Piankashaw Locations (ca. 1796 -ca. 1805)(Part 2, pp. 189-199)
/pg. 189/
Vincennes on the river Wabash, and the lands adjacent, of which the Indian title has been extinguished." (7 Stat. 51) Certainly the population at Vincennes had increased after the British ceded their claim of sovereignty to the United States, and the United States had been generous in their grants to settlers in the area, but even these grants would not make a very large area. Winthrop Sargent, Secretary of Northwest Territory who had confirmed the land grants at Vincennes under the authority of the United States Government, in a brief letter summarizing his activities on this matter written in response to a query from Congress, stated that at Vincennes
there have been confirmed unto the people claiming under France, England, and a court never authorized to make grants [deriving from officers of the government set up by Virginia after its conquest of the Illinois country in 1778-1779] about twenty-two thousand five hundred and seventy acres.
The very liberal donations from Congress amount to one hundred and three thousand eight hundred acres, almost five times the first mentioned quantity (Sargent, Dft. Ex. A-12O, p. 84)
The amount of land Sargent confirmed in the vicinity of Vincennes amounted, roughly, to 200 square miles; the area delimited by Harrison was, roughly, about 2900 square miles.
Shortly after his return to Vincennes Harrison held a meeting with
the chiefs and warriors of the Eel River, Wyandot, Piankashaw and Kaskaskia nations, and also a tribe of the Kikapoes, by their representatives, the chiefs of the Eel River nation (7 Stat. 77)
/pg. 190/
The business of this council was to confirm the fourth article of the treaty signed at Fort Wayne June 7, 1803 in which the United States received the right to locate four one-mile square tracts of land for the accommodation of travelers, three to be located on the road between Vincennes and Kaskaskia, and one to be located on the road between Vincennes and Clarksville, opposite Louisville, Kentucky. This was done on August 7, 1803. Two of the ten Indian signers were Piankashaws-"Grosble" or "Big Corn," and ''Black Dog" (7 Stat. 77).
A few days later, on August 13, 1803, Harrison concluded an agreement with the Kaskaskias, who were considered, for the purposes of this agreement, to be the remnant and representatives of all the Illinois groups, which was intended to cede most of the lands formerly occupied by Illinois Indians to the United States. In this treaty they defined the lands of the Kaskaskias and, by implication, of all of the Illinois tribes as follows:
Beginning at the confluence of the Ohio and the Mississippi, thence up the Ohio to the mouth of the Saline creek, about twelve miles below the mouth of the Wabash, thence along the dividing ridge between the said creek and the Wabash untill it comes to the general dividing ridge between the waters which fall into the Wabash, and those which fall into the Kaskaskia river; and thence along the said ridge untill it reaches the waters which fall into the Illinois river, and thence down the Mississippi to the beginning (7 Stat. 79)
This is the area mapped as Royce Area 48, and included the Saline Spring and surrounding tract of land which already had been ceded to the United States by the treaty of Fort Wayne of June 7, 1803. Dawson comments on this point that
/pg. 191/
Orders had been issued by the President of the United States to have the boundary lines of that tract [Saline Springs] run, and the property designated. This new treaty however precluded the necessity of that measure, as the saline and the land contiguos to it, were included in this grant or treaty. There were, however, some doubts in the mind of the Governor, that the Piankashaws would lay claim to the lands upon that creek and he accordingly took some steps towards prevailing upon them to give up their right to the land, between the Ohio and Wabash rivers, by which the Vincennes settlement would be connected with Kentucky, and would completely cut off the Indians from the Ohio, from Clarke's grant down to its mouth (Dawson, Dft. Ex. A-30, p. 51)
The Kaskaskia cession overlapped an area (the Saline Spring) in which Piankashaws had been interested on the west side of the Wabash. Apparently Harrison felt the Piankashaws had interests both on the west side and the east side of the lower Wabash, but the reason why Dawson gives Piankashaw interest in the lands of the Saline River as the reason for Harrison's overtures to the Piankashaws on behalf of their interest in lands between the Wabash and Ohio rivers, on the east side of the Wabash River, is not clear. Dawson does not say what Harrison's overtures were.
