This meeting took place ostensibly in consequence of a <i>speech</i> which the -Governor had sent to the brothers at their encampment on the Wabash, in -June. He had taken that occasion to repeat his former complaints of the -insults and injuries he supposed to have been offered to American citizens -by Indians under their influence; to inform them that he had heard of -their recent attempts to hasten hostilities between the Union and various -Indian tribes; and, finally, to remind them, in strong terms, of the -consequences of persisting in such conduct. "Brothers!"—was one of the -expressions in this address,—"I am myself of the Long-Knife fire. As soon -as they hear my voice, you will see them pouring forth their swarms of -hunting-shirt men, as numerous as the mosquitoes on the shores of the -Wabash. Brothers! take care of their stings." Tecumseh promptly replied to -this communication, by promising to visit the Governor in precisely -eighteen days, for the purpose of "washing away all these bad stories."</p> - -<p>Some delay occurred; but upon Saturday, the 27th of July, he made his -appearance at Vincennes, with his three hundred followers. As neither the -Governor nor the inhabitants generally were desirous of prolonging his -entertainment, it was proposed to commence the negotiations on Monday; but -this he declined doing, and it was late on Tuesday before he made his -appearance at the arbor prepared for the occasion. Nor did he then come, -without taking the precaution to ascertain previously, whether the -Governor was to be attended by armed men at the council,—if so, he should -adopt the same etiquette. Being left to his own option, and given to -understand that his example would be imitated, he came with a guard of -nearly two hundred men, some armed with bows and arrows, and others with -knives, tomahawks and war-clubs. The Governor, on the other hand, was -attended by a full troop of dragoons, dismounted, and completely furnished -with fire-arms; and he had taken care, on Tecumseh's first arrival, to -secure the town, by stationing two foot companies and a detachment of -cavalry in the outskirts. He placed himself in front of his dragoons; -Tecumseh stood at the head of his tawny band, and the conference commenced -with a speech on the part of the Governor. This was briefly replied to; -but a heavy rain coming on, matters remained in <i>statu quo,</i> until the -next day, when Tecumseh made a long and ingenious harangue, both exposing -and justifying his own schemes much more openly than he had ever done -before.</p> - -<p>Respecting the demand which the Governor had made, that two Pottawatomie -murderers should be given up to punishment, who were stated to be resident -at Tippecanoe, he in the first place denied that they were there; and then -went on very deliberately to show, that he could not deliver them up if -they were there. "It was not right," he said, "to punish those people. -They ought to be forgiven, <i>as well as those who had recently murdered his -people in the Illinois.</i> The whites should follow his own example of -forgiveness; he had forgiven the Ottawas and the Osages. Finally, he -desired that matters might remain in their present situation, and -especially that no settlements should be attempted upon the lands recently -purchased of certain tribes, until he should return from a visit among the -Southern Indians. Then he would go to Washington, and settle all -difficulties with the President; and meanwhile, as the neighboring tribes -were wholly under his direction, he would despatch messengers in every -quarter to prevent further mischief." He concluded with offering the -Governor a quantity of wampum, as a full atonement for the murders before -mentioned. The latter made an indignant rejoinder; the meeting was broken -up; and Tecumseh, attended by a few followers, soon afterwards commenced -his journey down the Wabash for the Southward.</p> - -<p>Such was his last appearance previous to the war. The popular excitement -had now become greater than ever. Numerous meetings were held, and -representations forwarded to the Federal Executive. But before these -documents could reach their destination, authority had been given to -Governor Harrison to commence offensive operations at discretion, and -forces, in addition to those within his territorial jurisdiction, were -placed at his disposal. "The Banditti under the Prophet," wrote the -Secretary of War, Mr. Eustis, in a communication of July 20th, "are to be -attacked and vanquished, provided such a measure shall be rendered -absolutely necessary."</p> - -<p>It is not our purpose to detail the subsequent measures of Governor -Harrison, which terminated in the celebrated battle of Tippecanoe; and -much less, to agitate the question heretofore so inveterately contested, -respecting the general propriety of the offensive operations he commenced, -or his particular system or success in conducting them. The battle took -place on the 7th of November, 1811; the Governor having previously sent -Indian messengers to demand of the various tribes in the Prophet's -encampment, that they should all return to their respective territories; -that the stolen horses in their and his possession, should be given up; -and that all murderers, then sheltered at Tippecanoe, should be delivered -over to justice. The first messengers, about the last of September, had -the effect of bringing out a friendly deputation from the Prophet, full of -professions of peace. But fresh outrages were committed by his followers -about the same time; and, when sundry head-men of the Delaware tribe -undertook, in October, to go upon a second mission, they are said to have -been abruptly met by a counter deputation from the Prophet, requiring a -categorical answer to the question, "whether they would or would not join -him against the United States?" The Delawares, nevertheless, went on, and -having visited the Prophet's camp, returned to Governor Harrison, now on -his march, with the report of their having been ill treated, insulted, and -finally dismissed with contemptuous remarks upon themselves and the -Governor. Twenty-four Miamies next volunteered to go upon this thankless -business. They seem to have been better entertained, for the good reason, -that they decided upon raising the tomahawk against their employer. At all -events, these serviceable diplomatists spared themselves the pains of -returning.</p> - -<p>The particulars of the battle are well known. The Governor having entered -into the heart of the territory occupied by the Prophet,—but claimed by -the United States, as being purchased of those tribes who had the -least-disputed claim to it,—he encamped, on the night of the 6th, in the -vicinity of the Prophet's force; and a suspension of hostilities was -agreed upon between the two parties, until a conference could take place -on the ensuing day. Whether, as the Prophet affirmed on this occasion by -his messengers, he had sent a pacific proposal to the Governor, which -accidentally failed to reach him; or whether he was now actually "desirous -of avoiding hostilities if possible," but felt himself compelled to -commence them, need not be discussed. His forces, supposed to number from -five hundred to eight hundred warriors, made a violent attack on the -American army, early on the morning of the 7th; and one of the most -desperate struggles ensued, of which we have any record in the history of -Indian warfare. The enemy was at length repulsed, leaving thirty-eight -warriors dead on the field. The Americans lost about fifty killed, and -about twice that number wounded. The Prophet's town was rifled, and the -army commenced its return to Vincennes.</p> - -<p>Tecumseh, who was absent when the battle took place, returned soon -afterwards from the South, and, without doubt, was exceedingly surprised -and mortified by the conduct of the Prophet. From this time, while the -latter lost much of his influence, the former took a more independent and -open part. It cannot be positively decided whether he had previously -maintained a special understanding with the British; but his subsequent -course admits of little controversy.</p> - -<p>He proposed to Governor Harrison, to make the contemplated journey to -Washington; but, as the Governor expressed a determination that he could -not go in the capacity which he deemed suitable to his standing, the idea -was abandoned. Thenceforth, whatever his intentions <i>had</i> been, he -determined upon the necessity of fighting; and it naturally followed, -whatever had been his disposition towards the British authorities,—theirs -towards him was sufficiently plain,—that he should no longer hesitate to -avail himself of every fair opportunity of cooperation.</p> - -<p>Still, it was necessary to preserve appearances until matters were ready -for disclosure; and, of course,—such were the consequences of the recent -defeat, and such the disposition of many vacillating or opposing -tribes,—there was an extremely difficult part to be acted. Some of the -speeches made at a grand council of twelve tribes, held in May, 1812, at -Mississiniway, will throw light upon the subject. The Wyandots -began—a tribe universally regarded as the head of the great Indian -family:</p> - -<p>"Younger brothers!"—said the speaker—"You that reside on the Wabash, -listen to what we say; and in order that you may distinctly hear and -clearly understand our words, we now open your ears and place your hearts -in the same position they were placed in by the Great Spirit when he -created you.</p> - -<p>"Younger brothers!—We are sorry to see your path filled with thorns and -briars, and your land covered with blood. Our love for you has caused us -to come and clean your paths and wipe the blood off your land, and take -the weapons that have spilled this blood from you, and put them where you -can never reach them again.</p> - -<p>"Younger brothers!—This is done by the united voice of all your elder -brothers, that you now see present, who are determined not to be -disobeyed. This determination of your elder brothers, to put an entire -stop to the effusion of blood, has met with the approbation of our -fathers, the British, who have advised all the red people to be quiet and -not meddle in quarrels that may take place between the white people."</p> - -<p>Tecumseh, who found himself in a small minority on this occasion, replied -thus:</p> - -<p>"Elder brothers!—We have listened with attention to what you have said to -us. We thank the Great Spirit for inclining your hearts to pity us; we now -pity ourselves; our hearts are good; they never were bad. Governor -Harrison made war on my people in my absence; it was the Great Spirit's -will he should do so. We hope it will please Him that the white people may -let us live in peace. We will not disturb them; neither have we done it, -except when they come to our village with the intention of destroying us. -We are happy to state to our brothers present, that the unfortunate -transaction that took place between the white people and a few of our -young men at our village, has been settled between us and Governor -Harrison; and I will further state, that had I been at home, there would -have been no blood shed at that time.</p> - -<p>"We are sorry to find that the same respect has not been paid to the -agreement between us and Governor Harrison, by our brothers, the -Potawatamies. However, we are not accountable for the conduct of those -over whom we have no control. Let the chiefs of that nation exert -themselves, and cause their warriors to behave themselves, as we have done -and will continue to do with ours.</p> - -<p>"Should the bad acts of our brothers, the Potawatamies, draw on us the ill -will of our white brothers—and they should come again and make an -unprovoked attack on us at our village—we will die like men—but we will -never strike the first blow."</p> - -<p>The Potawatamies could not overlook such an attack, and their speaker -noticed it in terms which reflected severely on the "pretended Prophet," -who was said to have caused all the difficulty among their young men. He -added,—"We have no control over these few vagabonds, and consider them -not belonging to our nation; and will be thankful to any people that will -put them to death, wherever they are found. As they are bad people, and -have learnt to be so from the pretended Prophet, and as he has been the -cause of setting those people on our white brothers, we hope he will be -active in reconciling them. As we all hear him say, his heart is inclined -for peace, we hope we may all see this declaration supported by his future -conduct, and that all our women and children may lay down to sleep without -fear."</p> - -<p>Tecumseh then addressed the council once more:</p> - -<p>"It is true we have endeavored to give all our brothers good advice; and -if they have not listened to it, we are sorry for it. We defy a living -creature to say we ever advised any one, directly or indirectly, to make -war on our white brothers. It has constantly been our misfortune to have -our views misrepresented to our white brethren. This has been done by -pretended chiefs of the Potawatamies and others, that have been in the -habit of selling land to the white people that did not belong to them."</p> - -<p>Here he was called to order by the Delawares. "We have not met," said -they, "to listen to such words. The red people have been killing the -whites. The just resentment of the latter is raised against the former. -Our white brethren are on their feet, with their guns in their hands. -There is no time to tell each other, you have done this, and you have done -that. If there was, we would tell the Prophet that both red and white -people had felt the bad effects of his counsels. Let us all join our -hearts and hands together, and proclaim peace through the land of the red -people. Let us make our voices be heard and respected, and rely on the -justice of our white brethren."</p> - -<p>The Miamies and Kickapoos afterwards expressed themselves much to the same -effect, and the conference then closed.</p> - -<p>The most distinguished chiefs opposed to the two brothers, were the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Crane,</span> -his Counselor <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Between-the-Logs,</span> the Pottawatomie <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Winemack,</span> [FN] and the -leader and orator of the Wyandots on the American side of the river -Detroit, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Walk-in-the-Water.</span> The latter was afterwards forced by -circumstances to fight with the British, but at this time he and the Crane -were particularly active in persuading various tribes to "sit still" while -their two Fathers should fight out the war,—which was their own -business,—in their own way. The British at length took measures to -counteract their influence. A council was convened at Malden, at which -Elliot, the Indian Agent, and the British Commanding Officer were present.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] A war-chief of some distinction. He repeatedly visited Washington - after the war, and some characteristic anecdotes—which, however, will - hardly bear repetition—are recorded of him. He was always openly - friendly to the Americans, and though accused of fighting for the Prophet - at Tippecanoe, by no means convicted of that aberration. He died in the - summer of 1821.</p> - - -<p>The former demanded of the Wyandots whether they had advised the other -tribes to remain neutral. To this, Walk-in-the-water answered: "We have, -and we believe it best for us, and for our brethren. We have no wish to be -involved in a war with our father, the Long-Knife, for we know by -experience that we have nothing to gain by it, and we beg our father, the -British, not to force us to war. We remember, in the former war between -our fathers, the British and the Long-Knife, we were both defeated, and we -the red men lost our country; and you, our father, the British, made peace -with the Long-Knife, without our knowledge, and you gave our country to -him. You still said to us, 'my children, you must fight for your country, -for the Long-Knife will take it from you.' We did as you advised us, and -we were defeated with the loss of our best chiefs and warriors, and of our -land. And we still remember your conduct towards us, when we were defeated -at the foot of the rapids of the Miami. We sought safety for our wounded -in your fort. But what was your conduct? You closed your gates against us, -and we had to retreat the best way we could. And then we made peace with -the Americans, and have enjoyed peace with them ever since. And now you -wish us, your red children, again to take up the hatchet against our -father, the Long-Knife. We say again, we do not wish to have any thing to -do with the war. Fight your own battles, but let us, your red children, -enjoy peace."</p> - -<p>Elliot here interrupted the speaker, and said: "That is American talk, and -I shall hear no more of it. If you do not stop, I will direct my soldiers -to take you and the chiefs, and keep you prisoners, and will consider you -as our enemies." Walk-in-the-water then took his seat, to consult the -other chiefs; and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Round-Head,</span> who had openly espoused the British -interest, and who was the chief of the small party of Wyandots living in -Canada, immediately rose and said: "Father! listen to your children. You -say that the talk just delivered by my friend Walk-in-the-water, is -American talk, and that you cannot hear any more of it; and, if persisted -in, you will take the chiefs prisoners, and treat them as enemies. Now -hear me. I am a chief, and am acknowledged to be such. I speak the -sentiments of the chiefs of the tribes, assembled round your council-fire. -I now come forward, and take hold of your war-hatchet, and will assist you -to fight against the Americans!"</p> - -<p>He was followed by Tecumseh and the Prophet, and by two Wyandot chiefs, -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Worrow</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Split-log;</span> but Walk-in-the-water and his associates still -declined the invitation. Elliot then made some menacing observations, -which induced them to leave the council-house, recross the river to -Brownstown, and communicate the result to the Crane, who was there with -his attendants. The latter immediately returned home to Sandusky. The -Brownstown Wyandots sent a deputation to the American General at Detroit, -headed by Walk-in-the-water, to represent their exposed state, and request -protection. For some unknown reason it was not granted, and these Indians -were a few days afterwards taken into custody by a large British and -Indian detachment, attended, if not commanded, by Tecumseh and Round-Head.</p> - -<p>The sequel of these proceedings is too characteristic of several of the -individuals we have named, to be omitted in a connection which allows and -requires so much collateral light.</p> - -<p>Some eight or ten months after the forced accession to the British just -mentioned, the Crane proposed to General Harrison, who was then encamped -with his array at Seneca, that a formal embassy should be sent by the -Wyandots, to their brethren in the British camp, and to all the Indians -who adhered to the British cause, advising them to consult their true -interest and retire to their own country. The proposition was approved by -General Harrison, and the Crane was requested to take such measures as -appeared most proper to give it effect.</p> - -<p>Between-the-logs was appointed the ambassador, and a small escort of eight -warriors, commanded by <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Skootash,</span> the principal war-chief of the nation, -was selected to accompany him. Two speeches were sent by the Crane, one to -be delivered privately to his own people, and the other publicly to the -British Indians.</p> - -<p>The Wyandot embassy arrived at Brownstown in safety, and the following -morning a general council assembled to hear the message from their uncle. -The multitude was prodigious, and Elliot and M<sup>c</sup>Kee, the British agents, -were present. We have been told that Between-the-logs arose in the midst -of this host of enemies, and delivered with unshaken firmness the -following speech from the Crane, which had been entrusted to him:</p> - -<p>"Brothers!—the red men, who are engaged in fighting for the British -king—listen! These words are from me, Tarbe, and they are also the words -of the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanees, and Senecas.</p> - -<p>"Our American father has raised his war-pole, and collected a large army -of his warriors. They will soon march to attack the British. He does not -wish to destroy his red children, their wives, and families. He wishes you -to separate yourselves from the British, and bury the hatchet you have -raised. He will be merciful to you. You can then return to your own lands, -and hunt the game, as you formerly did. I request you to consider your -situation, and act wisely in this important matter; and not wantonly -destroy your own people. Brothers! whoever feels disposed to accept this -advice, will come forward and take hold of this belt of wampum, which I -have in my hand and offer to you. I hope you will not refuse to accept it -in presence of your British father, for you are independent of him. -Brothers! we have done, and we hope you will decide wisely."</p> - -<p>Not a hand moved to accept the offered pledge of peace. The spell was too -potent to be broken by charms like these; but Round-Head arose and -addressed the embassy:</p> - -<p>"Brothers!—the Wyandots from the Americans—we have heard your talk, and -will not listen to it. We will not forsake the standard of our British -father, nor lay down the hatchet we have raised. I speak the sentiments of -all now present, and I charge you, that you faithfully deliver our talk to -the American commander, and tell him it is our wish he would send more men -against us; for all that has passed between us I do not call fighting. We -are not satisfied with the number of men he sends to contend against us. -We want to fight in good earnest."</p> - -<p>Elliot then spoke. "My children!—As you now see that my children here are -determined not to forsake the cause of their British father, I wish you to -carry a message back with you. Tell my wife, your American father, that I -want her to cook the provisions for me and my red children, more -faithfully than she has done. She has not done her duty. And if she -receives this as an insult, and feels disposed to fight, tell her to bring -more men than she ever brought before, as our former skirmishes I do not -call fighting. If she wishes to fight with me and my children, she must -not burrow in the earth like a ground-hog, where she is inaccessible. She -must come out and fight fairly."</p> - -<p>To this, Between-the-logs replied. "Brothers!—I am directed by my -American father to inform you, that if you reject the advice given you, he -will march here with a large army, and if he should find any of the red -people opposing him in his passage through this country, he will trample -them under his feet. You cannot stand before him.</p> - -<p>"And now for myself I earnestly intreat you to consider the good talk I -have brought, and listen to it. Why would you devote yourselves, your -women, and your children, to destruction? Let me tell you, if you should -defeat the American army this time, you have not done. Another will come -on, and if you defeat that, still another will appear that you cannot -withstand; one that will come like the waves of the great water, and -overwhelm you, and sweep you from the face of the earth. If you doubt the -account I give of the force of the Americans, you can send some of your -people in whom you have confidence, to examine their army and navy. They -shall be permitted to return in safety. The truth is, your British father -tells you lies, and deceives you. He boasts of the few victories he gains, -but he never tells you of his defeats, of his armies being slaughtered, -and his vessels taken on the big water. He keeps all these things to -himself.</p> - -<p>"And now, father, let me address a few words to you. Your request shall be -granted. I will bear your message to my American father. It is true none -of your children appear willing to forsake your standard, and it will be -the worse for them. You compare the Americans to ground-hogs, and complain -of their mode of fighting. I must confess that a groundhog is a very -difficult animal to contend with. He has such sharp teeth, such an -inflexible temper, and such an unconquerable spirit, that he is truly a -dangerous enemy, especially when he is in his own hole. But, father, let -me tell you, you can have your wish. Before many days, you will see the -ground-hog floating on yonder lake, paddling his canoe towards your hole; -and then, father, you will have an opportunity of attacking your -formidable enemy in any way you may think best."</p> - -<p>This speech terminated the proceedings of the council. All the Indians, -except the Wyandots, dispersed, and they secretly assembled to hear the -message sent to them by their own chief.</p> - -<p>The Wyandots were directed to quit Skorah [FN-1] immediately. They were -said to be liars and deceivers, and that they had always deceived the -Indians. And facts, in evidence of this, were quoted. The building of Fort -Miami was particularly referred to. It was said to be erected as a refuge -for the Indians, but when they were overpowered by Wayne, the gates were -shut against them. [FN-2] The comparative strength of General Harrison's -army and of the British forces, was concealed from them, and they were in -a very dangerous condition.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] The <i>British,</i> in the Huron dialect.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] The Crane was wounded in this action, and the loss fell heavily - upon the Wyandots.</p> - - -<p>This message was faithfully delivered to the Wyandots, and produced its -full effect upon them. They requested Between-the-logs to inform the -Crane, that they were in fact prisoners, but that they had taken firm hold -of his belt of wampum, and would not fire another gun. They promised, that -on the advance of the American army, they would quit the British troops, -as soon as it was safe to take that decisive measure. And such in fact was -the result. When Proctor left the country, his Wyandot allies abandoned -him, a few miles from the mouth of the river Tranche, and retired into the -forest. Thence they sent a message to General Harrison, imploring his -mercy. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] We have given our account of the Malden Council on the authority of - Governor Cass, whose sources of information may be learned from his able - essay on the <i>Late War on the Frontiers.</i> See N. A. Rev. Vol. XXIX.</p> - - -<p>Tecumseh and Elskwatawa were seen for the last time previous to their -joining the British, at Fort Wayne. The former passed that way to the -Malden council, and he then explicitly stated to the Commander of the -station, that he was going "to receive from the British twelve horse-loads -of ammunition for the use of his people at Tippecanoe." The visit of the -Prophet, which took place immediately after, is referred to in the -following communication from the Commander to an American authority:</p> - -<p>"On the 12th [July, 1812,] the Prophet arrived at this place, with nearly -one hundred Winnebagoes and Kickapoos, who have ever since been amusing -the Indian agent at this place with professions of friendship, and it is -now evident that he has completely duped the agent, who had suffered him -to take the lead in all his councils with the Indians, giving him -ammunition, &c. to support his followers until they can receive a supply -from Tecumseh.</p> - -<p>"On the 19th instant an express arrived in the Prophet's camp from -Tecumseh. In order that it should make the better speed, the express stole -a horse from some of the inhabitants of the river Raisin, and rode night -and day. The horse gave out within twenty miles of this place. This -messenger was directed by Tecumseh to tell the Prophet to unite the -Indians immediately, and send their women and children towards the -Mississippi, while the warriors should strike a heavy blow at the -inhabitants of Vincennes; and he, Tecumseh, if he lived, would join him in -the country of the Winnebagoes.</p> - -<p>"The Prophet found no difficulty in keeping this information to himself -and one or two of his confidential followers, and forming a story to suit -the palate of the agent here; and, on the 20th instant, he despatched two -confidential Kickapoos to effect the objects Tecumseh had in view. In -order that these two Indians might make the better speed, they stole my -two riding-horses, and have gone to the westward at the rate of one -hundred miles in twenty-four hours, at least. To keep the agent blind to -his movements, the prophet went early in the morning yesterday, and told -the agent that two of his bad young men were missing, and that he feared -they had stole some horses. The agent found no difficulty in swallowing -the bait offered him, and applauded the Prophet for his honesty in telling -of his bad men, as he called them, stealing my horses.</p> - -<p>"To keep up appearances, the Prophet has this morning despatched two men -on <i>foot,</i> as he tells the agent, to bring back my horses, &c. He says he -and all his party will certainly attend the Commissioner of the United -States next month at Piqua.</p> - -<p>"This he will do, if he finds he cannot raise the western Indians against -the United States; but if he finds the western Indians will join him, you -may rely on it, he will strike a heavy blow, as Tecumseh says, against the -whites in that quarter. You may rely on the correctness of this statement, -as I received information relative to the views of Tecumseh, last night, -from a quarter that cannot be doubted. The conduct of the agent towards -the Prophet, I have been an eye-witness to."</p> - -<p>The most remarkable passage in this graphic narration, refers to the -exertions Tecumseh was now making for the promotion of the great cause -which lay so near his heart. There was occasion indeed for a mighty -effort, to regain the ground which his brother had lost. The battle of -Tippecanoe was a premature explosion, and a most unfortunate one for his -interests. It intercepted the negotiations for new allies, diminished the -moral power of the Prophet, and frightened and forced many, who were or -would have been his adherents, into neutrality in some cases, and open -hostility in others. The vast scheme of Tecumseh, the object so long of -all his solicitude and his labor, was thrown into confusion, on the very -brink of success. He was exasperated, humiliated, afflicted. He could have -wept, like Philip, when <i>his</i> projects were thwarted in mid career by the -rashness of his warriors. But here was the trial of his noblest qualities. -He came forward and made every proposition, looking like compromise, which -he deemed consistent with his dignity,—perhaps necessary to it,—but in -vain. He saw then, plainly, that the battle must be fought, and his soul -grew strong. The wrongs and woes of his race, and the power and pride of -the white men, passed before him. The mortification of failure and -exposure on his own part, the dishonor brought upon his brother's name, -the ignominy of submission, the censure and scorn of his savage rivals, -the triumph of his civilized enemy, all were daggers in his bosom. Then -boiled within him the frenzy of despair. Fear and hope struggled for the -mastery. Pride, revenge, ambition, were roused. "Let them come, -then"—thought he—"I hear them and see them, in the South and in the -East, like the summer leaves rolling and rustling in the breeze. It is -well. Shall Tecumseh tremble? Shall they say that he hated the white man, -and feared him? No! The mountains and plains which the Great Spirit gave, -are behind and around me. I, too, have my warriors, and here,—where we -were born and where we will die,—on the Scioto, on the Wabash, on the -broad waters of the North, my voice shall be heard."</p> - -<p>And it was heard, indeed. At the date of the communication last cited, he -had scarcely a hundred followers; and the <i>intentions of the Western -Indians,</i> we have seen, were not then ascertained. But from the time of -the Malden Council, Tecumseh girded himself to his task, like a strong man -for battle. He set his brother and all his emissaries, and at the same -time devoted <i>himself,</i> night and day, to the business of recruiting. -Repeatedly, before this, he had visited all the tribes on the west banks -of the Mississippi, and upon Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan. He now -traveled over the route once more. From north to south, and from east to -west, he ranged the continent,—threatening, flattering, rousing -resentment, alarming superstition, provoking curiosity. No labor fatigued, -no disappointment discouraged, no danger alarmed, no emergency surprised -him.</p> - -<p>The result, with the entire sequel of the history of the two brothers, may -be stated in the most general terms. Those who know anything of the -history of the last war, need not be informed, that Tecumseh was -substantially, as well as nominally, the head and life of the Anglo-Indian -Department, and that greater forces were collected by his influence, and -embodied under his command, than in any other instance from the first -settlement of the country. He brought in six hundred Wabash recruits in -one body, early in 1813. In the attack made upon Fort Stephenson, in the -summer of the same year, the enemy numbered but five hundred British -regulars, for eight hundred Indians, (under Dickson,) while Tecumseh was -at the same time stationed on the road to Fort Meigs with a body of two -thousand more, for the purpose of cutting off the American reinforcements -on that route.</p> - -<p>In the decisive battle of the Moravian Towns, he commanded the right wing -of the allied army, and was posted in the only part of it which was -engaged with the American troops. Here was his last struggle. Disdaining -to fly, when all were flying around him but his own nearest followers, he -pressed eagerly into the heart of the contest, encouraging the savages by -his voice, and plying the tomahawk with a tremendous energy. He appeared -to be advancing, it is said, directly upon Colonel Johnson, who was -hastening towards <i>him</i> on the other side, at the head of his mounted -infantry. Suddenly a wavering was perceived in the Indian ranks; there was -no longer a cry of command among them. Tecumseh had fallen, and his -bravest men, still surviving, were defeated by the same blow. They fled, -leaving thirty-three dead on the field, most of whom were found near -Tecumseh.</p> - -<p>Upon the question, who had the honor of shooting the great chief,—as all -the world admits he was shot,—we shall spend but few words. In the -language of another, "there is a <i>possibility</i> that he fell by a -pistol-shot from the hand of Colonel Johnson. He was certainly killed in -that part of the line where the Colonel was himself wounded;" and this is -all that can well be said upon a subject which has occasioned so much -controversy. The British Government granted a pension to his widow and -family, which probably continues to this day. The Prophet, who survived -the war, and was little exposed in it, was supplied in the same manner -until his death, which took place a few years since. He is believed to -have been older than his brother, who died about forty-five.</p> - -<p>The grave, in which Tecumseh's remains were deposited by the Indians after -the return of the American army, is still visible near the borders of a -willow marsh, on the north line of the battle-ground, with a large fallen -oak-tree lying beside. The willow and wild rose are thick around it, but -the mound itself is cleared of shrubbery, and is said to owe its good -condition to the occasional visits of his countrymen. [FN] Thus repose, in -solitude and silence, the ashes of the "<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Indian Bonaparte.</span>" In truth have -they</p> - <p class="direct">"Left him alone with his glory."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Western Paper.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chxiv">CHAPTER XIV.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">Remarks on the character of Tecumseh and the Prophet—Their facilities - for cooperation—Difficulties the latter had to overcome—His - perseverance and ingenuity—Means by which he protected his - person—Anecdotes of the Battle of Tippecanoe—Frankness of Tecumseh in - disclosing his schemes—Causes of his hostility to the - Americans—Trespasses of the whites, and other abuses—Object of the - belligerent combination—Anecdotes of Tecumseh's first visit to - Vincennes, in 1810—His dignity, independence and courage—His ideas of - the British policy—His speech to General Proctor, and remarks on his - oratory—His humanity—His genius.</p> - - -<p>The reputation of the Prophet has suffered from the complete ultimate -failure of his plans. It has suffered the more from the very -circumstances, which mark him as an extraordinary man,—his career as a -prophet. Tecumseh knew his own talent better than to play a game like -this; but he also knew, without doubt, that Elskwatawa was capable of -doing more for the advancement of their common object, by acting this -coordinate or subordinate part, than by adopting the same course with -himself, even had he possessed the same species of ability. Together, they -were endowed with a complete system of qualities necessary to accomplish -their design; but neither could act alone. Tecumseh was frank, warlike, -persuasive in his oratory, popular in his manners, irreproachable in his -habits or life. Elskwatawa had more cunning than courage; and a stronger -disposition to talk, than to fight, or exert himself in any other way. But -he was subtle, fluent, persevering and self-possessed; and this was -enough. He became an inspired man, and Tecumseh was his first convert. -Others of the tribe might be intrusted with the secret. They had, at all -events, a great respect for these men; and being both a proud and warlike -people, they received with avidity the well-contrived doctrine of their -superiority over other tribes, and entered upon a course of projects -likely to produce war,—though of war nothing might yet be seen or -said,—with the fury of bloodhounds upon a track.</p> - -<p>Hence the murders and robberies which so much alarmed and irritated the -frontier settlers, and which we have very little doubt were generally -committed by individuals of the Prophet's "banditti," without his -authority, and perhaps against his wishes. His young men, especially, like -those who brought on Philip's war, were wrought up till the master-spirit -himself lost his control over them; and to make the matter worse, most of -them were of such a character, in the first instance, that horse-stealing -and house-breaking were as easy to them as breathing. Like the refugees of -Romulus, they were outcasts, vagabonds and criminals,—in a great degree -brought together by the novelty of the preacher's reputation, by curiosity -to hear his doctrines, by the fascination of extreme credulity, by -restlessness, by resentment against the whites, and by poverty and -unpopularity at home.</p> - -<p>These things should be taken into consideration, when the success of the -Prophet is estimated. His ingenuity was tasked to the utmost, in getting -and keeping these people together in the first place. Then it was -necessary to instruct them just so far, as to put them in the way of -preparing themselves for what might happen, and to make them serviceable -in collecting and convincing others, without committing the cause too -unreservedly to noisy tongues, and to rash hands. Then complaints were -made by American authorities, and these must be pacified. Offers of -assistance came in from other quarters, and these must be kept secret. At -other times, the banditti were reduced to an extreme scarcity of -provisional as might be expected from the numbers collected together, and -the kind of life which they led. At first, they were given to understand -that corn and pumpkins would be raised for them supernaturally; but the -Prophet deemed it easier on the whole to produce these essential articles -by other means,—and here was another reason for maintaining a good -understanding with his American neighbors. Hence he gave out that he -proposed visiting the Governor at Vincennes, with the view of begging -provisions,—"for the white people had always encouraged him to preach the -word of God to the Indians." This purpose was carried into execution; and -on that occasion it was, that the Governor was "completely deceived," by -the Prophet's appearance and language. So late as 1811, a quantity of salt -was sent up the Wabash for the Prophet's use, together with another -quantity intended for the Kickapoos and other Indians. He seems to have -balanced some time between necessity and policy before this temptation, -but finally adopted the middle course of detaining the entire cargo, and -sending a very civil apology to the Governor in payment.</p> - -<p>On the whole, we are inclined to put small faith in the popular -theory which represents the Prophet as a <i>fool.</i> Possibly he assumed that -character on some occasions, knowing the proverbial reverence of the -Indians for an idiot. Allowance should be made also for the reaction -produced by his failure at Tippecanoe, although his influence was in some -degree restored after that event,—the misfortune being sagely attributed -by many to the important circumstance of his wife having touched some of -his sacred utensils. Nothing but a series of triumphs on the part of the -American forces, the death of his brother, and the loss of all his best -friends of his own tribe, (for the Kishopokes were reduced to about twenty -warriors during the war,) finally destroyed his character as a <i>Prophet.</i> -When this was effected, it was human nature to degrade him below the level -of a <i>man.</i></p> - -<p>It might have been expected, that a person of his pretensions, with so -many rivals and enemies, would be exposed to the hazard of assassination. -But here again he was on his guard; for it was always one of his strong -positions, that the least violence offered to him or his followers, would -be punished by the immediate interposition of the Great Spirit. The -religious character, indeed, was sustained to the last. The Delaware -messengers already mentioned found his forces at Tippecanoe in the highest -state of excitement, owing to his magical rites, his harangues, and the -war-dance which he performed with them day and night. Hence the unexampled -bravery manifested in the attack upon the American army. They rushed on -the very bayonets of our troops; and in some instances, pressing aside the -soldier's musket, they brained him with the war-club. The Prophet, -meanwhile, is said to have been comfortably seated on an adjacent -eminence, singing a war-song. He had assured his followers, that the -American bullets would do them no harm; and that, while they should have -light, their enemies should be involved in thick darkness. [FN] Soon after -the battle commenced, he was told that the Indians were falling. "Fight -on! fight on!" cried he, never at a loss, "It will soon be as I -predicted;" and he howled his war-song louder than ever.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] He was not so much out of the way in this prediction, as in some - others. M<sup>c</sup>Afee observes, that the <i>campfires,</i> so long as they remained - burning, were "more serviceable to the Indians than our men."</p> - - -<p>The character of Tecumseh appears so fully in the course he pursued, as to -require but brief comment. While the Prophet resorted without hesitation -to all the wiles of Indian cunning and stratagem, for effecting his own -purposes, and for thwarting those of his opponents, his course was as -manly and dignified as it was prompt. He was certainly under no obligation -to disclose his schemes, and yet he appears never to have taken much pains -to conceal them. We know that he was suspected, and accused, of having -actively engaged in inducing general hostility, as well as instigating -particular outrages among the frontier tribes, for several years before -much was actually known of him. This may have been the case, and it may -not; the evidence amounts to nothing, and the suspicion and accusation -alluded to, like the offences themselves, are very easily accounted for -upon other and obvious grounds. There is no necessity, then, of going at -length into the history of the Western country for the last half century, -to point out the real grounds of complaint and the real provocations to -hostility, which Tecumseh, or his brother, or any other Indian of -information and reflection, might have alleged on the part of the tribes, -against the American Government or the American people. This would be -justifying what we do not admit. It is sufficient to observe that quite -enough had occurred, to furnish plausible pretexts for all that the -Chieftain is known to have done or attempted to do.</p> - -<p>Governor Harrison stated in his annual message, for 1809, to the Indiana -Legislature, that owing to defects in the Federal law, "every person has -been allowed to trade with the Indians that pleases; <i>which proves a -source of numberless abuses,</i> of mischievous effect both to them and -ourselves." Two years before, we find an opinion advanced by the same -excellent authority on a similar occasion, that "the utmost efforts to -induce them (the Indians) to take up arms would be unavailing, <i>if one -only, of the many persons who have committed murders on their people, -could be brought to punishment.</i>" To illustrate the truth of this remark, -we may mention the murder of a Creek Indian at Vincennes, early in 1810, -and of course subsequently to the particular transactions alluded to in -the message. He was shot by a white man, an Italian trader, upon the -pretext that the Indian, who was intoxicated, had shown a disposition to -do him some injury. The Governor discharged <i>his</i> duty by causing the -Italian to be arrested and tried; but, in the language of our informant, -"as in too many other cases, acquittal was the consequence." [FN] We are -farther told, that about the same time, two Indians were wounded by a -white man, at a few miles distance from Vincennes. The occurrence of -circumstances of this nature is said to have been a source of great -embarrassment and vexation to Governor Harrison; but in this case, he -could only send out,—not a constable for the aggressor, for that course -had been sufficiently tried,—-but a surgeon for the wounded men, who both -finally recovered.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Dawson's Narrative.</p> - - -<p>It cannot be doubted, that the character of these proceedings was well -understood, and indignantly resented by all the tribes which obtained -knowledge of them,—as most of them did in the course of their own -experience. The house of a white man in Ohio was robbed, during this same -summer, by a member of the Delaware tribe, so famous for its faithful, and -more than faithful adherence to the American cause. According to the -stipulations of Wayne's treaty, expressly provided for giving up criminals -to the parties respectively injured,—and scrupulously observed up to this -date, we should add, on the part of the Indians,—the robber in the -present instance was demanded of the Delawares. The answer was, that the -nation never would give up another man, until some of the white people -were punished, who had murdered members of their tribe; they would however -punish him themselves. And they did accordingly put him to death.</p> - -<p>But all these were trifling causes of irritation, compared with those -which had occurred at various periods, in the treaties and other -negotiations, public and private, whereby immense quantities of territory -had been obtained of the Indians. It is not intended to insinuate, that -the Government was in fault upon any of these occasions. But in the -transaction of affairs of this nature, to such an extent, at such a -distance, by the instrumentality of agents,—as likely as any other men to -be sometimes ignorant, insolent, and avaricious,—offences must needs -come. On the other hands, in cases wherein the Government was not even -nominally concerned, (whatever the understanding of the vendors might be -upon that point) the most flagitious deception had been practised. In -still other instances, where the conduct of the purchasers was -unobjectionable, there were conflicting claims to territory, which one or -more tribes, or portions of tribes, or perhaps individual chiefs, -nevertheless undertook to convey. Owing to these and similar causes, the -Indians had very generally become extremely suspicious of proposals for -the purchase of land.</p> - -<p>They perceived, too, independently of any unfair dealing upon either side, -that the white population was advancing upon them with the most formidable -rapidity. Something must be done, then, in self-defence. Setting aside -past impositions, it was absolutely necessary to prevent them for the -future; and setting aside all imposition, it was necessary to raise some -universal and effectual barrier against inroads of any kind, in any -quarter. It is recorded, accordingly, by an historian already cited, that -the agitation among the Indians at this time was accounted for by some of -them, by saying, that they were endeavoring to effect what had frequently -been recommended to them by the United States, viz; <i>a more cordial union -among the various tribes.</i> The writer considers this an "attempt at -deception;" but yet his facts would seem to outweigh his opinion. War -might or might not be anticipated as an ultimate resort, in offence or -defence; and "British agitators" might or might not be actually engaged, -as certainly they were interested, in producing that result, and preparing -the tribes for it. But it appears to us, there can be no reasonable doubt, -that an effective and cordial union of the tribes, for the purposes just -mentioned, was actually the precise object in view. It certainly was the -leading principle in the schemes of Tecumseh.</p> - -<p>That principle he never disavowed. He declared it in the most open manner, -on every suitable occasion; and with it, the cogent reasoning upon which -in his mind it was founded. In July 1810, he conversed very fully upon the -subject with a person sent to his brother by the Governor of Indiana, to -dissuade him from war and to gain information of his views. He said that -the Great Spirit had given this great island,—meaning the American -continent,—to his red children; but the whites, who were placed on the -other side of the big water, not content with their share, had crossed -over—seized upon the coast—driven the Indians from the sea to the -lakes—and undertaken to say that this tract belongs to one tribe, this to -another, and so on—when <i>the Great Spirit had made it the common property -of them all.</i> "They had retreated far enough,—they would go no farther." -He at the same time disclaimed having intended to make war, but expressed -his opinion that it would not be possible to preserve peace, unless the -Indian principle of common property should be recognized, and the progress -of the white settlements discontinued. He then proposed going to -Vincennes, for the purpose of convincing the Governor that matters had -been mis-represented to him.</p> - -<p>The visit accordingly took place in August; and he then states most -distinctly,—Mr. Dawson's phrase is, "in the broadest manner,"—that his -policy had been to establish and extend the principle of common property -as a means of necessary self-defence; that the tribes were afraid of being -pushed back into the lakes, and were therefore determined to make a stand -where they now were. At the formal interview which ensued, Tecumseh, who -was attended by a body of followers, manifested so much irritation, that -the Governor apprehended an attack upon the spot; the citizens were -alarmed; troops were called in; and a scene of great confusion ensued. But -although the proud Chieftain apologized for this demonstration of spirit -at the next conference, and then appeared perfectly cool, he still -persisted in the statements made in the outset. When asked by the -Governor, whether it was his intention to prevent the surveying of a -certain territory, recently purchased, he answered, "that himself and -those who were joined with him were determined that the old boundary -should continue."</p> - -<p>The Governor afterwards visited him at his camp, for the purpose of -sounding him privately. Being asked if his intentions were really what he -had openly avowed, he replied that they were. He had no complaint to make -against the United States, but their purchasing the Indian land as they -did; and he should very much regret the necessity of making war for this -single cause. On the contrary, he was, anxious to be upon good terms with -them. If the President would give up the late purchase, and agree to make -no more in the same manner, he would even become their ally, and would -<i>fight with them against the English;</i> if these terms could not be -complied with, he should be obliged to fight with the English against -them. The Governor assured him that the President should be informed of -his views, but also expressed his opinion, that there was no prospect of -their being acceded to. "Well!" answered the warrior, "as the Great Chief -is to determine the matter, I hope the Great Spirit will put sense enough -in his head, to induce him to give up the land. True, he is so far off, -that the war will not injure him. He may sit still in his town and drink -his wine, while you and I will have to fight it out."</p> - -<p>At the last conference which took place previously to the battle of -Tippecanoe, it is stated that his designs were more completely developed, -than ever before. [FN] And this, it should be observed, was his own -voluntary and deliberate disclosure. "The States had set the example," he -said, "of forming a union among all the fires,—why should they censure -the Indians for following it?" He had now succeeded in combining the -Northern tribes, and he was about visiting the South, for the purpose of -completing the scheme. But war, if it ensued, would be, no fault of his. -He hoped that the Governor would prevent settlements from being made on -the new purchase till he returned from his journey in the Spring. He would -then visit the President himself at his leisure, and the matter should be -settled with him.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Dawson's Narrative, p. 182.</p> - - -<p>This speech has been called "an artful evasion, easily seen through." It -appears to us, on the contrary, to be a model of manly frankness. The -Orator did not expressly state, indeed, that the combination alluded to, -anticipated the possibility or probability of war. But this was -unnecessary. It was the natural inference in any reasonable mind. It had -been frequently so stated and so understood; and repetition could only -exasperate. On the whole, Tecumseh seems to have manifested a noble -dignity in disavowal and discussion of his policy, equaled only by the -profound sagacity in which it originated, and the intelligent energy which -conducted it, against every opposition and obstacle, so nearly to its -completion. He might be wrong, but it is evident enough he was sincere.</p> - -<p>As for British instigation, we need not suggest the distinction between a -disposition upon their part, and a counter disposition upon his; or -between himself and the motley multitude of fanatical and ferocious -vagabonds, who, unfortunately, formed a large part of the Prophet's first -congregation, and some of whom were as troublesome to each other and to -him, as they were to the white settlers. Outrages were committed, as we -have seen, on both sides,—and criminals refused to be given over to -justice by both,—the Indians copying, in this respect, the example of the -American authorities. But we need not pursue the subject. The best -existing evidence with regard to Tecumseh's particular interest in it, -seems to be his own, which has been given.</p> - -<p>Nor can it be doubted, that he perfectly understood the policy of the -English. He told Governor Harrison, when he declared the necessity which -might arise of an alliance with them, that he knew they were always urging -the Indians to war for their own advantage, and not to benefit his -countrymen. "And here," we are told, [FN] "he clapped his hands, and -imitated a person hallooing at a dog, to set him fighting with another, -thereby insinuating that the British thus endeavored to set the Indians on -the Americans." The truth is, he was too proud for a subordinate part. His -confederates might do as they chose, but for himself, he would maintain -the dignity of a free man, and a warrior. He abandoned his plan of -visiting the President, because he could not be received as the head of -the deputation. It is said, that, in the last conference at Vincennes, he -found himself, at the end of a long and energetic speech, unprovided with -a seat. Observing the neglect, Governor Harrison directed a chair to be -placed for him, and requested him to accept it. "Your Father," said the -interpreter, "requests you to take a chair." "My Father!"—replied the -chief,—"The sun is my father, and the earth is my mother; I will repose -upon her bosom." And he adjusted himself on the ground in the Indian -manner.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Dawson's Narrative, p 159.</p> - - -<p>A qualified remark has been made upon his courage; but his uniform conduct -during the war, is certainly sufficient to establish this point beyond -controversy. The same may be said of the fearlessness shown in his visits -to Vincennes; and especially in his exposure of himself on that occasion, -though he must have perceived that he was feared, suspected, and even -guarded by large bodies of troops, drawn out for that express purpose. It -is very illustrative of the apparent diversity in the character of -Elskwatawa and his own in this respect, that when the Delawares sent a -deputation of chiefs to break up the Prophet's settlement at Tippecanoe, -the latter would not deign, as Mr. Dawson expresses it, to give them an -interview; but despatched his brother to them, "whose threats or -persuasions were sufficient to drive back the chiefs, with strong -indications of terror."</p> - -<p>When General Proctor began to prepare for retreating from Malden, -Tecumseh, having learned his intention, demanded an interview, and, in the -name of all the Indians, delivered an animated speech. If the spirit, -which it manifests, could have had its intended effect in inducing the -General to fight before he retreated, the result must at least have been -more glorious, if not more favorable to his cause.</p> - -<p>"Father!—Listen to your children! You have them now all before you.</p> - -<p>"The war before this, our British father gave the hatchet to his red -children, when our old chiefs were alive. They are now dead. In that war -our father was thrown flat on his back by the Americans, and our father -took them by the hand without our knowledge. We are afraid that our father -will do so again at this time.</p> - -<p>"Summer before last, when I came forward with my red brethren, and was -ready to take up the hatchet in favor of our British father, we were told -not to be in a hurry—that he had not yet determined to fight the -Americans.</p> - -<p>"Listen!—When war was declared, our father stood up and gave us the -tomahawk, and told us that he was then ready to strike the Americans—that -he wanted our assistance—and that he would certainly get us our lands -back, which the Americans had taken from us.</p> - -<p>"Listen!—You told us, at that time, to bring forward our families to this -place, and we did so. You also promised to take care of them—they should -want for nothing, while the men would go and fight the enemy—that we need -not trouble ourselves about the enemy's garrison—that we knew nothing -about them—and that our father would attend to that part of the business. -You also told your red children that you would take good care of your -garrison here, which made our hearts glad.</p> - -<p>"Listen!—When we were last at the Rapids it is true we gave you little -assistance. It is hard to fight people who live like ground-hogs.</p> - -<p>"Father, listen!—Our fleet has gone out; we know they have fought; we -have heard the great guns; [FN-1] but we know nothing of what has happened -to our father with one arm. [FN-2] Our ships have gone one way, and we are -much astonished to see our father tying up every thing and preparing to -run away the other, without letting his red children know what his -intentions are. You always told us to remain here, and take care of our -lands; it made our hearts glad to hear that was your wish. Our great -father, the king, is the head, and you represent him. You always told us -you would never draw your foot off British ground. But now, father, we see -you are drawing back, and we are sorry to see our father doing so without -seeing the enemy. We must compare our father's conduct to a fat dog, that -carries its tail upon its back, but when affrighted, it drops it between -its legs and runs off."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] Alluding to Perry's Victory.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Commodore Barclay.</p> - - -<p>"Father, listen!—The Americans have not yet defeated us by land—neither -are we sure that they have done so by water—we therefore wish to remain -here, and fight our enemy, should they make their appearance. If they -defeat us, we will then retreat with our father.</p> - -<p>"At the battle of the Rapids, last war, the Americans certainly defeated -us; and when we returned to our father's fort, at that place the gates -were shut against us. We were afraid that it would now be the case; but -instead of that, we now see our British father preparing to march out of -his garrison.</p> - -<p>"Father!—You have got the arms and ammunition which our great father sent -for his red children. If you have an idea of going away, give them to us, -and you may go and welcome for us. Our lives are in the hands of the Great -Spirit. We are determined to defend our lands, and if it be his will, we -wish to leave our bones upon them."</p> - -<p>This celebrated speech is probably as good a specimen as any on record, of -the eloquence of Tecumseh. It was a natural eloquence, characteristic, as -all natural eloquence must be, of the qualities of the man. As Charlevoix -says of the Canadian savages, it was "such as the Greeks admired in the -barbarians,"—strong, stern, sententious, pointed, perfectly undisguised. -It abounded with figures and with graphic touches, imprinted by a single -effort of memory or imagination, but answering all the purposes of -detailed description, without its tediousness or its weakness. The -President was "drinking his wine in his town," while Tecumseh and Harrison -were fighting it out over the mountains. The Indians were hallooed upon -the Americans, like a pack of starved hounds. The British nation was our -great Father, and our great Father was laid flat on his back. So the -policy of the United States, in extending their settlements, was a mighty -water, and the scheme of common property in the tribes, was a dam to -resist it. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] M<sup>c</sup>Afee's History, p. 17.</p> - - -<p>Tecumseh belonged to a nation "noted," as Mr. Heckewelder describes them, -"for much talk," as well as for hard fighting; and he was himself never at -a loss for words, though he used them with a chariness which might be -imitated without disadvantage by some of our modern orators. It was only -when he spoke for the explanation or vindication of that great cause to -which his whole heart and mind were devoted, that he indulged himself in -any thing beyond the laconic language of necessity. His appearance was -always noble—his form symmetrical—his carriage erect and lofty—his -motions commanding—but under the excitement of his favorite theme, he -became a new being. The artifice of the politician, the diffidence of the -stranger, the demure dignity of the warrior, were cast aside like a cloak. -His fine countenance lighted up with a fiery and haughty pride. His frame -swelled with emotion. Every posture and every gesture had its eloquent -meaning. And then language, indeed,—the irrepressible outbreaking of -nature,—flowed glowing from the passion-fountains of the soul.</p> - -<p>We have drawn the portrait of this eminent chieftain hitherto, only so far -as to sketch some of those strongly-marked lineaments by which he was best -known to his contemporaries, and by which he will be longest remembered. -But there was something more in his character than strong savage talent -and savage feeling. Injured and irritated as he often was, and constantly -as he kept himself excited by an interest in the fate of his countrymen, -and by the agitation of his own schemes, there is no evidence either of -coarseness in his manners, or of cruelty in his conduct. For reasons -easily to be imagined, he regarded Governor Harrison with less partiality, -than most other individual Americans; and hence, the British General is -said to have stipulated early in the war, that the Governor, if taken -prisoner, should be <i>his</i> captive. But he is understood to have always -treated that gentleman with such courtesy, that we apprehend, had this -<i>casus-fædris</i> unfortunately occurred, he would have gloried only in -conveying him off the battle-field in the manner of the Black-Prince, and -in setting before him, with the royal munificence of Massasoit, all the -dry pease in his wigwam.</p> - -<p>When the Governor proposed to him, on his first visit to Vincennes in -1810, that, in the event of a war, he would as far as possible put a stop -to the cruelties which the Indians were accustomed to inflict upon women -and children, and others no longer in a situation to resist,—he readily -gave his assent to the proposition, and voluntarily pledged himself to -adhere to it. There is reason to believe, that he remembered this promise; -and that amidst temptations and provocations,—and, many would be inclined -to add, examples, from an authority he might have been supposed to -respect,—of a most extraordinary nature.</p> - -<p>In one of the sorties from Fort Meigs, a hundred or more of the American -garrison were taken prisoners, and put into Fort Miami. Here, M<sup>c</sup>Afee and -others relate that the British Indians garnished the surrounding rampart, -and amused themselves by loading and firing at the crowd within, or at -particular individuals. This proceeding is said to have continued nearly -two hours, during which time twenty of the unfortunate prisoners were -massacred. The chiefs were at the same time holding a council, to -determine the fate of the residue. A blood-thirsty mob of cut-throat -Pottawatamies were warmly in favor of despatching them all on the spot, -while the Wyandots and Miamies opposed that course. The former prevailed; -and had already systematically commenced the work of destruction, when -Tecumseh, descrying them from the batteries, came down among them, -reprimanded the ring-leaders for their dastardly barbarity in murdering -defenceless captives in cold blood, and thus saved the lives of a -considerable number. That all this was done by express permission of the -English commander, and in presence of the English army, as is farther -stated, it does not belong to us, in the pursuit of our present subject, -either to assert or prove. If there be any truth in the charge, or in a -tithe of those of the same character which have been brought against the -same party, the sooner the veil of oblivion is dropped over them, the -better.</p> - -<p>In fine, the character of Tecumseh, in whatever light it be viewed, must -be regarded as remarkable in the highest degree. That he proved himself -worthy of his rank as a general officer in the army of his Britannic -Majesty, or even of his reputation as a great warrior among all the -Indians of the North and West, is, indeed, a small title to distinction, -Bravery is a savage virtue; and the Shawanees are a brave people,—as too -many of the American nation have ascertained by experience. His oratory -speaks more for his genius. It was the utterance of a great mind, roused -by the strongest motives of which human nature is susceptible, and -developing a power and a labor of reason, which commanded the admiration -of the civilized, as justly as the confidence and pride of the savage. But -other orators, too, have appeared among his countrymen, as eloquent and as -eminent as Tecumseh, wherever the same moving causes and occasions could -give birth and scope to the same emulous effort. And the mere oratory, in -all these cases, was not so much an absolute vindication, as a naked and -meagre index of the mighty intellect and noble spirit within. Happily for -the fame of Tecumseh, other evidences exist in his favor,—such as were -felt as well as heard in his own day,—such as will live on the pages of -civilized history, long after barbarous tradition has forgotten them. He -will be named with Philip and Pontiac, "the agitators" of the two -centuries which preceded his own. The schemes of these men -were,—fortunately for the interest which they lived and labored to -resist,—alike unsuccessful in their issue; but none the less credit -should for <i>that</i> reason be allowed to their motives or their efforts. -They were still statesmen, though the communities over which their -influence was exerted, were composed of red men instead of white. They -were still patriots, though they fought only for wild lands and for wild -liberty. Indeed, it is these very circumstances that make these very -efforts,—and especially the extraordinary degree of success which -attended them,—the more honorable and the more signal; while they clearly -show the necessity of their ultimate failure, which existed in the nature -of things. They are the best prooff, at once, of genius and of principle.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chxv">CHAPTER XV.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Michikinaqwa,</span> or the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Little Turtle</span>—Early History—Engages in a - combination of the Indians against the United States—<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Blue-Jacket</span>—The - Turtle defeats two detachments of American troops—Some account of the - North-Western war from 1791 to 1795—The Turtle defeated by General - Wayne—He becomes unpopular after the peace—Some or the charges against - him examined—Anecdotes of his intercourse with distinguished - Americans—His letter to Gen. Harrison—His death in 1812—His - character.</p> -<br> - -<p>In the Life of Buckongahelas, we have alluded to the powerful influence of -"one individual," as having enabled Governor Harrison, despite the -exertions or that chieftain, to effect the important negotiations -concluded at Fort Wayne in 1803. That individual was the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Little Turtle,</span> a -personage of both talent and celebrity, second in modern times only to -those of Tecumseh. Indeed, he may be considered in some respects one of -the most remarkable Indians of any age; and although he has been deceased -about twenty years, his grave, in the neighborhood of the station just -named, is not only still shown, but still visited by Indians from various -quarters, who cherish the memory of the old warrior with the deepest -veneration.</p> - -<p>The vernacular name of the Turtle was <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Michikinaqwa</span> or Mechecunaqua. He was -the son of a Miami chief, but his mother was a Mohegan woman; and as the -Indian maxim in relation to descents is generally the same with that of -the civil law in relation to slaves—that the condition of the offspring -follows the condition of the mother [FN]—the Turtle had no advantage -whatever from his father's rank. He however became a chief at an early -age, for his extraordinary talents attracted the notice of his countrymen -even in boyhood.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] "Partus sequitur ventrem."</p> - - -<p>His first eminent services were those of a warrior in the ranks of his -tribe. It is well known that long after the conclusion of the peace of -1783, the British retained possession of several posts within our ceded -limits on the north, which were rallying-points for the Indians hostile to -the American cause, and where they were supplied and subsisted to a -considerable extent, while they continued to wage that war with us which -their civilized ally no longer maintained. Our Government made strenuous -exertions to pacify all these tribes. With some they succeeded, and among -others with the powerful Creeks, headed at this time by the famous -half-breed <span style="font-variant:small-caps">M<sup>c</sup>Gillivray.</span> But the savages of the Wabash and the Miami would -consent to no terms. They were not only encouraged by foreign -assistance—whether national, or simply individual, we need not in this -connection discuss—but they were strong in domestic combination. The -Wyandots, the Pottawatamies, the Delawares, the Shawanees, the Chippewas, -the Ottawas, not to mention parts of some other tribes, all acted -together; and last, but by no means least, the Miamies, resident where -Fort Wayne has been since erected, inspired the whole confederacy with the -ardor which they themselves had but to imitate in their own fearless -chieftains.</p> - -<p>These were generally the same parties who had thirty years before been -united against the whites under Pontiac; and the causes of their -irritation were now mainly the same as they had been then, while both the -cordiality and facility of cooperation were increased by confidence and -experience derived even from former failures. These causes have been -already sufficiently experienced. They arose chiefly from the frontier -advances of the white population on the Indian lands—always and almost -necessarily attended with provocations never discovered, and of -consequence never atoned for, by the proper authorities. National claims -were also brought forward, which, so far as founded on the representations -of persons interested, were likely enough to be abuses. In fact, here was -an exact precedent for the combination of Tippecanoe. The Turtle was -politically the first follower of Pontiac, and the latest model of -Tecumseh.</p> - -<p>The Turtle, we say, but the zealous assistance he received from other -chieftains of various tribes, ought not to be overlooked. Buckongahelas -commanded the Delawares. <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Blue-Jacket</span> was at this time the leading man of -the Shawanees—a warrior of high reputation, though unfortunately but few -particulars of his history have been recorded. The Mississagas, a Canadian -tribe on the river Credit, some remnant of which still exists, contributed -not a little to the power of the confederacy in the talents of a brave -chief, whose very name is not preserved, though his movements among the -more northern Indians were felt on the banks of the St. Lawrence, as far -down as Montreal itself. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] A respectable Montreal publication, of 1791, notices one of this - person's visits to the tribes in the vicinity of that town;—describing - him as "forty-five years old, six feet in height, of a sour and morose - aspect, and apparently very crafty and subtle."</p> - - -<p>On the 13th of September, 1791,—all attempts to conciliate the hostile -tribes who were now ravaging the frontiers, having been -abandoned,—General Harmer, under the direction of the Federal government, -marched against them from Fort Washington (the present site of Cincinnati) -with three hundred and twenty regulars, who were soon after joined by a -body of militia, making the whole force about fifteen hundred men. Colonel -Hardin, at the head of six hundred Kentucky troops, was detached in -advance to reconnoiter. As he approached the enemy's villages, they fled. -The villages were destroyed, and a light force again detached in the -pursuit. These men were met by a small Indian party, led on by the Turtle, -who attacked them furiously, and fought them with such effect that of -thirty regulars twenty-three were killed, while all the militia of the -detachment sought safety in flight.</p> - -<p>Notwithstanding this check, the enemy's only remaining town in the section -of the country near the battle-ground was laid waste, and their provisions -destroyed. General Harmer then returned to Fort Washington, unpursued, but -disgraced and deeply chagrined. Under these circumstances he resolved to -hazard another action. He halted eight miles from Chilicothe, and late at -night detached Colonel Hardin with orders to find the Indians, and fight -them. Hardin succeeded in his search about daylight The savages fought -with desperation, for they were maddened by the sight of their flaming -villages and their uncovered dead, and the war-cry of the Turtle again -urged them to the onset. Some of the Americans fled, but a greater number, -including fifty regulars and one hundred militia, with several officers of -note, fell upon the field of battle, bravely discharging a fruitless and -fatal duty. General Harmer claimed the victory,—-with how much propriety -may appear from these facts. The Turtle however suffered so severely in -the engagement, that he permitted him to march home unmolested.</p> - -<p>Harmer's disasters were followed by the most deplorable consequences, for -the savages renewed their devastations to such a degree that the situation -of the frontiers became truly alarming. Congress directed the organization -of a strong military force, and meanwhile two volunteer expeditions from -Kentucky, under Generals Wilkinson and Scott were fitted out against the -enemy. Considerable damage was done to them on the Miami and Wabash, -though without much loss of life on either side.</p> - -<p>The campaign of the Federal troops,—mustering about two thousand, besides -garrisons in two or three newly erected forts,—commenced late in the -summer of 1791. Desertion reduced the number to fourteen hundred, before -the commander, General St. Clair, had advanced far into the hostile -territory. Continuing his march, however, on the third of November he -encamped on a piece of commanding ground, within fifteen miles of the -Miami villages. An interval of only seventy paces was left between the two -wings of his army. The right was in some degree protected by a creek, and -a steep bank; the left, by cavalry and picquets. The militia, about three -hundred fresh Kentuckian recruits, were permitted to cross the creek, and -draw up in two lines on the first rising ground beyond it, at the distance -of a quarter of a mile from the main body, from which they were separated -also by a rich sugar-tree "bottom."</p> - -<p>The enemy had apparently anticipated a movement of this kind. The -chieftains had collected a force of from one thousand to fifteen hundred -men, upon the Miami territories; and for several days previous to the -halt, numbers of them had been hovering round and evidently watching the -movements of the troops. During the night of the 3d, shots were -occasionally exchanged between them and the American sentries, and small -parties were sent out in different directions to prevent their too near -approach.</p> - -<p>Meanwhile the Indians were holding a grand council of war. The plan of -attack was agreed upon, and the order and rank of the various tribes -settled with a precision as punctilious as that of the ancient Greeks. The -Wyandots stretched to the west; the Delawares were stationed next to them; -the Senecas third, and so on. The Turtle, acting as commander-in-chief, -superintended and stimulated the whole, but headed no particular -detachment; the arm of the warrior was to do much, but the eye and voice -of the chieftain, much more. Nothing happened during the night to alarm -the Americans, and indeed the noise and stir of the outskirts in the early -part of the evening gradually subsided. All at length was silent, and it -might well be supposed, as it probably was, that the enemy had taken -advantage of the darkness of the night to make good a precipitate retreat, -or that their whole force as yet consisted only of a few scouting and -scalping parties. But the mistake was of short duration. The militia were -violently attacked between dawn and sunrise of the fourth, by a powerful -body of the Indians, who, with a terrific yell, poured in a volume of -musketry along the entire length of the two lines. Never was surprise more -complete. The ranks of the militia were thrown into confusion at once; and -although the battle was hotly contested for three hours at least, no -efforts of the officers, or of the regular troops of the main body, proved -sufficient to recover the lost ground. The former, indeed, were picked off -by the enemy's sharp-shooters so rapidly, that very little could be -expected from the aggregate of <i>their</i> exertions.</p> - -<p>Besides, the savages generally fought under shelter of the woods. "The -Indians were very numerous," we are informed by one who was present, "but -we found it out more from their incessant heavy fire, than from what we -could otherwise discover of them. They fought under cover, though they -would frequently advance very close under the smoke of the cannon; and as -soon as it began to clear away, the fire became very fatal." [FN] -Emboldened, however, by success, they sometimes charged the Americans -tomahawk in hand, drove them back on their lines, kept possession of their -tents for some minutes, and though repulsed, continually returned to the -contest with redoubled fury.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p>[FN] New-York and other news-papers of December, 1791.</p> - - -<p>The Americans were at length compelled to retreat; and this retreat,—as -St. Clair himself confessed, in his despatches, "was a precipitate one, -<i>in fact a flight.</i>" The camp and artillery were abandoned. Most of the -militia threw away their arms and accoutrements. All were closely pursued -by the savages from half-past nine, when the route commenced, until after -sunset, when they gained Fort Jefferson, at a distance of twenty-nine -miles. Thirty-eight officers, and five hundred and ninety-three men, were -slain or missing; and twenty-one officers and two hundred and forty-two -men wounded, many of whom died afterwards; so that no fewer than eight -hundred and ninety-four were lost or disabled, out of an army of fourteen -hundred. General Butler, second in command, was among the slain.</p> - -<p>General St. Clair says he was overpowered by numbers; but as no English -historian makes the enemy more numerous than the Americans, some credit -should be given to them upon other grounds than the pretext of numerical -superiority. Indeed, their attack was conducted with astonishing -intrepidity. After a single volley of fire-arms they fought every inch of -the field, hand to hand. There is no other instance in the history of the -continent, of a slaughter to be compared to this, with the exception of -the memorable defeat of Braddock. "Nearly in the space of three hundred -and fifty yards,"—said General Scott, who visited the battle-field soon -after,—"lay five hundred skull-bones, three hundred of which were buried -by my men. From thence five miles on, the woods were strewed with -skeletons, muskets," &c. [FN-1] The loss of the Turtle's army was never -ascertained upon indisputable authority, but no account makes it at all -proportionable to that of St. Clair. The Mississaga chief, mentioned -above, who visited Montreal a few months after the action, rated the -American loss at several hundreds more than the official bulletin just -cited, and that of the Indians at only <i>nine;</i> [FN-2] but some allowance -ought probably to be made for extenuation in the latter case, as for -exaggeration in the former. An American officer, who encountered a party -of thirty Indians near the battle-ground, a day or two after the defeat, -(and was detained by them till they were made to believe him a friend to -their cause, from Canada,) was informed that the number of killed was -fifty-six. These savages were returning home with their share of the -plunder. One of them had a hundred and twenty-seven American scalps, -strung on a pole, and the rest were laden with various other articles, of -different values. They had also three pack-horses, carrying as many kegs -of wine and spirits as could be piled on their backs. According to their -statement, there were twelve hundred Indians in the battle, the larger -proportion of whom were Miamies. [FN-3]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] Metcalf's Indian Wars.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Montreal papers.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-3] New-York papers. Most of the statements in the text are - corroborated by all the standard histories of the war.</p> - - -<p>We have alluded to the expedition of General Scott, who made a most -successful incursion against the savages a few weeks subsequent to the -action of the 4th. A considerable body of them were found by his scouts on -the field, still reveling among the spoils of the camp, and diverting -themselves in high glee. Scott attacked them abruptly with three -detachments, in as many directions, at the same moment. They were -completely surprised and routed. At least two hundred were killed on the -spot; the remainder fled, and Scott's force returned triumphantly to -head-quarters, carrying home seven pieces of St. Clair's cannon.</p> - -<p>The effect of this defeat upon the Turtle's mind and upon those of his -countrymen generally, was abundantly sufficient to exasperate, without -having the slightest tendency either to intimidate or discourage.</p> - -<p>"A few days ago,"—says, in the summer of 1792, a letter-writer from <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Fort -Knox,</span> cited in the principal journals of the day,—"several chiefs came in -from <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Opee,</span> a place high upon the Illinois river, and in their speech to -Major Hamtranck told him they were frequently invited and threatened by -<i>the Miamies,</i> to induce them to go to war with us, that we must keep good -heart, for we shall have a great many more to fight this year than last; -and that they wished us success, and hoped we should give them a hearty -drubbing." Something is suggested about British instigation, and the -writer concludes thus. "Indeed every intelligence we have received from -the <i>Miami villages,</i> corroborates this, so far as to convince us that -there will be twice as many Indians in the field this year as there were -last,—so that I think a few of us will be apt to lose our hair."</p> - -<p>It will be observed that the Miamies are here regarded as the leading -tribe in the hostile combination. So undoubtedly they were, and that alone -sufficiently indicates the influence exercised by the Turtle. Hence it -was, in no small degree, that the predictions of the Indians at Fort Knox, -were but too accurately and speedily fulfilled. During 1792, the -depredations of the savages became more furious and ferocious than ever -before; and some of the most tragical scenes recorded in history took -place on the long line of the frontiers. We shall detail a single -well-authenticated instance, to illustrate the exposure of the citizens in -what was then perhaps the most populous section of the West.</p> - -<p>A dwelling-house in Kentucky was attacked by a party of Indians. The -proprietor, Mr. Merrill, was alarmed by the barking of his dog. On going -to the door he received the fire of the assailants, which broke his right -leg and arm. They attempted to enter the house, but were anticipated in -their movement by Mrs. Merrill and her daughter, who closed the door in so -effectual a manner as to keep them at bay. They next began to hew a -passage through the door, and one of the warriors attempted to enter -through the aperture; but the resolute mother seizing an axe, gave him a -fatal blow upon the head, and then with the assistance of her daughter, -drew his body in. His companions without, not apprized of his fate, but -supposing him successful, followed through the same aperture, and four of -the number were thus killed before their mistake was discovered. They now -retired a few moments, but soon returned, and renewed their exertions to -force the house. Despairing of entering by the door, they climbed upon the -roof, and made an effort to descend by the chimney. Mr. Merrill directed -his little son to empty the contents of a large feather-bed upon the fire, -which soon caused so dense and pungent a smoke, as nearly to suffocate -those who had made this desperate attempt, and two of them fell into the -fire-place. The moment was critical; the mother and daughter could not -quit their stations at the door; and the husband, though groaning with his -broken leg and arm, rousing every exertion, seized a billet of wood, and -with repeated blows despatched the two half-smothered Indians. In the -meantime the mother had repelled a fresh assault upon the door, and -severely wounded one of the Indians, who attempted simultaneously to enter -there, while the others descended the chimney. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Metcalf's Indian Wars.</p> - - -<p>We find no particular evidence that the Turtle was concerned in any of -these petty forays, which indeed were certainly attended with no honor, -while they inflicted more damage and alarm than any other events of this -memorable war. He however commanded a body of Indians who, in November, -1792, made a violent attack on a detachment of Kentucky volunteers, headed -by Major Adair, (since Governor) under the walls of Fort St. Clair. The -contest was severe and sanguinary. The savages were at length -repulsed—with considerable loss, according to some accounts—but -Marshall, who is sufficiently careful of the honor of his countrymen, -allows that the Major, after a gallant resistance, was compelled to -retreat to the fort, (about half a mile) with the loss of six men killed, -and the camp-equipage and one hundred and forty pack-horses taken. The -Indians lost but two men. The Turtle was also in the action of Fort -Recovery, which took place in June, 1794, and in which a large detachment -of American troops, under Major M<sup>c</sup>Mahon, was defeated.</p> - -<p>Repeated efforts were made by the American Government, during these three -years, for the conclusion of a treaty of peace. Several of the Senecas, -and other New-York Indians were employed as mediators to this end. To some -extent they succeeded, or at least were thought to have done so,—it being -announced, late in the fall of 1792, that the Miamies had consented to a -truce till the next spring; but at the end of that term, if not before, -hostilities were renewed with as much vigor as ever. Only a few months -previous, three Americans, sent to the enemy with flags and proposals of -peace, were murdered in cold blood,—an act for which some palliating -provocations were alleged by those who committed it, but which never was -deliberately justified by their leaders. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] "When the news was carried to the town (a Shawanese village) that a - white man with a peace-talk had been killed at the camp, it excited a - great ferment, and the murderers were much censured," &c.—<i>Marshall's - Kentucky.</i> The brave Colonel Hardin, of Kentucky, was one of the - messengers.</p> - - -<p>But the successes of the enemy were drawing to a close. General Wayne had -been appointed to the command of the American army, than whom perhaps no -man in the country was better qualified to meet the emergencies of an -Indian warfare in the woods. The Indians were themselves, indeed, sensible -of this fact, and the mere intelligence of his approach probably had its -effect on their spirits. They universally called him the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Black Snake,</span> from -the superior cunning which they ascribed to him; and even allowed him the -credit of being a fair match for Buckongahelas, Blue-Jacket, or the Turtle -himself.</p> - -<p>Wayne prosecuted the decisive campaign of 1794 with a spirit which -justified the estimate of his enemy, although, owing to the difficulties -of transporting stores and provisions through a wilderness which at that -time could not be traversed by wagons, he was unable to commence -operations until near midsummer. He had already, in the fall of the -previous season, erected <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Fort Recovery</span> on the site of St. Clair's defeat; -and early in August, he raised a fortification at the confluence of the -Au-Glaize and Miami, which he named <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Fort Defiance.</span> His whole force was now -nearly two thousand regulars, exclusive of eleven hundred mounted Kentucky -militia under General Scott, [FN] Here he had expected to surprise the -neighboring villages of the enemy; and the more effectually to ensure the -success of his <i>coup-de-main,</i> he had not only advanced thus far by an -obscure and very difficult route, but taken pains to clear out two roads -from Greenville in that direction, in order to attract and divert the -attention of the Indians, while he marched by neither. But his generalship -proved of no avail. The Turtle and his comrades kept too vigilant an eye -on the foe they were now awaiting, to be easily surprised, even had not -their movements been quickened, as they were, by the information of an -American deserter.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] There were some friendly Indians, mostly from southern tribes, who - fought under Wayne and Scott during the season of 1794; and among the - rest about sixty Choctaws, commanded by a brave chief commonly called - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">General Hummingbird,</span> who more recently distinguished himself in the last - war against the Creeks, (as the allies of the British.) He died December - 23d, 1828, aged seventy-five, at his residence near the Choctaw agency, - where he was buried with the honors of war.</p> - - -<p>On the 12th of the month, the General learned from some of the Indians -taken prisoners, that their main body occupied a camp near the British -garrison, at the rapids of the Miami. But he now resolved, before -approaching them much nearer, to try the effect of one more proposal of -peace. He had in his army a man named Miller, who had long been a captive -with some of the tribes, and he selected him for the hazardous enterprize.</p> - -<p>Miller did not like the scheme. It was his opinion, from what he had -observed, that the Indians were unalterably determined on war, and that -they would not respect a flag, but probably kill him: in short, he -declined being the ambassador. General Wayne, however, could think of no -other as well qualified; and being anxious to make the experiment, he -assured Miller that he would hold the eight prisoners then in his custody, -as pledges for his safety, and that he might take with him any escort he -desired. Thus encouraged, the soldier consented to go with the message; -and to attend him, he selected from the prisoners, one of the men, and a -squaw. With these he left camp at 4 o'clock, P. M. on the 13th; and next -morning at daybreak, reached the tents of the hostile chiefs, which were -near together, and known by his attendants, without being discovered. He -immediately displayed his flag, and proclaimed himself "a messenger." -Instantly he was assailed on all sides, with a hideous yell, and a call, -to "Kill the runner! Kill the spy!" But he, accosting them in their own -language, and forthwith explaining to them his real character, they -suspended the blow, and took him into custody. He shewed and explained the -General's letter; not omitting the positive assurance, that if they did -not send the bearer back to him by the 16th of the month, he would, at -sunset of that day, cause every soldier in his camp to be put to death. -Miller was closely confined, and a council called by the chiefs. On the -15th, he was liberated, and furnished with an answer to General Wayne, -stating, "that if he waited where he was ten days, and then sent Miller -for them, they would treat with him; but that if he advanced, they would -give him battle." The General's impatience had prevented his waiting the -return of his minister. On the 16th, Miller came up with the army on its -march, and delivered the answer; to which he added, that "from the manner -in which the Indians were dressed and painted, and the constant arrival of -parties, it was his opinion, they had determined on war, and only wanted -time to muster their whole force." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Marshall.</p> - - -<p>This intelligence of course did not serve to check the eagerness of the -General, and he rapidly continued his march down the Miami. On the 18th he -reached the rapids. On the 19th he halted to reconnoiter, within a few -miles of the enemy's camp, and threw up a temporary work which he called -Fort <i>Deposite.</i> Early, in the morning of the 20th he resumed his march in -that direction, and about 10 o'clock his spies, a mile in advance, were -fired on. The army was halted, and put in order of battle, and then moved -forward in three columns. Wayne's legion, occupying the right, had its -flank upon the river; one brigade of mounted volunteers, under General -Todd, occupied the left; and the other, under General Barbee, the rear. -Major Price, with a select battalion, moved in front, to "feel" the enemy, -and to give the troops timely notice to form. After penetrating about five -miles, he received a tremendous fire from an ambuscade, and fell back upon -the main force.</p> - -<p>The Indians were advantageously posted in the forest of Presque Isle; -having their left secured by the rocky bank of the river, and their front -by a kind of breast-work of fallen trees, which rendered it impracticable -for cavalry to advance. They were formed in three lines, within supporting -distance, and extending nearly two miles into the woods.</p> - -<p>Wayne's legion immediately advanced in two columns, with trailed arms, -expecting to rouse the enemy from the covert with the bayonet; and when -up, to deliver a close fire upon their backs, and press them so hard as -not to give them time to reload. He soon saw, from the weight of their -fire, and the extent of their lines, that the Indians were in full force, -in possession of their favorite ground, and endeavoring to turn his left -flank. He instantly ordered General Scott, with his whole force, to make a -considerable circuit, with a view to outflank them; but the legionary -infantry executed their orders with such promptitude, that only a part of -the second column, and of the mounted volunteers, could be brought up to -participate in the action. The Indians flying from their concealment, only -confused each other by their numbers; and they were driven more than two -miles through thick woods, in the course of an hour, until the pursuit -terminated under the guns of Fort Maumee. [FN] Great slaughter was made by -the legionary cavalry in the pursuit, so many of the savages being cut -down with the sabre, that the title of Long-Knives, long before given to -the Americans, is said to have come again into general use at this period. -General Wayne stated his loss at one hundred and thirty-three killed and -wounded. That of the Indians was never ascertained, but was supposed to be -much greater.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Marshall. And see Appendix II.</p> - - -<p>As many as seven tribes were engaged in this action—the Miamies, the -Pottawatamies, Delawares, Shawanees, Chippewas, Ottawas, and some Senecas. -During the night preceding the battle, the chiefs of the different nations -had assembled in council, and it was proposed by some, to go up and attack -General Wayne in his encampment. The proposition was opposed, and the -council did not determine to attack him that night; but all acceded to -another suggestion, to wait until the next day, and fight the General at -Presque Isle. The Turtle alone disapproved of this plan, while Blue-Jacket -was warmly in favor of it. The former disliked the idea of fighting Wayne -under present circumstances, and was even inclined to make peace. "We have -beaten the enemy," said he at the council, "twice, under separate -commanders. We cannot expect the same good fortune always to attend us. -The Americans are now led by a chief who never sleeps. The night and the -day are alike to him; and during all the time that he has been marching -upon our villages, notwithstanding the watchfulness of our young men, we -have never been able to surprise him. Think well of it. There is something -whispers me, it would be prudent to listen to his offers of peace." On -this, he was reproached by one of the chiefs with cowardice, and that -ended the conference. Stung to the quick by a reproach which he was -conscious he never merited, he would have laid the reviler dead at his -feet; but his was not the bravery of an assassin. He took his post in the -action, determined to do his duty; and the event proved that he had formed -no very erroneous estimate of the character of General Wayne. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Schoolcraft.</p> - - -<p>The treaty of Greenville, consequent upon the successful termination of -this campaign, or what is frequently denominated <i>Wayne's War,</i> was -concluded on the third of August, A. D. 1795. This treaty, the basis of -most of our subsequent treaties with the northwestern Indians, was -attended by twelve tribes; some of whom, it is believed, had never before -entered into treaty with the United States. They ceded an extensive tract -of country, south of the lakes, and west of the Ohio; together with -certain specific tracts, including the sites of all the northwestern -posts, as an indemnification for the expenses of the war. The stipulations -of the treaty of Greenville continued unbroken till the battle of -Tippecanoe, a period of sixteen years.</p> - -<p>Dawson, in his memoirs of General Harrison, (who was educated in General -Wayne's family,) has given some interesting reminiscences respecting the -conclusion of this peace. He states, that the Turtle took a decided part -against the giving up of the large tract of country which General Wayne -required on the part of the United States. This circumstance, however, was -not unfavorable to the attainment of the object, as it was evident there -was a violent jealousy of the Turtle, among most of the Ottawas, -Chippewas, and Pottawatamies, so that they invariably opposed every thing -which he advocated. And as they and their friends constituted the majority -of the council, the Turtle was always in the minority. The superiority of -his mind was conspicuous not only in their company, but in his measures -and deportment in the society of white people. The other chiefs were all -invited, in their turns, to the General's table, and on these occasions -showed themselves still savages, though many of them appeared much at -their ease, and disposed of the good things of the General's table with -evident satisfaction. The drinking, however, was the most popular part of -the entertainment, and indeed, the White Pigeon, a Pottawatamie chief; -could not refrain from expressing his gratitude to the Great Spirit for -this, as he conceived, the best gift to man. Upon being asked for a toast -by General Wayne, he rose and said, "I will give you the Great Spirit, and -I am much obliged to him for putting so much sense into that man's head -who first made rum."</p> - -<p>After the peace was concluded, the Turtle settled upon Eel-River, about -twenty miles from Fort Wayne, where the Americans erected for him a -comfortable house. He frequently visited the seat of Government both at -Philadelphia and Washington. His taste for civilized life being observed, -the Indian agents were desired by the Government to furnish him with every -reasonable accommodation for his decent subsistence,—supposing that the -example might prove beneficial in their exertions to civilize the other -Indians.