Ohio History Journal

edited by

JOSEPH E. WALKER

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks

for the Miami and Potawatomi:

The Journal of Gerard T. Hopkins, 1804

Post-Revolutionary War Americans saw in the lands west of the

Appalachian Mountains the means to redress the economic ills inherited

from the war and its interruptions of trade. Settlement west of Pittsburgh

was handicapped during much of the 1790s by the hostility and military

success of the midwestern Indian tribes. Yet, as Curtis P. Nettels wrote, in

that decade as many people migrated from the states of Connecticut,

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland as to

represent one person in four counted in those states in the census of 1790.1

In the opening years of the nineteenth century, the admission of Ohio to

the Union as a new state provided a power to pull settlers west to

complement the economic push from the east. Ohioans wished their state

to grow in population to match the older coastal states. Knowing the

dangers and difficulties of travel on the paths and "roads" across the

Appalachian ridges, they asked Congress to set aside a portion of the net

proceeds from the sale of Ohio land to finance the building of roads in and

to the new state. The result was a law passed in 1803 to appropriate 5

percent of the land purchase money for road construction. Three-fifths of

this fund was returned to Ohio to pay for roads within the state, and the

remainder was to be used by the national government to build a highway to

Joseph E. Walker is Professor Emeritus of History at Millersville State College,

Millersville, Pennsylvania. He wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the Historical Society

of Pennsylvania for permission to publish this manuscript and Nicholas B. Wainwright, John

D. Kilbourne, and Conrad Wilson of the Society's staff; the Economic History Association

and the Eleutherian Mills-Hagley Foundation and its director, Richmond D. Williams, for

research grants; and George Rogers Taylor, Norman B. Wilkinson,and Richard C. Knopffor

reading the manuscript and making many valuable suggestions.

1. Curtis P. Nettles, The Emergence of a National Economy, 1775-1815(New York, 1962),

131.

362                                                 OHIO HISTORY

and through Ohio.² Fifteen years later the National Road reached the Ohio

River at Wheeling.

However, people did not wait for these conveniences to be completed. In

the decade and a half that elapsed between the Ohio land act and the arrival

of the new highways at the banks of the Ohio River, about two million

people reached the western states and territories, the population of the

western third of Pennsylvania doubled between 1800 and 1820, Pittsburgh

and Cincinnati each quadrupled the number of its citizens, and Ohio

increased by thirteen times its 1800 count in the next two decades.³ These

tens of thousands traveled to the Ohio Valley by "the humble rural roads"⁴

of the ruder days of travel. This surge of humanity peopled new states at an

astonishing rate.

Nevertheless, difficulties of transportation and travel did exist, and they

were not the only barriers to settlement in the Northwest Territory. Even

after General Anthony Wayne's successful campaign, culminating in the

Treaty of Greene Ville, the Indian tribes remained in possession of valuable

lands which were coveted by the new immigrants. Continued demands

were made upon the government in Washington to remove the tribes, by

force if necessary.

However, a few Americans, including some Indians, saw an alternative

solution to the Indian problem. They proposed a program of assimilation

of the natives into the white culture. Thomas Jefferson hoped to have the

Indians renounce hunting and fishing as a way of life and adopt agriculture

and household manufacturing. He believed that thus the Indian would

secure a more stable way of life and would need less land. More land could

be opened, then, to white settlement.

Early in the year 1804 the Indian Committee of the Baltimore Yearly

Meeting of the Society of Friends had before it a letter from Indiana

Territory requesting aid for the Miami and Potawatomi tribes in

introducing these Indians to the skills and crafts of husbandry. After some

deliberation, the committee voted to send a delegation of four of their

members to confer with the tribes at Fort Wayne and authorized the

selection of a skilled farmer to go along and remain to teach the natives how

to use the tools of cultivation.

Two of the four men named declined the appointment which, however,

was accepted by the other two Gerard T. Hopkins and George Ellicott.

Phillip Dennis was persuaded to leave his family and farm to spend the

2. George Rogers Taylor, The Transportation Revolution, 1815-1860 (New York, 1964),

19.

3. Ibid., 15.

4. Stuart Bruchey, The Roots of American Economic Growth, 1607-1861: An Essay in

Social Causation (New York, 1965), 118.

364                                                OHIO HISTORY

growing and harvest seasons in Indiana as agriculture instructor to the

Miamis and Potawatomis. Four other men joined the expedition along the

way. Letters of introduction were secured from Jefferson's Secretary of

War in Washington addressed to the commanding officers and government

Indian agents at Fort Wayne and at Detroit. Horses, supplies, and

equipment were collected.

The energy with which these preparations were pushed forward is shown

by the elapsed time between the committee action and the beginning of the

journey. On the seventeenth day Hopkins, Ellicott, and Dennis were on

their way west. Their travel took them through parts of Maryland,

Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana Territory, Michigan Territory, New

York, and New Jersey. They made extended visits at Redstone, Fort

Wayne, Maumee Bay, Detroit, and the Niagara Frontier.

Hopkins maintained a daily record of all except the final days of their

trip, and upon his return organized these notes into a journal which is here

reproduced in part. He displayed an excellent education and a lively

interest in natural science, anthropology, and natural resources. He was

acquainted with Quakers residing in many of the regions through which

they passed and with the work being carried on by the Quakers among the

Indians.

The journal gives much information about the roads and the country

through which they passed. Hopkins was concerned about soil, rocks,

trees, clearings, homes, and businesses. He visited with a number of

settlers, especially his fellow members of the Society of Friends. He and his

companions were on horseback for most of the outward journey, but they

traveled by river boat, lake boat, hired wagon, and stage coach on the trip

back to Baltimore. They departed from Baltimore on February 23, 1804,

and returned on May 24 of the same year. This lucid and informative

journal was presented to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania by Howard

B. French on May 26, 1899, and is preserved in the archives of the Society

in Philadelphia.

Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure of the

journal remain as they appear in the holograph. Bracketed material is

inserted only to avoid some chance of confusion of meaning or to supply

information which was intended but omitted in the text. Most additions are

separated notes identifying persons and places, challenging apparent errors

of information or modernizing a reference. To focus on Hopkins' relations

with the Indians, some unrelated passages have been omitted. Brief

transitional notes have been included where considered necessary.

THE JOURNAL

Many of my friends having been solicitous for the privelege of a perusal

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                             365

of the minutes which I preserved in the course of my late Visit to the

Western Indians, I have been induced to devote a small portion of leisure

time to the purpose of attempting such an arrangement of them as would

convey inteligibly, both the route we took and the various circumstances

attendant upon our Journey.⁵

The Judicious reader will doubtless make proper allowances for the diffi-

culty there is in composing an entertaining Diary over that of a History

when circumstances are not necessarily confin'd to day and time and when

the Historian may at once throw together his remarks upon incidents of a

similar nature which may have occur'd.

As a suitable introduction to my Journal I deem it proper to insert the

following letter., it will serve to show the Intercourse which had previously

taken place between the Indian Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting

and some of the Indian Chiefs of the Western Tribes.

"The Little Turtle Town

Septemb'r 18th, 1803

"From the Little Turtle The Five Medals⁶ and others

"To Evan Thomas

"George Ellicott⁷ and others

5. Two other existing documents related to this journey are: Jonathan F. Linton, editor,

"Ancient Correspondence from Samuel Linton, Waynesville, O., to Abel Saterthwaite,

Philadelphia," Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, IX (July, 1901), 117-24, and

Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Report of George Ellicott and Gerard T. Hopkins, 1804,

Manuscript Journal, Friends Historical Library, Swarthmore College.

Other information about Gerard T. Hopkins can be found in Archives of Maryland(15

vols., Baltimore, 1883-1896), Xll, 22, 26, 127-28, 146, 173, 197; John Martin Hammond,

Colonial Mansions of Maryland and Delaware (Philadelphia, 1914), 103; Dictionary of

American Biography (20 vols., New York, 1928-1937), IX, 213; The Friends Library(14 vols.,

Philadelphia, 1838-1848), III, 400, 402; Gerard T. Hopkins, clerk to Thomas Jefferson, copy

of an address presented by representatives of Baltimore Yearly Meeting re War, Indians and

Slavery, Friends Historical Library.

6. The principal Potawatomi chiefs of this period were Winamac (Catfish), Makanta-

Pena-She (Blackbird), and Makatapoke (Black Partridge). The name Five Medals did not

appear among the signers of the Treaty of Greene Ville nor in other conferences with Indians

involving the Potawatomi nation. Hopkins or his interpreter may have made a mistake in the

name. Frederick Webb Hodge, Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico (2 vols.,

Washington, D.C., 1907), 11, 956-57; Dwight L. Smith, "Wayne's Peace with the Indians of

the Old Northwest," Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, LIX (July, 1950),

239-55; Samuel F. Hunt, "The Treaty of Greenville," Ibid., VII (October, 1898), 218-40.

7. Evan Thomas and George Ellicott were prominent members of the Baltimore Yearly

Meeting whom Little Turtle had met on his trip to the East in 1801. Thomas lived at Mount

Radnor, Montgomery County, Maryland, and was related to Hopkins by marriage. His son,

Philip Evan Thomas, was a Baltimore banker who became the first president of the Baltimore

and Ohio Railroad. Ellicott was a member of the industrial family which founded Ellicott City

and Upper Mills in Maryland. This family was among the first to install new milling

machinery of advanced design. Dictionary of American Biography, I, 89-91, XVIII, 442; J.

Thomas Scharf, History of Maryland(3 vols., Hatboro, PA, 1967), II, 151, III, 165-67, 191,

213.

366                                                            0HIO HISTORY

"Brothers & Friends of our hearts

"We have receiv'd your speech from our friend wells8 with the implements of

husbandry that you were so kind as to send us to his care all in good order.

"Brothers, It is our wish that the Great Spirit will enable you to render your red

Brethren that service which you appear to be so desirous of doing them and their

women and children are so much in need of.

"Brothers, We will try to use the Articles you have sent us and if we should want

more we will let you know it.

Brothers, "We are sorry to say that the minds of our people are not so much

inclined towards the cultivation of the earth as we could wish them.

"Brothers, Our father the president of the United States has prevented our

Traders from selling Liquor to our people which is the best thing he could do for his

red children.

"Brothers, Our People appear dissatisfied because our Traders do not bring them

Liquor as usual and we believe will request our Fathers to let the Traders bring them

Liquor and if he does your red brothers are all lost forever.

"Brothers, you will see from what has been said that our prospects are bad at

present though we hope the Great Spirit will charge the minds of our people & tell

them that it will be better for them to cultivate the earth than to drink whiskey.

"Brothers, We hope the Great Spirit will permit some of you to come and see us

when you will be able to know whether you can do any thing for us or not.

"Brothers, We delived you the sentiments of our hearts when we spoke to you at

Baltimore and shall say nothing more to you at present. We now take you and all

the rest of our Brothers by the hand and thank you for the Articles you were so kind

as to send us."

Sign

"Little Turtle (Miami chief)

"Five Medals Puttawattamy

This letter having claimed the solid consideration of the Committee on

Indian Affairs at a meeting held at the City of Baltimore the 6th of the 2nd

mo (1804) the following conclusion and minute was at that time the result

of their deliberations.

8. William Wells, the U.S. Indian agent at Fort Wayne (1802-1809), was the adopted son

and also son-in-law of Little Turtle after he married Sweet Breeze. He had visited Baltimore in

1803 and had taken some agricultural tools to the Indians as a present from the Baltimore

Friends Indian Committee. Wells was a scout for General Anthony Wayne in 1793 and 1794

after having earlier fought with the Indians against General Arthur St. Clair. His close ties

with the tribes gave him many sources of information about Indian activities, and his

knowledge of the tribal languages brought this capacity at the Urbana Conference in 1812

shortly before he was killed at Chicago by the Potawatomi Tribe. Gayle Thornbrough, Letter

Book of the Indian Agency at Fort Wayne, 1809-1815 (Indianapolis, 1961), Introduction;

Walter Havighurst, The Heartland: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois (New York, 1962), 76-96; N.B.C.

Love, "Me-she-kun-nogh-quah, or Little Turtle," Ohio Archaeological and Historical

Quarterly, XVIII (April, 1909), 115-48; John D. Barnhart, editor, "A New Letter about the

Massacre at Fort Dearborn," Indiana Magazine of History, XLI (1945), 187-99; Mentor L.

Williams, editor, "John Kinzie's Narrative of the Fort Dearborn Massacre," Journal of the

Illinois State Historical Society, XLVI (1953), 343-62; American State Papers: Indian Affairs

(2 vols., Washington, D.C., 1832-1834), I, 582-83.

