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THE ST. CLA_IR ]P .APPERS.

THE

LIFE AND PUBLIC SERVICES

ARTHUR ST. CLAIR

SOLDIER OF THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR; PRESIDE^NH^ OF
THE CONTINENTAL CONGRESS; AND GOVERNOR
OF THE NORTH-WESTERN TERRITORY

Correspondence and other Papers

ARRANGED AND ANNOTATED

WILLIAM HENRY SMITH

V^ol. II

CINCINNATI
EOEEET CI^^^RKEl .t CO
1SS2

Copyrighted, 18S1,
By ROBERT CLARKS & CO,

CONTENTS.

CORRESPONDENCE, ADDRESSES, ETC.
The North-western Territory — Establi?hment op Citil Govern
ment UNDER the Ordinance op 1787  1

APPENDIX.
I. — The Ordinance of 1787 and its History  COS
II. — Ordinances for the Sale of Lands in the North-westkrn
Territory  618
III, — Treaties op Fort Harmar  622
IV. -^Relations between Washington and St, Clair  631
V, — Examination op John Smith  632
VL — Testimony op Captain Slough of the First Battalion op
Levies, commanded by Major Thomas Butler  633
Extract from the Testimony of Colonel Semple  636
Extract prom the Testimony op Captain Denny  636
Injustice of Government  637
(iii)

THE ST. CLAIR PAPERS.

CORRESPONDENCE, ADDRESSES, ETC.

THE NORTH-WESTERN TERRITORY— ESTABLISHMENT
OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT UNDER THE
ORDINANCE OF 1787.

[Introductory Note. — Early in the Revolutionary war, it be
came evident, from the frequent raids made by the Indians on the
frontiers of NewYork, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, that the British
had engaged the Western Indians in their interest. So great was
the distress on the Ohio River and its tributaries. General Wash
ington dispatched Colonel Daniel Broadhead, of the Eighth Penn
sylvania regiment, to command the Western District, with head
quarters at Pittsburgh. The raids of the Indians destroyed the mill
and houses of St. Clair in Ligonier valley, and drove the inhabitants
into the fortified posts for safety ; but despite this, the number of
people increased, and in 1779 some of the most hardy ventured to
cross the Ohio and make improvements on the Indian lauds, " from
the river Muskingum to Fort Mcintosh, and thirty miles up some
of the branches of the Ohio River." As it was the policy of gov
ernment to "keep on as friendly terms as possible with the Indians,
Colonel Broadhead dispatched Captain Clarke, with a detachment
of soldiers, to drive off the trespassers, which was accomplished, and
sent a runner to the Delaware council, at Coshocking, to assure the
Indians that the trespass was unwarranted, and that justice would
be done. This was the status when the Commissioners for Indian
Affairs^ arrived on the banks of the Ohio Eiver, December 2, 1784,
to conclude a treaty with the Indians. They had expected to hold
'The commissioners were George Rogers Clarke, Richard Butler, and Ar
thur Lee. VOL. n — 1 (1)

2 • The St. Clair Papers.
the treaty at Cuyahoga, but on account of the advanced season and
the difficulty of obtaining supplies, they requested Lieutenant-Col
onel Josiah Harmar, of the First American regiment, to send mes
sengers to the Indians to invite them to meet the commissioners at
Fort Mcintosh. This was complied with, and on the 5th of Decem
ber the Pennsylvania troops broke camp on the west bank of the
Alleghany, and marched for Fort Mcintosh.^ A treaty— known in
history as the treaty of Fort Mcintosh— was concluded with the
Wyandot, Delaware, Chippewa, and Ottawa nations, on the 21st of
January, 1785. By this, prisoners were to be surrendered, and a
boundary line was established, beginning at the mouth of the Cuy-
ahoo-a Eiver and extending with the course of the river to the port-
ao-e between that and the Tuscarawas ; thence down that stream to
the crossing place above Fort Lawrence, and thence westwardly to
the portage of the Great Miami, and thence along the portage to the
Miami of Lake Erie. Lands around the posts of Detroit and Mich
ilimackinac, and a strip six miles wide, extending from the west and
of Lake Erie parallel with the strait to Lake St. Clair, were re
served for the exclusive benefit of the United States. It was also
provided that white people settling on lands outside of the boundary
belono-ing to the Indians should forfeit the protection of the United
States, and be subject to chastisement by the Indians. The posts
still remained in possession of the British.
It was the purpose of Congress to sell the lands thus acquired, to
create a fund to pay the war debt, and an ordinance was subse
quently passed (May 20, 1785), providing for the survey of the
lands and the appointment of a geographer and surveyors on the
xart of the several States, to which were to be allotted the seven
ranges of townships after they were duly surveyed and platted. The
lands were to be sold by townships by the commissioners of the
loan ofiice of the several States, after due advertisement. '¦' This
proved to be a dead letter, but meanwhile Colonel Harmar was in
structed to prevent the obtrusion of settlers upon the lands of the
1 MS. letter of Colonel Harmar to Eichard Henry Lee, President of Con
gress, dated from "Camp near Fort Pitt, on the Indian shore, the western
side of Alleghanj' Rivor, Deeemher 5, 1784." — See Harmar Papers, in pos
session of family at Philadelphia.
2 Three townships on Lake Erie were reserved for tho use of refugees from
Canada and Nova Scotia; lands at the Moravian villages of Gnadenhutten,
Schoenbrun, and Salem were reserved for the Christian Indians, and a sec
tion between the rivers Scioto and Little Miami for Virginia Continental
Boldiers, agreeably to the deed of cession of Virginia.

Correspondence, Addresses, Mc. 3
United States.^ The correspondence that follows will show the re
markable rapidity with which the pioneer American moved in the
direction of the sun, the infinite trouble the Government was put to
to protect the right of proprietorship, the loss of life and property
after the jealousy and suspicions of the Indians were aroused, and
the hardship, heroism and ability requisite for the successful estab
lishment of civil government in a new country, where all had to be
newly created.]

Colonel Harmar to the President op Congress.
Fort McIntosh, May 1, 1785.
Sir : — 1
In obedience to the instructions received from the honorable the
Commissioners for Indian Affairs, upon their departure from this
post, I have to inform your Excellency that I detached Ensign
Armstrong, with a party of twenty men, furnished with fifteen days'
provisions, on the 31st March last, to dispossess sundry persons, who
had presumed to settle on the lands of the United States on the
western side of the Ohio River.
The inclosed copy of the instructions, together with the orders,
were posted up at Wheeling, and distributed throughout the differ
ent parts of the country, in order that all persons might be made
fully acquainted therewith.
Ensign Armstrong, having marched with his party as far down
as opposite Wheeling, which is about seventy miles from hence, pur
suing the course of the river, and having executed his orders (ex;-
cepting a few indulgences granted on account of the weather), re
turned on the 12th ultimo.
I have the honor of inclosing to your Excellency his report, with
sundry petitions, handed him by the settlers ; likewise the opinioil
of some reputable inhabitants on the eastern side of the river, with
respect to them.^
'The Commissioners for Indian Affairs instructed Colonel Harmar, before
leaving Fort ISIcIntosb, January 24th, as follows :
"Surveying or settling the lands not within the limits of any particular
State being forbid by the United States, in Ccjngress assembled, the com
mander will employ such force as he maj' judge necessary in driving off per
sons attempting to settle on the lands of the United States.''
2 The report of Ensign Armstrong was to the effect that he marched down
the Ohio, March 31st; crossed the Little Beaver on the 1st April; dispos-

4 The St. Clair Papers.
On the 20th ultimo, I received tlie iuclosed representation, signed
sessed one family at that place; other families at Yellow Creek, at Mingo
Bottom or Old Town, at Norris's Town, at Haglin's or Mercer's Town, and
at a place opposite Wheeling;' that he arrested a man named Ross, who
seeraed to be obstreperous, and sent him to Wheeling in irons; that he was
threatened by a man named Charles Norris, with a party of armed men, but
upon showing his authority there was no further offensive demonstration;
and that at Slercer's Town he liad learned that Charles Norris and John
Carpenter had been elected justices of the peaoe and had acted as such.
The "opinion of the respectable inhabitants" was contained in the follow.
ing letter of Ensign Armstrong:
Str: — As the following information through you to the honorable the Con
gress may be of some service, I trust you will not be displeased therewith.
It is the opinion of many sensible men (with whom I conversed on my
return from Wheeling) that if the honorable the Congress do not fall on some
speedy method to prevent people from settling on the lands of the United
States west of the Ohio, that country will soon be inhabited by a banditti
whose actions are a disgrace to human nature.
You will, in a few days, receive an address from the magistracy of Ohio
county, through which most of those people pass, many of whom are flying
from justice.
I have, sir, taken some pains to distribute copies of your instructions, with
those from the honorable the Commissioners for Indian Affairs, into almost
every settlement west of the Ohio, and had them posted up at, most public
places on the east side ofthe river, in the neighborhood through which those
people pass.
Notwithstanding tbey have seen and read those instructions, they are
moving to the unsettled countries by forties and fifties.
From the best information I could receive, there are at the falls of the
Hawk Hawkin [Hcckhocking] upwards of three hundred families; at the
Muskingum a number equal.
At M cravens [Moravian ?] Town there are several families and more than
fifteen hundred on the rivers Miami and Scioto. From Wheeling to that
place there is scarcely one bottom on the river but has one or more families
living thereon. In consequence of the advertisement by John Amberson
[Emerson], I am assured meetings will be held at the times therein men
tioned. That at Menzon's or Haglin's Town, mentioned in my report of
yesterday, the inhabitants had come to a resolution to comply with the requi
sitions of the advertisement.
The supposed distance from this place lo Wheeling, pursuing the river, is
seventy miles. I am, sir, etc.,
 John Armstrong, Ensign.
(1) Little Beaver, in what is now Columbiana county, Ohio : Yellow Creek set
tlement, near Wellsville ; Mingo Bottom, in what is now Jeffbrson county Ohio,
three miles below Steubenville; Norris's Town, also below Steubenville; iiaglin's
was what is now Belmont county ; and opposite Wheeling was in Pease township
Belmont county.

Correspo-ndence, Addresses, Mc. 5
by sixty-six of them, praying for a further indulgence of time, and
informing me that they had sent on a petition to Congress on the
subject.^ In answer to which, I thought it most expedient to grant
them one month from the 21st ultimo to remove themselves, at the
expiration of which time parties will be detached to drive off all
settlers within the distance of one hundred and fifty miles from this
garrison, which, in my present situation, is aU that is practicable.
The number of settlers lower down the river is very considerable,
and, from all accounts, dally increasing. I would, therefore (before
I proceed further in this business), beg to know the pleasure of your
Excellency and your particular orders upon the subject.
The following is the advertisement alluded to, which shows that the set
tlers were equal to self-government, and, if undisturbed, would soon have
laid the foundations of a State on the Ohio:
ADVERTISEMENT. March 12, 1785.
Notice is hereby given to the inhabitants of the west side of the Ohio
Kiver that there is to be an election for the choosing of members of the con
vention for the framing a constitution for tho governing of the inhabitants,
the election to be held on the 10th day of April next ensuing, viz : one elec
tion to be held at the mouth of tho Miami Eiver, and one to bo held at the
mouth ofthe Scioto Eiver, and one on the Muskingum River, and one at the
dwelling-house of .Jonas Menzons; the members to be chosen to meet at the
mouth of the Scioto on the twentieth day of the same mjnth.
I do certify that all mankind, agreeable to every constitution formed
in America, have an undoubted right to pass into every vacant coun
trj'', and there to form their constitution, and that from the confederation of
the whole United States, Congress is not empowered to forbid them, neither
is Congress empowered from that confederation to make any sale of the un
inhabited lands to pay the pulilic debts, which is to be by a tax levied and
lifted [collected] by authority of the Legislature of each State.
John Emerson.
1 The representation was to the effect that the settlers desired " to act con
sistent -with our duty to our country and the commands of the Legislature,"
and asked for indulgence in time for removing their families and effects.
There were,. however, three communications, one 5th April, one Sth, and a
third, dated 15th. It is to the last Colonel Harmar specially refers. The
petitioners asked delay until they could bear from their papers, which they
bad forwarded to bo laid before Congress. Colonel Harmar replied, allowing
the indulgence mentioned in his letter, but notifying them that his orders
were peremptory.

6 The St. Clair Papers.
Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War.'
Fort McIntosh, June Isi, 1785.
Sir .-—It is but lately I had the pleasure of hearing of your ap
pointment, otherwise, the returns should have been forwarded
sooner. The Wyandot and Delaware nations have brought in their pris
oners (fifteen in number) agreeably to treaty,' and the hostages left
in my possession are now dismissed. These nations are friendly,
and I beheve wish to cultivate a good understanding with the
Americans. The Shawanese make great professions of peace, and
are desirous of a treaty being held with them. The Cherokees are
hostile, and have killed and scalped seven people near the mouth of
the Scioto, about three hundred and seventy miles from hence.
Speeches have boen continually sent by the British from De
troit to the Indians since the treaty, and I have good intelligence
that several traders have been among them, using all means to
make them entertain a bad opinion of the Americans. One Simon
Girty,'' I am informed, has been to Sandusky for that purpose. I
have taken every means in my power to counteract their proceed
ings, and have directed the Indians not to listen to their lies, but
to tie and bring in here any of those villians who spread reports
among them injurious to the United States, in order that they may
be punished.
The honorable the Commissioners for Indian Affairs, previous to
their departure, left me instructions to drive off" all surveyors or
settlers on the lands of the United States, in consequence of which
a party has been detached, who drove them off" as far as seventy
miles from this post. The number lower down the river is immense,
and, unless Congress enters into immediate measures, it will be im
possible to prevent the lands being settled.
I have written, some time since, upon the subject, requesting par
ticular orders how to conduct myself, as it is out of my power to
sweep them further than the distance of one hundred and twenty
or one hundred and fifty miles from hence. This is a matter of so

1 Major-General Knox, recently .appointed to the War Department.
2 Treaty of Fort McIntosh.
3 A renegade white man, who had taken up his residence with the sav
ages, and became more inimical to the interests of his own race than even
the natives themselves.

Correspondence, Addresses, Ete. 1
much importance, that perhaps you may judge it necessary to re
mind Congress of it.'

Colonel Harmar to the Secretary or War.
Fort McIntosh, July 16i/i, 1785.
Sir: — On the llth inst., I was informed that three chiefs^ and
twenty-five Indians of the Six Nations had arrived at Fort Pitt,
and wished very much to speak with the commanding officer.
Agreeably to their request, I rode up to Pittsburgh and met them
in council, when, to my great surprise, the Cornplanter, the principal
chief, had the original articles of the treaty which was concluded
with them at Fort Stanwix ' along with him, and, toward the close
of the speech, said they were burdensome, and wished to deliver
them up. I have the honor to inclose you their speech, and my an
swer to it.*
1 MS. Harmnr Papers. The letter was referred in Congress to a committee
consisting of Mr. Grayson, Mr. McHenrj-, Mr. Pettit, and Mr. King, who
brought in a report approving the conduct of Colonel Harmar, authorizing
him to remove his troops, and take post at or near the Ohio, between Mus
kingum and the Great Miami, "which he shall conceive most advisable
for further carrying into efi'ect the before-mentioned orders;" and appropri
ating six hundred dollars for the purpose of transporting the troops and their
baggage. See Journals of Congress. It was under this order that Fort
Harmar was erected near the mouth of the Musldngum.
2 Cornplanter, Gioshuta [or Guyasutha] and Hockushakwego (Allface).
3 The treaty of Fort Stanwix, concluded 22d October, 1784, between Oli
ver Wolcott, Kichard Butler, and Arthur Lee, commissioners, and the Sa
chems and Warriors of the Six Nations.
* Cornplanter opened the council, and was followed by Allface and Gioshuta.
Allface said, "Brothers, it was the great King, our father [Great Britain],
who provoked us to all the mischief we have done, but now we take no ad
vice from him, and wish to sit in council with the Americans as we formerly
did." He then .-aid the reason all the prisoners had not been delivered up, as
stipuhated, was because many of their young men wore absent when both the
treaties of Stanwix and Fort Mcintosh were made, but they would be de
livered, and thej' desired to have the boundaries clearly established. He
produced the articles of the treaty, signed at Fort Stanwix. "You may sce
by this that we are great men, representing the Six Nations."
Gioshuta speaks:
Brothers, wa thank God for having tho pleasure to sit in council this day
with our brothers, the Araericans.
Brothers, you may refiect on us for the past troubles we have occasioned,
but you must blame the groat King; and we are sorry we did not take ad-

8 The St. Clair Papers.
It is reported that a Mr. Brant has lately arrived from London,
who, with the commanding officer of the British in that quarter,
has informed the Six Nations that their lands were never ceded to
the Americans by the King of Great Britain, in consequence of
which, these chiefs complain of being accused by their nation of
treachery, and say they are in danger of their own people.
They have left Fort Pitt highly satisfied, to appearance, with the
answer to their speech, but, so long as the British keep possession
of the posts, it is very evident that all treaties held by us with the
Indians will have but little weight with them.
vice frora the thirteen brothers, but we hope you wont think of any thing
that is past.
Here is the belt that was delivered us at Fort Pitt. I now take it in my
hand to let you see I am sincere. We see every thing you told us has come
to pass, and what you tell us now or in future we will attend to. We, the
Six Nations, ai-e as strong as ever.
Brothers, the reason I wish the Thirteen Fires should hear what I sa\-
now is, because I was the man who had the fire removed from Fort Pitt.
Now I wish it brought back to Fort Pitt.
Brothers, it was the great King who gave j-ou all our countrj'. Brothers,
as I know the King gave you this country, we would all be glad how soon
J-ou could divide it, that we may all know our parts. We know j'our
speeches were all good, that you said you would not cheat us of our lands.
We believe j'ou.
(A belt of wampum.)
Cornplanter speaks:
Brothers, the Thirteen Fires, you may think what you please, but I lookup
to God for every thing I do, and hope to do every thing for the best. It is
hard with me. I was a chief man at Fort Stanwix, and my people blame
me much, for the English have told our people that the great King never
sold our lands to the Thirteen Fires, but, brothers, I am still strong, and
will do every thing that was agreed to at the treaty. Brothers, I want one
favor, which is, that you would write to our people, informing them, for
certain, that the country belongs to the Thirteen Fires.
I wish I could deliver up to you theso papers (the articles of the Ireaty,
etc.), for they give me a great deal of trouble, on account of the lies the
English have told our people.
(A string of wampum.)
In his speech, in reply. Colonel Harmar said:
" Brothers, you may, for certain, inform the Six Nations that the King has
by treaty given away all your lands to the Thirteen Great Fires, and who
ever advised you to come to this place to deliver up the articles of the
treaty which you soleranly made at Fort Stanwix, aro not your friends, but
are endeavoring to ruin you.
" Brothers, it will not be long before we shall take possession of Niao-ara

Correspondence, Addresses, Mc.

Captain John Doughty to the Secretary op War.
Fort McIntosh, 21st October, 1785.
I have the honor to inclose you a copy of the proceedings of a
conference held at this place between myself and some Delaware
and Wyandot Indians, who came to me in consequence of the affair
at Tuscarawas, which I mentioned to you in my letter of the Sth
of October. I beg leave to submit to you the inclosed information
of John Leith and Alexander McCormick. The latter is a trader
who lives at the Tawa towns. He is warmly recommended to me
by Colonel Harmar, as a friend to the country. He tells me it is
impossible to get his eff'ects from that country this fall, which obliges
him to winter in the neighborhood of Detroit. From the circum
stance of being within the power of the British he requests that his
name may not be known. He appears to be an intelligent man,
and well acquainted with Indian aff'airs.
Notwithstanding the submission of the Delaware and Wyandot
Indians, made to me at the conference, and their professions of
peace, I am induced to believe that their dispositions are hostile, be
cause, in the murder of Chambers, at Tuscarawas, there were twenty
or thirty Delaware Indians, with oue of their chiefs, present, and it
does not appear that they took any steps to prevent the outrage of
the seven Wyandots, except to save the life and property of their
friend Leith, who was an adopted brother ; besides, Mr. McCormick
informs me that he is well assured that the murder committed at
the mouth of the Hockhocking, this summer, of five or six people,
was done by the Wyandots and Delawares ; indeed, every account
that I have had confirms me in the opinion that we shall have
trouble in this country ere long, unless something is done at the
present treaty to avert the storm, and I must confess my expecta
tions are not very flattering from this quarter, because I am well
informed that some nations will not go to it, and those that do go
have no idea of ceding their lands to us upon the terms of the Last
treaty.' The Indian representation at this place last winter was so
very partial, from the few tribes that appeared, and the objects of
the treaty of so general concern, that the terms of it are far fi-om
being considered as binding upon the tribes to the westward. This
and Detroit, which the English ceded to us, as well as the lands. This must,
then, convince you that j'ou have not been told the truth."
'The only nation that participated in the treaty at the Great Miami was
the Shawanese, and that nation afterward repudiated the terms.

10 The St. Clair Papers.
treaty, and the one at Fort Stanwix, with the steps the honorable
the Continental Congress have thought fit to take in sending out
the surveyors, have had the eff'ect to unite the Indians, and iudace
them to make a common cause of what they suppose "their present
grievances. They are told by the British, and they are full in the
persuasion, that the territory in question was never ceded to us by
Britain, further than respects the jurisdiction or putting the In
dians under the protection of the United States. From this reason
ing they draw a conclusion that our claim in consequence of that
cession ought not to deprive them of their lands without purchase.
I believe you may depend upon it that this is the reasoning of their
chiefs. I am so informed by several persons who have been among
them. Our acting upon the late treaty made at this place last win
ter, in beginning to survey their country, is certainly one great
cause of their present uneasiness.
If a confederacy of the Indian tribes to the westward should take
place, of which there is a prospect, they will become very formidable
from their numbers. Should an event of this kind appear proba
ble, from what information Congress may have before them, it ap
pears to me evidently for our interest that some steps should be
taken to engage some of their nations in our favor ; in this case I
beg leave to offer it as my opinion that one great step to be pursued
should be a distribution of a few presents among them, and a con
stant intercourse with them by emissaries well acquainted with their
language and manners, who shall always be in their towns, counter
acting the unfavorable impressions that are daily forming against
us. This policy was pursued by the French, and is now by the
British, whose agents are constantly in their towns, conciliating
their friendships and trade to the almost total exclusion of our
people.' 1 MS'. From files of the War Department. This letter of Captain
Doughty's shows a clearer insight into the plans of the Indians and the
schemes of the British, than other correspondence contemporary with it.
For account by Leith, see Appendix, U32.
The information communicated by Mr. McCorraick was as follows:
Mr. McCormick left Omi, or Miami River, whicii empties itself into Lake
Erie near Po!ut-iiu-Cedar, in the Tawa country, on the 5th instant. Ha says
that the chief of that nation told him that they would not go to the treaty
at the Big Miami, nor to any other treaty, until we met them at Detroit ¦
that a grand council was held some little time ago at Coshocking, on the
head waters of the Big Miami, at whicli were present the chiefs of many
nations; that he was informed that the object of this council was to unite
themselves againstthe white people; tha.t two large belts of wampum were

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 11

Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War.
Philadelphia, October 22, 1785.
Sir: — I have the honor to inform you of my arrival at this place
on the 7 th inst. ,
Previous to my leaving Fort Mcintosh, the following arrange
ments were made to the westward, viz : A full company of infantry
was raised with much difficulty from the remains of the old Penn
sylvania quota, and embarked under command of Captain Finney,
with General Butler, on the 29th ult. , to attend the treaty, which
was to be held at the mouth of the Great Miami.'
sent from the council to the different nations, holding out that they should
unite and be at peace with each other, that the roads should be open frora
one nation to the other; and that nations were present at the council from
a considerable distance to the west of the Mississippi. He has been told,
and, from the best observation hc could make, is of the opinion, that a general
war has been in contemplation among the Indians against the Americans.
Mr. McCormick heard, at the Tawa towns, that Mr. Boggs and the other
messengers did not proceed further than the Miami towns, and that they
lost their horses. He was present when Mr. Matthew Elliot, au Indian
agent for the British, told at the Shawanese towns, in the presence of forty
Indians, tliat the Indians had better fight like men than give up their lands
and starve like dogs. That Girty and Caldwell were lately at the Delaware
and Wj-andot towns persuading the Indians not to go to the treaty at the
Big Miami ; that a Tawa chief told hira that his father (meaning the Brit
ish) had advised him not to go.
Mr. McCormick is of opinion that the Indians in general have hostile in
tentions against us. He is positive in his opinion, from his frequent inter
course with tho Indians, that it will be very dangerous for the survej'ors to
go on with their business until the present uneasiness subsides. On his road
to this place he was met by two Indians, forty iniles from hence, on the
Tuscarawas path; one of them immediately treed, upon which he treed also.
He supposes they would soon have had a shot at each other had not the other
Indian come up, who knew him. They had six horses with them, which he
supposes they had stolen somewhere near the mouth of Little Beaver cr
Yellow Creek. He met three families going to Detroit from the Mingo Bot
tom ; thej' were going to settle under the British government.
'On the 29th June, 1785, Congress directed a treaty to be negotiated with
the Shawanese and other western Indians. On the 31st January, 1786, the
commissioners, George Eogers Clark, Eichard Butler, and Samuel H. Par
sons, concluded a treaty with the Shawanese at the mouth of the Great
Miami. It extended the tract which had been agreed to by the Wyandot
and Delaware nations from the point on the main branch of the Great Miarai
intersected by the south line of tho said boundary; then down the river
Miami to the fork of that river, next below the old fort which was taken by
the French in 1752; thence due west to the river de la Panse; thence down

12 The St. Clair Papers.
After the treaty is concluded, I have given Captain Finney writ
ten orders to secure himself from insult at the Miami by fortifying
his winter quarters, or if the commissioners should be of opinion
that it would be most eligible to assume any other position, as I
conceive them best acquainted with that part of the country, his
orders are to obey their directions on that head. On the 7th ult. ,
Captain Doughty's company of artillery arrived at Fort Mcintosh.
I have given him written orders to take post at or near the mouth
of Muskingum, about one hundred and forty miles below Mcintosh,
and to stockade or pallisade himself, for his own security, as he
should judge most proper. Captain Heart's cempany of infantry I
met on the 7th inst., upon the Laurel Hill, about four days' march
from Fort Pitt. I have given him orders to expedite his march, as
he would be on time to go down the river with Captain Doughty,
and to put himself under his command.
This position at Muskingum will answer the valuable object of
removing the intruders from the public lands, should any hereafter
presume to encroach upon them, which I do not believe will be the
case, as shortly before I left Mcintosh they sent up to me a most
humble representation in behalf of the whole, purporting that they
were convinced that they had behaved disorderly, and praying, as
the last indulgence, that they might only be permitted to stay a
short time and gather their crops, after which they would instantly
depart. Lenity I thought to be out of the question, and have di
rected Caj^tain Doughty, on his way down, to burn and destroy any
remaining cabins between Mcintosh and Muskingum. It will also
cover the continental surveyors, in some measure, in their laying
off" the seven ranges of townships, and convince the Indians that
Congress means to protect the legal settlers on the lands ceded to
them by the treaty. For these reasons, I judged it a preferable po
sition to the mouth of the Scioto, which I thought to be rather too
low down the river.
Having thus arranged matters to the westward, I have, agreeably
that river to the Wabash; "beyond which lines none of the citizens of the
United States shall settle, nor disturb the Shawanese in their settlement and
possession. And the Shawanese do relinquish to the United States all title,
or pretense of title, they ever had to the lands cast, west, and south of the
east, west and south lines before described." Peace was granted to the Shaw
anese, and the protection of the United States taken from intruders cn In
dian lands. In return, the Shawanese undertook to advise the Americans
of any hostile intentions against them on the part of other nations under
penalty of being regarded as a party to the war.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 13
to your permission, repaired to this place in order to expedite the
recruiting service.

Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War.
Fort Pitt, July M, 1786.
Sir : — ^Previous to the receipt of your letter of ^;he 7th ult. , I had
received the following intelligence, viz :
One John Bull (called by the Indians Sheebo) informs me that
he left Detroit on the 29th of April, in company with one hundred
Moravian Indians, men, women, and children, who are at present
about four miles from Cuyahoga. That they have crossed the lake
with the intention to settle near their old towns on the Muskingum,
where a party of these Indians were formerly massacred ; but as
they are too late in the season for planting, their design is to remain
and hunt near Cuyahoga until fall. He further informs me that,
on the 7th ult.. Commodore Grant, with Captain McKee, Simon
Girtj, aud Matthew Elliot, with forty Indians, among whom were
the Half King, Baubee, Koon, and Gusheways, a chief of the Ot-
toways and Chippeways, sailed from the mouth of Sandusky River
for Canada. They gave out that they were going to Quebec with
a design to purchase the lands on the north side of the lake from
the Indians, but it was generally supposed they were going no
further than Niagara, to a treaty to which Sir John Johnson (who
was there) had invited them aud the Six Nations.
Such is the intelligence given by Mr. Bull. These Moravian In
dians (among whom Bull resides) by what I can learn, have ever
been friendly to the United States. The circumstance, therefore,
of their returning to settle on their old habitations I think favorable.
I shall endeavor to be made acquainted, if possible, with tte prin
cipal circumstances relative to the treaty holding at Niagara, and
to know the designs, etc., of Sir John Johnson in calling it.'
^Coloner Harmar had started west in June, and was on his way to Fort
Harmar when the above letter was written. Before leaving Philadelphia a,
sum of money had been placed in his hands to be used in preserving peace
with the Indians, and he had received very minute instructions from the
Secretary of War. An Indian war .seemed to be imminent. The hostages
delivered by the Nations, parties to the treaty at Fort McIntosh, to the
Americans, escaped on hearing of hostile movements. The highest prudence
was requisite in the management of the troops in tho Territory. Distinction
should be made between lawless banditti, such as the Cherokees and others
settled on the Scioto, and the conduct of more regular tribes. "An Indian
war," said the Secretary, "disagreeable at all times, would bo peculiarly

14 The St. Clair Papers.
Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War.
Fort Pitt, July 12, 1786.
S'lr : — Since I had the honor of addressing you on the 3d instant,
I have to inform you that Captain Mercer, with his detachment, ar
rived here on the 5th, and marched for McIntosh on the 8tli.
Notwithstandin* the intruders having been so frequently removed
from the public lands. Captain Doughty informs me there are sev
eral who have crossed the river again, and some have ventured to
penetrate the country as far as twenty miles from the Ohio. I am
preparing to detach Captain Hamtramck with a command, to con
sist of his own company, Captain Mercer's, and Captain McCurdy's,
with orders to take a position for five or six weeks at the Mingo
Bottom, or its vicinity, and to make diligent search for them, and
destroy their dwellings. This command (about one hundred and
sixty men) will march from Mcintosh for this purpose in the course
of a few days.
Captain Hutchins,' with his surveyors, leaves this place in a day
or two for the purpose of commencing his business. He has sent a
message to the chiefs of the Delawares and Wyandots, informing
them the nature of his business, and requesting their attendance for
his protection, agreeably to their promise at the treaty at
the Miami. It is generally supposed they will not attend.
Near a month will elapse before he will receive an answer. He is
under very just ajjprehensions for his safety, and has applied to me
for an escort. I have thought it advisable that he should make an
distressing in the present embarrassed state ofthe public flnances: therefore,
it must be avoided if possible consistently with the interest and dignity of
the United States." "The eraissaries, who are stimulated by the British of
ficers or their agent?, will be industrious to urge the Indians to open hostili
ties; it will be your duty to counteract them, and I shall flatter myself that
you will be effectually able to accomplish it."
•Thomas Hutchins, Geographer-General, who had been appointed by Con
gress to make the surveys in tlie West. He was horn at Monmouth, N. J.,
in 1730. He was Assistant Engineer in Boquct's expedition. He was in
London at the opening of the Eevolution, and, being suspected of corre
spondence with Franklin, was arrested and imprisoned, which involved a
loss of £12,000. He was, after a conflnement of several weeks, liberated
and made his escape to tlie United States by thc way of France. He pub
lished various topographical maps, and supplied the maps and plates for the
"Account of Boquet's Expedition Against the Ohio Indians," which was
written by William Smith, D.D., of Philadelphia, and published in 1766, He
was a contributor to the Philadelphia Transcript. He died at Pitt^burn-h
April 28, 1780.— .4m. £io^. i)ia. ^

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 15
essay without an Bjmed force, but in case of danger, I shall give
him all the protection in my power. These three companies, uuder
Captain Hamtramck, will be near his second or third range of
townships, and if the business can be prosecuted without covering
him with the troops, I am of opinion it will be for the better. My
reason for declining giving him an escort for the present is that it
might probably provoke the Indians to open hostilities, and bring
on a war, which, I conceive, the United States wish to avoid. If
the answer to Captain Hutchins's message should prove unfavorable,
and you should approve of my covering him with all the force I can
muster, in order that he may persevere in it, this will be bringing
matters to a point. Here will be the criterion to judge of the
temper of the Indians by, and whether the treaties that have been
held have been of utility to the United States or not. As this
would be a serious movement, I beg your orders upon this head be
fore I undertake it.
The murders that have been committed lately upon the in
habitants passing up and down the Ohio, indicate great dissatisfaction
prevailing amongst the Indians. Two men were lately murdered
(one of them a hunter for Captain Doughty) on Fishing Creek.
Major Wyllys, having just returned from the Miami, brings sundry
speeches, etc., which I do myself the honor to inclose. A copy ofa
letter from General Clarke, in that quarter, will show that Captain
Finney's apprehensions of an attack upon his post by the savages
were not groundless. Indeed, from every intelligence which I have
been able to collect, matters do not wear that favorable aspect which
has been represented. Mr. Turnbull has in his possession an extract
of a letter from Post St. Vincent, to which I beg you to be referred
for the news there, I shall proceed thither in the course of a few
days, and make it my principal quarters.'
1 MS. Harmar Papers. — The day following the date of the above letter.
Colonel Harmar having received, by the hand of Major North, instructions
frora the Secretary of War, under date of June 27th, replied at length. He
said that, in obedience to instructions, he should detach two companies to the
rapids of the Ohio to protect the inhabitants .from the incursions of the In
dians. "I shall give the officer commanding particular orders not to form
anj- oflfensive operations into the Indian country without my permission.
Establishing posts high up the Miami and Muskingum, I ara persuaded you
will agree ought to be deferred for the present, as I ara making my arrange
ments to be ready to cover the survej'ors as much as shall be in mj' power.
The surveying and disposal of the Western Territory, I take for granted, to
be the first grandobject of Congress." He, therefore, proposed the following
disposition of his force: "To detach Finney's and Ziegler's companies from

16 The St. Clair Papers.

Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar (at the Mouth op the Muskingum),
August 10, 1786.
Sir : — Since I had the honor of addressing you on the 4th instant,"
the Miami to the rapids, and close the post at the Scioto, as there were no
intruders below the Muskingum; they were all between tho latter and the
Pennsylvania line. Captain Hamtramck, with these companies, would take
post at Morris [Norris] Town, below the Mingo Bottom; Captain Ferguson
would be at Mcintosh, and three companies would remain at Fort Harmar.
He would have three hundred troops left for active field operations."
'The only items of interest in the letter of the 4th of August were that,
as Captain Hutchins had requested a hody of troops to cover the survej'ors.
Captain Hamtramck had been directed to move from MingoBottom to Little
Beaver for that purpose; that hewas endeavoring to conciliate tho minds
of the Indians, and had had several Delawares and Chippewas at Fort Har
mar, Fort McIntosh, and Fort Pitt to "brighten the chain." The Indians
had returned well satisfied with their treatment, and he had sent a speech to
the Delaware Nation by an Indian named Turis. Agreeably to the order
of Congress, he had detached two companies to the falls of the Ohio. He
had information that several lawless villains in the neighborhood of Wheel
ing had threatened to waylay the friendly Indians on their return. If that
were done, he would arrest the rascals and give them a taste of Federal law.
"These men on the frontier have been accustomed to seat themselves on the
best of lands, making a tomahawk right or improvement, as they term it,
supposing that to be a sufficient title. I believe them in general to be
averse to Federal measures, and that they could wish to throw every ob
stacle in the way to impede the surveying of the Western Territory, agree
ably to the ordinance of Congress.''
"Mr. Liehert, a cadet in the corps of artillery, was dispatched by Captain
Doughty some time ago into the Indian country fqr intelligence. He has
returned. I have the honor to inclose you a copy of his report."
"As Major Fish intends to resign, I beg leave to observe that the aid of a
field-officer is absolutely necessary." Following is the report of affairs in the
Indian country: Eepokt of Mk. Philip Likbert.
Fort Harmak, .Tuly 20, 1786.
On the 18th of March last I left this place, with orders from Major
Doughty to pass through the Delaware and Shawanee towns on the waters
of the Miami, and the Delaware and Wyandot towns at Sandusky; to ob
serve the disposition, and to find out, as far as possihle, the intentions of the
savages, whether hostile or not; and to assure thera of the friendly disposi
tion of the Americans. I pursued the course of the Ohio in a canoe until
the 21st of March, when I reached the Big Miami. I rested at Fort Finney
until the 23d, when I proceeded up the Miami, which I found very rapid-
and on the 27th of April I fell in with a Delaware town, the residence of
Pokongekalas, a chief of great repute. I left this town on the 10th of May

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 17
Ensign Denny has arrived from the Miami, and brings intelligence
that an expedition is forming under the command of General Clarke,
and authorized by the State of Virginia, to attack the Indians.
Be pleased to receive the inclosed copy of a letter from General
Clarke to the commanding officer at the Miami, wherein you will
observe his wish to be joined by the regular troops upon this expedi
tion. As I have received no order from you upon this head, I have
given express orders to Captain Finney not to form any off'ensive
operations into the Indian country without my directions. The in
habitants in the neighborhood of the Falls will be very anxious to
push forward the regular troops on this occasion, but it shall be pre
vented until I receive your orders whether to join them or not.
on my way to Sanduskj', having been, frora the 27th of April, at two
Shawanese and four Delaware towns, and some scattering settlements of
Wyandots. On the 12th of May, I arrived at the Delaware and Wyandot
towns at Sandusky, where I staid three days; left it on the 15th, and ar
rived at Mcintosh on the 28th of May. I left my canoe at the forks of the
Miami, and proceeded tlirough the remainder of mj- journey on horseback.
At every town I executed my orders in assuring the Indians that the thir
teen great fires were deterrained to hold fast the chain of friendship, and
told all the chiefs that the commanding officer at Fort Harraar had sent rae
to see them, to smoke with them, and to invite them to come and see hira.
Many have promised to come.
In Pokongekalas's town I met the Big Cat, a very great warrior, and
George Washington ; they in particular were very glad to see me. They
promised to protect me whilst I staid amongst them, for the whole town
was drunk. When at Pokongekalas's town, I saw sixteen of the Six Nations ;
they carae from Niagara. They said they were going to hold council in the
Shawanese town. I afterwards inquired of one Eollins, a silversmith, living
in one of those towns, to find out the business of these Indians. He told
me thej' had a letter for Captain Elliot, an Indian agent who lives with the
Shawanese; that at the council, the sixteen Indians told the Shawanese that
thev were come to invite them to join hands and be strong to prevent the
long knife from taking their lands. They were painted black, and told the
Shawanese they would set the example, and were going to war. After the
council, they were joined by some of the Cherokees and a few of the Shaw
anese. It was sorae of this party who murdered Captain Sherer and three
others at Tuscarawas a few weeks ago. This information was confirmed to
me by three Frenchmen besides Eollins.
When I was at the Shawanee town where Elliot resides, I found that he
had frequent councils with thera, and that the Shawanese in general were
not well disposed to the Americans. The Delawares and Wyandots, through
whose towns I passed, appeared kind and friendly and desirous of peace.
The chiefs, in every instance, shook hands with me and were glad to see me.
The Delawares a'nd Wyandots are averse to admit the Cherokees and their
party amonsr them; but in the Shawanese towns they are received and often
joined by some of that nation.— M.9. Files of War Department.
2

18 The St. Clair Papers.
Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, October IQth, 1786.
Sir: — I last had the honor of addressing you by Lieutenant
Beatty, which was on the 17th ultimo.'
In consequence of the intelligence respecting the hostile inten
tions of the Indians assembled at the Shawanese towns, which was
corroborated by sundry depositions through other channels. Cap
tain Hutchins, after having progressed forty-three miles on the east
and west line, and then superintending the eighth range, declined
prosecuting the surveying business, and, on the 23d ultimo, withhis
surveyors, thought it most prudent to retire to the Ohio.
I have been informed that it is the determination of the geog
rapher to proceed again with the business, and the surveyors were
to go out for that purpose on the 2d instant. If it should not be
continued there shall be no censure fall upon the troops, as I have
given pointed orders to Captain Hamtramck, with his detachment,
to affbrd them every protection in his i^ower. I am well convinced
that Captain Hutchins is very zealous to carry into eff'ect the ordi
nance of Congress, and the surveyors also ; but the intelligence re
ceived from the Indian country is of so serious a nature as to excite
in them very just apprehensions of danger.

Colonel Harmar to the Secretary op War.
Extract of a letter from Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War,
dated : Fort Harmar, November Wth, 1786.
Sir : — In consequence of a letter from his Excellency, the Gov
ernor of Virginia, I took it for granted (although I had not received
instructions from the war office upon the subject), that it was the
design of Congress that the two companies of regular troops at the
Enpidsshouldco-operate with the militia in any operations which
might be formed for the protection of the inhabitants from the
depredations of the Indians. I have, therefore, directed Captain
Finney to make his arrangements accordingly. A copy of his Ex
cellency's letter to me, and a copy of my instructions to Captain
^ MS. Files of War Department. The letter of the 17th contains nothin"-
of special importance. Oolunel Harmar expresses the opinion that the
council of Indians before referred to, was in order to be prepared for Gen
eral Clarke in his intended expedition.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 19
Finney, I do myself the honor to inclose to you, and hope my
conduct in this affair may meet your approbation.
An expedition under Colonel Logan, with nine hundred militia,
went forward on the 1st ultimo. He returned to Limestone, from
•whence he set out in a fortnight, having met with very little opposi
tion, as all the warriors had gone to meet General Clarke. Seven
ofthe Shawanese towns were burned, a few scalps taken, and thirty
women and children prisoners. Melanthy, the Shawanese king,
would not fly, but displayed the thirteen stripes, and held out the
articles of the Miami treaty, but all in vain ; he was shot down by
one of the party, although he was their prisoner. I am sorry that
this disgraceful aflJ'air should have happened, as Melanthy had al
ways been represented as a friend to the United States.
General Clarke, with about twelve hundred men, marched from
the Rapids of the Ohio for the Wabash, on the 17th of September
last. I very much fear that the expedition will prove unsuccessful.
The latest intelligence I have received from that quarter is, that it
was reported four hundred of his men had left him in a body at or
near Post Vincent, where he was, and had returned to their homes..
The surveying business under cover of the troops still goes on.
Captain Hutchins writes me that if the weather proves favorable he
expects that the seven ranges of townships will be completed this
winter. The troops escorting him are barefoot and miserably off' for
clothing, particularly woolen overalls. They have a very severe
fatiguing tour of duty. I pray you to order the new clothing for
warded here as soon as possible.'

Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, May 14th, 1787.
Sir: — I had the honor of addressing you last on the 10th ult.,
wherein you were informed of Captain Heart, with his company,
having marched from hence to take post at Venango.
He writes me from Pittsburgh, that every preparation was made,
and he should ascend the Alleghany on the 27th ult. He also in
forms me in his letter of the 27th of last month, that "a council
of all lhe Indian tribes was then holding at Buffalo Creek, near Fort
Erie, the subject to be determined, report said, was whether they
would give up their lands or not."
1 MS. Files of War Department. Such parts of the letter only are given
here as have an historical interest.

20 • The St. Clair Papers.
On the 15th ult., I left the Muskingum in the barge, accompanied
by Lieutenant Beatty and Lieutenant Pratt, and arrived at the
Rapidsofthe Ohio in ninety-two hours. I spent a week with Major
Wyllys at the garrison. On my return I traveled by land from
Louisville to Limestone, by the way of Danville and Lexington,
(Limestone is one hundred and eighty miles distant fi-om the Falls by
that route), and returned to Muskingum on the night of the 10th
instant. During my short stay at the Falls, I endeavored to make myself
acquainted with the politics of the country, and to gain as perfect a
knowledge as I possibly could of what was going forward amongst
the inhabitants of Kentucky. The free navigation of the Mississ
ippi is the general subject of discourse amongst them. The inhab
itants to the westward of the Alleghany Mountains are unanimously
opposed to its being closed. If such a measure should take place,
they will look upon it as the greatest of grievances, as the pros
perity of the Western world depends entirely upon this outlet.
Kentucky, at present, by the returns of their County Lieutenants,
muster five thousand fighting men. You will please to judge what
a flourishing country this must be in the course of a few years, from
the number of emigrators to it. Curiosity prompted me to order
the officer of the day to take an account of the number of boats,
etc., which passed the garrison. From the 10th of October, 1786,
nntil the 12th of May, 1787, one hundred and seventy-seven boats,
two thousand six hundred and eighty-nine souls, one thousand three
hundred and thirty-three horses, seven hundred and sixty-six cat
tle, and one hundred and two wagons, have passed Muskingum,
bound for Limestone and the Eapids. If Congress should be of
opinion that it will be expedient to shut the navigation, I think a
respectable post at the mouth of the Ohio or the Wabash will be
necessary, otherwise from all appearances the people will become so
strong in the course of a little time as to force a trade at all events.
Very irregular proceedings have been carried on in that country.
The Wabash Indians have been invited to a treaty, to be held at
Post Vincent on the 1st of this month. It was thought a number
of them would assemble, but after reconsidering the matter, it was
judged best to hold no treaty with them. General Clarke, with a
party, was to proceed to the Post, in order to amuse the Indians, so
that they might peaceably disperse and commit no hostilities. A
Captain Dalton, with about one hundred men, raised for three years
had taken a position at Post Vincent, but his men have ail dis
banded for want of provisions. By what I could learn, the French

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 21
inhabitants have suffered greatly, his party having impressed their
cattle and distressed them very much.
I know of no legal authority either for these people to invite the
Indians to a treaty or for Captain Dalton, with his men, to station
himself at Post Vincent. It is a village of considerable conse
quence, and a party of regular troops being posted there would
countenance and encourage the inhabitants, who, by all accounts,
are well affected to the interest of the United States. From the
Eapids to Post Vincent, by land, is about ninety miles distant, and
from thence to Kaskaskia by land about the same distance. From
the best information I could obtain, I humbly beg leave to observe,
that Post Vincent and the Illinois country are well worthy of the
immediate notice and attention of Congress.
. Amongst other irregularities committed, the following is another
instance : A boat came from New Orleans to the Post to trade.
Her cargo was valued at upwards of two thousand pounds. She
was seized, and the owners robbed of their property. The seizure
was made as Spanish projierty, and designed as a retaliation.
Several parties of the Wabash Indians are now in the Kentucky
country plundering the inhabitants of their horses, and occasionally
murdering them. Last month, a son of General Scott's was killed
and scalped on the Kentucky Eiver. The people are in great dread
of the savages. Permit me to observe that a respectable garrison
of regular troops established in the heart of the Indian country,
somewhere either high up the Wabash or the Great Miami, would
keep the Indians in awe, and, in a great measure, secure the frontier
inhabitants.. If it was consistent, I could wish much to have four companies
of riflemen annexed to the regiment. There is no better place to
raise them than in •Kentucky. I believe there would be very little
difficulty in recruiting in a short time that number of expert woods
men well acquainted with the customs of Indians, and who want
nothing but regular officers to command them to make them good
soldiers. I am convinced that such a corps would be highly useful.
When I was at Limestone, a party of the Shawanese had brought
in six or seven prisoners. They were encamped on the opposite shore,
waiting to exchange them for an equal number of theirs, taken in
Colonel Logan's expedition. I went over the river and made a'
speech to their chief, called the Wolf I observed that frequent
murders were committed in the Kentucky country by the Indians,
and that they would provoke the Thirteen Great Fires at last to such
a degree that they would send their young warriors and destroy all

22 The St. Clair Papers.
their nations. His answer was in the usual style, that none of the
Shawanese committed these murders, but that they were done by a
banditti countenanced by none of the regular tribes.
I shall expect official intelligence from the War Office respecting
the surveying department for this year. Mr. Ludlow is at present
running south on the seventh range, which, it is imagined, will
either take in this post or strike the river very near it. By the
last accounts, the Indians had stolen his horses. As these horses
are all insured, they will be a dear bargain for the public. Twelve
cabins, erected by the intruders, have been lately destroyed by
order of Major Hamtramck, in Mingo Bottom and its vicinity.
Mingo Bottom is a fertile spot, and very much attracts the attention
of these fellows, who wish to live under no government.

Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, June 7, 1787.
Sir: — I had the honor of addressing you last per Lieutenant
Beatty, since which I have received your letter of the 26th of April.'
Immediately upon the receipt of your letter, I began to make the
necessary preparations to execute the orders of Congress, and have,
accordingly, evacuated Fort Steuben, and have transmitted orders
to Captain Ferguson to withdraw the command from Fort Pitt,
leaving only Lieutenant Ashton and his waiter there. To also leave
an officer and sixteen men at McIntosh, and, with the remainder of
his company, to follow me tothe IJapids of the Ohio. Captain Fer
guson has not yet arrived at this post, but I have detached Captain
Strong, with his company, on the 26th ult., and Captain Mercer
and Captain Smith, with their companies, some days since, with a
howitzer and the necessary ammunition from hence for the Bapids.
The surveyors have made application to me for escorts to complete
the fifth, sixth, and seventh ranges. I have detached an officer and

1 This contained instructions for the summer. These were to the effect first
that it was important to enable the surveyors to push their work to an early
completion, in order that the lands might be brought into raarket, as the
finances of theColonies were in a very low condition, and guards should be
furnished to them liberally; second, that, as the French inhabitants at Post
Vincennes and Kaskaskia were complaining of the depredations of the law
less troops of George Eogers Clarke, and of the Indian.?, by both of which
they had been plundered and left in poverty, he was directed to move the
greater part of his force to the Wabash country to protect the inhabitants
from the lawless banditti.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 23
sixteen men to Wheeling for that purpose, which is the greatest
number I could possibly spare them. They are very extravagant in
their demands. The whole regiment would scarcely suffice them.
The following is the arrangement which I have made of the
troops, and hope it will meet your approbation :
At the Eapids of the Ohio, Captain Finney, Captain Zeigler,
Captain Strong, Captain Mercer, and Captain Smith, with their
companies, and Captain Ferguson, with forty artillerymen and a
brass three-pounder, making, in the whole, three hundred and
twenty-nine men. I shall leave this post to-day or to-morrow, with
Major tiamtramck, and shall take the immediate direction and
command of this force upon my arrival at the Eapids. I propose
to leave written instructions for Major Doughty, upon his arrival, to
take command in this cpiarter. At Venango, Captain Heart is sta
tioned ; at Fort Mcintosh, Lieutenant Ford; at Wheeling, for the
protection of the surveyors, Ensign Spear, with sixty men ; at Fort
Harmar, Major Doughty, with part of Captain McCurdy's com
pany, and part of Captain Bradford's, which is the remaining part
of the regiment.
The ostensible object for assembling thetroopsattheEapids,! shall
hold out to be a probability of the Indians attacking the settlements
there. Indeed, as the Western Indians have never been treated
with, and are averse to, the idea of their lands being forfeited from
their adherence to the king of Great Britain, I conceive it will re
quire, in marching into their country, a considerable degree of ad
dress to conciliate and reconcile them to the movement.

Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War.
Camp at the Eapids of the Ohio, June 15th, 1787.
Sir : — I had the honor of addressing you last on the 7th instant.
We arrived on the 1 1th.
Considering the immense expense which the public would sustain
by hiring pack-horses, and, indeed, the uncertainty of procuring
them, and the delay attending these circumstances have induced
me to determine upon going to Post St. Vincent by water. I am
making arrangements respecting provisions, and propose taking my
cattle in Kentucky boats to the mouth of the Wabash, and shall
then order them drove along the margin of the river. Ascending
the Wabash and driving the cattle will be attended with S'.nie diffi
culty. This arrangement will be infinitely less expensive than

24 The St. Clair Papers.
marching by land from hence directly to the Post. Upon a calcula
tion, it would require seventy pack-horses, which could not be hired
under half a dollar each per day. I expect Captain Ferguson will
arrive about the 20th of the month, and I am in hopes to leave
this immediately upon his arrival. When we reach the Post, I
shall instantly proceed to carry the orders of Congress into^efFect.
The commissioner'^ goods are here. As it is more than probable
that I shall have frequent conferences with the Indians, I propose
taking them along with me, and beg, as the Superentendent of In
dian Affairs will be absent, that you will be pleased to authorize me
to distribute some of them, in case of necessity.
Judge Symmes, formerly a member of Congress, is here, and has
it in contemplation to establish a settlement on the Wabash. I
think it my duty to transmit you the inclosed proposals of his, in
order that you may be 'acquainted with his intentions.'
You may be assured. Sir, that the advancement of Federal meas
ures shall be my constant object, and I hope for the countenance
and support of Congress upon the occasion.

Colonel Harmar to the Secretary of War.
Camp on the Kentucky Shore,
Just below the Eapids, July 7th, 1787.
Sir: — • . . . As the people are so intimidated by a boat
bound for Pittsburgh being fired upon by a party of Indians, near
the Great Miami, that they will not, for some time, venture up the
river, I had given some of my letters in charge to the owner of
this boat, but they were returned to me at the Eapids.
Since my last, I have obtained more full information of the coun
try, and have thought it most advisable, as it will save a vast ex
pense to the public, to make my operations chiefly by water. I
have hud all my keel-boats repaired, and put in tolerable order, and
have run the public to no further expense than about ten dollars,
for my Kentucky boats.
Last night I detached Captain Zeigler, with sixty-six men in
eight Kentucky boats, two large keel-boats, one small keel-boat, and
two canoes, laden with flour, cattle, whisky, etc., being three
months' provisions for three hundred men, with orders to halt at
iThe proposals of .ludge Symmes, which finally reached Congress later
in the season, will be found stated elsewhere. The location was made on
the Miami.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 25
what is called the landing and carrying place, a few miles on this
side of Green Eiver, called in Hutchins's map ' ' BuflTalo Eiver." To
morrow morning, early, I shall move .with the troops and the re
mainder ofthe fleet, and shall overtake Captain Zeigler. I propose
to march by land from this carrying place to Post Vincennes ; the
distance, I am well informed, is no more than fifty miles. The cat
tle and eighteen horses will be drove along. The flour, baggage,
etc., will be under a strong guard, ascend the Wabash Eiver, which,
at this season of the year, will be attended with considerable diffi
culty. I have sent intelligence to Colonel Le Gras and Major Bosseron,
the principal inhabitants at the Post, to inform them of this move
ment. Be pleased to receive the inclosed copy of my letter to these
gentlemen.' Captain Ferguson did not arrive until the evening of the 3d in
stant, in the old contractor's boats, laden with provisions. I placed
no dependence on supplies from them, neither did I know of any
further engagement of theirs to supply the troops, but immediately
upon my arrival at theEapids,in order to expedite the movement,
gave orders to Mr. Bradshaw, the issuing commissary here, to ex
ert himself and furnish the necessary provisions. Having consid
erable credit in the Kentucky country, he succeeded accordingly,
and has drawn bill on the contractors for the flour he furnished.
I have undertaken to enlist for one year four men, with the prom
ise of the same pay and rations, etc. , as a regular soldier receives.
These men will be extremely useful. The one is a Canadian inter
preter, who understands the diff"erent dialects of the Wabash Indians.
To this man I have promised something extra. The other three are
good woodmen, and will serve as expresses to carry dispatches to
and from the posts to the Rapids. Two of them are also well ac
quainted with the navigation of the Wabash Eiver. I trust that this
will meet with your approbation, as it is done upon an economical
principle, and will certainly be a saving to the public.
Captain Ferguson informs me that he took on board Eegan, the
fellow who murdered an Indian, with the design to remove him
^In that letter Colonel Harmar said: "I would wish you, gentlemen, to
inform the Indians that the United States wi.«:h to live in peace with them,
and that they may not be alarmed atthis movement; likewise to apprise
them of troops being ou their way to the post — not a set of villains, but
regulars, sent by the Grand Council of the empire, in order to preserve
good faith with them, and to protect the legal inhabitants."

26 The St. Clair Papers.
from Mcintosh to Muskingum, but, being in irons, he started in his
sleep and fell overboard and was drowned below Wheeling. It
would have been better to - have had him executed in the pres
ence of the Indians.
I am informed there are a number of British traders on the Wa
bash, above Post Vincennes. I hope to have the honor of addressing
my next letter to you from the Post, when I shall immediately pro
ceed to expel the usurpers of the public lands, and likewise re
connoiter these British traders who are the cause, I believe, of all
the Indian disturbances.
I shall deliver but very few of the commissioner's goods, and
those not unless there should be an absolute necessity for it, until I
receive your sanction for so doing. Eight of the Chickasaw Nation
have been with me for this week past. Their business is to have
a trade with the Americans. These and the Choctaws have been
treated with, and are very friendly with the United States. I have
given them eight watch-coats and a few trifles, and shall take them
down v/ith me to-morrow as far as we go by water, and there dis
miss them with a speech and some small presents to Piamingo, the
mountain leader and the Choctaw chief.
I have left an officer with a command of twenty sick and invalids
to garrison the fort at the rapids of the Ohio. The chief duty of this
officer is to forward any dispatches which may arrive from the war
office to me, immediately, at Post Vincennes, by land. Be pleased
to order your letters directed to his charge.

Brigadier-General Harmar to the Secretary op War.
Post Vincennes, August 1th, 1787.
Sir:—1 had the honor of addressing you last on the 7th ult.
from camp on the Kentucky shore, just below the Rapids ofthe
Ohio. On the 6th ultimo. Captain Zeigler, with a party and an adequate
number of boats was detached from thence with the provisions.
Ou the 8th, we embarked with the remainder of the fleet, and ar
rived on the morning of the 10th at the rocks, or the lauding and
crossing place, called also the Delaware Old Town, about eight miles
above Green Eiver, and one hundred and eighty miles below the
Eapids. In the afternoon of the same day I detached Major Ham
tramck, with a party of one hundred men, to conduct the whole
fleet from the landing to the mouth of the Wabash, and then to

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 27
ascend the river for Post Vincennes. On the morning of the llth,
with the residue of the troops, I took up the inclosed order of march,
with our cattle in the center, in very warm weather, and the men
being obliged to carry fifteen days' flour upon their backs, rendered
it very fatiguing. A due north course from the landing and car
rying place would have struck the Post in fifty miles distance from
the Ohio, but we were obliged to oblique for the sake of water. On
the 16th, we forded the White Eiver (a considerable stream), about
fifteen miles below the forks, and arrived at Post Vincennes on the
17th, at noon, the whole march computed to be about seventy miles.
From the Ohio, where we set out for the White Eiver, we had
a very difficult march, the country being full of thickets and scarce
of water, but, afterwards, we marched through fine open woods
and large prairies, or natural meadows, and encamped on the
banks of the Wabash.
On the 18th, we were visited by Colonel Le Gras, the magistrates
and the principal French inhabitants welcoming us upon our arrival.
Their behavior was most respectfully submissive. In the afternoon
of the same day, finding the Wabash Eiver so low and difficult to
ascend, I detached a sergeant and twenty men, in three barges and
five pettiaugers, to meet Major Hamtramck and lighten the fleet.
Post Vincennes is a very considerable village, situated upon the
Wabash, about one hundred and twenty miles from the mouth. It
contains near four hundred houses — log and bark — out-houses,
barns, etc. ; the number of inhabitants, about nine hundred souls,
French, and about four hundred souls, Americans. Monsieur Vin
cennes, the French officer from whom it derives its name, I am in
formed, was here and commenced the settlement sixty years ago.
On the 20th, I called upon Colonel Le Gras, for a sight of the
French grants, and all other papers respecting the original settlers.
The papers were produced, but I declined having a translation of
them until the arrival of Mr. Bartholemew Tardiveau, a French gen
tleman who was with Major Hamtramck in the fleet, well acquainted
with the inhabitants and the footing they held their land upon. I
expected his arrival every day.
Major Hamtramck did not arrive with the boats until the 25th,
having been eleven days on very severe, fatiguing duty, ascending
the Wabash. He was obliged to leave Ensign Eyker Suydam, with
a party, with the clothing, all the whisky, and chief part of the
flour at the mouth of the Wabash, the water being so shoal that the
boats could not ascend the river. On the 26th, I detached Lieu
tenant Armstrong, with a party of forty-five fresh men, in several

28 The St. Clair Papers.
pettiaugers, to join Ensign Suydam, and assist in bringing up the
provisions and our new clothing, which was left behind at the mouth
of the river.
On the 27th, the resolve of Congress respecting intruders on the
public lands, together with my orders, were published in English
and French, which amazed the inhabitants exceedingly, particularly
those who style themselves Americans. A copy of said resolve and
the orders relative thereto I do myself the honor to inclose. On
the 28th, eight Piankishaw Indians arrived from the Terre Haute
up the Wabash, in consequence of Colonel Le Gras's information to
them of the troops coming to the Post. On the 29th, I had a con
ference with them, and presented them with thirteen strings of
wampum, and assured them of the friendly disposition of the
United States, and advised them not to listen to what any bad peo
ple might say to the contrary. I sent a message by these Indians
to all the chiefs of the different tribes on the Wabash, inviting
them to assemble here aud hear what I had to say to them. These
Indians were well pleased ; they presented me with a calumet. I
gave them some small presents, and they set off on the 31st to de
liver my message to the different chiefs. The French inhabitants,
at the same time, sent a speech to them, a copy of which I have the
honor to inclose.
On the 5th instant. Lieutenant Armstrong and Ensign Suydam
arrived with the stores, clothing, etc., from the mouth of the Wa
bash, after a very fatiguing and dangerous passage. Several parties
of Indians were hovering about the Wabash ; they waylaid a canoe
on the 25th ultimo, which had fallen in the rear, at what is called
the long rapid, on board of which were some flour and Avhisky, pri
vate property, belonging to our guide ; they killed one of Captain
Zeigler's company and a Frenchman, and took prisoner one of the
men whom I had enlisted for one year, I informed the Indians of
this circumstance, and to tell their chiefs that if they did not desist
they would certainly draw upon them the vengeance of the Uuited
States. They disavowed in strong terms .any knowledge of this
murder. I humbly conceive that the great objects I have to attend to will
*be to prevent illegal encroachments on the public lands, to secure
happiness to the inhabitants, to protect private property from arbi
trary invasion, and to remove, if possible, diffidence, fear, and jeal
ousy from the minds of* the Indians. To these points I shall lend
my attention. I have been busily engaged, with the aid of Mr.
Tardiveau, in order to make a discrimination between the lauds le-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 29
gaily obtained and those that have been encroached upon without
sufficient authority. The French inhabitants are about framing an
humble petition to Congress, and will, I believe, give up their char
ter, and trust to Congress for what lands that honorable body may
please to grant them. Such American inhabitants as have settled
under the French charter are also framing a petition to Congress,
praying for relief, and they will be recommended by the French.
As there are no intruders out of the village, I shall wait for these
petitions, and inclose them to the war office, and, although the first
of September is the given period for them to depart, as I can not
yet possibly ascertain who are actually intruders, I shall not pro
ceed to expel them until their petitions are sent on and their state
determined, and I receive orders from Congress or the war office on
the subject. Both parties will appoint Mr. Bartholomew Tardiveau
as their agent. He will go on to Congress in the course of next
month. As the Indian chiefs (if they come at all) will not be here in less
than a month, I propose to take a subaltern's guard and to proceed
to Kaskaskia, in company with Mr. Tardiveau, the next day after
to-morrow, in' order that I may be enabled to give a statement of
affairs in that part of the United States. This movement of the
troops will have a peculiar good effect. It will deter several people
from Kentucky and other parts from taking up the public lands. A
door was opened very fast for intrusions from that quarter. Many
of General Clarke's militia, on their march toward the Vermillion
town, had cast their eyes on choice lands, and I am informed had
made what they called tomahawk rights.
Be pleased to receive the following inclosures, viz :
1. Colonel Le Gras's answer in behalf of the inhabitants at Post
Vincennes to Colonel Harmar's letter of the 19th June.'
2. The address of the French inhabitants at Post Vincennes to
Colonel Hg.rmar.''
8. The address of the American inhabitants at Post Vincennes to
Colonel Harmar.^

' Eeferred to in note 1, on page 25.
' 2 This related to tho land rights which had come to them down from the
French government, through the English, and the additions granted by ir
responsible officers of Yirginia.
3 The clairas of the Americans to lands obtained of Todd and other Vir
ginia officials. In the cession of the western lands made by Virginia, no
provision had been made for any American claimant.

30 The St. Clair Papers.
4. The recommendations of the French inhabitants to Colonel
Harmar in favor of the American inhabitants.'
The petitions of both the French and American inhabitants to
Congress I have not yet received ; they shall be forwarded by Mr.
Tardiveau. I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the
1st June, inclosing the contract of Mr. O'Hara with the Board of
Treasury for the supply of troops, etc'

Brigadier-General Harmar to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, November 24th, 1787.
Sir: — In my last letter [from Post Vincennes, 7th of August],
after having published in French and English the Eesolve of Con
gress respecting the intruders upon the public lands at Post Vin
cennes, together with my orders relative thereto, and after having
sent messages to the several Indian chiefs on the Wabash to assem
ble at the Post, and hear what I had to say to them, as there was no
probability of these chiefs coming in in less than a month, I in
formed you that it was my intention to employ that time in visiting
Kaskaskia, in order that I might be enabled to render a statement
of affairs in that part of the United States.
Accordingly, I marched on the Oth of August, from the Post
with a subaltern (Ensign McDowell) and thirty men, through the
prairies, and arrived at Kaskaskia on the 16th of the same month.
Our march was very fatiguiug, as the weather was excessively
warm and water very bad and scarce on our route. I was accom
panied by two Indians — Pachan, a Miami chief, and his comrade,
who hunted and supplied the party with meat (Buffalo and deer),
both on the march and on our return. These prairies are very ex
tensive natural meadows, covered with long grass. One in particu
lar which we crossed was eight leagues in breadth. They run, in
general, North and South, and, like the ocean, as far as the eye can
see, the view is terminated by the horizon. Here and there a copse
of woods is interspersed. They are free from bush and underwood,
and not the least vestige of their ever having been cultivated. The
country is excellent for grazing, and abounds in buffalo, deer, bear.

1 A recommendation for favorable consideration of the claims of the Amer
ican settlers.
^ MS. from files of the State Department.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 31
etc. It is a matter of speculation to account for the formation of
the prairies. The western side of the Wabash is overflown in the
spring for several miles.
On the 17th I was visited by the magistrates and principal inhab
itants of Kaskaskia, welcoming us upon our arrival. Baptiste du
Coigne, the chief of the Kaskaskia Indians, paid me a visit in the
afternoon, and delivered me a speech, expressive of the greatest
friendship for the United States, and presented me with one of the
calumets, or pipes of peace, which is now sent on. Some of the
Pioria Indians likewise visited me. The Kaskaskias, Piorias, Caho-
kias, and Mitcha tribes compose the Illinois Indians. They are al
most extinct at present, not exceeding forty or fifty total, Kas
kaskia is a handsome little village, situated on the river of the same
name, which empties into the river Mississippi at two leagues dis
tance from it. It is one hundred and five miles up the Mississippi
from the mouth of the Ohio. The situation is low and unhealthy,
and subject to inundation. The inhabitants are French, and much
of the same class as those at Post Vincennes. Their number is
one hundred and ninety-one, old and young men.
Having but very little time to spare, I left Ensign McDowell
with the party at Kaskaskia, and on the 18th, set out accompanied
by Mr. Tardiveau and the gentlemen of the village, fijr Cahokia.
We gained Prairie du Eocher, a small village five leagues distant
from Kaskaskia, where we halted for the night. On the 19th we
passed through St. Philip, a trifling village three leagues distant
from Prairie du Eocher, and dined at La Belle Fontaine, six leagues
further. La Belle Fontaine is a small stockade, inhabited altogether
by Americans, who have seated themselves there without authority.
It is a beautiful situation, fine fertile land, no taxation, aud the in
habitants have abundance to live upon. They were exceedingly
alarmed when I informed them of their precarious state respecting a
title to their possessions, and have now sent on a fietition to Con
gress by Mr. Tardiveau. On the same day we passed another small
stockade. Grand Euisseau, inhabited by the same sort of Americans
as those at La Belle Fontaine, and arrived at Cahokia that evening.
Cahokia is a village of nearly the same size as that of Kaskaskia,
and inhabited by the same kind of people. Their number was
two hundred and thirty-nine old men and young. I was received
with the greatest hospitality by the inhabitants. There was a
decent submission and respect in their behavior. Cahokia is dis
tant from Kaskaskia twenty-two French leagues, which is about
fifty miles.

82 The St. Clair Papers.
On the 21st, in consequence of an invitation from Monsieur
Cruzat, the Spanish commandant at St. Louis, we crossed the Mis
sissippi, and were very politely entertained by him. After dinner we
returned to Cahokia. St. Louis (nicknamed Panco-iir), is much the
handsomest and genteelest village I have seen -on the Mississippi. It
is about four miles distant from Cahokia, and five leagues above it,
the river Missouri unites with the Mississippi, The inhabitants are
of the same sort as before described, excepting that they are more
wealthy. About twenty regular Spanish troops are stationed here.
On the 22d, I left Cahokia to return to Kaskaskia. Previous t(j my
departure, at the request of the inhabitants, I assembled them, and
gave them advice to place their militia upon a more respectable
footing than it was, to abide by the decision of their courts, etc. , and
if there were any turbulent or refractory persons, to put them under
guard until Congress should be pleased to order a government for
them. Exclusive of the intruders already described, there are
about thirty more Americans settled on the rich fertile bottoms on
the Mississippi, who are likewise petitioning by this conveyance.
On thc 23d, I passed by the ruins of Fort Chartres, which is one
league above the Prairie du Eocher, and situate on the Mississippi.
It was built of stone, and must have been a considerable fortification
formerly, but the part next to the river had been carried away by
the floods, and is of no conseqnence at present. I staid about a
quarter of an hour, but had not time to view it minutely, as it was
all a thicket within. Several iron pieces of cannon are here at
present, and also at the different villages. This evening I returned
to Kaskaskia.
On the 24th, Monsieur Peruse, the Spanish commandant at St.
Genevieve, sent me au invitation to pay him a visit. We crossed
thc Mississippi accordingly, were politely entertained, and after din
ner returned to Kaskaskia. St, Genevieve (nick named Misere) is
a village much inferior in every respect to St. Louis. It is about
four miles (including the passage of the Mississippi) distant from
Kaskaskia. About eight or ten Spanish troops are stationed there.
On the 26th, at the request of the inhabitants (which is inclosed),
I assembled them, and gave them advice to regulate their militia,
and obey their magistrates etc., until Congress pleased to ordera
government for them. I have to remark that all these people are
entirely unacquainted with what Americans call liberty. Trial by
jury, etc., they are strangers to. A commandant with a few troops
to give them orders is the best form of government for them - it is
what they have been accustomed to.

Correspondence, A.ddresses, Etc. 33
On the 27th I left Kaskaskia, after having received every mark
of respect and attention from the inhabitants, in order to set out for
the Post. We marched by a lower route. Several of the French,
and the Kaskaskia chief, with his tribe (about ten in number), ac
companied us, and we arrived safe at P9st Vincennes on the after
noon of the 3d of September. I made the distance by the lower
route to be about one hundred and seventy miles.
On the 5th the Piankishaw and Weea Indians arrived at the Post
from up the Wabash, to the number of about one hundred and
twenty. Every precaution was taken. We had a fortified camp,
two redoubts were thrown up on our right and left, and the guard in
front intrenched. The troops were all new clothed, and made a truly
military appearance. The Indians saluted us by firing several vol
leys on the Wabash, opposite our camp. Their salute was returned
by a party of ours firing several platoons. I was determined to im
press upon them as much as possible the majesty of the United
States, and at the same time that they were informed that it was
the wish of Congress to live in peace and friendship with them, like
wise to let them know that if they persisted in being hostile that a
body of troops would march to their towns and sweep them off the
face of the earth. On the 7th, I invited them to camp, and made
the inclosed speech to them. The Indians admired the troops. I
believe they had never seen such a sight before. On the 8th, they
answered my speech, and, in strong figurative language, expressed
their determination to preserve perfect peace and friendship with
the United States, as long as the waters flowed, etc. They utterly
disavowed auy knowledge of the murder that had been committed,
and assured me that inquiry should be made for the prisoner. They
presented me with a number of calumets and wampum, which I
now have the honor of transmitting, inclosed in a rich otter skin ;
they will be delivered by Mr. Coudre. Mr. Coudre has acted as
volunteer for a considerable time in the regiment, and has conducted
himself with propriety. If a vacancy should happen in the Con
necticut quota, I beg leave to recommend him to your notice.
On the 9th, the young warriors were drinking whisky and dancing
before our tents all the mormng, to demonstrate their joy. On the
10th, I made them several presents from the commissioner's goods,
to no great amount. On the 12th, the chief part of them left the
Post for their different villages up the Wabash. They returned
highly satisfied with the treatment they received. Indeed, it was a
proper tour of fatigue for me. I found it politic to pay the great-
3

34 The St. Clair Papers.
est attention to them. They are amazingly fond of whisky, and
destroyed a considerable quantity of it. I trust that you may find
this conference with the Indians attended with very little expense ;
I question whether the whole, whisky, provisions, and presents, will
cost the public more than one hundred and fifty dollars. Their in
terpreter is a half Frenchman, and married to a Weea squaw. He
has very great influence among them. I judged it necessary to pay
extraordinary attention to him.
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of several letters
from you, which I shall fully answer by the next conveyance, par
ticularly one of the 2d of August, inclosing me a brevet commis
sion of brigadier-general.
After finishing the conference with the Indians, and obtaining the
inclosed petitions of the inhabitants of Post Vincennes to Congress,
relinquishing their charter, and trusting to the generosity of that
honorable body, I judged it expedient to leave a garrison at the
Post, as it would have been impolitic, after the parade we had made,
to entirely abandon the country. Accordingly, Major Hamtramck
commands there. His command consists of Captain Smith's com
pany, fifty-five, and part of Ferguson's company, forty ; total,
ninety-five. I have ordered him to fortify himself, and to regulate
the militia, who are to join him in case of hostilities.
Having arranged all matters to my satisfaction, as we had a long
and tiresome voyage before us, I began to think of winter quarters.
Accordingly, on the 1st of October I marched by land with the
well men of Captains Zeigler's and Strong's compames (total, seventy-
one), for the Rapids of the Ohio. I gave orders to Major Wyllys
tp command the fleet, aud to embark for the Eapids the next morn
ing, with the late Captain Finney's and Mercer's companies, and
the sick ofthe other companies, and a brass three-pounder. I omit
ted mention of my taking into our possession some ordnance and
ammunition (public property) at Louisville and at the Post. At
the former we got a brass six-pounder with several swivels ; at the
latter, from Mr. Dalton, two brass three-pounders. I thought it
best that the public property should be under our own charge.
We marched along what is called Clarke's Trace, and arrived on
the 7th October at the Rapids of the Ohio. I was mistaken in a
former letter, concerning the distance ; it is about one hundred and
thirty miles. We saw no Indians, nor signs of Indians. From the
Falls to the Post the country is in general hilly, and good wheat
land. IMajor Wyllys, with the fleet, arrived at Clarkesville on the
.21st. On the 23d and the 24th the men were all employed in drag-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 35
ging the boats over the Falls, a very difficult, fatiguing tour of
duty, the more so as the water was remarkably low. On the 28th
I left the Falls in the barge for the Muskingum, with orders for
Captains Zeigler and Strong, with their companies, to follow the
next day. On the 13th November, we arrived at this post. Cap
tain Zeigler arrived here, with the fleet. On the 21st. We were fa
vored with remarkably fine weather ever since we set out from the
Post. The following are among my arrangements for winter quarters :
At Venango, Captain Heart's company ; at Mcintosh, part of Cap
tain Ferguson's company ; at Muskingum, Captain Zeigler's, Captain
Strong's, Captain McCurdy's, and Captain Bradford's companies;
at the Eapids of the Ohio, the late Captain Finney's and Captain
Mercer's companies ; at Post Vincennes, Captain Smith's and part
of Captain Ferguson's companies.
Such a large portion of the regiment being quartered at Mus
kingum during the winter, will save the public considerable expense
with respect to provisions.
The water being so exceedingly low, detained Lieutenant Beatty
a long time at Fort Pitt. He did not arrive at this garrison until
the 20th instant, at night. We are all happy to find that he has
obtained such a just and honorable settlement for the regiment,
and we are much indebted to you for having been pleased to lend
him every assistance in the business.
The bearer, Mr. Bartholomew Tardiveau, I believe you will find
to be a sensible, well-informed gentleman, as well if not better ac
quainted with the western country (particularly the Illinois) than
any one who has ever been frora thence to Congress. I beg leave
to refer you to him for a minute and particular description of it.
There have been some impostors before Congress, particularly one
Parker, a whining, canting Methodist, a kind of would-be-go-ver-nor.
He is extremely unpopular at Kaskaskia, and despised by the inhab
itants. I am happy to hear of General St. Clair's appointment as Gover
nor of the Western Territory, as it will add to the dignity and con
sequence of Congress.
You are pleased to ask me intelligence respecting the military
lands. From Fort Massac to the mouth of the Ohio, and from ¦
thence about twenty miles up the Misssissippi, the country over
flows, and is by no means habitable.
I shall have the honor of writing to you again in a short time.'
' MS. From files of .State Department.

36 The St. Clair Papers.
Brigadier-General Harmar to President St. Clair.
Fort Harmar, No-vember 25, 1787.
My Dear General:—! am happy, very happy, to hear, by Captain
Beatty, of your appointment to the government of the Western
Territory.' Permit me sincerely to congratulate you upon it.
Congress have been pleased to honor me with a brevet commission
of Brigadier-General. I should be justly accused of ingratitude
was I not to thank my old friend for his friendship and influence
upon this occasion. I shall ever hold them in most grateful remem
brance. Mrs. Harmar sends her kind compliments to you. Major Dun
can left here yesterday for the Falls.

Instructions to the Governor of the Territory of the United
States north-west of the River Ohio, relative to an Indian
Treaty in the Northern Department.
Sir : — You are carefully to examine into the real temper of the
Indian tribes inhabiting the Northern Indian Department of the
United States. If you find it hostile, and that the welfare of the
frontiers and the settlements forming in that country, demand a
treaty, you will then, in conjunction with the Superintendent of
Indian Affairs for the Northern Department, unless the attendance
'The old Continental Congress had, on the 13th Julj', passed an ordi
nance for the government of the Territory north-west of the river Ohio,
and prior to the date of the above letter, elected Arthur St. Clair, Presklent
of that body, Governor, Winthrop Sargent, Secretary, and Messrs. Varnum,
Parsons and Symmes, .ludges. The Congress had also passed an ordinance
in effect supplemental to the Ordinance establishing the government, au
thorizing the Board of Treasury to dispose of the lands north-west of the
river Ohio, which had been ceded to the United States by the States of Vir
ginia, New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut. Under this ordinance
the Board of Treasury sold to the Ohio Company, organized in New England,
of which Dr. Manassah Cutler, General Eufus Putnam, Major Winthrop
Sargent, General Parsons and General Varnum were members, one and
a-half millions acres of land on the Muskingum Eiver, and contracted for a
much larger tract for private parties on the Ohio, between the mouth of the
Kanawha and the Scioto; and later with John Cleves Symmes, of New Jer
sey, for a million acres on the Ohio, between the two Miamis. For an ac
count ol' the transactions under the Ordinance, see Vol. I., pp. 116-118- and
for the Ordinance and Land Laws, see Appendix, 603-22.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 37
of the said Superintendent shall be prevented by any unforseen
event, hold as general a one as you can with all th(^ tribes.
The primary objects of the treaty are, the removing of all causes
of controversy, so that peace and harmony may continue between
the United States and the Indian tribes, the regulating trade, and
settling boundaries. For these purposes, you will do every thing
that is right and proper.
The treaties which have been made may be examined, but must
not be departed from, unless a change of boundary beneficial to the
United States can be obtained.
Although the purchase of the Indian right of soil is not a pri
mary object of holding this treaty, yet you will not neglect any
opportunity that may offer of extinguishing the Indian rights to the
westward, as far as the river Mississippi.
You may stipulate, that the east and west line ordered to be run
by the ordinance of the 20th of May, 1785, shall be the boundary
between the United States and the Indian tribes : provided, they
stipulate that it shall run throughout unto the river Mississippi.
And you may stipulate that any white person going over the said
boundary, without a license from the proper officer of the United
States, may be treated in such maimer as the Indians shall think
proper. You will use every possible endeavor to ascertain who are the
real head men and warriors of the several tribes, and who have the
greatest influence among them ; these men you will attach to the
United States, by every means in your power.
Every exertion must be made to defeat all confederations and
combinations among the tribes, and to conciliate the white people
inhabiting the frontiers towards them. Charles Thomson, Secretary.

Brigadier-General Harmar to Secretary op War.
Fort Harmar, December 9, 1787.
[Extract.] After maturely and seriously weighing the matter for calling upon
the State of Virginia for one thousand militia to co-operate with the
regular troops against the savages (which power Congress has been
pleased to invest me with), provided they were generally hostile, there
has nothing appeared, in my opinion, to justify me in making the
application. It is a mortifying circumstance that, while under the
sanction of Federal authority negotiations and treaties are holding

38 The St. Clair Papers.
with the Indians, that there should be such presumption in the peo
ple of Kentucl^ as to be forming expeditions against them.
Merely for transmitting to you information concerning the popu
lation of the western world, I have continued to order the oflicer of
the day to take an account of the people emigrating down the river :
From the 1st June to this day, there have passed this garrison, bound
for Kentucky, one hundred and forty-six boats, three thousand one
hundred and ninety-six souls, one thousand three hundred and eighty-
one horses, one hundred and sixty-five wagons, one hundred and
seventy-one cattle, two hundred and forty-five sheep, and twenty-four
hogs.'
Brigadier-General Harmar to Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, January 10, 1788.
[Extract.] Agreeably to your directions, I have sent orders to the officers
commanding at the several posts, to put the troops perfectly upon
their guard, in order to avoid surprise, as, from the intelligence you
have transmitted me, there may be a probability of the Indians con
federating under Brant, and committing hostilities. I am in hopes
that the general treaty, which the Governor of the Western Terri-
- tory means to hold in the spring, will pacify the savages and settle
all differences.
The information which you are pleased to ask of me respecting
the lands reserved to satisfy the claims of the late army, I shall
give according to the best of my knowledge. The million of acres,
which is to be bounded south by the Ohio Company Purchase, I be
lieve will be found to be excellent land ; especially if it should take
in the lands on the Muskingum and its branches, which I am led to
imagine will be the case. From all accounts, the Muskingum Eiver
inclines more to the eastward than is laid down in Captain Hutch
ins's map. If so, the tract reserved for the late army will be very
valuable. Having never been personally present at the mouth of
the Ohio, it is out of my power to give further information respect
ing the lands thereabout, than what was rendered in my letter of
the 24th November last, viz. :
" From Fort Massac to the mouth of the Ohio, and from thence
about twenty miles up the Mississippi, the country overflows, and
is by no means habitable."
1 MS. Files of State Department.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 39
This information I received from Mr. Tardiveau. The commer
cial situation, as you justly observe, is fine indeed. It is a great
misfortune that it is so subject to inundation. I beg leave to re
fer you to Mr. Tardiveau for more particular intelligence upon this
subject. It is my opinion that a million of acres adjoining the other
million on the Muskingum, would take in excellent land, and com
prehend a very valuable tract of country.
On the 6th of last month, I wrote to Major Wyllys, at the Rapids
of the Ohio, and inclosed him a copy of the inflammatory letter
written by Mr. Sullivan to his Excellency the Spanish Minister,
and informed him that if the said Sullivan should be found in the
Federal territory, I had orders to seize and confine him. It is the
universal sentiment of the inhabitants westward of the Alleghany
mountains, that they ought to enjoy the free navigation of the Mis
sissippi, but I very much question whether the Kentucky, Cumber
land people, and those below, will have the audacity to attempt to
seize upon the Natchez and New Orleans. Such an enterprise
would certainly be a disgrace to the United States. I know of no
cannon and the necessary apparatus which they have in their pos
session t-o carry on such an expedition. I shall transmit the dupli
cate of your letter of the 14th of November, and a copy of Sulli
van's letter to Major Brown, to Major Wyllys, as soon as the weather
permits, with strict orders to watch closely, and know their designs.
I shall likewise give him directions to send an officer and two or
three confidential persons to Franklin and Kentucky, under pretense
of exploring the country, in order that we may be made acquainted
with their intended maneuvers. It appears to me that this matter
will not be so serious as is imagined, but rather an evidence of the
mutinous disposition of Sullivan and an insignificant banditti.
Sullivan was the principal ringleader in the mutiny of the Penn
sylvania line during the late war, and it is high time to put an
end to his career. If he can be apprehended at Franklin, or out
of the Federal territory, I should suppose myself justifiable in
giving orders for that purpose.
We have had a remarkable spell of bad weather here since
Christmas, The river is now fast bound with ice, and, accord
ing to custom, we have only twelve days' meat and fiour on hand,
through the neglect of the contractors. The men have nearly forty
days' whisky due them. As soon as the weather will permit, I
shall send Major Wyllys the necessary orders respecting Sullivan
and his adherents.
If, from the intelligence I have given you respecting the inun-

40 The St. Clair Papers.
dation of tbe lands at the mouth of the Ohio, it should be judged
advisable to fix upon some other tract of country to satisfy the
claims of the late army, whenever Congress may be pleased to
pitch upon said tract, I shall, agreealily to your directions, station
an adequate body of troops in the vicinity thereof, in order that
the surveyors may be protected in the execution of this business.
I beg leave to observe that Fort Mcintosh is by no means tena
ble. The small party stationed there I propose to order to Fort
Pitt, in order to receive stores, etc'

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Philadelphia, January 27, 1788.
gyj, : — It is now near four weeks since I returned from Fort Pitt,
and ere this should have waited upon you in person had I not been
prevented by a slight indisposition, while the daily expectation of
being able to do so made me decline writing.
I saw General Butler at Carlisle, on my way to the westward ;
but it was on the 12th of December, when I was on the return, be
fore I met with him in that country. The weakness of his leg and
sickness in his family had hindered him from proceeding earlier.
The intelligence respecting the disposition of the Indians that I
was able to obtain at Fort Pitt was not very satisfactory ; indeed, it
amounted to little more than that they had been extremely anxious
to see some person with authority from the United States to treat
with them ; that, in that expectation, and in consequence of a re
quest they had made to that purpose, there had been a con.siderable
assembly on the Tawa River, but their expectations not having been
fulfilled, it had been concluded to send another message to Con
gress, and to wait four months for an answer. The deputy for Indian
affairs at Fort Pitt had forwarded the message to the superintendent,
without taking a copy, so that I had not so perfect an opportunity
as I could have wished to judge of its spirit. . I have, however, taken
measures to be informed of what passed at that meeting, and to get
probably at the bottom of their designs, which with them, as well as
with more civilized nations, are not always what they profess to be,
and about the 1st of March/I expect to be possessed of it. From
all accounts, however, there is a great deal of uneasiness amongst
them, and it is clear to me that, if it can not be removed, a very
^MS. Files State Department.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 41
general war will ensue. Whether that uneasiness can be smoothed,
I own, I think doubtful, for though we hear much of the injuries
and depredations that are committed by the Indians upon the whites,
there is too much reason to believe that at least equal, if not greater
injuries are done to the Indians by the frontier settlers, of which we
hear very little. It was, noth withstanding, my decided opinion that
the treaty ought to be made, and in that opinion General Butler
perfectly coincided, and the falls of the Muskingum is fixed upon
for the place of treaty, and invitations have been sent by the super
intendent to the diflferent nations to meet us there on the first of
May next, a point of time that was supposed to be as early in the
season as they could attend at, and a place more equally convenient
to them and us than any other they would agree to. It is about
seventy miles from the mouth of the river, and navigable for boats to
the spot. The mode, I think of for managing the treaty, is this:
that the goods be deposited at the fort at the mouth of the river,
while General Butler and myself meet the Indians at the falls.
Should the business come to a favorable issue, they can easily be
brought up and distributed. If it does not come to a favorable
issue, they are in safety.
I have great reason to expect that the meeting will be very nu
merous, and it is, therefore, to be regretted that the finances of the
Uuited States would not permit a more liberal appropriation of
money, more especially as the objects are very important in many
points of view, and that they are frequently receiving very great
prese:its from the British — last autumn six thousand pounds sterling
in money, under the idea of a compensation for losses sustained by
them in the late war, and goods to an equal value were distributed
among them by that nation, and, notwithstanding the advice they
received from Lord Dorchester to remain at peace with the United
States, there can be but little doubt that the jealousies they entertain,
and the uneasiness which agitate them, are fermented by the agents
of that crown.
It was a great disappointment that I could not avail myself of
the liberty you were pleased to grant to open any letters from Gen
eral Harmar to you which I might meet on the way. The intelli
gence they must have contained would have determined me as to
the necessity of inviting the nations upon the Wabash. I saw at
Fort Pitt Lieutenant Smith, who had been with General Harmar
in that country, but could get nothing from him that was satisfac
tory, and therefore concluded that it would be proper to invite them.

42 The St. Clair Papers.
and they have accordingly been invited ; their distant situation,
however, renders it probable that they will not come in numbers.
On the whole, sir, it appears to me, from every view I could take
of this subject, and every information that I have been able to ob
tain, that the proposed establishments in the country north-west of
the Ohio, and the further sale of lands there for the discharge of the
public debt, depends entirely on a solid peace with the Indians. To
effect that no pains will be spared on my part ; yet after all that can
be done, unless the inhabitants of the States that border upon them
can be restrained from acts of violence and injustice towards them,
it can never be of long continuance. A general Indian war, while
it would involve thousands in the most extreme distress, would be
attended with such an expense as our present situation would render
highly unadvisable.

Brigadier-General Harmar to Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, March 9, 1788.
Mr. David Zeisberger, missionary to the Moravian Indians, has
written to me, requesting an exchange of corn at Mcintosh for an
equivalent in powder, linen, etc., which request I shall grant, as we
are in want of corn for the public horses. The distance those In
dians are from Mcintosh prevents them bringing it from thence.
On the 14th ultimo, I received a message from Captain Pipe, the
chief of the Delawares, who was hunting about fifty miles from
hence up the Muskingum, with thirty or forty of his nation. I an
swered his message, and on the 28th detached Ensign McDowell,
with a party ofa sergeant and fifteen privates, to view his situation,
and sent him a message and a string of wampum. The messages
are inclosed. On the 5th instant. Ensign McDowell, with his
party, returned, after having been treated with the utmost friend
ship and hospitality by the Indians at their hunting encampments.
Yesterday, old Captain Pipe, with seven of his young men, arrived
at the garrison, and are now with me. Their object is to dispose of
their skins to the contractors. He is a manly old fellow, and much
more of a gentleman than the generality of these frontier people.'

^MS. Files of Slate Department.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 43

Governor St. Clair to Secretary of War.
New York, March 14, 1788.
Sir : — In the letter I had the honor to address to you on the 27th
of January last, I mentioned that I had taken measures to obtain
more satisfactory intelligence of what had passed at the meeting of
the Indians on the Tawa or Miami Eiver last fall than I had been
able to meet with at Fort Pitt.
A few days ago I received by General Butler a letter from the
person sent out for that purpose, who returned to Fort Pitt on the
30th of January, which I now inclose, that you may lay the in
formation it contains before Congress. It is, indeed, not very im
portant, but it seems to confirm the sentiment that, if a general In
dian war is to be avoided, some accommodation wdth these people
must take place, and may perhaps induce Congress to make some
alteration in the instructions under which the Superintendent of In
dian Affairs and myself are to act at the proposed treaty.
The severity of the winter prevented the invitation to the differ
ent nations from being sent so early as was intended, which will
probably prevent their attending at the time that had been fixed
upon, viz., the 1st day of May. The goods, however, are sent for
ward, and I shall be in readiness to attend to it at that time, unless
from the answers that may be received from them it may be neces
sary to delay it to a more distant period.

Governor St. Clair to the Board of Treasury.
New York, March, 1788.
Gentlemen: — I have the honor to return to you, inclosed, the
warrant upon the State of Pennsylvania for one thousand dollars,
for some of the purposes of the Indian treaty, which you were
pleased to furnish me with. Immediately on my arrival in Phila
delphia, I presented it to the receiver of Continental taxes there,
who informed me that if the Treasurer of the State would make the
payment he would instantly do what was necessary on his part. I
made application to the Treasurer, who said he could pay no money
ou any accounts without the orders of the Executive Council ; and,
at any rate, he could not pay one farthing in specie, nor could he
devise any means of procuring specie, other than that the Council
should empower him to sell as much paper as would raise the sum
mentioned in the warrant. I then addressed the Council, and

44 The St. Clair Papers.
stated to them, as an inducement for their compliance, the very
great interest the State had in the event ofthe proposed treaty with
the Indians ; they would do nothing in the matter, but, as the As
sembly were to meet in a few days, desired that I would not return
the warrant then, and that my letter to them should be laid before
the House. That was done, and a committee, to whom it was re
ferred, reported that they could devise no means for the payment,
which report was adopted.
As that money is absolutely necessary — indeed, the business can
not go on without it — I have to request that the Board will please
to furnish it in some other way ; every thing else that is necessary
has been procured and sent forward to Fort Pitt.

Brigadier-General Harmar to Secretary of War.
Fort Pitt, April 26, 1788.
Sir: — I am now upon my tour to Venango, and shall ascend the
Alleghany to-morrow, in order to visit Captain Heart's fiost.
Nicholson, the interpreter and messenger, who resides at this
place, returned from Sandusky on the 17th instant. His intelli
gence is, that the Indians will be late in assembling to the treaty,
and that it is their determination to insist, peremptorily, on the Ohio
Eiver as the boundary. I do not think that full faith and credit is
to be given to his intelligence.
On the 7th ultimo. Ensign Spear was detached to the Rapids of
the Ohio, in order to bring np tlie remainder of the Commissioner's
goods from thence, and to lodge them at Muskingum, ready for the
treaty. His orders were, not to exceed the 25th May in returning.
He had, also, permission to proceed to Post Vincennes.
My calculation is, that upon my return from Venango, which will
be about the 10th of May, that the Governor of the Western Ter
ritory and the superintendent may probably arrive at this post, and
that I shall have the honor of accompanying them in the barge to
Muskingum.' I shall make a halt for the purpose, unless some un
foreseen event should take place.

iln a letter dated June 15, I find this paragraph:
"On tlie aSd May, General St. Clair arrived at Fort Pitt, but, as the In
dians will be late assembling lo the treaty, and, as he has some private afiairs
to attend to at Ligonier, he thought proper lo return there, and informed
mo that he should be at Fort Pitt about the 2.5th of this month; it was, there
fore, inconvenient for me to wait so long a time for his return. I left Fort Pitt

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 45
I left at Muskingum Captain Pipe, with about seventy men,
women and children of the Wyandot and Delaware naticms, per
fectly contented, and trading very peaceably with the contractors.

General Harmar to the Secretary of War.
[Extract.] FoRT Harmar, June 15, 1788.
I had the honor of addressing yon last on the 26th of April from
Fort Pitt, since which I have to acknowledge the receipt ot your
letters of the llth and 21st of April.
On the 27th of April, I left Fort Pitt in the barge, and, after six
days extreme hard labor in ascending the rapid river Alleghany,
arrived at Captain Heart's works, on French Creek.
Captain Heart, with his small command, has done an immense
deal of work there. His garrison was found to be in excellent
order. There are a number of the Seneca and Monsy tribes con
tinually in his neighborhood, who conduct themselves very peace-
in the afternoon of the 28th May, and the ni'Xt night arrived at this post.
Major Doughty now proceeds in the barge, and will have the honor to receive
the Governor and accompany hira down. On the 13th instant, a large boat
of the contractor's, laden with provisions for the treaty, set out frora hence
for the falls of the Muskingum; it is absolutely necessary they should be
expeditious in their moveraents, as the Muskingum Eiver will soon be so
low that it will be impossible for loaded boats to ascend it. Agreeably to
the Governor's request, I have granted an escort of a sub-sergeant, corpoi'al,
and twenty privates, for this boat-load of provisions, and have given the
ofiicer orders to build a council-room for the savages at the falls of the
Muskingum.'' Eespecting the million of acres reserved bj- Congress, at the mouth ofthe
Ohio, for the bounty lands of the Continental army, General Harmar said
he had received frora Major Wyllys interesting and favorable information.
General Clarke, who had himself traveled through the countrj-, pronounced
it excellent. " Major Hamtramck prefers the lands on the Illinois Eiver, oi
the Wabash; but I believe the intelligence transmitted hy Jl.ijor AVj-llj's
is to be depended upon, and would, therefore, give it as my opinion, that we
should not hesitate to accept the lands described in the resolve of Congress,
beginning at the mouth of Ohio, etc. The surveying of this tract, however,
must necessarily be deferred until the result of the grand treaty is known
and the teraper of the savages perfectly ascertained."
"From the 9th of December to this day, three hundred and eight boats, six
thousand three hundred and twenty souls, two thousand eight hundred and
twenty-four horses, five hundred and fifteen cows, six hundred sheep, nine
hogs, and one hundred and fifty wagons, have passed this garrison, bound
for Limestone and the rapids. The emigration is almost incredible."

46 The St. Clair Papers.
ably. Indeed, I know of no officer who manages the Indians better
than Captain Heart. The Seneeas in particular place great confi
dence in him ; he is a great favorite among them.
After strongly impressing him with the necessity of the utmost
vigilance at his post in order to guard against surprise, as he is out
of all manner of support, and, therefore, must dejjend upon nothing
for his security but his own alertness and attention, I left him on the
morning of the 4th of May, and the same evening returned to Fort
Pitt. The distance by water I supjiose to be about one hundred and
sixty miles ; by land, about eighty.
There is no sort of comparison between the Ohio and the Alle
ghany Eivers as to the current, the latter being so much more rapid
than the the former. The country on both sides of the river, from
Fort Pitt to French Creek, is very rugged and mountainous.
I have the honor to inclose you a map of the country from
Venango to Lake Erie.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Westmoreland, June 23, 1788.
Sir : — The meeting of the Indians has been delayed (by them
selves), much longer than was expected; it is now probable they
will be assembled about the beginning of the next month. This
week, I propose to set out for the place appointed, and I take the
opportunity, by General Irvine, to inclose the originals of my last
message, received in answer to the invitations on the part of the
commissioners, and of a letter from the messengers. I have not
time to copy them without detaining him too long.
It would seem that they got to Sandusky at a favorable moment,
and so great a number prepared for war being stopped and turned
back, I take as a favorable omen ; at the same time, that prepara
tion, together with the parties that are doing mischief along the
river, proves that the resolution mentioned in a former message was
very generally taken, and that we have been, if we are not still on
the eve of a very general war. I hope, however, it may be pre
vented. But I must wish for fresh instructions.

General Bdtler to Governor St. Clair.
Pittsburgh, ,Tuly 1, 1788.
Dear Sir:— I made a short tour to the woods last week and met

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 47
the inclosed from the messengers, since which I have seen some
Indians from the upper Sandusky and other places. The accounts
all agree that the Indians had not yet met at the council which they
mean to have among themselves previous to meeting with us, which,
of course, makes the time uncertain, though I believe they gener
ally intend it. They are a little confused, and I suspect, on good
grounds, that pains is taken to keep them so, whatever appearances
and declarations are made to the contrary. Mr. Duncan has gone
to the ground. I am told the Pipe and his people are gone from
their town to him.
Major Doughty is here with the barge, and wishes your arrival
much, in case you design to take this opportunity, if not, he wishes
to go down and send it up again. Indeed, I expect there will be but
little hope of the Indians being collected before next month. There
have been some alarming accounts brought in by Girty and some
otber persons who were present, but their report is positively contra
dicted by two Seneca men who left the Sandusky since they did. I
hope Mrs. St. Clair and the children are well. I will be glad to
hear when you think of coming up.

General Knox to Governor St. Clair.
War Office, July 3, 1788.
Sir: — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your
favor of the llth of May on the 20th of June.
I now inclose a resolve of Congress of the 2d instant for appro
priating a further sum of twenty thousand dollars to the department
under your direction on the principles therein specified.
I also inclose you the instructions of Congress, for the appropri
ation of the same.
As these papers are of the highest importance for you to possess
as soon as possible, I shall transmit them by the post to Philadelphia,
and direct Mr. Hodgdon to forward them to you with all possible
expedition by express.
It may not be improper for me to intimate to you the anxiety of
Congress to hear from you in the present state of affairs, and of the
dependence they place on your abilities and that of the superin
tendent for quieting all disturbances among the Indians.
I feel great satisfaction that Congress has been pleased to mak^
this further appropriation, as I hope it will be the means of accom
plishing effectually the public expectations.

48 The St. Clair Papers.
Governor St. Clair to Secretary of War.
Pittsburgh, July 5, 1788.
giy. ; — Since I had the honor to drop you a hasty line by General
Irvine, with the latest intelligence then from the Indian country,
General Butler has received a letter from the persons sent to invite
the Indians, dated the 14th of June, a copy of which I now in
close.' It is not a little extraordinary that a meeting which was desired
with so much earnestness by the savages should be attended with so
great delay on their part after being consented to by Congress. I
suspect, indeed, that the concession has a little embarrassed them.
They had probably been led to believe that their request would not
be complied with, and were determined on war, and, though that
is an event some of the nations, particularly the Wyandots and
part of the Delawares, would wish to prevent, it is certainly ardently
desired by many others, and I am far from being sanguine in the
hope that the commissioners will have it in their power to pre
vent it.
The Western tribes have been so successful in their depredations
on the Ohio Eiver, their settlements are so distant, and their country
so difficult, they imagine themselves perfectly safe, and as by these in
cursions they gratify at once their passions of avarice and revenge
and their desire for spirituous liquors, every boat carrying more or
less of that commodity, few of them may be expected to attend ;
nor are they to be much depended on shonld they attend
generally. At this time, however, even a hollow peace, if
better can not be secured, is very much to be wished. The
confusion that seems to prevail amongst the difierent tribes
might, possibly, be kept from an open rupture, if the United
States had proper persons amongst them, or if any of the nations
had much confidence in us ; but neither of these is the case, nor do
I think it ever will be the case. Our settlements are extending
themselves so fast on every quarter where they can be extended ;
our pretensions to the country they inhabit have been made known
to them in so unequivocal a manner, and the consequences are so
'The information was to the effect that the Indians now proposed to hold
a conference among theraselves in the vicinity of the Miami of the Lake,
and that the Fivo Nations had been invited to participate. This indicated
long delays. As the western Indians had sent word to Congress, asking for
a treatj-. General St. Clair expresses surprise at the new turn of affairs.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 49
certain and so dreadful to them, that there is little probability of
there ever being any cordiality between us.
The idea of being ultimately obliged to abandon their country
rankles in their minds, and our British neighbors, at the same time
that they deny the cession of the country made by them, suffer
them uot to forget for a moment the claim that is founded upon it.
Any opportunity that may present itself, either to sow the seeds
of discord among them, or to cultivate a good understanding with
them, will be embraced if it can be done without committing the
United States. There is another reason why the Indians have been
so tardy and undecided about their meeting, which has been sup
plied by the government of New York. It may not be very proper
for me to animadvert on the conduct of that or any government,
but it was surely very improper to call the Six Nations to a meeting
in that State, and, as I have understood, for State purposes, at the
very time they had been called to a different part of the country for
general purposes, and in which that State, as a member of the
United States, was equally concerned ; and no meeting is of much
consequence without these nations. It has distracted them very
much ; they complain of it, and say " they are called here and they
are called there." One says, " Here is the great council fire, and to
this you must come ; " another tells them, " there is the great council
fire and there they must go ; " and a third tells them it is lighted
up in a third place (that I understand is the land company that has
been formed in that State to take leases of them), and they know
not what to do, or whom to believe. They feel themselves like
drunken men, reeling from side to side, and unable to fix them
selves anywhere ; and as they are naturally, I had liked to have
said not altogether unjustly, jealous of us, it has at this time in
creased that natural jealous^'. It seems, however, they are now on
their way, and may be expected ere long. I have had the pro
visions at the place appointed for a considerable time, with a small
party to take care of them, and a person to speak with any parties
that might arrive ; but these increase the expenses.
To-morrow I shall set out myself, but shall not go farther than
the Muskingum settlement until the Six Nations arrive, and shall
take every opportunity to inform you of every occurrence. But I
can not conclude this without expressing a wish that we were better
prepared against hostilities, which it is the general sentiment will
certainly happen, and which, though I do not think them inevitable,
are but too likely to take place.
4

50 The St. Clair Papers.
Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, .July 13, 1788.
(Sir;— In the letter I did myself the honor to write on the 5th
instant from Fort Pitt, I mentioned that the provisions iDrocured for
the Indians at the intended treaty had been sent to the place upon
the Muskingum where the meeting was appointed, and that General
Harmar had furnished a small party to take care of them. This
day, George Washington, a Delaware, arrived here, an express from
the officer who commands the party, with an account that, the morn
ing before, he had been attacked by a party of Indians ; that he
had one man killed, two badly wounded, and several missing ; those
missing he concluded to be either made prisoners or attempting to
make their way to this post; one of them is since come in. A
negro servant of Mr. Duncan's was also killed and scalped. The
Indians were repulsed, and one of them left dead on the spot. Their
attack, however, was a very spirited one, for they rushed between
the guard and some huts that had been thrown up to cover the men
and provisions, armed with spears chiefly.
Nine Delawares, with their women and children, came to the
party about two hours after the attack. They expressed the great
est concern at the affair, protested their being utterly ignorant of
it and said the dead Indian was a Tawa, whicli is not imiwobable,
as it seems the party had come down the Muskingum in bark ca
noes, some of which were fouud not far above the post.
It is impossible to determine whether this affair has been the
mere wanton act of some predatory party, uncountenanced by the
nation they belong to ; whether it may have been committed by the
direction ofthe nation to embarrass the councils, and obstruct a gen
eral peace, to which it is said that nation are much opposed ; or
whether it ought to be considered as an act of general hostility. In
any of these cases, however, I judged it improper to let the pro
visions remain where they were any longer. Should the nations be
resolved on war, and this be the first effect of that resolution, it will
be soon followed by others of a more serious nature. In this un
certainty, to have desired the party to be strengthened, I thought it
would be improper, and what General Harmar might well refuse.
To let the provisions remain with the present guard, might be throw
ing both into the hands of the savages. After such an insult, to
XQeet the Indians at that place, should they be inclined to come, I
thought inconsistent with the dignity of the United States. Taking
all circumstances into view, and not depending altogether upon my

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 51
own opinion, though alone responsible, with the advice of Judge
Parsons and Judge Varnum and General Putnam, I sent some boats
up to bring the provisions away, and requested General Harmar to
withdraw the party. In a few days the whole will be here. In
order, however, that I might be able in some degree to develop the in
tentions of the savages, and to give them an opportunity to offer some
satisfaction, if they were inclined to do it, I have sent a speech to
the chiefs of all the nations that are now met in council at the De
troit or at the Tawa Eiver, I am not certain which of the places, ac
companied by one to the Wyandots at Sandusky, copies of which
are inclosed.
If they mean to be at peace with the United States, they will at
least make an apology for what has happened. Should they be hes
itating or divided, then something like a threat at the same time
a desire for peace, if declared, may increase the division. If war is
actually determined on, it can do no harm, and, even in that case,
may do some good. The messenger will probably draw forth a re
ply that may produce another from me ; perhaps another from them
again, and some time will be gained. Should they disavow the act,
and offer any reparation consistent with the honor of the United
States, and that not strained very high, for I am well aware how
embarrassing a war would be, and how ruinous to the frontier peo
ple, I shall accept it, and invite them either to this place or to any
other of the posts they may prefer. But this affair has so much
shaken my opinion of their regard te national faith, I should not
be over-fond to meet them quite unprotected, which it was my in
tention to have clone.
I hope, sir. Congress may not think the tone of my message too
high. To remonstrate was become absolutely necessary, and then
I thought it best to remonstrate against the whole of their im
proper conduct than a part only, and to do it in such terms as I
thought niight make some impression upon them.

General Butler to Governor St. Clair.
Pittsburgh, Jidy 14th, 1788.
Dear Sir : — Originals, of which the inclosed are copies, came to
hand yesterday by Mr. Isaac Williams, Jun. , who informs me there
are about eighty chiefs of different tribes met at the Detroit Eiver,
and are waiting the arrival of Colonel Brant and the chiefs of the
Five Nations with anxiety. From the accounts brought me by a

52 The St. Clair Papers.
Seneca man, on the 8th instant, I fear they are prevailed on by the
messengers from the State of New York ' to attend their call, as he
says they were actually on their way to Muskingum, but were
turned back by them, and I think it appears probable, as there had
no account of them arrived at Detroit from the 15th to the SOth
June, though then hourly expected, as per Mr. Wilson and Einkin's
letter. What will be the result of such perplexed business among
themselves is hard to judge, though I still expect and hope a meet
ing will take place. As to my attendance with you at the treaty,
it will entirely depend on accounts from the Secretary of War, which
I shortly expect. Be that as it will, this you may depend upon : I
will use every endeavor to forward it while I remain here. As I
do not expect any of the party mentioned in Mr. Wilson's letter this
way, it might be improper to alarm the country at this critical
juncture (harvest, etc.), and, as to sending a party to meet or in
tercept them, you are the best judge. I have this day got Guiosota
and the Big-tree or Stiff-knee to set off for Muskingum, to assist the
Pipe, who I hear is there to protect Mr. Duncan and the people at
that place. Be so kind as to present me, respectfully, to Generals
Parsons, Harmar, Putnam, and the other gentlemen with you.

Governor St. Clair to General Butler.
" Fort Harmar, July 15th, 1788.
Dear Sir : — I have this moment been favored with yours of yes
terday. The intelligence contained in the inclosure has proved
too true, for on the 12th the party at the falls of Muskingum
were attacked a little after sunrise. Two men, one of these Mr.
Duncan's servant, were killed, two were dangerously wounded, and
several missing. One Indian was killed upon the spot, and, from
the manner in which they went off, it was supposed several were
wounded. The man killed, the Delawares, some of whom arrived
about two hours after the attack, with their women and children,
say was a Tawa, and there is little doubt of this being the party the
Wyandots inform you of.
Immediately on hearing of this misfortune, I ordered the pro
visions to be brought back to this place, and sent a trusty In-
1 That is, Erant, the chief of the Mohawks, and head of the Six Nations.
Brant was endeavoring to form an Indian confederacy to resist the Amer
icans.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 53
dian to the Wyandot towns with a speech for the nations assem
bled either at the Tawa or at Detroit Eiver, and another to the Wy
andots, requesting them to forward that for the assembled nations.
Copies of these I have inclosed. Lest any accident should have be
fallen the man I have sent out, I wish you would find an oppor
tunity to send another copy. It would have been very desirable
upon this occasion to have had your advice, but the matter ap
peared to me not to admit of the delay that would have been re
quired to obtain it. I was, therefore, obliged to act upon my own
ideas. To have met the Indians at the falls, after such an instance
of perfidy, would not have been very prudent, personally considered,
but to have met them at all, after such an indignity to the United
States, seemed to me altogether improper, unless they should form
ally disavow all knowledge of it, and either offer reparation or en
deavor to explain it away ; the last I expect they will do, and I
think the tenor of my message will give them an opportunity. It
will strike you, perhaps, as an impropriety that the message is in
my name only as commissioner to treat with the Indians. Had
you given me the least hint that you would probably be at the
treaty, or had any expectation from the Secretary of War, or any
other quarter, of your being in a proper situation to attend it, that
had not been the case; and I assure you it will give me much
pleasure, should it yet take place, but, from the conversation I
last had with you on the subject, I had no reason to believe you
intended it, or that you had such an expectation.
I dare say the affair at the falls has been much exaggerated in
common report, and I fear it will occasion great uneasiness in the
settlements. I could wish it was so told in such a manner, through
the medium of the Pittsburgh paper, as to prevent the alarm be
ing too great, without removing all idea of serious consequences.
In truth, I think the consequences very doubtful, and the alterna
tive of peace or war hangs so nearly in equilibrium that no man can
tell which side of the balance will kick the beam.

Governor St. Clair's Address at Marietta.
From the Ordinance for the establishment of civil government in
this quarter, that has been just now read,' you have a proof, gentle-
i"On Wednesday, the 9th of July, 1788, his Excellency arrived at Fort
Harmar and on the 15th was published the Ordinance of the honorable
Cono-ress for the Government of the Territory, the coraraissions of the Gov
ernor, the honorable Judges, Samuel Holden Parsons, James Mitchell Var-

54 The St. Clair Papers.
men, of the attention of Congress to the welfare of the citizens of
the United States, how remote soever their situation may be.
A good government, well administered, is the first of blessings to
a people. Every thing desirable in life is thereby secured to them,
and from the operation of wholesome and equal laws the passions
of men are restrained within due bounds; their actions receive a
proper direction ; the virtues are cultivated, and the beautiful fabric
of civilized life is reared and brought to perfection.
The executive part of the administration of this government has
been intrusted to me, and I am truly sensible of the importance of
the trust, and how mnch depends upon the due execution of it to
you, gentlemen, over whom it is* to be immediately exercised, to
your posterity — perhaps to the whole community of America.
Would to God I were more equal to the discharge of it! But my
best endeavors shall not be wanting to fulfill the desire and the ex
pectations of Congress that you may find yourselves happy under
it ; which is the surest way for me, at once, to meet their approba
tion, and to render it honorable to myself. Nor when I reflect upon
the characters of the men under whose immediate influence and ex
ample this particular settlement, which will probably give a tone to
all that may succeed it, will be formed, have I much reason to fear
a disappointment — men who duly weigh the importance to society
of a strict attention to the duties of religion and morality, in whose
bosoms the love of liberty and of order is a master passion ; who
respect the rights of mankind, and have sacrificed much to support
them, and who are no strangers to the decencies and to the
elegancies of polished life. I esteem it also a singular happiness to
you and to me that the gentlemen appointed to the judicial depart
ment are of such distinguished characters, and so well known to
you. On the one side, the respect which is due to their station is
secured, while, on the other, it will be yielded with the most perfect
good-will. You will observe, gentlemen, that the system which has been
formed for this country, and is now to take effect, is temporary only,
suited to your infant situation, and to continue no longer than that
state of infancy shall last. During that period, the judges, with my
assistance, are to select from the codes of the mother States such
num, and the Secretary's, after which his Excellency addressed the people
assembled at Marietta, as follows."— From the Journal of the Proceedings of
his Excellency, Arthur St. Clair, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the
Territory of thc United States lSortk--west of the River Ohio," kept by Win-
thiop Sargent, Secretary.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 55
laws as may be thought proper for you. This is a very important
part of our duty, and will be attended to with the greatest care.
But Congress have not intrusted this great business wholly to our
prudence or discretion ; and here again you have a fresh proof of
their paternal attention. We are bound to report to them all laws
which shall be introduced, and they have reserved to themselves the
power of annulling them, so that if any law not proper in itself, or
not suited to your circumstances, either from our not seeing the
whole extent of its operation, or any other circumstance should be
imposed, it will be immediately repealed. But with all the care and
attention to your interest and happiness that can be taken, you have
many difficulties to struggle with. The subduing a new country,
notwithstanding its natural advantages, is alone an arduous task, a
task, however, that patience and perseverance will surmount, and
these virtues, so necessary in every situation, but peculiarly so in
yours, you must resolve to exercise. Neither is the reducing a
country from a state of nature to a state of civilization so irksome
as it may appear from a slight or superflcial view ; even very sensi
ble pleasures attend it ; the gradual progress of improvement fills the
mind with delectable ideas ; vast forests converted into arable fields,
and cities rising in places which were lately the habitations of Avild
beasts, give a pleasure something like that attendant on creation ; if
we can form an idea of it, the imagination is ravished, and a taste
communicated of even the "joy of God to see a happy world."
The advantages, however, are not merely imaginary ; situated, as
you are, in the most temperate climate, favored with the -most fer
tUe soil, surrounded by the noblest and most beautiful rivers, every
portion of labor will meet its due reward. But you have upon your
frontiers numbers of savages, and, too often, hostile nations.
Against tliem it is necessary that you should be guarded, and the
measures that may be thought proper for that end, though they may
a little interrupt your usual pursuits, I am certain will be cheerfully
submitted to. One mode, however, I will at this time venture to
recommend, which, as it is in every point of view the easiest and
most eligible, so I am persuaded it will be attended with much suc
cess. Endeavor to cultivate a good understanding with the natives,
without much familiarity ; treat them on all occasions with kind
ness, and the strictest regard to justice ; run not into their customs
and habits, which is but too frequent with those who settle near
them, but endeavor to induce them to adopt yours. Prevent, by
every means, that dreadful reproach, perhaps too justly brought by
them against all the white people they have yet been acquainted

56 ?'Ae St. Clair Papers.
with, that, professing the most holy and benevolent religion, they are
uninfluenced by its dictates and regardless of its precepts. Such a
conduct will produce on their part the utmost confldence ; they will
soon become sensible of the superior advantages of a state of civili
zation ; they will gradually lose their present manner, and a way be
opened for introducing amongst them the gospel of peace, and you
be the happy instruments, in the hands of Providence, of bringing
forward that time which will surely arrive, " when all the nations
of the earth shall become the kingdoin of Jesus Christ."
The present situation of the country calls for attention in various
places, and will necessarily induce frequent absence, both of the
judges and myself, from this delightful spot ; but at all times and
places, as it is my indispensable duty, so it is very much my desire,
to do every thing within the compass of my power for the peace,
good order, and perfect establishment of the settlement ; and, as I
look for not only a cheerful acquiescence in , and submission to,
necessary measures, but a cordial co-operation, so I flatter myself
my well-meant endeavors will be accepted in the spirit in which
they are rendered, and our satisfaction will be mutual and complete.'
1 At the conclusion of the Governor's address, which had been listened to
with deep interest. General Eufus Putnam congratulated him on his safe ar
rival in a few appropriate remarks, and the following formal address was
presented on behalf of the citizens:
REPLY OF THE CITIZENS OP MARIETTA.
May it please your Excellency : — The people of this settlement, to whom
you have been pleased to make known the Constitution, your own commis
sion, those of ths judges, and that of the Secretary, beg leave to approach
you with the warmest affection and sincerest regard. If unreserved confi
dence in the talents, abilities, and paternal friendship of your Excellency
can add to our felicity; if an almost enthusiastic ardor impelled us to form
this settlement; if our efforts can succeed only under a wise government,
equally and impartially administered; and if bowing the knee to Heaven in
humble thankfulness that your Excellency in particular hath been appointed
to preside over it, can increase your satisfaction, then indeed are we mutu
ally happy.
The Constitution [Ordinance] itself we consider as the result of a wise
and most benevolent policy; and we look up with veneration to the fathers
of tbeir country, whose care and attention follow us wherever we go; but
the Constitution is now the raore dear to us, as we behold your Excellency,
removing all our doubts and fears of your sa'e arrival, and mildly paving
the way to regularity, order, and harmony. We can form some idea of the
arduous task imposed upon the governraent of so extensive a country as the
Western Territory; but, whatever dangers may intervene, whatever diffi
culties may oppose the progress of your noble and beneflcent designs, we

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 57
Governor St. Clair to the Secretary op War.
Fort Harmar, July 16i/i, 1788.
Sir : — I had the pleasure to receive this morning your letters of
the 3d and 4th instant, together with the additional instructions of
Congress on the subject of the Indian treaty.
From mine to you on the 13th instant (a duplicate of which,
with the messages to the Indians, is inclosed), you will find that
business has, at present, rather an unfavorable aspect. I am not,
however, without hopes that it may be brought to issue in peace,
being persuaded that it is the wish of the nations which, from their
situations, can do us most harm, at the same time that they are
most acceptable to us. I think, sir, that a good deal of time may
elapse before the great event of peace or war is decided upon, so
long, at least, as that I may be fully informed of the sentiments of
Congress upon what has happened, and whether the steps I have
taken meet their approbation.
Embarrassing as an Indian war would be, I would wish, from
that motive, if there were no others, to take every proper means to
prevent it ; but it is with nations as well as with individuals, the
tamely submitting to one injury usually invites a greater, and where
the national honor or interest is concerned, I believe some embarrass
ments ought to be overlooked ; so far, however, as I am the deposi
tory of either, I conceive I should be highly culpable not to maintain
will, as far as in our power, share in the burdens, alleviate your cares, and,
upon all occasions, render a full obedience to the government and the laws.
We are fully persuaded, with your Excellency, "that all the nations of
the earth will become the kingdom of Jesus Christ." And we exult in the
firm belief that the great purpose of Heaven, in perfecting human reason,
and attracting all mankind to the standard of one divine control, will be
accomplished in this new world. We are equally ravished with the thought
that the great Governor of the universe hath raised up your Excellency, as
an instrument to open the way to this transcendently glorious event, and
that in this life you will anticipate the joys of Paradise.
Great sir: we pray that Heaven may grant to you, both in your public
character and private life, all the felicity that can meet your expectations,
or warmest desires. May you long enjoy the tranquillity of a mindinfluenc d
by the. principles of rectitude only. May the cold hand of death never ar
rest you until you shall have accomplished all the objects which a great and
good mau can embrace; and thon, when life shall lose her charms, when na
ture shall begin to sink beneath the weight of mortality, and when the
mind, impatient to be free, shall burst the brittle shell which holds it here,
may you rise triumphant on cherub's wings, to enjoy your God in realms of
endless felicity I

58 The St. Clair Papers.
or defend them, unless I had express orders to the contrary, and
that the lines of departure were pretty distinctly marked.
I am very sensibly affected, sir, by this fresh mark of the confi
dence of Congress in trusting to my disposal the further sum of
twenty thousand dollars. I may venture to assure you that not one
penny of it will be called for, unless the objects in view can be ob
tained ; but it would be wrong in me, whilst the contrary is my
opinion, and I believe not ill grounded, to let an expectation that
they will be attained gain ground.
The west line, pointed out in the original instructions, which I was
at liberty to stipulate for as a boundary, would not, I believe, be
agreed to without much difiiculty, because between that line, the
Ohio and Mississippi, the principal hunting grounds are contained,
and it is the residence of some of the nations not very well disposed
towards the United States. When I say the princijial hunting
grounds, I mean those that abound in deer, the species of game most
essential to the Indians. To extend the boundary northward to the
completion of the forty-first degree would include thewhole ofit, as
well as a great part of the country where the Wyandots reside, and
what was reserved to the Shawanese and Delawares. Now, sir, there
is not the least probability that these countries will be given up at
this time for any consideration that can be offered, and I believe that
if, contrary to my expectations, they should consent to make formal
conveyances of that country, unless they are determined to abandon
it altogether, which is not likely, they will never consider themselves
as bound by them, so that, instead of establishing a solid and per
manent peace, a foundation may probably be laid for irreconcilable
hatred and wasting wars, and the money be thrown away into the
bargain. These are my opinions. I offer them with great deference, but I hold
it my duty to offer them, and notwithstanding I will leave nothing
undone within my power to accomplish the wishes of Congress.
I have also inclosed copies of letters from Wilson, the messenger,
and Khun, a Wyandot chief, to Colonel William Butler, transmit.
ted to me by General Butler, and received since I sat down to write.
Khun seems well disposed, and I have reason to think that tribe is
generally so. The Half-King, who is now dead, was the greatest
enemy we had amongst them.
As the post is now established to Pittsburgh, the communication
from this part of the country will be easier, and I shall not fail to
give you information of every thing that turns up by every oppor
tunity from hence.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 59
Governor St. Clair to M. Gardoqui, Spanish Minister.
Fort Harmar, July 16, 1788.
It was not without the most sensible concern that I learned the
misfortune of New Orleans. The destruction of so many houses
must have reduced great numbers to the most distressed situation,
and it would have given me great pleasure to have had it in my
power to have contributed to their relief, which I should certainly
have done to the utmost if I had reached the Mississippi, but I am
retarded in my progress that way by the proposed meeting with the
Indians at Muskingum, which has not yet taken place. As soon as
that is over, I shall go down, and if any thing in that country will
be useful, either to the immediate comfort of the unhappy settlers
or the re-establishment of the city, your Excellency has but to men
tion it.
I had flattered myself with the expectation of a line from you on
the subject I took the liberty to mention before I left New York.
A few thousand barrels of flour I could easily send were I certain
that it would not be exposed to seizure as being contrary to regula
tions established, and after the terrible misfortune the inhabitants
have met with, and the price being ascertained, ifit were agreeable,
. it might be paid for at New York on the receipts being produced to
you. If you will please to give me your sentiments on this head
and your permission, if you approve of it, you will very much
oblige me ; for, though no man would less wish for a deviation from
established rules than myself, a time of public calamity I take to be
without them, and it may be the commencement of a friendly inter
course between the particulars of two nations, whose general interest
I think it is to be upon the most friendly terms.'
iThe following is the reply of the Spanish Minister: New York, August 9, 1788,
My Dear General : — The very moment that the news of the fire of New
Orleans reached me, I thought o.f your former hints, and set imraediately to
inquire about your place of residence, with a view to write you upon the
very subject you have favored me with by your esteemed favor of the 16th
ultimo; but, unfortunately, I was informed that every body conceived that
you must be at that time busy in the Indian country, executing your com
mission, and of course I could not imagine that you would be able to provide
what we both could have wished.
On another hand, the vessel that brought me the news had had a long voy
age, and the want was so pressing as to oblige me to dispatch a vessel directly
from this port. Soon after, half a dozen more sailed from Philadelphia, and

60 The St. Clair Papers.

General Butler to Governor St. Clair.
Pittsburgh, July 18th, 1788.
Dear Sir: — Since my last, have no news of any kind to communi
cate, but the following copy of a letter which I this day received by
express from Colonel Joseph Brant;' and, by the same express, an
if credit is given to speculators, we find that the Havana, Vera Cruz, and
several of the islands have poured in such quantities of flour and other ar
ticles that they have entirely glutted up the market for more than can be
consumed in a year.
Such being the case, I would not advise you to send any, as you would, of
course, lose the whole; but I daily look out for direct advices from that gov
ernment, which will enable me to judge with certainty if there is any en
courageraent, I'ou may depend on ray immediate advice and proper pass,
full}' assured that the mode of payment shall be agreed upon to mutual sat
isfaction, either there or here.
I am doubl}' disappointed to flnd that you have not been at the place im
agined, and that you have met with sucli disagreeable troubles and ob
stacles, but still hope that you will succeed to bring the red gentry to peace
able terms, and crown your commissiou with a good tr,eaty.
I sincerely thank you for your readiness to embrace every opportunity of
promoting the good of both our nations, and you may rest assured ot my re
ciprocity in any instance that may occur. In the meantime, permit me to
repeat ray sincere wishes for your success, and the unfeigned sentiments of
real attachment and esteem with which I am, dear sir.
Your most obedient and very humble servant, James Gardoqui.
His Excellency, Arthur St. Clair.
• Following is the letter of Brant referred to :
Buffalo Creek, July 8, 1788.
Sir:—1 ara desired by the sachems and warriors of the Five Nations ^ to
notify you that they received your invitation to attend a Council at Tusca
rawas, dated 23d December last, which was answered some time .ago, inform
ing you that they were preparing to meet you; since which the land-jobbers
frora New York and Massachusetts have arrived here in order to purchase
sorae lands, which has been a tedious business, and taken more time and at
tention than we expected. However, the raatter is at last mutually settled,
and we are preparing to meet your council, and shall be able to write you
from the Miarai Eiver what tirae you may expect to see us; raeantirae, we
hope you to exercise patience, and not think the time long, as it isa business
of importance, which we mean to consider seriously, and hope to settle to
(1) It will be noted that Brant writes as the head of the Five Nations— his own
having removed to Canada.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 61
account that Captam O'Beal, with his people, will be here in a few
days, on their way to Muskingum, and that Brant and the chiefs
are expected to leave Niagara for Detroit or the Miami this day, by
all which you will conclude it will be some time before the treaty
can commence. As Nicholson is and will be useful here until the
Indians begin to collect, I believe it best not to send him to you
sooner than he will be useful there, and the expense will increase, of
course, if he goes sooner.

Governor St. Clair to Judges Parsons and Varnum
Fort Harmar, July ISth, 1788.
Gentlemen : — I have looked over the proposed law for establish
ing the militia, and I have some objections to it in its present form,
which I shall take the liberty to detail. In the title-page it ought
not to be styled the " Militia Law of the United States." If these
words, "United States," were expunged, the title would be well
enough. The enacting clauses should not begin with the word,
" That," after declaration, that the inhabitants are liable to military
duty, and that they shall perform it. The formation should, in my
opinion, follow, and the manner of their being armed and accoutered
be postponed, and form the matter of another clause. The word,
" effective," seems to me, also, too indefinite. It is a duty, I believe,
should be extended to all male inhabitants, from the performance
of which they are to be excused occasionally, only as circumstances
may require.
To introduce the matter of classes properly, which is an idea I
approve of, as an attention to the feelings of men who have ren
dered essential services in very honorable stations to their country ;
it might run in this way, immmediately after the general declara
tion above mentioned: "The male inhabitants, between the ages
aforesaid, shall be divided into two classes, to be called the senior
and junior classes of the militia;" then proceed to the formation of
the companies, battalions, and regiments, as far as respects numbers.
mutual statisfaction. I am happy at tho idea of meeting you personally, to
bring about this long-wished-for business.^
I ara, sir, with respect, your most obedient and
Very humble servant, Joseph Brant.
Eichard Butler.

(2) From this it would appear that not only were the Five Nations to attend the
treaty, but Brant fully expected to he present himself.

62 The St. Clair Papers.
Instead of saying that these divisions respectively shall be com
manded by certain officers, I believe it would be better to say that
there shall be appointed to each company, battalion, and regiment,
certain oflBcers, and provision should be made for new appointments
in case of death or dismission from service, and the causes of dis
mission should be detailed. This will bring courts-martial into
view, the nature of the offenses to be submitted to their cognizance,
the punishments, and the mode of proceeding.
Would it not he better that each battahon were supplied with a
major instead of an aid being given to the colonel ? The majors are
naturally his aids, as the adjutants are theirs and his also. It ap
pears, also, to be unnecessary to declare that a brigade shall be com
manded by a brigadier. I have no power to appoint such an oflB
cer. A case may arise where it may be necessary to form a brigade
of militia, where there may be no such officer as a brigadier in the
territory ; neither do I see the necessity for appointing the numerous
staff. Whenever they become necessary they will of course be ap
pointed, without their being enumerated in the law, being clearly
within the powers of the Governor. I do not exactly conceive
what is meant bythe declaration "that the senior class shall act
separately from the junior." If it is not intended that they should
be detailed together, it is worthy of consideration whether that reg
ulation would well apply to the present circumstances.
Instead of leaving the times and places for disciplining and in
specting the militia to be directed by the Governor, I believe it
would be better that the times should be fixed by law, leaving the
places to the colonel of each regiment, where a regiment is to be
drawn together, and to the captains, where a company only, until
such times as brigadiers may be appointed ; reserving to them the
power, and making it their duty, to draw together the brigade at
certain times only, and such as may not be burdensome; whenever
the Governor may think review necessary, it is incidental to his
office, I believe, to order it.
Provision should be made for the immediate enrollment of all
persons as they arrive : query, whether exemptions are not too gen
eral? Some definite punishments should be afiixed for contraventions
of this law, and the mode of ascertaining these contraventions dis
tinctly pointed out ; also, in what cases absence from duty may be
admitted, and the nature of the excuses ; and some provision made
that persons conscientiously scrupulous against bearing arms may
make compensation to the community for not rendering their personal

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 63
services, by the payment of money. All moneys that may accrue
from fines might be applied to forming a fund to provide a small
magazine. I submit these observations with great deference, gentlemen.
You will probably think some of them worthy of consideration.
One thing, however, in the adopting our laws, we must ever attend
to, that their operations can not be applied to a single district or
settlement, but must extend over the whole Territory.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, July 22d, 1788.
Sir: — Since mine of the 16th, the party which was at the falls
of the Muskingum, have returned to this place and brought the
provisions with them. A party of Chippawas came into that sta
tion a day or two after the affair there. Their behavior gave the
officer reason to believe that they had ill intentions, and both he
and Mr. Duncan (the person who furnished the provisions, and who
was there for the delivery of it) were of opinion that they had been
engaged in the outrage, and were positive as to one of them, whom
they actually saw kill one of the soldiers ; he, therefiire, thought it
proper to make them prisoners. They are now here, six in number,
and in close confinement.
Another circumstance which corroborated the opinion of their
having been concerned, was one of the soldiers' cartridge-boxes hav
ing been found in their possession. When questioned abtiut it they
prevaricated. A woman of theirs pretended to have found it in the
woods, and appealed to a Delaware, who she said was with her when
she fouud it. The Delaware woman contradicted her ; she had, in
deed, been with her in the woods, but not when she found the car
tridge-box. There is no further intelligence from the Indian country. It will
be yet six or eight days before my messenger will return, but I have
some reason to expect the Pipe, with a number of Delawares,
sooner. Should they bring any thing worthy of communication, I
will write you immediately.

64 The St. Clair Papers.
Brigadier-General Harmar to Secretary of War.
[Extract.] FoRT Harmar, July 23d, 1788.
The great treaty will be deferred for some time. At the request
of the Governor, I ordered a subaltern, sergeant, corporal and
twenty privates as an escort for the provisions, and to build a coun
cil-room for the savages, at the falls of the Muskingum. Regardless
of all faith and honor, a party of the Ottawas and Chippeways at
tacked this party on the morning of the 12th instant, and killed two ;
one is missing, and two wounded, one very badly. The loss of the
Indians was two killed on the spot, one wounded and six taken
prisoners, who are now in confinement, and under heavy irons at
this garrison. I sincerely hope that the new government will soon
begin to operate, in order that we may be enabled to sweep these
perfidious villains off the face of the earth.
In consequence of this treacherous proceeding, the Governor and
myself were both of opinion that the party and provisions should be
removed to this post ; accordingly the officer returned on the morn
ing of the 20th.
The Governor has sent a spirited message to the different nations
who are assembled and counciling at the Tawa or Omi River, de
manding satisfaction for the gross insult offered to the United States.
An answer to this message may be expected in the course of ten or
twelve days.'

General St. Clair to Judges Parsons and Varnum.
Fort Harmar, July 29th, 1788.
Gentlemen : — I have attentively perused the law ' relating to estates
held in common, which you have been pleased to present me, but I
have not been able to discover any benefit that would result to
^ MS. Files of Congress. The Indians were active and murderous. As
Captain Spear was ascending the Ohio with the goods to he used at the
treat}' at Muskingum, his boats were fired upon, and two men were wounded,
one of them fatally.
2 The law proposed by tbe Judges, upon which the above comments were
made, was as follows:
When application shall be made to a Judge or Justice of the Peace within
the Territory, by the owners of one-tenth partof any common estate within
the same, to call a meeting of the proprietors of such common estate, it
shall be the duty of such Judge or Justice of the Peace to issue his warrant
to some suitable person by him appointed to notify a meeting of the pro-"

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 65
society from the adoption of it. It appears, indeed, to me, on the
contrary, to be unfit for the Territory in its present circumstances ; to
be, in some measure, at variant-, with the spirit of the Ordinance of
Congress ; to want that power of general application which all gen
eral laws should possess, and that by designing men it might be per
verted to sanction sinister purposes.
It appears unfit for the Territory in its present circumstances ; be
cause no newspaper pervades it, or could pervade it within the time
proposed for continuing the advertisement ; yet persons who are to
be affected by it may live at each extremity of the Territory, or of
the United States.
Were the advertisements to be inserted, for example, in the Ken
tucky or Pittsburgh Gazettes, it is not very probable that persons re
siding in Georgia or New Hampshire would see them in due time ;
yet persons raaterially interested may reside in either or both these
States. Were the advertisements, on the other hand, to be inserted
in the papers of these States, which might be very proper in one
view, it is not probable that the information would be extended
through this Territory.
The general words, " transact all matters as shall concern their
common estate," are of too indefinite a signification, and may be
liable to very arbitrary construction, and it is to be remembered that
laws are not always to be decided upon by the same men, who at the
time of enacting them generally have annexed to the words they
use an appropriate sense.
It is true the business to be transacted at proprietors' meetings is
required to be specified ; but there is no express restriction that they
should meddle with nothing else. I imagine the proprietors met
would thiuk themselves justified, under the general words, , to act
upon any thing else that had respect to the common property.
Proceedings Avhich are to be clothed with the force of legal obli
gation upon all the proprietors, which I conceive to be the design of
prietors of such common and undivided estate at such time and place as he
shall appoint therein, specifying the matters to bo transacted at such meet
ing; and an advertisement continued three weeks successively in the news
papers most convenient to give information to the proprietors, notifying the
time and place of meeting, and the business to be transacted, shall be suf
ficient service of such warrant, and the proprietors met at a time and place
notifled as aforesaid, shall have right, by vote of the major part of the pro
prietors present or shares represented, to transact such matters as shall con
cern their comraon estate, provided that the proprietors of such coramon
estate may, at a meeting notified as is before provided, agree in any other
mode of calling and notifying their meetings.
5

66 The St. Clair Papers.
the law, shonld not be left so very loose ; besides, it might so happen
that a majority of the proprietors met might be a single person.
If the business requires the solemnity of a judge or justice's war
rant, it must be to ground some further legal proceedings upou ;
these should be specified, and not left to deduction or implication.
The proviso would give an undue advantage to resident proprietors
over those who are not resident, for it is most probable that the first
meeting would be composed of those who are residents only, and it
is proposed to give them power to appoint future meetings in any
other mode they may agree upon, and as the proceedings are to have
all the legal force of those held in the manner prescribed by law, a
very improper use might be made of them to burden the propor
tions bf non-residents and ease their own. In this view, the law is
at variance with the spirit of the compact with the original States
declared in the Ordinance. If any benefit would accrue to the
owners of the estates in common by this law, it ought to extend to
all ; but it will not reach any where such estate is not held by more
than ten persons ; an estate, however, may be held in common by
any number of persons above one. Where a law creates a benefit,
or removes an inconvenience, it should extend, or be capable of being
extended to every case of the same nature ; where it neither creates a
benefit nor removes an inconvenience, or in a partial manner only, it is
either nugatory or mischievous. If the Ohio Company has been in con
templation, the law, I think, would not reach their case, and ifit did,
it would be an improper legislative interference. By their articles
of association, the proprietors seem to have put the management of
their affairs entirely out of their own hands so long as the property
is held in common ; they have appointed agents to manage them for
them, have provided for the continuation of those agents, and have
given them power to appoint another set of officers under the name
of directors. The agents are responsible to the individuals that they
shall receive ajust dividend of the common property, and have, I
suppose, given bonds accordingly, and the directors to them for the
performance of certain specified duties. These are fundamental
stipulations, and can not be departed from, in my judgment, but by
common consent. Were the mode of transacting their business to
be altered by law, it must, I conceive, go to annulling the obliga
tions of those bonds. If one individual only were opposed to it, the
interference of the Legislature would be improper ; if every indi
vidual were content to make an alteration, it would be unnecessary.
Was the company even incorporated, which, it seems, was designed,
all their proceedings must be guided by, and be in conformity to.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 67
the original articles, to have any validity. Upon the apphcation of
the whole of the proprietors, a law specially regulating their prop
erty, in order to rescue it from the caprice of individuals, might,
with propriety, be made ; but whether the present Legislature of
the Territory would be competent, may well admit of doubt. They
have power to adopt laws only.
I am extremely sorry to differ in sentiments from you, gentlemen,
upon any point ; but in those where your professional knowledge
and experience give you so decided a superiority over me, I can not
but doubt exceedingly my own judgment. I have, however, weighed
the operation of this law as carefully as I could, and the result has
been that I can not give my assent to it.

Governor St. Clair to Judges Parsons and Varnum.
Fort Harmar, Jidy SOth, 1788.
Gentlemen: — The establishment of probate offices in the Territory
is a matter that requires the most deliberate consideration, as the
whole property of the people is eventually involved in their being
duly executed. The powers and duties of the officers should be de
fined with the greatest precision, and, in my opinion, their jurisdic
tion laid under some limitations and restrictions, which the law you
have been pleased to frame does not contain, whilst, in one instance,
if I have rightly understood it, it is confined too much — I mean — in
limiting the jurisdiction to the counties respectively.
When you reflect, gentlemen, that the power of appointment is
wholly in the Governor, the necessity of defining the powers and
duties of the officers will appear in a .striking light, for it is not im
possible, from a variety of causes, that it may not always fall upon
the persons who are best qualified to discharge them, and that, from
existing circumstances, few of the officers will be possessed of legal
knowledge. I think it will, therefore, be necessary that the judges
should give bond for the due execution of the office and the delivery
of the records undefaced to their successors ; that in some office or
other these bonds should be entered of record — perhaps, in the pro
thonotary or clerk of the common pleas for the counties, should it
be thought proper to establish such a judiciary; that they should
provide seals, the devices to be the same as such county, but distin
guished by the label or inscription ; that in deciding upon caveats
against, or objections to the proving of wills, they should call
to their assistance two justices of common pleas, as also in taking

68 The St. Clair Papers.
final accounts and making distributions; that an appeal be given
from their sentence to the judges; that they take • bonds from ad
ministrators according to a certain form ; that persons to whom ad
ministration may be granted and the order of them be pointed out ;
that there should be some regulations respecting nuncupative wills ;
that letters of administration without bond be void, and the judges
granting them liable to damages ; that it should be declared that
wills made and duly proved, where letters of administration, ^ith
the will annexed, shall be granted and certified in any of the United
States, shall be sufficient to pass estates without new proof there ;
that letters of administration granted in one county shall be valid
in all others where the intestate had property.
I am of opinion that these, and, no doubt, others which will occur
to you, are proper for the regulation of the office, and necessary for
the ease and safety of the people, and that for several reasons, which
will present themselves to you, they should be detailed in the law
establishing the office. But you will pardon me, gentlemen, for
mentioning one more. I suspect we are overpassing the line of our
duty in forming new laws in any case ; and when w'c do, the ne
cessity of the case only can be our justification. The Ordinance of
Congress empowers us to adojit and publish such laws of the original
States, criminal and civil, as may be necessary and best suited to
the circumstances of the district. In departing from that rule, we
certainly expose ourselves to censure from Congress, and besides,
there may be some doubt of the validity of such laws as we adopt
and publish under any other ; and it may not be unworthy your
consideration whether, upon such an exception being taken before
you in your judicial capacity, you would not be obliged to decide
against the law, and declare it a nullity.
I agree to the militia law fully, under the impression of these
sentiments, because the necessity of self-defense must supersede
other considerations.
In the Code of Pennsylvania, under the titles Register of Wills,
Intestates' Estates, and Orphans' Courts, there are many excellent
regulations ; by striking out such parts as do not apply to the cir
cumstances of the district, and adopting the rest, I believe we
might publish a very excellent law upon the case before us that
would be within our powers. One thing more in the law I have
been considering. It appears a little incongruous that the "writs to
be issued by the judge of probate for carrying his sentence into
execution should be returned into the Court of Quarter-Sessions.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 69
The Court of Probate is a court of record, and the proper depository
of every thing relative to the proceedings in it.
I have taken the liberty to send you the Pennsylvania volume
that you may examine the laws referred to above, if you should
think proper, at your leisure. You will find them in the folios 30
to 33, and 70 to 73.

Judges Parsons and Varnum to Governor St. Clair.
Marietta, 31st July, 1788.
Sir : — We have received the letter which your Excellency did us
the honor to write to us of yesterday's date. The many important
observations it contains have received from us all the attention of
which, under the present circumstances, we are capable. Three
questions of serious magnitude seem to be presented for consideration :
Whether in the adoption and publication of laws, we were literally
confined to the laws of the old States ?
Whether in the forming or transcribing of laws we should con
nect, with general subjects, all the particulars that may have rela
tion to those general subjects ?
And, how far the particulars suggested respecting a probate law
should have influence ?
The Ordinance of Congress empowers us to adopt such laws of
the original States, criminal and civil, as may be necessary, and
best suited to the circumstances of the district. Admitting a strict
and literal construction should be given to this clause, the pur
poses of the Ordinance in general would be defeated. In the
settlement of a new colony, and, indeed, we may add, of a new
world, a variety of prospects and objects arise, to which old coun
tries must be strangers. Perhaps in their infancy their laws might
have been suited to our situation, making allowance, however,
for the progress of civil society ; but the original States have re
vised their laws, and conformed their present codes to their present
situation. Hence, it will be found that it would be out of our power
to make the absolutely necessary regulations for protecting the per
sons and securing the property of the natives, and for preventing
those unwarrantable intercourses, which might perpetuate their jeal
ousies instead of conciliating their affections. There are ties, con
nections and subordinations in the nature of a colonial government,
which did not exist in sovereign States. Laws must be applied to
these, or the very existence cf the government may be endangered.
We are sensible these observations rather tend to evince what the

70 The St. Clair Papers.
powers should have been than what they are. But we conclude they
could not have escaped the notice of so wise a body of men as the
framers of the Ordinance. K the clause in question admits of dif
ferent constructions, we ought to adopt that which will best promote
the purposes of the settlement. It was made pro bono publico, and
therefore ought to be liberally expounded. We think it wiU admit
of two constructions. One, that we can adopt entire laws of any
of the old States literatim et verbatim, mutatis et mutandis for their
State only. The other that we may admit such parts of any par
ticular law as will be necessary, etc. If so, why will it not admit
of another construction, that we may adopt a law, consisting of
different parts of laws of any two or more States upon the same
subject ? And if this be granted, surely the diction ought to be
rendered uniform. The intention, sir, of the legislature in framing
a statute or ordinance will greatly assist us in the legal construction.
The intention of Congress was undoubtedly to give every possible
kind of encouragement to the growth and prosperity of the colony
here, that it might rise iuto a State or States, and take an equal
station in the general confederacy. To this end there must be laws,
and laws conformable to the Constitution of the United States, and
consistent with republican principles. These precautions were nec
essary during the temporary government, to prevent the adoption
of laws that might support the principles of a monarchy, and, in
the end, cause a separation between the old and new countries.
We presume, therefore, with great deference to your Excellency's
opinion, that the following is the legal construction of the Ordi
nance : To adopt such laws as may be necessary and best suited to
the circumstances of the district ; provided, however, that such laws
be not repugnant, but as conformable as may be to those of the
original States, or of some one or more of them. This construction,
it is true, admits the exercise ofa legal discretion. But the exercise
is checked by the tenures of our commissions, the necessity that the
governor and two of the judges, or that all the judges, must agree,
and the final negative of Congress. If this construction be not ad
mitted, we feel ourselves involved in difiiculties that may prove in
surmountable. For a time, we must, confine our legal operations to
the principles of the Constitution, and the common law only. For
to extract from the laws of some of the States, and not to have the
power of extracting from the laws of all of them, would confine us
to narrow bounds. Nor, in our apprehension, upon the literal con
struction, would necessity justify, or even excuse us iu publishing a
law not conformable, in all its parts, to some law of an original

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 71
State. Necessity may, in law contemplation, excuse an act which
otherwise would be unlawful. But such act, so to be excused, must
result from individual exertion upon a pressing and inevitable oc
casion, or from the intervention of the executive branch of govern
ment under similar circumstances. Then the maxim might apply,
" Necessitas non habet ligem.''
But, admitting the position, that necessity may justify the adop
tion of a law not within the literal construction of the Ordinance,
then it goes to all cases ; for the adopters and publishers can have
the only legal power of judging of the necessity, and as their judg
ment may extend to all cases, they might enter into the principles
of despotism. Were we to be confined for any length of time to
the principles of common law, we are fearful of very precarious
consequences. The common law, as adopted in the States, while
colonies, entered essentially into the principles of monarchical gov
ernment, and therefore can not, with propriety, be applied here.
But upon the present view of the subject, the common law must be
applied, or the actions of men be left to the direction of natural
licentiousness. There are many cases of evident utility to which
the common law doth not extend. The cases of last wills and tes
taments ; intestacies in cases of personal property, and all the con
sequent distributions of estates. Neither do we conceive that the
matter can be varied by Congress, by a new ordinance, or by a
declaratory act. As to the first, the Constitution must be considered
in the light of a compact between the United States and all the
settlers. Without the express consent, therefore, of both parties, it
can not be altered, and, as to the second, a declaratory act can not
vary the legal construction of a pre-existing law. Nor, indeed, can
we perceive how it can be applied at all in the case of charters or
national compacts.
When your Excellency shall have made up your mind upon this
part of the subject, we will enter into a discussion upon the second
question ; and as that may be decided, animadversions "may, or may
not become proper upon the third.
We are fully impressed with the delicacy of your Excellency's
situation, and are pot unmindful of our own. We should be un
happy indeed to subject ourselves, in matters of such importance,
to the censure of the sovereign power, but as our opinion in this in
stance results from legal information, so far as we possess it, we feel
ourselves, as law judges, above the reach of reprehension. Our
gratification will be great indeed, if by conference, or otherwise, we

72 The St. Clair Papers.
can, with your Excellency, surmount the present embarrassment.
Our duty, as well as our warmest personal attachments, prompts us
to concur, in every practicable legal measure, to promote the public
good, and render to your Excellency entire satisfaction.

Governor St. Clair to Judges Parsons and Varnum.
Fort Harmar, August 1, 1788.
Gentlemen: — I have received the letter of yesterday's date which
you did me the honor to write. If your honors will inform me of
the precise meaning you affix to the word " la^v," as expressed in
the clause of the Ordinance of Congress, referred to in your letter,
I shall be better able to explain my sentiments upon the diflerent
matters you have opened, which I shall do with the utmost freedom,
but not to each other, which is a kind of correspondence that could
not be agreeable to either.'

Governor St. Clair to Judges Parsons and Varnum.
Fort Harmar, August 7, 1788.
Gentlemen: — I was in hopes that my being informed of the pre
cise meaning you had affixed to the word laws, as used in the Ordi
nance of Congress, which empowers the Governor and judges to
adopt and publish such of those of the original States as may be
necessary and suited to the circumstances of the district, and, as it
is used in your letter of the 31st of July, would have thrown some
light upon that letter and shortened the answer I should be obliged
to make to it. I must have been very unfortunate in the manner in
which I expressed my wish to know what that meaning was ; for
the word in the Ordinance is clearly distinguished from the codes or
bodies of laws of the original States, indefinitely as they refer, in
their general nature and spirit, to the vast variety of subjects about
which they are conversant. I can not find how this explanation
applies. I will not, however, trouble you any further about it, but
proceed to reply to the letter.
I observe you say it is one of the questions arising out of mine
'The reply of the judges, dated August 2d, was:
" The ideas, sir, that we have adopted are that by law is meant the legal
codes or systems of the original States, in their general nature and spirit, in
definitely as they refer to the vast variety of subjects about which they are
conversant."

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 73
of the 30th, whether, in forming and transcribing laws, we should
connect with general subjects all the particulars that may have re
lation to these general subjects. Another is, how far the particulars
suggested respecting the probate law may have influence with you,
. gentlemen, I know not ; they have very great with me.
In forming laws on general subjects, it may be diflBcult to con
nect all the particulars that may have relation to those general sub
jects. So far, however, as it is possible to recollect all the particu
lars, it should be done ; and these particulars be inserted in and.
become parts ofthe same law; and after all the attention legislators
can pay to the particulars, it will almost always be found, when the
laws are put in operation, that many things have been omitted, and
consequently must be supplied, and frequently from their taking a
different direction from what was expected and designed, explained.
Forming and transcribing laws I take to be two very difierent
things. In transcribing laws (which expression, to give it meaning
here, must be referred to the laws of some of the original States
that may be thought proper to be adopted), I presume we must take
them as we find them, so far as they apply to our circumstances.
There is another circumstance besides which influences me not a
little. It was hinted at only, and distantly; it may now be proper
to mention it expressly.
When I have bound myself by law to the execution of an office,
unless the powers and duties of that office are detailed iu the
law, a difference of opinion respecting those duties and powers
may arise, and I run the risk of being obliged to be guided
entirely by the rules of common law, should it be an office known
to the common law ; or if it is not known to the common law, by
rules that I may think impose either too much or too little restraint.
To this risk I am not willing, nor is it proper, to expose myself, be
cause I should thereby lose the control which I think the Ordinance
has given me in all cases. Here, again, I am afraid I have the mis
fortune to differ in opinion with your honors ; for, from another part
of your letter, it seems to be your opinion that, where three of the
judges agree in adopting and publishing a law, it will acquire the
requisite validity without the consent of the Governor. The passage
in the Ordinance is in these words : " The Governor and judges, or
a majority of them, shall adopt and publish," etc.
It is true the punctuation would favor the construction you seem
inclined to .put upon it ; but I believe it is not the true sense, and
that Congress intended the assent of the Governor should be neces
sary to all laws adopted during the existence of the stage of the

74 The St. Clair Papers.
temporary government, as well as to all laws formed by the General
Assembly after it shall have been organized. I conceive, gentlemen.
Congress thought there would be an imi^ropriety iu leaving the
adoption of laws by which the people of the district were for a
time to be governed solely to the persons who were to expound
them ; much greater, however, would that impropriety be if the
clause of the Ordinance goes not only to adoption, but to the forma
tion of laws. The judges would in that case be complete legislators,
which is the very definition of tyranny ; and though that arrange
ment might iu your hands, gentlemen, produce no evils, no man can
tell how long this stage of the government will last, or who may be
your successors ; nor could it fail to produce much uneasiness in the
minds of the people over whom so, possibly, oppressive an authority
was established.
Your honors, in another part of your letter, have supplied a pro
viso to the Ordinance to elucidate the meaning of this clause in an
other point of view. Permit me to suggest one in the present. The
Governor and the judges, or a majority of them, provided the Gov
ernor be one of that majority, shall, etc.
With this proviso I believe we shall have the true construction,
and also the legal ; for, if I mistake not, it is a legal rule of con
struction to give every part of an instrument such an explanation
that one uniform sense may result. The assent of the Governor to
laws formed by the Assembly is made unequivocally necessary. The
reasons are at least equally strong why it should be necessary to
those adopted by the judges. But without the proviso, only change
the place of a single comma, and the same effect is produced ; and
it is not improbable that it may have been misplaced in transcribing
the Ordinance. That "people in a new country have some different
prospects and objects from those >vho inhabit an old one," is certainly
true ; but how the change of objects can affect the regulations that
are necessary for preventing crimes and protecting property, I own
I can not conceive. As to the natives, they are generally under the
protection of the law of nations ; but in the codes of more than one
(of one I am certain) of the States, excellent laws may be found
for " preventing unwarrantable intercourse," for " securing to them
their property," and for " conciliating their affections." Though
these laws, from a change of circumstances, may have gone into dis
use, they have not, I believe, undergone a formal repeal, and, con
sequently, lie open for our use should the liberal construction of the
clause prevail.
I acknowledge that I do not perfectly understand what is meant

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 75
by the " Ties, connections and subordinations" that are said to exist
in colonial governments, and to which laws must be applied. I do
not take these " ties," etc. , whatever they are, to be at all the objects
of laws ; " the existence of government might indeed be en
dangered." No law which would have a tendency to weaken or destroy the
ties, connections and subordinations of this district in the United
States could, consistent with our duty, be either formed or adopted,
and laws that might have an express and declared purpose to
strengthen those ties would, in effect, weaken them, because they.
rest upon a different fbundation, which every such law would tend
to sap. It is unsafe ground, and ought not to be traveled upon. I
presume not to say " what the powers ought to have been." As
they are, and as I understand them, they seem calculated to answer
all the purposes the " framers of the Ordinance" could have had in
view — to provide for the safety and happiness of the people who
might remove into this country, and to protect their property until
they should be sufficiently numerous to legislate for themselves;
and to preserve them in a due dependence upon the general
government. I agree with you, gentlemen, that the clause in question, and every
other clause in the Ordinance, should receive a liberal construction,
wherever they are in the least doubtful ; and, as it in some measure
partakes of the nature of a charter, is to be expounded favorably
to the grantees ; but it is one thing to construe a grant liberally,
and another to add to the grant by construction that was never in
the contemplation of the grantor ; and this is precisely what I think
would follow should your opinion on the clause be thought the best.
That we may adopt entire "laws of any of the old States," if we
think they suit our circumstances, there can be no doubt, for that is
the genuine and liberal construction of the clause. That we may
adopt " such parts of any particular law" as may be neces.sary, is
within the spirit of it. That we may make a law (for here the word
" adopt" will not serve us) consisting of the different parts of laws
of different States, and change the diction, I believe we have no
power to do. I can not discover the least difference between this and
legislating originally, which, so far from permitting us to do, in my
opinion, it was the design of Congress to prevent.
I am certain, gentlemen, that Congress had the best and kindest
intentions towards the Colony, and, for that very reason, directed
us to laws the usefulness of which had been stamped by experience,
and to prevent the introduction of laws that might not be " con-

76 The St. Clair Papers.
formable to the Constitution of the United States, or inconsistent
with republican principles ; " or that might support the principles of
a monarchy, they would not suffer us to make new ones.
I am sensible, gentlemen, that I run a risk of exposing myself to
ridicule in opposing my opinions to yours in matters of " legal con
struction." It is a subject your thoughts must have been much ex
ercised upon, and have had much experience in the ajDjilication of the
rules that, govern it ; but my plain reason , unenlightened by legal
niceties and distinctions, tells me that, where I have no option given
me to take one or both of two things, no construction that can be
given to the words giving that option, will justify me in rejecting
both, and insisting upon a third. Our using the word adopt would
not mend the matter ; the existence of things adopted is supposed
in the very term ; and, by no rule whatever, can the act of calling
into existence be made convertible with adoption, which is only
another word for choice, or election. I hope you will excuse me,
gentlemen, if I can not comprehend what is meant by "our legal
operations being confined to the principles of the Constitution and
conimon law only." I asstire you my difficulties are not affected.
The common law of England, when it has not been altered by stat
ute previously to the late Revolution, or by laws of the Colonies
before that period, or by laws of the States since, is, if I mistake
not, the common law of the land. Where the common law was
altered by statutes, and those statutes adopted in the Colonies, they
become, so far, the law, and where these have not been abrogated
by laws in the States, since the Eevolution, they continue to be the
law ; for 1 believe the common and statute laws in England in use
in the States at the Revolution, and those that were formed con
formable to our new situation, to have been declared in the States
still in force ; in some of them I am certain it was the case. If,
then, amongst all the la-svs of all the States, and we have them all
to choose from, which, methinks, is no "narrow bounds," we can
find none to suit us, the consequence seems certain that the " legal
operations" must be guided by the common law.
Now, what I understand by legal operations are the decisions
your honors will make in your judicial capacity upon matters of
property, and the sentences that may be pronounced upon crimes
committed, together with the mode of trial in both. But these
have nothing to do with your character as legislators. As judges,
you are clothed with a common-law jurisdiction, which is at once
both descriptive and restrictive — ^restrictive as to my powers in
equity. You arc also legislators in a limited degree. That char-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 77
acter results, not from thatof judge, but is separate and distinct,
and might have existed in different persons, in nature as well as
legal contemplation. If, by these limitations the legal operations
are confined to too narrow bounds, I see no hope but in soliciting an
alteration in the Ordinance. Our entering, therefore, "into the
principles of despotism," seems not a very natural consequence.
In my former letter I mentioned that I had assented to the militia
law under the full impression that it was liable to objections, and
exposed its authors to censure from Congress ; but that I thought
the necessity of self-defense, which is amongst the first laws of na
ture, and can not be abrogated by written laws, would justify it. I
think so still ; nor, so far as it respects myself, shall I be satisfied
with being merely excused. I shall not knowingly do any thing in
my public character that stands in need of an excuse. Should I,
at any time, pass beyond the line of duty as it is prescribed, if the
deviation can not be justified, I hope it will be punished. No ex
cuses should be admitted for men in public trust. I shall offer
none. I agree that the Ordinance, so far as it relates to the descent of
lands, to wills, and intestate estates, must be considered " as a com
pact between the United States and all the settlers," and can not be
altered by a declaratory act. But surely it does not follow that
where there are doubts about the meaning of regulations, not stipu
lations, that they may not be explained, and their true intent and
meaning fixed, by a declaratory act.
You are mistaken, gentlemen, if you suppose my situation to be
more delicate than your own, or that, if it were, I should have any
reluctance in complying with any thing that appeared to me to be
useful to the people and consistent with my duty. As legislators,
and that we are, in a certain degree, our situation is unquestionably
delicate ; for, upon the manner in which we discharge that trust,
depends the happiness of a great many people for a length of time,
as well as our own reputations ; and our names will accordingly be
mentioned with approbation or reproach, long after we are laid in
the silent dust ; and, in that character, we are all equally liable to
the reprehension of Congress for misconduct.
It is a duty I owe to myself, as well as to the public, not to ex
pose myself to the censure of those who have a right to judge of
my conduct at present, or to that of posterity, and I will endeavor
to fulfill it.
If you meant, by the delicacy of my situation, to put me in mind
that my office of Governor is held by a slighter tenure than yours

78 The St. Clair Papers.
as judges, you have, I believe, a little mistaken my character. If
I know myself, it is neither emolument nor any other circumstance
connected with office that would induce me to hold any one mo
ment longer than I could discharge it with honor, and to the satis
faction of my own conscience. No person, however, under the
appointment of Congress, will be exposed to the alternative of quitr
ting his office or sacrificing his conscience or his honor.
I am very sensible, gentlemen, that as law judges you will ever
be above the reach of reprehension, because your conduct will ever
be directed by the strictest integrity and unbiased judgment, which
will force the approbation of mankind. Suffer me to hope that,
while I follow you in that honorable walk, I may not be left entirely
out of sight.'
I received with much gratitude the expressions of personal attaclr
ment you are pleased to make. I assure you they are mutual, and
that nothing can be more desirable than to concur with you in every
measure to promote the public good, nor shall I ever refuse to do
so, but when a, perhaps, mistaken sense of duty intervenes to pre
vent it.'
'The arguments were laid before the Hon. Charles Thompson, Secretary
of the Continental Congress, for the consideration of that body, and St
Clair's interpretation of the Ordinance, and explanation of the comma in
the clause defining the duties of the Governor and judges as law makers
was sustained. He was also sustained by Congress.
^^ Although the above correspondence shows some warmth in the discus
sions of the questions, the personal relations between the Governor and the
judges were of the most cordial nature. That they labored earnestly for
laying the foundations of civil government, the ofEcial records for the year
1788 (the organization being begun July 15), amply show.^

(1) OrnciAL Record by Wintheop Saegent, Secretar-y.
July 27, 1788, His Excellency was pleased to issue the following order :
By His Exceixency, Arthur St. Clair, Esquire, Governor and Comraander-in-Chiof
of the Territory of the United States north-west of the River Ohio:
To all persons to -who-in these Presents sJmll come, Grcetinff:
Whereas, by the Ordinance of C'cngross of tho 13th of July, 1787, for the govern
ment of the Territory of the United States north-west of tho river Ohio, it is directed
that, forthe due execution of process, civil and crirainal, tho Governor shall make
proper divisions of the said Territory, and proceed from time to time, as circum
stances may require, to lay out the parts of the same where the Indian title shall
havebeen extinguished, into counties aud townships, subject to future alterations
as therein specified.
Now, Know Ye, That it appearing to me to he necessary for the purposes above
mentioned, tliat a couuty should Immediately he laid out, I have ordained and or-
dored, and hy those presents do ordain aud order, that all and singular the lands
lying and heing within the following boundaries, viz : Beginning ou tlie hank of
the Ohio Eiver where the westeru boundary line of Pennsylvania crosses it and
running with tliat line to Lake Erie; thence along the southern shore of said lake

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 79

Governor St. Clair to General Butler.
Fort Harmar, August 1th, 1788.
Sir: — I was favored with yours of the 3d, which reached me yes
terday. I am very sorry that the Seneeas come by way of Pitts
burgh, because they will be exposed to insult at least, if not injury,
on their way from thence. It could not, however, have been owing
to the changing the place of meeting that they have chosen that
route, for they could not have heard of it before they set out from
their homes, unless they received intimation of it frora that place.
I purposely avoided giving them any notice of it, because, if they had
come to the falls, it would have been very little more trouble to them
to the mouth of Cuyahoga River: thence up said river to the portage between it and
the Tuseawaras branch of Muskingum, thence down that branch to the forks of tlie
crossing place above Fort Lawrence; thence with a line to be dr.iwn westerly to the
portage on that branch of the Big Miami on wliicli tlie fort stood that was taken by
the'French in 1752, until it meets the road from the lower Shawanese town to San
dusky; tlienoe south to the Seloto River; thence witli that river to tlie moutli, and
thence up tlie Ohio River to the place of beginning, shall be a county, and the
same is liereby erected into a county, named and hereafter to be called the county
of Washington. And the said county of Washington shall have and enjoy all and
singular the jurisdiction, riglits, liberties, privileges and immunities whatsoever to
a county belonging and appertaining, and wliich any other county that may here
after he erected and laid out, shall or ought to enjoy conformably to the Ordinance
of Congress before mentioned.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Ter
ritory to be affixed, this twenty-sixtli day of July, in tlie thirteenth year of the In
dependence of the United States, and in the year of our Lord 1788.
, Aethuk St. Olaik.
Friday, July 27, his Excellency was pleased to Issue commissions of Justice of
tho Peace and Quorum to Rufus Putnam and Benjamin Tupper, Esquires. Win
throp Sargent was commissioned Justice of the Peace throughout the Territory.
July SOth. Commissioned Justices of the Peaoe— Return Jonathan Moigs, Thomas
Lord and Isaac Peirce; for Justice of Peace and Quorum— Archibald Crary; Judges
of the Court of Common Pleas and of "The Court of General Quarter Sessions of
the Peace for the County of Washington " (a court of record)— Rufus Putnam, Ben
jamin Tupper, Archibald Crary, Isaac Peirce, and Thomas Lord; Prothonotary of
the Court of Common Pleas and Clerk of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of
the Peace, with authority to keep the seal— Eeturn Jonathan Mei,;,'=.
August tho 2d his Excellency was pleased to issne the following military orders;
County of Washington— General Oedees,
The following gentlemen are appointed officers in the militia, and are to be obeyed
as suoh according to their several stations:
In the Senior CTiss- Nathaniel Cushing, Esq., Captain; George Ingersoll, Gent.,
Lieutenant; James Bacchus, Gont., Ensign.
I-n the Junior CTass— Nathaniel Goodale, Esq., Charles Knowles, Esq., Captains;
Wanton Casey, Gent., Samuel Stebbins, Gent, Lieutenants; Joseph Lincoln, Gent.,
Arnold Colt, Gent., Ensigns; Samuel Stebbins, Gent., Adjutant,
Tho Captains are to proceed to form their companies iramediately, agreeably to
the militia law, by enrolling all and every male person, not exempted, within the
county. The numbers to be enrolled in the Senior Class will depend upon the num
ber of persons of that legal description now present. The Junior Class wiU include
all others, not as before exempted, and they must be divided so as to make eaeh

80 The St. Clair Papers.
to come to the mouth of the Muskingum, and that was the way I
wished them to come.
God knows how the people of the Yirginia side may behave, cer
tain it is, however, they are not only indisposed toward the In
dians, but to the treaty, and I doubt very much if Mr. Zane has it
in his power to restrain them ; should he attemjit it, and does not
succeed, it will be worse than if nothing had been said about it, and
I fear at any rate will draw numbers of them to the river.
General Harmar can spare no troops from this place, but he has
sent orders to Captain Zeigler, who he expects will be at Fort Pitt
this day to take the Indians under him, and escort them to this place.
If they are not set off, and Captain Zeigler should not be arrived or
in readiness, I wish you would detain them until he is and they
need be in no hurry, for I do not yet know when the Indians from
the lakes will be down, nor have I much reason to expect them
for some weeks.
company as nearly as may he of equal strength. As more inhabitants arrive, they
arc to he added to tlio companies -respeotively, according to their descriptions, in
equal proportions as nearly as may he, until eaeh company has reacliod its estab
lishment, -,vhen other companies will he formed.
September 1st. Ebenezer Sproat was commissioned Sherilf for one year.
September 9th. William Corlis commissioned Clerk of the General Court of the
Territory. October 2Sth. Rufus Putnam commissioned Judge of Probate. Tlie commission
reads: " In our county of Washington, during our pleasure," etc.
November 7th— Return J. Meigs commissioned Eecorder of Deeds and Clerk of
the Orphans' Court.
Laws Passed by Goveenoe St. Clair and the Judges.
1. A law for regulating and establishing militia. Published July 25, 1788.
2. A law for establishing general courts of quarter sessions of the peace (and
therein of the powers of single justices), and for establishing county courts of com
mon pleas (aud therein of the power of single judges to he.ir and determine upon
small debts and contracts), and also a law for establishing the office of sheriff, and
for the appointment of shcrifT. Pub. A.ug. 23.
3. A law establishing a court of probate. ,Pub. Ang. SO.
4. A law fixing tno terms of the general court. Pub. Aug. 30.
5. A law respecting the oath of offlce. Pub. Sept. 2.
6. A law respecting crimes and punishments. Pub. Sept. 6.
7. A law regulating marriages. Pub. Nov. 23.
8. A law in addition to a law entitled, " A law tor regulating and establishing the
militia." Puh. Nov. 2?,.
9. A law appointing coroners. Puh. Dec. 21.
10. A law limiting the timo of commencing civil actions and instituting criminal
prosecutions. Pub. Dee. 28.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 81

Governor St. Claik to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, August 17, 1788.
/Sir;— After so long a silence as from the 22d of last month, and
when events of great moment are ripening, I am sorry to have
nothing of consequence to communicate.
I then mentioned my expectations that the messenger I had sent
with the remonstrance to the Indians would return in six days. He
did return within a day or two of that time, and brought from the
Delawares and Wyandots the inclosed speech, No. 1, which is
nothing to the purpose, and to which I returned the answer. No. 2,
to the Pipe, through whom their speech came. In a few days after,
the Pipe and several Wyandots, amongst whom were a son of the
late Half King and another young chief, came in here and delivered
in council (for every thing is done with these people seriatim) the
paper marked No. 3, to which I returned the answer. No. 4.' Next
day, the Pipe addressed me on the subject of the Chippewas, who
are in confinement here, endeavoring to exculpate them, and throw
ing aU the blame upon those who had escaped for what had hap
pened at the falls, to which I returned him an answer in writing.
No. 5. In reply, he acknowledged that we had reason for suspect
ing him, and did not nor could not blame us for confining thera ;
still it was the Tawas that did the mischief, and they had escaped..
These were Chippewas, and had nothing to do with it, and requested
they might be released. That was flatly refused him. After some
time, he represented that the two men who had escaped would raake
very false representations ; that they had actually done so, having
reported that these four who were here were put to death before
they ran away, which was the reason they did it ; that if one of
thera, if I would not release the whole, could be given to him, he
would carry him to the meeting at the Detroit, confront him with
the others, and endeavor to remove any ill impressions their reports
might have made. Under the appearance of much concern for and
zeal to serve the interests ofthe United States, which, in his way, he
mixed with the proposition, I thought I could discover some fears
he had of the resentment of the nation tbese people belonged to
against his own people ; for the Delawares were present when they
^ These inclosures are omitted, as they are not necessary to the story, which
is told with sufBcient clearness in the letters. The Indians referred to were
fencing for time, until the council on the Miami should conclude its work.
VOL. n — 6

82 The St. Clair Papers.
were laid hold of, and were dismissed by Mr. McDowell, the officer,
in a very friendly manner. I declined giving him an answer at that
time, but told him I would consider it. Two days after I sent for
him and said that out of consideration for him, I agreed to his
proposal, and, with some ceremony, delivered him a Chippewa man
about fifty years of age by appearance. Hc engaged to take him to
the Detroit and to bring him back here. It appeared to me that no
ill consequence could flow from gratifying him; that some good
ones possibly might, and that, at any rate, the man was of very lit
tle consequence. (
I have been very anxious for an answer to the message sent to
the nations at the Detroit on the 13th ultimo, but as it was the 24th
before it left the Sandusky, and the Six Nations were not arrived ten
days ago (at least their arrival had not been heard of at Sandusky
at that time), and the other nations will probably do nothing with
it without them, it may be some time yet before it will reach us, for
I do not think they will decide upon their answer very hastily.
There have been a great many Indians here lately, chiefly Wyan
dots and Shawanese and two or three Seneeas, but, except the Pipe
and two Wyandots, none of their principal men, most of whom they
say are gone to their council at the Detroit.
Yesterday, a white man by the name of Zane, who was taken
prisoner when young, and has lived with the Wyandots for many
years, came here with his whole family. He intends to quit, I be
lieve, the savage life, and return to his friends in Virginia, who are
respectable. One of his brothers lives upon the Ohio at Wheeling,
and was a member of the late convention of that State. Whether
this resolution proceeds from disgust, or from an apprehension of
danger that he would rather shun, I have not yet been able to learn.
He appears, however, to be a decent, sensible man, with much less
of the savage manners than might have been expected after a resi
dence amongst them of more than twenty years. He says that the
reports are, for he mentions nothing as of his own knowledge, that
the western nations are now all at peace, and that the Shaw-anese
have also laid down the tomahawk ; that very great numbers of
them are expected at the Detroit, which makes the Wyandots. un
easy who live there and are comparatively a civilized people. The
loss of all their horses, cattle, and dogs, they look upon as the cer
tain consequence, as upon all these they feed indiscriminately. I
sounded him about the sentiments of the Indians he has fallen in
with in regard to the objects ofthe expected treaty. He says, when
sober, they generally talk of peace, but even with him they are

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 83
guarded ; but when intoxicated, it is the general talk that they will
maintain the lands on the north-west side of the Ohio ; that the river
should be the boundary between us ; that as they were corapelled to
sign the treaty at the Miami, the comraissioners shall be compelled
to sign what they please at this, and should they refuse, they will
go to war immediately, and go to the treaty prepared for the alter
native. I have letters from the messengers, Wilson and Rinkin, of the
.19th, and from Rinkin of the 20th of July, copies of which I have
inclosed. Every thing is yet in a state of great uncertainty, and will not
clear up until the Six Nations get to the council at Detroit ; then I
may have some reply from the assembled nations that will let some
light in upon it. But, sir, if it should take an unfavorable turn, the
consequences wUl be fatal to the frontier countries, and even the
posts that are occupied by the United States on the Ohio would not
be very safe : not that the Indians could make any impression upon
them, but the water communication would be cut off, upon which
the contractors depend so rauch, so that they never would have any
stock before hand, but feed them from hand to mouth. Pardon this
hint ; it is out of my way, to be sure, but it came across me, and I
could not suppress it.
In consequence of General Butler's letter of the 3d of August, I
applied to General Harmar for some protection for the Seneeas that
were expected. None could be afforded from this post, but as Cap
tain Zeigler was every moment expected at Fort Pitt with a com
pany, the general was obliging enough to send orders for his halting
there for thera, and taking them under his protection until he ar
rived here. At the same time, I sent directions to prevent their
leaving Pittsburgh before Captain Zeigler's arrival.
I do hope the people along the river will not be mad enough to
molest them on their passage ; at the same time, I own I fear they
will, if they are not restrained by seeing them under the escort of
the Continental troops.
General Butler's application will not have any good effect should
Mr. Zane communicate it, which I think he will not. I believe it
would have a contrary one to what he expected and desired.

84 The St. Clair Papers.

William Knox to Governor St. Clair.
War Office, August 18th, 1788.
gi,^ ; — In the absence of the Secretary at War, I have the honor
to acknowledge the receipt of your favors ofthe 13th and 16th ult.,
with their inclosures, which were immediately submitted to Con
gress. The inclosed resolution of the 12th instant,' will acquaint
you with the decisions of that body in consequence of your commu
nications. I also inclose you a copy of the Secretary of War's letter of the
1st inst., with a resolve continuing the Superintendent of Indian Af
fairs, Northern district, in office for two months from and after the
14th inst.'

