USA > Illinois > Cook County > Chicago > Discovery and conquests of the Northwest, with the history of Chicago, Vol. I > Part 10
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About three o'clock this evening the Half-King came to town. I went up and invited him, with Davidson, privately, to my tent, and desired him to relate some of the particulars of his journey to the French commandant, and of his reception there; also to give me an account of the ways and distance. He told me that the nearest and levelest way was now impassable by reason of many large, miry savannas; that we must be obliged to go by Venango,12 and should not get to the near fort in less than five or six night's sleep, good traveling. When he went to the fort, he said he was received in a very stern manner by the late commander, who asked him very abruptly what he had come about, and to declare his business, which he said he did in the following speech:
"Fathers, I am come to tell you your own speeches, what your own mouths have declared.
"Fathers, you, in former days, set a silver basin before us, wherein there was the leg of a beaver, and desired all the nations to come and eat of it; to eat in peace and plenty, and not to be churlish to one another; and that if any such person should be found to be a disturber, I here lay down by the edge of the dish a rod, which you must scourge them with; and if your father should get foolish in my old days, I desire you may use it upon me,. as well as others.
"Now, fathers, it is you who are the disturbers in this land, by coming and building your towns, and taking it away unknown to us, and by force.
"Fathers, we kindled a fire a long time ago at a place called Montreal, where we desired you to stay, and not to come and intrude upon our land ..
10 Obaish, Wabash; in French, Ouabache. This name was given by Marquette, La Salle, and other early explorers, to the Ohio, but finally became that of a branch, while the Iroquois name, Ohio, or Beautiful River,. was applied to the main stream. The fort alluded to was probably Vincennes.
11 Shawanoe, or, as now written, Shawnee. They were called, by the French, Chawanon. They were the most restless of the Algonquin tribes, having been, for a longer or shorter period, in almost all the Atlantic colonies, from Florida to New York, and bands of them accompanied La Salle and Tonti up and down the Mississippi, one of them even sharing the death of the great explorer.
12 Venango. Fort Venango was at the confluence of French Creek and the Alleghany, on the left, and another French fort, Machault, lay on the right. The ruins of Fort Venango cover a space of about four hundred feet, and the ramparts are eight feet high.
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I now desire you may dispatch to that place; for be it known to you, father's, that this is our land, and not yours.
"Fathers, I desire you may hear me in civilness; if not, we must handle that rod which was laid down for the use of the obstreperous. If you had come in a peaceable manner, like our brothers the English, we would not have been against your trading with us as they do; but to come, fathers, and build houses upon our land, and to take it by force, is what we cannot submit to.
"Fathers, both you and the English are white; we live in a country between; therefore the land belongs to neither one nor the other; but the Great Being above allowed it to be a place of residence for us; so, fathers, I desire you to withdraw, as I have done our brothers the English; for I will keep you at arm's length. I lay this down as a trial for both, to see which will have the greatest regard to it, and that side we will stand by and make equal sharers with us. Our brothers the English have heard this, and I come now to tell it to you, for I am not afraid to discharge you off this land."
This he said, was the substance of what he spoke to the general, who made this reply:
"Now, my child, I have heard your speech. You spoke first, but it is my time to speak now. Where is my wampum that you took away with the marks of towns on it? This wampum I do not know, which you have discharged me off the land with; but you need not put yourself to the trouble of speaking, for I will not hear you. I am not afraid of flies or mosquitoes, for Indians are such as those. I tell you, down that river I will go, and build upon it, according to my command. If the river was blocked up, I have forces sufficient to burst it open and tread under my feet all that stand in opposition, together with their alliances, for my force is as the sand upon the seashore; therefore here is your wampum; I sling it at you. Child, you talk foolish. You say this land belongs to you, but there is not the black of my nail yours. I saw that land sooner than you did; before the Shannoahs and you were at war. Lead was the man who went down and took possession of that river. It is my land, and I will have it, let who will stand up for or say against it. I will buy and sell with the English (mockingly). If people will be ruled by me, they may expect kindness, but not else."
