[NUMBER V.]

"FORT MIAMI, 22d August, 1794.

"SIR: I have this moment the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of this date; in answer to which I have only to say, that, being placed here in the command of a British post, and acting in a military capacity only, I can not enter into any discussion, either on the right or impropriety of my occupying my present position. Those are matters that I conceive will be best left to the ambassadors of our different nations. Having said thus much, permit me to inform you that I certainly will not abandon this post at the summons of any power whatever, until I receive orders to that purpose from those I have the honor to serve under, or the fortune of war should oblige me. I must still adhere, sir, to the purport of my letter this morning, to desire that your army, or individuals belonging to it, will not approach within reach of my cannon, without expecting the consequences attending it. Although I have said, in the former part of my letter, that my situation here is totally military, yet, let me add, sir, that I am much deceived, if his majesty, the king of Great Britain, had not a post on this river, at and prior to the period you mention. I have the honor to be, sir, with the greatest respect, your most obedient, and very humble servant,

WILLIAM CAMPBELL,

Major 24th Regiment, Commanding at Fort Miami.

To Major-general WAYNE, etc."

On the 14th of September, 1794, the army under the command of Wayne moved from Fort Defiance and marched toward the deserted Miami village which stood at the confluence of the rivers St. Joseph's and St. Mary's. The troops reached that place on the 17th of September; and, on the 18th, General Wayne reconnoitered the ground, and selected a site for a fort. On the 22d of October, a fort was completed and garrisoned by a strong detachment, consisting of infantry and artillery, under the command of Colonel John F. Hamtramck, who gave to the new fortification the name of Fort Wayne.* The mounted volunteers of Kentucky moved from the Miami

* A new fort was built on the site of this fort, in 1814.

village on the 14th of October, on their way to Fort Washington, where, soon after their arrival, they were mustered and discharged. On the 28th of October, the main body of the regular troops marched from Fort Wayne on their route to Greenville; at which post, on the 2d of November, General Wayne again established his headquarters for the winter.

The Indians, who were defeated on the 20th of August, 1794, retired, disappointed and disheartened, to the borders of Maumee bay: and, while Wayne continued to send messages to them, renewing his overtures of peace and friendship, and inviting them to visit Fort Greenville for the purpose of concluding a treaty with the United States, Lieutenant-governor Simcoe, Colonel McKee and other officers of the British Indian department, persuaded Little Turtle, Blue Jacket, Buck-ong-ahe-las, and other distinguished chiefs, to agree to hold an Indian Council at the mouth of Detroit river. After the action of the 20th of August, there was a general suspension of hostilities on the part of the Indians, who seemed to be inclined to determine for war or peace, "according to the certainty or uncertainty of effectual support from the British."* A war between Great Britain and the United States at this juncture, was, however, prevented mainly by the prudence and firmness of Washington, seconded by the diplomatic skill of John Jay, who, on the 19th of April, 1794, was appointed envoy extraordinary from the United States of America, to the court of St. James, "for the purpose of confirming, between the United States of America and his Britannic majesty, perfect harmony and a good correspondence, and of removing all grounds of dissatisfaction."+ On the 19th of November, 1794, at London, after protracted and perplexing negotiations, Mr. Jay and William Wyndham (Lord Grenville) concluded a treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation, between the United States and Great Britain.

This treaty was comprised in twenty-nine articles, the first of which was in the words following:-"There shall be a firm,

* American State Papers-Indian Affairs, p. 529.

† Letters of credence from Washington to John Jay; American State Pa pers-Foreign Relations, i, 471.

inviolable, and universal peace, and a true and sincere friendship, between his Britannic majesty, his heirs and successors, and the United States of America; and between their respective countries, territories, cities, towns, and people of every degree, without exception of persons or places." By the second article of the treaty, the king of Great Britain agreed to withdraw, on or before the first day of June, 1796, all his troops and garrisons from all posts and places within the boundary lines assigned to the United States by the treaty of peace of 1783.

During the winter of 1794-5, General Wayne was visited at his headquarters by parties of Wyandots, Ottawas, Chippewas, Pottawattamies, Sacs, Miamis, Delawares, and Shawanees; who, respectively, signed preliminary articles of peace, and agreed to meet Wayne at Greenville, on or about the 15th of June, 1795, with all the sachems and war-chiefs of their nations, for the purpose of concluding a definitive treaty of peace between the United States and the Indian tribes of the northwestern territory.

