USA > Ohio > The Revolution on the Upper Ohio, 1775-1777 > Part 4
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The White Mingo upon the Speeches being inter- preted to him returned thanks to his Brother of the Big knife and his Brothers of New York and Penn- sylvania for their kind speech he said he was [now] Easy in his own Mind as to their being Unfreindly to him or having any design to injure him that he sup- posed they were some evil minded persons who wanted to make a breach between the People of his Colour and his White Brothers but he thanked God that he had rescued him from the hands of such Villians and per- mitted him to live a little longer with regard to his being fired upon he says that on Wednesday as he was paddling down the River a bullet struck just by him which he did not conceive to be fired at him at that time but thought it was some person a hunting had carelessly fired that way that he landed and met with two Men Cloathed in White hunting Shirts with Guns upon their Shoulders that he went up to them in a freindly Manner and offered to shake hands with
appointment by Congress in April, 1776, as Indian agent for the Middle Department brought him again to Pittsburgh, where he remained in this capacity until his resignation in the spring of 1779. He then rejoined the Eastern army, wherein he attained the rank of colonel. At the close of the war he settled in Princeton, N. J., there becoming a leading citizen and a trustee of the college. In 1788-89, Morgan was occupied with a plan for settling a colony on the Spanish side of the Mississippi, and founded there the settlement of New Madrid. Having failed to secure proper authorization from the Spanish authorities, the proposed colony was abandoned. In 1796 Morgan removed to Washington County, Pa., where he built an estate called "Morganza." There the Aaron Burr plot was first detected and reported. Morgan died at his Western home in 1810. His Indian name was "Taimenend." Dr. Samuel P. Hildreth of Marietta, Ohio, once possessed Morgan's journals, and published extracts therefrom in his Pioncer History (Cincinnati, 1848) .- ED.
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them and that they passed on without taking any No- tice of him that he then began to suspect that the Bullet was Aimed at him and that something had hap- pened to his freinds below that lie walked along the Bank and discovered a great Many White People and that he was then sure that something had happened and turned back to his Cabin that as he was descend- ing a hill in the Wood he saw two Men dressed in the same Manner as those he had seen before and that he Observed one of them presented at him that he immediately turned about and run upon which the Man fired and that he did not return to his Cabin un- til some time on Thursday that the White Mingo went with us to the Place where he said he was fired at and Shewed us the Place where he stood and the Man who fired at him that I saw the steps of the White Mingo and that Cap" Wood as I Understand saw the Prints of the two Men that we found the Matchcoat and hat which he dropped and returned them to him
(Signed) LEWIS MORRIS Jun60
Pittsburgh Septr. 16th 1775
Resolved that it be recommended to the Indians to encamp near to each other and that each Incampment
60 Lewis Morris, of the famous New York family of that name, was born in 1726 and graduated at Yale College twenty years later. On the outbreak of the Revolution he joined the patriot cause, was elected to Congress in 1775, and made a commissioner of Indian affairs. In that capacity he visited Pittsburgh, and held the treaty of 1775. In 1776 he was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and retir- ing from Congress served in the New York legislature (1777-78). and in the state militia, where he attained the rank of major-general. He died at Morrisania in 1798 .- ED. 3
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with the Approbation of the Commissioners make Choice of an Interpreter to stay O'Nights to inform the Commissioners the names of such White Persons who shall go among them to disturb them
Resolved that Advertisements be set up in the Most Public Places ofering a reward of Two Hundred Dol- lars to any person or persons who shall discover the two Men or either of them that Shot at the White Mingo on Wednesday last
Captain James Wood reported his Journal in his late Expedition to invite the Indians to this Treaty Ordered that the said Journal be Copied in these Pro- ceedings which is as follows
Diary 1775
24th June the Honorable the Council and House of Burgesses Appointed George Washington Thomas Walker James Wood Andrew Lewis John Walker and Adam Stephen Esquires Commissioners for hold- ing a Treaty with the Ohio Indians impowering the Treasurer to pay the Expence Accruing provided the same did not Exceed the sum of £2,000 the Evening of the same day the Commissioners were Informed that the House directed them not to Apply more than One Thousand Pounds towards the Negotiation at the same time they directed me to proceed immedi- ately to the different Tribes of Indians as well to give them an Invitation to a Treaty as to remove any bad impressions which might be made by Chenusaw 61 one of the Shawanese Indians who had Escaped from
61 Chenusaw was one of the hostages taken by Dunmore, after the treaty of Camp Charlotte; see Dunmore's War, P. 305 .- ED.
