USA > Ohio > The Revolution on the Upper Ohio, 1775-1777 > Part 6
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he met Catfish and a Number of other Delawares on the Ohio with many things which they had Robbed the Inhabitants of on the Great Kanhawa that he gave me this Information least his Brothers the Big knife should blame the Shawanese for it Kishanosity then Complained of the Encroachments of the Vir- ginians he said they were now settling in Great Num- bers in the Midst of their Hunting Grounds on the Kentucke River and that many of our people Crossed the Ohio killed and drove off their Game he then Asked my Advice whether they should go and talk to the People on Kentucke about it to which I replied that I thought it would be very Improper least some of our bad people might do them an Injury but ad- vised them to let the Matter alone till the Treaty when I made no doubt but we should be able to make them sensible that we had already purchased the Lands on Kentucke River from the Six Nations at the Treaty of Fort Stanwix and as to our Hunters Crossing the River and Killing the Game we should do every thing in our power to prevent it in future he then desired me to beg their brothers the big knife not to listen to any bad stories which they might hear as he had great reason to Beleive that David Dun- can 89 would make many false reports that he had been talking a Great deal to the foolish Women and
89 David Duncan was an important Pennsylvania trader in the Indian country in the early Revolution. His home was at Shippensburgh, and at the outbreak of Dunmore's War he was rescued by White Eyes from danger of death. In the later years of the Revolution he made his home in Westmoreland County, and acted as contractor for military supplies at Fort Pitt .- ED.
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paid no regard to what the Men said to him I then told him that I had been Informed that the Command- ing Officer at Fort De Troit and Monseiur Baubee had sent a Belt and String of Black Wampum to their Nation with a Speech that the people of Virginia Intended to drive them off and to take their Lands recommending them and the other Nations to Join together in Order to Oppose them and at the same time advised them not to Listen to any thing which might be said to them by the Virginians that they were a people not to be depended upon all of which the Shawanese Acknowledged they said that what- ever they had heard or received from them they had Dug a hole in the Ground and Buried them never to rise again I was then Informed by a Mohicon In- dian90 who spoke good English that he had Just Re- turned from Kacayuga where he saw a Greater Num- ber of Indians than he had ever seen before and that
90 The Mahican (Mohegan) Indians, a large branch of the Algonquian stock, were encountered by the whites in Con- necticut and on the Hudson River. The western division were frequently in alliance with the Iroquois, and after selling their lands to the Dutch (about 1680), roamed through- out the Western country. The French called them Loups (Wolves), from one of their clan totems, and they had a vil- lage on the Detroit River before the building of the French fort at that place (1701). Gradually they drew toward the Delawares, with whom they were cognate, and about 1746 a considerable band of Mahican settled in Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania. Thence they removed with the Delawares to the Ohio region, and settled near them, although in separate villages. After the Revolution, this western branch became amalgamated with the Delawares. The eastern branch re- maincd in Connecticut until after the Revolution, some of them serving in the Continental armies. The Christianized portion of the tribe, under Samson Occam, became part of the Brothertown Indians, who removed first to New York and finally to Wisconsin .- ED.
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we might Expect Warmer Work this fall than had ever happened before I was likewise Informed by James Bavard a Trader in the Shawanese Towns that the Indians were Constantly Counseling and that the Women all seemed very uneasy in Expectations that there would be War I then set off from the Sha- wanese Towns on my return Called at the Kiocopo?1 Town and then proceeded twenty Miles and Encamped 3d August sett off before sun rise rode hard and Constant til Seven O Clock in the Evening met a Shawanese Man who Informed me that one of their Nation was lately Killed on Kentucke River and that the white People said it was done by the Southern Indians Travelled about Forty Miles and Encamped rains hard all Night
4th August rains hard set off early Travelled about thirty Eight Miles stopped at a Delaware Wo- mans Cabbin where I staid all night nothing to eat the two days past but Blackberry's
5th August set off in a hard rain very Early Tra- velled four Hours when I arrived at Captain White Eyes's Purchased some Meat from an Indian set off for New Comers Town at which I staid two Hours proceeded to the Lower Moravian Town 92
91 Kiscapoo (Kiskapookee) was the settlement of the Shaw- nee clan by that name. At this time it was located about a mile west of the Scioto, in the upper part of the present Picka- way County, Ohio (see accompanying Crèvecoeur map). In 1773 Richard Butler had a trading house at this town, and somewhat earlier there was born here the famous Shawnee chief Tecumseh. This clan of Shawnee were especially hos- tile to American colonists .- ED.
