ows. Marploted. Their treatment. Two young braves offer their lives in sacrifice. Honored by Clark. Chief Big Gate, from the lake shore, visits headquarters. A bitter enemy subdued. Big Gate's dramatic oratory and acting in council. Captain William Linn ordered to Falls of Ohio. Fortifies on the site of Louisville. Removes stores and men from Corn island. Description of a Christmas day at the Falls. Origin of the name, Louisville. Great loss to the settlers. His good wife. Attack on Bowman's corn-shelling party. Indian raids near Harrodstown. Captain Herndon pursues Indians in Scott county. Amusing Indian strategy. Kenton returns to Kentucky. Ventures into the Indian country in Ohio. Is captured. The Indians recognize a stalwart foe, and treat him unmercifully. Call him a "Hoss Steal." Paint him black for the stake. They tie him on a wild horse and turn him loose in the woods. At Chillicothe, the stake prepared. Chief Logan persuades a Canadian to ransom him. Delivered to the British commander at Escapes by the aid of a woman. His admiration for his fair deliverer. The Legislature of Virginia this year declares void the purchase by the Transylvania Company. Near St. Vincents was a chief, named Tobac, or Son of Tobacco, and complimented by his countrymen with the title of Grand Door of the Wabash, as he was consulted upon all matters of importance respecting the Wabash Messages had been interchanged between Colonel Clark and this chief, through M. Gibault, and Captain Helm was instructed to use every exertion to conciliate him.1 In an Indian council, opened at the instance 1 Butler, p. 65; Clark's Memoirs. of Captain Helm, the latter delivered to Grand Door a friendly talk from Colonel Clark, inviting him to unite with the Big Knife and his old father, the king of France. To this letter, with the usual reserve of the Indian character, the chief declined to give an answer until he had assembled his counselors, though he was glad to see one of the Big Knife chiefs. It was true he had fought together with the English, yet he had thought they always looked gloomy. In all this the chief preserved the most courtly dignity, in which he was imitated by Captain Helm, with feigned solemnity; in accord with which it was several days before the council was concluded. At length Captain Helm was invited to attend a meeting of the chiefs, at which Tobac addressed him, as follows: "The sky has been very dark with the war between the Big Knife and the English, but now it has cleared up. The Big Knife was in the right, and perhaps if the English conquered them they might serve the Indians in the same way. He had always been a man and a warrior, and now he was a Big Knife, and would tell the red people no more to bloody the land for the English." With this last sentence the chief sprung to his feet and struck his hand on his breast. Concluding, he advanced and shook Captain Helm by the hand, and his example was imitated by the other chiefs, much to the gratification of the whites. This conduct of Tobac was soon followed by the absent chiefs as high up as the old Wea towns along the Wabash country—a stroke of success most auspicious to the future interests of the Americans. Tobac never after broke faith with the whites. These negotiations were followed by other treaties made by Colonel Clark with the tribes westward to the Mississippi, in September. He had always thought that the policy of inviting the Indians to treat, and of cajoling them with presents, was a very questionable one, and his recent observations of the manner of dealing with them by the Spanish and French fully confirmed his views. The Indian barbarian measured every act with the eye of suspicion, and received it with the dissemblance of cunning art. He was ever on the alert for an advantage, and had a quick sense of insight into the ordinary motives of men. The only method to outwit him was for the educated white man to dissemble so deeply and obscurely, that the intuition of the barbarian would be inadequate to fathom the mystery of the motives beyond the surface of words and actions. And, after all, is not this the condition of success in the science of diplomacy between the higher courts of the civilized world, as well as in the rude council chambers of the barbarous tribes in the other extreme? It is the same fallible human nature observed, whether we interpret its expressions behind the elegantly-phrased and refined mannerisms of a Talleyrand, or read through the thinner disguises of an untutored Tobac. We may confide in and respect the one just as we do the other, for all such diplomacy has been conducted mainly to the best advantage for THE INDIANS RENOUNCE THE ENGLISH. 115 the time, to be altered at convenience. Sometimes these rude savages observed with unshaken fidelity, for lifetime, the terms of these treaties. Colonel Clark let the Indians understand that he recognized a state of war yet existing between them and the whites, and that he was ready to wage hostilities or to make peace, as they desired. For himself, he had no terms to offer; that he expected their decision at an early day. Until then, he wished no communication between them and the whites. The Indians soon called a council of chiefs, to which they invited Clark and his officers. As the account of these Indian negotiations is so characteristic and so descriptive of events which reflect the history of all the peoples concerned at this crisis of time, we deem it of interest to give it in full, as vividly described by Butler: "The various parties were assembled, white and red, and the chief who was to open the council, as the Indians were the solicitors, advanced to the table where Colonel Clark was sitting, with the belt of peace in his hand, another with the sacred pipe, and a third with fire to kindle it. After the pipe was lighted it was presented toward the heavens and then toward the earth, and, completing a circle, was presented to all the spirits, invoking them to witness all that was done. It was then presented to Colonel Clark, and afterward to all present in turn. Then the orator chief addressed his people as follows: "Warriors! be thankful that the Great Spirit has taken pity on you, has cleared the sky and opened your eyes and ears, so that you may hear truth. We have been deceived by bad birds flying through the land (the British emissaries), but we will take up the hatchet no more against the Big Knife, and we hope, as the Great Spirit is good, and has brought us together for good, so may we be received as friends, and peace may take the place of the bloody belt.' "The speaker then threw into the middle of the room the bloody belt of wampum, and flags received from the British, and stamped upon them in token of their rejection. To this address, Clark, with guarded and distant manner, replied: "I have paid attention to what has been said, and to-morrow will give an answer to it, when I hope the hearts of all people