USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > History of Fort Wayne, from the earliest known accounts of this point, to the present period. Embracing an extended view of the aboriginal tribes of the Northwest, including, more especially, the Miamies with a sketch of the life of General Anthony Wyane; including also a lengthy biography of pioneer settlers of Fort Wayne. Also an account of the manufacturing, mercantile, and railroad interests of Fort Wayne and vicinity > Part 10
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The peculiar organization of the Indian-his habits; the wild roaving life of many of the tribes-their want of military order; the lack of proper central governmental relations to unite and hold the tribes together ; their inability and want of judgment in furnish- ing supplies for a large body of men in time of war; their custom of rapid blows to secure speedy victory ; their native idea of indi- vidnal and collective freedom ;t small producers and large con- sumers-subsisting mainly upon the wild animals of the forest, and the fish of the streanis-" loose and disjointed as a whole;" scat- tered, for the most part, in small bodies over large regions of terri- tory-all combined, at the period in question, to render it impossi- ble for the tribes of America long successfully to conduct a seige or sustain themselves,-however ennning, intelligent, resolute, and brave their chief or chiefs,-in a contest with the active civiliza- tion and formidable means of warfare of the English. It is true, that soon after the French war, the strength of the British became greatly diminished-the army which had been brought to bear upon Canada with such salutary effect, having soon after been dis- solved, and the main body of the regulars recrossed the ocean to join their friends again in the Old World. Yet, with small garri- sons, they were, to a considerable extent, still formidable, as com- pared with the advantages possessed by the savages, uhaided by the French.
Signs of coming trouble with the Indians at length became more apparent. They had now begun to hang about the forts, "with calm, impenetrable faces, " asking " for tobacco, gunpowder, and whisky. Now and then some slight intimation of danger would startle the garrison from security, and an English trader, coming in from the Indian villages, would report that, from their manners and behavior, he suspected them of mischievous designs. " Occa-
*The Miamies.
+It was the office of the chiefs, says Parkman, "to declare war and make pover ; but when war was declared, they hadl no power to carry the declaration into effect. The warriors fought if they chose to do so ; but if, on the contrary, they preferred to romain quiet, no man could force them to lift the hatchet. The war-chief, whose part it was to lea l them to battle, was a mor. partizan, whom his bravery and ex- ploits had led to distinction. If he thought proper, he sang his war-song, and danced his war- lance, and as many of the young men as were disposed to follow him gath- vred around and enlistel themalves under him. Over these volunteers he had no legal authority, and they could desert him at any moment with no other penalty than diagne *. * Many an Indian army, before reaching the enemy's country, has been known to dwindle away until it was reduced to a mere scalping party.
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THE GREAT COUNCIL AT THE RIVER ECORCES.
sionally some " half-breed would be heard boasting in his cups that before the next summer he would have English hair to fringe his hunting-frock. "*
By the 27th of April, 1763, Pontiac having largely matured his plans-great numbers of the villages and camps of the western tribes, including all grades and ages, women and children, of the tribes, having celebrated the savage rites of war; magicians " con- sulted their oracles, and prepared charms to insure success ; " many warriors, as was long the Indian custom, before great events in war, withdrawing to the deep recesses of the forest, or hiding in caves to fast and pray, that the Great Spirit might give them vic- tory,-of the tribes already mentioned a grand council was con- vened at the river Ecorces, where Pontiac delivered to the vast throng a speech rife with both eloquence and art.
On the morning of the great council, " several old men, heralds of the camp, passed to and fro among the lodges, calling the war- riors, in a loud voice, to attend the meeting. In accordance with . the summons, they came issuing from their cabins-the tall, naked figures of the wild Ojibwas, with quivers slung at their backs, and light war-clubs resting in the hollow of their arms; Ottawas, wrapped close in their gaudy blankets; Wyandotts, fluttering in painted shirts, their heads adorned with feathers, and their legging garnished with bells. All were soon seated in a wide circle upon the grass, row within row,-a grave and silent assembly. Each sav- age countenance seemed carved in wood, and none could have detected the deep and firey passions hidden beneath that unmova- ble exterior. Pipes, with ornamented stems, were lighted and passed from hand to hand. "+
Soon placing himself in the centre of the wild, though silent mul- titude, with long black hair flowing about his shoulders ; stern, reso- lute, with an imperious, preemptory bearing, "like that of a man accustomed to sweep away all opposition by force of his impetu- ous will, " plumed and painted, with a girt about his loins, Pontiac began at once to aronse his auditors by'a recital of the injustice of the English, and by drawing a contrast between the conduct of the French and the British towards the tribes assembled; presen- ting to them the terrible consequences of English supremacy -- persisting that it was the aim of the British to destroy and drive them from the land of their fathers. They have driven away the French, he recounted, and now they seek an opportunity to remove us also. He told them that their French Father had long been asleep, but that then he was awake again, and would soon return in his many canoes to regain his old possessions in Canada.