22 This was Gnadenhütten, for which see ante, p. 45, note 71 .- ED.
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where we Arrived at Dark taken to the Cabbin of an Indian and Hospitably Entertained
6th August (Sunday) went to Church with the Indians at which were present about One hundred and fifty of them, who all Behaved with the Greatest Decency and Decorum the Minister who resides at this Town is a German of the Moravian Sect has Lived with them several Years has Acquired their Language and taught most of them the English and German he prayed in the Delaware Language Preached in the English and sung Psalms in the Ger- man in which the Indians Joined and Performed that part of Divine Service in a Manner really Ini- mitable the Church is a Decent Square Log Building with Plank floars and Benches Ornamented with Several Pieces of German Scripture Paintings has a Small Cupola with a Bell and a very Indifferent Spin- net93 on which an Indian played the remaining part of the day employed in Hunting for our Horses Un- successfully
Sth August at two O'Clock in the afternoon found our Horses and Immediately set off Travelled about Twenty Miles and Encamped
9th August set off early in the Morning travelled about forty five Miles and encamped at dark
10th August my Horse failed came to an Indian Hunting Camp where I hired an Horse of an Indian Woman and left mine in her Care to be brought to Fort Pitt in Ten Days Travelled about forty five
93 Possibly the first musical instrument of this sort ever used in Ohio .- ED.
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Miles when I arrived at Mr John Gibsons" where I staid all Night
11th August sett off after Breakfast and Arrived Fort Pitt about 3 oClock in the afternoon where I found several Senecas who had Just come from a Treaty which had been held at Niagara by Guy Johns- tonº5 I Interrogated them but found that they had got their Lesson not to make any Discovery's they said that the Indian Agent told them to lie still and not to Concern with the Dispute between the People of Great Britian and America 6
12th August I sett off from Fort Pitt for Win-
94 Gibson's trading house was situated at Logstown; see ante, p. 26, note 52 .- ED.
95 Guy Johnson was nephew and son-in-law of Sir William Johnson, whom he succeeded in the Indian superintendency on the latter's death in 1774. Born in Ireland in 1740, he came early to America, led provincial troops in the French and Indian War, and possessed a fine estate known as Guy Park, in New York state. A professed Loyalist, he fled to Canada at the beginning of the Revolution, where he assisted with his Indian allies in the defense of that province. During the winter of 1775-76 he visited England, coming again to New York in August, 1776. He was later in Canada, retain- ing his Indian superintendency until 1783. He died in Lon- don, 1788. Johnson was not present at a treaty at Niagara in the summer of 1775. Wood was misinformed in regard to his presence at this place. For a full account of Johnson's movements during the summer of 1775, see his letter to Dart- mouth in N. Y. Colon. Docs., viii, pp. 635-637. See also the letter of Col. Adam Stephen in Amer. Archives, 4th series, iii, pp. 777, 778, wherein he says that the tribes living on the Allegheny had been to a treaty at Niagara, and others to Caughnawaga, near Montreal, to meet Guy Johnson .- ED.
96 At the Oswego conference in May, 1775, Guy Johnson urged neutrality upon the western portions of the Iroquois tribesmen; but in July, he received orders from Dartmouth to induce the Six Nations to take up the hatchet against the rebellious colonists .- N. Y. Colon. Docs., viii, p. 596 .- ED. 5
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chester where I Arrived in five days the Committee recommended that I would send off an Express to the Convention at Richmond who were still sitting which I did the next Morning with the following Let- ter Directed to the Honble Peyton Randolph Es- quire.97
SIR-I am just now returned from my Expedition to the Indian Towns and have Inclosed you Extracts from my Journal which Contains every Material Oc- curance that happened Dureing my tour through the Nations of Shawanese Delawares Senicas and Wian- dots the Cheifs of which have Engaged to Attend the Treaty at Fort Pitt the 10th of the next Month from every discovery I was able to make the Indians are forming a General Confederacy against the Colony having been led to beleive that we are a people Quite different and distinct from the other Colonies I In- tend myself the Honor of Waiting on the Convention if they should not rise before the 25th in Order to give them every Information in my power I wou'd beg leave to make an Observation that there is no Garrison at Fort Pitt that the Inhabitants in the Neighbourhood of it are in the most defenceless situa- tion and that there will be in my Opinion at least five
97 Peyton Randolph ( 1721-75) was president of the Virginia convention, as well as president of the first Continental Con- gress. He died while in attendance on the second Congress in October. 1775. A life-long patriot, he had while King's at- torney for the colony of Virginia resisted what was considered the usurpation of Governor Dinwiddie. He was prominent in opposition to the Stamp Act, and chairman of the first com- mittee of correspondence. His death was a loss to the Ameri- can cause .- ED.