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                           367

The subject of a Visit to the Indians agreeably to the desire they express in the

aforegoing letter being solidly consider'd the Committee are united in Judgment

that a Visit at this time to them would be the most likely means of obtaining a

knowledge of the disposition they are in & enable friends to ascertain what would be

the best course to persue to be useful to them

The following friends are therefore Nominated to that service & requested to

proceed in the Visit as soon as convenient (viz) George Ellicott Gerard T Hopkins

Joel Wright & Elisha Tyson⁹

They are also authorized to take one or more suitable persons with them to reside

Amongst the Indians to instruct them in Agriculture & other useful knowledge if

there should appear a prospect of such an Establishment being benificial to them.

My name having been entered upon the Minute & thus placed upon this

very Interesting appointment was to me subject of much thouthfulness and

exercise. And believing finally that the peace of my mind was concerned in

a passive submission to the Judgment of my friends I accordingly made

provision for the Journey, and on the 23rd of the above month left my

home first witnessing those sensations due to human nature in an

affectionate farewell to my family connections and friends-rode to

Ellicotts Mills10 & Joined My friend George Ellicott from whence

proceeded upon our Journey taking with us Phillip Dennis1l a member of

our Society who has concluded to accompany us for the purpose of residing

with the Indians in order to instruct them in Agriculture. Reached

Brookville and lodged at Caleb Bentleys¹² making 27 miles.

Feb. 24-25. Hopkins and his companions crossed the Potomac at or near Point-

of-Rocks and continued to ride west through Virginia.13 They crossed the Blue

Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley. Hopkins' horse fell and threw him

9. Joel Wright and Elisha Tyson did not accept the appointment to go with Hopkins and

Ellicott. Hopkins asked the pardon of Little Turtle and Five Medals for their absence at the

parley at Fort Wayne and explained their reasons as advanced age for so long a trip and

pressing personal business. See Journal entry for April 2, 1804.

10. Ellicott Mills, thirteen miles from Baltimore, was a Quaker center. Richard Jordan

reported on Friends meetings held there from 1797 to 1803. It would later become the first

terminus for the new Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The Friends Library, VIII, 296, 306;

Scharf, Maryland, II, 8, 94, 96; III, 169.

11. Dennis remained in Indiana during the summer of 1804. He taught farming to the

young Indians on land set aside for him at the junction of the Little River with the Wabash

River, about forty-five miles southwest of Fort Wayne. Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Report of

George Ellicott and Gerard T. Hopkins; Reuben Gold Thwaites, Early Western Travels, 1748-

1846 (32 vols., New York, 1966), IV, 89-90.

12. This first night spent with Quakers at Brookeville set a pattern, followed whenever

possible, of finding a Quaker home in which to lodge. Brookeville is a small village a short

distance west of the Patuxent River. Caleb Bentley was evidently a relative of Hopkins' but

does not appear in the Index of Persons and Places in the Friends Library (Wallingford, PA,

1949).

13. The travelers crossed the Potomac River below Brunswick, Maryland. It may have

been at either Goose Creek or Point-of-Rocks. The exact route followed is impossible to

determine because the settlements were scarce and the streams and mountains mentioned can

give only an approximation of their route. However, they passed near Charles Town in what is

368                                                         OHIO HISTORY

into a swamp, but otherwise their snowy travel was uneventful. In these first days

they established a pattern of visits to relatives and other members of the Society of

Friends.

26th On our way we crossed a small River called the Opokon¹⁴ & it being

the first of the Week we attended the Ridge Meeting¹⁵ after which we spent

the remainder of the day and lodged at Night at the house of friend David

Lupton at the foot of North Mountain having travelled 18 Miles.

Feb. 27-28. The route which they followed took them across the major ridges of

the Appalachian Mountains. They encountered deepening snow, cold and poor

accommodations. Hopkins showed here and throughout the entire journey an

interest in the flora and fauna native to the area.

29th Over the Greater part of our Journey to Day we have found a Snow

two feet in depth. A tolerable track is however beaten for us principally by a

description of Pedlars who pass here by the name of Packers. These people

carry on a considerable trade between the Redstone settlement16 &

Winchester in Virginia as also Several other Villages in the Western parts of

Virginia. They take with them upon horses Bags of Flax which Article they

purchase at redstone for a low price. This they dispose of at an advance and

in return carry salt for which they are well paid at Redstone. it is not

unusual to meet a Packer having under his direction half a dozen loaded

horses. These animals on meeting a traveller will not turn aside from the

beaten track. We were several times under difficulties in making our way

through the Snow on their account.

3rd Mo. 1st This day travelled 36 Miles passing thro' the villages

Woodstock and Union Town and after night reached the house of our

friend Josiah Cadwallader the neighborhood of Redstone old Fort¹⁷ and

near the Monongahela River.

now West Virginia and crossed the Shenandoah Valley. Farther west they came to the

Winchester to Redstone packhorse trail, earlier known as Dunlap's Path, and followed it to

the Monongahela River. Many of the ridges recorded in this section of the journey are local

names for spurs of the Appalachian Mountains. James Veech, The Monongahela of Old

(Pittsburgh, 1910), 27ff.

14. The Opequon Creek is a branch of the Potomac River near Martinsburg, West

Virginia.

15. "The Ridge" may have been on Little North Mountain which Hopkins confused with

North Mountain. In 1792 Thomas Scattergood reported that he had attended Ridge Meeting

in a schoolhouse. Index of Persons and Places, VI, 249, XII, 168.

16. Redstone was an early Scotch-Irish settlement near the town of Brownsville,

Pennsylvania. It was an important center for both Presbyterians and Quakers in southwestern

Pennsylvania. Halliday Jackson wrote that in 1816 attendance at Meeting was "midling

large." Halliday Jackson, Memorandum of a Visit to Friends in the State of Ohio in 1816,

manuscript, Friends Historical Library; Joseph Smith, Old Redstone (Philadelphia, 1854).

17. Redstone Old Fort was built near the mouth of Little Redstone Creek. Its official name

after 1759 was Fort Burd, but it was seldom called by that name. Cadwallader was the owner

of mills along Dunlap's Creek at Brownsville. Joshua Gilpin, Journal for 1809, Historical

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                             369

I may here mention that the difficulties and fatigues of our Journey thus

far have been rend'd light by the agreeable company of my brother-in-law

Thomas Moore and our Esteemed friend Isreal Janney. The former

Joining us at Brookville and the latter in the Shenandoah Valley.¹⁸ We are

complying by an appointment of our late Yearly Meeting in a visit to the

Quarterly Meeting at Redstone.

From the 1st to the 8th of the Month we rested in the neiborhood of

Redstone. A rest useful to our horses as well as ourselves in the course of

this Interval we attended Redstone Quarterly Meeting. At this meeting we

saw several friends from the state of Ohio who reside upon a part of the

tract of country called the Seven Ranges.19

They informed us that the Indian chief Tahhee20 a Wyandot of great

Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; Veech, Monongahela, 22-30; Thaddeus Mason

Harris, A Journal of a Tour into the Territory Northwest of the Allegheny Mountains 1803;

Thwaites, Travels, III, 337.

18. Possibly the route across the Shenandoah Valley had been planned to pick up this

additional companion. Moore and Janney joined Hopkins and Ellicott only to attend the

Redstone Quarterly Meeting. They did not go on to Fort Wayne although both would have

been valuable additions to a group planning to discuss farming with the Indians because they

were among the earliest of American agricultural economists. Born a Pennsylvania Quaker,

Janney migrated to a farm in Loudoun County, Virginia, where he experimented with ground

limestone and clover to maintain and restore the fertility of the soil. Moore, Hopkins' brother-

in-law, was among Maryland's early agricultural experimenters on his Montgomery County

farm. Frederick Gutheim, The Potomac (New York, 1949), 176-79; The Friends Library,

VIII, 160, 350, 353, 365.

19. The "Seven Ranges" were the first lines west of Pennsylvania to be surveyed to facilitate

the sale of land in Ohio under the provisions of the Land Ordinance of 1785. Thomas

Hutchins, geographer of the United States, was placed in charge of thirteen surveyors, one

from each state. Only eight surveyors reported for the work in 1785 and little was done

because of the fear of Indian attacks. The next year work was begun on seven lines south of

Hutchins' base line but once again was halted by reports of Indian trouble. Four ranges were

completed and part of the work was done on the fifth. The remaining work was completed in

1787. The lines were approximate and not very accurate. W. P. Cutler, "The Ordinance of July

13, 1787," Ohio Archaeologicaland Historical Quarterly, I (June, 1887), 378; "Contemporary

Description of Ohio in 1788," Ibid., III (October, 1890), 82-108; W. H. Hunter, "The

Pathfinders of Jefferson County," Ibid., VI (June, 1898), 95-313; "Survey of the Seven

Ranges," Ibid., XXI (October, 1912), 466-67; B. H. Pershing, "A Surveyor on the Seven

Ranges," Ibid., XLVI (July, 1937), 257-70; William D. Pattison, "The Survey of the Seven

Ranges," Ibid., LXVIII (April, 1959), 115-40.

20. The sender of the letter from northwestern Pennsylvania was Chief Tarhe, The Crane,

1742-1818, of the Wyandots. He was one of the chiefs at the Battle of Point Pleasant in 1774

and at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. After the latter battle he threw his support to the

United States and was first to sign the Treaty of Greene Ville in 1795. He was with General

William Henry Harrison at the Battle of the Thames in 1813. American State Papers: Indian

Affairs, 1, 527,580; Edward Livingston Taylor, "The Ohio Indians," Ohio Archaeologicaland

Historical Quarterly, VI (January, 1898), 72-94; Idem., "Monuments to Historical Indian

Chiefs," Ibid., IX (July, 1900), 1-31; Randolph Chandler Downes, Frontier Ohio, 1788-1803

(Columbus, 1935), 44, 53; Edward Livingston Taylor, "Harrison-Tarhee Peace Conference,"

Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, XIV (January, 1905), 121-31; Emil Schlief,

"Tarhe-The Crane," Ibid., 132-38; Charles E. Slocum, "Tarhe, The Wyandot Chief," Ibid.

(July, 1905), 313-18; Robert P. Kennedy, "Tarhe and the Zanes," Ibid., XX (January, 1911),

64-73.

370                                                    OHIO HISTORY

distinction with about 200 hunters mostly of the Wyandot nation were

huntg Bears upon [a] branct [sic] of Big Beaver called Mahoning within

about 20 miles their settlement and that a fall of Snow 3 feet in depth had

lately Placed them in a suffering condition they not making provision at

their Camp for such an event in the situation they received the following

letter from Tahhee.

"My Dear Brothers Quakers listen to what I now say to you.

"You always called us Indians your brothers and now dear white brothers I am in

distress and all my young men who are with me

"Brothers, will you please to help me to fill my Kettles and my horses trough for I

am afraid my horses will not be able to carry me home again

"Neighbors

Will you please to give if it is but a handful a peice and fetch it out to us for my

horses are not able to come after it

"This all I have to say at present

"To my brothers

the quakers            "Tahhee"

About the time of the reception of this letter some friends who resided

nearest their hunting Camp furnished them with a small supply of

provisions which Occasioned second letter from Tahhee as follows.

"Brother Quakers I have a few more words to say to you

"Brothers I want you should all know what distress I am in

"Brothers I want you to know I have got help from some of my near neighbour.

"Brothers I would be glad to know what you will do for me if it is but a little.

"Brothers if you cannot come soon it will do by & by for my belly is now full.

"Brothers I hope you have not forgotten our great fathers when they first met it was

in friendship we are of the same race.

"My Brothers Quakers I hope our friendship will last as long as the world stands.

"All I have to say to you now is that I shall stay here until two more moons are gone.

"To MY Brothers

"The Quakers             "Tahhee"

A considerable quantity of provisions were furnished by friends to these

Indians for which they express great thankfulness. Tahhee himself divi'd

the presents between man & man making no difference for distinction in

rank.

These friends were informed by Tahhee that several years ago he had sent

a Talk²¹ to Indian Committee²² at Baltimore accompanied by a Belt to

Wampum worth fifty Dollars & that he had been long waiting for an

answer but had not received one. In consequence of this information a

conference was held at Redstone between such of the members of the

Indian Committee as could be convend. The result was a request of four

21. The Indian word for letter.

22. The Indian Committee of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends.

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                     371

friends of the Neighbourhood adjacent to the Indians to visit Tahhee and

tell him that his Talk was not received by the Indian Committee and that his

Belt of Wampum never came to their hand. Also that if he had anything

now to say he must write again to the Indian Committee. During our stay at

Redstone we had an opportunity of seeing and admiring the richness of the

land between the foot of the Allegany Mountain & the Monongahelia

River. The people here seem to live in ease and plenty. Scarcely a plantation

that does not afford stone coal and Sugar Trees. The coal is I think fully

Equal in quality to the Best Liverpool coal and is Generally used for fuel in

preference to wood. It being much easier and cheaper to obtain A supply of

Coal than to procure wood notwithstanding that Article is in great plenty

here. The Sugar trees afford sugar in plenty to those who are industrious

enough to make it. Many families make from 5 to 10 hundred weight and

some we are informed make from 18 to 25 hundred pounds every spring.