Governor St. Clair to the Governor of Virginia.
Fort Harmar, September 1st, 1788.
Sir : — An act of Congress of the 12th ult. , in which the Ex
ecutives of Virginia and Pennsylvania are requested to hold certain
parts of the railitia of their frontier counties in readiness to unite
with the Federal troops in such operations as the Governor of the
Western Territory raay judge necessary for the protection of the in
habitants, and that, on the application of the said Governor, the
said Executive would order thera to be embodied, came to my
hands by the honorable Mr. Brown, last night.
Whether the whole number of militia, or any part of it, may be
necessary, as it is an event that depends entirely upon the proposed
treaty with the Indians, it is irapossible for me at present to deter
mine. I have been long waiting for their assembling at this place.
The delay has been occasioned by the Six Nations, who did not ar
rive at the mouth of Detroit River, where the other nations have
been waiting for them aud without whora they will take no meas
ures, until about a fortnight ago. My last accounts from that place
are of the 14th of August. They had then got to the post at De-
^The resolution directed the Governors of Virginia and Pennsylvania to
raise fifteen hundred militia, if called upon by Governor St. Clair to do so,
to join any regular force employed against the Indians.
^This action was taken on motion of General Irvine, August 1st. In con
sequence of it, General Butler notified Governor St. Clair, on the 28th Au
gust, that he would join him in a f«w days, and bring with him the repre-
•sentatives of the Five Nations.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 85
troit, and it was expected would not halt long at the mouth of the
strait, and that great numbers would proceed to this place, but with
what disposition is uncertain. Should these be unfriendly, and our
attempts to conciliate thera and establish a solid peace prove abor
tive, it is much to be feared that, collected as they will be in the
neighborhood of the settlements, they will fall upon them suddenly.
In that case, it would be impossible to make the application to the
Executives so as that, in due time, the necessary orders for coun
teracting them, and protecting the inhabitants, could be given. I
would, therefore, request that your Excellency would be pleased to
give the necessary orders to the lieutenants of the counties of Mo
nongahela and Ohio, and of the other counties below, to have their
proportions in readiness, and that, on my application to them, they
should be marched to such places as may be pointed out. I do ex
pect that, if the Indians come here, I shall be able to develop their
designs, if they have hostile ones, before they are in readiness to
put them into execution. If they refuse to come, no doubt about
their designs will reraain, and other and raore general measures may
be necessary ; at any rate, your Excellency may rest assured that
no application will be made to the county lieutenants but in evident
case of necessity.
Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Fort Haemar, County of Washington, Sept. 2d, 1788.
Sir : — I have been honored with your letter of the 12th ult., to
gether with the act of Congress of that day inclosed. In conse
quence of that act, I have written to the Governor of Virginia and
the President of Pennsylvania, requesting that they would give
orders to the lieutenants of the frontier counties to have their pro
portions of the militia required in readiness, and that, on my appli
cation to the lieutenants, they -should cause them to be marched to
such places as the officer comraanding the Federal troops should
point out. Should the militia be at all necessary to protect the
inhabitants, I apprehend the opportunity of using them for that
purpose would be lost by the delay that will attend an application
to be made to those Executives, at the distance they are from us,
after the necessity appears ; for, if the Indians come to the treaty
with hostile designs, they will endeavor to amuse us for some time,
get whatever they can, and then make their stroke suddenly, and,
as they may suppose, unexpectedly. But, notwithstanding what
has happened, I do not think they are hostilely inclined, at least

86 The St. Clair Papers.
not generally ; and I still hope that matters may be settled in an
amicable manner. These, at least, were my hopes and expectations
until Mr. Brown informed me of the invasicm and dispossession of
the Cherokees by the people of Franklin. Should the Northern
Indians get information of that affair, and there is little reason to
suppose they will not, I do not see how they can beheve us to be in
earnest when we declare the United States are disposed to be at
peace with all the nations. They will think that either we mean to
deceive them, to lull them into a state of security, that they may
become the more easy prey, or they will despise us as having no
control over our own people. To-raorrow, Providence (and they are
mistaken who suppose they are deficient in prudeuce, or a knowledge
of their own interests) will lead them to decline an accommodation
which might be as fatal to thera as an actual and avowed war ; and
it is the same thing to them, whether their misfortunes arose from
the natural weakness or relaxation of our government, or. from a
want of national faith, the consequences are to them the same ; nor
will it be possible to make them comprehend it, or believe that we
speak truth when we profess to disapprove of such transactions, or
that we can possibly mean peace, in the very moment we are knock
ing them in the head.
Congress may well be surprised that their resolution of the 2d of
July, respecting the treaty, should have appeared in the Pittsburgh
paper of the 16th of August, if, as I suppose, it was put upon the
secret journal.' I have been both surprised and mortified at it. I
doubt not it will be at Detroit by the time the Indians leave it.
But I am the more mortified at the manner at which it appears (im
mediately following an extract from a note of mine to Major Ser
geant, and without any reference to any other papers), it leads to a
belief that it has been furnished by me. I hope I will not be sus
pected of such folly. I have written to the printer to know whence
he had it. However obtained, it was great imprudence to publish
it. The government has been put in motion ; a county erected, by the
name of Washington, courts established, and the officers necessary
for the administration of justice appointed, and, so far, every thing
goes well.'
'The resolution referred to instructed tho Governor to endeavor, in the
treaty, to secure the consent of the Indians to extending the northern boun
dary as far north as the completion of the forty-first degree of north lati
tude. 2 For record of proceedings, see pp. 78, 79, 80.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 87
But the detention I have met with has prevented any attention
being paid to the settlement on the Wabash and Mississippi, where
I believe it is very much wanted. So soon as the treaty closes, I
shall proceed to those countries ; but the season is so far advanced
already, that it appears probable our residence for the winter must
be taken up here.

Brigadier-General Harmar to Secretary op War.
Fort Harmar, September 4th, 1788.
Sir: — Captain Zeigler arrived at this post on the 9th instant, with
his company, total fifty-six, escorting the Cornplanter, Halftown,
an Oneida chief, and several of the Six Nations, amounting in the
whole to about fifty, including men, women and children, in order
to attend the treaty.
I have the mortification to inforra you that on the 27th of July
last, a party of thirty-six men under the command of Lieutenant
Peters, who were detached by Major Hamtramck to bring up pro
visions, was attacked on the Wabash near its mouth, by the savages.
Ten of the party were killed and eight wounded.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, County of Washington,
September Uth, 1788.
Sir: — I had the honor to address you on the 2d instant, since
Avhich, General Butler, with fifty-one (women and children included)
ofthe Seneeas, arrived here on the 9th ; amongst these the principal
persons are Cornplanter and the Halftown, thirty-six men in all.
They say the Six Nations are desirous to be at peace with the United
States. The next day after their arrival, an application was made
by these chiefs, in conjunction with Guyasutha, for the releasement
of the Chippeway prisoners, in^ the name of their own nation, the
Cayugas, the Oneidas, and the Delawares ; of the Cayugas, how
ever, there is only one here, and two Oneidas, and these last, though
the application was made in the narae of their nation, would not
come into the tent when it was delivered. It is altogether iraprobable
that they could have had any directions on the subject. They were
told that the whole affair had been represented to their general coun
cil, that their request could not be complied with, and that we hoped

88 The St. Clair Papers.
to have no more solicitation on that head. Many of the same kind
had been made to me.
Yesterday, two persons arrived from the messengers. Inclosed are
copies of their letter, and of the speeches of the Wyandots, deliv
ered to them, and by them. From these it appears that the Wyan
dots are well disposed themselves. That was not with me a doubt
ful circumstance, but I suspect they will not have much influence
upon the Western tribes, who, notwithstanding what the Kickapoos
say, I have not the least expectation to see. The other nations will
be here, but it will yet be three weeks or a month before they ar
rive. One of the men (Isaac Williams) who brought these dis
patches is a son of a white woman ; lives at Sandusky ; a sensible
young mau, and has received a tolerable education, and is attached
to the United States. He says that Brant did not go with the
Seneeas frora Niagara, but that he left thera there, and passed up
the north side of Lake Erie, and as far as the country of the Mis-
sassaques, and returned down the Huron and St. Clair to Detroit,
visiting the different nations on his way.
From the letter of the messengers it may be observed that a large
body of Indians may be expected here ; that they are particular in
mentioning their intention to be armed, and that they themselves
have been delayed so long by the desire of the Wyandots that they
might be present at their councils, they are not to be admitted to
thera, but are sent to a distance and ordered to wait the result. On
these I make no corament. It is also somewhat extraordinary that
the British should take this opportunity again to make presents to
the Indians, after having so recently made thera the raost consider
able that ever were given at one tirae. It is also imcomraon, if I am
rightly informed, for the Six Nations at least, to take so many of
their young men with them to councils. Their members arrived at
Detroit are stated to me at two hundred and seventy-five, and an
other embarkation from Niagara expected. From all these circum
stances, which certainly wear not a very favorable aspect, it may
perhaps be expected by Congress that some measures sbould betaken
by General Harmar and me in consequence of the Resolution of
Congress of the 12th of August, for the protection of the inhabitants,
at all events. I do not, however, see that we can possibly do more
than merely to have the militia in readiness to act upon an emer
gency; and that if the Executives of Virginia and Pennsylvania
comply with my request, raentioned in ray last to have been made to
them, they will be. But, sir, it is very little protection they will be
able to afford. Defensive measures against an enemy who always

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 89
act in small detachments, along so extended and weak a frontier, at
the same time that they are so expensive (in the end often raore so)
than offensive operations, will always prove abortive, and the mihtia
of Pennsylvania and Virginia are too distant from each other to be
joined— that part at least of the frontier of Virginia from which a
thousand men could be drawn. Offensive measures sh(nild then be
resorted to, but these the state of public affairs forbids if they can
possibly be avoided, and nothing in my power to obviate the neces
sity of them will be neglected.
But a war with the Western tribes, at least, seems inevitable, both
from the circumstance that there is no reason to expect thera at the
treaty, and from the intelligence General Harmar received two days
ago, which as he transmits it by this opportunity, I forbear to trouble
you with. A war with them will probably involve some others, and
it will soon become general. In that case, permit me to give you
my ideas of the most effectual manner of bringing them to their
senses. From the Falls ofthe Ohio to Ouiatanon is little more than one
hundred and fifty miles ; frora the Little Miami to the Omie (Omi)
or Miamitown is not more than two hundred, if my information is
right; from Beaver Creek to Cuyahoga is ninety, and from Post
Vincennes to the Terre Haute, where the Piankeshaws reside, and
to the settlements of the Kickapoos is about the same distance.
Could a stroke be made at all those places, nearly about the same
time (and it might be so calculated as to happen at all of thera on
the same day), the Indians would most likely so divide themselves as
to make success at each highly probable, for you may be assured
that their general confederacy, if it exists at all, has not that
efficiency which would enable the heads of it to direct its force to a
point in the security of which many of the members would not feel
themselves much interested, when each had to fear for themselves
separately. It is difficult enough among nations who have a regular
policy and strong governments, where the ideas of union and submis
sion are famihar. With savages it is impossible. Neither would
these operations demand a very great number of raen or very con
siderable expense. Between thj-ee and four thousand railitia added
to the troops in the service of the United States, might be suf
ficient, and surely these might be furnished by the frontier parts
of Virginia and Pennsylvania, and in such a manner as to be con
venient to their respective destinations. The French settlements,
too, could easily, if I am well informed, give three or four hundred
men.

90 The St. Clair Papers.
The whole operation might, I conceive, if undertaken at a proper
season, be finished in thirty or forty days from the tirae they took
up their march, though the calculation should be for a longer period.
I am sensible, sir, these observations require an apology, both be
cause I have stepped out of ray line, and that they have not been
so raaturely considered as the importance of the object demands ;
they are meant only as hints of what might be done which you
would not be displeased with, and as such I request you to consider
them. The address of the messengers to the Wyandots and Delawares,
though, perhaps, well enough in substance, is, in ray opinion, highly
improper in form; neither did I know they were so instructed, and
General Butler assures me they were not. I should certainly have
objected against an application iu the name of the United States to
any nation on earth, much more to a few savages, " for them to use
their interest and influence for the restoration of prisoners," taken in
peace, too, and in violation of treaties. It may have arisen from a
desire to do good with much ignorance of the proper raeans, and,
if it would rest with those nations, there would be no great harm, but
if it is communicated to the British agent, which it probably wiU
be, the United States may be exposed by it.
There is intelligence, which, I believe, raay be depended upon,
that the Indians at the mouth of the Wabash having been discov
ered, a party from Kentucky went to attack them ; that, missing
them there, they crossed and marched to the Salines (or Salt River,
I believe, of Mr. Hutchins), went up that river to its head branches,
and crossed from thence to the upper part of the Riviere de I'Em-
barras, where they fell in with and had an action with the Indians,
some of whom w'ere killed. They returned by Post Vincennes and
Clarke's Trace to the Falls, and brou.ght on with them six scalps,
seven rifles, and twenty horses. But whether these were the Indians
that made the stroke at the mouth of the Wabash, or not, does not
appear.' 'In a private letter to General Knox, whioh accompanied the above letter.
Governor St. Clair said it would be more economical, if the public interests
permitted, to strike a blow at the Indians, but if a force should be sent, care
would need to be taken to have the command ofthe different companies under
regular ofBcers of experience. Brigadier-General Harmar could have gen
eral charge, and he would be willing to trust Major Doughty with one thou
sand men, and he believed IMajors Hamtramck and "Wyllys were also capa
ble of such service. He added ;
" I pray God it may in no manner be necessary, for it is of very great

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 91
P. S. — I suppose the following nurabers inight suffice for all the
objects inentioned above : To march from Post Vincennes, 500 ;
to march from the Falls, 1,000; to march 'from Limestone, a little
above the Little Miami, 1,400 and 2 pieces; from Beaver Creek,
1,000 ; total, 3,900 and 2 pieces.

Governor St. Clair to Samuel H. Parsons.
County of Washington, Ter. of the U. S., N. W. & C,
September 14, 1788.
Sir: — In your letter to me of yesterday, you say that, having
been employed by the State of Connecticut to procure a survey of
lands which I understand to be within the limits of the jurisdiction
of the Territory, after having commenced the survey you had dis
continued it, from an apprehension the state of Indian affairs ren
dered a pursuit of that object improper at this time.
I am very well pleased, sir, that the surveys have been discon
tinued, for, at this time, when it is certain that the minds of the
Indians on the subject of lands are not very easy, and when great
numbers of them are hourly expected at this place, in order, if pos-
consequence that the new government should get into motion with as few ex
ternal embarrassments as possible; they will have their hands full enough
of internal business. I am happy, however, that it has so far succeeded,
and all America are very much indebted to the unwearied perseverance of
the patriots of New York, among whom our friend Hamilton made, I find,
a most conspicuous figure. Will you take the trouble, sir, to present him my
compliments? You will be pleased to hear that the settlement goes on very
well, and, if they can have peace a little while, promises to answer the ex
pectations ofthe adventurers, and to afi-brd an asylum to many very worthy
men, who have sacrificed themselves to the public. I see, as yet, nothing,
however, in which I can serve the interests of my friends and myself. I
shall, therefore, set it going as well as I can, and give place to some other,
for the sa'ary will be found, I am sure, to be no compensation, and I have,
heretofore, paid so very little attention to money, and my family, as they
"¦row up grow also so expensive, that it is a matter I must turn my attention
to— at a time of life when I am very unfit for it, and with habits that are
very unfavorable to it.''
1 At the Omi Town, there was a fort constructed for the savages by the
British. The plan of campaign thus outlined by St. Clair was a good one,
and ifit had been adopted bythe government in 1790 or 1791, instead ofthe
formal expeditions from a single point which permitted the Indians to con
centrate, the result would, in all probability, have been very dift'erent.

92 The St. Clair Papers.
sible, amicably to adjust every object of controversy, the pursuing
them might be attended with very ill public consequences.
I do not certainly know, sir, whether I am right in another opin
ion ; neither have I time now to examine it, but it strikes me that
the consent of Congress ought to be obtained, and Connecticut
should have obtained that consent before any appropriation of lands
is made within the Territory of the United States by any State.
Certainly, the executive of the Territory should have notice.

Brigadier-General Harmar to Major Hamtramck.
Fort Harmar, October 13, 1788.
Dear Major : — You will act promptly in seizing and confining the
Gross Tete, or any other villians who were accessory to the raurder
committed at Sullivan's Station. I observe by your letter of the
12th of August, the severe stroke which the party under Lieutenant
Peters has received. The intelligence has been transmitted to the
War Office. The new government, I hope, will soon operate, and
expect, in the course of the next year, we shall not tamely suffer
the subjects ofthe United States to be raurdered by these perfidious
savages. The savages are, in ray opinion, hatching a great deal of
mischief. I have detached a captain's command, with Captain
Hutchins, the geographer, for his protection to the raouth of the
Scioto, in order to survey the exterior lines of Messrs. Cutler and
Sargent's purchase, which weakens this garrison considerably, at
the present raoraent more especially. Let your fort be named Fort
Knox.

Governor St. Clair to General Knox.
Fort Harmar, October 26, 1788.
Sir: — A capital opportunity to Pittsburgh presenting itself, I
could not let it pass without writing, although I have nothing to
communicate more than when I wrote last, which was on the 7th
instant. I then informed you of the Indians having been sent out
for intelligence ; two of them returned on the 17th, but brought no
satisfactory accounts, having stopped at a little Seneca village called
the Wasp's Town, between the two Sanduskys. Their inforraation,
as I took it from the mouth of the interpreter, is as follows: That
they were seven days going to the upper Sandusky ; the men there

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 93
were all gone away, most of them gone to the Miarai ; went on to
the Wasp's Town, where a few of the raen were at horae ; were in
formed there that the nations were still in council at the Miami, and
their numbers immense ; that Brant had spoken so differently from
what had been expected was the reason they had been detained
there so loug ; that the chief at the Wasp's Town told them it was
a great day's journey for a horse and the road very bad to the
Miami, and as they must be tired with their journey, they should
halt where they were, and he would send one of his people to bring
them the news ; they halted two days to rest themselves, and then
set out on their-return, leaving the third man to bring the news, and
we might certainly expect him in four days ; that there were various
ill reports amongst the Indians that we intended, when they carae
here, to kill them all, either by putting poison in the spirits we gave
thera or communicating the small-pox with the blankets; that an
Indian, the son of Abraham Khun, who understood English very
well, had heard two great men talking together at Pittsburgh about
it, and that it was agreed upon ; that old Khun had told his people
of it, and forbidden them on that account to come here ; that the
western nations were much dissatisfied with Brant ; had put him
down, and would probably kill him.
On being asked what they meant by Brant talking differently
from what had been expected, they said he had been exciting all the
nations to a war with the Americans, and they were dissatisfied with
him for that reason.
They also brought a string of wampum, and delivered a short
message from the people at Wasp's Town, which was, in substance,
to request that we would still have patience, and we should hear
from them soon, and expressive of sorae fear of a visit from us at
their towns, as it was interpreted, but the interpreter is a most
stupid, ignorant fellow. The words were: "Be strong and have
patience ; you seem as if you were ready to come and speak to us
here, but be strong and sit still, for in a few days you shall hear
from us." In a former letter, I observed that it was impossible the
Indians in very great numbers could subsist about the Miarai for any
length of tirae, and, therefore, considered that they raust have dis
persed. It would seem, however, if there is any thing in the above in
telligence, that they are still at that place. Certain it is, that in the
country about the Miarai game is very scarce, and if they are really
there, then subsistence must be derived from Detroit, but it is not
probable tbat the British would, or indeed could, supply so great a
number of people from that post, on a business such as that of the

94 The St. Clair Papers.
Indians ostensibly is, and at a season when fresh supplies can not be
thrown in frora Canada. Their nurabers, then, must be inconsider
able, or they are dispersed. The silence of the messengers, for
there has not a word come since that I last transmitted of the 28th
and 30th of August, is an extraordinary circumstance ; nor have
we any thing from the two last white men, who left here on the 20th
of September. On the 10th, I dispatched the Indian who palls him
self George Washington. I have much depeiidence on him, and he
proposed to return about this tirae ; return, I have no doubt he
will, unless they kill him, and it was his own declaration that they
should not otherwise prevent hira.
It is to be observed that the reports about Brant brought by the
Indian messengers are not rauch to be depended on ; they were the
Cornstalk's people, and sent out by hira, and between these two
there is a mortal and open rivalship and enmity. If the western
nations are dissatisfied with him, it would seem full as probable that
it has arisen from his recoramending peace to them, because, from
the very raoment of signing the treaty of the Miami to this day,
they have been doing mischief. The last that we heard of was the
kilhng of one Filson,' a surveyor, who was laying out Judge
Symmes's town, about three weeks ago. The thing is certain,
though we have not the particulars.
You will please, likewise, to observe that the advice of the chief
at the Wasp's Town to the Indians to halt there, when translated
into English, was a prohibition to proceed, and so understood by
them; for, notwithstanding the distance, which is about forty-four
miles, and the badness of the roads, it has been often gone on foot
by an Indian in one day. The delay that has taken place has been
most mortifying to me in many ways, but in none more than by
preventing so long ray visiting the settleraents on the Mississippi
and the Wabash, where I know my presence is very necessary to
put things in order and quiet the rainds of the people. The late
resolution of Congress respecting their lands and the donations, must,
undoubtedly, have that effect, and I shall lose as little time as possi
ble over carrying it into execution. I jDropose to stay here about a
week longer ; if no accounts arrive within that time, we may cer
tainly give the matter up and expect hostilities. The season
will then be too far advanced for their raeeting us, and for much in
jury being done to the upper part of the Virginia frontier and that
of Pennsylvania ; what raay happen lower down is more easily im-

1 John Filson.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 95
agined than prevented. I have yet no reply to ray application to
the Executive of Virginia or Pennsylvania, though I heard that
the latter had called the assembly, so that no defensve measures can
be taken ; it is too late for offensive ones, which only can be effect
ively defensive.
I forgot to mention that Lieutenant Armstrong, on his way with
a detachment to the Falls, was fired upon at the mouth of Scioto,
and had one man wounded.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, November 4th, 1788.
Sir : — A day or two ago I wrote you a hasty letter, to inform you
that the Indian messenger Washington had returned and brought
letters from Wilson, which gave me reason to expect the Indians
would soon be here. I did not think to have troubled you again
before the return of Wilson, which I had reason to expect before
now, but as Major Doughty is setting out for New York, and I had
time to send copies of the letter of Wilson, and one from Brant ' to
him, I could not let slip so good an opportunity. They are now in
closed. Wilson's letter is marked No. 1, that from Brant to hira
No. 2, and No. 3 is a copy of a letter from Isaac Williams (whora
I have mentioned to you before), to General Butler.
You will observe that Wilson says in the postscript, that there
was a good deal more in the speech delivered by the Wyandots than
he had written, but Washington had heard it from the Pipe, and
could inform us. I can not learn any thing of consequence from
him about it, further thau that there had been little unanimity
amongst them ; that the Kickapoos and Piquas (a tribe ofthe Twight-
wees) particularly would agree to nothing that was proposed, and
would propose nothing themselves; that the Wyandots presented
iThe letter of Brant, which is tho only one having interest to us, has not
been found. At tbis time Brant was atthe MiamiEiver waiting on the West
ern nations for the purpose of holding a council. Judging from other letters
of liis of that period, we may guess his letter to St. Clair professed a de
sire for peace, but mentioned difficulties in the way through the opposition
ofthe Western Indians. In a letter to P. Langan he said: "I have still my
doubt whether we will all join or not, some being no ways inclined for peace
able methods. The Hurons, Chippewas, Ottowas, Pottawatamies, and Dela
wares, will join with us in trying lenient steps and having a boundary line
fixed; and, rather than enter headlong into a destructive war will give up a
small part of their country."

96 The St. Clair Papers.
them with a large string of wampum, taking hold of one end of it
and desiring thera to hold fast by the other, which they refused to
do ; that they then laid it on the shoulder of their principal chief,
recommending to them to be at peace with the Americans, and to do
as the Six Nations and the others did, but, without making any an
swer, he turned himself on one side and let it fall to the ground ;
that they, the Wyandots, got up and told them they had been a long
time there talking to them and advising thera for their good, they
would now leave thera to talk by themselves, and immediately left
the council-house.
I \i'\\\ not trouble you with my conjectures about this business, and
any thing I cau say would be nothing more. In a few days we shall
have better information, perhaps, when I shall have the honor to
make the communication. As to the action of the British, however,
I can not help supposing that it must have arisen frora the expecta
tion that the United States would certainly go to war with them,
the effects of which ought to recoil upon themselves. Washington
raentions this circumstance further in that speech, viz: that ifthey
would not iramediately go and meet the American commissioners at
the Muskingum, they should not receive from them (the British) so
much as a breech-clout. The truth of all this I hope I may be able
to discover if there is a difference among them, and improve it to
the best advantage of the United States.

Governor St. Clair to Judge Varnum.'
County of Washington, November 4th, 1788.
Sir: — I am informed that the law respecting marriages which was
agreed to by you. Judge Parsons and myself, and was sent to me for
my subscription, and which I did subscribe, and granted a warrant
for affixing the seal of the Territory to (not doubting but before the
publication it would receive the subscriptions of Judge Parsons and
yourself), has, by some mistake, been published without your sign
manual, and that you now refuse to subscribe it. This, sir, is a lit
tle embarrassing. When you consider of it, I can not think that
you will persevere in withholding that public testimony of its having
been your act, as well as that of Judge Parsons and me, as it was
certainly agreed upon by all. You are sensible, sir, that agreement
ought to appear, as without it the authenticity and the validity of
^Original letter in possession of Robert Clarke, Esq.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 97
the law may be called in question ; I persuade myself, therefore,
that on consideration you will yet subscribe the law, which will per
fect it. But it must not rest in its present state. I, therefore, re
quest you to inforra me in direct terms, whether you will subscribe
it or not, that such steps may be taken in the matter as may be
thought necessary.

Governor St. Clair to Charles Thomson, Secretary op
Congress.Fort Harmar, November Qth, 1788.
Sir: — Your favor of the 1st of September, together with the in
closures, has been in my hands since the beginning of the last
month. That I have not acknowledged the receipt of it earlier, bas
been owing to the expectation I was in, from day to day, that I
would soon be able to mark the time when I could proceed to execute
the orders of Congress in the country below, which were conveyed
with it. From my letters to the Secretary of War, you will have
seen how those expectations have been disappointed.
By the instructions of the 29th of August, I am directed to pro
ceed without delay, except while necessarily detained by the treaty
now on hand, to the French settlement on the Mississippi. Had the
treaty taken place at the time, it raight reasonably have been ex
pected, I should, before now, have been in the execution of those in
structions ; but the season is now so far advanced, and it is still so
uncertain when the Indians may arrive here, that it is very doubt
ful whether I shall be able to go down the river before spring. The
last intelligence I have from the Indian country is of the 22d ult.
They were said to be on their way here, and I have looked in vain
for the arrival of Wilson, a messenger of ours, as their precursor, for
over a week. Their motions must, however, necessarily be slow, as
they have not a morsel of provisions, and must consequently hunt
their way ; they were reduced to great extremity before thpy broke
up at the Miami.
It appears probable that the business to be done with them here
would not take up much tirae, a.s it is pretty certain there has not
been much cordiality amongst them, but as the Six Nations will, iu
all likelihood, winter in this part ofthe country, they will draw the
negotiation into as great a length as possible, to have the better
pretext for being supplied.
VOL. II— 7

98 The St. Clair Papers.
In the proposed treaty with the Indians who claira the lands on
the Mississippi, if there are any such, I observe it is expected they
may be satisfied with an annual supply of corn or other provisions
for a limited time. How such a proposition may be relished by them
I can not .say, but ifthey are- of similar dispositions to those we are
better acquainted with, it will not be relished at all. Goods to a cer
tain value, delivered to them in that way, perhaps might, and if the
expense be the same, I see no difference ; but the wish of Congress
upon this subject may possibly be obtained before any thing can be
done respecting it.

Governor St. Clair to Ebenezer Zane.
Fort Harmar, November 13, 1788.
Sir: — We have now a prospect of a treaty with the Indians, com
mencing in a short time, and hope it may come to a favorable issue.
There is, however, no certainty of that : and, if it should take an
other turn, the country would be very much exposed. It is a long
tirae since Congress called upon Virginia for a thousand militia to
be in readiness in case of the worst, and I wrote to the Governor on
the subject, but have had no answer, which embarrasses rae. You
would oblige me very much by informing me whether, if things
should take a wrong turn, any number of men could be suddenly
got to march from your county with their own horses and provisions
and arms, and how many ?
I hope and believe it may not be necessary, but when things look
the best we should provide for a change. Your answer, as soon as
possible, wiU oblige me. Who is the Lieutenant of your county ?

Governor St. Clair to Major Wyllys.
Fort Harmar, November 28, 1788.
Sir: — I have received information from Detroit that some over
tures have been made by the people of Kentucky to Lord Dorches
ter, to be taken under the protection of the British Government,
and that Colonel Conolly is lately gone frora thence to Louisville
-on that business, but under pretense of obtaining certificates respect
ing property he had in that country, which was coufiscated during
the war. It may be in your power to watch that gentleman, and,
perhaps, to discover whether there be any thing in the report.
Should you think there .are any grounds for it, I suppose it would

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 99
not be difficult to get him over to the fort, when about to quit the
country, and examine, very strictly, his luggage and papers. If he
has papers that would make any discovery, they will be concealed
with a good deal of art. When he was apprehended during the
war, his instructions from Lord Dunmore were concealed in the
stocks of his mail pillion, which were hollowed for the purpose.
Should there be any truth in the matter, and that overtures have ac
tually been made, some address and perfect secrecy will be necessary,
as there is no knowing who may be the persons engaged in it, for
which reason I have not coraraunicated the intelligence to any other
person but you. It would spread like wildfire if any person in that
country knew of it, and the raeans of detecting it be gone. It is a
delicate affair, but I am sure you will manage it in such a raanner
as to reach the truth ; at the same time that the respect due to the
rank of the man (if honestly employed) will be broken in upon as
little as possible.
Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, December 3, 1788.
Sir: — I had the honor to address you on the 12th ultimo, and
transmitted the messages and information I had received to that
time, with my answers to the messages, and I promised to send
forward the messenger's report by the next opportunity. That re
port I have not yet received, as I thought it best, the Indians
having desired it, to send Wilson back with my answer. On the
27th, Wilson returned, and brought the inclosed speech. No. 1,
from the Six Nations. That speech obliged me to reply to the Six
Nations particularly, of which No. 2 is a copy, and also to send a
speech to the Nations, wherein I entered fully into the pretenses
they have made to be discharged from the obligation of former
treaties, showed thera the futility of them, and gave them a view
of the consequences of peace and war to themselves ; but, as this
is a lengthy affair, and I have been very ill with the gout, and still
am so, I could not get a copy ready for this conveyance ; it shall be
forwarded by the next. On the 1st instant, Wilson was again dis
patched with those messages, and, two days after, the Cornplanter
sent two of his people to see what was going forward. They re
turned this day, and brought with them a Seneca, of those who
were with Brant, who delivered me a message from the Wyandots,
and four of the Western Nations, but he could not particularize
them. The purport of the message is to let me know that they are

100 The St. Clair Papers.
on their way, and are got about fifteen miles this side the falls ; that
they are determined to come to the council at this place, and desir
ing that we may yet have a little patience ; that their hearts are
good as they believe those of the Americans to be. These Indians
say that Brant, on the receipt of the message, iramediately deter
mined to go back with his people by way of Detroit, and had moved
some miles before they set out; that from his new encampment he
had sent for the chiefs of the Wyandots and Delawares to meet
hira there ; but they had refused to go, telling hira they were on their
way to the Muskingum, and he might corae to them there.
This moment a messenger arrived from Wilson with the inclosed
letter. No. 3 ; excuse me for troubling you with the original, for I
am not able to copy it. It disagrees with the Indian intelligence, in
the circumstance that the chiefs were going to meet Brant, but Wil
son had not seen either the Wyandots or Delawares, and it must
have been Brant's conclusion that they would meet him. The
messenger says that the Pipe, the chief of the Delawares, and the
Wyandot chiefs, whom he saw after parting with Brant, told him
they would not go, but would be here in four days.
The Shawanese, Delawares, and Miamis, said to be at hand, are
the hostile tribes who live at the Miarai Village — Kikayuga is the
name they gave to that town.

General Henry Knox to Governor St. Clair.
War Office, December 8, 1788.
Silr: — . . . Having just returned from the eastward, and
the post being to depart this day, I have not time to answer your
several communications, but, by the next opportunity, I shall par
ticularly reply to the several objects therein stated, which may re
quire an answer.
It raust be a subject of great chagrin to you to find that the
Indians have postponed their meeting to so late a period, and
that your hopes of a general treaty are so weak. Deeply impressed
as you are with the evils attending an Indian war at this period,
you will have made use of every honorable expedient to avoid so
injurious an event, and, as it appears frora your communications
to be the wish of the officers commanding the British posts that the
Indians should treat with the United States, it may be hoped that
the issue will yet be favorable. If you should not be able to assem
ble the Northern tribes now, you raay be able to make a solid ar-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 101
rangement for assembling them and the Western Indians early the
next year.
At present there is no Congress ; whether one will assemble until
the new Constitution shall take place, is uncertain.
If, notwithstanding your utmost exertions, an Indian war, either
partial or general, should be inevitable, the best possible arrange
ments should be adopted for carrying it on with such vigor as
speedily to terminate it, for a protracted Indian war would be de
struction to the republic in its present circumstances. In case,
therefore, of this event becoming certain, many reasons would con
cur to render your presence necessary at the seat of government.

Governor St. Clair to John Jay.'
Fort Harmar, December ISth, 1788.
Sir : — I have received information from Detroit, which I depend
upon, that a certain Colonel Conolly, who came to that place from
Quebec la'st winter, has not long ago set out for LouisvUle, at the
Rapids of the Ohio. He is the Conolly that made himself pretty
remarkable during the progress of the Revolution, and was appointed
a lieutenant-colonel in one of the refugee corps. He is upon the
half-pay list, and has lately obtained from Lord Dorchester an ad
dition of two hundred pounds sterling per annum, and his expenses.
The reason he assigned, at Detroit, for the journey to Louisville
was, that he might obtain certificates of the value of his property
in that country, which had been confiscated, in order to support the
claim he had made upon the British governraent for compensation.
My information is, that he is sent to tamper with the people of
Kentucky, and induce them to throw themselves into the arms of
Great Britain, and to assure them of protection and support in that
measure ; if that can not be brought about, to stimulate them to
hostilities against .the Spaniards, and, at (any) rate, to detach them
from the United States. I have written to Major Wyllys, who
commands at the Rapids, informing him of these circumstances, and
requesting him to have an eye upon him, and, if he finds him either
exciting a revolt or tampering the people to hostilities against
Spain, to make him a prisoner and to send him to this post, with a
'Mr. Jay was Minister for Foreign AflTairs of the old Continental Con
oress when St. Clair was President, and continued in that position until after
the government was organized under the new Constitution. He was suc
ceeded, in March, 1790, by Mr. Jeflierson.

102 The St. Clair Papers.
transcript of the testimony against him, and the names of the per
sons who will support it, that they may be forwarded together to
you. I know of no other officer of the United States, sir, who
could with propriety take cognizance of it, but if in that I am mis
taken, you will please to inform me to whom he should be sent, in
ease he should be apprehended. The offense, I have no doubt, is
treasonable ; but, whether we have any laws to punish treason against
the United States, I doubt very much ; even in that case, as the
country is within the lands of Virginia, it will be treason against
that State, and there he might be punished for it. Since he arrived
at Louisville he gave out that he had discovered sorae flaw in the
act of Asserably and means to attempt the recovery of his estate by
a course of law, and, as that will detain him in the country, he has
hired a house and taken up his residence.
It is certain, sir, that, in the last Convention, a proposal was made
that the district of Kentucky should set up for itself, not only as
independent of Virgiuia, but of the United States also, and was re
jected by a small majority only. It may possibly be that overtures
have been made to Lord Dorchester ; but it can not be that my
lord would make Conolly such an allowance, or, indeed, any allow
ance, for looking after his property and to bring on a claim against
his nation. Conolly has also been writing to raany people about
Pittsburgh, and in that country, and has intimated an intention to
visit that place this winter, and, I have heard, has opened himself
pretty freely to General Morgan, of Winchester in Virginia. All
those circumstances put together make it more than probable that
he is agent of the British for some sinister purpose. If any other
measures than those I have directed ought to be pursued, you will
oblige rae by pointing thera out, and they shall be executed without
delay. After the tedious expectation that has attended the proposed
treaty with the Indians, there is now a prospect of its soon begin
ning ; indeed, in a few days, as they are now within two short days'
journey. It will not, however, be a very general meeting, as Brant,
who is also a British pensioner at four hundred pounds sterling per
annum, after coming withiu sixty miles of us, is gone back to De
troit, and has taken with him the whole of the Mohawks and a part
of some other tribes of the same nations, and it is to be feared will
also prevail with the Shawanese and the Western people, who were
within two days journey of him, on their ^vay here, to return with
him likewise. I do not, however, consider that as any great mis
fortune, because I believe the consequence will be the dissolution of

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 108
the general confederacy which he and the British had taken so much
pains to form, and hope to be able to keep the frontiers of New
York, Pennsylvania, and the upper part of Virginia, in peace this
winter. No treaty, I believe, will secure the lower frontier at pres
ent. If that, and the possession and sale of the Western Territory,
is an object with Congress, they must prepare to chastise the Western
nations as early in the summer as possible.
The depredation they commit upon the inhabitants is intolerable,
and it is not confined now to the inhabitants. They have had the
audacity to fall upon the parties escorting the provisions to the posts,
and those posts ate so weak and so distant from each other, and sup
plied with so much difficulty, that they will either fall into their
hands or be abandoned for want of provisions if things remain
upon the same footing.
It is to be feared that the Indians, at the same time, will not want
for assistance from the British, and it is pretty evident that people
have no thought of surrendering the posts they hold within the ter
ritory of the United States, for Lord Dorchester, who visited them
himself this last summer, has ordered the town at Detroit to be
picketed in, which is completed, and additional works to be con
structed there, and a fort they call St. Clair, on the American side
of the strait, between the lake of that narae and the Huron, which
had been begun during the war and abandoned at the peace, to
be corapleted.
It was always my fear that our Westerp Territory, instead of prov
ing a fund for paying our national debt, would be a source of mis
chief and increasing expense, but the expense is not the worst part
of it. It has given such a spring to the spirit of emigration, too
high before, that though it is pregnant with the most serious conse
quences to the Atlantic States, it can not now be held back, and the
Spaniards are also trying to harm that spirit with great industry to
their advantage, so that those States not only lose their people and
sink the value of their soil for the present, but are laying the founda
tion of the greatness of a new country.
It is for a considerable time that the Spaniards have been offering
a thousand acres of land gratis to every American who would re
move into the West or Florida, to pay ten dollars for every hun
dred-weight of tobacco he could raise and deliver at New Orleans,
an exeraption from all taxes, and a proportionate price for provisions
and other articles the produce of his farm, but they have lately
gone a step farther. If I am well inforraed. Colonel Morgan, who
was lately in treaty with the Board of Treasury for a tract of land

104 The St. Clair Papers.
on the Mississippi, has obtained of Mr. Gardoqui a grant of a very
large tract upon the Spanish side, opposite to the mouth of the Ohio,
which he engages to settle with Araericans. They are to have the
same privileges with those who reraove into Florida.
He is now at Fort Pitt, and it is supposed will carry a good many
people from that country. Upon Kentucky is, however, his chief
dependence, for in that quarter are many thousands of people, who
have been tempted by the accounts published of its amazing fer
tility to quit their ancient settlements without having secured a foot
of land there, and can not obtain lands but at a price that is beyond
their reach. There is no doubt many of those will readily join him,
for they have no country, and indeed that attachraent to the natah
solum that has been so powerful and active a principle in other
countries is very little felt in America.
I have been casting about for some way to counteract Mr. Morgan,
and I can not think of any so likely to succeed as for Congress to
change the mode of disposing of the Western lands in large tracts,
at least to change it for a part of them, and lay them open to be
taken up by the people who settle upon them. The country upon
the Mississippi, and between that and the Wabash, would accommo
date the people of Kentucky who have no laods, and I believe it
would tempt them to remove to it rather than the Spanish side, and
it might be disposed of in the manner the proprietors of Pennsyl
vania sold the lands they had purchased of the Indians. It was
thus : The lauds were set at five pounds sterling per hundred acres ;
no more than three hundred acres were allowed to be taken up by
one man. He made a description, in writing, of the piece he
wanted, bounding it either upon lands already granted, or some
creek or river, or marked trees, that rendered it sufficiently certain,
and carried it to the office of the Surveyor-General, where it was
entered into a book kept for the purpose. The Surveyor-General
issued an order for making the survey returnable within a certain
time to his office, and the applicant took possession. The purchase-
money ran upon interest frora the date of the order of survey, and
was discharged when it was in the person's power, though to make
them more industrious a time was fixed within which the patents
should be taken out, but no advantage was taken of their overpass
ing that time ; on the payment of principal and interest the patents
issued. I believe there is not an instance, though it was a very ex
tensive country, at least, the instances were few, where the patents
had not been taken out, and all the land, good and bad, had been
sold. Although this mode would not so suddenly extinguish any part

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 105
of the debt as that now in use, yet an interest equal to the interest of
the debt, so far as the lands went, would be accruing to the United
States, and the principal would come in at last, and the people, who
are of infinite yalue, that will otherwise be more than lost, will be
secured. The present inhabitants of that country, when they see it
gathering strength by the accession of new inhabitants will be more
contented to remain in it.
The Spaniards are also at work with them to induce them to
abandon it, and have succeeded with many of them. Excuse me,
sir, for troubling you with my ideas on the subject — they are crude
ideas, but you will improve upon thera and perfect thera, if they de
serve any attention. The subject is, in ray opiinion, an interesting
one to the United States.
The Spaniards have also been making seizures upon the east side
of the Mississippi, within the territory of the United States. Gen
eral Harmar, some time ago, transmitted to the War Office the com
plaint of a Mr. Mcintosh, and I now inclose you the deposition ofa
Monsieur de St. Marie, on a like case, and extract from a letter from
Major Hamtramck, the commander at Post St. Vincennes, of the
13th of October, to General Harmar.'
I ought, sir, to beg pardon for troubling you with so long a letter,
but I can not put an end to it without requesting you to present my
best respects to Mrs. Jay.
p_ g_ — 15th. — I have mentioned extracts frora Major Hara-
tramck's letter, but gave you but one. The pther, which respects
some depredations and the murder of some friendly Indians, has
been inclosed by General Harmar in his dispatches to the Secretary
of War, and I have not time to get another raade out.
The treaty with the Indians is opened, and, so far as we have yet
gone, looks well.''

^The following is the extract from Major Hamtramck's letter referred to:
Post St. Vincennes, October loth, 1788.
The commandant of St. Louis has wrote a letter to the French of this
place, inviting them to come and settle on the Spanish side, and offers them
lands for nothing. This letter was given to an Indian. I have got it from
him before any of the people saw it.
N. B.— I have information from Mr. DeValeniere, the priest at Kaskaskia,
that like invitations have been given to the inhabitants there and at
Cahokia. 2 MS. found among the Hamtramck Papers

106 The St. Clair Papers.
Major Isaac B. Dunn' to Governor St. Clair.
Louisville, Ky., December, 1788.
Dear Sir ;— The following is a copy of a passport given by Lieu
tenant-Colonel John Connolly to an inhabitant of Kentucky :
To Alexander McKee, Esq. , Deputy Superintendent of Indian Affairs :
The Bearer hereof is Charged with Business of a friendly nature.
You will please therefore to recommend him to the Natives in Gen
eral that no evil consequences may ensue frora the interruption of
a good Design.
Given under my hand and seal at Lexington, in the District of
Kentucky, this third day of Deceraber, 1788.
John Connolly.
Alexaiuler McKey [McKee].

Governor St. Clair to General Knox.
Fort Harmar, December 13, 1788.
Sir: — Knowing the anxiety there raust be about the Indian busi
ness, I let slip no opportunity to give you information.
I have, however, nothing raore to communicate at present than
that a large body of the Indians, consisting ofthe Five Nations, the
Seneeas, the Wyandots, the Delawares, the Ottawas, the Chippe
was, the Pottawatamies and the Sacs, arrived last night," and the
ceremony of receiving them has been gone through. Brant, with
the Mohawdvs, and a few from some other of the Five Nations,
turned back imraediately on receiving my last message, of which I
sent you a copy. He did every thing possible to prevent the rest
from coming forward, but without effect. The Shawanese and
Twightwees, with the Delawares, who lived with the Shawanese,
were within two days' journey of Brant's camp when he turned,
and it is probable he would meet with them and take them with hira.
The Pipe was sent after thera to press thera not to listen to him,
but his messengers .ire not yet returned, neither are the whole of
those nations I mentioned above yet come in, but will be here in a
few days, when the business will begin in form. Inclosed is a copy
of No. 1 of the speech to all the nations, which I mentioned iu my
^ Major Dunn, who was Aid-de-Camp on General St. Clair's staff during
the revolutionary war, had settled at Louisville and gone into mercantile
business. He was a frequent and useful correspondent.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 107
last, and No. 2 is Brant's answer, in the name of those nations,
which they disown.'

Thanksgiving Proclamation.
Forasmuch as it is incumbent on all men to acknowledge with
gratitude their infinite obligations to Almighty God for benefits re
ceived, and to implore his superintending care and Providence for
future blessings, I have thought proper to set apart a day for that
purpose, and do hereby ordain that Thursday, the 25th day of De
cember, be observed as a day of solemn thanksgiving and praise,
that the people may, with one voice and sincere hearts, express their
grateful sensations, and consecrate themselves to the will and pleasure
of their Divine Benefactor, and that together with their acknowl
edgments, they may unite in humble supplications to Almighty
God, that he would be graciously pleased to prosper this infant set
tlement and the whole Territory in their husbandry, trade and man
ufacturers, and by his own nurturing hand mature and bring to
perfection all seminaries of learning, and the promotion and en
largement of piety and true religion amongst all the nations of the
earth. And I do prohibit all servile labor on that day.
Given at Marietta this 17th day of December, A. d., 1788, and
in the thirteenth year of the Independence of the United States.
Arthur St. Clair,
Governor and Commander-in-Chief.
By His ExceUency's command :
Winthrop Sargent, Secretary.

General Knox to Governor St. Clair.
War Office, January 5th, 1789.
Sir : — ... In the particular situation in which you are
placed, the capricious conduct of the Indians must give you great
anxiety. I am persuaded every thing will be done on your part that can
be with propriety to avoid a war, and if that event should be inev
itable, that the evils of it may be justly charged to the Indians.
We shall be impatient to learn the result of your present nego
tiations, which in any case will be highly interesting.
At present there is a greater prospect of a Congress of seven
'Not found among the St. Clair Papers.

108 The St. Clair Papers.
States assembling by the 1st of February than existed at the time
I wrote you last, but it is improbable that a Congress of nine States
will be convened under the present confederation.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Fort Harmar, January 18, 1789.
Sir : — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 20th of December, and the pleasure to inform you that on
the llth inst. the business' with the Indians was finished. They
have renewed their forraer engagements ; that is, the Six Nations,
the Wyandots, Chippewas and Delawares, and the Pottawatamies
and Sacs have been included (none of the other nations having at
tended), and relinquished in, I believe, a proper form, for a valuable
consideration, the lands formerly granted. They seem to be very

1 The following proclamation vvas issued by Governor St. Clair lo give
public notice of the treaty. It is given, with all of Major Sargent's head
lines and additions, to show how public papers were executed before ex
perience adopted simpler, but less expressive, forms:
A Proclamation by his Exckllency, Governor St. Clair, Commander-
in-Chief, AND Commissioner Plenipotentiary for IIkmovino all
Causes of Controversy Between the Indians in the Northern
Department and the United States.
To all persons to whom these presents shall come — Greeting:
Whereas, A treaty' was concluded at Fort Harmar on the ninth day of
January, in this present year, with the Six Nations — Wyandotte, Delaware,
Chippewa, Ottawa, Pottawotamie and Sac nations of Indians and the United
States — whereby peace and friendship have been renewed and confirmed be
tween the United States and the before-mentioned Indian nations —
All the citizens nnd subjects of the United States are hereby required to
take notice of the same, and to abstain from every act of hostility, injury^
or injustice to the said nations, as they shall answer the contrary at their
peril. Given under my hand and seal at Marietta, in the county of Washington
and Territory of the United States, northwest of the River Ohio, the 24th
day of January, a. d. 1789, and in the thirteenth year of the independence
of the United States. Arthur St. Clair.
By his Excellency's command. Winthrop Sargent, Secretary.
God save the United States.

1 See Appendix,

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 109
well satisfied, and if they are not sincere in their professions, they
know very well how to put on the appearance of it. One good con
sequence I certainly expect from the meeting, to-wit: that their
confederacy is broken, and that Brant has lost his infiuence ; not
withstanding, it is more than probable that he may be able to incite
the Shawanese, and some of the others whom he prevented from
coming forward, to mischief, and that the stroke will fall upon Ken
tucky. This is the opinion of the most sensible among them, with
whom I have conversed upon the subject.
We are at present frozen up here, and communication by water
consequently cut off; but General Butler, by whora I forward this,
attempts the passage by land — a journey I am at present unable to
undertake. So soon as the river opens, I shall leave this post and
proceed, to New York; but if any thing should happen to retard
me, the treaty, with the minutes of the proceedings, shall be for
warded by the post.

Account of the Indian Treaties from the Diary of Major
Ebenezer Denny.
1788, December 13th. — About two hundred Indians arrive; con
sist of Delawares, Wyandots, Seneeas, Tawas, Pottawatamies, Chip
pewas and Sacs. No Shawanese.
14th. — Meeting in council-house to welcome each other, etc.
15th. — Met in council ; treaty opened. This evening. Captains
Ferguson and Beatty set out, and Ensign McDowell arrived, who
had been escorting Mr. Marten, surveying up the Scioto.
20th. — The weather is extremely cold ; the river driving with ice.
The Governor and Indians have had frequent meetings in the
council-house, but nothing conclusive yet.
29th. — A grand council was held. The old Wyandot chief,
Shandotto, addressed the Governor in_ behalf of all the nations
present. He began by telling their origin, and how the Thirteen
Fires had gotten possession of their country ; how we had, in two
instances, cheated them. The first, he said, was in a bargain made
with them for just as much ground as an ox's hide would cover —
merely to build one fire upon. The Americans cut the hide into
strings, and claimed all the ground they could encompass therewith.
The second case was a bargain for su^h an extent of country, in a
certain direction, as a white man would travel to and back in
one day. A surprising walker was found, who went as far and
back again the same day as any of their swiftest men could do in

110 The St. Clair Papers.
two. These, said he, were submitted to, as you were strangers in
our country, and professed to be our friends; but you bave gone on
frora one step to another, so that we don't know when you will
stop. At a treaty concluded to the northward, before the late var,
he said, they had given up all' the country south of the Ohio River.
That boundary was a very plain one. It was such as could not be
altered or raistaken ; there could be no dispute about it. Concluded
by saying that all the nations present had deterrained to grant no
more of the country, but were willing to abide by the treaty which
established the Ohio River as the boundary line. He presented a
large belt of wampum with a black stripe running through the mid
dle of it, representing the Ohio River dividing, etc.
The Governor replied, and told them that he could not possibly
make the least deviation from the treaties which had been concluded
at Fort Stanwix, at Fort McIntosh, and at the Miami Eiver; that
at these treaties the several boundaries had been fixed, and were
unalterable. Council adjourned. Several, days pass over, Indians
pow-wowdng. The Ohio rising and driving with ice.
1789, January Gth, — All hands assemble again. The Governor
made a speech to the Indians. Explained to them by a simile how
they had forfeited their country. He supposed the Wyandots and
some distant nation at war with each other. The Shawanese, living
between, were desired by the Wyandots to lie still, which was
agreed to ; but the Shawanese, being of a restless disposition and
easily persuaded, took up the hatchet against their neighbors, the
Wyandots ; notwithstanding, the Wyandots conquered their ene
mies and obliged thera to sue for peace, and the Shawanese' lands
were given as a price for the same. Now, whether had not the
Wyandots a good claim to the lands? They all agreed it was but
just. Then, said he, this is exactly your case. You took up the
hatchet against the United States, and joined the English in the
late war. The English, to obtain peace, ceded to the United States
all the country south of the great lakes. He told them that they
had been all sumraer endeavoring to meet, but it seemed to be to no
purpose. The United States, he said, were much inclined to be at
peace with all the Indians ; but if the Indians wanted w-ar, they
should have war. He told them that if they would renew the
articles which had been agreed to and signed at Mcintosh, and at
the other treaties, he would add another article, and allow them the
privilege of hunting anywhere in the United States' territory, and
would deliver over to them a certain quantity of goods, such as
might be agreed on. Adjourned.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. Ill
January 9th. — In council once more. The old Wyandot chief,
Shandotto, who spoke for all the nations piresent, said he was sorry
the Governor talked of war. It was not long since both had felt
the effects of it. For their part, they wished for no more. He
said they all had a great regard for the Thirteen Fires, and would do
every tbing in their power to accoraraodate them for the sake of
peace ; only hoped the line would be removed a little way.
llth. — The articles were signed.
13th. — The goods were given out to the different nations of In
dians. The death of General Varnum, one of the judges of the
Territory, whd was buried this afternoon, is generally lamented. The
officers of the fort attended his funeral.
28th.- — ^The Governor, Pennsylvania Commissioners, and sundry
other gentlemen attending the grand treaty, left us for Fort Pitt.

Governor St. Clair to the President.
New York, May 2, 1789.
Sir: — I have the honor to lay before you the treaties concluded,
in pursuance of the instructions received frora Congress on the 26th
of October, 1787, and 2d of July, 1788, with several of the Indian
nations, in January last. That they were not presented at an
earlier period was owing, in part, to my own indisposition ; to the
severity of the winter, which rendered the communication by the
Ohio, for a long time, impracticable ; and to the circumstance that
the last Congress did not assemble after it was in ray power to have
sent them forward.
With the treaties, I beg leave to submit the minutes 9f the pro
ceedings at the different meetings after the nations were assembled,
and I have added to them, by way of appendix, all the letters and
messages that passed between them and me prior to their assembling.
These were coramunicated to the Secretary of War, from time to
time, and though they will, no doubt, be submitted by him to your
consideration, I thought it best, as they form a considerable part of
the transaction, to connect thera in that way, that the whole might
be seen together.
By the instruction of July 2d, I was directed to endeavor at
extending the northern boundary as far north as the completion
of the forty-first degree of north latitude. Besides that, it would
have been extremely difficult to have made the Indians coraprehend
how that was to be ascertained. I found that any attempt to extend

112 The St. Clair Papers.
the limits at that tirae would be very ill received, if not defeated en
tirely, the settling a peace with them ; it was, therefore, not pro
posed, and the boundaries remain as settled at the forraer treaties,
except the rectifying an error about the portage at the Miami vil
lage. The negotiation was both tedious and troublesome, and, for a long
time, had an unpromising aspect, but it came, at last, to as favorable
an issue as could have been expected ; and, I trust, will be attended
with consequences friendly to the frontier parts of the United States.
There are, however, several nations on the Wabash, and the rivers
which empty themselves into it, that are ill disposed, and from whom
there is reason to expect that a part of the frontier of Virginia and
the settlement forming on the Miami, will meet annoyance ; indeed,
that they have not been disturbed during the winter was not ex
pected either by me or the chiefs ofthe nations who met me at Fort
Harmar. The Wyandots appointed persons to go to thera and in
forra thera of the result of the treaty, and insist upon their desist
ing from further hostilities, which may have had some effect in pro
ducing the late tranquillity.
The claim of the Wyandot nation to the lands reserved to the
Shawanese was strongly insisted upon by them, and to be made an
article of the treaty — to that I would not consent ; but, to satisfy
thera, and that it raight be kept in reraembrance, it is inserted at
the bottom of it, by way of meraorandura. It seems this is a claim
that has always been held up, and the reason it was so much insisted
on at this time, they said, was, that they were sure that the Shawa
nese, and Cherokees incorporated with them, would continue to give
us trouble ; that it could not be expected to be borne with much
longer ; that they would be driven out of the country, and then it
would be claimed and held by the United States, by right of con
quest ; they further added, that, if the Shawanese continued their
depredations, they would, themselves, drive them off. They also
proposed that a post should be taken by the United States, at the
Miami village, as the surest means to overawe the nations on the
Wabash. It is certainly well situated for that purpose, and would
command the greatest part of the Indian trade. As it was very un
certain whether Congress might approve of such a measure, as a
post so far inland would with difficulty be supported, and were in no
readiness to convey it into execution if it should be approved, I de
sired them to consider well whether it could be done without a con
test with the Indians who live there ; and whether, in that case
there was not danger of they themselves being involved, through

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 113
tho ungovernableness of their young men. They acknowledged
that they thought there was danger of both, but promised to send
some of their principal men to the Miamies, and prepare them for
receiving a garrison peaceably, and are to give me notice in the
spring. The reason why the treaties were made separately with the Six
Nations and the Wyandots, and more westerly tribes, was a jeal
ousy that subsisted between them, which I was not willing to lessen
by appearing to consider them as one people — they do not so con
sider themselves ; and I am persuaded their general confederacy is
entirely broken ; indeed, it would not be very difficult, if circum
stances required it, to set them at deadly variance.
The great length of time that elapsed between the appointed
period for the meeting and that at which the Indians assembled,
during which, numbers of them were constantly going and coming,
has increased the expense in the article of provisions considerably ;
the utmost possible econoray, however, was used through the whole
of the business, and, in transacting it, I flatter myself with meeting
the approbation of Congress.

Colonel R. K. Meade' to Governor St. Clair.
Frederick, May 4, 1789.
Dear Sir: — This will be handed to you by Colonel William Nel
son, formerly of the Virginia line. He is accompanied by Mr.
Holmes and my brother, David Meade, who has a letter from Colo
nel Harrison to you. These gentlemen seem inclined to touch on
your shore on their way down the river. I will not, then, from our
former intimacy and long military acquaintance, hesitate to take the
liberty of introducing them to your kind attention. Sensible of your
good disposition, and frora a wish to render you any service, I can
not think it proper to trouble you with a load of apologies on this
occasion, but only assure you of my gratitude. It would afford me
infinite satisfaction to visit the western country, but more especially
your part of it, where I should have a knowledge of many charac
ters busily employed in improving the works of our Maker and lay
ing a foundation, I conceive, for the happiest and best government
in the Union, being peopled chiefly by our hardy and industrious
countrymen frora the east, who are true republicans, and whose
1 Colonel Meade, Aid-de-Camp to General Washington, during the Eevo
lutionary War.

114 The St. Clair Papers.
virtue aud zeal carried many of thera through the war, but, above
all, I am told your constitution forbids slavery. This will give you
advantages which you have full in your view of things, and, there
fore, unnecessary for me to raention. The abolition of slavery, even
in these Southern States, is the wish of every liberal miud,' and I
am inclined to think that the raode of effecting it is the only obsta
cle. Should I ever quit my present residence, the few I have will be
freed by a reraove to your quarter, should Congress confirm our
locations over the Ohio. I, however, will conclude with observing
that the soil aud climate where I am are both too tempting to give
up for a remoter, though more productive situation— add to this, I
am rendered infirm by a severe unmerited gout.
Be assured I sincerely wish you every happiness and benefit to be
derived from your office, climate, and soil.
P. S.— Recollecting you are a fellow sufferer from the gout, lest
you may not be inforraed of the several cures, I inclose them.

President Washington to the Governor of Virginia.^
New York, May IQth, 1789.
Sir : — A letter of the 4th inst. frora Lieutenant-Governor Wood
has been received, wdth its inclosures, containing the information
of some murders committed by the Indians on the 23d Of last month
at Dunkeld Creek, which runs into the Monongahela River.
It is with concern that I learu this circumstance, as a treaty had
lately been concluded by the Governor of the Westeru Territory with
the Wyandot, Delaware, Ottawa, Chippewa, Pottawatamie and Sac
Nations of Indians north-west of the Ohio.
It is most probable that the recent murders have been committed
by a party frora the remnants of the Shawanese tribe, who are
joined by a few renegade Cherokees.
The Governor of the Western Territory, who is here, will soon
return to the frontiers, and he will, in conjunction with the com
manding officer of the troops, take such raeasures with the said
Shawanese and other refractory tribes as the occasion may require,
and the public situation admit.
It would be highly proper in future, in case of depredations south
^ This opinion of Colonel Meade as to the evil effects of slavery, confirms
tho view expressed in Vol. 1. in tho discussion of the Ordinance, as to the
prevailing sentiment among intelligent Virginia and Alaryland gentlemen.
^ Beverly Tucker.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 115
of the Ohio, that information be coramunicated as early as possible
to the nearest post of the troops stationed on the Ohio, in order, if
possible, that the banditti raay be intercepted.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
New York, June 14, 1789.
Sir: — I have been honored with your letter of the 12th, and in
reply have to observe that, by the resolution of Congress of the 29th
of August, 1788,' I was directed to repair to the Mississippi, in
^ The United States in Congress assembled August 1%th ;
On the report of a committee, consisting of Mr. Williamson, Mr. Dane,
Mr. Clark, Mr. Tucker, and Mr. Baldwin, to whom was referred the report
of a former committee respecting the inhabitants of Fort Vincennes:
Resolved, That measures be taken for confirming in their possessions and
titles the French and Canadian inhabitants, and other settlers at Fort Vin
cennes, who, on or before- the year 1783, had settled there, and had pro
fessed themselves citizens of the United States, or any of them, and for
laying off to them, at their own expense, the several tracts which they right
fully claim, and which may have been allotted to them according to the laws
and usages of the governments under which they have respectively settled.
That four hundred acres of land be reserved and given to every head of a
family of the above description settled at Fort St. Vincennes, That the
Governor of the Western Territory cause to be laid out, at the public ex
pense, in the form of a square, adjoining to the present improvements at
Fort Vincennes, and in whatever direction the settlers shall prefer, a tract
of land sufficient for completing the above donation, which tract shall after
wards be divided by lot among the settlers who are entitled to any part of
the same, in such manner as they shall agree. Charles Thomson, Secretary.
On a report ofthe same committee, the following instructions to General
St. Clair, Governor of the Western Territory, were agreed to:
Sir ; — You are to proceed without delay, except while you are necessarily
detained by the treaty now on hands, to the French settlement on the river
Mississippi, in order to give dispatch to the several measures which are to
be taken according to the acts of 20th of June last and the 28th instant, of
which a copy is inclosed for your information. You are to inquire whether
there be any Indians who claim the lands on the east side of the Mississippi
Kiver, above the mouth of the Ohio, and if there be any such Indians, you
are immediately to take measures for holding a treaty with them and ex
tinguishing their claim, at least to so much of the territory as you find de
scribed in the aforesaid acts, and to several acts of October 22d, 1787, relative
to lands on the Mis-issippi. If you find it best and cheaper to extinguish
the claim of those Indians by agreeing to furnish them annually with a

116 The St. Clair Papers.
order to hold a treaty with the Indians, who inhabit the country
upon that river, for the extinguishing their claims to lands within
certain liraits, if any such claims existed, and to lay out certain do
nations of land to the ancient inhabitants. From thence I was to
proceed to Post St. Vincennes, upon the Wabash, and lay out like
donations for the inhabitants there ; but the instructions contained
no directions to make any purchase about the post, frora a presump
tion, I suppose, that a cession had been raade there to the crown of
France. With the reraainder of the goods frora forraer treaties,
aud the warrants I have received frora the Board of Treasury, there
is sufficient, I suppose, in my hands to defray the expenses of the
treaty with the Mississippi Indians, exclusive of the provisions.
What they may amount to I can not ascertain, as I am ignorant of the
Indian nurabers. They are inconsiderable ; but an immediate pro
vision for the payment of the provisions, either for that or any other
treaty, is not necessary, the contractors being obliged to furnish all
rations that may be required by the United States.
certain allowance, in corn or other provisions, for a term not exceeding ten
years, you will contract accordingly.
When you have examined the titles and possessions of the settlers on the
Mississippi, in which they are to ba confirmed, and given directions for laying
out the reserve land, which the settlers may divide as they shall think best
among themselves, by lot, you are to report the whole of your proceedings
to Congress.
After you shall have dispatched the several matters committed to vour
care on the Mississippi, you will proceed to Vincennes, where you are to pur
sue the measures directed to be taken by the act of this day, and report your
proceedings accordingly. C. Thomson, Secretary.
Memorandum by Governor St. Clair.
In the act of Virginia for establishing a land office (page 10, Vol. 96,
Laws) among otber exemptions from taxation, the lands north-west of the
Ohio are mentioned (see Laws of 1779, page 112). It was enacted in the
same year, that no person should be allowed pre-emption, or any benefit
from settling on the north-west side of said river, and the Governor was
desired by proclamation to remove the settlers and prevent others from goino-
on, and to use armed force if necessary; this not to prevent the French and
Canadians, or other families, actually settled, etc., etc.
In 1783, Virginia ceded the lands north-west of Ohio to the United States
stipulating that the French and Canadian inhabitants, and other settlers
of Kaskaskia, St. Vincent's, and neighboring villages, who have professed
themselves citizens of Virginia, shall have their titles and possessions con
firmed to them, and be protected in the enjoyment of their rights and lib
erties. Act, and also an amendment of the act for establishing a county of Il
linois, is mentioned in the same volume, hut private.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. II7
Should it be thought proper to treat with the Indians of the Wa
bash and Miami, a further sum will be necessary, and I have in
closed an estimate of what the expenses would probably amount to.
It appears, indeed, of absolute necessity that the savages should be
brought to peace, either by treaty or by force.
It is irapossible for me to judge what sum would induce them to
extend the northern boundary of the last cession to the Mississippi,
neither is it very well known what nations are the proprietors of
the country that would be obtained by that extension. Perhaps a
provisional power to make such agreements, and limiting the sum,
might not be improper, as the expense of another meeting for that
purpose might be avoided if the proprietors attended at the treaty
in contemplation. The stipulations could be made then, and the
payment at an after period.

Governor St. Clair to the Board op Treasury.
(No Date), 1789.
Gentlemen : — General Butler has shown me the accounts you were
pleased to mention yesterday. There is a part of them that might
be considered as expenses attending the treaty, and would conse
quently fall under the appropriated money ; sorae part of it is cer
tainly not, the disbursements having been made before the money
was granted. It was my opinion that all the communications with
the Indians ought to go through hira while he was Superintendent,
and that, consequently, the expense attending them would be a charge
against the public in the general account of the Indian Department.
The treaties had no immediate relation to that Department, neither
had the Superintendent, as such, any thing to do with the last. The
moneys heretofore granted for treaties I did suppose to be distinct
also. Should the Board, however, be of opinion that it is proper to
bring them under that head, I beg leave to observe that twenty-six
thousand dollars are applied to a special purpose, leaving eight thous
and dollars only expenses, which amount has already beeu expended.

Bartholomew Tardiveau to Governor St. Clair.
fExtractl Danville, June 30, 1789.
^r:—l take the liberty to address your ExceUency in behahf of
a people who look up to you as their natural protector and benevolent
father. The honor I have of a personal acquaintance with your Ex-

118 The St. Clair Papers.
cellency, inspires we with the confidence that to offer you an op
portunity of relieving the distresses of your fellow creatures is to
afford to your feeling-heart the highest gratification it raay be capa
ble of enjoying. I need not, therefore, offer any apology for troub
ling your Excellency on this occasion.
Duriag my stay in New York, I took notice [i e. mentioned] to
the President, and several other merabers of the late Congress, of a
resolution' passed in the year 1787, concerning the Western Fed
eral Territory, the object of which was to prohibit slavery in that
country. I then foresaw the evil consequences to the Territory of
this act, and the consternation it would produce among the inhabit
ants of the Illinois country, and communicated my fears to the gen
tlemen in Congress, demonstrating, at the same time, the illegality of
an ex post facto law, the operation of which would deprive a consid
erable nuraber of citizens of their property, acquired and enjoyed
long before they were under the dorainion of the United States. I
would have presented a memorial on the subject, but was told that
it was needless, that it would be brought up in Congress, and that
there would not be the least difficulty ; and as I had already troubled
that body with a number of petitions, I refrained. Sensible of the
justice of my statement, gentlemen remarked that the intention of
the obnoxious resolution had been solely to prevent the future im
portation of slaves into the Federal country ; that it was not meant
to affect the rights of the ancient inhabitants ; and promised to have
a clause inserted in it explanatory of its real meaning, sufficient to
ease the apprehensions of the people, but it was not done. Enter
taining the most respectful opinion of the justice of Congress, I did
not hesitate to say to my constituents that they need not be uneasy
about the matter, and whatever reason prevented the modification
of the resolution, I was fully confident that a future Congress would
give them justice. Unfortunately, my letter never reached the in
habitants of Illinois, but the resolution itself did, and was trans
lated and circulated by the industry of some designing characters
with whom your Excellency will have sufficient opportunities of be
ing acquainted hereafter.
The wretched inhabitants of Illinois, who had seen theraselves for
ten years neglected by that power, from which alone they could ex
pect protection, now found that the very first act of attention paid
^The allusion, of course, is to the sixth article or compact ofthe Ordinance.
It would seem from the time referred to that Mr. Tardiveau sought to have
the modiflcation introduced into the act passed by the first Congress under
the Constitution which confirmed the Ordinance.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 119
to them pronounced their utter ruin. It was not intended, I know ;
but it was designedly represented to them, and with many aggra
vating circurastances rumored that the very moment your Excel
lency landed at the Illinois all their slaves would be set free. A
panic seized upon their minds, and all the wealthiest among them,
having but the wreck of once affluent fortunes, have gone to seek
from the Spanish Government that security which they conceived
was refused to them. The plot has 'succeeded to a rairacle. Ira
position has reaped the fruits of her cunning, and obtained for a
paltry consideration very valuable estates. Some, however, of the
inhabitants have been wiser than the others, and suspecting the snare
laid for them have crossed the Mississijipi with their negroes, but
declined selling their property until they are better informed of the
intentions of Congress towards them. Before the evil becomes more
general — before a total desertion of the country — it is in your Ex
cellency's power to apply a corrective for the threatening di.'^aster by
obtaining from the Federal Government a resolution declaring the
true intent and meaning of the original action.' . . .

James Wilson to Arthur St. Clair.
Pheladelphia, July 13th, 1789.
Dear Sir : — If you can be brought into Council for the County of
Westmoreland, or Alleghany, it is in the serious conteraplation of
some here to have you placed in the chair ofthe President of Penn-
^ Governor St. Clair did not apply to Congress for any modification ofthe
Ordinance, not only because he had supported the inhibition at the time, but
because he knew the sentiment of the National Legislature was averse to
altering the compact at that time. But he confirmed the interpretation put
upon the compact; viz : that it was intended to prohibit the further importa
tion of slaves into the North-western country, not to set free those held in
bondage at the time of the adoption of the Ordinance — a, bondage author
ized by French and English laws.
Mr. Tardiveau concluded his comm.unication with an elaborate argument
in favor of the repeal of the compact, in which his own selflsh interests were
prominent. Hesaid: "This partial exclusion from a right which the other
States have retained, seems to be in direct contradiction with the spirit of
the new Federal Government, which is allowed to make nono but general
regulations throughout the Union, ... If the act is not repealed, thc
Western country will infallibly remain for a long time in a state of infancy.
Another consideration of some weight should, in my opinion, have induced
Congress to encourage the transportation of slaves intothe Western country,
instead of discountenancing it. In the present benevolent plan of abolish-

120 The St. Clair Papers.
sylvania. This appointment will probably be continued for three
years, even though our Constitution should not be changed. If a
change should happily take place, as I hope it will, the appointment
may continue much longer. Let me beg of you to spare three days,
and come immediately to this city, that matters^ may be considered
and arranged, for there is not a moment to be lost. Write to me as
soon as you shall receive this letter.

Judge Parsons to Governor St. Clair.
Marietta, AuguA 23, 1789.
Sir : — We have long expected and most ardently wished your
Excellency's return to your government ; but we are convinced your
absence is necessary, and the welfare of the Territory requires your
continuance near Congress. I have only to express my desire that
your absence may not be long delayed, and that every thing neces
sary for the welfare of the government may be accomplished before
your return. I see in the journals of Congress a resolution' for the
ing slaver3', two of the greatest difficulties that present themselves seem to
be how to dispose of that great number of individuals, and how to reconcile
that act of power with the regard shown the right of property. I consider
it as a happy circumstance that the United States have an extensive terri
tory situated at a great distance from them, and -which ma}' be opened as a
drain for the many hundred thousand negroes with which they are at pres
ent incumbered. This, by successive transportations without violating the
right of^ property, and without endangering the safety, peace and manners
of the whites by a promi?.cuous intermixture of so many blacks turned loose
upon society, destitute of industry, and uncontrolled by the principles of
raorality, or the habits of good society, an insensible and gentler annihila
tion of servitude might be introduced in the United States."
1 Bill drawn up by Governor St. Clair, enacted into a law and approved
August 7, 1789. See Appendix.-
The Governor's visit to New York had two objects in view, viz: The
procuring of legislation necessary for the Territory, the obtaining of money
and troops for the exigencies of Indian warfare, and the assisting at the in
auguration of General Washington as President, to which he liad been in
vited. This heing, in fact, the beginning of Federal government in America,
was an event of great interest. He also participated in the social events of
the occasion.
On the 19th of May, 1789, Mrs. Washington left Mt. Vernon to join her
husband in New Y'"ork, he having been inaugurated President ofthe United
States. She met with a gracious i-eception on the way_ and, on the 28th, ar
rived in New York. On the day after her arrival, the President entertained
a select circle at a family dinner. Among those present was Vice-President

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 121
governraent of this country ; if it in any raanner changes the for
mer system, I shall feel myself much obliged if your Excellency
will favor me with the contents of the bill. On the 14th inst., a
party ofour surveyors were attacked by the Indians about one hun
dred and twenty railes down the Ohio frora this place ; six soldiers
were killed dead, and one of the chainraen was wounded, and is
John Adams, Governor George Cinton, Major-General Arthur St. Clair, the
Count du Moustier (the French Minister), Don Diego Gardoqui (Spanish
Minister), John Jay, Senators Langdon, Wingate, Izard, and Few, and Mr.
Muhlenburg, Speaker of the House of llepresentatives. The dinner was
plain, and Washington, standing at the head of the table, asked a blessing.
Alter the dessert, a single glass of wine was offered to each of the guests.
The President then arose and led the way to the drawing room, and the
company departed without ceremony.
We now return to the Territory. Before his departure for New Y'ork, the
Governor made but few additional appointments, and no more laws were
passed, one of the judges having died of consumption. [Judge Varnum
had been in ill health for some time.] James Mitchell Varnum was a native
of Rhode Island, liberally educated, and had been active in forming the Ohio
Company. He arrived at Muskingum in June, and lived only seven months
in the Territory.
The official record of Mr. Sargent will show what was done.'
(1.) 1789, .lanuary 24.— Charles Green was commissioned Coroner. Military ap
pointments—George Ingersoll, Esq., Captain of Artillery; Joseph Prince, Gentleman,
First-Lieutenant; William Baleh, Gentleman, Second-Lieutenant. Anselm Tupper,
Gentleman, was appointed Lieutenant in the militia regiment, vice IngersoU pro
moted. . „ . „ _ , ,
April 16.— Enoch Parsons was appointed Commis.sioner of Register of Deeds tor
tlie county of Washington, and Clerk o( Court of Probate. Commissioned by the
Secretary, May Uth.
After lhe Governor's return to the Territory:
December 16,— Joseph Gillman, Esq., appointed Judge ot the Court of Common
Pleas, and Justice of the General Court, and also Justice of the Peace.
December 18. — Judge Gillman was commissioned Judge of Probate, to serve as
such during tbe absence ot General Putnam.
December 26. — Following appointments made: Kirkwood, Justice of Peace for
Washington county; Ebenezer Sproat, Lieutenant-Colonel of First Regiment; Rob
ert Oliver, Major; Jonathan Morris, Esq., Captain, and John Gray, Gentleman, En
sign. The resignation of Charles Knowles was accepted.
December 28.— Governor St. Clair issued a proclamation authorizing Absalom
Martin to erect and keep a ferry (necessary for the convenience of the inhabitants
of Washington county), over the Ohio River, from his plantation, nearly opposite
Wheeling, to the Virginia shore.
Ebenezer Sproat was reappointed Sheriff.
In announcing the new militia appointments in general orders, the Governor took
occasion to say: , _
The Governor has observed with some regret that little attention is paid to militia
duties. Though the settlement is at present in a state of saiety, there is a faithless
people in the frontier, and a people who may be led to acts of hostility without any
provocation from the inhabitants of the Territory. Self preservation, therefore,
dictates that they be prepared-the advantages will result to the people themselves,
and the penalties of the law .will be avoided.
December 30.— The Governor embarked for the Mississippi.

122 The St. Clair Papers.
either killed or taken ; he could not be found the next day, nor has
he since been heard of The remaining soldiers and surveying party
escaped. I hope ere this time I have an agreeable colleague ap
pointed, and that he will speedily arrive. I have been sick about
three or four weeks, but have nearly recovered my health again.
The inhabitants in the settlements enjoy good health, and the lux
uriance of vegetation promises a very plentiful return for their
labor ; they have this _year four hundred acres of corn and small
grain, all of which bids fair to produce in abundance. One grist
and saw mill will be completed soon, another by December.

Proclamation by Governor Miro.^
His Majesty having been graciously pleased to encourage emi
grants to his Province of Louisiana, he has, in his royal bounty, de
termined to confer upon eraigrants the following rights, privileges,
and iraraunities :
To all farailies consisting of two or three laboring persons he will
grant two hundred and forty acres (French measure) of land gratis ;
to such as consist of four laboring persons, and upwards as far as ten,
four hundred acres shall be given ; when from ten to fifteen, six
hundred ; and when from sixteen upwards, eight hundred acres
shall be given.
No person shall be molested in religious matters, though no pub
lic worship shall be allowed but that of the Roman Catholic Church.
From the moraent of their arrival in this Province, all persons shall
be treated and enjoy the same commercial privileges and protection
as the ancient inhabitants, and shall be governed by the same laws
and customs; for which purpose his Majesty will establish a com
manding officer to protect the settlement against all insults.
This officer will decide the controversies which may arise among
the inhabitants, and all differences in raatters of interest not exceed
ing the value of one hundred dollars. Frqra this sura upwards, the
said coraraander will hear the allegations of the parties, direct the
proceedings, and transmit the same to New Orleans for the decision
of the government, unless the parties shall agree to submit their
matters in controversy betwixt them to arbitration, in which case
^ Governor Jliro's titles were Brigadier-General in the armies of his Catho
lic Majesty, Governor and Intendant of the Provinces of Louisiana and
Florida.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 123
each party shall choose one or two arbitrators, and if they should
not agree, the commander shall name another to decide the matter.
Every person emigrating into his Majesty's Province of Louisiana
can bring his own property with him in the produce of the country
he comes from, such as peltries, tobacco, flax, hemp, cordage, flour,
horses, sheep, swine, cattle, salt, and all sorts of provisions, free
from duties, with liberty to sell them to any post of the Province,
or send the same for their own account to the outpost permitted for
commerce to the inhabitants ; but, in this latter case, they are to
pay the duties established for exportation, which is six per cent.
At their arrival, every head of a family answering for every indi
vidual of it, shall take the oath of allegiance to his most Catholic
Majesty, binding themselves to take up arms, only in defence of this
Province, against any enemy whatsoever that shall attack it. It is
his Majesty's intention to establish, within proper distances. Parish
Churches, to be served by priests that raay speak the English lan
guage, but who shall have no right to interfere, in religious raatters,
with those who raay not be Catholics, nor shall any tithes or other
pay be exacted frora them. All subjects of his Majesty shall have
a free market at New Orleans for the produce of their lands or labor,
and shall be exempt frora all duties and taxes.
It is his Majesty's orders that his laws shall be administered with
mildness and lenity, so as to render his subjects as happy as possi
ble ; for this jDurpose, officers who are well qualified are appointed
to govern the different settlements.^
Given under my hand, at New Orleans, this sixth day of Sep
tember, 1789. Estevan Miro.

Governor St. Clair to the President.
New York, September 14, 1789.
Sir : — The constant hostilities between the Indians who live upon
the river Wabash and the people of Kentucky must necessarily be
attended with such embarrassing circumstances to the governraent
of the Western Territory, that I am induced to request you will be
pleased to take the matter into consideration, and give me the orders
you may think proper.
1 A proclamation announcing the purpose of his Catholic Majesty was is
sued by Governor Miro on the 2d September, but it omitted the details con
tained in the above.

124 The St. Clair Papers.
It is not to be expected, sir, that the Kentucky people will or can
submit patiently to the cruelties and depredations of those savages ;
they are in the habit of retaliation, perhaps, without attending pre
cisely to the nations from which the injuries are received ; they will
continue to retaliate, or they will apply to the Governor of the
Western Country (through which the Indians must pass to attack
thera) for redress. If he can not redress them (and in present cir
cumstances he can not), they also will march through that country
to redress themselves, and the governinent will be laid prostrate.
The United States, on the other hand, are at peace with several of
the nations, and should the resentment of those people fall upon
any of them, which it is likely enough may happen, very bad con
sequences will follow ; for it must appear to thera that the United
States either pay no regard to their treaties or that they are unable
or unwilling to carry their engagements into effect. Remonstrances
will probably be made by thera also to the governor, and he will be
found in a situation from which he can neither redress the one nor
protect the other. They will unite with the hostile nations, pru
dently preferring open war to a delusive and uncertain peace.
By a resolution of-the late Congress, the Governor of the West
ern Territory had power, in case of hostilities, to call upon Virginia
and Pennsylvania for a number of men to act in conjunction with
the Continental troops, and carry war into the Indian settlements.
That resolution, it is now supposed, is no longer in force ; the re
vival of it might be of use, as it would tend to conciliate the west
ern people, by showing them 'that they were not unattended to;
and would, in sorae raeasure, justify me in holding a language to
the Indians which might obviate the necessity of employing force
against them. The handful of troops, sir, that are scattered in that
country, though they may afford protection to some settlements, can
not possibly act offensively by themselves.'
^This letter was communicated to Congress hy the President on the 16th:
Gentlemen of the Senate: — The Governor of the Western Territory has
made a statement to me of the reciprocal hostilities of the Wabash Indians
and the people inhabiting the frontiers bordering on the River Ohio, which
I herewith lay before Congress.
The United States, in Congress assembled, by their acts of the 21st day
of July, 1787, and of the 12th of August, 1788, made a provisional arrange
ment for calling forth tho militia of Virginia and Pennsylvania, in tho pro
portions therein specified.'
As the circumstances which occasioned the said arrangement continue
nearly tho same, I think proper to suggest to your consideration the expe-

Corres j-jon dence, Addresses, Etc. 125

The President to Governor St. Clair.
New York, October 6, 1789.
Sir: — Congress having, by their act of the 29th of September
last, empowered me to call forth the militia of the States respect
ively, for the protection of the frontiers from the incursions of the
hostile Indians, I have thought proper to raake this comraunication
to you, together Avith the instructions herein contained.
It is highly necessary that I should, as soon as possible, possess
full information whether the Wabash and Illinois Indians are most
inclined for war or peace. If for the former, it is proper that I
should be informed of the raeans which wdll raost probably induce
thera to peace. If a peace can be established with the said Indians
on reasonable terms, the interests of the United States dictate that
it should be effected as 'soon as possible.
You will, therefore, inform the said Indians of the disposition of
the General Government on this subject, and of their reasonable de
sire that there should be a cessation of hostilities as a prelude to a
treaty. If, however, ¦notwdthstanding your intimations to them,
they should continue their hostilities, or meditate any incursions
against the frontiers of Virginia and Pennsylvania, or against any
of the troops or posts of the United States, and it should appear to
you the time of execution would be so nefir as to forbid your trans
mitting the information to me, and receiving my further orders
thereon, then you are hereby authorized and empowered in my
name to call on the lieutenants of the nearest counties of Virginia
and Pennsylvania for such detachments of militia as you may judge
proper, not exceeding, however, one thousand from Virginia and
five hundred from Pennsylvania.
I have directed letters to be written to the Executives of Vir
ginia and Pennsylvania, informing them of the before-recited act
of Congress, and that I have given you these conditional directions,
so that there may not be any obstructions to such raeasures as shall
be necessary to be taken by you for calling forth the railitia, agree
ably to the instructions herein contained.
The said militia to act in conjunction with the Federal troops in
such operations, oflTeusive or defensive, as you and the commanding
diency of making some temporary provision for calling forth the militia of
the United States, for the purposes stated in the Constitution, which would
embrace the cases apprehended by the Governor of the Western Territory.
Geo. Wabhimgton.

126 The St. Clair Papers.
officer of the troops conjointly shall judge necessary for the public
service and the protection of the inhabitants and the posts.
The said militia, while in actual service, to be on the Continental
establishment of pay and rations. They are to arm and equip
themselves, but to be furnished with public amraunition, if neces
sary ; and no charge for the pay of said railitia will be valid, unless
supported by regular musters, made by a field or other officer of
the Federal troops, to be appointed by the commanding oflficer of the
troops. I would have it observed forcibly that a war with the Wabash
Indians ought to be avoided by all means consistently with the se
curity of the frontier inhabitants, the security of the troops, and
the national dignity. In the exercise of the present indiscriminate
hostilities, it is extremely difficult, if not irapossible, to say that a
war without further raeasures would be just on the part of the
United States.
But if, after manifesting clearly to the Indians the dispositions of
the General Government for the preservation of peace, and the ex
tension of a just protection to the said Indians, they should continue
their incursions, the Uuited States will be constrained to punish
them with severity.
You will also proceed, as soon as you ean with safety, to execute
the orders of the late Congress respecting the inhabitants at St.
Vincennes and at the Kaskaskia and the other villages on the Mis
sissippi. It is a circumstance of some importance that the said in
habitants should, as soon as possible, possess the lands to which they
are entitled by some known and fixed principles.
I have directed a number of copies of the treaty made by you at
Fort Kearney with the Wyandots, etc. , on the 9th of January last,
to be printed and forwarded to you, together with the ratification
and my proclamation enjoining the observance thereof.
As it ma}'' be of high importance to obtain a precise and accurate
knowdedge of the several waters which empty into the Ohio on
the north-west, and of those which discharge themselves into the
Lakes Erie and Michigan, the length of the portages between, and
nature of the ground, an early and pointed attention thereto is
earnestly recommended.^
^M.S. from Files of the War Department.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 127

Paul Jones to Arthur St. Clair.
Amsterdam, Dec. 20th, 1789.
Dear General: — The written documents from my friend, the
Count de Segur, Minister Plenipotentiary of France at St. Peters
burg, will show you, in some degree, my reasons for leaving Russia,
and the danger to which I have been exposed by the mean subter
fuge and dark intrigues of Asiatic jealousy and malice. Your
former frieudship for me, which I remember with particular pleas
ure and have always been ambitious to merit, will, I am certain, be
exerted in the use you will make of the three pieces I now send
you for my justification in the eyes of my friends in America,
whose good opinion is dearer to me than any thing else. I wrote
to the Empress from Warsaw, in the beginning of October, and sent
her Majesty a copy of my journal, which will show her how much
she has been deceived by the account she had of our maritime
operations last campaign. I can easily prove to the world at large
that I have been treated unjustly; but I shall remain silent at
least till I know the fate of my journal.
You did rae the honor to accept ray bust, and I gave orders at
Paris in consequence. Mr. Jefferson wrote me, in March last, that
the bust was ready. I am arrived here but a few days ago. I saw
Captain Earle, wdio informed rae of your being at Philadelphia. I
shall write imraediately to Mr. Short to send the bust, if it is not
already gone. One will be sent, at the same time, to General Ir
vine, to whom I pray you to present my respectful corapliments.
You mentioned to me at New York that you could obtain a letter
in my favor from General Washington to the Marquis. Such a
letter, if written with any force, raight eventually, if not in the pres
ent moment, be very useful, and I should be very thankful to re
ceive it.
I intend to remain in Europe till after the opening of the next
campaign, and perhaps longer, before I return to Araerica.
It is possible the Erapress raay invite me to return to Russia,
though I do not expect it. Frora the troubles in Brabant, and the
steps now taken by the King of Prussia, etc., I conclude that peace
is yet a distant object, and that the Baltic will witness warraer work
than it has yet done. On the death of Admiral Greig I was, last
year, called from the Black sea, by the Empress, to command a
squadron in the Baltic. This set the invention of all my enemies
and rivals at work, and the event has proved that the Erapress can

128 The St. Clair Papers.
not always do as she pleases. My address is, under cover, ' ' a Mes
sieurs N. & J. Van Staphorst and Hubbard, a Amsterdam." ^
'This request was complied with by St. Claii^ who sent the accompanying
papers to the press, with the following letter:
To the Editor — Philadelphia, [January-] 1790.
S'lr: — Many articles calumniating Admiral Paul Jones having been in
serted in the English papers, and copied from thence to those of America,
I request j'OU to publish the following translation of a letter fi-om the Count
de Segur, Minister Plenipotentiary of France at the Court of St. Petersburg,
to the Count de Montmorin, of 21st iif July, 1789, and of the certiflcate ac-^
companying it, which has been published in the Gazette of France; also, the
translation of a letter from the same gentleman to Count d' Esterns, Minis
ter Plenipotentiary of France at Berlin, and to Chevalier Bourgoign, Minis
ter Plenipotentiary at Hamburg,' respecting that meritorious officer, which
at the same time that they give pleasure to his many friends in this country,
may serve to silence his enemies with respect to his conduct in Eussia. It
might have been expected that in this country he could have had no ene
mies, but in every climate envy and detraction will ever be the attendants
on superior merit. I am, sir, etc., Arthur St. Claib.
Count db Seqitr to Count db Montmorin.
Monsieur le Count : — The enemies of Eear-Admiral Paul Jones having
caused reports extremely destitute of foundation to be circulated^ with re
spect to the journey which that general officer is on the point of under
taking, I would wish that the following article, for the truth of which I
make myself responsible, were inserted in the Gazette oi France, and in the
other public papers that have the sanction of your department. That arti
cle vvill set those right whom calumny bas deceived, and prove it to the
friends and iellow-citizens of the Rear-Admiral, that he has here sustained
the reputation which his bravery and his talents had acquired him duringthe
last war; that the Empress wished to continue him in her service, and that
if he absents himself from it at this moment it is of his own mere notion,
and for particular reasons which do not in the least affect his honor. The
glorious marks of the goodness of the King, and how much he was satisfied
with him which JMr. Paul Jones bears; his attachment to France, which he
served usefully in the common cause; the right he has to the protection of
the King's .Ministers as a subject and Admiral of the United States, and my
personal friendship for that distinguished officer, with whom I made a
campaign in America, are so many motives that seem to justify me in the
interest I have taken in every thing that concerned him since he has been
in Russia. • I havo the honor to be,
The Count de Sequk.

(1) That letter is uot found among the St. Clair Papers.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 129'

Brigadier-General Harmar to Major-General Knox.
Headquarters, Fort Washington, January 14, 1790.
Sir : — I have the honor to acknowdedge the receipt of your letter
of the 29th of October last, to which I shall now particularly reply.
The Governor of the Western Territory arrived at this post on the
2d inst. , and departed from hence on the 5th for the Illinois country.
I furnished him, agreeably to his request, with an escort of fifty
chosen men, under the immediate coramand of Lieutenant Doyle.
Major Wyllys accompanies hira on this tour. I did not leave the
Muskingum until the 24th ultimo, being detained so long waiting
for his and the paymaster's arrival there. We were four days upon
our passage. The distance from thence to this garrison (^vhich is
directly opposite the raouth of Licking River) is about three hun
dred miles. Major Doughty is left to command at Fort Harraar.
This wdll be one of the most solid, substantial wooden fortresses,
when finished, of any in the Western Territory. It is built of
hewn timber, a perfect square, two stories high, with four block
houses at the angles. I ara particularly indebted to Captain Fer
guson and Lieutenant Pratt for their indefatigable industry and at
tention in forwarding the work thus far. The plan is Major
Doughty's. On account of its superior excellence, I have thought
proper to honor it with the name of Fort Washington. The public
ought to be benefited by the sale of these buildings whenever we
evacuate thera, although they will cost thera but little.
About forty or fifty Kentucky boats have begun, and will com
plete it. Limestone is the grand mart of Kentucky; whenever
boats arrive there they are scarcely of any value to the owners ;

The Article erom the Gazette of France.
St. Petersburg, July 25^A, 1789.
Eear-Admiral Paul Jones being on the point of returning to France,
where very particular affairs demand his presence, he has had the honor to
take leave of the Empress on the seventeenth instant, and to be admitted to
kiss Her Imperial Majesty's hand. That general officer, so celebrated for
the brilliant actions he performed during the course of the American war,
was called, in 1787, to the service of Her Imperial Majesty, and the com
mand of the troops of war stationed upon the Leman during the campaign
of 1788 was confided to him. Pleased with his conduct during that cam
paign, and satisfied with his services, the Empress would not grant him per
mission to withdraw himself but for a limited tirae, and preserves to him
his rank and appointments.
VOL. n — 9

130 The St. Clair Papers.
they are frequently set adrift, in order to make room for the arrival
of others. I have contracted for the above nuraber for the moder
ate price of from one to two dollars each ; thus much for the plank
work. All other expenses (wagon hire, nails, and some glass ex
cepted) are to be charged to the labor of the troops. The lime we
have burned ourselves, and the stone is at hand. Be pleased to re
ceive the inclosed plau of the fort. The distance between the Little
and Great Miami is twenty-eight measured miles. Near the Little
Miami there is a settlement called Columbia ; here (seven miles
distant from Columbia) there is another named Losantiville, but
lately changed to Cincinnati, and Judge Syraraes hiraself resides at
the other, about fifteen railes frora hence, called the Miarai City, at
the north bend of the Ohio River. They are, in general, but
small cabins, and the inhabitants of the poorer class of people.
By the latest advices frora Major Hara trarack, he writes me that he
had manoeuvered in such a manner as to divide the Weea Indians,
and that eighty of their warriors had come into Post Vincennes,
and put theraselves under the protection of.the United States. This
may be considered as a very favorable circumstance, provided these
yeUow gentry adhere to their allegiance.

Governor St. Clair ' to Major Hamtramck.
Fort Steuben, January 23, 1790.
Sir : — I have inclosed a speech to the Indians of the Wabash and
those of the Miami village, which I must take the liberty to re
quest you will get forwarded to them, and, as the persons who may
be employed for that purpose will probably be Frenchmen, it may
be necessary to get it translated into the French language, that, at
least, they raay be able perfectly to convey the meaning of it to
the Indians, which they might be at a loss to do from the English
copy. It is much the wish of the general government that peace
may be established with those people, and the trial to effect it must
be made. Should it fail, there is no doubt but an attempt must
^ While en route for Kaskaskia, the Governor stopped at Fort Washington
(then being built by Major Doughty, under direction of General Harmar),
to organize civil government. In Major Sargent's journal I find this entry:
"Losantiville, January 2d, 1790. — The governor arrived here this morning,
and will probably be detained by public business until the 4th, when he ex
pects to take his departure for Kaskaskia." A good deal was accomplished

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 131
foe made to chastise them. From the length of tirae you have been
in the Wabash country, your thoughts must have been sometimes
turned to that object, and to receive any observations you might
think proper to communicate would be esteemed a favor. I am
now on my way to Kaskaskia, and after having put things on some
order there, hope to have the pleasure of meeting you at Fort
Knox. It is with great pain that I have heard of the scarcity of corn
which reigns in the settleraent about the Post. I hope it has been
•exaggerated, but it is represented to me that, unless a supply of that
article can be sent forward, the people must actually starve. Corn
can be had here in any quantity, but can the people pay for it ? I
entreat you to inquire into the raatter, and, if you find that they can
not do without it, write to the contractor's agent here, to whom I write
JOU orders to send forward such quantity as you may find to be ab-
in that time, as will be shown from the following extracts, taken from man
uscript Journal of OEFICIAL RECORDS.^
Appointments were made as follows-:
William Goforth, William Wells, and William McMillan, judges of the
court of common pleas and justices of the court of general quarter-sessions
of the peace. They were also commissioned justices of the peace and quorum
in Hamilton county. Jacob Topping, Benjamin Stites, and John Stites
Gano, also, as justices of the peace. John Brown, gentleman, as sherilf.
Military. — Captains: Israel Ludlow, James Flinn, John S. Gano, and
Gersham Gard. Lieutenants: Francis Kenedy, John Ferris, Luke Foster,
Brice Virgin. Ensigns : Seott Traverse, Ephraim Kibbey, Elijah Stites,
John Dunlap.
January 5th. — The Governor issued a proclamation, directing that "the
justices of the peace hold their courts of general quarter-sessions of the peace
at the town of Cincinnati, on the first Tuesdays in February, May, August,
and Movember; and the judges of the court of common pleas hold their
courts at the same place on the first Thursdays of May and November.''
January 8th. — The Governor arrived at the rapids of the Ohio, where the
following appointments were made: William Clark, of Clarksville, justice
of the peace, and also captain of the militia in the town and vicinity; John
Owens, gentleman, lieutenant.
(1) 1790, January 2d.— His Excellency arrived at Fort Washington in the purchase
of Judge Symmes, and on the 4th was pleased to order and direct that the whole of
the lands lying and being within the following boundaries— viz : beginning on the
bank of the Ohio River at the confluence of the Little Miami, and down the said
Ohio River to the mouth of the Big Miami, and up said Miami to the Standing Stone
Forks or branch of said river, and thence with a line to be drawn due east to the
Little Miami, and down said Little Miami River to the place of beginning-should
be a county by the name and style of the county of Hamilton, and the same was ac
cordingly laid ofT agreeably to the form which has been transmitted to Congress.

132 The St. Clair Papers.
solutely necessary. They must pay for what they can of it ; but
they must not be suffered to perish. And, though I have no direct
authority frora the government for this purpose, I must take it upon
myself . . .

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Fort Steuben, January 26, 1790.
I have great confidence in the friendly disposition of the Wyan
dots, and their influence over raany of the tribes is considerable.
The Miarais, and the renegade Shawanese, Delawares, and Chero
kees, that lay near thera, I fear are irreclaimable by gentle raeans.
The experiraent, however, is worth the making ; and, at any rate,
I do not think we are yet prepared to chastise them. That is a
business which shoidd be well considered, and there are arrange
ments to be taken in case of the necessity of doing it, that would,
at present, be inconvenient.
The idea which you have suggested to General Harmar he has
communicated to me, from the little probability, I suppose, he
thought there was that Major Doughty,* who arrived here yester-
'From Major Hamtramck's reply, which was dated from Post Vincennes,
March 19th, I take the following paragraphs:
I have, on the 16th, sent one Captain Fred. Gamelin with the speech, and.
when he arrives at the Vermilion he vvill know if it will do for him to pro-
coed further without risking his life, and go to the Miami, if possible.
Bythe Indians, who are constantly coming into the village, I am informed
that the Wabash Indians will readily make peace with us, but that they will
in a very great measure be governed by the Miami Indians, who have
threatened for a long time past to chastise them for keeping au open com
munication with us. Mr. Gamelin has promised me that if he goes to the
Miami be will inform me from there of his prospects, and tho moment
I receive his information, I shall have the honor to write to your Excellency
the particulars.
I have this day sent a boat to the Falls for 800 bushels of corn, which I
shall deliver to the people of the village, who are in a starving condition;
so much so that on the 16th instant a woman, a boy about thirteen, and a
girl of about seven years were driven to the woods by hunger, and poisoned
themselves by eating some wild roots, and have died of it.
''Major Doughty was charged with a mission of peaoe and good-will to
the Southern Indians, which it was hoped would put a stop to tho murderous
incursions from that section. After he had reached the point of his destina
tion, and was on his return, he was attacked, and nearlj- all of his men.
killed and wounded.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 133
-day, would meet me here, and the impropriety of coramitting to
writing at the hazard of a miscarriage.
How far the establishing a post at the Mussel Shoals will answer
the ends in view, I am not able to forra any judgment of, as I am
very little inforraed about the country to which it will relate. It is
most probable that the Chickasaws and Choctaws will be pleased
with it ; but that particular place is raore than three hundred railes
up the Tennessee, and there is no communication by land with any
of the settlements, that I can hear of. The nuraber of raen you
propose for it is certainly not too great, but where are they to come
from, unless an addition is made to those already on foot ? Two or
three companies of riflemen, added to General Harmar's regiment,
would contribute much to its utility. In my opinion, it would then
be small enough for the service expected from it now.
Some blankets, etc. , I could have supplied Major Doughty wdth,
but not in such quantity as to have been much use, without leaving
myself too bare, and, unless he could have had a tolerable assort
ment, he thought, with me, that, on this occasion, it was better to
be without altogether. I have supplied him with a quantity of
silver-ware, and that will enable him to make sorae acceptable pres
ents to the chiefs, and some vermilion.
To-morrow morning I hope to take ray leave of this place for
Kaskaskia, frora which I will take the first opportunity to w'rite you
•again. P. S. — I have this raoraent got an account of three raen being
killed within twelve miles of Danville, at Carpenter's Station, and
three more being killed, and a settleraent broken up, on Russell's
Creek , about forty miles from that place. Russell's Creek is a branch,
I am told, of Green River.

General Harmar to Governor St. Clair.
Fort Washington, February 20, 1790.
Dear Sir : — I have had the honor of receiving your letter from
Fort Steuben, dated the 26th ult., and observe that your detention
so long there was occasioned for want of provisions, ^ye have been
upon the point of starvation here ever since my arrival. I have no
great opinion of Major Doughty's mission, and another is on foot
which I think to be really difficult and hazardous. The copy of the
secret letter sent me from the War Ofiice I do not think proper to
commit to paper, for fear of accident, but Lieutenant Armstrong
.(whom I have ordered to undertake the tour, if possible) can fully

134 The St. Clair Papers.
inform you the nature of the business, as the contents of the letter
have been communicated to him, and he has taken notes in such
manner as to be able to give you an exact copy of it. I have writ
ten to the War Office that I wished very much to have your Excel
lency's opinion upon this subject before I ordered the ofiicer to pro
ceed. I raust, therefore, beg that you will be pleased to give it.
It seems very much depends on the too adventurous establishment.
If your Excellency should be of opinion that it is advisable for him
to undertake it, be so kind as to afford him your advice and assist
ance upon the occasion, as it is impossible for me, at this distance,
to make the necessary arrangements for that purpose. This is the
subject that the Secretary of War has written you that we were to
consult about. Mrs. Harmar desires to be remembered most af
fectionately to you and Major Sargent.

Major Doughty to Major Wyllys.
Ance de la Graise, 25th March, 1790.
3£y Dear Friend : — On the 22d instant, about two hundred and
thirty railes up the Tennessee, I was attacked with great force by a
party of Indians. Out of fifteen raen, they killed six and wounded
five more, so that I have only four left. We fought them four
hours, and then escaped in this distressed situation. I found it ira
possible to ascend the Ohio, or, after I reached the Mississippi, to
ascend it. My wounded men were in so distressed a situation as to
require immediate assistance. The only resource left rae was to
come to this place, where I have met with every civility I could
wish from Mons. Fouchet, the commanding officer.
You know what must be my feelings. May I beg and entreat
of you immediately to forward me a good pilot and ten raen, to
bring me and my boat to Kaskaskia, where I wish to see you. For
God's sake send imraediately. Order them to take the west side
of the river, for fear they pass the post, for there is an islaud op
posite. They need bring no provisions, for I have enough to last
us uutil we arrive at Kaskaskia.^
^The expedition of Major Doughty was to the Cherokees, to see what
could be done toward engaging their friendship for the Americans. The
result is seen. General Harmar, in a letter to St. Clair, under date of Feb
ruary 20th, 1790, said: "I have no great opinion of Major Doughty's mis
sion."

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 135
Major Hamtramck to Governor St. Clair.
Fort Knox, Post Vincennes, April 19, 1790.
Sir : ... I wrote by Lieutenant Armstrong, who had dis
patches for your Excellency and left Fort Knox on the 19th of last
month on his way to Kaskaskia, by whom I had the honor to in
form your Excellency that I had sent a messenger with your speech
to the Indians. He went no farther than the Vermilion, where he
got insulted by one of the Verrailion Indians, who told him if he
went farther he would take his life, which occasioned him to return
to this post. Finding that the Indians of the Vermilion had re
ceived your speech with pleasure as a nation, and had given their
answer, which was friendly, though not a definite one, I concluded
that the business could not get aground in consequence of an insult
by an individual, as I knew he had a particular resentment against
the interpreter that went with the messenger. I, therefore, dis
patched another one, who I suppose is by this tirae near the Miarai ;
he went away the 1st of April. I had made some advances to the
first messenger (it being the custom of the place). I should be glad
if you will be so good as to inform me whether I shall pay him for
the time he was absent or not. . . . This day a boat arrived
from the Falls, which brings an account of Major Doughty's being
defeated, and himself killed,' on the Cherokee River. The Indians
of the Miami continue their depredations on the Ohio. About four
weeks ago they took two boats near the mouth of the Scioto, and,
shortly after, they perceived three others coming down together, who,
after a chase of fifteen miles in one of the boats they had taken be
fore, obliged the people to abandon two of the three boats to save
their lives. In one of them were twenty-six horses and raerchan
dise — supposed to be worth twelve or fifteen hundred pounds — the
property of Hart & Rochester, of Hagerstown ; besides, several
pair of saddle-bags, some of which contained cash and various other
articles not easily ascertained. The 12th of last month, about fif
teen miles below the rapids, they took another boat loaded with salt,
coming up from BuUett's Lick, and killed the people. On the 13th,
they killed a raan at Mr. Lanacaghe's Station, w-hich is about two
and one-half miles above the garrison, at the Falls. All of these
¦aflPairs, I am afraid, obstruct the pacific desires of the United States
toward the Indians.
'' Major Doughty was not killed. See his letter of March 25th, anie.

136 The St. Clair Papers.
Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Cahokia, May 1, 1790.
Sir: — Since my last to you, which was of the 7th of March, I
have received three letters from Major Hamtramck ; the first, of the
23d of February, in which he informs me that he had not then sent
forward the message to the Indian towns on the Wabash, because
there were few of thera ; they had uot returned frora their winter
hunt. Those to whom he had had au opportunity to coraraunicate
it were very much pleased wdth the disposition of the governraent
towards them, and very desirous of peace. One, in March, which
informs me of his having sent the message, and, on the 19th ult,
Avhich informs me of the messenger's having proceeded as far as the
Vermilion. The message was well received by the nation, and they
returned a friendly, though not a definite, answer; but he was in
sulted by an individual, and his life threatened if he proceed farther;
in consequence, he returned to Fort Knox. The Major, understand
ing that there was some private difference betw'een the person that
served as interpreter, did, on the first of April, send forward an
other messenger, and he has iuclosed to me his letter to him from
Quetepiconnuais, which is about fifteen railes higher than Ouiatenon,
of the 15th ult., a translation of which is inclosed. By that letter,
you will jierceive that every thing seems to be referred to the
Miamies, which does not promise a peaceable issue. The confidence
they have in their situation, the vicinity of many other nations not
very well disposed, and the pernicious counsels of the English
traders, joined to the imraense booty obtained by the depredations
upon the Ohio, ¦will raost probably prevent thera from listening to
any reasonable terms of accoraraodation, so that it is to be feared the
United States must prepare effectually to chastise them, and the
consequence of not doing it may, very probably, be the defection
of those who are now at peace with the entire loss of the
affections of the people of the frontiers. If, however, there is any
probabdity that the posts in the possession of the British will- be
soon given up, it may be yet unnecessary, and I would fondly hope
measures have been taken by the Government on that head wdth the
Court of London. The recalling the Minister when that business
was in train, always appeared to rae as a very hasty and inconsider
ate step.
Much mischief, I ara informed, has been done this spring upon
the Ohio, of which, however, I have no authentic or particular ac
count, except such as Major Hamtramck has given me. We seem

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 137
to be here in another world that has no connection with the one we
lately left. He ascribes the depredations all to the Miamies. About
four weeks before the date of this letter, two boats were taken near
the mouth of the Scioto ; and soon after this, another appearing,
they gave chase in one of their prizes, and forced the jjeople to
abandon two, in one bf which were twenty-six horses and merchan
dise to the value of twelve or fourteen hundred jjounds, money and
other things of value, the property of some persons frora Hagers
town ; and on the 12th of April, about fifteen railes below the
Rapids of the Ohio, they took a boat laden with salt, going ujd to
Louisville ; aud on the 13th, killed a man twenty-seven miles above
Fort Steuben at a settleraent which had been begun there, and
which was broken up by it.
I have been rauch engaged, since my being here, in receiving and
examining the clairas of the inhabitants, which has consumed raore
of my time than I had any idea would have been necessary ; but
they are the most ignorant people in the world. There is uot a fif
tieth man that can either read or write, the consequence of which
has been that every thing where they were parties has languished
extreraely. Though they are ignorant, they seera to be the gentlest,
well-disposed people that can be imagined, and 'their raanners are
-better than might have been expected, considering their ignorance,
the want of proper government, and the grievous oppression under
which they have groaned since they fell under the American domin
ion. The business of the surveying has gone on very slowly from
that cause, and from an incursion of Kickapoos. On the 31st of
March four French were fired upon by them up the Kaskaskia
River, about twenty-seven railes from the village, three of whom
were taken and the other wounded. They pretended to be sorry
for what they had done when they found them to be Frenchmen,
and let them go, after exchanging with them their old fusees for
their rifies. Their numbers were reported by the prisoners to
-.mount to eighty, but it is not probable they were so numerous. I
had it not, however, in my power to make any discovery, for the
whole party were absent but six men, having been obliged fo de.
tach a part to the Ohio for provisions immediately on ray arrival,
and to make another detachment to the Ance de la Graise, lo bring
up Major Doughty. The village was also, unfortunately, very
weak, as it always is at this season, the greatest part of the young
men being absent on vovages, either to New Orleans or Michdi-
mackinac. Indeed, if a force sufiicient could have been collected,
it would have been diflScult, if not impossible, to have led them m

138 The St. Clair Papers.
quest of them, for of all the people that I have ever seen, though
many of them speak the Indian languages, and all of them are ac
quainted with their manners, they dread the Indians the most. All
I could do was to establish, with the few soldiers and the inhabit
ants, patrols, to secure the village from a surprise in the night, which
a body of the force reported might have accomplished, and laid it
in ashes. I would have immediately sent to their towns, but could
find no person who would undertake to carry a message ; nor, after
my arrival here, would I venture upon it, on account of the state
of our provisions ; for, though I should have desired one or two of
the chiefs only, as many more as they thought proper would have
attended them. As yet I have no account of the boat that was sent
for provisions, but, as it must arrive soon, if ever, and Major
Doughty brought with him a small quantity of flour, I did, on the
25th, send off to their towns a French translation of the inclosed
message. In that I have not mentioned the affair at Kaskaskia,
because I had been informed of the return of the party to their
town, and that it had disturbed them so much as to produce a
quarrel, and the discussion of it would, I thought, be as well, or
better here with their chiefs, if they came. I sent the message in
French because it was necessary to intrust it to a Mr. May, who re
sides at a sraall village on the Illinois River, commonly called Au
P6, the place where the Peoria Fort stood, where there are five or
six French families. He had been appointed Coraraandant of that
place by General Clarke, and, as he is a person of influence among
the savages, it was proper to pay some respect to him. Mr. Arm
strong has been here for some time, in consequence of your commu-
nicationsto General Harmar, who raade me acquainted with them
by him. It is, sir, I believe, at present, altogether impracticable.
It is a point on which some people are feelingly alive all over, and
all their jealousy awake. Indians to be confided in, there are none;
and if there were, those who would be most proper, and others, are
now at war ; but I have explained myself to Captain Armstrong
for General Harmar's information, who will coraraunicate it to you
from a place whence there is less risk of dispatches miscarrying. I
i.m extremely anxious to have the business in this country put in
such a train as that I can leave it, for, I doubt not, but it is necessary
enough that I should be upon the Ohio. The people will be very
clamorous at the interruption the navigation of that river meets
with, though what I could do for their security I really do not see,
for, from the best information, if in other respects it was proper to
make up of the force which I am unable to call for, the exportations.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 139
to New Orleans have been so great that it would be utterly impossi
ble to supply them with provisions before harvest, nor for a consid
erable time after it, as it is generally pretty far in the faU before the
mills can grind, from the lowness of the waters. If force must be
employed against the savages, and there is but too much appear
ance of it at present — measures raust be taken beforehand, and
some better dependence for their support than can be put upon the
present contract. The force, too, is A'ery far from adequate to the
end, and must be collected from such distances as can not fail to
consume a good deal of time before it could be in a situation to
move. But I will take another opportunity to giA'e you my senti
ments on that subject more at large, which you may compare with
Major Doughty's, who is a pretty adequate judge. It is also neces
sary that I should be at Fort Knox by the time the Indians arriA'e
there, for, inconvenient and expensive as it is, at all times, to have
them collected in any number, it would be peculiarly inconvenient
this season, when that garrison is so scantily and precariously sup
plied. It will, however, be probably a fortnight before the Kickapoos ar
rive, if they come at all, aud I shall desire Major Haratrarack to
send an escort by that tirae, for that which carae with me will be
necessary to take the boats back up the Ohio. You may perhaps
wonder that I should send for the Kickapoos to this place when I ex
pect the other nations at Fort Knox. The reason was that a part
of that nation living at no great distance frora hence, and far frora
the rest, and hunting constantly in this country, it appeared of
consequence to conciliate them if it could be done, and thereby pro
cure safety for the people in the mean tirae. Baptiste Du Coigne,
Avhom you may remember with the Marquis de Lafayette, is the
chief of the Kaskaskia nation, and settled in Kaskaskia. I haA'e
been plagued Avith a great many of his talks. The nation is very
inconsiderable, and I do not think it necessary to trouble you Avith
them at present. He himself is the greatest beggar I have met with
among nations who are all beggars. He counts no little upon his
having been with the American troops in Virginia, and so far he
merits some countenance. In the country below the Kaskaskia
there are a great many Piankeshaws, not over friendly, though they
make great professions. They wanted much to visit me at Kaskas
kia, but I declined it, informing thera that I had sent to their chiefs,
and when their answer arrived I would inform them ; but that did
not prevent about the whole of thera with a war chief coming in,
and since I left that place there have been many more, in conse-

140 The St. Clair Papers.
quence of one of their parties being attacked upon the Saline River,
which empties into the Ohio below the Wabash, by the Chickesaws.
They had three killed and wounded, and are very heartily fright
ened. The Spaniards also begin to feel the Indian resentment like
wise, but frora what cause I have not yet discovered, but I think
they are more probably set on by the English traders, Avho bave
found their Avay to the River au Moine, and it is said from thence
into the Missouri by land. They have stolen from thera a pro
digious number of horses, and every settlement on the Missis
sippi frora St. Genevieve to St. Louis, is abandoned. The Ottowas
and Sacs are gone to war against them. I met a party of fifty of
them Avho were going up the Merrimaz River, and expected to be
joined by the Shawanese, many of whora are settled on the Spanish
side as Avell as the Delawares. They do not, however, like the
country, and had proposed to request permission to return to this
side, and many of them actually Avere there, but on this stroke of
the Chickasaws, they removed Avith the greatest precipitation.
The distress of the inhabitants at St. Vincennes is
extreme. Several persons, driven to the AVOods in quest of food,
have perished by eating roots that proved poisonous. But it is at
present a little alleviated by the arrival of some of the corn Avhich
I had requested the contractors to provide for thera, and without
which a great part of thera must have died. The inhabitants here
are not much better off — many of them have not grain for seed —
but here they get venison and fish, so that they will not perish,
though the Avant of bread of any kind is a very sore CA'il.
Of what is passing in your quarter, or in the European Avorld, we
know as little as the man in the moon. For pitj' sake, send some
newspapers. I never before thought them of any consequence —
they Avill now be a great treat.
I forgot to mention that Major Doughty, knowing our situation,
purchased and paid for with his o^wn money, a quantity of flour he
met with for sale on his Avay frora Ance de la Graise, and delivered
it here. Without that I could not have ventured to send for the
Kickapoos, how necessary soever it might have been, and to quiet the
minds of the inhabitants it Avas A'ery necessary, had there been no
other reason.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 141

Speech of Governor St. Clair to Jean Baptiste du Coigne. '^
Cahokia, 3Iay 8, 1790.
Mon Fils .-—C'est avec beaucoup de satisfaction que j'ai regu les
felicitations que vous m'avez faites sur mon arrivce dans ce pays-ci.
Moi et les autres messieurs que vous voyez autour de moi, rendent
graces a Dieu, qui nous a gardes et soutenus pendant un voyage
assez long et penible. J'ai un grand plaisir en vous voyant et tt
vour serrer les mains en temoignage de mou amitie. Le ferme at-
tachement que vous avez raontre aux Etat.s-Unis de I'Amerique est
bien connu, et en consequence vous avez droit a beaucoup de respect.
II est vrai, mon fils, que vous n'avez vu personne qui venait de
la part du Gouvernement des Etats, et c'est moi qui suis le premier
envoys. J'ai retarde longteraps le terme fixe pour mon arrivee, cela
par des causes diverses et inevitables, mais les Etats-unis n'oubliaient
point leurs amis et les peuples de ce pays sont leurs enfants, qu'ils
n'abandonneront jamais.
Mon coeur, mon fils, est afflige par rapport aux injures que vous
avex souffertes. Je sais bien que vous etes entoure par des nations
folles et cruelles qui aimeut a avoir les mains trempees dans le sang ;
mais j'ai bonne esperance que fin sera mise a leurs depredations,
parceque je suis venu corarae ambassadeur de paix pour tous les
peuples qui habitent ces terres. S'ils ecoutent les bonnes paroles
que je leur ferai entendre, ce sera pour leur propre bonheur et celui
du genre humaine. Tous, eux et nous autres, puissions suivre nos
occupations avec bon coeur, les jeunes gens croitront et fleuriront
comme les arbres verts, et I'abondance se trouvera sous leurs pas ;
mais, mon fils, ce n'est que jusqu'a une certaine mesure que les
mauvais precedes peuvent etre supportes; ou alors la patience de-
vient de la faiblesse, reproche du quel les Etats-Unis s'eloigneront
toujours. S'ils m'ecoutent, bien ; s'ils ne m'ecoutent pas, eux-memes
en subiront les consequences. La paix fait les delices des Etats-
Unis, mais aussi en guerre ils sont formidables, et vous, Du Coigne,
en avez ete le temoin oculaire. Croyez-moi, mou fils, ce ne sera pas
tojours un opprobre d'avoir ete leur ami.
Mon fils, j'ai toute la confiance du monde dans Ja sincerite de vos
paroles, qui viennent du fond de votre coeur, et que a'ous ne parlez
pas des terres seulement. Moi aussi, je vous le dis avec toute la
sincerite possible, je suis bien aise de vous voir, je suis touche de vos
malheurs et je tacherai de les adoucir.
' Chief of the Kaskaskia Indians.

142 The St. Clair Papers.
Ce que vous m'avez dit, mon fils, touchant I'eau-de-vie, n'est que
trop A'rai. L'excfes de cette boisson fait veritablement la ruine des
Indiens, mais c'est une passion, si indomptable chez eux, qu'il est
tres difficile de les retenir. Aussi il n'est pas facile de detourner
les blancs de faire cette esp6ce de commerce, parceque disperses,
comme vous I'etes souvent dans les bois, on peut en porter chez vous
en cachette et par consequent avec impunite ; et s'il 6tait possible
d'empecher les Americains et les Francais de faire le commerce en-
tiferement, il y en a d'autres qui le feraient, et si non, ils iraient eux-
memes en chercher chez les Espagnols ;. pourtant nous tacherons de
mettre quelque borne a cette affaire-la.
L'amour, mon fils, que vous montrez pour I'endroit de votre
naissance, oil les cendres de vos ancetres sont deposees, est un senti
ment de la nature et de generosi te sur lequel je suis parfaltement
d'accord avec vous. J'esp6re que le bon Dieu ne quittera jaraais ce
pays-ci, et quand vous aurez atteint le norabre de jours qui vous
est assigne, que vous aurez une sepulture honorable avec tous les
rites de la religion.
L'inolination, raon fils, que vous avez de voire le culte de Dieu
etabli, et qu' une grande attention soit donnee a I'elevement des
jeunes gens, me plait extremement, et je suis afflige de voir que les
pretres ont a se retirer. Certainement je ne les rappellerai qu'a la
fin, et esp^re que vous suivrez le bon cherain, et que la jeunesse sera
instruite de ses devoirs envers Dieu, envers les horaraes et envers les
uns les autres.
Vous pouvez assurer les Piorias, et les Cahokias de ma bonne
volonte pour eux, et que j'aA'ertirai le President des Etats-Unis, le
Geueral Washington que a'Ous connaissez, et qui, a cette heure, est
le chef de tous, civils et mihtaires, du desir qu'ils ont de retourner en
ce pays.
Le commissaire vous donnera de la poudre, pour aider vos gens
qui sont il la chasse.
1 Following is a translation of the above:
My son : — It is with much pleasure that I have received the congratula
tions which you have offered me upon my arrival Inthis country; I and
the other gentlemen whom you soe around me render thanks to God, whc
has guarded and sustained us during a very long and wearisome journey. I
have great pleasure in seeing you, and in taking you bythe hand in witness
of my friendship The firm attachment which you have shown tothe United
¦States of America, is well known, and consequently you are entitled to much
respect. It is true, my son, that for a long time you have seen no one who has
•come from the government of the States, and I, who am the first envoy on

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 143
William St. Clair to Governor St. Clair.
Kaskaskia, May l&th, 1790.
Dear Sir: — Mr. John Du Moulin and myself arrived at this
their part, have been hindered a long time after the time fixed for my ar
rival, by many inevitable accidents; but the United States never forget their
friends, and the people of this country are their children, Avhom they will
never abandon.
My son, my heart is troubled on account of the injuries which you have
suffered. I know well that you are surrounded by foolish and cruel nations,
who love to have their hands steeped in blood; but I have good hopes that
an end will be put to their depredations, because I am come as the ambas
sador of peaoe to all the people who dwell in this land. If they will listen
to the good words which I shall speak to them, it will be for their own hap
piness and that of the human race — all, they and ourselves, then can follow
¦our occupations with good courage, and the young people will grow and
flourish like the green trees, and abundance will be found beneath their
steps. But, iny son, it is only to a certain point that evil proceedings can
be suffered; after that, patience becomes feebleness, a reproach from which
the United States at all times withdraw themselves. If they will listen to
me  o-ood; if they will not listen, they will suffer the consequences.
Peace is the delight of the United States, but they are also formidable in
war; of that you, Du Coigne, have been the eye-witness. Believe me, my
son, it will not always be a disgrace to have been their friend.
My son, I have all the confidence in the world in the sincerity of your
words, that they come from the depths of your heart, and that you do not
¦ speak with the lips only. I also tell you, with all possible sincerity, that
I am very glad to see you, that I am touched by your misfortunes and that
I shall try to soften them.
That which you have told me touching brandy is but too true. This ex
cess in drinking is verily the ruin of the Indians, but they have such a pas
sion for it that it is difficult to restrain them ; it is not easy, either, to deter
the whites from this species of commerce, because, scattered like you through
the woods, they can carry it to you secretly, and consequently with impunity.
And if it were possible to hinder the Americans and the French entirely
from carrying on this trade, there are others who would do it, and if uot,
they would go and seek it themselves from the Spaniard; however, we will
try to put somo limit to this traffic.
The love, my son, which you show for the place of your birth, where the
ashes of yo'ur ancestors are deposited, is a sentiment of nature and of gen
erosity in which I am perfectly in accord with you. I hope the good God
will never forsake this country and that when you have run the number of
days that are assigned to you, you will have an honorable burial with all the
rites of religion.
The inclination which you have, my son, to see the worship of God es
tablished and that a proper attention should be paid to the education of the
young people, pleases me extremely, and I am troubled to know that the

144 The St. Clair Papers.
place on Wednesday evening last, without meeting with any acci
dent; however, I wish to inform you that there are thirteen Otta
was and some Pottawatamies said to be gone from St. Joseph on
an expedition. Their destination I ara not acquainted with, but it
is probable they raay be lurking about the villages or on the road.
I tiiought proper to give you this information, as, perhaps, some of
the gentlemen might be in danger of risking themselves too far in
the prairie. IMr. H. Armstrong arrived here on Friday last, and is
trying to get a pirouge to go forward to Cahokia to-morrow morning.
He brings intelligence that the Indians on the Ohio are now worse
than ever. There were three boats, with twenty-six men, pursued
by twenty-two Indians above the Falls. They abandoned two of
the boats and got off, leaving a great number of horses and dry-
goods to the mercy of the Indians, aud thought themselves Avell-off
to get clear on such terms. The Indian party was commanded by
a Captain Snake, whom I suppose to be a Delaware chief. There has
been a number of boats pursued, and many men kUled. Mr. Arm
strong has brought no letter for your Excellency, as ]Mr. Baire has
informed me; two hundred bushels of corn arearrived,and some few
barrels of fiour and beef, with iir. Armstrong. I shall set out for
the Cahokia on Wednesday evening. I hope I shall have the honor
of seeing your Excellency on Thursday evening. Please to make
my corapliments to Mr. John IMurray aud the rest of the gentlemen.
I am sorry to hear that the gout has lain you up this Some days
past. I hope it Avill not be of any duration ; my best wishes for
your speedy recovery.

Governor St. Clair to General Harmar.
Cahokia, May [no date], 1790.
Sir : — I had the honor to receive your comrauuications by Captain
Armstrong, and have given him my opinion upon the subject ; that
it is, at present at least, impracticable, for the reasons which he will
priests have withdrawn. Certainly I shall recall them only at the end, and
I hope that you will follow the good road, and that the young Avill be in
structed, in their duties towards God, towards man, and towards each other.
i'ou can assure the Peorias and the Cahokias of my good will on their ac
count, and that I will make known to the President of the United States,
General AVashington, whoin you know, and who is at this hour the chief of
all, both civil and military, the desire they have to return to this country.
The commissarj' will give you sonie powder, to aid your people who are in,
the hunting-ground.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 145
inform you of, as I think it best not to say any thing about it in writ
ing.' The situation of things appears to be unpromising with re
gard to the Indians and drawing fast to a crisis, but if force must
be employed, which I believe it will end in, sorae other way must
be fallen upon for supplying the troops than has hitherto been pur
sued ; otherwise I should be very sorry to see you engaged in it. I
have made pretty strong representations on that head to the Presi
dent and the Secretary of War, from the Falls and from this coun
try, and I was wicked enough not to be very much displeased to
hear that you had been obliged to disperse your garrison to prevent
them from starving ; that will have more effect than all that could
have been Avritten on a quire of paper ; but to what a situation
would you have been reduced if the Indians had invested you then !
It is abominable that an officer should ever be placed in it. I hope
you are long ago relieved from it, not to experience it again. Major
Doughty has been unfortunate, but has got off as well, or better,
than might have been expected, and, it is to be hoped, has accom
plished the purpose of his mission. I was under the necessity to
make a detachment to the Ohio for provisions, soon after my arrival
at Cahokia, at the mouth of which they Avere to be the 10th of last
month, but as yet I have heard nothing of the provisions. Mr.
Armstrong has been obliged to go up the river for them, and, if he
had not, fortunately, met with Mr. Vigo, he had been obliged to
return without them, and then we would have had to hunt our way
to the Post, for no supply could be had here, and I don't certainly
know but that may be the case yet, for I expect sorae Kickapoos
here, Avho will probably eat us out ; fine doings, these, are they not?
If Doughty had not, luckily, met with sorae flour on his way frora
L'Ance de la Graize, I could not have sent for them, though it is
very necessary that I should see them. You have doubtless heard
of the desertions from Captain Doyle ; the design had taken deep
root ; eighteen of them had gone off together and carried away the
yellow boat. The boats, however, and, consequently, the men,
were separated the night of the execution of the project and three
of them Avere contented with the skiff, leaving us in the most diffi
cult part of the river without the means of getting to shore; sev
eral have gone off since, and it now seems to be stopped.
Major Sargent has a letter from Mrs. Harmar of a late date, by
which I was happy to hear she as well as yourself and the little
folks were in health. I have not been happy enough to hear from

lAn expedition intothe Indian country projected by Captain Armstrong.
10

146 The St. Clair Papers.
my own for some time past, and am very much alarmed at the ac
count of ray little Peg's situation, which he got frora Charles Wil
kins, that she was very ill Avith the small-pox and measles both at
once ; she has had the small-pox, however, but if any other eruptive
fever came on with the measles, there is very little probability that
she Avould overcome it. I Avish to God I knew the Avorst, if it has
happened, for then I should be easy. I beg you to raake my best
respects to Mrs. Harmar, who I hope to see before the end of
June yet.
Summary Statement of the Situation op the Frontiers by
the Secretary of War.'
May 27th, 1790.
A letter has been received frora the Governor of the Western
Territory, dated at Kaskaskia the 7th of March last, containing
nothing of importance. The settlements were considerably thinned
by the inhabitants moving over the river to the Spanish settlements
in consequence of Mr. Morgan's intrigues.
Letters from General Harmar, of the 24th March and 5th of
April, giving accounts of the depredations of the Indians on the
boats going down the Ohio, and also on the advanced settlements
of Kentucky [have been received]. These accounts are corrobo
rated, and raore information given by Judge Innes and others to
Mr. Brown ' to the raiddle of April.
The result of this whole inforraation shows the inefficacy of de
fensive operations against the banditti Shawanese and Cherokees,
and some of the Wabash Indians on the north-west of the Ohio.
The whole amount of these bad people may not exceed two hundred.
The idea is therefore suggested that a general statement of the in
formation received should be raade to the Governor [St. Clair] and
Brigadier-General Harmar. The bad effect it has on the public
mind, and the importance and necessity of extirpating the said ban
ditti, if any practical measures can be devised for that purpose.
That at this distance an expedition of the following description
would seem sufficient for the purpose : about one hundred Continental
troops ^nd three hundred picked militia, raounted on horseback for
the sake of rapidity. The militia to be engaged for thirty days, to
commence from the day of arriving at the rendezvous. That every
thing be in readiness to move at the moment of the arrival of the
' Addressed to the President.
-" Member of Congress from Kentucky.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 147
militia, each class carrying thirty days' meat and bread along with
them. That the disposition be made in such a manner as to get in
the rear of the said banditti, if possible. That great care be taken
not to act offensively against any well-disposed Indians, although
they may not be in alliance with the United States. That the pay
and subsistence of the militia, and the hire of their horses, supposing
half a dollar per day be allowed each for the hire and risk of each
horse, and half a dollar each for the- hire of the horses ofthe troops,
and the probable contingencies of the expedition would amount to
about thirteen thousand dollars. That the Governor and Brigadier-
General Harmar be informed that, upon mature consideration, if
in their judgment the said expedition would promise success as to
the immediate object of it, tend to strike a terror in the minds of
the Indians hostilely disposed, and be highly satisfactory to the
people of the frontiers, they are authorized to undertake it im
mediately, under such regulations of mustering the militia as shall
be directed. That if they should conclude it for the public inter
ests to undertake the said expedition, that they take the most ef
fectual arrangements to obtain the militia at the time appointed ;
and that the militia consist of two majors and four companies of
seventy-six non-commissioned and privates each.

General Knox to Governor St. Clair.
War Office, June 7th, 1790.
Sir : — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your several
letters of- the 5th and 26th of last January and the Sth of March
last, frora Kaskaskia, on the Mississippi, all of which have been
laid before the President of the United States.'
Tiie information received from the Ohio of the depredations com
mitted on that river by some Indians, has excited considerable alarm
in the public mind. It Avould seem that the perpetrators of the
mischiefs are the same Indians who have for some years past com
mitted murders on the people of Kentucky, to-wit : the Shawanese,
and the banditti from other tribes joined with them. I have, by
direction of the President of the United States, written this day to
General Harmar to consult with you upon the means of effectually
extirpating the said band of murderers. I have given, generally,
the outlines to him of an expedition for that purpose, leaving it to
you and hira to decide upon the time and details of its execution.
'The letters of the Sth January and Sth March are missing.

148 The St. Gair Papers.
It is certain that no efficient defensive protection can be afforded
the frontiers lying along the Ohio against the depredations of single
or small parties of savages.
The President of the Uuited States is aware of the difficulty of
effectually extirpating the said banditti. But he confides in your
abilities, and those of General Harraar, to effect it ; and the order
for that purpose is to be considered as a standing one, under the
restrictions mentioned in my letter,' which, until the object of it
shall be accomplished, no exertions or pains must be spared in the
attempt. It, however, is to be understood fully that the vengeance of the
Union is to be pointed only against the perpetrators of the mischief
and not against the friendly nor even neutral tribes, nor that the
measures proposed (expedition) should interfere with your plans for
a general accommodation with the regular tribes.

P. GiBAULT, Priest, to Governor St. Clair.
St. Clair County, June 9, 1790.
The memorial of the inhabitants of Kaskaskia, La Prairie du
Rocher, and Cahokia, County of St. Clair, humbly sheweth, that by
au act of the Congress of the 20th of June, 1788, it was declared
that the lands heretofore possessed by the said inhabitants should be
surveyed at their expense, aud that this clause appears to them
neither necessary nor adapted to quiet the minds of the people. It
does not appear necessary, because from the establishment of the
colony to this day they have enjoyed their property and possessions
without disputes or law suits on the subject of their limits; thatthe
surveys of them were made at the time the concessions were ob
tained, from their ancient kings, lords, or commandants ; and that
each of them knew Avhat belonged to him, without attempting an
encroachment on his neighbor, or fearing that his neighbor would
encroach on him. It does not appear adapted to pacify them, be
cause, instead of assuring to them the peaceable possessions of their
ancient inheritances, as they have enjoyed it till now, that clause
obliges them to bear expenses which, in their present situation, they

'Scouts had been authorized on the borders, but on the 17th July the
county lieutenants of Pennsylvania and Kentucky were notifled by the
Secretary that such expensive service would be discontinued, and that Gov
ernor St. Clair was empowered hereafter to call forth the militia for service,
when necessary, through the county lieutenants.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 149
are absolutely incapable of paying, and for the failure of which they
must be deprived of their lands.
Your Excellency is an eye-witness of the poverty to which the
inhabitants are reduced, and of the total want of provisions to sub
sist on. Not knowing where to find a morsel of bread to nourish
their families, by what means can they support the expense of a sur
vey, which has not been sought for on their parts and for which it
is conceived by them there is no necessity? Loaded with misery,
and groaning under the weight of misfortunes accuraulated since the
Virginia troops entered their country, the unhappy inhabitants
throw themselves under the protection of your Excellency, and take
the liberty to solicit you to lay their deplorable situation before Con
gress. And as it may be interesting for the United States to know
exactly the extent and limits of their ancient possessions, in order
to ascertain the lands which are yet at the disposal of Congress, it
appears to them, in their humble opinion, that the expense of sur
vey ought more properly to be borne by Congress, for whom alone
it is useful, than by them who do not feel the necessity of it. Be
sides, this is no object for the United States, but it is great, too
great, for a few unhappy beings, who your Excellency sees yourself
are scarcely able to support their pitiful existence. To these motives
they venture to add that of the generosity worthy of a great people ;
the taking upon them a burden too heavy for a small nuraber of un
happy individuals Avill add luster to their dignity. They venture to
hope that the paternal goodness of your Excellency towards your
adopted childreu, will induce you to present their humble supplica
tion to the honorable Congress, and that you will second it with your
protection. They will ever pray to heaven for the preservation and prosperity
of your Excellency.

General Knox to Governor St. Clair.
[Extract]. War Department, July 20, 1790.
The reports from Europe state that England is desirous of going
to war with Spain, the ostensible cause that the Spaniards took some
English ships on the north-western coast of America. You will
observe by the papers the high tone of the British Court. If this
should be the case, it is quite probable the English might attempt
New Orleans and the Floridas. This event is to be deprecated by
us, for reasons which will obviously occur to you.
Reports have been circulated here that Arnold was at Detroit

150 The St. Clair Papers.
about the 1st of June, and that he had twice reviewed the militia.
Whether this be true or false, it is said to have arisen from a Mr.
Duncan, of Fort Pitt, who was here, and who is said to have re
ceived the intelligence from Detroit. Whatever designs the English
may have on the Spanish possessions, it is hardly to be presumed
that they would march or attempt a passage through the territories
of the United States, Avithout first asking leave. I have mentioned
these circumstances in confidence, that you and Brigadier-General
Harmar may, by coraparing thera Avith other things, endeavor to
forra a judgment of events.
The execrable perfidy of the banditti who attacked Major Doughty,
merits the severest vengeance, and it ought to be executed as soon
as circumstances Avill permit. But at present it is concluded most
proper to wait the issue of the negotiations which are about to take
place with the Creeks. Mr. MoGillivray, and a number of other
principal chiefs of the upper and lower Creeks will arrive here to
morrow. This visit has been induced by measures executed by Col
onel Marinus Willett. This gentleman sailed from this city on the
15th of March last, for Charleston. Thence he proceeded by the
back parts of Carolina to the Creek country. The visit of the chiefs
seems to indicate peaceable intentions, and a hope is indulged that
all differences may be amicably adjusted, as the United States wUl
not require any terms inconsistent with justice and huraanity.

General St. Clair to General Butler.
Pittsburgh, August IQth 1790.
S'lr: — The interests of the United States dictating a peace Avith
the Indians on the Wabash, if it could be obtained upon reason
able terms, I was directed by the President to inform them of the
disposition of the general Government on that subject, and to try
to effect it. At the sarae time, I was instructed by him to take
measures for the security of the frontier country, in the case of their
continuiug hostile. The following is extracted from instructions to
me: " You will, therefore, inform the said Indians of the disposi
tion of the general Government on this subject, and of their reason
able desire that there should be a cessation of hostilities as a prelude
to the treaty. If, however, notwithstanding your intimations to
them they should continue their hostilities or meditate any incur
sions against the frontiers of Virginia and Pennsylvania, or against
any of the troops and posts of the United States, and it should ap-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 151
pear to you that the tirae of execution would be so near as to forbid
your transmitting information to me and receiving my further
orders thereon, then you are hereby authorized and empowered, in
my name, to call upon the Lieutenants of the nearest counties of
Virginia and Pennsylvania for such detachments of militia as you
may judge proper, not exceeding one thousand from Virginia and
five hundred from Pennsylvania. I have directed letters to be writ
ten to the executives of Virgiuia and Pennsylvania, informing them
of the before-recited act of Congress, and that I have given you
these conditional directions, so that they may not be any obstruc
tions to such measures as shall be necessary to be taken by you for
calling forth the said militia, agreeably to the instructions herein
contained. The said militia to act in conjunction with the Federal
troo"ps in such operations, offensive or defensive, as you and the com
manding officer of the troops conjointly shall judge necessary for the
public service and the protection of the inhabitants and the posts.
The said militia while in actual service, to be on the Continental
establishment of pay and rations; to arm and equip theraselves,
but to be furnished with public araraunition, if necessary ; and no
charge for the pay of the said militia will be valid unless supported
by regular musters made by a field or other officer of the Federal
troops, to be appointed by the comraanding officer of the troops."
I have noAV to inform you, sir, that there is no prospect of peace
with the said Indians at present ; on the contrary, they continue to
be very ill-disposed towards the United States in general, and to Vir
ginia in particular, and many parties, from the information I have
received, are now actually gone to war. The coraraanding officer
of the troops, General Harraar, and myself, have, therefore, con
certed a plan of offensive operations against them, and in conform
ing Avith the above recited instructions, I uoav call upon you, in the
name of the President of the United States, for sixty men, rank
and file, properly officered, agreeably to the legal establishraent of
the militia of your State, to act in conjunction with the Federal
troops against the said Indians ; and that they be at the mouth of
McMahon's creek, about four miles below Wheeling, on the third
day of September next, armed and equipped for a service of sixty
days, at least, after their junction with the troops, unless the object
in view should be sooner accomplished. The laudable spirit the
militia have always shown to repress the incursions of the savages,
leaves no room for a doubt but the opportunity to punish them for
their many injuries and cruelties Avill be embraced with avidity, but
allow me, sir, to observe that it is of the utmost importance that they

152 The St. Clair Papers.
be punctually at the place of rendezvous. A failure there might
defeat the whole operations.

Chevalier Duportail' to Governor St. Clair.
Paris [France].
Dear General : — I write this letter, much uncertain if it will be
delivered to your hands. I have been told you live in the country
uear the Ohio, and that you have been appointed governor of the
settlements already made or to be made in that part. I should look
upon this, if true, as a very happy circumstance, for I must inform
you that twenty-three persons and rayself have raade an acquisition
of lands there, and intend to raake a settlement. Two gentlemen,
Mr. Barth and Mr. Tiebault, are the first who go over with some
cultivators. They Avill be followed by others. I leave with them
to explain the project, but in quality of .your late companion of war
and always your friend, I beg you to give them every assistance
and support, as those gentlemen are not acquainted with the coun
try, and the business they have in hand renders it necessary they
should have some one to advise with to prevent mistakes and per
haps want, and I expect, from your sensibility and kindness, that
you Avill be pleased to aid thera. If this first establishment suc
ceeds, and the news Ave Avill liaA-e are good, I propose to make pri
vately a large one, and send over thirty or forty families next win
ter. This plan pleases exceedingly my imagination, for you must
know that our present revolution, which, I hope, will turn out hap
pily for the people in general, has overthrown the fortune of many
individuals, and reduced them to the greatest misery. In this cir
cumstance, I raay offer to form an asylum in your fortunate country,
and procure thera a better situation, with advantages for myself.
In a few years I intend to cross the Atlantic and visit my little col
ony. This voyage will have two objects, for I wish also to see
again Araerica and so raany persons for whom I shall always have
the greatest interest and attachment, and I hope, dear general, to
find you yot on the borders of the Ohio.
I could perhaps spare my and to you all this bad English, and
' The Chevalier Duportail was the most prominent of the educated en
gineers sent to America by France in the Revolutionary AVar. He was
raade colonel of engineers, and was afterwards promoted to brigadier-gen-
eral. He served under Washington in the Highlands and at Yorktown,
and with Greene in South Carolina, and always acceptably.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 153
write in French, but I was afraid that, having since the peace no
opportunity of communicating with Frenchmen, you have forgotten
it. I judge of it by myself, who find now great difficulty to speak
English, but I beg you to be persuaded of the sincerity of the sen
timents and regard and attachment with which I have the honor
to be, etc.

Colonel Gouvion ' to Governor St. Clair.
Paris, August 21, 1790.
Dear General: — If you have not quite forgotten an officer who
had the pleasure to serve with you under the standard of liberty,
give him leave to introduce to you Messieurs de Tavernol, a French
• officer of the Royal Artillery, and de Rocher, who are going to make
settlements and become adventurers in the western countries of
America. As this is a kind of enterprise in which they are in very
great want of counsel, I take the liberty to beg you would aid them
with yours, and put them under your iraraediate protection. They
deserve it by their sentiments and their good conduct, and I shall be
particularly obliged to you for what you will do in their faA'or.
Here we are contending for our liberty. There are so many
people averse to it, and doing all in their power to oppose the effects
of our revolution, that we are going on but very slowly. I hope that
the good cause will triumph at last. Many, if not all, of our fet
ters are already fallen down, but we want order, of Avhich there is
almost a general dissolution. I hope it will come again, and that
we shall be free ; if not without trouble, at least without much
bloodshed." The politicians of this country pretend that the great English
fleet is sailing over to North America to carry you a king. I think
'Colonel Gouvion, one of the four prominent engineers sent over by
France during the Revolutionary War. He was a skillful and valuable of
ficer, and was advanced from major to lieutenant-colonel iu the American
army, and colonel by brevet. After the surrender of Cornwallis, at York-
town, he got leave to return to France. This is probably the same Gouvion
who became distinguished under Napoleon in 1795 and subsequent cam
paigns, became a prominent general, and afterwards was made a peer.
2 Alas! what oceans of blood deluged France soon after this letter of the
brave Gouvion.

154 The St. Clair Papers.
that that sort of plant would not grow well in your land, and I
laugh at that idea.'
I am, with great esteem, dear general.
Your most obedient servant,
Gouvion.
'For St. Clair's description of the settlement of the French on the Ohio,
see his letter to the Secretary of War, Noveml^r 26, 1790. He received nu
merous letters from his French acquaintances, and also from the American
representatives at Paris. One from Mr. Short introduced a marquis, a dep
uty of the noblesse to the National Assembly, who had purchased lands on
the Scioto. The following letters will be rea.l with interest:
Joel Bablow to Governok St. Clair.
Paris, France, February 28, 1790.
Sir : — I took the liberty, a few days since, to give you some account of
my operations as agent for the Scioto Co.mpany, and to address to your no
tice and protection a number of industrious and honest emigrants, who have
gone under the direction of Messrs. Barth and Thiebauld. This emigration,
I am convinced, will increase to a great number. They will be well attached
to your government; and while they increase the strength and respectability
of the colony, I hope your Excellency will find them amongst tho best of
citizens over whom you preside.
Mr. Hinckston, who will do me the honor to hand you this, is an English
gardener, who carries with him a great variety of trees, vines, plants, and
seeds, which may be useful in that country. I think his knowledge and in
tentions will render him a useful settler, and, with this prophecy, I take the
liberty of requesting that you would give him such notice and protection as
may be advantageous to him and the settlement.

Joel Barlow to Governor St. Clair.
Paris, April 17, 1790.
Sir.— The Viscount de Malartie,' who will do me the honor to hand you
this, is a young gentleman of good family, property, and character. He and
his friends have purchased considerable lands of the Scioto Company, and
he goes to begin the settlement for them. As I consider these people who
go this season as being the leaders of extensive emigrations to that country,
I am anxious on that account, as well as on the common principles of justice
and humanity, that they should find themselves happy. I have taken the
liberty in several instances to recommend such emigrants to your Excellen
cy's protection and friendship. I do it with more confidence, as I am con
vinced that they will be sober, industrious citizens, and that they will, by
their increasing numbers, add great strength and wealth to your govern
ment.

(1) The Viscount Malartie afterwards became a volunteer aid-de-camp on the staflf
ot Major-General St. Clair, and was wounded at lhe battle witli the Indians, Novem
ber 4, 1791.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 155

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
New York, August 23d, 1790.
The letter from Major Haratrarack, and journal of Mr. Garaelin,'
'The report of Antoine Gamelin, which alone concerns our storj', and
which has a deep interest to all who would understand the nature of the
conflict of a hundred years ago, between civilization and barbarism, is as
follows: Mk. Gamelin's Journal.
I, Antoine Gamelin, by order of Major Hamtramck, set off from Port
Knox the 5th of April, to proceed to Miamitown, with the speeches of his
Excellency, Arthur St. Clair, and to receive the answer of the Wabash and
Miami nations.
The first village I arrived at is called Kikapouguoi. The name of the
chief of this village is called Les Jambes Croches. Him and his tribe have
a good heart, and accepted the speech. TThe second village is at the river
du Vermillion, called Piankeshaws. The first chief, and all the chief war
riors, were well pleased withthe speeches concerning the peace; but they
said they could not give presently a proper answer, before they consulted the
Miami nation, their eldest brethren. They desired me to proceed to tlie
Miamitown, and, by coming back, to let them know what reception I got
from them. The said head-chief told me that he thought the nations of the
lakes had a bad heart, and were ill-disposed to the Americans ; that the
speeches would not be received, particularly by the Chaouanons' at Miami-
town. The 10th of April I met thirteen Kickapoo warriors; I asked them the
purpose of their journey. We are for war, said they, not against the white
people, but against the Chickasaws. I told Ihem to be friends witb white
people; I gave thera a letter for the commanding officer of Post Vincennes,
desiring them to go and shake hands with him. They promised to do it.
The llth of April 1 reached a tribe of Kickapoos; the head-chief and all
the warriors being assembled, I gave tjiem two branches of white wampum,
with the speeches of his Excellency, Arthur St. Clair, and those of Major
Hamtramck (it must be observed that the speeches have been in another
hand before me). The messenger could not proceed further than the Ver
million, on account of some private wrangling between the interpreter and
some chief men of the tribe. Moreover, something in the speech displeased
them very much, which is included in the third article, which says: "I do
no'iv make you the offer of peace; accept it or reject it, as you please." Theso
words appeared to displease all the tribes to whom the flrst messenger was
sent. They told me they were menacing, and, flnding that it might have a
bad effect, I took upon myself to exclude them, and, after making some
apology, they answered that they and their tribe wore pleased with my speech,
and that I could go up without danger; but that they could not presently
give me an answer, having some warriors absent, and without consulting the
1 By these are meant the Shawanese.

156 The St. Clair Papers.
copies of which accompany this, were received by me at Kaskaskia,
Ouiatanons, being the owners of their lands. They desired me to stop at
Quitepiconnae, that they would have the chiefs and warriors of Ouiatanons,
and those of their nation, assembled there, and would receive a proper an
swer; they said that they expected by rae a draught of milk from the great
chief and the commanding officer of the Post, to put the old people in good
humor; also, some powder and ball for the young men for hunting, and to
get sorae good broth for their women and children; that I should know a
bearer of speeches should never be with empty hands. They promised me
to keep their young men fnmi stealing, and to send speeches to their nations
in the prairies to do the same. One of the chiefs desired me to listen to his
speech; " Is it true that a man called Lewis Loder has, in last summer, car
ried a' letter, wrote with red ink upon black paper, directed to the chief of
the Falls, by the French and American people of the Post, inviting him to
furnish his young men for to destroy the Kickapoos? Yourself, Gamelin,
you wrote the said letter, without giving notice to the chiefs of that place,
as reported to us. But the chief of the Falls answered : ' I don't understand
the meaning of writing a letter with Vermillion; don't you know that the
Kickapoos are my children, as well as other nations? Instead of destroying
them, I want to contract a solid peace with them.' That is a proof of a
good heart of the great chief, and we sincerely believe that what you saj'
concerning the peace is very true. Another proof of his good heart: we
heard that Ducoign applied to the commanding officer of the Post for to go
against us, with the French people, his brethren, but he got a refusal."
The 14th April, the Ouiatanons and the Kickapoos were asserabled. After
my speech, one ofthe head chiefs got up and told me: "You, Gamelin, my
friend, and son-in-law, we are pleased to see you in our village, and to hear
by your mouth the good words of the great chief. We thought to receive a
few words from the French people, but I see the contrary; none but the
Big-knife is sending speeches to us. You know that we can terminate
nothing without the consent of our elder brethren, the Miamis. I invite
you to proceed to their village, and to speak to them. There is one thing in
your speech I do not like; I will not tell of it; even was I drunlc, I would
perceive it; but our elder brethren will certainly take notice of it in your
speech. You invite us to stop our young men. It is impossible to do it, be
ing constantly encouraged by the British." Another chief got up and said:
"The Americans are very fiattering in their speeches; many times our nation
went to their rendezvous. I was once myself. Some of our chiefs died on
the route, and we always came back all naked, and you, Gamelin, you come
with a speech, Avith empty hands." Another chief got up and said to his
young men : "If we are so poor, and dressed in deer skins, it is our own
fault; our French traders are leaving us and our villages, because you plun
der them every day, and it is time for us to have another conduot." Another
chief got up and said : " Know ye that the village of Ouiatanon is the sepul-
cher of all our anceftors. The chief of America invites us to go to him, if
we are for peace; he has not his leg broke, having been able to go as lar as
the Illinois; he might come here himself, and we should be glad to see him
at our village. We confess that we accepted the axe, but it is by the re-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 157
after my return from Cahokia ; and when I was on the point of set-
proach vve continually receive from the English and other nations, which
received the axe first, calling us women ; at the present time, they invite our
young men to war; as to the old people, they are Avishing for peace.'' They
could not give rae an answer before they received advice from the Miamis,
their elder brethren.
The 18th April, I arrived at the Eiver a I'Anguille. The chief of the vil
lage, and those of war, were not present. I explained the speeches to some
of the tribe; they said they were well pleased, but they could not give me
an answer, their chief men being absent; they desired me to stop at their
village coming back, and they sent with me one of their men to hear the
answer of their eldest brethren.
The 23d April, I arrived at the Miamitown; the next day, I got the
Miami nation, the Chaouanons, and Delawares, all assembled. I gave to
each nation two branches of wampum, and began the speeches, before the
French and English traders, being invited by the chiefs to be present, hav
ing told them myself I would be glad to have tbem present, having nothing
to say against any body. After the speech, I showed thera the treaty con
cluded at Muskingum, between his Excellency, Governor St. Clair, and sun
dry nations, which displeased them. I told them that the purpose of this
present time was not to submit them to any conditi<m, but to oflTer them the l
peace, which made their displeasure disappear. The great chief told me ¦
that he was pleased with the speech; that he would soon give me an answer. J
In a private discourse with the great chief, he told me not to raind what the
Chaouanons would toll me, having a bad heart, and being the perturbators
of all the nations. He said the Miarais had a bad name, on account of mis
chief done on the River Ohio, but he told me it was not occasioned by his
young men, but by the Chaouanons, bis young men going out only for to
hunt. The 25th of April, Blue Jacket, chief warrior of the Chaouanons, invited
me to go to his home, and told me: "My friend, by the name and consent
of the Chaouanons and Delawares, I will speak to you. We are all sensible
ot your speech, and pleased with it, but, atter consultation, we can not give
an answer without hearing from our father, at Detroit, and we are deter
mined to give you back the two branches of wampum, and to send you to
Detroit to see and hear the chief, or to stay here twenty nights for to receive
his answer. From all quarters, we receive speeches from the Americans,
and not one is alike. We suppose that they intend to deceive us — then take
back your branches of wampum."
The 26th, five Pottawatamies arrived here with two negro men, which
they sold to English traders; the next day, I went to the great chief of the
Miamis, called Le Gris; his chief warrior was present. I told him how I
had been served by the Chaouanons; he answered me, that he had heard of
it; that the said nations behaved contrary to his intentions. He desired me
not to mind those strangers, and that he would soon give me a positive
answer. The 28th April, the great chief desired me to call at the French trader's
and receive his answer. "Dont take bad," said he, "of what I am to tell

158 The St. Clair Papers.
ting out for the Wabash. Prom the information that journal con-
you; you may go back when you please. We can not give you a positive
answer; we must send your speeches to all our neighbors, and to the Lake
nations; we can not give a definitive answer without consulting the command
ant of Detroit." And he desired me to render him the two branches of
wampum refused by the Chaouanons, also a copy of speeches, in writing.
He promised me that, in thirty nights, he would send an answer to Post St.
Vincennes, by a young man of each nation; he was well pleased with the
speeches, and said to be worthy of attention, and should be coramunicated
to all their confederates, having resolved among them not to do any thing
without an unanimous consent. I agreed to his requisitions, and rendered
him the two branches of wampum and a copy of the speech. Afterwards,
he told me that the Five Nations, so called, or Iroquois, were training some
thing; that flve of them and three Wyandots were in this village with
branches of wampum; he could not tell me presently their purpose, but he
said I would know of it very soon.
The same day. Blue Jacket, chief of the Chaouanons, invited me to his
house for supper, and, before the other chiefs, told me that, after another de
liberation, they thought necessary that I should go myself to Detroit, to
see the commandant, who would get all his children assembled to hear
my speech. I told them I would not answer them in the night — that I was
not ashamed to speak before the sun.
The 29th of April I got them all assembled. I told them that I was not
io go to Detroit; that the speeches were directed to the nations of the river
Wabash and the Miami, and that, to prove the sincerity of the speech
and the heart of Governor St. Clair, I have willingly given a copy of the
speeches, to be shown to the commandant of Detroit; that his Excellency
will be glad to hear that his speeches have been sent to Detroit, and, accord
ing to a letter wrote by the commandant of Detroit to the Miamis, Chaoua
nons, and Delawares, mentioning to you to be peaceable with the Americans.
I would go to him very willingly, if it was my directions, being sensible of his
sentiments. I told them I had nothing to say to the commandant, neither
hira to me. "You must immediately resolve, if you intend to take me to De
troit, or else I am to go back as soon as possible." Blue Jacket got up and
said to me: " My friend, we are well pleased with what you say; our inten
tion is not to force you to go to Detroit; it is only a proposal, thinking it for
the best. Our answer is the same as the Miamis. We will send, in thirty
nights, a full and positive answer, by a young man of each nation, by writ
ing to Post St. Vincennes." In the evening. Bluejacket, chief of the Chaoua
nons, having taken me to supper with him, told me, in a private manner,
that the nation Chaouanons was in doubt of the sincerity of the Big-knives,
so called, having been already deceived by them. That they had first de
stroyed their lands, put out their fires, and sent away their young men, being
a hunting, without a mouthful of meat; also, had taken away their women;
wherefore, many of them would, with great deal of pain, forget these af
fronts. Moreover, that some other nations were apprehending that offers
of peace would, raay be, tend to take away, by degrees, their lands, and

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 159
tained, and the intelligence which the major had received after
wards, as stated in the letter, it appeared to me, that there was not
the smallest probability of an accomraodation with the Indians of
that riA'er, and of the Miami, and that, from the manner in which
would serve them as they did before. A certain proof that they intend to
encroach on our lands is their new settleraent on the Ohio. If they don't
keep this side clear, it will never be a proper reconcilement with the nations
Chaouanons, Iroquois, Wyandots, and perhaps many others. Le Gris, chief
of the Jliamis, asked me, iu a private discourse, what chiefs had made a
treaty with the Americans at Muskingum. I answered him, that their
names were mentioned in the treaty. He told rae that he had heard ofit
some timo ago, but they are not chiefs, neither delegates, who made that
treaty; they are only young men, who, without authority and instruction
from their chiefs, have concluded that treaty, which will not be approved.
They went to that treaty clandestinely, and they intend to make mention
of it in the next council to bo held.
The 2d of May I came back to the Piiver a I'Anguille. One of the chief
men of the tribe, being witness of the council at Miamitown, repeated the
whole to them; and, whereas the first chief was absent, they said they could
not, for present time, give answer; but they are willing to join their speech
to those of their eldest brethren. " To give you proof of an open heart, we
will let you know that one of our chiefs is gone to war on the Americans,
but it was before we heard of you; for certain they would not have gone
thither." They also told me that, a few days after I pa^ssed by their village,
seventy warriors, Sauteaux ani Outawais, from Michilimackinac, arrived
there; some of them wore Poux, ¦who, meeting in thair route the Sauteaux
and Outawais, joined them. " We told them what we heard by you; that
your speech- is fair and true. We could not stop them from going to war.
The Poux told us that, as the Sauteaux and Outawais were more numerous
than them, they were forced to follow them.''
The 3d of May I got to the Ouias. Thoy told rae that they -were waiting
for an answer from their eldest brethren. " We approve very much our
brethren for not to give a definitive answer without informing of it all the
lake nations; that Detroit was the place where the fire was lighted; then it
ought first to be put out there; th.atthe English commandant is their father,
since he threw down our French father; they could do nothing without his
approbation." The 4th May I arrived at the village of the Kickapoos. The chief, pre
senting me two branches of wampum, black and white, said: " My son, we
can not stop our young men from going to war; every day some set ofi'
clandestinely for that purpose; after such behavior from our young men,
we are ashamed to say to the great chief at the Illinois and of the Post St.
Vincennes that Ave are busy about some good affairs for the reciuicilement;
but be persuaded that we will speak to them continually concerning the
peace, and that, when our eldest brethren will have sent their answer, we
will join ours to it."
The 5th of May I arrived at Vermillion. I found nobody but two chiefs,

160 The St. Clair Papers.
the proposal of an accommodation had been received by them, and
their subsequent conduct, it would not be proper for me to go to Post
St. Vincennes; I, therefbre, took the resolution to return by the
Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to the headquarters of the troops, in
order to concert with General Harmar upon the means of carrying
into effect the alternative contained in ray instructions frora the
President : that of punishing them ; and, accordingly, erabarked on
the llth day of June, and arrived at Fort Washington on the 13th
day of July.
Before my departure from Kaskaskia, I put a letter into the hands
of Major Sargent, informing hira of my intended journey, and that
as soon as I had embarked, he Avas to consider me as absent, and, in
consequence, the government devolved upon himself, and desired
him to proceed to the Post, lay out a county there, establish the
militia, and appoint the civil and military officers. I Avas led to pro
ceed in this manner from the little time there would be to digegt the
business, and bring the necessary force together from so many and
distant parts, before it would be necessary that they should move,
and the certainty there appeared to be that, if I went to the Post,
the consuming a good deal of it would be unavoidable, aud the
season for operation be lost.
Frora the Falls of Ohio, I took Mr. Elliot, one of the contractors,
with me to headquarters, that he might, in person, give General
Harmar information with respect to the certainty of supplies, with
out being assured of Avhich, it Avould be vain to think ofthe matter.
The number of militia I was empowered to call for, was one
thousand from Virginia, and five hundred from Pennsylvania, to act
in conjunction wdth the Continental troops; these the General esti
mated at four hundred effectives. The manner of employing this
force, which was concluded upon, is this : Three hundred of the
militia of Virginia are to rendezvous at Fort Steuben, and with the
garrison of that fort, to mareh to Post St. Vincennes and join Major
Haratrarack ; the remaining twelve hundred of the militia to as
semble at Fort Washington, under the orders of General Harmar,
which, with the troops to be collected there, will form a body of fif
teen hundred ; these are intended to march directly across the
all the rest w-ere gone a hunting. They told me they had nothing else to
say but what I was told going up. They told me that the Grosse Tete, a
warrior absent, appears to have a bad heart. Antoine Gamelin, Messenger.
This 17th day of May appeared before me Air. Antoine Gamelin, and swore
that the within is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Fs. Hamtramck, Majzr Commandant.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 161
country to the Miami village, Avhile Major Hamtramck moves up the
Wabash to attack any of the villages on that river, t.j which his
force may be equal ; but, as it is not so respectable as I could wdsh
it, I took it upou myself to give hira authority to call for aid from
the railitia of Post St. Vincennes. It would, perhaps, have been
better that the whole should have been drawn together, and one
solid effort been made ; but it was next to irapossible to forra a junc
tion of all the parts at any one proper place in time, and we were
not Avithout hopes that, as the raoveraents Avill be made in concert,
the success of both may be forwarded by each other ; for that up
the Wabash will certainly, I think, make those nations uneasy for
themselves, and prevent them from aiding the Miamis, while the
direct movement to their village will have the same effect upon
thera. I could, indeed, have wished that the force in both quarters had
been more respectable, as far as it is possible their success should be
put out of the chance of accidents ; for a failure wdll be attended
with the very worst consequences. I believe, sir, that if the Presi
dent approves the business, and should think proper to add to the
numbers, it is not yet too late, being of opinion that many more
men might be obtained from that part of Virginia from whence the
others are called, on Arery short notice. You will observe, sir, by
my letter to the county lieutenants, that the rendezvous at Fort
Washington is fixed for the 15th of next month. Their assembling
there, hoAvever, was not counted upon before the 20th, and that they
would be in readiness to march by the 1st of October. Before that
time, I hope, I shall be able to join them. Mr. Elliot made very
little hesitation about the provisions, though it Avill be impossible to
furnish flour. Corn, however, it seems, is still abundant in Ken
tucky, and with that General Harmar is satisfied.
I am very apprehensive that sorae disappointment will be met Avith
in the quota of Pennsylvania : for I found that, in two of the four
counties from wdiich that militia is to be drawn, they have not had
an officer for upwards of two years, and there Avas a general com
plaint for want of arms. I rejDresented that matter to the Execu
tive of the State, and they think the first difficulty will be obviated
by a voluntary enlistment, and have ordered a quantity of arms to
be sent forward. As a disappointment there would be fatal, perhaps
the President may think proper to make some conditional provision
against it. I hope it wdll not happen, but I fear i-i; and am ex
tremely anxious about it, on account of the expense that will have
vol. n — 11

162 The St. Qair Papers.
been incurred to no purpose, and more so from the injury the repu
tation of the Governraent Avould sustain.
I request the favor of you, sir, to lay this letter before the Presi
dent as soon as possible, for it is of importance that I should return
Avithout loss of time, as the asserabling the railitia of Pennsylvania
is appointed on the 3d, and their being in motion not to exceed the
10th of September.
I have added a copy of my letter to the county lieutenants, and
to the senior officer of the Pennsylvania militia.

General Knox to Governor St. Clair.
War Department, August 23, 1790.
Sir: — I have submitted to the President of the United States
your letter of this date, and the papers therein referred to, contain
ing the reasons on which you have founded the proposed operation
against the Wabash Indians.
Whilst the President regrets exceedingly the occasion, he approves
of the measures you haA^e taken for preventing those predatory
incursions of the Wabash Indians which, for a considerable period
past, haA'e been so calamitous to the frontiers lying along the Ohio.
The offers of peace, which have been made on princijiles of just
ice and humanity to the Wabash Indians and refused, will fully
justify the conduct of the United States in the operations which
have been directed for the prevention of future murders and rob
beries. It is the earnest desire of the President that the operation should
be effectual, and produce in the Indians proper dispositions for peace.
He, therefore, confides in your judgment and abUities, as being per
fectly acquainted with the force of the Indians, the nature of their
operation, and all the circumstances of the case, whether any further
force shall be added to that already ordered. If, upon due delibera
tion, you should be of opinion that the force you have directed should
be inadequate to the end proposed, and that an additional number
of militia should be requisite, he consents to the measure, and here
by authorizes you for that purpose.
In this case, the additional nuraber of railitia should be taken
from the frontier counties of Virgiuia, on account of their vicinity
to Fort Washington, the place of rendezvous.
There are existing jealousies in the minds of the British officers
in Canada of the designs of the United States respecting the posts

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 163
to have been relinquished by the late peace. It will be a point,
therefore, of delicacy, that you should take measures by sending
some officer or raessenger, at a i^roper time, to assure the comraand
ing officer of the real object of the expedition ; that the Shawa
nese, and some others joined with them, have comraitted such
enormous offenses against the citizens of the United States as are
no longer supportable, and to assure him of the entire pacific dis
position of the United States towards Great Britain and its posses
sions. You will also find it, at sorae certain raoment, highly proper
to inform the Indians with whom you have formed treaties, of your
pacific disposition towards thera.
And, it may also be proper, uuder certain circurastances of hu
miliation of the Indians, to conclude Avith them treaties of peace,
provided it can be done on proper security of their good behavior,
and consistently with the dignity and interests of the United
States.

Governor St. Clair to the Attorney-General.
Philadelphia, \_No date], 1790.
Sir : — I have the honor to envelope the papers you were pleased
to desire yesterday.
In a former conversation you had suggested a doubt whether the
laws of the Western Territory tUat had been made (in contradis
tinction to being adopted) by the Legislature would be binding upon
the people. The same doubt had arisen in my mind early, but I gave
way to the opinion of the Judges, and to the necessity of the case.
They were decidedly of the opinion that, from a clause in the Ordi
nance which declared the laws adopted or made by the Governor or
Judges to be binding during the existence of the teraporary gOA'ern-
ment, if not disapproved by Congress, gaA'e them full poAver to leg
islate in that manner ; and it is certain that, from the peculiar cir
cumstances of the country, in many cases no laws of the ¦ original
States would be found to apply to their occasions exactly without
alterations, and, if they were altered to those occasions, they Avould
cease, it would seem, to be the same laws. They have doubts, like
Avise, whether the laws of the United States can haA'e course iu the
Territory unless it be especially named in them, and it has been
prop'Osed to me that such as may be necessary should be adopted ;
but, from the AVords of the Ordinance, which gave the power to
adopt laws, it is doubtful whether the laAvs of the United States can
be comprehended. I do not recollect any case that has yet hap-

164 The St. Gair Papers.
pened Avhere any inconvenience has followed— but I do not know
hoAV treason, for example, against the United States, could be pun
ished, and yet it raay be committed in a Territory.
No provision has been made for an attorney-general ; the power
to appoint one is clear enough, but the infant situation of the coun.
try forbids the people being burdened Avith salaries ; at the same
time, it seems to be a very necessary office, Avere it only as law
counselor to the Governor. I am sure I have felt the want of such
counsel very much, aud the persons Avho may succeed me in the
office may be in like circumstances ; and it is not expected that any
person of sufficient abilities will accept the appointment avithout a
salary, especially when it is considered that they have a circuit of
more than a thousand miles in every year. I shall be very much
obliged to you for your advice about the possessions of the ancient
settlers on the Mississippi, and that, if you think it necessary, you
would bring the doubtful points I have mentioned before the Presi
dent of the United States. Perrait rae to observe, also, that when
the very great distance that country is and ever will be frora the
seat of governraent, there seems to be a necessity for the titles of
confirmation being rnade within the Territory, or at least a provision
that they raay be put on record there.

Governor St. Clair to the President.
Report or Official Pkoceedinqs in the Illinois Co-a^-TEY fkom
March -Sth to June llth, 1790.
Pursuant to the resolution of Congress of the 28th of August,
1788, and in obedience to the instructions of the President of the
United States of the Gth of October, 1789, I embarked at Fort
Harmar for Kaskaskia, on the 20th day of December following, and
arrived on the 5th day of March, 1790. The great length of time
consuraed in this voyage Avas owdiig to a delay met with at the Falls
of Ohio, for want of provisions for the escort ; to being afterwards
frozen up in the Mississippi for fifteen days ; and to being again
obliged to stop to repair the damage sustained by the vessel, which
was hurried by the impetuosity ofthe stream upon a sunken tree in
the middle of the river, where the danger of being cast away was
very narrowly escaped.
Immediately on my arrival, the county of St. Clair was erected by

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 165
proclamation ; ' a placard was published requiring the inhabitant, to
"¦ In fact, the county of St. Clair was not erected until April 27th. I
quote from the manuscript journal of official proceedings kept by the secre
tary, Colonel Sargent.^
(1) 1790, March 7th. — At Kaskaskia. Thc Governor issued aproclamation calling on
inhabitants to prove claims to certain lancls as provided for in act of Congress of 20[h
June, 1788. It was directed to take measures to confirm in tlieir possessions and titles
the French and Canadian inhabitants, and other settlers on the Mississippi who, on
or before the year 1783, had professed tliemselves citizens of the United States, and
for laying off the tracts wliich they rightfully claim; also for their beneflt, tracts of
lands in certain flgures near to all the villages, so as to furnish four hundred acres
us a donation to such of families living at Kaskaskia, La Prairie du Rocher and
Cahokia. March 24th. — The Governor issued a proclamation similar to the above to the peo
ple of Post A'ineennes. [It was sent by messenger to tlie W^ abash.]
April 22d.— At Cahokia. The Governor issued a proclamation relative to the claims
of the Bishop of Quebec to missionary lands granted to the missionaries of Cahokia
and Tamarois, in fee simple, by Messieurs Boisbriaiit and Des Misines, in tho narae
of the Royal Company of the Indies, in June 1722. Four leagues of land in a square
to begin on the Mississippi River, one-quarter of a league above the little River of
Cahokia, and to follow the course of the Mississippi towards Fort Chartres.
April 25th.— The Governor issued an order forbidding the inhabitants from enter
taining any strangers, white. Indians, or negroes, without acquainting the officer in
command of troops with the names, and places whence they came. Strangers also
required to report themselves.
April 27th. — County of St. Clair set off as follows: Beginning at the mouth of the
Little Michilmaeinack River, running thence southerly in a direct line to the mouth
ot the little river above Ft. Massac, on the Ohio River; thence with Ohio to its junction
with the Mississippi; thenee up the Alississippi to the mouth of the Illinois Kiver, and
so up the Illinois River to the place of beginning, with all the adjacent islands of the
said Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. St. Clair county divided into three judicial
districts, viz: Caholiia, Prairie du Rocher, and Kaskasliiia; in eacli of which, ses
sions of the several courts sbould be held during the year in some manner, as if
each distriot represented a distinct county.
April 29tli.— Cahokia. The Governor addressed a letter to Don Manuel Perez,
Lieutenant-Governor ot western part of Louisiana, asking him to see that one Pierre
Troye, lately removed from Cahokia. returned to its parents a female child, Margaret
Bellew, which he had carried off, claiming that the parents were indebted to him
for its keeping; whereas tlie child had been permitted to stay with Troye at tho re
quest af his wife— she having no children of her own.
Following appointments made:
Judges of the Court of Common Pleas — Jean Baptist Barbot, John Edgar, Antoine
Gerardin, Philip Engel, and John de Moulin.
Prothonotary and Clerk of the Court— AVilliam St. Clair; Justices of tlie Court of
General Quarter-Sessions of the Peace, and Justices of Peace and Quorum— Messrs.
Ed^ar, Engel, Gerardin, and Antoine Louviers. Also, Ju.stices of the Court nf St.
Clair County— Francis Trottier, Francis Janis, Nicholas Smith, James Piggot, and
Baptiste Sausier.
Judge of Probate — Bartholomew Tardavieu.
Sheriff— William Biggs, Gentleman.
Coroner— Charles Le Ferre, Gentleman.
Lieutenant-Colonel of First Regiment of Militia— B. Tardavieu.
Major — A. Gerardin.
Captains— John Edgar, Jean Baptiste du Bouque, and Messrs, Engel, Janis, and
Piggot. Lieutenants— Baptiste Sausier, Baptiste La Chance, Antoine Peltie du Antoya,
George Achison, Baptiste Alory, and Joseph La Pense.

166 The SL Clair Papers,
exhibit a proof of their claim to lands in that quarter, aud a list of
Ensigns— Philip Gervais, Matthew Sausier, Charles Gennoin, Jaque Racine, An
toine La Chapelle and Nathaniel Hull.
May 5th.— Joseph La Bussiere was commissioned a Notary Public for the purpos-j
of taking due recognition of land titles among the French, who are excepted in the
Ordinance. May 7th.— William St. Clair appointed Recorder of Deeds, and on the follovving
day he was authorized to administer oaths to all officers appointed under the aeLs
of Congress.
May 18th.— Antoine Harmond dit Sansfapon was appointed Adjutant of the First
Regiment. June 1st. — Antoine Gerardin was appointed Surveyor.
June llth— The Govcfnor addressed a letter to Major Hamtramck at Post Vincennes,
informing him that he would not proceed to that post as contemplated, for attempt-^
ing a treaty with the Indians, but would go to Fort Washington and thence to New
York. The same day he pnt a letter into the hands of Secretary Sargent, authorizing
him to act as Governor during his absence, and instructing him how to proceed to
quiet the land titles at Post Vincennes.
The Governor departed for Fort Washington.
At Vincennes, Secretary Sargent, as acting Governor, proceeded i;o carry out the
instructions of the Governor relative to the lands. The situation was more com
plicated than at Kaskaskia and Cahokia, and the labor of adjustment was very great.
Both French and English had made grants, and courts set up by representatives of
Virgiuia had also made grants. It was found that one Ange, u royal notary, had at
one time run off with all of the public papers in his possession, and that in the oflfice
of one Le Grand, which was continued from 1777 to 17S8, where should have been
the vouchers for important land transactions, the records had been so falsified, and
there was such gross fraud and forgery, as to invalidate all of the papers as evidence.
The court of civil and criminal jurisprudence, established by J. Todd under au
thority of Virginia in June, 1779, and was continued until 17S7, continued to make
grants without due authority, as the acts of Virginia of 1779 expressly excepted lands
north-west of the river Ohio from location and pre-emption, and the Governor was
required to issue a proclamation lequiring all persons to remove themselves. This
did not extend to theFrench and other ancient inhabitants. Todd, however, claimed
there was a kind of authority, and the violation of law continued. Twenty-six thou
sand acres of land were granted away from 1779 to 1783; from that dato to 1787 (when
General Harmar checked the abuse) twenty-two thousand acres more, generally in
parcels of lour hundred acre--^. Those persons who had bought and paid for lands
since the date referred to, were victims of the fraud, but the Secretary represented
the hardship to the General Government and asked for a special net of relief. A
tract of one hundred and fifty acres embraced in the village, and granted by St. Ange
to the Piankishaw Indians, had been sold by thc latter to whites, and some of the
lots built up. The question of ownership was referred to Congress. One hundred
and thirty-one French, Canadian and American inhabitants offered to do extra mil-
tary duty for a donation of land. Recommended by the Secretary.
June 20th. — A couuty named Knox was laid off with the following boundaries:
Beginning at the standing stone Forlcs ofthe Great Miami River and down the said
river to the confluence with the Ohio River, thence with the Ohio River to thc small
stream or rivulet above Fort Massac, thenee with the eastern boundary line of
St. Clair county tothe mouth of the Little Michilmaeinack, thence up the Illinois
River to the Forks or confluence of the Theokiki and Chicago ; thence by a line to
bo drawn due nortii to the boundary line of the Territory of the United States, and
so far easterly upon said boundary line as that a due south line maybe drawn to the
place of beginning.
June 22d.— John Small, commissioned as Sheriff, an^ John Mills, Notary.
June 26th.— Military commissions for Knox county— Majors, Francois Vigo nnd
Henry Vanderburgh; Captains— Piere Gamelin, Louis Edcline, Michel Bronlictte,
Charles du Devoir, and John Baptiste Mayet; Lieutenants— Joseph Toga, Charles

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 167
the heads of families. It was a considerable time before any
claims were presented, owing partly to their being entirely unac
quainted with the English language. They were at length brought
forward, and such of them as were found to come within the reso
lution of Congress, accompany this report; also a list of the in
habitants and a copy of the placard.
No plan of the town of Kaskaskia could be found, either in the
public offices or in the hands of individuals ; I was, therefore,
obliged to order one to be taken Cof which No. 4 is a copy), as it
Bono, Lulie Decker, and Charles Vineuve; Ensigns— Jean Baptiste St. Obin, Jean
Baptiste Mayette, Antoine Droite de Richorville, and Christopher Wyant.
June 27tli.— Major Vigo ordered to command tbe militia of Post Vincennes, and
Captain Jean Baptiste Mayet upon the Illinois River.
June 28tli. — Proclamation issued as to killing of game and strangers similar to the
one issued by St. Clair at Cahokia.
June 29th. — In view of surrounding hostile Indians, militia commanded to hold
themselves in readiness for service.
July 3d.— Commissions Issued; Judges of Court of Common Pleas — to Piere Game
lin, Louis Edcline, and James Johnson; Justices Court of Quarter-Sessions, etc.—
.\iitoine Gamelin, Paul Gamelin and Francis Bussero; Judge of Probate— Antoine
Gamelin; Prothonotary and Clerk — Samuel Baird; Eecorder of Deeds— John Mills;
Justices of the Peace— James Johnson and Luke Decker; Coroner -Christopher
Wyant. July 10th. — Samuel Baird commissioned to survey and lay off the French and Ca
nadian inhabitants' lands rightly held by them.
August 16th.— Andrew Heath was commissioned Justice of Peace for county of
Knox. August 21st.— .lolm Owens commissioned as Lieutenant of militia. After some cor
respondence with Judges Symraes and Turner as to laws, the Secretary departed for
Fort Washington.
Sept. 16th.— Governor St. Clair arrived in the Territory.
Sept. 18th.— The Governor was pleased to make the following appointments : Wil
liam Mills, as captain, and Joseph Buell and Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr., as ensigns,
in the first regiment of Washington county.
Dec. 1st.— Scott Traverse appointed lieutenant, vice Kenedy resigned ; and Richard
Benh.am, ensign.
Dec. 2d.— Absalom Martin was appointed oaptain, John Williams, lieutenant, and
Richard Carpenter, ensign, first regiment. LAWS P.1SSED, 1790.
1. A law to prohibit the selling of intoxicating liquors to Indians, and for prevent
ing foreigners from trading with Indians. Pub. at Vincennes, July 19, 1790.
2. A law to prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquors to soldiers, and to prevent the
selling or pawning of arras, clothing, etc., by soldiers. Pub. at Vincennes, July 26.
:!. A law for suppressing gaming for money or other property, and for restraining
the disorderly practice of disoliarging fire-arms at certain hours and places. Pub.
at Vincennes, August 4.
4. A law to alter the terms of the general court. Pub. at Cincinnati, November 4.
5. A law increasing the terms of the couuty courts of common pleas from two to
four terms per year, and to increase the number of judges and justices. Pub. at
Cincinnati, November 6.
6. A law to authorize and require the courts of general quarter sessions of the
peace to divide the counties into townships, and to alter the boundaries of the same
when necessary, and also to appoint constables, overseers of the poor, and clerks of
the townships. Pub. at Cincinnati, November 6.

