History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan, Part 4

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & co.
Number of Pages: 716

USA > Michigan > Clinton County > History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan > Part 4
USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan > Part 4

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HISTORY OF SHIAWASSEE AND CLINTON COUNTIES, MICINGAN.

by an accredited agent or commissioner of the United States, with the chiefs and head men of the tribes interested. And this principle and method have always been observed by the government in treaties held with Indians for the pur- chase of their territory.

The treaty by which the first cession was made of Indian lands now in the State of Michigan was concluded on the 3d of August, 1795, at Greenville, Ohio, by Gen. Anthony Wayne, for the United States, with the chief's of the Chip- pewa, Ottawa, Pottawattamie, and other tribes, who there ceded to the United States " the post of Detroit and all the lands to the north, the west, and the south of it of which the Indian title has been extinguished by gifts or grants to the French or English governments, and so much more land to be annexed to the district of Detroit as shall be comprehended between the river Rosine ( Raisin) on the south, Lake St. Clair on the north, and a line, the general course of which shall be six miles distant from the west end of Lake Erie and Detroit River," with several other tracts, among which were the pest of Michilimackinae and lands adjacent, and the island of Bois Blane; mentioned as being an extra and voluntary gift of the Chippewa nation.

On the part of the government it was expressly stipu- lated that " the United States relinquish their claims to all other Indian lands northward of the river Ohio, east ward of the Mississippi, and westward and southward of the great lakes and the waters uniting them, according to the bound- ary line agreed on between the United States and the King of Great Britain in the peace made between them in the year 1783." This the government did in consideration of the peace established by the treaty, and of the cessions made by the Indians, as well as " to manifest the liberality of the United States as the means of making the peace strong and perpetual." It was also declared in the treaty that " the Indian tribes who have a right to those lands are quietly to enjoy them; hunting, planting, and dwelling thereon so long as they please, without any molestation from the United States; but when these tribes or any of them shall be disposed to sell their lands or any part of them, they are to be sold only to the United States; and until such sale the United States will protect the said Indian tribes in the quiet enjoyment of their lands against all citizens of the United States, and against all other white persons who intrude upon the same." This treaty left the Indians still in possession of all Michigan except the six- mile strip along the Detroit River, the island of Bois Blanc, Michilimackinac, and a few small tracts in actual possession of white occupants (principally French settlers) outside the six-mile strip.

All the southeastern part of Michigan (including four- fifths of the present county of Shiawassee) was ceded to the United States by the terms of a treaty concluded at Detroit, Nov. 17, 1807, " by William Hull, Governor of the Territory of Michigan, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and sole commissioner of the United States to conclude and sign a treaty or treaties with the several nations of Indians north- west of the river Ohio, on the one part, and the sachems, chiefs, and warriors of the Ottoway, Chippeway, Wyandotte,

and Pottawattamie nations of Indians on the other part." The territory here ceded was described in the treaty as " be- ginning at the mouth of the Miami River of the Lakes (the Maumee), and running thence up the middle thereof to the mouth of the Great Auglaize River ; thence due north until it intersects a parallel of latitude to be drawn from the outlet of Lake Huron, which forms the river Sinclair ; thence running northeast on the course that may be found will lead in a direct line to White Rock in Lake Iluron ; thence due east until it intersects the boundary-line between the United States and Upper Canada in said lake; then southwardly, following the said boundary-line down said lake, through the river Sinclair, Lake St. Clair, and the river Detroit into Lake Erie, to a point due east of the aforesaid Miami River ; thence west to the place of begin- ning." In payment for this immense tract of land, the Indians were to receive from the government-in money, . goods, agricultural implements, or domestic animals, at the discretion of Gen. Ilull-the sum of three thousand three hundred and thirty-three dollars and thirty-three cents each to the Chippewa and Ottawa tribes, and one-half that sum cach to the Wyandottes and Pottawattamies; with an annuity of two thousand dollars each to the Chippewas and Ottawas, and one thousand dollars each to the other tribes. The Chippewas and Ottawas were also to be for- nished cach with a blacksmith for the period of ten years ; the former to reside at Saginaw and the latter at the Indian settlement on the Maumee, " to do such work for the said nations as shall be most useful to them."

