OHIO
Archaeological and Historical
PUBLICATIONS.
CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY OF GENERAL
WAYNE'S
TREATY OF GREENVILLE, AUG. 3, 1895.
PRAYER BY REV. JOHN POYNTZ TYLER.
O God, who art the blessed Potentate,
the King of kings
and the Lord of lords, the Almighty
Ruler of nations, we adore
and magnify Thy glorious name for all
the great things which
Thou hast done for us. We render Thee
thanks for the goodly
heritage which Thou hast given unto us,
for the civil and relig-
ious privileges which we enjoy, and for
the multiplied manifes-
tations of Thy favor towards us. We
thank Thee for this fair
land which Thou hast given and preserved
to us. Grant that we
may show our thankfulness for these Thy
mercies by living in
reverence of Thy almighty power and
dominion, in humble re-
liance on Thy goodness and mercy, and in
whole obedience to
Thy righteous laws. Preserve, we beseech
Thee, to our coun-
try the blessings of peace; restore them
to nations deprived
of them, and secure them to all the
places of the earth. May
the kingdom of the Prince of Peace come
and reign in the hearts
and lives of men. We implore Thy
blessing on all in legislative,
judicial and executive authority, that
they may have grace, wis-
dom and understanding so to discharge
their duties as most ef-
fectually to promote Thy glory, the
interest of true religion and
virtue, and the peace, good order and
welfare of this state and
(205)
206 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
nation. Continue, O Lord, to prosper our
institutions for the
promotion of sound learning, the
diffusion of virtuous education,
and the advancement of christian truth,
and of the perpetuity
and prosperity of Thy Church. Change, we
beseech Thee, every
evil heart of unbelief. Save us from the
guilt of abasing the
privileges of prosperity to luxury and
licentiousness, lest we pro-
voke Thy just judgment. 0, Lord of our
salvation, may we
offer our souls and bodies a living
sacrifice to Thee who hast
preserved and redeemed us through Jesus
Christ our Lord, on
whose merits we alone humbly rely for
the forgiveness of our
sins and the acceptance of our service.
Almighty God, whose
kingdom is everlasting and power
infinite, have mercy upon
this whole land and so rule the hearts
of Thy servants, the Presi-
dent of the United States, the Governor
of this State, and all
others in authority, that they may above
all things seek Thy
honor and glory, and that we, and all
the people, duly considering
whose authority they bear, may
thankfully and obediently honor
them in Thee and for Thee, according to
Thy blessed Word and
ordinance, through Jesus Christ our
Lord, who with Thee and
the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, ever
one God, world without
end. And now may the peace of God, which
passeth all under-
standing, be amongst us and remain with
us forever, and may
the blessing of God Almighty, the Father
and the Son and the
Holy Ghost, be amongst us and remain
with us always. Amen.
Address of Governor McKinley. 207
ADDRESS OF GOVERNOR McKINLEY.
DELIVERED AT GREENVILLE, OHIO, AUGUST 8,
1895.
(INTRODUCTION BY J. R. KNOX: - The people of Ohio like
to see their Governor, the soldiers of
the army like to see their
old comrade, everybody wants to see
McKinley, and I have the
pleasure now, fellow citizens, of
presenting to you Governor Mc-
Kinley of Ohio, who will now address
you.)
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
Your president has said that the people
of Ohio want to see
the Governor of their state. I heartily
reciprocate that feeling
when I say that the Governor of Ohio
wants to see the people of
Ohio. It affords me special pleasure, to
be present and rejoice
with you here to-day. It is pleasant,
not only to meet on this
historic ground and occasion, but both a
privilege and pleasure
to have the opportunity to attest my
respect and veneration for
the brave men and noble women who were
the pioneer settlers
of Ohio and of the great Northwest. It
is not too eulogistic for
us to claim that no better or purer
people ever laid the founda-
tions of society and government at any
other time or place in
all the world's history. Certainly the
record of the pioneers of
Ohio from 1788 to 1803 is a broad
heritage, a priceless legacy,
for any commonwealth to enjoy. Seldom
has a great community
been established under circumstances
more adverse, nor with
greater cost in blood and suffering,
privation and toil, than at-
tended the erection of the state of Ohio
in what was then a sav-
age and unbroken wilderness from the
river to the lake. It is
fitting that we should rejoice that it
is now so great and so pros-
perous and everywhere celebrated as
perhaps the fairest and most
beautiful land anywhere to be found in
our majestic common
country.
But not to us of the present day is the
praise and gratitude
due, but to the grand men of that
historic age, which produced
a Washington, a Wayne, a St. Clair, a
Putnam, a Cutler, a
208 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
Symmes, a Worthington, a Tiffin and a
Meigs, and the hosts of
other illustrious patriots whose name
and fame are indissolubly
linked with the history of Ohio and
their common country. No
lack, my fellow-citizens, was in our
primal stock, no weakling
founders builded there. They were the
men of Plymouth Rock,
the Puritan, and the Cavalier. To them
let us give the honor
and tribute for the courage and
sacrifice which made us all we
are to-day.
The centennial anniversary we meet to
celebrate is of far
more than local or mere state interest.
If we may judge events
by their subsequent results, we can
heartily agree with the his-
torians that the signing of the treaty
of peace at Greenville on
August 3rd, 1795, was the most important
event necessary to per-
manent settlement and occupation in the
existence of the whole
Northwest territory. Indeed, its good
effects far outstretched
even the boundaries of that great
domain. The campaign which
preceded it is justly said by Atwater in
his clean history of Ohio
to have subdued the whole Indian
territory from Florida to the
northern lakes. The power of the savages
to stop the onward
march of civilization was broken, and
the soil of Ohio was prac-
tically free from Indian outbreaks and
outrages, from which the
struggling settlements had severely
suffered for more than seven
years. It is, my countrymen, at this
remote period difficult to
conceive the unprotected state of the
frontiersmen a century ago.
We too little appreciate their
sacrifices. From the first settle-
ment at Marietta until Wayne's great
victory there was not a day
and scarce an hour when the few white
inhabitants over a wide
region of the wilderness were not in
constant danger of massacre
by the Indians. They intercepted almost
every boat that passed
up the Ohio river. They picked off the
few farmers who ven-
tured to attempt to level the forests or
cultivate the soil beyond
the close proximity of the block house,
and emboldened by their
success, frequently attacked the
garrisons themselves. They
were constantly inspired to attack the
Americans, not only by
the Indians themselves and their
principal chiefs, but by almost
equally cruel and vindictive British and
Canadian officers of De-
troit, and at other lake posts still
occupied by them. So numer-
ous were these affrays and massacres and
murders that it is as-
Address of Governor McKinley. 209
sumed by one writer that twenty thousand
men, women and chil-
dren were killed by the Indians before
they finally abandoned the
attempt to prevent the occupation of
Ohio by the white people.
They had viewed the coming of the whites
from the first
with distrust, but it was not until 1790 that the lurking
dangers
had become so great, from the constant
watchfulness and treach-
erous attacks of the Indians, that
literally a reign of terror pos-
sessed all the settlements. In
September, 1790, General Josiah
Harmar, then chief lieutenant of the
United States Army, made
a raid into the Indian country, as the
whole territory northwest of
the Ohio was then properly called. This
expedition was unsuc-
cessful and also resulted in the
annihilation of his command.
So terrible were the perils to which the
people of the frontier
were now exposed that they attracted the
attention of the whole
country, of Congress and the President.
President Washington
had in person witnessed all the horrors
of savage warfare, and
persuaded Congress in 1791 to authorize
him to raise a regiment
of regulars and two of volunteers for a
campaign of six months
against the Indians. The command of this
army was intrusted
to General Arthur St. Clair, the
Governor of the Northwest terri-
tory, and late in October, 1791, he
advanced with a large force
upon the hostile savages whose principal
villages were upon the
Miami and Wabash rivers. The army had
reached a point about
twenty-three miles north of this city in
its toilsome march
through the wilderness, when it was
surprised by a large body
of Indians and routed with great loss
and confusion. More than
half the army was killed or captured.
The engagement occurred
November 4th, 1791, and the
horde of victorious Indians was led
by the noted chiefs Blue Jacket and
Little Turtle, and Girty, the
renegade. The shattered remains of St.
Clair's army retreated
to the walls of Fort Jefferson, or to
within about fifty miles of
the present city of Hamilton. Nearly
half the settlers of the ter-
ritory had entered upon this fatal
campaign, and so terrible was
the loss and panic attending the defeat
that all the settlements
of the Miami country, except those in
the immediate vicinity of
the forts, were almost entirely
abandoned. Many of the retreat-
ing soldiers continued their flight into
Kentucky, and it is said
that the Indians were so emboldened by
their great victory that
210
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
they even ventured by night into the
streets of Cincinnati to spy
out the exposure of the town and the
best points from which to
make an attack upon Fort Washington.
The situation of the frontier was
critical in the extreme, but
it was nearly a year before the national
government took any de-
cisive measures for the punishment of
the Indians. Meanwhile,
constant attacks were made upon them
with varying success
whenever opportunity presented.
Negotiations for peace were
attempted time and time again, but all
failed. Negotiations for
peace were again attempted by a
commission appointed by the
President, consisting of Benjamin
Lincoln, Beverly Randolph
and Timothy Pickering, but the hostile
savages could not be
brought to satisfactory terms. Further
military operations and
expeditions into the Indian country were
attempted by Colonel
Wilkinson and General Charles Scott, who
rendered excellent
services in the western frontier wars.
These were not entirely
without success, but they gave no
permanent relief to the imper-
iled settlements. The people of the
country were weary of the
distress and bloody massacres of the
Ohio Valley, and yet a few
opposed further preparations for the
prosecution of the war upon
the Indians. Indeed, so disheartened was
the country that it
was even proposed by a few timid members
of Congress to aban-
don the whole of the Northwest territory
and make the Ohio
river the northern bounds of the United
States. What an inex-
cusable and criminal blunder this would
have been. In these
fears, however, President Washington
fortunately did not share,
and the national government gradually
began gathering men and
supplies for a new expedition into the
Miami country. The rep-
utation of the nation was at stake and a
third defeat could not
be contemplated or permitted.
On April 17th, 1792, General Anthony
Wayne was ap-
pointed by Washington to command this
expedition. He was
then the Commander-in-chief of all the
armies of the United
States, and enjoyed not only great
reputation as a soldier, but
the confidence of the country as a brave
and fearless and ener-
getic man. In a hasty and necessarily
very imperfect sketch
like this his heroic services and fame
in the Revolution can only
be mentioned. One of his biographers
happily describes him as
Address of Governor McKinley. 211
a "born soldier," and says
that such was his aptitude and dili-
gence that in six weeks after the fight
at Lexington and Con-
cord he had organized the volunteers of
Chester county so per-
fectly that they had more the appearance
of a veteran than of a
militia regiment. With this command he
accompanied General
Sullivan in his ill-fated expedition to
Canada in 1776, and, al-
though wounded, effected the retreat
that saved the American
army both from capture and serious loss.
At Brandywine he
commanded a brigade, and at Germantown
he led a division in
the thickest fight, receiving two wounds
and a horse killed under
him. At Monmouth his conduct was marked
with particular ap-
proval by Washington, while his capture
of Stony Point in 1779
was one of the most brilliant exploits
of the Revolution. At the
commencement of the attack Wayne was
struck on the head by a
musket ball and sank to the ground.
Instantly recovering him-
self, he arose on one knee and
exclaimed, "March on! carry me
into the fort, I will die at the head of
this column." For this he
received the thanks of, and a gold medal
from, the Congress of the
United States. His attack upon Fort Lee
in 1780 was equally
brave but not so fortunate; while in
1781 he rendered the most
important service in quelling a revolt
against the Pennsylvania
troops to the great advantage of the
country and the entire satis-
faction of the discouraged troops. At
Green Springs, Virginia,
he was again wounded, but succeeded by
his splendid tactics in
frustrating Cornwallis and saving La
Fayette's army. He was
actively engaged in the investment and
capture of Yorktown.
Toward the close of revolutionary days
he was again in active
command, and was soon after sent to
Georgia to re-establish the
supremacy of the United States there. He
completely defeated
the British, the Tories, and the
Indians, and compelled them to
retire to and within the garrison at
Savannah. For this great
service the state of Georgia
subsequently made him a large grant
of land, upon which he went to live in
1789. He had the su-
preme satisfaction of receiving the
capitulations of the British
garrisons both at Savannah and
Charleston; and was made Ma-
jor-General in 1793, at a time when
sickness compelled him to
retire temporarily from the army, but
not until after hostilities
had entirely ceased.
