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.
Sir William Johnson
to the Lords of Trade
(May 24, 1764)
Johnson, William Sir in:
NYCD (London Docs.:
XXXVIII): VII,
pp. 711-718.
concerned in the clandestine trade to Canada & frequently upbraided for it by the Indians) did then reassume their seats at that Board, & by their conduct so exasperated the Indians that several Cheifs went to New York 1753, where, after a severe speech to the Govr Council & Assembly they broke the covenant chain of freindship & withdrew in a rage, the consequences of which were then so much dreaded that I was by the Govr Council & House of Assembly, the two latter then my Enemys earnestly entreated to effect a reconciliation with the Indians, as the only person equal to that task, as will appear by the Minutes of Council & resolves of the House, A Commission being made out for me I proceeded to Onondaga & brought about the much wished for Reconciliation, but declined having any farther to say to Indian affairs, altho the Indians afterwards refused to meet the Governour & Commissioners till I was sent for, at the arrival of General Braddock I received his Commission with reluctance st..(?) some time assuring him that affairs had been so ill conducted, and ye Indians so estranged from our Interest, that I could not take upon me to hope for success, however indefatigable labour & (I hope I may say without vanity) personal interest enabled me to exceed my own expectations, and my conduct since if fully & truly known, would I beleive testify that I have not been an unprofitable servant, 'twas then that the Indians began to give public signs of their avaritious disposition, the French had long taught them it, & the desire of some persons to carry a greater number of Indians into the feild in 1755 than those who accompanied me, induced them to employ everry Agent at a high salary who had the least interest wth the Indians, and to grant the latter Capts & Lieuts Commissions (of wh I have a number now by me) with sterling pay to induce them to desert me, but to little purpose, for the many of them received the Commissions accompanied with large sums of money, they did not comply with the end proposed, but served with me, & this has not only furnished them with severe complaints against the English, as they were not afterwards all paid what had been promised, but has established a spirit of pride & avarice which I found it ever since impossible to subdue, whilst our extensive connections since the Reduction of Canada with so many powerfull nations long accustomed to partake largely of the French bounty has of course increased the expence, & rendered it in no small degree necessary for the preservation of our Frontiers, Out posts & Trade.
Thus, my Lords, I have given as breif a detail, as I could of the size & progress of the Indian Expences, to which I was the rather induced as what I have said on that subject, & in ye former part of my letter may serve as an answer to ye little reflections & insinuations of the malicious or interested, who taking advantage of my distance from the Court, & ignorance of their representations may presume to traduce a Character with which they otherwise dared not to concern themselves.
I most humbly beg your Lordships pardon for engrossing so much of your time on a subject which may be considered as of a private nature, I heartily wish I may never have occasion to enlarge upon it, but in common justice to myself I could not be totally silent when attacked by a sett of persons whose views of party & private interests would blast(?) the happiness of a country which they have neither conduct nor resolution to defend.
Since writing the foregoing I have received a packquet from Detroit informing me that in March last the Miamis took a Soldier of that Garrison prisoner at a few miles distance from the Fort, that the Commanding Officer endeavoured to encourage some of the Chippewaes & Ottawaes to obtain satisfaction, & procured a French man in whom he could best confide with a party to proceed & demand the Prisoner, as well as enquire how that Nation came to act in (page 716) such a manner, this party was way laid & made prisoners by the Miamis at some distance from their town, and but for the regard these Indians have for all French men, they would have been probably put to Death, however the Indians contented themselves with plundering them of their cloathing, arms &ca & severely reprimanding the Frenchman for going on any business for the English, telling him that his nation wd shortly punish him, that the French were coming with two great armys against the English, & that their (the Indians) taking ye Prisoners was only as a prelude to what they would shortly do, this occasioned the several courts of Enquiry since held at Detroit, of which I enclose your Lordships copys, as they will the better enable you to judge how far these Indians are imposed upon, & set up by the French in their towns, of which I could send your Lordships many more evidences from the Acctts & examinations of sundry persons of veracity, by all which it may appear that either the Governour of New Orleans, and Commdt of the Illinois secretly promote, or at least wink at this conduct of the French, which I fear will, be practiced by the latter so long as they remain in the Indn towns & I cannot see how we can remove them, 'till we stand superior in ye Inds esteem. Several French Familys, of the worst sort, live at ye Miamis, several at Wawioghtanon, & in short at all the places where they formerly had posts, or trading houses, and such is the ignorance, or credulity of the Indians, that altho they may find themselves repeatedly deceived, such reports will still gain credit, from their blind partiality for the French. The possession of the Illinois would in some measure tho' not absolutely check their villainy.
