BRITISH INFLUENCE OVER INDIANS. January 9, 1789, by General St. Clair, which merely confirmed the others.* No treaties, however, had been made with the Miamis, the Kickapoos, the Weas, the Pottawattamies or the Eel River tribes; and in 1790 measures were taken to open negotiations, but the emissaries sent out reported that the Indians were in an ugly mood. † The Canadians, quick to grasp the significance of the restlessness of the Indians, soon began to incite them to open defiance of the American authorities. The Canadians did not relish the idea of relinquishing the rich fur trade of the Northwest, and feared that, if the Indians came under the influence of the Ohio settlers, this fur trade (estimated to be worth $450,000 a year) would be irretrievably lost.‡ The Canadian officials felt also that the western posts should not be given up, and endeavored to embroil the two nations involved by asserting that the attacks of American troops upon Indian tribes were disguised attacks on British posts. * American State Papers, Indian Affairs, vol. i., pp. 5-10; Dunn, Indiana, p. 198; Albach, Annals of the West, p. 517; Stone, Life of Brant, vol. ii., p. 280; McMaster, vol. i., p. 597; Harvey, History of the Shawnee Indians, chap. xv.; Cooley, Michigan, p. 108 et seq.; St. Clair Papers, vol. i., p. 156; Magazine of American History, vol. ix., p. 285; Lossing, Field-Book of the War of 1812, p. 39; Slocum, The Ohio Country, p. 46; Hulbert, The Ohio River, p. 169. On the events leading up to this, see Roosevelt, Winning of the West, vol. iii., pp. 277-302. For depositions relating to Indian depredations, see American State Papers, Indian Affairs, vol. i., p. 84 et seq. Spears and Clark, History of the Mississippi Valley, p. 333. 189 Accordingly, the Canadian traders and officials endeavored to keep the Indians friendly by presents of ammunition and supplies, saying, when reproached for this, that these were only the supplies they regularly gave them in times of peace. But it is certain that they did not make very great efforts to induce the Indians to use these "supplies" in peaceful ways. In fact, the aid secretly given to the Indians by the Canadians fell little short of that openly extended to an avowed ally. Thus, when the American officers tendered terms of peace and friendship to the Indians, their sachems would say: "The English commandant at Detroit is our father, and we cannot answer without consulting him."† * Therefore, Josiah Harmar was sent in September to attack the Indians on the Scioto and Wabash with an army of 1,453 ment - partly militia and partly Federal troops-poorly armed, undisciplined, and inexperienced in Indian warfare. So much time was *Bassett, Federalist System, p. 62. See also the Journal of Antoine Gamelin, in American State Papers, Indian Affairs, vol. i., pp. 93-94. Of these 320 were regulars and the others consisted of three battalions of Virginia militia, one battalion of Pennsylvania militia, and one battalion of mounted light troops.- Lossing, FieldBook of the War of 1812, p. 41; American State Papers, Military Affairs, vol. i., p. 24; Indian Affairs, vol. i., p. 104; Slocum, The Ohio Country, pp. 54-56. Roosevelt, Winning of the West, p. 304. In his testimony Major Ferguson said that many were not armed at all and that numbers probably had never carried a gun. See American State Papers, Military Affairs, vol. i., pp. 20-21. 190 HARMAR'S DISASTROUS EXPEDITION. wasted in marching and in scouring the woods, that when the troops reached the villages of the Maumees they found nothing but empty huts, which were immediately destroyed.