The Half-King told me he had inquired of the general after two Englishmen who were made prisoners, and received this answer:
"Child, you think it a very great hardship that I made prisoners of those two people at Venango. Don't you concern yourself with it. We took and carried them to Canada, to get intelligence of what the English were doing in Virginia."
He informed me that they had built two forts, one on Lake Erie13 and another on French Creek, near a small lake,14 about fifteen miles asunder, and a large wagon-road between. They are both built after the same model, but different in size; that on the lake the largest. He gave me a plan of them of his own drawing.
The Indians inquired very particularly after their brothers in Carolina goal.
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They also asked what sort of a boy it was who was taken from the South Branch; for they were told by some Indians that a party of French Indians had carried a white boy by Kuskuska town, towards the lakes.
NOVEMBER 26.
We met in council at the long-house about nine o'clock, where I spoke to them as follows;
"Brothers, I have called you together in council by order of your brother, the Governor of Virginia, to acquaint you that I am sent with all possible dispatch to visit and deliver a letter to the French commandant, of very great importance to your brothers, the English; and I dare say to you, their friends and allies.
"I was desired, brothers, by your brother, the Governor, to call upon you, the sachems of the nations, to inform you of it, and to ask your advise and assistance to proceed the nearest and best road to the French. You see, brothers, I have gotten thus far on my journey.
"His Honor likewise desired me to apply to you for some of your young men to conduct and provide provisions for us on our way, and be a safeguard against those French Indians who have taken up the hatchet against us. I have spoken thus particularly to you, brothers, because his Honor, our Governor, treats you as good friends and allies, and holds you in great esteem. To confirm what I have said, I give you this string of wampum."
After they had considered for some time on the above discourse the Half-King got up and spoke:
"Now, my brother, in regard to what my brother the Governor had desired of me, I return you this answer:
"I rely upon you as a brother ought to do, as you say we are brothers and one people. We shall put heart in hand and speak to our fathers, the French, concerning the speech they made to me; and you may depend that we will endeavor to be your guard.
"Brother, as you have asked my advice, I hope you will be ruled by it, and stay until I can provide a company to go with you. The French speech-belt is not here; I have to go for it to my hunting-cabin. Likewise, the people whom I have ordered in are not yet come, and cannot until the third night from this; until which time, brother, I must beg you to stay.
"I intend to send the guard of Mingoes,15 Shannoahs and Delawares, 16 that our brothers may see the love and loyalty we bear them."
13 Fort Presque Isle lay near the site of the present Erie, and extensive earthworks can still be seen.
14 Fort Le Bœuf, or Fort de la Riviere aux Bœufs. See Washington's description of it ider date of December 13. It stood on the banks of Lake Le Bœuf, about fourteen miles southeast of Erie, near the present village of Waterford, where its ruins are still to be seen.
15 Mingoes. The Mengwe, Minquas, or Mingoes, were properly the Andastes or Gandastogues, the Indians of Conestoga, on the Susquehanna, known by the former name to the Algonquins and their allies, the Dutch and Swedes, and by the former to the Five Nations and the English of New York. The Marylanders knew them as the Susquehannas Upon their reduction by the Five Nations, in 1672, after a long war, the Andastes were to a great extent mingled with their conquerors, and a party removing to the Ohio, commonly called Mingoes, was thus made up of Iroquois and
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As I had orders to make all possible dispatch, and waiting here was very contrary to my inclination, I thanked him in the most suitable manner I could, and told him that my business required the greatest expedition, and would not admit of that delay. He was not well pleased that I should offer to go before the time he had appointed, and told me that he could not consent to our going without a guard, for fear some accident should befall us and draw a reflection upon him. Besides, said he, this is a matter of no ·small moment, and must not be entered into without due consideration; for I intend to deliver up the French speech-belt and make the Shannoahs and Delawares do the same. And accordingly he gave orders to King Shingiss, who was present, to attend on Wednesday night with the wampum, and two men of their nation to be in readiness to set out with us the next morn- ing. As I found it was impossible to get off without affronting them in the most egregious manner, I consented to stay.