212 Ohio Arch. and His.
Society Publications.
In civil life he was a member of the
council of the govern-
ment of Pennsylvania, and was also
elected to the convention
which framed the constitution of that
state. When he returned
to Georgia he was elected to Congress in
1790, but his seat was
contested and at last declared vacant.
Disgusted with politics,
he returned to the army with greater
zeal and ardor than ever,
determined at all hazards to achieve
complete success.
Instead of proceeding precipitately into
this disturbed terri-
tory, he spent nearly a year in
collecting and drilling his men.
Meanwhile the commissioners of the
government exhausted
every effort for peace. But all such
efforts were unavailing. In
September, 1793, General Wayne had so
organized his army
that by rapid marches he advanced up the
valley of the Great
Miami to Fort Jefferson and thence
proceeded to establish a
strongly fortified camp for the winter
headquarters and called
the place Greenville. From that point he
advanced to the scene
of St. Clair's defeat and here built
another stockade, which he
named Fort Recovery. He pushed on
through the wilderness,
during the following summer, driving the
Indians before him to
the junction of the Auglaize and Maumee
rivers. Here he con-
structed in the very heart of the Indian
country a very strong
and scientifically arranged work which
he styled, in intrepidity,
Fort Defiance. The Indians had entirely
failed to surprise him
and did not dare to stand before his
brave and well-disciplined
troops. They vainly assailed Fort
Recovery on June 30th, 1794,
with great loss and slaughter. They
realized they must at last
fight one who, they were clear to see,
deserved their own titles,
"The Wind," "The
Tornado," and "The Warrior who never
sleeps." Having finished Fort
Defiance, Wayne again pressed
forward to what are called the Rapids of
the Miami and here
built Fort Wayne. His army consisted now
of 2,000 regulars and
1100 riflemen under command of General
Scott. On August 13th
he sent a pacific message to the
Indians, urging them to come into
camp and enter a permanent and lasting
peace with the United
States. They did not come. Encouraged by
assurances of assist-
ance from the British, the Indians,
contrary to the advice of their
chieftain, declined all these overtures.
General Wayne immediately
prepared for battle and on August 20th
attacked the savages almost
Address of Governor McKinley. 213
within the range of the guns of the
British forts. The Indian
forces amounted to fully 2,000 braves, the
resistance was stub-
born, but they were at length completely
routed and driven more
than two miles through the woods with
great slaughter until
within pistol shot of the British
garrison. Their houses, corn,
and personal effects were completely
destroyed throughout the
whole country, on both sides of the
Miami, for a distance of fifty
miles. General Wayne in his official
report to the President said,
"The horde of savages abandoned
themselves to flight, dispers-
ing with terror and shame, leaving our
victorious army in full
and quiet possession of the field."
The army returned to Greenville, where
it again went into
winter quarters, and here the humble and
subdued Indians soon
began to arrive to ask for peace upon
any terms which their re-
cent conqueror might dictate. Early in
January, 1795, measures
were taken to assemble all the tribes of
the Northwest to Green-
ville, and the following June the
council began between General
Wayne, acting for the United States, and
some 1100 chiefs, rep-
resenting the twelve principal tribes of
the West. After six
weeks deliberation the treaty was
signed. The Indians relin-
quished practically all control of the
soil of Ohio, with certain
small and unimportant reservations along
the Auglaize, St.
Marys, Sandusky and Miami rivers.
Washington was quick to recognize the importance
and ex-
cellence of Wayne's services, and
cordially commended them in
a public letter of thanks and in his
following message to Con-
gress. Wayne visited the city of
Philadelphia late in 1795, and
his entering into that city was like the
conqueror triumphal.
Business was suspended and he was
conducted through the
streets amidst the ringing of bells, the
roaring of cannons, and
the acclamations of the grateful people.
Congress, then in ses-
sion in that city, unanimously adopted
resolutions highly com-
mendatory of the General and the whole
army. There could not
have been a more gratifying or
spontaneous outburst of public
admiration than was shown to General
Wayne after the signing
of the Treaty of Greenville one hundred
years ago. On every
hand Wayne was greeted as a public
benefactor and a hero and
was given the most pleasant evidences of
the high appreciation
214 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
by people and government of the
important services he had ren-
dered to his country.
Besides putting an end to a brutal and
bloody war, waged
without respect for age or sex
throughout our western territory,
his success had the effect of quieting
Indian disturbances both
north and south, of opening to the
civilized population the fertile
region which had been the theatre of the
late hostilities, and
eventually added much greater territory
equally inviting to set-
tlement and culture. A further and most
useful effect was to
allay the agitated feeling at home, for
the disastrous defeat of
Harmar and St. Clair had gone far to
shake the confidence of
the people in the executive branch of
the federal government.
Abroad Wayne's services were equally
beneficial to the
United States, for they hastened the
execution of the pending
negotiations with Great Britain by which
the American posts, so
long and so stubbornly held by the
British, were at last given up.
He was appointed sole commissioner to
treat with the
Northwestern Indians. He soon returned
to the West, but his
life of singular activity and usefulness
was soon to come to a
close. After a prompt and faithful
discharge of his new duties,
he died at or near the humble log cabin
which was his home at
Presque Isle, on the shores of the lake,
now Erie, Pennsylvania,
in December, 1796, at the comparatively
young age of fifty-two.
His last request was that of a soldier.
He asked that his remains
be buried under the flag staff of the
old fort at Erie. Here they
remained until 1809, when they were
conveyed to Chester county
and buried with all the honors of war by
his late companions in
arms, The Pennsylvania State Society of
the Cincinnati.
Wayne, my fellow citizens, was in every
way a most remark-
able soldier. To my mind he was more
like the dashing Phil.
Sheridan than any other great military
chieftain in our history.
He was called Mad Anthony, not on
account of his imprudence,
but because of his mad zeal for his
country (and I wish we had
more of it now), and for his wonderful
bravery in every engage-
ment. Grant said that Sheridan never
needed but one command,
and that was, "to go in," and
he went in and always won. Wash-
ington had the same supreme confidence
in Wayne and is said
to have spoken sadly of his death in the
full vigor of life, in the
Address of Governor McKinley. 215
noontide of glory, and in the midst of a
most splendid usefulness.
On the other hand, Wayne's confidence in
Washington and his
obedience to him were without limitation
or bound. It was this
trust and love that led the brusque old
soldier once to say to
Washington, when asked by him if he
would accept the com-
mand of a most perilous expedition:
"If your Excellency will
plan it, I will undertake to storm hell
itself." The language
was emphatic but in no sense profane,
nor the expression of a
man who was deficient in respect for
piety and religion. It was
simply a natural outburst of admiration
for his old General, for
whom he would have cheerfully died at
any time.
My fellow citizens, of such stuff true
heroes are made, and
leaders that seldom fail. It is said
that on the morning of the
battle of Fallen Timbers William Henry
Harrison, of the staff of
General Wayne, said to his commander,
"General Wayne, I am
afraid you will go into this battle and
forget to give me the neces-
sary field orders." "Perhaps I
may," General Wayne replied,
"but if I do, recollect the
standing order of the day is to charge
all the rascals with the bayonet."
As characteristic of this illustrious
soldier, I want specially
to call your attention to the
correspondence which passed be-
tween him and the commander of the
British post on the banks
of the Maumee one hundred years ago.
Wayne's letter has the
genuine American ring. It is firm,
fearless and aggressive. It
is the language of a brave man engaged
in a great and holy
cause. It has the true American spirit,
and I wish we had more
of it now.
"Miami River, August 21st,
1794." (I read a letter now
from the British commander to General
Wayne. He says):
"Sir: The army of the United States
of America said to be un-
der your command have taken post on the
banks of the Miami
for upwards of the last twenty-four
hours, almost within the
reach of the guns of this fort, which,
being a post belonging to
his Majesty, the King of Great Britain,
occupied by his Majesty's
troops, and which I have the honor to
command, it becomes my
duty to inform myself as speedily as
possible in what light I am
to view your making such near approach
to this British garrison.
216 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
Signed, William Campbell, commanding a
British post on the
banks of the Miami."
To that letter old General Wayne
replied: "I have received
your letter of this day." (He
didn't wait until the next day). "I
have received your letter of this day
requiring from me the mo-
tives which have moved the army under my
command to the po-
sition they at present command. Without
questioning the au-
thority or the propriety, sir, of your
interrogatory, I think I may
without breach of decorum observe to you
that, were you entitled
to an answer, the most full and
satisfactory one was announced
to you from the muzzle of my gun
yesterday. I have the honor
to be, sir, yours with great respect,
Anthony Wayne, Major-Gen-
eral, Commander-in-chief of the armies
of the United States."
To me one of the greatest benefits of
the Treaty of Green-
ville has always seemed that it opened
wide the gateway of op-
portunity to the free and easy
settlement of the great West.
Other Indian wars and outbreaks there
were, but none so for-
midable after that great treaty was
signed. The immense flood
of emigrants that poured into Ohio found
happy and peaceful
homes on the old hunting grounds and in
the Indian villages of
the Northwest, and from them has
descended a sturdy people,
whose pluck and enterprise and energy
have never been surpassed
anywhere in the United States.
Mr. President, Greenville may justly
congratulate herself
that she is the site where the treaty
was signed, that her name
and fame are forever linked with its
history. Let us keep alive
those precious memories of the past and
instill into the minds of
the young the lessons of the stirring
patriotism and devotion to
duty of the men who were the first to
establish here the authority
of the Republic and founded on eternal
principles its free and
noble institutions. The centuries may
come, the centuries may
go. but their fame will survive forever
on this historic ground.
The day thrills with historic interest.
It is filled with stir-
ring memories, and recalls the struggles
of the past for peace,
and the majesty of constitutional
government. It is most fitting
to celebrate this anniversary. It marks
an epoch in our civiliza-
tion. One hundred years ago Indian
hostilities were suppressed
and the compact of peace concluded
between the government
Address of Governor McKinley. 217
and the Indians, which made the great
Northwest the undisputed
territory of the United States, and what
was once a dense wilder-
ness inhabited by barbarous tribes is
now the home of a happy
and progressive people, and the center
of as high an order of
civilization as is to be found anywhere
in the world.
It is a great thing to make history. The
men who partici-
pated in the Indian wars won victories
for civilization and man-
kind. And these victories all of us are
enjoying to-day. Noth-
ing, therefore, could be more
appropriate than that this great
section of the country, which a century
ago was the theatre of
war, should pause to celebrate the
stirring events of those times
and the peace which followed, and do
honor to the brave men
who participated in them.
It is a rich inheritance to any
community to have in its keep-
ing historic ground. As we grow older in
statehood, interest in
these historical events increases, and
their frequent celebration
is calculated to promote patriotism and
a spirit of devoted loyalty
to country. So many mighty events in our
national history have
transpired since the signing of this
treaty of peace, that in the
popular mind it does not possess that
importance which it de-
serves. I am glad that you have planned
this centennial cele-
bration to commemorate the event and
emphasize its importance
and value. It is well to realize that it
is one of the landmarks
of civilization and that it beckoned the
people on to greater and
greater achievements which opened the
way to progress, and its
celebration to-day is alike profitable
and inspiring to every true
lover of country and its happy and
peaceful homes.
We cannot have too many of these
celebrations with their
impressive lessons of patriotism and
sacrifice. Let us teach our
children to revere the past, for by its
examples and lessons alone
can we wisely prepare them for a better
and nobler future. The
city of Greenville, the people of Ohio,
the people of the country.
should see to it that at no distant day
a great monument shall
be erected to celebrate this great
event.
218 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
THE TREATY OF GREENVILLE.
ADDRESS OF HON. SAMUEL F. HUNT,
DELIVERED ON THE
OCCASION OF THE CENTENNIAL OF THE TREATY
OF
GREENVILLE, AUG. 3, 1895, AT GREENVILLE,
O.
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen
of Darke County, Fellow
Citizens:
One hundred years have passed since that
eventful day in
August when the treaty of Greenville was
signed. The different
nations of Indians present and parties
to the treaty consisted of
one hundred and eight Wyandots, three
hundred and eighty Del-
awares, one hundred and forty-three
Shawanese, forty-five Otta-
was, forty-six Chippewas, two hundred
and forty Pottawattomies,
seventy-three Miamies and Eel Rivers,
twelve Weas and Pianki-
shaws, and ten Kickapoos and Kaskaskias
- making a total of
eleven hundred and thirty chiefs and
warriors.
