USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > Fort Wayne in 1790 > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5
28th. Monday. Last night I supped sans ceremonie at Mr. Rivarrs about 5 o'clock .- After which we repaired to Mr. Adamhers, and from that went according to appointment at Mr. de Selerons were we danced 'till about II o'clock-it being St. John's day & Mr. de S-a freemason, a bouquet was pre- sented to him-upon which he and Mr. Adamher got damned drunk .- Visited the ladies this morning, also Mr. de S. who I found drinking with Adamher and some others-did not stay long as they wished me to drink at so unseasonable an hour as II o'clock in the morning-but promised to joine the Corum in the afternoon.
Made out my Half-Pay certificate this day-was sworn by Mr. Leith-Mr. Ironside10 made out the Bills of Exchange for me ; So that every thing is now ready to send to Mr. Robertson
40George Ironside, at this time a leading trader of the Maumee Valley, was born in 1760, and died at Amherstburg in 1830. For many years he was in the British Indian service. He was an M. A. of King's College, Aberdeen. In 1792 he had a house at Grand Glaize. O. H. Spencer, whom Ironside befriended during the former's captivity there, speaks highly of his humanity and hospitality. See Spencer, op. cit .; Mich, Pion. & Hist. Colls., XVI, 737.
28
at Detroit by the first opportunity. [ Page missing.] time ; but having eat a good dinner upon a young wild Turkey with a couple of glasses of Port Wine, drove it off immediately. This evening about five the Gree & his Brother in Law, the Little Turtle arrived from their wintering Place ; they drank tea, also maderia Grie who came in after them and who presented us with a couple of Turkeys-The Grie told me his young men would be in in a few days, that they came first to inform us of it .- It being near the New Year, and a common custom among them to flock in about that time from their wintering places, to Salute, and of course expect some little matter.
30th. Wednesday. Bad cough all night-the same today- Little or no frost last night-Very mild day-but cloudy and Dark-very muddy &c .-
The Grie & Turtle visited us this morning .- Began to raine about 2 o'clock this afternoon and continued 'till near 10 or II o'clock.
3Ist. Thursday. Little Snow this morning, and rather cold -Very little or no frost .- The Grie and Turtle Breakfasted with us this morning .- The sun begins to Peep, all the appear- ance of a fine day .- The day did not turn out as I expected- it got cloudy about I o'clock & a little Snow .- Cold. Began to freeze about 4 o'clock this afternoon
I January 1790 Friday-
Most Beautiful Sun Shiny day-Froze hard last night. High wind & pretty cold &c &c.
It being New Year the Indians who are in great number, more so indeed than I could ever have thought, also the Woman-came into the house in great numbers by three o'clock this morning which prevented Ironside & me from Sleeping- one lady came to shake hands with me when in bed .- The
29
House was quite full at Breakfast time-The Grie & Turtle came to visit us & breakfasted with us as usual.
I forgot to mention that last night about 5 o'clock I was sent for by the Grie with Mr. Ironside. When I went to him, he informed me that his Son my Brother as he calls him, had sent me in something to eat, which was a Carcass of Venison & four or five Turkeys which he begged I would accept-His Son could not come in on account of his rather young child being unwell.
The Grie asked me this morning for a bottle of Rum, I was rather loath at first to give it him, but having informed me it was only for the reception of myself or any few friends that might come to see him-as he has always been accustomed to it, I told him that in case he should have it, and that I expected he would not make a bad use of it-He answered that he had more respect for the recommendation I had brought him from Major Murray than to do any thing of the kind-for says he who's to protect you from any insults that might be offered to you by any hot headed Indian but myself-and should I get drunk-I know myself not capable of it.
Visited most of the Principal families of this place this morning & kissed all the Ladies young and Old-The Grie did not keep his promise with me-he was rather drunk towards the evening.
2nd. Jany. Saturday. Danced last night at Mr. Adamhers -no other strangers but madam Ranjard & Kinzie & myself- During the time we were dancing a french man arrived from Marie Louisas+0} Trading Place about 25 Leagues from here-
40} Marie Louisa was the baptismal name of the youngest sister of The Little Turtle. Her Indian name was Ta-kum-wa, or The Parrakeet. Ta-kum-wa literally, as the Shawnee Tecumtha, means going across, or crossing over. The parrakeet was very common in Indiana at that time, and the Miamis evidently gave it this name on account of its parrot beak.
