USA > Ohio > The Revolution on the Upper Ohio, 1775-1777 > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20
34 Although then but a youth, Henry Bowyer took part in Dunmore's War, and was wounded at the Battle of Point Pleasant. He afterwards enlisted in the Revolutionary cav- alry under Col. William Washington. Becoming a prominent citizen of Botetourt County, he was clerk of its courts, 1791- 1831, and died in 1833 .- ED.
35 Mrs. Fleming was a sister of Col. William Christian; for their son see Dunmore's War, p. 182, note 27 .- ED.
2
18
REVOLUTION ON UPPER OHIO
Dunmore, under the command of Maj. John Connolly, promising to return in the spring and complete the treaty with the Indians, that had been begun at Camp Charlotte.36 Twelve Mingo prisoners were left in confinement in the fort, while the Shawnee hostages accompanied the governor to Williamsburgh. But by the spring of 1775 the American Revolutionary inovement had gained such force in Virginia that the governor was unable to revisit the frontiers, or treat further with the Indian tribes.
Meanwhile the boundary difficulty between Virginia and Pennsylvania reached an acute stage, each colony claimed jurisdiction of the forks of the Ohio, and re- prisals were alternately made upon the magistrates of each colony. Affairs reached such a state of confu- sion that in July the delegates of both colonies, assem- bled in Continental Congress at Philadelphia, ad- dressed a friendly letter to the inhabitants west of Laurel Hill, advising them to lay aside their unhappy differences and co-operate for the defense of Ameri- can liberties. 37
West Augusta, Virginia, organized at Pittsburgh, May 16, a committee of correspondence to keep in touch with a standing committee of seven members to care for American interests in that part of the country, and sent delegates to the two Virginia conventions in March and July. The same day Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, organized at Hannastown, and
36 Ibid., pp. 301-306, 386 .- ED.
87 This letter is found in Amer. Archives, 4th series, ii, P. 1723 .- ED.
19
AT FORT PITT
subscribed to the Association.38 Although the bound- ary difference was not settled until 1780, the patriots of both colonies seem to have suspended their animosi- ties in the common struggle for liberty.
Although American born, Major Connolly adhered to the Royalist side. In February he visited Will- iamsburgh 3? and had a conference with Dunmore, who instructed him to secure the Indians for the king, and induce them to espouse His Majesty's cause. On his return to Fort Pitt, Connolly sent runners to the Dela- ware towns, inviting the chiefs to come in and receive the prisoners and such messages as might be sent them by the royal governor. Sometime in June the Delaware chiefs and a few of the Mingo visited Pittsburgh. According to Connolly's own report they gave assurances that they would support the king, and in comfirmation thereof received presents and a belt of wampum. Connolly intimates that he outwitted the patriot faction, who were led to approve his negotiations with the Indians without understand- ing their purport.40 To a neighboring magistrate he admitted that, to secure a confirmation of his lands, 41 he was planning to take White Eyes, the Delaware chief, to England.
38 Ibid., pp. 613-615 .- ED.
39 See his letter to Washington, dated "Winchester, Febr. 9th, 1775," in S. M. Hamilton, Letters to Washington (Boston, 1902), v, p. 101 .- ED.
40 "A Narrative of the Transactions, Imprisonment and Suf- ferings of John Connolly, an American Loyalist and Lieuten- ant Colonel in His Majesty's Service," in Pennsylvania Maga- zine of History and Biography, xii, pp. 315, 316. See the re- port at the Treaty of Pittsburgh, post .- ED.
41 Letter of Arthur St. Clair, July 12, 1775, in Pennsylvania Archives, iv, p. 637 .- ED.
20
REVOLUTION ON UPPER OHIO
In July Connolly, still acting on the governor's or- ders, disbanded the garrison at Pittsburgh, and ac- companied by three Indian chiefs made his way to- ward Williamsburgh, and joined Dunmore, then on board of a British man-of-war off York.
