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diff --git a/15522.txt b/15522.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..121aaee --- /dev/null +++ b/15522.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3560 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The War Chief of the Ottawas, by Thomas Guthrie Marquis + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The War Chief of the Ottawas + A Chronicle of the Pontiac War: Volume 15 (of 32) in the + series Chronicles of Canada + +Author: Thomas Guthrie Marquis + +Release Date: April 2, 2005 [EBook #15522] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAR CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS *** + + + + +This etext was produced by Gardner Buchanan. + + + + + +CHRONICLES OF CANADA +Edited by George M. Wrong and H. H. Langton +In thirty-two volumes + +Volume 15 + + +THE WAR CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS +A Chronicle of the Pontiac War + +By THOMAS GUTHRIE MARQUIS +TORONTO, 1915 + + +CONTENTS + +I. THE TIMES AND THE MEN +II. PONTIAC AND THE TRIBES OF THE HINTERLAND +III. THE GATHERING STORM +IV. THE SIEGE OF DETROIT +V. THE FALL OF THE LESSER FORTS +VI. THE RELIEF OF FORT PITT +VII. DETROIT ONCE MORE +VIII. WINDING UP THE INDIAN WAR +BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE + + + + +CHAPTER I + +THE TIMES AND THE MEN + +There was rejoicing throughout the Thirteen Colonies, in +the month of September 1760, when news arrived of the +capitulation of Montreal. Bonfires flamed forth and +prayers were offered up in the churches and meeting-houses +in gratitude for deliverance from a foe that for over a +hundred years had harried and had caused the Indians to +harry the frontier settlements. The French armies were +defeated by land; the French fleets were beaten at sea. +The troops of the enemy had been removed from North +America, and so powerless was France on the ocean that, +even if success should crown her arms on the European +continent, where the Seven Years' War was still raging, +it would be impossible for her to transport a new force +to America. The principal French forts in America were +occupied by British troops. Louisbourg had been razed to +the ground; the British flag waved over Quebec, Montreal, +and Niagara, and was soon to be raised on all the lesser +forts in the territory known as Canada. The Mississippi +valley from the Illinois river southward alone remained +to France. Vincennes on the Wabash and Fort Chartres on +the Mississippi were the only posts in the hinterland +occupied by French troops. These posts were under the +government of Louisiana; but even these the American +colonies were prepared to claim, basing the right on +their 'sea to sea' charters. + +The British in America had found the strip of land between +the Alleghanies and the Atlantic far too narrow for a +rapidly increasing population, but their advance westward +had been barred by the French. Now, praise the Lord, the +French were out of the way, and American traders and +settlers could exploit the profitable fur-fields and the +rich agricultural lands of the region beyond the mountains. +True, the Indians were there, but these were not regarded +as formidable foes. There was no longer any occasion to +consider the Indians--so thought the colonists and the +British officers in America. The red men had been a force +to be reckoned with only because the French had supplied +them with the sinews of war, but they might now be treated +like other denizens of the forest--the bears, the wolves, +and the wild cats. For this mistaken policy the British +colonies were to pay a heavy price. + +The French and the Indians, save for one exception, had +been on terms of amity from the beginning. The reason +for this was that the French had treated the Indians with +studied kindness. The one exception was the Iroquois +League or Six Nations. Champlain, in the first years of +his residence at Quebec, had joined the Algonquins and +Hurons in an attack on them, which they never forgot; +and, in spite of the noble efforts of French missionaries +and a lavish bestowal of gifts, the Iroquois thorn remained +in the side of New France. But with the other Indian +tribes the French worked hand in hand, with the Cross +and the priest ever in advance of the trader's pack. +French missionaries were the first white men to settle +in the populous Huron country near Lake Simcoe. A missionary +was the first European to catch a glimpse of Georgian +Bay, and a missionary was probably the first of the French +race to launch his canoe on the lordly Mississippi. As +a father the priest watched over his wilderness flock; +while the French traders fraternized with the red men, +and often mated with dusky beauties. Many French traders, +according to Sir William Johnson--a good authority, of +whom we shall learn more later-were 'gentlemen in manners, +character, and dress,' and they treated the natives +kindly. At the great centres of trade--Montreal, Three +Rivers, and Quebec--the chiefs were royally received with +roll of drum and salute of guns. The governor himself +--the 'Big Mountain,' as they called him--would extend +to them a welcoming hand and take part in their feastings +and councils. At the inland trading-posts the Indians +were given goods for their winter hunts on credit and +loaded with presents by the officials. To such an extent +did the custom of giving presents prevail that it became +a heavy tax on the treasury of France, insignificant, +however, compared with the alternative of keeping in the +hinterland an armed force. The Indians, too, had fought +side by side with the French in many notable engagements. +They had aided Montcalm, and had assisted in such triumphs +as the defeat of Braddock. They were not only friends of +the French; they were sword companions. + +The British colonists could not, of course, entertain +friendly feelings towards the tribes which sided with +their enemies and often devastated their homes and murdered +their people. But it must be admitted that, from the +first, the British in America were far behind the French +in christianlike conduct towards the native races. The +colonial traders generally despised the Indians and +treated them as of commercial value only, as gatherers +of pelts, and held their lives in little more esteem than +the lives of the animals that yielded the pelts. The +missionary zeal of New England, compared with that of +New France, was exceedingly mild. Rum was a leading +article of trade. The Indians were often cheated out of +their furs; in some instances they were slain and their +packs stolen. Sir William Johnson described the British +traders as 'men of no zeal or capacity: men who even +sacrifice the credit of the nation to the basest purposes.' +There were exceptions, of course, in such men as Alexander +Henry and Johnson himself, who, besides being a wise +official and a successful military commander, was one of +the leading traders. + +No sooner was New France vanquished than the British +began building new forts and blockhouses in the hinterland. +[Footnote: By the hinterland is meant, of course, the +regions beyond the zone of settlement; roughly, all west +of Montreal and the Alleghanies.] Since the French were +no longer to be reckoned with, why were these forts +needed? Evidently, the Indians thought, to keep the red +children in subjection and to deprive them of their +hunting-grounds! The gardens they saw in cultivation +about the forts were to them the forerunners of general +settlement. The French had been content with trade; the +British appropriated lands for farming, and the coming +of the white settler meant the disappearance of game. +Indian chiefs saw in these forts and cultivated strips +of land a desire to exterminate the red man and steal +his territory; and they were not far wrong. + +Outside influences, as well, were at work among the +Indians. Soon after the French armies departed, the +inhabitants along the St Lawrence had learned to welcome +the change of government. They were left to cultivate +their farms in peace. The tax-gatherer was no longer +squeezing from them their last sou as in the days of +Bigot; nor were their sons, whose labour was needed on +the farms and in the workshops, forced to take up arms. +They had peace and plenty, and were content. But in the +hinterland it was different. At Detroit, Michilimackinac, +and other forts were French trading communities, which, +being far from the seat of war and government, were slow +to realize that they were no longer subjects of the French +king. Hostile themselves, these French traders naturally +encouraged the Indians in an attitude of hostility to +the incoming British. They said that a French fleet and +army were on their way to Canada to recover the territory. +Even if Canada were lost, Louisiana was still French, +and, if only the British could be kept out of the west, +the trade that had hitherto gone down the St Lawrence +might now go by way of the Mississippi. + +The commander-in-chief of the British forces in North +America, Sir Jeffery Amherst, despised the red men. They +were 'only fit to live with the inhabitants of the woods, +being more nearly allied to the Brute than to the Human +creation.' Other British officers had much the same +attitude. Colonel Henry Bouquet, on a suggestion made to +him by Amherst that blankets infected with small-pox +might be distributed to good purpose among the savages, +not only fell in with Amherst's views, but further proposed +that dogs should be used to hunt them down. 'You will do +well,' Amherst wrote to Bouquet, 'to try to inoculate +the Indians by means of Blankets as well as to try every +other method that can serve to extirpate this Execrable +Race. I should be very glad if your scheme for hunting +them down by dogs could take effect, but England is at +too great a Distance to think of that at present.' And +Major Henry Gladwyn, who, as we shall see, gallantly held +Detroit through months of trying siege, thought that the +unrestricted sale of rum among the Indians would extirpate +them more quickly than powder and shot, and at less cost. + +There was, however, one British officer, at least, in +America who did not hold such views towards the natives +of the soil. Sir William Johnson, through his sympathy +and generosity, had won the friendship of the Six Nations, +the most courageous and the most cruel of the Indian +tribes. [Footnote: For more about Sir William Johnson +see _The War Chief of the Six Nations_ in this Series.] +It has been said by a recent writer that Johnson was 'as +much Indian as white man.' [Footnote: Lucas's _A History +of Canada, 1763-1812_, p. 58.] Nothing could be more +misleading. Johnson was simply an enlightened Irishman +of broad sympathies who could make himself at home in +palace, hut, or wigwam. He was an astute diplomatist, +capable of winning his point in controversy with the most +learned and experienced legislators of the colonies, a +successful military leader, a most successful trader; +and there was probably no more progressive and scientific +farmer in America. He had a cultivated mind; the orders +he sent to London for books show that he was something +of a scholar and in his leisure moments given to serious +reading. His advice to the lords of trade regarding +colonial affairs was that of a statesman. He fraternized +with the Dutch settlers of his neighbourhood and with +the Indians wherever he found them. At Detroit, in 1761, +he entered into the spirit of the French settlers and +joined with enthusiasm in their feasts and dances. He +was one of those rare characters who can be all things +to all men and yet keep an untarnished name. The Indians +loved him as a firm friend, and his home was to them +Liberty Hall. But for this man the Indian rising against +British rule would have attained greater proportions. At +the critical period he succeeded in keeping the Six +Nations loyal, save for the Senecas. This was most +important; for had the Six Nations joined in the war +against the British, it is probable that not a fort west +of Montreal would have remained standing. The line of +communication between Albany and Oswego would have been cut, +provisions and troops could not have been forwarded, and, +inevitably, both Niagara and Detroit would have fallen. + +But as it was, the Pontiac War proved serious enough. It +extended as far north as Sault Ste Marie and as far south +as the borders of South Carolina and Georgia. Detroit +was cut off for months; the Indians drove the British +from all other points on the Great Lakes west of Lake +Ontario; for a time they triumphantly pushed their +war-parties, plundering and burning and murdering, from +the Mississippi to the frontiers of New York. During the +year 1763 more British lives were lost in America than +in the memorable year of 1759, the year of the siege of +Quebec and the world-famous battle of the Plains of Abraham. + + + + +CHAPTER II + +PONTIAC AND THE TRIBES OF THE HINTERLAND + +Foremost among the Indian leaders was Pontiac, the +over-chief of the Ottawa Confederacy. It has been customary +to speak of this chief as possessed of 'princely grandeur' +and as one 'honoured and revered by his subjects.' But +it was not by a display of princely dignity or by inspiring +awe and reverence that he influenced his bloodthirsty +followers. His chief traits were treachery and cruelty, +and his pre-eminence in these qualities commanded their +respect. His conduct of the siege of Detroit, as we shall +see, was marked by duplicity and diabolic savagery. He +has often been extolled for his skill as a military +leader, and there is a good deal in his siege of Detroit +and in the murderous ingenuity of some of his raids to +support this view. But his principal claim to distinction +is due to his position as the head of a confederacy +--whereas the other chiefs in the conflict were merely +leaders of single tribes--and to the fact that he was +situated at the very centre of the theatre of war. News +from Detroit could be quickly heralded along the canoe +routes and forest trails to the other tribes, and it thus +happened that when Pontiac struck, the whole Indian +country rose in arms. But the evidence clearly shows +that, except against Detroit and the neighbouring +blockhouses, he had no part in planning the attacks. +The war as a whole was a leaderless war. + +Let us now look for a moment at the Indians who took part +in the war. Immediately under the influence of Pontiac +were three tribes--the Ottawas, the Chippewas, and the +Potawatomis. These had their hunting-grounds chiefly in +the Michigan peninsula, and formed what was known as the +Ottawa Confederacy or the Confederacy of the Three Fires. +It was at the best a loose confederacy, with nothing of +the organized strength of the Six Nations. The Indians +in it were of a low type--sunk in savagery and superstition. +A leader such as Pontiac naturally appealed to them. They +existed by hunting and fishing--feasting to-day and +famishing to-morrow--and were easily roused by the hope +of plunder. The weakly manned forts containing the white +man's provisions, ammunition, and traders' supplies were +an attractive lure to such savages. Within the confederacy, +however, there were some who did not rally round Pontiac. +The Ottawas of the northern part of Michigan, under the +influence of their priest, remained friendly to the +British. Including the Ottawas and Chippewas of the Ottawa +and Lake Superior, the confederates numbered many thousands; +yet at no time was Pontiac able to command from among +them more than one thousand warriors. + +In close alliance with the Confederacy of the Three Fires +were the tribes dwelling to the west of Lake Michigan--the +Menominees, the Winnebagoes, and the Sacs and Foxes. These +tribes could put into the field about twelve hundred +warriors; but none of them took part in the war save in +one instance, when the Sacs, moved by the hope of plunder, +assisted the Chippewas in the capture of Fort Michilimackinac. + +The Wyandots living on the Detroit river were a remnant +of the ancient Hurons of the famous mission near Lake +Simcoe. For more than a century they had been bound to +the French by ties of amity. They were courageous, +intelligent, and in every way on a higher plane of life +than the tribes of the Ottawa Confederacy. Their two +hundred and fifty braves were to be Pontiac's most +important allies in the siege of Detroit. + +South of the Michigan peninsula, about the head-waters +of the rivers Maumee and Wabash, dwelt the Miamis, +numbering probably about fifteen hundred. Influenced by +French traders and by Pontiac's emissaries, they took to +the war-path, and the British were thus cut off from the +trade-route between Lake Erie and the Ohio. + +The tribes just mentioned were all that came under the +direct influence of Pontiac. Farther south were other +nations who were to figure in the impending struggle. +The Wyandots of Sandusky Bay, at the south-west corner +of Lake Erie, had about two hundred warriors, and were +in alliance with the Senecas and Delawares. Living near +Detroit, they were able to assist in Pontiac's siege. +Directly south of these, along the Scioto, dwelt the +Shawnees--the tribe which later gave birth to the great +Tecumseh--with three hundred warriors. East of the +Shawnees, between the Muskingum and the Ohio, were the +Delawares. At one time this tribe had lived on both sides +of the Delaware river in Pennsylvania and New York, and +also in parts of New Jersey and Delaware. They called +themselves _Leni-Lenape_, real men; but were, nevertheless, +conquered by the Iroquois, who 'made women' of them, +depriving them of the right to declare war or sell land +without permission. Later, through an alliance with the +French, they won back their old independence. But they +lay in the path of white settlement, and were ousted from +one hunting-ground after another, until finally they had +to seek homes beyond the Alleghanies. The British had +robbed the Delawares of their ancient lands, and the +Delawares hated with an undying hatred the race that had +injured them. They mustered six hundred warriors. + +Almost directly south of Fort Niagara, by the upper waters +of the Genesee and Alleghany rivers, lay the homes of +the Senecas, one of the Six Nations. This tribe looked +upon the British settlers in the Niagara region as +squatters on their territory. It was the Senecas, not +Pontiac, who began the plot for the destruction of the +British in the hinterland, and in the war which followed +more than a thousand Seneca warriors took part. Happily, +as has been mentioned, Sir William Johnson was able to +keep the other tribes of the Six Nations loyal to the +British; but the 'Door-keepers of the Long House,' as +the Senecas were called, stood aloof and hostile. + +The motives of the Indians in the rising of 1763 may, +therefore, be summarized as follows: amity with the +French, hostility towards the British, hope of plunder, +and fear of aggression. The first three were the controlling +motives of Pontiac's Indians about Detroit. They called +it the 'Beaver War.' To them it was a war on behalf of +the French traders, who loaded them with gifts, and +against the British, who drove them away empty-handed. +But the Senecas and the Delawares, with their allies of +the Ohio valley, regarded it as a war for their lands. +Already the Indians had been forced out of their +hunting-grounds in the valleys of the Juniata and the +Susquehanna. The Ohio valley would be the next to go, +unless the Indians went on the war-path. The chiefs there +had good reason for alarm. Not so Pontiac at Detroit, +because no settlers were invading his hunting-grounds. +And it was for this lack of a strong motive that Pontiac's +campaign, as will hereafter appear, broke down before +the end of the war; that even his own confederates deserted +him; and that, while the Senecas and Delawares were still +holding out, he was wandering through the Indian country +in a vain endeavour to rally his scattered warriors. + + + + +CHAPTER III + +THE GATHERING STORM + +When Montreal capitulated, and the whole of Canada passed +into British hands, it was the duty of Sir Jeffery Amherst, +the commander-in-chief, to arrange for the defence of +the country that had been wrested from France. General +Gage was left in command at Montreal, Colonel Burton at +Three Rivers, and General Murray at Quebec. Amherst +himself departed for New York in October, and never again +visited Canada. Meanwhile provision had been made, though +quite inadequate, to garrison the long chain of forts +[Footnote: