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.
Major Ward to
Col. Henry Bouquet
(Fort Pitt, June 15, 1762)
Ward, Edward in: B.M., Add. MSS.
21648, f. 22, A. L. S., and in
Stevens, et all. The Papers of
Col. Henry Bouquet,
Series 21648, part I,
pp. 155-156.
Sir.
There Arived on the 11th Inst A chief Man of the Wawayoughtinne, of Indians with a fiew of his own Nation and a few Indians who live at a Great distance to the Westward of the Posts that Lieut Jenkins Commands at this young Chief came from said Posts.
The 12th Inst at 10 Ck this young Chief sent a speaker to Inform me that he and an old Chief of the Pieyankeishuka Nation Who Came from the Post where Lieut Holms Commands At, That they would deliver me a speech at 12 O Clock and that they Requested that the Commanding Officer should be Present.
I waited on Captain Barnesley and Informed him of the Message I received, Captain Barnesley and I Concluded it would be most Prudent to put them off til the Arival of Mr Croghan or Your Arrival and if that they would not be put off that I should Excuse his not Waiting on them as we Judged they would Crave Presents. Those Indians would not Wait a moment but would deliver their speech at the time Appointed by them.
After the Ceremonies was over at our Meeting the Young Wawayoughtinne Informed me that he spoke for those Indians Present and all the Indian Nations to the Westward that were in Allience with them He then Expressed how Cincerely all those Nations of Indians were Attached to their Brethren the English and that they were Rejoiced that they had a Clear open Road to Come to their brethren with many speeches of this Kind all tend to give us a Just sense of their Friendship he then laid before me the Writings of a Treaty held by Mr Croghan which Pass'd between those Nations of Indians and the Governments of Virginia and Pennsylvania in the Year 1750 and this he said was the first of their Allience with the English that they every held this treaty in the greatest Esteem and that they never had Violated their Promises made in Sd Treaty tho' some of their Unthinking Young Men had been Active in the War in favour of the French but that they were but a few.
That they Esteemed it as the greatest Blessing that they now had the Opportunity to Renew their Friendship the Young Chief gave a large Pipe and in a little time after he gave a Beaver Blanket to Conform the Truth of what they said and of what they had to Say.
The Young Chief Begg'd Amunition and Clothing for the Several Nations that was in Allience with them.
And they Related the Distresses and what they sufferd by the War soon After I received this speech I went to Captain Barnesley and he and I Concluded it would be most Prudent to Acquaint those Indians that it was not in our Power to grant them Presents that their speech should be Communicated to the Commanding Officer and to Mr Croghan that we Expected Mr Croghan would Return to this Place in Six weeks that the time might be longer or shorter of Mr Croghans Arival that we were Sorry we Could not Grant their Requests that at Mr Croghans Arival they would Receive an Answer to their speech that they should have Provisions and that we would treat them as our Brethren during their stay with us.
The 13th Instant at 10 OClock I met those Indians and after the Ceremonies past on Each side I gave them for Answer what Captain Barnesley and I had Concluded on After they had Received my Answer they Prest several times for a small Quantity of Amunition and Cloathing but when they found it was to no Purpose and that I could not grant it they then Concluded to Wait the Arival of Mr Croghan or your Arival.
Those Indians made a Complaint of the Traders at the Post where Lieut Jenkins Commanded at they say that those Traders takes Ten Bucks for a stroud that those Traders takes no less than two Buck skins for one Buck and three Doeskins for a Buck that they sell everything as Dear as their strouds and that they take their Furs at a disadvantage as they do their Deerskins.
I informed them that Mr Croghan would settle all those Affairs for them at his Arival
I learn that the Delaways are to have a Counsil at this time and at which they are to determine the time of their going to the Treaty.
. . .
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