The final session of the Virginia House of Bur- gesses took into consideration the necessity of quiet- ing the Indians on the frontier,42 and appointed Thomas Walker, James Wood,. Andrew Lewis, John Walker, and Adam Stephen43 commissioners to ratify a peace with the tribesmen. James Wood was chosen to visit the Indian towns and give notice of a confer- ence to be held at Pittsburgh in September. 44
42 Amer. Archives, 4th series, ii, p. 1209 .- ED.
43 For sketches of these Virginians see Dunmore's War, pp. 191, 242, 426-428. Col. John Walker was a son of Dr. Thomas Walker. Born in Albemarle in 1744, he served in the Revolu- tion, was captured by the British, and later served as United States senator from Virginia by appointment (May-December, 1790). He died in 1809 .- ED.
44 James Wood was the son of a colonel of the same name, who served with Washington in the French and Indian War, and founded the Virginia town of Winchester. Born in 1750, James the younger served as captain in Dunmore's division in 1774; the following year, after the suspension of the House of Burgesses, of which he was a member from Frederick County, he made a hazardous journey to the Indian towns. See his journal, post. In 1776 he became colonel of the 8th Virginia regiment, and serving through the war, retired with the rank of brigadier-general. In 1789, he was one of the presidential electors, and from 1796-99 was governor of his state. Noted for his philanthropy and anti-slavery principles, he died at his home in Winchester in 1813 .- ED.
21
VIRGINIA'S PREPARATIONS
VIRGINIA ARMS
[Thomas Lewis to Col. William Preston. 4QQ29 -A. L. S.]
RICHD. Augt. 19th 1775.
Dear Sir-Tho I wrote to you two Days Since least miscarriage should Happen I have now Set Down to write you or rather to repeat the Same thing to you that I mentioned before -- - yours of the 8th & thirteen July Came to hand, but the last too late to be before hand with the Fincastle Petition however they were both presented on the Same Day.45 A Committee was appointed to Consider the matter, their report was not made till ye 15th of the present month & is as Followeth "The Committee to whom the Petitions of the Committee & Surveyor, of Fincastle, & a proclamation of Ld. Dunmore Dated the Sth May 1775, were refered have had the Same under their Consideration & Came to ye Following Resolutions
Resolved that untill the Committee appointed by the Convention in March last, to Enquire whether the King may of Right advance the terms of Granting Lands in this Colony, Shall have made their report, the recommendation then made, that all persons should forbear to purchase or Accept Grants of Land under the late Instructions from the Govr. be observed & that in the mean time, all Surveyors be & they are hereby Directed to make no Surveys under the Said Instructions, nor pay any regard to the Said procla- mation."
45 For these petitions see Amer. Archives, 4th series, iii, p. 367 .- ED. , 1
22
REVOLUTION ON UPPER OHIO
I Showed your Exculpatory Letter to ye Leading members, no blame was laid or attempted to be Charged on you. The Committee of last march being otherwise Engaged, had not reported, & could not do it now for want of Some Original papers & Char- ters that Could not be obtained at present, but it is to be hoped they will attend to this matter Soon as to what passes here it is difficult to Say with Certainty not an Ordinance is yet Compleated. a variety lof opinions retards this Buissiness. 1000 regulars are voted to be, Divided into two Regiments, the Com- mander Colo. Henry of the first Wm Woodford of the other, Wm. Christian (of whose military powers much have been Said here) is first L. Colº. & one Scott ye Second, one Eps & Spotswood majors S000 minuit men in 16 Batalions are to trained & paid for the time of training 425 for posts on the Fron- tiers viz 200 at Pitsburg# 25 at Wheeling. 100 at ye
46 August 7, the convention resolved that "John Neavill be directed to march with his Company of one hundred men, and take possession of Fort Pitt, and that the said Company be in the pay of this Colony from the time of their marching."
