USA > Ohio > Pioneer history : being an account of the first examinations of the Ohio valley, and the early settlement of the Northwest territory ; chiefly from original manuscripts > Part 4
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JOURNAL OF GIST.
read the English church service. He then says, "The In- dians seem to be well pleased, and came up to me and returned me their thanks, and then invited me to live among them," &c. They were desirous of being instructed in the principles of christianity ; that they liked me very well, and wanted me to marry them after the christian manner, and baptize their children, and then they said they would never desire to return to the French, or suffer them, or their priests, to come near them more, for they loved the English, but had seen little religion among them."
Wednesday, 26th. "This day a woman that had long been a prisoner and had deserted, being retaken and brought into the town on Christmas eve, was put to death in the following manner: They carried her without the town, and let her loose ; and when she attempted to run away, the persons appointed for that purpose pursued her and struck her on the ear on the right side of her head, which bent her flat on her face to the ground. They then struck her seve- ral times through the back with a dart, to the heart ; scalped her, and threw the scalp in the air, and another cut off her head. Thus the dismal spectacle lay until the evening, and then Barney Curran desired leave to bury her, which he and his men and some of the Indians did, just at dark."
" Friday, 4th January, 1751. One Taaf, an Indian trader, came to town from near lake Erie, and informed us that the Wyandots had advised him to keep clear of the Oute- was, (a nation firmly attached to the French, living near the lakes,) and told him that the branches of the lakes were claimed by the French, but that all the branches of the Ohio belonged to them and their brothers, the English, and that the French had no business there, and that it was expected that the other part of the Wyandots would desert the French and come over to the English interest, and join their breth- ren in the Elk Eye creek, and build a strong fort and town there."
" Wednesday, 9th. This day came into town two traders
29
JOURNAL OF GIST.
froma mong the Piquatinces, (a tribe of the Tawightwis,) and brought news that another English trader was taken prisoner by the French, and that three French soldiers had deserted and come over to the English, and surrendered themselves to some of the traders of the Picktown, and that the Indians would have put them to death to revenge their taking our traders ; but as the French had surrendered themselves to the English, they would not let the Indians hurt them, but had ordered them to be sent under the care of three of our traders, and delivered at this town to George Croghan."
George Croghan was some years after deputy Indian agent to Sir William Johnson, but seems now to have been at the head of a party of traders. He and Andrew Mon- tour, an influential man among the Delawares and Shaw- anees Indians, accompanied Mr. Gist in his visit to the Indian town at the mouth of the Scioto, and to the towns on the Big Miami-being of great service to him in his intercourse with the tribes which he visited.
" Saturday, 12th. Proposed a council - postponed - In- dians drunk."
" Monday, 14th. This day George Croghan, by the assis- tance of Andrew Montour, acquainted the king and council of this nation, (presenting them with four strings of wam- pum,) that their Roggony, (father,) had sent, under the care of the governor of Virginia, their brother, a large present of goods, which were now landed safe in Virginia, and that the governor had sent me to invite them to come and see him, and partake of their father's charity to all his children on the branches of the Ohio." In answer to which, one of the chiefs stood up and said that their king and all of them thanked their brother, the governor of Virginia, for his care, and me for bringing them the news ; but that they could not give an answer until they had a full or general council of the several nations of Indians, which could not be until next
30
JOURNAL OF GIST.
spring ; and so the king and council shaking hands with us, we took our leave."
" Tuesday, 15th. We left Muskingum and went west five miles to the White woman's creek, on which is a small town. This white woman was taken away from New Eng- land, when she was not above ten years old, by the French Indians. She is now upwards of fifty -has an Indian husband and several children. Her name is Mary Harris. She still remembers they used to be very religious in New England ; and wonders how the white men can be so wicked as she has seen them in these woods."
"Wednesday, 16th. Set out S. W. twenty-five miles to Licking creek. The land from Muskingum is rich and bro- ken. Upon the north side of Licking creek, about six miles from its mouth, were several salt licks, or ponds formed by little streams or drains of water, clear, but of a blueish color, and salt taste. The traders and Indians boil their meat in this water, which, if proper care is not taken, will sometimes make it too salt to eat."
