Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Part 22

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co.
Number of Pages: 472

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Early in the spring of 178"1, almost before the ink of this treaty had liecome dry, deprelations brgon to be committed against the defenseless set. tlvments along the western portions of Virginin un1 Kentucky by Indians of the Wynodot, Delmirare, Ottawu, Chippewa and Puttauattomie tribes, who were parties to the treaty, but who. under the pretext of not ucrepting it as valid, commenced hostilities upon tho whites. The Wabash ludians, also, with whom no ireaties hrul yet been mule, hecime rery troublesome to the people of Kentucky. It was estimated that at this time there were on the Wabash and its counections from fifteen hundred to two thousand Indinh warriors. The regular troops of the linitel States on the wenern fromiers ivere less than six hundred, there being sinall detachments af Fort Pitt, Fort Ilarmar, Fort Washington, Fort Steuben and Pust Vincennes.

On the 14th of September, His9, about two hundred mounted volunteers, under commuand of Colonel John Hirdin, marched from Fort Steuben to attack some of the Indian towns on the Watch. The expedition returnel to the fort September 28th, without the loss of n man, having killed sis Indians, burnt a deserted riltage and ileztruyed a large quantity of coru.

On the 14th of September, 176't, Goveruor St. Clair addressed a letter to President Washingtou, invoking the aid of the l'uited States to suppress the lucian disturbances within his territory. Congress, on the 14th of Septem- her, passed an act empowering the President to call out the militia of the respectire states, for the protection of tho frontiers against the hostilities of the Indians.

About the Ist uf January, 1790, Gorernor St. Clair, with the Judges of the Supreme Court of the Territory, descended the nhin River from Fort llarinar to Fort Washington, the site of Cincinnati, then called Losantirille. At this place he laid out the county of Hamilton, appoimed eivil officers for the administration of justice, sul induced the proprietors of the little vil- luge to change its naine from Losamiville to Cincinnati.

On the 8th of January, 1700, 'the Governor ond Winthrop Sargent, Sec- retury of the Territory, arrived at Clarksville, at the Falls af the Ohio, irhence they proceeded to the Illinois country, to organize the government in that quarter, ant to carry out the resolutions of Congres- relative to the lunds and settlers about Kuskaskia and Port Vincennes. These resolutions passed on the 10th and 29th of August, lies, bad made provision for con- hrwing in their titles to their lands the French and Canudian inhabitants of Kaskaskin aut Post Vincennes, who, on or before the peace uf lis3, bod pro- fvased themselves citizens of the United States. By the same resolutions of Congress, s tract of 400 acres of lund was granted to each loyal head of 3 family. On bis arriral at Kaskoskin, carly in 1790, the Governor Inid out the county of St. Clair, appointed magistrates and civil officers, und by s proclamation, issued in March of that year, invited the inhabtianta to ex- hibit their olaims to their lands. A large number of claims nul title-deeds u ere, urcordiugly, exhibited, and tho claimants roufriued in their titles ; but owing to the inntilty of the people to pay the surveyors, but a small part of these lands were surveyed ant outered. Gorernor St. Clair, in his report 10 The Secretary of War, sid : " The Illinois country, as well as that upon the Wabash, has been involved in great distress ever since it fell under the American dominiou. With great cheerfuluvas, the troops under General ticorge Rogers Clark, and tho Illinois regiment, with everything they could spare, and often writh much more than they could >pare, with auy conven- wence to themselves. Most of the certificates for these supplies are still in their hands unliquidlated. auil in many instances where application has been wade for payment to the State of Virginis, uuder whose authority ihe cer- tificates ivere granted. hus been refused. The Illinois regimem being dis- handled, a set of uwen, pretending to the mitthority of Virgmin, embodied thewsolres, and a sceno of geurtul ilepredation ensued. To this succeeded three successive undl extrinlitury inundatious ot the Mississippi, which rither strept nuar their crops or prevented their huing planted. The loss of the greater part of their trade with the Indians. ns well as tho hustile incur- sions of somo nf the tribes u bwh bad orer before been in friendship with them ; and to these iras added the loss of the whole uf their last crop of corn by nu tuutimely frost. Extreme misery could not fail to be tho consequence ar such neomunlated misfortunes."

