Copy. SIR, EXHIBIT 86. Joseph Brant to Sir John Johnson.1 NASSAU, 8th November 1790. The death of my friend Captain David I dare say you have ere this heard of, he has left a wife and young family for the support of which, I hope Government will consider the Services of the Father, and be pleased to make the Widow some small allowance for her Children's maintenance, be assured many less deserving has been provided for by Government-I therefore as a friend and Brother to the deceased request Your Interest in behalf of procuring something if Ever so little it will always be found beneficial in a large family and will be ever gratefully acknowledged. A few days agone we were informed by different Vessels from Detroit that a Body of Two thousand five hundred Americans was then near the Miamies Villages, which (Villages) the Indians upon the News of their Approach together with what Coin could not be carried off, Burnt and otherways destroyed, on the 23rd Ulto. a Party of one thousand on Horseback Advanced in order to Surprize the Village, of which the Indians had timely notice and Received them when little expected, and obliged them to retreat to their Main Body without having effected their Intention-Some days after there was another Engagement in which the Indians were again Successful, in the different Engagements the Loss of the Americans is Supposed to be near nine hundred, and that of the Indians ten killed and fifteen wounded-the Indians had when the last accounts came from there, still kept their own Ground and are in high Spirits. Parties joining them daily and numbers more on their march. I propose sending off four men in order to procure certain intelligence and condole with them by which they may See that we are Steady in our friendship, after our men may Return I shall write you the particulars although I should suppose Col. McKee wrote You on this head. I cannot think of finishing my Letter without touching a little on Politics, as I have ever spoken freely on matters in which the 'Canadian Archives, Q. 50, p. 57. public was any ways interested and have ever disapproved of its being recommended to the Six Nations to remain on the Lands they are now on, and not to Cross to this side of the River in order to Settle, the Evil of which may at present not appear, but be assured that time will point out the Error, their being settled on Government lands was surely strengthening the British Interest in this part of the Country-The Americans in order to Engage them have had tracts Surveyed on purpose for them to settle amongst them, which is in my opinion lessening the Safeguard that Niagara has always had, if they had been settled on the Lands allotted us by Government, this Settlement might have ever rested in Security, having their frontier well guarded, those things perhaps may never strike you in the same light with me, but whether or not, I have only taken the Liberty to give You this little of my opinion on the subject. From my disagreeable Situation at present when I know the Enemy are in the Country of our Allies, would wish to have your Opinion and Advice by the Earliest opportunity, as I expect we will receive a Message from that Country, and Your advice I could wish for before I take any active part. In Lord Dorchester's to Mr. Grenville No. 79 of the 23d Jany., 1791. Copy. DEAR SIR: EXHIBIT 87. John Butler to Sir John Johnson.1 NIAGARA, 20th May 1791. Since I had the honor of writing you last a good deal of Indian Business at Buffalo Creek has been in agitation, which required the Chiefs to send for me to attend their Council, the proceedings of which I have the honor to enclose herewith. About three weeks ago a Colonel Proctor arrived there accompanied by a Frenchman called Capt. Houdin and O'Bale, with some of the Seneca's that adhere to him, they left Philadelphia about the Middle of last March and have brought a number of Papers, Speeches &c. from Washington and the Secretary at War addressed to different Nations of Indians, those to the Six Nations, I have got but being so voluminous and Colonel Gordon requiring a copy, I fear they cannot be ready, for you by this Vessel, but shall be sent in the very next which will be in three days. Col. Proctor's instructions are from I. Knox Secretary of War by which he is to take the Six Nations by the hand to accompany him to the Westward, and to take all those Nations to Governor Sinclair to Fort Washington on the Ohio, to meet in Council there, but his Speeches are so haughty and inflamatory, that in my opinion they cannot be delivered to those Indians already so much enraged, without great risque to himself and failing of his object— It is well known that Nothing is to be got by threatening these People. The object of his Business with the Six Nations is not yet compleated, but I am since informed that the Cow Killer with some Seneca's and two Onondagas have agreed to accompany him, the Chiefs from Buffalo Creek have proposed a Council at this place respecting these Matters. I expect them to morrow and shall take the Earliest opportunity of reporting to you their proceedings, until this Council takes place nothing can be said with certainty as to the part they mean to Act. 'Canadian Archives, Q. 50, p. 215. As my private Affairs will require my presence in Montreal, I have to request your permission to go down, for that purpose as I imagine after the meeting there will be little or nothing to detain me. I have the honor to be Dr. Sir with great respect your very obedt. Servant Sir John Johnson. Bart. Indorsed. 37. D. In Lord Dorchester's to Lord Grenville No. 84 of the 14 June, 1791. No. 12. EXHIBIT 88. Peter Russell to the Duke of Portland.1 MY LORD DUKE, UPPER CANADA 21st July 1797. After I had applied to your Grace for Instructions respecting the Request made to me by Captain Joseph Brant in behalf of the five Nations, I did not judge myself at liberty to come to any Decision upon it before I might be honored with your Grace's answer. In daily Expectation therefore of receiving your Grace's Commands, I had done all in my power to evade that chief's frequent Importunities, without affording him a feasible pretext for being offended. But the month of May beginning to draw to a Conclusion, by which time I had flattered him with Hopes of your Grace's Answer; and having towards that period received a letter from General Prescott, accompanying the Copy of one to His Excellency from Mr. Liston of a very alarming tendency (both of them urging very strongly the necessity of my bringing about a speedy & final adjustment of Brant's Claims in behalf of himself & the five Nations); and these being strengthened by Rumors, which reached me every day from all Quarters, indicatory of an approaching Attack 'Canadian Archives, Q. 283, p. 153. from the French & Spaniards by the Mississippi, wherein I might most probably want every Indian Assistance I could procure; I could no longer resist the advice of my friends to summon a full Council, that I might take their Opinion upon the propriety of my coming to a Decision upon this important Question before my Receipt of your Grace's Answers to my Letters. The Council met accordingly on the 29th of June-And it being their unanimous opinion that I was not only justifiable in coming to an immediate Decision; but that I ought even to comply with the request of the five Nations to the Extent & in the manner they might think proper; I wrote to Captain Brant on the 3rd inst. to signify my readiness to comply with the Wishes of the five Nations, whenever they should describe to me the land they wanted to dispose of, and the names of the Persons to whom they had sold it, upon making a previous Surrender to His Majesty of the Part to be alienated,-intimating at the same time the necessity for the Parties taking the Oaths prescribed by Law, and my Expectation that they would pay the fees of Office for their respective Deeds of Conveyance. The Copy of this Letter, which is inclosed with the continuance of my Correspondence with Captain Brant for your Grace's Information, will mark to your Grace the Spirit of Conciliation in which it was written; and I am persuaded that your Grace will be equally surprised with myself, that, so far from having given the Satisfaction I had reason to expect, that Chief appears (by his answer and a letter he wrote at the same time to the Acting Surveyor General) inclined to make it the Pretext of a Quarrel. Upon recollecting therefore the Speech this Chief had made to Captain Claus in November last & his Conversation with Mr. Justice Powell transmitted to your Grace in my Dispatch No. 7, the very extraordinary Language he held at his Inn in Philadelphia, and the Information given by an Indian to Mr. Welch of his having intimated to his People on his Return the possibility of their being yet forced to join the French; I felt myself justified in entertaining apprehensions that his Attachment to Great Britain was not very much to be depended upon. This however I judged best to keep to myself, and proposed to explain the Paragraph of my letter which seemed to have given Offence in such a way, as might preclude |