Every sentence was rounded with a fierce cjaculation; and as the impetuous orator proceeded, his auditory grew restless to spring at once into the bloody arena of battle and bury the scalping knife and tomahawk in the body of the enemy. Turning to the *Hist. Conap. Pontiac. p 167. ¡Parkman.
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HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
opposite side of savage nature, appealing to their sense of the mysterious, in a somewhat mellowed tone, though still as earnest in demeanor, he said :
" A Delaware Indian conceived an eager desire to learn wisdom from the Master of Life ; but, being ignorant where to find him, he had recourse to fasting, dreaming, and magical incantations. By these means it was revealed to him, that, by moving forward in a straight, undeviating course, he would reach the abode of the Great Spirit. He told his purpose to no one, and having provided the equipments of a hunter,-gun, powder-horn, ammunition, and a kettle for preparing his food,-he set forth on his errand. For some time he journied on in high hope and confidence. On the eve- ning of the eighth day, he stopped by the side of a brook, at the edge of a small prairie, where he began to make ready his evening meal, when, looking up, he saw three large openings in the woods, on the opposite side of the meadow, and three well-beaten paths which entered them. He was much surprised ; but his wonder in- creased, when, after it had grown dark, the three paths were more clearly visible than ever. Remembering the important object of his journey, he could neither rest nor sleep; and leaving his fire, he crossed the meadow, and entered the largest of the three openings. He had advanced but a short distance into the forest, when a bright flame sprang out of the ground before him, and arrested his steps. In great amazement, he turned back, and entered the second path, where the same wonderful phenomenon again en- countered him ; and now, in terror and bewilderment, yet still resolved to persevere, he pursued the last of the three paths. On this he journied a whole day without interruption, when, at length, emerging from the forest, he saw before him a vast mountain, of dazzling whiteness. So precipitous was the ascent, that the Indian thought it hopeless to go farther, and looked around him in despair; at that moment, he saw, seated at some distance above, the figure of a beautiful woman arrayed in white, who arose as he looked upon her, and thus accosted him : 'How can you hope, encumber- ed as you are, to succeed in your design? Go down to the foot of the mountain, throw away your gun, your ammunition, your pro- visions, and your clothing ; wash yourself in the stream which flows there, and then you will be prepared to stand before the Master of Life ! The Indian obeyed, and then began to ascend among the rocks, while the woman, seeing him still discouraged, laughed at his faintness of heart, and told him that, if he wished for success, he must climb by the aid of one hand and one foot only. After great toil and suffering, he at length found himself at the summit. The woman had disappeared, and he was left alone. A rich and beau- tiful plain lay before him, and at a little distance he saw three great villages, far superior to the squallid dwellings of the Dela- wares. As he approached the largest, and stood hesitating, wheth- or he should enter, a man gorgeously attired, stepped forth, and,
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SIEGE OF DETRIOT-WARNING OF THE OJIBWA GIRL.
taking him by the hand, welcomed him to the celestial abode. He then conducted him into the presence of the Great Spirit, where the Indian stood confounded at the unspeakable splendor which sur- rounded him. The Great Spirit bade him be seated, and thus addressed him :
"' I am the maker of heaven and earth, the trees, lakes, rivers, and all things else. I am the maker of mankind; and because I love you, you must do my will. The land on which you live, I made for you, and not for others. Why do you suffer the white man to dwell among you ? My children, you have forgotten the customs and traditions of your fathers. Why do you not clothe yourselves in skins as they did, and use the bows and arrows; and stone-pointed lances, which they used ? You have bought guns, knives, kettles, and blankets of the white man, until you can no longer do without them ; and what is worse, you have drunk the poison fire-water, which turns you into fools. Fling all these away; live as your wise fore-fathers lived before you. And, as for these English,-these dogs dressed in red, who have come to rob yon of your hunting-grounds, and drive away the game,-you must lift the hatchet against them, wipe them from the face of the earth, and then you will win my favor back again, and once more be happy and prosperous. The children of your great father, the King of France, are not like the English. Never forget that they are your brethren. They are very dear to me, for they love the red men, and understand the true mode of worshiping me!"