Peyton Randolph
After the painting in Independence Hall, Philadelphia
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hundred Indians at the Treaty's I have the Honor to be &c
September 20th 1775
The following is the Information given by the Doc- tor a Mohawk who was sent to Invite the Six Nation People on the Ohio to a Treaty at Pittsburgh on the part of Virginia from the Upper Town Six Cheifs will Attend but he is not Certain what Number will be down from thence in the whole but they may be Expected in two or three days that they designed to meet at the White Mingos house and would come down from thence in a body Simon Girty who in- terprets for the Doctor and who delivered the invita- tion speech to him desired him to endeavour to dis- cover the Intentions of the Indians he was sent to whether the French were tampering with them and what proposals were made by them which he Under- took to do on a promise of Secresy and reports that the Commanding Officer at Niagara99 and Guy John- son had invited them the Senecas to a Treaty at Ni- agara where he put them in mind of their Antient
98 The Virginia convention recognized the services of James Wood by passing a resolution (Jan. 6, 1776) to the effect that having been two months on the mission entrusted to him by the house of burgesses. and having had his life endangered, by the exercise of all his abilities he had engaged the chiefs to attend the treaty: and because of the difficulties and dan- gers he had undergone, was accordingly voted an honorarium of £250 .- Amer. Archives, 4th series, iv, pp. 1IO. III .- ED.
09 The commandant at Niagara was Col. John Caldwell, who came to America in 1755 with the 7th Infantry. He was stationed at Fort Niagara from 1774 to November, 1776 when he retired from the army. His name among the Indians was Oguhaenjes .- ED.
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Freindship with their Father the French telling them that their Hands were then cach made of Silver and would never be injured by Rust he told them they would probably soon be called to a Treaty at Fort Pitt but that they ought not to go to it nor regard anything the Bigknife might say to them for tho he had a very smooth Oily Tongue his Heart was not good that he would soon want to Cross the Great River which is their Line perhaps at Kanhawa or at Pittsburgh on pretence of keeping a Store at De Troit or Cayahoga1 or some other place and would tell them they would then get Goods very Cheap but they should not beleive him he only wanted to deceive them and take their Lands from them which they knew was now only a small strip that they should on no Ac- count allow him to Cross the Big River for if they did they would surely be undone they put them in Mind of the Treaty they had lately been at at Fort Pitt2 where the big knife gave them very good Words but they were from the Lips only and not from the Heart, which they might be Sensible of, for when they were going away he gave them little or no Goods, and when they Asked for Powder to hunt with on their way home, they got only one Double Handful, and the reason he would give them no more was, that he wanted it himself to use it against them, that they are now fighting with the Great King over
1 Cuyahoga River, whose mouth is the site of Cleveland, was a well-known rendezvous of the Ottawa, who had a vil- lage upon its banks. It was also a considerable trading sta- tion, frequented by many tribesmen .- ED.