The Indians active in the Council were
Little Turtle, chief
of the Miamies, Blue Jacket and Massas,
chiefs of the Shawanese,
Te-ta-bosksh-ke, king of the Delawares
and Buck-on-ge-he-las
and Pe-ke-te-le-mund, chiefs of the
Delawares, Sun and New
Corn and Asi-me-the, chiefs of the
Pottawattomies, Mash-i-pi-
nash-i-wish, or Bad Bird, chief of the
Chippewas, Kick-a-poo
and Kee-a-hah, chiefs of the Kickapoos,
Little Brave, chief of
the Weas, Tar-ke, or Crane, chief of the
Wyandots, Black Hoof
and Ah-goosh-a-way, chiefs of the
Ottawas. Every chief and
warrior who participated in that Council
has passed to the land
of the Great Spirit. General Wayne died
on Lake Erie; and,
doubtless, the dying hero saw in its
turbulent waters, at times,
something of his own unconquerable will,
and, at others, that
quiet which would come at last to his
restless soul.
The influence of the Treaty still
remains. It saved defense-
less settlements from the tomahawk and
scalping knife of the In-
dian, and opened up to immigration and
settlement the limitless
West. It is the testimony of history
that the Confederate tribes
kept the faith pledged at Greenville,
and never violated the limits
The Treaty of Greenville. 219
established by the Treaty. The writer of
the article on Ohio in
the American Commonwealth says that it
was a grand tribute to
General Wayne that no chief or warrior
who gave him the hand
at Greenville ever after lifted the
hatchet against the United
States. There were malcontents on the
Wabash and Lake Mich-
igan who took side's with Tecumseh and
the Prophet in the war
of 1812, perhaps for good
cause, but the tribes and their chiefs
sat still. Tecumseh himself, with his
brother, the prophet, re-
sided at Greenville from 1805 to 1808,
and the Shawanese, when
moving from their reservation on the
Auglaize in 1832, encamped
on Tecumseh Point and remained a day or
two to take a last
farewell.
We have gathered to-day on this historic
ground, and under
the genial skies of this delightful
summer afternoon, to com-
memorate the most important civic event
- next to the adoption
of the ordinance of 1787 - in the
history of the Northwestern
territory. It was the beginning of an
era of prosperity, and the
tide of immigration at once set in for
new homes and new settle-
ments. The future now lay in the
direction of peace and the
cultivation of the arts of peace. The
pioneers began to come
to the valleys of the Miamies, the
Scioto and the Muskingum.
The population of the Northwest at the
close of the year follow-
ing the Treaty of Greenville has been
estimated at five thousand
souls. The stillness of the forest was
now broken by the sound
of the woodman's axe.
EARLY NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE WITH THE
INDIANS.
In October, 1792, a great Council of all
the tribes of the
Northwest was held at Au-Glaise - now
the city of Defiance.
It was the largest Indian Council of the
time. The Confederated
Tribes of the Northwestern territory
were represented in the
Council at the confluence of Au-Glaise
and the Miami of the
Lakes. Even the representatives of the
Seven Nations of Can-
ada were present. Corn Planter and
forty-eight chiefs of the
Six Nations of New York were present.
"Besides these," said
Corn Planter, "there were so many
nations that we cannot tell
the names of them. There were three men
from the Gora Na-
tion; it took them a whole season to
come; and twenty-seven
220
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
nations from beyond Canada." The
question of peace or war
was earnestly discussed. The chiefs of
the Shawanese insisted
upon war, while Red Jacket, the chief of
the Senecas, declared
for peace.
It is interesting to follow the report
of their mission made
by the chiefs of the Six Nations to the
Indian agent at Buffalo.
The Indians had been informed that
"the President of the United
States thinks himself the greatest man
on this island, but they
wished it understood that they had this
country long in peace
before they saw a person with a white
skin; and that when Gen-
eral Washington sent out an army into
their country, with orders
to proceed as far as the Miami towns and
on to the Glaize, it fell
into their hands." This referred to
the defeat of General St.
Clair on the site of Fort Recovery, then
a part of Darke county,
on November the 4th, 1791.
If, however, the white man wished
to hold a council - General Washington
being the head man -
they would treat with him at the Rapids
of the Miami "at the
time when the leaves are fully
out."
The armistice, however, which the
hostile Indians promised
to observe "until the leaves were
fully out," was not faithfully
kept, for on the sixth of November
following, the Kentucky
Mounted Infantry, under Major Adair, was
attacked by a body
of Indians, in the neighborhood of St.
Clair, a post recently es-
tablished about twenty-five miles north
of Fort Hamilton, and
near the present site of the neighboring
town of Eaton.
THE APPOINTMENT OF COMMISSIONERS TO TREAT WITH
THE INDIANS.
The President of the United States, on
the first of March,
1793, appointed Benjamin Lincoln,
Beverly Randolph and Tim-
othy Pickering as commissioners to
attend the proposed meeting
at the Rapids of the Miami (Maumee)
"when the leaves were
fully out." The place of conference
was afterwards changed to
Sandusky.
The commissioners received their
instructions on the 26th
of April of the same year, and on the
27th General Lincoln left
Philadelphia for Niagara by way of New
York. Pickering and
Randolph left on the 30th by the route
through Pennsylvania
The Treaty of Greenville. 221
which led up the valleys of the
Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Lycom-
ing and Coshocton across to Genessee.
The commissioners on
reaching Niagara, about May 17th, were
invited at once by Lieu-
tenant Governor Simcoe to take up their
residence at his seat,
Navy Hall, with which invitation they
complied. The commis-
sioners, on the 7th of June, addressed a
communication to Gov-
ernor Simcoe that reports had been
spread among the Indians
by which their prejudices had been
excited. As an instance of
such unfounded reports, the
commissioners had noticed the dec-
larations of a Mohawk, from Grand River,
that Governor Sim-
coe advised the Indians to make peace,
but not to give up their
lands. The commissioners called the
attention of the Governor
to the fact that the sales and
settlements of the lands over the
Ohio, founded on the treaties of Forts
McIntosh and Harmar
would render it impossible to make that
river the boundary.
The reply of Governor Simcoe was to the
effect that ever
since the conquest of Canada it had been
the principle of the
British Government to unite the American
Indians so that all
petty jealousies might be fully
extinguished and the real wishes
of tile Confederated tribes find full
expression. This was desired
to the end that all the treaties made
with them might have the
most complete ratification and universal
concurrence, but
a suspicion of a contrary conduct on the
part of the agents of
the United States had been deeply
impressed upon the minds of
the Confederacy.
ASSURANCES AGAINST HOSTILE DEPREDATIONS
BY THE
PRESIDENT AND THE GOVERNORS OF PENN-
SYLVANIA AND VIRGINIA.
It was now the 26th of June and no news
had been received
from Sandusky. The commissioners
themselves prepared to
embark for the mouth of the Detroit
river, but on July 15th,
while still detained by head winds,
Colonel Butler, the com-
mander of the Tories at Wyoming, with
Captain Brandt and
some fifty warriors, arrived from the
mouth of the Maumee, and
two days afterwards, in the presence of
the Governor, Brandt
declared that the Indian nations who
owned the lands north of
222 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
the Ohio river as their common property
were all of one mind
and one heart on that subject.
They wished to say that the warriors of
the white men in
their neighborhood prevented the meeting
at the appointed place,
and to know whether the commisioners had
authority to run a
new boundary line between the lands of
the United States and
the Indian nations?
The Indians were assured that there need
be no apprehen-
sion of hostile incursions into the
Indian country, north of the
Ohio river, during the treaty of
Sandusky. The Great Chief,
General Washington, was so anxious to
prevent anything which
could obstruct the treaty and prolong
the war that he had given
orders of that character to the Head
Warrior, General Wayne,
and had informed the governors of the
several states adjoining
Ohio of the treaty to be held at
Sandusky. They had been re-
quested to unite with the Federal power
to prevent any hostile
attempts against the Indians north of
the Ohio until the result
of the conference should be made known.
The governor of
Pennsylvania and Virginia had
accordingly issued their orders,
and if, after all these precautions, any
hostilities should be com-
mitted north of the Ohio, they must
proceed from a few disor-
derly people, whom no considerations of
justice or public good
can restrain.
GENERAL WAYNE AT FORT WASHINGTON.
In April, 1792, General Wayne was
appointed by President
Washington Commander-in-chief of the
army of the United
States. The troops under General St.
Clair had been almost
annihilated in the famous defeat and
were completely demoral-
ized. Indeed the Secretary of War, at
parting with General
Wayne in May, 1792, expressly enjoined
upon him "that another
defeat would be inexpressibly ruinous to
the reputation of the
government."
General Wayne reached Fort Washington -
now Cincin-
nati- in April 1793, and
commenced at once the organization
of the army, and to forward supplies to
Fort Jefferson and to cut
military roads through the Indian
country. These movements
of a military character awakened a
distrust among the Indians
The Treaty of Greenville. 223
on the borders of the Maumee, and
certainly were regarded by
the commissioners as calculated to
endanger the success of the
negotiations. When negotiations for
peace are conducted by
the Indians the whole body of the
nations assemble, and not a
few counsellors. The negotiations must
necessarily be delayed
if the warriors are called to watch the
movements of their ene-
mies. The Mohawk chief referred to the
movements of General
Wayne.
"The Indians have
information," write the commissioners
to the Secretary of War under date of
July 12, 1793, "confirmed
by repeated scouts that General
Washington has cut and cleared
a road straight from Fort Washington
into the Indian country,
in a direction that would have missed
Fort Jefferson, but that
meeting with a large swamp, it was of
necessity turned toward
that Fort, and then continued six miles
beyond it; that large
quantities of provisions are accumulated
at the forts, far exceed-
ing the wants of the garrison, and that
numerous herds of horses
are assembled beyond Fort Jefferson,
guarded by considerable
bodies of troops. With these
preparations for war in their
neighborhood, for it is but three days'
journey from thence to
the Glaize, they say their minds cannot
rest easy. The distance
here mentioned is from Captain Brandt's
information, and is, no
doubt, exact. We suppose that from
twenty to twenty-five miles
may be deemed a day's journey."
The declaration of Corn Planter made to
General Wayne in
his tent at Legionsville, on his way
from Pittsburg to Fort
Washington, in 1793, that the Ohio river
must be the boundary
between the Indians and the white
people, impressed that officer
that any attempt at pacification by
treaty were useless. The Sec-
retary of War advised him that the
sentiment of the citizens of
the United States was adverse to an
Indian war, and that a Com-
mission had been named to treat with the
Indians in the hope
of securing peace. No effort was spared
in the meantime to se-
cure the efficiency of the army, and
Wayne even sent to Ken-
tucky for mounted volunteers. Subsequent
events vindicated the
soundness of his judgment as well as his
knowledge of the people
of the frontier whom he was to defend,
and of the foe whom he
was commissioned to subdue.
224
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
THE TREATY OF FORT STANWIX, FORT
MCINTOSH AND
FORT HARMAR.
The commissioners left Fort Erie on the
14th of July and on
the 21st of July arrived at the
mouth of the Detroit river. The
British authorities prevented any
further advance, and they took
up their quarters at the house of
Matthew Elliott, the famous
renegade, then a subordinate agent in
the British Indian De-
partment. Colonel McKee, the Indian
agent, was in attendance
at the Council, and the commissioners
addressed him a note,
borne by Elliott, to inform the Indians
of their arrival and ask
when they could be received. Elliott
returned on the 29th of
July, bringing with him a deputation of
twenty chiefs from the
Council. On the following day
Sa-waghda-munk, chief of the
Wyandots, submitted the action of the
General Council at the
foot of the Miami Rapids on the 27th of
July, 1793, in behalf of
the whole Confederacy, and signed by the
Wyandots. Delawares,
Shawanese, Miamies, Mingoes,
Pottawattamies, Ottawas, Con-
noys, Chippewas and Munsees, Seven
Nations of Canada, Sen-
ecas of the Glaize, Nanticohees,
Mohicans, Creeks and Cher-
okees.
The Council declared that the boundary
line run by the
white people at Fort Stanwix was the
Ohio river, and if the white
men desired a firm and lasting peace
they must immediately re-
move all their people from this side of
the river.
The Indians were reminded that while at
the treaty of Fort
Stanwix, twenty-five years before, the
river Ohio was agreed on
as the boundary line between them and
the white people of the
British colonies, that seven years after
that boundary was fixed
a quarrel broke out between their
father, the King of Great
Britain, and the people of the Colonies,
who are now the people
of the United States. The quarrel was
ended by the treaty of
peace made by the king, about ten years
ago, by which the Great
Lakes, and the waters which unite them,
were by him declared to
be the boundaries of the United States.
