USA > Ohio > History of Ohio; the rise and progress of an American state, Volume One > Part 29
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This meeting was duly held. The colonel, with most of the regular troops, Virginia Volunteers and light horse, marched from the camp to the bower erected for the congress. It was a scene of mingled military splendor and Indian life and warfare, sur-
BOUQUET'S ROUTE.
Route followed by the Bouquet Expedition from Fort Pitt to Old Wyandot Town, showing location of the six- teen camps. This was the first Expedition of importance into the Ohio interior and was made by Bouquet in 1764.
Drawing from an old print which appeared with the original publication of the account of the expedition by William Smith and published in 1765.
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THE RISE AND PROGRESS
ЯТИЯ И'ТЛИQUO
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Had several trees painted by the Indians, in a bien glyphic manner, denoting the number of wars in which they have been engaged, and the particulars of thel success in prisoners and scalps. " The twelfth encam ment wsz made near Beaver Town on the headwate of the Muskingdin, near the Toscarawas, "a plus Exceedingly beautiful by situation; from the ruins houses appearing here. the Indians who inhabited 154 place and are now with the Delawares, are suppo -- to have had about one hundred and Hity warrior Here Bouquet received word that the "headmen of t Delawares and Showneri were coming as soon as possible to treat of peace wirb him." The line of advance w DOW southwest along the west bank of the Muskingum AL camp No. 13, "situated on a very high bank, wio the river at the foot of In, " bo colonel was inform that "several large bodies of Indians with their child were approaching for a conference." The colon bad " returned for aniwer ther he would meet them ne day in a bower at some distance from the camp."
This meeting was duly held. The colonel, wi
most of the regular troops, Virginia Volunteers an light horse, marchiel from the camp to the bom erectedl for the congrsis. It was a scene of ming military splendor and Indian life and warfare, kan
E F PITT
. GRANTS.H
CAMP 1
\CAMP 2
CAMP 3,
OHIO R.
LOG TOWN
PATH TO THE LOWER TOWNS
CAMP 4
CAMP 5
CAMP
INDIAN CAMP
OLD TOWN
CAMP 7
CAMP 9
CAMP 6
SAVANAH TUSKARWAS
CAMP IO
SAVANAH CAMP II
CAMPI2
FORT BUILT OCT 16.1767- . CAMP 13.
conference SAVANAH
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MUSKINGUM
THREE LEGS OLD TOWN
CAMP 1 5
NEW COMERS TOWN
CUSTOL OGAS TOWN
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WHITE WOMANS C
conference House OLD WYANDOT TOWN
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TOM'S TOWN
WAUKATOMIKE TOWN
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Bower
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passing anything previously witnessed in the wilds of the Ohio country. Parkman has pictured the event in such vivid lines that we can do no better than borrow his portrayal; "here the principal officers assumed their seats under the canopy of branches, while the glittering array of the troops was drawn out on the meadow in front, in such a manner as to produce the most imposing effect on the minds of the Indians, in whose eyes the sight of fifteen hundred men under arms was a spectacle equally new and astounding. The perfect order and silence of the far-extending lines; the ridges of bayonets flashing in the sun; the fluttering tartans of the High- land regulars; the bright red uniform of the Royal Americans; the darker garb and duller trappings of the Pennsylvania troops; and the bands of Virginia backwoodsmen, who, in fringed hunting frocks and Indian moccasins, stood leaning carelessly on their rifles,-all these combined to form a scene of military pomp and power not soon to be forgotten."
The Indians arrived with the usual ceremony. There were present, the Seneca chief Kiasutha-alias Guy- asutha-with fifteen warriors; Keissinautchtha, the Shawnee chief with six warriors; the Delawares had sent Custaloga, chief of the Wolf tribe, and Beaver, chief of the Turkey tribe, with twenty warriors. The stately warriors with their retinues and followers pre- sented a setting half grotesque, half picturesque to this forest-framed spectacle. "As they approached," con- tinues Parkman, "painted and plumed in all their savage pomp, they looked neither to the right nor to the left, not deigning, under the eyes of their enemy, to cast even a glance at the military display around
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them. They seated themselves, with stern, impassive looks, and an air of sullen dignity; while their sombre brows betrayed the hatred still rankling in their hearts." The chiefs were most humble and submissive in their speeches. Awed and subdued by the situation, they sued for peace in the most abject manner, promis- ing severally to deliver up all their prisoners.