Capt. John Neville was born in Virginia in 1731. He served with Washington on Braddock's expedition, and afterwards settled in Winchester, where he acted as sheriff. Having large landed interests in the neighborhood of Pittsburgh, he made his home on Chartier's Creek, and was a delegate chosen by the West Augusta people to represent them in the Virginia Convention (1774) ; through illness, however, lie was unable to attend. The company that he marched to Pittsburgh were largely Frederick County militia. Neville remained in com- mand until June, 1777. Being then made colonel of the 4th Virginia continental regiment, he served throughout the Revo- lution in the Eastern department. After the war he returned to his Western home, being chosen member of the supreme ex- ecutive council of Pennsylvania. He was inspector of revenue at the time of the Whiskey Rebellion (1794), during which dis-
23
VIRGINIA'S PREPARATIONS
point 100 for Fincastele, these last & very Deservedly have met with oposition, many Schemes of Jobing may be Discovered here but this is no new thing- resolves are entred into for ye Encouragement of making Saltpeter, Sulphur [and] Gunpowder The Delegates to ye Gen1 Congress that meet next month are Pay[ton]. Randolph, B. Harrison, R. H. Lee, T. Jefferson, T. Nelson, F L Lee, Gº Wythe. A Committee of Safety who are to answer to the Execu- tive part of Govmt Consisting of 11 persons are ap- pointed visz. Ed Pendelton, Go Mason, Jnº Page, Richd Bland, F. L. Lee, Paul Carrinton, Dudley Diggs, Wm Cable [Cabell], Carter Braxton, James Mercer, Jnº Tabb. An Ordinance is in great for- wardness for paying off last years Expenses. our proportion of the Continental army to ye 1th [first] Janr. 150 000, ye Regulars minute men militia &c &c &c will leave us at ye End of the year in a Debt not easily Discharged, I perhaps put it too much in my former Letter, it however will be very Great, The Colony [ies] are by Congress Divided into three Dis- tricts for ye Conveniency of treating with the Indians & Gentlemen appointed for that purpose.41 Carlton
turbance his house was sacked and he subjected to much vio- lence. He died on Montour's Island in 1803 .- ED.
47 July 12th, 1775, the Continental Congress determined to organize three departments for Indian affairs, of which the Pittsburgh and Western Virginia region constituted the cen- tral. The next day commissioners were chosen for that de- partment in the persons of Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, and James Wilson. In September following, Lewis Morris was appointed in the place of Franklin, who was unable to attend, to conduct the treaty at Pittsburgh; and Dr. Thomas Walker was chosen in the place of Patrick Henry, who de- clined the commissionership. These three congressional com-
24
REVOLUTION ON UPPER OHIO
has been Labouring with the Canadians to assist him in Disstressing the Coloneys but has not been very Successfull, there is great reason to believe the New Englanders under Gen1 Schuyler is in possession of Montreal, & Niagra by this time, the Canadians are Said to wish this, if so it will be an Easy Acquisition as Carlton has not above 600 troops to opose to our army, however this may be, you may depend an Army attempts it.
as to other news ye paper will Inform you all I can say, I wis[h] you all Hapiness & am Dr Sir Your most Humble Sert
THOS LEWIS 48
monday 21th The Ordinance for the regular troops the minit men & militia passed as well as that for Seteling the Articles of War passed this day & was Despatched to ye press An Ordinance for a Committee of Safety, And one for regulating various Elections will be Completed this Day & to morrow One for paying of Last years Excise & raising or striking money & the means of Sinking the Same is in Some forwardness. it is to be hoped this week will put an End to this Session of which (between [us]) I am heartily Sick
To Col. William Preston
missioners (Wilson, Morris, and Walker) proceeded to Pitts- burgh, where, in connection with the delegates chosen by Vir- ginia for the same purpose they conducted the required nego- tiations .- ED.