Leaving Licking creek, he traveled west and south west; and on Saturday, the 19th, arrived at Hockhocking, a small town of four or five Delaware families ; and on Sunday he traveled south west twenty miles to Maguck, a little Del- aware town of about ten families. This town is near the Scioto. "24th- went south fifteen miles, to a town called ' Hurricane Tom's'-town on the south west of Scioto creek, consisting of five or six families." "25th-went down on south east side of the creek, four miles to Salt Lick creek." Traveled twenty-eight miles, and arrived on Sunday at a Delaware town of about twenty families, on south east side of the Scioto. Here he remained a few days, held a coun- cil, and some Indian speeches were made. He says this is the last of the Delaware towns to the westward. "The Delaware Indians, by the best accounts I could gather, con- sist of about five hundred fighting men, all firmly at- tached to the English interest. They are not properly a
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JOURNAL OF GIST.
part of the six nations, but are scattered about among most of the Indians on the Ohio, and some of them among the six nations, from whom they have leave to hunt upon their land." "Tuesday, 28th -set out five miles to mouth of Scioto creek, opposite to the Shawnee town. Here we fired our guns to alarm the traders, who soon answered, and came and ferried us over. The Shawnee town is situated on both sides of the Ohio, just below the mouth of Scioto creek, and contains about three hundred men. There are about forty houses on the south side of the river, and about a hundred on the north side, with a kind of state house, about ninety feet long, with a tight cover of bark, in which they hold their councils. The Shawanees are not a part of the six nations, but were formerly at variance with them, though now reconciled. They are great friends to the English in- terest. Big Hanoahausa, their principal speaker, replied in a good speech, and " hoped that the friendship, now subsisting between us and our brothers, will last as long as the sun shines or the moon gives light."
While Mr. Gist was at this town, an extraordinary festi- val took place, which he describes as follows : "In the evening a proper officer made a public proclamation, that all the Indian marriages were dissolved, and a public feast was to be held for the three succeeding days, in which the women, as their custom was, were to choose again their husbands." "The next morning early the Indians break- fasted, and after, spent the day dancing until the evening ; when a plentiful feast was prepared. After feasting they spent the night in dancing. The same way they spent the two next days until the evening. The men dancing by them- selves, and then the women in turns, around fires, and danc- ing in their manner and in the form of the figure eight, about sixty or seventy of them at a time. The women, the whole time they danced, sung a song in their language, the chorus of which was,
32
JOURNAL OF GIST.
" I am not afraid of my husband, I will choose what man I please.
The third day, in the evening, the men, being about one hundred in number, danced in a long string, following one an other, sometimes at length, at other times in a figure of eight, quite around the fort, and in and out of the long house where they held their council, the women standing together as the men danced by them, and as any of the women liked a man passing by, she stepped in and joined in the dance, taking hold of the man's shroud or blanket, whom . she chose, and then continued in the dance until the rest of the women stepped in and made their choice in the same manner, after which the dance ended, and they all retired to consummate."
Tuesday, February 12th. Mr. Gist, in company with George Croghan, Andrew Montour and Robert Kallen- der, set out for the Indian town on the Miami, and arrived on Sunday to the Big Miami river, opposite to the Tawightwi town." "This town is situated on the north west side of the river, about one hundred and fifty miles from the mouth thereof. It consists of about four hundred families, and is daily increasing. It is accounted one of the strongest Indian towns upon this part of the con- tinent. The Tawightwi are a very numerous people, con- sisting of many different tribes, under the same form of government. Each tribe has a particular chief; one of which is chosen indifferently out of any tribe, to rule the whole nation, and is invested with greater authority than any of the others. They are accounted the most powerful nation westward of the English settlements, and much supe- rior to the six nations, with whom they are now in amity."
At this town they remained some time. The following are extracts from the marginal notes : "Big Miami river, land very rich - variety of timber, abundance of game. Ohio abounds in fish - smokes the pipe of peace-is kind- ly received by the Tawigthwi king. By the aid of Croghan
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THE SHAWANEES.
and Montour, with several presents, articles of peace and amity were drawn up and ratified between this nation and the English, notwithstanding the exertions of four Indian agents of the French, who also brought presents to the king. After this was accomplished, he returned to the mouth of the Scioto, and from thence passed down the Ohio river, on the south east side, to within a few miles of the falls. From thence returned home by way of North Carolina, and arrived there in May, 1751 - being absent on this tour more than six months.