* Harmar then dispatched Colonel John Hardin, with 30 regulars and some Kentucky volunteers, to locate and attack the Indians; but, as Hardin was a poor officer, he allowed himself to be drawn into an ambush of 100 Indians under Little Turtle, about 11 miles from the site of Fort Wayne. † He fled, the militia abandoned their arms and ran; the Federal troops under Armstrong were the only ones to stand their ground, Armstrong fighting until the last man fell at his side, when he escaped. After a night of feasting and dancing over their tortured victims, the Indians, in their turn, advanced. Hardin, overcome with shame, now returned to the main camp, and Harmar determined to return to the settlements, the march beginning October 21. Hardin, however, deeply stung by his defeat, persuaded Har *King, Ohio, pp. 243-244. By October 21 the army had destroyed five villages, besides the capital town, and consumed or destroyed nearly 20,000 bushels of corn in ears. Testimony of Lieutenant Denny, American State Papers, Mil itary Affairs, vol. i., p. 25. American State Papers, Military Affairs, vol. i., p. 21; Lossing, Field-Book of the War of 1812, p. 41. Ferguson's testimony, American State Papers, Military Affairs, vol. i., p. 21. Roosevelt, Winning of the West, vol. iii., pp. 306-307. See also Captain Armstrong's testimony, American State Papers, Military Affairs, vol. i., pp. 26-27. mar to allow him to return to the Indian settlements in order to surprise the Indians. Consent finally being given to his project, Hardin set cff with 340 militia and 60 regulars, and came upon the Indians near the site of the present city of Fort Wayne. The premature discharge of a gun revealed the presence of the troops, and the attack therefore began hastily. Victory was almost within grasp of the troops, when, disobeying their orders, the militia imprudently set out in pursuit of the Indians, thus leaving the regulars unsupported at their crossing place. Becoming alarmed at the loss of one of their officers, the militia finally fled, the Indians, in overwhelming numbers under Little Turtle, coming upon them and inflicting great slaughter.* When informed of the disaster, Harmar refused to prolong the contest, as he had lost all faith in his raw militia.† He decided that the Indians had been sufficiently punished, and furthermore, as his supplies were becoming much depleted, he thought it best to make a hasty retreat to the nearest settlement. Accordingly, the troops began the return journey to Fort Washington (Cincinnati), which they reached November 3. All went well until Chillicothe, on the Little Miami, was reached. There, in * Major Zeigler's and Captain Asheton's testimony, American State Papers, Military Affairs, vol. i., pp. 25-26, 28; Lossing, Field-Book of the War of 1812, p. 42; Roosevelt, pp. 308–310. Denny's testimony, American State Papers, Military Affairs, vol. i., p. 25. INDIAN MASSACRES. an engagement, Harmar was defeated, with a loss of 200 men and a number of officers.* Harmar and Hardin were tried before a court-martial and were acquitted, but Harmar, who was suspected of having shown the white feather, presently (January 1, 1792) resigned his commission.† But far from subduing the Indians, this expedition served rather to rouse the Wabash tribes to fury. The settlers in that region lived mostly in the vicinity of Marietta, which then contained 80 houses. There were a few houses at Belle Prairie where the Kanawha joins the Ohio, at Duck Creek, at Wolf Creek, and along the Muskingum, and a few more daring pioneers had gone 40 miles up the river, where they formed a small settlement at Big Bottom, about 12 families constituting the population of the town. The Indians, therefore, determined to retaliate by a series of massacres, beginning their work at *For details, see Moore, The Northwest under Three Flags, pp. 345-353; McMaster, vol. i., pp. 598-601. Harmar's despatches are in American State Papers, Indian Affairs, p. 104; but the main source is the Proceedings of a Court of Inquiry held at the Request of General Josiah Harmar (Philadelphia, 1791) which is also in American State Papers, Military Affairs, vol. i., pp. 20-36, and in Annals of Congress, 2d Congress, 1st session, pp. 1114-1150. See also the Journal of Ebenezer Denny, in Publications of the Pennsylvania Historical Society, vol. vii., pp. 204–498; Albach, Annals of the West, p. 547; Cist, Cincinnati Miscellany, vol. i.; Knapp, The Maumee Valley; Bryce, Fort Wayne; Smith, St. Clair Papers, vol. i., p. 168; H. Montgomery, Life of Major-General William H. Harrison, pp. 38-40. Lossing, Field-Book of the War of 1812, p. 43, note. 191 Big Bottom. This settlement was attacked on the night of January 2, 1791, and before morning it had disappeared from the face of the earth.