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.
Depositions Taken in
House of John Ormsby
(Pittsburgh, March 10, 1777)
In: Calendar of Virginia
State Papers, vol. 1,
pp. 277-282.
the said Deputation returned by water to New York- others returned by Pitsburg the Spring following and Informed him, that the Cherokees acknowledged in Public Council the right of the Six Nations to the aforesaid Country to have been good. and the Deponent further saith that about thirty or thirty nine years ago, a party of Shawanese, headed by One Charlie a Shawanese, who had received permission from Monagalootha and the Half King, who were fully Impowered by the Cheif of the Six Nations for that Purpose, took possession of and formed a settlement on a large river which falls into the Ohio, between the mouths of Ouabache on the West, and the Tennisee or Cherokee River on the East Side of the Ohio, which river was afterwards called and known by the name of the Shawanese River and that the Distance from Fort Pitt, to the mouth of the Shawanese River is computed to be upwards of one thousand miles- and further this Deponent saith not.
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"The Deposition of the following Persons taken at the House of Mr John Ormsby in Pittsburgh, &c,- agreeable to Notice given to Col: George Morgan, Agent for the Indiania Company, before James Wood and Charles Simms, pursuant to a Resolution of the Honble the Convention of Virginia appointing them Commissioners for Collecting Evidence on behalf of the Commonwealth of Virginia, against the several Persons pretending to claim Lands within the Territory and Limits thereof under Deeds or Purchases from Indians.- The deponent being sworn &c in presence of said Morgan, Mr John Gibson and Mr Thomas Smallman, Members of the Indiania Company.- Previous to the taking of the Depositions Mr George Morgan acknowledged himself to be a Member of the Indiania Company, and that he was appointed Agent to that Company, but that he did not think himself authorized as the Representative of the Proprietors, to appear in defence of their Title, and at the same time informed the Commissioners that he had put an authenticated Copy of their Grant from the Six Nations into the Hands of John Harvie Esqr.- One of the Commissioners appointed to take Depositions respecting the Said Grant, sometime in the Fall of the year 1776 desiring that the same should be admitted to record in the State of Virginia, which Mr Harvie promised should be done, Thomas Walker Esqr (one of the subscribing Witnesses to the Grant, and who was one of the Commissioners on behalf of Virginia at the Treaty of Fort Stanwix) then being in Pittsburg." |
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March 10th |
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Major Edward Ward Deposeth and saith, that in the beginning of the year 1754, William Trent Esquire, was appointed by Governour Dinwiddie of Virginia, Captain of a Company to be raised, of which this deponent was appointed Ensign, by the said Trent: Who assembled the Cheifs & Deputies of the Six Nations and requested of them permission to Erect a Trading House at the Junction of the Allegheny and Monongahale Rivers, to carry on a Free and open Trade with the Six Nations and their dependants: which was granted by the said deputies with this restriction, that he was to form no Settlements or improvements on the said Land, but on the Contrary to Evacuate the same when required by the Six Nations.- |
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First settlement |
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Taken by the |
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After which the said Capt: Trent inlisted a number of men not ex- (page 278) ceeding thirty three, and proceeded to erect a Fort at the place beforementioned.- That on the 17th of April following, and before the Fort was nearly completed, this Deponent, who commanded in the absence of Capt: Trent, was put to the necessity of surrendering the possession to a Superior number of Troops, Commanded by a French Officer, who demanded it in the name of the King of France- at which time the Half King, and a number of the Six Nations, in the English Interests were present. This deponent further saith that in the year 1752, and before his surrender to the French, there was a small Village Inhabited by the Delawares, on the South East side of the Allegheny River, in the neighborhood of that place, and that old Kittanning on the same side of the said River, was then Inhabited by the Delawares, that about one third of the Shawanese Inhabited Loggo Town, on the West Side of the Ohio, and tended Corn on the East Side of the River- and the other part of the Nation lived on the Scioto River.- That the Deputies of the Six Nations after the surrender Joined the Virginia Forces, Commanded by Colonel George Washington, who was then on his march, at the Little Meadows, and continued with him, in the service of Virginia till after the defeat of Monsieur La Force, and a party of French Troops under his Command.- And the deponent further saith, that subsequent to the defeat of Colo: Washington at the great Meadows, The Shawanese, Delawares, many of the Western Tribes of Indians, and an inconsiderable number of Renegades of the Seneca Tribe, one of the Six Nations, Joined the French, and Prosecuted a War against the Frontiers of the States of Virginia, Maryland and Pensylvania, till the conclusion of the Peace with the Indians in the year 1759; but that he ever understood the Body of the Six Nations continued the firm Friends of the English.- |
