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.
Journal of Captain
Thomas Morris
(Detroit, Sept. 25, 1764)
(Due to length divided here into two
parts)
Morris, Thomas (of His Majesty's
XVII Regiment of Infantry) in:
Thwaites, Early Western
Travels, vol. I,
pp. 301-328.
"but that," added he," will make no difference in your affairs." I was astonished that the General could think so: but I made no reply to him, and we talked of other matters. However, as I was stepping into my boat, some canoes appeared, and I came on shore again, and found they were the Indian deputies who were expected. This I thought a very happy incident for me; and having received proper powers and instructions I set out in good spirits from Cedar Point,6 in Lake Erie, on the 26th of August, 1764, about four o'clock in the afternoon, at the same time that the army proceeded for Detroit. My escort consisted of Godefroi, and another Canadian, two servants, twelve Indians, our allies, and five Mohawks, with a boat in which were our provisions, who were to attend us to the swifts of the Miamis river, about ten leagues distant, and then return to the army. I had with me likewise Warsong, the great Chippawaw chief, and Attawang, an Uttawaw chief, with some other Indians of their nations, who had come the same day to our camp with proposals of peace. We lay that night at the mouth of the Miamis river.
I was greatly delighted on observing the
difference of temper betwixt these Indian strangers and those of my old
acquaintance of the five nations. Godefroi was employed in interpreting to me
all their pleasantries; and I thought them the most agreeable ralliers I had
ever met with. As all men love those who resemble themselves, the sprightly manners
of the French cannot fail to recommend them to these savages, as our grave
deportment is an advantage to us among our Indian neighbors; for it is certain
that a reserved Englishman differs not more from a lively Frenchman than does a
stern Mohawk (page 304) from
a laughing Chippawaw. The next day (27th) we arrived at the Swifts,7 six leagues from the mouth
of the river, and the Uttawaw chief sent to his village for horses. Soon after
a party of young Indians came to us on horseback, and the two Canadians and
myself having mounted, we proceeded, together with the twelve Indians my
escort, who were on foot, and marched in the front, the chief carrying English
colours, towards the village, which was two leagues and a half distant. On our
approaching it, I was astonished to see a great number of white flags flying;
and, passing by the encampment of the Miamis, while I was admiring the
regularity and contrivance of it, I heard a yell, and found myself surrounded
by Pondiac's army, consisting of six hundred savages, with tommahawks in their
hands, who beat my horse, and endeavoured to separate me from my Indians, at
the head of whom I had placed myself on our discovering the village. By their
malicious smiles, it was easy for me to guess their intention of putting me to
death. They led me up to a person, who stood advanced before two slaves
(prisoners of the Panis nation, taken in war and kept in slavery8) who had arms, himself
holding a fusee with the butt on the ground. By his dress, and the air he
assumed, he appeared to be a French officer: I afterwards found that he was a
native of old France, had been long in the regular troops as a drummer, and
that his war-name was St. Vincent. This fine dressed half French, half Indian
figure desired me to dismount; a bear-skin was spread on the ground, and St.
Vincent and I sat upon it, the whole Indian army, circle within circle, (page 305) standing round us.
