USA > Indiana > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Indiana : with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 3
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About the same time, the hostility of the Five Nations " defeated the attempts which were made by the French to establish trading-ports in the regions which lie adjacent to the southern shores of Lak .. Ontario and Lake Erie ; Init. in the month of June, 1701. Antoine de Lamotte Cadillac, accompanied by a missionary and 100 men, left Montreal, and, in the month of July, arrived at the site of Detroit, where the party founded a permanent settlement." In the progress of this settlement and as a means of perpetuating the same, grants of land were made to permanent settler- upon certain conditions. By these conditions, " The grantee was bound to pay a reserved reut of' fifteen franes a year to the Crown. forever, in fueltries, und to begin to clear and improve the land within three months from the date of the grant. All the timber was reserved to the Crown, whenever it might be wanted for fortifications, or for the con- struction of boats or other vessels. The property of ull mines and minerals was reserved to the Crown. The privilege of hunting rabbits, bares, partridges, and pleasants, was reserved to the grantor. The grantee was bound to plant, or help to plant, a long Maypole before the door of the principal manor-hour, on the first day of May inevery year. All the grain raised by the grantee was to be carried to the mill of the manor to be ground, paying the tolls same- tioned by the custom of Pais On every sale of the land a tax was levied ; and. before a sule, the grantee was bound to give information to the government, and, if the government was willing to take the land at the price offered to the grantee, it was to have precedence is a purchaser. The granter could not mortgage the land without the consent of the government. For a form of' ten years, the grantee was not permitted to work, directly or indirectly, at the profession or trade of a blacksmith, locksmith. armorer, or brewer, without a per- mit. All effects, and articles of merchandise, sent to, or brought from, Montreal, were to be sold by the grantee hineelf, or other person who, withe his family, wasa French resident ; and not by servantsor clerksor foreignersor strangers, The grantee was forbidden to sell or trade spisituons liquors to Indians. He was bonne to suffer on his lands such roads as might be thought necessary for pub- lie use. He was bound to make his finees in a certain manner, and, when called njom, to assist in making his neighbors foures." * These were contingencies attending the settlement of those early French colonies. These conditions at- tended the grants of land not only in the vicinity of Detroit, but generally in the western dependencies of the province of Canada. Some of the French emi- grants from Canada, instead of forming permanent settlements, preferred rather to lead a rambling lif among the Indians, adopting their habits and mode of life. Many of these latter subsequently occupied territory northwest of the Ohio, on White River, the Miamis and the Wubeach, and adopted the pro- fession of traders in fiers and peltries, from which large profite were derived. This trade was carried on by means of men who were hired to manage small vessels on the lakes, and causes along the shores of the lakes and on the rivers, and to carry burdeas of merchandise from the different trading-posts to the principal villages of the Indians who were at peace with the French. At
ยท Amer. State Papern, V. p. 201.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, INDIANA.
those places, the traders exchanged their wares for valuable furs, with which they returned to the places of deposit."
The civilized poprelation of the province of Louisiana, under the grant to Sieur frezat, in 1713, and embracing the entire area from Lakes Michigan and Eric to the Gulf of Mexico, consisted of about fimer hundred French colonists, a large proportion of whom succeeded in a profitable traffic with the Indians, while a small proportion of them engaged in agricultural pursuits. After the Wrath of Louis XIV, in 1717, Orozat. disappointed in his ambitions expectations, surrendered his grant to the crown of France, and in August of the same year leffers patent were issued to the Western of Mississippi Company, offering certain inclurements, embraced in the fifth article of the said letters; " In order to provide the said Western Company with the means of making a per- manent establishment, and to execute all the plans they may form, we have granted and concealed, and, by these presents, do give. grant and concede, to them, forever, all the lamls, coasts, ports, havens and islands which form our province of Louisiana, as well and with the same extent as we had granted it to M. Crozat, by our letters patent dated the 18th of September, 1712, to enjoy the same in fuli property. lordship and justice-reserving to our rives but only fealty and howagr, which the said Company shall render to us, and the Kings our steressols, with a crown of gokl of the value of twenty mares."