I hope Mr Croghan is now far advanced on his way thither, the last acctt I had from him mentioned his being at Fort Pitt, where he had assembled some Indians for the purpose mentioned in the former part of my letter, but an unlucky accident has I fear greatly retarded him. Some Merchants at Philadelphia desireous I presume to get ye first of the Trade of the Illinois had sent forward a quantity of goods, which as they inform me, was to have been stored at Fort Pitt until the Illinois was in our possession, & that they should have permission to trade there, these goods were sent forward in company with the present which followed Mr Croghan for the Indians in that Quarter, which coming to the ears of some of the Frontier Inhabitants of Pensilvania &c who were greatly irritated at their losses during the war, & resolved to prevent any goods passing to the Indian Country, they assembled in a riotous manner waylaid the convoy, destroyed great part of the goods, and killed some of the horses, & amongst the rest the greatest part of Mr Croghans present, this affair has made a great noise, some people affirm that the Merchants sent their goods on Mr Croghans encouragement, neither had they any pass, the Merchants declare to me, that Mr Croghan had nothing to do in the affair, only told them that the Indians at Illinois would expect a Trade to be opened with them as soon as possession was taken.
The Lt Governour of Pensilvania went to ye Frontiers to enquire into the affair, and I hope shortly to know the real circumstances of the case, & that Mr Croghan will be able to clear himself from the imputations I have mentioned, w from my long knowledge of him I have reason to expect.- Pondiac that verry active chief of the Ottawaes being now at ye Illinois will be a farther disappointment, as Mr Croghan purposed sending for him, & tampering with him at Fort Pitt before he pursued his journey, however as the Indians came in verry readily on Mr Croghan's invitation, the scheme will probably succeed unless thro the influence & artifices of the French at the Illinois, thro which should it fail, I realy know not well how we can obtain possession of that verry important country, unless by the success of some future pacifick measures from hence for I have reason to think from the nature of the Navigation and length (page 717) of the voyage by Mississipi, that no force which can be spared for that purpose can possibly effect it, if opposed by the united force of the Indians in that quarter.- I have reason to hope that the private steps I have taken with the Delawares & six Nations & some belts of importance which I am confident they will make the proper use of, will at least keep matters quiet with ye Western Indians for some time, or until I am enabled to have proper Agents amongst them. Gaustraz one of the Seneca Hostages now here, who is in fact a man that has an almost universal influence after frankly declaring all the motives which led him to engage in the War, has declared that he is now determined to give credit to my assurances that all abuse will be rectified, & he will in consequence thereof second my proceedings with some Belts from himself which will undoubtedly have great weight if they arrive in time amongst the other Nations. Indeed I judge it verry necessary that I should meet with the Western Indians this summer to cement our Alliances, but I cannot do this without having a very considerable present for them, & I apprehend the late orders from the Lords of the Treasury to the Genrl will not admit of incurring that Expence.
Genrl Murray Govr of Quebec has acquainted me that by his Instructions, he is directed to appoint a person for the management of Indian Affairs within his Government, I hope I shall shortly receive your Lordships orders respecting that as well as the other affairs of my Department for until they are settled it is not in my power to fall upon such measures as may best secure the tranquility of this country which your Lordships plan seems so well calculated to effect.
I hope at the same time to hear concerning Kayadarussaras (?), that in case nothing is done against it in England, I may know whether I can take upon me to incurr the expence of a suit here on acctt of the Crown, & that at so great an uncertainty, 'till then I shall not undertake it without the approbation or advice of ye General.
I presume at the same time I shall have some orders regarding the affair of a boundary which appears so judiciously calculated for the preventing of future disputes. I flatter myself I shall be able to effect it to His Majesty's satisfaction, & that of the Colonies interested, to that end I believe it will be thought necessary that the Governours, or Commiss from the Governments should be present to see that everry thing is conducted for their Interest, and I hope your Lordships will approve of the steps I have already taken to sound the Indians on that subject, & pave the way for effecting that important point with their perfect concurrence, a valuable present will doubtless be judged necessary on that occasion, and it is submitted to your Lordships whether the large Tracts wh they will yield up, should be at once purchased for the use of the Crown, or whether the lands comprehended within the line, & which are not already purchased by the Colonies, should remain in right of the soil to the Indians, to be disposed of, from time to time by them at His Majesty's pleasure, these matters once fixed will I expect put a period to the amount of the Indian acctts & that by an establishment which whenever made, shall to the utmost of my abilities be carried into execution in such a manner as to evince it's importance & utility.
I ought to apologize more than once for y length of this letter, the several subjects I judged it necessary to write upon would not admit of greater brevity, and I hope my future Correspondence will not require my being so circumstantial, I rely therefore on your Lordships
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