I gave them back a string. of wampum which I met with at Mr. Frazier's, and which they sent, with a speech, to his Honor, the Governor, to nform him that three nations of French Indians, namely, Chippewas.17 Ottawas18 and Orundaks,19 had taken up the hatchet against the English, and desired them to repeat it over again. But this they postponed doing until they met in full council with the Shannoah and Delaware chiefs.
NOVEMBER 27.
Runners were dispatched very early for the Shannoah chiefs. The Half-King set out himself to fetch the French speech-belt from his hunting- cabin.
Mingoes. The celebrated Logan was a real Andaste. Many treat Mingo as synonymous with Mohawk or Iroquois, but erroneously.
16 Delawares. This well-known tribe was a small Algonquin nation, calling itself Lenni Lenape. They were early subdued by the Five Nations, and seemed to have acquired the considerable historic place they occupy more from the fertility of their traditionary mind than from important deeds in war or peace. In our earlier histories they assume gigantic importance, and their migrations and wars are detailed at length. These are, however, very doubtful. That they are a branch of the Illinois, emigrating to the east, seems probable.
17 The Chippewas were first known to the French, as Otchiboués, answering to the modern form Ojibway, or Otchipwe. They are an Algonquin tribe, whose residence was at Sault Ste. Marie, whence the later French call them Sauteux, men of the Sault. Their language, traditions and customs have been more thoroughly studied than those of any other of our Indian Tribes.
18 The Ottawas were another Algonquin tribe, found on Lake Ontario. They formed, when first known, two branches, the Kiskakons and Sinagoes, and were remarkably errant. Their fires were lighted at different times, from Chagoimegon to Detroit. They are now chiefly on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. Their language bears a very close resemblance of the Ojibwa.
19 The Orundaks are evidently the Adirondacks of New York writers, the Algonquin of the French. Adirondack is a Mohawk term, meaning "they eat trees," from karonta, "tree," and iraks, "he eats." A small village of them still exists at the Lake of the Two Mountains, Canada East. They were hereditary enemiss of the Five Nations, and their alliance with the Hurons drew the latter into a war in which both were utterly prostrated by the great confederation of New York.
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NOVEMBER 28.
He returned this evening, and came with Monacatoocha and two other sachems to my tent, and begged (as they had complied with his Honor the Governor's request, in providing men, &c.) to know on what business we were going to the French. This was a question I had all along expected, and had provided as satisfactory answers as I could; which allayed their curiosity a little.
Monacatoocha informed me that an Indian from Venango brought news a few days ago that the French had called all the Mingoes, Delawares, &c., together at that place, and told them that they intended to have been down the river this fall, but the waters were growing cold and the winter advancing, which obliged them to go into quarters; but that they might assuredly expect them in the spring with a far greater number; and desired that they might be quite passive and not intermeddle unless they had a mind to draw all their force upon them; for that they expected to fight the English three years, (as they supposed there would be some attempts made to stop them), in which time they should conquer; but that if they should prove equally strong, they and the English would join to cut them all off and divide the land between them; that though they had lost their general and some few of their soldiers, yet there were men enough to reinforce them and make them masters of the Ohio.
This speech, he said, was delivered to them by one Captain Joncaire,20 their interpreter-in-chief, living at Venango, and a man of note in the army.
NOVEMBER 29.
The Half-King and Monacatoocha came very early and begged me to stay one day more, for notwithstanding they had used all the deligence in their power, the Shannoah chiefs had not brought the wampum they ordered, but would certainly be in to-night; if not, they would delay me no longer, but would send it after us as soon as they arrived. When I found them so pressing in their request, and knew that the returning of wampum was the abolishing of agreements, and giving this up was shaking off all dependence upon the French, I consented to stay, as I believed an offence offered at this crisis might be attended with greater ill consequence than another day's delay. They also informed me that Shingiss could not get in his men, and was prevented from coming himself by his wife's sickness, (I believe by fear of the French), but that the wampum of that nation was lodged with Kustalogo, one of their chiefs, at Venango.