The attention of the Indians was called
to the fact that peace
having thus been made between the king
of Great Britain and
the United States, it remained to make
peace between them and
The Treaty of Greenville. 225
the Indian nations who had taken part
with the king; for this
purpose commissioners were appointed,
who sent messengers to
all those Indian nations, inviting
them to come and make peace.
The first treaty had been held about
nine years before, at Fort
Stanwix, with the Six Nations, which had
stood firm and unvio-
lated. The next treaty was made about
ninety days after at Fort
McIntosh, with the Half-King of the
Wyandots, Captain Pipe,
and other chiefs, in behalf of the
Wyandot, Delaware, Ottawa
and Chippewa nations. Treaties were made
afterward witch di-
vers Indian nations south of the Ohio
river; and the next treaty
was made with Ka-ki-pila-thy, then
present, and other Shawanese
chiefs, in behalf of the Shawanese
nations, at the mouth of the
Great which which runs into the Ohio
river.
The Great Council of the United States
- referring to
Congress - had disposed of large tracts
of land thereby ceded.
and a great number of people had removed
from other parts of
the United States and settled upon them.
Many families of their
ancient fathers, the French, came over
the waters and settled
upon a part of the same lands. This had
reference to the French
settlement at Gallipolis.
When it appeared that a number of the
Indians were dis-
satisfied with the treaties of Fort
McIntosh and Miami, the Great
Council of the United States had
appointed Governor St. Clair
Commissioner, with full powers, for the
purpose of removing all
causes of controversy, regulating trade
and settling boundaries
between the Indian nations in the
northern departments and the
United States. Governor St. Clair sent
messengers to all the
nations concerned to meet him at a
Council fire which he kindled
at the falls of the Muskingum. The fire
was put out and so
another Council fire was kindled at Fort
Harmar, when near
six hundred Indians of different nations
attended. The treaty
of Fort Stanwix was then renewed and
confirmed by the Six
Nations, and the treaty of Fort McIntosh
was renewed and con-
firmed by the Wyandots and Delawares.
Some Ottawas, Chip-
pewas, Pottawattamies and Sacs were also
parties to this treaty
at Fort Harmar.
It was explicitly declared that it would
be impossible to
make the river Ohio the boundary line
between their people and
226 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
the United States. The United States
only wished to have con-
firmed all the lands ceded to them by
the treaty of Fort Harmar,
and also a small tract of land at the
Rapids of Ohio, claimed by
General Clark for the use of himself and
warriors. The United
States offered to give, in consideration
of the same, such a large
sum in money or goods as was never given
at one time for any
quantity of Indian lands since the white
people first set their
foot on this Island.
THE DECREES OF THE INDIAN COUNCIL OF AUG. 13TH, 1793.
The commissioners of the United States
had formerly set
up a claim to their whole country,
southward of the Great Lakes,
as the property of the United States. It
was now conceded that
the right of soil of all this country
from the Great Lakes south-
ward was in the Indian Nations so long
as they desired to occupy
the same. The only claim now made was
that to the particular
tracts and the general right of
preemption, or the right of pur-
chasing of the Indian Nations disposed
to sell their lands - to
the exclusion of white people whatever.
The Indians denied that the treaties of
Fort Stanwix, Beaver
Creek (Fort McIntosh) and other places
were not complete, and
insisted that the Ohio river had been
fixed as the boundary by
Sir William Johnson, and that they would
not give up the land.
It was agreed between those deputed by
the confederated In-
dians and Governor St. Clair that no
bargains or sale of any
part of these Indian lands would be
considered as valid or bind-
ing unless ratified by a general council
of the confederacy, and
yet the treaty for the cession of an
immense country was held
with a few chiefs of two or three
nations, who were in no man-
ner authorized to make any grant or
concession whatever. It
is now expected that since their
independence is acknowledged
they should, in return for the favor
surrender to their country.
The Indians, with surpassing eloquence,
resisted the con-
tention that they had ever made any
agreement with the king,
or with any other nation, to give to
either the exclusive right of
purchasing their lands, and declared
that they were free to make
any bargain or cession of lands whenever
and to whomsoever
they pleased. If the white people made a
treaty that none of them
The Treaty of Greenville. 227
but the king should purchase the land of
the Indians, and had
given the right to the United States, it
is an affair that concerns
the king and the United States. The
power yet remains to be
exercised by the Indians. They would
retreat no further, and
had resolved to leave their bones in the
small space to which
they were confined. Justice alone would
be done by permitting
the boundary line of the Ohio river to
remain between the In-
dians and the whites, and without such
consent no conference
would be held.
THE OHIO RIVER CANNOT BE THE
BOUNDARY.
The commissioners who were still at
Captain Elliott's, at
the mouth of the Detroit river, sent the
word to the chiefs and
warriors of the Indian nations assembled
at the foot of the
Maumee Rapids, on the 16th day of
August, 1793, that since it
was impossible to make the river Ohio
the boundary between
the lands of the Indians and the lands
of the United States the
negotiations were at an end. It was a
matter of much regret
that peace could not be obtained, but
knowing the upright and
liberal views of the United States,
which had been explained so
far as an opportunity had been given,
impartial judges would
not attribute the war to them.
A REVIEW OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
All negotiations with the Indian tribes
of the Northwest to
secure a permanent and lasting peace
were now terminated.
There was nothing left but the
arbitrament of battle. The con-
federate tribes would not lay down their
arms except on the one
condition that the Ohio river should
forever be the boundary
line between their people and the United
States. No thought-
ful student can read the proceedings and
declarations of these
great councils of the Confederated
tribes without being pro-
foundly moved by the high patriotism and
lofty devotion of these
statesmen of the wilderness. The
Confederacy which the great
Pontiac had formed thirty years before
to protect his race had
perished under an advancing
civilization, and they now deter--
mined to stake their all for the hunting
grounds of their fathers
and for the inheritance of their
children. The wiser policy would
228 Ohio
Arch. and His. Society Publications.
have been to have accepted the liberal
terms offered by the
Federal Government, and to have made
concessions which pru-
dence dictated from the very
circumstances of the respective
treaties. The river Ohio could no more
be fixed as the boun-
dary line between the Indian tribes and
the United States in
August, 1793, than the Ohio river could
be fixed as the boundary
line between the two sections of this
Union in April, 1861. The
hand on the dial plate of progress could
not go backward.
The Indians were doubtless emboldened by
the defeats of
Harmar and Arthur St. Clair, and could
have no adequate idea
of the power and resources of the
Federal Government. It is in
evidence, too, that they had hope of
British as well as Spanish
aid in this struggle with the whites.
This will be found in the
declarations of the Indians themselves,
and in the recorded
speeches and messages of the British and
Spanish emissaries.
Stone, in his life of Brandt, quotes
that warrior as saying that
they were engaged in forming a
confederacy, and these endeav-
ors enabled them to defeat the American
armies. The purpose
of the conference at the Miami (Maumee)
river in the summer
of 1793 was, to first act as
mediator in bringing about an honor-
able peace, and in the event of failure
to join the western breth-
ren in the fortunes of war. The entering
upon a treaty with
the commissioners of the United States
was opposed by those
acting under the British Government, and
hopes of further as-
sistance were given to encourage them to
insist on the Ohio
river as the boundary line between them
and the United States.
(Stone II, 358.) This confidence in
British aid was excited
among the Indians before the final
refusal of the generous terms
offered by General Washington, and they
realized the helpless-
ness of such aid when they were refused
refuge under the guns
at Fort Miami, and found the gates of
the fort itself closed
against their dusky warriors in their
retreat from the fatal field
of the Fallen Timbers.
GENERAL WAYNE AT FORT GREENVILLE.
The position to which General Wayne was
now called re-
quired military and diplomatic skill of
the highest order. It
seemed that the government was about to
be engaged in an inter-
The Treaty of Greenville. 229
minable war, while hostilities with
Great Britain appeared inevit-
able because of the refusal of the
British to comply with the treaty
of 1783, and especially that part which
provided for the evacuation
of the forts northwest of the Ohio.
There was no other course but
to advance into the Indian country and
bring them into submis-
sion by the strong arm of military
power. In September, 1793,
the Secretary of War wrote to General
Wayne: "Every offer
had been made to obtain peace by milder
terms than the sword.
Every effort had failed, under
circumstances which leave noth-
ing for us to expect but war."
The army of General Wayne, some
twenty-five hundred
strong, began its forward movement in
the wilderness on Octo-
ber the 7th, 1793. The
army marched to Fort Hamilton on the
first day, and finally encamped October
13th, at a post six miles
in advance of Fort Jefferson, which was named Fort Greenville,
in honor of Nathaniel Greene, with whom
he served in the army
of the revolution. General Wayne passed
the winter of 1793-94
at Fort Greenville, and months elapsed
without any communica-
tion with the government at
Philadelphia. He was left to his
own resources. Convoys of provisions for
the camp were fre-
quently intercepted and their escort
murdered by the Indians.
In December, 1793, General Wayne sent
forward a detachment
to the spot of St. Clair's defeat. The
command arrived on the
ground on Christmas day and pitched
their tents on the battle-
field. After the melancholy duty of
burying the bones of the
dead had been performed a fortification
was built called Fort
Recovery, in commemoration of the
recovery of the ground from
the Indians, who had held possession
since the defeat in 1791.
It was the fortune of the speaker to
deliver the centennial oration
ever the bones of the gallant dead,
which had been exhumed for
a final resting place in a cemetery
provided for the purpose.
While the army of General Wayne was
encamped at Fort
Greenville a severe and bloody
engagement took place on the
30th of June, 1794, under the very walls
of Fort Recovery. The
assaulting party was repulsed with a
heavy loss, and was finally
driven away on the next day. It appears
from the official report
of Major Mills, Adjutant-General of the
army, that twenty-two
230
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
officers and non-commissioned officers
were killed in that ac-
tion, including Major McMahon himself.
THE CAMPAIGN OF THE "FALLEN
TIMBERS."
General Wayne, having been reinforced on
July 26th, 1794,
by sixteen hundred mounted men from
Kentucky, under the
command of Major-General Scott, with
whom he had served at
the battle of Monmouth, left the
encampment at Greenville on
July 28th, 1794, and advanced seventy
miles northward into
the very heart of the Indian country. He
wrote to the Secretary
of War on August 14th, 1794, that he had
constructed a fort
which was named Fort Adams, and was
completing a strong
stockade fort with four good
blockhouses, by way of bastions,
at the confluence of the Auglaize and
the Miami, which was
called Fort Defiance. He thought it
proper to offer the Indians
a last overture of peace, but said:
"Should war be their choice,
that blood be upon their own heads.
America should no longer
be insulted with impunity." He
committed himself and his gal-
lant army to an all-powerful and just
God. "The Indians were
driven with a great loss on the morning
of August 20th, 1794,
under the guns of Fort Miami - then
occupied by Major Camp-
bell and a garrison of British soldiers.
The victory was com-
plete, and the military power of the
Indian tribes of the North-
west was broken forever. General Wayne
remained below the
Rapids with his army for three days. The
object of the cam-
paign against the Indians of the
Northwest having been fully
accomplished by the decisive battle of
the Fallen Timbers on
August 20th, 1794, the army of General
Wayne returned to Fort
Defiance, laying waste the villages and
corn fields of the Indians
for many miles. The Indians, defeated
and utterly disheartened,
retired to the borders of the Maumee
Bay. General Wayne, on
the 14th of September, marched toward
the Miami villages, and
just below the confluence of the St.
Mary's and the St. Joseph
rivers built a strong fortification,
which, on October the 22d,
1795, was occupied by Colonel
Hamtranck. After a salute of
fifteen guns, it was named Fort Wayne -
the site of the present
prosperous city of that name. The army
began the march from
Fort Wayne on October the 25th, 1794,
and on the evening of
The Treaty of Greenville. 231
November the 2d, 1794, reached Fort
Greenville, where it was
saluted with thirty-five guns from a
six-pounder. The army had
marched from Fort Greenville for the
campaign of the North-
west on July 28th, 1794, and now
returned to winter quarters"
after an arduous and fatiguing
expedition of ninety-seven days.
It had marched and counter-marched
during that time upwards
of three hundred miles through the
enemy's country, cutting a
wagon road the entire distance, besides
constructing three forti-
fications - Fort Adams, at the St.