The trees do not appear injured by drawing off the juice. Molasses [maple

syrup] of an excellent quality is also made from this Tree and small Beer

equal I think to any I ever drank we met with at this place being produced

from the Juice of this Tree.

9th The River Monongahela not having yet risen we are greatly

disappointed in our wish and intention to take Boat at Redstone for the

mouth of the Miami of the Ohio. We have therefore no other alternative

than to prosecute a long and doubtless arduous Jorney by land. This

morning whilst we were preparing to proceed on our route two young men

arrived for the purpose of accompany us at our quarters. One of them a

Blacksmith & member of our Society and the other a carpenter and a

steady young man. They are under the pay of Government & have engaged

to reside in the neibourhood of fort Wayne to be employed for the benefit of

the Indians. Previous to our setting out from our homes we had reasons to

expect that we should be overtaken by these young men and were now glad

to have them realized.²³ Again proceeding upon our Journey we passed

thro' Brownsville a village upon the Monongahela River crossed over that

River in a Boat & rode about 26 miles to Washington an inland Town.²⁴ It

23. Nowhere in the journal did Hopkins name these two men, but he reported that both

were already at work in Fort Wayne before Hopkins and Ellicott began the return trip.

Identity of these two skilled craftsmen is established by the letter of Samuel Linton who wrote,

"... the War Department sent David Jinkinson, carpenter, and Richard Palmer,

blacksmith, to reside and work with them [Indians] . . . Richard Palmer says he will never

go over the mountains again to live, and that it would be better if some of his Brothers would

come here, and not stay there getting nothing." Linton, "Ancient Correspondence," 117-24;

journal entry for April 15, 1804.

24. Washington is a college town in southwestern Pennsylvania which was on the route to

be followed by the National Road. Halliday Jackson gave its population in 1816 as 1300 or

1400. Jackson, Memorandums.

372                                                          OHIO HISTORY

is worthy of remark that near Brownsville on the Monongahela are the

remains of an old Fortification including several acres of ground.²⁵

10th Travelled 34 miles and after night were glad to reach the house of

our friend Jonathan Taylor in the state of Ohio. On our way we passed

thro' the small villages [of] Taylors-Town & West Liberty.²⁶

This day we crossed in a boat the great river Ohio. On Approaching this

River I felt no small degree of awe. The slow and majestic movement of so

Vast a body of running water added to the recollection of the blood which

had been spilt relative to its shores enforced the sensation, with what

Obstinacy the poor Indians resisted the designs of the whites in making

settlements West of this river having been driven further & further

westward relinquished claim to tract after tract they have made a stand

fixed in a resolve. hitherto may ye come but no further! This river shall be a

perpetual boundary between us. It shall Limit your encroachments. The

resistance which they made & the blood which was spilt sufficiently prove

the reluctance with which they gave up the contest. The bottom upon the

west side of the river which we crossed which was at the Junction of short

Creek is very rich But not wide. In this bottom we observed a mound of

earth cast up to the height of about 15 feet its diameter at the Base about 45

feet said to be a burial place and whether made by the Indians or not is not

ascertained.

11 th This day being first day we rested Ourselves and horses and were

glad to have an opportunity of attending a meeting of friends called short

creek a monthly meeting is lately established here by Redstone Quarterly

Meeting²⁷ About 40 friends were at this meeting all of them new settlers the

greater number of them removed from North Carolina.²⁸

25. Indian forts and mounds were found in southwestern Pennsylvania and in much of

Ohio. The Indians living in the area in the eighteenth century had no knowledge of the origin

of the mounds. Black walnut, wild cherry, and locust trees found growing within the lines of

the old fort at Brownsville were examined in the early nineteenth century and found to be

three to five hundred years old. Smithsonian Institution Report, 1891 (Washington, D.C.,

1893); Veech, Monongahela, 17-18; John Witthoft, Indian Prehistory of Pennsylvania

(Harrisburg, 1965).

26. West Liberty is in the western panhandle of West Virginia and to the north of the route

of the National Road at Wheeling. The reason for following this route was to visit a Quaker

friend, Jonathan Taylor, and the Short Creek Meeting. Short Creek was also an early

Methodist center. The Friends Library, III, 455-59; Clement L. Martzolff, "Early Religious

Movements in the Muskingum Valley," Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, XXV

(April, 1916), 183-89.

27. The meeting house for Quakers in the Mount Pleasant area was constructed in 1814

and has been marked as an Ohio historic site. The Friends Library, III, 455-59; James H.

Rodabaugh, "The Friends Yearly House at Mount Pleasant," Ohio Archaeological and

Historical Society Museum Echoes, XXIX (April, 1956), 27-30.

28. Much has been written of the migrations of communities from the North to the South

but less of the reverse movement. Many of the settlers at Short Creek had moved there from

North Carolina and South Carolina. H.E. Smith, "The Quakers Their Migration to the

Upper Ohio, Their Customs and Discipline," Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly,

XXXVII (January, 1928), 35-85.

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                             373

The meeting was held in a log house or Cabbin situated upon a very

beautiful hill covered with lofty timber the difficulties and inconveniences

of a settlement in a new country are rendered the more easy & tolerable

when as in the Instance of these friends a number of families by agreement

[migrated] from a settlement in the same neiborhood. In the afternoon

several of them visited us at our lodging an[d] expressed sympathy for us in

our arduous undertaking.

Mar. 12-16. Hopkins notes for these days are for travel from Short Creek to

Chillicothe.²⁹ He displays an interest in the building of log cabins for the settlers and

the quality of the soil as well as a continuation of comment about wild animal life

and the extraordinary size of the trees. He was impressed by the beauty of the

valleys of the Muskingum and Scioto rivers.

17th Travelled 15 miles & arrived at the town of Chilicothe³⁰ where we

were well entertained at Tiffins Tavern. The governor of the state of Ohio

[Edward Tiffin] resides here who having heard of our arrival paid us a visit

in the evening And supped with us. We were pleased with his friendly

affability.

On our way we turned Aside from our road to view an ancient

fortification. This fortification is on the Scioto bottom adjacent to the river.

The bank of earth thrown up round this fortification is about 6 feet in

height surounded by a ditch upon the Outside now 4 feet in width and as

many in depth. The bank is covered with lofty timber as is also the ground

within the entrenchment. There are several Mounds within a short distance

of this fortification. Within the town of chilicothe there is another

fortification it is a semicircle its diameter the bank of the Scioto and about

450 feet. Near this is the largest mound we have yet seen being 100 feet in

diameter and 30 feet in height it is a globular figure of great regularity.

29. From Short Creek the travelers rode south to pick up Zane's Trace, a wagon road built

by Ebenezer Zane from Wheeling, West Virginia, to Mayville, Kentucky, under the terms of a

contract with the U.S. Government in 1796. Zane was awarded a square mile of land at each of

the valuable crossings of the Muskingum, Hockhocking (Hocking) and Scioto rivers. These

sites became respectively the cities of Zanesville, Lancaster, and Circleville. From Chillicothe

Hopkins and his companions turned west to reach the Miami Valley and the Wayne Military

Road which had been begun by St. Clair and completed by Wayne in 1794. "A journey to the

Northwestern Territory, 1797," anonymous manuscript, Friends Historical Library; Archer

B. Holbert, "The Old National Road," Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, IX

(April, 1901), 405-519; 1. F. King, "Introduction of Methodism in Ohio," Ibid., X (October,

1901), 165-219; Hugh Cleland, George Washington in the Ohio Valley(Pittsburgh, 1965),252.

30. No reason was given in the diary for the long route south to Chillicothe and then west to

Dayton. But the travelers had expected to go by boat from Brownsville on the Monongahela

River to the mouth of the Miami River and then follow the river northward. When low water

made the voyage by boat impossible, they may have decided to follow the Miami River route

by horseback. Of course the Miami Valley was a long established military route, and its use

made possible visits to Quakers and Quaker Meetings under the jurisdiction of the Baltimore

Yearly Meeting.

374                                                            OHIO HISTORY

Mar. 18. Hopkins was very much interested in the celebrated Ohio mounds and

described several of them in detail. He even sketched the shape of some of them.

However, his information adds nothing to that contained in the many excellent

articles that have appeared elsewhere.31

19th Rode 7 Miles and reached the dwelling of our friend Wm Lupton³²

upon Lees creek one of the head waters of Paint Creek. Our road led us

eight times across Paint creek passing chief of the way throu' bottoms of

Paint Creek.

There is much to induce friends of the Southern States to remove to this

new country aded to the consideration of the superior quality of the land

and the cheap and easy terms upon which it is to be purchased is an

invaluable Regulation in the constitution of the state of Ohio prohibiting

the introduction of Slaves.³³

The constitution has also provided that no person within the state shall

voluntarily relinquish his right to freedom. Its farmer[s] have even gone

further they declare that they have made these regulations to be binding

both upon them & upon Posterity. This truly valuable country is forbidden

ground to the Virginia Slaveholders many of them have approached as

near to its border as they have dared by settling along the East shore of the

31. The Indian mounds noted by Hopkins in the Paint Creek Valley and elsewhere along

his route have been the object of intensive study since white settlement in the area. Numerous

theories have been advanced concerning their origins and uses. Perhaps more has been written

about these mounds than about any other feature of early Ohio history. Only a small sampling

can be cited. They were mentioned by almost every visitor to the state. G. F. Wright, "Report

on the Present Condition of Mounds and Earthworks of Ohio," Ohio Archaeological and

Historical Quarterly, I (March, 1887), 341-49; Warren K. Moorehead, "Report of Field

Work," Ibid., VII (October, 1898), 110-204; Caleb Atwater, "Description of the Antiquities

Discovered in the State of Ohio and Other Western States," Transactions and Collections of

the American Antiquarian Society, I (1820), 105-313; C. W. Clark, "The Mound Builder and

the Indian According to the Book of Mormon," Ohio Archaeological and Historical

Quarterly, XXVI (April, 1917), 267-92; Harry C. Shetrone, "The Indian in Ohio," Ibid.,

XXVII ( July, 1918), 273-510; James B. Griffin, "The Late Prehistoric Cultures in the Ohio

Valley," Ibid., LXI (April, 1952), 186-226; Martha A. Potter, Ohio's Prehistoric People

(Columbus, 1968); Olaf H. Prufer and Douglas N. McKenzie, editors, Studies in Ohio

Archaeology) (Cleveland, 1967).

32. The Lupton Family was well known in the membership of the Miami Monthly Meeting

of the Society of Friends. William Lupton raised a family of nine children who were

mentioned along with Solomon Lupton in the membership role for 1804. These may have

been the two families which migrated in 1803 from Hopewell, Virginia, to Lees Creek, Ohio.

Halliday Jackson dined at the house of Bathsheba Lupton after the Fairfield Meeting on

August 14, 1816. Harlow Lindley, "Thomas Beals, First Friends' Minister in Ohio," Ohio

Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, LIII (January, 1944), 55-60; Jackson Memoran-

dums, Thomas Evans, Journal of a Journey with N. Lupton, 1809, manuscript, Friends

Historical Library; Lupton Family Papers, Friends Historical Library; William Wade

Hinshaw, editor, Encyclopaedia of American Quaker Genealogy (6 vols., Ann Arbor, 1936-

1950), V, 17, 93, 94.

33. The Baltimore Meeting was strongly anti-slave in a slave state. Hopkins was an officer

of an anti-slavery society.

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                             375

Ohio Their numbers induced persons in the state of Ohio to offer

themselves as candidates to the late Legislature with declaring their

determination to use their influence to obtain an alteration in this part of

the constitution. We are told that on account of this avowal they met with

the most pointed & zealous opposition the people declaring generally that

one of the inducements which led them to emigrate to the state was that

constitutional Provision by which Slavy was interdicted and that any

alteration therein would be an insupportable greivance.

20th This day rode 15 Miles and reached Hugh Evans's³⁴ upon clear

creek one of the headwaters of the Rocky Fork of Paint Creek.

21st Our progress has been impeded for several Days past two of the

horses belonging to our company faultered. This day we concluded to rest

them by continuing at the House of Hugh Evans who is a hearty cheerful

man 74 years of Age. his Wife equally so and 72 years of Age. The old man

appears to make me welcome at his house saying that he knew my Father

having in early life been his Neighbour and has made inquiries after the

families of people who were his old acquaintance He says he has six

children all of whom have married to his satisfaction and that they lately

removed with him from the state of Kentucky and are settled around him

each of them upon 500 Acres of Land which he has given them He says that

it affords him great consolation now in the decline of life to reflect that his

acquisitions are the fruits of his Honest industry.