See the accompanying map. Except for these +forts or trading-posts, the entire region west of Montreal +was at this time practically an unbroken wilderness. +There were on the north shore of the St Lawrence a few +scattered settlements, on Ile Perrot and at Vaudreuil, +and on the south shore at the Cedars and Chateauguay; +but anything like continuity of settlement westward ceased +with the island of Montreal.] that had been established +by the French in the vaguely defined Indian territory to +the west. The fortunes of war had already given the +British command of the eastern end of this chain. Fort +Levis, on what is now Chimney Island, a few miles east +of Ogdensburg, had been captured. Fort Frontenac had been +destroyed by Bradstreet, and was left without a garrison. +British troops were in charge of Fort Oswego, which had +been built in 1759. Niagara, the strongest fort on the +Great Lakes, had been taken by Sir William Johnson. Near +it were two lesser forts, one at the foot of the rapids, +where Lewiston now stands, and the other, Fort Schlosser, +on the same side of the river, above the falls. Forts +Presqu'isle, Le Boeuf, and Venango, on the trade-route +between Lake Erie and Fort Pitt, and Fort Pitt itself, +were also occupied. But all west of Fort Pitt was to the +British unknown country. Sandusky, at the south-west end +of Lake Erie; Detroit, guarding the passage between Lakes +Erie and St Clair; Miami and Ouiatanon, on the trade-route +between Lake Erie and the Wabash; Michilimackinac, at +the entrance to Lake Michigan; Green Bay (La Baye), at +the southern end of Green Bay; St Joseph, on Lake Michigan; +Sault Ste Marie, at the entrance to Lake Superior--all +were still commanded by French officers, as they had been +under New France. + +The task of raising the British flag over these forts +was entrusted to Major Robert Rogers of New England, who +commanded Rogers's Rangers, a famous body of +Indian-fighters. On September 13, 1760, with two hundred +Rangers in fifteen whale-boats, Rogers set out from +Montreal. On November 7 the contingent without mishap +reached a river named by Rogers the Chogage, evidently +the Cuyahoga, on the south shore of Lake Erie. Here the +troops landed, probably on the site of the present city +of Cleveland; and Rogers was visited by a party of Ottawa +Indians, whom he told of the conquest of Canada and of +the retirement of the French armies from the country. He +added that his force had been sent by the commander-in-chief +to take over for their father, the king of England, the +western posts still held by French soldiers. He then +offered them a peace-belt, which they accepted, and +requested them to go with him to Detroit to take part in +the capitulation and 'see the truth' of what he had said. +They promised to give him an answer next morning. The +calumet was smoked by the Indians and the officers in +turn; but a careful guard was kept, as Rogers was suspicious +of the Indians. In the morning, however, they returned +with a favourable reply, and the younger warriors of the +band agreed to accompany their new friends. Owing to +stormy weather nearly a week passed--the Indians keeping +the camp supplied with venison and turkey, for which +Rogers paid them liberally--before the party, on November +12, moved forward towards Detroit. + +Detroit was at this time under the command of the Sieur +de Beletre, or Bellestre. This officer had been in charge +of the post since 1758 and had heard nothing of the +surrender of Montreal. Rogers, to pave the way; sent one +of his men in advance with a letter to Beletre notifying +him that the western posts now belonged to King George +and informing him that he was approaching with a letter +from the Marquis de Vaudreuil and a copy of the +capitulation. Beletre was irritated; the French armies +had been defeated and he was about to lose his post. He +at first refused to believe the tidings; and it appears +that he endeavoured to rouse the inhabitants and Indians +about Detroit to resist the approaching British, for on +November 20 several Wyandot sachems met the advancing +party and told Rogers that four hundred warriors were in +ambush at the entrance to the Detroit river to obstruct +his advance. The Wyandots wished to know the truth +regarding the conquest of Canada, and on being convinced +that it was no fabrication, they took their departure +'in good temper.' On the 23rd Indian messengers, among +whom was an Ottawa chief, [Footnote: In Rogers's journal +of this trip no mention is made of Pontiac's name. In _A +Concise Account of North America_, published in 1765, +with Rogers's name on the title-page, a detailed account +of a meeting with Pontiac at the Cuyahoga is given, but +this book seems to be of doubtful authenticity. It was, +however, accepted by Parkman.] arrived at the British +camp, at the western end of Lake Erie, reporting that +Beletre intended to fight and that he had arrested the +officer who bore Rogers's message. Beletre's chief reason +for doubting the truth of Rogers's statement appears to +have been that no French officers had accompanied the +British contingent from Montreal. + +When the troops entered the Detroit river Rogers sent +Captain Donald Campbell to the fort with a copy of the +capitulation of Montreal and Vaudreuil's letter instructing +Beletre to hand over his fort to the British. These +documents were convincing, and Beletre [Footnote: Although +Beletre received Rogers and his men in no friendly spirit, +he seems soon to have become reconciled to British rule +for in 1763 he was appointed to the first Legislative +Council of Canada, and until the time of his death in +May 1793 he was a highly respected citizen of Quebec.] +consented, though with no good grace; and on November 29 +Rogers formally took possession of Detroit. It was an +impressive ceremony. Some seven hundred Indians were +assembled in the vicinity of Fort Detroit, and, ever +ready to take sides with the winning party, appeared +about the stockade painted and plumed in honour of the +occasion. When the lilies of France were lowered and the +cross of St George was thrown to the breeze, the barbarous +horde uttered wild cries of delight. A new and rich people +had come to their hunting-grounds, and they had visions +of unlimited presents of clothing, ammunition, and rum. +After the fort was taken over the militia were called +together and disarmed and made to take the oath of +allegiance to the British king. + +Captain Campbell was installed in command of the fort, +and Beletre and the other prisoners of war were sent to +Philadelphia. Two officers were dispatched with twenty +men to bring the French troops from Forts Miami and +Ouiatanon. A few soldiers were stationed at Fort Miami +to keep the officers at Detroit informed of any interesting +events in that neighbourhood. Provisions being scarce at +Detroit, Rogers sent the majority of his force to Niagara; +and on December 10 set out for Michilimackinac with an +officer and thirty-seven men. But he was driven back by +stormy weather and ice, and forced, for the present year, +to give up the attempt to garrison the posts on Lakes +Huron and Michigan. Leaving everything in peace at Detroit, +Rogers went to Fort Pitt, and for nine months the forts +in the country of the Ottawa Confederacy were to be left +to their own resources. + +Meanwhile the Indians were getting into a state of unrest. +The presents, on which they depended so much for existence, +were not forthcoming, and rumours of trouble were in the +air. Senecas, Shawnees, and Delawares were sending +war-belts east and west and north and south. A plot was +on foot to seize Pitt, Niagara, and Detroit. Seneca +ambassadors had visited the Wyandots in the vicinity of +Detroit, urging them to fall on the garrison. After an +investigation, Captain Campbell reported to Amherst that +an Indian rising was imminent, and revealed a plot, +originated by the Senecas, which was identical with that +afterwards matured in 1763 and attributed to Pontiac's +initiative. Campbell warned the commandants of the other +forts of the danger; and the Indians, seeing that their +plans were discovered, assumed a peaceful attitude. + +Still, the situation was critical; and, to allay the +hostility of the natives and gain their confidence, +Amherst dispatched Sir William Johnson to Detroit with +instructions 'to settle and establish a firm and lasting +treaty' between the British and the Ottawa Confederacy +and other nations inhabiting the Indian territory, to +regulate the fur trade at the posts, and to settle the +price of clothes and provisions. He was likewise to +collect information as exhaustive as possible regarding +the Indians, their manners and customs, and their abodes. +He was to find out whether the French had any shipping +on Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, what were the +best posts for trade, and the price paid by the French +for pelts. He was also to learn, if possible, how far +the boundaries of Canada extended towards the Mississippi, +and the number of French posts, settlements, and inhabitants +along that river. + +Sir William left his home at Fort Johnson on the Mohawk +river early in July 1761. Scarcely had he begun his +journey when he was warned that it was dangerous to +proceed, as the nations in the west were unfriendly and +would surely fall upon his party. But Johnson was confident +that his presence among them would put a stop to 'any +such wicked design.' As he advanced up Lake Ontario the +alarming reports continued. The Senecas, who had already +stolen horses from the whites and taken prisoners, had +been sending ambassadors abroad, endeavouring to induce +the other nations to attack the British. Johnson learned, +too, that the Indians were being cheated in trade by +British traders; that at several posts they had been +roughly handled, very often without cause; that their +women were taken from them by violence; and that they +were hindered from hunting and fishing on their own +grounds near the posts, even what they did catch or kill +being taken from them. He heard, too, that Seneca and +Ottawa warriors had been murdered by whites near Forts +Pitt and Venango. At Niagara he was visited by Seneca +chiefs, who complained that one of their warriors had +been wounded near by and that four horses had been stolen +from them. Johnson evidently believed the story, for he +gave them 'two casks of rum, some paint and money to make +up their loss,' and they left him well satisfied. On Lake +Erie, stories of the hostility of the Indians multiplied. +They were ready to revolt; even before leaving Niagara, +Johnson had it on good authority that the Indians 'were +certainly determined to rise and fall on the English,' +and that 'several thousands of the Ottawas and other +nations' had agreed to join the dissatisfied member 'of +the Six Nations in this scheme or plot.' But Johnson kept +on his way, confident that he could allay dissatisfaction +and win all the nations to friendship. + +When Sir William reached Detroit on September 3 he was +welcomed by musketry volleys from the Indians and by +cannon from the fort. His reputation as the great +superintendent of Indian Affairs, the friend of the red +man, had gone before him, and he was joyously received, +and at once given quarters in the house of the former +commandant of Detroit, Beletre. On the day following his +arrival the Wyandots and other Indians, with their priest, +Father Pierre Potier (called Pottie by Johnson), waited +on him. He treated them royally, and gave them pipes and +tobacco and a barbecue of a large ox roasted whole. He +found the French inhabitants most friendly, especially +Pierre Chesne, better known as La Butte, the interpreter +of the Wyandots, and St Martin, the interpreter of the +Ottawas. The ladies of the settlement called on him, and +were regaled 'with cakes, wine and cordial. He was +hospitably entertained by the officers and settlers, and +in return gave several balls, at which, it appears, he +danced with 'Mademoiselle Curie--a fine girl.' This +vivacious lady evidently made an impression on the +susceptible Irishman; for after the second ball--'there +never was so brilliant an affair' at Detroit before--he +records in his private diary: 'Promised to write +Mademoiselle Curie my sentiments.' + +While at Niagara on his journey westward Johnson had been +joined by Major Henry Gladwyn, to whom Amherst had assigned +the duty of garrisoning the western forts and taking over +in person the command of Fort Detroit. Gladwyn had left +Niagara a day or two in advance of Johnson, but on the +way to his new command he had been seized with severe +fever and ague and totally incapacitated for duty. On +Johnson fell the task of making arrangements for the +still unoccupied posts. He did the work with his customary +promptitude and thoroughness, and by September 10 had +dispatched men of Gage's Light Infantry and of the Royal +Americans from Detroit for Michilimackinac, Green Bay, +and St Joseph. + +The chiefs of the various tribes had flocked to Detroit +to confer with Sir William. He won them all by his honeyed +words and liberal distribution of presents; he was told +that his 'presents had made the sun and sky bright and +clear, the earth smooth and level, the roads all pleasant'; +and they begged that he 'would continue in the same +friendly disposition towards them and they would be a +happy people.' His work completed, Johnson set out, +September 19, on his homeward journey, leaving behind +him the promise of peace in the Indian territory. +[Footnote: It is remarkable that Johnson in his private +diary or in his official correspondence makes no mention +of Pontiac. The Ottawa chief apparently played no +conspicuous part in the plots of 1761 and 1762.] + +For the time being Johnson's visit to Detroit had a +salutary effect, and the year 1761 terminated with only +slight signs of unrest among the Indians; but in the +spring of 1762 the air was again heavy with threatening +storm. The Indians of the Ohio valley were once more +sending out their war-belts and bloody hatchets. In +several instances Englishmen were murdered and scalped +and horses were stolen. The Shawnees and Delawares held +British prisoners whom they refused to surrender. By +Amherst's orders presents were withheld. Until they +surrendered all prisoners and showed a proper spirit +towards the British he would suppress all gifts, in the +belief that 'a due observance of this alone will soon +produce more than can ever be expected from bribing them.' +The reply of the Shawnees and Delawares to his orders +was stealing horses and terrorizing traders. Sir William +Johnson and his assistant in office, George Croghan, +warned Amherst of the danger he was running in rousing +the hatred of the savages. Croghan in a letter to Bouquet +said: 'I do not approve of General Amherst's plan of +distressing them too much, as in my opinion they will +not consider consequences if too much distressed, tho' +Sir Jeffery thinks they will.' Although warnings were +pouring in upon him, Amherst was of the opinion that +there was 'no necessity for any more at the several posts +than are just enough to keep up the communication, there +being nothing to fear from the Indians in our present +circumstances.' To Sir William Johnson he wrote that it +was 'not in the power of the Indians to effect anything +of consequence.' + +In the spring of 1763 the war-cloud was about to burst; +but in remote New York the commander-in-chief failed to +grasp the situation, and turned a deaf ear to those who +warned him that an Indian war with all its horrors was +inevitable. These vague rumours, as Amherst regarded +them, of an imminent general rising of the western tribes, +took more definite form as the spring advanced. Towards +the end of March Lieutenant Edward Jenkins, the commandant +of Fort Ouiatanon, learned that the French traders had +been telling the Indians that the British would 'all be +prisoners in a short time.' But what caused most alarm +was information from Fort Miami of a plot for the capture +of the forts and the slaughter of the garrisons. A war-belt +was received by the Indians residing near the fort, and +with it came the request that they should hold themselves +in readiness to attack the British. Robert Holmes, the +commandant of Fort Miami, managed to secure the 'bloody +belt' and sent it to Gladwyn, [Footnote: Gladwyn's illness +in 1761 proved so severe that he had to take a journey +to England to recuperate; but he was back in Detroit as +commandant in August 1762.] who in turn sent it to Amherst. + +News had now reached the Ohio tribes of the Treaty of +Paris, but the terms of this treaty had only increased +their unrest. On April 30, 1763, Croghan wrote to Amherst +that the Indians were 'uneasy since so much of North +America was ceded to Great Britain,' holding that the +British had no right in their country. 'The Peace,' added +Croghan, 'and hearing so much of this country being given +up has thrown them into confusion and prevented them +bringing in their prisoners this spring as they promised.' +Amherst's reply was: 'Whatever idle notions they may +entertain in regard to the cessions made by the French +crown can be of very little consequence.' On April 20 +Gladwyn, though slow to see danger, wrote to Amherst: +'They [the Indians] say we mean to make Slaves of them +by Taking so many posts in the country, and that they +had better attempt Something now to Recover their liberty +than wait till we are better established.' Even when word +that the Indians were actually on the war-path reached +Amherst, he still refused to believe it a serious matter, +and delayed making preparations to meet the situation. +It was, according to him, a 'rash attempt of that turbulent +tribe the Senecas'; and, again, he was 'persuaded this +alarm will end in nothing more than a rash attempt of +what the Senecas have been threatening.' Eight British +forts in the west were captured and the frontiers of the +colonies bathed in blood before he realized that 'the +affair of the Indians was more general than they +apprehended.' + +The Indians were only waiting for a sudden, bold blow at +some one of the British posts, and on the instant they +would be on the war-path from the shores of Lake Superior +to the borders of the southernmost colonies of Great +Britain. The blow was soon to be struck. Pontiac's +war-belts had been sent broadcast, and the nations who +recognized him as over-chief were ready to follow him to +the slaughter. Detroit was the strongest position to the +west of Niagara; it contained an abundance of stores, +and would be a rich prize. As Pontiac yearly visited this +place during the trading season, he knew the locality +well and was familiar with the settlers, the majority of +whom were far from being friendly to the British. Against +Detroit he would lead the warriors, under the pretence +of winning back the country for the French. + +In the spring of 1763, instead of going direct to his +usual camping-place, an island in Lake St Clair, Pontiac +pitched his wigwam on the bank of the river Ecorces, ten +miles south of Detroit, and here awaited the tribes whom +he had summoned to a council to be held 'on the 15th of +the moon'--the 27th of April. And at the appointed time +nearly five hundred warriors--Ottawas, Potawatomis, +Chippewas, and Wyandots--with their squaws and papooses, +had gathered at the meeting-place, petty tribal jealousies +and differences being laid aside in their common hatred +of 'the dogs dressed in red,' the British soldiers. + +When the council assembled Pontiac addressed them with +fiery words. The Ottawa chief was at this time about +fifty years old. He was a man of average height, of darker +hue than is usual among Indians, lithe as a panther, his +muscles hardened by forest life and years of warfare +against Indian enemies and the British. Like the rush of +a mountain torrent the words fell from his lips. His +speech was one stream of denunciation of the British. In +trade they had cheated the Indians, robbing them of their +furs, overcharging them for the necessaries of life, and +heaping insults and blows upon the red men, who from the +French had known only kindness. The time had come to +strike. As he spoke he flashed a red and purple wampum +belt before the gaze of the excited braves. This, he +declared, he had received from their father the king of +France, who commanded his red children to fight the +British. Holding out the belt, he recounted with wild +words and vehement gestures the victories gained in the +past by the Indians over the British, and as he spoke +the blood of his listeners pulsed through their veins +with battle ardour. To their hatred and sense of being +wronged he had appealed, and he saw that every warrior +present was with him; but his strongest appeal was to +their superstition. In spite of the fact that French +missionaries had been among them for a century, they were +still pagan, and it was essential to the success of his +project that they should believe that the Master of Life +favoured their cause. He told them the story of a Wolf +(Delaware) Indian who had journeyed to heaven and talked +with the Master of Life, receiving instructions to tell +all the Indians that they were to 'drive out' and 'make +war upon' the 'dogs clothed in red who will do you nothing +but harm.' When he had finished, such chiefs as Ninevois +of the Chippewas and Takay of the Wyandots--'the bad +Hurons,' as the writer of the 'Pontiac Manuscript' +describes them to distinguish them from Father Potier's +flock--spoke in similar terms. Every warrior present +shouted his readiness to go to war, and before the council +broke up it was agreed that in four days Pontiac 'should +go to the fort with his young men for a peace dance' in +order to get information regarding the strength of the +place. The blow must be struck before the spring boats +arrived from the Niagara with supplies and additional +troops. The council at an end, the different tribes +scattered to their several summer villages, seemingly +peaceful Indians who had gathered together for trade. + + + + +CHAPTER IV + +THE SIEGE OF DETROIT + +At the time of the Pontiac outbreak there were in the +vicinity of Fort Detroit between one thousand and two +thousand white inhabitants. Yet the place was little more +than a wilderness post. The settlers were cut off from +civilization and learned news of the great world outside +only in the spring, when the traders' boats came with +supplies. They were out of touch with Montreal and Quebec, +and it was difficult for them to realize that they were +subjects of the hated king of England. They had not lost +their confidence that the armies of France would yet be +victorious and sweep the British from the Great Lakes, +and in this opinion they were strengthened by traders +from the Mississippi, who came among them. But the change +of rulers had made little difference in their lives. The +majority of them were employed by traders, and the better +class contentedly cultivated their narrow farms and traded +with the Indians who periodically visited them. + +The settlement was widely scattered, extending along the +east shore of the Detroit river for about eight miles +from Lake St Clair, and along the west shore for about +six miles, four above and two below the fort. On either +side of the river the fertile fields and the long row of +whitewashed, low-built houses, with their gardens and +orchards of apple and pear trees, fenced about with +rounded pickets, presented a picture of peace and plenty. +The summers of the inhabitants were enlivened by the +visits of the Indians and the traders; and in winter they +light-heartedly whiled away the tedious hours with gossip +and dance and feast, like the habitants along the Richelieu +and the St Lawrence. + +The militia of the settlement, as we have seen, had been +deprived of their arms at the taking over of Detroit by +Robert Rogers; and for the most part the settlers maintained +a stolid attitude towards their conquerors, from whom +they suffered no hardship and whose rule was not galling. +The British had nothing to fear from them. But the Indians +were a force to be reckoned with. There were three Indian +villages in the vicinity--the Wyandot, on the east side +of the river, opposite the fort; the Ottawa, five miles +above, opposite Ile au Cochon (Belle Isle); and the +Potawatomi about two miles below the fort on the west +shore. The Ottawas here could muster 200 warriors, the +Potawatomis about 150, and the Wyandots 250, while near +at hand were the Chippewas, 320 strong. Pontiac, although +head chief of the Ottawas, did not live in the village, +but had his wigwam on Ile a la Peche, at the outlet of +Lake St Clair, a spot where whitefish abounded. Here he +dwelt with his squaws and papooses, not in 'grandeur,' +but in squalid savagery. Between the Indians and the +French there existed a most friendly relationship; many +of the habitants, indeed, having Indian wives. + +Near the centre of the settlement, on the west bank of +the river, about twenty miles from Lake Erie, stood Fort +Detroit, a miniature town. It was in the form of a +parallelogram and was surrounded by a palisade twenty-five +feet high. According to a letter of an officer, the walls +had an extent of over one thousand paces. At each corner +was a bastion and over each gate a blockhouse. Within +the walls were about one hundred houses, the little +Catholic church of Ste Anne's, a council-house, officers' +quarters, and a range of barracks. Save for one or two +exceptions the buildings were of wood, thatched with bark +or straw, and stood close together. The streets were +exceedingly narrow; but immediately within the palisade +a wide road extended round the entire village. The +spiritual welfare of the French and Indian Catholics in +the garrison was looked after by Father Potier, a Jesuit, +whose mission was in the Wyandot village, and by Father +Bocquet, a Recollet, who lived within the fort; Major +Henry Gladwyn was in command. He had a hundred and twenty +soldiers, and two armed schooners, the _Gladwyn_ and the +_Beaver_, were in the river near by. + +On the first day of May 1763, Pontiac came to the main +gate of the fort asking to be allowed to enter, as he +and the warriors with him, forty in all, desired to show +their love for the British by dancing the calumet or +peace dance. Gladwyn had not the slightest suspicion of +evil intent, and readily admitted them. The savages +selected a spot in front of the officers' houses; and +thirty of them went through their grotesque movements, +shouting and dancing to the music of the Indian drum, +and all the while waving their calumets in token of +friendship. While the dancers were thus engaged, the +remaining ten of the party were busily employed in +surveying the fort--noting the number of men and the +strength of the palisades. The dance lasted about an +hour. Presents were then distributed to the Indians, and +all took their departure. + +Pontiac now summoned the Indians about Detroit to another +council. On this occasion the chiefs and warriors assembled +in the council-house in the Potawatomi village south of +the fort. When all were gathered together Pontiac rose +and, as at the council at the river Ecorces, in a torrent +of words and with vehement gestures, denounced the British. +He declared that under the new occupancy of the forts in +the Indian country the red men were neglected and their +wants were no longer supplied as they had been in the +days of the French; that exorbitant prices were charged +by the traders for goods; that when the Indians were +departing for their winter camps to hunt for furs they +were no longer able to obtain ammunition and clothing on +credit; and, finally, that the British desired the death +of the Indians, and it was therefore necessary as an act +of self-preservation to destroy them. He once more +displayed the war-belt that he pretended to have received +from the king of France. This belt told him to strike in +his own interest and in the interest of the French. He +closed his speech by saying that he had sent belts to +the Chippewas of Saginaw and the Ottawas of Michilimackinac +and of the river La Tranche (the Thames). Seeing that +his words were greeted with grunts and shouts of approval +and that the assembled warriors were with him to a man, +Pontiac revealed a plan he had formed to seize the fort +and slaughter the garrison. He and some fifty chiefs and +warriors would wait on Gladwyn on the pretence of discussing +matters of importance. Each one would carry beneath his +blanket a gun, with the barrel cut short to permit of +concealment. Warriors and even women were to enter the +fort as if on a friendly visit and take up positions of +advantage in the streets, in readiness to strike with +tomahawks, knives, and guns, all which they were to have +concealed beneath their blankets. At the council Pontiac +was to address Gladwyn and, in pretended friendship, hand +him a wampum belt. If it were wise to strike, he would +on presenting the belt hold its reverse side towards +Gladwyn. This was to be the signal for attack. Instantly +blankets were to be thrown aside and the officers were +to be shot down. At the sound of firing in the council-room +the Indians in the streets were to fall on the garrison +and every British soldier was to be slain, care being +taken that no Frenchman suffered. The plan, by its +treachery, and by its possibilities of slaughter and +plunder, appealed to the savages; and they dispersed to +make preparations for the morning of the 7th, the day +chosen for carrying out the murderous scheme. + +The plot was difficult to conceal. The aid of French +blacksmiths had to be sought to shorten the guns. Moreover, +the British garrison had some friends among the Indians. +Scarcely had the plot been matured when it was discussed +among the French, and on the day before the intended +massacre it was revealed to Gladwyn. His informant is +not certainly known. A Chippewa maiden, an old squaw, +several Frenchmen, and an Ottawa named Mahiganne have +been mentioned. It is possible that Gladwyn had it from +a number of sources, but most likely from Mahiganne. The +'Pontiac Manuscript,' probably the work of Robert Navarre, +the keeper of the notarial records of the settlement, +distinctly states that Mahiganne revealed the details of +the plot with the request that Gladwyn should not divulge +his name; for, should Pontiac learn, the informer would +surely be put to death. This would account for the fact +that Gladwyn, even in his report of the affair to Amherst, +gives no hint as to the person who told him. + +Gladwyn at once made preparations to receive Pontiac and +his chiefs. On the night of the 6th instructions were +given to the soldiers and the traders within the fort to +make preparations to resist an attack, and the guards +were doubled. As the sentries peered out into the darkness +occasional yells and whoops and the beating of drums +reached their ears, telling of the war-dance that was +being performed in the Indian villages to hearten the +warriors for the slaughter. + +Gladwyn determined to act boldly. On the morning of the +7th all the traders' stores were closed and every man +capable of bearing weapons was under arms; but the gates +were left open as usual, and shortly after daylight +Indians and squaws by twos and threes began to gather in +the fort as if to trade. At ten in the morning a line of +chiefs with Pontiac at their head filed along the road +leading to the river gate. All were painted and plumed +and each one was wrapped in a brightly coloured blanket. +When they entered the fort they were astonished to see +the warlike preparations, but stoically concealed their +surprise. Arrived in the council-chamber, the chiefs +noticed the sentinels standing at arms, the commandant +and his officers seated, their faces stern and set, +pistols in their belts and swords by their sides. So +perturbed were the chiefs by all this warlike display +that it was some time before they would take their seats +on the mats prepared for them. At length they recovered +their composure, and Pontiac broke the silence by asking +why so many of the young men were standing in the streets +with their guns. Answer was made through the interpreter +La Butte that it was for exercise and discipline. Pontiac +then addressed Gladwyn, vehemently protesting friendship. +All the time he was speaking Gladwyn bent on him a +scrutinizing gaze, and as the chief was about to present +the wampum belt, a signal was given and the drums crashed +out a charge. Every doubt was removed from Pontiac's +mind--his plot was discovered. His nervous hand lowered +the belt; but he recovered himself immediately and +presented it in the ordinary way. Gladwyn replied to his +speech sternly, but kindly, saying that he would have +the protection and friendship of the British so long as +he merited it. A few presents were then distributed among +the Indians, and the council ended. The chiefs, with +their blankets still tightly wrapped about them, filed +out of the council-room and scattered to their villages, +followed by the disappointed rabble of fully three hundred +Indians, who had assembled in the fort. + +On the morrow, Pontiac, accompanied by three chiefs, +again appeared at the fort, bringing with him a pipe of +peace. When this had been smoked by the officers and +chiefs, he presented it to Captain Campbell, as a further +mark of friendship. The next day he was once more at the +gates seeking entrance. But he found them closed: Gladwyn +felt that the time had come to take no chances. This +morning a rabble of Potawatomis, Ottawas, Wyandots, and +Chippewas thronged the common just out of musket range. +On Pontiac's request for a conference with Gladwyn he +was sternly told that he might enter alone. The answer +angered him, and he strode back to his followers. Now, +with yells and war-whoops, parties of the savages bounded +away on a murderous mission. Half a mile behind the fort +an English woman, Mrs Turnbull, and her two sons cultivated +a small farm. All three were straightway slain. A party +of Ottawas leapt into their canoes and paddled swiftly +to Ile au Cochon, where lived a former sergeant, James +Fisher. Fisher was seized, killed, and scalped, his young +wife brutally murdered, and their two little children +carried into captivity. On this same day news was brought +to the fort that Sir Robert Davers and Captain Robertson +had been murdered three days before on Lake St Clair by, +Chippewas who were on their way from Saginaw to join +Pontiac's forces. Thus began the Pontiac War in the +vicinity of Detroit. For several months the garrison was +to know little rest. + +That night at the Ottawa village arose the hideous din +of the war-dance, and while the warriors worked themselves +into a frenzy the squaws were busy breaking camp. Before +daylight the village was moved to the opposite side of +the river, and the wigwams were pitched near the mouth +of Parent's Creek, about a mile and a half above the +fort. On the morning of the 10th the siege began in +earnest. Shortly after daybreak the yells of a horde of +savages could be heard north and south and west. But few +of the enemy could be seen, as they had excellent shelter +behind barns, outhouses, and fences. For six hours they +kept up a continuous fire on the garrison, but wounded +only five men. The fort vigorously returned the fire, +and none of the enemy dared attempt to rush the palisades. +A cluster of buildings in the rear sheltered a particularly +ferocious set of savages. A three-pounder--the only +effective artillery in the fort--was trained on this +position; spikes were bound together with wire, heated +red-hot, and fired at the buildings. These were soon a +mass of flames, and the savages concealed behind them +fled for their lives. + +Presently the Indians grew tired of this useless warfare +and withdrew to their villages. Gladwyn, thinking that +he might bring Pontiac to terms, sent La Butte to ask +the cause of the attack and to say that the British were +ready to redress any wrongs from which the Indians might +be suffering. La Butte was accompanied by Jean Baptiste +Chapoton, a captain of the militia and a man of some +importance in the fort, and Jacques Godfroy, a trader +and likewise an officer of militia. It may be noted that +Godfroy's wife was the daughter of a Miami chief. The +ambassadors were received in a friendly manner by Pontiac, +who seemed ready to cease hostilities. La Butte returned +to the fort with some of the chiefs to report progress; +but when he went again to Pontiac he found that the Ottawa +chief had made no definite promise. It seems probable, +judging from their later actions, that Chapoton and +Godfroy had betrayed Gladwyn and urged Pontiac to force +the British out of the country. Pontiac now requested +that Captain Donald Campbell, who had been in charge of +Detroit before Gladwyn took over the command, should come +to his village to discuss terms. Campbell was confident +that he could pacify the Indians, and, accompanied by +Lieutenant George McDougall, he set out along the river +road for the Ottawas' encampment at Parent's Creek. As +the two officers crossed the bridge at the mouth of the +creek, they were met by a savage crowd--men, women, and +children--armed with sticks and clubs. The mob rushed at +them with yells and threatening gestures, and were about +to fall on the officers when Pontiac appeared and restored +order. A council was held, but as Campbell could get no +satisfaction he suggested returning to the fort. Thereupon +Pontiac remarked: 'My father will sleep to-night in the +lodges of his red children.' Campbell and McDougall were +given good quarters in the house of Jean Baptiste Meloche. +For nearly two months they were to be kept close prisoners. + +So far only part of the Wyandots had joined Pontiac: +Father Potier had been trying to keep his flock neutral. +But on the 11th Pontiac crossed to the Wyandot village, +and threatened it with destruction if the warriors did +not take up the tomahawk. On this compulsion they consented, +no doubt glad of an excuse to be rid of the discipline +of their priest. + +Another attack on the fort was made, this time by about +six hundred Indians; but it was as futile as the one of +the earlier day. Pontiac now tried negotiation. He summoned +Gladwyn to surrender, promising that the British should +be allowed to depart unmolested on their vessels. The +officers, knowing that their communications with the east +were cut, that food was scarce, that a vigorous assault +could not fail to carry the fort, urged Gladwyn to accept +the offer, but he sternly refused. He would not abandon +Detroit while one pound of food and one pound of powder +were left in the fort. Moreover, the treacherous conduct +of Pontiac convinced him that the troops and traders as +they left the fort would be plundered and slaughtered. +He rejected Pontiac's demands, and advised him to disperse +his people and save his ammunition for hunting. + +At this critical moment Detroit was undoubtedly saved by +a French Canadian. But for Jacques Baby, the grim spectre +Starvation would have stalked through the little fortress. +Baby was a prosperous trader and merchant who, with his +wife Susanne Reaume, lived on the east shore of the river, +almost opposite the fort. He had a farm of one thousand +acres, two hundred of which were under cultivation. His +trading establishment was a low-built log structure eighty +feet long by twenty wide. He owned thirty slaves--twenty +men and ten women. He seems to have treated them kindly; +at any rate, they loyally did his will. Baby agreed to +get provisions into the fort by stealth; and on a dark +night, about a week after the siege commenced, Gladwyn +had a lantern displayed on a plank fixed at the water's +edge. Baby had six canoes in readiness; in each were +stowed two quarters of beef, three hogs, and six bags of +meal. All night long these canoes plied across the +half-mile stretch of water and by daylight sufficient +food to last the garrison for several weeks had been +delivered. + +From day to day the Indians kept up a desultory firing, +while Gladwyn took precautions against a long siege. Food +was taken from the houses of the inhabitants and placed +in a common storehouse. Timber was torn from the walks +and used in the construction of portable bastions, which +were erected outside the fort. There being danger that +the roofs of the houses would be ignited by means of +fire-arrows, the French inhabitants of the fort were made +to draw water and store it in vessels at convenient +points. Houses, fences, and orchards in the neighbourhood +were destroyed and levelled, so that skulking warriors +could not find shelter. The front of the fort was +comparatively safe from attack, for the schooners guarded +the river gate, and the Indians had a wholesome dread of +these floating fortresses. + +About the middle of the month the _Gladwyn_ sailed down +the Detroit to meet a convoy that was expected with +provisions and ammunition from Fort Schlosser. At the +entrance to Lake Erie, as the vessel lay becalmed in the +river, she was suddenly beset