USA > Ohio > History of Ohio; the rise and progress of an American state, Volume Two > Part 34
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the enemy, who were secreted in the woods and high grass, as to compel them to retreat. The legion was immediately formed in two lines, principally in a close thick wood, which extended for miles on our left, and for a very considerable distance in front, the ground being covered with old fallen timber, probably occa- sioned by a tornado, which rendered it impracticable for the cavalry to act with effect, and afforded the enemy the most favorable covert for their mode of warfare. The savages were formed in three lines, within supporting distance of each other, and extend- ing for near two miles, at right angles with the river. I soon discovered, from the weight of the fire and extent of their lines, that the enemy were in full force in front, in possession of their favorite ground, and endeavoring to turn our left flank. I therefore gave orders for the second line to advance and support the first, and directed Major General Scott to gain and turn the right flank of the savages, with the whole of the mounted volunteers, by a circuitous route; at the same time I ordered the front line to advance and charge with trailed arms, and rouse the Indians from their coverts at the point of the bayonet, and when up, to deliver a close and well directed fire on their backs, followed by a brisk charge, so as not to give them time to load again. I also ordered Captain Mis Campbell, who commanded the legionary cavalry, to turn the left flank of the enemy next the river, and which afford- ed a favorable field for that corps to act in. All these orders were obeyed with spirit and promptitude; but such was the impetuosity of the charge by the first line of infantry, that the Indians, and Canadian militia,
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THE RISE AND PROGRESS
and volunteers, were drove from all their coverts in so short a time, that, although every possible exertion was used by the officers of the second line of the legion, and by Generals Scott, Todd, and Barbie, of the mounted volunteers, to gain their proper positions, but part of each could get up in season to participate in the action, the enemy being drove, in the course of one hour, more than two miles, through the thick woods already mentioned, by less than one half their numbers."
The shrewd scheme of Wayne was most successful. The sudden and systematic attack upon the Indian lines at all points, stampeded the savage warriors and forced them into a general and promiscuous flight, which their chiefs in vain strove to check. The dis- orderly retreat, with the Americans in close pursuit, continued three or four miles, to within range of the guns of Fort Miami, the gates of which were closed barring admission to the warriors, much to their rage and dismay for the British had promised them the protection of the fortress. Bitterly denouncing the treachery of their alleged Canadian allies, the tribes- men fled on to the inland forests and vanished no one knew whither.
"From every account," says Wayne, "the Indian force equalled two thousand, including the British Rangers and Canadian volunteers, of whose number there is much dispute." The garrison at Fort Miami at the time was some four hundred strong, a portion of which took part in the battle. Brice in his "History of Fort Wayne" puts the Indian command at fourteen hundred and the British allies at seventy. The Indian tribes were represented about as follows: Delaware
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500, Shawnees 350, Wyandots 300, Tawas 250, Miami 200. There were also small bands of other tribes. The British contingent, probably about 200, was under Captain Caldwell; Alexander McKee, Mathew Elliott and Simon Girty, "were in the field but at a respectable distance and near the river." There is some uncer- tainty as to which of the chiefs was in command of the warriors, the writers vary as to this, but in all probability it was Blue Jacket, for the tradition is reasonable, that Little Turtle, the ranking chief in influence and talent, refused to take the responsibility of what he regarded as a sure defeat.
The loss to the Americans was: killed, twenty-eight privates and five officers, wounded eighty-four privates and sixteen officers. The loss to the Indians, as in most battles, was unknown, but it must have been heavy for their ground of retreat was covered with dead and wounded. Immediately after the engagement, Wayne's army marched down the Maumee and encamped on its brink within view of the British fort, from whose ram- parts "His Majesty's soldiers" had witnessed with great mortification the rout of their Indian wards. Major William Campbell of the British 24th Regiment, in command of the fort, at once addressed a note to General Wayne protesting against his near approach to a "post belonging to his Majesty the King of Great Britain occupied by his Majesty's troops," declaring that he "knew of no war existing between Great Britain and America." To this Wayne tartly responded that he thought his intentions were sufficiently evident in his successful battle with the Indians. Campbell's reply complained that Wayne's soldiers had marched within
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THE RISE AND PROGRESS
pistol shot of the British fort, and made the threat that he would fire upon them if a second chance was given. Whereupon Wayne ordered Campbell to aban- don the fort. It was a war of blustering words, but Wayne proceeded with impunity, to destroy everything up to the very walls of the fort; likewise all the neighboring Indian villages were laid waste; their crops burned down and in addition all the houses and buildings of the British agents and traders, includ- ing the post of Alexander McKee, were demolished.