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Williamsburg Upon my Appointment to this Service I moved the house to know how far I was to go in an Explanation of the disputes with Great Britain in Case the Indians should make any Enquirey into that Matter which I was well assured they would Colo Bland then moved the House that I should be directed to Explain the whole dispute to the Indians to make them sensible of the Great Unanimity of the Colonies to Assure them of our Peaceable Intentions towards them and that we did not stand in need of or desire any Assistance from them or any other Nation which Motion was agreed to by the House Nemine Contra- dicente
25th I left Williamsburg and proceeded on my Journey having stayed three days at home in prepare- ing for it
9th July I Arrived at Fort Pitt where I received Information that the Cheifs of the Delawares and a few of the Mingoes had lately been Treating with Major Connolly agreeable to Instructions from Lord Dunmore and that Shawanese had not come to the Treaty agreable to their Appointment upon Exam- ining the Proceedings with the Delawares and Min- goes I found that they had been given assurances that a General Treaty would be soon held with all the Ohio Indians upon which I thought it Adviseable to dis- patch an Express to the Convention with the follow- ing Letter directed to the Honorable Peyton Ran- dolph Esqr
SIR-On my Arrival at this Place I found that Majr Connolly had finished a Treaty with the Delaware and Mingo Cheifs who had assembled agreable to
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Lord Dunmores Appointment and were returned well satisfied with Assurances that a General Treaty would be soon held with them and the Other Ohio Tribes It seems from the Governors Instructions to Majr Con- nolly that he only intended a few of the Cheifs should be called together in order to make them easy till a treaty could be properly negotiated with them I am now waiting to see the Cornstalk who is on his way and is Expected here tomorrow or the next day the Reason that the Shawanese did not Attend at the Treaty lately held is not known but generally be- leived to be owing to Two French Men who were at their Towns and desired to speak to the Cheifs of that Nation in Council as soon as I see the Cornstalk I purpose setting off for the Shawanese Towns in hopes of being able to Counteract any diabolical Schems formed by the Enemies of this Country to re- move any bad Impressions which may have been made on the Minds of these Savages and to Satisfy them concerning their Hostages from thence I shall pro- ceed to the Wyandots Towns62 where it is said the
62 The Wyandot were of Huron-Iroquois stock, being of the sub-tribe of Tobacco-Huron, or Petun. Nearly destroyed by the Iroquois in the early seventeenth century, they fled westward. and placing themselves under French protection, settled about Detroit early in the eighteenth century. Gradu- ally they straggled eastward along the southern shore of Lake Erie. In 1747 one band, under the leadership of chief Nicolas, built a town at Lower Sandusky, and the following year made an alliance with the English. During the French and Indian War, however, the Wyandot adhered to the French, took part in Braddock's defeat, and joined Pontiac's conspiracy. A few young warriors joined the Shawnee in Dunmore's War but the tribe as a whole held aloof. Their towns lay along the Sandusky River, and throughout the Revolution were under the influence of the British at Detroit .- ED.
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same Frenchmen have lately been in Council with that Nation and to return by way of the Delaware and Mingo Towns
I find that the Indians have been led to expect a General Treaty and that they would as Usual receive Presents upon a Compliance with the Terms imposed by Lord Dunmore so that I am realy Apprehensive we shall not be able from the Sum Allowed by the Assembly to make the different tribes a Present that will Answer their Expectations Considering the Ex- cessive dearness of Provisions in this part of the Country and the high Advance we must Necessarily pay for Goods from the Great Scarcity now in the Country from these Considerations I would beg the Gentlemen of the Convention to consider whether It would not be adviscable to direct the whole Sum of Two Thousand Pounds allowed by the Resolve of the House should not be laid Out to the best Advantage for this Necessary purpose I am well Assured it will have an Exceeding good Effect and that a last- ing peace may be Established with all the Ohio In- dians
By the same Express that brings this the Commit- tee of West Augusta purpose sending to their Dele- gates the Proceedings of the late Treaty held with the Delawares and Mingoes together with a Copy of thir Resolves prior to the Treaty In Justice to the Committee (among whom are Many respectable Char- acters) I must beg leave to Observe that they have been Attentive to the Interest of their Country on this important Occasion as no kind of provision was made by Government towards providing Necessaries
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for the Indians who were Called to a Council by the Governor the Committee at a Considerable Expence provided a Quantity of Provisions with a present in Goods which were distributed Among the Indians and which I beleive gave them General Satisfaction on the other hand if they had not thus taken up the Matter the Certain Consequence must have been that the Indians would have returned dissatisfied and a General discontent would have prevaled among the different Tribes
The Committee as well as Major Connollys most in- veterate Enemies all agree that he Conducted this Af- fair in the Most Open and Candid Manner that it was transacted in the presence of the Committee and that he laid the Governors Instructions on this Occasion before them I shall be Extremely happy if my poor Endeavours on this or any future Occasion should in the smallest Degree Contribute to the Service of my Country I have the honor to be &c as soon as I dis- patched my Letter I sent for White Eyes63 and Kill- buckG4 Chiefs of the Delawares and Kyashota% and