The line forming the western boundary of the tract ceded by this treaty, viz., the line from the mouth of the Great Auglaize, and running " thence due north until it intersects a parallel of latitude to be drawn from the outlet of Lake Huron," was known for many years after as the " Indian Boundary-Line," and this, prolonged northward to the east end of Bois Blane Island, in the Straits of Macki- nae, was identical, or very nearly so, with the line afterwards adopted by the United States surveyors as the principal meridian of the lower peninsula of Michigan, which is the dividing-line between the counties of Clinton and Shiawas- see. The territory which the Indians ceded at the Detroit treaty embraced all of Michigan lying east of this line as far north as the northwest corner of the township of Sciota in Shiawassee County, and south of a line drawn from thenee northeast to Lake Iluron; thus including all of Shiawassee County except the township of Fairfield and parts of the townships of Middlebury, Owosso, Rush, and New Ilaven. Over all of the ceded territory until sold to settlers the Indians had the right reserved to hunt and fish at will during good behavior.

After the close of the war of 1812-15 a treaty was held at Springwells, near Detroit, by Gen. William Il. Harrison, Gen. McArthur, and John Graham, on behalf of the gov- ernment, with the chiefs of the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Pottawattamie tribes, for purposes of conciliation, and to- restore to these Indians the rights which by their hostility to the United States during the then late war they were considered to have justly forfeited, and which they ther- selves scarcely expected to be allowed to retain. The treaty, which was made and concluded on the Sth of

INDIAN TREATIES AND CESSIONS OF LANDS.

September, 1815, declared that " the United States give peace to the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Pottawattamie tribes. They also agree to restore to the said Chippewa, Ottawa, and Pottawattamie tribes all their possessions, rights, and privileges which they enjoyed or were entitled to in the year 1811, prior to the late war with Great Britain; and the said tribes upon their part agree to place themselves under the protection of the United States, and of no other power whatsoever." Previous treaties and cessions were also confirmed and ratified.

The treaty by which the Indian owners ceded to the United States a large scope of territory including all the present county of Clinton and all that part of Shiawassee not embraced in the Detroit cession of 1807, was held at Saginaw, in September, 1819, by Gen. Lewis Cass, Gov- ernor of Michigan and ex-officio Indian commissioner, with the chiefs and head men of the Chippewa tribe of the lower peninsula. Soon after the close of the war of 1812-15 the attention of West-bound emigrants from the old States began to be strongly directed towards Michigan Territory, and it became evident to the clear mind of Governor Cass that, broad as was the domain acquired by the treaties of 1795 and 1807, it would soon be found too narrow to receive the immigration which had already begun to spread westward and northward from Detroit. He therefore at once set about the task of seenring further cessions from the na- tives, and having laid bis plans, before the government, and received its sanction with authority to proceed in the matter, he convened the chiefs in couneil, as above men- tioned.

The Governor, accompanied by quite a numerous retinne, composed of his secretaries, Robert A. Forsyth (who was also acting commissioner), John L. Leib, and D. G. Whit- ney, with several other persons, set out from Detroit on horseback on the 7th of September, and proceedling north- westwardly through the woods and openings by way of Royal Oak, Pontiac, Silver Lake, Grand Blanc, and the Grand Traverse of the Flint River (now Flint City), ar- rived at the Saginaw treaty-ground on the 10th. Two small vessels,-a sloop and a schooner,-which had left Detroit a few days before, had already arrived, and lay moored in the river. They were laden with subsistence stores, silver coin to be used in payment for the lands cx- pected to be ceded, and goods intended for Indian presents; and they brought also a company of the Third United States Infantry, under command of Capt. C. L. Cass (a brother of the Governor), who had disembarked his eom- mand, and eneamped it on the bank of the stream. The presence of these troops was thought to be necessary, in view of the possibility of an attempt at violence by some of the bands.

On his arrival, Gen. Cass found a large number of In- dians assembled, but yet the attendance was not as nnmer- ous as he had expected. Having found, upon inquiry, that a number of the more remote bands were unrepresented, he dispatched runners to the villages on the Huron (now Cass), Flint, Shiawassee, Mishtegayock, Maple, and Titta- bawassee Rivers, to give further notification to the chiefs, and to urge them to come in and join in the council.

This pressing invitation had the desired effect, and nearly all the absentee chiefs and warriors, with their squaws and pappooses, made haste to join their red brethren at the rendezvous.