23rd Continued our Journey and after Riding 14 Miles arrived at the

house of friend Samuel Linton³⁵ at Wainsville³⁶ upon the Little Miami

River w[h]ere we were Kindly Received.

34. Hugh Evans had evidently migrated from the Baltimore area and may have been

related to Hopkins through marriage. He had lived at Haverford, Pennsylvania, before

migrating to Highland County, Ohio. The Friends Library, VI, 245; Daniel Scott, A History

of the Early Settlement of Highland County, Ohio (Columbus, 1890), 57, 90, 128, 165;

Hinshaw, Encyclopaedia, V, 17.

35. Samuel Linton(1741-1835) was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, and migrated to

Waynesville, Ohio, in 1802. Linton said of the visit of the Hopkins party, "The Little Turtle

and other Indians about Fort Wayne . . . sent a message to Baltimore Yearly Meeting,

requesting their assistance to instruct them in the arts of civil life and how to use the husbandry

and other tools they had sent them; upon which the Committee for Indian Affairs appointed

George Ellicot and Jarrard Hopkins (the Yearly Meeting Clerk), to visit them and give any

council as they should think expedient when among them; and also Philip Thomas [an error

for Phillip Dennis], to assist them in their farming, the ensuing season . . . all of which in a

company, come to my house in the fore part of the day, and stayed with me until about that

time the next day, to refresh themselves and horses...." Linton, "Ancient Cor-

respondence," 117-24; Smith, "Quakers," 35-85.

36. At Waynesville the Hopkins party turned north. The village was founded in 1797 on the

Symmes Grant. The Quaker M iami Meeting was authorized in 1802 under the administration

of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting. The first meeting house was erected in 1803-1804 and

described by Halliday Jackson when he visited it on April 24-May 8, 1816, as a "large brick

house." At that time the village had forty or fifty houses and did not appear to be very

prosperous. The Quaker Meeting included families in the areas as well as those in the village.

Jackson, Memorandums; Downes, Frontier Ohio, 80, 97-99; Smith, "Quakers," 35-85.

376                                                        OHIO HISTORY

At this place we rested ourselves and horses acquired information

respecting our future route and equipped ourselves for the increasing

difficulty of the Wilderness.

24th Again proceeded upon our Journey & after riding 18 Miles we

reached Dayton & Lodged there. This is a Newly laid out town situated

upon the great Miami River nearly Opposite to the Junction of still water

and Mad River with the Miami. The Miami here is about 160 feet in width.

We have passed to day the Ridge which divided the waters of the Little &

Great Miami Rivers. Also crossed several of the streams belonging to the

great Miami. The tract of Country between the two Miamis and thro'

which we have passed to day is the most beautiful and desirable country we

have yet seen. The Country lies in Waves of great regularity & is covered

with heavy towering timber and the soil inexhaustible Rich. at Dayton are

two block-houses which were erected by the whites as places of retreat and

of defence against an attack by the Indians.

26th This day after riding 15 Miles we reached Flinns Ordinary³⁷ where

we were disappointed in finding no food for our horses We here received

information that there was no probability of our obtaining food for our

horses short of fort Wayne We therefore dispatched a part of our company

to a house which we had passed about 4 Miles in quest of corn They

Obtained 4 bushels & hired a man and horse to travel with us & bring the

corn along, for many days past our horses have suffered for want of hay

being fed altogether upon corn they have greatly lost their appetites.

At this place General Wayne erected a fortification when on his march

against the Indians a part of which is now standing. Our Landlord

Occupies one of the houses which was at that time built and inclosed within

the Stockade. From the late period in the day at which our supply of corn

arrived we have concluded to remain at Our quarters.

27th We reached a place called Lorimies store³⁸ where we found shelter

and lodged having rode during the latter part of the day thro Rain. On our

way we crossed a considerable water of the Great Miami called Leramies

Creek.

37. The presence of Flinn's Ordinary indicates that there was regular travel along this road,

which followed, at least in part, George Rogers Clark's trail and the route of Wayne's Army in

1794. Correspondence with Richard Knopf; Knopf, "Some Notes on Fort Recovery," Ohio

Archaeological and Historical Society Museum Echoes, XXIX (December, 1956), 91-94;

Dwight L. Smith, editor, From Greene Ville to Fallen Timbers: A Journal of the Wayne

Campaign, July 28-Sept 14, 1794 (Indianapolis, 1952).

38. Loramie's Store was started by a French trader, Pierre Loramie, in 1769 to furnish

supplies to the Indians. It was burned in 1782 by Simon Kenton. General Anthony Wayne

built Fort Loramie in September 1794. This site was used as a reference point in drawing

treaty lines for Indian lands in the treaty of 1795. William Bigot, "Loramie and Pickawillany,"

Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, XVII (January, 1908), 1-29; W. R.

McFarland, "Forts Loramie and Pickawillany," Ibid., VIII (April, 1900), 479-86; Dwight L.

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                          377

At this Stage, there is a very large fortification Made by General Wayne

called fort Loramis and here it is that the line of division between Whites

and Indians passes agreably to the treaty of Peace between the Indians and

GN Wayne³⁹ 'I may here note that for many Days in passing along upon

our Journey we have observed hunting Camps erected by the Indians but

no Indians in them It is probable they are at present at or Near their towns

Also that we have from day to day Observed many curious & to us

uninteligeble Indian Hieroglyphics cut upon the trees. We have also been

entertaind in Noticing both cut upon the Bark of the trees & painted in

various colours upon the wood after Cutting away the Bark the figures of

Elks the horns of the Elk the figures of Buffalo Bears Wolves Deer

Raccoons and various other Wild Beasts also Birds of different Species

Turtles And Reptile Creatures also the Representations of Men Women

and children Boys with Bows & Arrows Shooting Game & men with their

guns Aiming at game or in The act of persuing Game &&& As a testimony

in favor of the Virtue and Modesty of these men of the woods. I note that

we have not yet Observed amongst this variety of figures one Obscene

Representation.

28th We have now reached the waters of the lakes⁴⁰ having to day forded

one of the Forks of the St. Mary Rivers On our way we passed for a few

Miles along a road 100 feet in width cut by Waynes Army for transporting

provisions from the Great Miami to the St. Marys River.

The road is now grown up with Briars and Shrubs. Shortly after we had

made our fire and with the approach of night we heard at a short distance

from us a whooping in the woods. We had reason to believe from the shrill

& uncommon Whoop that it was the voice of an Indian and having

understood that it was a custom amongst them even when about to

approach the Camps of one another to give notice by a whoop we failed not

to return the cerimony by a whoop. In a few moments two Indian Men

Smith, "Wayne and the Treaty of Greene Ville," Ibid., LXII (January, 1954), 1-7; R. W.

Kenton, "Simon Kenton," Ibid., XlIl (January, 1904), 1-39.

39. The Treaty of Greene Ville was signed on August 3, 1795. Large areas of land were

opened to white settlement by the terms of the agreement. William Wells was the interpreter

for General Wayne in these negotiations. Richard C. Knopf, editor, Anthony Wayne A

Name in Arms: Soldier, Diplomat, Defender of Expansion Westward of a Nation

(Pittsburgh, 1959; reprint ed., Westport, 1975). This book contains the Wayne Papers. Idem.,

Anthony Wayne and the Founding of the United States Army (Columbus, 1961); Harry

Emerson Wildes, Anthony Wayne, 1745-1796 (Westport, 1941). These two biographies

contain accounts of the campaign of 1794 and of the signing of the treaty. Dwight L. Smith,

"Wayne's Peace with the Indians of the Old Northwest, 1795," Ohio State Archaeological and

Historical Quarterly, LIX (July, 1950); Hunt, "Greenville," 1-109; Preston Slosson, "The

Significance of the Treaty of Greenville," Ibid., LV (January, 1946), 1-11; Downes, Frontier

Ohio, 48-54; Beverly W. Bond, The Civilization of the Old Northwest (2 vols., New York,

1969), 1, 18, 102; Thwaites, Travels, III, 39, 157, 274; IV, 114, 126, 143; V, 258; VIII, 84, 200,

263; XII, 213; XIX, 80, XXIV, 157.

40. He meant the streams which flow into Lake Erie. The St. Mary's River is one of the

main branches of the Maumee River which Hopkins called the "Miami of the Lakes."

378                                                OHIO HISTORY

upon a horse followed by two women & a small girl upon another horse

rode up to our Camp. Their Countenances were smiling and indicative of

Friendship As we reached them our hands They shook them with saying

"Sago sago niches" which we have since understood was the Salutattion of

"how do you do Brothers" They could not speak English but putting their

hands to their Breasts expressed "_    Delawares." Delawares from

which we gather that they were delaware Indians. They had with them their

hunting Apparatus and pointing several times to the south of us we

concluded that they wished us to understand that their Camp was in that

direction and that they were on their way to it. After looking upon us for

some Minutes they left us.

29th This day we crossed the River st Marys where its width was about

150 feet it is said to be a very deep River

An old Indian and his Squaw who reside here undertook to ferry us

across in a canoe Our horses swam the River and got across well. The old

Indian whose name is Stephen a Delaware very unintentionally swam also.

This accident was owing to the Misconduct of some Packers who on their

way to Fort Wayne with provision gave Stephen to much Whiskey Phillip

Dennis was in the canoe with him when he accidently fell overboard we

were greatly alarmed for his safety knowing that he was intoxicated but

after disappearing for a few seconds rose to the surface of the water and

soon convinced us that he could swim. Phillip caught him by his Blanket &

got him again into the Boat. The old man laughed very heartily at the

accident saying to us in Broken English "No fear, me ferry you in de canoe

yet.["] Our Blacksmith having informed Stephen of his expectation of

settling in the Indian country for the Benefit of the red people and the old

man finding also that our company were all prosecuting a Journey for

benevolent purposes exercised his gratitude by telling us "you pay me one

quarter dollar de man nobody keep canoe here but stephen he make de

white people pay Dollar. I make dem Packers pay me the all rest" In

Stephens hut we observed several Indians who were asleep. He says they

are Indians who have come a great distance and are tired.

30th Pursued our path & travelled 23 Miles thro' a very heavily timber'd

and beautiful Country, being a little inclined to Hilly. The Journey to day

has been a pleasing one in part doubtless that the reflection that the day

would probaly nearly close a long tedious & arduous Journey. We at last

reached Fort Wayne having travelled from an estimate of the distances

noted in the course of my Journals Miles - - -41

As we approached the Fort and having reached it within about 30 Rods

we were Saluted by a Centinel with the word Halt. We observ'd the

command. A sergeant was dispatched to us from the commaning Officer

41. Hopkins omitted the number; perhaps he intended to add it later and forgot to do so.

The total of his daily mileages as recorded is 630 miles.

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                            379

who inquired of us on his behalf whear are you going & what is your

business. We desired him to inform the     _      commandant that we were

strangers & that we had an introductory letter directed to him which would

explain our business. The officer shortly returned to us with an invitation to

advance we accordingly proceeded and were met very politely by the

commanding Officer Captain Whipple.⁴² to whom we handed the following

letter

War Department

Feby-20th 1804

Gentleman,

This will be handed by Messr George Ellicott, Joel Wright and Gerard T Hopkins

who a[re a] deputatiom from the Society of Friends in   Maryland for visiting

the Indians in the western Country for the laudable purpose of affording them

assistance in the introduction of the Arts of Civilization. They are men of high

respectability are actuated by the Best motives and are entited to all the civilities in

your power to bestow.

You will please to afford them all necessary aid and treat them with such marks of

respectful attention as are due to Citizens whose disinterested services deserve the

plaudits of every good man

I am Respectfully your Humble

Servt. H Dearborne⁴³

To the commaning officer

_   at Fort Wayne

M' John Johnson⁴⁴

Indian Factor

M^r W^m Wells

Indian Agent

After delivering this letter we proceeded to the house of a Cannadian

Trader who we had previously been informed would furnish us with

accomodation.

42. Captain John Whipple of the U.S. Army, Infantry, was still commander at Fort Wayne

on January 1, 1805, according to the Powell listing of officers. He resigned from the army in

1807 and was appointed a judge in Michigan Territorial Courts in 1809. William H. Powell,

List of Officers of the Army of the United States from 1779 to 1900 (New York, 1900), 42;

Francis B. Heitman, Historical Register and Dictionary of the U.S. Army, 1789-1903

(Washington, D.C., 1903); Milo M. Quaife, editor, The John Askin Papers(2 vols., Detroit,

1928), II, 591; Bert J. Griswald, Fort Wayne, Gateway to the West, 1802-1813 (Indianapolis,

1927); Thornbrough, Letter Book.