General Harrison, a man familiar with the history of the western tribes, in his discourse before the Historical Society of Ohio, says that the Shawanee tribe were originally na- tives of Alabama, or the country south of the Tennessee, and were driven out from their possessions by their ene- mies about the year 1740, or near the middle of the eighteenth century. They applied for protection and a home among the tribes on the Miami were accepted, and given possession of lands on the Scioto river. They would the more readily have been accepted, as friends and allies, from being at war with tribes who had for many years been their enemies, as it is well known that battles were often fought between the tribes living north of the Ohio, and those inhabiting the country south of that river. The Shawanees were a very warlike and brave people, being considered the Spartans of the western tribes; from which it seems probable that they had lived only a few years at the mouth of the Scioto. Not long after Gist's visit, they left the mouth of that river and established themselves higher up the stream, and on the waters of the Miami, building towns, known by the name of Old and New Chil- licothe. They were steady friends of the English, until the period of Dunmore's war, in 1774; after which, finding the whites bent on dispossessing them of their lands, they became their most inveterate and formidable enemy. At the period of signing the treaty with General Wayne, 3
34
WASHINGTON APPOINTED COMMISSIONER
when all the other tribes had ceased to resist, they still con- tinued to harass the frontiers of Virginia and Kentucky with war parties, being the first to wage war and the last to make peace.
After the return of Mr. Gist, the Ohio company proceed- ed to take possession of their lands on the Ohio river, by erecting a trading house at Logstown, an Indian village below the forks of the river. This establishment the French attacked and destroyed in 1753-" seizing their goods and skins to the amount of £20,000, and killing all.the traders but two, who made their escape"-thus showing their de- termination to make good their threat, of not suffering any traders but their own, within their territory. *
" In the summer and fall of the same year, accounts were received that a considerable French force had arrived at Presque Isle, on their way to the Ohio. In October of that year, George Washington was selected as a messen- ger to proceed by the way of Logstown to the French com- mandant, wherever he might be found, to demand informa- tion as to the object of the French troops."
Washington, accompanied by Mr. Gist, left Williams- burgh, in Virginia, immediately, and reached the present site of Pittsburgh, about the 23d of November, 1753. He examined the point, and thought it a favorable position for a fort. "He then proceeded to Logstown, and from thence to the French commandant at Le Beouf, from whom he re- ceived a very unsatisfactory reply."
Immediately after Washington's return to Williams- burgh, arrangements were made to send out two com- panies of men to the Ohio, and erect a fort at the forks of
* It is doubtful whether this statement is correct. Washington's Journal, of 1753, makes no reference to it. A fort erected by English traders, on the Great Miami, was destroyed by the French and Indians in 1752. Extracts from the papers of the day, relative to it, are before us; but the papers say nothing of the attack of 1753. (Hist. Soc.)
35
FORT DU QUESNE BUILT.
the river. A full account of this journey is published in the notes to Marshall's Life of Washington, vol. 2d.
" One company, under Captain Trent, being first ready, commenced their march and reached their destination. Be- fore their arrival, it seems the French had already built a fort at Logstown,* as the following extract from the records at Harrisburgh will show : 815722
" March 12, 1754. Evidence sent to the house that Ve- nango and Logstown, where the French forts are built, are in the province of Pennsylvania." From the history of that period it seems that Virginia and Pennsylvania both laid claim to this disputed territory. "On the 17th of April, 1754, the troops under Captain Trent were engaged in erecting a fort near the junction of the rivers. The Cap- tain and Lieutenant being absent, Ensign Ward had the command of the company, consisting of forty-one men.
" The fort was still unfinished when, on that memorable day, the 17th of April, Monsieur Contracour made his ap- pearance on the Allegheny river at the head of sixty bat- teaux, three hundred canoes, and a motley host of more than a thousand French and Indians, with eighteen pieces of cannon.
" Ensign Ward, after a short parley, surrendered his un- finished stockade, and was allowed to march away with his men and all their working tools." This transaction has always been viewed as the beginning of the war which followed, and finally deprived France of her possessions in North America. "The new occupants immediately proceed- ed to the erection of a fort, which they named Du Quesne, in honor of the then Governor general of Canada."- Extract from Craig's Notes on Pittsburgh.
Colonel Frye, who had command of the troops sent out by Virginia, having died on the way, Lieutenant Colonel
* This is, also, doubtful. See George Croghan's Journal of January and February, 1754, in Hist. of Wm. Penn. Appx. p. 50. (Hist. Soc.)
36
COPY OF CAPITULATION.