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HISTORY OF THE STATE OF INDIANA .- CONTINUED.

Having adjusted these loenl mitters with the French settlers, tiorernot SI Chair next turnul his attention In unking peace with the Wabash In- chaus. To this endl, speeches were prepared, and addersel to the different Iribe4. A messenger and compelent interpreler, Antoine Gomhin, was sent with Tho speeches to the Indiens, umler orders from Major Hamtramck, Anil left l'osl Vincennes on the ath of April, 1700. Ile visited the principat ril- Inges of the Indiane and endeavured, by every nicans, to effeol a pence with them. During these visits, he iliscorered that the hostility of the lodinos uns, in n grent measure, ilue lo the influence of the British, who, although they hinil gicen up the country to the Uuited Sintes, in the treaty af 1183, had but yel surrendered all the military posts within the territory The gaeri- Bon al Detroit was still under British command, and the Imilinus lookeil 10 Ilit ny the headquarters whrnce they vxpected the odvice aml neyislunce That should guvern their comluet tolinnl The Americans Gomlin wos posi- lively lold, al almost every Indian eillage he visited, and where the elnefs were called tugether in council, thot They could do nothing nor gire Ium uny decided unsner till They had hetril from their Bejtish Father nl Detroit; nod be uss urged to go thither in person aud lay the maller before the Com- mandoni of the garrison.

Anollivr rause of their unwillingness to give a ileeided unswer to the propositions idf peace and friendshije wis, thal n speech sent lu thein by n former messenger hod contained the following worils, which they Hoder- @low| In he a furnace, anil were dispensed with : "Tilo noir make you the offer of peace, accept it, or rejeel il, as you please." These words lind ilis- pleased ull the tribes to which ibe foriner messenger and goue, nail on thul neconul Gatlin look the cesponsilulity uf exponging them from the speech ; but it seems lo buce hod no pneific effect. The Indiany hnd pions of their wuh, which caused them to futo n ilenf ene lo The orerinres of penco from Gov. SI Clair They were joined in a ronfedertry throughout The North- west, un' believing the Americans to be neak, and with hundly a toothod in the territory, they drleemined lo combine their strength to resist their en- croacluechle Although the Indions boil erded the country la the United Stale- ul the Treaty of Fort larmuur, yel the chiefs of the leading Irihis did hol regard that trenn ns Inding; they ileelared plainly that the jarlica who mude the treaty, pretending lu represent them in council, were neither chiefs nordlelegute4, and hud no authority irbniecer lo nel in the ommyr. Thry sermed also in luck fanh in The promises of the Americans, modl to re- gurd The ovectures far pence and friendship us n pretense lo get ndennlage uf them and ruke them of their loads

Ttins eniled alt ullempts lo establish by negotiation friendly relations with the lniliuns of the Wubash uml ibrir confeihi raley.

Early iu June, 1700, fioc, SI I hr, being ut Kuskuskis, and bring in. forueil of the result of Gumilin's mission, by ilispatches from Moj, llan- Irsurk, delennined tu reinen by unter to Fort Woshinglow, Iu consult iritb Tien, Ilurinar as tu the meins of carrying on an expedition against the hos- file Indlines, He len Kuskuskin on the 11th of June, nad arened ut Ferl Washinglou en the 13th of .Inly.

Hefore reporting the results of this visit, we will briedy allude to the hestile farnesinos id the Indians noug the Ohio Rirer, und sen. Hurmir's esperlition ognins) them curb in The spring of 1790. The lilians hul be- come very Ironbtesome along the banks of the D'huio, from ils mouth lo the neighborhood of Pillsbergh, wagiog an irregular war agmnst immigrants and Hrillers, inany of uhom nere nifackel and killed, ond others were inken pris. oners. Thus ung billerly compdnined of in Keplneky, and Brig. Gen. Wil- kinson, then in command ul Lexington, wrote a letter to lien. llarmr, calling mjon hu hu ruoperate with n body of Kentucky militin, who should remileitaus nt Limeslune, non Maystille, lienlucky.