When all had come in, and the preparations were com- plete, the eouneil was opened, in a large house (or more properly a bower, as its covering was composed principally of the branches of trees) which had been built for the occasion, on the bank of the Saginaw, by Louis Campan, the trader, by direction of Gen. Cass. All around this structure, and crowding closely up to the line which they were not allowed to enter, were squaws and pappooses from every band of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe, cager to look upon the ceremonies which were little less than mysterious to them. Next in their front-and inside the leafy " council-house"-were the young men and warriors, while within their eirele, seated on the trunks of trees which had been placed there for that purpose, were the chiefs and sagamores, those of highest rank being elustered round a low platform of hewn logs, on which were seated Gen. Cass, his secretaries,-Forsyth, Leib, and Whitney, -Capt. Cass and Lient. John Peacock, of the Third In- fautry, Capt. Chester Root, of the United States Artillery, Whitmore Knaggs (Indian trader, sub-agent, and principal interpreter), and some others. Other interpreters present were Louis Beanfait, John Hurson, William Tuckey, and Ilenry Connor, who was known among the Indians as Wabaskindebay, or " White Hair." Among the traders who made themselves officious on the occasion were Louis and Antoine Campan, Jacob Smith, and Archibald Lyous, who was afterwards drowned in the Tittabawassee while in the employ of G. D. and E. S. Williams at their station near where Midland City now stands.

Gen. Cass opened the council by an address to the In- dians, delivered through his interpreters. He told them that the Great Father (the President) earnestly desired to preserve and perpetuate the peace which had been estab- lished between their tribes and the government ; that he had the welfare of his red children at heart, and wished to see them gradually change their mode of life by depending more on the pursuits of agriculture and less on hunting and fishing, which would grow more and more precarious year by year because the advance of white immigration was moving resistlessly towards them, and in a little time their streams would become less prolific, and their game would be driven to more remote hunting-grounds. IIe explained to them that the government, wishing to pur- chase their lands for the use of white settlers, would pay them a generous priee; and that other lands, ample in extent, and as fertile as these, would be set apart for the perpetual use of themselves and their children.

The original object of Gen. Cass was not only to induce the Chippewas to eede their lands, but also to obtain from them an agreement to remove from the peninsula and locate themselves on tracts to be selected for them west of Lake Michigan, or perhaps beyond the Mississippi. This object was made apparent by the tenor of his opening speech, and it roused the opposition and resentment of the chiefs to such a degree as to threaten a suspension of all negotiations. "The first Indian who spoke in reply to the Governor was

HISTORY OF SHIAWASSEE AND CLINTON COUNTIES, MICHIGAN.

Kishkawko,* the principal chief of the Saginaws. He spoke in a violent and angry manner against the cession of any of their lands, and advised the breaking up of the council. He was, however, considerably under the influ- ence of liquor at the time, and on this account his harangue had less effect than that of Ogemawkeketo (a name mean- ing " chief speaker"), who immediately followed Kishkawko in a speech which was far less violent, but quite as uncom- promising in its opposition to the objects of Gen. Cass. Mishenanonequet and other chief's spoke in nearly the same vein, and when the council was ended for the day the pros- pect of the conclusion of a treaty was far from favorable. At the elose, Gen. Cass, after having told the chiefs in a friendly manner to go to their wigwams " and smoke and talk the matter over together," retired with his secretaries to their quarters in a state of disappointment and great anxiety in view of the not improbable failure of the nego- tiations. There was one favorable circumstance, however : the chief, Kishkawko, had reached a state of helpless in- toxication, and he remained in that condition for the follow- ing eight or ten days, not again making his appearance until all the terms of' the treaty had been agreed on.

