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.
Extracts of Croghan's Journal
(May 22 - June 13, 1766)
(Due to length divided here into two
parts)
Croghan, George in: (Enclosed in
Croghan to Gage, June 15,
1766), Clements Library,
Gage Papers, American
Series, Vol. 52,
Reel 10.
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Fort Pitt May 22d 1766 |
This day I came to this post where I waited on Captain Murray And Shewd him my Instructions from His Excellency the Honourable Major General Gage; And the Honourable Sir William Johnston Baronet.
Captain Murray Informed me that there were Several Chiefs of the Shawanese, Delawares, Six Nations, And Hurons from Sandusky, with A Considerable Number of Warriors who had waited a long time to See me, that they were very much discontented in their minds, On account of having several Of their People killd by the English; some on the Frontiers of Virginia, Pensylvania, & the Jerseys, besides three Shawanese, Murdered and plundered by two men who Ran away from this post down the River.-
In the Afternoon the Several Chiefs came over the River to See me And after the Usual Ceremonies upon these Occations, And bidding me Wellcome to their Country, they Returned back again.-
On the 23d I had a meeting with the Chiefs of the Shawnese, who Informed me of their people being Murderd, And plundered, down the Ohio, River by two Englishmen who Ran away from this post. They say that Accidents of this kind will happen; but that this happening to the Relations Of the Chiefs that were killed with me last year, And who were Returning with the Condolance presents given them by Captain Murray has been Very Unfortunate, And thrown their whole Nation into Confusion & grief. At the Same time they Assured me, that they were well disposed, and Determined on their part, to preserve the peace, And comply with all their Engagements to their Fathers the English, as long as it would be in their power, but Said they were poor people, Ignorant of Laws to govern them And could do Nothing with their young Warriors but by persuasion, and Earnestly Requisted, that Captain Murray, and I would call their young People together, to a publick Meeting, and Condole with them upon this Unhappy Occation which we hope will make their Minds Easy & quiet, And convince all Our Nations, Of your love of Peace, and Regard to your Children the Indians.-
On the 24th I had a meeting with the Six Nations, Delaware (page 2) and Huron Chiefs, When they made great Complaints, About Several of their People being Murdered, On the Frontiers of the several provinces. Say they have lost five men, On the frontiers of Virginia, One near Bedford in Pensylvania, And One in the Jersey. This Conduct they say of their Fathers the English, does Not look, as if they were disposed to live in peace With their Children the Indians, besides, that as Soon as the peace was Made, last year, Contrary to Our Engagements to them, A Number of Our People Came Over the Great Mountain, And Settled at [illeg.] Creek, And Upon the Monegehela, before they had given up the Country to the King, their Father; that it is in their Country they Set any Value Upon, but their Warriors frequently pass that way, to War against the Southern Indians, And go Sometimes that way to hunt; and that after the Unfortunate War that has been Carried on between them and their Fathers the English, for some years past, and the loss of their people On the Frontiers this Spring; they have great Reason to dread the Consequences, that may attend Our Inhabitants and their young men Mixing together so soon in that part of the Country, for altho all the Different Tribes Are Heartily dispos'd to perform all their Engagements And promot the good work of peace, Yet if their Fathers Continue to Murder their People whenever they find them in their Settlements, and break their Engagements to them, they Can't be Accountable for the future Conduct of their Warriors, who Are governed only by Persuasion of their Chiefs; And therefore desired that Capt. Murray and I, would call a publick meeting of the whole of their warriors, And Settle those matters, as their Warriors were Uneasy at the Conduct of their Fathers the English; so soon after a Peace had been so happily Established, in this Country, with All Nations.-
25th Huron Andrew, whom I sent from D'troit last Fall to the Ilinois, to Meet Captain Sterling and Major Farmer And Who has been here a Considerable time, gives me the following Account of his Journey.-
In his way to the Ilinois last Fall he Says he past thro all the Indian Villages, On the Ouabauche and delivered my Messages to the several Nations. He Says he found Twuhtewes, Waweotonaus, Piankeshaws, Kickapoos, and Musquatamies, all in good temper, and well disposed to live in Peace, with their Fathers the English; And that on his Return to this post this Winter he found those Nations in the Same Temper And good disposition with Respect to the (page 3) Village at Post Vincent. And the four Nations Residing in the Ilinois Countrys he says they appear to be well disposed People of themselves, but having lived so long amongst the French they have almost become An People with themselves, And that the French are Continually Poisoning their minds, Prejudicing them against the English. That Notwithstanding all the French have Said to those Nations, before he left them, they Came to afixt Resolution to abide by the Engagements their Deputies Made with me, last July at Wiotonon, till I Should Come to the Ilinois this Summer, and they delivered Several Speeches directed to me, And to the Shawanese, Delawares And Six Nations. Insisting that the Chiefs of Each Nation, with some of their warriors, should Come with me this Summer, to their Country, in Order to Ratify and Confirm A lasting Peace between their Nations, and Us, those Speeches he will now Deliver to the Shawanese, Delawares & Six Nations, And he assures me, that if the Chiefs of those Nations, And some of their Warriors Accompany Me, I Shall be Able to Settle every thing with them to my Satisfaction; Otherwise he Says, I will Certainly meet with many Deficulties, as the French, Who have great Influence with those Nations, are determined if in their Power, to draw as many of those Indians, as they possibly can, Over to their New settlements, in order to secure as Much of the Trade, as they Can to themselves.