</p> - -<p>These indulgences, however, entirely destroyed—for a time, at least—the -Turtle's influence among the savages; for some envied his good fortune, -and others suspected his honesty. Being perfectly sensible of this, and -not a little chagrined by it, we may fairly presume that he made various -attempts to recover his popularity. This was probably the secret of his -opposition to the interest of the United States on more occasions than one -where it was not altogether indispensable. But we certainly need not deny -him on that account the credit of real patriotism which he manifested at -all times. The truth is, that in some indifferent cases, when he might -have yielded to the demands of the American authorities without disgrace, -he opposed them chiefly for the sake of retaining or regaining his -influence with his countrymen.</p> - -<p>Under these circumstances, however, he was of course liable to accusations -which he did not deserve,—by the Indians, of being bribed by the -Government, and by the Americans, of thwarting <i>their</i> purposes from a -puerile regard to the whims rather than the interest of the Indians. As an -instance of the latter, we may refer to the Indian Councils of 1802 and -1803, at Vincennes and at Fort Wayne, the result of which was the -conveyance of an immense territory to the United States from the -Pottawatamies, Piankishaws, Weas, Eel-River Miamies, and some other tribes -or parts of tribes.</p> - -<p>Mr. Dawson states that the former of these councils had been recommended -by the Turtle, but that when the time came, he refused to -attend,—-alleging as his reason, that "the jealousy with which the chiefs -viewed the footing he stood upon with the United States, would make his -presence rather more injurious than serviceable." Now, this would seem to -be a sufficient explanation; and yet the historian does not hesitate to -say, that the Turtle had just before been visited, bribed and gained over -by the British-Indian agent, M<sup>c</sup>Kee. This is asserted without -qualification, although the same paragraph shows that the testimony in the -case was nothing more than the "opinion" of a "Mr. Wells." It is added -that, "however that might be"—implying a doubt after all—the Turtle -certainly used his influence to prevent the other chiefs from attending -the Council. This might be true, but it proves at best, only that he made -some farther exertion to clear himself of that suspicion among the Indians -which he gave as his reason for not attending the council, and at the same -time to obviate the necessity itself of attending.</p> - -<p>The result proves the correctness of his judgment. Those who did attend -were at first extremely opposed to Governor Harrison's propositions; but -after considerable discussion they determined to refer the whole -matter—and it was one of no small moment to the Indian interest—to <i>four -chiefs</i> of the various tribes represented, or a majority of them, "to -finally settle and adjust a treaty" with the Agents of the Government. At -the head of the commission was the Turtle himself; and his nephew, -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Richardville,</span> a member of the same tribe, was another.</p> - -<p>Had any other course been taken than this, for which the Turtle is accused -of corruption, it is probable that the treaty would never have been -authorized, notwithstanding the tribes were deliberately convinced of its -policy,—for the presence of the Turtle would have been an argument to -counterbalance all others. The historian does the Chieftain better justice -in the sequel. A meeting of the Commissioners with the Governor having -been appointed for the spring of 1803, to be held at Fort Wayne, the -latter, on arriving there, was astonished to find that all who had agreed -to attend, were still absent, while the Turtle, who had only been -authorized to act in the premises, was on the spot, together with the -Pottawatomie Chiefs. It seems they had by this time grown jealous again; -audit comes out in evidence, that the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Owl,</span> or <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Long-Beard,</span> had been busily -employed in dissuading the Indians from meeting him, and that his -representations had been effectual in many cases. The Owl, despite big -name, was as subtle as he was wicked, and he found means to detach the -Miami nation almost entirely from the interests of the Turtle and -Richardville, who were the real chiefs of the tribe. This he effected by -asserting that the former had sold to the United States the whole country, -and that it would be claimed as it might be wanted. He earnestly advised -them not to accept any annuities in future, assuring them that the United -States would at a future day claim a large tract of land for every annuity -which they might pay to the Indians.</p> - -<p>We have before mentioned that when Buckongahelas and other chiefs finally -attended at Fort Wayne, and opposed the treaty, it was effected, according -to the historian's statement, principally by the influence of the Turtle. -It appears to have been on the whole a measure mutually beneficial to the -two contracting parties; but the Turtle no doubt thought that an agreement -once made should be ratified at all events, whatever the effect might be -on his own popularity.</p> - -<p>There is probably more justice in the charge brought against him in regard -to the treaty concluded with the Piankashaws and Delawares, in -1804,—though perhaps not in the sense intended by the accuser. The -Miamies were not consulted in this instance, it appears, nor were the -Pottawatamies. They believed themselves entitled to a voice in the matter, -and were therefore dissatisfied, and openly expressed their displeasure at -the result. It is alleged, however, that "no claim would have been set up -by them, had the <i>Turtle</i> been consulted when the treaty was made."</p> - -<p>This may be true,—for, setting aside courtesy, he and his countrymen -might at least have been prepossessed in favor of the honesty of the -transaction, by an appearance of entire frankness on the part of the -whites. Not that the treaty was in fact unprincipled; but the manner of -concluding it might well appear to the Indians somewhat exclusive. They -claimed an interest in the lands conveyed, and a consequent right to be -consulted as parties; and they wished that, even if the case admitted of -no argument, they might be allowed to hear what was said, and to see what -was done. Their anxiety was certainly the more pardonable, inasmuch as the -tract thus conveyed included "all that fine country between the Ohio and -the Wabash rivers (as high up as the road leading from Vincennes to -Louisville,) with a front of three hundred miles on the one and nearly -half as much on the other." It further appears, that at a general council -of the tribes at Vincennes, in 1805, a treaty was negotiated, which -"settled the dispute respecting the purchase made of the Delawares the -year before,"—the Miamies and the other claimants being present. There -was really a dispute, then—and it was settled—and that formally, by all -the parties concerned. It should have been prevented, we conceive, instead -of being settled; and in that case, the Turtle might have been spared the -charge of "manœuvring" and "intriguing" with the British Agents.</p> - -<p>He opposed the designs of Tecumseh and the Prophet, from the time of their -first appearance on the political stage, and it was owing to his influence -that very little was effected by them among the Miamies, as well as other -tribes, for a longtime. Had he lived through the war with England, he -would undoubtedly have exerted himself more energetically for the American -interest than ever before. The following communication indicates the part -he was prepared to take, subsequent to the battle of Tippecanoe. The -"witness" probably acted as amanuensis:—</p> - - <p class="exit"><i>Fort Wayne,</i> 25<i>th January,</i> 1812.</p> - -<p>"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Governor Harrison:</span></p> - -<p>"My friend—I have been requested by my nation to speak to you, and I obey -their request with pleasure, because I believe their situation requires -all the aid I can afford them.</p> - -<p>"When your speech by Mr. Dubois was received by the Miamies, they answered -it, and I made known to you their opinion at that time.</p> - -<p>"Your letter to William Wells of the 23d November last, has been explained -to the Miamies and Eel-River tribes of Indians.</p> - -<p>"My friend—Although neither of these tribes have had any thing to do with -the late unfortunate affair which happened on the Wabash, still they all -rejoice to hear you say, that if those foolish Indians which were engaged -in that action, would return to their several homeland remain quiet, that -they would be pardoned, and again received by the President as his -children. We believe there is none of them that will be so foolish, as not -to accept of this friendly offer; whilst, at the same time, I assure you, -that nothing shall be wanting on my part, to prevail on them to accept it.</p> - -<p>"All the prophet's followers have left him, (with the exception of two -camps of his own tribe.) Tecumseh has just joined him with eight men only. -No danger can be apprehended from them at present. Our eyes will be -constantly kept on them, and should they attempt to gather strength again, -we will do all in our power to prevent it, and at the same time give you -immediate information of their intentions.</p> - -<p>"We are sorry that the peace and friendship which has so long existed -between the red and white people, could not be preserved, without the loss -of so many good men as fell on both sides in the late action on the -Wabash; but we are satisfied that it will be the means of making that -peace which ought to exist between us, more respected, both by the red and -the white people.</p> - -<p>"We have been lately told, by different Indians from that quarter, that -you wished the Indians from this country to visit you: this they will do -with pleasure when you give them information of it in writing.</p> - -<p>"My friend!—The clouds appear to be rising in a different quarter, which -threatens to turn our light into darkness. To prevent this, it may require -the united efforts of us all. We hope that none of us will be found to -shrink from the storm that threatens to burst upon our nations.</p> - -<p class="list"> "Your friend, - X <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Mischecanocquah</span> - or <span style="font-variant:small-caps">LITTLE TURTLE.</span></p> - -<p class="list"> "For the Miami and Eel-River tribes of Indians.</p> - -<p class="list">"Witness, - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Wm. Turner,</span> <i>Surgeons Mate, U. S. Army.</i> - I certify that the above is a true translation.</p> - -<p class="list"> "W. WELLS."</p> - -<p>But the Turtle was destined to take no part in the Conflict. He died at -Fort Wayne—probably on a visit to the Commandant—July 14, 1812, of a -disorder which the army surgeon announced to be the gout. He endured the -pains of his disease, it is stated, with great firmness, and came to his -death, on the turf of his open camp, with the characteristic composure of -his race. His friend, the Commandant, buried him with the honors of war.</p> - -<p>He was said to be sixty-five years of age, by those who had the -opportunity of learning the fact from himself. That account would make him -forty-five,—the same age with the Mississaga chieftain,—at the date of -his great victory over St. Clair; and about thirty at the breaking out of -the American Revolution, during which he no doubt laid the foundation of -his fame. The Miamies are understood to have given as much trouble during -that period as any other tribe on the continent ever did in as few years.</p> - -<p>Mr. Schoolcraft, who speaks of the Turtle in very handsome terms, gives -him the credit of doing at least as much as any other individual on the -continent "to abolish the rites of human sacrifice." The existence, -certainly the prevalence, of the custom apparently referred to here, is -not, we apprehend, perfectly well authenticated; but that circumstance -itself may perhaps be attributed to the successful efforts made in modern -times to put an end to the practice. If the language we have quoted is -intended to include generally all wanton destruction of life—such as -torture of prisoners, for example—there can be little doubt of the -justice of the praise, for the Turtle uniformly enjoyed the reputation of -being as humane as he was brave.</p> - -<p>Nor was this the only case in which he acted the part of a reformer, so -much needed among his countrymen. He was the first man to originate an -efficient system of measures for the suppression of intemperance among -them. And never was a similar system so loudly called for the condition of -any people. Their appetite for ardent spirits is stronger than that of the -whites—owing in a great measure to their manner of living, and especially -to their diet. They have also fewer and feebler inducements to counteract -the propensity; and by <i>public opinion</i> and <i>fashion</i>—as expressed in -common practice, and in the declarations of the leading men—they are -confirmed in the evil quite as much as our citizens are restrained by -similar causes. But worse than all, their ignorance, their indolence, and -their poverty have made them the prey of legions of civilized -scoundrels,—particularly traders in peltry,—who have supposed themselves -interested in making them as sordid and stupid as possible, to induce them -to hunt in the first instance, and to rob them of their furs in the -second.</p> - -<p>The Turtle was no less mortified than incensed by these abuses. He saw his -countrymen destroyed and destroying each other every day in peace—and no -tribe was more besotted than the Eel-River Miamies—and he saw hundreds, -of them in war, at one time, surprised and massacred in their cups without -resistance, on the very ground still red and wet with his victories. -Possibly chagrin was as strong a motive with him as philanthropy. But -however that might be, he devoted himself with his usual energy to the -correction of the evil. In 1802 or 1803, he went before the legislature of -Kentucky, attended by his friend and interpreter, Captain Wells, and made -his appeal to them in person. A committee was raised to consider the -subject, and we believe a law passed to prevent the sale of whiskey to the -Indians, as he desired. He also visited the Legislature of Ohio, and made -a highly animated address, but in that case obtained nothing but the honor -for his pains. His description of the traders was drawn to the life. "They -stripped the poor Indians," he said, "of skins, gun, blanket, every -thing,—while his squaw and the children dependent on him lay starving and -shivering in his wigwam." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Mss. Documents.</p> - - -<p>From the following passage in the European (London) Magazine of April, -1802, compiled from American papers, we ascertain that the Turtle was also -the first to introduce the practice of <i>inoculation for the small pox</i> among -the Indians,—a scourge second only to the one just mentioned. "Last -winter," we are told, "there was a grand embassy of Indians to the -President and Congress at Washington. Little Turtle was the head-warrior. -The President had supplied them with ploughs, spinning-wheels, &c. and to -crown all he explained to them how the Great Spirit had made a donation to -the white men—first to one in England, (Dr. Jenner) and then to one in -America, (Dr. Waterhouse, of Boston, [FN])—of a means of preventing the -small pox. Such a confidence had the copper-colored king in the words of -his 'Father,' that he submitted to be inoculated, together with the rest -of the warriors." It further appears that he took a quantity of vaccine -matter home with him, which he probably administered in person; and that -not long afterwards, fifteen more of his tribe visited the seat of -government in pursuit of the same remedy.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Now of Cambridge.</p> - - -<p>We shall conclude our notice of this eminent chieftain, with a few -anecdotes preserved by Mr. Dawson.</p> - -<p>What distinguished him most, says that writer, was his ardent desire to be -informed of all that relates to our institutions; and he seemed to possess -a mind capable of understanding and valuing the advantages of civilized -life, in a degree far superior to any other Indian of his time. "During -the frequent visits which he made to the seat of government, he examined -every thing he saw with an inquisitive eye, and never failed to embrace -every opportunity to acquire information by inquiring of those with whom -he could take that liberty."</p> - -<p>Upon his return from Philadelphia, in 1797, he visited Governor Harrison, -at that time a captain in the army, and commander at Fort Washington. He -told the Captain he had seen many things, which he wished to have -explained, but said he was afraid of giving offence by asking too many -questions. "My friend here," said he, meaning Captain Wells, the -interpreter, "being about as ignorant as myself, could give me but little -satisfaction." He then desired the Captain to inform him how our government -was formed, and what particular powers and duties were exercised by the -two houses of Congress, by the President, the Secretaries, &c. Being -satisfied on this subject, he told the Captain he had become acquainted -with a great warrior while in Philadelphia, in whose fate he was much -interested, and whose history he wished to learn. This was no other than -the immortal Kosciusko; he had arrived at Philadelphia a short time -before, and hearing that a celebrated Indian chief was in the city, he -sent for him. They were mutually pleased with each other, and the Turtle's -visits were often repeated. When he went to take his final leave of the -wounded patriot, the latter presented the Turtle with an elegant pair of -pistols, and a splendid robe made of the sea-otter's skin, worth several -hundred dollars.</p> - -<p>The Turtle now told his host that he wished very much to know in what wars -his friend had received those grievous wounds which had rendered him so -crippled and infirm. The Captain shewed him upon a map of Europe the -situation of Poland, and explained to him the usurpations of its territory -by the neighboring powers—the exertions of Kosciusko to free his country -from this foreign yoke—his first victories—and his final defeat and -captivity. While he was describing the last unsuccessful battle of -Kosciusko, the Turtle seemed scarcely able to contain himself. At the -conclusion he traversed the room with great agitation, violently -flourished the pipe tomahawk with which he had been smoking, and -exclaimed, "Let that woman take care of herself"—meaning the Empress -Catharine—"this may yet be a dangerous man!"</p> - -<p>The Captain explained to the Turtle some anecdotes respecting the Empress -and her favorites, one of whom,—the king of Poland,—had at first been by -her elevated to the throne, and afterwards driven from it. He was much -astonished to find that men, and particularly warriors, would submit to a -woman. He said that perhaps if his friend Kosciusko had been a portly, -handsome man, he might have better succeeded with her majesty of all the -Russias, and might by means of a love-intrigue have obtained that -independence for his country, to which his skill and valor in the field -had been found unequal.</p> - -<p>The Turtle was fond of joking, and was possessed of considerable talent -for repartee. In the year 1797, he lodged in a house in Philadelphia, in -which was an Irish gentleman of considerable wit, who became much attached -to the Indian, and frequently amused himself in drawing out his wit by -good-humored jests. The Turtle and this gentlemen were at that time both -sitting for their portraits—the former by order of the President of the -United States, the picture to be hung up in the war-office—to the -celebrated Stewart. The two meeting one morning in the painter's room, the -Turtle appeared to be rather more thoughtful than usual. The Irishman -rallied him upon it, and affected to construe it into an acknowledgment of -his superiority in the jocular contest. "He mistakes," said the Turtle to -the interpreter, "I Was just thinking of proposing to this man, to paint -us both on one board, and here I would stand face to face with him, and -confound him to all eternity."</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="chxvi">CHAPTER XVI.</a></h2> -<br><br> - - - <p class="chap">The Seneca Chief, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Red-Jacket</span>—Circumstances under which he succeeded - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Corn-Planter</span> in his influence—Anecdotes of the latter—Red-Jacket's - earliest oratorical triumph—His speech at the Treaty of - Canandaigua—Account of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Farmer's-Brother,</span> and <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Brandt</span>—Red-Jacket's - political and religious principles—Speech to Mr. Alexander, in - 1811—Speech to Mr. Richardson—Remarks on the causes of his heathenism - in the conduct of the whites—His military career—Speech in favor of - declaring war against the British, in 1812—Seneca - Manifesto—Red-Jacket's interview with Washington—His interview with - Lafayette—His Memorial to the New-York Legislature—Speech to a - Missionary in 1825—His deposition and restoration in 1827—Visits to - the Atlantic cities—Death and funeral obsequies—Anecdotes.</p> -<br> - -<p>The Indian orator of modern times, <i>par excellence,</i> was the New-York -Chief, Saguoaha, or the Keeper-Awake, but by the whites commonly called -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Red-Jacket;</span>—a man who, with whatever propriety he might be entitled "the -Last of the Senecas," has at least transiently renewed, in these latter -days, the ancient glory of the Mingoes. "Thy name is princely,"—a popular -writer has said of him,—</p> - -<p class="list"> . . . Though no poet's magic - Could make Red-Jacket grace an English rhyme, - Unless he had a genius for the tragic, - And introduced it in a pantomime;</p> - -<p class="list"> Yet it is music in the language spoken - Of thine own land; and on her herald-roll, - As nobly fought for, and as proud a token - As Coeur-de-Lion's of a warrior's soul. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Talisman fox 1830.</p> - - -<p>This, by the way, is considerably nearer the truth than the statement in a -preceding stanza:</p> - -<p class="list"> . . . Tradition's pages - Tell not the planting of thy parent tree; - But that the forest tribes have Dent for ages, - To thee and to thy sires the subject knee.</p> - -<p>Better historical, if not poetical authority informs us, that the Seneca -literally "fought" for his rank, if not for his name; and that, like the -subject of our last notice, he owed nothing to the advantages of -illustrious birth. [FN] We should add, however, that the struggle was in -the council-house as well as in the field of battle. "A warrior!"—he once -(and probably more than once) had the modesty to say of himself, with a -smile of contempt, when some enquiries were made respecting the deeds of -blood which are sometimes supposed to constitute the character of an -Indian;—"A Warrior! I am an <i>Orator.</i> I was <i>born</i> an Orator!"</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Governor Clinton's Discourse before the New-York Historical Society; - 1811.</p> - - -<p>The predecessor of Red-Jacket, in the respect of the Senecas, and of the -Confederacy at large, was a celebrated chief named by the English the -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Corn-Planter,</span> a personage also well known for his eloquence, and worthy on -that account to be distinctly commemorated, were there on record any -definite and well authenticated sketches of his efforts. Unfortunately, -there are not. The speeches commonly ascribed to him, are believed to have -been mostly composed by some of his civilized acquaintances, rather on the -principle of those effusions usually attributed to popular candidates for -the gallows. Still, there is less reason, we apprehend, for doubting his -real genius, than for disputing his nationality. He considered himself a -half-breed, [FN] his father being an Indian, according to his own account, -and his mother a white woman.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Appendix, III. and VI.</p> - - -<p>By a singular combination of circumstances, Red-Jacket was brought forward -into public life, and that to great advantage, mainly in consequence of -the same incident which destroyed the influence of Corn-Planter. This, -indeed, had been rather declining for some time, owing partly to his -agency in effecting a large cession of Seneca land to the American -Government, at the treaty of Fort Stanwix, in 1784. His loss of -popularity, in fine, bitterly chagrined him, and he resolved on a -desperate exertion to restore it. With this view, he undertook to practice -upon the never-failing superstition of his countrymen, by persuading his -brother to announce himself as a <i>Prophet,</i>—of course commissioned by the -Great Spirit "to redeem the fallen fortunes of his race,"—that is, his -own.</p> - -<p>The savages listened to the new pretender with all the veracious credulity -which characterises the race. Among the Onondagas, previously the most -drunken and profligate of the Six Nations, he acquired such an ascendancy, -as to induce them to abandon the use of spirituous liquors entirely, and -to observe the common laws of morality and decency in some other respects, -wherein they had before been grievously deficient. Indeed, among the -Confederates generally, he obtained a supremacy equal to that of the same -character obtained by Elskwatawa among the western tribes, not far from -the same time. The Oneidas alone rejected him.</p> - -<p>Like that notorious impostor, too, he soon availed himself, for evil -purposes, of the confidence gained by the preliminary manifestation of -good. A cry of "witchcraft" was raised, and a sort of examining committee -of conjurers was selected to designate the offenders. And that duty was -zealously discharged. The victims were actually sentenced, and would -doubtless have been executed, but for the interference of the magistrates -of Oneida and the officers of the garrison at Niagara.</p> - -<p>But neither the Corn-Planter nor his pious coadjutor was yet discouraged. -Nothing but an accident had prevented success, and the failure only made -it the more imperatively necessary to try the experiment again. Red-Jacket -was publicly denounced. His accusers came forward at a great Indian -council held at Buffalo Creek. "At this crisis," says an eminent writer, -"he well knew that the future color of his life depended upon the powers -of his mind. He spoke in his defence for near three hours. The iron brow -of superstition relented under the magic of his eloquence; he declared the -Prophet an impostor and a cheat; he prevailed; the Indians divided, and a -small majority appeared in his favor. Perhaps the annals of history cannot -furnish a more conspicuous instance of the triumph and power of oratory, -in a barbarous nation, devoted to superstition, and looking up to the -accuser as a delegated minister of the Almighty." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Discourse of Governor Clinton.</p> - - -<p>If this anecdote be true,—and we are not aware of its having been -doubted,—the Orator, whatever be said of his genius as such, hardly -deserved the precise compliment which is paid him by his eulogist in -verse. "Is eloquence," he asks, "a monarch's merit?"</p> - -<p class="list"> . . . Her spell is thine that reaches - The heart, and makes the wisest head its sport, - And there's one rare, strange virtue in thy speeches. - The secret of their mastery—<i>they are short.</i></p> - -<p>But the Seneca's case, it must be allowed, was one of clear compulsion; -and he probably felt, on the occasion in question, very little of the -impatience which induced Horne Tooke to say, after a noble friend's plea -of eleven hours in his behalf before the Commons, that "he would rather be -hanged, another time, than defended."</p> - -<p>Such was the Orator's first triumph. It was not, however, his first -effort; for many years before the transaction just referred to, as we -suppose, when Red-Jacket was probably about thirty years of age,—and at a -period when our relations with all the Indians are well known to have been -continually wavering,—a treaty was held with the Six Nations on the -beautiful acclivity which overlooks the Canandaigua Lake. Some -reminiscences of it, bearing a high interest, have reached us, on the -authenticity of which we do not hesitate to rely.</p> - -<p>"Two days," says our authority, [FN] "had passed away in negotiation with -the Indians for a cession of their lands. The contract was supposed to be -nearly completed, when Red-Jacket arose. With the grace and dignity of a -Roman senator, he drew his blanket around him, and, with a piercing eye, -surveyed the multitude. All was hushed. Nothing interposed to break the -silence, save the gentle rustling of the tree-tops, under whose shade they -were gathered. After a long and solemn, but not unmeaning pause, he -commenced his speech in a low voice and a sententious style. Rising -gradually with his subject, he depicted the primitive simplicity and -happiness of his nation, and the wrongs they had sustained from the -usurpations of white men, with such a bold but faithful pencil, that every -auditor was soon roused to vengeance, or melted into tears."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] The writer of a communication on "Indian Biography," for the - <span style="font-variant:small-caps">New-York American,</span> about ten years since. We give him credit for his - statements of facts, though we cannot concur with him in charging - Red-Jacket with "cowardice." He adds, "It was <i>only</i> at the - 'Council-fire' he shone pre-eminent. There, indeed, he was great. The - belittling simplicity of his name did not seem to detract from the - splendors of his eloquence."</p> - - -<p>"The effect was inexpressible. But ere the emotions of admiration and -sympathy had subsided, the white men became alarmed. They were in the -heart of an Indian country, surrounded by more than ten times their -number, who were inflamed by the remembrance of their injuries, and -excited to indignation by the eloquence of a favorite chief. Appalled and -terrified, the white men cast a cheerless gaze upon the hordes around -them. A nod from the chiefs might be the onset of destruction. At that -portentous moment, <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Farmer's-Brother</span> interposed. He replied not to his -brother chief; but, with a sagacity truly aboriginal, he caused a -cessation of the council, introduced good cheer, commended the eloquence -of Red-Jacket, and, before the meeting had re-assembled, with the aid of -other prudent chiefs, he had moderated the fury of his nation to a more -salutary review of the question before them."</p> - -<p>The council came together again in cooler blood, and the treaty was -concluded. The Western District at this day, it is added, "owes no small -portion of its power and influence to the councils of a savage, in -comparison with whom for genius, heroism, virtue, or any other quality -that can adorn the bauble of a diadem, not only George the IV. and Louis -le Desire, but the German Emperor and the Czar of Muscovy, alike dwindle -into insignificance."</p> - -<p>This somewhat warmly expressed compliment,—the extravagance of which in -an old friend of the subject, may be excused in its good feeling,—reminds -us of the consideration really due to a man distinguished not alone as a -competitor with our hero for savage glory.</p> - -<p>Except as related to oratory, he was a competitor in the same course. The -name of Farmer's-Brother was merely arbitrary. He was a warrior in -principle and in practice, and he spurned agriculture and every other -civilized art, with the contempt of Red-Jacket himself. In the war between -France and England, which resulted in the conquest of Canada, he fought -against the latter, and probably under the remote command of the great -Ottawa "Emperor" of the north. One of his exploits in the contest is still -told to the traveler who passes a noted stream not very far from the -ancient Fort Niagara, in the vicinity of which it occurred. The -particulars come to us authenticated by one to whom they were furnished by -the Farmer himself on the site of the adventure.</p> - -<p>There, with a party of Indians, he lay in ambush, patiently awaiting the -approach of a guard that accompanied the English teams employed between -the falls of Niagara and the garrison, which had there lately surrendered -to Sir William Johnston. The place selected for that purpose is now known -by the name of the Devil's Hole, and is three and a half miles below the -famous cataract upon the American side of the strait. The mind can -scarcely conceive a more dismal looking den. A large ravine, occasioned by -the falling in of the perpendicular bank, made dark by the spreading -branches of the birch and cedar, which had taken root below, and the low -murmuring of the rapids in the chasm, added to the solemn thunder of the -cataract itself, conspire to render the scene truly awful. The English -party were not aware of the dreadful fate that awaited them. Unconscious -of danger, the drivers were gaily whistling to their dull ox-teams. -Farmer's-Brother and his band, on their arrival at this spot, rushed from -the thicket that had concealed them, and commenced a horrid butchery. So -unexpected was such an event, and so completely were the English disarmed -of their presence of mind, that but a feeble resistance was made. The -guard, the teamsters, the oxen and the wagons, were precipitated into the -gulf. But two of them escaped; a Mr. Stedman, who lived at Schioper, above -the falls, being mounted on a fleet horse, made good his retreat; and one -of the soldiers, who was caught on the projecting root of a cedar, which -sustained him until assured, by the distant yell of the savages, that they -had quited the ground.—It is the rivulet, pouring itself down this -precipice, whose name is the only monument that records the massacre. It -is said to have been literally colored with the blood of the vanquished.</p> - -<p>In the Revolutionary War, Farmer's-Brother evinced his hostility to the -Americans upon every occasion that presented itself; and, with the same -zeal, he engaged in the late war against his former friends, the English.</p> - -<p>Another anecdote of this Chief will show, in more glowing colors, the real -savage. A short time before our army crossed the Niagara, Farmer's-Brother -chanced to observe an Indian, who had mingled with the Senecas, and whom -he instantly recognized as belonging to the Mohawks, a tribe living in -Canada, and then employed in the service of the enemy. He went up to him, -and addressed him in the Indian tongue—"I know you well—you belong to -the Mohawks—you are a spy—here is my rifle—my tomahawk—my -scalping-knife. I give you your choice which I shall use, but I am in -haste." The young warrior, finding resistance vain, chose to be put to -death with a rifle. He was ordered to lie down upon the grass, while, with -his left foot upon the breast of the victim, the Chief lodged the contents -of his rifle in his head.</p> - -<p>With so much of the savage, Farmer's-Brother possessed some noble traits. -He was as firm a friend where he promised fidelity, as a bitter enemy to -those against whom he contended; and would lose the last drop of blood in -his veins sooner than betray the cause he had espoused. He was fond of -recounting his exploits, and dwelt with much satisfaction upon the number -of scalps he had taken in his skirmishes with the whites. In company with -several other chiefs, he once paid a visit to General Washington, who -presented him with a silver medal. This he constantly wore suspended from -his neck; and so precious did he esteem the gift, that he was often heard -to declare he would lose it only with his life.</p> - -<p>Soon after the battles of Chippewa and Bridgewater, this veteran warrior -paid the debt of nature, aged more than eighty years, at the Seneca -village, where, as a mark of respect for his distinguished bravery, the -fifth regiment of United States Infantry interred him with military -honors. [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] See <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Village Register, American,</span> and other New-York papers of about - 1820.—Also, Appendix. V and VI.</p> - - -<p>Another elder contemporary of Red-Jacket was the Mohawk chief <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Brandt,</span> "the -accursed Brandt" of <i>Gertrude of Wyoming,</i> whom, however, we think it the -less necessary to notice at much length, from his being, like the -Corn-Planter, only a half-breed. In the French and English war, he -rendered some services to the former. In the Revolution, he was -commissioned Colonel in the English army, and distinguished himself in the -horrid massacre at Wyoming. His services were rewarded by the present of a -fine tract of land on the western shores of Lake Ontario. One of his sons, -an intelligent, high-minded man, quite civilized, and much esteemed by his -American acquaintances, a few years since laudably undertook the -vindication of his father's memory from the often repeated charges of -treachery and cruelty, but we apprehend with rather more zeal than -success. The father deceased in 1807; the son, only a month or two since.</p> - -<p>To return to Red-Jacket After his first oratorical triumph, he rose as -rapidly as the Corn-Planter declined in the esteem of his countrymen. The -latter withdrew from the rivalry, [FN] but the ambition of his successor -was thoroughly aroused. He burned to be, and to be called, the Great -Speaker of his nation and his age; to renew that glorious era when the -white men trembled at the breath of Garangula; to feel and to make felt.</p> - -<p class="list"> The monarch mind—the mystery of commanding— - The godlike power—the art Napoleon, - Of winning, fettering, moulding, wielding, banding - The hearts of millions, till they move like one.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] The Prophet died in 1815.</p> - - -<p>And he succeeded as far perhaps as could be expected in the circumstances -of the modern Seneca, as compared with those of the orator who bearded the -Canadian lion in his den. More than a century had since elapsed, during -which the proud confederacy that had kept all other nations on the -continent at bay was reduced to a few lingering, scattered -settlements,—surrounded and crowded by civilization,—perhaps besotted in -vice,—where the very ground of their ancient council-halls scarcely was -sought for. With such discouragements in his way, the young Orator -deserves some credit for making the exertions he did, and his countrymen -for rewarding them as they were able. They elected him a chief; and then -upon all occasions obeyed him in peace, and followed him in war.</p> - -<p>Red-Jacket justified their confidence by a strict adherence to principles -which on the whole are equally creditable to his heart and head, although -either the policy itself, or his singular pertinacity in maintaining it, -no doubt made him many adversaries and some enemies, even with his own -people. He had early reflected upon and felt deeply the impotent -insignificance to which the tribes were reduced;—and he resolved, if he -could not restore them to their primitive position, at least to stay the -progress of ruin. How should this be done,—was the great question,—by -receiving civilization, or by resisting it?</p> - -<p>He determined on the latter alternative, and from that hour never in the -slightest degree swerved from his resolution to drive away and keep away -every innovation on the character, and every intrusion on the territory of -the nation. Traders, travelers, teachers, missionaries, speculators in -land, were regarded with the same jealousy. In a word, he labored against -circumstances whose force had now become inevitable and irresistible, to - maintain a system of complete Indian Independence, which few of his -countrymen understood, and still fewer were willing to practice.</p> - -<p>And this is the trait which distinguishes his character from the majority -of those we have heretofore sketched. Some of the most eminent of the -number, like Pontiac and Little-Turtle, were anxious to avail themselves -of the arts of civilization at least, were it only for purposes of offence -and defence against the race whom they borrowed from; and scarcely any -were opposed, other than incidentally, to their introduction into Indian -use. But Red-Jacket was a Pagan in principle. He advocated as well as -acted Paganism on all occasions. He was prouder of his genuine -<i>Indianism,</i> if possible, than he was of his oratory. His bitterest foe -could not deny him the merit of frankness.</p> - -<p>One of his clearest manifestos, in explanation of his system, was -delivered as long ago as May, 1811, before a council of the Senecas, held -at Buffalo Creek, in the form of a speech to the Rev. Mr. Alexander, a -missionary from a Society in the city of New-York, whose commission the -address itself sufficiently explains.</p> - -<p>"Brother!"—the Orator began, with a complaisance which never, under any -excitement, deserted him,-"Brother!—We listened to the talk you delivered -us from the Council of Black-Coats, [FN] in New-York. We have fully -considered your talk, and the offers you have made us. We now return our -answer, which we wish you also to understand. In making up our minds, we -have looked back to remember what has been done in our days, and what our -fathers have told us was done in old times."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] His usual designation of Clergymen.</p> - - -<p>"Brother!—Great numbers of Black-Coats have been among the Indians. With -sweet voices and smiling faces, they offered to teach them the religion of -the white people. Our brethren in the East listened to them. They turned -from the religion of their fathers, and took up the religion of the white -people. What good has it done? Are they more friendly one to another than -we are? No, Brother! They are a divided people;—we are united. They -quarrel about religion;—we live in love and friendship. Besides, they -drink strong waters. And they have learned how to cheat, and how to -practice all the other vices of the white people, without imitating their -virtues. Brother!—If you wish us well, keep away; do not disturb us.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We do not worship the Great Spirit as the white people do, but -we believe that the forms of worship are indifferent to the Great Spirit. -It is the homage of sincere hearts that pleases him, and we worship him in -that manner.</p> - -<p>"According to your religion, we must believe in a Father and Son, or we -shall not be happy hereafter. We have always believed in a Father, and we -worship him as our old men taught us. Your book says that the Son was sent -on earth by the Father. Did all the people who saw the Son believe him? -No! they did not. And if you have read the book, the consequence must be -known to you.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—You wish us to change our religion for yours. We like our -religion, and do not want another. Our friends here, [pointing to Mr. -Granger, the Indian Agent, and two other whites, {FN}] do us great good; -they counsel us in trouble; they teach us now to be comfortable at all -times. Our friends the Quakers do more. They give us ploughs, and teach us -how to use them. They tell us we are accountable beings. But they do not -tell us we must change our religion.—We are satisfied with what they do, -and with what they say."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] An Indian Interpreter, and an Agent of the Society of Friends for - improving the condition of the Indians.</p> - - -<p>"Brother!—For these reasons we cannot receive your offers. We have other -things to do, and beg you to make your mind easy, without troubling us, -lest our heads should be too much loaded, and by and by burst."</p> - -<p>At the same Council, the following reply was made by Red-Jacket, in behalf -of his tribe, to the application of a Mr. Richardson, to buy out their -right to the reservations lying in the territory commonly called the -Holland Purchase.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We opened our ears to the talk you lately delivered to us, at -our council-fire. In doing important business it is best not to tell long -stories, but to come to it in a few words. We therefore shall not repeat -your talk, which is fresh in our minds. We have well considered it, and -the advantages and disadvantages of your offers. We request your attention -to our answer, which is not from the speaker alone, but from all the -Sachems and Chiefs now around our council-fire.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We know that great men, as well as great nations, have -different interests and different minds, and do not see the same -light—but we hope our answer will be agreeable to you and your employers.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—Your application for the purchase of our lands is to our minds -very extraordinary. It has been made in a crooked manner. You have not -walked in the straight path pointed out by the great Council of your -nation. You have no writings from your great Father, the President. In -making up our minds we have looked back, and remembered how the Yorkers -purchased our lands in former times. They bought them, piece after -piece,—for a little money paid to a few men in our nation, and not to all -our brethren,—until our planting and hunting-grounds have become very -small, and if we sell them, we know not where to spread our blankets.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—You tell us your employers have purchased of the Council of -Yorkers, a right to buy our lands. We do not understand how this can be. -The lands do not belong to the Yorkers; they are ours, and were given to -us by the Great Spirit.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We think it strange that you should jump over the lands of our -brethren in the East, to come to our council-fire so far off to get our -lands. When we sold our lands in the East to the white people, we -determined never to sell those we kept, which are as small as we can -comfortably live on.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—You want us to travel with you and look for new lands. If we -should sell our lands and move off into a distant country towards the -setting sun, we should be looked upon in the country to which we go, as -foreigners and strangers. We should be despised by the red, as well as the -white men, and we should soon be surrounded by the white people, who will -there also kill our game, and come upon our lands and try to get them from -us.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We are determined not to sell our lands, but to continue on -them. We like them. They are fruitful, and produce us corn in abundance -for the support of our women and children, and grass and herbs for our -cattle.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—At the treaties held for the purchase of our lands, the white -men, with sweet voices and smiling faces, told us they loved us, and that -they would not cheat us, but that the king's children on the other side of -the lake would cheat us. When we go on the other side of the lake, the -king's children tell us your people will cheat us. These things puzzle our -heads, and we believe that the Indians must take care of themselves, and -not trust either in your people, or in the king's children.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—At a late council we requested our agents to tell you that we -would not sell our lands, and we think you have not spoken to our agents, -or they would have told you so, and we should not have met you at our -council-fire at this time.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—The white people buy and sell false rights to our lands, and -your employers have, you say, paid a great price for their rights. They -must have a plenty of money, to spend it in buying false rights to lands -belonging to Indians. The loss of it will not hurt them, but our lands are -of great value to us, and we wish you to go back with our talk to your -employers, and tell them and the Yorkers that they have no right to buy -and sell false rights to our lands.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We hope you clearly understand the Ideas we have offered. This -is all we have to say."</p> - -<p>It is not surprising that Red-Jacket should misunderstand, or not -understand at all, the right to buy Indian land, which Richardson said his -employers had obtained of the "Council of Yorkers." It was the right of -preemption, in plain English—by which better read jurists than the Seneca -have been perplexed. He naturally enough mistook <i>the</i> "right" of the -State for <i>a</i> right, whereas it amounted to nothing but the privilege of -preventing all other parties from acquiring a right. It was a -prerogative—as against the <i>whites</i> alone—the legal effect of which was -to incapacitate, not the Indians from selling, but themselves from buying.</p> - -<p>There certainly can be no mistaking the shrewd independent reflection and -plausible reasoning in the address, however much the perversion of such -ability and spirit may give occasion for regret. Several of the arguments, -too, are clearly founded in reason, as several of the statements are -fortified by truth. In regard to the Indians being cheated by the whites, -particularly, the only error of Red-Jacket, and that a perfectly obvious -one, was in ascribing to the whites at large, and consequently to -Christianity, the credit which in fact belonged to a few unprincipled -traders and greedy speculators in land, who had indeed carried their -manœuvres to an aggravated extent.</p> - -<p>There is good reason to believe that Red-Jacket,—whose military career -it is time to allude to,—took his earnest lessons in the art of war -during the Revolution, in the ranks of those Senecas who so signally -distinguished themselves by their ravages on the frontiers of New-York, -Pennsylvania, New-Jersey and Virginia. [FN-1] The only reference, however, -which he ever himself made to that part of his history, so far as we know, -was latterly at Buffalo, when he was introduced to General Lafayette, then -on his tour through the country. He Reminded the latter of a Council at -Fort Stanwix in 1784, where both were present, and which had been called -with the view of negotiating a treaty with some of the Six Nations. "And -where," asked Lafayette, "is the Young Warrior who so eloquently opposed -the burying of the tomahawk?" "<i>He is before you,</i>" answered the chief. -"Ah!"—he added with a melancholy air, and stripping off a handkerchief -from his bald head,—"Time has made bad work with me. But you, I -perceive,"—and here he narrowly reconnoitered the General's wig—"<i>You</i> -have hair enough left yet!" [FN-2] At the date of this interview, seven -years since, he was at least sixty-five years of age, and therefore must -have been about twenty-five at the time of the treaty.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] App. No. VII.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Levasseur's "Tour of Lafayette."</p> - - -<p>A few years subsequent to the negotiation referred to on this occasion, -Red-Jacket had an interview with General Washington, who gave him a silver -medal, which he wore ever afterwards, and is said to have named him "the -Flower of the Forest." But the Senecas were again hostile soon afterwards, -and it was only at the expense of an expedition which ravaged their -territory far and wide, that this haughty people were at length subdued -into any thing like a state of composure. Red-Jacket is believed to have -been second to none of his countrymen in his opposition to the American -interest down to that period; but a peace was granted upon liberal -terms—some complaints of the Indians were adjusted—a system of -protection was devised for their benefit—and thenceforth, both they and -he were quite friendly in most instances, and faithful to their -engagements in all.</p> - -<p>As early at least as 1810, Red-Jacket gave information to the Indian Agent -of attempts made by Tecumseh, the Prophet and others, to draw his nation -into the great western combination; but the war of 1812 had scarcely -commenced, when they volunteered their services to their American -neighbors. For some time these were rejected, and every exertion was made -to induce them to remain neutral. They bore the restraint with an -ill-grace, but said nothing. At length, in the summer of 1812, the English -unadvisedly took possession of Grand Island, in the Niagara river, a -valuable territory of the Senecas. This was too much for the pride of such -men as Red-Jacket and Farmers-Brother. A council was called forthwith—the -American Agent was summoned to attend—-and the orator rose and addressed -him.</p> - -<p>"Brother!"—said he, after stating the information received,—"you have -told us we had nothing to do with the war between you and the British. But -the war has come to our doors. Our property is seized upon by the British -and their Indian friends. It is necessary for <i>us,</i> then, to take up this -business. We must defend our property; we must drive the enemy from our -soil. If we sit still on our lands, and take no means of redress, the -British, following the customs of you white people, <i>will hold them by -conquest;</i> and you, if you conquer Canada, will claim them, on the same -principles, as conquered <i>from the British.</i> Brother!—We wish to go with -our warriors, and drive off these bad people, and take possession of those -lands."</p> - -<p>The effect of this reasonable declaration, and especially of the manner in -which it was made, was such as might be expected. A grand council of the -Six Nations came together, and a manifesto, of which the following is a -literal translation, issued against the British in Canada, and signed by -all the grand Councilors of the Confederation.</p> - -<p>"We, the Chiefs and Councilors of the Six Nations of Indians, residing in -the State of New-York, do hereby proclaim to all the war-chiefs and -warriors of the Six Nations, that war is declared on our part against the -provinces of Upper and Lower Canada.</p> - -<p>"Therefore, we do hereby command and advise all the war-chiefs to call -forth immediately the warriors under them, and put them in motion to -protect their rights and liberties, which our brethren, the Americans are -now defending." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Niles's Register, Vol. IV.</p> - - -<p>No speech of Red-Jacket at this memorable meeting of the tribes is -preserved, but from the address of one of the oldest warriors it appears -that they expected to raise as many as three thousand fighting-men. But -this must be an exaggeration. In 1817, there were supposed to be only -seven thousand Indians of all descriptions within the State of New-York, -on a liberal estimate, and the usual proportion of warriors would be in -that case about two thousand. It is improbable that more than half this -number were actually organized for service at any period during the -war.—Those who engaged, however, cannot be accused of want of zeal, for -although the Declaration was made quite late in 1812, we find a -considerable body of them taking a spirited part in an action near Fort -George, of which an official account was given by General Boyd, under date -of August 13th. The enemy were completely routed, and a number of British -Indians captured by our allies.</p> - -<p>"Those," adds the General, "who participated in this contest, particularly -the Indians, conducted with great bravery and activity. General Porter -volunteered in the affair, and Major Chapin evinced his accustomed zeal -and courage. The regulars under Major Cummings, as far as they were -engaged, conducted well. The principal chiefs who led the warriors this -day, were <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Farmers-Brother, Red-Jacket,</span> Little-Billey, Pollard, -Black-Snake, Johnson, Silver-Heels, Captain Halftown, Major Henry O. Ball, -(Corn-planter's son,) and Captain Cold, who was wounded. In a council -which was held with them yesterday, they covenanted not to scalp or -murder; and I am happy to say that they treated the prisoners with -humanity, and committed no wanton cruelties on the dead."</p> - -<p>Of the chiefs here mentioned, we believe all were Senecas, except Captain -Cold. The General repeats, in his next bulletin,—"The bravery and -humanity of the Indians were equally conspicuous;" and another authority -says,—"They behaved with great gallantry and betrayed no disposition to -violate the restrictions which Boyd has imposed." [FN] These -restrictions,—it should be observed in justice to Red-Jacket and his -brave comrades,—had been previously agreed upon at the Grand Council, and -the former probably felt no humiliation in departing in this particular -from the usual savagery on which he prided himself. We have met with no -authentic charges against him, either of cruelty or cowardice, and it is -well known that he took part in a number of sharply contested engagements.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Niles's Register.</p> - - -<p>After the conclusion of peace, he resumed, with his accustomed energy, the -superintendence of the civil interests of the Senecas. The division of the -tribe into parties,—the Christian and Anti-Christian,—was now completely -distinct; the former being headed by Little-Billey, Captain Pollard, and -other noted chiefs; and the latter by Red-Jacket, with young Corn-planter -and several more spirited assistants, whose names are appended to the -following memorial to the Governor of New-York. This was the composition -of Red-Jacket It had been preceded by a private letter from himself to the -Governor, which had probably produced little or no effect.</p> - - <p class="direct">"To the Chief of the Council-fire at Albany.</p> - -<p>"Brother!</p> - -<p>"About three years ago, our friends of the great council-fire at Albany, -wrote down in their book that the priests of white people should no longer -reside on our lands, and told their officers to move them off whenever we -complained. This was to us good news, and made our hearts glad. These -priests had a long time troubled us, and made us bad friends and bad -neighbors. After much difficulty we removed them from our lands; and for a -short time have been quiet and our minds easy. But we are now told that -the priests have asked liberty to return; and that our friends of the -great council-fire are about to blot from their book the law which they -made, and leave their poor red brethren once more a prey to hungry -priests.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—Listen to what we say. These men do us no good. They deceive -every body. They deny the Great Spirit, which we, and our fathers before -us, have looked upon as our Creator. They disturb us in our worship. They -tell our children they must not believe like our fathers and mothers, and -tell us many things that we do not understand and cannot believe. They -tell us we must be like white people—but they are lazy and won't work, -nor do they teach our young men to do so. The habits of our women are -worse than they were before these men came amongst us, and our young men -drink more whiskey. We are willing to be taught to read, and write, and -work, but not by people who have done us so much injury. Brother!—we wish -you to lay before the council-fire the wishes of your red brethren. We ask -our brothers not to blot out the law which has made us peaceable and -happy, and not to force a strange religion upon us. We ask to be let -alone, and, like the white people, to worship the Great Spirit as we think -it best. We shall then be happy in filling the little space in life which -is left us, and shall go down to our fathers in peace." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Niles's Register, Vol. XXVIII; 1828.</p> - - -<p>This unique document was subscribed with the mark of Red-Jacket first, and -then followed those of Corn-Planter, Green-Blanket, Big-Kettle, Robert -Bob, Twenty-Canoes, senior and junior, Two-Guns, Fish-Hook, Hot-Bread, -Bare-Foot, and many other staunch advocates of the same principles. It was -presented to the Assembly, but we have not learned that any efficient -order was taken upon it. About the same time, Red-Jacket made an earnest -appeal to his Quaker neighbors,—a people always beloved by the -Indians,—with the same design. He told them that those whites who -pretended to instruct and preach to his people, stole their horses and -drove off their cattle, while such of the Senecas as they nominally -converted from heathenism to Christianity, only disgraced themselves by -paltry attempts to cover the profligacy of the one with the hypocrisy of -the other.</p> - -<p>The Pagans were generally opposed to the cession of land, but foreign -influence, united with that of their antagonists at home, sometimes proved -too strong for them. At a treaty held with the tribe in 1826, eighty-two -thousand acres of fine territory were given up. Red-Jacket opposed the -measure in an eloquent appeal to the Indian feelings of his countrymen, -but the effort gained him but few votes.</p> - -<p>The speech which has perhaps added most to his reputation was a thoroughly -Pagan one, delivered not long previous to the affair just mentioned to a -council at Buffalo, convened at the request of a missionary from -Massachusetts, with the view of introducing and recommending himself to -them in his religious capacity. The Missionary made a speech to the -Indians, explaining the objects for which he had called them together. It -was by no means, he said, to get away their lands or money. There was but -one religion, and without that they could not prosper. They had lived all -their lives in gross darkness. Finally he wished to hear their objections, -if any could be made; and the sooner, the better, inasmuch as some other -Indians whom he had visited, had resolved to reply to him in accordance -with <i>their</i> decision.</p> - -<p>At the close of this address, the Senecas spent several hours in private -conference, and then Red-Jacket came forward as speaker.</p> - -<p>"Friend and Brother!"—he began—"It was the will of the Great Spirit that -we should meet together this day. He orders all things, and he has given -us a fine day for our council. He has taken his garment from before the -sun, and caused it to shine with brightness upon us. Our eyes are opened -that we see clearly. Our ears are unstopped that we have been able to hear -distinctly the words you have spoken. For all these favors we thank the -Great Spirit, and him only.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—This council fire was kindled by you. It was at your request -that we came together at this time. We have listened with attention to -what you have said. You requested us to speak our minds freely. This gives -us great joy, for we now consider that we stand upright before you, and -can speak what we think. All have heard your voice, and all speak to you -as one man. Our minds are agreed.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—You say you want an answer to your talk before you leave this -place. It is right you should have one, as you are a great distance from -home, and we do not wish to detain you. But we will first look back a -little, and tell you what our fathers have told us, and what we have heard -from the white people.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—Listen to what we say. There was a time when our forefathers -owned this great island." [FN-1] Their seats extended from the rising to the setting sun. The Great Spirit -had made it for the use of Indians. He had created the buffalo, the deer, -and other animals for food. He made the bear and the beaver, and their -skins served us for clothing. He had scattered them over the country, and -taught us how to take them. He had caused the earth to produce corn for -bread. All this he had done for his red children because he loved them. If -we had any disputes about hunting-grounds, they were generally settled -without the shedding of much blood. But an evil day came upon us. Your -forefathers crossed the great waters, and landed on this island. Their -numbers were small. They found friends and not enemies. They told us they -had fled from their own country for fear of wicked men, and come here to -enjoy their religion. They asked for a small seat. We took pity on them, -granted their request, and they sat down amongst us. We gave them corn and -meat. They gave us poison [FN-2] in return. The white people had now found -our country. Tidings were carried back, and more came amongst us. Yet we -did not fear them. We took them to be friends. They called us brothers. We -believed them, and gave them a larger seat. At length their numbers had -greatly increased. They wanted more land. They wanted our country. Our -eyes were opened, and our minds became uneasy. Wars took place. Indians -were hired to fight against Indians, and many of our people were -destroyed. They also brought strong liquors among us. It was strong and -powerful, and has slain thousands.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN-1] Meaning the Continent—a common belief and expression among the - Indians.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN-2] Spirituous liquor.</p> - - -<p>"Brother!—Our seats were once large, and yours were very small. You have -now become a great people, and we have scarcely a place left to spread our -blankets. You have got our country, but are not satisfied. You want to -force your religion upon us.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—Continue to listen. You say that you to sent to instruct us how -to worship the Great Spirit agreeably to his mind; and if we do not take -hold of the religion which you white people teach, we shall be unhappy -hereafter. You say that you are right and we are lost. How do we know this -to be true? We understand that your religion is written in a book. If it -was intended for us as well as for you, why has not the Great Spirit given -it to us; and not only to us, but why did he not give to our forefathers -the knowledge of that book, with the means of understanding it rightly? We -only know what you tell us about it. How shall we know when to believe, -being so often deceived by the white people.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—You say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great -Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so -much about it? Why not all agree, as you can all read the book?</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We do not understand these things. We are told that your -religion was given to your forefathers, and has been handed down from -father to son. We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers, -and has been handed down to us their children. We worship that way. It -teaches us to be thankful for all the favors we receive, to love each -other, and to be united. We never quarrel about religion.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—The Great Spirit has made us all. But he has made a great -difference between his white and red children. He has given us a different -complexion and different customs. To you he has given the arts; to these -he has not opened our eyes. We know these things to be true. Since he has -made so great a difference between us in other things, why may we not -conclude that he has given us a different religion, according to our -understanding? The Great Spirit does right. He knows what is best for his -children. We are satisfied.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We do not wish to destroy your religion, or take it from you. -We only want to enjoy our own.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—You say you have not come to get our land or our money, but to -enlighten our minds. I will now tell you that I have been at your meetings -and saw you collecting money from the meeting. I cannot tell what this -money was intended for, but suppose it was for your minister; and if we -should conform to your way of thinking, perhaps you may want some from us.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We are told that you have been preaching to white people in -this place. These people are our neighbors. We are acquainted with them. -We will wait a little while, and see what effect your preaching has upon -them. If we find it does them good and makes them honest and less disposed -to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what you have said.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—You have now heard our answer to your talk, and this is all we -have to say at present. As we are going to part, we will come and take you -by the hand, and hope the Great Spirit will protect you on your journey, -and return you safe to your friends."</p> -<br> - -<p>The speech being finished, Red-Jacket and several others, intending to -suit the action to the word, came forward to exchange a farewell greeting -with their visitor. This however he declined, and the Indians quietly -withdrew.</p> - -<p>The civility of the old orator was in somewhat singular contrast with his -obstinacy on many other occasions. A young clergyman once made a strong -effort to enlighten him, through the medium of an Indian interpreter named -Jack Berry [FN]—for Red-Jacket spoke very little of the English language. -The result was discouraging. "Brother!"—said Jack, at length, for the -Chief,—"If you white people murdered 'the Saviour,' make it up -yourselves. We had nothing to do with it. If he had come among us we -should have treated him better." This was gross heathenism, truly, but it -was not aggravated by insolence. The Chieftain made a sincere -acknowledgment of the clergyman's kindness, and paid him some deserved -compliments upon other scores.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Jack called himself a chief, too, though his importance was owing - mainly to his speaking bad English, and to a bustling shrewdness which - enabled him to play the <i>factotum</i> to some advantage. Jack made himself - first marshal at the funeral of Farmer's-Brother.</p> - - -<p>During the last war with England, a gallant officer of the American Army, -[FN] stationed on the Niagara frontier, shewed some peculiarly gratifying -attentions to Red-Jacket. The former being soon afterwards ordered to -Governor's Island, the Chief came to bid him farewell. "Brother,"—said -he, "I hear you are going to a place called Governor's Island. I hope you -will be a Governor yourself. I am told you whites consider children a -blessing. I hope you will have one thousand at least. Above all, wherever -you go, I hope you will never find whiskey more than two shillings a -quart."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Colonel Snelling. For several of the anecdotes in the text we are - under obligations to the author of "Tales of the North-West." He was - present at the interview when Berry acted as Interpreter.</p> - - -<p>The last of these benevolent aspirations was perhaps the highest possible -evidence which Red-Jacket could give of his good will, for we are under -the mortifying necessity of placing this talented Chieftain in the same -class, as relates to his personal habits, with Uncas, Logan, and Pipe. In -a word, he gradually became, in his latter days, a confirmed drunkard. -Temptation and association proved too strong for him, and the pride of the -Confederates made himself but too frequently a laughing-stock for the -blackguards of Buffalo.</p> - -<p>Unfortunately for his political as well as personal interests, he indulged -his weakness to such an extent as not unfrequently to incapacitate him for -the discharge of his public duties. This was an advantage which his -opponents shrewdly considered, and, in 1827, they took a favorable -opportunity to deprive him of his civil rank. The document issued from the -Seneca council-house on this singular occasion, under date of September -15th, is too extraordinary to be omitted. The following is a literal -translation, made by an intelligent American who was present.</p> - -<p>"We, the Chiefs [FN-1] of the Seneca tribe, of the Six Nations, say to -you, Yaugoyawathaw, [FN-2] that you have a long time disturbed our -councils; that you have procured some white men to assist you in sending a -great number of false stories to our father the President of the United -States, and induced our people to sign those falsehoods at Tonnawanta as -Chiefs of our tribe, when you knew that they were not Chiefs; that you -have apposed the improvement of our nation, and made divisions and -disturbances among our people; that you have abused and insulted our great -father the President; that you have not regarded the rules which make the -Great Spirit love us, and which make his red children do good to each -other; that you have a bad heart, because, in a time of great distress, -when our people were starving, you took and hid the body of a deer you had -killed, when your starving brothers should have shared their proportion of -it with you; that the last time our father the President was fighting -against the king, across the great waters, you divided us, you acted -against our father the President and his officers, and advised with those -who were no friends; that you have always prevented and discouraged our -children from going to school, where they could learn, and abused and lied -about our people who were willing to learn, and about those who were -offering to instruct them how to worship the Great Spirit in the manner -Christians do; that you have always placed yourself before those who would -be instructed, and have done all you could to prevent their going to -schools; that you have taken goods to your own use, which were received as -annuities, and which belonged to orphan children and to old people; that -for the last ten years you have often said the communications of our great -father to his red children were forgeries, made up at New-York by those -who wanted to buy our lands; that you left your wife, because she joined -the Christians and worshiped the Great Spirit as they do, knowing that she -was a good woman; that we have waited for nearly ten years for you to -reform, and do better; but are now discouraged, as you declare you never -will receive instruction from those who wish to do us good, as our great -father advises, and induce others to hold the same language."</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Several of them were <i>soi-disant</i> functionaries.</p> - - <p class="quote">[FN] A variation of Saguoaha, which is the orthography adopted by - Governor Clinton.</p> - -<p>"We might say a great many other things, which make you an enemy to the -Great Spirit, and also to your own brothers,—but we have said enough, and -now renounce you as a chief, and from this time you are forbid to act as -such. All of our nation will hereafter regard you as a private man; and we -say to them all, that every one who shall do as you have done, if a chief -will, in like manner be disowned, and set back where he started from by -his brethren." [FN]</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Buffalo Emporium.</p> - - -<p>Several of these charges, it is fair to presume, were dictated by party -spirit, and those who subscribed the deposition cared but little about -proving them, could they but prostrate their great antagonist. The -signatures are twenty-six, and most of them are well-known Anti-Pagans; -though with Young-King, Pollard, and Little-Billey, who led the -subscription, we also find the names of Twenty-Canoes, Doxtateri, -Two-Guns, Barefoot, and some other partizans of the fallen orator in his -better days.</p> - -<p>But Red-Jacket was not yet prepared to submit patiently to his -degradation, especially when he knew so well the true motives of those who -effected it. Nor was he by any means so much under the control of his bad -habits as not to feel occasionally, perhaps generally, both the -consciousness of his power and the sting of his shame. "It shall not be -said of me,"—thought the old Orator, with the gleam of a fiery soul in -his eye,—"It shall not be said that Saguoaha lived in insignificance and -died in dishonor. Am I too feeble to revenge myself of my enemies? Am I -not as I have been?" In fine, he roused himself to a great effort. -Representations were made to the neighboring tribes,—for he knew too well -the hopelessness of a movement confined to his own,—and only a month had -elapsed since his deposition, when a Grand Council of the chiefs of the -Six Nations assembled together at the upper council-house of the -Seneca-village reservation.</p> - -<p>The document of the Christian party was read, and then Half-Town rose, -and, in behalf of the Catteraugus (Seneca) Indians, said there was but one -voice in his nation, and that was of general indignation at the contumely -cast on so great a man as Red-Jacket. Several other chiefs addressed the -council to the same effect. The condemned orator rose slowly, as if -grieved and humiliated, but yet with his ancient air of command.</p> - -<p>"My Brothers!"—he said, after a solemn pause,—You have this day been -correctly informed of an attempt to make me sit down and throw off the -authority of a chief, by twenty-six misguided chiefs of my nation. You -have heard the statements of my associates in council, and their -explanations of the foolish charges brought against me. I have taken the -legal and proper way to meet these charges. It is the only way in which I -could notice them, charges which I despise, and which nothing would -<i>induce</i> me to notice but the concern which many respected Chiefs of my -nation feel in the character of their aged comrade. Were it otherwise, I -should not be before you. I would fold my arms, and sit quietly under -these ridiculous slanders.</p> - -<p>"The Christian party have not even proceeded legally, according to our -usages, to put me down. Ah! it grieves my heart, when I look around me and -see the situation of my people,—in old times united and powerful, now -divided and feeble. I feel sorry for my nation. When I am gone to the -other world,—when the Great Spirit calls me away,—who among my people -can take my place? Many years have I guided the nation."</p> - -<p>Here he introduced some artful observations on the origin of the attack -made upon him. He then alluded to the course taken by the Christians, as -ruinous and disgraceful, especially in their abandonment of the religion -of their fathers, and their sacrifices, for paltry considerations, of the -lands given them by the Great Spirit. As for the "<i>Black-Coats,</i>" Mr. -Calhoun had told him at Washington, four years before, that the Indians -must treat with them as they thought proper; the Government would not -interfere. "I will not consent,"—he concluded, sagaciously identifying -his disgrace with his opposition to the Christians,—"I will not consent -silently to be trampled under foot. As long as I can raise my voice, I -will oppose such measures. As long as I can stand in my moccasins, I will -do all that I can for my nation." It is scarcely necessary to add, that -the result of the conference was the triumphant restoration of the Orator -to his former rank.</p> - -<p>Red-Jacket visited the Atlantic cities repeatedly and for the last time, -as late as the spring of 1829. He was, oh these occasions, and especially -on the latter, the object of no little curiosity and attention. [FN] He -enjoyed both, and was particularly careful to demean himself in a manner -suited to the dignity of his rank and reputation. His poetical friend does -him but justice in thus alluding to his Washington medal, his forest -costume, and the fine carriage which the Chieftain still gallantly -sustained.</p> - - <hr width="80%"> - - <p class="quote">[FN] Of more indeed than he was probably aware. Witness the following - advertisement in the Boston papers:—</p> - - <p class="quote">"<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Red-Jacket.</span>—This celebrated Indian Chief, who has recently attracted - so much attention at New-York and the Southern cities, has arrived in - this city, and has accepted an invitation of the Superintendent to visit - the <span style="font-variant:small-caps">New-England Museum,</span> this evening, March 21, in his full Indian - costume, attended by Captain Johnson, his interpreter, by whom those who - wish it can be introduced and hold conversation with him."</p> - - -<p class="list"> Thy garb—though Austria's bosom-star would frighten - That medal pale, as diamonds, the dark mine, - And George the Fourth wore, in the dance at Brighton, - A more becoming evening dress than thine;</p> - -<p class="list"> Yet 'tis a brave one, scorning wind and weather, - And fitted for thy couch on field and flood, - As Rob Roy's tartans for the highland heather, - Or forest green for England's Robin Hood.</p> - -<p class="list"> Is strength a monarch's merit?—like a whaler's— - Thou art as tall, as sinewy, and as strong - As earth's first kings—the Argo's gallant sailors— - Heroes in history, and gods in song.</p> - -<p>Those strictly personal attractions which most subserved his forensic -success, are not unfairly delineated by the same elegant observer. And -this is not the only civilized authority to the same effect, for one of -the most distinguished public men of the State in which the Chieftain -resided, was wont to say that the latter reminded him strongly of the -celebrated orator of Roanoke, in his best estate, and that they two were -the only orators of nature he had ever heard or seen. "Who will -believe?"—-asks the poet—</p> - -<p class="list"> . . . that, with a smile whose blessing - Would, like the patriarch's, sooth a dying hour - With voice as low, as gentle, and caressing, - As e'er won maiden's lip in moonlight bower;</p> - -<p class="list"> With look, like patient Job's, eschewing evil; - With motions, graceful as a bird's in air; - Thou art, in sober truth, the veriest devil - That e'er clenched fingers in a captive's hair!</p> - -<p class="list"> That in thy veins there springs a poison fountain, - Deadlier than that which bathes the Upas tree; - And in thy wrath a nursing cat o'mountain - Is calm as her babe's sleep, compared with thee?</p> - -<p class="list"> And underneath that face, like summer's ocean's— - Its lip as moveless, and its cheek as clear,— - Slumbers a whirlwind of the heart's emotions, - Love, hatred, pride, hope, sorrow—all, save fear.</p> - -<p class="list"> Love—for thy land, as if she were thy daughter; - Her pipes in peace, her tomahawk in wars; - Hatred—of missionaries and cold water; - Pride—in thy rifle-trophies and thy scars;</p> - -<p class="list"> Hope—that thy wrongs will be by the Great Spirit - Remembered and revenged, when thou art gone; - Sorrow—that none are left thee to inherit - Thy name, thy fame, thy passions, and thy throne.</p> - -<p>In the last of these stanzas is an allusion to the melancholy domestic -circumstances of the subject of them. He had been the father of thirteen -children, during his life-time, and had buried them all.</p> - -<p>Red-Jacket is said to have understood English quite well, although he -would never converse in it. We have often heard it from a gentleman well -acquainted with him, that he once met him hastening <i>out</i> of Buffalo when -all the neighboring country was eagerly rushing in to witness the -execution of three culprits; and that the Chieftain recognized him, and -made him understand by signs, that he was hurrying away from the horrid -spectacle which so many thousand had already assembled to enjoy. -Levasseur states, that, in his conference with Lafayette, he evidently -comprehended every thing uttered in his presence, while he would speak -only Indian; and that his former high opinion of the General seemed to be -much increased by a few chance-medley Seneca words, which the latter had -the good fortune to remember, and the courtesy to repeat. We also have -been informed that, many years since, when the notorious Jemima Wilkinson -compassed the country in the business of making proselytes to her -doctrines, she invited some of the Senecas to a conference. Red-Jacket -attended, and listened patiently to the end of a long address. Most of it -he probably understood, but instead of replying to the argument in detail, -he laid the axe at the root of her authority. Having risen very gravely, -and spoken a few words in Seneca, he observed his adversary to enquire -what he was talking about? "Ha!"—he exclaimed, with an arch look,—"She -inspired,—she Jesus Christ,—and not know <i>Indian?</i>" The solidity of her -pretensions was at once decided in the minds of at least the heathen part -of her audience.</p> - -<p>At the date of his last-mentioned visit to the Atlantic cities, the -Chieftain was more than seventy years of age, and though then habitually -temperate, excess had already hastened the work of time. He died in -January, 1830, at the Seneca village, near Buffalo, where his funeral took -place on the 21st of the month. It was attended by all parties of his own -tribe, and by many Americans, drawn together by a curiosity to witness the -obsequies. His body was removed from his cabin into the mission-house, -where religious services were performed. In these the Pagans took but -little interest. Wrapped in profound and solemn thought, they however -patiently awaited their termination. Some of them then arose, and -successively addressed their countrymen in their own language. They -recounted the exploits and the virtues of him whose remains they were now -about to bear to his last home. They remembered his own prophetic -appeal—"Who shall take my place among my people?" They thought of the -ancient glory of their nation, and they looked around them on its -miserable remnant. The impression was irresistible. Tears trickled down -the cheeks of the grave comrades of the dead.</p> - -<p>Well might they weep! He that lay before them was indeed the "Last of the -Senecas." The strong warrior's arm was mouldering into dust, and the eye -of the orator was cold and motionless forever.</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h1 class="direct" style="page-break-before: always;"><a id="ap">APPENDIX.</a></h1> -<br> - <hr width="80%"> -<br><br> - - - <h2 class="direct"><a id="ap1">NO. I.</a></h2> -<br> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Uncas.</span>—The author is indebted to the Committee of the Historical Society -of Massachusetts for an opportunity to examine a valuable document -recently forwarded to them by Mr. Williams, of Lebanon, Connecticut, and -originally, we believe, a part of the Trumbull collection.</p> - -<p>According to this account, which purports to have been "made by Uncas" -himself, that Chieftain was wholly of the royal blood of the Pequots. -<span style="font-variant:small-caps">Tatobam</span> was another name for <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sassacus,</span> and Uncas married the daughter of -that Sachem (from whom he afterwards revolted,) about ten years before the -Pequot War. The Pequots and "Moheags," as they are here called, jointly -agreed to this match in a grand Indian Council, for the purpose of keeping -their land entire. "<i>Upon this his right to the Pequot Country was good and -unquestionable.</i>" . . . "Quinebauge [New-Haven] Indians and Nipmugs [in -Worcester County, Massachusetts] not allowed to marry in the Royal -Blood—agreed to keep the Royal blood within the Realm of ye Mohegan and -Pequots."</p> - -<p>In this genealogy, which is regularly derived, as accurately as possible, -from remote ancestors on both sides, Uncas himself is styled the Sachem of -Mohegan, and Mohegan is said to have been the Sepulchre or Burial-Place of -both the Pequot and Mohegan Sachems.</p> - -<p>The father of Tatobam was the Sachem Wopegwosit. The father of Uncas was -Oweneco; <i>his</i> father, Wopequand, a Pequot Sachem. His mother and -grandmother were both named Mukkunump; and the latter was daughter of -Weroum, a great <i>Narragansett</i> Sachem, and of a Squaw of the royal Pequot -Blood named Kiskhechoowatmakunck. One of his great-grandfathers, -Nuckquuntdowaus, was Chief-Sachem of the Pequots; and one of his -great-grandmothers, Au-comp-pa-hang-sug-ga-muck, (as nearly as we are -able to decipher it,) was "a Great Queen, and lived at Moheage."</p> - -<p>The son of Uncas, (mentioned in the text,) was Oweneco. Several of his -other descendants who inherited the Sachemdom were named Ben Uncas,—one -of them Major Ben. The last of the Sachems (also mentioned in the text,) -was Isaiah,—a grandson of Oweneco or Oneco. (He was a pupil in Dr. -Wheelock's Charity School,—"a fat fellow, of dull intellectual -parts."—Mass. His. Coll.)</p> - -<p>The document before us gives an account of the cession of the Pequot -Country from Uncas by deed, dated Sept. 28, 1740. The following remarkable -passage ought not to be omitted, as it adds new confirmation to the -estimate of the Sachem's character which the author has given in the text.</p> - -<p>"Afterwards sufficient planting ground was provided for him, <i>being -friendly to the English, though only to serve his own purposes.</i>"</p> - - <hr width="80%"> -<br><br> - - - - <h2 class="direct"><a id="ap2">NO. II.</a></h2> -<br> - - - <p class="direct"><i>Correspondence between General</i> <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Wayne</span> <i>and Major</i> <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Campbell.</span></p> -<br> - - - <p class="direct">(I)</p> - - <p class="exit"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Miamis River,</span> Aug. 21, 1794.</p> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sir,</span></p> - -<p>An army of the United States of America, said to be under your command, -having taken post on the banks of the Miamis, for upwards of the last -twenty-four hours, almost within the reach of the guns of this fort, -being a post belonging to His Majesty the King of Great Britain, occupied -by His Majesty's troops, and which I have the honor to command, it -becomes me to inform myself, as speedily as possible, in what light I am -to view your making such near approaches to this garrison.</p> - -<p>I have no hesitation on my part to say that I know of no war existing -between Great Britain and America.</p> - -<p>I have the honor to be, &c.</p> - -<p class="list"> WILLIAM CAMPBELL, - Major 24th Reg't commanding a British post on - the banks of the Miamis.</p> - -<p>To Major General Wayne, &c. &c.</p> -<br><br> - - - <p class="direct">(II)</p> -<br> - - <p class="exit"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Camp on the Banks of the Miamis,</span> }<br> - 21st August, 1794. }</p> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sir,</span></p> - -<p>I have received your letter of this date, requiring from me the motives -which have moved the army under my command to the position they at present -occupy, far within the acknowledged jurisdiction of the United States of -America.</p> - -<p>Without questioning the authority, or the propriety, sir, of your -interrogatory, I think I may, without breach of decorum, observe to you, -that were you intitled to an answer, the most full and satisfactory one -was announced to you from the muzzles of my small arms yesterday morning -in the action against hordes of savages in the vicinity of your post, -which terminated gloriously to the American arms. But had it continued -until the Indians, &c. were driven under the influence of the post and -guns you mention, they would not have much impeded the progress of the -victorious army under my command; as no such post was established at the -commencement of the present war between the Indians and the United States.</p> - -<p>I have the honor to be, sir, &c.</p> - -<p class="list"> (Signed) ANTHONY WAYNE, - Major General and Commander in Chief of the - Federal army.</p> - -<p>To Major Wm. Campbell, &c.</p> -<br><br> - - - <p class="direct">(III)</p> -<br> - - <p class="exit"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Fort Miamis,</span> Aug. 22, 1791.</p> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sir,</span></p> - -<p>Although your letter of yesterday's date fully authorizes me to any act of -hostility against the army of the United States of America in this -neighborhood under your command, yet, still anxious to prevent that -dreadful decision, which perhaps is not intended to be appealed to by -either of our countries, I have forborne for these two days past to resent -those insults which you have offered to the British flag flying at this -fort, by approaching it within pistol-shot of my works, not only singly, -but in numbers, with arms in their hands.</p> - -<p>Neither is it my wish to wage war with individuals. But should you after -this continue to approach my post in the threatening manner you are at -this moment doing, my indispensable duty to my King and Country, and the -honor of my profession, will oblige me to have recourse to those measures -which thousands of either nation may hereafter have cause to regret, and -which I solemnly appeal to God I have used my utmost endeavors to arrest.</p> - -<p class="list"> I have the honor to be, sir, &c. - (Signed) WM. CAMPBELL.</p> - -<p>To Major General Wayne, &c.</p> - -<p class="quote">[No other notice was taken of this letter than what is expressed in the -following letter. The fort and works were however reconnoitered in every -direction, at some points possibly within pistol-shot. It was found to be -a regular, strong work, the front covered by a wide river, with four guns -mounted in that face. The rear, which was the most susceptible of -approach, had two regular bastions furnished with eight pieces of -artillery, the whole surrounded with a wide deep ditch. From the bottom of -the ditch to the top of the parapet was about twenty feet perpendicular. -The works were also surrounded by an abbatis, and furnished with a strong -garrison.]</p> -<br><br> - - - <p class="direct">(IV)</p> -<br> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sir,</span></p> - -<p>In your letter of the 21st inst. you declare, "I have no hesitation on my -part to say that I know of no war, existing between Great Britain and -America."</p> - -<p>I, on my part, declare the same; and the only cause I have to entertain a -contrary idea at present is, the hostile act you are now in commission -of,—that is, recently taking post far within the well known and -acknowledged limits of the United States, and erecting a fortification in -the heart of the settlements of the Indian tribes now at war with the -United States.</p> - -<p>This, sir, appears to be an act of the highest aggression, and destructive -to the peace and interest of the Union. Hence, it becomes my duty to -desire, and I do hereby desire and demand, in the name of the President of -the United States, that you immediately desist from any further act of -hostility or aggression, by forbearing to fortify, and by withdrawing the -troops, artillery, and stores under your orders and direction, forthwith, -and removing to the nearest post occupied by His Britannic Majesty's -troops at the peace of 1783—and which you will be permitted to do -unmolested by the troops under my command.</p> - -<p class="list"> I am, with very great respect, &c. - (Signed) ANTHONY WAYNE.</p> - -<p>To Major Wm. Campbell, &c.</p> -<br><br> - - - <p class="direct">(V)</p> -<br> - - - <p class="exit"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Fort Miamis,</span> 22d Aug. 1794.</p> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Sir,</span></p> - -<p>I have this moment the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of -this date. In answer to which I have only to say, that being placed here -in the command of a British post, and acting in, a military capacity only, -I cannot enter into any discussion either on the right or impropriety of -my occupying my present position. Those are matters that I conceive will -be best left to the ambassadors of our different nations.</p> - -<p>Having said this much, permit me to inform you, that I certainly will not -abandon this post at the summons of any power whatever, until I receive -orders from those I have the honor to serve under, or the fortune of war -should oblige me.</p> - -<p>I must still adhere, sir, to the purport of my letter this morning, to -desire that your army, or individuals belonging to it, will not approach -within reach of my cannon without expecting the consequences attending it.</p> - -<p>Although I have said in the former part or my letter, that my situation -here is totally military, yet let me add, sir, that I am much deceived if -His Majesty the King of Great Britain had not a post on this river at and -prior to the period you mention.</p> - -<p>I have the honor to be, &c.</p> - -<p class="list"> (Signed) WM. CAMPBELL. - Major of the 24th Regiment, commanding at - Fort Miamis.</p> - -<p>To Major General Wayne, &c</p> - -<p class="quote">[The only notice taken of this letter was in immediately setting fire to -and destroying every thing within view of the fort, and even under the -muzzles of the guns.] - <p class="exit"><i>Boston Chronicle, October</i> 13, 1774.</p> -<br> - <hr width="80%"> -<br><br> - - - <h2 class="direct"><a id="ap3">NO. III.</a></h2> -<br> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Corn-Planter's</span> Letter to the Governor of Pennsylvania, dated "Allegheny -river, 2d mo. 2d, 1822," and probably written by his interpreter. From -Buchanan's Sketches.</p> - -<p>"I feel it my duty to send a speech to the governor of Pennsylvania at -this time, and inform him the place where I was from—which was -Conewaugus, on the Genesee river.</p> - -<p>"When I was a child, I played with the butterfly, the grasshopper and the -frogs. As I grew up, I began to pay some attention and play with the -Indian boys in the neighborhood, and they took notice of my skin being a -different color from theirs, and spoke about it. I enquired of my mother -the cause, and she told me that my father was a residenter in Albany. I -eat still my victuals out of a bark dish—I grew up to be a young man, and -married me a wife, but I had no kettle or gun. I then knew where my -father lived, and went to see him, and found he was a white man, and spoke -the English language. He gave me victuals while I was at his house, but -when I started to return home, he gave me no provision to eat on the way. -He gave me neither kettle nor gun, neither did he tell me that the United -States were about to rebel against the government of England.</p> - -<p>"I will now tell you, brothers, who are in session of the legislature of -Pennsylvania, that the Great Spirit has made known to me that I have been -wicked; and the cause thereof was the revolutionary war in America. The -cause of Indians having been led into sin, at that time, was that many of -them were in the practice of drinking and getting intoxicated. Great -Britain requested us to join with them in the conflict against the -Americans, and promised the Indians land and liquor. I, myself, was -opposed to joining in the conflict, as I had nothing to do with the -difficulty that existed between the two parties. I have now informed you -how it happened that the Indians took a part in the Revolution, and will -relate to you some circumstances that occurred after the close of the war. -Gen. Putnam, who was then at Philadelphia, told me there was to be a -council at fort Stanwix, and the Indians requested me to attend on behalf -of the Six Nations, which I did, and there met with three commissioners, -who had been appointed to hold the council. They told me they would inform -me of the cause of the revolution, which I requested them to do minutely. -They then said that it had originated on account of the heavy taxes that -had been imposed upon them by the British government, which had been for -fifty years increasing upon them; that the Americans had grown weary -thereof, and refused to pay, which affronted the king. There had likewise -a difficulty taken place about some tea, which they wished me not to use, -as it had been one of the causes that many people had lost their lives. -And the British government now being affronted, the war commenced, and the -cannons began to roar in our country. General Putnam then told me at the -council at fort Stanwix, that by the late war the Americans had gained two -objects: they had established themselves an independent nation, and had -obtained some land from Great Britain to live upon, the division line of -which ran through the lakes. I then spoke, and said that I wanted some -land for the Indians to live on, and General Putnam said that it should be -granted, and I should have land in the state of New York, for the Indians. -Gen. Putnam then encouraged me to use my endeavors to pacify the Indians -generally; and as he considered it an arduous task to perform, wished to -know what I wanted to pay therefor? I replied to him, that I would use my -endeavors to do as he had requested with the Indians, and for pay thereof, -I would take land. I told him not to pay me money or dry goods, but land. -And for having attended thereto I received the tract of land on which I -now live, which was presented to me by governor Mifflin. I told general -Putnam, that I wished the Indians to have the exclusive privilege of the -deer and wild game, which he assented to.</p> - -<p>"The treaty that was made at the aforementioned council has been broken by -some of the white people, which I how intend acquainting the governor -with. Some white people are not willing that Indians should hunt any more, -whilst others are satisfied therewith; and those white people who reside -near our reservation, tell us that the woods are theirs, and they have -obtained them from the governor. The treaty has been also broken by the -white people using their endeavors to destroy all the wolves, which was -not spoken about in the council at fort Stanwix, by General Putnam, but -has originated lately.</p> - -<p>"It has been broken, again, which is of recent origin. White people wish -to get credit from Indians, and do not pay them honestly, according to -their agreement.</p> - -<p>"In another respect it has also been broken by white people, who reside -near my dwelling; for when I plant melons and vines in my field, they take -them as their own. It has been broken again by white people using their -endeavors to obtain our pine trees from us. We have very few pine trees on -our land, in the state of New York; and white people and Indians often get -into dispute respecting them. There is also a great quantity of whiskey -brought near our reservation by white people, and the Indians obtain it -and become drunken.</p> - -<p>"Another circumstance has taken place which is very trying to me, and I -wish the interference of the Governor. The white people who live at -Warren, called upon me sometime ago, to pay taxes for my land, which I -objected to, as I had never been called upon for that purpose before; and -having refused to pay, the white people became irritated, called upon me -frequently, and at length brought four guns with them and seized our -cattle. I still refused to pay, and was not willing to let the cattle go. -Afler a long dispute, they returned home and I understood the militia was -ordered out to enforce the collection of the tax. I went to Warren, and, -to avert the impending difficulty, was obliged give my note for the tax, -the amount of which was forty-three dollars and seventy-nine cents. It is -my desire that the governor will exempt me from paying taxes for my land -to white people; and also cause that the money I am now obliged to pay, -may be refunded to me, as I am very poor. The governor is the person who -attends to the situation of the people, and I wish him to send a person to -Allegheny, that I may inform him of the particulars of our situation, and -he be authorised to instruct the white people in what manner to conduct -themselves towards the Indians.</p> - -<p>"The governor has told us that when any difficulties arose between the -Indians and white people, he would attend to having them removed. We are -now in a trying situation, and I wish the governor to send a person, -authorised to attend thereto, the fore part of the next summer, about the -time that grass has grown big enough for pasture.</p> - -<p>"The governor formerly requested me to pay attention to the Indians, and -take care of them. We are now arrived at a situation that I believe -Indians cannot exist, unless the governor should comply with my request, -and send a person authorised to treat between us and the white people, the -approaching summer. I have now no more to speak."</p> -<br> - <hr width="80%"> -<br><br> - - - <h2 class="direct"><a id="ap4">NO. IV.</a></h2> -<br> - -<p><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Corn-Planter's</span> Speech at the Court-House at Warren, (N. Y.) June 4th, -1822, after an explanation, by two state Commissioners, of a law -exonerating him from the payment of certain taxes. From the Venango -Herald.