* On January 8, 1791, Rufus Putnam sent a letter to Washington describing the massacre and asking for aid,† but the President had already done everything possible. Nevertheless, on December 8, 1790, two days after the third session of the First Congress assembled, in delivering his annual address, he said that the Indian outrages had "rendered it essential to the safety of the Western settlements that the aggressors should be sensible that the Government of the Union is not less capable of punishing their crimes than it is disposed to respect their rights and reward their attachments." He added that, in order to do this, he had "authorized an expedition in which the regular troops in that quarter are combined with such drafts of militia as were deemed sufficient."t The addresses of the two Houses were in harmony with the President's speech, and their consideration proceeded smoothly until the Indian affairs were reached. Then Jackson, of Georgia, arose in his seat and attacked the administration for its treaty with the Creeks. He was called to order, but said that he meant * McMaster, vol. i., pp. 601-602; Spears and Clark, History of the Mississippi Valley, p. 339. † American State Papers, Indian Affairs, vol. i., pp. 121-122. ‡ Richardson, Messages and Papers, vol. i., p. 82. 192 EXPEDITIONS AGAINST INDIANS. at some future time to call for the Creek treaty, with its secret articles. But the burning and scalping that had begun all along the Ohio, whence Harmar's troops fled, continued for some time,* and it was not until the spring and summer of 1791 that a semblance of order was restored. Two expeditions - one under General Charles Scott, consisting of 800 men, and the other under Colonel James Wilkinson, with 525 men had been sent out in May and August respectively, but no results of any moment came from these movements.‡ Jefferson said that Scott killed 32 warriors, took 58 men and children prisoners, and destroyed three towns and villages, with a great deal of corn in grain and growth. Hence it was decided to send a stronger force against the Indians, chiefly to overawe them by building a chain of forts from the Cincinnati to the junction of the St. Mary and St. Joseph rivers. General St. Clair, governor of the Northwest Territory, was nominated and confirmed commander-in-chief. *For details, see Roosevelt, Winning of the West, vol. iv., p. 19 et seq. His instructions are in American State Papers, Indian Affairs, vol. i., pp. 129–130. Lossing, Field-Book of the War of 1812, p. 45; Irving, Life of Washington, vol. v., p. 106; Roosevelt, Winning of the West, vol. iv., pp. 28-30; Montgomery, Life of W. H. Harrison, pp. 42-43. || Letter to William Short, July 28, 1791. Ford's ed. of Jefferson's Writings, vol. v., p. 366. See also p. 368. Scott's and other reports are in American State Papers, Indian Affairs, vol. i., p. 131 et seq. See also Slocum, The Ohio Country, pp. 63-66. With a force of 2,300 regulars and a body of militia, St. Clair marched into the wilderness, stopping first at the Great Miami, where he erected Fort Hamilton.* Later he pushed on 44 miles further, and on October 24, 1791, completed Fort Jefferson.† He had just marched inland when he was taken sick, food became scarce, and the roads were so bad that seven miles constituted a day's march. The troops now began to suffer from chills. and fever, and every day scores deserted, as many as 60 going at a time. ‡ At last, on November 3, St. Clair, with the remnants of his army (1,400 men) encamped on the banks of the Wabash, within a few miles of the Miami villages. It was his intention to remain at this place until reinforced,|| but he was attacked by a body of 1,000 Indians before reinforcements came. Notwithstanding the warning of Washington and the similar disasters previously suffered by American See St. Clair's Narrative of his Campaign, pp. 14-15 (Philadelphia, 1812). A plan of the fort is in Howe, Historical Collections of Ohio, p. 74, and in Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, vol. vii., p. 450. King, Ohio, p. 245; Roosevelt, Winning of the West, vol. iv., p. 32; Lossing, Field-Book of the War of 1812, p. 46. See St. Clair's letters in American State Papers, Indian Affairs, vol. i., pp. 136-138, and the letters and reports in Annals of Congress, 2d Congress, 2d session, pp. 1052-1059, 1106-1113, 1310-1317. See also the Diary of Colonel Winthrop Sargent, as quoted in Irving, Life of Washington, vol. v., pp. 107-108. See also the report of Fitzsimons in American State Papers, Military Affairs, vol. i., p. 37; Hulbert, The Ohio River, p. 176 et seq. || Montgomery, Life of W. H. Harrison, p. 44. ST. CLAIR'S DEFEAT. armies, St. Clair allowed himself to be surprised.