1790-95. Evidence of British Intentions. 401 at that place at this time, and what number of British troops and militia have promised to join the Indians to fight this army? A. By the latest and best information, and from our own knowledge of the number of warriors belonging to those nations, there cannot be less than two thousand warriors now assembled; and were the Pattawattamies to join, agreeably to invitation, the whole would amount to upwards of three thousand hostile Indians. But we do not think that more than 50 of the Pattawattamies will go to war. The British troops and militia that will join the Indians to go to war against the Americans, will amount to fifteen hundred, agreeably to the promise of Governor Simcoe. Q.-At what time and at what place do the British and Indians mean to advance against this army? A.-About the last of this moon, or the beginning of the next, they intend to attack the legion of this place. Governor Simcoe, the great man who lives at or near Niagara, sent for the Pattawattamies, and promised them arms, ammunition, provision, and clothing, and every thing they wanted, on condition that they would join him, and go to war against the Americans; and that he would command the whole. He sent us the same message last winter; and again, on the first of the last moon, from Roche de Bout; he also said, he was much obliged to us for our past services; and that he would now help us to fight, and render us all the services in his power, against the Americans. All the speeches that we have received from him, were as red as blood; all the wampum and feathers were painted red; the war pipes and hatchets were red, and even the tobacco was painted red. We received four different invitations from Governor Simcoe, inviting the Pattawattamies to join in the war; the last was on the first of last moon, when he promised to join us with 1500 of his warriors, as before mentioned. But we wish for peace; except a few of our foolish young men. Examined, and carefully reduced to writing, at Greenville, this 7th of June, 1794.* A couple of Shawanese warriors, captured June 22d, were less sanguine as to their white allies, but still say that which proves the dependence of Indian action upon English promises. As their evidence gives some data relative to the Indian forces, as well as the temper of the western tribes, we extract nearly the whole of it. They say that they left Grand Glaize five moons since, i. e. about the time that the Indians sent in [i. e. to Wayne; the provisions could not be accepted] a flag, with propositions of peace. * American State Papers, v. 489. 402 Forces of the Indians. 1790-95. That they belonged to a party of twenty, who have been hunting all this spring on the waters of the Wabash, nearly opposite the mouth of Kentucky River, and were on their return when taken. That, on their way in, they met with a party, consisting of four Indians, i, e. three Delawares and one Pattawattamy, who were then on their way to the Big-bone-lick, to steal horses; that this party informed them that all the Indians on White River were sent for to come immediately to Grand Glaize, where the warriors of several nations were now assembled ; that the chiefs are yet in council, and would not let their warriors go out; that they could not depend upon the British for effectual support; that they were always setting the Indians on like dogs after game, pressing them to go to war, and kill the Americans, but did not help them; that unless the British would turn out and help them, they were determined to make peace; that they would not be any longer amused by promises only. That the Shawanese have 380 warriors at, and in the vicinity of Grand Glaize; and generally can, and do, bring into action about 300. Their great men, or sachems, are the Black Wolf, and Kakia-pi-la-thy, or Tame-Hawk; their principal warriors are Blue Jacket, and Captain Jonny; that the Delawares have in and about Grand Glaize 480 warriors; that they actually had four hundred in the action against St. Clair; that the Miamies are at present but about one hundred warriors, who live near Grand Glaize, several of them having removed towards Post Vincennes, and by the Mississippi; that the Wyandots never send into action more than about one hundred and fifty warriors; they live along the lake, towards Sandusky; they don't know the number of the Pattawattamies, nor the number of the other Indians or nations that would actually join in a war, should they determine to continue it; that the Chippewas would be the most numerous, and were generally on the way to the council; but that war or peace depended on the conduct of the British; if they would help them, it would probably be war, but if they would not, it would be peace; that the Indians would no longer be set on like dogs, by themselves, unless the British would help them to fight; that the British were at the foot of the rapids, and had fortified at Roche de Bout; that there were a great number of British soldiers at that place; that they told the Indians they were now come to help them to fight; and if the Indians would generally turn out and join them, they would advance and fight the American army; that Blue Jacket had been sent by the British to the Chippewas, and northern Indians, a considerable time since, to invite them, and bring them to Roche de Bout, there to join the British and other hostile Indians, in order to go to war. American State Papers, v. 489. 1790-95. Fort Recovery attacked. 