USA > Ohio > The Revolution on the Upper Ohio, 1775-1777 > Part 8
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Brother the Bigknife I am glad to hear what you
14 The Half-King was an important Wyandot chief, head of the Sandusky branch of the tribe, his village being at Upper Sandusky. In 1777 he declared against the Americans, and headed the raid that defeated Foreman, as well as that which assailed Fort Randolph in 1778. He was also promi- nent in the defeat of Crawford in 1782. He appears to have died before Wayne's treaty in 1795 .- ED.
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have said to us to our Nephews the Delawares to our Young Brothers the Shawanese and Tawaas and to our Elder Bretheren the Six Nations I am also rejoiced that on our Arrival you wiped the Sweat from us you dried up our Tears that you set our hearts at Ease and that you Cleared our Ears that we might hear the good things you have to say to us I make no doubt our Cheifs who sent us here will be Equally rejoiced at our reception when they are Informed of it on our return15 A Black String
The Cornstalk a Shawanese Cheif came forward to the Council Board and Addressed the Commission- ers as follows Brothers I imagined all Matters were settled last fall and that we were as one People I now find that there is a bad Wind Blown up I know not from whence it has Arisen but I desire the White People will search into it I hope they will not let that Interrupt the Good work we are now about. If we are Strong and finish the good work we have began our Children now Growing up will live in peace but if we regard what wicked or fool- ish People do it may be an Impediment to our live- ing in Freindship when we received the Message from our Brothers the Bigknife and the other Colon- ies we Immediately set off with a good heart to meet them determined to think of Nothing bad that Passed Expecting the Good things our King had sent Us to hear at this Meeting wou'd be the Means of our
15 John Dodge, who at the request of Wood accompanied the Wyandot, reports to the following effect: that upon their return to Sandusky they found their tribesmen preparing for war, which the account of their deputies quieted .- Almon's Re- membrancer, viii, pp. 73, 74 .- ED.
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Children enjoying a lasting Peace at the Conclusion of the War with Lord Dunmore last fall we Mutu- ally Promised if any thing shou'd happen bad on Either side to Inform Each other of it I now Brothers Inform you that some of my foolish Young Men have Burned Several Houses at the Mouth of the big Kanhawa they were Pursued by the White People and came home quite Naked having Lost their Cloaths Blankets &" It happened about ten or 12 days ago; To morrow I will send off two of my Young Men to direct my People to sit still and do no mischeif while we are doing Business I will like- wise Inform the Wiandots and Tawaas and hope you will send to your young people and direct them to do ours no harm untill this Business is finished I In- tended last Night to have sent off my Young Men this Morning but Considering the Weather is Cold I detained them this day to see if our Brothers wou'd not take Pity on them and give them something to Cloath them and Provisions for their Journey when the Messenger who brought me this Account came off the Cheifs were getting some of the White People who were at the Towns to write and a Man to bring it up we Expect therefore that you will have a writ- ten Account in a day or two A String
Colº Morris then spoke to the Different Nations of Indians as follows Brothers we are well Pleased with your Speeches of Yesterday and to day and thank you for them and will withdraw till our Brothers the Virginians have finished their Particu- lar Business with you we are Very Glad to see you so desirous of taking fast hold of the Chain of
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Freindship and hope the Great and Good Spirit will Preside among you and Guide you to your Mutual Satisfaction
The Gentlemen from the Congress then withdrew and the Commissioners from Virginia Opened their Business with the following Speech delivered by John Walker To the Mingoes Wiandots Delawares Shawanese and Tawaas Freinds and Bretheren we are sent here by the Grand Council of our Country, the big knife, to take you by the hand and Welcome you to this Council fire, to which we have Invited all the Ohio Indians and other Neighbouring Na- tions : you have Accepted the Invitation and we are heartily Glad to see you, this Council we hope, will be called the Blessed Council of Peace, and the Fame of it handed Down thro' all Generations A String to Each Nation
Brothers having now met in Council agreeable to the Appointment of our respective Nations, we do with this belt remove from our Roads all Obstruc- tions, that both your and our People may have free and Easy Access, and we hope they will be so Troden by our Mutual Freindly Visits, that they will be forever kept open A Road Belt
Brothers we do with this Belt Brighten the Chain of Freindship between us, with it we rub off any Rust it may have Contracted, and desire you may Continue to hold fast by one End of it, so long as the Clouds shall Produce Rain, or the Earth Corn on our part you may depend it will never be let go. unless you wrest it out of our hands. by Commenc- ing Hostilities against us; in which Case you must
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know, that you will be but as one Child fighting against its family of an Hundred The Chain Belt
Brothers we wish to Cultivate so strict a Freind- ship with you as that your Enemies shou'd be Con- sidered as ours, and our Enemies as yours ; However, as we are able to fight our Own Battles we only re- quest of you (as you love us, and regard your Own Welfare) to Continue in Peace and Suffer the Tom- hawk which is so deep Buried to lie Still and the Tree which is Planted thereon to grow and flourish in such Manner, that both your and our Childrens Chil- dren, may reap the fruits of it.