</p> - -<p>"Brothers!—Yesterday was appointed for us all to meet here. The talk -which the Governor sent us pleased us very much. I think that the Great -Spirit is very much pleased that the white people have been induced so to -assist the Indians as they have done, and that he is pleased also to see -the great men of this State and of the United States so friendly to us. We -are much pleased with what has been done.</p> - -<p>"The Great Spirit first made the world and next the flying animals, and -found all things good and prosperous. He is immortal and everlasting. -After finishing the flying animals, he came down on earth and there stood. -Then he made different kinds of trees, and weeds of all sorts, and people -of every kind. He made the spring and other seasons, and the weather -suitable for planting. These he did make. But stills, to make whiskey to -be given to Indians, he did not make. The Great Spirit bids me tell the -white people not to give Indians this kind of liquor. When the Great -Spirit had made the earth and its animals, he went into the great lakes, -where he breathed as easily as any where else, and then made all the -different kinds of fish. The Great Spirit looked back on all that he had -made. The different kinds he made to be separate, and not to mix with and -disturb each other. But the white people have broken his command by mixing -their color with the Indians. The Indians have done better by not doing -so.—The Great Spirit wishes that all wars and fightings should cease.</p> - -<p>"He next told us that there were three things for people to attend to. -First, we ought to take care of our wives and children. Secondly, the -white people ought to attend to their farms and cattle. Thirdly, the -Great Spirit has given the bears and deers to the Indians. He is the cause -of all things that exist, and it is very wicked to go against his will. -The Great Spirit wishes me to inform the people that they should quit -drinking intoxicating drink, as being the cause of diseases and death. He -told us not to sell any more of our lands, for he never sold lands to any -one. Some of us now keep the seventh day; but I wish to quit it, for the -Great Spirit made it for others, but not for the Indians, who ought every -day to attend to their business. He has ordered me to quit drinking any -intoxicating drink, and not to lust after women but my own, and informed -me that by doing so I should live the longer. He made known to me that it -is very wicked to tell lies. Let no one suppose this I have said now is -not true.</p> - -<p>"I have now to thank the Governor for what he has done. I have informed -him what the Great Spirit has ordered me to cease from, and I wish the -Governor to inform others of what I have communicated. This all I have at -present to say."</p> -<br> - <hr width="80%"> -<br><br> - - - <h2 class="direct"><a id="ap5">NO. V.</a></h2> -<br> - -<p>Mr. Brandt, whose death has been recently announced, was the son of the -celebrated Indian chief of that name, and distinguished himself as a -lieutenant in our service during the late war. Some years ago he visited -England, and under the patronage of the Duke of Northumberland, was -introduced to the Duke of Wellington, Lord Teignmouth, and other -influential personages, and from his peculiar urbanity of manners and -highly cultivated acquirements, speedily became known and esteemed. His -exertions, upon that occasion, in vindicating the humanity of his father's -character from the unjust aspersions cast upon it by the author of -"Gertrude of Wyoming," were acknowledged by the accomplished poet, and the -next edition of that work rectified the error Mr. Campbell had -acknowledged. As a gentleman of strict honor and morality, Mr. Brandt has -left but few equals; and as head-chief and superintendent of the Six -Nations, his loss will be seriously felt by the numerous tribes to whose -civilization and moral improvement he had devoted his time and -talents.—<i>Kingston, U. C. Chronicle.</i></p> -<br> - <hr width="80%"> -<br><br> - - - <h2 class="direct"><a id="ap6">NO. VI.</a></h2> -<br> - -<p>Letter of <span style="font-variant:small-caps">Farmer's-Brother,</span> and others, to the Hon. W. Eustis, Secretary -of War. Niles' Register, Vol. II.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—The sachems and chief warriors of the Seneca nation of Indians, -understanding you are the person appointed by the great council of your -nation to manage and conduct the affairs of the several nations of Indians -with whom you are at peace and on terms of friendship, come at this time, -as children to a father, to lay before you the trouble which we have on -our minds.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We do not think best to multiply words. We will therefore tell -you what our complaint is.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—Listen to what we say. Some years since we held a treaty at -Big-tree, near the Genesee river. This treaty was called by our great -father, the President of the United States. He sent an agent, Colonel -Wadsworth, to attend this treaty, for the purpose of advising us in the -business, and seeing that we had justice done us. At this treaty we sold -to Robert Morris the greatest part of our country. The sum he gave us was -one hundred thousand dollars.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—The Commissioner who was appointed on your part, advised us to -place this money in the hands of our great father, the President of the -United States. He told us our father loved his red children, and would -take care of our money, and plant it in a field where it would bear seed -forever, as long as trees grow or waters run. Our money has heretofore -been of great service to us. It has helped us to support our old people, -and our women and children. But we are told the field where our money was -planted is become barren.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We do not understand your way of doing business. This thing is -heavy on our minds. We mean to hold our white brethren of the United -States by the hand. But this weight lies heavy. We hope you will remove -it.</p> - -<p>"Brother!—We have heard of the bad conduct of our brothers towards the -setting sun. We are sorry for what they have done. But you must not blame -us. We have had no hand in this bad business. They have had bad people -among them. It is your enemies have done this.</p> - -<p>"We have persuaded our agent to take this talk to your great council. He -knows our situations, and will speak our minds.</p> -<table> - <tr><td>"Farmer's-Brother, </td><td style="text-align: right">his mark X </td><td>Wheel-Barrow, </td><td>his mark X</td></tr> - <tr><td>Little Billy </td><td style="text-align: right">do X </td><td>Jack Berry </td><td style="text-align: right">do X</td></tr> - <tr><td>Young King </td><td style="text-align: right"> do X </td><td>Twenty Canoes </td><td style="text-align: right">do X</td></tr> - <tr><td>Pollard </td><td style="text-align: right"> do X </td><td>Big Kettle </td><td style="text-align: right">do X</td></tr> - <tr><td>Chief Warrior </td><td style="text-align: right"> do X </td><td>Half-Town </td><td style="text-align: right">do X</td></tr> - <tr><td>Two Guns </td><td style="text-align: right"> do X </td><td>Keyandeande </td><td style="text-align: right">do X</td></tr> - <tr><td>John Sky </td><td style="text-align: right"> do X </td><td>Captain Cold </td><td style="text-align: right">do X</td></tr> - <tr><td>Parrot-Nose </td><td style="text-align: right"> do X </td><td>Esq. Blinkey </td><td style="text-align: right">do X</td></tr> - <tr><td>John Pierce </td><td style="text-align: right"> do X </td><td>Captain Johnson </td><td style="text-align: right">do X</td></tr> - <tr><td>Strong </td><td style="text-align: right"> do X </td><td></td><td></td></tr> -</table> -<p>"N. B. The foregoing speech was delivered in Council by Farmer's-Brother, -at Buffalo Creek, December 19, 1811, and subscribed in my presence, by the -Chiefs whose names are annexed.</p> - -<p class="list"> "(Signed) ERASTUS GRANGER."</p> -<br> - <hr width="80%"> -<br><br> - - - <h2 class="direct"><a id="ap7">NO. VII.</a></h2> -<br> - - <p class="hang">Extracted from the American Remembrancer (an impartial and authentic - collection of facts, published in London during the Revolutionary War) - for the year 1782, vol. 14, p. 185.</p> - - <p class="exit"><span style="font-variant:small-caps">Boston,</span> March 12.</p> - - <p class="direct"><i>Extract of a letter from Captain Gerrish, of the<br> - New-England Militia, dated Albany, March 7.</i></p> - -<p>"The peltry taken in the expedition, will, you see, amount to a good deal -of money. The possession of this booty at first gave us pleasure; but we -were struck with horror to find among the packages, eight large ones -containing scalps of our unfortunate country folks, taken in the three -last years by the Seneca Indians from the inhabitants of the frontiers of -New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and sent by them as a -present to Colonel Haldimand, Governor of Canada, in order to be by him -transmitted to England. They were accompanied by the following curious -letter to that gentleman.</p> - - <p class="exit">"<i>Tioga, January</i> 3d, 1787.</p> - -<p>"May it please your Excellency,</p> - -<p>"At the request of the Seneca Chiefs, I herewith send to your Excellency, -under the care of James Hoyd, eight packages of scalps, cured, dried, -hooped, and painted with all the triumphal marks, of which the following -is the invoice and explanation.</p> - -<p>"No. 1. Containing forty-three scalps of Congress soldiers, killed in -different skirmishes. These are stretched on black hoops, four inch -diameter—the inside of the skin painted red with a small black spot, to -note their being killed with bullets. Also, sixty-two of farmers killed -in their houses; the hoops painted red—the skin painted brown and marked -with a hoe—a black circle all round, to denote their being surprised in -the night—and a black hatchet in the middle, signifying their being -killed with that weapon.</p> - -<p>"No. 2. Containing ninety-eight of farmers, killed in their houses, hoops -red—figure of a hoe, to mark their profession—great white circle and -sun, to shew they were surprised in the day-time—a little red foot, to -shew they stood upon their defence, and died fighting for their lives and -families.</p> - -<p>"No. 3. Containing ninety-seven of farmers. Hoops green, to shew they were -killed in the fields—a large white circle with a little round mark on it -for the sun, to show it was in the day time—black bullet-mark on some, a -hatchet on others.</p> - -<p>"No. 4. Containing one hundred and two of farmers, mixture of several of -the marks above, only eighteen marked with a little yellow flame, to -denote their being of prisoners burnt alive, after being scalped—their -nails pulled out by the roots, and other torments. One of these latter -supposed to be of an American clergyman, his band being fixed to the hoop -of his scalp. Most of the farmers appear, by the hair, to have been young -or middle-aged men, there being but sixty-seven very grey heads among them -all, which makes the service more essential.</p> - -<p>"No. 5. Containing eighty-eight scalps of women, hair long, braided in the -Indian fashion, to shew they were mothers—hoops blue—skin yellow ground, -with little red tadpoles, to represent, by way of triumph, the tears of -grief occasioned to their relations—a black scalping-knife or hatchet at -the bottom, to mark their being killed by those instruments. Seventeen -others, hair very grey—black hoops—plain brown color—no marks but the -short club or casse-tete, to show they were knocked down dead, or had -their brains beat out.</p> - -<p>"No. 6. Containing one hundred and ninety-three boy's scalps, of various -ages. Small green hoops—whitish ground on the skin, with red tears in the -middle and black marks—knife, hatchet or club, as their death happened.</p> - -<p>"No. 7. Containing two hundred and eleven girl's scalps, big and -little—small yellow hoops, white ground—tears, hatchet, club, -scalping-knife, &c.</p> - -<p>"No. 8. This package is a mixture of all the varieties above mentioned, to -the number of one hundred and twenty-two, with a box of birch bark -containing twenty-nine little infants' scalps, of various sizes—small -white hoops, white ground—no tears, and only a little black knife in the -middle, to shew they were ripped out of their mothers' bellies.</p> - -<p>"With these packs the chiefs send to your excellency the following speech, -delivered by Conicogatchie in council, interpreted by the elder Moore, the -trader, and taken down by me in writing.</p> - -<p>"Father!—We send you herewith many scalps, that you may see we are not -idle friends.</p> - - <p class="exit">"<i>A blue belt.</i></p> - -<p>"Father!—We wish you to send these scalps over the water to the great -king, that he may regard them and be refreshed, and that he may see our -faithfulness in destroying his enemies, and be convinced that his -presents have not been made to an ungrateful people.</p> - - <p class="exit">"<i>A blue and white belt with red tassels.</i></p> - -<p>"Father!—-Attend to what I am now going to say. It is a matter of much -weight. The great King's enemies are many, and they grow fast in number. -They were formerly like young panthers. They could neither bite nor -scratch. We could play with them safely. We feared nothing they could do -to us. But now their bodies have become as big as the elk, and strong as -the buffalo. They have also great and sharp claws. They have driven us -out of our country for taking part in your quarrel. We expect the great -King will give us another country, that our children may live after us, -and be his friends and children as we are. Say this for us to our great -King. To enforce it, give this belt.</p> - - <p class="exit">"<i>A great white belt with blue tassels.</i></p> - -<p>"Father!—We have only to say further, that your traders exact more than -ever for their goods; and our hunting is lessened by the war, so that we -have fewer skins to give for them. This ruins us. Think of some remedy. We -are poor, and you have plenty of every thing. We know you will send us -powder and guns, and knives and hatchets. But we also want shirts and -blankets.</p> - - <p class="exit">"<i>A little white belt.</i></p> - -<p>"I do not doubt but that your Excellency will think it proper to give -some further encouragement to these honest people. The high prices they -complain of are the necessary effect of the war. Whatever presents may be -sent for them through my hands, shall be distributed with prudence and -fidelity.</p> - -<p>"I have the honor of being your Excellency's most obedient and most humble -servant,</p> - -<p class="list"> "JAMES CRAWFORD."</p> -<br><br><br> - - - - <h1 class="direct">THE END.</h1> - - - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Indian Biography; Vol II (of 2), by B. B. Thatcher - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIAN BIOGRAPHY; VOL II (OF 2) *** - -***** This file should be named 54072-h.htm or 54072-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/0/7/54072/ - -Produced by Roger Burch with scans from the Internet Archive. -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - - -</pre> - -</body> - -</html> diff --git a/old/54072-h/images/cover.jpg b/old/54072-h/images/cover.jpg Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index ec69a5d..0000000 --- a/old/54072-h/images/cover.jpg +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/54072.txt b/old/54072.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 0d52919..0000000 --- a/old/54072.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11024 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Indian Biography; Vol II (of 2), by B. B. Thatcher - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: Indian Biography; Vol II (of 2) - Or, An Historical Account of Those Individuals Who Have - Been Distinguished Among the North American Natives as . . . - -Author: B. B. Thatcher - -Release Date: January 29, 2017 [EBook #54072] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIAN BIOGRAPHY; VOL II (OF 2) *** - - - - -Produced by Roger Burch with scans from the Internet Archive. - - - - - -{Transcriber's Note: Quotation marks have been standardized to modern -usage. Footnotes have been placed to immediately follow the paragraphs -referencing them. Transcriber's notes are in curly braces; square brackets -and parentheses indicate original content.} - - - - - INDIAN BIOGRAPHY; - OR, - AN HISTORICAL ACCOUNT - OF THOSE - INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE BEEN DISTINGUISHED AMONG - THE NORTH AMERICAN NATIVES - AS - ORATORS, WARRIORS, STATESMEN, - AND - OTHER REMARKABLE CHARACTERS. - - * * * * * - - BY - B. B. THATCHER, ESQ. - - * * * * * - - IN TWO VOLUMES. - VOL. II. - - * * * * * - - NEW-YORK: - PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. & J. HARPER, - NO. 82 CLIFF-STREET, - AND FOR SALE BY THE PRINCIPAL BOOK SELLERS THROUGHOUT - THE UNITED STATES - - * * * * * - - 1832. - - - - - Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1831, by J. & J. - Harper, in the office of the Clerk of the Southern District of New - York. - - - - - CONTENTS. - - * * * * * - - - - CHAP. I.--Notices of Indians who submitted to Massachusetts, - continued--The Squaw-Sachem of Medford--Her history, family, - &c.--Sagamore John and Sagamore James--Their intercourse with the - English--Anecdotes of them--Complaints, services, death and - character--Chickatabot, Sachem of Neponset--His war with the - Squaw-Sachem--Visits Boston several times--Appears in court against - Plastowe--Anecdotes of his Government--Indian policy of Massachusetts - compared with that of Plymouth--Anecdotes of Chickatabot--His death. - - Page 9 - - CHAP. II.--Farther account of Master Weston's settlement, and the - movements of the Indians against him--Aspinet, the Nauset, supposed to - be engaged in that affair--His tribe and power--Provocations from the - English--Magnanimous revenge of the Sachem--His hospitality and - kindness--Friendly intercourse with Plymouth--Is visited by Governor - Bradford--By Captain Standish--Is suspected of hostility by Plymouth, - and pursued by Standish--His death--Career and character of Itanough, - the "Courteous Sachem of Cummaquid"--Is suspected and pursued--His - death. - - 94 - - CHAP. III.--Summary account of the Five Nations--Their early - history--Government--Conquests--Population--Territory--Intercourse with - the European Colonies--Their war with the Adirondacks--Adventures of - Piskaret--Their negotiations with the French, in 1684--Anecdotes of the - Onondaga Chief, Garangula--His speech at the Council, and effects of - it--Remarks on his character--History of the Five Nations continued to - the time of Adario--His exploits--Their object and results--War between - the Confederates and the French--Adventures of Black-Kettle. - 34 - - CHAP. IV.--Five Nations continued--Remarks on their - oratory--Circumstances favorable to it--Account of a council of the - Confederates at Onondaga, in 1690--Anecdotes of various persons who - attended it--Speeches of Sadekanatie and other orators--Adarhahta--The - history and character of Decanesora--His speeches at the Albany council - of 1694--Style of his eloquence--His personal and political - character--Other speeches and negotiations--Anecdotes of Sadekanatie. - - 49 - - CHAP. V.--Account of the Ottawas--Their first Chief-Sachem known to the - English, Pontiac--His interview with Major Rogers--Protects that officer - and his troops--Saves Detroit from an army of Indians--Hostility of the - northern tribes to the English, after the conquest of Canada--Adventures - of Henry--Anecdotes of Minavavana--Supposed feelings of Pontiac towards - the English--His great project of combination. - - 70 - - CHAP. VI.--Pontiac's plan of campaign--He commences active - preparations--Council of the Ottawas--Grand Council of the Northern - tribes--Dream of the Delaware--Maxims promulgated by Pontiac--Estimate - of the number and force or his allies--Commencement of the - war--Surprisal of nine English posts--mode of surprisal--Artifice - adopted at Michilimackinac, and result--Reduction of Detroit undertaken - by Pontiac in person--His interview with the Commandant--His plan - discovered, and the surprise prevented--Letter from Detroit. - - 83 - - CHAP. VII.--Siege of Detroit maintained by Pontiac--The Commandant - meditates a retreat--The French propose a conference With Pontiac, which - takes place--The latter demands the surrender of the fort, which the - Commandant refuses--Vigorous renewal of hostilities--Advantages gained - by the Indian army--arrival of succor to the English--Battle of Bloody - Bridge--Pontiac at length raises the siege--Causes of it--The Indians - make peace--His subsequent career until his death--Anecdotes - illustrating his influence, energy, magnanimity, integrity and - genius--His authority as chieftain--His talents as an orator--His - traditionary fame. - - 98 - - CHAP. VIII.--Account of the Delawares--Their ancient great men, including - Tamenend--History during the Revolutionary War--Two Parties among - them--White-Eyes, leader of one, and Captain Pipe, of the - other--Manoeuvres, speeches, plots and counter-plots of these men, their - parties, and foreigners connected with both--Anecdotes--Death of - White-Eyes in 1780--Tribute of respect paid to his memory. - - 120 - - CHAP. IX.--Observations on the character of White-Eyes--Pipe's comment on - his death--The latter gains and sustains an ascendancy in the Delaware - nation--Glickhican, Netawatwees and Wingemund--Subsequent career of - Pipe--Joins the British and fights against the Americans--Grand Indian - council at Detroit--Pipe's spirited speech on that occasion--Makes - charges against the Missionaries, but fails to prove them--Remarks on - his habits, principles and talents. - - 136 - - CHAP. X.--State of several Southern tribes during the last century--The - English send deputies to the Cherokees, in 1756--Their lives threatened, - and saved by Attakullakulla--Account of that Chieftain and his - principles--The party opposed to him headed by Occonostota--War with the - Colonies in 1750 and two years following--Anecdotes of both these - Chiefs--Saloush, Fifton, and others--Several battles--Peace - concluded--Attakullakulla visits Charleston--His subsequent career, and - that of Occonostota--Remarks on their character. - - 150 - - CHAP. XI.--The Cayuga Chief, Logan--Some account of his father, - Shikellimus--Residence of Logan--His friendship for the whites - interrupted by their provocations--His family misfortunes--The Shawanee - Silver-Heels--Logan joins in a war of revenge against the - "Long-Knives"--Battle of the Kenhawa--Treaty of Peace with Governor - Dunmore--Logan's celebrated Speech--His history - completed--Buckongahelas, the Delaware head War-Chief--His intercourse - with the Christian Indians--Part which he takes in the - Revolution--Defeated by Wayne, in 1794--Anecdotes of him--Death and - character. - - 166 - - CHAP. XII.--Some account of the Shawanees, the tribe of - Tecumseh--Anecdotes illustrative of their character--Early history and - lineage of Tecumseh--His first adventures as a warrior--His habits and - principles--His brothers Kumshaka and Elskwatawa--The first open - movements of the latter, in 1806--He assumes the character of - Prophet--His doctrines--His mode of operation upon his countrymen--Other - Indian pretenders--Anecdote of a Shawanee Chief, at Fort Wayne--Tanner's - account of the ministry of the Elskwatawa's Agents--Concert traced - between them--Witchcraft-superstition--Anecdotes of Teteboxti, The - Crane, Leather-Lips, and others. - - 181 - - CHAP. XIII.--History of Tecumseh and the Prophet continued--The latter - encamps at Tippecanoe--Sends a message to Governor Harrison--Visits him - at Vincennes--Increase of his forces--Attention of the General - Government aroused--Tecumseh visits the Governor--His speech, and - journey southward--Battle of Tippecanoe, November, 1811--Consequences - of it--Indian Council at Mississiniway--Council at Malden--Speeches and - Anecdotes of the Crane, Walk-in-the-Water, Round-Head, and other - Chiefs--Sequel of the history of the two brothers--Final exertions of - Tecumseh--His death--Death of the Prophet. - - 202 - - CHAP. XIV.--Remarks on the character of Tecumseh and the Prophet--Their - facilities for co-operation--Difficulties the latter had to overcome--His - perseverance and ingenuity--Means by which he protected his - person--Anecdotes of the Battle of Tippecanoe--Frankness of Tecumseh in - disclosing his schemes--Causes of his hostility to the - Americans--Trespasses of the whites, and other abuses--Object of the - belligerent combination--Anecdotes of Tecumseh's first visit to - Vincennes, in 1810--His dignity, independence and courage--His ideas of - the British policy--His speech to General Proctor, and remarks on his - oratory--His humanity--His genius. - - 296 - - CHAP. XV.--Michikinaqwa, or the Little-Turtle--Early history--Engages in - a combination of the Indians against the United States--Blue-Jacket--The - Turtle defeats two detachments of American troops--Some account of the - North-Western war from 1791 to 1795--The Turtle defeated by General - Wayne--He becomes unpopular after the peace--Some of the charges against - him examined--Anecdotes of his intercourse with distinguished - Americans--His letter to General Harrison--His death in 1819--His - character. - - 243 - - CHAP. XVI.--The Seneca Chief, Red-Jacket--Circumstances under which he - succeeded Corn-Planter in his influence--Anecdotes of the - latter--Red-Jacket's earliest oratorical triumph--His speech at the - Treaty of Canandaigua--Account of Farmer's-Brother, and - Brandt--Red-Jacket's political and religious principles--Speech to Mr. - Alexander, in 1811--Speech to Mr. Richardson--Remarks on the causes of - his heathenism in the conduct of the whites--His military career--Speech - in favor of declaring war against the British, in 1812--Seneca - Manifesto--Red-Jacket's interview with Washington--His interview with - Lafayette--His Memorial to the New-York Legislature--Speech to a - Missionary in 1825--His deposition and restoration in 1827--Visits to - the Atlantic cities--Death and funeral obsequies--Anecdotes. - - 270 - - - - APPENDIX. - - - No. I. Genealogy of Uncas. 394 - No. II. General Wayne's Correspondence with Major Campbell. 345 - No. III. Corn-Planter's letter to the Governor of Pennsylvania. 309 - No. IV. Speech of the same at Warren Court-House. 312 - No. V. Obituary Notice of Brandt. 314 - No. VI. Little-Farmer's letter to the Hon. W. Eustis. 314 - No. VII. Crawford's letter to the Governor of Canada. 316 - - - - - INDIAN BIOGRAPHY. - - * * * * * - - - CHAPTER I. - - - - Notices of Indians who submitted to Massachusetts, continued--The - Squaw-Sachem of Medford--Her history, family, &c.--Her sons, Sagamore - John and Sagamore James--Their intercourse with the English--Anecdotes - of them--Complaints, services, death and character--Chickatabot, Sachem - of Neponset--His war with the Squaw-Sachem--Visits Boston several - times--Appears in court against Plastowe--Anecdotes of his - Government--Indian policy of Massachusetts compared with that of - Plymouth--Anecdotes of Chickatabot--His death. - -Having heretofore had occasion frequently to introduce the names of -Indians who subjected themselves, more or less, to the Government of -Massachusetts, we propose in this chapter to notice a few of the most -prominent of that class, who have not yet been mentioned. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] See a sketch of Cutchamequin, of Braintee in Chapter XI, Vol. I. - - -Some years previous to the arrival of the English, the various -Massachusetts tribes, properly so called, are believed to have been -confederated, like the Pokanokets and others, under the government of one -great Sachem, whose name was Nanepashemet, or the New-Moon. His usual -residence was in Medford, near Mystic Pond. He was killed in 1619,--by -what enemy is unknown. Two years afterwards, a Plymouth party visited this -section; and they then discovered the remains of one of Nanepashemet's -forts. It was built in a valley. There was a trench about it, breast-high, -with a periphery of palisades reaching up more than thirty feet. It was -accessible only in one direction, by a narrow bridge. The Sachem's grave -had been made under the frame of a house within the enclosure, which was -still standing; and another, upon a neighboring hill, marked the spot where -he fell in battle. His dwelling-house had been built on a large scaffold, -six feet high, also near the summit of a hill. [FN] It is evident that -Nanepashemet was a chieftain of very considerable state and power. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Prince. - - -His successor, to a certain extent, was his widow, well known in history -as the Squaw-Sachem, and otherwise called the Massachusetts Queen. It is -probably from the latter circumstance, in part, that some modern historians -have described her as inheriting the power of her husband; but this is -believed to be incorrect. We find no evidence of it among the old writers; -though it appears, on the other hand, that some of the other Massachusetts -tribes were at war with hers, when the English first made her -acquaintance. It seems highly probable, that these were the enemy--rebels, -we should perhaps say--whom Nanepashemet fell in attempting to subdue. His -failure and death were sufficient, without the aid of that terrible -pestilence which reduced the number of the Massachusetts warriors from -three thousand to three hundred, to prevent any attempts on the part of -his widow, for recovering or continuing his own ancient dominion. - -Still, the Squaw-Sachem governed at least the remnants of one tribe. She -also laid claim to territory in various places, and among the rest to what -is now Concord, a grant of which place she joined with two or three other -Indians in conveying to the original settlers, in 1635. Previous to this -date, she had taken a second husband, Wappacowet, the chief priest of her -tribe, he being by custom entitled to the hand of his Sachem's widow. The -land was paid for in wampum, hatchets, hoes, knives, cotton cloth, and -chintz; beside which, Wappacowet, who figured only as an evidence in the -case, received a gratuity of a suit of cotton cloth, a hat, a white linen -band, shoes, stockings, and a great coat. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Depositions on Concord Records. - - -Several years after the sale of Concord, the Squaw-Sachem visited Boston, -for the purpose of subjecting herself to the Massachusetts Government. -That object she effected. Whether the priest was included in the -submission, or what was the sequel of his history, or even hers, does, not -appear. - -The Squaw-Sachem, like her husband, the New Moon, has maintained her -principal dignity in our early annals, as the parent of Wonohaquaham and -Montowampate, better known as Sagamore John and Sagamore James. [FN] The -former lived, before the English came, at the old residence of his father, -in Medford; subsequently, at Winnesimet, anciently called Rumney Marsh, -and situated partly in Chelsea, and partly in Saugus. James, who was -Sachem of the Saugus Indians, and had jurisdiction of Lynn and -Marble-head, resided on Sagamore hill, near the eastern end of Lynn -beach. - - * * * * * - - [FN] There has been a controversy about the meaning of this title, and - the difference between Sagamore, (or Sagamo) and Sachem. We agree with - Mr. Lewis (from whose accurate history of Lynn we have borrowed above,) - in considering them different pronunciations of the same word. - - -John was one of the best, as well as earliest friends the settlers of -Boston ever had among the natives; and by their descendants his memory -should be cherished for that, if for no other reason. On all occasions, he -was courteous, kind and frank. Soon after their coming, he engaged with -the governor to make compensation for damages done by his subjects, and to -fence in his territories, both which he did. During the same year, 1630, -he seasonably gave warning to the Charlestown people, of a plot formed -against them among some of the neighboring Indians,--an act on the mention -of which an old writer pays him the deserved compliment of having "always -loved the English." - -His attachment was justified by the conduct of his new ally and friends, -for though he often brought complaints before the Massachusetts -authorities, it was as rarely without effect as it was without cause. - -At one time, two of his wigwams were carelessly set on fire by some -English fowlers, and destroyed. The chief offender was a servant of Sir -Richard Saltonstall, and the Court ordered him to give satisfaction, which -he did, being mulcted in seven yards of cloth, valued at fifty shillings -sterling. The act of firing one of the buildings, was not very easily -proved; but, say the Court, "lest he should think us not sedulous enough -to find it out, and so should depart discontentedly from us, we gave both -him and his subject satisfaction for them both." - -So when he and his brother James, a few weeks afterwards, applied to the -Governor for an order, to procure the return of twenty beaver-skins which -had been obtained unfairly from them by an Englishman, "the governor -entertained them kindly, and gave them his letter, &c." [FN] John must -have been permitted to manage his relations with other sachems also, as -he pleased; for when Chickatabot fought for Canonicus in 1632, as we shall -soon see, he also joined him at the head of thirty men, and the fact is -recorded not only without censure, but without comment. - - * * * * * - - [FN] New-England Chronology, 1631. - - -James was a more troublesome personage, and was more than once in -difficulty with both Indians and English. A party of that formidable -eastern people, the Tarratines, attacked him in 1631, slew seven of his -men, wounded both him and his brother John, and carried off his wife -captive. Hubbard observes, that he had treacherously killed some of the -Tarratines before this, "and was therefore the less pitied of the English -that were informed thereof:" but the latter nevertheless procured the -redemption of his wife. The following extract from Mr. Winthrop's Journal, -throws some light, both on the authority which he exercised upon his own -subjects, and the liberties he took with the English. The Government, it -must be observed, had made a prudent regulation, forbidding the sale of -arms to the natives. - - "September 4th, 1632. - -"One Hopkins of Watertown was convict for selling a piece and pistol, with -powder and shot, to James Sagamore, for which he had sentence to be -whipped and branded in the cheek."--It was discovered by an Indian, one -of James's men, upon promise of concealing him, _or otherwise he was sure -to be killed._ It was probably for some offence of this description that -James was once forbidden to enter any English plantation under penalty of -ten beaver-skins; a much better dispensation of justice, clearly, than to -have sent an armed force, as the good people of Plymouth had been in the -habit of doing on such occasions, to punish him in person. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Winthrop. - - -The following is an item in the account of Treasurer Pyncheon, stated to -the General Court for 1632, under the head of Payments out of the Common -Treasury. - -"Paid _John Sagamore's brother,_ the 9th Oct. 1632 for killing a wolf, one -coat at L0. 12s. 0." - -This account of James indicates that he was much less known among the -English than his brother; and as it appears in company of several charges -like these,-- - - "To Jack Straw, one coat, by a note - from the Governor, 12s. - To Wamascus' Son, two wolves, - two coats, L1. 4s." - -It may be fairly inferred that the Sagamore hesitated not to put his -dignity, so far as he _was_ known, on a level, in the eyes of the English, -with the lowest of his countrymen. - -John and James died about the same time, in 1633, of a mortal epidemic -then prevalent among the Massachusetts Indians. Hubbard says, that both -promised, if they recovered from their sickness, to live with the English -and serve their God. The reason why John, at least, had not already taken -such a course, may be gathered from some expressions in that curious -tract, New England's First Fruits, which we cite the more willingly -because it places the character of John in its true light. - -"Sagamore John," says the learned author, "Prince of Massaquesetts, was -from our very first landing, more courteous, ingenious, and to the English -more loving than others of them; he desired to learne and speake our -language, and loved to imitate us in our behaviour and apparell, and began -to hearken after our God and his ways. . . . And did resolve and promise -to leave the Indians and come live with us; but yet, _kept down by feare -of the scoffin of the Indians,_ had not power to make good his purpose, -&c." - -The same writer thus refers to the poor Sagamore's last moments. Being -struck with death, we are told, he began fearfully to reproach himself -that he had not lived with the English, and known their God. "But now," -he added, "I must die. The God of the English is much angry with me, and -will destroy me. Ah! I was afraid of the scoffs of these wicked Indians. -But _my child_ shall live with the English, to know their God, when I am -dead. I'll give him to Mr. Wilson--he much good man, and much love me." -Mr. Wilson, (clergyman at Boston,) was accordingly sent for, and when he -attended, as he did promptly, the Sagamore "committed his only child to -his care, and so died."--In confirmation of this honorable testimony, the -author of the Wonder Working Providence may be cited. He observes, that -the English clergymen were much moved to see the Indians depart this life -without the knowledge of God in Christ, "and therefore were very frequent -among them, for all the Noysomness of their Disease, entering their -Wigwams, and exhorting them in the name of the Lord." John is said to have -given some good hopes, as being always very courteous to them. Then -follows the request to Mr. Wilson: "Quoth hee, 'by and by mee Mattamoy, -[dead]--may bee my sons live--you take them to teach much to know God.'" -[FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Johnson speaks as if there were several sons, and therein is clearly - incorrect. Mr. Cotton is much better authority in this case. - - -Mr. Cotton, himself a preacher also at Boston, at the same period, and -probably an eye-witness, furnishes a more particular and interesting -account of this scene, with which we shall conclude our notice. - -"At our first coming hither _John Sagamore_ was the chiefest _Sachim_ in -these parts. He falling sick, our Pastor Mr. _Wilson_ hearing of it (and -being of some acquaintance with him) went to visit him, taking one of the -deacons of our Church with him, and withall, a little Mithridate and -strong water. When he came to his lodging, (which they call a _Wigwam_) -hearing a noyse within, hee looked over the mat of the door, to discerne -what it meant, and saw many _Indians_ gathered together, and some -_Powwaws_ amongst them, who are their Priests, Physitians, and Witches. -They by course spake earnestly to the sick _Sagamore,_ and to his disease, -(in a way of charming of it and him) and one to another in a kind of -Antiphonies. When they had done, all kept silence, our Pastour went in -with the Deacon, and found the man farre spent, his eyes set in his bead, -his speech leaving him, his mother (old _Squaw-Sachim_) sitting weeping -at his bed's head. Well (saith our Pastour) our God save _Sagamore John, -Powwaw Cram_ (that is, kill) _Sagamore John;_ and thereupon hee fell to -prayer with his Deacon, and after prayer forced into the sick man's mouth -with a spoon, a little Mithridate dissolved in the strong water; soon -after the Sagamore looked up, and three dayes after went abroad on -hunting. This providence so farre prevailed with the Sagamore, that he -promised to look after the _English_ man's God, to heare their sermons, -to weare _English_ apparell, &c. But his neighbor _Indians, Sagamores,_ -and _Powwaws,_ hearing of this, threatened to _Cram_ him (that is, to kill -him) if he did so degenerate from his Country Gods, and Religion, he -thereupon fell off, and took up his Indian course of life again. -Whatsoever facility may seeme to offer itself of the conversion of the -Indians, it is not so easie a matter for them to hold out, no not in a -semblance of profession of the true Religion. Afterwards God struck _John -Sagamore_ againe, (and as I remember with the Small Pox) but then when -they desired like succour from our Pastour as before, he told them now the -Lord was angry with _Sagamore John,_ and it was doubtful hee would not so -easily be intreated. The _Sagamore_ blamed himself and justified God, and -confessed, he should not have been discouraged by their threats from -seeking our God: for those _Sagamores_ and _Powwaws_ who did most terrifie -him, hee had seene God sweeping them away by death, before himself, in a -short time after. And therefore, when hee saw hee must die (for he died of -that sickness) he left his sonne to the education of our Pastour, that he -might keep closer to the English, and to their God, than himself had done. -But his sonne also died of the same disease soon after." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] The Way of Congregational Churches Cleared: London, 1648. - - -Another Sachem carried off by the pestilence was Chickatabot, otherwise -called Chickataubut and Chickatalbott; and whose name, under the form of -Chickatabak, is appended with those of eight other sachems, to the deed of -submission to King James, dated 1622, which has already been mentioned in -the life of Massasoit. Some writers call him the Chief Sachem of the -Massachusetts. But so Sagamore John, and his mother, if not some others, -were vaguely entitled; nor can any thing more be inferred from the -expressions, we conceive, than that he was one of the principal chiefs. -That conclusion might be drawn also from the fact, that when the English -first knew him (in 1621,) he was at war with the Squaw-Sachem of Medford. -No doubt he had been subject to her husband, and probably she was now -struggling to continue and enforce the dominion. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Since writing the above, we have availed ourselves of Mr. Shattuck's - researches. He believes that Chickatabot was subject to _Massasoit._ One - of his reasons is the improbability of his contending against his superior - Sachem; and another, the circumstance that all his recorded conveyances of - land are south of Charles River, which Mr. S. considers the southern - boundary of the Massachusetts. With deference to an accurate writer, we - shall leave the question without an argument--only reminding the reader - that Chickatabot fought for _Canonicus_ in 1632, that being about the - time when the latter made sundry attacks on Massasoit--and also that the - case of Sassacus and Uncas, (not to refer to Powhatan's history,) is a - _precedent_ exactly in point. - - -The same causes which enabled Chickatabot and other sagamores of his -section of the country, to maintain their independence of each other, -probably induced them to submit so readily to whatever authority appeared -able and willing to protect them. King James, Massachusetts and Plymouth, -were the same to him, in this particular, with Massasoit and Canonicus; -and he submitted with an equal grace to all or either, as the case might -require. No doubt it was the influence of the Pokanoket Sachem that -induced him to visit Plymouth for the purpose of Subscribing the -submission--which he probably neither knew nor cared any thing about, -except in relation to the promised consequences of the act of signing. -With the same accommodating disposition, or rather from the same -necessity, he turned out with all his men, in 1632--to fight against the -same Massasoit, we suppose--the Narragansett Chief, Canonicus, having -"sent for him" to that end. [FN] This movement, together with the absence -of all comment upon it in history, illustrates sufficiently the sense -which, notwithstanding the submissions alluded to, both himself and his -English neighbors still entertained of his independence. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Winthrop. - - -The Sachem took no advantage of the freedom thus silently allowed him. Nor -does the liberality, and even courtesy, with which he was on all other -occasions treated by the Massachusetts Government, appear to have had any -other than the happiest effect upon him. On the contrary, he judged them -as they judged him; and being seldom if ever suspected, was rarely exposed -to suspicion by his conduct He esteemed his own dignity at least enough to -appreciate their politeness. - -Residing near Neponset river, in Dorchester, he made himself familiar with -the settlers of Boston very soon after their arrival, and that in a manner -which discredits neither of the parties. As early as March, 1631, (the -settlement having commenced in the preceding September,) he went into -Boston, attended by quite a company of men and women of his tribe, and -carrying with him a hogshead of Indian corn as a present for the Governor. -When the latter had provided a dinner for his visitors, with the much -esteemed accompaniment of "tobacco and beer," the Sachem sent his escort -all home, with the exception of one sanop and one squaw, although it -rained, and the Governor rather urged that they might be permitted to -stay. He, and the other two who remained, tarried until afternoon of the -next day but one. As he had before this time accustomed himself to wear -English clothes, we are informed that "the Governor set him at his own -table, where he behaved himself as soberly as an Englishman." His host -gave him at parting, "cheese and pease, and a mug and some other things;" -[FN] and no doubt he returned to Neponset exceedingly gratified with the -well-timed munificence of his new friend. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Winthrop. - - -Accordingly, he made his appearance again within a month, on which -occasion he requested Mr. Winthrop to negotiate with some tailor, on his -behalf for a suit of English clothes. The Governor civilly gave him to -understand, that English Sagamores were not accustomed to truck in this -way--but he called his own tailor, and directed him to make the proposed -suit. Chickatabot presented his host with two large skins of coat-beaver, -so called, paid the proper honours to a dinner prepared for him and his -attendants, and took his leave, promising to return for his clothes in -three days. This was the 13th of April. On the 15th he came again, and the -Governor then arrayed him in the new suit, which had been promptly made -ready for his use, and also entertained him at dinner. If the Sachem had -behaved soberly on his first visit, he deserves still higher praise for -the improvement which is evident in his manners since that time. He would -not eat now--savage as he was--at the hospitable board of his Christian -host, until the latter had craved the customary blessing which attended -his own meals; and, "after meat, he desired him to do the like, and so -departed." - -Nor did Chickatabot receive only compliments and new clothes from his -Boston ally. Substantial justice was rendered to him and his subjects, -whenever emergency required; and an Englishman was punished, at least as -promptly and severely for a trespass upon him or them, as an Indian would -have been expected to be punished for the same offence against the whites. -To illustrate by an instance,--in the latter part of 1631, Chickatabot -appeared in Court at Boston, and complained of one Josias Plastowe, for -stealing a quantity of his corn. Evidence of the charge having been -produced, sufficient to convict the offender, the Court gave judgment as -follows: - -"It is ordered, that Josias Plastowe shall, for stealing four baskets of -corn from the Indians, return them eight baskets again, be fined five -pounds, and hereafter be called by the name of Josias, and not Mr. as -formerly as he used to be; and that William Buckland and Thomas Andrew, -[servants] shall be whipped for being accessary to the same offence." - -Chickatabot knew how to value this honorable policy of the Government, and -was grateful for it. But even earlier than the date of the transaction -last referred to, he had himself set the example which that Government, so -far as regarded him, did but follow. The following single paragraph, taken -from the same authority which records the sentence of Plastowe, is among -the evidence to this effect: - -"At a Court, John Sagamore and Chickatabot, being told at last Court of -some injuries that their men did to our cattle, and giving consent to make -satisfaction, &c. now one of their men was complained of for shooting a -pig, &c. for which Chickatabot was ordered to pay a small skin of beaver, -which he presently paid." So in August of the next year, two of the -Sachem's men having been proved guilty of assaulting some of the settlers -at Dorchester in their houses, were detained in the bilboes, until -Chickatabot could be notified of the fact, and requested to beat them, -"_which he did._" [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] "The most usuall custome amongst them," says Roger Williams, of the - Indians, "is for the Sachim either to beate, or whip, or put to death with - his owne hand, to which the common sort most quietly submit." Key to the - Ind. Languages. - - -It is obvious to remark, how much more satisfactory this course must have -been to him, than the more violent mode of doing _themselves_ justice, -would have been, which was pursued by many English authorities on most -occasions of a similar description. It was dealing with him, as they -wished to be dealt with; which policy, whether under the circumstances -required by strict justice or not, was unquestionably best calculated to -effect the end proposed in each particular case, as well as to secure the -general affection and respect of the Indians. It may be remarked here, -without impropriety, that the conduct of the Massachusetts Government -towards Chickatabot is no more than a just specimen of the course they -usually pursued towards his countrymen. The exceptions are few and far -between. - -It is specially worthy of notice, that Chickatabot was never called to -account for the part which he took in the combination of the Indians -against Master Weston's infamous settlement at Weymouth, of which we shall -presently have occasion to make further mention. And yet, there was not -only some reason for suspecting him, on account of his vicinity to the -residence of the chief ringleaders; but it appears clearly, that he was -known to be engaged, and that to such an extent, as to be considered by -some the instigator and manager of the whole business. Witness, for -example, the following extract from a letter written by Governor Dudley to -the Countess of Lincoln, in England, and bearing date at Boston, March -12th, 1630: - -"There was about the same time, one Mr. Weston, an English merchant, who -sent divers men to plant and trade who sate down by the river of -Wesaguscus; but these coming not for so good ends as those of Plymouth, -sped not so well; for the most of them dying and languishing away, they -who survived _were rescued by those of Plymouth out of the hands of_ -Chickatalbott, _and his Indians, who oppressed those weak English, and -intended to have destroyed them,"_ [FN] &c. The writer then goes on to -mention a settlement soon after attempted near the same place by one -Wollaston, and a company of some thirty men, whose history may be -profitably noticed very briefly, for the purpose of comparing the Plymouth -with the Massachusetts policy. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Mass. His. Coll. - - -One of the Wollaston crew, mentioned by Prince, in 1625, as having been a -kind of pettifogger in England, was Thomas Morton. This person became a -notable disturber of the peace; cheating the Indians in trade, and spending -the profits with his companions in rioting; drinking, as the annalist just -cited specifies, "ten pound worth of wine and spirits in the morning," -besides setting up a may-pole for the Indian women to drink and dance -about, "with worser practices." - -But although Thomas changed the name of Wollaston to _Merry Mount,_ [FN] -his jollity was not to last forever. Mr. Endecott, of the Massachusetts -Company, who landed at Salem in the summer of 1628, visited Master Morton -within two months from his arrival, and changing Merry Mount to Mount -Dagon, took active measures for correcting that riotous settlement. These -were not entirely successful, and even when Morton was at length arrested -and sent to England for punishment, he was not only liberated, but sent -back again: "upon which," as Prince writes, "he goes to his old nest at -Merry Mount." This was in 1629. In the summer of the next year, the -Massachusetts colonists came over with Winthrop and Dudley; and as early -as September of that season, we find the following order taken upon Master -Morton's case by the Court of Assistants:-- - - * * * * * - - [FN] Prince's Annals, 1625. - - -"Ordered, that Master Thomas Morton of Mount Wollaston shall presently be -set in the bilbows, and after sent prisoner to England by the ship called -the Gift; that all his goods be seized to defray the charge of his -transportation, payments of his debts, _and to give satisfaction to the -Indians for a canoe he took unjustly from them; and that his house be -burnt down to the ground in sight of the Indians, for their satisfaction -for many wrongs he has done them._" - -If this summary course had been taken with Weston and _his_ banditti, -there might have been, as we shall see, the saving of the lives of many -innocent men. If it could not be taken by the English, who were appealed -to, some allowance at least might have been made for those who were -finally compelled to assume the administration of justice. - -In the case of Chickatabot, though not in all, such allowance _was_ made. -It also appears, that no evil consequences arose from this policy, but -much the reverse. The sachem was uniformly the more ready to give all the -satisfaction in his power, and no doubt partly because it was rather -requested of him than required. When the Indians were said to be plotting -against the English in 1632, and much apprehension was excited in -consequence, "_the three next Sagamores were sent for,_" says Winthrop, -"who came presently to the Governor," and this is the last we hear of the -matter. Chickatabot must have been one of them, and _he_ explained away -the causes of suspicions at once. Pursuing this course, the Massachusetts -Government continued upon good terms with him until his death, which was -occasioned by the prevalent epidemic, in the latter part of 1633. - -His descendants, to the third generation at least, several of whom were -persons of note, followed his own peaceful and friendly example. Among the -Suffolk records, there is still to be seen, a quitclaim deed from his -grandson Josias,--of Boston, the islands in the harbor, &c. "to the -proprietated inhabitants of Boston." - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - - - Farther account of Master Weston's settlement, and the movements of the - Indians against him--Aspinet, the Nauset, supposed to be engaged in - that affair--His tribe and power--Provocations from the - English--Magnanimous revenge of the Sachem--His hospitality and - kindness--Friendly intercourse with Plymouth--Is visited by governor - Bradford--By captain Standish--Is suspected of hostility by Plymouth, - and pursued by Standish--His death--Career and character of Iranough, - the "Courteous Sachem of Cummaquid"--Is suspected and pursued--His - death. - - -Having necessarily, in the course of justice to some individuals -heretofore noticed, animadverted on the early Indian policy of Plymouth, -we shall devote this chapter to the further consideration of certain facts -bearing upon that subject, and especially as connected with the case of -Weston. These facts cannot be better set forth, than they are in the lives -of two among the most remarkable natives who held intercourse with the -Government in question. - -One of them was Aspinet, _the first open enemy,_ as the Pokanoket Sachem -was the first ally, whom the Plymouth settlement had the fortune to meet -with. He ruled over a number of petty tribes, settled in various parts of -what is now the county of Barnstable, all of whom are said to have been -ultimately subject, or at least subsidiary, to Massasoit. The principal -among them were the Nausets, at Namskeket, [FN] within the present limits -of Orleans, and round about the cove which separates that town from -Eastham. With this tribe Aspinet had his residence. - - * * * * * - - [FN] A spot chosen with the usual sagacity of the Indians, and which at - some period probably subsisted a large population with its immense stores - of the _sickishuog,_ or clam. A thousand barrels annually are said to - have been taken there in modern times, merely for fish-bait. _Mass. His. - Coll._ - - -Aspinet, we have observed, was the first open enemy of the colonists; and -it will be admitted, that his hostility was not without cause. Of the -twenty-four Indians kidnapped by Hunt, in 1614, twenty belonged to -Patuxet, (or Plymouth,) and the residue were the subjects of the Nauset -chieftain. When the Pilgrims came over, six years after this abominable -outrage, it happened, that upon landing in the harbor of Cape Cod, before -reaching Plymouth, they sent out a small party in a shallop, to discover a -proper place for a settlement. These men went ashore a little north of the -Great-Pond, in Eastham, and there they were suddenly attacked by the -Nausets. The assailants were repulsed, but the English retreated in great -haste. - -Unquestionably, these men acted in obedience to the orders of Aspinet, -instigated, as he must have been, by the remembrance of Hunt's perfidy. -Winslow, in his Relation, gives an affecting incident which occurred -subsequently at this place, going to illustrate, very forcibly, the effect -of such atrocious conduct on the disposition of the natives. "One thing," -he says, "was grievous unto us at this place. There was an old woman, whom -we judged to be no less than a hundred years old, which came to see us, -because she never saw English; yet could not behold us without breaking -forth into great passion, weeping and crying excessively. We demanding the -reason of it; they told us _she had three sons, who, when Master Hunt was -in these parts, went aboard his ship to trade with him, and he carried -them captives into Spain, by which means she was deprived of the comfort -of her children in her old age!_" The English made what explanation they -could of the affair, and gave her a few "small trifles, which somewhat -appeased her." - -The expedition alluded to in this case, which took place in the summer of -1621, was occasioned by the absence of an English boy, who had strayed away -from the colony at Plymouth, and was understood to have fallen into -Aspinet's hands. The accident gave that sachem an opportunity of -gratifying his revenge, which to him might have appeared providential. But -he was too intelligent a man to confound the innocent with the guilty; and -too noble to avail himself of a misfortune, even for humbling the pride of -an enemy. When, therefore, the English party, on this occasion, having -landed on his coast, sent Squanto to inform him amicably of the purpose -for which they had come,--and with instructions perhaps to appeal to his -better feelings,--he threw down his enmity at once with his arms. "After -sun-set,"--is the minute but touching description given of this singular -scene:--"Aspinet came with a great train, and brought the boy with him, -one bearing him through the water. He had not less than an hundred with -him, the half whereof came to the shallop-side unarmed with him; the other -stood aloof with their bows and arrows. There he delivered up the boy, -behung with beads, and made peace with us, we bestowing a knife on him; -and likewise on another that first entertained the boy, and brought him -thither. So they departed from us." [FN] It was indeed a magnanimous -revenge. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Journal of a Plantation. - - -After this auspicious interview, a friendly intercourse was maintained for -more than a year between the English and the Nausets. Supplies of corn, -beans and other provision, were obtained of them to a large amount, at a -period when the colonists were reduced almost to famine. The trade was -conducted on both sides with justice, and therefore with confidence. -Governor Bradford, when he touched at Namskeket, was treated with the -highest respect. On one occasion, his shallop being stranded, it was -necessary to stack the corn which had been purchased, and to leave it, -covered with mats and sedge, in the care of the Indians. The Governor and -his party traveled home, fifty miles, on foot. The corn remained as he -left it, from November to the following January, and when another shallop -touched at Nauset, it was found in perfect safety. All this is attributed -to Aspinet; "_The Sachim,_" we are told, "used the Governor very kindly." -The Indians were promised a reward for taking future good care of the corn; -"which they undertook, and the Sachim promised to make good!" And again, -"the Sachim sent men to seek the shallop," and then sent the shallop to -Plymouth within three days. - -He manifested the same good feeling and good faith at other times. When -Standish landed at Nauset, in the winter of 1622-3, an Indian crawled into -his shallop about dusk, as it lay in a narrow creek, and carried off some -beads, scissors and other small articles. The captain soon discovered the -theft, and taking some of his crew with him, he went immediately to -Aspinet, made his complaint, and demanded, with some bravadoes, that -either the articles or the criminal should be delivered to him forthwith. -The Sachem took no offence at his plainness of speech; but not being -prepared to give satisfaction on the instant, very composedly offered his -visitor the hospitalities of his wigwam till the matter could be settled -as it should be. These were rejected, and Standish returned to his -"rendezvous" on the shore. The next morning, Aspinet made his appearance. -He came marching down to the shore, with considerable pomp and -circumstance, attended by an escort of his subjects, probably numerous -enough to have overwhelmed the little party of Standish, and never at any -former time found wanting in courage. But the object was to do justice, -and not to enforce wrong. He approached the captain and saluted him by -thrusting out his tongue, "that one might see the root thereof, and -therewith licked his hand from the wrist to the finger's end, withal -bowing the knee, to imitate the English gesture, being instructed therein -formerly by Tisquantum." His men followed the example as well as they were -able, but so awkwardly, with all their zeal, as to furnish no little -amusement for the civilized spectators of the scene. Aspinet now gave up -the stolen articles, observing that he had beaten the thief soundly, and -"seeming to be very sorry for the fact, but glad to be reconciled." The -interview closed with a liberal provision of excellent bread upon his -part, which he had ordered his women to bake and bring in whatever -quantities it was wanted. - -But notwithstanding all the pains which the chief of the Nausets took to -maintain a good understanding with his new neighbors, he was destined to -incur their suspicion, and to meet with a miserable ruin under the weight -of their hostility. When the English visited Massasoit, in his sickness, -early in 1683, that chieftain disclosed to them, by the medium of -Hobamock, the particulars of an extensive combination, reported to be -formed among the Indian tribes, "against Master Weston's colony at -Weymouth," as Winslow expresses it, "_and so against us._" The -Massachusetts Indians were ringleaders in the affair, it was said; but -Aspinet, and the sachems of many other settlements, including even -Capawack, (Martha's Vineyard) were charged with being privy to it. - -Whether they were so or not, need not be discussed, and cannot be decided. -It is observable, however, in relation to Aspinet, that the evidence of -Massasoit, which was the only evidence in the case, went to show, that -"_the men of Massachusetts,_ were the _authors_ of the intended -business." This very much confirms our conclusion to the same effect, in -the Life of Chickatabot. But, granting all that is charged, it may easily -be imagined how much provocation the Indians had received from Weston's -notorious banditti, and how much reason they had to make common cause -against them in their own self-defence. Winslow himself bears witness, -that immediately after Weston's settlement was commenced, "the Indians -filled our ears with clamors against them, for stealing their corn, and -other abuses;" as also that the Plymouth Government "_knew no way to -redress these abuses, save reproof._" - -It seems to have been hardly considered,---when the English undertook to -wage a preventative or precautionary war, as they did, upon all the -parties accused by Massasoit,--not only that the good Sachem might be -misinformed by rivals or enemies of those parties; and that there might be -a fault upon their own side; but also that the Indians might well be -disposed to punish the Weymouth ruffians, without necessarily carrying -their hostilities any farther. _They_ looked upon Weston's clan as one -_tribe,_ and upon the Plymouth people as another; and the conduct of the -two settlements respectively had hitherto given good cause for the -distinction. - -But whatever was the truth or justice of the case, the result is a matter -of no uncertainty. Captain Standish proceeded to "_try his conclusion,_" -according to the phraseology of the times, much as John Smith would have -done in his stead, upon such of the savages as were most suspected. -Several were killed, wounded and captured, "and this sudden and unexpected -execution," writes our historian, "together with the just judgment of God -upon their own guilty consciences, so terrified and amazed the other -people who _intended_ to join with the Massachuseuks against us, as in -like manner they forsook their houses,--running to and fro like men -distracted,--living in the swamps, and other desert places,--and so -brought manifold diseases amongst themselves, whereof very many are dead." -Among these unfortunate persons was the Sachem of Nauset; and thus -miserably perished a man at least deserving the credit of having rendered -numerous and generous favors to a people, who had been in the first -instance flagrant trespassers upon his dominion, as they were finally the -cause of his death. - -Iyanough, sometimes entitled the "Courteous Sachem of Cummaquid," ruled -over the Indians at that place, which was otherwise called Mattakees, or -Mattakiest, and was included in what has since been the eastern part of -the township of Barnstable and the western part of Yarmouth. - -The kindness of the Sachem and his subjects towards such of the English as -first made their acquaintance, amply accounts for the compliment implied -in his title. The same party which, as we have seen, went in pursuit of -the Plymouth boy, put in at Cummaquid for the first night, and -unfortunately anchored in a situation, where at low water they found -themselves aground. In the morning they espied savages near the shore, -looking for lobsters. Squanto was sent to inform them of the object of the -visit of the English, and to assure them of their friendly disposition. -Thus addressed, the Indians answered that the boy was very well, but at -Nauset; yet, since the English were so near their territory, it was hoped -they would take the trouble to come ashore and eat with them. The -invitation was accepted by six of the party, who landed as soon as their -shallop was afloat, leaving four of the Indians voluntary hostages with -the residue of the crew. - -They were conducted to the residence of Iyanough; a man described as not -exceeding twenty six years of age, but very personable, gentle, courteous, -fair-conditioned, and indeed not like a savage, save for his attire. [FN] -This entertainment is said to have been answerable to his "parts," and -his cheer plentiful and various. The English tarried with him until after -dinner, and then reembarked for Nauset; Iyanough and two of his men going -with them on board the shallop. The latter returned on foot, when the -design of the expedition was accomplished. The English sailed for Plymouth -with a head wind, but were obliged to put in again for the shore, where -they met with their fellow-passenger, the Sachem. He came out to greet -them, with most of his subjects, in company, men, women and children: "and -being still willing to gratify us," says the historian, "took a rundlet, -and lead our men in the dark a great way for water, but could find none -good; yet brought such as there was on his neck with them." In the -meantime, the women joined hand in hand, and began to dance and sing upon -the stand near the shallop; the men showed all the kindness in their -power; and the interview ended with Iyanough himself taking a bracelet -from about his neck, and hanging it upon that of the person who acted as -the leader of the English. His visitors took their leave of him, and "by -God's providence came safely home that night." - - * * * * * - - [FN] Journal of a Plantation - - -All that we hear of Iyanough, after this, goes to confirm the estimate -which these particulars induce one to form of his character. He supplied -the colony with a large quantity of provisions, in a period of great need; -and as late as February 1623, when Standish went to Mattakiest on a -similar errand, it is admitted that he not only "pretended" his wonted -love, but spared a good quantity of corn to confirm the same. [FN] The -account given of that meeting closes with the following language. It is -the more noticeable as illustrating the temper of Standish in cases of -excitement and the kind of evidence against the Indians, by which, through -him, the colonists were likely to be satisfied. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Window's Relation. - - -"Strangers," writes the historian, "also came to this place, _pretending_ -only to see him (Standish,) and his company, whom they never saw before -that time, but _intending_ to join with the rest to kill them, as after -appeared. But being forced through extremity [of weather] to lodge in -their houses, _which they much pressed,_ God possessed the heart of the -Captain with just jealousy, giving strait command, that as one part of his -company slept, the rest should wake, declaring some things which he -understood, whereof he could make no good constructions." We are then -informed, that some beads were stolen from him in the night. Upon this, he -drew out his men, and stationed them around the wigwam of Iyanough, where -many of his people were collected. He threatened to fall upon them -forthwith, unless satisfaction should be made; and seated his indignation -upon the Sachem with an especial emphasis. Iyanough exerted himself to -discover the criminal. An adjustment of the difficulties was at length -effected; and then the Indians good humouredly brought in corn enough to -fill the shallop. "Finally, this accident so daunted their courage, as -they durst not attempt any thing against him; so that through the good -means and providence of God they returned in safety." - -It is not difficult to be seen that there was more prejudice against -Iyanough and his subjects, than proof. Their hospitality only made them -suspected. On the other hand, the real hostility which they may or may not -have felt towards the scoundrels and thieves who composed Master Weston's -settlement at Weymouth, was first taken for granted, and then amplified -into a cause of premature retaliation on the part of the people of -_Plymouth._ It was about this very time, that the Indians were making the -most urgent complaints against Weston--"how exceedingly," to quote again -from the Relation itself, "that company abased themselves by undirect -means to get victuals from the Indians;" and how "others by night robbed -the Indians' store, for which they had been publickly stocked and whipped, -and yet there was little amendment," &c. - -If Iyanough _had_ indeed shown himself a little shy of his old -acquaintances in the case last alluded to, it were not much to be wondered -at; especially considering the violence of the worthy but warm-blooded -captain, and also the fact that Plymouth, though duly and distinctly -appealed to, had given the Indians no redress. It is somewhere intimated -in the ancient journals, that certain Indians,--and testimony of this kind -seems to have been received without much suspicions--stated that Iyanough -had been _solicited_ to join the Massachusetts against the whites. But -this certainly, if true, was no crime. Massasoit himself acknowledged, -that he was solicited. - -On the whole, not to enlarge on the minutiae of a case, which at best can -afford no pleasure to those who feel their own honor involved in the -memory of Standish and his Plymouth brethren, we can hardly record the -fate of the kind and gentle Iyanough, the Courteous Sachem, on his own -soil, in the prime of his days, without a blush and a sigh together for -the _mistake_ and the _misfortune._ Insulted, threatened, pursued, by an -enemy whom no restitution could satisfy, and who suspected equally his -caresses and fears, he fled in consternation and died in despair. - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - - - Summary account of the Five Nations--Their early - history--Government--Conquests--Population--Territory--Intercourse with - European Colonies--Their war with the Adirondacks--Adventures of - Piskaret--Their negotiations with the French, in 1684--Anecdotes of the - Onondaga Chief, Garangula--His speech at the Council, and effects of - it--Remarks on his character--History of the Five Nations continued to - the time of Adario--His exploits--Their object and results--War between - the confederates and the French--Adventures of Black-Kettle. - - -Having concluded our notices of the most eminent Indians of New-England, -it now becomes proper, following merely the progress of history, to turn -our attention to another section of country, and to a period of time which -has not yet furnished us any considerable share of its abundant material. -We refer to the Middle States, and particularly to a large portion of the -State of New-York, which, with other neighboring territory, was formerly -occupied by that famous confederacy commonly called, by the English, the -Five Nations. Owing to circumstances not necessary here to be detailed, -these tribes--and, as an almost necessary consequence, all the -distinguished individuals they produced--came forward in their intercourse -with the foreign colonies around them, to fill the prominent station -before filled by the Indians of New-England, much as the latter had, in -their turn, succeeded the red men of the South. - -The Five Nations were the Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Cayugas, the Onondagas -and the Senecas. The Virginian Indians gave them the name of Massawomekes; -the Dutch called them Maquas, or Makakuase; and the French, Iroquois. -Their appellation at home was the Mingoes, and sometimes the Aganuschion, -or United People. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Governor Clinton's Discourse before N. Y. H. Society: 1811. - - -When the French settled in Canada, in 1603, they found the Iroquois living -where Montreal now stands. They were at war with the Adirondacks,--a -powerful tribe residing three hundred miles above Trois-Rivieres,--in -consequence of the latter having treacherously murdered some of their -young men. Previous to this date, their habits had been more agricultural -than warlike; but they soon perceived the necessity of adopting a -different system. The Adirondacks drove them from their own country, and -they retreated to the borders of the lakes, where they have ever since -lived. This misfortune it was,--ostensibly at least a misfortune,--which -gave the earliest impulse to the subsequent glorious career of these -Romans of the West. - -Fortunately for them, their sachems were men of a genius and spirit which -adversity served only to stimulate and renew. They, finding their -country-men discouraged by the discomfiture suffered on the banks of the -St. Lawrence, induced them to turn their arms against a less formidable -nation, called the Satanas, then dwelling with themselves near the lakes. -That people they subdued, and expelled from their territory. Encouraged by -success, and strengthened by discipline, they next ventured to defend -themselves against the inroads of their old conquerers on the north; and -at length the Adirondacks were even driven back, in their turn, as far as -the neighborhood of what is now Quebec. - -But a new emergency arose. The French made common cause with the nation -just named against their enemies, and brought to the contest the important -aids of civilized science and art. The Five Nations had now to set wisdom -and wariness, as well as courage and discipline, against an alliance so -powerful. Their captains came forward again, and taught them the policy of -fighting in small parties, and of making amends for inferior force, by -surprisal and stratagem. The result was, that the Adirondacks were nearly -exterminated, while the Iroquois, proudly exalting themselves on their -overthrow, grew rapidly to be the leading tribe of the whole north, and -finally of the whole continent. - -The efforts necessary to attain that ascendant, may be fairly estimated -from the character of the first vanquisher and the first victim. The -Adirondacks fought long and desperately. In the end they adopted their -adversaries' plan of sending out small parties, and of relying especially -on their captains. Five of these men, alone, are said, by their -astonishing energy and bravery to have well nigh turned the balance of the -war. - -One of the number was Piskaret, in his own day the most celebrated -chieftain of the north. He and his four comrades solemnly devoted -themselves to the purpose of redeeming the sullied glory of the nation, at -a period when the prospect of conquest, and perhaps of defence, had -already become desperate. They set out for Trois Rivieres in one canoe; -each of them being provided with three muskets, which they loaded -severally with two bullets, connected by a small chain ten inches in -length. In Sorel River, they met with five boats of the Iroquois, each -having on board ten men. As the parties rapidly came together, the -Adirondacks pretended to give themselves up for lost, and began howling -the death-song. This was continued till their enemy was just at hand. They -then suddenly ceased singing, and fired simultaneously on the five canoes. -The charge was repeated with the arms which lay ready loaded, and the -slight birches of the Iroquois were torn asunder, and the frightened -occupants tumbled overboard as fast as possible. Piskaret and his -comrades, after knocking as many of them on the head as they pleased, -reserved the remainder to feed their revenge, which was soon afterwards -done by burning them alive in the most cruel tortures. - -This exploit, creditable as it might be to the actors in the eyes of their -countrymen, served only to sharpen the fierce eagerness for blood which -still raged in the bosom of Piskaret. His next enterprise was far more -hazardous than the former; and so much more so, indeed, even in prospect, -that not a single warrior would bear him company. He set out alone, -therefore for the country of the Five Nations, (with which he was well -acquainted,) about that period, of the spring when the snow was beginning -to melt. Accustomed, as an Indian must be, to all emergencies of traveling -as well as warfare, he took the precaution of putting the hinder part of -his snow-shoes forward, so that if his footsteps should happen to be -observed by his vigilant enemy, it might be supposed he was gone the -contrary way. For further security he went along the ridges and high -grounds, where the snow was melted, that his track might be lost. - -On coming near one of the villages of the Five Nations, he concealed -himself until night, and then entered a cabin, while the inmates were fast -asleep, murdered the whole family, and carried the scalps to his -lurking-place. The next day, the people of the village sought for the -murderer, but in vain. He came out again at midnight, and repeated his -deed of blood. The third night, a watch was kept in every house, and -Piskaret was compelled to exercise more caution. But his purpose was not -abandoned. He bundled up the scalps he had already taken to carry home -with him as a proof of his victory, and then stole warily from house to -house, until he at last discovered an Indian nodding at his post. This man -he despatched at a blow, but that blow alarmed the neighborhood, and he -was forced immediately to fly for his life. Being, however, the fleetest -Indian then alive, he was under no apprehension of danger from the chase. -He suffered his pursuers to approach him from time to time, and then -suddenly darted away from them, hoping in this manner to discourage as -well as escape them. When the evening came on, he hid himself; and his -enemies stopped to rest. Feeling no danger from a single enemy, and he a -fugitive, they even indulged themselves in sleep. Piskaret, who watched -every movement, turned about, knocked every man of them on the head, added -their scalps to his bundle, and leisurely resumed his way home. - -To return to the Five Nations. The career of victory, which began with the -fall of the Adirondacks, was destined to be extended beyond all precedent -in the history of the Indian tribes. They exterminated the Eries or -Erigas, once living on the south side of the lake of their own name. They -nearly destroyed the powerful Anderstez, and the Chouanons or Showanons. -They drove back the Hurons and Ottawas among the Sioux of the Upper -Mississippi, where they separated themselves into bands, "proclaiming, -wherever they went the terror of the Iroquois." [FN-1] The Illinois on the -west also were subdued, with the Miamies and the Shawanese. The -Nipeneneans of the St Lawrence fled to Hudson's Bay, to avoid their fury. -"The borders of the Outaouis," says an historian, "which were long thickly -peopled, became almost deserted." [FN-2] The Mohawk was a name of terror -to the farthest tribes of New-England; and though but one of that -formidable people should appear for a moment on the hills of the -Connecticut or Massachusetts, the villages below would be in an uproar of -confusion and fear. Finally they conquered the tribe of Virginia, west of -the Alleghenies; and warred against the Catawbas, Cherokees, and most of -the nations of the South. - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Herriot's History of Canada. - - [FN-2] Ibid. - - -The result of this series of conquests, was, that the Five Nations finally -became entitled, or at least laid claim to all the territory not sold to -the English, from the mouth of Sorel River, on the south side of lakes -Erie and Ontario, on both sides of the Ohio, until it falls into the -Mississippi; and on the north side of these lakes, the whole tract between -the Outawas River and lake Huron. [FN] The historian, Douglas, estimates -their territory at about 1200 miles in length, from north to south, and -from 700 to 800 miles in breadth. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Smith's History of New-York. - - -The most moderate account of their population we have seen, was published -by an agent of Virginia, who held a conference at Albany with the chiefs, -in 1677. The warriors were then numbered as follows: - - Mohawks, 300 - Oneidas, 200 - Onondagas, 350 - Cayugas, 300 - Senecas, 1000 - ____ - Total, 2150 - -This would make the whole population about 7000. Even so late as the -Revolutionary war, the British had in their service, according to the -calculation of their own agents: - - Mohawks, 300 - Oneidas, 150 - Onondagas, 300 - Cayugas, 230 - Senecas, 400 - -To which must be added 200 Tuscaroras--a tribe expelled from North -Carolina in 1712, and received by the five Nations, to constitute a sixth -member of the Confederacy. We must also add 220 warriors who adhered to -the United States. The whole number actually engaged in the contest would -then amount to 1800. - -The Five Nations entered into a treaty of peace with the Dutch soon after -their settlement in New-York. They treated with the English subsequently -on the same terms; and this memorable engagement remained inviolate for -more than a century, during all the revolutions and machinations of the -French and English governments, on either side. With the former of these -people they were often at war. - -About the year 1684, the French availed themselves of a peace with the -Five Nations to build forts at several important places on the northern -waters, and to make many arrangements for extending their dominion and -commerce among the numerous tribes of the north and west. Their only -opposition came from the Confederates. The Senecas who were the most -numerous and the nearest, were particularly troublesome in cutting off -supplies of ammunition, sent by the French among their tribes, who hunted -for them. At length, M. De la Barre, the Governor of Canada, complained of -these injuries to the English, who were known to have great influence over -their Indian allies. Meanwhile he took vigorous measures for frightening -the Five Nations into friendship. He ordered his vessels on the lakes to -be repaired; and collected at Cadaraqui fort all the forces of Canada. But -the nature of the soil at this station, where he was detained six weeks in -the heat of summer, occasioned sickness and embarrassment in his army, and -he found the prospect utterly hopeless of effecting any thing, unless it -might be by treaty. He sent messengers, therefore, to some of the Five -Nations, to induce a negotiation. - -These movements the English Commander at Albany, Colonel Dungan, exerted -himself to counteract. The Mohawks and Senecas promised him that they -would not go near the French. But the remaining three tribes would not -even hear the messages he sent them, except in presence of the priests and -other deputies who had already brought an invitation from the French -Governor to meet him in Council, at Kaihohage. [FN-1] "Should we not go to -him after all this entreaty," said they in answer to the English, "when he -is come so far, and so near to us? Certainly. If we do not, we shall -deserve no favour. You say we are subjects to the King of England and the -Duke of York. _We_ say we are brethren, and take care of ourselves." -[FN-2] - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] On Lake Ontario, and called by the French La-Famine. - - [FN-2] Colden's History of the Five Nations. - - -The event justified this independence. The most distinguished of the -confederate chieftains was Garangula, the pride of the Onondaga tribe. He -was now advanced in years, but had lost nothing of his energies. Taking -thirty warriors with him, he went with La Maine, the French Deputy, to -meet the Canadian Governor at Kaihohage. At the end of two days after -reaching that place, a Council was held. The French officers formed a -semi-circle on one side, which the Indians completed on the other; and the -Governor then addressed himself to Garangula. - -"The King, my master," he began, "being informed that the Five Nations -have often infringed the peace, has ordered me to come hither with a -guard, and to send Ohguesse (La Maine) to the Onondagas, to bring the -Chief Sachem to my camp." He then went on to require Garangula,--as a -condition precedent to the treaty which might be granted him,--to promise, -in the name of the Five Nations, that entire reparation should be given -the French for the past, and entire security for the future. In case of -refusal, they were threatened with war. Again, they were charged with -violence committed upon the French traders, and upon Indian nations under -French protection; and with having introduced the English to trade in the -neighborhood of the lakes. This also was cause of war. Finally, said the -Governor, with no very scrupulous regard to truth, upon one point at -least, "I shall be extremely grieved if my words do not produce the effect -I anticipate from them; for then I shall be obliged to join with the -Governor of New-York, _who is commanded by his master to assist me,_ and -burn the castles of the Five Nations, and destroy you." - -This crafty speech was designed to strike a terror into the Indians; and -Garangula was undoubtedly surprised by a style of expression which -contrasted so strongly with the smooth and soft words of La Maine and the -priests. But fear never entered his bosom; and he had the additional -advantage of good information respecting the true state of the French -Army. He knew that the Governor's insolence proceeded in fact from his -impotence; bravado was his last resort. During the speech, however, he -manifested no emotion of any kind, but kept his eyes composedly fixed on -the end of his own pipe. But the moment the Governor had ceased, he rose -up, walked five or six times about the council-circle, and then returned -to his place, where he spoke standing, while La Barre remained in his -elbow-chair. - -"Yonondio!" he began--addressing the Governor by the title always given to -that Canadian officer by the Five Nations--"Yonondio!--I honor you, and -the warriors that are with me all likewise honor you. Your interpreter has -finished your speech; I now begin mine. My words make haste to reach your -ears. Hearken to them. - -"Yonondio!--You must have believed when you left Quebec, that the sun had -burnt up all the forests, which render our country inaccessible to the -French, or that the lakes had so far overflown the banks, that they had -surrounded our castles, and that it was impossible for us to get out of -them. Yes, surely you must have dreamed so, and the curiosity of seeing so -great a wonder, has bought you so far. _Now_ you are undeceived. I and the -warriors here present, are come to assure you, that the Senecas, Cayugas, -Onondagas, Oneidas and Mohawks are yet alive. I thank you in their name, -for bringing back into their country the calumet, which your predecessor -received from their hands. It was happy for you, that you left under -ground that murdering hatchet, so often dyed in the blood of the French. - -"Hear, Yonondio!--I do not sleep. I have my eyes open. The sun, which -enlightens me, discovers to me a great captain at the head of a company of -soldiers, who speaks as if he were dreaming. He says, that he only came to -the lake to smoke on the great calumet with the Onondagas. But _Garangula_ -says, that he sees the contrary; that it was to knock them on the head, if -sickness had not weakened the arms of the French. I see Yonondio raving in -a camp of sick men, whose lives the Great Spirit has saved by inflicting -this sickness on them. - -"Hear Yonondio!--Our women had taken their clubs, our children and old men -had carried their bows and arrows into the heart of your camp, if our -warriors had not disarmed them, and kept them back, when your messenger -came to our castles. It is done and I have said it. - -"Hear, Yonondio!--We plundered none of the French, but those that carried -guns, powder and balls to the Twightwies and Chictaghicks, because those -arms might have cost us our lives. Herein we follow the example of the -Jesuits, who break all the kegs of rum brought to our castles, lest the -drunken Indians should knock them on the head. Our warriors have not -beaver enough to pay for all the arms they have taken, and our old men are -not afraid of the war. This belt preserves my words. - -"We carried the English into our lakes, to trade there with the Utawawas -and Quatoghies, as the Adirondacks brought the French to our castles, to -carry on a trade, which the English say is theirs. We are born free. We -neither depend on Yonondio nor Corlear. [FN] We may go where we please, -and carry with us whom we please, and buy and sell what we please. If your -allies be your slaves, use them as such, command them to receive no other -but your people. This belt preserves my words." - - * * * * * - - [FN] The name they gave the Governor of New-York. - - -"We knock the Twightwies and Chictaghicks on the head, because they had -cut down the trees of peace, which were the limits of our country. They -have hunted beaver on our lands. They have acted contrary to the customs -of all Indians, for they left none of the beavers alive,--they killed both -male and female. They brought the Satanas into their country, to take part -with them, after they had concerted ill designs against us. We have done -less than either the English or French, that have usurped the lands of so -many Indian nations, and chased them from their own country. This belt -preserves my words. - -"Hear, Yonondio!--What I say is the voice of all the Five Nations. Hear -what they answer. Open your ears to what they speak. The Senecas, Cayugas, -Onondagas, Oneidas and Mohawks say, that when they buried the hatchet at -Cadarackui, in the presence of your predecessor, in the middle of the -fort, they planted the tree of peace in the same place, to be there -carefully preserved. That in the place of a retreat for soldiers, that -fort might be a rendezvous for merchants; that in place of arms and -ammunition of war, beavers and merchandize should only enter there. - -"Hear, Yonondio!--Take care for the future that so great a number of -soldiers as appear there, do not choke the tree of peace planted in so -small a fort. It will be a great loss, if, after it had so easily taken -root, you should stop its growth, and prevent its covering your country -and ours with its branches. I assure you, in the name of the Five Nations, -that our warriors shall dance to the calumet of peace under its leaves. -They shall remain quiet on their mats, and shall never dig up the hatchet, -till their brother Yonondio, or Corlear, shall either jointly or -separately endeavor to attack the country, which the Great Spirit has -given to our ancestors. This belt preserves my words, and this other the -authority which the Five Nations have given me." - -Here the orator paused for a moment, and then addressed himself to -Monsieur Le Maine, who stood near him, acting as interpreter. "Take -courage, Ohguesse!" said he, "You have spirit--Speak! Explain my words. -Forget nothing. Tell all that your brethren and friends say to Yonondio, -your Governor, by the mouth of Garangula, who loves you, and desires you -to accept of this present of beaver, and take part with me in my feast, to -which I invite you. This present of beaver is sent to Yonondio, on the -part of the Five Nations." - -When this harangue was explained to the Governor, he quietly left the -council, and withdrew to his tent, disappointed and much incensed. -Garangula, on the other hand, feasted the French officers, and then went -home. Nothing more was heard of the treaty; and the French troops, who had -been ordered out, soon after made the best of their way to their own -habitations. - -The genuineness of the speech we have given above, seems to be past -dispute. It was recorded on the spot by that enlightened historian, Baron -La Hontan, from whom Colden and other subsequent writers have borrowed it. -Considering the circumstances under which it was delivered, and especially -the surprise practiced by the Governor, it may certainly be regarded as an -evidence of astonishing sagacity, spirit, and self-possession. Its proud -courtesy, so different from the Frenchman's boisterous parade of idle -threats, only adds to the sting of its sarcasm, as the imagery gives -weight to the argument. An illustrious statesman and scholar has placed it -in the same rank with the celebrated speech of Logan. [FN] But the fame of -Garangula must, at all events, rest upon this effort, for history makes no -mention of him subsequent to the council of Kaihohage. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Discourse of Gov. Clinton. - - -About three years after that transaction, another personage distinguished -himself as much as the Onondaga Chief, though in a very different manner. -This was Adario, Chief Sachem of the Dinondadies, a tribe generally found -among those in the French interest, and opposed both to the Five Nations -and the English. The former Government had consequently treated them with -favor. But, notwithstanding these circumstances, they had latterly shown a -strong disposition to trade with the English--and especially upon one -occasion, when the latter, guided by the Five Nations, had opened a -commerce on the frontiers of Canada. That affair, as Adario now observed, -made them obnoxious to their ancient ally, the French; and he therefore -resolved, by some notable exploit, to redeem the character of his nation. - -Full of this purpose, he marched from Michilimackinac, at the head of a -hundred men; and to act with the greater security, he took Cadaraqui fort -in his way, for intelligence. The Commandant there informed him, that the -Governor was now in expectation of concluding a peace with the Five -Nations, and of receiving a visit from their ambassadors in eight or ten -days, at Montreal. He desired him to return home, without attempting any -thing which might obstruct so good a design. - -But Adario had another project in view. The Commandant's information -convinced him of the danger there was that his own nation, in the new -arrangement, might be sacrificed to the French interest. Deliberating on -the means proper to prevent such a result, he took leave of the officer, -but not to return home. Knowing the route by which the Iroquois must -necessarily come, he lay wait for them, with his company, at one of the -falls of Cadaraqui river. Here he had patiently waited four or five days, -when the Deputies made their appearance, guarded by forty young soldiers. -These were suddenly set upon by the ambuscade, and all who were not killed -were taken prisoners. When the latter were secured, Adario artfully told -them, that, _having been informed of their approach by the Governor of -Canada,_ he had secured this pass with the almost certain prospect of -intercepting them. - -The Deputies were of course very much surprised at the Governor's conduct; -and they finally expressed themselves with such freedom, as to declare the -whole object of their journey. Adario was, in his turn, apparently amazed -and enraged. He swore revenge upon the Governor, for having, as he said, -made a tool of _him,_ to commit his abominable treachery. Then, looking -steadfastly on the prisoners, he said to them, "Go, my brothers!