HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, NOVEMBER 28, 1790 |
267 |
tion. I hope that Mr. Spear has arrived safe at head quarters. He [w]ould have
gone before but the want of provision [prevente]d it.
*I am, dear general, with very great respect and esteem your most obedient and very humble servent
J. F. HAMTRAMCK |
BRIGADIER GENERAL HARMAR
P. S. Since I have wrote the above I am informed that Baptiste Constant is appointed (by Capt. McKee) the great chief of the Weeya1 and also that one Nicolas Laselle is appointed the interpreter of the Wabash Indians with 20/ pr day New York Cur[rency]. Baptiste Constant is a Frenchman who came with the Weeya Indians when you was at Post Vincennes.
I am told that the reason why the Indians did not attacked me on my return was that they suspected the French I had with me had been forced to march, and that they would not kill them. If so, I am very glad of it, for I had not the greatest opinion of their fighting.
J. F. H. |
December 2d 1790.
The express who went to the Falls with this letter having meet a party who was coming with 29 cattle returned. Capt Asheton has informed me of the terrible catostrophe. I very much lament the lost of so many men but particularly that of my excellent friend Wyllys.2
J. F. HAMTRAMCK |
[Addressed:] The Honorable Brig'd General Harmar Fort Washington
[Endorsed:] Hamtramck, Nov. 28, 1790.
*From this point on the letter is in Hamtramck's hand.
1The defection of this Indian to the British was a great loss to
the Americans.
See mention of him above, pp 52, 108.
2For Harmar's "defeat," see Harmar to Hamtramck immediately below and note.
268 |
OUTPOST ON THE WABASH |
HARMAR TO HAMTRAMCK, November 29, 1790
[Letterbook Copy]
HEAD QUARTERS, FORT WASHINGTON November 29th 1790 |
DEAR MAJOR,/p>
It is a matter of great surprize to me that I have not had a single line from
you since my return from the expedition, of course I am a perfect stranger to
the operations made in your quarter. The army under my command returned
to the post on the 3d inst. having completely burned and destroyed the Miami
Village and all the Omee towns with about 20,000 bushels of corn & a vast
abundance of vegetables & slain upwards of 100 of their prime warriors,
but not without very considerable slaughter upon our side. The loss of Major
Wyllys & Lieut. Frothingham1 is greatly to be regretted. Our
total loss was 180 - 73 of whom were federal troops. The savages fought
desperately.2 Let me have a particular detail of your
1Lieut. Ebenezer Frothingham.
2 Harmar sent an account of his expedition to Secretary Knox on November 6: "I have the honor to inform you, that, on the 20th September, I marched with 320 federal troops, and 1,133 militia, total, 1,453. After encountering a few difficulties, we gained the Miami village. It was abandoned before we entered it, which I was very sorry for. The villanous traders would have been a principal object of attention. . . . The substance of the work is this, our loss was heavy, but the head quarters of iniquity were broken up. At a moderate computation, not less than 100 or 120 warriors were slain, and 300 log-houses and wigwams burned. Our loss about 180. The remainder of the Indians will be ill off for sustenance; 20,000 bushels of corn, in the ears, were consumed, burned, and destroyed, by the army, with vegetables in abundance. The loss of Major Wyllys and Lieutenant Frothingham, of the Federal troops, and a number of valuable militia officers, I sincerely lament." American State Papers. Indian Affairs, I, 104. The heaviest losses were sustained by detachments which were ordered by Harmar against the encampments of the Indians who had fled from their villages. Harmar expressed great dissatisfaction with the militia under fire, and his criticism seemed justified in light of the proportionally heavier losses among the regulars. See account of expedition in Dillon, History of Indiana, pp. 245-54.
In September, 1791, a court of inquiry was held "to inquire into the personal conduct of Brigadier General Harmar, commanding officer of the
272 |
OUTPOST ON THE WABASH |
You wish to know how to act with regard to the Crooked Leg Band of Indians
& others who intend coming settling near the village. My opinion is that
you ought have no intercourse with them. as they are all treacherous in the
greatest degree; however, if you are fully convinced that any tribe is
seriously inclined to take the protection of the United States, in that case I
leave it to your own discretion how to act.