Godefroi sat at a little distance from us; and presently came Pondiac, and
squatted himself, after his fashion, opposite to me. this Indian has a more
extensive power than ever was known among that people; for every chief used to
command his won tribe: but eighteen nations, by French intrigue, had been
brought to unite, and chuse this man for their commander, after the English had
conquered Canada; having been taught to believe that, aided by France, they
might make a vigorous push and drive us out of North America. Pondiac asked me
in his language, which Godefroi interpreted, "whether I was come to tell
lies, like the rest of my countrymen." He said, "That Ononteeo (the
French king) was not crushed as the English had reported, but had got upon his
legs again," and presented me a letter from New Orleans, directed to him,
written in French, full of the most improbable falsehoods, though beginning
with a truth. The writer mentioned the repulse of the English troops in the
Mississippi, who were going to take possession of Fort Chartres,9 blamed the Natchez nation
of their ill conduct in that affair, made our loss in that attack to be very
considerable, and concluded with assuring him, that a French army was landed in
Louisiana, and that his father (the French king) would drive the English out of
the country. I began to reason with him; but St. Vincent hurried me away to his
cabin; where, when he talked to me of the French army, I asked him if he
thought me fool enough to give credit to that account; and told him that none
but (page 306) the simple
Indians could be so credulous. Attawang, the Uttawaw chief, came to seek me,
and carried me to his cabin. The next day (28th) I went to the the grand
council, and addressed the chiefs. When I mentioned that their father, the king
of France, had ceded those countries to their brother the king of England, (for
so the two kings are called by the Indians) the great Miamis chief started up
and spoke very loud, in his singular language, and laughed. Godefroi whispered
me, that it was very lucky that he received my intelligence with contempt and
not anger, and desired me to say no more, but sit down, and let my chief speak;
accordingly I sat down, and he produced his belts, and spoke. I have called the
Miami tongue a singular language; because it has no affinity in its sound with
any other Indian language which I have heard. It is much wondered whence this
nation came; who differ as much from all the other nations in their
superstitious practices, as in their speech, and manner of encamping.10 As they left the Uttawaw
villages before me on their way home, we traced their encampments, where we saw
their offerings of tobacco, made by every individual each morning, ranged in
the nicest order, on long slips of bark both on the shore, and on rocks in the
river. They carry their God in a bag, which is hung in the front of their
encampment, and is visited by none but the priest; if any other person presumes
to advance between the front of the encampment and that spirit in the bag, he
is put to death: and I was told that a drunken French soldier, who had done so,
was with great difficulty saved. When the council was (page
307) over, St. Vincent, changed his note, and
told me that if I could ensure to him his pardon, he would go to Detroit. I
answered him, "that it was not in my power to promise it." However,
as I found that I could not well do without him, I contrived to make him my
friend. Pondiac said to my chief: "If you have made peace with the
English, we have no business to make war on them. The war-belts came from
you." He afterwards said to Godefroi: "I will lead the nations to war
no more; let 'em be at peace, if they chuse it: but I myself will never be a
friend to the English. I shall now become a wanderer in the woods; and if they
come to seek me there, while I have an arrow left, I will shoot at them."
This I imagined he said in despair, and gave it as my opinion, that he might
easily be won to our interest; and it afterward proved so. He made a speech to
the chiefs, who wanted to put me to death, which does him honour; and shews
that he was acquainted with the law of nations: "We must not," said
he, "kill ambassadors: do we not send them to the Flat-heads, our greatest
enemies,11 and
they to us? Yet these are always treated with hospitality." The following
day (29th) the Mohawk, who commanded the Indians in the provision-boat, stole
away, without taking my letter to General Bradstreet, as he had been ordered,
having, the night before, robbed us of almost every thing, and sold my rum (two
barrels) to the Uttawaws. The greater part of the warriors got drunk; and a
young Indian drew his knife, and made a stroke at me; but Godefroi seized his
arm, threw him down, and took the knife from him. He certainly saved my life,
for I (page 308) was sitting,
and could not have avoided the blow though I saw it coming. I was now concealed
under my matress, as all the young Indians were determined to murder me, was
afterwards obliged to put on Indian shoes and cover myself with a blanket to
look like a savage, and escape by fording the river into a field of Indian corn
with St. Vincent, Godefroi, and the other Canadian. Pondiac asked Godefroi, who
returned to the village to see what was going on, "what he had done with
the English man." And being told, he said, "you have done well."