This Evening I Received a letter from D'troit, Acquainting me that About ten weeks ago, two Soldiers were killed, Near the Red river, by two Indians from St Josephs, of the Potewatemies, for Ravishing two Indian women; And that Colo. Campbell had Confind two Other Indians of that Nation, in Order to oblige them to deliver up the Murderers, and that a Negroe belonging to Mr. Sterling, A merchant there, had Murderd two Indian Women The Night this Messenger Set Off; that all the Nations there About And About Michelemakenac And Labay behaved Very well, that Pondiac and the Grandsobe, had both been at D'troit lately, behaved Very well, And were determined with a number of Other Chiefs, to go and Visit Sir William Johnston, this summer, and that Mr Craford, who I Sent this Spring by order of Sir William Johnston, with Messages to Pondiac, And the Other Chiefs in that Country, was arrived at D'troit, And had proceeded to Pondiac's Village, with the Speeches, And would Certainly Succeed in taking him (page 4) and the Other Chiefs to Meet Sir William, as they had told Colonel Campbell they were Preparing to go down, as they promised him and me last fall.-
26th This morning, a Huron Indian from the Meamis River Came here, And Says that Pondiac And Several Chiefs of the Other Nations, were Prepareing to go with Mr. Crawford, to meet Sir William Johnston, at Oswego. He likewise informd me, that he Meet a party of Weindott Warriors Returning from War, who told him they had been very unfortunate, having fallen in with a party of Cherokees, in the night, at their hunting Cabin, when they attacked them, And killed two Cherokees And two White men, whom they Supposd had been hunting in Company with them, that when they found their Mistake, they did Not Scalp the White men, And would have Burried them, if they dare to have Stayed, but Were Afeard of the Cherokees, Many of their party having Escaped; And being far Advanced in An Enemys Country. this Indian Says, that the party were very much Concernd, for what they had done And were Afeard, their Fathers the English would Not forgive them.
27th The Indians were All drunk Over the River, And continued to the 20th & 29th dureing which time I made it my business, to talk to Several of the Chiefs, And Princible warriors, of the different Nations, in Order to discover their Sentiments, when their hearts were Open, And they taken of their Guard by Liquor; and find them the same as when sober, they Say they have Complyd with all their Engagements to us, last year they Sent Deputies to Sir William Johnston, and Ratified and Confirmed the Peace, And delivered up our Flesh & Blood, Sent Deputies with Me, to the western Nations, part of which were killed in their Fathers Service, which was all that was disired of them, that Since that time they have always behaved themselves well, And Sent their people Upon the Kings Service when Required, but at the Same time Charge us with a Breach of our Engagements, to them, by killing their people on Our Frontiers, After a peace was made with them; and add that A vast Number of Our People have come over the great Mountain to Settle Upon their Lands, before Sir William Johnston had Established A Boundary with them; that if we Broke our promisses to them how Could we Expect them to fullfill theirs, to us; that they were very disirous of (page 5) Living in Peace, but that our Condcut has left them at a loss, what to think. you kill Our people, and it gives you No Concern, but if Any Indians kill any of your people, you Immediately demand the Murderers to be delivered up, And if it be Out of our power to Comply with your Requiste, or do it Not, you take others and Confine them Untill you Obtain Sadisfaction (Aluding to the Indians Confin'd at Detroit). this has not been Customary, Untill lately Since the Army came Amongst us; before when Accidents happened of this kind, we made it up by Condoleing with each Other, which is the Antient Custome of all Our Nations, in this Country, but you have broke thro: Our old Customes, and Made New One's, which we are Not well Acquainted with; And you Can't Expect, let us be ever so desireous of living in Peace, that we will Sit Still And See Our People Murdered by You without having the Same Satisfaction from you that you Demand of Us;--
30th An Express Arrived here from Major Farmer at Fort Chartres with Letters Acquainting us, of the great Scarcety of Provisions.