--I untie -your hands. I send you home again, though our nations be at war. The -French Governor has made me commit so black an action, that I shall never -be easy after it, till the Five Nations shall have had full revenge." The -Deputies, furnished with ammunition and arms for their journey, and -completely satisfied of the truth of Adario's declarations, returned to -their own country, after having assured him that he and his nation might -make _their_ peace when they pleased. - -This master-stroke of policy was seconded by an incident which occurred -soon afterwards, and which the same cunning and vigilant spirit profited -by to promote his design. In the surprisal of the Deputies, Adario had -lost one man, and had filled his place with a Satana prisoner, who had -been before adopted into the Five Nations. This man he soon afterwards -delivered to the French at Michilimackinac, probably at their request; and -they, for the purpose of keeping up the enmity between the Dinondadies and -Five Nations, ordered him to be shot. Adario called one of the latter -people, who had long been a prisoner, to be an eye-witness of his -countryman's death. He then bade him make his escape to his own country, -and there to give an account of the ferocious barbarity from which _he_ -had been unable to save a captive belonging to himself. - -The Five Nations had already been upon the brink of war, in consequence of -the representations of the Deputies. Their rage was now beyond all bounds. -The Governor, having obtained some information of the state of things, -sent messengers to disavow and expose the conduct of Adario; but they -would listen to no messages; their souls thirsted for revenge. The war was -undertaken immediately, and never was one more disastrous to Canada. -Twelve hundred of the Iroquois invaded the province, while the French were -still uncertain whether hostilities would commence. In July, 1688, they -landed at La Chine, on the south side of the island of Montreal; and, -keeping the Governor himself, with his troops, confined within the walls -of the town, they sacked all the plantations, and indiscriminately -massacred men, women, and children. More than one thousand of the French -were killed, and many were carried off captive, who afterwards shared the -same fate. The Indian army lost but three men during the whole expedition. - -The most distinguished of the Iroquois warriors about this time, was one -whom the English called Black-Kettle. Colden speaks of him as a famous -hero; but few of his exploits have come down to these, times. It is only -known that he commanded large parties of his countrymen, who were -exceedingly troublesome to the French. In 1691, he made an irruption into -the country round Montreal, at the head of several hundred men. He overran -Canada, (say the French annalists,) as a torrent does the low lands, when -it overflows its banks, and there is no withstanding it. The troops at the -stations received orders to stand upon the defensive; and it was not until -the enemy were returning home victorious, after having desolated all -Canada, that a force of four hundred soldiers was mustered to pursue them. -Black-Kettle is said to have had but half that number with him at this -juncture, but he gave battle, and fought desperately. After losing twenty -men slain, with some prisoners, he broke through the French ranks and -marched off, leaving a considerable number of the enemy wounded and killed. - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - - - Five Nations _continued._ Remarks on their oratory--Circumstances - favorable to it--Account of a council of the Confederates at Onondaga, - in 1690--Anecdotes of various persons who attended it--Speeches of - Sadekanatie and other orators--Adarahta--The history and character of - Decanesora--His speeches at the Albany council of 1694--Style of his - eloquence--His personal and political character--Other speeches and - negotiations--Anecdotes of Sadekanatie. - - -Enough perhaps has already appeared respecting the Five Nations to justify -the observation of an eminent writer, that they were no less celebrated -for eloquence than for military skill and political wisdom. [FN-1] The -same obvious circumstances prompted them to excellence in all these -departments; but in the former, their relations with each other and with -other tribes, together with the great influence which their reputation and -power attached to the efforts of their orators abroad, gave them peculiar -inducements, facilities and almost faculties for success. Among the -Confederates, as among the Indians of all the East and South, a high -respect was cherished for the warrior's virtues; but eloquence was a -certain road to popular favour. Its services were daily required in -consultations at home and communications abroad. The council-room was -frequented like the Roman forum and the senate-house of the Greeks. Old -and young went there together; the one for discipline and distinction, and -the other "to observe the passing scenes, and to receive the lessons of -wisdom." [FN-2] - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Governor Clinton. - - [FN-2] Ibid. - - -The _kind_ of oratory for which Garangula and other public speakers of his -Confederacy were distinguished, it cannot be expected of us to analyse -with much precision. Indian oratory is generally pointed, direct, -undisguised, unpolished; but forcible in expression and delivery, -brilliant in flashes of imagery, and naturally animated with graphic -touches of humor, pathos, or sententious declaration of high-toned -principle,--according in some measure to the occasion, but more -immediately to the momentary impulse of the speaker as supported by his -prevalent talent. If the orators of the Five Nations differed much from -this description, it was in qualities which they owed, independently of -genius, to their extraordinary opportunities of practice, and to the -interest taken in their efforts by the people who heard, employed and -obeyed them. - -"The speakers whom I have heard," says Mr. Colden, "had all a great -_fluency of words,_ and much more _grace in their manner,_ than any man -could expect, among a people entirely ignorant of the liberal arts and -sciences." He adds, that he had understood them to be--(not knowing their -language himself)--very nice in the turn of their expressions; though it -seems but few of them were such masters of the art as never to offend -their Indian auditories by an unpolite expression. Their greatest speakers -attained to a sort of _urbanitas_ or _atticism._ [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] History of the Five Nations. - - -For the purpose of better illustrating some points which are barely -alluded to in these observations, as well as to introduce several new -characters, not easily appreciated without the context of circumstances in -which they appeared, we shall furnish a somewhat detailed account of a -General Council of the Confederates holden at Onondaga, in January 1690. -The object of it was to take order upon a message sent them from the Count -de Frontenac, Governor of Canada, the purport of which will appear in the -proceedings. It may be premised, that the Onondaga council-house was -commonly preferred on these occasions, on account of the central position -occupied by that tribe in regard to the other four. [FN] The English -authorities at Albany were formally invited to attend; but they contented -themselves with sending their public interpreter, to take note of what -passed, together with three Indians instructed in their name to dissuade -the Five Nations from entertaining thoughts of peace, or even consenting -to a cessation of arms. - - * * * * * - - [FN] It is impossible to say how much influence this, circumstance might - have on the ambition of the Onondaga orators. It will be observed, that - the tribe enjoyed rather more than its equal share of rhetorical - distinction. - - -The Council opened on the 22d of the month, eighty sachems being present -In the first place Sadekanatie, an Onondaga, rising in his place, -addressed himself to one of the English messengers from Albany. He -informed him, that four deputies were present from the Canadian Governor, -viz.: three Indians who had formerly been carried prisoners to France, and -a sachem of the Praying Indians in the French interest who lived near -Montreal; and that Governor Frontenac had notified them of his -appointment, and of his having brought over with him from France Tawerahet -and twelve other Indians formerly carried prisoners to that country. Then -taking in his hand the wampum-belt [FN] sent by the Count, and holding it -by the middle, he added:-- - - * * * * * - - [FN] The practice of confirming stipulations and making proposals by - belts, so commonly adopted among the Indians, cannot be understood in any - way better than by observing the various instances mentioned in the text. - - -"What I have said relates only to one half of the belt. The other half is -to let us know that he intends to kindle his fire again at Cadaraqui next -spring. He therefore invites his children, and the Onondaga Captain -Decanesora, in particular, to treat there with him about the old chain." - -Adarahta was Chief Sachem of the Praying Indians, a community principally -made up of members of several tribes, including the Five Nations, who had -been induced by the French to settle themselves upon _their_ territory, -and were serviceable to them in various capacities. "I advise you," said -Adarahta, holding three belts in his hand, "to meet the Governor of Canada -as he desires. Agree to this if you would live." He then gave a belt of -wampum. "Tawerahet," he proceeded, "sends you this other belt, to inform -you of the miseries which he and the rest of his countrymen have suffered -in captivity; and to advise you to hearken to Yonondio, if you desire to -live. This third belt is from Thurensera, Ohguesse, and Ertel, [FN] who say -by it to their brethren: 'We have interceded for you with your order, and -therefore advise you to meet him at Cadaraqui in the spring. It will be -well for you.'" - - * * * * * - - [FN] Indian names--meaning _Day-Dawn, Partridge,_ and _Rose,_ given to - Frenchmen well known to the Five Nations. The policy of sending such - messages is sufficiently obvious. - - -A Mohawk chief, one of those instructed by the Albany magistrates to -represent their wishes at the council, now delivered the message they had -given him. He had treasured it up word for word. The Interpreter, who had -the same message in writing, followed him while he spoke, and found him -correct to a syllable. - -Cannehoot, a Seneca sachem, next proceeded to give the Council a -particular account of a treaty made during the summer previous, between -his own tribe and some Wagunha messengers, one of the Canadian nations, on -the river Uttawas. The latter had acted on the behalf of seven other -tribes; and he wished the other four members of his own Confederacy to -ratify what bad been done by the Senecas. The articles proposed by the -Wagunhas were as follows: - -1. "We are come to join two bodies into one,"--delivering up at the same -time two prisoners. - -2. "We are come to learn wisdom of the Senecas, and of the other Five -Nations, and of your brethren of New-York;"--giving a belt. - -3. "We by this belt wipe away the tears from the eyes of your friends, -whose relations have been killed in the war. We likewise wipe the paint -from your soldier's faces;" [FN]--giving a second belt. - - * * * * * - - [FN] The Indians universally paint their faces on going to war, to make - their appearance more terrific to the enemy. To _wipe off the paint,_ was - to make peace. - - -4. "We throw aside the axe which Yonondio put into our hands by this -third belt." - -5. "Let the sun, as long as he shall endure, always shine upon us in -friendship;"--giving a red marble sun, as large as a plate. - -6. "Let the rain of heaven wash away all hatred, that we may again smoke -together in peace;"--giving a large pipe of red marble. - -7. "Yonondio is drunk--we wash our hands clean from his actions;"--giving -a fourth belt. - -8. "Now we are clean washed by the water of heaven; neither of us must -defile ourselves by hearkening to Yonondio." - -9. "We have twelve of your nation prisoners; they shall be brought home in -the spring;"--giving a belt to confirm the promise. - -10. "We will bring your prisoners home when the strawberries shall be in -blossom, at which time we intend to visit Corlear, [the Governor of -New-York] and see the place where the wampum is made." - -When Cannehoot had done, the Wagunha presents were hung up in the -council-house, in sight of the whole assembly. They were afterwards -distributed among the several Five-Nations, and their acceptance was a -ratification of the treaty. A large belt was also given to the Albany -messengers, as their share. A wampum belt sent from Albany, was in the -same manner hung up, and afterwards divided. The New-England colonies, -called by the Confederates Kinshon, sent the wooden model of a fish, as a -token of their adhering to the general covenant. This was handed round -among the sachems, and then laid aside to be preserved. - -At the end of these ceremonies, Sadekanatie rose again. "Brothers!" he -said, "we must stick to our brother Quider, and regard Yonondio as our -enemy; he is a cheat." By _Quider_ he meant _Peter,_ referring to Peter -Schuyler, Mayor of Albany; a gentleman much esteemed by the five tribes, -but whose name, having no labials in their language, they were unable to -pronounce. - -After some farther proceedings, the English Interpreter was desired to -deliver his message from Albany. He told them that a new Governor had -arrived in the province, with a large number of fresh troops; that England -was at war with France; and that the people of New-England were fitting -out an expedition against Canada. He advised them not to treat with the -French, but at all events only at Albany. That people, he said, would keep -no agreement made anywhere else. - -The sachems now held a consultation together for some time, the result of -which, was thus declared by a speaker chosen for the purpose, and who is -supposed to have been Sadekanatie. The different passages were addressed -respectively to the deputies of the parties referred to. - -"Brothers! Our fire burns at Albany. We will not send Decanesora to -Cadaraqui. We adhere to our old chain with Corlear--We will prosecute the -war with Yonondio--We will follow your advice in drawing off our men from -Cadaraqui. Brothers! We are glad to hear the news you tell us--but tell us -no lies!" - -"Brother Kinshon! We hear you design to send soldiers to the eastward -against the Indians there. [FN] But we advise you, now so many are united -against the French, to fall immediately on them. _Strike at the root; when -the trunk shall be cut down, the branches will fall of course."_ - - * * * * * - - [FN] New-Hampshire and Maine tribes, at war with the Colonies, and known - to be instigated and assisted by the French. - - -"Corlear and Kinshon,--Courage! Courage! In the spring to Quebec! Take -that place--You will have your feet on the necks of the French, and all -their friends in America." - -Another consultation terminated in the adoption of the following answer to -be sent to the Canadians. - -1. "Yonondio! You have notified your return to us, and that you have -brought back thirteen of our people who were carried to France--We are -glad of it. You desire us to meet you at Cadaraqui next spring, to treat -of the old chain. But, Yonondio! how can we trust you, who have acted -deceitfully so often? Witness what was done at Cadaraqui--the usage our -messengers met with at Uttawas, and what was done, to the Senecas at the -same place." Here a belt was given, indicating a willingness still to -treat. - -2. "Thurensera, Ohguesse and Ertel! Have you observed friendship with us? -If you have not, how came you to advise us to renew friendship with -Yonondio?" A belt also was attached to this answer. - -3. "Tawerahet! The whole Council is glad to hear of your return with the -other twelve. Yonondio!--You must send home Tawerahet and the others this -present winter--before spring. We will save all the French we have -prisoners till that time." - -4. "Yonondio!--You desire to speak with us at Cadaraqui;--Don't you know -that your fire there is extinguished? It is extinguished with blood. You -must send home the prisoners in the first place." - -5. "We let you know that we have made peace with the Wagunhas." - -6. "You are not to think that we have laid down the axe, because we return -an answer. We intend no such thing. Our Far-fighters shall continue the -war till our countrymen return." - -7. "When our brother Tawerahet is returned, then we will speak to you of -peace." - -Such was the result of the great exertions made at this time by the -Canadian Government to overawe the Five Nations, and to draw them away -from the English alliance. The whole proceeding, though indeed it -furnishes no extraordinary specimens of their eloquence, illustrates in -the plainest manner the very favorable circumstances under which their -orators came forward, and the inducements they had to devote their genius -to the council-house, even in preference to war. - -Sadekanatie, who acted a prominent part in the Onondaga Council, and was -himself of that tribe, appeared to great advantage upon several other -occasions. The favorite orator of the Confederates, however, during most -of the period in which he flourished, was Decanesora, whose name has -already been mentioned. That Sachem was for many years almost invariably -employed as the Speaker in their negotiations with both French and -English. He was one of the deputies who fell into the hands of Adario; and -we have seen that in the message of Count Frontenac to the Onondaga -Council, he invited "his children, and Decanesora, the Onondaga Captain, -in particular," to treat with him at Cadaraqui. The Confederates, on the -other hand, signify their disposition to continue the war by saying, "we -will not send Decanesora." - -Mr. Colden, who knew this orator well, and heard him speak frequently, -gives him credit for a perfect fluency, and for "a graceful elocution that -would have pleased in any part of the world." He was tall, and his person -well made; and his features are said to have borne a resemblance to the -busts of Cicero. It is much to be regretted in his case, as in many -others, that but very slight indications of his eloquence are preserved to -these times. Such as are preserved, probably do him very imperfect -justice. Some of them, however, at least indicate the sagacity, the -courtesy, the undaunted courage, and the high-minded sense of honor, -which, among the countrymen of Decanesora as among those of Quintillian, -were no less recommendations of the orator than they were virtues of the -man. - -In the winter of 1693-4, after a long series of hostilities between the -Confederates and the French,--attended on both sides with alternate -suffering and injury, until both were heartily weary of the war,--certain -artful proposals, artfully set forth by Jesuit messengers, were at length -so well received by all the Confederates excepting the Mohawks, that a -council was summoned at Onondaga to act upon them. The English were -civilly invited to attend; and although both they and the Mohawks -neglected to do so, no measures were adopted in council, except with the -understanding that they should not be final without being first submitted -to the examination of both those parties. With this view, several sachems -were sent to Albany, and of these Decanesora was the principal and the -speaker. The account which he gave to Major Schuyler and the Albany -magistrates of the negotiation now pending, including its origin, is a -fine specimen, as Mr. Colden observes, of his art, not only in smoothing -over an affair undertaken against the English interest and advice, but -also in introducing and enforcing his own views of the sovereign dignity -of the Five Nations. - -"Brother Cayenguirago," [FN] he began, "we are come to acquaint you, that -our children, the Oneidas, having of themselves sent a messenger to -Canada, he has brought back with him a belt of peace from the Governor." - - * * * * * - - [FN] An Indian appellation, signifying a _swift arrow,_ given to Governor - Fletcher in consequence of the prompt succor he had once rendered the - Five Nations, in an emergency occasioned by a French invasion. Schuyler - is addressed as representing the Governor. - - -"As soon as Tariha [the messenger] arrived at Canada, he was asked, where -the six hundred men were, that were to attack Canada, as they had been -informed by Cariokese, a Mohawk Deserter? He assured them there was no -such design." - -"He was carried to Quebec, where he delivered his belt, with the following -proposition. 'Yonondio, if you would have peace go to Albany, and ask it -there, for the Five Nations we do nothing without Cayenguirago.' The -Governor of Canada was angry at this, and said, he had nothing to do with -the Governor of New York; he would treat only with the Five Nations; the -peace between the Christians must be made on the other side the great -lake! He added, he was sorry to see the Five Nations so far degenerated as -to take a sixth nation into their chain, to rule over them. 'If you had -desired me to come and treat in any of your castles, I would have done it; -but to tell me I must go to Albany, is to desire of me what I can by no -means do. You have done very ill, to suffer the people of New York to -govern you so far, that you dare do nothing without their consent. I -advise you to send two of each nation to me, and let Decanesora be one of -them. I have orders from the King my master to grant you peace, if you -come in your proper persons to ask it.' The Governor of Canada afterwards -said:" - - * * * * * - - [FN] Colden. {TN: There does not appear to be a reference to this note in - the text. It appears at about this point.} - - -"'Children of the Five Nations, I have compassion for your little -children, therefore come speedily and speak of peace to me, otherwise I'll -stop my ears for the future; by all means let Decanesora come; for if the -Mohawks come alone, I will not hear them; some of all the Five Nations -must come. Now, Tariha, return home, and tell the Five Nations, that I -will wait for their coming till the trees bud, and the bark can be parted -from the trees. I design for France in the spring, and I leave a gentleman -to command here, to whom I have given orders to raise soldiers, if you do -not come in that time. And then what will become of you? I am truly -grieved to see the Five Nations so debauched and deceived by Cayenguirago, -who is lately come to New-York, and by Quider. Formerly the chief men of -the Five Nations used to converse with me; but this Governor of New York -has so deluded you, that you hearken to none but him; but take care of -what will follow, if you hearken to none but him.'" - -Here the orator took occasion to explain, very shrewdly, why the -deputation to which he belonged had been delayed so long, with some other -matters of the same kind. He then reported the following resolutions -agreed upon by the Council to be sent to the Governor of Canada. They were -probably his own composition, the Council having been called, and the -whole transaction in a great measure managed by himself. - -1. "Yonondio!--You have sent for me often, and as often asked, why I am -afraid to come? The great kettle of war that you have hung over the fire -is the reason of it." Here Decanesora said he was to lay down a belt, and -ask the Governor's consent to the other two which he held in his hand. - -2. "We now not only throw down the kettle, and thereby throw the boiling -water out of it, but likewise break it to pieces, that it may never be -hung up again,--by this second belt." - -3. "Hearken Yonondio!--You are sent from the French King, your master. So -is Cayenguirago from the Great King and Queen of England. What I am now -about to speak to you, is by inspiration from the Great Spirit. You say -that you will have nothing to do with our brethren of Cayenguirago. But I -must tell you, that we are inseparable. We can have no peace with you so -long as you are at war with them;"--which, added Decanesora, is to be -confirmed by the third belt. - -The noble fidelity to engagements here set forth as a sacred principle, -was far from being the result of either fear or mere affection; and this -Schuyler himself had the opportunity of testing, before the deputation -left Albany. - -7. {_sic_} "The Governor of Canada's words, and the Resolutions of the -Five-Nations," said the orator in conclusion, "are now before you. -Consult, therefore, what is to be done. If it be necessary for the -Brethren to go to our castle, to advise us farther, be not unwilling." -Here he laid down a large belt, eleven rows deep, and seven fathoms of -wampum. This signified an amicable disposition; but when, on the ensuing -day, Major Schuyler replied that he would consent to no treaty with the -French, and proposed that the deputation, and Decanesora in particular, -should visit him again at the end of seventy days, the rejoinder was, -after consultation, that _they_ would visit him. "But as for myself," said -the old Sachem, "I cannot dispose of myself without their directions. If -they order me, I shall willingly return. We did not expect to hear such -positive prohibition of keeping any correspondence with the French. If any -mischief happen within the seventy days, let us not blame one another. -Consider again what is most for the public good--and let it be spoken -before we part." - -This was confirmed with a large belt of fourteen deep. Major Schuyler -afterwards asked, a second time, whether they would wholly suspend -correspondence with the French, for the term last mentioned. "I have no -authority," said the orator, "to answer this question. I shall lay the -belt down in every one of the castles, and say, that by it all -correspondence is _desired_ to stop with the French. _I cannot promise -that this will be complied with._" - -The conference did not end here. On the sixth day, Schuyler called the -deputation together, for the purpose of making a new and vigorous effort. -How much influence his assertions or arguments, alone, might have had, -cannot be determined, for a fortunate incident occurred which materially -altered the aspect of affairs, being just in season to enable him to -carry his point for the time. The stipulation attached to Decanesora's -final consent does him high honor. "You have at last shut up the way to -Canada," he said; "but we have one thing to ask, after mature -deliberation, which we expect will not be refused us." The Major observed, -that every thing should be granted which he thought essential to the -character or the security of the nation. He then proceeded to request, -that an English messenger might be permitted to accompany one to be sent -by himself to the Praying Indians in Canada. The objects were first, to -inform those Indians of what he had ascertained to be the true character -of the Jesuit who had been among the Five Nations; secondly, to notify -them of the meeting appointed at Albany, and of the consequent inability -of the deputies to visit _them_ at the same time, as had been proposed; -and thirdly, to agree upon a continued cessation of arms until they might -be able to visit them. Decanesora further desired, that if Schuyler should -not send a messenger, he would at all events put these propositions in -writing, as a token of his assent to them. - -After all, events took place, owing in no small degree, as we shall find, -to the English themselves, which determined the chieftains to visit the -Canadian Governor in the spring. Some explanation of these events is -furnished by the following speech of Sadekanatie. He, with his fellow -deputies, visited Governor Fletcher at Albany, in May, (1694,) and in the -course of the conference which ensued, delivered his sentiments in the -following manly and forcible style: - -"Brother Cayenguirago!--Some of our sachems agreed, last winter, that we -should keep no correspondence with the French. We confess we have broken -that promise. We have received a messenger from Canada. We have sent our -deputies to Canada in return, [Decanesora being one.] The belt is not yet -arrived by which we are to acknowledge our fault in the matter. The -_reason_ of our doing it is truly this,--_we are afraid of the enemy._" - -"When a messenger came last year from Canada to Onondaga, our brother -Cayenguirago discharged our meeting in General Council at Onondaga, to -consult on that message, and ordered us to hold our General Council here -at Albany on that affair. The privilege of meeting in General Council when -we please, is a privilege we always have enjoyed; no former Governor, of -the name of Corlear, ever obstructed this privilege. We planted a tree of -peace in this place with them. Its roots and branches extend as far as -Virginia and New-England, and we have reposed with pleasure under its -shade. Brother, let us keep to that first tree, and let us be united and -unanimous; such prohibition of our assemblies will be of ill consequence, -and occasion differences between us. - -"We acknowledge, I say, our sending agents to Canada for peace. We were -encouraged in doing this by the knowledge we have of the Governor of -Canada. He is an old man, and was formerly Governor of that place. He was -always esteemed a wise peaceable man, and therefore we trust our message -will have a good issue. We did not take it amiss that you sent to the -Dewagunhas, nor that Arnout was sent to the Satanas, both of them our -enemies; and, for the same reason, our brother Cayenguirago ought not to -be displeased with our sending to the French for peace. - -"We, Onondagas, acknowledge ourselves to have been the chief promoters of -this Message. We have sent in all nine sachems with nine belts. It is true -we are now under much uneasiness in having trusted so many sachems in the -French hands, being almost half the number we have in our nation, but we -were in haste to prevent the designs the French had against our countries -and yours, by the great warlike preparations they were making in Canada." -[FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Colden. - - -He concluded with specifying the instructions their deputies had received, -and presented a belt in confirmation of all he had said. Colonel Fletcher -replied, that he would not discuss any other subject until he was -satisfied what reason there was for charging him with having forbidden the -Council, and made peace with the Indian tribes, as alleged by the orator. -This appears to have been a mistake; and accordingly, on the ensuing day, -it was frankly acknowledged to be such, and that in terms which left no -occasion to doubt the speaker's sincerity. "We assure you," he said, "we -will never separate from you. We still have one head, one blood, one soul, -one heart with you." This was said in reference to the alleged prohibition -of the Council. "As to the Dewagunhas and Shawanons," added the speaker, -"we are confident Cayenguirago will not admit them into his government, -till they have made peace with us. That we shall willingly grant. When our -enemies are humbled, and beg peace, why should they not have it? _Let them -come and live with us. It will strengthen our country._" [FN] He then -proceeded thus:-- - - * * * * * - - [FN] A Roman principle, recognised in the practice as well theory of the - Five Nations. Colden says, "they encourage the people of other nations - [including captives] to incorporate with them?" Thus, for example, the - Sixth Nation was added to the Confederacy in 1712. - - -"Brother Cayenguirago!--When the Christians first arrived in this country, -we received them kindly. When they were but a small people, we entered -into a league with them, to guard them from all enemies whatsoever. We -were so fond of their society, that we tied the great canoe which brought -them, not with a rope made of bark to a tree, but with a strong iron chain -fastened to a great mountain. Now, before the Christians arrived, the -General Council of the Five Nations was held at Onondaga, where there has -been, from the beginning, a continual fire kept burning; it is made of two -great logs, whose flame never extinguishes. As soon as the hatchet-makers -[their general name for Christians,] arrived, the General Council at -Onondaga planted this tree at Albany, whose roots and branches have since -spread as far as New-England, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and -Virginia; and under the shade of this tree all these English colonies have -frequently been sheltered." - -Here the orator gave seven fathoms of wampum, _to renew the chain;_ and -promised, as he declared his expectation of receiving, mutual assistance -in case of an attack from any enemy. - -"The only reason, to be plain with you," he continued, "of our sending to -make peace with the French, is the low condition to which we are reduced, -while none of our neighbors send us the least assistance, so that the -whole burthen of the war lies on us alone. Our brethren of New-England, -Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia, of their own accord -thrust their arms into our chain; but since the war began we have received -no assistance from them. We, alone, cannot continue the war against the -French, by reason of the recruits they daily receive from the other side -the great lake. - -"Brother Cayenguirago!--Speak from your heart. Are you resolved to -prosecute the war vigorously against the French; and are your neighbors of -Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New-England, resolved to -assist us? If it be so, notwithstanding any treaty hitherto entered into, -we will prosecute the war as hotly as ever. But if our neighbors will not -assist, we must make peace, and we submit it to your consideration, by -giving this great belt fifteen deep. - -"Brother Cayenguirago!--I have truly told you the reasons which have -induced us to offer peace to the French; we shall likewise, from the -bottom of our hearts, inform you of the design we have in this treaty. -When the Governor of Canada shall have accepted the nine belts, of which I -have just now told you, then we shall have something more to say by two -large belts, which lie still hid in our bosom. We shall lay down first one -and say, 'we have a brother Cayenguirago, with whose people we have been -united in one chain from the beginning. They must be included in this -treaty; we cannot see them involved in bloody war, while we sit in easy -peace.' If the Governor of Canada answer, that he has made a separate -peace with us, and that he cannot make any peace with Cayenguirago, -because the war is from over the great lake; then we shall lay down the -second great broad belt, and tell the Governor of Canada, 'If you will not -include Cayenguirago's people, the treaty will become thereby void, as if -it had never been made;' and if he persists, we will absolutely leave -him." - -While the conference was going on at Albany, Decanesora and his fellow -deputies arrived at the castle of the Praying Indians, near the falls -above Montreal. Thence they were conducted, by the Superior of the -Jesuits, to Quebec. They had their audience of the Governor of Canada with -great solemnity, in the presence of all the ecclesiastics and officers of -distinction, and of the most considerable Indians then in the place. Every -day, while they remained, they were entertained at the Governor's table, -or at those of the principal citizens. On the other side, it is said of -the veteran Decanesora, that shrewdly accommodating his coat to his -company, he made himself still more personable than usual, by the aid of a -splendid arrangement which might have done credit to a modern ambassador. -He was clothed in scarlet, trimmed with gold; and his reverend locks were -covered with a laced beaver-hat, which had been given him by Colonel -Fletcher a few months before. Neither ceremony nor decoration, however, -nor even good dinners, mitigated the old orator's firmness. - -"Father!" [FN] he said to the Governor, after mentioning the objects of -the deputation,--"If we do not conclude a peace now, it will be your -fault. We have already taken the hatchet out of the River Indians -[Hudson's river] whom we incited to the war. But we must tell you, that -you are a bad man. You are inconstant. You are not to be trusted. We have -had war together a long time. Still, though you occasioned the war, we -never hated the house of Ohguesse [the Montreal gentleman.] Let him -undertake the toilsome journey to Onondaga. If _he_ will come, he shall be -welcome." - - * * * * * - - [FN] "A term used in mere courtesy, and because the Governor chose to - call the Indians his children." So a Sachem explained it to one of the - New York Governors, that it "signified nothing." - - -"Father!"--he continued,--"We are now speaking of _peace,_ and therefore I -must speak a word to the Praying Indians, and first to those of Cahnawaga -[chiefly Mohawks.] _You_ know our customs and manners. Therefore make -Yonondio acquainted with them.--Assist in the good work of peace. As for -you," (addressing a party of praying Indians most of whom had once been -Onondagas,) "you are worse than the French themselves. You deserted from -us, and sided with our enemies to destroy us. Make some amends now by -forwarding peace." He then resumed his address to the Governor. - -"You have almost eaten us up. Our best men are killed in this bloody war. -But we forget what is past. Before this we once threw the hatchet into the -river of Kaihohage, [FN] but you fished it up, and treacherously surprised -our people at Cadaraqui. After that you sent to us to have our prisoners -restored. Then the hatchet was thrown up to the sky, but you kept a string -fastened to the helve, and pulled it down, and fell upon our people again. -This we revenged to some purpose, by the destruction of your people and -houses in the island of Montreal." - - * * * * * - - [FN] Near Oswego, on Lake Ontario, where the treaty with M. De la Barre - was negotiated. - - -"Now we are come to cover the blood from our sight, which has been shed by -both sides during this long war. - -"Yonondio!--We have been at war a long time. We now give you a medicine to -drive away all ill thoughts from your heart, to purge it and make it -clean, and restore it to its former state. - -"Yonondio!--We will not permit any settlement at Cadaraqui. You have had -your fire, there thrice extinguished. We will not consent to your building -that fort; but the passage through the river shall be free and clear. We -make the sun clean, and drive away all clouds and darkness, that we may -see the light without interruption. - -"Yonondio!--We have taken many prisoners from one another, during the war. -The prisoners we took have been delivered, according to our custom, to the -families that have lost any in the war. They no longer belong to the -public. They may give them back if they please. Your people may do the -same. We have brought back two prisoners, and restore them to you." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Colden. - - -In the course of his reply to this speech, the Governor observed, that he -should not make peace with Cayenguirago. But Decanesora, nobly and -fearlessly true to every engagement as to his own honor, promptly declared -that he never would agree to a peace for the Confederates, except on -condition of a truce for the English. "All the country," said he, "will -look upon me as a traitor; I can treat with you no longer." And -undoubtedly, anxious as he was to effect the object of his embassy, he -would have returned home disappointed, had not the Governor, after a -discussion of three days, finally yielded, by agreeing to undertake no -enterprise against New York during the summer. Another difficulty arose -upon the Governor's insisting on having hostages left with him, which the -Sachem would not consent to. The matter was adjusted by the voluntary -proposal of two Indians in his company to remain. - -After the return of the Deputation to the country of the Five Nations, a -conference was held at Albany between a new deputation on their part, and -the Governor of New-York. The latter, well knowing how much the -neighboring colonies were interested in the result of the French -negotiation, invited several of them to send representatives, which they -accordingly did. Among those present were the Governor of New-Jersey, and -five commissioners from Massachusetts and Connecticut. On the other hand, -Decanesora and Sadekanatie both attended in the name of the Five Nations. -The former gave an exact account of every thing which passed at Quebec. -The latter,--who seems rather to have coveted opportunities of declaring -the freest sentiments in the freest manner, which his colleague indeed -never declined,--opened the conference with a long speech upon the history -of the English and Indian intercourse; how the league had begun, and had -been enlarged and strengthened; and finally,--what was the chief aim of -his argument,--how _other colonies,_ as he said, had thrust their arms -into the chain, but had given little or no assistance against the common -enemy. There was some cause for this complaint, and the orator was -resolved that he would not be misunderstood when he stated it "Our brother -Cayenguirago's arms;" he continued, "and our own are stiff, and tired with -holding fast the chain. Our neighbors sit still and smoke at their ease. -The fat is melted from our flesh, and fallen on them. They grow fat while -we grow lean." - -"This chain made us the enemy of the French. If all had held as fast as -Cayenguirago, it would have been a terror to them. If we would all -heartily join, and take the hatchet in hand, our enemy would soon be -destroyed. We should forever after live in peace and ease. Do but your -parts, [probably addressing the Commissioners] and thunder itself cannot -break the chain." - -Thus closely did the orators, who were in other words the statesmen of the -Five Nations, investigate the conduct alike of their enemies and their -allies, and thus freely and fearlessly did they in all cases express -themselves as they felt Characters of every description came under their -cognizance. Manoeuvres and machinations, political and personal, were -brought to bear upon them on all sides. The French emissary plied them at -one turn, and the English peddler at the next; and they talked and traded -with either or both, as the case might be, with the same indolent -imperturbable gravity. Each party went away, perhaps, chuckling over the -ease with which he had imposed upon savage simplicity, and flattering -himself that their opinion of his honesty was at least adequate to his -own opinion of his shrewdness. But the event proved otherwise. - -Decanesora once said to Major Schuyler, in reply to the latter's -suggestion of fraud on the part of a Jesuit messenger of the French,--"We -know that the priest favors his own nation. But it is not in his power to -alter our affection to our brethren. We wish you would bury all the -misunderstandings you have conceived on _his_ account,--_and we likewise -wish you gave less credit to the_ rum-carriers _than you do._" This was a -palpable hit, truly, and a deserved one. And thus, generally, were the -Barbarian Orators, after all, upon the safe side. Nothing daunted their -spirit. Nothing deceived their sagacity. - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - - - Account of the Ottawas--Their first Chief-Sachem known to the English, - Pontiac--His interview with Major Rogers--Protects that officer and his - troops--Saves Detroit from an army of Indians--Hostility of the northern - tribes to the English, after the conquest of Canada--Adventures of - Henry--Anecdotes of Minavavana--Supposed feelings of Pontiac towards the - English--His great project of combination. - - -Having arrived regularly, according to the order observed in this work, at -the commencement of the eighteenth century, we shall now turn our -attention to a section of the continent hitherto mostly unnoticed, but -which at that period began to be the theatre of important events, and to -be illustrated by at least one character comparable to any in the whole -compass of Indian annals. We refer to the vicinity of the Northern Lakes, -to the numerous and powerful tribes resident in that region, and -particularly to Pontiac. - -It has been stated by respectable authority, that this celebrated -individual was a member of the tribe of Sacs, or Saukies; but there -appears to us no sufficient reason for disputing the almost universal -opinion which makes him an Ottawa. That tribe, when the commerce of the -early French colonists of Canada first began to extend itself to the Upper -Lakes, was found in their vicinity, in connection with two others, the -Chippewas and the Pottawatamies. All three are supposed to have been -originally a scion of the Algonquin stock,--_that_ being the general name -of the nation, which, in Champlain's time, was settled along the north -banks of the St. Lawrence, between Quebec and Lake St. Peters. According -to their own traditions, preserved to this day, the three tribes (as they -afterwards became,) in their flight or emigration, went together from the -East, as far as Lake Huron. A separation afterwards took place, the result -of which was, that the Ottawas, being most inclined to agriculture, -remained near what has since been Michilimackinac, while their companions -preferred venturing to still more distant regions of the North and West. - -Detroit was founded by the French in July, 1701, and from that time the -Ottawas began to give frequent manifestations of a spirit which finally -made them, respectively, an ally or an enemy of the first importance to -the different civilized parties with whom they held intercourse. Only -three years after the French settled in their vicinity, several of their -chiefs were induced to visit the English at Albany. The almost inevitable -consequence of the interview was, that they returned home with a firm -persuasion that the French intended to subdue them. They attempted to fire -the town, therefore, in one instance; and about the same time, a -war-party, on their return from a successful expedition against the -Iroquois,--whom they were bold enough to attack in their own -country,--paraded in front of the Detroit fortress, and offered battle. -After some hard fighting, they were defeated and driven off. - -But the French have always effected more among the Indians in peace than -in war, and thus it was with the Ottawas; for, from the date of the -skirmish just mentioned, they were almost uniformly among the best friends -and even protectors of the colony. "When the French arrived at these -falls," said a Chippewa Chief at a Council held but a few years since, -"they came and kissed us. They called us children, and we found them -fathers. We lived like brethren in the same lodge," &c. [FN] Such was the -impression made also upon the Ottawas; and we accordingly find them, in -conjunction with the Chippewas, aiding the French on all occasions, until -the latter surrendered the jurisdiction of the Canadas to the English. -Several hundred of their warriors distinguished themselves at the -disastrous defeat of Braddock. - - * * * * * - - [FN] See a Discourse delivered before the Michigan Historical Society, in - 1830, by Mr. Schoolcraft. We also acknowledge our obligations, in - preparing our notice of Pontiac, to Governor Cass's Discourse of the year - previous, before the same body. - - -Pontiac was probably at the head of this force. Several years before, he -was known as a warrior of high standing and great success; and as early as -1746, he commanded a powerful body of Indians, mostly Ottawas, who -gallantly defended the people of Detroit against the formidable attack of -a number of combined Northern tribes. But a far more important trial, both -of his principles and his talents, was yet to come, in the transfer of -power from the French to the English, which took place at the termination -of the long war between those nations, ending with the peace of 1761. The -stations upon the Lakes were given up in 1760. The first detachment of -British troops which ever penetrated into that region, was sent, during -this year, for the purpose of taking formal possession. That force was -commanded by Major Rogers, and from the "Concise Account of North -America," written by him, [FN] we obtain our knowledge of the earliest -interview between Pontiac and the English. It is allowed to have the merit -of authenticity; and although not so definite as might be desired, it -furnishes a variety of characteristic and singular facts. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Published in London: 1765. We have a "Journal" of the same - expedition, from the same pen. - - -Major Rogers says, that "on the way,"--meaning generally the route from -Montreal to Detroit,--he was met by an embassy from Pontiac, consisting of -some of his own warriors, together with several chiefs belonging to -subordinate tribes. The object was, to inform him that Pontiac, in person, -proposed to visit him; that he was then not far distant, coming peaceably; -and that he desired the Major to halt his detachment, "till such time as -he could see him with his own eyes." The Deputies were also directed to -represent their master as the King and Lord of the country which the -English had now entered. - -The Major drew up his troops as requested, and before long the Ottawa -Chieftain made his appearance. He wore, we are told, an air of majesty and -princely grandeur. After the first salutation, he sternly demanded of the -Englishman his business in _his_ territory, and how he had dared to -venture upon it without his permission. Rogers was too prudent and too -intelligent to take offence at this style of reception. Nor did he -undertake to argue any question of actual or abstract right. He said that -he had no design _against_ the Indians, but, on the contrary, wished to -remove from their country a nation who had been an obstacle to mutual -friendship and commerce between them and the English. He also made known -his commission to this effect, and concluded with a present of several -belts of wampum. Pontiac received them with the single observation,--"I -shall stand in the path you are walking till morning,"--and gave, at the -same time, a small string of wampum. This, writes the Major, was as much -as to say, "I must not march farther without his leave." - -Such, undoubtedly, was the safest construction; and the sequel shows that -Pontiac considered it the most civil. On departing for the night, he asked -Rogers whether he wanted any thing which his country afforded; if so, his -warriors should bring it for him. The reply was discreet as the offer was -generous,--that whatever provisions might be brought in, should be well -paid for. Probably they were; but the English were at all events supplied, -the next morning, with several bags of parched corn and other necessaries. -Pontiac himself, at the second meeting, offered the pipe of peace, and he -and the English officer smoked it by turns. He declared that he thereby -made peace with the Englishman and his troops; and that they should pass -through his dominions, not only unmolested by his subjects, but protected -by them from all other parties who might incline to be hostile. - -These were no idle promises. Pontiac remained in company with his new -friend constantly after the first interview, until he arrived at Detroit. -He employed one hundred of his warriors to protect and assist a corps of -soldiers, in driving a large number of fat cattle which had been sent on -for the use of the troops, from Pittsburgh, by the way of Presque Isle. He -also despatched messengers to the several Indian towns on the south side -and west end of Lake Erie, to inform them that Rogers had his consent to -march through the country. Under such auspices, the Major might reasonably -have felt himself safe, after reaching his destination. But the chieftain -understood his situation better than himself. He kept near him so long as -he remained at Detroit; and Rogers acknowledges that he was once at least -"the means of preserving the detachment" from the fury of a body of -Indians, who had assembled with sinister purposes at the mouth of the -Strait. - -This incident leads us to remark, that almost all the tribes on the -Northern waters who had associated and traded with the French during the -term of their jurisdiction,--and but few of them there were who had -not,--sincerely lamented the change which had occurred in public affairs. -They were very generally prejudiced against the new comers, as they were -attached to the old residents. Perhaps the latter, individually, if not -otherwise, fomented the spirit of discontent. But, however this might be, -there were reasons enough in the ancient relations maintained between the -French and the Indians, independently of argument or comment, why such a -spirit should manifest itself under the circumstances we have mentioned. - -The fact itself is indisputable. It is proved by facts, subsequent and -consequent. It is also proved by many, respectable authorities, only one -of which will be here referred to, for the sake of illustration. - -Mr. Henry, the well known author of "Travels and Adventures in Canada and -the Indian Territories, between the years 1760 and 1766," speaks of an -affair in point, which happened at the little island of La Cloche, [FN] -in Lake Huron, on his voyage, in the spring of 1761, from Montreal to -Michilimackinac. He found a large village of Indians at this place, who -treated him in the kindest manner, until "_discovering that he was an -Englishman,_" they told his men that the Michilimackinac Indians would -certainly kill him, and that _they_ might therefore as well anticipate -their own share of the pillage. On this principle they demanded a part of -his stores, and he deemed it prudent to make no resistance. He observes, -afterwards, that his mind was "oppressed" with the repeated warnings he -received of sure destruction where he was going. Again,--"the hostility of -the Indians was exclusively against the English;" and this circumstance -suggested to Henry a prospect of security in assuming a Canadian disguise, -which fortunately enabled him to complete his expedition. - - * * * * * - - [FN] So named by the French, from a rock on the island which, being - struck, rings like a bell. - - -But the difficulty did not cease here. He was now in the neighborhood of -Pontiac, and among the tribes subject to his influence. What manner of men -they were, and how for the master-spirit may be supposed to, have filled -them with the fire of his own soul, will appear from a speech of one of -the Chippewa Chiefs, Minavavana, who, with a band of his own tribe, -visited the newly arrived trader at his house in Michilimackinac. The -courage and the eloquence of this man, blended as they are with the -highest degree of savage chivalry, almost make us suspect his identity -with the Ottawa Chieftain himself. The name is by no means conclusive -against such a conjecture, for it would be an extraordinary fact in Indian -History, if so distinguished a man as Pontiac were known only by one -appellation, and especially when he associated with a large number of -tribes, speaking as many different languages. - -Henry describes his hero as a person of remarkable appearance, of -commanding stature, and with a singularly fine countenance. He entered the -room where the traveler was anxiously awaiting the result of his visit, -followed by sixty warriors, dressed and decorated in the most formal and -imposing fashion of war. Not a word was spoken as they came in, one by -one, seated themselves on the floor at a signal from the Chief, and began -composedly smoking their pipes. Minavavana, meanwhile, looking steadfastly -at Henry, made various enquiries of his head-boatman, a Canadian. He then -coolly observed, that "the English were brave men, and not afraid of -death, since they dared to come thus fearlessly among their enemies. A -solemn pause now ensued for some time, until the Indians having finished -their pipes, the Chieftain took a few wampum-strings in his hand, and -commenced the following harangue: - -"Englishman!--It is to you that I speak, and I demand your attention! - -"Englishman!--You know that the French King is our father. He promised to -be such; and we, in return, promised to be his children. This promise we -have kept. - -"Englishman!--It is you that have made war with this our father. You are -his enemy; and how then could you have the boldness to venture among us, -his children? You know that his enemies are ours. - -"Englishman!--We are informed that our father, the king of France, is old -and infirm; and that being fatigued with making war upon your nation, he -is fallen asleep. During his sleep, you have taken advantage of him, and -possessed yourselves of Canada. But his nap is almost at an end. I think I -hear him already stirring, and inquiring for his children the -Indians;--and, when he does awake, what must become of you? He will -destroy you utterly! - -"Englishman!--Although you have conquered the French, you have not yet -conquered us! We are not your slaves. These lakes, these woods and -mountains, were left to us by our ancestors. They are our inheritance, and -we will part with them to none. Your nation supposes that we, like the -white people, cannot live without bread, and pork, and beef! But, you -ought to know, that He,--the Great Spirit and Master of Life,--has -provided food for us, in these broad lakes, and upon these mountains. - -"Englishman!---Our father, the king of France, employed our young men to -make war upon your nation. In this warfare, many of them have been killed; -and it is our custom to retaliate, until such time as the spirits of the -slain are satisfied. Now the spirits of the slain are to be satisfied in -either of two ways. The first is by the spilling of the blood of the -nation by which they fell; the other, by _covering the bodies of the -dead,_ and thus allaying the resentment of their relations. This is done -by making presents. - -"Englishman!--Your king has never sent us any presents, nor entered into -any treaty with us. Wherefore he and we are still at war; and, until he -does these things, we must consider that we have no other father, nor -friend, among the white men, than the king of France. But, for you, we -have taken into consideration, that you have ventured your life among us, -in the expectation that we should not molest you. You do not come armed, -with an intention to make war. You come in peace, to trade with us, and -supply us with necessaries, of which we are much in want. We shall regard -you, therefore, as a brother; and you may sleep tranquilly, without fear -of the Chippewas. As a token of our friendship, we present you with this -pipe, to smoke." - -The interview terminated in a manner which reminds us of Pontiac's meeting -with Rogers. Minavavana gave the Englishman his hand--his companions -followed his example--the pipe went round in due order--and, after being -politely entertained, all quietly departed. If this was not the Ottawa -himself; he was certainly a kindred spirit; and if the former exercised -authority over many such characters,--as he probably did,--it is not -difficult to account far the confidence which dictated the design, or for -the measure of success which attended the prosecution of one of the -mightiest projects ever conceived in the brain of an American savage. - -This project was a combination of all the tribes on and about the Northern -waters, perhaps partially with an ultimate view to the restoration of the -French Government, but directly and distinctly to the complete extirpation -of the English. - -It has been observed by a writer who has done signal justice to the genius -of Pontiac, "that we are nowhere told the causes of disaffection which -_separated him from the British interest._" [FN-1] There is an allusion -here to the information furnished by Rogers, who indeed states that -Pontiac "often intimated to him that he should be content to reign in his -country, in subordination to the king of Great Britain, and was willing -_to pay him such annual acknowledgment as he was able, in furs, and to - call him his Uncle._" [FN-2] But, without in the least disparaging the -honesty of Rogers, we are inclined to dispute the propriety of what we -suppose to have been rather his own inference than the Chieftain's -declaration. A disregard to niceties of expression, on the part of both -speaker and hearer, was no uncommon thing at interviews of this kind,--one -party being always eager, and both frequently ignorant enough, had they -even tolerable means of communicating together in language at all. - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Discourse of Governor Cass. - - [FN-2] Rogers' Accounts, 242; London Edition. - - -The context confirms this opinion. It appears singular, at first glance, -that Pontiac should propose calling the British king his _Uncle._ An -appellation, indeed,--as the Iroquois orators told the English at -Albany,--"signified nothing," in itself; and yet, as referring to the term -_Father,_ applied by Minavavana and the Northern Indians generally, to his -Christian Majesty, it did signify, at least, that Pontiac meant to pay a -slighter deference to the British king than to the French. No _allegiance_ -was acknowledged to either. As Minavavana said, "the Indians had no -_Father_ among the white men"--passing that courtesy for what is was -worth--"but the king of France." That, however, did not prevent them from -owning and claiming their own woods and mountains. It did not entitle the -French king to command the services, instead of "employing" the assistance -of their young men. It did not blind them to the fact, that although the -English had conquered the French, they had not conquered _them._ [FN-1] It -makes the matter still more dear, in regard to what was the understanding -of Pontiac, and what ought to have been that of Rogers, that, according to -his own statement, the Chieftain "assured him [on the same occasion when -the language last referred to is said to have been uttered.] that _he was -inclined to live peaceably with the English, while they used him as he -deserved, and to encourage their settling in his country, but intimated -that if they treated him with neglect, he should shut up the way, and -exclude them from it._" In short, concludes the same writer, "his whole -conversation sufficiently indicated that he was far from considering -himself a conquered Prince, and that he expected to be treated with the -respect and honor due to a King or Emperor, by all who came into his -country or treated with him." [FN-2] - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Speech of of Minavavana. - - [FN-2] Rogers' Account, p. 242. - - -On the whole, we have seen no evidence, and we know of no reason for -presuming, that he was ever any farther attached to "the British -interest," or rather any otherwise affected towards the idea of becoming -attached, than is indicated by the very independent declaration made as -above stated. In regard to the question why he never did become attached -to the British interest,--taking that for the correct representation of -the fact,--history is silent, as unfortunately it is in regard to most of -the remarkable occurrences on the frontiers which accompanied and followed -his enterprise. The conjectures of any one man, who has intelligently -investigated and reflected upon such history as there is, may be worth as -much as those of any other. It seems to be probable, however, that -although hostilities might have been prevented by a system of good -management on the part of the English, (in which their predecessors could -have given them a lesson,) they did not arise from any particular acts of -aggression. - -Pontiac _reasoned_ as well as felt. He reasoned as Philip had done before -him, and as Tecumseh will be found to have done since. He had begun to -apprehend danger from this new government and people; danger to his own -dominion and to the Indian interest at large; danger from their -superiority in arms, their ambition, their eagerness in possessing -themselves of every military position on the Northern waters;--and we may -add also, their want of that ostensible cordiality towards the Indians, -personally, to which the latter had been so much accustomed and attached -in the golden days of the French, and which they were apt to regard as a -necessary indication of good faith as of good will. In the language of the -Chippewa orator, the French had lived in the same lodge with them. They -had sent them missionaries; and invited them to councils, and made them -presents, and talked and traded with them, and manifested an interest in -their affairs, [FN] always suspected by the Indians less, and yet always -effecting their own purposes better and farther, than any other people. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Discourse of Schoolcraft. - - -The English, on the other hand, if they committed no aggressions,--(the -expedition of Rogers was perhaps considered one; but _that_ Pontiac -forgave,)--yet manifested but a slight disposition for national courtesy, -or for individual intercourse, or for a beneficial commerce of any -description. In other words, they "neglected"--to use Pontiac's -phrase,--all those circumstances which made the neighborhood of the French -agreeable, and which might have made their own at least tolerable. The -conduct of the latter never gave rise to suspicion. _Theirs_ never gave -rest to it. - -Thus, we suppose, the case might present itself to the mind of the Ottawa -Chieftain. And while such was the apparent disposition, or indifference to -any disposition in particular, of the English towards the Indians,--and -such the consequent liability, if not the reasonable prospect on the part -of the latter, if the former should occupy Canada,--Pontiac was not likely -to forget that they had conquered the French. He saw too that they were -rapidly and firmly establishing their new dominion, by movements which, at -all events, did not purport to promote the interest of the Indians. And he -knew, no doubt,---certainly he soon ascertained,--that whereas the French -of Canada and the Colonies of New-England had hitherto, by their action -upon each other, left the third party in a good measure disengaged,--the -new comers were themselves from Old England, if not New;--speaking the -same language (and that a strange one to the natives;) subject to the same -government; and ready at all times to be very conveniently supplied and -supported, to an indefinite extent, by those powerful Southern Colonies -which had long before destroyed or driven off the Indians from their own -borders. - -So Pontiac reasoned; and he looked into futurity far enough to foresee -that ultimate fatal result to his race, which now was the only time, if -indeed there was yet time, to prevent. Immediate occasions of hostility -there might be besides; but these must be the subject of mere speculation. -Affections which do him honor, predisposed him to believe that the English -had done injustice to his old friends the French; and the French might -further endeavor to persuade him that they had also done injustice to -himself. But, it was certain, "they bad treated him with neglect." And -_therefore,_ following his own principle, as well as the impulse of -pride, he resolved to "shut up the way." How far he succeeded, and by what -means, will be our next subjects of consideration. - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - - - Pontiac's plan of campaign--He commences active preparations--Council of - the Ottawas--Grand Council of the Northern tribes--Dream of the - Delaware--Maxims promulgated by Pontiac--Estimate of the number and - force of his allies--Commencement of the war--Surprisal of nine English - posts--Mode of surprisal--Artifice adopted at Michilimackinac, and - result--Reduction of Detroit undertaken by Pontiac in person--His - interview with the commandant--His plan discovered, and the surprise - prevented--Letter from Detroit. - - -The plan of operations adopted by Pontiac, for effecting the extinction of -the English power, evinces an extraordinary genius, as well as a courage -and energy of the highest order. This was a sudden and contemporaneous -attack upon all the British posts on the Lakes--at St. Joseph, Ouiatenon, -Green Bay, Michilimackinac, Detroit, the Maumee, and the Sandusky--and -also upon the forts at Niagara, Presque Isle, Le Boeuf, Verango and -Pittsburg. Most of the fortifications at these places were slight, being -rather commercial depots, than military establishments. Still, against the -Indians they were strong-holds; and the positions had been so judiciously -selected by the French, that to this day they command the great avenues of -communication to the world of woods and waters in the remote north and -west. It was manifest to Pontiac, familiar as he was with the geography of -this vast tract of country, and with the practical, if not technical -maxims of war, that the possession or the destruction of these -posts,--saying nothing of their garrisons,--would be emphatically -"shutting up the way." If the surprise could be simultaneous, so that -every English banner which waved upon a line of thousands of miles should -be prostrated at the same moment, the garrisons would be unable to -exchange assistance, while, on the other hand, the failure of one Indian -detachment would have no effect to discourage another. Certainly, some -might succeed. Probably, the war might begin and be terminated with the -same single blow; and then Pontiac would again be the Lord and King of the -broad land of his ancestors. - -The measures taken in pursuance of these calculations, were worthy of the -magnificent scheme. The chieftain felt confident that _success_ would -multiply friends and allies to his cause. But he knew equally well, that -friends and allies to his cause were as necessary to obtain success. Some -preliminary principles must be set forth, to show what his cause was; and -however plausible it might appear in theory, exertions must also be made -to give assurance of its feasibility in practice. A belligerent -combination of some kind must be formed in the outset; and the more -extensive, the better. - -Pontiac commenced operations with his own tribe; the Ottawas being, for -several reasons, peculiarly under his control, at the same time that their -influence over other tribes was hardly inferior to his own influence over -themselves. Some of these tribes had fought with them against the English, -not many years before; and the connection between them was so apparent in -the time of Major Rogers, that he considered them as "formed into a sort -of empire." He expressly states, also, that the Emperor, as he supposed -Pontiac then to be, was "elected from the eldest tribe--which is the -Ottawawas, some of whom inhabit near our fort at Detroit, but are mostly -further westward, towards the Mississippi." He might well add, that -Pontiac "had the largest empire and greatest authority of any Indian chief -that has appeared on the continent since our acquaintance with it." [FN] -The truth probably was, that the tribes here described as confederates, -were most of them related to each other by descent, more or less remotely. -Some were intimately associated. All would be rather disposed to act -together in any great project, as they already had done, (and as most of -them have since, during the American Revolution, and during the last war -with Great Britain.) Still such was and is the nature of Indian -government, that it was necessary for Pontiac to obtain the separate -concurrence and confidence of each. To gain over the Ottawas first, was -not to strengthen his authority, indeed, but it was adding much to his -influence. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Roger's Account, p. 240. - - -The Ottawas, then, were called together, and the plan was disclosed, -explained and enforced, with all the eloquence and cunning which Pontiac -could bring to his task. He appealed to the fears, the hopes, the -ambition, the cupidity of his hearers--their regard for the common -interest of the race, their hatred of the English, and their gratitude and -love for the French. We are told by a modern historian, that some of the -Ottawas had been disgraced by blows. [FN] Such a suggestion, whether well -rounded or not, might probably be made, and would of course have its -effect. So would the display of a _belt,_ which the chieftain exhibited, -and which he professed to have received from the King of France, urging -him to drive the British from the country, and to open the paths for the -return of the French. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Discourse of Governor Cass. - - -These topics having been skilfully managed, and the Ottawas warmly engaged -in the cause, a grand council of the neighbouring tribes was convened at -the river Aux Ecorces. Here Pontiac again exerted his talents with -distinguished effect. With a profound knowledge of the Indian character, -and especially aware of the great power of superstition upon their minds, -he related, among other things, a dream, in which the Great Spirit, (the -orator said,) had secretly disclosed to a Delaware Indian the conduct he -expected his red children to pursue. Minute instructions had been -graciously given, suitable to the existing crisis in their fortunes, and -remarkably coincident, it will be observed, with the principles and -projects of the chieftain himself. They were to abstain from the use of -ardent spirits. They were also to abandon the use of all English -manufactures, and to resume their bows and arrows, and the skins of the -animals for clothing. It is needless to eulogize the sagacity which -dictated both these proposals: "and why," the orator concluded, "why, said -the Great Spirit indignantly to the Delaware,--do you suffer these dogs in -red clothing to enter your country, and take the land I have given you? -Drive them from it!--Drive them!--When you are in distress I will help -you!" [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Discourse of Governor Cass. - - -It is not difficult to imagine the effect which this artful appeal to -prejudice and passion might have on the inflammable temperaments of a -multitude of credulous and excited savages. The name of Pontiac alone was -a host; but the Great Spirit was for them,--it was impossible to fail. A -plan of campaign was conceited on the spot, and belts and speeches were -sent to secure the co-operation of the Indians along the whole line of the -frontier. - -Neither the precise number nor power of those who actually joined the -combination can now be determined. The Ottawas, the Chippewas, and the -Pottawatamies were among the most active. The two former of these had sent -six hundred warriors in one body to the defence of Fort Du Quesne. The -Ottawas of L'Arbre Croche, alone, mustered two hundred and fifty fighting -men. The Miamies were engaged. [FN] So were the Sacs, the Ottagamies (or -Foxes,) the Menominies, the Wyandots, the Mississagas, the Shawanees; and, -what was still more to the purpose, a large number of the Pennsylvania and -Ohio Delawares, and of the Six Nations of New York. The alliance of the -two last-named parties,--in itself the result of a master-piece of policy, -was necessary to complete that vast system of attack which comprehended -all the British positions from Niagara to Green Bay and the Potomac. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Ibid. - - -The plan was at length thoroughly matured. The work of extirpation -commenced on or about the same day, from north to south, and from east to -west. Nine of the British forts were captured. Some of the garrisons were -completely surprised, and massacred on the spot; a few individuals, in -other cases, escaped. The officer who commanded at Presque Isle, defended -himself two days, during which time, the savages are said to have fired -his block-house about fifty times, but the soldiers extinguished the -flames as often. It was then undermined, and a train was laid for an -explosion, when a capitulation was proposed and agreed upon, under which a -part of the garrison was carried captive to the north-west. The officer -was afterwards given up at Detroit. - -A great number of English traders were taken, on their way, from all -quarters of the country, to the different forts; and their goods, as well -those of the residents at such places, and the stores at the depots -themselves, of course became prize to the conquerors. Pittsburgh, with the -smaller forts, Ligonier, Bedford, and others in that neighbourhood, were -closely beset, but successfully defended, until the arrival of large -reinforcements. The savages made amends for these failures by a series of -the most horrible devastations in detail, particularly in New York, -Pennsylvania, and even in Northern Virginia, which have ever been -committed upon the continent. - -In case of most, if not all of the nine surprisals first mentioned, quite -as much was effected by stratagem as by force, and that apparently by a -preconcerted system which indicates the far-seeing superintendence of -Pontiac himself. Generally, the commanders were secured in the first -instance, by parties admitted within the forts under the pretence of -business or friendship. At Maumee, or the Miamies, (as the station among -that tribe was commonly designated,) the officer was betrayed by a squaw, -who by piteous entreaties persuaded him to go out with her some two -hundred yards, to the succor, as she said, of a wounded man who was dying; -the Indians waylaid and shot him. - -A more subtle policy was adopted at Michilimackinac, and surer means were -taken to effect it. That fort, standing on the south side of the strait, -between Lakes Huron and Michigan, was one of the most important positions -on the frontier. It was the place of deposit, and the point of departure, -between the upper and lower countries; the traders always assembling -there, on their voyages to and from Montreal. Connected with it, was an -area of two acres, enclosed with cedar-wood pickets, and extending on one -side so near to the water's edge, that a western wind always drove the -waves against the foot of the stockade. There were about thirty houses -within the limits, inhabited by about the same number of families. The -only ordnance on the bastions were two small brass pieces. The garrison -numbered between ninety and one hundred. - -The capture of this indispensable station was entrusted to the Chippewas, -assisted by the Sacs, and those two tribes in concert adopted the -following plan. The _King's birth-day_ having arrived, a game of -_baggatiway_ was proposed by the Indians. This is played with a bat and -ball; the former being about four feet long, curved, and terminating in a -sort of racket. Two posts are placed in the ground, at the distance of -half a mile or a mile from each other. Each party has its post, and the -game consists in throwing up to the adversary's post the ball which at the -beginning is placed in the middle of the course. - -The policy of this expedient for surprising the garrison will clearly -appear, when it is understood, that the game is necessarily attended with -much violence and noise; that, in the ardor of contest the ball, if it -cannot be thrown to the goal desired, is struck in any direction by which -it can be diverted from that desired by the adversary; that, at such a -moment, nothing could be less likely to excite premature alarm among the -spectators of the amusement, than that the ball should be tossed over the -pickets of the fort; or that having fallen there, it should be instantly -followed by all engaged in the game,--struggling and shouting, in the -unrestrained pursuit of a rude athletic exercise. - -Such was precisely the artifice employed; and to be still more sure of -success, the Indians had persuaded as many as they could of the garrison -and settlers, to come voluntarily without the pickets, for the purpose of -witnessing the game, which was said to be played for a high wager. Not -fewer than four hundred were engaged on both sides, and consequently, -possession of the fort being once gained, the situation of the English -must be desperate indeed. The particulars of the sequel of this horrid -transaction, furnished by Henry, are too interesting to be wholly omitted. - -The match commenced with great animation, without the fort, Henry, -however, did not go to witness it, being engaged in writing letters to his -Montreal friends, by a canoe which was just upon the eve of departure. He -had been thus occupied something like half an hour, when he suddenly heard -a loud Indian war-cry, and a noise of general confusion. Going instantly -to his window, he saw a crowd of Indians within the fort, furiously -cutting down and scalping every Englishman they found; and he could -plainly witness the last struggles of some of his particular -acquaintances. - -He had, in the room where he was, a fowling-piece loaded with swan-shot. -This he immediately seized, and held it for a few minutes, expecting to -hear the fort-drum beat to arms. In this dreadful interval, he saw several -of his countrymen fall; and more than one struggling between the knees of -the savages, who, holding them in this manner, scalped them while yet -alive. At length, disappointed in the hope of seeing any resistance made -on the part of the garrison, and sensible, of course, that no effort of -his single arm could avail against four hundred Indians, he turned his -attention to his own safety. Seeing several of the Canadian villagers -looking out composedly upon the scene of blood--neither opposing the -Indians nor molested by them--he conceived a hope of finding security in -one of their houses. - -He immediately climbed over a low fence, which was the only separation -between the yard-door of his house, and that of his next neighbour, -Monsieur Langlade. He entered the house of the latter precipitately, and -found the whole family gazing at the horrible spectacle before them. He -addressed himself to M. Langlade, and begged that he would put him in some -place of safety, until the heat of the affair should be over--an act of -charity which might preserve him from the general massacre. Langlade -looked for a moment at him while he spoke, and then turned again to the -window, shrugging his shoulders, and intimating that he could do nothing -for him--"_Que voudriez-vous que J'en ferais?_" - -Henry was now ready to despair; but at this moment, a Pani woman, [FN] a -slave of M. Langlade, beckoned to him to follow her. She guided him to a -door, which she opened, desiring him to enter, and telling him that it led -to the garret, where he must go and conceal himself. He joyfully obeyed -her directions; and she, having followed him up to the garret-door, locked -it after him, and with great presence of mind took away the key. Scarcely -yet lodged in this shelter, such as it was, Henry felt an eager anxiety to -know what was passing without. His desire was more than satisfied by his -finding an aperture in the loose board wails of the house, which afforded -him a full view of the area of the fort. Here he beheld with horror, in -shapes the foulest and most terrible, the ferocious triumphs of the -savages. The dead were scalped and mangled; the dying were writhing and -shrieking under the unsatiated knife and the reeking tomahawk; and from -the bodies of some, ripped open, their butchers were drinking the blood -scooped up in the hollow of joined hands, and quaffed amid shouts of rage -and victory. In a few minutes, which to Henry seemed scarcely one, every -victim who could be found being destroyed, there was a general cry of, -"all is finished"--and at this moment Henry heard some of the savages -enter Langlade's house. He trembled and grew faint with fear. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Said to belong to an Indian nation of the South--no doubt the same - now generally called Pawnees. - - -As the flooring of his room and the ceiling of the room beneath consisted -only of a layer of boards, he noticed every thing that passed; and he -heard the Indians inquire, at their entrance, whether there was any -Englishman about M. Langlade replied, that "He could not say---he did not -know of any"--as in fact he did not--"they could search for themselves (he -added) and would soon be satisfied." The state of Henry's mind may be -imagined, when, immediately upon this reply, the Indians were brought to -the garret door. Luckily some delay was occasioned--through the management -of the Pani woman--perhaps by the absence of the key. Henry had sufficient -presence of mind to improve these few moments in looking for a hiding -place. This he found in the corner of the garret, among a heap of such -birch bark vessels as are used in making maple-sugar; and he had not -completely concealed himself when the door opened, and four Indians -entered, all armed with tomahawks, and all besmeared with blood from head -to foot. - -The die appeared to be cast. Henry could scarcely breathe, and he thought -that the throbbing of his heart occasioned a noise loud enough to betray -him. The Indians walked about the garret in every direction; and one of -them approached him so closely that, at a particular moment, had he put -forth his hand, he must have touched him. Favored, however, by the dark -colour of his clothes, and the want of light in a room which had no -window, he still remained unseen. The Indians took several turns about the -room--entertaining M. Langlade all the while with a minute account of the -proceedings of the day---and at last returned down stairs. - -Such is the traveler's account of the fall of Michilimackinac. The fate of -Detroit remains to be told, a more important position than even -Michilimackinac. An immense quantity of valuable goods,--one account says, -to the amount of five hundred thousand pounds,--was known to be there -stored. What was of more moment, its capture would release the French -inhabitants of the Strait from their temporary allegiance to the English, -and would consequently unite the hitherto separate lines of operation -pursued by the Indian tribes above and below. Under these circumstances, -its reduction was in person undertaken by Pontiac. - -The town is supposed at this period to have been enclosed by a single row -of pickets, forming nearly four sides of a square; there being -block-houses at the corners and over the gates. An open space intervened -between the houses and the pickets, which formed a place of arms and -encircled the village. The fortifications did not extend to the river, but -a gate opened in the direction of the stream, and not far from it, where, -at the date in question, two armed vessels, fortunately for the -inhabitants, happened to lie at anchor. The ordnance of the fort consisted -of two six-pounders, one three-pounder, and three mortars; all of an -indifferent quality. The garrison numbered one hundred and thirty, -including officers, besides whom there were in the village something like -forty individuals who were habitually engaged in the fur-trade. The -inadequate proportion of this force, even to the size of the place, may be -inferred from the fact, that the stockade which formed its periphery was -more than one thousand feet long. - -Such was the situation of Detroit, when the Ottawa chieftain, having -completed his arrangements, on the 8th of May presented himself at the -gates of the town, with a force of about three hundred Indians, chiefly -Ottawas and Chippewas, and requested a council with Major Gladwyn, the -Commandant. He expected, under this pretext, to gain admission for himself -and a considerable number of attendants, who accordingly were provided -with rifles, sawed off so short as to be concealed under their blankets. -At a given signal,--which was to be the presentation of a wampum-belt in a -particular manner by Pontiac to the Commandant, during the -conference,---the armed Indians were to massacre all the officers; and -then, opening the gates, to admit a much larger body of warriors, who -should be waiting without, for the completion of the slaughter and the -destruction of the fort. - -Fortunately, Major Gladwyn obtained a knowledge of the scheme, before an -opportunity occurred for its execution. One of the French residents in the -vicinity, returning home on the morning of the day last mentioned, is said -to have met Pontiac and his party upon Bloody Bridge. This place, which -still retains its name, is between one and two miles from the village. The -last warrior in the file, being a particular friend of the white man, -threw aside his blanket, and significantly exhibited the shortened rifle -beneath. Whether his disclosure was communicated to Major Gladwyn, cannot -be determined. - -Carver states,--and his account is substantially confirmed by tradition, -as well as by other authorities,--that an Indian woman betrayed the -secret. She had been employed by the Commandant to make him a pair of -moccasins out of elk-skin; and having completed them, she brought them -into the fort, on the evening of the day when Pontiac made his appearance, -and his application for a council. The Major was pleased with them, -directed her to convert the residue of the skin into articles of the same -description, and having made a generous payment, dismissed her. She went -to the outer door, but there stopped, and for some time loitered about as -if her errand was still unperformed. A servant asked her what she wanted, -but she made no answer.--The Major himself observed her, and ordered her -to be called in, when, after some hesitation, she replied to his -enquiries, that as he had always treated her kindly, she did not like to -take away the elk-skin, which he valued so highly;--she could _never bring -it back._ The Commandants curiosity was of course excited, and he pressed -the examination, until the woman at length disclosed every thing which had -come to her knowledge. - -Her information was not received with implicit credulity, but the Major -thought it prudent to employ the night in taking active measures for -defence. His arms and ammunition were examined and arranged; and the -traders and their dependents, as well as the garrison, were directed to be -ready for instant service. A guard kept watch on the ramparts during the -night, it being apprehended that the Indians might anticipate the -preparations now known to have been made for the next day. Nothing, -however, was heard after dark, except the sound of singing and dancing, -in the Indian camp, which they always indulge in upon the eve of any great -enterprise. The particulars of the council of the next day, we shall -furnish on the authority of a writer already cited. - -In the morning, Pontiac and his warriors sang their war-song, danced their -war-dance, and repaired to the fort. They were admitted without -hesitation, and were conducted to the council house, where Major Gladwyn -and his officers were prepared to receive them. They perceived at the -gate, and as they passed through the streets, an unusual activity and -movement among the troops. The garrison was under arms, the guards were -doubled, and the officers were armed with swords and pistols. Pontiac -enquired of the British commander, what was the cause of this unusual -appearance. He was answered, that it was proper to keep the young men to -their duty, lest they should become idle and ignorant. The business of the -council then commenced, and Pontiac proceeded to address Major Gladwyn. -His speech was bold and menacing, and his manner and gesticulations -vehement, and they became still more so, as he approached the critical -moment. When he was upon the point of presenting the belt to Major -Gladwyn, and all was breathless expectation, the drums at the door of the -council house, suddenly rolled the charge, the guards leveled their -pieces, and the British officers drew their swords from their scabbards. -Pontiac was a brave man, constitutionally and habitually. He had fought in -many a battle, and often led his warriors to victory. But this unexpected -and decisive proof, that his treachery was discovered and prevented, -entirely disconcerted him. Tradition says he trembled. At all events, he -delivered his belt in the usual manner, and thus failed to give his party -the concerted signal of attack. Major Gladwyn immediately approached the -chief, and drawing aside his blanket, discovered the shortened rifle, and -then, after stating his knowledge of the plan, and reproaching him for his -treachery, ordered him from the fort. The Indians immediately retired, and -as soon as they had passed the gate, they gave the yell, and fired upon -the garrison. They then proceeded to the commons, where was lying an aged -English woman with her two sons. These they murdered, and afterwards -repaired to Hog Island, where a discharged Serjeant resided with his -family, who were all but one immediately massacred. Thus was the war -commenced. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Discourse of Gov. Cass. - - -As to leading facts, this account is without doubt correct. Perhaps it is -in all the minutiae. We have however seen a somewhat different version, -which, as the affair is one of great interest, we shall here annex without -comment. It was originally furnished in a letter from a gentleman residing -in Detroit at the time of the attack, addressed to a friend in New-York, -and dated July 9, 1763. It may be seen in the most respectable papers of -that period, and is believed to be unquestionably authentic. As to many -circumstances the writer's statement agrees with that just given, although -the conference (perhaps another one) is said to nave taken place on the -7th of the month. The sequel is thus: - -At the close of the interview, the Indians returned disconcerted, and -encamped on the farther side of the river. Pontiac was reproached by some -of the young warriors for not having given the signal (the appearance of -the garrison having surprised him.) He told them, that he did not suppose -they were willing to lose any of their men, as they must have done in that -case; if they were, he would still give them an opportunity, whether the -garrison should be under arms or not. All were satisfied with this -proposition--"in consequence of which,"--proceeds our -informant,--"Pondiac, with some others of the chiefs, came the next day, -being Sunday, to smoak the Pipe of Peace with the Major, who despised them -so much in consequence of their treachery, that he would not go nigh them, -but told Captain Campbell [FN] if _he_ had a mind he might speak with -them. The Captain went, and smoaked with them, when Pondiac told him he -would come the next day and hold a conference with the Major, and _to wipe -away all cause of suspicion he would bring ail his old and young men,_ to -take him by the hand in a friendly manner." - - * * * * * - - [FN] The immediate predecessor of Gladwyn in the command of the post. - - -This certainly looks much like a genuine Indian artifice. The writer then -says, that "after repeating several pieces of such stuff, he withdrew with -his gang to his camp." The next morning, (Monday, the 9th,) as many as -sixty-four canoes were discovered, all or them full of Indians, crossing -the river above the fort. A few of them came to the gates and demanded -permission for the whole company to be admitted "for a council." The -Commandant refused this request, but expressed his willingness that some -forty or fifty should come in, that being quite as many as was usual in -such cases. The messengers returned to their comrades, who were lying and -standing all around the fort, at the distance of two hundred yards. A -consultation now took place, and then, we are told, "they all got up and -fled off yelping like so many Devils.--They instantly fell upon Mrs. -Turnbell, (an English woman to whom Major Gladwyn had given a small -Plantation, about a Mile from the Fort,) and murdered and scalped her and -her two sons; from thence they went to Hogs Island, about a league up the -River from the Fort, and there murdered James Fisher and his wife, also -four Soldiers who were with them, and carried off his Children and Servant -Maid prisoners; the same evening, being the 9th, had an account, by a -Frenchman, of the defeat of Sir Robert Davers and, Capt. Robertson." The -sequel of the war, and of the history of Pontiac, will form the subject of -our next chapter. - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - - - Siege of Detroit maintained by Pontiac--The Commandant meditates a - retreat--The French propose a conference with Pontiac, which takes - place--The latter demands the surrender of the fort, which the - Commandant refuses--Vigorous renewal of hostilities--Advantages gained - by the Indian army--Arrival of succor to the English--Battle of Bloody - Bridge--Pontiac at length raises the siege,--Causes of it--The Indians - make peace--His subsequent career until his death--Anecdotes - illustrating his influence, energy, magnanimity, integrity and - genius--His authority as chieftain--His talents as an orator--His - traditionary fame. - - -We have now to furnish the details of one of the most singular -transactions which has ever distinguished the multifarious warfare of the -red men with the whites--the protracted siege of a fortified civilized -garrison by an army of savages. We shall still avail ourselves of the -diary contained in the letters already cited, and of other information -from the same source. - -"The 10th, in the Morning, (Tuesday) they attacked the Fort very -resolutely. There continued a very hot Fire on both Sides until the -Evening, when they ceased firing, having had several killed and wounded. -They posted themselves behind the Garden-Fences and Houses in the Suburbs, -and some Barns and Out-houses that were on the Side of the Fort next the -Woods, to which we immediately set Fire by red-hot Spikes &c. from the -Cannon." In this manner, and by occasional sorties, the enemy was -dislodged and driven back, until they could only annoy the fort by -approaching the summit of the low ridge which overlooked the pickets, and -there, at intervals, they continued their fire. - -Little damage was done in this way, nor did the Indians at any time -undertake a close assault. The Commandant, however, ignorant of their -style of warfare, apprehended that movement; and he believed that in such -a case,--their numbers being now, according to some estimates, six or -seven hundred, and according to others, about twice as many,--the -situation of the garrison would be hopeless. Besides, he had but three -weeks' provision in the fort, "at a pound of bread and two ounces of pork -a man per day." Under these circumstances he immediately commenced -preparations for an embarkation on board the two vessels which still lay -in the stream, with the intention of retreating to Niagara. - -He was dissuaded from this course by the French residents, who positively -assured him that the enemy would never think of taking the fort by storm. -A truce or treaty was then suggested. Some of the French, (who were the -chief medium of communication between the belligerent parties,) mentioned -the circumstance to Pontiac; and the latter, it is said, soon after sent -in five messengers to the fort, proposing that two of the officers should -go out and confer with him at his camp. He also requested, that Major -Campbell might be one of them. That gentleman accordingly went, with the -permission though not by the command of Major Gladwyn, in the afternoon of -Wednesday, the 11th. Campbell took Lieutenant McDougall with him and both -were attended by five or six of the French. - -Whether the latter had meditated a treachery or not, does not appear. The -French residents generally, at all events, cannot be fairly charged with -improper conduct between the contending parties during the siege. They -were naturally enough suspected and accused, but we have seen nothing -proved against them. The two officers were, however, detained by the -Indians; and Pontiac, who is generally supposed to have conceived this -scheme for obtaining an advantage over the garrison, now sent in terms of -capitulation. These were to the effect, that the troops should immediately -surrender, "lay down their arms, as their fathers, the French, had been -obliged to do--leave the cannon, magazines, and merchants' goods, and the -two vessels--and be escorted in batteaux by Indians to Niagara." The Major -promptly made answer, that "his commanding officer had not sent him there -to deliver up the fort to Indians or anybody else, and he would therefore -defend it so long as a single man could stand at his side." - -Hostilities now recommenced, and were so vigorously sustained on the part -of Pontiac, that for some months, (says the diary,) "the whole Garrison, -Officers, Soldiers, Merchants and Servants, were upon the Ramparts every -Night, not one having slept in a House, except the sick and wounded in the -Hospital." - -Three weeks after the commencement of the siege,--on the 30th of May,--the -English sentinel on duty announced, that a fleet of boats, supposed to -contain a supply of provisions and a reinforcement of troops from Niagara, -was coming round "the point," at a place called the Huron Church. The -garrison flocked to the bastions, and for a moment at least hope shone -upon every countenance. But presently the death-cry of the Indians was -heard, and the fate of the detachment was at once known. Their approach -having been ascertained, Pontiac had stationed a body of warriors at Point -Pelee. Twenty small batteaux, manned by a considerable number of troops, -and laden with stores, landed there in the evening. The Indians watched -their movements, and fell upon them about day-light. One officer, with -thirty men, escaped across the lake; but the others were either killed or -captured; and the line of barges ascended the river near the opposite -shore, escorted by the Indians on the banks and guarded by detachments in -each boat, in full view of the garrison and of the whole French -settlement. - -The prisoners were compelled to navigate the boats. As the first batteaux -arrived opposite to the town, four British soldiers determined to effect -their liberation, or to perish in the attempt. They suddenly changed the -course of the boat, and by loud cries made known their intention to the -crew of the vessel. The Indians in the other boats, and the escort on the -bank, fired upon the fugitives, but they were soon driven from their -positions by a cannonade from the armed schooner. The guard on board this -boat leaped overboard, and one them dragged a soldier with him into the -water, where both were drowned. The others escaped to the shore, and the -boat reached the vessel, with but one soldier wounded. Lest the other -prisoners might escape, they were immediately landed, and marched up the -shore, to the lower point of Hog Island, where they crossed the river, and -were immediately put to death, with all the horrible accompaniments of -savage cruelty. - -During the month of June, an attempt to relieve the garrison proved more -successful. A vessel which had been sent to Niagara, arrived at the mouth -of the river, with about fifty troops on board, and a supply of stores. -The Indians generally left the siege, and repaired to Fighting Island, for -the purpose of intercepting her. They annoyed the English very much in -their canoes, till the latter reached the point of the Island, where, on -account of the wind failing, they were compelled to anchor. - -The captain had concealed his men in the hold, so that the Indians were -not aware of the strength of the crew. Soon after dark, they embarked in -their canoes, and proceeded to board the vessel. The men were silently -ordered up, and took their stations at the guns. The Indians were suffered -to approach close to the vessel, when the captain, by the stroke of a -hammer upon the mast, which had been previously concerted, gave the signal -for action. An immediate discharge took place, and the Indians -precipitately fled, with many killed and wounded. The next morning, the -vessel dropped down to the mouth of the river, where she remained six -days, waiting for a wind. On the thirteenth, she succeeded in ascending -the river, and reaching the fort in safety. - -Pontiac felt the necessity of destroying these vessels, and he therefore -constructed rafts for that purpose. The barns of some of the inhabitants -were demolished, and the materials employed in this work. Pitch and other -combustibles were added, and the whole so formed, as to burn with rapidity -and intensity. They were of considerable length, and were towed to a -proper position, above the vessels, when fire was applied, and they were -left to the stream, in the expectation that they would be carried into -contact with the vessels, and immediately set fire to them. Twice the -attempt was made, without success. The British were aware of the design, -and took their measures accordingly. Boats were constructed, and anchored -with chains above the vessels, and every precaution was used to ward off -the blow. The blazing rafts passed harmlessly by, and other incidents soon -occurred to engage the attention of the Indians. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Discourse of Gov. Cass. - - -A week subsequent to this date, we find various letters from Detroit -published, in Atlantic papers, of which the following passages are -extracts. They will furnish the reader with an idea of the true situation -of the garrison at this time, much better than could be derived from any -description of our own. - - "Detroit, July 6, 1763. - -"We have been besieged here two Months, by Six Hundred Indians. We have -been upon the Watch Night and Day, from the Commanding Officer to the -lowest Soldier, from the 8th of May, and have not had our Cloaths off, nor -slept all Night since it began; and shall continue so till we have a -Reinforcement up. We then hope soon to give a good Account of the Savages. -Their Camp lies about a Mile and a half from the Fort; and that's the -nearest they choose to come now. For the first two or three Days we were -attacked by three or four Hundred of them, but we gave them so warm a -Reception that they don't care for coming to see us, tho' they now and -then get behind a House or Garden, and fire at us about three or four -Hundred Yards' distance. The Day before Yesterday, we killed a Chief and -three others, and wounded some more; yesterday went up with our Sloop, and -battered their Cabins in such a Manner that they are glad to keep farther -off." - -The next letter is under date of the 9th. - -"You have long ago heard of our pleasant Situation; but the Storm is blown -over. Was it not very agreeable to hear every day, of their cutting, -carving, boiling and eating our Companions? To see every Day dead Bodies -floating down the River, mangled and disfigured. But Britons, you know, -never shrink; we always appeared gay, to spite the Rascals. They boiled -and eat Sir Robert Devers; and we are informed by Mr. Pauly, who escaped -the other Day from one of the Stations surprised at the breaking out of -the War, and commanded by himself, that he had seen an Indian have the -Skin of Captain Robertson's Arm for a Tobacco-Pouch!" - -"Three Days ago, a Party of us went to demolish a Breast-work they had -made. We finished _our_ Work, and were returning Home; but the Fort -espying a Party of Indians coming up, as if they intended to fight, we -were ordered back, made our Dispositions, and advanced briskly. Our Front -was fired upon warmly, and returned the Fire for about five Minutes. In -the mean time, Captain Hopkins, with about twenty Men, filed off to the -left, and about twenty French volunteers filed off to the Right, and got -between them and their Fires. The Villains immediately fled, and we -returned, as was prudent, for a Centry whom I had placed, informed me he -saw a Body of them coming down from the Woods, and our Party being but -about eighty, was not able to cope with their united bands. In short, we -beat them handsomely, and yet did not much Hurt to them, for they ran -extremely well. We only killed their Leader, and wounded three others. One -of them fired at me at the Distance of fifteen or twenty Paces, but I -suppose my terrible Visage made him tremble. I think I shot him." - -This "leader" was, according to some accounts, an Ottawa Chief; according -to others, the son of a Chief. At all events, he was a popular if not an -important man; and his death was severely revenged by one of his -relatives, in the massacre of Captain Campbell. That gentleman had been -detained a prisoner ever since the proposal of a capitulation, together -with his friend McDougall. The latter escaped a day or two before the -skirmish; but his unfortunate comrade was tomahawked by the infuriated -savage. One account says, "they boiled his heart and ate it, and made a -pouch of the skin of his arms!" The brutal assassin fled to Saginaw, -apprehensive of the vengeance of Pontiac; and it is but justice to the -memory of that Chieftain to say, that he was indignant at the atrocious -act, and used every possible exertion to apprehend the murderer. - -The reinforcement mentioned above as expected, arrived on the 26th of -July. It was a detachment of three hundred regular troops. Arrangements -were made the same evening, for an attack on the Indian camp. But by some -unknown means, Pontiac obtained information of the design; and he not only -removed the women and children from his camp, but seasonably stationed two -strong parties in ambuscades, where they were protected by pickets and -cord-wood, and concealed by the high grass. Three hundred men left the -fort, about an hour before day, and marched rapidly up the bank. They were -suffered to reach the bridge over Bloody-Run, and to proceed about half -way across it, before the slightest movement indicated that the enemy was -aware of their approach. Suddenly a volume of musketry was poured in upon -the troops; the commander fell at the first discharge, and they were -thrown into instant confusion. A retreat was with some difficulty effected -by driving the Indians from all their positions at the bayonet's point, -but the English lost seventy men killed, and forty wounded. - -This was the last important event attending the prosecution of the siege. -A modern author observes, that Pontiac relaxed in his efforts, that the -Indians soon began to depart for their wintering-grounds, and that the -various bands, _as they arrived in the spring, professed their desire for -peace._ Such seems to have been the case at a much earlier date; for we -find it stated under date of the 18th of August (1763,) that "the Hurons, -who begin to be wearied of the war," had brought in and given up eight -prisoners. The writer adds, that "the Hurons and Pouteouatamies, who were -partly forced into the war by the menaces of the Ottawas, begin to -withdraw." Pontiac had been so confident of success as to have made some -arrangements, it is said, for dividing the conquered territory with the -French; and several Indians planted fields of corn. But his warriors grew -weary of the siege, and his army was at this time reduced to about five -hundred. - -Where or how he passed the winter, we are not told. But his movements were -still watched with anxiety, and the garrison at Detroit, especially, seem -not to have thought themselves safe from his operations, from day to day. -"We have lately been very busy," says a respectable writer, under date of -December 3, 1763,--"in providing Abundance of Wheat, Flour, Indian Corn -and Pease, from the Country, in which we have so far succeeded as not to -be in Danger of being starved out." It further appears, that detachments -of the enemy were still in the neighborhood; "The Approach of Major -Wilkins' Party had a very good effect; the Enemy moved farther off. _'Tis -said that_ Pondiac _and his tribe have gone to the Mississippi, but we -don't believe it._" Again,---"The Wyandots, of Sandusky, are much animated -against us; they have been reinforced lately by many villains from all the -nations concerned in the war." So late as March 25th, we are told that -"about twelve Days ago, several scalping-Parties of the Potewatamies came -to the Settlement, &c. _We now sleep in our Clothes, expecting an Alarm -every Night._" - -But the reign of terror maintained by the movements of Pontiac was drawing -to its close. The power of the civilized party was too much for a -combination like his. General Bradstreet, with a force of three thousand -men, proceeded to Niagara early in the summer of 1764, on his way to the -north-west. Here a grand council was held, at which nearly two thousand -Indians attended. One account says there were representatives present from -twenty-two different tribes, including eleven of the western,--a fact -strikingly indicating the immense train of operations managed by the -influence of Pontiac. Many of his best allies had now deserted the -chieftain. The traveler, Henry, who was under Bradstreet's command, -mentions that he was himself appointed leader of ninety six _Chippewas_ of -the Sault de Sainte-Marie, and other savages, under the name of the Indian -Battalion;--"Me," he adds, "whose best hope it had very lately been, to -live through their forbearance." It ought to be observed, however, in -justice to the men who were thus led against their own countrymen and -kinsmen, that by the time the army reached Fort Erie, their number was -reduced to fourteen by desertion. - -On the arrival of the army at Detroit, which they reached without -opposition, all the tribes in that region came in and concluded a peace, -with the exception of the Delawares and Shawanees. But Pontiac was no more -seen. He not only took no part in the pending negotiation, but abandoned -the country, and repaired to the Illinois. - -We find no authority for the assertion of Carver, that henceforward he -laid aside his animosity for the English; and still less, that "to reward -_this new attachment,_ Government allowed him a handsome pension." Even -this writer admits that his conduct "at length grew suspicious." Rogers, -on the other hand, who had good opportunities of knowing the facts, says, -that while "some of the Indians left him, and by his consent made a -separate peace, _he would not be personally concerned in it,_ saying, that -when he made a peace, it should be such a one as would be useful and -honorable to himself, and to the King of Great Britain. _But he has not as -yet proposed his terms._" [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Rogers' Account, p. 244. - - -This account bears manifest marks of correctness. It agrees with many -other illustrations of a magnanimity which might have made Pontiac a fit -comrade for the Knights of the middle ages. But confirmations of it may be -found elsewhere. It was the common belief of the times, that he had gone -among the Illinois, with a view of there holding himself in readiness for -whatever might happen to the benefit of the great cause for which he was -resolved to live and die; and probably, also, to use active measures as -fast and as far as might be advisable. The following passage occurs in an -authentic letter from Detroit, dated May 19, 1765. - -"Pondiac is now raising the St Joseph Indians, the Miamies, the -Mascontins, the Ouiattenons, the Pians and the Illinois, to come to this -place the beginning of next month, to make what effect they can against -us; for which purpose he has procured a large belt for each nation, and -one larger than the rest for a '_hatchet_' for the whole. They are to be -joined by some of the northern Indians, as is reported. This, they say, is -to be an undertaking of their own, as they are not to have any assistance -from the French. . . . When Pondiac left the Miamies, he told them to -remain quiet till he came back; it should then be 'all war, or all peace.' -. . . I make no doubt of their intention to perform what we have heard of, -though I don't think it will come to any head. I am likewise well -convinced, _if Pondiac be made to believe he would be well received at -this place, he would desist from any intention he may have;_ but it will -be impossible to convince him of that, while there are such a number of -traitorous villains about him. You can't imagine what most infamous lies -they tell," &c. - -It appears from this testimony, that Pontiac had at this period re-engaged -in his plan of combination. It would also appear, that he was instigated -by some of the French; for it is believed that only _individuals_ among -them were guilty of the practices alleged. Those at Detroit conducted -themselves amicably, even during the war; and some of them, we have seen, -volunteered to fight against the Indians. Still, where Pontiac now was, -there would be the best possible opportunity of exerting a sinister -influence over him, there being many Frenchmen among the Illinois, and -they not of the most exemplary character in all cases. On the whole, it -seems to us probable, that while the last mentioned combination was really -"an undertaking of his own," it might have been checked at any moment, and -perhaps never would have been commenced, had not Pontiac been renewedly -and repeatedly prejudiced against the English interest by the artifice of -some of the French, and perhaps some of the Indians. However his -principles in regard to that subject might remain unchanged, no abstract -inducement, we think, would have urged him to his present measures under -the circumstances to which he was now reduced. But, be that as it may, the -principles themselves need not be doubted; nor can we forbear admiring the -energy of the man in pursuing the exemplification and vindication of them -in practice. His exertions grew only the more daring, as his prospects -became more desperate. - -But his death at length ended at once his disappointments and hopes, -together with the fears of his enemies. This event is supposed to have -taken place in 1767. He was assassinated, at a council held among the -Illinois, by an Indian of the Peoria tribe. Carver says, that "either -commissioned by one of the English Governors, or instigated by the love he -bore the English nation, the savage attended him as a spy, and being -convinced from the speech Pontiac made in the council, that he still -retained his former prejudices against _those for whom he now professed -a friendship,_ he plunged his knife into his heart, as soon as he had done -speaking, and laid him dead on the spot." - -As to what is here said of professed friendship, the writer evidently -alludes to his own previous assertion, which we have shown to be -unfounded, and for which we are still unable to perceive the slightest -grounds. Still several of these suppositions, though only to be received -as such, are probably true. There is little doubt that Pontiac continued -firm in his original principles and purpose; that he expressed himself -without disguise; that he endeavored to influence, and did influence, a -large number of his countrymen; and that the Peoria savage, whether a -personal enemy or a "spy"--or what is most probable, _both_, (a spy -_because_ an enemy,)--did assassinate him with the expectation, to say the -least, of doing an acceptable service to some foreign party, and a -lucrative one for himself. We need not assert that he was "commissioned by -an English _Governor._" Pontiac was an indefatigable and powerful man, and -a dangerous foe to the English. He was in a situation to make enemies -among his countrymen, and the English were generally in a situation and -disposition to avail themselves of that circumstance. - -From the manner of life adopted by the chieftain subsequent to the treaty -at Detroit, it might be inferred, perhaps, that he became alienated from -the Northern tribes, including his own, who had been his best friends, or -that they became alienated from him. We are inclined to believe, on the -contrary, that their negotiations took place "by his consent," as has been -stated heretofore; and that he removed southward, as well with a view to -their good (as regarded the friendship of the English,) as at the same -time for the purpose of recommencing his own operations upon a new -theatre, and with fresh actors. He would thereby gain new influence, while -he would lose little or none of the old. - -This supposition is confirmed by the well-authenticated fact that the -Ottawas, the Chippewas, and the Pottawatamies--some writers add the Sacs -and Foxes--made common cause in the revenge of his death. Following that -principle with the customary Indian latitude of application, they made war -upon the Peoria tribe. The latter associated with themselves, in defence, -the Kaskaskias, the Cahokias, and the Illinois; but to no purpose. The two -latter tribes are believed to have been wholly exterminated, and of the -former only a few families remain. "The memory of the great Ottawa Chief," -says a distinguished historian of that section, "is _yet_ held in -reverence among his countrymen; and whatever is the fate which may await -them, his name and deeds will live in their traditionary narratives, -increasing in interest as they increase in years." - -The astonishing influence exerted by this remarkable man so long as he -lived, may be inferred from the period of peace which succeeded his death -and the punishment of his murderer, still more forcibly than from any -circumstances we have noticed. It has been seen, that more than twenty -tribes, who had engaged in his combination, appeared at the Niagara -Council. His movements are believed to have been felt as far east as among -the Micmacks of Nova-Scotia. As far south as Virginia, they were not only -perceptible, but formidable in the highest degree. The agitation produced -among the inhabitants of a part of our Western territory, within a few -months, by Black-Hawk and his associates, scarcely illustrates the similar -excitement which, in 1763, prevailed over a much larger portion of the -continent A few passages from periodical publications of that date will -give a better conception of the truth. - - "New York, June 13th, 1763. - -"We hear that on Monday last arrived an Express from Pittsburgh, advising -that a Party of Indians had murdered Col. Clapham and all his Family." -. . . - - "Fort Pitt, May 31st. - -"There is most melancholy News here. The Indians have broken out in divers -Places, and have murdered Col. C. and his Family. An Indian has brought a -War belt to Tusquerora, who says Detroit was invested, and St. Dusky cut -off. All Levy's goods are stopped at Tusquerora by the Indians; and last -Night eight or ten Men were killed at Beaver Creek. We hear of scalping -every Hour. Messrs. Cray and Allison's Horses, twenty-five, loaded with -Skins, are all taken." . . . - - Fort Pitt, June 16th. - -"We have destroyed the Upper and Lower Towns, and by Tomorrow Night shall -be in a good Posture of Defence. Every Morning, an Hour before Day, the -whole Garrison are at their Alarm-posts. Ten Days ago, _they_ killed one -Patrick Dunn, and a man of Major Smallman's; also two other men. Capt. -Callender's people are all killed, and the goods taken. There is no -account of Mr. Welch, &c. Mr. Crawford is made prisoner, and his people -all murdered. Our small posts, I am afraid, are gone." . . . - - "Fort Bedford, June 8th. - -"On Tuesday, one Smith was attacked, and by an Indian without arms, at -Beaver Creek, who endeavored to put him under water; but Smith proving too -strong for him, put the Indian under water, and brought off a piece of his -ear, and left him. . . . We have a numerous militia who are under arms -almost continually. Regular piquets, town-guards, fort-guards, centinels, -&c. are observed." . . . - - "Albany, June 16th. - -"You must have heard of the many murders committed on the English, by -different tribes of Indians, at different places, which makes many fear -the rupture is or will become _general among the southern tribes._ We have -accounts, &c. . . . Lieut. Cuyler, with a party of Green's rangers, -consisting of ninety-seven men, set out from Niagara, with provisions for -Detroit. On the evening of the 4th, they went on shore to encamp, within -fifty miles of Detroit. Cuyler sent his servant to gather greens, and the -lad being gone so long, a party was sent for him, who found him scalped; -He put his men in the best position for a sudden attack. The Indians fell -upon them, and killed and took all but the Lieutenant and thirty of his -men, who retreated back to Niagara, leaving near two hundred barrels of -provision with the enemy. . . . - - "Philadelphia, June 23d. - -"By an express just now from Fort Pitt, we learn that the Indians are -continually about that place; that out of one hundred and twenty traders -but two or three escaped," &c. . . . "It is now out of doubt it is a -general insurrection among all the Indians." . . . - - "Winchester, (Virginia,) June 22d. - -"Last night I reached this place. I have been at Fort Cumberland several -days, but fine Indians having killed nine people there, made me think it -prudent to remove from those parts, _from which I suppose near five hundred -families have run away within this week._ It was a most melancholy sight -to see such numbers of poor people, who had abandoned their settlement in -such consternation and hurry, that they had scarcely anything with them -but their children." . . . - - "Carlisle, July 3d. - -"Ligonier was attacked on the 23d, by the Savages, for a day and a night, -but they were beat off; this we had from an Indian. We killed one of the -Scoundrel's from the Fort, who had trusted himself a little too -near." . . . - - "Philadelphia, July 27th. - -"I returned home last night. . . . There has been a good deal said in the -papers, but not more than is strictly true. Shippersburgh and Carlisle are -now become our frontiers, none living at their plantations but such as -have their houses stockaded. Upwards of two hundred women and children are -now living in Fort Loudoun, a spot not more than one hundred feet square. -I saw a letter from Col. S. late of the Virginia Regiment, to Col. A. -wherein he mentions that Great-Brier and Jackson's River are -depopulated--upwards of three hundred persons killed or taken prisoners; -that for one hundred miles in breadth and three hundred in length, not one -family is to be found in their plantations; by which means there are near -twenty thousand people left destitute of their habitations. The seven -hundred men voted by the assembly, recruit but very slowly, &c. . . . - - "Goshen, N. Y. August 5th. - -"Last week the following accident happened in this place. Several men -having been out upon the hills hunting for deer, in their return they met -with a flock of partridges, at which four guns were discharged, three of -them pretty quick after each other. This, being an uncommon accident in -the Place, was mistaken by some of the inhabitants of the Wall-Kill for -firing of Indians. Immediately alarm-guns were fired and spread over the -whole Place, which produced an amazing panic and confusion among the -people, near five hundred families. Some for haste cut the harnesses of -their horses from their ploughs and carts, and rode off with what they -were most concerned to preserve. Others, who had no vessel to cross the -river, plunged through, carrying their wives and children on their backs. -Some, we have already heard, proceeded as far as New-England, spreading -the alarm as they went, and how far they may go is uncertain." . . . - - "Bethlehem, (Penn.) Oct 9th. - -"I cannot describe the deplorable condition this poor country is in. Most -of the inhabitants of Allen's town, and other places, are fled from their -habitations. I cannot ascertain the number killed, but think it exceeds -twenty. The people at Nazareth, and the other places belonging to the -[United] Brethren, have put themselves in the best posture of defence they -can; they keep a strong watch every night, and hope, by the blessing of -God, if they are attacked, to make a stand." - -Nothing can be added, to enforce the impression which these various -descriptions must make upon the mind of the reader. They shew that the -apprehension excited by the movements of Pontiac, though the Chieftain -himself was not yet thoroughly appreciated, exceeded every thing of the -kind which has occurred on the continent since the days of King Philip. - -It is mainly from his actions, of necessity, that the character of such a -man, in such a situation, must be judged. There are, however, some items -of personal information respecting him, and these all go to confirm the -opinion we have already expressed. His anxiety to learn the English -methods or manufacturing cloth, iron and some other articles, was such -that he offered Major Rogers a part of his territory, if he would take him -to England for that purpose. He also endeavored to inform himself of the -tactics and discipline of the English troops. Probably it was in -consequence of suggestions made by Rogers at some of the conversations he -had with that officer, (and at which the latter allows that "he discovered -great strength of judgment, and a thirst after knowledge,") that -afterwards, in the course of the war, he appointed an Indian Commissary, -and began to issue bills of credit. These, which are said to have been -punctually redeemed, are described as having the figure of whatever he -wanted in exchange for them, drawn upon them, with the addition of his own -stamp in the shape of an otter. The system was set in operation partly -for the benefit of the French. They had been subjected, occasionally, to -indiscriminate pillage, but Pontiac become satisfied that such a process -would soon put an end to itself, besides doing no honor to his cause. The -supplies which they subsequently furnished, were regularly levied through -the medium of his commissariat department. - -The authority Pontiac exercised over the combined tribes, seems to have -been little less than that of a complete Dictator. In the Detroit diary, -heretofore cited, we are informed that about the commencement of the -siege, a Mr. Rutherford "fell into the hands of the savages. One of the -garrison afterwards employed a Frenchman to redeem him from his Indian -master, and furnished eighty pounds worth of goods for that purpose. The -bargain was effected, but the gentleman had been liberated but one day and -one night, when Pontiac, whose notice nothing escaped, sent a band of -fifty Indians to take him away by force. '_No nation,_' he said, '_should -have liberty to sell their prisoners till the war was over._'" - -As the notice we have given of the fate of Campbell may leave an -unfavorable impression in regard to the Chieftain's good faith, it should -be observed, that the Indian maxims on the use of artifice in war are -universally different from those of most civilized nations. Nor can we -expect to know what circumstances might have occurred, subsequent to the -visit of Campbell to the Indian camp, which would justify his detention, -though contrary to the expectation of all parties. It appears, however, -from the Diary, that he was first induced to go out, not by Pontiac, (as -we have seen it stated,) but by some of the French, who "told him there -was no Risque in going out; they would answer Life for Life, that he -should return safe into the Fort." - -It is well settled that the _detention_--whether in pursuance of a scheme -of Pontiac, thereby to induce a capitulation, or for other reasons -unknown--was by no means intended to result as it unfortunately did. The -same writer who states that Pontiac solemnly pledged his word for the -Captain's safety, states that the assassin fled to Saginaw, apprehensive -of his vengeance; and that _he_ used every exertion to apprehend the -murderer, who would no doubt have paid for his temerity with his life. -[FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Governor Cass. - - -No act has ever been ascribed to Pontiac which would lead us to doubt this -conclusion. Nothing like sanguinary disposition, or a disposition to -tolerate cruelty in others, belonged to his character. We have observed -his treatment of Rogers, at a time when he had no doubt resolved upon war, -and when he already felt himself to have been ill-treated by the English. -That gentleman relates an anecdote of him which occurred during the war, -still more honorable to the chieftain. As a compliment, Rogers sent him a -bottle of brandy, by the hands of a Frenchman. His Councilors advised him -not to taste it; it must be poisoned, said they, and sent with a design to -kill him. But Pontiac laughed at their suspicions. "He cannot," he -replied, "_he cannot take my life, I have saved his!_" - -In 1765, an English officer, Lieutenant Frazer, with a company of -soldiers, went among the Illinois, where was a French station, at which -Pontiac then was,--probably with a view of observing the chieftain's -movements. _He_ considered it an aggression, and called upon the French -Commandant to deliver his visitors into his bands. The Officer attempted -to pacify him, in vain. "You," [the French,] said he, "were the first -cause of my striking the English. This is your tomahawk which I hold in my -hand." He then ordered his Indians, whom by this time he had mustered in -large numbers from the neighborhood, to seize upon the English at once. -The order was generally obeyed, but Frazer escaped. The Indians threatened -to massacre all the rest, unless he should be given up, upon which, he -gallantly came forward, and surrendered to Pontiac. - -The sequel is worthy of notice. "_With the interest of Pontiac,_" say the -papers of the day, "he [Frazer] got himself and his men back again." On -the arrival of another Indian chief; with a white woman for a wife, who -did all in their power to exasperate the savages, they seized upon the -English again, "But Pontiac ordered them to give the men back," and the -order was again obeyed. Frazer wished to stay longer, and Pontiac promised -to protect him. He however advised him, considering the disposition of the -Indians, to leave the country, and he accordingly went down the river in a -batteau, and at length made his way to New-Orleans. "He says, _Pontiac is -a clever fellow, and had it not been for him, he should never have got -away alive._" - -Of the oratory of the Ottawa Chieftain there remain but few and scanty -memorials. Like Philip, he has derived his distinction more from actions -than words, and that (as also in Philip's case,) without the aid of any -very signal renown as a mere warrior. The only speech of his we have met -with, was made on the occasion of a conference with the French at Detroit, -held upon the 23d of May, 1763, in the hope of inducing them to join him -in the reduction of the fort. The style of delivery cannot now be -ascertained; but the reasoning is close and ingenious. - -"My Brothers!" he said, "I have no doubt but this war is very troublesome -to you, and that my warriors, who are continually passing and re-passing -through your settlements, frequently kill your cattle, and injure your -property. I am sorry for it, and hope you do not think I am pleased with -this conduct of my young men. And as a proof of my friendship, recollect -the war you had seventeen years ago, [1746] and the part I took in it. The -Northern nations combined together, and came to destroy yon. Who defended -you? Was it not myself and my young men? The great Chief Mackinac, [the -Turtle] said in Council, that he would carry to his native village the -head of your chief warrior, and that he would eat his heart and drink his -blood. Did I not then join you, and go to his camp and say to him, if he -wished to kill the French, he must pass over my body, and the bodies of my -young men? Did I not take hold of the tomahawk with you, and aid you in -fighting your battles with Mackinac, and driving him home to his country? -Why do you think I would turn my arms against you? Am I not the same -French Pontiac, who assisted you seventeen years ago? I am a Frenchman, -and I wish to die a Frenchman." - -After throwing a war-belt into the midst of the council, he concluded in -the following strain: - -"My Brothers! I begin to grow tired of this _bad meat,_ which is upon our -lands. I begin to see that this is not your case, for instead of assisting -us in our war with the English, you are actually assisting them. I have -already told you, and I now tell you again, that when I undertook this -war, it was only your interest I sought, and that I knew what I was about. -I yet know what I am about. This year they must all perish. The Master of -Life so orders it. His will is known to us, and we must do as he says. And -you, my brothers, who know him better than we do, wish to oppose his will! -Until now, I have avoided urging you upon this subject, in the hope, that -if you could not aid, you would not injure us. I did not wish to ask you -to fight with us against the English, and I did not believe you would take -part with them. You will say you are not with them. I know it, but your -conduct amounts to the same thing. You will tell them all we do and say. -You carry our counsels and plans to them. Now take your choice. You must -be entirely French, like ourselves, or entirely English. If you are -French, take this belt for yourselves and your young men, and join us. If -you are English, we declare war against you." . . . - -The man who had the ability and the intrepidity to express himself in this -manner, hardly needed either the graces of rhetoric or the powers of the -warrior, to enforce that mighty influence which, among every people and -under all circumstances, is attached, as closely as shadow to substance, -to the energies of a mighty mind. Those energies he exerted, and that -influence he possessed, probably beyond all precedent in the history of -his race. Hence it is that his memory is still cherished among the tribes -of the north. History itself, instead of adding to his character in their -eyes, has only reduced him to his true proportions in our own. Tradition -still looks upon him as it looked upon the Hercules of the Greeks. - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - - - Account of the Delawares--Their ancient great men, including - Tamenend--History daring the Revolutionary War--Two Parties among - them--White-Eyes, leader of one, and Captain Pipe, of the - other--Manoeuvres, speeches, plots and counter-plots of these men, their - parties, and foreigners connected with both--Anecdotes--Death of - White-Eyes in 1780--Tribute of respect paid to his memory. - - -The most formidable antagonist the Five Nations ever had to contend with, -were the Delawares, as the English have named them (from Lord de la War) -but generally styled by their Indian neighbors, Wapanachi, and by -themselves Lenni Lenape, or the Original People. The tradition is, that -they and the Five Nations both emigrated from beyond the Mississippi, and, -by uniting their forces, drove off or destroyed the primitive residents of -the country on this side. Afterwards, the Delawares divided themselves -into three tribes, called the Turtle, the Turkey, and the Wolf or Monsey. -Their settlements extended from the Hudson to the Potomac; and their -descendants finally became so numerous, that nearly forty tribes honored -them with the title of _Grand-father,_ which some of them continue to -apply at the present day. - -The Delawares were the principal inhabitants of Pennsylvania, when William -Penn commenced his labors in that region; and the memory of Miquon, their -Elder Brother, as they called him, is still cherished in the legends of -all that remains of the nation. That remnant exists chiefly on the western -banks of the Mississippi, to which ancient starting-place they have been -gradually approximating, stage by stage, ever since the arrival of the -Europeans on the coast. Their principal intermediate settlements have been -in Ohio, on the banks of the Muskingum, and other small rivers, whither a -great number of the tribe removed about the year 1760. - -The Delawares have never been without their great men, though -unfortunately many of them have lived at such periods and such places, as -to make it impossible for history to do them justice. It is only within -about a century last past, during which they have been rapidly declining -in power and diminishing in numbers, that a series of extraordinary -events, impelling them into close contact with the whites, as well as with -other Indians, has had the effect of bringing forward their extraordinary -men. - -Among the ancient Delaware worthies, whose career is too imperfectly known -to us to be the subject of distinct sketches, we shall mention only the -name of the illustrious Tamenend. This individual stands foremost in the -list of all the great men of his nation in any age. He was a mighty -warrior, an accomplished statesman, and a pure and high-minded patriot. In -private life he was still more distinguished for his virtues, than in -public for his talents. His countrymen could only account for the -perfections they ascribed to him, by supposing him to be favored with the -special communications of the Great Spirit. Ages have elapsed since his -death, but his memory was so fresh among the Delawares of the last -century, that when Colonel Morgan, of New-Jersey, was sent as an agent -among them by Congress, during the Revolution, they conferred on him the -title of Tamenend, as the greatest mark of respect they could show for the -manners and character of that gentleman; and he was known by his Indian -appellation ever afterwards. - -About this time, the old chieftain had so many admirers among the whites -also, that they made him a saint, inserted his name in calendars, and -celebrated his festival on the first day of May, yearly. On that day a -numerous society of his votaries walked in procession through the streets -of Philadelphia, their hats decorated with bucks'-tails, and proceeded to -a sylvan rendezvous out of town, which they called the _Wigwam,_ where, -after a long talk or speech had been delivered, and the _Calumet_ of -friendship passed around, the remainder of the day was spent in high -festivity. A dinner was prepared, and Indian dances performed on the -green. The custom ceased a few years after the conclusion of peace, and -though other "Tammany" associations have since existed, they retain little -of the model they were formed upon but the name. - -The commencement of the Revolutionary war was among the Delawares, as -among their more civilized neighbors, a period of great excitement. Strong -efforts were made by the British authorities on the northern frontier, and -yet stronger ones by individual refugees and vagabonds in the British -interest, to prejudice them against the American people, and to induce -them to make common cause with their "Father" over the "Big Water," in -correcting the sins of his disobedient children. Congress, on the other -hand, contented itself with keeping them, as far and as long as possible, -in a state of neutrality. In consequence of these opposite influences, and -of old prepossessions entertained by various parties and persons in the -nation, a violent struggle ensued,--for war on one side, and for peace on -the other--in the course of which were developed some of the most -remarkable individual traits and diplomatic manoeuvres which we have yet -had occasion to notice. - -The leader of the peace-party was Koguethagechton, called by the Americans -Captain White-Eyes. He was the Head-Chief of the Turtle tribe in Ohio; -while Captain Pipe, of the Wolf tribe, living and having his council-fire -at the distance of fifteen miles northward from the former, devoted his -talents to promoting the plan of a belligerent union with the British. -Accidental circumstances,--such as old wrongs, or at least imagined ones, -from the Americans, on one side, and old favors on the other,--no doubt -had their effect in producing this diversity of feeling; but the ambition -and jealousy of Pipe,--whose spirit, otherwise noble, was of that haughty -order, that he would not "have served in heaven" when he might "reign" -elsewhere in the universe--are believed to have gone farther than any -other cause, both to create and keep up dissensions among the Delawares, -and disturbances between them and the whites. Pipe, as even the good -Heckewelder allows, was certainly a great man, but White-Eyes was still -both his superior and his senior, besides having the advantage of a clean -cause and a clear conscience. - -Pipe, like other politicians, uniformly professed his readiness, from time -to time, to join in any measures proper to "save the nation;" but the -difficulty as uniformly occurred, that these were precisely the same -measures which White-Eyes thought would destroy it. The former, like most -of the Wolf tribe, whose temperament he had studied, was warlike, -energetic, and restless. He brooded over old resentments,--he panted for -revenge,--he longed for the coming of an era which should turn "rogues" -out of office, and bring "honest men" in. With these feelings, his -ingenuity could not be long without adequate arguments and artifices to -operate on the minds of his countrymen. Their most remarkable effect, -however, it soon became manifest, was to attach them to himself rather -than to any particular principles. They were as ready to fight as men need -be; but Pipe was expected to monopolize the thinking and talking. - -For the better understanding of the principles of the Peace-party, we -shall here introduce the exposition made by White-Eyes and others, of the -character of the contest between the English and the Americans. Its effect -was to convince the Indians, that they had no concern with either, while -their welfare clearly suggested the policy, as well as propriety, of -maintaining amicable terms with both. - -"Suppose a father," it was said, "had a little son whom he loved and -indulged while young, but growing up to be a youth, began to think of -having some help from him; and making up a small pack, bade him carry it -for him. The boy cheerfully takes this pack, following his father with it. -The rather, finding the boy willing and obedient, continues in this way; -and as the boy grows stronger, so the father makes the pack in proportion -larger--yet as long as the boy is able to carry the pack, he does so -without grumbling. At length, however, the boy having arrived at manhood, -while the father is making up the pack for him, in comes a person of an -evil disposition, and learning who was the carrier of the pack, advises -the father to make it heavier, for surely the son is able to carry a large -pack. The father, listening rather to the bad adviser, than consulting his -own judgment and the feelings of tenderness, follows the advice of the -hardhearted adviser, and makes up a heavy load for his son to carry. The -son, now grown up, examining the weight of the load he is to carry, -addresses the parent in these words: 'Dear father, this pack is too heavy -for me to carry, do pray lighten it; I am willing to do what I can, but am -unable to carry this load.' The father's heart having by this time become -hardened--and the bad adviser calling to him, 'whip him if he disobeys and -refuses to carry the pack,' now in a peremptory tone orders his son to -take up the pack and carry it off, or he will whip him, and already takes -up a stick to beat him. 'So!' says the son, 'am I to be served thus, for -not doing what I am unable to do! Well if entreaties avail nothing with -you, father--and it is to be decided by blows, whether or not I am able to -carry a pack so heavy---then I have no other choice left me, but that of -resisting your unreasonable demand, by my strength; and so, by striking -each other, we may see who is the strongest.'" - -But this doctrine, however sound, did not prove wholly effectual against -the exertions of Pipe, who was continually either making movements, or -taking advantage of such as occurred, to disparage the influence of his -rival, and, of course, to extend and establish his own. He contradicted -whatever was said, and counteracted whatever was done by White-Eyes; until -the whole system of intercourse of the Delawares with each other and with -other nations, became a labrynth of inconsistencies and counter-plots. - -About the commencement of the war, White-Eyes; with some of his tribe, -visited the Americans at Pittsburg, where they met in conference with a -number of the Seneca tribe, a people particularly attached to the British -interest at that time. The object of their visit probably was to ascertain -and perhaps influence the politics of the Delawares; and they relied much -on the power of the great confederacy to which they belonged. Not only, -however, did they fail to overawe White-Eyes, politically or personally; -but they could not prevent him from publicly advocating the principles he -avowed. So angry were they at a speech he addressed to the meeting at -Pittsburg, that they undertook to check him by hinting, in an insolent and -sullen manner, that it ill became him to express himself thus -independently, whose tribe were but women, and had been made such by the -Five Nations--alluding to an old reproach which had often before this been -used to humiliate the Delawares. - -Frequently it had that effect. But White-Eyes was not of a temper to brook -an insult, under any circumstances. With an air of the most haughty -disdain, he sat patiently until the Senecas had done, and then rose and -replied: - -"I know," said he gravely, "I know well, that you consider us a conquered -nation--as women--as your inferiors. You have, say you, shortened our -legs, and put petticoats on us! You say you have given us a hoe and a -corn-pounder, and told us to plant and pound for you--you men--you -_warriors!_ But look at me. Am I not full-grown, and have I not a -warrior's dress? Aye, I am a man, and these are the arms of a man, -[showing his musket]--and all that country, [waving hand proudly in the -direction of the Allegheny river] all that country, on the other side of -that water, is _mine,_" [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Speaking, according to common custom, in the name of the nation. - - -A more courageous address was perhaps never made to any Council of -Indians. Indeed, it went so beyond the spirit of his tribe, apprehensive -as they were of the indignation of the powerful people he had thus -bearded, that, although many were gratified, many others were -frightened,--or, perhaps, at Pipe's instigation, pretended to be -frightened,--out of the ranks of the Peace-party into those of the War. -The Monseys took the lead in that movement, and they even humiliated -themselves so much as to send word to the Five Nations that they -disapproved of what White-Eyes had said. Pipe, about the same time, left -off attending the councils of the Turtle tribe, which he had hitherto done -regularly,--probably from a conviction that his intrigues were becoming -daily more manifest,--and he also endeavored to circulate an impression -that White-Eyes had made secret engagements with the Americans, with the -view of aggrandizing himself at the expense of his countrymen. - -The latter, meanwhile, was laboring, night and day, to preserve peace -among the tribes, by sending embassies, and by other energetic measures. -In some places, he succeeded, but in others the manoeuvres of his adversary -prevailed. A message sent to the Sandusky Wyandots, in 1776, was -insolently answered by a hint to the Delawares, "to keep good shoes in -readiness for joining the warriors." White-Eyes himself headed a -deputation to a settlement of the same people near Detroit. They however -refused to receive his peace-belts, except in presence of the British -Governor at that station; and he, when they were tendered in his presence, -seized them violently, cut them in pieces, threw them at the feet of the -Deputies, and then told White-Eyes, that "if he set any value on his head, -he must be gone within half an hour." - -Such indefatigable efforts were made by the war-party, and by those -foreigners who co-operated with them, especially in circulating reports -unfavorable to the American character and cause, that White-Eyes was very -near being sacrificed to the hot-headed rashness of his own followers. In -March, 1778, a number of tones of infamous character, having escaped from -Pittsburg, told the Indians, wherever they went, that the Americans were -coming upon them from all quarters; and that now was the time, and the -only time, for saving themselves, by commencing active hostilities. The -Delawares were filled with consternation, and, for a day or two, -White-Eyes was unable to stem the torrent of popular feeling. But he -recovered his influence as they recovered their composure; and well -knowing that his conduct in this affair would be closely watched by his -rival, he called a general council of the nation, in which he proposed to -delay committing hostilities against the American people for ten days, -during which time they might obtain more certain information as to the -truth of the assertions of these men. Pipe, considering this a proper time -for placing White-Eyes in the back-ground, construed his wise and prudent -advice as though _he_ was in the secret, and now proposed to his own -council, "to declare every man an enemy to the nation, that should throw -an obstacle in the way, that might tend to prevent the taking up arms -instantly against the American people." - -White-Eyes perceived that the blow was aimed at himself; but he parried it -by immediately assembling and addressing his party by themselves; "If you -_will_ go out in this war," said he, observing the preparations of some of -them, "you shall not go without me. I have taken peace measures, it is -true, with the view of saving my tribe from destruction. But if you think -me in the wrong, if you give more credit to runaway vagabonds than to your -own friends, to a man, to a warrior, to a Delaware,--if you insist upon -fighting the Americans,--go! and I will go with you. And I will not go -_like the bear-hunter, who sets his dogs upon the animal to be beaten -about with his paws, while he keeps himself at a safe distance._ No! I -will lead you on. I will place myself in the front I will fall with the -first of you! You can do as you choose, but as for me I will not survive -my nation. I will not live to bewail the miserable destruction of a brave -people, who deserved, as you do, a better fate." - -This spirited harangue had the desired effect. The assembly declared, with -all the enthusiasm which a grave Indian council are ever willing to -manifest, that they would at least wait the ten days, as he wished. Some -added that they would never fight the Americans, but with him for a -leader. - -But Pipe and his party redoubled their efforts, and before the appointed -term had expired, many of the Delawares had shaved their heads in -readiness for the war-plume; and White-Eyes, though his request for delay -was still attended to, was threatened with a violent death if he should -say one word for the American interest. On the ninth day, vigorous -preparations were made for sending out war-parties, and no news had yet -arrived to abate the excitement. - -At this critical juncture it happened that the German missionary, Mr. -Heckewelder, with some attendants, had arrived among the Christian -Delawares in the neighborhood of Goschocking, the settlement of -White-Eyes, from Pittsburg. He became an eye and ear witness of the sequel -of the affair, and we shall therefore avail ourselves of his narrative. - -"Finding the matter so very pressing, and even not admitting of a day's -delay, I consented, that after a few hours' rest and sleep, and furnished -with a trusty companion and a fresh horse, I would proceed on, when -between three and four o'clock in the morning, the national assistant, -John Martin, having called on me for the purpose, we set out, swimming our -horses across the Muskingum river, and taking a circuit through the woods -in order to avoid the encampment of the war-party, which was close to our -path. Arriving by ten o'clock in the forenoon within sight of the town, a -few yells were given by a person who had discovered us, intended to notify -the inhabitants that a white man was coming, and which immediately drew -the whole body of Indians into the streets; but although I saluted them in -passing them, not a single person returned the compliment, which, as my -conductor observed, was no good omen. Even Captain White-Eyes, and the -other chiefs who always had befriended me, now stepped back when I reached -out my hand to them, which strange conduct however did not dismay me, as I -observed among the crowd some men well known to me as spies of Captain -Pipe's, watching the actions of these peace-chiefs, wherefore I was -satisfied that the act of refusing me the hand, had been done from policy, -and not from any ill will towards my person. Indeed, in looking around, I -thought I could read joy in the countenances of many of them, in seeing me -among them at so critical a juncture, when they, but a few days before, -had been told by those deserters, that nothing short of their total -destruction had been resolved upon by the 'long knives' (the Virginians, -or _new_ American people.) Yet as no one would reach out his hand to me, I -inquired into the cause, when Captain White-Eyes boldly stepping forward, -replied; 'that by what had been told them by those men, (McKee and party,) -they no longer had a single friend among the American people; if therefore -this be so, they must consider every white man who came to them from that -side, as an enemy, who only came to them to deceive them, and put them off -their guard, for the purpose of giving the enemy an opportunity of taking -men by surprise.' I replied, that the imputation was unfounded, and that, -were I not their friend, they never would have seen me here. 'Then, -(continued Captain White-Eyes,) you will tell us the truth with regard to -what I state to you!'--Assuring him of this, he, in a strong tone, asked -me: 'Are the American armies all cut to pieces by the English troops? Is -General Washington killed? Is there no more a Congress, and have the -English hung some of them, and taken the remainder to England, to hang -them there? Is the whole country beyond the mountains in the possession of -the English; and are the few thousand Americans who have escaped them, now -embodying themselves on this side of the mountains, for the purpose of -killing all the Indians in this country, even our women and children? Now -do not deceive us, but speak the truth' (added he;) 'is this all true, -what I have said to you?' I declared before the whole assembly, that not -one word of what he had just now told me was true, and holding out to him, -as I had done before, the friendly speeches sent by me for them, which he -however as yet refused to accept, I thought by the countenances of most of -the by-standers, that I could perceive that the moment bid fair for their -listening at least to the contents of those speeches, and accidentally -catching the eye of the drummer, I called to him to beat the drum for the -Assembly to meet for the purpose of hearing what their American Brethren -had to say to them! A general smile having taken place, White-Eyes thought -the favorable moment arrived to put the question, and having addressed the -assembly in these words: 'Shall we, my friends and relatives, listen once -more to those who call us their brethren?' Which question, being loudly -and as with one voice answered in the affirmative, the drum was beat, and -the whole body quickly repairing to the spacious council-house, the -speeches, all of which were of the most pacific nature, were read and -interpreted to them, when Captain White-Eyes rose, and in an elaborate -address to the Assembly, took particular notice of the good disposition of -the American people towards the Indians, observing, that they had never as -yet, called on them to fight the English, knowing that wars were -destructive to nations, and they had from the beginning of the war to the -present time, always advised them (the Indians) to remain quiet, and not -take up the hatchet against either side. A newspaper, containing the -capitulation of General Burgoyne's army, being found enclosed in the -packet, Captain White-Eyes once more rose up, and holding this paper -unfolded, with both his hands, so that all could have a view of it, said, -'See, my friends and relatives, this document containeth great events, not -the song of a bird, but the truth!'--then, stepping up to me, he gave me -his hand, saying, 'you are welcome with us, brother;' when every one -present followed his example." - -Thus White-Eyes again triumphed over his rival; and the chagrin of the -latter was the more keen, because, relying on the improved prospects of -his party, he had recently committed himself more openly than ever before. -But the spies whom he kept constantly at Goschocking, now brought him the -doleful news that the predictions of White-Eyes were all verified. That -Chieftain himself completed his success by sending runners, immediately -after the Council broke up, to the Shawanese towns on the Scioto, where -the Tories had already gone for the purpose of trying their game upon that -tribe. "Grand-children!" was the laconic message, "ye Shawanese! Some days -ago a flock of birds from the East lit at Goschocking, singing a song here -which had well nigh proved our ruin. Should these birds, which, on leaving -us, took their flight towards Scioto, endeavor to impose their song on -you, do not listen to them, _for they lie!_" - -But White-Eyes was not destined to enjoy the result of his labors. In the -winter of 1779-80, he visited Pittsburg, for the purpose of consulting -with the Indian Agent on the means suitable for preserving peace. He -accompanied General McIntosh and his army to Tuscarowas, (where a fort was -to be built for the protection of the neutral Indians,) took the small-pox -at that place, and soon died. - -The event produced a sensation almost unprecedented in the Delaware tribe, -and throughout a wide region in their vicinity. The intelligence was sent -to various confederate or relative tribes, at the distance of hundreds of -miles, and counter deputations of condolence soon came in from all -quarters. We shall close this chapter with Mr. Heckewelder's account of -the embassy of the Cherokees, which strikingly indicates the reputation -acquired by White-Eyes during his life, as well as the great respect -subsequently paid to his memory. - -The deputation, consisting of fourteen men, of whom two were principal -chiefs, were accompanied from their country to Goschocking, by a nephew of -the late Captain White-Eyes, who, soon after the commencement of the -American revolution, had been despatched thither by the Delaware Chiefs, -for the purpose of using his endeavors in keeping that nation at peace. -When this deputation had arrived within three miles of Goschocking, and -within one of Lichtenau, they made a halt for the purpose of having the -customary ceremony performed on them. This was done by one of the -councilors from the village, who, by an address and with a string of -wampum, drew the thorns and briars out of their legs and feet; healed the -sores and bruises they had received by hitting against logs; wiped the -dust and sweat off their bodies; and cleansed their eyes and ears, so that -they might both see and hear well; and finally anointed all their joints, -that their limbs might again become supple. [FN] They were then served -with victuals brought from Lichtenau, and they continued there the -remainder of that day. - - * * * * * - - [FN] All which ceremonies are performed figuratively. - - -On the next morning, two of the councilors from Goschocking, deputed for -the purpose, informed the missionary and national assistants at Lichtenau, -that, by order of their Chiefs, they were to conduct the Cherokee -deputation into their village, from whence they were expected to join in -the procession to Goschocking, and there attend the condoling ceremonies; -all which being agreed to, these soon brought them on, one leading them in -front, and the other bringing up the rear. - -Arriving within about two hundred yards of the town, and in sight of it, -(all marching Indian file), they fired off their pieces, which compliment -was instantly returned by the young men or the town, drawn up for the -purpose; then raising a melancholy song, they continued singing, until -they had reached the long house, purposely built for their reception; yet -not without first having lodged their arms against some trees they had -passed, at a small distance from the town. Being seated on benches -prepared for the purpose--(the deputies on the opposite side,)--a dead -silence prevailed for about half an hour, and all present cast their eyes -on the ground. At length one of these Chiefs, named the Crow, rose, and -with an air of sorrow, and in a low voice, with his eyes cast up to -heaven, spoke to the following effect: - -"One morning, after having arisen from my sleep, and according to my -custom, I stepped out at the door to see what weather we had. I observed -at one place in the horizon a dark cloud projecting above the trees; and -looking steadfastly for its movement or disappearance, found myself -mistaken, since it neither disappeared nor moved from the spot, as other -clouds do. Seeing the same cloud successively every morning, and that -always in the same place, I began to think what could be the cause of this -singular phenomenon; at length it struck me, that as the cloud was lying -in the direction that my grandfather dwelt, something might be the matter -with him, which caused him grief. Anxious to satisfy myself, I resolved to -goto my grandfather, and see if any thing was the matter with him. I -accordingly went, steering a course in the direction I had observed the -cloud to be. I arrived at my grandfather's, whom I found quite -disconsolate, hanging his head and the tears running down his cheeks! -Casting my eyes around in the hopes of discovering the cause of his grief, -I observed yonder a dwelling closed up, and from which no smoke [FN-1] -appeared to ascend! Looking in another direction, I discovered an elevated -spot of fresh earth, [FN-2] on which nothing was seen growing; and here I -found the cause of my grandfather's grief. No wonder he is so grieved! No -wonder he is weeping and sobbing, with his eyes cast towards the -ground!--Even I cannot help weeping with my grandfather, seeing in what a -situation he is! I cannot proceed for grief!" - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Meaning no person occupying the house. - - [FN-2] The grave. - - -Here, after having seated himself for about twenty minutes, as though -deeply afflicted, he again arose, and receiving from the principal chief, -who was seated by his side, a large string of wampum, said: "Grandfather! -Lift up your head and hear what your grand-children have to say to you! -These having discovered the cause of your grief, it shall be done away! -See, grandfather! I level the ground on yonder spot of yellow earth, -[FN-1] and put leaves and brush thereon to make it invisible! I also sow -seeds on that spot, so that both grass and trees may grow thereon!" (Here -handing the string to the Delaware Chiefs in succession, and taking up -another, he continued:) "Grandfather!--The seed which I had sown has -already taken root; nay, the grass has already covered the ground, and the -trees are growing!" (Handing this string, likewise to the Delaware Chief, -and taking up a third string of wampum, he added:) "Now, my grandfather, -the cause of your grief being removed, let me dry up your tears! I wipe -them from your eyes! I place your body, which, by the weight of grief and -a heavy heart, is leaning to one side, in its proper posture! Your eyes -shall be henceforth clear, and your ears open as formerly! The work is now -finished!" Handing this string likewise to the Delaware Chief, he now -stepped forward to where the Chief and his Councilors were seated, and -having first shaken hands with these, he next did the same with all -present, the whole embassy following his example. This being done, and all -again seated as before, the Delaware Chief, Gelelemend, [FN-2] replied: - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] The grave. - - [FN-2] Commonly called Kill-Buck. - - -"Grand-children!--You did not come here in vain! You have performed a good -work, in which the Great Spirit assisted you! Your Grandfather makes you -welcome with him." - -The meeting, having continued nearly three hours, then broke up. On the -day following, the Chiefs of both nations entered on business relating to -their national concerns, and finally made a mutual covenant for the -continued maintenance of the party and principles of White-Eyes. - -It is honorable to the American Congress that after the decease of their -best friend among the Indians, they took measures for the maintenance and -education of his son. On the journals of that body, under date of June -20th, 1785, is the following passage: - -"_Resolved,_ That Mr. Morgan [Tamenend, probably,] be empowered and -requested to continue the care and direction of George White-Eyes for one -year, and that the Board of Treasury take order for the payment of the -expenses necessary to carry into execution the views of Congress in this -respect." - -The journal of December, 1775, records an interview of Congress with the -father. - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - - - Observations on the character of White-Eyes--Pipe's comment on his - death--The latter gains and sustains an ascendancy in the Delaware - nation--Glickkican, Netawatwees and Wingemund--Subsequent career of - Pipe--Joins the British and fights against the Americans--Grand Indian - council at Detroit--Pipe's spirited speech on that occasion--Makes - charges against the Missionaries, but fails to prove them--Remarks on - his habits, principles and talents. - - -The feet that Captain Pipe and his associates began to gain the ascendancy -in the Delaware nation immediately on the death of his great antagonist, -and that they afterwards supported it with almost uninterrupted success, -is alone sufficient to indicate the influence and character of White-Eyes. -Indeed, Pipe himself paid to his memory the compliment of declaring, with -a solemn air, that "_the Great Spirit had probably put him out of the way, -that the nation might be saved._" That sagacious personage was well aware -that neither Kill-Buck, nor Big-Cat, nor Glickkican, [FN] nor even all -together, would adequately occupy the station of the deceased Chieftain. - - * * * * * - - [FN] "_The sight of a gun-barrel,_" and afterwards baptised by the - Moravians, and named Isaac. He was Chief Councilor and Speaker of the old - Sachem, Pakanke, who ruled over the Delawares at Kaskaskunk (in Ohio,) - and was a man of uncommon military and oratorical talent. After his own - christianization, he was a highly efficient advocate and patron of the - Christian party. Having thereby, as well as by his spirit and influence, - become obnoxious to _their_ enemies during the Revolution, several - attempts were made to overawe, bribe and destroy him; but they all - failed. At length a considerable party was fitted out, in 1781, for the - express purpose of taking him prisoner. They found him at Salem, but - doubting whether the old warrior's pacific principles would assure their - safety, they dared not enter his hut. He saw some of them before long - from a window, and instantly stepped out, and called to them. "Friends!" - said he, "by your manoeuvres I conclude you are come for me. If so, why - do you hesitate;--Obey your orders; I am ready to submit. You seem to - fear old Glickkican. Ah! there was a time when I would have scorned to - submit to such cowardly slaves. But I am no more Glickkican, I am Isaac, - a believer in the true God, and for his sake I will suffer anything, even - death." Seeing them still hesitate, he stepped up to them with his hands - placed upon his back. "There!" he continued, "you would tie me if you - dared--tie me, then, and take me with you--I am ready." They now mustered - courage to do as he directed. Soon after, Glickkican was murdered, with a - large number of his Christian countrymen, by a banditti of American - ruffians who suspected, or pretended to suspect them, of hostile designs. - Probably the result was brought about by the machinations of his Indian - enemies. - -White-Eyes was distinguished as much for his milder virtues as for his -courage and energy; and as to his friendly disposition towards the -Americans, particularly, on which some imputations were industriously -thrown by his enemies, we could desire no better evidence of its sincerity -than are still extant In that curious document, the Journal of Frederic -Post, [FN] who, as early as 1758, was sent among the Ohio Delawares by the -Governor of one of the States, for the purpose of inducing them to -renounce the French alliance, is recorded, the "speech" which Post carried -back, and the closing paragraphs of which were as follows:-- - - * * * * * - - [FN] In Prond's History of Pennsylvania. - - -"Brethren, when you have settled this peace and friendship, and finished -it well, and you send the great peace-belt to me, I will send it to all -the nations of my colour; they will all join to it, and we all will hold -it fast. - -"Brethren, when all the nations join to this friendship, then the day will -begin to shine clear over us. When we hear once more of you, and we join -together, then the day will be still, and no wind, or storm, will come -over us, to disturb us. - -"Now, Brethren, you know our hearts, and what we have to say; be strong, -if you do what we have now told you, and in this peace all the nations -agree to join. Now, Brethren, let the king of England know what our mind -is as soon as possibly you can." - -Among the subscribers to this speech appears the name of White-Eyes, under -the form of the Indian term Cochguacawkeghton; nor have we met with any -proof that he ever from that time wavered for a moment in his attachment -to the American interest, as opposed first to the French, and afterwards -to the English. Post himself, in 1762, was permitted to build a house on -the banks of the Muskingum, where he had a lot of land given him, about a -mile distant from the village of White-Eyes; and so, when Heckewelder -first visited that country, during the same season, he informs us that, -"the War-Chief Koguethagechtan," kindly entertained and supplied him and -his party. - -About the beginning of the Revolutionary war, when some of the Indians -were much exasperated by murders and trespasses which certain civilized -ruffians committed on the frontiers, an Ohio trader was met and massacred -in the woods by a party of Senecas, who, having in their rage cut up the -body and garnished the bushes with the remains, raised the scalp-yell and -marched off in triumph. White-Eyes being in the vicinity and hearing the -yell, instantly commenced a search for the body, the remnants of which he -collected and buried. The party returned on the following day, and -observing what had been done, privately opened the grave, and scattered -the contents more widely than before. But White-Eyes was this time on the -watch for them. He repaired to the spot again the moment they left it, -succeeded in finding every part of the mangled body, and then carefully -interred it in a grave dug with his own hands, where it was at length -suffered to repose unmolested. - -It was about the same time when this affair happened, that the Chieftain -saved the life of one Duncan, an American peace-messenger, whom he had -undertaken to escort through a section of the wilderness. A hostile -Shawanee was upon the point of discharging his musket at Duncan from -behind a tree, when White-Eyes rushed forward, regardless of his own -peril. And compelled the savage to desist. In 1777, Heckewelder had -occasion to avail himself of a similar kindness. Rather rashly, as he -acknowledges, he that year undertook to traverse the forests from the -Muskingum to Pittsburg, wishing to visit his English friends in that -quarter. White-Eves resided at a distance of seventeen miles, but hearing -of his intended journey, he immediately came to see him, accompanied by -another Chief named Wingemund, [FN] and by several of his young men. - - * * * * * - - [FN] A noted religious impostor. - - -These, he said, his good friend, the Missionary, should have as an escort. -And moreover he must needs go himself: "He could not suffer me to go," -says that gentlemen, "while the Sandusky warriors were out on -war-excursions, without a proper escort and _himself_ at my side." And it -should be observed, that besides the Sandusky savages, there were several -other tribes who had already engaged on the British side, and were -spreading death and desolation along the whole of the American frontier. -The party set out together, and reached their destination in safety. An -alarm occurred only on one occasion, when the scouts discovered a -suspicious track, and report was made accordingly. White-Eyes, who was -riding before his friend, while Wingemund brought up the rear, turned -about and asked if he felt afraid? "No!" said the Missionary, "not while -you are with me." "You are right," quickly rejoined White-Eyes. "You are -right; no man shall harm you, till I am laid prostrate." "Nor even then," -added Wingemund, "for they must conquer me also--they must lay us side by -side." Mr. Heckewelder certainly did them but justice in believing that -both would have redeemed their promises. - -The other Moravians, and the Indian Congregation under their charge in -Ohio, were still more indebted to the good Chieftain. Loskiel states [FN] -that in 1774, the Christian party had become obnoxious to a majority of -the Pagan Delaware chiefs, and it was several times proposed to expel them -by force. But God brought their counsel to nought, he adds, "and appointed -for this purpose _the first Captain among the Delawares, called -White-Eyes,_" who kept the chiefs and council in awe, and would not suffer -them to injure the Missionaries. Finding his efforts still unavailing, -he at length went so far as to separate himself wholly from his opponents, -resolved to renounce power, country and kindred for the sake of these just -and benevolent men whom he could not bear to see persecuted. - - * * * * * - - [FN] History of the Missions of the United Brethren, &c. London, 1794. - - -His firmness met with a deserved success. Even the old Chief Netawatwees, -who had opposed him most fiercely, acknowledged the injustice which had -been done him; and not only changed his views in regard to the Christians, -but published his recantation in presence of the whole council. White-Eyes -then again came forward, and repeated a proposal for a national regulation -to be made--whereby the Christians should be specially put under the -Delaware protection--which had formerly been rejected. It was promptly -agreed to, and the act was passed. The old Chieftain expressed great joy -on that occasion;--"I am an old man," said he, "and know not how long I -may live. I therefore rejoice, that I have been able to make this act. Our -children and grand-children will reap the benefit of it,--and now I am -ready to die whenever God pleases." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] He died at Pittsburg in 1776, much lamented by the Delawares and - many neighboring nations. "This wise man," says Loskiel, "spared no pains - to conciliate the affection of all his neighbors. He sent frequent - embassies to his _Grand-Children,_ admonishing them to keep peace, and - proved in truth a wise Grandfather to them," Being the Senior Chief of - the nation, his opinion was of great weight, and he declared himself - warmly in favor of the Christians, and first invited them to settle on - the Muskingum. His grandson, nephew, and son and family, also joined - them. - - -Loskiel states, that White-Eyes was in his own heart convinced of the -truth of the gospel; that this was evident in all his speeches in behalf -of the Christians, during which he was frequently so moved that tears -prevented his words; and that he likewise declared with confidence, that -no prosperity would attend the Indian affairs, unless they received and -believed the saving gospel sent them from God, by means of the Brethren. -Not long before his death he took public occasion to repeat the last will -and testament of Netawatwees,--"That the Delawares should hear the word of -God." He held the bible and some spelling-books in his hand, and addressed -the Council in a strain of the most animated and moving eloquence. "My -friends!" he concluded, "You have now heard the dying wish of our departed -Chief. I will therefore gather together my young men, and their -children--I will kneel down before that Great Spirit who created them and -me--I will pray unto him, that he may have mercy upon us, and reveal his -will unto us,--And as we cannot declare it to those who are yet unborn, we -will pray unto the Lord our God, to make it known to our children and our -children's children." - -Still, White-Eyes regarded Christianity more as a civil than a religious -system. He was a man of enlarged political views, and no less a patriot -than a statesman. The ends he aimed at were far more his country's than -his own. He observed the superiority of the white men to the red; and -nearer home, the prosperity and happiness of the Christian Delawares; and -he convinced himself thoroughly of the true causes of both. He therefore -earnestly desired, that his whole nation might be civilized, to which -result he considered Christianity, as he had seen it taught by the good -Moravians, the best possible promotive, as undoubtedly it was. - -But in this noble solicitude for his countrymen, he forgot _himself._ -Hence even Loskiel, on mentioning his decease, states, with an almost -reluctant honesty, that "Captain White-Eyes, who had so often advised -other Indians, with great earnestness, to believe in the Gospel of Jesus -Christ, _but had always postponed joining the believers himself on account -of being yet entangled in political concerns,_ was unexpectedly called -into eternity;" adding, affectionately, that the "Indian Congregation to -whom he had rendered very essential services, was much affected at the -news of his death, and could not but hope, that God our Saviour had -received his soul in mercy." Mr. Heckewelder sums up the matter by -saying--"His ideas were that unless the Indians changed their mode of -living, they would in time come to nothing; and to encourage them towards -such a change, he told them to take the example of the Christian Indians, -who by their industry had every thing they could wish for." In a word, -there was more philanthropy and more philosophy in the religion of -White-Eyes, than there was piety. Hence his eloquence, his energy, his -strong affection for the Missionaries, and his sacrifices and services for -them and for his countrymen. He was a good man, we believe, by the force -of native conscience, as he was a great man by the force of native sense; -and though to have learned Christianity, in addition to loving some of -those who professed it, might have made him both better and greater than -he was, we cannot but hope, as it is, with the Christian Delawares, "that -God our Saviour has received his soul in mercy." - -It would give us very sincere pleasure to be able to say as much for the -Paganism of Captain Pipe, who, on the contrary, was opposed to the -religion of the whites as inveterately as any of the New-England Sachems -of the seventeenth century, and apparently for similar reasons. "The -Sachems of the country were generally set against us," wrote Mr. Elliot in -1650,[FN-1]--"and counter-work the Lord by keeping off their men from -praying to God as much as they can; and the reason of it is this; they -plainly see that religion will make a great change among them, and cut -them off from their former tyranny, &c." Pipe, too, with all his talent, -was obnoxious to some very plain strictures regarding his own morality, -and of course had no theoretical partiality for lectures upon that -subject. [FN-2] He was inimical to White-Eyes, especially, because the -latter supported the cause of reform; and rather than stand second to him, -and at the same time surrender his own bad habits, he determined at all -hazards to array a party in opposition. It was both a personal and a -political movement, the objects being self-defence, in the first place, -and in the second, distinction. - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] The light appearing, &c. London, 1651. - - [FN-2] Narrative, p. 286 and _passim:_ "We were obliged to wait for - Pipe's becoming sufficiently sober,"--&c. - - -Such being the character of the scheme, it must still be admitted that he -exhibited great energy and great ingenuity in promoting it. Some of his -manoeuvres have been noticed; and after his rival's decease, his own -declarations, particularly, were much more frequent and fearless, and -therefore more effectual than they had been before. "Thus," says -Heckewelder, "when a young man of his tribe, who had received his -education in Virginia, under the influence of Dr. Walker, on his return -into the Indian country in 1779, spread unfavorable reports of the -Virginian people; representing them as exceeding the Indians in vicious -acts--their beating the Negroes so unmercifully, &c. &c. Pipe would -mockingly enumerate such vicious and cruel acts, as the benefits of -civilization." He could at the same time, with truth, set forth the -poverty of the United States, in not having even a blanket, a shirt, or -other article of Indian clothing, to give them in exchange for their -peltry; whereas, (said he) were it not for the English, we should have to -suffer, and perhaps many of us perish for want. Pipe and the Monseys, we -are told elsewhere, were those who were most dreaded, and the effect of -his operations was such, but one year after the decease of White-Eyes in -the midst of his triumphs, that in 1781, the Peace-Chiefs had for their -own safety to withdraw themselves from their several nations, and take -refuge at Pittsburg. - -In regard to the personal habits of Pipe, it may be doing him, as well as -several other Indians of some distinction, no more than justice, to allude -in extenuation to the well known nature of the temptations to which they -have sometimes been exposed, and especially on the frontiers, during war, -and the excitement of an attempt by one civilized party to engage their -services against another. The peculiar physical circumstances which, -together with the character of their education, go to diminish their power -of self-control, need not be enlarged on. It is sufficient to say, that it -would be a task more easy than gratifying to prove, that their misfortune -in this particular has only followed after the fault of their civilized -neighbors. "Who are you, my friend?" said a gentleman in Pipe's time to an -Indian at Pittsburg, who was not so much intoxicated as not to be ashamed -of his situation. "My name is Black-fish," he replied; "At home I am a -clever fellow--_Here,_ I am a hog." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Mr. Heckewelder's anecdote of the Indian who came into Bethlehem - (Penn.) to dispose of his peltry, throws light on a great source of the - evil not alluded to in the text, and the effects of which, among the - Western tribes to this day are beyond calculation. "Well Thomas," said a - trader to him, "I believe you have turned Moravian." "Moravian!" answered - the Indian, "what makes you think so?"--"Because," replied the other, - "you used to come to us, to sell your skins and peltry, and now you trade - them away to the Moravians." "So!" rejoined the Indian, "now I understand - you well, and I know what you mean to say. Now hear me.--See, my friend! - when I come to this place with my skins and peltry to trade, the people - are kind; they give me plenty of good victuals to eat, and pay me in - money, or whatever I want, and no one says a word to me about drinking - rum--neither do I ask for it! When I come to your place with my peltry, - all call to me: 'Come, Thomas! here's rum, drink heartily, drink! it will - not hurt yon.' All this is done for the purpose of cheating me. When you - have obtained from me all you want, you call me a drunken dog, and kick - me out of the room." - - -But we are not under the disagreeable necessity of apologising for every -thing we relate of Captain Pipe. He gave many evidences of a natural honor -and humanity, even amid the bloodiest scenes of the Revolution, and -contrary to the dictation of those who were qualified, by every thing but -feelings, to understand his duty better than himself. Under strong -excitement he attached himself to the British interest, and towards the -close of the war scalping-parties went out from his settlement. He was -also prejudiced against the Christian Indians, and molested them much. But -none of these things were done in his cooler moments; and what is more -creditable to him, there is good reason to believe that he repented of -all. The evidence of this fact appears in a transaction which took place -at Detroit in November, 1781, with the particulars of which, as furnished -by Loskiel and others, we shall conclude this narrative. - -On the occasion referred to, a grand Indian Council was convened at -Detroit, at which were present large numbers of various tribes, including -Captain Pipe's Wolf warriors, who had just returned from a scalping -expedition. Four of the Moravian Missionaries were also there, having been -summoned to attend, at the suggestion of Pipe and others, for the purpose -of deciding upon several charges alleged against them. The hall was filled -with the concourse, the tribes being separately seated all around it, on -the right and left hand of the Commandant, while the Delawares, with Pipe -and his Councilors at their head, were directly in front. A war-chief of -each of the two divisions of Indians, held a stick in his hand, of three -or four feet in length, strung with scalps which they had taken in their -last foray on the American frontier. - -The Council was opened by the Commandant's signifying to Captain Pipe, -that he might make his report, when the latter rose from his seat, holding -a stick in his left hand: - -"Father!"--he began; and here he paused, turned round to the audience with -a most sarcastic look, and then proceeded in a lower tone, as addressing -them,--"I have said _father,_ though indeed I do not know why I should -call _him_ so--I have never known any father but the French--I have -considered the English only as brothers. But as this name is imposed upon -us, I shall make use of it and say-- - -"Father"--fixing his eyes again on the Commandant--"Some time ago you put -a war-hatchet into my hands, saying, 'take this weapon and try it on the -heads of my enemies, the Long-Knives, and let me know afterwards if it was -sharp and good.' - -"Father!--At the time when you gave me this weapon, I had neither cause -nor wish to go to war against a foe who had done me no injury. But you say -you are my father--and call me your child--and in obedience to you I -received the hatchet. I knew that if I did not obey you, you would -withhold from me [FN] the necessaries of life, which I could procure -nowhere but here." - - * * * * * - - [FN] Meaning his tribe. - - -"Father! You may perhaps think me a fool, for risking my life at your -bidding--and that in a cause in which I have no prospect of gaining any -thing. For it is your cause, and not mine--you have raised a quarrel among -yourselves--and you ought to fight it out--It is your concern to fight the -Long-Knives--You should not compel your children, the Indians, to expose -themselves to danger for your sake. - -"Father!--Many lives have already been lost on _your account_--The tribes -have suffered, and been weakened--Children have lost parents and -brothers--Wives have lost husbands--It is not known how many more may -perish before _your war_ will be at an end. - -"Father!--I have said, you may perhaps think me a fool, for thus -thoughtlessly rushing on your enemy! Do not believe this, Father. Think -not that I want sense to convince me, that although you now pretend to -keep up a perpetual enmity to the Long-Knives, you may, before long, -conclude a peace with them. - -"Father! You say you love your children, the Indians.--This you have often -told them; and indeed it is your interest to say so to them, that you may -have them at your service. - -"But, Father! Who of us can believe that you can love a people of a -different colour from your own, better than those who have a white skin, -like yourselves? - -"Father! Pay attention to what I am going to say. While you, Father, are -setting me [FN] on your enemy, much in the same manner as a hunter sets -his dog on the game; while I am in the act of rushing on that enemy of -yours, with the bloody destructive weapon you gave me, I may, perchance, -happen to look back to the place from whence you started me, and what -shall I see? Perhaps, I may see my father shaking hands with the -Long-Knives; yes, with those very people he now calls his enemies. I may -then see him laugh at my folly for having obeyed his orders; and yet I am -now risking my life at his command!--Father! keep what I have said in -remembrance." - - * * * * * - - [FN] Meaning his nation. - - -"Now, Father! here is what has been done with the hatchet you gave me," -[handing the stick with the scalps on it] "I have done with the hatchet -what you ordered me to do, and found it sharp. Nevertheless, I did not do -all that I might have done. No, I did not. My heart failed within me. I -felt compassion for your enemy. Innocence [FN] had no part in your -quarrels; therefore I distinguished--I spared. I took some live flesh, -[FN-2] which, while I was bringing to you, I spied one of your large -canoes, on which I put it for you. In a few days you will receive this -flesh, and find that the skin is of the same color with your own." - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Meaning women and children. - - [FN-2] Prisoners. - - -"Father! I hope you will not destroy what I have saved. You, Father, have -the means of preserving that which would perish with us from want. The -warrior is poor, and his cabin is always empty; but your house, Father, is -always full." - -During the delivery of this harangue, which is said to have produced a -great effect on all present, and especially on those who understood the -language in which it was spoken, the Orator two or three times advanced so -far towards the Commandant, in the heat of his excitement, that one of the -officers present thought proper to interfere and request him to move back. -The other war-chiefs now made their speeches, and then the Commandant (an -honorable and humane man, notwithstanding the Orator's strictures on his -_Father,_)--called upon him to substantiate his charges against the -Missionaries. Pipe, who was still standing, was unwilling to make the -attempt, but felt embarrassed. He began to shift and shuffle, (says -Loskiel,) and bending towards his Councilors, asked them what he should -say. They all hung their heads, and were silent. Suddenly, recollecting -himself and rising up, he addressed the Commandant "I said before that -some such thing might have happened, but now I will tell you the plain -truth. The Missionaries are innocent. What they have done, they were -compelled to do." [alluding to their having interpreted letters which the -Delaware Chief received from Pittsburg, &c] "We were to blame--We forced -them to it, when they refused." After some farther conversation the -Commandant declared the Missionaries to be acquitted of all the -accusations brought against them. - -Pipe expressed his satisfaction at the result, and on returning from the -council-house, he asked some of the Delaware Chieftains who were present -how they liked what he said. He observed, that he knew it was true, and -added; "I never wished your teachers any harm, knowing that they love the -Indians; but, I have all along been imposed on, and importuned to do what -I did by those who do not love them; and now, when these were to speak, -they hung their heads, leaving me to extricate myself, after telling our -Father things they had dictated and persuaded me to tell him." This -declaration has decidedly the air of candor and truth; and the Captain's -subsequent conduct was much more in accordance with the spirit of it than -it had been before. He did not however distinguish himself particularly -after the close of the war, and even the time of his death has not come -within our knowledge, although we have reason to believe that he was -living, and able to visit the City of Washington, as late as 1817. - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - - - State of several Southern tribes during the last century--The English - send deputies to the Cherokees, in 1756--Their lives threatened, and - saved by Attakullakulla--Account of that Chieftain and his - principles--The party opposed to him headed by Occonostota--War with the - Colonies in 1759 and two years following--Anecdotes of both these - Chiefs--Saloueh, Fiftoe, and others--Several battles--Peace - concluded--Attakullakulla visits Charleston--His subsequent Career, and - that of Occonostota--Remarks on their character. - - -Contemporary with the individuals who have just been mentioned, were a -number of noted chieftains among the more Southern tribes. Of them we may -take this occasion to say, that the Chickasaws generally affected the -English interest; and the Creeks, the French;--so that the friendship or -the hostility of Great-Mortar, the Standing-Turkey, the Wolf-King, and the -other leading men among the latter tribe was nearly neutralized, as -regarded the several civilized parties, by the counteraction of the -former. - -The Cherokees had been friendly to the English ever since the treaty of -1730; but, owing partly to the influence of the Mortar, and partly to the -direct exertions of the French, they had now become wavering and divided -in sentiment. In 1756, deputies were sent among them, to secure their aid -against the French. A council was convened, and was likely to terminate -favorably, when tidings suddenly came that a party of Cherokees, who had -visited the French on the Ohio, were massacred by some of the Virginians -on their return home. The Council was in an uproar, as much as an Indian -Council could be,--the gravest political assembly on earth,--at once. Many -cried aloud that vengeance should be taken on the persons of the Deputies; -and it was not without a great exertion of influence, that they were at -length rescued by Attakullakulla, or the Little-Carpenter. - -This is the earliest appearance of that renowned Chieftain in history, -though he is said to have been already famous both among the Cherokees and -the English, especially for his magnanimity, wisdom, and moderation. Nor -has there ever been, upon the continent, a more faithful or useful friend -to the English cause. We cannot better illustrate his career or his -character than by comparing both with those of White-Eyes; and indeed, -some of the incidents related of _that_ chief, independently of other -circumstances, make it highly probable, that a diplomatic and personal -good understanding was constantly maintained between them. - -Like White-Eyes, too, Attakullakulla was opposed by a war-party, the chief -difference being that it was less formally organized, and that it -generally operated in favor of the French. At the head of it was -Occonostota, or the Great-Warrior, a man whose extraordinary prowess -procured him his title, and whose memory is to this day warmly cherished -among his countrymen. Pursuing our comparison, he should remind us of -Pipe; but the suggestion does him injustice. He was not only _for_ war, -but a warrior--in truth, a "_great_ warrior." He fought, and bled, and -led on, where the other appeared only in that capacity of bear-hunter with -dogs, which White-Eyes imputed to him. He was sincere to enthusiasm in his -principles, and frank and fearless almost to fool-hardiness in professing -and pursuing them. He had as much talent as Pipe, and far more virtue. - -"Occonostota," says a respectable authority of a date a little subsequent -to that just mentioned, "is returned again from the French fort with -powder and ball, accompanied with some Frenchmen--how many I cannot -learn." And again, soon afterwards,--"Since Occonostota returned from the -French with the goods and ammunition, and has had those assurances from -the Creeks, he says, 'What nation, or what people am I afraid of? I do not -fear all the forces which the great King George can send against me among -these mountains.'" [FN] And yet the Great-Warrior was not rash, as we -shall soon learn from the sequel. - - * * * * * - - [FN] We refer to Charleston, (S. C.) papers. - - -A strong excitement followed the provocation already mentioned; and -although the elder part of the nation remained calm, and Attakullakulla -and Occonostota were both against instant war, the French emissaries -wrought so effectually on the younger warriors, that parties of them took -the field, and the English frontiers became the scene of a horrid series -of devastation and massacre. The Governor of South Carolina prepared for -active hostilities, and the militia of the whole Province were summoned to -meet at Congarees. - -But no sooner did the Cherokees hear of this movement than they sent -thirty-two of their chief men, among whom was the Great-Warrior, to settle -all differences at Charleston. A conference ensued, the burthen of which -however was assumed by the Governor alone; for when,--after he had made a -long speech of accusations, and concluded with saying that the Deputies -must follow his troops, or he would not be answerable for their -safety,--Occonostota gravely rose to reply, the Governor interrupted him -and forbade him to proceed. He was determined that nothing should prevent -his military expedition; and at all events "he would hear no talk in -vindication of the Orator's countrymen, nor any proposals with regard to -peace." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Ramsay's History of South Carolina. - - -The Great-Warrior was indignant, and his companions were still more so -than himself. It must be allowed, that the Governor's deportment on this -occasion, independently of his treatment of the Deputies out of Council, -was in the highest degree insulting. The Warrior felt it the more keenly, -because he had been appointed to speak, and had prepared himself. The -Cherokees were conscious, too, that the English had originally occasioned -the war. The sacred respect attached in their view,--as it is in that of -the Indians quite generally even now,--to the dignity of their orators, -may be gathered from the well-authenticated anecdote of the Virginian -Chieftain who was rashly interrupted in a Conference with the English by -one of his own subjects. He split the offender's head with a tomahawk at a -single blow, and then calmly proceeded with his speech. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Beverly. - - -The Deputies were detained several days, at the end of which they -accompanied the Governor and his troops to Congarees, where were collected -fourteen hundred men. Accompanied, we say,--but not freely; they were even -made prisoners, to prevent their escaping, (as two had already done,) and -a Captain's guard was set over them. No longer, says the historian, could -they conceal their resentment; sullen and gloomy countenances showed that -they were stung to the heart. To make the matter worse, on reaching Fort -Prince-George, on the borders of their own territory, they were all -confined in a miserable hut scarcely sufficient to accommodate a tenth -part of their number. - -But the troops becoming discontented and mutinous, the Governor dared not -advance any farther against the enemy. He therefore sent for -Attakullakulla, as being "esteemed the wisest man in the nation, and the -most steady friend to the English." [FN] The summons was promptly obeyed, -and a conference took place on the 17th of December, (1759.) The Governor -made a long speech as before, to the effect that the Great King would not -suffer his people to be destroyed without satisfaction; that he was -determined to have it; and that twenty-four Cherokee murderers, whom he -named, must be given up in the outset, for which he would graciously allow -the term of twenty-four hours. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Ramsay. - - -The Little-Carpenter very calmly replied;--He remembered the treaties -alluded to by the Governor, because he had helped to make them. He owned -the good conduct of South Carolina, as also alleged, but complained of -Virginia, as having caused the present misunderstanding. He could not -forbear adding, that the Governor did not treat all the tribes alike, any -more than all the whites treated the Cherokees alike; he remembered that, -when several Carolinians were killed a few years before by the Choctaws, -satisfaction was neither demanded nor given. Finally, he desired the -release of some of the Deputies, that they might assist him in endeavoring -to procure the performance of the Governor's terms, though he was by no -means confident that they either would or could be complied with. - -Agreeably to this suggestion, the Governor released the Great-Warrior, -together with Fiftoe and Saloueh, the Chief-Men of the towns of Keowee and -Estatoe. The latter, on the day ensuing, surrendered two Indians, who were -immediately put in irons. But all the Cherokees in the vicinity now fled, -through fear of the same fate, and it became impossible to complete the -required number. Attakullakulla abruptly commenced his return home in -despair; but the moment the Governor ascertained his departure, messengers -were sent to induce him to turn back. The good Chief again obeyed the -summons. A treaty was negotiated, the result of which was that twenty-six -of the deputies were detained "until as many of the murderers should be -given up," nominally by their free consent, but in fact by force. One more -Indian was surrendered, making three in all, and all three soon after died -in confinement at Charleston. The small-pox breaking out in the army about -the same time, the troops dispersed in disorder,--the expedition having -already cost the province 25,000 pounds,--and the Governor returned "in -triumph" to his capital. - -But the rejoicings on account of the peace were scarcely over, when news -arrived that the Cherokees had killed fourteen whites within a mile of -Fort George. The Commandant at that station, Captain Coytmore, had become -peculiarly odious to the Indians, and the continued imprisonment of the -Deputies, above all, incensed them beyond endurance. From this moment, -indeed, Occonostota was the fierce enemy of the Province; and he -resolved, much as he despised treachery, to avail himself of the first -opportunity of revenge. With a strong party, he surrounded Fort George, -and kept the garrison confined; but finding that no impression could be -made on the works, he resorted to stratagem. - -He placed a party of savages in a dark thicket by the river-side, and then -sent an Indian woman, whom he knew to be always welcome at the fort, to -inform the Commander that he had something of consequence to communicate -and would be glad to speak with him near the water. Coytmore imprudently -consented, and without any suspicions of danger walked down towards the -river, accompanied by Lieutenants Bell and Foster. Occonostota, appearing -upon the opposite side, told him he was going to Charleston, to procure a -release of the prisoners, and would be glad to have white men accompany -him as a safeguard. To cover his dark design he had a bridle in his hand, -and added he would go and hunt for a horse. Coytmore replied that he -should have a guard, and wished he might find a horse, as the journey was -very long. Upon this, the Indian, turning about, swung the bridle thrice -round his head as a signal to the savages placed in ambush, who instantly -fired on the officers, shot the Captain dead, and wounded his two -companions. Orders were riven to put the hostages in irons, to prevent any -further danger from them, which, while the soldiers were attempting to -execute, the Indians stabbed one and wounded two more of them. The -garrison then fell on the unfortunate hostages, and butchered all of them -in a manner too shocking to relate. - -There were few men in the Cherokee nation that did not lose a friend or -relative by this massacre, and therefore with one voice all immediately -declared for war. The leaders in every town seized the hatchet; "the -spirits of their murdered brothers were hovering around them and calling -out for vengeance on, their enemies." Large parties of warriors took the -field. Burning with impatience to imbue their hands in the blood of their -enemies, they rushed down among innocent and defenceless families on the -frontiers of Carolina; and there men, women and children, without -distinction, fell a sacrifice to their merciless fury. Such as fled to the -woods and escaped the scalping-knife, perished with hunger; and those whom -they made prisoners were carried into the wilderness, where they suffered -inexpressible hardships. Every day brought fresh accounts of their ravages -and murders. - -Great alarm prevailed throughout the Province, and corresponding efforts -were made for defence. Seven troops of rangers were raised to protect the -frontiers. Application was made to Virginia and North Carolina for aid; as -also to General Amherst, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in -America, who immediately despatched twelve companies to the theatre of -hostilities. The various detachments mustered at Congarees in May, 1760, -and the campaign began with a rapid invasion of the Cherokee territory. -Considerable ravages were speedily made, including the destruction of -Estatoe and Keowee, (the latter of which contained two hundred houses,) -and the army then marched to relieve Fort George. - -And now the war grew fervid. Saloueh and Fiftoe had sworn vengeance over -the ashes of their homes, and the soul of the Great-Warrior was hot within -him. The invaders were suffered to pursue their hazardous and difficult -march, through dark thickets and deep defiles, and over mountains, rivers -and swamps, till they came within five miles of Etchoe. Here was a low -valley, covered so thick with bushes that the soldiers could scarcely see -three yards before them. The army was obliged to pass through it, and that -in such a manner as to permit but few of the troops to act together. An -officer was ordered to advance, and scour the thicket with a company of -rangers. He obeyed, but a sudden discharge from unseen fire-arms laid him -dead on the spot, with several of his soldiers. The light-infantry and -grenadiers now charged their enemy,--a heavy fire commenced on both -sides,--and the woods around rang with the warrior's whoop, the shouts of -the soldiery, and the cries of the dying. The action lasted more than an -hour,--the English losing about twenty men killed and eighty -wounded,--when, the Indians slowly retreated and disappeared, carrying off -the bodies of their slain. "Upon viewing the ground," (says our -historian,) "all were astonished to see with what judgment they had chosen -it. Scarcely could the most experienced officer have fixed upon a spot -more advantageous for attacking an enemy." Orders were immediately given -for an expeditious retreat. - -Thus Occonostota succeeded in the field. But his heart still thirsted for -blood, and he found means to gratify his revenge in another quarter. Fort -Loudon, (built, like Fort George, on the frontier,) with a garrison of -twenty men, was surrounded by the enraged enemy, and reduced to the -extremities of famine. Under these circumstances Captain Stuart, a -gentleman well known to the Cherokees during a long official and private -intercourse with them, obtained leave to go to Choteh, the town of the -Great-Warrior,--who was sometimes called "_Prince_ of Choteh." A -capitulation was agreed upon with him. The arms of the garrison were -surrendered on the faith of it; and they marched out, on their way towards -Fort George, under the escort of an Indian detachment headed by the Prince -himself. Having gone fifteen miles, they encamped at night near an Indian -town. All the escort left them, but still they remained unmolested. At -length, about day-break, a guard came running in with intelligence that -the woods and bushes around them were full of hideously painted savages, -who had already enclosed them. In a moment after, the enemy rushed upon -them, and fired, and thirty of their number fell dead. The residue either -fled or were captured; and the latter, including Stuart, were pinioned and -sent back to Fort Loudon. - -And now Attakullakulla came forward. He had taken no part in the war, on -either side, but Stuart had been his best friend in former times, and he -could not think of seeing him a prisoner and in peril of his life. He -hastened to the fort, and purchased him of his Indian master, giving his -rifle, clothes, and all he could command as a ransom; and then took him -into his own family, and shared with him the provisions which his table -afforded. - -Occonostota, meanwhile, had formed the design of attacking Fort George, -and sent messengers throughout the Cherokee country to collect his -warriors for that purpose. At this juncture, a quantity of ammunition was -found in Fort Loudon (where the English captives were still confined) -which the garrison had buried before leaving it, The discovery had nearly -cost Stuart his life, but his protector again rescued him. The Indians, -indeed, found occasion for his services. At a great Council held at -Choteh, whither he was carried, the warrior told him they had resolved to -march against Fort George with a quantity of English cannon, to be managed -by men under his (Stuart's) command, and they wished him previously to -write letters for them to the Commandant, demanding a surrender. If he -refused, they intended to burn his companions, one by one, before his -face. - -Captain Stuart was now really uneasy in his situation, and he determined -from this moment to make his escape or perish in the attempt. He privately -communicated his feelings to Attakullakulla, and appealed to his -magnanimity. The old Warrior took him by the hand. "Be calm," said he, "be -calm, my son; I am your friend--trust me." He went forward, and claimed -the Englishman for _his_ prisoner; and then gave out word among his -countrymen, that he intended to "go a-hunting" for a few days, and to take -his Englishman with him. - -They set out together, accompanied by the warrior's wife, his brother, and -two others. For provisions they depended on what they might kill by the -way. The distance to the frontier settlements was great, and the utmost -expedition necessary to prevent any surprise from Indians pursuing them. -They traveled nine days and nights through a dreary wilderness, shaping -their course for Virginia, by the light and guidance of the heavenly -bodies. On the tenth they arrived at the banks of Holstein river; where -they fortunately fell in with a party of three thousand men, sent out by -Colonel Bird for the relief of such soldiers as might make their escape -that way from Fort Loudon. - -Here the Chieftain was content to relinquish his charge. He bade his -friend farewell, and, as composedly as if the whole transaction were a -matter of course, turned back into the wilderness, and retraced his long -and wearisome journey. - -Such was the issue of the first campaign. The spring of 1761 opened with -new efforts on the part of Carolina. A new provincial regiment was raised; -fresh reinforcements of regulars arrived from the north; and numbers of -the Chickasaw and Catawba Indians were induced to give their -assistance--so that, on the 27th of May, an army of two thousand six -hundred men mustered at Fort George. - -Latinac, a French officer, was at this time among the Cherokees, and he -proved an indefatigable instigator to mischief. He persuaded them, that -the English would be satisfied with nothing less than to exterminate them, -man, woman, and child, from the face of the earth. He gave them arms, too, -and urged them to war. At a grand meeting of the nation, he brandished his -hatchet, and, striking it furiously into a log of wood, cried out--"Who is -the man that will take this up for the King of France? Where is he? Let -him come forth!" Saloueh, the young Warrior of Estatoe, instantly leaped -forward, laid hold of it, and cried out--"I will take it up. I am for war. -The spirits of the slain call upon us; I will avenge them; and who will -not? He is no better than a woman that refuses to follow me." Many a -fierce look, and many a lifted tomahawk answered the appeal of the Orator, -and again did the war-torrent rush down upon the frontiers. - -The Great-Warrior too, more a general, and not less a soldier, was again -ready for his enemy. They commenced their march into the interior on the -7th of June, and advanced unmolested as far as the well remembered -battle-ground of the year previous; but there, the Indian scouts in front -observed a large body of Cherokees posted upon a hill on the right flank -of the army. Immediately the savages, rushing down, began to fire on the -advanced guard, which being supported repulsed them; but they recovered -their heights. Colonel Grant ordered a party to march up the hills, and -drive the enemy from them. The engagement became general, and was fought -on both sides with great bravery. The situation of the troops was in -several respects deplorable--fatigued in a tedious march in rainy -weather--surrounded with woods so that they could not discern the -enemy--galled by the scattering fire of savages who when pressed always -fell back, but rallied again and again. No sooner was any advantage gained -over them in one quarter than they appeared in another. While the -attention of the Commander was occupied in driving the enemy from their -lurking-place on the river's side, his rear was attacked, and so vigorous -an effort made for the flour and cattle, that he was obliged to order a -party back to the relief of the rear-guard. From eight o'clock in the -morning until eleven, the savages continued to keep up an irregular and -incessant fire, sometimes from one place and sometimes from another, while -the woods resounded with hideous war-whoops frequently repeated, but in -different directions. At length the Cherokees gave way and were pursued. - -Such is the account of this famous engagement given by history. The -English lost between fifty and sixty killed and wounded. The loss of the -Cherokees was uncertain, as that of an Indian army always is,--they -carried off the slain. - -And now commenced a scene of devastation scarcely paralleled in the annals -of the continent. For thirty days, the English army employed themselves in -burning and ravaging the country and settlements of the enemy. "_Heaven -has blest us,_" says a letter-writer from the camp, under date of July -10th, "with the greatest success; we have finished our business as -completely as the most sanguine of us could have wished. All their towns, -fifteen in number, beside many little villages and scattered houses, have -been burnt; upwards of fourteen hundred acres of corn, according to a -moderate computation, entirely destroyed; and near five thousand -Cherokees, men, women and children, driven to the mountains to -starve--their only sustenance for some time past being horseflesh." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Charleston Paper of 1761. - - -The result of these measures was decisive. A great part of the Cherokee -nation became desirous of procuring peace upon any terms; and the army had -no sooner reached Fort George, than a deputation of about twenty chiefs -visited the camp. Neither the Great-Warrior nor his staunch aid-de-camp, -Saloueh, was among them; but the Man-Killer, came, and the Raven, and Old -Cesar of Hywassih, and at the head of all the Little Carpenter himself. - -On the 28th of August they waited upon Colonel Grant, who had prepared a -bower for their reception. Having seated themselves in grave array, the -Little Carpenter was asked, if he had come to sue for peace. He answered -in the affirmative. "Have you authority from the whole nation?" demanded -the Colonel; to which all the chiefs replied that they would confirm -whatever the Carpenter should agree to. The latter then delivered his -talk.-- - -"_You_ live at the water-side," said he, "and are in light. We are in -darkness; but hope all will yet be clear. I have been constantly going -about doing good, and though I am tired, yet I am come to see what can be -done for my people, who are in great distress." Here he produced the -strings of wampum he had received from the different towns, denoting their -earnest desire of peace, and added,--"As to what has happened, I believe -it has been ordered by our Father above. We are of a different color from -the white people. They are superior to us. But one God is father of us -all, and we hope what is past will be forgotten. God Almighty made all -people. There is not a day but some are coming into, and others going out -of the world. The Great King told me the path should never be crooked, but -open for every one to pass and repass. As we all live in one land, I hope -we shall all love as one people." - -This account is taken partly from news-papers of the period under -consideration. Ramsay only adds, that peace was formally ratified; and -that the ancient friendship of the parties being renewed, both expressed -their hope that it would last as long as the sun might shine and the -rivers run. Some little difficulty appears to have occurred in the -adjustment, which should mentioned to the credit of Little-Carpenter. He -consented to every requisition excepting that which demanded the surrender -of four Cherokees, to be put to death in front of the camp. This he would -not promise. The Colonel gave him a day to think of it, but he still -refused. Finally, it was thought advisable to refer him to the Governor, -and he undertook a journey to Charleston, several hundred miles distant, -for the express purpose of procuring a mitigation of the treaty of peace -in regard to the single obnoxious provision. - -His perseverance and firmness were rewarded as they deserved. "This day," -says a Charleston paper of September 23d, "Attakullakulla had his last -public audience, when he signed the treaty of peace, and received an -authenticated copy under the great seal. . . . _He earnestly requested -that Captain John Stuart might be made Chief White-Man_ [Indian Agent] _in -their nation._ He said, 'all the Indians love him; and there would never -be any uneasiness if he were there.' This faithful Indian afterwards dined -with his Honor the Governor, and tomorrow sets out for his own country. He -has received several presents as a mark of the regard this government has -for him." - -Thus ended the Cherokee war. That its conduct did no discredit to the -talents of the Great-Warrior, we need not argue. As to the principles upon -which it was fought, we may content ourselves with the comment of an -impartial historian. "In the review of the whole," says Ramsay, "there is -much to blame, and more to regret. The Cherokees were the first aggressors -by taking horses from the Virginians; but by killing them for that offence -the balance of injury was on their side. Then treachery begat treachery, -and murder produced murder. The lives of those men who came originally as -messengers of peace, though afterwards retained as hostages, were -barbarously taken away without any fault of theirs, other than their -obeying the laws of nature in resisting a military order for putting their -persons in irons. A deadly hatred and a desolating war was the -consequence." - -We do not meet with frequent mention of either of the Chieftains named in -this chapter, after the campaign of 1761. They fought against the -neighboring tribes occasionally, but with the English they preserved a -firm peace of at least fifteen years. The character of the contest between -England and the Colonies appears to have confused them, and their -embarrassment was not at all relieved by the unsparing efforts made to -instigate them to hostilities against the latter. The result was a -division of opinion, and a diversity of practice, as in the case of their -Northern neighbors. A part of the nation took up arms for the -English,--probably the younger warriors;--but the whole were compelled to -suffer in consequence. A powerful army from South Carolina invaded their -territory, and after a severe struggle, peace was once more enforced at -the point of the bayonet. - -It is doubtful whether the Great-Warrior was living at this period, for -his name does not appear in the history of the conflict or the treaty. -Little-Carpenter still survived, but, as usual, took no part in the war. -Indeed he must now have been nearly disabled from very active service by -his advanced age,--as well as disinclined for better reasons,--for he is -believed to have been one of the seven Cherokees who visited England and -were introduced to George II, as early as 1730. But this cannot be -affirmed with certainty. - -We shall close our imperfect sketch of this wise and worthy Chieftain, -with the characteristic account of an interview with him, given by -Bertram, author of the well-known Southern Travels. It occurred early in -the Revolution:-- - -"Soon after crossing this large branch of the Tanase, [in Upper Georgia,] -I observed, descending the heights at a distance, a company of seven -Indians, all well mounted on horseback. They came rapidly forward. On -their nearer approach I observed a Chief at the head of the caravan, and -apprehending him to be the Little Carpenter, Emperor or Grand Chief of the -Cherokees, as they came up I turned off from the path to make way, in -token of respect. The compliment was accepted, and returned, for his -Highness, with a gracious and cheerful smile, came up to me, and clapping -his hand on his breast, offered it to me, saying, '_I am -Attakullaculla,_' and heartily shook hands with me, and asked me '_If I -knew it._' I answered, that the Good Spirit who goes before me, spoke to -me and said, 'That is the great Attakullaculla,' and added that I was of -the tribe of the white men of Pennsylvania, who esteem themselves brothers -and friends to the Red Men, but particularly to the Cherokees, and that -the name of Attakullaculla was dear to his white brethren. After this -compliment, which seemed to be acceptable, he inquired 'if I came lately -from Charleston, and if _John Stuart was well,_' [the agent,] saying that -he was going to see him. I replied that I had come lately from Charleston, -on a friendly visit to the Cherokees; that I had seen the Superintendent, -the Beloved Man, &c. The Great Chief was pleased to answer, that I was -welcome in their country, as a friend and brother, and then shaking hands -heartily he bade me farewell, and his retinue confirmed it by a united -voice of assent." - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - - - The Cayuga Chief, Logan--Some account of his father, - Shikellimus--Residence of Logan--His friendship for the whites - interrupted by their provocations--His family misfortunes--The Shawanee - Silver-Heels--Logan joins in a war of revenge against the - "Long-Knives"--Battle of the Kenhawa--Treaty of Peace with Governor - Dunmore--Logan's celebrated speech--His history - completed--Buckongahelas, the Delaware head War-Chief--His intercourse - with the Christian Indians--Part which he takes in the - Revolution--Defeated by Wayne, in 1794--Anecdotes of him--Death and - character. - - -Few Indians names have been oftener repeated than that of Logan, and yet -of scarcely any individual of his race is the history which has reached us -less complete. He was a chief of the Six-Nations--a Cayuga--but resided -during most of his life in a western settlement, either at Sandusky or -upon a branch of the Scioto--there being at the former location, a few -years before the Revolution, about three hundred warriors, and about sixty -at the latter. - -Logan was the second son of _Shikellimus;_ and this is the same person -whom Heckewelder describes as "a respectable chief of the Six Nations, who -resided at Shamokin (Pennsylvania,) as an agent, to transact business -between them and the Government of the State." In 1747, at a time when the -Moravian Missionaries were the object of much groundless hatred and -accusation, _Shikellimus_ invited some of them to settle at Shamokin, and -they did so. When Count Zinzendorff and Conrad Weiser visited that place, -several years before, they were very hospitably entertained by the Chief, -who came out to meet them (says Loskiel,) with a large fine melon, for -which the Count politely gave him his fur cap in exchange; and thus -commenced an intimate acquaintance. He was a shrewd and sober man,--not -addicted to drinking, like most of his countrymen, because "he never -wished to become a fool." Indeed, he built his house on pillars for -security against the drunken Indians, and used to ensconce himself within -it on all occasions of riot and outrage. He died in 1749, attended in his -last moments by the good Moravian Bishop Zeisberger, in whose presence, -says Loskiel, "he fell happily asleep in the Lord." - -Logan inherited the talents of his father, but not his prosperity. Nor was -this altogether his own fault. He took no part except that of peace-making -in the French and English war of 1760, and was ever before and afterwards -looked upon as emphatically the friend of the white man. But never was -kindness rewarded like his. - -In the spring of 1774, a robbery and murder occurred in some of the white -settlements on the Ohio, which were charged to the Indians, though perhaps -not justly, for it is well known that a large number of civilized -adventurers were traversing the frontiers at this time, who sometimes -disguised themselves as Indians, and who thought little more of killing -one of that people than of shooting a buffalo. A party of these men, -land-jobbers and others, undertook to punish the outrage in this case, -according to their custom, as Mr. Jefferson expresses it, in a summary -way. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Notes on Virginia. - - -Colonel Cresap, a man infamous for the many murders he had committed on -those much injured people, collected a party, and proceeded down the -Kenhawa in quest of vengeance. Unfortunately, a canoe of women and -children, with one man only, was seen coming from the opposite shore, -unarmed, and not at all suspecting an attack from the whites. Cresap and -his party concealed themselves on the bank of the river, and the moment -the canoe reached the shore, singled out their objects, and, at one fire, -killed every person in it This happened to be the family of Logan. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Jefferson. - - -It was not long after this that another massacre took place, under still -more aggravated circumstances, not far from the present site of Wheeling, -Virginia,--a considerable party of the Indians being decoyed by the -whites, and all murdered, with the exception of a little girl. Among -these, too, was both a brother of Logan, and a sister, and the delicate -situation of the latter increased a thousand fold both the barbarity of -the crime and the race of the survivors of the family. - -The vengeance of the Chieftain was indeed provoked beyond endurance; and -he accordingly distinguished himself by his daring and bloody exploits in -the war which now ensued, between the Virginians on the one side, and a -combination mainly of Shawanees, Mingoes and Delawares on the other. The -former of these tribes were particularly exasperated by the unprovoked -murder of one of their favorite chiefs, Silver-Heels, who had in the -kindest manner undertaken to escort several white traders across the woods -from the Ohio to Albany, a distance of nearly two hundred miles. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Heckewelder's History. - - -The civilized party prevailed, as usual. A decisive battle was fought upon -the 10th of October, of the year last named, on Point Pleasant at the -mouth of the Great Kenhawa in West-Virginia, between the Confederates, -commanded by Logan, and one thousand Virginian riflemen constituting the -left wing of an army led by Governor Dunmore against the Indians of the -North-West. This engagement has by some annalists,--who however have -rarely given the particulars of it--been called the most obstinate ever -contested with the natives, and we therefore annex an official account of -it which has fortunately been brought to light within a few years. - -"Monday morning, [the 10th,] about half an hour before sun-rise, two of -Capt. Russell's company discovered a large party of Indians about a mile -from camp; one of which was shot down by the Indians. The other made his -escape and brought in the intelligence; two or three minutes after, two of -Capt. Shelby's men came in and confirmed the account. - -"Col. Andrew Lewis being informed thereof, immediately ordered out Col. -Charles Lewis to take the command of one hundred and fifty men, of the -Augusta troops; and with him went Capt. Dickinson, Capt. Harrison, Capt. -Wilson, Capt. John Lewis of Augusta, and Capt. Lockridge, which made the -first division; Col. Fleming was ordered to take command of one hundred -and fifty more, consisting of Botetrout, Bedford and Fincastle -troops--viz: Capt. Bufort of Bedford, Capt. Love of Botetrout, and Capt. -Shelby and Capt. Russell of Fincastle, which made the second division. -Col. Charles Lewis's division marched to the right some distance from the -Ohio; Col. Fleming, with his division, up the bank of the Ohio, to the -left. Col. Lewis's division had not marched quite half a mile from camp, -when about sun-rise, an attack was made on the front of his division, in a -most vigorous manner, by the united tribes of Indians, Shawanees, -Delawares, Mingoes, Iaways, and of several other nations, in number not -less than eight hundred, and by many thought to be a thousand. In this -heavy attack Col. Lewis received a wound which in a few hours occasioned -his death, and several of his men fell on the spot; in fact the Augusta -division was forced to give way to the heavy fire of the enemy. In about a -minute after the attack on Col. Lewis's division, the enemy engaged the -front of Col. Fleming's division, on the Ohio; and in a short time the -Colonel received two balls through his left arm, and one through his -breast, and after animating the officers and soldiers, in a spirited -manner, to the pursuit of victory, retired to camp. - -"The loss of the brave Colonels from the field was sensibly felt by the -officers in particular; but the Augusta troops being shortly after -reinforced from camp by Col. Fields with his company, together with Capt. -McDowel, Capt. Mathews and Capt. Stuart, from Augusta, and Capt. Arbuckle -and Capt McClenahan, from Botetrout, the enemy, no longer able to maintain -their ground, was forced to give way till they were in a line with the -troops of Col. Fleming, left in action on the bank of Ohio. In this -precipitate retreat Col. Field was killed. Capt. Shelby was then ordered -to take the command. During this time, it being now twelve o'clock, the -action continued extremely hot. The close underwood, and many steep banks -and logs, greatly favored their retreat, and the bravest of their men made -the best use of them, whilst others were throwing their dead into the Ohio -and carrying off their wounded. - -"After twelve o'clock the action, in a small degree, abated; but continued, -except at short intervals, sharp enough till after one o'clock. Their long -retreat gave them a most advantageous spot of ground, from whence it -appeared to the officers so difficult to dislodge them that it was thought -most advisable to stand as the line was then formed, which was about a -mile and a quarter in length, and had till then sustained a constant and -equal weight of the action, from wing to wing. It was till about half an -hour of sunset they continued firing on us scattering shots, which we -returned to their disadvantage; at length night coming on, they found a -safe retreat. They had not the satisfaction of carrying off any of our -men's scalps, save one or two stragglers, whom they killed before the -engagement. Many of their dead they scalped rather than we should have -them; but our troops scalped upwards of twenty of those who were first -killed. It is beyond a doubt their loss in number far exceeds ours, which -is considerable." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Niles's Register, Vol. XII. - - -The Virginians lost in this action two of their Colonels, four Captains, -many subordinate officers, and about fifty privates killed, besides a much -larger number wounded. The Governor himself was not engaged in the battle, -being at the head of the right wing of the same army, a force of fifteen -hundred men, who were at this time on their expedition against the towns -of some of the hostile tribes in the North-West. - -It was at the treaty ensuing upon this battle that the following speech -was delivered,--sufficient to render the name of Logan famous for many a -century. It came by the hand of a messenger, sent, (as Mr. Jefferson -states,) that the sincerity of the negotiation might not be distrusted on -account of the absence of so distinguished a warrior as himself. - -"I appeal to any white man to say, if he ever entered Logan's cabin -hungry, and he gave him not meat; if he ever came cold and naked, and he -clothed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan -remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for -the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they passed, and said, 'Logan is -the friend of white men.' I had even thought to have lived with you, but -for the injuries of one man. Colonel Cresap, the last spring, in cold -blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not sparing -even my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins -of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I have sought it; I -have killed many; I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I -rejoice at the beams of peace. But do not harbor a thought that mine is -the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to -save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan?--Not one." - -Of this powerful address, Mr. Jefferson says, "I may challenge the whole -orations of Demosthenes and Cicero, and of any more eminent orator, if -Europe has furnished more eminent, to produce a single passage, superior -to the speech of Logan;" and an American statesman and scholar, scarcely -less illustrious than the author of this noble eulogium, has expressed his -readiness to subscribe to it. [FN] It is of course unnecessary for any -humbler authority to enlarge upon its merits. Indeed, they require no -exposition; they strike home to the soul. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Clinton's Historical Discourse: 1811. - - -The melancholy history of Logan must be dismissed with no relief to its -gloomy colors. He was himself a victim to the same ferocious cruelty which -had already rendered him a desolate man. [FN] Not long after the treaty a -party of whites murdered him, as he was returning from Detroit to his own -country. It grieves us to add, that towards the close of his life, misery -had made him intemperate. No security and no solace to Logan, was the -orator's genius or the warriors glory. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Drake's Biography. - - -Campbell, in his _Gertrude of Wyoming,_ has appropriated the affecting -sentiment of Logan to an Indian hero of his own, but the sin of the -transfer may be excused for its skill. - - . . . "He left of all my tribe - Nor man nor child, nor thing of living birth; - No! not the dog, that watched my household hearth, - Escaped, that night of blood, upon our plains! - All perished! I alone am left on Earth! - To whom nor relative nor blood remains, - No!--not a kindred drop that runs in human veins!" - -A more noted personage in his own time than even Logan, was the Delaware -Buckongahelas, who rose from the station of a private warrior to be, as -Heckewelder calls him, the head war-chief of his nation. That writer -speaks of meeting him at Tuscaroras as early as 1762: and the Chieftain -accordingly reminded him of the fact when, in 1781, he visited the -settlement of the Christian Indians in Ohio. His deportment on that -occasion was singularly characteristic of the man; for all writers agree -in representing him as fearless, frank and magnanimous. It should be -premised, that he lived on the Miami, and being rather in the British -interest, was disposed to watch quite closely the movements of the -peace-party. What he _did,_ however, he did openly, and he never hesitated -to explain himself with the same freedom. - -One morning, late in the season last named, two Christian Indians of -Gnadenhutten having gone out to look in the woods for strayed horses, were -met by a chieftain at the head of eighty warriors, who without ceremony -made them both captives. "Then," says Heckewelder, "taking a course -through the woods, until they had come within a short distance of -Gnadenhutten, they rested until nearly break of day, guarding the -Brethren, that they might not escape and give information of them. The day -approaching, they moved on, and having surrounded the town completely, -hailed the inhabitants, to deliver into their hands the chief, Gelelemend, -(Kill-Buck) with the other chiefs and councilors; whom they must have -either alive or dead." [FN] The party being informed, that not one of -those they were in search of, was here at the time, but had all gone to -Pittsburg some time past, they then searched every house, stable and -cellar; and being finally satisfied that they had been told the truth, -they demanded that deputies, consisting of the principal men of the three -towns, should be called together, to hear what they had to say to them. -The principal men assembled from Salem and Shonbrun; and Buckongahelas, -for such they discovered him to be, addressed them as follows: - - * * * * * - - [FN] Their object was, to take these off to a place where they would have - them under _their_ control, and prevent them from governing the nation - while the war lasted; it being a custom with the Indians, that as soon as - the peace-chief has gave his consent to war measures, his office ceases, - and the power is vested in the head captains of the nation, until his - services, in making peace are again wanted. - - -"Friends!--Listen to what I say to you! You see a great and powerful -nation divided! You see the father fighting against the son, and the son -against the father!--The father has called on his Indian children, to -assist him in punishing his children, the Americans, who have become -refractory!--I took time to consider what I should do--whether or not I -should receive the hatchet of my father, to assist him!--At first I looked -upon it as a family quarrel, in which I was not interested--However, at -length it appeared to me, that the father was in the right; and his -children deserved to be punished a little!--That this must be the case, I -concluded from the many cruel acts his off-spring had committed from time -to time, on his Indian children; in encroaching on their land, stealing -their property, shooting at, and murdering without cause, men, women and -children--Yes! even murdering those, who at all times had been friendly to -them, and were placed for protection under the roof of their father's -house--The father himself standing centry at the door, at the time." - -The writer here referred to a number of Pennsylvanian Indians, murdered in -a _jail,_ where they were placed for security against the whites. The -sentry was the jailer. He continued thus: - -"Friends! Often has the father been obliged to settle, and make amends for -the wrongs and mischiefs done to us, by his refractory children, yet these -do not grow better! No! they remain the same, and will continue to be so, -as long as we have any land left us! Look back at the murders committed by -the Long-Knives on many of our relations, who lived peaceable neighbors to -them on the Ohio! Did they not kill them without the least -provocation?--Are they, do you think, better now than they were then?--No, -indeed not; and many days are not elapsed since you had a number of these -very men at your doors, who panted to kill you, but fortunately were -prevented from so doing by the _Great Sun,_ [FN] who, at that time, had -been ordained by the Great Spirit to protect you!" - - * * * * * - - [FN] The name the Indians had given to Col. Daniel Broadhead. - -"Friends and relatives!--Now listen to me, and hear what I have to say to -you.--I am myself come to bid you rise and go with me to a secure place! -Do not, my friends, covet the land you now hold under cultivation. I will -conduct you to a country [FN] equally good, where your fields shall yield -you abundant crops, and where your cattle shall find sufficient pasture; -where there is plenty of game; where your women and children, together -with yourselves, will live in peace and safety; where no Long Knife shall -ever molest you!--Nay! I will live between you and them, and not even -suffer them to frighten you!--There, you can worship your God without -fear!--Here, where you are, you cannot do this!--Think on what I have now -said to you, and believe, that if you stay where you now are, one day or -another the Long-Knives will, in their usual way, speak fine words to you, -and at the same time murder you!" - - * * * * * - - [FN] The Miami country. - - -To this speech the Brethren replied by civilly declining the proposition -of the Orator; and he then offered a new one,--that they should permit all -who wished to leave them, to do so. Thus the matter was settled. -Buckongahelas then proceeded to another village of the Christian -Delawares, Salem, before entering which place he cautioned his warriors to -leave their arms behind them, "lest the women and children should be -frightened." "And destroy nothing," he added, "which belongs to our -friends; no, not even one of their _chickens._" The conference which -ensued with the Salem authorities is thus stated by Mr. Heckewelder, who -was present. - -"The Christian Indians," said the Chieftain, "were a happy people; and he -would never trouble them on account of their not joining in the -war.--Indeed, they could not with propriety join in wars, without first -renouncing praying, [meaning Christianity].--And every Indian, or body of -Indians, had a right to choose for themselves, whom they would serve!--For -him, he had hired himself to his father, the king of England, for the -purpose of fighting against his refractory children, the Long-Knives; -whilst his friends and relations, the Christian Indians, had hired -themselves to the Great Spirit, solely for the purpose of performing -prayers!" [meaning, attending to religion]--"He added, that both were -right in their way, though both employments could not be connected -together. And only yesterday they were told, whilst at Gnadenhutten, that -God had instructed all Christian people to love their enemies--and even to -pray for them!--These words, he said, were written in the large book that -contained the words and commandments of God!--Now, how would it appear, -were we to compel our friends, who love and pray for their enemies, to -fight against them!--compel them to act contrary to what they believe to -be right!--force them to do that by which they would incur the displeasure -of the Great Spirit, and bring his wrath upon them!--That it would be as -wrong in him to compel the Christian Indians to quit praying and turn out -to fight and kill people, as it would be in them to compel him to lay -fighting aside, and turn to praying only!--He had often heard it stated, -that the believing Indians were slaves to their teachers, and what these -commanded them to do, they _must_ do, however disagreeable to them!--Now, -(said he) how can this be true, when every Indian is a free man, and can -go where he pleases!--Can the teacher stop him from going away?--No! he -cannot!--well! how can he then be made a slave by the teacher!--When we -come here among our friends, we see how much they love their -teachers.--This looks Well!--Continue, my friends, (said he to the -national assistants) in loving your teachers, and in doing all good -things; and when your friends and relations come to see you, satisfy their -hunger as you have done to us this day!" [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Narrative of the Christian Indians. - - -Having taken leave of all who were in the house, he proceeded to the -middle of the street, from whence he addressed the inhabitants of the -place and thanked them for their hospitality, assuring them of his regard -and good wishes for them, and adding, that "If at any time they should -hear it said, that Pachgantschihilas was an enemy to the believing -[Christian] Indians; they should consider such words as lies!" - -The reasoning of the Chieftain speaks for itself. His predictions in -regard to the fate of the Christian Delawares, were but too speedily -accomplished. But it was no fault of his; and indeed, in 1783, when -Captain Pipe sent word to him not to suffer any of them to leave his -territory, he returned answer, with his usual spirit, that he never would -prevent them from going to their teachers. "And why did you expect them?" -he added. "Did I not tell you beforehand, that if you drove the teachers -off, the believing Indians would follow them? But you would not listen to -me, and now we lose both! Who, think you, is the cause of all the -disasters, which have befallen these people! _I say you!--You!_ who -threatened them with destruction! _You,_ who instigated the Wyandots to -act the treacherous part they did,--agreeing with them, that, as a -recompense for their services, they should be entitled to all the plunder -they could lay hold of!" - -In Dawson's Memoirs of Harrison, Buckongahelas is mentioned as being -present at a council of the chiefs of various tribes, called at Fort Wayne -in 1803, for the purpose of ratifying a negotiation for land, already -proposed in a former one which met at Vincennes. The Governor carried his -point, chiefly by the aid of an influential Miami chief and by being -"_boldly seconded in every proposition_" by the Pottawatamies, who (as Mr. -Dawson states,) "_were entirely devoted to the Governor._" It is not our -intention here to discuss at length the character of this transaction, -which rather belongs to the general history of the period. How the -Delaware Chief and the Shawanees understood it, and how they expressed -their sentiments, may be inferred from the following statement of -Dawson:-- - -"When the transaction at the council of Vincennes was mentioned, it called -forth all the wrath of the Delawares and the Shawanees. The respected -Buckongahelas so far forgot himself that he interrupted the Governor, and -declared with vehemence, that nothing that was done at Vincennes was -binding upon the Indians; that the land which was there decided to be the -property of the United States, belonged to the Delawares; and that he had -then with him a chief who had been present at the transfer made by the -Piankishaws to the Delawares of all the country between the Ohio and White -rivers, more than thirty years before. The Shawanees went still further, -and behaved with so much insolence, that the Governor was obliged to tell -them that they were undutiful and rebellious children, and that he would -withdraw his protection from them until they had learnt to behave -themselves with more propriety. These Chiefs immediately left the council -house in a body." - -Subsequently the Shawanees submitted, though it does not appear that -Buckongahelas set them the example; and thus, says the historian, the -Governor overcame all opposition, and carried his point. - -But he did not gain the good will, or subdue the haughty independence of -the War-Chief of the Delawares, who, as long as he lived, was at least -consistent with himself in his feelings towards the American people. Nor -yet was he in the slightest degree servile in his attachment to the -British. He was not their instrument or subject, but their ally; and no -longer their ally, than they treated him in a manner suitable to that -capacity and to his own character. - -He was indeed the most distinguished warrior in the Indian confederacy, -and as it was the British interest which had induced the Indians to -commence, as well as to continue the war, Buckongahelas relied on their -support and protection. This support had been given, so far as relates to -provisional arms, and ammunition; and in the celebrated engagement, on the -20th of August, 1794, which resulted in a complete victory by General -Wayne over the combined hostile tribes, there were said to be two -companies of British militia from Detroit on the side of the Indians. -[FN-1] But the gates of Fort Mimms being shut against the retreating and -wounded Indians, after the battle, opened the eyes of Buckongahelas, and -he determined upon an immediate peace with the United States, and a total -abandonment of the British. He assembled his tribe and embarked them in -canoes, with the design of proceeding up the river, and sending a flag of -truce to Fort Wayne. Upon approaching the British fort, he was requested -to land, and he did so. "What have you to say to me?" said he, addressing -the officer of the day. It was replied, that the commanding officer wished -to speak with him. "Then he may come here," was the reply. "He will not do -that," said the officer, "and you will not be suffered to pass the fort if -you do not comply." "What shall prevent me?" said the intrepid Chief. -"These," said the officer, pointing to the cannon of the fort. "I fear not -your cannon," replied the Chief. "After suffering the Americans to defile -[FN-2] your spring, without daring to fire on them, you cannot expect to -frighten Buckongahelas;" and he ordered the canoes to push off, and passed -the fort. - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Dawson's Memoirs. - - [FN-2] This was spoken metaphorically, to express the contempt and insult - with which the garrison had been treated by the Americans, for their - treachery towards the Indians who had been their allies. - - -Never after this would he, like the other chiefs, visit the British, or -receive presents from them. "Had the great Buckongahelas lived," says Mr. -Dawson, alluding to these circumstances, "he would not have suffered the -schemes projected by the Prophet (brother of Tecumseh) to be matured." And -the same writer states, that on his death-bed he earnestly advised his -tribe to rely on the friendship of the United States, and desert the cause -of the British. This was in 1804. - -It is said of Buckongahelas, that no Christian knight ever was more -scrupulous in performing all his engagements. Indeed he had all the -qualifications of a great hero. His perfect Indian independence,--the -independence of a noble _nature,_ unperceived to itself, and unaffected to -others,--is illustrated by an authentic anecdote which will bear -repetition. - -In the year 1785, he was present, with many other chiefs of various -tribes, at a treaty negotiated by order of Congress at Fort McIntosh on -the Ohio river. When the peace-chiefs had addressed the Commissioners of -the United States, who were George Rogers Clark, Arthur Lee, and Richard -Butler, the two latter of whom he did not deign to notice, approaching -General Clark and taking him by the hand, he thus addressed him: "I thank -the Great Spirit for having this day brought together two such great -warriors as Buckongahelas and General Clark." [FN] The sentiment reminds -one of the Little-Carpenter's address to Mr. Bartram:--"I am -Attakullakulla;--did you know it?" - - * * * * * - - [FN] Dawson's Memoirs. - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - - - Some account of the Shawanees, the tribe of Tecumseh--Anecdotes - illustrative of their character--Early history and lineage of - Tecumseh--His first adventures as a warrior--His habits and - principles--His brothers Kumshaka and Elskwatawa--The first open - movements of the latter, in 1806--He assumes the character of - Prophet--His doctrines--His mode of operation upon his countrymen--Other - Indian Pretenders--Anecdote of a Shawanee Chief, at Fort Wayne--Tanner's - account of the ministry of the Elskwatawa's Agents--Concert traced - between them--Witchcraft-superstition--Anecdotes of Teteboxti, The - Crane, Leather-Lips, and others. - - -As the distinguished personage whose history now claims our attention, was -a member of the Kishopoke tribe of the Shawanee nation, a brief account of -that somewhat celebrated community may not be irrelevant in this -connection. - -As their name indicates, they came originally from the _South,_ (that -being the meaning of the Delaware word _Shawaneu;_) and the oldest -individuals of the Mohican tribe, their _elder brother,_ [FN] told Mr. -Heckewelder, they dwelt in the neighborhood of Savannah, in Georgia, and -in the Floridas. "They were a restless people," we are further informed, -"delighting in wars;" and in these they were so constantly engaged, that -their neighbors,--the Cherokees, Choctaws, Creeks, Yamassees, and other -powerful tribes,--finally formed a league, offensive and defensive, for -the express purpose of expelling them from the country. But the Shawanees -were too wise to contend with such an enemy, and they adopted the more -prudent policy of asking permission to leave their territories peaceably, -and migrate northward. This favor being granted them, their main body -settled upon the Ohio; some of them as far up as where the French -afterwards built Fort Duquesne,--now Pittsburg,--others, about the forks -of the Delaware, and a few even upon the site of what is now Philadelphia. - - * * * * * - - [FN] So called, because their separation from the parent stock was one of - the most ancient of which the tradition was distinctly preserved. - Following the same principle, the Delawares themselves have uniformly - given the title of _Uncle_ to the Wyandots. - - -Those who remained on the Ohio becoming numerous and powerful, it was not -long before they crossed the Allegheny mountains, and fell upon a -settlement of the Delawares, on the Juniata,--of which very people, their -_grandfather,_ they had solicited peace and protection, through the -interposition of the Mohicans, on their first arrival in the country. -Murders were committed, plunder was carried off, and a war ensued. As soon -as this could be disposed of, they engaged in the French war, which broke -out in 1755, against the English. That being terminated in 1763, and the -tribe being elated by its increased numbers, and by the strong confederacy -now established between themselves and the Delawares, they commenced -hostilities against the Cherokees. In the course of this war, the latter -occasionally pursued the aggressors into the Delaware territories, and -thus that nation was aroused again. The union of forces which ensued, -added to the already existing hostility of the Five Nations, proved too -much for the Cherokees, and in 1768, they solicited and obtained a peace. -Owing chiefly to the influence of the Delawares, the Shawanees were now -kept quiet for the unusually long term of six years, when they were -involved in a war with the people of Virginia,--then comprising -Kentucky,--occasioned by the noted murders committed upon Logan's -relations and others, by white people. The burning of some of their -villages had scarcely driven them to a sort of truce with mis new enemy, -when the war of the Revolution commenced, in which they allied themselves -with the English, and continued openly hostile, notwithstanding the peace -of 1783, until the famous victory of General Wayne, in 1795. - -Their reputation as warriors suffered nothing during all this long series -of hostile operations. The first settlers of Kentucky were molested and -harassed by them, more than by any other tribe. Boone, who was taken -captive by them in 1778, saw four hundred and fifty of their warriors -mustered at one place,--still called Chilicothe,--ready for a foray among -the white settlements, which soon after ensued. Marshall, in his History -of Kentucky, gives the particulars of an expedition against them, the -season after this, in which, "many of the best men in the country were -privates;" the invaders were defeated and driven off, and nearly two -hundred of them pursued with considerable loss, by about thirty of the -Shawanees. "Of all the Indians who had been marauding in the country," the -same writer observes elsewhere, "the Shawanees had been the most -mischievous, as they were the most active." Loskiel represents the tribe -in question as "the most _savage_ of the Indian nations." - -An incident, showing the disposition which they manifested, even at this -period, (1773,) towards their American neighbors, may throw some light -upon their character, and upon subsequent events. The celebrated -missionary, Zeisberger, visited some of their settlements, during the year -last named, in the hope of establishing a mission among them. At one of -their villages, he met with the head-chief of the tribe. The latter gave -him his hand and addressed him: "This day," said he, "the Great Spirit has -ordered that we should see and speak with each other, face to face." He -then entered into a long detail of the practices of the white people, -describing their manner of deceiving the Indians, and finally affirmed -that they were all alike,--all hypocrites and knaves. The Missionary made -some reply to these charges, but the Chief was "so exceedingly exasperated -against the white people," adds Loskiel, "that brother Zeisberger's -exhortation seemed to have little weight with him." He at length gave the -Preacher permission to visit the other Shawanee towns, taking care to -suggest, as a parting word of comfort, that he must rely upon having his -brains beat out very speedily. Thirty years previous to this, when Count -Zinzendorff himself went among the Wyoming Shawanees, to convert them, -they rewarded that pious pilgrim for his labor of love, by conspiring to -murder him; but, by a fortunate accident, he escaped safe from their -hands. - -On the whole, setting aside for the present the history of this nation for -the last thirty years, during which we have suffered most from them, it -would seem that a more warlike or more hostile people has scarcely existed -upon the continent. Where, rather than here, should we look for the birth -and education of Tecumseh, [FN] the modern Philip, and when, rather than -at the stormy period of the Revolution? Probably, at the very time when -the troops of our Congress (in 1780,) were expelling them westward from -the river Scioto, and burning their villages behind them, the young hero, -who afterwards kindled the flame of war upon the entire frontier of the -States, by the breath of his own single spirit, was learning his first -lessons of vengeance amid the ruins of his native land, and in the blood -of his countrymen. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Pronounced by the Indians _Tecumthe_ and sometimes so written. - - -His native land, we say, for it is tolerably well ascertained that he was -born on the banks of the Scioto, near Chilicothe. His father, who was a -noted Shawanee warrior, fell at the battle of Kenhawa, while Tecumseh was -yet a mere boy. His mother is said by some to have been a Shawanee, and by -others a Creek; but he is understood himself to have told a gentleman at -Vincennes, in 1810, that she was a Cherokee, who had been taken prisoner -in a war between that nation and the Shawanees, and adopted, according to -Indian custom, into a family of the latter nation which resided near the -Miami of the Lake. This account is confirmed by the circumstance of this -woman having migrated into the Cherokee territory in advanced age, and -died there. The _totem_ of her tribe is said to have been a turtle, and -that of the father's a tiger. - -From all the information which can now be gathered respecting the early -years of Tecumseh, it appears that he gave striking evidence in his -boyhood of the singular spirit which characterized him through life. He -was distinguished for a steady adherence to principle, and generally to -that of the best kind. He prided himself upon his temperance and his -truth, maintaining an uncommon reputation for integrity, and, what is -still rarer among his countrymen, never indulging in the excessive use of -food or liquor. He would not marry until long after the customary period; -and then, as a matter of necessity, in consequence of the solicitations of -friends, he connected himself with an elderly female, who was, perhaps, -not the handsomest or most agreeable lady in the world, but nevertheless -bore him one child, his only offspring. With this exception, he adopted in -his matrimonial life, the _practices_ of the sect of Shakers, whose -_principles,_ as is well known, were afterwards so strenuously promulgated -by his brother, the Prophet, that a certain prime functionary in that -denomination gave him the credit of being as good a disciple as himself. -[FN] Whether there was an express concert or actual cooperation between -the two, at this early period, respecting this or any other project or -policy in which they subsequently engaged together, does not appear to be -positively ascertained. - - * * * * * - - [FN] See an authority cited at large in the following pages. - - -It is not to be supposed, that any remarkable achievements of the young -warrior in his first battles, should be preserved on record. Some -Shawanees have said that he made his _debut_ in an engagement with the -Kentucky troops, which took place on the banks of Mad River; that in the -heat of the skirmish he most ungallantly turned right-about-face, and made -the best of his way from the field, with all possible diligence,--and that -too while one of his brothers stood his ground with the other Indians, and -fought till he was wounded and carried off. It must be admitted, this was -not so creditable a proceeding as may be conceived; but the extreme youth -of the party goes some way to explain, as his subsequent conduct did to -excuse it. - -But from this time, whatever might be his animal courage, he was never -known to shrink. Indeed, previously to the treaty of Greenville, (in 1795) -when he was probably about twenty-five years of age, he is said to have -signalized himself so much, as to have been reputed one of the boldest of -the Indian warriors. No individual was more regularly engaged in those -terrible incursions by which the first settlers of Kentucky were so much -harassed; and few could boast of having intercepted so many boats on the -Ohio river, or plundered so many houses on the civilized shore. He was -sometimes pursued, but never overtaken. If the enemy advanced into his own -country, he retreated to the banks of the Wabash, until the storm had -passed by; and then, just as they were laying aside the sword for the axe -and plough-share, swooped down upon them again in their own settlements. -It goes to show the disinterested generosity always ascribed to him, that, -although the booty collected in the course of these adventures must have -been very considerable in quantity and value, he rarely retained any -portion of it for his own use. His ruling passion was the love of glory, -as that of his followers was the love of gain; and, of course, a -compromise could always be effected between them, to the perfect -satisfaction of both parties. He was a feudal baron among boors. It -remained for subsequent occasions, then little dreamed of to show that his -temperament, like his talent, was even better adapted to the management of -a large engagement, than to the _melee_ of a small one. - -We have now arrived at an epoch in his life, when it is no longer possible -to give his own history to much advantage, but by connecting it with that -of his celebrated brother, the Prophet already mentioned. The name of this -personage was Elskwatawa. [FN] He and Tecumseh, and still another, -Kumshaka, were the offspring of the same mother at the same birth. -Probably there was an understanding between the three, at an early date, -respecting the great plans which the prophet and the orator afterwards -carried into execution; but as we hear little or nothing of the subsequent -co-operation of Kumshaka, it may be presumed that he did not -live,--employment would certainly have been found for him, if he had. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Meaning, says Mr. Schoolcraft, _a fire that is moved from place to - place._ Elsewhere we find him called Olliwayshila, on good authority. A - compromise may be effected, by suggesting that he assumed various names - at various periods. - - -It is said to have been about the year 1804, when the two brothers, who -afterwards acted so prominently together, first conceived the project of -uniting all the western Indians in a defensive and perhaps belligerent -combination against the Americans. The probable inducements in their minds -to the adoption of that policy, being rather a matter of speculation than -history, will be left for subsequent comment. The course actually taken to -effect the proposed object admits of little controversy. Elskwatawa -summarily undertook to personate a religious character, and began -preaching in the summer of 1804. - -He inculcated, in the first place, that a radical reform was necessary in -the manners of the red people. This was proved, by enlarging upon the -evils which had ensued from the neighborhood of the whites,--the imitation -of their dress and manners, the introduction of ardent spirits, diseases, -contentions, and wars; by the vast diminution of the means of subsistence, -and the narrowed limits of territory to which they were now hemmed in; and -by other considerations of the most irritating, as well as plausible kind, -the force of which was not at all lessened by occasional comment on -particular transactions, and glowing references to the long, peaceful, and -happy lives of their forefathers. That point being gained, and a favorable -excitement produced, the next thing in order was his own commission from -the Great Spirit. This was authenticated by the astonishing miracles he -was able to perform, and still more by the great benefits he proposed to -confer on his followers. - -The budget of reform was then brought forward. There was to be no more -fighting between the tribes,--they were brethren. They were to abandon the -use of ardent spirits, and to wear skins, as their ancestors had done, -instead of blankets. Stealing, quarreling, and other immoral modern habits -were denounced. Injunctions of minor importance seem to have been enforced -merely with a view to test the pliability of savage superstition, to -embarrass the jealous scrutiny of those who opposed or doubted, and to -establish a superficial uniformity whereby the true believers should be -readily distinguished. The policy of the more prominent tenets cannot be -mistaken. Just in proportion to their observance, they must inevitably -promote the independence of the Indian nations, first, by diminishing -their dependence upon the whites, and, secondly, by increasing their -intercourse and harmony with each other. - -In addressing himself to such subjects, with such a system, Elskwatawa -could hardly fail of success. For some years, indeed, his converts were -few; for, great as the influence is which a man of his pretentions -exercises over his ignorant countrymen, when his reputation is once fairly -acquired, it is by no means so easy an undertaking to establish it in the -outset. - -The means used by Elskwatawa, or by him and Tecumseh in concert, to effect -the object in his own case, are more indicative of the talent of both, -than the conception of the policy itself, which was comparatively -common-place. A prophet is a familiar character among the Indians, and -always has been. "The American impostors," said Charlevoix, "are not -behind-hand with any in this point; and as by chance (if we will not allow -the devil any share in it,) they sometimes happen to divine or guess -pretty right, they acquire by this a great reputation, and are reckoned -_genii_ of the first order." Mr. Tanner, who has recently published a -narrative of his thirty years' residence among the Indians, gives -incidental accounts of as many as three or four pretenders, who, indeed, -judging from the time of their appearance, may fairly be considered as -emissaries of Elskwatawa and Tecumseh. The former had an immediate -predecessor among the Delawares, a notorious preacher named Wangomend, -[FN] who began his career in 1766. This man wholly _failed,_ as did most -of the others; and the result is so common in similar cases, that it -becomes the more interesting to ascertain how the inspired candidate now -under consideration _succeeded._ - - * * * * * - - [FN] Or Wingemund; the same man mentioned in the life of White-Eyes, as - having protected Mr. Heckewelder on his journey through the woods. - - -Tecumseh was, of course, his first convert and most devoted disciple, but -some of their relatives or particular friends soon followed in his train. -The wary intriguant then most wisely commenced operations upon the residue -of his own tribe. Previous to any violent promulgation of the doctrines -already stated, he gained their attention and flattered their pride, by -reviving a favorite tradition which made them the most ancient and -respectable people on the globe. The particulars cannot be better -understood than from the representation of an old Shawanee Chief; who, in -1803, harangued a council at Fort Wayne upon the subject. - -"The Master of Life," said he, very proudly, "who was himself an Indian, -made the Shawanees before any others of the human race, and _they_ sprang -from his brain." He added, that the Master of Life "gave them all the -knowledge which he himself possessed; that he placed them upon the great -island; and that all the other red people were descended from the -Shawanees:--that after he had made the Shawanees, he made the French and -English out of his breast, and the Dutch out of his feet; and for your -Long-Knives kind," said he, addressing himself to the Governor, "he made -them out of his hands. All these inferior races of men he made white, and -placed them beyond the great lake,"--meaning the Atlantic Ocean. - -"The Shawanees for many ages continued to be masters of the continent, -using the knowledge which they had received from the Great Spirit, in such -a manner as to be pleasing to him, and to secure their own happiness. In a -great length of time, however, they became corrupt, and the Master of Life -told them he would take away from them the knowledge they possessed, and -give it to the white people, to be restored when, by a return to good -principles, they would deserve it. Many years after that, they saw -something white approaching their shores; at first they took it for a -great bird, but they soon found it to be a monstrous canoe, filled with -the very people who had got the knowledge which belonged to the Shawanees. -After these white people landed, they were not content with having the -knowledge which belonged to the Shawanees, but they usurped their lands -also. They pretended, indeed, to have purchased these lands; but the very -goods which they gave for them was more the property of the Indians than -the white people, because the knowledge which enabled them to manufacture -these goods actually belonged to the Shawanees. But these things will soon -have an end. The Master of Life is about to restore to the Shawanees both -their knowledge and their rights, and he will trample the Long-Knives -under his feet." - -This speaker was supposed to be in the British interest, and to have been -sent to Fort Wayne for the purpose of preventing a negotiation expected to -be there settled. The probability is, that he derived his ideas of -Shawanee dignity from the preaching of Elskwatawa. But the latter had more -good sense than personally to _continue_ the same strain, after having -secured about one hundred followers by the use of it. It was then -abandoned, and other inducements and arguments brought forward, of a wider -application. Some of the Shawanees grew cool and deserted him, but he -still persevered. His brother was indefatigable in his cooperation; other -agents and instruments were set to work; and stragglers of various tribes -soon flocked to his quarters at Greenville from every direction. - -The minutiae of this proselyting or electioneering system are so well -developed in the faithful and simple narrative of Tanner, as to justify -extracting his account at length. It cannot fail to give a much clearer -idea of the mode of operation, than any exposition whatever in general -terms. The locality, it will be observed, is a quite remote one:-- - -"It was while I was living here at Great Wood River, that news came of a -great man among the Shawanees, who had been favored by a revelation of the -mind and will of the Great Spirit. I was hunting in the prairie, at a -great distance from my lodge, when I saw a stranger approaching; at first -I was apprehensive of an enemy, but, as he drew nearer, his dress showed -him to be an Ojibbeway [Chippeway;] but when he came up, there was -something very strange and peculiar in his manner. He signified to me that -I must go home, but gave no explanation of the cause. He refused to look -at me, or enter into any kind of conversation. I thought he must be crazy, -but nevertheless accompanied him to my lodge. When we had smoked, he -remained a long time silent, but at last began to tell me he had come with -a message from the prophet of the Shawnees, 'Henceforth,' said he, 'the -fire must never be suffered to go out in your lodge. Summer and winter, -day and night, in the storm, or when it is calm, you must remember that -the life in your body, and the fire in your lodge, are the same, and of -the same date. If you suffer your fire to be extinguished, at that moment -your life will be at its end. You must not suffer a dog to live. You must -never strike either a man, a woman, a child, or a dog. The prophet himself -is coming to shake hands with you; but I have come before, that you may -know what is the will of the Great Spirit, communicated to us by him, and -to inform you that the preservation, of your life, for a single moment, -depends on your entire obedience. _From this time forward, we are neither -to be drunk, to steal, to lie, or to go against our enemies._ While we -yield an entire obedience to these commands of the Great Spirit, the -Sioux, even if they come to our country, will not be able to see us; we -shall be protected and made happy.' I listened to all he had to say, but -told him, in answer, that I could not believe we should all die, in case -our fire went out; in many instances, also, it would be difficult to avoid -punishing our children; our dogs were useful in aiding us to hunt and take -animals, so that I could not believe the Great Spirit had any wish to take -them from us. He continued talking to us until late at night; then he lay -down to sleep in my lodge. I happened to wake first in the morning, and -perceiving the fire had gone out, I called him to get up, and see how many -of us were living, and how many dead. He was prepared for the ridicule I -attempted to throw upon his doctrine, and told me that I had not yet -shaken hands with the prophet. His visit had been to prepare me for this -important event, and to make me aware of the obligations and risks I -should incur by entering into the engagement implied in taking in my hand -the message of the prophet. I did not rest entirely easy in my unbelief. -The Indians, generally, received the doctrine of this man with great -humility and fear. Distress and anxiety were visible in every countenance. -Many killed their dogs, and endeavored to practice obedience to all the -commands of this new preacher, who still remained among us. But, as was -usual with me, in any emergency of this kind, I went to the traders, -firmly believing, that if the Deity had any communications to make to men, -they would be given, in the first instance, to white men. The traders -ridiculed and despised the idea of a new revelation of the Divine will, -and the thought that it should be given to a poor Shawnee. Thus was I -confirmed in my infidelity. Nevertheless, I did not openly avow my -unbelief to the Indians, only I refused to kill my dogs, and showed no -great degree of anxiety to comply with his other requirements. As long as -I remained among the Indians, I made it my business to conform, as far as -appeared consistent with my immediate convenience and comfort, with all -their customs. Many of their ideas I have adopted; but I always found -among them opinions which I could not hold. The Ojibbeway whom I have -mentioned, remained some time among the Indians in my neighborhood, and -gained the attention of the principal men so effectually, that a time was -appointed, and a lodge prepared, for the solemn and public espousing of -the doctrines of the prophet. When the people, and I among them, were -brought into the long lodge, prepared for this solemnity, we saw something -carefully concealed under a blanket, in figure and dimensions bearing some -resemblance to the form of a man. This was accompanied by two young men, -who, it was understood, attended constantly upon it, made its bed at -night, as for a man, and slept near it. But while we remained, no one went -near it, or raised the blanket which was spread over its unknown contents. -Four strings of mouldy and discolored beans were all the remaining visible -insignia of this important mission. After a long harangue, in which the -prominent features of the new revelation were stated and urged upon the -attention of all, the four strings of beans, which we were told were made -of the flesh itself of the prophet, were carried, with much solemnity, to -each man in the lodge, and he was expected to take hold of each string at -the top, and draw them gently through his hand. This was called shaking -hands with the prophet, and was considered as solemnly engaging to obey -his injunctions, and accept his mission as from the Supreme. All the -Indians who touched the beans, had previously killed their dogs; they gave -up their medicine-bags, [a _charm,_] and showed a disposition to comply -with all that should be required of them. - -"We had already been for some time assembled in considerable numbers; much -agitation and terror had prevailed among us, and now famine began to be -felt. The faces of men wore an aspect of unusual gloominess; the active -became indolent, and the spirits of the bravest seemed to be subdued. I -started to hunt with my dogs, which I had constantly refused to kill, or -suffer to be killed. By their assistance, I found and killed a bear. On -returning home, I said to some of the Indians, 'Has not the Great Spirit -given us our dogs to aid us in procuring what is needful for the support -of our life, and can you believe he wishes now to deprive us of their -services? The prophet, we are told, has forbid us to suffer our fire to be -extinguished in our lodges, and when we travel or hunt, he will not allow -us to use a flint and steel, and we are told he requires that no man -should give fire to another. Can it please the Great Spirit that we should -lie in our hunting-camps without fire; or is it more agreeable to him that -we should make fire by rubbing together two sticks, than with a flint and -a piece of steel?' But they would not listen to me, and the serious -enthusiasm which prevailed among them so far affected me, that I threw -away my flint and steel, laid aside my medicine-bag, and, in many -particulars, complied with the new doctrines; but I would not kill my -dogs. I soon learned to kindle a fire by rubbing some dry cedar, which I -was careful always to carry about me; but the discontinuance of the use of -flint and steel subjected many of the Indians to much inconvenience and -suffering. The influence of the Shawnee prophet was very sensibly and -painfully felt by the remotest Ojibbeways of whom I had any knowledge; but -it was not the common impression among them, that his doctrines had any -tendency to unite them in the accomplishment of any human purpose. For two -or three years, drunkenness was much less frequent than formerly; war was -less thought of; and the entire aspect of affairs among them was somewhat -changed by the influence of one man. But gradually the impression was -obliterated; medicine-bags, flints and steels were resumed, dogs were -raised, and women and children were beaten as before." - -The following passage occurs in a subsequent part of Tanner's volume, -referring to a date about two years later than the one just quoted. The -writer evidently had but little suspicion of a connection between the -second impostor and the first, and we have as little doubt of it. The -Prophet renewed his labors in another form, as fast as the former -impression, to use Tanner's words, was "obliterated." The unpopular -injunctions, only, were omitted in the second edition, while all the -substantial ones, it will be observed, were retained:-- - -"In the spring of the year, after we had assembled at the trading-house at -Pembinah, the chiefs built a great lodge, and called all the men together -to receive some information concerning the newly revealed will of the -Great Spirit. The messenger of this revelation, was Manito-o-geezhik, a -man of no great fame, but well known to most of the Ojibbeways of that -country. He had disappeared for about one year, and in that time, he -pretended to have visited the abode of the Great Spirit, and to have -listened to his instructions, though some of the traders informed me, he -had only been to St. Louis, on the Mississippi. - -"The Little Clam took it upon him to explain the object of the meeting. He -then sung and prayed, and proceeded to detail the principal features of -the revelation to Manito-o-geezhik. _The Indians were no more to go -against their enemies; they must no longer steal, defraud, or lie; they -must neither be drunk, nor eat their food, nor drink their broth when it -was hot. Few of the injunctions of Manito-o-geezhik were troublesome, or -difficult of observance, like those of the Shawnee prophet._ Many of the -maxims and instructions communicated to the Indians, at this time, were of -a kind to be permanently and valuably useful to them; and the effect of -their influence was manifest for two or three years, in the more orderly -conduct, and somewhat amended condition of the Indians." - -Disaffection and indifference were not the only obstacles the Prophet and -his brother were obliged to surmount. The chiefs of most of the tribes -were their resolute opponents. They were jealous or suspicious of the new -pretenders, ridiculed and reproached them, and thwarted their exertions in -every possible way. What was to be done with these persons? Elskwatawa -availed himself of a new department of that unfailing superstition which -had hitherto befriended him; and a charge of _witchcraft_ was brought up. -His satellites and scouts being engaged in all directions in ascertaining -who were, or were likely to be, his friends or his enemies, it was readily -determined, at head-quarters, who should be accused. Judge, jury and -testimony were also provided with the same ease. He had already taken such -means of gaining the implicit confidence of his votaries, that his own -suggestions were considered the best possible evidence, and the most -infallible decision; and the optics of his followers becoming every day -more keen, upon his authority, there was do want of the most suitable -convicts. - -When the excitement had grown to such a height as to ensure the success of -his scheme, he went the length of declaring, that the Great Spirit had -directly endowed him with the power of pointing out, not only those who -were in full possession of the diabolical art, but those who were -impregnated with the least tincture of the diabolical disposition,--let -them be old or young, male or female. This convenient arrangement proving -perfectly satisfactory, he had only to speak the word,--or, as Heckewelder -expresses it, even to nod,--and the pile was prepared for whomsoever he -thought proper to devote. The Indians universally have an extreme horror -of a wizard or a witch, which no reputation, rank, age, or services, are -sufficient to counteract; and of course, resistance or remonstrance on the -part even of an accused chieftain, only went to exasperate and hasten the -sure destruction which awaited him. - -Among the sufferers were several noted Delawares, including the venerable -Chief, Teteboxti, whose head had been bleached with more than eighty -winters. On being brought to the place of execution, he was told that if -he would confess his crime, and give up his medicine-bag, [FN] he would be -pardoned. Upon this he "confessed," and said his medicine-bag would be -found under a certain stone which he described. The stone was examined, -but nothing was found. Other places were named in succession, and search -made to as little purpose. It therefore became evident that he only wished -to procrastinate. He was bound, and the fire about to be kindled, when a -young man, more merciful than the rest, terminated his existence with the -tomahawk. - - * * * * * - - [FN] This was supposed to contain tobacco, bones, and other simple - matters necessary to the incantations of the sorcerers; and when they - were deprived of them, they were supposed to be incapable of further - mischief. - - -Another of the accused was named Billy Patterson. He had resided many -years with the whites, and learned so much of the business of a gun-smith, -as to be enabled to repair the guns of the Indians; but neither his -usefulness nor his irreproachable life could save him. The same offer was -made to him which was made to Teteboxti. He boldly answered that he had -nothing to confess,--that he was a Christian, and had no connexion with -the devil. "You have," said he, "intimidated one poor old man, but you -cannot frighten me; proceed, and you shall see how a Christian and a -warrior can die;" and, with a small hymn-book in his hand, he continued to -sing and pray till his voice was stifled by the flames. - -Another eminent victim was the Wyandot Chief known by the English name of -_Leather-Lips,_ whose Indian appellation, Shateyaronrah, appears among the -signatures to Wayne's famous treaty of Greenville. He was sixty-three -years of age, had sustained a most exemplary moral character, and was -particularly attached to the American cause, as opposed to the English. -The latter circumstance throws some light upon his fate. But whatever the -accusation or the evidence was,--and probably the one constituted the -other,--orders were given to an influential chief, [FN-1] of the same -nation with the convict, in the Prophet's service, who, with four other -Indians, immediately started off in quest of him. He was found at home, -and notified of the sentence which had been passed upon him. He entreated, -reasoned and promised, but all in vain. The inexorable messengers of death -set about digging his grave, by the side of his wigwam. He now dressed -himself with his finest war-clothes, and, having refreshed himself with a -hasty meal of venison, knelt down on the brink of the grave. His -executioner knelt with him, and offered up a prayer to the Great Spirit in -his behalf. This was the last ceremony. The Indians withdrew a few paces, -and seated themselves around him on the ground, "The old Chief" says the -original describer of this horrid scene, [FN-2] "inclined forward, resting -his face upon his hand, his hand upon his knees. While thus seated, one of -the young Indians came up, and struck him twice with the tomahawk. For -some time, he lay senseless on the ground, the only remaining evidence of -life being a feint respiration. The Indians all stood around in solemn -silence. Finding him to breathe longer than they expected, they called -upon the whites (one or two of whom were spectators,) to take notice how -hard he died; pronounced him a wizard,--no good,--then struck him again, -and terminated his existence. The office of burial was soon performed." We -have given these particulars, disagreeable as they are, to illustrate more -clearly the astonishing influence of the Prophet, as well as the means by -which he obtained it. The executioners in this case were apparently -sincere and conscientious men; and one of the party was a _brother_ of the -victim. - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Tarhe, or The Crane, said to be the oldest Indian at this time in - the western country. He lived at Upper Sandusky, about one hundred miles - from the mouth of Detroit river, and was principal chief of the Porcupine - Wyandots, who resided at that place. More will be seen of him hereafter. - - [FN-2] A correspondent cited in the _History of the Indian Nations._ - - -It is not to be presumed, that the Prophet was, in all these instances, -without the assistance of his brother, though the latter was for the -present acting his part chiefly behind the curtain. But Tecumseh seems -rather to have favored a different system, if he did not oppose this; and -accordingly we find that about the time when most of the Kickapoos joined -the Indian Confederation, one of their leading men, a chieftain, opposed -to the new-fangled doctrine and policy, was quietly disabled by being -reduced to a private capacity. Again, an Indian scout, sent to the -Prophet's encampment, in 1810, by an American authority, to gain -information of his designs, reported that the same course had been taken -among that proverbially warlike tribe, the Winnebagoes; and that one of -_their_ old chiefs had told him, with tears in his eyes, that the other -village sachems were _divested of their power,_ and that every thing was -managed by the warriors. A more audacious proposal, to murder all the -principal chiefs of several tribes, was covertly circulated at one time. -These were the men, it was said, who had bartered the Indian territory -away for a song, and had traitorously connived at the inroads and -trespasses of the settlers. - -This suggestion bears marks of the energy and courage of Tecumseh, as -decidedly as the witchcraft policy does of the cunning and ingenuity of -the Prophet. There is an anecdote recorded of the former, which would lead -us to the same inference respecting his character. - -Two or three years after the bloody transactions just detailed, which -happened chiefly in 1807, Tecumseh had a conference, (to be noticed more -fully hereafter) with Governor Harrison of Indiana, at Vincennes. On that -occasion, being charged with hostile designs against the Americans, he -disclaimed them. A Potawatamie, called the Dead Chief, from being deaf, -was present, but did not learn what passed until the next day. He then -came to the Governor, and asked him why he had not been called upon to -confront Tecumseh, in relation to those charges. He said he should have -been very willing to assert the truth in the presence of the brothers and -their followers. This declaration being made in the presence of several -Indians, soon came to the knowledge of Tecumseh, who gave directions to -his brother, to have the Potawatamie killed on his return home. A friend -of the latter informed him of his danger, but, no way alarmed, the -intrepid Chief returned to his family, who were encamped on the bank of -the Wabash, opposite Vincennes, and having put on his war-dress, and -painted himself in the best style of a warrior, he seized his rifle, his -tomahawk, war-club, and scalping-knife, and thus equipped, paddled over in -his canoe to the camp of Tecumseh. The Governor's interpreter, Mr. Baron, -was at that time in the tent of the latter. As soon as the Potawatamie -came near it, he upbraided Tecumseh for having given the order to -assassinate him, as cowardly, and unworthy of a warrior; "but here I am -now," said he, "come and kill me." Tecumseh made no answer. "You and your -men," he added, "can kill the white people's hogs, and call them bears, -but you dare not face a warrior." Tecumseh still remaining silent, he -heaped upon him every insult that could provoke him to fight. He -reproached him with being the slave of the "red-coats," (the British,) and -finally applied to him a term of reproach which can never be forgotten by -an Indian. During the whole time, Tecumseh seemed not in the least to -regard him, but continued to converse with Mr. Baron. Wearied, at length, -with his useless efforts to draw out his adversary, he gave the war-whoop -of defiance, and paddled on in his canoe. There is reason, adds our -authority, to believe that the order of Tecumseh was obeyed. _The Dead -Chief was no more seen at Vincennes._ [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Dawson's Memoirs of Harrison. - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - - - History of Tecumseh and the Prophet continued--The latter encamps at - Tippecanoe---Sends a message to Governor Harrison--Visits him at - Vincennes--Increase of his forces--Attention of the General Government - aroused--Tecumseh visits the Governor--His speech, and journey - southward--Battle of Tippecanoe, November, 1811--Consequences of - it--Indian Council at Mississiniway--Council at Malden--Speeches and - Anecdotes of the Crane, Walk-in-the-Water, Round-Head, and other - Chiefs--Sequel of the history of the two brothers--Final exertions of - Tecumseh--His death--The death of the Prophet. - - -To resume our narrative;--such reports came to the ears of Governor -Harrison, during the year 1807, respecting the movements of the Indians, -and especially those of the Prophet in pursuit of his victims, that he -thought proper to send a "speech" to the Shawanese chiefs, couched in very -severe terms. Most of those addressed being absent, the necessity of -replying devolved on the Prophet, and he requested the messenger to indite -for mm the following address: - -"Father! - -"I am very sorry that you listen to the advice of bad birds. You have -impeached me with having correspondence with the British; and with calling -and sending for the Indians from the most distant parts of the country, -'to listen to a fool that speaks not the words of the Great Spirit, but -the words of the devil.' Father! these impeachments I deny, and say they -are not true. I never had a word with the British, and I never sent for -any Indians. They came here themselves, to listen and hear the words of -the Great Spirit. - -"Father! I wish you would not listen any more to the voice of bad birds; -and you may rest assured that it is the least of our idea to make -disturbance, and we will rather try to stop such proceedings than -encourage them." - -The year 1808 opened with immense numbers of Indians from the lakes -crowding round the neighborhood of Fort Wayne. Their attendance on the -Prophet, the year previous, had induced them to neglect raising corn, and -they now found themselves in a state of starvation. It was considered -necessary by the Governor, to supply them with food, lest hunger might -drive them to extremities, and to marauding upon the frontier settlers of -the United States; and he therefore sent orders to the Agent at Fort Wayne -to allow them provisions from the public stores. - -In May or June of the season just mentioned, the Prophet selected, for his -future and permanent residence, a spot on the upper part of the Wabash, -which was called Tippecanoe. He removed thither, and his motley forces -moved after him. These now consisted of some thirty or forty Shawanees, -with about one hundred Potawatamies, Chippewas, Ottawas and Winnebagoes. -The manoeuvre met with no little opposition. Some of the Miamies, and -Delawares in particular, had been determined to prevent it, and they sent -a deputation of chiefs to effect that purpose; but the Prophet would not -even see them, and Tecumseh, who encountered them on the way, gave them -such a reception as at once altered their disposition to advance any -farther in the business. - -In July the Prophet sent a pacific message to Governor Harrison, -complaining bitterly of the manner in which he had been misrepresented, -and proposing to visit the Governor in person. He fulfilled this promise -during the next month, and spent a fortnight at Vincennes. Long -conferences and conversations ensued, but it could not be ascertained that -his politics were particularly British. His denial of his being under any -such influence, was strong and apparently candid. He said that his sole -object was to reclaim the Indians from the bad habits which they had -contracted, and to cause them to live in peace and friendship with all -mankind, and that he was particularly appointed to that office by the -Great Spirit. He frequently, in presence of the Governor, harangued his -followers, and his constant theme was the evils arising from war and from -the immoderate use of ardent spirits. His farewell speech exhibits the -view of his system which he chose to promulgate at Vincennes. - -"Father! - -"It is three years since I first began with that system of religion which -I now practice. The white people and some of the Indians were against me; -but I had no other intention but to introduce among the Indians those good -principles of religion which the white people profess. I was spoken badly -of by the white people, who reproached me with misleading the Indians; but -I defy them to say that I did anything amiss. - -"Father!--I was told that yon intended to hang me. When I heard this, I -intended to remember it, and tell my father, when I went to see him, and -relate to him the truth. - -"I heard, when I settled on the Wabash, that my father, the Governor, had -declared that all the land between Vincennes and Fort Wayne was the -property of the Seventeen Fires. - -"I also heard that you wanted to know, my father, whether I was God or -man; and that you said, if I was the former, I should not steal horses. I -heard this from Mr. Wells, but I believe it originated with himself. - -"The Great Spirit told me to tell the Indians, that he had made them and -made the world--that he had placed them on it to do good, and not evil. - -"I told all the red-skins that the way they were in was not good, and that -they ought to abandon it. I said that we ought to consider ourselves as -one man, but to live agreeable to our several customs, the red people -after their mode, and the white people after theirs. Particularly that -they should not drink whiskey--that it was not made for them, but the -white people, who alone know how to use it--that it is the cause of all -the mischiefs which the Indians suffer; and that they must always follow -the directions of the Great Spirit, and we must listen to him, as it was -he that has made us. - -"Brothers!--Listen to nothing that is bad. Do not take up the tomahawk, -should it be offered by the British, or by the Long-Knives. Do not meddle -with any thing that does not belong to you, but mind your own business, -and cultivate the ground, that your women and your children may have -enough to live on. I now inform you that it is our intention to live in -peace with our father and his people forever. - -"My father!--I have informed you what we mean to do, and I call the Great -Spirit to witness the truth of my declaration. The religion which I have -established for the last three years, has been attended to by the -different tribes of Indians in this part of the world. Those Indians were -once different people; they are now but one; they are all determined to -practice what I have communicated to them, that has come immediately from -the Great Spirit through me. - -"Brother!--I speak to you as a warrior. You are one. But let us lay aside -this character, and attend to the care of our children, that they may live -in comfort and peace. We desire that you will join us for the preservation -of both red and white people. Formerly, when we lived in ignorance, we -were foolish; but now, since we listen to the voice of the Great Spirit, -we are happy. - -"I have listened to what you have said to us. You have promised to assist -us. I now request you, in behalf of all the red people, to use your -exertions to prevent the sale of liquor to us. We are all well pleased to -hear you say that you will endeavor to promote our happiness. We give you -every assurance that we will follow the dictates of the Great Spirit. - -"We are all well pleased with the attention that you have showed us; also -with the good intentions of our father, the President. If you give us a -few articles, such as needles, flints, hoes, powder, and other things, we -shall be able to take the animals that afford us meat with powder and -ball." - -After this affair, nothing material occurred till the latter part of -April, 1810, when the Governor received information that the Prophet was -again exciting the Indians to hostilities against the United States. A -trader, of undoubted veracity, who had been for some time at the residence -of the impostor, assured him, (the Governor,) that the Prophet had at -least a thousand souls under his control--perhaps from three hundred and -fifty to four hundred men--principally composed of Kickapoos and -Winnebagoes, but with a considerable number of Potawatamies and Shawanees, -and a few Chippewas and Ottawas. About the middle of May, rumor magnified -this force to six or eight hundred warriors, and the combination was said -to extend to all the tribes between Illinois river and Lake Michigan,--the -Wyandots, and the Sacs and Foxes being among the number. Still, nothing -could be distinctly proved against the Prophet. Governor Harrison sent for -the leading member of the Shaker society, who resided about twenty miles -from Vincennes, and endeavored to prevail on him to take a speech to the -Prophet, who affected to follow the Shaker principles in every thing but -the vow of celibacy; and this leader of the Shakers had no hesitation in -asserting that the Shawanee was under the same divine inspiration that he -himself was, although, for reasons growing out of his situation as a -savage, he and his immediate followers were permitted to cohabit with -their women. - -But this was not the general feeling. Much alarm existed on the frontiers, -especially as some lawless acts had been committed by individuals -nominally under the Prophet's management. The Governor made active -preparations for open hostilities; and the attention of the General -Government itself had at length become so much aroused, that an order from -the President to make prisoners of both Tecumseh and his brother, was -suspended only that a last effort might be more advantageously made for a -compromise with the disaffected tribes. Early in 1811, the Indian force -mustered at Tippecanoe was larger than Governor Harrison himself could -easily collect; and the body-guard of Tecumseh, on the visit which he paid -the former at Vincennes, in July of this season, consisted of more than -three hundred men. - -This meeting took place ostensibly in consequence of a _speech_ which the -Governor had sent to the brothers at their encampment on the Wabash, in -June. He had taken that occasion to repeat his former complaints of the -insults and injuries he supposed to have been offered to American citizens -by Indians under their influence; to inform them that he had heard of -their recent attempts to hasten hostilities between the Union and various -Indian tribes; and, finally, to remind them, in strong terms, of the -consequences of persisting in such conduct. "Brothers!"--was one of the -expressions in this address,--"I am myself of the Long-Knife fire. As soon -as they hear my voice, you will see them pouring forth their swarms of -hunting-shirt men, as numerous as the mosquitoes on the shores of the -Wabash. Brothers! take care of their stings." Tecumseh promptly replied to -this communication, by promising to visit the Governor in precisely -eighteen days, for the purpose of "washing away all these bad stories." - -Some delay occurred; but upon Saturday, the 27th of July, he made his -appearance at Vincennes, with his three hundred followers. As neither the -Governor nor the inhabitants generally were desirous of prolonging his -entertainment, it was proposed to commence the negotiations on Monday; but -this he declined doing, and it was late on Tuesday before he made his -appearance at the arbor prepared for the occasion. Nor did he then come, -without taking the precaution to ascertain previously, whether the -Governor was to be attended by armed men at the council,--if so, he should -adopt the same etiquette. Being left to his own option, and given to -understand that his example would be imitated, he came with a guard of -nearly two hundred men, some armed with bows and arrows, and others with -knives, tomahawks and war-clubs. The Governor, on the other hand, was -attended by a full troop of dragoons, dismounted, and completely furnished -with fire-arms; and he had taken care, on Tecumseh's first arrival, to -secure the town, by stationing two foot companies and a detachment of -cavalry in the outskirts. He placed himself in front of his dragoons; -Tecumseh stood at the head of his tawny band, and the conference commenced -with a speech on the part of the Governor. This was briefly replied to; -but a heavy rain coming on, matters remained in _statu quo,_ until the -next day, when Tecumseh made a long and ingenious harangue, both exposing -and justifying his own schemes much more openly than he had ever done -before. - -Respecting the demand which the Governor had made, that two Pottawatomie -murderers should be given up to punishment, who were stated to be resident -at Tippecanoe, he in the first place denied that they were there; and then -went on very deliberately to show, that he could not deliver them up if -they were there. "It was not right," he said, "to punish those people. -They ought to be forgiven, _as well as those who had recently murdered his -people in the Illinois._ The whites should follow his own example of -forgiveness; he had forgiven the Ottawas and the Osages. Finally, he -desired that matters might remain in their present situation, and -especially that no settlements should be attempted upon the lands recently -purchased of certain tribes, until he should return from a visit among the -Southern Indians. Then he would go to Washington, and settle all -difficulties with the President; and meanwhile, as the neighboring tribes -were wholly under his direction, he would despatch messengers in every -quarter to prevent further mischief." He concluded with offering the -Governor a quantity of wampum, as a full atonement for the murders before -mentioned. The latter made an indignant rejoinder; the meeting was broken -up; and Tecumseh, attended by a few followers, soon afterwards commenced -his journey down the Wabash for the Southward. - -Such was his last appearance previous to the war. The popular excitement -had now become greater than ever. Numerous meetings were held, and -representations forwarded to the Federal Executive. But before these -documents could reach their destination, authority had been given to -Governor Harrison to commence offensive operations at discretion, and -forces, in addition to those within his territorial jurisdiction, were -placed at his disposal. "The Banditti under the Prophet," wrote the -Secretary of War, Mr. Eustis, in a communication of July 20th, "are to be -attacked and vanquished, provided such a measure shall be rendered -absolutely necessary." - -It is not our purpose to detail the subsequent measures of Governor -Harrison, which terminated in the celebrated battle of Tippecanoe; and -much less, to agitate the question heretofore so inveterately contested, -respecting the general propriety of the offensive operations he commenced, -or his particular system or success in conducting them. The battle took -place on the 7th of November, 1811; the Governor having previously sent -Indian messengers to demand of the various tribes in the Prophet's -encampment, that they should all return to their respective territories; -that the stolen horses in their and his possession, should be given up; -and that all murderers, then sheltered at Tippecanoe, should be delivered -over to justice. The first messengers, about the last of September, had -the effect of bringing out a friendly deputation from the Prophet, full of -professions of peace. But fresh outrages were committed by his followers -about the same time; and, when sundry head-men of the Delaware tribe -undertook, in October, to go upon a second mission, they are said to have -been abruptly met by a counter deputation from the Prophet, requiring a -categorical answer to the question, "whether they would or would not join -him against the United States?" The Delawares, nevertheless, went on, and -having visited the Prophet's camp, returned to Governor Harrison, now on -his march, with the report of their having been ill treated, insulted, and -finally dismissed with contemptuous remarks upon themselves and the -Governor. Twenty-four Miamies next volunteered to go upon this thankless -business. They seem to have been better entertained, for the good reason, -that they decided upon raising the tomahawk against their employer. At all -events, these serviceable diplomatists spared themselves the pains of -returning. - -The particulars of the battle are well known. The Governor having entered -into the heart of the territory occupied by the Prophet,--but claimed by -the United States, as being purchased of those tribes who had the -least-disputed claim to it,--he encamped, on the night of the 6th, in the -vicinity of the Prophet's force; and a suspension of hostilities was -agreed upon between the two parties, until a conference could take place -on the ensuing day. Whether, as the Prophet affirmed on this occasion by -his messengers, he had sent a pacific proposal to the Governor, which -accidentally failed to reach him; or whether he was now actually "desirous -of avoiding hostilities if possible," but felt himself compelled to -commence them, need not be discussed. His forces, supposed to number from -five hundred to eight hundred warriors, made a violent attack on the -American army, early on the morning of the 7th; and one of the most -desperate struggles ensued, of which we have any record in the history of -Indian warfare. The enemy was at length repulsed, leaving thirty-eight -warriors dead on the field. The Americans lost about fifty killed, and -about twice that number wounded. The Prophet's town was rifled, and the -army commenced its return to Vincennes. - -Tecumseh, who was absent when the battle took place, returned soon -afterwards from the South, and, without doubt, was exceedingly surprised -and mortified by the conduct of the Prophet. From this time, while the -latter lost much of his influence, the former took a more independent and -open part. It cannot be positively decided whether he had previously -maintained a special understanding with the British; but his subsequent -course admits of little controversy. - -He proposed to Governor Harrison, to make the contemplated journey to -Washington; but, as the Governor expressed a determination that he could -not go in the capacity which he deemed suitable to his standing, the idea -was abandoned. Thenceforth, whatever his intentions _had_ been, he -determined upon the necessity of fighting; and it naturally followed, -whatever had been his disposition towards the British authorities,--theirs -towards him was sufficiently plain,--that he should no longer hesitate to -avail himself of every fair opportunity of cooperation. - -Still, it was necessary to preserve appearances until matters were ready -for disclosure; and, of course,--such were the consequences of the recent -defeat, and such the disposition of many vacillating or opposing -tribes,--there was an extremely difficult part to be acted. Some of the -speeches made at a grand council of twelve tribes, held in May, 1812, at -Mississiniway, will throw light upon the subject. The Wyandots -began--a tribe universally regarded as the head of the great Indian -family: - -"Younger brothers!"--said the speaker--"You that reside on the Wabash, -listen to what we say; and in order that you may distinctly hear and -clearly understand our words, we now open your ears and place your hearts -in the same position they were placed in by the Great Spirit when he -created you. - -"Younger brothers!--We are sorry to see your path filled with thorns and -briars, and your land covered with blood. Our love for you has caused us -to come and clean your paths and wipe the blood off your land, and take -the weapons that have spilled this blood from you, and put them where you -can never reach them again. - -"Younger brothers!--This is done by the united voice of all your elder -brothers, that you now see present, who are determined not to be -disobeyed. This determination of your elder brothers, to put an entire -stop to the effusion of blood, has met with the approbation of our -fathers, the British, who have advised all the red people to be quiet and -not meddle in quarrels that may take place between the white people." - -Tecumseh, who found himself in a small minority on this occasion, replied -thus: - -"Elder brothers!