403 And the conduct of the savages proved these tales not to be fables: on the 30th of June, Fort Recovery, the advanced American post, was assaulted by the Little Turtle, at the head of 1,000 to 1,500 warriors; and although repelled, the assailants rallied and returned to the charge, and kept up the attack through the whole of that day, and a part of the following. Nor was this assailing force entirely composed of natives; General Wayne, in his despatch, says his spies report "a great number of white men with the Indians ;" and again they insist There were a considerable number of armed white men in the rear, who they frequently heard talking in our language, and encouraging the savages to persevere in the assault; that their faces were generally blacked, except three British officers, who were dressed in scarlet, and appeared to be men of great distinction, from being surrounded by a large body of white men and Indians, who were very attentive to them. These kept a distance in the rear of those that were engaged. Another strong corroborating fact-says General Wayne-that there were British, or British militia, in the assault, is, that a number of ounce balls and buck shot were lodged in the block houses and stockades of the fort. Some were delivered at so great a distance as not to penetrate, and were picked up at the foot of the stockades. It would also appear that the British and savages expected to find the artillery that were lost on the 4th of November, 1791, and hid by the Indians in the beds of old fallen timber, or logs, which they turned over and laid the cannon in, and then turned the logs back into their former berth. It was in this artful manner that we generally found them deposited. The hostile Indians turned over a great number of logs, during the assault, in search of those cannon, and other plunder, which they had probably hid in this manner, after the action of the fourth of November, 1791. I therefore have reason to believe that the British and Indians depended much upon this artillery to assist in the reduction of that post; fortunately they served in its defence.t On the 26th of July, Scott, with some 1600 mounted men from Kentucky, joined Wayne at Greenville, and on the 28th the legion moved forward. On the 8th of August, the army was American State Papers, v. 488. + Major McMahon chanced to be before the fort with some troops, when this attack took place, and was one of the officers killed, but the object of the Indians was to take the fort. (American State Papers, v. 488, Wayne's Despatches.) Marshall, ii. 136. American Pioneer, i. 315, Daily Journal of Wayne's army. 404 Wayne's last offer of peace. 1790-95. near the junction of the Auglaize and Maumee, at Grand Glaize, and proceeded at once to build Fort Defiance where the rivers meet. The Indians had hastily abandoned their towns upon hearing of the approach of the army from a runaway member of the Quarter master's corps, who was afterwards taken at Pittsburgh. It had been Wayne's plan to reach the head-quarters of the savages, Grand Glaize, undiscovered; and in order to do this, he had caused two roads to be cut, one towards the foot of the rapids, (Roche de Bout,) the other to the junction of the St. Mary and St. Joseph, while he pressed forward between the two: and this strategem, he thinks would have been successful but for the deserter referred to.‡ While engaged upon Fort Defiance, the American commander received full and accurate accounts of the Indians and the aid they would receive from the volunteers of Detroit and elsewhere; he learned the nature of the ground, and the circumstances favorable and unfavorable; and upon the whole, considering the spirit of his troops, officers and men, regulars and volunteers, he determined to march forward and settle matters at once. But yet, true to the last to the spirit of compromise and peace so forcibly taught by Washington, on the 13th of August, he sent Christopher Miller, who had been naturalized among the Shawanese, and had been (see note p. 400) taken prisoner on the 11th by Wayne's spies, as a special messenger, offering terms of friendship in these words: To the Delawares, Shawanese, Miamies, and Wyandots, and to each and every of them, and to all other nations of Indians, northwest of the Ohio, whom it may concern: I, Anthony Wayne, Major General and Commander-in-chief of the federal army now at Grand Glaize, and commissionary plenipotentiary of the United States of America, for settling the terms upon which a permanent and lasting peace shall be made with each and every of the hostile tribes, or nations of Indians northwest of the Ohio, and of the said United States, actuated by the purest principles of humanity, and urged by pity for the errors into which bad and designing men have led you, from the head of my army, now in possession of your abandoned villages and settlements, do hereby once more extend the friendly hand * See American Pioneer, ii. 387, for plan and account of Fort Defiance. +American State Papers, v. 490 and note.-At Greenville, the Delawares asked to have this man released. (American State Papers, v. 581,) and this, as we learn from Wilkinson, was done. (Wilkinson's Memoirs, ii. appendix, No. xliv.) + Wayne's letter of August 14th. (American State Papers, v. 490.) 1 1790-95. Wayne marches down the Maumee. 405 of The arm of the United States is strong and powerful, but they love mercy and kindness more than war and desolation. And, to remove any doubts or apprehensions of danger to the persons of the deputies whom you may appoint to meet this army, I hereby pledge my sacred honor for their safety and return, and send Christopher Miller, an adopted Shawanee, and a Shawanee warrior, whom I took prisoner two days ago, as a flag, who will advance in their front to meet me. Mr. Miller was taken prisoner by a party of my warriors, six moons since, and can testify to you the kindness which I have shown to your people, my prisoners, that is, five warriors and two women, who are now all safe and well at Greenville. But, should this invitation be disregarded, and my flag, Mr. Miller, be detained, or injured, I will immediately order all those prisoners to be put to death, without distinction, and some of them are known to belong to the first families of your nations. Brothers-Be no longer deceived or led astray by the false promises and language of the bad white men at the foot of the rapids; they have neither the power nor inclination to protect you. No longer shut your eyes to your true interest and happiness, nor your ears to to this overture of peace. But, in pity to your innocent women and children, come and prevent the further effusion of your blood; let them experi ence the kindness and friendship of the United States of America, and the invaluable blessings of peace and tranquility.* Grand Glaize, August 13th, 1794. ANTHONY WAYNE. Unwilling to waste time, the troops moved forward on the 15th, and on the 16th met Miller returning, with the message, that if the Americans would wait ten days at Grand Glaize, they (the Indians) would decide for peace or war;† which Wayne replied to only by marching straight on. On the 18th, the legion had advanced forty-one miles from Grand Glaize, and being near by the long looked for foe, began to throw up some light works, called Fort American Pioneer, i. 317. American State Papers, v. 490. |