In 1713, this Company, by permission of the French Government, obtained an evelusive right to trade with the Eastern Indies and China, in consequence of which the Company came to be known as the "Company of the Indies." Two years afterward, the Directors indneed their colonists to exchange their visionary search for gold and the other precious metals for agricultural poursnits and the practice of the mechanic arts, when the colony was subdivided into nine districts. Of these districts, the Hinois included the territory now em- brared in the State of' Indiana. These changes were productive of much good to the colonists. In 1711, a war broke out between England and France, which extended also to the seitlements of these two nations, in the territory of North America, especially those along the Atlantic Coast, but not materially affecting the French population in the Illinois country. This state of things continued until the treaty of Nis-la Chapelle, in 1718, which, however, did not settle the questions of boundary in the colonies of the Mississippi Valley. Subsequently, the English madesuch inroads intothe Indian policy of the French ny to seenre an alliance with the Mimmis, and a treaty of alliance and friendship was concluded between the English and the Twightwees, at Lancaster, Penn., on the 23d day of .Inly, 1748. This treaty had the effort to keep alive the former controversies between the two nations.
The same year, an association was formed for the planting of a colony west of the Alleghany Mountains, called the Ohio Company, and received a grant, in 1719, from George 11, of 1,500,000 acres of land, lying on and near the Ohio Hiver, the result of which was the extension of English settlements and marts of trade in territory before under control of the French. In consequence, the Governor fieurral of Canada sent out an expedition under command of Louis de Celeron, for purposes of exploration and the deposit of medals of lead with appropriate inscriptions at the months of the principal rivers; thus, in the name of Lonis XV, taking formal possession of the country.
Capt. Celeron, in a letter to Gov. Hamilton, of Pennsylvania, about the close of the year 1719, expressed surprise at finding English traders from that State occupying territory to which England had no claim whatever, and re- .
quested the Governor to forbid further intrusions, advising them of the danger
of thus trespassing upon French rights. The Ohio Company, however, so far from refraining in consequence, proscented itsoriginal design, extending settle- ments with unabated continuity, employing Christopher this " to explore the country, examine the apality of the lands, keep a journal of his adventures, draw as accurate a plan of the country as his observation would permit, and report the same to the Board." Sometime in the year 1752, the Company, by its agents, established a trading- house in the country of the Twightwees or Miamis. This fort was situated some forty seven miles to the northward from the present site of Dayton, Ohio. These movements naturally induced contro- versy between the French and English Governments, and preparations began to be made in Virginia aml elsewhere, to raise a military forer sufficient for the protection of the frontier Kuglish sptorments. "Maj. George Washington was sent by Gov. Dinwiddie to the West as the bearer of an official letter to the Commandant of the French forces in this quarter. The letter, which required the French forces to withdraw from the dominions of Great Britain, was delivered by Washington to M. Le Guarduer de St. Pierre, who was the Commandant of a post on the western branch of French Crock." In reply to flos message of the English Colonial Governor, the French officer said : " It was not his province to specify the evidence and demonstrate the right of the King, his master, to the landis situated on the River Ohio, but he would trans- mit the letter to the Marqpris du Queste, and art according to the answer received from that noble man. In the mean time, he said, he did not think himself obliged to obey the summons of the English Governor-that he com- manded the fort by virtue of an order from his General, to which he was determined to conform with all the precision and resolution of a good officer.">
In addition to this post on French Creek, the French then had in their possession numerous trading-posts in the great valley of the Mississippi, on the Miami, Wabash, and the Ohio. In localities where these postx were situated, the influence of the French was exerted in seenring the co-operation of the Indians. Among the various Indian tribes, the Ironpois and a branch of the Miamis, were, perhaps, the only Indian allies of the English; so Mtrong wax the hold of the French upon them, being connected by ties of interest aml friendship with nearly all the tribes of the North and West.
