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HARRISON TO KICKAPOOS AND KASKASKIAS

May 19th 1807 Har. Pa. 202, 203

William Henry Harrison Governor of the Indiana Territory and Superintendent of Indian Affairs to his children the Chiefs and head men of the Kickapoos Tribe [of Illinois] My Children:

Why does it happen that I am so often obliged to address you in the language of complaint?

Will your young men never listen to the advice of their father? My Children You cannot be ignorant that the 17 fires of America have taken the Kaskaskians Tribe under their Wings.

You know this and yet you suffered your young men to shed their blood and scatter it in your father's face.

My Children-the great Chief and the Council of the 17 fires have said to the Kaskaskian Tribe: "My Children, your voice has been heard by your father. He will take you in his bosom and let no man hurt you".

My children-your father does not lie-He will not suffer you to kill the Kaskaskians when they do you no injury.

My Children. Let me know by the return of the bearer who it was that covered your father's road with blood.

My Children. I want to see some of you here to speak to you on the subject of the Kaskaskians..

My Children. The blood that was shed on your father's road must be covered up. [This was enclosed with the letter to Menard May 18.]

From your Father

(Signed) WM. H. HARRISON

HARRISON TO HARGROVE

VINCENNES, INDIANA TERRITORY, May 22, 1807

Cockrum, Pioneer History, 207

Captain WILLIAM HARGROVE, Commanding a detachment of Rangers:

Ell Ernest is in with your report. Will send you a Cree Indian for the one you say is too lazy to hunt. This Indian

has been here for a long time and has the reputation of being a great hunter. He can keep your rangers in meat. I have had an interview with him and he is delighted with the prospect of going as a scout. Ernest is acquainted with him and can make him understand what is to be done. Ernest said that he saw a number of Indians in bathing on the south bank of the White river and a number of them were fishing. They did not see him. As they were near here, a platoon of cavalry has been sent with several scouts to look after them. These troops before they return may report to you and will inform you what these Indians were up to. There are always some contrary people in all walks of life who are hard to manage. The ones you report are not all who have been troublesome. There is no deviating from the rule. Anyone who refuses to stay in the fort when ordered, arrest them and send them to this post, under guard. When the Government does all that it can to protect its people they must and shall obey the rules. This territory is under no law that can force obedience but the Military and all of its subjects must obey the governing rule or be sent out of it.

By the order of the Governor.

SIR:

By JOHN GIBSON, Secretary of Indiana Territory

HARRISON TO SECRETARY OF WAR

VINCENNES 23d May 1807
Har. Pa. 204-206

I have the Honour to enclose herewith a letter [May 4] from Michael Jones, Esquire, the Register of the Land office at Kaskaskias, upon the subject of a murder lately committed upon one of the Kaskaskias Indians in the vicinity of Kaskaskias by a party of Indians supposed to belong to the Kickapoo or Potawatimi Tribes. From the circumstances attending the murder and others which have come to my knowledge I am induced to believe that a design has been formed by one or both of the last mentioned Tribes to destroy the remnant of the Kaskaskias Tribe. As the United States have guaranteed to the Kaskaskians a protection as effectual as "that which is enjoyed by their own Citizens" I had no hesitation in giving the orders of which the enclosed is a copy to the

Commanding Officer of the Militia at Kaskaskias [Pierre Menard]. I hope however that there will be no necessity of having recourse to arms to protect them. The message which I have sent to the Kickapoos (of which I enclose a copy) will I believe produce a suspension of Hostilities and satisfaction for the injury that has been already done. The killing of the Horse mentioned in that of Mr. Jones' letter and the firing at the frenchman do not in my opinion indicate any hostile design against the Whites. The Indians frequently steal horses that they are unable to catch by shooting them through the upper part of the neck, which only stuns them a littlebut if the shot is a little too low the horse is killed. Doza the Frenchman who was shot at he might easily have been mistaken in the night for a Kaskaskias Indian.

