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.
Copy of Speech of
Miami Chiefs
(Fort Miamis, March 30, 1763)
Holmes, Robert, Ensign, in: B. M.,
Add. MSS. 21634, C. and
in Series 21634,
pp. 148-149.
A Copy of a Speech made by the Chiefs of the Miami Indians at the delivery of a Belt of Wampum sent to them from the Shawanee Nation in the winter of the year 1762-
My Brother-
According to your desire and Treaties with us I have consulted with our Chief Warriors in respect to this Belt of Wampam which you discover'd to be in this Village and we all think it best to deliver it to you so that you may send it to your General; tho we were not to let this belt be known of till it arriv'd at Ouiattanen; and then we were to all Rise and put the English to death all about this place, and those at the other places.
This Belt we receiv'd from the Shawanee Nation, & they receiv'd it from the Delawares, and they from the Senecas, who are very much enraged against the English. As for the Indian that was the beginner of this we cannot tell him, but he was one of their Chiefs, and one that is always doing Mischief, and the Indian that brought it to this place was our Chief who was down at the Grand Council held in Pennsylvania Last Summer. We desire you to send this down to your General and George Croghan, and let them find out the Man that was making this Mischief. For our parts we will be still and take no more notice of their Mischief neither will we be concern'd in it, if we had ever so much a mind to kill the English there is always some discovery made before we can accomplish our design.
This is all we have to say only you must give our Young Warriors some paint, some powder, & Ball and some Knives as they are all going to War against our Enemies the Cherokees.
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