It was the most decisive defeat the tribes had received since the battle of Point Pleasant, fought just twenty years before, and to the fame of Wayne, one of the heroes of the Revolution, was now added the honor of the conquest of the Ohio Indian Confederacy. The tribesmen gave the victor of Fallen Timbers the name of the "Tornado," or the "Whirlwind," indicative of the impetuous and destructive force with which he swept everything before him. For three days he remained on the field of battle, completing his work of devastation, when he fell back to Fort Defiance, at which he remained until September 14th, when the legion, having strengthened the Auglaize fortress and having left a protective garrison, moved up the river to the juncture of the Joseph and St. Mary's, the scene of Harmar's defeat, and the site of the restored Indian villages, which villages by the unsparing "Tornado," were again laid waste and in their place a suitable fort was erected, provisioned, garrisoned and named, by Colonel Hamtramck, after the hero of the campaign, Fort Wayne.
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At Fort Wayne the army rested. The campaign was virtually over and the mounted Kentuckians were with difficulty kept in order until their term of service was over and they were sent home. Wayne, leaving a garrison at Fort Wayne, then moved the legion of regulars back to Greenville, which was reached November 2d, just three months and six days after they had departed from it on their victorious campaign. Safely ensconced in his comfortable Greenville quarters, the victor of Fallen Timbers patiently awaited the result. The Indian confederacy was in confusion. Many of the tribes were for protracting the war while others recognized the inevitable and were prepared to yield the field. Probably all the tribes would have abandoned all idea of further hostilities had it not been for the British. Only a month after the battle, Gover- nor Simcoe and Chief Brant, the latter with a retinue of one hundred Mohawk warriors, met Alexander Mc- Kee at Fort Miami, "evidently for the purpose of continuing in the exercise of an unfriendly influence upon the minds of the Indians against the United States." They invited the chiefs to assemble at Detroit, in council, which met in October. Many tribesmen and chiefs assembled; Simcoe opposed any truce of peace between the nations and the Americans. He boldly urged the warriors to compel the Americans to retire back to the east side of the Ohio and advised every tribe to sign a deed of conveyance of all their lands, on the west and north side of the Ohio, to the King, in trust for the Indians, so as to give the British a pretext or color for assisting them, in case the Ameri- cans refused to abandon all their posts and possessions
554
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
on the northwest of the river. As substantial proof of the continuation of British support, supplies were freely distributed to the tribesmen. All this met the approval of Brant and not a few chiefs, especially Blue Jacket, were disposed to renew hostilities, and there were many tokens that the war clouds were again gathering. But with many chiefs better counsels pre- vailed. The Miamis and the Wyandots, especially sought to conciliate their late conquerors. One Wyan- dot chief went in person to Wayne and said: "I live in Sandusky. We Wyandots now wish for peace and are determined to bury the hatchet and scalping knife deep in the ground. We pray you have pity on us and leave us a small piece of land to build a town upon. The Great Spirit has given land enough for all to live and hunt upon. We have looked all around us for a piece to move to and cannot find any. We want to know your mind. We intend to build a stockade [on Sandusky River] and blockhouse to defend ourselves till we hear from you. We don't know whether we are right or wrong in doing it, but have pity on us."