That in the year 1756 an Expedition was prosecuted from Pensylvania against the Kittanning a Town Inhabited by the Delawares on the South East Side of the Alleghene River, which was destroyed, a small number of Indians killed, and the remaining part drove from this side of the River, where they never after took possession renewing their settlements, to his knowledge, but on the contrary he understood they removed further to the Westward. The Deponent further saith, that upon the Evacuation of Fort Duquesne by the French, on the approach of the Brittish Army in the year 1758, General Forbes by one of the deputy agents for Indian affairs, made a requisition to the Cheifs of the Six Nations for Permission to re-establish a Fort at the same place, for the purposes aforesaid, and to prevent the French from returning, which was Granted, a Fort Executed and Garrisoned, which continued in the possession of the British Troups 'til the year 1772, when it was evacuated by them and taken possession of by the Deponent, who occupied the same 'till taken possession of by Major Connelly in 1774, with the Virginia Militia; that in the year 1759, General Stanwix called a Council of the Six Nations, Shawanese, Delawares & other western Indians, when the General by the Deputy Agent Inform'd the Indians Assembled that he was then going to erect a strong Fort, and asked the permission of the Six Nations, for that purpose, which was granted upon a promise of a fair and open Trade, and a reservation of the right of the Lands to the Six Nations, and that it should be abandoned at any time when required by them- after which and in the year 1762 several settlements (page 279) were formed by Emigrants from the different parts of America, by Permission of the Commanding Officer, for the purpose of accomodating Travellers on the Public Roads. That a Settlement and Improvement was formed about four miles above the Fort, on the South East side of the Allegene River by Colo Croghan, in consequence of a Grant from the Six Nations.
The deponent, being asked by Mr Morgan, whether the Representatives of the Crown, have not on all occasions acknowledged the Six Nations to be the sole proprietors of the Lands on the Ohio, Previous to the Treaty at Fort Stanwix in 1768
Answers, that as well the Representatives of the Crown, as the Superintendants, and Commissions from the Colonies, for Indian affairs, have always uniformly acknowledged it: and being further ask'd what Commission he bore at the reduction of Kittanning, and whether it would have been in the power of the Detachment who destroyed it, to have retain'd the possession at that time? Answers, that he commanded a Company, and that he does not conceive it to have been practicable to keep the possession- that it was judged expedient, by the Commanding officer, to retreat in a few Hours, which was precipitately complied with. And being further asked, whether he ever knew of any Engagement between the Six Nations and the Brittish or American Forces on or near the Lands in question, or whether the Six Nations were ever conquered by either of them? Answers, not to his knowledge.- And being further ask'd by the Commissioners, if he was acquainted what Indians composed the Party which attack'd and were defeated by Colo Boquet in the year 1763? Answers,- that he has heard, that a few of the Six Nations of the Seneca Tribe Joined the Delawares and Shawanese, but does not know it of his own knowledge- and being further ask'd by Mr Morgan, whether the Six Nations ever surrender'd or Transfer'd their right to the Lands in question, except at Fort Stanwix in 1768? Answers, that he never understood that they had- Except their Grants to Col: Croghan and himself.- And the deponent being further ask'd whether he knows of any settlements being formed within the Bounds of the Indiania Grant before the year 1768? Answers, that he does not, he being an Inhabitant of Pensylvania at that time.
The Deponent being further ask'd by Mr Morgan, what Troops they were who took the Kittanning at the time before mentioned? Answers, "they were part of the first Pensylvania Regiment, under the command of Colo Armstrong and no other."
Reinhard Andes desposeth and saith, that in May 1767, he settled and Improved a Plantation on the Monongahela River two miles below the mouth of Turtle Creek, by permission of the Commanding Officer at Fort Pitt, that he has continued, and now is in Possession of the same; and that his settlement was Distant from the Pensylvania Road about two miles, and on Braddocks road- being ask'd by Mr Morgan, if he knew of any settlements made between Grave Creek and the Little Kanawa, answers, that he does not, that he never was there in his life- being farther ask'd, if he knew of any settlements made on the west side of Monongahala, before that time, answers, he was not acquainted with that Country at that time, and does not know of any.