Three days later Colonel Bouquet gave his answer. It was bold, terse and uncompromising, not even couched in the exaggerated metaphors and redundant rhetoric of Indian speech. He told them of their treachery in dealing with Bradstreet, of their perfidy and inhuman massacres in their attacks on the English forts, after the close of the French and Indian War; of the futility of their continuing the warfare and con- cluded by giving them thirteen days to deliver into his hands at Wakatamake all the prisoners in their possession, "without any exception."
Bouquet's fearless and unequivocal harangue amazed and awed the savage auditors. They knew he was as good as his word. Moreover, without waiting for any parleying or delays, Bouquet determined to march further into the enemy's country, "knowing the pre- sence of his army would be the best security for the performance of their promises." He insisted that the Indian deputies attend him. He then advanced some thirty-two miles, to his 16th camp, "situated within a mile of the Forks of the Muskingum," where the White Woman's Creek entered the former. A village known as Old Wyandot Town was here on the Muskingum. Two or three miles up White Woman's Creek was Custologas' Town; just below the Forks
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was Bullet's Town; a little further down the Muskingum on the east bank was Tom's Town; on the opposite (west) bank, another short distance down stream, was the previously appointed rendezvous, Wakautamike, or Wakatamake, as the Account has it in Bouquet's speech.
Bouquet decided the location of his "camp 16" to be the most central and convenient place to confer with the Indians and receive the prisoners. It was in the heart of the Indian country, "for the principal Indian towns now lay around them, distant from seven to twenty miles." Four redoubts were built opposite to the four angles of the camp; the ground in front was cleared, a store house erected and likewise a home to receive the restored captives, quarters for the officers and soldiers, also a council house, consisting of a canopy of branches, sustained by upright trunks of young trees, a structure, "in keeping with the savage assembly for whose reception it was designed." Thus a military station sprang up in the midst of the forest wilderness in the Ohio Interior, "which, with the white tents scattered up and down the banks of the river, made a large settlement in the wilderness and filled the Indians with alarm. A town with nearly two thousand inhabit- ants, well supplied with horses, cattle and sheep, and ample means of defense, was well calculated to awaken the gloomiest anticipations. The steady sound of the axe, day after day, the lowing of the cattle and all the sounds of civilization echoing along the banks of the Tuscarawas within the very heart of their territory was more alarming than the resistless march of a victorious army, and anxious to get rid of such unwelcome com-
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panions, they made every effort to collect the prisoners scattered among the various tribes."
This scene was on the present site of Coshocton. It was the center of a widespread circle of military activity and bustle of backwoods life. The tribesmen no longer hesitated. Caughnawagas, Wyandots, Ottawas, Shaw- nees, Delawares, Senecas and members of other nations, came from their towns, from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. A score of chiefs with their respective retinues, were present in their tawdry attire and solemn demean- or. Many and lengthy were the speeches of tribal orators. It was surely an exhibition of highly colored moving pictures. One incident illustrating the auto- cratic power exerted by Bouquet in the Account deserves notice. Netawatwees, chief of the Delaware Turtle tribe-keeper of the treaties and wampum belts- chose for some reason not to appear at the council. Bouquet assuming the autocratic power of a conqueror over his subdued subjects at once deposed him and called upon the members of his tribe to select and pre- sent another chief for his (Bouquet's) approbation. This they did a few days afterwards. And then the author of the Account remarks, "smile not, reader at this transaction; for though it may not be attended with so many splendid and flattering circumstances to a commander, as the deposing of an East Indian Nabob or chief, yet to penetrate into the wilderness where those stern West Indian chieftains hold their sway, and to frown upon them from their throne; though but com- posed of the unhewn log, will be found to require both resolution and firmness, and their submitting to it shows to what degree of humiliation they were reduced."