Ou the 18th of April, 1790, lion. Hocine, al the head of 100 reguloe Iroofs und abunt yan Kepiorky volunteers [the latter umler comummirl uf Gen. Charles Scotti, marched frutti Limestone on the purpose ul making a cronitons roule und striking the Scioto nt u print several miles up the river, mud wirching lo ifs mouth, in order to intercept the hostile Indians On the expeedlilip. four Indins u ere doscurered. killed and scalped, lint the rest relrenteil beyond the reach of theie ursners. lu ninking his report lo the Sperelary uf Wur, Gen. Inrine sud . " Woh es might us irell have been fi ery exvrhion in wy jouer nas mude without effect."

GEN. HARMAR'S EXILUITION.

When Gor Số Clair urriedl nl Fert Washington, he determined, nfter con- snlting writh fleu. Hurums, la send a strong expelitien against the Indian luwas almut the bend centers of the Wabash We eabhol recur the details of this espedition, or those which folloned it, ending in equal ilisaster lo the Anirricau nrms, but shall content oursches by giving enough of the princi- pal fuels lo woduel the reoder along the current of events lo the success of Gen. Wayne nit the treaty of Greemille, in Tillh

tira Huriune's army une composed is fulluns. Three battalions of Vir- ginin untina, from the cuonties of Madison, Mercer, Fayelle, Bourbon, Wand- furil mis Auson, in The District of Kentneky Then n phel of Virgioin , one haftalinn of l'ennayiruniu mihtin, oue baffaliun of light mountedl imoje, and lien lettolions of regalar soldiers, making n lofot of 1, 447 men. The com- mouml of thy firmucky milutin was giren lu Cul. Troller, excep four bruinl. ions, which nerv plneed wudee t'il. Hurdin. The l'ebusyhminus were formal into one batalion, under Licul Col. Truly and Maj Paul. The regulars (farmied intu two besinlions] urre placed ouder connuand uf Maj John Plusgrave Wyllys and Muj. John Doughty The artillery company. with three porces of ordnungs, was committed by l'apl William Ferguson. A small basinlien id monied mitnie irus pueril umler commonnd of Moj. James l'aninme. Most of the unlitio tepre puorly cqnipped, omul among ihn- l'eunsylinniun: wern. many substitutes, old and infirm men and yonug boy .. Surh uos the amy organized fue the first formidulite oxpedition against the Inlinus of the Northurstern Territory The Indinus, on the other band were situng, confederate, and bound an desperate resistance. They hall al their head some of the Intel afde mul wily leaders.

The urmy moredl fram l'ort Washington on Thy' 30th of Supirmler, 1190. anyl about ihr middle of Delober were in the vicinity of thu Wismi t illage, near where Fort Wayne nas afterivacd erected, where they sufferel The famens ileteal of Heloher 19, 1290. The nerion is thus described in Dillon's Thetury of Indinuu .

"Bu Ile morning of the 19th, the ilefar burnt nuder command of Cul. HurIm onrelied m n northirest curso on un bulion pall which led In the Kickapoo lunes ; and, after passing a nurse about five miles distant from the Mini village, the tronges enmur le a place where, on the preerling duy, i party of ludians hul encomped. At this spot thr detuelment mode ic chuel but on the carmaling ofhver elanonel the companies af paints several The nuns Aller the Isso of about half an hour, the companies in front were ordered lo more on, und Copd. Foulkuer's comomy uns left en the grunt, the Coluel having neglected In gice Inte onters In march. The Troops mored Entwurf abun Three miles, when They discovered fre Indiny wu fool, whe threw MT their pocks, and, the byush being thjek monde their Senge. Mwil flus time. l'ol Jardin despatched Muj Foutnine, with port uf the envaler, m wareh of Cupt. Funlk ner, supposing bim to be tusl ; and soon aftermad Cad. Armstrong, who comumpled the regulars, informed Cod Jardin that u gun hud been hred in front which might he cousurred as mu alnym gun, nud Thut he had seen the tracks of n horse thut hind come iloiu the road aml relorur, The Colunel, however, mored on without giy- ing nny onlers or making nuy urmaugemruls fur wu ntlack . mol when Capd Armeeoug chscorreed the fires of the Indians nt a distnuce and fufuemed Cal Hupliu of the circumstance, that officer, saying that The livliuns wontil nul light, pole in front of the advance eulow nutil the detachment wus heed uji from behind the fires.