2 Referring to Connolly's treaty in June; for which see ante, p. 19 .- ED.
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the Water, from whom they get all their Powder, that they have not more than will serve him for Three Years, and then they must submit as Neither Pow- der or Cloaths can be made in this Country, but that they have Plenty of both and if they would keep hold of the Chain of Freindship which their Father put into their hands, they would not want. they then gave them a Keg of Powder & Lead in Proportion, and some Goods, they were desired if the Bigknife People should Cross the Great River to send off their head Men to them and tell them to go back to their Country, they should tell them so three times and if they would not Stop nor go back they then should send to him (the Commands officer at Nia- gara) and he would speak to them and if they would not pay any regard to what he said he would gather all his People and fight them they must not be Al- lowed to Spoil this great Island which the good Spirit had allowed for them it might happen that he might be thrown down in the Struggle but if he fell they must fall with him for the Big knife had been pushing them back for a long time and would not rest till he had got all this Country but now he and they were so linked together they would be never Separated but must stand or fall together that their father had long ago sent his Heart to them in a Belt but they did not mind it but rose up with the English and threw him down and thought they had killed him but he was only knocked down and not killed and kept his Eyes Open all the time determined to rise again whenever his Children should be imposed upon that
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they were now imposed upon by the English for which Reason he had got on his feet again and would bring his Ships and fight them on the Sea Co[a]st and they ought to send out their People and kill them where ever they could find them and between them they would soon root them out and get Satisfaction for all their Injuries
September 24th James Rogers an Adopted Shaw- anese informs the Commissioners that last summer several Messages were received by the Shawanese from the Chipeways Tawaas Wyandots and the French and English at De Troit the design of them was to know if the Shawanese and Virginians had made a firm peace to diswade them from it and threatning to strike them if they did as they intended to strike the Virginians that a Message had been sent from the Towns after the Cornstalk when on his way to this place desiring him and the Young Men to return for they would be cutt off at the Fort the Cornstalk would not go back but advised the Young Men to it they would not return without him and are all coming on that he is not Acquainted with the disposition of the six Nations but he has heard they have scolded the Chipeways and Tawaas that we may Judge of the Shawanese by this Circumstance if they are Anxious to hurry the Business over and get soon away their designs are not good his information about the Six Nations he got from some Shawanese who had been in their Country and lately returned the purport of the speech sent by them to the Chipaways and Tawaas
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was that they had tied up their hands and likewise their own from doing any Mischeif to the White People and notwithstanding three of their Towns meant to break loose and reproved them for it severely that the Report of their design made the Shawanese very uneasy as they meant to Maintain a firm peace with their Bretheren which may be interrupted by it that he had a good Opportunity of knowing the Sentiments of the Shawanese and is sure they do not intend Mis- cheif but they may be persuaded to it by other Na- tions or driven into it by fear but he thinks unless the Shawanese join with them the Chipeways and Tawaas will not commence hostilities that the Indians have a suspicion that we have a Number of Armed Men Collected at no great distance from this place with a design to fall upon them when they come to the Treaty which gives them much Uneasiness that we may judge of the Sincerity of the Cornstalk from his discovering the Sentiments and designs of the other Nations which if he does not do but only says in General terms that all is Peace we may reasonably suspect him.
Mr John Gibson Informed the Commissioners that he had Just received a Letter from Major John Con- nolly directed to him with a Speech from Lord Dun- more to White Eyes a Delaware Cheif requesting him that he would Communicate the same to White Eyes that he thought it a duty which he Owed his Country to lay them before the Commissioners and that they were at Liberty to make what use they pleased of the Letter and Speech which are as followeth
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PORTSMOUTH Aug 9th 1775
DR SIR-I have safely Arrived hore and am happy to the Greatest Degree having so fortunately Escaped the Narrow Inspection of my Enemies the Enemies to their Country to good Order and Government I shou'd Esteem myself defective in Point of Freind- ship towards you shou'd I Neglect to caution you to Avoid an Over Zealous Exertion of what is now so rediculously called Patriotic Spirit but on the Con- trary to deport yourself with that Moderation for which
you have been always remarkable and which must in
this Instance tend to your Honor and advantage you
may be assured from me Sir that the Greatest Un- animity now Prevails at home and that the Innovat-