168 The St. Clair Papers.
would have been otherwise impossible to describe the lots which
were to be confirmed.
Mr. Samuel Baird was appointed to do that duty, as weU as to
survey the lands held by the people, and to run the lines that had
been directed by Congress to embrace the donations. On an ex
amination of the claims, however, it was found that mauy grants
of lands had been made, which would fall to the eastward of the
line to be drawn from the mouth of the river Au Marie ; and, a.s
all grants that proceeded either from the government of France,
that of Great Britain, or of the State of Virginia, in or before tlie
year 1783, were to be confirmed, the running of that line was de
layed until Congress should be informed that it would not take iu
all the claims, and therefore appeared to be incurring an unnecessary
expense. Orders of survey were issued for all the claims tliat ap
peared to be founded agreeably to the resolution of Congress, and
surveys were made of the greater part of them. A part, only, of
those surveys, however, have been returned, because the people ob
jected to paying the surveyor, and it is too true that they are ill
able to pay. The Illinois country, as well as that upou the Wabash,
has been involved in great di.stress ever since it fell uuder the
American dominion. With great cheerfulness the people furnished
the troops under General Clarke, and the Illinois regiment, witli
every thing they could spare, and often with much more than they
could spare with any convenience to themselves.
Most of the certificates for tliese supplies are still in their hands
unliquidated and unpaid ; and, iu many instances, where applica
tion for payment has been made to the State of Virginia, under
whose authority the certificates were granted, it has been refused.
The Illinois regiment being disbanded, a set of men pretending the
authority of Virginia embodied themselves, and a sceue of general
depredation and plunder ensued. To this succeeded three successive
and extraordinary inundations from the Mississippi, -which either
swept away their crops or prevented their being planted. The loss
of the greatest part of their trade with the Indians, which was a
great resource, came upon them at this juncture, as well as the hos
tile incursions of some of the tribes which had ever before been in
friendship with them ; and to these was added the loss of their
whole last crop of corn by an untimely frost. Extreme misery
could not fail to be the consequence of such accumulated misfor
tunes. The paper, No. 5, contains the orders for a compensation to
the surveyor, and No. 6 is the representation of the people praying
to be excused from paying it.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 169
A gentleman of the name of Todd had been appointed by the
Governor of Virginia, lieutenant of the couuty of Illinois, and some
few grants of land are said to have been made Oy him, although,
by his instructions, which he put upon record at Kaskaskia, he had
no authority lo that purpose, but seems ratiier to have been re
strained. A copy of those instructions was transmitted by the secretary.
On Mr. Todd's leaving that part of the country, a person of the
name of De Numbrun was substituted, who made grants of land
Avithout number. The power of granting lands was also assumed
by the civil courts that had been established, and that assumed
power they used very liberally, still j^retendipg, however, that they
had been authorized so to do by Mr. Todd, who is styled, " Grand
Judge for the United States." It is most probable that such power
was never delegated to the courts by Mr. Todd, at least, it does not
appear. All those grants have been rejected ; but I beg leave to
suggest that it might be proper to allow a right of pre-emption to
those who have actually settled, and made improvements under
them. Some of the parties seem respectively to have had two dif
ferent objects in view : the applicants, the engrossing lands for a
very small consideration, and the grantors, the accumulation of per
quisites, the courts and sub-lieutenants having exacted four dollars
for each grant.
There are a number of American settlers in possession of such
grants, whose claims have been also rejected. Their case seems
to be a hard one. Not doubting the authority of the courts, which
they saw every day exercising the authority, they applied for lands
and obtained them, and made settlements in consequence, distinct
from those of the French; but having removed into that country
after the year 1783, they do not come within the resolution of Con
gress, which describes who are to be considered as ancient settlers
and confirmed iu their possessions. As Americans they have been
the peculiar objects of Indian depredations, while their neighbors,
the French, from having had much intercourse with the Indians,
and frequently intermarrying with them, until very lately, were gen
erally safe. They have, in consequence, been driven off of the
lands they had improved, and have lost both their tirne and their
labor. No. 7 is a representation from them upon this subject.
Havins; finished the business at Kaskaskia, as far as it was pos
sible at that time, on the 5th day of April I embarked and pro
ceeded up the Mississippi to Cahokia, having stopped at Fort de
Chartres, and visited the village of the Prairie du Rocher, which is

170 The St. Clair Papers.
about a league distant from it. On the way, Mr. Baird had been
directed to liial^c the surveys there as well as at the latter place.
A power was granted to certain of the inhabitants to make repre
sentations to me on the subject, which was done. I inclose a plat
of the reserved tract, including Fort Chartres. It is, however, to
be observed that part of this tract appears to have been granted
when the country was in possession of the French.
From the mouth of the Kaskaskia Eiver, which is a very beauti
ful stream that takes its rise a great way in the country, and is
navigable by boats for a considerable distance, and on the west
bank of which the town is situated, the Mississippi is very rapid, as
indeed it is from the mouth of the Ohio to that place, with a great
many difficult and dangerous passes. Every-where the current in
the middle of the stream is too strong to be overcome by oars.
Boats are, therefore, obliged to keep as close to the shore as possible,
and then, in many places, can not ascend without towing. The
navigation of course might be very easily interrupted, or prevented
altogether, were the Spaniards or the Indians disposed to attempt
it ; and the more so, as in some of the most difiicult places it is
necessary to keep to the Spanish shore. A communication, how
ever, from Fort Massac on the Ohio (or eveu some distance above
it) with Kaskaskia, by land, may easily be opened. The distance
is from fifty to sixty miles ; the country is high, and the soil proper
enough for a road, and no considerable water intervenes but the
River du Vase, which is generally fordable at Large RifBe, which
presents itself directly in the course. The tedious and dangerous
navigation of the Mississippi would be thereby avoided. Above
the Missouri River the Mississippi becomes comparatively a gentle
and pellucid stream, whereas, below, it is at all seasons extremely
tm-bid. Above the Illinois River it is truly a gentle stream, its cur
rent, as I have been informed, nowhere exceeding three miles an
hour. The village of Cahokia is situated on a small creek of the same
name, in a fertile plain, and about half a league from its mouth,
but, being surrounded with marshes, it is very unhealthy in the lat
ter part of the summer and the autumn. The river, however, af
fords a safe and convenient harbor for boats. It discharges itself
nearly opposite to the Spanish village of St. Louis, and is naviga
ble for two miles beyond the town. Half a league lower down
the country, and about an equal distance from the Mississippi, is the
small village of the Prairie du Pont, which is generally con
sidered as a part of Cahokia. Here, as at Kaskaskia, no plan

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 171
of the town was to be found, and, of course, I was obliged to or
der one to be taken, but a copy of it does not accompany this re
port, as, by some accident, it has been left behind.
The villages at the Prairie du Rocher and du Pont do not appear
to have been ever laid out ; the people have built upon the lands
(their lands), which have generally small fronts, in a contiguous
but irregular manner, which has given to these places something of
the appearance of towns. The same steps were taken to obtain a
knowledge of the lands that were claimed by the people here, as
at Kaskaskia, and, after due examination, orders of survey for such
as fell within the resolution of Congress, were put into the hands
of Mr. Girardin, the only person that could be found in all that
country who understood any thing of surveying. There are a great
many persons in that quarter, also, whose claims have been rejected,
who, nevertheless, may be properly considered as having an equita
ble right, at least, to the pre-emption.
Previous to the issuing any orders of survey at Cahokia it be
came necessary to decide upon a claim set up by the Seminary of
Quebec to a piece of land, four leagues square, granted many years
ago by the officers then commanding in the country for the King
of France to the missionaries of Cahokia and Tamarois. The
bounds of this concessiou embraced all the settlements at Cahokia
and the Prairie du Pont, aud they had been made generally with
the consent of the missionaries for the time being so long as the
mission subsisted ; when it had dropped, settlements within the
bounds had beeu permitted by military officers, both French and
English. After a very careful examination into all the circum
stances, it appeared that the mission of Cahokia and Tamarois had
been dropped before the country was ceded to Great Britain ; that
it had never been re-established while it remained under the do
minion of that power ; that it does not exist now, the present cure
not being a missionary but a parish priest, supported by the inhab
itants, and that the pretensions of the Seminary of Quebec were
futile and groundless. It was, therefore, considered as a tract of
land that had reverted for want of heirs, and was by proclamation
reunited to the domain of the United States ; and the inhabitants
were put upon the same footing as the other ancient settlers.
The survey mentioned in the proclamation to have been ordered,
was not made, because it afterwards came out that the King of
France had disapproved of the grant, and reserved the soil. In
closed is the deposition of Joseph La Bussiere, the notary who pub
lished the edict of the French King respecting it ; and, also, a re-

172 Tlie St. Clair Papers.
monstrance of the inhabitants respecting a sale that had been made
of a part of it by au attorney for the Seminary of Quebec.
No returns of survey from Cahokia arc as yet come to hand, and
it is probable that not many have been made, as the same objections
of paying for them were raised here as elsewhere, and the inhab
itants of that place are joined in the remonstrances which have been
made by those of the other villages.
It was not passible to establish the courts of justice nor the militia
in the County of St. Clair until Cahokia had been visited; and
then it was difficult to establish them conformably to the law ; and
no alteration in the law could take place that time, because the
judges, who form a part of the Legislature, were not present.
The difficulty arose from these circumstances. The villages and
settlements were at a great distance from each other; notanyof
them were sufficiently peopled to admit of being made a distinct
county; the whole afforded barely 'a sufficient number of persons
who were in any degree qualified to fill the necessary offices ; justice
could not have been administered had the sessions of the courts
been confined to any one place, even the most central, for, besides
the distance, there was considerable danger in passing and repassing.
Under these circumstances, no person could have been found who
would have taken upon himself the office of a magistrate ; neither
could the attendance of juries have been compelled, and the greatest
confusion must have ensued. The judges of the County Court of
Common Pleas were, by law, limited to five, and not less than
three. The expedient, therefore, of dividing the county into three
districts was fallen upon, though not strictly warranted by law, and
the judges so distributed as to make the holding of that court prac
ticable ; and it was ordained that a session of that court of the
geueral session of the peace and of the probate should be held in
eaoh district, but all as sessions of the same courts respectively, and
the prothonotary of the common pleas, the clerk of the peace, and
the judges of probate, were directed to appoint deputies, and open
offices in each district. The proclamation for this measure has been
transmitted by the Secretary of the Territory, and is in the office
of the Secretary of State. The measure has since received the
sanction of the Legislature.
By the Ordinance for the government of the Territory, the laws
and customs which had prevailed among the ancient settlers are to
be continued, so tar as respects the descent and conveyance of real
property. The mode of cDuveyance was an act bef)re the notary, and filed

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 173
in his office, of which an attested copy was delivered to the party.
To fulfill that part of the Ordinance, it was necessary that notaries
public should be appointed, and one was commissioned at Kaskaskia,
one at Prairie, du Rocher, and one at Cahokia.
The inhabitants of the. county were also formed into a regiment
of militia, and commissions issued for a lieutenant-colonel, and all
the subordinate officers.
The donations to the ancient settlers have not been laid out, be
cause at K;iskaskia and Prairie du Rocher no person could be found
to do it. At Cahokia, an authority was given to Mr. Girardin for
that purpose, but nothing, I presume, has been done in consequence
of it, for the alteration that was made in the location of these do
nations, by the act of the 29th of August, from the west to the
east side of the hills or ridge of rocks, throws them at such a dis
tance from their present possessions (the hills being of considerable
breadth, and not very fit for cultivation) that, in the existing cir
cumstances of the country, they could not possibly occupy them.
They humbly pray that the location pointed out by the act of the
20th of June, 1788, may be restored.
What they set forth in the inclosed representation is true, both
with respect to their having been long in the occupation of it, and
the quality of what they ask for upon the hills. Great numbers of
people have abandoned the Illinois country, and gone over to the
Spanish Territory. A claim, however, is still kept up by them to
their ancient possessions, but it is to be remarked that very few
grants were made by the French in fee-simple.
When any persons quitted their possessions, the soil seems to have
reverted of course to the domain of the King, and was regranted
at the pleasure of the officers commanding. It is presumed that,
strictly, the possessions of all those who have so expatriated them
selves are fallen to the United States, had they even been granted
originally in fee-simple, and may be disposed of as they shall see
fit. But the loss of the people is severely felt. May I be permit
ted to suggest that a law declaring those possessions escheated, un
less the former owners return and occupy them within a certain time,
would not be an improper measure ?
At Kaskaskia, the Jesuits held valuable possessions ; the build
ings are gone entirely to ruin, but the lands are still of some value.
On the suppression of the Order iu France, the officers of the
French King disposed of their property at that place by public sale,
but before the sale took place, the country had been ceded to Great
Britain, a circumstance that was not known then. The British offi-

174 The St. Clair Papers.
cers who took possession for that crown, considered the sale as ille
gal, and laid hold of the property ; and the purchaser, a Mr. Beau
vais and his descendants, have been kept out ever since. A son of
Mr. Beauvais now lays claim to it, in virtue of the purchase, and
throws himself upon the United States, to be confirmed in what yet
remains of the property, for which his father paid a very large sum
of money.
The commerce of the Illinois country is of some importance in
itself, but more so when considered as connected with the Spanish
side of the Mississippi. The villages on that side of the river hav
ing been originally settled by the French, and under the same gov
ernment as that part which is now in the possession of the United
States, the connection between them is still very intimate, and favors
a commercial intercourse which, though illicit, might be carried on
by the citizens of America without risk. It is carried on at present
without risk, but is, unfortunately, almost entirely in the hands of
the British. Even much the greatest part of the merchandise for
the trade of the Missouri River is brought from Michilimackinac
by that of the Illinois, partly by the Spanish subjects themselves,
and partly by British traders. The manner is this : The Spanish
subjects either introduce them at once, in consequence of a secret
connection with their commandants, or they are brought down to Ca
hokia and landed there, and afterwards carried over to St. Louis, as
opportunities can be found. What is brought by the British trad
ers, the Spanish subjects purchase and pay for on the American side,
taking all the risk that attends the introducing them into their own
country upon themselves. The furs in which these goods are gen
erally paid for (deer skins answering better than furs at the New
Orleans market), are carried to Canada by the same communica
tion ; that is to say, up the Illinois River, up the Chicago, and
from thence by a small portage into Lake Michigan, and along that
lake to Michilimackinac; or from the Chicago up the river Au
Plain, and by a portage into the same lake.
In the spring of the year the waters of the Michigan and the
Chicago rise each to such a height that the intermediate space is
entirely overflowed, aud is passable by the vessels in use there,
which are bark canoes, but which carry a very considerable burden,
and are navigated by three or by five persons.
The commerce of that country is of some importance, also, as an
object of revenue; for if the impost on importations were extended
to it, some money would he produced by it ; but the principal ad-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 175
vantage would be that it would contribute to turn the trade into the
channel of the United States.
There is no doubt that the furs of that country might be brought
up the Ohio River at as little or even less exj^ense than attends the
carriage of them to Canada. It has been tried by oue person, a Mr.
Vigo, and found to answer ; although the goods he carried out were
transported by land from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and loaded
with an impost the competitors were free from, they came to mar
ket on better terms than those from Canada. Could those also be
subjected to it, a decided advantage would be given to the American
trader. There is another communication between Canada and the Missis
sippi by the Wisconsin River, a little above the mouth of which is
the Prairie du Chien. At that place there was a considerable town,
while the country was in the hands of the French. It has gone to
ruin ; but by that communication the British carry on all the trade
of the upper part of the Mississippi, and at the Prairie du Chien,
they assemble twice in every year in great numbers ; frequently, I
have been inforraed, to the amount of five or six hundred persons.
It would certainly be for the national honor that an establishment
that would command that communication was made ; but the great
distance, and the difficulties that might attend the supporting it, will
probably prevent it at present. An establishment at the mouth of
the Illinois River would also be very useful, both with respect to the
trade of that river and of the Missouri; but its being regularly in
undated once or twice a year forbids it. There is, however, an ex
cellent situation some distance lower down, and nearly opposite to
the Missouri, at a place called Payisa, that would answer ; the situa
tion is high, the air pure and healthy, and the soil good, and across
the country it is not more thari three miles distant from the Illinois
River. It was the opinion of the best informed men I conversed
with at Cahokia, and from St. Louis, that if a town were laid out
there and a small military post erected, it would be peopled imme
diately, and St. Louis soon fall again into the same unimportant
situation it held before the misfortunes of the Illinois country.
At present, however, St. Louis, is the most flourishing village of
the Spaniards in the upper part of the Mississippi, and it has been
greatly advanced by the people who abandoned the American side.
To that they were induced, partly by the oppression they suffered,
and partly by the fear of losing their slaves, which they had been
taught to believe would be all set free on the establishment of the
American Government. Much pains had indeed been taken to in-

176 The St. Clair Papers.
culcate that belief (particularly by a Mr. Morgan, of New Jersey),
and a general desertion of the country had like to have been the
consequence. The construction that was given to that part of the
Ordinance ¦which declares there shall be neither slavery nor invol-
untarv servitude, was, that it did not go to the emancipation of the
slaves they were in possession of and had obtained under the laws
by which they had formerly been governed, but was intended simply
to prevent the introduction of others. In tliis construction, I hope,
the intentions of Congress have not been misunderstood, and the ap-
prehenson of the people were quieted by it. But the circumstance
that slaves can not be introduced will prevent many people from
returning who earnestly wish to return, both from a dislike to the
Spanish Government and that the country itself is much less desir
able than on the American side. Could they be allowed to bring
them back with them, all those who retired from that cause would re
turn to a man.
• There is a small settlement up the Illinois River at the old Peoria
town. A person of the name of Mayet had been appointed com
mandant of the militia there by General Clarke, and had continued
in that station until my arrival. As he was found to have consid
erable influence with the savages, and had conducted himself with
some degree of approbation, it was thought best to continue him,
and a commission of captain in the militia was given to him, with
the instructions marked No. 15.^
Should it ever be thought proper to interdict the communication
with Canada by the Illinois River, there is no place at present in
the possession of the United States that would answer the end so
well as this at the old Peoria town. The river is very narrow, and
the channel lying close to the shore, every boat is obliged to pass
within small musket shot. It did not appear proper for me to in
terrupt that communication at that time ; for, though on the prin
ciple of reciprocity, it would be perfectly justifiable in the United
States. They should be prepared to fill up the void that would
thereby be created. The savages, the inhabitants, and the Span
iards would at once be cut off from a very necessary commerce. It
was for that reason that Mayet was directed to suffer persons to pass
1 These instructions were to the effect that he should conduct himself with
such impartiality between the whites and Indians as to secure and retain the
confidence of the l;itter. He was to see thatju^^tice was done, relieve dis
tress, as far as practicable, and see that the inhabitants did not act inipru^
dently. In this paper St. Clair paid a compliment to Mayet for the wise dis
cretion with which he had previously discharged the duties of his office.

Corresfjondence, Addresses, Etc. 17T
and repass who were furnished with passports. Several of the Span
ish merchants applied for and obtained them under the express
condition that they were not to attempt any trade with the Indians.
This seemed to be all the hold that could then be well taken of it,
and it held out the idea that the direction and the restriction of the
communication was in the contemplation of government.
By the ordinance for regulating Indian afiairs, no person was to
be allowed to travel through the Indian nations without having re
ceived the approbation of the superintendent. The passj^orts above
alluded to were founded on the clause of the ordinance ; but by
the law lately enacted for regulating the trade and intercourse with
the Indians, it has not been re-ordained. A doubt arises whether
the ordinance is not repealed by the law, and that consequently any
person may travel through the Indian nations without asking per
mission of any one.
A contract subsists between Flint and Parker and the late Board
of Treasury for a great tract of land in the Illinois country. No
part of the contract has, I believe, been complied with on their parts,
and probably never will be ; but if it is not attended to before a law
passes for erecting an office for the sale of the lands it may create
embarrassments hereafter.
Orders were issued for erecting prisons and an assignment of lots
to build them upon. The lot at Cahokia had been reserved, when
the town was first laid out, for public use, and to that at Kaskaskia
no person had laid claim. A proclamation was issued forbidding
strangers to hunt in the territory, and another to prevent the cut
ting and carrying away building timber and firewood to the Spanish
side. They were occasioned by the representations of the people
that very great injury was done to individuals and to the public by
the Spanish subjects cutting down and carrying away the timber,
while they were not allowed to bring even a stone (which are plenty
on that side and scarce on this) from that shore, and that great
numbers of them assumed the liberty of hunting buffalo for the
market of New Orleans, to the prejudice of the citizens, who were
not allowed to fire a gun, upon any account whatever, on the Span
ish side.
It would have been much more proper that many of those mat
ters, which have been attempted to be regulated by proclamation,
should have been provided for by law; but the absence of the
Judges prevented it.^ 
1 A private letter from "Washington to St. Clair, cautioning him against
such general legislation, will be found on page 198.
Vol. 11—12.

178 The St. Clair Papers.
Having had occasion to make some representations to the Span
ish commandant at St. Louis and St. Genevieve, although they are
uot of much importance, yet I believe it is proper to submit the let
ters that passed between us. They are contained in the bundle
marked No. 19. No. 20 is a proclamation of the Governor of New
Orleans.' Since that I am informed another has appeared, permit
ting tlie importation of every thing the growth of the countries bor
dering upon the. iMississippi aud Ohio Rivers to that city, on the
payment of fifteen per cent, ad valorem.
I have not been able to obtain a copy of it. When the two
emissions of paper money were called in by Congress, a considerable
sum of those emissions was lodged in the office of a notary public
at Kaskaskia, by the direction of the lieutenant of the couuty of
Illinois ; there it yet remains, and the owners have received no sat
isfaction for it of any kind. They complain of this, and it
would seem not without reason. There is some obscurity in that
part of the Ordinance which describes the persons who are to be
considered as ancient settlers ; the words are ' ' who on or before the
year 1783 professed themselves citizens ofthe United States, or any
of them." A doubt arises to what part of the year the word on
refers. Does it include the whole year, or is it confined to the first
day of it ? Congress may perhaps think proper to give it a deter
minate application.
Among the claims for land that have been rejected there are sev
eral that are founded on purchases made from individual Indians,
and the conveyances set forth that they were inherited from their
parents, and were not the property of the nation. It could not,
hovvever, be discovered that any division of the lands of the Kas
kaskia Indians had ever taken place among themselves, and the
chief of that nation has applied to be confirmed in a tract of land
of about five or six thousand acres, where their village was situ
ated not long ago ; and which would take in the parcels that
have been sold and applied for as above. On this claim no decis
ion has been made. It appeared to be a subject that ought to be
referred to Congress ; but I may be allowed to observe, if one In
dian sale is approved, it is probable that a great many will be
brought forward.
At the Falls of the Ohio, when on the way to Kaskaskia, in
formation was received that the inhabitants of Post Vincennes were
1 Proclamation, of Governor Miro. See p. 122.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 179
in danger 6f perishing for want of corn, their whole crop of the
last fall having been destroyed by an untimely frost.
I immediately wrote to Major Hamtramck, and requested him,
if he found the case to be as it had been represented, to send to
the agent of the contractors for supplying the troops for as much
as would be absolutely necessary for their i^reservation. It ap
peared to be a duty incumbent upon me to preserve the lives of the
citizens of the Territory, and I flatter myself that the measure will
meet the approbation of the Legislature.
The papers No. 22 and 23 are lists of the heads of families at
Cahokia and the Prairie du Pont, and No. 24 is the request of a
Mr. Gibaut for a small piece of land that has been in the occupation
of the priests at Cahokia for a long time, having been assigned to
them by the French ; but he wishes to possess it in propriety. It
is true that he was very useful to General Clarke upon many oc
casions, and has suffered very considerable losses ; I believe no in
jury would be done to any one by his request being granted, but it
was not for me to give away the lands of the United States.
Before I close this report, it may be necessary to mention the ne
cessity there is for a printing press in the Western Territory. The
laws adopted or made by the Legislature are declared to be binding
upon the people until they are disapproved by Congress. There is
no way of giving them any publicity but by having them read at
the courts, and but few people become thereby acquainted with
them. Even the magistrates who are to carry them into execution
are strangers to them, for the Secretary does not conceive it to be
his duty to furnish them with copies ; indeed, the business of his
office increases so fast that it would be impossible to do it. Besides,
they are in English, and the greatest part of the inhabitants do not
understand a word of it. The translation of them, therefore, seems
to be necessary, and that a sufficient number of them should be
printed in both languages, and that can only be done in the Terri
tory, where the original rolls are deposited. Every public act of
communication, of what kind soever, I was myself obliged to trans
late into French, and, having no person to assist me, it made the
business extremely laborious.
The situation of Indian affairs rendering it necessary that I
should return to the seat of government, I did, by letter, resign the
government of the Territory into the hands of Mr. Sargent on
the llth day of June, and embarked for the headquarters of Gen
eral Harmar to consult with him on my way upon the measures

180 The St. Clair Papers.
that would be necessary and practicable for the defense of the
country. Some apology seems to be necessary for some of the papers that
accompany the report appearing in the French language.
The originals of all of them which required publication were pub
lished in English, as well as in French. All the communications
with the Indians, which were numerous, had to be translated into
that language on account of the interpreters, as well as answers
into English. From June until my arrival in the city, I have been
in constant motion, either on horseback or in an open boat, where
the copying of papers was impossible had I not been separated from
them ; and they did not come to hand here till very lately. In that
time I was obliged to travel above four thousand miles. The ne
cessity that this report should be made before the present session of
Congress ended seemed to forbid any farther delay, and will, I hope,
excuse that impropriety.
P. S. — In the course of the last fall a considerable number of
French emigrants have been introduced into the Territory, and on
my last return from Fort Washington I found about four hundred
of them at a place they have named Gallipolis, three miles below
the mouth of the Great Kenawha, on the opposite side of the river.
They were living in barracks that had been provided for them by
the Scioto Company, but did not seem to be at all usefully em
ployed, and were much discontented.
It was not half an hour after my landing, that a paper, presenting
a view of their unfortunate situation, was put into my hands by a
number of persons deputed for the purpose. My answer is inclosed.
The regulations there promised have not yet taken place from the
want of proper information with respect to the characters best fitted
to fill the civil and military offices.' I had desired a list from some
of the principal persons themselves, and one also from an agent of
the Scioto Company, who resides with them, to have an opportunity
of comparing them, not choosing to rely altogether upon the recom
mendation of either; but they were not sent forward, and the com
munication was cut ofi" by the ice. About one hundred more of
those emigrants are at the Muskingum, and one hundred at Bufl!alo
Creek, in Pennsylvania, waiting the opening of the season to estab
lish themselves near the Scioto.
^See letter on page 190.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 181

General Knox to Governor St. Clair.
War Department, Sept. 14, 1790.
Sir : — I have not been unmindful of the suggestion you made at
the moment of your departure from this city relative to the estab
lishment of a post at the Miami village, in event of the proposed
expeditions succeeding in a certain degree. I have had a full com
munication with the President of the United States on the subject,
to whom you had previously made the same suggestion, and the
following ideas are the result thereof, and will serve for the direction
of yourself and Brigadier-General Harmar on the occasion :
In contemplating the establishment of military posts north-west
¦of the Ohio, to answer the purposes of awing the Indians residing
on the Wabash, the west end of Lake Erie, St. Joseph's, and the
Illinois, 'as much as Indians can be awed by the posts, and, at the
same time, exhibiting a respectable appearance to the British troops
at Detroit and Niagara, the Miami village presents itself as superior
to any other position excepting the actual possession of the posts on
the lakes, which ought to have been given up conformably to the
treaty of peace.
This opinion was given to me by the President in the year 1784,
and has several times been held forth by me to Brigadier-General
Harmar. But at the same time, it must be acknowledged that the measure
Would involve a much larger military establishment than perhaps
the value of the object or the disposition of the United States would
admit, and that it would be so opposed to the inclinations of the
Indians generally, even of the tribes with whom we have made
treaties, as to bring on inevitably au Indian war of some duration.
In addition to which, it is supposed that the British garrisons would
find themselves so uneasy with such a force impending over them
as not only to occasion a considerable reinforcement of their upper
posts, but also their fomenting, secretly at least, the opposition of
the Indians.'
The proposed expedition is intended to exhibit to the Wabash
Indians our po^ver to punish them for their positive depredations, for
their conniving at the depredations of others, and for their refusing
to treat with the United States when invited thereto. This power
will be demonstrated by a sudden stroke, by which their towns and
1 This had already been done, aud could not be made worse by the British.
short of marching a force of regulars into the Territory.

182 The St. Clair Papers.
crops may be destroyed. The principal means used will be the
militia. Let us suppose the expedition to be successful, as I pray
God it may; and let us estimate the force which would be justly
required for establishing a post at the Miami village.
From the mode of Indian fighting, it will not be reconcilable to
conclude that their force will be greatly reduced in the skirmishes
they may have with Brigadier-General Harmar or Major Ham
tramck. If, therefore, eleven hundred warriors, according to your
judgment delivered to me, could be brought into activity from the
\Vabash and its vicinity (to which may be added a much greater
number if we should suppose the Wyandot, Delaware, and the St.
Joseph and Illinois Indians should be connected with them), the post
to be established ought not to have a less garrison than seven hun
dred and fifty men. Were it inferior to this number, it would al-
wtlys be liable to be invested, and to have its supplies cut off, even
when armed in its vicinity. Whether the posts of communication
essentially necessary to the existence of the Miami post should be
up the Wabash, up the Miami of Ohio, or the Miami of Lake Erie,
there would require at different places at least five hundred men.
To establish the post, in the first instance, so as to render it su
perior to the Indian force in the neighborhood, would require all the
troops employed on the expedition, to-wit : two thousand ; for if a
sudden stroke by which the attention and force of the Indians should
be divided would require that nuinber, the notoriety of the estab
lishment of a post, and erecting fortifications at the Miami village,
in the heart of the Indian country, would require the same or a
superior number, as the Indians would then have one object of their
attention and exertion. To eomplete the works at the post, and the
essential communications, which would require probably two months,
would the militia stay for that period? and, if so, would a part of them
remain in garrison afterwards for six months? for the four hundred
Continental troops to be employed ou the expedition would be utterly
inadequate for all the services required.
Besides, the post could not be established unless it had a number
of pieces of cannon and a projier quantity of stores, and also three
months' provisions, in the first instance. The transportation of these
articles would require considerable time and a great apparatus.
It might be added, further, that although the establishment of a
strong post at the Miami village would awe the Indians, yet ex
perience has demonstrated that posts will not prevent the depreda
tions of small parties against the frontiers.
To render the measure entirely effectual, and at the same time to-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. - 183
guard the public lands from intrusion, the regular force to be em
ployed north-west of the Ohio ought to be increased to eighteen
hundred men.
This establishment would not be compatible either with the public
view or the public finances, unless it should result from mere neces
sity. A due consideration, therefore, of the several circumstances
render the measure at this period inexpedient, and, therefore, not to
be undertaken.
The expedition will either incline the Indians to treat for peace,
or it will induce them to wage open war in the ensuing spring. A
further time is also required to know the intentions of the British
court respecting the delivery of Niagara and Detroit. The decision
df this point has an intimate connection with the peace of the
frontiers. The ultimate determination of Government must, therefore, de
pend on the result of the arrangements which have been directed,
and which are in operation. It would not be wise to direct a measure
which would give a wrong bias to affairs.
The President will be exceedingly desirous to learn the measures
takeu by yourself and Brigadier-General Harmar from time to time,
and above all he is exceedingly anxious that every arrangement
should be made to render the proposed expedition entirely effectual.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary op War.
Marietta, September 19, 1790.
Sir : — I have the honor to inform you that I arrived at this place
on the 15th instant, and brought with me the last of the militia
from Pennsylvania. A detachment had moved before I reached
Pittsburgh, and has since proceeded to headquarters, and this morn
ing Major Doughty, with this last party and the garrison of Fort
Harmar, moves down likewise, and as the passage will not take
more than four or five days, the whole will probably assemble at
Fort Washinton at nearly the appointed time, as I am informed that
those who are to come from Kentucky will be punctual. It is with
pain, however, I am obUged to mention a deficiency in the quota of
Pennsylvania of upwards of two hundred men. It is possible that,
from the further power the President has been pleased to invest me
with, that deficiency may be supplied in time, but that can form no
excuse for the Executive of that State, who never took the least
step in consequence of the information received from the President,

184 The St. Clair Papers.
that eventually a call might be made upon the State by me, and for
want of which step the whole business might have fallen through,
for the lieutenants of the counties hesitated about complying with
the demand without their directions, and although they were applied
to by them on the subject (and I know their application got to hand
in time, for some of them I delivered myself), the Executive and
Council did not give themselves the trouble to reply ; and so little
attention, indeed, had been given to the President's intimation, that
in three of the four counties from which the drafts were to be made
there were not, nor had there been for a long time, a single officer
in commission beside the lieutenants.'
The depredations on the Ohio and Wabash still continue. Every
day, almost, brings an account of some murder or robbery, and yes
terday a number of horses were taken from this settlement. Not
long ago, a boat belonging to Mr. Vigo, a gentleman of Post Vin
cennes, was fired upon near the mouth of the Blue River. This
person the United States has been very much indebted to on many
occasions, and is, in truth, the most disinterested person I have al
most ever seen. He had three men killed, and was obliged, in con
sequence, to fall down the river.
This party, it seems, had been designed to intercept me, for they
reported that they had had three fair discharges at the Governor's
boat, and expected they had killed him. In descending the river,
Mr. Vigo's boat fell in with ^Ir. Melchor, returning from the Ten
nessee, and attempted, in company with him, to ascend the Wabash.
Here they were attacked again. Melchor escaped, and fell down,
it seems, to Ancede-la-Graise, but the savages possessed themselves
of Vigo's boat, which they plundered of all his and the crew's per
sonal baggage and arms ; but as she was navigated by Frenchmen,
they suffered them to depart with the peltries, telUng them that if
they had not been in company with Americans, they would not have
injured them, and if they found them in such company again they

1 Governor Mifflin was guilty of the grossest neglect. In July, General
Knox had advised him, as well as the county lieutenants, of the instructions
given to Governor St. Clair and General Harmar. August Sth, General
Butler advised him of the requisition made by the Governor of the Terri
tory, under authority of thc President, and included the instructions of the
President, so that there niight be no mistake, and wrote again on the 26th
of August. No attention was paid to these letters. Mifflin was still mal
content. His feelings had not modified since the close ofthe Revolutionary
War, and he was now a leader in a party opposed to Washington aud St.
Clair. Pennsylvania was greater than the Union.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 185
would put them to death. Captain McCurdy, likewise, was fired
upon between Fort Washington and this place, and had five or six
men killed and wounded.
Major Sargent, who will have the honor to deliver this, arrived
two days ago. From him you will receive particular information
with respect to the country below, which makes it unnecessary for
me to detail it. He has executed the business he was charsed with
at Post Vincennes in a masterly manner, and you will oblige me by
mentioning him to the President in the most favorable point of
vieAV, but his proceedings wiU speak for themselves. Mine on ob
jects of the same nature in the country on the Mississippi have not
been yet transmitted. The report was not made up when I was
obliged to quit the country, in a sudden and unexpected manner,
and the situations I have ever been in since rendered it impossible.
As soon as the troops have moved from Fort Washington, for which
place I shall embark to-day, I shall have leisure to attend to it, and
it shall be forwarded, together with a particular account of every
thing you have desired to be informed of.
The ammunition and quartermaster's stores are not yet arrived,
but from a favorable rise in the river the wagons will not be obliged
to go further than the Redstone ; there is reason to expect them
every moment.
Major Doughty leaves an officer and a party to escort them, when
they do arrive. That circumstance, however, puts it out of my
power to forward the letter, which I am directed to write to the
commanding officer at Detroit, by an officer, for he has but one at
this place. I must, therefore, look out for some private gentleman,
and engage him to perform that service. I have inclosed a copy of
that letter.
p_ s_ — Major Sargent discharged at Post St. Vincennes the ac
counts of the two Gamelins, who were sent by ilajor Hamtramck
with the message to the Wabash Indians, amounting to two hun
dred and five dollars, and took their bills upon me, which I had de
sired them to draw, after the accounts should be certified by Major
Hamtramck. Had I met the major at Fort Washington, I could
have reimbursed him on the spot, but I can not do it here, nor with
any convenience at New York. WiU you be pleased to advance it
to him, and charge it to my account as superintendent, for I know
a disappointment would be very inconvenient to him, and you wiU
much oblige me.

186 The St. Clair Papers.
I have since got a very genteel intelligent young man, a son of
Colonel Meigs, to go with the letter to Detroit.'

Governor St. Clair to IMajor Murray, or Officer Command
ing THE British Troops at Detroit.
Marietta, Sept. 19th, 1790.
Sir : — As it is not improbable that an account of the military
preparations going forward in this quarter of the country may reach
you and give you some uneasiness, while the object to which they
are to be directed is not known to you, I am commanded by the
President of the United States ^ to give you the fullest assurance of
the pacific disposition entertained toward Great Britain and all her
possessions, and to inform you, explicitly, that the expedition
about to be undertaken is not intended against the post you have
the honor to command, nor any other place at present in the pos
session of the troops of his Britannic Majesty, but is on foot with
1 St. Clair had been instructed by the Secretary of War' to notify the
comniandim,^ officer of the British at Detroit of the projected moveraent,
yet it will be seen that when this letter was actually laid before the Pres
ident, he expressed fears that mischief would result from it.
(1) See letter of General Knox to St. Clair, p. 162.
2 It would seem from the following note from General Washington to the
Secretary of AVar, that there was either a .misunderstanding on St. Clair's
part as to the time the British were to be notifled, or the Secretary was not
authorized by the President to instruct St. Clair, as ho claimed to be. St.
Clair was instructed to give such notice, and, no date being specified, fol
lowed the letter of his instructions, which required such notice to be sent
before General Harmar moved. The sequel showed that the policy was bad,
inasmuch as the British were encouraging and assisting the Indians with
provisions and ammunition, and Washington's misgivings were well-founded.
It is probable that the instructions were really inspired by Genera>l Knox:
Mount Veknon, Norember ith, 1790.
Sir: — I have received your letter of the 25th ultimo, with its inclosures.
I am apprehensive that Governor St. Clair's communication of the object
of the expedition to the ofEcer commanding at Detroit has been unseason
able, and may have unfavorable consequences. It was certainly premature
to announce the operation intended until the troops were ready to move,
since the Indians, through that channel, might receive such information as
Tvould fustrate the expedition. I am, sir. Your most obedient servant,
Geo. Washinqton.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 187
the sole design of humbUng and chastising some of the savage tribes
whose depredations are become intolerable, and whose cruelties have
of late become an outrage not on the people of America only, but
on humanity, which I now do in the most unequivocal manner.
After this candid explanation, sir, there is every reason to expect,
both from your own personal character and from the regard you
have for that of your nation, that those tribes will meet with nei
ther countenance nor assistance from any under your command,
and that you will do what in your power lies to restrain the trading
people, from whose instigations there is too good reason to believe
much of the injuries committed by the savages has proceeded. I
have forwarded this letter by a private gentleman in preference to
that of an officer, by Avhom you might have expected a communica
tion of this kind, that every suspicion of the purity of the views of
the United States might be obviated.

Judges Symmes and .Turner to Governor St. Clair.
Fort Washington, October Qth, 1790.
Sir: — As it will be necessary to provide, as soon as possible, a seal
for the General Court of the Territory, and also seals for the County
Courts of Comrnon Pleas and Probate, we take the liberty of sub
mitting to your Excellency the propriety of an application to Con
gress for defraying the charges of cutting them. Mr. Turner has
undertaken to furnish the device.
In the prosecution of our duties on the circuits we have already
incurred, and must on every like occasion incur, some incidental ex
penses, which it would but ill comport with the salary at present al
lowed to a Judge of the General Court to defray. It is every-where
acknowledged that the bench should be preserved independently.
And on this principle the several States have allowed compensation
to their, judges for extra expenses occasioned by the circuits, either
by paying such on producing accounts at the treasury, as in Penn
sylvania ; or, as in New Jersey, by allowing to each judge a fee
for every circuit court he holds.
Your Excellency Avell knows that, as things are ordered in this
Territory, the Judges of the General Court must employ the whole
year on the circuits, unless they may happen to snatch a small
portion of it for the purpose of legislating; and that this much
must require a journey of one or the other of them to complete the
number required to legislate. We beg leave to add here, with

188 The St. Clair Papers.
great deference, that the allowance to the bench is not, of itself, of
that ample nature which the duties of the office and the expenses,
fatigues, and danger unavoidable on these wide-extended circuits,
seem in our opinion to require. We humbly conceive, therefore,
that some additional provision will not be refused, whether it be for
payment of incidental expenses actually incurred ; or as a fee on
every court held.
We now, presume, sir, to request that you will be pleased to
submit the substance of this letter to the consideration of the su
preme authority of the United States, at the approaching session of
Congress.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Fort Washington, Oct. 29, 1790.
Sir : — I have the pleasure to inform you of the entire success
of General Harmar at the Indian towns on the Miami and St.
Joseph Rivers, of which he has destroyed five in number, and a
very great quantity of corn and other vegetable provisions. It is
sufiposed that about two hundred of the Indians likewise have fallen
in the different encounters that have happened between them and
the detachment, for there has been no general action ; but it has
not been without considerable loss on our part. The particulars I
can not give you, as the officer (Ensign Britt) who was charged
with the General's dispatches is not yet arrived, and there is some
reason to fear he may be killed or taken, as the party, which con
sisted of six only, were fired upon by the Indians about one hun
dred and twenty miles from hence and dispersed. Three of them
are come in, and from them I have this intelUgence, which may, I
believe, be depended upon so far as it goes.
Of the Federal troops. Major Wyllys and Lieutenant Frothing
ham and seventy-seven men ; of the militia. Major Fontaine, Captain
McMurtry, and Captain Scott, a son of General Scott, and seventy-
three men, are among the slain. It is said that the Indians, though
they could not be brought to a general action, fought by detach
ment in a very determined and desperate manner. The moment
Mr. Britt arrives, or I can get an authentic account, it shall be for
warded. As there are now several vacancies in the regiment, Avill you
allow me to bring to your recollection Mr. Hamilton Armstrong, a
young gentleman who has served as a volunteer for two years, I
-believe. I know him to be a deserving young man and a good

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 189
woodsman, and has on several occasions been intrusted with the
command of detachments, and always acquitted himself with much
propriety.

Governor St. Clair to the Judges.
Fort Washington, October 27, 1790.
Gentlemen:— L&yjs upon the following subjects ' seem to me to be
much wanted iu the Territory— no doubt there are others equally
necessary which will have occurred to you. I shall be happy that
we might compare our ideas upon them, which will be a means of
forwarding their coming into operation, and any other regulation
'A law to alter the terms of the Court of Common Pleas from twice in
the year to four times, and increase the number of judges. A law to em
power the Governor to divide the counties into districts wherein Courts of
Common Pleas and general and special sessions ofthe peace shall be held as
is directed for the counties iu cases where the local situation of the inhabit
ants would render the administration of justice difficult if the said courts
were held at one place in a county only, while the inhabitants are not suf
flciently numerous to admit the erection of a new county, and to confirm
the districts appointed by proclamation in the county of St. Clair .1
A law to authorize and require the Courts of General Quarter-session of
the Peace to divide the counties into townships, and to alter and increase
the same from time to time, as it may become necessary; and to appoint, at
some certain session, annually, constables, supervisors of the highways, and
overseers of the poor; to define the duties of those officers, and to increase
the quorum of the said court.
A law to authorize the said courts, upon the petition of the inhabitants,
not less than to lay out, at the expense of the petitioners, highways, by ap
pointing a fit number of indifl'erent persons to view and survey the same
¦and before conflrmation upon application to grant reviews, the survey to be
recorded on the docket.
A law to lessen the expense of law suits, by rendering it unnecessai:y to
put the proceedings on psiper, a short note made by the clerks on the docket
of the pleas, and answer all the purpose — for example:
Capias Debt, Dm.B. B. Special Bail, April 1st, was
flled — non est factum, and prays oyer — factum and
issue, June court, August court — rule to take the
affidavitof  , December. Judgment  of  .
Enter jurors' names and verdict.
A law to empower the Governor to license taverns and vendors of spiritu
ous liquors in quantities less than one gallon, and suppress tippling houses.
An excise law. A JTee Bill. A law to regulate hunters.

March Term.
Wilson, John Stokes
vs.
Lewis T. Stiles.

(1) The justices are not appointed for the districts, but the counties; the counties.
are divided into districts, and courts were ordered to be held in them.

190 The St. Clair Papers.
that strikes me I shall communicate from time to time, and shall
always be happy to concur with you in any thing that appears to
promise the happiness and prosperity of the people who are commit
ted to our care.

Governor St. Clatr to Secretary of War.
Fort Washington, November 6, 1790.
Sir : — On the 29th of last month, I had the honor to inform you
generally of the success that attended General Harmar. I could
not then give you the particulars, as the 'General's letters had not
reached me (the officer, however, who had them in charge, got in
a few days afterwards) ; it is not now necessary, because he writes
himself. One thing, however, is certain, that the savages have got
a most terrible stroke, of which nothing can be a greater proof than
that they have not attempted to harrass the army on its return.
They arrived at this place on the 3d instant, in good health and
spirits. There is not yet any account from Major Hamtramck ; I
trust he also has been successful ; but this, I think, is certain, that
no great misfortune can have happened to him, for in that case, we
should certainly have heard of it.
Mr. Denny,' the gentleman who takes General Harmar's dis-
jDatches, I beg leave to mention to you in a particular manner ; and
if Y(m will be pleased to do so to the President in his favor, you
may be assured he will not disappoint any expectations that may be
formed. He has every quaUty that I could wish a young man to
possess that meant to make the army his profession. There are,
however, some traits in his character as a man, that are not gener
ally known, that would endear him. Out of the little pittance he
receives, he has maintained two good aged parents for a long time.

Governor St. Clair to the French Inhabitants.
Gallipolis, November 21, 1790.
Gentlemen:- — It was with great pleasure I heard of the arrival of
a number of Frenchmen in this country, bound to each other as the
French and Americans are by the dearest of all ties. I hoped that
here they would have found that independence and happiness which
is the reasonable wish of aU mankind ; aud, although it may have
^ Lieutenant Ebenezer Denny.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 191
been delayed, it is my fervent wish, as it is a well-grounded hope,
that it has been only delayed.
I feel, gentlemen, very sensibly, your situation, and nothing
on my part shall be wanting to render it as agreeable as circum
stances will admit of; but, in the establishment of new settlements
there are difficulties to be encountered ; patience and perseverance
will get the better of them, and when they are got over, they become
real pleasures on reflection. I know the generous sentiments of
Frenchmen too well to fear that difficulties arising from the nature
of the case can discourage them.
I am altogether unacquainted with the nature of the contract that
has been made with the Scioto Company, or what may be the spe
cific pretensions of individuals. The laws of the country wiU,
however, compel justice to be done, and those laws will be extended
to you as early as it is possible. They can know the Scioto Com-
pajiy as an individual only, and their course must be general ; you
wiU, therefore, readily perceive the impossibility of a person being '
appointed to judge expressly between the colonists and that com
pany. Courts will be estabUshed, where justice will be duly and
regularly administered according to the laws, and where neither fa
vor nor influence will have any weight; and it will be among the
first matters I shall attend to, after my arrival at Marietta, to make
those arrangements for your security and peace ; but, as they must
all pass through the Secretary's office, they can not be taken earlier.
After having borne with the difficulties of your situation hitherto,
I entreat you to bear with them yet but a very little longer, for I
am as strongly impressed with the necessity of an established po
lice, as well as a militia, as you yourself can be ; and, be assured
that it is my warmest wish that you may find in the land of liberty
that happiness which is the reward and the incentive to an active
life, to procure which for you, gentlemen, you may depend upon my
best endeavors. I thank you, gentlemen, very sincerely, for your
good wishes.
Thomas Fitzsimmons to Arthur St. Clair.
Philadelphia (without date).^
Dear Sir : — Soon after you left us, a meeting was held between
' Though this letter is without date, yet, from the reference made to the
election of Eepresentatives to Congress, and the allusion to the opposition, I
am inclined to flx the period just after the formation of the State constitu
tion. The effort of the Federalists was unavailing, even with St. Clair as a

192 The St. Clair Papers.
some members of Convention and Assembly, when it was agreed
that you should be proposed to the people to fill the seat of chief
magistrate. I did not attend the meeting, nor do I know, particu
larly, who the individuals were that composed it. I have reason to
believe they were men in whose opinions the people would place re
liance, and that they would take pains to promote the measures they
agreed to. By the dissolution of the Legislature, the election for
Federal representatives is of necessity delayed till a bill can be
passed by the succeeding one, and this leaves me at liberty to take
a part in the present business without trespassing on the delicacy
which I should feel if I was personally concerned. By Avay of
calling the attention of our country friends to this subject, a few
of us met and agreed to a letter, which we signed, and have directed
to some persons in each county. I have inclosed one, that you may
judge of the propriety of it, if you should hear it questioned, and
to convince 3'ou that some of your friends Avill not spare pains to
accomplish what they believe would prove highly advantageous to
our country. I have Avritten to some friends, too, on the subject, to
apprise them of our zeal and activity. What the effect may be I
do not undertake to predict, but the confidence I have in the good
sense of the people of Pennsylvania will not permit me to despair.
I am sorry, hoAvever, to observe that there is a timidity in some of
the people to Avish Avell to the opposition, Avho are yet deterred from
giving offense to the other candidate. If any thing was necessary
to enforce the necessily of an opposition, this might so have that
effect ; for, if before the issue is known that sort of an apprehension
is entertained, how much greater aauII it be when possession gives
power and influence ? In any event, I conceive it to be a duty to
contend for what is right, be the issue as it may. Having but just
heard of this, I have not time to be very particular. I can only
assure you that every support Avhich I can give may be relied on,
from a persuasion that, if Ave can accomplish our object, the State
of Pennsylvania will be happy under your administration.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Marietta, November 26ft, 1790.
Sir : — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 14th of September, Avhich I met with on my return, on the
candidate. General Mifflin, who was a plausible, popular leader, espoused the-
cause of the opposition, and won.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 193
20th instant. It was so long upon the way that it would have been
impracticable to have taken measur'§s I contemplated had they been
approved and directed. I confess, however, I feel some regret that
an estabhshment at the Miami village Avas not deemed proper, be
cause I had considered it as the best result of a successful campaign,
¦ and the surest means of obliging the Indians to be at peace with the
United States ; and it does not appear to me that near so great a
force as you mention would have been necessary. I iDeUeve three
hundred men would have been quite sufficient ; they were upon the
ground; had artillery with them, and there were provisions enough
of the bread kind at least, which they were obliged to destroy, to
haA^e served them for a twelvemonth. In three Aveeks' time, Avith
the aid of the militia, they might have put themselves in a situation
not to be insulted, and the miUtia would have staid for that pur
pose. It is true, sir, that I stated the force the Indians might prob
ably bring into the field at eleven hundred men. I believe it is in
their power to draw together that number at that place in a short
time, and that so great a number did not meet General Harmar,
was most probably OAving to Major Hamtramck's diversion, but it is
not in their power to keep them long together. They are totally
unacquainted with economy in the use of their provisions, and it re
quires arrangements to which they are strangers to provide for
eleven hundred men, eA^en in a country where provisions can be ob
tained by other means than hunting. I was fortified in my opinion
with respect to the usefulness of that post by that of a sensible
Wyandot, which you haA'^e in some one of my letters, "that we
never would have peace with the Western Nations until Ave had a
garrison there." If, hoAvever, it Avould in the least have interfered
Avith general measures Avhich haA'e been directed (Avhich must em
brace much greater and more important objects), I am A'ery glad that
it has not taken place.'
At any time hereafter, should it happen that the posts are not
'Governor St. Clair had suggested the advisability of building a fort on
the Miami ofthe Lake, in ca=e ofthe success ofthe military expedition, and
had asked for authority for that purpose. In his reply, General Knox re
fuses the authority, and gives as a reason the large force that would have
been required to maintain the post, and the expense that it would involve.
These reasons were not suificient. If it had been done when Harmar was
on the ground, the disaster of the following year would have been averted,
and peace obtained much sooner than it was, and at less expense. We shall
see that in 1791, such fort was authorized, but it was then too late — the
enemy were prepared.
VOL. II — 13

194 The St. Clair Papers.
given up conformably to the treaty of peace and the Miami should
be thought of, I believe the posts of communication should neither
be on the Wabash nor on either of the Miami Rivers. Three, I sup
pose, Avould be all that are necessary, and they might be very small
ones at that. Of the Great Miami of the Ohio, one at the crossing
of the Piqua fork, if it should be found that the road would take
that direction, ijut I believe it would pass to the Avestward of it al
together;' and a third at the crossing of the Miami of the Lake.
The Avhole distance is very little, if at all, above hundred miles in a
direct line from Fort Washington. It is certain that no post that
can be established, how respectable soever it may be, Avill so entirely
overaAve the Indians as to prevent every depredation, more especially
when there is another nation in their neighborhood Avho court them,
and who instigate them to those depredations. For AvhatcA^er they
may say (and I hope it is true that the British government does not
countenance it), they are prompted to much ofthe mischief they do
by the British traders, and you Avill see by Mr. Meigs's letter^ to
me, a copy of which I have inclosed, that they meet Avith encour
agement from other quarters than the traders. Mr. McKee's being
among them distributing ammunition and stores at the moment they
were to be attacked, looks so like the support of Government, that
it is impossible they should view it in any other light. I step per
haps beyond my sphere, but I can not help asking if it is not a
proper subject of national complaint ?
I inclose you, likewise, a copy of a letter from the commander at
Detroit, in answer to mine by Mr. Meigs. The prisoners Avhich he
mentions to have been taken by the Saquina (?) nation, and makes
a merit of having sent to Fort Pitt, I have as yet no particulars of.
The Saginaws are under the absolute influence of the Indian agent
at Michilimackinac, and it is knoAvn that he has sent parties to the
Ohio, even without the consent, and contrary to the orders of the
commanding officer there. The sending those lately to Pittsburgh
was a shalloAV artifice. It Avas obviously to gain intelligence, and
Avas too thinly covered not to be seen through. Why else Avere they

' That is, if the road from Port Washington to the Indian towns on the
headwaters of the Maumee took that direction. This statement leaves Fort
Washington to be considered as one of the three forts. In 1 791, the plan was
changed so as to include a post just west ofthe Champaign country (favorite
hunting grounds), in what is now Darke County, Ohio.
2 The letter written by Keturn J. Meigs, Jr., has not been found among
the St. Clair Papers, or in the files of the War Department.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 195
not sent to the nearest post? Your letter of the 19th of May,' re
commending to my attention the French Avho have arrived in this
country, was also delivered to me on the river. I am persuaded that
some protection will be necessary for them as Avell against the sav
ages as at least to support the civil authority, which Avill be estab
lished in the settlement forming near the Kanawha, as soon as posi-
ble, and in all the others, as they take place. I stopped part of a
day at Gallipolis, which is the name they have given that establish
ment, and found about four hundred persons there, in a very discon
tented and mutinous disposition a great part of them. I A'ery much
fear that much disappointment and chagrin Avill attend this project,
and that an interested speculation of a fcAv men, pursued Avith too
great avidity Avill reflect some disgrace upon the American char
acter, Avhile it inA''olves numbers in absolute ruin in a foreign land.
Nothing, hoAvever, that depends upon me shall be wanting to render
their situation as eligible as circumstances Avill admit, for it is cer
tainly important that they should ultimately succeed. Their suc
cess, however, can never in any degree answer the expectations that
have been raised. I presume, sir, it Avill be necessary to be explicit
Avith General Harmar on the subject of the protection he is to afford
them. The dispersed situation of his regiment, and the inconceiv
able fatigues the men are exposed to upon this river, in searching
'In his letter of the 19th of May, General Knox said that a number " of
French gentlemen, of respectable character, had arrived in the United
States, in order to settle on lands contracted for by Messrs. Cutler & Co.
They propose at present to form two settlements, one opposite the mouth of
the Kanawha, and the other not far from the Scioto. The first settlement
will be by the Chevalier Bre de Bouvin, and the other by Monsieur de
Barth, a member of the National Assembly. These gentlemen, alarmed atthe
reports of Indian depredations, have applied for the protection of the United
States." General Harmar was, therefore, to be authorized to station a com
pany at that place. "You will be sufficiently impressed with the importance
and propriety of affording them all the countenance and protection their
circumstances may require and your situation admit." The sad story of
these French emigrants is familiar to every reader of American history.
After being swindled through the agency of Joel Barlow, set down upon
lauds to which no title could be given, they, fresh from the streets of gay
Paris, were confronted with the task of making a living on land covered
with heavy timber, in a country filled with hostile natives. Many died in
the attempt, others made their way to St. Loui.s and New Orleans, and a few
remained. In 1795, Congress donated twenty-four thousand acres in the
south-eastern part of what is now Scioto County, Ohio, for the benefit of the
sufferers.

196 The St. Clair Papers.
for provisions and escorting it from place to place, and their frequent
want of it altogether, puts but little in his power.
I got to this place Saturday, iu conipany Avith the remains of
Captain Zeigler's and Captain Hart's companies, which form the
garrison at Fort Harmar; but there is notan ounce of provisions
of any kind for them, nor is it known when any Avill arrive. The
consequence is that provisions must be obtained from the inhab
itants ; but what can an .infant settlement like this supply ? You
have now a new set of contractors. It is to be hoped — no, it is to
be wished — that they may do better, but it is scarcely possible. The
contract Avas at a price before at whieh the supplies could not be
furnished Avithout loss. It is now at a loss, and the poor soldiers
will be the sacrifice. The small articles Avhich form a material part
of their small ration will never be furnished at all, as they have
heretofore been but A'ery seldom furnished, and the money that
should be paid for them Avill sink in their own hands for some
trifling article sold them at an extortionate rate ; for the soldier Avill
take any thing in exchange for a piece of paper, which he has no
other way of taking care of than in his knapsack. Excuse me, sir,
I pray you, for these observations ; I know they need an excuse, but
I have been a witness to so many instances of that kind that I can
not suppress my resentment.
There were no accounts from Major Hamtramck that could be
called authentic Avhen I left Fort Washington. Whatever they may
be, you will most probably receive them overland before they reach
this place ; but a person who arrived there from Kentucky two
days before my departure, reported that he had seen the command
ing officer of one of the battalions who had been upon the expedi
tion, who told him that the militia were all returned; that the In
dians fled before them wherever they appeared ; that four of their
villages and all their provisions had been destroyed, and that they
had not lost a single man. I pray God the information may be near
the truth. The success will then be as complete as it could have
been wished, and the first news we hear will be an humble suppli
cation for peace.' Should that, however, not happen soon, I will
find out through the Wyandots, and take measures to let them
knoAV that it will not be refused to them if they desire it on reason
able terms. The messages to the Ottawas and Chippewas, General
'In this St. Clair and the President were disappointed. The influence of
the British and the effort of Brant to establish a confederacy, restrained the
Indians, .ind led them to believe it possible to drive the whites back across
the Ohio.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 197
Harmar did not find an opportunity to send forward. I shall send
them yet, with another adapted to the occasion.'

Major Hamtramck to Goveenor St. Clair.
Fort Knox, Post Vincennes, December 2, 1790.
/Sir : — I hope your Excellency Avill excuse me if I take the liberty
of writing on a subject so remote from the duty of a soldier. I do
it because you have requested it of me in your letter of January 23,
1790, and if I have not communicated my sentiments before, it Avas
from an apprehension that they might be contrary to the general
opinion of Indian affairs. They are now presented to your Excel
lency with full expectation that it will not be ascribed to arrogance
or ostentation on my part, it being the result of the purest intention.
On those calculated expectations I will speak freely, and give as my
opinion that nothing can establish a peace with the Indians as long
as the British keep possession of the upper forts ; for they certainly
are daily soAving the seed of discord betAvixt the measures of our
Government and the Indians.
Perhaps the Indians Avill call for a peace early this spring. If so,
I can assure you that I am not mistaken if I prognosticate that it
Avill be done to deceive us, and ought not to be granted before Ave
have another expedition, and have established respectable garrisons in
the most important parts of their country ; then Avill we be able to
make peace on our conditions, and not on theirs.
The Indians never can be subdued by just going into their towns
and burning their houses and corn, and returning the next day, for it
is no hardship to an Indian to live without ; they make themselves
perfectly comfortable on meat alone ; and as for houses, they can
build them Avith as much facility as a bird does his nest.
As for obtaining any advantage of them in action, there is, in my
opinion, very little to be calculated on that head ; for they will uot
fight without having a decided advantage over their enemies, and
if they find they can not meet them, they always have a sufficient
country, which aflfords them a secured situation.
Should Government be disposed to carry on an expedition in the
spring without establishing garrisons in their country, I Avould then
beg the permission to suggest an idea, which Avould be to surprise
them in their towns, and which can be done by having all the men
mounted on good horses, and every man to be his own commissary ;
1 Which was done, but without favorable result.

198 The St. Clair Papers.
that is, he should furnish himself with provisions for so many days ;
by that means a large body of troops would be able to perform
(with probability) such an expedition undiscovered, and with very
great dispatch. This plan appears to me to be the most eligible one
that can be adopted ; for if the United States Avant to chastise the
Indians, there is no other Avay to do it with success than by sur
prising them in their toAvn or camp. Another observation Avhich I
beg to make, that, admitting a treaty should take place this spring,
the people of our frontier Avill certainly be the first to break it. The
people of Kentucky Avill carry on private expeditions against the
Indians and kill them Avhenever they meet them, and I do not be
lieve that there is a jury in all Kentucky who would punish a man
for it. These combined circumstances, sir, make me think that,
until Ave are securely intrenched in the Indian country, we never
can be sure that peace is fully established ; for as the thirst of war
is the dearest inheritance an Indian receives from his parents, and
vengeance that of the Kentuckians, hostility must then be the result
on both sides.'

General Washington to Goateenor St. Clair.
[Private.] PHILADELPHIA, Jan-uary 2, 1791.
Dear Sir : — In the journals of the proceedings of the Executive
in the North-western Territory, there appears to be certain regula
tions made by the Executive under the articles of the 25th of April,
Gth, 28th, and 29th of June last, which can, with propriety, only
be established by laws. '•'
In noticing these, my mind naturally recurred to your letter to me
dated at Cahokia, on the 1st of May last, wherein you observe that
the absence of the Judges had embarrassed you a great deal; and,
after Availing for them as long as possible, you had been under the
necessity of directing by proclamation certain regulations, suited to
the peculiar circumstances of the country. These you had no doubt
would be soon confirmed by law, and the necessity of the cage of
fered an excuse for having exceeded your proper powers.
The imperfect state in Avhich the legislation of the North-western
'This letter shows a very clear apprehension of tho situation and knowl
edge of the Indian character. There is no writing of the period that de
serves a closer study.
''This refers particularly to the division of the Illinois country- into three
judicial districts, the necessity for which was fully set forth by St. Clair in
his communication to the President.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 199
Territory is, the want which the ExecutiA'e has often felt ofthe nec
essary coadjutors to adopt even the most urgent laws, and the pecu
liar situation of a frontier country, are circumstances which may
not strike every one who Avill observe that the Executive has gone
beyond his proper poAvers. It, therefore, becomes a matter of high
importance that the utmost circumspection should be observed in
the conduct of the Executive, for there are not wanting persons who
would rejoice to find the slightest ground of clamor against public
characters ; and paying no regard to the absolute necessity of the
case, Avhich caused a momentary stretch of poAver, nor the public
good which might be produced by it, they Avould seize the occasion
of making impressions unfavorable to Government, and possibly pro
ductive of disagreeable effects.
I have, therefore, thought it best to giA'e you this intimation in a
private and friendly letter, that by circumspection malice may be
disarmed.

Captain de Luziere to Governor St. Clair.
Pittsburgh, February 20, 1791.
My General: — I profit Avith pleasure of the opportunity of M.
Thibaut, who returns to Philadelphia, to have the honor of present
ing you my respects, and to hand over to you the letter here in
closed, which I received from the messenger of M. Daubigny, my
friend, whom I have left at Buffalo Creek. You Avill there read
the details, most touching, of a new scene of horror committed by
the savages in the environs of BuflFalo. Since then they have mul
tiplied upon all points of the Ohio. There is not a single doubt
that all the Indians are agreed to make war and to destroy all the
settlements formed on the right bank of La Belle Riviere. I be
lieve it my duty to inform you, my general, that one is not even
without inquietude in this town, Avhere the citizens assembled them
selves yesterday to advise as to measures to be taken in case of in
cursions on the part of the Indians. I flatter myself that Ave shaU
not have to Avait long to see you here again. Your presence will
surely contribute much to tranquilize their minds. I shall be very
glad personally to be in a position to pay you my respects, and to
repeat to you viva mce the assurance of the sentiments of infinite
respect.

200 The St. Clair Papers.
Lieutenant Denny to General Harmar.
Philadelphia, March 9, 1791.
Dear General : — The great people here have at length determined
to carry on another carapaign against the savages upon a more ex
tensive plan than the last. In the meantime, they have thought it
necessary to order a temporary expedition, entirely of militia, for
the purpose of amusing the Indians and to prevent them from com
mitting any further depredations on the frontiers. Mr. Brown, of
Congress, is furnished with ten thousand dollars for this business.
G. K.' took up so mueh time in forming his report for Congress, and
both houses debated so long upon it, that I am doubtful Avhether
men can be enlisted for this grand object and marched OA'er the
mountains in season ; the encouragement will not be sufficient,
though six dollars bounty is to be given. I Avas in hopes that Avhen
these military arrangements Avere all settled that G. K. Avould dis
patch me for headquarters, but I am noAV afraid he means to detain
me to recruit.^ Armstrong has received his instructions, and began
this day ; Beatty and myself are yet waiting in suspense. I wish
most sincerely to be with you, for I am perfectly sick of the court
and all courtiers.
'¦ General Knox.
'Congress authorized the increase of the regular force to three thousand
men, and the employment of militia, so as to make the force not less than
threethousand men for field service. The President appointed 'Governor
St. Clair MaJDr-General, and placed him in command ofthe army. Colonel
Eichard Butler Avas promoted, and placed second in command. It was
resolved to make a campaign against the Indians in the summer, and the
Secretary of War agreed to have the troops at Fort Washington in July.
It will be seen from the correspondence here offered that the recruiting went
on indifferently, and that as late as September the army promised had not
been supplied. General Knox then directed General St. Clair to make up
the deficiency from the militia; tiat when the troops finally went to the
field they were raw, without discipline or harmony of organization ; that the
quartermaster and contractors failed in every particular, and that the con
struction of forts and roads, as ordered, delayed the march until after frost,
wheu the forage was destroyed; and that in all respects the government and
its agents had failed to fulfill promises, and by this failure success was ren
dered impossible. What St. Clair accomplished, under the adverso circum
stances, was really reraarkable, and is evidence of his great activity and
will-power, as for weeks his orders were delivered largely from a sick bed,
on which he was prostrated with his old enemj', the gout. For an account
of the campaign, see Vol. I., pp. 167-185. See also letter of General Wash
ington to Colonel Darke, April ith, post, 203.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 201
Captain Beatty writes to you by this conveyance, and incloses the
military establishment, by which you will find that Major  ig
appointed lieutenant-colonel commandant of the Second regiment.
Some reasons, which will operate very forcibly upon him, make me
think that it is uncertain whether he Avill accept or not. Some peo
ple are troubled with the cannon fever, and if I am not mijch mis
taken, he was very subject to it ; a feather bed Avould be a fitter place
than the field. The Governor being appointed to command the
army this summer, I hope you Avill be reconciled. I am very confi
dent that no ot'her man Avould be submitted to ; but the long friend
ship which has subsisted between you both , and his commission ex
piring at the end of the campaign, as I am informed it does, will
make it more easy.' Believe me, he has been a sound friend when
you greatly stood in need of one.

Major Isaac Craig to General Knox.
Fort Pitt, March 6th, 1791.
The people on the frontier are exceedingly alarmed.^ Parties of
volunteer militia have been sent from several parts of this county
and Washington, or patrols, one of which fell in Avith a party of
friendly Indians at the block-house on Beaver Creek, Avhere they
had been at a store, killed three men and one woman, notwithstand
ing the Indians called to them in English, two of them being
Moravian Indians, and known to seA'eral of the patrols.
1 General Harmar, who was smarting under the unjust criticisms made on
his campaign in 1790, seeing Butler promoted and placed second in com
mand, declined to continue in the army. After his acquittal by a court-
martial, which sat at Fort Washington in September, General Butler, Pres
ident, he resigned his commission, and returned to Philadelphia.
2 The evidences of Indian warfare were every-where being manifested.
We find that at a meeting of the Ohio Company at Marietta, January 7th,
resolutions Avere adopted to meet the emergency. It was determined to
draw in some of the outlying settlements, put the remaining posts in better
condition for defense, and prepare the militia for service. The preamble-
reads as follows : " Whereas, there is reason to believe that the campaign made
against the Shawanese and other Indian nations the last year is so far from
humbling them and inducing them to sue for peace, that, on the contrary, a
general war will ensue, and which has already broke out against the people
on the Ohio Company's lands by the surprise of the block-house and the
breaking up of the settlement at Big Bottom on the evening of the 2d in
stant, in which disaster fourteen persons lost their lives, and three others are
missing." — MS. Proceedings of the Ohio Company.

202 The St. Clair Papers.
Although this action appears very much like deliberate murder,
yet it is approved of, I believe, by a majority of the people on the
Ohio.

General Knox to General St. Clair.
War Department, March 23d, 1791.
Sir: — I inclose you the representation ofthe Cornplanter, a chief
of the Seneca Indians, to the President of the United States, com
plaining of the murder of some friendly Indians, on the 9th instant,
who had been residing at Big Beaver Creek.
This matter will be attended by the most pernicious consequences,
unless promptly averted by decisive measures. I have stated the
case to the Governor of this State,' suggesting the propriety of de
manding the accused for trial of the State of Virginia, and such
other steps as the case may require.
But as the measures to be expected from a legal process Avill be
both slow and uncertain, it is important that the General Govern
ment should do all in their poAver to express a marked disapproba
tion of the act, and heal, if possible, the wounds Avhich the friends
of the Indians have receiA'ed on this unfortunate occasion.
You Avill, therefore, please to inquire into the facts, and, finding
tbem as stated in the representation of this Cornplanter, you will,
in a message to the aggrieved Indians, reprobate the murder in the
strongest terms, and assure them that every legal measure Avill be
taken to bring the guilty persons to punishment.''
You Avill also invite friends and relations of the deceased, together
with the principal chiefs of the tribe to Avhich the deceased be
longed, to meet you immediately at the place you shall mention.
You Avill theu repeat the abhorrence of the transaction and the as
surance of justice ; and you will convince them of your sincerity,
by making liberal compensation to the relatives and friends for the
loss of property sustained by the deceased Indians.
You will also transmit the inclosed answer to the Cornplanter's
. message, together with such further observations as you may think
proper. '
' Pennsylvania.
2 See letter ot St. Clair to the Secretary of War, April 19th, p. 203.
'This Avas followed by a second letter, in which an inquiry by civil mag
istrates was suggested.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 203

General Washington to Colonel Darke.
[Extract.] MouNT Vernon, April 4th, 1791.
Dear Sir: — The purport of this letter is to request your service in
a matter of immediate importance to the United States. My knowl
edge of your public disposition assures me that it will receive your
ready attention. I shall premise its object by informing you that,
in pursuance of an act of the last session of Congress, an ad
ditional military force, consisting of one regular regiment, two reg
iments of levies, for six months, and such a proportion of militia
as may be thought necessary, are ordered to be raised for the
service of the United States, to be employed, unless the measures
now taking to restore peace should make it unnecessary, in an ex
pedition against certain tribes of western Indians.
The cummand-in-chief is given to General St. Clair; that of
the levies to General Butler ; and that of the militia to General
Scott. The command of one regiment of levies, to consist of three
battalions, to be raised in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia,
was given to Colonel Henry Lee, and on his decUning, before I
adverted to the idea of appointing you, Colonel Hall was, on the
suggestion of the Secretary of War, named to succeed him. Should
Colonel Hall decline, it is my wish that you would accept the com
mand of the regiment, and that, in the meantime, whether you
enter into the service or not yourself, you would be so good as, im
mediately on the receipt of this letter, which will be your authority for
so doing, to appoint from among the gentlemen that are known to
you, and whom you would recommend as proper characters, and
thiuk likely to recruit their men, three persons as captains, three
as lieutenants, and three as ensigns in the battalion of levies to be
raised in the State of Virginia, for the service of the United States,
for the term of six months after arriving at their place of rendez
vous ; that you would instruct the said officers immediately to set
about engaging recruits, who may be ready, on the order of the
Secretary of War, or the commandant of the battalion, to embody
and march to the place of rendezvous.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Pittsburgh, April 19, 1791.
Sir : — I have the honor to inform you that I arrived at this place
on the 16th inst., at night, and found every thing quieter than, from

204 The St. Clair Papers.
the reports I met with on the road, there was reason to expect. The
militia had been called out by the county lieutenants to guard the
frontiers, in consequence of the discretionary poAvers you Avere
pleased to invest them with, which has given some ease to the minds of
the people, with no great reason, indeed, for their numbers are so few
to defend so extensiA'e a frontier, were it attacked in any part by the
Indians iu force ; at the same time, they are too many for the pur
pose of scouts or rangers to give notice of the approach of an enemy.
There are one hundred and fifty called out from Westmoreland, one
hundred from this county, and two hundred, as I am informed, from
Washington. I Avould immediately have ordered a part of them to
have been discharged, but considering that the time is uear at hand
when they will be discharged of course (for I presume you will not
think it necessary to continue them long after the 10th May), and
that it would have been very unpalatable, I thought it better not to
interfere any farther than by observing to the lieutenant of West
moreland that the numbers Avere, in my opinion, too great, and I
shall make the same observation to the lieutenant of Washington,
whom I Avill probably see on my route to Wheeling, where I propose
to embark.
To-morroAV morning, Nicholson will go off express for Venango
with your message, and one I send to the Cornplanter also, de
siring him to inform me whether any of his people Avill accompany
me on the expedition ; Avhat number, and when they will be in readi
ness — referring him to General Butler for directions as to the time
and place of their embarkation. I also send a speech to the Pipe,
conformable to the directions of your letter of 23d ulto. , in Avhich I
promise the friends of the deceased compensation for the effects
they were plundered of; but it is impossible to give them a meet
ing at present, as the time will be so short Avhen I must be at Lex
ington, and for which I can not set out until the express returns,
Avhich will uot be before Monday niglit. I have, therefore, desired
them, if the Shawanese or Miamis ask for peace, to meet me at Fort
Washington, and if they do not, that the compensation shall be
made them as soon afterAvards as possible. The other property taken
were nine horses, three guns, goods to the value of twenty-seven dol
lars, and all the clothing they had, for they were stripped even to
their breech-cloths.'
The depositions you desire to be taken and forwarded to the Gov
ernor had been taken before my arrival, and must have got to hand
last Aveek, so that it was not necessary for me to do any thing in it.
'See letter of Major Isaac Craig, 16th March.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 205
The Cornplanter got safe to Venango, though with a great deal of
difficulty aud much ill-treatment. A boat with provisions for that
garrison, and in which was a part of the goods he had received from
Philadelphia, and the Indian canoes were discovered by a scouting
party of the miUtia, on this side of the river. They ordered the
Indians immediately to come to them or they would fire upon them,
upon which they iiiStantly put to shore, abandoned their canoes, and
fled. A non-commissioned officer, who was on the boat, went over to
them, and him they abused very much, and, it was believed, would
have murdered him but for the intervention of Mr. Guthrie, the
same who is appointed on the levies, and a clergyman of the uame
of Porter, who, with much difficulty, obtained his release. The
boat, in the meantime, Avent adrift and fell down the river and was
stopped about eight miles above this place; it has since got up
safely. The canoes were made a prey of and every thing on them
plundered and sold at public vendue. It might have been expected
that this affair would have had bad consequences, but, from the let
ter of Mr. Jeffers to me, which I take the liberty to inclose, it has
not. We are assured also that the Cornplanter and his people are
firm, though it can not be but that it has made unfavorable impres
sions. I have sent for the gentleman who prosecutes for the State
in the county of Westmoreland, in order to have those persons in
dicted for the assault on the. non-commissioned officer ; but it seems
to me that it Avould npt be improper that they should be prosecuted
in the Federal Court also for the attempt upon the friendly Indians
returning to their own country from a conference Avith the Govern
ment, under the protection of which they were to be considered
until they at least got out of the limits of the State.
Mr. Jeflfers observes that a party of the Seneeas are gone to pro
tect the settlement upon Cupawango, but I am informed that, since
the date of his letter, it has broken up, and the people are all at
Fort Franklin ; but I shall knoAv more certainly how affairs are in
that quarter to-morrow, when I expect Major Heart, who leaves it
this day, when 1 shall have the honor to write you again.'
•On the 21st April, Governor St. Clair wrote further to the Secretary of
War on the subject of the above letter, and of the details for the campaign,
of which only this is of interest now :
Yesterday Major Heart arrived here from Fort Franklin, and by him I
received a letter from Colonel Proctor, from that place, of the 9th inst., a
copy of which is inclosed. I fear the delay he has met with will create
some embarrassments, and will necessarily delay tho expedition under Gen-

206 St. Clair Papers.
Colonel Sargent to the Civil Magistrates and Military
Officers at Gallipolis.
Gallipolis, Washington County, May 9th, 1791.
Gentlemen : — The situation of your settlement, in the present dis
position of the savages, demands much more caution and vigilance
than is observed by the inhabitants. Whilst they continue to AVork
out singly upon their lots, and so far removed from your main
body, as is the common practice, they are liable at every moment
to be cut off by the Indians, which might be guarded against with
out any obstruction to their field labors, for I believe it has been
fiiund upon experience that men Avork most cheerfully and to great
est advantage in parties. A sentinel ought to be posted out, to give
notice of the approach of an enemy, and the people, having their
arms at hand, might defend themselves, or retire, as occasion should
make proper.
The loss of but a single man, at this time, would have such an
unhappy effect upon the disposition to migrate from France, as might
be sensibly experienced for years in this young cplony.
If a general attack should be intended against you, it Avould most
probably take place betAveen daylight and sun-rising. You should,
therefore, be under arms at that time. This necessity can not long
exist. The savages, it is true, have not, as yet, molested you, but they
have made their observations, and may not they be endeavoring to
lull you into a false and fatal idea of security ? They are a subtle
and designing enemy, and can bring upon you, in an unexpected
moment, a force sufficient to annihilate an unguarded multitude.
eral Scott.^ By Major Heart, I learn that your dispatches, which were entrusted
to the Cornplanter, were not sent forward; the mischief that happened at
Beaver Creek and in this neighborhood, had disconcerted them entirely, and
they Avere afraid to undertake the carrying of them. Cornplanter now pro
poses to be the bearer himself, and to take two hundred men with him; but
first he goes to Buffalo, which will retard him, and their motions are at all-
times slow.
[He then proceeds to say that he will send the speech to the Delawares
from Muskingum.] " Everything is perfectly quiet here, as it is also at Ve
nango, though the settlement on French Creek is abandoned, and the inhabit
ants have taken refuge at the Fort."
(1) This proved to be the case. The President thought it important Colonel Proc
tor should make one more effort to persuade the Miamis and Shawanese to peace;
and, that it might not be interrupted, St. Clair proceeded to Kentucky to detain Gen
eral Seott. See correspondence later on.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 207
To preserve your men in health is an important object, not only
as it respects the present settlers, but in order to establish that gen
eral reputation for salubrity Avhich Avill contribute to increase most
rapidly your population. The docility and good disposition of the
people will, I am persuaded, constitute the police necessary to this
measure, not only practicable but facile.
I have your interests and prosperity, gentlemen, very much at
heart. You have had many difficulties to encounter, and they can
not, at present, altogether cease. The task of settling a new coun
try is an arduous one, but it is not without its pleasures ; the idea
of giA'ing birth to a great and happy establishment is a glorious
solace amidst all the hazards and hardships to Avhich you, as the first
settlers, must be exposed. My exertions will never be wanting for
your welfare.
I have made the civil and military appointments from the best
information I could acquire, and I have, no doubt, gentlemen, you
Avill do them honor. Under the present circumstances of the col
ony, it is impossible for government to notice some characters who
may be equally AVorthy, but the Avell-knoAvn judgnient and impar
tiality of our Governor must insure all future attentions that shall
be due to, merit ; his important engagements at the time in which
your interest, gentlemen, as Avell as those of this extensive Terri
tory, and the dignity of the United States, are so materially con
cerned, could not noAV admit of his presence. He Avill, hoAvever, I
trust, soon bestow upon you the blessings of peace, and, having ter
minated successfully the expedition against our enemies, have it in
his power to form and establish for you such regulations as your
particular circumstances may require ahd his Avisdom devise.
I shall leave Avith you a copy of the laws and ordinances for the
government of this Territory, a due observance of which will con
tribute very much to your happiness.
I can not close this letter, gentlemen, without expressing my ad
miration for the industry and very handsome improvements of this
settlement. Your plantations have, many of them, the complexion
of years, and are a mos't convincing testimony that you possess some
of the qualifications of excellent citizens, and valuable members of
community.

General St. Clair to Brigadier-General Scott.
Fort Washington, May 18, 1791.
Sir: — ... I mentioned to you that I did not wish, at this

208 The St. Clair Papers.
moment, to press the commencement of your march, but rather that
a few days should be Avhiled away, provided it could be done Avith
out its being discovered that the delay Avas an affected oue. I am
sensible this is a delicate point, and that, if it Avas discovered, either
to increase in the troops an impatience for moving, or to discourage
them. The same reasons, hoAVCA'er, exist uoav as at the time I had
the pleasure to communicate them, and, as you are sensible of the
weight of those reasons, I am sure of your managing it so as to
avoid both those consequences. Without derailing to Colonel Ment-
gez, I have requested him not to press the muster until the dis
position has been made of your provisions and ammunition, and
have mentioned that it Avas my wish your march should not be
taken up before the 24th inst.
You Avere pleased to express a desire that an officer might be left
at the mouth of the Kentucky, for the purpose, perhaj^s, of mus
tering the volunteers on their return ; but, besides that it Avould be
inconvenient to leave an officer there, that route for their return
seems to be precluded by your instructions ; for, as I fervently Avish
and confidently expect you Avill bring not a few prisoners, they are
to be carried and delivered to the commanding officer of some post
of the United States upon the Ohio ; that being the case, you will
probably find this post the most convenient in every vieAV. Orders,
however, Avith respect to the muster and the receiving the prisoners,
shall be transmitted to the post near the Rapids, and also to Fort
Knox, at Post St. Vincennes, regarding the muster ; but, I beg leave
to observe that it is not improbable they may not reach that place
so early as you, in Avhich case you will please to shoAV this part of
the present letter to Major Hamtramck or the officer commanding
there, who is to consider the same as his orders for maliing and certi
fying the said muster ; but as that is not the proper place to leave the
prisoners, they must be delivered either here or at Fort Steuben.
On the subject of prisoners, give me leave to call your attention
to that part of your instructions which respects the treatment they
are to receive. To you, sir, I know it is entirely unnecessary, but
I request you to impress the propriety of treating Avith great hu
manity such as may fall into their hands upon those under your
command of all ranks and descriptions. The dignity of the United
States requires it ; the character of the nation demands it ; the best
consequences may be expected to result from it, and it is the positive
orders of the President.'
1 These instructions were carried out fully, be it said to the credit of Gen
eraU Scott and Wilkinson, but historians have always spoken of the act as

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 20&
Be pleased to present my respects to General Wilkinson, Mr.
Brown, and any other gentlemen to whom I have the honor of being
known.

General St. Clalr to Israel Ludlow.
Fort Washington, May 19th, 1791.
Sir:—1 have received your letter of yesterday respecting certain
surveys, which you have been directed to make by the Secretary of
the Treasury.
The completion of these surveys are important to the United
States, and it would afford me pleasure to put it in your power to ful
fill the instructions you have received immediately and effectually,
but circumstances do not admit your being furnished Avith a proper
escort at this moment, for I am far from thinking fifteen men would
be sufficient, more especially as that part Avhich you consider as most
necessary to be executed first, and AA'hich you Avould enter upon im
mediately, would carry you a great distance into the country. It is
most probable that in the course of this summer and fall the busi
ness may be done Avithout risk, and I shall notify you Avhen the time
arrives at which it may be piroper for you to begin it. In the mean
time, as you inform me that the line of the Miami purchase has
been measured along the Ohio, and the place of beginning known,
it will be proper that you should mark that place in a conspicuous
and permanent manner to prevent trespasses being ignorantly though
innocently committed upon the unalienated lands of the United
States, Avhich may involve indiA'iduals in disagreeable, and to them,
perhaps, ruinous consequences.

Governor St. Clair to Alexander Hamilton.
Fort Washington, May 25th, 1791.
Sir: — A few days ago, Mr. LudloAv presented to me the instruc
tions he had received from you for completing the surveys of certain
tracts of land in this Territory contracted for Avith the late Board of
Treasury, and requested an escort of troops to enable him to comply
with those instructions. The situation of affairs and the present
weakness of the garrison put it out of my power to furnish him Avith
the necessary escort ; but on perusing the instructions, to my aston-
having had its origin with the officers who commanded the expedition. The
above letter discloses the real author.
Vol. 11—14.

210 The St. Clair Papers.
ishment I found that the purchase made by Judge Symmes did not
extend further up the Ohio than twenty miles from the mouth of
the Great Miami River. He had given out and published indeed to
the Avorld that he had contracted for all the lands to a certain dis
tance northerly, which Avere contained between the Little and the
Great Miamies as eastern and western boundaries. On my first ar
rival in this part of the Territory, I found the Judge here and a
number of people settled already, to Avhom he had sold lands far to
the eastward of the twenty miles. It never could have entered into
my head that any person, much less one invested Avith a respectable
public character, had published a falsehood, was persisting in it, and
availing himself of the pecuniary advantages folloAving from it.
The settlement, therefore, met Avith all the countenance Avhich I
could give it, Avhich I conceived to be a duty I then OAved to the ad
venturers and to the United States ; but I see I was wrong, and
find myself in a very disagreeable predicament, having clothed
many persons Avith civil and military authority Avhoni it was more
properly my duty to have removed, and so far sanctioned their in
trusions on the lands of the United States. As soon as possible
after this discoA'ery I wrote a letter to Judge Symmes, of which the
inclosure No. 1 is a copy, and No. 2 his ansAver, Avliich I received
this day.' The ansAver does not appear in any wise satisfactory, for
it is clear that though there had been a proposal for a contract dif
ferent from that entered into, it had never been more than a pro
posal ; and he has been selling the lands of the United States upon
the Little Miami, Avhich he had not contracted for, to pay for lands
hi,-i agents had contracted for in his name upou the Great Miami.
As soon as it is practicable, Mr. LudloAV shall be enabled to fulfill
your orders. In the meantime, I am much at a loss what course I
ought to hold Avith those settlers, neither do I know very well where
to address myself for directions.
If it is a business that falls Avithin the sphere of your office, I
shall be happy to receive and carry into execution any instructions
Avhich you may think j^roper to give. If it does not fall AA'ithin
your office, may I request the favor of your friendly advice.
It seems to me that all I can do at present, and it may be proper
to do it, is to publish a proclamation, warning all persons against
further intrusions, and permitting the occupancy of the present set
tlers until the pleasure of Congress shall be knoAvn. To remove
those, if it could be done, would be ruin to them, and they are inno-
'The purport ofthe correspondence is indicated in tho text with sufficient
clearness. The ofiicial action taken is shown by the proclamation following.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 211
cent, not willful trespassers ; and, to revoke the commissions that
have been granted, would leave them in a state of anarchy. Ex
cuse, I entreat you, the liberty I have taken to trouble you Avith the
dilemma I am caught in, and believe me, with every sentiment of
respect and esteem, &c.'
1 As promised in the above letter, the Governor issued a proclamation
Avarning the inhabitants of their situation. This he first submitted to Judge
Symmes, who wrote an earnest letter, asking that the step be not taken; but
as the Governor felt that he had been deceived and that delay would only
make raatters worse, he issued the following proclamation, which led to a
lengthy correspondence between him and Judge Symmes, and secured the
active hostility of tho latter in later years, when party politics were running
high. Atigust 23, 1791.
Proclamation by His Excellency, Aethttr St. Clair.
Whereas, it has been represented to me that certain persons, generally
known by the name of the proprietors of the Miami purchase, have taken
it upon themselves to sell and dispose of divers tracts and parcels of land,
the property of the United States, lying and being to the eastward of a line
to be drawn from a place upon the banks of the Ohio Kiver exactly twenty
miles following the seA'eral courses of thesame, above the Great Miami Eiver
parallel to the general course of that river, whereby many unwary persons
have been induced to make settlements upon the same contrary to the au
thority of the United States, and in defiance of their proclamation against
the making settlements on any of the public lands Avithout due authority for
so doing.
It is hereby made known that the lands contracted for b}' the honorable
John Cleves Symmes and his associates, or their agents, is bounded in the
manner following, viz: "All that tract or parcel of land situate, lyin^ and
being in the western country, adjoining to the Ohio Eiver, beginning on the
bank of the same river, at a spot exactly twenty miles distant, along the
several courses of the same, from the place Avhere the Great Miami Eiver
empties itself into the Great Eiver Ohio, from thence extending doAvn the
said river Ohio along the several courses thereof; thence up the said .Miami
Biver, along the several courses thereof, to a place from whence a line draAvn
due east will intersect a line drawn from the place of beginning aforesaid,
parallel with the general course of the Great Miami Eiver, so as to include
one million of acres within those lines and the said river, and from that place
upon the Great Eiver Miami, extending along such lines to tbe place of bo-
ginning, containing as aforesaid one million of acres." That the land lying
to the eastward of the said parallel line, from the Ohio, to where it may in
tersect the Little Miami Eiver, and from thence down the same to the Ohio
Eiver and along the Ohio Eiver to the place before mentioned, where the
parallel line begins, is as yet the property of the United States, and has not
been aliened or sold to any person whosoevSr; that the settlements Avhich
have been made upon the same are entirely unauthorized, and the persons
who now occupy them are liable to be dispossessed as intruders, and to have

212 The St. Clair Papers.

General St. Clair to the Secretary of Wae.
. Fort Washington, May 26, 1791.
Sir : — It was not until the 5th instant that I arrived at Lexing
ton, and on the Sth had an interview Avith General Scott. The in-
their habitations destroyed; and that they are not treated in that manner
immediately is owing only to the circumstances that they were made to be
lieve the said proprietors of the Miami purchase had a right to the land,
and to give them an opportunity to represent their case to Congress.
And I do hereby strictly prohibit all persons to extend the settlements
they have already made, or to form new settiements to the eastward of the
aforesaid parallel line, and within that line, the Little Miami, and the Ohio
Eiver, until the pleasure of Congress in the premises shall be made known,
as they shall answer the contrary at their peril.
And, Avhereas, it is necessary that a certain tract or parcel of land adjacent
to and lying round Port Washington should be set apart and reserved for
public use, I have ordered the same to be done, and it is bounded in the man
ner following, viz: beginning on the bank of the Ohio Eiver, at the middle
of the street which passes to the AvestAvard of the house Avhere Bartle and
Strong now live, and running from thence with the said river to the east
side of Deer Creek, from thence running north fifteen degrees, thirty min
utes west, one hundred and twenty perches, and from thence by and with a
straight line to be drawn at right angles from the same until it reaches the
middle of the street aforesaid, thence down the middle of the said street to
the place of beginning, and all the land lying and being within these bound
aries, is hereby set apart and reserved for public use, until Congress shall
determine otherAvise. And all persons are hereby strictly forbidden to cut
down, carry away, or othemvise destroy any timber, trees, or wood that may
Ije growing, standing, or lying upon or within the same.
And, whereas, there are houses and lots at present occupied by sundry per
sons, which are included Avithin the boundaries of this reserved tract, it is
hereby made known to them that they will be allowed to possess the same
until the present crop is taken off, and no longer, unless they shall obtain
permission for the same under the hand and seal of the ofEcer commanding
the garrison, or General commanding the troops upon the Ohio, and shall
voluntarily submit themselves to the military law as followers of the army.i
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and caused the seal
of the Territory to be affixed, this 19th day of July, 1791, etc.
September the 15th, the Governor, at Cincinnati, in the County of Hamil
ton, was pleased to issue the following proclamation, viz:
"It is hereby made known to the persons settled between the upper line
1 Among those classed as intruders on this military tract was Judge Turner. He
was privately notified by Governor St. Clair that Judge Symmes could give no title,
to which ho paid no attention, but continued to make Improvements. The Gov
ernor reminded him of the obtrusion and the previous verbal notice, and of the risk
he was running. He also suggested that it was the duty of a Judge of the United
States Court to set an example of respect and obedience to government. Judge
Turner took this advice and interference in high dudgeon.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 213
tended expedition from Kentucky, I was glad to find, was not in so
great forwardness as had been expected, as thereby any detention on
my part was rendered unnecessary. A great many people had pre
sented themselves as volunteers, and, on the 15th, they Avere to
meet at Frankfort, twenty miles from Lexington, for the formation
of the battalions and companies, and tbe choice of the officers ;
and, on the 20th, to rendezvous at the mouth of the Kentucky
River, the place that had been chosen from whence to take their
departure, and Avhich fully met my approbation. General Scott
seemed to be under some uneasiness at being restrained to seven
hundred and fifty men, alleging that, as more had offered themselves,
to have refused any might have disgusted the whole; but, from
other information, I believe the whole will not much, if at all, exceed
the stipulated number. On the Oth, I went to Danville to visit
-Mr. Innes and Mr. Brown, and returned on the 10th to Lexington,
fr|)m Avhence I proceeded across the country to this place, where I
arrived on the 15th. On the 19th, Colonel Mentgez was sent to the
mouth of the Kentucky to muster the party, and, at the same time,
I forwarded five hundred pounds of rifle powder, one thousand
pounds of lead, fifteen huudred flints, and some tools for the pur
pose of making rafts, Avhich Avere demanded by General Scott.
Although the season was so far adA'anced as to render it projier
for the party to begin their march, yet, as there was no account of
Colonel Proctor,' I Avas willing it should be delayed a little, pro
vided that the delay did not appear to be premeditated. Colonel
Mentgez Avas, therefore, directed not to hurry the muster, and, as
of Judge Symmes' purchase and the Little Miami, and claiming titles from
him, that the Governor has been ofBcially informed by the Secretary of State
that he has required from Judge Symmes an explanation of his proceedings,
and is further instructed by the said Secretary, that though it is the duty
and determination of the executive to see that no encroachments be made
on the public lands — yet as the settlers in this instance appear to have acted
with good faith, to notify them that due attention will be paid to that cir
cumstance, and, in the meantime, they are not to be disturbed.
" AU persons so settled are hereby notified accordingly."
¦•After forming a plan of campaign, the Government had sent Colonel
Proctor to the Miami Indians, via Niagara, where he was to solicit the aid
of the Six Nations in his effort to bring about a peace with the Miamis.
The President was anxious that the warlike expedition should not be under
taken until after Colonel Proctor should have attempted his mission of peace,
and reported the result to General St. Clair at Port Washington. Colonel
Proctor failed, and eventually returned to Philadelphia. But hearing noth
ing from him, and the season advancing, St. Clair directed General Scott to
proceed.

214 The St. Clair Papers.
the distributing the ammunition and provisions would take some
time, to contrive matters so as that they might not be in readiness
to move until the 24th, hoping that the Colonel might arrive by
that time ; but there is no news of him at all, and I now much fear
that there never AviU be. Should he have got to the Miami villages,
and the Indians be Avilling to listen to terms of accommodation, the
march of this party will be an unfortunate event, and bear an air
of disingenuousness and deceit that I should be extremely sorry for ;
but to have delayed longer would probably have discouraged them
so much as to have prevented their proceeding at a later day.
I was sorry to find that the measure of a volunteer expedition
calculated expressly to gratify the people of Kentucky had not en
tirely had its effect, but, on the contrary, had disgusted some Avho
are supposed to be influential characters — among those are the Col
onels Logan and Shelby. Their disgust arises, however, from be
ing disappointed in the chief command, to which they both aspired,
and both thought themselves of too much consequence to serve ina
secondary station. Colonel Shelby, notAvithstanding, has done ev
ery thing to forward the business, while Logan has throAvn much
cold water upon it. I am unacquainted Avith them, but from Avhat
I have heard of Logan's conduct Avhen he was formerly at the head
of an enterprise, from persons who Avere with him, he appears to
be as little qualified for command as it is possible. Colonel Shelby
is generally well spoken of.
It is surprising the effects that have been produced in Kentucky
by the notice the President took of that country in his address to
Congress ; by the act of that body for receiving them into the
Union ; by the means taken for the protection of the frontiers, and
by the prompt payment of the militia who Avere employed in the
last expedition. It Avould seem that they have not been used to re
ceive money for services of that nature, and, at this moment, I do
not believe there is more affection, among all ranks, for the General
Government in any part of the United States. In that point of
vieAV it Avas money Avell laid out, and the advantages of it have come
home to the feelings of many Avho Avould always have been little
affected by abstract political considerations.
While I am speaking of the militia, it reminds me that you have
not yet received the vouchers for those employed on the Wabash under
Major Hamtramck, and if the circumstances I have been informed
of are true, they ought not to be paid. They are these — that upon
the expedition, from the time of the troops leaving Fort Knox un
til they returned, ten horses only Avere lost ; that the remainder^.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 21&
amounting to upward of two hundred, were deliA'ered over to a
Major Whitley, the commanding officer of the militia, to take back
to Kentucky ; that many of them are yet about St. Vincennes, in
possession of the inhabitants, and that out of ninety-six oxen Avliich
Major Whitley set out with from the Falls, he took but tAventy to
Fort Knox, Avhich Avas the cause of Major Hamtramck returning
so soon, and attempting so little against the Indians. I have writ
ten to Major Hamtramck this day to have Avhat horses are about
St. Vincennes collected and sold to the best advantage, and to state
circumstances respecting those that have been lost, and have them
authenticated, as also respecting the cattle, that the United States
may be exonerated, if it should appear proper.
Upon my arrival here, I found General Harmar, as I had ex
pected, exceedingly chagrined, and determined to retire. I assure
you that, whatever may have been thought of his late expedition,
he is an excellent officer, and his quitting the service Avill be a loss.
He continues in the command of this garrison at present, but Avill
hold it no longer than until the court of inquiry, Avhich he informs
me he has requested, can be assembled, and he is extremely anx
ious that it should take place Avithout loss of time.
In my letter of the 1st of May, I requested that you would be
pleased to direct the militia employed on the frontiers to be dis
charged at such time as should seem proper, as far as KanaAvha in
clusive, for at this distance, and Avith the Uttle and uncertain inter
course with the upper part of the river, it Avould be impossible for
me to judge of the circumstances which might render it proper or
otherwise.' I must repeat the request, for I have not an iota of in
teUigence by Avhich to judge whether they are necessary or usefid
or not, and I have received no returns but Avhat were forwarded at
that time. Those employed on the frontiers of Kentucky it Avill be
proper to continue until the return of the volunteers. Should that
party be successful, it is to be hoped they may be dismissed Avith
propriety and with contentment to the country. At present it
would be otherwise. In that letter I likeAvise suggested that the
sending dispatches over land to Richmond Avould be a more certain
and eligible mode of conveyance than by the river, but I Avas mis
taken. The distance from hence to Danville is upAvards of one
hundred miles, and three days' march, at least, through a coun
try ^entirely uninhabited, and from Danville to Richmond is at
least seven hundred miles, part of it under the same or greater
'The letter of 1st May contained nothing that is not better explained in
this letter. Hence, it is omitted.

216 The St. Clair Papers.
difficulties. The river, then, must be the way ; and, as soon as a
reinforcement arrives, measures shall be taken to effect a weekly
communication with Pittsburgh. At present it is impossible.
The present fit for duty at this post, on the first day of this
month, amounted to sixty-two only. My anxiety for Colonel Proc
tor is very great. The Six Nations have, I fear, refused to go with
him, and he has undertaken it Avithout them, and has fallen a
sacrifice to savage barbarity ; for, had they gone Avith him, and
those Indians were willing to hear him, though nothing was de
cided, he and they would have found means to inform me.
A party of five Indians came Avithin two miles of this fort two
days ago, and carried off a man. Their track coming in was dis
covered by a party that had been sent out by General Harmar about
a fortnight before, who followed them with all possible expedition,
but they lost the track when they came near the settlement. It
would seem that the object of this party Avas to take a prisoner for
the sake of intelligence, as they Avent off again with the utmost ex
pedition they could make.
I have heard nothing from General Sevier ; neither do I know
how the recruiting for the levies goes on in his quarters, nor, indeed,
in any other, and you Avill be pleased to observe that I can know
nothing of it but Avhat you communicate. If it goes on well, there
will be no occasion to call for the militia, and that is very much to
be wished, for drafting them is an unpalatable operation, and brings
out only the worst men, who hire themselves as substitutes, and
was, I believe, the principal cause of the misfortune of the last
campaign. If it must be resorted to, I beg I may be early informed,
because it Avill take a consideraJile si^ace of time to forward the or
ders and get them together! Kentucky, I believe, must be relied
on altogether. Pennsylvania and the upper counties of Virginia
seem to be at too great a distance ; but if some reliance must be
placed upon them, I request that you may be pleased to issue the
orders, for much time Avould be lost by their going from me, and I
should be long in suspense as to the effect of them.

General Knox to General Butler.
[Extract.] War Department, June 9, 1791.
Mr. Hodgdon, the quartermaster, sat out from Carlisle on the
7th instant, and will be at Fort Pitt by the 12th or 13th. He is
amply furnished with the means of obtaining every thing that shaU

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc '211
be Avanting for the campaign, and I have directed him to take your
advice upon such preparations as you may deem essential, and
which have not already been done.
As the representative of the pubUc in the preparations of the
campaign, I feel it my duty, and it is most certainly my inclination,
that every article, hoAvever minute, should be furnished, and I have
given the directions accordingly.
From the activity of Mr. Hodgdon and his ample funds, I have
no doubt that all things in the quartermaster's department Avill be
prepared in due season.'
From the returns of the provisions Avhich you transmitted me, it
appears that such a quantity of flour is already purchased that no
apprehensions may be entertained on that account. Until the ex
pedition shall take place, and during the operations of the troops,
dependence must be placed on live cattle.
The posts to be established Avill require six months' salted meat,
and the other parts of the rations in proportion. This object the
contractor has promised to attend to, and, from his information,
there will be no disappointment.
I am well satisfied that Major Butler has been appointed to the
command of the Eastern Battalion of levies in this State. I hope
the remaining company will soon be filled and marched.
The object of Colonel Proctor's mission having failed, of which
he informed you. General St. Clair Avill no longer restrain the expe
dition uuder General Scott.
I am persuaded that you transmitted to General St. Clair the
whole of Colonel Proctor's dispatches, because on his early receipt
thereof much will depend.
You Avill not retain more troops on the upper parts of the Ohio
than shall be necessary for the defensive protection of the frontiers.
All beyond that number you Avill order doAvn the river to head
quarters. I inclose you, in confidence, an estimate of the troops who have
marched and Avho will march in the course of the present month.
The recruiting service has been very dull in Ncav Hampshire,
Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. In Connecticut it has been bet
ter. I hope, however, to march five hundred regulars — three years'
men — in the course of the present month, but this includes Doyle
' Every thing was neglected by Mr. Hodgdon, and in consequence dire
•disaster resulted.

218 The St. Clair Papers.
and Beatty and all others to the eastward. This number is contem
plated in the number of the inclosed estimate.
As we shall not have aU the three years' men I was induced to
hope for, and as you seem to think that a company of levies could
be raised in Fayette, I hereby authorize you to raise one, two,
three, or even four companies or battalion of levies, provided the
object could be certainly accomplished by the 15th or 20th of July,
in the upper counties of Pennsylvania and Virginia.
If you go into this measure, you will immediately inform me and
General St. Clair thereof. You could appoint the officers, and as
soon as the President of the United States shall arrive, Avhich wiU
be about the 23d instant, the commissions shall be forwarded, upon
the names of the officers being certified by you.

Governor St. Clair to Judge Turner.
Fort Washington, June 19th, 1791.
Sir : — The evening before last I was favored Avith your letter of
the 17th,' and should have replied to it Avithout delay, had I not
been engaged yesterday in other business. I thank you, sir, for the
sentiments of personal respect expressed in that letter, and beg you
to believe they are reciprocal, and that I am at least as anxious that
the laws should not be trampled upon as you, sir, it being particularly
my duty to see that they are carried into execution, and that I feel
for the dignity of the United States as much as any man can.
The transaction of the 27th ultimo referred to, is, I suppose, as
you have stated it, excepting as to the note, Avhich though conceived
in terms sufficiently polite, appeared to me to be not altogether
proper, as I had the honor to inform you, for it contained a direction
that the prisoner should be detained in safe custody until delivered
by due course of law, and being so " subjoined to the warrant of
commitment " to the sheriff, it had all the appearance of an authori
tative precept, and I suppose was intended to have that effect,
though couched in the form of a request, and I find, by the tenor
of your letter, I Avas not mistaken in having so understood it.^
I can not be positive about the Avords of my ansAver to the sheriff,
iaving been awakened out of my sleep to receive your note, and had
^ The preliminary correspondence is not essential, as the facts are stated in
the above letter with sufficient clearness.
ajudge Turner had given an order of commitment, and commanded Col
enel Trueman, of Port Washington, to receive and guard the prisoner. The

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 219
been more than two hours in bed, which was not a very proper time
for business of that nature. The gates of the fort had long been shut,
and the officer of the day did Avrong in admitting either the sheriff
or his prisoner at that time of the night, had every thing also been
as it should have been, but to the best of my recollection I told the
sheriff that since the man was iu the fort the guard should look
after him for that night, but that he must not consider himself as
discharged of him, and must take him aw.ay in the morning and
secure him as he could, for Avhich he Avas ausAverable; otherwise, he
would be dismissed Avhen the guard was relieved. The plain and
obvious meaning of which Avas that, for that night, as it Avas a case
of emergency, I Avould allow the sheriff to use the guard-house as
iis jail, and for no longer.
I recoUect, sir, in conversation with you upon this very affair, to
iave mentioned the impropriety, as it struck me, of confining pris
oners guilty of offenses against the municipal law to military
guards — to have suggested a doubt whether if an officer did receive
and detain them, he Avould not be liable to an action for false im
prisonment, and Avhether if they should escape or be dismissed, an ac
tion would lie against the officer for the escape. I am not sure that
you gave any opinion, but from your manner, I thought I had rea
son to believe that the doubts did not appear to you to be entirely
groundless. And now, sir, to your question, Avhich I haA'e not the least hesita
tion in answering, and you wdl always find me ready, in the best
manner I can to answer any question you may think proper and
necessary to propose to me in your official character, whether it
comes forward with " firmness" or Avith diffidence. The troops ofthe
United States are certainly paid, among other things, for the pro
tection of the people and Government, but the manner in which
that protection is to be applied is not, I presume, Avithin the pro
vince of a judge or a justice to determine, nor of all of them
together. No military servant of the sovereign authority may at his pleasure
remit the punishment, or release the body of a prisoner committed.
by that very authority for a breach of its laAvs. It is not the busi
ness of a military servant of the sovereign authority to take cogniz-
form of the commitment and request was objected to as being liable to estab
lish a tad precedent; and there was the further objection to using the mili
tary guard-house for the purpose of confining persons charged with all man
ner of crimes.

220 St. Clair Papers.
ance of breaches of the laws, neither has he any thing to do with.
the confinement or release of such persons as may offend therein.
What happened before my taking the command of the troops I
know not ; if you mean, however, Avhat you have said about " per
sons having been committed to the custody of the military at dif
ferent times and unduly discharged," as a matter of complaint,
which I should suppose you do as you say you think it your special
duty to mention it ; it must be more explicit before I can make any
inquiry about the matter. This, however, I know that General
Harmar never refused to alloAV his guard-houses to be used occasion
ally by the sheriffs when I have requested it for them as an accom
modation, and I have had several occasions to request it, but it
never entered into my head to demand it as a right — if I had, I
think he would not have been in his duty if he had not refused it.
As it seems to be considered in that light now, it is time to put an
end to it.
It is the duty of the sheriff, sir, to provide a jail until one shall
be erected ; if he can get no other he may make a jail of his own
house ; and he has been ordered to provide a jail — if he will not I
will displace him and appoint another, and every necessary aid from
the military, either in suppressing tumults, apprehending offenders,
and safely keeping them Avhen apprehended, to which the power of
the county may be inadequate, Avill be cheerfully reiidered by the
military whenever it, shall be required by the civil authority ; but it
much behooves me, as the chief civil and military power in the Ter
ritory hajjpens to be united in my person, to keep the exercise of
them perfectly distinct, and that I make no precedent now that it
would be improper should it be followed by either respectively when
they shall be separated hereafter.
Your question, sir, is now fully answered. I have none to pro
pose to you individually in your official character ; but I presume
that, as the chief executive officer, I have a right to ask the opinion
of the Judges upon any doubt in respect of laAV that may arise in
my mind touching that executive duty ; and that it is their duty to
give me their law opinion; under that impression so soon as the
Judges (or any tAVO of them) can be got together, I shall require
their opinion upon the following points, and they are thrown out to
you now that you may turn them in your mind until one or more of
your colleagues arrive.
Whether it be lawful to commit a citizen Avho may have been con
victed of a crime to a military guard-house, the government of
which neither is nor can be subjected to the sheriff?

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 221 .
Whether a military officer, detaining a civil prisoner under a
guard of armed soldiers, Avho could lawfully be committed to the
custody of the sherifi' only, would not be liable to an action for false
imprisonment, by what authority soever that detention and im
prisonment was made ?
Whether, supposing it lawful for a magistrate to commit an
offender to a military prison, if a person Avas committed for a length
of time to a military guard (for two years, for example, as in
the present case, for Avant of sureties for his good behaA'ior), and the
troops should be ordered aAvay from the place, is the officer to take
the prisoner Avith him or to dismiss him ?
Should he take him with him, the law, which requires offenders
to be imprisoned in the proper counties, would be violated. Should
he dismiss him, he would not be liberated by due course of law.
There would be a wrong in either case ; and in the first the officer
would be answerable to the party for damages, and in the second to
the public for an escape.
Whether a military officer who should refuse to take charge of a
prisoner committed to him by a civil magistrate would be punished
for contempt ; and, lastly, Avhether, upon a habeas corpus cum causa,
a judge of the general court would not be in duty bound to deliver
such a prisoner from his military confinement, though he had been
sent to it by a civil magistrate ?
When the civil magistrates, sir, exhibit in their public conduct a
temperate firmness and decency ; when they never presume guilt,
nor overbear an unfortunate person because he is accused ; Avhen
they ever incline to the side of mercy where they are obliged to
condemn to punishment, and when they ncA'cr strain penal laAvs,
which are most frequently directed against actions not evU in them
selves, to their utmost rigor, there is no danger of the civil au
thority groAving into contempt ; and as I hope the magistrates of
this Territory will ever be distinguished by those characteristics, I
am in no pain about freedom and political happiness.
But there is yet another way, sir, to prevent the civil authority
from being prostrated, as you seem to fear it Avill be, without the aid
of miUtary imprisonings, which, by the by, are not very congenial
to freedom and poUtical happiness. Let the sheriff be prosecuted
for every escape in cases where the pubUc is concerned. In those
respecting private property between man and man, the parties will
take care of it themselves. It may be replied, there is no officer in
this country whose duty it is to seek redress for Avrongs done the
pubUc. It is true, there is none at present ; but I am ready to ap-

¦222 The St. Clair Papers.
point an attorney for that purpose Avhenever any qualified person
appears who will take it upon him ; I can not create the attomey.
There were, hoAvever, I suppose, such things as public wrongs for'
England from the delinquencies of sheriffs before there were any
such officers as attorneys for the public, Avhose duty it is to seek re
dress of them ; and I dare say the common law found a way to
remedy them without, and to oblige the sheriff to do his duty, which
might probably be put in practice here.
I am sorry, sir, to trouble you Avith so long a letter, and can offer
no better apology for it, now that I have got near the end of it, than
you have furnished me v\'ith in the beginning of yours : " The re
spect and duty I owe the office I hold," besides which, the matter
itself has carried me on ; neither can I now close it Avithout ob
serving to you, as I did on a former occasion, that the law which
has given rise to these difficulties is all calculated to the circum
stances of this Territory, and shoidd rather be guarded by sUght
corporal punishment than a heaA'y pecuniary sanction.'

General St. Clair to Committee^ of Kentucky.
Fort Washington, June 24, 1791.
Gentlemen: — I have very great pleasure in congratulating you
1 This led to lengthy correspondence between the Judges and the Governor.
To the copy furnished him. Judge Symmes made an early reply, taking the
ground that it was laAvful to confine a prisoner of the civil law in a military
guard-house, but that the sheriff was not discharged of responsibility thereby;
nor could the military officer be held responsible for the safe-keeping of the
prisoner, nor be prosecuted in case of his escape from custody. In this letter.
Judge Symmes says that he had had a conversation with Judge Turner, and,
as they did not agree on the point, he had sent an independent letter. Judge
Turner did not reply until iu August, although repeatedly asked by the
Governor to do so. He, however, took occasion to issue a writ of habeas
corpus for the release of a military prisoner some months later, which
brought about a conflict between the civil and military authorities. The
commandant of the Port, Colonel Trueman, refused to produce the body of
the prisoner in court, in which action he was sustained by the General. The
prisoner in this case was charged with, a capital offense against the military
laAV, in that he had persuaded a soldier to desert, and provided him with the
means. The deserter had been arrested, tried and executed, and, on the
scaffold, had related the facts in a confession.
2 The committee consisted of Brigadier-General Scott, Hon. John Brown
Harry Innes, Benjamin Logan, and Isaac Shelby. Logan threw cold water
on the expeditions, but the others were zealous.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 223
upon the success of the late expedition from Kentucky, which re
flects much honor upon all who were concerned in it, and, I doubt
not, will be attended with very beneficial consequences to the pub
lic, and to that district and Territory in particular. As it Avill,
hoAvever, be some time before the general and more systematic
operations of the campaign can be put in motion, another expedition
of the same nature, it appears to me, would be still of very great
use, especially taking into consideration that the militia called out
to guard the frontiers must be discharged, as they are a very heavy
expense, and very little advantage results from them, You will
have observed, gentlemeu, that the President of the United States,
in the instructions to General Scott, Avhich are in your hands, au
thorizes another expedition, provided that the commanding officer
of the troops on the Ohio should judge the pubUc interests require
it. It is my opinion that the public interests do require it, and I
have, therefore, inclosed a direction for the same, under my hand
and seal, conformably to the tenor of the said instructions. It
Avould have given me much pleasure if I could have had a personal
intervicAV with you upon this occasion, and if I possibly can leave
¦this place within a few days, I shall yet have it. But I would not
have the business delayed in the least upon that account. And the
upper towns upon the Wabash would be the object, and this be the
proper point of departure. Whoever you are pleased to invest with
the command Avill receive his instructions here, but you will please
particularly to observe the number is limited expressly not to ex
ceed fiA'e hundred, officers included.'

Major Ferguson^ to General, St. Clair'.
Fort Washington, June 25, 1791.
Sir: — In the inclosed return of military stores, powder, lead,
paper, and thread, are wanted to complete three thousand men Avith
one hundred and thirty rounds each. Should more be required,
these articles Avill have to be augmented. I beg leaA'c to report
that the casks in which the powder Avas last sent Avere very slight,
and not properly secured ; also, the musket cartridge paper was not
of the proper sort, being too easily torn, and of course the cartridges
made of it will not bear much carriage.
1 General James Wilkinson was selected to command the second expedi
tion. " Major Ferguson commanded the artillery.

224 The St. Clair Papers.

Gen'er.'LL St. Clair to Colonel Sproat.
Fort Washington, July Qth, 1791.
Sir : — The act calling the militia for the defense of the frontier,.
has been found to be a very unavailing measure, and at the same
time it has been attended with a A'ery heavy expense. You will,
therefore, discharge all the parties that have been called out for the
defense of the county of Washington, except at Gallipolis (for
which I have already given orders), upon the 20th instant, it being
hoped that, by that time, measures Avhich will be more effectual
will begin to be in operation. Indeed, there is no doubt with me,
that the assembling the troops at this place will call the attention
of the Indians this way, and entirely relieve your settlements. But
there is nothing in this order to be construed to prevent you from
continuing either the parties that are uoav embodied, or such others
as you may think necessary, provided the expense is borne by the
people themselves ; but the United States Avill not defray any that
may be incurred on that account after that day.
You Avill please to think of the musters, and the oaths of the
officers, both of which are necessary in order to charge the United
States.

General Knox to General Butler.
Wae Department, July 12, 1791.
Sir : — Yesterday morning, at eight o'clock, I received your favor of
the 2d instant by the express James McClellan. The information of
Thomas Rhea,' whose affidavit you transmitted, was, indeed, of the
importance to justify a special express. It has been submitted to the
President of the United States, Avho Avill take it into his most serious
consideration. To quarrel and come to an open rupture with the
croAvn of Great Britain, Avould, in the present situation of this coun
try, be a A'ery serious affair, and should be avoided, if possible, con
sistently with national honor and dignity. There is a time for all
things, and it may hereafter happen that the conduct of the British
in the present case Avill ainount to a heavy charge, Avhich must be
paid Avith interest. Indeed, it is hardly to be doubted, if the facts
alleged by Rhea be true, that this instance of aid to the Indians
' ^This was to the effect that the British oificer of the post on the lake had
furnished the Indians with arms and supplies on occasion of the Harmar
expedition.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 22

ziio

will be folloAved by others, which must also be minuted doAvn, for
it can not be supposed that the aid has been dictated by the spon
taneous impulse of the commanding officer. It will be proper that
you obtain attestations of Rhea's credibUity by respectable and
known characters. It must be our duty to mind our business and
accomplish the objects ofthe campaign, Avhich, if as successful as all
things promise, Avill give a new aspect to the security of the fron
tiers. Captain Phelon, Avith about two hundred men, mostly regu
lars, is at Reading, and will moA'C on steadily to join you.'
Continue to forward the troops, Avith all possible dispatch, to
headquarters. I presume you have communicated Rhea's informa
tion to Major-General St. Clair, to whom I pray you to send also a
copy of this letter.
I shall write you more particularly by the post on the 14th in
stant.

General St. Clair to Hon. John Brown.''
Fort Washington, July 18, 1791.
Sir : — I have been honored with your letter of the 14tli instant,
and I assure you it gives me pleasure to learn that no injury to your
health has followed from your excursion, for, from the nature of the
service -you were employed on, you must have been exposed to
fatigues and hardships ; and I do not remember to have seen so
great a quantity of rain fall in an equal time at that season of the
year, which gave me great uneasiness for you all.
General Scott has communicated to me the measures that have
been taken by the Board for the second expedition. I have no doubt
of their exertions, and am happy to find that they are so happily
seconded by the inclination of the people. I hope and trust it will
be equally successful with the former, notwithstanding the numbers
to be employed upon it are less.
General Wilkinson has Avritten to me upon that subject, and in
formed me that three supernumerary companies have been added,
and desires my concurrence. It would not be wanting to any thing
that promised greater certainty of success if I had the power, but I
am for every thing of the kind after the first limited to a number
not exceeding five hundred, non-commissioned officers included.
' But Captain Phelon did not march as expected — none of the recruits did
— and when he did, he was instructed to take Carlisle in his way.
^Mr. Brown accompanied the expedition of General Scott as a volunteer.
VOL. II — 15

226 The St. aair Papers.
It is, therefore, impossible for me directly to approve of the meas
ure, but I have written to him that I will not disapprove of it, and
that I will make as effectual representations as I possibly can, that
it may meet Avith the afiprobation of the President.
It Avas necessary that the frontier guards should be dismissed, not
only because they had been found in most instances to be ineffec
tual, but the county settlements had not made a very discreet use
of the poAvers they were invested with, as to numbers, and they were
a heavy expense without a corresponding benefi.t. But, as you well
know, sir, there is a certain sum of money appropriated for a great
variety of objects, and all the expenses of the campaign of every
kind into which they cut very deep.
They have Been discharged in the upper country, both in Vir
ginia and Pennsylvania, and in this Territory the same parts of it
are much exposed, particularly at Muskingum, Avhere they have
suffered greatly; nevertheless, at General Scott's instance, on the
part of the Board, I have consented that forty men should be con
tinued for some little time longer, of which he will give you more
particular information; fori Avish not only that the people should
be protected, but even that their apprehension should be quieted.
It seems to be his opinion that the guards at the iron-works and at
the Big-Bone Lick, where salt-works are erecting, should be con
tinued. I have no doubt that both of those establishments Avill be very
useful to the district, and probably of great emolument to the
proprietors, but they certainly are not public objects, and I can con
ceive no reason Avhy the public should protect the speculations of
individuals ; at any rate, Avhere the advantages of them could only
be local, the burden should be local also.
I am very happy that Governor Blount has succeeded with the
Cherokees. That Avill give great relief to Kentucky in a quarter
where it was much exposed ; and I shall be very much obliged to
you for a copy of the treaty.

General St. Clair to Brigadier-General Scott.
Fort Washington, July 19, 1791.
Sir: — In consideration of the representations you have been
pleased to make this day, as well on the part of the people of
the District of Kentucky as of yourself, the Hon. Harry Innes,
the Hon. John Brown, Benjamin Logan, and Isaac Shelby, Esq.,
I have consented, and I do hereby consent, in virtue of the power

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 227
vested in me by the President ofthe United States, that the militia
guard stationed at the Big-Bone Lick, in the District of Kentucky,
be continued at the expense of the United States, as to pay and ra
tions, agreeably to the instructions of the Secretary of the War De
partment to the County Lieutenant, of the 10th of March last ; to
continue untd the 15th August next,' provided the said guard shall
not exceed the number of forty, non-commissioned officers included.

General St. Clair to General Wllkinson.
[Instructions.] j„;^ gj^^^ jygj^
Sir .-—By virtue of the powers vested in me by the President of
the United States,. I have authorized a second expedition against the
Indians of the Wabash, to be made with mounted volunteers from
the District of Kentucky. Brigadier-General Scott, the Hon. John
Brown, and others, were duly empowered to appoint the officers to
command it, and it gives me pleasure that their choice has fallen
upon you.
The principal object of the expedition AviU be the Indian village,
sometimes known by the name of Kikiah, situated near the junction
of the L'Anguile or Eel River with the Wabasli, about three miles up
the L'Anguile, Avhich comes in on the north side of the Wabash, about
thirty-eight leagues above Ouiatannon. You are to proceed to that
toAvn and assault the same and the Indians therein, either by sur
prise, or otherwise, as the nature of the circumstances may admit,
saving all who cease to resist, and capturing as many as possible,
particularly Avomen and children.
And, on this point, it is the positive orders of the President of the
LTnited States, that all such captives be treated with kindness, and
that they be carried and delivered to the commanding officers of
some post of the United States upon the Ohio.
Whether the assault upon the said town at L'Anguile should suc
ceed or fail, you will proceed to such other Indian tOAvns or villages
upon the Wabash or in the prairies, to the destruction of which you
shall judge your force adequate. Of these there are several higher
up the river, and none of them considerable. The first is at the
Calumet River, about ten or twelve miles distant from Kikiah, and
on the south side ; after that is the Mississinewa,  miles further
' The directions for discharging the whole of the militia guard on the said
district, on the 15th, notwithstanding. — Note by St. Clair.

228 The St. Clair Papers.
up. Formerly it contained a considerable population, but at present
it is believed is much reduced. Some iniles further up are the
forks of the Wabash. In going to the Miami village, the north
fork is used, and at the junction of those branches there was for
merly an inconsiderable village, but Avhether it is uoav inhabited or
not is not knoAvn. From thence it is from twenty-four to thirty-six
miles to the Miami carrying place, Avhich is about ten miles over,
and you are at the JMiami towns. To the Avestward and northAvard
of L'Anguile lies the Kickapoo town, on the prairie, distant about
sixty miles.
After having effected by surprise, rapid marches and attacks, all
the injury to the Indian enemy to Avhich your force shall be equal,
the said mounted volunteers Avill return by Post St. Vincennes to
the Rapids of the Ohio, Avhere the troojis of the said expedition
will be again mustered by an officer of the regular army, in the
same manner as when the troops of the said expedition commenced
their march from the Ohio. Without limiting or imjjeding the ef
fectual operations Avhich may be found practicable, it is presumed
that the mounted volunteers may be employed north-west of the
Ohio for a period averaging from tAventy to thirty days. This in
terval, however, is to be understood not to prevent the execution
of the considerable object, should it require an extension of time.
The corps of mounted volunteers, being left entirely free from
any restrictions in the manner of its execution of the objects pro
posed, its reputation and the reputation of all concerned will be
involved in its being perfectly conducted, and in its ultimate suc
cess. Should the success attend you at L'Anguile which I Avish and
hoise, you may find yourself equal to the attacking the Kickapoo
town, situated iu the prairie not far from Sangamon River, Avhich
empties itself into the Illinois. By information, that town is not
distant from L'Anguile more than three easy days' marches. A
visit at that place will be totally unexpected, and most probably at
tended with decided good consequences ; neither will it be hazard
ous, for the men, at this season, are generally out hunting beyond
the line of the Illinois country. Should it seem feasible from cir
cumstances, I recommend the attempt in preference to the toAvns
higher up the Wabash, and success there would be followed by great
eclat. The route by which you ought to return, it is not so easy to
point out, because it depends upon a knowledge of the country,
which I do not possess ; but, it appears to me it would be most ad
visable to return by Ouiatannon, from which the distance is not so

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 229
great as from L'Anguile. It is pretty certain that the Indians Avho
inhabited that village have removed to the neighborhood of Fort
Knox, and placed themselves under the protection of the United
States, so you would probably meet no opposition from them. From
thence to the Rapids of Ohio the route is well knoAvn. Between
L'Anguile and the Kickapoo toAvn you would meet with two or three
branches of the Sangamon, but all of them of no considerable depth ;
there are three, certainly, between that place aud Ouiatannon.
In a direct line, I reckon the distance from Fort Washington to
L'Anguile to be about one hundred miles, and the course nearly
north fifty-five Avest ; but, should you take a course pointing directly
to the Miami village, which I should think most advisable in order
to deceive the enemy Avith respect to your destination (for your
march Avill most probably be discovered) , and pursue that for sixty
or seventy miles, and then turn offin a direction about north toward
Avest, or a little more westerly, it Avould prevent discoA'ery Avhich
would ruin the object, and not increase your march over forty miles ;
besides, it Avould probably carry you along the dividing ridges be
tween the Wabash and the Avaters of those rivers Avhich discharge
themseh'es iuto tlie Ohio higher up ; but these matters are merely
hints for your information, to be made use of as you find them ap
plicable, from a comparison Avith your own observation and the
actual circumstances in Avhich you may find yourself.
To you, sir, I knoAV I have no occasion to recommend cleinency,
but am under the express command of the President of the United
States. The luster that is shed upon success by generosity, and
the reputation that accrues to a country from a temperate use of
victory, is clearly understood and appreciated by you, to Avhom
nothing could be more contrary to your own natural disposL
tion than an act bordering upon inhumanity. I beg you, sir,
to oblige the people under your command to^ refrain from scalping
the dead. It is an act which, though it does no injury to the dead
carcass, debases the persons Avho commit it. Should they be dis
posed to it, you have a poAverful argument to adduce from the ex
araple set in the former expedition, and the very general approbation
it has met with. Wishing you every possible success, both from
motives of public interest and private frieudship, I have the
honor, etc.

230 The St. Clair Papers.

General St. Clair to Israel Ludlow.
Fort Washington, August Qth, 1791.
/Sir; — You will please to inform me whether you have received
any instructions from the contractors to provide for the transporta
tion of the provisions for the campaign ; and, if you have received
any, let me know specifically what they are.'

General Knox to General Butler.
War Departiwent, llth August, 1791.
Sir : — I have received your letter of the 4th instant.
It is considered by the President of the United States as an un
happy omen that all the troops of the campaign had not descended
the Ohio at the time you wrote.
No retardment of the essential objects of the campaign should be
permitted under the idea of defensive protection of the frontiers
against a few straggling Indians. The counties are sufficiently
strong for that purpose. If you should, therefore, be still at Fort
Pitt, it is the decided orders of the President of the United States
that you repair to headquarters with all possible dispatch, together
with alt the troops, officers and stores destined for the campaign.
It has been constantly intimated that Captain Phelon Avas the
rear of the troops for the campaign, and that no dependence would
be placed on those who should arrive after him.
If there should be any deficiencies, the commanding General has
authority for supplying them.
Captain Newman will not be at Fort Pitt in less than fifteen days
from the present time ; and Captain Buell in not less than one
month, as he only marches from Brunswick this day. Colonel
Gibson, therefore, can not have any object at Fort Pitt, and he
must instantly repair to headquarters.
Any levies raised by Captain Falkner, or any other person, after
the present moment, Avill not be of any service, and are, therefore,
to be suspended. I send a commission for Doctor Brown.
The same sort of defensive protection is to be permitted for Mari-
' The reply Avas as follows :
^'Sir : — In answer to yours of this morning, I inform you that no instruc
tion has been received from the contractor by me, directing the means for
transporting the supplies of the army on the intended expedition."

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 231
etta and Gallipolis, in proportion to their numbers, as the other ex
posed places.

General St. Clair to Colonel John Campbell.
Lexington, August 21, 1791.
Sir .-—Yesterday your letter of the 3d instant was handed to me
on my Avay to this place. It is true that there are some Indians
who have settled in the neighborhood of St. Vincennes; but Avhy
the people of your country should be alarmed at it I caunot imag
ine ; and they are very much mistaken in supposing that it has pro
duced any alarm among the inhabitants of that place. Those
Indians have withdraAvn themselves from those Avho are at war Avith
us; have put themseh'es under the protection of the United States;
and have been promised that protection so long as they behave them
selves peaceably. Of course, they are not to be molested. The vol
unteer expedition proposed, therefore, can not be permitted ; on the
contrary, it is expressly forbidden. At the same time, I feel my
self obliged to the gentlemen you mention for their Avillingness to
engage in this business, the circumstances of Avhich, I suppose, they
were unacquainted with. I have written to Captain Shannon, but,
lest any accident should happen to the letter, I beg you to inform
him that he must not think of attempting anything in that quarter.'

General St. Clair to County Lieutenants.
Danville, August 2M, 1791.
Sir: — Some aid from the district of Kentucky Avill probably be
wanted on the intended campaign, and as this country in particular
is very much interested in the issue, I should be glad could it be ob
tained in the most efficient, and, at the same time, the easiest man
ner possible. To that end, I have thought it would be proper to
have a consultation with the Lieutenants of the different counties,
aud I have to request the favor of your coming to Lexington on the
second day of next month, when I shall have the pleasure to meet
you for that purpose.
'Colonel Campbell was at the Eapids ofthe Ohio, and proposed an expedi
tion against the Indians in the vicinity of Vincennes.

282 The St. Clair Papers.
General Knox to General St. Clair.
War Department, August 25, 1791.
Sir: — I inclose you a copy of my letter to you of the 18th inst.,
and of one to General Butler of the same date, and also of mine to
him of this date.
The President of the United States laments exceedingly the un
fortunate detention of the troops on the upper jiart of the Ohio, for
Avhich no reasons sufficiently strong have been assigned. This de
tention will undoubtedly retard the commencement of the opera
tions, and Avill require the highest exertions to accomplish the ob
jects of the campaign.
The President reiterates his confidence in your activity, and that
every thing will be put in motion on the arrival of the rear of your
troops under Major-General Butler.
The Quartermaster Avill give vou horses for the artillery and bag
gage, and if you require more than he has provided you must obtain
them. I have repeatedly written to you that if the contractor's arrange
ments, either in his supplies of provisions or the transportation of
them, should be deficient, that such deficiency must be supplied by
your orders, and the contractor be made answerable. The public
service can not be retarded or injured by any deficiencies in that line.
I have also Avritten you several times relative to any deficiency of
troops in order that you might make such reasonable arrangements
for the sujDj ilying of such deficiency as you should think proper, all
of which has, no doubt, been done, on your part.

General Knox to General Butler.
War Department, Aug. 25, 1791.
Sir : — I have received your letter of the 10th inst. , Avhich has been
submitted to the President of the United States.
I am commanded by him to inform you that he is by no means
satisfied Avith the long detention of the troops on the upper part of
the Ohio, which he considers as unnecessary and improper. And
that it is his opinion, unless the highest exertions be made by all parts
ofthe army to repair tlie loss ofthe season, that the expenses Avhich
have been made for the campaign Avill be altogether lost, and that
the measures from which so much has been expected Avill issue in
disgrace.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc.

General St. Clair to General Knox.
Danville, Ky., Aug. 23, 1791.
Sir: — This moment on my return from a consultation Avith Mr.
Brown and Mr. Innes, of which I gave you a particular account
from Lexington, an express arrived to General Scott, with letters
from General Wilkinson. He has been completely successful at
L'Anguille — surprised it — and has killed and taken forty-two. Par
ticulars are not mentioned, saving, only, that circumstances pre
vented his prosecuting the enterprise against the Kickapoo toAvn in
the prairie, but that he had destroyed one of their villages of thirty
houses, and had but two men kUled and one wounded. I left Fort
Washington on the 18th, and shall set out on my return to-morrow.

General Wilkinson to General St. Clair.
Frankfort on Kentucky, August 24th, 1791.
Sir: — Having carried into complete effect the enterprise Avhich
you Avere pleased to direct against L'AnguUle, and having done the
savages every other damage on the Wabash to Avhich I conceived
my force adequate, I embrace the first moment's recess from active
duty to detail to your Excellency the operations of the expedition
intrusted to my conduct.
I left the neighborhood of Fort Washington on the 1st instant at
one o'clock, and, agreeably to my original plan, feinted boldly at the
Miami villages, by the most direct course the nature of the ground
over which I had to march would permit. I persevered in this plan
until the morning of the 4th instant, and thereby avoided the hunt-
ing-o-round of the enemy, aqd the paths Avhich led directly from
White River to the Wabash, leaving the head-waters of the first to
mv left. I then being about seventy-miles advanced of Fort Wash
ington, turned north-west. I made no discovery until the 5th, about
nine o'clock A. M., when I crossed three much-frequented paths,
v.'ithin tAVO miles of each other, and all bearing east of north. My
Tuides were urgent for me to foUow these paths, which betrayed
their ignorance of the country, and convinced me I had to depend
on my judgment only. In the afternoon of that day, I had to
cross a deep bog, which injured several of my horses exceedingly ;
and a feAv miles beyond I struck a path bearing north by west,
marked by the recent footsteps of five or six savages. My guides re-

234 The St. Clair Papers.
newed their application to me to folloAV this path, but I pursued my
course, whieh had been nortii to west since 2 o'clock. I had not got
clear of my encampment, next morning, before my advance reported
an impassable bog in my front, extending several miles on either
hand, and the guides asserted that the Avhole country to the Wa
bash Avas cut by such bogs, and that it.Avould be impossible for me
to proceed unless I foUoAved the Indian paths, Avhich avoided these
bogs, or led through them at places Avhere they Avere least difficult.
Although I paid very little regard to this information, as delay was
dangerous and every thing depended upon the preserA'ation of my
horses, I determined to turn to the right, and fell into the path I
had passed the evening before, Avhich A'aried in its course from north
by Avest to north-east. The country had uoav become pond}' in ev
ery direction. I, tlierefore, resolved to pursue this path until noon,
in the hope that it Avould conduct me to better grounds, or to some
devious trace Avhich might lead to the object sought.
At 7 o'clock I crossed an east branch of Calumet River, about
forty j'ards Avide, and about noon my advance guard fired on a small
l^arty of Avarriors, and took a prisoner ; the rest ran off to the east-
Avard. I halted about a mile beyond the spot Avhere this affair hap
pened, and, on examining the prisoner, found him to be a Delaware,
living near the site of the late Miami village, Avhich, he informed
me, Avas about thirty miles distant. I immediately retrograded four
miles, and filed off by the right, over some rising ground Avhich I had
observed between the east branch of the Calumet River and a creek
four or five miles in advance of it taking my course north to west.
This measure, fortunately, extricated me from the bogs and ponds,
and soon placed me on firm ground. Late in the afternoon, I crossed
one path running from north to south, and shortly after fell into an
other, varying from north-west by Avest. I pursued this two miles,
when I encamped, but finding it still inclined northward, I deter
mined to abandon it in the morning. I resumed my march on the
Gth, at 4 o'clock, the Calumet being to the westward of me. I was
fearful I should strike the Wabash too high up, and perhaps fall in
with the small town which you mentioned to me at the mouth of
the former river. I therefore steered a due Avest course, and at 6
o'clock A. M. crossed a road much used both by horse and foot, bear
ing due north. I uoav knew I Avas near a ShaAvanese village, generally
supposed to be on the waters of White RiA'er, but actually on those
of the Calumet, and Avas sensible that every thing depended on the
celerity and silence of my movements, as my real object had become
manifest. I therefore pushed my march vigorously, leaving an offi-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 235
cer and tAventy men in ambush to watch the road, in order to inter
cept or beat off any part of the enemy Avhich might be casually
passing that Avay, and thereby prevent, as long as possible the dis
covery of my real intentions.
At 8 o'clock I recrossed Calumet River, now eighty yards Avide,
and running down NNW., and, pursuing my course, I crossed one
path near the western bank of the river, taking the same course,
and at six miles another, bearing to the north-east. I Avas now sen
sible, from my reckoning, compared with my own observations dur
ing the late expedition under General Scott, and the information re
ceived from your Excellency and others, that I could not be very
distant from L'Anguille. The party left at the road soon fell in
with four warriors encamped half a mile from the right of my line
of march, killed one, and drove off the others to the northward.
My situation had now become extremely critical, the Avhole country
in the north being in alarm, Avhich made me greatly anxious to con
tinue my march during the night ; but I had no path to direct me,
and it Avas impossible to keep my course, or for horsemen to march
through a thick swampy country in utter darkness. I quitted my
camp on the 7th, as soon as I could see my Avay, crossed one path
at three miles distance, bearing north-east, and at seven miles I fell
into another, very much used, bearing north-west by north, Avhich
I at once adopted as the direct route to my object, and pushed for
ward with the utmost dispatch. I halted at twelve o'clock to refresh
the horses and examine the men's arms and ammunition ; marched
again at half after one, and at fifteen minutes before five I struck the
Wabash at one and a-half leagues above the , mouth of Eel River,
being the very spot for which I had aimed from the commencement
of my march. I crossed the river and followed the path a north by
east course ; at the distance of two and a half miles my reconnoiter
ing party announced Eel River in front, and the town on the oppo
site bank. I dismounted, ran forAvard, and examined the situation
of the town as far as was practicable Avithout exposing myself; but
the whole face of the country, from the Wabash to the margin of
the Eel River being a continued thicket of brambles, black-jacks,
Aveeds, and shrubs of different kinds, it was impossible for me to get
a satisfactory view Avithout endangering a discovery. I immediately
determined to post two companies near the bank of the river oppo
site to the town, and above the ground I then occupied, to make a
detour Avith Major CaldAvell and the Second BattaUon, until I fell
into the Miami trace, and by that route to cross the river above and
o-ain the rear of the town, and to leave directions with Major Mc-

236 The St. Clair Papers.
DoweU, Avho commanded the First Battalion, to lie jierdu until I
commenced the attack, then to dash through the river Avith his
corps, and the advance guard, aud assault the houses in front aud
ujjon the left. In the moment I Avas about to put this arrangement
into execution, Avord Avas brought me that the enemy had taken the
alarm and were flying. I instantly ordered a general charge, Avhich
Avas obeyed Avitli ahicrity, the men forcing their way over every ob
stacle, plunged iuto the river Avith vast intrepidity. The enemy
was unable to make the smallest resistance. Six warriors, in the
hun-y of the charge, and tAvo squaws and a child Avere killed ; thirty-
four jii'isoners Avere taken, and an unfortunate captive released,
Avith the loss of two men killed and one wounded. I found their
toAvn scattered along the Eel River for full three miles, on an une-
A'en, scrubby oak barren, intersected alternately liy bogs almost im-
jiassable, and impervious thickets of plum-hazel and black-jacks.
NotAvithstanding these difficulties, if I may credit the report of the
prisoners, very few Avho Avere in toAvn escaped ; expecting a second
expedition, their goods were generally packed up or buried. Sixty
Avarriors had crossed the Wabash to Avatch the paths leading from
the Ohio.
The head chief, Avith all the prisoners and a number of families,
was out digging a root Avhich they substitute in the place of the
potato, and about one hour before my arrival all the Avarriors ex
cept eight had mounted their horses and rode up the river to a
French store to purchase ammunition. This ammunition had ar
rived from tlie Miami village that very day, and the squaAvs in-
informed me, Avas stored about two miles from the town. I detached
I\Iajor CaldAvoU in quest of it, but he failed to raake any discovery,
although he scoured the country for seven or eight miles up the
river. I encamped in the toAvn that night, and the next morning I
cut up the corn, scarcely in the milk, burnt the cabins, mounted
my young Avarriors, squaAvs and children in the best manner in my
power, and leaving two infirm squaws and a chUd, Avith a short
talk, I commenced my march for the Kickapoo town in the prairie.
I felt my prisoners a A'ast incumbrance, but I Avas not in force to
justify a detachment, having barely five huudred and tAventy-three
rank and file, and being then in the bosom of theOuitanon country,
one hundred and eighty miles removed from succor, and not more
than one and a half days' march from the PottaAvatamies, ShaAvan
ese and DelaAvares.
Not being able to discover any path in the direct course to the
Kickapoo town, I marched to the road heading to Tippecanoe, iu

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 237
the hope of finding some diverging trace whicii might favor my de
sign. I encamped that evening about six miles from Kenpacomaqqa,
the Indian uame for the toAvn I had destroyed, and marched next
morning at four o'clock. My course continued Avest until nine
o'clock, Avhen I turned to the north-west on a small hunting path, and
at a short distance I marched into the boundless prairies of the West,
with the intention to pursue that course until I should strike a road
Avhich heads fi:om the Patawatimas, of Lake Michigan, immediately
to the toAvn I sought. With this vicAv I pushed forAvard, through
bog after bog, to the saddle-skirts in mud and Avater, and, after per
severing for eight hours, I found myself euA'ironed on all sides with
morasses, which forbade my advancing, and at the same time ren
dering it difficult for me to extricate my little army.
The way by Avhich Ave had entered Avas so much beat and softened
by the horses that it was almost impossible to return by that route,
and my guide pronounced the morass in front impassable. A chain
of thin groves extended in the direction of the Wabash at this time
presented to my left, it Avas necessary I should gain those groves,
and, for this purpose, I dismounted, Avent forAvard, and, leading my
horse through a bog to the armpits, in mud and Avater, with great
difficulty and fatigue I accomplished my object, aud, changing my
course to south by Avest, I regained the Tippecanoe road at five
o'clock, and encamped on it at seven o'clock, after a march of thirty
miles, Avhich broke down several of my horses.
I am the more, minute in detailing the occurrences of this day, be
cause they produced the most unfaA'orable effects. I was in motion
at four next morning, and at eight o'clock, my advanced guard made
some discoveries Avhich induced r^e to believe we Avere near an In
dian village. I immediately pushed that body forAvard in a trot,
and folloAved with Major CaldAvell and the Second Battalion, leav
ing Major McDowell /to take charge of the prisoners. I reached
Tippecanoe at tAvelve o'clock, which had been occupied by the en
emy, who had watched my motions and abandoned the place that
morning. After the destruction of this toAvn, in June last, the en
emy had returned and cultivated their corn and pulse, Avhich I found
in high perfection, and in much greater quantity than atL'AnguiUe.
To refresh my horses, and give time to cut down the corn, I deter
mined to halt until the next morning, and then to resume my march
to the Kickapoo town in the prairie, by the road Avhich leads from
Ouiattanor to that place. In the course of the Avay, I had discovered
some murmurings and discontent among the men, which I found,
on inquiry, to proceed from their reluctance to advance further into

238 The St. Clair Papers.
the enemy's country. This induced me to call for a state of the
horses and provisions, Avhen, to my great mortification, two hundred
and seventy horses Avere turned lame and tired, with barely five
days' provisions for the men.
Under these circumstances, I was compelled to abandon my designs
upon the Kickapoos of the prairies, and with a degree of anguish
not to be comprehended but by those Avho have experienced simUar
disappointments, I marched forAvard to a toAvn of the same nation,
situated about three leagues west of Ouiattanor. As I advanced to
that toAvn, the enemy made some shoAV of fighting me, but vanished
at my approach. I destroyed this towu, consisting of thirty houses,
Avith a considerable quantity of corn in the milk, and the same day
I moved on to Ouiattanor, where I forded the Wabash, and pro
ceeded to the site of the villages on (he margin of the prairie,
Avhere I encamped at seven o'clock. At this tOAvn and the villages
destroyed by General Scott in June, we found the corn had been re
planted, and Avas uoav in high cultivation, several fields being well
ploAved, all of which Ave destroyed. On the 12th, I resumed my
march, and, falling into General Scott's return trace, I arrived, Avith
out any material incident, at the Rapids of the Ohio on the 21st in
stant, after a march, by accurate compilation, of four hundred and
fifty-one miles from Fort Washington.
The volunteers of Kentucky have, on this occasion, acquitted
themselves with their usual good conduct, but as no opportunity
offered for individual distinction, it would be unjust to give one
tlie plaudits to which all have an equal title. I can not, however,
in propriety, forbear to express my Avarm approbation of the good
conduct of my majors, McDowell and Caldwell, and of Colonel Rus
sell, Avho, in the character of a volunteer Avithout commission, led
my advance, and I feel myself under obligations to Major Adair
aud Captain Parker, Avho acted immediately about my person, for
the services they rendered me, by the most prompt, active, and en
ergetic exertions.
The services which I have been able to render fall short of my
wishes, my intention, and expectation ; but, sir, Avhen you reflect
on the causes which checked my career and blasted my designs, I
flatter myself you Avill believe every thing has been done which
could be done in my circumstances. I have destroyed the chief
town ofthe Ouiattanon nation, and made prisoners the sons and sis
ters of the king. I have burnt a respectable Kickapoo village, and
cut down at least 430 acres of corn, chiefly in the milk. The Ouiat-
tanons,left without houses, homes, or proA'isions, must cease to Avar,

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 239
and wUl find active employ to subsist their squaws and chUdren
during the impending Avinter.
Should the services secure to the country I immediately repre
sented, and the corps which I had the honor to command, the favor
able consideration of the government, I shall infer the approbation
of my OAvn conduct, which, added to the consciousness of my hav
ing done my duty, avIU constitute the richest reward I can enjoy.
Mr. Charles Vancouvre Avill have the honor to deliver this letter
to your Excellency, who attended me as quartermaster to the expe
dition, and rendered me important services. He is able to give you
a satisfactory idea of the situation of the country over which I
passed, and can ascertain with precision the course and distance to
any point of my route. I recommend him to you as a gentleman
of worth.'

General St. Clair to Major Hamtramck. August 30, 1791.
Sir : — As soon as the surveyor returns from the Miami RiA'er, and
has reported to you that the route from the camp to the banks of
that river is laid out, you will move with the troops under your
command to a situation on or near its banks by either of the two
lines Mr. Gano Avill have marked, which, upon a conference with
him, you shall judge the best. A road must be opened as you ad
vance, for the passage of the artillery, and as soon as the artillery
horses arrive, two pieces will be sent forAvard to you. You will
please to choose a defensible position, and such as may admit the
troops, which are uoav here under command of Colonel Darke, con
sisting of about three hundred men.
Major Ferguson has orders to mark out the ground for a small
fort, to be inclosed with pickets, in doing which you will afford him
such assistance as he shall require ; and as soon after as may be,
you will employ all the men that can possibly be spared for that
purpose, in cutting doAvn pickets, pointing them, aud carrying to
the place Avhere they are to be put up, agreeably to such directions
as Major Ferguson may give. The Avork Avill require about twelve
hundred pickets. It is my idea that the best way to get it soon
finished is to give the men an easy task for the day, and Avhen they
have performed it, that they should be dismissed. I suppose three

1 The orthography of names of villages, streams, and Indians, as found in
the MS., has lieen followed.

240 The St. Clair Papers.
men will very easily cut doAvn, butt, and point five pickets, and that
seven more (six of Avhom Avith handspikes) Avill carry them to the
ground. If the Avorking parties, then, are divided into squads of
ten men, in every one of Avhich there should be three good axe men,
and furnished with poles of the exact length the pickets are to be
cut to, and a sufficient number of officers and non-commissioned of-
cers to oversee them, the business Avould be very soon completed,
and I take the liberty to recommend this method. These directions,
should Colonel Darke join you before my return, you Avill please
to put into his hands, as he avIU of course take the command.
The assistant quartermaster has orders for the transportation of
the tents.

General Knox to the President.
[Extract.] War Office, September 16, 1791.
Yesterday afternoon I received a letter from General St. Clair of
the Sth of August, referring to one of the 3d of the same month
by Captain Mills, Avhich I have not yet received.
He complains that neither General Butler nor the quartermaster
had joined him, although it would seem that a great part of his
force had.
He also complains that the contractor's agent had not at that pe
riod authority to procure the horses to transport the provisions, and
that he had directed a former order of his own for the purchase of
eight hundred horses to be carried into execution.
He mentions that, upon reconsideration, he shall take tents;
that he shall not be able to move forward with the Avhole army until
the 1st of September, but that he should move Avitli the troops he
had, the next day, about six miles in advance, and there wait for
General Butler.

General St. Clair to General Knox.
Fort Washington, September 18, 1791.
Sir: — On the 18th, I had the honor to advise you of the arri
val of General Butler and the last of the troops I had reason to
expect for the campaign, and that I had heard of Captain Buel's
arrival, and to inclose the last monthly return. The militia from
Kentucky are expected on the 25th. It is probable that I shaU
move from the camp on the Great Miami on or before that day, and

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 241
tbey will follow, but I doubt I have been too sanguine in my calcu
lation of the time necessary for erecting the fort there, but as soon
as it is inclosed, and the shell of the houses up, the garrison will be
able to complete it for themselves before winter. The commissary
has got forward to that place about one hundred thousand rations,
and the quartermaster informs me that he expects to move from
hence every thing immediately necessary in his department by the
21st, and the court of inquiry will probably be over about the same
time, so that I do not uoav see any thing that is likely to impede us
any further. I have given you, sir, this short vicAV of our present
expectations for your satisfaction, because this letter, Avhich goes by
a light canoe of the contractor's to Pittsburgh, may possibly get to
hand before that of the 18th,' Avhere they are detailed more at large,
to assure you once more that every possible exertion shall be made
to bring the campaign to a speedy and happy issue.

General Knox to the President.
War Department, September 24, 1791.
Sir : — I have the honor to inform you that, since my last, I have
received several letters from Major-General St. Clair, up to the 29th
of the last month. He complains heavily that neither General
Butler nor the quartermaster had joined him, and seems to be ap
prehensive that the state of the river Avould prevent their arrival
altogether. Under this impression, he has called upon the county lieutenants
to meet him the 3d of September, in order to obtain from them as
many militia as he might require. He Avas induced to this measure
from the adA'ice of Judge Innes, and others, in order to persuade
the lieutenants, to a measure, Avhich it seems they would enter Avith
an order from the Go\:ernor of Virginia, Avhich they had not re
ceiA'ed. I Avrote to the Governor of Virginia, by your authority, on
the 15th of July, requesting him to instruct the county lieutenants
of Kentucky that, in case General St. Clair should call for militia,
that there should be no obstruction. He answered on the 4th of
August, " that he had embraced the first opportunity to instruct
General Scott to use every exertion to insure them of ample com-

1 Evidently an error in date. The letter referred to never reached its
destination. See letter of General Knox to St. Clair, October 13th, p. 247.
Vol. 11—16.

242 The St. Clair Papers.
pliance with the requisition of the general of the Federal troops for
militia." But I flatter myself that he will not think proper to require any
militia, excepting, perhaps, tAVO or three hundred mounted volun
teers. As it Avill appear, from the inclosed statement of troops
taken from the muster-rolls, that, deducting for sick and desertions,
he AvUl have, on the 10th of this month, above two thousand effect
ives, regulars and levies, besides making an allowance of nearly four
huudred for non-effectives.
The horses for the quartermaster's department for transporting
the provisions and for the artillery, were provided, and the artillery
and ammunition for the infantry were in readiness, and the troops
which had assembled on the 15th of August, had, on that day,
moved forward to the crossing of the Miami, and reached the first
post of communication. General St. Clair is apprehensive that
what General Butler calls his last detachment will not arrive in sea
son, but that he shall not Avait for it. If the enemy means to make
proposals for peace, it is not likely to happen until the army is in
motion. I believe they Avill give us credit for uumbers sufficient to
the end.
It may be fairly concluded, that, as every thing was in readiness
but the rear guard, that General St. Clair Avould move to the first
post of communication without it, about thirty-five miles, and that
General Butler would join him there about the 12th instant.
P. S.' — I have omitted to state that General St. Clair mentions it
as his opinion, that the tAvo successful volunteer expeditions will en
tirely detach the Wabash Indians from the hostile Indians, and that
three hundred of them, men, women, and children, had put them
selves under the protection of the United States, not far from Post
Vincennes.

General Knox to General. St. Claie.
War Department, September 29, 1791.
Sir : — I have received from Brigadier-General Wilkinson a copy
of his report to you relative to his expedition against L'Anguille.
As his conduct and services on this occasion merit public thanks,
I have transmitted him a letter, of Avhich the following is an extract:
" I have, by this day's post, instructed Major-General St. Clair —
if he had not already performed that pleasing duty — to thank you,
in the name of the President of the United States, for the zeal, per
severance and good conduct manifested by you in the command of

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 243
the expedition, and for the humanity observed towards the prison
ers whom you captured. And, also, to thank the officers and pri
vates of the volunteers for their activity and bravery while under
your command ; and to express his hope that you and they may
enjoy in future entire peace as a reward for your services."
If you should not have previously thanked him, you will please
do it according to the ideas expressed to him.

General Knox to the President.
War Department, October 1, 1791.
Sir : — Yesterday I received a letter from General St. Clair, dated
at Lexington, in Kentucky, the 4th ultimo. He had repaired to
that place in order to meet the county lieutenants of the district, for
the purpose of obtaining such a number of militia as he judged
would be necessary to enable the army to accomplish the objects
which had been directed. He agreed with the county lieutenants
that eleven hundred and fifty non-commissioned and privates should
be drafted, although he says he neither expects nor desires more
than seven hundred and fifty. They are to be at Fort Washington
on the 25th ultimo. He, upon a full consideration and consultation
with the county lieutenants, decided that the militia to be called out
should not be volunteers, but to act as infantry, and to serve for
three months if necessary. The county lieutenants were unanimous
and cordial in their promises.
In the meantime, he had ordered the first division of the troops,
already assembled at or near Fort Washington, to move to the
Miami River on the 2d ultimo, about thirty-five miles from Fort
Washington, and Colonel Darke, with the second division, to follow
as soon as possible. This would be the first post of communication,
and as soon as it should be finished, Avhich he expects will be in ten
days' after its commencement, he Avould move forward to establish
a second post, and there he shall expect to be joined by General
Butler and the mUitia from Kentucky. He seems to think it im
prudent to move farther than a second until his whole force should
be collected. He supposes, from his information, that it is possible
to assemble twelve or fifteen hundred hostUe Indians, but that they
can not subsist long together, as the country is very far from being
stocked with game.
I am persuaded that General Butler must have joined with the
rear about the 12th ultimo.

244 The St. Clair Papers.
General St. Clair says : "I beg you to assure the President that
nothing can exceed the anxiety I feel to have the operations of the
campaign begun, and it is a' point on which, for some time past, I
have been uneasy to a great degree ; to forward the preparations,
nothing has been left undone, early and late, with the few men
under my command."
Indeed, judging from the very full communications of General St.
Clair, Avhich I have forborne troubling you Avith at present in the
detail, it Avould appear that he has exerted himself in the highest
degree.' The distance of the second jaost avIU be probably about
seventy miles from Fort Washington, and about fifty miles from the
Miami village. He avIU have all the regular force before he leaves
his first post of communication, and it Avill probably be superior to
all possible combinations Avhich maj be brought against him. But,
although his regular force may appear to be sufficient at this dis
tance, yet, confiding in his judgment, his call of the militia will, in
all human probability, give the greatest certainty to his operations,
and which, I flatter myself, will be entirely efficacious and honorable
to the government.
Had the operations commenced tAVO months earlier, it would have
been more comfortable for the troops, and have given greater time
to have improved all advantages. But the extensive field from
which the troops have been collected, the lowness of the Avaters on
the Ohio, and the tedious delays of some of the agents in the busi
ness, have rendered an earlier campaign impracticable.

Major-General Butler to General St. Claie.
Camp Miami, October M, 1791.
Sir : — I have the honor to transmit to your Excellency a dupli
cate of the proceedings of the Court of Inquiry on the conduct of
Brigadier-General Harmar, commanding officer on the expeditions
against the Miami Indians last year.^
I have also the pleasure to inform you that the army avIU march
to-morroAV morning at 8 o'clock. Horses are distributed to the troops,
and ammunition distributed as foUoAvs, viz : All the artillery, ex
cept sixty rounds per gun, and half the musket cartridges. Captain
^This letter of the Secretary of War refers to communications from Gen
eral St. Clair, which are missing from the Government archives. St. Clair's
own copies were lost on the 4th of November.
2 Finding of the Court — the acquittal of General Harmar with honor.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 245
Montford, with a detachment as directed, chiefly of the convalescents,
has moved this day to the fort. A body of the contractors' stores
bave crossed the river under a covering party for the night, and
will join on the line of march when the army comes up. I have
just received a verbal report from Captain Ginnon, the surveyor,
who is returned. He has been seven miles, and says the face of the
country is level but very brushy, and in his opinion it is impracti
cable for loaded horses to get on without a road. Of this I will be
a better judge as I advance and try the present order of march,
etc. Should I find it impracticable to execute, I feel confident that
any directions that may be necessary to facilitate the movement will
meet your approbation. The road is cut one and a-half miles to a
good stream of water and ground to encamp on. Five miles ad
vanced of that is a large creek, which is three feet deep at the place
be crossed, but a little beloAV is a ford, Avhich it is probable we must
up [out] . Should I not have the honor to see you to-morrow evening,
I will continue the march, and advise you of my progress.

General St. Clair to Secretary Knox.
Fort Waspiington, October Qth, 1791.
Sir: — I have now the satisfaction to inform you that the army-
moved from Fort Hamilton, the name I have given to the fort on
the Miami, on the 4th, at eight in the morning, under the command
of General Butler.
The order of march and encampment I had regulated before, and
on the 3d returned to this place to get up the militia. They marched
yesterday, and consist of but about three hundred men, as you Avill
see by the enclosed abstract of the muster. I have reason to be
lieve, hoAvever, that at least an equal number Avill be up here by the
10th, and I have left orders for them to folio av us. The monthly
return should have accompanied this letter, but it Avas not ready
when I left camp, and has not been forAvarded since. I have hitherto
found it impossible to reduce the officers commanding corps to punc
tuality with respect to their returns, but they are mending. Our
number, after deducting the garrisons of this place and Fort Ham
Uton, are about tAvo thousand, exclusive of the militia. I trust I
shaU find them sufficient, and should the rest of the mUitia come
on, it will make the matter pretty certain ; but the season is now so
far advanced, that I fear the intermediate posts, which would, in
deed, have been highly necessary, it Avill be impossible to estabUsh.

246 The St. aair Papers.
In that, however, I must be governed by circumstances, of which I
Avill take care that you shall be apprised in due time. Should the
enemy come to meet us, which seems to be expected, and be discom
fited, there avUI be no difficulties, but if they expect us at the Miami
villages, the business will wear another face, and the intermediate
posts become more essential.
Since the quartermaster has been here, and got into his gears,
which it took him a little time to do, I am very Avell satisfied with
him, and do believe he will answer the description which you was
pleased to give me of him ; his business seems now to be well-
arranged. In order to communicate with some degree of certainty with your
office, 1 have directed Captain Buel, when he arrives, to send a ser
geant and tAvelve men to a house that has been ncAvly erected, half
way betAven this place and Lexington, to each of Avhich two men
are to be sent off on every Monday morning to carry dispatches.
Those for the War Office, or any other public letters, to be put intO'
the hands of Mr. Charles Wilkins, merchant, of Lexington, who
has engaged to forward all I have occasion to send, regularly, once
a fortnight ; and should you, sir, think proper to use the same route
for any of yours, if they are sent to his care, he Avill forAvard them
to me. I have been led to prefer this channel of communication to
that of the river, because it appears to be rather the more certain
of the two, though it may be a little more tedious, and because de
sertion continues to prevail among the troops, and the sending smaU
parties to such a distance gives great opportunity to effect it. Gen
eral Butler informs me that no less than twenty-one went off the
night before the army moved from Fort Hamilton. I am this mo
ment setting out for the army, which I hope to overtake to-morrow
evening, and I wiU write to you again, as soon after as may be.

General St. Clair to Israel Ludlow, Agent of the Con
tractors.
[Extract.] October 8th, 1791.
I make no doubt, sir, that you will do aU in your power — impos
sibilities I do not look for, but, sir, ninety thousand rations
of provisions ought to have been at this place by this time,
and horses to carry forward forty-five thousand. This you know
had been demanded and promised; instead of which, by the
day after to-morrow I shall not have an ounce, unless some

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 24T
arrives in the mean time. If you found the transportation im
practicable, you ought to have informed me, that I might have
taken means to have got suppUes forward, or not have committed
my army to the wilderness. I have now sent two hundred and
eighty or ninety horses from the quartermaster's department to
bring a supply ; and I require an explicit answer to the foUowing
questions : What is the earliest time you can have tAventy days'
flour for the army forward at this place ? If you are not able to
send on flour for twenty days, for hoAv many days can you send, and
when may it be expected to arrive with certainty? It seems to me,
sir, to be idle to talk about disappointments in drivers, and horses
thereby unemployed, in a business Avhere the honor and the interests
of the United States are so deeply concerned as in the present. No
disappointment should have happened Avhich was in the poAA'er of
money to prevent ; and money could certainly have prevented any
here. A competent number of horses Avere provided to your hand ;
how they have been employed I know not ; certainly one half of
them have never been upon the road, or we should not have been in
our present situation ; and take notice, that the Avant of drivers will
be no excuse to a starving army and a disappointed people.'

General Knox to General St. Clair.
War Department, October 13, 1791.
Sir: — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter
of the 18th ult., from Fort Washington by the contractor's light
canoe, which refers to a former letter, by some other conveyance,
not yet come to hand.
Captain Haskell will have arrived at Fort Pitt by this time.
Captain Cushing will probably march from BrunsAvick Avith about
ninety men on the 1 Sth instant.
We shall be extremely anxious to hear from you while upon your
expedition, Avhich, I pray God, may succeed in all its parts.
As you will not probably receive this letter until your return from
the expedition, I sliall not enter into details.
The President of the United States is absent in Virginia, and Avill
not be here until the 20th.
^This letter was probably dispatched from Fort Hamilton.

248 The St. Clair Papers.

General St. Clair to Samuel Hodgdon, Quartermaster-
General.
Camp, Sixty-Eight and a Half Miles Advanced,
October 21st, 1791.
Sir: — From a letter of the contractors' agent for transporting
the provisions of the army, of the 17th instant, I have the great
est reason to fear a disappointment Avhich may render the whole
campaign abortive. You will, therefore, sir, Avith all the expedition
you can make, go back and obtain a certain and precise account from
him, of the measures he has taken to afford a certain supply of pro
visions for the army, not only at this place, but at every other
where it may move to ; and on the communication, I should have
been glad to have furnished you Avith a copy of my orders to him
upon the subject, but I have them not Avith me ; they are iu gen
eral these : That forty -five thousand rations of provisions should
move Avitli the army ; that tAvice in every ten days forty-five thous
and rations should move from Fort Washington to the next post,
until three hundred and sixty thousand rations were sent forward ;
that forty-five thousand rations should again move with the army
from the first post to a second, and an equal number tAvice in eA'ery
ten days until the residue of the three hundred and sixty thousand
were carried forAvard, and so on from post to post, still moving with
forty-five thousand rations. They have failed entirely in enabling
me to moA'e with forty-five thousand rations, and from the letter
above mentioned, the agent seems not to expect to move any be
yond this jilace ; for he says: " If you move from thence (mean
ing this place) shortly, and take ten days' provisions Avith you, it Avill
deprive us of the means to transport Avhat may be necessary after
that is exhausted." After, then, that you knoAV exactly Avhat the
contractors can do as to transportation, (for so far as they can do it,
it is their business, and must not be taken out of their hands) you
Avill take your measures so, as that, on the 27th instant, I may be
able to move with three hundred horse-loads of flour, aud that one
hundred and fifty horse-loads succeed that every seven days ; one
hundred and fifty horses being sent back every seven days. For
AvhatcA'er expense may attend the arrangement, this shall be your
warrant ; and I am certain, from your personal character, as well as
from your zeal for the public good, that no unneccessary expense
wiU be incurred. It is to be observed, that our beef avIU be ex
pended about the 5th or Gth of next month. When I left Fort
Washington, the agent of the contractors informed me that he ex-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 249
pected a drove of cattle very soon ; whether they are arrived or not
I am not informed. I have written to him on this occasion ; but I
request you to inform yourself, aud, if necessary, to make provision
there also ; and, indeed, there is not a moment to lose about it, and
to provide for any deficiency. He writes me that the measures he
has taken wUl give a supply to the last of December or a month
longer, but nothing must be left to hazard.

General St. Clair to Secretary Knox.
Camp, Eighty-one Miles Advanced of Fort Washington,
November 1, 1791.
Sir: — Since I had the honor to write to you on the 21st instant,
nothing very material has happened, and, indeed, I am at present
-SO unwell, and have been so for some time past, that I could ill de
tail it if it had happened — not that that space of time has been en
tkely barren of incidents, but as few of them have been of the
agreeable kind, I beg you to accept a sort of journal account of
them, which Avill be the easiest for me.
On the 22d, the indisposition that had hung about me for some
time, sometimes appearing as a bilious colic, and sometimes as a
rheumatic asthma, to my great satisfaction, changed to a gout in
the left arm and hand, leaving the breast and stomach perfectly re
lieved, and the cough, Avhich had been excessive, entirely gone.
This day, Mr. Ellis, Avith sixty militia from Kentucky, joined the
army, and brought ujj a quantity of flour and beef.
23d. — Tavo men taken in the act of deserting to the enemy, and
one for shooting another soldier and threatening to kill an officer,
Avere hanged upon the grand parade, the Avhole army being draAvn
out. Since the army has halted, the country around this, and ahead
for fifteen miles, has been Avell examined. It is a country Avhich, had
we arrived a month sooner in it, and Avith three times the number of
animals, they would have been all fat now.
24th. — Named the fort Jefferson (it lies in lat. 50, 4.22 N.), and
marched, the same Indian path serving to conduct us about six
miles, and encamped on good ground and in an excellent position ; a
rivulet in front and a very large plain, Avhich Avould, at the proper
season afford forage for a thousand horses, on the left. So ill this
¦day that I had much difficulty in keeping with the army.
25ili. — Very hard rains last night ; obliged to halt to-day on ac-

250 lhe St. Clair Papers.
count of provisions, for though the soldiers may be kept pretty easy
in camp under the expectation of provisions arriving, they can not
bear to march in advance and take none along with' them ; received
a letter from Mr. Hodgden by express ; 1,300 pounds fiour Avill ar
rive the 27th.
2Qth. — A party of militia, sent to reconnoiter, fell in Avith five
Indians and suffered them to slip through their fingers. In their
camp, articles to the value of $22 Avere found and divided. The
Virginia battalion is melting down very fast, notwithstanding the
promises of the men to the officers. Thirteen have been discharged
by Colonel Darke to-day.
21th. — Gave orders for enlisting the levies, with condition of
serving out their time in the present corps. Piamingo ' arrived in
camp with his warriors. I was so uuAvell, could only see him and
bid him welcome; but entered on no business. Considerable dissatis
faction among the levies about their enlistments. ¦.
28th. — Some clothing sent for to Fort Washington for the recruits
arrived, was begun to be distributed, and will have a good effect ;
but the enlisting the levies does not meet with the encouragement
that might have been expected. It is not openly complained of by
the officers, but it is certainly privately by some of high rank ; and
the measure of tempting them with Avarm clothing condemned.
Mr. Hodgdon Avrites me that he is sending forward a quantity of
woolen overalls and socks, by General Butler's orders. I have or
dered them to be deposited at Fort Jefferson. Some few Indians-
about us — probably those the militia fell in Avith a day or tAVO ago.
Two of the levies were fired upon about three miles off, one killed ;
two of the militia likewise. One of them got in, and the other-
missing — supposed to be taken.
29th. — Piamingo and his people, accompanied by Captain
Sparks and four good riflemen, going on a scout ; they do not pro
pose to return under ten days, unless they sooner succeed in taking
prisoners. 30i/i. — The army moved about nine o'clock, and, Avith much diffi
culty, made seven miles, having left a considerable part of the
tents by the way; the provision made by the quartermaster for
that purpose was not adequate — three days' flour issued to the men,
to add the horses that carried it to his arrangements — the Indian'
road still Avith us ; the course of this day, N. 25 W.
31st — This morning, about sixty of the militia deserted; it was.
^ Written also Payamingo.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 251
at first reported that one-half of them had gone off", and that their
design was to plunder the convoys Avhich were upon the road. I
detached the first regiment in pursuit of them, with orders to
Major Hamtramck to send a sufficient guard back Avith Benham (a
commissary) whenever he met with them, and follow about twenty-
five miles below Fort Jefferson, or untU he met the second convoy,
and then return and join the army. Benham arrived last night,
and to-day, November 1st, the army is halted to give the road-cut
ters an opportunity of getting some distance ahead, and that I
might Avrite to you. I am this day considerably recovered, and hope
that it will turn out what I at first expected it Avould be, a friendly
fit of the gout, come to relieve me from every other complaint.
Yesterday, I was favored with yours of the 28th and 29th of Sep
tember. I have inclosed my communications Avith the old and neAV
contractors, and their answers. My orders from the posts to them
are not yet defitiitive, but they will be very soon. In the meantime,
I expect they are both at work.
P. S. — Your letters, to General Wilkinson and General Scott, Mr.
Jones and Mr. Brown, are sent back ; and the public thanks, in the
name of the President, presented to General Wilkinson, agreeably
to your directions.

The Campaign in the Indian Country.
[Prom the Diary of Major Ebenezer Denny, Aid-de-Camp to Major-General
St. Clair.] Fort Washington, Sept. 1st.
General St. Clair appears exceedingly impatient at the delay or
detention of some of the corps. The quartermaster-general, Hodg
don, not yet come on, and General Butler, the second in command,
is also back. Preparations for the campaign very backAvard. Gen
eral Harmar seems determined to quit the service ; has positively
refused going on the campaign, and takes no command.
7th. — General Butler, and Hodgdon, the quartermaster-general,
with Captain Newman's company of the Second regiment, arrive.
General Harmar soUcits a court of inquiry to examine into his con
duct in the last campaign. The court is ordered — General Richard
Butler the president. Several days spent in examining the testi
mony. The court make a report to the Commander-in-Chief highly
honorable to General Harmar. It Avas impossible for me not to be
affected by the determination of General Harmar. I knew that he
only waited for the march of the army, when he would ascend the

252 The St. Clair Papers.
river with his family and retire to civil life. My secret wish was to
accompany him ; he discovered it, and informed me that he would
apply for an officer's command to escort and work his boat to Pitts
burgh, and had no doubt but that General St. Clair, upon being
asked, Avould order me on that service. I made the request in
Avriting ; Avas answered that it could not be granted. I stayed with
General Harmar and his family until the last moment. He con
versed frequently and freely with a few of his friends on the prob
able result of the campaign ; predicted a defeat. He suspected a
disposition in me to resign ; discouraged the idea. ' ' You must,"
said he, "go on the campaign; some wiU escape, and you may be
among the number."
2Qth. — Left Fort Washington and proceeded to join my regiment.
Arrived at the army next day. Found a pleasant encampment
twenty-three miles from Fort Washington, on the Great Miami.
The principal part of the troops have been at this place since the
15th, building a stockade fort with four bastions. Barracks to ac
commodate one hundred men.
29th. — Commenced my duty as adjutant. Major Hamtramck the
commanding officer of the regiment. We are informed that upward
of one hundred horses haA'e been stolen, supposed by the enemy,
from the vicinity of Fort Washington ; some of them cut from their
fastenings under the Avails of the fort.
30th. — Appointed aid-de-camp to the Commander-in-Chief. With
much difficulty, finished and handed in a set of monthly returns.
Oct. 1st. — Joined the General's family, found to consist of Colonel
Sargent, the adjutant-general. Count Malartie, a young Frenchman
from Gallipolis, in character of volunteer aid, and the General.
2d. — Accompany Commander-in-Chief to Fort Washington. Three
hundred militia had just reached that place from Kentucky.
3d. — A number of militia are reported to have deserted ab'cady.
4th. — A sergeant and nine of the militia deserted last night.
5th. — An officer from the army arrives in pursuit of deserters. A
sergeant and tAventy-five deserted on the night of the 3d.
Qth. — After some difficulty in getting the militia equipped, they
march to join the army. Public dispatches forwarded to seat of
government by way of Lexington.
1th. — Set out about nine o'clock ; arrive at Fort Hamilton in the
afternoon. The army had marched on the 4th.
8th. — We cross the Miami twenty-five miles from Fort Washing
ton, and follow the army ; their course north sixteen degrees.
Passed four encampments and the militia on their march. Joined

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 253
in the evening as troops were encamping. Distance from Fort
Washington forty-four and one-fourth miles. The army is five days
from Fort Hamilton, at the fording of the Miami, to this place (not
four miles a day).
9th. — The army marched this morning at ten o'clock, and en
camped about three ; gained only five miles. The country, thus far
from the Miami, level, rich, and exceedingly Avell watered Avith
small branches.
10th. — Army in motion at eight o'clock. Country more flat.
Crossed a number of small rivulets running east. Timber chiefly
beech. Gained about eight miles, and encamped at four o'clock.
The horses had been all tied up last night, Avhich enabled an early
start this morning.
llth. — Ten o'clock this morning before the troops took up the line
of march. Horses missing, Avhich occasioned the delay. About
twelve, arrived at a pretty little creek running Avest, sujiposed to be
a branch of White River. Fresh trails of Indians discovered. Two
o'clock, came directly upon an extensiA'e Avet prairie ; army obliged
to halt and encamp. Marched this day not more than six miles.
Country very level, well watered and timbered.
12th. — This morning spent in searching the prairie and examining
for a passage across. General Butler, with a party, set out early
toward the east ; myself, with a captain and fifty riflemen, to ex
amine westerly. After proceeding about three miles we made out
to cross the prairie, but with difficulty got my horse through. From
this place Ave had a view for several miles west ; the prairie rather
appearing to increase. On the north side came upon a deep-beaten
Indian path, Avhich Ave followed about two miles, turned and re
crossed the prairie, examined further, could find no place possible
for the army to cross Avithout bridging at least three huudred yards.
General Butler's report favorable. He found a pretty good Avay by
going three miles round. Twelve o'clock, the army marched, alter
ing their course to north-east thirty-five degrees. Passed several
smaU prairies, all of them swampy. Fell in Avith an Indian path,
leading through and avoiding the Avet land. March this day five
and one-half mdes over excellent country, Avatered Avith pretty
small runs, Avinding about in every direction.
13th. — The General, Avith a fcAV attendants, reconnoiters the
country- Makes choice of ground to erect another fort for purpose
of a deposit. The army moved about one o'clock, one mile, near to
this ground and encamped.
14i7i.  Two hundred men employed, under direction of Major

254 The St. Clair Papers.
Ferguson, at the new fort. It is to be a square work, curtains
thirty -five yards ; regular bastions in each angle. The whole raised
with logs laid horizontally ; the face of the curtains forming the
rear of the barracks.
15ft. — Cold and wet. Heavy rain last night and continues aU
the day.
IQth. — Rain all last night. Express from Fort Washington with
information of the mountain leader and twenty Indians of the
Chickasaw nation on their way from Fort Washington, and also of
sixty horse-loads of flour.
llth. — The new fort goes on but slowly. Weather very bad ;
constant rain night and day. A rifleman of the militia, a few mUes
from camp, with leave to hunt, fired upon by a single Indian and
wounded through the hip, but made his escape into camp. Men
desert ; four of the First regiment went off since our arrival here.
18th. — A continuation of wet, disagreeable weather. The army
would have been Avithout bread after to-day had not a smaU
supply of forty-eight horse-loads arrived.
19i/t. — All the horses ofthe army, quartermasters' as well as con
tractors', sent back for a supply of flour. Unpardonable misman
agement in the provision department. Troops put on half aUow
ance of flour. Colonel Oldham, commanding officer of miUtia,
directed to furnish an escort to go back with the horses. His men
declare if they are sent on that duty they will not return. Fal
coner's company of levies escort the horses back.
20th. — The time for Avhich the levies Avere enlisted begins to ex
pire. Ten were discharged this morning ; several a few days ago.
The levies from Virginia claim their discharge. AU of Captain
Hanah's company from Alexandria discharged. An express this
day from Fort Washington. Captain Buel's company of the Second
regiinent had arrived there from the eastivard.
21st. — Very severe frost last night; ice upon the Avaters near a
half inch thick. The food of our horses and cattle had been in
jured by slight frosts as early as the 4th. A strong guard escort
the cattle and horses to the best pasture, and every afternoon one-
half the army off duty turn out and bring grass from the prairie to
serve them over night.
22d. — For want of sufficiency of flour, the General has been
under the necessity of keeping the troops upon half a pound of that
article daily, but the ration is made up of beef. This, however
would not satisfy militia ; twenty of them deserted last night, and
some more this morning. An officer near Lexington, who joined

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 255
us this day with about sixty men, happened to meet those who
went off this morning, and brought them back. He informed us
that a number of the militia avIio had deserted from Fort Washing
ton, and on the march, had been apprehended in Kentucky, and
were confined in the jails. Two brigades of horses, loaded Avitli
flour, arrived this day, estimated at one thousand eight hundred
pounds ; also a small drove of cattle. The quartermaster-general
is ordered to Fort Washington to make some more certain arrange
ment with regard to supplies of provisions — the contractor not to .
be depended on.
23d. — Two artillerymen attempted to desert to the enemy, were
taken, tried, and sentenced to suffer death ; were hanged, along with
one of the levies, for shooting his comrade. The country for ten
miles round has been well explored. Many large wet prairies,
especially to the west. Upland thin, covered chiefly with white
oak. Fine springs which feed the prairies. Any quantity of
meadow ground — natural meadow.
24th. — The army took up their line of march about 9 o'clock.
Pursued the' old Indian path leading north through a fine open
woods. The soil and timber of a superior quality. Gained six
miles and encamped along the bank of a handsome creek running
east ; a large prairie on our left.' A captain's command left at the
ncAV fort, called Fort Jefferson, with all the men unable to march.
The Commabder-in-Chief has been unwell for some time past, but to
day scarcely able to accompany the army.
25th. — Rain almost all last night. Troops continued encamped.
2Qth. — Remain encamped. A party of fifty militia sent to re
connoiter the country north-west fell in Avith five of the enemy
about fifteen miles from camp, but owing to mismanagement, the
Indians made their escape, leaving behind in their camp, blankets,
tomahawks, paint, etc. , to the value of twenty-two dollars. An ex
press from the quartermaster-general, respecting provisions. The
Commander-in-Chief very ill.
27th. — The army wait for a supply of flour to enable them to pro
ceed. The last pound served out this day, and should none arrive,
on to-morrow the men will be without bread. Much dissatisfaction
among the militia and levies ; the latter claim their discharge ; say
they have served longer than the term for which they have en
Usted. The enlistments are indeed somewhat extraordinary ; they
specify six months after assembling at the rendezvous on the fron-

' This camp called afterward by Wayne, " Greenville."