Washington took charge of them. The retreating com- pany of men fell in with the advancing forces at a place called the Great Meadows, on the heads of the Yohiogany river. It was at this place that Fort Necessity was built, and the celebrated capitulation of the Virginia troops, to Villiers, the commander of the French army, took place. A very old copy of the articles signed by Washington, on this occasion, fell under our notice a short time since. The Hon. William Woodbridge, senator from Michigan, lives near Detroit. An aged Frenchman, of that place, had oc- casion to consult him, as a lawyer, on a title to some lands. Being directed to show all the old manuscripts he had in his possession, among them was this old relic, which he said had been in the family a long time ; but being an ignorant man, could give no account of its origin. It is written on the coarse paper of that early day, and in the ancient French characters. The following is a copy of the original, with a translation by L. Soyer, Esq., and is deemed worthy of preservation by the Historical Society :
Capitulation accordée par M. de Villiers Captaine Com- mandant des Troupes de Sa Majesté tres chretienne, a celui des Troupes Anglaises, actuellement dans le fort de Neces- sité qui avoit èté construit sur les terres du Domaine du Roy.
Le 3e Juillet, 1754, a huit heures du Soir.
Scavoir.
Comme notre intention n'a jamais êté de troubler la paix et la bonne harmonie qui regnoit entre les deux princes amis, mais seulement de venger l'assasinat qui a êté fait sur un de nos officiers porteur d'úne sommation, et sur son escorte ; comme aussi d'empêcher aucun établissement sur les terres du Roy mon maitre.
A ces considerations nous voulons bien acorder grace à tous les Anglais qui sont dans le dit fort aux conditions cy apres :
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COPY OF CAPITULATION.
ART. 1.
Nous accordons au commandant Anglais de se retirer avec toute sa garnison pour s'en retourner paisiblement dans son pays, et lui promettons d'empêcher qu'il lui soit fait aucune insulte par nos Français, et de maintenir, autant qu'il sera en notre pouvoir, tous les sauvages qui sont avec nous.
ART. 2.
Il lui sera permis de sortir, et d'emporter tout ce qui leur appartiendra, à l'exception de l'artillerie, que nous nous réservons.
ART. 3.
Que nous leur accordons les honneurs de la guerre ; qu'ils sortiront tambour battant avec une petite piéce de canon, voulant bien par-là leur prouver que nous les traitons en amis.
ART. 4.
Que si-tôt les articles signés de part et d'autre, ils améne- ront le pavillon Anglais.
ART. 5.
Que demain à la pointe du jour un détachement Français ira faire defiler la garnison et prendre possession du dit fort.
ART. 6.
Que comme les Anglais n'ont presque plus de chevaux ni bœufs, ils seront libres de mettre leurs effets en cache pour venir chercher lorsqu'ils auront rejoint des che- vaux ; ils pourront à cette fin laisser des gardiens, en tel nombre qu'ils vondront, aux conditions qu'ils donneront parole d'honneur de ne plus travailler à aucun etablisse- ment dans ce lieu-ci, ni deça de la hauteur des terres, pendant une année à compter de ce jour.
ART. 7.
Que comme les Anglais ont en leur pouvoir un officier, deux cadets; et généralement les prisonniers qu'ils nous ont faits dans l'assassinat du Sieur de Jumonville, et qu'ils pro- mettent de les envoyer avec sauvegarde jusqu'au Fort Du-
.
38
TRANSLATION.
quesne, situé sur la Belle-Rivière ; et que pour sureté de cet article, ainsi que de ce traité Messrs. Jacob Vanbraam et Robert Stobo, tous deux capitaines, nous seront remis en ôtage jusqu'à l'arrivée de nos Français et Canadiens ci-des- sus mentionnés.
Nous nous obligeons de notre coté a donner escorte pour remettre en sureté les deux officiers, qui nous promettent nos Français dans deux mois et demi pour le plus tard.
Fait double sur un des postes de notre Blockhouse le jour, et an que dessus.
Ont signé Messieurs. Jannes Mackay, George Washing- ton, Coullon Villiers.
Translation.
Capitulation, granted by M. de Villiers, commanding captain of the troops of his most Christian Majesty to those of the English troops now in the fort of Necessity, which had been built upon the grounds of the King's domain, the 3d July, 1754, at eight o'clock in the evening, to wit:
As our intention never has been to disturb the peace and harmony which existed between the two friendly princes, but only to avenge the murder which has been committed upon one of our officers, bearer of a summons, and upon his guard, as well also to prevent any settlement upon the domains of the king, my master.