The Indians had retired sullen and almost rebellious, and no other session of the council was held for several days. But during that time powerful influences in favor of the treaty had been brought to bear on them by Jacob Smith and other traders, who wished, for private reasons of their own, to see the sale consummated. The trader Smith, in particular, was high in favor with old Neome and a great number of the other chiefs, and his influence over them was great. He was favorable to the cession, because in it he expected to (and eventually did) secure a number of choice reservations of laud for his children. Archibald

# Kishkawko was not a Chippewa, but a member of one of the Canadian tribes, who care to Saginaw and by some means was ena- bled to usurp the power and place of principal chief. He was de- scribed as "a miserable tyrant and a villainous coward." Mr. Tru- inan B. Fox, in his mention of Kishkawko, says : "The carly settlers of Oakland County were very much annoyed by this villain and his cowardly band as they passed through that section of the country on their way to Malden to receive their annual presents from the British government. Kishkawko was in the habit of traveling with thirty or forty scoundrels, whom he called his warriors, and taking advantage of the sparsecss of the settlements would levy contributions upon the poor settlers. If his demands were not readily complied with he would take what he wanted by force, such as cattle, hogs, etc., thus subjecting the poor settlers to great suffering and continual fear. Upon one occasion, after his arrival at Detroit, which happened a few days before payment, his men being very hungry, ho applied to some of the authorities for food, 'for,' said he, 'unless my young men get something to eat it will be impossible for me to restrain them from robbing the settlers along the route.' 'Sir,' returned Gen. Cass, 'if your young men commit any depredations upon the settlers I will send my young men to punish them.' Notwithstanding this intimation depredations were occasionally committed upon the set- tlers with impunity. Kishkawko at length eame to his end in a man- ner strikingly in keeping with his wicked and cowardly career. One day, while encamped at a place a little above Detroit, known as Chaine Farm, he got into a drunken row and killed an Iodian. Ile was arrested by the proper anthorities and imprisoned in the old Detroit jail, where he remained several months. Feeling assured from his past conduct that he need expect no mercy or lenity froid the hands of those he had so often outraged, and that his death was certaio, he anticipated the law by taking poison, supposed to have been provided him by his squaws."

Lyons was another who expected (and received) a similar favor for his half-breed daughter Elizabeth. Several other traders (among whom a principal one was Louis Campau) stood well in the confidence of the Chippewas, and all these exerted their powers of persuasion to induce the Indians to make the treaty, in the hope of receiving certain arrearages due them out of the silver eoin which would be paid in consideration of the cession.

Gen. Cass, although he was Governor of Michigan and commissioner of Indian affairs, and was backed by the military force of the United States, did not wield one-half the power over the savages which was exercised by these traders ; but the latter used theirs so effectually that at the end of a few days they had nearly overcome the opposition. Having accomplished this result they notified Gen. Cass (who had all the while been aware of the means that were being employed), and he thereupon reconvened the chiefs and warriors in the council-house.

At this second council there was still a considerable amount of discussion among the chiefs, but as the principal difficulty had already been surmounted by the arguments and persuasions of the traders, the scenes of the previous meeting were not re-enacted here. All the circumstances were now favorable for the conclusion of a treaty. The most de- termined opponent, Kishkawko, was absent (not having yet recovered from his debauch), and the chief speaker, Oge- mawkeketo, had been won over by the traders. Gen. Cass, having found that the Indians were bitterly hostile to the plan for removing them beyond Lake Michigan, and that if the measure was insisted on it would most probably re- sult in the failure of the treaty, had ceased to press the proposition, and substituted for it the plan of granting tribal and individual reservations within the tract to be ceded. These circumstances had wrought such a favorable change in the feelings of the chiefs that the parties had little difficulty in agreeing on the terms of a treaty, which was virtually coneluded at this sitting; all that remained to be done beiug to engross it in due form, and to affix to it the signatures of the commissioner, the chiefs, and the wit- nesses.

On the following day (September 24th) the third and last session of the council was held, and the treaty was formally signed. The Indian attendance was much larger at this than at either of the previous councils, being esti- mated at fully two thousand chiefs and warriors ; while a still greater number of women and children were crowded together on the outskirts of the assemblage. The ceremony of siguing the treaty was made as imposing as possible. The first name written upon the document was, of course, that of Lewis Cass, United States Indian commissioner, and this was followed by the totems of one hundred and fourteen Chippewa and Ottawat chiefs. Old Kishkawko had finally come out of his prolonged trance, and was present-somewhat sullen, but very quiet and dignified-

+ Only a very few Ottawas, however, were included among the chiefs who signed the Saginaw treaty. The Ottawas were regarded as the owners of a small part (the southwestern portion) of the lands ceded hy this treaty ; but they had no proprietorship in the eastern part, which (including the two counties to which this history has ref- crence) was embraced in the domain of the Chippewas.