ing Spirit Amongst us here is looked upon as Ungener- ous and Undutifull and that the Utmost Exertion of the Powers of Government (if Necessary) will be Used to Convince the Infatuated People of their folly I cou'd I assure you ( Sir) give you such convincing proofs of what I assert and from which every Reason- able person may conclude the Effects that nothing but Madness cou'd Operate upon a Man so far as to overlook his duty to the present Constitution and to form unwarrantable Associations with Enthusiasts whose ill timed folly must draw down upon them in- evitable distruction His Lordship desires you to pre- sent his hand to Captain White Eyes and to assure him that he is sorry that he had not the Pleasure of seeing him at the Treaty or that the Situation of Af- fairs prevented him from coming down Beleive me Dr Sir that I have no motive in writing my Senti-
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ments thus to you farther than to endeavour to Stear you Clear of the Misfortunes which I am Confidant must Involve but Unhappily too Many I have sent you an Address from the People of Great Britain to the People of America and desire you to Consider it Attentively which will I flatter myself Convince you of the Idleness of Many Declamations and of the ab- surdity of an Intended Slavery
Give my love to George and tell him that he shall hear from me and I hope to his Advantage Inter- pret the Inclosed Speech to captain White Eyes from his Lordship be Prevailed upon to shun the Popular Error and Judge for yourself Act as a good Subject and Expect the rewards due to your Services I am &c
(Signed) JOHN CONNOLLY
BROTHER CAPTAIN WHITE EYES-I am glad to hear your good speeches sent me by Major Connolly and you may be assured that I shall put the one end of the Belt which you have sent me into the hands of our Great King who will be glad to hear from his Brothers the Delawares and will take strong hold of it you may rest satisfied that our foolish young Men shall never be permited to have your Lands but on the Contrary the Great King will Protect you and Preserve you in the Possession of them Our Young People in this Country have been very foolish and done many Imprudent things for which they must soon be sorry and of which I make no doubt they have Ac- quainted you but I must desire you not to Listen to
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them as they wou'd be willing that you should Act Equally foolish with themselves but rather Let what you hear pass in at one Ear and out of the other so that it may make no Impression on your Heart until you hear from me fully which shall be soon as I can give farther Information
Captain White Eyes will please to Acquaint the Cornstalk with these my Sentiments also as well as the Cheifs of the Mingoes and the other six Nations your Sincere freind and Elder Brother (Signed) DUNMORE
September 26th The Shawanese being Arrived the Commissioners received them with Drum and Colours and a Salute of small Arms from the Garrison and having Conducted them to a Council House Erected for the Occasion after a Short Pause the Cornstalk spoke as follows
Brothers of Virginia Listen to what I am going to say Captain McKee3 was many Years ago Placed by
3 Alexander McKee was a native of Pennsylvania, who early began trading with the Indians on the Ohio, and by 1772 was appointed deputy-agent under Sir William Johnson. In 1771 he was justice of the peace for Bedford, later for West- moreland County. At the beginning of the Revolution he in- clined to the Royalist side, and was privately given a commis- sion by Dunmore as lieutenant-colonel of a battalion to be raised near Fort Pitt. This enlistment was never accom- plished, and he contrived to quiet the suspicions of the patriot party so that under parole he was allowed his liberty. In August, 1777. he was confined at Pittsburgh for a brief time, and an effort was made to remove him to an Eastern post This he adroitly evaded, and March 28, 1778, left for Detroit accompanied by Matthew Elliot and Simon Girty. The Eng-
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our Wise People at this Council fire to have the Care of it and all our Young people look on him in that light we desire he will still have an Ear to our Mu- tual Interest as we think he ought to have as great a regard for ours as yours and hope he will have an Ear Open to Each of us A String of Wampum
The Cornstalk after Observing that the Gentlemen from Congress were not present said It Appears to me that you are not all as one person as I Expected to find you
Colº Lewis then Spoke as follows Brothers agree- able to Appointment we came here Sixteen days ago we have been Impatiently Expecting you and are rejoiced you are now come we have rekindled a Council fire at this place we now take you by the hand and heartily welcome you to it we hope our Meetings in future will be so Frequent that this Coun- cil fire will not be Suffered to go out as we have been so long detained here and have much also to do we hope you will as soon as you are rested from the Fatigues of your Journey Proceed to Business and in the Mean time furnish us with all the Intelligence you can respecting the Approach of the Other Tribes
lish authorities made him captain in the Indian department, and after 1778, deputy agent. He had large pay and consid- erable honor and authority, and led several expeditions against the American frontier. After the Revolution he be- came a colonel, and was accused of continuing to incite the tribesmen against the borderers. Certain it is, that he en- couraged the forces against Wayne, and that the battle of Fallen Timbers (1794) was fought within sight of his house and store on the Maumec. After the evacuation of Detroit by the British (1796), McKee removed to Malden, Ont., where he died Jan. 14, 1799, of lockjaw .- ED.
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