--We have listened with attention to what you have said to -us. We thank the Great Spirit for inclining your hearts to pity us; we now -pity ourselves; our hearts are good; they never were bad. Governor -Harrison made war on my people in my absence; it was the Great Spirit's -will he should do so. We hope it will please Him that the white people may -let us live in peace. We will not disturb them; neither have we done it, -except when they come to our village with the intention of destroying us. -We are happy to state to our brothers present, that the unfortunate -transaction that took place between the white people and a few of our -young men at our village, has been settled between us and Governor -Harrison; and I will further state, that had I been at home, there would -have been no blood shed at that time. - -"We are sorry to find that the same respect has not been paid to the -agreement between us and Governor Harrison, by our brothers, the -Potawatamies. However, we are not accountable for the conduct of those -over whom we have no control. Let the chiefs of that nation exert -themselves, and cause their warriors to behave themselves, as we have done -and will continue to do with ours. - -"Should the bad acts of our brothers, the Potawatamies, draw on us the ill -will of our white brothers--and they should come again and make an -unprovoked attack on us at our village--we will die like men--but we will -never strike the first blow." - -The Potawatamies could not overlook such an attack, and their speaker -noticed it in terms which reflected severely on the "pretended Prophet," -who was said to have caused all the difficulty among their young men. He -added,--"We have no control over these few vagabonds, and consider them -not belonging to our nation; and will be thankful to any people that will -put them to death, wherever they are found. As they are bad people, and -have learnt to be so from the pretended Prophet, and as he has been the -cause of setting those people on our white brothers, we hope he will be -active in reconciling them. As we all hear him say, his heart is inclined -for peace, we hope we may all see this declaration supported by his future -conduct, and that all our women and children may lay down to sleep without -fear." - -Tecumseh then addressed the council once more: - -"It is true we have endeavored to give all our brothers good advice; and -if they have not listened to it, we are sorry for it. We defy a living -creature to say we ever advised any one, directly or indirectly, to make -war on our white brothers. It has constantly been our misfortune to have -our views misrepresented to our white brethren. This has been done by -pretended chiefs of the Potawatamies and others, that have been in the -habit of selling land to the white people that did not belong to them." - -Here he was called to order by the Delawares. "We have not met," said -they, "to listen to such words. The red people have been killing the -whites. The just resentment of the latter is raised against the former. -Our white brethren are on their feet, with their guns in their hands. -There is no time to tell each other, you have done this, and you have done -that. If there was, we would tell the Prophet that both red and white -people had felt the bad effects of his counsels. Let us all join our -hearts and hands together, and proclaim peace through the land of the red -people. Let us make our voices be heard and respected, and rely on the -justice of our white brethren." - -The Miamies and Kickapoos afterwards expressed themselves much to the same -effect, and the conference then closed. - -The most distinguished chiefs opposed to the two brothers, were the Crane, -his Counselor Between-the-Logs, the Pottawatomie Winemack, [FN] and the -leader and orator of the Wyandots on the American side of the river -Detroit, Walk-in-the-Water. The latter was afterwards forced by -circumstances to fight with the British, but at this time he and the Crane -were particularly active in persuading various tribes to "sit still" while -their two Fathers should fight out the war,--which was their own -business,--in their own way. The British at length took measures to -counteract their influence. A council was convened at Malden, at which -Elliot, the Indian Agent, and the British Commanding Officer were present. - - * * * * * - - [FN] A war-chief of some distinction. He repeatedly visited Washington - after the war, and some characteristic anecdotes--which, however, will - hardly bear repetition--are recorded of him. He was always openly - friendly to the Americans, and though accused of fighting for the Prophet - at Tippecanoe, by no means convicted of that aberration. He died in the - summer of 1821. - - -The former demanded of the Wyandots whether they had advised the other -tribes to remain neutral. To this, Walk-in-the-water answered: "We have, -and we believe it best for us, and for our brethren. We have no wish to be -involved in a war with our father, the Long-Knife, for we know by -experience that we have nothing to gain by it, and we beg our father, the -British, not to force us to war. We remember, in the former war between -our fathers, the British and the Long-Knife, we were both defeated, and we -the red men lost our country; and you, our father, the British, made peace -with the Long-Knife, without our knowledge, and you gave our country to -him. You still said to us, 'my children, you must fight for your country, -for the Long-Knife will take it from you.' We did as you advised us, and -we were defeated with the loss of our best chiefs and warriors, and of our -land. And we still remember your conduct towards us, when we were defeated -at the foot of the rapids of the Miami. We sought safety for our wounded -in your fort. But what was your conduct? You closed your gates against us, -and we had to retreat the best way we could. And then we made peace with -the Americans, and have enjoyed peace with them ever since. And now you -wish us, your red children, again to take up the hatchet against our -father, the Long-Knife. We say again, we do not wish to have any thing to -do with the war. Fight your own battles, but let us, your red children, -enjoy peace." - -Elliot here interrupted the speaker, and said: "That is American talk, and -I shall hear no more of it. If you do not stop, I will direct my soldiers -to take you and the chiefs, and keep you prisoners, and will consider you -as our enemies." Walk-in-the-water then took his seat, to consult the -other chiefs; and Round-Head, who had openly espoused the British -interest, and who was the chief of the small party of Wyandots living in -Canada, immediately rose and said: "Father! listen to your children. You -say that the talk just delivered by my friend Walk-in-the-water, is -American talk, and that you cannot hear any more of it; and, if persisted -in, you will take the chiefs prisoners, and treat them as enemies. Now -hear me. I am a chief, and am acknowledged to be such. I speak the -sentiments of the chiefs of the tribes, assembled round your council-fire. -I now come forward, and take hold of your war-hatchet, and will assist you -to fight against the Americans!" - -He was followed by Tecumseh and the Prophet, and by two Wyandot chiefs, -Worrow and Split-log; but Walk-in-the-water and his associates still -declined the invitation. Elliot then made some menacing observations, -which induced them to leave the council-house, recross the river to -Brownstown, and communicate the result to the Crane, who was there with -his attendants. The latter immediately returned home to Sandusky. The -Brownstown Wyandots sent a deputation to the American General at Detroit, -headed by Walk-in-the-water, to represent their exposed state, and request -protection. For some unknown reason it was not granted, and these Indians -were a few days afterwards taken into custody by a large British and -Indian detachment, attended, if not commanded, by Tecumseh and Round-Head. - -The sequel of these proceedings is too characteristic of several of the -individuals we have named, to be omitted in a connection which allows and -requires so much collateral light. - -Some eight or ten months after the forced accession to the British just -mentioned, the Crane proposed to General Harrison, who was then encamped -with his array at Seneca, that a formal embassy should be sent by the -Wyandots, to their brethren in the British camp, and to all the Indians -who adhered to the British cause, advising them to consult their true -interest and retire to their own country. The proposition was approved by -General Harrison, and the Crane was requested to take such measures as -appeared most proper to give it effect. - -Between-the-logs was appointed the ambassador, and a small escort of eight -warriors, commanded by Skootash, the principal war-chief of the nation, -was selected to accompany him. Two speeches were sent by the Crane, one to -be delivered privately to his own people, and the other publicly to the -British Indians. - -The Wyandot embassy arrived at Brownstown in safety, and the following -morning a general council assembled to hear the message from their uncle. -The multitude was prodigious, and Elliot and McKee, the British agents, -were present. We have been told that Between-the-logs arose in the midst -of this host of enemies, and delivered with unshaken firmness the -following speech from the Crane, which had been entrusted to him: - -"Brothers!--the red men, who are engaged in fighting for the British -king--listen! These words are from me, Tarbe, and they are also the words -of the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanees, and Senecas. - -"Our American father has raised his war-pole, and collected a large army -of his warriors. They will soon march to attack the British. He does not -wish to destroy his red children, their wives, and families. He wishes you -to separate yourselves from the British, and bury the hatchet you have -raised. He will be merciful to you. You can then return to your own lands, -and hunt the game, as you formerly did. I request you to consider your -situation, and act wisely in this important matter; and not wantonly -destroy your own people. Brothers! whoever feels disposed to accept this -advice, will come forward and take hold of this belt of wampum, which I -have in my hand and offer to you. I hope you will not refuse to accept it -in presence of your British father, for you are independent of him. -Brothers! we have done, and we hope you will decide wisely." - -Not a hand moved to accept the offered pledge of peace. The spell was too -potent to be broken by charms like these; but Round-Head arose and -addressed the embassy: - -"Brothers!--the Wyandots from the Americans--we have heard your talk, and -will not listen to it. We will not forsake the standard of our British -father, nor lay down the hatchet we have raised. I speak the sentiments of -all now present, and I charge you, that you faithfully deliver our talk to -the American commander, and tell him it is our wish he would send more men -against us; for all that has passed between us I do not call fighting. We -are not satisfied with the number of men he sends to contend against us. -We want to fight in good earnest." - -Elliot then spoke. "My children!--As you now see that my children here are -determined not to forsake the cause of their British father, I wish you to -carry a message back with you. Tell my wife, your American father, that I -want her to cook the provisions for me and my red children, more -faithfully than she has done. She has not done her duty. And if she -receives this as an insult, and feels disposed to fight, tell her to bring -more men than she ever brought before, as our former skirmishes I do not -call fighting. If she wishes to fight with me and my children, she must -not burrow in the earth like a ground-hog, where she is inaccessible. She -must come out and fight fairly." - -To this, Between-the-logs replied. "Brothers!--I am directed by my -American father to inform you, that if you reject the advice given you, he -will march here with a large army, and if he should find any of the red -people opposing him in his passage through this country, he will trample -them under his feet. You cannot stand before him. - -"And now for myself I earnestly intreat you to consider the good talk I -have brought, and listen to it. Why would you devote yourselves, your -women, and your children, to destruction? Let me tell you, if you should -defeat the American army this time, you have not done. Another will come -on, and if you defeat that, still another will appear that you cannot -withstand; one that will come like the waves of the great water, and -overwhelm you, and sweep you from the face of the earth. If you doubt the -account I give of the force of the Americans, you can send some of your -people in whom you have confidence, to examine their army and navy. They -shall be permitted to return in safety. The truth is, your British father -tells you lies, and deceives you. He boasts of the few victories he gains, -but he never tells you of his defeats, of his armies being slaughtered, -and his vessels taken on the big water. He keeps all these things to -himself. - -"And now, father, let me address a few words to you. Your request shall be -granted. I will bear your message to my American father. It is true none -of your children appear willing to forsake your standard, and it will be -the worse for them. You compare the Americans to ground-hogs, and complain -of their mode of fighting. I must confess that a groundhog is a very -difficult animal to contend with. He has such sharp teeth, such an -inflexible temper, and such an unconquerable spirit, that he is truly a -dangerous enemy, especially when he is in his own hole. But, father, let -me tell you, you can have your wish. Before many days, you will see the -ground-hog floating on yonder lake, paddling his canoe towards your hole; -and then, father, you will have an opportunity of attacking your -formidable enemy in any way you may think best." - -This speech terminated the proceedings of the council. All the Indians, -except the Wyandots, dispersed, and they secretly assembled to hear the -message sent to them by their own chief. - -The Wyandots were directed to quit Skorah [FN-1] immediately. They were -said to be liars and deceivers, and that they had always deceived the -Indians. And facts, in evidence of this, were quoted. The building of Fort -Miami was particularly referred to. It was said to be erected as a refuge -for the Indians, but when they were overpowered by Wayne, the gates were -shut against them. [FN-2] The comparative strength of General Harrison's -army and of the British forces, was concealed from them, and they were in -a very dangerous condition. - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] The _British,_ in the Huron dialect. - - [FN-2] The Crane was wounded in this action, and the loss fell heavily - upon the Wyandots. - - -This message was faithfully delivered to the Wyandots, and produced its -full effect upon them. They requested Between-the-logs to inform the -Crane, that they were in fact prisoners, but that they had taken firm hold -of his belt of wampum, and would not fire another gun. They promised, that -on the advance of the American army, they would quit the British troops, -as soon as it was safe to take that decisive measure. And such in fact was -the result. When Proctor left the country, his Wyandot allies abandoned -him, a few miles from the mouth of the river Tranche, and retired into the -forest. Thence they sent a message to General Harrison, imploring his -mercy. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] We have given our account of the Malden Council on the authority of - Governor Cass, whose sources of information may be learned from his able - essay on the _Late War on the Frontiers._ See N. A. Rev. Vol. XXIX. - - -Tecumseh and Elskwatawa were seen for the last time previous to their -joining the British, at Fort Wayne. The former passed that way to the - Malden council, and he then explicitly stated to the Commander of the -station, that he was going "to receive from the British twelve horse-loads -of ammunition for the use of his people at Tippecanoe." The visit of the -Prophet, which took place immediately after, is referred to in the -following communication from the Commander to an American authority: - -"On the 12th [July, 1812,] the Prophet arrived at this place, with nearly -one hundred Winnebagoes and Kickapoos, who have ever since been amusing -the Indian agent at this place with professions of friendship, and it is -now evident that he has completely duped the agent, who had suffered him -to take the lead in all his councils with the Indians, giving him -ammunition, &c. to support his followers until they can receive a supply -from Tecumseh. - -"On the 19th instant an express arrived in the Prophet's camp from -Tecumseh. In order that it should make the better speed, the express stole -a horse from some of the inhabitants of the river Raisin, and rode night -and day. The horse gave out within twenty miles of this place. This -messenger was directed by Tecumseh to tell the Prophet to unite the -Indians immediately, and send their women and children towards the -Mississippi, while the warriors should strike a heavy blow at the -inhabitants of Vincennes; and he, Tecumseh, if he lived, would join him in -the country of the Winnebagoes. - -"The Prophet found no difficulty in keeping this information to himself -and one or two of his confidential followers, and forming a story to suit -the palate of the agent here; and, on the 20th instant, he despatched two -confidential Kickapoos to effect the objects Tecumseh had in view. In -order that these two Indians might make the better speed, they stole my -two riding-horses, and have gone to the westward at the rate of one -hundred miles in twenty-four hours, at least. To keep the agent blind to -his movements, the prophet went early in the morning yesterday, and told -the agent that two of his bad young men were missing, and that he feared -they had stole some horses. The agent found no difficulty in swallowing -the bait offered him, and applauded the Prophet for his honesty in telling -of his bad men, as he called them, stealing my horses. - -"To keep up appearances, the Prophet has this morning despatched two men -on _foot,_ as he tells the agent, to bring back my horses, &c. He says he -and all his party will certainly attend the Commissioner of the United -States next month at Piqua. - -"This he will do, if he finds he cannot raise the western Indians against -the United States; but if he finds the western Indians will join him, you -may rely on it, he will strike a heavy blow, as Tecumseh says, against the -whites in that quarter. You may rely on the correctness of this statement, -as I received information relative to the views of Tecumseh, last night, -from a quarter that cannot be doubted. The conduct of the agent towards -the Prophet, I have been an eye-witness to." - -The most remarkable passage in this graphic narration, refers to the -exertions Tecumseh was now making for the promotion of the great cause -which lay so near his heart. There was occasion indeed for a mighty -effort, to regain the ground which his brother had lost. The battle of -Tippecanoe was a premature explosion, and a most unfortunate one for his -interests. It intercepted the negotiations for new allies, diminished the -moral power of the Prophet, and frightened and forced many, who were or -would have been his adherents, into neutrality in some cases, and open -hostility in others. The vast scheme of Tecumseh, the object so long of -all his solicitude and his labor, was thrown into confusion, on the very -brink of success. He was exasperated, humiliated, afflicted. He could have -wept, like Philip, when _his_ projects were thwarted in mid career by the -rashness of his warriors. But here was the trial of his noblest qualities. -He came forward and made every proposition, looking like compromise, which -he deemed consistent with his dignity,--perhaps necessary to it,--but in -vain. He saw then, plainly, that the battle must be fought, and his soul -grew strong. The wrongs and woes of his race, and the power and pride of -the white men, passed before him. The mortification of failure and -exposure on his own part, the dishonor brought upon his brother's name, -the ignominy of submission, the censure and scorn of his savage rivals, -the triumph of his civilized enemy, all were daggers in his bosom. Then -boiled within him the frenzy of despair. Fear and hope struggled for the -mastery. Pride, revenge, ambition, were roused. "Let them come, -then"--thought he--"I hear them and see them, in the South and in the -East, like the summer leaves rolling and rustling in the breeze. It is -well. Shall Tecumseh tremble? Shall they say that he hated the white man, -and feared him? No! The mountains and plains which the Great Spirit gave, -are behind and around me. I, too, have my warriors, and here,--where we -were born and where we will die,--on the Scioto, on the Wabash, on the -broad waters of the North, my voice shall be heard." - -And it was heard, indeed. At the date of the communication last cited, he -had scarcely a hundred followers; and the _intentions of the Western -Indians,_ we have seen, were not then ascertained. But from the time of -the Malden Council, Tecumseh girded himself to his task, like a strong man -for battle. He set his brother and all his emissaries, and at the same -time devoted _himself,_ night and day, to the business of recruiting. -Repeatedly, before this, he had visited all the tribes on the west banks -of the Mississippi, and upon Lakes Superior, Huron and Michigan. He now -traveled over the route once more. From north to south, and from east to -west, he ranged the continent,--threatening, flattering, rousing -resentment, alarming superstition, provoking curiosity. No labor fatigued, -no disappointment discouraged, no danger alarmed, no emergency surprised -him. - -The result, with the entire sequel of the history of the two brothers, may -be stated in the most general terms. Those who know anything of the -history of the last war, need not be informed, that Tecumseh was -substantially, as well as nominally, the head and life of the Anglo-Indian -Department, and that greater forces were collected by his influence, and -embodied under his command, than in any other instance from the first -settlement of the country. He brought in six hundred Wabash recruits in -one body, early in 1813. In the attack made upon Fort Stephenson, in the -summer of the same year, the enemy numbered but five hundred British -regulars, for eight hundred Indians, (under Dickson,) while Tecumseh was -at the same time stationed on the road to Fort Meigs with a body of two -thousand more, for the purpose of cutting off the American reinforcements -on that route. - -In the decisive battle of the Moravian Towns, he commanded the right wing -of the allied army, and was posted in the only part of it which was -engaged with the American troops. Here was his last struggle. Disdaining -to fly, when all were flying around him but his own nearest followers, he -pressed eagerly into the heart of the contest, encouraging the savages by -his voice, and plying the tomahawk with a tremendous energy. He appeared -to be advancing, it is said, directly upon Colonel Johnson, who was -hastening towards _him_ on the other side, at the head of his mounted -infantry. Suddenly a wavering was perceived in the Indian ranks; there was -no longer a cry of command among them. Tecumseh had fallen, and his -bravest men, still surviving, were defeated by the same blow. They fled, -leaving thirty-three dead on the field, most of whom were found near -Tecumseh. - -Upon the question, who had the honor of shooting the great chief,--as all -the world admits he was shot,--we shall spend but few words. In the -language of another, "there is a _possibility_ that he fell by a -pistol-shot from the hand of Colonel Johnson. He was certainly killed in -that part of the line where the Colonel was himself wounded;" and this is -all that can well be said upon a subject which has occasioned so much -controversy. The British Government granted a pension to his widow and -family, which probably continues to this day. The Prophet, who survived -the war, and was little exposed in it, was supplied in the same manner -until his death, which took place a few years since. He is believed to -have been older than his brother, who died about forty-five. - -The grave, in which Tecumseh's remains were deposited by the Indians after -the return of the American army, is still visible near the borders of a -willow marsh, on the north line of the battle-ground, with a large fallen -oak-tree lying beside. The willow and wild rose are thick around it, but -the mound itself is cleared of shrubbery, and is said to owe its good -condition to the occasional visits of his countrymen. [FN] Thus repose, in -solitude and silence, the ashes of the "Indian Bonaparte." In truth have -they - "Left him alone with his glory." - - * * * * * - - [FN] Western Paper. - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - - - Remarks on the character of Tecumseh and the Prophet--Their facilities - for cooperation--Difficulties the latter had to overcome--His - perseverance and ingenuity--Means by which he protected his - person--Anecdotes of the Battle of Tippecanoe--Frankness of Tecumseh in - disclosing his schemes--Causes of his hostility to the - Americans--Trespasses of the whites, and other abuses--Object of the - belligerent combination--Anecdotes of Tecumseh's first visit to - Vincennes, in 1810--His dignity, independence and courage--His ideas of - the British policy--His speech to General Proctor, and remarks on his - oratory--His humanity--His genius. - - -The reputation of the Prophet has suffered from the complete ultimate -failure of his plans. It has suffered the more from the very -circumstances, which mark him as an extraordinary man,--his career as a -prophet. Tecumseh knew his own talent better than to play a game like -this; but he also knew, without doubt, that Elskwatawa was capable of -doing more for the advancement of their common object, by acting this -coordinate or subordinate part, than by adopting the same course with -himself, even had he possessed the same species of ability. Together, they -were endowed with a complete system of qualities necessary to accomplish -their design; but neither could act alone. Tecumseh was frank, warlike, -persuasive in his oratory, popular in his manners, irreproachable in his -habits or life. Elskwatawa had more cunning than courage; and a stronger -disposition to talk, than to fight, or exert himself in any other way. But -he was subtle, fluent, persevering and self-possessed; and this was -enough. He became an inspired man, and Tecumseh was his first convert. -Others of the tribe might be intrusted with the secret. They had, at all -events, a great respect for these men; and being both a proud and warlike -people, they received with avidity the well-contrived doctrine of their -superiority over other tribes, and entered upon a course of projects -likely to produce war,--though of war nothing might yet be seen or -said,--with the fury of bloodhounds upon a track. - -Hence the murders and robberies which so much alarmed and irritated the -frontier settlers, and which we have very little doubt were generally -committed by individuals of the Prophet's "banditti," without his -authority, and perhaps against his wishes. His young men, especially, like -those who brought on Philip's war, were wrought up till the master-spirit -himself lost his control over them; and to make the matter worse, most of -them were of such a character, in the first instance, that horse-stealing -and house-breaking were as easy to them as breathing. Like the refugees of -Romulus, they were outcasts, vagabonds and criminals,--in a great degree -brought together by the novelty of the preacher's reputation, by curiosity -to hear his doctrines, by the fascination of extreme credulity, by -restlessness, by resentment against the whites, and by poverty and -unpopularity at home. - -These things should be taken into consideration, when the success of the -Prophet is estimated. His ingenuity was tasked to the utmost, in getting -and keeping these people together in the first place. Then it was -necessary to instruct them just so far, as to put them in the way of -preparing themselves for what might happen, and to make them serviceable -in collecting and convincing others, without committing the cause too -unreservedly to noisy tongues, and to rash hands. Then complaints were -made by American authorities, and these must be pacified. Offers of -assistance came in from other quarters, and these must be kept secret. At -other times, the banditti were reduced to an extreme scarcity of -provisional as might be expected from the numbers collected together, and -the kind of life which they led. At first, they were given to understand -that corn and pumpkins would be raised for them supernaturally; but the -Prophet deemed it easier on the whole to produce these essential articles -by other means,--and here was another reason for maintaining a good -understanding with his American neighbors. Hence he gave out that he -proposed visiting the Governor at Vincennes, with the view of begging -provisions,--"for the white people had always encouraged him to preach the -word of God to the Indians." This purpose was carried into execution; and -on that occasion it was, that the Governor was "completely deceived," by -the Prophet's appearance and language. So late as 1811, a quantity of salt -was sent up the Wabash for the Prophet's use, together with another -quantity intended for the Kickapoos and other Indians. He seems to have -balanced some time between necessity and policy before this temptation, -but finally adopted the middle course of detaining the entire cargo, and -sending a very civil apology to the Governor in payment. - -On the whole, we are inclined to put small faith in the popular theory -which represents the Prophet as a _fool._ Possibly he assumed that -character on some occasions, knowing the proverbial reverence of the -Indians for an idiot. Allowance should be made also for the reaction -produced by his failure at Tippecanoe, although his influence was in some -degree restored after that event,--the misfortune being sagely attributed -by many to the important circumstance of his wife having touched some of -his sacred utensils. Nothing but a series of triumphs on the part of the -American forces, the death of his brother, and the loss of all his best -friends of his own tribe, (for the Kishopokes were reduced to about twenty -warriors during the war,) finally destroyed his character as a _Prophet._ -When this was effected, it was human nature to degrade him below the level -of a _man._ - -It might have been expected, that a person of his pretensions, with so -many rivals and enemies, would be exposed to the hazard of assassination. -But here again he was on his guard; for it was always one of his strong -positions, that the least violence offered to him or his followers, would -be punished by the immediate interposition of the Great Spirit. The -religious character, indeed, was sustained to the last. The Delaware -messengers already mentioned found his forces at Tippecanoe in the highest -state of excitement, owing to his magical rites, his harangues, and the -war-dance which he performed with them day and night. Hence the unexampled -bravery manifested in the attack upon the American army. They rushed on -the very bayonets of our troops; and in some instances, pressing aside the -soldier's musket, they brained him with the war-club. The Prophet, -meanwhile, is said to have been comfortably seated on an adjacent -eminence, singing a war-song. He had assured his followers, that the -American bullets would do them no harm; and that, while they should have -light, their enemies should be involved in thick darkness. [FN] Soon after -the battle commenced, he was told that the Indians were falling. "Fight -on! fight on!" cried he, never at a loss, "It will soon be as I -predicted;" and he howled his war-song louder than ever. - - * * * * * - - [FN] He was not so much out of the way in this prediction, as in some - others. McAfee observes, that the _campfires,_ so long as they remained - burning, were "more serviceable to the Indians than our men." - - -The character of Tecumseh appears so fully in the course he pursued, as to -require but brief comment. While the Prophet resorted without hesitation -to all the wiles of Indian cunning and stratagem, for effecting his own -purposes, and for thwarting those of his opponents, his course was as -manly and dignified as it was prompt. He was certainly under no obligation -to disclose his schemes, and yet he appears never to have taken much pains -to conceal them. We know that he was suspected, and accused, of having -actively engaged in inducing general hostility, as well as instigating -particular outrages among the frontier tribes, for several years before -much was actually known of him. This may have been the case, and it may -not; the evidence amounts to nothing, and the suspicion and accusation -alluded to, like the offences themselves, are very easily accounted for -upon other and obvious grounds. There is no necessity, then, of going at -length into the history of the Western country for the last half century, -to point out the real grounds of complaint and the real provocations to -hostility, which Tecumseh, or his brother, or any other Indian of -information and reflection, might have alleged on the part of the tribes, -against the American Government or the American people. This would be -justifying what we do not admit. It is sufficient to observe that quite -enough had occurred, to furnish plausible pretexts for all that the -Chieftain is known to have done or attempted to do. - -Governor Harrison stated in his annual message, for 1809, to the Indiana -Legislature, that owing to defects in the Federal law, "every person has -been allowed to trade with the Indians that pleases; _which proves a -source of numberless abuses,_ of mischievous effect both to them and -ourselves." Two years before, we find an opinion advanced by the same -excellent authority on a similar occasion, that "the utmost efforts to -induce them (the Indians) to take up arms would be unavailing, _if one -only, of the many persons who have committed murders on their people, -could be brought to punishment._" To illustrate the truth of this remark, -we may mention the murder of a Creek Indian at Vincennes, early in 1810, -and of course subsequently to the particular transactions alluded to in -the message. He was shot by a white man, an Italian trader, upon the -pretext that the Indian, who was intoxicated, had shown a disposition to -do him some injury. The Governor discharged _his_ duty by causing the -Italian to be arrested and tried; but, in the language of our informant, -"as in too many other cases, acquittal was the consequence." [FN] We are -farther told, that about the same time, two Indians were wounded by a -white man, at a few miles distance from Vincennes. The occurrence of -circumstances of this nature is said to have been a source of great -embarrassment and vexation to Governor Harrison; but in this case, he -could only send out,--not a constable for the aggressor, for that course -had been sufficiently tried,---but a surgeon for the wounded men, who both -finally recovered. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Dawson's Narrative. - - -It cannot be doubted, that the character of these proceedings was well -understood, and indignantly resented by all the tribes which obtained -knowledge of them,--as most of them did in the course of their own -experience. The house of a white man in Ohio was robbed, during this same -summer, by a member of the Delaware tribe, so famous for its faithful, and -more than faithful adherence to the American cause. According to the -stipulations of Wayne's treaty, expressly provided for giving up criminals -to the parties respectively injured,--and scrupulously observed up to this -date, we should add, on the part of the Indians,--the robber in the -present instance was demanded of the Delawares. The answer was, that the -nation never would give up another man, until some of the white people -were punished, who had murdered members of their tribe; they would however -punish him themselves. And they did accordingly put him to death. - -But all these were trifling causes of irritation, compared with those -which had occurred at various periods, in the treaties and other -negotiations, public and private, whereby immense quantities of territory -had been obtained of the Indians. It is not intended to insinuate, that -the Government was in fault upon any of these occasions. But in the -transaction of affairs of this nature, to such an extent, at such a -distance, by the instrumentality of agents,--as likely as any other men to -be sometimes ignorant, insolent, and avaricious,--offences must needs -come. On the other hands, in cases wherein the Government was not even -nominally concerned, (whatever the understanding of the vendors might be -upon that point) the most flagitious deception had been practised. In -still other instances, where the conduct of the purchasers was -unobjectionable, there were conflicting claims to territory, which one or -more tribes, or portions of tribes, or perhaps individual chiefs, -nevertheless undertook to convey. Owing to these and similar causes, the -Indians had very generally become extremely suspicious of proposals for -the purchase of land. - -They perceived, too, independently of any unfair dealing upon either side, -that the white population was advancing upon them with the most formidable -rapidity. Something must be done, then, in self-defence. Setting aside -past impositions, it was absolutely necessary to prevent them for the -future; and setting aside all imposition, it was necessary to raise some -universal and effectual barrier against inroads of any kind, in any -quarter. It is recorded, accordingly, by an historian already cited, that -the agitation among the Indians at this time was accounted for by some of -them, by saying, that they were endeavoring to effect what had frequently -been recommended to them by the United States, viz; _a more cordial union -among the various tribes._ The writer considers this an "attempt at -deception;" but yet his facts would seem to outweigh his opinion. War -might or might not be anticipated as an ultimate resort, in offence or -defence; and "British agitators" might or might not be actually engaged, -as certainly they were interested, in producing that result, and preparing -the tribes for it. But it appears to us, there can be no reasonable doubt, -that an effective and cordial union of the tribes, for the purposes just -mentioned, was actually the precise object in view. It certainly was the -leading principle in the schemes of Tecumseh. - -That principle he never disavowed. He declared it in the most open manner, -on every suitable occasion; and with it, the cogent reasoning upon which -in his mind it was founded. In July 1810, he conversed very fully upon the -subject with a person sent to his brother by the Governor of Indiana, to -dissuade him from war and to gain information of his views. He said that -the Great Spirit had given this great island,--meaning the American -continent,--to his red children; but the whites, who were placed on the -other side of the big water, not content with their share, had crossed -over--seized upon the coast--driven the Indians from the sea to the -lakes--and undertaken to say that this tract belongs to one tribe, this to -another, and so on--when _the Great Spirit had made it the common property -of them all._ "They had retreated far enough,--they would go no farther." -He at the same time disclaimed having intended to make war, but expressed -his opinion that it would not be possible to preserve peace, unless the -Indian principle of common property should be recognized, and the progress -of the white settlements discontinued. He then proposed going to -Vincennes, for the purpose of convincing the Governor that matters had -been mis-represented to him. - -The visit accordingly took place in August; and he then states most -distinctly,--Mr. Dawson's phrase is, "in the broadest manner,"--that his -policy had been to establish and extend the principle of common property -as a means of necessary self-defence; that the tribes were afraid of being -pushed back into the lakes, and were therefore determined to make a stand -where they now were. At the formal interview which ensued, Tecumseh, who -was attended by a body of followers, manifested so much irritation, that -the Governor apprehended an attack upon the spot; the citizens were -alarmed; troops were called in; and a scene of great confusion ensued. But -although the proud Chieftain apologized for this demonstration of spirit -at the next conference, and then appeared perfectly cool, he still -persisted in the statements made in the outset. When asked by the -Governor, whether it was his intention to prevent the surveying of a -certain territory, recently purchased, he answered, "that himself and -those who were joined with him were determined that the old boundary -should continue." - -The Governor afterwards visited him at his camp, for the purpose of -sounding him privately. Being asked if his intentions were really what he -had openly avowed, he replied that they were. He had no complaint to make -against the United States, but their purchasing the Indian land as they -did; and he should very much regret the necessity of making war for this -single cause. On the contrary, he was, anxious to be upon good terms with -them. If the President would give up the late purchase, and agree to make -no more in the same manner, he would even become their ally, and would -_fight with them against the English;_ if these terms could not be -complied with, he should be obliged to fight with the English against -them. The Governor assured him that the President should be informed of -his views, but also expressed his opinion, that there was no prospect of -their being acceded to. "Well!" answered the warrior, "as the Great Chief -is to determine the matter, I hope the Great Spirit will put sense enough -in his head, to induce him to give up the land. True, he is so far off, -that the war will not injure him. He may sit still in his town and drink -his wine, while you and I will have to fight it out." - -At the last conference which took place previously to the battle of -Tippecanoe, it is stated that his designs were more completely developed, -than ever before. [FN] And this, it should be observed, was his own -voluntary and deliberate disclosure. "The States had set the example," he -said, "of forming a union among all the fires,--why should they censure -the Indians for following it?" He had now succeeded in combining the -Northern tribes, and he was about visiting the South, for the purpose of -completing the scheme. But war, if it ensued, would be, no fault of his. -He hoped that the Governor would prevent settlements from being made on -the new purchase till he returned from his journey in the Spring. He would -then visit the President himself at his leisure, and the matter should be -settled with him. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Dawson's Narrative, p. 182. - - -This speech has been called "an artful evasion, easily seen through." It -appears to us, on the contrary, to be a model of manly frankness. The -Orator did not expressly state, indeed, that the combination alluded to, -anticipated the possibility or probability of war. But this was -unnecessary. It was the natural inference in any reasonable mind. It had -been frequently so stated and so understood; and repetition could only -exasperate. On the whole, Tecumseh seems to have manifested a noble -dignity in disavowal and discussion of his policy, equaled only by the -profound sagacity in which it originated, and the intelligent energy which -conducted it, against every opposition and obstacle, so nearly to its -completion. He might be wrong, but it is evident enough he was sincere. - -As for British instigation, we need not suggest the distinction between a -disposition upon their part, and a counter disposition upon his; or -between himself and the motley multitude of fanatical and ferocious -vagabonds, who, unfortunately, formed a large part of the Prophet's first -congregation, and some of whom were as troublesome to each other and to -him, as they were to the white settlers. Outrages were committed, as we -have seen, on both sides,--and criminals refused to be given over to -justice by both,--the Indians copying, in this respect, the example of the -American authorities. But we need not pursue the subject. The best -existing evidence with regard to Tecumseh's particular interest in it, -seems to be his own, which has been given. - -Nor can it be doubted, that he perfectly understood the policy of the -English. He told Governor Harrison, when he declared the necessity which -might arise of an alliance with them, that he knew they were always urging -the Indians to war for their own advantage, and not to benefit his -countrymen. "And here," we are told, [FN] "he clapped his hands, and -imitated a person hallooing at a dog, to set him fighting with another, -thereby insinuating that the British thus endeavored to set the Indians on -the Americans." The truth is, he was too proud for a subordinate part. His -confederates might do as they chose, but for himself, he would maintain -the dignity of a free man, and a warrior. He abandoned his plan of -visiting the President, because he could not be received as the head of -the deputation. It is said, that, in the last conference at Vincennes, he -found himself, at the end of a long and energetic speech, unprovided with -a seat. Observing the neglect, Governor Harrison directed a chair to be -placed for him, and requested him to accept it. "Your Father," said the -interpreter, "requests you to take a chair." "My Father!"--replied the -chief,--"The sun is my father, and the earth is my mother; I will repose -upon her bosom." And he adjusted himself on the ground in the Indian -manner. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Dawson's Narrative, p 159. - - -A qualified remark has been made upon his courage; but his uniform conduct -during the war, is certainly sufficient to establish this point beyond -controversy. The same may be said of the fearlessness shown in his visits -to Vincennes; and especially in his exposure of himself on that occasion, -though he must have perceived that he was feared, suspected, and even -guarded by large bodies of troops, drawn out for that express purpose. It -is very illustrative of the apparent diversity in the character of -Elskwatawa and his own in this respect, that when the Delawares sent a -deputation of chiefs to break up the Prophet's settlement at Tippecanoe, -the latter would not deign, as Mr. Dawson expresses it, to give them an -interview; but despatched his brother to them, "whose threats or -persuasions were sufficient to drive back the chiefs, with strong -indications of terror." - -When General Proctor began to prepare for retreating from Malden, -Tecumseh, having learned his intention, demanded an interview, and, in the -name of all the Indians, delivered an animated speech. If the spirit, -which it manifests, could have had its intended effect in inducing the -General to fight before he retreated, the result must at least have been -more glorious, if not more favorable to his cause. - -"Father!--Listen to your children! You have them now all before you. - -"The war before this, our British father gave the hatchet to his red -children, when our old chiefs were alive. They are now dead. In that war -our father was thrown flat on his back by the Americans, and our father -took them by the hand without our knowledge. We are afraid that our father -will do so again at this time. - -"Summer before last, when I came forward with my red brethren, and was -ready to take up the hatchet in favor of our British father, we were told -not to be in a hurry--that he had not yet determined to fight the -Americans. - -"Listen!--When war was declared, our father stood up and gave us the -tomahawk, and told us that he was then ready to strike the Americans--that -he wanted our assistance--and that he would certainly get us our lands -back, which the Americans had taken from us. - -"Listen!--You told us, at that time, to bring forward our families to this -place, and we did so. You also promised to take care of them--they should -want for nothing, while the men would go and fight the enemy--that we need -not trouble ourselves about the enemy's garrison--that we knew nothing -about them--and that our father would attend to that part of the business. -You also told your red children that you would take good care of your -garrison here, which made our hearts glad. - -"Listen!--When we were last at the Rapids it is true we gave you little -assistance. It is hard to fight people who live like ground-hogs. - -"Father, listen!--Our fleet has gone out; we know they have fought; we -have heard the great guns; [FN-1] but we know nothing of what has happened -to our father with one arm. [FN-2] Our ships have gone one way, and we are -much astonished to see our father tying up every thing and preparing to -run away the other, without letting his red children know what his -intentions are. You always told us to remain here, and take care of our -lands; it made our hearts glad to hear that was your wish. Our great -father, the king, is the head, and you represent him. You always told us -you would never draw your foot off British ground. But now, father, we see -you are drawing back, and we are sorry to see our father doing so without -seeing the enemy. We must compare our father's conduct to a fat dog, that -carries its tail upon its back, but when affrighted, it drops it between -its legs and runs off." - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Alluding to Perry's Victory. - - [FN-2] Commodore Barclay. - - -"Father, listen!--The Americans have not yet defeated us by land--neither -are we sure that they have done so by water--we therefore wish to remain -here, and fight our enemy, should they make their appearance. If they -defeat us, we will then retreat with our father. - -"At the battle of the Rapids, last war, the Americans certainly defeated -us; and when we returned to our father's fort, at that place the gates -were shut against us. We were afraid that it would now be the case; but -instead of that, we now see our British father preparing to march out of -his garrison. - -"Father!--You have got the arms and ammunition which our great father sent -for his red children. If you have an idea of going away, give them to us, -and you may go and welcome for us. Our lives are in the hands of the Great -Spirit. We are determined to defend our lands, and if it be his will, we -wish to leave our bones upon them." - -This celebrated speech is probably as good a specimen as any on record, of -the eloquence of Tecumseh. It was a natural eloquence, characteristic, as -all natural eloquence must be, of the qualities of the man. As Charlevoix -says of the Canadian savages, it was "such as the Greeks admired in the -barbarians,"--strong, stern, sententious, pointed, perfectly undisguised. -It abounded with figures and with graphic touches, imprinted by a single -effort of memory or imagination, but answering all the purposes of -detailed description, without its tediousness or its weakness. The -President was "drinking his wine in his town," while Tecumseh and Harrison -were fighting it out over the mountains. The Indians were hallooed upon -the Americans, like a pack of starved hounds. The British nation was our -great Father, and our great Father was laid flat on his back. So the -policy of the United States, in extending their settlements, was a mighty -water, and the scheme of common property in the tribes, was a dam to -resist it. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] McAfee's History, p. 17. - - -Tecumseh belonged to a nation "noted," as Mr. Heckewelder describes them, -"for much talk," as well as for hard fighting; and he was himself never at -a loss for words, though he used them with a chariness which might be -imitated without disadvantage by some of our modern orators. It was only -when he spoke for the explanation or vindication of that great cause to -which his whole heart and mind were devoted, that he indulged himself in -any thing beyond the laconic language of necessity. His appearance was -always noble--his form symmetrical--his carriage erect and lofty--his -motions commanding--but under the excitement of his favorite theme, he -became a new being. The artifice of the politician, the diffidence of the -stranger, the demure dignity of the warrior, were cast aside like a cloak. -His fine countenance lighted up with a fiery and haughty pride. His frame -swelled with emotion. Every posture and every gesture had its eloquent -meaning. And then language, indeed,--the irrepressible outbreaking of -nature,--flowed glowing from the passion-fountains of the soul. - -We have drawn the portrait of this eminent chieftain hitherto, only so far -as to sketch some of those strongly-marked lineaments by which he was best -known to his contemporaries, and by which he will be longest remembered. -But there was something more in his character than strong savage talent -and savage feeling. Injured and irritated as he often was, and constantly -as he kept himself excited by an interest in the fate of his countrymen, -and by the agitation of his own schemes, there is no evidence either of -coarseness in his manners, or of cruelty in his conduct. For reasons -easily to be imagined, he regarded Governor Harrison with less partiality, -than most other individual Americans; and hence, the British General is -said to have stipulated early in the war, that the Governor, if taken -prisoner, should be _his_ captive. But he is understood to have always -treated that gentleman with such courtesy, that we apprehend, had this -_casus-faedris_ unfortunately occurred, he would have gloried only in -conveying him off the battle-field in the manner of the Black-Prince, and -in setting before him, with the royal munificence of Massasoit, all the -dry pease in his wigwam. - -When the Governor proposed to him, on his first visit to Vincennes in -1810, that, in the event of a war, he would as far as possible put a stop -to the cruelties which the Indians were accustomed to inflict upon women -and children, and others no longer in a situation to resist,--he readily -gave his assent to the proposition, and voluntarily pledged himself to -adhere to it. There is reason to believe, that he remembered this promise; -and that amidst temptations and provocations,--and, many would be inclined -to add, examples, from an authority he might have been supposed to -respect,--of a most extraordinary nature. - -In one of the sorties from Fort Meigs, a hundred or more of the American -garrison were taken prisoners, and put into Fort Miami. Here, McAfee and -others relate that the British Indians garnished the surrounding rampart, -and amused themselves by loading and firing at the crowd within, or at -particular individuals. This proceeding is said to have continued nearly -two hours, during which time twenty of the unfortunate prisoners were -massacred. The chiefs were at the same time holding a council, to -determine the fate of the residue. A blood-thirsty mob of cut-throat -Pottawatamies were warmly in favor of despatching them all on the spot, -while the Wyandots and Miamies opposed that course. The former prevailed; -and had already systematically commenced the work of destruction, when -Tecumseh, descrying them from the batteries, came down among them, -reprimanded the ring-leaders for their dastardly barbarity in murdering -defenceless captives in cold blood, and thus saved the lives of a -considerable number. That all this was done by express permission of the -English commander, and in presence of the English army, as is farther -stated, it does not belong to us, in the pursuit of our present subject, -either to assert or prove. If there be any truth in the charge, or in a -tithe of those of the same character which have been brought against the -same party, the sooner the veil of oblivion is dropped over them, the -better. - -In fine, the character of Tecumseh, in whatever light it be viewed, must -be regarded as remarkable in the highest degree. That he proved himself -worthy of his rank as a general officer in the army of his Britannic -Majesty, or even of his reputation as a great warrior among all the -Indians of the North and West, is, indeed, a small title to distinction, -Bravery is a savage virtue; and the Shawanees are a brave people,--as too -many of the American nation have ascertained by experience. His oratory -speaks more for his genius. It was the utterance of a great mind, roused -by the strongest motives of which human nature is susceptible, and -developing a power and a labor of reason, which commanded the admiration -of the civilized, as justly as the confidence and pride of the savage. But -other orators, too, have appeared among his countrymen, as eloquent and as -eminent as Tecumseh, wherever the same moving causes and occasions could -give birth and scope to the same emulous effort. And the mere oratory, in -all these cases, was not so much an absolute vindication, as a naked and -meagre index of the mighty intellect and noble spirit within. Happily for -the fame of Tecumseh, other evidences exist in his favor,--such as were -felt as well as heard in his own day,--such as will live on the pages of -civilized history, long after barbarous tradition has forgotten them. He -will be named with Philip and Pontiac, "the agitators" of the two -centuries which preceded his own. The schemes of these men -were,--fortunately for the interest which they lived and labored to -resist,--alike unsuccessful in their issue; but none the less credit -should for _that_ reason be allowed to their motives or their efforts. -They were still statesmen, though the communities over which their -influence was exerted, were composed of red men instead of white. They -were still patriots, though they fought only for wild lands and for wild -liberty. Indeed, it is these very circumstances that make these very -efforts,--and especially the extraordinary degree of success which -attended them,--the more honorable and the more signal; while they clearly -show the necessity of their ultimate failure, which existed in the nature -of things. They are the best proof, at once, of genius and of principle. - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - - - Michikinaqwa, or the Little Turtle--Early History--Engages in a - combination of the Indians against the United States--Blue-Jacket--The - Turtle defeats two detachments of American troops--Some account of the - North-Western war from 1791 to 1795--The Turtle defeated by General - Wayne--He becomes unpopular after the peace--Some or the charges against - him examined--Anecdotes of his intercourse with distinguished - Americans--His letter to Gen. Harrison--His death in 1812--His - character. - - -In the Life of Buckongahelas, we have alluded to the powerful influence of -"one individual," as having enabled Governor Harrison, despite the -exertions or that chieftain, to effect the important negotiations -concluded at Fort Wayne in 1803. That individual was the Little Turtle, a -personage of both talent and celebrity, second in modern times only to -those of Tecumseh. Indeed, he may be considered in some respects one of -the most remarkable Indians of any age; and although he has been deceased -about twenty years, his grave, in the neighborhood of the station just -named, is not only still shown, but still visited by Indians from various -quarters, who cherish the memory of the old warrior with the deepest -veneration. - -The vernacular name of the Turtle was Michikinaqwa or Mechecunaqua. He was -the son of a Miami chief, but his mother was a Mohegan woman; and as the -Indian maxim in relation to descents is generally the same with that of -the civil law in relation to slaves--that the condition of the offspring -follows the condition of the mother [FN]--the Turtle had no advantage -whatever from his father's rank. He however became a chief at an early -age, for his extraordinary talents attracted the notice of his countrymen -even in boyhood. - - * * * * * - - [FN] "Partus sequitur ventrem." - - -His first eminent services were those of a warrior in the ranks of his -tribe. It is well known that long after the conclusion of the peace of -1783, the British retained possession of several posts within our ceded -limits on the north, which were rallying-points for the Indians hostile to -the American cause, and where they were supplied and subsisted to a -considerable extent, while they continued to wage that war with us which -their civilized ally no longer maintained. Our Government made strenuous -exertions to pacify all these tribes. With some they succeeded, and among -others with the powerful Creeks, headed at this time by the famous -half-breed McGillivray. But the savages of the Wabash and the Miami would -consent to no terms. They were not only encouraged by foreign -assistance--whether national, or simply individual, we need not in this -connection discuss--but they were strong in domestic combination. The -Wyandots, the Pottawatamies, the Delawares, the Shawanees, the Chippewas, -the Ottawas, not to mention parts of some other tribes, all acted -together; and last, but by no means least, the Miamies, resident where -Fort Wayne has been since erected, inspired the whole confederacy with the -ardor which they themselves had but to imitate in their own fearless -chieftains. - -These were generally the same parties who had thirty years before been -united against the whites under Pontiac; and the causes of their -irritation were now mainly the same as they had been then, while both the -cordiality and facility of cooperation were increased by confidence and -experience derived even from former failures. These causes have been -already sufficiently experienced. They arose chiefly from the frontier -advances of the white population on the Indian lands--always and almost -necessarily attended with provocations never discovered, and of -consequence never atoned for, by the proper authorities. National claims -were also brought forward, which, so far as founded on the representations -of persons interested, were likely enough to be abuses. In fact, here was -an exact precedent for the combination of Tippecanoe. The Turtle was -politically the first follower of Pontiac, and the latest model of -Tecumseh. - -The Turtle, we say, but the zealous assistance he received from other -chieftains of various tribes, ought not to be overlooked. Buckongahelas -commanded the Delawares. Blue-Jacket was at this time the leading man of -the Shawanees--a warrior of high reputation, though unfortunately but few -particulars of his history have been recorded. The Mississagas, a Canadian -tribe on the river Credit, some remnant of which still exists, contributed -not a little to the power of the confederacy in the talents of a brave -chief, whose very name is not preserved, though his movements among the -more northern Indians were felt on the banks of the St. Lawrence, as far -down as Montreal itself. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] A respectable Montreal publication, of 1791, notices one of this - person's visits to the tribes in the vicinity of that town;--describing - him as "forty-five years old, six feet in height, of a sour and morose - aspect, and apparently very crafty and subtle." - - -On the 13th of September, 1791,--all attempts to conciliate the hostile -tribes who were now ravaging the frontiers, having been -abandoned,--General Harmer, under the direction of the Federal government, -marched against them from Fort Washington (the present site of Cincinnati) -with three hundred and twenty regulars, who were soon after joined by a -body of militia, making the whole force about fifteen hundred men. Colonel -Hardin, at the head of six hundred Kentucky troops, was detached in -advance to reconnoiter. As he approached the enemy's villages, they fled. -The villages were destroyed, and a light force again detached in the -pursuit. These men were met by a small Indian party, led on by the Turtle, -who attacked them furiously, and fought them with such effect that of -thirty regulars twenty-three were killed, while all the militia of the -detachment sought safety in flight. - -Notwithstanding this check, the enemy's only remaining town in the section -of the country near the battle-ground was laid waste, and their provisions -destroyed. General Harmer then returned to Fort Washington, unpursued, but -disgraced and deeply chagrined. Under these circumstances he resolved to -hazard another action. He halted eight miles from Chilicothe, and late at -night detached Colonel Hardin with orders to find the Indians, and fight -them. Hardin succeeded in his search about daylight The savages fought -with desperation, for they were maddened by the sight of their flaming -villages and their uncovered dead, and the war-cry of the Turtle again -urged them to the onset. Some of the Americans fled, but a greater number, -including fifty regulars and one hundred militia, with several officers of -note, fell upon the field of battle, bravely discharging a fruitless and -fatal duty. General Harmer claimed the victory,---with how much propriety -may appear from these facts. The Turtle however suffered so severely in -the engagement, that he permitted him to march home unmolested. - -Harmer's disasters were followed by the most deplorable consequences, for -the savages renewed their devastations to such a degree that the situation -of the frontiers became truly alarming. Congress directed the organization -of a strong military force, and meanwhile two volunteer expeditions from -Kentucky, under Generals Wilkinson and Scott were fitted out against the -enemy. Considerable damage was done to them on the Miami and Wabash, -though without much loss of life on either side. - -The campaign of the Federal troops,--mustering about two thousand, besides -garrisons in two or three newly erected forts,--commenced late in the -summer of 1791. Desertion reduced the number to fourteen hundred, before -the commander, General St. Clair, had advanced far into the hostile -territory. Continuing his march, however, on the third of November he -encamped on a piece of commanding ground, within fifteen miles of the -Miami villages. An interval of only seventy paces was left between the two -wings of his army. The right was in some degree protected by a creek, and -a steep bank; the left, by cavalry and picquets. The militia, about three -hundred fresh Kentuckian recruits, were permitted to cross the creek, and -draw up in two lines on the first rising ground beyond it, at the distance -of a quarter of a mile from the main body, from which they were separated -also by a rich sugar-tree "bottom." - -The enemy had apparently anticipated a movement of this kind. The -chieftains had collected a force of from one thousand to fifteen hundred -men, upon the Miami territories; and for several days previous to the -halt, numbers of them had been hovering round and evidently watching the -movements of the troops. During the night of the 3d, shots were -occasionally exchanged between them and the American sentries, and small -parties were sent out in different directions to prevent their too near -approach. - -Meanwhile the Indians were holding a grand council of war. The plan of -attack was agreed upon, and the order and rank of the various tribes -settled with a precision as punctilious as that of the ancient Greeks. The -Wyandots stretched to the west; the Delawares were stationed next to them; -the Senecas third, and so on. The Turtle, acting as commander-in-chief, -superintended and stimulated the whole, but headed no particular -detachment; the arm of the warrior was to do much, but the eye and voice -of the chieftain, much more. Nothing happened during the night to alarm -the Americans, and indeed the noise and stir of the outskirts in the early -part of the evening gradually subsided. All at length was silent, and it -might well be supposed, as it probably was, that the enemy had taken -advantage of the darkness of the night to make good a precipitate retreat, -or that their whole force as yet consisted only of a few scouting and -scalping parties. But the mistake was of short duration. The militia were -violently attacked between dawn and sunrise of the fourth, by a powerful -body of the Indians, who, with a terrific yell, poured in a volume of -musketry along the entire length of the two lines. Never was surprise more -complete. The ranks of the militia were thrown into confusion at once; and -although the battle was hotly contested for three hours at least, no -efforts of the officers, or of the regular troops of the main body, proved -sufficient to recover the lost ground. The former, indeed, were picked off -by the enemy's sharp-shooters so rapidly, that very little could be -expected from the aggregate of _their_ exertions. - -Besides, the savages generally fought under shelter of the woods. "The -Indians were very numerous," we are informed by one who was present, "but -we found it out more from their incessant heavy fire, than from what we -could otherwise discover of them. They fought under cover, though they -would frequently advance very close under the smoke of the cannon; and as -soon as it began to clear away, the fire became very fatal." [FN] -Emboldened, however, by success, they sometimes charged the Americans -tomahawk in hand, drove them back on their lines, kept possession of their -tents for some minutes, and though repulsed, continually returned to the -contest with redoubled fury. - - * * * * * - - [FN] New-York and other news-papers of December, 1791. - - -The Americans were at length compelled to retreat; and this retreat,--as -St. Clair himself confessed, in his despatches, "was a precipitate one, -_in fact a flight._" The camp and artillery were abandoned. Most of the -militia threw away their arms and accoutrements. All were closely pursued -by the savages from half-past nine, when the route commenced, until after -sunset, when they gained Fort Jefferson, at a distance of twenty-nine -miles. Thirty-eight officers, and five hundred and ninety-three men, were -slain or missing; and twenty-one officers and two hundred and forty-two -men wounded, many of whom died afterwards; so that no fewer than eight -hundred and ninety-four were lost or disabled, out of an army of fourteen -hundred. General Butler, second in command, was among the slain. - -General St. Clair says he was overpowered by numbers; but as no English -historian makes the enemy more numerous than the Americans, some credit -should be given to them upon other grounds than the pretext of numerical -superiority. Indeed, their attack was conducted with astonishing -intrepidity. After a single volley of fire-arms they fought every inch of -the field, hand to hand. There is no other instance in the history of the -continent, of a slaughter to be compared to this, with the exception of -the memorable defeat of Braddock. "Nearly in the space of three hundred -and fifty yards,"--said General Scott, who visited the battle-field soon -after,--"lay five hundred skull-bones, three hundred of which were buried -by my men. From thence five miles on, the woods were strewed with -skeletons, muskets," &c. [FN-1] The loss of the Turtle's army was never -ascertained upon indisputable authority, but no account makes it at all -proportionable to that of St. Clair. The Mississaga chief, mentioned -above, who visited Montreal a few months after the action, rated the -American loss at several hundreds more than the official bulletin just -cited, and that of the Indians at only _nine;_ [FN-2] but some allowance -ought probably to be made for extenuation in the latter case, as for -exaggeration in the former. An American officer, who encountered a party -of thirty Indians near the battle-ground, a day or two after the defeat, -(and was detained by them till they were made to believe him a friend to -their cause, from Canada,) was informed that the number of killed was -fifty-six. These savages were returning home with their share of the -plunder. One of them had a hundred and twenty-seven American scalps, -strung on a pole, and the rest were laden with various other articles, of -different values. They had also three pack-horses, carrying as many kegs -of wine and spirits as could be piled on their backs. According to their -statement, there were twelve hundred Indians in the battle, the larger -proportion of whom were Miamies. [FN-3] - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Metcalf's Indian Wars. - - [FN-2] Montreal papers. - - [FN-3] New-York papers. Most of the statements in the text are - corroborated by all the standard histories of the war. - - -We have alluded to the expedition of General Scott, who made a most -successful incursion against the savages a few weeks subsequent to the -action of the 4th. A considerable body of them were found by his scouts on -the field, still reveling among the spoils of the camp, and diverting -themselves in high glee. Scott attacked them abruptly with three -detachments, in as many directions, at the same moment. They were -completely surprised and routed. At least two hundred were killed on the -spot; the remainder fled, and Scott's force returned triumphantly to -head-quarters, carrying home seven pieces of St. Clair's cannon. - -The effect of this defeat upon the Turtle's mind and upon those of his -countrymen generally, was abundantly sufficient to exasperate, without -having the slightest tendency either to intimidate or discourage. - -"A few days ago,"--says, in the summer of 1792, a letter-writer from Fort -Knox, cited in the principal journals of the day,--"several chiefs came in -from Opee, a place high upon the Illinois river, and in their speech to -Major Hamtranck told him they were frequently invited and threatened by -_the Miamies,_ to induce them to go to war with us, that we must keep good -heart, for we shall have a great many more to fight this year than last; -and that they wished us success, and hoped we should give them a hearty -drubbing." Something is suggested about British instigation, and the -writer concludes thus. "Indeed every intelligence we have received from -the _Miami villages,_ corroborates this, so far as to convince us that -there will be twice as many Indians in the field this year as there were -last,--so that I think a few of us will be apt to lose our hair." - -It will be observed that the Miamies are here regarded as the leading -tribe in the hostile combination. So undoubtedly they were, and that alone -sufficiently indicates the influence exercised by the Turtle. Hence it -was, in no small degree, that the predictions of the Indians at Fort Knox, -were but too accurately and speedily fulfilled. During 1792, the -depredations of the savages became more furious and ferocious than ever -before; and some of the most tragical scenes recorded in history took -place on the long line of the frontiers. We shall detail a single -well-authenticated instance, to illustrate the exposure of the citizens in -what was then perhaps the most populous section of the West. - -A dwelling-house in Kentucky was attacked by a party of Indians. The -proprietor, Mr. Merrill, was alarmed by the barking of his dog. On going -to the door he received the fire of the assailants, which broke his right -leg and arm. They attempted to enter the house, but were anticipated in -their movement by Mrs. Merrill and her daughter, who closed the door in so -effectual a manner as to keep them at bay. They next began to hew a -passage through the door, and one of the warriors attempted to enter -through the aperture; but the resolute mother seizing an axe, gave him a -fatal blow upon the head, and then with the assistance of her daughter, -drew his body in. His companions without, not apprized of his fate, but -supposing him successful, followed through the same aperture, and four of -the number were thus killed before their mistake was discovered. They now -retired a few moments, but soon returned, and renewed their exertions to -force the house. Despairing of entering by the door, they climbed upon the -roof, and made an effort to descend by the chimney. Mr. Merrill directed -his little son to empty the contents of a large feather-bed upon the fire, -which soon caused so dense and pungent a smoke, as nearly to suffocate -those who had made this desperate attempt, and two of them fell into the -fire-place. The moment was critical; the mother and daughter could not -quit their stations at the door; and the husband, though groaning with his -broken leg and arm, rousing every exertion, seized a billet of wood, and -with repeated blows despatched the two half-smothered Indians. In the -meantime the mother had repelled a fresh assault upon the door, and -severely wounded one of the Indians, who attempted simultaneously to enter -there, while the others descended the chimney. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Metcalf's Indian Wars. - - -We find no particular evidence that the Turtle was concerned in any of -these petty forays, which indeed were certainly attended with no honor, -while they inflicted more damage and alarm than any other events of this -memorable war. He however commanded a body of Indians who, in November, -1792, made a violent attack on a detachment of Kentucky volunteers, headed -by Major Adair, (since Governor) under the walls of Fort St. Clair. The -contest was severe and sanguinary. The savages were at length -repulsed--with considerable loss, according to some accounts--but -Marshall, who is sufficiently careful of the honor of his countrymen, -allows that the Major, after a gallant resistance, was compelled to -retreat to the fort, (about half a mile) with the loss of six men killed, -and the camp-equipage and one hundred and forty pack-horses taken. The -Indians lost but two men. The Turtle was also in the action of Fort -Recovery, which took place in June, 1794, and in which a large detachment -of American troops, under Major McMahon, was defeated. - -Repeated efforts were made by the American Government, during these three -years, for the conclusion of a treaty of peace. Several of the Senecas, -and other New-York Indians were employed as mediators to this end. To some -extent they succeeded, or at least were thought to have done so,--it being -announced, late in the fall of 1792, that the Miamies had consented to a -truce till the next spring; but at the end of that term, if not before, -hostilities were renewed with as much vigor as ever. Only a few months -previous, three Americans, sent to the enemy with flags and proposals of -peace, were murdered in cold blood,--an act for which some palliating -provocations were alleged by those who committed it, but which never was -deliberately justified by their leaders. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] "When the news was carried to the town (a Shawanese village) that a - white man with a peace-talk had been killed at the camp, it excited a - great ferment, and the murderers were much censured," &c.--_Marshall's - Kentucky._ The brave Colonel Hardin, of Kentucky, was one of the - messengers. - - -But the successes of the enemy were drawing to a close. General Wayne had -been appointed to the command of the American army, than whom perhaps no -man in the country was better qualified to meet the emergencies of an -Indian warfare in the woods. The Indians were themselves, indeed, sensible -of this fact, and the mere intelligence of his approach probably had its -effect on their spirits. They universally called him the Black Snake, from -the superior cunning which they ascribed to him; and even allowed him the -credit of being a fair match for Buckongahelas, Blue-Jacket, or the Turtle -himself. - -Wayne prosecuted the decisive campaign of 1794 with a spirit which -justified the estimate of his enemy, although, owing to the difficulties -of transporting stores and provisions through a wilderness which at that -time could not be traversed by wagons, he was unable to commence -operations until near midsummer. He had already, in the fall of the -previous season, erected Fort Recovery on the site of St. Clair's defeat; -and early in August, he raised a fortification at the confluence of the -Au-Glaize and Miami, which he named Fort Defiance. His whole force was now -nearly two thousand regulars, exclusive of eleven hundred mounted Kentucky -militia under General Scott, [FN] Here he had expected to surprise the -neighboring villages of the enemy; and the more effectually to ensure the -success of his _coup-de-main,_ he had not only advanced thus far by an -obscure and very difficult route, but taken pains to clear out two roads -from Greenville in that direction, in order to attract and divert the -attention of the Indians, while he marched by neither. But his generalship -proved of no avail. The Turtle and his comrades kept too vigilant an eye -on the foe they were now awaiting, to be easily surprised, even had not -their movements been quickened, as they were, by the information of an -American deserter. - - * * * * * - - [FN] There were some friendly Indians, mostly from southern tribes, who - fought under Wayne and Scott during the season of 1794; and among the - rest about sixty Choctaws, commanded by a brave chief commonly called - General Hummingbird, who more recently distinguished himself in the last - war against the Creeks, (as the allies of the British.) He died December - 23d, 1828, aged seventy-five, at his residence near the Choctaw agency, - where he was buried with the honors of war. - - -On the 12th of the month, the General learned from some of the Indians -taken prisoners, that their main body occupied a camp near the British -garrison, at the rapids of the Miami. But he now resolved, before -approaching them much nearer, to try the effect of one more proposal of -peace. He had in his army a man named Miller, who had long been a captive -with some of the tribes, and he selected him for the hazardous enterprize. - -Miller did not like the scheme. It was his opinion, from what he had -observed, that the Indians were unalterably determined on war, and that -they would not respect a flag, but probably kill him: in short, he -declined being the ambassador. General Wayne, however, could think of no -other as well qualified; and being anxious to make the experiment, he -assured Miller that he would hold the eight prisoners then in his custody, -as pledges for his safety, and that he might take with him any escort he -desired. Thus encouraged, the soldier consented to go with the message; -and to attend him, he selected from the prisoners, one of the men, and a -squaw. With these he left camp at 4 o'clock, P. M. on the 13th; and next -morning at daybreak, reached the tents of the hostile chiefs, which were -near together, and known by his attendants, without being discovered. He -immediately displayed his flag, and proclaimed himself "a messenger." -Instantly he was assailed on all sides, with a hideous yell, and a call, -to "Kill the runner! Kill the spy!" But he, accosting them in their own -language, and forthwith explaining to them his real character, they -suspended the blow, and took him into custody. He shewed and explained the -General's letter; not omitting the positive assurance, that if they did -not send the bearer back to him by the 16th of the month, he would, at -sunset of that day, cause every soldier in his camp to be put to death. -Miller was closely confined, and a council called by the chiefs. On the -15th, he was liberated, and furnished with an answer to General Wayne, -stating, "that if he waited where he was ten days, and then sent Miller -for them, they would treat with him; but that if he advanced, they would -give him battle." The General's impatience had prevented his waiting the -return of his minister. On the 16th, Miller came up with the army on its -march, and delivered the answer; to which he added, that "from the manner -in which the Indians were dressed and painted, and the constant arrival of -parties, it was his opinion, they had determined on war, and only wanted -time to muster their whole force." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Marshall. - - -This intelligence of course did not serve to check the eagerness of the -General, and he rapidly continued his march down the Miami. On the 18th he -reached the rapids. On the 19th he halted to reconnoiter, within a few -miles of the enemy's camp, and threw up a temporary work which he called -Fort _Deposite._ Early, in the morning of the 20th he resumed his march in -that direction, and about 10 o'clock his spies, a mile in advance, were -fired on. The army was halted, and put in order of battle, and then moved -forward in three columns. Wayne's legion, occupying the right, had its -flank upon the river; one brigade of mounted volunteers, under General -Todd, occupied the left; and the other, under General Barbee, the rear. -Major Price, with a select battalion, moved in front, to "feel" the enemy, -and to give the troops timely notice to form. After penetrating about five -miles, he received a tremendous fire from an ambuscade, and fell back upon -the main force. - -The Indians were advantageously posted in the forest of Presque Isle; -having their left secured by the rocky bank of the river, and their front -by a kind of breast-work of fallen trees, which rendered it impracticable -for cavalry to advance. They were formed in three lines, within supporting -distance, and extending nearly two miles into the woods. - -Wayne's legion immediately advanced in two columns, with trailed arms, -expecting to rouse the enemy from the covert with the bayonet; and when -up, to deliver a close fire upon their backs, and press them so hard as -not to give them time to reload. He soon saw, from the weight of their -fire, and the extent of their lines, that the Indians were in full force, -in possession of their favorite ground, and endeavoring to turn his left -flank. He instantly ordered General Scott, with his whole force, to make a -considerable circuit, with a view to outflank them; but the legionary -infantry executed their orders with such promptitude, that only a part of -the second column, and of the mounted volunteers, could be brought up to -participate in the action. The Indians flying from their concealment, only -confused each other by their numbers; and they were driven more than two -miles through thick woods, in the course of an hour, until the pursuit -terminated under the guns of Fort Maumee. [FN] Great slaughter was made by -the legionary cavalry in the pursuit, so many of the savages being cut -down with the sabre, that the title of Long-Knives, long before given to -the Americans, is said to have come again into general use at this period. -General Wayne stated his loss at one hundred and thirty-three killed and -wounded. That of the Indians was never ascertained, but was supposed to be -much greater. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Marshall. And see Appendix II. - - -As many as seven tribes were engaged in this action--the Miamies, the -Pottawatamies, Delawares, Shawanees, Chippewas, Ottawas, and some Senecas. -During the night preceding the battle, the chiefs of the different nations -had assembled in council, and it was proposed by some, to go up and attack -General Wayne in his encampment. The proposition was opposed, and the -council did not determine to attack him that night; but all acceded to -another suggestion, to wait until the next day, and fight the General at -Presque Isle. The Turtle alone disapproved of this plan, while Blue-Jacket -was warmly in favor of it. The former disliked the idea of fighting Wayne -under present circumstances, and was even inclined to make peace. "We have -beaten the enemy," said he at the council, "twice, under separate -commanders. We cannot expect the same good fortune always to attend us. -The Americans are now led by a chief who never sleeps. The night and the -day are alike to him; and during all the time that he has been marching -upon our villages, notwithstanding the watchfulness of our young men, we -have never been able to surprise him. Think well of it. There is something -whispers me, it would be prudent to listen to his offers of peace." On -this, he was reproached by one of the chiefs with cowardice, and that -ended the conference. Stung to the quick by a reproach which he was -conscious he never merited, he would have laid the reviler dead at his -feet; but his was not the bravery of an assassin. He took his post in the -action, determined to do his duty; and the event proved that he had formed -no very erroneous estimate of the character of General Wayne. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Schoolcraft. - - -The treaty of Greenville, consequent upon the successful termination of -this campaign, or what is frequently denominated _Wayne's War,_ was -concluded on the third of August, A. D. 1795. This treaty, the basis of -most of our subsequent treaties with the northwestern Indians, was -attended by twelve tribes; some of whom, it is believed, had never before -entered into treaty with the United States. They ceded an extensive tract -of country, south of the lakes, and west of the Ohio; together with -certain specific tracts, including the sites of all the northwestern -posts, as an indemnification for the expenses of the war. The stipulations -of the treaty of Greenville continued unbroken till the battle of -Tippecanoe, a period of sixteen years. - -Dawson, in his memoirs of General Harrison, (who was educated in General -Wayne's family,) has given some interesting reminiscences respecting the -conclusion of this peace. He states, that the Turtle took a decided part -against the giving up of the large tract of country which General Wayne -required on the part of the United States. This circumstance, however, was -not unfavorable to the attainment of the object, as it was evident there -was a violent jealousy of the Turtle, among most of the Ottawas, -Chippewas, and Pottawatamies, so that they invariably opposed every thing -which he advocated. And as they and their friends constituted the majority -of the council, the Turtle was always in the minority. The superiority of -his mind was conspicuous not only in their company, but in his measures -and deportment in the society of white people. The other chiefs were all -invited, in their turns, to the General's table, and on these occasions -showed themselves still savages, though many of them appeared much at -their ease, and disposed of the good things of the General's table with -evident satisfaction. The drinking, however, was the most popular part of -the entertainment, and indeed, the White Pigeon, a Pottawatamie chief; -could not refrain from expressing his gratitude to the Great Spirit for -this, as he conceived, the best gift to man. Upon being asked for a toast -by General Wayne, he rose and said, "I will give you the Great Spirit, and -I am much obliged to him for putting so much sense into that man's head -who first made rum." - -After the peace was concluded, the Turtle settled upon Eel-River, about -twenty miles from Fort Wayne, where the Americans erected for him a -comfortable house. He frequently visited the seat of Government both at -Philadelphia and Washington. His taste for civilized life being observed, -the Indian agents were desired by the Government to furnish him with every -reasonable accommodation for his decent subsistence,--supposing that the -example might prove beneficial in their exertions to civilize the other -Indians. - -These indulgences, however, entirely destroyed--for a time, at least--the -Turtle's influence among the savages; for some envied his good fortune, -and others suspected his honesty. Being perfectly sensible of this, and -not a little chagrined by it, we may fairly presume that he made various -attempts to recover his popularity. This was probably the secret of his -opposition to the interest of the United States on more occasions than one -where it was not altogether indispensable. But we certainly need not deny -him on that account the credit of real patriotism which he manifested at -all times. The truth is, that in some indifferent cases, when he might -have yielded to the demands of the American authorities without disgrace, -he opposed them chiefly for the sake of retaining or regaining his -influence with his countrymen. - -Under these circumstances, however, he was of course liable to accusations -which he did not deserve,--by the Indians, of being bribed by the -Government, and by the Americans, of thwarting _their_ purposes from a -puerile regard to the whims rather than the interest of the Indians. As an -instance of the latter, we may refer to the Indian Councils of 1802 and -1803, at Vincennes and at Fort Wayne, the result of which was the -conveyance of an immense territory to the United States from the -Pottawatamies, Piankishaws, Weas, Eel-River Miamies, and some other tribes -or parts of tribes. - -Mr. Dawson states that the former of these councils had been recommended -by the Turtle, but that when the time came, he refused to -attend,---alleging as his reason, that "the jealousy with which the chiefs -viewed the footing he stood upon with the United States, would make his -presence rather more injurious than serviceable." Now, this would seem to -be a sufficient explanation; and yet the historian does not hesitate to -say, that the Turtle had just before been visited, bribed and gained over -by the British-Indian agent, McKee. This is asserted without -qualification, although the same paragraph shows that the testimony in the -case was nothing more than the "opinion" of a "Mr. Wells." It is added -that, "however that might be"--implying a doubt after all--the Turtle -certainly used his influence to prevent the other chiefs from attending -the Council. This might be true, but it proves at best, only that he made -some farther exertion to clear himself of that suspicion among the Indians -which he gave as his reason for not attending the council, and at the same -time to obviate the necessity itself of attending. - -The result proves the correctness of his judgment. Those who did attend -were at first extremely opposed to Governor Harrison's propositions; but -after considerable discussion they determined to refer the whole -matter--and it was one of no small moment to the Indian interest--to _four -chiefs_ of the various tribes represented, or a majority of them, "to -finally settle and adjust a treaty" with the Agents of the Government. At -the head of the commission was the Turtle himself; and his nephew, -Richardville, a member of the same tribe, was another. - -Had any other course been taken than this, for which the Turtle is accused -of corruption, it is probable that the treaty would never have been -authorized, notwithstanding the tribes were deliberately convinced of its -policy,--for the presence of the Turtle would have been an argument to -counterbalance all others. The historian does the Chieftain better justice -in the sequel. A meeting of the Commissioners with the Governor having -been appointed for the spring of 1803, to be held at Fort Wayne, the -latter, on arriving there, was astonished to find that all who had agreed -to attend, were still absent, while the Turtle, who had only been -authorized to act in the premises, was on the spot, together with the -Pottawatomie Chiefs. It seems they had by this time grown jealous again; -audit comes out in evidence, that the Owl, or Long-Beard, had been busily -employed in dissuading the Indians from meeting him, and that his -representations had been effectual in many cases. The Owl, despite big -name, was as subtle as he was wicked, and he found means to detach the -Miami nation almost entirely from the interests of the Turtle and -Richardville, who were the real chiefs of the tribe. This he effected by -asserting that the former had sold to the United States the whole country, -and that it would be claimed as it might be wanted. He earnestly advised -them not to accept any annuities in future, assuring them that the United -States would at a future day claim a large tract of land for every annuity -which they might pay to the Indians. - -We have before mentioned that when Buckongahelas and other chiefs finally -attended at Fort Wayne, and opposed the treaty, it was effected, according -to the historian's statement, principally by the influence of the Turtle. -It appears to have been on the whole a measure mutually beneficial to the -two contracting parties; but the Turtle no doubt thought that an agreement -once made should be ratified at all events, whatever the effect might be -on his own popularity. - -There is probably more justice in the charge brought against him in regard -to the treaty concluded with the Piankashaws and Delawares, in -1804,--though perhaps not in the sense intended by the accuser. The -Miamies were not consulted in this instance, it appears, nor were the -Pottawatamies. They believed themselves entitled to a voice in the matter, -and were therefore dissatisfied, and openly expressed their displeasure at -the result. It is alleged, however, that "no claim would have been set up -by them, had the _Turtle_ been consulted when the treaty was made." - -This may be true,--for, setting aside courtesy, he and his countrymen -might at least have been prepossessed in favor of the honesty of the -transaction, by an appearance of entire frankness on the part of the -whites. Not that the treaty was in fact unprincipled; but the manner of -concluding it might well appear to the Indians somewhat exclusive. They -claimed an interest in the lands conveyed, and a consequent right to be -consulted as parties; and they wished that, even if the case admitted of -no argument, they might be allowed to hear what was said, and to see what -was done. Their anxiety was certainly the more pardonable, inasmuch as the -tract thus conveyed included "all that fine country between the Ohio and -the Wabash rivers (as high up as the road leading from Vincennes to -Louisville,) with a front of three hundred miles on the one and nearly -half as much on the other." It further appears, that at a general council -of the tribes at Vincennes, in 1805, a treaty was negotiated, which -"settled the dispute respecting the purchase made of the Delawares the -year before,"--the Miamies and the other claimants being present. There -was really a dispute, then--and it was settled--and that formally, by all -the parties concerned. It should have been prevented, we conceive, instead -of being settled; and in that case, the Turtle might have been spared the -charge of "manoeuvring" and "intriguing" with the British Agents. - -He opposed the designs of Tecumseh and the Prophet, from the time of their -first appearance on the political stage, and it was owing to his influence -that very little was effected by them among the Miamies, as well as other -tribes, for a longtime. Had he lived through the war with England, he -would undoubtedly have exerted himself more energetically for the American -interest than ever before. The following communication indicates the part -he was prepared to take, subsequent to the battle of Tippecanoe. The -"witness" probably acted as amanuensis:-- - - _Fort Wayne,_ 25_th January,_ 1812. - -"Governor Harrison: - -"My friend--I have been requested by my nation to speak to you, and I obey -their request with pleasure, because I believe their situation requires -all the aid I can afford them. - -"When your speech by Mr. Dubois was received by the Miamies, they answered -it, and I made known to you their opinion at that time. - -"Your letter to William Wells of the 23d November last, has been explained -to the Miamies and Eel-River tribes of Indians. - -"My friend--Although neither of these tribes have had any thing to do with -the late unfortunate affair which happened on the Wabash, still they all -rejoice to hear you say, that if those foolish Indians which were engaged -in that action, would return to their several homeland remain quiet, that -they would be pardoned, and again received by the President as his -children. We believe there is none of them that will be so foolish, as not -to accept of this friendly offer; whilst, at the same time, I assure you, -that nothing shall be wanting on my part, to prevail on them to accept it. - -"All the prophet's followers have left him, (with the exception of two -camps of his own tribe.) Tecumseh has just joined him with eight men only. -No danger can be apprehended from them at present. Our eyes will be -constantly kept on them, and should they attempt to gather strength again, -we will do all in our power to prevent it, and at the same time give you -immediate information of their intentions. - -"We are sorry that the peace and friendship which has so long existed -between the red and white people, could not be preserved, without the loss -of so many good men as fell on both sides in the late action on the -Wabash; but we are satisfied that it will be the means of making that -peace which ought to exist between us, more respected, both by the red and -the white people. - -"We have been lately told, by different Indians from that quarter, that -you wished the Indians from this country to visit you: this they will do -with pleasure when you give them information of it in writing. - -"My friend!--The clouds appear to be rising in a different quarter, which -threatens to turn our light into darkness. To prevent this, it may require -the united efforts of us all. We hope that none of us will be found to -shrink from the storm that threatens to burst upon our nations. - - "Your friend, - X Mischecanocquah - or LITTLE TURTLE. - - "For the Miami and Eel-River tribes of Indians. - -"Witness, - Wm. Turner, _Surgeons Mate, U. S. Army._ - I certify that the above is a true translation. - - "W. WELLS." - -But the Turtle was destined to take no part in the Conflict. He died at -Fort Wayne--probably on a visit to the Commandant--July 14, 1812, of a -disorder which the army surgeon announced to be the gout. He endured the -pains of his disease, it is stated, with great firmness, and came to his -death, on the turf of his open camp, with the characteristic composure of -his race. His friend, the Commandant, buried him with the honors of war. - -He was said to be sixty-five years of age, by those who had the -opportunity of learning the fact from himself. That account would make him -forty-five,--the same age with the Mississaga chieftain,--at the date of -his great victory over St. Clair; and about thirty at the breaking out of -the American Revolution, during which he no doubt laid the foundation of -his fame. The Miamies are understood to have given as much trouble during -that period as any other tribe on the continent ever did in as few years. - -Mr. Schoolcraft, who speaks of the Turtle in very handsome terms, gives -him the credit of doing at least as much as any other individual on the -continent "to abolish the rites of human sacrifice." The existence, -certainly the prevalence, of the custom apparently referred to here, is -not, we apprehend, perfectly well authenticated; but that circumstance -itself may perhaps be attributed to the successful efforts made in modern -times to put an end to the practice. If the language we have quoted is -intended to include generally all wanton destruction of life--such as -torture of prisoners, for example--there can be little doubt of the -justice of the praise, for the Turtle uniformly enjoyed the reputation of -being as humane as he was brave. - -Nor was this the only case in which he acted the part of a reformer, so -much needed among his countrymen. He was the first man to originate an -efficient system of measures for the suppression of intemperance among -them. And never was a similar system so loudly called for the condition of -any people. Their appetite for ardent spirits is stronger than that of the -whites--owing in a great measure to their manner of living, and especially -to their diet. They have also fewer and feebler inducements to counteract -the propensity; and by _public opinion_ and _fashion_--as expressed in -common practice, and in the declarations of the leading men--they are -confirmed in the evil quite as much as our citizens are restrained by -similar causes. But worse than all, their ignorance, their indolence, and -their poverty have made them the prey of legions of civilized -scoundrels,--particularly traders in peltry,--who have supposed themselves -interested in making them as sordid and stupid as possible, to induce them -to hunt in the first instance, and to rob them of their furs in the -second. - -The Turtle was no less mortified than incensed by these abuses. He saw his -countrymen destroyed and destroying each other every day in peace--and no -tribe was more besotted than the Eel-River Miamies--and he saw hundreds, -of them in war, at one time, surprised and massacred in their cups without -resistance, on the very ground still red and wet with his victories. -Possibly chagrin was as strong a motive with him as philanthropy. But -however that might be, he devoted himself with his usual energy to the -correction of the evil. In 1802 or 1803, he went before the legislature of -Kentucky, attended by his friend and interpreter, Captain Wells, and made -his appeal to them in person. A committee was raised to consider the -subject, and we believe a law passed to prevent the sale of whiskey to the -Indians, as he desired. He also visited the Legislature of Ohio, and made -a highly animated address, but in that case obtained nothing but the honor -for his pains. His description of the traders was drawn to the life. "They -stripped the poor Indians," he said, "of skins, gun, blanket, every -thing,--while his squaw and the children dependent on him lay starving and -shivering in his wigwam." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Mss. Documents. - - -From the following passage in the European (London) Magazine of April, -1802, compiled from American papers, we ascertain that the Turtle was also -the first to introduce the practice of _inoculation for the small pox_ -among the Indians,--a scourge second only to the one just mentioned. "Last -winter," we are told, "there was a grand embassy of Indians to the -President and Congress at Washington. Little Turtle was the head-warrior. -The President had supplied them with ploughs, spinning-wheels, &c. and to -crown all he explained to them how the Great Spirit had made a donation to -the white men--first to one in England, (Dr. Jenner) and then to one in -America, (Dr. Waterhouse, of Boston, [FN])--of a means of preventing the -small pox. Such a confidence had the copper-colored king in the words of -his 'Father,' that he submitted to be inoculated, together with the rest -of the warriors." It further appears that he took a quantity of vaccine -matter home with him, which he probably administered in person; and that -not long afterwards, fifteen more of his tribe visited the seat of -government in pursuit of the same remedy. