USA > Indiana > Montgomery County > History of Montgomery County, together with historic notes on the Wabash Valley; gleaned from early authors, old maps and manuscripts, private and official correspondence, and other authentic sources > Part 27
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"With one of the divisions I marched to the fort, and ordered the other two into different quarters of the town. If I met with no resist- ance, at a certain signal a general shout was to be given and certain parts were to be immediately possessed, and men of each detach- ment, who could speak the French language, were to run through every street and proclaim what had happened, and inform the inhab- itants that every person that appeared in the streets would be shot down. This disposition had its desired effect. In a very little time we had complete possession, and every avenue was guarded to prevent any escape to give the alarm to the other villages in ease of opposi-
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CLARK'S CONQUEST.
tion. Various orders had been issued not worth mentioning. I don't suppose greater silence ever reigned among the inhabitants of a place than did at this at present ; not a person to be seen, not a word to be heard by them, for some time, but, designedly, the greatest noise kept up by our troops through every quarter of the town, and patrols continually the whole night around it, as intercepting any information was a capital object, and in about two hours the whole of the inhabitants were disarmed, and informed that if one was taken attempting to make his escape he should be immediately put to deatlı."
When Col. Clark, by the use of various bloodless means, had raised the terror of the French inhabitants to a painful height, he surprised them, and won their confidence and friendship, by perforni- ing, unexpectedly, several acts of justice and generosity. On the morning of the 5th of July a few of the principal men were arrested and put in irons. Soon afterward M. Gibault, the priest of the vil- lage, accompanied by five or six aged citizens, waited on Col. Clark, and said that the inhabitants expected to be separated, perhaps never to meet again, and they begged to be permitted to assemble in their church, and there to take leave of each other. Col. Clark mildly told the priest that he had nothing to say against his religion ; that it was a matter which Americans left for every man to settle with his God; that the people might assemble in their church, if they would, but that they must not venture out of town.
Nearly the whole French population assembled at the church. The houses were deserted by all who could leave them, and Col. Clark gave orders to prevent any soldiers from entering the vacant buildings. After the close of the meeting at the church a deputation, consisting of M. Guibault and several other persons, waited on Col. Clark, and said "that their present situation was the fate of war, and that they could submit to the loss of their property, but they solic- ited that they might not be separated from their wives and children, and that some clothes and provisions might be allowed for their support." Clark feigned surprise at this request, and abruptly exclaimed, "Do you mistake us for savages? I am almost cer- tain you do from your language! Do you think that Americans intend to strip women and children, or take the bread out of their mouths ? My countrymen," said Clark, "disdain to make war upon helpless innocence. It was to prevent the horrors of Indian butchery upon our own wives and children that we have taken arms and penetrated into this remote stronghold of British and Indian barbarity, and not the despicable prospect of plunder ; that now the
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HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST.
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king of France had united his powerful arms with those of America, the war would not, in all probability, continue long, but the inhabit- ants of Kaskaskia were at liberty to take which side they pleased, without the least danger to either their property or families. Nor would their religion be any source of disagreement, as all religions were regarded with equal respect in the eye of the American law, and that any insult offered to it would be immediately punished."
"And now," Clark continues, "to prove my sincerity, you will please inform your fellow-citizens that they are quite at liberty to conduct themselves as usual, without the least apprehension. I am now convinced, from what I have learned since my arrival among . you, that you have been misinformed and prejudiced against us by British officers, and your friends who are in confinement shall imme- diately be released."* In a few minutes after the delivery of this speech the gloom that rested on the minds of the inhabitants of Kaskaskia had passed away. The news of the treaty of alliance between France and the United States, and the influence of the mag- nanimous conduet of Clark, induced the French villagers to take the oath of allegiance to the state of Virginia. Their arms were restored to them, and a volunteer company of French militia joined a detach- ment under Capt. Bowman, when that officer was dispatched to take possession of Cahokia. The inhabitants of this small village, on hearing what had taken place at Kaskaskia, readily took the oath of allegiance to Virginia.