48 For a brief biographical sketch of Thomas Lewis see Dunmore's War, p. 312, note 30 .- ED.
25
TREATY WITH WESTERN INDIANS
TREATY AT PITTSBURGH, 1775
[Original Ms. in possession of Dr. William C. Rives, Wash- ington, D. C., a descendant of Dr. Thomas Walker.]40
At a meeting of the Commissioners Appointed by the Honorable the Convention of the Colony of Vir- ginia for holding a Treaty with the Western Indians
49 The following complete text of the treaty negotiations at Pittsburgh in the autumn of 1775, is furnished us by the cour- tesy of Dr. William Cabell Rives, of Washington, D. C., into whose possession the manuscript came with others belonging to Dr. Thomas Walker, from whom he is directly descended. Dr. Walker was the chairman of the Virginia treaty commis- sion, and one of the three congressional commissioners. He appears to have been entrusted with the full minutes of the treaty, also with James Wood's diary of his journey to sum- mon the tribesmen thither. The report of the treaty does not appear to have before been printed in its entirety. In 1847 Lyman C. Draper visited Castle Hill, the ancestral home of the Walker-Rives family in Albemarle County, and was per- mitted by the then owner to inspect this manuscript, which he found "very neatly written and having the autograph signatures of the Virginia commissioners."-Draper MSS., 5C28. Draper made copious extracts.
John J. Jacobs, author of Biographical Sketch of Captain Michael Cresap (Cumberland, 1826), was in possession of a copy of the manuscript minutes of this treaty, furnished him by John Madison, secretary of the Virginia commissioners. The excerpts which Jacobs made for his work (pp. 69-71) are all that have been published therefrom. The present cditors, noting Draper's citation from the original document, entered into correspondence with the Rives family, and found that they had preserved this important manuscript entire, and in the condition that Draper found it in 1847. Dr. Rives exercised the greatest care that the transcript should be exact in every particular, and has shown much interest in its present publi- cation. He also informs us that Mrs. William C. Rives, in "A Tale of our Ancestors," published in her book, Tales and Sou- venirs of a Residence in Europe (1842), uses the names of several Indian chiefs, which she doubtless obtained from the original of this manuscript. The editors consider themselves fortunate in being able to place before their readers the full text of a negotiation fraught with such consequences to the Revolution in the West .- ED.
26
REVOLUTION ON UPPER OHIO
September the Twelfth One Thousand Seven Hun- dred and Seventy five.
The Indians not being Arrived and the Commis- sioners being Informed they were [on] their Road thought proper to dispatch Mr John Gibson50 with the Indian Allaniwisica with the following talk to meet and hasten them
Young Brothers Cheifs and Wariors of the diffen- ent Tribes of Indians on your Way to the Treaty at Fort Pitt We the Commissioners of the Long Knife sent to treat with you our Brothers to the Westward have been Waiting at Pittsburgh the place we Ap- pointed several days and are very impatient to see you we have sent John Gibson and our Young Brother Allaniwisica51 to meet you on your Road to desire you will come up as soon as you can that we may see you and brighten the Chain of Freindship which we both now have hold of we have many good things to say to you when we meet and shall send Provisions to meet you at Logs Town52 Should
50 For a brief sketch of Gibson, see Dunmore's War, p. II, note 19 .- ED.
61 Probably the same Indian as the one more frequently called Elinipisco, a son of Cornstalk, who participated in Dun- more's War. In November, 1777, he visited Fort Randolph, where his father was already in custody, and was killed by a mob of vengeful frontiersmen .- ED.