43. Henry Dearborne, Secretary of War under President Jefferson, fought in the

Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

44. Johnston was with the Wayne expedition and returned to the East after the Battle of

Fallen Timbers. He lived for a time in Philadelphia and in 1802 eloped with Rachel Timbers, a

young Quaker girl of that city. The newlyweds rode horses over the mountains to Fort Wayne

where he became the Indian factor. He carried on a highly profitable trade. His good relations

with the tribes made it possible for him to persuade many of them not to join the British in the

War of 1812. Long after the Baltimore Quakers returned home, Johnston worked to have the

380                                                    OHIO HISTORY

In the evening the commandant followed us to our quarters discovering

marks of great respect and attention and appears to be a gentleman. He

urgingly pressed us to dine with him to morrow and we have accepted the

invitation.

31st This morning the commanding Officer accompanied by Jno.

Johnson & Wm Wells the two older persons named in the above letter from

the Secretary of War waited upon us. They expressed that they were glad to

see us and invited us with marks of earnestness each one to make his house

our home. We thanked them for their kindness and accepted the invitation

of the Factor John Johnson who we accompanied to his home. In an

interview with these three persons we communicated to them more fully the

object of our visit and consulted with them respecting the Best Mode to

pursue in order to effect our purpose. It was deemed advisable that an

express be sent to the little Turtle and to the Five Medals. The former

residing at his town called Turtles Town. About 18 miles from this place

_____ situated upon Eel River, a water of the Wabash and the latter on the

River St. Joseph of Lake Machigan about 40 Miles informing them of our

arrival at Fort Wayne and that we wished to see each of them there at an

early period. This charge William Wells readily took upon himself and we

have no doubt will comply with his engagement. We fulfilled our promise in

dining whith Captain Whipple the commanding officer We were

accompanied to his house by Jno Johnson who dined with us. The officer

behaved with a freedom and gentility becoming a well bred man. After

dinner he showed us more fully the Fort.

This Fortification was built by General Wayne is large and Substantial.

It is situated opposite to the Junction of the St Marys & St Joseph Rivers

and precisely the place from which those waters take the name of the Miami

of the Lakes bearing that name to lake Erie-The Fort commands a

beautiful view of these Rivers as also of an extent of about 4 Miles Square

of Cleared land has been cleared by the Army of the United states and much

of it was formerly cleared by the Miami Indians. They having had a large

town here. It is said that in the year 1785 The Indian town at this place

contained upwards of One thousand Warriors. The Garrison kept here

contains at present about 40 officers & Soldiers

It being a time of profound peace with the Indians Government have

withdrawn the large force which was a few years ago stationed at this place.

The place where Fort Wayne is situated is rendered famous In Indian

Indians take up farming as a way to survive. He died in 1861. He and Wells did not work

together congenially. Kenneth W. Duckett, "John Johnston," Ohio Historical and

Archaeological Society Museum Echoes (January, 1960), 3-6; Leonard U. Hill, John

Johnston and the Indians in the Land of the Three Miamis (Piqua, OH, 1957); Letters to and

from the Bureau of Indian Affairs are to be found on microcopy 15, Letters Sent by the

Secretary of War Relating to Indian Affairs, 1800-1824, rolls 1-6, National Archives,

Washington, D.C. Griswald has a biographical sketch of Johnston.

382                                                OHIO HISTORY

into our Room, when the old Man instantly recognized us both. He

appeared to be glad to see us and shook hands with us very heartily A

person being present who understood the Puttawattamy Language he said

to him pointing to me this is the man who wrote our talks in Baltimore The

old man very deliberately and candidly replied to our enquiry after his

health as follows. That in the course of last fall he went to Detroit. That

whilst there the white people made him Drink whiskey, That after he had

accomplished his business there he set out for his home and got upon his

horse whilst the whiskey was in his head. That he had not rode far before he

fell from his horse an[d] was very much hurt by the fall. And that ever since

that time he has not been well

After some further mutual enquiries relative to the welfare of red and

white acquaintances we informed him thro' an interpreter that we had

come to see our red brethen. That we had sent messengers for both the little

Turtle and himself and were glad it had so happened that he was now come

That we hoped the Little Turtle would come to morrow and that we wished

to see them together having some thing to say to them He appeared to be

pleased with this information and expressed that he had made a Camp not

far off where he would wait for the arrival of the little Turtle after some

General conversation he withdrew bidding us farewell

₄th M^° ₂nd Being invited to dine to day with W^m Wells who is interpreter

for the Indians we went to his house accordingly having the company of our

very worthy and kind Fd Landlord About midday the Little Turtle arrived.

He approached us with a countenance placid beyond description took us

by the hand with great Cordialty and expressed himself in terms of Great

gladness at meeting us He enquired of us very particularly after his friends

& acquaintance of Baltimore & after our own welfare

The path we had come & the difficulties we had encountered in our

Journey thro' the Wilderness.

Having answered his questions he replied in turn to our enquires as

follows.

That since he saw us it had pleased the Great Spirit to take away two of

his Brothers and a Nephew. That his Nephew was the toad a young Chief

who was with him in Baltimore that he died on his return home from that

visit and within a few miles of home. Which circumstance he said he had

desired Wm Wells to inform us that with respect to himself he was but half

well having been very sick last fall and expected to Die That his white

brothers at Fort Wayne hearing of his illness sent a Doctor to him who gave

[him a] Physic[al] and made him better. That he had now seen 53 winters

and two of his Brothers being dead made him think of Death and that his

time would come soon. He also told us that he had left one Brother at his

Town an older man than himself who was desirous to have come along with

him but could not find his horse in time. After this other conversation took

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                   383

place of a General nature The Interpreter informs us that his complaint is

the Gout and that in the time of his illness he told him that his complaint

belongd to Great folks and Gentlemen "Well (said the Turtle) I always

thought I was a Gentlemen."

About 2 OClock we Dined, At the head of the Table sat the Interpreters

wife who is a modest well Looking Indian Woman and the Daughter of a

distuinguished Chief formerly She had prepared for us a very large well

roasted wild Turkey also a wild Turkey boiled For these she had provided a

large supply of Cranberry Sauce. The Little Turtle sat at table with us an[d]

with much sociability we partook of an excellent dinner. In the afternoon

the Five medals attended by his two sons visited us at W^m Wells and it

appearing to be a suitable opportu[nity] we proposed to them that a formal

conference shall then take place between us. This proposition meeting with

their assent we opened the conference with desiring the Interpreters to

inform them. That we had received their Talk sent to us last Fall informing

us that the implements of husbandry which we had sent to them Last year

had come to the[m] safely and that we had carefully Observd all that was

contained in that Talk

That we were deputed by their Brothers & friends of Baltimore to come

to see them. That we had accordingly come and had a letter directed to

them That we thought it would be right that this letter should in the first

place be read and after that we might have something to say to them A short

Pause here taking place they expressed a desire that the letter should be

read which was accordingly done and interpreted to them which was as

follows

"From the Committee appointed for Indian "Affairs by the Yearly Meeting of

Friends in Maryland "to the Little Turtle & Five Medals chiefs of "the

Puttawattamy and Miami Nations of "Indians and Others

"Brothers & Friends

"We have received your Talk communicated by our Friend W^m Wells after the

reception of the implements of Husbandry sent last spring for use in that speech as

well as when you were in Baltimore you have told us that you thought it best for

some of us to go out to see you That they might be the better capable of Judging

what could be done further for the benefit of our red brethren.

"Brothers & Friends

"In compliance with your request we have named our beloved friends George

Ellicott Gerard T Hopkins Joel Wright and Elisha Tyson. to go and visit you and to

take you by the hand on our behalf and we desire that you will receive them or any

of them that may be enabled to perform the Journey as your Brothers in whom we

have confidence and that you will receive any communications from them as being

imediately from us, who are desirous of assisting you in what may add comfort to

our red brethren and to their Women & children

₂n^d 6^th 1804

"William Stabler                                           "Evan Thomas

"Isacc Tyson                                               "Elisha Tyson

"Benjamin Ellicott                                       "Jonathan Wright

384                                                            OHIO HISTORY

"John Ellicott                                                                             "Elias Ellicott

"Edward Stabler                                                                        "Jonathan Ellicott

"Phillip E Thomas                                                                     "Thomas Moore

"Andw Ellicott Junr                                                                 "Samuel Snowden⁴⁶

At the Contents of this letter they expressed Satisfaction. After a Pause

of Several Minutes we addressed them thro' the Interpreter in substance as

follows

Brothers & Friends

You observe that the letter which had Just been read makes

mention of four of us appointed to visit you. One of these was an old an infirm man

who thought he could not endure the fatigues of so long a Journey and therefore did

not come. The other did not Omit to come for the want of love to his red brethren

but some family circumstances rendered it not convenient for him to come. You see

Brothers that it had Pleased the Great Spirit that two of us mentioned in the letter

should reach the Country of our red Brethren.

"Brothers,

We thought it right in the first Place to send for you and to show you the

letter which had Just been read We are Glad that you are now Come and that we

have this Opportunity of taking you by the hand

Brothers

We believe that we have some things to say which are of great importance

to our Red Brethren, to their old men, to their young Men to Women & to their

Children

Brothers

46. The fifteen men who signed this letter represented much civic enterprise in Maryland as

well as the leadership of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting. William and Edward Stabler were

participants in the missionary work of the Maryland Quakers. The Tyson Family provided

money and effort to the abolition movement with Elisha being called "the most active anti-

slave man in Baltimore." In 1791 he built a road from his mill-seat at Jones Falls to Baltimore

and in 1807 helped to organize the Baltimore General Dispensary for the relief of the poor.

The Ellicott Family members were among Maryland's leading industrialists, beginning with

the erection of mills on the Patapsco River in 1772 by John, Andrew, and Joseph Ellicott.

John and Andrew built a wharf in Baltimore in 1783. Andrew served in the Maryland Legisla-

ture and became one of America's most celebrated city planners. Benjamin Ellicott helped to

organize a company which was unsuccessful in boring for coal in Baltimore in 1816. Elias

Ellicott, an active anti-slave man, helped to organize the public water works in Baltimore in

1803, and the next year Jonathan Ellicott was elected a director of that company. Thomas

M orre was a Baltimore shipbuilder. Evan Thomas, a member of the organizing committee for

the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the inventor of an unsuccessful sail-propelled car, was

married to Rachel Hopkins. Their son, Phillip Evan Thomas, was proprietor of a hardware

store and became the first president of the Baltimore and Ohio. Phillip and his wife, Ann Chew

Thomas, were the parents of Elizabeth Thomas Snowden, wife of Samuel Snowden,

Montgomery County, Maryland. Archives of Maryland, XII, 12, 26, 127-28, 146, 173, 187;

The Friends Library, X, 451; XIII, 295; Dictionary of American Biography, XVIII, 442-43;

John Martin Hammond, Colonial Mansions of Maryland and Delaware (Philadelphia,

1914), 102-03; J. Thomas Scharf, The Chronicles of Baltimore (Baltimore, 1874), 46, 52, 53,

71, 208, 255, 262, 292, 295-96, 303-80; Hamilton Owens, Baltimore on the Chesapeake

(Garden City, 1941), 211-14.

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                    385

We now mention to you that we have not come merely to talk but we hope

we have come prepared to do a little for the welfare and benefit of our red Brethren

Brothers

In looking over and considering our business we have thought that we

should be glad to have an opportunity of seeing our Indian Brethren together. And

are willing to propose for the consideration of our brothers. That they should now

fix upon some place and agree upon some time to meet us again. And that they

invite their Old men their young men their women and their children to meet us

When we shall have some things to say which it not be necessary now to say.

Brothers & Friends.

"Should you think that the proposal which we have now made is

proper and conclude to meet us in the manner we have now pointed out, we expect

we shall have but little more to add at present.

Here a pause for some minutes took place 'When the Little Turtle enquired

whether we had more to say?' He was Answered in the Negative

After a further Pause and some conversation between the two Chiefs

they rose from their seats and perceiving that they were advancing towards

us we also arose from ours. On Meeting them they took us by the hand And

with contenances indicative of much gravity shook hands with us after

which they returned to their Seats

The Five Medals then commenced a Speech as follows.

"Brothers & Friends

"My Friend the little Turtle and myself

"together with my two sons who are pre-

"sent rejoice to have this opportunity to seeing

"you and of taking you by the hand ___

"My Brothers

"We are Glad to be informed

"that you received our Talk sent to you last

"Fall and to find that you are now come

"to the Country of your red brethren

"My Brothers & Friends

"We rejoice that

"the Great Spirit had conducted you safely

"to our Country and figure to Ourselves that in

"you we see the rest of our brothers and friends of

"Baltimore and that in taking you by the

"hand we take them by the hand.

"Brothers

"We know that you have come

"a long distance to see the situation of your

"red brethren we have no doubt that you have

"things to say which are of Great importance

"to us and which do not belong to a few of

"us only but to many.