30
we were dancing ...
this M. Louisas is mother to yo[u]n[g] J. Baptist Richerville mentioned in my Journal some days ago. He brought word that Mr. Antoine Lassell (who is traveling at a place called le Petit Piconne41 Six Leagues from the Ouias) 42 is made Pris- oner by the Ouias Indians-supposed for having wrote a let- ter some time ago to Fort Vincennes apprehending them of a Party of Indians that intended to strike there-that this Party was in consequence of it taken Prisoner by the Americans at a Post43 -- that Lassell had also mentioned that one of the Party
41Antoine Lasselle had been a resident of Miamitown for nineteen years at the time this journal was written. When General Harmar destroyed the place the following October, Lasselle followed Little Turtle's band to the new Miami village on the Little Glaize. He was an active partisan of the British-Indian cause, and served, garbed as an Indian, in Captain Caldwell's company of Canadian militia which fought against Wayne at Fallen Timbers. Too corpulent to keep pace with his dusky allies in their rapid retreat before the points of Wayne's bayonets, Lasselle concealed himself under a log, thinking to make his escape after nightfall. He was discovered, however, and promptly tried as a spy. The story is told that, finding the trial going against him, he gave the Masonic signal of distress, whereupon Colonel Hamtranck, president of the court-martial, threw his influence in his favor, resulting in a verdict of acquittal. Whatever the truth as to this may be, Lasselle, together with his brother Jacques, shortly afterward secretly entered Wayne's employ, and labored zealously to bring the Indians to conclude a treaty of peace with the Americans. See J. P. Dunn, Indiana (Bos- ton, 1888), 436-40; W. A. Brice, History of Fort Wayne (Fort Wayne, 1868), app. 16, 17; Amer. St. Papers, Ind. Affs., I, 494.
42Petit Piconne is an unique corruption of Ki-ta-pi-nong, meaning the town at the mouth of the Tippecanoe (Ki-ta-pi-ka-na) river. This is the name of the buffalo fish. At this time there was an important Indian village here, where resided a number of French traders. The Quias was a village in the vicinity of the old French post Quiatanon, near the site of Lafayette, Indiana, Quiatanon was founded by the French after 1722; there had been no garrison here since Pontiac's War, but it was still an important center of the Indian trade. These places were raided by an American army under Gen. Charles Scott in June, 1791, and again in August, by a force commanded by Gen. James Wilkinson. See Amer. St. Papers, Ind. Affs., I, 131-33; "Quiatanon," in Indiana Historical Society, Publications, II, 319-48.
43 Vincennes. The post which the French established here in the first half of the seventeenth century was designated "poste au Ouabache," or, more com- monly, simply "au poste." The early American settlers transformed this into "the Post" or "Opost."
32
was Son to the Indian who burnt an American Prisoner at the Ouias last Summer .- The Indians having understood that the Americans meant to Burn this Indian, is the reason they have fallen upon Lassell and mean to burn him-his men are also prisoners-they will of course plunder him &c .- I'm sorry for it and so is every one at this place-tho' he certainly has brought [it] upon himself-
This morning after Breakfast-Mr. Adamher Mr. Leith & myself with all the Principal traders of the place collected our- selves in this house and met the Grie which was sent for for that Purpose-After he was made acquainted with the matter and his Advice asked -- he answered that he was extremely sorry to hear such news, and that he had always given his advice to the people here how they should act when they went into the Interior Parts of the Indian Country-but that the french had frequently gone without letting him know or asking his advice ; And that particularly Mr. Lassell who altho' he had advised not to go to that part of the country did absolutely go without acquainting him of it-for says he, had he mentioned it to me I should have sent one of my Chiefs with him, or given him a belt, as a Guard and which would have prevented any thing of this kind happening-However says [he] no time is to be lost as I am now immediately going off to my winter- ing Camp I shall detach three faithful warriors of mine with a belt from me to inquire into this matter which if true will effectually put a stop to it-(if it has not already taken place.)
Mr. Dufresne a french trader who is concerned in that part of the Country-gave him about two fathoms of Smoking Tobacco-Virmillion Provisions &c-Mr. A. Lassell has all
33
his goods from Mr. Baby44 which concerns me much on his account if any thing should happen .- As Mr. Kinzie means to go to Detroit on Monday next I wrote this day to the Major with respect to this affair-and to Capt. McKee with regard to the Delewares .-
Beautiful Day-froze hard last night-Wrote Mr. Robertson of Detroit this day inclosed him my bills of Exchange and certificates for my 1/2 pay Wrote my brother also.
