EXHIBIT 75.

Report of a Committee on the British Instigation of Indians.1 COMMUNICATED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, JUNE 13, 1812.

Mr. McKee, from the committee to whom was referred so much of the President's message as relates to Indian affairs, reported: That the attention of the committee has been directed to the following inquiries:

Ist. Whether any, and what, agency the subjects of the British Government may have had in exciting the Indians, on the Western frontier, to hostilities against the United States;

2d. The evidence of such hostility, on the part of the Indian tribes, prior to the late campaign on the Wabash;

3d. The orders by which the campaign was authorized and carried on.

The committee have obtained all the evidence within their power, relative to these several inquiries. The documents accompanying the President's message to Congress, of the 11th instant, contain all, and some additional evidence to what had been obtained by the committee, in relation to the first inquiry. Those documents afford evidence as conclusive as the nature of the case can well be supposed to admit of, that the supply of Indian goods furnished at fort Malden, and distributed during the last year by the British agents, in Upper Canada, to the Indian tribes, were more abundant than usual; and it is difficult to account for this extraordinary liberality on any other ground than that of an intention to attach the Indians to the British cause, in the event of a war with the United States.

That the Indian tribes should put to hazard the large annuities which they have been so long in the habit of receiving from the United States; that they should relinquish supplies so necessary to their comfort, if not to their existence, by a hostile conduct, in the absence of all other evidence, is not the least convincing proof that some agency has been employed to stimulate the savages to hostilities; and, having pursued a course of conduct which must lead to a forfeiture of those advantages, renders it at least probable that they had assurances of receiving an equivalent elsewhere.

'American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. I, p. 797.

Additional presents, consisting of arms and ammunition, given at a time when there is evidence that the British were apprised of the hostile disposition of the Indians, accompanied with the speeches addressed to them, exciting disaffection, are of too decisive a character to leave doubt on the subject.

With regard to the second subject of inquiry, the committee are of opinion, that the evidence accompanying this report, together with the official communication made to the Executive, by the British Government, affords such evidence of the hostile views and intentions of the Indians, as to render it the duty of the President of the United States, to use the necessary means of protecting the frontiers from the attack with which they were threatened. Accordingly, in pursuance of the provisions of the act of Congress, entitled "An act for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections, and repel invasions," the Executive ordered the 4th regiment of infantry, with one company of riflemen, under the command of Colonel Boyd, from Pittsburg to Vincennes, subject to the further orders of Governor Harrison, who was authorized, with this force, and such additional number of companies from the militia as should be deemed necessary, to establish a new post on the Wabash, and to march against, and disperse, the armed combination under the Prophet.

These considerations, together with the documents, are respectfully submitted.

[Enclosure 1.]

W. Eustis to Samuel McKee.

WAR DEPARTMENT, December 19th, 1811.

SIR: In answer to the call of the honorable committee of the House of Representatives, contained in your letter of the 25th ultimo, for "all evidence tending to shew what agency the subjects of his Britannic Majesty may have had in exciting the Indians on the Western frontier to hostility with the United States; the evidence of hostility towards the United States, on the part of the Shawanee Prophet, and his tribe, and which, it is presumed, gave rise to the expedition under the command of Governor

Harrison; and the orders, or authority, vested in Governor Harrison by the Government of the United States, under which the expedition is carried on:"

I have the honor to state, that the information received by this Department, relative to the subjects of inquiry, is contained in the correspondence of the Governors of the Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois territories, and of other officers and agents of Government, on the Northern and Western frontier, extracts from which, embracing the objects of inquiry of the honorable committee, together with the memorials of the inhabitants of the Indiana and Illinois territories, are herewith transmitted.

On the information and representation of facts therein contained, the 4th regiment of infantry, with one company of riflemen, under the command of Colonel Boyd, were ordered from Pittsburg to Vincennes, subject to the further orders of Governor Harrison, who was authorized, with this force and such additional number of companies from the militia as should be deemed necessary, to establish a new post on the Wabash, and to march against, and disperse, the armed combination under the Prophet.

I have the honor to be, with great respect, sir, your most obedient servant,

Hon. SAMUEL MCKEE,

Chairman of a Committee H. of R.