256 The St. Clair Papers.
tier, but there has been no uniformity observed ; some corps have-
inserted Winchester, some Fort Pitt, and others Fort Washington,
but the bulk of the men say and declare that they engaged to serve
but for six months from the date of their enlistment. These cir
cumstances have been made a cause of complaint to the General,
Avho has had much trouble. Piamingo and nineteen ChickasaAvs
join the camp. The season so far adA'anced it will be impracticable
to continue the campaign. Forage entirely destroyed ; horses fail
ing and can not be kept up; jirovislons from hand to mouth. A
party of men engaged in throwing a bridge over the creek in front
of the camp. Some hail aud snow to-day.
28th. — ScA'enty-four horses loaded Avith flour arrive ; about twelve
thousand pounds. This supply Avill afford four days' alloAvance to
the army. A fcAV horses came loaded Avitli clothing for the First
regiment, the officers of Avhich A\ere directed to fill up their com
panies, if possible, from the levies. The ucav clothing has a good
effect; near forty have already enlisted. Tavo privates of Major
Butler's battalion Avere fired ui^on about three miles from camp, one
of them killed, the other wounded, but made his escape to camp.
Two of the militia some miles out, Avere piursued by four Indians ;
one only got in, it is supposed the other is a prisoner, as the savages
endeaA'ored to catch him Avlien they might have shot Avith certainty.
In the general orders of this day, the troops directed to be under
arms at the first tajD of the drum, Avhich is to be given at daylight,
and to continue paraded until dismissed.
29th.- — One of the sentries, Avhich form the chain round the en
campment, alarmed the troops last night about nine o'clock, and put
them all under arms. Pie imagined that he saAV an Indian, and fired
three times at some object. The First and Second regimant of regu
lars compose about one-third of the army, and although chiefly re
cruits, are tolerably Avell disciplined, but the remainder (excepting
the few militia), being levies and raised but for six months, and
their times expiring dally, they take great Uberties. This morning
there Avas a constant firing kept up round the camp, nothwithstand-
ing it is known there is a general order against it ; in fact, at pres
ent they are more troublesome and far inferior to the militia. A
bridge throAA'u across the creek. One liundred and tAventy men,
properly officered, were ordered forward to open the road for the
army. Tavo hundred militia go as a coA'ering party. Piamingo aud
his nineteen Avarriors, accompanied by Captain Sparks of the levies,
with four riflemen, set out on a scout; their object, to take a pris
oner. The battalion of levies from the territory south-east of the

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 257
Ohio being so small, it was blended Avith the one from Virginia.
Supernumerary officers went home. Three days' flour issued to the
troops iu order that horses may be had to carry the baggage ; most
of the baggage horses having been sent Avith the quartermaster-
general for provisions.
30th. — The army took up the line of march about nine o'clock,
crossed the creek upon the bridge, and left a very handsome en
campment. The creek Avhich runs along in front of the ground,
twenty -five yards wide, is said to be a principal branch of the Miami.
Gained seven miles this day ; course north-west tAventj'-five degrees.
The soil and timber of a superior quality. The General has been so
very ill since Ave left Fort Jefferson, that it was supposed he would
not be able to proceed.
31s^ — A very unpleasant camp in the woods ; soil rich and tim
ber thick and heavy. Last evening had a gust Avith severe light
ning and thunder ; directly after night the Avind rose and blew vio
lently until daybreak. The trees and limbs falling around and in
the midst of us, with the darkness of the night and in an enemy's
country, occasioned some concern. About 12 o'clock at night, for
the first time, at the request of the General, I A'isited all the guards.
Army continued encamped, Availing for several brigades of pack-
horses loaded Avith flour, Avhich had reached Fort Jefferson last
night. The troops are supplied for to-day and to-morroAV, aud the
contractor has enough for one other day ; but should Ave move, the
supply behind Avould be too late or lost ; besides it Avas found yester
day that the horses with the army were rot sufficient to carry the
baggage, part of Avhich had to be left on the road. The tents and
other baggage sent back for and brought up. Militia shoAV great
impatience ; their officers appear to have little influence. One-third
turn out with a determination to go back, a few are prevailed on to
stay ; between sixty and seventy, hoAvever, march off in despite of
every thing, and sAvear they avIU stop the pack horses Avith provi
sions. The First regiment was dispatched after them , not with an ex
pectation of bringing them back, but Avith that idea and to prevent
future desertions, and principally to protect the convoys. This
evening Iavo hundred and tAvelve horses, loaded Avith flour, arrived ;
one hundred and fifty pounds the average Aveight.
Nov. 1st — The army remain encamped. A party advanced to
open the road. Prepare for marching to-morrow. A deposit made
here of heavy articles and such as could be dispensed with, to lighten
the horses. VOL. n — 17

258 St. Clair Papers.
2d. — The army marched at nine o'clock ; about twelve o'clock
crossed a creek fifteen yards AN'ide, running east. The country very
flat and marshy. Joined this afternoon by another Indian path
much frequented. Gained eight miles and encamped. Course
north twenty-five degrees east this day, and total distance from Fort
Washington eighty-nine miles. A scout sent out yesterday fell in
with an Indian camp, got some plunder and seven horses branded
United States, supposed to have been stolen from Fort Washington.
We had a light snow all this day.
3(1. — Marched at nine o'clock. The first four miles very flat and
wet. About tAvelve, passed over dry ground, and descended grad
ually for three miles to a small creek supposed to be a branch of the
waters emptying into Lake Erie ; proceeded tAvo miles further, and
encamped on pleasant, dry ground, on bank of a creek about tAventy
yards wide, said to be the Pickaway fork of the Omee.' Distance
this day about nine miles ; general course north-west thirty degrees.
Fresh signs of the savages appeared to-day in several places ; parties
of riflemen detached after them, but Avithout success. It was later
than usual Avhen the army reached the ground this evening, and the
men much fatigued prevented the General from haA'ing some works
of defense immediately erected. Major Ferguson, commanding
officer of artillery, sent for, and a plan agreed on, intended to be
commenced early on to-morrow. The high, dry ground barely suf
ficient to encamp the army ; lines rather contracted. Parallel AvIth
the front line runs the creek, about twenty yards AvIde. On both
flanks Ioav, Avet ground, and along most part of the rear. Militia
advanced across the creek about three hundred yards. Had ac
companied the quartermaster in the afternoon on to this ground ; it
was farther than could have been Avished, but no place short of it
appeared so suitable. I was much pleased Avith it ; returned and
made report ; found the army halted and about to encamp on flat
land, and Avith no good Avater ; although it Avas late, the march was
continued till just dark, Avhen Ave reached the creek.
4th. — Camp on a creek twenty yards wide, supposed to be the
PickaAvay fork of the Omee, ninety -eight miles from Fort Washing
ton. The frequent firing of the sentinels through the night had
disturbed the camp, and excited some concem among the officers.
The guards had reported the Indians to lie skulking about in cm-
siderable numbers. About ten o'clock at night General Butler,
who commanded the right wing, Avas desired to send out an in-
' Known since to he a branch of the Wabash.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 259
telligent officer and party to make discoveries. Captain Slough,
with tAVO subalterns and thirty men, I saw parade at General But
ler's tent for this purpose, and heard the General give Captain
Slough very particular verbal orders how to proceed. Myself and
two or three officers staid AvIth the General until late, Avhen I re
turned to the Commander-iu-Chief, Avhose tent was at some dis
tance on the left, and Avho was unable to be up.
The troops paraded this morning at the usual time, and had been
dismissed from the lines but a few minutes, and the sun not yet up,
when the woods in front rung with the yells and fire of the sav
ages. The poor militia, who were but three hundreds yards in
front, had scarcely time to return a shot — they fled into our camjj.
The troops were uuder arms in an instant, and a smart fire from
the front line met the enemy. It Avas but a fcAV minutes, how
ever, until the men Avere engaged in every quarter. The enemy
from the front filed off to the right and left, and completely sur
rounded the camp, killed and cut off nearly all the guards, and
approached close to the lines. They advanced from one tree, log,
or stump to another, under cover of the smoke of our fire. The
artillery and musketry made a tremendous noise, but did little exe
cution. The Indians seemed to brave every thing, and, Avhen
fairly fixed around us, they made no noise other than their fire,
which they kept up very constant, and Avhich seldom failed to tell,
although scarcely heard. Our left-flank, probably from the nature
of the ground, gave way first; the enemy got possession of that
part of the encampment, but, it being pretty clear ground, they
were too much exposed, and Avere soon repulsed. Was at this time
with the General engaged toAvard the right ; he Avas on foot, and
led the party himself that drove the enemy and regained our
ground on the left. The battalions in the rear charged several
times and forced the savages from their shelter, but they ahvays
turned with the battalions and fired upon them back ; indeed, they
seemed not to fear any thing we could do. They could skip out of
reach of the bayonet, and return as they pleased. They were visi
ble only when raised by a charge. The ground Avas literally cov
ered with the dead. The Avounded Avere taken to the center,
where it Avas thought most safe, and where a great many Avho had
quit their posts unhurt had crowded together. The General, Avith
other officers, endeavored to rally these men, and twice they Avere
taken out to the lines. It appeared as if the officers had been
singled out ; a very great proportion fell, or were wounded, and
obliged to retire from the lines early in the action. General Butler

2G0 The St. Clair Papers.
was among the latter, as well as several other of the most experi
enced officers. The men, being thus left Avith few officers, became
fearful, despaired of success, gave up the fight, and, to save them
selves for the moment, abandoned entirely their duty and ground,
and crowded in toward the center of the field, and no exertions could
put them in any order even for defense ; perfectly ungovernable.
The enemy at length got possession of the artillery,' though not un
til the officers Avere all killed but one, and he badly wounded, and
the men almost all cut off, and not until the pieces were spiked.
As our lines were deserted the Indians contracted theirs until their
shot centered from all points, and now, meeting Avitli little op
position, took more deliberate aim and did great execution. Ex
posed to a cross fire, men and officers Avere seen falling in every di
rection ; the distress, too, of the Avounded made the scene such as
can scarcely be conceived ; a few minutes longer, and a retreat
would have been im23racticable. The only hope left Avas, that per
haps the saA'ages would be so taken up with the camp as not to fol-
loAV. Delay Avas death ; no preparation could be made ; numbers
of brave men must be left a sacrifice — there Avas no alternative. It
was past nine o'clock, when repeated orders Avere given to charge
toAvard the road. The action had contiuued between two and three
hours. Both officers and men seemed confounded, incapable of
doing any thing ; they could not move until it Avas told that a re
treat Avas intended. A few officers put themselves in front, the men
followed, the enemy gave Avay, and perhaps not being aAvare of the
design, we were for a fcAV minutes left undisturbed. The stoutest
and most active uoav took the lead, and those who Avere foremost in
breaking tlie enemy's line Avere soon left behind. At the moment
of the retreat, one of the few horses saved had been procured for
the General ; he Avas on foot until then ; I kept by him, and he de
layed to see the rear. The enemy soon discovered the movement
and pursued, though not more than four or five miles, and but.feAV
so far ; they turned to share the spoil. Soon after the firing ceased,
I was directed to endeavor to gain the front, and, if possible, to
cause a short halt that the rear might get up. I had been on horse
back from the first alarm, and well mounted ; pushed forward, but
met with so many difficulties and interruptions from the people, that
I was two hours at least laboring to reach the front. With the as
sistance of two or three officers I caused a short halt,- but the men
groAV impatient and would move on. I got Lieutenants Sedam and
Morgan, Avith half a dozen stout men, to fill up the road and to
move slowly ; I halted myself until the General came up. By this

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 261
time the remains of the army had got somewhat compact, but iu the
most miserable aud defenseless state. The Avounded Avho came off
left their arms in the field, and one-half ol the others threw theirs
away on the retreat. The road for railes was covered Avith firelocks,
cartridge-boxes and regimentals. Hoav fortunate that the pursuit
was discontinued ; a single Indian might have followed Avith safety
upon either flank. Such a panic had seized the men, that I belieA'e
it Avould not have been possible to have brought any of them to en
gage again. In the afternoon Lieutenant Kersey, Avitli a detach
ment ofthe Firstregiment, met us. This regiment, the only complete
and best disciplined portion of the army, had been ordered back
upon the road on the 31st of October. They Avere thirty miles from
the battle-ground Avhen they heard distinctly the firing of the can
non ; Avere hastening forward and had marched about nine miles
when met by some of the militia, who informed Major Hamtramck,
the commanding officer, that the army was totally destroyed. The
Major judged it best to send on a subaltern to obtain some knoAvledge
of things, and to return himself Avith the regiment to Fort Jefferson,
eight miles back, and to secure at all events that post. He had
made some arrangements, and as Ave arrived in the evening, found
him preparing again to meet us. Stragglers continued to come in
for hours after Ave reached the fort.
The remnant of the army, Avith the first regiment, were uoav at
Fort Jefferson, twenty-nine miles from the field of action, Avithout
provisions, and the former without having eaten any thing for tAventy-
four hours. A couA'oy Avas knoAvn to be upon the road, and Avithin
a day's march. The General determined to move Avith the First
regiment and all the levies able to march. Those of the Avounded,
aud others unable to go on, Avere lodged as comfortably as possible
Avithin the fort. Accordingly, avc set out a little after ten and con
tinued our route until within an hour of daylight, then halted and
waited for day and until the rear came up. Moved on again about
nine o'clock ; the morning of the 5th Ave met the convoy. Stopped
a sufficiency to subsist us to Fort Hamilton ; sent the remainder on
to Jefferson under an additional escort of a captain and sixty men ;
proceeded, and at the first water halted, partly cooked and eat for
the first time since t];e night preceding the action. At one o'clock
moved on, and continued our route untU nine at night, when we
halted and made fires AvIthIn fifteen miles of Fort Hamilton. Marched
again just before day ; the General soon after rode on to the fort.
Troops reached in the afternoon.
7i/i_ — Fort Hamilton command was ordered off with a smaU sup-

262 The St. Clair Papers.
ply for the wounded, etc. About twelve same day, continued our
march, and halted before night Avithin fifteen miles of Fort Wash
ington, which place we reached the afternoon of the 8th.
The prediction of General Harmar, before the army set out on
the campaign, was founded upon his experience and particular
knoAvledge of things. He saAV with what material the bulk of the
army Avas composed ; men coUected from the streets and prisons of
the cities, hurried out into the»enemy's country, and with the officers
commanding them totally unacquainted with the business in which
they Avere engaged ; it was utterly impossible they could be other
wise. Besides, not any one department was sufficiently prepared ;
both quartermaster and contractors extremely deficient. It was a
matter of astonishment to him that the commanding general, who
was acknowledged to be perfectly competent, should think of haz
arding, with snch people, and under such circumstances, his repu
tation and life, and the lives of so many others, knowing, too, as
both did, the enemy AvIth Avhom he was going to contend ; an enemy
brought up from infancy to Avar, and perhaps superior to an equal
number of the best men that could be taken against them. It is
a truth, I had hopes that the noise and show which the army made
on their march might possibly deter the enemy from attempting a
serious and general attack. It was unfortunate that both the general
officers Avere, and had been disabled by sickness; in such situation
it is possible that some essential matters might be overlooked. The
Adjutant-General, Colonel Sargent, an old revolutionary officer, was,
however, constantly on the alert ; he took upon himself the burden
of every thing, and a very serious and troublesome task he had.

General St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Fort Washington, 9th November, 1791.
Sir : — Yesterday afternoon the remains of the army under my
command got back to this place, and I have now the painful task
to give you an account of as warm and as unfortunate an action as
almost any that has been fought, in which every corps Avas engaged
and Avorsted, except the First regiment, that had been detached
upon a service I had the honor to inform you of in my last dispatch,
and had not joined me.
On the 3d instant, the army had reached a creek about twelve
yards wide, running to the southward, Avhich I believe to have been
the river St. Mary, that empties into the Miami of the lake ; ar-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 263
rived at the village about four o'clock in the afternoon, having marched
near nine miles, and were immediately encamped upon a command
ing piece of ground in two lines, having the above-mentioned creek
in front. The right wing composed of Butler's, Clarke's, and Pat
terson's battalions, commanded by Major-General Butler, formed
the first line; and the left Aving, consisting of Bedinger's and
Gaither's battalions, and the Second regiment, commanded by
Colonel Darke, formed the second Une, Avith an interval betAveen
them of about seventy yards, which Avas all the ground would allow.
The right flank was pretty Avell secured by the creek, a steep
bank, and Faulkener's corps ; some of the cavalry and their pickets
covered the left flank; the militia Avere throAvn over the creek, and
advanced about one quarter of a mile, and adA'anced in the same
order ; there Avere a feAV Indians who appeared on the opposite side
of the creek, but fled with the utmost precipitation on the advance
of the militia; at this place, Avhich I judged to be about fifteen
miles from the Miami village, I had determined to throw up a
slight Avork, the plan of which Avas concerted that evening Avith
Major Ferguson, wherein to have deposited the men's knapsacks,
and every thing else that was not absolutely necessary, and to have
moved on to attack the enemy as soon as the First regiment Avas
come up; but they did not permit me to execute either, for on the
4th, about half an hour before sunrise, and Avhen the men had just
been dismissed from the parade (for it Avas a constant practice to
have them all under arms a considerable time before daylight), an
attack Avas made upon the militia. Those gave Avay in a very little
time, and rushed into camp, through Major Butler's battalion,
which, together Avith part of Clarke's, they threw into considerable
disorder, and Avhich, notwithstanding the exertions of both those
officers, was never altogether remedied, the Indians following close
at their heels ; the fire, however, of the front line checked them,
but almost instantly a heavy attack began upon that line, and in a
few minutes it Avas extended to the second Ukewise ; the great Aveight
of it was directed against the center of each, Avhere the artillery was
placed, and from which the men Avere repeatedly driven Avith great
slaughter ; finding no great effect from our fire, and confusion be
ginning to spread from the great number of men Avho Avere falling
in all quarters, it became necessary to try Avhat could be done Avith
the bayonet.
Lieutenant-Colonel Darke was accordingly ordered to make a
charge with part of the second line, and to turn the left flank of
the enemy. This was executed with great spirit. The Indians in-

264 The St. Clair Papers.
stantly gave Avay, and Avere driven back three or four hundred yards ;
but, for the Avant of a sufficient number of riflemen to pursue this
advantage, they soon returned, and the troops Avere obliged to give
back in their turn. At this moment they had entered our camp by
the left flank, having pursued back the troops that Avere posted
there. Another charge Avas made here by the Second regiment, Butler's
and Clarke's battalions, with equal effect, and it Avas repeated sev
eral times, and always Avith success ; but in aU of thera many men
were lost, and particularly the officers, which, Avith some raAV troops,
was a loss altogether irredeemable. In that I just spoke of, made
by the Second regiment and Butler's battalion, iMajor Butler Avas
dangerously Avounded, and every officer of the Second regiment fell
except three, oue of Avhom, Mr. Greaton, was shot through tlie
body. Our artillery being uoav sUenced, and all the officers killed except
Captain Ford, Avho Avas badly Avounded, more than half of the
army fallen, being cut off frora the road, it becarae necessary to at
tempt the regaining it, and to make a retreat if possible. To this
purpose, the remains of the army Avere formed, as Avell as circum
stances would admit, toAvards the right of the encampment ; from
Avhich, by the Avay of the second line, another charge Avas made
upon the eneray, as if with the design to turn their right flank, but,
in fact, to gain the road ; this Avas effected, and as soon as it Avas
open, the militia took along it, foUoAved by the troops, ]\Iajor Clarke,
with his battalion, covering the rear.
The retreat in those circumstances was, you may be sure, a very
precipitate one ; it Avas, in fact, a flight. The camp aud the ar
tiUery Avero abandoned, but that Avas unavoidable ; for not a horse
wa^ left alive to have draAvn thera off had it otherwise been practic
able. But the most disgraceful part of the buslneps is that the
greatest part of the men thrcAV aAvay their arms and accouterments,
even after the pursuit, Avhich continued about four miles, had
ceased. I fouud the road strewed with them for many miles, but
Avas not able to remedy it ; for, having had all my horses killed,
and being mounted upon one that could not be pricked out of a
walk, I could not get forward myself, and the orders I sent forward,
either to halt the front, or to prevent the raen parting Avith their
arms, Avere unattended to. The rout continued quite to Fort Jef
ferson, tAventy-nine miles, which Avas reached a little after sun-setting.
The action began about half an hour before sunrise, and the retreat
Avas attempted at half an hour after nine o'clock.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 265
I have not yet been able to get returns of the killed and wounded ;
but Major-General Butler, Lieutenant-Colonel Oldham, of the
militia. Major Ferguson, Major Hart, aud Major Clarke are among
the former. Colonel Sargent, my adjutant-general, Lieutenant-
Colonel Darke, Lieutenant-Colonel Gibson, Major Butler, and the
Viscount Malartie, who served me as an aid-de-camp, are among the
latter ; and a great uumber of captains and subalterns in both.
I have now, sir, finished my melancholy tale— a tale that Avill be
felt sensibly by every one that has sympathy for private distress, or
for public misfortune. I have nothing, sir, to lay to the charge of
the troops but their Avant of discipline, Avhich, from the short time
they had been in service, it was irapossible they should have ac
quired, and Avhich rendered it A'ery difficult, when- they Avere thrown
into confusion, to reduce them again to order, Avhich is one reason
why the loss has fallen so heavy upon the officers, Avho did e\'ery
thing in their poAver to effect it. Neither were my own exertions
wanting ; but, Avorn doAvn Avith illness, and suffering under a painful
disease, unable either to mount or dismount a horse Avithout assist
ance, they were not so great as they otherwise would, and, perhaps,
ought to have been. We were overpowered by numbers ; but it is
no more than justice to observe that, though composed of so many
different species of troops, the utmost harmony prevailed through
the Avhole army during the campaign.
At Fort Jefferson, I found the First regiment, which had returned
from the service they had been sent upon, Avithout either overtaking
the deserters, or meeting the convoy of provisions. I ara not certain,
sir, Avhether I ought to consider the absence of this regiment from
the field of action as fortunate or otherAvise. I incline to think
it AA'as fortunate ; for I very much doubt Avhether, had it been in the
action, the fortune of the day had been turned : and, if it had not,
the triumph of the enemy Avould have been more complete, and the
country Avould have been destitute of cA'ery means of defense.
Taking a vicAV of the situation of our broken troops at Fort Jef
ferson, aud that there Avere no provisions in the fort, I called on the
field officers, viz. : Lieutenant-Colonel Darke, Major Hamtramck,
Major Zeigler, and Major Gaither, together with the adjutant-gen
eral, for their advice what Avould be proper further to be done ; and
it Avas their unanimous opinion that the addition of the First regi
ment, unbroken as it was, did not put the army on so respectable a
footing as it Avas in the morning, because a great part of it was now un
armed ; that it had been then found unequal to the enemy, and should

266 The St. Clair Papers.
they come on, which Avas probable, would be found so again; that
the troops could not be thrown into the fort, both because it was too
small and that there were no provisions in it ; that provisions were
known to be upon the road at the distance of one, or, at most, two
marches ; that, therefore, it would be proper to move without loss
of time to meet the provisions, Avhere the raen might have the
sooner an opportunity of sorae refreshment, and that a proper de
tachment might be sent back Avith it to have it safely deposited in
the fort. This advice Avas accepted, and the army was put in mo
tion again at teu o'clock, aud raarched all night, aud the succeeding
day met with a quantity of flour ; part of it Avas distributed irame
diately, part taken back to supply the army on the march to Fort
Hamilton, and the reraainder — about fifty horse-loads — sent forward
to Fort Jefferson. The next day, a drove of cattle was met with
for the sarae jDlace ; and I haA'e inforraation that both got in. The
wounded Avho had been left at that place were ordered to be brought
here by the return of the horses.
I have said, sir, in a forraer part of this letter, that we were over-
poAvered by numbers. Of that, however, I have no evidence ; but
the weight of the fire, which was ahvays a most deadly one, and
generally delivered from the ground, few of the enemy showing
themseh'es afoot except when they Avere charged, and that, in a
few minutes, our Avhole camp, which extended above three hundred
and fifty yards in length, was entirely surrounded and attacked on
all quarters.
The los.s, sir, the public has sustained, by the fall of so many
officers, particularly General Butler and Major Ferguson, can not
be too much regretted ; but it is a circumstance that will alleviate
the misfortune, in some measure, that all of them fell most gallantly
doing their duty. I have had very particular obligations to many
of thera, as well as to the survivors ; but to none more than to Col
onel Sargent. He has discharged the various duties of his office
with zeal, Avith exactness, and with intelligence ; and, on all occa
sions, afforded me every assistance in his power ; Avhich I have also
experienced frora my aid-de-camp. Lieutenant Denny, and the Vis
count Malartie, who served with me in the station as a volun
teer. P. S. Some orders that had been given to Colonel Oldham over
night, and which were of much consequence, Avere not executed ;
and sorae very material intelligence was communicated by Captain
Slough to General Butler, in the course of the night before the ac-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 267
tion, which Avas never imparted to me, nor did I hear of it until
after my arrival here.'

General St. Clair to Major Brown.
Fort Washington, November 12, 1791.
Sir: — I request the favor that you Avill make known to the militia
the great regret I feel for the loss they sustained in their late gal
lant commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Oldham, and other brave offi
cers and soldiers. It is Avith pleasure I acknoAvledge the satisfaction
received from their general orderly behavior, aud the harmojiy and
good understanding that prevailed betAveen them and the other
classes of troops which composed the army during the campaign.
If some of them did desert the service of their country at a critical
moment, it reflects a luster upon those Avho were not to be influenced
'This postscript caused a sensation, and the correctness of the statement
was immediately challenged by a brother of General Butler, who, it seems,
relied on false representations made by Ensign Morgan. The latter was so
anxious to curry faA'or with General Knox that he made the charge pub
licly that Captain Slough did not receive his orders from General Butler,
and that he did not report to him, as represented. The result was, that he
was tried before a court-martial, and dismissed the army for falsehood and
insubordination. Subsequently General St. Clair requested that he be per
mitted to return to his position, as he did not wish to be the cause of pun
ishment to any one.
In a letter to the Secretary of War, under date of November 17th, I find
these two very pleasant paragraphs. The first shows that St. Clair was
ever-mindful of the personal interests of the Butlers, and that no recollec
tion of the fatal neglect of Eichard Butler, on the night preceding the bat
tle, changed his kindly feelings:
" I forgot to mention in my last a very gallant thing of Major Butler. Hav
ing received the wound which broke his leg, he retired to be dressed, and
the moment thi:S Avas over got himself put upon a horse, and returned to his
battalion, and continued with it until it was ordered to return."
"The ofiicers of the Second regiment, hut they are, unhappily, no more,
were very desirous that Doctor Brown, ofthe levies, who attended that reg
iment, should be appointed the surgeon, and had formed a representation to
you on the subject. His medical abilities are, I am told, rated high, and I
am sure he has been attentive. There is also in the First regiment a Mr.
Elliott, who should have some claim to proraotion. I believe he served in
that capacity all the last Avar. Doctor Allison speaks well of him.
"Since writing the above, I have received a letter from General Wilkin
son, of the 13th, which informs me that Kentucky is all in motion; that
fifteen hundred raen would assemble at Craig's Mills on the 15th, and pro
ceed to this place.''

268 The St. Clair Papers.
by the base example ; but, as that very desertion occasioned the ab
sence of a considerable body of the troops at the time of action,
and may thereby have been the cause of the misfortune that befel
us, it Avill be the duty of every officer to use his utmost endeavor
that they be brought to condign punishment, agreeably to the laws
ofthe country. While I wish the militia individually a safe return
to their families, and to their country all happiness, I can not resist
the giving them this further proof of my good-will by observing
that, in no case where I have seen militia employed, has there been
that subordination and prorapt obedience of orders Avhich are neces
sary to the success of military operations, and I recoraraend it to
them, should they be again called into their country's service, to
endeavor to acquire those habits, and to isractice thera Avith alacrity,
as the only raeans, under God, by which either personal honor or
public advantage can be obtained.

General St. Clair to Captain John Armstrong.
Fort Washington, November 20th, 1791.
Dear Sir : — I liave been favored Avith both your letters, and I
thank you for the prudent precaution of throAving over sorae pro
visions to the other side of the river. As it has happened, there
could have been nothing so ojsportune, for the boat Avliich should
have replaced the one that brought the Avounded, after struggling
some days against the current of the IMiarai, making but three
miles, returned to-night. What is to be done to get over the de
tachment, I knoAV not ; and the Avounded officers — my heart bleeds
for them. I think it fortunate, hoAvevcr, so far, that you are at the
post, because, if it is possible to get .them over I know it avIU be
done. Your company Avill be sent you, and your oavu baggage and
the clothing were on board the boat. Another experiment shall be
made forthwith to get her up. The sergeant had the good sense to
get a canoe hauled across the neck from the north bend, and sent
her forward Avith KitcheU and three of his best men. I hope in
God she Avill get up, and affbrd sorae relief.
The quarterraaster sends the tools and artificers you Avant, and, I
pray you, let the flat be set about iraraediately, for it Avill be very
much Avanted, and soon, for Kentucky is in motion, and, independ
ent of that, more provisions must be sent to Fort Jefferson. I. have
reason t'l expect the volunteers Avill be here to-morroAV — they talk
of fifteen hundred. Remember rae to Colonel Gibson, Captain

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 269
Doyle, and all the gentlemen ; that I can not relieve them in the
instant afflicts me ; my best Avishes for their speedy recovery they
ahvays have.
I have been confined to my chamber, and great part of the time
to my bed, ever since my return, and, though the pain is almost
gone, I do not recruit. Adieu.'

General St. Clair to General Knox, Secretary of War.
Fort Washington, November 24, 1791.
Sir: — I have the honor to inclose a duplicate of my letter of the
17th instant, which Avas sent by Mr. Denny, by the way of Ohio,
and a triplicate of that ofthe 9th, AvhIch Avent by the Avay of Lex
ington—the first of each of these I hope got safe to hand in due
time, for I should consider it unfortunate if report, AvhIch aggravates
every thing,mueh overruns the authentic account of the disaster that
befell us.
I informed you that a large party of volunteers were on their way
from Kentucky, and at that time I had sanguine expectations that
a severe bloAv inight be given to the savages yet this Avinter, but my
expectations are lowered. A very few — tAven ty-five — came forward
and finding that the rest Avould not imraediately foUoAV them, have
returned, as I fear they all will. General Scott is, hoAvever, by the
last accounts, encamped about twenty miles on this side of Lexing
ton, AvIth two or three hundred men, waiting for a reinforcement,
which Geueral Wilkinson has been sent back to hasten on to Captain
Slough, Avith papers. Through his camp he Avill be able to giA'e you
more perfect information than I am at present possessed of The
main object ofthe volunteers was the relief of Fort Jefferson, which
had been represented as invested, but that being contradicted, many
returned to their homes.
The detachment returned from Fort Jefferson on the 22d. The
convoy got in safe, and met with no opposition. Only two or three
Indians Avere seen by them. Neither have any appeared about the
fort, though, from the firing they frequently hear, there are small
parties thereabouts. The weather proved A'ery unfavorable at the
time that detachment Avas in motion, and the country for ten or
twelve miles betAveen Fort Hamilton and Fort Jefferson was under
^The original of the above letter is in the possession of L. J. Cist, Esq.,
of Cincinnati.

270 The St. Clair Papers.
water, and the snoAV had fallen there to a considerable depth, but
was gone off again.
The AVOunded officers are mostly returned, except Captain Gibson
and Captain Darke. There is no probability that Colonel Gibson
AvIU ever return, and Colonel Drake writes me that the recovery of
his son is stUl very doubtful.
The cold and fatigue during the march has so much inflamed
his wound that he is not able to return, and added to that>
his feet are frost bitten. His (Colonel Darke's) stay at that
place is peculiarly embarrassing, as he had put Major Hamtramck
in arrest the morning he left this place. The case Avas this:
The day of the action, the Major was advanced about nine
miles of Fort Jefferson ; sorae persons who had been in the action
informed him that the army Avas cut up ; very fcAV had escaped ;
and that the Indians Avere coming on he had heard distinctly;
in that case he thought it imprudent to risk the regiment, and with
it the fort, which at that time had invalids and convalescents only
for a garrison, and returned to it. And for this he has brought the
charge of coAvardice and shamefully retreating for fear of the enemy
against him. Colonel Darke Avrites me that he hopes to return in
twenty or twenty-five days, but before that the possibility of ascend
ing the Wabash Avill be passed, and there, I think, the Major ought
to be. It is irregular to try a man Avhen the prosecutor is absent,
but as the case requires no proof, I belieA'e I must do it ; that should
he be acquitted, he may be sent immediately to that country, which
appears to me to be of importance.'
By late accounts from Pittsburgh, from Major Prescott, about ten
days ago, there Avas no appearance of the embarkation ofthe troops.
I Avrote to him on the 19th to detach to Fort Franklin two sergeants,
tAVO corporals and twenty-three privates, to relieve the levies at that
place, and to send the remainder of Haskel's company to Mus
kingum, if he had received no orders from you for the disposition
of them. I also wrote to Captain Haskel, in case he should be met
above Muskingum, to halt at that place, but as it seems likely you
may have directed that it sliould remain where it is, I have, there
fore, ordered a detachment of forty men from the Second regiment
to erabark for that place to-morrow ; these I had intended for Galli
polis, but now I fear that place must take care of Itself for this
Avinter, but if Captain Haskel is at Muskingum, it may be possible
for Mr. Tillinghast yet to fall back to Gallipolis.
1 Major Hamtramck was honorably acquitted.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc'. 271
The levies are now all discharged except the Maryland battalion
and Faulkner's corps. They were to have been mustered this day,
as the previous step, but the excessive rain that is now falling avUI
prevent it. They Avill take the route through the Avilderness, and it
is Avell that so many of them chose that Avay, as it would have been
impossible to furnish them Avith boats — those that Avere at this place
were in so bad condition that it Avould have been impossible to have
kept them afloat ; and, as at the same time I marched the waters
Avere retiring so far that, if they sank, it would have been far from
the shore Avhen the river rose again, and consequently it Avould have
been impossible to raise them. I had them hauled out from the
bank, aud the quartermaster has not been able to get them in
repair. Yesterday, for the first time, I have been able to leave my roora,
but can neither eat, drink, nor sleep — it is exactly a month since I
made the last meal — twice in that time I attempted it, and paid se
verely for it. Bread and tea are my sustenance ; nevertheless, I am
recovering. 2 o'cloch p. m.
General Scott is this moment arrived ; about two hundred men
are with him, and he expects a sufficient number for the enterprise
will foUoAV in the course of two or three days, but I am not without
my fears that the project will blow up. Eventually, hoAvever, should
Colonel Logan be of the party, Avhich he expects, there will be no
doubt as to numbers. Those, however, have already been ten days
out ; and, of course, a great part of their provisions and forage ex
pended, and he has already made application for both. Should it
go on and succeed, the expense Avill be Avell laid out ; should a dis
appointment happen, and the enterprise not be undertaken, still,
those Avho are come forward have shown their good Avill, and, un
der existing circumstances, it ajspears to me that it would not be
prudent to disgust them, for that avIU be iu itself a trifle.
I have also just uoav receh'ed letters from Post Vincennes. The
foUoAving is an extract of a letter frora Lieutenant Prior, Avho cora
mands at Fort Knox, dated October 7th. (The first three para
graphs of the letter.)
[This is all of the letter found ; as indicated in the indorsement,
there was more, but it Avas lost.] '
'On the back of this letter is the following note in St. Clair's hand:
"A considerable partof this letter, which was written on a loose half-
sheet, by some cause has been lost."

272 The St. Clair Papers.
General St. Claie to Ensign Tillinghast.
[Instructions.] November 27th, 1791.
You Avill proceed to Marietta, at the mouth of the Muskingum
River, Avith the detachment under your coraraand, and there take
post for the protection of the settlement — that protection you will
afford in as ample a manner as possible, always taking care not un
necessarily to expose your men. There is a block-house AA'here Fort
Harmar stood, but Avhich avIU be too sraall for your jDarty. Should
you find it practicable to support it, I wish it to be done, provided
the inhabitants have uot abandoned that side of the river; but of
the propriety of that raeasure you must yourself be the judge.
There are no public buildings at JMarietta for the reception of your
comraand ; it Avill be, therefore, necessary that you should construct
some yourself, in doing AvhIch you will raeet the assistance you may
stand in need of from the inhabitants, on application to Colonel
Sproat, the comraander of the railitia. There are seA-eral pieces of
artillery, araraunition, and rausket cartridges and quarterraaster's
stores, Avhich Avere left at Fort Harmar by Major Zeigler — of those
he AvUl give you an invoice, and, when you arrive there, you will
please to corapare it Avith the actual state, and make return to rae or
the officers commanding the troops at this place. Should you meet
Major Trescot on the river, AvhIch is probable, or Captain Hasket,
you AvIU speak with them, and inquire Avhether my orders for leav
ing a detachment at Muskingum had reached either of them and
been coraplied Avith. If they have been coraplied with, and you
meet them above GaUipolIs, you are to fall back and take post there
for the same purpose of protecting the inhabitants until further or
ders. ' Should it be beloAV Gallipolis that they, or either of them, are
raet with, and a detachraent has been left at Muskingum, you are
to proceed to that place and take post as above, taking care to give
the earUest possible notice to me or the officer comraanding here,
that a proper supjDly of araraunition may be sent to you. In either
case — that is, Avhether you stop at Gallipolis or' Muskingum, you
wUl furnish Captain Ashton and the officers with him who are
ordered on the recruiting service, Avith the boat and a sufficient
number of men to take them to Wheeling, from whence the boat is
immediately to return. You will make returns from Avhichever of
the places above mentioned at which you take post, as frequently
and regularly as possible, and correspond Avith me, or the officer com
raanding here, and take notice of all casualties, and every informa-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 27S-
tion respecting the savages you may receive; and, should any
important intelligence reach you, you will please to communicate the
same to the Secretary of War.

Geneeal St. Clair to Captain John Armstrong.
Fort Washington, December 7, 1791.
Stir : — I have been favored with your letter of the 4th instant. I
am not sorry that you did not send my letters for Fort Jefferson by
express ; they are of a private nature, and may go at any time.
I am sorry for the mistake that has happened in your clothing,
but the shirts and shoes of the public clothing that are at your post
are intended for the garrison of Fort Jefferson, and must go on with
the next escort, which Avill leave this place in a few days. There
ought to be ninety-six complete suits. When the command returns,
they will bring back the remaining articles of it ; but there is some
clothing, also, that was intended for the levies, but is properly the
property of Colonel Darke. He has given Mr. Hodgdon directions
about it, and some part of it is intended for Fort Jefferson also.
Mr. Hodgdon will inform you of the quantity, and you wdll please
to send it on and the rest back here, as he may request. This is
giving you trouble, and out of your way, but when you know it is
for the more comfortable accommodation of the poor wounded sol
diers there, you Avill think nothing of it.
It Avas my intention that your command at Fort Hamilton should
be certain, and I very much a25proved of your having your company
with you. Detachments, Avhen they can be avoided, is a bad way
of making up commands, but I can not interfere with the case of
the barber. I dare say, on your oavu application to Major Zeigler,
he will be sent to you. '
I have informed Major Zeigler that the command of Fort Ham
ilton has been committed to you, and in the execution of it I know
not any thing that is necessary to give you particularly in charge.
Your love of order and discipline renders it entirely unnecessary to
say any thing Avith respect either to the police of the garrison or the.
care of the men ; and should you be attacked, I am confident that
you Avill Avell defend yourself, and you will have an ample supply
of provisions. One thing, however, I request you to send small
parties, from time to time, to make discoveries, and establish, if you
VOL. II. — 18

274 The St. Clair Papers.
can, some mode of communicating with Fort Jefferson and this
place. You observe that Mr. Wade is your ensign. He has lately been
appointed an adjutant, and consequently can not join you ; but as it
is necessary that you should have two subalterns, I have directed
Major Zeigler to give you another. When he arrives, I can have
no objection to your coming to Fort Washington for a short time,
and I knoAV you would not choose to make it otherwise. Some ar
tillerymen Avill be sent yon ; but, alas ! we have none who have any
thing more than the name.
I ara still very much afflicted, and have been abroad but three
times since my arrival ; nevertheless, I propose to set off for the At
lantic country to-morrow.'
1 Governor St. Clair remained at Philadelphia for some months. The year
1791 being devoted to railitary movements, and the country being in a con
tinual state of alarm, little was done necessarily in the civil line. The man
uscript journal of Secretary Sargent shows, however, that nothing was neg
lected that was necessary to the welfare of the inhabitants.'

(1) GENERAL ORDEES.
1791, March 6th.— 1. Returns of militia, with report of the arms, etc., to be made
to the secretary as soon as possible.
2. Commanding officers of counties will apportion the militia to their several
fortresses, and, upon the firing of one cannon or three muskets, they are instantly
to repair to their alarm posts; and all firing of guns within one mile of any of the
fortifications (except for defense or the purpose of alarm and under proper author
ity) is hereby most positively prohibited, without previous permission from the of
ficer commanding.
3. At tlie beating of the reveille, every man enrolled in the militia, and within any
of the fortifications, is to appear upon the parade with his arms and accouterments,
ready for military service and the orders of the commanding officer. Nothing but
sickness to exempt a man from this duty.
4. A patrol is to be sent out every morning from the fortifications in the different
settlements, and no person to be sulfered to pass out till their return, unless for mil
itary purposes, and by order of the commanding officer.
The fatal effects of a surprise have been so recently impressed upon every mind
that the utmost vigilance is expected. ,
The General Government seems disposed to afford us most ample protection, but
as the means can not be brought into immediate effect, our defense and safety must
for the present depend upon ourselves. AVith arms in our hands, and equal num
bers, we have nothing to fear in any situation. Under cover of the works that have
been erected, we may bid defiance to the combined efforts of our enemies; but it is
in the fields, unarmed or ot unequal force, that we are exposed.
To guard as much as possible against all danger, it must be the utmost, invariable
practice, upon leaving the fortifications, even for the shortest distance, to take our
arms in our Iiands, for experience has convinced us that the Indian will conceal
himself at our very doors. In tlie fields alone and at labor, men would at this
time be most wantonly sportini; their lives. They should work in large parties,
armed, and with sentinels always posted out. This will deserve and insure security,
while a contrary line of conduot may deprive us of mauy good soldiers and valuable
members of community.
April 29th.— Governor St. Clair arrived at Marietta.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 275
I Wish you, sir, a happy command.'

General, Knox to General. St. Clair.
War Department, December 23d, 1791.
Sir: — ^I have received your letter of the 9th of November,
iThe original letter is in the possession of L. J. Cist, Esq., of Cincinnati.

April 30th.— Winthrop Sargent was commissioned Colonel of the militia of the
Territory. May 1st.— The Governor left for Kentucky.
May 2d. — The Secretary commissioned Dudley Woodbridge Register of Deeds for
Washington county, and Benjamin lyes Gilman as Clerk of Court of Probate, vice
Enoch Parsons, resigned.
May 6th.— All persons between the ages of flfteen and fifty ordered to be enrolled
as militia, and the following appointments made for the Second regiment of AVash
ington county: Major— Isaac Guion. Captains— John Rome, Francis D'Hebecourt,
and Antoine B. Due. Lieutenants— Jean Baptiste Le Tailleur, Edward Thony de la
Fosse, and John Louis Maldant. Ensigns— Alexander Chevalier Noel, B. Harwell,
and Claud Romain Mesnager. Adjutant— J. L. Maldant. These for Gallipolis.
May 7th.— Following appointments made at Gallipolis: Judge Court of Common
Pleas and Justice of the Court of Quarter Sessions— John Gilbert Petit. Justices of
the Peace  Augustin Le Clercq and Jean Michan. A commission was issued to Ben
jamin Tupper, Joseph Gilman and Johu G. Petit to hold the Court of Common Pleas
in county of Washington, and Avith them were joined Isaac Peirce aud Thomas
Lord to hold the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace.
May 21st.— Hippolitus, Viscount of Malartie, appointed Lieutenant Second regi
ment of Washington county.
May 24th.— At Cincinnati, AVilliam Burnet, gentleman, appointed Register of Deeds.
June 2;id.— John Blanchard, gentleman, appointed Clerk to the Legislature.
August 12th .—Governor St. Clair, at Cincinnati, appointed Henry A'anderburgh
Judge of Probate and Justice of the Peace for Knox county. A new commission
was issued for holding county courts in that county to Pier Gamelin, James John
son, and Henry Vanderburgh, being named therein, and Antoine Gamelin omitted,
he having left the Territory.
December 12th.— The Secretary appointed Oliver Spencer, Lieutenant-Colonel;
Brice Virgin, Captain; and John Bowman, Ensign of the First regiment of Hami-
ton county.
December 14th. — George McCuUom commissioned Justice of the Peace for Hamil
ton county.
December 27th.— Military appointments made as follows: Captain— Levi AVood
ward. Lieutenants— John Vance and John Wallace. Ensign— Isaac Freeman. En-
sio-n Kibby was promoted to be Lieutenant, vice Scott Traverse, resigned.
LAWS PASSED, 1791 .
1. Supplementary to a law entitled, -'A law respecting crimes and punishments."
[Pub.June22.\ 2. For the punishment of persons tearing or defacing publications set up by au
thority. [Pub. June 22.]
•3. Creating the offlce of Clerk of the Legislature. [Pub. June 22.]
4 Eor rendering authentic as evidence in the courts of the Territory the public
.acts, records, and judicial proceedings of courts of the United States. [Pub. JuneZl.]
5. Abolishing the distinction between the crimes of murder and petit treason.
[Pub. .Tune 22.]
6. Regulating the inclosures of grounds. [Pub. June 29.]
7. To alter and amend the militia laws. [Pub. July 2.]

276 The St. Clair Papers.
by the way of Lexington, and yours of the I7th by Mr. Denny..
Your misfortune, to be sure, has been great and unexpected. But,.
sir, it Avas one of those incidents Avhich sometimes happen in human
affairs, which could not, under existing circumstances, have been
prevented. The event and the gallant men are to be regretted. But
the mind, instead. of being depressed, must be braced to prepare an
adequate remedy. In devising measures to this end, I should have
been hapjjy had your health and other circumstances permitted that
you had repaired here even earlier than your intimations.
Be assured, sir, that however great the defeat, that both your
reputation and the reputation of the troops under your command,
are unimpeached. The fact seems to be pretty Avell ascertained, by
way of Detroit, through different channels of coramunication, that
you must haA^e had opposed to you 2,500 Indians. If this should
prove true eventually, a consolation Avould at least arise that you
were beaten by superior numbers, I enter not into particulars, as
it is probable you will soon be here, and even this letter may miss
you.

General Armstrong' to the President. December 23, 1791.
Who could doubt, Avho knows the abilities of the first officers of
that army, that the only successful mode of coping Avith Indians in
a forest had not been preconcerted over and over long before that.
day. The partial or momentary advantage, gained by the flanklng-
parties only, as I apprehend, with screwed bayonets, would easily
discover the error of the former arrangeraent ; but alas, it Avas then
too late, either to devise a ucav one or change the old for a better.
Placing the railitia in a body over the brook, permit me to say, was
an uuAvarrantable step, Avhen tAvo or three small pickets would have
served a better purpose. It seems jjrobable that too much attach
ment to regular or military rule, or a too great confidence in the ar
tillery (which, it seems, formed part of the lines, and had a ten
dency to render the troops stationary) , must have beeu the motives
which led to the adopted order of action. I call it adopted, because
'General John Armstrong the hero of Kittaning, and recognized at the
time as the highest authority on Indian warfare. His tribute of praise is as
just as his criticisra. It is safe to accept hisjudgment as final so far as the
carapaigns against the Indians, in 1790 and 1791, are concerned. The neg
lect of the quartermaster-general forms another chapter, and a very dis
graceful one.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 277
tbe General does not speak of having intended any other, whereby
be presented a large and visible object, perhaps in close order, too,
to an enemy near enough to destroy, but from their known modes
of action comparatively invisible ; Avhereby we may readily infer
that five hundred Indians Avere fully sufficient to do us all the injury
we have sustained, nor can I conceive them to have been many more.
But, tragical as the event has been, Ave have this consolation : that,
during the action, our officers and troops discovered great bravery,
and that the loss of a battle is not always the loss of the cause. In
vain, however, may we expect success against our present adversaries
without taking a fcAV lessons from them, which I thought Ameri
cans had learned long ago. The principles of their military action
are rational, and, therefore, often successful. We must, in a great
degree, take a similar method in order to counteract them.
As the best of men are liable to mistakes, shall Ave lay all the
blame of this heavy misfortune to the score of natural causes, and
our half surprised and mangled army ? No, verily ; for, if we do,
the last error Avill be greater than the first. No, sir ; the people at
large, in behalf of wdiom the action was brought on, are more es
sentially to blame, and lost the battle. An infatuating security
seemed to pervade the minds of all men amongst us. We pon
dered not sufficiently the nature and importance of the object.

General St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
Philadelphia, January 22, 1792.
S'lr : — To the letter of the 9th November, which I had the honor
to address to you from Fort, Wash ington, a postscript Avas added
relating to information communicated by Captain Slough to General
Butler, and not imparted by him to me, and that did not come to
my knoAvledge till after the army had got back to that fort. As
the nature of tbe inforraation Avas not mentioned, the postscript
must have appeared mysterious, and it is proper that I should ex
plain it. Captain Slough was intended to have been the bearer of
the letter (and it was so indorsed upon the corner), therefore I
thought it needless to insert the particulars, and had he presented it
to you, no doubt, sir, you Avould have inquired into it fully, and all
ambiguity Avould have ceased ; but, at the moment he should have
set off,' some account of the situation of Colonel Gibson, who is his
uncle, induced him to delay his journey, and the packet Avas put
into the hands of another person then going to Lexington. You

278 The St. aair Papers.
Avill be pleased to recollect that it was stated in that letter, that on
the night preceding the 4th October, the militia were in advance-
of the most of the army. For greater security, and to intercept
any small parties of Indians Avhich might be approaching with
predatory vieAV, it was thought fitting that a party of regular troops
should be advanced from a quarter to a half of a mile from the
militia. The party was taken from the right Aving AA'hich formed the
front line, then under the immediate command of General Butler,
and Captain Slough Avas the officer ordered out by him for those
purposes. In the night, it seems, he discovered the Indians ap
proaching in such numbers that he thought it necessary to draAV in
his party, and imraediately made report of what he had discovered
to General Butler, from whom he received his orders. He proposed
to the general to make the same report to me, but General Butler
replied to him that, as he must be fatigued, he had better lie doAvn
to sleep, and that he would himself glA-e me the inforraation. This
is, as nearly as I can recollect, the account that Captain Slough
gave me at Fort Washington.
The orders given to Colonel Oldham, mentioned also in the post-
scrijit as not executed, Avere that he should send out from his com
mand, an hour at least before day, and as much earlier as possible,
four or five parties of tAventy men Avith an officer, to take different
directions, to make discoveries. I Avas very anxious on this point,
and not without doubt that it might not be practically attended to.
Therefore, about the dawn of day, but rather before it, the adjutant-
general was sent to Colonel Oldham, that I might be certain of that
precaution having been taken. Colonel Oldham was met by him
at some distance from his encampment, and inforraed him the par
ties were not then gone out, but Avould be dispatched the moment
he returned. Unhappily he ncA'er returned.

General St. Clair to Hon. Thomas Fitzsimmons.
Philadelphia, January 23, 1792.
Sir : — The communications Avhich ^have been raade to the com
mittee by the Secretary of War and Mr. Hodgdon seem intended
to give a new turn to the inquiry, and present themselves to my
mind not as a justification of theraselves frora any share they or-
either of thera raay have had in producing the raisfortunes of the
last campaign, but a combined attack upon me personally. It
would be improper in me to obtrude upou the committee any obser-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 279
vation I may think proper to make upon those communications in
that point of view. But, as it has been remarked, some part ofthe
report of the committee respecting Mr. Hodgdon particularly may
have been drawn from the information contained in my official let
ters to the Secretary of War, the truth of Avhich information is de
nied, it is incumbent upon me to shoAv to the committee, as far as
it is in my power to shoAV it, that the information I gave Avas Avell
founded. To that end I would request that Captain Sedam and
Captain Kirsey, who are, I believe, at New BrunsAvick, in New
Jersey, may be summoned as Avitnesses, and General Harmar and"
Major Zeigler, who are in this city. Those are the only persons I
can recollect at present Avho Avere at Fort Washington at the time I
arrived there who are within reach, and the use I mean to make of
this testimony is to fix what was the general opinion in the army
with respect to Mr. Hodgdon as quartermaster, and the great share
of toil, trouble and A^exation that fell upon me from his absence. I
mention the use Avhich is to be made of it, because if these points
are thought to be sufficiently established already, I would dispense
¦with Captains Sedam and Kirsey, on, account of the trouble the
journey must unavoidably give them. I would also request that
tbe committee Avould be pleased to ask from the War Office the com
munications from Colonel Mentgez as inspector, after I assumed
the command at Fort Washington.

General St. Clair to the President.
[Private.] PHILADELPHIA, February 24, 1792.
Sir : — I take the liberty to inclose for your perusal the draught
of a letter which I propose to address to you on the subject I had the
honor to mention to you a fcAV days ago.
You will perceive that the letter is intended to be published, and
it is for that reason I have presumed to lay it before you in this
manner, and I have to beg the favor that, should there be any sen
timents in it, or any thing in the manner of expressing them that
you disapprove of, you Avould be pleased to mention, that they raay
be suppressed or altered before it be too late.
I am not perfectly sure of the ground I have taken upon this
occasion, but I am sure the measure has proceeded from a delicacy
of respect, and an earnest desire to avoid the giving you the
smaUest dissatisfaction, and to approach you in my private charac
ter is a Uberty Avhich you were pleased to grant me.

280 St. Clair Papers.
Major E. M. Butler to Governor St. Clair.
[No Place or Date], 1792.
Sir: — Your communications to the Secretary of War on the
subject of the late campaign, imply so unjust an imputation on the
memory of the deceased General Butler that I, as a brother and a
friend [out], find myself disagreeably obliged to address you on the
occasion. I flatter myself I have only to mention the circumstance
in order to bring to your recollection Avhat, in the hurry of business,
must have escaped, to induce you to wipe the unraerited stain from
a character Avho, when living, thought highly of your Excellency's
friendship. On the evening preceding our action, I mentioned (in consequence
of sorae observations I had made) to the adjutant-general the policy
of a small detachment being sent to ambuscade on the Indian path
the parties Avho might be stealing horses. He raentioned it imme
diately to your Excellency, Avho approved the idea, and was so
polite as to alloAV me the mere honorary honor in turning it out, not
to exceed thirty or forty men. In consequence of this, I put out
Captain Slough with his party. I gave him his orders and the coun
tersign, nor did I ask General Butler (after receiving ray orders)
that night, or give hira the smallest advice of such a party's having
been detached. I ara Avell convinced General Butler had no official
information on this subject until a few minutes previous to the action
commencing. Your Excellency will see from these facts that General Butler did
not find out Captain Slough, nor give him his orders ; and of course,
if Captain Slough had raade the report in question, it Avas.not offi-,
cial, nor was he in any way accountable ; but I have so far investi
gated the matter as to be assured myself that Captain Slough never
made such report, and, if necessary, expect in a short time to prove
it to the satisfaction of the parties interested, should your Excellency
refuse the friends of General Butler that justice which his merits
deserve. "^

General St. Clalr to Major Edmund Butlee.
Philadelphia, March 3d, 1792.
Sir : — I have, post before last, received a letter from you without
1 The contrary was proved.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 281
•date, on the subject of my official communications to the Secretary
of War, by which you say unjust harm is fixed on the character of
the deceased General Butler, who, Avhen living thought highly of
my friendship, and you expect that from the statement you have
made, that I shall be induced to wipe it off, otherAvise, as a brother
and friend, you must apply to the public.
How General Butler, when living, estimated my friendship, I do
not know ; but I very well know that he had good reason to set some
value upon it, because in the course of a considera.ble number of
years it had been unremitting and usefid to him, and was, as far as
I had opportunity, extended to all his connections. It, therefore,
gives me some surprise that one of his brothers, who, I think, could
not be ignorant of those circumstances, should suppose that in the
moment almost of his decease, I would attack his character. This
supposition implies an inconsistency on my part that I have not
been used to give examples of, and I should have thought that you
knew enough of me to believe I Avas not apt to detract from the
reputation of any person living or dead.
You are mistaken in supposing that the hurry of business led me
into any mistake, excepting it might be this one, that in giving you
directions about the party it did not occur to me that it Avas the left
wing of the army, and not the right, to which you acted as Brigade
Major — a mistake I fell into oftener than once, and OAvIng, I sup
pose, to the circumstance that I had requested General Butler to
give you that appointment. It Avas my intention that you should
ha\'e commanded the party, as it seemed to be your AvIsh, bnt recol
lecting your situation as Brigade Major, it Avas ImprojDer that you
should be detached ; neither Avas it proper that any thing resjDccting
the right Aving should have been given in charge to you. It does
not foUoAV that because you did not see General Butler (after re
ceiving your orders) that night, that I did not see hira, and Avhether
you consider the information he got official or not, avIU not make
any difference in the case, and you may be assured that I can prove,
in the most unequivocal manner, that the party Avas formed close by
his tent, and that the officer did receive his orders from him.
Whether General Butler received from Captain Slough the informa
tion Avhich I have stated to the Secretary of War rests with Captain
Slough. I presume it Avill not be doubted that such information was
given to me. It Avas my duty to make the communication, and it
was done in a manner the most delicate I could think of, for I not
only avoided the inserting it in the body of my letter, Avhich Avould
iave rendered the publication of it inevitable, but I did not e.\en.

282 The St. Clair Papers.
detail it, leaving it to a personal explanation with Captain Sloughy
and the Secretary to judge whether to publish it or not. It Avas
unfortunate that he did not go forward as Avas expected.
With respect to an appeal to the public, sir, I have only to ob
serve that the imprudence of some persons Avho have come forward
already as General Butler's friends, but Avho are in fact no friends,
either to his memory or to me, Avill, I believe, render it necessary
that every transaction of the campaign be laid before the public,
when many things that gave rae much pain at the time, and that
would, as things happened, have been burled, in eternal silence, must
be brought to vIcav. For the consequence, it is they and not I that
wiU be responsible.

Tobias Lear^ to General St. Claie.
Sunday Morning (without date) 1792.
Dear Sir : — The President, recollecting an engagement Avhich he
has at ten o'clock to-morroAV morning, requests you avIU be here at
eight, instead of nine o'clock, as Avas proposed, in order that he may
be at liberty to comply Avith his engagement at ten.
P. S. — You Avill take breakfast Avith the President, if convenient.

General St. Claie to the President.
Philadelphia, March 26, 1792.
Sir : — I beg leave to offer my unfeigned thanks for the honor con
ferred upon me by the appointment to the comraand of the array
of the United States the last campaign ; though that campaign was
unfortunate, I am not conscious that any thing within my poAver to
have produced a more fortunate issue Avas neglected. As I was
prompted to accept that command by no motives of either ambition
or interest, but by a fervent Avish to be of service to my country,
and a belief, perhaps too fondly entertained, that I could be so, that
^Private Secretary to President Washington, and so highly esteemed by
iim as to be remembered in his will. llr. Lear Avas born at Portsmouth,
New Harapshire, September 19, 17G2. He Avas graduated at Harvard Uni
versity. In 1801, he Avas appointed Consul-General at San Domingo; and
from 1804 to 1812, was Consul-General at Algiers, and was commissioned to
conclude a peace with Tripoli. Died October 10, 1816. — Drake's American.
Blog.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 283-
I am led to decline it in future, proceeds neither from disappoint
ment nor disgust. Having been much affiicted with sickness during
nearly the whole of the last campaign (though I flatter myself the
public interest did not suffer by it), and although my health is now
tolerably restored, my constitution has received a very severe shock,
and I might not again be able to go through the Aveight of business
which necessarily follows the command of an army. While I ara
persuaded that every thing Avas done in the course of the last cara
paign that could be done, on my part, to ansAver the public expecta
tion fully, yet it is denied by some, doubted by many, and known
to but few out of the army. A Avish to rectify the public opinion,
and a duty that I conceiA'e I OAve to myself, induces me to request
that an inquiry into my conduct may be instituted. When that is
over, I may hope to be permitted to resign the commission of Major-
General which I now hold. Should the result of the inquiry be
tbat in any instance the duties of my station were neglected ; or
that I did not improve CA'ery hour and CA'ery opportunity to the
best advantage ; or that the operations of the army, after it was in
a condition to operate, Avere delayed one moment in consequence of
my illness, I shall patiently submit to the merited censure. To
whoever may be appointed my successor, I shall be happy to give
every light and information my situation as General of the army
and Governor of tbe Western Territory put it in my poAver to ob
tain, and to evince to you and to the Avorld that the confidence you
were pleased to repose in me was not misplaced.
With every sentiment of gratitude, of respect, and, allow me to
add, of affection, I have the honor to be, etc.

President Washington to General St. Clair.
United States, March 28, 1792.
;§{,.; — Your knowledge of the country north- Avest of the Ohio,
and of the resources for an army in its vicinity, added to a full con-
dence in your military character, founded on mature experience,
induced my nomination of you to the comraand of the troops on
the frontiers.
Your desire of rectifying any errors of the public opinion relative
to your conduct, by an investigation of a court of inquiry, is highly
laudable, and would be readUy complied Avith were the measure
practicable. But a total deficiency of officers, in actual service, of

284 The St. Clair Papers.
competent rank to form a legal court for that purpose, precludes the
power of gratifying your wishes on the occasion.
The intimation of your readiness to afford your successor all the
information of which you are capable, although unnecessary for my
personal conviction, raust be regarded as an additional evidence of
the goodness of your heart, and of your attachment to your country.
[Private. — While I accept your resignation for the cause you
state, I sincerely regret the occasion. I fervently hope that your
health may be perfectly re-established, and that you may enjoy un
interrupted happiness.]^

General St. Claie to the President.
Philadelphia, March 31, 1792.
Sir : — I have had the honor to receive your letter of the 28th in
stant. While I lament that circumstances prevent an investigation
into my conduct by a court of inquiry, I can not but acquiesce in the
reasons you have assigned Avhy it can not take place, and I beg
leave to present my thanks for the desire to have gratified rae, had
it been practicable, which you have been pleased to manifest..
In ray letter of the 26th, I expressed ray intention of retiring
from the army when the inquiry should be over. The only reason
I had for Avishing to retain ray commission until that time Avas, that
if any misconduct should appear in the course of the inquiry, I
might be amenable to a court-martial, which a resignation would
have precluded. The House of Eepresentatives, sir, have directed
an inquiry into the causes of the failure of the last campaign to be
made by a committee of their oavu body. The same reason that in
fluenced me when a court of inquiry Avas conteraplated, operates
now with equal force, and, therefore, it may be proper that I should
still retain my coraraission, but, as it Avill soon be requisite that
some person should be at the head of the army Avho is to continue to
comraand it, it is necessary that I should inform you explicitly,
Avhich I now do, of my fixed resolution to resign the moment the
inquiry is finished, should no fault be found that any embarrass
ment Avhich may exist with respect to providing a successor for me
may be removed.
Be pleased, sir, to obserA'e that my sole object is to give effect to
public justice, in the usual Avay, by a court-martial, should it appear
' The paragraph within brackets was written below the signature and a
line drawn around it.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 285
that, in any manner whatsoever, tbe misfortunes of the last campaign
can be attributed to me, and it is the proper, and, I believe, the
only tribunal where military crimes and misconduct can be inquired
into and punished, or where an officer's reputation, infinitely dearer
than life, can be vindicated.
Should the public service, however, require that another officer
of the same rank with me be appointed immediately, I am ready to
make the resignation forthAvith, notwithstanding that it may seem
to proceed, and, at a distance, will be supposed to have arisen from
a sense that the volume of calumny and defamation, invented by
malice, which is daily pouring from the press into the public ear,
bas too much foundation for me to meet it — that I shrink from the
consequences and choose to shelter myself in a private station. I
am ready, sir, upon tbis, as I have been upon others, to sacrifice
every private and personal feeling and consideration to the public
good.

President Washington to General St. Clair.
United States, April 4, 1792.
Sir: — I have read and duly considered your letter of the 81st
ultimo. The reasons you offer for retaining your commiesion until an op
portunity should be presented, if necessary, of investigating your
conduct, in every mode prescribed by laAV, would be conclusive
with me, under any other circumstances than the present.
But, the estabUshment of the troops alloAvs only one Major-Gen.
eral. You have manifested your intention of retiring, and the es
sential interests of the public require that your successor should be
immediately appointed, in order to repair to the frontiers.
As the House of Representatives have been pleased to institute an
inquiry into the causes of the failure of the late expedition, I should
hope an opportunity Avould thereby be afforded you of explaining
your conduct in a manner satisfactory to the public and yourself.

General St. Clalr to the President.
Philadelphia, April 7, 1792.
I bave had the honor to receive your letter of the 4th instant.
Although I was very desirous, sir, to hold my commission of Major-

286 The St. Clair Papers.
General until the inquiry by the committee of the House of Repre
sentatives should be over, for the reasons which I assigned, and which
you are pleased to think have some weight, yet the necessity of the
officer being appointed who is to command the troops, in order to his
repairing to the frontier, is certainly pressing and ought to sUence
with me every Avish of a raere personal nature. I do, therefore, now
formaUy resign the appointment tif Major-General.
I have never entertained a doubt that an inquiry into the causes
•of the failure of the late expedition, Avhether directed particularly
to my conduct or to that connected Avith other causes that may have
operated, in Avhatever Avay it might be conducted, would prove
honorable to me, and satisfactory to the public as far as I was con-
connected with it, but setting, as I do, a due value upon the public
opinion, and desirous not to lose that place in the esteem of the vir
tuous and intelligent of my felloAV-citizens, which I have long held,
you wiU not wonder that, under existing circumstances, a degree of
anxiety, not only that an inquiry should be made, but that every
thing capable of being misconstrued should be avoided on my part.
I Avill own to you, sir, that the desire of honest fame has ever been
the strongest passion in ray breast. I have thought that I had
merited it, and it is all I have to compensate me for the sacrifice of
a very independent situation and the last years of my life devoted
to the public service, and the faithful application of my talents, such
as they were, in every situation in Avhich I have been placed, with a
zeal bordering upon enthusiasm. I trust, sir, I shall yet enjoy it,
while those who have attempted to disturb it Avill be forgotten, or re
membered Avith indignation, and, in their bosoms, if they have feel
ing, sensations may arise, something similar to what Milton has
described to have seized upon Satan, when he discovered our first
parents in Paradise.

Report of a Special Committee of the House of Repre
sentatives ON the Failure of the Expedition Against
THE Indians.
March 27th, 1792.
Mr. Giles, of Virginia, introduced a resolution requesting the
President to institute an inquiry into the causes of the faUure of
the expedition against the Indians in the fall of 1791; " and also
into the causes of the detentions or delays Avhich are suggested to
have attended the money, clothing, provisions, and military stores.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 287
for the use of the said army, and into such other causes as may, iu
any manner, have been productive of said defeat."
This led to an animated debate, during Avhich party spirit Avas
displayed. It was finally suggested by Mr. Fitzsimmons, of Penn
sylvania, that it was improper to request the President to institute
a Court of Inquiry. ' ' The reasons and propriety of such courts are
better and more fully known to the President than to the members
of the House." He Avas in favor ofa committee of inquiry relative
to such objects as come properly under the cognizance of the House,
and if the resolution Avere defeated he would move the appointment of
such a committee. Mr. Giles's resolution Avas rejected, and the fol
lowing resolution offered by Mr. Fitzsimmons was adopted :
Resolved, That a committee be appointed to inquire into the causes of the
failure of the late expedition under Major-General St. Clair ; and that the
said committee be empowered to call for such persons, papers, and records,
as may be necessary to assist their inquiries.
The committee ajipointed under the resolution consisted of Mr.
Fitzsimmons, Mr. Giles, Mr. Steele, Mr. Mercer, Mr. Vining, Mr.
Clark, and Mr. Sedgwick.
The committee entered upon the discharge of their duty immedi
ately, and gave notice to the Secretary of War, and to Major-Gen
eral St. Clair, to attend. After a very minute and laborious in
vestigation extending throughout the session, during which many
witnesses Avere examined, the committee came to a unanimous agree
ment, and made report to the House, of which the foUoAving ex
tracts cover the essential points :
[The report first relates that a contract for supplies was made by
the Secretary of the Treasury with Theodosius Fowler, who gave
bond in the sum of one hundred thousand doUars for the perform
ance of the contract; that January 3, 1791, the contract was trans
ferred from FoAvler to William Duer, but that notice of the transfer
was not filed in the Treasury Department until the 7th of AprU, and
that the Secretary of the Treasury refused to recognize Duer other
than as the agent of Fowler; that the Secretary of War, who alone
appears to have been the agent on the part of the United States, in
all things relating to the execution of the contract, always corre
sponded with Duer as contractor, and on the 26th of AprU he
entered into a contract with the said Duer for supplying the troops
witb provisions until their arrival at Fort Pitt, for the execution of
which Duer gave a bond in the sum of four thousand dollars Avith
out security. The report also relates that no money for purchasing
suppUes was furnished at Carlisle, which was the place of ren-

'288 The St. Clair Papers.
dezvous for the enlisted soldiers, down to a day as late as the 9th
of May ; aud that the agent of the contractor Avas actively engaged
in furnishing supplies for the troops on credit.]
It appears from the correspondence of General Butler to the Sec
tary of War, from the 9th of May to the 9th of June, repeated
complaiuts Avere raade of fatal mismanagement and neglects in the
quartermaster's and railitary stores departments, particularly as to
tents, knapsacks, camp-kettles, cartridge-boxes, pack-saddles, etc.,
all of AvliIch articles Avere deficient in quantity, and bad in quality.
The pack-saddles particularly, Avere made in PhUadelphia, which,
Avith the transportation, amounted to raore than double the price at
Avhich they might have been procured at Fort Pitt, and raany of
them Avere found, upon exaraination, to be unfit for use ; a few of
the smaller ones only were used.
It appears that a great proportion of the poAvder supplied for the
use of the army Avas not of good quality, though an experiment
was raade by Major Ferguson at Fort Pitt with a howitzer, who re
ported in favor of the quality of the powder.' On the 9th of June,
General Neville, another of the contractor's agents, informed Gen
eral Butler that he had not at that time received any moneys from
the contractor for the purchase of provisions, etc., for the troops,
and Avas obliged to supply them on credit, that the country fur
nished provisions in abundance at a cheap rate when money was had
for the purchase. That shortly after this information Avas commu
nicated to General Butler, at his request four hundred dollars Avere
advanced to General Neville by the quarterraaster for the purchase
of provisions for the troops.
It appears that General Butler had orders from the Department
of War, to protect the frontiers Avith the troops under his coraraand,
and that the delays in sending the troops forAvard from Fort Pitt,
arose partly from that circumstance and partly from the temporary
want of supplies of provisions aud other necessaries, and from want
of the necessary boats for their transportation, Avhich were not in
readiness so soon as the troojJS Avere ; it appears that General Butler
acted Avith ability, activity, and zeal, in his comraand at Fort Pitt,
and that the delays of the troops there can not be imputed to his
want of judgment, or his Avant of exertion.
The troops met Avith considerable difficulties and delays iu going
down the river, frora the Ioav state of the water.
^ On descending the river the boat containing the powder was sunk for a
considerable time, which greatlj' damaged it. The experiment at Fort Pitt,
of course, was made before this accident.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 289
The army, consisting of about two thousand non-commissioned
officers and privates, moved from Fort Washington, by orders from
the Commander-in-Chief, to a place five or six miles from thence,
caUed Ludlow's Station, Avhere they continued till the 17th of Sep
tember, at whicb time the Avhole army amounted to about tAvo
thousand three hundred non-commissioned officers and men fit for
duty. Mr. Hodgdon was appointed quartermaster-general in the month
ofMarch, and continued at Philadelphia until 4th of June ; he then
proceeded to Fort Pitt, where he arrived the 10th of the same
month ; and where he remained until the 26th of August ; no suffi
cient causes have appeared to the committee to justify this delay,
and his presence Avith the army appears to have been essentially
necessary previously to that time ; the duties of the Commander-in-
Chief were much increased in consequence of the absence of the
quartermaster-general, and after a continued expectation of his ar
rival at Fort Washington, for more than six weeks, the Commander-
in-Chief gave him express orders, by letter, to repair to camp with
out delay.
The receipt of the letter is acknowledged, but the orders con
tained therein were neither answered nor obeyed, and his arrival at
camp was not until the 10th of September. The Commander-in-
Chief, until that time, in addition to the duties of his office, dis
charged those of the quartermaster-general,' and the military stores
1 Extract from the Testimony of General Hakmar.
He was not with General St. Clair on the expedition ; was at Fort Wash
ington when the general arrived; heard nuraberless coraplaints araong the
otHcers ofthe ill conduct of Mr. Hodgdon, the quartermaster, and of his not
being forward at headquarters, and the trouble that General St. Clair was
unavoidably subjected to by his absence.' Is of opinion that the arrange
ments of Mr. Hodgdon, after he did arrive, were ill-judged and defective.
1 hese deficiencies, he understood by conversing with the ofBcers, left Fort
Washington 25th or 27th October, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-
one. These discontents were frequent among the officers, and from his own
observations he judged of the bad arrangements of Mr. Hodgdon, particu
larly the tying up the horses to the fences; cavalry were suffering for want
of forao-e, which the fences showed, as they eat the fences both before and
after the arrival of Mr. Hodgdon; heard Major Ferguson coraplain of the
quartermaster about the trouble he gave him in his departraent. The com
plaints of the officers were want of forage, sraallness of tents, badness of
pack-saddles, and many other articles. Kemerabers he heard Major Fer
guson inveighing bitterly against the quartermaster's conduct. Took notice
VOL. II — 19

290 The St. Clair Papers.
furnished by that department Avere so deficient from mismanagement
of the tents being very bad; the flanks were of Eussia sheeting, and the
ends of crocus, or osnaburg; were very sraall, and could not, in his opinion,
keep out the rain. The clothing of the levies was raiserable indeed; great
disparity between the clothing for the regulars and that for the levies, the
latter was not half so good in quality; heard great complaints by sundry
officers of the levies. The increased toil of the general, he understood from
the officers, was on account of the absence of the quartermaster. Did not
hear Major Ferguson complain particularly of the trouble he had in repair
ing arras, but heard hira complain loudly against the quarterraaster for the
trouble he gave hira in his particular department; heard his coraplaints,
particularly of the pack-saddles, saying that they were large enough for
elephants; did not hear any observations on the powder while at Fort
Washington, but has heard complaints of it from the officers since.
Extract from the Testimony of Major Zeigler.
He arrived at Fort Washington about the 20th of June, and continued
until he went on the expedition. General St. Clair arrived on the first, sec
ond, or third of May. Kemembers well the uneasiness ainong the officers
on hearing of Hodgdon's appointment of quartermaster to the army, as they
were well acquainted with him, and knew him to be totally unfit for such a
business. That the arrangeraents which were taken by hira proved the
event at an early period, as almost every step taken by him was deficient,
ill-judged, and increased the disgusts and complaints in the army. That
from the long delay in the quartermaster's arrival, the3' were in hopes that,
when he did arrive, he would corae well prepared, but that vvhen he did
come his arrangements were extreraely defective, which increased the cora
plaints and disgusts of the army, but he seemed generally busy, but did
nothing. That the pack-saddles were too large, and complained of by Ma
jor Ferguson, who seemed extremely uneasy on that account; and, indeed,
they were conderaned by every officer who had been conversant with that
business. That the tents were truly infamous, the ends being made of cro
cus; that, by reason of this, -a, great number, indeed many hundred dozens
of cartridges were destroyed, and the troops, not being kept dry, were sick
in great numbers. That there were some few good tents which were of the
old stock on the forraer expedition, and that the difference between those
tents and these furnished fru- the expedition was obvious to every person.
That the clothing for the levie.s was infamous, as many who arrived at Fort
Washington were alraost naked. That the powder was proved from his
own experiment, as he tried it and found it extremely weak; that it would
not carry a ball but a small distance comparatively with genuine powder.
That the axes were too soft, and when used would bend up like a dumpling;
that in consequence of the badness of the axes he purchased a good one for
himself, at his own expense. That as to the hospital stores, particularly the
wine furnished was extreraely bad. When General Wilkinson arrived, he
made particular inquiry about the state of the arms and of the hospital
stores, and required a particular return from the different officers who su-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 291
and neglect, that many things essential to the movements of an
perintended each department; after this none of the bad wine was issued;
although there was some good found, none was issued to the sick. That
after General St. Clair arrived at Port Washington, the shops were repaired
and sorae new ones built; that those pieces particularly that had been in
General Harmar's expedition, had new wheels made and new carriages al
together. He did not think there Avas any flxed ammunition but what was
made up at Fort Washington, as he was informed by Major Ferguson, who
superintended the laboratory; that there might have been some small quan
tity brought in boxes, but how much he knows not. That the fixing ammu
nition requires considerable time and knowledge in the business, and every
soldier is not fit for it; that he was told by Major Ferguson that boxes were
too open for the transportation of fixed amraunition, and that kegs are the
only things proper, as they were tight and waterproof; that they were raade
at Fort Washington; that the boxes, slings, etc., for the balls and shells for
ordnance, were also made at Fort Washington. That he frequently noticed
General St. Clair the first up in a morning, going frora shop to shop to in
spect the preparations, and that he seemed very uneasy at the delay in dif
ferent preparations that Avere necessary for the campaign. That to his
knowledge, the shells were fixed at Port Washington; also, wheels for the
carriages and the carriages themselves, and many other things he can not
recollect. That raw hides were cut up to make lashings and other uses, as
also, ropes were made, about which business a nuraber of hands were era
ployed. That he particularly remembers that, before the troops arrived at
Fort Jefferson, and on the march, that he was sent forward to view the en
camping ground pitched on by the quartermaster; the ground had boen
marked out by him, and it was so executed that even the soldiers laughed at
it; that there was not even a single eminence 'that could guard the army
occupied, and the greatest part was contained in a valley; that it was then
too late to change the ground, and the army remained there that night;
that, in consequence, the out picket was strengthened by fifteen men until
about eight o'clock next morning; that the whole had orders to be ready in
case of danger, an hour before day. I think, from my own experience, I
never saw such a degree of trouble throAvn on the shoulders of any other
general that I have served with, as upon General St. Clair, from the abset;ce
of the quartermaster, and the preparations that were necessary to be made
in his departraent, in order to be able to take the fleld in season ; that, in
his opinion, it was well for the quartermaster that he served in a, republican
government. He conceives that the delay iu marching from Ludlow's Station was oc
casioned by the difficulty in clearing the road, in making bri'lges, etc.; one
day the army marched but a mile and a half; added to this, there was so
small a stock of provisions on hand that, had the army moved on, they
must have eaten their flngers; that the men were frequently at half allow
ance, and the quartermaster was sent back to hurry it; that the army was
oblio-ed to wait frequently for provisions, at Fort Jefferson two days. That
the (reneral, in his opinion, always showed a zeal to accoraplish the objects

292 The St. Clair Papers.
army were either wholly made or repaired at Fort Washington, and
even the tools for the artificers to Avork with. The quartermaster
particularly informed the Commander-in-Chief that two complete
traveling forges were sent forward, and upon examination both of
thera Avere found to be Avithout an anvil ; many other things, equaUy
necessary, Avere either wholly omitted, or unfit for their intended
use. The Coramander-in-Chief appears to have been correct and at
tentive in all his coramunications Avith the Secretary of War, and to
have discharged the various duties which devolved upon him with
ability, activity, and zeal.
The array moved from Ludlow's Station on the 17th day of Sep
tember, and arrived at the place, Avhere Fort Hamilton is uoav
erected, on the  day of September ; they employed about fifteen
days building that fort,' and then proceeded in their march to the
of the expedition. That, in his opinion, the works at the different forts
could not have been built with greater expedition than they were on Gen
eral St. Clair's march. Even the officers showed a pride in working with the
men, in order to expedite the work. That Major Ferguson frequently com
plained of the want of almost every kind of intrenching tools, particularly
axes; and frequently there was only one axe to three men, so that, conse
quently, two must look on and only work by turns.
1 People ofthe present day know little of the hardships attending the cut
ting of roads through a heavily timbered country for an army to raarch,
and the labor incident to the construction of a stockade fort. On this ex
pedition, a road twenty feet wide, for ninety miles, was directed to be made,
and two forts were constructeti suitable for sustaining a seige. Take that of
Fort Harailton, on the Great Miarai, for example: First, the ground had to
be cleared where the fort was to stand, and two or three hundred yards
round it, which was very thickly wooded, and was a work of time and labor.
The circuit of the fort was one thousand feet, through the whole extent of
which a trench about three feet deep was dug to set the pickets in, of which
it required two thousand, carefully selected and of uniform size, to inclose
it. When formed, the trees had to be felled, cleared of their branches, and
cut into lengths of about twenty feet. They were then carried to the ground
and butted, that they might be p'aced firm and upright in the trench, Avith
the axe or cross-saw; sorae hewing upon them was also necessary, for there
are few trees so straight that the sides will corae in contact when set upright.
A thin piece of timber, called a riband, is run around the whole near the
top of the pickets, to which every one is pinned with a strong pin, without
which they would decline from the perpendicular with every blast of wind,
some hanging outwards and some inwards, which would render them, in »
great measure, useless. The earth thrown out of the trench is then returned
and strongly rammed to keep the pickets firmly in their places, and a shal
lower trench is dug outside, about three feet distant, to carry off the water and
prevent their being moved by the rains; about two thousand pickets are sot

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 293
place where Fort Jefferson is now erected, forty-four miles in advance
of Fort Hamilton, where they arrived on the 12th of October, and
commenced their march from that place on the 24th of the same
month. That the army, at this time, consisted of seventeen hun
dred non-commissioned officers and priA'ates fit for duty; at this
time the army had not more than three days' supply of flour, and
were sometimes at one-fourth and sometimes at one-half allowance
of that article, the deficiencies of which allowance Avere raade up
by increasing the quantity of beef, with Avhich they were plentifully
supplied. The army was delayed five or six days in their march
from Fort Jefferson for the want of provisions, and the season Avas
so far advanced that sufficient green forage for the horses could not
be procured, from which circumstance many of the horses were
totally lost, and others rendered unfit for service.
The orders to the Commander-in-Chief Avere express and unequivo
cal to proceed Avith the expedition ; so much so as, iu the opinion
of the committee, to preclude the Commander-in-Chief from exer
cising any discretion relative to the object.'
up in the inside, one between every two of the others; the work is then in
closed. Bastions were constructed to cover tbe points of approach; plat
forms and gates were formed out of plank sawed by hand frora the trees;
barracks were built for one hundred men, and for officers; a guard-roora,
aud store-houses for provisions. All of this was accoraplished in less than
fourteen days.
iWas it optional for the Commander-in-Chief to postpone the moveraent
intothe Indian ccmntry? While tho Secretary of War was kept advised ofthe
delays incident to the enlistment of the troops, and while he was in no wise
concerned at the detention of the quartermaster in the East, he was dec. aring
that the President was very anxious that the expedition should go forward.
To fully understand this strange confusion, letthe correspondence of August
and September, as reviewed by General St. Clair, be examined:
August 4th. — It was expected that by the time I received that letter, I
should receive my whole force; but, except the troops from the distant gar
risons, and Major Gaither's detachment, no part of it was arrived; powder
and lead that were required were to be forwarded bythe quartermaster; shot
and shells for the posts had been ordered, but they can not arrive in time.
Mr. Hodgdon had depended on a furnace near Pittsburgh, and, on the '28th of
July, he -writes, " that they can not be had; " takes notice of the conditional
agreement I had directed the contractor's agents to enter into in Kentucky,
and promises that the contractors shall have directions respecting it.' The
(l)In extenuation of the delay of the quartermaster so longin the East, and the
purchase ot many things there to be transported to the tar AA'est, when they could
have been obtained at Pittsburgh, the Secretary of AVar remarked that Mr. Hodgdon
had to make not only all the arrangements in his own department, but in the ord
nance department also, he having been for many years commissary of ordnance aud

294 The St. Clair Papers.
On the 31st October, about sixty of the Kentucky militia de-
President still anxious that the operations should coramence at the earliest
raoment. August llth. — The President exceedingly anxious that the troops on the
upper part of the Ohio should be assembled at Fort Washington at as early
a period as possible. But why write to me about assembling them? They
were dispersed on the frontiers ot Virginia and Pennsylvania, and not within
m}' reach. Every letter I received from the Secretary increased the hope
of receiving thera, and served to keep me stretched upon the tenter-hooks
of expectation from day to day.
August 18th. — The President's anxiety for the commencement of the
campaign is again expressed in very strong terms: " It is not easy to ex
press his anxiety that the campaign should be successful; he is persuaded
you will brace to exertion every nerve under your command." How far
this was done, may best be judged of from the preparations I had raade at
the tirae that letter was received; from ffhe establishment of two consider
able forts, and the cutting a road for artillery and troops to move i7i -marcJiing
order for ninety miles.
August 2.5th. — The troops still at Pittsburgh, and the President laraenting
their detention exceedingly. The Secretary says: " The highest exertions
will of course be necessar}', and the President depends upon their being
made.'' I think I raay venture to say he was not disappointed in that
respect. Septeraber 1st, contains as express and positive orders for the prosecution
of the campaign as ever vvere given: "The President enjoins you, by every
principle that is sacred, to stimulate your exertions in the highest degree,
and to move as rapidly as the lateness of the season, and the nature of the
case will possibl}' adrait." It will be judged whether, after this, the Com-

military stores; and that it ought to be remembered that Philadelphia was a com
mon center, from which all of the stores were supplied, except those furnished in
the Eastern States from the arsenal at Springfleld; that these were to be transported
to Pittsburgh: and that these circumstances being considered, "it would be rather
a ciroumstanee of approbation than censure to flnd the articles, so soon as they
really were, transported to their respective rendezvous." On this second pohit,
General St. Clair commented as follows:
" Very possibly this circumstance may deserve some praise. But there are other
circurastances whieh ought to have been duly investigated by the Secretary before
he decided upon a campaign to be carried on principally by troops raised for six
months only, to-wit: whether he had equipments for tl-iem; and if he had not,
whether they could be provided and transported to wheresoever they were wanted
in due tirae, and whether the numerous articles in the ordnance and military store
departments were on hand, or could be provided and transported likewise. If it had
appeared on that investigation that there would be a failure in any one of them, it
was evident that the plan eould not be carried into execution. AVliether itwas made
or not I am not informed; but, certainly, I was suifered to depart in order to assume
the command without a hint of the probability of a disappointment in any one of
them; and had I not believed that every thing either was, or would be in readiness
to move frora the common center in due time to accord with that fixed for asserabling
the troops and beginning to operate, specifled in the plan of the campaign, I should
never have undertaken to conduct it."

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 295
serted in a body, and the First regiment, consisting of about three
hundred effective men, was detached, with a view to cover a convoy
of provisions which was expected, and which, it Avas supposed, was
in danger from the deserted militia, and to prevent further deser
tions. On the 3d of November, after detaching the First regiment, the
army consisted of about fourteen hundred effective men, and on the
morning of the 4th, about half an hour before sunrise, a general
attack Avas commenced, and, in a feAV minutes thereafter, nearly the
whole army Avas surrounded by the enemy ; the action continued
about four hours, during which several charges were made by a part
of the army, which caused the enemy to glA'c AA'ay, but produced no
good effect ; the attack was unexpected, the troops having been just
dismissed from the morning parade ; it commenced upon the militia,
who Avere in advance of the main army, and Avho fled through the
main army without firing a gun ; ' this circumstance thrcAV the
troops into some disorder, which, it appears, they never completely
recovered during the action ; the fire of the army was constant,
but not Avell directed, and it appears that a part of the troops be
haved as Avell as could be expected, from their state of discipline
and the manner and suddenness of the attack ; the Commander-in-
Chief appears to have been cool and deliberate in the whole action,
and the officers in general active and intrepid ; the Avhole order of
march, as far as the committee are capable of expressing an opin
ion, appears to have been judicious, and the ground for action well
chosen ; the retreat was disorderly in the extreme ; after it Avas com
menced, no orders were obeyed, if any Avere given, the men having
lost all regard to discipUne or control ; all the precaution seems to
have been taken for the safety and comfort of the Avounded which
the circumstances of the case would admit of.
The contractors for supplies, agreeably to the term of their con
tract, were to furnish horses, etc. , for the transportation of the sup
plies ; in this condition of the contract there Avas a total failure,
which compelled the Commander-in-Chief to direct between six and
seven hundred to be purchased by Israel LudloAv, one of the con
tractor's agents, to draAV bills on Mr. Duer, the acting contractor,
for payment, Avhich bills were indorsed by the Coramander-in-Chief,
to the amount of about seventeen thousand dollars, Avere protested

mander-in-Chief had an option; and whether, if he had taken it upon him
self to lay aside the operations, there would not have been an inquiry of
very different complexion from that that was had.
iThe advanced guard fired a few shots.

296 The St. Clair Papers.
by the contractor, and paid at the treasury ; the persons employed
by the agents of the contractor to drive the horses, appear to have
been totally unacquainted with that business, and, from the want
of bells, hopples, and other necessaries of that kind, as well as from
other gross mismanagement, many of the horses were lost, and oth
ers rendered unfit for service ; from which causes there were not
pack-horses sufficient to transport the necessary quantity of flour
from Fort Washington for the use of the army on their raarch ; this
circurastance retarded the execution of the expedition.
The officers, agreeably to the terms of contract, had an election
of draAving the Avhole of the rations to Avhich their rank entitled
them, or of receiving the contract price in cash ; the contractor's
agents, not being furnished with money for this purpose, gave rise
to a general order, by Avhich the officer was directed to receive from
the contractor's agent, a certificate called a due bill, of one of which
the following is a copy :
" Due Major H. Gaither, one hundred and seventy-three com
plete rations, on the route to Miami village, as appears by Mr. WU
son's certificate. Robert Earnest, for Mr. Duee.
".Fort 'Washington, November 17th, 1791."
This due bill, issued upon the officer's signing some satisfaction
for his whole rations, which acknoAvledgment forms a voucher for
settlement to the contractor Avith the treasury department, and the
officer is refused payraent for these due-bills at the pay-office ; all
casualties by which those evidences of debt become lost or destroyed,
are the gain of the contractor, and the loss of the officer.
It is suggested by the Secretary of the Treasury, though not with
positive certainty, that a sufficient sum will be found due from the
treasury to the contractor, upon a final settlement, to cover all these
debts to the officers ; the general order Avhich had the operation be
fore stated continued in force about five or six Aveeks, and was abol
ished about the 19 th October. The privates of the levies received
but three dollars pay each, from the time of their enlistments to the
tirae of their respective discharges, and were actually discharged
without pay or settleraent ; notes of discharge Avere glA'en thera,
specifying the time of their service, and bearing indorsations that
some advancements had been made to them on account, without
stating the amount, the object of which is suggested to haA^e been
to prevent transfers ; the intended effect was not produced by the
measure ; the notes were sold for trifling considerations ; the real
suras due on the notes were various, from ten to twenty-five dollars,

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 297
and they were often sold for one dollar, or for one gaUon of whisky ;
the moneys for the pay of the levies did not leave Philadelphia tUl
the 4th of December, nor arrive at Fort Washington till the 3d of
January, 1792, some time after the last enlisted levies Avere known
to be entitled to their discharges ; ' two reasons have been assigned
by the Secretary of War for this delay of payment— the one, because
there Avas no regular paymaster to the army, and the difficulties of
transmitting moneys to the army at so great a distance,, in conse
quence of the Avant of such an officer; and the other, because.it
was supposed that the army Avould be at the Miami village, so far
advanced iu the Avilderness as not to admit of the practicability of
discharging the levies,' the total defeat of the army not having been
counted upon.
The clothing of the levies appears to have been of very inferior
quality, particularly coats, hats, and shoes, the last of which, in
many cases, lasted not more than four days, and better clothing fur-

1 The raoney to pay the levies did not leave Philadelphia till about one
month after the time of service of the whole of them was expired, and
nearly another raonth elapsed before it reached Fort Washington.
2 The enlisting the men of the levies into the standing regiments was di
rected expressly by the Secretary of War — a raeasure that laid the founda
tion of all the jealousy that subsisted between the officers of those corps,
and created so much uneasiness it was forbidden by St. Clair.
In the examination, it was claimed by the Secretary of War that a part
of the money in the hands of the quartermaster was available for the pay
ment of the levies upon the order of the Coramander-in-Chief, and therefore
there was no just ground for censure on that score.
"The Comraander-in-Ohief suggests that there was no paymaster to the
army, nor any person authorized to settle the accounts of the soldiers, and
•ascertain the real balances due to them until the arrival of Mr. Swan, on
the 3d day of January, 1792, and infers that he had no authority to direct a
settlement and order pay to the soldiers until hewas inforraed of the arrange
ments made at the war office relatively to that object. Thia suggestion is
strongly corroborated by a letter of the Secretary of War, addressed to the
Commander-in-Chief, and forwarded by Mr. Swan, which designates Mr.
Swan as paymaster, and contains instructions relative to the terms of set
tling the accounts of the soldiery. The same letter serves to show that the
twenty thousand and sixty-nine dollars and ten cents, put into the possession
of the quartermaster-general, were not conclusively destined for the pay of
the levies, nor so considered by the Secretary of War ; because it is asserted
in that letter that Mr. SAvan is furnished with a sura of money sufficient for
the pay of the levies, without making any deduction in consequence of the
raoneys furnished the quartermaster-gen eral."^ — Supplemental Report of Com
mittee.

298 The St. Clair Papers.
nished them upon'their enlisting into the regular service, which was,
for a time, countenanced by the Comraander-in-Chief
Various modes ajspear to have been pursued by the offirers in en.
listing the levies, which occasioned great uneasiness and some con
fusion ; a considerable part of the Virginia battalion Avas so enlisted,
that the terms of their enlistment appears to have expired the first
of NoA'ember ; the orders to the recruiting officers appear not to
have been sufficiently explicit upon this point ; whether the terms
of enlistraent Avere to coraraence at the time of enlistment, or at the
arrival at the place of rendezvous. The railitia appear to have been
coraposed chiefly of substitutes, and totally ungovernable, and re
gardless of raUitary duty or subordination. It appears that the Com
raander-in-Chief had it in contemplation to commence the expedition
at least one raonth earlier thau it Avas commenced, Avith the force he
then had, Avhich Avas not verv different from the real force in the
action, but was prevented for the AA'ant of the quarterraaster and
contractor, and in consequence of the extrerae deficiencies and de
rangements of the business of those departments ; tlie person sent
forAvard by the quartermaster being totally incomjDetent for the
business, and the agents not being sufficiently supplied Avith money
to enable them to execute their duties.
It appears to the committee, that in the wilderness, where veget
ables are not to be had, and the duties of the sofdler uncommonly
hard, the rations alloAved by laAV, if completely sujjplied, are insuffi
cient. This circumstance, with others, produced discontent and de
sertion araong the soldiers.
It appeal s to the coramittee, that there were appropriated for the
use ofthe War Department, for the year 1791, the sum of six hun
dred and fifty-tAvo thousand, seven hundred and sixty-one doUarst
and sixty-one cents; and that there have been advanced by the
Treasury to the War Department, upon that appropriation, five hun
dred and seventy-five thousand, nine hundred and six dollars and
fifty-seven cents.
And that the treasury has always been in readiness to make the
requisite advances upou the request of the Secretary of War. It
does not appear to the committee, in what raanner or to what
araount these advancements have been disbursed, the accounts not
being yet settled at the Treasury, nor Avas it possible, from the
nature of the case, that they could, at this time, have received any
conclusive or satisfactory information on that point.
From the foregoing state of facts, the committee suggests the fol-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 299
lowing as the principal causes, in their opinion, of the faUure of the
late expedition under Major-General St. Clair :
The delay in furnishing the materials and estimates for, and in
passing the act for the protection of the frontiers, the time after the
passing of which was hardly sufficient to complete aud discipline an
army for such an expedition, during the summer months of the
same year.
The delays consequent upon the gross and various misraanage-
ments and neglects in the quartermaster's and contractor's depart
ments : the lateness of the season at which the expedition was
undertaken, the green forage having been previously destroyed by
the frost, so that a sufficiency of subsistence for the horses necessary
for the army could not be procured.
The want of discipline and experience in the troops.
The committee conceive it but justice to the commander-in-chief,
to say that, in their opinion, the failure of the late expedition can,
in no respect, be imputed to his conduct, either at any time before
or during the action ; but that, as his conduct, in all the prepara
tory arrangements, was marked with peculiar abUity and zeal, so
his conduct, during the action, furnished strong testimonies of his
coolness and intrepidity.^
1 The report of the coramittee was carried over by the adjournraent to the
next session. On the 14th November, 1792, the Speaker laid before the
House communications from the Secretary of War and Quartermaster
Hodgdon, asking to be heard before the House in further explanation. An
attempt was made by their partisans to bring the inquiry directly before the
House, but, after debate, it was defeated, and the report and the communi
cations of the Secretary and quartermaster were committed to a committee
consisting of Mr. Fitzsimmons, Mr. Giles, Mr. Steele, Mr. Clarke, and Mv.
Findley. A notification was sent to General St. Clair, then at a consider
able distance, to attend, and upon his arrival, the committee would have pro
ceeded to the examination, but tho Secretary of War, although he had re
quested to be heard at the bar of the House more than a month prior to that
time, and when, it must be supposed, he was fully prepared, Avas not ready;
nor was it until very near the end of the session again, though repeatedly
called upon by the committee, that his communications in writing, and those
of the quartermaster were given in, and new documents and witnesses ad
duced. In consequence, only three days were allowed General St. Clair to
review the bulky documents of the Secretary and quarterraaster — a task
which he accomplished in a very thorough and masterly raanner. His "ob
servations " on the statements of the Secretary and quartermaster fill sev-
entj'-one printed pages, and are, in all respects, a complete exposure of the
sophistry of the accused officers by Avhich they sought to exculpate them
selves from the charge of neglect in the campaign of 1791— a neglect that
was, in a moral sense, criminal. The committee, after having exhausted all

300 The St. Clair Papers.

Secretary Sargent to Judge Symmes.
Cincinnati, May 10th, 1792.
Sir: — I have received information this day that a considerable
sources of information, brought iu a supplemental report, also unanimous, re
affirming the original report in all essential points. Some technical raistakes
coraraitted in the first were corrected, but the raain facts were reaffirraed and
emphasized. In the extracts which I have given, notice is taken ofthe cor
rections, so that thej' stand as the final report of the committee.
This affair created great political commotion at the time, and led to ani
mated debates and rauch newspaper and paraphlet writing of an ardent par
tisan cast. Mr. John C. Hamilton, in his '-The Republic," has devoted
almost a volume to a consideration of the Congressional action, and a de
fense of his distinguished father. There would seem to be no reason for this
efl'ort, as the amended report of the coramittee not only avoids any censure
of Alexander Harailton, but bears testimony to his faithfulness to the pub
lic interests in so far aa the Treasury Departraent was concerned. But the
author of ''The Kepublic" imagined a political scheme adverse to the party
of Alexander Hamilton in the appointment of the committee and the re
fusal to hear the Secretary of War and Quartermaster Hodgdon viva voce,
. and entered the lists to expose it and defend the Secretary of the Treasury,
wheu no defense Avas required. In doing this, he distorts and misrepresents
the facts, and exhibits a malignancj' of partisanship exceeding that he lays
to the door of the majority of the House of Representatives. Tli,e delay in
making the second report, for instance, he charges upon the committee, when
tho truth is, as established by the written documents of record, that the
delay was -ivholly at the request of the Secretary of War, Avho had no case.
Only the Secretary of War could proflt by a delay. By procrastination, he
might prevent a report being made to the House during that (the second)
session. If that could be done, there was an end to the business, as there
would be nothing for a new Congress to act upon, and another inquiry was
not probable. To political malignity, he adds ingratitude ofthe basest kind.
He misrepresents the action and report of St. Clair, and attempts to blacken
his memory — a return for benefits received by his family of a character so
infamous as to be condemned of all good men. Was it for this the noble
St. Clair stood between tho author's grandfather and nn excited public iu
1777? While conderaning this return of evil for good in a descendant, it is
pleasant to refiect that Philip Schuyler was deeply grateful, and testified to
others his appreciation of the magnanimity of St. Clair. That Alexander
Hamilton did not connect St, Clair with any political opposition to himself,
or entertain tho samo mistaken opinion of the unfortunate campaign of
1791, is proved by an uninterrupted friendlj' intercourse and political co
operation extending during St. Clair's administration in the Western Terri
tory. While the Secretary of the Treasury stood relieved of any responsibility
for the misfortunes of the campaign of 1791, tho entire responsibility was
fastened upon the War Department, The testiraony is conclusive and per-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 301
body of armed men have entered this Territory by the way of your
settlement, for the purpose of offensive war iagainst the savages — a
measure extremely cruel, as it may affect our messengers among
them, and in a supreme degree criminal to the present pacific in
tentions and pursuits of the United States.
I trust, sir, that no countenance or comfort has been afforded to
this party by any of the good people of the Territory; but upon
this subject, I beg you to cause an immediate ample investigation,
and transmit me information by the earliest opportunity, as also au
account of the principal characters in the expedition, the motives
upon which it has been undertaken, all the objects of it, and whether
it appears to have been authorized or not by any persons of distinc
tion in Kentucky, as far as shall come to your knowledge by most
accurate inquiry. For all those circumstances it is my duty to lay
before the sovereign authority of America as immediately as possi
ble. I have not myself received any instructions to prevent offensive
war against the Indians, but the commandant of the regular troops
has, whicb being communicated by him to me, produced the orders
of tbe 7th ult. to the mUitia, for I conceived it mine, and the duty
of every public servant, to yield implicit acquiescence in, and to
endeavor to promote the intentions of government.
fectly overwhelming. Not only was there neglect in supplying and prop
erly equipping the army proraised, but the movemerit forward into the Indian
country after the forage had been cut off, and the failure of the contractors
to supply necessaries for the subsistence of the troops, was made in obedi
ence to the orders of the Secretary of War. The infatuation which led
General ICnox to confide in Mr. Hodgdon is unaccountable on the grounds
of experience and prudence. But his responsibility for him is unquestion
able. Read the following paragraphs from his lotters:
Gerieral Knox to General Butler, Juno 23d: "I am satisfied that Mr.
Hodgdon will answer the puWio expectation as quartermaster, and that by
his actual supplies, credit, and resources, there will not be a deficiency of any
sort or kind.''
July 7th, General Knox to General Butler: "I ara highly satisfied that
Mr. Hodgdon meets your approbation. I am persuaded, from long experi
ence of him, that he will amply fulfill the expectations formed of him."
October SOth, Quartermaster Hodgdon to General St. Clair: "I have to
inclose you further correspondence relative to the supply of provisions, by
which I trust you will conclude with me that the prospect is favorable that
I. shall succeed in supplying the array as I proposed, viz : to have eight days'
rations beforehand."
And yet Quartermaster Hodgdon failed in every respect. He deserved
to bo court-martialed, tried, condemned, and executed. Tet, after a full ex-
po-ition of his criminal neglect, he was continued at the head ofthe depart
ment for years.

302 The St. Clair Papers.
I wish, sir, you had given me notice of this movement, aud in
season to have prevented it, and of all similar designs which you
may be made acquainted Avith, I beg to be informed as soon as
possible.

Statement by John Strother.
Mr. John Strother says that being in the settlements, near the
Cherokee Nation, he was informed by Bartholomew McGea, Samuel
Henry, and a Mr. EA'ans, that from the accounts of the Cherokees,
some of them were in the action on the 4th day of November,
1791 ; particularly one of them said he had two brothers in it ; that
they stated the nuraber killed of our army at 672 ; that some of the
Northern Indians carae directly to the Cherokee towns frora the
battle, and had informed them that more Indians had been killed
than whites, but that Avas not to be Avondered at, as they were so
much more numerous ; that of some of the nations from the lakes,
out of a party of seventy, led by one of their kings, the king and
thirty were killed ; that in the course of the last sumraer, while he
was in the Chickasaw Nation, three hundred Creeks had passed the
Tennessee River with the design to break up the settlements at the
Mussel Shoals, and finding nobody there, had proceeded northerly,
and were supposed to have joined the Northern Indians.

Rufus Putnam to General Knox.
Fort Washington, July 8, 1792.
Sir : — My letter to you of the 5th instant I gave into the hands
of Mr. Vigo, at this place, who has gone doAvn to the Rapids with
an intent to proceed immediately to Philadelphia by the way of
Lexington. The more I reflect on the subject the more I am conArinced it will
be best to proceed Avith the Indians on the Wabash, and others in
that quarter, in the manner I have recommended in my letter above
referred to, and as far as possible detach them from the councUs and
influence of other Indians. But I think it will not be necessary,
and perhaps not proper to stipulate an annual allowance of goods to
be delivered to them until a purchase of land be made, which I con
ceive ought not to be done (unless the proposition of selling be made
by them), until the contest Avith the ShaAvanese and other hcstUe
nations is determined. For this is the argument made use of by

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 803
our enemies, and the only one that prevailed with the Chippewas
and many other tribes to join in the war, and Avhich is continually
urged on the Western Indians as a motive to join the confederacy,
viz : " The Americans are after your lands, and mean to take thera
from you and drive you out of the country."
I am inforraed from good authority that when the Delawares,
Wyandots, and Shawanese first invited the ChippcAvas and other
tribes to join in the Avar, they ansAvered: "For Avhy should we go
to war? We have no quarrel Avith the Americans. When our father
(meaning the King of Great Britain), was at war, and called on us
to join him against a set of rebellious children, avc did so, but our
father has now made peace Avith those children, and there is now no
reason why Ave should go to war against them ; it will be enough for
us to go against the Americans Avhen our father calls on us again ;
but you,'' continued the ChippeAvas, "are alAA'ays quarreling Avith
your neighbors ; it Avould be better for you to be at peace."
To this the Delawares, etc. , replied: " That the Thirteen Fires
Avere endeavoring to take their lands from them, that they chal
lenged the Avhole country as their OAvn, that the Thirteen Fires had
marked out to them a small tract for hunting ground, on Avhich they
could not live." " Well," say the Chippewas, " Avhat is that to us ;
the Americans have done us no harm, and Avhy should we fight for
your lands? You may fight for yourselves for them and defend
your country. There is reason that you should ; but Ave shall get
nothing by it, if avc join in the war ; it is better that Ave mind our
business and live in peace." To this the DelaAvares could find no
answer, until a British emissary Avhispered in their ear: "Tell
them that Avhen the Americans have conquered you, and got pos
session of your lands, they wUl then take theirs also, for that is their
intention, and they never will rest until they have got the whole
country." "Is that the case," replied the ChlppcAvas and other
nations; "then Ave avIU fight, too;" and immediately agreed to as
sist in defending the country against the encroachments of the
Americans. I have been the more particular in relating the anecdote (which
is a fact and may be relied on), because it shows the reason' why so
many nations are drawn into the war against us.
That it must be something more than merely the influence of
British emissaries, may be fairly argued from there being a greater
number engaged in the present contest than the British Govern
ment, with all their arts and money, Avere able to persuade to en
gage in their service (in the western quarter) during the late war ;

304 The St. Clair Papers.
and what can be their motive but the fear of losing their lands, or,
in other words, that the Americans intend to take their lands from
them without their consent, whenever they think proper, agreeably
to the doctrine of the treaties at Fort Mcintosh and the Big Miami.
It is, therefore, in ray opinion, indispensably necessary to convince
the western Indians as soon as possible that these suggestions are
false ; and since they are not willing at present to corae to Phila
delphia, or even to Fort Washington, they should be treated with at
Vincennes as soon as possible. In confident expectation that a com
mission will be forAvarded as soon as may be, empowering Major
Hamtramck, or some other person, to hold a treaty at Vincennes,
agreeably to the stipulation he has made for that purpose, a part
of the Indian goods here will, with the prisoners, be forwarded to
Fort Knox. Yesterday, a canoe going up the Ohio, with two men,
a Avoman and a boy, was attacked by the Indians, one of the men
was killed, the other wounded, the boy taken, and the AVoraan escaped
unhurt. This is another circumstance against my hearing from
Hendrick in the Avay proposed, and Avith some conclusive evidence
that the grand council is broken up with a determination of con
tinuing the war ; but I doubt this, for there has not been time for
the chiefs that were at Philadelphia to council at Buffalo Creek and
arrive at the Tawa River by this time, and I do not believe that the
council would break up before their arrival and those from Canada,
as no doubt they had information that they were coming. I am de
termined to send another speech to the belligerent tribes, if I can
persuade some of the Wabash Indians to carry it, and engage to
bring back an answer. I have several reasons for making this at
tempt. First, if some bad men have murdered our messengers hav
ing the President's speech, although the speech may be carried to
the council, they may not consider it as properly coming before
them, and the chiefs may be in doubt whether we will now receive
a messenger from them or not; the arrival of a new speech will, I
think, remove this doubt, although I mention nothing of the rumor
I have heard. Besides, by a messenger of this sort I expect to as
certain the fact whether our messengers are murdered or not, and
also reduce the matter to a certainty whether they will let me speak
to them or not.
I propose remaining here for the present, as it is uncertain
whether any flag will arrive from the enemy, or at what post they
may come in, and should Captain Hendrick arrive at Fort Jefferson,
as proposed, I shall have notice of it in thirty-six hours. But sup
pose that after all rational raeans are used to accommodate this

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 305'
business by treaty, we fail in the attempt, and that a continuance
of the war is inevitable? Pardon me, sir, if I, unasked, offer a few
sentiments on the subject.
Mr. Hutchins and others have said a great deal about the fine
navigation of the Alleghany River and French Creek, the Big
Beaver, the Cuyahoga, the Scioto and Sandusky, Avith the Wabash
and Tawa Rivers, or the Miami of the Lake. And it is true they
are all very fine rivers, and at certain seasons many of them afford
plenty of water to float craft of very considerable burden for
a great distance. But the fact is, that not one of them will serve
any valuable purpose for transporting by Avater the baggage, stores
and provisions of an army for any considerable distance, tOAvard any
object Avhere Government can possibly mean to point their force in
any offensiA'e operation ; even the Ohio, at some seasons, is difficult,,
if not quite impassable, in some parts ; therefore, all considerable
movements of an army between the Ohio and Lake Erie should be
calculated by land. You avUI permit me to speak freely, and I
know you Avill not be offended ; my intention is to serve you by Avay
of information, and I Avrite Avith the greatest deference.
To establish a capital post at the Miami village, AA'ith a proper
number of intermediate stations, sufficient to secure a communica
tion from Fort Washington to that place, is undoubtedly an object
to be persevered in, and I think if the business is conducted in a
prudent manner, it may be eflected with two thousand men without
any hazard. But to stop there Avill, by no means, induce the In
dians to treat ; it will be provoking rather than distressing to them,
nor will the frontiers receive any considerable protection thereby. My
opinion is not to advance anwfurther in this quarter at present, but to
make arrangements for carrying a line of stations frora the mouth
of the Big Beaver Creek, on the Ohio, to the mouth of the Cuya
hoga, on Lake Erie, where I Avould erect a strong post ; here I
would build such watercraft as should be thought necessary to trans
port the army. I intend to make use of this Avay into the Tawa
River as far as the rapids (about fourteen miles), as to such place as
should be found most convenient for establishing a post there ; for I
will venture to paAvn my representation upon it if, from the over
tures now making, the Indians are not brought to a treaty, they
never Avill until you establish a post in tbe mouth of the TaAva
River, and prevent the British agent,' or his emissaries and Indians
any more counseUng together, or, in the Indian language, put out
their councU fire in this place. This is the place where every year
VOL. n — 20

306 The St. Clair Papers.
the British agent distributes the annual presents to aU the nations,
far and near, inhabiting the country south of Lake Erie and west
ward beyond the Miarai village. While the array are employed in
building the fort at Cuyahoga, provided they do not arrive before
the spring, and preparing their watercraft, the Western army should
proceed from Fort Jefferson, and, erecting proper stations by the
Avay, establish themselves at the Miami village. The Indians, see
ing two armies adA'ancing in opposite directions, Avill probably be
confused in their councUs ; they avIU consider the country of the
Wyandots, Delawares, and Shawanese lost; their aUies Avill most, if
not all, AvithdraAV themseh'es, and the Delawares, etc., sue for peaci:
or quit their country, or if that should not be the case, as they can
never knoAV when your army avIU move nor Avhere it Avill strike, they
never can prevent them from landing, and in a short time, by in
trenching, secure themselves against ten times their nuraber ; and
should they still be obstinate, yet will they not be able to prevent
the two arraies from establishing a line of Communication from the
mouth of the TaAva River to the post at the Miami village.
The security that such an arrangement Avill give to all the coun
try, which will be thereby evinced as Avell as to the Six Nations and
the inhabitants on the Alleghany River, is very obvious.
It has been the opinion of some that Ave should coraraunicate with
Lake Erie by the Avay of Presque Isle, but I am by no means of
that opinion, because the distance is much greater from Pittsburgh
(or from any part of the Alleghany River to Avhich water carriage
is ahvays certain) to Presque Isle than from the mouth of Big Bea
ver to the mouth of Cuyahoga, and the country from Pittsburgh to
Presque Isle is rauch worse to make a road. Indeed, from Big Bea
ver to Cuyahoga the country is A'ery level, and, except about seven
or eight railes, is very dry and good for a road, Avhile the other, for
the greater part of the Avay, is bad hiUs, and for fifteen miles is
very Avet ; besides, the distance from Presque Isle to the Tawa River
is nearly double that from Cuyahoga. Moreover, if a post is made
at Presque Isle there must be another at Cuyahoga, for such is the
navigation of Lake Erie, especially for some distance west of Cuya
hoga, that boats in their passage Avestward must always put into the
mouth of that river and Avait a favorable tirae to pass the rocky
shore, Avhich in Hutchins' map is marked thus, " X." On the Avest
bank of the Cuyahoga is a rising ground or high bank, from whence
the country about is commanded, as well as the entrance into the
river, which is deep and navigable for vessels of considerable burden
for several miles up. The route from the mouth of the Big Beaver, I

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 307
expect, will be the best on the west side until we are two or perhaps
three miles above Kishkushe, then the road will cross at a good ford,
and, turning westward, will cross the creek twice more ; then, leav
ing the creek a little above Salt Springs, it avIU cross the Cuyahoga
about ten miles from its mouth, and pass down on the Avest side ; at
all the crossings are good fords unless the Avater should be uncommonly
high. The nuinber of intermediate stations will depend on the dis
tance they are from each other. AUoAving twenty miles to be a proper
distance, then four only avUI be required. I beUeve this to be the
nearest and best route by Avhich a communication can be opened
betAveen the Ohio River and Lake Erie, without having regard to
water navigation, which [will disappoint] Avhoever depends on it ; al
though I doubt not that, at some seasons, considerable advantages
may be derived from Avater carriage on most of the rivers I have
mentioned, and the Big Beaver and Cuyahoga may sometimes be
made a good use of in this way. The facts I have mentioned in this
statement I have from a man of judgment and undoubted veracity,
who has had full opportunity to examine the country, not only on
the route from Big Beaver to Cuyahoga, but has also traveled by
many different roads from Pittsburgh to Sandusky and Detroit, re
sided ten years among the DelaAvares, is fully acquainted with all
the streams that make a part of the Muskingum River, as Avell as
the southern shore of Lake Erie, and all the streams that fall into
it between Cuyahoga and Detroit. In sorae parts of this route the
country is open, in other parts are thickets of brush to be cut out,
but the principal difficulty is a SAvamp and Avet ground for seven or
eight iniles, the greatest part of which must be causewayed ; but I am
told that lumber is plenty and handy, and if so, one man wUl easily
make one perch per day, and alloAving six hundred and forty men
may be Avell employed at the Avork, they will make this part of the
road in four days ; hoAvever, if it should happen to be a dry fall, it
•is doubtful if one fourth part ofthe distance mentioned Avill require
bridging in the first movement of the army. When I speak of
making a good road I mean a Avagon road ; there is noAV a pack-
horse path the AA'hole distance, Avhich has been used by traders
and war parties. By this route all kinds of provisions, except beef
from Kentucky, can be transported to the Miami village cheaper
than through any other channel, and from thence conveyed doAvn
the Wabash, or toward Lake Michigan, and into the upper part of
the lUinois country, to supply any garrisons which the Government
may think proper to estabUsh in that quarter for the protection of
the friendly tribes, and the security of our trade Avith them ; to this

308 The St. aair Papers.
may be added the supply of the post at Detroit, Avhenever we shall
be in possession of it.
If the proposition should meet with approbation, raeasures for
carrying it into execution can not be too soon adopted ; for, although
the season Avill be too far advanced before the event of the present
overtures noAV making to the enemy is known, to admit of any of
fensive operations of consequence in this quarter, yet 1 conceive it
will not be the case with respect to the plan I have proposed. I
can see no objection against making an establishment at the Big
Beaver (Avhere Ave have long had a sraall post), even Avhile our ne
gotiations are pending.
Under this idea, I Avould then propose that the troops intended for
the service, as fast as they arrive at Pittsburgh, should be sent doAvn
to that place ; that the Avork there be rejsalred and extended in a
proper raanner, and raagazines of provisions, forage, etc., etc., etc.,
be collected for the expedition. This can not, probably, be com
pleted and the Avhole ready to move before October, and before that
time, I trust, it avUI be known Avhether Ave are to have a treaty with
these fellows or not ; if they shall agree to a treaty, it is probable
they Avill be as willing to hold it somcAvhere on the Big Beaver, or
at the mouth of Cuyahoga, as at any other place, and in that case
they can have no objection to a road being made to transport the
goods to Cuyahoga. At all CA'ents, Avhenever Ave raake peace with
thera, and Avhatever Ave relinquish in other respects, Ave must insist
on establishing ourselves at Cuyahoga, for the purpose of supplying-
thera Avith goods to be delivered there, or further westward, so that
the work jiroposed at the Big Beaver avIU not be lost, provided we
corae to a treaty ; and, if we are to have no treaty, we shall be
ready to execute the plan by force. And, in that ease, if Ave are
ready to raove by the 1st of October, I think we may safely ven
ture on the expedition ; for, alloAving sixteen days to erect the four
intermediate stations, four to make the causeway, and that Ave cut
our road and march five miles a day, Ave shall reach Cuyahoga in
forty days ; but, I have no doubt, Ave shall be able to reach Cuya
hoga in half that time. About the tirae intended for the army
leaA'ing the post at Big Beaver, the enemy may be raenaced from
this quarter ; and, as they Avill not be alarmed at seeing you jjosted
at Big Beaver, the army will probably reach Cuyahoga before the
eneray can possibly be in a situation to oppose thera ; at the sarae
time, a body of volunteer militia might be encouraged to advance
on Crawford's route toAvard Sandusky.
The measure, I believe, will be very popular with the people of

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 309
•Ohio county, and all the western part of Pennsylvania, vvhich avUI
greatly facUitate the business. Forage for any number of horses
may be brought to this place Avith little expense, and if the nuraber
of regular troops which may be raised by the time and spared for
the purpose should be thought insufficient, I have no doubt but an
ample number of good riflemen, who live within three days' march
of the spot, would voluntarily engage in the expedition. On the
whole, I have no doubt we may, Avithout any unreasonable hazard,
establish ourselves at Cuyahoga by the setting in of Avinter, and
that, by the 1st of May, if not before, a sufficient number of boats
may be built for transporting the army into the Ome or TaAva
River. But, should the fall season prove unfavorable, or any other
unforeseen accident prevent our advancing to the Cuyahoga this
winter, yet, if we cau make our way good a part of the distance
only, I think the object ought to be pursued, as Ave shall be enabled
thereby to commence our operations next year much earlier. Be
sides, I think this is the best mode of carrying on the Avar ; the
sooner Ave show ourselves on the shore of Lake Erie the better ; such
an appearance will be a conviction to the Indians that many things
which have been told them are false ; and, finding they have been
imposed on in some things, they will doubt the rest.

As to Assembling at Public Worship Without Arms.
Cincinnati, 18th September, 1792.
"The practice of assembling for public Avorship Avithout arms,
may be attended with most serious and melancholy consequences.
It presents the opportunity to an enemy of the smallest degree of
enterprise to effect such fatal impression upon our infant settlement
as posterity might long in vain lament.
" The laws of the Territory have Avisely provided that every man
enrolled in the militia shall, upon those occasions, arm and equip
himself as though he Avere marching to engage the enemy, or in de
fault that he shall be fined in the sura of one bundred cents, to be
levied upon complaint made to any justice of the peace."
Although it is incumbent upon every good citizen to represent all
violations of this laAV which shaU come to his knowledge, yet it is
more immediately the province of the mUitia officers. They wiU,
therefore, each and every one of them, from and after the publica
tion of this order, consider it their indispensable duty to take cog-
nizance of all persons enrolled in the mUitia who shall assemble for

310 The St. aair Papers.
public worship (within their observation or knowledge), deficient in
the arras or accouterments required by law, and make report thereof
upon oath to a justice of the peace, as soon as may be after such-
default shall happen. Winthrop Sargent,
Commanding the militia in the absence of the Governor.

General Wilkinson to Governor St. Claek.
Fort Washington, November 1th, 1792.
My Dear Sir: — It was my purpose never to have written to you
again, because of the contempt which you have shown to my corre
spondence. The duty which I OAve to a friend, hoAvever, breaks in
on ray intention. I beg leave to bespeak your good offices to Mr.
Beryl Sebastian, of Kentucky, as he is weary of that country, and
wishes to remove to this Territory. He is uoav one of the Supreme
Judges of that State, but Avould prefer to be here with an inferior
salary. A word to the wise — adieu. May you brave this gather
ing storra^ successfully, prays your affectionate, etc.
'The year 1792 was one full of terror to the inhabitants of the Territory^
and the bordering counties of Pennsylvania and Virginia. The citizens
withdrew into their strong places and kept watch as railitia for the protec
tion of their frontiers. Such agricultural pursuits as Avere carried on re
quired men with guns in their hands as well as axes and hoes. The official
acts of the Government will be shown by consulting the manuscript records
kept by Secretary Sargent: '¦
(1) OrFiciAL Recokds foe 1792.
February llth. — The Secretary issued a proclamation setting forth provision in
ordinance for new counties when Indian titles should be extinguished, claiming
that the scattered nature of settlements in section between Little Miami and Scioto
Eivers, did not justify erection of new county ; therefore added same to County of
Hamilton. Boundaries as follows:
" Beginning at the confluence of tlie Scioto with the Ohio River, and up the Scioto.
River with the courses thereof to the upper part of the old lower Shawanee town
upon the said river; thence by and with 'a line to be drawn due north to the Terri
torial boundary line, and westerly along said line to the eastern boundary of the
County of Knox, and down along the said eastern boundary of Knox County by a
due south line to the standing stone forks of the Great Miami River, and with the
said Miami to its confluenee of the Ohio River; thenee up the Ohio Eiver tothe
place of beginning, shall constitute and be erected into the county, and continue to
be known and styled the County of Hamilton, and the said County of Hamilton.
shall have and enjoy all and singular, etc., etc.
Secretary Saegent to Judge Symmes.
Cincinnati, County of Hamilton, Ma-j/ 10, 1792.
Sir: — I have received information this day that a considerable body of armed men
have entered this Territory by th e way of your settlement, for the purpose of offensive-
war against the savages — a measure of extreme cruelty, as it may aflfect our mes-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 311

Governor St. Clair to Judge Turner.
Philadelphia, April 5, 1793.
Sir: — ^Inclosed is the copy of a presentment of the grand jury
for the District of Kaskaskia, in the county of St. Clair, which
sengers amongst them, and in a supreme degree criminal to the present paciflc in
tentions and pursuits ot the United States.
I trust, sir, that no countenance or comfort has been aflforded to this party by any
of the good people of tliis Territory; but upon this subject I beg you to cause an im
mediate ample investigation, and transmit me information by tlie earliest oppor
tunity: as also an account ot the principal characters in the expedition, tlie motives
¦upon which It lias been undertaken, all the objects of It, and whether it appears to
have been authorized or not by any persons of distinction in Kentucky, as far as
shall come to your knowledge by most accurate Inquiry, for all thosc circumstances
it is my duty to lay before the sovereign authority of America as immediately as
possible. July Sth. — ^New commission made out by the Secretary for the Court of Common
Pleas of Knox County, specially naming therein Pier Gamelin, Louis Edellne, James
Johnson, Luke Decker, and Paul Gamelin.
Military Appointments for Knox County— Luke Decker, Captain, vice Edeline, re
signed; Christopher AVyant, Lieutenant, mce Decker, promoted; Kichard Johnson,
Ensign, vice AVyant, promoted; Piere Racine, Ensign, vice J. B. Myette, resigned;
Tousaint Dubois, Ensign, vice J. B. St. Aubin, resigned.
July 13th. — Abuer M. Dunn, Esq., appointed to act as attorney for the United States
in Hamilton County. Samuel Swan appointed Clerk of Court vice Blanchard.
July 2Gth. — A commission for the Court of Common Pleas of AA'asliington Couuty,
specially naming therein Josepli Gilman, Jolm Gilbert Petit, Dudley AA'oodbridge,
Eobert Oliver, and Daniel Loring. The power of administering oaths was conferred
on Judges Gilman and Petit; and ou Henry A'anderburg iu Knox County.
August 13th. — Commissioners appointed with jiower to license merchants, traders,
and tavern-keepers : County of AVashington — Griffin Green, Return J. Meigs, and
John Rome. County of Hamilton — AVilliam McMillan and John S. Gano. County
of Knox— Francis Vigo and Henry A'anderburg. County of St. Clair— John Edgar
and Antoine Gerardine.
September 3d.— County Treasurers appointed: For Washington— John Stone. For
Hamilton— Stephen AA'ood. For Knox— Paul Gamelin. For St. Clair— Philip Engel.
Eobert Buntin, gentleman, was appointed CN^roner of Hamilton County.
November 28th. Eeturn J. Meigs, Jr., was appointed United States Attorney for
Washington County; and Thomas Goudy, gentleman. Ensign of First Eegiment of
Hamilton County. Laws Passed in 1792.
1. Granting licenses to merchants, traders, and tavern-keepers. [Pub. August 1.]
2. Creating tlie oflftces of Treasurer-General of the Territory, and Treasurers for
the counties. [Pub. August 1.]
3. Directing the manner in which money shall be raised and levied, to defray the
charges which may arise within the several counties in the Territory. [Pub.
August 1.]
4. For opening and regulating highwaj'S. [Pub. August 1.]
5. Directing the building and establisliing of a court-house, county jail, pillory,
whipping-post, and stocks, in every county. [Pub. August 1 ]
6. For tho better regulation of prisons. [Pub. August 1.]
' 7. For tke disposition of strays. [Pub. Augusti.] The first paragraph of this act
Is in the following words: " That the open woods and unclosed grounds within the
Territory shall be taken and considered as the common pasture or herbage of the
citizens thereof, saving to all persons their right of fencing."
The aet made it unlawful for any person to take up any animal found iu this gen-

512 The St. Clair Papers.
was sent to me by j\lr. Jefferson, a considerable time ago. Had I
knoAvn that you were in town, it should have been communicated to
you immediately on my receiving it, but I had been told that you
were gone to the Territory, and so I informed Mr. Jefferson and the
President at the time.
The time for holding the Suprerae Court in one of the western
counties is near at hand and there is not a judge in the Territory,
Avhich may be attended Avith ill consequences.
Will you, sir, be pleased to inform me Avhether or not you expect
to be there in season for that purpose, and if you do, at what time
you propose to set out ?
Governor St. Clair to Edmund Eandolph.
Cincinnati, County of Hamh.ton, May 9, 1793.
Sir: — After a long detention, occasioned by extreme illness, from
which I am far from being recoA'ered, and a passage of eighteen
days from Pittsburgh, I reached this place on the 3d instant, and I
have the satisfaction to inforra you that the difficulties Avhich existed
with the Court of Common Pleas for this county have been gotten
over, and that the court is noAV in session.^ It did require a little
address to induce the appearance of a change of sentiraent in the
judges of that court, and I ara happy it succeeded, because I was pre-
eral pasture ground; aud authorized the taking up of any animal breaking into
grounds fenced.
8. To repeal certain parts of an aet "creating the office of Clerk of the Legisla
ture." [Pub. August!.]
9. Supplementary to a law regulating marriages. [Pub. August 1.]
10. To regulate the admission of attorneys. [Pub. .-iugust I.J
11. Empowering the Judge of Probate to appoint guardians to minors and others.
[Pub. Augusti.-]
12. Prescribing forms of writs in civil causes, and directing the mode of proceed
ing therein. [Pub. .1 ugust 1.]
13. Establishing and regulating the foes of the several ofiioers and other persons
tlierein mentioui^d. [Pub. Augusti.]
These laws were passed by Judges Symmes and Turner, nnd Secretary Sargent,
during the absence of the Governor. No more laws were passed until in 1795, when
thc Governor and the Judges met together and formally organized as a legislative
body.

1 During the absence of the Governor, Secretary Sargent had issued new
commissions to the county judges, to run during the pleasure of the Execu
tive, whereas the original were '-during good behavior." The judges of
Hamilton county refused to accept of their commissions, and continued to
act under the old, which had been revoked. This led to confusion and much
correspondence between the judges and the secretary. The reason given
for the change was that original commissions had been issued by the Gov-
nor before the adoption of laws establishing and regulating the courts.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 313
pared, if they persisted in holding the court under their first commis
sion, a second one existing, to have sent them a supersedeas, Avhich
would have stopped them, but not Avithout some confusion and dis
content. Ea^cu that mild course, hoAvever, Avould not have been
thought of could the bench have been filled Avith men of tolerable
character and abilities, without the present incumbents. I say, the
appearance of a change of sentiment, because they are far from
being convinced that a commission Avithout liraitation as to time can
be I'evoked for any cause but misbehavior in office. In a long con
versation Avith them, to Avhich tAVO of thc attorneys and the gentle
man Avho manages the public prosecution at their bar Avas intro
duced, and to whom I had sent copies of the inclosed letter the
evening before, I gave them my sentiments, unequivocally, that the
commission they had received from me Avas iu fact a commission
during pleasure ; that the commission which had been issued by
Colonel Sargent floAved from a proper source, as in the absence of
the Governor the Secretary is invested Avith all the poAvers of gov
ernment ; that if they did not choose to accejst it, they .'ihould have
ceased to act at all, for that his commission had virtually revoked
the other, aud that all their proceedings since the date of it Avere
nullities at best ; perhaps their sentiments Avere very different, and
I had been informed that strong declarations Avere made that they
never Avould hold or act under any such commission. I then in
formed them that I had desired those gentlemen at their bar to
attend, in order to give them their opinions, as friends to the court,
upon some points I had possessed them of, and read the queries I
had proposed to them.' They appeared AVell satisfied that the at
torneys sliould give their opinions, and they Avere unanimous that a
poAver to exist during good behavior could be granted by express
words only, and could not be made out by inference, implication, or
'The queries were as follows:
1. Whether a power to exist during good behavior can be granted in any-
other manner than by express woi'ds to that purpose?
2. Whether a power, granted without any limitation as to time or other
condition, be not in itself a power during pleasure, and revocable at the Avill
of the person granting said power, his heirs, executors, and administrators
in comraon cases, and of his successors in office in public cases? and,
3. Whether a new commission for any office, issued either to the person or
persons who hold the office at the time, or to others, is not, ipso facto, a re.
vocation of the comrai.ssion under Avhich he or they are in possession, not
withstanding the new commission may not contain any revocatory words,
and does not superinduce the necessity of again taking the oaths of office,
¦supposing it to issue to the same persons before it can be acted under?

314 The St. Clair Papers.
analogy, and that a power granted without liraitation as to time was-
a poAver during pleasure, revocable at will ; but on the third query,
they did not choose to hazard an opinion, because they considered it
as a question of great delicacy, not in itself directly, but from the
consequences it involved, in Avhich they Avere all personally inter
ested. I then observed to the judges that I understood the gentle
men of the bar did not care to say that the proceedings of the court
for some time past Avere void. I was myself decidedly of opinion
they were void ; but there was a Avay to heal all that had occurred
to me, and it was extremely ray Avish to reraove every difficulty,
and prevent any stop in the adrainistration of justice. A new com
mission, in the original form, raight be raade out immediately; the
oath of office might be taken before they left the room, and the
court could go on, and when the legislature, AA'hich Avas called for
the 1st of September, should raeet, an act, worded m such raanner
as to save the feelings of every one, might be passed, that would
give validity to all they had been doing. This proposal Avas com
plied with ; the commission made out instantly ; they were sworn
under it, or according to laAV, and adjourned from my quarters to
the court-house, and all goes on smoothly so far.
I have been thus particular that you raight have a full view of the
afialr, Avhich had like to have created a great deal of trouble and
confusion in all its stages, and at the sarae time to impress upon you
the necessity of some jierson of competent abilities being appointed
attorney-general of this Territory, a subject I have heretofore men
tioned to several gentlemen in Congress, but without effect. A salary
of three or four hundred dollars, Avith the prospect of private practice,.
might bring such a person forAvard. I am not a lawyer, but should
it happen that a Governor may have been bred to that profession,
still I think he ought to have a responsible laAv counselor, and it is
a misfortune that sorae of our judges (all of them, in fact) are in
the sarae predicament with rayself Ea'cu Judge Symmes, though
he has been upon the supreme bench in Jersey, was not, I believe,
a professional man when called to it. Their opinion, however, right
or wrong, raust have weight, and ought to be respected. I have
some reason to think that the obstinacy (I call it so) of the inferior
judges in this affair has been strengthened by an opinion of some
of the superior judges, coiucident wdth their oavu, if it Avas not
formed upon it. May I be perraitted to ask your opinion on the
subject, either generally or on the questions I stated, as you think
proper. If I have been right, it Avould be a great satisfaction to be
so supported ; and if I have been Avrong, I shall very readily and

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 315'
cheerfully retract and acknowledge my error, and on the legislature,
before whom the affair must be brought, it would have its proper
effect. I take the liberty to inclose farther a copy of the sentence of the
Supreme Couri in a case of murder, and the Avarrant for the execu
tion of it (not by way of complaint, although I ani not altogether
satisfied with it) , that you may know the manner in whicb matters
of tbat high concern are transacted. The proceedings of the
judge were no doubt conformable to those of the Commissioners
of Oyer and Terminer, of jail delivery in England, in the coun
try, but I believe it Avould be better that they Avere analogous to the
stricter and more regular practice in the city of London, Avhere ex
ecution is never done but Avith the consent of the King ; for if it
be in the poAver of a judge to condemji and execute Avithout eA^en
the knowledge of the Executive, all power of pardoning is taken
aAvay, or may at least be defeated. There may, indeed, be a ques
tion of doubt Avhether any poAver of pardoning exists in the Exec
utive of this Territory. If it does not, it is a blemish in its consti
tution; for, as at present, the judges being also the legislators, there
is more danger than in almost any other supposable circumstances
that judgment may be rendered rather according to the recollection
of tbeir oavu intention as to the spirit of the laAvs at the time they
were enacted than to the strict letter of them. For rayself, Avhere
it is not expressly taken away, I believe the poAver of pardoning in
herent in the first executive officer of every country, because he is
the representative of the sovereignty of the people, and their organ
for the exercise of that sovereignty in any country Avhere the Gov
ernor may be at the time of conviction, until such conviction and
sentence shall have been certified to him, in order that he may grant
a reprieve or pardon. Should he deem it proper to carry it farther
than to places Avhere the Governor actually is, it Avould be improper,
in this extended country, where communication Avith the differ
ent . parts is so difficult and tedious, and Avould occasion a delay
between conviction and execution which would take off much of the
effect of the punishment. As an example. I do not knoAV Avhether
the laws passed in this Territory, during the last session of the legis
lature, have yet been under the consideration of Congress. Some of
them are very much complained of particularly the fee-bill, and the
act for licensing retaUers of merchandise. As to the fee-bUl, I will
endeavor to have it amended, but it is extremely doubtful Avhether
I shall succeed or not ; and ifit is not amended it would, I believe,
be proper that it should be disapproved of for, in the first place, the

310 The St. Clair Papers.
fees alloAved to every important officer, as that of the Judge of
Probate, for example, avIU not, I am informed, Avith extreme diU
gence, pay thera at the rate of a comraon laborer, where they are
eraployed ; and, in the second place, by affixing fees to certain
services, as that of issuing blank Avrits, under seal, a legal counte
nance, if not approbation, is given to a most raischievous practice.
As I did not see those laAVS before my arrival in the Territory, I
have not had time to glA'c them a careful perusal ; indeed, not to
read thera all, but I shall do it, and in case they should appear to
militate against either the interest of the United States or the peo
ple of the Territory, if you will give me leave, I will submit to you
my observations, and it is to you, I believe, that the laAvs are re
ferred for consideration before they are laid before Congress.
I have the honor to believe that the form had beeu chosen, and
the Avords, during pleasure, left out raerely to render it more ac
ceptable, as it would not call up the idea of their dependence on the
Executive every time they looked at it, but with the full knowledge
of its effect ; that during the teraporary governraent no coraraission
during good behavior Avould be granted by the Governor, who, as
the organ of the United States, was precisely in the same situation,
and he could not convey to others powers of more extensive dura
tion than he himself possessed.

William St. Clair to Governor St. Claib.
Kaskaskia, Ju-ne 2d, 1793.
Sir: — I should be unAvilling, by Mr. Minard, to omit doing myself
the honor of Avritlng your Excellency, though I have nothing of
any great importance to communicate at this tirae. As to the hos
tile Indians, we have been quieter these two years past than has
been known for raany years before. Last spring, a man of the
name of Whitesides Avas Avounded ; it is generally thought he will
die of his Avound. The act Avas perpetrated by a single Indian, who
Avas pursued and killed. The Indians have stolen a considerable
nuraber of horses, but we may always expect that wUl be the case
as long as any Indians live Avithin reach of the settlements.
The moveraents of the Spaniards seera to indicate something
of consequence in this quarter. All their militia are furnished with
arms and ammunition, and some of their militia officers put in pay
as in actual service. Ordnance and artillery come in almost every
boat from Orleans, and troops are expected at this quarter. It is

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 317
said that some new galleys are on their way to be stationed along the
river. Our militia in this country is in a Avretched state, and no
officer at the head of it has any desire, it Avould appear, to put it on
a better footing. The men will not perform their duty unless there
were a feAV soldiers in the country to enforce obedience. Colonel
Tardiveau is gone to Orleans, and many other officers are wanting.
Tbere has not been a review these eighteen months past, so that it
would apjDear Ave have no organized government Avhatever. Our
courts are in a deplorable state ; no order is kept in the interior,
and many times not held. Prairie Du Rocher has had no court this
sometime, and Kaskaskia has failed before. The magistrates, hoAv-
ever, have taken upon themselves to set it going again. I think
tbey will again fail. The prospect is gloomy.'

Governor St. Claie to Alexander Hamilton.
Cincinnati, County of Hamilton, Aug. 9th, ¥798.
Dear Sir : — I have observed Avith pleasure the measures that have
been pursued to make it more apparently the interest of the Avest
ern counties '' to comply Avith the Excise Law. It Avas their real in
terest before the opposition began Avith the distillers, Avho were in
a combination against the people, but it has been fostered since by
others, and for very bad purposes. To assist you the little that may
be in my power, I wUl, if possible, procure a law at the next session
of the legislature forbidding the importation of all ardent spirits
into the Territory, the duties upon Avhich have not been either paid
or secured ; and if I should faU in it, Congress, I suppose, avIU uot
leave this country open as a market for those Avho choose to disobey
their laAVS ; and I mention it to you, that you may think of it and
put it in train if it meets your approbation. Indeed, Avere I to suc
ceed, I should be glad even to see the laAV disapproved, and another
enacted to the same purpose by Congress, for it is already time that

1 The remainder of this letter is of no special consequence, but I note
the following statement in regard to prices : " Tour Excellency raay re
member the extravagant prices of every article in this country. First, the
article of clothing is at least six hundred per cent, above the price at Phil
adelphia ; and, next, provisions are ten times higher than at any seaport in
America,' as, for example, ilour per cwt. $0; pork per cwt. $20; beef, .'515..50;
bacon, $30; coffee per lb. $1.50; sugar per lb. $1 ; molasses per gal. St."
2 Western counties of Pennsylvania, where the Avhisky insurrection oc
curred.

318 The St. Clair Papers.
this country should be kept in mind tbat we are not yet a part of
the Union, but dependent upon it.
I have heard that we are threatened with a war with Spain. I
hope we shall not be involved with any of the European powers, for
at present a war Avith one is nearly allied to a war Avith others, if
not all ; but if the business Avere settled on the continent, and those
cursed Indian wars at an end (of which I have little hope) to the
western people it would be the most desirable thing possible. I have
a letter from Kaskaskia of the 2d of June, which speaks of the
Spaniards arming theraselves on the upper part of the Mississippi,
and I have given an extract from it to the Secretary of War,
which Avill be communicated to you should he think it of conse
quence enough. The person is a respectable and intelligent man,
and Avould not give me information he did not credit himself. When
he resided at Detroit, I received much useful intelligence through
hira. In compassion to a poor devil banished to another planet, tell me
whatis doing in yours, if you can snatch a moraent from the weighty
cares of your office. Whether you do so or uot, I shall always find
myself deeply Interested in your fame and fortune. I pray you to
make my best respects to Mrs. Hamilton, and with the best wishes
I can possibly form, I ara truly and affectionately, etc.

Governor St. Clair to Luke Decker.
Cincinnati, Oct. 11, 1793.
Sir : — I have again been considering the subject of slavery as it
stands Avith us according to the Ordinance of Congress for the gov
ernraent of the Territory, and I am more and more confirmed in the
opinion which I expressed to you, viz :
That the declaration that there shall be neither slavery nor in
voluntary servitude iu the said Territory otherwise than in the pun
ishment of crimes whereof the party shall haA'e been convicted, Avas
no more than the declaration of a principle which was to govern the
legislature in aU acts respecting that matter, and the courts of jus
tice in their decisions upon cases arising after the date of the Ordi
nance, which is the 13th day of July, 1787, but could have no
retroactive operation whatever ; and the grounds upon which that
opinion is founded are — that, in the first place, retroactive laAvs being
generally unjust in their nature have ever been discountenanced in
the United States, and in most of them are positively forbidden ;

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 319
and that slaves being a species of property countenanced and pro
tected in several of the States, and iu that part of the Territory
Avhich you inhabit, by the ancient laws, and had been acquired un
der those laws, Congress Avould not divest any person of that prop
erty Avithout making him a compensation, though they doubtless
had a right to determine that property of that kind afterAvards ac
quired should not be protected in future, and that slaves imported
into' the Territory after that declaration might reclaim their freedom.
And this I take to be the true meaning and import of the clause of
tbe Ordinance, and Avhen I Avas in the Illinois country I gave tbe
people there my sentiments on this subject in the same manner, whicb
made them easy.
With equal justice might Congress declare aU the slaves in the
Southern States to be free, without making the OAvners any satisfac
tion, which I believe no person ever thought they had a right to do.
But tbe sense of Congress is very Avell to be known on this subject,
by what they have actually done, viz : by making it unlaAvful to
import into any of the States any negroes after a certain specified
time, and which is yet to come, so that if any person after the ar
riA'al of that period should import a cargo of negroes, there is no
doubt that they would all be free, while those that were in the country
before remain in slavery according to the former laws.
This I believe to be the true construction of the Ordinance, but I
will endeavor to obtain the opinion of the judges upon the point, and
transmit it for the satisfaction of the people. In the meantime, it
will not be improper that they should be made acquainted with mine.

Thomas Jefferson to Governor Shelby.
Germantown, November 6, 1793.
Sir : — I have received from the representative of Spain here, in
formation of which tbe following is the substance : That on the 2d
of October, four Frenchmen, of the name of LaChalse, Charles
Delpeau, Mathurin and Signeux, set out in the stage from Philadel
phia for Kentucky ; that they were authorized by the Minister of
France bere to excite and engage as manyas they could, whether
of our citizens or others, ou the road or within your government, or
anyAvhere else, to undertake an expedition against the Spanish set
tlements within our neighborhood, and in event to descend the Ohio
and Mississippi and attack New Orleans, where they expected some
naval co-operation ; that they were furnished with money for tbese

320 The St. Clair Papers.
purposes, and AvIth blank commissions, to be filled at their discretion..
I inclo.3e you the description of these four persons, in the very
words in Avhich it has been communicated to rae.
HaA'ing laid this inforraation before the President of the United
States, I have it in charge frora him to desire your particular atten
tion to these persons, that they may not be permitted to excite
within our territories, or carry from thence any hostilities into the
territory of Spain. For this purpose, it is more desirable that those
peaceable means of coercion should be used which have been pro
vided by the laAvs, such as the binding to good behaA'ior these,
or any other persons exciting or engaging in these unlawful enter
prises, indicting thera, or resorting to such other legal process as
those learned in the laAVS of your State may advise. Where these
fail, or are inadequate, a suppression by the railitia of the State has
been ordered and jDracticed iu other States. I hope that the citi
zens of Kentucky will uot be decoyed into any participation in
these illegal enterprises against the peace of their country by any
effect they raay expect from them on the navigation of the Missis
sippi. Their good sense avIU tell them that it is not to be affected
by half measures of this kind, and that their surest dependence is
on those regular measures Avhich are pursuing and will be pursued
by the General Government, and Avhich flow from the united author
ity of all the States.

Governor St. Clair to Governor Shelby.
Cincinnati, 7th November, 1793.
Sir: — I have received pretty direct information, AvhIch I think
necessary to communicate to you, that General Clarke has received
a coraraission from the government of France, and is about to raise
a body of men in Kentucky to attack the Spanish settleraents upon
the Mississippi. Should a business of this kind be prosecuted, the
nation Avould probably be Involved in very serious difficulty, as Avell
as the country over which you have the honor immediately to
preside. It would appear that sorae measures to counteract it should be
taken iraraediately, more especially if it be true, Avhat report says,
that a large sum of money, a payraaster, and a nuraber of French
officers have arrived at the Falls of Ohio, and a number of boats
for the expedition already actually laid down. There can be no
doubt, a matter of this kind Avould not escape your vigilance, but as
I got the account of it in a manner that Avould not, probably, reach

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 321
you, I thought it a duty to give it over, which mu^c be my excuse
for troubling you at this time.
I am sorry, sir, that the first time I have occasion to write to you
I am obliged to do it by another person. I am so iU as not to be
able to Avrite at all.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War.
[No date or pla,c6.'\
The letter you did me the honor to write me from Germantown
on the 9th November, came to hand on the 2d instant. I had, some
time ago, received information of an enterprise being intended
against the Spanish settlements, to be conducted by General Clarke,
from Kentucky, of which I gave information to the Secretary of
State and to Governor Shelby, and recommended to the last to take
some measures to prevent the execution of it.
The Frenchmen you mention, I have heard, are in Kentucky ;
and it is not improbable they may attempt to induce some of the
inhabitants of the Illinois country, to prevent Avhich I have issued
a proclamation requiring them to observe a strict neutrality toward
Spain, and vsrarning them against the said Frenchmen. I must
beg leave to observe, that Avhatever aspect the design may have
assumed, it is impossible to prevent it by the militia of this GoA'ern
ment, for the settlements are so distant from each other, and so weak
in themselves, that the small numbers which could be collected
would be inadequate, and most probably collected too late, if it was
necessary. But I shall direct the civil and mUitary officers to use
every means in their power to prevent any of the inhabitants from
joining 'the said Frenchmen ; and, although I doubt not you have
made the same communications to General Wayne which you have
done to me, I shall transmit to him a copy of that part of your let
ter in Avhich you desire me to request the assistance of the officer
commanding the troops of the United States in the effectual sup.
pression of the design, and shall suggest to him that it may be
proper to order the officer commanding the horse which are now in
Kentucky to furnish such assistance to Governor Shelby as he may
require for that purpose. A proclamation.^
Whereas, a war at present exists in Europe between France, on the
•Within a month after the proclamation of Governor St. Clair was issued,
the following public notice from General George Kogers Clarke appeared,
VOD. n. — 21

322 The St. Clair Papers.
one part, and certain other powers on the other part, and although the
and was printed in the same number ofthe "Centinel ofthe North-western
Territory." Cincinnati, January 25, 1794.
George R. Clarhe, Esq., Major-General in the army of France, and Commander-
in-Chief of the French Revolutionary Legions on the Mississippi River :
PROPOSALS
For raising volunteers for the reduction of the Spanish posts on the Mis
sissippi, for opening the trade ofthe said river, and giving freedom to ifsjn-
habitants, etc.
All persons serving the expedition to be entitled to one thousand acres of
land; those that engage for one year Avill be entitled to two thousand acres;
if they serve two years, or during the present war with France, they will
have three thousand acres of any unappropriated land that may be con
quered. The officers in proportion pay, etc., as other French troops. All
lawful plunder will be equally divided, agreeably to the custora of Avar. All
necessaries Avill be provided for the enterprise, and every precaution taken
to cause the return of those Avho wish to quit the service, as comfortable as
possible, and a reasonable number of days allowed them to return, at the
expiration of which time, their pay will cease. All persons will be commis
sioned agreeably to the nuraber of men they bring into the field. Those
that serve the expedition will have their choice of receiving their lands or
one dollar per day, G. E. Claek E.
Despite his frequent and severe attapks of illness during 1793, Governor
St. Clair was very attentive to the wants of the inhabitants of the Terri
tory, and gave a great deal of time in aiding General Wayne to form his
army for the final expedition against the warlike Indians. These move
ments and negotiations for peace will be found described in Volume I, ch. vii.
For details of official transactions, the student of history is referred to the
manuscript records of the proceedings of the Governor of the Territory
North-west of the Ohio.^

(11 Official Recokds, 179.3,
January 30tli. — Lieutenant John AVallace promoted to captain, vice Ludlow,
resigned. Celadon Symmes, ensign, vice Benham, resigned.
Robert Buntin appointed captain, and James McConnel, lieutenant.
Abner M. Dunn was appointed Register of Deeds for Hamilton County, vice AVil
liam Burnet, removed from the Territory; and James Johnson, Treasurer of the
County of Knox, vice Paul Gamelin, deceased.
February 1st. — Benjamin Orcutt appointed lieutenant in the First regiment of
Hamilton County, vice Newell, killed; and Ignatius Eoss, ensign, vice Miller.
February 5th.— .A new commission for a Court of Common Plea.s, Hamilton County,
was made out, specially naming therein AVilliam Goforth, WiUiam AA'ells, William
McMillan, John S. Gano and Aaron Cadwell. This commission was refused by the
Judges, who, on the 9th of February, returned it through Mr. Ludlow. The com
mission had been made out to read, "During the pleasure of the Governor." Inthe
letter returning it, tlie Judges said that they "would not stoop to tlie indignity of
holding offlce the tenure of which is during pleasure," and that they preferred the
commissions of Justices of the Peace to the first seat in government " during pleas
ure." Secretary Sargent replied at length, saying that the tenure in the commission

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 323
United States are allied to France, yet they are not parties in this
was the same as in commission of the Governor and his own, namely, during the
pleasure of the President; and that they had only two options, either to acceptor
reject the commission. The judges did neither; they continued to carry on the
court under the original commission issued by Governor St. Clair. Such a commo
tion was created by this, and by the difficulties between Secretary Sargent and
Judges Symmes and Turner, that Governor St. Clair hastened back to his govern
ment to quell the storm. How he effected it, will be shown by the correspondence
above. June 18th.— A proclamation was issued proliibiting the cutting or carrying away
of timber on Government lands. On same day, George Gordon was appointed Cor
oner, vice Buntin, resigned.
July 3d.— James Barrett was appointed Justice of the Peace.
July 23d.— The Judges ol Knox County were called on to enforce the law prohibit
ing the sale of intoxicating liquors to Indians. Henry Vanderburgh, J. F. Vigo and
Eobert Buntin were appointed a, committee to take charge of the business, and to
supply Indians visiting Vincennes such quantity of spirits as should seem to them
proper. July 23d.— Ezra Freeman was appointed United St.ates Attorney for Hamilton
County, vice Dunn, resigned,
July 26th. — Governor St. Clair, who had returned to the Territory, issued the fol
lowing Proclamation:
Whereas, The circumstances of the Territory require a meeting of the Legislature
at as early a period as conveniently may be, I have thought proper to issue this, my
proclamation, requiring the Legislature of the said Territory to meet at the town of
Cincinnati, in the County ot Hamilton, on the first day of September next ensuing,
of which the members respectively are hereby directed to take notice, and govern
themselves accordingly.
Given under the hand and seal of the Governor, at Marietta, the 2oth day of July,
1793. August 6tli. — The Governor, having adjusted the difficulty with the Judges of Ham
ilton County, re-commlssioned them.
Augu.st 9th.— Absolum Martin appointed Justice of tlie Peace for Washington
County, and Winthrop Sargent was authorized to administer the oath to all officers
prescribed by act of United States.
August llth. — Nathaniel Massie was appointed Justice of the Peace for Hamilton
County. September liQi.— Public Notice by the Governor: The Commander-in-Chief [General
Anthony AA'ayne] of the army, having communicated the information by him re
ceived, viz; that the negotiations with the hostile Indians, for the purpose of estab
lishing peace, were broken off without that purpose being effected.
The Governor has thought proper to notify the same to the inhabitants, that they
may be upon their guard against auy attempt whieh may be made upon them bythe
said Indians; and the militia officers .are directed to be diligent and exact in fulfilling
the duties required by law, and to attend, in a particular manner, to the inspection
ot the arms and accouterments of tiie respective companies.
September 19th.— John Stites Gano was appointed prothonotary of the Court of
Common Pleas and clerk of tlie Court of General Quarter-Sessions of the peace for
Hamilton County, vice Samuel Swan, deceased.
September 21st.— The Governor issued aproclamation, setting Wednesday, the 2.3th
inst., apart to be'observed as a day of fasting and prayer, imploring the aid and
blessin" of Divine Providence with the army of the United States, about to march
against the hostile tribes of Indians.
October 1st.— John Armstrong, of Columbia, appointed Justice of the Peace of
Hamilton County.
October 10th.— John AVestfall, Coroner of Knox County, vice Christopher Wyant,
and Christopher Wyant, Sheriff, vice John Small, resigned. Robert Buntin, gentle
man Eegister and Notary Public for same county, vice John Mills, removed.
The Governor Issued a proclamation that authority had been given to Luke Decker

324 The St. Clair Papers.
war, but are at peace with the other powers, and particularly with
Spain, from which political situation results by the laws of nations,
the duties of an exact neutrality and a conduct perfectly equal and
irapartial toAvards all the belligerent powers, the observation of
which neutrality has been enjoined gpon the citizens of the United
States by the President, in his proclamation ofthe 22d April, 1793.
And it having been coramunicated to me through the Secretary of
War, that the representatives of Spain have made representations
to him of the designs of certain Frenchmen by the naraes of La-
Chaise, Charles Delpeau, Mathurin and Signeux, to excite and engage
as many as they coald, whether your citizens or others, to undertake an
expedition against the Spanish settlements Avithin our neighborhood,
I have thought fit to issue this Proclaraation, requiring all the in
habitants of the Territory of the United States north-west of the
Ohio, and they are hereby required and commanded to observe a
strict neutrality towards Spain, to abstain from every hostility
against the subjects or settlements of that crown, and forbidding all
and every of the said inhabitants to join themselvea to the said La-
Chaise, Charles Delpeau, Mathurin and Signeux, or either of them in
any attempt they raay raeditate against the Spanish settleraents on the
Mississippi, or to aid or abet them in the same in any manner what
ever ; and all persons who may offend may depend upon being prose
cuted and punished with the utmost rigor of the laAv. And I do
hereby require and command all officers, civil and military, to use
their utmost endeavors to prevent the said LaChaise, Delpeau,
Mathurin and Signeux, or either, frora raaking any levies of men,
or other preparation Avithin the Territory, and to imprison them
should they have the audacity to atterapt it, and to restrain all and
every of the inhabitants from joining themselves to them or either
of them.
tu administer oaths, as prescribed in the Act of Congress, to the Sheriff and Coroner
of Knox County.
October 19th.— John Green appointed Captain of the First Regiment of Hamilton
County, vice Eobert Buntin, removed to Vincennes.
Davies C. Orcutt, Lieutenant and Adjutant, vice McConnel, resigned. Samuel
Creigh, Ensign; John Sohooly, Ensign; Stephen Eeeder, Lieutenant, vice Vance, re
moved, and James I.you, a lieutenant.
October28th.— John Armstrong appointed Judge ot the Court of Common Pleas.
October 29th. — Thc Governor directed Lieutenant-Colonel Spencerto mount patrols
in Cincinnati, Columbia and North Bend every night to protect the inhabitants from
surprise from Indians, of which the people were apprehensive, while General
Wayne's army was moving into the Indian country.
November 13th.— John Mercer, Esq., appointed Justice ot the Peace of Hamilton
County. December 7th.— The Governor issued u, proclamation commanding a strict neu
trality to be observed towards the crown of Spain, and other powers not at war with
the United States.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 32.5
In testimony whereof, I have caused the seal of the Territory to
be affixed to these presents, and signed the same Avith ray hand. Done
at the city of Marietta, in the county of Washington, the 7th day
of December, 1793, and of the Independence of the United States
the eighteenth year. Arthur St. Clair.

Judge Turner to Govi^rnor St. Clair.
Vincennes, Jun^ Mih, 1794.
Sir : — I had not been long here before I discovered that some
abuses had taken place through the artifices of certain individuals,
one of whom is Henry Vanderburgh, Esquire, judge of probate
and a justice of the peace; another is Captain Abner Prior, of the
army. As it is my determination to impeach Vanderburgh before the
Territorial Legislature, I mention it here, lest the party accused
should try to elude the punishment that may aAvait him in case of
conviction, by offering your Excellency his commission as judge of
probate. I pledge myself to produce satisfactory proofs of his
guilt. With respect to Captain Prior, I must observe that, for some
time past, he has acted an extraordinary part. He terms himself
agent for Indian affairs on the Wabash, and assumes poAvers that
may interfere AvIth those which belong to the Superintendent of In
dian affairs. This assumed agency has, I conceive, been exercised
in a manner derogatory to the dignity and prejudicial to the inter
ests of the United States. It appears, in short, to have been hitherto
a system of job-making for the sole benefit of Vanderburgh and
Prior. The inclosed papers may throw some light on the matter.
In addition to Avhat I have alread}' observed, it may not be im
proper to mention that certain persons here have lately been guilty
of a violent outrage against the laws. They were employed by
Vanderburgh to seize and forcibly carry aAvay tAVo negroes, a man
and his wife, who are free by the Constitution of the Territory, and
who, being held by him as slaves, has applied to me for the Avrit of
habeas corpus, [out] in affirmance of their freedom. The outrage
was accompanied Avith some acts of cruelty toAvard the unfortunate
blacks. I have caused several of the offenders to be apprehended,
but others of them Avere encouraged by Vanderburgh to resist the
execution of process, and in one instance this was actually done by

326 The St. Clair Papers.
draAving a linife upon the sheriff. Such of the offenders, however,
as Avere not taken have since surrendered themselves, and, full of
contrition for their misconduct, have amply exposed the machina
tions of Judge Vanderburgh in this nefarious business, and who
noAV appears to have been the instigator of the resistance that was
made. There is reason to believe that Prior was privy to and aid
ing in this transaction.
The very long absence of Mr. Samuel Baird, prothonotary and
clerk for this county, has been represented to me by the magistrates .
as a great grievance. His brother was, it seems, deputed to act for
hira, but has delegated his duties to Vanderburgh, and in this there
is certainly an impropriety, for the latter is a magistrate. Besides,
he has committed frequent abuses, as acting prothonotary, by issuing
blank Avrits, Avhich the plaintiffs are left to fill up in Avhat manner
they please, and there is no legal character here to advise them how
to do it. The French inhabitants, I mean such of them as yet
hold their land rights, for by far the greater part, having neither
patience nor, as they say, rauch confidence left in the promise of
Government, have sold their rights for little or nothing — such in
habitants, I say, express the greatest anxiety to see Mr. Baird, or
some other surveyor, in order that their respective lands may be
laid off and ascertained. For the Avant of this, numbers M the poor
people are obliged to rent the soil of their neighbors.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of State.
[Without place or date'], 1794.
Sir : — I am sorry to see, from the public papers, that the French
Minister has been the occasion of uneasinesses in the Atlantic States,
and I think it my duty to apprise you that, frora information I have
received, it is probable his machinations are not confined to those
States, but extend to this country also. The report, as I have it, is
that he has made propositions to General Clarke to raise a body of
men in Kentucky, and attack the Spanish settlements in Louisiana,
and that, as soon as he was able, two ships of the line and three
frigates should be sent into the Mississippi to co-operate with him,
and that he (the Minister) counted upon the general rising of
the French inhabitants. The coraraunications between the Minis
ter and General Clarke pass, it is said, through a Mr. Micheau, at
Lexington, a person who gives out that he is employed by you to

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 327
gather materials for a natural history of this country. It is farther
stated that General Clarke has come into the project, provided two
thousand dollars are advanced him, of which Mr. Micheau has
glA'cn him assurances.
I think that circumstances and the state of the public mind are
such as to enable any agent Mr. Genet may have in tliat part of the
country to consummate a scheme of invasion. There would be no
lack of leaders. The naA'igation of the Mississippi which the people
so ardently pant for, and AvhIch they are very little prepared to
avail themselves of, even if it Avere free, Avould seem to be Avithin
grasp, and they Avill shut their eyes to the difficulties until too late
to draAV back, and the mischief to the whole country be done.
General Wayne marched from hence this day Aveek, and had the
finest Aveather one ever saAV ; not a drop of rain, and no frost as yet.
 It is reported that the Indians are assem
bled about a thousand strong near the same place Avhere they met
me. There is every reason to hope that he avIU give a good account
of them, and that peace raay be restored upon good terms, for which
I do most fervently and sincerely pray.

Secretary Sargent to Captain Pierce.
Cincinnati, September 8th, 1794. — 6 o'clock p. m.
Sir: — Since I parted from you I have too sufficient reason to be
lieve that attempts may, indeed, will be made upon the lives of the
ChoctaAV Indians this night ; and, although I have ordered out a
mUitia guard, and shall make every possible exertion to prevent
mischief, it appears to me that it can not be done unless you take
the Indians into the fort immediately.
I, therefore, presume thus, in writing, to reiterate my advice, and
stand exculpated under all possible circumstances.'
/ 1 The following militia order was also issued:
Twenty privates from the militia, with the due complement of non-com
missioned officers, to be paraded immediately, at JMr. Cutter's, near the
church-yard. Major Gano will coraraand this party, and raake such dis
positions as shall seem best calculated to establish and preserve order at
Cincinnati, and afford protection to the Choctaw Indians.
Colonel Sargent, with the civil officers of the town, and some private
gentlemen, will reinforce this guard at an early hour.
WiNTHKOP Sargent,
Commanding the Militia.
The lawlessness of the mob in Cincinnati was certainly very great, for

328 The St. aair Papers.

Secretary Sargent to Judge McMillan.
Cincinnati, Sept. 8th, 1794. — 4 o'clock, p. m.
Sir : — It has been represented to me that great violence has been
committed upon a party of Choctaw Indians under the protection of
the laAVS of the Territory, by a number of men of the town of Cin
cinnati, armed Avith clubs, etc.
I wish you, immediately upon receipt of this, to pursue the most
prompt, necessary, and legal measures to correct and prevent the
reiteration of such outrages, for the lives, not only of the said In
dians, but of some of the inhabitants also, raay be sacrificed by
delay. I raention to you the name of a Mr. Hopkins for particular in
formation in this unfortunate affair.'
not only were the friendly Indians assailed with clubs and stones and guns,
but two balls were tired into the dwelling of Secretary Sargent, and for sev
eral nights violence ran riot in the streets of the town. The county court
paying no attention to the matter, when the United States court met, ths
Secretary addressed a communication to Judge Putnam, reciting the facts
and asked for a special inquiry. He also said that, unless the hatred ofthe
old pioneers against the Indians could be controlled, it would lead to serious
consequences. '
'A curious illustration of the feelings of the old citizens of the Territory
at this period towards the Indians, and of the difficulties which Governor
St. Clair had to encounter to preserve peace and the lives ofthe inhabitants,
is afforded by an advertisement which was issued by citizens in the Miami
Purchase in 1794. It was as follows: PUBLIC NOTICE.
Whereas, raany good citizens of this Territory, with a design to check
the incursions of hostile Indians now at war with the people of the Uuited
States, have voluntarily entered into and subscribed their naraes to certain
articles; each narae having a sum annexed thereto, and have severally bound
themselves, their heirs, etc., to pay the sarae, as in the said articles are men
tioned :
We, the subscribers, therefore, being nominated and appointed to superin
tend the business of collecting and paying the raoney thus subscribed, hereby
give notice that the following arrangement is made for the reward to be
given for Indian scalps, to be taken and produced within the period o'f
the 18th day cf April last past, and the 25th day of December next en
suing, and within the boundaries following, to wit: Beginning on the Ohio,
ten miles above the mouth of the Little IMiami, on a direct line thence north
wardly, the same distance frora the said Miami, until it shall extend twenty-
five miles above where Harmar's trace first crosses the said Miami; thence.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 329

Secretary Sargent to the Secretary of State.
Cincinnati, Territory op the United States
NoRTH-AVEST OF THE Ohio, November 20, 1794.
Sir : — Upon the 6th instant, Avas apprehended at this place Chris
topher Cunningham and one of the Inhabitants by the name of
Daniel Duffy, for " aiding and comforting the insurgents of the
western counties of Pennsylvania, contrary to the President's proc
lamation," and compeUed to enter into recognizance in the sum of
five hundred dollars each, to answer the same at the general court
of this Territory.
At the same time, warrants were issued for Hugh Huffman, John
McClure, John Taylor, and James Templeton, all of whom, together
Avith Cunningham, are from Washington county, Pennsylvania, and
by force of arms opposed the taking of the Mr. Bradford, an in
surgent, from on board a boat upon the Ohio, some fcAV days ante-
due west, crossing the said Little Miami, until it shall extend ten m'les west
of the Great Miami; thence, southwardly, keeping the distance often miles
from the said Great Miami, to the Ohio; thence up the i-iiddle of the said
Eiver Ohio to the beginning; that for every scalp, having the right ear ap
pendant, of the first ten Indians who shall be killed within the time and
limits aforesaid by those who are subscribers to the said articles, shall, when-
ever collected, be paid the sum of one hundred and thirty-six dollars ; and
for every scalp of the like number of Indians, having the right ear append
ant, who shall be killed Avithin the time and limits aforesaid, by those who
are not subscribers, the Federal troop excepted, shall, whenever collected, bo
paid the sum of one hundred dollars ; and for every scalp, having the right
ear appendant, of the seeond ten Indians who shall be killed within the
time and liraits aforesaid by those who are subscribers to said articles, shall,
Avhenever collected as aforesaid, be paid the sum of one hundred and seven
ieen dollars ; and for every scalp, having the right ear appendant, ofthe
said second ten Indians who shall be killed within the time and liraits afore
said, by those who are not subscribers to the said articles, except before ex
cepted, shall, whenever collected, t>e paid the sura of ninety-five dollars.
Cincinnati —
Levi Woodward,
Darius C. Orcutt,
James Lyons,
Columbia —
William Brown,
Iqnai'ius Eoss,
John Keily, Committee.

330 The St. Clair Papers.
cedent to the 5th ; protected him as far as this place, and aided him
to pass doAvn the river.'

Go-VERNOR St. Claie to Judge Turner.
Marietta, December 14th, 1794.
S'lr: — I have lately been honored Avith a letter frora you of the
14th of June last, covering certain papers relating to Captain Prior
and Mr. Vanderburgh, through the Secretary of State. It gives me
pain that you should meet Avith any obstruction in exercising the
functions of your office, but I inust feel it raore sensibly Avhen that
obstruction proceeds frora any officer of the Government. Mr.
Vanderburgh, I am a perfect stranger to, but he Avas recommended
to me as the most proper person in that country to fill the office he
UOAV holds, and you are very sensible hoAV difficult it is to find per
sons in a ncAV country Avho are duly qualified for any office ; yet that
nor any other consideration Avill ever induce me to continue a man
Avho does not discharge his trust Avith fidelity. I would have wished,
sir, that you had hinted at the nature of the abuses he has been
guilty of.
If they are such as are punishable by law, upon being informed,
I will direct a prosecution, Avhich I believe is the only mode, and
that may be done, ifi mistake not, as AveU after removal from office
as during the incumbency. As to any impeachraent before the
Territorial Legislature, I Avoiild take the liberty to suggest to you
that they have no power to try impeachments. If Mr. Vander
burgh has been guilty of abuses in his office (and I ara sure you
would not accuse hira without just grounds), it is improper that he
should continue in it one moment beyond Avhat can be avoided. I
must, therefore, request that you will, as soon as raay be, furnish
rae Avith the charges against hira, and a summary of the proofs that
may have corae to your knoAvledge, and it shall be instantly re
viewed, and prosecution ordered against him, if the offense be in
dictable. Captain Prior, or his Indian agency, I know nothing about, but
as I have heard that he is Avith the army, that business I suppose is
over. As he Avas not of my appointraent, I am ignorant both of
'At the time (the midniL;ht of the Sth), upon information received at a
late hour, the Secretary directed Captain Pierce, of Port Washington, to
send out twelve soldiers, under a trusty officer, to assist the sheriff in appre
hending the persons who assisted Bradford to escape.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 331
the nature and extent of the authority he may have been clothed
with ; the papers referred to are of no use to me, and I have returned
them to you inclosed.
The arresting of some of the persons who resisted the sheriff, and
the submission of others, avUI, probably, put an end to any further
attempts of that nature, but the affair of the slaves is, I am afraid, a
source of discontent that will not very soon be stopped.
Permit me, sir, to offer you my opinion upon the subject, which
;is shortly this: that the declaration in our Constitution, that there
shall be no slavery nor involuntary servitude in the Territory, ap
plies to, and can be taken advantage of only by, those slaves Avho may
have been imported since the establishment of that Constitution.
Slavery Avas established in that country Avlien it Avas under the
dominion of France. It Avas continued Avhen it fell under that of
Great Britain ; and, again, under Virginia, a part of the Territory
of which it was considered by that State uutil the cession thereof
made to Congress ; and AA'hether that construction of the State was
ill or well formed, the acceptation of the cession by Congress con
firmed it to all intents and purposes ; and there is also a clause in
that cession about continuing to the ancient settlers, and those who
bad settled under Virginia, the benefit of their ancient laAvs and
customs. As I have not the act of cession of that State by me at
present, I can not give you the words. Slaves Avere then a property
acquired by the inhabitants conformably to laAV, and they were to be
protected in the possession of that property. If so, they are still to
be protected in it. So far as it respects the past, it can have no
operation, and must be construed to intend that, from and after the
publication of the said Constitution, slaves imported into that Ter
ritory should immediately become free ; and by this construction no
injury is done to any person, because it is a matter of public noto
riety, and any person removing into that Colony and bringing Avith
bim persons who were slaves in another country, does it at the
knoAvn risk of their claiming their freedom ; whereas, on the other
band, had the Constitution the effect to liberate those persons who
were slaves by the former laAvs, as no compensation is provided to
their OAvners, it Avould be an act of the GoA'ernment arbitrarily de
priving a part of the people of a part of their property— an attempt
that has not been made and would uot be submitted to, and is not
to be drawn from the mere construction of words. I have troubled
you with my thoughts upon this subject, because I have heard that
there is great agitation among the people respecting it ; and they

332 St. aair Papers.
should be set at rest, because it Avas formerly brought before me by
some of these people to Avhom I gave my opinion nearly as I have
now stated it to you.
Whether the French inhabitants have confidence in the promises
of Government or not, I am sure those at St. Vincennes have reason
both for confidence and gratitude. Their lands — I havo reason to
believe all of their lands — have been laid off and ascertained long
ago, and Congress took upon themselves the expense of surveying
their ancient claims, Avhich they were not bound to do, and have not
done anywhere else. Their complaints on that score are without
any foundation.
Mr. S. Baird has resigned the office of prothonotary and clerk
of the peace, by letter, and another Avill soon be appointed. I have
no doubt that it is an office to Avhich a deputy may be constituted;
it is, however, very certain that a deputy can not make a deputy.
Mr. Baird's brother Avas, therefore, Avrong in transferring the per
formance of the duties to Mr. Vanderburgh or any other person, and
I should suppose your hinting it to him Avould induce him to resume
them imraediately. But as to blank Avrlts : they are sanctioned by
law. As the fee is settled for (araong thera) in the fee table, it
would have been rauch raore proper to have annexed a penalty.
A session of the Legislature is called for by the people, and is in
deed very necessary. Judge Symmes is not in the Territory, and
you are at so great a distance that I thought it next to impossible
you could attend this winter. It is my intention to call it as early
in the spring as possible — about the 1st of March, I think, when I
hope you may be able to attend.