Attawang came to see me, and made his two sons guard me. Two Kickapoo chiefs
came to me, and spoke kindly, telling me that they had not been at war with the
English for seven years. Two Miamis came likewise, and told me that I need not
be afraid to go to their village. A Huron woman however abused me because the
English had killed her son. Late at night I returned to Attawang's cabin, where
I found my servant concealed under a blanket, the Indians having attempted to murder
him; but they had been prevent by St. Vincent. There was an alarm in the night,
a drunken Indian having been seen at the skirt of the wood. One of the Delaware
nation, who happened to be with Pondiac's army, passing by the cabin where I
lay, called out in in broken English: "D - d son of a b - ch." All
this while I saw none of my own Indians: I believe their situation was almost
as perilous as my own. The following day (30th) the Miamis and Kickapoos set
out on their return home, as provisions were growing scarce. And Indian called
the little chief, told Godefroi that he would send his son with me, and made me
a present of a volume of Shakespear's plays; a singular gift from a savage. He
however begged a little gunpowder in return, a commodity to him much (page 309) more precious than
diamonds.The next day (31st) I gave Attawang, who was going to Detroit, a
letter for General Bradstreet,12 and to one of my servants whom I sent along with this
chief, I gave another for his Aid de Camp. And now, having purchased three
horses and hired two canoes to carry our little baggage, I set out one more,
having obtained Pondiac's consent, for the Illinois country, with my twelve
Indians, the two Canadians, St. Vincent's two slaves, and the little chief's
son and nephew. There was scarcely any water in the channel of the river, owing
to the great drought, so that the canoes could hardly be dragged along empty in
some places. We passed by the island where is Pondiac's village, and arrived at
a little village consisting of only two pretty large cabins, and three small
ones, and here we encamped: that is, we lay on the ground; and as a
distinguished personage, I was honoured by having a few small branches under
me, and a sort of basket-work made by bending boughs with their ends fixed in
the earth, for me to thrust my head under to avoid the musketoes or large gnats
with which that country is infested. The day following (August 1st)13 arrived St. Vincent and
Pondiac. The latter gave the former the great belt, forty years old, on which
were described two hundred and ten villages. St. Vincent joined us, and we set
forward, and arrived at another village of the Uttawaws, the last of their
villages we had to pass. One of the chiefs of this village gave me his hand,
and led us into the cabin for strangers, where was Katapelleecy, a chief of (page 310) very great note, who gave his hand to
all my fellow-travellers, but not to me. This man was a famous dreamer, and
told St. Vincent that he had talked with the great spirit the preceding night;
and had he happened to dream any thing to my disadvantage the night I lay
there, it had been over with me.14 The Indian who gave me his hand, went into the upper range
of beds, and came down dressed in a laced scarlet coat with blue cuffs, and a
laced hat. I wondered more at the colour of the cloaths than at the finery; and
was told that is was a present from the English, and that this Indian had
conducted Sir William Johnson to Detroit.15 The next morning (2d) he told me the English were liars;
that if I spoke falsehoods he should know it, and asked why the General desired
to see the Indians at Detroit, and if he would cloathe them. I assured him that
the General sought their friendship; and gave him, at his own request, a letter
of recommendation to him. We then continued our route towards the Miamis
country, putting our baggage into the canoes, but the greater part of us went
by land, as the water was so shallow, that those who worked the canoes were
frequently obliged to wade and drag them along. We met an Indian and his wife
in a canoe returning from hunting; and bought plenty of venison ready dressed,
some turkeys, and a great deal of dried fish for a small quantity of powder and
shot. The following day (3d) we were over-taken by Pondiac's nephew and two
other young Uttawaws, who, with the Chippawas beforementioned, made the party
twenty-four. We met an (page 311) Indian who,
as we afterwards found, had been despatched to Pondiac with belts from the
Shawanese and Delawares; but he would not stop to talk to us. This day I saw
made the most extraordinary meal to which I ever was or ever can be witness.
Till these last names Indians joined us we had killed nothing but a very large
wild cat, called a pichou,16 which indeed was very good eating: but this day we eat two
deer, some wild turkeys, wild geese, and wild ducks, besides a great quantity of
Indian corn. Of the wild ducks and Indian corn we made broth; the Indians made
spoons of the bark of a tree in a few minutes, and, for the first time, I eat
of boiled wild duck. When we marched on after dinner, I could perceive no
fragments left. What an Indian can eat is scarcely credible to those who have
not seen it. Indeed the Frenchmen, who had been used to savage life, expressed
their astonishment at the quantity which had been devoured. The next day (4th)
we found plenty of game, having sufficient time to hunt for it, as the canoes
were for the greatest part of the day dragged along, there not being water
sufficient to float them. The day after (5th) we met an Indian on a handsome
white horse, which had been General Braddock's, and had been taken ten years
before when that General was killed on his march to Fort du Quesne, afterwards
called Fort Pitt, on the Ohio. The following day (6th) we arrived at a rocky
shoal, where the water was not more than two or three inches deep, and found a
great number of young Indians spearing fish with sticks burnt at the end and
sharpened; an art at which they are very dexterous; for the chief, who steered
my canoe with a setting-pole (no oars being used the whole way), whenever he
saw a fish, used to strike it (page 312) through
with his pole, though the end had been blunted and made as flat and broad as a
shilling, pin it to the ground, then lift it out of the water, and shake it
into the boat. I never saw him miss a fish which he took aim at. The day after,
on the seventh of September, in the morning we got into easy water, and arrived
at the meadow near the Miamis fort pretty early in the day. We were met at the
bottom of the meadow by almost the whole village, who had brought spears and
tommahawks, in order to despatch me; even the little children had bows and
arrows to shoot at the Englishman who was come among them; but I had the good
fortune to stay in the canoe, reading the tragedy of Anthony and Cleopatra, in
the volume of Shakespear which the little chief had given me, when the rest
went on shore, though perfectly ignorant of their intention, I pushed the canoe
over to the other side of the river, where I saw a man cutting wood. I was
surprised to hear him speak English. On questioning him I found he was a prisoner,
had been one of Lieutenant Holmes's garrison at the Miamis Fort, which officer
the Indians had murdered, a young squaw whom he kept having enticed him out of
the garrison under a pretext of her mother's wanting to be bled. They cut off
his head, brought it to the fort, and threw it into the corporal's bed,17 and afterwards killed
all the garrison except five or six whom they reserved as victims to be
sacrificed when they should lose a man in their wars with the English. They had
all been killed except this one man whom an old squaw had adopted as her son.