Several Letters say, the French are Very Industrious Poisoning the minds of the Indians, but that the Indians Seem Steady to the Engagements they Entered into last year and want much To See me and the Chiefs of the Shawanese, Delawares and Six Nations, in their Country, in Order to Settle a Lasting Peace.-
This day three Shawanese Chiefs Came to me, Shewed me several Belts, and Pipes, which they Received from the Indians living in the Ilinois Country, And on the Ouabauche, disiring in a very humble Manner, that what happened to their People, And me last year Might Be forgot, And a Lasting Peace Established, thro: the whole Country. They Likewise Shewd Me a particular belt, which the French, who Live Over the Massissippie, Sent to the I:linois Indians, disiring them to take care of the English, for that if they suffered the English, to get a hold in their Country, they might Depend upon it, they would Enslave them, and in another Belt, the French disired the I:linois Indians, to make a peace With the Delawares, Shawanese, and Six Nations, and Leave out the English and acted when they had Accomplish'd that, (page 6) it would be Easy for them with the assistance of the Ohio Indians, to drive the English Out of their Country At Any time.- I Cant help observing here that his openness of the Shawanese, in Acquainting me with every thing, that Came to their knowledge, to be a Convincing Proof of their Love of Peace and attachment to the British Interest.- This evening I Called a meeting of the Chiefs, and Acquainted them of the Safe Arrival of the Merchants Batteaus in the I:linois Country, and that the Indian Nations there, Appeared Determined to abide by their Engagements, to me, and their Deputies; Made last year; Untill we, Could have a general Council this Summer in their Country, to Ratifie and Confirm a Lasting Peace, which Piece of Intellegence, gave them great Sadisfaction, as they Confessed to me they had been under some Concern Respecting the Safety of those Merchants Battoes.-
June 1st I Sent a message to the Indians to desire them to prepare themselves to meet to morrow in the Council house, when I would Speak to them.
2d The Indians Sent me word, that they Could not Meet, as I desired some of their People being Out hunting.
At A meeting in the Council House with the Shawnaese, Delawares, Six Nations And Weindotts the 4th June
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Capt
William Murray |
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Present |
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Lieut
Alexn. Donaldson |
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Capt Henry Montour Interpreter |
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Children
It is above twelve Months, Since I had the pleasure of meeting You at Your Council Fire. I now by this String of Wampum assure You that I am glad to See So Many of my Children present to hear what I have to Say to them.
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A String |
Children
By this String I wipe the Sweat of your Bodies, and Clear your Eyes, that you May See your fathers, the English with Pleasure.
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A String |
Children
By this String I open your Ears, And Remove any Evil thought from your hearts, that you May hear what I have to Say to you.-
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A String |
Children
Since I left you last year, Several unfortunat Accidents have happend both to you and me for what happened last year, your Father Captain Murray, Condoled with you this Spring, Agreeable to the Customes of Our Ancestors, Since which time the Evil Spirrit, has tempted Some of your Fathers Servants, to Strike Some of our Children the Shawanese. Children you Must Consider, that there are bad People of all Nations, And that Such Accidents done without Design, or the knowledge of your Fathers Should not be the cause of disturbing the Publick Peace and Tranquility Now Subsisting between you and your Fathers the English; Since this Unfortunate Accident has happened, every Meathod has been taken to have the Murderers apprehended, And I assure you, Children, that as Soon as they are found, they Shall be try'd by the Laws of their Country, And punished in the Presence of you, to Convince you of the uprightness and Justice of your Father the King of great Brittain, And with this Belt I wash the Blood of Your Council Seats.-
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A Belt |
Children
Agreeable to the Antient Custom of our fore Fathers I Condole with you for the loss you have Sustained, by the Instigation of the evil Spirit, and Cover the graves of Our Deceas'd friends, with these goods, that their Blood, may be no more Seen upon the Earth.
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Covered the Graves with Goods |
Children
With this Belt, I gather up all the bones of our Deceasd friends, And burrie them deep in the Earth, that we may See them No More.-
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A Belt |
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