Brothers you have no doubt heard of the dispute between us and some of our Fathers evil Counsel- lors beyond the Great Water,16 in this dispute your Interest is Involved with ours so far as this, that in Case those People with whom we are Contending shou'd Subdue us, your Lands your Trade your Lib- erty and all that is dear to you must fall with us, for if they wou'd Distroy our flesh and Spill our Blood which is the same with theirs; what can you who are no way related to or Connected with them Expect? and further, Suppose you were Inclined to Join our Enemies, how Cou'd you Act in Conjunc- tion with them? they Cannot Pass through us to your Country Neither cou'd you get to them. Not- withstanding all this, we only ask of you to Stay at
16 See the allegory by which the dispute was explained to the tribesmen under the figure of a cruel father's treatment of his little son, in Heckewelder's Narrative, pp. 137-140. See also Amer. Archives, 4th series, iii, pp. 482, 483 .- ED.
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home, to take Care of your Women and Children, and follow other Usual Occupations: we are not Affraid these People will Conquer us, they Can't fight in our Country, and you Know we Can; we fear not them, nor any Power on Earth
Brothers the thirteen great Colonies of this Ex- tensive Continent, Comprehending in the whole, at least One Million of Fighting Men, are now so firmly United and Inseparably bound together by one lasting Chain of Freindship, that we are no more to be Considered as Distinct Nations, but as one great and Strong Man, who if Molested in any one of his Members, will not fail to Exert the Combined force of his whole Body to Punish the Offender, we have already sent some of our Men to Assist our Breth. cren at Boston, and so far as the Contest has been hitherto Carried on we have Proved Successful our Enemies are Confined to their Ships and entrench- ments and we Expect will Shortly be Almost all Starved or Slain and that the few who shall Escape from famine and Sword will be forced to fly to their own Country for Shelter
Brothers we can with Pleasure Inform you that several Indian Nations in the North have Offered to take up the Tomhawk in our favor, that the People in Canada except a few of Governor Carl- tons17 Fools are friendly towards us, that they have
17 Guy Carleton (1724-1808), an eminent English soldier, was at this time governor of Canada. He resigned upon Bur- goyne's appointment, and was replaced (1778) by Haldimand. In 1782, Carleton was made commander-in-chief for British America, his policy being one of clemency and conciliation.
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absolutely refused, when Ordered by him, to Strike us, and that it is not Improbable they will in a Short time deliver him a Prisoner into our Hands.
Brothers If any other Nation or Nations shou'd take up the Tomhawk and Endeavour to Strike us it wou'd be Kind in you to give us Notice and Use your best Endeavours to Prevent the Stroke, for it must be your Interest to live in Peace and Amity with such near and Powerfull Neighbours and this is all we Ask A String to Each Nation
Brothers the Mingoes we desire to bury in Ob- livion all that has past, and brighten the Chain of Freindship with you whatever happened to some of your Young people last fall, was Owing to their disregarding the Wise Councils of the Six Nations ; we hope the good Advice they will receive from you, and them, will Prevent any Mischief in future A String
Brothers the Wiandots we have had good Ac- counts of you from our people who have been Among you they tell us you are a good and sensi- ble Nation we desire you will give Ear to no Idle reports you may hear from the Commanding Officer at Fort Detroit who will Endeavour to deceive you we have already discovered Many of their Fals- hoods we desire to live in Peace with you, and hope you will Acquaint your Neighbouring Nations with what we have said A String
Returning to England in 1783 he again came out to Canada in 1786 as governor, this time under the title of Lord Dorchester. After retaining the office for ten years, he retired from public life .- ED.