" The militia, with the excephun of nine, who reinineil with the regulars and nere killed, itutnedately gare any and comnieneed ou irregular relreul, which they continuel until they reached the imin army, Hardin, who re- frenied with them, mudo sproral incitectual allempits lo rally them. The small band of regulars oh-linntely brave, maintained their ground till twenty- lun were killed, when Copdf. Armetrong. Ensign Hurtshorne und fire or six privates rsouped from the carunge, elinled the pursuit of the Intimis und arcived al the cnom of Gen. Iluriuur.

" The number of Indiuns engaged on this occasion enynul be uscertajued. They weer commandeil by the distinguished Minmi chief, Little Turile. The groml on which This nelion look aduce lies whoul seven miles trin Fort Wayur mind near the point at wloch the Goshen Sinte Rond crosses Lel Rirer "

In the morning of the 20th of Delober Gen. Hormint, from his camp at Chillicothe, one of the Shairnee Ion os, issued an order for tho destinetion of that turn by Cutd. Strong, and of The Piekmmy lowu by l'ol. Hurilio, le gethire nih all the eoen ond enenfieldls in the vicinity. lu Ilus onder Gen. Marmite says : " The caller of the dlemelment heing icorsiesl yesterday uns entirely owing to The shameful, rowordly cundnel of the militia, who ran Anaj mul threw dloin their arus willunt firing seireely n single gun."

Ilu the 1st id' Detober, after the army lunt mniched about seren miles en chef for Fuel Washington, on theie cuturn home, Gen. Harmar, to grafity Col. Hardin, who n is onvins to retrieve the last reputation of the unlitin. ordered n deinchmens of three loumutred und forty men and sixty regulars to return by n night march to the sprue af The urtiou at the 14th, in order lo .ognise om'l nack the Indians, u ho. It icus supposed, Would celorh, after Thy retreat of the enemy, la the ajte af their destroyed villages. The experts- tion serms In tinte loen well conceived und ploved, hint the execution of il prored disastro, on neconut of some of the subordinnte offers ilisobeying ocilers. The result was That the regulnes, oftee crossing the Meiner, were ntmneked by n superior forer of' Indians and compelled to retreal, with the los. of Muj. Wally's aud the greier part of Their force. Muj. Fontaine, nt The hemul of the mounted militin, was also killed, with u number of his fd- ourers, and, nu bis fall, The rruumiler of the troops deserieil. While the minin body ul the holiuns, led In Little Turile, were engaged with the regn- lors, near the banks of the Maumee, some skirmishing tons place near the confinence of the St. Mur sand &. Josoph's Rivera between dlelacheil par- tres ol Judinu- and the mlin under Capis, Hall and Me Wullen. Ance Ihr defent wi The regulars, however, the militia retreatedl on the route of the inwin army. aml the ludings, huring suffered some losses, did nas purane

On the 4th of November the defealel army reached Fort Washington, huy. ing lost in the experlition one hundred nud righty-three killed and thirty wounded. Among the killer were My. Wyllys and Lient. Frothingham, uf the regnlies, aml Muj. Funininv, Cajas, Thorp. Moriry aud Scott, Lients. Clark noil ltogers, miel Eusigns Beidges, Street, Higgins und Tinelkeld, uf the untilin. The loss of the Inlines was probably abent equal to that of the Americans.

SCOTT'S AND WILKINSON S EXPEDITIONS.