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Now of Cambridge. - - -We shall conclude our notice of this eminent chieftain, with a few -anecdotes preserved by Mr. Dawson. - -What distinguished him most, says that writer, was his ardent desire to be -informed of all that relates to our institutions; and he seemed to possess -a mind capable of understanding and valuing the advantages of civilized -life, in a degree far superior to any other Indian of his time. "During -the frequent visits which he made to the seat of government, he examined -every thing he saw with an inquisitive eye, and never failed to embrace -every opportunity to acquire information by inquiring of those with whom -he could take that liberty." - -Upon his return from Philadelphia, in 1797, he visited Governor Harrison, -at that time a captain in the army, and commander at Fort Washington. He -told the Captain he had seen many things, which he wished to have -explained, but said he was afraid of giving offence by asking too many -questions. "My friend here," said he, meaning Captain Wells, the -interpreter, "being about as ignorant as myself, could give me but little -satisfaction." He then desired the Captain to inform him how our government -was formed, and what particular powers and duties were exercised by the -two houses of Congress, by the President, the Secretaries, &c. Being -satisfied on this subject, he told the Captain he had become acquainted -with a great warrior while in Philadelphia, in whose fate he was much -interested, and whose history he wished to learn. This was no other than -the immortal Kosciusko; he had arrived at Philadelphia a short time -before, and hearing that a celebrated Indian chief was in the city, he -sent for him. They were mutually pleased with each other, and the Turtle's -visits were often repeated. When he went to take his final leave of the -wounded patriot, the latter presented the Turtle with an elegant pair of -pistols, and a splendid robe made of the sea-otter's skin, worth several -hundred dollars. - -The Turtle now told his host that he wished very much to know in what wars -his friend had received those grievous wounds which had rendered him so -crippled and infirm. The Captain shewed him upon a map of Europe the -situation of Poland, and explained to him the usurpations of its territory -by the neighboring powers--the exertions of Kosciusko to free his country -from this foreign yoke--his first victories--and his final defeat and -captivity. While he was describing the last unsuccessful battle of -Kosciusko, the Turtle seemed scarcely able to contain himself. At the -conclusion he traversed the room with great agitation, violently -flourished the pipe tomahawk with which he had been smoking, and -exclaimed, "Let that woman take care of herself"--meaning the Empress -Catharine--"this may yet be a dangerous man!" - -The Captain explained to the Turtle some anecdotes respecting the Empress -and her favorites, one of whom,--the king of Poland,--had at first been by -her elevated to the throne, and afterwards driven from it. He was much -astonished to find that men, and particularly warriors, would submit to a -woman. He said that perhaps if his friend Kosciusko had been a portly, -handsome man, he might have better succeeded with her majesty of all the -Russias, and might by means of a love-intrigue have obtained that -independence for his country, to which his skill and valor in the field -had been found unequal. - -The Turtle was fond of joking, and was possessed of considerable talent -for repartee. In the year 1797, he lodged in a house in Philadelphia, in -which was an Irish gentleman of considerable wit, who became much attached -to the Indian, and frequently amused himself in drawing out his wit by -good-humored jests. The Turtle and this gentlemen were at that time both -sitting for their portraits--the former by order of the President of the -United States, the picture to be hung up in the war-office--to the -celebrated Stewart. The two meeting one morning in the painter's room, the -Turtle appeared to be rather more thoughtful than usual. The Irishman -rallied him upon it, and affected to construe it into an acknowledgment of -his superiority in the jocular contest. "He mistakes," said the Turtle to -the interpreter, "I Was just thinking of proposing to this man, to paint -us both on one board, and here I would stand face to face with him, and -confound him to all eternity." - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - - - The Seneca Chief, Red-Jacket--Circumstances under which he succeeded - Corn-Planter in his influence--Anecdotes of the latter--Red-Jacket's - earliest oratorical triumph--His speech at the Treaty of - Canandaigua--Account of Farmer's-Brother, and Brandt--Red-Jacket's - political and religious principles--Speech to Mr. Alexander, in - 1811--Speech to Mr. Richardson--Remarks on the causes of his heathenism - in the conduct of the whites--His military career--Speech in favor of - declaring war against the British, in 1812--Seneca - Manifesto--Red-Jacket's interview with Washington--His interview with - Lafayette--His Memorial to the New-York Legislature--Speech to a - Missionary in 1825--His deposition and restoration in 1827--Visits to - the Atlantic cities--Death and funeral obsequies--Anecdotes. - - -The Indian orator of modern times, _par excellence,_ was the New-York -Chief, Saguoaha, or the Keeper-Awake, but by the whites commonly called -Red-Jacket;--a man who, with whatever propriety he might be entitled "the -Last of the Senecas," has at least transiently renewed, in these latter -days, the ancient glory of the Mingoes. "Thy name is princely,"--a popular -writer has said of him,-- - - . . . Though no poet's magic - Could make Red-Jacket grace an English rhyme, - Unless he had a genius for the tragic, - And introduced it in a pantomime; - - Yet it is music in the language spoken - Of thine own land; and on her herald-roll, - As nobly fought for, and as proud a token - As Coeur-de-Lion's of a warrior's soul. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Talisman fox 1830. - - -This, by the way, is considerably nearer the truth than the statement in a -preceding stanza: - - . . . Tradition's pages - Tell not the planting of thy parent tree; - But that the forest tribes have Dent for ages, - To thee and to thy sires the subject knee. - -Better historical, if not poetical authority informs us, that the Seneca -literally "fought" for his rank, if not for his name; and that, like the -subject of our last notice, he owed nothing to the advantages of -illustrious birth. [FN] We should add, however, that the struggle was in -the council-house as well as in the field of battle. "A warrior!"--he once -(and probably more than once) had the modesty to say of himself, with a -smile of contempt, when some enquiries were made respecting the deeds of -blood which are sometimes supposed to constitute the character of an -Indian;--"A Warrior! I am an _Orator._ I was _born_ an Orator!" - - * * * * * - - [FN] Governor Clinton's Discourse before the New-York Historical Society; - 1811. - - -The predecessor of Red-Jacket, in the respect of the Senecas, and of the -Confederacy at large, was a celebrated chief named by the English the -Corn-Planter, a personage also well known for his eloquence, and worthy on -that account to be distinctly commemorated, were there on record any -definite and well authenticated sketches of his efforts. Unfortunately, -there are not. The speeches commonly ascribed to him, are believed to have -been mostly composed by some of his civilized acquaintances, rather on the -principle of those effusions usually attributed to popular candidates for -the gallows. Still, there is less reason, we apprehend, for doubting his -real genius, than for disputing his nationality. He considered himself a -half-breed, [FN] his father being an Indian, according to his own account, -and his mother a white woman. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Appendix, III. and VI. - - -By a singular combination of circumstances, Red-Jacket was brought forward -into public life, and that to great advantage, mainly in consequence of -the same incident which destroyed the influence of Corn-Planter. This, -indeed, had been rather declining for some time, owing partly to his -agency in effecting a large cession of Seneca land to the American -Government, at the treaty of Fort Stanwix, in 1784. His loss of -popularity, in fine, bitterly chagrined him, and he resolved on a -desperate exertion to restore it. With this view, he undertook to practice -upon the never-failing superstition of his countrymen, by persuading his -brother to announce himself as a _Prophet,_--of course commissioned by the -Great Spirit "to redeem the fallen fortunes of his race,"--that is, his -own. - -The savages listened to the new pretender with all the veracious credulity -which characterises the race. Among the Onondagas, previously the most -drunken and profligate of the Six Nations, he acquired such an ascendancy, -as to induce them to abandon the use of spirituous liquors entirely, and -to observe the common laws of morality and decency in some other respects, -wherein they had before been grievously deficient. Indeed, among the -Confederates generally, he obtained a supremacy equal to that of the same -character obtained by Elskwatawa among the western tribes, not far from -the same time. The Oneidas alone rejected him. - -Like that notorious impostor, too, he soon availed himself, for evil -purposes, of the confidence gained by the preliminary manifestation of -good. A cry of "witchcraft" was raised, and a sort of examining committee -of conjurers was selected to designate the offenders. And that duty was -zealously discharged. The victims were actually sentenced, and would -doubtless have been executed, but for the interference of the magistrates -of Oneida and the officers of the garrison at Niagara. - -But neither the Corn-Planter nor his pious coadjutor was yet discouraged. -Nothing but an accident had prevented success, and the failure only made -it the more imperatively necessary to try the experiment again. Red-Jacket -was publicly denounced. His accusers came forward at a great Indian -council held at Buffalo Creek. "At this crisis," says an eminent writer, -"he well knew that the future color of his life depended upon the powers -of his mind. He spoke in his defence for near three hours. The iron brow -of superstition relented under the magic of his eloquence; he declared the -Prophet an impostor and a cheat; he prevailed; the Indians divided, and a -small majority appeared in his favor. Perhaps the annals of history cannot -furnish a more conspicuous instance of the triumph and power of oratory, -in a barbarous nation, devoted to superstition, and looking up to the -accuser as a delegated minister of the Almighty." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Discourse of Governor Clinton. - - -If this anecdote be true,--and we are not aware of its having been -doubted,--the Orator, whatever be said of his genius as such, hardly -deserved the precise compliment which is paid him by his eulogist in -verse. "Is eloquence," he asks, "a monarch's merit?" - - . . . Her spell is thine that reaches - The heart, and makes the wisest head its sport, - And there's one rare, strange virtue in thy speeches. - The secret of their mastery--_they are short._ - -But the Seneca's case, it must be allowed, was one of clear compulsion; -and he probably felt, on the occasion in question, very little of the -impatience which induced Horne Tooke to say, after a noble friend's plea -of eleven hours in his behalf before the Commons, that "he would rather be -hanged, another time, than defended." - -Such was the Orator's first triumph. It was not, however, his first -effort; for many years before the transaction just referred to, as we -suppose, when Red-Jacket was probably about thirty years of age,--and at a -period when our relations with all the Indians are well known to have been -continually wavering,--a treaty was held with the Six Nations on the -beautiful acclivity which overlooks the Canandaigua Lake. Some -reminiscences of it, bearing a high interest, have reached us, on the -authenticity of which we do not hesitate to rely. - -"Two days," says our authority, [FN] "had passed away in negotiation with -the Indians for a cession of their lands. The contract was supposed to be -nearly completed, when Red-Jacket arose. With the grace and dignity of a -Roman senator, he drew his blanket around him, and, with a piercing eye, -surveyed the multitude. All was hushed. Nothing interposed to break the -silence, save the gentle rustling of the tree-tops, under whose shade they -were gathered. After a long and solemn, but not unmeaning pause, he -commenced his speech in a low voice and a sententious style. Rising -gradually with his subject, he depicted the primitive simplicity and -happiness of his nation, and the wrongs they had sustained from the -usurpations of white men, with such a bold but faithful pencil, that every -auditor was soon roused to vengeance, or melted into tears." - - * * * * * - - [FN] The writer of a communication on "Indian Biography," for the - New-York American, about ten years since. We give him credit for his - statements of facts, though we cannot concur with him in charging - Red-Jacket with "cowardice." He adds, "It was _only_ at the - 'Council-fire' he shone pre-eminent. There, indeed, he was great. The - belittling simplicity of his name did not seem to detract from the - splendors of his eloquence." - - -"The effect was inexpressible. But ere the emotions of admiration and -sympathy had subsided, the white men became alarmed. They were in the -heart of an Indian country, surrounded by more than ten times their -number, who were inflamed by the remembrance of their injuries, and -excited to indignation by the eloquence of a favorite chief. Appalled and -terrified, the white men cast a cheerless gaze upon the hordes around -them. A nod from the chiefs might be the onset of destruction. At that -portentous moment, Farmer's-Brother interposed. He replied not to his -brother chief; but, with a sagacity truly aboriginal, he caused a -cessation of the council, introduced good cheer, commended the eloquence -of Red-Jacket, and, before the meeting had re-assembled, with the aid of -other prudent chiefs, he had moderated the fury of his nation to a more -salutary review of the question before them." - -The council came together again in cooler blood, and the treaty was -concluded. The Western District at this day, it is added, "owes no small -portion of its power and influence to the councils of a savage, in -comparison with whom for genius, heroism, virtue, or any other quality -that can adorn the bauble of a diadem, not only George the IV. and Louis -le Desire, but the German Emperor and the Czar of Muscovy, alike dwindle -into insignificance." - -This somewhat warmly expressed compliment,--the extravagance of which in -an old friend of the subject, may be excused in its good feeling,--reminds -us of the consideration really due to a man distinguished not alone as a -competitor with our hero for savage glory. - -Except as related to oratory, he was a competitor in the same course. The -name of Farmer's-Brother was merely arbitrary. He was a warrior in -principle and in practice, and he spurned agriculture and every other -civilized art, with the contempt of Red-Jacket himself. In the war between -France and England, which resulted in the conquest of Canada, he fought -against the latter, and probably under the remote command of the great -Ottawa "Emperor" of the north. One of his exploits in the contest is still -told to the traveler who passes a noted stream not very far from the -ancient Fort Niagara, in the vicinity of which it occurred. The -particulars come to us authenticated by one to whom they were furnished by -the Farmer himself on the site of the adventure. - -There, with a party of Indians, he lay in ambush, patiently awaiting the -approach of a guard that accompanied the English teams employed between -the falls of Niagara and the garrison, which had there lately surrendered -to Sir William Johnston. The place selected for that purpose is now known -by the name of the Devil's Hole, and is three and a half miles below the -famous cataract upon the American side of the strait. The mind can -scarcely conceive a more dismal looking den. A large ravine, occasioned by -the falling in of the perpendicular bank, made dark by the spreading -branches of the birch and cedar, which had taken root below, and the low -murmuring of the rapids in the chasm, added to the solemn thunder of the -cataract itself, conspire to render the scene truly awful. The English -party were not aware of the dreadful fate that awaited them. Unconscious -of danger, the drivers were gaily whistling to their dull ox-teams. -Farmer's-Brother and his band, on their arrival at this spot, rushed from -the thicket that had concealed them, and commenced a horrid butchery. So -unexpected was such an event, and so completely were the English disarmed -of their presence of mind, that but a feeble resistance was made. The -guard, the teamsters, the oxen and the wagons, were precipitated into the -gulf. But two of them escaped; a Mr. Stedman, who lived at Schioper, above -the falls, being mounted on a fleet horse, made good his retreat; and one -of the soldiers, who was caught on the projecting root of a cedar, which -sustained him until assured, by the distant yell of the savages, that they -had quited the ground.--It is the rivulet, pouring itself down this -precipice, whose name is the only monument that records the massacre. It -is said to have been literally colored with the blood of the vanquished. - -In the Revolutionary War, Farmer's-Brother evinced his hostility to the -Americans upon every occasion that presented itself; and, with the same -zeal, he engaged in the late war against his former friends, the English. - -Another anecdote of this Chief will show, in more glowing colors, the real -savage. A short time before our army crossed the Niagara, Farmer's-Brother -chanced to observe an Indian, who had mingled with the Senecas, and whom -he instantly recognized as belonging to the Mohawks, a tribe living in -Canada, and then employed in the service of the enemy. He went up to him, -and addressed him in the Indian tongue--"I know you well--you belong to -the Mohawks--you are a spy--here is my rifle--my tomahawk--my -scalping-knife. I give you your choice which I shall use, but I am in -haste." The young warrior, finding resistance vain, chose to be put to -death with a rifle. He was ordered to lie down upon the grass, while, with -his left foot upon the breast of the victim, the Chief lodged the contents -of his rifle in his head. - -With so much of the savage, Farmer's-Brother possessed some noble traits. -He was as firm a friend where he promised fidelity, as a bitter enemy to -those against whom he contended; and would lose the last drop of blood in -his veins sooner than betray the cause he had espoused. He was fond of -recounting his exploits, and dwelt with much satisfaction upon the number -of scalps he had taken in his skirmishes with the whites. In company with -several other chiefs, he once paid a visit to General Washington, who -presented him with a silver medal. This he constantly wore suspended from -his neck; and so precious did he esteem the gift, that he was often heard -to declare he would lose it only with his life. - -Soon after the battles of Chippewa and Bridgewater, this veteran warrior -paid the debt of nature, aged more than eighty years, at the Seneca -village, where, as a mark of respect for his distinguished bravery, the -fifth regiment of United States Infantry interred him with military -honors. [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] See Village Register, American, and other New-York papers of about - 1820.--Also, Appendix. V and VI. - - -Another elder contemporary of Red-Jacket was the Mohawk chief Brandt, "the -accursed Brandt" of _Gertrude of Wyoming,_ whom, however, we think it the -less necessary to notice at much length, from his being, like the -Corn-Planter, only a half-breed. In the French and English war, he -rendered some services to the former. In the Revolution, he was -commissioned Colonel in the English army, and distinguished himself in the -horrid massacre at Wyoming. His services were rewarded by the present of a -fine tract of land on the western shores of Lake Ontario. One of his sons, -an intelligent, high-minded man, quite civilized, and much esteemed by his -American acquaintances, a few years since laudably undertook the -vindication of his father's memory from the often repeated charges of -treachery and cruelty, but we apprehend with rather more zeal than -success. The father deceased in 1807; the son, only a month or two since. - -To return to Red-Jacket After his first oratorical triumph, he rose as -rapidly as the Corn-Planter declined in the esteem of his countrymen. The -latter withdrew from the rivalry, [FN] but the ambition of his successor -was thoroughly aroused. He burned to be, and to be called, the Great -Speaker of his nation and his age; to renew that glorious era when the -white men trembled at the breath of Garangula; to feel and to make felt. - - The monarch mind--the mystery of commanding-- - The godlike power--the art Napoleon, - Of winning, fettering, moulding, wielding, banding - The hearts of millions, till they move like one. - - * * * * * - - [FN] The Prophet died in 1815. - - -And he succeeded as far perhaps as could be expected in the circumstances -of the modern Seneca, as compared with those of the orator who bearded the -Canadian lion in his den. More than a century had since elapsed, during -which the proud confederacy that had kept all other nations on the -continent at bay was reduced to a few lingering, scattered -settlements,--surrounded and crowded by civilization,--perhaps besotted in -vice,--where the very ground of their ancient council-halls scarcely was -sought for. With such discouragements in his way, the young Orator -deserves some credit for making the exertions he did, and his countrymen -for rewarding them as they were able. They elected him a chief; and then -upon all occasions obeyed him in peace, and followed him in war. - -Red-Jacket justified their confidence by a strict adherence to principles -which on the whole are equally creditable to his heart and head, although -either the policy itself, or his singular pertinacity in maintaining it, -no doubt made him many adversaries and some enemies, even with his own -people. He had early reflected upon and felt deeply the impotent -insignificance to which the tribes were reduced;--and he resolved, if he -could not restore them to their primitive position, at least to stay the -progress of ruin. How should this be done,--was the great question,--by -receiving civilization, or by resisting it? - -He determined on the latter alternative, and from that hour never in the -slightest degree swerved from his resolution to drive away and keep away -every innovation on the character, and every intrusion on the territory of -the nation. Traders, travelers, teachers, missionaries, speculators in -land, were regarded with the same jealousy. In a word, he labored against -circumstances whose force had now become inevitable and irresistible, to - maintain a system of complete Indian Independence, which few of his -countrymen understood, and still fewer were willing to practice. - -And this is the trait which distinguishes his character from the majority -of those we have heretofore sketched. Some of the most eminent of the -number, like Pontiac and Little-Turtle, were anxious to avail themselves -of the arts of civilization at least, were it only for purposes of offence -and defence against the race whom they borrowed from; and scarcely any -were opposed, other than incidentally, to their introduction into Indian -use. But Red-Jacket was a Pagan in principle. He advocated as well as -acted Paganism on all occasions. He was prouder of his genuine -_Indianism,_ if possible, than he was of his oratory. His bitterest foe -could not deny him the merit of frankness. - -One of his clearest manifestos, in explanation of his system, was -delivered as long ago as May, 1811, before a council of the Senecas, held -at Buffalo Creek, in the form of a speech to the Rev. Mr. Alexander, a -missionary from a Society in the city of New-York, whose commission the -address itself sufficiently explains. - -"Brother!"--the Orator began, with a complaisance which never, under any -excitement, deserted him,-"Brother!--We listened to the talk you delivered -us from the Council of Black-Coats, [FN] in New-York. We have fully -considered your talk, and the offers you have made us. We now return our -answer, which we wish you also to understand. In making up our minds, we -have looked back to remember what has been done in our days, and what our -fathers have told us was done in old times." - - * * * * * - - [FN] His usual designation of Clergymen. - - -"Brother!--Great numbers of Black-Coats have been among the Indians. With -sweet voices and smiling faces, they offered to teach them the religion of -the white people. Our brethren in the East listened to them. They turned -from the religion of their fathers, and took up the religion of the white -people. What good has it done? Are they more friendly one to another than -we are? No, Brother! They are a divided people;--we are united. They -quarrel about religion;--we live in love and friendship. Besides, they -drink strong waters. And they have learned how to cheat, and how to -practice all the other vices of the white people, without imitating their -virtues. Brother!--If you wish us well, keep away; do not disturb us. - -"Brother!--We do not worship the Great Spirit as the white people do, but -we believe that the forms of worship are indifferent to the Great Spirit. -It is the homage of sincere hearts that pleases him, and we worship him in -that manner. - -"According to your religion, we must believe in a Father and Son, or we -shall not be happy hereafter. We have always believed in a Father, and we -worship him as our old men taught us. Your book says that the Son was sent -on earth by the Father. Did all the people who saw the Son believe him? -No! they did not. And if you have read the book, the consequence must be -known to you. - -"Brother!--You wish us to change our religion for yours. We like our -religion, and do not want another. Our friends here, [pointing to Mr. -Granger, the Indian Agent, and two other whites, {FN}] do us great good; -they counsel us in trouble; they teach us now to be comfortable at all -times. Our friends the Quakers do more. They give us ploughs, and teach us -how to use them. They tell us we are accountable beings. But they do not -tell us we must change our religion.--We are satisfied with what they do, -and with what they say." - - * * * * * - - [FN] An Indian Interpreter, and an Agent of the Society of Friends for - improving the condition of the Indians. - - -"Brother!--For these reasons we cannot receive your offers. We have other -things to do, and beg you to make your mind easy, without troubling us, -lest our heads should be too much loaded, and by and by burst." - -At the same Council, the following reply was made by Red-Jacket, in behalf -of his tribe, to the application of a Mr. Richardson, to buy out their -right to the reservations lying in the territory commonly called the -Holland Purchase. - -"Brother!--We opened our ears to the talk you lately delivered to us, at -our council-fire. In doing important business it is best not to tell long -stories, but to come to it in a few words. We therefore shall not repeat -your talk, which is fresh in our minds. We have well considered it, and -the advantages and disadvantages of your offers. We request your attention -to our answer, which is not from the speaker alone, but from all the -Sachems and Chiefs now around our council-fire. - -"Brother!--We know that great men, as well as great nations, have -different interests and different minds, and do not see the same -light--but we hope our answer will be agreeable to you and your employers. - -"Brother!--Your application for the purchase of our lands is to our minds -very extraordinary. It has been made in a crooked manner. You have not -walked in the straight path pointed out by the great Council of your -nation. You have no writings from your great Father, the President. In -making up our minds we have looked back, and remembered how the Yorkers -purchased our lands in former times. They bought them, piece after -piece,--for a little money paid to a few men in our nation, and not to all -our brethren,--until our planting and hunting-grounds have become very -small, and if we sell them, we know not where to spread our blankets. - -"Brother!--You tell us your employers have purchased of the Council of -Yorkers, a right to buy our lands. We do not understand how this can be. -The lands do not belong to the Yorkers; they are ours, and were given to -us by the Great Spirit. - -"Brother!--We think it strange that you should jump over the lands of our -brethren in the East, to come to our council-fire so far off to get our -lands. When we sold our lands in the East to the white people, we -determined never to sell those we kept, which are as small as we can -comfortably live on. - -"Brother!--You want us to travel with you and look for new lands. If we -should sell our lands and move off into a distant country towards the -setting sun, we should be looked upon in the country to which we go, as -foreigners and strangers. We should be despised by the red, as well as the -white men, and we should soon be surrounded by the white people, who will -there also kill our game, and come upon our lands and try to get them from -us. - -"Brother!--We are determined not to sell our lands, but to continue on -them. We like them. They are fruitful, and produce us corn in abundance -for the support of our women and children, and grass and herbs for our -cattle. - -"Brother!--At the treaties held for the purchase of our lands, the white -men, with sweet voices and smiling faces, told us they loved us, and that -they would not cheat us, but that the king's children on the other side of -the lake would cheat us. When we go on the other side of the lake, the -king's children tell us your people will cheat us. These things puzzle our -heads, and we believe that the Indians must take care of themselves, and -not trust either in your people, or in the king's children. - -"Brother!--At a late council we requested our agents to tell you that we -would not sell our lands, and we think you have not spoken to our agents, -or they would have told you so, and we should not have met you at our -council-fire at this time. - -"Brother!--The white people buy and sell false rights to our lands, and -your employers have, you say, paid a great price for their rights. They -must have a plenty of money, to spend it in buying false rights to lands -belonging to Indians. The loss of it will not hurt them, but our lands are -of great value to us, and we wish you to go back with our talk to your -employers, and tell them and the Yorkers that they have no right to buy -and sell false rights to our lands. - -"Brother!--We hope you clearly understand the Ideas we have offered. This -is all we have to say." - -It is not surprising that Red-Jacket should misunderstand, or not -understand at all, the right to buy Indian land, which Richardson said his -employers had obtained of the "Council of Yorkers." It was the right of -preemption, in plain English--by which better read jurists than the Seneca -have been perplexed. He naturally enough mistook _the_ "right" of the -State for _a_ right, whereas it amounted to nothing but the privilege of -preventing all other parties from acquiring a right. It was a -prerogative--as against the _whites_ alone--the legal effect of which was -to incapacitate, not the Indians from selling, but themselves from buying. - -There certainly can be no mistaking the shrewd independent reflection and -plausible reasoning in the address, however much the perversion of such -ability and spirit may give occasion for regret. Several of the arguments, -too, are clearly founded in reason, as several of the statements are -fortified by truth. In regard to the Indians being cheated by the whites, -particularly, the only error of Red-Jacket, and that a perfectly obvious -one, was in ascribing to the whites at large, and consequently to -Christianity, the credit which in fact belonged to a few unprincipled -traders and greedy speculators in land, who had indeed carried their -manoeuvres to an aggravated extent. - -There is good reason to believe that Red-Jacket,--whose military career -it is time to allude to,--took his earnest lessons in the art of war -during the Revolution, in the ranks of those Senecas who so signally -distinguished themselves by their ravages on the frontiers of New-York, -Pennsylvania, New-Jersey and Virginia. [FN-1] The only reference, however, -which he ever himself made to that part of his history, so far as we know, -was latterly at Buffalo, when he was introduced to General Lafayette, then -on his tour through the country. He Reminded the latter of a Council at -Fort Stanwix in 1784, where both were present, and which had been called -with the view of negotiating a treaty with some of the Six Nations. "And -where," asked Lafayette, "is the Young Warrior who so eloquently opposed -the burying of the tomahawk?" "_He is before you,_" answered the chief. -"Ah!"--he added with a melancholy air, and stripping off a handkerchief -from his bald head,--"Time has made bad work with me. But you, I -perceive,"--and here he narrowly reconnoitered the General's wig--"_You_ -have hair enough left yet!" [FN-2] At the date of this interview, seven -years since, he was at least sixty-five years of age, and therefore must -have been about twenty-five at the time of the treaty. - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] App. No. VII. - - [FN-2] Levasseur's "Tour of Lafayette." - - -A few years subsequent to the negotiation referred to on this occasion, -Red-Jacket had an interview with General Washington, who gave him a silver -medal, which he wore ever afterwards, and is said to have named him "the -Flower of the Forest." But the Senecas were again hostile soon afterwards, -and it was only at the expense of an expedition which ravaged their -territory far and wide, that this haughty people were at length subdued -into any thing like a state of composure. Red-Jacket is believed to have -been second to none of his countrymen in his opposition to the American -interest down to that period; but a peace was granted upon liberal -terms--some complaints of the Indians were adjusted--a system of -protection was devised for their benefit--and thenceforth, both they and -he were quite friendly in most instances, and faithful to their -engagements in all. - -As early at least as 1810, Red-Jacket gave information to the Indian Agent -of attempts made by Tecumseh, the Prophet and others, to draw his nation -into the great western combination; but the war of 1812 had scarcely -commenced, when they volunteered their services to their American -neighbors. For some time these were rejected, and every exertion was made -to induce them to remain neutral. They bore the restraint with an -ill-grace, but said nothing. At length, in the summer of 1812, the English -unadvisedly took possession of Grand Island, in the Niagara river, a -valuable territory of the Senecas. This was too much for the pride of such -men as Red-Jacket and Farmers-Brother. A council was called forthwith--the -American Agent was summoned to attend---and the orator rose and addressed -him. - -"Brother!"--said he, after stating the information received,--"you have -told us we had nothing to do with the war between you and the British. But -the war has come to our doors. Our property is seized upon by the British -and their Indian friends. It is necessary for _us,_ then, to take up this -business. We must defend our property; we must drive the enemy from our -soil. If we sit still on our lands, and take no means of redress, the -British, following the customs of you white people, _will hold them by -conquest;_ and you, if you conquer Canada, will claim them, on the same -principles, as conquered _from the British._ Brother!--We wish to go with -our warriors, and drive off these bad people, and take possession of those -lands." - -The effect of this reasonable declaration, and especially of the manner in -which it was made, was such as might be expected. A grand council of the -Six Nations came together, and a manifesto, of which the following is a -literal translation, issued against the British in Canada, and signed by -all the grand Councilors of the Confederation. - -"We, the Chiefs and Councilors of the Six Nations of Indians, residing in -the State of New-York, do hereby proclaim to all the war-chiefs and -warriors of the Six Nations, that war is declared on our part against the -provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. - -"Therefore, we do hereby command and advise all the war-chiefs to call -forth immediately the warriors under them, and put them in motion to -protect their rights and liberties, which our brethren, the Americans are -now defending." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Niles's Register, Vol. IV. - - -No speech of Red-Jacket at this memorable meeting of the tribes is -preserved, but from the address of one of the oldest warriors it appears -that they expected to raise as many as three thousand fighting-men. But -this must be an exaggeration. In 1817, there were supposed to be only -seven thousand Indians of all descriptions within the State of New-York, -on a liberal estimate, and the usual proportion of warriors would be in -that case about two thousand. It is improbable that more than half this -number were actually organized for service at any period during the -war.--Those who engaged, however, cannot be accused of want of zeal, for -although the Declaration was made quite late in 1812, we find a -considerable body of them taking a spirited part in an action near Fort -George, of which an official account was given by General Boyd, under date -of August 13th. The enemy were completely routed, and a number of British -Indians captured by our allies. - -"Those," adds the General, "who participated in this contest, particularly -the Indians, conducted with great bravery and activity. General Porter -volunteered in the affair, and Major Chapin evinced his accustomed zeal -and courage. The regulars under Major Cummings, as far as they were -engaged, conducted well. The principal chiefs who led the warriors this -day, were Farmers-Brother, Red-Jacket, Little-Billey, Pollard, -Black-Snake, Johnson, Silver-Heels, Captain Halftown, Major Henry O. Ball, -(Corn-planter's son,) and Captain Cold, who was wounded. In a council -which was held with them yesterday, they covenanted not to scalp or -murder; and I am happy to say that they treated the prisoners with -humanity, and committed no wanton cruelties on the dead." - -Of the chiefs here mentioned, we believe all were Senecas, except Captain -Cold. The General repeats, in his next bulletin,--"The bravery and -humanity of the Indians were equally conspicuous;" and another authority -says,--"They behaved with great gallantry and betrayed no disposition to -violate the restrictions which Boyd has imposed." [FN] These -restrictions,--it should be observed in justice to Red-Jacket and his -brave comrades,--had been previously agreed upon at the Grand Council, and -the former probably felt no humiliation in departing in this particular -from the usual savagery on which he prided himself. We have met with no -authentic charges against him, either of cruelty or cowardice, and it is -well known that he took part in a number of sharply contested engagements. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Niles's Register. - - -After the conclusion of peace, he resumed, with his accustomed energy, the -superintendence of the civil interests of the Senecas. The division of the -tribe into parties,--the Christian and Anti-Christian,--was now completely -distinct; the former being headed by Little-Billey, Captain Pollard, and -other noted chiefs; and the latter by Red-Jacket, with young Corn-planter -and several more spirited assistants, whose names are appended to the -following memorial to the Governor of New-York. This was the composition -of Red-Jacket It had been preceded by a private letter from himself to the -Governor, which had probably produced little or no effect. - - "To the Chief of the Council-fire at Albany. - -"Brother! - -"About three years ago, our friends of the great council-fire at Albany, -wrote down in their book that the priests of white people should no longer -reside on our lands, and told their officers to move them off whenever we -complained. This was to us good news, and made our hearts glad. These -priests had a long time troubled us, and made us bad friends and bad -neighbors. After much difficulty we removed them from our lands; and for a -short time have been quiet and our minds easy. But we are now told that -the priests have asked liberty to return; and that our friends of the -great council-fire are about to blot from their book the law which they -made, and leave their poor red brethren once more a prey to hungry -priests. - -"Brother!--Listen to what we say. These men do us no good. They deceive -every body. They deny the Great Spirit, which we, and our fathers before -us, have looked upon as our Creator. They disturb us in our worship. They -tell our children they must not believe like our fathers and mothers, and -tell us many things that we do not understand and cannot believe. They -tell us we must be like white people--but they are lazy and won't work, -nor do they teach our young men to do so. The habits of our women are -worse than they were before these men came amongst us, and our young men -drink more whiskey. We are willing to be taught to read, and write, and -work, but not by people who have done us so much injury. Brother!--we wish -you to lay before the council-fire the wishes of your red brethren. We ask -our brothers not to blot out the law which has made us peaceable and -happy, and not to force a strange religion upon us. We ask to be let -alone, and, like the white people, to worship the Great Spirit as we think -it best. We shall then be happy in filling the little space in life which -is left us, and shall go down to our fathers in peace." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Niles's Register, Vol. XXVIII; 1828. - - -This unique document was subscribed with the mark of Red-Jacket first, and -then followed those of Corn-Planter, Green-Blanket, Big-Kettle, Robert -Bob, Twenty-Canoes, senior and junior, Two-Guns, Fish-Hook, Hot-Bread, -Bare-Foot, and many other staunch advocates of the same principles. It was -presented to the Assembly, but we have not learned that any efficient -order was taken upon it. About the same time, Red-Jacket made an earnest -appeal to his Quaker neighbors,--a people always beloved by the -Indians,--with the same design. He told them that those whites who -pretended to instruct and preach to his people, stole their horses and -drove off their cattle, while such of the Senecas as they nominally -converted from heathenism to Christianity, only disgraced themselves by -paltry attempts to cover the profligacy of the one with the hypocrisy of -the other. - -The Pagans were generally opposed to the cession of land, but foreign -influence, united with that of their antagonists at home, sometimes proved -too strong for them. At a treaty held with the tribe in 1826, eighty-two -thousand acres of fine territory were given up. Red-Jacket opposed the -measure in an eloquent appeal to the Indian feelings of his countrymen, -but the effort gained him but few votes. - -The speech which has perhaps added most to his reputation was a thoroughly -Pagan one, delivered not long previous to the affair just mentioned to a -council at Buffalo, convened at the request of a missionary from -Massachusetts, with the view of introducing and recommending himself to -them in his religious capacity. The Missionary made a speech to the -Indians, explaining the objects for which he had called them together. It -was by no means, he said, to get away their lands or money. There was but -one religion, and without that they could not prosper. They had lived all -their lives in gross darkness. Finally he wished to hear their objections, -if any could be made; and the sooner, the better, inasmuch as some other -Indians whom he had visited, had resolved to reply to him in accordance -with _their_ decision. - -At the close of this address, the Senecas spent several hours in private -conference, and then Red-Jacket came forward as speaker. - -"Friend and Brother!"--he began--"It was the will of the Great Spirit that -we should meet together this day. He orders all things, and he has given -us a fine day for our council. He has taken his garment from before the -sun, and caused it to shine with brightness upon us. Our eyes are opened -that we see clearly. Our ears are unstopped that we have been able to hear -distinctly the words you have spoken. For all these favors we thank the -Great Spirit, and him only. - -"Brother!--This council fire was kindled by you. It was at your request -that we came together at this time. We have listened with attention to -what you have said. You requested us to speak our minds freely. This gives -us great joy, for we now consider that we stand upright before you, and -can speak what we think. All have heard your voice, and all speak to you -as one man. Our minds are agreed. - -"Brother!--You say you want an answer to your talk before you leave this -place. It is right you should have one, as you are a great distance from -home, and we do not wish to detain you. But we will first look back a -little, and tell you what our fathers have told us, and what we have heard -from the white people. - -"Brother!--Listen to what we say. There was a time when our forefathers -owned this great island." [FN-1] Their seats extended from the rising to -the setting sun. The Great Spirit had made it for the use of Indians. He -had created the buffalo, the deer, and other animals for food. He made the -bear and the beaver, and their skins served us for clothing. He had -scattered them over the country, and taught us how to take them. He had -caused the earth to produce corn for bread. All this he had done for his -red children because he loved them. If we had any disputes about -hunting-grounds, they were generally settled without the shedding of much -blood. But an evil day came upon us. Your forefathers crossed the great -waters, and landed on this island. Their numbers were small. They found -friends and not enemies. They told us they had fled from their own country -for fear of wicked men, and come here to enjoy their religion. They asked -for a small seat. We took pity on them, granted their request, and they -sat down amongst us. We gave them corn and meat. They gave us poison -[FN-2] in return. The white people had now found our country. Tidings were -carried back, and more came amongst us. Yet we did not fear them. We took -them to be friends. They called us brothers. We believed them, and gave -them a larger seat. At length their numbers had greatly increased. They -wanted more land. They wanted our country. Our eyes were opened, and our -minds became uneasy. Wars took place. Indians were hired to fight against -Indians, and many of our people were destroyed. They also brought strong -liquors among us. It was strong and powerful, and has slain thousands. - - * * * * * - - [FN-1] Meaning the Continent--a common belief and expression among the - Indians. - - [FN-2] Spirituous liquor. - - -"Brother!--Our seats were once large, and yours were very small. You have -now become a great people, and we have scarcely a place left to spread our -blankets. You have got our country, but are not satisfied. You want to -force your religion upon us. - -"Brother!--Continue to listen. You say that you to sent to instruct us how -to worship the Great Spirit agreeably to his mind; and if we do not take -hold of the religion which you white people teach, we shall be unhappy -hereafter. You say that you are right and we are lost. How do we know this -to be true? We understand that your religion is written in a book. If it -was intended for us as well as for you, why has not the Great Spirit given -it to us; and not only to us, but why did he not give to our forefathers -the knowledge of that book, with the means of understanding it rightly? We -only know what you tell us about it. How shall we know when to believe, -being so often deceived by the white people. - -"Brother!--You say there is but one way to worship and serve the Great -Spirit. If there is but one religion, why do you white people differ so -much about it? Why not all agree, as you can all read the book? - -"Brother!--We do not understand these things. We are told that your -religion was given to your forefathers, and has been handed down from -father to son. We also have a religion which was given to our forefathers, -and has been handed down to us their children. We worship that way. It -teaches us to be thankful for all the favors we receive, to love each -other, and to be united. We never quarrel about religion. - -"Brother!--The Great Spirit has made us all. But he has made a great -difference between his white and red children. He has given us a different -complexion and different customs. To you he has given the arts; to these -he has not opened our eyes. We know these things to be true. Since he has -made so great a difference between us in other things, why may we not -conclude that he has given us a different religion, according to our -understanding? The Great Spirit does right. He knows what is best for his -children. We are satisfied. - -"Brother!--We do not wish to destroy your religion, or take it from you. -We only want to enjoy our own. - -"Brother!--You say you have not come to get our land or our money, but to -enlighten our minds. I will now tell you that I have been at your meetings -and saw you collecting money from the meeting. I cannot tell what this -money was intended for, but suppose it was for your minister; and if we -should conform to your way of thinking, perhaps you may want some from us. - -"Brother!--We are told that you have been preaching to white people in -this place. These people are our neighbors. We are acquainted with them. -We will wait a little while, and see what effect your preaching has upon -them. If we find it does them good and makes them honest and less disposed -to cheat Indians, we will then consider again what you have said. - -"Brother!--You have now heard our answer to your talk, and this is all we -have to say at present. As we are going to part, we will come and take you -by the hand, and hope the Great Spirit will protect you on your journey, -and return you safe to your friends." - - -The speech being finished, Red-Jacket and several others, intending to -suit the action to the word, came forward to exchange a farewell greeting -with their visitor. This however he declined, and the Indians quietly -withdrew. - -The civility of the old orator was in somewhat singular contrast with his -obstinacy on many other occasions. A young clergyman once made a strong -effort to enlighten him, through the medium of an Indian interpreter named -Jack Berry [FN]--for Red-Jacket spoke very little of the English language. -The result was discouraging. "Brother!"--said Jack, at length, for the -Chief,--"If you white people murdered 'the Saviour,' make it up -yourselves. We had nothing to do with it. If he had come among us we -should have treated him better." This was gross heathenism, truly, but it -was not aggravated by insolence. The Chieftain made a sincere -acknowledgment of the clergyman's kindness, and paid him some deserved -compliments upon other scores. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Jack called himself a chief, too, though his importance was owing - mainly to his speaking bad English, and to a bustling shrewdness which - enabled him to play the _factotum_ to some advantage. Jack made himself - first marshal at the funeral of Farmer's-Brother. - - -During the last war with England, a gallant officer of the American Army, -[FN] stationed on the Niagara frontier, shewed some peculiarly gratifying -attentions to Red-Jacket. The former being soon afterwards ordered to -Governor's Island, the Chief came to bid him farewell. "Brother,"--said -he, "I hear you are going to a place called Governor's Island. I hope you -will be a Governor yourself. I am told you whites consider children a -blessing. I hope you will have one thousand at least. Above all, wherever -you go, I hope you will never find whiskey more than two shillings a -quart." - - * * * * * - - [FN] Colonel Snelling. For several of the anecdotes in the text we are - under obligations to the author of "Tales of the North-West." He was - present at the interview when Berry acted as Interpreter. - - -The last of these benevolent aspirations was perhaps the highest possible -evidence which Red-Jacket could give of his good will, for we are under -the mortifying necessity of placing this talented Chieftain in the same -class, as relates to his personal habits, with Uncas, Logan, and Pipe. In -a word, he gradually became, in his latter days, a confirmed drunkard. -Temptation and association proved too strong for him, and the pride of the -Confederates made himself but too frequently a laughing-stock for the -blackguards of Buffalo. - -Unfortunately for his political as well as personal interests, he indulged -his weakness to such an extent as not unfrequently to incapacitate him for -the discharge of his public duties. This was an advantage which his -opponents shrewdly considered, and, in 1827, they took a favorable -opportunity to deprive him of his civil rank. The document issued from the -Seneca council-house on this singular occasion, under date of September -15th, is too extraordinary to be omitted. The following is a literal -translation, made by an intelligent American who was present. - -"We, the Chiefs [FN-1] of the Seneca tribe, of the Six Nations, say to -you, Yaugoyawathaw, [FN-2] that you have a long time disturbed our -councils; that you have procured some white men to assist you in sending a -great number of false stories to our father the President of the United -States, and induced our people to sign those falsehoods at Tonnawanta as -Chiefs of our tribe, when you knew that they were not Chiefs; that you -have apposed the improvement of our nation, and made divisions and -disturbances among our people; that you have abused and insulted our great -father the President; that you have not regarded the rules which make the -Great Spirit love us, and which make his red children do good to each -other; that you have a bad heart, because, in a time of great distress, -when our people were starving, you took and hid the body of a deer you had -killed, when your starving brothers should have shared their proportion of -it with you; that the last time our father the President was fighting -against the king, across the great waters, you divided us, you acted -against our father the President and his officers, and advised with those -who were no friends; that you have always prevented and discouraged our -children from going to school, where they could learn, and abused and lied -about our people who were willing to learn, and about those who were -offering to instruct them how to worship the Great Spirit in the manner -Christians do; that you have always placed yourself before those who would -be instructed, and have done all you could to prevent their going to -schools; that you have taken goods to your own use, which were received as -annuities, and which belonged to orphan children and to old people; that -for the last ten years you have often said the communications of our great -father to his red children were forgeries, made up at New-York by those -who wanted to buy our lands; that you left your wife, because she joined -the Christians and worshiped the Great Spirit as they do, knowing that she -was a good woman; that we have waited for nearly ten years for you to -reform, and do better; but are now discouraged, as you declare you never -will receive instruction from those who wish to do us good, as our great -father advises, and induce others to hold the same language." - - * * * * * - - [FN] Several of them were _soi-disant_ functionaries. - - [FN] A variation of Saguoaha, which is the orthography adopted by - Governor Clinton. - -"We might say a great many other things, which make you an enemy to the -Great Spirit, and also to your own brothers,--but we have said enough, and -now renounce you as a chief, and from this time you are forbid to act as -such. All of our nation will hereafter regard you as a private man; and we -say to them all, that every one who shall do as you have done, if a chief -will, in like manner be disowned, and set back where he started from by -his brethren." [FN] - - * * * * * - - [FN] Buffalo Emporium. - - -Several of these charges, it is fair to presume, were dictated by party -spirit, and those who subscribed the deposition cared but little about -proving them, could they but prostrate their great antagonist. The -signatures are twenty-six, and most of them are well-known Anti-Pagans; -though with Young-King, Pollard, and Little-Billey, who led the -subscription, we also find the names of Twenty-Canoes, Doxtateri, -Two-Guns, Barefoot, and some other partizans of the fallen orator in his -better days. - -But Red-Jacket was not yet prepared to submit patiently to his -degradation, especially when he knew so well the true motives of those who -effected it. Nor was he by any means so much under the control of his bad -habits as not to feel occasionally, perhaps generally, both the -consciousness of his power and the sting of his shame. "It shall not be -said of me,"--thought the old Orator, with the gleam of a fiery soul in -his eye,--"It shall not be said that Saguoaha lived in insignificance and -died in dishonor. Am I too feeble to revenge myself of my enemies? Am I -not as I have been?" In fine, he roused himself to a great effort. -Representations were made to the neighboring tribes,--for he knew too well -the hopelessness of a movement confined to his own,--and only a month had -elapsed since his deposition, when a Grand Council of the chiefs of the -Six Nations assembled together at the upper council-house of the -Seneca-village reservation. - -The document of the Christian party was read, and then Half-Town rose, -and, in behalf of the Catteraugus (Seneca) Indians, said there was but one -voice in his nation, and that was of general indignation at the contumely -cast on so great a man as Red-Jacket. Several other chiefs addressed the -council to the same effect. The condemned orator rose slowly, as if -grieved and humiliated, but yet with his ancient air of command. - -"My Brothers!"--he said, after a solemn pause,--You have this day been -correctly informed of an attempt to make me sit down and throw off the -authority of a chief, by twenty-six misguided chiefs of my nation. You -have heard the statements of my associates in council, and their -explanations of the foolish charges brought against me. I have taken the -legal and proper way to meet these charges. It is the only way in which I -could notice them, charges which I despise, and which nothing would -_induce_ me to notice but the concern which many respected Chiefs of my -nation feel in the character of their aged comrade. Were it otherwise, I -should not be before you. I would fold my arms, and sit quietly under -these ridiculous slanders. - -"The Christian party have not even proceeded legally, according to our -usages, to put me down. Ah! it grieves my heart, when I look around me and -see the situation of my people,--in old times united and powerful, now -divided and feeble. I feel sorry for my nation. When I am gone to the -other world,--when the Great Spirit calls me away,--who among my people -can take my place? Many years have I guided the nation." - -Here he introduced some artful observations on the origin of the attack -made upon him. He then alluded to the course taken by the Christians, as -ruinous and disgraceful, especially in their abandonment of the religion -of their fathers, and their sacrifices, for paltry considerations, of the -lands given them by the Great Spirit. As for the "_Black-Coats,_" Mr. -Calhoun had told him at Washington, four years before, that the Indians -must treat with them as they thought proper; the Government would not -interfere. "I will not consent,"--he concluded, sagaciously identifying -his disgrace with his opposition to the Christians,--"I will not consent -silently to be trampled under foot. As long as I can raise my voice, I -will oppose such measures. As long as I can stand in my moccasins, I will -do all that I can for my nation." It is scarcely necessary to add, that -the result of the conference was the triumphant restoration of the Orator -to his former rank. - -Red-Jacket visited the Atlantic cities repeatedly and for the last time, -as late as the spring of 1829. He was, oh these occasions, and especially -on the latter, the object of no little curiosity and attention. [FN] He -enjoyed both, and was particularly careful to demean himself in a manner -suited to the dignity of his rank and reputation. His poetical friend does -him but justice in thus alluding to his Washington medal, his forest -costume, and the fine carriage which the Chieftain still gallantly -sustained. - - * * * * * - - [FN] Of more indeed than he was probably aware. Witness the following - advertisement in the Boston papers:-- - - "Red-Jacket.--This celebrated Indian Chief, who has recently attracted - so much attention at New-York and the Southern cities, has arrived in - this city, and has accepted an invitation of the Superintendent to visit - the New-England Museum, this evening, March 21, in his full Indian - costume, attended by Captain Johnson, his interpreter, by whom those who - wish it can be introduced and hold conversation with him." - - - Thy garb--though Austria's bosom-star would frighten - That medal pale, as diamonds, the dark mine, - And George the Fourth wore, in the dance at Brighton, - A more becoming evening dress than thine; - - Yet 'tis a brave one, scorning wind and weather, - And fitted for thy couch on field and flood, - As Rob Roy's tartans for the highland heather, - Or forest green for England's Robin Hood. - - Is strength a monarch's merit?--like a whaler's-- - Thou art as tall, as sinewy, and as strong - As earth's first kings--the Argo's gallant sailors-- - Heroes in history, and gods in song. - -Those strictly personal attractions which most subserved his forensic -success, are not unfairly delineated by the same elegant observer. And -this is not the only civilized authority to the same effect, for one of -the most distinguished public men of the State in which the Chieftain -resided, was wont to say that the latter reminded him strongly of the -celebrated orator of Roanoke, in his best estate, and that they two were -the only orators of nature he had ever heard or seen. "Who will -believe?"---asks the poet-- - - . . . that, with a smile whose blessing - Would, like the patriarch's, sooth a dying hour - With voice as low, as gentle, and caressing, - As e'er won maiden's lip in moonlight bower; - - With look, like patient Job's, eschewing evil; - With motions, graceful as a bird's in air; - Thou art, in sober truth, the veriest devil - That e'er clenched fingers in a captive's hair! - - That in thy veins there springs a poison fountain, - Deadlier than that which bathes the Upas tree; - And in thy wrath a nursing cat o'mountain - Is calm as her babe's sleep, compared with thee? - - And underneath that face, like summer's ocean's-- - Its lip as moveless, and its cheek as clear,-- - Slumbers a whirlwind of the heart's emotions, - Love, hatred, pride, hope, sorrow--all, save fear. - - Love--for thy land, as if she were thy daughter; - Her pipes in peace, her tomahawk in wars; - Hatred--of missionaries and cold water; - Pride--in thy rifle-trophies and thy scars; - - Hope--that thy wrongs will be by the Great Spirit - Remembered and revenged, when thou art gone; - Sorrow--that none are left thee to inherit - Thy name, thy fame, thy passions, and thy throne. - -In the last of these stanzas is an allusion to the melancholy domestic -circumstances of the subject of them. He had been the father of thirteen -children, during his life-time, and had buried them all. - -Red-Jacket is said to have understood English quite well, although he -would never converse in it. We have often heard it from a gentleman well -acquainted with him, that he once met him hastening _out_ of Buffalo when -all the neighboring country was eagerly rushing in to witness the -execution of three culprits; and that the Chieftain recognized him, and -made him understand by signs, that he was hurrying away from the horrid -spectacle which so many thousand had already assembled to enjoy. -Levasseur states, that, in his conference with Lafayette, he evidently -comprehended every thing uttered in his presence, while he would speak -only Indian; and that his former high opinion of the General seemed to be -much increased by a few chance-medley Seneca words, which the latter had -the good fortune to remember, and the courtesy to repeat. We also have -been informed that, many years since, when the notorious Jemima Wilkinson -compassed the country in the business of making proselytes to her -doctrines, she invited some of the Senecas to a conference. Red-Jacket -attended, and listened patiently to the end of a long address. Most of it -he probably understood, but instead of replying to the argument in detail, -he laid the axe at the root of her authority. Having risen very gravely, -and spoken a few words in Seneca, he observed his adversary to enquire -what he was talking about? "Ha!"--he exclaimed, with an arch look,--"She -inspired,--she Jesus Christ,--and not know _Indian?_" The solidity of her -pretensions was at once decided in the minds of at least the heathen part -of her audience. - -At the date of his last-mentioned visit to the Atlantic cities, the -Chieftain was more than seventy years of age, and though then habitually -temperate, excess had already hastened the work of time. He died in -January, 1830, at the Seneca village, near Buffalo, where his funeral took -place on the 21st of the month. It was attended by all parties of his own -tribe, and by many Americans, drawn together by a curiosity to witness the -obsequies. His body was removed from his cabin into the mission-house, -where religious services were performed. In these the Pagans took but -little interest. Wrapped in profound and solemn thought, they however -patiently awaited their termination. Some of them then arose, and -successively addressed their countrymen in their own language. They -recounted the exploits and the virtues of him whose remains they were now -about to bear to his last home. They remembered his own prophetic -appeal--"Who shall take my place among my people?" They thought of the -ancient glory of their nation, and they looked around them on its -miserable remnant. The impression was irresistible. Tears trickled down -the cheeks of the grave comrades of the dead. - -Well might they weep! He that lay before them was indeed the "Last of the -Senecas." The strong warrior's arm was mouldering into dust, and the eye -of the orator was cold and motionless forever. - - - - - APPENDIX. - - * * * * * - - - - NO. I. - - -Uncas.--The author is indebted to the Committee of the Historical Society -of Massachusetts for an opportunity to examine a valuable document -recently forwarded to them by Mr. Williams, of Lebanon, Connecticut, and -originally, we believe, a part of the Trumbull collection. - -According to this account, which purports to have been "made by Uncas" -himself, that Chieftain was wholly of the royal blood of the Pequots. -Tatobam was another name for Sassacus, and Uncas married the daughter of -that Sachem (from whom he afterwards revolted,) about ten years before the -Pequot War. The Pequots and "Moheags," as they are here called, jointly -agreed to this match in a grand Indian Council, for the purpose of keeping -their land entire. "_Upon this his right to the Pequot Country was good and -unquestionable._" . . . "Quinebauge [New-Haven] Indians and Nipmugs [in -Worcester County, Massachusetts] not allowed to marry in the Royal -Blood--agreed to keep the Royal blood within the Realm of ye Mohegan and -Pequots." - -In this genealogy, which is regularly derived, as accurately as possible, -from remote ancestors on both sides, Uncas himself is styled the Sachem of -Mohegan, and Mohegan is said to have been the Sepulchre or Burial-Place of -both the Pequot and Mohegan Sachems. - -The father of Tatobam was the Sachem Wopegwosit. The father of Uncas was -Oweneco; _his_ father, Wopequand, a Pequot Sachem. His mother and -grandmother were both named Mukkunump; and the latter was daughter of -Weroum, a great _Narragansett_ Sachem, and of a Squaw of the royal Pequot -Blood named Kiskhechoowatmakunck. One of his great-grandfathers, -Nuckquuntdowaus, was Chief-Sachem of the Pequots; and one of his -great-grandmothers, Au-comp-pa-hang-sug-ga-muck, (as nearly as we are -able to decipher it,) was "a Great Queen, and lived at Moheage." - -The son of Uncas, (mentioned in the text,) was Oweneco. Several of his -other descendants who inherited the Sachemdom were named Ben Uncas,--one -of them Major Ben. The last of the Sachems (also mentioned in the text,) -was Isaiah,--a grandson of Oweneco or Oneco. (He was a pupil in Dr. -Wheelock's Charity School,--"a fat fellow, of dull intellectual -parts."--Mass. His. Coll.) - -The document before us gives an account of the cession of the Pequot -Country from Uncas by deed, dated Sept. 28, 1740. The following remarkable -passage ought not to be omitted, as it adds new confirmation to the -estimate of the Sachem's character which the author has given in the text. - -"Afterwards sufficient planting ground was provided for him, _being -friendly to the English, though only to serve his own purposes._" - - * * * * * - - - - - NO. II. - - - - _Correspondence between General_ Wayne _and Major_ Campbell. - - - - (I) - - Miamis River, Aug. 21, 1794. - -Sir, - -An army of the United States of America, said to be under your command, -having taken post on the banks of the Miamis, for upwards of the last -twenty-four hours, almost within the reach of the guns of this fort, -being a post belonging to His Majesty the King of Great Britain, occupied -by His Majesty's troops, and which I have the honor to command, it -becomes me to inform myself, as speedily as possible, in what light I am -to view your making such near approaches to this garrison. - -I have no hesitation on my part to say that I know of no war existing -between Great Britain and America. - -I have the honor to be, &c. - - WILLIAM CAMPBELL, - Major 24th Reg't commanding a British post on - the banks of the Miamis. - -To Major General Wayne, &c. &c. - - - - (II) - - - Camp on the Banks of the Miamis, } - 21st August, 1794. } - -Sir, - -I have received your letter of this date, requiring from me the motives -which have moved the army under my command to the position they at present -occupy, far within the acknowledged jurisdiction of the United States of -America. - -Without questioning the authority, or the propriety, sir, of your -interrogatory, I think I may, without breach of decorum, observe to you, -that were you intitled to an answer, the most full and satisfactory one -was announced to you from the muzzles of my small arms yesterday morning -in the action against hordes of savages in the vicinity of your post, -which terminated gloriously to the American arms. But had it continued -until the Indians, &c. were driven under the influence of the post and -guns you mention, they would not have much impeded the progress of the -victorious army under my command; as no such post was established at the -commencement of the present war between the Indians and the United States. - -I have the honor to be, sir, &c. - - (Signed) ANTHONY WAYNE, - Major General and Commander in Chief of the - Federal army. - -To Major Wm. Campbell, &c. - - - - (III) - - - Fort Miamis, Aug. 22, 1791. - -Sir, - -Although your letter of yesterday's date fully authorizes me to any act of -hostility against the army of the United States of America in this -neighborhood under your command, yet, still anxious to prevent that -dreadful decision, which perhaps is not intended to be appealed to by -either of our countries, I have forborne for these two days past to resent -those insults which you have offered to the British flag flying at this -fort, by approaching it within pistol-shot of my works, not only singly, -but in numbers, with arms in their hands. - -Neither is it my wish to wage war with individuals. But should you after -this continue to approach my post in the threatening manner you are at -this moment doing, my indispensable duty to my King and Country, and the -honor of my profession, will oblige me to have recourse to those measures -which thousands of either nation may hereafter have cause to regret, and -which I solemnly appeal to God I have used my utmost endeavors to arrest. - - I have the honor to be, sir, &c. - (Signed) WM. CAMPBELL. - -To Major General Wayne, &c. - -[No other notice was taken of this letter than what is expressed in the -following letter. The fort and works were however reconnoitered in every -direction, at some points possibly within pistol-shot. It was found to be -a regular, strong work, the front covered by a wide river, with four guns -mounted in that face. The rear, which was the most susceptible of -approach, had two regular bastions furnished with eight pieces of -artillery, the whole surrounded with a wide deep ditch. From the bottom of -the ditch to the top of the parapet was about twenty feet perpendicular. -The works were also surrounded by an abbatis, and furnished with a strong -garrison.] - - - - (IV) - - -Sir, - -In your letter of the 21st inst. you declare, "I have no hesitation on my -part to say that I know of no war, existing between Great Britain and -America." - -I, on my part, declare the same; and the only cause I have to entertain a -contrary idea at present is, the hostile act you are now in commission -of,--that is, recently taking post far within the well known and -acknowledged limits of the United States, and erecting a fortification in -the heart of the settlements of the Indian tribes now at war with the -United States. - -This, sir, appears to be an act of the highest aggression, and destructive -to the peace and interest of the Union. Hence, it becomes my duty to -desire, and I do hereby desire and demand, in the name of the President of -the United States, that you immediately desist from any further act of -hostility or aggression, by forbearing to fortify, and by withdrawing the -troops, artillery, and stores under your orders and direction, forthwith, -and removing to the nearest post occupied by His Britannic Majesty's -troops at the peace of 1783--and which you will be permitted to do -unmolested by the troops under my command. - - I am, with very great respect, &c. - (Signed) ANTHONY WAYNE. - -To Major Wm. Campbell, &c. - - - - (V) - - - - Fort Miamis, 22d Aug. 1794. - -Sir, - -I have this moment the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of -this date. In answer to which I have only to say, that being placed here -in the command of a British post, and acting in, a military capacity only, -I cannot enter into any discussion either on the right or impropriety of -my occupying my present position. Those are matters that I conceive will -be best left to the ambassadors of our different nations. - -Having said this much, permit me to inform you, that I certainly will not -abandon this post at the summons of any power whatever, until I receive -orders from those I have the honor to serve under, or the fortune of war -should oblige me. - -I must still adhere, sir, to the purport of my letter this morning, to -desire that your army, or individuals belonging to it, will not approach -within reach of my cannon without expecting the consequences attending it. - -Although I have said in the former part or my letter, that my situation -here is totally military, yet let me add, sir, that I am much deceived if -His Majesty the King of Great Britain had not a post on this river at and -prior to the period you mention. - -I have the honor to be, &c. - - (Signed) WM. CAMPBELL. - Major of the 24th Regiment, commanding at - Fort Miamis. - -To Major General Wayne, &c - -[The only notice taken of this letter was in immediately setting fire to -and destroying every thing within view of the fort, and even under the -muzzles of the guns.] - - _Boston Chronicle, October_ 13, 1774. - - * * * * * - - - - NO. III. - - -Corn-Planter's Letter to the Governor of Pennsylvania, dated "Allegheny -river, 2d mo. 2d, 1822," and probably written by his interpreter. From -Buchanan's Sketches. - -"I feel it my duty to send a speech to the governor of Pennsylvania at -this time, and inform him the place where I was from--which was -Conewaugus, on the Genesee river. - -"When I was a child, I played with the butterfly, the grasshopper and the -frogs. As I grew up, I began to pay some attention and play with the -Indian boys in the neighborhood, and they took notice of my skin being a -different color from theirs, and spoke about it. I enquired of my mother -the cause, and she told me that my father was a residenter in Albany. I -eat still my victuals out of a bark dish--I grew up to be a young man, and -married me a wife, but I had no kettle or gun. I then knew where my -father lived, and went to see him, and found he was a white man, and spoke -the English language. He gave me victuals while I was at his house, but -when I started to return home, he gave me no provision to eat on the way. -He gave me neither kettle nor gun, neither did he tell me that the United -States were about to rebel against the government of England. - -"I will now tell you, brothers, who are in session of the legislature of -Pennsylvania, that the Great Spirit has made known to me that I have been -wicked; and the cause thereof was the revolutionary war in America. The -cause of Indians having been led into sin, at that time, was that many of -them were in the practice of drinking and getting intoxicated. Great -Britain requested us to join with them in the conflict against the -Americans, and promised the Indians land and liquor. I, myself, was -opposed to joining in the conflict, as I had nothing to do with the -difficulty that existed between the two parties. I have now informed you -how it happened that the Indians took a part in the Revolution, and will -relate to you some circumstances that occurred after the close of the war. -Gen. Putnam, who was then at Philadelphia, told me there was to be a -council at fort Stanwix, and the Indians requested me to attend on behalf -of the Six Nations, which I did, and there met with three commissioners, -who had been appointed to hold the council. They told me they would inform -me of the cause of the revolution, which I requested them to do minutely. -They then said that it had originated on account of the heavy taxes that -had been imposed upon them by the British government, which had been for -fifty years increasing upon them; that the Americans had grown weary -thereof, and refused to pay, which affronted the king. There had likewise -a difficulty taken place about some tea, which they wished me not to use, -as it had been one of the causes that many people had lost their lives. -And the British government now being affronted, the war commenced, and the -cannons began to roar in our country. General Putnam then told me at the -council at fort Stanwix, that by the late war the Americans had gained two -objects: they had established themselves an independent nation, and had -obtained some land from Great Britain to live upon, the division line of -which ran through the lakes. I then spoke, and said that I wanted some -land for the Indians to live on, and General Putnam said that it should be -granted, and I should have land in the state of New York, for the Indians. -Gen. Putnam then encouraged me to use my endeavors to pacify the Indians -generally; and as he considered it an arduous task to perform, wished to -know what I wanted to pay therefor? I replied to him, that I would use my -endeavors to do as he had requested with the Indians, and for pay thereof, -I would take land. I told him not to pay me money or dry goods, but land. -And for having attended thereto I received the tract of land on which I -now live, which was presented to me by governor Mifflin. I told general -Putnam, that I wished the Indians to have the exclusive privilege of the -deer and wild game, which he assented to. - -"The treaty that was made at the aforementioned council has been broken by -some of the white people, which I how intend acquainting the governor -with. Some white people are not willing that Indians should hunt any more, -whilst others are satisfied therewith; and those white people who reside -near our reservation, tell us that the woods are theirs, and they have -obtained them from the governor. The treaty has been also broken by the -white people using their endeavors to destroy all the wolves, which was -not spoken about in the council at fort Stanwix, by General Putnam, but -has originated lately. - -"It has been broken, again, which is of recent origin. White people wish -to get credit from Indians, and do not pay them honestly, according to -their agreement. - -"In another respect it has also been broken by white people, who reside -near my dwelling; for when I plant melons and vines in my field, they take -them as their own. It has been broken again by white people using their -endeavors to obtain our pine trees from us. We have very few pine trees on -our land, in the state of New York; and white people and Indians often get -into dispute respecting them. There is also a great quantity of whiskey -brought near our reservation by white people, and the Indians obtain it -and become drunken. - -"Another circumstance has taken place which is very trying to me, and I -wish the interference of the Governor. The white people who live at -Warren, called upon me sometime ago, to pay taxes for my land, which I -objected to, as I had never been called upon for that purpose before; and -having refused to pay, the white people became irritated, called upon me -frequently, and at length brought four guns with them and seized our -cattle. I still refused to pay, and was not willing to let the cattle go. -Afler a long dispute, they returned home and I understood the militia was -ordered out to enforce the collection of the tax. I went to Warren, and, -to avert the impending difficulty, was obliged give my note for the tax, -the amount of which was forty-three dollars and seventy-nine cents. It is -my desire that the governor will exempt me from paying taxes for my land -to white people; and also cause that the money I am now obliged to pay, -may be refunded to me, as I am very poor. The governor is the person who -attends to the situation of the people, and I wish him to send a person to -Allegheny, that I may inform him of the particulars of our situation, and -he be authorised to instruct the white people in what manner to conduct -themselves towards the Indians. - -"The governor has told us that when any difficulties arose between the -Indians and white people, he would attend to having them removed. We are -now in a trying situation, and I wish the governor to send a person, -authorised to attend thereto, the fore part of the next summer, about the -time that grass has grown big enough for pasture. - -"The governor formerly requested me to pay attention to the Indians, and -take care of them. We are now arrived at a situation that I believe -Indians cannot exist, unless the governor should comply with my request, -and send a person authorised to treat between us and the white people, the -approaching summer. I have now no more to speak." - - * * * * * - - - - NO. IV. - - -Corn-Planter's Speech at the Court-House at Warren, (N. Y.) June 4th, -1822, after an explanation, by two state Commissioners, of a law -exonerating him from the payment of certain taxes. From the Venango -Herald. - -"Brothers!--Yesterday was appointed for us all to meet here. The talk -which the Governor sent us pleased us very much. I think that the Great -Spirit is very much pleased that the white people have been induced so to -assist the Indians as they have done, and that he is pleased also to see -the great men of this State and of the United States so friendly to us. We -are much pleased with what has been done. - -"The Great Spirit first made the world and next the flying animals, and -found all things good and prosperous. He is immortal and everlasting. -After finishing the flying animals, he came down on earth and there stood. -Then he made different kinds of trees, and weeds of all sorts, and people -of every kind. He made the spring and other seasons, and the weather -suitable for planting. These he did make. But stills, to make whiskey to -be given to Indians, he did not make. The Great Spirit bids me tell the -white people not to give Indians this kind of liquor. When the Great -Spirit had made the earth and its animals, he went into the great lakes, -where he breathed as easily as any where else, and then made all the -different kinds of fish. The Great Spirit looked back on all that he had -made. The different kinds he made to be separate, and not to mix with and -disturb each other. But the white people have broken his command by mixing -their color with the Indians. The Indians have done better by not doing -so.--The Great Spirit wishes that all wars and fightings should cease. - -"He next told us that there were three things for people to attend to. -First, we ought to take care of our wives and children. Secondly, the -white people ought to attend to their farms and cattle. Thirdly, the -Great Spirit has given the bears and deers to the Indians. He is the cause -of all things that exist, and it is very wicked to go against his will. -The Great Spirit wishes me to inform the people that they should quit -drinking intoxicating drink, as being the cause of diseases and death. He -told us not to sell any more of our lands, for he never sold lands to any -one. Some of us now keep the seventh day; but I wish to quit it, for the -Great Spirit made it for others, but not for the Indians, who ought every -day to attend to their business. He has ordered me to quit drinking any -intoxicating drink, and not to lust after women but my own, and informed -me that by doing so I should live the longer. He made known to me that it -is very wicked to tell lies. Let no one suppose this I have said now is -not true. - -"I have now to thank the Governor for what he has done. I have informed -him what the Great Spirit has ordered me to cease from, and I wish the -Governor to inform others of what I have communicated. This all I have at -present to say." - - * * * * * - - - - NO. V. - - -Mr. Brandt, whose death has been recently announced, was the son of the -celebrated Indian chief of that name, and distinguished himself as a -lieutenant in our service during the late war. Some years ago he visited -England, and under the patronage of the Duke of Northumberland, was -introduced to the Duke of Wellington, Lord Teignmouth, and other -influential personages, and from his peculiar urbanity of manners and -highly cultivated acquirements, speedily became known and esteemed. His -exertions, upon that occasion, in vindicating the humanity of his father's -character from the unjust aspersions cast upon it by the author of -"Gertrude of Wyoming," were acknowledged by the accomplished poet, and the -next edition of that work rectified the error Mr. Campbell had -acknowledged. As a gentleman of strict honor and morality, Mr. Brandt has -left but few equals; and as head-chief and superintendent of the Six -Nations, his loss will be seriously felt by the numerous tribes to whose -civilization and moral improvement he had devoted his time and -talents.--_Kingston, U. C. Chronicle._ - - * * * * * - - - - NO. VI. - - -Letter of Farmer's-Brother, and others, to the Hon. W. Eustis, Secretary -of War. Niles' Register, Vol. II. - -"Brother!--The sachems and chief warriors of the Seneca nation of Indians, -understanding you are the person appointed by the great council of your -nation to manage and conduct the affairs of the several nations of Indians -with whom you are at peace and on terms of friendship, come at this time, -as children to a father, to lay before you the trouble which we have on -our minds. - -"Brother!--We do not think best to multiply words. We will therefore tell -you what our complaint is. - -"Brother!--Listen to what we say. Some years since we held a treaty at -Big-tree, near the Genesee river. This treaty was called by our great -father, the President of the United States. He sent an agent, Colonel -Wadsworth, to attend this treaty, for the purpose of advising us in the -business, and seeing that we had justice done us. At this treaty we sold -to Robert Morris the greatest part of our country. The sum he gave us was -one hundred thousand dollars. - -"Brother!--The Commissioner who was appointed on your part, advised us to -place this money in the hands of our great father, the President of the -United States. He told us our father loved his red children, and would -take care of our money, and plant it in a field where it would bear seed -forever, as long as trees grow or waters run. Our money has heretofore -been of great service to us. It has helped us to support our old people, -and our women and children. But we are told the field where our money was -planted is become barren. - -"Brother!--We do not understand your way of doing business. This thing is -heavy on our minds. We mean to hold our white brethren of the United -States by the hand. But this weight lies heavy. We hope you will remove -it. - -"Brother!--We have heard of the bad conduct of our brothers towards the -setting sun. We are sorry for what they have done. But you must not blame -us. We have had no hand in this bad business. They have had bad people -among them. It is your enemies have done this. - -"We have persuaded our agent to take this talk to your great council. He -knows our situations, and will speak our minds. - - "Farmer's-Brother, his mark X Wheel-Barrow, his mark X - Little Billy do X Jack Berry do X - Young King do X Twenty Canoes do X - Pollard do X Big Kettle do X - Chief Warrior do X Half-Town do X - Two Guns do X Keyandeande do X - John Sky do X Captain Cold do X - Parrot-Nose do X Esq. Blinkey do X - John Pierce do X Captain Johnson do X - Strong do X - -"N. B. The foregoing speech was delivered in Council by Farmer's-Brother, -at Buffalo Creek, December 19, 1811, and subscribed in my presence, by the -Chiefs whose names are annexed. - - "(Signed) ERASTUS GRANGER." - - * * * * * - - - - NO. VII. - - - Extracted from the American Remembrancer (an impartial and authentic - collection of facts, published in London during the Revolutionary War) - for the year 1782, vol. 14, p. 185. - - Boston, March 12. - - _Extract of a letter from Captain Gerrish, of the - New-England Militia, dated Albany, March 7._ - -"The peltry taken in the expedition, will, you see, amount to a good deal -of money. The possession of this booty at first gave us pleasure; but we -were struck with horror to find among the packages, eight large ones -containing scalps of our unfortunate country folks, taken in the three -last years by the Seneca Indians from the inhabitants of the frontiers of -New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and sent by them as a -present to Colonel Haldimand, Governor of Canada, in order to be by him -transmitted to England. They were accompanied by the following curious -letter to that gentleman. - - "_Tioga, January_ 3d, 1787. - -"May it please your Excellency, - -"At the request of the Seneca Chiefs, I herewith send to your Excellency, -under the care of James Hoyd, eight packages of scalps, cured, dried, -hooped, and painted with all the triumphal marks, of which the following -is the invoice and explanation. - -"No. 1. Containing forty-three scalps of Congress soldiers, killed in -different skirmishes. These are stretched on black hoops, four inch -diameter--the inside of the skin painted red with a small black spot, to -note their being killed with bullets. Also, sixty-two of farmers killed -in their houses; the hoops painted red--the skin painted brown and marked -with a hoe--a black circle all round, to denote their being surprised in -the night--and a black hatchet in the middle, signifying their being -killed with that weapon. - -"No. 2. Containing ninety-eight of farmers, killed in their houses, hoops -red--figure of a hoe, to mark their profession--great white circle and -sun, to shew they were surprised in the day-time--a little red foot, to -shew they stood upon their defence, and died fighting for their lives and -families. - -"No. 3. Containing ninety-seven of farmers. Hoops green, to shew they were -killed in the fields--a large white circle with a little round mark on it -for the sun, to show it was in the day time--black bullet-mark on some, a -hatchet on others. - -"No. 4. Containing one hundred and two of farmers, mixture of several of -the marks above, only eighteen marked with a little yellow flame, to -denote their being of prisoners burnt alive, after being scalped--their -nails pulled out by the roots, and other torments. One of these latter -supposed to be of an American clergyman, his band being fixed to the hoop -of his scalp. Most of the farmers appear, by the hair, to have been young -or middle-aged men, there being but sixty-seven very grey heads among them -all, which makes the service more essential. - -"No. 5. Containing eighty-eight scalps of women, hair long, braided in the -Indian fashion, to shew they were mothers--hoops blue--skin yellow ground, -with little red tadpoles, to represent, by way of triumph, the tears of -grief occasioned to their relations--a black scalping-knife or hatchet at -the bottom, to mark their being killed by those instruments. Seventeen -others, hair very grey--black hoops--plain brown color--no marks but the -short club or casse-tete, to show they were knocked down dead, or had -their brains beat out. - -"No. 6. Containing one hundred and ninety-three boy's scalps, of various -ages. Small green hoops--whitish ground on the skin, with red tears in the -middle and black marks--knife, hatchet or club, as their death happened. - -"No. 7. Containing two hundred and eleven girl's scalps, big and -little--small yellow hoops, white ground--tears, hatchet, club, -scalping-knife, &c. - -"No. 8. This package is a mixture of all the varieties above mentioned, to -the number of one hundred and twenty-two, with a box of birch bark -containing twenty-nine little infants' scalps, of various sizes--small -white hoops, white ground--no tears, and only a little black knife in the -middle, to shew they were ripped out of their mothers' bellies. - -"With these packs the chiefs send to your excellency the following speech, -delivered by Conicogatchie in council, interpreted by the elder Moore, the -trader, and taken down by me in writing. - -"Father!--We send you herewith many scalps, that you may see we are not -idle friends. - - "_A blue belt._ - -"Father!--We wish you to send these scalps over the water to the great -king, that he may regard them and be refreshed, and that he may see our -faithfulness in destroying his enemies, and be convinced that his -presents have not been made to an ungrateful people. - - "_A blue and white belt with red tassels._ - -"Father!---Attend to what I am now going to say. It is a matter of much -weight. The great King's enemies are many, and they grow fast in number. -They were formerly like young panthers. They could neither bite nor -scratch. We could play with them safely. We feared nothing they could do -to us. But now their bodies have become as big as the elk, and strong as -the buffalo. They have also great and sharp claws. They have driven us -out of our country for taking part in your quarrel. We expect the great -King will give us another country, that our children may live after us, -and be his friends and children as we are. Say this for us to our great -King. To enforce it, give this belt. - - "_A great white belt with blue tassels._ - -"Father!--We have only to say further, that your traders exact more than -ever for their goods; and our hunting is lessened by the war, so that we -have fewer skins to give for them. This ruins us. Think of some remedy. We -are poor, and you have plenty of every thing. We know you will send us -powder and guns, and knives and hatchets. But we also want shirts and -blankets. - - "_A little white belt._ - -"I do not doubt but that your Excellency will think it proper to give -some further encouragement to these honest people. The high prices they -complain of are the necessary effect of the war. Whatever presents may be -sent for them through my hands, shall be distributed with prudence and -fidelity. - -"I have the honor of being your Excellency's most obedient and most humble -servant, - - "JAMES CRAWFORD." - - - - - THE END. - - - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's Indian Biography; Vol II (of 2), by B. B. Thatcher - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK INDIAN BIOGRAPHY; VOL II (OF 2) *** - -***** This file should be named 54072.txt or 54072.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/5/4/0/7/54072/ - -Produced by Roger Burch with scans from the Internet Archive. -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for the eBooks, unless you receive -specific permission. If you do not charge anything for copies of this -eBook, complying with the rules is very easy. You may use this eBook -for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, -performances and research. They may be modified and printed and given -away--you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks -not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the -trademark license, especially commercial redistribution. - -START: FULL LICENSE - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full -Project Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at -www.gutenberg.org/license. - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or -destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your -possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a -Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound -by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the -person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph -1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this -agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the -Foundation" or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection -of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual -works in the collection are in the public domain in the United -States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the -United States and you are located in the United States, we do not -claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, -displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as -all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope -that you will support the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting -free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm -works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the -Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with the work. You can easily -comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the -same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg-tm License when -you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are -in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, -check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this -agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, -distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any -other Project Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no -representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any -country outside the United States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other -immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear -prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work -on which the phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, -performed, viewed, copied or distributed: - - This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and - most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no - restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it - under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this - eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the - United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you - are located before using this ebook. - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is -derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not -contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the -copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in -the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are -redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply -either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or -obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any -additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms -will be linked to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works -posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the -beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including -any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access -to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format -other than "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official -version posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site -(www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense -to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means -of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original "Plain -Vanilla ASCII" or other form. Any alternate format must include the -full Project Gutenberg-tm License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -provided that - -* You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed - to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he has - agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid - within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are - legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty - payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project - Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in - Section 4, "Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg - Literary Archive Foundation." - -* You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all - copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue - all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg-tm - works. - -* You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of - any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of - receipt of the work. - -* You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work or group of works on different terms than -are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing -from both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and The -Project Gutenberg Trademark LLC, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm -trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project -Gutenberg-tm collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may -contain "Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate -or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other -intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or -other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or -cannot be read by your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium -with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you -with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in -lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person -or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second -opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If -the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing -without further opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO -OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT -LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of -damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement -violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the -agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or -limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or -unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the -remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in -accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the -production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, -including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of -the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this -or any Project Gutenberg-tm work, (b) alteration, modification, or -additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any -Defect you cause. - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of -computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It -exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations -from people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future -generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see -Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at -www.gutenberg.org - - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by -U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is in Fairbanks, Alaska, with the -mailing address: PO Box 750175, Fairbanks, AK 99775, but its -volunteers and employees are scattered throughout numerous -locations. Its business office is located at 809 North 1500 West, Salt -Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email contact links and up to -date contact information can be found at the Foundation's web site and -official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND -DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular -state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To -donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project -Gutenberg-tm concept of a library of electronic works that could be -freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and -distributed Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of -volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in -the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not -necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper -edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search -facility: www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - diff --git a/old/54072.zip b/old/54072.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index f317c45..0000000 --- a/old/54072.zip +++ /dev/null |