INDIAN TREATIES AND CESSIONS OF LANDS.

and affixed his mark to the treaty with those of the other chiefs. The execution of the treaty was witnessed by Acting Commissioner R. A. Forsyth ; the Governor's sec- retaries, Leib and Whitney ; Capts. Cass and Root and Lieut. Peacock ; Gabriel Godfroy, sub agent ; the inter- preters Knaggs, Beaufait, Hurson, and Tuckey; John Hill, army contractor; Henry I. Ilunt, Barney Campau, William Keith, V. S. Ryley, J. Whipple, A. E. Lacock, John Smyth, B. Head, Richard Smyth, Louis Dequindre, and Conrad Ten Eyck.

After the signing, a large table was spread before the commissioner, and on this table were placed great piles of silver half-dollars, which, under the direction of Gen. Cass, were to be paid out to the representatives of the several bands. This part of the ceremony was watched with great interest by both chiefs and traders, but for somewhat differ- ent reasons. Many of the chiefs were indebted in consider- able sums to the trader Louis Campau, who had received their promise that when the payment was made to them his claim should be liquidated, at least to the amount of fifteen hundred dollars. IIe had already notified Gen. Cass of this agreement, and was now anxiously waiting, hoping to re- ceive the money from the commissioner without having it pass through Indian hands at all. But three of the other traders present were not pleased at the prospect of having so considerable a part of the Indians' money appropriated to the payment of their old debts. One of these three was Jacob Smith, who at once set about the task of persuading the wily and treacherous Kishkawko and some of the other chiefs to demand that the entire sum due them should be paid to the Indians, to be applied by them as they saw fit. This diplomacy was so entirely successful that when the commissioner explained to the chiefs that Campau was ex- pecting to receive his dues, and asked if they consented to the arrangement, they replied that they were his children, under his protection, and expected that he would pay the money into their hands. The general could not disregard their expressed wishes in this particular, and he therefore directed that the money be paid to them, which was aceord- ingly done by the secretaries, much to the disgust of Cam- pau, who, seeing that his money was lost, and believing Smith to be the cause of his discomfiture, leaped from the platform where he had been standing, and struck the latter two stunning blows in the face. Quick as lightning Smith turned on his assailant, but Henry Connor and Louis Beau- fait interposed between the belligerents and stopped the fight.

After the payments had been made, Gen. Cass ordered five barrels of government whisky to be opened, and the liquor to be dealt out to the Indians. Upon seeing this, Campau, still filled with wrath at the treatment he had received, and blaming the general almost as much as Smith for it, ordered up ten barrels of his own whisky, knocked in the heads, and posted two men with dippers to supply the Indians as they came up. Of course the scene of in- toxication that ensued was indescribable. At about ten o'clock, the Governor, having become thoroughly alarmed at the infernal orgies that surrounded the trading-house in which he was quartered, sent his private secretary, Forsyth, with orders to Campau to shut off the supply of liquor ;

but the trader only deigned the grim reply, " Gen. Cass commenced it himself." Then a platoon of Capt. Cass' company was detailed to guard the store-house. Soon after they had been posted, a new arrival of Indians demanded whisky, and, upon being refused and held at bay, rushed on the guard to force an entrance, during which attempt one of them received a bayonet wound in the leg. In an instant the war-whoop was sounded, and in a few minutes more swarms of savages, infuriated with liquor, and tomahawk in hand, eame rushing towards the store. "Stop the liquor, Louis !" screamed the Governor of Michigan Territory, as he stood in the door of his quarters with a night-cap on his head. " We shall all be murdered ! Stop the liquor, I say !" " Certainement, mon general," replied Campau, " but you begun it, and you allowed Smith to rob me. I'll keep you safe, but remember you commenced it, mon gén- éral." ITe appeared to think that the satisfaction of thor- oughly frightening Gen. Cass for having allowed Jacob Smith to rob him, as he said, was cheaply enough purchased by the expenditure of ten barrels of whisky. " 1 lost my whisky and my money," he afterwards remarked, " but I had good revenge on Cass."

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History of Shiawassee and Clinton counties, Michigan, Part 4

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & co. Number of Pages: 716

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, D.W. Ensign & co.
Number of Pages: 716