the political chief of the Creek nations, and the most numerous body of Indians on the continent, and at this interview there were thirty-two of the most principal chiefs. Everything being most amicably adjusted at this treaty, they are now become the established friends of the United States, and have firmly engaged themselves to act as our allies in offensive and defensive wars, as the nature of the case will require. Moreover, as they had journeyed far from their own country, not less than sixteen hundred miles, that, to save them the trouble of returning the same way, an American vessel was properly equipped for their accommodation, and conducted them, fully satisfied, to their own country. And here I was happy to have it in my power to give a more recent proof to the Six Nations, of the great justice done them, by the President of the United States, in the late negotiation had with him by Cornplanter, and others, at Philadelphia; to evidence which, no greater testimony can be given than what I have produced this day, in the hearing of this large assembly. And that nothing more remained, at this time, to be done, but for the chiefs of the Six Nations to evidence their attachment to the United States, by their speedily proceeding forward with me to the unfriendly Indians, and assisting me by the same to inform their minds, to reclaim them from the murders and thefts which they were daily committing upon the defenceless inhabitants near the Ohio, &c. &c. &c. By this, they might have an early caution what must be the consequence, should they refuse to accept the terms of peace, and the proffered mercy of the United States, before that a decisive blow be levelled at those misguided people, and which cannot be far off, if they persist in their cruelties. Moreover, that it is a business worthy the attention of the Six Nations, nay, of all good men, both of the Indians and of the whites; and the speedier their determination might be made known to me the better, so that we might go on to the accomplishment of this good work, thereby to preserve hundreds of our fellow men on both sides. The reply of Red Jacket to the foregoing, as it will come more proper in this place, I here insert it at its full length: "BROTHER FROM PENNSYLVANIA: We have heard all that you have said to us, and by which you have informed that you are going to the bad Indians to make peace with them, and that you are sent to us to receive our assistance. Now we must consider the matter thoroughly, and to choose which way we must go, whether by land or by water. You likewise tell us, that you have messages to the Wyandots, and to Captain Snake, of the Delawares; and that they are to take hold of you and us by the hands, and go to the bad Indian nations with us; and this, also, we must consider of thoroughly: for we find that all our Six Nations are not present; and, as our brother, Captain Powell, of the British, is here, and true to us, for he is with us at every treaty, we must let you know that we shall move our councilfire to Niagara with him, and that you must go with us to-morrow, as far as Captain Powell's house. And, as soon as we can know what time we can reach Niagara, we will send runners off to the fort, to acquaint the commanding officer of the garrison. And now the council want to have your answer. I did not long hesitate to make answer, in what I deemed a very unwarrantable request; and particularly so from a people that have received so many marks of gratitude and attention from the Government of the United States. I therefore addressed myself to the council, and acquainted them that I had the honor of receiving my instructions and messages for the Six Nations of Indians from the honorable the Secretary of War of the United States of America, by the advice of his Excellency the President thereof; that, by those instructions, I was ordered to proceed to the council-fire of the Six Nations, where it should be deemed proper and advisable to light the same. This is, therefore, the place I have been led to by some of your principal chiefs; and upon my account, and the messages I have for your nations, this council-fire has been lighted; this being truly the case; and that my errand here was to invite you to send with me some of your head-men and warriors into the nation of the unfriendly Indians, as proposed at Philadelphia to the Secretary of War, by your chiefs (who are present. That, on my coming thus far, I am certain to be in the line of my duty; but to move from hence, with this council-fire, to Niagara, a British garrison, there to transact important business, in which the United States were concerned, is of such a nature, that neither my principles nor commission would warrant me in such a transaction. Therefore I should decline to accompany them; adding, that, if the Six Nations were so far obligated that they must have the particular counsel and advice of any person or persons at Niagara, let them be sent for to this council, so that the result of such deliberations might be done openly at this place; and that my desires were, that this fire should not be quenched until the intentions of the Six Nations. were fully made known to me, so that I might lay the same in form before the Secretary of War, by him to be laid before General Washington, the Chief of the Thirteen Fires. A silence for some time pervaded the whole of the council; after which, Red Jacket and the Farmer's Brother spoke to the council by turns; the result of it being, that a runner must be immediately sent to Niagara, to request the attendance of Colonel Butler, &c. to meet them in their council as soon as he could make it convenient. The foregoing speech of Red Jacket, as done by the advice of the Young King and Fish Carrier, (for they sat on either side of him, and prompted) plainly demonstrates, that the most of the chiefs of the Six Nations are under the influence of the British; as no business of consequence will be undertaken, to the advantage of the United States, but what must first be sifted by British counsel. These suggestions, which were pressed on my mind at this time, gave me to fear that I should not meet the wished for assistance that I had a right to expect from the Six Nations; but fully determined to persevere in my endeavors, till I should gain the summit of difficulty, which I saw arranged before me. April 30th.