"Brothers

"Your brethren

386                                                     OHIO HISTORY

"the Indians do business not as the white _____ people do. We convene ourChiefs

and things of importance are considered by them. But brothers you have come to

see the situation of your red brethren. It is our wish that you should see it you shall

not be disappointed. The proposal which you have made to us we think right And

have concluded that this place (Fort Wayne) is the best place to be fixed upon for

the purpose you wish. We are pleased to find that you have a desire that our young

men should be present to hear what you have to say and as it is your wish to see our

women and children we desire that you may have an opportunity of seeing them:

"Brothers & Friends

Our young men are out

hunting and our women and children are now at work at their sugar Camps. The

time is far off when they will return to our towns and when it is usual for us to meet

together. We hope brothers that you will not be in a hurry but will allow us time to

Collect our people generally.

Here a Pause took place when we enquired whether they had any thing

further to add and being Answered in the Negative we addressed them

again in substance as follows.

Brothers & Friends

When we left our homes

we know that it was early in the season and expected that we should get to the

Country of our red brethren at a time when their young men their women and

children would be busy. But Brothers a part of the service which we design to render

to our red brethren required that we should come early and makes it necessary that

we should now be in a hurry.

"Brothers

We will also add

that when we were chosen by our friends at home to come to see our red brethren

our women and children consented that we should leave them but charged us that

we should not Stay away from them longer than circumstances really required a

long time has already past since we left them. We therefore hope brothers that in 4

or 5 days it will be in your power to get together some of your people. Those who are

far from home we do not desire you to send for.

The Little Turtle then said that the reasons we had given were good.

The Five Medals next Observ'd that in the time proposed they could

easily convene a considerable number of their Indolent people who were

too Lazy to hunt or make sugar but such they did not wish us to see. Their

Industrus young men and women were too far from home to Convene in so

short a time.

Here a short conversation took between the two chiefs at close of which

they proposed 7 Days hence as the time desiring that tomorrow might not

be counted as it would take them a Day to return home. To this we

consented

The Five Medals then expressed as follows.

"Brothers

It would have been very desirable

to us if you could have met us at the time of our Council. We have very often told

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                      387

our people of the Quakers. They Listen to us But are a loss to know what sort of

people the Quakers are. If you could stay brothers they would have a opportunity of

seeing the Quakers (a poor sample say I) and of hearing words from your own

mouth.

After this the Little Turtle added

"Brothers

We hope that the words which you may

say to us at the time we have appointed to meet again will be upon paper From that

paper we can at some future time have your words deliverd to our people

This Brothers will in some measure Answer the end

During a pause which Occupied Several Minutes we asked them if we

understood each other. The little Turtle replied yes perfectly We have no

further to do now than to look forward to the day appointed.

After this we again took each other by the hand and very cordially bade

farewell

We then returned to our quarters.

In the evening we again had the company of the Chiefs they having been

invited by our Landlord to take supper with us.

April 3-8 Hopkins spent most of these six days with William Wells. They visited a

supply store established by the United States government for the Indians; saw some

Indian homes, fields, and graves, which he described in detail; visited the sight

where General Harmar's army was defeated by Little Turtle; related a story of a

white woman they had met who had been captured by the Puttawattamy Indians as

a child and had lived with them since; described an Indian sugar camp; and visited a

blacksmith and carpenter.

9t^h On the evening of this day we received a message from the little Turtle

informing us that the Indians had arrived and that they would be ready to

meet us at 10 OC. the next Morning

4^th M^° 10th At 10 OClock this Morning we proceeded to W^m Wells. who

as was before Observed is interpreter to the Indians. His house having been

the place appointed for us to meet the Indians. We were accompanied by

our friends John Johnson. Captain Whipple. Lieutenants Campbell⁴⁷ &

Sims⁴⁸ and several other reputable persons and were met by the following

Chiefs. O-bas-se-a (or the fawn) commonly called Legree a Village Chief of

Great distinction of the Miami nation. Os-so-mit. a Village Chief of the

Puttawattamy Nation and brother to the Five Medals.⁴⁹

47. John Campbell was promoted to Captain of Infantry by January 1, 1805, and

transferred to Fort Adams. Powell, List of Officers, 42.

48. There was no commissioned field officer by the name of Sims on the list for January 1,

1805. There was, however, a second Lieutenant John C. Symmes stationed at St. Louis at that

time. Ibid., 42.

49. Neither of these chiefs is mentioned by Hodge with either the Indian or English name

given here, nor do their names appear as signers of the Treaty of Greene Ville.

388                                                 OHIO HISTORY

Me-she-he-na-qua. Or the little Turtle a War Chief of the Miami Nation

They were attended by a considerable number of their Principal young men

and by several Women

The Five Medals was not present. He had informed us on taking leave of

us that circumstances required that he should return to his town and that

the distance would be too great for him to return in time to meet us. His

infirmities occasioning him to travel Slowly but that he would Send his

brother who would report to him faithfully all the proceedings of the

Council

After we had taken each other by the hand the Chiefs took their seats by

the side of each other Their principal people next seated themselves

according to the rank or distinction which they held-After them their

young men in circular order seat after seat and lastly the women who

occupied seats separate from ther Men being placed near the Centre of the

room. We took our seats on the opposite side of the House and faced the

Indians.

Being all thus seated I Speak the truth when I say my heart palpitated. I

felt the importance and dignity of our Mission. I wished our heads were

wiser and feared for the result of so interesting an opportunity.

After a few minutes had passed the little Turtle observed that when we

before met they informed us of the difficulty there was in convening the

Indians at as early a period in the season and that those of their people then

present with him were all who were likely to attend to listen what we had to

say

We then proposed that the letter from our friends and brothers at home

read to the little Turtle & Five Medals at the time our first Meeting should

be again read for the information of our Indian Brethren now attending

who were not present at that time.

This proposal was deemed proper And the letter was accordingly read.

After a short pause we adressed them as follows

Brothers & Friends

We know that most of our

Red brethren are at present at Their hunting and sugar Camps & did not expect to

see a large number upon so short a Notice. We have therefore agreeably to your

request put upon paper the things we have to say And hope you will not fail to have

them communicated when at some future time you may be more Generally

assembled

One of us then standing up read to them the following address. The

interpreter also standing on his feet between us and the Indians interpreted

our communication.

The address of George Ellicott & Gerard T Hopkins deliver'd to the

Little Turtle and the five Medals Chiefs of the Miami & Putawattamy

Nations of Indians and Others

390                                                     OHIO HISTORY

with the Five Medals the little Turtle Tuthipu and some other Chiefs. They were

Glad of that opportunity of having a Talk with them and of enquiring after their

situation of their red brethren.

Brothers

You[r] brothers of Baltimore had for

some time entertained apprehensions that the many Changes which were taking

place in circumstances must greatly change the situation of our red brethren and

that the time was fast approaching in which it would be necessary for them to alter

their Mode of living

Brothers

After our talk with the chiefs whom

we have Just mentioned we were fully convinced that the time was come in which

our red;--brethren ought to begin to cultivate their lands that they ought to raise

corn and other Grains, also horses, cows, Sheep, hogs and other animals We then

proposed to afford them some assistance, they appeared to be glad of the proposal

and informed us that many of their people were disposed to turn their attention to

the cultivation of the Earth. They also expressed a desire to be assisted by their

brothers of Baltimore.

Brothers

Having been encouraged by the

opportunity which we then had with our red brothers we sent to the care of Wm

Wells some ploughs, Harness, for horses, Axes, Hoes, and other implements of

Husbandry which were made for the use of our red brethren and desired that they

might be distributed amongst them as tokens of Friendship.

Brothers

Your brothers of baltimore re-

ceived last fall thro' hands of their friend William Wells a Talk from their brothers

The Little Turtle the Five Medals and others informing us that they had received the

implements of Husbandry and requested that their brothers of baltimore would

send some of their people into the Country of their red brethren for the purpose of

seeing their situation and shewing them how to Make use of the tools; saying they

did not know how to begin

Brothers

It is for these purposes that

we have now come; and we again repeat that we rejoice we have this opportunity of

seeing you and of taking you by the hand.

Brothers

In coming into the Country of

our red brethren we have come with our eyes open and although we are affected

with sorrow in believing that Many of the red people suffer much for the want of

food and for the want of Clothing; Yet our hearts have been made Glad in seeing

that it has pleased the Great Spirit to give you a rich and Valuable Country. Because

we know that it is out of the earth that food & Clothing come. We are sure brothers

that with but little labour and attention you may raise much more corn and other

grain than will be necessary for yourselves your women & Children and may also

with Great ease raise many more horses cows sheep hogs and other valuable

animals than will be Necessary for your own use. We are also confident that if you

will pursue our method in the cultivation of your land you will live in much greater

ease and plenty. & with much less fatigue and toil than attend hunting for a

subsistance.

Brothers

We are fully convinced that if

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                     391

you will adopt our mode of Cultivating the earth and of raising useful animals that

you will find it to be a mode of living not only far more plenty and much less

fatiguing, but also much more Certain and which will expose your bodies less to the

inclemencies of the weather than is now attendant upon hunting. It will lead your

brethren to have fixed homes. You will build comfortable dwelling houses for

yourselves your women and children where you may be sheltered from the rain

from the frost and from the snow and wherere you may enjoy in plenty the rewards

of your labours.

Brothers

In laying these things before you

we have no other motive than a desire of heart for the improvement the benefit and

the welfare of our red brethren and therefore it is that we speak with freedom and we

hope that what we have to say will go in one ear and not come out at the other but

that it will be remembered by our red brothers. For we know brothers that we shall

not be ashamed of what we say when in time to come you compare the things we are

saying to you with your experience in practising them.

Brothers

"We will here mention that the

time was when the forefathers of your brothers the White people lived beyond the

Great waters in the same manner that our red brethren now lived.

The Winters can yet be counted when they went almost naked when they

procured their living by fishing and by the bow and arrow in hunting and when they

lived in houses no better than yours They were encouraged by some who came from

toward the sun-rising and lived amongst them to change their mode of living. They

did change they cultivated the earth and we are sure the change was a happy one.

Brothers & Friends

We are not Ashamed to

acknowledge that the time was when our forefathers rejoiced at finding a wild

Plumb tree or at killing a little Game and that they wandered up & down living on

the uncertain supply of Fishing and hunting. But brothers for your encouragement

we now mention that by turning their attention to the cultivation of the earth,

instead of the Plumb Tree they soon had Orchards of many kinds of good Fruit.

Instead of the wild Game they soon had large numbers of Cattle horses sheep hogs

and of other Valuable Animals

And in many places instead of their Forests they had large fields of Corn and of

other Grains as also of many other valuable productions of the earth.

Brothers

We hope your eyes will be open to

see clearly the things which are best for you and that you will desire to pursue them.

We are sure brothers that it is in the heart of your Father the President of the United

States to assist his red children in the Cultivation of the earth. and to render them

services which will be greatly for their benefit and welfare. We hope that your

exertions to change your present Mode of living will be so plain to him that he will

see them; which will encourage him to continue to aid you in your endeavours

Brothers

We have spoken plainly we desire

to speak plain. We will now tell you that we have not come merely to talk with you

we have come prepared to render you a Little assistance.

Our beloved brother Phillip Dennis who is now present has come along with us

His desire is to cultivate for you a field of Corn also to shew you how to raise some

other productions of the earth. He knows how to use the plough, the hoe, the Axe

and other implements of Husbandry

392                                                     OHIO HISTORY

Brother

We will here ask you Are you still

desirous to be instructed by us in the cultivation of your lands? If you say you are

our brother who we have Just mentioned will continue with you during the summer.

We shall leave it to you to show him the sport [spot] where to begin work.

brothers he has left a farm he has left a wife and five small children who are very

dear to him he has come from a sincere desire to be useful to our red brethren his

motives are pure he will ask no reward from you for his services His greatest reward

will be the satisfaction he will feel in finding you inclined to take hold of the same

Tools which he takes hold of. to receive from him instructions in the cultivation of

your lands and to persue the Example he will set you

Brothers

We hope you will make the situation

of our brother as comfortable as circumstances will admit We hope also that many

of your young men will be willing to be taught by him to use the plough the Hoe and

other implements of Husbandry for we are sure brothers that as you take hold of

such Tools as are in the hands of the white people you will find them to be to you like

having additional hands You will also find that by using them they will enable you

to do many things which without them can not be performed.

Brothers.

There is one thing more which we

wish to add your brothers the white people in order to get their land cultivated

find it necessary that their young men should be employed in it and not their

women. Women are less then men They are not as strong as men. They are not as

able to endure fatigue and toil as men.

It is the business of our women to be employed in our houses to keep them clean

to sew-knit--spin-and weave to dress food for themselves and families to make

clothes for the men and the rest of their families to keep the clothing of their families

clean and to take care of their children.