On April 20, 1804 the Secretary of War instructed Harrison to carry out the stipulations of the treaty of August 13, 1803 with the Kaskaskia Indians. The Secretary felt that Harrison would have to hold a conference with the various Indians about the boundaries, and asked him what the reactions of the Piankashaws and Kickapoos were to the boundaries set by it, since those "two Nations will feel more immediately interested than any others," (Dearborn, Dft. Ex. A-18, p. 190) and to give him any information he had
/pg. 192/
in relation to the claims of the several nations, if any, and their respective dispositions as to fixing the boundaries. (Idem)
The Secretary of War sent Harrison further instructions on the subject of acquiring of Indian lands in June of 1804. This letter discussed an exchange of lands, apparently suggested by Harrison to the Delaware and Piankashaw Indians, for lands in Louisiana Territory, (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-18, pp. 203-204; see also ibid., Dft. Ex. A-20, p. 25) and may indicate some of the rationale behind Harrison's later Indian treaties. Dearborn, after stating that it would be improper for the Government to agree to such an arrangement at present, wrote as follows:
in the mean time it may be proper to inform such of the Nations as shall discover a wish to remove into Louisiana, that as soon as they shall have settled the limits of their present possessions with their Neighbors, so as to prevent any dispute hereafter in case of an exchange, and the Government of the United States shall have ascertained the just claims of the several Indian Nations, and others to lands in Louisiana. there will be no objection on the part of the U. S. to exchanging such lands with said Indians West of the Mississippi for land east of that river as shall be mutually agreed on. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-18, p. 203)
On June 27th the Secretary of War sent Harrison more explicit instructions about acquisitions of land. Harrison was instructed to carry out the stipulations of the treaty with the Kaskaskia Indians of August 13, 1803, to have the boundary lines "ascertained, run, and marked, as soon as possible," and to settle the claims of any nations which interfered with the Kaskaskia cession. (Ibid., Dft. Ex. A-7, p. 695)
/pg. 193/
He was told, further, that
It may not be improper to procure from the Sacs, such cessions on both sides of the Illinois, as may entitle them to an annual compensation of five or six hundred dollars; they ought to relinquish all pretensions to any land on the southern side of the Illinois, and a considerable tract on the other aide; and, if any of the principal chiefs of the other nations shall discover an indication to follow the example of the old Kaskaskias' chief, they ought to be encouraged, more especially the Piankeshaws, whose lands divide the Vincennes territory, on the Wabash, from the cessions of the Kaskaskias. It would also be desirable to obtain the tract between the Southern line of the Vincennes territory and the Ohio. You will, of course, embrace every favorable opportunity for obtaining cessions of such parts of the above mentioned tract as may occur by a fair and satisfactory bargain. (Idem)
Shortly after this Harrison held several councils at Vincennes to acquire the lands between the Ohio and Wabash rivers below the Vincennes tract and the road from Vincennes to the falls of the Ohio (the area designated as Royce Area 49). The first of these was with the Delawares, who signed a treaty of cession of that area on August 18, 1804. In this treaty the Delawares relinquished
to the United States forever, all their right and title to the tract of country which lies between the Ohio and Wabash rivers, and below the tract ceded by the treaty of Fort Wayne, and the road leading from Vincennes to the falls of the Ohio (7 Stat. 81)
Harrison, as treaty commissioner, felt justified in dealing with the Delawares for this area because the Delawares had
/pg. 194/
exhibited to the above-named commissioner of the United States sufficient proof of their right to all the country which lies between the Ohio and White river, and the Miami tribe who were the original proprietors of the upper part of that country having explicitly acknowledged the title of the Delawares at the general council held at Fort Wayne in the month of June 1803, the said United States will in future consider the Delawares as the rightful owners of all the country which is bounded by the white river on the north, the Ohio on the south, the general boundary line running from the mouth of the Kentucky river on the east, and the tract ceded by this treaty, and that ceded by the treaty of Fort Wayne, on the west and south west. (7 Stat. 82)
The basis for the Delaware ownership of the lands has been discussed above. Harrison's statement that this claim had been demonstrated to him cannot be confirmed, and in a letter written March 3, 1805 he specifically states that he was not present when the Miami's "recognized the Titlie of the Delawares to the country between the White River and the Ohio." (Harrison, Dft. Ex. A-229) The only supporting statement Dawson produces on this point is that made by the Delaware chief, "Buckingehelos," mentioned above, at the treaty of Fort Wayne of June 7, 1803 at which no Piankashaws were present.