The memoir of Clark proceeds: "Post Vincennes never being out of my mind, and from some things that I had learned I suspected that Mr. Gibault, the priest, was inclined to the American interest previous to our arrival in the country. He had great influence over the people at this period, and Post Vincennes was under his juris- diction. I made no doubt of his integrity to us. I sent for him, and had a long conference with him on the subject of Post Vincennes. In answer to all my queries he informed me that he did not think it worth my while to cause any military preparation to be made at the Falls of the Ohio for the attack of Post Vincennes, although the place was strong and a great number of Indians in its neighborhood, who, to his knowledge, were generally at war; that the governor had, a few weeks before, left the place on some business to Detroit; that he expected that when the inhabitants were fully acquainted with what had passed at the Illinois, and the present happiness of their friends, and made fully acquainted with the nature of the war, their sentiments would greatly change; that he knew that his appearance
* Clark's Memoir.
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SECURES VINCENNES.
there would have great weight, even among the savages; that if it was agreeable to me he would take this business on himself, and had no doubt of his being able to bring that place over to the Amer- ican interest without my being at the trouble of marching against it ; that the business being altogether spiritual, he wished that another person might be charged with the temporal part of the embassy, but that he would privately direct the whole, and he named Dr. Lafont as his associate.
"This was perfectly agreeable to what I had been secretly aim- ing at for some days. The plan was immediately settled, and the two doctors, with their intended retinue, among whom I had a spy, set about preparing for their journey, and set out on the 14th of July, with an address to the inhabitants of Post Vincennes, authorizing them to garrison their own town themselves, which would convince them of the great confidence we put in them, etc. All this had its desired effect. Mr. Gibault and his party arrived safe, and after their spending a day or two in explaining matters to the people, they universally acceded to the proposal (except a few emissaries left by Mr. Abbot, who immediately left the country), and went in a body to the church, where the oath of allegiance was administered to them in a most solemn manner. An officer was elected, the fort immediately [garrisoned], and the American flag displayed to the astonishment of the Indians, and everything settled far beyond our most sanguine hopes. The people here immediately began to put on a new face, and to talk in a different style, and to act as perfect freemen. With a garrison of their own, with the United States at their elbow, their language to the Indians was immediately altered. They began as citizens of the United States, and informed the Indians that their old father, the king of France, was come to life again, and was mad at them for fighting for the English ; that they would advise them to make peace with the Americans as soon as they could, otherwise they might expect the land to be very bloody, etc. The Indians began to think seriously ; throughout the country this was the kind of language they generally got from their ancient friends of the Wabash and Illinois. Through the means of their correspondence spreading among the nations, our batteries began now to play in a proper channel. Mr. Gibault and party, accom- panied by several gentlemen of Post Vincennes, returned to Kas- kaskia about the 1st of August with the joyful news. During his absence on this business, which caused great anxiety to me (for without the possession of this post all our views would have been blasted), I was exceedingly engaged in regulating things in the Illi-
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HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST.