* The militia posted in front were driven back upon the regulars in great disorder, and St. Clair's efforts to rally them were unavailing.† He made the mistake of adhering to the rules of the military manuals, drawing up his forces in a compact body with the artillery in the centre. The Indians completely surrounded the Americans and poured in such a deadly fire from the nearby thickets. that the field was soon strewn with wounded, dying and dead. The result was decisive. Though several bayonet charges were made, the Indians could not be beaten off, but returned to the fight with renewed vigor. Five officers were now killed and scalped, the others being so severely wounded that After they could scarcely stand. maintaining the contest for four hours, General St. Clair, being himself indisposed, ordered a retreat, and thus the remainder of his army was saved from total annihilation. Leaving their guns in position, clothing and * Roosevelt, Winning of the West, vol. iv., pp. 33, 35. For some time Indians had been hovering about the army, but "the general observed that he did not think the Indians were watching the motions of the army with a view to attack them, other than steal horses or catch a person if they had a chance." See the journal quoted in Hulbert, The Ohio River, p. 180. American State Papers, Military Affairs, vol. i., p. 37. Lossing, Field-Book of the War of 1812, p. 48; the account of Lieutenant Denny, quoted in Slocum, The Ohio Country, pp. 68-74; Roosevelt, vol. iv., pp. 39-40. A plan of the battle is in Howe, Historical Collections of Ohio, p. 133, and in Winsor, Narrative and Critical History, vol. vii., p. 450. 193 blankets in the tents, and abandoning the sick and wounded to the tender mercies of the Indians, the troops fled, in their flight throwing away muskets, coats, hats, and boots. For some distance the retreating army was closely pursued by the Indians, but the chase was soon abandoned, the Indians returning to commit further barbarities on the wounded and to share in the spoils of the camp.t St. Clair retreated to Fort Jefferson and later to Fort Washington. In this fight the slaughter was almost unparalleled. Of the American forces that went into the battle, more than 625 were killed and missing, and 260 wounded, only 510 men and 70 officers coming out unscathed. Of the Indian * St. Clair's letter of November 9, 1791, in American State Papers, Indian Affairs, vol. i., pp. 137-138; Dillon, History of Indiana, vol. i., p. 308 (ed. 1843); Cist, Cincinnati Miscellany, vol. ii., p. 30; Roosevelt, vol. iv., pp. 43-44; Lossing, p. 48; Slocum, The Ohio Country, p. 71. † McMaster, vol. ii., p. 46; Schouler, United States, vol. i., pp. 210-212. See also the ballad "Sainclaire's Defeat" in King, Ohio, pp. 409–412. Roosevelt (Winning of the West, vol. iv., p. 47) gives the number killed as 630 and of wounded as 280. Lossing (Field-Book of the War of 1812, p. 48 note) makes the loss 36 officers killed and 30 wounded, 593 privates killed and missing, and 214 wounded. See also Montgomery, Life of W. H. Harrison, p. 47. On the manner in which Washington received news of the defeat, see Irving, Life of Washington, vol. v., pp. 115-117. Lear described the scene as follows: "Here," said Washington, "yes, HERE, on this very spot, I took leave of him. I wished him success and honor. You have your instructions, I said, from the Secretary of War. I had a strict eye to them, and will add but one word- Beware of a surprise! I repeat it - BEWARE OF A SURPRISE! You know how the Indians fight us. He went off with that, as my last solemn warning, thrown into his ears. And yet! to suffer that army to -- |