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Band after band brought in the white captives, who had become prisoners in the wars of the previous years. The Account says the number of these prisoners de- livered, amounted to two hundred and six nearly equally divided as Virginians and Pennsylvanians. Some eighty were men, the rest women and children. All conditions of servitude or relationship to their captors were represented; many of the women had become wives to their Indian captors; the children had been adopted into Indian families; and many curious and pathetic instances are related not only of the joy of reunited husbands and wives and parents and children, but also of heartrending sorrow expressed by the white women on being compelled to part from warrior companions, and by warrior savages at yielding up their white partners. Says the Account, describing the scene of the arrival of the prisoners in the camp:
"Here were to be seen fathers and mothers recogniz- ing and clasping their once-lost babes; husbands hang- ing round the necks of their newly-recovered wives; sisters and brothers unexpectedly meeting together after long separation, scarce able to speak the same language, or, for some time, to be sure that they were children of the same parents! In all these interviews, joy and rapture inexpressible were seen, while feelings of a very different nature were painted in the looks of others ;- flying from place to place in eager enquiries after relatives not found! trembling to receive an answer to their questions! distracted with doubts, hopes and fears, on obtaining no account of those they sought for! or stiffened into living monuments of horror and woe, on learning their unhappy fate!"
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This reception of the prisoners by Bouquet and their meeting with former friends and relatives, from whom they had been separated, presumably forever, is one of the intensely dramatic scenes in Ohio Indian annals, "a scene to which the Poet or Painter might have repaired to enrich their highest colorings of the variety of human passions, the Philosopher to find complete subject for his most serious reflections; and the Man to exercise all the tender and sympathetic feelings of the soul."
After the Indians had complied with all the condi- tions exacted by Bouquet, the unyielding commander relaxed his sternness and in a council held with the chiefs diplomatically courted their friendly alliance and received from them assurances that they would not only relinquish all undelivered prisoners but that they would meet Sir William Johnson in council in the spring to make a definite treaty of peace.
The Account continues: "Everything now being settled with the Indians, the army decamped on Sunday 18th November, and marched for Fort Pitt, where it arrived on the 28th. The regular troops were immediate- ly sent to garrison the different posts on the communi- cation, and the provincial troops, with the captives, to their several provinces. Here ended this expedition, in which it is remarkable that, notwithstanding the many difficulties attending it, the troops were never in want of any necessaries; continuing perfectly healthy during the whole campaign; in which no life was lost, except the man mentioned to have been killed at Muskingum."
BOUQUET'S INDIAN CONFERENCE.
Conference between Bouquet and the Indians on the Banks of the Muskingum at his 12th encampment. This is a reproduction of the original engraving as it appeared in Smith's publication (1765) of the account of the Expedi- tion. The original drawing was by the first American painter Benjamin West.
THE RISE AND PROGRES!
they
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est coloring of the variety of hitman passiona, the Philosopher to find complete Nadine for his most serious reflections; and the Man do conse ill the tender and sympathetic Feelings
After the Lodians had complied with all the cond ins ruciel by Bonquer, the un yielding commande laand his simmness and in a council held with il Aufs Diplomatically counted their friendly alliance and Isocivod from them assurances that they would nov only whaquish all undelivered prisoners but that they would meet Sir William Johnson in council in th spring to make a definite treaty of peace.
The Account continues: "Everything now bein ettled with the Indiane, the army decamped on Sunday bath Nuvember, and marched for Fort Pitt, where arrived on the 28th The regular troops were immediat. In sent to garrison the different posts on the commun hoy, and the provincial troops, with the captives, Misir several provinces. Here ended this expedito m which it is remarkable that, notwithstanding hung difficulties atrending it, the troops were never wool of any necessaries: continuing perfectly healt thunveg the whole campaign: in which no life was lo except the man mentioned to have been killed Muskingum."
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The Assembly of Pennsylvania and the Virginia House of Burgesses both passed resolutions thanking and honoring Henry Bouquet for the important and successful service he had rendered the provinces. And his Majesty King George, on receiving the news of the colonel's achievement, rewarded his merit by promot- ing him to be a brigadier-general.
The recital of the story of Bouquet's expedition would be incomplete if an after incident, the direct result of the expedition was not related. During the conferences in Bouquet's camp, the Shawnees present, promised in behalf of the rest of their nation, "who were gone to a great distance to hunt, and could not have notice to attend the treaty, that they should certainly come to Fort Pitt in the Spring and bring the remainder of the prisoners with them." To insure the fulfillment of this promise Bouquet retained the Shaw- nee hostages. But these, during the return of the army to Fort Pitt, managed to escape. On May 9th (1765) however ten Shawnee chiefs, with fifty of their warriors, attended by many of their women and children and accompanied by a "large body of Delawares, Senecas, Sandusky and Munsey Indians," appeared at Fort Pitt, where they met George Croghan, then and for many years previous deputy Indian agent to Sir William Johnson, and who had just returned from England, where he had laid before the Lords of Trade the Indian situation in the colonies.