nois. The reduction of these posts was the period of the enlistment of our troops. I was at a great loss at the time to determine how to act, and how far I might venture to strain my authority. My instructions were silent on many important points, as it was impos- sible to foresee the events that would take place. To abandon the country, and all the prospects that opened to our view in the Indian department at this time, for the want of instruction in certain cases, I thought would amount to a reflection on government, as having no confidence in me. I resolved to usurp all the authority necessary to carry my points. I had the greater part of our [troops] reenlisted on a different establishment, commissioned French officers in the country to command a company of the young inhabitants, estab- lished a garrison at Cahokia, commanded by Capt. Bowman, and another at Kaskaskia, commanded by Capt. Williams. Post Vin- cennes remained in the situation as mentioned. Col. William Linn, who had accompanied us as a volunteer, took charge of a party that was to be discharged upon their arrival at the Falls, and orders were sent for the removal of that post to the mainland. Capt. John Montgomery was dispatched to government with letters. . . . I again turned my attention to Post Vincennes. I plainly saw that it would be highly necessary to have an American officer at that post. Capt. Leonard Helm appeared calculated to answer my pur- pose ; he was past the meridian of life, and a good deal acquainted with the Indian [disposition]. I sent him to command at that post, and also appointed him agent for Indian affairs in the department of the Wabash. . . . About the middle of August he set out to take possession of his new command." Thus," says Clark, referring to
* "An Indian chief called the Tobacco's Son, a Piankeshaw, at this time resided in a village adjoining Post Vincennes. This man was called by the Indians 'The Grand Door to the Wabash'; and as nothing of consequence was to be undertaken by the league on the Wabash without his assent, I discovered that to win him was an object of signal importance. I sent him a spirited compliment by Mr. Gibault; he returned it. I now, by Capt. Helm, touched him on the same spring that I had done the inhab- itants, and sent a speech, with a belt of wampum, directing Capt. Helm how to man- age if the chief was pacifically inclined or otherwise. The captain arrived safe at Post Vincennes, and was received with acclamations by the people. After the usual cere- mony was over he sent for the Grand Door, and delivered my letter to him. After having read it, he informed the captain that he was happy to see him, one of the Big Knife chiefs, in this town; it was here he had joined the English against him; but he confessed that he always thought they looked gloomy; that as the contents of the let- ter were of great moment, he could not give an answer for some time; that he must collect his counsellors on the subject, and was in hopes the captain would be patient. In short, he put on all the courtly dignity that he was master of, and Capt. Helm fol- lowing his example, it was several days before this business was finished, as the whole proceeding was very ceremonious. At length the captain was invited to the Indian council, and informed by Tobacco that they had maturely considered the case in hand, and had got the nature of the war between the English and us explained to their sat- isfaction; that as we spoke the same language and appeared to be the same people, he always thought that he was in the dark as to the truth of it, but now the sky was
253
CLARK'S INFLUENCE OVER THE INDIANS.
Helm's success, "ended this valuable negotiation, and the saving of much blood. . . . In a short time almost the whole of the various tribes of the different nations on the Wabash, as high as the Ouia- tanon, came to Post Vincennes, and followed the example of the Grand Door Chief; and as expresses were continually passing be- tween Capt. Helm and myself the whole time of these treaties, the business was settled perfectly to my satisfaction, and greatly to the advantage of the public. The British interest daily lost ground in this quarter, and in a short time our influence reached the Indians on the River St. Joseph and the border of Lake Michigan. The French gentlemen at the different posts we now had possession of engaged warmly in our interest. They appeared to vie with each other in promoting the business, and through the means of their correspondence, trading among the Indians, and otherwise, in a short time the Indians of various tribes inhabiting the region of Illinois came in great numbers to Cahokia, in order to make treaties of peace with us. From the information they generally got from the French gentlemen (whom they implicitly believed) respecting us, they were truly alarmed, and, consequently, we were visited by the greater part of them, without any invitation from us. Of course we had greatly the advantage in making use of such language as suited our [interest]. Those treaties, which commenced about the last of August and continued between three and four weeks, were probably conducted in a way different from any other known in America at that time. I had been always convinced that our general conduct with the Indians was wrong; that inviting them to treaties was con- sidered by them in a different manner from what we expected, and imputed by them to fear, and that giving them great presents con- fimmed it. I resolved to guard against this, and I took good pains to make myself acquainted fully with the French and Spanish methods of treating Indians, and with the manners, genius and dis- position of the Indians in general. As in this quarter they had not yet been spoiled by ns, I was resolved that they should not be. I began the business fully prepared, having copies of the British trea- ties."
At the first great council, which was opened at Cahokia, an Indian chief, with a belt of peace in his hand, advanced to the table at which
cleared up; that he found that the 'Big Knife' was in the right; that perhaps if the English conquered, they would serve them in the same manner that they intended to serve us; that his ideas were quite changed, and that he would tell all the red people on the Wabash to bloody the land no more for the English. He jumped up, struck his breast, called himself a man and a warrior, said that he was now a Big Knife, and took Capt. Helm by the hand. His example was followed by all present, and the evening was spent in merriment."
