THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
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The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
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published.
Letter to Gage
(About 150 Miles below the
Ohio Falls, Aug. 15, 1768)
Wilkins, John in: William L.
Clements Library, Gage
Papers, American
Series.
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about 150 Miles below the Ohio |
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Sir
I shall write Your Excellency fully from Fort Chartres of the Cause of my being so long in coming this distance from Fort Pitt.
1st A Canoe has just now Mett me from Fort Chartres in 16 days, & by letters &c I find that about 26 Indians have cut off a boat & crew sent out by Bayant Wharton &Co to kill Buffalo at or near the Wabash, only one man escaped, a Young man is here in the Canoe who with 6 others & as many horse load of Skins &c coming from the Natches fell in with the same party of Indians who kiled all but himself, about 100 Miles from the Wabash, they took him prisoner, & told him they were miamies & that the man that made his Escape above mentiond, Shot one of their Warriors before he went off, 1st I must conclude that Capt. Forbs has wrote Your Excellency fully of this Affair, he has not mentiond a word of it to me.
The day after I pass'd the Muskingum the 7 July I Spoke with a party of Warriors (Mingos) who had with them a fine young man (Cherokie) prisoner I was civil to them & askd the prisoner from them, but all in vain.
I found the falls no triffle, I was up & down, in & out, & sent round them for a day & half before I made the Attempt to pass with the large boats I have, but passd them without any loss tho it took me alltogether 4 days to get some of the boats off the rocks & to repair them, no large boats should set off from Fort Pitt to pass down the Ohio after the 10 June in the Summer.
I find they expect me at Fort Chartres about the 10 Sepr. & Capt. Forbs writes me that will be ready to leave that place, in a few days After my Arrival. For Many reasons I still hope Your Excellency will think it Necessary to Send me the 2 Companies from Fort Pitt & those at Philadelphia to relieve them. If I do anything at all I shall have much to do at the Ilinois, Boynton &Co. will have boats to send down this fall & will gladly take them on board.
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I have Sr. The Honour to be |
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Jno Wilkins Lt. Colo. |
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H. E. Honbl General Gage
The young man I have mentiond that came from the Natches, made his Escape from the Indians & got to Fort Chartres, was now on his way to Fort Pitt in the Canoe going with letters for Y. E. & B. W. &Co. but the poor fellow is Anxious to return with me to Fort Chartres fearing to meet his late Masters the Indians. I had near forgot that a Canoe passd me about a fortnight ago on her way from F. Pitt to Fort Chartres express from the Co. & by whom I sent off letters for the last place the people in the Canoe now with me say they mett the Other some days ago & that Some Indians took their Guns & every thing from them & they was near Starving but those people gave them Some reliefe.
I write in my boat which is very unsteady.
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