With some further admonition from the Great Spirit, of a moral and religious nature, says the account," the Indian took leave of the Master of Life, and returned again to terra firma, where, among his people, he told all he had seen and heard in the wonderful land of the Great Spirit.
All was now fipe for action. Pontiac's words and the glowing allegory he had presented, had spread a magnetic fire among the great throng of listeners that nothing short of a desperate encounter or defeat would smother. The first great move was destined to culminate upon Detroit.
A beautiful Ojibwa girl, whose love for the commander, Glad- wyn, seems to have been only equalled by her precaution and care, was in the secret. Had probably attended the council, and heard the plan of Pontiac's movement to surprise and capture the fort ; and true to her sense of regard for her kind friend, Major Glad- wyn, on the afternoon of the 6th of May, she found occasion, (hav- ing made a handsome pair of moccasins for the commander,) to visit the fort, whither she quietly strode, with anxious heart, in hopes to reveal to her lover his perilous situation, and unfold to
*From the Pontiac MSS., originally in the hand of one MeDougal, who, says Parkman, " states that he derived his information from the Indians." And further says that. " the author of the Pontiac MSS. probably writes on the authority of Can- adians, some of whom were present at the council." See History Conspiracy of Pontiac, pp. 180, 181, 182, 185.
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HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
him the movement about to be made upon the fort by Pontiac and his warriors-his plan of surprise, &e. As she entered, Gladwyn observed that she wore a different air than on other occasions. Her countenance assumed the expression of one in distress. Fear and depression both seemed to sway her, and she could say but little. Remaining but a short time, she stepped forth again into the open air, to look about, perhaps, to see who might chanced to have seen her enter the fort. Sorrow still weighed heavily upon her. She could not depart from the scene of her friend without acquainting him with the work that was fast maturing for his death, and the destruction of all within the garrison. With this feeling, she lingered about the fort until quite late, which not only attracted the attention of the sentinel, but Gladwyn himself, who, noticing her strange conduct, called her to him, and asked her what was giving her trouble. Her heart beat heavily. She could not speak. Still her friend pressed her for a response, assuring her that he would not, under any consideration, betray her-that, with him, whatever she told would be safe-that no harm should befall her. Her fear was suddenly overcome, and her admiration for her friend, united with an irresistible determination to save him, even in the midst of danger, as the beautiful Pocahontas had saved the life of Captain Smith, she confidingly told him all.
Said she, very sadly, " to-morrow Pontiac with sixty of his war- riors will come to the fort. All will have short guns hidden under their blankets-blankets close about their necks, so as to hide guns. Pontiac will want to hold peace-council, will make a great speech ; then offer you peace-wampum. With hands on short guns, warriors all to make a quick jump and fire, killing all English offi- cers. Then come all Indians outside, and kill all but French-leave no English alive."
The soul of Gladwyn suddenly loomed above the perilous hour that awaited him on the morrow. His naturally courageous heart began to beat with renewed activity and determination. Bidding the faithful squaw* be faithful still and fear not; to acquaint him, if possible, with any further movements that might transpire, with a lighter heart, and a freer air, the Ojibwa beauty strode quietly out and was soon lost to the view of her lover and the perilous garrison.
If the Great Spirit had inspired an Indian to destroy, he had also superinduced one of his red children to save; and thus moved, the Ojibwa girl had already won the victory. Acting at once upon the admonition of the Indian girl, Gladwyn soon acquainted his
*One M. Peltier, who lived at Detroit during most of the period of the siege, and ; who, though but 17 years old at the time, remembered much that then occurred, in t 1824, in a statement made to Gen. Cass, said that "he remembered that soon after the failure of Pontiac's attempt to surprise the garrison, he punished, by severe flogging, a woman named Catherine, aeeused of having betrayed the plot." He also remem- bered " the several attacks on the armed vessels, by the Indians, and the attempts to set them on fire by means of blazing rafts."
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HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
officers of the event to be looked for on the morrow, and all was preparation and readiness. From mist and rain, the sky cleared away, and the sun disappeared in a glow of brightness. Night came gradually on ; and while all was stillness and anxiety within the garrison, no hostile movement intruded from without. All night the English soldiers, without knowing why, (for the secret of the Ojibwa girl had not been told the privates, for prudential reasons,) kept watch and paraded the ramparts with anxious and sleepless vigil. Nothing, however, served to ruffle the air, save the distant bum-bum of the Indian drum, and the fierce whoop of the warriors as they mingled their hoarse voices in the wily dance and pushed forward their arrangements for the strategetic effort that was to begin with the dawning of another day.