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Brothers the Delawvares we Esteem you a Wise people for not engaging in the War last Summer and you may depend upon our freindship agreeable to Lord Dunmores Promise A String
Brothers the Shawanese we have returned you your Hostages safe and Trust they can say nothing but good of us It is our Earnest desire to live in Peace with you, shou'd any of our People Molest you, we will Endeavour to bring them to Justice and shou'd any of yours Molest us we Expect you will Punish them A String
Brothers the Tawaas we are exceedingly rejoiced to see you here we have heard much of your Kind- ness and Hospitality Especially of your freindship to young Feild who was delivered you by the Shaw- anese, he is well and has a Gratefull Rememberance of your Favors. One Act of Humanity does a Na- tion more Grace in the sight both of God and Man, than an hundred Cruelties. your Behaviour to young Feild will indear you to all the White People. now you have found the Way to this Council fire, we hope we shall often meet at it to brighten the Chain of Friendship between us we desire you will Listen to no evil reports of our Mutual Enemies, shou'd you hear of any Mischeif Intended us you will do well to Inform us and do all in your Power to Prevent it, and we desire you will Acquaint your Neighbour- ing Nations of what we have said to you A String
To the whole Nations Present we have reason to Beleive great Uneasinesses and Jealousies have Pre- vailed Amongst you respecting our Intention of mak- ing Encroachments on your Lands we take this Op-
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portunity of Assuring you that we have not the most Distant thought of Possessing any part of your Lands you must all be sensible that the Lands on this side Ohio as far down as the C[h]erokee River18 was Pur- chased at the Treaty of Fort Stanwix by Sir Will- iam Johnston19 for the King of England who has since sold it to his Childeren on this Continent and which they now Expect to Enjoy in Peace A Belt
Brotliers we Expect you have brought with you and are ready to Deliver up all our Flesh and Blood our Negroes and all that belongs to us and that you are prepared to make restitution for all Damages agreeable to the Terms Stipulated between you and Lord Dunmore last Fall A String
The Flying Crow then Replied Brother the Big- knife It gives me great Satisfaction to hear what you have said, it puts me in mind of our wise fore- fathers Beleive me when I assure you it has sunk deep into my heart I firmly beleive every thing you have said to me and will duly Consider it as its Consequence deserves and will then give you my Answer to it you may depend the Six Nations will be strong in Peace and we hope the Other Nations will be the same
White Eyes then Addressed the Commissioners and the Different Tribes of the Indians in the fol- lowing Manner Uncles the Six Nations And Grand Children the Shawanese and Tawaas I am much re-
18 The Tennessee was frequently known as Cherokee River, because that tribe dwelt upon its upper waters .- ED.
19 Sir William Johnson, for many years superintendent of Indian affairs, held this important treaty at Fort Stanwix in 1768, and died in 1774 .- ED.
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joiced at what I have heard from our brother the bigknife
Brothers the bigknife I am extremely rejoiced to hear the many good things you have said to me as my Heart Desires nothing but what is good I lay hold on the least Appearance of it Uncles the Six Nations and Wiandots and all who are here present I hope we shall be able to finish the Good work we are now about so Effectually that our Children and our Chil- drens Children shall be able to live in peace from it and as soon as all my Bretheren have fully Con- sidered of what you now have said to us we Will return an Answer
Corn Stalk then Spoke as follows Brothers the Big- knife as you have desired we shou'd deliver you your flesh and Blood and your Negroes we will give you an Answer to morrow respecting that Matter
At a Conference Continued and held with the Shawanese on the 11th October 1775 Present Thomas Walker, Andrew Lewis, James Wood John Walker Adam Stephen Commrs
The Cornstalk addressed the Commissioners My Old Brothers the Bigknife In our Councils last fall when we were settling every thing we made our- selves one Body and Promised to Each Other at the same time that if any Mischeif shou'd happen through the inadvertency of foolish Young People that we wou'd not keep it a Secreet from one another but Se- riously Consider and have it rectified when I left home I Assembled my Young Men and told them