Governor St. Clair to Thomas Jefferson.
Marietta, December 14th, 1794.
Sir : — By the order of Congress establishing the government of
this Territory, the supreme judicial authority is vested in three judges,
two of whom are necessary to form a court with poAver to decide
in all matters without appeal ; and by a laAv of Congress one of
those judges (in the absence of others) is made corapetent to hold
court and decide in cases also Avithout appeal. Many representations
have been made to me on this subject. The people very generally
think it an unsafe situation Avh ich they are in; and, indeed, taking
the matter abstractly, it can not be thought very eligible that the

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 333
whole property of a country which may be the subject of law should
be governed by the deterraination of a single judge, without the
possibUity of having that determination revised. Circumstances ex
ist at present that render it dangerous. The principal settlements
have been made in tracts of land purchased by certain companies
or associations of persons ; the first of those is the Ohio Company,
and next the Miami Company. In both those associations the man
agement of the directors and agents are thought to have laid the
foundation of endless disputes. Geueral Putnam has been the active
director in the first association, aud Mr. Symmes the principal, if
not the sole, agent in the second; and they are both judges of the
Supreme Court. Every land dispute will be traced to sorae transac
tion of the one or of the other of those gentlemen, and they are to
sit in judgment upon them. It must, I think, be acknowledged
that this is not a groundless cause of apprehension, for though they
are both of firm character (and delicacy Avould prevent their decision
in any case where they are themselves parties) the people have but
a slender security for the impartiality of their decision. Interest
hangs an insensible bias upon tbe minds of tbe most upright men.
In the matters that are most likely to be litigated, in whichever of
the associations they necessarily happen, there must be so great a
similarity that, deciding in one by ajudge who has no direct interest
in the cause, may have, nevertheless, as direct and certain an effect
in another Avhere he is interested, as if he had determined his own
cause. I believe it Avould be well, therefore, that the laAv erapoAver-
ing one judge were repealed, and that sorae mode were prescribed
for bringing decisions in the Supreme Court here before the federal
court, either by direct appeal, or by Avrit of error, or both, as the
cases may require. It appears to me to be necessary for the purpose
of rendering the people easy and safe ; and there are political ends
that would be clearly served by it, for there is perhaps nothing that
contributes more to induce an affectionate subraission to any powers
than the habit of looking up to that power as the depository and
dispenser of justice in the last resort.
I have thought it my duty to make you acquainted with the fears
and wishes of the people upon this subject.

Governor St. Ciair to Joshua Coit.
Deeemher 22, 1794.
Sir :  As you were last winter upon the committee which had the

334 The St. aair Papers.
laAVS of the Western Territory under consideration, and I had the
honor of some conversation Avith you on the subject of them, I have
taken the liberty to trouble you again respecting them ; and, as ray
opinion coincided Avith yours on the objection that seemed to have
struck you Avith most force, on the best consideration I Avas able to
give, it appeared to me, very clearly, that the temporary legis
lature had no poAver to make laws, but merely to adopt any
of the acts of the original States that might be suited to the
circumstances of the Territory. The judges. Parsons and Var
num (the third judge did not accept the appoiutraent) , were
decidedly of a contrary opinion, and the point was battled, both
verbally and in Avriting, for a considerable time. Most of my
correspondence AvIth them is on record, and a copy in the office
of the Secretary of State. Neither of those gentlemen were in
possession of the codes of the States, although three mouths of
their respectlA^e salaries had been paid to them before they entered
upon their offices, as a compensation for the time and pains the col
lecting of those codes Avould cost them. I had that of Pennsylvania
only, to Avhich they Avere averse. Here was a dilemma. Without
laws, society could not exist ; and, unless either they or I gave
way, it could have none. Considering that they were both men of
the law, my conclusion Avas that, how strong soever my conviction
was, my construction must be erroneous, and I finally did give way,
upon their consenting to use the Avord adopted instead of enacted.
After the death of those gentleraen, and others being appointed, as
the conviction that we were wrong Avas still strong, I endeavored to
bring them to Avhat I concei\'ed to be the design of Congress ; but I
met with the same opinion, and an equal degree of obstinacy in or
frora them, which was a new inducement for me to go in the way we
had begun, and, from an expression in the act of Congress empower
ing the territorial legislature to repeal any laws by them adopted or
made, it Avas strongly urged that the power of making laws Avas
plainly implied, and from that time the style of our laAVs changed
frora adopted and published to enacted and made. The concurrent
sentiments of two sets of judges, all of them men of the law, put
an end to any further objections on my part, and, though not con
vinced, I supposed that I must have been in error.
I am not sure, sir, Avhether the coraraittee reported last spring or
not., If we have been, however, all along in a AA'rong train, it' is
very necessary that a stop should be put to our going further in it ;
. and, if we are in the right road, it is still necessary that those laws
which have not yet been passed upon by Congress should be con-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 335
sidered; I had the honor to mention to you many oojections
which appeared to me to have sufficient weight to induce their being
disapproved, and I have, since my return to the Territory, had
many representations made to me on the subject of some of them.
Mr. Woodbridge, Avho is now in town, and known to you, will in
form you how they are generally received, and it is of some conse
quence that the sense of Congress, if it could be had in that time,
should be known before the next session of the legislature, Avhich
will be about the beginning of March. I beg you to excuse the
trouble I give you, and to believe that I am Avith great respect, etc.

Governor St. Clair to Secretary Sargent.
Marietta, December 22, 1794.
Dear Sir : — . . . One or more of my letters to you must
certainly have been miscarried, aud yet, letters in the post-office
should not miscarry. In that I wrote in answer to your last inten
tion to cross the mountains (the date of it I have forgotten, but it
is a great Avhile ago), I gave you a rendezvous at this place as the
ill state of my health rendered me unwilling to go doAvn the river
tbis winter, and it seemed to me that it would be convenient for
you, being on your route to Philadelphia, to which place you had
signified your intention -of going in the course of the winter. After
this letter Avas written and had been sent off, I was laid down by
the gout at Pittsburgh, being then on my Avay, and with great diffi
culty got home again, where, after having tolerably recovered, I re
lapsed again, and at last, that you inight not be disappointed, set
out with the gout upon me, but fortunately received no injury, but
rather the contrary, from the exercise.
I have noAV little hope of seeing you this winter, as it seems to be
set in with a degree of severity that will probably soon render the
river impassable. In this state of things it is impossible for me to
go down, although, for many reasons, it is very needful that Ave
, , should be together for some time at least ; and, besides, as I informed
A'OU in my last (but one, I think), it is my intention to convoke the
legislature at this place very early in the spring. Of this I have
given Judge Turner intimation, but I shall send you a proclamation
for this purpose by the next opportunity. Should you still hold
your purpose of going to the seat of government, or should the
weather be such as you can come up the river, I must remind you
to bring the seal of the Territory, for there are several matters that

336 The St. Clair Papers.
require to be expedited that can not be done without it, particularly
a great many vacant offices to fill up and new magistrates to be ap
pointed. If you have any blank commissions to fill up, it would
save the trouble of much Avriting were you to bring them Avith you.
This part of the country furnishes no news, and any from PhUadel
phia aud from abroad will reach you as soon as this, and I will,
therefore, conclude with assuring you that I ahvays am, with great
regard, yours, etc.
Dec. 23d. — The mail arrived last night, but no letter from you.
As it seems not unUkely that the coraraunication between this place
and Fort Washington avIU be interrupted for sorae tirae, I now in
close the proclaraation, to which you Avill affix the seal and file it in
your office, and send copies to different quarters, and, particularly,
send one under cover to Judge Turner. I will take Avhat is neces
sary here and above upon myself
^The successful termination of the war with tl>e Indians iraproved the
prospects in the Territory, and I observe, in looking over the leaves of
Colonel Sargent's journal, kept for the Governor, that considerable was
done in the way of organizing civil government.'
(1) Official Eecoeds, 1794.
July 8th.— Dean Tyler, gentleman, was appointed jud^e of the Cc-:;'rt of Common
Pleas, for AVashington County, vice Robt. Oliver, resigned.
July .31st.— A proclamation for a fast on the 14th August was issued by the Secre
tary, who inclosed it to Lieutenant-Colonel Spencer, jit Columbia, and requested
him to " cause it to be read by Mr. Smitli upon the next Sunday."
Sept. 8th.— Orders were issued for the protection of a number of Choctaw Indians
who were returning from the Miami of the lakes, where they had been aiding Gen
eral Wayne against the hostile Indians. These friendly Indians were assaulted by
lawless men, and they took refuge in Fort Washington ; in regard to which the Sec
retary issued a proclamation on the 10th.
Oct. 6th.— Captain Virgin, who commanded at North Bend, was instructed to re
move the intruders from Government lauds west of the Great Miami.
Nov. 1st.— Notice was given to the justices of the peace of the proclamation of the
President forbidding citizens from aiding the insurgents of the western counties of
Pennsylvania, who were resisting the execution of the excise law.
Nov. 5th.— Christopher Cunningham and Daniel Duffey, citizens of Cincinnati,
were arrested, under the afore-mentioned proclamation, for aiding the escape of Mr.
Bradford, an insurgent, into Kentuclsy. They were held in the sum of $500 eaeh for
future appearance. «
Nov. 19th. — Timothy Symmes and Stephen Woods were commissioned justices of
the peace for Hamilton county.
Nov. 22d.— Aaron Cadwell appointed commissioner for isisuing licenses to mer
chants, retailers, and tavern-keepers, vice J. S. Gano and William McMillan.
Nov. 25th. — The following military appointments and promotions were made;
Lieutenant Wm. Eittenhouse to be captain; Robt. AVheeling, lieutenant; Garret
Vanvile, ensign; Ensign Caladar Symmes, to lieutenant; Samuel Seward appointed
an ensign; Lieutenant Jaraes Lyon promoted to a captain, vice Captain AA'allace, re
moved, and Ensign Uzoe Bates to be lieutenant: Samuel Dick appointed an ensign;
Lieutenant Darius C. Orcutt promoted to a captaincy, vice Captain Grier, removed;
Ensign Jonathan Sohooly to a lieutenant; John Riddle appointed an ensign, vice
Creigh, removed; Seth Cutter an ensign, vice Schooly, promoted; James Cox, adju-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 337

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary op War.
Marietta, January 1, 1795.
Sir : — In consequence of a letter from you to Colonel Sproat, of
the 7th January, 1792, a certain part of the militia of the county
of Washington was called by him into the service of the United
States for the defensive protection of the different settlements in
that county. The time for Avhich that militia was engaged at this
place, Belpre and Waterford, expired yesterday.
There is another party at Gallipolis, engaged for an indefinite
term. Application was made to me to continue them for some tirae
longer, and, although I am very far from thinking the settlements
derive much security from the militia thus employed, yet, as the
people believe them to be of the greatest use, and Avould uoav be ex
tremely discontented at their being discontinued, and as there is
reason to expect they can not long be necessary, even for quieting
their minds, I have directed Colonel Sproat to call into service an
equal number, to be employed at each of the above settleraents, for
two months longer, unless sooner discharged Avithin that time. You
will be able to countermand them, should it be thought improper.
I have a doubt that, in this case, I may have been exercising a
power Avhich has been transferred to the Commander-in-Chief of
the Federal troops, as by a letter from General Wayne to Colonel
Sproat, of the 18th AprU, 1793, he observed that, on the 5th of
March, in that year, he Avas " erapowered to determine the strength
and number of the garrisons upon the upper parts of the Ohio, and
the number of scouts and spies that shall be admitted at the expense
of the Union," etc. That letter, with yours above mentioned,
were laid before me by Colonel Sproat yesterday, AvhIch Avas the
first time that I AA'as informed of his having received any authority
in the case. "The strength and number of the garrison" is, doubt
less, to be understood as such of thera as are composed of the regu
lar standing troops. But if the Avords "scouts" and "spies" in
clude the militia, which, it seems, they supposed to be the case, and
tant, vice Orcutt, promoted; John Brown a lieutenant and adjutant, and Ensign
Jonathan Bowman to a lieutenancy — promoted.
Nov. 27th. — Isaac Daxueille appointed United States attorney for Hamilton county,
vice Ezra F. Freeman, resigned.
Dec. 6th.— Fine of .?39 against Matthew Davenport remitted, on account of his good
character and indigent circumstances.
Dec, 9th. — Governor notified Israel Ludlow, surveyor, that he forbade the survey
of lands upon the Ohio and Mississippi Eivers for the benefit of individuals.
VOL. II — 22

338 The St. Clair Papers.
the poAver Oj. providing, at the expense of the public, for the pro
tection of the settlements by the militia be transferred to the com
manding General, Avhich is doubtless proper, yet the orders for such
of them as may be Avanted should, I presume, go through the ex
ecutive authority of the Territory.

Timothy Pickering to Governor St. Clair.
War Office, Philadelphia, March 25, 1795.
Sir : — I have lately received a letter from Colonel Sproat respect
ing the militia eraployed for the defensive protection of Muskingum.
This brought into view your letter of the 1st of January, Avhich has
reraained unanswered. It Avas doubtless right to have continued
thera agreeably to your orders to Colonel Sproat ; but, according to
the expectation you then expressed, there is now reason to think
that their services may be dispensed Avith. You must have been in
formed of the overtures of peace made to General Wayne in Janu
ary last by six of the Indian tribes, and that the chiefs of other
hostile nations were alike inclined for peace. At that interview,
General Wayne entered into an agreeraent with thera, in Avriting,
for the suspension of hostilities until the treaty of peace could be
negotiated, for which the time fixed was the middle of next June,
at Greenville. On both sides, it Avas stipulated that notice should
be given of any hostile enterprises. At the same time, some of the
chiefs, I think, reraarked, that possibly some of their young men in
the Avoods might do mischief, but that this, he hoped, Avould not dis
turb the provisional pacification then agreed on, or prevent the
wished-for final peace. Colonel Sproat informed me, in his letter of
the 23d ultirao, that two days before, one of the inhabitants had
been killed near Belpre. This was done, probably, by Indians
who had been hunting, and were ignorant of the pacific measures
before mentioned.
Upon the whole, considering the change of disposition in the In
dian tribes, and in consequence of our negotiations with Great
Britain, they will no longer be stiraulated by British agents to con
tinue their hostUities. I am inclined to think the services of your
militia may be dispensed with, except of the woodmen employed as
scouts. Such scouts, if properly selected, would, perhaps, at any
time, have given greater security to your frontier than a vastly
greater nuraber of militia at permanent stations. But, notwith
standing Avhat is here said, the actual state of things on your frontier

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 339
may demand the services of some of the militia, as heretofore, and,
therefore, I request your consideration of the matter, and that you
would give such orders in the case as the reasonable protection of
the inhabitants may require.
All that I have noAv advanced is on the supposition that General
Wayne, to whom the regulation of the matter was formerly com-
Tnitted, may have given no orders relative to the protection of the
settlements hereinbefore referred to since you wrote to the Secre
tary of War on the 1st of January last. Should his orders have
arrived, or if, Avhen they do arrive, they are to supersede the
measures Avhich may be taken consequent on this letter.

Judge Symmes to Governor St. Claie.
Marietta, March 26, 1795.
Dear Sir : — This is the twelfth day that I have been waiting with.
¦great anxiety to see your Excellency ; persuaded at length that you '
must be sick or seized with a fit of the gout, I think it useless to
tarry longer at this place. I shall, therefore, return home.
There are, however, other considerations which aid my conclusions
for returning, besides those of being disappointed in the pleasure of
seeing your Excellency first.
I could not prevail on Colonel Sargent to accompany me up Avitb
the great seal, and he did not choose to send it by me, or by any
other person, without your express order, and little or no business
can be done without the great seal of the Territory.
Secondly — I learn by the neAvspapers that Congress has been call
ing in question our capacity as legislators, but on what ground is
not pointed out ; therefore, it is impossible for us to avoid^like errors
should Ave attempt to legislate ; for, even though the Senate rejected
the bill for annulling the laws of the Territory, yet we are left in a
very awkward situation ; we are suspected at least. Thirdly — Un
less our legislative powers are already defined, either by Congress or
by the judiciary of the United States, I am of the opinion that Ave
¦shall but commit ourselves in our legislative capacity to attempt any
thing further, either by adopting, extending or passing. Fourthly —
I make no doubt that, in the course of a few months, your Excel
lency Avill receive communications from the Secretary of State on
this subject which may set us right, perhaps, and surelj*, for the
present, Ave had better not do than to do wrong. Fifthly — I have
received several letters from the inhabitants of the county of Knox

340 The St. Clair Papers.
earnestly requesting me to come down and hold the Supreme Court
in that county at the next term, Avhich is in May; this I intend to
do if I can procure an escort to conduct rae thither, by land or Avater.
If I stay longer here, I can not reach Vincennes in time for the
court. Putting all these reasons together, I think your Excellency
will justify my return to Cincinnati, where, Avhenever it shall be
agreeable to your Excellency to make a visit, I shall do rayself the
honor to wait on you with the greatest of pleasure.

Governor St. Claie to Colonel Sproat.
Marietta, April 21, 1795.
Sir : — An agreement to suspend hostilities having been entered
into by the Comraander-in-Chief of the troops of the United
States and the Indian nations Avhich have been at Avar, and a strong
probability existing it Avill be improved into a lasting peace, it has
been thought unnecessary that the militia of the Territory employed
for the defensive protection of the same should be continued in ser
vice. You Avill, therefore, be pleased to take the necessary meas
ures that those drawn out from the county of Washington be dis
charged on the last day of the present month. It is to be observed
that the Avoodsmen, employed as scouts, are not included in this
direction ; those are to be continued until further orders.
I congratulate you and all the inhabitants of the county, of whose
zeal and alacrity in the service of this country I haA'e a A'^ery high
sense, on this state of things, and that, at the time Avhen attention
to rural labors is peculiarly necessary, they will be relieved from the
fatigues of railitary service.

Goveenoe St. Claie to Seceetaey Saegent.
Marietta, April 28, 1795.
Sir : — I am once more returned to the Territory, and arrived at
this place a few days ago. My absence, at the tirae Avhen I had ap
pointed a meeting of the legislature, must have surprised you, but
I found it necessary to visit the settlements in the upper part of
this county, and, having a large sum of money considerably at risk
iu the county of Westmoreland, I chose the time for that visit near
to the session of that West court, to which from those settleraents,
I could go in a few days, and had calculated the whole tirae to be
employed about five Aveeks. But the Avinter set in suddenly witb

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 311
such violence that, for a long time, it Avas impossible to return, had
I been able to ; but at Greensburg I Avas seized with the gout, and
witb difficulty got to my family, though but eighteen miles distant,
where I was confined, in the most excruciating torment, to my bed
for upwards of two months. About the beginning of March, Avhen
a little recoA'ered, I attempted the journey and relapsed in conse
quence of it, and Avas confined two Aveeks at a miserable hovel by the
Avay, notwithstanding which, though still lame and very feeble, I
am in good health, and shall recover again for a little Avhile. I
purpose to set out for Cincinnati about the end of this week, or the
beginning of next.
I found here your letters of the 23d and 27th — not yours of the
4th and 24th of January — and of the 14th of February. I have
to regret that more than one letter I had Avritten to you did not get
to hand ; they would have saved some trouble, as Avell as mortifica
tion, to both. The miscarriage of letters to and from me of late
has been very extraordinary and unaccountable. I have also to re
gret that either my recollection or yours, Avith respect to my passing
last Avinter at Muskingum, Avas not correct. As I observed to you, I
expected to have met you there in consequence of Avhat j)assed in
conversation at Philadelphia — doubted not in the least that, though
you were not arrived, you Avere on your Avay up — and looked for
you eagerly and anxiously from da)' to day, until some jDcrson (I do
not recollect now Avho it Avas) arrived from Fort Washington who
bad breakfasted with you the morning he set out, and informed me
of your being there Avithout any thoughts of leaving it. It Avas not
till then that I wrote to you, because, supposing you on the river,
any letter addressed to you at Cincinnati must have missed you.
Tlie prosecutions, hoAvever, those mistakes it seems have giA'en rise
to, need give you very little uneasiness, and as to the disposition of
the people, you had it not to learn. I can not recollect any conver
sation (for a long time at least) on the subject of the seat of gov
ernment, but I can remember that aa'c both thought Marietta Avould
not ansAver, and, in the present circumstances of the Territory, I
still think so ; but it Avas ahvays my intention to keep it, so far as it
depended upon me, unfixed till there should be an end of the In
dian Avar, and the country be laid open for settlement ; after which,
it Avould probably be divided into more than one goA'ernment, and
if not, it would be easier to determine the most eligible place. While
things remain in their present situation ; while the establishments
are so distant from each other, and the communications between
them so difficult — where there is not a single road through the

342 The St. Clair Papers.
country — I believe it would be improper to fix upon any one place to
which the inhabitants should be all, in certain cases, obliged to re
sort, and that it Avill be necessary, for some time to corae, that both
the executive and legislative parts of governraent should be arabu-
latory ; neither do I think the transportation of the records any
strong objections to it, as they are as yet far from being cumbrous.
I doubt not but upon reflection you avIU recollect that this has al-
Avays been my Avay of thinking. I promise you that it was neither
pleasure nor emolument that led to it, but Avhat appeared to me to
be the interest of the inhabitants, for Avhich the governraent Avas es
tablished. But if you think that I would have Avantonly taken a
a step Avhich Avould involve you in difficulty or expense, Avhich, frora
your frequently repeating the words my pleasure and your readiness
to conform to it, it seems as if you had thought so, I can assure you
that you Avrong me. It is contrary to my disposition to treat any
person in the Avorld in that manner, but above all, a person whom I
esteem as I do Colonel Sargent, whose convenience in every respect
I shall ahvays be ready to consult.
The letters of Mr. Vanderburgh^ I returned to you, fori thought
it Avould be more proper that he should address hiraself direct! 3' to
the Secretary of State, that the coraplaint should be sent forAvard
either by you or me, and I recoraraended that he should take that
step. I hope and trust that you have received thera. I have re
ceived a letter from the Illinois country from Mr. St. Clair, com
plaining of the A'ery extraordinary treatment he has received from
Judge Turner, and informing rae that in consequence thereof he
has Avritten to you requesting to resign his offices. I hope you have
not accepted his resignation, and I Avrite to hira to hold them, at
least until sorae raeans to bring the judge to reason can be fallen
upon. Should you be Avriting to St. Vincents, I Avish )'ou Avould
ask for a certified copy of the presentments of the grand jury with
respect to hira.'
It appears to rae, from the present A'iew I have of raatters, that I
1 These related to extraordinary proceedings of Judge Turner at Post Vin
cennes. The latter had carried matters with a very high hand, and had pre
ferred charges against Vanderburgh. The result of his conduct there and at
Kaskaskia, raentioned also in this letter, was the preferment of forraal
charges against the judge, Avhich were laid before Congress, and by that
body referred to Governor St. Ulair.
^. fudge Turner. The grand jury found a bill against him, and this ac
companied the letter of Henry Vanderburgh, which had been forwarded t»
Edmund Eandolph, Secretary of State.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 343
shall be obliged to visit the country immediately, to prevent, if it
yet can be prevented, the subversion of all order, if not its total
ruin. Adieu, my dear sir.

Governor St. Claie to Timothy Pickering.
Marietta, April 28, 1795.
Sir : — I have received the letter you did me the honor to write on
25th March, and it gives me satisfaction that it has been deemed
proper that the militia employed for the defensive protection of the
inhabitants be discontinued, and that Colonel Sproat's letter had
brought mine of the 1st of January to the late Secretary of War
into view. Your letter, sir, was the first information I had of the
agreement for a suspension of hostilities entered into by General
Wayne and the hostile tribes of Indians,^ but I had no doubt but
1 General Wayne had, without notice to the Governor of the Territory,
issued the following proclamation, which will have a curious interest to the
reader ;
[_By his Excellency Anthony Wayne, Esquire, Major-General and Commander-
in-Chief of the Legion, and Commissioner Plenipotentiary of ihe United
States of A-merica for estn blishing a permanent peace with all the Indian
tribes and the nations north-west of the Ohio.^
A Pboclamation.
Whereas, I, the said plenipotentiary, in virtue ofthe power and authority
in me vested, have entered into certain preliminary articles with the foUo'w
ing tribes and nations of Indians, viz.. the Wyandots, Chepawas, Ottawas,
Putawatoraies, Miamis, Shawanoes, and Delawares, for a cessation of hos
tilities, and for tho mutual exchange and surrender of all prisoners of every
description, as well as for holdii g a general treaty for settling all causes of
controversy, and for establishing a permanent peace between the United
States and the aforesaid tribes of Indians, on or about the 15th day of June
next ensuing.
Wherefore, I do hereby, in the name of the President of the United
Btates, prohibit and forbid all and every person and persons from killing,
insulting, or injuring any Indian or Indians belonging to the aforesaid
tribes or nations, or either of them (unless in their own defense). And I do
hereby, also forbid any party or parties, citizens ofthe United States, or
either of them, from entering the Indian country north-west of the Ohio
with hostile intentions (without perraission, from the proper authorities iirst
obtained), between this period and the end of the pending treaty, as they
will answer a contrary conduct at their peril.
And to the end that the treaty may be carried into coraplete effect, agree
ably to the true intent and meaning of the preliminary articles, the said
Plenipotentiary enjoins all and every person and persons having in his or

344 The St. Clair Papers.
that the Indian war was near an end, and I congratulate you, sir,
their possession any Indian prisoners, belonging to those or either of those na
tions, to surrender them and each of them at this place, on or before the
said 15th day of June next, and for which reasonable expenses will be al
lowed by the public.
Given under ray hand and seal, at headquarters, Greenville, this 22d day
of February, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-five.
Antt. Waynb.
By order of the Comraander-in-Chief,
Wm. H. Hakkison,
Aid-de-Gamp.
The Governor's oificial record shows what action he took to advise the
people of the Territory of the promise of a peace with the Indians.^
(1) Official Eecokds, 1795.
January — 1st. — A proclamation of Governor St. Clair, dated at Marietta, December
23d, convening the Legislature at that place Mareh 10th, was publislied.
April 20th.— John Wallace appointed justice of the peace, Hamilton county ; Ben
jamin Ives Gilman, prothonotary and clerk, AVashington county, vice E. J. Meigs,
resigned. April 27th.— Governor St. Clair, in AVashington county, addressed Colonel Sproat,
notifying him of cessation of hostilities with Indians, and directing him to discharge
the militia of AVashington county, the last day of the month. The scouts (woods
men) were excepted. The Governor also congratulated Colonel Sproat and his men
on their good behavior.
May 4th.— Josiah Monroe was appointed justice of the peace for AVashington
county. May 26th.— A precept [warrant] was granted by the Governor, upon demand of the
Executive of the State of Kentucky, for the delivery of a certain Hugh Eoss to Wil
liam Montgomery, agent, to answer sundry felonies committed in that State.
June 1st.— The Governor issued a proclamation for the arrest of the murderers of
two Indians near Belle Fontaine, St. Clair county, 15th March. They ivere killed in
daylight, while in charge of the sheriff, who was taking them to jail. The murder
ers must be known to the sheriff.
June 13th.— Armistead Churchill commissioned clerk to the legislature, having
been appointed May 29th.
[By Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the Territory north-west of the Ohio.]
A PP.OCLAMATION.
[L. S.]
AA'hereas, a treaty of peace was concluded on the 3d instant, between his E.xeel-
lency Anthony AVayne, Major-General coramanding the army of the United States,
and sole commissioner to put an end to a destructive war, settle all controversies,
and restore harmony aud a friendly intercourse between the United States and the
Indian tribes, aud signed at Greenville, in the territory of the United States north
west of the Ohio, on the said day, by the before-named Anthony ¦^^'ayne on the part
of tho United States, and by certain sachems, chiefs, and warriors, on the part of
their respective tribes or nations, to-wit: of the Delaware.^, the AVyandots, the Pota
watomies of St. Joseph, the Potawatomies of Huron, the Shawanees, Ottawas, Che-
peways, Kickapoos of Kaskaskia, and Delawares of Sandusky. The same is hereby
made public, and all the inhabitants of the Territory, and all and every person re
siding in or traveling through the same, are strictly enjoined and required to keep
and observe peace with the said Indian tribes and individuals of the said tribes
and every of them, and to abstain from injury or molestation to them and every
of them, until the pleasure of the President and Senate of the United States be
known in the premises.
Given under my hand and the seal of the Territory, at Cincinnati, in the county

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 345
that it is now certain that event will soon take place. As General
Wayne has given no orders relative to the militia of the State em
ployed for the protection of the settlements, that I knoAV of, and
their being continued appeared to me to be a useless expense, in
conformity to the spirit, and in part to the letter of your directions,
they have all, the Avoodsmen excepted, been ordered to be disraissed
on the last day of this month.

Governor St. Claie to Judge Turner. April 28, 1795.
Sir: — A few days ago, I received a letter from William St. Clair,
Esq., prothonotary and register of the county of St. Clair, dated
December 20, 1794, inclosing a copy ofa letter from you to him on
the 5th of November in that year, together Avith his ansAver of the
llth, and your replication of the 15th. These letters, sir, respect
the records of that county and the place Avhere they have been de
posited and kept, and the last contains a peremptory order to deposit
them at Kaskaskia, as being the acknoAvledged county-tOAvn Avhere
of Hamilton, the 25th day of August, in the year of our Lord 1795, and of the inde
pendence of the United States the nineteenth.
[By Arthur St. Clair, Governor of ihe Territory north-west of ihe River Ohio.]
A PuOCLAMA'riON.
[L. S.l
To all persons to -whom these presents shall come, Greeting:
AVhereas, the division of the county of St. Clair Into districts has not been found
to give that ease and facility to the administration of justice whicii was expected,
and the great extent of tire county would render it almost impracticable were the
courts to be held at one place only, it has, therefore, become necessary that it should
be divided, and a new county erected. Now, know ye that, by virtue of the power
vested in me by the United States, I have ordered and ordained, and by these pres
ents do order and ordain, that, all and singular, the lands lying and being witliin
the following boundaries, viz.: beginning at the Cove Spring, a little south of the
new design, aud running from thence due east to the line of the county of Knox,
and thence west with that line to the Ohio River; thenee with the Ohio to the Missis
sippi; thence with the Mississippi to the parallel of the said Cove Spring; and thenee
to the place of beginning; shall be a county named and hereafter to be known and
called "oy the name of Eandolph, whieh said county of Eandolph shall have and en
joy, all and singular, jurisdiction and rights, libertie::, and immunities, wh,atsoever
to a county appertaining, and which any county that now is or hereafter may be
erected and laid out shall or ought to enjoy, conformably to the Ordinance of Con
gress for the government of the Territory north-west of the Eiver Ohio, bearing date
the 15th day of July, 1787.
In testimony, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Territory
to be afiixed, at Cahokia, in the county ot St. Clair, the Sth day of October, in the
.year of our Lord 1795, aud of the independence of the Uuited States tlie twentieth.
Aethck St. Claib. ,

346 The St. Clair Papers.
the general court would soon sit.' The general court, sir, may sit
Avherever the judges think proper in any county, and it is to be pre
sumed they AvIU ahvays use that discretion so as to render the ses-
sion most convenient to the inhabitants in the county, town, or
otherAvise, as that may be ; but the sessions of the supreme court
liis nothing to do Avith the county records. In any case litigated in
tliat court, where recourse to the county records becomes necessary,
I presume it would be the duty of the party who had occasion for
them to obtain authenticated transcripts of necessary papers, where
oi-iginals are not to be had. I believe it Avould be unsafe to have
the records, on every occasion, brought into court — the officer ought
not to let them go out of his possession, and I think the register of
the county of St. Clair was Avrong in doing so, even in obedience to
your order. I conceive, sir, ajudge, in his judicial capacity, has not
any thing to do Avith record-keepers, except upon complaint in com
mon course of laAV, for some misdemeanor in office, and no poAver,
in any case, over the records. These are my ideas on the subject,
but I may be mistaken. I ara sure I am not mistaken Avhen I say
you had no authority to intermeddle Avith Indian affairs — aud, above
all, with any accounts current that raight have been betAveen Mr.
St. Clair and rae, but Avhich, as he inforras rae, you demanded from
him. I am sorry, sir, that, on any occasion, I should differ in opin
ion with you, and still more so that, by any means, the execution of
official duties should [out]. They appear to me to be quite distinct,
and it is my Avish to keep them so. The appointment to offices is
the prerogative of the Governor. Many of the offices, and jiarticu-
larly the register's, are purely executive. If the persons appointed
are incapable or unfaithful, but in a degree not to be liable to
crirainal prosecution, it is his province to remoA'e or correct them,
and it is not until a crime has been committed that the judicial courts
interfere. As to county-toAvns, Avhether you think proper to ac
knowledge them or not, the Governor is by laAV empowered to ap
point the places Avhere the courts are to be held in each county — a
law to Avhich you yourself assented ; and the three toAvns in St. Clair
county, though originally pointed out by the proclamation, have
been all confirmed by a laAV Avhich also received your assent, and
you must haA'e seen that Avithout such a raeasure justice could not
have been administered at all, as each of the districts was too incon-
^ Judge Turner required the removal of the records from Cahokia to Kas-
Ifaskia, and then placed them in the hands of a third person, Avho had no
commission. The above letter compelled the restoration of the records to
the proper officer.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 347
siderable for a county, and all of them at too great a distance from
each otber to be united. As the records may be considered to be
in your custody, I should be glad if you would direct the person to
whom you have committed them to restore them to Mr. St. Clair.
If tbat is not done, I will find some means to get them out of his
bands. P. S. — In a letter of yours to Colonel Sargent, wbich he sent to
me, I find this passage: "Since the letter was delivered, Mr. St.
Clair (who has not acted in the fairest raanner possible), has put
into my hands an open letter, etc." As it is my duty to give the
officers of government all due countenance and protection Avhile
they act with propriety, so it is my determination to bring them
to punishment where they act improperly. I bave, therefore, to
request that you wiU be pleased to specify the instances when Mr.
St. Clair has acted unfairly, and I have written to him that such
a cbarge is alleged against bim, and that I have required the speci
fication.

Governor St. Clair to Judge Symmes.
Marietta, April 28th, 1795.
Sir : — I have been honored with your letter of the 26tb of March,
wbicb I found at this place on my return here a few days ago. You
judged right that my absence was occasioned by indisposition ; in
deed, notbing else could have justified or excused it. A piece of
business of considerable importance, where a sum upward of two
thousand dollars was in great jeopardy, and -which could be done in
a few days, caUed me to the Greensburg court. While there, I
was seized Avitb the gout, got to my famUy with great difficulty, and
never got out of bed again for upwards of two months. About the
beginning of March (when I could have met you at time and place
appointed), I set out, though very far from being recovered, and
relapsed the second day, and again, on the last journey, Avas confined
for two Aveeks on the road in a wretched situation, so that on the
whole I have had a dreadful time of it. The uneasiness occasioned
by the disappointment and trouble to you, did certainly add to it
considerably, and it was really a reUef to me when I learned that
you had returned to Cincinnati. I had been informed that our pro
ceedings as a legislature had been called in question, and, as I
bad always bad great doubt with respect to their propriety, I
should not, bad I met you, have been anxious for the formation
of many new laws; but I believe we might, without fear of censure,

348 ' The St. Clair Papers.
have adopted and published any laws from the Codes or une States
that suited our circumstances, and haA'e repealed any of our own
making, which last I should have proposed. But I was, and stUl
am, anxious for one to sanction the proceedings of the County Court
of Hamilton while the magistrates acted there without authority.
Possibly, considerable property may depend upon their transactions
at that time ; neither are they themselves safe. Whether any thing
can now be done in it I am doubtful, but will be glad to take your
advice Avhen Ave meet, and I wish very much it may be before you
set out for Post Vincennes, to Avhich place I Avill probably accom
pany you, if I can arrive in time.
I request you, sir, to present my best respects to Mrs. Symmes,
who I hope enjoys health and happiness in her new situation. I
hope she will forgive me for the jaunt I occasioned you, for that I
bave certainly great need of forgiveness, and if she wiU forget I
wiU promise, as boys do, not to do so again.

Governor St. Claie to Judge Turner.
Marietta, May 2d, 1795.
Sir : — By the mail-boat from Cincinnati, I received, this morning,
the letter you did me the honor to Avrite on the 25th of November
last, Avhich it seems was forwarded to that place by express on the
28th of that month. I can account for the delays it has raet with
only frora certain indorsements on the cover; one of Avhich is
"MIssent," the other, "Cincinnati, 19th April, 1795." I have ex
tracted, sir, several parts of that letter, particularly the first three
paragraphs, and inclosed them to the Secretary of War, and the
ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth to the Secretary of State. It
gives rae pain to hear of complaints against the judges, though it
is by no means iraprobable that they are ill-founded. I Avould, how
ever, fondly hope that if they have been guilty of any impro
prieties, they haA'e proceeded from a mistaken judgraent, and not a
perA'erted will. I Avish they had been confined to the notice sent.
I liave complaints of a serious nature that reach another district.
You must be sensible, sir, that to find persons in that country who
are capable of performing the duties of judges in a strictly legal
manner, is impossible. It is true there have been but five judges
appointed in the county of St. Clair, and hard it was to find five in
the county when it was laid out. At that time no more could be
appointed even if more qualified persons could have been found. I

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 349
shall be happy to find that it can produce more of that description
now. If there are complaints against any of the county officers, I
am of opinion they should bave been raade to me, CA'cnif they Avere
of such a nature as to require a criminal prosecution. When
brought before the general court in that Avay, and I know of no
other in whicb they can be brought before it, to be sure they would
claim its attention. You wUl pardon me, sir, I hope, if I doubt the
power of that court to hold a special session. The local situation of
the inhabitants of the county of St. Clair, where they are divided
into distinct and distant settlements, none sufficiently populous to
furnish even the necessary officers for a county, subjects them to
great inconveniences. It was the only reason for dividing the county
into districts, and an expectation Avas had that an increase of people
would soon put it in the poAver of the Governor to erect each dis
trict into a county, and, of course, those inconveniences would cease ;
but, instead of increasing in numbers, the people haA'c decreased con
siderably. Some alteration will, therefore, be necessary, and I
thank you for the hints you have given.
To all you have said Avith respect to licenses and Indian affairs, I
will only repeat what in substance I had the honor to observe to you
in my last, that I conceiA'e the Indian Department to be wholly out
of your province, and to add, Avith all due respect, that in my con
ception the duties ofa judge are neither inquisitorial nor executive.
As to what relates to the secretary, I know not whether it is in
tended as official complaint or private information only. If the first,
as it is destitute of any testimony Avhereon to ground a prosecution,
I can not take notice of it. If it had been accompanied with testi
mony, I presume it is not to me it should have been addressed, for
the secretary is not under my control. The territorial statute is
not only virtuaUy repealed, but, in my judgraent, alAA'ays AA'as a nul-
Uty. I have often thought of an escheator, but, until the expiration
of a certain form, the estates Avhich have been abandoned can not
escheat, and when they do, it will be to the United States, and not
to the Territory. The same, I believe, with respect to those when
no heirs are known.
I know, sir, of no fund for the payraent of expenses, nor any
pubUc offices upon Avhich I can point out on AvhIch you may draAV
for that purpose. I am obliged to pay for the postage of all letters
tbat do not come franked by some person having authority, out of
my private pocket (this of yours comes exactly to one hundred
cents), and amounts to a considerable sum in the year. The neces
sity must be both urgent and evident to support the admission of

/

350 The St. Clair Papers.
such a charge for the paying of them at the Treasury of the United
States, but it is there only, I believe, that it can be allowed.

GoA'ERNOE St. Clair to Edmund Eandolph.
Marietta, May 4th, 1795.
Sir : — By the last mail from Cincinnati, I received a letter from
Judge Turner, dated at Kaskaskia on the 24th of November, 1794,
from which I have thought it necessary to trouble you Avith the fol-
loAving extracts : '
To these, except to the last, I have made no other reply than that
they have been forwarded to you. But I take the liberty to ob-
. serve, in reference to one having in view the extension of the Indian
trade to Prairie du Chien, that it is a plan of considerable conse
quence, and to refer you to some observations I had the honor to
make thereon to Mr. Jefferson in a report, in the year 1790, 1 think,
which is in your office.
The above-mentioned letter contains, also, several complaints
against the secretary and others, on which I have observed to him
that, if they were intended as complaints, to be taken notice of
officially, as they were unaccompanied by any proof whereon to
ground a prosecution, I Avould do nothing with thera, and that, as
to the secretary, if they had been attended with proofs, as he was
not under my control, it nas to you and not to me they should have
been addressed ; and, further, that the territorial statute regulat
ing trade with the Indians, which, possibly, had been infringed,
was not only virtually repealed by the act of Congress, but was,
and ahvays had been, a nullity.
P. S. — That report (St. Clair's report to Jefierson) embraces, if
I have not forgotten, all or more of the objects adverted to in the
judge's letter. To the last paragraph, I thought it necessary to in
form him that I kncAV of no fund for the payment of expresses, nor
any known officer that I could point out, on whom he might draw
for that purpose ; that I paid the postage of all letters, unless
franked by some person having authority, that come to me, out of
ray private pocket (and this of his had eost me one hundred cents),
and amounted to a considerable sum in the year, and that the ne
cessity of employing expresses must be evident and urgent to pro
cure the admission of a charge for them at the Treasury of the
United States.
' Extracts omitted. See letter of Judge Turner, dated June \i, 1794.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 351
This, sir, is a very extended country, and, from a variety of
causes, would require the eye and the hand of the Executive in
every part of it ; but, as that is impossible at all tinies, you may
perceive that Judge Turner 'seeras inclined to take some of the
trouble upon himself. I have, hoAvever, been obUged, upon another
occasion, to remind him that the executive and judicial authorities
and duties were distinct, and that it was the intention to keep them
so, and that his office Avas neither inquisitorial nor executive.
These interferences, and the conclusion ensuing therefrom, create
a great deal of trouble to me. The country on the Mississippi and
Wabash is now in that situation that the presence of the Governor
is indispensable. I must, therefore, raake the journey as soon as it
is possible, though God kno 'ffs I am in a bad state for traveling.
The address of the judge's letter is somcAvhat singular : " Arthur
St. Clair, Governor of the Territory north-west of the Ohio, and
Superintendent of Indian Affairs ; to be opened, in his absence, at
Cincinnati and at Philadelphia, 'by the Secretary of State, Phila
delphia."

Governor St. Claie to Judge Tuenee.
Cincinnati, May 25th, 1795.
Sir : — I mentioned, last evening, that I had heard of a very atro
cious murder being committed in the county of St. Clair, upon the
bodies of two Indians in the custody of the sheriff', Avho Avas con
veying them to jail upon warrant.
Do me the favor to inform me what Avas the cause of their im
prisonment, and the circumstances of their murder, as it may have
been related ; by whom it is said to have been perpetrated, and
whether any or what steps* have been taken to bring the offenders
to justice.

Governor St. Clair to Jcdje Addison.
Cincinnati, May 27th, 1795.
Sir : — About tAVo weeks ago, I received your letter of the 22d of i
last month (a few days after that of the 3d of January) , and should
have acknowledged it sooner if I had not wished to be able to write
decidedly with respect to Mr. Cunningham.' That, however, is not
'Young Cunninghara was concerned in the release of a prisoner on the
south shore of the Ohio. Believing that he had been merely caught in bad
¦company. Judge Addison wrote for the friendly services of the Govei'nor.

352 The St. Clair Papers.
yet in my power, as I have not met with Judge Symmes, by whom
the court at this place will be held in Septeraber next. But, as it is
certain that Mr. Cunningham can not be tried here for an offense if
it Avas one, that was not committed in the Territory, it seems to be
altogether unnecessary that he should come down at that time.
Judge Symraes Avill be at this place in a day or two, and, I doubt
not, he Avill agree to the recognizance of Mr. Cunningham being
discharged Avhen the court meets ; but, if he should not, I engage
that it shall be respited until a neAV one can be entered into, and a
certificate forwarded, Avhich in that case will be necessary, and which
you shall be inforraed of in due time ; and I haA'e much pleasure in
doing this, because it Avould be hard to put the young man to the
trouble of so long and expensiA^e a journey when no end can be an
sAvered by it ; but particularly because you take an interest in re
lieving him from it ; and, in truth, the circumstances of the times
considered, it is rather to be Avondered at that he was not more
deeply engaged in the business up the country.
You certainly do rae justice, sir, by suggesting to yourself any rea
son for ray not paying you my respects Avhen I Avas last in Washing
ton, ratiier than Avant of inclination. The true and only reason was
want of time, as I then thought. It Avas necessary that I should be
at Muskingum as soon as possible, and I purposed to take a passage
on the post boat, AvhIch, according to the information received from
the postraaster at Pittsburgh, I had just time to overtake by leaA''-
ing Washington early that morning, and it Avas late when I got in
the night before. But, as there Avere no stages between that place
and West Liberty, I could not go Avithout my breakfast, and I now
know that it is impossible to get an early breakfast at Purveanc's,
though not to be kept some hours in expectation of it at every mo
ment. When I reached Wheeler, however, I found the postraaster
kneAV as little about the course of the posts as about some other
things he undertakes — it had gone a day and a half before the time
he had raarked, and I had to Avhile away three days at that Avretched
place before another opportunity offered ; it was a just punishment
for the appearance of want of respect to you Avhich I had been guilty
of, and Avhich I shall ahvays bear toAvards you. I pray you not to
add to the punishment by supposing there Avas any thing more than
the appearance, and to do me the favor to make my best respects to
Mrs. Addison and Miss Grant, and to believe me to be, with my
sincere regard, etc.
See letters of Secretary Sargent in the Western Penn.5ylvania Insurgent
Case, p. 329.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 353

Address of the Governor to the Legislature.'
It gives me much satisfaction, gentlemen, after so long a separa
tion, that we are again met in our legislative capacity. The great
'Agreeably to the proclamatiou before given, the Governor and Judges
Symmes and Turner raet at Cincinnati on the 29th day of May, 1795, and
organized as a Legislature under the Ordinance.
Arraistead Churchill was chosen and coraraissioned as clerk, and took the
oath of office prescribed by law. The business opened by a speech by Gov
ernor St. Clair, as above, after w'hich the judges made a written reply in
due form. When the session was fairly opened, on motion of Judge Turner,
it was ordered that the dpors of the house be kept open during the session,
for the adraission of such citizens as may choose to hear the debates. The
journal of this novel legislative body is full of interest, but is too volumi
nous for the scope of this work.^
Cl) The following extracts from the minutes may not prove unacceptable to the
reader: Satueuay, May 30, 1795.
Assembled according to adjournment.
The clerk, having read the minutes of yesterday (and this he was ordered to do
daily), the following petitions were next read, viz:
1. A petition of Joel WiUiaras, praying for a law to authorize hira to erect and hold
a public ferry from his landing in Cincinnati to the opposite shore of the Ohio.
2. A petition of Rebecca Kennedy, to vest in her the keeping of a similar ferry.
3. A petition of Patrick Simpson, of Vincennes, in the county of Knox, praying to
be enabled, by law, to satisfy a debt, confirmed to him by a judgment there, out of
the debtor's real estate, by selling a proportion thereof.
4. A petition of Daniel Symmes, sheriff of Hamilton, concerning the better regu
lation of the jail and the safe-keeping of prisoners.
5. A petition of the Judges and Justices ot the Courts of Common Pleas and Gen
eral Quarter-Sessions of Hamilton.
6. Another from the Grand Jury of that county, in general quarter-sessions of the
peace. 7. Another from a numerous body of citizens, inhabitants of the sarae county.
The last three petitions prayed for certain new laws and alterations in others.
8. A petition of AVm. Lemond, praying to be divorced from his wife.
The several petitions were ordered to lie on the table.
Judge Symmes produced copies of the domestic and foreign attachment laws of
New Jersey, and moved for their adoption. Laid on the table.
Judge Turner moved to raake or adopt nineteen laws, which he had drafted. Laid
on the table.
That, if the house should deem itself competent to the purpose, he would, at a
future day, move for the impeachraent of Henry Vanderburgh, Judge of Probate in
t!\e county of Knox, for high misdemeanors by him coraraitted.
Adjourned to meet on Monday at 9 o'clock a. m. Monday, June 1,
Assembled according to adjournment.
The Governor proposed for adoption an act of Pennsylvania, entitled " an act for
taking lands In execution for the payment of debts." It was adopted underthe
title of " a law subjecting real estate in execution for debt."
Ordered, that in the present case, and on every future adoption of laws, the clerk
do conform the bill to existing localities of the Territory, without otherwise affect-
voL. II. — 23

354 The St. Clair Vapers.
extent of the Territory, the distance betAveen the places of our re
spectiA'C residences, the difficulty of assembling at any point at a
ing the spirit of the laws so adopted: and that he drop all preambles and unneces
sary or tautological phrases and words.
Judge Turner moved for the repeal of th^it part of a law of the Territory which
imposes a tax on merchants and traders.
The motion was laid on the table.
On motion of the Governor, it was agreed to adopt " a law regulating domestic at
tachments.'' Moved by Judge Turner, that all laws and parts of laws which impose forfeitures
of estates for crimes be repealed. Laid on the table. Adjourned. June Sd and 3d.
The Legislature continued its work of forming laws. On the last named day, the
Governor moved to repeal the Territorial law entitled, "An act prohibiting the sale
of spirituous and other intoxicating liquors to Indians." Motion agreed to.
On motion of Judge Turner,
Resolved, That the Governor be requested to forward a representation to Congress,
expressive of the increasing value of tlie reserved public sections of land, some of
which could now be vended for valuable considerations, to the furtherance of re
ligion and education.
The Legislature met daily until far into August, and transacted a great deal of very
important business. The report of the commissioners for licensing taverns and
merchants was received and filed.
Mr. Stephen AVood, Treasurer of Hamilton county, was called on to produce his
books and papers, but as they were found defective, he was permitted to withdraw
them for correction. When finally presented, on thc 7th of August, I note that the
receipts and disbursements proved to be as follows:
Eeceived from all sources  .?2,567 49?^
Disbursements on orders  $2,049 03
Five per cent, on eommi::?ions  1'2(1 07
¦  2,175 10
Balance  $392 39"^
AVilliam Maxwell was authorized to print one thousand copies of the laws for pub
lic use. [The work was done as contracted for, and the laws as thus published are
known as the "Maxwell Code. "J August 7.
Sealed and signed nineteen engrossed bills, and declared the same to be laws of
the Territory, to take effect at the respective periods therein mentioned. Saturday, August 8.
Assembled accordingly, examined bills, and adjourned to meet in the afternoon.
Met in consequence, and resumed the examination of the bills.
Adjourned till Monday morning, 9 o'clock. MONDAA", August 10.
Assembled according to adjournraent.
Eead and laid on the table, for further consideration, certain bills framed on the
Pennsylvania Code.
Adjourned to meet to-morrow at 9 o'clock a. m. Tuesday, August 11.
Proceeding to the examination of engrossed bills, certain alterations were agreed
upon, which the clerk was directed to make by to-raorrow.
Adjourned till 9 o'clock a. m. of Wednesday, August 12.
Judge Symmes produced the draft of a bill for limiting imprisonment for debt,
and subjecting certain debtors and delinquents to servitude. Discussed, and a copy
ordered to be engrossed.
"A law limiting imprisonment for debt, and subjecting certain debtors and de
linquents to servitude."
Adjourned to meet to-raorrow morning at 9 o'clock. Thursday, August is.
Assembled accordingly.
Resolved, As the sense of this legislative body, that public convenience requires

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 3-')5
given time, Avhile the only communication is by the river, which
can not always be ascended, and often not without danger from the
savages, must necessarUy render our appointed meetings precarious,
and Avill, I hope, excuse my requesting your attendance at this time,
without previous notice. It Avas, doubtless, owing to some or all of
that the Governor should cause public ferries tobe established. And, whereas, as
no law concerning forries can be f^und for adoption, but sueh as are of a local, not
general nature, and it being essentially requisite that ferries should immediately be
established throughout the Territory, and a, mode directed for fixing the rates of
ferriage, Resolved, Tlierefore, that the Governor be requested to declare, by proclamation or
otherwise, from tirae to time, what ferries shall be erected, by whom to be kept, and
where; Resolved, Also, that the several courts of quarter-sessions be empowered, and they
are hereby authorized and empowered to fix, from time to tirae, the rates to be de
manded atthe ferries now or hereafter to be established in their respective counties,
having regard to the distance which such ferry-boats have to travel, and the danger
or difficulties incident to the same. August 15.
Assembled accordingly.
Judge Turner raoved, and it was agreed to, that all resolutions operating as laws,
be from time to time printed and added to the laws, by way of appendix.
The work of this Legislature is best shown by the titles of the laws as completed:
1. Subjecting real estate to execution for debt. [Pub. June 1. Toole effect August 15.] .
2. Regulating domestic attachments. [Pub. June 1. Took effect August IS.]
3. For the easy and speedy recovery of small debts. [Pub. June 3. Toole effect Oc
tober 1.]
4. Concerning defalcation. [Pub. June 5. Took effect August 15.]
5. To prevent unnecessary delays in causes, after issue joined. [Pub.June5. Took
effed August 15.]
6. Establishing courts of judicature. [Pub. June 6.^ Took effect August 15.]
7. For the limitation of actions. [Pub. June 10. Took effect October 1.]
8. For the relief of. persons conscientiously scrupulous to tako an oath in the
common form. [Pub. June 11. Took effect October I.J
9. For the recovery of fines and forfeitures, and directing how the same are to be
estreated. [Pub. June 11. Took effect Jime 11. ]
10. Ascertaining and regulating the fees of the several officers and persons therein
naraed. [Pub. June 16. Took effect October 1.]
11. For establishing orphans' courts. [Pub. Ju-ne 16. Took effect October l.\
12. For the settlement of intestates' estates. [P,ub. June 16. Took effect August 15.]
13. To license and regulate taverns [Pub. June 17. Took effect August 15.]
14. Establishing the recorder's office. [Pub. June IS. Took effect August 1.]
15. For raising county rates and levies. [Pub. June 19. Took effect October 1.]
16. For the relief of the poor. [Pub. June 19. Took effect October 1.]
17. Concerning the probate of Wilis, written or nunciative. [Pub. June 19. Took
effect October 1.]
18. Eegulating inplosures. [Pub. June g5. Took effect October 1.]
19. As to the order of paying debts of persons deceased. [Pub. June 26. Took im
mediate effect.]
20. Concerning trespassing animals. (P«6. June S6. Took effect October 1.]
21. Directing how husband and wife may convey their estates. [Pub. June X.
Took effect A ugust 15. ]
22. For the speedy assignment of dower [Pub. July Ih. Took effect October 1.]
23. Giving remedies in equity, in certain oases. [Pub. July U. Took effect Septemr
'yer 1. ]
24. Annulling the distinction between petit treason and raurder. [Pub. July U.
Took effect October 1.]
25. Declaring what laws shall be in force. [Pub. July II,. Took effect October 1.]

35G The St. Clair Papers.
these causes that the proposed meeting in September last was frus
trated. Bodily indisposition prevented me from keeping the last
appointment, and the vexation that arose from a sense of the trou
ble I had given to one of you gentlemen, and for any thing I then
knew to both, added no little to that indisposition.
It has for a long time past, gentlemen, been my anxious desire
that the legislature should be convened. The circumstances of the
Territory have required it in a variety of shapes. The civil and
criminal codes are both incomplete; and if the community have
suffered no real injury therefrom, they have at least experienced in
conveniences. Other objects would also have deraanded our atten
tion at an earlier day, but opinions entertained in the legislature of
the United States as to the constitutionality, and, consequently, the
binding force of the territorial statutes, rendered it, in a high degree,
necessary. The Ordinance for the government of the Territory, passed by
Congress in July, 1787, is unquestionably the constitution or charter
of this colony. A bill, gentlemen, passed the House of Representa
tives in the last session of Congress, and for disapproving of all the
laws that had been enacted at this place, from July to December in
clusive, in the year 1792, on the ground, as I am inforraed, that the
Governor and judges have no power, by the constitution of the
government, to make laws, but only adopt and publish such laws
of the original States as should appear to them best suited to the cir
cumstances of the inhabitants. Had that bill passed into a law,
though the laws enacted Avithin the period referred to might have
been the special object, the principle would have reached to every
law existing in the Territory. The Senate did not agree with the
House of Representatives, and, consequently, it did not become a
law ; but if I am rightly informed, it Avas not owing to a difference
26. To prevent trespassing by cutting of timber. [Fub. July U. Took effect Au
gust 15.
27. Eepealing certain laws and acts, and parts of laws aud acts. [Pub. July U.
Took effect August 14.]
28. Eespecting divorce. [Pub. July 15. Took effect October 1.]
29. For the partition of lands. [Fub. June 17. Took effect October 1.]
30. AUowing foreign attachraents. [Pub. .July 15. Took effect October 1.]
31. Concerning the duty and power of coroners. [Fub. July 16. Took effect Au
gust 15. \
32. For continuing suits iu the general and circuit courts. [Pub. July 16. Took im
mediate effect.]
33. To suppress gaming. [Fub. July 16. Took effect October 1.]
34. As to proceedings in ejectment, distress for rent, and tenants at will holding
over. [Fub. July 17. Took effect October 1.]
35. Limiting imprisonmeet for debt, and subjecting certain debtors and delin
quents to servitude. [Fub. August IS. Took effect August 15, \

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 357
in opinion, but as they considered them all 'ipso facto void, they
thought it improper to declare any of them so by an act of the leg
islature. It has always been my opinion, gentlemen, that Avhenever the laAvs
of the Territory Avere considered by the legislature of the United
States in a constitutional point of view, they would be annulled.
And, although I gaA'e Avay to the mode that has been pursued iu
forming them, and have assented to many of them, it was not till
after a long altercation with the first judges, Mr. Parsons and Mr.
Varnum, that it was gone into. I found myself, in some raeasure,
forced to it ; for I Avas not happy enough to be able to convince them
of its impropriety, and, unless the one or the other receded, so
ciety must have been in a state of anarchy, and I preferred submit
ting to what my mind disapproved of rather than that the commu
nity should be in such a situation, not doubting but Congress would
soon correct it.
NotAvithstanding the deference, gentlemen, I had to the opinions
of your predecessors, Avhich, it was most probable, as they Avere men
who had some eminence in the profession of the law, Avere more
correct than mine, before I consented to the making laAvs, I thought
it necessary, after all our conversations, to address them in writing
more than once on the subject, and to put those letters on the records
of the Territory as a kind of standing protest against the measure
I was dragged into. As those letters were fully explanatory of my
sentiments at that time, and they have not since been changed, I
will take the liberty to lay before you some extracts from them, and
from an address to the people on setting the governraent in motion :
"You will observe, gentlemen, that part of the system Avhich
bas been formed for this country, and is uoav to take effect, is tera
porary only — suited to your infant situation, and to -continue no
longer than that state of your infancy shall last. During that period
the judges, with my assistance, are to select from the laws of the
mother States such laws as may be thought proper for you. This is
a very important part of our duty, and Avill be attended to with the
greatest care." — Address at Marietta on opening the Oovernment, July
9tli, 1788.
" Upon the application of the whole of the proprietors (speaking
of the Ohio Company), a law specially regulating their property, in
order to rescue it from the caprice of individuals, might with pro
priety be made ; but whether the present legislature of the Territory
could be competent, may well admit of doubt. They have power
to adopt laws only." — Letter te the Judges, July 29th, 1788.

358 The St. Clair Papers.
" But you will pardon me, gentlemen, for mentioning once more,
that I suspect Ave are overpassing the line of our duty in forming
new laws in any case; and that, when we do so, the necessity of the
case can be our only justification. The Ordinance of Congress era-
powers us ' to adopt such laws of the original States, criminal and
civil, as may be necessary and best suited to the circumstances of
the district.' In departing frora that rule, Ave certainly expose our
selves to censure frora Congress ; and besides, there may be some
doubt as to the validity of such laws as are adopted and published
under any other ; and it may not be unworthy of your consideration
Avhether, upon an exception being taken before you, in your judicial
capacity, you would not be obliged to decide against the law, and
declare it a nullity. I agreed to the militia laAv fully under the im
pression of these sentiraents, because the necessity of self-defense
must supersede other considerations." — Letter to tlie Judges, July 30th,
1788. "I was in hopes that my being informed of the precise meaning
you had affixed to the AVord laws, as it Is used in the Ordinance of
Congress, which empowers the Governor and judges to adopt such
of those of the original States as may be necessary and suited to
the circumstances of the district, and as it is used by you in your
letter of the 31st July, would haA'e throAvn sorae light upon that
letter, and shortened the ansAver I should be obUged to make to it.
I must have been very unfortunate in the manner I expressed my
Avish to knoAV Avhat that meaning was, for the Avord in the Ordinance
is clearly distinguished from the ' codes or bodies of laAvs ' indefi
nitely, ' as they refer in their general nature and spirit to the vast
variety of objects about Avhich they are conversant.' I cau not find
how this explanation applies ; I will not, hoAvever, trouble you any
further about it, but proceed to reply to the letter.
" I observe you say it is one of the questions arising out of mine of
the 30th, Avhether, in forming and transcribing hiAA's, Ave should con
nect Avith general subjects all the particulars that may have rela
tion to those general subjects. Another is, hoAV far the particulars
respecting the probate laAV should have influence. In forming laws
upon general subjects, it may be difficult to connect all the particu
lars that raay have relation to those general subjects. So far, hoAV-
ever, as it is possible to recollect all the particulars, it should be done,
and those particulars iuserted in and become parts of the same law.
And after all the attention that legislators can pay to partieidars, it
Avill be almost ahvays found, Avheu the laws are put in operation,
that many things have been omitted and, consequently, must be sup-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 359
plied ; and frequently (from their taking a different direction from
Avhat Avas intended), be explained. Forming and transcribing laAvs
are two very different things ; for transcribing laAvs, to give a mean
ing to the expression here, must be applied to some of the laws of
the original States that may be thought proper to be adopted. I
presume Ave must take them as Ave fiud them, so far as they apply
to our circu'oistances. Hoav far the particulars suggested respecting
a probate laAv may have influence Avith you, gentlemen, I knoAV not
— they have very great influence Avith me. There is another cir
cumstance besides, which influences me not a little. It was hinted
at only, and distantly ; it may be projier to mention it expressly.
When I have bound myself by laAV to the creation of an office, unless
the poAvers and duties of the officer Avho is to fill it are detailed in
the law, a difference of opinion may arise respecting those powers
and duties, and I run the risk of being obliged to leave it to be
guided entirely by the rules of the common laAV, supposing it to be
an office knoAvn to the common law, or, by rules that I may think
impose too much or too Uttle restraint. To this risk I am not Avilling
nor is it proper to expose myself, because I should thereby lose, in that
case, the control Avhich, I think, the Ordinance has given me in all
cases. Here again I am afraid I have the misfortune to differ Avith
your honors, for, from another part of your letter, it seems to be
your opinion that when the judges agree in adopting a law it avIU
acquire the requisite validity Avithout the consent of the Governor.
The passage in the Ordinance is in these AVords : ' The Governor
and judges, or a majority of them, shall adopt and publish,' etc.
It is true, the punctuation would favor the construction you seem
inclined to put upon it ; but I believe it is not the true sense, and that
Congress intended that the assent of the Governor should be neces-
sary to all laAvs adopted during this stage of the temporary govern
ment, as Avell as to all laws formed by the general assembly, after
it shall have been organized. I presume, gentlemen, that Congress
thought there Avould be an impropriety, at least, iu leaving the adop
tion of laAVS by Avhich the people of the district were to be governed
for a time, solely to the persons who Avere to expound them. Hoav
much greater Avould that impropriety be, if it goes not only to the
adoption, but the formation of laws. The judges would, in that
case, be complete legislators, Avhich is the very definition of tyranny ;
and, though that arrangement might, in your hands, gentlemen,
produce no evils, no man can tell hoAV long this stage of the govern
ment Avill last, or who may be your successors. Nor could it fail to

360 The St. Clair Papers.
produce much uneasiness in the minds of the people over Avhom so
possibly oppressive an authority was established.
" I acknoAvledge I do not perfectly understand what is meant by
the ' ties, connections, and subordinations,' that are said to exist in
colonial governments, and ' to which laws must be applied.' I do
not take those ties, connections, etc. (whatever they may be), to be
at all the object of laws. By making them the objects of law, ' the
existence of government might, indeed, be endangered.' No law
which could have a tendency to weaken or destroy the ' ties, con
nections, and subordinations ' of this district Avith the United States
could, consistent Avith our duty, be either formed or adopted ; and laAvs
that might have a declared purpose to strengthen those ties Avould,
in effect, Aveaken thera, because they rest upon another foundation,
which every such law would tend to sap. It is unsafe ground,
and ought not to be traveled upon. I presume not to say what
' the poAvers ought to have been.' As they are, and as I under
stand thera, they seemed calculated to answer all the purposes ' the
framers of the Ordinance ' could have had in view, viz : ' to pro
vide for the safety and happiness of the people who might reraove
into this country, and to protect their property until they should
be sufficiently nuraerous to legislate for theraselves, and to preserve
them in a due dependence upon the general Government.' I agree
with you, gentlemen, that the ' clause in question,' and every
other clause in the Ordinance, should receive a liberal construction
whenever they are in the least doubtful ; and as it partakes of the
nature of a charter, is to be expounded ' favorably to the grantees.'
But it is one thing to construe a grant liberally and another to add to
the grant by construction, what Avas never in the contemplation of the
grantor ; and this is precisely Avhat I think Avould follow should your
opinion upon the clause be thought the best. That we may adopt
' laws of any of the old States,' if wo think they suit our circum
stances, there can be no doubt, for that is the genuine and liberal
sense of the clause. That we may adopt ' such parts of any par
ticular laAV as may be necessary,' is within the spirit of it. That we
may make a laAv (for here the Avord adopt will not serve us), con
sisting of ' different parts of the laAVs of different States, and change
the diction,' I believe Ave have no poAver to do. I can not discover
the difference between this and legislating originally, Avhich, sc far
from perraitting us to do, in my opinion, it Avas the design of Con
gress to prevent." — Letter to the judges, August 1, 1788.
As this construction, gentlemen, gives a clear, distinct, and con
sistent sense to every part of the Ordinance, which, as has been ob-

Correspion dence. Addresses, Etc. 361
serveh, is the cdarter of the Territory, it is probable that it is the
true construction. I shall, therefore, recommend to you again to
give that instrument an attentive perusal, and compare the letter
and the spirit of it with the manner in Avhich Ave have hitherto pro
ceeded; and if you find any opposition or discordance betAveen
them, I am certain you will advise an immediate change of
measures. While I am on this subject, I will trouble you with one observa
tion more, though it might, perhaps, be brought forward Avith more
propriety as a reason for repealing a particular laAv. It is this, that
the people are entitled to judicial proceedings, according to the
course of the common law, is an express article of corapact between
the original States and them. It seems to me, that, supposing the
power of the Governor and judges to make laws were clear (Avhich
it certainly is not), the law prescribing the forms of Avrits and pro
cess has greatly narrowed the right resulting from that article, and
cases will arise to which it Avill be found to be AvhoUy inapplicable ;
and that, contrary to the spirit of the common laAV (Avhich does not
permit the blending of different remedies for the same Avrong, or
prevent a choice of the remedy where it has given more thau one),
a humane creditor is, in some cases after judgment is obtained, com
pelled to imprison his debtor, or forever forego his remedy against
him. The vast variety of Avrits known to the common law of Eng
land were introduced for the safety of the people, and the learned
Judge Blackstone, speaking of some difficulties arising to the law
student, not to the people, from that variety, breaks out into a kind
of rapturous exultation : " This difficulty," says he, " hoAvever great
it may appear, will shrink to nothing upon a nearer and more fre
quent approach. And, such as it is, it arises from the excellence
of our English laAvs, which adapt their redress exactly to the cir
cumstances of the injury, and do not punish one and the same ac
tion for different wrongs which are impossible to be brought within
the same description, Avhereby every man knows what satisfaction
he is entitled to expect from the courts of justice, and as little as
possible is left in the breast of the judge, Avhom the laAv appoints to
administer, and not to prescribe the remedy." Black. Com., Vol. 3,
page 266. And, again, on the next page, he observes " that this in
tricacy of legal process will be found, when attentively considered,
to be one of those troublesome, but not dangerous, evils Avhich have
their root in the frame of our constitution, and Avhich, therefore,
can never be cured without hazarding every thing that is dear to -as.
In absolute governments, where new arrangements of property and

362 The St. Clair Papers.
a gradual change of manners have destroyed the original ideas on
Avhich the laAvs Avere devised and established, the prince, by his
edict, may promulge a neAV code, raore suited to the present eraer
gencies. A single legislator — a Solon or Lycurgus, a Justinian or a
Frederick — raay at any time form "a concise and, perhaps, a uniforra
plan of justice ; and evil betide that prcsumpituous subject who ques
tions its wisdom or utility. But, Avho that is acquainted Avith the dif
ficulty of new raodcling any branch of the statute laAV (though re
lating but to roads or parish settleraents) will conceive it ever feas
ible to alter any fundamental point of the common laAV, Avith all
its consequents and appendages."
WhateA'er, gentleraen, may be your sentiments on reconsidering
the subject of our legislative poAvers, tAvo things are clearly Avithin
them, viz., to adopt and publish laws and to repeal those of our oavu
making. The first is, indisputablv, given by the Constitution ofthe
Territory, and the second by the act of the United States. That all
doubts, therefore, raay be reraoved, I Avould advise an iraraediate
repeal of all the laAvs of the Territory, and that laws of some or all
of the original States be adopted and published in their stead. In
doing the last, Ave shall act in strict conformity to the spirit and the
letter of the Ordinance ; and if the laws adopted are disapproved
by Congress, it can only be on the ground of their inaptitude, an
objection which, it is to be hoped, they will not be open to. In
doing the first, Ave shall exercise a 230wer expressly conferred by laAV,
and, therefore, not llalde to censure. Neither does it appear to rae,
gentlemen, that there can be any inconvenience or much trouble in
the business ; for all the laws that are thought necessary may be
agreed upon and prepared, for they Avill require some j)reparation,
and their adoption go hand iu hand Avith the repeal of the others.
Another consideration, gentlemen, will certainly have some Aveight,
as I also observed to the former judges. Exceptions to the constitu
tional obligation of the laAvs raay be taken in the courts of law, and
you raay find yourselves obliged, as judges, to decide against laAVS
enacted by yourseh'es as legislators — an embarrassing dilemma !
In this matter, as in every thing else which can contribute to the
safety and hapjslness of the people, it will ever give rae pleasure to
concur Avith you ; but should it happen that on this subject our
sentiraents continue to differ, I avIU, at another time, point out to
you several laws Avliich, in ray opinion, should be repealed at all
events, together with my reasons for that opinion. I will trespass,
gentlemen, but a moraent longer on your patience, Avhile I com
municate another reason Avhy I had rauch Avished a meeting at an

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 303
earlier point of time. It was produced by sorae proceedings of the
judges of the County Court of Common Pleas for the county of
Hamilton. The original commission to that court ran without any
limitation as to its duration. The secretary of the Territory, at a
time when the poAvers of the Governor devolved upon him, for good
reasons, thought proper to issue a new commission to that court,
Umited expressly to continue in force during pleasure. The judges
of the court had mistakenly considered the Avant of limitation in
the original commission as rendering it equivalent to one expressly
conditional to continue in force during good behavior; and that, of
course, it could neither be revoked nor superseded, but in conse
quence of some misdemeanor legally ascertained. They refused to
be SAVorn in under the ucav commission, and proceeded to assemble
and do business as a court under the original one. As their proceed
ings in that case Avere clearly vicious, for the new commission su
perseded the former one, and as it may be that considerable property
rests upon adjudications then made by them, I should have recom
mended an act to render them valid. The poAver of granting Avrits
of habeas corpus, Avhich is, I believe, exclusively in the judges of
the general court, has also been claimed, and in one instance, as I
am inforraed, exercised by those judges. Although, under my pres
ent impressions, I can not now recommend, and could not consent
to a laAV to sanction those proceedings, Avhich must, if called in
question, stand or fall upon their oavu merit or demerit. Yet, I think
there would be no impropriety in the Governor and judges declaring
their sense upon them both, and I am persuaded it Avould have the
salutary effect to keep the administration of justice steady and reg
ular, and its stream undisturbed.

Answer op Judges Symmes and Turner to the Governor's
Speech delivered in their Legislative Capacity.
We reciprocate with your Excellency that satisfaction which you
have been pleased to express at the opportunity that now enables us
to assemble in our legislative capacity ; and the raore so, since Ave
are sensible of the difficulties that occasionally must occur in bring
ing the legislative members together at given times. Permit us to
congratulate you, sir, upon seeing you again among us.
That our codes, botb civil and criminal, are incomplete, and that,
in consequence, the people have experienced inconvenience is un
questionable. But nothing, on our part, shall be Avanting to concur

364 The St. Clair Papers.
with you, sir, in obviating existing defects, and making such legis
lative provision in the future as may be most conducive to the pub
lic weal. The opinions entertained in the legislature of the United
States, as to the force of our Territorial statutes, are peculiarly en
titled to consideration.
We acknowledge that the Ordinance of 1787 is the Constitution of
this Territory. But doubts have arisen as to the construction of it.
From these doubts, and the apparent difficulty of selecting laAvs
from the original States suited, In all cases, to the local circurastances
of the Territory, and from the words " adopted or made," as used
in the Ordinance, we may infer that the principle of enacting grew
up in preference to that of adopting laws. To some of us, in
deed, there appeared to be in the Ordinance a degree of ambiguity
that might seem to justify either the one or the other ; and, though
the instruraent points to distinct periods of tirae, yet those periods
do not seem to be so strongly marked or separated as not to be open
to a difference of opinion.
That respect Avhich is due to the legislature of the General Gov
ernment will, however, always incline us to pay the greatest defer
ence to its opinions. Your Excellency tells us that, for annuUing
certain enacting statutes of the Territory, a bill had lately passed in
the House of Representatives of the United States, and was non-
concuri ^d in in the Senate, as you are informed ; not frora a differ
ence of opinion, but from a persuasion that such statutes were ipso
facto void in themselves, and, therefore, improper to be declared to
be an act of that legislature.
Let us advert here to an act of Congress passed May 8, 1792 ;
we shall there see, if not a direct, at least an implied recognition of
the power to enact, as exercised by the Governor and judges. Sec. I.
"The laAvs of the Territory of the north-west of the River Ohio
that have been or that hereafter may be enacted by the Governor,
judges, etc." And again. Sec. II. "The GoA'ernor and judges of
the Territory north-west of the River Ohio shall be, and hereby
are authorized, to repeal the laws by them made, etc."
Whether these clauses had any, and Avhat influence towards con
tinuing the practice of originating laAVS, is not for us to say, as one
of us only was present at the last session. But, it may fairly be
presumed, their Aveight would be inconsiderable.
As it seems, sir, to be your opinion that the legislature ought to
confine itself to the principle of adoption alone, we are ready to
meet you on that ground, in order that no impediment may lie in
the way of legislative duty. There being but a bare majority of

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 365
the members assembled, unanimity now becomes indispensable.
Without this, our legal code, by far too inadequate, at present, to
ansAver the ends of good government, would remain as it is, and our
meeting prove nugatory.
It is true, however, and we mention it with regret, that there are
some laws of which the Territory is in great need, but which, from
tbe locality, we despair of finding among those of the original States.
The chasm In this case can only be supplied by the authority of
Congress, expressly extended to us by statute. But, Avhether that
honorable body, whose legislative functions are of a general nature,
would think it proper to interfere in this respect, is a question that
belongs not to us to determine.
In one of the quotations from your correspondence with the former
judges, and with which you have favored us in your speech, it seems
that a difference of opinion existed as to a negative on the laws then
claimed by the Governor. You have said, " there Avould be an im
propriety, at least, in leaving the adoption of laws by which the
people of the district were to be governed for a time, solely to the
persons who were to expound them."
We grant the impropriety. The time when the Ordinance was
framed, the temporary government which it had for its object, and
the early existing circumstances of this country, must plead its
apology. But, we would submit to your Excellency whether this
impropriety could either be lessened or removed by leaving to the
Governor a negative on laws to be adopted by a legislative body,
never composed of more than four and generally of but three mem
bers, when he has a right to sit as one, and as one to debate and vote
on those laws in common with the rest ?
What does the Constitution say? " The Governor and judges, or
a majority of them, shall adopt and publish,'' etc. Words, we pre
sume can not be stronger, let the punctuation be what it will. To
us, they convey a prompt, a decisive meaning, namely, that the
three judges may assemble in the Governor's absence and adopt
laws at discretion. Besides, sir, the word negative is not to be
found throughout the Constitution or Ordinance, so far as it regards
the present government.
Painful as it is for us to differ, in any instance, with your Excel
lency, yet the subject in question being now before the public, pub
lic duty (and, we dare say, your own wish) requires that our opin
ions should not be suppressed.
We will recollect, sir, that when we first had the honor to meet
you at this place in our legislative capacity, you expressed doubts

S66 The St. aair Papers.
of our constitutional jboAver to malce laAvs. We reraember, too, that
the best consideration we could then give the Ordinance inclined us
to believe that the poAvers either to adopt or make laws Avere optional
as to the legislatiirs. If our construction of the Ordinance be in
this respect faulty, it must have arisen from that seeming ambiguity
we have already noticed.
We agree that " the poAver of the Governor and judges to repeal
la AVS by them made," is not to be found in the Ordinance. It Avas
superadded, as you have observed, by a hiAv of the United States.
Nor do we hesitate to declare with you, sir, that it Avould be " too
broad an inference" to draAV from the AVords "by them made" — an
implication that might contradict either the spirit or the letter of
the Ordinance. Enacted would be a much stronger word ; it is a
Avord of unequiA'Ocal purport, and may be found, as we have already
shoAvn, in the preceding section of the same act. We do not, how
ever, raean to say hoAV far the fundamental principles of a compact
betAveen the people and the government can be affected by subse
quent acts not sanctioned by the consent of the former.
Cordially Ave unite Avith your Excellency in expressing our disap
probation of that laAV Avhere a form of process is established that
AA'ould compel a humane creditor to imprison the body of his debtor.
The form, though borroAved from the Massachusetts code, is not, in
our opinion, congenial to the mild genius of the common law ; and,
therefore, we shall cheerfully concur AvIth you in the repeal of that
part, or the Avhole of the laAv, should it be found needful.
Pursuant to your recoraraendation, we shall join you in taking
into serious deliberation the proposed repeal of the present laws.
In all raatters that raay proraote the safety and happiness of the
people, the judges Avill ever be forward to concur Avith the Gov
ernor ; and on this foundation we earnestly embrace your
proposition. With you, sir, we regret that we could not convene before the
present moment, especially as a legal question raay arise Iioav far
the proceedings of a subordinate court have, in the instance to which
you allude, been conformable to the limits of their power.
No county court, nor judge of a county court, can issue a habeas
corpus ; that writ lies from a superior poAver alone. But we are sorry
in not being equally fortunate to form a concurrence of opinion with
your own upon the other case stated respecting the same judges.
It has been our uniform sentiments that no judge of a court of
record ought to hold his commission dui-ing pleasure ; for that Avould
sap the independence of the bench by making hira the creature of

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 367
the Executive. It Avould not accord with the Constitution of the
United States ; nor, we believe, with the Constitutions generally of
the individual States. It would be at variance Avith the genius of
our laAVS and the protection of person and property, upon Avhich life
and liberty greatly depend. We are persuaded your Excellency's
ideas will, in the end, meet ours in this respect.
As we shall uoav cease to trespass further on your patience, accept
again, sir, our professions of readiness to unite, at all tiraes and on
all occasions, in laboring for the common weal by transfusing into
the public mind those Avholesome rules Avhich, while they discourage
vice, promote virtue, protect the Aveak against laAvless force, and
deny liberty to none but those who shall justly forfeit it by their
crimes and the laAvs of the land. Such, Ave trust, avIU ever be the
objects of a legislative body convened for the purpose of providing
useful laws. John Cleves Symmes,
G. Turner.

Observations on Extending the Jurisdiction of a Single
Magistrate in the Trial of Small Causes, by Goveenoe
St. Claie, in the Legislatuee.
The Governor said he was opposed to the extension generally, for
a variety of reasons. He observed that, in England, from which
our laAvs and our practice had generally been draAvn, no such poAA'er
Avas lodged in the hands of the magistrates singly.^ There Avas in
deed, in that country, a court that decided in a summary way upon
demands that did not exceed forty shilUngs sterling, and to that
sum its jurisdiction stands limited to this day. The reason of the
law establishing that court was, doubtless, to relieve persons in nar-
roAv circumstances from the delays usual in courts of record ; but,
though it was called the sheriff's court, the poAver of deciding Avas
^ June 3, 1795. In the Legislature, it was raoved by Judge Symmes to
extend the powers of single magistrates in the trial of causes out of court,
as great inconveniences were left from their jurisdiction in that respect
being so limited as it is at present.
The Governor observe! that he had objections to any extension of that
power which he thought would haA'e iveight, but should decline mentioning
thom until he knew how far it was proposed to extend the power.
The judge then proposed the sum of twenty dollars; to which, after some
conversation, Judge Turner assented, that being, as he observed, about the
usual price of a cow and calf in the western country.

368 The St. Clair Papers.
not vested in him, but in a number of judges, and he was properly
the ministerial officer. In that country, there was a vast number
of people Avho had scarce any property, and depended upon tbeir
daily labor for the raaintenance of theraselves and families by the
wages they earned. It was to secure to those people, to whom tbe
delays of courts would have been absolute ruin, the certain and
speedy payment of those wages that the court was established ; it
was at least a leading reason and a principal object. As there were
in the colonies, persons of the sarae description, though in a much
smaller proportion to the Avhole people; and, as no such court as
that of the sheriff had been established in any of them, it became
necessary to provide for them in another way, and that was by giv
ing power to single justices, in a summary way, to deterraine de
mands not exceeding forty shillings current money, and to that
sum the power was liraited for a great length of time. The reason
of the laAV was at last forgotten, and, a kind of commercial spirit
spreading AvIth the increase of property, laAvsuits became frequent,
and it was supposed that this extension of the power of single
magistrates raight be made use of as a means to check them ; and,
from a laAv intended solely for the use of indigent people, it was
converted into a regulation of police, and became to them an instru
ment of severe oppression. Consider, gentlemen, that all the delays
in courts in the recovery of debts, and in countries at all commercial
debts will be contracted frequently, are in favor of the debtor. If
a debtor who, from that state of things, may have debts outstand
ing and not due at the time of demand made by his creditor, can
uot avail himself of those delays, the consequences seera certain
that what little property he raay be possessed of will be seized and
sold for less by one half, perhaps, than its worth (for we all know
that goods sold by public officers never reach near the value), and
not improbably to that very creditor, who thus gets double his de
mand and ruins his debtor. But of the town of Cincinnati, and
one or two places more, where there may be dealings between trad
ing people, it is probable that, for some time to come, there Avill be
no litigations where the thing in dispute, or the debt demanded,
will exceed twenty dollars ; think, then, of the consequences of all
the litigated property of a country being subjected to the arbitrary
decisions of single justices, often entirely ignorant of laAV and of
the rules which ought to govern testimony ; in a summary way, too,
and without the intervention of a jury. Is it not certain that the
decisions will often be contradictory ? One justice, in cases exactly
similar, deciding one way to-day, another justice another way to-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 369
morrow, and a third in a manner different from both ? Every rule
of property, wrherever fixed, now must be set afloat, and, conse
quently, disputes be multiplied almost to infinity. I can hardly
think of any condition more to be lamented, and know of few evils
greater than such an uncertainty as this must introduce.
From the petitions on the table it seems the people here expect,
as they have done elsewhere, that the extending the magistrates'
jurisdiction would be a means of rendering laAvsuits less frequent.
That it would render applications to the courts less frequent there
can be no doubt; but a laAA'suit is as much a laAvsuit before a
justice as before a court, and, though not so expensive, has much
worse consequences. The consequences Avould follow for the reasons
I have already assigned, to wit : that the proceedings are sumraary,
and the execution prorapt. It is putting into the hands of a hard
creditor (and how often is it not seen that the wealthy creditor is a
very hard one) the means to oppress an honest but indigent debtor,
and to rob him of one-half of his little property, Avhich might have
been prevented if the time the usual proceedings the courts demand
bad been allowed him, and he could have called in his outstanding
debts ; he raight have found means to borrow, or he might have
pledged that very property, and afterAvards labored for its release.
A Averse mischief is still behind; this kind of jurisdiction fosters
a contentious revengeful spirit among the peojsle. I haA'e seen some
of the raeetings before magistrates in the United States on their
law days, as they call thera, Avhen the business Avas transacted Avith
little or no solemnity, and Avhere a looseness Avas alloAved for abuse
and recrimination that had a bad effect, not only on the manners of
the parties litigating, but on those of all the auditors ; and the very
considerable numbers attending them, especially on the afternoons of
Saturdays, the tirae generally chosen by those who have no manner
of business, and they seldom failed of returning Averse citizens, worse
neighbors, and worse men, and in settling one dispute the seed of a
great many were sown, besides much extortion is often practiced ; to
be convinced of which it is only necessary to look into the statute
books of any of the States, where numerous laAvs are to be found
for preventing and correcting it. Compared with these, the difference
in the expense shrinks to nothing, and becomes lighter than the dust
in the balance — that difference, too, ultimately faUs upon the debtor,
and may be considered as the price he pays for his failure in pay
ment. If that failure has been involuntary, he pays it cheerfully,
because it has procured him the time, at least, to bave the money
VOL. H — 24

370 The St. Clair Papers.
without sacrifice of his property and entire loss of credit. If it has
been voluntary, it is a just punishment for that species of dishon
esty Avhich the law can not reach in any other way.
But it seems it is also expected that the extending the jurisdiction
of single magistrates will lessen laAVsuits by checking credit. The
effect, I believe, if we may judge from experience, wiU be directly
the reverse. While credit can be easily obtained, debts will be con
tracted, and soraetiraes by persons who know not at the time how
they are to discharge them. But surely, credit will be more easily
obtained when the creditor has a prompt way of compelling pay
ment than when the laws offer him one only, which may be attended
with considerable delay ; and whUe that prompt remedy exists he
will not, in many cases, be anxious to know how the applicant pro
poses to pay him, provided he is satisfied that he possesses sufficient
property. The effect, then, must be by increasing credit to multiply
lawsuits. There is yet another evil Avhich attends the summary jurisdiction.
The entrance upon a litigation is attended Avith so little expense or
trouble, and the judge is so near at hand, that on the first motion
of anger, of revenge, or sorae other of the malignant passions, off
the creditor goes to a justice, pays down his ninepence, and gets a
warrant that is to involve the faraily of an unfortunate debtor in
extreme distress, and shut him up in a loathsome jail.
To this very circumstance, that so little money is required in the
outset, it is OAving that the litigious spirit has spread over some
counties like a devouring pestilence ; whereas, Avere people obliged
to Avait some tirae after the first eraotions of anger ; to travel some
distance and advance some considerable money for a writ and a
laAvyer, it is probable that many of those petty suits that now dis
tress those counties, and banish- the social virtues, would be ended
amicably. These evils, and many more, have all proceeded from
extending the jurisdiction of single magistrates; and the rais
chievous influence of it acts with so rauch regularity, that, knowing
the character of a people as litigious or otherAvise you may tell with
certainty Avhat is the spirit of their laws; and, contrariAvise, know
ing the nature of their laAvs in this respect, you may, with absolute
certainty, infer the character of the people.
Although the administration of justice should certainly be so
cheap as that every man may be within the reach of right, it should
also be so dear, particularly at the first step, as that every body may
be deterred from entering into lawsuits wantonly or to gratify a
little revengeful disposition, to which they are too often prostituted.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 371
For these reasons, and I would add many more, I am against the
proposition; nevertheless, as the people are solicitous, though I
thiuk mistakenly, that it should obtain, and you, gentlemen, see
none of the evils in it that alarm me, I shall consent to the jurisdic
tion of single magistrates being extended to demands under five
pounds, with an appeal to the courts ; leaving their final jurisdic
tion limited to five dollars ; and, to that end, will propose the adopting
of an act of the Assembly of Pennsylvania to that effect.

Governor St. Claib to the Judges of Hamilton County.
Cincinnati, Jmw 1st, 1795.
Gentlemen : — ^The address you were pleased to forward me from
your last February session has been received, and I thank you for
your congratulations on my return and your kind Avishes for the
preservation of my life, as well as the regret you have expressed
that I have not fixed my residence among you.
The vast extent of the Territory, and the distance betAveen the
settlements — there is very little connection they have with each
other — which are, nevertheless, stretched out from one extremity of
it to the other, render it scarce possible for the Governor to have a
fixed residence anyAvhere at present, and he is, in consequence of
that situation of things, frequently exposed to experience much
fatigue, and, at times, no little danger.
Magistrates, gentlemen, will be appointed for the new toAvnships
you have pointed out, and all vacancies filled up. But I must take
the liberty to observe to you that, though I bave always been pleased
to recei\'e from all or any of you, in your private characters, in
formation with respect to persons Avho may be qualified to fill offices,
or any other subject that respects the common good, in your public
character as courts, I can not receive recommendations for persons
to compose, parts of those courts. Evils of very great magnitude
might grow out of the practice, and, at last, the independence of the
Governor in his appointments be destroyed.
On extending the jurisdiction of single justices, the grand jury,
at the February sessions, made a representation to the legislature,
which, together with yours on the same subject, has been laid before
them. That tbe sessions of the courts have been drawn out to such a
length as to be burdensome to the inhabitants, particularly the gen-

372 The Sl. Clair Papers.
eral quarter-sessions of the peace, I am very sorry for, and can not
tell well hoAV to account for it.
In the United States, in counties where there is a greater number
of inhabitants beyond comparison, the business in the quarter-ses
sions is always dispatched in two or three days, and in most of them
a session of that court is restrained by laAV from sitting longer.
May it not arise from business being done at the general sessions
that might as AveU be transacted at special or private sessions ? Few
persons are obliged to attend, and none who have not iraraediate
business. Indeed, the principal design of granting a poAver to hold
special sessions was, I believe, to ease the general sessions of that
kind of business. Be the cause Avhat it may, it is a great grievance,
and some remedy should be applied, toAvards Avhich any thing that
falls within the line of ray duty shall not be withheld, and if it is
not Avithin that line, if my counsel can be of use, it will be given
Avith pleasure, for it is a great object Avith me that the people, while
they find safety, peace and good morals resulting from the laAVS,
should, at the same time, find ease and convenience in the adminis
tration of them.

Governor St. Clair to William St. Clair.
Cincinnati, June Sd, 1795.
Dear Sir : — An accidental opportunity offering to your country,
I can not let it pass Avithout dropping you a line. My last, by Mr.
McKenzie, I hope you have received. The proceedings of Judge
Turner altogether, and particularly as they respect you, surjjrise me
exceedingly — for sorae of them he raust undoubtedly ansAver in an
other place ; and, as the Avhole of thera Avere clearly illegal, so far
as you are concerned, they avIU undoubtedly be reversed, Avhich I
Avill put in train before Judge Symmes, AA'ho proposes to accompany
me to your country, leaves this place. I can not yet tell you, how
ever, when that will happen.
The records, I understand, are in the hands of Mr. Jones, but
in what manner he became possessed of them I do not Avell know.
Frora some occasional conversation Avith Mr. Turner I have been led
to suspect that you have been forced by him to appoint him (Jones)
your deputy ; if so, I am sorry you complied, though I can not
think you Avould appoint Jones voluntarily a deputy, of such known
bad character. You should have let hira take possession of them
if he would, but not to take them out of your hands in any way
without legal process. If he is your deputy, the records are still in.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 373
your possession, and you are ansAverable for his conduct, and no act
of Judge Turner's in the business a\ ill relieve you should he falsify
them. You should, therefore, displace him, Avhich I desire you may
do immediately. Besides, the office of register of deeds can not be
executed by deputy. As there is no laAv to compel the register to
keep the records at any particular place in the county, and as there
are three towns in the county pointed out by laAV for the sessions of
the courts, there is no one in particular the acknoAvledged county-
toAvn. You are, therefore, at liberty to keep your office in any part
of the county that may not be inconvenient to the people, and
Judge Turner Avas Avrong in supposing he had a poAver to fix a place,
and still farther Avrong in exerting it to oblige you to fix it in any
particular place.
What is become of Drouard ? Is he an inhabitant ? If he is, or
if he is not, be ought to send forAvard his complaint. From Avhat
I knoAv already of that business, and I know but little, he Avill re
cover very ample damages ; but if he does complain, the circum
stances of the seizure, the place Avhere it Avas made, the division
made of the goods (if there was any division^ as I understand
them, for it is said the judge took one half of them and suffered him
to depart with the other lialf,)and every thing relative to the trial,
condemnation, and sale, should be set forth and authenticated as
well as it can be. The honor of the United States is concerned to
do him justice, and I do not question, if he seeks it in a proper
manner, he Avill obtain complete justice and araple damages. The
court, the judge held Avas altogether illegal, and, of course, no court,
so that whatever hapipened at it is absolutely void, and must be re
dressed. What happened at it as respects yourself need give you
no trouble, as the prosecution against you Avas evidently malicious,
and evidently calculated to justify his other proceedings against you.
When the proceedings of the court are set aside, Avhich they must
be, you may recover araple damages against  ; but keep this to
yourself until you see me ; it Avill not be araiss if you let Mr.
Du Moulin know. It might not be improper if a petition to Con
gress Avere set on foot, setting forth that Judge Turner has held a
session of the Supreme Court, at which some oppressive things Avere
done, contrary to laAv ; in that the session in your county is ap
pointed to be held in June only, and this Avas held in February, and
March or April ; but be careful to set forth nothing but what can
be supported by testimony, and that thereby the people have not
only been put to much trouble and expense, but, as it is appre
hended, the proceedings are all void in themselves; for a court,

374 The St. Clair Papers.
though held by the proper officer, if held at different time than that
appointed by law, is in truth no court, as you are instructed, and
the same litigation is to be gone through, and the same expense m-
curred at the proper session, whenever it happens. I hope, how
ever, that redress may be had sooner, and in an easier manner, but
that depends upon the adoption of a laAV that is now under consid
eration. If it is adopted, Judge Symmes will be in the county this
summer and hold the court as it ought to be held. I have inclosed
the copy of a proclamation. I hope inquiry has already been made
into the business, but I fear not, for, as it happened Avhile the judge
was in the country and he did not take any measures to cause the
murderers to be apprehended, it is raost probable the county raagis
frates have taken none. Spur them up to the execution of that
part of their duty on which their own safety so much depends.

General Wayne to Governor St. Claie.
Headquaetees, Geeenville, June 5, 1795.
(Sir;— -It would appear that certain evil-disposed people in the
State of Kentucky are deterrained to prevent an amicable treaty '
from taking place betAveen the United States and the Indian tribes
north-Avest of the Ohio, and to Avhose aggressions raay justly be at
tributed aU the recent depredations committed by the savages. I
had the honor to inclose you on the 2d inst. the information received
from Captain Postner and Major Mills, relative to certain acts of
hostilities coraraitted by a Mr. Whitesides and his gang of marauders
upon the Indians in the Illinois country, which you probably may
have more clearly and fully explained by applying to Mr. Israel
LudloAV, who Avas on the spot at the time that the two Indian pris
oners Avere basely murdered, when under the protection of the civil
authorities, Avithout any legal notice being taken of it (as I am in
formed), although the act Avas as notorious as it was atrocious.
The inclosed information given by Lieutenant Jonathan Taylor,
of the Fourth Sub-legion, Avho arrived from Kentucky on the 3d
inst. , will account for the hostile conduct and attempts of the In
dians upon the express and other boats on the Ohio, and which, I
fear, will not end there, because the savages never fail to retaliate
an injury with severe interest.
' A n'umber of the principal chiefs of the Chippewas and Ottawas arrived
at this place on the 3d inst., from Michilimackinac, as deputies from those
nations to attend the treaty.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 375-
If the real object of Parson Findley and Mr. Massey and their
party was to form a settlement on the Scioto, they took a very im
proper mode to effect it by attacking and plundering the Indians
(who were in a peaceable hunting camp), in place of gaining their
friendship and confidence by acts of kindness and hospitality.
This Mr. Findley can not be a disciple of the meek Jesus, other
wise he would not thus wantonly bring war and desolation upon the
innocent by the sinful aggressions of his guilty hordes of plunderers.
A similar expedition had nearly taken place some time since by a
party of one hundred men from the Falls of the Ohio, under a
Colonel Hardin ; but the colonel, being a man of prudence, Avas dis
suaded from it by Mr. Miller and Major Mills, who assured hira and
the people that the preliminary articles had been signed for a cessa
tion of hostilities. Part, however, of the detachment could not be
prevailed on to desist ; they crossed the Ohio Avith the intention to
murder and plunder. Captain Postner, having received tiraely no
tice of their intention, gave Avarning to the hunting parties of In
dians in the vicinity of his post, Avho all came in under his protection,
and thereby avoided the premeditated injury, which, probably, has
been the means of saving the settlement of Post Vincennes from
destruction. These repeated acts of aggression are very unpleasant, alarming
and serious, and unless some effectual measures are adopted to pre
vent predatory parties from Kentucky crossing the Ohio, the inhab
itants of the Territory, over Avhich you preside, Avill hold their lives
and property by a very precarious tenure ; added to this, that a per
manent peace Avith the Indians will not only be retarded, but
eventually frustrated, unless these predatory parties are totally
suppressed. Your own good judgment and experience will best dictate to you
tbe most proper means to effect this desirable business, and in which
I will most cheerfully co-operate, as far as may be necessary and
consistent. The measures I had heretofore taken would most certainly have
prevented the savages from injuring the inhabitants, or committing
depredations, were it not for the nefarious conduct already
mentioned.

Governor St. Clair to General Wayne.
Cincinnati, June llth, 1795.
Si,f: — It gives me much pain, I assure you, that any obstructions

376 The St. Clair Papers.
should be thrown in the way of so desirable an object as a peace Avith
the savages, Avhich I am told you have a prospect of accomplishing,
by any persons whomsoever, but .more so that they should come
from inhabitants of the Territory over Avhich I preside ; for I am
sensible it Is very necessary for them, as well as for the United States,
and it must be embarrassing to you.
The instances you point to in the letter you honored me with on
the 5th inst. I have heard of before, and a proclamation respecting
the murder of the Pottawatamies was issued on the 1st of this
month. That was an offense equally deserving punishraent in Avar
or in peace, because they were under the protection of the laws and
in the custody of the officers. The other, said to be committed by
Whitesides, can not, I believe, be inquired into, because, as I am
informed, it happened before it Avas knoAvn that any cessation of
hostilities had taken place, and the nation the Indians belonged to
which Avere killed by his party Avas at open Avar.
The late affair under Massey does not corae Avithin the sarae de
scription, and though the people Avith him were generally from Ken
tucky, he is an inhabitant of this Territory. If I can get any
evidence Avhereon to proceed, an inquiry shall be made into it, al
though it is probable that this party were really the aggressors in
the affair. It seeras pretty certain that the saA'ages they attacked,
and Avhose camp they plundered, Avill not ansAver the description of
a party " Avho Avere iu a peaceable hunting camp.'' A part of thera
were at that time in Kentucky for the express purpose of stealing
horses, and killing one man, as a prisoner (Avhom they bad taken
not long before) AV ho has escaped from them has given information.
As I have never, sir, had any information on the subject of the
armistice that took place between you and the savages, nor any
knowledge of it at all but from a noAVspaper, it is very difficult for
me to knoAV hoAV to proceed in case of mfractions, or to tell Avhat is
an infraction ; and there may be a doubt hoAV far an agreement en
tered into by a military officer for a cessation of hostilities, hoAvever
binding on him, is binding on the people. As yet, sir, they have
no notice of it, that I know of, in this Territory that wUl bind them
at all.
Parties from Kentucky, sir, with jDredatory designs against the
Indians, you must be sensible, can not be prevented by any thing
I can do from entering a country raostly uninhabited. AU that can
be done is to punish thera after the act, if they can be apprehended.
As prevention, hoAvever, is better than punishment, nothing to that
end within my power will be withheld, and it would give me pleasure,

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. SU
sir, to co-operate with you in any way to preserve peace that may
be agreed to between the United Stales and the savages, Avhich, it
is said, you are soon to negotiate.
P. S. — I believe, sir, that much of the late injuries on the river
and its vicinity has arisen from Massey's affair, but aU on the upper
part of it was long before it and appeared to be wholly unprovoked.
A man, too, bas since been killed at Muskingum.

Wm. Bradford, Attorney-General, to Secretary of the
Treasury. June 19, 1795.
Sir : — I have attentively considered the question you stated to me
yesterday, and have now the honor to transmit you my opinion ou
it. I understand it to be the following, viz : Whether the act, lay
ing duties on licenses for selling Avines and foreign distilled spirituous
Uquors by retail, is to be considered as extending to, and operating
upon, the citizens resident in the Territory north-Avest of the Ohio.
There can be no doubt that all the laAvs of Congress, unless local
in their nature or limited in their terras, are, in their operation, co
extensive Avith the territory of the United States and obligatory
upon every person therein, except independent nations and tribes
of Indians residing on Indian lands. There is, I conceive, no
ground for the opinion that the north-western and south-western
Territories are not to be considered as comprehended in the general
terms of a law, and that they must be especially and particularly
named in an act of Congress in order to include them. Independent
of the general principle Avhich governs in this case, it may be ob
served that the Ordinance for their government explicitly directs
that they shall be subject to all the acts and ordinances of the United
States in Congress assembled. The contrary doctrine ought not to
be admitted iu any case, much less in that ofan act laying "duties,
imposts or excises," Avhich, by the express direction of the Constitu
tion, must be " uniform throughout the United States."
The act under consideration is not limited, either in its terms or
its nature, to the several States, but extends to every person who
shaU deal in the seUing of "wines or foreign distiUed spirits," etc.,
and must, therefore, operate throughout the United States Avherever
there are proper organs for carrying it into execution. These are
the supervisors and officers of inspection, Avho are (in the manner di
rected in tbe act) authorized to issue the licenses and coUect tbe duty.

378 The St. aair Papers.
The act for collecting a revenue on distilled spirits and stills cer
tainly extended to every part of the United States ; but, as there
was no authority for forraing districts and appointing the proper
officers except in the States, the act could not be carried into execu
tion in the north-west and south-west Territories. To remedy this
defect, the President was authorized, by an act passed on the sarae
day Avith that under consideration, to erect districts within the Ter
ritories and to appoint supervisors, etc., therein. Supervisors, when
thus appointed, iraraediately become the organs for carrying not
only that act into execution, but also the license act, and I can per
ceive nothing in the latter that can Avith reason be interpreted into
an intention to exempt the citizens in one part of the United States
from the payment of a duty which the Constitution directs shoidd
be imposed upon the whole.

Governor St. Claie, to Olivee Wolcott, Esq. , Seceetaey op
the Teeasuey.
\_No Date'], 1795.
;Sir:— Your letter of the 22d (20th) inst. met me at St. Vin
cennes as I was on my return to this part of the country, and I have
been so pressed Avith business, aU the officers being to be re-ap
pointed before the raeeting of the courts in the respective counties,
that I could not reply to it sooner. The opinion of the Attorney-
General, inclosed in that letter, I have considered, and shaU make
some observation upon it. But alloAV me to reraark first that noth
ing but a supposition that the licenses that haA'e been in question
had been sent forAvard by the inadvertence of some of the clerks,
and a danger I apprehended to the revenue in another case, which I
did not mention, Avould have induced me to desire the officer not to
issue those licenses until I could Avrite and new orders be sent re
specting thera ; and had he thought proper to keep that request to
himself, it would never have been knoAvn here that I had given any
opinion in the business.
I Avill proceed to the Attorney-General's opinion, in which I think
he is mistaken, both as to the law and the fact ; neither has the
question been brought very exactly before him, for I think the
cj,uestion to be not whether any particular laAV is to be considered as
operating upon the citizens of the Territory, etc., but Avhether the
Territory be a part of the United States.
The Attorney-General has assumed a fundamental position that it
is, and granting that all he said with respect to the particular law

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 379 '
does clearly follow, and it is to be remarked that he has said nothing
upon it that is not an inference therefrom, yet I believe that it is
easy to prove that they are not a part of the United States ; that
tbe legislature bave never considered them as such, but, on the
contrary, as a dependent colony ; that the Attorney-General has mis
construed the Ordinance for the government, and the act under con
sideration is limited both in its terms and in its nature to the United
States, and that the act for collecting a revenue on distilled spirits
is in exactly the same situation which some person besides me raay
think of, and is the danger to the revenue I apprehended. At pres
ent it is acquiesced in ; it has passed sub silentio, and Avould grow
into a habit, but the inquiry in one case may, and probably avUI,
lead to inquiry in the other. That the inhabitants of a Territory
are not a part of the people of the United States, I arrive at in this
manner : They have a distinct government. It may be asked, have
not the United States distinct governments, and, if they had not,
could they be parts of the United States ? But raark the difference :
they have governments of their oavu making existing before they
became united. The Government has a government for it, and im
posed upon it by those very States, and if any thing can be a proof
of inferiority and dependence, it is this very thing. Another : If
the Territory be a part of the United States, the supreme judicial
powers ought to extend to it. But the act establishing the judicial
court divided the United States into thirteen districts, in none of
which was the Territory included. It is strange that, if they Avere
a part of the United States, that the supreme judicial power did not
extend to it ; but it never was intended that it should. The United
States had provided them with a judiciary whose powers were com
petent to the necessities of the people and final, and that the Ter
ritory was not included within the jurisdiction of the supreme court
of the Union is a legislative acknowledgment that it Avas no part
of the United States. But, farther, the people have no voice in the
choice of representatives of the United States, or any elective offi
cer ; and it Avas clearly intended that they should not have any such
voice, for in the act for the enumeration of the inhabitants of the
United States, in order to ascertain the number of representatives,
no notice is taken of the Territory — no mode pointed out in which
their suffrages are to be received — neither was any enumeration
made or any suffrage given. If the inhabitants are a part of the
people of the United States, and bound by the general laws of the
Union, they are, at least, upon a very unequal footing with their
brethren. The consent of the people, either by themselves or rep-

380 The St. Clair Papers.
resentatives, or at least a deliberation, has been supposed essential
to give laws a binding force, and to them both of those are wanting ;
it Avould seem to follow that they are, therefore (if there were noth
ing else), not bound by thera.
It is evident, from the act repealing, after the first day of June,
1791, the duties before paid on distilled spirits and laying others,
that the Territories Avere not intended by the legislation to be com
prehended. In all the revenue laws, the words within the United
States is constantly made use of, and by that just mentioned, made
to facilitate the collection of the duties. The President was em-
poAvered to divide the United States into districts, each district con-
- sisting of one State. But the Territories ^re not States, or the inhab
itants Avould be entitled to the same privileges, and participate in
all the adA'antages equaUy Avith the other States, which, it has been
shoAvn, they do not. Those districts might, indeed, be altered by
the President, by adding to the smaller portions of the greater, so
as to render every one of them convenient and nearly equal, but not
to equalize them by adding to any or taking aAvay frora any Avho
Avas no part of any. To do that, the President has no poAver, and
the fundaraental description Is, each consisting of one State. But it has
been proven that the Territories are not States ; of course, the President,
at that tirae, had no poAver, and did not add the Territory north-west
to any district, and this is another instance of legislative acknowl
edgment that the Territory Avas not considered a part of the United
States, but I should never have done Avere I to refer to every law
by Avhich the sarae consequences Avould foUoAV.
The truth is, the Territory is a dependency of the United States,
not as yet an integral part of them, but capable of becoming so
at a future da)'. Of course, the laAvs of the Union Avherein they
are not immediately designated, do not operate upon them, at the
same time such a phraseology raay be used as Avill extend to gen
eral laAVS Avithout the express description. Thus, in the first two
sections of the act for punishing criraes in certain cases, the expres
sion " all persons owing allegiance to the United States," does, in
ray opinion, clearly comprehend them, for the inhabitants here owe
allegiance to the United States, but it is a consequence of their de
pendent 'state, and not of the act of the Union to which they are
not a party, which is another proof that they are not a part of the
United States.
The words of the law the Attorney-General had been considering,
" every person who shall deal in selling wines," etc.,' does not prove
that the laAV is not limited to the several States. It is confessedly a

Corresjjondence, Addresses, Etc. 381
law of the United States, not extended by any AVords Avhatsoever
beyond the United States ; it must, therefore, as he justly observes,
operate throughout the United States, but not beyond thera, for it
bas no express extension, nor any of such an import as an extension
would follow from as an inference. It is the same Avlth respect to
the act for collecting a duty on distilled spirits. It extends to every
part of the United States, and not beyond them. It is true, hoAV-
ever, that, had it extended beyond them Avithout proper officers, it
would not have been collected, and an act Avas passed authorizing
the President to form districts and appoint officers in the Territory,
and it Is readily granted that this may be considered as a proof of
the opinion of the legislature that the Territories are part of the
United States, but it is not a proof sufficiently strong to overthroAV
those that have been already adduced to the contrary. It Avill, per
haps, proA'e no more than that people do not ahvays think correctly
or alike AvIth regard to the same subject. I believe, sir, the most
that can be fairly deduced from the act is, that the duty Avas virtu
ally extended to the Territories, and that, as it has beeu acquiesced
in, it is Avell enough. But it is not a principle to depend upon. It
is otherwise Avith the last in question, Avhen not' CA'en in a virtual
extension could that be depended on, can be pretended. It is a
general law of the United States, made by the Representatives of
tbe United States for the United States, and not extended to their
dependencies, and a good reason raay have operated Avith Congress
for not extending that law. As a dependent people, it has been
seen that the situation of the people in the Territory is not so eligi
ble as in the United States — they have, hoAvever, no reason to com
plain of that, for it is a situation they have chosen, but the im
mense distance they are from the sea-coast, and the very heavy
expense that attends the transportation of the articles subject to
that license tax, left them still in a worse situation than the inhab
itants of the United States Avho paid it, and this Avas probably the
operating cause Avhy it was not extended.
I presume to think, sir, that the Attorney-General has entirely mis
conceived the Ordinance for the government of the Territory, or he
would not have adduced that passage, " they shaU be subject to all
the laAVS and ordinances of the United States in Congress assem
bled" to prove that " there can be no doubt that all the laAvs of
Congress," etc., are, in their operation, co-extensive Avith the terri
tory of the United States, and obligatory upon every person therein.
It is to be observed, sir, that the Ordinance consists of parts that
respect very different, and, perhaps, distant times, and that, in

382 The St. Clair Papers.
order to come at its true meaning, the times to which the different
parts refer must be taken into view ; and that ^f a part of that in
strument intended for a future period be applied to the existing
tirae, the sense and import Avill be mistaken, and this is principally
what the Attorney-General did. The object of the Government
was to extend the population of the country ; and, as local circum
stances Avould have rendered the ncAv settlements inconvenient
parts of the United States, they determined to effect it by coloniz
ing ; different stages in the progress of the colonies were contem
plated and provided for. The first was that stage in Avhich the
Western Territory still is, and a Governor and legislature of kind
entirely ncAV, and a judiciary Avas formed. The second stage Avas
that Avhen, having gained a certain population for it, it Avas sup
posed the people might be trusted to legislate for themselves ; but
the governinent is to remain. The third is that wherein the popu
lation having increased to a certain degree, the people were to form
governments for themselves, be adraitted into the Union by their
representatives, and becorae integral parts of the Union. Then all
the general laws of the Union AviU become binding upon them, and
justly, although, in the forming of thera they neither had a delibe
rative nor negative voice, for it is the terras upon which they sepa
rated frora the Western Territory, and were again to be reunited.
The articles of corapact, and of Avhich the relation to the laws is
the fourth, and Avhich, with rauch more propriety, may be called
the terras on Avhich the colonies shall be settled, for a corapact nec
essarily iraplies tAVO parties ; but, as at the time of pubUshing the
Ordinance, there Avere neither States nor people to contract with in
the territories, it most evidently refers to the last stage, and can be
applied to no other. Any inference draAvn, then, from that, and
applied to the present stage, raust be nugatory, at least. Had the
people of the Territory been capable of agreeing Avith the United
States — " that they would forever remain a part of the United
States " — from the very force of the term they raust have been a
distinct part of the United States at the time, but they did not
exist distinctly at the time, though comprehended in the whole.
It involves too great an absurdity to say that the United States
made a compact with themseh'es ; that an unknown part of them
selves should forever reraain a known part of themselves ; and yet,
such is the consequence of applying regulations calculated for a
distant and different stage to the present. The Ordinance con
tains the form of the Colonial Government in two different contem
plated stages, and the articles of compact, so called, the terms

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 383
held out, which every individual In the United States was free to
accept or reject at his pleasure. If any did accept them, and re
move into the Territory, they ceased to be citizens of the United
States and became their subjects, and the right of making law, par
ticular law, for them at all is derived from that source only.
The following, sir, I believe is a just comment on the fourth arti
cle of the compact : The territory, that is, the soil, shall forever
remain the property of, or a part of the soil of the United States.
The States which shall be formed therein, whenever they have
sixty thousand male inhabitants, or at an earlier period if the
United States think convenient, shall become integral parts of the
United States, and be admitted by their delegates into the Congress
of the United States on an equal footing Avith the original States.
Tbey shall be subject to the articles of confederation (uoav of the
Union), and to all acts of Congress made conformably thereto, etc. ;
and, until they arrive at that degree of population, they shall re
main in an independent colonial state, subject to such particular acts
of Congress as the general interest of the nation may require they
should be subjected to ; in other words, have such acts, and such
acts only, wherein they are particularly named, or included, by the
necessary and direct iraport of the enacting words.
There is, sir, at present, no person appointed to prosecute for the
public ; the office has been offered to and refused or resigned by every
practitioner at the bar Avho was in any Avise capable of exercising it.
The necessity of such an officer, and some allowance from the
United States, has been often and fruitlessly represented by me, for
as yet the situation of the people here does not admit of their being
burdened with salaries. By a law adopted at the last session of the
legislature, the emolument of the public prosecutor has been some
thing increased, and I have Avritten to a son settled in the profession
at Pittsburgh, offering him the appointraent, but do not know
whether be will accept it or not.

Governor St. Claie to Olivee Wolcott.' 1
Cincinnati, July 24, 1795.
Sir : — The letter you did me the honor to write on the 20th of
June, came to hand on the 20th instant, and I Avould have replied
iThis letter is given after the one preceding, which is a reply to the argu
ment of the Attorney-General, although it properly comes before it in data
of composition.

384 The St. Clair Papers.
to it immediately if the post had not departed before the letters he
brought were delivered, and I am the more concerned that the op
portunity was missed, as the opinion of the Attorney-General, which
my letter of the 5th of May to the Secretary of State had oc
casioned you the trouble to take,Avas not inclosed, as you therein
mentioned it to be. Your letter contained no inclosure Avhatever.
The intimation given by me to the Secretary of State (but which
might, I suppose, without a breach of propriety, have been ad
dressed directly to you), that the laws of the United States are not
deemed to extend to either of the Territorial districts, I thought
it my duty to give on that occasion, because I supposed ill conse
quences might foUoAV from a question arising on a revenue laAV be
ing recorded in a court of laAV against the revenue officer or other,
suing for the penalty attached to a breach of the law. I did believe
(and still do believe) that Avith respect to the penalty for selling
foreign distilled spirits and Avine Avithout license, it Avould happen.
Whether it be an inadmissible pretention or not that the terri
torial districts are not bound by laAvs of the United States unless
specially named, is not for me to determine. It is, howcA'er, no
neAV pretension, and is a doctrine Avhich has been long held with
respect to colonies. Those districts are as yet no part of the Uuited
States, but deijendencles upon thera, and have ever been considered
in Congress as colonies. The duty laid on domestic distillation Avas
never conceived to extend to them, or attempted to be collected in
thera under the general laAV. It Avas extended to thera by a sup-
pleraentary act, in Avhich they are expressly named, a measure that
was recoraraended by me to the late Secretary of the Treasury.'
That very act in Avhich they are thus expressly named, and other
revenue laAVS, in Avhich they are not named, carae to be put in opera
tion here at one and the sarae time. That diversity alone Avould
have been enough to have raised a doubt if the matter had never-
before been thought of. But, sir, I recollect a conversation Avith
Mr. Randolph, Avhen Attorney-General, on the subject, Avhen he ex
pressed a sentiment similar to that Avhich has been transmitted to
you from my letter to him. He did also express a like sentiment to
Judge Turner iu another c,on versation, as the judge has informed
me, and it llkeAvise Avas the opinion of Mr. Jefferson, though per
haps neither of those gentleraen expressed theraselves so strongly as
in the words used by me — for obvious reasons, I chose to express-
myself as strongly as I could.
' Mr. Hamilton.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 385
It is of Uttle consequence what my oavu opinion on this subject
may be, because, judicially, I can never have any thing to do with
it; and, executively, the Government has a right to comraand my
co-operation with its measures, whercA'er that co-operation can take
place — my disposition to do so I trust is uot doubted. The magis
tracy, by Avhom is meant, I suppose, the judges of the different
courts, Avill, doubtless, pay due regard to the opinion of the Attor
ney-General ; but, unless I intended in the present case to impress
them unfavorably, I should be unAvilling to tell them that you
count upon their co-operation, for I repeat it, sir, breaches of the law
in question are only punishable by action at law.
The revenue that can possibly arise from the licenses iu this Ter
ritory is a very trifle, and in most cases they have been purchased
for tbis year already. But if it is to be enforced, the decision of
one action against the person suing for the penalty puts an end to
it, and Avill lay the collector open to much vexation, for, I suppose,
suits would be instituted against him to recover back the money for
the licenses by most of those who have already paid it. At the
next meeting of Congress (if it Avas their intention the tax sbould
be levied bere), they can put it beyond a doubt by extending the
laAV relating to foreign spirits and licenses expressly to the Terri
tory, as was done with respect to the duties on domestic distilled
spirits. Olivee Wolcott to Governor St. Claie.
Treasury Department, June 20, 1795.
Sir : — The Secretary of State has transmitted to this department
an extract of your letter to him dated May 5, 1795.
As to the intimation therein given, that the laws of tlie United States
are not deemed to extend to either of the territorial districts unless they are
specially named, appeared to me to countenance an inadmissible
pretension, I have lost no time in obtaining the opinion of the At
torney-General on the point, a copy of which I have the honor to
inclose. I bave only to observe that as I perfectly concur with the opinion
expressed by the Attorney-General, the officers of the revenue will
be instructed to enforce a compliance with the law, and that I count
entirely upon the co-operation of the magistracy and officers of the
district over Avhicb you preside.
VOL. II — 25

386 The St. Clair Papers.
Governor St. Claie to Goveenoe Shelby.
Cincinnati, June 20th, 1795.
Sir: — On the 5th instant, I was informed by General Wayne that
some little tirae before, an attack had been raade on a camp of In
dians on the Scioto by sorae people from Kentucky, headed by a
clergyman of the name of Finley, and a Mr. Massey.
The Indians Avere peaceably foUoAving their occupation of hunt
ing, in full faith of the cessation of hostUities that had taken place
betAveen the General and their nations ; and the depredations that
have since happened in Kentucky, upon the river and in this Ter
ritory, are justly to be attributed to that wanton violation of pub
lic faith. Mr. Massey, who is an inhabitant of this Territory, would
have been prosecuted before now had there been any evidence
against him, but as the people who were led on to this crime were
frora Kentucky, and retired to it immediately, and Mr. Finley is
also an inhabitant there, there can be no Avant of evidence against
him, as the plunder of the Indians was carried to Limestone and
publicly sold, in open daylight.
A regard, sir, for the national character will, I doubt not, induce
an inquiry ; but I must take the liberty to remonstrate against the
inhabitants of the country over which you preside entering this Ter
ritory in arms, and disturbing the peace of the same, Avhich I now
do in the most soleran manner ; and request you, sir, to take effi
cacious measures to prevent its happening in future.'
1 That these attacks on the Indians were general throughout tho Territory
Avill be fui ther shown by the following :
PROULAM ATION.
Whereas, I have received information, by the Honorable George Turner,
one of the Judges ofthe General Court, that on or about the 15th of March
last, a most horrid murder was committed upon the bodies of two Indian
mon under the protection of the law and in the custody of a civil officer at
or near to the BeUefontaine, in the county of St. Clair, by some persons in
habitants of said county; and, whereas, the said murder -was committed in
open daylight, and in the presence of some of a guard of militia, who had been
conveying the said two Indians, and just delivered them to the sheriff of
the said county to be by him committed to the jail of the county, by virtue
of a warrant from the said judge, the perpetrators can not be unknown.
These are, therefore, to require and command all and every of the justices
of the peace, the sheriff, and all other officers of the said county, to cause
diligent inquiry to be forthwith made into the said murder, and search and
pursuit, if need be, after the perpetrators thereof.
In witness whereof, etc. Arthur St. Clair.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 387

Governor St. Clair to General Wayne.
Cincinnati, June 30, 1795.
Sir: — I had the honor to receive your letter of the 28th last
night, and am very much obliged to you for the information it con
tains. Although I am of opinion, with you, that the meditated
stroke of the Shawanese is over, for I believe that the depredations
that have of late happened in Kentucky and upon the river have
been committed by that very party — I shall give notic9 to the set
tlements above to be on their guard lest it should be otherwise ; yet,
in truth, what they have suffered is but a just punishment for their
wanton disregard to order and humanity, and if it fell on the guilty
only I should not regret it one moment. I have complained of it to
the Governor of Kentucky, but do not expect any effect therefrom,
but, as I am going to Lexington, it may be that I may get sorae
evidence against Mr. Massey, who, in that case, I will order to be
prosecuted immediately.
It gives me great pleasure, sir, to hear that the Indians are likely
to be in with you so generally, and with such uncommon punctual
ity. It is a very favorable [out] in my opinion, for the issue of the
pending treaty, which I doubt not will end in a manner favorable to
the interests of the United States and this Territory, and to your
honor and satisfaction, which is the sincere wish of, sir, your very
humble servant.
No doubt, Major Doyle has informed you of the destruction, some
distance above Massac, of a Mr. Chew, from Maryland, Avith
eighteen or twenty blacks. I mention it, however, lest he should
not have done it, for I believe it to be necessary that you should be
informed of it in tbe instances where the cessation of hostilities
bas been infringed by them. He supposes it to have been done
by the Pottawatamies, and, if so, it was probably in revenge for the
injuries tbey sustained in the Miamis' country.

General Wayne to Goveenor St. Clair.
Headquarters, Greenville, August 19th, 1795.
Sir : — This will be presented to you by Major Vigo, who has been
at this place for some time, and now is on his way to Post Vin
cennes.

388 The St. Clair Papers.
When I wrote you on the 15th instant, I was still beset by the
Indian chief in favor of a fcAv more favorite traders, a list of whom
I have the honor to inclose.
Tavo days since, a Cherokee chief, Avith four young Avarriors, arrived
here from the head-Avaters of the Scioto, bearing a talk frora Coona-
niskey (aKas) Big Spider, in which he solemnly promises to prevent
all his people from doing any further injury to the persons or proj)-
erty of any of the citizens of the United States ; that he will with
draw all the remaining Cherokees from this side of the Ohio in the
course of this fall, and return to his own nation ; that the greater
part had left the Scioto very early in the spring, in order to settle
in their own country. This part of his message I know to be true,
by an extract of a letter frora Governor Blount to the Secretary of
War, in which he says: " A considerable number of Cherokee war
riors, with their families, arrived on the 27th of May at the Tellico
block-house ; that they had forever abandoned the hostile tribes
north-west of the Ohio, and were determined to reraain peaceable in
future." All the mischief that has been done up the Ohio for some
time past, was by the party of Shawanese mentioned in my letter
to your Excellency of the 28th of June, in retaliation for the ag
gression of Mr. Massey [Massie]. This disagreeable business will
now terminate. The ShaAvanese chiefs have solemnly promised to
call that party to a severe account, and the other nations have also
determined to assist in their total extermination, should they con
tinue hostile.
Blue Jacket left this place on the 15th instant, with a message to
that party to cease from all kinds of hostility toward the people of
the United States, and immediately to deliver up all prisoners in
their possession, or abide the fate that awaits them iu case of non
compliance with this deraand. Hence, I trust that peace, with aU
its train of blessings, will attend the citizens on the frontiers of the
United States in future, unless prevented by their own misconduct.
With these sentiments, and with the sincerest wishes for your
safety, bealth, and happiness, I have the honor to be, etc.

Governor St. Clair to Edmund Randolph.
Cincinnati, Aug. 24th, 1795.
Sir : — The Ordinance for the government of this Territory re
quires that the Governor and judges shall, from time to time, re
port to Congress the laws by them adopted and published. Since the

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 389
new organization of the General Government there has been no
mode pointed out for those communicating directly with Congress,
and they have conceived that the communication which went form
erly through the Secreta;ry of Congress must now go through the
Secretary of State, and, in consequence, you are troubled Avith two
lists of the laAVS adopted at a session of the legislature Avhich closed
this day— one for the Senate and one for the House of Representa
tives. The act of Congress entitled "An act respecting the government
of tbe Territories," passed May 1, 1792, directs that the laws of the
Territories shall be printed under the direction of the Secretary of
State, and two hundred copies to be delivered to the Governor to be
distributed. The legislature have found that they can be printed
here, which will not only put them sooner into the hands of the
people, but diffuse the knowledge of them more generaUy, and
have, with these views, contracted for printing those of the last ses
sion ; but, at the same time, that called up an expectation to the
printer that he might possibly receive from the General Government
the sum which printing tAvo hundred copies would have cost in PhU
adelphia. Should the measure meet your approbation, it will be
very obliging if you will please to put it in train.
The same act directs the Secretary of State to provide proper
seals for the respective public officers. When Mr. Jefferson Avas
about that business, the recorder's office was some hoAv omitted, and
that office is without a seal in all the counties, which are at present
four in number, and this session an Orphans' Court has been erected,
which will make the number of seals wanted amount to eight, two
for each county. With the seals Mr. Jefferson forwarded presses.
The device of all offices the same, and they differ only by the in
scription, and I have the liberty to inclose an impression of one of
them.

Governor Gayoso' to Governor St. Clair.
New Madred, Sept. 26, 1795.
. Sir: — Captain Vatte, commanding officer at St. Genevieve, has
informed me of your ExceUency's arrival at Kaskaskia. I shall
think myself very fortunate if, when I go up to St. Louis, your Ex
cellency should be yet at your actual residence ; in that case, I pro
pose myself the honor of offering you my respectful assurances of
' Manuel Gayoso de Lemos, Spanish Governor of Northern Louisiana.

390 The St. Clair Papers.
the sincere esteera that I have had for you, which, in the meantime,
I do noAV. This circumstance is the more satisfactory to me, as I
am really persuaded that our conference will prove beneficial to our
respective countries ; an object that I always have in vicAV, besides
that it is the positive will of the King of Spain, my master, to keep
the best and the most intiraate harmony with the United States of
America. Be persuaded, sir, that our interests are not incompat
ible ; on the contrary, it is my opinion that there are no two nations
in the world that by every circumstance ought to be more connected
than we. We can be of service to one another, both in trade and
political concerns. I refer to a future day the explanation of these
important objects. I have the honor to repeat to your Excellency the
most earnest protestations of the attachments, respect, and esteem.

Goveenoe St. Claie to President Washington.'
Philadelphia [ Without dat£\, 1795.
[Extracts from a private letter.] .....
As I feel myself under sensible obligations for the confidence you
have always reposed in me, it would be a want of candor and an
ill-return if I did not inform you that I haA'e been very much dis
gusted for a considerable time, and in consequence of treatment from
some of the departments, which I persuade myself has never come
to your knowledge, but Avhich made such an impression upon me as
to determine me to retire from all public service ; a resolution which
was not carried into immediate execution only from the considera
tion that it might be construed into ingratitude and disrespect to
you, and that the wretched situation of my affairs did not admit of
its being carried into immediate execution. That derangement in
in which they have been, and still are, has been produced by that
very conduct of the departments,and the foolish, unbounded confi
dence I had in the honor and integrity of the Government.
I have indeed had much, sir, to complain of, and injuries can
sometimes be offered which do not make the slightest impressions
that can not well be complained of, but I have met with others
^This letter is made public in justice to the memory of the noble writer,
and of the generous friend to whom it was arldressed. It recalls the words
of Milton: From inward grief
His bursting passion into plaints thus poured.
While the friend compelled respect, he had it not in his power to allay
party passions and secure justice from the Congress — nor was it ever done.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 391
which seemed calculated to destroy any consequence I had or could
obtain in the office I filled, aud to wound that self-love that every
man possesses, aud ought to possess in a greater or less degree.
It began with the War Department, to which the control of In
dian affairs is given, and the superintendence to me. That office
you know, sir, I held before the establishment of the new Govern
ment, and, as such, I was knoAvn to the Indians, but, for a very
long time I have never been made acquainted with any thing re
specting them ; numbers of them have been called to the seat of
Government from time to time, and by persons employed by the
Secretary of War, Avithout the sUghtest intimation to me. Persons
bave been sent to reside among them, in public characters, without
my knowledge or concurrence, and who never thought proper to
have the smallest communication Avith me. Neither have I ever
been informed of the name or residence of my deputy, or received
a single line of information or intelligence from him. I know not,
sir, whether the manner in which I conducted the negotiation Avith
the people, intrusted to me, may not have been disapproved of. I
had not reason, however, to believe it had, and I am certain it
was a very difficult and very delicate business. If a war with them
is at all times to be avoided, if possible, it Avas more necessary
that it should have been then avoided Avhen they were united and
prepared for it, and the Government of this country Avas at a full
stand. A war was prevented at that time, and such a division
among them brought about as they Avere never able to overcome,
when it afterwards became unavoidable. The share I had in prose
cuting that war, when it did supervene, although very unfortunate,
I have no cause to be ashamed of, though the consequences to me
have been the same as if the sinister events of it had beeu produced
by my misconduct. It Avas ended, hoAvever, by negotiation, and so
little Avas the superintendent considered, that he never had any
official information of its being in train, and the first notice of its
being concluded was the seeing a proclamation of General Wayne's
in the newspaper, commanding the people in my government to ab
stain from hostUities. Nor, to this moment, have I any other but a copy
of the treaty sent to me by General Wayne, in consequence of my
representations to him, in as delicate a manner as I could, that bis
powers could go no further than to stop hoscilities between the
troops and the Indians. As to the people, it belonged to the Ex
ecutive of the Territory. Since the peace, part of the militia have
been embodied, by orders from the War Office, to the commanding

392 The St. aair Papers.
officer of one of the counties, after they had been disbanded by my
orders, Avithout the least intiraation to me.
The negotiation with the Indians, conducted by me, involved con
siderable expense, Avhich absorbed all the moneys in my hands, and
the execution of your orders to extinguish the Indian titles in the
Illinois country demanded that presents for that purpose should be
provided. These Avere obtained on my private credit, there being
no raoneys for that purpose in the treasury, and I then, had confi
dence in the public, and believed they also had confidence in me.
The accounts of my expenditures had not been settled, though they
had been presented to the treasury board. Before the new govern
ment took place, they were again presented to Mr. Hamilton, but
no appropriation had been made for the payment of debts of the
old government of that nature. He told me he thought the ac
counts ought to be allowed, and wanted to ask for an approjirlation
and pay thera ; he, however, did forget them that season, and when
I applied again, he candidly told rae so. I was pressed for payment,
and the person' Avho had made the advances, I knew, Avas embar
rassed for Avant of his money, and demanded interest. This I rep
resented to Mr. Hamilton, who thought it reasonable, and said it
would be allowed. He even took the trouble to go Avith me to the
Secretary of War, iu order, if there had been money in his hands
for the Indian Department, to draw it out and pay it. There Avas
none, and of course the business had to lie over until another ses
sion of Congress. I Avas going to the westward to a great distance,
from Avhence I might never return, and my creditor insisted on se
curity. On the promises Mr. Hamilton had made, I did not hesi
tate to give my bond in security. On my return to Philadelphia, I
again applied for payment, and the accounts Avere referred to the
coraptroller, Avho raised an infinity of objections, and concluded,
after rauch insolent altercation, that an application must be made
to Congress. In the last, he may have been right, but he could not
have been right in the pains he took to prevent the accounts being
allowed, and which had the effect to procure the rejection of so much
of them as to leave me saddled with a debt of upAvards of six thou
sand dollars and a judgraent hanging over ray head. To raise this
money, I was obUged to sacrifice an estate for which the day before
I would not have taken twenty-four thousand dollars. Neither
1 James O'Hara, who, some years later, when it was impossible to obtain
money at auy rate of interest, on account of the embargo, took out an exe
cution against St. Clair's property, by which he was reduced to poverty in
his old age. The money was due from the United States.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 393
could he have been right in allowing to others charges of the very
same nature objected to — to General Putnam, who made use of those
very goods purchased and paid for by me, was allowed his extra
expenses, even to the washing of his shirts. Misfortunes I can bear
with firmness, but the insolence of office throws me off my center,
and the hardest struggle I ever had Avt'.s to keep my hands off him.
I bave had occasion to write frequently to the Office of State, but
since Mr. Jefferson left that office, that my letters were received it
was, perhaps, too great condescension to acknowledge.
By the Land La av, just passed, ncAv duties are assigned me, and, al
though it can not be but that they must be attended with consider
able expense, no provision is made for it, and the appointments of
the office do certainly not allow any extra expenses.
From the surrender of the posts, which will soon take place, it
appears that the Governor must A'isit them and set the civil govern
ment in motion. That can not be done without a very heavy ex
pense. The organizing it heretofore in the distant parts absorbed
the whole of my salary and more ; nor since I have been in the of
fice, until the last year, have I ever been able to save a farthing.
Detroit, I am well informed, is the most expensive place in tbe
world, and to give such impressions as ought to be given on the in
troduction of a new government over ucav subjects can not be done
without considerable expense. I am now poor, very poor, and were
it proper, which it is not, can not make them from my own funds,
and no provision is made for that purpose ; besides, I have too much
experience of the disposition of Congress and the officers to run any
risks of that nature again.
It may not be known to you, sir, that my being in Philadelphia
this winter was rendered necessary by the comptroller, to obtain
compensation for my horses.' It is an object uoav of importance to
me, or I should not have come ; but in the settlement of the accounts
of the unfortunate campaign, I was held responsible for a very large
sum of money, the vouchers for the expenditure of Avhich had been
lost in the action, and a small balance of my private accounts, though
settled, was detained from me until they should be produced.
Those vouchers were held by me in pursuance of the spirit of my
instructions, to justify the warrants I had draAvn upon the quarter
master, and were for horses ordered to be purchased before his join
ing the army. To discharge myself on the treasury books and re
ceive the money that had been withheld, and which I Avas obliged
to borrow at exorbitant interest, I had to ride all through Kentucky,

1 St. Clair had four horses killed at the battle, 4th November, 1791.

394 The St. Clair Papers.
and return to this place, and, of course, to spend nearly all the
money I had to receive. In this manner have I been treated ; for
what reason I knoAV not, unless it be that I could not stoop to solic
itation Avhen I was asking for justice.

Goveenoe St. Clair to General Wayne.
Muskingum, December 5, 1795.
Sir : — I Avas extremely sorry that I could not write to you before
I left Fort Washington, as well to acknowledge the letter I had the
honor to receive from you as to thank you for all the civilities I re
ceived from you before I left this part of the country. On the 2d
instant, I met Avith a letter from the Secretary of War, of the 9th
of November, announcing the design of certain Frenchraen to en
gage in some military enterprise against the possessions of Spain on
the Mississippi, to set out from Kentucky. Of this, I had received
information before I left Fort Washington, and informed Governor
Shelby of it, in order that he might take such measures to prcA'ent
it as he judged proper. From the above letter, Avhich Avas accom
panied by a copy of one from the Secretary of State to Governor
Shelby, the following is an extract :
"The President of the United States has instructed me to re
quest that you will consider the letters to the Governor of Ken
tucky as written to yourself, and that you take all the measures in
the course of the laAvs for the prevention of the design in the man
ner suggested by the Secretary of State, but if the design should
have assumed such an aspect as to bid defiance to the operation of
the laAVS, that you use the militia of your governraent to prevent
the design, or that you request the officer coramanding the troops of
the United States In your neighborhood, or in the name of the
President of the United States, to afford you such assistance in the
effectual suppression of such design, and the apprehension of the
offenders, as the nature of the case may require."
It is impossible, from the feeble and distressed state of the settle
raents of the country, to make use of the mUitia to any purpose ;
neither, frora your situation, can much assistance be expected from
you ; but I beg leave to suggest to you that it might not be im
proper in you, as the horse are now in Kentucky, to make an offer
to Governor Shelby of such assistance from them as he may require,
and to give orders to the officer commanding them accordinglv ; and

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 395
I have Avritten to the Secretary of War that I would take the lib
erty to offer you this advice.
I have been very happy to hear that you have a prospect of some
winter operations, and do most fervently wish you success.

James McHenry to Governor St. Clair.
War Office, May, 1796.
Sir: — The President has had information which affords strong
ground to believe that there are certain persons employed and paid
to visit the Western country for the purpose of encouraging the
people of tbose parts to secede from the Union, and form a separate
connection with a foreign power.
The persons more particularly pointed to as emissaries on this oc
casion, are one Powers, DeCallot, and Warren. It is said, also, that
they have received written instructions from their government, and
letters to influence men in the district of country that has been de
cided as the field for their operations.
The route (at least of some of them), is by Pittsburgh down the
Ohio to the old Shawanese toAvn ; thence across the Ohio, through
the lower parts of Kentucky ; thence to Post Vincent ; thence to
St. Genevieve ; and thence doAvn to New Orleans.
It is thought that they will be very open in their conversations,
that they will be easily traced by those apprised of their project,
and that an overweening confidence in the success of their mission
may originate circumstances upon which to ground a legal proced
ure for the seizure of their papers.
You will perceive that it is important to such a seizure that they
should have no reason to suspect, from ill-timed inquiries or meas
ures, that they are discovered. You will, of course, keep your
knowledge of their errand and designs to yourself, and trust it only
to those who may be necessary to the plans you may adopt, and at
the moment when it confidently may be used to effect its successful
execution. PoAvers is of Irish descent, about thirty-five years of age, a man
of science, seemingly versatile, speaks French, Spanish, and English
with equal fluency, and pronounces each as a native.
DeCallot is a Frenchman, full six feet high, about forty years of
age, and speaks English very well.
Warren is also a Frenchman, was lately a sub-engineer in the
service of tbe United States, Avhich he resigned for his present em-

396 The St. Clair Papers.
ployment, speaks English tolerably, is about thirty years of age,
above six feet high, black hair, ruddy complexion, and easy man
ners. I have only to add that these persons are believed to be in pos
session of papers which it is considered of great importance to ob
tain, and I have to request, if procured, that copies be made of
them, and attested, as well as the originals, by yourself or some
other person, and forwarded by safe conveyance to the President.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary op State.
Eepokt of Official Proceedings in the Illinois Couktrt.
(Without date) 1796.
ISir: — On the 4th of May last I informed the late Secretary of
State that some confusion in the western counties of this Territory
had been occasioned, in some measure, by some interferences of the
judicial Avith the executive authority, which appeared to me to be
iraproper, and would oblige me to visit that country. Afterward,
I received information from General Wayne that, after the arraistice
had taken place, a number of Indians peaceably following their oc
cupation of hunting had been killed in that country, and, about
the same time, I was informed of tAvo Pottawatamies, in the custody
of the sheriff, having been murdered there. As Judge Turner was
in that part of the country when the murder was perpetrated, I ap
plied to him to be certified of the circumstances, and whether he
had taken any and what steps to bring the offenders to justice. In
answer to which I received the letter herewith inclosed, and also his
communication with the sheriff' on that subject, upon which I issued
a proclamation requiring the offenders to be apprehended. The
legislature was at that time in session, and it Avas not until the 29th
of August that I was able to leave Cincinnati, in company Avith
Judge Symraes. A court was held at Kaskaskia as soon as possible
after his arrival there, where the most positive testimony was ad
duced to the grand jury against two persons, inhabitants of the
county of St. Clair, that the murder Avas comraitted by thera, but
no bill was found against thera. The court then adjourned to Ca
hokia, another town in the sarae county, Avhen, at my request, the
matter was again brought before the grand jury in a very pathetic
charge from the judge, and I directed the persons prosecuting the
public pleas to send a bill for murder against the tAvo persons who
had been before sworn to as the perpetrators, but it was returned.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 397
Another ¦was then sent up, for manslaughter, Avhich was returned
in the same way, and produced the presentment also inclosed here
with. From the inquiries I made into the affair of the Indians
killed at their bunting-camp, I found the circumstances to he not
only not blameable but laudable. The nation they belonged to had
been at open war, and committed great depredations and many
murders, and some of them very recently, in that country, and
neither the Indians nor the people had received any account of a
cessation of hostilities having taken place. The people, at least,
bad not, and they had received intelligence that the settlement
would be attacked by the Indians the next morning. I am sorry,
however, to add that, had the affair been ever so criminal in its na
ture, it would bave been, I believe, impossible to have brought the
actors to punishment. The difficulties that have occurred in cases
of that nature in various parts of the United States, as well as in
this Territory, and the stain it fixes on the national character, has
often led me to consider Avhether justice could not be secured to the
Indians by adding some sanction to the law beyond what is usual
between the citizens, and it has occurred to me that, were a pretty
heavy pecuniary fine to be set upon the murder of an Indian, and
a proportional one for lesser injuries, to be levied upon the counties
where the offense was committed if the offenders were not brought
to justice, it would probably bave the effect, for it is often seen that
the minds of men little tinctured with justice or humanity, have a
pretty strong sympathy with their pockets, and I believe it to be a
subject Avithin the province of the general legislature.
My letter of the 4th May last contained extracts from letters of
Judge Turner to me respecting some services that had been made
by his authority, and complaints against some county officers, par
ticularly Mr. Vanderburgh, the judge of probate for the county of
Knox, and of my ansAver to him on those subjects on the 14th De
cember last. The case involving the goods that had been seized on
the Wabash was dismissed by Judge Symraes, and the goods re
stored ; and in the case of that against tbose that Avere seized on the
Ohio and sent to Kaskaskia, and there condemned and sold, a writ
of error has been brought, and the condemnation wUl probably be
reversed. And, indeed, if goods transporting on the navigable
rivers from one part of the Territory to the other, are liable to seiz
ure because they may be goods usually vended to Indians, those
rivers would be useless to the inhabitants, and no person who might
venture to use them safe from the practice of common informers.
It gives me pain, however, that the Secretary of State should ever

398 The St. aair Papers.
have been troubled Avith complaints about county officers ; as to the
punishing their official conduct, the courts and the power of the
Governor are unquestionably competent; but, as coraplaints also
against the judge were involved in them, it became necessary for
me to send them forward. The parties have made their respective
representations, which Avere inclosed in my letter of the 25th August.
An official copy of the transaction of Mr. Vanderburgh in the cir
cuit court complained of, is inclosed.
When I Avent to the IlUnois country in 1789, I was directed to
inquire into and confirm in their possessions and titles the ancient
inhabitants and others settled there on or before the year 1783. All
the titles that were presented Avere examined, and, so far as they
Avere founded, to be surveyed, that specific confirmation might issue;
but on the late occasion, I found that many claims had not been
brought forAvard, and as there was no limitation by laAV as to the
time of their being presented I conceived rayself obliged to receive
them, and to direct the survey to be made as before. Grants of
land to a very considerable amount had been made by officers of the
State of Virginia, and by the courts of the country after the cession
to the United States wholly unauthorized by laAV. Those I conceive
myself obliged to reject, and accordingly did reject them in toto ;
but a law of the United States has given some validity to those
grants Avhere actual improvement has followed, leaving it, however,
discretionary with the Governor to grant any quantity of land not
exceeding two hundred acres to each holder of such grant, and so in
proportion to the nature of the improvement. It became my duty
to take these grants into consideration, and I have received and reg
istered all that were presented for the first time, as well as those
that had been before rejected, but I have decided in no instance
upon the quantity of land to be granted in consequence of their im-
proA'ement (this is not a very definite term), and the discretion be
tween one hundred acres aud four I Avas not very willing to use
without some rule ; if less Avas given to some and more to others, an
accusation of partiality was a pretty certain consequence to one side,
and if the Avhole quantity generally given, of prodigality and
neglect of the public interests on the other side. Should the President
think this a raatter of sufficient importance for legislative inter
ference, he will doubtless lay it before Congress ; if it is not, I hope
I may be honored Avith his instructions relative thereto. I inclose a
list of those claims so far as they haA^e appeared.
The donations to the head of families in the Illinois country have
not yet been laid out, although the orders for that purpose were

Correspjondenee, Addiesses, Etc. 399
issued in 1790. The delay has been owing to several causes. There
was but one person to be found in that country who had the least
acquaintance witb surveying. I was under the necessity of ap
pointing him, but I believe he found himself inadequate to the task,
and conscientiously deferred it. Another reason was the poverty
of the people — ruined as they have been by the change of Govern
ment, and the injuries they have been subjected to by the e\'ents of
the revolution, wherein their property Avas seized to a great amount
by the officers of Virginia Avithout any recompense ; by the depre
dations of what Avas called the Wabash Regiment, self organized in
that country, and Avhich subsisted by plunder ; and by the frequent
innundations ofthe Mississippi. They av ere unwiUing to part with
any of their movable property to acquire lands Avhich they could
not cultivate, and Avere restrained from selling till five years after
possession had been given them. They were in hopes, too, that as
Congress had relieved the inhabitants of the country on the Wabash,
of both those conditions, the same favor would be extended to them,
and, therefore, did not press for their being laid out. The reason
for so marked a distinction between the inhabitants of two different
parts of the same country, and in exactly similar circumstances, I
could never comprehend, and I do hope that Congress Avill put
them on the same footing ; at any rate, the five years should in my
opinion be computed from the time the orders for surveying issued,
for that there Avas an incapable person appointed Avas not the fault
of the people, aud they should not be injured either by that, or that
the country did not afford one that was capable.
Patents for the donation lands that have been alloted to the beads
of families are much pressed for by those Avho are entitled to them.
I had conceived that the Governor Avas fully authorized for that
purpose by the resolutions of Congress respecting them, and had
prepared a form Avhich I submitted to Mr. Randolph when Attorney-
General. He, however, was of opinion that the patents must issue
from the President of the United States. On this, sir, I Avould beg
leave to observe that the records of the surveys and the documents
are in the Territory ; that a certificate which would be attended with
some charges must necessarily go from the office of the secretary
here before a patent could be obtained from the office of the Secre
tary of State ; that after the patent was obtained, it must be brought
back to the Territory and recorded in the county where the land
Ues ; and that the distance from Philadelphia, or any other place
where tbe seat of the Government may be, and the expense that
attends any delay there, are good objections — such, indeed, as would

400 The St. Clair Papers.
render the donation a mere Illusion. No order, however, has as yet
been taken in the case, that I know of, and people knoAv not where
to apply. Donations, also, of one hundred acres have been ordered
to be given by the Governor to those who Avere enroUed in the railitia
on the 1st of August, 1790; I have no difficulty as to those, be
cause the words given by the Governor I conceive a sufficient au
thority. They have been ordered to be laid out, and a list of the
persons entitled is contained in this.
Another paper, inclosed, is a conveyance of two extensive tracts
of land from the PiankishaAvs to Lord Dunmore and his associates,
in which, it is to be observed, that there is an express acknowledg
ment that the lands lying between those tracts, beginning at the
Point Coupi and running with the Wabash to the mouth of the
White River about twenty-four leagues, and running into the coun
try forty leagues on the east and thirty leagues on the west, is re
served for the use of the inhabitants of St. Vincennes. That is, the
tract the few people who have signed the petition reclaim for the
French inhabitants. That the land was actually relinquished by
the Indians when a post was first established at that place, I have
no doubt ; but it is evident the relinquishment was to the French
gOA'ernraent, and not to the inhabitants, because Mr. de St. Vincens,
the first commander, gave small pieces of it to individuals imme
diately, on the express condition that they should be improved in
a year or be void. Within the bounds of that reservation are all
the lands that have been laid out, but a difficulty arises from the
treaty of Greenville with respect to those not yet laid out in the
country on the Mississippi.
To take that treaty literally, every foot of land in the country
not in the actual possession of some individual has been relinquished
to the Indians, and should that construction prevail, it is impossible
for Congress to fulfill the promise of donation without violating it.
The lands actuaUy granted heretofore, cover nearly the whole of the
Mississippi bottom between Kaskaskia and Cahokia, and many grants
have likcAvise been made for considerable portions of the high lands,
and claims are made, in addition, of an ancient improvement made
by the savages not less than thirty miles up the Kaskaskia.
Those people can not be said, in the strict sense of the word, to
be in possession, and some explanation, it appears to me, will be
necessary. It was a part of my instructions to inquire into the
claims of the Indians to lands and to extinguish them, but at that
timo I could not find that any nation laid claim to them. The Ca
hokia nation, reduced to four or five families, had abandoned the

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 401
country entirely. The Peorias, amounting to about one bundred,
bad likewise abandoned it, and the Kaskaskia tribe, of about twenty
families, laid claim to nothing but the site of an old village near
Kaskaskia, and about four thousand acres of land, which was con
firmed to them by an act of Congress. In all the country from Kas
kaskia to the mouth of the Ohio and across to the Wabash, not one
Indian resided, though the Miamies, the Kickapoos, and the Oiata-
non, and, perhaps, some others, occasionally hunted in it ; and it is
now a good deal frequented by the ShaAvanese and Delawares from
the Spanish side. Still, I am persuaded that none of them have
a just claim to those lands ; but Avhen they learn that the country
was the Peorias — and there Avill not be wanting people enough to
inform them that all the lands, except Avhat was possessed on the 3d
of August last, bave been relinquished — owners enough Avill cer
tainly appear. The only places where the donations could be laid,
agreeably to the resolutions of Congress, are in the country below
the Kaskaskia, between the river and the high lands, for the heads
of families in that settlement, in the low grounds above Cahokia,
for that settlement and in the Mississippi bottom, as it is commonly
called, for tbose of the Prairie du Rocher and St. Phillips. If lands
sufficient can be found there, which, when the former appropriations
are laid out, I am persuaded there can not, a power, therefore, to
lay them out somewhere else should be given.
The encroachments of the Spaniards in the territory below the
Ohio, I know the Government is apprised of. From some deposi
tions taken before me, and Avhich were sent to General Wayne, it is
ascertained that they are establishing themselves in considerable
. force. Their fortification was thus described : A large and strong
fort, nearly completed, whereon about three hundred men were con
stantly employed, thirty pieces of cannon, ahready mounted, and six
galleys in tbe river. It Avas further deposed that several young men,
inhabitants of this Territory, passing down the Mississippi, had been
seized and forced to work upon the fortifications. Such conduct, con
trasted with General Gayoso's letter to me, does not put the Spanish
character in a very fair point of view. Inclosed is my answer. An
interview, however, I should have avoided, if I had not been obliged
to leave that part of the country, because I was AvhoUy unauthor
ized on any of the objects he had in view, except preserving Avhat
harmony noAV subsists, so long as the Government shall think it
proper. The commandant at St. Louis made, likewise, a proposal
that in case any of the Indians from our side of the river made in-
VOL. 11—26

402 The St. Clair Papers.
cursions into the Spanish territory, or any of the Indians from the
Spanish side into the territory of the United States, that both par
ties should be at liberty to pursue and annoy them, while in the
country of each other. There may be occasions Avhen such an agree-
ihent might be useful. There are, likewise, very inconvenient con
sequences that might follow from it. At any rate, it Avas beyond
my poAvers, and I should suspect those of Mr. Fraudeau likewise;
but into that I did not inquire. I told him frankly I had no author
ity, but Avould certainly communicate his proposal to the President.
It is a fact that the Kickapoos from our side do corarait depreda
tions on the Spaniards, and the Shawanese and others from their
side, upon us, and retire imraediately to their respectlA'e sides of the
Mississippi. Four negroes, belonging to a gentleman at Prairie du
Rocher, were killed by a party from thence a short time before my
arrival there.
What the intentions of the Governraent are with regard to the
sale of the lands in this country, I am entirely ignorant ; but it is
ray duty to inforra you that, in my opinion, ifthey are not disposed
of soon, such numbers of people will take possession of them as
may not easily be removed, should that be thought necessary. Be
fore I set out for the westAvard, numbers of people from Kentucky
had entered on the lands of the United States to the westward of
the Miarai, and were making what are called improvements. I
warned thera to desist, without much effect, and it Avas all I could
do, unless actions had been brought against thera as trespassers,
which I had no orders to do. The nuraber, however, of those ira
provements had increased surprisingly before my return, so much
so that, along the river, and a considerable distance inland, the
country is covered with huts ; and, I ara told, the case is the same
in the country above, quite up to the Pennsylvania line.
The State of Connecticut, in consequence of the acceptance of
the cession of western lands made to Congress, was supposed to
have gained an acknowledged right to the soil of a large tract of
country Avithin the liraits of the AVestern Territory, but that Gov
ernraent, at an early day, seemed disposed to usurp the jurisdiction
over it, for they appointed the late Judge Parsons siu'veyor for that
tract, and directed the manner in which it Avas to be divided. Some
letters passed between the judge and myself on that occasion, and I
also Avrote to the Executive of the State on the subject, but received
no ansAver. A copy of that letter Avas sent to the Secretary of
State, and may probably be on the files. My opinion was, and still
is, that before they proceeded to sell the lauds the consent of Con-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 403
^ress should have been formally obtained, and that as to subdivision
of the soil beyond Avhat Avas a mere consequence of OAvnership, it
belonged to the executive of the Territory. I am informed by a
gentleman lately from that State, that the legislature, in their last
session, passed a laAv respecting the recording of deeds within that
tract, in direct opposition to the Ordinance for the government of
the Territory, Avhich is a direct assumption of jurisdiction. I am
sorry to find 1 have troubled you with so long a letter, but I
have inserted nothing in it but Avhat I supposed it proper and nec
essary you should be informed of.

Oliver Wolcott to Governor St. Clair.
Treasury Department, August 12, 1796.
Sir : — I have the honor to inclose copies of two advertisements
which I have caused to be published, according to the directions of
the act entitled : " An act providing for the sale of the lands of
,the United States in the Territory North-Avest of the Ohio River,
and above the mouth of the Kentucky River." Owing to the im
perfect state in which the business relating to the seven ranges of
toAvnships Avas left by the late Board of Treasury, it Avas impossible
to be prepared for making the publication before the present tirae.
I mention this circumstance to account for a delay greater than was
expected, or that might otherwise appear reasonable. The time
proposed for commencing sales at Pittsburgh is the 24th day of Oc
tober ensuing; at Avhich tirae your attendance, or that of the secre
tary of the Territory, will be necessary. George Wallace, Esq. , has
been appointed by the President to be one of the superintendents
of the sales, and John Neville, Esq. , to be receiver of the moneys.
It is submitted to you to determine whether your attendance or that
of the secretary will be most convenient.
The law requires that the sales should be advertised in the neAvs
papers of your Territory. I know of none except that printed at
Fort Washington, where I have taken measures for a publication.
If any thing more is necessary, I have to request your attention
thereto. I shall seasonably transmit to General NevUle a map of the lands
to be sold, with such documents and forms as will be necessary at
the time of sale and for rendering the accounts for settlements at
the Treasury.

404 The St. Clair Papers.
Governor St. Clair to Seceetaey Sargent.
Pittsburgh, August IZth, 1796.
Sir : — I received the letter you did me the honor to Avrite some
time ago (on the subject of the appointments and other public trans
actions, which ought to have been reported by you), about three
weeks since. I have not it at hand at this time, and the date has
escaped me. I am very sorry, sir, that the Avant of these memo- .
randums has given you uneasiness. I Avould fondly hope, however,
that no blame can possibly attach to you on account of them, what
ever may be the case as to rae, for they are yet to be filed in your
office, and your report may be made in such a manner as to show
the precise time they carae to your hands. It Avas certainly wrong
in me (as I promised to do it) not to have put them into your hands
earlier ; my mind was, however, so agitated from a variety of causes,
and particularly from the unfortunate events in my faraily, that I
could not think of business at aU, and when I did at last get to it, I
found that a part of the papers only had been brought to Phila
delphia, and I have been since my return from thence prevented by
sickness, which brought me to the brink of the grave.
Yesterday I met with Captain Pierce, from Fort Washington, and
by him I learned that you Avere gone to Detroit. Should the object.
of that journey be of a public nature, I have to wish that it had
not been undertaken, for to-morrow I shall be in the Territory, and
then the powers of the Governor, which devolve upon the secretary
in his absence, will cease as to you, yet it may happen that both you
and me are discharging the duties of that office at the sarae time,
and, of course, the acts of one must be void. I think it further
unfortunate, as no orders had been received, at least by me, to ex
tend the civil authority to that quarter, and I should suppose that
you are not uninformed that Congress, at the last session, made no
provision for extending it, although the President recoraraended it
in a special message. If my health, which is still very infirm, Avill
alloAV it, I shall proceed immediately to the Illinois country, and
would have been glad to have been accompanied by you ; as that,
however, can not be, I hope to find that the public seal has been
left Avithin my reach, as I shall doubtless have occasion to use it ;
and should orders for that purpose be received, I Avill take the De
troit in my way back, and bring it with me, for in tlmt case it will
be wanted there Ukewise.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 405
Go-VERNOR St. Claie to Seceetaey Saegent.
Cincinnati, August 28th, 1796.
Sir : — I had the honor to address a letter to you at Detroit, by the
way of Presque Isle, on the 13th instant. In that letter, I men
tioned my intention of proceeding to the Illinois country and
returning by Detroit, in case the President should have thought
proper to direct the civil authority to be extended to that quarter by
tbat time. Your journey to tbat place, as well as some dispatches
received by the last mail, obliges me to change that purpose, and to
proceed to Detroit as soon as conveniently I can, in order that
whatever may be proper to be done there, may be done with that
concert which I believe necessary to public measures where different
persons may occasionally have the same agency, and to prevent that
collision I hinted at, and which must necessarily happen when you
and I are both exercising the function of Govemor at the same
time, and which must necessarily have an ill effect, especiaUy if
tbey should not chance to coincide.
I could have wished to have found the seal deposited here, or some
information respecting it, as I have occasion for it, and must, from
the want of it, have recourse to some expedient, which, though I
am certain it is strictly legal, yet, wanting that solemn formality,
may create doubt in the uninformed minds of some of the citizens.
Tbere are others necessary which can not be done without, and, of
•course, stand over.
This moment. Captain Harrison delivered me a packet, which,
baving received a similar one, I knew the contents aud opened it,
in order to judge whether it would be necessary to send it forAvard
or not. As, besides the advertisements, it contains a letter from the
^Secretary of the Treasury, which you will think requires an ansAver,
I have forwarded the Avhole. I shall, however, by to-morroAv's post,
inform bim that I AviU attend the sales at Pittsburgh at the time
appointed. Go-VEENOR St. Clair to Secretary Sargent.
Cincinnati, September 6, 1796.
Sir: — In my letter of the 28tb August, I informed you that I
purposed to proceed to Detroit as soon as it should be in my poAver,
and this day was fixed for the commencement of my journey. I
have since heard by accident that j^cu Avere gone to Michilimackinac,
from wbich place it is most probable you could not be returned by

406 The St. Clair Papers.
the time I should have arrived at the Detroit ; nor probably within
all the time I would possibly stay there ; that consideration as well,
and that my reaching Pittsburgh by that route in due time might
be something precarious, has induced me to change my purpose.
In about ten days I shall leave Cincinnati for Muskingum, and
go from thence in season to be at Pittsburgh on the 24th of October.
I could have Avished that the records of the Territory had been
left in some manner or other that I could have had access to them.
It has been inconvenient that they have not been so left, and I
can not conceive that you have had them transported to Detroit.

Governor St. Clair to Oli'vee Wolcott.
Cincinnati, August 30, 1796.
Sir : — I have to acknowledge the receipt of the letter you did me
the honor to write on the 12th instant, with copies of t avo advertise
ments respecting the sale of the lands in the Seven Ranges inclosed.
Those I shall make as public as possible ; but as you have taken
raeasures for this being published in the newspaper printed at this
place, the only one published in the Territory, and Avhicb has a
pretty general circulation, the notice will be spread as much as it is
capable of AvithIn the time appointed for the sales.
It is most probable that I will attend Pittsburgh, if my health,
which is very much improved, Avill allow me to raake the journey,
as the presence of the Governor or Secretary at the sales is indis
pensable. The secretary is at Detroit. Circumstances, however,
will oblige me to take my route that way and by Presque Isle ; but
I believe it can be perforraed, ifi api able to perform it at all, Avith
out danger of arriving too late. If I should not be able to proceed
from Detroit, the secretary Avill be sent forward.

Viscount Malartic to Go-toenoe St. Claie.
Neuwied sue le Rhin, le ler Septembre, 1796.
Mon cher General: — Je viens enfin de trouver une occasion de
pouvoir vous ecrire surement, car j'ignore si les lettres que je vous
ai ecrites depuis que je vous ai quitte, vous sont parvenues, n'ayant
pas eu depuls ce tempsda, la moindre nouvelle d'Amerique ; quoique
je vous ai lalsse mon adresse en France, je n'y suis pas rentre ; vous

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 407
saviez que mon projet etoit de venir me joindre avec les emigrfes-
Fran9ais qui etaient a Coblentz, j'y suis effectivement venu. J'ai
toujours fait la guerre depuis ce temps-la dans toutes les differentes-
armees, soit Prussienne ou Autrichienne, et je suis maintenant adjudant-
du prince de Salm qui a plusieurs regiments au service de I'Angleterre'
et je vais aller avec lui a I'armee du due d'York, j'ai encore eu le
malheur d'etre bless6 la Campagne derni^re, par un boulet de ca
non, heureusement je m'en suis aussi bien tire que les autres, quoique
j'aie ete oblige de prendre les eaux d'AIx la Chapelle, pour mon bras
qui s'etait reploie, mais qui va bien maintenant.
J'esp^re que vous vous etes bien porte, et que ne fesant plus la
guerre, votre goutte vous aura un peu abandonne ; car vous me
paraissiez bien-resolu a laisser reposer votre epee pour toujours et
vous aviez bien raison, surtout dans un pays comme le votre, et
pouvant vivre tout a votre aise sans cela ; quand tout le monde en
aura fait autant que vous, pour sa patrie il pourra bien aussi se re-
poser, j'ignore absoluraent coraraent le general Wainne se sera tire
de la carapagne ; les gazetiers allemands ne nous parient que de ce
qui les approche ; le Colonel Sargent sera sans doute reste avec
Tarmfee ; je suis bien fache, Mon cher general, d'avoir quitte I'Ameri
que, si je n'avais suivi que mon inclination, je serais reste, mais
I'honneur. et mon devoir m'appelaient avenger le meilleur des rois,
j'y ai perdu ma fortune ; la guillotine ra'a priv§ d'une grande partie
de ma famille, le reste est en prison, excepte un frere et une soeur, qui
s'est sauveeavec ses enfants de la prison, laveillede monter a I'echa-
faud, elle est sauvee il y a un mois— -mon autre soeur n'a pas 6te si
beureuse et y a peri, je compte attendre encore cette campagne, si
au printemps prochain nos affaires ne tournent jias mieux, je vais
avec mon frere et ma soeur en Amerique, nous tacherons de rassem-
bler le peu d'argent que nous avons pu sauver, et nous irons nous
etablir dans I'interieur des terres pour y etre a meilleur marehe, si
je ne puis pas bien retirer de France, j'irai implorer votre protection
et tacher d'avoir une place au navire, d'apr&s les bontes que
vous avez cues pour moi j'esp&re que vous ne me refuserez pas votre
appui vous qui m'avez traite comme votre fils. Notre position est bien
malheiireuse : chasse de chez soi, parceque on a ete fidfele a son roi, et
etre reduit a la plus affreuse des miseres, car on voit des families en-
tiferes, des vieiUards reduits presque a demander leur pain, quelle dif
ference de votre revolution a la notre ? la votre etait celle de la jus
tice et de la douceur ; la notre ne vent s'etablir que sur une mer de
sang, et paries criraes les plus atroces. Votre peuple etait n6 pour etre
libre, il fait cherir cette liberte qui est si douce dans vos cUmats et

408 The St. Clair Papers.
qui protege le foible comme le fort ; au lieu que le Francais au con
traire, ne semble fait que pour obeir ; ils veulent tous etre libres et
sous le voile de I'hypocrisie cache leur envie de subjuguer ; vous les
voyez tour a tour s'elever comme les empereurs remains, et finir
par I'echafaud ; ils s'entregorgent mutuellement chacun voulant avoir
son pouvoir, plus j'y pense, cher general, plus mon pays me fait
horreur, non il n'y a que votre pays a habiter. Toute I'Europe va
subir la meme reA'olution, aussi j'attends avec impatience I'aunfee
prochaine pour prendre mon parti; je desirera is bien que vous
m'6criviez si les Frangais sont toujours bien traites et si il y en a
beaucoup ; non pour moi, car je crois que vos compatriotes ne me
mettront pas a la porte, mais pour ma famille qui y viendra sure
ment avec moi, je n'ai pas pu remettre votre lettre a M. de Lafayette,
il 6tait deja enfermd.
J'esp&re que votre famille jouit toujours d'une bonne sante ; rap-
pelez-raoi, je vous prie, a leur souvenir particuli^rement a M'Ues
Louisa et Jenny et a votre fils cadet.
Je recommande a votre bonte, mon general, le comte de Sarceaux
c[ui vous remettra ma lettre ; c'est un ancien officier qui va s'etablir
avec toute sa famille en Amerique ; je suis fort lie avec la famille, il
¦est encore indecis sur I'etat auquel il donnera la preference ayant
peu d'argent il s'enfomcera, je crois, dans I'interieur du pays pour
acheter a meilleur compte.
Qu'est devenu Galliopolis, je crains que les Indiens ne Ies troublent
beaucoup, sans cela ce seralt un asile pour moi, si vous avez occasion
de voir le colonel Sargent et Denys ne m'oubliez pas aupr6s d'eux.
Adieu, mon cher general, continuez-moi votre amitie et soiez
persuade de tous les sentiments avec lesquels je suis votre tr6s-hum-
ble et trfes-obeissant servi teur,
Hypolite de Malartic'
'Following is the translation of the above:
Viscount Malartic to Governor St. Claie.
Neuwied on the Ehine, Septe-mber 1, 1796.
My dear General: — I have, at last, found an opportunity of writing to
you with certainty, for I do not know that the letters which I have written
to you since I left have reached you, not having had, since that time, the
slightest news from America. Although I left you my address in France I
have not return d there. Tou knew that my project was to join the French
emigrants who were at Coblentz. I went there, in fact. Since that time I
have been serving in all the different armies, Prussian or Austrian, and I
am now adjutant of the Prince de Salm, who has several regiments in the
fiervice of England; and I am going with him to the army of the Duke of

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 409

Governor St. Clair to James Ross.
Pittsburgh, Sept. 6, 1796.
Dear Sir : — On my arrival at this place, I found that the sec-
Tork. I had the misfortune to be wounded in the last campaign by a can
non-ball. Happily I haA'e escaped as well as others, although I have been
obliged to take the waters of Aix-la-Chapelle for my arm, which was strained,
but which is cured now.
I hope that you are Avell, and that, since you are no longer in the army,
your gout has left you ; for you appeared to me fully resolved to let your
sword repose forever; and you were quite right, especially in a country like
yours, where you are able to live entirely at your ease without j'our profes
sion. When any one has done as much for his country as you have, he may
well repose.
I am absolutely ignorant how General Wayne withdrew from the cam
paign ; the German newspapers speak only of what is near them. Colonel
Sargent will have, without doubt, reniained with the army.
I am very sorry, my dear General, to have left America. If I had fol
lowed only my inclination, I should have remained, but honor and duty
called me to avenge the best of kings. I have lost my fortune; the guillo
tine has deprived me of a great part of my family; the rest are in prison,
except a brother and a sister, who escaped with her children from the prison
the evening before she would have mounted the scaffold ; she escaped a
month ago. Another sister was not so happy, and perished there. I intend
to wait still during this campaign ; if, in the spring, our aff'airs are no bet
ter, I shall go with my brother and sister to America. We shall try to col
lect together the little money that Ave have been able to save, and we shall
¦go and establish ourselves somewhere in the interior in order to live cheaper.
If I am not .able to leave France, I shall implore your protection, and try
to obtain a place in the navy. After the kindness you have shoAvn me, I
hope youAvill not refuse rae your support, you, who have treated me like a
son. Our position is very unfortunate; chased from our homes because Ave
'have heen faithful to our king, and reduced to the most frightful poverty;
for you may see whole families — old men, reduced almost to beg their
bread. What a diff'erence between your revolution and ours! Yours was
that of justice aud mercy, ours established itself only upon a sea of blood,
and through the most atrocious crimes. Your people were born to be free;
they cherished that liberty which is so sweet in your clime, and which pro
tects tho feeble as well as the strong; whereas the French, on the contrary,
-seem made only to obey. They all wish to be free, and, under the veil of
hypocrisy, they hide their desire to domineer. You see them rise by turns,
Jike the Homan emperors, and finish on the scaffold. They cut each other's
throats — each struggling for power. The more I reflect, ray dear General,
the more my country inspires horror — yours is the only country in which to
live. All Europe is about to suffer a similar revolution, and for this reason
I await Avith impatience the next year to carry out my plan. I am very
.anxious that you should Avrite to me if the French are always well treated

410 The St. Clair Papers.
retary had thought fit to accompany General Wayne to Detroit,
and I have since learned, though not from himself, that he has
laid out the country thereabouts into a county, and appointed the
officers, among whom is Mr. Andrian, prothonotary. That circum
stance has given me satisfaction, though I am displeased at all the
proceedings generally, for it Avas not my intention to have moved in
the business uutil I had received the directions of the President,
which I had reason to expect ; and tAvo Governors at one and the
same time in the same country (and perhajas counteracting each
other) raust impress the ncAV subjects unfavorably, with respect to the
governraent they have fallen under. Some expedient, however,
might have been found to render the impropriety less striking had
I gone to Detroit, but the secretary haA'ing lately gone to Michil
imackinac, my meeting him there in the little time I could possibly
stay there, was very uncertain ; and, as the being able to reach Pitts
burgh in proper time for the sales of the public land would be ren
dered precarious, I have for the present postponed a visit to that
new country. The journey from hence is far from being so easy
as I had iraagined, neither can it be performed as a journey by land
in a short time. Considerable rivers must be passed, where there
are neither inhabitants nor boats, and both delay and uncertainty
attend taking the water at the foot of the Rapids of the Miami.
with you, and if there are many of them ; not for myself, for I believe that
your countrymen will not show me the door, but for my family, who will
certainly come with me. I have not been able to send your letter to M. de
Lafayette — ho was already in prison.
I hope that your family all enjoy good health. Recall me to their re
membrance, I beg of you, particularly to Miss Louisa and Jenny, and to
your youngest son.
I recommend to your kindness, my General, the Count de Sarceaux, who
will hand you my letter; he is an officer of the old army, who intends to
establish himself with all his family in America. I am very intimate with
the family. He is as yet undecided on the position to which he will give the
preference. Having little money, he Avill, I believe, bury himself in the in
terior of the country, in order to buy land cheaper. What has become of
Gallipolis? I am afraid that the Indians trouble them much; were it not
for this, it would be an asylum for me. If you see Colonel Sargent and
Denny, do not forget to speak of me to them.
Adieu, my dear General, continue your friendship for me, and be per
suaded of all the sentiments with which I am
Your very humble and
very obedient servant,
IIa-polite de Malartic.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 411'
I bave Avritten to General Wilkinson, and inclosed your letter to -
bim, and that for Mr. Andrian, and given him some hints about
the business we talked of, and requested him to write to me at
Pittsburgh. Conolly bas left the country, after making, it is said, an accurate
survey of the Ohio and sounding its depth in a number of places.
He was stopped at Massie, and his papers examined by the com
manding officer. Another matter has happened that will, I suppose,
make some noise. A certain Mr. PoAvers Avas met, as he Avas as
cending the Ohio, by an officer, wbo, it is said, was imprudent
enough to tell him he was sent for the express purpose by General
Wayne. He stopped him, broke open all his letters, examined them
and his other papers, and took away Avith him such as he thought
proper. A formal complaint has been made to the Spanish Consul
in Kentucky, and an express sent to the ambassador at Philadelphia.
Powers, Avho has resided a considerable time in Louisiana, but passes
frequently into Kentucky, soon after came here, I supposed, to make
complaint to me, but, after staying two days, during AA'hich he Avas
for tbe greatest part in close conversation Avith Mr. De Volney, who
is on his Avay to Detroit, he set off Avithout having called upon
me. I have learned that he has been informed that Mr. Bracken
ridge has spoken of him as a spy, and threatens vengeance. I Avish
that the General had been as close in some things as I believe he
ought to have been. I haA'e heard that he opened himself too
much to Major Morrison, who has spoken of it.
Kentucky is quiet, at present, as far as I can hear, and the object
of the mysterious correspondence that has been carried on from that
country to Ncav Orleans is said to have been a land speculation of
sorne individuals Avbo were, in return, to introduce a number of jieo-
ple as citizens.'
Be so obliging as to present my respects to Mrs. Ross.

General St. Clalr to Robert Buntin.
Clncinnati, Sept. 19, 1796.
Dear Sir: — . . . As to the donation of four hundred acres,
for which lands had not been laid out, you have a list of the per
sons entitled to tbem inclosed, and you will please to lay off a suf
ficient tract, adjoining that formerly surveyed, and distribute it
' For an account of these intrigues, see Vol. I., ch. viii.

412 *' The St. aair Papers.
.-among them by lot, agreeably to the resolution of Congress, and
make return thereof to the surveyor's office. The donations of one
bundred acres each forthe militia, ought, likewise, to be laid off Uke
the other, in a tract, and you will find out a place proper for that
also, and which will as little as possible interfere with the settle
ment and sale of the country, and distribute them in the same man
ner by lot, with the exception that, if any of the persons entitled
to them have made actual improvements and are entitled to land
in any other way, their hundred acres may be surveyed for them in
such manner as to cover and include their improvements ; but be
pleased to observe it must be actual improvement, not the marking
or deadening a few trees, or throwing a few logs together in form of
a cabin, which are very comraonly called iraproveraents ; in which
way two or three persons, in a single week, would cover a large
tract of country. A list of those persons entitled is likewise in
closed. I ought to have sent you warrants for the old claims, but
at present it is irapossible, for I can not get the records. You may,
however, take this for a guide : when any of the claimants apply
for surveys to be made, lay them out according to their concessions,
whether from the officers that have formerly commanded at St.
Vincennes, or from the court, for all those will stand.
When I made the appointments of last year, not having the laws
with rae, no bonds Avere taken from some who are required to give
¦them. There are two that you hold — the recorder and the treas
urer. I have inclosed blank bonds, which you will please have
filled up, Avith two sureties executed, and file them in the protho-
notary's office ; the treasurer's bond to remain there, and the re
corder's to be sent to the secretary's office by the first certain op
portunity, and I Avish you to transmit, as soon as you can, a list of
the members of the court of quarter sessions and common pleas,
for I have mislaid my meraorandura of thera. You Avill also find
herein a commission for clerk of the district court.
It was my intention to have visited your country this fall, but am
prevented from executing it by an order to superintend the sale of
the lands in the river ranges, at Pittsburgh, on the 24th of next
month, and to-morrow I set out for that place.
I hope you and Mrs. Buntin keep in good health this season, and
I request you to make my best respects to her.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 413-

Rufus Putnam to Thomas Worthington.
Marietta, December 1st, 1796.
Sir : — Your favor of the 15th ult. is before me. I have accepted"
the appointment of Surveyor-General, but the arrangements for ex
ecuting the surveys are not yet made, nor will any deputies be ap
pointed until I receive an answer to my letter written about a month
ago to the Secretary of State ; but, as soon as I shall be able to de
termine tbe number of surveyors that will be necessary, you shall
bear from me again, and, as you have been early recommended to
me by a gentleman of Virginia on whose recommendation I can
rely, it is unnecessary for you to trouble yourself further on that
account.'

Go-VERNOE St. Claie to Secretary Sargent.
Pittsburgh, December 1st, 1796.
Dear Sir : — On the 24th of last month I received, by General
Wilkinson, the two letters you sent me, one of the 20th and the
other of the SOth of September. I should have replied to them
earlier if I had been Avell able, but, having been stricken with gout
as I Avas ascending the river, which increased to the most violent
fit I have ever had — was obliged to attend to the public business
notwithstanding — it was impracticable. It is not easy for me to
express the surprise those letters excited, when I found the intention
of mine had been so much misunderstood by you. I have since
looked carefully OA'er the rough copies of them, and can not help
thinking it would require much ingenuity to derive from them either
censure or reprimand, or the intention of either. Over your ac
tions as the official representative of the GoA'ernor I have certainly
no control, to censure or reprimand ; I knoAV I have no right, and I
feel that I have no inclination. There are fcAv transactions, in
either public or private life, that are not seen by different persons
in different points of view, and, of course, different opinions AviU be
formed of them. If I hold an opinion different from you on any
public measure, may not that opinion be expressed Avithout being
construed into either censure or reprimand ? If it can not, there
must be an absolute end to all coramunication upon them. I can
"In February, 1798, Mr. Worthington was given a contract to survey a
district between the Ohio Company's purchase and the Scioto. The letter-
is from the Worthington Papers.