The next expedition uf importunee ngainst the lunchuns of the territory how melnded in helumo, ins ibnt of Brig. Gen. Seidl, of Keninrky, m the speing uf 1791. This expedition uns sent out by a Boil of War, organizeil for the District of Kentnyky, ty nelion uf Congress. IIn the 23il uf Any, 1791, Reig. tien. Seuft, with n force of night hundred mounted wieu, crossed the Blue and commruced u march ngainst the lidlinny nt Wea Village u hich Flood ou what is now known as Wes Prairie, on the southern bank of the Wnlemb, nimmt eight miles lilow the present city of Lafnyrite, On the 14th lo uf luge, he returned, after lestrering the villages unil eorn fielils in that riemity, anthom the loss af o single munn by the enemy, und five ouly wounded, " having killed thirty two, rhiedy uneriors of size amil figure, and taken fifty-might prisbners

This uns follow rd tey Brig. Gen. Wilkinson's expedition, in August of the Kluy year, ugniost the liahan rilloges on the Wabash. At the ticail of nyeul fer hundeel nil liveuly are mounted men, he started out from the neigh- horhoud nf Foet Washington, and, after making a frint ton uri the Miami rillugy, dicefeil his manreh horned the luding village of Ke-mm-pa-cem-n-qu, which stund ou the southern bank af Erl River, about six unles from The prearul city of Lagunsport. On the 2 4th of August, 1791. Gen. Wilkinson mode bis report lo Ger. SI. Chwy in the closing words of which he shows up the Testlis af Ins emfangn is Tolluus . "The services which I hore been nhle lo render fall shoel of my wishes, my intentinns and my expectations. Bụi sir, nhen pior reteet im the quiser which rheckeil my corerr und hinsled my designs, 1 Haller myself' yon will heliere everything has heen dane nluch conld be alone in my circumstances. I have destroyedl the elnef town of the Onintenou Notion mil umile prisoners of the sons and sisters of the king. 1 Muse barned a respectahh Kickupoo village, und cul thuen ul leust four hun- dred und thirty neres of corn, cluefly in the milk. The Quialenous | Wray), tett nitlund Juin-es er prurisions, wust cease to wur, and nill Ind arlive employment In subsist thecaselees and children during the winter,

EXPEDITION OF GOV. ST. CLAIR.

Although the Minmi and Shawnee tribes of Indians had been gererely punished by the preceding campaigns undee Gens. Itarmur, Scoff sod Wil- kinson, yel their deterunonlion lo resist the authority of the United States irny hy' no means subdued Their busfurlunes seew only le hni e aroused them to more ungry and persistent bostility, mid to and theni in their opposition to the United States, Ibey culled to their nid many warriors of tho nojacent Icibrs. W'Inte Got , SI. L'air uns making preparations to establish a forl nt the Miniut village, the Miami chief, Lillle Turtle, the Shmience chief, Blur Jackel, nod The Delaware chief, Buck. oug-s-be-las, were engaged in an effort so organize an ludman confederney sufficiently powerful lo Inre the white Hettiers from the country nud byeribrow the nuthority of the United Sinles in the Northmesleru Territory. In this they receiced counsel and assisinneo from the British and from British Traders icho occupied irnding posts among them. The foci Ibat tho garrisons al Ningarn, Detron ond Mackmuw were still held by the Beitish, almost in definnes of the righttul owners of these biliary posts, was construed by the Indians us evidence of weakness on the paci of the United States, and there were not wanting British comminndanls onil Trailers who umile the most of this impression and ilid all in their power lo foment mischief noi hostility on the part of the Indians. Among those from whoin she ludians received counsel and nid were Simon Girly, Alexun- der Mekre, Malthon Elliott and a number of English and French irulers who resided of the principal rilloges of the tribes und supplied them with guns nod ammunition in exchange for furs and peltries. The iufinence of the fur Imde, which, nl thits period, uns nhnosi exclusively monopolized by British Itadlers, furnished a strong inducement lo agents and cominiandants al the garnisons, who were mivilling to surrender lo the Amerienns so lueril- fire n brauch of commerce. Apart from these intineuers, it would hure been comparatively an easy task to have dealt with the Indians, either by trenlies or the force of arms; but the interference of foreigners, particularly the British, who still hnd o lingering footholl in the country, vusily nng. mented the difheulties the Americans had to deal with in subduing the country nud filling it for the abode of civilizulion. l'uder these eiremustances 51 required a series of enmpaigus, exlending through a period of five or six yenrs, lu extort from the Indinns even n temporary pence on the frontiere of the Northwestern Territory. Several of thiso enmpigns we have already refereed to. We are now lo speak of that of Gov. SI. Clair.