Some years afterwards, when I lay on board a transport (page
313) in the harbour of New York, in order to
return to Europe, Sir Henry Moore, then governor of that province,18 came to bid me adieu,
and was rowed on board by this very man among others. The man immediately
recollected me; and we felt, on seeing each other, what those only can feel who
have been in the like situations. on our arrival at the fort, the chiefs
assembled, and passed me by, when they presented the pipe of friendship; on
which I looked at Godefroi, and said: "Mauvais augure pour moi." A
bad omen for me. Nor was I mistaken; for they led my Indians to the village, on
the other side of the water, and told me to stay in the fort with the French
inhabitants; though care had been taken to forbid them to receive me into their
houses, and some strings of wampum, on which the French had spoken to spare my
life, had been refused. We wondered at this treatment, as we expected that I
should be civilly received; but soon learned that this change of temper was
owing to the Shawanese and Delawares, a deputation of fifteen of them having
come there with fourteen belts and six strings of wampum; who, in the name of
their nations, and of the Senecas, declared they would perish to a man before
they would make peace with the English: seven of them had returned to their
villages; five were gone to Wyaut [Ouiatonon]; and three had set out the
morning I had arrived for St. Joseph;19
(a fortunate circumstance for me, for they had
determined to kill me). The Shawanese and Delawares begged of the Miamis either
to put
_____________________________
6 Cedar Point was near the entrance to the Maumee River.- ED.
7 See note on Maumee Rapids, Croghan's Journals, ante.- ED.
8 On Indian slavery, see "The Panis; Canadian Indian Slavery," in Canadian Institute Proceedings, 1897.- ED.
9 The reference here is to the defeat and retreat of Major Arthur Loftus, who left Pensacola early in February, 1764, with a detachment of the 22nd infantry to proceed to the Illinois, and take possession for the English. On the nineteenth of March he was ambushed and fired upon near Tunica Bend on the Mississippi, and obliged to retreat to New Orleans.- ED.
10 The Miamis were of Algonquian stock; but the early French writers noted their peculiarities and special customs. See Wisconsin Historical Collections, xvi, p. 376; also index thereto.- ED.
11 The Northern tribes, especially the Iroquois, termed the Cherokees, Chickasaws, etc., "Ttes plattes" (Flat-heads). The enmity between the Northern and the Southern Indians was traditional.- ED.
12 A letter to Bradstreet from Morris, dated September 2, 1764, is quoted by WAllace, History of Illinois and Louisiana under French Rule (Cincinnati, 1893), p. 352, note.- ED.
13 Reference to the date of starting (ante, p. 303) shows that this should read September 1.- ED.
14 On the influence of dreams over the actions of Indians, see Long's Travels, vol. ii of this series.- ED.
15 The journey of Sir William Johnson to Detroit, here referred to, took place July 4 - October 30, 1761. For the diary of this voyage, see Stone, Life and Times of Sir William Johnson, ii, pp. 429-477.- ED.
16 Pichou is the Canadian name for the loup-cervier, or lynx canadensis.- ED.
17 Holmes had warned Gladwin of the conspiracy among the Indians; nevertheless, he himself fell a victim thereto. See Parkman, Conspiracy of Pontiac, i, pp. 189, 278.- ED.
18 Sir Henry Moore was the only colonist appointed governor of New York, having been born in Jamaica in 1713. After serving as governor of that island, and by his bravery and wisdom averting serious peril during a slave insurrection, he was rewarded with a baronetcy and the governorship of New York (1764). He filled this position with acceptability, dying at his post in 1769.- ED.
19 For these forts, see Croghan's Journals, ante.- ED.
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