-No business this day, but private counselling among themselves. In the evening, Captain Powell invited me to go with him to a store, about four miles distant, in which he was interested, and his partner who kept it a Mr. Cornelius Winney, of Fish Kills. With the last named gentleman I staid 'till the Monday following, through a very pressing and polite invitation, which at length I accepted of, being lame, and much indisposed, through fatigue and change of diet, such as from poor, to exceeding poor indeed; but with him there was plenty of every necessary, and given with so good a grace that I shall seek occasion to return the compliment. May 2d. No further business with me, but the Indians still continue their councils, keeping their fire burning, waiting the arrival of Colonel Butler, and, by information which I received, that leaked out of the cabinet of the Sachems, the council were much divided upon my account. About two in the afternoon, a messenger arrived from Niagara, informing them, that Colonel Butler &c. had set out from Niagara, for this place. Among other circumstances in their private council, by the friends to the British interest, that the place where I was desirous they should accompany me was on the verge of the ocean; that it would take them twelve months to reach the place of treaty; but those falsities were soon explained to my friends, and through which, I plainly showed them, by my draughts, that the distance from hence, to fort Washington, did not amount to six hundred miles, and that half that distance we should go by the waters of lake Erie, and that, when I was satisfied of their going with me, I would charter one of the trading vessels on the lake for that purpose. May 3d.-Finding, upon inquiry, that there was no general council to be held this day, waiting the coming of Colonel Butler, I sent the interpreter to invite the chiefs to my cabin, as I had some matters to communicate to them, previous to their going to general council. They soon attended me, and I took the opportunity to open my map before them, and showed, from our situation at Buffalo, the trace we should make into the Miami nation; from thence to fort Washington, on the Ohio; the first, by a transport on lake Erie, to the mouth of the Miami, which, with any thing of a fair wind, could be completed in less than two days and two nights. From the mouth of the Miami to the Messasagoe nation, situate on the same, and from thence to the Miami and Wabash tribes, at such place where they might generally be assembled; plainly demonstrating, to their satisfaction, that the whole tour could be performed in a short time; and, therefore, enjoined them, under the friendship which they professed to bear to the Thirteen Fires, that they would, in their next council, promote and further my business, that I came to receive their assistance to perform; so that I might go on my journey, without farther hesitation, as my orders were, not to remain at any council longer than two or three days, if I could possibly do otherwise; so that it might be reasonably expected, that my stay here could not be much longer, this being the seventh day since. my arrival. I hoped, therefore, they would not be silent with me longer, as I plainly saw they were not to exercise their own opinions but on the opinion of the British agent. These remarks I made, with intention that they should feel the force of my observations; upon which, Red Jacket desired that I should hear him speak; as I had been speaking a long time. "Tell him, said he, (speaking to the interpreter) that some of his language is soft, but that other parts of it are too strong; for the danger that is before us is great, and our enemies are drunk; and they will not hear what we say, like a man that is sober, and we consider that, whatever number of the Six Nations accompany him, will be in the same danger with himself, and it is likely that we shall not live long, when the bad Indians shall see us. Therefore, as it is a business of such great weight to us, we must take counsel, in order to save ourselves, and him, from falling by their hands. Moreover, the Indians are not like white men: for they must think a great while. He must therefore attend our councils, and look and hear till we shall speak on his business; and to-morrow our head-men will meet together, and try what can be done." While we were in conversation together, a runner came to the Young King, acquainting him that Colonel Butler, with several officers, from Niagara, had arrived at the store house, on lake Erie, where, Colonel Butler desired, that the sachems and headmen of the nations should meet him in the morning; but did not advise that I should attend with them. This, the Young King desired, might be told to me, that I might know that Colonel Butler had called them together. The circumstance of their moving the council fire from hence to lake Erie, had never been attempted before, and may with propriety be said, that, their being called together without my being to be present, was intended to answer some private purpose; perhaps to damp the ardor of such friends as I might have gained among the Indians, through the fair and honorable statements which I had laid before them in their councils. Since the dusk of the night, Captain O'Beel has called a meeting of the chiefs, at the cabin of Cayassutta, as I understood it, to advise them not to do any thing to injure me, in the business I had to do with them. In the course of this day, Captains Half-Town and Big-Tree, and several of the head-men and warriors from O'Beel's town, and Cattaragus, about sixty in number, and Captain Snake, with about forty of the Delawares, arrived, attended by many of their women, youth &c. By invitation, I dined this day (in company with Captain Houdin,) with the principal chief of the Onandago nation, named Big Sky. |