414 The St. aair Papers.
assure you that, when you have expressed a difference of opinion
frora rae, it has ever been received with complacency. That I did
not hold an opinion different from you on the propriety of extend
ing the government of the Territory to the parts relinquished by the
British, at the time it Was done, is now certain ; but, if that opinion
Avas expressed in an offensive manner, I do not know hoAV to ex
press rayself inoffensively. "Sliould the object of the journey be
of a public nature, I have to Avish that it had not been undertaken,
for to-raorrow I shall be in the Territory, and then the powers of
the Governor, which devolve upon the secretary in his absence,
Avill fall to rae. Yet it raay happen that both you and I are dis
charging the functions of that office at the sarae time, and, of course,
the acts of one must be void. I think it farther unfortunate, as no
order had been received, at least by me, to extend the cIvU author
ity to those quarters, and, I should suppose, you are not uninformed
that Congress, at the last session, raade no provision for extending
it, although the President recommended it in a special message."
They appeared to me to be strong reasons. I still think so, and
there were others that might have suggested themselves ; and, had
I been upon the spot, neither the solicitations of the people nor the
applications of the Commander-in-Chief of the army, however ur
gent they might have been, Avould have induced rae to have done it
without the instructions of the President of the United States. I
ara not, however, so wedded to these opinions as to say that I may
not be wrong in the case. As it is, we must make the best of it,
and you write rae, Avhen most convenient, every suggestion to treat
any irregularities that must necessarily have taken place from the
functions of the chief magistrate having been performed by both
at the same tirae.
From the manner in which you use the words Records of the Ter
ritory, in sundry parts of your letters, and particularly in the third
paragraph of that of the 30th September, I am led to believe they
do not convey precisely the same meaning to you and me. The
record of the official transactions of the Governor, which you are
bound to report to Congress, is one thing, and may be kept by you
in Avhatever manner you think proper, yet still so as that the Gov
ernor may have access to them, for he necessarily must have occasion
frequently to recur to them. But the records of the Territory are,
in my mind, quite another thing, and sorae of them of a nature
that the inhabitants of the Territory ought to have access to at
seasonable times, and for reasonable fees. They ought not to be
transported from place to place, nor locked up, but constantly kept

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 415
at the seat of government, wherever that may be, and to whicb all
persons having business of that nature must resort. Such, are the
original laws ; the decisions on claims to lands ; the returns of sur
veys, and some others. No place has, indeed, been fixed by public
authority as the seat of government, but it has obtained, in some
measure, at Cincinnati, and I pray you to reflect whether it was not
more from a Avish to your accommodation than any other motive
that it was suffered to be so considered, and that you were permitted
to keep the records there. The place was ahvays disagreeable to
me, and I Avould have given the preference by much to Marietta,
could it have been done without, as it appeared to me, very sensibly
affecting your interest.
As to the public seal, I think it well with the secretary while he
is acting as secretary ; when he is acting as Governor it might be
well to commit it to some other person. The use of it by him has
been generally, if not universally authorized, as I believe it always
ought to be, by a warrant from the Governor. The secretary of
the Territory is not ex offi,cio keeper of the seal, and, on the organiza
tion of the government it might haA'e been committed to another
person, for the Governor ahvays had the power to appoint a keeper
of the seal, but many reasons concurred in pointing to you as the
proper person. These reasons have still all their Aveight, and I trust
you will never find in me the most distant inclination, if I can not
add to your emoluments, to dirainish thera. That I expected the
.seal might have been left, was, the certainty I presumed you must
have had that when I did arrive I might have occasion for it, and
that, if any thing had happened to prevent my arrival in the Territory
altogether, you would have been advised of it. No part of the delay
was occasioned by a fall from my horse, for no such thing happened ;
but, on my way out, I was seized with a fever at Greensburg,
where I lay ten days before I could be removed to my house ; that
Avas followed by a total loss of appetite, and so great a debility from
.sickness that, for a long time, I Avas not able to walk across my
room. My late fit of the gout, from AvhIch I am nearly recovered,
has set things right again for a Avhile, and I ara now in better health
than I have enjoyed for some years.
The embarrassments you have met with from the notice of some
individuals and the ignorance of our courts and juries, I am per
suaded myself, I need tell you, have given me, at different times, a
great deal of uneasiness, nor that I have always thought it my duty
to check the spirit that produced them as far as I consistently could.
The indictments you speak of have, if I am not mistaken, been all

416 The St. Clair Papers.
removed into the Supreme Court, and the proper orders for then-
being dismissed shall be given before another time. To this I am
prompted by a sense of duty. At the same time, I am conscious
that the feelings of friendship toward you have never been sup
pressed in my breast ; but if, where there happens to be a difference
of opinion there must be no interchange of sentiments, or if the ex
pressing that difference must be construed into censure and repri
mand, I do not understand Avhat friendship is, nor do I believe it
can long survive under such restrictions. It may be that I have
misread the letter you mention ; I have it not here, and, therefore,
can not say how it is. You must have certainly misread mine when
you supposed I had said the papers which Avere to be a part of your
report were due only "three weeks." My words are, " I received
the letter you did me the honor to Avrite some time ago, ou the sub
ject of the appointments, and other public transactions, which ought
to have been reported by you, about three weeks past ; I have it not
at hand at this time and the date has escaped me." In my copy the
words from "on the subject," etc., to "reported by you,'' are in
cluded in a parenthesis ; whether they are so or not in the original
I can not say, but Avithout the parenthesis the three weeks evidently,
in my opinion, refer to tirae of receiving your letter, and not to that
when the communications Avere due, and Avere certainly so intended ;
and a subsequent part, Avhich observes that I Avould fondly hope no
blame can attach to you, whatever may be the case as to me, " for
they are yet to be filed in your office, and your report may be made
as to shoAV the precise time they came to your hands," seem to me to
mark plainly that it was the receipt of the letter Avas mentioned,
and the more so as, a little lower down, I take notice of my having
failed in my promise to put them into your hands in Philadelphia.
I must be excused, sir, from making any application to the General
Government on the subject of any collision that either has hap
pened or may happen from the exercise of the functions of the Gov
ernor by the secretary in his absence. It was on my representation
as the laAV required his absence occasionally, that his powers
then devolved upon the secretary; and I think nothing more is
necessary towards the execution of thera with ease, and Avithout the
least clashing, than a proper understanding between him and the
Governor. Neither do I see hoAV different measures to prevent it
could be taken by the Government, nor indeed hoAv it can be effected
at all but in the raanner I have just raentioned. It was, perhaps, a
negligence in rae that it has not taken place heretofore.
If the Secretary of the Treasury sent his mandate for you to at-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 417
tend the sales at Pittsb'argh, it was improper in him, supposing he
bad the right to direct in the case, which he certainly had not, to
Avrite to me in the manner he did. His words, as well as I recollect
them, are: "It is subniitted to you whether you AAdll attend the
sales at Pittsburgh or send forAvard the secretary," but that- sub
mission I conceive to be derived from the law, not the pleasure of
the Secretary.
I thank you for tbe compliments you pay to my judgment. I
can truly say that I have endeavored to deserve it, and I take them
in very good faith, even if there should be a little irony in them ;
for, as I sometimes take the liberty to laugh a little in my sleeve at
other people, I see no reason Avhy the sarae liberty should not be
taken with me. For your sympathy I am very much obliged. The
events were truly unfortunate, and of a most distressing nature.
Tirae will wear off the edge, and I haA'e learned resignation to the
will of that Being who orders every thing for the best.

Some Considerations as to the Dangees tijat Beset the
Westeen Teeeitoey, and how it may be Peeserved as an
Important Part of the Union.
The Western Territory is an important appendage to the United
States. The fertile soil and temperate climate seem to point it out
as the place to which the emigrants from the Atlantic States will
be directed. The foundation of a vast accession of strength to the
United States may be laid in that country if advantage is taken
of the favorable circumstances of nature, and such provisions are
made by Government as will not only invite hardy citizens to the
Territory, but attach them to the Union. The growth of this coun
try is likely to be astonishingly rapid for some time, but in view of
the great disadvantages, having their origin in the mistaken opinions
of Congress as to the relation of the public domain to the National
debt, and to the insidious efforts of foreign powers lying contiguous,
it is problematical whether that growth may be ultiraately advan
tageous. They (that is, the districts of the North-western Territory and
Kentucky) avUI, in time, have interests different from the Atlantic
States. Many of their productions wUl be the same, and a kind of
rivalry will take place. Witb the English settlements on one side
and the Spanish on the other, they Avill be exposed to the machina-
VOL. II — 27

418 The St. Clair Papers.
tions of both, and partisans, perhaps, pensioners of both avUI be set
tled among them. At the great distance they are removed from
the seat of the General Government, its influence wUl not be much
felt, and, in case of war Avith either or both of these nations — an
event that raay not be very distant — they might be tempted to
sever their connections Avith the parent States, and put themselves
under the protection of one or other of them. It is not to be
doubted but the most alluring hopes and promises would be held
out to them — ifthey did not become dangerous, they would at least
be very troublesome neighbors. It is certain that the British have
had emissaries among the inhabitants of Kentucky, with the design,
it Avould seera, to induce them to hostilities against the Spaniards.
It is said assistance frora Canada has been promised thera. In any
transactions of that nature, hoAvever, the British government will
not appear, and should a rupture be brought about by means ofthe
western people, between Spain and America, it is most probable
that an alliance would immediately be forraed between Britain and
that nation ; their joint force would be exerted against America.
She Avould probably stand single in the contest, for it could not
reasonably be expected that France Avould change all her raeasures
to support America in a case where the Avrong would appear to be on
her part. The event Avould raost probably be disastrous for Araerica,
and bring misery upon the heads of the unfortunate people who had
been the dupes of their cruel and interested policy. Spain, on the
other hand, looks with a jealous eye on the rapid growth of the
western country. She trembles for Mexico, which, from the rest
less disposition and enterprising character of those neighbors, is not
an Ill-founded fear. Her minister has attentively marked the as
tonishing growth of Kentucky, probably discovered that, though it
forms, at present, a part of the United States, the ligature that
binds them together is weak, and the authority of the General Gov
ernment not very much regarded. It is certain that he has an under
standing with sorae leading characters, and that through them a
desire to throw off all connection both with Virginia and the
Union is cultivated, and the private interest of individuals comes
in to fortify that desire from the indulgences that have been granted
to some to carry the productions of the country to New Orleans,
and the great price they there receive for them. It is not altogether
improbable that those indulgences raay have had their rise in the
avarice of the Governor of New Orleans, upon whom there is no
check, the intendency being now in the same person, and who
abuses the regulations of the Spanish court by extending the advan-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 419
tages held out by it to induce the settlement of West Florida to
the people of the western country that he may reap a part of the
profit. It seems to be the expectation of that court that the country
they possess upon the Mississippi may be peopled from America.
They hold out temptations that will succeed Avith many who have
little other governing principle than the accumulation of wealth —
a thousand acres of land and a very great price for tobacco and
provisions. Should many people be induced to remove into their
territory, they Avould soon imbibe the Spanish prejudices and be
more jealous and more active to prcA'ent any interference in their
traffic than the Spaniards theraselves, and, in case of war, much more
troublesorae neighbors. The envoy of Spain is also at work to di
vert the emigration from the Atlantic States to the Spanish terri
tory on the Avest side of the Mississippi, and he has met with a very
proper agent in Mr. Morgan, Avho possesses a very great degree both
of activity and insinuation, and is not much restrained by principle
from pursuing what promises pecuniary advantage. Many people
in the interior country now bold themselves in readiness to follow
him, infatuated to that degree that they are parting with their prop
erty on any terms. His exertions in laying the foundation of the set
tlement are turned to Kentucky, where there are a very great number
of people who have been disappointed in obtaining lands by the
monopolizing spirit that seized the first inhabitants, and land being
the great object of their pursuit, they are ready to go to any place
where it can be easily obtained ; but promises of the free exercise
of their religion, to be governed by their own law, are also held out
to them, and to receive a very extravagant price for every thing they
can send to market. Many avUI make the experiraent, and they and
their progeny be lost to this country ; they will soon becorae Span
iards to all intents and purposes, and if it continues to be one of
their maxims to prevent the free navigation of the Mississippi, the
situation directly opposite to the mouth of the Ohio, seems not to be
ill-chosen with a vicAV to it. The Spanish command on the Missis
sippi are also assiduously endeavoring to induce the ancient French
inhabitants to abandon their country, and they have succeeded Avith
great numbers.
Should it be thought an object with the United States to prevent
tbis loss of people, I believe it might be effected by laying open a
part of the Avestern country to those who are not immediately able
to pay for it. The lands upon the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers
are fine, and the climate inviting. They might be set at a moderate
rate per bundred acres ; an office opened, where any person might

420 The St. Clair Papers.
locate, purchase land in sraall quantities, and obtain orders for lay
ing it out, and where they might receive patents upon paying for
them. The purchase-money might run upon interest. In this
manner the United States would receive nearly the sarae advantage
as if the money had been paid in the first Instance. There is no
great danger of their being abandoned, after rauch labor has been
expended upon them, and if they should be abandoned by some,
the land would still reraain in an Improved and raore valuable state
to be regranted. This is not a visionary project, but Avarranted by
experience. The whole country of Pennsylvania, while it remained
in the hands of the proprietaries, was settled in this manner. It
seeras also to be certain that the sale of the lands of the Western
Territory, in the manner presented by the late Congress, is over.
From the increased and still increasing value of public securities,
the price is too high, and it requires too great combination to pur
chase a million of acres, which is the smallest quantity that can at
present be disposed of. The fear that the most valuable spot only
would be taken and the rest remain unregarded is not reasonable to
any great extent. The choice spots would certainly be first taken,
but the intermediate lands, though of less value, abstractly con
sidered, would soon become of equal value ; and the expectation
that the domestic debt might be paid off, or very considerably less
ened by the sale in this country of large quantities, was never Avell
founded, and the experiments that have been made have proven it.
The real money that has been laid out, and is still to be laid out in
completing the surveys, would have bought up more of the debt
than what has been paid into the treasury.'

John Ettwein to Goveenoe St. Claie.
Bethlehem, April 17, 1797.
Sir: — I take the liberty to recommend to your Excellency
Messrs. John Heckewelder and William Henry, who will do them
selves the honor to wait on you. They are requested by the direct
ors ofthe Society of the United Brethern for Propagating the Gos
pel among the Heathen to attend the surveying of the twelve
thousand acres of land on the Muskingum, whereon the three for
saken towns, Shoenbrun, Gnadenhiitten. and Salem were formerly
built, which the honorable Congress, by their act of June 1, 1796,
granted to the said society, in trust for the Christian Indians, Avho,
had erected the said towns and cultivated the land until they
1 Communicated to the President.

Correspondence, -Addresses, Etc. 421
were carried away prisoners. These Christian Indians, who
for some years have been very solicitous to return to their old
farms without being able to obtain their wishes ; and as it was im
possible for them, at that time, to fiud protection within the limits
of the United States, they were glad to find an asylum in Canada,
where they settled in the Avilderness, on Thames River, on land
belonging to a similar society of the United Brethren in London.
I have invited the missionaries to return to their old places, with
as many of their toAvn flock as are willing, where the trustees avIU
accommodate them with as much land for farming as they shall
choose, and otherAvise freely assist them in settling. But, as the
number of the former settlers has decreased very much by natural
death aud murder, and also by dispersion far and near, the trustees
can not expect that very many will venture to return to Mus
kingum. The society has, therefore, resolved to let the part of the
land on leases, for rent to white people, our friends, who may be
Avilling to take lots upon such terms, in order to raise a revenue for
the support of the mission among the Indians, make provision for
a missionary, and for a school, with books, etc. , for the benefit of
the Indian congregation.
It is to facUitate and to bring our good intention into effect as
soon as possible, that the said Messrs. Heckewelder and Henry,
being members of the society, will attend the surveying of the
whole, and afterAvards lay out part thereof into lots. As the land
is under the government of your Excellency, I beg leave to recom
mend those gentlemen to your particular favor and protection, and
have the confidence that your Excellency will at all times take
under your favorable protection as well the Indians and the mission
intended to be established as the tenants the society may place
there, Avho, I trust, Avill always demean themselves as good and
peaceful citizens, faithfuUy attached to the government they are
going to live under.
Mr. Heckewelder was, for many years, a missionary among the
Indians, and a great sufferer at the spoliation of the said Indian
towns.

Goaternoe St. Clair to the Secretary of State.
[Extract.] Potts Grove, Sept. 11, 1797
By a proclamation at Detroit, 16th August, 1796, an exhibition
of the titles by which the people sold lands in that district is called
for, in order that they may be quieted in their possession. Congress

422 The St. Clair Papers.
has not as yet turned their attention to that quarter, nor prescribed
any rule whereby their titles are to be judged or their possessions
confirraed. I was in hopes to have received instructions for extend
ing the jurisdiction of the Territory to that quarter, and that Con
gress would have taken the titles into consideration — neither of
which has happened. It has, however, appeared to me that they
were requisite, and I flatter myself with receiving them when there
is leisure frora business of more importance.
A considerable time before Mr. Randolph went out of office, I
wrote to him about certain seals that were Avanting in the counties,
and inclosed an impression of one (they are all the same except the
legend). I have written once or twice since, on the same subject,
but the seals have never been received. I beg leave to refer you
to those letters, and to remark that since they were written the
county of Randolph and others have been erected.
P. S. The office of Treasurer of the Mint being now vacant, by
the death of Doctor Way, General Francis Nichols is desirous to
succeed him. I believe, sir, that both the person and character of
General Nichols are known to you ; but, from a very long and in
tiraate acquaintance with the General, I am able to say that it can
not be bestowed upon a person of stricter honor and integrity, nor
one more firmly attached to the interest and honor of his country
and the present Constitution of the United States, on which those
objects do so raaterially depend. And he has many friends, and
not a small degree of influence in the country where he lives.

James Ross to Goveenoe St. Claie.
Pittsburgh, July 5th, 1798.
Dear Sir : — In consequence of your letter respecting the future
secreta,ry of the Western Territory, vice Sargent,' promoted, I have
written to PhUadelphia, but no answer has yet arrived. Should I
learn any thing before your mail goes out to-morrow morning, this
letter avIU be opened to mention it. Nothing has transpired as to
the persons who are candidates, nor have I any reason to think of
' William Henry Harrison was appointed secretary in place of Colonel
Sargent, who was made Governor of Mississippi Territory by President Ad
ams. Colonel Sargent made his home at Natchez, where he married 'a wealthy
widow l.idy, and becaine a planter. A year later. General Wilkinson re
ported him fat and happy.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 423
any person as likely to becokne a competitor, but many of the east
ern gentlemen are in love with that country, and will be vigilant in
courting an appointment which avUI carry them honorably into it,
so that corapetition and want of success may both eventually be the
portion of time Ave wish to succeed.
Findley's declination has raised several candidates for the Con
gressional successions. Smiley, Todd, Guthrie, are all named, and
I incline to think are all in a state of considerable activity.
You know as well as I do that there is no such thing as a Federal
party in Westmoreland county, and the friends of these three men
are only subdiA'isions of the great universal mass of insurrectionary
anti -federalism. Jacobinism, or whatever you please to call it. The
Federalist might have secured a number of friends, had there been
any permanent, sensible leader, who could have organized and kept
them in countenance against Findley. Unfortunately, we have never
had any body there Avho Avould undertake and attempt to execute this
task, and at present, it seems to me, that, hoAvever these candidates may
contend among themselves and scramble for power, they would all
unite against the government man. Your suspicions of Mr. Jack are
well-founded. He secretly supported the adverse ticket, and even wrote
to his friends in favor of it, after having engaged very heartily with
us, in appearance, at the last election. In Fayette county there is
a small but firm littleFederal party, but that could do little without
aid from Westmoreland ; besides, there Avould be the pride of county
jn favor of this man Smiley. In one Avord, your chance ' is, in my
opinion, far from a good one, unless the sansculottes should quarrel
among theraselves, and out of spite towards each other combine in
electing an enemy, and a superior, but a friend and equal, should
gain an enviable superiority. This, to the great credit of human
nature, very frequently happens, and when Mr. Addison comes home
from Philadelphia, Avhere be uoav is, I Avill consult hira, and, iu the
meantime, write to Mr. Young upon the state of the parties. We
will not commit you Avithout a tolerable chance, and my little aid
shall be very cheerfully contributed towards the accomplishment of
so very desirable an object. In the meantime, it will be well enough
to let me have a list of the sub-agents you hint at, that they may
be sounded or employed, as occasion may require.
I concur in the apology of the Governor of the Western Territory
in appointing the Attorney-General. I have always considered
'Governor St. Clair finally decided not to contest the district, it being de
cided by Judge Addison that the Kepublicans were in the ascendency.

424 The St. aair Papers.
that office as of high importance, standing between the govern
ment, the people, the accusers and the accused, with the virtual
power of pardon or prosecution in his hands, to be dealt out
at his pleasure and discretion. There should be no bias upon his
mind, either frora views of honor or advancement from the exe
cution, or otherwise, of his appointment; nor of money or ad
vantage, on the other hand, fbr any part of the discharge of his
public duty. He should, therefore, be a salaried officer, and re
ceive no fees upon indictments, because these perquisites raay
have a tendency to promote and multiply prosecutions oppres
sively, for the sake of fees. The clerks of the courts could then
and ought to fill up blank indictraents, in the usual form, in all
coraraon cases, upon the order of the Attorney-General. In spec
ial cases, the Attorney-General could frame the indictment and
let it be copied by the clerk before it should be sent to the
grand jury. The only doubt in my mind is, Avhether the power
of appointing during good behavior exists in the Governor, or
not ; there can be no doubt of the expediency, if the power exists ;
nor ara I able to see Avhat could be fairly urged against it, or
against his being raade a salaried officer, except that hitherto it
has not been usual, probably frora false econoray.
In the new county of Jefferson, in your Territory, there are
coraplaints that they have no judges of the court, or justices of
the peace in the upper end of the county, where settlements are
becoming very nuraerous and respectable. Mr. Thomas Fawcett
lives at the upper end of the county, Mr. William Wells, for
merly an under-sheriff of Washington county, Penn., about half
way betAveen FaAvcett and the county-town, and Mr. John Ward,
son-indaw of Colonel McLean, living in Steubenville, are all sen
sible, moral, good men, Avho have purchased and settled regularly
in the county.
I am persuaded you will do a great public good, and afford
much satisfaction, by appointing all the three judges of the court
of common pleas and justices of the peace. Two of our present
judges seldora attend the court, and, if a third should be such,
no court could be held, as there are only five in the original
commission of the pleas. Colonel Sargent being anxious to Avait
until, by future settlements, a better choice might be made, it
will be of sorae consequence that the commissions should be for
warded before the 7th of August to Mr. Bezaleel Wells, as there
wiU then be a court in that county, and I will uot conceal from

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 425
you that I have some fears' that the justices in the lower end of
'This reference to the action of the justices of Adams county Avill be
made clear by the following letter :
Governor St. Claik to Nathaniel Massie, and other Justices of
Adams County. Cincinnati, June 29, 1798.
Gentlemen: — I have received authentic information of a transaction of
yours, in your characters of magistrates of the county of Adams, and hold
ing the courts of that county, which has, indeed, astonished me. It is, that
you have taken upon yourselves to remove the courts from Adamsville, the
place appointed for their sessions by proper authority, to some other part of
the county, contrary to every principle of good order.
The power of fixing the places Avhere the courts are to be held in every
county is exclusively in the Governor. It is an exercise of executive au
thority of Avhich no other person or persons is or are legally capable; and
it is important to the people that the places where they have been appointed
to be held should not be subject to wanton change. When the people lay
out their money in improA'ing county-towns, it is in confidence of their sta-
bilitv ; and, when the courts are removed from those towns their importance
is lost, and'the property of the adventurer sinks Avith it, and it is to them a
real breach of public faith. Adamsville Avas declared by proclamation to be
the place where the courts for the county should be holden, and an attempt
to remove them was a most unwarrantable assumption of power and contempt
of authority by the justices, which might subject them to prosecution. I am
willing, however, to believe that it did not proceed from that source, but
from a misapprehension of the law and their own power.
By the second section of the act entitled, " an Act directing the building
and establishing a court-house, jail, etc.," in every county, passed at Cincin
nati the 1st August, 1792, it is enacted that, "every court-house and jail to
he erected, as aforesaid, shall be formed of such materials, and of such di
mensions, and on such plans as shall be directed by the judges of the court
of common pleas, or a majority of them, in each county, who are hereby
authorized to plan and project the same, and to accept as a gift, or to pur
chase for the use of the county, so much ground as they may judge conven
ient and necessary, Avhereon to build all and any of the structures aforesaid."
You Avill be pleased to observe, gentlemen, that the act is silent as to the
power of appointing the place where the courts are to be held, aud that the
power of the judges is confined to the planning and projecting of buildings,
and accepting as a gift or purchasing ground %vhereon to erect them, and it
is a fair and clear implication that the ground should be accepted or pur
chased in the place where the sessions of the courts had been previously fixed,
and that is always prior to, or coeval with, the appointment of those judges.
It is a maxim that a power by grant can not be extended to any thing
which lies out of the grant; and the shadow of a power to fix the place
where the courts are to be held is surely not within n grant to direct the
size the flgure, and the materials of the public buildings.
A law was passed at Cincinnati, on the 6th November, 1790, Avhereby

426 The St. Clair Papers.
the county may, like the magistrates of Adams county, attempt to
remove the seat of justice.
the Governor was directed, in every new countj' to be hereafter erected, to
ascertain and specify, and publish by proclamation, on what days in tho year,
and at Avhat place or places in such new counties, where tbe courts of common
pleas, and also the courts of general quarter-sessions of the peace, shall
respectively be opened and held every year. That law has been repealed;
but it gave no new power to the Governor, and was merely an affirmance of
the constant practice, and to render the places more generally known than
the commission to the court would effect. Were it still in force, it Avould be
clearly explanatory of that part of the before- recited clause of 1790 (passed
before it) which gives power to the judges of the courts of common pleas
to accept or purchase lands whereon to erect the public buildings. They
Avere to accept or purchase them where the courts were appointed to be held.
The power of the Governor to lay out counties, and to fix the places where
the courts are to be held, which is incident to it, stands upon the Ordinance
for the Government of the Territory, and not upon any law adopted in pur
suance of it.
It appears to me, gentlemen, that very proper steps were taken by the
secretarj', in whom the powers of the Government were vested, to ascertain
a proper place for the sessions ofthe courts in the county of Adams, and the
proclamation by which he declared it Avas likewise proper. Should, how
ever, that place be found an improper one, it may yet be remedied, as no
private building has yet Deen erected there in consequence of the measure,
but not in the manner you have thought proper to adopt. If the people of
the county represent the matter to me in that light, I shall certainly take it
into consideration, and they Avill always find me ready to listen to their rea
sonable requests, and to comply Avith them so far as they comport with my
duty and the public good. In the situation of a county town u Governor
can have no private interest of his own to serve, but it is very possible that
even a majority of persons who may have been appointed justices may have
such interests, and be disposed to prefer them to those of the public at large;
and, where there are conflicting opinions on the subject, investigation and
deliberation are necessary.'
I haA'e been further informed, gentlemen, that you are proceeding to erect
the necessary public buildings at the place where you have attempted to
transfer the courts. I presume you will see tho impropriety of such pro
ceedings, and will arrest them. But I think it proper to inform you that I
have prohibited the treasurer to accept any orders of yours or pay out any
moneys of the county upon them for that purpose.
(l)This ijaragraph contains the strongest reason St. Clair had for Insisting on his
right to erect new counties and establish county scats. In the case o( Adams county,
• he knew that Colonel Massie, an original proprietor, owned the lands in and around
Manchester, and that his efforts to remove the courts might be actuated by personal
considerations. Hence, he insisted on flrst ascertaining the wishes of the people.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 427

Governor St. Clair to General WiLiaNSON.
Cincinnati, July 16, 1798.
Dear Sir: — Your letter of this day's date, concerning the deposi
tions of William Stronely and WilUam Cribb respecting Zachariah
Cox, I have received, and have considered both with some attention,
and I am of the opinion, as I had the honor to mention to you in
conversation a day or two ago, that it is important to the public in
terests that the settlement made by Cox beloAV the mouth of Cum
berland should be broken up ; and that he hiraself should be made
[out]. But you will be pleased to observe that the opinion is
founded upon the presumption that the lands upon Avhich the settle
ment is formed are part of that allotted to the ChickasaAV Indians by
the treaty at Hope av ell, in 1706. It appears to me to be necessary,
before any steps be taken to break up the settlement, that it should
be ascertained whether it is upon those lands or not, because if it is
not, although Cox's proceedings, being an usurpation of some of the
rights of sovereignty (and in present circumstances giA'e just appre
hensions of designs inimical to the United States), are a high mis
demeanor, they do not apply directly against the United States,
and can be inquired into and punished in the State of Kentucky
only. It is also to be observed that the United States have not en
gaged to maintain those lands to the Chickasaws against the in
trusion of persons from the Uuited States ; for, by the fourth article
of that treaty, it is only stipulated that persons who may intrude
shall be out of the protection of the United States, and it is left to
tbose Indians to punish them or not, as they please.
By the fifth section of the act to regulate trade and intercourse
with the Indians, passed May 19, 1796, a heavy penalty is imposed
upon every person who shall make a settleraent on any land belong
ing to or secured, or granted by treaty with the United States to auy
Indian tribe ; and the President is empowered to take such measures
and to employ such military force to remove them as he may judge
necessary. In virtue of that clause, I suppose the express order of
the President would be necessary to the justification of the military
officer who shall remove them, if his act be called in question. But,
by the sixteenth section of the same act, it is declared to be laAvful
for the military force of the United States to apprehend every per
son who shall or may be found in the Indian country over one
[mile ?] beyond the boundary line between the United States and the
Indian tribes, in violation of the provisions or regulations of this
act, and to convey tbem to the civil authority in some of the three

428 The St. Clair Papers.
adjoining States or districts, to be proceeded against in due course
of law; and the fifteenth 'section gives jurisdiction in the cases to
the courts of the United States and of the Territorial districts. The
special orders of the President are not necessary to the railitary for
the mere apprehending the offenders — even against that law, as it
appears to me, even if it should be doubtful Avhether they may be
over the boundary or not, for it must always be doubtful when set
tleraents are made near it and it has not actually been ascertained
and marked; but that section Avill not justify violence or the de
struction of the settlements ; and, upon the trial, should it be found
that the settlements Avere not upon lands belonging, or secured, or
granted by treaty to any Indian tribes, the officer Avho directed the
destruction would be answerable for all damages, which would not
probably be very lightly assessed. If you can, then, lay your hands
upon Cox or his associates, you Avill, in my opinion, be per
fectly right in doing so ; in sending hira for trial, either to this or to
the Mississippi Territory, or any adjoining State, within ten days'
after they shall be taken into custody.
In your letter to the Secretary of War, which you have politely
communicated, I perceive you purpose to disarm Cox's followers. I
am very much at a loss how to advise in that respect; the hostile
array in which they appear, the military organization and the Avhite
flag are certainly evidences ofa conduct inimical to the Government
and to the peace of the country. Still, I believe the measures to be
taken with them (for we are not yet at forraal Avar with any nation,
so that these acts are not strictly treason,) should be by the Govern
ment, and that it Avill be prudent for you to wait for orders unre
stricted before you proceed to extremities with them.

Governor St. Clair to Nathaniel Massie and Benjamin
Goodin. Cincinnati, 2M July, 1798.
Gentlemen: — Your letter of the llth instant was delivered to me
yesterday, and in reply to it I have to observe that you say " the
court (meaning the court of common pleas for the county of
Adams) at their last term, having taken up the business for erecting
a jail, proceeded to plan and project the same, the attention of the
court was naturally led to fix upon a piece of ground for that pur
pose." The inference is just, and, had the court confined themselves
to fixing upon the most proper piece of ground whereon to place it

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 429
and the place where the courts were by proper authority appointed to
be held, and accepted as a gift, or purchased the same for the use
of tbe county, they would have acted Avith propriety, consistently
with their powers, and agreeably to law. I adrait, hoAvever, that
the place where they had been fixed, being disputed property, and
a suit depending, is a good objection to it, and, consequently, to the
erecting the buildings there : because, though the person in posses
sion (by Avhatever title he Avas in) had consented to their being
erected, should he be defeated in the action, it would be in the op
tion of the person recovering to confirm the ground on Avhicb the
building stood to the county, or to convert them to his own use.
Still, that circumstance should have been represented to the execu
tive, and, if it had been represented, I presume it Avould haA'e had
due weight ; with me it would have been conclusive. But the ob
jection, strong as it is, does in no manner justify the remoA'al of
the sittings of the court to any other place by a majority of the
court of common pleas, to do which they bad no authority, either
by law or custom.
There are but two ways in which the courts of common pleas
could have acquired power [to] fix or alter the places of their
sessions (for it surely is not incident to them as courts), to-Avit:
either by law or by their commissions. But it has not been given
to them by law, and the commissions only empoAver them " to hold
pleas of assize, scire facias and replevins, and to hear and determine
all and all manner of pleas, actions, and suits aud causes, civil, per
sonal, real and mixed, according to law. The law Avhich gives any
agency to those courts in the matter of places where the courts Avere
to be held, respects the mode and manner of the public buildings
only, at the sarae time that it empoAvers them to accept as a gift, or
to purchase for the use of the counties a piece of ground whereupon
to erect them, and this involves the right of judging of the fitness
of the piece of ground for the purpose, and no more. A consistent
meaning and explanation is to be given to every laAV, and clause
of a law, if it Avill admit of it. But it would be absurd that the
executive should fix the places for the courts in the counties re
spectively, and that the courts of comraon pleas should have the
power to accept or to purchase grounds and to erect the public build
ings on them at other places. The laAV authorizing the Governor to
ascertain the times and places at which the courts Avere to be held
in any new counties that might be erected, passed the 6th November,
1790, was, as I had the honor to observe in a former letter, in affirm-

430 The St. Clair Papers.
ance of what had been the constant practice, and it confined the
Executive to a like practice in future.
The law of the 1st August, 1792, only provided for a case not pro
vided for before, to-wit : the erecting the necessary public buildings,
the effecting of which Avas laid upon the courts of common pleas, but
did not repeal or alter the laAV of November, 1790. They both stood
together (and stood Avell together) for the last, you will please to ob
serve, Avas not repealed until the 14th July, 1795. Uutil that tirae
the Governor's power, by law, to fix the places for the services of
the courts still existed. At that time, his authority in the case,
by law, ceased to exist, and was not A'ested anyAvhere else. But
how does the law now stand? is the question. The courts of com
mon pleas have still all the power respecting the public buildings
they ever had, to-Avit : to plan and project them ; to deterraine the
materials of which they shall be constructed ; to accept of or to
purchase ground whereon to erect them, at the places that had
been previously fixed by the Governor, and to contract for the exe
cution of thera, and no raore. As to the rest, gentleraen, you have
yourselves furnished the answer, for you observe that " the Ordi
nance is totally silent as to the Governor's power of fixing the
places Avhere the courts are to be held ; the Ordinance being silent
on that subject, there can be no doubt but the power raust be vested
in the Executive until otherwise provided by the legislature." If
the law, then, of November, 1790, had raade a different deposit of
the power, which it did not, the law of July, 1795, repealing that
laAV, restored it to where it was ; for it is a raaxim that a laAV repeal
ing a law revives the antecedent, law. It is clear, then, from your
OAVU reasoning, that the power to ascertain and fix the times and
places for the sessions of the courts is in the ExecutiA''e, and no
where else.
I did suppose, gentlemen, that it was upon the second section of
the law directing the erecting of court-houses, etc., that the court
of comraon pleas of the county of Adaras had founded their opin
ion " that they had the right of judgiug of the propriety ofthe spot
whereon to erect the public buildings Avithin the county ; " but it is
evidently an uufounded opinion; and it is easy to see inconve
niences that might follow from such a right in the courts ; for it is
only to suppose a change in the members and a preponderancy of
opinion in a raajority in favor of other places than those chosen,
either by the Governor, or their predecessors, and the places raay be
changed frora time to time, ad infinitum, with the changes that must
necessarily happen upon the benches ; and something like thia has

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 431
actually happened in the neighboring State, where the court of
quarter sessions have poAver, by law, to fix the place of their sit
tings ; and it is, I believe, the only State in America where these or
any courts have that power.
The injury that arises from the want of good and sufficient jails,
both to the public and to the inhabitants of the several counties, I
am very sensible of. I believe the law making the counties answer
able for escapes, to be a very bad one ; because it favors negligence
in the sheriffs, and lays a burden on the people they ought not to be
charged Avith ; and, if I bave influence enough with the legislature,
at their next session, it will be repealed.
After all, gentlemen, I have no predilection for Adamsville, and,
with the disadvantages you have stated, it is certainly an improper
place for the county-toAvn, though well enough as to situation Avith
respect to the county at large, and the divisions of it that must take
place in future. When ucav counties are laid out, they are generally,
from necessity, very large; and the places where the courts are
fixed, in the first instance, and the public buildings, of course,
erected, should be relative to that part which Avill probably remain
together after those divisions rather than the present circumstances;
that the public buildings may be still in a suitable situation, other
wise a lasting injury might be done for the sake of a temporary con
venience. If I am rightly informed, the objections to Adamsville,
from the difficulty of access in high Avaters, apply equally to Man
chester; but it is my intention to visit Adams county immediately
after the August court here, and it will be very grateful, to me to
do in respect to the county-town what may be desirable at pres
ent and permanently useful. I have the honor respectfully to be,
etc'

Governor St. Clair to President Adams.
Cincinnati, August ISth, 1798.
Sir : — A few days ago I received an address from the grand jury
for the county of Hamilton, which, as it contained very proper
sentiments respecting the present national crisis, I promised them
should be transmitted to you, and I now take the liberty to inclose
the public paper in which it is inserted. I can not doubt, sir, but
they will be pleasing to you, and I beg leave to assure you that no
pains shall be spared to strengthen and disseminate them in every

'The original letter is in possession of Kobert Clarke, Esq.

432 The St. aair Papers.
part of this extensive Territory, which is a very important append
age to the United States.
The military spirit is up in this county, which has taken the lead,
and Avill be followed; but, to render it more certain, I set out in a
few days on a tour to review the militia in all the upper counties,
and it is a great satisfaction to me that my health is so well re-es
tablished that I am able to do it at this time Avithout risk.

Governor St. Clair to John Broavn.
Cincinnati, October [no date], 1798.
Dear Sir: — It was a very sensible disappointraent to me that I
had not the pleasure of meeting with you when you were lately in
this Territory, as it always will be when any thing occurs to deprive
me of an opportunity to give you every testimony of my respect.
Derangements in the militia, and changes that are daily happening
in the state of this country, had rendered a visit to the counties
lying above this indispensable. It is with pleasure, I can assure
you, that, at this critical period, a temperate approbation and firm at
tachraent to the United States prevails in them all. But you have
been an eye witness to it in part.
A conversation between you and a gentlemen at Columbia, where
in the great influx and settleraent of people upon the lands of the
United States and the difficulties that might result were mentioned,
and that you observed " it Avas always easier to prevent an evil than
to remedy it, and that speaking in the character of a senator of
the United States, it had always been expected that attention Avould
be paid to that circumstance by the Governor," there could be
nothing more just than your observation, and I beg leave to assure
you that Avhether it may have been communicated to the senator or
not, it has never been overlooked by the Governor ; neither has he
failed in giving information to the Government. The settlements
have been forbidden by proclamation more than once, and many
letters written to the Secretary of State on the subject, and I beg
of you, sir, should it be supposed that the Governor has been negli
gent, that you Avould be pleased, Avhen the Senate meets again, to call
for them. And I hope they will have the goodness to recollect that
the Governor has no specific authority to remove the intruders by
force (to prevent them by force is impossible) ; that if prohibitions
have not the expected effect, the repetition of them Avould only
bring them into greater contempt; that, perhaps, no legal meana

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 433
to prevent or punish, if it were desired, the occupation of those
lands. Indictments would not lie, and ejectments, besides the sIoav-
ness and possible inefficacy of the remedy, he has never had any
authority to direct nor to charge the United States with the expense
that would necessarily foUoAV. All that was in his poAver to do in
the case he has done. He has forbidden it, and he has represented
it to the Secretary of State, and requested orders.
I have often thought, sir, and have frequently laraented to indi
viduals of these bodies, that not any of the parts of the legislature
Avere sufficiently impressed Avith the importance of this dependence
of the United States. It is, in fact, but little knoAvn except to a
few, and, of late, all their attention has been occupied by things more
immediately of moment. The next sesgion, I hope, may afford an
opportunity to think of it, and the change that will take place, in a
short time, in the internal organization, and which will introduce a
representative into the National council if a proper choice be made,
will afford an opportunity of more constant and correct information
than has as yet been at hand. My chief object has ever been to
give tbe people such a direction as might contribute to raake them
virtuous, and, of course, happy, and a useful part of the United
States when they shall be entitled to it. Should I succeed in this,
it will be a consolation to me and a gratification to those who have
supported me Avhen I had need of support against calumny, malev
olence, and power ; and it is with gratitude and pleasure I reckon
you, sir, among the number. What I have written above is in no
sense in the nature of complaint, but purely for your information.

David Zeisberger and others to Governor St. Clair.
Goshen on Schonbrunn, October 28, 1798.
Sir: — We, the undersigned, missionaries of the Church of the
United Brethren, being lately arrived from Canada, with nine fam
ilies of Christian Indians, and uoav residing with them on one of
the tracts of land on the river Muskingum, which Avere granted by
the bounty of Congress for the use of said Indians, hurably beg
leave in our and their naraes to present our best respects to your
Excellency, and to recommend ourselves to your favor and protec
tion. The colony that has accompanied us hither is a part of the re
mains of the former inhabitants of the toAVus of Schonbrunn,
Gnadenhutten, and Salem, with other Indians who have since ein-
Vol. 11—28.

434 The St. aair Papers.
braced the Christian faith and joined their fellowship. Since their
removal from their former peaceful and flourishing settlements on
this river, they have endeavored to establish theraselves in various
different places, uniforraly Avith the view to the further propagation
of the gospel araong their countrymen, and to avoid taking share in
the late unhappy war. At length they were obliged to take refuge
in Upper Canada, Avhere the greater part of them are, at present,
under the protection of the British governraent.
The grand objects of our mission remain, as heretofore, to preach
the gospel to the Indians, establish schools among them, inculcate
habits of industry and sobriety, and instruct them to live a quiet
and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
Your Excellency need not be informed that the practice of intro
ducing spirituous liquors into Indian towns is, in its consequences,
highly inimical to every atterapt to reform and civilize their nations.
Not to enlarge on the wickedness of taking advantage of the weak
ness of a description of our felloAV men for purposes of deceit and
to their manifest destruction, we believe, also, that the habits of
violence and vice to Avhich it leads, by enervating their constitutions
and diminishing their numbers, is inconsistent Avith the Interests of
that A'ery trade which it is meant to promote. We conceive, there
fore, that it must be the ardent Avish of every benevolent and
patriotic mind that, if possible, an end may be put to so immoral
and pernicious a practice.
The purpose of our present application to your Excellency is, to
request, at the desire of the colony which we have been appointed
to superintend, that we, the undersigned, and our successors, may
be authorized and enabled, in such manner as to your Avisdom may
best seem meet, to prevent any spirituous liquors from being offered
for sale or barter, or used as an enticement to trade, in any town or
settlement of Indians that may be made under our directions, within
the limits of your jurisdiction. We have the honor to be, etc.
David Zeisberger,
Benj. Mortimer,
John Heckewelder,
Missionaries, Agt. to the Soe. , etc. , on Muskingum.

Peter Adrian to Governck St. Clair.
Detroit, November 1, 1798.
Sir .'—In obedience to your Excellency's orders, I have requested

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 435
a magistrate of each township to cause the enumeration of the free
males, inhabitants of Wayne county, to be taken as soon as pos
sible. I was lucky in finding an opportunity for Michilimackinac
and receive the return.
I now have the honor to inclose you a general return of the free
males of the age of twenty-one years and upAvards, of the four
townships of Wayne county. Your Excellency avIU see that, on
the return of Michilimackinac, there are seven hundred savages or
hired men to merchants for the Indian trade, over and above the
residenters at that place. It is, as I am informed by the magistrates
at that post, about one-half only of the savages resorting thither
every summer, but the other half is composed of Canadians coming
from Montreal, of course not entitled to the rights of citizens ofthe
United States. There are many people omitted in the returns, par
ticularly in Sargent and Hamtramck toAvnships, as you will see by
the return certified by the sheriff of the county, etc.
I beg leave to assure your Excellency that no time has been lost
since the receipt of your orders, and that no opportunity before this
bas offered to forAvard the return to the seat of government.
Very little difficulty has been experienced in taking the enumera
tion of the people, but a A'ery great one avIU exist in finding men
fit to represent the county in General Assembly, if organized. The
best informed, in general, are the British subjects, Avho, by their
own election, of course, are not eligible, and I do not know one
single Canadian Avho understands English enough to be a represent
ative. We have three or four gentlemen who would do very well,
but their occupations are such that I am afraid avIU not adrait of
their absence. The Canadians now feel the want of education, and
are anxious for an opportunity of getting their children taught to
read and write, and especially the English language.
I think it my duty to inform your Excellency that the command
ant of this post has granted an acre of ground on the tommons ad
joining the town, to be used as a burying-ground for the Eoraan
Catholics. This grant answers a very good purpose, as their old
burying-ground, adjoining their church, and Avithin the pickets, is
so full that it is a real public nuisance, and has been presented as
such by several grand juries.
I have heard that the Indians in the neighborhood of St. Joseph
seem disposed to do mischief My inforraation is from James May,
Esq., one of our justices, who lately received a letter from his friend
Mr. Burnet, merchant at St. Joseph. This information has been com-

436 The St. aair Papers.
munlcated to the commandant of this post, who probably has taken
the necessary steps to counteract the maneuvers of the Avicked In
dians. All is quiet here. Indians have generally gone to their
winter grounds ; we have less of them at this moment than at any
period since I have been in Detroit.

General St. Clair to Joseph Parks, above the Military
Kange. Cincinnati, December 13, 1798
Sir: — I have received a petition signed by you and Jos. Brady,
in behalf of numbers of respectable inhabitants of the county of
Hamilton living above the military range, on the subject of the
ensuing election, and wherein I am requested to decide whether
the people living beyoud the lands that have been granted by
Congress can be admitted to vote at It, for that is the question. It
would be very satisfactory to me if I could decide it according to
your Avishes, but it seems to be out of my power.
The question has been brought forward by me, and I have con
sidered attentively, and my oavu opinion Avas that they Avere not en
titled, but I would not depend altogether on ray own opinion, and
submitted the question to the principal law officer, and his opinion
was decidedly against the right.
You will consider that the right of suffrage is confined to those
who hold lands either by freehold — that is a lease for life — or in fee
simple. Now, none of you hold lands by either of those titles.
You hold under Judge Symmes, who has hiraself neither of these
titles, and, indeed, nothing but a claim in virtue of a contract,
which he says ought to be fulfilled, but which the Congress, the
party with whom the contract was made, has hitherto refused to
fulfill. If the judge held no other lands than those which are com
prised in that claim, he himself Avould not be entitled to a vote, and
you must be sensible that the dividing the claim araong a great num
ber can add no rights that the original claimant had not. You
stand, in respect to the right of voting, precisely on the same
ground as those who have sat down on the public lands that are
not clairaed, and Avho have not pretended to a right to vote in con
sequence of their having done so.
But you think it hard that, as you have paid your money for the
land, you should not have a right to vote. Consider that if you
had the money in your pockets it would not give you the right. It is

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 437
to hold in freehold or fee simple that gives the right, and not money,
and you know very well that if you should buy land and pay your
money for it of a person who had not a title to the land, you would
not get the land ; and so bere, frora your having paid your money
to Judge Symmes, you can not get the right to vote, because he
Avould not have that right from those lands as he now holds them.
But I hope and trust you avUI not lose your lands. Long before
another election it will be settled, and then you will all be entitled
to vote.
You think because the people who own houses and lots in the
towns, Avho are not within the word of the Ordinance, are alloAved
to vote, that the privilege should be extended to you likeAvise ; but
reflect that the qualification required is the holding of real estate,
and that there was not a town in the Territory, nor any great likeli
hood that there Avould be any before there would be inhabitants
enough of that description to make laws for themselves. If it had
beeu foreseen, it would, no doubt, have been provided for. Acci
dent has made toAvns shoot up, and the owners have laid out a great
deal of money on their houses and lots, to the benefit of this coun
try, and they hold them in fee simple, so that they are clearly Avithin
the meaning of the Ordinance, though not Avithin the word of it.
But you think because you have paid taxes, you should be alloAved
to vote. The taxes you have paid have been county rates only, for
the support of the county you inhabit. That the people that are
living over the Miami have not paid any yet, is because they Avere
made a part of the county of Hamilton too late to be taxed last
year, and were too far separated from the rest of the county they
live in to be taxed in that, but another year they will be included in
the taxation of HamUton ; and, besides, the having paid taxes is
not a condition here as to the right of voting.
It was, no doubt, from your nurabers being taken into the account
that the five members Avere, but what advantage would it be to you
that the number was restricted to the proportion one for every five
hundred within the county? The more members you have, the
more weight you will have in the legislature, and the better the in
terest of the county, and your particular interests, avUI be attended
to ; and, if your members were to be thrown out, Avhich can not
be done, for you are inhabitants of the county, still it Avould be en
titled to five members, for, by some mistake, I understand, the
members below the Miami were not given in.
The above statement will, I hope, satisfy you that you have been
thought of, and that, for this time, you must rest satisfied even for

438 The St. Clair Papers.
the privilege of being postponed. To extend the privilege of voting
to you would give me pleasure, if I could do it consistently with my
duty. But, if it were granted to you, suppose some candidate were
throAvn out by your votes Avho Avould have been elected if they had
not been given to another, and he should dispute the election ? Your
right to vote raust then be decided upon legal principles, Avhich are
clearly against it, and its having been sanctioned by me Avould be of
no consequence. I can give no right to any person to act iUegally,
and it is our great happiness that the laws bend to the Avill of no
man. I have been thus particular that I might give you all the satisfac
tion in my power.'
Address of the Governor.
Gentlemen of ihe House of Assembly : '^ — Although it is out of the
common course for the Executive to address itself to one branch of
the legislature before the other is convened, I have thought on this
occasion of your first meeting, an occasion on which I very heartily
congratulate you, that it Avas consistent with propriety, as a con
siderable time raust elapse before the other branch can be formed.
Tavo matters Avill imraediately claim your attention ; the organlza-
iThis closed the Governor's correspondence for the year. But little was
accomplished by the Legislature.!

(1) Official Rf,cords, 1798— Laws Passed.
1. To confer on certain associations of the citizens of this Territory the powers and
immunities of corporations, or bodies politic in law. [Puh. May 1.]
2. For thc punishment of maiming or disfiguring. [Pub. May 1.]
3. A'esting certain powers in justices of the peace in criminal cases. [Pub. May 1.]
4. For the equal division and distribution of insolvent estates. [Pub. May 1.]
5. To provide for the improvement of the breed of horses. [Pub. May 1. Took ef
fect September 1.]
¦' 6. Directing the mode of proceeding in civil cases. [Fub. May 1.]
7. In addition to a law entitled, " A law ascertaining the fees of the several officers
and persons therein named." [Pub. May 1 ]
8. For the purpose of inr-luding all unsettled and unimproved tracts or parcels of
land, and subjecting them tn taxation. [Pu?). Ma-y 1. Took effect December 1.]
9. Rendering the acknowledgment of deeds more easy. [Pub. May 1.^
10. For establishing a land office. [Pub. May 1.]
11. Repealing certain laws and parts of laws. [Pub. May 1.]
2 It having been ascertained in 1798 that the Territory contained flve
thousand white male inhabitants, and was entitled under the Ordinance to
enter on the second grade of government, Governor St. Clair issued a proc--
lamation making known the fact to thc people and inviting them to elect
Eepresentatives to thc first General Assembly. The Kepresentativcs were
chosen, and assembled at Cincinnati February 4th, 1799, agreeably to the

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 439
tion of your own body by the appointment of a speaker, a clerk,
and other necessary officers, and the nomination of persons for the
council. You will see by the Ordinance that ten must be nomi
nated, five of whom will be appointed and commissioned.
As many counties from which you come are at a great distance,
your going back to them and returning again Avhen the council
shall be formed, would be attended with rauch trouble to yourselves
and considerable cost to the public ; and for the House to adjourn
and the members from the distant counties to reraain bere during
that interval, Avould subject them to an unreasonable private ex
pense, I have supposed that until the council shall come forAvard,
your time may be usefully employed in preparing bills to be sub
mitted to them, and you avIU be at leisure deliberately to consider
any amendments or alterations Avhich they may suggest ; and you
Avill find, gentlemen, that the business which will come before you
is of considerable magnitude.
That part of the Territorial code which relates to civil matters
requires both alterations and additions, and nearly all the laAvs re
lating to crimes and punishments are of very doubtful obligation,
as Avell as some of civil laws, and those for regulating the militia.
The laws of doubtful obligation are all those which have been
made by the late legislature. They never had power to make laws.
The codes of all the States in the Union, at the tirae the Ordinance
for the government of this Territory was passed, were thrown open
before them, and they were empowered to select from all, or any of
them, such laws as they might judge to be proper and necessary,
proclamation, for the purpose of nominating ten persons, from whom the
President was to select flve to constitute a legislative Council. The Eepre
sentatives were :
From the County of Washington — Paul Fearing and Return Jonathan
Meigs. From the County of Hamiitow— William McMillan, William Goforth, Aaron
Cadwell, Robert JJenham, John Ludlow, .John Smith, and Isaac Martin.
From the County of St. Ciair — Shadrach Bond.
From the County of I^nox — John Small.
From the County of Randolph —John Edgar.
From the County of Jefferson — James Pritchard.
From the County of iJos.5— Thomas Worthington, Edward Tiffin, Samuel
Findley, and Elias Langham.
From the County 0/ ^rfdms— Joseph Darlington and ISTathaniel Massie.
From the County of Wayne — Solomon Sibley, Jacob Visgar, and Charles
F. Chobart de Joucaire.
After nominating for the legislative Council, the House adjourned to nieet
at the same place on the 16th September following.

440 The St. Clair Papers.
and adopt and publish them as rules for the inhabitants ; and fur
ther their legislative powers did not extend. And though you wUl
find that on several occasions I have joined in enacting laws, it was
under a conviction of impropriety at the time, compeUed to acqui
escence by circumstances which it is unnecessary now to mention,
and not without entering upon the records of the government a
kind of standing protest against the practice and fixed determina
tion to check it the first opportunity. That opportunity did not
occur until the session of the legislature before the last, Avhen the
practice and the jirlnciple it Avas founded on was inquired into, de
bated, and unanimously condemned. Some of those laws Avere re
pealed, and others adopted in their stead ; and, had there been time
for it, the statute book Avould have been cleared of thera all ; un
fortunately, it was recurred to at the last session. Should the gen
tleraen conclude not to intermit your session, I would recommend
the iraraediate repeal of all, and where laws of the same kind are
necessary to prepare bills in order to be passed into laws, the obliga
tion of which AvIU be unquestionable. An effective system for the
railitia you will doubtless consider as of great importance, as Avell as
the means of providing a revenue, for a considerable, sum of money
must necessarily be wanted, and there Is not any in the treasury to
meet the debts already incurred. From this general view of the
subject, and many others will come before you, you will perceive,
gentleraen, that your tirae will be pretty well filled up. If you
conclude to proceed in the way I have taken the liberty to recom
mend, some other communications, after you have informed me of
the choice of a speaker, Avill be the subject of particular messages.
When you shall communicate to me the naraes of the persons
you norainate for the council, I request you to point out the manner
in which you wish to have thera sent forward to the President of
the United States ; that Is, whether you think it raost proper that
an express should be employed to carry them, or to trust to the con
veyance by post.
It Is, gentleraen, a very pleasant thing to rae that the people are
UOAV about to legislate for themselves, and the great increase of pop
ulation and importance of the Territory is fully evidenced by so
numerous and respectable a representation. With the legislature
I shall always be happy to concur in every thing that will tend stIU
further to increase that population and importance and the general
welfare of the people.
To the speaker, when appointed, I will transmit a copy of this
address.

Correspondence, Addresses, Ete. 441

Governor St. Clair to the President.
Cincinnati, February 6, 1799.
Sir: — I have this day transmitted to the Secretary of State, to
be laid before you, a certificate from the House of Assembly of the
nomination of ten persons Avhom they have selected for the Legis
lative Council, conformably to the Ordinance of Congress for the
Government of the Territory, five of Avhom are to receive your
commission. It does not appear by what rule they have been in
serted in the certificate ; that is, whether those Avho had the most
voices, or that were first voted for, are placed first. I have taken
the liberty to place them below geographically, beginning Avith the
most eastern, and to annex the counties in which they respectively
reside :
David Vance, Jefferson county.
Robert Oliver, Washington.
William Patton, Ross.
Joseph Darlington, Adams.
Jacob Burnet, Hamilton.
James Findlay, Hamilton.
Arthur St. Clair, Jr., Hamilton.
Richard Allison, Harailton.
Henry Vanderburgh, Knox.
William St. Clair, St. Clair.
I am personally acquainted with all of them, except Patton and
Darlington, who have not been very long in the country, and mi
grated from Virginia, but are raen of good character. Indeed, aU
of them are unexceptionable, though some of them are, no doubt,
better qualified for such a station than others. Mr. Vance is a re
spectable man, of good understanding ; so is Mr. Oliver. Mr.
Burnet and Mr. St. Clair are tAvo young gentleraen of the bar, and
of handsome abilities. Mr. Findlay is in trade, and Mr. Allison is
a physician. Mr. Vanderburgh has been in trade, and Mr. William
St. Clair is noAV. He was formerly a resident at Detroit, and Avas
obliged to leave it, for refusing to serve in the militia to aid the
savages against this part of the country, and thrcAV himself on my
protection. He has been settled at Cahokia about nine years. The
population of the counties of Randolph, St. Clair, Ross, and Wayne
may be about equal to the county of HamUton ; and the five coun-

442 The St. Clair Papers.
ties that lie above it may something exceed it. I thought it Avould
not be improper to give you, sir, this kind of information.'

John Adams to Governor St. Clair.
Quincy, Mass., May 17, 1799.
Sir: — I thank you for your favor of April 8th, and especially for
the pamphlet inclosed Avith it. I have read it AvIth great pleasure,
as a masterly refutation of its antagonist, in the style and manner
of a gentleman, and seasoned AvIth no more than Avas useful and
agreeable of attic salt. Happy am I to find such just sentiments
countenanced, encouraged, and prcA'aUIng in the North-western
Territory. Although your wish that ray writings were more gen
erally read is A'ery flattering to rae, I ara, nevertheless, not very
confident that they will do much good. Mankind Avill not learn
wisdom by experience in matters of government. They get rid of
all such systems by slight sarcasms, and say that is in favor of
democracy, I say that theory is altogether in favor of mixed gov
ernments, as Avell as experience. But I am not about to write a
lecture.

Governor St. Clair to the President.
June 24th, 1799.
Sir : — I have been honored with your very obliging letter of the
17th May, Avhich arrived here at a time Avhen I Avas absent on an
excursion to Pennsylvania in order to bring my family to this coun
try, and obviate the necessity of the like in future.
The approbation you have been pleased to bestoAV on the pamphlet^
I took the liberty to Inclose to you, could uot be received Avithout
great satisiaction, and it would imply a want of both sensibility and
good manners not to acknowledge it. As to the intention, I was sat
isfied, and I am truly happy that the execution could give pleasure
to so excellent ajudge. It has drawn upon me, however, the trouble
of having another sraall perforraance published in numbers in the
'The President selected for the Council, Eobert Oliver, of Washington
county; Jacob Burnet and James Findlay, of Hamilton county; Henry
Tanderburgh, of Knux; and David Vance, of Jefterson.
'Not found among the St. Clair papers, but the text ofthe letter indicates
that it was political, and written in support of Mr. Adams's administration.
See letter of Mr. Adains acknowledging its receipt.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 443
newspapers, at the time the cry against the alien and sedition laAvs
Avas loud. The reference made in the consideration of Mr. Nich
olas's letter to those publications, caused a demand for them that
the printer could not satisfy, and I thought it might do sorae good
to have them republished together, and I beg the favor that you
will be pleased to accept a copy as a testimony of my respect. Al
though I Avas very sensible that a weak advocate often hurts a good
cause, and that the subject must necessarily lead me into a path
with which I was but very little acquainted, it appeared to be nec
essary to check the current, which sometimes a very slight obstruc
tion Avill effect Avhen it has risen to any considerable height, and I
bave had the satisfaction to see that effect produced here in a good
degree.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of State.
Cincinnati, O., ,Tuly, 1799.
Sir : — I am this day honored with your letter of 19th June, and
a copy of the deed to Judge Symmes and his associates for a tract
of land betAveen the Great and Little Miami Rivers.
I think it is probable that the reserved lots in the several town
ships have been ascertained, because I ara informed that the Avhole
of the lands granted have been surveyed and sold. But I have
good reason to belie\'e that the surveys have been in so inaccurate
a manner, that it is most likely the Avhole must be re-surveyed. The
north and south lines are not parallel to each other, sorae of them di
verging so far as make a difference of three-quarters of a mile, and
some of them approaching considerably, and the east and west lines
have not been run at all. Whether the reservation about Fort
Washington has been laid out, I cau not certainly inform you,
though I think it has. But I am most certain that the College
Township has not, and, until I received your letter, I never heard
of the reservation at the mouth of the Great Miami.
It may, perhaps, surprise you, that an object of so much conse
quence to the settlement as the township for the support of an
academy, AvhIch toAvnship Avas to be approved by the GoA'ernor,
should not have beeu attended to by him. That the Governor had
any agency in the business never came to my knowledge. An ap
plication was made by some of the inhabitants, requesting that I
would call on Mr. Symmes, to cause it to be laid out, and the per
son Avho made the application assured me that he had seen his
patent, an'd that it was one of the conditions that a township, to

444 The St. Clair Papers.
be approved of by the Governor, should be laid out by him as soon
as possible.' I called for a sight of the patent, and, found it to
be as it had been represented, and Avas informed by him that he had
designed a township (which is uoav known by the name of College
Township and agreeing Avith the situation required) for that pur
pose, but that he had met AvIth so many delays before the granting
township for an academy was agreed to, that he had sold it, and
that every other whole township in the tract, excepting one, was
sold ; that he Avas Avilling to locate and assign that one, if it should
be approved of Soon afterAvards, the offer of that township was
made in writing, in form, but I had been previously informed that
one-half of it had been sold to Mr. Boudinot, and that a laAVsuit
was actually pending for the recovery of it between hira and Mr.
Symmes. Independent of that, it has been represented to me as
of very indifferent quality, and, under those circumstances, it would
not meet my approbation. It has been proposed to bring the mat
ter before the Legislature, that such application might be made to
Congress as they should think proper, which seemed to me the best
Avay of proceeding.
It is a very great doubt with rae whether any true parallel of
latitude has been run in any part of Symmes's tract, and if one has,
all the lines have been run without any attention to the varia
tion; and, without a variety of instruments, it is impossible that the
subdivisions should be accurate.
I expect to see Major LudloAV this evening, and will be able by
the next post to inform you of those circumstances Avith more cer
tainty. I observe that the location near the mouth of the Miarai is to be,
as Avell as the villages about Fort Washington, raade by a person
especially appointed by the President in virtue of a laAV to be passed
within two years after the date of the patent. If no such law was
1 Extract of the patent of John C. Symmes and his associates, executed in
September, 1794 :
"It is hereby declared, that one complete township or tract of land, of six
miles square, to be located with the approbation of the Governor, for the
time being, ofthe territory north-west ofthe River Ohio, and in the manner
and within the term of five years, aforesaid, as nearly as may be in the cen
ter ofthe tract of land herein before granted, hath been and is granted, and
shall be holden in trust, to and for the sole and exclusive intent and purpose
of erecting and establishing therein an academy and other public schools
and seminaries of learning, and endowing and supporting the same, and to
and for no other use, intent, or purpose whatever."

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 445
passed nor the appointment made, it would seem that those reserva
tions are gone.
The law for selling the lands clairaed by Judge Symmes under
his contract with the Board of Treasury, but beyond the northern
boundary of his patent, has given a very great alarm to the people
settled thereupon, and they are very numerous. The intention was
clearly to secure all those Avho had Avritten contracts with the judge
before a certain day, but there are great numbers sate down under
verbal contracts, and on the faith of his assurance that he had never
relinquished that contract, and Avould contest his right under it.
From almost all of them he has received money in part payment,
which, notAvithstanding the laAv, he positively refuses to return, and
from that circumstance many, who are, or at least appear to be, very
willing to take the lands on the terms held out to them by the laAv,
are unable to make the just payment at the time required, and are
much agitated by the fear of losing the right of pre-emption. There
are others, I am informed, Avho talk plainly of holding their posses
sions by force of arms, and it has been hinted to rne that they are
stimulated to it by the judge. Should you think it proper to jiro-
ceed in that Avay, there are some respectable men Avhose depositions
can be taken, and indeed I have little doubt of the fact. At the
same time, it requires consideration lest a premature step should in'
crease the evil.

Governor St. Claie to the Secretary of War.
Cincinnati, August IQth, 1799.
Sir: — I had the honor to write to you on the 3d instant. The
alarm amongst the inhabitants on account of the Indians has been
increasing daily. The tAventy railes of frontier of this county has
been abandoned, and small forts erected in many places Avhere the
people have asserabled, AvIth the purpose, as they declare, of de
fending thera, but a very considerable number have retired into
Kentucky, and if any thing serious should supervene, a rauch
greater number would foUoAV them. At the same time, the Indians
seem no little alarmed at this movement of theirs, being as they
pretend themselves in very great fear. Tavo days ago four of the
Shawanese arrived here to give assurance to me that their nation
bad no ill designs against the white people, but were themselves very
apprehensive of the ChickasaAvs, and had also heard that a great
army of whites were on their way to attack them. The Chickasaws,
they pretend, are constantly about their towns ; though with all their

4'46 The St. Clair Papers.
pains they can find none of thera. Whether they have any cause
to expect a visit from the Chickasaws, or that their fears are affected
to cover some other design, I ara not yet able to ascertain. At first,
I supposed they raeant nothing more than to alarm the surveyors
and prevent the boundary line from being run, but I am since per
suaded that they are either seriously alarmed or have some much
more extensive design, for the alarm has extended to all their vil
lages, and at Fort Defiance they were all, raen, AVoraen, and child
ren, in the fort, and they have carried the information of the hostile
intentions ofthe Chickasaws against them to the English, a copy of
AvhIch they gave to Captain McLean, the English officer who com
mands on the north side of the Detroit. It Avas sent by Colonel Ham
tramck, and I have inclosed it.
I thought to send something further to the ShaAvanese by their
agent, Avho h£td been sent to reassure the inhabitants, a copy of
Avhich I have also inclosed. It is my expectation that the message
of the third avIU draAV from thera an explicit declaration of their
peaceable intentions, and, if it does not, it may be reasonably con
cluded that their vIcavs are averse. No pains will be spared on ray
nart to develop thera that I can bestoAv, and I have instructed Mr.
Wells to be particularly attentive to their motions and the conduct
of such white men as are amongst thera.
I received a letter frora Major Craig, dated the 29th of July, in
forraing me that all the Indian stipends had been sent to Detroit,
and Avere probably arrived there at that time, and I suppose are now
or soon avIU be at Fort Wayne, and a favorable change in the
Miami, Avhich has lately been very high, Avill facilitate their trans
portation. I have Avritten to the commandant about the time of
delivery. The meeting of the legislature avIU, I fear, prevent my
attending in person. In that case, I told you that the secretary
Avould go out, but I raentioned the expenses attending it either to
hira or to me, and you have not been pleased to inform me how it is
to be defrayed.

Address of Governor St. Clair to the Council and House
of Representatives,' September 25, 1799.
Gentlemen of the Council ami House of Representatives : — It is with
rauch pleasure that I raeet you now In general assembly, an event
that has been looked forward to by the people AvIth some anxiety,
> On the day appointed for the meeting of the general assembly there was

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 447
and not without reason, having been hitherto governed by laws
adopted or made by persons iu whose appointments they had no
not a quorum of either body present, and adjournment was had from day to
day. The legislative council organized by the election of Henry Vanderburgh,
president, and W. C. Schenck, clerk.
Sept.2Zd. — The House of Eepresentatives proceeded to the election of ofii
oers. Edward Tiffin was chosen speaker; J(ihn Eeily, clerk, in place of
Charles Killgore, who had been appointed, temporarily, at the flrst meeting,
and declined to servo longer; Abraham Cary, sergeant-at-arms, and James
Lowes, door-keeper.
On the same day the following business was transacted:
Messrs. Langham, Smith and Worthington Avere appointed a committee
to prepare rules.
Messrs. Edgar, McMillan, Benham, Darlington and Findley were ap
pointed a Committee on Privileges and Elections.
Messrs. Goforth, Massie and Smith were appointed a standing Committee
of Ways and Means.
Ordered — That the residue of the members not appointed to any committee
be considered a standing Committee of Claims.
Committees were appointed to consider subjects inviting legislative action
as they arose, as the following abstract from the records of the House of
Representatives shows:
Thursday, Sept. '26th. — A petition of John Harrison and William Sullivan,
praying for an act to establish a town in the Illinois grant, on the banks of
the Ohio, above the rapids. Ordered — That said petition be referred to a
committee of propositions and grievances, said committee to consist of
Messrs. ]\[cMillan, Worthington and Darlington.
Committee appointed to draught and prepare a militia law, consisting of
Messrs. Massie, Pindleyand Worthington.
Committee of three appointed to prepare and bring in a bill for 'defining
and regulating elections, consisting of Messrs. Small, Langham and
Benham. Committee of three appointed for preparing and bringing in -a. bill for
opening and regulating highways— Messrs. McMillan, Smith and Darling
ton. Committee of three appointed to bring in a bill for the prevention of vice
and immorality — Messrs. Findley, Smith and Darlington.
Committee appointed for bringing in a bill for regulating the disposition
of estrays, composed of Messrs. Goforth, Ludlow and Edgar.
Committee appointed for regulating the fees of all civil officers, consisting
of Messrs. McMillan, Worthington and Darlington.
Committee appointed for the regulating of taverns and other public
houses, composed of Messrs. Bond, Pritchard and Cadwell.
Friday, Sept. Tltli.—'M.v. Goforth, from the committee to whom was re
ferred the petition of the several officers of the late Virginia line praying
for toleration to bring their slaves into this Territory, on tbe military lands
between the Little Miami and Scioto rivers, reported that the prayer of the

448 The St. aair Papers.
participation, and over whom they had no control. The wish to be
withdrawn from under that authority, and that the laAvs which
were to direct their conduct and protect their property should be
petitioners was incompatible with the articles of compact contained in the
Ordinance of Congress made for the government of this Territory, and,
therefore, could not be granted, which report boing read —
Resolved, unanimously, That this house doth agree to the same.
A committee of three appointed for regulating marriages, consisting of
Messrs. Cadwell, Ludlow and Martin.
Saturday, Sept. 28th. — Another member, Solomon Sibley, from Detroit, ap
peared and took his seat in the House.
A petition of a number of the citizens of Adams county was presented to
the house and read, setting forth the extensive boundaries of the same
county, and the probability of its being divided at a future day, and praying
that to avoid unnecessary expense in erecting public buildings, Avhich may
be rendered useless when a division of the said county takes place, that the
town of Manchester, being healthy and pleasantly situated on the banks of
the Ohio, and nearly central as to the lower end of the county, may be es
tablished as the seat of justice for the said county of Adams.
Ordered — That the said petition be referred to the Committee of Proposi
tions and Grievances.
Tuesday, Oct. Ist. — Mr. Joseph Carpenter was appointed printer to the leg
islature bythe concurrent action ofthe two houses, and Mr. Abraham Carey
was appointed master-at-arms for both houses.
Ordered — a committee to be appointed to bring in bill for levying taxes and
regulating revenue. Mr. Smith, Mr. Massie, and Mr. Worthington appointed
compaittee. Mr. Langham presented a bill to define and regulate elections, which was
read the fifth time.
A committee, consisting of Mr. Langham, Mr. Cadwell, and Mr. Dar
lington, appointed to bring in bill for regulating the courts of judicature,
and extending the jurisdiction of magistrates in certain cases.
Wednesday, Oct. 'Id. — Mr. Findlay presented a bill for the prevention of
vice and immorality, which was read first and second time, and referred to a
Committee of the Whole House on Tuesday next.
Thursday, Oct. 3oJ. — A petition from several ofthe citizens of the township
of Franklin, in the county of Hamilton, was presented to the House, and
read, suggesting the oppi'essive effects of the laws now existing relative to
highways and county levies; and also the want of a law to prevent Sab
bath-breaking, and the great inconvenience under which they labor, by
rciason of their remoteness from the seat of justice, and praying relief in the
said premises. Ordered that the said petition be referred to the Committee
of Propositions and Grievances.
Ordered — that the sergeant-at-arms receive proposals for furnishing the
House with firewood, and ho lay same before the House.
Mr. Benham and Mr. Smith added to committee for regulating courts
of judicature, and extending tho jurisdiction of magistrates in certain cases.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 449
made by their own representatiA'es Avas very natural, and I con
gratulate them and you, gentlemen, that you are uoav met for that
purpose. It is not improper, hoAvever, that I should here remark
that, how desirable soever it may be, in ''the infancy of the colony
Mr. Goforth, Mr. Edgar, and Mr. Cadwtell appointed a committee for
regulating inclosures.
Friday, Oct. ith. — The style of all laws shall be as follows, to wit: Be it
enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives in General
Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, that, etc.
Mr. Benham, from the Committee of Privileges and Elections, to Avhom
was referred the petition of Erancis Dunlavy (asking for admission as a mem
ber), made a report, which Avas read; whereupon, it was resolved that, in the
opinion of the? committee, Mr. Isaac Martin was duly elected a representa
tive for the county of Hamilton.
The question was then taken that the whole House do agree with the com
mittee on the said resolution. Yeas, 9 ; nays, 8.
Saturday, Oct. Uth. — The Housc proceeded to consider the resolutions on
the reports of the Committee on Ways and Means.
The report consisted of a series of resolutions, which were considered
seriatim and adopted. They provided for levying a tax for Territorial pur
poses, on lands, houses in towns, inarriage licenses, and on judicial writs;
for county purposes, a poll-tax, a tax on horses and cattle, above three years
old, on stallions, on tavern.s, on retailing merchandise, and on ferry licenses.
Ordered to be embodied in a bill.
Ordered — that a committee of three be appointed to prepare and bring in
a bill for the relief of insolvent debtors, and that Messrs. Findlay, Darling
ton, and Sraith be the said committee.
Ordered — that Mr. Small acquaint the council therewith.
Monday, Oct. 7th. — A message from the council, informing the House that
they had appointed Mr. Burnet a committee, on the part of the council, to
confer with a committee from the House on the most proper mode of certify
ing the appointment of W. H. Harrison, Esq., to represent this Territory in
Congress, and for making a joint communication of it to tho Governor.
Messrs, Massie and Sibley were appointed on the part of the House.
Wednesday, Oct. dth. — A petition from several of the citizens ofthe town
ship of Chillicothe, in the county of Eoss, Avas presented to the House, and
read, praying for leave to raake a lottery to raise three thimsand dollars for
the purpose of erecting a Presbyterian church in that town.
Eeferred to Comraittee of Propositions and Grievances.
Thursday, Oct. IQth. — Ordered — that Mr. Massie and Mr. Worthington be
appointed a committee to conier with a coramittee of council to prepare pe
tition to Congress, praying that the representative of this Territory be en
titled to the privilege of voting as well as debating in Congress.
[It being found that such a proposition was a violation of the Ordinance,
the matter was dropped.]
Wednesday, Oct. IGth. — Three several petitions from a number of the cit
izens of the county of Hamilton, were presented to the House, ar.d read,
Vol. 11-29.

450 . The St. Clair Papers.
it Avas not practicable, and that the systera appointed by Congress
was well adapted to the state of society which was to follow, and,
necessarily, continue for some time, is full of wisdom and benignity.
The laws of all of the States of the Union Avere laid open before the
setting forth the extensive boundary of said county, and praying that the
same raay be divided into four counties, referred to Messrs. Benhara, Smith,
Meigs, Massie, and Langham.
Friday, Oct. \8lh. — Mr. M'.AIillan, frora Committee of Propositions and
Grievances, for the removal of the seat of justice of Adams county to Man
chester, made report; whereupon.
Resolved, That the town of Manchester be established as the seat of jus
tice for such county.
A petition from citizens of Adams county, praying that tbe eastern end
of the said county be laid off into a separate count}', and the seat of justice
flxed at Alexandria, at the mouth of Scioto.
Referred to Messrs. Benhara.Smith, Meigs, Massie, and Langham.
Frid'iy, Oct. 2bth. — Mr. Langham presented a bill for the division of the
counties of Adams and Washington
Saturday, Oct. 2Qlh. — Messrs. Langham and Goforth appointed to bring in
a bill making promissory notes negotiable.
Monday, Oct. 2?ilh. — Messrs. Massie and Worthington to bring in hill to
declare what streams of water which enter the Scioto are navigable.
Resolved, That the Governor appoint an auditor to liquidate the accounts
which have and may accrue against the Territory.
Resolved, That such audited certificates shall bear an interest of six per
cent., and received for payment of taxes in this Territory, and redeemable
at the Territorial Treasury on the 1st of .lanuary, one thousand eight hun
dred and two with gold or silver coin current of the United States.
Resolved, That a Territorial Treasurer be appointed by the Governor.
-Wednesday, Oct. SOt/i. — A petition from a number of citizens of the county
of Hamilton, praying for a removal of the seat of justice from Cincinnati to
Mill Creek, between William Ludlow'sand Jacob White's, referred to Messrs.
Benham, Smith, Meigs, Massie, and Langham.
Two petitions, one praying for a new county to be laid oflf in the county
of Hamilton, east of the Little Miami, and also one praying that the seat
of justice of such new county be at Denham's town.
Resolved, That the removal of the seat of justice from Cincinnati to Mill
Creek is unreasonable, and should not be granted.
Friday, Nov. Ibth. — Messrs. Langham and Smith, appointed to bring in
bill on the subject of persons escaping into this Territory from whom labor
is claimed by any other persons, and declaring the admission of persons of
color by indenture.
Saturday, Nov. IGth. — A message from the Governor, by Mr. Smith, his
secretary :
"Mr. Speaker ; — The Governor did yesterday approve and sign the follow
ing acts, to wit:

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc.. 451
Governor and judges for them to choose from amongst them all
such as would best suit the circumstances of the people. It is true,
however, that on several occasions they went further, and laws were
enacted by them of their oavu authority. Objections Avere made,
ineffectually, to that manner of proceeding ; they are too lengthy
"'An act to make promissory notes and inland bills of exchange nego
tiable.' " 'An act regulating the interest of moneys and flxing the same at six per
cent, per annum, and for preventing usury.'
"'An act to establish and regulate ferries.'
"'An act authorizing and regulating arbitrations;' and also 'An act to
prevent trespassing by cutting of timber.' "
Monday, Nov. 18th. — A memorial of Thomas Posey, on behalf of himself
and several officers and soldiers of the Virginia line, on the continental es
tablishment of the late army of the United States, was presented to the
house and read, praying that an act may be passed authorizing persons
holding slaves under the laws of the State in which they require that species
of property, and removing into this Territory, to bring their slaves with
them, under certain restrictions.
A bill to lay off a new county in the north-western division of Hamilton.
Yeas, 9; nays, 8. In the affirmative — Messrs. Benham, Bond, Edgar, Go-
forth, Langham, Massie, Meigs, Sraall, and Worthington. In the negative —
Messrs. Cadwell, Darlington, Fearing, Findlay, Martin, Pritchard, Sibley,
and Visgar.
Messrs. Fearing and Edgar appointed to prepare a bill to deflne tbe duties
of county treasurers.
Tuesday, Nov. 19ih. — The speaker laid before the House a letter from the
Governor, accompanying the contract between the Board of Treasury and
the Directors of the Ohio Company. A copy of the patent to them from
the President of the United States. An extract from the records of the
Ohio Company, and certain extracts from tho journals of Congress.
The House resolved itself into Committee on the Memorial of Thomas
Posey, and, after some time spent thereon, it was referred to a committee of
three, to report by bill or otherwise.
Tuesday, Nov. 26th. — Laid before the House a letter from the Governor,
with a statement of moneys received and the appropriations thereof in the
Territorial treasury. Mr. Langham and Mr. Goforth appointed to inquire
into the state of the Territorial treasury.
Wednesday, Nov. 21th. — Mr. Findlay laid before the House a resolution on
the subject of industry and frugality, the encouragement of home manufact
ures, and retrenching unnecessary expenses. Upon being read a first, sec
ond, and third time, it was adopted by the House, as follows:
Whereas, The present situation of the Territory requires of her citizens
every lawful exertion in their individual capacity to promote her interest
and extend her general importance, which can only be effected by a prudent
management of domestic concerns, by a strict attention to industry and

452 The St. Clair Papers.
to be repeated here, and are to be found in my correspondence Avith
the judges, on record AvIth the secretary, copies of Avhich, if desired,
shall be laid before the houses. The reasons that induced me to
give Avay to it against a very clear conviction of its impropriety it
frugality, by discountenancing idleness and di.ssipation, by encouraging
home manufactures, and by retrenching unnecessary expenses; therefore.
Resolved, That this House appoint a committee to prepare an address to
the good people of this Territory, recomraending strict attention to the be
fore inentioned objects.
Mr. Langham, from the committee appointed for that purpose, presented,
according to order, a bill to flx the terms of the courts of common pleas and
for other purposes, which was read twice, and ordered to be committed to a
committee of the wh^le House on Monday next.
Tuesday, Dec. M. — A hill authorizing Jlr. Carey to raise a sum of money
by way of lottery was negatived.
Appointments, Dec. 18th. — His Excellency the Governor, has been pleased
to appoint Eice Bullock, Esq., .'Vuditor of Public Accounts for the Territory
of the United States north-west of the Ohio.'

(1) ACTS PASSED BY THE LEGISLATUBE OF THE TEEEITOEY, PIEST SESSION, 1799.
1. To confirm and give force to certain laws enacted by the Governor and judges
of the Territory.
2. Providing for the service and return of process in certain cases.
3. Regulating the admission and practice of attorneys and counselors at law.
4. Regulating inclosures.
5. Autborizing and regulating arbitrations.
6. Regulating the interest of money, and fixing the same at six per cent, per an
num, and for preventing usury.
7. To establish and regulate ferries.
8. To prevent trespassing by cutting of timber.
9. Making promissory notes and inland bills of exchange negotiable.
10. To regulate grist mills and millers.
11. Establishing courts for the trial of small causes.
12. Providing for the appointment of constables.
13. To regulate the disposition of water-crafts of certain descriptions found gOne
or going adrift, and of stray animals.
1-1. For the prevention of vice and immorality.
lo. To create the offices of Territorial Treasurer and Auditor of Public Accounts.
16. Defining and regulating privileges.
17. To ascertain the number of free male inhabitants of the age of twenty-one in
the Territory of the United States north-west of tbe River Ohio, and to regulate the
elections of representatives for the same.
18. Regulating tlie flring of woods, prairies, and other lands.
19. To prevent thc Introduction of spirituous liquors into certain Indian towns.
20. Establishing and regulating the militia.
21. For opening aud regulating public roads and highways.
22. For the relief of poor persons imprisoned for debt.
23. For allowing compensation to tlie members of the House of Representatives,
"Who attended to put in nomination thc members of the Legislative Council, and for
defraying the incidental expenses accrued thereon.
24. To alter the boundary line between the counties of Jefferson and Washington.
25. For the punishment ot arson.
2e. Supplemental to the act entitled, "An aet to prevent trespassing by cutting of
tiraber."

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 453
is not necessary now to relate ; but it is proper that I should obsesve
to you, gentlemen, that the laws so made are of very doubtful obli
gation aud have been so spoken of frdm the bench, and that in that
class Avill be found nearly all the laAvs avc have Avhich relate to
crimes and punishments, the militia and to taxation. You avUI
readily perceive that these will claim an immediate revision, and
that they be either repealed and others substituted in their place, or
be confirmed by a general laAV to give them force.
Amongst the various subjects that will corae under your delibera
tions, that of revenue slands very forward. The means of provid
ing it may, perhaps, be considered, gentlemen of the House of
Representatives, as falling properly AvithIn your province, but it is
to be observed that there is nothing in the Ordinance for the gov
ernraent of the Territory Avhich excludes the Council from a share
in the formation or amending auy bill, of Avhat nature soever it may
be, and the business of revenue avUI require the united Avisdom of
both houses to devise the means Avhereby it may be adequate, and,
at the same time, as little burdensome to the people as possible.
No law now exists Avhich has revenue directly for Its object, except
one adopted from the code of Kentucky at the last session of the
legislature, for subjecting unimproved lands to taxation. As Ken
tucky was not a State Avhen this government Avas erected, the va
lidity of the laAV is very questionable, and the measures directed to
be taken when the assessed taxes are not paid in the usual way and
time, are not very intelligible. It is very desirable that all laAvs
should, as much as possible, be free from obscurity, but in those
that relate to taxation and revenue the utmost clearness and pre-

27. Allowing and regulating prison bounds.
28. To regulate the inclosing and cultivating of common fields.
20. Eepealing certain laws and parts of laws.
30. For allowing corapensation to the members of the Legislative Council and
House of Representatives of the Territory of the United States north-west of the
River Ohio, and to the officers of both houses.
31. Levying a Territorial tax on land.
32. Por tho appointment of county treasurers.
33. To encourage the kiUing of wolves.
34. Supplementary to the aet entitled, "A law for the relief of the poor."
35. For allowing compensation to the Attorney-General of the Territory and to
the persons prosecuting the pleas in behalf of the Territory in the several counties.
30. Appropriating moneys for the payment of the debts duo from this Territory,
and making appropriation for the ensuing year.
37. Regulating the fees of the constables in the several counties within this Ter
ritory. 38. To regulate county-levies.
39. Authorizing the inhabitants of the fractional townships on which the town of
Marietta is situated to lay and require a rent or tax from the occupiers of the frac
tional section numbered twenty-nine, for the year one thousand eight hundred.

454 The St. Clair Papers.
cision is essential, because there is always a disposition particularly
to elude the operation of those laws.
An effectual systera for the goA'ernment of the militia, for render
ing it respectable, and enabling the community to derive from it
that protection and defense Avhich is always contemplated to result
from it, is of great importance, particularly by reason of our ex
tensive frontier, bounded by savage nations. Fond of Avar as they
are from custom and the habits of savage life, it is reasonable to
expect Ave shall be sometimes embroiled with them ; the militia
should, therefore, be so organized as to be able promptly to repel
any occasional incursion, and to carry war into their country in case
it should be necessary. At the same time, gentlemen, you will see
the propriety of laws conformable to the public treaties of the na
tion for protecting them in their stipulated rights, for rendering re
dress in cases of injury and Avrong easy and sure, and for securing
to thera, in their intercourse Avith us, a huraane, ajust, and generous
treatment. By such means, aniraosities will be worn out on both
sides, and many of the causes and incentives to war obviated. It
has been heretofore a great reproach to those who liA'ed with them,
that they communicated to them the vices only of a civilized life.
It is to be hoped we shall Avipe away that reproach, and that, by
our conduct to them and to each other, they raay be led to observe
the advantages that flow from regular society, to embrace it, and
with it the holy religion we profess, which inculcates all its duties.
The benefits that result from early education, and due instruction
in the principles of religion are of imraense value to every country,
and are so obvious that an attention to them for the rising genera
tion should be pressed upon you. In this country a very generous
provision has been made for them by Congress, but has not yet
come into operation. Certain sections or lots of land have been re
served and set apart for the endoAving of schools and the maintenance
of public worship. They are, however, only set apart for those
purposes, and the fee of the soil, as well as the possession, is still in
the United States. It Avill be proper that a respectful representa
tion be raade to Congress, praying that they may be vested in
trustees in such manner as may appear to you most consistent Avith
the design that the comraunity raay, without delay, avail themselves
of their benevolent intentions.
To the lots for the maintenance of schools, another very liberal
provision, in the same spirit, has been added, but from Avhich no
advantage has yet derived to the people, neither, from circumstances,
can any advantage flow from it for some time to come. A cora-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 455
plete toAvnship, or tract of land of six miles square, to be located
with the approbation of the government of the Territory for the
time being, as nearly in the center of the tract of land granted by
the President of the United States, on the SOth day of September,
in the year 1794, to John Cleves Symmes and his associates, and
Avithin the term of five years from that date, has been excepted out
of the said tract, and granted to them " in trust to and for the sole
and exclusive intent and purpose of erecting and establishing
therein an academy, and other public schools and seminaries of
learning, and for endowing and supporting the same, and for no
other intent or purpose Avhatsoever." From thence it became the
duty of those persons to lay out the township, which has not been
done ; but an attempt to do something towards it, or in lieu of it,
was made by Judge Symmes on the 24th day of Jidy, 1798. He
made an offer, in writing, of the second township in the second frac
tional range of townships in the before-mentioned tract of land, and
requested that it might be " approved of and proclaimed as the
proper township for the purpose of endoAving an academy." It ap
peared to me improper that that township should be approved, be
cause it no way answered the description ofthe one granted in trust
by his patent, and because I had certain information that claims
lay to a considerable part of it, and that a suit in the chancery
court of the United States to compel a conveyance was actually
depending. The utmost limit of the time allowed to Mr. Symmes and his as
sociates for setting out that toAvnship is at hand, and Mr. Symmes
has informed me verbally that he has not an entire toAvnshIp in his
possession, except the one Avhich has been refused ; it AviU, of course,
gentlemen, be proper for you to consider of the measures to be taken,
in order that the public may not be defeated in this very generous
concession. The Ordinance for the government of the Territory provides that,
so soon as a legislature shall be formed in the district, the council
and House of llepresentatives, assembled in one roora, shall have
authority, by joint ballot, to elect a delegate to Congress, Avith a
rigbt of debating but not of voting during this temporary govern
ment. This is, gentlemen, a right of no small consequence, for
there are many raatters of considerable importance to the people
that must come before and be decided on by Congress, and can
only advantageously be brought forward and managed by their
delegate, who, if the choice falls (as it certainly avUI) upon a proper
person, although he will have no vote, he will not be without influ-

456 The St. Clair Papers.
ence, and, for the information that may be necessary to the mem
bers unacquainted with our circumstances, avIU naturally be resorted
to ; and he Avill have an equal right Avith the members of the States
that compose the Union to propose for their consideration any law
that may appear to be useful to the nation or to the Territory. To
the election of the delegate, you will be pleased to attend at such
time as may appear to you raost proper.
Laws to regulate the election of raembers of the legislature are
wanting ; hitherto, the mode of electing theni has been prescribed by
the Governor, and in such raanner as appeared least exceptionable.
It is hoped it may meet with your approbation.
The statute laws of England that Avere in force in the Araerican
colonies of a later date than the 4th year of King Jaraes the First,
have not been adopted here, Avhereby the peojile are depriA^ed of
many excellent regulations in use in the United States, and particu
larly of the celebrated Avrit of habeas corpus, which Avas not brought
into practice until the reign of Charles the Second, and is justly
considered as the best security against Illegal and oppressive im
prisonings that Avas ever invented. It raay be proper that all of
thera, down to the tirae of the Revolution, Avhich are not inconsist
ent Avith the principles then erabraced, should be declared to be laws
in the Territory.
Much inconvenience has been experienced from the Avant of suf
ficient jails in the several counties. The people in many of them liaA'e
been saddled Avith the payment of large sums of money in conse
quence of the escapes of prisoners under execution, and the public
vindication of justice of the county has been often eluded. As
the law UOAV stands, the sheriffs are not answerable for the escapes
of prisoners, and while they have either no jails, or such as are not
sufficiently secure, it Is unreasonable that they should be ansAverable.
But, as the law Avhich exonerates them may lead to negligence in
them and their under-officers, it would be proper to repeal it, and to
pass laws to compel the inhabitants of every county to erect proper
jails and couA'enlent court-houses.
Considerable difficulties have arisen, and much injury to the morals
and to the discipline of the troops of the United States, has resulted
from the Avant of a laAV to prevent the sale of spirituous liquors to
the soldiery, by persons licensed to vend them by sraall measure ; it
ought to be prevented entirely, and severe penalties inflicted on
every person purchasing from the soldiers, or exchanging Avith them
any part of their clothing, arms and accouterments, or any public
property which may be occasionally in their care.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 457
It has been the practice of some of the counties to raake the au
thority of every constable co-extensive with the counties, and a
he%vy mileage for the service of process has been alloAved thera, to
the great oppression of the more indigent part of the community,
and defeating entirely the intention of subjecting small demands to
summary decisions. Constables ought to be confined to a particiUar
precinct, beyond Avhich they should have no authority ; and the sub
divisions of the counties, commonly called toAvnships, should form
those precincts, and ought not to b.e more extended than that a per
son could travel conveniently from end to end of them in the course
of a day.
The necessity of many local regulations suited to particular places,
must result from the great extent of the Territory ; these Avill be
suggested by the members, Avho, coming from every part of it, are
best acquainted Avith Avhat they particularly require.
One more subject had like to have escaped rae. I recoraraend
it to you to fix the rate of interest of money, and to prevent, if it
can be prevented, the practice of usury, Avhich has already got
footing amongst us.
A large field of business has been opened to you, gentlemen, and
it will call for a patient, but I hope not a painful exercise of your
faculties, and it may be added to in the course of your session, by
.occasional messages. The providing for, and the regulating the
lives and raorals of the present and of the rising generations, for
the repression of vice and immorality, and for the protection of in.
nocence and virtue, for the security of property and the punishment
of crimes, is a sublime employment ; every aid in my poAver will be
most willingly afforded, and I hope we shall bear in mind that the
character and manners of a people, and their happiness, both here
and hereafter, depend very much upon the spirit and genius of their
laws.

Reply of Council to the Governor.
September 28, 1799.
Sir: — The legislative council participate Avith your Excellency in
the pleasure arising from a aubav of the beneficial change Avhich has
just taken place in the administration of our temporary Govern
ment. While Ave regret that circumstances rendered it necessary for
us to continue so long under its first stage, we most heartily concur
in opinion Avith your Excellency that the system appointed by Con-

458 The St. aair Papers.
gress was well adapted to the state of society Avhich was necessarUy
to follow, aud that it was full of Avisdom and benignity, and we most
cordially embrace this first opportunity of testifying our gratitude to
the Federal Government for the paternal care which they have ex
ercised over the colony.
The many and important services which have been rendered our
Territory and the United States at large by your Excellency for a
series of years ; and the virtue, integrity and talents Avhich those
services have displayed, afford the strongest proof that your public
acts have been founded in Avisdom, and dictated by the purest desire
of promoting the happiness of the people. We, therefore, conclude
that the circumstances which induced your Excellency to give way
to the innovation Avhich Avas formerly made on the Ordinance by
enacting instead of adopting laAvs, Avere fully sufficient to justify
the raeasure; those laws being considered of doubtful obligation,
shall receive the attention of the council.
The proraotion of morality, the suppression of vice, and the en
courageraent of literature and religion, deeply involve the prosperity
and happiness of every country ; but, in republican goA'ernments,
which are supported by public opinion, they are of peculiar iraport
ance ; the views of the people raust be honest, and their understand
ings enlightened, or we shall hold our liberties by a very uncertain
tenure. Impressed Avith these sentiraents, Ave need scarcely assure
your Excellency that the council will loose no opportunity of ad
vancing these most important objects.
We pei"celve that a large field of business has been opened to our
view which avIU call fbr a patient, if not a painful, exercise of our
faculties ; but Ave will comraence the task, though with the greatest
diffidence, relying on the aid Avhicli you have been pleased to promise
us. In the course of the session the raany iraportant matters con
tained in the coraraunication raade by your Excellency to both
houses of the legislature shall receive our most mature and delib
erate consideration. H. Vanderburgh, President Pro Tem.

The Governor's Response.
Gentlemen: — I pray you to accept my acknowledgments for this
very obliging answer, which you have been pleased to make to my
communications on the opening of the session.
Guided by a sincere desire to promote the welfare of the people.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 459
my administration has been uniformly directed to that end, and the
recognition by the council that it has not been entirely missed, is
extremely grateful. Deeply impressed Avith the persuasion that in
the practice of religion and morality the best interests of every
people are involved, and of the extensive advantages of literature ;
the conteraplation that the first have already taken root in the Ter
ritory, and that the means of procuring tbe other will soon be put
in train, and both of them be fostered by the legislative council and
tbe House of Representatives, must be verily pleasing to every reflect
ing mind. And unless the people be honest and enlightened, their
Uberties Avill not only be held by an uncertain tenure, but though
they should possess all the advantages that flow from them, they can
not be enjoyed.
I could bave wished, gentlemen, that less business could have been
laid before you at this first meeting, but the greatest part ofit could
not be postponed, aud though it may appear a task, it will lessen on
a nearer vicAV, and the deliberate consideration you promise to give
it, for wbich I return you my thanks, will render it easy.

Reply of the House of Representatives.^
Sir : — It is a principal ingredient in the composition of national
happiness that the people can place full confidence in their first
magistrate, a confidence confirmed to them from their knowledge of
his uniform endeavors to promote their national prosperity.
As the representatives of the people of this Territory, we thank
your Excellency for that display of benevolence manifested towards
them and their interests in your address to botb the branches of the
legislature, and rejoice that the uniform tenor of your administration
affords ample ground for our unbounded confidence therein.
It is witb real pleasure that the House of Representatives join
with your Excellency their mutual congratulations to the citizens
of this Territory on that accession of privilege, so ardently Avished
-^Resolved, That Mr. Speaker, preceded by the Sergeant-at-Arms, and at
tended by the House, do present the said address, and that Messrs. Small and
Langham be a committee to wait on his Excellency, to know where and
when it Avill be convenient for him to receive the same. Messrs. Small and
Langham returned and reported that, according to orders, they had waited
on his Excellency, who signifled to them that it Avould be convenient for
him to receive the said address at twelve o'clock to-morrow, in his own
chamber. — From Proceedings of the House of Bepresentatives, Monday, Sep
tember 2>0th.

460 The St. Clair Papers.
for, which places the power of legislating in men of their own choice ;
for, however just your Excellency's observation is Avith respect to
the system of government under Avhich this Territory has been gov
erned, it was impossible that laAvs adapted to the local circumstances
of an advanced stage of government could accord Avith our infantile
situation and peculiar exigencies.
We are sensible, sir, that, at this stage of governraent, subjects of
legislation are numerous, and that araong the great variety that may
be presented, the subject of revenue stands foremost, and calls for
instant and attentive consideration ; and as a Avell-regulated militia
is, and ought ever to be, regarded as the protection and defense of
the comraunity, we assure your Excellency that no endeavors on our
part shall be AA'anting to make it both respectable and efficient.
With much satisfaction Ave recognize your Excellency's observa
tions on the benefits resulting from an early education, and due
instruction in the principles of science and religion, which Ave know
are of immense value to every country and in every clime ; where
the}' are suitably inculcated they naturally produce a sincere and
disinterested love of truth and virtue. They expand the human
miud by removing its ignorance and eradicating its prejudices, in
spiring it, at the same time, AvIth the sublimest ideas of the great
original cause, and promoting a pure knoAvledge of and acquiescence
in the duties and blessings of a civilized life. We, sir, conceive the
subject to be so very interesting and important to the rising genera
tion of this country, that it would, in us, be a want of duty to let
it pass this session AvIth inattention or indifference, more especially
from the consideration of the very generous provision Avhich Con
gress has made in different parts of the Territory, and from which,
we believe, the public has not, in any instance, yet derived advan
tage We shall, sir, attend to the mode pointed out by your ExceUency
for effectually securing the fee and occupancy of the lands reserved
by Congress for the use of this Territory, so that the community
may, without delay, avail themselves of their benevolent intentions.
We thank you, sir, for the circurastantial account jou have given
us of the College toAvnship in the Miarai grant, and, Avhile we ex
press our obligation to the General Government, we pledge ourselves
to your Excellency, to our constituents, and to posterity, that we
Avill use the utmost of our endeavors to have justice done in this
particular case, as well as to make such appropriations of lands re
served for the use of the Territory as may appear most prudent
and advisable.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 461
To the election of a delegate to Congress we shall attend iu due
time, as well as to draft a laAV to regulate the future election of
members of the Legislature.
We, sir, are fully sensible of the benefits accruing to the citizens
of the Union from their having incorporated Avith the body of the
laws of their respective States the statute laws of Great Britain,
which are of a general nature, down to the period of the Revolution.
Among the useful regulations resulting from thera, none are more
beneficial than the habeas corpus act, passed in the reign of Charles
the Second.
These, sir, Avith every other subject which you have communicated
for our deliberation, Ave form a thorough sense of their importance
and propriety, and will make the objects ofour early attention. Ex
tensive, sir, as the field of business is which uoav demands our labor,
yet, should circumstances render it necessary that the same should
be enlarged, it becomes our duty, Avith patience and alacrity, to ex
ercise our faculties for the real advantages of the people who have
intrusted it to our care.
Irapressed with the clearest belief, founded on experience and
supported by history, that the spirit and genius of the laws form
the characters and manners of the people, we, relying, therefore, on
the assistance your Excellency has offered, shall withjjromptitude
co-operate with you in promoting the cause of morality, in the pro
tection of innocence and virtue, in the security of property, and in
the prevention of crimes, by mild and equitable laws, calculated to
bring offenders to speedy and exemplary punishment.
Edward Tiffin,
Speaker of ihe House of Representatives.
Sept. 30a, 1799.

Response of the Governor to the Reply of the House of
Representatives. '
Gentlemen: — The very obliging ansAver you have noAV made to my
communications on the opening of the session demands vei-y Avarm
acknoAvledgments. To enjoy the confidence of the people, and to
meet with the declaration of it frora their representatives, gives rise
1 The speaker, preceded by the sergeant-at-arms, and attended by the House,
withdrew to the chamber of his Excellency, and there presented him the ad
dress of this House, in answer to his speech to both Houses, to which his Ex
cellency made the following reply. — From Proceedings of the House of
Representatives, Oct. 1st.

462 The St. aair Papers.
to feelings which are not easy to be expressed. They are, indeed,
very pleasing. It has always been my ardent wish, by every proper
means within my reach, to promote their welfare and prosperity ;
and I dare venture to assure you, that while I have the honor to ad
rainister the government, the desire will not be weakened, neither
will the endeavor to accomplish it be relaxed.
I very thankfully receive, gentlemen, your assurances that the
business laid before you will be attended to Avith patience and alac
rity ; and I am fully persuaded that no endeavors will be wanting
on your part to procure for the people all the advantages that floAV
from good laws, calculated to repress Adce, to protect Innocence, and
to render civil and personal liberty and prosperity secure — advan
tages which if diligently and wisely iraproved, will render the peo
ple prosperous and happy.

Governor St. Clair to Captain Sedgwick, Commanding at
Fort Miami.
CiNCLNNATI, Oct. Gth, 1799.
Sir : — I wrote to you yesterday that the Indians had declined re
ceiving their goods this fall, and that it would, therefore, be unnec
essary for you to reraain at Fort Miami longer than until they, to
gether with the provisions, were removed, Avhich has been directed
to be done. I am since, very fortunately, well informed it was all
a mistake, and that, though they would not all be there, much the
greatest part of the nations would attend.
It was expected, and it was my intention, to have gone to meet
the Indians at the tirae they received their presents. The meeting
of the legislature put that out of ray power, and they were informed
that the secretary would go in ray place and see their stipends dis
tributed. He is ill, and can not go, and there is no person here
Avhora I can send for that purpose. I am, therefore, under the neces
sity of requesting you, sir, to take that trouble on yourself. It is,
no doubt, not your iraraediate duty, but I have that confidence in
the gentlemen of the American army to believe there is not one
of them who Avould not Avillingly take some trouble to give satis
faction to the people Avith whom the nation wishes to be at peace,
and to obviate any inconveniences arising from unforeseen disap
pointments, as in the present instance; and you will be sensible
that it is iraportant that the presents should be delivered with at least
so much solemnity as to impress the savages with the opinion that
they are honestly dealt with. I have Avritten to Mr. Baggs, in

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 463
whom they have much confluence, to give you bis assistance, and
the invoices you will flnd inclosed. The goods are put up in sep
arate packages, and marked Avith the name of the nation they are
designed for. When the packages are opened, the articles can be
compared with the invoices in the presence of the chiefs of the
nations for which they are directed. Forraal certificates of the de
livery are required. The instructions of the Secretary of War
on that subject, are in these words: " It is to be understood that
certificates of the delivery of the stipends are to be transmitted to
this office, signed by the person appointed to attend to the delivery,
and by one or more of the officers of the garrison at which the de
livery is made." You avIU be pleased, sir, to attend to this circum
stance, sign duplicate certificates of the delivery made by you to
each nation, and let them be countersigned by one or two of the
more respectable persons who may be at the place, and send one of
each to the War Office, and the duplicates to me. Considerable
trouble Avill attend this business I have requested you to undertake.
It will be acceptable to the Government, and no doubt a suitable
compensation will be made.
The letters for Colonel Strong and Mr. Earnest, or the agent of
tbe quartermaster at your post, Avhich were sent by the express yes
terday, should they come to your hands, you avUI be pleased not to
forward to either of them, but send back to me.

Governor St. Clair to Captain Sedgwick.
Cincinnati, October ISth, 1799.
Sir: — I wrote to you on the Gth instant, by express, and requested
the favor of you to take the trouble to direct the distribution of the
stipendiary goods to the Indians at Fort Miami. It was not with
out considerable reluctance that I took that liberty.
The meeting of the legislature rendered it impossible for me to
go, as had been intended if they had arri\'ed earlier, and the secretary
havdng been taken sick, and, besides, appointed to represent the Ter
ritory in Congress, he could not go, and I had no person here that
could be depended on, or that would have been sufficiently re
spectable to send out, so that it became a matter of necessity that I
should request it of you. By to-morrow's post I shall inform- the
Secretary of War.
The Miamis and Wabash Indians avUI not attend at Fort Miami,
and have requested that their goods may be sent to Fort Wayne,

464 The St. Clair Papers.
and kept for them until next May. To this I have consented, not
from choice, but because it could not be avoided, for they had been
at Fort Wayne some time ago to receive thera, and are returned to
make their fall hunt. Whether they can be sent up the Miami at
this time I can not judge here, but if they can not, they must be
taken back to Detroit, and forwarded from there at a suitable time.
I have Avritten to Mr. Earnest on the subject, and I beg the favor
that you will forAvard the letter to him.
P. S. The agent at Fort Wayne informs me that the Pottawat-
omies will not go to Fort Wayne this fall, but I belieA'e he is mis
taken. Should they not appear, their goods, likewise, must go to
Fort Wayne.
Goveenoe St. Claie to the Seceetaey of Wae.
October 14th, 1799.
Sir :—l had expected to have given you the trouble of perusing
a pretty long letter by this post. It would have contained the issue
of a conference Avith Blue Jacket and another chief of the Shaw
anese, in truth, little important in itself, Avhich lasted some days,
and another Avith the Wyandots, a number of whom are here from
Detroit. They have kept me very late to-day, and their conference
is not over, and raust, of course, be postponed, but the inclosed ex
tract of a letter to Mr. Sibley, a raeraber of the legislature, which
he gave rae this afternoon, I thought ought not to be delayed, es
pecially as I thiuk the Indian affairs are in a critical situation. I
can not give instances which Avould justify the opinion, but I do
believe they are seeking an occasion to break with the United
States.

Goveenoe St. Claie to Captain Sedgwick.
Cincinnati, October 15, 1799.
Sir : — On the 13th instant, I had the honor to write to you again
by express, but, as sorae little mistake Avas committed by him in
trusting the letter to a private hand going to Fort Wayne, It is pos
sible it may not reach you as soon as this, Avhich is sent by a man
of the contractor's, who goes direct' to Fort Miami. I now give
you a copy of it.
[Letter of October 13th follows, Avith this P. S. added :]
To that letter, sir, I have very little to add, but to inform you
that I have learned the Indians about Laguena have taken it into

Corrispondence, Addresses, Etc. 465
tbeir beads that they have been called together at Fort Miami for
the purpose of cutting them all off at a stroke. I depend, sir, on
your prudence and good sense to make them sensible that Fort
Miami Avas open for the sole purpose of making the delivery of the
goods as convenient to them all as it was possible, the loAvness of the
waters preventing their being carried to Fort Wayne, where it had
been agreed that they should be distributed.
It will be necessary, sir, that you prevent any and all of the
traders from bringing spirituous liquors to Fort Miami, and if any
has been brought, to store it until the delivery is over and the In
dians gone ; otherwise, you avUI not only have a great deal of trou
ble with them, but they will be stripped of every thing they receive,
and, of course, go off discontented. I shall be happy to hear from you.

Go-VEENOE St. Claie to the House op Repeesentatiates.
Cincinnati, October 16, 1799.
Gentlemen : — In compliance Avith the request made by you yester
day, tbat I would furnish you Avith all the information respecting
tbe township reserved out of the grant of land made by the United
States to John Cleves Symraes and his associates for the purpose of
erecting an academy therein, which I was in possession of, I have
made the following statement :
By an act of Congress, entitled "An act for ascertaining the
bounds of a tract of land purchased by J. C. Symmes and his asso
ciates, passed on the 12th of April, 1792," the President Avas em
powered to alter the contract made betAveen the late board of treas
ury and the said J. C. Symmes for the sale of a million of acres,
in such manner that the tract might extend from the mouth of the
Great Miami to the mouth of the Little Miami, and be bounded by
the Ohio on the south, and by a parallel of latitude extending from
the Great to the Little Miami, so as to comprehend the proposed
quantity. By another act of Congress, entitled "An act authorizing the-
grant and couA^eyance of certain lands to J. C. Symmes and his as
sociates, passed the 5th of May, 1792," the President Avas empoAv-
ered to issue letters patent to the said J. C. Symmes and his asso
ciates, thereby conveying to them and their heirs and assigns such
number of acres of land as the payraents then made by him, his
agents, or associates, would pay for, estimating the lands at two-
Vol. 11—30.

466 The St. Clair Papers.
thirds of a dollar per acre, and raaking the reservations specified in
the said contract.
The third section of that act further erapowers the President, by
letters patent, to convey to the said J. C. Symmes and his asso
ciates, their heirs and assigns, in trust, for the purpose of establish
ing an acaderay and other public schools and seminaries of learning,
one complete tOAvnship, conformably to an order of Congress of the
2d of October, 1787, made in consequence of the application of the
said J. C. Syraraes for the purchase of the tract aforesaid ; and by
the fourth section it is enacted that the several quantities of land to
be granted and conveyed as aforesaid should be included and located
within such liraits and lines of boundary as the President raight
judge expedient.
On the 80th of October, 1794, letters patent were made by the
President to J. C. Symmes and his associates, granting and convey
ing to thera, in pursuance of the above act, a certain tract of land,
beginning at the mouth of the Great Miami River, and extending
along the Ohio River to the mouth of the Little Miami River, and
on the north by a parallel of latitude to be run from the said Great
Miami to the Little Miami, so as to coraprehend three hundred and
eleven thousand six hundred and eighty-two acres, out of AA'hich were
excepted lots nuraber 16 and nuraber 29, for the purposes of educa
tion and religion; and the lots numbers 8, 11, and 26, for the pur-
jioses Avhich the Congress thereafter niight direct out of each town
ship in the sarae (and provision Avas made that the tract should
be laid out into tOAvnships of six miles square) , and fifteen acres,
including Fort Washington. By the sarae letters patent, it is de
clared that one coraplete toAvnship of six railes square, to be located
with the approbation of the Governor of the Territory, for the tirae
being, and in the raanner and within the terra of five years, as
nearly as raay be in the center of the tract before granted, hath
been and is granted, and shall be holden on trust, to and for the
sale of and exclusive intent and purpose of erecting and estab
lishing therein an academy and other public schools and seminaries
of learning, and endoAving and supporting the same, and to and for
no other use, intent, or purpose whatever.
Many applications respecting this toAvnship so granted for an
acaderay Avere raade to me by the people of the county of Hamilton,
but, as I had then never seen the patent to Mr. Symmes and his as
sociates, and did not know that the approbation of the Governor of
the location that might be made by them Avas required, it was re
plied that I could do nothing in it, and saw no course to be taken.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 467
if they had broken the trust, but an application to Congress ; at
length, a gentleman informed me that he had seen the patent, and
the Governor's approbation of the location was expressly required.
I then called upon Mr. Syraraes and requested him to allow me to
peruse his patent, Avith which he readily complied. I found it to
be, with respect to that townshlja, as it had been represented, and a
copy of it has since been transmitted to me by the Secretary of
State. Mr. Symmes then informed me of the application Avhich
had been made to me, and the necessity of laying out the toAvnshIp,
on Avhich he spoke of the second township iu the second fractional
range of townships. Occasional conversations passed between us
on the subject several times afterAvards, andon the 24th July, 1798,
Mr. Symmes wrote a letter to me, which I send hereAvith, making a
formal offer of the toAvnship for my approbation. In conversation,
soon afterwards, I stated to him the objections I had to that town
ship, and the matter rested a considerable time, I, supposing the ob
jections I had made would be considered by him as a refusal to
approve ; but, the matter being brought to my vicAv again, hearing
of no new location, and reflecting that the offer had been made in
writing, and might possibly be considered such a location as the
patent required, and that the refusal had been only verbal conver
sation, which might easily be forgotten, and could not be made to
appear, on the 19th of last July, I wrote a letter to Mr. Symraes,
from which the folio Aving is an extract : "I have never, sir, form
ally replied to your letter of the 24th of July last, Avherein you pro
posed the second toAvnship in the second fractional range of town
ships in the lands granted to you by patent on the SOth September,
1794, should be excepted to satisfy the declaration in said patent,
that one complete township, or tract of land of six miles square,
to be located Avith the approbation of the Governor of the Terri
tory for the time being, as nearly as might be in the center of the
tract thereinbefore granted, to be held in trust by you and your as
sociates, to and for the sole and exclusive purpose of erecting and
establishing an academy and other public schools and seminaries of
learning, and endowing and supporting the same, Avas excepted out
of the said grant ; and you requested that the township then pro
posed should be approved by me and proclaimed as the proper town
ship for the purpose of endoAving an academy in the Miami pur
chase. I say, sir, to that proposal I have never formaUy replied ;
but, you will please to recollect, sir, that, before you sent me the
above letter, and after I had receiA'ed it, you informed me, in con
versation, that it was tbe only complete township that remained in

468 The St. Clair Papers.
your possession, and, of course, you could assign no other for the
academy ; that I mentioned my doubts that you could not assign
that one either, for I had been informed that one-half of it had
beeu sold to Mr. Boudinot, and the deed for it, from you to him,
Avas upon record here, and other parts of it Avere claimed by other
persons ; that you observed it Avas not a deed of sale to Mr. Boudi
not which you bad raade, but a conditional contract, and that the
contract not having been fulfilled on his part, the obligation ceased
upon yours, and you had a right to dispose of it as you thought
proper. To that it was replied that, supposing the case to be so,
still I could not think myself justifiable in approving of the pro
posed location, since, however it might terrainate, a lawsuit was un
avoidable ; and, also, that it did not, in any Avay, correspond with
the situation pointed out, to Avit: as nearly in the center of the
tract as may be. On that, we parted, after your again requesting
me to Adew the proposed toAvnship, and examine its natural advan
tages. I have not, sir, examined tbe township, because I have been'
informed by every person I have conversed Avith on the subject, and
I have conversed Avith a great many on it, that a very small part of
it is fit for cultivation, and I have since learned that a suit in chan
cery has been commenced by Mr. Boudinot to compel you to make
a deed for that part of it conditionally sold. As all this conver
sation may, hoAvever, be forgotten, and the offer, or location, as it
may, perhaps, be called, of the second township in the second frac
tional range of townships therein to establish an academy, etc., has
been made in Avriting in the before-mentioned letter of the 24th of
July, 1798, it is proper that the approbation or disapprobation of
the same should be In Avriting also. I request you, therefore, sir, to
take notice that, for the reasons above raentioned, to wit : that the
title to a part of it, at least, is in dispute ; that it does not answer
to the situation called for in the patent ; and, that, according to in
forraation, it is of very raean quality, Avhich, if true, Avould defeat
the purpose for which it Avas granted ; the location of the second
township in the second fractional range of toAvnships, for the pur
pose of erecting therein an academy and other schools, and for en-
doAving and supporting the same, is not approved, and can not by
me be declared to be the lot granted by you in trust for those pur
poses, and I must request you, sir, as soon as raay be, to point out
another township free frora those objections."
To that letter I have not received an answer.
The applications which Mr. Syraraes made to Congress for a town
ship for an academy, a copy of which I have lately seen, points out

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 469
the place contemplated by him, Avith more precision than the patent
does. The request is that it may be granted as nearly in the center
of the tract and opposite to the mouth of Licking as may be,
where the soil and situation in other respects raay be suitable. (I
do not give the very words, because I did not take a copy), and it
would seem that a certain toAvnship answering that description had
been somehow pointed out at an early day, for there is one ansAver-
ing the description in all respects that, to this day, is distinguished
by th'e name of the College township.
The sale to Mr. Boudinot, before spoken of, is contained in certain
articles of agreement entered into between Mr. Symmes and him
on the 12th day ofMarch, 1788, and recorded in book No. 2, letter
B, page 107, of the records of the County of Hamilton, which,
.after a recital setting forth that Mr. Symmes had contracted with
Congress for a large tract of land betAveen the Little and Great
Miamis, proceeds, after another recital, in these words: "And,
whereas, the said John Cleves Syraraes intends to and purposes to
reserve to himself in the said purchase, in his private right, one cer
tain toAvnship in the fork of the Ohio and Great Miami, and the
fractional parts of those toAvnshlps and sections Avhich lie betAveen
such toAvnship and the Ohio and Great Miami, on Avhich he hath
laid out a plan of a city on paper, etc. ," and then goes on after that
description: " And, Avhereas, the said Elias is desirous of becoming
jointly and equally interested in the said toAvnship, sections and
fractions with the said John Cleves Symmes, and in the said city,
and reserved lands, in case he shall obtain a deed for the same from
Congress. Noav, these presents witness that the said J. C. Symmes,
for and in consideration of the sum of one hundred pounds, laAvful
money of the State of Ncav Jersey, to him in hand weU and truly
paid, and also of the sum of oue hundred pounds more to be taken
by the said J. C. Symmes out of the first share of the sales he may
make of other properties, so to be sold in common betAveen them,
belonging to the said Ellas, hath agreed to sell, transfer and confirm;
by these presents doth engage to sell, transfer, convey and confirm,
unto the said Elias Boudinot, his heirs and assigns forever, when
ever and as soon as the said J. C. Symmes shall obtain a deed
thereof from Congress, the one equal and undivided moiety, or half
part of all and singular the said township, sections and fractions of
sections, and reserved lands, as aforesaid, elected and taken by the
said J. C. Symmes iu the forks of the said rivers as aforesaid, subject
to certain regulations and additions which are there set forth." It
is aUeged that the township which Mr. Symmes has offered in lieu

470 The St. Clair Papers.
of tbat in the center of his tract, granted to him in trust for art
academy, is one of those mentioned in the aforesaid articles of agree
ment. This, gentlemen, is all the information I can give you respecting
the College township; had I possessed more or better, it would
bave been freely communicated.

Goveenoe St. Claie to the Legislative Council.
Cincinnati, October 19th, 1199.
Gentlemen of the Legislative Council: — In compliance with your
request that I Avould give you such information as I was in posses
sion of respecting lands that had been granted or reserved by the
Congress of the United States to the Territory for public purposes,
made through your coramittee, yesterday, I have the honor to
observe :
That the Ordinance of Congress of the 20th of May, 1785, directs
tha* the lands in the North- Avestern Territory which have been pur
chased of the Indian inhabitants, shall be laid out into ranges of
townships of six miles square, and fractional parts of townships, by
lines running due north and south, and others crossing them at right
angles. The toAvnships, or fractional ' parts of townships, to be
designated by nurabers progressively from south to north, and so
soon as seven ranges of tOAvnshljis shall be surveyed, the Board of
Treasury shall cause the same to be sold at public vendue. But
the lots numbered eight, elcA^en, tAventy-six and twenty-nine, out of
every township, and out of every fractional part of a tOAVnship so
many lots of the same numbers as shall be found in them, are ex
cepted from the sale so ordered, and reserved by the United States
for future sale. The lot nuinber sixteen of every township is also
excepted out of the order of sale and reserved for the maintenance
of public schools within the said toAvnshlps.
By the poAvers given by Congress to the Board of Treasury, on
the 23d July, 1787, to contract for the sale of Avestern lands, it is
declared that the lot No. 16, in each township or fractional part of
a township, is to be given perpetually for the purposes of religion.
The lots Nos. 8, 11, and 26, in each toAvnship or fractional part ofa
toAvnship, to be reserved for the future disposition of Congress. Not
more than two complete townships to be given perpetually for the pur
poses of a university, to be laid off by the purchaser or purchasers,
as near the center as may be, so that the same shaU be of good

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 471
land, to be applied to the intended purpose by the legislature of the
State. In consequence of the above powers the Board of Treasury
did enter into contracts for certain quantities of land with Messrs.
Cutler and Sargent, on behalf of the Ohio Company, and AvIth
Messrs. Dayton and Marsh, on behalf of John Cleves Symmes and
his associates. By the letters patent granted to Mr. Symmes, the
lots numbered 8, 11, 16, 26, and 29, are excepted out of the grant,
and reserved to the United States for the purposes to which they
had been appropriated. No. 16 for schools, according to the Ordi
nance of 20th May, 1787, and the lot No. 29 in each toAA'nship for
the purposes of religion, the lots 8, 11, 26, for such purposes as the
Congress of the United States should thereafter direct. From thence
it appears that, although the lots Nos. 16 and 29 are appropriated,
and are to be given perpetually for the purposes above mentioned,
they have not actually been given, and the fee of them remains in
tbe United States.
Whether like reservations and exceptions were made in the patent
issued to the Ohio Corapany I am not able to inform the Council,
but it is highly probable they Avere made, because the petition of
Mr. Symmes to Congress of the 29th August, 1787, prays that
Congress avUI be pleased to direct that a contract be made by the
Board of Treasury with him, for himself and his associates, in all
respects similar in form and matter to the grant made to Sargent
and Cutler, differing only in quantity and place, and, instead
of two townships for a university, that only one be assigned for the
benefit of an academy, which petition was by Congress referred to
the Board of Treasury, to take order the 2d October, 1787. Why
Mr. Symmes declined accepting of two townships for an acaderay,
is not easily to be iraagined.
For further information respecting the" township granted in trust
to Mr. Symmes and his associates for an academy, I beg leave to
refer the Council to a comraunication made to a coraraittee of the
House of Assembly, sent herewith. I have the honor to be, etc.

Rufus Putnam to Thomas Worthington.
Marietta, October 24, 1799.
. I wish to be informed of the distance from Chillicothe to
Cincinnati, the practicability of a mail being carried from one to
the other, an account of roads, Avaters, means *of subsistence, and
distance between stages. I Avant, also, to know the distance from

472 The St. Clair Papers.
Cincinnati through Kentucky to Limestone, by the route the niail
UOAV traA'cls, and also from Limestone to Chillicothe. I also request
you to inform me of the distance from the Salt Springs to Pepe,
from Pepe to Chillicothe, from Pepe to Limestone, and frora Chilli
cothe to Licking on the Muskingura. My object in the inquiry is,
to point out to the Postraaster-General the situation of the principal
settlements in the Territory, and our connection Avith Kentucky in
point of communication by all the roads or routes that are or may
be opened Avith a probability of success. It has appeared to me
that, if practicable, the mail for Cincinnati ought to go direct from
Chillicothe to that place ; that a rauch better arrangeraent may be
made than the one at present for the accommodation of the public
in general, without any additional expense. Your compliance with
my request, and opinion on the subject, will much oblige your
friend.^

Message from the Governor to the House of Representa
tives. Cincinnati, November llth, 1799.
Gentlemen : — I herewith transrait a representation and request of
missionaries of the Church of the United Brethren, made to me
some time ago. The object of that mission is the propagation of the
Christian religion araong the Indians, the attainment of which they
find impeded by the introduction of spirituous liquors into the set
tlement under their care. The design is in itself so laudable, and,
at the same time, attended Avith so many difficulties, that I can have
no doubt of the legislature reraoving every obstacle to the accom-
plishraent of it that can, Avith propriety, be removed by them, and
I recommend the subject to their consideration.

Goveenoe St. Claie to Olivee Wolcott.
Cincinnati, Decemher 2d, 1799.
Sir : — The petition to Congress from the people who have pur
chased lands of Judge Syraraes beyond the bounds of his patent,
which I took the liberty to raention to you as intended, and which
you desired might be sent on through me early in the session, I
bave inclosed to Mr. Ross, of the Senate, by post, and have re-
^ MS. Worthington Papers.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 473
quested him to communicate it to you. Their situation is really
distressing. It would, perhaps, have been most proper that, as the
Territory will have a representative in Congress, it should have
been committed to him, but his being the son-in-laAV of Mr. Symmes
is against it, and the pains that Avas taken to get him elected has
induced a general belief that to secure a support in that body Avas
bis principal motive. That Mr. Harrison should take any pains
against him is not to be expected, and it Avould have been indeUcate
to put the presenting of the petition upon him.

Addeess of the Legislature to the Citizens op the Teeei
toey of the United States north-west of the Ohio.
Fellow-citizens : — We are not insensible of the honor conferred on
us in selecting us to the honorable though arduous task of fraraing
laAVS to protect and secure the personal rights and the property of
so numerous and respectable a class of raen settled over an exten
sive tract of country. Hoav far Ave have succeeded in the execution
of our duty to effect so desirable and important an object, can only
be known Avhen those laAVS shall come into operation ; but if good
intentions can entitle us to your approbation, Ave shall receive it from
a brave and generous people Avith pleasing sensations.
It must bave been easily foreseen that the expenses arising on our
entering upon the present stage of government Avould be considerable.
To provide for these expenses, a land tax presents itself as the
principal, if not the only, object of which we could avail ourselves
for this purpose. We conceive this the least burdensome to the
greatest class of citizens, as no small proportion avIU be paid by per-
. sons living without the Territory owning large tracts of land therein.
Our soil, cUmate, and navigable Avaters present to the raind of ob
servation and conteraplation the most pleasing vIcavs and prospects
of the future greatness and iraportance of this part of the Araerican
¦ empire, but to realize these advantages exertions must be made,
which are within the power of an industrious, enterprising, and en
lightened people. Let the present generation set the example by
discountenancing idleness and dissipation, and, on the other hand,
by encouraging industry, frugality, temperance, and every moral
virtue, and in a fcAV years the desert Avill disappear before the hand
of industry, the fields will be covered Avith flocks, and the face of
nature avIU blossom like the rose. Religion, morality, and knowl-
.edge are necessary to all good governraents, say the venerable framers

474 The St. aair Papers.
of our Constitution, and to this great truth every man of liberal in
formation will subscribe. The liberal grants of lands from the
United States, for the purpose of erecting and endoAving a univer
sity, and other seminaries of learning, for private schools, and for
the support of religion, are adA'antages superior in these respects,
perhaps, to those which any other country can boast of, and no time
will be lost in bringing these adA'antages Into actual operation. To
these advantages let us contribute, as far as possible, that wisdora,
knowledge, and virtue may be widely diffused. Let us inculcate
the principles of humanity, benevolence, honesty and punctuality
in dealing, sincerity, charity, and all the social affections.
Let it be reraerabered that the foundation of public prosperity
and happiness raust be laid in private families. Every well-ordered
family is a little araiable coraraunity ; and a great coraraunity made
up of such families raust be prosperous and happy at home, and
respectable abroad.
Edward Tiffin,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
H. Vanderburg,
Presideni of Hie Council..
Attest:
John Reily,
Clerk of tlie House of Representatives.
W. C. Schenck,
Secretary to the Council.
December ISa, 1799.

Speech of Governor St. Clair to the Legislature, on the
Day of their Adjouenment, Dec. 19th.
Gentleman of the Council and House of Representatives : — I have de
sired you to meet together at this time in order that an end may
be put to the present session of the legislature, which, from the va
riety of important raatters brought before it, has been drawn into
considerable length, and from that circurastance raust liave been at
tended Avith some inconvenience to you. I could have wished that
it had ended at an earlier day, so that the members Avho corae frora
a great distance raight have been able to reach their respective homes
before the severity of winter ; but that could not be without post
poning business which did not well admit of delay ; and I can not
let slip this opportunity before Ave separate of acknowledging the
satisfaction I have received from the patience, the temper, and the-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 475
industry which have been manifested in your deliberations, and the
iir in persuasion I have that the best effects wUl follow from them.
It would have given me peculiar pleasure, gentlemen, if I could
have agreed with you in CA'-ery thing that was done, and I request you
to believe, that where I have dissented from any of your acts it was
uot without much doubt, and after the best consideration I was able
to give them. The Ordinance for the government of the Territory
baving made the Governor a branch of the legislature and placed
in him a negative upon the acts of the other two branches, it be
came an indispensable duty for me to view them in every light, and
to trace them to all their consequences as fully as I Avas capable of
doing it ; and, having done so, I was bound by every tie of duty and
of conscience to foUoAV the dictates of my oavu mind. Considering
the nature and effect of that negative, there Avould have been a
striking impropriety in noticing any of your acts AvhUe they Avere
on their passage through the respective Houses ; and it Avould have
been no less improper, Avhere I could not agree to thera, to have
stated my objections and have sent them to you, because you were
under no obligations to consider them, and might, without any in
decorum, have refused to hear them read. It might cA'^en have been
resented as an attempt to influence ypur deliberations ; but there is
no impropriety in their being mentioned, or in your hearing them
now, and I Avill give you that trouble were it only to satisfy you
that I did not act from caprice.
The act to regulate marriages was not approved, because children
of any age were thereby made capable of not only being be
trothed, but actually married to all intents and purposes, if the con
sent of their parents and guardians was obtained ; because, though
persons of certain descriptions only were authorized to celebrate
tbe marriage rites, there Avas no prohibition to persons of any other
description to celebrate them, nor any penalty imposed upon them
if they took it upon themselves to do so.
The act to regulate taverns and other public-houses, especially in
country places, has the worst effects upon the industry and the mor
als of the people; and that act Avould probably bave multiplied
tbem eventually, for it would have been easier to procure the rec
ommendations made necessary to the obtaining licenses by that act
than those required by the existing law ; they must be of bad char
acter, indeed, who could not prevail upon nine persons to recom
mend them to the courts of quarter-sessions.
But tbose courts will be cautious, both as to the nature and num
ber of recommendations they are now authorized to make, and will

- 476 The St. Clair Papers.
reject improper applications. Besides, no power was given by the
act to refuse licenses let the character of the applicants and the
places where houses Avere proposed to be opened haA'e been ever
so unfit; if the recomraendations Avere procured, the license must
have been granted ; whereas, by the laAV as it now stands, the li
cense raay be refused, notwithstanding the recommendation of the
court of quarter-sessions.
There is, indeed, a difference in the prices to be paid for licenses,
according to the places Avhere the houses are to be opened, which:
has the appearance of an Improveraent, but it raay Avell be doubtedj
whether the effect Avould be any other than increasing the number
of public-houses In places Avhere there is little or no occasion for them,
and, consequently, increasing the incentives to idleness and vice.
The act to create the office of county surveyor did not meet with
approbation, because it did not seem to be necessary. The priinary
disposal of the lands Is in the United States, and a surveyor-general
has been appointed by them. Every thing relating to the survey
ing them, in the first instance, must be performed by him, or by
persons by him appointed. Surveys, which it raay be necessary to
make in consequence of land causes pending in any of the courts,
or of division lines by consent, can as Avell at least be made by sur
veyors agreed upon by the parties, or, if they Avill not agree, ap
pointed by the courts for the purposes before them.
The recording all surveys made by the county surveyors in books
to be kept by thera, seeras not to have any determinate object, for
certified copies of those records are not made CA'idence in those cases
where they raay be litigated, Avhereas, the surveys and petitions
made by order of the courts, by Avhorasoever performed, will raake
a part of their records in every cause Avhere they have been ordered;
and of division lines raade by consent, the evidence Avill be found in
the raeraory of the persons Avho saAV them made and upon the
ground, and to those recourse must be had when disputes arise were
they recorded in a thousand books. The act further conteraplated
that the surveyors should hold their offices during good behavior.
Had the office appeared to be necessary, it Avould have been among
the last that would have been given by that tenure.
The act to ascertain the number of souls in the eastern division
of the Territory, was not approved, because a di\dsion of the Terri
tory, which does not, nor ever did exist, has been assumed as its
principle. Such a division must indeed take place at a future period ;
and, when that period arrives, this legislature, that is, the legislature
constituted as it is at present, can have nothing to do with it. Witb

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 477
another title, and small alteration in the first section, Avhich is only
a repetition of the title, it would have been agreed to without hesi
tation. It is hoped that the object of the act will be attained by the
laAV regulating elections. All the acts dividing the counties of Hara
ilton and Adams, and erecting the parts separated from them into
new counties, have been disajjproved for various reasons. The raeas
ure appeared to be entirely preraature. There is not that inforraa
tion of the number of people which would be contained in any one
of them, from Avhicb to form a correct judgment of its propriety
or impropriety. No provisions are made for the representation in
the legislature of those counties to be erected out of Hamilton. It
is not improbable that some of them would not be entitled to a
representative. To the county proposed to be taken oft' of Adams
a representatiA'e is giA'en, but it is doubtful whether the number of
inhabitants Avithin the bounds Avould be entitled to one ; or if their
numbers are sufficiently large whether Adaras Avould not be left
Avithout. Representation in the legislature is one of the most essen
tial rights of a county. It should be a pressing necessity, indeed,
and accompanied by an express Avaiver of the right that should in
duce the depriving a portion of the people, by erecting the district
of the country they inhabit into a county of any right attached to
that class of comraunity ; but, above all, of the right of repre
sentation. I am truly sensible, gentlemen, of the inconveniences that follow
from a great extension being given to counties ; they can not, hoAV-
ever, be constructed while the settlements are otherAvise, and the in
conveniences are not lessened, but rather increased by being made
very small, AvIth respect to the number of inhabitants.
The expenses which necessarily attend the establishraent of coun
ties fall light Avhen divided amongst a number, but become a heavy
burden when'they must be borne by a few, and the incouA'cniences
iof attending the courts as jurors and Avitnesses, AvhIch are some
times complained of, are increased nearly in the same ratio as the
counties are multiplied AvIthin the same bounds.
There is yet another reason, gentleraen, Avhy those acts were not
assented to. It appears to me that the erecting neAV counties is the
proper business of the Executive. It is, indeed, provided that the
boundaries of counties ma.y be altered by the legislature ; but that
is quite a different thing from originally establishing thera. They
must exist before they can be altered, and the provision is express
that the Governor shall proceed, from time to time, as it may be
come necessary to lay them out. While I shall ever most studiously

478 The St. aair Papers.
avoid encroaching on any of the rights of the legislature, you will
naturally expect, gentlemen, that I should guard with equal care
those of the Executive.
Some new counties, gentlemen, are no doubt necessary, and, as it
will ahvays be my most earnest desire, as it is my duty, to promote
the happiness and the convenience of the people in every thing in
trusted to me, should the necessary inforraation be obtained, their
Avishes in respect to them may be gratified before you meet again.
, The act for establishing the town of Manchester as the perraa
nent seat of justice for the county of Adams Avas disapproved, because,
however nuraerous the petitioners for that measure raay have been
at that time, the courts Avere fixed at Washington, not only at the
request of a majority of the inhabitants, but after an inspection was
made at both places and the intermediate country, in order to ascertain
where Avas the most proper spot in all respects. Great efforts were
made immediately after Adamsville had been fixed upon (that was
the place first chosen) to induce the remoA'al of the courts to Man
chester, Avhich occasioned the vieAV to be taken I have spoken of;
but the objections to Adamsville Avere Avell fouuded, and there were
others to Manchester Avhich presented themselves to rae, and the
courts were reraoved to the raouth of Brush Creek, where the tOAvn
of Washington is uoav situated — a place acknowledged by such of
the inhabitants of Manchester as accompanied me on the view to be
unexceptionable, and AvhIch Avould haA-e given perfect satisfaction
had it been fixed upon at first. Those efforts have been continued
to induce a second removal, and in a Avay not to merit the counte
nance of the legislature, because the public money has been laid
out, and a jail is already erected, and materials (as I am inforraed)
provided for a court-house at Washington and actually on the
ground ; because the removal of seats of justice on lighj; suggestions
tends to introduce amongst the people a spirit of discontent, love of
innovation, and of cabal and intrigue, destructive of public tran
quillity, and a preference of private interest to every other consider
ation ; because that whatever a law raay declare Avith respect to the
permanency of those seats, the removal, in one instance, opens the
Avay to fresh applications of the same nature, and exposes them to
frequent fluctuations from the changeable views and interests of in
dividuals, and the changes that may take place in the representative
body ; and because these changes can not be made without injury to
individuals and the community.
The act for erecting the county of Clark has not been assented to
for some of the reasons above mentioned. It is known to me, gen-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 479
tlemen, that the present number of inhabitants can not support a
county; it is CA'en probable that the names of every man, or nearly
every man, living Avithin the proposed boundary was subscribed to
tbe petition presented to the House ; they did not, I think, much ex
ceed a bundred. It is obvious that they are far short of Avhat Avould
entitle them to a representative ; at the same time, the relative situa
tion of the tract they inhabit, cut off, as it is, from the settled parts
of the county of which it is a part, and from the settled parts of
every other county to Avhich it might be annexed till it reached
maturity by a vast extent of Avilderness, renders the circumstances
of the people there peculiarly unfaA'orable, and niakes thera a proper
object of attention to the legislature ; and I do not doubt that, at
another session, when less pressed by business of a public nature,
your wisdom will discover and apply the proper remedy. The pop
ulation of that part of the country, known by the narae of New
Connecticut, and the relative situation of the settlements within it,
are very little known ; the name e\'en of any person, one excepted,
Avho resides in it, has not reached me.
In such circumstances it Avould be impossible to carry the act for
erecting it into a county into execution, and for that reason, and
such of those above detailed as applied to it, it has been disap
proved. Means will be taken before another session to procure the
necessary information of its actual state.
Ncav as raost of us are, gentlemen, to the business of legislation,
it is not to be wondered at that some difl!erences of sentiment have
appeared. It is, hoAvever, a pleasing reflection that it has been
carried on with the greatest harraony, and that this first essay,
which, permit me to say, Avould do no dishonor to a raore firacticed
legislature, promises lasting benefits to the good people of this Ter
ritory Avhom you represent.
For the compliment you were pleased to make me, I return my
sincere thanks, and I accept it the more readily that it comes in the
delicate shape of a compensation, Avhile I consider it as an honor
able mark of approbation. What I owe to the United States, to
the people of the Territory and to my oavu reputation, lay me uuder
obligations to a performance of the duties of my office, to which
nothing can add weight ; but this instance of your attention to my
comfort, can and will add a stimulus to my exertion, and it is not
the less acceptable that, with all the economy I can use, the emolu
ments of the office barely enable me to maintain my family, whUe
it employs my whole time.
In appointing a time for your next meeting, I have conformed to

480 The St. Clair Papers.
your AvIshes, and you are the best judges Avhen the public business
can be attended to Avith the least incouA'enience. That time, it
has been signified to me, is the first Monday of November next.
Wishing you, then, gentlemen, a safe and happy return to your re
spective counties, this meeting of the legislature is put an end to for
the present, and prorogued to the said first Monday of November,
which Avill be in the year one thousand eight hundred.

Governor St. Clair to James Ross.
December (no date"), 1799.
Dear Sir : — Our assembly, at length, is up, and the session has
been a very harmonious one, notwithstanding that I was obliged to
put a negative upon a good many of their acts. Their last act
Avas a very handsome address to the President, frora Avhich there
were only four dissentients. I haA'e inclosed a paper, which contains
what I said to thera when they Avere prorogued. By the last post,
I inclosed to the President a memorial of the Senate frora them to
the Congress, in behalf of the persons Avho have purchased of Judge
Symmes beyond the liraits of his patent. That subject would have,
no doubt, come before Congress on the petition of the people them
selves, but as it is most probable that Mr. Harrison Avill throAV all
the cold Avater on it he can, I beg of you, if their case appears to
you in the light it does to me, that of being a very hard one, that
you will befriend them, and get them a reasonable time to make
their payments in. Still, I am of the opinion that, Avere the pres
ent manner of disposing of the lands done away entirely, and one
similar to that of Pennsylvania substituted, it would be found to be
the most satisfactory, as Avell as the easiest in the execution, and
though so rauch raoney might not come into the treasury at once, it
Avould be constantly and gradually coraing in, and as the accruing
interest, Avhere the purcliase-money was not paid, would be equal to
so rauch of the debt as that would have extinguished it, it is pre
cisely the sarae thing as if the sales Avere for ready raoney ; and if
much money Is expected to be produced Ijv the sales, I am appre-
henslA'e it avIU be found to haA'e been a raistaken expectation.
Will you excuse rae for troubling you a little further with our af
fairs ? The subject of the toAvnship AvhIch ought to have been set
apart for an academy Avas brought before the legislature, and they
have entered into sorae A'ery ridiculous resolutions respecting it. The
toAvnship that had ahvays been known by the narae of the College

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 481
ToAvnship, and designated as such upon Mr. Symmes's map for sev
eral years, they found had beeu sold by him, all except five sec
tions, and they have instructed Mr. Harrison to endeavor to procure
a laAV to be passed vesting those five sections in the legislature in
trust, and giving them one and thirty sections on the Miami River,
and probably out of Symmes's grant, in lieu of those which he has
alienated, Avhich is, iu fact, requesting Congress, as Mr. Symmes
has broken the trust imposed iu him, to make good for him that
failure. If Congress Avill not do that, he is instructed to use legal
means to compel the execution of the trust, or a compensation. It
is UOAV impossible for Mr. Symmes to fulfill the trust ; that he has
put out of his poAver ; but he may be made to pay the value, and
with great reason, because he paid nothing to the United States for
that land, and the expectation of such a seminary Avas, no doubt, an
inducement to those Avho purchased AvIthin the bounds to pay him
higher prices than they Avould otherAvise have done. Were he to
pay at the rate of tAVO dollars only for them, and the money invested
in six per cent, stock, or put at interest on real security, the interest
of the forty thousand dollars Avould handsoraely maintain the insti
tution, and the odd six thousand eighty dollars Avould complete the
buildings, so that it might come into operation immediately ; and
this I should think more advantageous than even the land, Avhich
seems to have been intended, though it AVonld easily bring five dol
lars Avere it free for sale. What legal means can be taken by Mr.
Harrison I do not see, for, though the trust is to Mr. Symmes, for
the use of the adventurers, within the bounds of his patent (and
the people at large have nothing to do with it), yet it Avas
made by the United States for the benefit of those adventures. It
was, in fact, a part of the price paid for the lands, and their trustee
baving failed to apply it, it appears to me that it is by them that he
ought to be called to account.
I have conversed Avith you on the subject of dividing this Terri
tory into districts and erecting two governments in it. You seemed
to think it would be a proj^er measure, and that nothing made
against it but the additional expense it would occasion. To me
that has always appeared a small consideration, when compared
with the inconveniences that Avould probably foUoAv from its soon
becoming a State ; and, if it is not divided, it must become a State
very soon. It is even thought by some that the requisite number
of inhabitants are now Avithin it, and measures have beeu taken by
the legislature to ascertain It. But no time shall be lost, when it
does come about, by directing an annual enumeration.
Vol. 11—31.

482 The St. aair Papers.
A multitude of indigent and ignorant people are but ill qualified
to form a constitution and government for theraselves ; but that is
not the greatest evil to be feared from it. They are too far removed
from the seat of government to be much impressed with the power
of the United States. Their connection with any of them is very
slender — many of them having left nothing but creditors behind
them, Avhora they would very Avillingly forget entirely. Fixed po
litical principles they have none, and though at present they seera
attached to the General Government, it is in fact but a passing sen
timent, easily changed or even removed, and certainly not strong
enough to be counted upon as a principle of action ; and there arc;
a good many Avho hold sentiments in direct opposition to its princi
ples, and who, though quiet at present, would then take the lead.
Their government Avould most probably be democratic in its form
and oligarchic in its execution, and more troublesome and more op
posed to the measures of the United States than even Kentucky.
All this, I think, raay be prevented Ijy the division of the Territory.
Tirae would be afforded for the cultivation of a disposition favorable
to the General Government, as the inhabitants would meet with
nothing but frlendshqi and protection frora the United States, and
the influence of the fcAV Avealthy would cease entirely, or scarce be
felt, and gratitude and attachraent Avould becorae fixed habits of the
raind. But it is not every division that Avould answer those pur
poses, but such a one as Avould probably keep them in the colonial
state for a good raany years to corae. In a letter, Avhich I Avrote to
the Secretary of State by the last post, on this subject, I raentioned
the proper boundaries to them, but, on further reflection, I think it
would not answer ; that it would divide the present inhabitants in
such a raanner as to raake the upper or eastern division surely Fed
eral, and form a counterpoise from opposing local interests in the
western division to those who are unfriendly to the General Govern
ment, I think is certain ; but the eastern division is too thinly in
habited, and the design would be too evident. A line draAvn due
north from the mouth of Eagle Creek, where it empties itself into
the Ohio, would ansAver better. There would then be the counties
of Adams, of Ross, of Washington, of Jefferson and TrurabuU in
the eastern division, and all of them must hereafter be subdivided,
and other counties made out of thera ; and the western division
would contain the counties of Hamilton, Wayne, Knox, St. Clair,
and Randolph, and each of them would have a sufficient nuraber of
inhabitants to continue in the present stage of governraent — that is,
to raake laAVs for themselves by their representatives ; whereas, were

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 483
the Territory divided by the great Miami, the western division must
I'eturn to the first stage. The expense, whicb you seemed to think
-would be the principal obstruction, would be but trifling, for, un
doubtedly, an increase of judges there must be, if any regard is had
to the people. It is utterly impossible that three judges can do the
business, but were they sufficiently numerous for the country as it
UOAV is, they might serve for the whole of it Avhen divided into tAvo
districts. The Avhole additional expense, then, that the division
would occasion would be the salary of one Governor.
The division of the Territory, I am persuaded, Avill be pressed,
and I believe it to be a part of Colonel Worthington's business in
Philadelphia ; and the great Miami, or a line draAvn from the mouth
of it, will be set forth in the strongest raanner as the proper line.
The people of Ross are very desirous it shotild take place. Their
vicAvs are natural and innocent enough. They look no further than
giving consequence to Chillicothe. But I am very much mistaken
if their leaders have not other and more extensive views. They
think the division in that Avay would but little retard their becoraing
a State, and as almost all of them are democrats, Avhatever they
pretend to the contrary, they expect, that both the power and the
influence Avould come into their hands, and that they Avould be able
to model it as they please ; aud it is my fixed belief it would be ia
a manner as unfriendly to the United States as possible. This,
boAvever, is in confidence, and I particularly request that my senti
ments may not be confided to Mr. Worthington, Avho, I have dis
covered, not to be entirely that candid man I once represented him
to you, and Avho I now think a A'ery designing one.
On the subject of the judges, I Avill take the liberty to bring to
your mind what you mentioned to me about Mr. Kittera. Ho
Avould, in my opinion, be a great acquisition, and I beg of you to
use your influence in his favor.
There should be one laAvyer on the bench where their decisions are
final. If an additional number is appointed, it would be a grateful
thing. That somo of the gentlemen of the law, who here are resi
dents, should be thought of, is to be expected ; and there is a gen
tleman of the name of McMillan, a counselor, spoken of to me in
strong terms by the rest of the bar, and I believe they Avill recom
mend bim to tbe President. I am personally acquainted with him.
He is a man of much application, with a strong and not unculti
vated mind, an awkward appearance and address, and is an indif-

484 The St. Clair Papers.
ferent speaker, but has fair reputation, and is in great esteem with
the people.
I have Avritten you a letter of a most unmerciful length, but you
must blame yourself for having encouraged this correspondence ;
and, to tell you the truth, you are now the only person with Avhom
I do correspond on subjects of this nature.' Accept the corapliments
of the season, and my sincere wishes that you may see it often hap
pily return.

Go-VERNOR St. Clair to the President.
Cincinnati, December 2Sd, 1799.
Sir: — The inclosed address from the General Assembly of the
Territory, Avas put into my hands on the 19th instant, the day
on Avhich it was prorogued, by a comraittee of both houses, with a
request that I Avould transmit it to you. In that, sir, they imposed
a very agreeable duty upon me ; for the sentiments appeared to be
such as Avere proper for them to express, and, having publicly ex
pressed them, the individuals Avill find theraselves prompted (had
they no better motives, and I hope and believe they have many
better) by the desire so natural to raen, of leading others to think
as they do, to propagate thera araong their constituents ; and noth
ing can be raore agreeable to rae than being raade the channel through
which the testimonies of confidence and respect and of attachment
towards you are couA'eyed.
I trust a short time only will elapse before they are comraon to
the whole Araerican people.
A laAV, sir, has been passed, during the session of the legislature,
for regulating the railitia, Avhich requires a nuraber of general officers
to carry it into effect. So soon as I cau get a copy, it shall be
sent to the Secretary of State to be laid before you, and, Avith your
permission, I will name to you such persons in the different counties
as appear to me, in all respects, the fittest to fill those offices.

To John Adams, Peesident of TtuD United States.
Sir : — The General Assembly of the Territory north-Avest of the
River Ohio,^ believing that the highest rcAvard which a virtuous

^Resolved, unanimously, by the Legislative Council and House of Representa
tives, etc., That the Governor of the said Territory be requested to transmit

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 485
public officer can receive is the applause of his fellow-citizens, are
anxious to embrace the earliest opportunity of declaring their con
fidence in your virtue and talents, and their approbation of your
official conduct. With a degree of pleasure and exultation more
easily felt than expressed, we review the history of your important
life, replete with proofs of patriotic virtue. At a period Avhich de
manded more than ordinary firmness, Ave saAv you step forAvard, the
resolute supporter of your country's rights. We witnessed your
perseverance through the Revolutionary War, and to your firmness
we attribute the enjoyment of the rich country we now inhabit.
Having acted so conspicuous a part in the establishment of
American independence, at the close of the arduous contest,
which enrolled the United States on the record of nations, you
might have retired to the shade of private life, and securely en
joyed the approbation of an upright mind and the applause of a
grateful country, but, happily for America, you chose to continue
in public life till the confidence of your felloAV-citizens, at a
critical moment, placed you at the helm of state ; and permit us,
sir, to assure you, that we are duly impressed Avith a sense of the
wisdom, justice, and firmness Avith Avhich you have discharged tbis
important trust ; and we take this early opportunity of assuring
you, sir, of our sincere attachment to the Araerican Constitution
.and Government, and of our determination to afford every possible.
support to both.
We believe that, regardless of the voice of party spirit which has
striven to distract our national councils, you haA'e kept the honor
and happiness of the nation constantly in view ; and avc ardently
pray that the Wise Ruler of nations may preserve your health and
life.
Edwaed Tiffin,
Speaker of tlie House of Representatives.
H. Vanderburgh,
President of the Council.
-to the President of the ITnited States the following address (signed by the
President of the Council, and the Speaker of the House of Eepresentatives,
in behalf of both houses), together with this resolution.^
(1) The address was adopted by a unanimous vote of the council, but there were
.five negative votes in the house.— See Vol. I., p. 213.

486 The St. aair Papers.
Ansaver op the President of the United States to Address
from Legislature of the Territory.
Philadelphia, January 18, 1800.
Gentlemen : — A kind address has been transmitted to me, at your
request, by Governor St. Clalr, and subscribed by Edward Tiffin,
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and H. Vanderburgh, the
President of the Council ; the more agreeable t'o rae as it appears
to have been unanimous. I pray you to accept of my sincere
thauks for this pledge of your affection and respect. The con
fidence and approbation of so remote a portion of the nation, as it
may be supposed to be impartial, is very precious to me. What
ever may have been ray prospects in private life ; whatever delight
I have taken in its pursuits, and Avhatever inclination I may have
always had for its tranquillity, I have not declined the invitations
of the public to assist in their councils. If any efforts of mine, in
concert with others of brighter talents and fairer fame, have con
tributed, in any degree, to the enjoyraent of the rich country you
now inhabit, this consideration alone ought to be esteeraed by rae
as a sufficient reward for the services of a whole life.
Your sincere attachraent to the Constitution and Government,
and your deterraination to afford every possible support to both, do
J'OU honor, while your prayers for my life and health deserve my
best thanks and sincere benedictions to yourself and your posterity.
John Adams.

Address of Governor St. Clair on the Death of General
Washington.'
I thank you, gentlemen — my felloAV-citizens, I thank you all for
this mark of respect Avhich you have just paid to the meraory of our
1 "And soleran moved along the cavalcade."
Saturday last exhibited to this town a scene of mourning, whioh it had
never before witnessed. That day had been previously set apart for the
purpose of paying the most solemn funeral honors to the memory of the
man " first in war, flrst in peace, flrst in the hearts of his countrymen," Gen
eral George Washington.
In obedience to the orders of Major-General Hamilton, Captain Miller,
the comraanding oflicer at Fort 'Washington, had made arrangements for
that purpose. The morning of the solemn day was announced by sixteen
discharges of cannon, in quick succession. At 12 oclock the troops formed
on the flat in front of the garrison, where they were joined by Oaptain Find-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 487
friend, General Washington, that good and great man, who was not
only the father of his country, but the friend and benefactor of
mankind, for his life was a lesson, and it will be a lasting one to all
who aim at being truly great or truly useful.
Could virtue, my friends, have rescued frora the grave, Ave should
not now have had to perform this raournful cereraony, nor to laraent
the loss we have sustained. A heavy loss it is, and for which our grief
is botb decent and proper. But let us not sorrow as those Avho have
no hope. He is gone to those mansions of bliss, where the spirits of
just men are made perfect, to receive his glorious rcAvard, and Avhere
nothing be did or suffered for his country Avill be forgotten ! For
ourselves, indeed, we have much sorroAV ; for he Avas reraoved from
us at a most critical time, Avhen our country is threatened from
abroad and distracted by divisions at home. But if Ave, ray friends,
lay's troop of horse, the Masonic brethren, and a large concourse of citizens,
all eager to testify their high veneration for the character of the illustrious
deceased, and the deep sense which they entertained of his loss, by paying
this mournful tribute of respect to his memory. The bier was received by
the troops, formed in lines, Avith presented arras, oificers, drums, and colors
saluting The procession then moved on in the following order, minute guns
firing from the garrison, and the music performing a solemn dirge;
Cavalry.
Kegular troops.
Horse representing that of the General, with saddle, holsters, and pistols,
and boots reversed.
Kev. Mr. Wallace.
Dr. Sellman, . Dr. Elliott,
Captain Prince, " Major Zeigler, ,
Captain Spencer, o Major Goforth,
Pall-bearers. Pall-bearers.
His Excellency, the Governor,
and the Attorney-General, as mourners.
Masonic brethren.
Militia olflcers in uniform.
Citizens.
Having proceeded through different streets, and arrived at the place rep
resenting that of interment, the military halted, and, opening their lines,
formed an avenue for the bier, and those immediately attendant on it, to
pass through, the troops leaning on reversed arms. The coffin having been
deposited in the grave, a prayer suitable for the occasion was delivered by
the Kev. Mr. Wallace, after which the Masonic brethren perforraed their
ceremony. Three discharges of musketry over the grave concluded the
military ceremonies.
His Excellency the Governor then delivered the following address. — From
the Western Spy, February 5, 1800.

488 The St. Clair Papers.
with hurable confidence, islace our reliance upon Almighty God,
who raised him up and endoAved him with all the talents that Avere
necessary for all the great and important stations he Avas called to
in the course of His providence, and under Avliose guidance we Avere
led to independence and attained our liberty, regulated and guided
by the best and wisest proA'isions, and Ave are true to virtue and our
selves, we need not fear that should troubles encompass us. He will
not again raise up for us fit instruments to lead us through them,
and to accomplish all His gracious purposes tOAvards us ; and the
raany visible instances of His interposition in our faA'or, heretofore,
wheu every probability Avas against us, and hope itself alraost ex
tinguished, while the recollection of it ought to excite in us the
most lively gratitude, affords us good ground to believe that great
things are intended for us as a nation, if we do not disappoint them
ourselves, and, by our vices, call doAvn the divine displeasure. Of
this, my friends, be assured : if Ave do not forsake Gou, He will not
forsake us, and of this our deceased friend has left us both the ex
ample and the proof. He trusted in God, and He delivered him
from all his enemies. His life Avas a life of virtue, and his latter
end was peace.

Governor St. Claie to John Adams.
Cincinnati, January 27, 1800.
Sir : — I have taken the liberty to inclose to you the written re
quest of the gentlemen of the bar of Hamilton county for the ap
pointment of Mr. McMillan.' The object of it I knoAv to be a man
of integrity ; much esteemed, and of considerable influence. Ofhls
political principles, I have learned that some doubt has been made
in Philadelphia, and that the representative has mentioned to some
persons here that au explicit declaration that he would support the
adrainistration, to be raade by him or some person in his behalf
that could be depended upon, would be required in order to his be
ing nominated. Although I have ever thought it wrong that offices
should be trusted to enemies of the Governraent, I doubted of Mr.
Harrison's authority to say that an express declaration that he
would support the administration would be required of any person,
and it has not even been hinted to Mr. McMillan. Though he has
rather leaned toAvard democracy, I can say with truth that he has

1 See St. Clair's letter to Senator Ross, December, 1799. Mr. McMillan
was mentioned in connection with a position on the bench.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 483
always been moderate, and a single session in the assembly has en
tirely removed tbe prejudice he had in favor of a single branch of
legislation, which be openly and candidly acknowledges.

Go-vEENOR St. Clair to William Henry Harrison.
Cincinnati, February 17, 1800.
Sir : — The inclosed petition from the people of St. Vincennes Avas
received by express a fcAV days ago, and Avas accompanied with a re
quest that I Avould forAvard it to Congress. I must beg you to have
the goodness to present it. The object of the petition is that such
a division of the Territory may take' place as would throAv them and
the people of the Illinois country back into that kind of government
-from Avhich the Territory at large has just emerged, Avhlch is more
fully explained to me in the letter accompanying the petition thau
in the petition itself. It may seem to Congress a strange request,
¦but if their local situation is considered, their great distance, and
the little connection or even intercourse, and the difficulty of that
intercourse, it will not appear to be an unreasonable one, especially
if this circumstance, detailed in my letters, is Avell founded :
" It is found, upon an accurate estimate, that the Territorial tax
which falls upon this county, under the present revenue laAvs, AviU
exceed the amount of the specie circulating in it, and as they are
fully persuaded that, in the course of a year or two, they Avill fall
back to the situation from Avhich they haA'e just emerged, they cou-
ceive it Avould be an intolerable grievance to have their lands sold
for the support of a government from which they expect to receive
Jittle or no advantage."
A division of the Territory is a subject on Avhich I have thought
a great deal, and have fervently wished, and you well knoAV that,
from the enormous extent of it at present, it is almost impossible to
keep even the executive part of the go\'ernment in order. The
great and growing importance of this country seems never to haA'e
!been attended to ; in truth, there Avere few persons in Congress who
'knew much about it, and the concerns of the States they repre
sented, together with the great interests of the Union, kept it, in a
great measure, out of sight. We raay uoav hope that some attention
Avill be paid to it, and it is with pleasure that I have seen that you
have beeu appointed chairman of the committee for taking its con
cerns into consideration. How much soever a division is to be
wished, there are difficulties in the Avay. The increase of expense

490 The St. Clair Papers.
Avould form one ; but it is an ill-calculation to put a little money in
the scale against the welfare and happiness of a multitude of peo
ple. To render the Territory manageable, it would require to be
divided into three districts ; and then it may be thought that the
Ordinance stands in the Avay, that haA'ing 23rovided for a division
into two only, and it is generally supposed that the Ordinance can
not be altered but by common consent. This, I think, a mistake.
There is, indeed, a part of it Avhere the fundamental principles of
the States which raay hereafter be erected are laid, that is declared
to be a corapact not to be changed but by common consent ; but
CA'ery other part of it Is as much in the poAver of Congress to alter
or repeal as a laAV AvhIch raay have passed yesterday. Suppose
these difficulties got over, hoAV are the districts to be bounded ? The
object of some is that the eastern district should extend from the
line of Pennsylvania to the Great Miami ; the middle district to
comprehend the country betAveen the Great Miami and the Wabash,
and the Avestern district the country between that aud the Mississippi.
On that proposition, I Avould observe that the eastern division would
be still too large, and in the middle one there would be very few
people, and the Indian title to a great part of it is not extinguished.
The manner that strikes rae as raost eligible is that the Scioto, and
a line draAvn north frora the forks of it, should forra the western
boundary of the eastern district : a line draAvn north frora that part
of the Indian boundary line opposite to the raouth of the Kentucky,
the AVestern boundary of the middle division ; and the Avestern
division to comprehend all the country betAveen that and the Mis
sissippi. The natural advantages Avould, in this manner, reraain to
every part. Marietta would most probably be the seat of the gov
ernraent for this district, and sufficiently convenient to every part
of it ; Cincinnati Avould continue to be, with equal convenience,
the seat of the raiddle district, and St. Vincennes for the Avestern ;
not, indeed, equaUy convenient, but raore so than any other place
that could be chosen. There are raany other advantages Avhich
would floAV from this measure which I avIU not trouble you Avith. I
Avill only observe that almost any division into two parts Avhich
could be made would ruin Cincinnati.
I beg leave to put you in mind of the donations to the heads of
farailies in the Illinois country. Their petitions on the subject are
no doubt ou the files, for they have beeu often raade. The situa
tion of thera is this: Certain spaces near to the villages Avere to be
laid out in squares or parallelograms, sufficiently large for the Avhole
cf the donations, and within them they Avere to be laid and dis-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 491
tributed by lot. It was found that the whole of those spaces, sup
posed by Congress to be vacant, Avere covered either by old French
and English grants, or by grants from the command of officers of
Virginia and the courts of the country, to Avhich the act of the 3d
of March, 1791, gave validity. They pray that they raay be laid
off for them on the Kaskaskia River, and in the neighborhood of
Cahokia, and they may be laid there without injury ; but that they
have not hitherto been laid, has been an irreparable injury to many
and to the country. I have troubled you with a letter of enormous
length, and will only add to it my best respects to Mrs. Harrison,
whicb I beg you to present.

Goveenoe St. Claie to M. de Luzieee.^
Cincinnati, le 4ieme Mars, 1800.
Monsieur : — La lettre que vous m'avez fait I'honneur d'ecrire le
28 May dernier ; je n'ai re§u que depuis deux mois et je n'ai
1 A victim of the Scioto Company. The letter to which St. Clair's is a re
ply was as follows :
A Mk. Le General Ste. Claik, Gouveknklk qbnisral du pats de
l'ouest des Etats-Ukis.
De la kouvelle Boukbon des Illinois, le 28 May, 1799.
Mon Qeneral: — Perraettez-moi de me r'appeler a votre souvenir et de re-
clamer vos Bontes et 'Votre appui en faveur d'une petition que son Excel
lence Le Chevalier De Yrujo ministre de sa Majeste Catholique pres des
Etats-Unis s'est charge de reraettre, pour moy au Congres, a Teffet d'obtenir de
sa justice et de sa Bienfaisance, quatre mille acres de terres entre la Riviere
des Illinois et le Vilage de Cahokia en indemnite de Celles que la Compagnie
du Scioto m'a. vendues en 1790. et jamais livr^es, etdesdepenses excessivesque
I'infixeoution de cette acquisition m'anecesssairementoccasionnees; Ayant ete
temoin vous merae, raon general lors de mon arrivfie sur I'Ohio, des cruels
embarras, genes, pertes, et peines que j'ay eprouves en cette occasion avec
ma nombreuse famille, et quelques compatriotes de mes amis se'duits et
trompfo comme moi par les fausses promesses et assurances des agents de la-
dite Compagnie, j'ose me flatter que bien loin d'etre contraire et de vous
opposer au succes de ma demande, vous daignerez la proteger. — quoi qu'
actuelleraent fixe sur la partie d'E.spagne, non seulement je serai a portee de
faire valoir les dites terres dans I'endroit ou je les demande et sollicite, a cause
de leur proximite de chez moi, mais en outre, mon fils ain^ qui etait Emigre
en Ailemagne venant de me rejoindre se. propose de s'y etablir et de s'y fixer
avec sa famille si je les obtiens.
Nous perdons M. Zenon Trudeau, Lieutenant Gouvemeur de la Louisiana
Superieure et Commandant a St. Louis que vous connoissez, il est rappele a
son Regiment; il est remplace par mon fils Delasurr, Lieutenant-colonel ag-
grege dudit Kegiment qui commandaitle poste de la Nouvelle Madrid, et qui a.

492 The St. Clair Papers.
pas trouvfe une occasion favorable de vous repondre jusqu' a
present. Vous n'avez pas vous trompe. Monsieur, en croyant que je suis
interesse en tout ce qui peut contrlbuer a votre felicite, et I'appointe-
ment de M. Delassur, votre fils, est un evfenement de cette esp6ce,
et nous en avons ici re^u les nouvelles avec beaucoup de plaisir.
Pour ce qui a rapport a votre Petition que son Excellence le ministre
de sa Majeste Catholique s'est charge de presenter au Congres, cer
tainement c'est en bonnes mains mais, permettez moi, Monsieur, de
vous dire franchement, que je crains pour le succes et je'ne voudrois pas
faire croitre des esperances qui ne promettent de s'accomplir heu
reusement. Loin d'etre oppose a vos A'ues, je voudrois bien les
seconder a\'ec tout mon pouvoir, parceque, justice et generosite a part,
les fetats-unis A'oudroient etre tres araplement compeuses jDour quel
ques pertes de terre par I'acquisition d'un citoyen tel que Monsieur
votre fils, et je suis indigne des troraperies dont vous, Mon
sieur, i3articuliurement et tant d' autres ont 6te les victimes, mais
le Congres, Monsieur, ne se m^e pas dans les contrats des in-
dividus, et lalsse les trorapeurs aux Lois — En croyant, qu' a
donner compensation en un cas est jeter un fondement et meme
un droit pour les demandes des autres, c'est un pas qu'ils prendront
avec beaucoup de precaution. Outre cela, la terre raeme n'est pas
absoluraent a leur disposition — elle est affectfee pour la decharge des
dettes publiques et doit etre vendue — avec tout cela, je ne refuse
pas ma foible aide, et j'ai ecrit a quelques uns de mes amis pour
les avertir, des peines et des pertes que vous avez souffert et de prier
leur bont6 en votre faveur, en merae teras, Monsieur, il faut que je
vous avertisse, avec la merae franchise, que mon influence est absolu
raent an6antie. Elpigne, ignore, oublife ti I'exception d'un ou deux
Messieurs, avec lesquels j'ai ete long teras 116 par une amitie etroite,
je ne connois pas un seul membre du Congr6s, et souffrant une
espfece de relegation, apr6s le sacrifice de mes meilleurs jours, et
la dissipation de ma fortune dans le service public, honorable
pourtant, mais sans consequence, vous verrez bien, Monsieur, que le
bon vouloir est tout ce qui rae reste. Ce tableau, en v6rite, n'est
pas bien rejouissant, raals il n'est pas tout a fait sombre, et pour
obtenu, de plus, le titre de Commandant general depuis le haut du Missis
sippi jusqu' au fort de I'esperance-place vis-a-vis Celui des ecors sur le dit
fleuve. La part que vous m'avez temoigng prendre a ce qui m'interessait me
persuade que vous apprendrez cet Svenement avec plaisir.
J'ai I'honneur d'etre avec un sincere et respectueux attachement, mon
<G6n^ral, Votre tres-humble et trte obeissant serviteur.
Pre Delassuk de LuziiiBES.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 493
contraste, occupe a conduire ma troupe, qui croit en nombre de
jour en jour jusqu' a merveiUe, a reprimer les vices de societe, et a les
mener a la feUcit^ publique par la vertu, j'ai trouve dans cette meme
relegation une infinite de jouissances, plus douces, plus solide, et plus
convenable, a raon age que je n'aurai jamais trouve dans le grand
monde. — mon seul regret est, que sans perdre le desir, j'ai perdu le
pouvoir d'etre utile a mes amis, dans le nombre desquels je vous
prie de permettre que je range Monsieur de Luziere.
Votre pauvre contree. Monsieur, la France, est encore la scene de
troubles, de revolutions et d'excutions ! mais il y a une revolution
recemment qui est la plus extraordinaire de toutes les autres. Buona
parte a soudainement arrive de I'Egypte en France, et bouleverse le
Directoire, les Conseils, et la Constitution et a saisi le Gouvernement.
Je vous envoye une Gazette oii ses iDremlferes demarches sont d6-
taUlees. Pliit a Dieu que les effets donnent la paix a I'Europe
ensanglantee et au monde harasse.
Faites moi I'honneur, Monsieur, de me presenter respectueusement
a Madame Luziere et a votre aimable fiUe, et croyez que je suis avec
une estime tres sincere. Monsieur,
Votre tr6s humble et obeissant serviteur, Ar. St. Claie.
J'aime les Frangois beaucoup, et vous voyez que je massacre leur
langue, n'est ce-pas une preuve? ''
' TKANSLATION. Cincinnati, March ith, 1800.
Sir : — The letter which you did me the honor to Avrite on the 20th of May
last, I did not receive until two months ago, and I have not found a favor
able occasion to reply to j'ou until the present time.
Vou haA'e not deceived yourself, sir, in believing that I am interested in
every thing which can contribute to your felicity, and the appointraent of
M. Delassur, your son, is an event of this kind, and we have received the
news of it with much pleasure.
In reference to your petition, whioh his Excellency, the minister of his
Catholic Majesty, has charged hiraself with presenting to Congress, certainly
it is iu good hands; but permit me, sir, to tell you frankh-, that I fear for
its success, and I do not Avish to increase hopes Avhich do not proraise a
happy accomplishment. Par from being opposed to your views, I would wil
lingly second them with all ray power, because, justice and generosity apart,
the United States would be araply compensated for any loss of land by the
acquisition of a citizen such as your son, and I am indignant at the de
ceptions of which you, sir, particularly, and so raany others, have been the
victims; but Congress does not interfere in the contracts of individuals, and
leaves the deceivers to the law, believing that to give compensation in one
case is to establish a precedent, and even a right forthedemands of others; it
is a step whichthey would take with much precaution. Besides that, the land

494 The St. Clair Papers.

Governor St. Clair to Timothy Pickering.
CraciNNATi, March SOth, 1800.
Sir: — A considerable time ago, I transraitted to the President a
copy of the law for regulating the railitia, passed at the last session
of the legislature, by Avhich general officers are made necessary to
its complete organization, and took the liberty to say that, Avith his
permission, I Avoiild mention the names of persons who appeared to
rae the most suitable.
I have been since informed that some surprise has been expressed
that no list of names for those offices had been sent forward, and,
itself is not absolutely at their disposal; it is entailed for the discharge of
the public debt, and must be sold. With all that, I do not refuse my feeble
aid, and I have written to some of my friends, to acquaint them with the
troubles and losses which you have suffered, and to beg their kindness in
your favor. At the same tirae, sir, I ought to tell you frankly that my in
fluence is absolutely annihilated. Distant, ignored, forgotten, except by one
or two gentleraen with whom I ara united by the flrmest friendship, I know
not a single raeraber of Congress, and I ara sulTering a kind of relegation,
after the sacrifice of my best days and the dissipation of my fortune in the
public service — honorable, however, but without consequence. You will
see well, sir, that good-will is all that remains to me. This picture, in truth,
is not very pleasant, but it is not altogether somber; and for contrast, occu
pied in conducting my band, which grows in number from day to day mar
velously, in repressing the vices of society, and leading them to public
happiness by virtue, I have fouud in this banishment even an inflnity of en
joyments — sweeter, more solid, raore suitable to my age than I could ever
have found in the great Avorld. My only regret is, that Avithout losing the
desire, I have lost the power of being useful to ray friends, in the number
of Avhom I beg you to permit me to include M. de Luziere.
Your poor country, sir. Prance, what a scene of troubles, of revolutions,
and of executions ! But there has been a recent revolution, Avhich is more
extraordinary than all the others. Bonaparte has suddenly returned to
Prance frora Egypt, and overturned the Directory, the Councils, and the
Constitution, and seized the. Government. I send you a Gazette, where his
first steps are detailed. Would to God that the effects may give peace to
bleeding Europe and to an harassed world.
Do me the honor to remeraber me respectfully, sir, to Madame de Luziere,
and to your amiable daughter, and believe that I am, with most sincere es
teem, sir, Your very humble and obedient servant, A. St. Clair.
I love the French very much, and you see how I massacre their language.
Is not that a proof?

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 495
therefore, I now request you, sir, to take the trouble to lay the fol
lowing before the President.
I have the honor to be, etc.
For the President —
In the county of Randolph, John Edgar, Esq. , commands the mil
itia at present. He is a very good man, and formerly attached to
Government of the United States.
In St. Clair county, John du Moulin, Esq., Commands, and is
also a very good man, of fair character.
In the county of Knox, Francis Vigo, Esq., commands. He has
been a very active officer, and, llkcAvise, formerly attached to the
Government. In the county of Hamilton, Oliver Spencer commands. He is an
old officer, but has been altogether inattentive to the militia, and is
either too old or too indolent to give much attention to it in future.
Next to him stands John S. Gano, an active, intelligent man, and
a staunch friend to Government.
In Adams, Nathaniel Massie commands, an active, intelligent
man, and by far the most wealthy in the county, but a little
tinctured by deraocracy. Next to hira stands John Belli, a Avell-
inforraed man, and clear of those prejudices, but is rather un
popular. In the county of Ross, Samuel Finley coramands, an old officer,
a friend to the Government, and a virtuous man. Mr. Worthing
ton and Mr. Langham both look up to the brigadier's office.
Langham is an old officer, an open, honest, avoAved democrat.
Neither of them hold any rank in the militia. Worthington Avas
appointed Ueutenant-colonel, and resigned it on Finley's being ap
pointed colonel, when the militia was first organized in that county.
In Washington, Colonel Sproat commands, and has commanded
since the settlement of the country.
Colonel David Vance commands the county of Jefferson. He is
a very good man, and, indeed, I knoAV of no other there fit for it.

Goveenoe St. Claie to James Smith, Sheriff.
Cincinnati, Ame 4, 1800.
Having received information that certain inhabitants of the town
•of Hamilton, in your county, have, in consequence of an affray be
tween an Indian man of the Shawanese nation and an inhabitant

496 Tne St. Clair Papers.
of the said town of the name of McFaden, in which the said Mc-
Faden Avas killed, laid hands upon and kept in confinement three
men and a woman of the same nation of Indians, who are not even
charged with having had any concern in the said affiay, nor in
killing the said McFaden; and, Avhereas, it is provided by the
ninth article of the treaty of GreenviUe^ to Avhich the ShaAvanese
nation Avas a party, " that for injuries done by individuals, either of
the Indian nations or of the United States, no private revenge or
retribution shall take place, but instead thereof, comijlaint shall be
inade'by the party Iniured to the chief authority of the other," etc.,
and the arrest and detention of the said Indian raen and w'oman is
a direct violation of the aforesaid stipulation, and is an unwarrant
able exertion of poAA'er by individuals, this is to authorize and re
quire you to proceed to the town of Hamilton, and to take into your
custody the said Indian men and woman; and, if you find it pru
dent to do so, to set thera at liberty, and send them among their
nation. But should it afipear to you that they can not safely be
sent from thetown of Harailton, you «are to bring them to me at
Cincinnati ; and if you haA'e ground to suspect a rescue being at
tempted, or violence offered to them on the way, you are to take
the poAver of the county to your aid, or such part thereof as you
shall judge sufficient to secure their safe removal ; for all which
tins shall be your sufficient warrant.

William EAA^NG to Go-veenoe St. Claie.
Detroit, July 12, 1800.
Sir: — I beg leave, as one of the settlers in the Territory on the
tract called Ncav Connecticut, to make a few remarks to your Ex
cellency with respect to our settlement as may help to give
information to induce you to set off a county in that part of the
Territory. We are bounded by the south shore of Lake Erie on the north,
extending from the west bounds of the State of Pennsylvania west
Avard forty-five miles ' to the Cuyahoga River; on the Avest by said
river. Our Avidth south from the lake is fifty miles upon an aver
age. This tract is divided, or run out Into toAvnships, of five miles
f;quare, and raany of these-townships are divided into lots or farms
for the accommodation of settlers. In a great number of the town
ships are settlers and settleraents raade, and the settlements are in
creasing fast. It is not possible for me to say with certainty Avhat

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 497
number of male inhabitants we consist of in the purchase, but I
thiuk I can, Avith safety, venture to say to your Excellency that we
exceed the number of five hundred free males. I have taken the
liberty to address your Excellency frora a wish that Ave may get
organized into a county as soon as may be convenient for you to do
it, as we shall suffer much if Ave are annexed to any other county.
Your son and others have informed me you expected to be out in
that country this summer, if your health permitted. I have spoken
some to Mr. St. Clair on the subject.

Goveknoe St. Claie to John Marshall.^
Cincinnati, August 5, 1800.
Sir: — I bave been honored Avith your letter of the 9th of June,
relating to the Connecticut Reserve, and also that of the 12th of the
same month, covering the act for dividing this Territory. In pur
suance of the first, a county has been erected, called Trumbull, com
prehending all the land contained within the boundaries by which
the reservation was made, when the cession bf the claim of Con
necticut to Avestern lands generaUy AA'as accepted by Congress.
In that county an. unfortunate accident has happened already, the
killing of two Indian men and the wounding of two children, of
wbich I received the account this morning in a letter from Colonel
Hamtramck. The inclosed is a copy of it. I shall send another to
the Secretary of War. There has been for a considerable time past
a great restlessness amongst the Indian tribes, and sorae of them have
been committing depredations upon other tribes, and much appear
ances that war betAveen them should be enkindled, Avhile others have
been stealing many horses from the white people, which is a com
mon prelude to hostilities. I am persuaded that if they do not
quarrel amongst themselves it will not be long thafthey will be at
peace witb us ; to obviate, however, as much as possible theiUl effects
of this present affair, I shall go to the county of TrurabuU iramedi
ately, and if tbe circumstances will justify it, appoint a special
court of oyer and terminer for the trial of the person who is taken.

Goveenoe St. Claie to William Wells, Indian Agent.
Cincinnati, August 18, 1800.
Sir:  In answer to your letter of the 4th, I inform you tbat it is

'Secretary of State.
Vol. 11—32.