The night at length passed, and with its passing soon came the evidence of Pontiac's design, as told by the Ojibwa girl. Soon, in the distance, many canoes could be seen, from the palisades of the fort, slowly moving across the river, as was subsequently learned, laden with Indians lying compactly in the bottom of each canoe, well concealed, that a knowledge of their strength might be kept from the garrison.
The open ground without the fort began gradually to fill up. Warriors, fancifully decorated, with here and there many women and children, gathered upon the ground. To allay suspicion, with marked activity and restless anxiety, preparations were soon mak- ing in front of the garrison for a great game of baggattaway. "At ten o'clock," says Parkman, "the great war-chief, with his treach- erous followers, reached the fort, and the gate-way was thronged with their savage faces. All were wrapped to the throats in col- ored blankets. Some were crested with hawk, eagle, or raven plumes ; others had shaved their heads, leaving only the fluttering scalp-lock on the crown; while others, again, wore their long, black hair, flowing loosely at their backs, or wildly hanging about their brows like a lion's mane."
The account runs, that, as Pontiac, followed by his warriors, stepped within the enclosure, (the entire garrison being on duty, with sabers and bayonets glistening, ready for action at every point, by special order of the commander,) "a deep ejaculation half escaped from his broad chest." The very air about him seemed to whisper : "Pontiac, your plot is known." But he moved on, and soon passed into the doorway of the council- house, followed by his fierce coadjutors. The commandant, Glad- wyn, and his officers, with swords at their sides, and a brace of ] pistols in their belts, all seated, in readiness for the reception of the wily chief and his followers. The Indian, as a general rule, always sat upon the ground or upon a coarse mat. Before taking their seats, Pontiac's perturbed spirit led him to enquire as to the cause of so many of his " father's young men standing in the street with their guns ?" To which the commandant replied, through his
PONTIAC'S VISIT TO THE FORT-THE CONSPIRACY.
interpreter, that " he had ordered the soldiers under arms for the sake of exercise and discipline." Seating themselves at once upon the matts arranged for them upon the floor, with much discom- fiture and evident mistrust, in each countenance, Pontiac arose hold- ing in one hand the peace-belt, referred to by the Ojibwa girl, and at once began to express to Gladwyn his strong admiration and love for the English-said that " he had come to smoke the pipe of peace and brighten the chain of friendship with his English broth- ers." And it is said, that though evidently conscious of his detee- tion, " he raised the belt and was about to give the fatal signal," when, instantly, "Gladwyn waved his hand "-and, as if by magic -so well matured were the plans of the commandant, -- the garrison drum beat a most stunning roll, filling the air with its reverberations; and startling the warriors, both within and without the fort, into sudden dismay ; while the guards in the passage to the council- house suddenly made their arms to clash and rattle as they brought them into a position for action ; and the officers, with Gladwyn, looking stearnly upon the figures of the " tall, strong men" before them, had simultaneously clasped their swords, in anticipation of, and with a view to meet, if need be, the premeditated on-slaught of Pontiac and his warriors. The moment was one of heroic de- termination on the part of the little garrison of Detroit, and of the utmost discomfiture and chagrin with the savages. The plans of the great Ottawa chieftain were foiled, and he stood before the commandant and his officers like one suddenly overcome by a terrible shock.
Says Gladwyn, in a letter dated May 14th, 1763, " they were so much surprised to see our disposition, that they would scarcely sit down to council : However, in about half an hour, after they saw their designs were discovered, they sat down, and Pontiac made a speech, which I answered calmly, without intimating my suspicions of their intentions, and after receiving some trifling presents, they went away to their camp."
Accompanied by three of his chiefs, he returned to the fort the next morning, with a calumet or peace-pipe, neatly ornamented with different colored plumage, which he offered to the comman- dant, with the following speech : "My fathers, evil birds have sung lies in your ears. We that stand before you are friends of the Eng- lish. We love them as our brothers, and, to prove our love, we have come this day to smoke the pipe of peace." Presenting the pipe to Major Campbell, second in command, as a pledge of friend- ship, the chiefs again took their departure.