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I was going to Treat with my Bretheren the Eng- lish and if any foolish People shou'd spread any bad reports not to listen to it as I had nothing in my heart but what was good we had not forgot where the Mischeif a rose from the foolish People who are endeavouring to Overset our Freindship I will now Inform you that Just before our Young Men left our Towns twenty Wiandots and Tawaas came there and desired their Brothers the Shawanese to Listen to what they had to say which was this Brothers I now desire you to make yourselves ready and to se- cure your Provisions for it will not be long before a Body of the White People will Strike you they have already divided your Nation by calling one half of you to a Treaty at Pitsburg where they Informed you that they had good to say to you but it was only to deceive you they desired the Warriors to get their Mocoasins ready and to go and Watch the Mouths of Muskingum, Hockhockin the big Kanhawa and Ken- tucke for there wou'd be a great number of the Vir- ginia Warriors to strike them the King of the Wi- andots and wise men who live at Detroit sent them on a very different Errand they told these Twenty Wiandots and Tawaas to go to their Young brothers the Shawanese and as they were Unsetled On Ac- count of the Disputes between their Elder Brothers of Virginia and them they had sent them to Kindle their Council fire Anew and to gather the Bones of their Dead who fell in the War and to Bury them and remove all Grief from their Hearts that they might sit in Peace and Quietness this is what they were sent for and not to spread bad reports when
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the Tawaas and Wiandots came to Pluggies Town the Mingoes Cheif Called the Stone and another Cheif called the Black Wolf Invited them to a Council and there put these evil Stories in their heads and made them forget the good things their Cheifs had charged them with their telling these foolish things to my young Men made them go and do harm to my broth- ers the English unknown to our Chief Kisquaquawha [who] was sick or he would have Prevented them I also Inform you that two of the Wiandots and Pluggies son one of the Six Nations with two of our foolish Young Men who they Persuaded to go with them Pretending they did not know the road are gone to the Mouth of Kentucke to look at the white People no doubt their taking our Young Men was to throw the blame on our Nation20 to which Colo Lewis replied Brothers The Natural Consequence of what had happened will be that the white People will go into the Fort at which you need not be Alarmed we will send to desire our People to keep their Own side of the River and to do you no harm and would recommend it to you to send to your People to do the same The Cornstalk Answered This is our Intention
Brothers we have now Informed you what we have heard and your seeing a Number of us here both Men and Women may convince you we had no such thoughts in our Hearts when we left our Towns
20 On Dec. 23, just outside of Boonesborough, this party fired upon Col. Arthur Campbell and two lads named Sanders and McQuinney. The former escaped, the latter was killed, and Sanders was never again heard from. See Draper MSS., 4B55 .- ED.
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Whatever has happened is Owing to the Advice of bad People who no doubt Envy us as they see us and our Elder Brothers the Big knife as one People If it had been known to the Wise People of your young Brothers the Shawanese they would have Pre- vented it The Cheif who we left to take Care of our Young People was sick and knew Nothing of their going we Acquainted you we were going to send two of our Young Men to our Towns I shall send my own son Allanawissica and Kataawa with Speeches to my Nation as the Weather is grown cold they hope you will give them some Clothes and Pro- visions for their Journey
Brothers listen to me when we held a Council last Fall you desired us to deliver up your Flesh and Blood your Negroes your Horses and every thing that belonged to you our Brother Colo Stephen was here and remembers every thing that Passed as soon as we heard it we Immediately Complied and Delivered you up all your flesh and Blood your Ne- groes and Horses and all that belonged to you not only at that time but when they were Demanded twice before in the Winter I received a Message from the Commanding Officer at the Kanhawa my father the whitefish and myself went through the Towns hunted up the Horses and Delivered him eight when the Governor Demanded our Relations the White People he told us he only wanted them to go and see their relations and they should be at lib- erty if they did not like to stay with the white People to return to us when we brought them among us they were then Subservient to our Commands but when
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we had delivered them up to the White People and they returned of their Own Accord they were as free as ourselves and no longer under our Controul when I went home I Informed them that some of their white relations were desirous of seeing them and told them to go and see their Relations they began to Cry and said they were not Slaves that they shou'd be forced away for they had it in their own Choice where they would stay last spring when some of the Cherokees robbed your People on the Kentucke we Immediately set off took two of the Horses from them and delivered them at the Mouth of Kanhawa and when the Negro Woman made her Escape from that Place and Came to our Towns on her being De- manded we delivered her when we did this Captain Russell said he was a little Sorry to Ask so much but that the Owner insisted upon having the two Children brought in that he thought it was too much as they had been all Winter Delivering Horses and Performing every Promise they had made in the Win- ter Captain Russell sent five of his Men to our Towns we Delivered the Negro Wench but told him as the Children were Bagat by our People we thought it very hard they should be made Slaves of as the Negro Woman is delivered up she will soon have more Children at the same time they Demanded Horses from us we Informed them we had delivered up all the Horses we had belonging to the White People and that Many of our People had delivered up their own Horses in leiu of yours which cou'd not be found we likewise told them that ours was not the only Nation who had stolen their Horses I now