498 The St. Clair Papers.
ray opinion Fort Wayne wiU be to the westward of a line drawn
north frora Fort Recovery at least fifty railes, and, of course, so
much Avithin the Indian territory, and all the Indians that live to
the Avestward of it, Avhich is nearly all of them except the ShaAva
nese, the Wyandots, the Delawares about Sandusky, and some of
the Ottowas, Avill be under the superintendence of the Governor of
that Territory. I do not now know, however, that it will affect your
residence at Fort Wayne unless the Miarais should reraove loAver
down. I have sent the letters you inclosed to the President. There
is little doubt with me that the British are at the bottom of the rest
lessness that prevails amongst many of the Indian tribes, and that
they are encouraged by them to attack the Spaniards. Would they
confine theraselves to exciting those who live on their side of the
line, they might do it and Avelcorae, but I do not doubt that many
of those who crossed the Mississippi lived within our lines. Every
thing of that kind should be discouraged as much as possible, for
Ave are in friendship Avith the Spaniards as well as Avith the English,
and can take no part with either in their quarrels, and if our Indians
join either party it may be a raeans of involving the United States
with the other party, and eventually with the Indians also. When
you have.an opportunity write to Mr. Sohrae and thank him for me,
for the intelligence he has given, which, as it came from hira, Avill
not be disclosed, and request him to undeceive Point Sable about
our having joined the Spaniards. We are equally at peace and in
friendship Avith thera and the English, and do not raeddle in their
disputes. If the Indians Avere Avise they would do so likeAvise.
P. S. — I ara sorry that any thing should induce you to issue raore
provisions than necessary. The Government does insist on the
issues anywhere being reduced to the sraallest possible scale. At
Detroit, Peltier, to whora the extravagant issues have been supposed
to be owing, is dismissed.

Peter Adrian to Governor St. Claie.
Detroit, October 20, 1800.
Sir: — I think it my duty to inform your Excellency that another
attempt has been very lately made to seize and carry away by force
British deserters, and that the atterapt has been attended with the
most unhappy consequences.
On the 17th instant a special court was held at Detroit by Jus
tice S. Joseph Voyez, Francis Navarre, Jean Marie Beaubien, and
George McDougall, Esquires, and the information received is, that

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 499
between eleven .and tvA'elve o'clock, iri the evening of the 9th inst.,
some British soldiers, headed by a certain Sergeant Cole, Avsnt to
the house where a certain Francis Poquette lived with a woman and
two children ; that they knocked at the dyor, but Avere refused ad
mittance, as the said Poquette had some suspicion of the plot ; that
the door was forced open, the sergeant entered and knocked down
said Poquette with a large stick he had in his hand ; a battle en
sued ; the sergeant was Avounded in the head and face, and Poquette
stabbed in many places, was carried away naked to a canoe Avaiting
at a landing near the place ; that, though badly AVOunded, he jumped
out of ihe canoe into the river, Avhen they stabbed him again to
make him be quiet. Dr. W. M. Scott, surgeon of this place, Avas
called next morning, and went over the river to the ferry-house,
Avhere both the sergeant and the deserter were lying very ill. The
doctor dressed the sergeant first, and Avent afterward to the deserter,
Avho, almost naked, was lying on the floor in a dark corner of the
kitchen. He found the unfortunate man in so dangerous a state
that he informed the sergeant that he could not be removed to Mai
den Avithout imminent danger of losing his life. Whereupon, a man
in a soldier's dress, standing by Sergeant Cole, said that he had or
ders to take the prisoner to Maiden, dead or allA'c. Sergeant Cole
agreed, and he was carried away in the afternoon, and died at Mai
den about five or six o'clock the next morning.
' Senator Tracy, who left this place on Friday for Presque Isle,
dined on Saturday, at Maiden, with Captain McClean, commandant
of that garrison. He probably got more information there than he
had here. I have been informed that he pledged his word that he
would make report to the President on his arrival at the Federal
city, and would also converse with you, if he could see you, on that
unhappy event. I understand that this business will be laid before
the grand jury, at our next general sessions at December term ; that
probably a bill will be found, and that afterward the Avhole of the
proceedings will be transmitted to your ExceUency.
Our election has been rather stormy; the three elected candidates
are: Messrs. Colonel Chabert, Jonathan Schieffelin, and George
McDougall. Many artifices have been used, and many promises
made to unite the minds of the Canadian inhabitants. They have
believed, and been uuited in support of those three candidates.
Amongst other promises, it is said that Mr. George McDougall had
assured the inhabitants that he Avould get the law respecting taxes
repealed, that he would have a special session held and get an order

500 The St. Clair Papers.
passed for the sheriff (who is collector for territorial and county
tax) to receive produce in payraent in lieu of raoney. A special
session was held on the 18th inst. ; a petition signed by a great
number of inhabitants of RiA'er Raisin, Avas handed under a sealed
cover to the bench. I was ordered to open and read it. I did read
it, both in French and English. Then the sheriff was sent for, and
I asked whether he would agree to receive produce for taxes. His
ausAver was, that he was sorry he had it not in his poAver to comply
with the wishes of the people, that he raust do his duty agreeably to
law, etc. There the conversation ended ; the petition Avas Avith
drawn, and Justice McDougall put it in his pocket. Tho other jus
tices Avere Joseph Voyez, Francis Navarre, and Jean Marie Beau
bien. On the first day of the election, Henry Tucker, supervisor of the
highways for St. Clair township, was near the election house asking
Mr. B. Huntington, one of our county coraraissioners, some instruc
tions how he was to proceed in coUecting the road tax. While Mr.
Huntington was explaining the business to said Tucker, Mr. McDou
gall interfered, and said to Mr. Tucker not to proceed to levy the
tax, that it was in consequence of a bad laAV ; that a special session
would be held immediately after the election, and that an order should
be issued to the sheriff and other collectors to receive produce in
payment of taxes; and that, if the sheriff or other collectors
should refuse to take produce, and distress the people, they should
oppose, and that he himself would head any party to oppose them.
I did not hear it myself, for I was not present, but Mr. Huntington
and Henry Tucker have publicly said that they had heard it. That
has been repeated in several places before me, and I thought it
necessary to inforra your ExceUency of the same.
P. S. — Jacob Wisger, Esq., having been detained to attend as
justice of common pleas on tAvo contested elections, that is, to take
depositions, I have an opportunity of adding a few lines for the infor
mation of your Excellency. The first contested election is Mr. Schief-
felin's, on two points : first, that he is a British subject ; second, that
as such he can not hold a freehold, etc. The second contested election
is that of Mr. George McDougall, also on tAvo points : the first,
that he is not possessed of a freehold in fee siraple ; the second, that
his conduct or behavior on a certain occasion was of a seditious na
ture, etc. The proceedings on the first Avere rather noisy, and lasted
from ten o'clock in the forenoon until five o'clock in the afternoon.
At seven o'clock in the evening the inquiry on the second began,
and lasted until two in the morning, when the court adjourned to

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 501
this morning. They met about eleven, but the conduct of Mr.
McDougall and his friends was such that they broke up at one
o'clock without closing the business. Mr. Wisger, who goes to
morrow morning, will no doubt give you all the necessary detaUs.

Address of Governor St. Clair to the Territorial Legis
lature, at the Opening of the Second Session, at Chilli
cothe, No-vember 5, 1800.
Gentlemen ofthe Council and House of Representatives : — During the
last session of Congress, an act Avas passed dividing the Territory,
for the purposes of temporary government, into two districts, and
directing that the sessions of the legislature of the eastern district,
which retains the name of the Territory of the United States north-
Avest of the Ohio, should, until otherwise ordered by the said legis
lature, be held at Chillicothe. Of course, it became my duty to call
for your attendance at this place instead of Cincinnati, to which
you stood prorogued, and I am happy, gentlemen, after so long a
separation, to meet you here.
While the greatest part of the civilized world has been suffering
all the horrors of Avar and devastation, Avith their concomitant evils
and calamities, the happiness and tranquillity that have been enjoyed
by this country, under the benign influence and superintending care
of the General Government of the United States, and the extraor
dinary plenty with Avhich it has pleased the Divine Providence to
bless our labors, can not fail to raise the mind of CA'cry reflecting
person to the Author and Giver of all good, and to fiU them Avith
reverence and the most lively gratitude ; nor to impress upon them
sentiments of respect and attachraent to that Government which it
has pleased Almighty God to make the instruraent of His beneficent
purposes towards us and to the nation to which we belong. The
cultivation of such sentiments is a duty incurabent on every mem
ber of society, but it lies particularly with you, gentlemen, as
. representatives of the people, to set the exaraple, and by good laws,
tending to the promotion of religion, patriotism, and virtue, without
which the happiness of no people can be durable, to the protection
of property, which is a great object in all free governments, to the
due administration of justice, without which, property can not be
secured, vice repressed, nor crimes be punished, and to the improve
ment of morals and manners, which embellish social life, and give
a zest to all its enjoyments, to evince the sense you ha\'e of our

502 The St. Clair Papers.
present blessings, and the desire that they should be continued and
extended ; and it Avill be a heartfelt pleasure to me, gentlemen, to
join with you in every measure that can have those tendencies, and,
by carrying them faithfully into execution, to contribute to give
them all the effect Avhich it must be your wish they should produce.
Coraing, gentleraen, from the different parts of the Territory, and
after a considerable tirae spent in them, during which, the operation
of the laws passed at the last session raust have fallen under your
particular observation, and their defects, if they have any, been dis
covered, you will be able to devise Avith intelligence the proper
reraedies, and to provide such ucav laAvs as may yet be necessary for
the peace, the security, and prosperity of the people.
To the soil of that tract of country lying along the line of boun
dary betAveen Pennsylvania and this Territory, commonly called the
Connecticut Reserve, though it Avas coinjjrlsed within the limits of
the North-western Territory, as established by the Ordinance of
Congress, the State of Connecticut laid claira, and it also clairaed a
right to the jurisdiction. The jarring clairas of jurisdiction betAveen
that State and the government of the Territory, might have been
productive of much evil ; but it has been happily obviated by the
relinquishment by Connecticut to tlie United States of all claim to
the jurisdiction, and the acceptance of the same by Congress at
their last session, and by the confirmation then made to that State
of their claira of right to the soil, so that thereby it becarae com
pletely a part of this Territory ; and it has been erected into a
county by the name of Trumbull, in Avhich there are already a con
siderable number of people, and there is every reason to believe
that it will very soon be filled up Avith sober, industrious inhabit
ants. Situated, gentlemen, as Ave are, in a country bordering upon
many savage tribes, Avith Avhom (the principles of religion and just
ice are out of the question) it is our interest, and should be our policy
to be at peace, it is clearly necessary that the treaties made Avith
them by the Governraent of the United States should not be con
travened with irapunity by any of the inhabitants of this Territory,
and it may be proper that the general regulations that have been
established with respect to thera, should, sometimes, be aided by
municipal laAvs ; and this has, by the Ordinance for the government
of the Territory, been made a duty. Speaking of those tribes, it
says : "In their property, rights, and liberty, they shall never be in
vaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful laws, authorized by
Congress, but laws founded in justice and humanity shall, from
time to tirae, be made for preventing AA'rongs being done to them, and

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 503
for preserving peace and friendship with them." Justice, gentle
men, is as much a duty of societies as of individuals, and our holy
religion commands that whatever we would that others should do
unto us, we sbould do unto them. To act honestly, fairly, and
justly, and to perform our promises to Indians, with whom the
nation is at peace, is as much a duty, or more so, as to those who are
in the highest state of cultivation, and it is within the sphere of
your legislative power to compel it.
It has long been a disgrace to the people of all the States border
ing upon the Indians, both as men and as Christians, that, Avhile
they loudly complained of every injury or Avrong received from
them, and imperiously demanded satisfaction, they were daily offer
ing to them injustice and Avrongs of the most provoking character,
for which I have never heard that any person Avas ever brought to
due justice and punishment, and all proceeding from the false prin
ciple that, because they nad not receiA'ed the light of the gospel
they might be abused, cheated, robbed, plundered, and raurdered at
pleasure, and the perpetrators, because professed Christians, ought
not to suffer for it. What kind of Christianity is this, or Avhere is
it to be found? Surely, not in the gospel of Jesus CJhrist. And
what an obstacle it must throw in the Avay of such of them as might
be desirous to embrace that religion, tbe doctrines of which Ave pro
fess to believe to be founded on unerring Avisdom and the precepts
given by the command of God himself, when they see it so totally
disregarded by us with respect to them. I hope Ave shall be care
ful that no reproach of this nature shall attach to us. But it
Avould be criminal to conceal from you that the number of those
unhappy people who have been kiUed since the peace at Green
viUe, in consequence of this diabolical principle, is great enough
to give a very serious alarm for the consequences. A late atterapt
to bring to punishment a person Avho, with another, had killed two
of the Six Nations, and wounded tAvo of the children, in Trumbull
county, proved abortive. Though the homicide was clearly proA'ed,
and that it was committed with deliberate malice, the perpetrator
Avas acquitted. Under such circumstances, can it be expected that
any people, civiUzed or savage, avUI remain at peace? Have avc not
reason to fear the displeasure of the Almighty, Avho looks with an
equal eye on all His creatures, and that the rage of the savage
may be let loose to vindicate His broken laws ? Effectual raeasures
should be taken to insure to the Indians all the privileges they are
entitled to by treaty — to render redress of wrongs easy to them, and

504 The St. Clair Papers.
to compel jurors to do their duties, by teraporal pains and penalties
where the sanction of religion faUs of producing that effect.
The noraination of two persons, gentlemen having the qualifica
tions required by the Ordinance of Congress, whose names are to
be returned to the President of the United States in order that
one of them may be appointed to fill the vacancy in the legislative
council, occasioned by Mr. Vanderburgh's having fallen into the In
diana Territory, and the election of a person to represent the Ter
ritory in the Congress of the United States in the room of Mr.
Harrison, Avho has been appointed the Governor of Indiana, will
claim your early attention.
Writs, gentlemen, for a new election were, conformably to the
law to regulate the election of representatives, sent into all the
counties, except Adams and Wayne, frora neither of Avhich the re
turns necessary to found the writs upon were received. In the
county of Adaras neither the act for ascertaining the nuraber of free
male inhabitants of the age of tAventy-one, nor the act for levying
a Territorial tax on land, nor the act to regulate county levies, have
been carried into execution. Because the printed laws did not reach
that county till after the day Avhen the court of quarter-sessions
were required to appoint the necessary officers, the court thought,
it seems, that they could not be appointed at an after day. Had the
courts of the other counties been as cautious, those laAvs had as
well not have been made ; there Avould have been no fund for re
deeming the auditor's certificates ; the public debts Avould haA'e re
mained unpaid; public credit have been totally destroyed, and
many individuals, who had freely taken those certificates as money
on the public faith, have been ruined. Those certificates, notwith
standing, still maintain a credit, but it never Avas general, and it
seems that some measures Avill be necessary to create a greater de.
gree of confidence in them, for to sorae such expedient you avIU
again be obliged to resort, as the present scarcity of money to raise
the necessary supplies for the support of Government, in specie,
will be impossible. It raay also be necessary to oblige the county
of Adams yet to execute the laAV for levying a Territorial tax on
land, and to raise the county levies this year, for the payraent of
two years' taxes at one time would bear too hard upon the people ;
and the fault lies not Avith them ; neither Avill the state of the finances
well admit of the delay that would be thereby occasioned, for the
separation of the counties below, on which considerable expectations
for the support of public credit Avere founded, must necessarily cause
a considerable deficiency in the revenue, and, without the county tax,

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 505
great inconveniences must be felt in the county itself. The state of
tbe revenue, together with the conjectural defalcation occasioned by
the above-mentioned separation, and the Avant of the returns of ap
propriated lands in the counties of Hamilton, Adams, and Ross, from
tbe office of the surveyor of Kentucky, where the entries were made,
will be laid before you by the proper authorities.
The freedom and purity of elections are the very soul and spirit
of representative governments. If the electors are under any un
due influence, though they may give their A'otes, they do not make
tbeir choice ; and if they are corrupted, the Avholesome stream Avhich
should flow through the Avhole body politic is poisoned at its source,
and must carry that poison with it through all its ramifications.
The laAV to regulate the election of representatives seems to have
guarded, in some measure, against the most common and open
measures of corruption, to-wit : bribery, threats, and treating Avith
meats and drinks. But some additional sanction besides disquali
fication to hold a seat in either branch of the legislature for two
years, seems to be necessary, for any or all of those means of cor
ruption may be, and if they are ever used, will probably be used by
persons to whom that disqualification Avould be no punishment, not
for themselves indeed, but for others ; and it would be very difficult
so to fix the offense upon those who employed thera as to bring the
punishment home to them. There is, also, another species of cor
ruption, which does not fall Avithin the description of any of those
enumerated, that requires to be, perhaps, more strongly guarded
against. The lauds in this country have been generally held, at
first, by a fcAV individuals, in large quantities, and sold out by them
in parcels on credit ; hence it happens that, in some of the counties,
the greatest part of the people are their debtors, and in the existing
scarcity of money, were the payraent of those debts to be rigorously
exacted, tbey would be exceedingly distressed. A demand of the
debts, accompanied by the slightest hints that in case of voting for
a certain candidate further time would be given, would have a cer
tain, probably a more certain influence thau a direct proposal to
buy their votes. Hence, a few persons, in the different counties,
combining, would have it in their power to influence tbe Avhole elec
tions in the country, and, instead of a representation of the people,
we should have a representation of the great landholders only, who,
no doubt, would serve their interests in preference to those of the
whole people. It may, therefore, be not improper for you, gentle
men, to consider whether the mode of election by ballot should not
be substituted for that now used, viva voce, as the best Avay of guard-

506 The St. Clair Papers.
ing against that not improbable evil ; for though it be true that the
mode by ballot is liable to much deception and intrigue, it is free
from that kind of influence I have mentioned. No measure can,
of itself, be simply good ; the circumstances of the case to Avhich it
is to be applied determines its propriety. In the State of Ncav Jer
sey, formerly, the people in one part of the State voted at their
elections openly, and those in another part of the same State by
ballot. I know not Avhether they do not continue to do so still.
A difficulty, gentleraen, has occurred in executing the law for the
trial of sraall causes which should be removed. The jurisdiction
of every justice of the peace is limited by that act to the township
in which he resides, " and his precepts and process shall run in and
through such township, and raay be executed therein, and no Avhere
else ;" hence it has been supposed that the inhabitants of one toAvn-
ship, in the sarae county, are uot bound to obey a subpoena to give
testiraony, issued by a justice residing in another township, in the
same county, and that the justice is not warranted in issuing such
subpoena ; and jJalntlffs haA'e been defeated in their demands, and
defendants in their justifications, from the Avant of their witnesses,
arising frora this cause, and obliged to pay costs.
The boundaries of counties being ascertained by words only de
scribing courses that have never been run, and none of them raarked,
the jurisdiction ofthe courts and the administration of justice may,
thereby, in some cases, become uncertain, and the coUection of the
public revenue be affected by that uncertainty. It is highly jarob-
able that raany parcels of unimproved land must be offered for sale
for the payraent of taxes. It would be a plea for delay, at least,
that the land does not lie in the couuty in Avhich it has been adver
tised to lie, and delays in the collection of the revenue are injuries
to public credit ; and in criminal cases it Avould be good ground for
quashing an indictment, that the offense, how heinous soever it may
be, Avas not committed in the county Avhere it Avas laid to be com
mitted, aud that act would have to be ascertained by an actual desig
nation of the boundaries, or one of them at the least, before the
court could proceed to trial. It will, therefore, be proper to pro
vide for establishing the boundaries of the counties that now exist,
and of new counties that may be from time to tirae erected.
Many towns have been laid out in this country and the lots sold.
I do not know that the plats of any of thera or the conditions on
which the lots Avere granted, or the privileges conceded to the in
habitants, such as coraraons of ground for public use, have been
upon record ; there is no law which requires it, and the purchasers

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 507
in those towns are left in a state of too great uucertainty. It would
seem proper that the proprietors of tOAvns already laid out should be
compelled to put the original plats upon the records of the counties
where they respectively lie, and that they should make oath that all
the grounds proraised for public use for common or pasture, and
every other advantage held forth as inducements to people to become
inhabitants of those towns, are truly laid down and marked upon
those plats ; and in case of refusal to make oath, or that they are
dead or removed out of the Territory, that the same sho-ald be as
certained by the oaths of a certain number of the inhabitants them
selves and recorded, and that the plats of all toAvns hereafter to be
laid out shall be recorded before the lots are offered for sale.
In my communication to you, gentlemen, at your last meeting, I
took notice of the generous provisions Avhich the United States had
made for learning, for education, and for the raaintenance of religion
in the Territory, by the grant in trust to John Cleves Symmes and
his associates of one complete township of six miles square, at or
near the center of the tract of land granted to them, of the ex
ception out of the general grant of tAVO sections in every toAvnship
within its limits for maintaining schools ; and of one section in every
township for the maintenance of religion, and that they Avere re
served for those purposes ; that no advantage had occurred from any
of them, because Mr. Symmes and his associates had failed to set
out the township for an academy, according to the terms of their
trust ; and that the toAvnships for schools and religion being only
reserved but not granted, and both the fee and the possession re
maining in the United States, the legislature had no power over
them ; and that an act of Congress was necessary to vest thera
either in the Territory at large or in trustees. A resolution Avas in
consequence entered into, the preamble to Avhich sets forth that the
greatest part of the township, originaUy intended as the College
Township, had been alienated by John Cleves Symraes, and there re
mained only the sections Nos. 8, 11, 16, 26 and 29, and instructions
were given to the representative in Congress " to use his endeavors
to procure an act of Congress to be passed at the then session,
A'esting in certain trustees, resident Avithin the grant of land made
to John Cleves Symmes, and described in the patent aforesaid, the
rigbt of the aforesaid lots Nos. 8, 11, 16, 26 and 29, in the third
township east of the Great Miarai, and first entire range in the
grant aforesaid, to be holden by the said trustees and their sucoes-
sors, in trust, to and for the sole use, intent and purpose of estab
lishing an academy and endowing and supporting the same." And

508 The St. Clair Papers.
he Avas further instructed, if practicable, to obtain a grant of thirty-
one sections of land in a body, lying on the bank of the Great
Miarai River, on the west side, and so high up the said river as to
lie in a square, and the whole thereof to be east of a line extended
due north frora the mouth of the said Great Miami River to and for
the uses, intents and purposes aforesaid, and in lieu of those alien
ated by the said J. C. Symmes, to make good the trust aforesaid or
render an equivalent for the same, to be appropriated agreeably to
the same use and intent of the original donation. It does not ap
pear that any thing was done by the delegate in consequence of
these instructions, and the matter remains in the same situation as
before. No township within the grant to Mr. Symmes and his as
sociates has been set out for an acaderay ; and the fee of the sections
to be applied to schools and religion still remaining in the United
States, no use can be made of them, and all the advantages to be
expected from both are postponed, to the public detriment. But I
will observe on the instructions that, Avhatever pains the delegate
might have taken to fulfill them, there was no probability that they
Avould be successful. If Mr. Symmes and his associates had failed
in a contract with the United States, in which the peojjle liA'ing
within the limits of the grant made to them were interested di
rectly, and all the rest of the people of the Territory collaterally, or
had broken a trust made to them by the United States for the special
benefit of those people, it Avas not to be expected the United States
would make it good. Had the trustees, after the breach of their
trust, proved insolvent, the people within the grant might have had
sorae equitable claim upon the United States ; because, though the
grant Avas gratuitous, and raade for their benefit, they had no share
in appointing the trustees, and the advantage to be derived frora
the establishment of serainaries of learning being evidently great,
the expectation that they would be established becarae au induce
ment to them to give higher prices for the land than they would
otherwise haA'e given, and, of course, they paid, though not directly,
a valuable consideration for that very toAvnship ; on that consid
eration the United States raight have given a compensation in
money ; in land they could not ; it is already appropriated to other
purposes. But the trustees Avere not, and are not, insolvent ; and, if from
any improper act of their own, they can not fulfill their trust by
setting out the township ahvays contemplated and designated by
theraselves as the college township, nor give any other in lieu of it,
except one of far inferior value in itself, and incumbered with a law-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 509
suit for one-half of it, and claims to a part of tbe remainder, which
Mr. Symmes has declared is the only one he has to offer, application
should be made to Congress, either by their oavu officer, to com^^el
Mr. Symmes and his associates to make satisfaction in the shape of
damages for their breach of trust, or to allow the people living
within the grant, who are those only directly interested, to make use
of the name of the United States for that purpose, a small part of
the value of that township in money as would be sufficient to defray
the expense of the necessary buildings ; and the overplus, placed out
on good landed security, avoliM produce an interest more than suf
ficient for supporting the institution, and it could be put on foot im
mediately. I lay before you, gentlemen, a representation on this
subject from a number of the inhabitants of the within grant, pre
sented to me some time ago.
The proA'ision, gentlemen, in the act, supplemental to theaet " to
prevent trespassing by cutting of timber," which exempts persons
holding by lease lands in college toAvnships, or other lands appropri
ated for schools and religious purposes from the penalties of the act
to which it is a supplement, seeras to be too general ; the persons
contemplated and intended to be relieved were doubtless those only
within the limits of the grant to the Ohio Corapany, for there those
lands were expressly granted to the directors of the Ohio Corapany
in trust, within the limits ofthe grant, to John Cleves Symmes and
his associates, they are expressly excepted and reserved of the
United States. The directors of the Ohio Company, as trustees,
have full power and authority over those lands to lease or otherwise
turn them to benefit conformably to the trust. But no person has
any authority over, power to lease, or in any other way to meddle
with those within the grant to John Cleves Symmes, and yet the
generality of the expression in the supplemental law would exerapt
those persons Avho hold any of those lands by lease from the pen
alties of the act to prevent trespassing by cutting of timber, and to
legalize any leases that may have been made. If one unauthorized
person may make leases of the reserved lands, why may not any
person make such lease ? The effect Avould probably be that many
of them would be entirely stripped of their timber before they fall
under the direction of the legislature. The provision should be ex
plained and restrained to the lands of that description within. the
grant to the Ohio Company.
The militia has not been organized under the act for regulating
and establishing the militia, passed last session, OAving to the returns
of the divisions of the counties iuto regimental, battalion, and com-

510 The St. Clair Papers.
pany districts not having been made in tirae to the Adjutant-Gen
eral, nor has a:iy officer been appointed under it but the Adjutant-
General. All the returns are not yet received, and on them the
organization is to be forraed ; the act, however, will require revision,
for those divisions are directed to be made by the field and company
officers, and there were none existing, that act having repealed all
the old laAVS relating to the militia, and consequently vacated all the
commissions. Believing it to have been the intention of the legis
lature that the officers in commission under the old laws should
raake the divisions directed by the ucav law, they Avere ordered so
to do, but it raay be necessary to recognize their proceedings in cases
where they have taken place, and to authorize and require them to
proceed where it has not been done.
I have made all the foregoing observations, gentlemen, in the be
lief that they were of some iraportance ; and I have coramunicated
them under a certain conviction that they will receive all the con
sideration they are entitled to, and I have been the raore particular
in them, because this is the last time avc can meet in our present
characters. My term of office and yours, gentlemen of the House
of Representatives, Avill very soon expire. It is, indeed, very
uncertain whether I shall ever raeet another Assembly in the
character I uoav hold, for I well know that the vilest calumnies, and
the grossest falsehoods are assiduously circulated among the people,
with a view to prevent it. While I regret the baseness and malevo
lence of the authors, and well knoAV that the laws have put the
means of correction fully in my power, they have nothing to dread
frora me, but the contempt they justly merit. The remorse of their
own consciences Avill, one day, be punishment sufficient ; their arts
may, however, succeed. Be that as it may, of this I am certain,
that, be my successor whom he may, he can never have the interests
of the people of this Territory raore truly at heart than I have had
nor labor more assiduously for their good than I have done ;
and I am not conscious that any one act of my administration has
been influenced by any other motive than a sincere desire to pro
mote their welfare and happiness.'
'The legislature convened on the 5th of November, on which day the
Governor raet both Houses in join convention, and addressed them as above.
The following extracts from the journal of legislative proceedings may
prove interesting: Fkiday, November 7th.
Messrs. Langham, Smith and Darlington were appointed a committee to
bring in a bill for the admission and practice of attorneys and counselors

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc 511
Answer of the Legislative Council.
Sir : — The Legislative Council partake with your Excellency in
the pleasure arising from this interview, after so long a separation.
Aud, while Ave behold with deep-felt concern the horrors of Avar
laying waste the greater part of the civilized world, we unite Avith
you in the most lively sense of gratitude to the Great Ruler of the
universe, under whose auspicious care of the Government of the
United States Ave are preserved from the calamities Ave deplore, and
that we still enjoy peace aud its concomitant blessings. Persuaded
that to the wise and energetic measures of that Government Ave
must in a great degree attribute the tranquillity avc possess, Ave can
not but be impressed with sentiments of the strongest respect and
attachment toAvards you.
The several important matters which in your communications you
have laid before us merit our most mature deliberation, and we Avill
cheerfully unite Avith the House of Representatives in giving them
all the attention they demand ; yet, vicAving the task as arduous, we
earnestly solicit every information'your Excellency may be pleased
to communicate.
It is with real concern and indignation that we view the malicious
at laAv; Messrs. Meigs and Langham, a comraittee to bring in abill defining
seals afiixed to instruments of writing; and Messrs. Ludlow, Darlington and
Kimberly, a comraittee to bring a bill for establishing courts for the trial
of small causes.
The Kev. William Spear, of Chillicothe, was elected chaplain to both
Houses. Messrs. Fearing, Worthington and Kimberly were appointed a commit
tee to consider the act for levying a tax on Territorial land, and an act to
regulate county levies.
Messrs. Fearing, Sibley, and Kimberly, were appointed a committee to
prepare an address to the Governor in answer to his speech.
Mr. Massie laid before the House a resolution, which was read and agreed
to by the House, in the worda following, to wit:
Whbkkas, It is the opinion of this House that the Ordinance for the gov
ernment of this Territory, has vested the right of' laying out and erecting
new counties iu the legislature thereof; and, whereas, his Excellency, the
Governor, has ditfered in opinion from the House on that subject; therefore.
Resolved, That a coramittee be appointed on the part of this House, jointly
with suoh committee as may bo appointed on the part of the legislative
council, to prepare an address to his Excellency on that subject, expressive
of their regret on the difference of their opinion, and that the said commit
tee be directed to point out in said address that part of the Ordinance which
gives said power to the legislature.
A committee was appointed of Messrs. Massie, Goforth and Worthington.

512 The St. aair Papers.
attempts to asperse the character of your Excellency ; and, though
the provisions of the law might subject the authors to punishment,
yet Ave agree Avith you that attempts so despicable and Aveak merit
no other notice than the utmost contempt.
Believing that your general conduct as chief magistrate has been
dictated by a pure desire to promote the interests and welfare of the
people of this Territory, the Legislative Council feel it a duty in
cumbent on them, at this time, to express their confidence in your
administration, and wishes for its continuance.
Robert Oliver,
President of the Council.
Council Chamber, November 11, 1800.

The Governor's Reply.
Gentlemen of the Legislative Council : — I must acknowledge to you
that this affectionate address has given me great pleasure. The in
terest you take, gentlemen, in ray reputation, and indignation you
express against the malicious attempts that have been made to destroy
it are extremely grateful, and they give good ground to believe that,
while my endeavors have been honestly and conscientiously directed
to the welfare of the people, the raeans used to attain that end have
not been ill-chosen.
Upon any and all of the subjects recommended to your considera
tion, gentlemen, every inforraation in my poAver shall be cheerfuUy
comraunicated. The confidence you express in my administration, and your kind
Avishes for its continuance, demand my Avarmest thanks ; should that
happen, it avIU be my study, Avhile I steadily pursue the path of
duty, to accommodate the measures to the ease as well as to the gen
eral benefit of the people, and thereby to justify that confidence ;
and I should very ill answer the views and expectations of the Gov
ernment of the United States if I neglected any thing which Avould
contribute to that end.

Answer of the House of Representatives.
Sir : — At the close of our last session, when prorogued to meet at
Cincinnati, we little expected that our place of assembling would
have been changed ; nor did Ave contemplate that Congress would

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 513
pass a law upon a subject which so immediately concerned the citi
zens of this Territory, and which we humbly conceive belongs ex
clusively to this legislature ; but, sir, as you conceived it your duty
to comply with the provisions in that act contained, and in con
formity thereto have convened us at this place, we most cordiaUy
acquiesce, and are happy to meet your Excellency in health, and
we trust that the changing of our seat of government will in nowise
tend to interrupt our deliberations, or to render them the less bene
ficial to the community. We unite Avith you, sir, in ascribing
praise and adoration to the Supreme Ruler of the universe, for the
numerous blessing that He, in infinite goodness, has beeu pleased
to bestow upon the United States ; and that under His auspicious
care, and the wise administration ofthe laAVS o^the Union, we have
been preserved in tbe uninterrupted enjoyment of peace and tran
quUlity. We view Avith extreme anxiety the spirit too prevalent among a
certain class of the inhabitants of the Territory to invade the
rights of our Indian neighbors — a spirit which, if not checked in
due time, must eventually produce alarming consequences to the
community at large. Be assured, sir, that we are ready, on our
part, to concert such measures as may have a tendency to preserve
peace and friendship with that injured people, and to guarantee to
them their rights and privUeges.
That our laws are in some instances defective we acknowledge,
but we hope, by amending those Avhich are faulty, and by enacting
new ones Avhere there is a deficiency, to obviate those imperfections,
and thereby to render our code useful and pleasing to our constitu
ents. The several objects which your Excellency has been pleased to
recommend to the attention of both houses, together with such oth
ers as you may hereafter think proper to communicate, shall re
ceive our timely and attentive consideration.
We regret, sir, that calurany and falsehood should be resorted to
in order to render your administration unpopular among the good
people of this Territory. But Ave trust that the services you have
heretofore rendered to the cause of liberty and your country, to
gether witb the manifest purity of your intentions since you have
been intrusted with the dignified office you now fill, will be a suffi
cient shield to guard you against the unprovoked attacks of the
Avicked and malevolent.
Edwaed Tiffin,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vol. 11—33.

514 The St. Clair Papers.

The Governor's Reply to the Answer of the House of
Representatives. Chillicothe, November 17, 1800.
Gentlemen : — I return you my thanks for the answer to my ad
dress to both Houses of the legislature on opening the session, Avhich
you have been pleased to transmit to rae by your coramittee, and
by that comraittee this reply avIU be presented to you. As you
thought proper to leave to me the choice ofthe alternative, whether
your answer should be delivered by the House, through the speaker,
or by a comraittee, the preference Avas given to a comraittee, because
I had then no place to AvhIch the House could be conveniently in
troduced, but as it is out of the usual Avay, it ought not to be made
a precedent. 1 can not doubt, gentlemen, that had it rested with rae to direct
it, you Avould have cordially acquiesced and convened at any place
you raight have been called to raeet at.
The act of Congress which divided the Territory into two dis
tricts raade each of them a ncAV governraent, and if the legislature
that had been before appointed and chosen in the eastern district, as
well as the executive appointments, had not been expressly pre
served, a new organization of the Avhole must have taken place.
When you have considered the matter in this point of vicAV, you
Avill, I think, gentlemen, be sensible that it could not be improper
in Congress to ordain the place where the first session of the legisla
ture, under the new order of things, should be held, leaving it to
that legislature either to continue it there or remove to a more con
venient place, and that it could not possibly be the exclusive right
of a legislature that had never met to determine Avhere they should
assemble. It would be evidence of a littleness of mind and an
improper attachraent to local interests, which, I trust, gentleraen,
Avill never be discovered amongst you, that a change in the place
of your meeting should in anywise interrupt the deliberations of the
legislature, or render them less beneficial to the community.
While we, Avith sincerity, gentlemen, unite in our acknowledg
ments to Alraighty God for the numerous blessings Ave enjoy, and
Avith humility and singleness of heart look up to Him for protection
and assistance, avc may reasonably hope that those blessings will be
continued to us, and that in the discharge of the public duties we
are uoav met to perforra, we shall be directed to such raeasures as
will best tend to the preservation of tranquillity amongst ourselves

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. bib
and of peace with our neighbors, and which wUl entitle us to tbe
further attention and care of the United States.
It is with much satisfaction, gentlemen, that I receive the declara
tion of the House of Representatives that, in the administration of
the government, the purity of my intentions, ever since that high
trust has been committed to me, has been raanifest ; and I am sensi
bly touched, by the regret you express, that falsehood and calurany
have been resorted to in order to render that administration un
popular. While I enjoy, gentlemen, tbe pleasure that must ever result
from the consciousness of upright intentions, I presume to think
that it is by falsehood and calumny only that the acts Avhich have
been consequent to those intentions can be impeached.
To raise groundless jealousies in the minds of the people, and, by
malicious aspersions on the characters of their magistrates to de
stroy that confidence, which, for their own sakes, they ought to
have in tbem, is doing a real injury to society. They are, however,
the means which are generally used by ambitious, designing, and
envious men to accomplish their purposes ; and when they have
been used so often against the Avise and good in all ages, I ought
not, perhaps, to complain that they have been also applied to me.

Address of the Legislative Council and Hoike of Repre
sentatives TO His Excellency Governor St. Clair.
Sir: — The Legislative Council and House of Representatives,
with regret, observe that a difference of opinion has arisen between
their chief magistrate and both Houses, on the construction of that
part of the Ordinance for the government of this Territory Avhlch
authorizes the laying out neAV counties.
Having naturally considered and examined the Ordinance, we
find no reason to change our opinion. Although the Ordinance di
rects that " the Governor shall proceed, from time to time, as cir
cumstances may require, to lay out the parts of the district in Avhich
the Indian titles shall have been extinguished into counties and
townships, subject, however, to such alterations as may hereafter be
made by the legislature," yet, Ave can not help believing that the
power thus given was only intended to be exercised by the Governor
before the organization of the General Assembly, and that the clause
in tbe Ordinance appears to have a more immediate reference to our

516 The St. Clair Papers.
government in that stage ; for that part of the Ordinance which de
fines the poAver of the General Assembly gives " the Governor,
Legislative Council, and House of Representatives the authority to
make laws in all cases for the good governraent of the district, not
repugnant to the principles and articles in this Ordinance established
and declared."
It appears to the two Houses that this right naturally devolves on
the General Asserably, for it is a general legislative act within every
State in the Union. Coraing from the different parts of the district,
it is reai^pnable to suppose that the raembers of the two Houses have
a better knowledge of the part of the country they represent than
any other person besides. The Ordinance is silent on the mode to
be adopted in fixing the place for the seat of justice Avithin the dif
ferent counties, which, of course, raust becorae a legislative act, and
a county laid out by any other power than the legislature could di
rect Avhere the courts of justice should be held. When we reflect
on the consequences which may ensue from such a difference of
opinion, we are induced to ask your Excellency again to examine
the subject, for should it be raade a judicial question, Avhich we con
ceive it is subject to, and be deterrained by the Supreme Court of
the Territory that it is a legislative act, all the proceedings had in
said county would, of course, be void, and the two Houses are fully
of the opinion that when a county has been already laid out, that
any county to be erected AvithIn said county, or part of two counties
to be erected into one, there must be an alteration of the boundaries
of said counties, and, of course, requires a legislative act.
The Legislative' Council and House of Represen tatiA'es do further
request, that when any bill or bills shall be presented to your Ex
cellency for your approbation which you may not approve, that
such bill or bills be returned within ten days after your Excellency
may have received the same, to the House in which they originated,
stating the objections you may have thereto, and we trust your ob
jections will receive all the attention and be treated with all the
respect that the two Houses are capable of. And we can not but
observe, that it may be the cause of that free communication so
necessary in all legislative bodies.

Governor St. Clair's Reply.
Gentlemen of the Council and of the House of Representatives : — I had
yesterday the honor to receive, by a coramittee of both Houses, a

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 517
joint address from you, on the subject of some difference in opinion
that existed at a former meeting, on the true construction of that
part of the Ordinance for the government of the Territory which
authorizes the laying out new counties.
It was Avith real concern, gentlemen, that I found in that address
these Words : " Having maturely considered and examined the Or
dinance, Ave find no reason to change our opinion." I had, gentle
men, examined and considered the Ordinance as attentively as I was
capable of doing it before I ventured to inform you of the grounds
on which my dissent to several bills presented at the last session had
been founded. As you, however, have adduced some reasoning In
order to show that the opinion then founded by me was a mistaken
one, I will examine that reasoning, and compare it Avith the Or
dinance. You acknowledge, gentlemen, tbat tbe Ordinance " has given
power to the Governor, from time to time, as circumstances may re
quire, to lay out the parts of the district in which the Indian title
shall have been extinguished into counties and townships, subject,
however, to such alterations as may hereafter be made by the legis
lature ; " and you say, " that the power thus given was only intended
to be exercised by the Governor before the organization of the Gen
eral Assembly," because " that clause appears to have a more im
mediate reference to our government in that stage." This inference,
to me, gentlemen, does not appear to follow. The words of the Or
dinance are, " the laAvs to be adopted or made shall have force in
all parts of the district, and for the execution of process, criminal
or civil, the Governor shall make proper division thereof; and he
shall, proceed from time to time, as circumstances may require, to
lay out the parts of the district in Avhich the Indian titles may have
become extinct into counties and toAvnships, subject, however, to
such alterations as may thereafter be made by the legislature." There
is no question between us as to the first stage of the government.
You agree tbat tbe Governor had the power, and that it was his
duty, for the purposes above mentioned, to lay out counties, free
from any limitation or restriction whatever. The natural inference
from the words is, that the Governor has still the power to erect
counties, subject to such alterations as may thereafter be made by
the legislature ; for, as I observed on a former occasion, a thing must
of necessity exist before any alteration can possibly be made in it ;
and there is nothing else but the act of erecting a county to Avhich
tbe word "thereafter" can possibly be appUed. But, gentlemen,
this power of the Governor rests not on a chain of reasoning, and

518 The St. Clair Papers.
the inferences that may be deduced therefrom. It is made expressly
his duty. " The Governor shall from time to time, as circurastances
raay require, proceed to lay out the parts of the district in AvhIch
the Indian titles shall have been extinguished into counties and
townships ; " and a good reason is given why tliis duty is required
of hira, to-Avit : for the prevention of crimes and injuries, and for
the execution of process, criminal and civil. It may be true, gen
tleraen, that this power might have been better vested in you, or In
the legislature. I avIU not dispute it. I will only observe that the
Congress did not think fit so to vest it.
It appears evident to me, gentleraen, that both the first and the
present stages of the government Avere fully in the contempla
tion of Congress, for the words used are, " the laAvs adopted or
made shall have force in every part of the district ; " and they are
connected Avith the grant of the power we are considering. Now,
it is certain that in the first stage of governraent no laws could be
made ; the Governor and judges had the power conferred upon
them of adopting the laws of any of the original States Avhich they
might think were suited to the circumstances of the district ; but
Congress Avould not permit thera to make laAvs. The laws, then,
which were to be raade, and for the due execution of which the
Governor was required to lay out the district into counties, Avere
laws made by the legislature, whene\'er it should be established, and
as long as the teraporary government lasted. Analyze, gentlemen,
the clause of the Ordinance, and I believe you will find it to amount
to this, and no more. Previous to the organization of the General
Asserably, the Governor shall lay out the parts of the district in
which the Indian titles shall have been extinguished, that is, such
parts as are inhabited or free to become so, into proper divisions for
the prevention of crimes and injuries, and for the execution of pro
cess, etc. , and after the organization of the General Assembly, the
Governor shall lay out the parts as above into counties and town
ships, subject to such alterations as the legislature may afterAvards
make. There Avas no necessity that the first division should have
borne the name of counties, and they were truly counties in narae
pnly, and did not become so in fact until the General Asserably was
organized, when each of them took their proper share in the legis
lature of the whole country. I pray you also, gentlemen, to observe
that the AVords of the Ordinance Avere not raerely directory to the
Governor, but mandatory : "The Governor sball proceed from time
to time, to lay out counties." Neither, gentlemen, does it appear to
me that the argument drawn from the general legislative power

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 519
of the Assembly, in any manner supports your inference, or mili
tates against the claim of the Governor in the case ; for it is ex
pressly declared that their acts shall not be repugnant to the prin
ciples and articles detailed in the Ordinance, and it appears impossible
to read tbe Ordinance with attention without discovering that the
power ofthe Governor to lay out counties is one ofthe principles.
Whether the erection of counties be "a right that naturally de
volves upon the General Assembly," that is, whether it be an execu
tive or legislative act, is, perhaps, not so certain as you seem to
think it. It would not, indeed, be very difficult to demonstrate that
it is purely executive. But it is not necessary to go into that dis
cussion, because Congress has made it an executive duty. What,
gentlemen, could be intended by the words: "They shall proceed,
from time to time, as circumstances may require, etc. ," but that, as
the first division of a country, just beginning to settle in different
and distant parts, must necessarily be large, and when the inhabitants
increased in those parts and the prevention of crimes and injuries
and the execution of process becarae thereby difficult, they should
be subdivided ; and the Governor is commanded so to proceed ; and
in the first stage of the Government, without limitation or restric
tion, for the Judges were not let into this executive act, though they
were into the adoption of laws ; and in the second stage, subject to
such alterations as the General Assembly should think proper.
The practice of several of the United States, with regard to form
ing counties, whatever it may be, cau not convert an act properly
executive into an act properly legislative.
It is known that the legislatures of some of them do exercise pow
ers that are properly executive. But this proves nothing but that,
in the formation of their constitutions, a very accurate distribution
of executive and legislative poAver was not made. But all of them
who established counties by a legislative act do not consider it as an
act of a general legislative nature. If you avUI take the trouble,
gentlemen, to open the code of Virginia, you will find that the
acts for dividing counties are denorainated private acts, and that,
though that State has gone more into the principle of dividing coun
ties than any other, it has not been thought necessary to print the
acts, and the title of them only appears in the statue books.
It is certainly reasonable, gentlemen, to conclude that the whole
of the members of the Council and of the House of RepresentatiA'es,
when met together, possess a better knowledge of the whole coun
try than any one of thera ; but it does by no means foUoAv that, be
cause any one gentleman is a member of either of those Houses, he

520 The St. Cla-ir Papers.
possesses a better knowledge of the part of the country which he
represents than any other person. It is also reasonable to conclude
that Avhen a duty, to the proper execution of which a general ac
quaintance with every part of the country is necessary, has been
imposed upon any person, the means necessary and proper to acquire
that acquaintance Avill be used, and that as the laying out counties,
to the doing of which with intelligence, that general knoAvledge is
necessary, has been made the duty of the Governor, he will not neg
lect the means of acquiring it.
It is, gentlemen, an incontrovertible maxim, that whoever has
the power to ordain an end, has also the power to ordain the means ;
and that, when an end is ordained, the means necessary to attain it
are given, though they may not be expressed. You infer from the
sUence ofthe Ordinance with respect to the seats of justice in the
counties, that the fixing them must of necessity require a legislative
act. I raust take the liberty to think that inference does not fol
low. The end to be attained by the erection of counties is the pre
vention of crimes and injustice, and the regular administration of
justice. The means are magistrates, sheriffs, courts, and their offi
cers. But courts would be useless without a fixed place for their
sessions, from whence their process is to issue, and to which it must
be returned. It can not be denied that it is the duty of the Gover
nor to see that the laAvs are executed and justice duly administered,
and that it is by magistrates and courts this is to be effected.
To leave thera at liberty to hold those courts where they thought
proper, and wander over the counties, sitting soraetiraes at one place
and soraetiraes at another, as any whim might strike thera, would
render them worse than useless, and the end. Which is the due and
regular administration of justice, would be defeated.
It is, therefore, the duty of the Governor to direct the places
where their sessions shall be held, and to confine thera to those
places. The prevention of criraes and the administration of justice
is the end for which counties are erected, and it has been made the
duty of the Governor to erect them.
But justice can not be duly and regularly administered, unless the
courts meet at fixed tiraes and places. It is one of the means by
Avhich the end is to be attained. It, therefore, is the duty of the
Governor, and he has the power to appoint those places. You
seem to think, gentlemen, that a judicial question may arise on this
right. I believe it to be irapossible that it can. But, admit that it
should, and that the judiciary should put a construction on that part
ofthe Ordinance differing from that by which the Governor may have

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 521
been guided, the consequences you apprehend would not foUow.
Your observation that a county can not direct the place Avhere the
courts of justice are to be held is correct, and it is also certain that
they must be fixed to some place by a competent authority, and that
either the executive or the legislature, according to circumstances,
may be that competent power.
The Ordinance of Congress has placed it in the Governor, and,
therefore, he is, in our circumstances, that competent power. Should
the judiciary determine that it is the proper business of the legisla
ture, and not of the GoA'ernor, to erect counties, it Avould only be
upon abstract principles, and Avould not affect Avhat had been done
before. They Avoiild stand, and every thing that had been done in
the counties, so far as they were connected with that question, would
be valid. Should the Executive and the legislature think proper to
conform to the opinion of the judiciary, well and good. It would
be a rule for their future conduct ; but, should they or either of
them refuse to conform to it, Avould the judiciary compel them ? It
is clear they could not. But it is a question that can never come
before the judiciary of the Territory. It is not competent to decide
upon it ; neither can it be decided by any other body but the Con
gress of the United States. It has, indeed, gentlemen, been a sub
ject of no small regret to me that there should have ever been a
difierence of opinion between any of the branches of the legislature ;
I even regret that the present discussion has been entered into, be
cause I fear that it is not the way to draAv them closer together,
which I ardently wish, not -only on the subject of counties, but of
every other that may come before thera. But, to evince to you that
it is my sincere desire to harmonize with you, if a bill shall pass
your Houses enacting that, whenever fiA'e hundred or raore free male
inhabitants of twenty-one years of age, residing together in any
part of the Territory, shall desire to be separated from the county
in whicb they reside, and that the district Avhich they actually in
habit may be erected into a new county by certain limits and lines
of boundary, the Governor shall erect such district into a county,
it shall receive my assent ; provided, that means are therein pointed
out whereby the Governor may be truly informed that there are ac
tually not less than five hundred free males of twenty-one years of
age, residing in the proposed liraits, and, provided, that it shall be
made to appear that the proposed separation will not reduce the num
ber of inhabitants of that description in the original county below
five hundred.
It is a fixed opinion with me, gentlemen, that, the moment a

522 The St. Clair Papers.
county is erected, that moment, be the nuraber of inhabitants what
they raay, they acquire a right to be represented in the legislature ;
and I ara much persuaded that you yiiW find the opinion correct.
But the Ordinance for the governraent of the Territory has declared
that for every five hundred free raales of twenty-one years there
shall be one representative, consequently a less nuraber can not be
represented In the legislature, and, consequently, I can not consent
to any division of counties Avhich Avould confer the right of being
represented upon a sraaller nuraber than that ordained by Congress.
By the expedient above proposed, a principle upon which counties
could be divided and new ones erected, conformably to the.Ordinance,
and Avitli little trouble, would be fixed ; and it would also be con
formable to that other Avell-established principle, that representation
and taxation ought to go liand in hand. You will; I trust, gentle
men, be sensible that my resistance in this instance proceeds frora a
sense of duty, because a compliance AvIth your Avishes Avould evi
dently relieve me frora a great Aveight of responsibility, at the sarae
time that ray inflnence would probably be increased, if, as Ave so
often hear, an increased patronage would have that effect ; for the
creation of a great raany new counties must necessarily be followed
by a great raany ncAV offices, all in the gift of the Governor.
As to your request, gentlemen, that, " when any bill or bills may be
presented for approbation Avhich raay not be approved, I shall return
thera, within ten days after they have been received, to the House
where they originated, Avith the objections I may have thereto," I am
sorry to say that it is altogether out of my poAver to comply Avith it.
The Ordinance for this governraent has placed in the Governor an
absolute negative upon the acts of the t\A'o Houses, and you request
that it may be converted by rae into a kind of qualified negative.
You do not require, indeed, that, should the objections be deemed
of little weight, your acts raay become laAvs without the assent of
the Governor ; that Avould have been too directly in the face of the
Ordinance, Avhich declares that " no bill or legislative act, whatever,
shall be of any force Avithout his assent." Though I can not doubt,
gentlemen, that the objections Avhich might be offered to a bUl or
bills would receive the greatest attention and be treated Avith re
spect by both Houses, it does not appear to me that the desirable
consequences which you contemplate Avould necessarily foUoAV, for,
as I observed on a former occasion, you are under no constitutional
obligations to consider thera ; and, should they be considered and
the Houses adhere to their bUls, they must still go back to the Gov
ernor for his assent, and, should he adhere to his objections, so far

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 523
from producing conciliation, it Avould most probably, after a loss of
a good deal of time and a Avaste of public money, issue in a very in
convenient degree of irritation between the component parts of the
legislature. The only way, gentlemen, that I see in which the end
you have in view could be pursued with a prospect of success, would
be a respectable representation to Congress, praying an alteration of
that part of the Ordinance, and so far would I be from opposing it,
were it in my power to oppose it, should you think it proper or need
ful, I would cheerfully join with you in making the representation.
P. S. Though it be foreign to the matter of the above ansAver, I
will avail myself of the present opportunity to recommend that, as the
election law is under revision, a clause may be added to fix the time
when the first session of the legislature after every new election of
representatives shall be beld.^
1 After both parties to the " new counties " controversy had stated their
views, the subject was dropped. The Governor stood firraly for his right.
but he studied the interests of the people, and gave them local government
as fast as they could provide the means for its support. This did not suit
the speculators in lands, and the new party, led by Massie and Worthington,
increased in strength.^ (1) Acts Passed, 1800.
1. Defining seals affixed to certain instruments of writing.
2. Authorizing the leasing ol lands granted for the support o£ schools and relig
ious purposes in tho county of AVashington.
3. To revise the act entitled " an act to establish and regulate ferries."
4. To amend the act entitled " an aet for allowing compensation to the Attorney-
General of the Territory, and to the persons prosecuting the pleas in behalf of the
Territory in the several counties."
5. Authorizing the judges of the general court to appoint commissioners to take
special bail and to administer oaths.
6. To incorporate the town of Marietta.
7. To amend the act entitled " an act to encourage the killing of wolves."
8. To empower the trustees named in the last will and testament of Dr. William
Buruet, the elder, to dispose of certain lands.
9. To amend the aet entitled " an act to create the offlces of a Territorial treas
urer, and of an auditor of public accounts."
10. To amend the act entitled " an act regulating the admission of practice of at
torneys and eounselors at law."
11. To establish and regulate taverns and public houses of entertainment.
12. To provide for the maintenance and support of Illegitimate children.
13. To amend the act entitled '' an act allowing and regulating prison bounds."
14. To establish and confirm the town of Athens iu the county of AVashington.
15. To provide for the recording of town-plats.
16. Supplementary to the act entitled " an act establishing and regulating the
militia." 17. Providing for the trial of homioide committed on Indians.
18. To prevent the abatement of suits in certain cases.
19. To ascertain and defray the traveling expenses of the judgss of the general
court, and for disposing of the fees heretofore allowed them by law.
20. Supplementary to the act entitled "an act to estabUsh and regulate couuty
levies."

524 The St. Clair Papers.
John S. Gano to Governor St. Clair.
Cincinnati, Nov. 15, 1800.
Dear Sir : — Yours of the  , inclosing your address to the
-, afforded me great satisfaction, especially the last clause.

which must have raade  feel sraall indeed, unless he has
a heart of stone. I returned on Thursday last from a journey above
Deerfield, and I find J. S.  , etc., have been preaching to some
people their text and application as a Avarning to sinners not to sign
a petition in your favor. I found a fcAv that Avere firm in the country,
that appeared rejoiced at the ncAvs of McMillan's going to Congress.
On my return, for the first time I have visited every family in Cin
cinnati and its vicinity, excejit tAvo ; and, to my great satisfaction,
found them well-disposed, and, as a proof of their fidelity, upwards
of one hundred and forty signed the petition in one day. I have
sent a man to Dayton, CleA'eland (?) , Harailton, Mill Creek, and
Colurabia ; they will all be back on Monday next in tirae to inclose
the papers with the next raail. I avIU write McMillan of soraething
that I have heard against the opposite petitioner. We have no
news here since you Avent up to the seat of Government. That
you raay be continued as a blessing to the Territory is the ardent
wish of your most obedient, etc.

To the Inhabitants of the North-western Territory re
siding East of a Line that may be Drawn due North
FEOM THE Mouth of the Geeat Miami Rivee.
Chillicothe (witlwut date) , 1800.
Fellow-citizens : — The Ordinance tor the government of the Terri
tory of the United States north-Avest of the River Ohio declares
" that whenever there shall be sixty thousand inhabitants residing
21. For the relief of Lucy Petet.
22. Supplementary to the aet entitled " an act establishing courts for the trial of
small causes."
23. Regulating circuit courts, and allowing appeals from the courts of common
pleas in certain cases.
24. To amend the act entitled " an act to ascertain the number of free male inhab
itants of the age of twenty-one years in the Territory of the United States north
west of the River Ohio, and to regulate the elections of representatives for the
same. 25. Supplementary to the act entitled "an act levying it Territorial tas on land,
and for providing for a Territorial tax for the year 1801.
26. Appropriating moneys due for the payment of debts from the Territory, and
making appropriations for the ensuing year.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. b2b
within the above described boundaries, they shall be entitled to a
State government, and be admitted, by its delegates, into the Con
gress of the United States, on an equal footing with the original
States, in all respects Avhatever, and shall be at liberty to form a
permanent constitution and State governraent ; provided the con
stitution and government so to be formed shall be republican."
By an act of Congress, passed at their last session, the census of
this Territory is directed to be takeu, under the direction ofthe sec
retary ; and believing that there avIU be the number required by
said Ordinance, or nearly the number, Ave have taken this oppor
tunity of recommending to your consideration the propriety of
going into a State government at as early a period as our number
will admit of. In recommending this subject to your consideration,
we are well aware of the importance of the sentiraents of our fellow-
citizens on a subject so materially interesting to thera, and we there
fore recommend it to them to instruct their representatives, at their
next meeting of the General Assembly, to govern themselves ac
cordingly. You will, fellow-citizens, while reflecting upon the important
subject, consider the additional expenses that must necessarily ac
crue in the exercise of a State Government, which you avUI perceive
must unavoidably arise. You will likewise consider the superior
advantages which you avIU derive therefrom. A candid comparison
will, we presume, be the criterion by which you will govern your
selves in your deliberations.
We are, fellow-citizens, Avith sentiments of respect, etc.,
Edward Tiffin and othees. Committee.

Jacob Buenet to Goveenoe St. Claie.
August 20, 1800 (no place').
Sir : — In compliance with your request, I have perused the law
to regulate trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes and to pre
serve peace on the frontiers. As the murder of these Indians was
done on lands ceded by treaty to the United States, it appears to
me that the laAV does not embrace the crime. The sixth section,
which is the only one in the la^w that takes notice of murder com
mitted on Indians, is confined to such murders as are committed in
a town, settlement, or territory belonging to a nation or tribe of In
dians. I should, therefore, suppose that the offenders ought to be
dealt Avitb in the same manner as though they were charged witb

526 The St. Clair Papers.
the murder of white people, and that the mode of trial pointed out
in the fifteenth section of the act can not be obligatory in the pres
ent cause, further than it pursues the mode provided by the common
laAV and the statutes that are in force in the Territory.

John Brown to Governor St. Clair.
Senate Chamber, Washington, December 24, 1800.
Sir: — Your favor of the 7th Noveraber Avould have been answered
at an earlier day had I been present Avhen it reached this place, but
at the tirae of its arrival I Avas on a visit to New York, from Avhence
I returned with my family only a few days ago. I, however, have
the pleasure to think that this absence, which was unexpectedly
prolonged by unavoidable circumstances, has had no unfavorable
effect on your interests in this quarter, as I am in time to exert any
little influence I possess in support of your clairas to re-appointraent ;
and let rae here assure you, in rauch sincerity, that I consider your
pretensions and expectations as just and Avell founded, and that all
the aid Avhicli I can give or procure for the accoraplishraent of your
AvIsheS' shall be afforded. I ara persuaded it avIU give you pleasure
to learn that the atterapts of your eneraies have made no unfavora
ble impression ufion the supreme Executive.
Tavo davs ago, your nomination for re-appointment was, by the
President, laid before the Senate for their approbation. In his mes
sage, he referred the Senate to a nuraber of representations, for and
against the nomination, which haA'e been received by him, and were
submitted for consideration. I can give no information respecting
their contents, as they haA'e not yet been read, the Senate haA'ing,
for some days, been exclusively occupied with the French treaty.
We have agreed to adjourn for ten days, which I am glad of, being
anxious to put off your business until the arrival of Ross and Bing
ham, Avho are disposed to serve you ; also of General John Arm
strong, frora NeAV York, who, in all probability, avIU be your friend.
I can not yet even forra a conjecture relative to the strength of par
ties, as there has been no discussion of the subject by the Senate.
It is said Mr. Tracy has the office in vIcav, and avIU endeavor to de
feat your appointraent.
I refer you to Mr. McMillan's communications for the news of
this place.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 527

Return J. Meigs to Thomas Worthington.
Marietta, January 15, 1801.
Dear Sir: — We had a meeting of the citizens of this toAvn on
the 4th inst. The subject of going into a State government Avas
taken up and discussed, and a committee of five persons was chosen
to report an address to the citizens of this and the other counties.
The citizens met at the court-house, agreeably to adjournraent, on
Monday last. An address was reported ; it is lengthy, in the main,
well written, and utterly disclaims the idea of going into a State
government. But certain parts of it Avere very exceptionable to
a number present, which caused lengthy and animated debate.
The exceptionable parts, as nearly as I can recollect, are as foUoAvs,
A'iz.: "That designing characters Avere aiming at self-aggrandize
ment, and Avould sacrifice the rights and property of the citizens at
the shrine of priA'ate ambition." "That the political horizon is
clothed in frowns ; that the risk of a foreign war can only be
equaled by the danger of domestic tempests."
These parts of the address were objected to by a nuraber of per
sons, amongst them rayself aud son. A long debate ensued on rao
tion to strike them out. The arguraents in favor of retaining thera
in the address Avere clearly refuted ; but the spirit of the tiraes,
roused by the event of the late election, had InterAvoven itself into
the address, a place Avhere it ought not to have had the least influ
ence or effect. The address Avas, therefore, carried by a large
majority, except sorae sraall alterations ; particularly, the Avord
British Avas stricken out, and the Avord foreign substituted in lieu
thereof. In justice to myself and son, and other friends, I think it my
duty to make you this statement, as Ave utterly disclaim the illiberal
and dangerous sentiments held up in the parts of the address aboA'e
recited. I shall write Colonel N. Massie, as I wish our friends
not to entertain an idea that Ave are capable of giA'ing credit
to sentiments so illiberal and dangerous, so distrustful of our politi
cal affairs; for, I really think that, instead of frowns, our political
horizon is clothed in smiles, and that no domestic tempest threat
ens us.
With respect to going into a State government, we all agree In
opinion that it is improper. If the Governor's negative can be
qualified, which Avill undoubtedly take place, our present system of
g ) vernment can not be oppressive In any respect.

528 The St. Clair Papers.
I sincerely hope that your citizens Avill agree with us on this im
portant subject. It would certainly involve us in expenses beyond
our power to support. Many reasons raight be adduced ; they wiU
occur to you as you reflect on the subject.^

Hon. j. Beown' to Thomas Worthington.
Washington, January 29, 1801.
The nomination of Governor St. Clair has not yet been acted on.
It Avas, with all the petitions, etc. , which accorapanied it, referred
to a coramittee, which have not yet reported, but probably will in a
day or two. It is the general opinion of all I have consulted that
the secretary of the territory can not, under existing circumstances,
discharge the duties of Governor, a vacancy such as the present not
having been in the contemplation of the law, and not provided for
by it.' . . . John Marshall has been aijpolnted Chief Justice,
vice John Jay. Dexter has been promoted to the head of the
Treasury Department. Lucius H. Stockton Avas nominated Secre
tary of War, but, haA'ing declined to accept, this day, Roger Gris
wold (of spiting memory) was norainated to that office. The old
eman is certainly deranged.*

' MS. Worthington Papers.
^Senator BroAvn, of Kentucky.
^ This was the view held by St. Clair. Acting on it, he thwarted the deep-
laid scheme of his political enemie.s, who had planned to delay his re-appoint
ment by creating difflculties with the President and Senate until after his
commission should expire, when, they reasoned, the Secretary of State, Jlr.
Byrd, would be the acting Governor, and they would have control of the
territorial govemment, by proroguing the Legislature, and publicly declar
ing that the secretary could not act. This decisive measure, we are a.ssured
by Judge Burnet, even alarmed his own friends, lest he had exceeded his
legitimate power. But St. Clair understood the spirit ofthe Ordinance, and
his prompt action, which disconcerted his eneraies as well as alarmed his
friends, was an evidence of his political sagacity and courage.
*¦ MS. Worthington Papers.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 529'

Senator James Ross to Governor St. Clair.
City of Washington, February Sd, 1801.
Dear Sir : — This day the long-delayed question has been taken
upon your nomination, and carried by a very considerable majority,
but not without opposition. By whatsoever means, or from what
ever motives this opposition may have been excited, I ara persuaded
that you have too much magnanimity, as Avell as too much under
standing, to give your enemies AvithIn your government any reason
to believe that you feel towards them the slightest resentment.
None of your old friends left you on this question, and we had some
neAV ones. Mr. Brown, of Kentucky, who has always displayed a
sincere affection for you, exerted himself in this business Avith un
common earnestness and effect. Indeed, the security ofthe present
result depended almost entirely upon his influence and friendship.
Mr. McMillan's conduct was judicious, manly, and decisive. He
wrote not only to the Secretary of State, but to the comraittee of
the Senate who had the noraination under their consideration.
Three years is not a long time, but it is probably longer than the
people Avill continue in the form of a colony, and I hope to see you
the Governor of a State there by a choice of the people under a
good strong constitution, which will be a conclusive answer to aU
calumny. We are doing little at this place. The French convention has
been acceded to on condition that the second article be struck out,
and a clause added limiting the duration of the treaty to eight years.
By striking out the second article, Ave mean to abandon all claim for
indemnities, and tbey to abandon all thoughts of restoring iu any
shape the ancient treaties or any of the odious dangerous priorities,
preferences, and engagements, Avhich we had incautiously acceded to.
The bargain is a good one, and perfectly appreciable to the French,
provided they are now of the same opinion they held three moons
ago, a thing, by-the-by, not very certain.
General John Marshall this day takes his seat as Chief Justice
of the United States, vice EllsAVorth.
No certainty of the election of President on the eleventh instant.
The scale inclines in favor of Mr. Jefferson at present, but the
friends of the other are making proselytes.
Mr. Brown, finding that I am AA'riting a letter to you, this moment
desires his most respectful compliments and congratulations on your
re-appointment. Colonel Read, of the Senate, presents bis also, and
Vol. 11-34.

530 The St. aair Papers.
so would a long list of worthies, did they know to whom I waa
writing. We are likely to have a new judiciary system, which Avill estab
Ush a circuit court of the United States in your Territory, a great
object and a very desirable one, but I fear difficult of attainment,
as the Senate is very nearly divided upon the question.

Senator Schureman to Governor St. Clair.
City of Washington, February Sd, 1801.
Dear Sir : — I should have replied before this time to yours of the
7th of November last, which you did me the honor to address to
me, had I supposed so long a time would have elapsed before the
business in which you were so deeply interested was closed. Permit
me to assure you that you were not forgotten. Such services as
were in my power were cheerfully bestowed to prevent merit from
falling a sacrifice to calumny.
I can now congratulate you on your re-appointment. The oppo
sition Avas raore feeble in the Senate than I had expected. It Avas
such as would not be deemed a disgrace by a man of honor. My
colleague ought to have the justice done him to be known as not
joining in it.
Senator J. E. Howard to 'Governoe St. Clair.
City of Washington, February Sd, 1801.
Sir: — I haA'e the pleasure of informing you that the Senate this
¦day confirmed the noraination appointing you the Governor of the
North-Avestern Territory. The coramittee to whom the matter was
referred, with the papers for and against your re-appointment, after
a long investigation, made a favorable report, which was agreed to
with but few dissentients.

John Marshall to Go-veenoe St. Claie.
Depaetment of State, Washington, February 10, 1801.
Sir : — The President of the United States desirous to avail the
public of a continuance of your services as Governor of the Terri
tory of the United States north-west of the Ohio River, I have
the pleasure of inclosing your commission, and of expressing tbe
sentiments of esteem with which I am, sir, etc.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 531

Stevens Thomson Mason ^ to Thomas Woethington.
Washington, February 5, 1801.
Dear Sir':- — Early in the present session, the nomination of Gen-
¦eral St. Clair as Governor of the North-western Territory for a
fuitEer period of three years was sent by the President of the United
States to the Senate. The nomination was accompanied with various
memorials and representations for and against the appointment. The
nomination and documents were referred to a committee of the
Senate to examine and report, and I have expected every post since
to be able to communicate to you the result ; but the business Avas
not taken up in the Senate tiU this week. The committee reported
that the charges against Governor St. Clair, though various and
-some of a serious nature, were not suppm-ted by the memorialists; they
¦could not, however, entirely rescue bim from censure, but, upon the
whole, recommended a confirmation of his appointment, which took
place on Tuesday last. I thought, myself, that there was sufficient
to show that he Avas very obnoxious to a great part of the people,
and that be ought not to have been re-appointed. Some members
wbo did not approve of the appointment were induced to vote for it
from an apprehension that, should he be rejected, some person more
obnoxious migbt be appointed, such as Tracy, and that it Avould
¦only be exchanging an old and feeble tyrant for one more active
and wicked. Your representative, too, I believe, took great pains
among the members out of doors. Should your next House of Rep
resentatives be of the character you expect, I should suppose they
might petition tbe new President for the removal of the Governor
with effect, and could send forward proofs and documents to support
the charges against him.
I presume you have seen that, of the two gentlemen recommended
for the Council, the President has selected Mr. Libby. The Senate,
though possessing the power to reject and thus of forcing the Presi
dent to take the other person, yet it could not with propriety be at
tempted without some well-founded objection lay to the character
•"Stevens Thomson Mason, born at Stafford, Virginia, 1760; died at
Philadelphia, May 10, 1803. Was graduated at William and Mary College.
At the age of twenty he had attained the rank of colonel in the Kevolu-
tionary army, and served with distinction, attaining the rank of brigadier-
general. He was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses; was a con
spicuous membor of the Convention of Virginia in 1788; and was a United
States Senator from 1794 until his death. He had great powers of oratory,
wit, and sarcasm, and waa very popular." — Drake's Die. Am. Biog.

532 The St. aair Papers.
who should be first presented to thera by the President. In fact, it
is rarely the case that the Senate will exercise their negative upon
appointments. A strong instance has occurred this Aveek in their
confirming the nomination of Roger GrisAvold as Secretary of War.
A raore preposterous appointraent can not well be imagined.
We have been, during the present session, in a continual state of
agitation and anxiety respecting the Presidential election, and are
not yet entirely free frora apprehension of difficulty and embarrass
ment being attempted to be throAvn in our Avay. Next Wednesday
will bring the business to its ultimate trial, and though there has
been a good deal of caucusing and caballing to defeat Mr. Jefferson's
election, I believe myself that those people have given up all hopes
of success, and that we shall get the business through without any
difficulty. The convention with Prance, though once actually rejected by
the Senate, was retained in our hands, and the report of our pro
ceedings delayed being sent to the President in an expectation of
being able to corae to sorae compromise upon the subject, which,
after about a fortnight, Avas effected, and on Tuesday Ave ratified it
with an exception of the second article, and annexing a liraitation
that it should only continue for eight years. This measure, I flatter
myself, Avill be attended with very happy consequences in prevent
ing a Avar with that country and giving a rise to the price of our
produce. I have of late been so much occupied in the Senate that I scarce
knoAV Avhat is doing in the other house. Nothing, however, has, I
believe, been agitated there Avhich respects your country, except a
bill respecting the purchase of Judge Symmes. I understand a bill
is on its passage to give a pre-emption to those who had contracted
with Symmes, at the price of one dollar per acre, or on the terms
of his purchase of the United States. I doubt, however, its passage
in the Senate.

Governor St. Clair to the Secretary op State.
Cincinnati, March 9, 1801.
Sir : — In December last I gave information that a very violent
violation of the Territory had been committed by the British near
to Detroit, and a man carried away by force and raurdered; but I
had not then received the account of the particular circumstances,
and, therefore, referred you to the Hon. Mr. Tracy, Avho happened
to be at Detroit at that time. The clerk of the peace has since

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 533
transmitted the particulars ; ' an indictment Avas found against a
sergeant of the British troops Avho commanded the party, and the
. testimony on which it depended is inclosed.
By the treaty, he ought to be demanded, but as the measure is
delicate, and a refusal on their part might involve very serious con
sequences, I request your instructions on the subject. Where military
posts are near each other, and desertion so easy, it can not Avell be
-otherwise than tbat difficulties will occur, and it is much to be
wished that some agreement to deliver up deserters on both sides
were entered into. The above affair has caused very great uneasi
ness amongst the inhabitants.

J. Edgar to. Governor St. Claie.
Kaskaskia, April 11, 1801.
Dear Sir : — I avail myself of an opportunity which uoav offers as
far as Post Vincennes of addressing you a few lines. Since Sl wrote
my last two letters to you I have not had the pleasure of hearing
from you, Avhich has deprived rae of much satisfaction. I have
heard, however, the ucavs of your having been re-appointed to be
Governor of the North-western Territory, in spite of the opposition
of your eneraies, against whose unprovoked animosity you may al
ways prevail, is my most earnest prayer. I must now take the lib
erty of refreshing your memory concerning the deeds for the three
surveys Avhich I sent you last spring, for Avhich I uoav begin to feel
myself anxious. As Mr. Mcintosh is at this time in Cincinnati, a
good conveyance offers for the forwarding of thera, by your taking
advantage of which you would particularly oblige me, as also for
warding, under care of the same person, the tAvo sets of papers now
witb you, under proper cover. During a fcAV weeks past, we have
put into circulation pet;itions addressed to Governor Harrison, for a
General Assembly, and we have had the satisfaction to find that about
nine-tenths of the inhabitants of the counties of St. Clair and Ran
dolph approve of the measure, a great proportion of whom bave
already put their signatures to the petition. I have written to
Judge Clark, of Clark county, to Mr. Buntin and Mr. Small, of
Post Vincennes, urging them to be active in the business. I have
1 See letter of Peter Adrian, ante.

534 The St. Clair Papers.
no doubt but that the undertaking will meet with early success,,
so as to admit of the House of Representatives meeting in the fall-
Present, if you please, Mrs. Edgar's and my compUments to Mrs.
Dill, Mrs. Vance, and the rest of the family.

Address of Governor St. Clair to the General Assebmly,.
November 26, 1801.
Gentlemen of the Legislative Council and Gentlemen of the House of
Representatives : — At the first meeting of the second General Assem
bly of the Territory, I can not lay any business before you without
first turning your thoughts to the Suprerae Being, the author and
giver of all good. Favored as Ave have been with another most
plentiful harvest in every kind, and blessed with the continuance of
peace at horae and abroad, Avhen Ave contrast our situation with
raany countries in the old world, suffering from want — deluged in
blood, and shaken to their centers — their civil and religious institu
tions overturned, and anarchy and despotism and atheism reigning
in their stead, how thankful ought we to be to Almighty God, Avhose
kind Providence has sheltered us from similar calamities ; neither
should our gratitude be withheld from the General Governraent of
our country, which has been the instruraent in His hands to shield
us frora harm, and to procure us so many blessings. This compari
son, gentlemen, which it seems impossible not to make, holds out to
us also a very useful lesson, not lightly to part with the real advan
tages Ave enjoy, in the hope of imaginary and contingent good.
Could the thousandth part of the atrocities that have been commit
ted in, and the miseries that have been brought upon unhappy
France been presented to that people beforehand, they Avould have
turned from them with horror, and exclaimed with one voice : " are
Thy servant's dogs, that they should do this thing ? " It is true, gen
tlemen, that many parts of our country have, this last season, been
severely affiicted with sickness ; but this, far from being a ground
for murrauring and discontent, should lead us to examine ourselves —
to the correction of our vices, Avhich raay have brought that evil
upon us, and to a reformation of manners. I submit to you, gen
tlemen, whether it would not be proper, by law, to set apart a day
for a public and solemn acknowledgment to God, for the numberless-
benefits we have received ; to supplicate the continuance of them ;
to deprecate His Avrath for the multitude of our transgressions, and
to implore His grace to assist us to araend our lives.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 535
Tbe time, gentlemen, tbat was chosen for your meeting will, I
bope, be found convenient to you. The labors of the field are now
over, and a sufficient space for the business of legislation to whicb
you are called, remains, before you will be obliged to return to
tbem. Of legislative business, a considerable field lies open before
you, for, from the unavoidable early adjournment of the last as
sembly, many things were left unattended to Avhich Avould otherAvise
bave been taken up by tbem. You will find them, gentlemen, on the
journals, and in my address to that assembly on opening last session,
and I request you to consider them as now repeated to you. But,
in a particular manner, I must recommend to you the revision of
our criminal laws. From some defect in the laAvs theraselves, or in
the application of them, it is painful to think how often offenders
escape with impunity ; the laAvs become despised, offenders auda
cious, and tbe peace of society is endangered.
The militia, gentlemen, has been organized, as far as it could be,
in all the counties except the county of Belraont, and there has not
been time for it there since it was erected. But I suggest to you the
propriety of altering the law establishing and regulating the militia ;
all that part of it which relates to geueral officers should be re
pealed. The appointments of those officers is reserved to the Gen
eral Government, and by it they will be appointed as soon as they
are thought necessary ; but the propriety of making regulations
upon matters exclusively with that Government may Avell be ques
tioned, and of this I was Avell aware at the time, and though it ap
peared an incongruity, it Avas preferred to losing the laAV entirely.
A sufficient time has since elapsed to show that it was a needless
provision, and that the militia may do well enough without generals
and the cumbrous staff that is added to them. As connected Avith
tbe militia, gentlemen, I have to observe to you that a considerable
number of the people called Quakers, have lately become inhabitants
and that more may be expected. The general character of the
people of that profession for industry, sobriety, aud good morals, is
generally known and acknowledged, and renders them a valuable
acquisition ; but their religious principles forbid them to take arms.
To fine people principled against arms for not attendiug musters es
tablished for the purpose of acquiring skill in the use of them,
seems to be a species of persecution. Nevertheless, it is reasonable
that, should they be exempted, they should render something to the
community in exchange. I make no doubt but they Avould wiUingly
pay a small sum of money annually for exemption. I recommend

536 The St. aair Papers.
it to your consideration, and it might be left optional with them
selves. The proper officers will lay before you, gentlemen, a state of the
revenue and of the treasury. In the treasury there is nothing, and
the revenue has not been so productive as Avas contemplated. Let
it be reraerabered, gentlemen, that that which has been produced has
arisen chiefly from a high tax on uncultivated lands which, though
not much felt in the Territory, by reason that so great a part of
those lands are the property of non-residents, is greatly complained
of abroad ; that those lands are daily and hourly going into the
bands of residents, and will finally settle there ; that, whenever this
happens, the taxes upon them, instead of being a source from which
money Avould floAV into the country, Avill be found a burden too
heavy to be borne. Your attention, therefore, can not too soon be
turned to new sources of revenue. In an infant country like this,
where much tirae, labor, and raoney must necessarily be expended
before the people can subsist Avith any tolerable degree of comfort,
and, Avhere every species of movable property is already taxed as high
as it can Avell bear, and which many of the people find it very diffi
cult to pay, UCAV sourceo oi: revenue are indeed difficult to be found.
It is, hoAvever, a difficulty that must be sorae time or other en
countered, and the sooner it is raet the more easy it will be overcome.
Money must, however, be long scarce with us, and the utmost econ
oray in our expenses becoraes an indispensable duty. Sorae pros
pects of advantage begin to open upon us from exportation, and if
it is properly attended to it will in tirae supply us. But it is ofthe
very first iraportance that the articles sent to foreign raarkets should
be of the best quality, and that the quality should be ascertained to
the purchaser by some public stamp in Avhich he can place confidence.
To effect this, inspection laAvs are indispensably necessary, and should
be guarded by very strong sanctions. The State of Ncav York has
suffered for more than half a century from not having as early as
some of her neighbors established a rigorous inspection of flour.
I am obliged, gentleraen, again to mention the toAvnship in Ham
ilton county that was granted by Congress to John Cleves Symmes
and his associates, in trust, for the purpose of erecting therein an
academy and other seminaries of learning, and for endowing the
same. That trust has not been executed ; and, unless the Congress
use coercive means, it seems too probable that it never will be ex
ecuted. The lands also reserved for the maintenance of schools
and religion are in the same situation as they were last year.
¦The most precise instructions on these subjects ought to be given

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 537
to the delegate, and he should be directed to bring them before
Congress at as early a period as possible, before the members are
too much engaged in the great business of the nation.
The Congress, gentleraen, furnish the Territory Avith a certain
number of the laws of the Uuited States, and by a law of our own
tbey are to be sent to the different counties, but no means of
transportation are provided ; private opportunities seldom present
themselves, and can not be depended upon. And to send them by
post, if the post traA'crsed the country, Avhich they do not, Avould be
very expensive, and no provision is made to defray it. It is, hoAV-
ever, important that these laws should be in every county ; you
will, therefore, be pleased to consider the raeans of doing it. There
-are, at this time, a great number of volumes in the secretary's office.
Be pleased, gentlemen, to recollect that the Governor is a branch
of the legislature, and that he should have sufficient time to con-
. sider of the laAVS to Avhich his assent is essential. Your bills are
printed, that you raay be able the better to consider them. It would
be a very trifiing increase of expense, indeed, to order one copy more for
him ; they Avould then not be entirely ucav to him at the raoraent his
signature is required. At the last session, many laAvs were presented
on the very last day, when there was not time even to read them ; in
such case, they must either be signed at a venture, or all the time
and all the money spent in preparing them must be throAvn away.
I can not consent to be- placed in that situation again, and, how
ever anxious you may be for an adjournment, until I have had a rea
sonable time to consider your acts, you must be content to remain
in session.
I will not, gentlemen, detain you longer at this time. Should
-other matters appear necessary to be communicated to you, they
will be the subject of occasional messages ; but many things for the
good of your constituents, that have not been touched upon by me,
will suggest themselves to you, aud I have only to assure you, with
great sincerity, that in every thing which proraises to have that
effect, it will be a great happiness to me to co-operate with you.

Reply op the Legislative Council.^
Sir: — The Legislative Council experience sensations of real pleas-
1 Monday, November 30, 1801, Mr. Sibley, according to order taken No
vember i!7th, reported an answer to his Excellency, the Governor, which was
-approved. — -From M.S. Official Proceedings of Legislative Council.

538 The St. Clair Papers.
Tire at again meeting your Excellency at this tirae in health, and
at having the opportunity publicly to express their approbation of
your re-appointraent to the important office of chief magistrate of
the Territory, Avhich it has pleased the General Governraent to in
trust to your special care.
The nuraerous services which you have rendered, both in the com
mon cause of our liberty and independence, as Avell as in your gov
ernment of the Territory, are sacred pledges that your administra
tion will be guided by a sincere desire to promote the greatest pos
sible happiness and prosperity of our infant country.
It is with regret we view the unparalleled miseries which a long
series of Avars, uncommonly ferocious, have entailed upon a large
proportion of the civilized world. Such scenes of distress, AvhIle
they awaken our tenderest sympathy, can not fail to caU forth our
"warmest acknowledgments to an all-wise ruling Providence for
the continuance of peace and happiness to our country, under the
wise and equitable adrainistration of our Federal Government ; and
we trust that such constitutional measures will be pursued as are
best calculated to insure a continuance of those singular blessings..
The important objects of legislation, which your Excellency Avas-
pleased to coramunlcate in your address to both Houses at the
opening of the present session, will occupy our early and attentive
deliberation ; and we shall be ready at all times to give our cordial
assistance in the formation and passage of such laws as shall be
deemed necessary for the proraotion of happiness at home and re
spectability abroad.

The Governor's Response.
Mr. President and Gentlemen of the Legislative Council : — The very
kind answer which you have now been pleased to raake to my ad
dress to both Houses of the legislature has excited sentiments in my
breast that are not easily expressed, and, at best, I ara not good at
expression when I feel strongly. The desire of being useful was
impressed upon me by nature, and as in the course of a long life
many opportunities of gratifying that desire have presented them
selves, I trust it is now settled down into a habit. If, in my past
conduct in public life you find a pledge for the future, permit me
to add the solemn assurance that I will never, designedly, deviate
from that line of rectitude which hitherto I have endeavored to
follow. For any services I may have been happy enough to render, either

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 539 '
in tbe cause of Uberty and independence, or in the government of
tbe Territory, tbe favorable notice you have been pleased to take of
them is a most grateful remuneration.
The satisfaction, gentlemen, you express at my having been re
appointed to tbe high and important office of Governor demands
my warmest acknowledgment ; and I am bound by every obligation
of duty to God, to the nation and its government, and to the people
of the Territory, that, so far as in me lies, in the execution of it
your just expectation sball not be disappointed.

Reply of the House of Representatives.'^
Sir : — In contrasting our situation Avith many countries in the
old world, we have great reason to thank that Supreme Being, the
author and giver of all good (whom you have been pleased to remind
us of at this first meeting of the second General Assembly of the
Territory), for the blessings of peace and plenty which attends this
bappy country ; nor can we withhold our gratitude from the Gen
eral Government of our country for their anxious c.tre to preserve
us from all the calamities which have been experienced by those un
happy countries involved in war.
The time you bave thought proper to convene the General As
sembly, we trust, will be found, upon experiment, to be as convenient
as the nature of our domestic occupations would admit of. To re
vise such of our laws as may appear from their operation to be de
fective ; to enact such laws in addition to those already made ; to
preserve the peace of society from being endangered, and to attend
tbe several objects which you recommended to the consideration of
botb Houses, together Avith such others as you may think proper to
communicate, shall receive our timely and attentive consideration.
Although the state of our treasury at this tirne is not a pleasant
one, yet, we hope, that when the money arising from our revenue
law is deposited, it will enable us to discharge all the demands
against the Territory at this time. It is true, sir, that which has-
been produced has arisen chiefly from a tax on uncultivated lands, a
great proportion tbe property of non-residents ; but then, it must be
considered tbat those lands, in -passing to the resident, the non-resi-
1 Chiilicothb, December 4,th, 1801. — A committee from the honorable
House of llepresentatives waited on the Governor, and presented the fol
lowing answer to his communication delivered to both Houses of the legis
lature, the 26th ult. — MS. Official Proceedings ofthe House of Representatives..

- 540 The St. Clair Papers.
• dent receives an additional value from the iraprovement of the
country greater than the small amount they have been called upon
to contribute to the support of our government.
To examine our sources of revenue, and to endeavor to make the
taxes that may be necessary as equal as the nature of our infant
country will admit, shall receive our early attention.

Reply of the Go'vernoe.
Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives : — I re-
- ceived your answer to my address to both Houses Avith great satis
faction. Devout acknoAvledgments to God are at all times the duty
of dependent creatures; but highly favored as Ave have been in this
happy country, they are our duty in a very particular manner.
It gives me pleasure to find, gentlemen, that the time appointed
for your raeeting has your approbation. It was dictated by a desire
that your attendance on the public business might coincide as much
as possible with your private convenience.
I Avish, gentlemen, that I could join Avith you in the hopes that
" when the money arising frora our revenue law is deposited, it will
enable us to discharge all the deraands against the Territory at this
time." It is very important that Ave should not deceive ourselves as
to the state of our funds, and to that end I have thought it a duty
incumbent on me to present you Avith a concise vieAV of them.
Bills of credit were issued by the late Auditor, to wit :
2,250 of five dollars each  $11,2.50
1,340 of one dollar each  1,340
 $12,590
By the present Auditor :
3,036 of five dollars eaoh  $15,180
713 of one dollar eaoh  713
 $15,893
MaJiing in the whole  $28,483
Of these there have been redeemed  19,688
Leaving still outstanding  $8,795
More bUls were issued by the former Auditor, but without checks,
"The amount of them has not been yet ascertained, but supposed to
,be about one thousand dollars.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 541'
It appears from the Auditor's statement to the House, that the
amount of the assessed taxes is  $29,077
And that the appropriations amount to  14,096
Leaving an excess in the Treasury, or in the hands of the col
lectors, of  $14,981
But the Auditor has informed you that on account
of double entries in the military district alone, a
deduction must be made from that sum of  $4,387
And from the same cause in other districts at least... 2,000
 $6,387
Balance in favor of tLe Territory  $8,594
But from that sum must also be deducted the amount
of the taxes in the county of Trumbull, the collec
tion of which will. probably be postponed, amount
ing to  $3,218
And expense of collection  2,000
 $5,218
Leaving only for all demands for this year  $3,376
And from that must also, probably, be deducted the amounts
of the taxes that have been laid on the lands of the United
States sold at the public sales and since, because they did
not become the property of individuals until long after the
taxes for this year were laid. But, without taking them
into the account when the outstanding bills of credit are
taken in, viz  $8,795
Balance against the Territory  $5,419
The Territory is in debt five thousand four hundred and nineteen
dollars beyond the whole revenue for the present year.
This is, indeed, gentlemen, not a pleasant view, but it is necessary
tbat our true situation may be known, and from thence it is evident
that a new emission of bills of credit must be raade, ca'cu to dis
cbarge tbe expenses of the present session. A wretched expedient,
it is true, because the bills suffer a depreciation in the hands they
pass through, and the public pay the full interest ; but it seems to
be the only expedient to Avhich you can resort :
For the early and attentive consideration you are pleased to say
will be given to the matters tbat have been recommended to you, I
pray you to accept my thanks, and the reiterated assurance of my

542 The St. Clair Pa.pers.
readiness to concur with you in every thing that can promote the
• welfare and happiness of your constituents.^
' Extracts from the Official Procbbdihqs of the House of
Eepresentatives. Tuesday, November 2ith, 1801.
The House, according to the order of the day, proceeded by ballot to
. choose their Speaker, and, upon examination of the ballots, it was found
that Edward Tiffin, Esq., was unanimously chosen, who, accordingly, took
i his seat in the chair.
The House then proceeded to the election of other officers, with the foUow-
..ing result:
Clerk — John Reily.
Door-Keeper — Edward Sherlock.
Messrs. Cutler and Kimberly were appointed a committee to notify the
Legislative Council that the House was ready to proceed to business.
The House appointed by ballot the following members as a Committee
on Privileges and Elections: Mr. Darlington, Mr. Worthington, Mr. Kim
berly, Mr. White, and Mr. Dunlavy.
Ordered — That a standing committee on Propositions and Grievances be
appointed, and that Mr. Paine, Mr. Putnam, Mr. Cutler, Mr. Schieffelin, and
Mr. Morrow, be said coinmittee.
Ordered — That a standing committee on Claims be appointed, and that
Mr. Cutler, Mr. Miller, and Mr. Darlington be the said committee.
Two other members, to-wit: from the county of Jefferson, John Milligan
and Thomas McCune, appeared, and having severally taken and subscribed
the oath of fidelity to the IJnited States, took their seats in the House.
And then the House adjourned until to-morrow morning, 10 o'clock.
Wednesday, Nov. 25th. — A message from the Council by Mr. Schenck, their
secretarj'. Mr. Speaker .-—The Council have appointed a committee on their part,
jointly Avith such committee as may be appointed on the part of the House,
to Avait on the Governor and inform him that a quorum of the two Houses
is assembled and ready to receive any communication he may think proper
to make to them.
Mr. Paine and Mr. Putnam were appointed such committee on the part
of the House.
Mr. Paine, from the joint committee appointed to wait on the Governor,
reported that the committee had, according to order, performed that service,
and that the Governor signified to them that he would make a. communica
tion to both Houses to-morrow, at 11 o'clock, in the Bepresentatives' chamber.
Mr. Reeder was appointed to acquaint the Council that the House had ap
pointed Messrs. White and Morrow a committee oh the part of the House to
prepare joint rules.
The speaker laid before the House papers from sundry citizens of Wayne
county, alleging the improper election of George McDougall aud Jonathan
.Schieffelin, the sitting members.
Thursday, Nov. 26th. — Nathaniel Massie appeared from the county of

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 543
Governor St. Claie to Dudley Woodbridge.
Chillicothe, December 24, 1801.
Sir ; — The bill I mentioned to you in my last, declaring the assent
of the Territory to an alteration of the State boundaries, is passed,
Adams and Elias Langham from the couuty of Ross, and, after taking the
oath, Avere admitted to seats.
A petition from Nathan Ellies, collector of the territorial taxes due from
the citizens of Adams county for 1800, was presented to the House and read,
praying to be exonerated from the payment of the ten per cent, interest duo
on said taxes. Referred to Committee on Propositions and Grievances.
A committee, consisting of Messrs. Worthington, Massie and Cutler, was
appointed to bring in a bill levying a territorial tax on lands.
The Council attended and took seats in tho House, when both Houses being
assembled, the Governor came into the Representatives' chamber, and ad
dressed them as follows. [Address given above.]
Friday, Nov. 21th. — A petition from Hamilton county was presented, pray
ing for an extension of the jurisdiction of magistrates.
A petition from a number of the inhabitants of Washington county, sug
gesting the great inconvenience attendant on the consumption of goods of
foreign manufacture, and praying for suoh measures to be adopted by the
General Assemhly as Avill effectually encourage and promote domestic man-
^ufacturers. Referred to the Committee on Propositions and Grievances.
Reports from the State Treasurer and Auditor were received and read.
A petition from a number of the inhabitants of Wayne county was read,
-suggesting many grievances under which they labor from their local situa
tion, and praying that the same may be remedied, together with the exten
sion of the magistrates' •jurisdiction under certain restrictions. Also, for
repeal of certain laws of the Territory, and that copies of all might be
printed in the Erench language.
Monday, Nov. SOth. — A message was received from the Council, advising
of the passage of a resolution asking the Governor to appoint a day for
public thanksgiving, ajid on the question being on agreeing to the same, the
yeas and nays were taken, and resulted as follows:
yeas — Cutler, Darlington, Joucaire, Kimberly, Miller, Milligan, Morrow,
Paine, Langham, Ludlow, McCune, M'Dougall, Putnam, Reeder, Schieffelin,
and Worthington. Nays — Dunlavy, Massie, and White.
Thursday, Dec. 1st. — Another member, John Smith, of Hamilton county,
appeared, was sworn, and took his seat.
Mr. Cutler and Mr. Dunlavy were appointed to prepare and bring in a
hill to establish a university in the town of Athens.
The Committee on Elections reported in favor of the sitting members from
Wayne county, Mr Schieffelin and Mr. McDougalU

(1) Laws Passed— 1801-2.
1. Declaring the assent of the Territory north-west of the river Ohio to an altera
tion in the Ordinance for the government thereof. [Approved December 2i.]
2. For the partition of real estate. [Ap. December SS.]

544 The St. aair Papers.
and goes on to Mr. Fearing by this post, to be laid before Congress.-
You can not imagine the agitation it has created amongst the peo-
Other proceedings of interest in the General Assembly were: the passage
of bills for changing the seat of government from Chillicothe to Cincinnati,
and " Declaring the assent of the Territory north-west of the River Ohio to
an alteration in the Ordinance for the government thereof," and instructions
to Paul Fearing, delegate in Congress, relative to the township for educa
tional purposes in the purchase of John Cleves Symmes.
The vote on the bills was unanimous in the Legislative Council; in the
House, as follows:
Eor removing the seat of government from Chillicothe to Cincinnati:
Ayes — Cutler, Dunlavy, Joucaire, Ludlow, McDougall, Miller, Putnam,
Reeder, Schieffelin, Smith, and White — 12. Nays — Darlington, Kimberly,
Langham, McCune, Massie, Milligan, Paine, and Worthington — 8.
On the bill relative to a raodification of the Ordinance for a division of"
the Territory, as follows: Yeas — Cutler, Joucaire, Kimberly, Ludlow, Mc-

3. To remove the seat of government aud iix the same at Cincinnati. [Ap. Ja-n-
uary 1, 180S.]
4. Allowing compensation to members of the General Assembly, together with
the Treasurer and Auditor of thc Territory. [Ap. January 1.]
Ji. Defining and regulating the duties ol the Secretary of the Territory. [Ap. Jan
uary 1.]
6. Providing for the appointment of guardians to lunatics aud others. [Ap, Jan
uary i.]
7. Providing for the execution of real contracts in certain cases. [Ap. January It.]
8. Providing for the Inspection ot certain articles of exportation therein enumer
ated. [Ap. January S.J
9. To encourage the killing of wolves and panthers. [Ap. January 9.]
10. For the distribution of insolvent estates, [.-lp. January 13.]
11. Concerning testimony. [Ap. January 13.] .
12. To establish and regulate township meetings. [Ap. January IS.]
13. Allowing and regulating writs of attachment, [Ap. Jan-uary IS.]
14. Requiring public offlcers to give bond in certain eases. [Ap. January 19.]
15. Regulating executions. [Ap. January 19.]
16. Tc amend tho act entitled, "An act for opening and regulating public high
Avays. [Ap>January iO.]
17. Providing for the acknowledgment and recording of deeds in certain cases..
[Ap. January SO.]
18. Providing for the encouragement of the breed of horses. [Ap. January SO.-I
19. Providing for the recovery of money secured by mortgage. [Ap. January SO.]
20. To repeal iu part the act entitled, " An act to ascertain and defray the traveling
expenses of the judges of the general court, and for disposing ot the fees herein
before allowed them by law." [.ip. January SO.]
21. Supplementary to the act entitled, " An act to amend the act entitled ' An act for
allowing compensation to the Attorney-General of the Territory and to the persons
prosecuting the pleas in behalf of the Territory in the several counties.' " [Ap.
January SO.]
22. For the assignment of bail bonds. [Ap. January S2.]
23. To amend the militia law. [Ap. January S3.]
21. Regulating the fees of civil officers and for other purposes. [Ap. January 2,3.]
2.5. Levying a tax on land forthe year 1802 and for other purposes. [Ap. January SS.]
26. Appropriating moneys for the payment of the debts due [from this Territory,.
and making appropriations for 1802. [Approved January S3.]

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 545
pie bere ; and a petition to Congress against the measure has been
Dougall, Miller, Paine, Putnam, Reeder, Schieffelin, Smith, and White.
Nays — Darlington, Dunlavy, Langham, McCune, Massie, Milligan, Morrow,
and Worthington.
Subsequently Messrs. Tiffin, Worthington, and Langham, of Ross county,
Darlington and Massie, of Adams county, and Dunlavy and Morrow; of
Hamilton county, united in a protest against the act for dividing the Terri
tory. [Eor an account of this contest, see Vol. I., p. 224.]
Instructions to Paul Ebarinq.
Whereas, the President of the United States, by letters patent, hearing
date the SOth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and ninety-four,
in pursuance of an act of Congress, passed the 5th day of May, one thousand
seven hundred and ninety-two, made conformable to an Ordinance ofthe 2d
of October, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, granted to John
Cleves Symmes and his associates, their heirs and assigns, in trust, one com
plete township of six miles square of land, to be holden hy the said John
Cleves Symmes and his associates, in'trust to and for the sole and exclusive
intent and purpose of erecting and establishing therein an academy and
other public schools and seminaries of learning, and for endowing ahd
supporting the same, to be located with the approbation of the Governor of
the Territory, as near to the center of a tract of land in the letters patent
described as might be. Yet, by reason of the said John C. Symmes having
alienated thirty-one sections of the aforesaid township, most and perhaps the
whole of the sales whereof took place before he received his patent, and
there now remains of the same township only the three sections following,
viz.: numbers eight, eleven, and twenty-six, the benefits contemplated lo re
sult from the aforesaid trust must inevitably be lost unless prompt measures
be taken for securing the same ; therefore — ¦
Resolved, by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives, in
Geueral Assembly, that Paul Pearing, Esq., delegated to represent this Ter
ritory in the Congress of the United States, be instructed to use his endeav
ors to procure an act of Congress, to be passed at the present session, vest
ing in certain trustees and their successors, resident within the grant of land
made to John Cleves Symmes, and described in the letters patent aforesaid,
lots, to wit, numbers eight, eleven, and twenty-six, in the third township,
east of the Great Miami River, and first entire range of the grant aforesaid,
to be holden by the said trustees and their successors in trust to and for the
sole use, intent, and purpose of establishing an academy and endowing and
supporting the same, whose conduct and mode of succession shall be subject
to the control and direction of the legislature of the Territor}^ and of the
State in whioh the same tract of country may be hereafter included; and,
that the said Paul Fearing be also instructed, if practicable, to obtain a
grant of thirty-three sections of land lying on the west side of the Great
Miami River of the Ohio, and east of a line drawn due north from the
mouth of the aforesaid Miami Eiver, or thirty-three sections of the land re-
VOL. II — 35

546 The St. Clair Papers.
formed by a committee of this town, praying that Congress may not
served for the future disposition of Congress, in the grant of land patented
to John C. Symmes, or any other thirty-three sections of the property ofthe
United States, north of the tract of land patented as aforesaid, and east of
the Great Miami River, as contiguous to each other as may be, to and for
the uses, intents, and purposes aforesaid, and in lieu of those alienated by
the said John Cleves Symmes. And, further, if the said Paul Fearing can
not effect the purpose aforesaid, that he use all legal means in his power to
have such measures taken as will compel the said John Cleves Symmes to
make good the trust aforesaid, or render an equivalent for the same, to be
appropriated agreeably to the same use and intent of the original donation.
And, whereas, hy certain laws and ordinances of the Congress of tho
United States, the several lots, number sixteen, in each township, contained
in a tract of land granted by the Congress of the United States to John
Cleves Symmes and his associates within this Territory, have been appro
priated to the support and maintenance of public schools and seminaries of
learning within the said townships, and lots number twenty-nine in each
township Avithin the tract aforesaid, have been appropriated for the pur
poses of religion, and have been specially reserved to the United States for
the several and respective purposes aforesaid, and from the advanced stage
of population within the grant aforesaid, it is highly interesting to the com
munity that the aforesaid lots be put into improvement; therefore —
Resolved, That the said Paul Eearing, Esq., be instructed to use his en
deavors to procure an act of Congress to be passed, authorizing the President
of the United States, by letters patent, to grant and convey unto the legis
lature of this Territory the aforesaid several lots Avithin the grant aforesaid,
in trust, to and for no other uses, intents, and p'urposes, than those for which
the said lots have been respectively appropriated.
And whereas, the Congress of the United States have promised that the
section number sixteen iu each township throughout the Territory should
be granted for the support of schools, and number twenty-nine for the pur
pose of religion —
Resolved, Therefore, that the said Paul Eearing, Esq., be instructed to use
his endeavors in procuring a law to be passed, vesting in the legislature of
the Territory the lots numbers sixteen and twenty-nine of every township
which has been and also in those which may be sold to individuals, or in
case the lots aforesaid, or either of them, be already sold by the United
States, that others may be granted in their stead, to and for the uses and
purposes for Avhich those lots were originally promised.
And whereas, doubts have arisen, since the division of the North-western
Territory, whether the island of Michilimackinac, and the settlements ad
jacent thereto, fall into the North-western or Indian Territory, to prevent
any dispute Avhich may arise on the subject —
Resolved, That Paul Eearing, Esq., be instructed to use his endeavors to
have a law passed, during the present session of Congress, supplemental fo
the act dividing the North-western Territory into two separate governments,
declaring the said island and its adjacent settlements to be in and under the
jurisdiction of the North-western Territory; to use his endeavors to have iw

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 547
consent to it, is in circulation for subscriptions, and agents bave
been sent into every part to give assistance ; and, I doubt not, they
are, or will be, in your county also. Mr. Worthington and Mr.
Baldwin are appointed to go to "Washington to advocate the petition
in person. In the petition, the measure, is modestly styled, "A corv-
spiraey of the representatives of tlie upper and lower jMrts of the Territory
to ruin the middle part."
While the bill was pending in the House of Eepresentatives, and
it was discovered that much Avould depend upon the vote of Trum
bull county, I took occasion to converse Avith Mr. Tod, Avho is here,
upon the subject, and represented it at first as it really is, as nothing
more than a declaration tbat should Congress think fit to change
the boundaries the Territory consents to it, and finding that he did
not think it an iraproper measure, but rather seemed to strike him
law passed authorizing the appointment of commissioners, with power to
adjust and settle the claims to lands laying in the county of Wayne, and
also, if possible, to procure a donation of one or more townships of land in
the neighborhood of Detroit, for the encouragement of education and sup
port of religion in that part of the Territory bordering on the lakes, and
. also a further extinguishment of the Indian titles to lands lying within and
.bordering on the said county.
And whereas, the inhabitants of Wayne county living in the town of De
troit have, tirae out of mind, enjoyed a small piece of land adjacent to this
town as a public coraraon for the use of the inhabitants, until partially dis
possessed by military authority ; therefore —
Resolved, That Paul Eearing, Esq., be further instructed to use his en
deavors to have the fee of the said common confirraed by the United States
to the inhabitants aforesaid; and that the said Paul Eearing be further in
structed to use his endeavors to have that part of the Ordinance for the
governinent of this Territory which gives the Governor a positive negative
on all laws passed by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives,
to be so altered that the same mode may be prescribed by the legislature of
this Territory on the passage of laws as is prescribed in the Constitution
of the United States.
And whereas, there is a difference of opinion what construction ought to
be put upon that part of the Ordinance for the government of the North
western Territory which relates to the dividing of counties, and fixing the
seats of justice within the same —
Resolved, That Paul Pearing, Esq., be instructed to use his endeavors to
have that part of the Ordinance so explained, by a declaratory act of Con
gress, that no doubt shall remain.
And also, that the said Paul Fearing, Esq., be further instructed to use his
endeavors to get the said Ordinance so altered as to allow the right of vot
ing for representatives to th'e legeslature of this Territory to all free male
citizens of the age of twenty-one years and upward, who have resided one
year in the Territory, and have paid a territorial or county tax.

548 The St. Clair Papers.
favorably, I ventured to open to him my opinion that, should Con
gress come into it, raany advantages would flow to the upper eastern
division from an immediate formation of two temporary govern
ments by proposed lines. One of those advantages Avas obvious.
The counties of Washington and Trumbull, being settled entirely by
the people frora the eastward, who had been accustomed to live
under laws nearly similar, and whose manners and habits were the
same, as they Avould forever have the preponderancy over the other
parts of that district, it Avould be in their power to introduce those
laAvs and custoras, and fix them so as they could never be over
thrown, and, of course, to hasten the population of those two coun
ties particularly. I could easily see that it made a sensible impres
sion upon him, and, therefore, dropped the subject, and left the hint
I had given to Avork for itself in his mind.
Since the appointment of the agents before-mentioned, sorae of
the raerabers who Avere friendly to the raeasure, had a con
sultation on the raeans proper to counteract thera, the result of
which was that other agents should be appointed, and a counter
petition was talked of, but nothing was definite on that subject, as
doubts were entertained that it might not be attended Avith success,
and if so, it would operate unfavorably: but, as Mr. Burnet, was
going to Cincinnati, and Mr. Sraith, a leading member, in company
with hira, it was left to hira to act according to circurastances. If
Mr. Sraith enters into it, it Avill go doAvn alraost universally iu Hara
ilton county. But it Avas agreed that Mr. McMillan should, if he
could be prevailed uj^on, be sent from that part of the country.
Since the bill has passed, ruminating upon tbe subject, it appeared
to rae that it Avould be very useful that another gentleraan should
be sent from the upjjer part of the country, and I thought that Mr.
Tod would be pleased with it, and, in a conversation I had with him
this raorning, I proposed it to him. Though it would be incon
venient to hira, he did not know that he could spare the tirae, but he
supposed sorae gentleman from Marietta would be thought of. The
result of this conversation I communicated to your delegates, and
it seemed to be their opinion that, as Mr. Fearing Avas already at
Washington, it Avould be ra9re propor that another should go from
TrurabuU other than that place, and that Mr. Tod would, perhaps,
ansAver as Avell as any that would be thought of. Their opinion
coincided perfectly Avith mine, and I farther observed to thera that
his political principles would, in the present case, render hira more
useful than some others, or than he otherAvise could be. There Avas
one difficulty in the way, which I observed to Mr. Tod — the uncer-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 549
tainty ot being able to raise a sum of money sufficient to indemnify
any gentleman tbat might be sent. He thought there would be no
difficulty in that ; he did not suppose that it would require more
than three hundred dollars, and if one hundred and fifty could be
made up in Washington, he was sure the like sum could easily be
raised in TrumbuU, and it is the opinion of Mr. Putnam and Mr.
Cutler that there will be no difficulty in it. But I suppose they
both write by this mail.
After Mr. Burnet had left us, and, casting the subject of a peti
tion in my mind, it ajipeared to me that one might be framed which,
if signed by the princijial people in the upper and loAver part of tbe
country — ^by people Avho are somcAvhat known abroad — it migbt
ansAver all the purpose of sending round the country for subscrip
tions, and I inclose you the sketch of one, which I haA'e also com
municated to your representatives. It met their approbation, and I
believe they have sent some copies to tAvo or three places in your
county. It is a sketch only, and should the matter of it be ap
proved, it may be modified in any manner that shall be thought
most conducive to the end proposed. But I must again take the
liberty to mention that all this is in confidence, though I am certain
it is an unnecessary caution. At any rate, the petition must not
appear in my handwriting.

Governor St. Clair to Paul Fearing.
Chillicothe, December 25, 1801.
Sir : — I Avrote to you tAVo or three posts ago, that a bill would
pass the legislature, declaring the assent of the Territory to a change
in the Ordinance for the government of it, so far as respects the
boundaries of the States to be erected therein at a future day. That
bill has been enacted into a law, and a copy of it, together with a
resolution of both Houses relative thereto, are inclosed in my public
letter of this day. This measure has produced considerable agitation
in this place. A committee was imraediately appointed, a petition
framed, and agents sent with it into every part of the counties of
Ross and Adams, and, I believe, into most parts of the Territory, to
procure subscriptions.
The petition inveighs bitterly against the law, and goes so far as
to call it a conspiracy of the representatives of the upper and lower
parts of the Territory to ruin the midd part. You know very well
bow easy it is amongst such an uninformed multitude as is the bulk
of our people to obtain subscriptions to any thing that appears in the

550 The St. Clair Papers.
shape of a petition ; but means will be laid hold of on this occasion tO'
engage them on its side. It has been represented as the effects of a
conspiracy, as I have mentioned, and as a scheme of the Governor
to retard the entering into a State government, and to that end, to-
bring about a division of the country into two temporary govern
ments. Though I never saw the bill till it came to me from the-
legislature, I had heard of it and heartily approved it, and, should it
be the raeans of bringing about such a division, I should consider
it as the raost fortunate thing that could have happened for this
country. The taking upon ourselves, at this early period, an inde
pendent governraent, can produce nothing but raisfortune.
Where is the inforraation necessary for the formation of a consti
tution for so extended a country, inhabited by people whose man
ors and habits are so different ? and where are the means to support
it ? Our people are all so poor (a few excepted about this place,
who have suddenly raised fortunes by speculations in lands, and many
of those not the raost honorably, that they can barely live in a very
wretched raanner ; but, of the few towns, there is scarce a habita
tion to be seen better than Indian wigwams. The greatest part of
the people are ucav comers, and you well know that it requires a
long tirae to subdue a country all in forests, and much labor and ex
pense, so that had Ave even raany men of talents and information,. .
as we certainly have some, they haA'e no leisure frora the calls to
provide for their future welfare, to employ their thoughts on ab
struse questions of goA'ernment and policy.
These are truths that are generallj'' acknowledged in your county,
as they are also by many in Hamilton, and, from the information I
have from Mr. Tod, is the case also in Trumbull. Means have been
thought of to counteract the efforts of the gentry here, and counter-
petitions were proposed, but they had got the start; and, as persons
who have private views, and only use the people as means to accom
plish them, are generally more active than those who have only the
public good in view, and seldom stick at any thing, true or false, that
promises them success, I am inclined to think that petitioning gen
erally will be abandoned, and a, representation from the most
influential and best known characters substituted. To support
the petition for this quarter, Mr. Worthington and Mr. Bald
win are appointed, and will set out early next week, and I
think it probable that Mr. McMillan and Mr. Tod will follow
them before long. In the course of a week, I shall probably be-
able to inform you with certainty. In the meantime, should you
think it would be useful, might not the list be kept back for that

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 551
time ? You would probably be better able to take your measures
than if it Avere produced immediately on receipt of it.
This is, however, a mere hint, and I am very sensible I have
no right to go farther, and am very happy that a matter which I
think of great consequence to this country is confined to your pru
dence. The paper of the day has at this moment corae in; it contains
a foolish protest of seven of the members against the blU. I send
it under a cover, and a copy of the journals, as far as they are
printed. A part of your instuctions, which I forwarded before, is to procure
a legislative construction of that part of the Ordinance which gives
power to the Governor to erect counties. That is, in my opinion,
an improper mode. The true way would be to refer it to the Su
preme Court, but it is most probable that it will be referred to the
Attorney-General. But to whomever it may be referred, I request
the favor that you will lay before them my ansAver to the joint ad
dress from the committee on that subject during the last session,
which you will find in the Journal of 1800, Avhich I forward you.^
1 Mr. Fearing wrote in reply from Washington city, under date of Janu-
ary 11, 1802. He said that he had not received the Journals referred to, that
several letters, including one from Mr. Sibley, had failed to reach him, and
he suspected the post offices. He concluded as follows :
"This day the act passed the Senate, which had before passed the House,
flxing the ratio for representatives at 33,000. The Senate are hammering
at the judiciary ; and, I believe, whether constitutional or not, it Avill be re
pealed, as well as laws laying an internal revenue. Popularity appears to
he the order of the day. Public faith can not be put in competition."
The census of the Territory showed the following inhabitants:
MALES. FEMALES.
Whites, 10 years of age  9,362 8,644
Whites, 10 and under 16  3,647 3,358
Whites, 16 and under 26  4,636 3,861
Whites, 26 and under 45  4,833 3,342
Whites, 45 and upwards  1,955 1,895
24,438 20,595
Whites  45,028
All other persons, except Indians, not taxed  337
Total  45,-365
Was the ratio of representation changed to provide an increased repub
lican representation in Congress ? It certainly aided the plans of the state
party west of the Ohio.

552 The St. Clair Papers.

Nathaniel Massie to Thomas Worthington.
Chillicothe, Jan. 3, 1802.
Dear Sir : — I have inclosed you a Chillicothe paper of yesterday's
date, Avherein you will observe every thing material that has taken
place since your departure. The correspondence between Colonel
Finley and his Excellency is entirely of a piece Avith the rest of his
conduct, and need no animadversions on it frora me, as you are too
weU acquainted with his former conduct.
I can not, hoAvever, help being a little apprehensive that the depo
sition of J. Lane will be attempted to be made use of to your and
Mr. BaldAvin's disadvantage ; that is, to endeavor to excite animos
ity between you. But let me entreat you not to suffer any thing
of the kind to intercept the principal object, and I am in hopes that
you will endeavor so to explain the transaction as to give Mr. Bald
win's friends no uneasiness.^
The comraittee has not proceeded on their raission, but I antici
pate the principal object, which is to attach as much odium to Bald
win's character as possible, and, of course, to show that you are not
much better, for, by lessening the character of one, will, in a great
measure, attach some suspicion to the other.
You Avill receive, inclosed, a petition that I picked up the other day
while I was on a tour as far as the Falls with Colonel Meade, who
arrived at this place the day you left it. Dr. Tiffin has men
tioned to me that he would inclose you a copy of a letter that he
received from Mr. Wm. LudloAV a fcAV days ago. It apjiears from
Mr. Ludlow's letter that there will be considerable opposition from
Harailton. So much the better. I would recommend that on your
arrival, if you find there is any doubt about an act being passed to
express the disapprobation of the General Governraent, endeavor to
haA'e the business postponed a short tirae, until the Harailton peti
tions can arrive. They must have their proportionable weight. I
have written Mr. BroAvn and General Mason by this mail. Having
said every thing that occurs at this time, I can only assure you that
I shall be as industrious as possible on the occasion, both in writing
to my acquaintances in Congress, and endeavoring to procure as
many petitions as possible. . . .
P. S. The charges against the Governor wUl be made the eve
ning of the rising of the legislature.'
'MS. Worthington Papers.
^The saying, " politics makes strange bed-fellows," flnds its exemplification

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 553

Ed'waed Tiffin to Thomas Worthington.
January 8, 1802.
Dear Sir : — I have inclosed the Avithin letter to you that you may
see the situation of Hamilton county on the interesting question.
in this correspondence. Baldwin, who is here spoken of respectfully, was a
dissolute young raan of more than ordinary talents, who was soon thrown
over by his party. Dr. Tiffin, within a very few month's, is found writing
of him as the most disreputable character in the Territory. W^hen Gov-
¦ernor St. Clair appointed Finley colonel of the militia, in 1799, Mr. Worth
ington was offended [see letter of St. Clair below], yet here they are work
ing together for the removal of the Governor. The preference of Finley
for colonel was not the only cause for offense that rankled in the mind
of Colonel Worthington. April 14, 1801, we find St. Clair requesting hira,
as register ofthe Land Office, to procure a book and enter every section and
half-section of land to be offered at public vendue, so that it could be
¦easily identified on the map received from the Surveyor-General; and,
later, denying his right to take certain fees. The register declining the ad
vice as to fees, the Governor wrote to the Secretary of the Treasury, and
-upon receiving reply, July 2, 1801, writes to Colonel Worthington that as
he had declined to take his opinion in reference to taking fees from the
purchasers of land at public sales for original entries, he submits that of
the Secretary of the Treasury, Avho declares it to be improper. He, therefore,
advises him to advertise that such fees were taken under a misapprehension
of the law, and that they would be returned to all who would apply for
them. Governor St. Clair to Thomas Worthington.
Cinoinkati, April 14, 1799.
Sir: — Tour letter of the 26th March came to hand some time ago. 1 had
previously received from Colonel Finley information that he had been mis
taken about Major Dunlap, and T think it is fortunate that you had sug
gested the probability that he Avas so, vv'hich prevented rae from asking, upon
the representation, for his resignation.
Tou will have observed that nothing more commonly happens than that
when a person has made a false step he raakes several more in endeavoring
to recover it. This is precisely my case with respect to you. As I have
assured you, nothing was further frora my intentions than the giving you
any disgust by the appointment of Colonel Finley, and yet I can not but
own, as it was done without any intimation to you, with whom I had freely
and fully conferred on all other appointments, it was not Avithout reason you
were disgusted, and the mode I proposed to remove it was the most natural
 indeed, the only one that occurred to me. It was made, however, ratiier
unadvisedly and hastily, for the militia, by the laws as they now stand, are to
be formed into regiments, each consisting of two battalions, commanded hy
Ijeutenant-colonels, and the two battalions by a. colonel, so that, as there
can not be more than two battalions in your county, the appointment of

.554 The St. Clair Papers.
I have by this mail written to Colonel George Jackson, member in
Congress from Virginia, in answer to a letter I received from him
by last post, I have mentioned you to hira and the object of your
mission. We are still in session and as much confused as ever. The com
mittee of safety has been endeavoring to collect evidence against
the people of the town but can make out nothing ; it will end in
smoke. Major Ferguson has this day inclosed his commission to the
Governor, and I am informed several think of following Colonel
Finley's and his example. Robert Gregg is appointed Judge of Pro
bate, etc. , and Mr. McLaughlin, collector in the room of H. Massie,
resigned. We hear Mr. John McDaniel is very unsuccessful in ob
taining petitioners, and I expect we shall soon send out a great many
petitions. I shall expect to hear from you often. Your faraily and
mine are all AvelL'
another colonel can not take place at present. This affair has given me un
easiness, and I certainly had great reason to be satisfied with your activity and
public spirit, and had no other reason for appointing Colonel Finley than that
of his being an old officer from whom I expected the militia would receive
more improvement than frora any person who had not seen service. I will
divide the militia into battalions, but Avill not effect it until I have an op
portunity to see you, and I propose being in your town in a few days. So
soon as their nuraber will admit of forraing a third battalion it will be done,
and then another colonel may be appointed.
I was hurt at your observation on the postage. I would have you believe
that I set too much value on your correspondence not to pay cheerfully for
the transportation at all times I may be favored with it.
A pamphlet, in answer to Mr. Nicholas' letter to his friend in Virginia,
made its appearance a few days ago. This seems to be a complete answer
and refutation of that letter, and had the author left out the reflections and
comparisons he has made on negro slavery would have been unexception
able. I have sent you a copy by the bearer.^
(1) MS. Worthington Papers.
^It is to the credit of Governor St. Clair that his correspondence nowhere
contains evidence of any unfriendly feeling towards Dr. Tiffin, and in that
respect is in striking contrast with the temper displayed in the letters of the
latter. Governor St. Clair received Dr. Tiffin cordially, as he had been re
quested to do by General Washington, in the following letter of introduc
tion ; but he could not confer on him as many official favors as was requested
and expected :
General Washi'nqton to Govbknoe St. Clair. January 4, 179o.
Sir: — Mr. Edward Tiffin solicits an appointment in the Territory north
west of the Ohio. The fairness of his character in private and public life,.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 555.

GoYDENOR St. Claie to James Eoss.
Chillicothe, January 15, 1802.
Dear Sir : — Though I have nothing to inform you of that will
aflford you much entertainment, yet I Avill give you some account of
our proceedings, and I am the more led to trouble you Avith it be
cause my very good friends, Mr. Worthington and Mr. Baldwin, are
noAV at Washington, and I have every reason to believe that so far
as tbe proceedings can be twisted so as to appear unfavorable to me,
they will be so twisted by thera.
The law declaring the assent of the Territory to an alteration of
tbe Ordinance, so far as relates to the boundaries of the States to
be hereafter erected therein, passed by a majority of two-thirds in
the House, and unanimously in the Council. This is said to be a
measure of mine, and calculated to retard the going into a State
gOA^ernment. That it met my hearty approbation, as it might
possibly have that effect, is certainly true, but I never once heard
of it till the bill Avas before the House. I am, however, most con
fident that, should Congress authorize this Territory to becorae a
State at this time, this country is devoted to misery and ruin, and
that .it will be very fortunate for the people if it can be prcA'cnted
for some years to come. In that time it is probable that the present
heats, which have been artificially raised, will be cooled doAvn, and
that Congress will see a propriety in the proposed alterations which
would render all the State of a manageable size, while the principal
rivers, except the Scioto (and that can hardly be called a naA'igable
river), instead of bounding them would run through their difierent
centers. The subject of the different construction of the Ordinance as it
relates to the power of laying out counties, was again brought on
the carpet, and protest offered against the construction by which I
had governed myself. It was rejected by a very great majority, four-
together with a knowledge of law resulting from close application for a con
siderable tirae, will, I hope, justify the liberty I now take in recommending
him to your attention; regarding with due attention the delicacy as well as-
importance of the character in which I act, I am sure you will do me the
justice to believe that nothing but a knowledge of the gentleman's merits,
founded upon a long acquaintance, could have induced me to trouble you on.
this occasion. With sincere wishes for your happiness and welfare, I am,
etc. George Washinoton.^

(1) The original is in possession ol Dr. W. H. St. Clair, of Effingham county, Illi
nois, a great grandson of General St. Clair.

556 The St. Clair Papers.
only, I think, appearing in faAfor df it ; but I believe I had best quit
this detail and send you the journals.
On Christinas evening, and the evening preceding, there were
unlawful assemblies Avith the avoAved intention of insulting certain
merabers at their quarters, and to burn the Governor in effigy. At
the head of the last Avas Mr. BaldAvin, and he was not prevented
from it but by the splendid exertion of Mr. Worthington, who was
obliged to go so far as to threaten him with death. As to the eflSgy,
it would not have disturbed me in the least had I known of it,
which I did not until the next day, that Avas Christraas.
I Avas, in the evening, in my chamber, writing, when I heard a
violent noise in the house beloAv, and immediately went down to
knoAV the cause of it. Every thing Avas In an uproar ; a number of
people in the passage and a great raany in the street before the
house. I soon found that, in a A'ery rude raanner, several of those
people had forced themselves into the roora Avhere the members had
dined, abused some of them, and one of them was actually collared.
That gentleraan was armed Avith a dirk, Avhich he instantly drew,
and very fortunately was prevented from putting the fellow to death
Avho had collared him. The sight of the Aveapon had the effect to
make them quit the room, and the passage I found full, as I have
mentioned. I expostulated with thera, both in the house and in the
street, set the consequence before them, and, in the meantime, sent
for a magistrate and the sheriff. The sherifi" was out of town, but
a deputy attended, and the magistrate, and, after some time, they
were dispersed. When all was quiet, I returned again to my cham
ber, and Avent to bed. But it was not long after till one of the peo
ple, who had been most violent, returned, and had not Mr. Worth
ington come in about the same time, mischief Avould have ensued.
On Monday, I called on the magistrate, and desired hira to call
the persons before him, and bind them over to the next court of
quarter-sessions. He did call them before him, but instead of put
ting them under recognizance, informed me in writing that he had
found that they were not guilty, and dismissed them. This led to
some correspondence Avhich ended in his resigning his office, and the
whole was laid before the assembly. I have been thus rainute be
cause the affair I have no doubt will be very much misrepresented,
for I have heard from several places on their route, that Worthing
ton and BaldAvin have been loading me with every opprobrious term
that could be thought of; or rather Baldwin, and the other not con
tradicting it. I know your friendship would lead you to doubt their
. story, but it wUl be told to many who do not know me, and it is not

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 557
unlikely to tbe President himself. Should that happen, if you can
not do it yourself, can you not get conveyed to him that I have but
five enemies in the Territory, except sorae they have misled and Avho
probably never saw me. These are Worthington, Tiffin, Massie,
Darlington and BaldAvin, and the last never Avas five minutes in my
company in his life. All tbe others have been obliged to me, and
one of tbem holds the best office in the Territory.
A good opportunity of serving Mr. McLaughlin presented itself a
few days ago. Plenry Massie resigned the collection of the taxes in
the military district, and Mr. McLaughlin is appointed. It pro
duces about four hundred doUars per annura.

Governor St. Clair to Paul Fearing.
Chillicothe, January 15th, 1802.
Sir : — On the 25th of last month, I inclosed to you a certified
copy of an act declaring the assent of the Territory to an alteration
of the boundaries of tbe States hereafter to be erected therein, Avhich
I have been requested by the House, to forward to you, and, at the
same time, troubled you Avith 'a private letter, as I had done some
time before. Whether any of those letters got to your hands is un
certain, and wbether they ever will, or any that may be written to
you from this place, is much doubted. We have long thought that
very improper practices prevail in the post-office here. During the
last session the communication with Mr. McMillan was suppressed,
and when it was not was very irregular. Out of five letters that I
wrote to him, three ouly reached bim, and of five or six written by
bim to me, some miscarried certainly, and one reached me t\A'o
weeks after his return to Cincinnati, though he had made a jour
ney to New Jersey in the meantime ; and the same happened to
Mr. Burnet's correspondence Avith him. Whether those practices
prevaU now I know not, but I knoAV that Mr. Burnet suspects it, as
he has received only tAvo from you, covering certain documents that
accompanied the President's Message.
Mr. Worthington and Mr. Baldwin must have been arrived at
Washington some tirae. Mr. McMiUan AviU not set out under ten
days yet to come, and it seems doubtful whether Mr. Tod wUl go or
not. I beUeve there are tAvo reasons that operate against it ; one is,
that Mr. Meigs bas ab-eady gone from Marietta and declares him
self friendly to the division, and wishes that the people of your
county may petition Congress on the subject and authorize him to

558 The St. Clair Papers.
present it ; another, and I suppose the principal one, is that there
would be some difficulty in raising the money necessary for a special
agent. I am sorry for it ; not that I think the petition would not
be in good hands if intrusted to Mr. Meigs, but that the sending
some person from Trumbull would be the means of uniting a great
many interests, and giving each more weight ; but the idea of put
ting the petition into any hands but yours was never entertained by
those Avho proposed the measure. The serAuces of those gentlemen
whom I have mentioned to you were meant to be entirely out of
doors, and, sub rosa, I have good reason to think new efforts will be
made by the agents from this place to AVork ray reraoval, and from
their conduct on the Avay (for I have heard of them frora some
places on the way) , no falsehood or calumny that malice can invent
Avill be spared. I trust in the integrity of my conduct, and to the
good offices of the foAv Avho have known rae, to counteract them, and
yours, I trust, avIU not be refused.
There were several unlawful and riotous assemblies in this place
on Christraas evening, and the CA^enlng preceding it, with the inten
tion to insult and raaltreat some of the members, and to burn the
GoA'ernor in effig}'" — Mr. Baldwin at the head of them — and they
were not suppressed Avithout some difficulty, nor until one of the
merabers was actually collared in his quarters. I should have laughed
.at the effigy. Because I endeavored to have the offenders against
the privUeges of the legislature brought to justice, a new source of
dislike against rae is opened. You Avill, probably, hear it spoken
of and represented in a Avrong light, but Mr. Worthington, who is
a raagistrate here, could not disperse the first 'meeting on Christmas
eve untU he threatened to put Baldwin to death if he, with the
mob he had at his heels, proceeded ; nor, on the second night, but
by my interference, and that of another of the magistrates sent for
¦by me ; and had not Mr. Worthington fortunately come to visit some
¦of the merabers after I had gone to rest, it Avould have been re
newed ; and to him I refer you, if you think it worth while to make
any inquiry.

Paul Feabing to Go-veenoe St. Claie.
Washington, D. C, January 18th, 1802.
Sir : — By last week's raail I received your letter, which I imme
diately answered, but in ray ansAver I mentioned the failure of those
inclosures, which inclosed the journals you had mentioned in your
letter. A day or two after I had written to you, one of our door-

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 559
keepers informed me that I had two packages in the post-office that
were too large to come free, and that there Avas nine dollars postage
charged on them. I immediately conceived what they were and
went up and took them out, and got the postage reduced to pamphlet
rate. I have applied to Mr. Smith, agreeably to your request. He has
engaged to comply, but says he can not for a few days, as he is
obliged to fill his papers with the debates of the Senate on the Ju
diciary.' The question Avas expected to be taken up to-day, but the
Senate was occupied in executive business; it is generally believed
that if the question should noAV be taken, there Avill be one or two
of a majority for the repeal. If Mr. Ross and Mr. Ogden should
arrive, the majority might be on the other side. There are also two
merabers absent Avho would vote with the present majority, as is
expected. But I have calculated the law lost, and the independence
of our judiciary much weakened, Avhicb, before, I have beeu led to
believe, was secured by our Constitution.
The Chillicothe agents have arrived, and are very anxious to have
the business before Congress, and I fear that unless some one from
the Territory should be here, Avho enters fully into the politics of
the majority, that the agents and their friends avIU try to make a
political party question of it. I have seen letters Avhich complain
that should the division take place Ave could not go into a State
government for fifteen years, and all that time we should be kept
in bondage, etc. I Avish the persons Avere here that you mentioned
were likely to come on. Several of the members 1 have heard ex
press a Avish that Ave could have two Territorial governments, and
revert into the first stage thereof. Such an arrangement, I think,
Avould be more likely to carry, as we find none but what interest
will operate on, and those members Avho have lands in the Territory
would be glad to see us in such a state as that we should want no
taxes. Should this reach you before the Assembly separates, please
inquire of the gentlemen from the different counties if such an ar
rangement would be agreeable. You will be able to give me your
¦opinion before the law will be got through. I do not know whether
you will be able to sead and understand my letter ; I have written
it in so much baste.

Nathaniel Masses to Thomas Worthington.
Chillicothe, January 18, 1802.
Dear Sir : — On Wednesday next, I am in hopes, this session of

560 The St. Clair Papers.
the General Assembly Avill end. Nothing very material has been
done since you left this place. The coraraittee of inquisition ^ has
not made their report, and I am sure if they were left alone they
never would, but, for the credit of the inhabitants of this place, I
shall endeavor to make thera. I attended at their taking of depo
sitions, and every exertion Avas made to implicate some persons with
a design to raise a riot to disturb the Governor and certain raember,?,
but they all failed. Indeed, it appeared that sorae of the members
were greatly to blarae. Mr. BaldAvin Avas particularly aimed at, but
nothing could be raked u]5.
A resolution Avas laid on the table some days ago, by myself, re
questing Congress to pass au act for our immediate adraission into a
State government, but it Avas soon kicked out of the House , it was
hardly treated Avith comraon politeness. We have now before us a
biU to take the census this year, but I am sure it will fail.
You will receive a large packet of petitions hj this mail, and
chiefly from Hamilton county. Frora the latest inforraation, that
county is more than one-half opposed to the measure,^ and it ap
pears that the more the subject is examined, the raore it is depre
cated. I ara very sanguine that at the next session the tone of
members will greatly be changed in favor of a State government.
A report is in circulation, at this place, that 'Squire BroAvn is
shortly to set out for the city, with instructions to sujjport the Gov
ernor's interest, and to use his influence to obtain a judgeship for
hiraself, for, in case the late judiciary systera is changed by Con
gress, I apprehend ajudge Avill be Avanting in this Territory, and I
rather suppose this is his object, together to use his eloquence
to get the division act passed. If there^should be a federal judge
appointed in this Territory, I should be pleased with Judge Meigs

I Legislative Committee appointed to investigate the Chillicothe riot on
the occasion of the passage of the act changing the seat of government from
that place to Cincinnati.
January 25th, Cnlonel Massie wrote Mr. Worthington that the legislature
closed Saturday without having accomplished rauch. " The coramittee of in
quisition made their report as ifthey Avished to conceal and draw a veil over
the Governor's transactions ; the amount of it was that the promoters appeared
to be actuated from intoxication." " The last two days of the session we
had a little quarreling — our little friend Kimberlej' was the principal on the
one side, and Cutler and Schieffelin on tlie other. The whole proceeded
from Kimberley's having expressed himself rather freely as to the influence
that Putnam had over certain members, Avhich stung them rather much."
2 That is, the measure giving the consent of the Territory to a change of
boundaries.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. . 561
receiving that appointment, and, in that case, a territorial judge
wiU also be wanting; I think Mr. Byrd would fill that office with
respect and give general satisfaction. On this subject, you can be
better informed from Mr. James Brown, if he is at that place.^

Governor St. Claie's Eemaeks on Adjourning the General
Assembly, January 23, 1802.
Gentlemen of the Council and of the House of Representatives .-—Your
joint resolution informing me that the state of the business before
the two Houses Avas such as Avould make an adjournment on this
day proper, and requesting that when it did take place the next
meeting might be on the fourth Monday of November next, were
presented by your committee two days ago. As it always gives me
pleasure to meet your wishes, I cheerfully consented to both.
Your session, gentlemen, has been a long one, and much im
portant business has passed through your hands, all of Avhich. that
bas come to me, excepting the act to regulate marriages, has been
approved. There appeared to me so many serious objections to that
act, that I could not consent to its becoming a laAv. Some of its
most material parts are nearly a literal transcript of the laAv uoav in
force. That law bas some iraperfections, the chief of Avhich, in my
mind, is, that botb male and female persons are alloAved to be joined
in marriage at too early a time in life. But the act, gentlemen, so
far from remedying that defect, would have carried it beyond all
bounds. Marriage there is not eveu limited to the age of puberty,
but, if the consent of a father, a mother, or a guardian, as the case
may be, can be obtained, it may be solemnized (and consummated
too) before. Cases in Avhich that consent niight jirobably be ob
tained, Avill readily present themselves to your minds. Early mar
riages do, no doubt, conduce to the increase of population and the
preservation of morality; premature marriages, on the contrary,
are opposite to the one and destructive of the other, and are most
commonly foUoAved by regret, disgust, and conjugal infidelity. It
can not be proper that at an age Avhen the laAvs suppose a want of
discretion for the coramon transactions of life, and when contracts
made relative to property, hoAV sraall soever the value of it may be,
are not binding, persons should be allowed to enter into the most

^ MS. Worthington Papers.
A'OL. II — 36

562 The St. Clair Papers.
solemn, the most influential, and the most indissoluble of all con
tracts ; a contract on Avhich the happiness or misery of the whole
lives of the parties, or of their progeny, also, in a great measure,
depends. The person by whom the marriage may be celebrated is
required, be the distance from the office what it may, to present a
certificate, in person, to the recorder. It can not, as at present, be
transmitted; it raust be presented, and that under a heavy penalty;
and for this journey, the publication of the banns, and perform
ing of the ceremony, he is entitled, by the fee-biU, to one dollar and
a quarter. Inconvenient consequences would result from the third
section of the act. I knoAV of nothing that should hinder or pre
vent persons coming from foreign parts, and actually married, from
bringing with them the ' ' credentials " of their, marriage. It is
usual on the continent of Europe and in Great Britain and Ire
land to take certificates of marriage at the time they happen, and
should it be then neglected there is no difficulty in obtaining them
afterwards. It is a precaution Avhich every prudent married couple on leaving
their oavu country Avill take. Should male and female persons
corae frora foreign parts, and though not married, live together as
raan and wife, and the AVoraan be perraitted by the man to assume
his narae, he will be as rauch bound by her acts, as the laAV now
stands, as he Avould be by the act in question had it been approved.
But the chief object to this act seems to have been to take the
power of granting licenses to marry without publication out of the
hands of the Governor and place it in the hands of the prothono-
taries of the courts of comraon pleas. I can not, see, gentlemen, the
smallest connection there is between this power and the office and
duty of a prothonotary. If a power of dispensing Avith the require
ments of the laws in certain cases can ever be placed with propriety
in any raan, it raust be in the chief magistrate. If this poAver be
found inconvenient, though the experience and practice of, I believe,
every State is in its favor, let it be entirely. But I can never con
sent that a power to dispense with law in any case shall be vested
in a subordinate and ministerial officer.
Accept my thanks, gentleraen, for the attention you have paid to
every thing that Avas recommended. Good effects to all the people
AvIU, I trust, fioAV from your labors ; and that a well-grounded con
fidence, in the legislature, and a spirit of peace and rautual good-
Avill generally prevailing, avIU be the result. I recoraraend it to you,
gentlemen, when you return to your counties, and it is rauch in
your poAver to cultivate that spirit — the balm of private life and the

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 563
source from wbicb all tbe pleasures of social intercourse are to be
draAvn. Gentlemen, your sessions are now adjourned, to be recommenced
on the fourth Monday of November next at Cincinnati, in the
county of Hamilton. '^

Nathaniel Massie to James Madison.
Sir: — Believing that Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the North
western Territory, has violated that confidence and trust reposed in
him by the constituted authority of the United States in presiding
¦over the Territory as their chief magistrate, I have thought proper
to exhibit to the President such parts of his conduct Avhich appears
inconsistent with the nature of Ijis appointment, trusting that Avhen
a high and responsible officer has violated his constitutional duty,
that an inquiry AviU be made into his conduct.
The foUoAving charges I Avish and request you to lay before the
President of the United States :
1st. That Governor St. Clair has degraded his official character in
attempting to divide the Territory, by assuming to himself the right
¦of recommending to the Hon. William H. Harrison, the then dele
gate to Congress from this Territory, in the session of the year 1799,
when the legislature of this Territory bad been but three Aveeks out
of session, and to Mr. Pickering, the then Secretary of State, a
plan of division wbich was calculated to deprive the inhabitants of
the advantage and opportunity of forming a State government
agreeably to the provisions of the Ordinance for the government
thereof, which has ever been considered as their constitutional guide.
That, in his letter to the delegate, he gave as a reason that the di-
¦vision ought to be made as recommended, otherwise a certain part
of the Territory Avould be materially injured, which appears to be
that part in which the delegate, as he supposed, was most interested,
when to Mr. Pickering he used quite a different reasoning, to-wit :
that if the division as recommended did not take place, that the
then administration might, with reasonable certainty, expect that

1 This general assembly did not again convene. The State party succeeded
in getting an act passed by Congress providing for erecting the Eastern Dis
trict into a State, and prevented the State legislature from having any part
in the business. The convention to form n State Constitution met early in
November, and, at the request of that body. Governor St. Clair issued a
proclaraation postponing the day of meeting. For further particulars, see
Vol. I, pp. 224-47.

564 , The St. Clair Papers.
the eastern State, as conteraplated by the Ordinance, would in a
short time become a State government, and the consequence would
be that the representatives chosen from said State to represent them
in the General Governraent Avould oppose the then adrainistration.
Indeed, his ExceUency did not stop here, but condescended to crim
inate and represent the individual opinions of the different settle
ments of the Territory, saying that such a district of people AvasEe-
publican, and another Avas in favor of the then administration; and
to enforce his reasoning raore strongly on the probability of the
majority of the said conteraplated State being Eepublican, he re
ferred hira to the neighboring States of -Kentucky and Tennessee ;
but, trusting that if the division as recoraraended Avas raade, that
such an infiuence as the General Governraent Avas capable of making
might operate a change to their advantage. VieAving such conduct
as degrading to the office of a chief magistrate, inasmuch as it ap
pears that he was placed over the independent sentiments of the in
habitants of the Territory rather than their chief magistrate, I can
not for a moment believe that the President will ever encourage
such conduct. To his letter to the Hon. Mr. Harrison, which was
printed for the use of the raerabers of both Houses at that session,
and to his letter to Mr. Pickering at the same time, I beg leave to
refer you ; if the last- mentioned letter was a private one, a copy, or
the substance thereof, I can procure and Avill forAvard Avhen
requested. 2d. That the Governor has demanded and received from the citi
zens of this Territory oppressive fees in the execution of his official
duty unauthorized liy laAV ; for the confirmation of this article, I
refer you to his letter on that subject.
Sd. That the Governor has violated the constitution of this Ter
ritory in assuraing to himself the legislative powers thereof, by
erecting ncAV counties out of counties already laid out, and thereby
altering their boundaries, and fixing the permanent seat of justice.
I Avill refer you to his several proclamations on this subject.
4th. That in public corapanies he has frequently raanifested a
hostile disposition to a republican form of gOA'ernraent in asserting
that a monarchical government Avas the ouly form that could or
ought to be supported, thereby degrading his official character as
the chief magistrate of a people attached to a republican form of
government. 5th. That the Governor has attempted by his official influence to
make justices of the peace of this Territory depart frora their duty,
and thereby to place the life, liberty and i^roperty of the citizens at

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 565
bis control ; his conduct in the case of Colonel Samuel Finley, as a
justice of tbe peace, and certain citizens of the town of ChilUcothe,
as will appear from the Scioto Gazette of the  date.
Having the fullest confidence in the Chief Executive Magistrate
of our General Government, I trust the above charges wiU have bis
serious and mature consideration.^

Thomas Worthington to the President.
City of Washington, January 30, 1802.
Feeling no prejudice toward Governor St. Clair as a man,^ but,
on the other band, viewing him rather with an eye of pity, it is not
a pleasing task to me to be obliged, in defense of what I conceive
the just and lawful rights of myself, in common Avith my fellow-
^ MS. Worthington Papers. — For the forraal charges drawn up by Massie
for the President, see following letter — Thoraas Worthington to the
President. '¦"It Avill be seen from the following that theoriginal instructions restricted
Messrs. Worthington and Baldwin to the work of defeating the act of the
territorial assembly. The junto of the State party had other views, and
soon managed to enlarge the powers of the agents so as to embrace the re
moval of St. Clair and the admission of the eastern district as a State.
To Thomas Worthington and Michael Baldwin.
Gentle-men: — By virtue of the trust reposed in us by a number ofthe [in
habitants of the] North-Avest Territory, who did, at a general meeting, con-
.stitute you their agents to attend at the present session of the Congress of
the United States, in order to use your utmost exertions to prevent a law,
passed at the present session of the general assembly ofthe Territory, being
carried into effect, entitled, "An act declaring the assent of the Territory
north-west of the Ohio to an alteration in the Ordinance of the government
thereof," because they believe the act to be a violation of their constitutional
rights, and unjust in its tendency and operations.
We do hereby instruct you to take proper measures to have the remon
strances of the people laid before Congress, together with such of the jour
nals of the House of Pvepresentatives as relate thereto ; and, also, the pro
test filed by the rainority of the House of Eepresentatives against such act.
We do, likewise, instruct you to represent to the meinbers of both Houses
-of Congress the apparent motives which induced the majority of the said
Bouse of Kepresen tatives to vote for the said act.
By order of the committee,
Sam. Findlet, Chairman.
Attest: Joseph Kerb, Secretary.

566 The St. Clair Papers.
citizens of the North-western Territory, to remonstrate against bis
conduct. In doing this, sir, no circumstance shall be stated wbicb-
can not be substantiated by proper testimony. I wiU not trouble-
you with every act of Governor St. Clair which bas caused discon
tent, but will confine myself to those which have given general dis
satisfaction, and which have tended, in their consequences, to pro
duce ferment and confusion in his government.
I am well assured, sir, that you will need no arguments to con
vince you that there is always much difficulty in establishing facts
Avhich shall be the grounds on Avhich to found the impeachment of
an officer placed in tbe situation of Governor St. Clair, yet there
may be more than enough to prove that the general tenor of his
conduct is such as to show him unworthy of so high and confidential
a station in the government of a free people.
The very extensive powers given to the Governor by the Ordi
nance for the governraent of the Territory avIU, in alraost every
instance, be resorted to as a shield to defend him against complaint.
But, when the Avhole tenor of his conduct is marked with a design
to proraote his oavu pecuniary interests and gratify his ambitious and
tyrannical disposition, regardless of the welfare and happiness of
the people governed by him, I trust, sir, that a wise and just gov
ernment (which I believe that of the United States to be, and to
Avhich the people of the North-western Territory look up for protec
tion and a distribution of equal rights and justice) will not be re
gardless of their well-founded complaints. To prove what has been
asserted, let facts be stated which can not be confuted : '
1 Accompanying Mr. Worthington's letter were charges which had been
formulated by the Chillicothe junto, as follows:
Charges exhibited to the President of the United States against
the Honorable Arthur St. Clair, as Governor oe the Territory
oE the United States north-west of the Eia'er Ohio. Drawn
UP BY Nathaniel Massie and preferred by Thomas Worthing
ton, Agent of the State Party, and Eepublican Leader.
1. He has usurped legislative powers, by the erection of courts and loca
tion of the seats of justice by proclaraation, on his own sole authority.
2. Ho has misused the poAver of negativing legislative acts Ijy putting his
negative on laws useful and necessary for the Territory.
3. He has refused to perform the duties of his office but on the payment
of arbitrary fees not established by any lawful authority.
4. He has negatived acts of the legislature abolishing those fees, and
passed their act giving hira $500, raeant as a compensation for that abolition,
thereby holding both the fees and compensation.
5. He has attempted to effect the dismemberment of the Territory, and to^

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 567
He bas wantonly rejected laws passed by the representatives for
tbe good of the people, and as wantonly usurped the power of erect
ing new counties contrary to any consideration of words, and Avhen
tbe united voice of tAvo branches of the legislature remonstrated
against it. At the comraencement of the first session of the terri
torial legislature, in 1799, sundry petitions Avere presented to the
Governor praying that new counties might be laid out; these peti
tions were sent doAvn to the House of Eepresentatives, and the peti
tioners informed by the Governor that they must apply to their
representatives, as his powers to lay out ucav counties ceased Avith
the commencement of the representative government.^ Six laAvs
were therefore passed erecting new counties by two branches of the
legislature, all of Avhich were (not until the day he prorogued the
assembly, nor was his change in opinion known before) rejected.
Five other laAvs were rejected — in all eleven at the same session —
the expense of which to the Territory could not be less than three
thousand dollars, and near one- third of the labors of the session
were lost. The Governor's address to the assembly on the last day
of the session will be found, and Avill verify the foregoing charge.*
He bas, in the appointment of civil officers in the ucav counties
destroy its constitutional houndaries, in order to prevent its advanceraent to
those rights of self-government to which its nurabers would entitle it.
6. He has granted commissions generally during pleasure; but thatof
Attorney-General to his own son during good behavior.
7. He has endeavored arbitrarily to iniluence and control the proceedings
of the judiciary, and has revoked or effected a surrender ofthe coraraissions
of those who have refused to bend to his will.
8. He has appointed persons residing out of a county to offices the duties
of which were to be habitually perforraed within them.
9. He has [neglected and thereby^] obstructed the organization and dis
ciplining of a militia for the defense of the Territory, by withholding the
appointment of officers eighteen months after a law had passed establishing
thera. 10. He has avowed his hostility to the form and substance of republioan
government [and contempt of militia regulations^].
'There was no evidence furnished to substantiate this statement. The
Governor's views as to his powers under the Ordinance are frequently and
forcibly set forth in the preceding pages.
-^ See page 561.
(1) Added by Thomas Worthington.
(2) There were eleven charges as drawn up by Nathaniel Massie, but the last was
not inserted in tho copy submitted to the President by Colonel Worthington, which
is in his handwriting. The eleventh charge was as follows :
11. He is in the habit of indulging himseU in arbitrary and rude conduct toward
those who have to transact business with him, or under him.

-.568 The St. Clair Papers.
within the Territory, selected persons who resided without the county,
. and were his favorites, to the raost lucrative offices, contrary to the
wishes of the people, and Avhen there were characters Avell qualified
to fill such offices residing Avithin such ncAV laid out counties.'-
He has created perquisites to his office which are unjust and
illegal. For every tavern license granted before the last session of the
Asserably he received four doUars ; for every ferry license granted
before the session of 1799, he received one guinea f he noAV receives
one guinea for every raarriage license by hira granted. Fees are
received on militia commissions, and are also charged on all the
commissions of the civil officers in each newly-erected county, in
proportion as the coraraission is lucrative.
He has atterapted to raake the judiciary dependent on his will;
and Avhen justices ha\-e acted with firmness and independence in
giving such a construction to an existing statute law as appeared to
them reasonable and right, their commissions have been revoked by
his proclamation.
He is an open and avowed enemy to a republican form of gov
ernment, and an advocate for monarchy ; is also an open and de
clared enemy to militia regulations, which declaration his practice
hitherto has confirmed, as the militia in the Territory are without
' St. Clair held to the opinion (see his plan for a government, laid before
the Council of Censors) that the people should not be restricted to local
bounds in the selection of public officers. There were two instances which
formed the basis for the charge preferred by Mr. Massie and Mr. Worth
ington. ' In a letter to Mr. Madison, Secretary of State, June 17, 1802, reviewing
the charges of his eneraies, the Governor explained as to the fees that they
were warranted by law, except in the case of ferry licenses. The subject
had been considered by respectable authority^ who decided there was no
legal obstacle in the way of collecting a fee for such licenses ; that it was
customary in other States, and had been demanded on the principle of
quantum meruit. The Governor says, in the letter to Mr. Madison: "Be
pleased, sir, to consider that the ferry licenses were h, public act, under the
seal of the Territory, whereby the parties acquired a freehold in the ferries,
and could not be ousted from them, but in consequence of a breach as
certained by a jury; that I conceived I had a right to demand a fee, and
that the fee demanded was not exorbitant, taking into view the benefits ac
cruing to the parties paying it; that it could not havebeen deinanded from
avaricious motives, the whole amount received not exceeding ten guineas;
and that the salary was in fact no compensation for the labor and expense
to which I was exposed in the execution of the office."

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 569
organization,^ although a good militia law bas been enacted for two
years past.
He has created, and endeavored to attach to himself a party,^
'In view of the utterances of the GoA'ernor on the occasion of his first
public appearance in the Territory; of his work on the first law adopted,
which Avas a law to organize the militia; of subsequent recomraendations,
and of his public remarks to the militia of Hamilton county at a Fourth
of July celebration, the boldness of this charge is remarkable. But it
is made to appear more ridiculous when placed side ty side with the follow
ing communications, addressed to Nathaniel Massie, author of the charges
laid before the President, on this very militia subject, in the year 1800:
Governor St. Clair to Colonel Nathaniel Massie.
Cincinnati, April 21, 1800.
Sir : — Herewith you will receive the act regulating the railitia. You will
observe that by the seventh section the comraanding officers of regiments,
battalions, and companies are required to meet at the court-houses of the
respective counties on the first Monday of May next, and to divide the
counties into districts, to be designated hy and within certain lines and limits,
which are to he recorded. At the sarae time, a perfect return of the officers
of the railitia in each county must be raade and transraitted to the office of the
Adjutant-General at Cincinnati, accompanied with an accurate list of the
numbers wanting to complete the establishment. To fill up the A'acancies
in your county I vv'ill take it as a favor of you to raention the persons who
seera to you best qualified. I am, sir, etc.
Governor St. Clair to Colonel N. Massie.
Cincinnati, August 20, 1800.
Sir : — On the foregoing page is the duplicate of a letter I Avrote to you on
the 21st of April, to whioh I have received no answer ; neither has the di
vision of the county of Adaras into corapany districts, or the list of officers
wanting to complete the militia to the new establishraent been received at
the Adjutant-General's office. You must be sensible, sir, that without them
the militia can not be organized conformably to law, as well as of the ill-
consequence that raay flow frora a neglect of it. I request, sir, that they may
be no longer delayed, and am, etc.
2 One can iinagine the broad sraile that must have spread over the face of
'Thoraas Jefferson when he read that solemn accusation from the pen of his
arabitious political manager in the new Eepublican State. Perhaps his
thoughts went back to the time when, while Secretary of State in the cabi
net of Washington, he laid the foundation of a neAv political organization
destined to endure longer than any other in Araerica, and to the success of
his own plans, which had elevated him to the Presidency. He must have
felt a touch of sympathy for poor St. Clair, Avhile admiring the clever skill
of his friend Worthington in rounding a period on the civil service to catch
ithe popular ear.

570 The St. Clair Papers.
and in conjunction with them has made attempts, and in some
measure succeeded, to destroy the harmony and divide the interests
of the people, affecting to promote the local interests of certain
places, thereby enlisting partisans to support his views. The late
effort to alter the bounds of the States in the Territory originated
Avith the Governor, and has been supported by his influence in every
stage. If a letter written by him to Mr. Pickering,^ then Secretary
of State, in Deceraber, 1799, or in the succeeding months of Janu
ary or February, 1800, can be found in the office of the Secretary
of State it will prove this assertion beyond a doubt, for in that let
ter the very plan which the Governor and his party have pursued
Avas pointed out to the Secretary of State, and it was urged by the
Governor that the then adminstration should procure a division of
the population of the Territory so as to prevent any part from
becoming an independent State ; because, when they did they would
oppose the views of the adrainistration. It will be proper for me
to observe that Mr. Pickering permitted Mr. Harrison, then a repre
sentative [delegate] in Congress, to read this letter,'' and that Mr.
Harrison, on the sarae day, stated to rae the substance thereof, and
is now willing to support with his deposition what I have stated.
The paper raarked " 3 " is the copy of a letter from the Governor
to Mr. Harrison,^ and points out the same plan, but in a different
shape. Here territorial divisions are contemplated as the necessary
consequence of State divisions, or might be preparatory thereto.
In a few days I shall receive documents to support in the most
positive manner the fourth and sixth charges.* Should it be re
quired, many other facts can be stated equally disagreeable to the
people, aud to which they have patiently so far been obliged to
submit.

1 A confidential letter, in interest ofthe adrainistration.
'i Doubtless Colonel Pickering, who was in the cabinet of John Adams, sup
posed Mr. Harrison would approve of the plan.
3 See page 489, St. Clair to W. H. Harrison.
*But the charges were never effectually sustained, although pressed upon
the attention of the President and Secretary of State for months. They
did not move the President to take action, as fondly hoped for by the junto.
Mr. Jefferson thought it wiser to await that legislative action, then under
consideration, Avhich would surely add a new State to the Eepublican
column. He contented himself by directing his Secretary of State to ad
vise Governor St. Clair that it would be better to let the General Assembly
form the new counties, and that the custom of receiving fees for marriage

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 571

Edwakd Tiffin to Thomas Worthington.
Chillicothe, February 1st, 1802.
Dear Sir: — By tbe last mail I received your first letter from
Washington, dated January 14th, 1802, and am glad to find that
you are encouraged to hope that you will finally succeed in the ob
jects of your mission.
I have used every exertion to get Colonel Massie to draw up and
forward on his charges. We appointed three different times to meet
on that business. I always attended, but could never get him there.
He bas, before I received yours, left town, and when I shall again see
him I know not. I forwarded on, by last post, three depositions. I
did not certify that Colonel Finley was a justice of the pleas
through neglect. I now inclose a certificate to attend them, should
you be disposed to make any use of them.
Witb respect to a State Government, I have endeavored to get a
meeting of the committee ; tbey are of opinion tbat all the petitioners
to the petitions already forwarded may be considered as petitioning
for a State government, and I do assure you that a desire for a
change of government is still increasing throughout the Territory,
and could any thing be done this session of Congress toAvards it, the
people would be highly gratified ; almost all the members of tbe
House of Representatives, before they left this place, declared that
and ferry licenses had better be ignored for the future. To this gentle hint
St. Clair responded in a note dated: Washington, June 2Zd, 1802.
. . . A stop shall be put to the fees immediately. There are few in
struments so carefully drawn that different people will not differ about their
true construction. The construction of the Ordinance for the government
assumed by rae, as it respects counties, I thought right, and it has been
acted upon with the single view of producing the general good of the
counties respectively, without respect of persons; but, since the Executive
has thought it wrong, I shall certainly correct the error in future. I request
you, sir, to have the goodness to convey to the President the sentiments of my
high respect, and to accept my thanks for the delicate raanner in which you
have been pleased to communicate the animadversions, which, to my ex
treme regret, he has had occasion to make. A. St. Clair.
Before this result is reached there are other letters which will engage our
attention, and which will occasion surprise and reflection. In striking con
trast with this desperate scheme of a few raen to secure the removal of the
veteran St. Clair, are his references to them in preceding letters, as, for ex
ample, that to Timothy Pickering, March 30, 1800, ante. But we are in the-
very mid-suramer days of party passion, when reason and a sense of justice;
no longer control the actions of men.

572 The St. Clair Papers.
they noAv saAV nothing but a change could remedy the evils we
labored under, and that they heartily wished it could be eflfected.
jNIr. Sraith is sorry he voted for an alteration in the boundary lines.
Langham is, I ara told, now a great advocate for a State govern
ment, and proraises the people his exertions — but a new election,
which is approaching, has made him a convert. I forgot in my last to
mention to you that the militia law is araended so as to repeal all
that part which provides for the appointment of general officers. I
opposed it violently in the House and got it thrown out. But the
Council originated a new bill at the close of the session and got it
passed. I am informed the Governor intends to start in a Aveek or
tAVO for Washington. What are his objects I knoAV not. McMillan
is expected daily through here also. The people of Cincinnati have
raised four hundred dollars by subscription, and pay him six dollars
per day to assist Mr. Fearing. You see they think their Diana in
danger. "^

Nathaniel Massie to Thomas Worthington.
Chillicothe, February 8th, 1802.
Dear Sir: — Your letter of the 25th ultimo, together with your
two other letters, came safe to hand. In the hurry of writing this
letter, I can only tell you that I now inclose you the several proclama
tions asked for, and by the next maU you will receive the charges
against the Governor in due form. Suffer me, my dear sir, to teU
you that I am highly gratified witb your conduct, and if you can
remain a short tirae longer you Avill be assisted with all the aid that
we can give you. HoAvever, I believe you have never thought that
we would not affbrd you every assistance that was in our power.
You have been pleased to observe, in one of your letters, that in
case the old man was removed who was to be the man, and asked
rae whether I would accept of the office. Be assured, sir, that under
the circurastances in which I at present stand, nothing on earth
would induce rae to accept of the office. My first and greatest Avish
is to get him from the head of our government, and then I ara sure
some suitable character might be found. I differ from you in
opinion, and in that difference you will readily reconcile to yom-self
that our object is the same, viz : The happiness of our country is
¦ our primary object. Such, I believe, to be yours. Any person that
is not a resident will come to this country unconnected with party
^ MS. Worthington Papers.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 573
concerns. Such I must view every character at present among us,
and most probably such a person will give more general satisfaction
than any other. However high I respect my country, I must be
suffered to tell you that a short time hence I Avill not be seen in pub
lic life ; not tbat I believe myself possessed of any extraordinary
talents to render my country that service which at present she re
quires, but I believe, after a State government is formed, I can, Avith
safety and peace of mind, remain at home, where social happiness is
only to be found. I am now writing with our friend Tiffin, who
will probably tell you something more than I do at present. I must,
before I close this letter, inform you that at our next session the
prospect of a State government is greater than it has ever been
since our acquaintance

Governor St. Clair to Thomas Jefferson, President.
Cincinnati, February ISth, 1802.
Sir: — It is most probable tbat the violent exertions made last
winter, when my term of office expired, by some persons from this
Territory, in order to prevent a reneAval of it, did not escape your
notice, but it may not have come to your knowledge that, to accom
plish that object, the basest means, the vilest falsehoods, and the
foulest calumnies were resorted to ; nor that, at the very moment,
they were, every one of them, guilty of the blackest ingratitude.
By letter, sir, received from Washington by the last mail, I ara in
formed that the same persons, or some of them, are noAV endeavor
ing by like means to ruin me with you, and scruple not to opine that
my temoval is decided on. I hope and trust that the case is not so.
If they have, sir, found their Avay to you, I entreat you not to give
implicit credit to their suggestions.
For ten years of the twelve I have held the government, the con
fidence, the approbation, and the good wishes of the neople con
stantly attended me, nor Avould these have been lessened but for the
insidious practices of those aspiring individuals.
I dare to challenge the whole Avorld to produce an occasion in my
administration in Avhich a single individual has met Avith opposition
to an act to further tbe interest and Avelfare of the people.
To the accomplishment of these objects I have giA'en up the best
years of my life, at the expense of my health and fortune. It is
certainly true that I have, all along, used my best endeavors to keep
^ MS. Worthington Papers.

^^74 The St. aair Papers.
the people steady in their attachment to the General Government,
. and, so long as this country remains in a colonial state, and the ad
ministration is in my hands, so long will those endeavors be con
tinued, by whomsoever that Government may be conducted.
Placed at a happy distance from, and unconnected with any of
the parties in the United States, I have devoutly wished the gen-
¦ eral happiness, and faithfully labored for those of this particular
¦ quarter, and endeavored to throw my mite into the general treasury,
by forming the people to industry, to obedience to the laws, to mod
eration in opinions, and to virtue in their lives and practice. The
loss of my office would, I acknoAvledge, sir, be very inconvenient,
for, though the duties of it have occupied constantly and exclusively
more than twelve years, the expenses necessarily incident to it and
the maintenance of my family, on a very narrow scale, have swal
lowed up much, indeed, nearly all, of my private funds, without one
single cent being saved from the salary. That is nothing. I may
have been sacrificing to vanity, though I have not been sensible of
it. But a removal can not take place without deeply affecting my
reputation, and that, I own, would be most severely felt. I beg of
you, sir, if it should seem to appear, from the representations that
may have been made, that such a measure would be proper, to post
pone it untU I can have it in my power to wait upon you in person,
or that you will please to direct an inquiry into my conduct.^

Edward Tiffin to Thomas Worthington.
Chillicothe, March 1, 1802;
Dear Sir : — I take up my pen just to inform you that Governor
St. Clair this day arrived here, and iraraediately started on to Wash
ington. I expect you will receive this a few days before he wUl ar
rive, and prepare yourself for him. I have no doubt but you wiU
have received every document you wished for previous to this, to
support the charges exhibited against him.^ ....

Edward Tiffin to Thomas Worthington.
Chillicothe, March 20th, 1802.
Dear Sir: — By the last mail I received yours, with a copy of the
' See notes to preceding letter — Thomas Worthington to the President.
' MS, W,,rlhington Papers.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. bib
report of the committee on the North-western Territory business,
inclosed by Mr. Fowler. I also, for the first time, received a letter
from Mr. Fearing, inclosing a copy of the report. He Avishes me
to Avrite him information how many of the inhabitants of Ross ha\'e
been taken into any new county since the taking of the late census.
I shall answer his letter, but wiU be very careful that he shall gather
no information from me on that or any other subject, as I have no
confldence in his representations, and I expect you are fully informed
on that head.
As far as I can discover, the principles contained in the report of
the committee Avill be pleasing, and, in my opinion, very advan
tageous to our new State. I am delighted with the idea of striking
the line through the southerly extreme of Lake Michigan. My
reasons for wishing the line in tbat direction will hy you be soon an
ticipated. Major Ludlow was bere and called to see me the other day. He
says Governor St. Clair will be elected to the convention from Ham
ilton. I think he ought to have cut out a small county, including
Cincinnati, before he could have counted on his election. However,
I shall be bappy to meet him on equal ground in the convention.
Ludlow also thinks he will be elected Governor iindef the new order
of things, or, in other words, he thinks as some of the people of
Cincinnati do, but not as the sovereign people do throughout the
Territory. I am glad to hear you expect the Governor will be removed, and
am sorry a proper successor can not be flxed upon. It will be no
object for the acceptance of a stranger to the Territory, as the office
will soon be vacated by a State government. I think sorae popular
¦citizen might easily be found who would be pleasing to the people ;
if that should be a matter of difficulty, perhaps my idea of this
subject might meet yours, Avhicb is, that the Governor might be
removed or suspended, and let the Secretary discharge the duties,
-agreeably to law, until the new government should be organized, as
the duties will be but trifiing.
Please send me a copy of the bill as soon as it passes the House ¦
of Representatives, with blanks filled up.
We are aU much impressed with the obligations we are under to
JOU for your persevering and unremitting attention to our concerns.'
' MS. Worthington Papers.

576 The St. Clair Papers.

Israel Ludlow to Thomas Worthington.
CiNcmNATi, March 27, 1802.
Dear Sir : — ; . . From my present view of the business, I
agree Avith you that the adoption of that law will be favorable to us.
Although raany of our citizens of Hamilton and Washington [coun
ties] are opposed to a State government, yet I believe it is a system
which Ave raust adojit, and am happy to find that Congress are dis
posed to grant us some aid by donation of land and salt springs. It
would be desirable that all the salt springs should be on the same
terras granted Avith that on Scioto, as nurabers will be found in the
Territory at a future day, and one or two are already discovered
and reserved near the Great Miarai, and are now tbe property of
Congress, as they were not offered at public sale.'

Remarks of Mr. Fearing and Mr. Griswold in the House op
Repeesentatia'es on the Report op the Select Committee
respecting the admission of the north-western terri
TORY AS A State into the Union, March 31, 1802.
Mr. Fearing said he should oppose this resolution, but not on the
ground of expediency. As the business had been urged forward
hastily he had not had an opportunity of consulting his constitu
ents, to many of whora he had forAvarded the report of the select
coraraittee. He Avould, therefore, waive any reraarks on the ex-
pediencyof it until a bill was brought in, in the event of the reso
lution being agreed to, expecting, in the raeantirae, to hear from his
constituents. But he was opposed to the resolution on constitutional principles.
He conceived Congress had nothing to do Avith the arrangements
for calling a convention. It was not necessary on general principles
or under the comj^act, that the Territory in order to be adraitted
into the Union should form a constitution. By the compact. Con
gress can give their assent to admit the Territory into the Union
before the population amounts to sixty thousand. Their power ex
tends no farther. The compact is the suprerae law of the land, and
is in the nature of a treaty. What it prescribes must be executed,
but, as to arrangements not raade in it, they may or may not be
made, and they may be made either by law or by a constitution, as
^MS. Worthington Papers.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 577
the Territory may see fit. Can Congress exercise power given ex
clusively to the people ? He conceived it Avould be as great an en
croachment upon their rights to say they should meet together in
convention and form a constitution, as it would be to say so to any
State in the Union.
Gentlemen may say that this poAver is given to Congress by the
consent of the people. The printed documents accoiniianying the
report, if they mean any thing, mean to express the opinion of the
people. [Mr. F. here quoted parts of a letter. ] Noav, if this com
mittee at Chillicothe speaks the voice of the Western Territory,
the Congress have the right contended for; but this the citizens
of other toAvns and counties will not admit. What exaraple will
the adoption of this measure hold out to the people of the Ter
ritory? If Congress violates the compact, avUI not the people of
the Territory have an equal right to violate it? He hoped, for
these reasons, that Congress would, on their part, preserve it in
violate. Mr. Griswold, of Connecticut: "This is not the first project
started this session that goes to a consolidation and destruction
of all the States. That this avUI be the effect of the present raeas
ure can not, I think, be denied. What is the condition of the peo
ple of the Territory? They are not, it is true, as to every purpose
of government, a State; but they have a complete legislature, as
fully competent to legislate as the legislature of Maryland or any
other legislature in the Union. They are fully competent to the
making- of all laAvs to regulate the internal concerns of the govern
ment. Noav, these resolutions go to interfere Avith these internal
concerns, and to regulate them by law. When the gentleman
from Kentucky undertakes to decide the terms ou Avhich the mem
bers of the convention shall be chosen, I ask him, Avhere is the
power? Are not the powers of the territorial legislature as full
as those of the legislature of Maryland, and have we not as good
a right to interfere with the State concerns of Maryland as to in
terfere with the concerns of the Territory? I call, then, upon gen
tlemen to say Avhether they are Avilling to sanction a principle that
goes to the length of the consolidation of these States? We have
the determination of the legislature of the Territory that it is not
desirous of forming a constitution at this time. If, then, we go
abreast of that determination of one legislature, why not of an
other? If we go abreast of that of the North-western Territory,
why not go abreast of that of Maryland ? If, too, you may legis-
VOL. n — 37

578 The St. Clair Papers.
late for these people before they are admitted into the Union, you
may also legislate for them afterwards. If you do not like the con
stitution they now form, you may pass a laAV for another constitu
tion. " By a parity of reasoning you may force down a constitution on
Connecticut, and say that as they have no written constitution you
AvIU give them one. Acting under such a principle, there can be no
stopping-place — you may go any length. If you interfere with the
authority vested in others, you may go any length, and that con
solidation of the States, which some gentlemen Avish to see effected,
Avill be accoraplished. I ara, therefore, on constitutional grounds,
opposed to these resolutions. I do not inquire into the expediency
of the measure. Let the people judge of this. If they Avish a
constitution, I have no objection ; but I Avould not impose upon
them Avhat the corapact does not Avarrant, nor would I impose ar
bitrary power upon them any more than upon any of the States.
"The report says : 'Resolved, That proAdsion ought to be made by
laAV for calling a convention within the eastern division of the Ter
itory, composed of raerabers to be apportioned among the several
counties therein, in a ratio of one representative for every  in
habitants of the said counties, according to the last enumeration of
the inhabitants thereof,' etc.
"I understand the project is to portion out the people into dis
tricts to choose members of the convention, and I say that, as you
have not the power, it is arbitrary aud unjust.
" I have long been persuaded that when gentlemen are determined
upon any particular measure, they can readily find pretexts for it.
The constitution is brought to their aid, though the fact is, the Ter
ritory existed before the constitution was formed. The people of
the Territory never consented to it, nor are they bound by any part
of it Avhich gives raore power to the federal legislature than is given
by the corapact. Their rights under the corapact can not be taken
aAvay by any provisions of the constitution to Avhich they Avere not
a party. I shall, therefore, lay the constitution totally out of the
question. " The gentleman frora Maryland and myself agree in one or two
points. We agree that it is competent for Congress to admit the
Territory into the Union before it has attained a population of sixty
thousand. If this were the sole object of the resolutions, I would
agree to them.
"We agree in another point — that Congress has not the right to

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 579
impose a convention upon these people Avithout their consent. The
question, then, is, whether it is, or is not, the object of these resolu
tions to impose a convention. Let us turn to the third resolution,
which is calculated in express words for calling a convention by a
laAV of the United States, and taking the population of the last cen
sus as the basis of representation. If the principle be a sound one,
that Ave have a right to impose a convention on the people of the
Territory without their consent, hoAV are the opinions of the people
on the calling of the convention to be obtained? Hoav is their con
sent to elect delegates to be obtained ? The consent exjiressed on
the face of the petition before you can not be said to be legal con
sent. How else, then, can such ccmsent be obtained? I ansAver, in
no other Avay than by an act of the territorial legislature, or by going
round to every man in the Territory and obtaining his opinion.
" If this be left undone until the election for members ofthe con-
A''ention, the result Avill be a jiartial expression of the public mind ;
for one man may vote, and another refuse to vote. Thus, you may-
get a partial convention, composed of a fcAV demagogues. I say,
therefore, that hoAvever defective the proAdsions of the compact, you
must obtain the consent of the territorial legislature before you take
the step of calling a convention. Believing the inevitable effect of
these resolutions Avill be to impose a convention on the Territory, I
am justified in saying they involve an usurpation of power by the
United States — a power not helonging to them. If the resolutions
amount to any thing, they amount to this.
" If gentlemen will flrst obtain the consent of the Territory in a
proper mode, though their population does not amount to sixty
thousand, I will consent to their admission into the Union. I am
disposed to let them act for themselves — to divide or not divide the
Territory into States, as they please ; but I am against imposing
any thing upon them contrary to their Avill. They are more deeply
interested than we are in the estabUshment of a proper form of gov
ernment. They, and not we, are to be bound by it. They, then,
ought, in its establishment, to act for themselves, and not Ave for
them. I contend that such a measure is extraordinary in this coun
try. I knoAV that it has been practiced in other countries. I knoAV
that in SAvitzerland, and in Holland, the people Avere told by the Re
public of France they had bad constitutions Avhich required alter
ation, and that the RepubUc, Avith sisterly kindness — without asking
their consent — imposed conventions upon them, Avhich formed en
tirely new systems of government; but I trust the same thing
will not be done here.

580 The St. aair Papers.
" I do not think it necessary to inquire into the expediency of this
measure, as I have no objection to give my consent to the adraission
of the Territory Into the Union, even Avithout a population of sixty
thousand, if Avished for by the people ; though I have uo idea that
the people avUI be benefited by it, as they avIU then Imve taxes to
pay from which they are now exempt. But I do not consider this
as a proper objection for us to raake, as it ought to rest with the
people to say whether they are AvIlUng to pay those taxes.
"I say, again, Ave have no right to impose a convention. I believe
the principle upon which we take this step goes the full length I
have stated, and may, if adopted in relation to the Territory, be
applied to all the States. The poAvers of the Territory are, on this
head, as complete as those of the States. If we interfere AvIth the
first, we may interfere Avith the last."'
iThe measure passed and created a great ferment. Congress had, at the
suggestion of Colonel Worthington, who knew better than to permit either
the legislature or the people to pass on the raeasure, taken care to direct the
tirae of holding an election for delegates to the constitutional convention, had
arranged the districts and proportioned the number of delegates to each, and
had provided that the constitution so forraed should not be subraitted to the
people for approval. To raake tho control ot the convention surely Eepubli
can, the Michigan district was cutoff in violation of the express terras of the
Ordinance, and made a part of the Indiana Territory.
"I have conversed with several leading characters," wrote Solomon Sib
ley from Detroit to Jacob Burnet, "most of whom disapprove of the law,
and are desirous of becoming a part of the new State, if possible. I believe
they are generally couA'inced that the law is unconstitutional, so far, at least,
lis respects this county, it being a plain violation of the 5th article of com- ,
pact contained in tho Ordinance of 1787. By that article, Congress had re
served to theraselves the privilege of drawing the east and west lines through
the extrerae of Lake Michigan, upon a contingency of erecting the territory
north of said line into one or more States, but no authority of passing us into
another Territory. Should the western boundary line stand, regardless of the
east and west lines alluded to, the whole of the county of Wayne would be in
cluded in the new State; and, as thelaw now stands, the wholeof Eiver Eaisin
settleraent will be included therein, which produces a division ofour county,
and, I humblj- conceive, its eternal ruin. But the ruin of five thousand in
habitants, when brought into competition Avith the interested ambition of a
half a dozen aspiring individuals, whose intrigues have brought us into the
present dilemma, can be of little consequence, according to the modern doc
trine of politics.
"We may thank our good friends Judges Symmes and Meigs, and Sir
'Ihomas, for what is done. They foresaw that the county of Wayne would
be, probably, a dead weight against theni. Unfortunately, the citizens of
this county are too little practiced in false politics to answer their purposes.
I did expect that Congress would not readily have interfered in the petty

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 581

Governor St. Clair to George Tod.
Washington City, April 2{st, 1802.
Sir : — Before this time you Avill have heard that a bill has passed
the House of Representatives for admitting the Territory — should
it be the Avish of the people — into the Union as an independent
State. It has not yet passed the Senate, and the fate of it is rather
political squabbles of the Territory. But seeing how lightly the majority of
that once respectable body have treated important sulijects, I am not sur
prised at what they have done with respect to us.
"You state in your letter that you cau nut believe that the convention
will accept the law as it now stands, with the clogs that hang to it. I differ
with you in opinion on that head — nay, I ara persuaded that, were it ten
tiraes more degrading to the people of the Territory than it is, it would be
greedily snatched at by a raajority, Avhich, from the exclusion of the county
of Wayne, they are sure of. But, sir, supposing the county of Wayne
1 should elect delegates, and send thera forward to the convention, what secu
rity would they have of a bare protection'.' Would thej' not feel the morti
flcation of personal insults? From the teraper of a majority ofthe citizens
of that place (Chillicothe) last winter, which you rausl know as well as
myself, I really believe that their persons would be in danger. At all events,
I am not personally disposed to uiaUc the experiment. Yet, I Avill do every
thing in my power to stir up the citizens of Wayne to claim their violated
rights. I thought that a petition, in the nature of a raeraorial, accompanied
hy an agent, would have every effect that could be answered by sending dele
gates. If they should be determined strictly to adhere to one law, neither
would answer any purpose; but, if they felt disposed to favor us, arrange
ments would be raade for citing us."
At a meeting held at Dayton, the action of Congress -vias, reprehended.
" We consider the late law of Congress for the admission of this Territory
into the Union, as far as it relates to the calling a convention and regulating
the election of its members, as an act of legislative usurpation of power prop
erly the province of the territorial legislature, bearing a striking similarity
to the course of Great Britain imposing lavvs on the provinces. We view it
as unconstitutional, as a bad precedent, and unjust and partial as to the rep
resentation in the dift'erent counties.
" We wish our legislature to be called iraraediately to pass a laAV to take
the enumeration, to call a convention, and to regulate the election of mem
bers to the same, and also the time and place for the meeting.
" Under the existing laws, we are not enabled to elect members to the
legislature and to the convention, as the elections for both are ordered on
the sarae day, and, as to us, at places fifty railes apart."
The resolution also expressed u. wish that the convention, when met,
should aslc of Congress an alteration of the Ordinance relating to the divis
ion of the Territory so as to include the country to the foot of the rapids of
the Ohio in one State, subject to becorae two States as soon as a raajority of
the citizens inhabiting the same might deena it expedient.