63 For a brief sketch of White Eyes see Dunmore's War, p. 29. note 48 .- ED.
64 Killbuck was a grandson of King Newcomer, having been born at the Lehigh Water Gap in the decade between 1730 and 1740. He removed West with his tribe, and was noted for his friendship with the whites and his respect for civilization. About 17SS he was baptized by the Moravians under the name of William Henry, and lived at their town of Goshen until his death in 1811. A lineal descendant by the name of Killbuck is today a missionary in Alaska .- ED.
G3 Guyashusta (Kiasola, Kyashota) was the principal chief of the Six Nations on the Allegheny. During the French and Indian War he was hostile to the English, and the chief con- spirator on the Ohio during Pontiac's plot (1763). He signed with Bouquet the treaty of 1764, and kept it loyally, taking
-
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the White Mingo Cheifs of the Mingoes and delivered the following Speech sent by Thomas Walker and Andrew Lewis Esqr two of the Commissioners to the Cheifs and Warriors of the Shawanese Wyandots Delaware and Mingo Nations.
Brothers we are Appointed by your elder Broth- ers of Virginia to meet you in Council to finish the treaty began by Lord Dunmore last Year we hope to put an End to all differences between your People and ours so effectually that your Children and ours may live in the Strictest friendship till the Sun Shall shine no more or the Waters run in the Ohio
Brothers your Freind Cap" James Wood who is Ap- pointed one of the Commissioners on this Important Occasion will deliver you this talk by whom you will be informed of the Imprudent Behaviour of your Brother Chenusaw who we hope has got safe to you before this the Manner in which he went from us gives us reason to fear he may give you some alarming Accounts but we hope Cap" Wood will satisfy you that we are your freinds and have been kind to your people the Wolf66 and Newau will come with us to the Treaty at Fort Pitt where we hope to meet you on the tenth day of September to Compleat this great Work and must request you to give Notice to all your Neighbour- ing Nations that are Concerned we desire you will bring with you all the Prisoners and be fully prepared
no part in Dunmore's War of 1774. During the Revolution he endeavored to maintain neutrality, dying at Cornplanter's vil- lage on the Allegheny about 1795 .- ED.