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HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST.
Col. Clark was sitting; another chief, bearing the sacred pipe of the tribe, went forward to the table, and a third chief then advanced with fire to kindle the pipe. When the pipe was lighted it was fig- uratively presented to the heavens, then to the earth, then to all the good spirits, to witness what was about to be done. After the ob- servance of these forms the pipe was presented to Clark, and after- ward to every person present. An Indian speaker, then addressed the Indians as follows : " Warriors, -You ought to be thankful that the Great Spirit has taken pity on you, and cleared the sky and opened your ears and hearts, so that you may hear the truth. We have been deceived by bad birds flying through the land. But we will take up the bloody hatchet no more against the Big Knife, * and we hope, as the Great Spirit has brought us together for good, as he is good, that we may be received as friends, and that the belt of peace may take the place of the bloody belt."
"I informed them," says Clark, "that I had paid attention to what they had said, and that on the next day I would give them an answer, when I hoped the ears and hearts of all people would be opened to receive the truth, which should be spoken without decep- tion. I advised them to keep prepared for the result of this day, on which, perhaps, their very existence as a nation depended, etc., and dismissed them, not suffering any of our people to shake hands with them, as peace was not yet concluded, telling them it was time enough to give the hand when the heart could be given also. They replied that 'such sentiments were like men who had but one heart, and did not speak with a double tongue.' The next day I delivered them the following speech :
' Men and Warriors, -Pay attention to my words: You informed me yesterday that the Great Spirit had brought us together, and that you hoped, as he was good, that it would be for good. I have also the same hope, and expect that each party will strictly adhere to whatever may be agreed upon, whether it be peace or war, and hence- forward prove ourselves worthy of the attention of the Great Spirit. I am a man and a warrior,- not a counsellor. I carry war in my
* The early border men of Virginia and her county of Kentucky usually carried very large knives. From this circumstance the Virginians were called, in the Illinois (Miami) dialect, She-mol-sea, meaning the " Big Knife." At a later day the same appellation, under the Chippewayan word Che-mo-ko-man, was extended, by the · Indians, to the white people generally,-always excepting the Englishman proper, whom they called the Sag-e-nash, and the Yankees to whom they gave the epithet of Bos-to-ne-ly, i.e., the Bostonians. The term is derived from the Miami word mal-she, or mol-sea, a knife, or the Ojibbeway mo-ko-man, which means the same thing. The prefix che or she emphasizes the kind or size of the instrument, as a huge, long or big knife. Such is the origin of the expression "long knives," frequently found in books where Indian characters occur.
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CLARK'S SPEECH TO THE INDIANS.
right hand, and in my left, peace. I am sent by the great council of the Big Knife, and their friends, to take possession of all the towns possessed by the English in this country, and to watch the motions of the red people ; to bloody the paths of those who attempt to stop the course of the river, but to clear the roads from us to those who desire to be in peace, that the women and children may walk in them without meeting anything to strike their feet against. I am ordered to call upon the Great Fire for warriors enough to darken the land, and that the red people may hear no sound but of birds who live on blood. I know there is a mist before your eyes. I will dispel the clouds, that you may clearly see the cause of the war between the Big Knife and the English, then you may judge for yourselves which party is in the right, and if you are warriors, as you profess to be, - prove it by adhering faithfully to the party which you shall believe to be entitled to your friendship, and do not show yourselves to be squaws.