Mary's, Fort Defiance, at the
Auglaize, and Fort Wayne, at the Miami
villages. The Indians
of the Northwest had not only been
completely subdued but a
lasting peace had been accomplished. The
arms of the United
States, too, had been vindicated from
the shame of defeat and
disaster.
THE INDIANS DISHEARTENED.
It was reported to General Wayne that
the chiefs and na-
tions were much divided as to peace or
war. The Shawanese,
the Tawas, and Indians near Detroit,
were for war; the Wyan-
dots, of Sandusky, were for peace; the
Delawares and Miamies
were about equally divided; while the
Pottawattamies and the
Chippewas were greatly disheartened over
the battle. It soon
became evident that the Indians desired
peace. Intelligence
came from the West that the Indians were
crossing the Missis-
sippi. A new treaty had been made with
the Iroquois on the
11th of November; while but few Indians
were seen lurking in
the neighborhood of Fort Wayne and Fort
Defiance. They
were impressed with the force of General
Wayne after the en-
gagement at the Fallen Timbers. The
Pottawattamies called
him "The Wind," because, as
they said, "he was exactly like the
hurricane which drives and tears
everything before it." He was
known as "The Blacksnake"
among the other tribes.
OVERTURES FOR PEACE.
While the army was in winter quarters at
Fort Greenville,
General Wayne was constantly receiving
communications from
the chiefs of the tribes - some being of
a friendly and others
of a hostile character. As early as the
28th and 29th of Decem-
ber, 1794, the chiefs of the Chippewas,
Ottawas, Sacs, Pottawat-
232 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
tamies and Miamies, came with messages
of peace to Fort
Wayne; while on January 24th following,
these tribes, together
with the Delawares, Wyandots and
Shawanese entered into a
preliminary article with General Wayne
at Greenville, looking
to a permanent and lasting peace.
Tar-ke, or Crane, chief
Sachem of the Wyandots, entreated the
Americans to listen to
the chiefs and warriors of his tribe,
and referred to the Council
and treaty made with General St. Clair
at Muskingum in 1789.
The Wyandots wrote that they wished for
peace, and had deter-
mined to bury the hatchet and scalping
knife deep in the ground.
General Wayne at once responded to these
appeals, and
sent word to Tar-ke, or Crane, and to
all the chiefs and warriors
of the Wyandots, and to all other tribes
and nations of the In-
dians in the Northwest, that they should
no longer suffer them-
selves to be imposed upon by the bad
advice of unscrupulous
men who had often betrayed them by fair
and plausible, but false
promises of assistance in fighting the
fifteen fires of the United
States. He said to them, that it was
nearly six years since the
Sachems and warriors of the Wyandots,
Delawares, Ottawas,
Chippewas, Pottawattamies and Sacs
concluded a treaty at the
mouth of the Muskingum with General St.
Clair for removing
all causes of controversy, and for
determining the questions of
boundary between the Indian tribes and
the United States. He
contended that that treaty was founded
upon the principles of
equity and justice, and proposed it as a
basis upon which a last-
ing and permanent peace could be
established. They were all
invited to come to Fort Greenville, and
were assured of a cordial
welcome and a safe conduct for all the
chiefs and warriors who
might attend. An ardent desire was
expressed that the Great
Spirit would incline their hearts and
words to peace, and that
they soon might all meet in council.
THE POLICY OF GENERAL WAYNE.
It was the policy of General Wayne to
create a division of
opinion and thus prevent unity of action
among the tribes, at
least until his garrison could be
strengthened. It was said that
many of the Indians, true to the
instincts of pride and ambition,
had determined to remove their families
far beyond the Missis-
The Treaty of Greenville. 233
sippi, rather than submit to the
humiliation of suing for peace
from the white man. Rumor had already
reached General
Wayne that more than one hundred of the
warriors of the Sha-
wanese were then hunting on the
head-waters of the Miamies of
the Ohio, and of the Scioto, who
intended to steal as many horses
as would be necessary to carry them and
their families to the
Mississippi, where several of their
nation and many of the Dela-
wares had already settled, rather than
make peace
BEGINNING OF THE TREATY.
In the beginning of June, 1795, the
Indians began to collect
at Greenville, apparently without any
concert of action, and gave
notice as they arrived that they had
come to negotiate a peace.
On the 16th of June, 1795, a number of
the Delawares, Ottawas,
Pottawattamies, and Eel River Indians
having arrived, General
Wayne caused them to be assembled on
that day, and for the
first time met them in general council.
After they had received
and smoked the calumet of peace, he said
that he took them by
the hands as brothers assembled for
peace; that he had that day
kindled the council fire of the United
States, and then delivered
to each tribe a string of white wampum
as an evidence of the
friendship thus commenced.
General Wayne said: "The Heavens
are high, the woods
are open, we will rest in peace. In the
meantime we will have a
little refreshment to wash the dust from
our throats. We will,
on this happy occasion be merry, but
without passing the bounds
of temperance and sobriety. We will now
cover up the council
fire and keep it alive till the
remainder of the different tribes
assemble and form a full meeting and
representation."
ARRIVAL OF NEW CORN AND
BUCK-ON-GE-HE-LAS.
The next day New Corn, one of the old
chiefs of the Potta-
wattamies, with several warriors
arrived. He said that they had
come from Lake Michigan, and that after
the treaty was over
they would exchange their old medals for
those of General Wash-
ington. They wanted peace.
Buck-on-ge-he-las, with a party of
Delawares came soon
afterward, and also As-i--me-the, with a
party of Pottawattamies.
234 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
They were received at the Council House.
The Delaware king
told Wayne that his forefathers used
soft cloth to dry up their
tears, but that they used wampum, and
hoped by its influence to
do away with all past misfortunes. The
Pottawattamie chief said
that they were all there - the remainder
were dead - and as
a proof of their good wishes they had
brought with them two pris-
oners - all in their possession.
General Wayne welcomed them to Greenville;
told them
that the great council fire had been
kindled and the pipe of peace
had been smoked. When the Wyandots from
Sandusky and De-
troit, and the tribes in that quarter
would arrive, fresh wood
would be added to the fire, and business
would be postponed
until then. In the meantime, he would
give them something
which would make their hearts glad, and
also distributed some
wampum.
LITTLE TURTLE, CHIEF OF THE MIAMIES
The celebrated Little Turtle, chief of
the Miamies, came on
the 23rd of June. Little Turtle was the
noblest Roman of them
ali. He commanded at the defeat of
Harmar and St. Clair. He,
like Pontiac, thirty years before him,
was the soul of fire, and
every one who reads of the treaty of
Greenville will be impressed
with his high courage and the manly
stand which he took for his
race and the hunting grounds of his
fathers. It has been said
that the sun of Indian glory set with
him, and when Little Turtle
and Tecumseh passed away the clouds and
shadows which for
two hundred years had gathered around
their race closed in the
starless night of death.
QUARTERS AND PROVISIONS FOR THE
INDIANS.
The Indian chiefs and warriors who had
gathered at Fort
Greenville were all present on the 25th
of June, when General
Wayne addressed them as to the
arrangements he had made for
their comfort during the council. The
exterior redoubts were
given up to accomodate the different
nations with council houses.
He desired them to retire to their
quarters like his own men at
the firing of the evening gun. If any of
his foolish young men
were found troubling their quarters he
wished the Indians to tie
The Treaty of Greenville. 235
them and send them to him, to be dealt
with according to cir-
cumstances of the case.
It seems that there had been an accident
the day before, in
the explosion of some fireworks prepared
for the 4th of July,
and that the soldiers immediately rushed
to their posts, to the
astonishment of the Indians, who feared
an attack. The Gen-
eral assured them, that this was the
order of the camp. They
were present at his invitation and were
not more secure in their
own villages. He humored the Indians by
telling them that
General Washington and his great council
had sent them large
presents which he soon expected; - their
friends, the Quakers,
had also sent them messages and some
small presents. Bad
Bird, a Chippewa chief, thought that was
all very right and very
good.
Little Turtle made a short speech on the
30th of June to the
Chippewas, and said that when brothers
meet they always ex-
perienced pleasure; and as it was a
little cool, he hoped they
would get some drink; and that they
expected to be treated as
warriors. He wanted some fire-water, and
would like to have
some mutton and pork occasionally. New
Corn was most happy
to be in accord with the sentiments of
Little Turtle; but their
hearts were sorry, and it grieved them
to have seen the graves of
their brothers who fell there last
winter.
The Sun, chief of the Pottawattamies,
complained of the
allowance of food. They ate in the
morning and became hungry
at night. The days were long and they
had nothing to do.
They became weary and wished for home.
GENERAL WAYNE AS A DIPLOMAT.
General Wayne was the real diplomat. He
was prudent in
council as well as brave in war.
Warriors from all the Indian
tribes of the Northwest had gathered in
council, and while those
were present who had defied and even
defeated the whole armed
power of the United States, yet they
were as little children. He
explained that they had no pork, and but
few sheep, which were
intended for the use of the sick, and
occasionally for the officers.
He promised that the sick should share
with his own sick in the
comforts of the camp, and that he would
divide with the officers.
236
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
The graves of which New Corn spoke could
not be remedied
and grief was unmanly. He gave each of
the chiefs a sheep for
their own use, and some drink for
themselves and their people,
to make their hearts glad and to dry up
their tears; and then
suggested, by way of parenthesis, that
they all take a glass
together.
General Wayne having now waited as long
as was deemed
expedient called the council together
July 15th, 1795, and un-
covered the council fire, and had the
interpreter sworn. He
presented the Calumet of Peace of the
fifteen fires (fifteen states)
of the United States of America. He
showed the Indians pres-
ent the commission he held from General
Washington and the
Council of the fifteen fires, appointing
him Commander-in-chief
of the American Legion, and then the
commission which he had
received from the same authority on the
4th day of April, 1794,
for settling a peace with all the
Indians northwest of the Ohio.
He impressed the chiefs and warriors
assembled with the
great importance of the interests at
stake, and that they were
now called upon to determine questions
which involved the hap-
piness of the United States and the
Indian nations. He invoked
the blessing of the Great Spirit upon
their deliberations.
THE MUSKINGUM TREATY.
General Wayne then referred to the
treaty which had been
concluded by Governor St. Clair at Fort
Harmar at the mouth
of the Muskingum, which had removed all
controversy for the
time, and had clearly defined the
boundaries between them and
the United States. He urged them to
think coolly of these
matters, and having raked up the council
fire, invited them all
to have some drink.
Little Turtle several days afterward
replied with much
warmth to General Wayne: "We have
heard," said he, "and
considered what you have said to us. You
have shown, and we
have seen, your powers to treat with us.
I came here for the
purpose of hearing you. I suppose it to
be your wish that peace
shall take place throughout the world.
When we hear you say
so we will be prepared to answer you.
You have told me that the
present treaty should be founded upon
that of Muskingum. I
The Treaty of Greenville. 237
beg leave to observe to you that that
treaty was effected alto-
gether by the Six Nations, who seduced
some of our young men
to attend it, together with a few of the
Chippewas, Wyandots, Ot
tawas, Delawares and Pottawattamies. I
beg leave to tell you
that I am entirely ignorant of what was
done at that treaty. I
hope those who held it may give you
their opinion whether or
not is was agreeable to them."
Massas, a celebrated Chippewa chief, arrived
on the 18th
with Blue Jacket of the Shawanese and
participated in the Coun-
cil. The speech of Massas is interesting
in that it gives an ac-
count of the celebrated Muskingum Treaty
from the Indian
standpoint. He was at the Treaty of
Muskingum and held a
copy in his hand. He admitted that the
treaty had not been
faithfully followed, but said in
extenuation that the waters in their
woods were not deep, and that some
foolish young men with
long arms had reached into the bottom
and taken their toma-
hawks.