66 The Indian name of the Wolf, another hostage, was Cut- tena (Cuttemwha) .- ED.
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in every respect to fulfil your agreement with Lord Dunmore to which White Eyes Answered
Brother I return you as well as our two Brothers that sent it thanks for the good talk you have now de- livered us and you may depend I will make it my business to send the String now delivered to me to all my freinds and make no doubt but they will re- ceive it in the same freindly and thankful Manner I do The White Mingo then Spoke as follows Brother I am very thankful to you and your two Brothers in Virginia for your good talk and String now delivered I am certain It will give all my freinds the same Pleasure which it gives me to meet you at the time Appointed for holding the treaty at this place and you may be assured they shall be told of it
10th July White Eyes came with an Interpreter to my Lodgings he informed me he was desirous of going to Williamsburg with Major Connolly to see Lord Dunmore who had promised him his Interest in procuring a Grant from the King for the Lands claimed by the Delawares that they were all desirous of living as the White People do and under their Laws and Protection that Lord Dunmore had engaged to make him some Satisfaction for his Trouble in going several times to the Shawanese Towns and serving with him on Campaign and likewise the damage he has sustained by some of our Men Plundering and de- stroying his Effects that he was a very poor Man and had Neglected to raise Corn by endeavouring to serve us and that his wife and Childerin were now al- most starving for Bread he told me he hoped I
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would advise him whether It was proper for him to go or not
I was then Under the Necessity of Acquainting him with the disputes subsisting between Lord Dun- more and the People of Virginia and engaged when- ever the Assembly met that I would go with him to Williamsburg and represent his Case to the Assembly and made no doubt they would Amply reward him for his Services and damages sustained he was very thankful and Appeared perfectly satisfied with the promise I made him
16th July the Cornstalk Nimwha67 Wryneck Blue Jacket Silver Heels65 and about fifteen other Shawan- ese arrived they immediately got drunk and Contin- ued in that situation for two days
18th The Shawanese being assembled I made The following Speech to them Brothers the Shawanesc I am now on my way to your towns by directions of the great Council of Virginia my Business is to give
67 Nimwha (or Munseeka) was a Shawnee chief, brother of Cornstalk, whom he succeeded as head of the tribe. He took part in Pontiac's Conspiracy, and was present at Bou- quet's treaty (1764) as well as those of Fort Pitt (1768 and 1775). In 1778 he led the detachment that captured Daniel Boone, and the following year headed the besiegers of Fort Laurens. His death occurred carly in 1780 .- ED.
68 An early mention of these two noted chiefs, Blue Jacket and Silverheels. Blue Jacket was principal chief of the Shawnee during the Indian wars, defeated Harmar and St. Clair, and was defcated by Wayne in 1794. He took part in the treaty of Greenville, and soon after retired to the neigh- borhood of Sandwich, Ont., where he died about 1810. He was said to have been appointed a brigadier-general in the British service. Silverheels rescued several Pennsylvania traders on the outbreak of Dunmore's War, and at the risk of his own life escorted them to Pittsburgh. While in a fit of intoxication, he was killed by Indians .- ED.
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the Cheifs of your Nation an Invitation to meet Com- missioners Appointed by them in a general Council at Fort Pitt in 53 days from this time in order fully to Confirm the peace agreed upon last year with Lord Dunmore your Brothers Cuttemwha and Newau are well and you may depend upon seeing them at the time Appointed for your Meeting about forty days ago Chenusaw left us without any provocation that we know of as soon as we found he was gone we dispatched many Men on horseback with Writen pap- ers directing all our People to treat him kindley and to let him Pass to you without receiveing any hurt your Brother Cuttemwha desired me to tell you to be Strong and to come at the time which I Appoint A String of White Wampum
I then delivered Messrs Walker and Lewis's speech with a String of Wampum soon after which Corn- stalk made the following Answer Brothers the Big- knife I am greatly oblidged to you as well as to all my Elder Brothers of Virginia for their good talks and Intentions towards their Younger Brothers the Shawanese I look upon what you have said in the Manner as if delivered by your great Council and am as happy in seeing you as if they were all present I shall deliver your talks to the Cheifs on my return and make no doubt but they will meet you at the time Appointed
The Cornstalk after delivering the speech told me he thought it would be best for me to go to the Shaw- anese Towns least Chenusaw should return and make any bad reports he then informed me that some of the Shawanese were desirous of going to Winchester
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in order to meet their freinds Cuttemwha and Nea- wau and to talk with our trading People and desired I would write to my freinds to treat them kindly I then wrote the following letter to the Committee of Frederick
GENTLEMEN-You will receive 'this by Major Con- nolly with him three of the Shawanese Cheifs pur- pose going to Winchester in Order to see their freinds and to talk with some of our Tradeing people if the Hostages should not yet have Arrived I would beg leave to Recommend that an Express be immediately dispatched to Doctor Walkers to bring them up as the treatment these Indians receive will be taken par- ticular Notice of as well by them as the Whole Na- tion I beg the Attention of the Committee on this Occasion I am &c
at 5 o'Clock this afternoon I sett off from Fort Pitt with Simon Girty an Interpreter encamped ten Miles below on the River Bank
19th July sett off before Sunrise Crossed Big Beaver Creek near the Mouth travelled about 45 Miles this day the Course nearly West
20th Started very Early met Garret Pendergrass69 about 9 º'Clock who informed us that he left the Dela- ware Towns two days before that the Delawares were
69 See the affidavit of Pendergrass in Virginia Magasine of History and Biography, xiii, p. 423. Garret Pendergrass set- tled at Harrodsburgh in Kentucky, and in 1776 was commis- sioned to go with James Harrod on a mission to the Indian towns. In March 28, 1777, he was killed and scalped by prowl- ing savages within sight of the Harrodsburgh fort .- ED.