W. EUSTIS.

[Enclosure 2.]

Extracts of letters addressed to the War Department.

MICHILIMACKINAC, May 24th, 1807. There appears to be a very general and extensive movement among the savages in this quarter. Belts of wampum are rapidly circulating from one tribe to another, and a spirit is prevailing, by no means pacific. The enclosed talk, which has been industriously spread among them, needs no comment.

There is certainly mischief at the bottom, and there can be no doubt, in my mind, but that the object and intention of this great Manitou, or second Adam, under the pretence of restoring to

the aborigines their former independence, and to the savage character its ancient energies, is, in reality, to induce a general effort to rally, and to strike, somewhere, a desperate blow.

Extract from a talk delivered at Le Maiouitinong, entrance of lake Michigan, by the Indian chief Le Maiquois, or the Trout, May 4th, 1807, as coming from the first man whom God created, said to be now in the Shawanee country, addressed to all the Indian tribes, (referred to above.)

"I am the father of the English, of the French, of the Spaniards, and of the Indians. I created the first man, who was the common father of all these people, as well as yourselves; and it is through him, whom I have awaked from his long sleep, that I now address you. But the Americans I did not make. They are not my children, but the children of the evil spirit. They grew from the scum of the great water, when it was troubled by the evil spirit, and the froth was driven into the woods by a strong east wind. They are numerous, but I hate them.

"MY CHILDREN: You must not speak of this talk to the whites. It must be hidden from them. I am now on the earth, sent by the Great Spirit to instruct you. Each village must send me two or more principal chiefs to represent you, that you may be taught. The bearer of this talk will point out to you the path to my wigwam. I could not come myself to Abre Croche, because the world is changed from what it was. It is broken, and leans down, and, as it declines, the Chippewas, and all beyond, will fall off and die. Therefore, you must come to see me, and be instructed. Those villages which do not listen to this talk, and send me two deputies, will be cut off from the face of the earth!"

MICHILIMACKINAC, August 30th, 1807.

The cause of the hostile feelings, on the part of the Indians, is principally to be attributed to the influence of foreigners trading in the country.

JEFFERSONVILLE, Falls of Ohio, 14th April, 1808.

A young man from the Delaware towns came to inform me, that a Pattawatamy Indian had arrived at the towns, with a speech from the British, in which they were informed that they (the British) were upon the point of commencing hostilities against the United States, and requesting the Delawares to join them.

VINCENNES, May 19th, 1808. The prophet has selected a spot on the upper part of the Wabash, for his future and permanent residence, and has engaged a considerable number of Pattawatamies, Ottawas, Chippewas, and other Northern Indians, to settle there, under his auspices. An intelligent man, who passed, a few weeks ago, through some of the villages of the Pattawatamies that are under the Prophet's influence, says, that they are constantly engaged in what they term religious duties; but that their prayers are always succeeded by, or intermixed with warlike sports.

This combination of religious and warlike exercises, and the choice of weapons of their own manufacture, sufficiently indicates the designs of their author.

ST. LOUIS, April 5th, 1809.

The Indian prophets have been industriously employed, the latter part of the winter and spring, privately counselling with, and attempting to seduce the Kickapoos, Saukeys, and other bands of Indians residing on the Mississippi, and Illinois rivers, to war against the frontiers of this country.

FORT WAYNE, 8th April, 1809.

The Indians appear to be agitated respecting the conduct, and, as they say, the intentions of the Shawanee Prophet. The Chippewas, Ottawas, and Pattawatamies are hurrying away from him, and say that their reason for doing so is, because he has told them to receive the tomahawk from him, and destroy all the white people at Vincennes and Ohio, as low down as the mouth of the Ohio, and as high up as Cincinnati; that the Great Spirit had directed that they should do so, at the same time threatening them with destruction, if they refused to comply with what he proposed.

ST. LOUIS, April 30th, 1809.

I have the honor to enclose you a copy of a letter, which confirms my suspicions of the British interference with our Indian affairs in this country. (Extract from the enclosed letter:) "I am at present in the fire, receiving Indian news every day. A chief of the Puant nation appears to be employed by the British to get all the nations of Indians to Detroit, to see their fathers, the British, who tell them that they pity them in their situation with