Little Turtle demanded to know what
lands had been ceded
by the Treaty of Muskingum. "I
expect," said he, "that the
lands on the Wabash and in this country
belong to me and my
people. I now take the opportunity to
inform my brethren of
the United States and others present
that there are men of sense
and understanding among my people as
well as among theirs,
and that these lands were disposed of
without our knowledge
and consent. .... You have pointed out,
he continued, the
boundary line between the Indians and
the United States; but
I now take the liberty to inform you
that that line cuts off from
the Indians a large portion of country
which has been enjoyed
by my forefathers from time immemorial
without molestation or
dispute. The prints of my ancestor's
houses are everywhere to
he seen in this portion. I was a little
astonished at hearing you
and my brethren who are present telling
each other what busi-
ness you had transacted together at
Muskingum concerning this
country. It is well known by all my
brothers present that my
forefather kindled the first fire at
Detroit; from thence he ex-
tended his lines to the head-waters of
the Scioto; from thence
to its mouth; from thence down the Ohio
to the mouth of the
238
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
Wabash, and from thence to Lake
Michigan. At this place I
first saw my elder brothers, the
Shawanese. I have now in-
formed you of the boundaries of the
Miami Nation, where the
Great Spirit placed my forefather a long
time ago, and charged
him not to sell or part with his lands,
but to preserve them for
his posterity. This charge has been
handed down to me. I
was much surprised that my brothers
differed so much from me
on this subject; for their conduct would
lead me to suppose that
the Great Spirit and their forefathers
had not given them the
same charge that was given to me, but,
on the contrary, had
directed them to sell their lands to any
who wore a hat as soon
as he should ask it of them."
THE BOUNDARY LINES.
On the 17th day clay of July, 1795,
General Wayne fixed the
general boundary line that should divide
the United States, or
the fifteen great fires of America, from
the lands belonging to
the Indian nations. He explained to them
the several articles
of a treaty upon which a permanent peace
could be established
between the United States and the Indian
tribes northwest of
the Ohio. The third article, which
should define the boundary
reads that "The general boundary
line between the lands of the
United States and the lands of the said
Indian tribes shall begin
at the mouth of the Cuyahoga river, and
run thence up the same
to the portage between that and the
Tuscarawas branch of the
Muskingum; thence down that branch to
the crossing place
near Fort Laurens; thence westwardly to
a fork of that branch
of the great Miami river running into
the Ohio river, at or near
which stood Loramie's Store, and where
commenced the portage
between the Miami of the Ohio and St.
Mary's river, which is
a branch of the Miami which runs into
Lake Erie; thence a wes-
terly course to Fort Recovery, which
stands on the bank of the
Wabash; thence southerly in a direct
line to the Ohio, so as to
intersect that river opposite the mouth
of the Kentucky or Cut-
tawa river."
There were certain reservations granted
to the Indians in
this treaty. The treaty provided for a
lasting peace, and stipu-
lated that all the prisoners then held
should be restored. Little
The Treaty of Greenville. 239
Turtle insisted that the line should run
from Fort Recovery to
Fort Hamilton, on the Great Miami, and
assured the whites of
the free navigation of that river from
thence to its mouth
forever.
THE SIGNING OF THE TREATY.
The treaty was signed by the various
nations, and dated
August the 3d, 1795. It was laid before
the Senate December
9th, 1795, and was ratified December 22d,
1795. This closed
the old Indian wars of the West.
General Wayne in declaring the Council
at an end, said: "I
now fervently pray to the Great Spirit
that the peace now estab-
lished may be permanent; and that it may
hold us together in
the bonds of friendship until time shall
be no more. I also pray
that the Great Spirit above may
enlighten your minds and open
your eyes to your true happiness, that
your children may learn
to cultivate the earth and enjoy the
fruits of peace and industry."
By the treaty the Indians ceded about
25,000 square
miles
of territory to the United States,
besides sixteen separate tracts
including lands and forts. The Indians
received in considera-
tion of these cessions goods of the
value of twenty thousand dol-
lars as presents, and were promised an
annual allowance of
ninety-five hundred dollars to be
equally distributed to the par-
ties to the treaty.
A second treaty was concluded at
Greenville, July 22, 1814,
with the Wyandots, Delawares, Shawanese,
Senecas and Mi-
amies, by General William Henry Harrison
and Governor Lewis
Cass, commissioners on the part of the
United States, by which
the tribes engaged to aid the United
States in the war with
Great Britain and her savage allies.
EARLY RESULTS OF THE TREATY.
General Wayne sent a proclamation to the
Cherokees, then
settled on the head-waters of the
Scioto, of the treaty, and invited
them to come forward and enter into
similar articles of peace.
Most of them promised to hunt peaceably
on the Scioto until
their corn was ripe, and then they would
quit this side of the
Ohio forever and return to their own
country.
240 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
Burnet in his Notes, speaks of a party
of Shawanese war-
riors, some sixty or seventy in number,
who had been hostile,
bringing four prisoners to Greenville,
three of whom they had
captured on the 13th of July, 1795, in Randolph
county, Virginia.
Puck-se-saw, or Jumper, one of their
chiefs, said that as soon as
he received the belt which General Wayne
had sent by Blue
Jacket, he concluded to surrender the
prisoners and promised to
do no more mischief.
A MAJESTIC MONUMENT.
The blessings of liberty, law and order
crown the century
which has passed since the signing of
the Treaty of Greenville.
The harvests are peacefully gathered to
their garners, the valleys
rustle with standing corn and the songs
of our homes are unin-
vaded by the cries and terrors of
battle. The soil itself was dedi-
cated to human freedom, and has never
been cursed by the unre-
quited toil of the bondman. The
institutions and laws of five
great Republics are founded on the
imperishable principles of the
Ordinance of 1787. It established a code
of law for an imperial
territory. That great instrument
enjoined the utmost good faith
toward the Indians in their liberty,
their lands and their property,
and in the enactment of laws founded on
justice and humanity.
The treaty of Greenville, following the
spirit of its imperishable
principles, extended the hand of
friendship toward the Indian, re-
spected his liberty, paid full
compensation for his lands and pro-
tected his property. It established a
code of morals for a free
people. When some future Bancroft shall
write the history of
this people he will speak of the great
Ordinance as the first at-
tempt to establish civic government in
the Northwestern States,
and then of the Treaty here proclaimed,
which supplants the
harsher tones of military strife with
the softer syllables of charity
and love. If, too, the victories of
peace are not less renonwned
than those of war, then the day will
surely come when a grateful
people, revering their traditions, and
conscious of the maxims
imperial of their glory, will erect on
this historic ground a majes-
tic monument, having an outstretched
hand rather than a fixed
bayonet, and with the simple yet
immortal inscription, "The
Treaty of Greenville."
Address of Hon. W. J. Gilmore. 241
ADDRESS OF HON. W. J. GILMORE.
DELIVERED AT GREENVILLE, OHIO, AUGUST 3,
1895.
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
I acknowledge the kindness of your
committee in giving
me, by their invitation, an opportunity
to address you on this
occasion. In coming back to Greenville
after an absence of
years, there remain, on this side of the
great river that separates
this from a future state of existence,
but a few of those warm
friends who welcomed me when I first
came to Greenville, forty-
six years ago, as a lawyer
"following the circuit," after the man-
ner in vogue with the early lawyers of
the state, and not aban-
doned entirely at the time above spoken
of by the lawyers of
western Ohio. My connection with the
Greenville courts, either
as lawyer or judge, continued for more
than twenty-five years.
On my return at present, I meet but one
of the numerous
members of the Greenville bar, who were
in active practice when
I came to your old court house in a
professional way. That
member is John R. Knox, between whom and
myself the closest
relations of professional and personal
friendship and confidence
have existed for all these years, and it
is too late now to reasonably
apprehend a jar between us in the
future. However, my friend
seems to be as youthful and active as
myself, and if a jar should
unfortunately occur between us, followed
by a conflict, the avoir-
dupois of the case will be in my favor,
and my object will be, if
possible, to gently "sit down on
him," which will settle the racket
between the only remaining members of
the Greenville bar of
1849.
But I must not confine my remarks to the
members of the
bar alone. In the periods of time that I
spent in Greenville, it
was my good fortune to become pleasantly
acquainted very gen-
erally throughout the town and country.
As it was with the
bar, so it was with the personal
acquaintances made when I
first came. But comparatively few of
them remain to greet me
to-day. The others have gone. This
impresses me with the
Vol. VII.-16.
242 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
idea that I must be a "back
number" brought forward for the
occasion. But be that as it may, if time
would permit I would
be delighted to mention the names of
many of the pioneer women
and men, whom I found here at my first
coming, and to testify
to their great worth and excellence in
every respect. These in-
troductory remarks may be regarded as
smacking of egotism,
but I regard my long acquaintance in
Greenville and the country
as justifying what I have said by way of
re-introducing myself to
the old remaining pioneers and the
descendants of those who
have gone.
The occasion that calls us together is
the centennial cele-
bration of the Treaty of Greenville,
commonly called Wayne's
Treaty.
The nations of antiquity delighted to be
able to trace their
origin back to some fabulous demi-god,
of miraculous, mysterious
and perhaps accidental birth, to whom
they gave a name, and
to whom they attributed such acts,
powers and greatness that in
their opinion elevated him far above the
sphere of ordinary mor-
tals. The traditions upon which they
relied to establish the facts
concerning their origin were too old to
be contradicted by living
witnesses, and hence, were susceptible
of being proved to the
ready satisfaction of the populace, by
the beautiful but fabulous
legends and stories, which were invented
by the genius of the
poets and priests and sung by the
wandering minstrels to admir-
ing and appreciative crowds collected on
the street corners or in
shady groves; and in this way the
courage and patriotism of the
populace were stimulated to such a
degree as to render them
capable of performing great deeds in
defense of personal rights
and their country.
If it was a pleasure to the ancients to
listen to these beautiful
legends and fables, pertaining to the
origin of their government,
it ought to be a pleasure to us to
familiarize ourselves with the
facts relating to our origin, as well as
the origin of our own State,
its organization, its form, its laws,
its institutions, and all that
renders it great and good in the sense
that places it in the front
rank of states, in the grandest
political Union of states that has
ever existed upon earth.
Every important fact connected with our
State and preced-
Address of Hon. W. J. Gilmore. 243
ing its organization are now matters of
history, open to the in-
spection of all citizens who take an
interest in our origin and
development.
A connected sequence of historical
facts, taking us back to
the discovery of this continent by
Columbus, and to the first set-
tlements of what now constitutes the
United States of America,
are all available to the students of
history, who are desirous of
knowing the facts that occurred between
the time of the dis-
covery and the first settlements, a mere
reference to which is all
that can be appropriately or necessarily
made on this occasion.
But we are here to celebrate the
Centennial of the Treaty
of Greenville.
The occasion is one of such interest,
not only to the people
of Ohio, but to those of Indiana,
Illinois, Michigan and Wiscon-
sin, which states were all carved out of
what is known in history
and in law as the "Territory
northwest of the river Ohio." These
states are naturally more deeply
interested in the history of this
territory, than are the other states,
for the reason that the Treaty
of Greenville was the result of somewhat
local causes that had
been operating, and tending to make such
a treaty a necessity for
many years.
The states named have, therefore, a
common interest in all
matters relating to this territory, that
preceded its organization
by the Ordinance of 1787. It will
be impossible in the limits of
this address to call attention with
particularity to all that is of
interest in this connection. All that
can be done, will be to pre-
sent in a general way, the controlling
causes by which the terri-
tory and jurisdiction over it was
acquired by the United States;
the manner in which that jurisdiction
was exercised from the
time it was acquired until by due
process of law the people of
the territory organized themselves into
the five states named,
with defined boundaries, and were
admitted into the Union on
an equal footing with the original
states.
It is apparent that the scope of this
address must necessarily
be much restricted. Much interesting
matter must be omitted.
No effort will be made to preserve the
exact chronological order
of the occurrence of controlling events,
though an effort will be
made to prevent confusion in these
respects. Attention will be
244 Ohio Arch. and His.
Society Publications.
directed mainly to the territory
northwest of the river Ohio, its
defense by the general government
against the Indians, and the
battles fought with them, eventuating in
the Treaty of Greenville.
We pass by the supposed laws of the
Mound Builders, and
the more modern savages, who, history
tells us, were in the pos-
session and occupancy of the great
Northwest territory when it
was first discovered by Europeans, and
whose legends and fables
may have been as beautiful as those of
any other prehistoric peo-
ples who have inhabited the earth; but
they had no poets to put
them in enduring form, to be sung by the
wandering minstrels
for the amusement and education of their
fellows, and their oral
traditions have been lost and forgotten.
By the right of discovery and occupation
in 1673, France as-
serted her dominion and jurisdiction
over all the territory west
of the Alleghenies, from the St.
Lawrence to the mouth of the
Mississippi, which includes what we know
as the territory north-
west of the river Ohio. France retained
dominion over this vast
territory until 1763, ninety years,
during which time the Jesuits
and agents of France, in an intelligent
manner, made explora-
tions of every part of the territory,
much of which they mapped
with a good deal of accuracy. They also
established Indian mis-
sions in the territory, especially in
the region of the Great Lakes.