by a swarm of savages in +canoes; and Pontiac's prisoner, Captain Campbell, appeared +in the foremost canoe, the savages thinking that the +British would not fire on them for fear of killing him. +Happily, a breeze sprang up and the schooner escaped to +the open lake. There was no sign of the convoy; and the +_Gladwyn_ sailed for the Niagara, to carry to the officers +there tidings of the Indian rising in the west. + +On May 30 the watchful sentries at Detroit saw a line of +bateaux flying the British flag rounding a point on the +east shore of the river. This was the expected convoy +from Fort Schlosser, and the cannon boomed forth a welcome. +But the rejoicings of the garrison were soon stilled. +Instead of British cheers, wild war-whoops resounded from +the bateaux. The Indians had captured the convoy and were +forcing their captives to row. In the foremost boat were +four soldiers and three savages. Nearing the fortress +one of the soldiers conceived the daring plan of +overpowering the Indian guard and escaping to the _Beaver_, +which lay anchored in front of the fort. Seizing the +nearest savage he attempted to throw him into the river; +but the Indian succeeded in stabbing him, and both fell +overboard and were drowned. The other savages, dreading +capture, leapt out of the boat and swam ashore. The bateau +with the three soldiers in it reached the _Beaver_, and +the provisions and ammunition it contained were taken to +the fort. The Indians in the remaining bateaux, warned +by the fate of the leading vessel, landed on the east +shore; and, marching their prisoners overland past the +fort, they took them across the river to Pontiac's camp, +where most of them were put to death with fiendish cruelty. + +The soldiers who escaped to the _Beaver_ told the story +of the ill-fated convoy. On May 13 Lieutenant Abraham +Cuyler, totally ignorant of the outbreak of hostilities +at Detroit, had left Fort Schlosser with ninety-six men +in ten bateaux. They had journeyed in leisurely fashion +along the northern shore of Lake Erie, and by the 28th +had reached Point Pelee, about thirty miles from the +Detroit river. Here a landing was made, and while tents +were being pitched a band of painted savages suddenly +darted out of the forest and attacked a man and a boy +who were gathering wood. The man escaped, but the boy +was tomahawked and scalped. Cuyler drew up his men in +front of the boats, and a sharp musketry fire followed +between the Indians, who were sheltered by a thick wood, +and the white men on the exposed shore. The raiders were +Wyandots from Detroit, the most courageous and intelligent +savages in the region. Seeing that Cuyler's men were +panic-stricken, they broke from their cover, with unusual +boldness for Indians, and made a mad charge. The soldiers, +completely unnerved by the savage yells and hurtling +tomahawks, threw down their arms and dashed in confusion +to the boats. Five they succeeded in pushing off, and +into these they tumbled without weapons of defence. Cuyler +himself was left behind wounded; but he waded out, and +was taken aboard under a brisk fire from the shore. The +Indians then launched two of the abandoned boats, rushed +in pursuit of the fleeing soldiers, speedily captured +three of the boats, and brought them ashore in triumph. +The two others, in one of which was Cuyler, hoisted sail +and escaped. The Indians, as we have seen, brought the +captured boats and their prisoners to Detroit. Cuyler +had directed his course to Sandusky, but finding the +blockhouse there burnt to the ground, he had rowed eastward +to Presqu'isle, and then hastened to Niagara to report +the disaster. + +The siege of Detroit went on. Towards the middle of June, +Jacques Baby brought word to the commandant that the +_Gladwyn_ was returning from the Niagara with supplies +and men, and that the Indians were making preparations +to capture her. A few miles below Detroit lay Fighting +Island; between it and the east shore, Turkey Island. +Here the savages had erected a breastwork, so carefully +concealed that it would be difficult even for the keenest +eyes to detect its presence. The vessel would have to +pass within easy range of this barricade; and it was the +plan of the Indians to dart out in their canoes as the +schooner worked up-stream, seize her, and slay her crew. +On learning this news Gladwyn ordered cannon to be fired +to notify the captain that the fort still held out, and +sent a messenger to meet the vessel with word of the +plot. It happened that the _Gladwyn_ was well manned and +prepared for battle. On board was Cuyler with twenty-two +survivors of the ill-starred convoy, besides twenty-eight +men of Captain Hopkins's company. To deceive the Indians +as to the number of men, all the crew and soldiers, save +ten or twelve, were concealed in the hold; to invite +attack, the vessel advanced boldly up-stream, and at +nightfall cast anchor in the narrow channel in front of +Turkey Island. About midnight the Indians stealthily +boarded their canoes and cautiously, but confidently, +swept towards her with muffled paddles. The _Gladwyn_ +was ready for them. Not a sound broke the silence of the +night as the Indians approached the schooner; when suddenly +the clang of a hammer against the mast echoed over the +calm waters, the signal to the soldiers in the hold. The +Indians were almost on their prey; but before they had +time to utter the war-whoop, the soldiers had come up +and had attacked the savages with bullets and cannon +shot. Shrieks of death arose amid the din of the firing +and the splash of swimmers hurriedly making for the shore +from the sinking canoes. In a moment fourteen Indians +were killed and as many more wounded. From behind the +barricade the survivors began a harmless musketry fire +against the schooner, which simply weighed anchor and +drifted down-stream to safety. A day or two later she +cleared Turkey Island and reached the fort, pouring a +shattering broadside into the Wyandot village as she +passed it. Besides the troops, the _Gladwyn_ had on board +a precious cargo of a hundred and fifty barrels of +provisions and some ammunition. She had not run the +blockade unscathed, for in passing Turkey Island one +sergeant and four men had been wounded. There was rejoicing +in the fort when the reinforcement marched in. This +additional strength in men and provisions, it was expected, +would enable the garrison to hold out for at least another +month, within which time soldiers would arrive in sufficient +force to drive the Indians away. + +In the meantime Pontiac was becoming alarmed. He had +expected an easy victory, and was not prepared for a +protracted siege. He had drawn on the French settlers +for supplies; his warriors had slain cattle and taken +provisions without the consent of the owners. Leaders in +the settlement now waited on Pontiac, making complaint. +He professed to be fighting for French rule, and expressed +sorrow at the action of his young men, promising that in +future the French should be paid. Acting, no doubt, on +the suggestion of some of his French allies, he made a +list of the inhabitants, drew on each for a definite +quantity of supplies, and had these deposited at Meloche's +house near his camp on Parent's Creek. A commissary was +appointed to distribute the provisions as required. In +payment he issued letters of credit, signed with his +totem, the otter. It is said that all of them were +afterwards redeemed; but this is almost past belief in +the face of what actually happened. + +From the beginning of the siege Pontiac had hoped that +the French traders and settlers would join him to force +the surrender of the fort. The arrival of the reinforcement +under Cuyler made him despair of winning without their +assistance, and early in July he sent his Indians to the +leading inhabitants along the river, ordering them to a +council, at which he hoped by persuasion or threats to +make them take up arms. This council was attended by such +settlers as Robert Navarre, Zacharie Sicotte, Louis +Campau, Antoine Cuillerier, Francois Meloche, all men of +standing and influence. In his address to them Pontiac +declared: 'If you are French, accept this war-belt for +yourselves, or your young men, and join us; if you are +English, we declare war upon you.' + +The _Gladwyn_ had brought news of the Peace of Paris +between France and England. Many of the settlers had been +hoping that success would crown the French arms in Europe +and that Canada would be restored. Some of those at the +council said that these articles of peace were a mere +ruse on the part of Gladwyn to gain time. Robert Navarre, +who had published the articles of peace to the French +and Indians, and several others were friendly to the +British, but the majority of those present were unfriendly. +Sicotte told Pontiac that, while the heads of families +could not take up arms, there were three hundred young +men about Detroit who would willingly join him. These +words were probably intended to humour the chief; but +there were those who took the belt and commenced recruiting +among their fellows. The settlers who joined Pontiac were +nearly all half-breeds or men mated with Indian wives. +Others, such as Pierre Reaume and Louis Campau, believing +their lives to be in danger on account of their loyalty +to the new rulers, sought shelter in the fort. + +By July 4 the Indians, under the direction of French +allies, had strongly entrenched themselves and had begun +a vigorous attack. But a force of about sixty men marched +out from the fort and drove them from the position. In +the retreat two Indians were killed, and one of the +pursuing soldiers, who had been a prisoner among the +Indians and had learned the ways of savage warfare, +scalped one of the fallen braves. The victim proved to +be a nephew of the chief of the Saginaw Chippewas, who +now claimed life for life, and demanded that Captain +Campbell should be given up to him. According to the +'Pontiac Manuscript' Pontiac acquiesced, and the Saginaw +chief killed Campbell 'with a blow of his tomahawk, and +after cast him into the river.' Campbell's fellow-prisoner +McDougall, along with two others, had escaped to the fort +some days before. + +The investment continued, although the attacks became +less frequent. The schooners manoeuvring in the river +poured broadsides into the Indian villages, battering +down the flimsy wigwams. Pontiac moved his camp from the +mouth of Parent's Creek to a position nearer Lake St +Clair, out of range of their guns, and turned his thoughts +to contrive some means of destroying the troublesome +vessels. He had learned from the French of the attempt +with fire-ships against the British fleet at Quebec, and +made trial of a similar artifice. Bateaux were joined +together, loaded with inflammable material, ignited, and +sent on their mission but these 'fire-ships' floated +harmlessly past the schooners and burnt themselves out. +Then for a week the Indians worked on the construction of +a gigantic fire-raft, but nothing came of this ambitious +scheme. + +It soon appeared that Pontiac was beginning to lose his +hold on the Indians. About the middle of July ambassadors +from the Wyandots and Potawatomis came to the fort with an +offer of peace, protesting, after the Indian manner, love +and friendship for the British. After much parleying they +surrendered their prisoners and plunder; but, soon after, +a temptation irresistible to their treacherous natures +offered itself, and they were again on the war-path. + +Amherst at New York had at last been aroused to the +danger; and Captain James Dalyell had set out from Fort +Schlosser with twenty-two barges, carrying nearly three +hundred men, with cannon and supplies, for the relief of +Detroit. The expedition skirted the southern shore of +Lake Erie until it reached Sandusky. The Wyandot villages +here were found deserted. After destroying them Dalyell +shaped his course for the Detroit river. Fortune favoured +the expedition. Pontiac was either ignorant of its approach +or unable to mature a plan to check its advance. Through +the darkness and fog of the night of July 28 the barges +cautiously crept up-stream, and when the morning sun of +the 29th lifted the mists from the river they were in +full view of the fort. Relief at last! The weary watching +of months was soon to end. The band of the fort was +assembled, and the martial airs of England floated on +the morning breeze. Now it was that the Wyandots and +Potawatomis, although so lately swearing friendship to +the British, thought the opportunity too good to be lost. +In passing their villages the barges were assailed by a +musketry fire, which killed two and wounded thirteen of +Dalyell's men. But the soldiers, with muskets and swivels, +replied to the attack, and put the Indians to flight. +Then the barges drew up before the fort to the welcome +of the anxious watchers of Detroit. + +The reinforcement was composed of men of the 55th and +8th regiments, and of twenty Rangers under Major Robert +Rogers. Like their commander, Dalyell, many of them were +experienced in Indian fighting and were eager to be at +Pontiac and his warriors. Dalyell thought that Pontiac +might be taken by surprise, and urged on Gladwyn the +advisability of an immediate advance. To this Gladwyn +was averse; but Dalyell was insistent, and won his point. +By the following night all was in readiness. At two +o'clock in the morning of the 31st the river gate was +thrown open and about two hundred and fifty men filed out. + +Heavy clouds hid both moon and stars, and the air was +oppressively hot. The soldiers marched along the dusty +road, guided by Baby and St Martin, who had volunteered +for the work. Not a sound save their own dull tramp broke +the silence. On their right gleamed the calm river, and +keeping pace with them were two large bateaux armed with +swivels. Presently, as the troops passed the farm-houses, +drowsy watch-dogs caught the sound of marching feet and +barked furiously. Pontiac's camp, however, was still far +away; this barking would not alarm the Indians. But the +soldiers did not know that they had been betrayed by a +spy of Pontiac's within the fort, nor did they suspect +that snake-like eyes were even then watching their advance. + +At length Parent's Creek was reached, where a narrow +wooden bridge spanned the stream a few yards from its +mouth. The advance-guard were half-way over the bridge, +and the main body crowding after them, when, from a black +ridge in front, the crackle of musketry arose, and half +the advance-guard fell. The narrow stream ran red with +their blood, and ever after this night it was known as +Bloody Run. On the high ground to the north of the creek +a barricade of cordwood had been erected, and behind this +and behind barns and houses and fences, and in the +corn-fields and orchards, Indians were firing and yelling +like demons. The troops recoiled, but Dalyell rallied +them; again they crowded to the bridge. There was another +volley and another pause. With reckless bravery the +soldiers pressed across the narrow way and rushed to the +spot where the musket-flashes were seen. They won the +height, but not an Indian was there. The musket-flashes +continued and war-whoops sounded from new shelters. The +bateaux drew up alongside the bridge, and the dead and +wounded were taken on board to be carried to the fort. +It was useless to attempt to drive the shifty savages +from their lairs, and so the retreat was sounded. Captain +Grant, in charge of the rear company, led his men back +across the bridge while Dalyell covered the retreat; and +now the fight took on a new aspect. As the soldiers +retreated along the road leading to the fort, a destructive +fire poured upon them from houses and barns, from behind +fences, and from a newly dug cellar. With the river on +their left, and with the enemy before and behind as well +as on their sight, they were in danger of being annihilated. +Grant ordered his men to fix bayonets: a dash was made +where the savages were thickest, and they were scattered. +As the fire was renewed panic seized the troops. But +Dalyell came up from the rear, and with shouts and threats +and flat of sword restored order. Day was breaking; but +a thick fog hung over the scene, under cover of which +the Indians continued the attack. The house of Jacques +Campau, a trader, sheltered a number of Indians who were +doing most destructive work. Rogers and a party of his +Rangers attacked the house, and, pounding in the doors, +drove out their assailants. From Campau's house Rogers +covered the retreat of Grant's company, but was himself +in turn besieged. By this time the armed bateaux, which +had borne the dead and wounded to the fort, had returned, +and, opening fire with their swivels on the Indians +attacking Rogers, drove them off; the Rangers joined +Grant's company, and all retreated for the fort. The +shattered remnant of Dalyell's confident forces arrived +at Fort Detroit at eight in the morning, after six hours +of marching and desperate battle, exhausted and crestfallen. +Dalyell had been slain--an irreparable loss. The casualty +list was twenty killed and forty-two wounded. The Indians +had suffered but slightly. However, they gained but little +permanent advantage from the victory, as the fort had +still about three hundred effective men, with ample +provisions and ammunition, and could defy assault and +withstand a protracted siege. + +In this fight Chippewas and Ottawas took the leading +part. The Wyandots had, however, at the sound of firing +crossed the river, and the Potawatomis also had joined +in the combat, in spite of the truce so recently made +with Gladwyn. At the battle of Bloody Run at least eight +hundred warriors were engaged in the endeavour to cut +off Dalyell's men. There was rejoicing in the Indian +villages, and more British scalps adorned the warriors' +wigwams. Runners were sent out to the surrounding nations +with news of the victory, and many recruits were added +to Pontiac's forces. + + + + +CHAPTER V + +THE FALL OF THE LESSER FORTS + +While Fort Detroit was withstanding Pontiac's hordes, +the smaller forts and block-houses scattered throughout +the hinterland were faring badly. On the southern shore +of Lake Erie, almost directly south of the Detroit river, +stood Fort Sandusky--a rude blockhouse surrounded by a +stockade. Here were about a dozen men, commanded by Ensign +Christopher Paully. The blockhouse could easily have been +taken by assault; but such was not the method of the band +of Wyandots in the neighbourhood. They preferred treachery, +and, under the guise of friendship, determined to destroy +the garrison with no risk to themselves. + +On the morning of May 16 Paully was informed that seven +Indians wished to confer with him. Four of these were +members of the Wyandot tribe, and three belonged to +Pontiac's band of Ottawas. The Wyandots were known to +Paully, and as he had no news of the situation at Detroit, +and no suspicion of danger to himself, he readily admitted +them to his quarters. The Indians produced a calumet and +handed it to Paully in token of friendship. As the pipe +passed from lip to lip a warrior appeared at the door of +the room and raised his arm. It was the signal for attack. +Immediately Paully was seized by the Indians, two of whom +had placed themselves on either side of him. At the same +moment a war-whoop rang out and firing began; and as +Paully was rushed across the parade-ground he saw the +bodies of several of his men, who had been treacherously +slain. The sentry had been tomahawked as he stood at arms +at the gate; and the sergeant of the little company was +killed while working in the garden of the garrison outside +the stockade. + +When night fell Paully and two or three others, all that +remained of the garrison, were placed in canoes, and +these were headed for Detroit. As the prisoners looked +back over the calm waters of Sandusky Bay, they saw the +blockhouse burst into flames. Paully and his men were +landed at the Ottawa camp, where a horde of howling +Indians, including women and children, beat them and +compelled them to dance and sing for the entertainment +of the rabble. Preparations were made to torture Paully +to death at the stake; but an old squaw, who had recently +lost her husband, was attracted by the handsome, +dark-skinned young ensign, and adopted him in place of +her deceased warrior. Paully's hair was cut close; he +was dipped into the stream to wash the white blood from +his veins; and finally he was dressed and painted as +became an Ottawa brave. + +News of the destruction of Fort