20 No name figures more extensively in our border history than the Sieur de Joncaire, father and son, of whom, however, comparatively little is known. The former had been a prisoner in the hands of the Senecas, and adopted by them as early as 1700, and in that year they asked that he should go to their canton to arrange terms of peace, which he did with success. In all subsequent transactions with the Iroquois he plays a conspicuous part, his Indian naturalization making it impossible for the English authorities to obtain his expulsion. Charlevoix, Hist. Nouvelle France, ii., 244-365. He was apparently the first European who examined the oil springs recently rendered so profitable. His son, the Joncaire of this diary, continued his father's influence among the Senecas till Shirley, then at Oswego, in 1755, induced them to order him to depart .- Smith's New York (ed. 1830), i., 275.
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In the evening, late, they came again and acquainted me that the- Shannoahs were not yet arrived, but that it should not retard the prosecution of our journey. He delivered in my hearing the speech that was to be made to the French by Jeskakake, one of their old chiefs, which was- giving up the belt the late commandant had asked for and repeating nearly" the same speech he himself had done before.
He also delivered a string of wampum to this chief, which was sent by King Shingiss, to be given to Kustalogo, with orders to repair to the French and deliver up the wampum.
He likewise gave a very large string of black and white wampum, which was to be sent up immediately to the Six Nations if the French refused to quit the land at this warning, which was the third and last time, and was the right of this Jeskakake to deliver.
NOVEMBER 30.
Last night the great men assembled at their council-house to consult further about this journey and who were to go; the result of which was .. that only three of their chiefs, with one of their best hunters, should be our convoy. The reason they gave for not sending more, after what had been proposed at council the 26th, was that a greater number might give the French suspicions of some bad design and cause them to be treated rudely, but I rather think they could not get their hunters in.
We set out about nine o'clock, with the Half-King, Jeskakake, White Thunder, and the Hunter, and traveled on the road to Venango, where we" arrived the 4th of December, without anything remarkable happening but a continued series of bad weather.
This is an old Indian town, situated at the mouth of French Creek, on: the Ohio, and lies near north about sixty miles from the Logstown, but more than seventy the way we were obliged to go.
We found the French colors hoisted at a house from which they had driven Mr. John Frasier, and English subject. I immediately repaired to it. to know where the commander resided. There were three officers, one of whom, Captain Joncaire, informed me that he had the command of the Ohio, but that there was a general officer at the near fort, where he advised me to apply for an answer. He invited us to sup with them and treated us- with the greatest complaisance.
The wine, as they dosed themselves pretty plentifully with it, soon banished the restraint which at first appeared in their conversation and gave a license to their tongues to reveal their sentiments more freely.
They told me that it was their absolute design to take possession of the Ohio, and by G- they would do it, for that, although they were sensible the English could raise two men for their one, yet they knew their motions were too slow and dilatory to prevent any undertaking of theirs. They pretend to have an undoubted right to the river from a discovery made by one La Salle21 sixty years ago, and the rise of this expedition is to prevent.
21 La Salle. Robert Cavalier de La Salle, it is known, followed up the discovery of Marquette and Joliet, and in 1682 descended the Mississippi to its mouth, which he reached on the 9th of April. He planted the arms of" France and took possession of the river and all the country watered by it and its branches. This extended the French claim to the head waters of."
.
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our settling on the river or waters of it, as they heard of some families moving out in order thereto. From the best intelligence I could get, there have been fifteen hundred men on this side Ontario Lake, but upon the death of the general all were recalled, to about six or seven hundred, who were left to garrison four forts, one hundred and fifty or thereabout in each. The first of them is on French Creek,22 near a small lake, about sixty miles from Venango, near north northwest; the next lies on Lake Erie,28 where the greater part of their stores are kept, about fifteen miles from the other; from this it is one hundred and twenty miles to the carrying place, at the falls of Lake Erie, where there is a small fort,24 at which they lodge their goods in bringing them from Montreal, the place from whence all their stores are brought. The next fort lies about twenty miles from this, on Ontario Lake.25 Between this fort and Montreal there are three others, the first of which26 is nearly opposite to the English fort Oswego. From the fort on Lake Erie to Montreal is about six hundred miles, which, they say, requires no more (if good weather) than four weeks' voyage, if they go. in barks or large vessels, so that they may cross the lake; but if they come in canoes it will require five or six weeks, for they are obliged to keep, under the shore.