The Shawnees in accordance with their agreement brought with them and delivered the remainder of their prisoners. They further "gave every assurance of their intention to preserve the peace inviolably
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forever," and Lawaughqua, their chief speaker ad- dressed the English as "fathers; for so we will call you henceforth," and now says the Account, "we have the pleasure once more to behold the temple of Janus shut, in this western world!"
Certainly the fierce and bloody Shawnees seemed to be within the shadow of the decline and fall of their tribal power. But their pride was unbroken and their hostility untamed. It was in the winter of 1764-5 that a Shawnee orator Charlat Kaské arrived from the Ohio country at New Orleans and delivered to M. d'Abbadie, Governor of Louisiana, the following pathe- tic speech : "I come from a great distance; the Master of Life has vouchsafed my coming here and my heart is pleased with beholding you. Though I have no retinue, I am no less a man of influence of the Chauanon (Shawnee) nation, deputed by the Grand Chief to visit and to talk with you, * * When I came here formerly, then all the world appeared gay and happy; now everything is sad. Our warriors, our redmen, our women and children are sad at not seeing the French army any more among us. The English are coming there [Ohio country] and saying that the land is theirs, and that it is the French who have sold it to them. You know well that our fathers [French] have always told us that the land was ours, that we were free on it, that the French did come to settle there only for our protection and defense, as our good father protects and defends his children."
Just one week after the Shawnee delegates appeared at Fort Pitt to restore the remainder of their prisoners to the colonial authorities, George Croghan, under
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instructions from General Gage and advices from Sir William Johnson, set out on a diplomatic journey, by way of the Ohio, to the tribes of the Illinois and the Wabash, "to soften their antipathy to the English, and to distribute presents among the tribes by way of propitiation." The Ohio interior tribes, as we have seen, had been suppressed by Bouquet's bloodless campaign. But the tribes beyond the Miamis were still restless and hostile, and Pontiac, subdued but unconquered, tireless and treacherous as ever, was sending ambassadors west, even beyond the Mississippi, and south, even to New Orleans, to arouse his fellow- savages and if possible to secure renewed aid from the French in the western and southern forts.
Lieutenant Alexander Fraser, a young officer of education and intelligence, who spoke French and knew the Indian character, habits and some of the tribal tongues, was detailed to precede Croghan to the western stations and pave the way for the coming embassy. The journey and experiences of Fraser constitute a story well worth the telling could space be spared for the purpose. Attended by three or four companions, Fraser, in a birch canoe, floated a thousand miles down the Ohio to the country of the Illinois. Here he found the Indians in a hostile humor. His life was in great danger. More than once his savage hosts determined to put him to death with all the horrible Indian accompaniments, but each time Pontiac personally interfered and Fraser escaped unhurt. In disguise he succeeded in descending the Mississippi to New Orleans. Meanwhile Croghan's embassy was en route.
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Croghan's party consisted of deputies of the Senecas, Shawnees and Delawares, some fourteen Indians and a few whites. It was an expedition adventurous and romantic in the extreme, minutely reported by Croghan in his daily journal. A version of this journal, regarded as the official version, was sent by Sir William Johnson to the London Lords of Trade and published later in the New York Colonial Documents. Variants of the original, as written by Croghan, appeared in other publications. Our present authority is the combined version, edited by Thwaites in his "Early Western Travels." This journal is one of the most lengthy of Croghan's diaries. Our summary must of necessity be brief.
Starting in bateaux, as Croghan calls the canoes, from Fort Pitt, on May 15, 1765, the embassy paddled with the current down the Ohio, encamping at night on the banks of either side as convenience or safety suggested. The journal is replete with copious descrip- tions of the land and streams passed, of the game, scenery and Indian villages. Passing the mouth of Little Beaver Creek and of Yellow Creek, the party touched at Mingo Town on Mingo Bottom, present Mingo Junction, where the Senecas had a village on a high bank, north side of the Ohio River. The chief of the village offered Croghan his services to go with him to the Illinois, which offer, says Croghan, "I could not refuse for fear of giving him offense, although I had a sufficient number of deputies with me already." Five days out "we proceeded down to the mouth of the Hockocken or Bottle River," so called because Hockhocken, or Hockhocking, is the local Indian name
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for a bottle-shaped gourd, to which they likened the course of this river. "From here," writes Croghan, "I despatched an Indian to the French traders from the Illinois residing there, amongst the Shawanese requesting them to come and join me at the mouth of Scioto, in order to proceed with me to their own country and take the oath of allegiance to his Brittanic Majesty, as they were now become his subjects and had no right to trade there without license."