Brothers.

We desire not to mention too

many things to you but we must add a little further We are fully convinced that if

you will turn your attention to the cultivation of the earth for raising the different

kinds of Grain to building Mills for grinding Grain. To building comfortable

dwelling houses for your families. To raising useful Animals amongst others sheep

for the advantage of the wool in making clothing. To raising flax and hemp for your

linens and your young women learn to spin and weave that your lives will be much

easier and happier than at present and that your numbers will increase and not

continue to diminish. As we before observed brothers your land is good. It is far

better than the land the white people near the Great water cultivate. We are

persuaded that your land will produce double the quantity of any kind of Grain or

of flax or hemp with the same labour necessary near the Great Water

Brothers & Friends

We shall now end what

we have to say with informing you that all the corn and other productions of the

earth which our brother Phillip Dennis may raise we wish our red brethren to

accept of as a token of our Friendship and it is our desire that the Chiefs of the

Puttawattamv and Miami nations who are now present added to our brothers the

Five Medals Tuthinipu and Phillip Dennis make such a distribution thereof as

they may think proper.

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                      393

The Indians observed great gravity and decorum and during the time of

our addressing them and seemed to reiterate the sentiments delivered by

repeated shouts At the close of our communication a short pause took

place during which we informed them that we had no more to add at

present. but wished them now to speak

After which a conversation Occupying several minutes took place

between the Chiefs and some of their principle men which being in the

Indian Language was to us uninteligible.

They next rose upon their feet met us shook hands with us with great

solemnity then returned to their seats.

In a few minutes the Little Turtle arose from his seat and deliver'd the

following speech which one [of] us wrote in short hand from the mouth of

the interpreter.

Brothers

It appears to me to be necessary

that I should give you an immediate Answer as you are about to return to your

families From whence you came

My Brothers & Friends

We are all Pleased

to see you here and to take our brothers the Quakers thro' you by the hand. We

rejoice that the Great spirit had appointed that we should this day meet. For we

believe that this meeting will be of the utmost consequence to our red brethren

Brothers

What you have said we have carefully

gathered up we have placed it in our hearts in order that it may be communicated to

our Posterity. We are convinced that what you have said is for the good of your red

brethren. We are also convinced that our Chiefs and Warriors our women and

Children will be all of our opinion And will be Glad when they hear what you have

said.

Brothers

We take you now by the hand and thro'

you we take the people who sent you here by the hand And assure you that we are

pleased the Great Spirit has let us see Each other and converse together upon

subjects which you have communicated to us

Brothers

you see there is not a large number

of us here what you have said to us will not remain with those who are here alone It

will be communicated to all your red brethren in this Country and I again repeat

that I am convinced they will be glad to hear what you have said to us to our women

and children.

Brothers

When we saw you with the rest of

our brothers in baltimore upwards of two years ago I expect you recollect perfectly

the conversation between us at that time and place I there with my brother chiefs

told you that we were glad to find you so much disposed to assist us our women and

children we told you that your good wishes should be made known to all your red

brethren in this Country which has been done.

"Brothers

Ever since that time I as well as

394                                                     OHIO HISTORY

some other of My brother chiefs have been endeavouring to turn the minds of our

people towards the Cultivation of the Earth but I am sorry to say we have yet not

been able to effect any thing

Brothers

There are so few of our chiefs now

present it would not be proper for us to undertake to give a pointed Answer to your

Talk. We expect that in a few Moons there will be many of our people together at

that time it will be proper that we should return you an Answer to all the subjects

you now mention to us

Brothers

The things you have said to us require

our greatest attention. It appears to me to be really necessary that we should

deliberate upon them. In order to do so we must beg you to leave the paper upon

which they are written that we may communicate them to our chiefs when they

assemble.

Brothers

All the words which you have said to

day were certainly calculated for our good. You have enumerated to us the different

kinds of Grain and Animals we ought to raise for our comfort you have told us that

if we all adopt the plan you have proposed we should want for nothing. This

brothers myself and many of our people believe is true and we hope we shall finally

be able to convince our young men that this is the plan we ought to adopt to get our

living.

Brothers

You have come a long distance to

render service to us. We hope your visit will meet with the success you wish. You

have been very particular in pointing out to us what will be for our good. You have

been very particular in pointing out to us the duties of our women And you have

told us that in adopting your mode of living our numbers would increase & not

diminish. In all this I perfectly agree with you and I hope the other chiefs will also

agree with you

Brothers

We are pleased to hear you say you

are going to leave one of your brothers with us to shew us in what Manner you

cultivate the Earth. We shall endeavour brothers to make his situation amongst us

as agreeable to him as will be profitable for us

Brothers

We are convinced that the plan you propose will be highly advantageous to your red

brethren We are also convinced that you have observed very Justly that we shall not

then be so liable to sickness. We are certain that we shall then be able to make a

more comfortable living with less labour than at present and I hope that this will be

the opinion of us all-

Brothers

I again repeat that I am extremely

Glad to hear the things you have said and that we will keep them in our hearts for

the good of our young men our women & our children-I have now deliver'd to you

the sentiments of our people who are present

(Here whilst standing

on his feet he made a

short Pause then added)

Brothers

Assure your people who sent you

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                    395

here tell your old Chiefs that we are obliged to them for their friendly offers to assist

us in changing our present mode of living-tell them it is a work which cannot be

done immediately that we are that way disposed and we hope it will take place

Gradually

(Sits down for a short time then rises)

Brothers

My heart is so overjoyed and warmed with

what you have said that I find that I had forgot to mention one of the most

important things

Brothers

At the time we first met at this

place the Five Medals and myself formed some idea of your business We expected

you had come to do for us the things which you had proposed to us when in

Baltimore we consulted each other upon the Answer necessary to return to you in

every respect and I now find that our Idea was right

Brothers.

The sentiments which I have deliverd to you were his sentiments you have now told

us that your brother has a mind to live amongst us to shew us how to cultivate the

earth & have desired us to shew him the Spot where to begin We agreed then that he

should be at neither of our Villages lest our younger brothers should be Jealous of

our taking him to ourselves. We have determined to place him on the Wabash where

some of our families will follow him where our young men I hope will flock to him

and where he will be able to instruct them as he wishes. This is all I have to say. I

could all day repeat the sentiments I have already expressed also how much I have

been Gratified in seeing and hearing my brothers but that is not necessary. I am

sorry that the Chiefs of our Country are not all present that they might all hear what

you have said and have an opportunity to talk with you.

At the close of this speech we were informed that nothing could be added

by the Indians to the communications made by the Little Turtle. We then

told them that the words spoken by the Little Turtle should be carefully

carried home to our brothers and friends who had sent us. We also

informed them that not withstanding we were now desirous to return to our

homes as immediately as possible yet we wished to see the place which they

had assigned to be the station of our brother Phillip Dennis and hoped

some of them would shew it to us We further added that this wish did not

araise from any Jealousy in our minds that the place fixed upon was not

suitable:-On the contrary we had no doubt that they had Judged wisely.

We told them that the love and respect which we bore to our brother led us

to desire to bear him company to the place and also to render him every

assistance in our power before we left him

They then informed us that they would consult and fix upon some one to

go with us.

After this the business of the opportunity appearing to be fully at an end

we in turn rose from our Seats and being met by them we shook hands

which concluded the formalities of the Opportunity and after entering into

a little conversation we told them that we would now bid them farewell as

we expected we should not see them again They then individually took us

396                                                            OHIO HISTORY

by the hand, and with marks of great Affection and Friendship bade us

farewell; and we returned to our Quarters.

4th M o. ₁2t^h. Being a fine pleasant morning we set out for the place on the

Wabash assigned by the indians for the residence of Phillip Dennis50 we

were accompanied by Phillip Dennis William Wells and Massanonga (or

Clearsky) a handsome young man of the Wea Tribe of Indians deputed by

the Indians to Pilot us who (by the bye) says he shall claim Privilege of

being the first young man to take hold Phillip Dennis plough_____________51 we

came to a vein of land about 1 Mile in width the surface of which is covered

with small Flint stones and which we are told extends for several miles. On

examining these Flints we found them to be of an excellent quality Here the

Indians supply themselves with flint for their Guns and for other purposes

and here formerly they procured their Darts. It has certainly been

abundantly resorted to from time immemorial. This is evident from the

circumstances of the surface of the Ground being dug in holes of two and

three feet in depth over nearly the whole tract. This flinty tract is called by

the Indians Father Flint. From this tract we proceeded and after riding two

miles reached the place proposed by the Indians. ___ This place is 32

Miles rather south West from Fort wayne and is situated on the wabash at a

place called the Boat-Yard which name it obtained from the circumstances

of General Wilkinson⁵² having built some Flat-bottomed Boats here for the

50. Phillip Dennis, in a letter to Gerard T. Hopkins dated June 26, 1804, stated that he had

been afflicted for five weeks after Hopkins and Ellicott left with "sciotic complaint" and had

difficulty "going about." He had enclosed sixteen to twenty acres with a "substantial fence 8

rails high" and had planted about eight acres of corn. Another letter on August 26 said his

health was good and he had located several springs of good water. His corn was earing with 2-

3 ears to the stalk. He also had an acre of turnips which was growing well. Only one Indian

family had settled at his station. They had seven adults who were "industrious & attended to

his directions." The Indians were friendly and "some of them very sociable." The Eel River

Indians had indicated an interest to settle at his station and desired plows, hoes, and axes.

Dennis built a house fourteen feet square and expected to begin a storey and a half log house.

Baltimore Yearly Meeting, Committee on Indian Concerns, Report of George Ellicott and

Gerard T. Hopkins, 1804, manuscript journals, Friends Historical Library.

51. William Wells reported to Hopkins and Ellicott that the Indians met at Fort Wayne in

June with 874 attending. The report of Hopkins and Ellicott was read to them; and the

Delaware, Miami, and Eel River Indians agreed to permit the United States to send men to

instruct them in "building houses, making fences, etc., instead of giving them their yearly

annuities in Goods." The Shawnees in the area of the Auglaize River were reported to have

forty head of cattle and were making butter and cheese. Ibid.

52. General James Wilkinson was active in the Indian fighting in Ohio as second in

command to Wayne in the 1794 campaign. He was later a land speculator, commander of the

military district of New Orleans, and a prominent, though undefined, figure in the Burr

conspiracy trial. Wilkinson Manuscripts, Chicago Historical Society; American State Papers:

Indian Affairs, I, 132-33,182,335,361,491,649-51,672,692; M. Aries Pitcher,"John Smith,

First Senator from Ohio and his Connection with Aaron Burr," Ohio State Archaeological

and Historical Quarterly, XLV (January, 1936), 68-88; Knopf, Name in Arms; James Ripley

Jacobs, Tarnished Warrior (Plainview, NY, 1938, reprint ed., 1972); James Wilkinson,

Memoirs of My Own Times (New York, 1816, reprint ed., 1975).

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                 397

purpose of transporting some of the baggage of the American Troops down

the river. This was formerly the seat of an Indian Town of Delawares. And

we are pleased to find that there are about 25 Acres of land cleared About

half a mile below this place a handsome creek falls into the River from the

North which we traced for a considerable distance and are convinced that it

affords a good Mill seat. This Creek bearing no name we called it Dennis's

Creek in honor of Phillip Dennis

As night approached Massanonga taking his Rifle left us and in about 15

Minutes returned with remarkable fine Turkey. This he prepared and

roasted for us in a very nice and expeditious manner on which we supped

sumptuously At 9 OClock we wrapped ourselves in our blankets and laid

down to sleep before the fire having no shelter.

13. Early this morning we arose and breakfasted. upon the remains of the

Turkey cooked last evening. After which we fixed upon the place for Phillip

Dennis's farm also staked out the situation for his wigwam which is about

100 feet from the bank of the wabash opposite which issuing out of the

bank of the River is a spring of excellent water.

At Mississinway a large Indian Town of the Miamis situated about 30

Miles from this place on the wabash stone coal is found which with

limestone continues for 200 Miles down the River. There are no Indians

between this and Mississinway. Phillip Dennis's nearest neighbours will be

at the little Turtles Town 18 Miles distant. Whilst here we saw Peroques^s53

loaded with Peltry manned by Cannadians and Indians on their way up the

River to be transported to Detroit. About 8 OClock in the morning we set

out for Fort Wayne where we arrived at 3 OClock in the afternoon After

dining with W^m Wells we returned to our Lodgings

₁₄th^. I may here mention that some days ago we came to a conclusion to

return home by way of the Lakes to this we have been induced from a hope

that we shall be subjected to fewer difficulties and much less fatigue than to

retrace the way by which we came and I may also add to which we have

been encouraged by the advice of our kind friends heretofore named who

have with much apparant chearfulness offered to pr[e]pare a way for us.