From 1750 forward, during a period of twelve or thirteen years, continurd nets of hostility between the English and the ocenpants of the various French trading-posts manifested unequivocally the purpose of the former to possess by force the territory northwest of the Ohio Bliver. Day by day these acts of hostility became more determined and sanguinary, until, in 1751-55, the con- troverxy was general, involving all the border settlements. One by one the French posts succumlied to the inevitable, and passed into the hands of the English. Finally, on the 10th of February, 1763. a definitive treaty of pruve between France and England was concluded at Paris, the preliminary articles having been considered adjusted and signed on the ad of November, pre- codling. By the terms of this treaty, all subjects of dispute between the belligerent parties were removed forever, growing ont of the occupancy of this territory by the French, and a complete cession by the latter of all their ter- ritory formerly claimed by them in North America, and n complete opening of navigation on the Mississippi along its entire length was secured. About the same time, by a sreret convention, France erded to Spain all that part of Louisiana which lies westward of the Mississippi River, but it was not until the 17th of Angust, 1769, that Spain came into actual possession, notwith- standing the convention ceded the territory in November, 1762.
* Smollett's History of England.
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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, INDIANA.
ABORIGINAL PERIOD.
CHAPTER I.
Who were the Aborigines of this part of Indiana-Mayopins, Miamis, Pola- tears, Shatramas, Harrows, Iroquois, or Wyandots !
I T' is not essential, perhaps, to the purposes of this work, to consider the ques- tion, who were the original inhabitants of this country, except in a general way ; whether they were white or cqger-colored, civilized or savage in their characteristics. " Yet, in this day of ethnological inquiry, the historian, though his field be a local one, is expected to reflect whatever light the : Saes and Foxes. The Mousees was another name for the Delawares. This is the classification of Schoolcraft, who is recognized as excellent authority upon this subject.
developments of the age may have brought forth in that regard. It is not in ! accord with the spirit of inquiry, however, to ignore the investigations and dis- quer of the issnes without comment. That this country was inhabited by a raer of people possessing a higher order of intelligence and mechanical skill than is generally awanted to the Indians, so called, is perhaps, unquestioned. The evidences of this superiority exist in forms more or less distinct in every Quality. In numerous bowalities within the State of Indiana, prehistorie remains are cotepietons. attracting the attention of archaeologists to an investi- gation of them as a means of determining the identity of the people cotonjus- ranvous therewith " Of these remains, the valley of the White River has an extensive collection. In another part of this volume will be found an article devoted to a description and discussion of these, with the best lights that have been brought to bear upon the subject. . With all the developments thus far marle, the question who the Mannd- Builders were, whenre and when they came, and what was their history, is yet unanswered. True, many conjectures more or less plausible in the method of their presentation, have been brinight forward in the elaboration of these opinions."
" Passing, then, to an examination of the traditional and historical evi- dences at command pertinent to the Indian rare, a wider field opens up invit- ing attention. At the time when the existence of the American continent was made manifest to the civilized world, it was people by a race, who, in the absence of a more appropriate name, were called Indians, because of their fanied redondance to the inhabitants of the Eastern Indians, and, perhaps, for the more significant reason that they were found in the course incident to the discovery of a more direct route to the Indies and China, which seems to have been the impelling motive of the early voyagers from the Old World." While it is no could a coneeded fact that European mariners had crossed the Atlantic and discovered the American continent long before the enraptured vision of Colando was gratified with its inspection, for the purposes of this work it may be assumed that l'oboulots and his successors were the first to discover and make known to the transatlantic world the existence of the country improperly designated as America. From about the period of the close of the fifteenth and the incoming of the sixteenth century, then, our knowledge of the aboriginal inhabitants of this continent will date,