582 The St. Clair Papers.
doubtful there. I do not know how the people in your county raay
feel with respect to it, but frora Washington there has been a pretty
strong representation against it, but it did not corae in time for the
House of Representatives, through which it Avas hurried in an ex
traordinary manner. I Avish you Avould do me the favor to write
me to Cincinnati, and give me some light upon it. But I have, sir,
to request you to do rae another favor. I think it is probable that
you raay have heard that complaints have been made against me to
the President. You will probably recollect, sir, the evening I spent
in your room, Avhen I had received, from Mr. Granger, the Presi
dent's message. It has been stated that I treated the raessage in a
contemptuous raanner, spoke disrespectfully of the President him
self, ridiculed his observations respecting the railitia, as Avell as our
OAVU systera, declared hostility against all republican governraent,
and tbat a monarchy was the only government that could be en
dured — and the United States must become a raonarchy, cum multis •
aliis. To these I have replied that I had received from Mr. Granger
the raessage of the President to both Houses, and that I would can
didly state, as Well as I could recollect it, a conversation that passed
that evening in your room. I Avas asked what I thought of the
message. My answer was that I thought it a good one ; there were
many excellent things in it ; but, abolishing the internal taxes —
though I should certainly be very glad if we could do without thera —
was an experiment I did not wish to see raade, because I feared the
public credit would be affected by it, and, should public credit be
destroyed, a new revolution would probably follow, and where that
raight land us no raan could possibly tell — not improbably, like all
republics that had gone before us, after tearing one another to
pieces, and drenching our country in brothers' blood, we would settle
quietly down into a raonarchy. That a gentleman here whispered
to me (and I have stated that gentleman to have been you) to be
cautious Avhat I said, that in the next room there were a nuraber of
people asserabled to overhear what was said in this room. My re
ply was, " If that is the case, I will give thera soraething to repeat.
I shall hear of it again, and thereby be able to trace the rascals."
Soon after this, Colonel Langhara came into the room, and the militia
came upon the carpet. I have acknowledged that I did not treat
our militia system very respectfully, and that I held it as all time
thrown away that Avas spent in endeavoring to teach them the
maneuvers and evolutions of regular troops ; that every thing be
yond seeing that they were perfectly' arraed, knew their officers and
a little accustomed to obey'them, was stuff, perhaps d  d stuff.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 583
whicb is the expression it is said I made use of. I obserA'ed further,
that the President seemed perfectly to know, and had pointed out
the proper use of militia on great occasions, to make some head
against an enemy until a better and more effective force could be
raised and collected. From hence was deduced my contempt of the
militia, and a wish for a standing army. I have stated further,
that, in the course of the evening, after being inforraed of the listen
ers, I did say a great many things that were neither meant nor
recollected, and intended only for them ; but positively denied that
one disrespectful word of the President passed my lips. Now, sir,
Avhat I would request of you is to endeavor to recollect what you
can of this night's conversation, to commit it to writing, and send
it to the Secretary of State, Avhom I have informed I would ask this
favor of you, and that you should address it to him, as I will not be
here. Your relation of the matter, I am sure, will be a candid one,
and of the truth I am not afraid.'

Paul Fearing to Governor St. Clair.
Washington, May 1, 1802.
Sir : — ^The act passed Congress yesterday authorizing us to form
a constitution. The Senate, on the third reading, reinstated the
parts they had stricken out, and our House agreed to the few amend
ments proposed by them. The Convention are to meet at Chilli
cothe the flrst Monday of November next. They are authorized
(at any rate the act says that in the flrst place) to say whether they
wiU go into a State government; and, if they determine so to do,
they then can either form a constitution or, by ordinance, organize a
ncAV convention. They have reduced the exemption from tax to five
years, and money to be laid out on roads to one-tAventieth. I Avisb
you were Avithin the Territory, and would conA^ene the legislature
before the election for delegates to the convention. We Avant some
general system formed, so that we may act together. There might
possibly be time Avben you go in June, but I fear you will not be
our Governor at that time. The more I examine the law, the more
I disUke it. For my part, I should be glad to see a convention
formed by our territorial legislature, with delegates frora all the
iSee Judge Tod's letter to iir. Madison. While he Avas a strict Eepubli
can, he had no syrapathy with the unfair political warfare being Avaged
against the Federalist St. Clair, and his letter was a handsome vindication of
the Governor.

584 The St. Clair Papers.
eastern division, and go into a State under the Ordinance ; or, do as
other portions of new-settled country have done, assume a govern
ment and offer our relation to the United States, for I hardly think
the corapact in the Ordinance noAV binding on us Avhile it has been
violated by the other party. Mr. Cutler is stUl here, aud is much
engaged in devising some plan to frustrate his friend Worthington.
I expect Congress avIU rise on Monday next. I should be glad to
hear from you. You can Avrite to Washington ; it Avill be forwarded
to me.

George Tod' to James Madison.
Trumbull County, North-west Territory, May 29, 1802.
Sir : — I ara requested by Governor St. Clair to transmit to you
whatever is Avithin my recollection of an evening's conversation at
Chillicothe, Avhile the legislature of this Territory was in session, in
Avhich he was the principal supporter.
In compliance, sir, with his request, I avIU endeavor, as far as is
within ray recollection, to give you an accurate relation.
The evening of the day on which the Governor received the
President's raessage, he spent Avith General Paine, a member of the
legislature from this county, and myself The first subject con
versed upon Avas the President's message. Of this generally he
spoke in terras of approbation. Some things he did not like, par
ticularly the idea of abolishing internal taxation. His reasons were
that it Avould be trying too great an experiment. Pie then made
this reraark, and repeated it, " that he liked experimental govern
ments, but did not like experiments in governraent. The conse
quences of experiraents Avere doubtful and much to be apprehended."
I have no recollection that the Governor spoke a Avord in support
^George Tod was -a, native of Suffield, Connecticut, where he was born
December 11, 1773. He graduated at Tale College in 1795; studied law and
settled in Ohio in 1800. He was a Eepublican in politics, but was moderate
in his views, .and an honorable, fair-rainded raan. Hence the tone of his
letter in defense of Governor St. Clair will not surprise the reader. After
Avards, in his own erainent career, Mr. Tod had reason to lament the vio
lence of partyism, as an atterapt was made when he Avas presiding judge to
to irapeach him. His public services were a single term in the State Senate,
1804-5; judge of the supreme court, 1806-9; lieutenant-colonel in the war
of 1812; presiding judge of thc Third Judicial District, 1815-34. He died
in Warren county, April 11,1841.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 585
of monarchy, or a syllable against the Government of the United
States. He did, however, express himself as an admirer of our con
stitution and the principles of republicanism, as understood and
practiced by the late administration. He said he had expended as
much time and treasure in tbe establishment of our Government as
most men. I did not hear bim speak one disrespectful word of the
President, nor did he treat tbe message Avith contempt in the smallest
degree. Much he said about our mUitia and against it a's being
ineffectual, but no expression feU from him Uke wishing for a stand
ing army. Considering the situation the Governor was in, being
surrounded by his enemies, Ustening to catch every Avord AvhIch
dropped from his mouth, much of bis conversation may be deemed
imprudent. Knowing the vigilance of his enemies, I did Avhisper a
word of caution to him, but it increased the spirit in AvhIch he sup
ported the conversation. It is impossible, sir, for me to relate the
wj-iole conversation Avhich passed; much of it has escaped my recol
lection ; as it Avas indifferent, I did not treasure it up.
Those Avho plant themselves with a vIcav to catch Avhat was spoken
in a heedless moment, might remeraber many things which eA'cn
most enemies would have forgotten, or kept to themselves.
Had I thought any thing be said could form a substantial olij ection
to his being continued longer in the office he holds, the impression
upon my mind would have been deeper.'
'The above letter was in answer to a very extraordinary document that
had been sent to the President in December, 1801, the existence of Avhich
only came to Governor St. Clair's knowledge iu the spring soon after his
arrival in Washington. That document, which marks the first step in a
new attempt of the Eepublican leaders to get rid of the Governor, reads as
follows :
CEBTiriCATE AS TO AN ALLEGED PkIVATE CONVERSATION OF GoVBKNOR
St. Clair. December 26, 1801.
We, whose names are underwritten, do certify that, being in the house of
Joseph Tiffin, in the town of Chillicothe, on the 19tli day of December, did,
at the time and place aforesaid, hear Arthur St. Clair, Esq., Governor ofthe
North-western Territory, say aud repeat many words and sentences in con
tempt and reproach of the Government of the United States; particularly
that the said Government would finally settle down into an aristocracy, and
Irom thence into a monarchy; adding, the only government that can be
supported by God, and, further, raaking several ludicrous and sarcastic ob
servations on the militia and the President's coraraunication to the House
of Eepresentatives of the United States, araong which Avero the following,
viz: That the militia was all damned nonsense, and that the objects recom-

586 The St. Clair Papers.
Return J. Meigs, Jr. , to Colonel Worthington.
Marietta, May 18, 1802.
While I Avas at Cincinnati, uidou the arrival of the report of the
comraittee on the admission of the Territory as a State, etc. , Gen
eral Putnara drew up a kind of remonstrance, procured a number
of signers, addressed to Mr. F  g, in Avhich the report Avas severely
reprobated, and stated to contain propositions tantamount to bribing
us into a State government. What use Mr. F. made of this I know
not. Thank heaven, we shall go into a State government before long.
I hope that you and your political friends Avill endeavor that Ham
ilton, Jefferson, Clermont, Belmont and Trumbull shall send repub
licans to the convention. It is a matter of importance, as the
political complexion of the convention Avill (probably) give the
coloring to our first State organization. Washington county will
give you stiff Federalists in convention, although I expect a change
in a year or two more. If it should happen, it Avill be gradual.
Federalism has raged here this spring Avith intolerant fury. It can
not be tolerated by sorae that you should have had more influence
with Congress than Mr. Fearing.
Will Governor St. Clair be dismissed? If so, who AviU be his
successor ?
I shall probably have the satisfaction of seeing you at ChiUicothe
at July- circuit. Accept my esteem and consideration.
P. S. — Colonel Meigs has arrived, and returned to Tennessee with
his family. He regretted that he could not see you, and left Avith
me to express to you his particular regards.'

Governor St. Clair to Samuel Huntington.^
Pittsburgh, July 15th, 1802.
Sir : — After an absence of considerable duration, I am now on
mended in the President's speech were intended as experiraents — a thing
not to be admitted in governraent.
Attest; Francis Dunlavy,
J. Darlington. Jacob White.
^ MS, Worthington Papers.
^Samuel Huntington, son of Eev. Joseph Huntington, of Coventry, Con
necticut, Avas born October 4, 1765. He was educated for the bar, removed

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 587
my return to the Territory; but, during that absence I have not
learned how the act of Congress alloAving the people to form a Con
stitution and the Territory to be admitted into the Union is relished,
nor what steps may have been thought most proper to be taken. I
do earnestly Avish that you, sir, may be sent to the convention, for,
if the proposal is closed Avith, all the talents that can be collected
will be of the first necessity for the business of the Constitution,
and it is certain that a great many of those who will be mera
bers AvUl be very ill quaUfied to discharge that trust with intelli
gence. I propose to visit Jefferson and Washington counties on my
way doAvn, and would have been happy to have done the same to
Trumbull, but at this time it is altogether out of my poAver. My
vicAV of the country's becoming a State at this time is not a pleas
ing one. The committee in charge will probably induce the people
to accept the offer without much consideration, AvhUe I think it Avill
be attended with a burden they are not able to bear. The exemp
tion of the lands of the United States to be sold for taxation fbr
five years will for that time throw the whole expense upon a A'ery
few, and to that will be added the mortification, to many whose lands
will be subject to that taxation, of seeing their next neighbors
perhaps living free from it. I will thank you, sir, to write to me
at Cincinnati, and inform me hoAV the thing works in your county,
and what measures, if any, have been concluded on. I know that
a great part of Hamilton, all Washington, and, from the informa
tion I have, a great majority of Jefferson, are against accepting the
offer. Should your people be of the same way of thinking, there
should be some uniformity in the measures pursued, and some con
cert, which it may perhaps be in my poAver to bring about.

Speech of Governor St. Clair at Cincinnatl
[Extract.] Fellow Citizens : — ^We will soon be called upon to perforra a very
important duty ; the most important that will devolve upon us in
to the North-western Territory in 1800, and settled in the Connecticut Ee
serve, near PainesvUle. He followed St. Clair's suggestion, and was chosen
to represent TrurabuU county in the Constitutional convention. He was
elected to the Senate under the State Constitution, which he helped to form,
and was chosen Speaker. He Avas made a member of the Supreme Court,
and afterwards elected Chief Justice. He was Governor of Ohio from
1802 to 1810.

588 The St. Clair Papers.
this world : that of forming a Constitution and forra of govern
ment on which the happiness and prosperity of ourselves and our
posterity, and our character as a coraraonwealth amongst other
States in the Union must depend. It, therefore, becomes us all to
think very seriously, and consider with great attention Avhom we will
send to the convention. No doubt, it has occupied all our minds
more or less, and sorae of us have been formed into societies profess
edly for the purpose. But there has been something in the con
struction of those societies that does not look well. The business
concerns us all alike, but they have been governed by rules that
exclude great numbers, of Avhose assistance and counsel they de-.
prive themselves; that is, that all that are adraitted as raerabers
are bound by a solemn obligation not to make knoAvn any of
their proceedings to any one that is not a member. Noav, this is
certainly not right, for, the raatters they are upon involving the
interests of every one, they haA'o taken it upon themselves that
no one has a right to consult Avith thera and to give the sentiraents
they think proper. In coraraon affairs Avhat would any of you
think if a feAV raen should forra themselves into a society to regulate
the manner in which you should manage your farms ? It is possible
that they raight knoAV best how it should be done, but what Avould
you think of them if they should tell you that you must join them,
and promise to keep every thing agreed upon secret from all those
who would not join them, though they must be bound by their do
ings, and that you raust be bound by thera too. Noav, this is ex
actly Avhat has been done by the societies. No body knows Avhat
they are doing but the members, and they are pledged to supjjort
their own doings at all events. They tell you, indeed, that their
design is to keep people that are not Republicans out of the conven
tion ; but it looks more like a formed design to get themselves in
whether they be capable or not. Republicans ! What is a repub
lican ? Is there a single man in all the country that -is not a republican,
both in principle and practice, except, perhaps, a few people who wish to
introduce negro slavery amongst us, and those chirfly residing in the
county of Ross? Let them say what they avIU about republicanism,
a man who is Avilling to entail slavery upon any part of God's crea
tion is no friend to the rational happiness of any, and had he the
poAver Avould as readUy enslave his neighbors as the poor black that
has been torn from his country and friends.
It raay not be araiss, my friends, to take a short vIcav of the rise
of these societies. They began in the town of Cincinnati ; and
were set on foot by a Mr. Kerr, a man that nobody knoAvs any thing

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 589
about, Avho has lived but a very short time amongst us, who is not
so much as a citizen of the United States, and was smuggled to the
bar in a Avay that, if I were not afraid of offending their honors, the
judges, I Avould say, Avas contrary to laAv. Was this a raan to say
who were republicans and who were not? But it was very good of
him to come all the Avay from the East Indies to instruct us. The
persons in Cincinnati who joined iu with him are honest, Avell-mean-
ing men, but they have been impo.sed upon aud misled by him ; for,
surely, it is a very unfriendly action to raise odious distinctions
among the citizens and set them at A'arinnce AvIth one another. It
might have been, and I dare say was very pleasant to him to observe
the success he met Avith, and if he had been questioned about it might
have replied with the fool in the Scripture, wheu he had been scatter
ing arro AVS and death, ' ' Am I not in sport ?" But it is no sport to us.
It is an evil of a very serious nature. But this same Mr. Kerr may
have had, and probably had another design. You all know very well,
that the interests of the people about Chillicothe, and those of Ham
ilton couuty are not the same in all respects, and in some cases they
are opposed to each other. Noav, it is likely, as some of our leaders
are very politic, that this same Mr. Kerr was engaged by them for
the very purpose of soAving dissensions amongst us. What Avas it to
him ? He has nothing to lose by it, but might have soraething to
gain, and if he did not succeed it aa as but going to another country.
But this leads me to say something about the qualiflcations that
are necessary for a member of the convention. The forming a Con
stitution fitted to the habits, the manners, and the genius of the
people, is the most important as Avell as the most difficult task that
men can be employed in, aud requires strong minds, improved by a
thorough acquaintance Avith the faults as Avell as the excellencies of
all the Constitutions that exist, not only in the United States, but
in the whole world. A mistake in the first formation draws after it
consequences that can not be calculated, and which may grind our
faces and deprave our manners to the latest generations. It is not,
therefore, enough that a raan should be honest and a Republican, but
he should be Avell informed, and know in Avhat rational liberty,
which alone is true republicanism, consists ; for, be assured, it is not
an unbounded license to do Avhat every one sees good in his OAvn
eyes. It requires direct study and deep reflection, Avith a facility of
speaking readily and convincingly. Reflect what the conduct of
the United States, and of all the States in the Union Avas when they
were about making their Constitutions. The wisest, the ablest, and
the best informed men that could be found were selected with the

590 lhe St. Clair Papers.
greatest care. It was not with thera the only question, are they
honest ? are they republicans ? for they were satisfied that if they
trusted it to Avise men they AA'ere safe, because what they had to do
Avas for themselves and their children as Avell as for those who ap
pointed them. But Avith us, of Hamilton county, avc haA'e another
question to ask, and it is an important one. Have any of those who
offer to serve us, favored the vicAvs of the Chillicothe people? A
very great number of us were shamefully duped by them not long
ago, Avhen they persuaded us to sign petitions against altering the
bounds of the States, and told us it was unconstitutional, and would
prcA'ent us from becoming an independent State, and I don't know
what. As if it could be against the Constitution to prefer a form
of government, established by that instrument to one bringing with
it different conditions and responsibilities ; or to so change the
boundaries as to bring the people into communities more homoge
neous, and facilitate the administration of government. The credit
for the discovery belongs exclusively to the gentlemen Avho are
actuated by the unselfish motive of erecting a State Avhose capital
shall be Chillicothe, and who aspire to fill the offices Avhich Avould
thereby be created. Does this high and patriotic purpose inspire
confidence in their professions of devotion to the Ordinance ? Does
it not suggest that it is time for the people to be on their guard
a.gainst false friends as Avell as those in our own raidst, whose politi
cal principles, forraed in secret charabers, will not bear honest in
vestigation in the broad light of day ?

Nathaniel Macon ' to Thomas Worthington.
Buck Spring, Sept. 1st, 1802.
. It seeras strange, indeed, that any in your country should
prefer a despotisra (for so I reckon territorial governraent) to one
made by themselves for themselves ; and if the opposition to the
'Nathaniel Macon, a prominent statesraen of North Carolina; at this
time a member of Congress from that State, and Speaker of the House of
Eepresentatives. He was an intimate friend of Jefferson, who twice offered
him the position of Postmaster-General, which he refused. He subsequently
served two terms as United States Senator. He was so radical in his states
rights views that he opposed the adoption of the Federal Constitution, and
tliere is no evidence that he changed when hc was older. In the above letter
he shows that he held extreme opinions on popular government. -Air. Miicon
Avas educated at Princeton. He died in Warren countj', June 29, 1837, in
his eightieth year.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 591
State government should succeed, it will convince many that you
abound with men Avho love places better than they should  .
Appointments should be made by the legislature rather than by the
Executive, because it destroys patronage aud prevents sycophants
from obtaining office by dint of courtship. The representation ought
to be according to numbers, and a married man ought to vote,
Avhether a freeholder or not. The militia soldiers ought to elect
their officers to captains ; the company officers the field officers, and
the field officers the general officers. This would leave only the
field officers to the legislature, and by dividing the appointraents
among several bodies, it, in a great measure, destroys all attempts
at bargain. I would prefer to have the Governor elected by the
legislature, and all officers elected for a liraited time. Every cent
of public money spent should be accounted for, and attached to the
laws of each session. These hints Avill show what alterations I
Avould like in our Constitution, if it is altered.'

Nathaniel Massie to Thomas Worthington.
Lexington, October 1st, 1802.
. As the time draws near for the election, I make no
doubt that a number of the candidates are extreraely busy. Indeed,
from what Major McArthur informs me, you are already glutted
Avitli hand-bills and loug tavern harangues. The Major also informs
me that Langham's pamphlet has at last made its appearance, and
he thought it not quite so deadly as he had reason to expect, from
its being a great Avhile talked about. I suppose it must be the same
that I saw in manuscript at his bouse, perhaps Avith a little addition.
I believe we have great reason to apprehend that if a certain party
succeed in their election, frora HamUton county, Ave shall again be
pestered Avith the subject of dividing the present contemplated State,
at least making it a condition in the Constitution, when formed.
The parties in that county are exerting themselves to the utraost,
aud I apprehend the dividing party are gaining ground. They cal
culate very much upon the upper counties joining them in this. I
am in hopes they avIU be disappointed.
I can not, I am afraid, be over in time for the election, the situa
tion of my wife being such that I can not leave her at present ; but
if possible, I wiU endeavor to reach that, country a little before the
1 M,S. Worlhington Papers

592 The St. aair Papers.
time. Should I not be able to get over, let rae hear frora you on
the subject of the election.'

Remarks op Governor St. Clair Before the Constitutional
cona'ention.^
Mr. Preddent^ and Gentlemen of the Convention: — You are now an
organized body, and I ara hapipy that you are so, in whatever raan
ner it may have been effected.' As the act of Congress had not pre
scribed the mode, I came to clear that difficulty ; you got over it
without my assistance, and I am perfectly satisfied ; but, before you
proceed to business, I request to be heard a few AVords.
When I look around upon this assembly and coijsider the purpose
for which it is convened, and carry back ray thoughts for fourteen
years, Avhen the affairs of this country Avere coraraitted to rae; when
your numbers were only about thirty raen ; a Avilderness before them
to subdue, and surrounded by numerous tribes of savages, who,
though at peace, were far frora possessing friendly dispositions, and
soon afterwards at open Avar — I am filled Avith astonishraent and
profound gratitude to the Almighty Ruler of the universe, Avho led
them through all the difficulties they had to encounter, and has
made of that sraall handful a great people, and brought thera to
that point from Avhich they are to take their station on the theater
of America as a nation. To you, gentleraen, as their representa
tives, it belongs, if you think proper to take it upon yourselves, to
form for thera that Constitution Avhich, while it secures their po
litical liberty, is to be the foundation of their Avelfare and respecta
bility. The task is arduous as it is important, and it can not be
doubted that you will bring to it patient and candid investigation.
true patriotism, and mutual good-Avill and condescension.
To the present raoment, gentlemen, I have looked forward with
pleasant hopes, though not Avithout a mixture of fear and anxiety,
and my endeavors have not been Avanting to lay a foundation for
' MS. Worthington Papers.
'"'The Constitutional Convention assembled at Chillicothe on the first day
of November, 1802. All the orig'inal opponents of the alteration of boun
daries, except two, were present as mehibers, while of those who had ad
vocated that measure in the legislature, but two or three had been successful at
the polls. A decided majority of the members belonged to the party in favor
of the national administration. On the third day of the session. Governor
St. Clair, by permission," addressed the CouA'ention." — Chase, p. 31.
^ Edward Tiffin was President. The political revolution was complete.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 593
tbe great work before you, in morals and in regard to the institu
tions of religion, for it is an eternal truth that without morality
there can be no religion, and Avithout religion there can be no hap
piness. My feelings, gentlemen, you can appreciate, for most of you are
fathers. They have been those of a father Avho saAv the day draw
ing nigh whicb was to send a son, over Avhose education he had
long watched Avith all the varied emotions of parental affection, into
a Avorld where dangers aAvaited him at every step, and Avhere the
first would probably be decisive of his future fortune. These cares
and anxieties for your constituents, gentlemen, have occupied a con
siderable portion of my life, and have cost me raany a toilsome day
and sleepless night ; but the pleasure I have in reflecting that they
were not entirely throAvn aAvay is \'ery great. It pleased God to
favor my endeavors, and make me frequently the instruraent of
good to them, and of averting the evils that hung over them. It
is, gentlemen, too much the fashion of the times to complain of op
pression when none is felt. The frame of your present goA'ernment,
it is true, is not so popular as that of the greater part of the United
States, or as you may have wished, but it is as much so as it is
consistent with the colonial state, and I can with honest pride as
sert, and for the truth of the assertion I ajipeal to the Avhole peo
ple, that it has been administered with gentleness, and with one sin
gle vicAv, the good of the Avhole. So far as it depended upon me,
the laAVS have been executed faithfully and without rigor, and by
gentle means the spirit of obedience to them, and a love of order,
without Avhich civil society can not exist, has been endeavored to
be introduced. It Avas my duty to procure the good of the whole
people, and it has been my only ambition to fulfill that duty. Er
rors, no doubt, I have fallen into. They Avere errors of the head,
not of the heart. They wUl be judged Avith candor, and viewed, I
trust, with some indulgence. I could indeed have Avished, gentle
men, that our political bark had been launched in gentler Aveather,
and under better auspices, for I see a storm approaching in Avhich,
if she be not overset, she may at least suffer damage. Party rage
is stalking Avitb destructive strides over the Avhole continent. That
baneful spirit destroyed aU the ancient republics, and the United
States seem to be running the same career that ruined them with a
degree of rapidity truly alarming to every reflecting mind. But
she is on the waves, and can not now be stopped. May that gracious
Being, in whose hands are the issues of aU things, shed the kindest
VOL. n — 38

594 The St. Clair Papers.
influence upon ber, and, while she will add to tbe number of con
federated States, be the means of bringing the whole back to the
genuine love of their country and of each other, and may He in
spire each of you, gentlemen, with the spirit of your station, and
pour out upon you that wisdom Avhich is necessary to the conducting
of the business intrusted to you to a happy end.
It Avould be the height of impropriety in me to atterapt to direct
you in your deliberations, but I may be allowed to offer you sorae
advice. The act of Congress under Avhich you are convened has de
termined the object on Avhich they are flrst to be employed, to wit,
whether it be or be not expedient, at this tirae, to form a constitu
tion and frame of government. That being determined in the af
firmative, AvhIch I presurae it will be, you are at liberty to proceed
and raake that constitution, or to pass an ordinance for the election
of representatives for that purpose. ' But you are further at liberty,
gentlemen, to conflne the constitution to be made to Avhat is called
the eastern division of the Territory, or to extend it to the whole
Territory. That the people of the Territory should form a conven
tion and a constitution needed no act of Congress. To pretend to
authorize it Avas, on their part, an interference with the internal af
fairs of the country, Avhich they had neither the power nor the right
to make. The act is not binding on the people, and is in truth a
nullity, and, could it be brought before that tribunal Avhere acts of
Congress can be tried, Avould be declared a nullity. To all acts
of Congress that respects the United States (they can make no
other) in their -corporative capacity, and Avhich are extended by
express AVords to the Territory, we are bound to yield obedience.
For all internal affairs we have a complete legislature of our OAvn,
and in them are no more bound by an act of Congress than we
would be bound by an edict of the first consul of France. Had
such an attempt been made upon any of the United States in their
separate capacity, the act Avould have been spurned from them with
indignation. We, I trust, also know our rights, and Avill support
them, and, being assembled, gentlemen, as a convention, no raatter
by what means it Avas brought about, you may do Avhatever appears
to you to be for the best for your constituents as freely as if Congress
had never interfered in the matter, and it may be a strong raotive
to you for so acting, that, by this very act, above five thousand peo
ple are divested of the rights they were in possession of without a
hearing — bartered aAvay like sheep in a market — transferred to an
other government, and thrown back into a stage of it which has
been loaded with eA'ery epithet of opprobrium which the English

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 595
language affords. But that act holds out certain provisions, which
Avere, no doubt, expected to operate upon you, and, by sorae, have
been thought to be advantageous. The first is, that the section
No. 16 in every toAvnship shall be granted to the inhabitants of
such toAvnship for the use of schools. It is to be observed that the
section No. 16 in every township is already given for the use of
schools in as complete a manner as they could uoav be granted by
the Congress.
All that is Avanting is an act to authorize the President to make
patents, and that Avould be Avanting were they now to be given by
acts of Congress. The grant of these sections Avas a part of the
terms on which the country was settled, and they can not be re
sumed, because the contract has been comj)lied AvIth on our part;
and if the Congress has either granted, sold, or otherAvise disposed
of any of them, the act is void. The second proposition is, that the
salt springs, with the sections which include them, near to the
Scioto and Muskingum Rivers, shall be granted to the State for the
use of the peojple, provided the legislature shall never sell or lease
the same for a longer term than ten years. It is a happy thing for
us that Providence has been pleased to place an article so necessary
to the life of man as salt in the bosom of our country. These
springs have been AVorked for a great many years, and, though noth
ing has been paid for the privilege of working them, salt has ahvays
been extremely dear ; now, unless the persons to Avhora they may
have been leased pay for their lease, no revenue can be derlA'ed from
these salt springs, and if they do pay for them, the amount paid,
and probably much more, Avill be laid upon the salt, so that instead
of a benefit, this gift would prove an injury, and an injury that
would fall unequally. The Avhole people to Avhom the rent Avould
accrue, would reap a very smaU advantage at the expense of those
Avho, from their local situation, must depend on those springs for
their salt.
The third is, that the twentieth part of the net proceeds of the
lands Avithin the State, sold or to be sold after the SOth of June last,
shall be applied to the laying out and making roads from the navi
gable Avaters emptying into the Atlantic to the Ohio to the State
and through it. This proposition is a mere illusion ; it holds out
the prospect of an advantage that never will be reaUzed. The ap
plication of the money is to be made by Congress, in Avhich Ave
shall have very little weight, at any rate ; and it is coupled Avith
conditions tbat would defeat it, Avhile they insult us. The first con
dition is, that until another census, that is for nearly nine years to

596 The St. Clair Papers.
come, we shall submit to have only one member in the House of
Rejiresen tatiA'es of the United States. The next is, that every and
each tract of land sold, as' aforesaid (the tAventieth part of the price
of Avhich is to be laid out on roads), shall be exempt from every
species of taxation by authority of the State, whether for State,
county, township, or any other purpose whatever. The State shall
derive no aid as to revenue from those lands, Avhile they may be
taxed by Congress for the express purpose of raising a revenue.
But those lands are solemnly pledged for the rederaption of the pub
lic debt, a proportion of AvhIch Ave must pay. The money then pre
tended to be given by Congress for roads, if Congress had the right
to apply it, Avhich they have not, raust corae frora ourselves ; but
where are we to find it ? The reservations amount to a great part
of the soil, and are not subject to taxation. The lands sold after
the SOth of June last, if you close Avith this proposition, avUI not be
subject to taxation for five years, and what is there besides, except
a very small movable property in a country without trade, from
whence our revenue is to be derived, and that movable property
taxed already as high as it can possibly bear for county and town
ship purposes. It is evident that the AA'hole expense of the govern
ment must be laid upon the lands appropriated before the SOth of
June last, for experience has taught^ us that we have no other re
source but a land tax ; but such a land tax Avould fall so unequally,
it Avould never be borne.
But, gentlemen, why are conditions imposed upon us before we
can obtain a right Avhich is ours by nature and by corapact ? Were
conditions iraposed upon Vermont, or upon Tennessee, before they
could be admitted into the Union ? There Avas none attempted.
Why, then, this odious distinction in our case? It is past a doubt
that the Territory contains the number of people which, by the
compact with the United States, or the terms of settlement, is neces
sary to entitle it to become a State, and a member of the Union on
an equal footing Avith the original States ; and the gentlemen in
Congress Avho brought forward these propositions admitted that, if
there Avere not the number at that time, there certainly Avould be
before another session of Congress, and that then was the only time
to saddle us Avith conditions ; or, as they termed it, to make a good
bargain with us, for, if once we had the necessary number, it Avould
be no longer in their poAver. Form, then, gentlemen, or direct a
UCAV election for the i^urpose, a Constitution for the Avhole Territory ;
assert your right to a full representation in the councils of the na
tion ; direct the legislature forthwith to cause a census to be taken ;

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 597
it Avill not require much time if set about in earnest. Let your
representatives go forward Avith that in their hands, and demand the
admission of tbe Territory as a State. It avIU not, it can not be
refused. But, suppose it should be refused, it Avould not affect your
government, or any thing you have done to organize it. That Avould
go on equally Avell, or perhaps better. It was, I think, eight years
after the people of Vermont had formed their government, and ex
ercised all the poAvers of an independent State, before it was ad
mitted into the Union. The government was not retarded a single
moment on that account. It Avould be incomparably better that we
.should be deprived of a share in the national councils for a session
or two, or even for years, than that Ave should be degraded to an
unequal share in them for nine years ; but it will not happen. We
bave the means in our own hands to bring Congress to reason, if Ave
should be forced to use them. If Ave submit to the degradation,
we should be trodden upon, and, Avhat is Averse, we should deserve
to be trodden upon. I Avill leave these reflections upon your table,
gentlemen, to be made what use of you raay think proper.

Address op Gq-vernor St. Clair to the People of the
North-western Territory.
Cincinnati, December 8th.
Fellow-c'dizens : — Having been requested by many gentlemen, in
¦different parts of the country, to become a candidate for the office
of Governor of the State of Ohio, an appointment that is soon to
be made by that part of you Avho reside to the eastward of the Great
Miami, aud offered their support, I take this method of presenting
to them by best thanks for their kind invitation and intentions, and
of informing them, and the people in general, that I entirely de
cline it.
The care of tbis colony of the United States Avas committed to
me from its first institiition, and it Avas my arabition, and has been
my chief study, to render it flourishing, and to bring it to that point
when it might, according to the terras upon Avhich it Avas founded,
cease to be a colony and becorae an independent State. In these
my ambition has been fully gratified, and my labors crowned Avith
success. The management of that delicate period, from perfect in
fancy to the mature age at which you have arrived, most of you are
acquainted Avitb. It Avas a period that necessarily required your
Governor should be vested with a considerable portion of power,

598 The St. Clair Papers.
and that power was applied to your benefit only. You have beeni
protected from dangers from abrOad, and made happy at home. To
oppression you were perfect strangers ; your liberties and your prop
erty were guarded by wholesome laws, executed with exactness and
at the same time with mildness. But, while I have been thus, for
fourteen years, unremittingly endeaA'oring to extend and secure ta
you these benefits, my private affairs have been entirely neglected,
and are run into great confusion. They uoav demand my attention,
and will require it for some tirae. You Avill be at no loss for a Gov
ernor. Many, I ara told, are anxious for the office. The lot, I
hope and pray, may fall upon some person who, with better talents
than haA'e fallen to my share, may possess an equal inclination to
render you happy — a greater inclination that way no raan can
possess. With but two exceptions, I leave all the ministerial offices filled
with men of capacity and probity. It would, indeed, be grat
ifying to rae to see thera continued under the ncAV order of
things, and it Avould be advantageous to yourselves, because they
have acquired knowledge and experience, Avhich ucav men will
want. The exceptions are the clerk's office of the suprerae court
and the clerk's office of the court of coramon pleas and of the
quarter-sessions of the county of Ross, which are in the hands of
the same man. I can never believe that persons who return inju
ries for favors, strongly solicited by themselves, can be raen of
probity ; and from the persons who held those offices I have re
ceiA'ed raany injuries, and been treated with the blackest ingrati
tude. It is true that it Avas always in my power to have punished
thera by depriving them of their offices, but I Avas willing to try if
evil could not be overcome by good ; and, besides, it was a maxim
laid down very early in my adrainistration of the governraent never
to displace any man on Avhom I had conferred an office for any other
cause than misbehavior in that office. The Governor disdained to
revenge the injuries offered to the raan. Having so far explained
this part of my conduct, which has been blamed by many as un
pardonable Aveakness, I Avill take my leave, assuring you that my
best wishes avUI ever attend you, hoping that you may never have
cause to look back with regret to the time when I was at the head
cf the political family, and that whoever may be at the head of the
new family, he may as sincerely and more successfully direct his
¦efforts to your true interests than has done
Your affectionate friend, etc.

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 599^

Nathaniel Massie to Thomas Worthington.
Falls op Paint Creek, December 8, 1802.
I bave little or nothing to say on the subject of our
propositions ; but, at all events, endeavor to secure to the State the
Salt Licks. I could wish that you Avould endeavor to knoAv the
situation of the port of Orleans. I make no doubt but the Execu
tive, before this, has had full information on the subject. I am told
the inhabitants of Kentucky are very uneasy, and that the legis
lature of Kentucky is about to, or before this time has, draAvn up a
memorial to the Executive of the General Government. As it will
affect our country in the same manner, if not to the same extent,
as it does that State, we ought not to be remiss on the subject. I
bave taken tbe liberty of mentioning it to Mr. Giles, and also to
Captain Fowler. I am in hopes that the shutting of the port is only
intended to give the tAvo nations tirae aud leisure, Avithout being in
terrupted, to settle the necessary arrangements attending such busi
ness. Should, however, this not be the case, and that it is done for
the purpose of setting aside our treaty with Spain, I assure you the
consequences will be serious, as I am sure the inhabitants will never
submit for the navigation of that river to be stopped, and they must
have a place of deposit near the mouth. Let me hear from you
sbortly. Direct to Brown's Cross Roads, Ross county.'

Arthur St. Clair to James Madison.
Cincinnati, December 21, 1802.
Sir : — Your letter of the 22d November,^ notifying me that the
President had determined that upon the receipt of that letter ray
commission of Governor of tbe North-Avestern Territory should
cease, was delivered to me by Mr. Secretary Byrd on the 14th day
of this month. I request you, sir, to present my humble thanks to
the President for that favor, as he has thereby discharged me from
an office I was heartily tired of, about six weeks sooner than I had

^MS. Worthington Papers.
2 For the letter of the Secretary of State to Governor St. Clair, notifying
him of his removal as Governor, on account of " an intemperance of lan-
guao-e" in his remarks to the constitutional convention respecting Congress,
and the authority to Mr. Byrd to discharge the functions of Governor, see
Vol. I., pp. 244-246.

600 The St. Clair Papen.
determined to rid myself of it, as he may have observed from an
address, not to the convention, but to the people, on the 8th instant.
I can not, however, agree Avith the President, that in my address to
the convention, which is assigned as the reason of my being dis
missed, there Avas either "intemperance or indecorum of language
tOAvards the legislature of the United States, or a disorganizing
spirit of evil tendency and example," unless an honest and true
representation of facts deserve those epithets, or that " the rules of
conduct enjoined by my public station " Avere in any Avay violated,
unless it is understood that the rule of conduct is an implicit blind
obedience. As the convention, sir, was to raeet in pursuance of an act of
Congress, whereby the election of the members Avas directed to be
made according to the law of the Territory that had existed, but
had been long repealed, a sense of duty led me to cause the elec
tions to be made conformably to the spirit of the act and the existing .
election laws of the Territory, as they could not be made conformably
to the words of it, and Avhen the convention Avas met I had done
with it in my public capacity. Every citizen has a right to ad
dress that body, either openly or in Avriting, and that right Avas
common to rae Avith the rest ; and I believe, sir, it is a pararaount
duty, Avhich every man OAves to the coramunity of Avhich he is a
member, to give Avarning either to the representatives or to the
body, Avhen he sees the rights of that community invaded, from
whatever quarter the invasion raay come, and direct thera, if he can,
to the raeans of Avarding it off or of repelling it ; and I scruple not to
say that the violent, hasty, and unprecedented intrusion of the leg
islature of the United States into the internal concerns of the North
western Territory Avas at least indecorous and inconsistent with its
public duty, and I might add that the transferring of above five
thousand people, Avithout their knoAvledge or consent, from a country
where they Avere in possession of self-government to another Avhere
they will be, at least for some tirae, deprived of that privilege, and
subjected to many other inconveniences, Avas something Averse than
intemperate and indecorous, and that, had it happened in Germany,
where such things have happened, no man in America Avould have
hesitated to have used, a harsher term. Degraded as our country
is, and abject as too many of her sons have become, there are still a
vast proportion of them Avho will be at no loss for the proper term.
Be pleased, sir, to accept my thanks also, for the peculiar deli
cacy you observed in committing the delivery of your letter, and in
furnishing him with a copy of it, to Mr. Byrd, against whom there

Correspondence, Addresses, Etc. 601
were in your hands, to be laid before the President, complaints of
something more than mere indecorum, and of a total neglect of and
refusal to perform bis official duty. It is such strokes as this which
serve to develop character, and, like the relief in painting, to bring
out the flgure distinctly in its proper place. It produced, hoAvever,
no other emotion in me but that kind of derision which physiogno
mists tell us is " tbe involuntary expression on the countenance ofa
certain mental sensation," which I do not choose to name, and never .
fails to produce it.' With due respect I am, etc.
' If any thing could justify the tone of the ahove letter, it was the man
ner in which Mr. Madison communioated to the veteran St. Clair the fact
of his removal by the President. I know of no relations to party or politi
cal ethics, that will excuse the Secretary of State in inclosing an official com
munication of that delicate nature, undercover, to a bitter political and per
sonal enemy. It was known to Mr. Madison that Mr. Secretary Byrd had re
fused for months to discharge his duties as secretary of the Territory ; that he
had on one occasion taken advantage of the Governor's absence to remove his
appointees, and put Eepublicans in their places ; and that he had devoted his
time since his appointment to the office in forming a party in opposition to
the Governor, whom he never failed to treat with studied disrespect. All
this was known to Mr. Madison ; but, then, Mr. Byrd was engaged in the
work of raaking a new Eepublican State.
Here the pulilic career of Arthur St. Clair properly ends. See Vol. I., pp.
248-256. 'VaU Arthur St. Clair, Federalist; enter Edward Tiffin, Eepublican.

APPENDIX I.

THE ORDINANCE OF 1787, AND ITS HISTORY.
BY PETER FORCE.
[See Vol. I., pp. 116-36.]
On the first of March, 1784, a committee, consisting of Mr. Jeffer
son, of Virginia, Mr. Chase, of Maryland, and Mr. Howell, of Ehode
Island, submitted to Congress the following plan for the temporary
government of the Western Territory :
The committee appointed to prepare a plan for the temporary
government of the Western Territory have agreed to the following
resolutions :
Resolved, That the territory ceded or to be ceded by individual
States to the United States, whensoever the same shall have been pur
chased of the Indian inhabitants, and offered for sale by the United
States, shall be formed into additional States, bounded in the follow
ing manner, as nearly as such cessions will admit: That is to say,
northwardly and southwardly by parallels of latitude, so that each
State shall comprehend, from south to north, two degrees of latitude,
beginning to count from the completion of thirty-one degrees north
of the equator; but any territory northwardly of the forty-seventh de
gree shall make part of the State next below. And eastwardly and
westwardly they shall be bounded, those on the Mississippi by that
river on the one side, and the meridian of the lowest point of the
rapids of the Ohio on the other; and those adjoining on the east, by
the same meridian on their western side, and on the eastern by the
meridian of the western cape of the mouth of the Great Kanawha.
And the territory eastward of this last meridian, between the Ohio,
Lake Erie, and Pennsylvania, shall be one State.
That the settlers within the territory so to be purchased and offered
for sale shall, either on their own petition or on the order of Congress,
receive authority from them, with appointments of time and place, for
their free males of full age to meet together for the purpose of estab
lishing a temporary government to adopt the constitution and laws of
any one of these States, so that such laws nevertheless shall be subject
to alteration by their ordinary legislature, and to erect, subject to a
like alteration, counties or townships for the election of members of
their legislature.
That such temporary government sball only continue in force in any-
(603)

604 Appendix.
State until it shall have acquired twenty thousand free inhabitants,
when, giving due proof thereof to Congress, they shall receive from
them authority, with appointments of time and place, to call a con
vention of representatives to establish a permanent constitution and
government for themselves.
Provided, That both the temporary and permanent governments be
established on these principles as their basis :
1. That they shall forever remain a part of the United States of
America. 2. That, in their persons, property, and territory, they shall be sub
ject to the Government of the United States in Congress assembled,
and to the Articles of Confederation in all those cases in which the
original States shall be so subject.
3. That they shall be subject to pay a part of the Federal debts, con
tracted or to be contracted, to be apportioned on them by Congress,
according to the same common rule and measure by which apportion
ments thereof shall be made on the other States.
4. That their respective governments shall be in republican forms,
and shall admit no person to be a citizen who holds any hereditary
title. 5. That, after the year 1800 of the Christian era, there- shall be
neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in any of the said States,
otherwise than in the punishment of crimes Avhereof the party shall
have been duly convicted to have been personally guilty.
That whensoever any of the said States shall have, of free in
habitants, as many as shall then be in any one of the least numerous
of the thirteen original States, such State shall be admitted by its
delegates into the Congress of the United States, on an equal footing
with the said original States, after Which the assent of two-thirds of
the United States, in Congress assembled, shall be requisite in all
those cases wherein, by the confederation, the assent of nine States
is novv required, provided the consent of nine States to such admission
may be obtained according to the eleventh of the Articles of Confed
eration. Until such admission by their delegates into Congress, any
of the said States, after the establishment bf their temporary govern
ment, shall have authority to keep a sitting member in Congress, with
a right of debating but not of voting.
That the territory northward of the forty-fifth degree, that is to say,
of the completion of forty-five degrees from the equator, and extend
ing to the Lake of the Woods, shall be called Sylvania. That, of the
territory under the forty-fifth and forty-fourth degrees, that which lies
westward of Michigan shall be called Michigania; and that which is
eastward thereof, within the peninsula formed by the lakes and waters
of Michigan, Huron, St. Clair, and Erie, shall be called Cheronesus, and
shall include any part of the peninsula which may extend above the
forty-fifth degree. Of the territory under the forty-third and forty-
second degrees, that to the westward, through which the Assenisipi or

Ordinance of 1787. 605
Eock River runs, shall be called Assenisipia; and that to the eastward.
in which are the fountains of the Muskingum, the two Miamis of
Ohio, the Wabash, the Illinois, the Miami of the Lake, and the San
dusky Eivers, shall be called Metropotainia. Of the territory which lies
under the forty-first and fortieth degrees, the western, through which
the river Illinois runs, shall be called lUhioia ; that next adjoining, to
the eastward, Saratoga; and that between this last and Pennsylvania,
and extending from the Ohio to Lake Erie, shall be called Washington.
Of the territory which lies under the thirty-ninth and thirty-eighth
degrees, to which shall be at^ded so much of the point of land within
the fork of the Ohio and Mississippi as lies under the thirty-seventh
degree, that to the westward, within and adjacent to which are the
confluences of the rivers Wabash, Shawnee, Tanisee, Ohio, Illinois,
Mississippi, and Missouri, shall be called Polypota-mia ; and that to the
eastward, farther up the Ohio, otherwise called the Pelisipi, shall be
called Pelisipia.
That all the preceding articles shall be formed into a charter of com
pact ; shall be duly executed by the President of the United States,
in Congress assembled, under his hand and the seal of the United
States; shall be promulgated, and shall stand as fundamental condi
tions between the thirteen original States and these newly described,
unalterable but by the joint consent of the United States, in Congress
assembled, and of the particular State within which such alteration is
proposed to be made.
This report was recommitted to the same committee on the 17th of
March, and a new one was submitted on the 22d of the same month.
The second report agreed in substance with the first. The principal
difference was the omission of the paragraph giving names to the
States to be formed out of the Western Territory. It was taken up
for consideration by Congress on the 19th of April, on which day, on
the motion of Mr. Spaight, of North Carolina, the following clause was
struck out:
"That, after the year 1800 of the Christian era, there shall be
neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in any of the said States,
otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall
have been duly convicted to have been personally guilty."
The report was further considered and amended on the 20th and
21st. On the 23d, it was agreed to (ten States voting aye, and one no),
without the clause prohibiting slavery and involuntary servitude after
the year 1800. On the question to agree to the report, after the pro
hibitory clause was struck out, the yeas and nays were required by
Mr. Beresford. The vote was :

'606 Appendix.

New Hampshire — Pennsylvania —
Mr. Foster, aye. Mr. MifHin, aye.
Mr. Blanchard, aye. Mr. Montgomery, aye.
Massachusetts— Mr. Hand, aye.
Mr. Gerry, aye. Maryland —
Mr. Partridge, aye. Mr. Stone, aye.
Ehode Island — Mr. Chase, aye.
Mr. Ellery, aye. Virginia —
Mr. Howell, aye. Mr. Jefferson, aye.
Connecticut — Mr. Mercer, aye.
Mr. Sherman, aye. Mr. Monroe, aye.
Mr. Wadsworth, aye. North Carolina —
New York — Mr. Williams, aye.
Mr. Dewitt, aye. Mr. Spaight, aye.
Mr. Paine, aye. South Carolina —
New Jersey — Mr. Eeed, no.
Mr. Beatty, aye. Mr. Beresford, no.
Mr. Dick, aye. Georgia (absent).
Delaware (absent).
Thus, the report of Mr. .lefferson for the temporary government of
the Western Territory, without any restriction whatever as to slavery,
received the vote of every State present except South Carolina. It
did not " lay on the table of Congress durin'g the three years from 1784
to 1787." During these three years, it was the law of the land. It
was repealed in 1787.
Nearly a year after the first plan was adopted, the clause originally
offered by Mr. Jefferson, as a part of the charter of compact and funda-
menial constitutions between the thirteen original States and the new
States to be formed in the Western Territory, prohibiting slavery and
involuntary servitude, was again submitted' to Congress, omitting the
time named — "after the year 1800 of the Christian era."
On the 16th of March, 1785—
"A motion was made by Mr. King, seconded by Mr. Ellery, that the
following proposition be committed :
"That there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in
any of the States described in the resolve of Congress of the 23d of
April, 1784, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes whereof the
party shall have been personally guilty ; and that this regulation shall
be an article of compact, and remain a fundamental principle of the
constitutions between the thirteen original States and eaoh of the
States described in the said resolve of the 23d of April, 1784."
The motion was " that the following proposition be committed " —
that is, committed to a committee ofthe whole House; it was not "in

Ordinance of 1787. 607
the nature of an instruction to the Committee on the Western Terri
tory." At that time, there was no such committee. It was a separate,
independent proposition. The very terms of it show that it was of
fered as an addition to the resolve of April 23, 1784, with the inten
tion of restoring to that resolve a clause that had originally formed a
part of it.
Mr. King's motion to commit was agreed to— eight States (New
Hampshire, Massachusetts, Ehode Island, Connecticut, New York,
New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland) voted in the affirmative,
and three States (Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina) in the
negative. Neither Delaware nor Georgia was represented.
After the commitment of this proposition, it was neither called up
in Congress nor noticed by any of the committees who subsequently
reported plans for the government of the Western Territory.
The subject was not laid over from this time till September, 1786.
It is noticed as being before Congress on the 24th of March, the 10th
of May, the 13th of July, and the 24th of August of that year.
On the 24th of March, 1786, a report was made by the grand Com
mittee of the House, to whom had been referred a motion of Mr. Mon
roe upon the subject of the Western Territory.
On the 10th of May, 1786, a report was made by another committee,
consisting of Mr. Monroe, of Virginia, Mr. Johnson, of Connecticut,
Mr. King, of Massachusetts, Mr. Kean, of South Carolina, and Mr.
Pincknejr, of South Carolina, to whom a motion of Mr. Dane, for con
sidering and reporting the form of a temporary government for the
Western Territory, was referred. This report, after amendment, was
recommitted on the 13th of July following. '
On the 24th of August, 1786, the Secretary of Congress was directed
to inform the inhabitants of Kaskaskias " that Congress have under
their consideration the plan of a temporary government for the said
distriot, and that its adoption will be no longer protracted than the
importance of the subject and a due regard to their interest may re
quire." On the 19th of September, 1786, a committee, consisting of Mr.
Johnson, of Connecticut, Mr. Pinckney, of South Carolina, Mr. Smith,
of New York, Mr. Dane, of Massachusetts, and Mr. Henry, of Mary
land, appointed to propose a " plan of temporary government for suoli
districts or new States as shall be laid out by the United States upon
the principles of the acts of cession from individual States, and ad
mitted into the Confedoracy," made a report, which was taken up for
consideration on the 29th, and, after some discussion, and several mo
tions to amend, the further consideration was postponed.
On the 26th of April, 1787, same committee (Mr. Johnson, Mr.
Pinckney, Mr. Smith, Mr. Dane, and Mr. Henry) reported " an ordi
nance for the government of the Western Territory." It was read a
second time, and amended on the 9th of May, and the next day was
assigned for the third reading. On the 10th, the order of the day foi'

608 Appendix.
the third reading was called for by the State of Massachusetts, and
was postponed. On the Qth and 10th of May, Massachusetts was rep
resented by Mr. Gorham, Mr. King, and Mr. Dane. The proposition
which, on Mr. King's motion, was " committed " on the 16th of March
of the preceding year, was not in the ordinance, as reported by the
committee, nor was any motion made in the Congress to insert it as an
amontlment. The following is a copy of the ordinance as amended and ordered
to a third reading :
An Ordinance for the Govern.ment of the Western Territory.
It is hereby ordained by the United States, in Congress assembled,,
that there shall be appointed, from time to time, a governor, whose
commission shall continue in force for the term of three years, unless
sooner revoked by Congress.
There shall be ajipointed by Congress, from time to time, a secretary,
whose commission shall continue in force for four years, unless sooner
revoked by Congress. It shall be his duty to keep and preserve the
acts and laws passed by the General Assembly, and public records of
the district, and of the proceedings of the governor in his executive
department, and transmit authentic copies of such acts and proceed
ings every six months to the Secretary of Congress.
There shall also be appointed a court to consist of three judges, any
two of whom shall form a court, who shall have a common law juris
diction, whose commissions shall continue in force during good be
havior. And, to secure the rights of personal liberty and property to the in
habitants and others, purchasers in tlie said districts, it is hereby or
dained that the inhabitants of said districts shall always be entitled to
the benefits of the act of habeas corpus and of the trial by jury.
The governor and judges, or -a, majority of th'em shall adopt and
publish ill the districts such laws of the original States, criminal and
civil, as may be necessary and best suited to the circumstances of the
district, and report them to Congress from time to time, which shall
prevail in said distriot until the organization of the General Assembly,
unless disapproved of by Congress; but, afterwards, the General As
sembly shall have authority to alter them as they think fit: provided,
however, that said Assembly shall have no power to create perpetui
ties. The governor, for the time being, shall be commander-in-chief of the
militia, and appoint and commission all officers in the same below the
rank of general officers ; all officers of that rank shall be appointed
and commissioned by Congress.
Previous to the organization of the General Assembly, the governor
shall appoint such magistrates and other civil officers, in each county
or township, as he shall find necessary for the preservation of peaoe

Ordinance of 1787. 609
and good order in the same. After the General Assembly shall be or
ganized, the powers and duties of magistrates and other civd officers
shall be regulated .and defined by the said Assembly ; but all magis
trates and other civil officers, not herein otherwise directed, shall, dur
ing the continuance of this temporary government, be appointed by
the governor.
The governor shall, as soon as may be, proceed to lay out the district
into counties and townships, subject, however, to such alterations as
may thereafter be made by the legislature, so soon as there shall be
five thousand free male inhabitants, of full age, within the said dis
trict. Upon giving due proof thereof to the governor, they shall re
ceive authority, with time and place, to elect representatives from their
counties or townships, as aforesaid, to represent them in General As
sembly: provided, that for every five hundred free male inhabitants
there shall be one representative, and so on progressively with the
number of free male inhabitants shall the right of representation in
crease, until the number of representatives amounta to twenty-five;
after which tbe number and proportion of representatives shall be
regulated by the legislature : provided, that.no person shall be eligible
or qualified to act as a representative, unless he be a citizen of one of
the United States, or have resided within such distriot three years,
and shall likewise hold, in his own right, in fee simple, two hundred
acres of land within tbe same: provided, also, that a freehold or life
estate in fifty acres of land in the said district, if a citizen of any of
the United States, and two years' residence, if a foreigner, in addition,
shall be necessary to qualify a man as elector for the said representa
tive. The representatives thus elected shall serve for the term of two years,
and, in case of the death of a representative, or removal from office,
the governor shall issue a writ to the county or township for which he
was a member, to elect another in his stead, to serve for the residue
of the time.
The General Assembly shall consist of the governor, a legislative
council, to consist of five members, to be appointed by the United
States, in Congress assembled, to continue in office during pleasure,
any three of whom to be a quorum, and a House of Representatives,
who shall have a legislative authority complete in all cases for the
good government of said district: provided, that no act of the said
General Assembly shall be construed to affect any lands tho property
of the United States: and provided, further, that the lands of the non
resident proprietors shall in no instance be taxed higher than the
lands of residents.
All bills shall originate indifferently either in the council or House
of Eepresentatives, and, having been passed by a majority in both
Houses, shall be referred to the governor for his assent, after obtaining
VOL. n. — 39

610 Appendix.
which they shall be complete and valid; but no bill or legislative act
whatever shall be valid or of any force without his .issent.
The governor shall have power to convene, prorogue, and dissolve
the General Assembly when, in his opinion, it shall be expedient.
The said inhabitants or settlers shall be subject to pay a part of the
FeSeral debts, contracted or to be contracted, and to bear a propor
tional part of the burdens of the government, to be apportioned on
them by Congress, according to the same common rule and measure by
Avhioh apportionments thereof shall be made on the other States.
The governor, judges, legislative council, secretary, and such other
officers as Congress shall at any time think proper to appoint in such
district, shall take an oath or affirmation of fidelity ; the governor be
fore the President of Congre.ss, and all other officers before the gov
ernor, prescribed on the 17th day of January, 1785, to the Secretary
of War, mutatis mutandis.
Whensoever any of the said States shall have of free inhabitants as
many as are equal in number to the one-thirteenth part of the citizens
ofthe original States, to be computed from the last enumeration, such
State shall be admitted by its delegates into the Congress of the United
States, on an equal footing with the said original States: provided, the
consent of so many States in Congress is first obtained as may at that
time be competent to such admission.
Resolved, That the resolutions of the 23d of April, 1784, be and the
same are hereby annulled and repealed.
Suoh was the ordinance for the government of the Western Terri
tory, when it was ordered to a third reading, on the 10th of May, 1787.
It had then made no further progress in the development of those
great principles for whioh it has since been distinguished as " one of the
greatest monuments of civil jurisprudence." Jt made no provision for
the equal distribution of estates. It said nothing of extending the
fund.amental principles of civil and religious liberty — nothing of the
rights of conscience, knowledge, or education. It did not contain the
articles of compact, which were to remain unaltered forever, unless by
common consent.
We now come to the time when these great principles were first
brought forward.
On the 9fch of July, 1787, the ordinance was again referred. The
committee now consisted of Mr. Carrington, of Virginia, Mr. Dane, of
Massachusetts, Mr. R. H. Lee, of Virginia, Mr. Kean, of South Caro
lina, and Mr. Smith, of New York. Mr. Carrington, Mr. Lee, and Mr.
Kean, the new members, were a majority.
This committee did not " merely revise the ordinance;" they pre
pared and reported the great Bill of Eights for the territory north-
Avest of the Ohio.
The question is here presented, why was Mr. Carrington, a new mem
ber of the commitiee, placed at the head of it, to the exclusion of Mr,

Ordinance of 1787. 611
Dane and Mr. Smith, who had served previously? In the absence of
positive evidence, there appears to be but one answer to this question.
The opinions of all the members were known in Congress. In the
course of debate, new views had been presented, 'which must have
been received with general approbation. A majority of the committee
were the advocates of these views, and the member by whom they
were presented to the House was selected as the chairman. There is
nothing improbable or out of the usual course of proceeding in this.
Indeed, the prompt action of the committee and of the Congress goes
very far to confirm it.
On the llth of July (two days after the reference), Mr. Carrington
reported the ordinance for the government of tlie territory of the
United States north-west of the river Ohio. This ordinance was read
a second time on the 12th (and amended, as stated below), and, on the
13th, it was read a third time, and passed by the unanimous vote of the
eight States present in the Congress,
On the passage, the yeas and nays (being required by Mr. Yates)
were as follows :
New Hampshire (absent). Maryland (absent).
Massachusetts — Virginia^
Mr. Holten, aye. Mr. Grayson, aye.
Mr. Dane, aye. Mr. R. H. Lee, aye.
Ehode Island (absent). Mr. Carrington, aye
Connecticut (absent). North Carolina —
New York — Mr. Blount, aye.
Mr. Smith, aye. Mr. Hawkins, aye.
Mr. Hari.ng, aye. South Carolina —
Mr. Yates, aye. Mr. Kean, aye.
New Jersey — Mr. Huger, aye.
Mr. Clarke, aye. Georgia-
Mr. Schureman, aye. Mr. Few, aye.
Delaware— Mr. Pierce, aye.
Mr. Kearney, aye. Pennsylvania (absent).
Mr. Mitchell, aye.
It appears, then, that, instead of having "this ordinance under de
liberation and revision for three years and si.x months," in five days it
Avas passed through all the forms of legislation— the reference, the
action of the committee, the report, the three several readings, the
discussion and amendment by Congress, and the final passage
On the I2th of July (as above stated), Mr. Dane ofi'ered the follow
ing amendment, Avhich was adopted as the sixth of the articles of the
compact :
"Article the Sixth. There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude in the said territory, otherwise than in the punishment of

G12 Appendix.
crimes, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted: provided,
always, that any person, escaping into the same, from whom labor or
service is claimed in any of the original States, such fugitive may be
lawfully reclaimed and conveyed to the person claiming his or her
labor or service, as aforesaid.
This had, in part, been presented by Mr. Jefferson, in 1784, and
again by Mr. King, in 1785. The assertion that this clause, " as it now
exists in the ordinance," was "proposed and carried by Mr. King,
when neither Jefferson nor Dane was present," is singularly incorrect.
In the proposition submitted by Mr. King, in 1785 (which was never
afterwards called up in Congress), there Avas no provision for reclaim
ing fugitives; and, without such a provision, it could not have been
carried at all : besides, the clause, "as it now exists in tho ordinance,''
was proposed by Mr. Dane, on the 12th of July, 1787, and earried by
the unanimous vote of Congress, when Mr. King was not present.
Mr. King was a member of the convention for framing the Federal
constitution. He was present and voted in the convention on the 12th
of July, 1787. The whole of that day was occupied in settling the pro
portion of representation and direct taxation, whioh was then deter
mined as it now stands in the constitution, viz. : " By adding to the
whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a
term of years, and excluding Indians, not taxed, three-fifths of all other
persons!' The Congress and the convention were both in session at the same
time, in Philadelphia. There was, of course, free intercourse and in
terchange of opinion between the members of the two bodies. To
this may be attributed the adoption on the same day of the clause in
the ordinance and the clause in the constitution.
The accompanying copy of the ordinance shows the amendments
made in Congress, on the 12th of July, to Mr. Carrlngton's report of
the llth. All that was struck out is printed iu \iialic'\, what was in
serted is in SMALL CAPITALS. The reader, on comparing this with the
plans previously reported by Mr. .Jefferson and by Mr. Johnson, will
see that most of the principles " on which its wisdom and fame rest "
were first presented by Mr. Carrington. ^
An Ordinance for the Government of the Territory of the United
States north-ivest of the River Ohio.
lie ii ordained by the XJa'ded Staies, in Congras assembled. That the said
Territory, for the purposes of temporary government, be one district;
subject, however, to be divided into two districts, as future circum
stances may, in the opinion of Congress, make it expedient.
(1) The language of Mr. Force is misleading. While most of the principles on
"Which its wisdom and fame rest "were embraced in the amendments reported by
Colonel Carrington, two very iraportant points were derived from Mr. Jefferson's
ordinance of 1781, viz., the plan of compact and the anti-slavery article.

Ordinance of 1787. 613
Be ii ordained by ihe authority aforesaid, That the estates botb of resi
dent and non-resident proprietors in the said Territory, dying intestate,
shall descend to and be distributed among their children and the de
scendants of a deceased child in equal parts; the descendants of a
deceased child or grandchild to take the share of their deceased parent
in equal parts among them ; and where there shall be no children or
descendants, then in equal parts to the next of kin, in equal degree;
and among collaterals, the children of a deceased brother or sister of
the intestate shall have in equal parts among them their deceased
parent's share; and there shall in no case be a distinci'ion betwekn
KINDRED OF THE WHOLE AND HALF BLOOD ; saving in all cases to the widow
of the intestate her third part of the real estate for life, and [^where
there shall be no children of ihe intestate^ one third part ofthe personal es
tate; and this law relative to descents and dower shall remain in full
force uutil altered by the legislature of the district. And until the
governor and judges shall adopt laws as hereinafter mentioned, estates
in the said Territory may be devised or bequeathed by wills in writing,
signed and sealed by him or her in whom the estate may be (being of
full age), and attested by three witnesses; and real estates may be con
veyed by lease and release, or bargain and sale, signed, sealed, and de
livered by the person, being of full age, in whom the estate may be,
and attested by two witnesses, provided such wills be duly proved, and
such conveyances be acknowledged, or the execution thereof duly
proved, and be recorded within one year after proper magistrates,
courts, and registers shall be appointed for that piirpose; and personal
property may be transferred by delivery, saving, however, to the [ui-
habitants of Kaskaskies and Post Vincent^ French and Canadian inhabit
ants, AND OTHER SETTLERS OF THE KaSKASKIES, St. ViNOENt's, AND TIIE
NEIGHBORING VILLAGES, WHO HAVE HERETOFORE PROFESSED THEMSELVES CITI
ZENS OF Virginia, their laws and customs now in force among them
relative to the descent and conveyance of property.
Be it ordained by ihe authority aforesaid, That there shall be appointed,
from time to time, by Congress, a governor, whose commission shall
continue in force for the term of three years, unless sooner revoked
by Congress: he shall reside in the district and have a freehold estate
therein in one thousand acres of land, while in the exercise of his
office. There shall be appointed, from time to time, by Congress, a secre
tary, whose commission shall continue in force for four years, unless
sooner revoked : he shall reside in the district, and have a freehold es
tate therein, in five hundred acres of land, while in the exercise of his
office. It shall be his duty to keep and preserve the acts and laws
passed by the legislature, and the public records of the district, of the
proceedings of the governor in his executive department, and transmit
authentic copies of such acts and proceedings every six months to the
Secretary of Congress.
There shall also be appointed a, court, to consist of three judges, any

614 Appendix.
two of whom to form a court, who shall have a common law jurisdic
tion, and reside in the district, and have eaoh therein a freehold estate,
in five hundred acres of land, while in the exercise of their offices;
and their commissions shall continue in force during good behavior.
The governor aud judges, or a majority of them, sball adopt and
publish in the district such laws of the original States, criminal and
civil, as may be necessary and best suited to the circumstances of the
district, and report them to Congress from time to time, which laws
shall be in force in the district until the organization of the General
Assembly therein, unless disapproved of by Congress; bufc afterwards
the legislature shall have authority to alter them as they shall think
fit. The governor, for the time being, shall be commander-in-chief of the
militia, and appoint and commission all officers in the same below the
rank of general officers; all general officers l_above ihat rank'] shall be
appointed aud commissioned by Congress.
Previous to the organization of the General Assembly, the governor
shall appoint suoh magistrates and other civil officers in eaoh county
or township as he shall find necessary for the preservation of the peace
and good order in the same. After the General Assembly shall be
organized, the powers and duties of magistrates and other civil
officers shall be regulated and defined bythe said Assembly; but all
magistrates and other civil officers, not herein otherwise directed, shall,
during the continuance of this temporary government, be appointed
by the governor.
For the prevention of crimes and injuries, the laws to be adopted or
made shall have force in all parts of the distriot, and for the execution
of process, criminal and civil, the governor shall make proper divisions
thereof; and he shall proceed, from time to time, as circumstances
may require, to lay out the parts of the district in which the Indian
titles shall have been extinguished into counties and townships, sub
ject, however, to suoh alterations as may thereafter be made by the
legislature. So soon as there shall be five thousand free male inhabitants, of full
age, in the district, upon giving proof thereof to the governor, they
shall receive authority, with time and place, to elect representatives
from their counties or townships, to represent them in the General As
sembly : provided, that, for every five hundred free male inhabitants,
there shall be one representative, and so on progressively with the
number of free male inhabitants shall the right of representation in
crease, until the number of representatives shall amount to twenty-
five; after which the number and proportion of representatives shall
be regulated by the legislature: provided, that no person shall be eli
gible or qualified to act as a representative, unless he shall have been
a citizen of one of the United States three years, and be a resident in
the district, or unless he shall have resided in the district three years,
and, in either case, shall likewise hold in his own right, in fee simple.

Ordinance of 1787. 615
two hundred acres of land witbin the same: provided, also, that a free
hold in fifty acres of land in the district, having been a citizen of one
of the States, and being resident in the district, or the like freehold
and two years' residence in the district, shall be necessary to qualify a
man as an elector of a representative.
The representatives thus elected shall serve for the term of two
years, and, in case of the death of the representative, or removal from
office, the governor shall issue a writ to the county or township for
which he was a member, to elect another in his stead, to serve for the
residue of the term.
The General Assembly, or legislature, shall consist of the governor,
legislative council, and a House of Representatives. The legislative
council shall consist of five members, to continue in office five years,
unless sooner removed by Congress, auy three of whom to be a quorum,
and the members of the council shall be nominated and appointed in
the following manner, to wit: As soon as representatives shall be
elected, the governor shall appoint a time and place for them to meet
together, and, when met, they shall nominate ten persons, residents in
the distriot, and each possessed of a freehold in five hundred acres of
land, and return their names to Congress; five of whom Congress shall
appoint and commission to serve as aforesaid; and whenever a vacancy
shall happen in the council, by death or removal from office, the
House of Representatives shall nominate two persons, qualified as
aforesaid, for each vacancy, and return their names to Congress ; one
of whom Congress shall appoint and commission for the residue of the
term ' and every five years, four months at least before the expiration
of the time of service of the members of council, the said House shall
nominate ten persons, qualified as aforesaid, and return their names to
Congress, five of whom Congress shall appoint and commission to serve
as members of the council five years, unless sooner removed. And
the governor, legislative council, and fiouse of Representatives shall
have authority to make laws, in all cases, for the good government of
the distriot, not repugnant to the principles and articles in this ordi
nance established and' declared. And all bills having passed by a ma
jority in the House, and by a majority in the council, shall be referred
to the governor for his assent; but no bill or legislative act whatever
shall be of any force without his assent. The governor shall have
power to convene, prorogue, and dissolve the General Assembly, when,
in his opinion, it shall be expedient.
The governor, judges, legislative council, secretary, and such other
officers as Congress shall appoint in the district, shall take an oath or
affirmation of fidelity and of office; the governor before the President
of Congress, and all other officers before the governor. As soon as a
legislature shall be formed in the distriot, the council and House, as
sembled in one room, shall have authority by joint ballot to elect a
delegate to Congress, who shall have a seat in Congress, with a right
of debating, but not of voting, during this temporary government.

616 Appendix.
And for extending [io all parts of ihe Confederacy'] the fundamental
principles of civil and religious liberty, which form the basis whereon
these Republics, their laws and constitutions, are erected ; to fix and
establish those principles as the basis of all laws, constitutions, and
governments which forever hereafter shall be formed in said territory;
to provide also for the establishment of States, and permanent govern
ment therein, and for their admission to a share in the Federal coun
cils, on an equal footing with the original States, at as early periods as
may be consistent with the general interest —
It is hereby ord-iined and declared by the authority aforesaid, That the fol
lowing articles shall be considered as articles of compact between the
original States and the people and States in the said territory, and for
ever remain unalterable, unless by common consent, to wit:
Article the First. No person demeaning himself in a peaceable and
orderly manner shall ever be molested on account of his mode of wor
ship or religious sentiments in the said territory.
Article lhe Second, The inhabitants of the said territory shall always
be entitled to the benefits of the writ of habeas corpus and of the
trial by jury; of a proportionate representation of the people in the
legislature, and of judicial proceedings according to the course ofthe
common law; all persons shall be bailable, unless for capital offenses,
where the proof shall be evident or the presumption great; all fines
shall be moderate, and no cruel or unusual punishments shall be in
flicted; no man shall be deprived of his liberty or property but by the
judgment of his peers, or the law of the land; and should the public
exigencies make it necessary, for the common preservation, to take
any person's property, or to demand his particular services, full com
pensation shall be made forthe same; and, in the just preservation
of rights and property, it is understood and declared that no law ought
ever to be made, or have force in the said territory, that shall, in any
manner whatever, interfere with or affect private contracts or engage
ments, bona fide and without fraud, previously formed.
Article ihe Third, [Institutions for ihe promotion of] religion [and]
morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government a>d the
HAPPINESS OF MANKIND, schools and the means of education shall forever
be encouraged [and rdi persons while young shall be taught some useful occu
pation}. The utmost good iaith shall always be observed towards the
Indi?.ns; their lands and property shall never be taken from them
without their consent; and, in their property, rights, and liberty, they
never shall be invaded or disturbed, unless in just and lawful wars au
thorized by Congress; but laws founded in justice and humanity shall
from time to time be made., for preventing wrongs being done to them,
and for preserving peace and friendship with them.
Article the Fourth. The said territory, and the States which may be
formed therein, shall forever remain a part of this Confederacy of the
United States of America, subject Id the articles of Confederation, and
to such alterations therein as shall constitutionally be made; and to

Ordinance of 1787. 617
.all the acts and ordinances of the United States, in Congress assem
bled, conformable thereto. The inhabitants and settlers in the said
territory shall be subject to pay a part ofthe Federal debts, contracted
or to be contracted, and a proportional part of the expenses of govern
ment, to be apportioned on them by Congress, according to the same
common rule and measure by which apportionments thereof .shall be
made on the other States; and the taxes for paying their proportion
shall be laid and levied by the authority ,ind direction of tbe legisla
tures of the district or districts, or new States, as in the original States,
within the time agreed upon by the United States, in Congress assem
bled. The legislatures of those districts, or new States, shall never in
terfere with the primary disposal of the soil by the United States, in
Congress assembled, nor with any regulations Congress mny find nec
essary for securing the title in such soil to the bona fide purchasers.
No tax shall be imposed on lands the property of the United States;
and in no case shall non-resident proprietors be taxed higher than resi
dents. The navigable waters leading into the Mississippi and St. Law
rence, and the carrying places between the same, shall be common high
ways, and forever free, as well to the inhabitants of the said territory
as to the citizens of the United States, and those of any other States
that may be admitted into the Confederacy, without any tax, impost,
or duty therefor.
Article the Fifth. There shall be formed in the said territory not
less than three nor more than five States ; and the boundaries of the
States, as soon as Virginia shall alter her act of cession and [authorize]
CONSENT TO the Same, shall become fixed and established as follows, to
wit: The western State in the said territory shall be bounded by the
Mississippi, the Ohio, and Wabash Rivers; a direct line drawn from
the Wabash and Post Vincent's due north to the territorial line between
the United States and Canada, and by the said territorial line to the
Lake of the Woods and Mississippi. The middle State shall be bounded
by the said direct line, the Wabash from Post Vincent's to the Ohio;
by the Ohio, by a direct line drawn due north from the mouth of the
Great Miami to the said territorial line, and by the said territorial
line. The eastern State shall be bounded by the last mentioned direct
'line, the Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the said territorial line: Provided,
however, and it is further understood and declared, that the boundaries
of these three States shall be subject so far to be altered, that if Con
gress shall hereafter find it expedient, they shall have authority to
form one or two States in tbat part of the said territory which lies
north of an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or
extreme of Lake Michigan ; and whenever ahy of the said States shall
have sixty thousand free inhabitants therein, such State shall be
admitted by its delegates into the Congress of the United States, on an
equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatever; and
shall be at liberty to form a permanent constitution and State govern
ment: Provided, the constitution and government so to be formed

618 Appendix.
shall be republican, and in conformity to the principles contained in
these articles ; and, so far as it can be consistent with the general in
terest of the Confederacy, such admission shall be allowed at an earlier
period, and when there may be a less number of free inhabitants in
the State than sixty thousand.
Article the Sixth. There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary
SERVITUDE IN THE SAID TERRITORY, OTHERWISE THAN IN PUNISHMENT OF
CRIMES WHKREOF THE PARTY SHALL H.WE BEEN DULY CONVICTED ; PROVIDED,
ALWAYS, THAT ANY PERSON ERC'.PIXG INTO THE SAME, FROM WHOM L.\BOR (Ut
SERVICE IS LAWFULLY CLAIMED IN ANY ONE OF 'IHE ORIGINAL StATEP, SUCH
FUGITIVE -MAY BE LAWFULLY RECLAIMED AND CONVEYED TO THE PERSON
CL.A.MING HIS OR HER LABOR OB SERVICE AS AFORESAID.^
Be it ordained by the authority aforesaid, That the resolutions of the 23d
of April, 1784, rkla'I'IVe to the sub.iect of this ordinance, be and the
same are hereby repealed and declared null and void.
Done by the United States, in Congress assembled, the 13th day of
July, in the year of our Lord 1787, and of their sovereignty and
independence the 12th. CHAS. THOMSON, Sec'y.

APPENDIX II,

ORDINANCES FOR THE SALE OF LANDS IN THE
NORTH-WESTERN TERRITORY.
riN CONGRESS, JULY 23, 1787, 1 Vol. L. U. S., p. 573.1
(See Vol. I., p. 128.)
The report of a committee, consisting of Mr. Carrington, Mr. King,
Mr. Dane, Mr. Madison, and Mr. Benson, amended to read as follows,
viz. :
That the Board of Treasury be authorized and empowered to con
tract with any person or persons for a grant of a tract of land which
shall be bounded by the Uhio, from the mouth of Scioto to the inter
section of the western boundary of the seventh range of townships
now surveying; thence, by the said boundary, to the northern bound
ary of the tenth township from the Ohio; thence, by a due west line,
to the Scioto ; thence, by the Scioto, to the beginning, upon the follow
ing terms, viz. : The tract to be surveyed, and its contents ascertained,
by the geographer or some other officer of the United States, who shall
plainly mark the said east and west line, and shall render one complete
(1) Compare with the article of Jefferson's ordinance. See Vol. I., p. 133.

Ordinances for the Sale of Lands, Etc. 619
plat to the Board of Treasury, and another to the purchaser or pur
chasers. The purchaser or purchasers, within seven years from the
completion of this work, to lay off the wbole tract, at their own ex
pense, into townships and fractional parts of townships, and to divide
the same into lots, according to the land ordinance of the 20th of May,
1785; complete returns whereof to be made to the Treasury Board.'
The lot No. 16, in each township or fractional part ofa township, to be
given perpetually for the purposes contained in the said ordinance.
The lot No. 29, in each township or fractional p.art of a township, to be
given perpetually for the purposes of religion.' The lots Nos. 8, 11,
and 26, in each township or fractional part of a township, to be re
served for the future disposition of Congress. Not more than two com
plete townships to be given perpetually for the purposes of a Uni
versity, to be laid off by the purchaser or purchasers, as near the cen
ter as may be, so that the same shall be of good land, to be applied to
the intended object by the legislature of the State. The price to be
not less than one dollar per acre for the contents of the said tract, ex
cepting the reservations and gifts aforesaid, payable, in specie, loan-
office certificates reduced to specie value, or certificates of liquidated
debts of the United States, liable to a reduction by an allowance for
bad land, and all incidental charges and circumstances whatever: Pro
vided, That suoh allowance shall not exceed, in the whole, one-third ot
a dollar per acre. And in making payment the prinoipal only of the
said certificates shall be admitted, and the Board of Treasury, for such
interest as maybe due on the certificates rendered in payment as
aforesaid, prior to January 1, 1786, shall issue indents for interest to
the possessors, which shall be receivable in payment as other indents
for interest of the existing requisitions of Congress; and for such in
terest as may be due on the said certificates between that period and
the period of payment, the said board shall issue indents, the payment
of which to be provided for in future requisitions, or otherwise. Such
of the purchasers as may possess rights for bounties of land to the late
army, to be permitted to render the same in discharge of the con
tract, acre for acre: Provided, That the aggregate of such rights shall
not exceed one-seventh part of the land to be paid for: And provided
also, That there shall be no future claim against the United States on
account of the said rights. Not less than 500,000 dollars of the purchase-
money to be paid down upon closing of the contract, and the remain
der upon the completion of the work to be performed by the geo
grapher or other officer on tbe part of the United States. Good and
sufiicient security to be given by the purchaser or purchasers for the
completion of the contract on his or their part. The grant to be
made upon the full payment of the consideration money, and a right
of entry and occupancy to be acquired immediately for so much of the
(1) The grant of No. 29, for religious purposes, is confined to the Ohio Company
and J, C. Symmes's purchase.

620 Appendix.
tract as shall be agreed upon between the Board of Treasury and the
purchasers. Ordered, That the above be referred to the Board of Treasury to take
order.

[LETTER OF CUTLER AND SARGENT TO THE BOARD OF TREASURY, DATED
NEW YORK, JULY 26, 1787, 1 Vol. L. U. S., p. 491.]
We observe by the act of the 23d instant, that your honorable board
is authorized to enter into a contract for the sale of 'a tract of land
therein described, on certain conditions expressed in the act. As we
suppose this measure has been adopted in consequence of proposals
made by us in behalf of ourselves and associates, to a committee of
Congress, we beg leave to inform you that we are ready to enter into
a contract for the purchase of the lands described in the act, provided
you can conceive yourselves authorized to admit of the following con
ditions, whioh, in some degree, vary from the report of the committee,
viz. :
The subordinate surveys shall be completed as mentioned in the act,
unless the frequency of Indian irruptions may render the same im
practicable without a heavy expense to the company.
The mode of payment we propose is, half a million of dollars when
the contract is executed; another half a million, when the tract, as de
scribed, is surveyed by the proper officer of the United States; and
the remainder in six equal payments, computed from the date of the
second payment.
The lands assigned for the establishment of a university, to be as
nearly as possible in the center of the first million and a half of acres
we shall pay for; for to fix it in the center of the proposed purchase,
might too long defer the establishment.
When the second payment is made, the purchasers will receive a
deed for as great a quantity of land as a million of dollars shall pay
for, at the price agreed on; after which we will agree not to receive
any further deeds for any of the lands purchased, only at such periods,
and on such conditions, as may be agreed on betwixt the board and
the purchasers.
As to the security, which the act says shall be good and sufflcient,
we are unable to determine what those terms may mean, in the con
templation of Congress, or of your honorable board; we shall, there
fore, only observe, that our private fortunes, and that of most of our
associates, being embarked in the support of the purchase, it is not pos
sible for us to offer any adequate security, but that of the land itself, as
is usual in great land purchases.
We will agree so to regulate the contract that we shall never be en
titled to a right of entry or occupancy but on lands actually paid for,
nor receive any deeds till our payments amount to a million of dol
lars, and then only in proportion to such payment. The advance we

John aeves Symmes' Purchase. 621
shall always be under, without any formal deed, together with tlie im
provements made on the lands, will, we presume, be ample security,
even ifit was not tbe interest as well as the disposition ofthe company
to lay the foundation of their establishment on a sacred regard to the
rights of property.
If these terms are admitted, we shall be ready to conclude the con
tract.

[RESOLUTION OP 27TH JULY, 1787, 1 Vol. L. U. S., p. 574 ]
"Ordered, Tbat the above letter from Manh. Cutler and Winthrop
Sargent, to the Board of Treasury, containing proposals for the pur
chase of a tract of land described in the act of Congress of the 23d
instant, be referred to tbe Board of Treasury to take order : Provided,
That after the date of the second payment therein proposed to be
made, the residue shall be paid in six equal and half-yearly installments,
until the whole thereof shall be completed, and that the purchasers
stipulate to pay interest on the sums due from the completion of the
survey to be performed by the geographer."

JOHN CLEVES SYMMES' PURCHASE.

[APPLICATION BY PETITION, NEW YOEK, 29TH AUGUST, 1787, 1 Vol. L. U. S.
p. 494.]
That your petitioner, encouraged by the resolutions of Congress of
the 23d and 27th of July last, stipulating the condition of a trans
fer of federal lands on the Scioto and Muskingum rivers, unto Win
throp Sargent and Manasseh Cutler, Esquires, and their associates, of
New England, is induced, on behalf of the citizens of the United
States, westward of Connecticut, who also wish to become purchasers
of federal lands, to pray thatthe honorable the Congress will be pleased
to direct that a contract be made by the honorable the Commissioners
of the Treasury Board, with your petitioner, for himself and his associ
ates, in all respects similar in form and matter to the said grant made
to Messrs. Sargent and Cutler, differing only in quantity and place
where, and instead of two townships for the use of a University, that
one only be assigned for the benefit of an academy.
That by such transfer to your petitioner and his associates, on their
complying with the terms of sale, the fee may pass of all the lands ly
ing within the following limits, viz.: Beginning at the mouth of the
Great Miami River; thence, running up the Ohio to the mouth of the
Little Miami Eiver; thence, up the main stream of the Little Miami
River, to the place where a due west line, to be continued from the

622 Appendix.
western termination of the northern boundary line of the grant to
Messrs. Sargent, Cutler, and company, shall intersect the said Little
Mi.ami Eiver; thence, due west, continuing the said western line to the
place where the said line shall intersect the main branch or stream of
the Great Miami Eiver; thence, down the Great Miami, to the place
of beginning.^

[ACT OP 19TH APRIL, 1792, 2 Vol. L. U. S., p. 270.]
That the President of the United States be, and he hereby is,
authorized, at the request of John Cleves Symmes, or his agent or
agents, to alter the contract made between the late Board of Treasury
aud the said John Cleves Symmes, for the sale of a tract of land of
one million of acres, in such manner that the said tract may extend
from the mouth of the Great Miami to the mouth of the Little Miami,
and be bounded by the river Ohio on the south, by the Great Miami
on the west, by the Little Miami on the east, and by a parallel of lati
tude on the north extending from the Great Miami to the Little Mi
ami, so as to comprehend the proposed quantity of one million of acres:
Provided, That the northern limits of the said tract shall not interfere
with the boundary-line established by the treaty of Fort Harmar, be
tween the United States and the Indian nations: And provided also,
That the President reserve to the United States, suoh lands at and
near Fort Washington as he may think necessary lor the accommoda
tion of a garrison at that fort.^

APPENDIX III.

TREATIES AT FORT HARMAR.
[See Vol. I. p. 156; Vol. II., p. 108.]

WITH THE SIX NATIONS.
Articles of a treaty made at Fort Harmar, the ninth day of January,
in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-
nine, between Arthur St. Clair, Esq., Governor of the Territory of
the United St.ates of America north-west of the river Ohio, and
and commissioner plenipotentiary of tbe said United States, for
(1) In Congress, Oct. 2, 1787, ordered, that the above petition be referred to the
Board of Treasury, to tuke order.
(2) The tract of land designated by this act, is bounded on the north by a parallel
(if latitude, extending from the most northerly source of the Little Sliami to the
Great Miami, and is usually called "Ludlow's survey."

Treaties at Fort Harmar. 623
removing all causes of controversy, regulating trade, and settling
boundaries, between the Indian nations in the northern depart
ment and the said United States, of the one part, and the sachems
and warriors of the Six Nations, of the other part, viz:
Article 1. Whereas, the United States, in Congress assembled, did,
by tbeir commissioners, Oliver Wolcott, Eichard Butler, and Arthur
Lee, Esqrs., duly appointed for that purpose, at a treaty held with the
said Six Nations, viz., with the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Tusca
roras, Cayugas, and Senekas, at Fort Stanwix, on the twenty-second
day of October, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-four, give
peace to the said nations, and receive them into their friendship and
protection. And, whereas, the said nations have now agreed to and
with the said Arthur St. Clair to renew and confirm all the engage
ments and stipulations entered into at the before-mentioned treaty at
Fort Stanwix. And, whereas, it was then and there agreed between
the United States of America and the said Six Nations that a bound
ary line should be fixed between the lands of tbe said Six Nations and
tbe Territory of the said United States, which boundary line is as fol
lows, viz; Beginning at the mouth of a creek, about four miles east of
Niagara, called Ononwayea, or Johnston's Landing Place, upon the lake
named by the Indians Oswego, and by us Ontario; from thence south
erly, in a direction ahvays four miles east of the carrying place, between
Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, to the mouth of Tehoseroron, or Buffalo
Creek, upon Lake Erie ; thence south to the northern boundary
of the State of Pennsylvania; thence west to the end of tbe said
north boundary; thence south along the west boundary of the said
State to the river Ohio. Tbe said line, from the mouth of Ononwayea
i;o the Ohio, shall be the western boundary of the lands of the Six Na
tions, so that the Six Nations shall and do yield to the United States
all claim to tbe country west of the said boundary ; and then they
shall be secured in the possession of the lands they inhabit east, north,
and south of the same, reserving only six miles square, round the fort
of Oswego, for the support of the same. The said Six Nations, except
the Mohawks, none of whom have attended at this time, for and in
consideration of the peace then granted to them, the presents they
then received, as well as in consideration of a quantity of goods, to the
value of three thousand dollars, now delivered to them by the said
Arthur St. Clair, the receipt whereof they do hereby acknowledge, do
hereby renew and confirm the said boundary line in the words before-
mentioned, to the end that it may be and remain as a division line
between the lands of the said Six Nations and the Territory of the
United States forever. And the undersigned Indians, as well in their
own names as in the name of their respective tribes and nations, their
heirs and descendants, for the considerations before-mentioned, do re
lease, quit claim, relinquish, and cede to the United States of America
all the lands west of the said boundary or division line, and between

624 Appendix.
the said line and the strait, from the mouth of Ononwayea and Buffalo
Creek, for them, the said United States of America, to have and to
hold the same in true and absolute propriety forever.
Art. 2. The United States of America confirm to the Six Nations
all the lands whioh they inhabit lying east and north of the before-
mentioned boundary line, and relinquish and quit claim to the same
and every part thereof, excepting only six miles square round the fort
of Oswego, which six miles square round said fort is again reserved to
the United States by these presents.
Art. 3. The Oneida and Tuscarora nations are also again secured
and confirmed in tbe possession of their respective lands.
Art. 4. The United States of America renew and confirm the peace
and friendship entered into with the Six Nations (except the Mo
hawks) at the treaty before-mentioned, held at Fort Stanwix, declaring
the same to be perpetual. And if the Mohawks shall, within six
months, declare their assent to the same, they shall be considered as
included. Done at Fort Harmar, on the Muskingum, the day and year first
above written.
In witness whereof, the parties have hereunto, interchangeably, set
their hands and seals. Ar. St. Clair.
Cageaga, or Dogs round the Fire.
Sawedowa, or The Blast.
Kiondushowa, or Swimming Fish.
Oncahye, or Dancing Feather.
Sohaeas, or Falling Mountain.
Otachsaka, or Broken Tomahawk, his x mark.
Tekahias, or Long Tree, his x mark.
Onechsetee, or Loaded Man, his x mark.
Kiahtulaho, or Snake.
Aqueia, or Bandy Legs.
Kiandogewa, or Big Tree, his x mark.
Owenewa, or Thrown in the Water, his x mark
Gyantwaia, or Cornplanter, his x mark.
Gyasota, or Big Cross, his x mark.
Kanassee, or New Arrow.
Achiout, or Half Town.
Anachout, or the Wasp, his x mark.
Chishekoa, or Wood Bug, his x mark.
Sessewa, or Big I'.ail of a Kettle.
Sciahowa, or Council Keeper.
Twanias, or Broken Twig.
Sonachshowa, or Full Moon.
Cachuuwasse, or Twenty Canoes.
Hickonquash, or Tearing Asunder.

Treaties at Fort Harmar. 625
IN PRESENCE OF
Jos. Harmar, Lieutenant-Colonel commanding 1st U. S. Eegiment,
and Brigadier-General by brevet.
Eichard Butler.
Jno. Gibson.
Will. McCurdy, Captain.
Ed. Denny, Ensign, 1st U. S. Eegiment.
A. Hartshorn, Ensign.
Eobt. Thompson, Ensign, IstU. S. Eegiment.
Fran. Leile, Ensign.
Joseph Nicholas.
SEPARATE ARnCLE OF THE NEXT PRECEDING TREATY.
Should a robbery or murder be committed by an Indian or Indians
of the Six Nations, upon the citizens or subjects of the United States,
or by the citizens 'and subjects of the United States, or any of them,
upon any of the Indians of the said nations, the parties accused of the
same shall be tried, and, if found guilty, be punished according to the
laws of the State or of the Territory of the United States, as the case
may be, where the same was committed. And should any horses be
stolen, either by the Indians of the said nations, from the citizens or
subjects of the United States, or any of them, or by any of the said
citizens or subjects, from any of the said Indians, they may be reclaimed,
into whose possession soever they may have come; and, upon due
proof, shall be restored, any sale in open market notwithstanding;
and the persons convicted shall be punished with the utmost severity
the laws will admit. And the said nations engage to deliver the per
sons that may be accused, of their nations, of either of the before-
mentioned crimes, at the nearest post of the United States, if the crime
was committed within the Territory of the United States, or to the
civil authority of the State, if it shall have happened within any of
the United States. Ar. St. Claie.

WITH THE WYANDOTS, ETC.
Articles of a treaty made at Fort Harmar, between Arthur St. Clair,
Governor of the Territory of the United States north-west of the
river Ohio, and commissioner plenipotentiary of the United States
of America, for removing all causes of controversy, regulating
trade, and settling boundaries with the Indian nations in the
northern department of the one part, and the sachems and war
riors of the Wyandot, Delaware, Ottawa, Chippewa, Pottawattamie,
and Sac nations on the other part.
Article 1. Whereas, the United States, in Congress assembled, did,
by their commissioners, George Eogers Clark, Eichard Butler, and Ar-
VOL. II — 40

626 Appendix.
thur Lee, Esqrs., duly appointed for that purpose, at a treaty holden
with the Wyandot, Delaware, Ottawa, and Chippewa nations, at Fort
Mcintosh, on the twenty-first day of January, in the year of our Lord
one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five, conclude a peace with the
Wyandots, Delawares, Ottawas, and Chippewas, and take them into
their friendship and protection. And, whereas, at the said treaty it
was stipulated that all prisoners that had been made by those nations,
or either of them, should be delivered up to the United States. And,
whereas, the said nations have now agreed to, and with the aforesaid
Arthur St. Clair, to renew and confirm all the engagements they had
made with the United States of America at the before-mentioned
treaty, except so far as are altered by these presents. And there are
now in the possession of some individuals of these nations certain
prisoners, who have been taken by others not in peace with the said
United States, or in violation of the treaties subsisting between the
United States and them, the said nations agree to deliver up all the
prisoners now in their hands (by what nieans soever they may have
come into their possession) to the said Governor St. Clair, at Fort Har
mar, or, in his absence, to the officer commanding there, as soon as con
veniently may be ; and for the true performance of this agreement,
they do now agree to deliver into his hands two persons of the Wyan
dot nation, to be retained in the hands of the United States as host
ages, until the said prisoners are restored; after which they shall be
sent back to their nation.
Art. 2. And, whereas, at the before-mentioned treaty it was agreed
between tbe United States and said nations that a boundary line
should be fixed between the lands of those nations and the Territory
of the United States, whieh boundary is as follows, viz: Beginning at
the mouth of Cuyahoga Eiver, and running thence up the said river to
the portage between that and the Tuscarawa branch of the Mus
kingum ; then down the said branch to the forks at the crossing place
above Fort Lawrence; thence westerly to the portage on that branch
of the Big Miami Eiver which runs into tbe Ohio, at the mouth of
which branch the fort stood, which was taken by the French in the
year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and fifty-two; then
along the said portage to the Great Miami or Ome Eiver, and down
the southeast side of the same to its mouth ; thence along the south
ern shore of Lake Erie to the mouth of Cuyahoga, where it began.
And the said Wyandot, Delaware, Ottawa, and Chippewa nations, for
and in consideration of the peaoe then granted to them by the said
United States, and the presents they then received, as well as of a
quantity of goods to the value of six thousand dollars, now delivered
to them by the said Arthur St. Clair, the receipt whereof they do
hereby acknowledge, do, by these presents, renew and confirm the
said boundary line, to the end that the same may remain as a division
line between the lands of the United States of America and the lands
oi said nation* forever.. And the undersigned Indians do hereby, in

Treaties at Fort Harmar. 627
their own names and the names of their respective nations and tribes,
their heirs and descendants, for the consideration above-mentioned,
release, quit claim, relinquish, and cede to the United States all the
land east, south, and west of the lines above described, so far as the
said Indians formerly claimed the same, for them, the said United
States, to have and to hold the same, in true and absolute propriety,
forever. Art. 3. The United States of America do, by tbese presents, relin
quish and quit claim to the said nations, respectively, all the lands ly
ing between the limits above described, for them, the said Indians, to
live and hunt upon, and otherwise to occupy as they shall see fit; but
the said nations, or either of tbem, sball not be at liberty to sell or
dispose of the same, or any part thereof, to any sovereign power, except
the United States, nor to the subjects or citizens of any other sover
eign power, nor to the subjects or citizens of the United States.
Art. 4. It is agreed between the said United States and the said
nations that the individuals of the said nations shall be at liberty to
hunt within the territory ceded to the United States, without hindrance
or molestation, so long as they demean themselves peaceably and offer
no injury or annoyance to any of the subjects or citizens of the said
United States.
Art. 5. It is agreed that if any Indian or Indians of the nations
before-mentioned shall commit a murder or robbery on any of the oit-
zens ofthe United States, the nation or tribe to which the offender be
longs, on complaint being made, shall deliver up the person or persons
complained of, at the nearest post of the United States, to the end that
he or they may be tried, and, if found guilty, punished according to
the laws established in the territory of the United States north-west of
the river Ohio for the punishment of such offenses, if the same shall
be committed within tbe said Territory ; or according to the laws of
the State where the ofiense may have been committed, if the same has
happened in any of the United States. In like manner, if any subject
or citizen of the United States shall commit murder or robberj^ on any
Indian or Indians of the said nations, upon complaint being made
thereof, he or they shall be arrested, tried, and punished agreeable to
the laws of the State or of the Territory wherein the offense was com
mitted, that nothing may interrupt the peace and harmony now estab
lished between the United States and said nations.
Art. 6. And, whereas, the practice of stealing horses has prevailed
very much, to the great disquiet of the citizens of the United States,
and, if persisted in, can not fail to involve both the United States of
America and the Indians in endless animosity, it is agreed that it shall
be put an entire stop to on both sides; nevertheless, should some indi
viduals, in defiance of this agreement and of the laws provided against
suoh offenses, continue to make depredations of that nature, the per
son convicted thereof shall be punished with the utmost severity the
laws of the respective States or Territoiy of the United States north-

628 Appendix.
west of the Ohio, where the offense may have been committed, will
admit of; and all horses so stolen, either by the Indians, from the cit
izens or subjects of the United States, or by the citizens or subjects of
the United States, from any of the Indian nations, may be reclaimed,
into whose possession soever they may have passed, and, upon due proof,
shall be restored — any sales in market ouvert, notwithstanding. And
the civil magistrates in the United States, respectively, and in the Ter
ritory of the United States north-west of the Ohio, shall give all neces
sary aid and protection to Indians claiming such stolen horses.
Art. 7. Trade shall be opened with the said nations, and they do
hereby respectively engage to afford protection to the persons and
property of such as may be duly licensed to reside among them for the
purposes of trade, and to their agents, factors, and servants; but no
person shall be permitted to reside at their towns, or at their hunting
camps, as a trader, who is not furnished with a license for that pur
pose, under the hand and seal of the Governor of the Territory of the
United States north-west of the Ohio, for the time being, or under the
hand and seal of one of his deputies for the management of Indian af
fairs ; to the end that they may not be imposed upon in their traffic.
And if any person or persons shall intrude themselves without such
license, they promise to apprehend him or them, and to bring them to
the said Governor, or one of his deputies, for the purpose before-men
tioned, to be dealt with according to law ; and that they may be de
fended against persons who raight attempt to forge such licenses, they
further engage to give information to the said Governor, or one of his
deputies, of the names of all traders residing among them, from time
to time, and at least once in every year.
Art. 8. Should any nation of Indians meditate a war against the
United States, or either of them, and the same shall come to the
knowledge of the before-mentioned nations, or either of them, they do
hereby engage to give immediate notice thereof to the Governor, or, in
his absence, to the officer commanding the troops ofthe United States
at the nearest post. And should any nation, with hostile intentions
against the United States, or either of them, attempt to pass through
their country, they will endeavor to prevent thesame, and in like man
ner give information of such attempt to the said Governor or com
manding officer, as soon as possible, that all causes of mistrust a.nd sus
picion may be avoided between them and the United States. In like
manner, the United States shall give notice to the said Indian nations
of any harm that may be meditated against thern, or either of them,
that shall come to their knowledge, and do all in their power to hinder
and prevent the same, that the friendship between them may be unin
terrupted. Art. 9. If any person or persons, citizens or subjebts of the United
States, or any other person not being an Indian, shall presume to settle
upon the lands confirmed to the said nations, he and they shall be out

Treaties at Fort Harmar. 629
of the protection of the United States, and the said nations may pun
ish him or them in such manner as they see fit.
Art. 10. The United States renew the reservations heretofore made
in the before-mentioned treaty at Fort Mcintosh, for the establishment
of trading posts, in manner and form following; that is to say: six
miles square at the mouth of Miami or Omie Eivers; six miles square
at the portage upon that branch of tbe Miami which runs into the
Ohio ; six miles square upon the lake Sandusky, where the fort for
merly stood ; and two miles square upon each side of the Lower Eap
ids, or Sandusky Eiver; which posts, and the lands annexed to them,
shall be for the use and under the Government of the United States.
Art. II. The post at Detroit, with a district of land beginning at
the mouth of the river Eosine, at the west end of Lake Erie, and run-
ring up tho southern bank of said river six miles; thence northerly,
and always six miles west of the strait, until it strikes the Lake St.
Clair, shall be reserved for the use of the United States.
Art. 12. In like manner the post at Michilimackinac, with its de
pendencies, and twelve miles square about the same, shall be reserved
to the sole use of the United States.
Art. 13. The United .States of America do hereby renew and con
firm tbe peace and friendship entered into with the said nations, at
the treaty before-mentioned, held at Fort McIntosh; and the said na
tions again acknowledge themselves, and all their tribes, to be under
the protection of the said United States, and no other power whatever.
Art. 14. The United States of America do also receive into their
friendship and protection the nations of Pottawattimies and Sacs ;
and do hereby establish a league of peace and amity betvs'een them
respectively; and all the articles of this treaty, so far as they apply to
these nations, are to be considered as made and concluded in all and
every part, expressly with them and each of them.
Art. 15. And, whereas, in describing the boundary before-mentioned,
the words, if strictly construed, would carry it from the portage on that
branch of the Miami Eiver whioh runs into the Ohio, over to the river
Auglaize, which was neither the intention of the Indians nor of the
commissioners, it is hereby declared that the line shall run from the
said portage directly to the first fork of the Miami Kiver, which is to
the southward and eastward of the Miami village; thence down the
main branch of the Miami Eiver to the said village, and thence down
that river to Lake Erie, and along the margin of the lake to the place
of beginning.
Done at Fort Harmar, on the Muskingum, tbis ninth of January,
in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.
In witness whereof, the parties have hereunto, interchangeably, set
their hands and seals.

630

Appendix.

Ay. St. Clair. [l. s.]
Peoutewatamie, his x mark.
Konatikina, his x mark.
Sacs.
Tepakee, his x mark.
Kesheyiva, bis x mark.
Chippewas.
Mesass, his x mark.
Paushquash, his x mark.
Pawasioko, his x mark.
Ottawas.
Wewiskia, his x mark.
Neagey, his x mark.

Delawares,
Captain Pipe, his x mark.
Wingenond, his x mark.
Pekelan, his x mark.
Teataway, his x mark.
Chippewas.
Nanamakeak, his x mark.
Wetenasa, his x mark.
Soskene, his x mark.
Pewanakum, his x mark.
Wyandots.
Teyandatonteo, his x mark.
Cheyawe, his x mark.
Doueyenteat, his x mark.
Tarhe, his x mark.
Terhataw, his x mark.
Datasay, his x mark.
Maudoronk, his x mark.
Skahomat, his x mark.

J. Williams, Jr.
William Wilson.
Joseph Nicholes.
James Einken.

Potlawaiii-mies.
Windigo, his x mark.
Wapaskea, his x mark.
Neque, his x mark.
IN presence of
Jos. Harmar, Lieut.-Col. Com't, 1st U. S. Eeg't, and Brig.-Gen. by brevet.
Richard Butler.
.Jno. Gibson.
Will. McCurdy, Captain.
E. Denny, Ensign 1st U. S. Eegiment.
A. Hartshorn, Ensign.
Eobt. Thompson, Ensign 1st U. S. Eegiment.
Frans. Luse, Ensign.
Be it remembered, that the Wyandots have laid claim to the lands
that were granted to the Shawanese at the treaty held at the Miami,
and have declared that, as the Shawanese have been so restless and
caused so much trouble, both to them and the United States, if they
will not now be at peace, they will dispossess them and take the coun
try into their own hands ; for that the country is theirs of right, and
the Shawanese are only living upon it by their permission. They fur
ther lay claim to all the country west of the Miami boundary, from
the village to the Lake Erie, and declare that it is now under their
raanagement and direction. SEPARATE ARTICLE.
Whereas, the Wyandots have represented that, within the reserva
tion from the river Eosine along the strait, they have two villages
from which they can not, with any convenience, reraove, it is agreed
that they shall remain in possession of the same, and shall not be in
any manner disturbed therein.

Relations bet-ween Washington and St. Clair. 631

APPENDIX IV.

RELATIONS BETWEEN WASHINGTON AND ST. CLAIR.
[See VoL I., p. 158.]
In further explanation of Governor St. Clair's visit to New York,
upon the occasion of the organization of the National Government,
and the intimate relations between him and General Washington,
the following extract is given from " Sketches of Debate in the First
Senate ofthe United States, in 1789-90-91, by William Maclay, a Sen
ator from Pennsylvania" 1 (p. 22):
" Monday, 4th May. Went early to the post-office. As I came back,
met General St. Clair. He seemed desirous of speaking with me.
Said he had been to my lodgings, and asked me what I thought of the
President's new arrangements. It was the first I had heard of them.
" The President is neither to entertain nor receive invitations. He
is to have levee days on Tuesdays and Fridays, when only he is to be
seen. " I told tbe General that General Washington stood on as difficult
ground as he had ever done in his life. That to suffer hiraself to be
run down, on the one hand, by a crowd of visitants, so as to engross
his time, would never do, as it would render his doing business im
practicable. But, on the other hand, for bim to be seen only in public,
on stated times, like an Eastern Lama, would be equally offensive. If
he was not to be seen but in public, where nothing confidential could
pass between him and ariy individual, business vvould, to all appear
ance, be done without him, and he could not escape the charge of fa-
voritisra ; all court would be paid to the supposed favorite, weakness
and insignificance would be considered as characteristics of the Presi
dent, and he would not escape contempt; that it was not thus the
General gained the universal plaudits of his admiring fellow-citizens.
I reiterated these ideas in every shape and in every different light
I could place them, for nearly half an hour that we walked in front
of St. Paul's Church. The General said that he wished to collect
men's sentiments, and the design was to communicate them to the
General. I told him my late conduct in the Senate had been such as
would render any opinion of mine very ungracious at court, and, per
haps, he had better never make mention of my name. Much more
was said, but not worth coramitting to paper."

(1) Friend of St. Clair, Wilson and Judge Smith.

632 Appendix.

APPENDIX V.

EXAMINATION OF JOHN LEITH.
[See Vol. II, p. 10.]
The deponent saith that he was storekeeper for himself and company
at Tuscarawas, where he had a quantity of goods and furs; that there
was another store at the same place, kept by James Chambers, for Mes
sieurs Harailton and Greenough, where was also a considerable amount
of goods and skins; that the whole property in both stores was about
the value of one thousand pounds.
That on Tuesday, the 27th of Septeraber, seven of the Wyandot na
tion came to the store, about nine o'clock in the raorning; the de
ponent and Charabers were together at his house, sitting by the fire;
the Wyandots told the Delawares, a party of whom had been trading
with him for sorae days, that there was war — that the hatchet was
taken up; upon which, one of the Delawares came to him and bid
hira rise and go with him; the deponent went with him, when the
Delaware told him that Chambers would be killed ; he soon heard the
stroke made at Charabers by one of the Wyandots; he was iramediately
tomahawked and drawn out before the house, where he was left; the
deponent having been a prisoner vvith the Delawares for twelve years,
and being adopted as » brother in that nation,, was the reason, he sup
poses, why his life was spared; the Wyandots took the goods and furs,
except the property of the deponent, and made two parcels of them;
they gave one division to the Delawares, and took the other themselves.
The deponent was carried to the Delaware towns, to a place called
Coshurking, on the head-waters of the Big Miami; at the time of his
arrival, there was a grand council of the Indians, at which were pres
ent the chiefs of the Delawares, Wyandots, Shawanese, Mingoes, Chero
kees, Putawatimees, Kickapoes, and the Twigtees, with belts and
speeches from the Ouiatinons, Tawas, Chipeways, and the Fox nations.
The council was held on the first of October, and lasted two days
and nights; they held it three miles from the town; he could not
learn the object of their meeting.
The deponent further saith that he met with Captain Pipe at the
council, and, as soon as the council was over, the deponent was re
leased from confinement; Captain Pipe and George Washington went
with him to Pipe's residence, a Delaware town on the Sandusky Eiver;
they iramediately went to work to collect the goods that were taken
at Tuscarawas, and had collected a considerable quantity to be rede
livered to the owners ; they staid two nights at Pipe's town, when Pipe,
George Washington, and the deponent went to the Wyandot towns,

Testimony of Captain Slough.

\:i.?.

where they were collecting the goods also; that the chiefs of both na
tions seemed very averse to the outrage committed at Tuscarawas; the
deponent verily believes that a considerable quantity of the goods will
be returned; tbe deponent is of the opinion, from the frequent con
versations he has had with the Indians, before and since the late affair
at Tuscarawas, that the chiefs of the Delaware and Wyandot nations
are for peace, but tbat the young men and bad characters of both na
tions can not be kept at peace; that Simon Girty and Captain Cald
well, of the British rangers, were lately at the Wyandot towns, and
that he verily believes, from the information given him by a man well
acquainted with tbese matters, tbat Girty and CaldweU were using
their endeavors to prevent tbe Delawares and Wyandots from going to
the treaty to be held at the raouth of the Big Miarai.
The deponent further saith that, from every observation he could
make, and from the general talk of the Indians, he is led to believe
that they are, in general, averse to giving up their lands; he is certain
it will be dangerous for the Continental surveyors to go on with their
business, until some further treaty is raade with the Shawanese, Min
goes, and Cherokees, who appear to be most averse to this business.
The deponent further saith that he was at tbe Lower Sandusky,
when the articles of peace between Great Britain and America were
made known to the Indians; that they were told that the hatchet was
only laid down, but not buried; that the Half King of the Wyandots
remarked that, if it was peace, it should be buried — that there were
many of their foolish young men who would take it up, unless it was
covered. And further saith not.^
Sworn to before me, at Fort Mcintosh, this 17th day of October, 1785.
JOHN DOUGHTY,
Major ComrrUdt.

APPENDIX VI.

TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN SLOUGH OF THE FIRST
BATTALION OF LEVIES, COMMANDED BY MA
JOR THOMAS BUTLER.
[See Vol. I., p. 174; VoL II., p. 266.]
Captain Slough arrived at Fort Pitt about 12th of May, and left it in
July, about the last of it. He was detached to Fort Franklin ; arrived
at Fort Washington the 1st of September; muskets good, but clothing
for the company indifferent; the troops sometimes badly supplied with
provisions on the march— not sufficient in quantity, though good in
(1) MS, Harmar Papers.

634 Appendix.
quality; as to flour, half a pound, and a pound and a half of beef; began
to raarch early on the 3d of November, and raarched till we arrived
within about a raile and a half 'of the ground on which we did after
wards encamp. We remained there some time, and were ordered to
march; we went on, and encamped near the bank of the St. Mary's, or
a branch of it, as we supposed ; our line, the left of the right wing, en
camped about one hundred or one hundred and fifty yards frora the
bank of the river; dark before we got our tents pitched and fires kin
dled. While I was busily pitching my tent, Colonel Gibson carae up
with a raccoon in his hand, and told me if I would corae to his tent he
would show rae how to dress a rnccoon Indian fashion; I went to his
tent and sat down, and we were shortly after joined by Captai'U Butler;
he observed that he thought if a party was sent out they inight have an
opportunity of catching some of the rascals who might attempt to steal
horses; I told him that I should like to command such a party; he sat
some time, and then left us; Colonel Gibson, Doctor M'Croskey, and
Lieutenant Kelso were present at this conversation ; they were also
present when Captain Butler, on his return, and Brigade-Major Morgan,
came there. One of them asked me if 1 w'ould take the command of
such a party; I told him I would, provided they vvould give rae good
men; Captain Butler told rae I should have volunteers, and desired
me to get ready and go to General Butler's tent. Butler went to the
right wing of the array — Gibson's regiraent — and mentioned it, and
twenty-three or twenty-four, almost all sergeants, joined rae; in the
meantime, I went to ray tent to prepare, and then went to General
Butler's tent, and found a number of raen collected about the fire of
the tent. General Butler asked me to walk into the tent, and ordered
some wine. Mr. Denny, aide-de-camp to General St. Clair, was there
also. General Butler then told me I ought to be very cautious in going
out; either he or the brigade-major gave me the countersign; he
directed me to call on Colonel Oldhara in my way out, and inform him
where I was going. I called at Colonel Oldham's tent; he was lying
down with his clothes on, who, after I informed him, requested me not
to go, as he was sure ray party would be cut off, for, says he, I expect
the army will be attacked in the morning; I replied that, as I had re
ceived ray orders, I raust go. He then directed rae to the officer who
commanded his picket-guard, with whom I fixed on a watch-word, and
desired him to communicate it to his sentinels, lest I raight be fired
upon in the dark. After passing the railitia sentinels, I proceeded
about a raile up the path, for I had been directed to go one, two, or
three miles up the path, and, when 1 came to a convenient piece of
ground, to dispose of the raen in the best manner so as to intercept
the Indians who came that way. About one mile from carap I halted,
divided my men into two parties, about thirty or forty yards apart, on
e.ach side of the path, and ordered Lieutenant Cumraings and Ensign
M'Michael to take command of the party on the right of the path, and
I took charge of the party to the left; ordered them all to lie close

Testimony of Captain Slough. 635
down to the ground. We had not been long in this situation before
six or seven Indians came along to my left, about fifteen yards from
where I lay; we fired on them seven or eight guns, and, I believe,
killed one; the Indians ran immediately. I ordered the men to load
their pieces, and lie down without budging from the place. In about
a quarter of an hour, a, large party of Indians carae along in the sarae
direction, and about the same distance; after they had passed me,
they stopped and coughed, and, I suppose, were trying to find me
out; they then proceeded on towards camp; I thought they meant to
waylay me. While I was in this situation, another party, nearly the
same number, passed to the right of Cummings; Cumraings then carae
up to me and asked me if I had seen that party, and he thought they
were going to waylay us, saying it was a very large party, and that it
would be prudent to return to camp. George Adams, who had gone
out with us as my guide, came up by this time, and said lie thought it
would be prudent for us to return ; and, as I found the men uneasy, I
ordered them to fall into the path in Indian file and return to camp,
and, if they were attacked, to defend themselves with the bayonet
altogether, and not fire their pieces ; every fifteen or twenty yards we
heard something moving in the woods, on both sides of the path, but
could not see wbat it was ; we pushed on, and gained the militia carap
as soon as possible. I halted my party near Colonel Oldham's tent,
and went into it and awakened hira, about, I believe, twelve o'clock.
Adaras was with me when I went out and returned, and heard the con
versation. I told Colonel Oldham that I was of the sarae opinion with
him th.at the camp would be attacked in the morning, for I had seen a
number of Indians. I was just going to dress myself, says he, and go
and inform the commander-in-chief about it; 1 will thank you to in
form the general that I think the army will be attacked in the morn
ing. I proceeded to 'camp, and, as soon as I had passed the camp-
guard, dismissed the party and went to General Butler's tent; I saw
nobody awake or up but the sentry, and then went to Colonel Gibson's
tent as soon as possible; I awakened Colonel Gibson and Doctor
M'Croskey, and told them of the discoveries I had made, and asked
Colonel Gibson to go with rae to General Butler; he said he was
stripped, and would not ; but as you received your orders from him, go
and make your report to him. I then went to General Butler's tent,
and, as I approached it, I saw him come out of the tent and stand by
the fire ; I went up to him, and took him some distance frora the fire,
not thinking it prudent the sentry should hear what I had seen ; I
also told him what Colonel Oldham had said, and that, if he thought
proper, I would go and make the report to General St. Clair. He stood
some time, and, after a pause, thanked rae for ray attention and vigi
lance, and said, as I must be fatigued, I bad better go and lie down.
I went from him: and lay down, and never awakened till the firing
began on the militia camp ; I liiid taken off none of my clothes, ex
pecting what happened.

636 Appendix.

EXTRACT FROM THE TESTIMONY OF COLONEL
SEMPLE.
The quavtermaster-geneval did not go down with the detachment;
great deficiencies of provisions, for want of a sufficient nuraber of pack-
horses by the contractors to transport them. General Butler fell about
the middle, or nearly the left, of his brother's battalion, about an hour
after the charge made by that battalion; carried him, after he fell,
badk to the battalion, to be dressed by the surgeon. Knows of Cap
tain Slough's going out with a reconnoitering party tbe evening before
the action ; his party formed frora Captain Butler's company princi
pally; never heard of the Indians surrounding us till we were attacked
next day ; heard Colonel Oldham, the night before, raention that he
had discovered fresh Indian tracks in the creek, and the tracks of
horses, as if the Indians had been viewing us; he said, also, that he
thought it probable we should be attacked. Just after the taps of the
drums, on the morning of the 4th, I heard Major Butler interrogating
Adams about the success of the enterprise of Captain Slough, the pre
ceding night; Adaras replied that they had seen a number of Indians;
that he (Adaras) had 'shot at and, he believed, had killed one, and
wished a party to go out with him and endeavor to find the Indian.
Major Butler seemed displeased that they had taken no prisoners;
about this tirae, the firing began, the attack having been made on the
militia ; I observed Major Ferguson preparing to fire his cannon on the
Indians who were pursuing the .flying militia, and soon saw him fire,
which put them in great confusion ; but they were soon rallied by their
leader on horseback, dressed in a red coat. In the course of the en
gagement. General St. Clair and General Butler were continually up
and down the lines; as one went up one line, the other went down the
other. Question ly General Si. Glair. — Did you see Mr. Morgan with General
Butler, when he fell, or at any other time in the course of the action?
Answer. — The first time I saw General Butler, after he fell, I saw only
four soldiers with him, putting hira into a blanket; I did not see Mr.
Morgan with General Butler, after he fell; I saw General Butler fre
quently in the course of the action, and never saw Mr. Morgan with
him at any time during the same.

EXTRACT FROM THE TESTIMONY OF CAPTAIN
DENNY.
Question. — What did you think qf the firing in the night before the
action ?
Answer. — I was in company with General Butler and Colonel Gibson,

Injustice of Government. 637
and we all, when we heard the firing, supposed it to be frora our own
sentries, on Indians attempting to steal horses; we had no idea of any
nuraber of Indians being in the neighborhood.
Early in the night. Captain Butler came to the adjutant-general, and
requested that he might take out a party and endeavor to waylay the
Indians who might be steaUng horses He afterwards declined it, say
ing it would not be proper for hira to leave carap, but that he would
send out a party fit for the purpose: shortly afterwards, I was at Gen
eral Butler's tent, and the j arty was paraded, and Captain Slough, I
found, was the officer pitched upon; he came up to General Butler's
tent, and had some conversation with him and Colonel Gibson; whether
itwas to ask advice or receive orders, I know not. Dr. Brown, I think,
was present at the same tirae. I reraeraber Major Ferguson being
with the General the evening before the action, and that there was a
plan laid for throwing up some works. This I understood to be for a
place of deposit for the men's baggage.

INJUSTICE OF GOVERNMENT.
[See Vol. I., p. 249.]
"He (St. Clair) afterwards applied to Congress to remunerate him
for moneys advanced by hira while in the Eevolutionary service.
Whilst his matter was before Congress, General Ogle, of the Soraerset
district, in Western Pennsylvania, earnestly and eloquently reraarked:
'This was a subject not to be mentioned in the House in the face of
day; the treatment of that raan ought to be spoken of here only in
ihe night. For his part, if there was a statue as strong as brass, or as
solid as the pillars of the Capitol, he would blow it to powder, to do
justice to a soldier of the Eevolution.'
"The above has been taken from a raeraoir relative to John Smilie,
long a raember of Congress from the Fayette district, in Western Penn
sylvania, by the late Jaines Veech, Esquire, of Pittsburgh."— il/ac%'4
Sketches of. Debate, p. 267.

INDEX.

Account of Indian Treaties, i, 156,
ii, 108-11.3, 622-630.
Acts (laws): passed by St. Clair and
the judges, ii, 80 n., 167 n.; by Terr.
Leg., 452 n., 523 n., 543 n.
Adams, John, ii, 442.
Addison, Judge, ii, 351, 423 n.
Addresses, Speeches, Observations,
Eemarks, Answers, and Eeplies;
(1.) by Terr. Leg., ii, 473, 511,
515; (2.) by Gov. St. Clair, 53, 141,
353, 367, 438, 446, 451 »., 45b, 461,
474, 486, 501, 514, 516, 534, 538,
540, 561, 579, 587, 692, 597 ; (3.) hy
others, 7 «., 56 m., 363, 457, 458, 459,
473, 486, 512, 524, 537, 539, 576.
Adrain, Peter, ii, 434, 498.
Advertisements; by Dr. John Con
olly, i, 272 n,; hy John Emerson,
ii, 5 71.
Allen, Lieut.-Col. Wm., i, 375, n.
Amherst, Gen. Jeffrey, i, 2 n., 3, 4
n., 5.
Andre, Major John, i, 106, 528 n.
Armstrong, Capt. John, ii, 268, 273.
Armstrong, Gen. John, i, 97, 98, 574
ra., ii, 276.
Arnold, Gen. Benedict, i, 15, 16, 20
«., 44 ra., 47, 75, 76, 82, 83, 88, 89,
106, 372 n., 443, 444, 527 n., 528 «.,
529 n., 540.
Assembling at Public worship with
out Arms, impropriety of, ii, 300.
Att'y Gen. U. S., ii, 163, 378, 379,
380, 381, 882, 384, 385.
Baldwin, Col. i, 444.
Baldwin, Michael, ii, 555, 556, 557,
558, 560, 565 ra.
Barlow, Joel, ii, 154 n., 195 ra.
Bennington, Battle of, i, 84-86.
Benton, Thomas H., i, 122.
Biddle, Edward, i, 102.
Board of Treasury, ii, 43, 117, 471,
618, 619, 620, 622 n.
Board of War, i, 543.
Boudinot, Elias, i, 587 n.
Boundary between Md. and Virginia,
i, 263 n.
Boundary Troubles between Pa. and
Va., i, 10, 11, 257, et seq.
Bouquet, Col. Henry, i, 7.

Bowdoin, Gov. James, i, 5, 70, 71,
388, 425, 434.
Bowker, Joseph, i, 421.
Bradford, Wm., ii, 377.
Brant, Capt. Joseph (Thayandane-
gea), i, 153, 154, 155, 157 n., 158,
182, ii, 8, 51, 52 ra., 60, 61, 93, 94,
95, 100, 102, 106, 107, 109.
Brant, Capt. Joseph's son, i. 152 n.,
157 re., 179 n.
Brodhead, Col. Daniel, ii, 1.
Brown, Hon. John, ii, 222 ra., 22-5,
226, 227, 251, 432, 526, 528, 529,
552.
Brown, Maj., ii, 267.
Buntin, Eobert, ii, 411, 412, 533.
Burgoyne, Gen. John, i, 22, 58, 60,
63, b5, 66, 68, 81, 83, 84, 88, 89, 90,
91, 898 ra., 403 n., 412, 415 »., 422,
428 ra., 427, 442, 443, 444, 447 ra.,
457 ra.
Burnet, Jacob, i, 211, 212, 213, 221
«., 234, ii, 441, 442 re., 525, 557,
580.
Burr, Aaron, i, 372 re.
Butler, Maj. E. M., ii, 280.
Butler, Richard, i, 87 ra., 103 ra., 108,
110, 127, 151, 155, 171. 172, 174,
176, 312 ra., 330, 841 ra.', 342, 343,
344, 377 «., 380 ra., 881, 467, 481,
532, 533 re., 534, 535, 538 re., 558,
604, ii, 1 ra., 7 ra., 11 re, 40,' 41, 43,
46, 48, 51, 52, 60, 79, 83, 117, 150,
184 ra., 200 ra., 203, 204, 216, 217,
224, 230, 232, 240, 242, 243. 244,
251, 253, 263, 265, 266, 267 n., 278,
280, 281, 288, -301 ra., 623, 625, 630,
634, 635.
Butler, Thomas, i, 377 re., ii, 633.
Butler, Wm., i, 249.
Byres, Hon. John, i, 587 ra.
Cadwallader, Gen. John, i, 32, 33.
Campbell, Col. John, ii, 231.
" Camp Charlotte," i, 375 re.
Canada, conquest of, by the British,
i, 3-5.
Carleton, Gen. Sir Guy, i, 16, 17 re.,
22, 48, 590 ra.
Carondolet, Gov., i, 204.
Cass, Lewis, calls on St. Clair, i, 253.
Cavet, James, i, 351. (639)

640

Index.

Certificate as to an alleged private
conversation of St. Clair, ii, 585.
Charges against St. Clair, ii, 506 ra.
Chew, Benjamin, i, 295, 351 re.
Cincinnati, named by St. Clair, i,
102, 163.
Cincinnati, Society of the, i, 590,
-591 re., 592, 593.
Clark, Geo. Kogers, i, 201,202, 50Gre.,
511, ii, 1 »., il re., 15, 17,19,20,22,
138, 168, 176, 179, 321 re., 322 ra.,
326, 327, 625.
Clarke, Robert, i, 243 re., ii, 96 ra.
Cleveland, Moses, i, 215.
Clinton, Gen. Jaraes, i, 106 ra.,
447 re.
Clinton, Sir Henry (Gen.), i, 89, 100,
105, 107, 110, 477 «., 504 re., 505 re.,
508, 516, 521.
Committee of .Ky., ii, 222.
Coit, Joshua, ii, 333.
County Lieutenants, ii, 231.
Connecticut Land Companv, i, ll^S.
Conolly, Dr. John, i, 10, ll,Vo&, 197,
198, 272 re , 274, 276, 277, 279, 282,
284, 286, 291, 292, 293, 294, 300,
303, 307, 308, 313, 314, 315, 316,
317, 318, 319, 323, 327, 3-28, 329,
342, 343, 349i 355, 357, 358, 362,
ii, 98, 101, 102, 103.
Cornwallis, Charles (Lord), i, 34, 445,
517, .527 re., 546, 550, 552, 554, 555,
561 ra.
Council of Censors, Penn., i, 871 n.,
593.
Council of "General Officers, i, 404,
420.
Court-martial, proceedings of,against
St. Clair, i, 447 re.
Craig, Isaac, i, 548, ii, 201, 446
Craig, Col. John, i, 607 re.
Craig, Thomas, i, 377 re.
Crawford, Valentine, i, 297 ra., 356,
358 n.
Crawford, Col. Wm., i, 282, 291, 294,
297 ra., 299, 822 ra., 330, 339, 346 re.,
352 ra.
Cresap, Michael, i, 260 ra., 265, 297 re.,
298, 299, 315, 323, 828.
Croghan, Geo., i, 260 re., 262, 263 re.,
265, 267, 268, 273, 284, 297 re., 301,
303, 311, 812, ;^26, 835, 838, 341.
Crown Point, i, 24, '25.
Cutler, Manasseh, i, 122-136, 605 re.,
ii, 36 «., 620, 621, 022.
Dane, Nathan, i, 122-135, ii, 607,
011, 612, 618.
Dangers besetting N. W. Terr., 1797,
ii,''417.
Darlington, Wm. M., note by, i, 158.
Darke, Col. Wm., i, 177 re., ii, 200 re.,

203, 239, 240, 243, 263, 265, 270,
273.
Davy, Col., i, 567.
Dayton, Jonathan, i, 19-1.
Deane, Silas, i, 47 ra.
Decker, Luke, ii, 318.
De Kalb, liaron, I, 99.
Denny, ]<',benezer, i, 113, 151, 171,
180, 181, ii, 109, 190, 200, 266, 625,
630, 636.
D'Estaing, Count, i, 100 ra., 486 ¦«.,
487.
Dickinson, John, i, 585 re., 599.
District of West Augusta, i, 285 m.,
357 ra.
Donop, Count, i,"32, 38.
Dorchester, Lord, i, 182, ii, 101, 102,
108.
Doughty, John, i, 139, ii, 9, 12, 15, 23,
45 re., 95, 129, 132, 133, 134, 185,
187, 138, 140, 145, 150, 183, 633.
Dougherty, Bernard, i, 9 re., 259 «.,
268.
Du Coigne, Baptiste, ii, 189, 141,
142.
Du Moulin, John, ii, 495.
Dunlavy, .Francis, i, 231, ii, 449 re.,
586 re.
Dunlevy, A. H., i, 248 re.
Dun, Isaac B., ii, 106.
Dunmore, Lord, i, 9, 10, 272, 276,
277, 281 ra., 283, 285, 287, 292, 294,
295, 296, 303, 313, 314, 316, 317,
318, 319. 344, 348 re., 354, 355,
357 re., 358, 362, ii, 400.
"Dunmore's War," i, 9, 11, 296 et
seq.
Duportail, Chevalier, ii, 152.
Edgar, John, ii, 495, 533.
Emerson, John, Adv. of, ii, 5 re.
Ettewein, John, ii, 420.
Ewing, Gen. James, i, 32.
Ewing, William, ii, 496.
" Fallen Timbers," hattie of, i, 184.
Fay, Jonas, i, 424.
Fearins, Paul, i, 149 «., ii, 451 re.,
544, 545 re., 546 re., 547 re., 548, 549,
557, 675, 576, 583.
Ferguson, Major, ii, 228, 289 re, 292 ra.
Fermoy, Roche de, i, 65, 392 re., 404,
405, 420, 421,441 re., 450 re.
Filson, John, killed, ii, 94.
Findlay, James, ii, 442, 447 re.
Finley" Col. Samuel, ii, 495, 565, 571.
Fitzsimraons, Hon. Thomas, i, 579,
ii, 191, 278, 287, 290.
Forbe.s Gen. John, i, 8, 202 n.
Force, I'eter, writes Ijistory of Ordi
nance of 1787, ii, 603.
Fort Harmar, Indian Treaties at,
i, 156, ii, 108, 622 et seq.

Index.

641

Fort Lee, abandonment of, i, 27.
Fort Recovery, erection of, i, 183.
Fort Washington, surrender of, i, 26.
" Fort Wilson Riot," i, 488 n.
Fountneroy, Maj., i, 558.
Franklin, Benj., i, 606, 607 re., 608.
Fraser, Gen., i, 19, 22, 60, 61, 35, 90,
423 n.
Frazer, John, i, 259.
French of Gallipolis, ii, 190.
Gamelin, Antoine, i, 164, 167, ii, 155.
Gamelin, ^Capt. Fred., ii, 182.
Gano, Jo'hn S., ii, 327 ra., 495, 524.
Gardoqui, Don Diego, i, 199, ii, 59,
104, 121 ra.
Gates, Gen. Horatio, i, 25, 27, 30, 46 n.,
50-52, 54, 73, 75, 87, 88, 92, 94,
372 ra., 385, 395, 407, 441, 444, 445,
447 «., 515 re., 517 n., 526 re., 605.
Gates, Gen. Thomas, i, 2 n., 6.
Gayoso, Gov. See Leraose, Manuel
Gayoso de.
Gazette of France, an article from,
ii, 129 re.
Glover, Gen. John, i, 106 ra.
Genet, Citizen, i, 201, 202, 203.
Gerlach, Capt., i, 561.
Gibault, Father, i, 165, ii, 148, 179.
Gibson, John, i, 215, 272, ii, 625, 680,
684, 635, 636.
Gillman, Joseph, i, 145 re.
Gist, Gen., i, 557, 564.
Gouvion, Col., ii, 158.
Governor of Virginia, ii, 84.
Greene, Gen. Nathaniel, i, 26, 31,
42 re., 93, 98, 100, 106 re., 118, 482,
492, 515 re., 527 ra., 530 ra.. 531 re.,
545, 546, 547, 548, 550, 558, 562,
463, 564, 568 ra., 569, 582.
Greenville, Indian Treaty at, i, 185.
Haldimand, Gen. Frederick, i, 272 ra.
Harailton, Alex., i, 12, 105, 115, 158 re.,
255 re., 503, 506. 529 «., 588 re., ii,
209, 300 re., 317, 392.
Hamilton, Henry, i, 506 re., .500, 511.
Hammond, Charles, i, 233.
Hamtramck, John Francis, i, 104,
107, 17.5, ii, 14, 15, 10 re., 18, 22, 28,
20, 27, 34, 45, 87, 92, 105, 180, 132
re., 135, 15.5, 160, 161, 182,18-5, 193,
198, 197, 214, 215, 239, 251, 252,
261, 269,. 270, 446.
Hancock, John, i, 15 49, 55 re., 94,
99, 383, 389, 426, 489, 452 ra.
Haud, Edward, i, 82, 83, 106 «.,
591 ra.
Ilannastown, Resolutions adopted at,
i, 363-365.
Harmar, Joseph, i, 139, 144, 151, 152,
168, 169, 177, 178, 467, 474, 569,
570, ii, 2, 3, 5 ra., 6, 7, 11, 13, 15 «.,
VOL. II. — 41

16, 18, 24, 25 re., 20, 29, .80, 36, 37,
38, 41, 42, 44, 45, 50, 51, 64, 80, 87,
88,92, 105, 129, 133, 134 re., 138,
144, 146, 150, 151, 160, 161, 179,
181, 182, 183, 184 re., 188, 193, 215,
210, 244, 251, 252, 202, 279, 289 re.,
625, 630.
Harrison, R. H., i, 378.
Harrison, Wm. Henry, i, 121 re., 207,
214, 215, 236, 245 re., 252 re., ii, 344
ra., 422 re., 449 ra., 489, 533, 564,
570.
Hartley, Thomas, i, 437.
Hay, Col., i, 414, 467, 531.
Hazen, Moses, i. 104 «., 493 re., 494,
495, 496, 497. 576.
Heath, Gen. William, i, 531 ra., 530,
552, 559, 591.
Hackewelder, John, i, 188, ii, 420,
421, 433.
Herkimer, Gen. Nicholas, i, 83.
Hodgdon, Sarauel, ii, 210, 217, 248,
250, 251, 273, 278, 279, 289, 293,
300, 801 re.
Hooper, Jr., R. L., i, 264, 321, 360.
House of Representatives, Gov. St.
Clair t:>, ii, 465.
Howard, Senator, J. E., ii, 530.
Howe, Gen. Robert, i, 106 n., 115,
589.
Howe, Sir William, i, 4, 74, 97, 98,
396, 444.
Huntington, Gen. Ebenezer, i, 106
re., 591 re.
Huntington, Gen. Sam'l, i, 003, 684
re., ii, 586.
Hutchins, Thomas, ii, 14, 15, 16 re.,
18, 19, 91, 92, 805.
Indians: Cahokias, ii, 144 re.; Cayu
gas, 87, 623; CLerokees, 13 re, 86,
112, 114, 146, 032; Chickasaw.^, 26,
133, 140, 302; Chippewas, i, 15-5,
150, 180 re., ii, '2, 03, 04, .81, 87, 108
re., 109, 114, 159 «., 303. 343 re., 025,
026, 632; Choctaws, 133; Creeks,
802; Delawares, i, 9, 143, 150, 160
ra., 2'^8, 304, 315, 320, 332 re., 38;^,
335 «., 380 re., 341, 343. 358, ii, 1, 2,
6, 9, 14, 10 re, 17 re, 42, 48, 50, 03,
81, 82, 87, 90, 100, 106, 108 re., 109,
114, 140, 157 re., 303, 343 re., 401,
625, 620, 032, 083; Foxes, 632;
Hurons, i, 338; Jiaskaskias, ii, 31,
401 ; Kickapoos, i, 153, ii, 88, 89,
139, 155 re., 156 re., 159 re., 228, 236,
238, 401, 402, 632; Mascoutins, i,
138; Menomonees, i, 138; Miamis
(Twightwees),i, 9, 153, 155, 160 re.,
ii, 100, 132 re., 155 re., 157 re., 158 re.,
159 re., 228, 286, 244, 343 re., 401,
632; Mingoes, i, 296 re., 300 ra..

64i

Index.

306 ra., 313 ra., 317 ra., 348 «.. ii,
632; Mohawks, i, 153, 157 n., 178,
ii, 52 )*., 102, 106, 628; Mohicans,
i, 9, 313 re.'; Mouseys, 9, 326; Mo
ravians, ii, 13, 42, 201, 420, 421,
483, 434; Nez Perces, i, 138; Onei
das, ii, 87, 023; Onondamis, 623;
Ottawas (Tawas), i, 155, 156, 388,
ii, 2, 50, 64, 81, 87, 108 re., 109, 140.
159 re., 343 re., 025, 026, 632; Pe
orias, 144 /(., 401 ; Piankeshaws, 28,
33, 89, 139, 155 re.; Pottawatomies,
i, 155, 150, ii, 100, 108 re., 109, 114,
343 n., 376, 625, 632; Sacs, i, 156,
ii, 106, 108 re., 109, 114, ]40, 625;
Saganaws, 194; Seneeas, 40,82 83,
87,88,100, 109,023; Shawancsc,i,9,
153, 290 re., 297, 298, 299, 304, 300
re., 309, 312 re., 318 «., 314 315, 316
re., 317 n., 318, 320, 3.32 re., 33.3,
334. 335, 337, 338, 339, 341. 3415 re.,
847 re., B48 re., 357 re., ii, 6, 9 re., 11
re, 12 re., 16 re., 17 re., 19, 102,
106, 109, 110, 112, 140, 146, 155 «.,
157 re., 158 re., 159 re., 201 re., 303 re.,
348 re., 387, 401, 402, 030, 632; Six
Nations, i, 9, 143, 298, 300 re., 304,
315, 320, 835, 338, 341, ii, 7, 8, 48
,0,, 52 re., 82, 83, 87, 88, 99, 106, 108
re., 113, 158 re., 1.59 re., 213 re., 623;
Tuscarawas, 623; We.as, 33; Win
nebagoes, i, 138; Wyandots, 143,
155, 156, 338, ii, 2, 6, 9, 14, 16 «.,
17 re., 48, 58. 81, 82, 88, 90, 99, 100,
108 re., 109, 110, 112, 113, 114, 126,
158 re., 159 re., 303, 343, 025, 020,
630, 632, 633. ,
Ini ustice of the U. S. to St. Clair, i,
249, ii, 637.
Instructions: to St. Clair, i, 471, ii,
36, 115 re.; to Paul Fearing, 545 -n.;
to Col. Jos. Harmar, ii, 3 ;/.;, to
Gen. James Wilkinson, ii, 227.
Irvine, Gon. Williara, i, 18, 21, 108,
109, 112, 116, 127, 255 re., 3'2.''), 492,
531, 5.)8 n., 541, 54-2, 543, 549, 550,
552, 554, 555, 556, 557, 560, 582,
583, 585, 587 ra., ii, 48, 84 re.
Jackson, Maj. A., i, 587.
Jay, John, i, 72, 79. 80. 81, 198, 433,
434, 601, 602, 608, ii, 101, 121 re.,
528.
Jefferson, Thoinas, i, 527 re., 004, 008,
ii, 40, 101 re., 127, 312, 319, 332,
350, 393, 529, 570, 606, 612.
Johnson, Sir John, i, 83, 153, 412
ii, 13.
Jones, Gen., i, 504.
Jones, Paul, i, 690, 609, ii, 127, 129 re.
King, Rufus, i, 123.
Knox, Gen. Henry, i, 31, 99, 106 re..

154, 172, 547, 562, 591 re., ii, 6 n., 47,
84, 90, 92, 100, 100, 107, 129, 147, 148,
149, 102, 181, 180 re., 193 /(., 195 re.,
200, 201, 202, 210, 224, 230, 232,
233, 240, 241, 242, 213, 245, 247,
249, 207 re., 209, 275, 301 re., 802.
Knyphausen, Gen., i, 97, 98.
Kosciusko, Thaddeus, i, 51, 82, 448 re.
La .Fayette, Maiquis de, i, 12, 96,
100, 101, 100 re,, 107, 110, 164, 4.58,
515 re., 518 re,, 527 re., 529 re., 5,32,
533 re., 530, 540, 541, 542, 550, 009,
ii, 127.
Larned, Gen. Siraon, i, 88.
Lawrence, Gen., i, 100 n.
Laws of the N. W. Terr. See Acts.
Lear, Tobias, ii, 282.
Ler, ArUiur, ii, 023, 626.
Lee, Gen. Charles, i, 27, 28, 101.
Lee, Richard Henry, i, 158 re., ii, 2 re.,
010.
Legislative Council, St. Clair to, ii,
470.
Leith [Leeth], John, ii, 9, 10 re., 632.
Lemose, Manuel Gayoso de, ii, 389,
401.
Lenox, Maj. David, i, 480 re.
Letters : from St. Clair to William
Allen, i, 375; Capt. Jno. Arm
strong, ii. 208. 273; John Adams,
442; Att'y-Gen. U. S. 163; Gov.
James Bowdoin, i, 425, 434 ; Board
of War, 543; Gen. Richard But
ler, ii, 52, 79, 150; Board of Treas
ury, 43, 117; John Brown, 225,
432; Mili. Brown, 267; Maj. B.
jr. Butler, 280; Robert Buntin,
4J1; Dr. Jno. Conolly, i, 327;
Benj. Chew, 295; Joshua Coit, ii,
333 ; Committee of Ky., 222; Col.
Jno. Campbell, 231 ; County .Lieu
tenants, 231; Col. Davy, i, 567;
Luke Decker, ii, 318, Jonas Fay,
i, 424; Benj. Franklin, 608; Maj.
Fountneroy. 558; Thomas Fitz
simmons, 579, ii, 278; French of
Gallipolis, 190; Paul Fearing, 549,
557; Gen. Nathaniel Greene, i, 482,
564; Capt. Gerlach, 561: 31. Gar
doqui, ii, 59; Governor of Vir
ginia, 84; John Hancock, i, 426,
439; Col. Hay, 414; Joseph Har
mar. ii, 144; .Iohn Francis Ham
tramck, 130, 239; yVlex. Hamilton,
200, 317; Wra. Henry Harrison,
489 Sarnuel Hodgdon, 248; Sara
uel Huntin,gton, 580; House ot
Representatives, 405 ; Gen. Wm.
Irvine, i, 492, 5.54, 555, 556, 557,
683, 585; Thomas Jefferson, ii,
332; Juhn Jjiy, 101; Gen. Henry

Index.

643

Knox, 92 et seq., 106, 233, 240, 245,
249, 269 ; Israel Ludlow, 2O0, 230,
246; Legislative Council, 470; Col.
Mehelm, i, 469; Kobert Morris,
458; Frederick Muhlenberg, 543;
Gen. Alex. McDougall, 573; Jauies
Monroe, 599; Maj. Murray, ii, 180;
Nathaniel Massie, 426 re., 420,
569 re.; Jolm JSIarshall, 407; James
Madison, 599; Gov. Nelson, i, 562;
Officers of Penn. Line, 580; Gov.
Jno. Penn, 279, 296, 302, 304, 806,
314, 317, 822, 32-5, 3'26, .328, 331,
338, 340, 343, 345, 347, 3.50, 354,
361; President of Cong., 365;
President of the U. S., ii. 111, 123,
164, 198, 279, 282, 284, 285, 390,
431,438, 442, 484, 488, 573; Par
sons and Varnum, 61, 61, 07, 72;
Sarauel H. Parsons, 91 ; Joseph
Parks, 436; Timothv Pickering,
494; Joseph Eeed, i, 460, 479, 484,
488, 532, 544; Edmund Randolph,
ii, 812; Jaraes Ross, 409, 480, 555;
Gen. l-'hilip Schuyler, i, 396, 401,
406, 410, 411, 41.:i, 415, 419, 423;
Joseph Shippen, Jr.. 260, 205, 207,
273,274, 284, 345, 353, 358; Mrs.
St. Clair, 5'29 re,, 560; Col. Sproat,
ii, 340; Winthrop Sargent, 33.5,
404, 405; Sec. of War, 40,43,46,
48, 50, 57, 63, 81, 85, 87 el seq., 95,
99, 108, 115, 136, 156, 183, 188, ,190,
192, 203, 212, 202, 277, 321, 337,
445, 464; Sec. of State, 320, 390,
421,443,532; Gov. Isaac Shelby,
320, 386; Bri<:. Gen. Charles Scott,
207, 226; Wm. St. Chiir, -372;
Capt. Sedgwick, 462, 403, 404;
Jaraes Smith, 495; Charles Thora
son, 97; The Judges, 189; Judge
Turner, 218, 311, 330; Eusigu Til
linghast, 272; Geo. Tod, 581;
Judge Varnum, 90; Maj. Wyllys,
98; Gen. James Wilkinson, 227,
4'27; Dudley Woodbridge, 543;
Thomas Worthington, 553 re.;
WiUiam Wells, 497; Oliver Wal
cott, 378, 383, 406, 472; Jaraes
Wilson, i, 38'2, 402; Gen. .-Xnthony
Wayne, 477, 435, 580; Gen. Geo.
Washington, 429, 472, 475, 480,
489, 494, 498, 499, 502, 515, 518,
525, 531, 533, 542, 545, 516, 549,
553, 559, 503, 505, 568, 572, 588;
Ebenezer Zane, ii, 98.
Letters: To St. Clair from Peter
Adrain, ii, 434, 498; Judge Addi
son, 351; Joseph Bowker, i, 421;
Col. Baldwin, 444; Gen. Eichard
Butler, ii, 46, 51, 60, 244; Joel

Barlow, 154 re.; Maj. E. M. Butler,
280; Jacob Buruet, 525; Jno.
Brown, 526; Dr. John Conolly,
i, 327; Geo. Croghan, 202, 303;
Jaraes Cavet, 351 ; John Dickin
son, 585 /I., 599; Bernard Dough
erty, 268; Isaac B. Dun, ii, 106;
Chevalier Duportail, 152; John
Ettwein, 420; Wm. Ewing, 496;
J. Edgar, 633; Benj. Franklin, i,
606; Thomas Fitzsiraraons, ii, 191;
Major Ferguson, 223; Paul Fear
ing', 558, 583- Gen. Horatio Gates,
i, 445, 605; Gen. Nath. Greene,
482, 550, 568; M. Gardoqui, ii,
59'«.; Father Gibault, 148; Gov.
Gavoso, 389; Col. Gouvion, 153;
R. L. Hooper, Jr., i, 204, 321 ; Cot
Thoraas Hartlev, 437; Gen. Joseph
Harmar, 509, "ii, 30, 133; John
Francis Hamtramck, ii, 197; J.
E. Howard, 530; Gen. Wm. Ir-
vini', i, 531, 582; Maj. A.Jackson,
587 ; Paul Jones, 590, 009, ii, 127 ;
Gen. Henrv Knox, 47, 84, 100, 107,
148, 149, 162, 181, 202, 232, 242,
247, 275 ; Marquis de La Fayette,
i, 458; Col. Long, 458; Capt. de
Luziere, ii, 199,491; Tobias Lear,
282; James Madison, i, 244-246;
R. K. Meade, ii, 113; Jaraes Mc
Henry, 395; John Marshall, 530;
Viscount Malartic, 406; Stevens
T. Mason, 531 ; ^neas Mackay, i,
269, 271, 312, 330, 343; Gov. John
.Penn, 276, 305, 320, 335; Judge
Parsons, ii, 120; Judges Parsons
and Varnum, 09'; Pre.-ident of
Cong, i, 372; Hon. Jno. Potts,
578; President of the U. S., ii,
125, 283, 285; Tiraothy Pickering,
338, 343 ; Joseph Reed, i, 407, 492,
558; Gen. E. Rutherford, 505;
James Ross, ii, 422, 529; Edmond
Randolph, 350; Gen. Philip Schuy
ler, i, 405, 409, 412, 438; Judges
Symmes aud Turner, ii, 187; Judge
Symmes, 339, 347; Major-Gen.
Steuben, i, 592; Josepli tihippen,
Jr., 271; Senator Schureman, ii,
530; William Smith, i, 28.3, 323,
359; Joseph Spear, 284; Thonias
Smith, 300, 370, 373; Col. Sproat,
ii, 224; William St. Clair, 143,
310; Gen. Wra. Thorapson, i, 307,
379; Jaraes Tilghman, 813; Judge
Turner, ii, 326, 345, 348, 351 ; Bar
tholomew Tardiveau, 117; IJnited
States, i, 606; James Wilson, 324,
379, 381, 383, 892, 417, ii, 119; Gen.
Wilson, i, 257; Col. Joseph Wood,

644

Index.

877; Gen. Geo. Washington. 392,
469, 470, 472. 473, 474, ^76, 478,
493, 497, 499, 601, 503, 620, 628,
630, 535, 537-541, 548, 551, 552,
561, 567, 677, 591 ra., 592, ii, 554 ra.;
Jaraes Wilkinson, i, 407, 442, 443,
ii, 233, 310; Gen. Anthony Wayne,
374, 387; Oliver Wolcott, 385,
403; David Zeisberger, 433.
Lcttei's: Gen. John Arrastrong to
President ofthe U. S., ii, 276;
John Byres to Gen. Wm. Irvine,
i, 587 re.; Capt. Joseph Brant to
Richard Butler, ii, 60 re.; Wm.
Bradford to Sec. of the Treas.,
337; John Brown to Thoraas
Worthington, 528; Wm. Craw
ford to Gov. John Penn, i, 291 ;
Valentine Crawford to Geo.Wash-
inijton, 850; Isaac Craig to Gen.
Henry Knox, ii, 201; John Doughty
to Maj. Wyllys, 134; same to Sec.
of War, 9; Lieut. E. Denny to
Gen. J. Harmar, 200: Lord Dun
more to Gov. Penn, i, 285; Benj.
Franklin to Gov. Clinton, 607 ra.;
sarae to Col. John Craig, 607 re.;
Samuel Findley to Thoraas Worth
ington, ii, 565 re.; Gen. Horatio
Gates to Gen. Geo. Washington, i,
395 ; Col. R. H. Harrison to Gen.
Philip Sehuyler, 378; Gen. J. Har
mar to Gen. A. Wayne, 403 re.;
same to Sec. of War, i'i, 0, 7, 11, 13,
14, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 26, 30, 37,
38, 42, 44, 45, 64, 87; same to iWaj.-
Gen. Knox, 129; same to Presi
dent of Congress, 3 ; same to John
Francis Hamtramck, 92; Gen.
Wra. Irvine to Richard Butler, i,
60; Dr.. Wm. A. Irvine to Wm.
Henry Smith, 255 re. ; Thomas .Tef-
fersou to Gov. Isaac Shelby, ii,
319; Gen. Henry Knox to Richard
Butler, 210, 224, 230, 232 ; same to
the President U. S., 240, 441, 248;
Israel Ludlow to 'Thomas Worth
ington, 570 ; Nathaniel Macon to
Thomas Worthington, 690; Na
thaniel Massie to Jaraes Madison,
503; siune to Thoraas Worthing
ton, 55-2, 559,572,591,509; Return
J. Meigs to Thonias Worthington,
527, 580; New Harapshire Cora.
of Safety to Delegates in Cong., i,
394; Gen. E. Poor to Gen. Horatio
Gates, 396 «.; President ofthe U.
S. to Gov. of Virginia, ii, 114;
sarae to Sec. of Wiir, 186 «.; same
to Col. Wra. Darke, 203; same to
C. W. Byrd, i, 240; Rufus Put

nara to Gen. Henry Knox, ii, 302;
same to Thomas Worthington,
413, 471; Gov. John Penn to Lord
Dunraore, i, 277, 287; Count de
Segur to Count Montmorin, 128 re.;
Winthrop Sargent to officers at
Gallipolis, 200; same to Judge
Syraraes, 300, 310 re.; same to
Capt. Pierce, 327; same to Judge
McMillan, 328; same to Sec. of
State, 329; Gen. Philip Schuyler
to Gen. Geo. Washington, i, 412;
same to Gen. Anthony Wayne,
478; Edward Tiffin to President
of the U. S., 481 ; same to Thomas
Worthington, 553, 571, 674; Tiffin
and others to Inhabitants of East
ern Portion of N.W. Terr., 624;
John Tod to Jaraes Madison, 584;
Anthony Wayne to President of
Cong., i, 384; sarae to Gen. Hora
tio Gates, 385, 393 ; sarae to Gen.
Philip Schuyler, 380, 387, 391;
sarae to Gov. James Bowdoin, 388;
sarae to Johu Hancock, 389; same
to Col. G. Van Shaick, 390; same
to Gen. Geo. Washington, 463 re.;
Seth Warner to Vermont Conven
tion, 418; Jaraes Wilkinson to
Gen. Horatio Gates, 51, 407;
Thoraas Worthington to the Pres
ident of U. S., ii, 565; Gen. Geo.
Washington to Jlarquis de La Fay
ette, i, 519 re.; same to President
of Congress, 524 re.; same to Com
manding Officer at West Point,
527.
Liehert, Philip, Report of, ii, 16 re.
Ligonier Valley, first settlement of,
i, 7 ; description of, 8.
Lincoln, Gen. Benj., i, 44 re., 87,
95, 183, 384, 441, 443, 457 re., 556,
586 re.
Little Turtle, i, 170, 178, 183.
Livingston, Chancellor, i, 158 re.
Logan, Coh Benj., ii, 19, 21, 214, 271.
Long, Col. Pierse, i, 05, 66, 420, 421,
453.
Losantiville (Cincinnati), ii, 130.
Ludlow, Israel, i, 194, ii, 209, 210,
230, 246, 295, 337 ra., 444, 552, 576,
576.
Luzerne, Chevalier de la, i, 590.
Luziere, Capt. dc, ii, 199, 491.
Mackay, .^neas, i, 269, 271, 295 re.,
312, 313 re., 318 ra, 319 w., 323 re.,
830, 831, 341 re., 343, 344.
Macon, Nathaniel, ii, 590.
Madison. James, i, 244-246, ii, 563,
584, 599.
Magaw, Col. Robert, i, 365 re.

Index.

645

Malartic, Hypolite de, ii, 406 etseq.
Marshall, John, ii, 497, 530.
Marietta, Address of Citizens to St.
Clair, ii, 56 re.
" Mason and Dixon's Liue," ii, 263
re., 278, 290.
Mason, Stevens T., ii, 531, 552.
Massie, Nathaniel, ii, 426 re., 428, 448
«., 449 ra., 495, 523, 527, 552, 559,
560 ra., 563, 507, 568 «., 569 n., 571,
572, 591, 599.
Maumee Indian Towns, expedition
against, i, 108-170.
May, Col. John, Journal of, i, 150.
"Mavflower" arrives at Marietta, i,
139 re.
McCormick, Alex., statement of, ii,
9, 10 re.
McDougall, Gen. Alex., 1,101,470 re.,
472, 476, 522, 527 re., 578.
McHenry, James, ii, ;^95.
McKean, Hon. Thomas, i, 556 re.
McKee, Alex., i, 156. 157 re., 160 ».,
283 ra., 298, 302, 330, 333 -n., 338,
341, ii, 13, 106, 194.
McLean, Capt., ii, 446.
McMillan, Judge, ii, 328, 557.
Meade, Col. R. K., ii, 113, 114 re.
Mehelm, Col., i, 469.
Meigs. Return J., i, 145 re., 148, 149
ra.!; 247, ii, 79 ra., 80 «., 1^4, 527,
580 ra.
Mercer, Gen. Hugh, i, 31, 36, 38,
39, 40 ra., 381.
Message of St. Clair to House of
Eep., ii, 472.
Mifflin, Gen. Thomas, i, 88, 44 ra., 100,
101 re., 159, 201, 325 ra., 383, 480 re.,
483, 557, ii, 184. '
Miami Indian Towns, Expedition
against, i, 171-177, ii, 240-271.
Miami Company, ii, 333.
Miro, Gov., ii, 122.
Montcalm, Marquis de, i, 3.
Montgomery, Gen. Richard, i, 16.
Monroe, James, i, 699, 000 ra.
Morgan, Gen. Daniel, i, 87, 88.
Morgan, Gen. Geo, ii, 102.
Morris, Gouvemeur, i, 72, 78, 440 re.
Morris, Gen. Lewis, i, 14.
Morris, Robert, i, 93, 305 ra., 458,
480 ra., 501 re., 572, 680 ra.
Morrow, Jeremiah, i, 23.
Moravian Indians. See Indians.
Moravian Missionary Towns, i, 144 ra.,
ii, 2 ra.
Moylan, Col. John, i, 544.
Muhlenberg, Gen. Frederick A., i,
116, 117 ra., 447 re., 543.
Murray, Maj , ii, 186.
Nelson, Gov., i, 562.

"Newburg Addresses," i, 674 re.
Neville, John, 301 re., ii, 403.
" New Counties Controversy," ii, 515
et .seq.
Nicolet, John, discovers the N. W.,
i, 137.
Observations, etc., by St. Clair, ii,
307.
Official Instructions. See Instruc
tions.
Ofiicial Proceedings of House of Rep.,
ii, 5J2 re.
Official Records of the N. W. Terr.,
ii, 131 re., 310, 330 re., 344 re., 438 re.
Officers of Penn. Line written to by
St. Clair, i, 580.
O'Harra, Gen., killed, i, 546.
Ohio Company (new), i, 124, 126,
150, 33.3, 471, ii, 201 re., 509.
Ohio Corapany (old), i, 263 re.
Ohio. Temporary Settleraents in, in
1785, ii, 3 re., 4 re.
Oldhara, Lieut.-Col., ii, 265, 266, 267,
278, 034, 636.
Oliver, Robert, ii, 612.
Ordinances for Sale of Lands, i, 128,
ii, 618-622.
Ordinance of 1787: history of, i,
118 et seq., ii, 603 et seq.; copy of,
612-618.
Parks, Joseph, ii, 436.
Parsons and Varnum, Judges, ii, 61,
64, 07, 69, 72.
Parsons, Gen., i, 106 re.
Parsons, Samuel Holden, i, 135, 140,
144 re.. 193, ii, 36 re,, 51, 58 re., 61,
64, 67,' 69, 72, 91, 120, 884, 402.
Patterson, Gen. John, i, 106 re., 420,
421, 441 71.
Paulding, John, helps capture Andr^,
i, .528 re.
Penn, Gov. John, i, 261 re., 271, 278 re.,
275 re., 276, 277, 278 n., 279, 285,
287, 291, 296, 302, 303. 804, 305,
306, 308. 814, 317, 320, 322, 324,
325, 326, 328, 331, 335, 338, 340
343, 345, 347, 360, 351 re., 364, 361'
Penn, Gov. Richard, i, 261 ra., 273 re.'
Pentecost, Dorsey, i, 282.
Phillips, Maj.-Gen. Wm., i, 60, 63,
00, 10.5, 442 re., 505re., 509,511,512,
518.
Pickering, Timothv, i, 44 128, 133 re.,
183, ii, 338, 848, 494, 570, 571.
Pierce, Capt., ii, 327, 330 re., 404.
Plan of Gov. for Penn., i, 593 ei seq.
Poole, Wm. Frederick, i, 122-185.
Poor, Gen. Enoch, i, 54. 90, 895 re.,
396 ra., 420, 421, 441, 449 re.
Potts, Hon. John, i, 578.
, Posey, Thomas, ii, 451 n.

646

Iiidc.r.

Princeton, battle of, i, 38, 370 re,
381 re.
Proclanuitions: hy Gov. E. Miro ii,
122; by Gov. 6t. Clair, 107, 108,
211 re, 321-3-2.5, 321 n., 344 re.,
345 re., 386 re.; by Maj.-Gen. An
thony A\''ayi:c, 343.
Proctor, Col. John, i, 546, 546, 547,
548, ii, 205 re., 212, 210, 217.
Proposals, by Geo. Rogers Clark, for
raising volunteers to reduce Span
ish posts, ii, 322 re.
President of Cong., i, 806, 372.
President of the^U. S., ii, 111, 114,
120 re., 123, 124 re., 125, 147, 104,
196, 198, 214, 240, 241, 243, 247,
279, 28'2, 283, 284, 285, 294 a., 390,
431, 438, 441, 442, 482, 484, 488,
56.5, 573.
Public Notice of Citizens of the .Mi
ami Purchase, ii, 328 re.
Pulaski, Count, i, 98.
Putnam Rufus, i, 77, 93, 101, 139 «.,
140, 145 re., 148, 140, 183, 238,
308 n., 413, ii, 36 re., 51, 70 n , 80 re.,
302, 333, 393, 413,471.
Quebec, capture of.^i, 3, 4.
Randolph, Beverly, i, 183.
Randolph, Edmund, ii, 312, 342 re.,
350.
Rawdon, Lord, i, 557.
Reed, Josenh, i, 12, 35, ]02, 103,
325 re., 400, 461, 462, 407, 47'.),
480 re., 484, 488, 492, 522, 523, 532,
534, 537, 538, 544, 558.
Reidesel, Maj.-Gcu., i, 00, 90, 423 re.,
501.
Relations between Washington and
St. Clair, i, 158, ii, 031.
Remarks: Paul Fearing, ii, 570; St.
Chiir, 561, 502.
Report of Officiiil Proceedings in Il
linois Countr}', ii, 105 re.
Revolt of the Penn. Line, i, 107
et seq.
Rochambeau, Count de, i, 515 re.,
520 71., 525 re., 527 n., 552.
Ross, James, i, 180, 187, 223, ii, 400,
422, 480, 529, 555.
Roj'al American liegiraent, i, 3 n.
Rutherford, Gen. G., i, 505.
Sargent, Winthrop, i, 135, 140,' 148,
104, 107, 207, ii, 30 re., 78 u., 17!),
J 85, 208, 275 re., 300, 310, 312 re.,
327 re., 328, 320, 335, 336 re., 330,
340, 404, 40.5, 413, 424, 020, 621,
622.
Schureman, Senator, ii, 530.
Schuylei', Gen. Philip, i. 12, 17 •«.,24,
25 're., 45, 40, 48 re., 50, 53, 50, 57,
50, 05, 66, 72 re., 73, 70-82, 87, 93,

94 re., 372 re.., 378, 385-387, 391,
390, 307 re., 401, 403 ii , 40.5, 4U0,
410, 411, 413, 415, 418, 419, 423,
4'26, 427,'433, 430-441, 443, 449 re.,
453 re, 478, 497. ii, 300 re.
Scott, Gen. Charles, i, 184, ii, 207,
21-2, 213, 217, 223, 226, 233, 23-5,
238, 251, 209, 271.
Sec. of State, ii, 320, 329, 390, 421,
443.
Sec. of War, ii, 40, 43, 40, 48, 50, 57,
03, 81, 83, 87, 95, 99, 108, 115, 132,
130, 140, 1.56, 183. 186 re., 188, 190,
192, 203, 205 re., 212, '262, 277, 301,
¦re.. 321. 337, 445, 404.
Sedgwick, Capt., ii, 402, 403, 464.
Segur, Count de, ii, 127, 128 re.
Semple, Col., ii, 030.
Sevier, Gen., ii, 216.
Shelhy, Isaac, ii, 214, 319, 320, 321,
386".
Sherraan, Roger, i, 158 re.
Shippen, Jr., Joseph, i, 200 265, 207,
271, 273, 274, 283, 284, 315, 351 re.,
353, 358.
Sibley, Solomon, ii, 580 n.
.Skinner, Gen , i. 500.
Slavei'y in N. W. Terr., i. 120.
Slough, dipt., i, 174, ii, 259, 206, 277,
278, 180, 281, 2.^2, 033.
Smith, Oevci'eux, i, 271 re., 277 re., 295
ra.. :;0S •;(, 310 ;/.. 3."i2.
Sraith, .James (shei'itl'l, ii, 405.
Smith, Thomas, i, 300, 370, 373, 383,
405 re., 480 n.
Smith, Williara, i, 283. 323, 350.
Society of the Cincinnati, i, 590, 591
re., 592, 593.
Spear, Joseph, i, 284, 285, 334.
Spencer, Oliver, ii, 405.
Sproat, Ebenezer, i, 148, 149, ii, 224,
340, 344 re., 405.
Stark, Gen. John, i. 84, 85, 444.
Statement-,: Sec. of War, ii, 140;
Jr)hn Strothei', 302.
St. Clair, Arthur, bii'th and educa
tion, i, 2; entei's the British army
as ensign, 3; takes partin the cap.
ture of Louisburg and Quebec, ib ;
his marriage, 5; he retires from
the array, 0; settles in Western
Penn., 7; appointed lo various civil
offices, 9; champions thc cause of
Penn. in the Wo-t, in boundary
troubles with Va., 10, 200 cf seq.;
watches Penn. interests in "Lord
Dunmore's War." 290 etseq.; takes
sides, in 1775, with the patriots, 14;
raises Second Penn. iieg., 15;
marches to Canada as its Col., 16;
takes partin atterapt against Three

Index.

647

Eivers, 18 ct .seq.; marches to
Crown Point, thence to 'ficonder-
oga, 24; spends the summer (1776)
at that post, 25 ; elected Brig. Gen.,
ib.; joins Washington in N. Jersey,
ib.; takes part iu battles of Trenton
and Princeton, 30 et .seq.; pro
raoted (1777) to Jlaj -Gen., 44;
oi'dered to the coramand of Ticon
deroga, 53 ; attempts repairs upon
that fortification, 50; evacuates
the post, 04 et seq.; retires to Ft.
Edward, 09; goes to headquarters,
92; demands a court-maitial, 93;
its refusal, ib.; his activity and
bravery at Brandywine. 04, 08; is
pei'initted "to attend to his private
affairs," 94; acquitted by court-
martial of all charges, 95; is con
gratulated, 96 ; arduous and valu
able services rendered by him in
1780, 101, et seq.; is appointed oue
of I he tbree coraraissioners to settle
a cartel for exchange of prisoners,
105; failure of negotiations, ill.;
commands a corps of light in
fantry, 107; takes part against
revolt in Penn. line, 108; is put
upon recruiting duty in Penn.,
Ill; joins the army before York-
town, 112; sent to Gen. Greene iu
S. Carolina, with six regiments,
113; returns to his family, 114;
in 1783, lurloughs veteran soldiers,
ib.; quiets a ineeting of the " new
levies," 115; returns to private
life, 116; is elected mem. Board of
Censors of Penn., iu 1783. ib.;
chosen vendue-master of Phila
delphia, 117; in 1786, elected to
Cong., ib ; in 1787, chosen presi
dent, ib.; labors for the creation
of a Gov. for the N. W. Terr.,
130; elected its Governor, 135;
arrives at Marietta, 130; helps the
judges to pass laws fbr the N. W.
Terr., 145 et .seq.; holds treaty
with western Indians, and Six
Nations, at Fort Harmar, 156; is
iu New York at \Vashington's
iii'st inauguration, 158; returns
to the west, 150; names Cin
cinnati, 162; goes to the Il
linois country, "l 64; sends Gen.
Hai'mar against Maumee In
dian towns, 168; appointed
M:ij.-Gen. U. S. array, 170; is to
march against Miami Indian
towns, 171; moves his army for
ward trom Fort Washington, 173;
constructs Forts Hamilton and

Jefferson, ib.; enters the wilder
ness, ib ; is attacked by the sav
ages, 174; defeated, 175; his bear
ing upon the battle-field, 170 re.;
sends official dispatch to Sec. of
War, 170; resigns his comraand in
the army, 182; in 1792, visits
Penn., 188; revises, with the
judges, territorial laws, 188; makes
frequent journeys in N. W. Terr.,
192; appoints his son Att'y Gen.;
issues a proclamation against in
vasion of Louisiana, 202; declares
his opinion concerning slavery in
N. W. Terr., 200; issues a pi'ocla-
mation for election for representa
tives for N. W. Terr., 208; is
given the veto power, ib.; ad
dresses the second Gen. Assembly,
217; is reappointed Governor,
222; is threatened by a mob, 2.'4;
becoraes an ardent federalist, 234;
answers charges made against
him, 240; removed frora the office
of Governor, 244-240; returns to
his home at Ligonier, 248; his
flnancial troubles, 249-252 ; driven
from his home to a "barren
hearth;" 252; his death, 254; a
raonument erected to his meraory,
ib.; his name to be held in grateful
remernbrance, 250; his corre
spondence, addi'esses, etc., while
Gov. of the N. W. Terr., ii, 50 et
seq.
St. Clair, Jr., Arthur, i, 2 n.
.St. Clair, Lieut.-C'jl. Jaraes, i, 2 ra.
St. Clair, Jane, i, 100.
St. Clair, Louisa, i, 157 re., IOO, 161,
179 re., 180 re.
St. Clair, Margaret, i, 160.
St. Clair, Mrs. Author, i, 160, 529 n.,
560, 552, 553, 500.
St. Clair, Sir John, i, 483.
St. Clair. Wm., i, 2 re., 155, ii, 143.
316, 372, 441.
St, Clairs, the, i, 1, 2.
Stephen, Gen. Adara, i, 31, 44 re.,
205 !j.,'384, 483.
Steuben, Baron, i, 158 re., 527 re., 5-50,
592. ¦
Stirling, Gen. Wra. Alex., i, 31, 44 n.,
¦ 383, 1)00.
St. Louis, nicknarae of, ii, 32.
Stony Point, storming of, i, 103, 104.
Sullivan, Gon. John, i, 18, 10, 2:i, 28,
32. 93, 368 re., 369 re., 393 re., 398 n.,
417, 537, 538 )*.
Suggestion for a Plan of Gov. See
Plan of Gov,
Symmes, John Cleves, i, 135, 151,

648

Index.

102, 103, 191, 194, 231, ii, 24, 30 re.,
131 re., 187, 210, 211 n., 212 re,
222 re., 300, 810, 312 re., 31-1, 333,
339, 347, 352, 353 re., 863, 367, 372,
374, 396, 444 re., 455, 460, 407, 468,
469, 471, 481, 507, 508, 509, 536,
546 «., 580 re., 621, 622.
Syraraes, Polly, i, 151.
Tardiveau, Bartholoraew, ii, 117,
118 re., 119 re.
Testimony of Major Zeigler, extract
frora, ii, 290 re.
Thanksgiving Proclamation by St.
Clair, ii, 107.
Thayandauegea. See Capt. Joseph
Brant.
The Judges, ii, 189.
"The Republic," by John C. Hamil
ton, criticised, ii, 300 re.
Thoraas, Gen. John, i, 10, 17, 366 re.
Thomson, Charles, ii, 37, 78 re., 97, 61 8.
Thompson, Gen. Wra., i, 17, 18, 19,
21, 367, 368 re., 369 re'., 380 re., 381 re.,
599.
Three Rivers, atterapt against, i, 18-
23, 369 re., 380 re.
Ticonderog'a,American army located
at, i, 25; defensive work, iu 1776,
begun there, 45; number of its
garrison in that year, 46; Col. An
thony Wayne in coramand of, 48;
wretched condition of its garrison
the next winter, 49; the post in
danger, 50; want of supplies, 61 ;
deplorable condition of the post,
63: Gen. St. Clair takes command,
ib.; the weakness of the garrison,
65; repairs on the old fortifications
go on, 66; description of the for
tress, ih.; signs of danger apparent,
60; approach of ttie British under
Burgoyne, 61; skirmishing near
the fort, 62; the eneray gain a.
commanding position, 64; the
evacuation of the post resolved
upon, ib.; its accomplishment, 65
et seq.; the panic caused by its
abandonment, 71.
Tiffin, Edward, i, 121 ra., 280. 231,
237, 2:j9, 240, 147 re, 461, 485', 513,
52-5, 552, 553, 657, 574, 692 re.
Tilghman, James, i, 313.
Tillinghast, Ensign, ii, 272.
Trenton, battle ot; i, 31. 32, 379 re.
Tod, Geo., ii, 581, 584. '
Tupper, Gen. Benj., i, 149 ra.
Turner, Judge Geo., i, 145 re., 196, ii,
187, 212 n., 218, 222 « , 311, 312 re.,
825, 330, 342 ra., 34-5, 848, 350, 351,
853 re., 354 368, 367, 872, 373,
396, 397.

Vance, David, ii, 442 «., 495.
Vancleve, Benj., i, 163 ra.
Vanderburgh, Henry, ii, 342 re.,
353 ra, 397, 398, 441, 442, 485, 504.
Van Schaick, Gozen, i, 390.
Van Wart, Isaac, helps capture An
dre, i, 528 re.
Varnum, Judge .James M., i, 135,
139 re., 144, ii, 36 n., 51, 58 re., 61,
64, 67, 09, 72, 90, 111, 334.
Vaudreuil, M. de, i, 5.
Vigo, Francis, ii, 496.
Wabash Indians, ii, 162, 181 ; expe
dition aa'ainst, i, 171, ii, 227, 233.
Wallace, Geo., ii, 403.
Warner, Gen. Seth, i, 67, 68, 418,
422, 423 «., 427, 432, 480, 437.
Washington, Gon Geo., crosses the
Delaware, i, 29; wins the battles
of Trenton and Princeton, 30-44;
has exaggerated views of Ticonde
roga, 47 re.; his prediction verified
as to Burgoyne, 86 ; a conspiracy
contemplated against him, 93; in
dignant at the treatment of St.
Claii', 94; attacks the Bi'itish at
Monmouth, 101; pays a compli
ment to St. Clair, 107; appeals for
help. 111; his passion upon hear
ing of St. Clair's defeat, 181 ; his
raeraory insirlted, 235 re ; is writ
ten to l)y St. Clair, 429, 472, 475,
486, 489, 494, 498, 499, 50'2, 615,
518, 525, 531, 533, 542, 545, 540,
553, 559, 568, 565, 568, 572, 588;
writes to St. Clair, 892, 409, 470,
472, 473, 474, 470, 478, 493, 497,
499, 501, 603, 520, 528, 530, 635,
537-541, 548, 551, 6.52, 561, 567,
577, 591 re., 592, ii, 554 re.; writes
to Marquis de La Payette, i, 519 re ,
to President of Congress, 524 re.,
to coramanding officer at West
Point, 527 ; is written to by Val
entine Crawford, 356; by Gen.
Horatio Gates, 395 ; Gen. Anthony
Wayne, 463 re.; address by St.
Clair on his death, ii, 486-488. See
President of the IJ. S.
Washington, Mrs. Geo., i, 552.
Wayne, Gen. Anthony, i, 18, 23, 48,
76, 76, 101 re., 107 re., 108-110, 112,
116, 117 «., 182-184, 365 re., 384-
301, 393, 447 re., 462, 403, 477,
478 re.., 530, 532, 583, 534, 635, 580,
537, 538 ra , 539 ra., 540, 542, 547,
548, 550, 551, 564, 565, 584 ra., 586,
ii. 321, 322 ra., 327 337, 338,348 ra.,
344 ra., 873, 375, 387, 'S94, 396,
409 re., 410.
Wells, Williara, ii, 497.

Index.

649

Whittlesey, Elisha, calls on St. Clair,
i, 253.
Wilkinson, Gen. .James, i, 12, 13 ;(,.,
39, 40, 50, 52, 62, 81, 171, 189, 194,
200, 201, 204, 205, 407. 442, 443,
ii, 208 «., 223, 227. 233, 251, 267 re.,
269, 310, 413, 427.
WiUiams, David, helps capture An
dre, i, .5-28 re,.
Williamson, Gen. Hugh, i, 42.
Wilson, Geo., i, 257, 260, 207, 274 re.,
275 re., 811, 350.
Wilson, James, i, 12.14 re., 43, 5.5, 72,
74, 102, 150, 324, 325 7,., 370 re.,
378, 379, 382, 383, 392, 402, 417,
480 re., 492, ii, 119.
Wolfe, Gen. Jam-'^s, i, 3.
Wood, Col. Joseph, i, 377.

Woodbridge, Dudley, ii, 543.
Woods, Geo., i. 259 /(.
Wolcott, Oliver, i, 190, ii, 378, 383,
385, 403, 400, 472, 623.
Wooster, Gen., i, ;',(;7, 369.
Worthingtcui, Thcmas, i, 228, 230,
231, 236-238, 413, 448 re., 483, ii.,
511 re., 523 re., 528, 547, 550, 552,
553, 556, 557, 560 re , 505. 507 //.,
568 re., 572, 574, 580 „., 590, 591,
699.
Wyllys, Major, ii, 98, 101, 134 188.
" Wyoming Rebellion," i, 000 ,i,.,
607 re.
"Yellow Ci'eek Massacre," i, 9, 299.
Zaiie, Ebenezer, ii, 98.
Zeigler, .Maj., ii, 290 re.
Zeisberger, David, ii, 433

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