THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Vaudreuil to Macarty
(September 9, 1751)
Vaudreuil in: Huntington Library
Manuscripts,
Loudoun Coll. 309 and in Illinois
Historical Collections, French
Series, Vol. III,
pp. 331-341.
Besides that I have seen by letters of M. de Celoron, commandant at Detroit, and by those of the Sieur de Villiers, commandant at Miamis, that the republicans of Great Miami River have wholly adopted the English and rejected the French. This led the Sieur Celoron early in the spring to give an account to M. le Marquis de la Jonquiere, who will indubitably send a party from Canada capable of curbing the audacity of these refugees. In case he makes any requests of you, Monsieur, for help for this expedition, in provisions or men, you will lend yourself to it in all that may depend on you.
The same applies to the other settlements that these ambitious people may make on the Ohio river or on others in our neighborhood which absolutely cannot be suffered. In other words, take all measures to oppose them.
In such circumstances it will be proper to see all the Wabash tribes and find out in what disposition they are as regards us. I am assured that the Piankashaw, Kickapoo, Mascoutens and a village of Miami have not yet gone to Great Miami River. If it is true that these tribes still hold by the French, you will do well to make sure of it and to keep them in a disposition to serve you in case of need. The same applies to the Vermilion Indians where there may be a party in our interests, although La Demoiselle, one of the Miami chiefs, and the principal mutineer among the refugees at Great Miami River, told the Sieur de Villiers that he was assured of all the tribes of the Wabash, the (page 334) Illinois, Sauk, Foxes, Winnebago, Missouri, Ottawa, Delaware, Iroquois and others in case the French sought to carry on some hostile enterprise against him. It will be for you, Monsieur, to assure yourself as to the sentiments of all the Indians of the Illinois group.
It indeed seems that the Illinois have been the carriers of English messages and belts among all the Missouri tribes, and others on the upper Mississippi since they have gone as far as the Quapaw, where their manuevers have not indeed had great success. But as that is not their fault, it would be well for you to have them assembled and to let them know that I am in no wise ignorant of all their maneuvers. Warn them that I have given orders to have them arrested and sent to me if they chance again to carry ill message to the Quapaw or elsewhere. You will bid them declare what their sentiments are with respect to us, whether they are French or English. Say to them that they must tell us because, if they are French, we shall treat them like our children, but if they are English we shall regard them as our (page 335) enemies. For the rest, they are to know that their conduct toward us for some time has but too clearly proved to us that they have evil hearts, wherefore I require of them that they declare themselves entirely for us or for the English that we may know on whom we can count.
The Sieur Girardeau with the voyageurs has bruited it about here that at their departure Illinois Indians of the Kaskaskia village had killed two negroes three leagues from the village. As M. Benoist gives me no account of this affair, it will be for you, Monsieur, to inform yourself on it; and in case it is true, it does not become us to leave it unpunished. Accordingly you will have that village assembled and require them to deliver to you the murderers of these negroes, whom you will have shot. In case the villages refuse this satisfaction you will speak to them with firmness and with a certain tactfulness while you take the (page 336) measures proper to force them to give us satisfaction on that account, either by good will or force, making so good an example that the rest of the tribe may remember it. However on this it is necessary to consider if the other nations may not take part in the quarrel. All this calls for much tact, and for reflections which cannot be made save on the spot. Accordingly on this, Monsieur, I do not give you positive orders. I can only rely on your prudence and your experience in this affair and in all others whose circumstances need to be examined on the spot.
Other people have reported to me that these two negroes had been killed thirty leagues from Kaskaskia, by a war party which had met them to the number of four runaway negroes who at the sight of the war party took flight. This led the Indians to fire on them in such fashion that two were killed and two were saved. If the thing is thus, the circumstances of this action are very different and require no satisfaction on the part of these Indians. It will be for you, Monsieur, to inform yourself as to what happened.
M. Benoist informs me that all the tribes of the Illinois dependence have formed a conspiracy against all the French of this country, whom they are to destroy at the instigation of the English. Of this I believe nothing. The enterprise seems to me a little foolish for them; but however it may be, you will go to the bottom of the affair and take in this respect the proper measures so as to have nothing to fear from them, and so as to dominate them. This I think quite possible, being persuaded that your arrival with this detachment of troops and officers will dissipate the storm completely, in which fear often has a larger part than bad intentions on the part of these Indians.
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