I'mon the first introduction of Europeans among the primitive inhabitants of this country, it was the prevailing opinion of the former, that this vast domain was peopled by one comnon family, of like habits and speaking the same language. Observation, however, soon dispelled the error, and, at the same time, established the fart of the great diversity of their leading charac- teristics, physiological development, and in their language, the diversity some- times arising from one cause and sometimes from another. Within the past century, especially, has the subject of ethnologieul investigations acquired new interest, the developments of the period adding greatly to the stock of knowl. elge appertaining thereto. These investigations, in many instances, have elicited fiets of vast moment in considering conditions as the result of causes before unknown to science. In a brief review of this subjert, the reader's attention will be directed to an examination of auch of the features of the investigation ns pertain to the tribes and families of the Indian race who have heretofore inhabited this valley or whose history may be incidentally connected therewith. There are certain radient divisions, however, into which, by com- mon rotsent, the race has been separated, that first should claim attention. The principal of these divisions is now known as the Algonquin, embracing among others, the Minmi tribe, recognized as one of the most perfect types of
that division, and in past ages one of the most extensive monerically. Next to the Miami, if not entitled to rank first, are the delawaresor bonne Lenapis, and the Shawanoes. The Miamis were early known as the "Twa-'twas, Omes, and Oneamers. Next to these were the Peurias, Ka kashias, Weas and Pian- heshaws, who collectively were known as the Wines of Illinois Indians. Then the Ottawas, the Chippewas and Missisanges were interchangeably known as the Nepersinians, Nipisings, Ojibwas, Santaux and Chilwas. After these were the Kickaquer or Mistoatins, the Potawatomies or Pous, and the
Another division, the Harous, Haron Icopuis or Wyandots embraced all the remaining tribes with whose history we are at present interested. Of this division, the Hurons, better known as the Wyandots, enter more especially inter our local history. Some of the tribes of the primary divisions as named alone, are and immediately connected with the post-Columbian aborigines of this locality ; hener, more than incidental reference to them in this relation is dermed unnecessary. Ssa division, the Algonquin have been migratory in character, not disposed, from choice or necessity, to remain long in the same territory. In speaking of them. Mr. Schoolcraft, npon this point, as deducible from the elemental features of their language, says : " We find some traves of this langues in ancient Fluida. It first assumes importance in the sub gros of the Powhatmese ci- le in Virginia. It is afterward traced. in various dialerts in the valleys of the Hudem and Comertient, and through- out the whole geographical area of New England, New Brunswick and Nova Frotia."
" The term ( Algonquin) appears to have been first employed, as a generic word. by the French for the old Niperrinians, Offawas, Montaguies, and their umgeners, in the valley of the St. Lawrence. It is applied to the Salteurs of St. Mary. the Maskigoes of Canada, and, as shown by a recent vocabulary, the Blackfeet of the Upper Missouri, the Saskate lawas, the villagers of the Upper Mississippi, and the trees or Konistonors of Hudson's Bay. Heturn- ing from these remote joints, where this broad migratory column was met by the Atbapersea group, the term includes the Miamis. Weas. Plankeshaws, Shawanges, Potawatomies, Bars and Foxes. Kickapes and Illinois, and their varieties, the Kaskaskias, etc., to the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi." It will be seen, then, from this review, that branches of the primitive family have extended over a large proportion of the territory now occupied by the I'nited States and British America,
Intellectually considered, the Algomoins occupy a position for alone mediocrity. surpassed only by the Pacotakie and Iraqpois, the latter standing, perhaps, in the first rank. Their language is tophonions and expressive. abounding in vowel sounds capable of numerous and extremely nice, regular modifications. Aside from their distinctive individualties, there are few phys- ical peculiarities which distinguish the Algonquins from other families of the North American Indians. "All possess, though in various degrees, the long. lank, black hair, the heavy brow, the dull and sleepy eye, the fall and com- pressed lips, and the salient but dilated nose. A similar conformity of organ- ization is not less obvious in the cranial structure of these peoples. The Indian skull is of'n decidedly rounded form. The occipital portion is flattened in the Howard direction ; and the transverse diameter. as measured between the parietal bones, is remarkably wide, und offen exceeds the longitudinal line. The forehead is low and rereding, and rarely arched, as in the other rares; a feature that is regarded by Humboldt. Land, and other naturalists, as charge- teristic of the American race, and werving to distinguish it even from the Mongolian. The cheek bones are high but not much expanded ; the whole maxillary region is salient and ponderous, with teeth of a corresponding size and singularly free from derny."