EARLY in the month of June, 1795, strong deputations from various tribes arrived at Greenville. The treaty of Fort Harmar, which was concluded at the mouth of the Muskingum, on the 9th of January, 1789, was selected by General Wayne as the foundation upon which the Indians were required to begin negotiations for peace. In the course of these negotiations, which were carried on from the 16th of June to the 10th of August, some of the Indian chiefs were unwilling to acknowledge the validity of the treaty of Fort Harmar. The Little Turtle, a Miami chief, addressing General Wayne, on the 18th of July, said "You have told me that the present treaty

should be founded upon that of Muskingum. I beg leave to observe to you, that that treaty was effected altogether by the Six Nations, who seduced some of our young men to attend it, together with a few of the Chippewas, Wyandots, Delawares, Ottawas, and Pottawattamies. I beg leave to tell you that I am entirely ignorant of what was done at that treaty."*

On the 19th of July, Blue Jacket, a distinguished Shawanee chief, being in private conference with General Wayne, said:

"Brother: I am very happy, that, notwithstanding all the difficulties and obstructions I had to encounter from my relations and others at Detroit, I have succeeded so far in bringing my people to you at this time. I expect intelligence this day of the approach of more of them. I have briefly acquainted you with these things. I repeat my assurances of the sincerity of my sentiments, and resolution to be, for the future, a steady friend to the United States."

On the 21st of July, in council, Masass, a Chippewa chief, spoke to General Wayne, in behalf of the Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawattamies, who were called "the three fires." The following is an extract from his speech:

"Elder brother: When you yesterday read to us the treaty of Muskingum, I understood you clearly: at that treaty we had not good interpreters, and we were left partly unacquainted with many particulars of it. I was surprised when I heard your voice, through a good interpreter, say that we had received presents and compensation for those lands which were thereby ceded. I tell you, now, that we, the three fires, never were informed of it. If our uncles, the Wyandots, and grandfathers, the Delawares, have received such presents, they have kept them to themselves. I always thought that we, the Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawattamies, were the true owners of those lands, but now I find that new masters have undertaken to dispose of them; so that, at this day, we do not know to whom they, of right, belong. We never received any compensation for them. I don't know how it is, but ever since that

*Minutes and proceedings of the Treaty at Greenville.-AM STATE PAPERS -INDIAN AFFAIRS, p. 567.

treaty, we have become objects of pity, and our fires have been retiring from this country. Now, elder brother, you see we are objects of compassion; and, have pity on our weakness and misfortunes; and, since you have purchased these lands, we cede them to you: they are yours. Perhaps, at a future day, your younger brothers may be made happy, by becoming your children, should you extend to us your paternal protection."

Soon after Massas closed his remarks, on the 21st, the Miami chief, Little Turtle, addressed to General Wayne the following speech:

"I wish to ask of you and my brothers present, one question. I would be glad to know what lands have been ceded to you, as I am uninformed in this particular. I expect that the lands on the Wabash, and in this country, belong to me and my people. I now take the opportunity to inform my brothers of the United States, and others present, that there are men of sense and understanding among my people, as well as among theirs, and that these lands were disposed of without our knowledge or consent. I was, yesterday, surprised, when I heard from our grandfathers, the Delawares, that these lands had been ceded by the British to the Americans, when the former were beaten by, and made peace with, the latter; because you had before told us that it was the Wyandots, Delawares, Ottawas, Chippewas, Pottawattamies, and Sauckeys, [Sacs,] who had made this cession."*

On the 22d of July, in council, at Greenville, Little Turtle spoke as follows:

"GENERAL WAYNE:-"I hope you will pay attention to what I now say to you. I wish to inform you where your younger brothers, the Miamis, live, and, also, the Pottawattamies of St. Joseph's, together with the Wabash Indians. You have pointed out to us the boundary line between the Indians and the United States, but now I take the liberty to inform you that that line cuts off from the Indians a large portion of country which has been enjoyed by my forefathers, time im

*Minutes and proceedings of the Treaty at Greenville.