DECEMBER 5.
Rained excessively all day, which prevented our traveling. Captain Jon- caire sent for the Half-King, as he had but just heard that he came with me. He affected to be much concerned that I did not make free to bring them in before. I excused it in the best manner of which I was capable, and told him I did not think their company agreeable, as I had heard him say a good deal in dispraise of Indians in general; but another motive prevented me from bringing them into his company; I knew that he was an inter- preter and a person of very great influence among the Indians, and had lately used all possible means to draw them over to his interest; therefore I was desirous of giving him no oppportunity that could be avoided.
When they came in there was great pleasure expressed at seeing them .. He wondered how they could be so near without coming to visit him, made several trifling presents, and applied liquor so fast that there were soon rendered incapable of the business they came about, notwithstanding the. caution which was given.27
the Alleghany and Monongahela. See "The Discovery and Exploration of the Mississippi," and narrative there given. Previous to this and apparently about 1670-71, La Salle had reached the Ohio from the Seneca country, and descended it to the falls at Louisville. No narrative of this voyage is extant, but he claims to have done so in some documents, and maps drawn by Joliet recognize his claim, and these French officers maintain it.
22 Fort Le Bœuf. 23 Fort Presque Isle. 24 Fort Niagara.
25 Fort Toronto. 26 Fort Frontenac.
27 Gist, in his journal, here notes: "Our Indians were in council with the Delawares, who lived under the French colors, and ordered them to deliver up to the French the belt with the marks of the four towns, according to the desire of King Shingiss. But the chief of these Delawares said: 'It was true, King Shingess was a great man, but he had sent no speech, and,' said he, 'I cannot pretend to make a speech for a king' So our Indians could not prevail with them to deliver their belt, but the Half King did deliver his belt as he had determined."
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DECEMBER 6.
The Half-King came to my tent quite sober and insisted very much that I should stay and hear what he had to say to the French. I fain would have prevented him from speaking anything until he came to the comman- dant, but could not prevail. He told me that at this place a council fire was kindled, where all their business with these people was to be transacted, and that the management of the Indian affairs was left solely to Monsieur Joncaire. As I was desirous of knowing the issue of this, I agreed to stay; but sent our horses a little way up French Creek, to raft over and encamp, which I knew would make it near night.
About ten o'clock they met in council. The King spoke much the same as he had before done to the General, and offered the French speech- belt which had before been demanded, with the marks of four towns on it, which Monsieur Joncaire refused to receive, but desired him to carry it to the fort to the commander.
DECEMBER 7.
Monsieur La Force, Commissary of the French stores, and three other soldiers, came over to accompany us up. We found it extremely difficult to get the Indians off to-day, as every stratagem had been used to prevent their going up with me. I had last night left John Davidson (the Indian interpreter), whom I had brought with me from town, and strictly charged him not to be out of their company, as I could not get them over to my tent; for they had some business with Kustalogo, chiefly to know why he did not deliver up the French speech-belt which he had in keeping; but I was obliged to send Mr. Gist over to-day to fetch them, which he did with great persuasion.
At twelve o'clock we set out for the fort, and were prevented arriving there until the 11th by excessive rains, snows, and bad traveling through many mires and swamps. These we were obliged to pass to avoid crossing the creek, which was impassable, either by fording or rafting, the water was so high and rapid.
We passed over much good land since we left Venango, and through several extensive and very rich meadows, one of which, I believe, was nearly four miles in length and considerably wide in some places.
DECEMBER 12.
I prepared early to wait upon the Commander, and was received and conducted to him by the second officer in command. I acquainted him with my business and offered him my commission and letter, both of which he desired me to keep until the arrival of Monsieur Reparti, captain at the next fort, who was sent for and expected every hour.
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