3 January Sunday. The Grie & Little Turtle went off on horse back for their wintering Camps, after breakfasting with & thanking us for the reception they received from us during their stay-I gave them a bottle of Rum. For it must be observed that they have nothing here to live upon-everything they possess & have is in the woods; they all come in in the Spring to the amount of four or five hundred-
Began to raine a little this Evening-Not the least frost last night-Thaughed all day.
4 Jany. Monday. Mr. Kinzie went off for Detroit at day break this morning. Raine all last night, which turned into Snow towards morning .- Very disagreeable dirty day-the Snow & Raine which we had last night has created a great quantity of mudd-wind a little high and sky Cloudy .- Danced and Supped at Mr. Adamhers, sans ceremonie as usual last
44The Baby family had long been prominent in Detroit and Canada. The founder of the Detroit branch of the family was Duperron Baby, who was born at Montreal in 1731 and came to Detroit twenty years later. In 1760 he married Susanne Reaume. He was the father of no less than twenty-two children, several of whom achieved prominence. A natural daughter by an Indian mother married the chief, Blue Jacket, who figures in Hay's journal. The eldest son, James Baby, married, as we have already seen, Elizabeth Abbott. Another son, Francis, niar- ried Elizabeth Abbott's sister, Frances. Duperron Baby died at Detroit in 1789. Whether Hay's allusion is to him or to one of his sons must be left to con- jecture. See Mich. Pion. & Hist. Colls., XV, 704-6; Casgrain, op. cit., app. G; Thwaites and Kellogg, Revolution on Upper Ohio, 44.
34
night .- Little Snow this afternoon-Last night while we were dancing at Mr. Adamhers his Pigg was stolen out of the Penn. -this is the 3d he has lost in the like manner the last one before this was stolen on the very same day last year .- How- ever this one turned out to be a good story which is as follows -Mr. De Seleron & two or three french men & Mrs. Ranjard were in the secret-it was Seleron & two others who took him away-Mr. Leith as a Justice of the Peace having every reason to suspect White People as well as myself, gave me a search warrant thro the Village attended by Mr. Ironside & one La Chambre a french man, we had almost gone thro' the whole, when we came to Mr. De Selerons were we found Mr. Adam- her & the people who had taken, they were telling him the story when we entered the House to Search .- we were imme- diately made acquainted with it-but stile continued our search to the other house we had not been at, keeping the secret, we even went to Mrs. Adamhers-own house & found the Poor woman very much affected at it, it being their only support when the fresh meat is killed, and what hurt her more was, that she intended to kill it tomorrow, and that the like had happened to her last year-however about an hour after she was very agreeably made acquainted with the joke and I never in my life saw such in a womans countenance when they told her of it-Mrs. Adamher is a woman who is amasingly fond of playing her jokes upon other people, she's always serving some one or other a trick; for which they were fully determined to play her this one, which we premeditated upwards of three weeks ago.
930164
After I had made my report to Leith-Ironside & myself undeceived him about 12 an hour after at which he laughed very much. Its a good joke and it will at the same time put
35
those people on their guards who are apt or may intend to make robberies.
5th. January Tuesday. Very fine day, but cold, the weather quite changed .- Began to freeze very hard about 2 or 3 o'clock this morning .- Ironside & myself having mentioned last night that it would be a good thing to steal the Hogg back again from those that stole it which they heard; and mounted a Guard over him one of the party actually slept in the Penn with it ---
This day about 2 o'clock arrived here one Tramblai from the Ouias-He left Mr. Ant. Lassell very well at the Little Piconno the 29th December, and contradicts everything that we heard the Ist. Inst. with respect to that Gentleman, so far from it, that Mr. Lassell writes Mr. Adamher by this Tram- blai that he never Traded better nor easier, that the Indians are perfectly quiet in that part of the Country-Such a Damnable lying Report, I never experienced before in my life, -because in general, altho' Indian Reports are never to believed, there is always something similar to what is re- ported-but in this affair not even a single quarrell happened -The Grie seemed to put but very little confidence in it-I believe the french People here mean to send an express imme- diately to prevent this message being sent.
6th. January. Wednesday. Froze hard last night-& very cold all night. Turned out quite mild about 10 o'clock and began to snow very hard .- all appearance that the winter is now setting in .- am much afraid Kinzie will not get to Detroit by water .- After snowing about a couple of hours pretty smartly-it began to raine & continued 'till 10 o'clock this Evening.
7th. January Thursday. It began to blow amasingly hard
36
last night about II o'clock & froze very hard .- Very cold winday day-a great deal of Ice floating down the River .- This afternoon about 3 o'clock arrived the Indian sent to apprise the Grie respecting Lassell's affairs-they were just going to set out when he arrived their. He presented the Grie with a Carrott of Tobacco, telling him-here's what your Brother, the french sends you & desires me acquaint you with the good news they have received, & that you need not trouble yourself with sending your message.