Wayne invited the tribes to dispatch deputies to confer with him; and many accepted and were hospitably received by the general. Late in December the representatives of several tribes manifested to the commandant at Greenville, their desire for a treaty of peace, and in January (1795) preliminary articles of negotiation were entered into by Wayne, with depu- ties from the Chippewas, Ottawas, Sacs, Pottawattomies and Miamis. It was agreed that all the sachems and war chiefs of the above and other tribes should assemble
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at Greenville about the middle of June to conclude a treaty. Before that date, the chiefs and sachems of the tribes began to assemble and on the 16th the general council was formally opened. It was an im- posing assembly, comprising no less than 1,130 chiefs, sachems and warriors, divided as follows: Delawares 381, Pottawattomies 240, Wyandots 180, Shawnees 143, Miami and Eel River 73, Chippewas 46, Ottawas 45, Weas and Piankeshaws 12, Kickapoos and Kaskas- kias 10. Among the half dozen interpreters were William Wells and Isaac Zane. Of the proceedings which lasted some fifty days we must refrain from giv- ing the details. There were the customary ceremonies of smoking the peace pipe, passing the strings of wampum, feasting and the interminable flow of oratory, each tribe through its spokesman uttering its com- plaints, defining its rights, and imploring concessions. The chief orators, were Little Turtle, Blue Jacket, The Sun, Red Pole, Little Beaver, New Corn, Tarhe, and many others. Their speeches are reported in the official proceedings of the council as printed in the "American State Papers." The orators, who called Wayne "Elder Brother," dwelt on the previous treaties and their grievances because of alleged bad faith on the part of the citizens of the "fifteen fires"; how the Americans had gradually encroached upon the territory of the tribesmen. Wayne, who addressed the warriors as "Younger Brothers, " made frequent answer, explain- ing the terms of the proposed treaty and exhorting the chiefs to accept the proffered articles of compact. Frazer E. Wilson in his "Peace of Mad Anthony Wayne," an admirable summary of the council pro-
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THE RISE AND PROGRESS
ceedings, notes that "a large number of belts and strings of wampum were passed by the various tribes during the deliberations; mention being made of road belts, mixed belts, a blue belt, a belt with nine white squares, a large belt with men and a horse designated upon it, a war belt, numerous white and blue belts and strings of wampum. Some of these belts contained a thousand or more beads of wampum, and as each bright, flinty bead is said to have represented a day's labor for these primitive people, we readily conclude that they meant more than a great sum of money might mean to the whites, and were indeed, striking pledges of good will."
On August 3d, General Wayne read for the third time the proposed treaty and each tribe was in turn asked if it agreed; in chorus the response was the Indian for "yes." The document was then signed by the Indian chiefs authorized to so act for their tribes, by Wayne, William Henry Harrison and others for the United States, and by the interpreters to the council. The signatures of the tribesmen make a curious and interesting study. The name of each chief was written out by the interpreters, and each name was accompanied, by a small pen drawing of the totem or clan symbol of the signer, to which was attached a seal. Some ninety chiefs and representa- tives signed the document, among them Little Turtle, Blue Jacket, Buckongahelas and Tarhe, the latter's name led all the rest. Later on, December 22 (1795), it was signed by Washington "with the advice and consent of the Senate of the United States."
GREENVILLE TREATY
The first section of the Greenville Treaty, showing signa- natures of Anthony Wayne and the Wyandot Indians, the first name being Tarhe, the Wyandot chief. Each Indian signing drew opposite his name the totem of his tribe or clan. A photograph of the duplicate of the original Treaty. The original is in the Library of Congress. The duplicate is in the Museum of the Greenville Historical Society. Por cran
William Jum
Joy yaghita
Con half Tragifine
Je - hacer tu vana
Chu me- yeray
Payertah
THE RISE AND PROGRESS
УТАЯЯТ АЛЮМИНЯЯЮ
large number of belts and
ne various tribes hibrid dowd fordo tobarnvVI oHt oder gabemmenmade of road to odrij sid to motos orly gruca eid ficogay rilysninginine white stoilqub ad ! mymod) to 21std Ant HiSi fongAssAdesignated
some of these belts contained
beads ol wampum, and as each la said to have represented a day's primitive people, we readily conclude more than a great sum of money du whites, and were indeed, striking
a, General Wayne read for the third d treaty wad vach tribe was in turn wwd; m choriis the response was the " The document was then signed Nie's authorized to wo act for their tribes, William Henry fimrison and others for Inte, and by the interpreters to the To Mesuis af dle tribesmen make a Juntos oo @lowmiting lou) The name of each the ww wlow wur by che wierpreters, and each nime ww wwwwund, byla small pen drawing of the totenlie -embol of the signer, to which was attached ninety elilefs and representa- tivos signos Ile .. nt, among them Little Turtle, Bine Jacket, D tabelas and Tarhe, the latter's name led all the time Later on, December 22 (1795), it was signed by Walton "with the advice and consent of the Senare the United States."