On the 10th instant a body of savages to the amount of near 200 besieged a small station called Coleraine7 about 17 miles from hence situate on the Great Miami. Lt. Kingsbury whom I had ordered there for the protection of the settlement, with 12 Federal troops & about 22 of the inhabitants gave them such a warm reception that they retired with the loss of 15 or 20 killed & wounded, after having been 25 hours before the place. They summoned it to surrender, & endeavored to set it on fire with flaming arrows. Only one of the Federal troops was slightly wounded upon the occasion. They took off with them almost all the cattle & corn belonging to the poor inhabitants, which distresses them very much.8
This garrison is exceedingly weak at present. owing to my having discharged upwards of 100 men who would not re-enlist upon the new establishment. A considerable number have re-enlisted, but it would not do for soldiers in the same service to receive some 4 dollars & others only 2 dollars pr month which was the reason of my giving them their discharges, but those orders are not to extend to your Post, as I have no men to send you; therefore your command are to serve out their three years on the old establishment, if they will not engage upon the new.
The Kentuckyans talk of carrying on an expedition early
7 Also called Dunlap's Station.
8The Indians were led by Simon Girty, a British agent of long experience with the red men. Bond, The Foundations of Ohio, p. 300. There is a lengthier account of this affair in Harmar's letter to Knox, January 25, 1791, in the Harmar Papers.
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, JANUARY 25, 1791 |
273 |
in the Spring against the Wabash Indians.9 It is therefore necessary
to apprize you of it, as their proposals have
met with my concurrence, and I have already furnished them with powder & lead
for the purpose.
I am, Dear Major, with great esteem your h'ble serv't,
JOS. HARMAR Brig'r Gen'l |
MAJOR HAMTRAMCK Comm'g Officer at Fort Knox Post Vincennes.
P. S. Is it not possible for you to build half a dozen perrogues? They will cost the public but little. J. H.
[Marginal note :] Forwarded from hence pr Mr. Mitchell, to the care of Capt. Asheton.
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, January 25, 1791
[ACS]
(Duplicate)
FORT KNOX Jan'y 25th, 1791 |
DEAR GENERAL, I have to acknowledge your letter of the 29th of November in which you informed me of your expedition. I sincerely lament the fate of Major Wyllys. He is certainly a very great loss to your regiment, and I can assure you that Mr. Frothingham and him are very much regreted by all the officers of this garrison. Capt. McCurdy expresses a desire to go on furlough. He is going as far as head quarters with my permission where he will receive your directions. I had no objections to his going as I concluded that he
9In late May and early June Brigadier-General Charles Scott, on orders from Secretary of War Knox, led a force of eight hundred mounted and armed men to the Wea villages. The villages were burned and many Indians killed or taken prisoner. Dillon, History of Indiana, pp. 262-65; American State Papers, Indian Affairs, I, 129-35. A second expedition, led by Brig-Gen. James Wilkinson, was made later in the summer against the Miami town on Eel River, Ke-na-pa-com-aqua. Dillon, op. cit., pp. 267-71; Wilkinson to St. Clair, August 24, 1791, in Smith (ed.), St. Clair Papers, II, 233-39.
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, JANUARY 25, 1791 |
275 |
I am informed that the Miamie Indians have gone to Detroit. I will be very much
obliged to you if you will be so good as to send me the ranks of the officers.
In one of your letters you informed me that the officers of this garrison were
very much suspected to be concerned in speculation with the soldiers and you
request of me to put a stop to it. In answer to which I must beg of you to be
fully persuaded that if I had had sufficient proof of any thing of that case
having taken place that the officers so offending would have been arrested for
it. Major Wyllys must have communicated you my sentiments respecting officers
geting the pay of their men into their hands and of supplying their men with
effects. I had mentioned my objections to Wyllys with an intention that he
shoul[d] represent it to you but in a private maner.2 I told
him I was an enemy of the present mode of payment to come in the officers hands
and they at the same time supplying their men with goods that it was opening a
door for speculation, that there was a company in the garrison (Bradford) who
were so much in debt to their capt. that the capt. wanted to keep all the cash
he had received from Beatty and that in consequance of it I had been obliged to
give ordres to the contrary, that the soldiers always in debt to his capt. and
not being able to get money when the pay master arrived, was disgusted and
probably desert. Wyllys agreed with me and promised to speak to you about it so
that if you was of the same opinion, to have it for the future prohibited.3
The contractor's boats have been frosen in the Wabash all this winter.
I am, dear general, with very great sentiments of respect and esteem
your most obedient and very humble servent,
J. F. HAMTRAMCK |
P. S. When Wyllys went from this place to the Falls of Ohio having no public horse on hand at that time to let him
2See Hamtramck to Harmar, June 24, 1790, above.
3See above, pp 235, 253.