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just returned from the Wiandots Towns where they had been at a Great Council with the French and Eng- lish Officer and the Wyandots that Monsuer Baubee 70 and the English Officer told them to be upon their Gaurd that the White People intended to strike them very soon that tho' their fathers the French were thrown down the last War by the English they were now got up again and much Stronger than ever and would Assist their Childeren (the Indians) as they formerly did about two days after met two Delaware Squas who upon interrogations gave the same Account travelled about forty Miles this day andi encamped on a Small run
21st July started very Early in the Morning at one O'Clock arrived at the Moravian Indian Town
70 Duperon Baby (called by the English Baubee) belonged to a prominent Canadian family, one branch of which had es- tablished itself in trade at Detroit, before the English con- quest. After that event, Baby declined the oath of allegiance, and desired to retire to France. Having changed his opinion, he became a loyal British subject, and during Pontiac's con- spiracy furnished much assistance to the English garrison. His influence with the Indians was large, and during the Revolution and succeeding Indian wars the Detroit command- ants utilized it for the British causc. Baby was commissioned colonel of militia and deputy Indian agent, with a large salary, being also given a considerable grant of land. He attended all Indian councils, but seldom personally went on the war- path, although he is said to have commanded the Detroit militia in the campaign against Wayne (1794). Marrying Susanne Reaume, he had a considerable family. One daughter married Col. William Caldwell, and a daughter by an Indian mother marricd Blue Jacket. His son James became promi- nent in British councils, and served in the War of 1812-15. Upon surrender of Detroit to the Americans (1796), the Baby family settled in the neighborhood of Windsor, Ont. Col. Duperon Baby died about the time of this removal .- ED.
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Examined the Minister (a Dutchman)71 concerning the Council lately held with the Indians by the French who Confirmed the Accounts before related six Miles from the Moravian Town Passed a Small Delaware Town a Delaware Man rode with us to New Comers Town 72 ! where we Encamped having travelled about 30 Miles
22ª July set off Early in the Morning for Kosh- ocktin the Cheif Town of the Delawares Passed White Eyes' Town about 10 o'Clock Arrived at Koshocktin at 1 O'Clock taken to the Council
71 Probably Wood was now at Schönbrunn, some three miles southeast of New Philadelphia, in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. This was built in 1772 by mission Indians, largely of the Delaware tribe, but was deserted in 1777. Reoccupied in 1779, it was soon abandoned for New Schönbrunn, on the west bank of Tuscarawas River. Another Moravian village, known as Gnadenhütten (tents of grace) was on the site of the present Ohio town of that name. The senior missionary in charge was David Zeisberger. Born in Moravia in 1721, his parents emigrated to Saxony when he was five years of age, and later (1736) to Georgia, where their son followed them in 1740. After three years of work among the Creek Indians, Zeisberger was sent to Pennsylvania, where at Bethlehem he studied Indian languages, fitting for his future work. He passed some years among the Iroquois, but finally became identified with the Delawares. Their migration to the Ohio Valley (1771-72) was arranged by him, and he remained with his converts in the vicissitudes of their fate, until his death in 1808 at Goshen, Ohio. During the Revolution he at- tempted to maintain neutrality, but aided the commandant at Pittsburgh with frequent and important information .- ED.
72 Newcomerstown was on the north bank of the Tuscara- was, within the limits of the present town of that name in Tuscarawas County. It was the chief town of the Delawares after their removal to the Muskingum. The small town be- tween that and Gnadenhütten may have been Salem, a third Moravian town, near the present village of that name .- ED.
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House73 found Many of the Indians drunk and King New Comer a Sleep" waked the King at Dark and Delivered the following speech to him in the Presence of Winganum75 Young Killbuck and a Number of other Warriours Brothers the Delawares your El- der Brothers in Virginia in their Great Council have Appointed me to come to this Place in Order to As- sure you that their hearts are good towards you that they are desirous of brightning the Antient Chain of Freindship between you and them and for which they have Appointed Commissioners to meet you and the other Nations in a General Council at Fort Pitt in [blank in MS.] days from this time when they will be glad to meet the Cheifs of your Nation and will use their best Endeavours to give you a hearty Wel- come
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