Sandusky was brought to +Gladwyn by a trader named La Brosse, a resident of Detroit, +and a few days later a letter was received from Paully +himself. For nearly two months Paully had to act the part +of an Ottawa warrior. But early in July--Pontiac being +in a state of great rage against the British--his squaw +placed him in a farmhouse for safe keeping. In the +confusion arising out of the attack on Fort Detroit on +the 4th of the month, and the murder of Captain Campbell, +he managed to escape, by the aid, it is said, of an Indian +maiden. He was pursued to within musket-shot of the walls +of Detroit. When he entered the fort, so much did he +resemble an Indian that at first he was not recognized. + +The next fort to fall into the hands of the Indians was +St Joseph, on the east shore of Lake Michigan, at the +mouth of the St Joseph river. This was the most inaccessible +of the posts on the Great Lakes. The garrison here lived +lonely lives. Around them were thick forests and swamps, +and in front the desolate waters of the sea-like lake. +The Indians about St Joseph had long been under the +influence of the French. This place had been visited by +La Salle; and here in 1688 the Jesuit Allouez had +established a mission. In 1763 the post was held by Ensign +Francis Schlosser and fourteen men. For months the little +garrison had been without news from the east, when, on +May 25, a party of Potawatomis from about Detroit arrived +on a pretended visit to their relations living in the +village at St Joseph, and asked permission to call on +Schlosser. But before a meeting could be arranged, a +French trader entered the fort and warned the commandant +that the Potawatomis intended to destroy the garrison. + +Schlosser at once ordered his sergeant to arm his men, +and went among the French settlers seeking their aid. +Even while he was addressing them a shrill death-cry rang +out--the sentry at the gate had fallen a victim to the +tomahawk of a savage. In an instant a howling mob of +Potawatomis under their chief Washee were within the +stockade. Eleven of the garrison were straightway put to +death, and the fort was plundered. Schlosser and the +three remaining members of his little band were taken to +Detroit by some Foxes who were present with the Potawatomis. +On June 10 Schlosser had the good fortune to be exchanged +for two chiefs who were prisoners in Fort Detroit. + +The Indians did not destroy Fort St Joseph, but left it +in charge of the French under Louis Chevalier. Chevalier +saved the lives of several British traders, and in every +way behaved so admirably that at the close of the Indian +war he was given a position of importance under the +British, which position he held until the outbreak of +the Revolutionary War. + +We have seen that when Major Robert Rogers visited Detroit +in 1760, one of the French forts first occupied was Miami, +situated on the Maumee river, at the commencement of the +portage to the Wabash, near the spot where Fort Wayne +was afterwards built. At the time of the outbreak of the +Pontiac War this fort was held by Ensign Robert Holmes +and twelve men. Holmes knew that his position was critical. +In 1762 he had reported that the Senecas, Shawnees, and +Delawares were plotting to exterminate the British in +the Indian country, and he was not surprised when, towards +the end of May 1763, he was told by a French trader that +Detroit was besieged by the Ottawa Confederacy. But though +Holmes was on the alert, and kept his men under arms, he +was nevertheless to meet death and his fort was to be +captured by treachery. In his desolate wilderness home +the young ensign seems to have lost his heart to a handsome +young squaw living in the vicinity of the fort. On May +27 she visited him and begged him to accompany her on a +mission of mercy--to help to save the life of a sick +Indian woman. Having acted as physician to the Indians +on former occasions, Holmes thought the request a natural +one. The young squaw led him to the Indian village, +pointed out the wigwam where the woman was supposed to +be, and then left him. As he was about to enter the wigwam +two musket-shots rang out, and he fell dead. Three +soldiers, who were outside the fort, rushed for the gate, +but they were tomahawked before they could reach it. The +gate was immediately closed, and the nine soldiers within +the fort made ready for resistance. With the Indians were +two Frenchmen, Jacques Godfroy, whom we have met before +as the ambassador to Pontiac in the opening days of the +siege of Detroit, and one Miny Chesne; [Footnote: This +is the only recorded instance, except at Detroit, in +which any French took part with the Indians in the capture +of a fort. And both Godfroy and Miny Chesne had married +Indian women.] and they had an English prisoner, a trader +named John Welsh, who had been captured and plundered at +the mouth of the Maumee while on his way to Detroit. The +Frenchmen called on the garrison to surrender, pointing +out how useless it would be to resist and how dreadful +would be their fate if they were to slay any Indians. +Without a leader, and surrounded as they were by a large +band of savages, the men of the garrison saw that resistance +would be of no avail. The gates were thrown open; the +soldiers marched forth, and were immediately seized and +bound; and the fort was looted. With Welsh the captives +were taken to the Ottawa village at Detroit, where they +arrived on June 4, and where Welsh and several of the +soldiers were tortured to death. + +A few miles south of the present city of Lafayette, on +the south-east side of the Wabash, at the mouth of Wea +Creek, stood the little wooden fort of Ouiatanon. It was +connected with Fort Miami by a footpath through the +forest. It was the most westerly of the British forts in +the Ohio country, and might be said to be on the borderland +of the territory along the Mississippi, which was still +under the government of Louisiana. There was a considerable +French settlement, and near by was the principal village +of the Weas, a sub-tribe of the Miami nation. The fort +was guarded by the usual dozen of men, under the command +of Lieutenant Edward Jenkins. In March Jenkins had been +warned that an Indian rising was imminent and that soon +all the British in the hinterland would be prisoners. +The French and Indians in this region were under the +influence of the Mississippi officers and traders, who +were, in Jenkins's words, 'eternally telling lies to the +Indians,' leading them to believe that a great army would +soon arrive to recover the forts. Towards the end of May +ambassadors arrived at Ouiatanon, either from the Delawares +or from Pontiac, bringing war-belts and instructions to +the Weas to seize the fort. This, as usual, was achieved +by treachery. Jenkins was invited to one of their cabins +for a conference. Totally unaware of the Pontiac +conspiracy, or of the fall of St Joseph, Sandusky, or +Miami, he accepted the invitation. While passing out of +the fort he was seized and bound, and, when taken to the +cabin, he saw there several of his soldiers, prisoners +like himself. The remaining members of the garrison +surrendered, knowing how useless it would be to resist, +and under the threat that if one Indian were killed all +the British would be put to death. It had been the original +intention of the Indians to seize the fort and slaughter +the garrison, but, less blood-thirsty than Pontiac's +immediate followers, they were won to mercy by two traders, +Maisonville and Lorain, who gave them presents on the +condition that the garrison should be made prisoners +instead of being slain. Jenkins and his men were to have +been sent to the Mississippi, but their removal was +delayed, and they were quartered on the French inhabitants, +and kindly treated by both French and Indians until +restored to freedom. + +The capture of Forts Miami and Ouiatanon gave the Indians +complete control of the route between the western end of +Lake Erie and the rivers Ohio and Mississippi. The French +traders, who had undoubtedly been instrumental in goading +the Indians to hostilities, had now the trade of the +Wabash and lower Ohio, and of the tributaries of both, +in their own hands. No British trader could venture into +the region with impunity; the few who attempted it were +plundered and murdered. + +The scene of hostilities now shifts to the north. Next +to Detroit the most important fort on the Great Lakes +west of Niagara was Michilimackinac, situated on the +southern shore of the strait connecting Lakes Huron and +Michigan. The officer there had supervision of the lesser +forts at Sault Ste Marie, Green Bay, and St Joseph. At +this time Sault Ste Marie was not occupied by troops. In +the preceding winter Lieutenant Jamette had arrived to +take command; but fire had broken out in his quarters +and destroyed the post, and he and his men had gone back +to Michilimackinac, where they still were when the Pontiac +War broke out. There were two important Indian tribes in +the vicinity of Michilimackinac, the Chippewas and the +Ottawas. The Chippewas had populous villages on the island +of Mackinaw and at Thunder Bay on Lake Huron. They had +as their hunting-grounds the eastern half of the peninsula +which is now the state of Michigan. The Ottawas claimed +as their territory the western half of the peninsula, +and their chief village was L'Arbre Croche, where the +venerable Jesuit priest, Father du Jaunay, had long +conducted his mission. + +The Indians about Michilimackinac had never taken kindly +to the new occupants of the forts in their territory. +When the trader Alexander Henry arrived there in 1761, +he had found them decidedly hostile. On his journey up +the Ottawa he had been warned of the reception in store +for him. At Michilimackinac he was waited on by a party +of Chippewas headed by their chief, Minavavna, a remarkably +sagacious Indian, known to the French as _Le Grand +Sauteur_, whose village was situated at Thunder Bay. This +chief addressed Henry in most eloquent words, declaring +that the Chippewas were the children of the French king, +who was asleep, but who would shortly awaken and destroy +his enemies. The king of England, he said, had entered +into no treaty with the Chippewas and had sent them no +presents: they were therefore still at war with him, and +until he made such concessions they must look upon the +French king as their chief. 'But,' he continued, 'you +come unarmed: sleep peacefully!' The pipe of peace was +then passed to Henry. After smoking it he bestowed on +the Indians some gifts, and they filed out of his presence. +Almost immediately on the departure of the Chippewas came +some two hundred Ottawas demanding of Henry, and of +several other British traders who were also there, +ammunition, clothing, and other necessaries for their +winter hunt, on credit until spring. The traders refused, +and, when threatened by the Indians, they and their +employees, some thirty in all, barricaded themselves in +a house, and prepared to resist the demands by force of +arms. Fortunately, at this critical moment word arrived +of a strong British contingent that was approaching from +Detroit to take over the fort, and the Ottawas hurriedly +left for their villages. + +For nearly two years the garrison at Michilimackinac +lived in peace. In the spring of 1763 they were resting +in a false security. Captain George Etherington, who was +in command, heard that the Indians were on the war-path +and that the fort was threatened; but he treated the +report lightly. It is noteworthy, too, that Henry, who +was in daily contact with the French settlers and Indians, +and had his agents scattered throughout the Indian country, +saw no cause for alarm. But it happened that towards the +end of May news reached the Indians at Michilimackinac +of the situation at Detroit, and with the news came a +war-belt signifying that they were to destroy the British +garrison. A crowd of Indians, chiefly Chippewas and Sacs, +presently assembled at the post. This was a usual thing +in spring, and would cause no suspicion. The savages, +however, had planned to attack the fort on June 4, the +birthday of George III. The British were to celebrate +the day by sports and feasting, and the Chippewas and +Sacs asked to be allowed to entertain the officers with +a game of lacrosse. Etherington expressed pleasure at +the suggestion, and told the chiefs who waited on him +that he would back his friends the Chippewas against +their Sac opponents. On the morning of the 4th posts were +set up on the wide plain behind the fort, and tribe was +soon opposed to tribe. The warriors appeared on the field +with moccasined feet, and otherwise naked save for +breech-cloths. Hither and thither the ball was batted, +thrown, and carried. Player pursued player, tripping, +slashing, shouldering each other, and shouting in their +excitement as command of the ball passed with the fortunes +of the game from Chippewa to Sac and from Sac to Chippewa. +Etherington and Lieutenant Leslie were standing near the +gate, interested spectators of the game; and all about, +and scattered throughout the fort, were squaws with +stoical faces, each holding tight about her a gaudily +coloured blanket. The game was at its height, when a +player threw the ball to a spot near the gate of the +fort. There was a wild rush for it; and, as the gate was +reached, lacrosse sticks were cast aside, the squaws +threw open their blankets, and the players seized the +tomahawks and knives held out in readiness to them. The +shouts of play were changed to war-whoops. Instantly +Etherington and Leslie were seized and hurried to a +near-by wood. Into the fort the horde dashed. Here stood +more squaws with weapons; and before the garrison had +time to seize their arms, Lieutenant Jamette and fifteen +soldiers were slain and scalped, and the rest made +prisoners, while the French inhabitants stood by, viewing +the tragedy with apparent indifference. + +Etherington, Leslie, and the soldiers were held close +prisoners. A day or two after the capture of the fort a +Chippewa chief, _Le Grand Sable_, who had not been present +at the massacre, returned from his wintering-ground. He +entered a hut where a number of British soldiers were +bound hand and foot, and brutally murdered five of them. +The Ottawas, it will be noted, had taken no part in the +capture of Michilimackinac. In fact, owing to the good +offices of their priest, they acted towards the British +as friends in need. A party of them from L'Arbre Croche +presently arrived on the scene and prevented further +massacre. Etherington and Leslie were taken from the +hands of the Chippewas and removed to L'Arbre Croche. +From this place Etherington sent a message to Green Bay, +ordering the commandant to abandon the fort there. He +then wrote to Gladwyn at Detroit, giving an account of +what had happened and asking aid. This message was carried +to Detroit by Father du Jaunay, who made the journey in +company with seven Ottawas and eight Chippewas commanded +by Kinonchanek, a son of Minavavna. But, as we know, +Gladwyn was himself in need of assistance, and could give +none. The prisoners at L'Arbre Croche, however, were well +treated, and finally taken to Montreal by way of the +Ottawa river, under an escort of friendly Indians. + +On the southern shore of Lake Erie, where the city of +Erie now stands, was the fortified post of Presqu'isle, +a stockaded fort with several substantial houses. It was +considered a strong position, and its commandant, Ensign +John Christie, had confidence that he could hold out +against any number of Indians that might beset him. The +news brought by Cuyler when he visited Presqu'isle, after +the disaster at Point Pelee, put Christie on his guard. +Presqu'isle had a blockhouse of unusual strength, but it +was of wood, and inflammable. To guard against fire, +there was left at the top of the building an opening +through which water could be poured in any direction. +The blockhouse stood on a tongue of land--on the one side +a creek, on the other the lake. The most serious weakness +of the position was that the banks of the creek and the +lake rose in ridges to a considerable height, commanding +the blockhouse and affording a convenient shelter for an +attacking party within musket range. + +Christie had twenty-four men, and believed that he had +nothing to fear, when, on June 15, some two hundred +Wyandots arrived in the vicinity. These Indians were soon +on the ridges, assailing the blockhouse. Arrows tipped +with burning tow and balls of blazing pitch rained upon +the roof, and the utmost exertions of the garrison were +needed to extinguish the fires. Soon the supply of water +began to fail. There was a well near by on the +parade-ground, but this open space was subject to such +a hot fire that no man would venture to cross it. A well +was dug in the blockhouse, and the resistance continued. +All day the attack was kept up, and during the night +there was intermittent firing from the ridges. Another +day passed, and at night came a lull in the siege. A +demand was made to surrender. An English soldier who had +been adopted by the savages, and was aiding them in the +attack, cried out that the destruction of the fort was +inevitable, that in the morning it would be fired at the +top and bottom, and that unless the garrison yielded they +would all be burnt to death. Christie asked till morning +to consider; and, when morning came, he agreed to yield +up the fort on condition that the garrison should be +allowed to march to the next post. But as his men filed +out they were seized and bound, then cast into canoes +and taken to Detroit. Their lives, however, were spared; +and early in July, when the Wyandots made with Gladwyn +the peace which they afterwards broke, Christie and a +number of his men were the first prisoners given up. + +A few miles inland, south of Presqu'isle, on the trade-route +leading to Fort Pitt, was a rude blockhouse known as Le +Boeuf. This post was at the end of the portage from Lake +Erie, on Alleghany Creek, where the canoe navigation of +the Ohio valley began. Here were stationed Ensign George +Price and thirteen men. On June 18 a band of Indians +arrived before Le Boeuf and attacked it with muskets and +fire-arrows. The building was soon in flames. As the +walls smoked and crackled the savages danced in wild glee +before the gate, intending to shoot down the defenders +as they came out. But there was a window at the rear of +the blockhouse, through which the garrison escaped to +the neighbouring forest. When night fell the party became +separated. Some of them reached Fort Venango two days +later, only to find it in ruins. Price and seven men +laboriously toiled through the forest to Fort Pitt, where +they arrived on June 26. Ultimately, all save two of the +garrison of Fort Le Boeuf reached safety. + +The circumstances attending the destruction of Fort +Venango on June 20 are but vaguely known. This fort, +situated near the site of the present city of Franklin, +had long been a centre of Indian trade. In the days o +the French occupation it was known as Fort Machault. +After the French abandoned the place in the summer of +1760 a new fort had been erected and named Venango. In +1763 there was a small garrison here under Lieutenant +Gordon. For a time all that was known of its fate was +reported by the fugitives from Le Boeuf and a soldier +named Gray, who had escaped from Presqu'isle. These +fugitives had found Venango completely destroyed, and, +in the ruins, the blackened bones of the garrison. It +was afterwards learned that the attacking Indians were +Senecas, and that they had tortured the commandant to +death over a slow fire, after compelling him to write +down the reason for the attack. It was threefold: (1) +the British charged exorbitant prices for powder, shot, +and clothing; (2) when Indians were ill-treated by British +soldiers they could obtain no redress; (3) contrary to +the wishes of the Indians, forts were being built in +their country, and these could mean but one thing--the +determination of the invaders to deprive them of their +hunting-grounds. + +With the fall of Presqu'isle, Le Boeuf, and Venango, the +trade-route between Lake Erie and Fort Pitt was closed. +Save for Detroit, Niagara, and Pitt, not a British fort +remained in the great hinterland; and the soldiers at +these three strong positions could leave the shelter of +the palisades only at the risk of their lives. Meanwhile, +the frontiers of the British settlements, as well as the +forts, were being raided. Homes were burnt and the inmates +massacred. Traders