282 |
OUTPOST ON THE WABASH |
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, May 9, 1791
[ALS]
FORT KNOX VINCENNES May the 9th 1791
|
DEAR GENERAL,
Since I had the honor of writing you last which was by Mr. Britt a French man who has come from above informs me that it is certain that the Indians who had laid siege to Colerain were some of those we had treated with.1 They were the Delawares, Shawnoes, Miamies, Wayendotts, Ottawas, and Chepawas to the amount of 500. He also informs me that the Indians had determined to come in a large body to Post Vincennes some time this summer. If it is so I shall be ready to receive them. I have plenty of provision and consequently out of any danger. Had you more troops at head quarters I would ask for few more for we are weak and sickly. But if none comes we will do as well as we can.
The navigation of the Wabash has meet with no sort of interruption this year, but if we have right to draw any conclusion from circumstances, the Indians remain[in]g so still makes me suppose that they are assembling at some place of rendezvous to decide and determine on peace or a war.
Inclosed is the monthly return of the troops for May.
I have the honor to be, sir, with every sentiments of respect and esteem yours &c &c,
J. F. HAMTRAMCK |
[Addressed: ] The Honorable Brigadier General Harmar Fort Washington, to be
left with Capt. Asheton at the Rapids of the Ohio.
[Endorsed: ] Hamtramck May 9, 1791.
1See Harmar to Hamtramck, January 15, above.
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, JUNE 15, 1791 |
283 |
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, June 15, 1791
[ALS]
FORT KNOX VINCENNES June the 15th 1791
|
DEAR GEN'L, I had the honour to adress you on the 7th inst. by Mr. Melcher who was the bearer, but unfortunately my letter fell into the hands of the Indians. Mr. Melcher went from here on the 8th with two soldiers and was attacked in his camp on the evening of the same day near White River. The two soldiers were killed and Ens. Melcher had the good fortune of making his escape but lost everything.1 I now send you a duplicate which I hope will meet with a better fate.
The 4th inst an Indian chief of the Weeha with twenty men of that nation arrived at Fort Knox. Their business was to beg for a peace with the U. States for their nation only, as they were not authorized by any other. They informed me that they had received an invitation from the English at Detroit to come to them to receive arms and ammunition to defend themselves against the Americans who were to carry on three expeditions this summer. One was to be at the Weeha an other at the Miamis and the other somewhere else,2 that they refused the invitation that the Weeha nation beged of me to prevent the expedition which was to go against them, and that in the autum they would come down to Post Vincennes where a perfect peace should be established. I made them the following reply - that since I had been at Post Vincennes I had received repeatedly messages from the Indians of the Wabash by whome they protested an unfeigned friendship and attachments for the U. States when at the same time some of their warriors were killing our women and children, that I was tired of such conduct on their parts, that they had acted more like children than men who should have keeped their words sacred and that I was shure the U. States would no more be deceived by such perfidious promisses, that if any expedition was to go
1Melcher had run into disaster at an earlier date. See above, pp. 238-40.
2Perhaps the Indians had heard rumors of the expeditions led by Scott and Wilkinson. See above, p. 273n.
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OUTPOST ON THE WABASH |
against them that they were the only one who they had to blame for it, that
nevertheless I would inform my great chiefe of their embassy as I could do
nothing myself, and that he would give them an answer. I also observed to them
that it appeared difficult to me for a single villiage to be taken under the
protection of the U. States, that it ought to be a general affair with all the
Wabash Indians, as our traders and our boats would be liable to be insulted by
the other Indians who inhabit the river, to which the chiefe made in reply that
I was right and that he himself saw the difficulties attending such a partial
negotiation, that he would go to all the nations and do every thing he could to
bring the Indians into his measure, and in a private conversation he had with
me he insinuated that he had but very little doubt of his success.
There is a French man here who is from the Miamie who informs me that the Indians of that place had been supplyed with corn and flour from Detroit by the merchants of that place, that the Indians had been informed of an expedition to be against them and had sent to the lakes a number of belts to invite the Indians to their support as they were determined to make a stand.
I have received the other day a letter from Capt. Asheton with a list of the officers appointed. I would be very much oblige to you if you would be so good as to sent me the act of Congress respecting it. In my letter of the 18 of February last I mentioned that my state of healt[h] had been so much injured since I had been at this place that I was in the necessity of requesting the permition to leave the garrison in the next sickly season if I should find it necessary to take a change of air; that I did not know where I should go, perhaps to the Illinois, the Falls or head quarters. I should be glad of your answer respecting it.3
3Apparently Hamtramck remained at Fort Knox until late in the summer when he went to Fort Washington to take command of the First Infantry Regiment in St. Clair's expedition against the Indians. He returned to Fort Knox on December 21. While he was gone Lieut. Abner Prior com-