The deponent farther says that Conrad Winemiller and Philip Whit- (page 280) zell, Peter Balliter, settled lands near him at the same time he made his settlement.
William Powell, deposed, that he had settled and Improved a Plantation on Turtle Creek, by permission of the Commanding Officer at Fort Pitt, before November 1768, and was still in possession of it.- He knew of no Settlements being made between the Monongahela and Little Kanahwa Rivers, prior to Nov: 1768.
William Elliot deposed, that he settled and improved a plantation about seven miles from Fort Pitt on the Public Road at a Place called "the Bullock Pens" in the year 1776, by permission of Colo Reed, the Officer Commanding at that place, dated August 29th 1765, and is now in possession of the same. He knows the following persons to have settled in his neighborhood before the year 1768 viz: Thos Small, Eneas McWhay, Alexander McGregoe, James Royal, Devereuax Smith & Jasper Tabbs, by the same authority- that the Improvements above mentioned are said to be within the bounds of a grant from the Indians to Colo Croghan and are claimed by him.-
Simon Girty Deposeth and saith, that while the French were in Possession of Fort Duquesne, he was made prisoner by a party of Delawares, Shawanese and French that he was carried to Kittaning, which was then inhabited by Delawares or Mansys; after which he was delivered to the Senecas, one of the Six Nation Tribes, where he continued a considerable time, that he always understood that the Party who Defeated Colo Grant, consisted of French Wiandots, Senecas, Delawares, Shawanese & Ottowas, and that he heard that Keashota was with them- the Deponent Further saith, that the Party which defeated Captain Bullit consisted of about fifty-five Indians and French, a majority of which were of the Seneca tribe- and the deponent further saith that he heard Kiashota acknowledge that he was in the Engagement, and commanded, when the attack was made of Colo Bouquet.- The Deponent further saith, that he never understood, the Indians returned to this side the Alleghane River, or formed any settlements after the Kittaning being Destroyed; and that he has been Informed it is not Customary for Indians to Resettle a Town, after being Destroyed by an Enemy, or Deserted on any other Occasion.- The Deponent further saith, that he does not know of any Settlements being made between the mouth of Monongahela and the Little Kanawha, 'till after opening the Pennsylvania Land Office.-
Thomas Girty, deposeth and saith, that he was made a Prisoner by a Party of Indians, most of whom were Delawares, that he continued at the Kittaning 'till it was destroyed by the English, that the Delawares removed to the other side of the river, and never Returned, after the Kittaning was Destroyed, to his knowledge- that he does not know of any settlement being made within the Indiana Grant, before the year 1768.
Colonel William Crawford, Deposeth and saith, that his first acquaintance with the Country on the Ohio was in the year 1758, he then being an officer in the Virginia Service.- That between that time and the year 1765, a number of Settlements were made on the Public Roads in that Country by Permission of the Several Commanding Officers at Fort Pitt. That in the Fall of the Year 1765 he made some Improvements on the West Side of the Alleghany Mountains, in the Spring of the (page 281) year following he setled and has continued to live out here ever since.- That, before that time, and in that year, a Considerably number of Settlements were made, he thinks near three hundred, without Permission from any Commanding Officer, some of which settlements were made within the Limits of the Indiania Company's Claim, and some others within Col: Croghan's.- From that time to the present, the people continued to emigrate to this Country very fast.- The Deponent being ask'd by Mr Morgan, if he knows the names of those who settled on the Indiania Claim, in the year 1766? and on what Waters? Answers- that Zachel Morgan, James Chew, and Jacob Prickett, came out in that year, and was inform'd by them, that they settled up the Monongahala, that he has since seen Zachel Morgans plantation, which is on the South side of the line, run by Mason and Dixon, and that he believes that to be the first settlement he made in this Country, and always understood the before mentioned Persons lived in his Neighborhood- but that he himself was never within the Limits of the Indiania Claim, untill the year 1771, or about that time- the Deponant being asked by Mr Morgan, if he knew or ever heard of any Settlements besides those before mentioned being made in the Indiania Claim, prior to the Treaty at Fort Stanwix? Answers, that he understood James Booth setled there before that time, but does not know of any others.-
being farther ask'd if those settlements were not made contrary to orders of Government? Answers, that all the Settlements made to the westward of the Allegheny Mountains at that time, were contrary to the Orders of Government.