52 Logstown was an important Indian site, about eighteen miles below Pittsburgh, on the right bank of the river. Its French name was Chiningué, Anglicized as Shenango. This was originally a Shawnee village, but gradually became a large mixed town-an important trading site. Conrad Weiser made a treaty here in 1748; in consequence whereof the French expedition under Céloron, the following year, found the vil- lage chiefly in the English interest. Croghan also, in 1751, traded and treated here. Washington stopped at Logstown
27
TREATY WITH WESTERN INDIANS
you have heard E[vil] Reports from any person we desire you will not beleive them but be Assured our hearts are good towards you A String of White Wampum
September 15th, At a Meeting of the Commissioners as well those Appointed by the Honorable the Con- tinential Congress as those Appointed by the Colony of Virginia Thomas Walker Esqr in the Chair
A string of Wampum and Talk was delivered from the White Mingo33 to the Commissioners by Cap" James Wood one of the Virginia Commissioners who received it from Mr. Dorsey Penticost54 by whom it was sent importing that he had been shot at by two Men in long white hunting Shirts near the Mouth of Pine Creek55 with an Intention as he Imagined to kill him that being greatly alarmed and Supposing all the Indians near this place were Murdered he kept himself hid that day and Night in the Woods
on his embassy of 1753; but by the following year the French had gained complete ascendency. They built for the In- dians a village of log huts, where, in 1758, Post succeeded in gaining a hearing for the English cause. After the fall of Fort Duquesne (1758) this village was abandoned, but Pon- tiac's conspiracy being ended, its former possessors gradually came back for trade. John Gibson had his chief trading house at this site. and Washington mentions it in the diary of his journey in 1770. By 1784 the site was abandoned. It is now part of Economy township .- ED.
53 White Mingo was a Seneca chief, who lived not far above Pittsburgh on the Allegheny. His signature appeared on Bouquet's treaty (1764), and he died before 1777 .- ED.
54 For a brief biographical sketch of Dorsey Pentecost see Dunmore's War, p. 101, note 47.
55 Pine Creek flows into the Allegheny from the northwest, where the town of Sharpsburg now stands .- ED.
28
REVOLUTION ON UPPER OHIO
where finding all things Quiet he Ventured to his Camp and finding his family safe went to Colº Crog- hans 56 from where he sent the String and talk
Resolved that Cap" James Wood Mr. John Walker Mr. George Morgan and Mr. Lewis Morris take with them Simon Girty and John Montour for Interpre- ters57 and visit the White Mingo that they go with him to the Place where he says he was shot at and report to this Meeting whatever they can discover concerning this Affair Resolved that a String of White Wampum and the following talk be delivered the White Mingo by the above Mentioned Gentlemen
Brother the White Mingo We have heard with very great Greif and concern your Message informing us that the day before Yesterday you were shot at by two Men in long White hunting Shirts they must have been very bad People indeed you know there are some such in all Nations but you ought not to
56 For a brief sketch of Col. George Croghan see Dunmore's War, p. 7, note 12 .- ED.
57 For a brief sketch of Simon Girty see Ibid., p. 152, note. 4.
John Montour was the son of Andrew, the famous half- breed interpreter who accompanied Weiser and Washington on their Western journeys and who was captain in the French and Indian War. John's mother was the granddaughter of the Delaware chief Olumpias, and in her right he was con- sidered a Delaware chief. He was born in 1744, probably near Pittsburgh. When twelve years of age his father took him to Philadelphia, where he was educated at the expense of the state. He was with Dunmore in 1774, and adhered to the colonists' cause during the Revolution, although his fidelity was more than once doubted. In 1782 Montour received a captain's commission, and as late as 1789 was living on Montour's island. This island. now known as Neville, is five miles below Pittsburgh; it is five miles in length, the largest of the islands in the upper river .- ED.
29
TREATY WITH WESTERN INDIANS
judge of the Sentiments and Conduct of your Brothers the White People from those of a few Wretches among them we will do every thing in our Power to discover who have done this very Wicked Act We will offer a very large Reward for finding them out and bringing them to us and so soon as they shall be found we will take Care that they be imprisoned and Otherwise Punished as they Ought to be They must have been Enemies to us as well as to you Otherwise they would not have done any thing to create Jeal- ousy between us but we hope this Message and the String will Effectually remove it you may return to us with Safety and we Shall be glad to take you by the hand.