AntyWayne
Jar- he (or Crane)
( William Jun
Jey-yagh-taw
Ha ra en - you a los half King's form
Je. haaw to rens
Aw-me-yeray
laye tak
٦
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OF AN AMERICAN STATE
The preamble states the purpose of the treaty-"to put an end to a destructive war, to settle all contro- versies and to restore harmony and friendly intercourse between the United States and Indian tribes." The nine articles provide for the cessation of hostilities, exchange of prisoners, definite description of boun- daries, the delivery of $20,000 worth of goods at once to the Indians, apportioned among the various tribes signing the treaty, and the promise of $9,500 worth of goods yearly forever thereafter. The boundary line established ran "between the lands of the United States and the lands of the said Indian tribes, shall begin at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, and run thence up the same, to the portage between that and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum; thence, down that branch to the crossing place, above Fort Lawrence [Laurens]; thence Westerly, to a fork of that branch of the Great Miami River running into the Ohio, at or near which fork stood Loramie's store, and where commences the portage between the Miami of the Ohio, and St. Mary's River, which is a branch of the Miami, which runs into Lake Erie; thence, a westerly course to Fort Recovery, which stands on a branch of the Wabash; thence, South Westerly in a direct line to the Ohio, so as to intersect that river, opposite the mouth of the Kentucke, or Cuttawa river."
In addition to the tribes who signed the treaty, shortly after the council, Wayne sent messages to the band of Cherokees, settled at the headwaters of the Scioto, to come and enter into similar articles of agree- ment. Also a refractory and hostile band of sixty
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THE RISE AND PROGERSS
or seventy Shawnee warriors, under Pucksekaw, called the Jumper, came to Greenville and desired to come under the treaty, stating they were hunting at a distance, during the council, and did not know of it.
The Greenville Treaty was an epochal event in the history of the Northwest Territory. The border warfare now closed, never to be renewed, and peace was to prevail between the white and the red man for sixteen years until the outbreak of Tecumseh's con- federacy which was the prelude to the opening of the War of 1812.
But peace with the Indians was not the only result of Wayne's victory. It was a potent influence in the subsidence of British hostility to the United States as reflected in the Jay treaty. Owing to the disturbed relationship existing between the British and Americans and the non-fulfilment by England of many stipulations of the peace treaty of 1783, Washington appointed John Jay, then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, an envoy extraordinary from the United States to England. The envoy reached London in June, 1794, and began his negotiations with the ministers of his Britannic Majesty, during the days that Wayne was marching along the banks of the Maumee to the subjugation of the savage allies of England. Jay diplomatically discharged his errand and November 19th, the treaty agreed upon was signed by Lord Grenville and on June 8th, 1795, was submitted to the United States Senate for ratification. At this time the public senti- ment in America was one of extravagant admiration for the principles of the French Revolution-then at its height-and in favor of the unbridled rule of the
CHIEF LITTLE TURTLE
The Miami chief. Born on the Eel River, near Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1752. Resided in northwest Ohio most of his life. Greatest warrior among the Ohio tribes. Led the Indian forces at St. Clair's defeat and at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. Died at Fort Wayne, July 14, 1812. His Indian name as spelled in the Greenville Treaty, was Meshekinnoghquoh. An imaginary picture.
655
THE RISE AND PROGERSS
HITAUT HATTII HIHO
or Sh hoido imsill odT under Pucksekaw, callothahawiitronpail bobieste sarini ,sheibm mwstdesired to
odt is bas tsotob 2'sist .12 $6, 290tot usibal odt bel
ThatTallivrosi Don't mi bolognaroman usthat Hal sement in the history of the
ritory. The border
warfare now cios
be renewed, and peace
was to prevail between the Nite and the red man for sixteen years until the cuslireak of Tecumseh's con- federacy which was the prelude to the opening of the War of 1812.