They planted settlements therein,
principally in the central and
extreme southern portions of it. They
also erected and manned
forts at strategic points, generally on
or near some navigable
stream or lake, by which they held
military possession of the
territory for the French Crown.
At the close of a war between England
and France, in which
the sovereignty of this territory was
one of the many questions
involved, and which resulted
disastrously to France, the latter,
by the treaty of 1763, was compelled to
cede to the former all
her possessions in America lying east of
the Mississippi river.
This gave England a title by conquest to
the ceded terri-
tory, which was annexed to the English
Crown, and became sub-
ject to her dominion and laws. She also
took military posses-
sion of it. Many of the forts mentioned
had been built by
France as a protection against the
encroachment of the English
Address of Hon. W. J. Gilmore. 245
colonies, which were partly contiguous
to or adjoining said pos-
sessions of France.
After the peace of 1763, the English
having no use for the
forts so built by France as a protection
against England and her
colonies, abandoned and destroyed all
such; and thereafter Eng-
land retained forcible military
possession of her lately conquered
territory by means of three forts under
the command of English
officers, one of which was at Detroit in
Michigan, one at Kas-
kaskia in Illinois, and the other at
Vincennes, Indiana. Under
the law of nations, this was a
sufficient possession to protect the
claim of England to the territory so
acquired from France as
against all others.
The Revolutionary War, which commenced
in 1775, was
waged on the part of the colonies for
the sole and only avowed
purpose of achieving their independence.
They had in the out-
set of the war no declared purpose of
conquest.
The boundaries of the colonies became
the boundaries of the
respective states after they had become
independent, and did not
on the west extend beyond the crest of
the Alleghenies.
It is true that after independence was
achieved, three of the
states, Massachusetts, Connecticut and
New York, set up claims
to portions of the Northwest territory,
by virtue of the terms of
their original colonial grants from the
Crown, and on a like
ground Virginia claimed the entire
territory northwest of the
river Ohio.
There is no purpose on my part to
discuss the merits of
these respective claims, and they are
alluded to only for the
purpose of saying that they subsequently
became the subjects of
such heated controversies between the
states as to endanger the
formation of the Union itself; and that
in my opinion the discus-
sions that took place in Congress, on
the subject of these claims,
in which men of consummate ability took
part, did more to en-
lighten and educate the people of the
states, and in an allowable
sense, the states themselves, than any
other single subject that
was discussed in Congress previous to
the adoption of the consti-
tution that sealed the Union. The
discussions had reference to
the principles of our form of
government, the rights of the
states respectively, and above all on
the necessity of the states
246 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
meeting each other in a spirit of
conciliation and compromise in
settling their respective claims in
order that the formation of the
Union might be rendered possible.
It is interesting, as well as
gratifying, to know that the spirit
of compromise prevailed, and that the
states directly interested in
the controversy respecting this great
territory, with the excep-
tion of some special reservation on the
part of Connecticut and
Virginia, which were conceded to be
just, in due form ceded to
the United States in trust for the
benefit of the people of the
several states all their respective
claims to the great Northwest
territory, but for which compromise I am
persuaded the Union
could not have been formed and perfected
by the adoption of
the constitution, and perhaps the Treaty
of Greenville, which
affected so vitally the great territory
in question, might never
have been made.
We go back for the purpose of briefly
tracing our title to
the great Northwest territory. By the
right of discovery and oc-
cupation, France asserted her dominion
over all the territory
west of the Alleghenies, from the St.
Lawrence to the mouth of
the Mississippi from 1673 to 1763.
During these ninety years
the territory that is now Ohio, was
subject to the laws of France;
and although these laws left their
impression upon the lands in
some localities outside of what is now
Ohio territory, they made
no lasting impression here. This may be
accepted as evidence
of the fact that when the civilization
and laws of the Anglo-
Saxons come in collision with those of
Latins, the latter give way.
By the treaty of 1763 between France and
Great Britain the
former ceded to the latter all her
possessions in North America
lying east of the Mississippi river.
This, as before said, gave
Great Britain a title by conquest to the
ceded territory, and all
of it, including that portion that is
now Ohio, became subject to
her dominion and laws, and remained so
till 1783, when she ac-
knowledged the independence of the
states in rebellion against
her authority; and the Mississippi was
fixed as the western boun-
dary of the territory that was
thereafter to be subject to the gov-
ernment and laws of the United States.
But how came the Mississippi to be made
the western boun-
dary of the territory acquired by that
treaty? It was by the
Address of Hon. W. J. Gilmore. 247
forcible ousting of the English from the
territory during the
Revolutionary War, and the taking and
holding forcible military
possession of it by Virginia till the
close of the war. This made
a holding of the possession of the
territory adverse to the Eng-
lish, and this, under the law of
nations, gave the United States at
the time of the treaty of peace in 1783,
a right to insist that they
hold the territory to the Mississippi
river by conquest. This
right was eventually conceded by
England, and by the treaty, the
Mississippi was made the western
boundary of the territory, to
which England relinquished all claim by
the treaty. If England
had still been in foricble military
possession of it, at the time of
the treaty, after holding such forcible
possession by conquest
from France, it is a very serious
problem whether her sovereignty
over it would have been relinquished to
the United States. The
latter made her claim through Virginia,
whose claim under a
Crown grant has heretofore been
mentioned; and it will be
proper now to state how Virginia came
into forcible military
possession of the territory. Previous to
the revolution in 1774,
the Indians inhabiting Northwest
territory and Canada were in
the habit of making raids into the
western borders of Pennsyl-
vania and Virginia for the purpose of
obtaining scalps and plun-
der from the whites. These raids became
so serious that Vir-
ginia determined to put an end to them
by war upon the tribes.
A military force was raised and sent
against them. In 1775, the
battle of Point Pleasant, on the Ohio,
was fought. It was the
most stubborn and sanguinary Indian
battle that was ever fought
to a finish on this continent. The
Indians were overwhelmingly
defeated. They then sued for peace, and
a treaty of peace was
made, with which none of the parties
were afterwards satisfied.
The result was that the Indians were
peaceable for some two
years, when they again commenced their
predatory warfare
against the frontiers of Pennsylvania
and Virginia.
Now came to the front one of the most
remarkable men of
those remarkable times - George Rogers
Clarke. He lived in
Albemarle county, Virginia. He was of large
size, to which his
physical strength corresponded. He was
mentally a very able
man, and was an experienced Indian
fighter and was of un-
doubted courage and determination. The
Indians were trained
248 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
and commanded by English officers, and
were fitted out, shel-
tered and protected by the English at
the forts of Kaskaskia and
Vincennes while prosecuting their wars
against the frontiers;
and on their return from their forays,
laden with scalps and plun-
der, they were received by the English
with demonstrations of
joy and hearty approval. Under these
circumstances Clarke was
of the opinion that the Indians could
not be whipped adequately
to make them desist from their savage
warfare against the fron-
tiers, while they could flee, when
necessary to avoid punishment,
to the protection of the British forts
above named, where they
were armed and encouraged to continue
their depradations on
the whites.
Without counselling with any one on the
subject, Clarke
conceived the bold design of making a
conquest of the great
Northwest territory by taking and
holding Forts Kaskaskia and
Vincennes, after which the Indians could
be driven from the
territory. On submitting his designs and
plans to Governor
Henry of Virginia, they were approved,
and through his influ-
ence, after much delay and vexation,
during which Clarke mort-
gaged all his property to raise money to
forward his scheme of
conquest, a force of about two hundred,
which was to have been
three hundred and fifty men, was
organized and placed under
the command of Clarke. In January, 1778,
he marched to Pitts,
burg. where he and his army took boats
and commenced the
descent of the Ohio, for a point on the
river opposite to Kas-
kaskia, and about sixty miles from its
mouth. The delays of
the voyage, from causes incident to
those early times and im-
perfect means of transportation, were
such that he did not arrive
at the point above indicated until the
fall of 1778. As soon as
his boats were secured he commenced his
march against Kas-
kaskia. The march was one of great
hardships, but his men en-
dured them cheerfully when they saw
their commander march-
ing in the front, rifle in hand and
carrying his provisions on his
back.
It is almost needless to say that he
took the British by sur-
prise and the garrison surrendered
without resistance.
This peril then confronted him.
Vincennes, which was a
strong military post, under the command
of the British Lieuten-
Address of Hon. W. J.
Gilmore. 249
ant Governor Hamilton, lay directly
between Kaskaskia and the
frontiers of Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Clarke, looking facts
boldly in the face, said: "I must
take Hamilton, or he will take
me." With him, decision was
followed by instant action. With
only one hundred and thirty men, the
others remaining to de-
fend the fort, he at once started from
Kaskaskia in February,
1789, to march across the country to
capture Vincennes. There
is no time now to speak of that terrible
march, in which for days
and days the men were constanly wading
in water from two to
four feet deep. It is without a parallel
in history.
No other man than Clarke could have
brought his men
through it, but he did it without the
loss of a man, though many
of them were so weak as to require the
assistance of those who
were stronger when they reached ten
acres of dry land about two
miles from Vincennes. Even then Governor Hamilton had no
notice of Clarke's approach, and the
latter having captured some
Indians with some Buffalo meat, held
them prisoners until he
had fed his famished men upon the
captured meat. He then
literally waded against the fort and
after one day's fighting, it
surrendered.
The Virginians then manned the forts so
strongly that the
English made no subsequent demonstration
against them, and
thus the former held armed military
possession of the territory
until the close of the revolution; and
being so in possession,
their right to the territory was
admitted in the treaty of peace,
and, as before said, the entire
Northwest territory was ceded by
England to the United States by that
treaty.
I doubt whether history, taking
everything into considera-
tion, shows a parallel to this conquest
of Clarke's. It strikes me,
that without this conquest and continued
military occupation of
the territory up to the time peace was
concluded, neither the
United States nor Virginia had any claim
to the territory that
would have been valid under the law of
nations.
Perhaps but few now listening to me have
ever before heard
of George Rogers Clarke, or know of his
great conquests, the
benefits of which we are to-day enjoying
throughout the con-
quered territory, which now consists of
five free and independent
states, each constituting a star of the
first magnitude in the grand
250
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
galaxy of states composing our beloved
Union. By his great
valor and courage, he was instrumental
in the extinguishment of
the sovereignty of England over the
territory composing these
states. But while the conquest swept
away the claims of Eng-
land, it did not extinguish the title of
the Indians to the lands
in the territory, which title they
acquired and held by virtue of
original discovery and continued
occupancy of it, until their title
to a large portion of the territory was
extinguished by the
Treaty of Greenville.
I therefore suggest that on this
occasion the memories of
George Rogers Clarke and Anthony Wayne
should be associated
and equally cherished by the people of
the five great states created
cut of the territory: the one to be
remembered as the extin-
guisher of the sovereignty of England
over the territory, the
other to be remembered as the
extinguisher of the Indian title
to a large portion of the territory by
the Treaty of Greenville,
after having conquered a peace that made
the treaty a necessity
to the Indians in order to save
themselves from extinguishment.
Just one word by way of digression,
respecting the two
great men I have just named. As above
said, Clarke mortgaged
his property for more than it was worth
to raise the money to
equip his little, but great, army of
conquest. Virginia recog-
nized the greatness of the services of
himself and his men, and
made them a princely donation of lands
in the conquered ter-
ritory, in compensation of their
services, and which donation was
subsequently recognized and validated by
the United States. It
is to be hoped that his men received
more benefit from the dona-
tion than did their gallant commander,
whose share of the lands
was seized and sold by his creditors to
pay the debts he had con-
tracted in equipping his army. He died
poor.
The other, General Wayne, died in Erie,
Pennsylvania, in
the government service, for want of
what, to him, were the neces-
saries of life. I visited his tomb,
years ago, and as I approached
it I respectfully uncovered my head, and
as I stood there, silently
contemplating the hazardous scenes
through which he passed
in his active military life, those that
stood in the front line of my
thoughts were the "Battle of Fallen
Timbers" and the "Treaty of
Greenville," as they are in your
minds to-day.
Address of Hon. W. J.
Gilmore. 251
Here, in order to mention one other
thing of supreme im-
portance in connection with the Treaty
of Greenville, I must
again go back a few years, and call
attention to other matters
with which the patriot fathers were
earnestly wrestling, with fear
and trembling as to the fate of their
beloved country whose in-
dependence they had recently achieved.