I am utterly at a loss to know what to do with the Banditti of Creeks which have so long infested this country. They are the most daring mischevious fellows in existence. The settlers on the Ohio have suffered so much from them, that they say They can no longer bear with them. At the earnest solicitation of the People in that quarter I have authorized the Capt. of the Militia [Pierre Menard] with the concurrance of a Justice of the Peace to disarm them, if they do not attend to the solemn admonition which I have lately sent them. They are in the daily habit of committing every species of aggression excepting murder, &c. and should they begin with this I know no other way of managing them than hunting them like wild beasts. For I am persuaded from their characters that if any individual amongst them was to be brought to punishment the families of many of our scattered settlers would fall a sacrifice to the revenge of the others.

I have the Honor to be with the greatest respect Sir Your humble servt.

WILLM. HENRY HARRISON

The Honble The SECRETARY of WAR

WELLS TO HARRISON

FORT WAYNE June 1807
Dawson, Harrison, 92

Mr. [William]1 Kirke is now about to retire from this place, and form a settlement at the Ottawa towns, among the Shawanese, and there wait the orders of the government.

I have done every thing in my power to carry the views of the President into execution among the Indians, under Mr. Kirke, but to no purpose. The Indians too plainly see, that he cannot fulfil the views of the President, and say they will not acknowledge the receipts of a thing they never received.

Now sir, as I firmly believe that the Indians are very anxious to receive what the President has offered them—as I am convinced that it would add much to the welfare of the Indians, and believing that I could come nearer executing the views of the President among the Indians of this agency, than any other person he could appoint for that purpose, I now offer him my services through you, and beg that you will assure him that any money that may be appropriated for this purpose, will not be misapplied, but will be at all times faithfully and honestly accounted for to his satisfaction.

I declare to you that I am not actuated by any personal views. I do not wish the President to add one cent to my salary, unless it is his opinion I deserve it. I am afraid that a wrong construction will be put upon the conduct of the Indians in rejecting Mr. Kirke, and discourage the President in his benevolent intentions; and I will exert myself to the utmost to forward the views of the President among the Indians of this agency, should he think proper to trust them to my care. And I trust you will advocate the cause of the Indians on this occasion.

etc. etc. etc. [WILLIAM WELLS]

1. William Kirke was sent by Baltimore Quakers as a missionary to the Wabash Indians. Upon a favorable report by him the Quakers petitioned the president for aid and received $6,000. He recruited a small band of assistants and came on to Fort Wayne. At a meeting of the chiefs they refused to sanction his work, because they said he was a stranger. Harrison implies that agent Wells was the one opposed to the missionary. Dawson, Harrison, 91

HARRISON TO HARGROVE

VINCENNES, INDIANA TERRITORY June 7, 1807
Cockrum, Pioneer History, 208

Captain WM. HARGROVE, In the Ranger Service

The requisition for provision has been filled and forwarded under escort. One of our scouts reports that Indians were seen passing to the west on the south side of White river a little way west of the place where the Indian trace to Louisville crosses that river. Whether they are a roving band of friendly Indians or hostile ones has not been found out at these headquarters. There was a runner sent to David Robb's' notifying him about the Indians. When you receive this you had better return to this end of your route and leave one-half of your men under your ranking non-commissioned officer. With the rest you had better examine the country to the west on the south side of the river as far as two or three miles west of David Robb's place and see if you can find the cause of these Indians prowling over that section. If the fort at White Oak Springs is too small to hold the new comers, have them build another block house near it and have them both enclosed inside the same stockade with only two gates for the two forts. If you can enlist of the new arrivals as many as twenty-five men for service at this post, your effort will be duly appreciated. The time of enlistment of quite a number of our troops expires next month and at least twenty-five Kentuckians will not re-enlist.

By the direction of WM. H. HARRISON

Governor of Indiana Territory

JOHN GIBSON, Sec'y of Indiana Territory

1. David Robb was born in Ireland, July 12, 1771; came with his father's family to Kentucky, near Louisville. Here he became a good hunter. In 1800 he crossed to Indiana and located on lower White river near Hazleton, one of the best beaver localities in the state. After the wars he became land agent at Laporte. He died Apr. 15, 1844. He was a member of the con. convention of 1816 and a close personal friend of Harrison. For a full account see Stormont, Gibson County, 41

2. Near Petersburg. It was established by Wolsey Pride and others about 1800.

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