Harrison specifically acknowledged in the treaty with the Delawares that the
Piankashaw tribe have hitherto obstinately persisted in refusing to recognize the title of the Delawares to the tract of country ceded by this treaty (7 Stat. 82)
and stated that the United States would negotiate with the Piankashaws for it.
/pg. 195/
Harrison also made a provision in the treaty that if the Piankashaws refused to agree to the cession the United States might make the Delaware treaty void (7 Stat. 82). Since they received additional annuities and treaty goods for this cession (7 Stat. 81), the Delawares would, of course, be interested in having the Piankashaws agree to it.
On August 27, 1804, a few days after the Delaware treaty was signed, five Piankashaw chiefs signed a treaty relinquishing their rights to the lands previously ceded by the Delawares (Royce Area 49), described as
all that tract of country which lies between the Ohio and Wabash rivers, and below Clark's grant; and the tract called the Vincennes tract, which was ceded by the treaty of Fort Wayne, and a line connecting the said tract and grant, to be drawn parallel to the general course of the road leading from Vincennes to the falls of the Ohio, so as not to pass more than half a mile to the northward of the most northerly bend of said road (7 Stat. 83)
The Indiana-Gazette of August 28, 1804, published in Vincennes, commented on the reasons for holding a second treaty for the lands just ceded a few days before by Delaware Indians in the following way.
It was stated in our last that the Delaware tribe of Indians, had ceded to the United States all the country between the Ohio and Waba'sh rivers, as high up as the road leading from this place to Louisville. We are now informed that the title
/pg. 196/
of the United States was not complete by the relinquishment of the Delawares, as the Piankashaws who were the original proprietors of the country, had refused to admit the right of the Delawares to sell it. It appears that the latter who are emigrants from the shores of the Chesepeak and Delaware bays, came to this country about 35 years ago, and that the Piankashaws offered to device with them their lands upon condition of their uniting with them against ther mortal enemies the Chickasaws, with whom they at that time waged a bloody and unsuccessful war. The Piankashaws on the contrary assert, that the Delawares were only to have the use of the country to live and hunt upon, in conjunction with themselves, but that they had no right to sell it. The dispute however has been happily adjusted and a treaty was yesterday signed by governor Harrison, as commissioner on the part of the United States, and the chiefs of the Piankashaw tribe, by which the whole right of the latter to the country above described is vested in the United States. (Indiana Gazette, Dft. Ex. A-50)
In this treaty Harrison got the Piankashaws to agree also to the earlier Kaskaskia cession. The second article of the Piankashaw treaty states the following:
The Piankeshaw tribe acknowledges explicitly the right of the Kaskaskia tribe to sell the country which they have lately ceded to the United States, and which is seperated from the lands of the Piankeshaws by the ridge or high land which divides the waters of the Wabash from the waters of the Saline creek; and by that which divides the waters of the said Wabash from those which flow into the Au-vase and other branches of the Mississippi. (7 Stat 83)
In return for these cessions and concessions the Piankashaws were to receive an annuity of two hundred dollars for ten years and treaty goods of seven hundred dollars (7 Stat. 83).