' The Big Knives are very much like the red people. They don't know how to make blankets and powder and cloth. They buy these things from the English, from whom they are sprung. They live by making corn, hunting and trade, as you and your neighbors, the French, do. But the Big Knives, daily getting more numerous, like the trees in the woods, the land became poor and hunting scarce, and having but little to trade with, the women began to cry at seeing their children naked, and tried to learn how to make clothes for themselves. They soon made blankets for their husbands and chil- dren, and the men learned to make guns and powder. In this way we did not want to buy so much from the English. They then got mad with us, and sent strong garrisons through our country, as you see they have done among you on the lakes, and among the French. They would not let our women spin, nor our men make powder, nor let us trade with anybody else. The English said we should buy everything of them, and since we had got saucy we should give two bucks for a blanket, which we used to get for one ; we should do as they pleased ; and they killed some of our people, to make the rest fear them. This is the truth, and the real cause of the war between the English and us, which did not take place until some time after this treatment.
. But our women became cold and hungry and continued to cry. Our young men got lost for want of counsel to put them in the right path. The whole land was dark. The old men held down their heads for shame, because they could not see the sun ; and thus there was mourning for many years over the land. At last the Great
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HISTORIC NOTES ON THE NORTHWEST.
Spirit took pity on us, and kindled a great council fire, that never goes out, at a place called Philadelphia. He then stuck down a post, and put a war tomahawk by it, and went away. The sun immediately broke out, the sky was blue again, and the old men held up their heads and assembled at the fire. They took up the hatchet, sharpened it, and put it into the hands of our young men, ordering them to strike the English as long as they could find one on this side of the great waters. The young men immediately struck the war post and blood was shed. In this way the war began, and the English were driven from one place to another until they got weak, and then they hired you red people to fight for them. The Great Spirit got angry at this, and caused your old father, the French king, and other great nations, to join the Big Knives, and fight with them against all their enemies. So the English have be- come like deer in the woods, and you may see that it is the Great Spirit that has caused your waters to be troubled, because you have fought for the people he was mad with. If your women and chil- dren should now ery, you must blame yourselves for it, and not the Big Knives.
. You can now judge who is in the right. I have already told you who I am. Here is a bloody belt and a white one, take which you please. Behave like men, and don't let your being surrounded by the Big Knives cause you to take up the one belt with your hands while your hearts take up the other. If you take the bloody path, you shall leave the town in safety, and may go and join your friends, the English. We will then try, like warriors, who can put the most stumbling-blocks in each other's way, and keep our clothes longest stained with blood. If, on the other hand, you should take the path of peace, and be received as brothers to the Big Knives, with their friends, the French ; should you then listen to bad birds that may be flying through the land, you will no longer deserve to be counted as men, but as creatures with two tongues, that ought to be destroyed without listening to anything you might say. As I am convinced you never heard the truth before, I do not wish you to answer be- fore you have taken time to counsel. We will, therefore, part this evening, and when the Great Spirit shall bring us together again, let us speak and think like men, with but one heart and one tongue.'
"The next day after this speech a new fire was kindled with more than usual ceremony ; an Indian speaker came forward and said : They ought to be thankful that the Great Spirit had taken pity on them, and opened their ears and their hearts to receive the truth. He had paid great attention to what the Great Spirit had
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CLARK TREATS WITH THE INDIANS.
put into my heart to say to them. They believed the whole to be the truth, as the Big Knives did not speak like any other people they had ever heard. They now saw they had been deceived, and that the English had told them lies, and that I had told them the truth, just as some of their old men had always told them. They now believed that we were in the right; and as the English had forts in their country, they might, if they got strong enough, want to serve the red people as they had treated the Big Knives. The red people ought, therefore, to help us, and they had, with a cheer- ful heart, taken up the belt of peace, and spurned that of war. They were determined to hold the former fast, and would have no doubt of our friendship, from the manner of our speaking, so different from that of the English. They would now call in their warriors, and throw the tomahawk into the river, where it could never be found. They would suffer no more bad birds to fly through the land, disquieting the women and children. They would be careful to smooth the roads for their brothers, the Big Knives, whenever they might wish to come and see them. Their friends should hear of the good talk I had given them ; and they hoped I would send chiefs among them, with my eyes, to see myself that they were men, and strictly adhered to all they had said at this great fire, which the Great Spirit had kindled at Cahokia for the good of all people who would attend it."
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