Although they were
still clinging to the "Articles of
the Confederation" and the
Congress of the States, held under it,
as the sheet anchor of
their hopes, it had become clearly
apparent that the ties of the
Articles of Confederation were too weak
and inefficient to ac-
complish the purposes of a union of
independent states, such as
they contemplated, and for which they
hoped and prayed.
No point of time can be more interesting
to citizens of the
Northwest territory than that to which
attention is now directed.
The war of the Revolution had been
brought to successful ter-
mination. The Articles of Confederation
were in force, and the
Congress of the States held under it was
doing all it could do to
meet and harmonize the conflicting
interests and demands of the
states of the Union. The constitutional
convention had met in
May, 1787, and was in session at
Philadelphia, but it was un-
known what the outcome of its labors
would be. The last Con-
gress of the States under the
confederation was sitting in New
York, in which only eight states were
represented, and it was
manifest that it was about to fall to
pieces of its own weight, or
from want of cohesive and coercive
powers.
The citizens of the Northwest territory
have especial reasons
to look back with reverence and
affection upon the congress of
the old confederation; for it was the
territories northwest of the
river Ohio that were the objects of its
last and most solicitous
care. With its expiring breath it gave
to them the "Ordinance
of '87", and in pursuance of its
provisions appointed a governor
and three judges, who were to organize a
civil government within
its boundaries, and adjourned never to
meet again.
Two months afterwards (September 17th,
1787), the con-
vention promulgated the Constitution of
the United States which
was adopted and is supreme, but at the
time of which we are
speaking the "Ordinance" in
its relation to the territories was
scarcely inferior in importance to the
constitution itself. Except
252 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
as to the initial and temporary
government of the governor and
judges, it contained an announcement of
the true theory of
American liberty, and provided
everything necessary to the de-
velopment of free and independent
states, and for their admis-
sion into the Union on an equal footing
with the original states,
and this for the time being was what was
best suited to their
condition. It was a code complete within
itself.
It will be remembered, however, that the
Indian title to the
Northwest territory had not been
conclusively extinguished to
any part of it. It is true that by the
treaty of Fort McIntosh
the whites claimed that there had been
an extinguishment of the
Indian title to a large portion of what
is now Ohio; but the In-
dians claimed that the treaty had been
made by certain Indians
who had no power to make it, and that it
was, therefore, fraudu-
lent and void. Notwithstanding this
claim of the Indians, how-
ever, settlers had begun to flock into
the territory shortly after
the adoption of the Ordinance, and were
being from time to time
attacked, murdered and scalped by the
Indians at all vulnerable
points.
The great importance of the Treaty of
Greenville, consisted
in the fact, that it in a conclusive way
swept away the Indian title
to all the land south or east of the
treaty line, and thus gave full
effect to the beneficent provisions of
the Ordinance of '87 in
nearly all that portion of the territory
that now constitutes the
state of Ohio. But this was not all, the
Treaty of Greenville be-
came a precedent, and the principles it
established were those,
substantially, that were subsequently
applied in extinguishing
the Indian title to the residue of the
great Northwest territory,
which is now sufficient in itself to
constitute an empire in popu-
lation, and in all things else that
constitute goodness and great-
ness in government; lying at the bottom
of which are the lasting
effects of the Treaty of Greenville.
It is impossible for me to say on the
subjects that I have
above spoken of all that I ought to say
upon them, but I hope I
have said enough to show the importance
of the Treaty of Green-
ville, which, to the pioneers of the
territory, was like the shadow
of a great rock in a desert land, under
which they could lie down
and rest in safety, while on their march
to empire.
Address of Hon. W. J. Gilmore. 253
Inasmuch as that portion of the
territory which now con-
stitutes the state of Ohio was the first
to receive the benefits of
the Ordinance of '87 and the Treaty of
'95, and was also the first
state developed and prepared for
admission into the Union under
their provisions; as showing what
occurred in Ohio in respect
to its organization as a territory, its
early laws, and admission
into the Union, we give the substance of
some of them; and
assuming that what occurred in Ohio in
these respects, prob-
ably occurred in substantially the same
way in the organization
of the other four states that were
formed from the Northwest ter-
ritory, we give those that occurred in
Ohio as samples of what
probably occurred in respect to the
others.
The Governor and two of the judges
appointed by the old
congress, arrived at Marietta on the 9th
of July, 1778, and estab-
lished the first form of civil
government within the territory. A
few settlers had preceded them to that
point and were literally
encamped in the wilderness.
In confirmation of the maxim that
self-preservation is the
first law of nature, on the 25th of
July, 1788, they published a
law for regulating and establishing the militia,
which was the
first law published in the
territory. The third section reads thus:
"And, whereas, in the infant state
of a country, defense and pro-
tection are absolutely essential, all
male inhabitants of the age
of sixteen and upwards shall be armed,
equipped and accoutred
in the following manner: . with a musket
and bayonet, or rifle,
cartridge box, pouch, or powder horn and
bullet pouch, with
forty rounds of cartridges, or one pound
of powder and four
pounds of lead, priming wire and brush,
and six flints."
And by the fourth section, amongst other
things it is pro
vided that the "corps shall be
paraded at ten o'clock in the
morning of each first day of the week,
armed and equipped as
aforesaid, in convenient places next
adjacent to the places of
public worship, etc.", and the
reason given for this was that it
was necessary in order to avert danger.
The salient points of other laws may be
noticed for the pur-
pose of contrasting those early times
with the present, thus show-
ing the advances in civilization that
have been made in our state
254 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
in less than a century. For instance, by
a law of September,
1788, the punishment affixed to the
commission of crimes, al-
though deemed necessary then, would now
be called cruel and
unusual. Treason was punishable with
death and forfeiture of
estates real and personal. To the
malicious burning of a dwell-
ing house the same punishment and
forfeitures were affixed.
Malicious murder was punishable with
death. The punishment
for other felonies and misdemeanors was
generally by whipping,
never exceeding thirty-nine lashes, and
in some cases not ex-
ceeding ten lashes, and sitting in the
stocks from one to three
hours was also generally prescribed in
addition.
It is interesting to us lawyers to know
the fact that the fees
for practicing attorneys were fixed by
law, and ranged from one
dollar in the quarter sessions to two
dollars in the Supreme
Court, for each case tried and argued.
There was no intention
that lawyers should become bloated
capitalists.
Assessments for the support of the
organized counties were
made in money or specific articles as
the assessor deemed best,
and if not paid promptly the party
assessed was imprisoned till
the payment was made, or his discharge
ordered.
If a single man became indebted and
could not pay in cash,
he would, With the consent of the
creditor, be ordered by the
court to pay in personal services, not
to exceed seven years in
any case. Under like circumstances a
married man could not
be required to serve more than five
years.
These laws, selected at random as
examples of the laws pub-
lished or adopted by the Governor and
Judges, are not referred
to in either a querulous or frivolous
sense. They have upon
their face internal evidence of the
circumstances and necessities
of the people for whose government and
preservation they were
made. Much more may be readily inferred
from them than is
expressed in their words. They were made
in the unbroken
wilderness by pioneers for pioneers. All
were to be soldiers.
All were to be honest, and if they were
not they were either to
be hanged or whipped out of the country.
They had to pay
their assessments, either in corn or
cash as the case might be,
or go to jail. There should be no
extortioners, and bachelors
were at a discount as compared with
husbands.
Address of Hon. W. J. Gilmore. 255
So far this sketch is intended to direct
attention in a gen-
eral and historical way to some of the
laws affecting in a greater
or less degree what now constitutes Ohio
territory, from the
time of its occupation by Europeans,
down to the point at which
we have arrived. One of the provisions
of our first constitution
is here quoted: "That a frequent
recurrence to the fundamental
principles of government is absolutely
necessary to preserve the
blessings of liberty."
This enunciation of a great principle
pertaining to civil gov-
ernment is as true to-day as when it was
announced nearly one
hundred years ago. Startling and
significant events have oc-
curred in the meantime, affecting us as
a state and as a people;
endangering not only Ohio, but our Union
itself. But by cling-
ing and adhering to the great principles
upon which our govern-
ments, federal and state, are founded,
and resorting to the strong
arm of the military power, only when
required to do so solely for
their preservation against military
force brought against them
and intended for their destruction, we
have been able to main-
tain our civil governments in all their
pristine beauty and vigor,
and the states formed from the Northwest
territory have also
reaped rich harvest from the seeds that
were planted when the
Treaty of Greenville was made. And to
slightly paraphrase the
words of a great statesman, let us say
"that if we are not stricken
with judicial blindness we will cling to
our constitutions and
treaties, as the mariner clings to the
last plank when night and
tempest close around him."
256
Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
ADDRESS OF HON. SAMUEL H. DOYLE.
DELIVERED AT GREENVILLE, OHIO, AUGUST 3, 1895.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I come to you from the adjoining State to join with you in
this celebration. We have a common
interest in this historic
event with you. I will detain you but a
few minutes. We have
been together and associated together in
four of the great im-
portant events that have touched the
Northwest. When Wolfe
met the French at Quebec this territory
was transferred from
France to Great Britain. When General
George Rodgers Clark
found the British holding the forts in
the Northwest, and
throughout this territory, he was
enabled to capture Kaskaskia
and Vincennes, and this country was
turned over to the United
States, all that rich domain northwest
of the Ohio being secured
to the Republic in consequence of his
prowess. Again, Indiana
was associated with you when the
Ordinance of 1787 was
adopted, - the grandest ordinance for
the government of ter-
ritory that has ever been conceived by
man. Its influence has
been radiating from that day to this.
Again, we were interested
and associated with you when the
splendid victories were made
after a series of defeats that
culminated in the Treaty in your
city, which you are honoring to-day.
The respect that you are showing here is
appreciated not
only by Ohio, but by every State in the
Northwest. The paper
presented gave us a fine historical
account of how we have trav-
eled together, how we have been
associated together. Yours
was the first State formed under the
Ordinance of 1787; my
good State, Indiana, was the second; but
from the days of that
Ordinance and from the days of this
Treaty, we have moved a
pace that has incited the admiration of
the world. The Indians,
up to the time that Wayne passed through
with his army held
this country in their grasp. The
Revolutionary War had been
closed for a number of years, and there
was a large portion of
the population that wanted to come
westward. But the Indian
Address of Hon. Samuel H. Doyle. 257
said, "No, the Ohio river is in our
possession, we will hold it."
Boat after boat that came down the Ohio
was captured and the
persons on board were massacred. Never
had we any perma-
nent peace to offer to the eastern
settlers until after Wayne had
succeeded at the Battle of Fallen
Timbers, and brought within
your city more than twelve tribes and
fifty chiefs and secured the
treaty, a fac-simile of which you see
here.
I have an interest, I say, as a citizen
of Indiana. I have,
too, another interest. When a small boy
I heard at my grand-
father's knee the story of the march
through this wilderness.
I have heard the story over and over
again. I want to call your
attention to the condition of the
fire-arms used in that contest.
They were spoken of and described by the
speaker. They were
all of the old flint lock pattern;
breech loaders, loaded with a
coarse powder made prime with a fine
powder, and it took ten
times the space of time to load that it
would with your muskets.
Here is a powder flask that passed from
the Ohio river up to
the Battle of Fallen Timbers, and it is
treasured to-day in my
house. Money would not buy it. It is a
quaint old powder
flask, but we appreciate it.
Gentlemen, it is now past the noon hour,
and I am here
merely as a visitor and a citizen of the
adjoining State, and I will
not continue my remarks. I thank you
kindly.
SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN, July 31, '95.
Messrs. Robeson, Martz and Hunter,
GENTLEMEN: - Your cordial invitation to the celebration
of the one hundredth anniversary of the
Treaty of Greenville
greets me here. I have also been
commissioned by the Gover-
nor of Wisconsin to represent him on
that occasion.
It grieves me much, that circumstances
beyond my control
forbid me to join with you in
commemorating what was, in my
view of the case, the true birthday of
all our trans-Ohio-river
greatness.
Before Wayne, all was embryo or chaos.
Indians, backed
Vol. VII.-17.
258 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
by British, triumphant, and British
holding the western posts as
tenaciously as so many Gibralters. But
Wayne saw, by the
light of nature, the only effective
policy. His text was: Scalp
them first, and then preach to them. He
scalped at Maumee, he
preached at Greenville. The posts were
surrendered and aborig-
inal depredations came to a perpetual
end. The eagle braves
no more moved the wing, or opened their
mouth, or peeped.
Ohio, Mother of the West, even to the
utmost bound of her
everlasting hills, and to the boundless
Pacific, may her second
century be in keeping with her first!
Regardfully yours,
JAMES D. BUTLER.