The Deponent being farther ask'd by Col: Morgan, if he knows what Troops took the Kittanning, in the year 1756, Answers that he always understood they were Pensylvania Troops, commanded by Col: Armstrong.-
The Deponent being asked by the Commissioners, if he is acquainted with the settlements made in the Indiania, and Colo George Croghans' Grants, and if any surveys have been made therein, by virtue of Warants or Orders of Council, and whether there has not been many Transferences made, of Lands, within said Grants? Answers, that he Lands within the limits of Colo Croghan's Grants are thickly settled, but except on the Monongahala River & Middle Island Creek, there are but few Settlements on the Indiania Claim that he knows of. That he knows but of three surveys made by Warants or Orders of Council of the Government of Virginia within Colo Croghan's Grants, but a number were made by virtue of Warants from the Government of Pensylvania- that two Warants under the Proclamation of the year 1763, are laid within the Limits of the Indiania Claim, but not surveys that he knows of were ever made, and that many Transferences have been made of Lands within said Grants.- The deponent being asked by Mr Morgan if he was acquainted with the quality of the Lands in the Indiania Claim? Answers, that he is well acquainted with the Lands & he thinks nineteen twentieths of it is very bad.
The Deponent being asked if any entries were made with the Surveyor of August for Lands Westward of the Alleghany Mountains, Answers that upwards of two thousand were made with him and Col: Dorsey-, a number of them for Lands within the before-mentioned Grants, which entries he transmitted to Mr Thomas Lewis Sur- (page 282) veyor of Augusta County, pursuant to his directions; none of which Entries were made before the year 1775 or in the month of december 1774.- The deponent being further ask'd by the Commissioners, if he knows that the Indiania Company or Colo Croghan ever ascertain'd their Boundaries, by surveys? Answers, that he does not know that the Indiania Company ever made any Survey of their Lands.- that Colo Croghan made a Survey of his Lands on Raccoon Creek in the year___.
Joseph Nicholas, Deposeth and saith, that the year after Braddock's Defeat, he was made Prisoner by a Party of Indians Consisting of Shawanese, and Delawares, by whom he was Delivered to the Cayugas, one of the Six Nation Tribes, where he continued seven years and upwards, that within the said time, he knew several of the said Tribe to go with other Parties against the Settlements, & that he saw several small Parties of the Seneca Tribe, on their way to war against the Inhabitants- that it was always denied by the Cheifs of the Six Nations that they were at war with the white people, but that he knows the Contrary, in the Instances above mentioned.- The Deponent being asked whether he ever knew any number of real Cayugas go to war agt the white People?- Answers, that the Cayugas were greatly mixed with other nations, but that the Parties above mentioned spoke the Kayuga Language and Resided in that Nation.
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April 9th |
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Resolution passed, that the two Hundred men, ordered by Congress to be raised for the defence of the Western Frontiers of Virginia against the Indian Incursions, & to garrison Forts Pitt and Randolph, January 8th 1777, shall not be required to perform any other service, without their Consent. |
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April 15 |
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The Deposition of Samuel Wilson &c- taken before Arthur Campbell and William Campbell Gent. Commissioners &c relative to a purchase of Land by Richard Henderson & Co &c- |
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Saith, That he purchased a Tract of Land lying on the North Side of Holstein River, on the Big Creek, in a place called Carters' Valley from Colo Richard Henderson, for which the deponent has paid twenty pounds ten shillings.- But in case the sd Henderson & Co should not be able to make a Title to sd Land, the deponent does not doubt but they will repay him the money, and would be satisfied therewith. |
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Henderson's |
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The deponent farther saith he was present at all the public Conferences, during the Treaty with Henderson & Co and the Cherokees at Wattago, in March 1775, concerning the purchase of certain Lands lying upon the South Side of Kentucky, but does not know the other boundary lines. The deponent saith that at the commencement of the Treaty the Cherokees proposed to sell the Lands upon the North side of Kentucky, which sd Henderson & Co refused to purchase, alleging that the Colony of Virginia had already bought them. The Deponent farther saith that after the Cherokees sold the sd Henderson the Land, below Kentucky, they sold the Land from where they then stood, unto the former purchase.- The Deponent also saith, that the Indian Cheifs appeared to be perfectly sober, during the treaty , and that he did not see any spirituous Liquors given to them, during the Conferences; and that the Cheifs appeared to be satisfied upon the receipt of the Goods given them for the Lands which they sold to the sd: Henderson & Co.- The |
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