will be ready to receive the truth; but I recommend all to keep prepared for the result of this council, upon which your very existence as nations depends. I desire that you do not permit any of our people to shake hands with you, as peace is not yet made. It is time enough to give the hand when the heart can be given also.' "One of the chiefs answered: Such sentiments are like men who have but one heart and do not speak with a forked tongue.' "On the following day all again assembled, and Clark delivered the following address, as we take it from his own Memoirs: "Men and warriors! you said yesterday that the Great Spirit had brought us together, and you hoped it was for good, as He was good. So do I, and expect that each party will adhere to whatever is agreed on, whether it be peace or war. I am a man and a warrior, not a councilor. I am sent by the Great Council of the Big Knife and their friends to take possession of all the towns in this country held by the English, and to watch the motions of the red people; to bloody the paths of those who attempt to stop the course of the river, and to clear the roads, that the women and children may walk in them without striking their feet against anything. I am ordered to call on the Great Fire for warriors enough to darken the land, that the red people may hear no sound but of birds who live on blood. The Big Knife is much like the red people; they don't know how to make blankets and powder and cloth; they buy these from the English, from whom they are sprung. They live by making corn, hunting, and trade, as the red men and the French do. The English said we should buy everything from them, and since we got saucy we should give two bucks for a blanket, which we used to get for one; that we should do as they pleased, and killed some of our people to make the rest fear them. This is the cause of the war between them and us. In this way it began, and the English were driven from one place to another until they got weak, and then they hired you red people to fight for them. The Great Spirit got angry at this, and caused your old father, the French king, to join the Big Knife and fight with them against all their enemies. So the English have become as the deer in the woods, and you may see that it is the Great Spirit that has caused your waters to be troubled, because you fought for the people he was mad with. If your women and children now cry, blame yourselves for it, and not the Big Knife. Now, judge who is in the right. I have told you who I am. Here is a bloody belt and a white one; take which you please. Be like men, and don't let your being surrounded by the Big Knife cause you to take up the one belt with your hands, while your hearts take up the other. We will, therefore, part this evening; and when the Great Spirit shall bring us together again, let us speak and think like men with but one heart and one tongue.' "The next day after this speech, a new fire was kindled with more than usual ceremony, and the Indian speaker stepped forward and said: "We ought to be thankful that the Great Spirit has taken pity, and opened our ears and hearts. I paid great attention to what the Great Spirit put into the heart of the Big Knife chief to say to us. We believe the whole to be the truth, as the Big Knife did not speak like any other people we have heard. We have been deceived, and the English have told us lies, just as some of our old men always told us. The English have forts in our country; and if they get strong enough, they will serve the red people as they have treated the Big Knife. We will now call in our warriors, and throw the tomahawk into the river, where it can never be found. We will suffer no more bad birds to fly through the land disquieting the women and children.' ATTEMPT TO ASSASSINATE COLONEL CLARK. 117 "The pipe was again lighted, and presented to all the spirits as witnesses of the transactions; it was smoked, and the council concluded by a shaking of hands all around, white and red. In like manner, with very little variety, treaties were negotiated with many tribes; and with a dignity and importance in their eyes, little inferior to that of the alliance between the United States and France. "Colonel Clark determined not to appear to humor or caress them, and even apologized for making a few presents, on the ground that they had traveled a long way to attend the council, and expended their ammunition and worn out their leggings and moccasins. The Indians were thoroughly overawed by the sweeping successes, and this state of mind was confirmed by the report of spies whom Clark kept among these newly-made friends. Such a sudden and extensive change among the Indians is to be largely attributed to the influence of the French traders and agents; yet it required all the tact to preserve the prestige and authority won, with the meager forces of the commander. The idea of re-enforcements to order, at military headquarters at Falls of Ohio, was constantly kept before the public mind. No fees were exacted in the weekly courts, which were occupied with the business and disputes of the people, under cover of which the provincial officials of the English were accustomed to practice the same extortions, such as irritated and provoked to rebellion the citizens of the American colonies. A friendly correspondence was cultivated with the neighboring representatives of the Spanish Government across the Mississippi. "The incidents of the day were not without their episodes of romance. A band of savages, called Meadow Indians, and made up of straggling adventurers and desperadoes from various tribes—a species of Indian guerrillas-had followed the tribes in, and been promised a large reward if they would assassinate Colonel Clark. For this purpose they had pitched their camp about one hundred yards from the fort, where the commander had his quarters, and on the same side of Cahokia river. This stream was but a few feet deep at this time, and a plot was formed for these Indians to cross over at night, fire their guns in the direction of Indians on the other side, and fly back to Colonel Clark's quarters; and there seek admission on pretense of fleeing from their enemies, and massacre Clark and the little garrison around him. At one o'clock the commander was still awake, and occupied with the multiplied cares of office, when the attempt was made. The Indians discharging their guns, so as to throw suspicion on the other Indians, came running to the American camp for protection, as they said, from their enemies, who had attacked them. The guard, in greater force than was anticipated, presented their arms and checked the fugitives, and compelled them to return to their own camp. The whole town and garrison were now aroused, and the Meadows, whom the guard had recognized by the light of the moon, were sent for. On questioning, they declared it was. their enemies who had fired upon them from across the stream, and they |