Upon these considerations, we are willing to give favor to all the English who are in said fort, upon the conditions hereafter expressed.
ART. 1.
We permit the English commander to withdraw, with all his garrison, to go back peaceably to his country, and we engage, on our part, to prevent that any insult should be committed upon him by our Frenchmen, and to hinder as much as will be in our power all the savages who are with us.
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TRANSLATION.
ART. 2.
He will be permitted to withdraw and carry away all that belongs to them, with the exception of the artillery, which we reserve for ourselves.
ART. 3.
That we accord them the honors of war; that they will go out, drum beating, with a small cannon, wishing by that to prove to them that we treat them as friends.
ART. 4.
That as soon as the articles are signed on both sides, they will bring the English flag.
ART. 5.
That to-morrow at the break of day a French detach- ment will go to cause the garrison to file off, and take pos- session of said fort.
ART. 6.
That as the English have scarcely any horses or oxen left, they will be at liberty to hide, or secrete their goods, so that they may carry them away, when they have obtained horses ; to this end they will be permitted to leave guards in such number as they think proper, upon condition that they will give parol of honor, that they will not labor at any settlement in this place, nor beyond the high grounds, for one year, to commence from this day.
ART. 7.
That as the English have in their power an officer and two cadets, and generally the prisoners which they have made at the time of the murder of Sir de Jumonville, and that they engage to send them with safe guard to Fort Du Quesne, situated upon the beautiful river, (Ohio) therefore, for the security of this article, as well as of this treaty, Messrs. Jacob Vanbraan and Robert Stobo, both captains, will be given us as hostages, until the arrival of our French men and Canadians, as above mentioned. We oblige
40
-
MARCH AGAINST BRADDOCK.
ourselves on our part to give escort and return in safety the two officers who promised us our Frenchmen, in two months and a half at the furthest.
Made duplicate upon one of the posts of our block house, the day and year as above stated.
Have signed, Messrs. Jannes Mackay, George Washing- ton, Coullon Villiers.
The numerous bloody tragedies which were acted in the vicinity of Fort Du Quesne, while it remained in the hands of the French, from April 17, 1754, to November 24, 1758, being already well known to history, will be omitted, it being the object of the writer to treat only of such events as are unrecorded, or contained in books that are out of print, or difficult of access to the public. Before quitting the history of this interesting spot while it remained in the hands of the French, Mr. Craig's account of the perplexity of the commander, and how near he came to abandoning the fort on the near approach of Gen. Braddock, without making any defence, is well worth preserving; and shows on how trifling a pivot may turn the fate of armies.
"On the 5th of July, 1755, intelligence had been brought, by their scouts, that Braddock with his disciplined and for- midable army was approaching. Fort Du Quesne was only a stockade, incapable of resisting, even for an hour, the lightest field pieces. At this crisis, when it seems the commandant had abandoned all thought of resistance, Capt. Beaujeu, a bold and enterprising spirit, well suited to such an emergency, proposed to take a detachment of French and Indians, and meet Braddock on his march. The consent of the Indians to accompany him was first to be obtained. The captain is represented to have been a man of great affability of manners, and very popular amongst the In- dians. He went amongst them, explained his plan, and urged them to go with him. They pronounced it a hopeless one, and refused peremptorily to go. A second time he
41
BRADDOCK'S DEFEAT.
applied to them, and urged them to hold a council on the subject. They did so, and again refused to go. Still not despairing, Capt. Beaujeu again went among them, used all his arts of persuasion, told them that he was determined to go, and asked them whether they would permit him to go alone to meet the enemy. This appeal proved success- ful. They agreed to accompany him. This was on the 7th of July, 1755, and they had information that Braddock was only eighteen miles distant. That day and the next were spent in making preparations, and early on the morn- ing of the 9th the united forces of French and Indians de- parted on a seemingly utterly hopeless expedition. Along with Beaujeu were two other captains, Dumas and Lignery, four lieutenants, six ensigns and two cadets. Various esti- mates are given of the force of the French and Indians. The highest sets them at two hundred and fifty French and Canadians and six hundred and forty Indians ; the lowest at two hundred and fifteen white men and six hundred In- dians. The result of the action all know. Braddock was killed, and his army suffered a terrible defeat," to which nothing can be compared but that of St. Clair, in 1792. " The brave Beaujeu fell at the first fire, and the victory was achieved under the command of Capt. Dumas."
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