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Inform you we have Delivered up all your Horses and all your Negroes Except One Negro Man who run- away from the Mouth of Hockhockan Who threatens to kill either White Man or Indian who shall Attempt to Molest him
Brothers I now Inform you we have delivered up all we possibly can and as we are one People I hope you will not Ask more of us what white People re- main among us are their own Masters and may do as they Please the Young white Man who is here has been to sce his Relations if he Chooses to stay with them we have no Objection if he Chooses to return we Cannot Prevent him we will endeavour to Per- suade him to Either but let his own Choice direct him 'tis true our Manner of living is not like the white Peoples we suppose that is the reason why their freinds are Unwilling they shou'd live Among us
Brothers we now Inform you if any of your flesh and Blood Choose to return to their relations or if any of their freinds come to our Country for them we shall never Attempt to Hinder them and as you Yesterday Cleared the Road of all Obstructions between you and us It will be the Means of making our freindship more firm and Lasting A String
At a Conference Continued and held at Pitsburg with the Different Nations of Indians 12th October 1775 Present Thomas Walker Andrew Lewis James IVood Adam Stephen Commrs
Thomas Walker Esq" delivered the following speech to the Shawanese in Answer to theirs of Yesterday
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Brothers we are sensible you delivered up a Consid- erable Number of Horses and Prisoners to Lord Dun- more at Camp Charlotte we are likewise Sensible that you delivered some Horses to the Commanding Officer at the Kanhawa in so doing you performed part of what you Promised and so far Supported the Honor and Dignity of the Shawanese Nation you told us Yesterday you had delivered up all our flesh and Blood in this you are Mistaken there are many of our People still among you several of whom are not of a Proper Age to Judge for themselves and therefore ought to be Under the Controul of their Freinds many Negroes and Horses which were taken from us are Still Wanting a Particular Account of them we will give you at any time
Brothers you have promised that our people shou'd be at Liberty to return to their relations and that if any of our Freinds shou'd go to your Nation for their Children or relations who are too Young to Judge for themselves you that are now present will deliver them to such persons we also Expect that you will Assist any of our People that go for Negroes or horses in geting such Negroes and Horses belonging to them or any of us and as you have not fully Performed your Engagements with Lord Dunmore we Expect that you will Continue the Hostages with us or others in their stead until the whole of your Promises are Complied with
Brothers your two Young Men going with the Wiandots and Pluggies Son to Kentucke will Prob- ably Occasion some uneasiness Amongst the Inhabi- tants of that Place and if they Behave amiss some of
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them Perhaps may be killed We recommend it to you to advise your People and all the other Indians not to go over the Ohio without Necessary Business and to Consult their Nation before they go also to take with them some white Person of Credit to Ac- quaint the Inhabitants of their Business A String
The flying Crow a Cheif of the Six Nations then addressed himself to the Commissioners Brothers the Bigknife Listen to what I now say you told us Yesterday that you had spoke all you had to say and Desired our Answer what we have heard from you is Just and right and we are well Pleased with it and hope that all the Nations present do Approve it like- wise and now you shall hear what we have to say to you A String Brothers the Bigknife listen like- wise brother Onas listen you told us in your Speech that you Understood we thought you had an Inten- tion of taking our Lands from us you then Assured us you had no such Desire It is true we all Sus- pected that you Intended to encroach upon our Lands but we are now Satisfied and believe you have no such Intention as we think that our Brothers have spoke the real Sentiments of your Hearts and not from your Lips only you must no doubt know what Lands we have heretofore Granted you and we Ex- pect that you will not Suffer any of your foolish young Men to settle or encroach upon our Lands the Boun- daries you Mentioned were Settled by our respective Cheifs and we hope you will Observe them and make no Encroachments upon us that our Children may Continue to live in Peace and Freindship A Belt
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