But pears sub the Indes was not the only result of Warne's victory. It will a potent influence in the tubeafewry of British beenility to the United States as reflected In the Jay tresty Owing to the disturbed relationship as being berwere the British and Americans and the con-Wy elment by Ugland of many stipulations of the powe treaty of 1785, Washington appointed John Jay, thon Chief Justice of du Supreme Court, an envoy Extracciintry from the Way! States to England. The minvoy reached Lood June, 1794, and began bis negotiations with the wamiters of his Britannic Majowy, during the days dot Wayne was marching along The look of the Maumee to the subjugation of the savage allles of Fupland. Jay diplomatically discharged le-crmad un| November 19th, the treaty agreed upon ww lighed ly Lord Grenville and on June 8th, 1795. was ab wed to the United States Senate for ratification. At this time the public senti- ment in America wie www extravagant admiration for the principles of the French Revolution-then at ta height-and in Gyor of the unbridled rule of the
559
OF AN AMERICAN STATE
people. On the other hand the hatred of England, as representing the monarchical form of government, was intense, and her disregard of the terms of the Treaty of 1783 heightened the adverse feeling which the Americans maintained against the British, with whom war would have been welcomed by a large portion of the people. This is not the place to elaborate upon this political situation, save to say, that when the Jay Treaty was made public in the summer of 1795 there was an outburst of public denunciation of England and the treaty; popular meetings decried Washington and even demanded his impeachment and Jay was burned in effigy in cities from New England to Georgia. This political storm in the East and South was raging while the tribesmen with savage eloquence were debating peace with Wayne at Greenville. The poise and firmness of Washington, however, rode the waves of popular prejudice and stilled the tempest, and the Senate ratified the treaty on August 18th.
Concerning the terms of this famous document we have little to do. It consisted of twenty-eight articles, touching upon the disputed boundary lines, the collec- tion of the British debts, the American-European trade in the West Indies, etc. The evacuation of the American forts, still occupied by the British was the only one of the American claims definitely decided; article II stipulated: "His Majesty will withdraw all his troops and garrisons from all posts and places within the boundary lines assigned by the treaty of peace to the United States. This evacuation shall take place on or before June 1, 1796," etc. In obedience to the terms of this treaty, Fort Miami was yielded to
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THE RISE AND PROGRESS
the Americans, July 26, 1796. Fort Industry, located at the mouth of the Maumee, was erected by the orders of Wayne, after the battle of Fallen Timbers as a safeguard against Fort Miami; it was never in the possession of the British.
The hero of Fallen Timbers and the Greenville Treaty did not long survive to enjoy the honors of his triumphs. Leaving Greenville soon after the treaty, he returned to his home in Pennsylvania and was appointed commissioner to treat with the Indians of the Northwest and to take possession of all the British forts in that territory and which were surren- dered under the terms of the Jay treaty. In the autumn of 1796 after receiving the possession of Detroit, Wayne embarked on Lake Erie for home but en route was seized with a severe attack of gout and died at Erie, Pa. He was succeeded as commandant of the American army in the West by General James Wilkin- son.
Before bidding farewell to Wayne and his conquests in war and peace it is more than fitting that we linger briefly to speak finally of two of the leading chiefs with whom he came in contact. Both have been mentioned; both are illustrious on the pages of Ohio history. One was Tarhe-also written Tarke-com- monly called the Crane, from the sobriquet Le Chef Grue, given him by the French. According to the American Bureau of Ethnology, Tarhe was born at Detroit, in 1742 and early became a chief of the Porcupine Clan of the Wyandots, his native tribe. According to the same authority he fought under Cornstalk at the Battle of Point Pleasant. He took
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OF AN AMERICAN STATE
up his residence with the Ohio Wyandots, and with the history of that tribe his life is intimately associated. From data furnished the present writer by General Robert P. Kennedy, the distinguished speaker and publicist, who received his information from near relatives of Isaac Zane, we learn that Tarhe took for wife a daughter of Chevalier La Durante, a French Canadian. The attractive young woman had been made captive by the Wyandots and in due time will- ingly wedded the young chief who possessed every trait of a noble character. The only issue of this marriage was the beautiful and graceful half breed, Myeerah, called by her tribesmen the "White Crane."
We have already met with the Zanes. Robert Zane, the first of the family to emigrate to America, came over with William Penn, in 1682, settling in Pennsylvania. Robert's grandson, William, was the father of the historic five brothers, Ebenezer, Silas, Andrew, Jonathan and Isaac, and an only daughter, Elizabeth, the heroine of Fort Henry. In 1762, Isaac, then nine years of age and Jonathan, two years older, were captured by a band of Wyandots, raiding across the Ohio border. Jonathan was ransomed and returned home, but Tarhe, into whose custody Isaac had fallen, refused to give up the boy, adopting him as his son and treating him with the greatest kindness and consideration. The boy Isaac remained with his Wyandot tribe, being well content with his lot, until 1772, when he returned to Virginia and there served in the House of Burgesses. But he had become wonted to Indian life and moreover enamored of Myeerah, the beautiful French-Indian princess, four
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