Three days later the mouth of the Scioto, site of the Shawnee town, was reached and a stop made of four days, during which several of the Shawnees from the Scioto plains arrived bringing with them seven French traders. The Little Miami and the Great Miami were passed, near the mouth of the latter, elephant's bones were found, creating great astonish- ment among Croghan's party. Just below the mouth of the Ouabache, or Wabash, two Indians were des- patched, with letters, to Lieutenant Fraser who had arrived at Fort Chartres, a post still in the hands of the French under commandant Monsieur St. Ange de Bellerive.
While awaiting results, Croghan's party was attacked by a force of Indians, consisting of "eighty warriors of the Kickapoos and Musquattimes, " who killed five of the party and wounded Croghan, "and all the rest of my party, except two white men and one Indian; then made myself and all the white men prisoners, plundering us of everything we had," says the journal. The attacking savages then set off, in a great hurry with their prisoners to the Indian village Ouiatanon, (now Lafayette, Indiana). It was a strenuous tramp
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through the thicket and forest covered country, swamps and morasses, rich, stream-watered bottoms and wood- lands, plentiful with deer, bear and buffalo. The cap- tors made all haste to attain a place of security for their prisoners. After seven days journey, at the rapid rate of thirty miles a day, they reached Post Vincent, later known as Vincennes, on the Wabash. It was a French settlement, which had until the year before (1764) been in command of Louis St. Ange. The eighty or ninety French families of this post, Croghan reported, "are an idle, lazy people, a parcel of renegadoes from Canada and are much worse than Indians," who were bad enough. Both the French and the Kickapoo Indians plundered the Croghan party. But close by Fort Vincent was a village of the Pyanke- shaws, among whom Croghan found many of his former friends. They gave him welcome, rebuked the Kickapoos for the part they had played in capturing and maltreating the English embassy. The attitude of the escorting Indians changed from hostility to that of protection and the Croghan party was conducted with friendly treatment, two hundred miles more up the Wabash to Ouiatanon, another French stockade post, in the midst of Indian settlement. Here writes Croghan, "I had several conferences with the Wawio- tonons, Pyankeshaws, Kickapoos, and Mesquatamies, in which conferences I was lucky enough to reconcile those nations to his Majesty's interests and obtain their consent and approbation to take possession of any posts in their country which the French formerly possessed and an offer of their services should any
BOUQUET RECEIVING THE CAPTIVES.
Bouquet at his 16th campat the Forks of the Muskingum, receiving the white captives from the Indians. A reproduc- tion of the engraving accompanying the account of the expedition published in 1765. The original picture was drawn by Benjamin West.
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through RaVITTAOL THT DHIVIJOGA THUQUOAtry, swamps a a a a . tupi and wood-
their prisoners. After seven Whimsins ud frasib at the rapid rate of thirty miles a day, they reached Post Vincent, later known as Vincennes, on the Wabash. It was a French settlement, which had until the year before [1764) been in command of Louis St. Ange The eighty or ninety French families of this post. Creoghan reported, "are an idle, lazy people, a parcel of renegadoes from Canada and are much worse than Indians," who were bad enough. Both the French and the Kickapoo Indians plundered the Croghan party. But close by Fort Vincent was a village of the Pyanke- shaws, among whom Croghan found many of his former friends. They gave him welcome, rebuked the Kickapoos for the part they had played in capturing and maltreating the English embassy. The attitude of the escorting Indians changed from hostility to that of protection and the Croghen party was conducted with friendly treatment, two hundred miles more up the Wabash to Ouiatanon, another French stockade post, in the midst of Indian settlement. Here write Croghan, "I had several conferences with the Wawio tonons, Pyankeshaws. Kickapoos, and Mesquatamico, in which conferences I was lucky enough to reconcili those nations to his Majesty's interests and obtain the consent and approbation to take possession of any posts in their country which the French former! possessed and an offer ol their services should an
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