And this morning being informed by our worthy friend Captain Whipple

that the Boat⁵⁴ intended for us would be in readiness against to-morrow we

spent the Day in making preparations arrangements &c &c. and in writing

letters to our families.

_15th This morning we bade both a Joyful and sorrowful farewell to

Phillip Dennis and the two young men who accompanied us out Also took

leave of those Generally with whom we had formed acquaintances first

53. Piroques were dugout canoes used by French trappers.

54. Apparently the men sold their horses or gave them away at Fort Wayne. No mention

was made of riding horses for the remainder of their journey which was made by boats,

wagons, and stagecoaches.

398                                                OHIO HISTORY

breakfasting with Captain Whipple whose hearty kindness to us have been

so often repeated that his name will deservedly claim a place in our

remembrance He had fitted out a Peroque for us and man'd it with a

Corporal and a private55 from the Fort and Joined by our friends Jno

Johnson & Wm Wells it is stocked with an apparent superabundant supply

both for eating and drinking-About 8 OClock we embarked for Detroit

proceeded about 30 Miles down the Miami of the Lakes and in the evening

encamped under a Tent near the Margin of the River.

In company with the Little Turtle our friends Jno. Johnson Wm Wells

and some others whilst at Fort Wayne the conversation turned upon Fish

and the then running up of the Sturgeon. The Little Turtle very

humourously proposed to Johnson a project which was to Join him in

building a stone Dam at the Junction of the two Rivers to prevent the

sturgeon from getting back again to the lake and then said he. you and I will

live upon them this summer."

We observed to Day several Indian hunting and Sugar Camps and went

on shore to Visit one of the latter. The Camp was well supplied with Jerk-

Venison. Dryed Raccoon Sturgeon &c

One man only was at the camp he was employed in making with his knife

a paddle for his canoe. A Squaw was knitting a bag and another was

preparing the Bark of the Buck-eye for-thread strings &c&c. By beating it

with a peice of wood. we saw amongst them several very fat and healthy

looking children who were playful and did not appear to be afraid of us

One of the children presented us with a quarter of fresh Venison for

which we returned some salt meat & biscuit with which the children were

greatly pleased. Here we saw a child about 6 Months old fixed to a board

after genuine Indian order The board was straight about 15 inches in width

and two & half feet in length having at the head a circular handle and at the

foot a small ledge. To this the child was lashed by cloth bandages and so

tight that it could not move either hand or foot. The board was placed

against a tree almost perpendicularly and the infant asleep of course in a

standing position. The child was painted very red and had silver bandages

upon its wrists and silver ornaments on its ears. The Indians are very fond

of their children and put about them very costly silver ornaments. I have

seen Indian children dressed in a calico frock and the frock stuck with silver

broaches from neck to heels besides ornaments on the wrists in the ears

about the neck head &C.

4thM°16th Proceeded very pleasantly down the River for about 50

Miles and at night encamped under our tent. In the evening came on a

55. Hopkins did not name the private but later referred to the other soldier as Corporal

Fling.

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                      399

severe thundergust and heavy rain which continued for several hours after

night but having a good tent we did not get much wetted.

4t^h M^° 17th Proceeded about 35 Miles and at night encamped under our

Tent. We have been entertained with a very diversified scene. The River

cover'd with wild fowl. fish Jumping up around us Turkies Flying from one

shore of the River to the other &C &C. We stopt a short time to view the

remains of Fort difiance⁵⁶ This fort was built by General Wayne. In the

course of his march to attack the Indians The situation is very beautiful and

commanding being at the Junction of the River Great-au-Glaize with the

Miami. The two Rivers make a large body of water the width about 200

yards. A Cannadian Trader only resides here we also went on shore several

times to view Indian Towns and Camps. Great numbers of Indians are

settled upon the banks of the Miami th[e]y are chiefly of the Ottaway and

Shawanee⁵⁷ tribes th[e]y appeared to be pleased at receiving visitants Their

children were very antic and seemed to leap for joy on seeing us land

doubtless from a hope of receiving some presents. The hunters are

returning to their towns and many of their Wigwams are stocked with

peltry. Also Jerk Venison Dryed Raccoon &c &c. The women are mostly

employed in knitting bag belts &c and making mockasins. A considerable

number of Indians are on the River in bark canoes loaded with Peltry. They

are on the way to the foot of the Rapids and other places for the purpose of

exchanging their Peltry with the Traders for goods. Most of the Wigwams

we have seen to day are coverd with rushes sewed together. The rushes are

procured from the shore of the Lakes Erie and so put together that the

covering will turn any fall of rain. The reader doubtless knows that an

Indian house is constructed by putting two forks into the ground and a

horizontical peice from one fork to the other. upon this peice rest long

peices of bark with the other end upon the earth at a convenient distance.

Thus sheltering themselves from the weather Sometimes they make

circular Wigwams by putting small sapplings into the ground in circular

order then bringing the other end to a point they tie them together These

they either cover with bark or with the rush matts above described. To Day

we passed a place formerly called Girtys town Noted for the former

residence of Simon Girty58

56. Fort Defiance was located in the center of the present city of Defiance, Ohio, at the

junction of the Auglaize River and the Maumee. General Anthony Wayne built the fort near

the site of an Ottawa village which he had destroyed. Correspondence with Richard C. Knopf;

Knopf. "Fort Recovery," 91-94; Edgar B. Wesley, editor, "A Letter from Colonel John

Allen," Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, XXXVI (July 1927), 333-39; Richard

C. Knopf, editor, "A Surgeon's Mate at Fort Defiance: The Journal of Joseph Gardner

Andrews for the Year 1795," Ibid., LXVI (January, 1957), 57-86; Francis Phelps

Weisenburger, "Defiance in History," Ibid., L (January, 1941), 65-70.

57. The Ottawa Tribe was centered in Michigan and the Shawnees in southwestern Ohio.

They were approximately equidistant from the Maumee River.

58. Simon Girty was a scout in Dunmore's War. During and after the American

400                                                             OHIO HISTORY

18t^h Proceeded about 33 Miles we lodged all night at the house of a

Cannadian Trader who treated us with Great Respect and tho' a Tavern

keeper would receive from us no pay for our supper lodging or breakfast.

A considerable encampment of Indians who had come to trade with him

was near his house they were very merry for a Great part of the night

keeping up a continual sound of two favorite instruments of music amongst

the Indians. The Drum and flute the former is made of part of the body of a

hollow tree with the ends covered with Deer skin upon which the they beat

with sticks. And the latter they make of Reed into which they bore holes a

little in imitation of the fife.

The foot of the Rapides is rendered well known in American History it

having been the place of Great Rendezvous of the Indians previous to the

defeat given them by General Wayne. Here also the Indians burned many

of the whites who were taken prisoners by them To this place Wayne

marched and here he met and defeated the Indian Army.⁵⁹

19t^h This morning we proceeded with difficulty 10 Miles owing to high

winds and a rain coming on-prudence seemed to Direct that we should

put into harbour which we did at the mouth of Swan Creek where is a small

Fort60 & Garrison lately established by the United states. Introductory

letters were given to us at Fort Wayne to Liuftenant Rhea61 the

commander which we deliverd He treated us with respect and with him

we spent the remainder of the day and lodged at night. On our way we

Revolution he served British interests in the Northwest Territory where he and his brothers

joined Joseph Brant in attacks on the Americans. Simon has become almost lost in the myths

and legends which have collected around his name. Consul W. Butterfield, History of the

Girtys (Columbus, 1950); Thwaites, Travels, IV, 94, 177, VIII, 207; 0. W. Priddy, "Wayne's

Strategic Advance from Fort Greenville to Grand Glaize," Ohio Archaeological and

Historical Quarterly, XXXIX (January, 1930), 40-77.

59. The Battle of Fallen Timbers was General Anthony Wayne's defeat of the Indians on

August 20, 1794. The battlefield is located two miles upriver from the city of Maumee.

Historians have generally rated this battle as the decisive defeat of the Indians in opening Ohio

and much of Indiana to white settlement. However, Knopf contends that Indian morale

was broken in their unsuccessful attacks on Fort Recovery on June 30-July 1, 1794. "Here the

Indian Wars reached their climax and, to all intents and purposes, their conclusion." Even

Wayne failed to recognize the full import of the victory at Fort Recovery. Knopf, "Fort

Recovery," 91-94; Idem., Name in Arms; The Papers ofAnthony Wayne, Historical Society

of Pennsylvania; American State Papers: Indian Affairs, I, 235-337, 490-92; Samuel F. Hunt,

"General Anthony Wayne and 'Fallen Timbers'," Ohio Archaeological and Historical

Quarterly, IX (October, 1900), 214-37.

60. In 1795, after the Battle of Fallen Timbers, General Wayne built Fort Industry, around

which grew the city of Toledo. Walter J. Sherman, "Fort Industry-An Historical Mystery,"

Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly, XXXVIII (April, 1929), 231-59; Charles E.

Slocum, "Forts Miami and Industry," Ibid., Xll (April, 1903), 120-25; S. S. Knabenshue,

"Old Fort Industry," Ibid., XII (April, 1903), 126-27; Downes, Frontier, 46.

61. First Lieutenant James Rhea was stationed at St. Louis on January 1, 1805. He was

with General Wayne during the campaign of 1794. Powell, List of Officers, 42; Edgar B. Wes-

ley, editor, "A Letter from Colonel John Allen," Ohio Archaeological and Historical

Quarterly, XXXVI (July, 1927), 333-39; Sherman, "Fort Industry," 231-59.

Plowshares and Pruning Hooks                                         401

stopped to view an old Fort called Fort Miami⁶² which was garrisoned by

the British at the time Wayne defeated the Indians. Many Indian Villages

and Wigwams are seated on both shores of the River and many Cannadian

Traders are to be found residing amongst them. These have generally

intermarried with the Indians and have adopted their manners some of the

Indian Houses which we passed to Day are built of small round logs and are

roofed with bark. Near the mouth of Swan Creek is an extensive Valley of

which we took a particular view here the Indians placed their wives &

children at the time they agreed to make battle with General Wayne.

20 This morning nothwithstanding the very unfavorable appearance of

the weather it being rainy and the wind high We again proceeded at the end

of about 5 Miles we reached the Mouth of the River where we entered a

beautiful circular Bay about 6 Miles in diameter called the Miami Bay The

wind continued high we proceeded along the Margin of the Bay for about

10 Miles to an extensive point called Bay point This is the extreme point of

[land] between Miami Bay and lake Erie we attempted to turn the point in

order to enter the Lake but the situation being bleak and wind high

occasioned a heavy swell and apprehending danger we thought it most

advisable however reluctantly to put to shore and encamp.

215st For several Days Past we have been not a little mortified at being

confined to a harbour whilst the Indians are passing us very frequently in

their little Bark canoes it is astonishing to behold there Canoes riding large

swells without danger it is certain that they will ride waves whose height

exceds the length.

Many of the Bark Canoes of the Indians have fallen under our

observation. They are generally made of the Bark of the Birch Tree and

shaped differently we have seen bark canoes loaded with 2500 [25?]

hundred weight an[d] which were so light that two men would carry them

on their shoulders with great ease.-The construction of the smaller

description of their bark Canoes is so simple that in an hour they will have a

Canoe made which will carry several persons across their Rivers.

Many of their Rafts have also fallen under our notice. These are made for

62. Fort Miamis, built in 1794 on the Maumee River in present-day Maumee, Ohio, was

one the British refused to relinquish to the Americans because they claimed the Americans

had not fulfilled all of the provisions of the Treaty of Paris of 1783. This problem was

presumably resolved by Article 11 of the Jay Treaty of 1795. Knopf points out that both their

holding the forts and their decision to withdraw were more concerned with the state of the fur

trade with the Indians and British involvement with European politics than with the two

treaties mentioned. The fur trade was directed to American posts because the Indians felt that

the British had deserted them in the fight with Wayne's American Army. And the wars in

Europe put ". . . American colonial problems in a place of second rate significance" in the

minds of the British ministry. Richard C. Knopf, "Fort Miamis: The International

Background," Ohio Historical Quarterly, LXI (April, 1952), 146-66; Dorothy Burns Goebel,

American Foreign Policy, A Documentary Survey, 1776-1960 (New York, 1961), 33;

Thwaites, Travels, VIII, 207n.

402                                                          OHIO HISTORY

crossing their Rivers at those seasons of the year when it is not easy to strip

the bark from the Trees. In all their River bottoms the Buck-eye wood is to

be found. This they prefer for making a raft on account of its lightness when

dryed it being a wood nearly as light as cork. The Indians tie together small

logs of Buck-eye wood to form a square of about 5 or 6 feet. This they cross

by peices of any other description of wood confining peice to peice by bark