The three Indians pitched upon by the Grie-were The Little Turtle, The Little Turkey & Le Jollie.
8th. Jan'y. Friday. Very fine Sun Shiny day-Pretty Cold. -a great quantity of Ice floating down the River-Froze hard last night .- Invited all the principal people of this place to play cards with me this Evening.
9th. Jan'y. Saturday. This is the coldest day we have had since my arrival. But very fine over head-Wind began to blow excessively hard about day break & continues so to do. I scated for the first time yesterday upon a marrai about 1/2 mile at the back of the village-this marrai falls into a creek which goes by the name of le Rouisso de Rioll. which falls into the Miami-This creek takes its name from a Frenchman who once had a hutt close by it.
Supped this Evening at Mr. Dufrennes in company with some of the Principal French of this Place & then we all went and played cards with Mr. Abbott.
Ioth. Jany. Sunday. A most excessive cold day, quite se- vere-but very fine over head .- River closed some time in the night-Indians walked across this morning-Turned quite milde this afternoon. Dined with Mr. Abbott, Leith also, Mr. Ironside being unwell could not go. We were joined in the
37
afternoon by Miss Adamher, Rivarre, De Seleron & Lassell ; we drank six Bottles of wine; the two first Gentlemen pre- ferred drinking Grogg. It must be observed at same time that we three had already drank four bottles before any of the wine drinkers came in .- We were all pretty merry .- It began to Snow about 9 or 10 o'clock this Evening.
II January Monday. A great quantity of suow fell this last night and still continues to fall .- Its very mild at the same time. Turned out fine weather about 4 o'clock this Evening.
12 January Tuesday. Froze hard this morning about day break-Turned out a very fine Sun Shiny Day-Tramblai re- turned this day to Little Piconno .- This day the roofe of the House got on fire-lucky it was not in the night or we should all been burnt.
13th. Yesterday about 2 o'clock arrived here Mr. Antoine Lassell accompanied by a french man & one Blue Jackett45 a Shawanie Chiefe. He is come in consequence of the report spread about him, which we received the Ist. Instant .- He was made acquainted of it by the following Letter which he received the night before he came off viz.
45 Blue Jacket, an influential Shawnee chief, was born about the middle of the eighteenth century. After Little Turtle, he was probably the most prominent leader of the Indians in the destruction of St. Clair's army in November, 1791. Since Little Turtle counseled peace when Wayne appeared on the Maumee three years later, the chief command in the battle of Fallen Timbers fell to Blue Jacket. Defeated, he yielded to the Americans and was one of the signers of the Treaty of Greenville the following year. According to the Handbook of American Indians he disappears from sight after signing the treaty at Fort Indus- try, 1805. Other accounts represent him as again raising the hatchet against the Americans in 1812, and as present at the River Raisin massacre, January 22, 1813. See Mich. Pion. &. Hist. Colls., XV, 6292, 693; Casgrain, op. cit., 100.
38
We were all pretty merry .
From La Riveere a Languielle46 6th. January,
1790.
My Dear Friend
Yesterday Evening arrived here two Indians sent by the Grie to the Ouia to desire the Indians of that place to take you Prisoner and take you to the Miami Town, saying that you had writ a bad letter respecting them to the Americans .- It seems its one La Lache a Uuia Indian (half blooded) who has reported this against you among the Ouia's and other winter- ing Camps; That the Soldier47 & The Porcupine two Chiefs of Riviere a Languile have sent the messengers back to the Grie, saying that they would inform themselves of the matter-that as far as this they had not heard anything of the matter but thro La Lache who is a great Rascall-The messengers did not intend to stop here, but having a letter from Young Mr. Coco Lassell from Mr. Durfrense was their Reason for stop- ing-This letter was apprising young Coco of such a report being here which Mr. Dufrense sent by a Ponnie lad who I suppose mett with these people & gave it to them, which is a lucky circumstance for you .- The Soldiar & the Porcupine desired me to write you immediately in case some rascalls w [h]ere you are might hear of it and use you ill .- They de- sire me at the same time to tell you to write to the Grie or to make the Petite Face or any of the Principal Indians acquainted
46 Eel River. Logansport, Indiana, is situated at its junction with the Wabash. The Indian town was strung out along Eel River for several miles above its mouth.
47"The Soldier" is the literal translation of Ci-man-ka-nis-si-a, who was chief of the Eel Rivers. The name is made Sha-me-kun-ne-sa in the Treaty of Greenville.