/pg. 197/
The five Piankashaw chiefs who signed this document were "Wabochquinkelagrosble, or Big Corn," "Swekania, Troisfeese, or Three Thighs," Makatewelama, Chien Noir, or Black Dog," "Alemoin Le Chien, or the Dog," and "Kekelanquagot, or Lightning" (7 Stat. 84). 0f these Big Corn and Black Dog had signed the treaty of August 7, 1803, negotiated by Harrison at Vincennes which confirmed the giving to the United States the right to locate four tracts on the roads between Vincennes and Clarksville and Vincennes and Kaskaskia. Big Corn and Three Thighs had signed the preliminary agreement at Vincennes on September 17, 1802 arranged by Harrison to settle the boundary of the Vincennes tract. Three Thighs ("the three Hips") signed Putnam's unratified treaty held at Vincennes in September 1792.
No Journals have been found of the negotiations at these two Harrison treaties. A storm of protest against them, however, was raised by other Indian groups. William Wells, at Fort Wayne, for example, wrote to James Wilkinson early in October 1804 on behalf of the Miami chief Little Turtle, saying in part,
My friend I am sorry now to say that the Indians are astonished to find an agent of the united states purchasing our Lands from Indians that has no right to sell them and intierly [sic] contrary to the wish of all the Indians in this country .
My friend I do not think this is the intention of our father the president and council of the united states for I know that they have more Lands already then they can Settle and cannot see what use the land that governor Harrison has been buying from the Delaware and Piankashaws can be to the united states when it is so offincive to the Indians...
/pg. 198/
My friend I shall request the President to not pass the treaty concluded between the Indians and governor Harrison at vincennes, and asshure him if he does that his children will have no confidence in him he has sent governor Harrison to this county to take care of his red children and render them services
But in place of the governors doing us good he has done us more harm than any man that ever came in to our County he has made new chiefs among us and payed no regard to the wishes of our former ones he has gave Indians titles to Lands that never had any and after words purchesed the same Lands from them for the united states, (Wells, Dft. Ex. A-343)
Wells was told by the Secretary of War that the United States tried to purchase land from the natives who had just claim to the lands and that he was not aware of any claim to the area ceded by the Delawares and Piankashaws held by the Miamis or Potawatomis. If the latter tribes did have
any such title, they ought to show it in a fair & clear manner, and then they will be entitled to a reasonable compensation. (Dearborn, Dft. Ex. A-1843 see also ibid., Dft. Ex. A-183)
He added that Little Turtle's threat of war was no way to gain "a better title to their lands."
Harrison, in a letter written to the Secretary of War on the expressed dissent commented that Wells had not exerted himself sufficiently "to pacify" the Indians that were annoyed by the cession, that "the disaffected" Indians were not as numerous as Wells said they were, and that Little Turtle was the sole instigator of the opposition to the treaties. (Harrison, Dft. Ex. A-229) According to Harrison, Wells and Little Turtle were
/pg. 199/
always of the same opinion and Little Turtle had much influence with various Potawatomi chiefs, and Wella with the Eel River Indians, but that nine-tenths of the Miamis "utterly abhor both Wells & the Turtle." Harrison reiterated his opinion that the Miamis and Potawatomis had no "Just claim" to any part of the Delaware and Piankashaw cession. The Delaware claim, according to Harrison,
was derived from Present occupancy and from a grant said to have been made to them upward of thirty years ago by the Piankeshaws, (Idem)
or about 1770, and
When the French first descended the Wabash the Piankashaws Were found in the possession of the Country on either side of that River from its Mouth at least as high up as the Vermilion & the possession of it has never been disputed excepting by the Delawares who claimed under the Piankeshaws & the Weas who have occupied the Country above Point Coupee since the Towns at Ouiatenon Were destroyed by Genls.Scott & Wilkinson in the year 1791. (Idem)
Harrison was mistaken in this statement concerning the pre-French Piankashaw occupancy of the lower Wabash River. As described in previous pages of this report, the Piankashaws became established on the Wabash about 1708, were located at the Vermilion River by 1726, and came down to the location of Vincennes with a French officer of that name in 1730-1731. Point Coupee is the northern point on the Wabash River of the Vincennes tract. That the Weas were settled in the area just north of the Vincennes tract is uncertain for the whole time period described.
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