A great game of ball was played that afternoon, and Pontiac strode among the villagers arousing them to action. On the next day, surrounded by an immense throng upon the grounds near the fort, Pontiac stepped forth, and again approached the entrance to the fort, but could not now gain an admission-all was barred against him. Enquiring as to the cause of this, the commandant
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HISTORY OF FORT WAYNE.
replied that the Great Chief could enter, but none others. To which Pontiac replied that "he wanted all his warriors to enjoy the fragrance of the friendly calumet." But all was of no avail. None could enter but the chief. Pontiac is here said to have thrown off the mask of friendship, and exhibited, in unmistakable action, a determination for vengeance against the English. His followers now repaired to the dwellings of two English residents near, mur- dered and scalped them. Pontiac repaired to the Ottawa village, aroused his warriors, and danced the war-dance. Two English officers had been waylayed and killed by the savages near Lake St. Clair; and on the morning of the 10th of May (1763), all the tribes com- bined under Pontiac, aided by a few French engagees, by shouts, at least, approached the fort, and began an attack, which lasted some six hours. Efforts now being made for a reconciliation, La Butte, the interpreter, accompanied by two old Canadians, was sent to the camp of Pontiac to ascertain the cause of his action, and to assure him that any grievance he had to complain of, would be speedily redressed. Pontiac listened attentively, and seemed to assent to all proposed, and La Butte soon hastened back to the fort to report progress ; but shortly after, returning to the camp of Pon- tiac, learned that he had been deceived. Pontiac, with his chiefs, now wished to hold an interview with their English fathers them- selves, that the peace might be the more complete and binding. Major Campbell was much liked by many of the savages, and with him they wished to speak. Upon hearing of this desire from La Butte and the two Canadians, Campbell unsuspectingly expressed a wish to visit the camp of the savages. Gladwyn was fearful. He suspected the intentions of Pontiac. But Campbell went, accompanied by Lieutenant MeDougal, a junior officer of the garri- son, "La Butte, and several other Canadians." One Mr. Gouin, who had just made himself sufficiently well acquainted with the designs of the Indians in getting Campbell and McDou- gal into their camp, hastened to warn them of their danger; but all was of no avail. They went, and were taken prisoners. After a few hours parley, feeling that his fate was already sealed, to test his position more fully, it is stated that Campbell once arose to depart for the fort again, after finding all efforts for reconcilia- tion unavailing, when Pontiac bade him be seated, saying "My fathers will sleep to-night in the lodges of his red children." Their lives were at once eagerly sought by the savages, but Pontiac would not then permit them to be injured, though Campbell was subsequently destroyed by the Indians, while McDougal is said to have made his escape.
On the 13th of May the attack was renewed, with an increased force and great vigor. The condition of the fort seemed most per- ilous, and the officers had a consultation as to what was best to do, in view of their garrison being but weak at best, and a powerful enemy to contend with. (From 600 to 2,000 Indians was the esti-
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CAPTURE OF THE ENGLISH POSTS.
mate against which the fort at that time had to contend.) But there was now no means of escape. To fight and defend were the only alternatives ; and for several weeks the siege continued ; during which time, it was told by an officer at Detroit, " no man lay down to sleep, except in his clothes, and with his weapons by his side." Pontiac strove in vain to gain the Canadians as allies. The provi- sions of the garrison became reduced ; and but for the timely aid they received from the Canadians, they would have been compelled to suffer defeat. But the tables, in this respect, were soon turned, and the Indians began to want for the necessaries of life. Not being able to demolish or capture the fort as easily as they had anticipated,-the Indian never accustomed to lay in stores for such occasions-their food became exhausted, and they too called upon and received from the Canadians like aid. It was abont this peri- od that several attempts, from other points, were made to relieve the garrison, by additional troops and provisions; but without success. The action of the Indians at other points, embraced in the great conspiracy of Pontiac, were now also becoming impor- tant. Nine Posts, held by the English, had been included in the great conspiracy and sought to be captured, viz: Detroit, Presque' Isle, Michillimackinac, Miami, (at this point,) Ouiatenon, (below Lafayette, Ind.) Le Bœuf, Vonango, Fort Pitt, (Pittsburg) and Fort Sandusky. The plan of capture seems to have embodied the cun- ning and resolution of Pontiac at every point ; and the pretensions somewhat similar to those at first presented by the great head of the conspiracy at Detroit, were mostly manifested at every post essayed to be taken; and one after another, excepting Detroit alone, rapidly fell into the hands of the Indians. Many were the bloody scenes enacted.
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