So far ns the purposes of this work are conerrned, an prcount of each of the separate tribes of the families enumerated, would be superfluous, since a few of them only have more than a remote relation to the particular history of those tribes which have possessed or temporarily occupied the territory embraced
17
HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, INDIANA.
within our prescribed limits. The latter include especially the Miamis and the Wyandots, and subsequently the Delawares or Lenne Lenapis, and the Shawaners. It is our province, then, to review with some particularity the career of these tribes individually and collectively, giving, as fully as may be, the personal history of some of the more distinguished characters who have figured in the current of passing events.
THE MIAMIS.
As we have seen, the Mimmis occupy a high position in the seale, as typifying the primitive or Algonquin family. This tribe has been variously designated as the "Twa-'twas. Twe-Twees, Twightwere, Omes, Omaiores, Aumiamis and finally, the Miamis. Their generic name was probably "Twa-twas. the name Miami being derived from the French, J'AImis ( my friends), said to have been applied to that people by the French traders in consequence of some mistrust growing out of the opprobeions use of the name 'Twa-'twa, by which they were before usually known. Next to the Pelawares, perhaps, the Miamis are entitled to be recognized as the leading brauch of the Algonquin group, tracing their individuality, with the Ottawas and Niperrinians, from the country north of the river St. Lawrence, in the latter end of the sixteenth century, when the French navigators and traders ligan first to establish posts as the antecedents of permanent settlement in Now France. Whatever is true of their relationship to the parent stock, whether inmediate or remote, it is a fart, nevertheless, that many of the primitive characteristics of the generic group are preserved in the habits and language of the Miami nation.
In common with the primitive Algonquins, the language of the Miamis, us compared with the Huron, " has not so much forre, Int more swertness and elegance. Both have a richness of expression, a variety of' turus, a propriety of' terms, a regularity, which astonish. Bot what is more surprising is, that, among these barbarians, who never study to speak well, and who never had the uwe of' writing, there is not introduced a bad word, an improper term or a vicious construction, and even children preserve all the purity of the language in their common discourse. On the other hand, the minner in which they animate all they say, leaves no room to doubt of their comprehending all the worth of their expressions and all thebeauty of their language."
In their preparations for war, the Miamis had a custom peculiar to them- selves, an account of which is given by Charlevoix, in narrating his travels in New France, but at too great length of detail for the purposes of this work, These ceremonies were niformaly observed, however.
When it is understood that the Miamis are an offshoot from the Algonquin stock, which, at the time their separate existence became known to Europeans, say about the middle of the sixteenth century, occupied the territory north of the St. Lawrence River, and the line of lakes extending westwind beyond Lake Superior, the Esquimaux and Hudson Bay lying to the wor. hward; that the branches proceeding from the family domain weresarily migrated from beyond the St. Lawrence -- the problem will not be of difficult solution, whence came they?
The first historical account of this tribe was in the year 1669, in the vicin- ity of Green Bay, where they were visited by the French missionary, Father Allanez, and, subsequently, by Father Dallon. From there they passed to the southward of Lake Michigan, in the vicinity of Chicago, afterward ret- thing on the St. Joseph's, of Lake Michigan, establishing there a village, another on the river Miami of Lake Erie, and a third on the Wabash, as we learn from Charlevoix.
In times past, but exactly when is not now known, the Mimmis, because of their extensive dominion, power and influence, and of the moverous cousan- guinrons branches acknowledging the relationship, " were known as the Miami Confederacy. In 1705, the Confederacy was composed of the following branches, situated, und having warriors in number as follows : Twightwees, at the head of the Maumre River, with 250 available warriors ; the Ouiatenous, in the vicinity of Post Quiatenon, on the Wabash, with 300 warriors ; the Piankeshawy, on the Vermillion River, with 300 warriors, and the Shockeys, on territory lying on the Wabash, between Vincennes and Post Oniatenon, with 200 warriors. At an earlier period, probably, the Miamis with their con- federates were able to muster a much more formidable force, as the citation from the representatives of the Five Nations would seem to show.
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