Molly Hickman a Delaware Woman58 Appearing before the Commissioners informs that last Night about Midnight as a Mingo Man and a Shawanese Man was Walking near the Orchard there were four or five White Men following them in close Conversa- tion that the Mingo Man Understanding what they said Acquainted the other they were threatning them & they had best make thier Escape upon which they Separated and run off and the White Men pursued them but they got over the River one Some distance above and the other at the Lower end of the Orchard that the Mingo Man went off Early this Morning that the Shawanese were still there but Apprehend- ing they would share the same fate with some of the Delawares last Year
58 For other Delaware Indians of this name, one of whom acted as escort and interpreter for Frederick Post in 1758, see Thwaites, Early Western Travels, i, pp. 220, 227, 235 .- ED.
30
REVOLUTION ON UPPER OHIO
Doctor Walker Colo Morris Colo Lewis Colº Steph- en and Colº Wilson went over to the Indian Camp to enquire into the truth of the above report and found that the Indians had Misapprehended the White People from their small Acquaintance with the Lan- guage
September 16th The Gentlemen Appointed to Visit the White Mingo made the following Report In Obedience to the Order of Yesterday the persons Ap- pointed to visit the White Mingo immediately pro- ceeded to discharge their trust they were met by the White Mingo at the Waterside where he Ac- costed them thus "When I first saw you coming I was Affraid and had thoughts of running away" he Appeared to be Quite Calm and Shewed no Symp- toms of fear from thence they went to his House and after resting awhile delivered the Message and string to which he gave the following Answer "I thank my old Brother of Virginia Pennsylvania &c for their enquiry into this Matter when I was first fired on I thought it was the Act of some inconsid- erate foolish People and did not imagine the Great People knew any thing of it I thank God that he has been pleased to frustrate their designs and has permitted me to live a little longer I am perfectly satisfied and not the least uneasy" they went to the place where he said he was fired at after some search found his Blanket and hat about One hundred and twenty Yards from the Spot they could not see where the Ball struck and he said he never heard
-
-
Col. George Morgan
From a silhouette in the possession of his great-grand- daughter, Mrs. Helena C. Beatty of Washington, Pa. Reproduced by permission, from Bausman's History of Beaver County. Pa ( New York. 1904)
31
TREATY WITH WESTERN INDIANS
it they then invited him to come to Town with them if he was uneasy in his mind he said he was not un- easy and would come to Town to morrow when they came to his House his wife was Just returned from Horse Hunting in the same Woods as they went they met with Coyashiotas two Wives and another Squa coming from the same place who showed no sign of fear (Signed)
JAMES WOOD JOHN WALKER
The White Mingo in Answer to the Message from the Commissioners desired to return his thanks to them for sending it and to us as the Bearers he re- peated nearly what he had heard and said it should not make him Angry or Uneasy that he Attributed it to some bad people only and that he would come to the fort tomorrow he shewed us the Ground where he said he was shot at and the Place where he threw away his hat and Blanket both of which we found but no mark of a ball tho the tracts of a Man in Mocasins were to be seen where he said the Man shot from (Signed) GEORGE MORGAN59
59 George Morgan, son of Evan, was born in Philadelphia in 1742, and while a young man joined the firm of Baynton, Wharton & Co., well-known Indian traders, and in 1764 married a daughter of Baynton. The firm lost heavily by Pontiac's conspiracy, for which they were recompensed at the treaty of Fort Stanwix (1768). This grant laid the founda- tion of the Indiana Company, for which Morgan was secre- tary and agent many years. Morgan early visited the Indian country, and made himself popular with the tribesmen-a voyage to the Illinois and down the Mississippi as early as 1766 being recorded. In 1768 he was living in the Illinois, but left there some time before the outbreak of the Revolution. His
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.