were plundered and slain. From the +eastern slopes of the Alleghanies to the Mississippi no +British life was safe. + + + + +CHAPTER VI + +THE RELIEF OF FORT PITT + +On the tongue of land at the confluence of the Monongahela +and Aheghany rivers stood Fort Pitt, on the site of the +old French fort Duquesne. It was remote from any centre +of population, but was favourably situated for defence, +and so strongly garrisoned that those in charge of it +had little to fear from any attempts of the Indians to +capture it. Floods had recently destroyed part of the +ramparts, but these had been repaired and a parapet of +logs raised above them. + +Captain Simeon Ecuyer, a Swiss soldier in the service of +Great Britain and an officer of keen intelligence and +tried courage, was in charge of Fort Pitt. He knew the +Indians. He had quickly realized that danger threatened +his wilderness post, and had left nothing undone to make +it secure. On the fourth day of May, Ecuyer had written +to Colonel Henry Bouquet, who was stationed at Philadelphia, +saying that he had received word from Gladwyn that he +'was surrounded by rascals.' Ecuyer did not treat this +alarm lightly. He not only repaired the ramparts and made +them stronger, but also erected palisades within them to +surround the dwellings. Everything near the fort that +could give shelter to a lurking foe was levelled to the +ground. There were in Fort Pitt at this time about a +hundred women and their children--families of settlers +who had come to the fertile Ohio valley to take up homes. +These were provided with shelter in houses made shot-proof. +Small-pox had broken out in the garrison, and a hospital +was prepared under the drawbridge, where the patients in +time of siege would be in no danger from musket-balls or +arrows. But the best defence of Fort Pitt was the capacity +of Ecuyer--brave, humorous, foresighted; a host in +himself--giving courage to his men and making even the +women and children think lightly of the power of the +Indians. + +It was nearly three weeks after the siege of Detroit had +begun that the savages appeared in force about Fort Pitt. +On May 27 a large band of Indians came down the Alleghany +bearing packs of furs, in payment for which they demanded +guns, knives, tomahawks, powder, and shot, and would take +nothing else. Soon after their departure word was brought +to Ecuyer of the murder of some traders and settlers not +far from the fort. From that time until the beginning of +August it was hazardous for any one to venture outside +the walls; but for nearly a month no attack was to be +made on the fort itself. However, as news of the capture +of the other forts reached the garrison, and as nearly +all the messengers sent to the east were either slain or +forced to return, it was evident that, in delaying the +attack on Fort Pitt, the Indians were merely gathering +strength for a supreme effort against the strongest +position in the Indian territory. + +On June 22 a large body of Indians assembled in the forest +about the fort, and, creeping stealthily within range of +its walls, opened fire from every side. It was the +garrison's first experience of attack; some of the soldiers +proved a trifle overbold, and two of them were killed. +The firing, however, lasted but a short time. Ecuyer +selected a spot where the smoke of the muskets was +thickest, and threw shells from his howitzers into the +midst of the warriors, scattering them in hurried flight. +On the following day a party came within speaking distance, +and their leader, Turtle's Heart, a Delaware chief, +informed Ecuyer that all the western and northern forts +had been cut off, and that a host of warriors were coming +to destroy Fort Pitt and its garrison. He begged Ecuyer +to withdraw the inmates of the fort while there was yet +time. He would see to it that they were protected on +their way to the eastern settlements. He added that when +the Ottawas and their allies arrived, all hope for the +lives of the inhabitants of Fort Pitt would be at an end. +All this Turtle's Heart told Ecuyer out of 'love for the +British.' The British officer, with fine humour, thanked +him for his consideration for the garrison, but told him +that he could hold out against all the Indians in the +woods. He could be as generous as Turtle's Heart, and so +warned him that the British were coming to relieve Fort +Pitt with six thousand men; that an army of three thousand +was ascending the Great Lakes to punish the Ottawa +Confederacy; and that still another force of three thousand +had gone to the frontiers of Virginia. 'Therefore,' he +said, 'take pity on your women and children, and get out +of the way as soon as possible. We have told you this in +confidence, out of our great solicitude, lest any of you +should be hurt; and,' he added, 'we hope that you will +not tell the other Indians, lest they should escape from +our vengeance.' The howitzers and the story of the +approaching hosts had their effect, and the Indians +vanished into the surrounding forest. For another month +Fort Pitt had comparative peace, and the garrison patiently +but watchfully awaited a relieving force which Amherst +was sending. In the meantime news came of the destruction +of Presqu'isle, Le Boeuf, and Venango; and the fate of +the garrisons, particularly at the last post, warned the +inhabitants of Fort Pitt what they might expect if they +should fall into the hands of the Indians. + +On July 26 some Indian ambassadors, among them Turtle's +Heart, came to the post with a flag of truce. They were +loud in their protestations of friendship, and once more +solicitous for the safety of the garrison. The Ottawas, +they said, were coming in a vast horde, to 'seize and +eat up everything' that came in their way. The garrison's +only hope of escape would be to vacate the fort speedily +and 'go home to their wives and children.' Ecuyer replied +that he would never abandon his position 'as long as a +white man lives in America.' He despised the Ottawas, he +said, and was 'very much surprised at our brothers the +Delawares for proposing to us to leave this place and go +home. This is our home.' His humour was once more in evidence +in the warning he gave the Indians against repeating their +attack on the fort: 'I will throw bomb-shells, which will +burst and blow you to atoms, and fire cannon among you, +loaded with a whole bagful of bullets. Therefore take care, +for I don't want to hurt you.' + +The Indians now gave up all hope of capturing Fort Pitt +by deception, and prepared to take it by assault. That +very night they stole within range, dug shelter-pits in +the banks of the Alleghany and Monongahela, and at daybreak +began a vigorous attack on the garrison. Musket-balls +came whistling over the ramparts and smote every point +where a soldier showed himself. The shrieking balls and +the wild war-whoops of the assailants greatly alarmed +the women and children; but never for a moment was the +fort in real danger or did Ecuyer or his men fear disaster. +So carefully had the commandant seen to his defences, +that, although hundreds of missiles fell within the +confines of the fort, only one man was killed and only +seven were wounded. Ecuyer himself was among the wounded: +one of two arrows that fell within the fort had, to use +his own words, 'the insolence to make free' with his +'left leg.' From July 27 to August 1 this horde of +Delawares, Shawnees, Wyandots, and Mingoes kept up the +attack. Then, without apparent cause, as suddenly as they +had arrived, they all disappeared. To the garrison the +relief from constant vigil, anxious days, and sleepless +nights was most welcome. + +The reason for this sudden relief was that the red men +had learned of a rich prize for them, now approaching +Fort Pitt. Bouquet, with a party of soldiers, was among +the defiles of the Alleghanies. The fort could wait; the +Indians would endeavour to annihilate Bouquet's force as +they had annihilated Braddock's army in the same region +eight years before; and if successful, they could then +at their leisure return to Fort Pitt and starve it out +or take it by assault. + +In June, when Amherst had finally come to the conclusion +that he had a real war on his hands--and had, as we have +seen, dispatched Dalyell to Detroit--he had, at the same +time, sent orders to Colonel Bouquet to get ready a force +for the relief of Fort Pitt. Bouquet, like Ecuyer, was +a Swiss soldier, and the best man in America for this +particular task. After seven years' experience in border +warfare he was as skilled in woodcraft as the Indians +themselves. He had now to lead a force over the road, +two hundred odd miles long, which connected Fort Pitt +with Carlisle, his point of departure in Pennsylvania; +but every foot of the road was known to him. In 1758, +when serving under General Forbes, he had directed the +construction of this road, and knew the strength of every +fort and block-house on the way; even the rivers and +creeks and morasses and defiles were familiar to him. +Best of all, he had a courage and a military knowledge +that inspired confidence in his men and officers. Cool, +calculating, foreseeing, dauntlessly brave--there was +not in the New World at this time a better soldier than +this heroic Swiss. + +Amherst was in a bad way for troops. The only available +forces for the relief of Fort Pitt were 242 men of the +42nd Highlanders--the famous Black Watch--with 133 of +the 77th (Montgomery's) Highlanders, and some Royal +Americans. These, with a few volunteers, made up a +contingent 550 strong. It was a force all too small for +the task before it, and the majority of the soldiers had +but recently arrived from the West Indies and were in +wretched health. + +Bouquet had sent instructions to Carlisle to have supplies +ready for him and sufficient wagons assembled there for +the expedition, but when he reached the place at the end +of June he found that nothing had been done. The frontier +was in a state of paralysis from panic. Over the entire +stretch of country from Fort Pitt the Indians were on +the war-path. Every day brought tragic stories of the +murder of settlers and the destruction of their homes. +There was no safety outside the precincts of the feeble +forts that dotted the Indian territory. Bouquet had hoped +for help from the settlers and government of Pennsylvania; +but the settlers thought only of immediate safety, and +the government was criminally negligent in leaving the +frontier of the state unprotected, and would vote neither +men nor money for defence. But they must be saved in +spite of themselves. By energetic efforts, in eighteen +days after his arrival at Carlisle, Bouquet was ready +for the march. He began his campaign with a wise precaution. +The last important fort on the road to Pitt was Ligonier, +about one hundred and fifty miles from Carlisle. It would +be necessary to use this post as a base; but it was beset +by Indians and in danger of being captured. Lieutenant +Archibald Blane in charge of it was making a gallant +defence against a horde of savages. Bouquet, while waiting +at Carlisle, engaged guides and sent in advance thirty +Highlanders, carefully selected men, to strengthen the +garrison under Blane. These, by keeping off the main +trail and using every precaution, succeeded in reaching +the fort without mishap. + +Bouquet led his force westward. Sixty of his soldiers +were so ill that they were unable to march and had to be +carried in wagons. It was intended that the sick should +take the place of the men now in Forts Bedford and +Ligonier, and thus help to guard the rear. The road was +found to be in frightful condition. The spring freshets +had cut it up; deep gullies crossed the path; and the +bridges over the streams had been in most cases washed +away. As the little army advanced, panic-stricken settlers +by the way told stories of the destruction of homes and +the slaughter of friends. Fort Bedford, where Captain +Lewis Ourry was in command, was reached on the 25th. Here +three days were spent, and thirty more guides were secured +to serve as an advance-guard of scouts and give warning +of the presence of enemies. Bouquet had tried his +Highlanders at this work; but they were unfamiliar with +the forest, and, as they invariably got lost, were of no +value as scouts. Leaving his invalided officers and men +at Bedford, Bouquet, with horses rested and men refreshed, +pressed forward and arrived at Ligonier on August 2. +Preparations had now to be made for the final dash to +Fort Pitt, fifty odd miles away, over a path that was +beset by savages, who also occupied all the important +passes. It would be impossible to get through without a +battle--a wilderness battle--and the thought of the +Braddock disaster was in the minds of all. But Bouquet +was not a Braddock, and he was experienced in Indian +warfare. To attempt to pass ambuscades with a long train +of cumbersome wagons would be to invite disaster; so he +discarded his wagons and heavier stores, and having made +ready three hundred and forty pack-horses loaded with +flour, he decided to set out from Ligonier on the 4th of +August. It was planned to reach Bushy Creek--'Bushy Run,' +as Bouquet called it--on the following day, and there +rest and refresh horses and men. In the night a dash +would be made through the dangerous defile at Turtle +Creek; and, if the high broken country at this point +could be passed without mishap, the rest of the way could +be easily won. + +At daylight the troops were up and off. It was an +oppressively hot August morning, and no breath of wind +stirred the forest. Over the rough road trudged the long +line of sweltering men. In advance were the scouts; then +followed several light companies of the Black Watch; then +the main body of the little army; and in the rear came +the toiling pack-horses. Until noon the soldiers marched, +panting and tortured by mosquitoes, but buoyed up by the +hope that at Bushy Run they would be able to quench their +burning thirst and rest until nightfall. By one o'clock +in the afternoon they had covered seventeen miles and +were within a mile and a half of their objective point. +Suddenly in their front they heard the sharp reports of +muskets; the firing grew in intensity: the advance-guard +was evidently in contact with a considerable body of +Indians. Two light companies were rushed forward to their +support, and with fixed bayonets cleared the path. This, +however, was but a temporary success. The Indians merely +changed their position and appeared on the flanks in +increased numbers. From the shelter of trees the foe were +creating havoc among the exposed troops, and a general +charge was necessary. Highlanders and Royal Americans, +acting under the directing eye of Bouquet, again drove +the Indians back with the bayonet. Scarcely had this been +accomplished when a fusillade was heard in the rear. The +convoy was attacked, and it was necessary to fall back +to its support. Until nightfall, around a bit of elevated +ground--called Edge Hill by Bouquet--on which the convoy +was drawn up, the battle was waged. About the pack-horses +and stores the soldiers valiantly fought for seven hours +against their invisible foe. At length darkness fell, +and the exhausted troops could take stock of their losses +and snatch a brief, broken rest. In this day of battle +two officers were killed and four wounded, and sixty of +the rank and file were killed or wounded. + +Flour-bags were piled in a circle, and within this the +wounded were placed. Throughout the night a careful watch +was kept; but the enemy made no attack during the darkness, +merely firing an occasional shot and from time to time +uttering defiant yells. They were confident that Bouquet's +force would be an easy prey, and waited for daylight to +renew the battle. + +The soldiers had played a heroic part. Though unused to +forest warfare, they had been cool as veterans in Indian +fighting, and not a man had fired a shot without orders. +But the bravest of them looked to the morning with dread. +They had barely been able to hold their own on this day, +and by morning the Indians would undoubtedly be greatly +strengthened. The cries and moans of the wounded vividly +reminded them of what had already happened. Besides, they +were worn out with marching and fighting; worse than +physical fatigue and more trying than the enemy's bullets +was torturing thirst; and not a drop of water could be +obtained at the place where they were hemmed in. + +By the flickering light of a candle Bouquet penned one +of the noblest letters ever written by a soldier in time +of battle. He could hardly hope for success, and defeat +meant the most horrible of deaths; but he had no craven +spirit, and his report to Amherst was that of a true +soldier--a man 'whose business it is to die.' After giving +a detailed account of the occurrences leading up to this +attack and a calm statement of the events of the day, +and paying a tribute to his officers, whose conduct, he +said, 'is much above my praise,' he added: 'Whatever our +fate may be, I thought it necessary to give Your Excellency +this information... I fear unsurmountable difficulties +in protecting and transporting our provisions, being +already so much weakened by the loss in this day of men +and horses.' Sending a messenger back with this dispatch, +he set himself to plan for the morrow. + +At daybreak from the surrounding wood the terrifying +war-cries of the Indians fell on the ears of the troops. +Slowly the shrill yells came nearer; the Indians were +endeavouring to strike terror into the hearts of their +foes before renewing the fight, knowing that troops in +dread of death are already half beaten. When within five +hundred yards of the centre of the camp the Indians began +firing. The troops replied with great steadiness. This +continued until ten in the morning. The wounded within +the barricade lay listening to the sounds of battle, ever +increasing in volume, and the fate of Braddock's men rose +before them. It seemed certain that their sufferings must +end in death--and what a death! The pack-horses, tethered +at a little distance from the barricade, offered an easy +target, against which the Indians soon directed their +fire, and the piteous cries of the wounded animals added +to the tumult of the battle. Some of the horses, maddened +by wounds, broke their fastenings and galloped into the +forest. But the kilted Highlanders and the red-coated +Royal Americans gallantly fought on. Their ranks were +being thinned; the fatiguing work of the previous day +was telling on them; their throats were parched and their +tongues swollen for want of water. Bouquet surveyed the +field. He saw his men weakening under the terrible strain, +and realized that something must be done promptly. The +Indians were each moment becoming bolder, pressing ever +nearer and nearer. + +Then he conceived one of the most brilliant movements +known in Indian warfare. He ordered two companies, which +were in the most exposed part of the field, to fall back +as though retreating within the circle that defended the +hill. At the same time the troops on the right and left +opened their files, and, as if to cover the retreat, +occupied the space vacated in a thinly extended line. +The strategy worked even better than Bouquet had expected. +The yelling Indians, eager for slaughter and believing +that the entire command was at their mercy, rushed +pell-mell from their shelter, firing sharp volleys into +the protecting files. These were forced back, and the +savages dashed forward for the barricade which sheltered +the wounded. Meanwhile the two companies had taken position +on the right, and from a sheltering hill that concealed +them from the enemy they poured an effective fire into +the savages. The astonished Indians replied, but with +little effect, and before they could reload the Highlanders +were on them with the bayonet. The red men then saw that +they had fallen into a trap, and turned to flee. But +suddenly on their left two more companies rose from ambush +and sent a storm of bullets into the retreating savages, +while the Highlanders and Royal Americans dashed after +them with fixed bayonets. The Indians at other parts of +the circle, seeing their comrades in flight, scattered into +the forest. The defiant war-cries ceased and the muskets +were silent. The victory was complete: Bouquet had beaten +the Indians in their own woods and at their own game. About +sixty of the enemy lay dead and as many more wounded. In +the two days of battle the British had fifty killed, sixty +wounded, and five missing. It was a heavy price; but this +victory broke the back of the Indian war. + +Many horses had been killed or had strayed away, and it +was impossible to transport all the stores to Fort Pitt. +What could not be carried with the force was destroyed, +and the victors moved on to Bushy Creek, at a slow pace +on account of the wounded. No sooner had they pitched +their tents at the creek than some of the enemy again +appeared; the Highlanders, however, without waiting for +the word of command, scattered them with the bayonet. On +the following day the march began for Fort Pitt. Three +days later, on August 10, the garrison of that fort heard +the skirl of the bagpipes and the beat of the drum, and +saw through the forest the plaids and plumes of the +Highlanders and the red coats of the Royal Americans. +The gate was thrown open, and the victors of Edge Hill +marched in to the welcome of the men and women who for +several months had had no news from their friends in the +east. + +Bouquet had been instructed to invade the Ohio country +and teach the Shawnees and Delawares a lesson. But his +men were worn out, half of them were unfit for service, +and so deficient was he in horses and supplies that this +task had to be abandoned for the present year. + +Pennsylvania and Virginia rejoiced. This triumph meant +much to them. Their borders would now be safe, but for +occasional scalping parties. Amherst was delighted, and +took to himself much of the credit of Bouquet's victory. +He congratulated the noble Swiss officer on his victory +over 'a band of savages that would have been very formidable +against any troops but such as you had with you.' But it +was not the troops that won the battle; it was Bouquet. +In the hands of a Braddock, a Loudoun, an Abercromby, these +war-worn veterans would have met a fate such as befell +Braddock's troops. But Bouquet animated every man with his +own spirit; he knew how to fight Indians; and at the critical +moment--'the fatal five minutes between victory and +defeat'--he proved himself the equal of any soldier who +ever battled against the red men in North America. + + + + +CHAPTER VII + +DETROIT ONCE MORE + +While Fort Pitt was holding out against the Ohio Indians +and Bouquet was forcing his way through the defiles of +the Alleghanies to its relief, Fort Detroit was still in +a state of siege. The defeat of Dalyell's force at Bloody +Run had given the Indians a greater degree of confidence. +They had not dared, however, to make a general assault, +but had merely kept the garrison aware of their presence +by desultory and irritating attacks. + +Nothing of importance took place until September 3. On +this day the little _Gladwyn_, which had gone to the +Niagara with dispatches, entered the Detroit river on +her return trip. She was in charge of Captain Horst, who +was assisted by Jacobs as mate, and a crew of ten men. +There were likewise on board six Iroquois Indians. It +was a calm morning; and as the vessel lay with idly +flapping sails waiting for a wind, the Iroquois asked +permission to stretch their limbs on shore. Horst foolishly +granted their request, and as soon as they had made a +landing they disappeared into the forest, and no doubt +hurried to Pontiac's warriors to let them know how weakly +manned was the schooner. The weather continued calm, and +by nightfall the _Gladwyn_ was still nine miles below +the fort. As darkness fell on that moonless night the +captain, alarmed at the flight of the Iroquois, posted +a careful guard and had his cannon at bow and stern made +ready to resist attack. So dark was the night that it +was impossible to discern objects at any distance. Along +the black shore Indians were gathering, and soon a fleet +of canoes containing over three hundred warriors was +slowly and silently moving towards the becalmed _Gladwyn_. +So noiseless was their approach that they were within a +few yards of the vessel before a watchful sentry, the +boatswain, discerned them. At his warning cry the crew +leapt to their quarters. The bow gun thundered out, and +its flash gave the little band on the boat a momentary +glimpse of a horde of painted enemies. There was no time +to reload the gun. The canoes were all about the schooner, +and yelling warriors were clambering over the stern and +bow and swarming on the deck. The crew discharged their +muskets into the savages, and then seized spears and +hatchets and rushed madly at them, striking and stabbing +--determined at least to sell their lives dearly. For +a moment the Indians in the black darkness shrank back +from the fierce attack. But already Horst was killed and +several of the crew were down with mortal wounds. The +vessel seemed lost when Jacobs--a dare-devil seaman--now +in command, ordered his men to blow up the vessel. A +Wyandot brave with some knowledge of English caught the +words and shouted a warning to his comrades. In an instant +every warrior was over the side of the vessel, paddling +or swimming to get to safety. When morning broke not an +Indian was to be seen, and the little _Gladwyn_ sailed +in triumph to Fort Detroit. So greatly was the gallantry +of her crew appreciated that Amherst had a special medal +struck and given to each of the survivors. + +Meanwhile, at Niagara, supplies were being conveyed over +the portage between the lower landing (now Lewiston) and +Fort Schlosser, in readiness for transport to the western +posts. The Senecas claimed the territory about Niagara, +and the invasion of their land had greatly irritated +them. They particularly resented the act of certain +squatters who, without their consent, had settled along +the Niagara portage. Fort Niagara was too strong to be +taken by assault; but the Senecas hoped, by biding their +time, to strike a deadly blow against parties conveying +goods over the portage. The opportunity came on September +14. On this day a sergeant and twenty-eight men were +engaged in escorting down to the landing a wagon-train +and pack-horses which had gone up to Fort Schlosser the +day before loaded with supplies. The journey up the river +had been successfully made, and the party were returning, +off their guard and without the slightest thought of +danger. But their every movement had been watched by +Indian scouts; and, at the Devil's Hole, a short distance +below the falls, five hundred warriors lay in ambush. +Slowly the returning provision-train wound its way along +the bank of the Niagara. On the right were high cliffs, +thickly wooded; on the left a precipice, whose base was +fretted by the furious river. In the ears of the soldiers +and drivers sounded the thunderous roar of the mighty +cataract. As men and horses threaded their way past the +Devil's Hole savage yells burst from the thick wood on +their right, and simultaneously a fusillade from a hundred +muskets. The terrified horses sprang over the cliffs, +dragging wagons and drivers with them. When the smoke +cleared and the savages rushed forward, not a living +member of the escort nor a driver was to be seen. The +leader of the escort, Philip Stedman, had grasped the +critical character of the situation at the first outcry, +and, putting spurs to his horse, had dashed into the +bushes. A warrior had seized his rein; but Stedman had +struck him down and galloped free for Fort Schlosser. A +drummer-boy, in terror of his life, had leapt over the +cliff. By good fortune his drum-strap caught on the branch +of a dense tree; here he remained suspended until the +Indians left the spot, when he extricated himself. One +of the teamsters also escaped. He was wounded, but managed +to roll into the bushes, and found concealment in the +thick undergrowth. The terrific musketry fire was heard +at the lower landing, where a body of troops of the 60th +and 80th regiments were encamped. The soldiers hastily +armed themselves and in great disorder rushed to the aid +of the convoy. But the Indians were not now at the Devil's +Hole. The murderous work completed there, they had taken +up a position in a thick wood half a mile farther down, +where they silently waited. They had chosen well their +place of concealment; and the soldiers in their excitement +walked into the trap set for them. Suddenly the ominous +war-cries broke out, and before the troops could turn to +face the foe a storm of bullets had swept their left +flank. Then the warriors dashed from their ambush, +tomahawking the living and scalping both dead and dying. +In a few minutes five officers and seventy-six of the +rank and file were killed and eight wounded, and out of +a force of over one hundred men only twenty escaped +unhurt. The news of this second disaster brought Major +Wilkins up from Fort Niagara, with every available man, +to chastise the Indians. But when Wilkins and his men +arrived at the gruesome scene of the massacre not a red +man was to be found. The Indians had disappeared into +the forest, after having stripped their victims even of +clothing. With a heavy heart the troops marched back to +Niagara, mourning the loss of many gallant comrades. This +was the greatest disaster, in loss of life, of the Pontiac +War; but, like the defeat of Dalyell, it had little effect +on the progress of the campaign. The Indians did not +follow it up; with scalps and plunder they returned to +their villages to exult in wild orgies over the victory. + +Detroit was still besieged; but the Indians were beginning +to weaken, and for the most part had given up hope of +forcing the garrison to surrender. They had been depending +almost wholly on the settlement for sustenance, and +provisions were running low. Ammunition, too, was well-nigh +exhausted. They had replenished their supply during the +summer by the captures they had made, by the plundering +of traders, and by purchase or gift from the French of +the Mississippi. Now they had little hope of capturing +more supply-boats; the traders were holding aloof; and, +since the arrival of definite news of the surrender to +Great Britain by France of the region east of the +Mississippi, supplies from the French had been stopped. +If the Indians were to escape starvation they must scatter +to their hunting-grounds. There was another reason why +many of the chiefs deemed it wise to leave the vicinity +of Detroit. They had learned that Major Wilkins was on +his way from Niagara with a strong force and a fleet of +bateaux loaded with ammunition and supplies. So, early +in October, the Potawatomis, Wyandots, and Chippewas held +a council and concluded to bury the hatchet and make +peace with Gladwyn. On the 12th of the month a delegation +from these tribes came to the fort bearing a pipe of +peace. Gladwyn knew from experience how little they were +to be trusted, but he gave them a seemingly cordial +welcome. A chief named Wapocomoguth acted as spokesman, +and stated that the tribes represented regretted 'their +bad conduct' and were ready to enter into a treaty of +peace. Gladwyn replied that it was not in his power to +grant peace to Indians who without cause had attacked +the troops of their father the king of England; only the +commander-in-chief could do that; but he consented to a +cessation of hostilities. He did this the more willingly +as the fort was short of food, and the truce would give +him a chance to lay in a fresh stock of provisions. + +As the autumn frosts were colouring the maples with +brilliant hues, the Potawatomis, Wyandots, and Chippewas +set out for fields where game was plentiful; but for a +time Pontiac with his Ottawas remained, threatening the +garrison, and still strong in his determination to continue +the siege. During the summer he had sent ambassadors to +Fort Chartres on the Mississippi asking aid in fighting +what he asserted to be the battle of the French traders. +Towards the end of July the messengers had returned with +word from Neyon de Villiers, the commandant of Fort +Chartres, saying that he must await more definite news +as to whether peace had been concluded between France +and England. Pontiac still hoped; and, after his allies +had deserted, he waited at his camp above Detroit for +further word from Neyon. On the last day of October Louis +Cesair Dequindre arrived at Detroit from Fort Chartres, +with the crushing answer that Neyon de Villiers could +give him no aid. England and France were at peace, and +Neyon advised the Ottawas--no doubt with reluctance, and +only because of the demand of Amherst--to bury the hatchet +and give up the useless contest. To continue the struggle +for the present would be vain. Pontiac, though enraged +by the desertion of his allies, and by what seemed to +him the cowardly conduct of the French, determined at +once to accept the situation, sue for peace, and lay +plans for future action. So far he had been fighting +ostensibly for the restoration of French rule. In future, +whatever scheme he might devise, his struggle must be +solely in the interests of the red man. Next day he sent +a letter to Gladwyn begging that the past might be +forgotten. His young men, he said, had buried their +hatchets, and he declared himself ready not only to make +peace, but also to 'send to all the nations concerned in +the war' telling them to cease hostilities. No trust +could Gladwyn put in Pontiac's words; yet he assumed a +friendly bearing towards the treacherous conspirator, +who for nearly six months had given him no rest. Gladwyn's +views of the situation at this time are well shown in a +report he made to Amherst. The Indians, he said, had lost +many of their best warriors, and would not be likely +again to show a united front. It was in this report that +he made the suggestion, unique in warfare, of destroying +the Indians by the free sale of rum to them. 'If your +Excellency,' he wrote, 'still intends to punish them +further for their barbarities, it may easily be done +without any expense to the Crown, by permitting a free +sale of rum, which will destroy them more effectually +than fire and sword.' He thought that the French had been +the real plotters of the Indian war: 'I don't imagine +there will be any danger of their [the Indians] breaking +out again, provided some examples are made of our good +friends, the French, who set them on.' + +Pontiac and his band of savages paddled southward for +the Maumee, and spent the winter among the Indians along +its upper waters. Again he broke his plighted word and +plotted a new confederacy, greater than the Three Fires, +and sent messengers with wampum belts and red hatchets +to all the tribes as far south as the mouth of the +Mississippi and as far north as the Red River. But his +glory had departed. He could call; but the warriors would +not come when he summoned them. + +Fort Detroit was freed from hostile Indians, and the +soldiers could go to rest without expecting to hear the +call to arms. But before the year closed it was to be +the witness of still another tragedy. Two or three weeks +after the massacre at the Devil's Hole, Major Wilkins +with some six hundred troops started from Fort Schlosser +with a fleet of bateaux for Detroit. No care seems to +have been taken to send out scouts to learn if the forest +bordering the river above the falls was free from Indians, +and, as the bateaux were slowly making their way against +the swift stream towards Lake Erie, they were savagely +attacked from the western bank by Indians in such force +that Wilkins was compelled to retreat to Fort Schlosser. +It was not until November that another attempt was made +to send troops and provisions to Detroit. Early in this +month Wilkins once more set out from Fort Schlosser, this +time with forty-six bateaux heavily laden with troops, +provisions, and ammunition. While they were in Lake Erie +there arose one of the sudden storms so prevalent on the +Great Lakes in autumn. Instead of creeping along the +shore, the bateaux were in mid-lake, and before a landing +could be made the gale was on them in all its fury. There +was a wild race for land; but the choppy, turbulent sea +beat upon the boats, of which some were swamped and the +crews plunged into the chilly waters. They were opposite +a forbidding shore, called by Wilkins Long Beach, but +there was no time to look for a harbour. An attempt was +made to land, with disastrous results. In all sixteen +boats were sunk; three officers, four sergeants, and +sixty-three privates were drowned. The thirty bateaux +brought ashore were in a sinking condition; half the +provisions were lost and the remainder water-soaked. The +journey to Detroit was out of the question. The few +provisions saved would not last the remnant of Wilkins's +own soldiers for a month, and the ammunition was almost +entirely lost. Even if they succeeded in arriving safely +at Detroit, they would only be an added burden to Gladwyn; +and so, sick at heart from failure and the loss of +comrades, the survivors beat their way back to the Niagara. + +A week or two later a messenger arrived at Fort Detroit +bearing news of the disaster. The scarcity of provisions +at Detroit was such that Gladwyn decided to reduce his +garrison. Keeping about two hundred men in the fort, he +sent the rest to Niagara. Then the force remaining at +Detroit braced themselves to endure a hard, lonely winter. +Theirs was not a pleasant lot. Never was garrison duty +enjoyable during winter in the northern parts of North +America, but in previous winters at Detroit the friendly +intercourse between the soldiers and the settlers had made +the season not unbearable. Now, so many of the French had +been sympathizers with the besieging Indians, and, indeed, +active in aiding them, that the old relations could not be +resumed. So, during this winter of 1763-64, the garrison +for the most part held aloof from the French settlers, and +performed their weary round of military duties, longing +for spring and the sight of a relieving force. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII + +WINDING UP THE INDIAN WAR + +Amherst was weary of America. Early in the summer of 1763 +he had asked to be relieved of his command; but it was +not until October that General Thomas Gage, then in charge +of the government of Montreal, was appointed to succeed +him, and not until November 17, the day after Gage arrived +in New York, that Amherst sailed for England. + +The new commander-in-chief was not as great a general as +Amherst. It is doubtful if he could have planned and +brought to a successful conclusion such campaigns as the +siege of Louisbourg and the threefold march of 1760 on +Montreal, which have given his predecessor a high place +in the military history of North America. But Gage was +better suited for winding up the Indian war. He knew the +value of the officers familiar with the Indian tribes, +and was ready to act on their advice. Amherst had not done +this, and his best officers were now anxious to resign. +George Croghan had resigned as assistant superintendent +of Indian Affairs, but was later induced by Gage to remain +in office. Gladwyn was 'heartily wearied' of his command +and hoped to 'be relieved soon'; Blane and Ourry were +tired of their posts; and the brave Ecuyer was writing in +despair: 'For God's sake, let me go and raise cabbages.' +Bouquet; too, although determined to see the war to a +conclusion, was not satisfied with the situation. + +Meanwhile, Sir William Johnson was not idle among the +tribes of the Six Nations. The failure of Pontiac to reduce +Fort Detroit and the victory of Bouquet at Edge Hill had +convinced the Iroquois that ultimately the British would +triumph, and, eager to be on the winning side, they +consented to take the field against the Shawnees and +Delawares. In the middle of February 1764, through Johnson's +influence and by his aid, two hundred Tuscaroras and +Oneidas, under a half-breed, Captain Montour, marched +westward. Near the main branch of the Susquehanna they +surprised forty Delawares, on a scalping expedition against +the British settlements, and made prisoners of the entire +party. A few weeks later a number of Mohawks led by Joseph +Brant (Thayendanegea) put another band of Delawares to +rout, killing their chief and taking three prisoners. +These attacks of the Iroquois disheartened the Shawnees +and Delawares and greatly alarmed the Senecas, who, +trembling lest their own country should be laid waste, +sent a deputation of four hundred of their chief men to +Johnson Hall--Sir William Johnson's residence on the +Mohawk--to sue for peace. It was agreed that the Senecas +should at once stop all hostilities, never again take up +arms against the British, deliver up all prisoners at +Johnson Hall, cede to His Majesty the Niagara carrying-place, +allow the free passage of troops through their country, +renounce all intercourse with the Delawares and Shawnees, +and assist the British in punishing them. Thus, early in +1764, through the energy and diplomacy of Sir William +Johnson, the powerful Senecas were brought to terms. + +With the opening of spring preparations began in earnest +for a twofold invasion of the Indian country. One army +was to proceed to Detroit by way of Niagara and the Lakes, +and another from Fort Pitt was to take the field against +the Delawares and the Shawnees. To Colonel John Bradstreet, +who in 1758 had won distinction by his capture of Fort +Frontenac, was assigned the command of the contingent +that was to go to Detroit. Bradstreet was to punish the +Wyandots of Sandusky, and likewise the members of the +Ottawa Confederacy if he should find them hostile. He +was also to relieve Gladwyn and re-garrison the forts +captured by the Indians in 1763. Bradstreet left Albany +in June with a large force of colonial troops and regulars, +including three hundred French Canadians from the St +Lawrence, whom Gage had thought it wise to have enlisted, +in order to impress upon the Indians that they need no +longer expect assistance from the French in their wars +against the British. + +To prepare the way for Bradstreet's arrival Sir William +Johnson had gone in advance to Niagara, where he had +called together ambassadors from all the tribes, not only +from those that had taken part in the war, but from all +within his jurisdiction. He had found a vast concourse +of Indians awaiting him. The wigwams of over a thousand +warriors dotted the low-lying land at the mouth of the +river. In a few days the number had grown to two thousand +--representatives of nations as far east as Nova Scotia, +as far west as the Mississippi, and as far north as Hudson +Bay. Pontiac was absent, nor were there any Delaware, +Shawnee, or Seneca ambassadors present. These were absent +through dread; but later the Senecas sent deputies to +ratify the treaty made with Johnson in April. When +Bradstreet and his troops arrived negotiations were in +full swing. For nearly a month councils were held, and +at length all the chiefs present had entered into an +alliance with the British. This accomplished, Johnson, +on August 6, left Niagara for his home, while Bradstreet +continued his journey towards Detroit. + +Bradstreet halted at Presqu'isle. Here he was visited by +pretended deputies from the Shawnees and Delawares, who +ostensibly sought peace. He made a conditional treaty +with them and agreed to meet them twenty-five days later +at Sandusky, where they were to bring their British +prisoners. From Presqu'isle he wrote to Bouquet at Fort +Pitt, saying that it would be unnecessary to advance into +the Delaware country, as the Delawares were now at peace. +He also reported his success, as he considered it, to +Gage, but Gage was not impressed: he disavowed the treaty +and instructed Bouquet to continue his preparations. +Continuing his journey, Bradstreet rested at Sandusky, +where more Delawares waited on him and agreed to make +peace. It was at this juncture that he sent Captain Thomas +Morris on his ill-starred mission to the tribes of the +Mississippi. [Footnote: Morris and his companions got +no farther than the rapids of the Maumee, where they were +seized, stripped of clothing, and threatened with death. +Pontiac was now among the Miamis, still striving to get +together a following to continue the war. The prisoners +were taken to Pontiac's camp. But the Ottawa chief did +not deem it wise to murder a British officer on this +occasion, and Morris was released and forced to retrace +his steps. He arrived at Detroit after the middle of +September, only to find that Bradstreet had already +departed. The story will be found in more detail in +Parkman's _Conspiracy of Pontiac_.] + +Bradstreet was at Detroit by August 26, and at last the +worn-out garrison of the fort could rest after fifteen +months of exacting duties. Calling the Indians to a +council, Bradstreet entered into treaties with a number +of chiefs, and pardoned several French settlers who had +taken an active part with the Indians in the siege of +Detroit. He then sent troops to occupy Michilimackinac; +Green Bay, and Sault Ste Marie; and sailed for Sandusky +to meet the Delawares and Shawnees, who had promised to +bring in their prisoners. But none awaited him: the +Indians had deliberately deceived him and were playing +for time while they continued their attacks on the border +settlers. Here he received a letter from Gage ordering +him to disregard the treaty he had made with the Delawares +and to join Bouquet at Fort Pitt, an order which Bradstreet +did not obey, making the excuse that the low state of +the water in the rivers made impossible an advance to +Fort Pitt. On October 18 he left Sandusky for Niagara, +having accomplished nothing except occupation of the +forts. Having already blundered hopelessly in dealing +with the Indians, he was to blunder still further. On +his way down Lake Erie he encamped one night, when storm +threatened, on an exposed shore, and a gale from the +north-east broke upon his camp and destroyed half his +boats. Two hundred and eighty of his soldiers had to +march overland to Niagara. Many of them perished; others, +starved, exhausted, frost-bitten, came staggering in by +twos and threes till near the end of December. The +expedition was a fiasco. It blasted Bradstreet's reputation, +and made the British name for a time contemptible among +the Indians. + +The other expedition from Fort Pitt has a different +history. All through the summer Bouquet had been recruiting +troops for the invasion of the Delaware country. The +soldiers were slow in arriving, and it was not until the +end of September that all was ready. Early in October +Bouquet marched out of Fort Pitt with one thousand +provincials and five hundred regulars. Crossing the +Alleghany, he made his way in a north-westerly direction +until Beaver Creek was reached, and then turned westward +into the unbroken forest. The Indians of the Muskingum +valley felt secure in their wilderness fastness. No white +soldiers had ever penetrated to their country. To reach +their villages dense woods had to be penetrated, treacherous +marshes crossed, and numerous streams bridged or forded. +But by the middle of October Bouquet had led his army, +without the loss of a man, into the heart of the Muskingum +valley, and pitched his camp near an Indian village named +Tuscarawa, from which the inhabitants had fled at his +approach. The Delawares and Shawnees were terrified: the +victor of Edge Hill was among them with an army strong +enough to crush to atoms any war-party they could muster. +They sent deputies to Bouquet. These at first assumed a +haughty mien; but Bouquet sternly rebuked them and ordered +them to meet him at the forks of the Muskingum, forty +miles distant to the south-west, and to bring in all +their prisoners. By the beginning of November the troops +were at the appointed place, where they encamped. Bouquet +then sent messengers to all the tribes telling them to +bring thither all the captives without delay. Every white +man, woman, and child in their hands, French or British, +must be delivered up. After some hesitation the Indians +made haste to obey. About two hundred captives were +brought, and chiefs were left as hostages for the safe +delivery of others still in the hands of distant tribes. +So far Bouquet had been stern and unbending; he had +reminded the Indians of their murder of settlers and of +their black treachery regarding the garrisons, and hinted +that except for the kindness of their British father they +would be utterly destroyed. He now unbent and offered +them a generous treaty, which was to be drawn up and +arranged later by Sir William Johnson. Bouquet then +retraced his steps to Fort Pitt, and arrived there on +November 28 with his long train of released captives. He +had won a victory over the Indians greater than his +triumph at Edge Hill, and all the greater in that it was +achieved without striking a blow. + +There was still, however, important work to be done before +any guarantee of permanent peace in the hinterland was +possible. On the eastern bank of the Mississippi, within +the country ceded to England by the Treaty of Paris, was +an important settlement over which the French flag still +flew, and to which no British troops or traders had +penetrated. It was a hotbed of conspiracy. Even while +Bouquet was making peace with the tribes between the Ohio +and Lake Erie, Pontiac and his agents were trying to make +trouble for the British among the Indians of the +Mississippi. + +French settlement on the Mississippi began at the village +of Kaskaskia, eighty-four miles north of the mouth of +the Ohio. Six miles still farther north was Fort Chartres, +a strongly built stone fort capable of accommodating +three hundred men. From here, at some distance from the +river, ran a road to Cahokia, a village situated nearly +opposite the site of the present city of St Louis. The +intervening country was settled by prosperous traders +and planters who, including their four hundred negro +slaves, numbered not less than two thousand. But when it +was learned that all the territory east of the great +river had been ceded to Britain, the settlers began to +migrate to the opposite bank. The French here were hostile +to the incoming British, and feared lest they might now +lose the profitable trade with New Orleans. It was this +region that Gage was determined to occupy. + +Already an effort had been made to reach Fort Chartres. +In February 1764 Major Arthur Loftus had set out from +New Orleans with four hundred men; but, when about two +hundred and forty miles north of his starting-point, his +two leading boats were fired upon by Indians. Six men +were killed and four wounded. To advance would mean the +destruction of his entire company. Loftus returned to +New Orleans, blaming the French officials for not supporting +his enterprise, and indeed hinting that they were +responsible for the attack. Some weeks later Captain +Philip Pittman arrived at New Orleans with the intention +of ascending the river; but reports of the enmity of the +Indians to the British made him abandon the undertaking. +So at the beginning of 1765 the French flag still flew +over Fort Chartres; and Saint-Ange, who had succeeded +Neyon de Villiers as commandant of the fort, was praying +that the British might soon arrive to relieve him from +a position where he was being daily importuned by Pontiac +or his emissaries for aid against what they called the +common foe. + +But, if the route to Fort Chartres by way of New Orleans +was too dangerous, Bouquet had cleared the Ohio of enemies, +and the country which Gage sought to occupy was now +accessible by way of that river. As a preliminary step, +George Croghan was sent in advance with presents for the +Indians along the route. In May 1765 Croghan left Fort +Pitt accompanied by a few soldiers and a number of friendly +Shawnee and Delaware chiefs. Near the mouth of the Wabash +a prowling band of Kickapoos attacked the party, killing +several and making prisoners of the rest. Croghan and +his fellow-prisoners were taken to the French traders at +Vincennes, where they were liberated. They then went to +Ouiatanon, where Croghan held a council, and induced many +chiefs to swear fealty to the British. After leaving +Ouiatanon, Croghan had proceeded westward but a little +way when he was met by Pontiac with a number of chiefs +and warriors. At last the arch-conspirator was ready to +come to terms. The French on the Mississippi would give +him no assistance. He realized now that his people were +conquered, and before it was too late he must make peace +with his conquerors. Croghan had no further reason to +continue his journey; so, accompanied by Pontiac, he went +to Detroit. Arriving there on August 17, he at once called +a council of the tribes in the neighbourhood. At this +council sat Pontiac, among chiefs whom he had led during +the months of the siege of Detroit. But it was no longer +the same Pontiac: his haughty, domineering spirit was +broken; his hopes of an Indian empire were at an end. +'Father,' he said at this council, 'I declare to all +nations that I had made my peace with you before I came +here; and I now deliver my pipe to Sir William Johnson, +that he may know that I have made peace, and taken the +king of England to be my father in the presence of all +the nations now assembled.' He further agreed to visit +Oswego in the spring to conclude a treaty with Sir William +Johnson himself. The path was now clear for the advance +of the troops to Fort Chartres. As soon as news of +Croghan's success reached Fort Pitt, Captain Thomas +Sterling, with one hundred and twenty men of the Black +Watch, set out in boats for the Mississippi, arriving on +October 9 at Fort Chartres, the first British troops to +set foot in that country. Next day Saint-Ange handed the +keys of the fort to Sterling, and the Union Jack was +flung aloft. Thus, nearly three years after the signing +of the Treaty of Paris, the fleurs-de-lis disappeared +from the territory then known as Canada. + +There is still to record the closing act in the public +career of Pontiac. Sir William Johnson, fearing that the +Ottawa chief might fail to keep his promise of visiting +Oswego to ratify the treaty made with Croghan at Detroit, +sent Hugh Crawford, in March 1766, with belts and messages +to the chiefs of the Ottawa Confederacy. But Pontiac was +already preparing for his journey eastward. Nothing in +his life was more creditable than his bold determination +to attend a council far from his hunting-ground, at which +he would be surrounded by soldiers who had suffered +treachery and cruelty at his hands--whose comrades he +had tortured and murdered. + +On July 23 there began at Oswego the grand council at +which Sir William Johnson and Pontiac were the most +conspicuous figures. For three days the ceremonies and +speeches continued; and on the third day Pontiac rose in +the assembly and made a promise that he was faithfully +to keep: 'I take the Great Spirit to witness,' he said, +'that what I am going to say I am determined steadfastly +to perform... While I had the French king by the hand, +I kept a fast hold of it; and now having you, father, by +the hand, I shall do the same in conjunction with all +the western nations in my district.' + +Before the council ended Johnson presented to each of +the chiefs a silver medal engraved with the words: 'A +pledge of peace and friendship with Great Britain, +confirmed in 1766.' He also loaded Pontiac and his brother +chiefs with presents; then, on the last day of July, the +Indians scattered to their homes. + +For three years Pontiac, like a restless spirit, moved +from camp to camp and from hunting-ground to hunting-ground. +There were outbreaks of hostilities in the Indian country, +but in none of these did he take part. His name never +appears in the records of those three years. His days of +conspiracy were at an end. By many of the French and +Indians he was distrusted as a pensioner of the British, +and by the British traders and settlers he was hated for +his past deeds. In 1769 he visited the Mississippi, and +while at Cahokia he attended a drunken frolic held by +some Indians. When he left the feast, stupid from the +effects of rum, he was followed into the forest by a +Kaskaskia Indian, probably bribed by a British trader. +And as Pontiac lurched among the black shadows of the +trees, his pursuer crept up behind him, and with a swift +stroke of the tomahawk cleft his skull. Thus by a +treacherous blow ended the career of a warrior whose +chief weapon had been treachery. + +For twelve years England, by means of military officers, +ruled the great hinterland east of the Mississippi--a +region vast and rich, which now teems with a population +immensely greater than that of the whole broad Dominion +of Canada--a region which is to-day dotted with such +magnificent cities as Chicago, Detroit, and Indianapolis. +Unhappily, England made no effort to colonize this +wilderness empire. Indeed, as Edmund Burke has said, she +made 'an attempt to keep as a lair of wild beasts that +earth which God, by an express charter, had given to the +children of men.' She forbade settlement in the hinterland. +She did this ostensibly for the Indians, but in reality +for the merchants in the mother country. In a report of +the Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations in 1772 +are words which show that it was the intention of the +government to confine 'the western extent of settlements +to such a distance from the seaboard as that those +settlements should lie within easy reach of the trade +and commerce of this kingdom,... and also of the exercise +of that authority and jurisdiction... necessary for the +preservation of the colonies in a due subordination to, +and dependence upon, the mother country... It does appear +to us that the extension of the fur trade depends entirely +upon the Indians being undisturbed in the possession of +their hunting-grounds... Let the savages enjoy their +deserts in quiet. Were they driven from their forests +the peltry trade would decrease, and it is not impossible +that worse savages would take refuge in them.' + +Much has been written about the stamp tax and the tea +tax as causes of the American revolution, but this +determination to confine the colonies to the Atlantic +seaboard 'rendered the revolution inevitable.' [Footnote: +Roosevelt's _The Winning of the West_, part i, p. 57.] +In 1778, three years after the sword was drawn, when an +American force under George Rogers Clark invaded the +Indian country, England's weakly garrisoned posts, then +by the Quebec Act under the government of Canada, were +easily captured; and, when accounts came to be settled +after the war, the entire hinterland south of the Great +Lakes, from the Alleghanies to the Mississippi, passed +to the United States. + + + + +BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE + +The main source of information regarding the siege of +Detroit is the 'Pontiac Manuscript.' This work has been +translated several times, the best and most recent +translation being that by R. Clyde Ford for the Journal +of _Pontiac's Conspiracy, 1763_, edited by C. M. Burton. +Unfortunately, the manuscript abruptly ends in the middle +of the description of the fight at Bloody Run. + +The following works will be found of great assistance to +the student: Rogers's _Journals_; Cass's _Discourse before +the Michigan Historical Society_; Henry's _Travels and +Adventures in Canada and the Indian Territories_; Parkman's +_Conspiracy of Pontiac_ (the fullest and best treatment +of the subject); Ellis's _Life of Pontiac, the Conspirator_ +(a digest of Parkman's work); _Historical Account of the +Expedition against the Ohio Indians, 1764_ (authorship +doubtful, but probably written by Dr William Smith of +Philadelphia); Stone's _The Life and Times of Sir William +Johnson_; Drake's _Indians of North America_; _Handbook +of American Indians North of Mexico_ and _Handbook of +Indians of Canada_; Ogg's _The Opening of the Mississippi_; +Roosevelt's _The Winning of the West_; Carter's _The +Illinois Country_; Beer's _British Colonial Policy, +1754-1765_; Adair's _The History of the American Indians_; +the _Annual Register_ for the years 1763, 1764, and 1774; +Harper's _Encyclopedia of United States History_; Pownall's +_The Administration of the Colonies_; Bancroft's _History +of the United States_; Kingsford's _History of Canada_; +Winsor's _Narrative and Critical History of America_ and +his _Mississippi Basin_; Gordon's _History of Pennsylvania_; +Lucas's _A History of Canada, 1763-1812_; Gayarre's +_History of Louisiana_; and McMaster's _History of the +People of the United States_. + +In 1766 there was published in London a somewhat remarkable +drama entitled _Ponteach: or the Savages of America_. A +part of this will be found in the appendices to Parkman's +_Conspiracy of Pontiac_. Parkman suggests that Robert +Rogers may have had a hand in the composition of this +drama. + + +END + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The War Chief of the Ottawas +by Thomas Guthrie Marquis + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE WAR CHIEF OF THE OTTAWAS *** + +***** This file should be named 15522.txt or 15522.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/5/5/2/15522/ + +This etext was produced by Gardner Buchanan. + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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