40
with it and desire them to send by you Strings of Wampum to the Grie to undeceive him of this matter.
I am &c., Jacque Godfroy.48
Mr. Lassell could not bring any Strings with him from little Piconno because the Chiefs were not at home, but he stopped at La Riverire a Lanjerielle48} from which place he has brought a string accompanied with a paper mentioning the meaning of it-from the Soldiar & The Porcupine to the Grie. But he has brought with him the following certificate, signed by all the french Traders, and Indians then present at the Little Picon- no, viz-
We citizens of the little Piconno certify that the bearer An- toine Lassell is a good loyalist and is always for supporting his King.
.
his Diaum X Payette mark Lamoureux
X his
Jean Cannehous his
mark Etienne X Pantonne Henri Rainbeare
mark
Jacque X Dumay his mark
his
Toop X Maisonville mark
48Probably Jacques Godfroy Sr. He figured in the events attending Pon- tiac's siege of Detroit in 1763, and the following year saved the life of Capt. Thomas Morris. He was at Miamitown when Harmar fell upon it in October, 1790, and carried to Detroit an account of the ensuing battles. The following spring his goods, to the value of £500 were destroyed by the American army that raided the Wea villages. See Mich. Pion. & Hist. Colls., VIII, 283-85; XXIV, 106, 107, 166, 273; XXXVII, 448, 453; Thomas Morris, op. cit.
48} Lanjerielle is an evident miscopy of L'Anguille, the French name of Eel River.
41
his Lamoureus X fils
mark
his Piere X Clairmont
mark
his Jean X Coustan mark
his (Little X Egg)
mark (Ouia Indian)
his (The X Sirropp) mark (Peria Indian)
The Two considerable Indians of the little Piconno for the Present.
The following is what the two above Indians say to the Grie-
The Grie.
We are much surprised that you harken to the Doggs of the Villages, and if the above news were True we should send you sensible men to acquaint you. Its La Lache who is a bad In- dian & a Runner from one Village to another-He does not belong to our village-we beg you will not believe those bad Birds, who goes from one village to another creating very bad things & disturbances-as the Little Face, Chief of this village of the little Picanno is not here ; he gave us power to act in his absence.
A True Copy taken by me this 13th day of January 1790.
Henry Hay.
Very fine warm day, Rather inclined to raine-
42
This day Mr. Lassell sent of [f] a messenger to the Grie de- siring his presence at this place immediately. This has been a very curious matter altogether-However Mr. Leith and my- self are of opinion that one Persons name has been taken for the other. There is one Fouché a french man, who has no doubt acted exactly in this manner as Mr. Lassell was Repre- sented to us to have acted, on the Ist. Instance. Mr. Lassell nor does any of us believe that The Grie had anything to do with it, quite the contrarie, we are of opinion its some other Indians who has an antipathy against Mr. Lassell & who changed the name of Fouché to his, purposily to hurt him, and that those Indians made use of the Gries name in hopes of carrying on the matter to their wish.
A great thaugh this day-
14th. Thursday. Very fine day-a little frost last night ; In consequence of the great thaugh we had yesterday the snow has melted off the Ice & the Water coming over it froze so hard last night, that it afforded me the pleasure of Skating upon the River this morning-Turned out a very warm beauti- ful day-Thaw's a good deal and I'm afraide will carry off the Ice .- Wrote the Major49 this day an account of Mr. Las- sells arrival at this place and every thing respecting his affairs as mentioned in this Journal yesterday.
15th. Friday. Rain'd very hard most part of the night, Very high wind, &c. A very disagreeable day-a little frost this morning which makes it very slippery. I never experi- enced such an Evening as this at this time of the year-It be- gan to Thunder & Lightening about 6 o'clock, Then it began to Blow & Raine as if heaven and earth was coming together which lasted till about II o'clock.
49 Major Murray, commandant at Detroit.
43
16th. Played cards last night at Mr. Dufrenes in Company with all the principal People of the Village, did not come home untill this morning about 4 o'clock rather Drunkish-Froze hard about day breake-Rather an obscure day, not very cold .-
This day the Grie arrived about 2 o'clock. This Evening Mrs. Adamher and Mrs. Ranjard made a Bouquet which we all Presented to Mr. Dufresne in Honor of St. Antoine, he bearing that name-It was then carried from that to Mr. Adamher, Mr. Rivarre, Mr. Barthelmies, Mr. Selerons & then back again to Mr. Dufresne we danced in each house, the Ladies being with us.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.