On the 3il ot March, 1791, Congress passed an nel for maiying and ailding another regiment to the military establishment of the United States foe The

protection of tho frontiers. On the 28th, Gor. St. Clair left the city of Philadelphia, where Congress then hell its session, nail proceeded to Fort Washingion, where he arrived on The loth of May. About the midille of Inly, the whole of the First United States Reginient, amounting lo two hna- Breil and ninety nine non-commissioned officers omil prinles, arrired ill Fort Washington from the different garrisons, Forts Harmse, Steuben and Knox, nodor orders fromn Gor. St. Chir, the Communmilor-in- Chief. These regulars irere slowly recruited by militia from the States of l'onusyhanin, Now Jersey, Maryinmi and Virginia, nml, orring to boil mangement and other unfromble cireninstances, the ranky trere uel filled till the full ot 1791, and only they by n requisinon maile upon Kentucky for one thousand one hun- dred atul fifty militia lo supply the deficiency of the regular recruits, of which number only nhont four hundredl aml eighteen joined the army, Gen. Richard Butler ir is second in command, and the expedition uns to he directeil lo the village of the Miami Indians.

Early in September, tho minin hoily of The ariny mored, under command af Gen. Butler. September 17th, if halten on the east hunk of the tirent Minim andl erected Fort Hamilton : forty-five miles further on, il erectedl Port Tofferson, six miles south of tho present Town of Greenville, in Darke County, tibio, icbence the army proceeded on Ihr 24th of Iletober; on the Usth, it began to fall in with struggling parties of Indians, anit two of the multin were killedl. The march iras rory slow, us ronds huid to br ent nheail uf the army. On the SIst, sixty of tho militin ileserled. On the 3d ef No. iember, The main army arrived nud cheimped on the heel iraters of tho Wabnsh, near where Fort Reenrery was afterined built. Here, on the Ith, about half an hour before sunrise, tho linlions, under commaml of Little Turile, while an allack upon the militin, icho, giring nny, rushed through the enmuy of the regulurs, producing ilisorder nul confusion, the Imhinns fel- lowing eloso at their heels. Whuost insinnlly a beary attack wus maile upon the line of the regulars and extended lo the secotul line, the men, after re- peated allempis to rally, being driven hoek with great slaughter. Lienl. Col. Darke, with great spirit, turned the left thank of the onemy, amil for a few momeuis the Indinns were beaten back, but they rallied again and mrneil The left of the Amerienus, Lacing pushed back the troops posteil in thal ilircelion. Gen. St. Chur, in his report of the engagement, says :

"Our nrhillery being woy silenced nad all The ofheere killed, except Capt. Ford, who was badly wounded, nid more than hulf tho army fullen, heing ent off from the rond, it became necessary to allenipl the regaining of Il and to make a retreat, if possible. The best possible arrangement being tode for ilus, the General adils . "The retreat ins a very precipitalo one ; il was, in fel, n fight The enmp and the artillery were abaniloned, onl that was unaroiduble, for not n horve irs left alive to have drawn il off had il otherwise been practicable. But the most ilisgraceful part," snye the tien. eml, "is that the mru threw away their arms nnil necontreiaents eren nfler the poranil, winch continned nbont four miles, had ceased. I found the road ytreneil with them for minny imles, but was not able lo remedy il, for haring all my horses killed aml being mounted nyon one Ihol could not be prieked oil of a walk, 1 could not get forward myself, and the orders to halt the front, or to prorent the men from parting with their arms, were unallended lo. The rout continneil quile to Forl Jeflersou, twenty-nine unles, which has renelied a lillle after sunvel."

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Illustrated Historical Atlas of the State of Indiana, Part 22

Author: Publication date: 1876 Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co. Number of Pages: 472

Author:
Publication date: 1876
Publisher: Baskin, Forster & Co.
Number of Pages: 472