HARRISON TO HARGROVE HEADQUARTERS, INDIANA TERRITORY, October 28, 1807 WM HARGROVE, Captain Commanding Rangers: Chief Settedown and his young men have returned to their homes. He assured the Governor that the Indians gathering in his neighborhood were very peaceable inclined toward the white people and gave as a reason for their being there that game was more plentiful than across the Wabash and that they intended to stay only a short while. In answering the inquiry why he did not want to keep all the game for himself and people, said, that there was much more than he wanted. Finally said in less than one moon they would all go back over the Wabash. It is hoped that this will be true, but the only security with the Indians is to be always prepared and watch them. FuQuay is better acquainted with that section than any one else we have in the service. He and Ben Page have orders to report to you at your east stockade camp, on the Clarksville trace and will hand you this letter. It is thought best for you to go with the two scouts to the Yellow Banks and have them make such disposition of their time during the next thirty days as will secure the best information of the movements of the strange Indians. This suggestion is made for your consideration in this matter. You are on the ground and will understand the situation better than can be understood at this distance. The two scouts have each a new ax besides their rifles and ammunition. This is the equipment that most of the newcomers bring to the Territory. Haye them go into the section a few miles east of Bailey Anderson's and build a small cabin and put in their time hunting and roving over as large a territory around their cabin as they can. In doing this they will have a pretty good idea of what the Indians are doing around them. If there is any design other than friendship by the newcomers, the Shawnees know it. Of all this you are in the best position to find out the truth. The two scouts will send or bring you a report as often as you think best to require it. You are safe in giving FuQuay your confidence as he is one of the most trusted men that is in the employ of these head-quarters. By order of the Governor JOHN GIBSON, Secretary of Indiana Territory HARRISON TO HARGROVE POST VINCENNES, November 4, 1807 Captain WM. HARGROVE, Commanding a Detachment of Rangers: The location for the refugees is no doubt a good one. Plenty of water is very desirable. The Governor is favorable to your suggestion. It certainly would be to the advantage of the new emigrants for them to prepare a little cabin inside of the stockades and to remain in it during the winter. If they prefer to go to some other place in the spring they can do so. The advantage of being with a number of people during the cold season in hunting and the social advantages is recompense enough for all the trouble they would be at to erect the little cabin. Your opinion of FuQuay is correct. He has been closely identified with the work in this part of the Territory since 1801. The Governor would gladly comply with your request but his services as scout is of such importance that it is not thought best to take him out of that position. Sergeant Hogue would fill the place you wanted FuQuay for with a little training. The supposed spy has been sent to Fort Washington [Cincinnati] with a statement of the evidence and the affidavit against him. There will be no further need of hunting evidence in that case. Without a doubt he is a spy for the British and will be held as such for an indefinite time unless direct evidence of his guilt should be secured. Then he will be summarily dealt with. You now have four roads or traces running to the east that can be easily found and traveled over, dividing your territory into sections between the Ohio and White rivers. Also you have four roads or traces running north and south dividing your territory in that direction from near the Wabash on the west to Blue river on the east, thus enabling you to give much better protection to settlers now there and to the emigrants coming into your territory. This condition makes that section of this territory very desirable for settlers. The most 1. For the location of these traces see Arvil Barr in Indiana Magazine of History XIV, 304 seq. important thing that you can do is to see that the blockhouses are so located that they will be accessible to those in the surrounding country if danger should come. There is no certainty that we will have a continuation of the quiet that now exists. The English on the north are doing all that they can to cause trouble between the Indians and the pioneers, using the treaties which have been made as a pretext, claiming that it was fradulently obtained. It is thought best that you make a personal inspection of all the blockhouses that are now built and the several that are being constructed at the different stations in your territory and see that they are securely built and good, strong, durable stockades surrounding them that will have sufficient room for the construction of from six to ten small cabins. Some one who is most competent in each fort must be placed in command and it must be understood that he is to be obeyed by all of those who will use that fort as a place of refuge. Have them select by lot the man they want, but advice those interested that the most efficient men thay have should be chosen. You will make a careful inspection of their arms and ammunition and should you find them deficient in either you can make a requisition on the ordnance office at this place through these head-quarters for the needed supplies. That needed for the eastern forts will be forwarded to you at White Oak Springs fort. That for the western division will be sent to David Robb's fort. You will have the proper parties meet you at a stated period at these places and give out the guns and ammunition to them taking their receipts for the same. This will simplify the work as soon as you can have a sufficient number of forts so that they will be reasonable accessible in all the Territory, which you command, the need of the Rangers continually marching over the traces will be done away with. Carefully read this letter of suggestions and when you send in your next report any suggestions you may have to make will receive careful consideration. By direction of W. H. HARRISON Gov. of Indiana Territory JOHN GIBSON, Secretary HARRISON TO HARGROVE VINCENNES, INDIANA TERRITORY, November 12, 1807 Capt. WM. HARGROVE, Commanding first division of Rangers, east of the Wabash river: Your report enclosing a letter from FuQuay. The contents of that letter were fully considered by the Governor. That there would be some excuse made for the Indians to remain during the winter months has been suspected. The fact that they are building such secure tepees warrants that suspicion, but their attempt to be adopted into the tribe of the Shawnees was unlooked for. The Governor directs that you have a vigilant watch kept on their actions until about the 26th inst. the time Chief Setteedown set for their return will then be up. Better have Bailey Anderson interview the old Chief and in their talk remind him of his promise to Governor that they would be gone in one moon. FuQuay and Anderson it seems found out that the Illinois Indians on the visit are Kickapoos and that they have one of their subchiefs in command of them. This looks suspicious. You can do nothing as yet, only have FuQuay and Ben Page keep a vigilant watch on the Indians and instruct them to send one of your runners, who you will keep near them, to you with any information that they may secure. If you should learn any new dangerous developments, send immediately to this head-quarters a report of it. If it should become necessary, one hundred men can be sent from this Post to any point which you may think best to place them. The Governor thinks it best to make a camp on the Yellow Banks trace at the point where the large fort is located [formerly called Taylorsvile, now Selvin, Warrick county, Ind.] If the stockade is not as large as is needed, it can be enlarged and in a short time the soldiers can put up such barracks as will make them comfortable for the short time that they will likely stay. The Piankashaw Indian, named Yellow Bird has just returned from a visit to Indian friends on the west fork of White river. He said to one of our friendly Indians that the Indians on White river were grumbling about the treaties and threatening to drive the Americans back over the Ohio. That there is a great unrest among the Indians is not doubted 18-21182 by those whose business it is to know what is going on outside of the settlements. What it may terminate in is uncertain. It is best for our people to be well on their guard and be ready in the event war should come. By order of the Governor JOHN GIBSON, Sec'y. of Indiana Territory Post Script. The Governor directs that you ascertain how many able-bodied men you have in your district that would be able to bear arms. This duty can be done by some of your active young men. SENATE REPORT ON SLAVERY IN INDIANA November 13, 1807 Am. Sta. Pa. Misc. I, 484 Mr. Franklin, from the committee1 to whom was referred the representation and resolution of the Legislature Council and House of Representatives of the Indiana Territory, bearing the date of 13th of July, [?] 1807; [September 19 above] and, also, the remonstrance of the citizens of Clark county, of the Territory aforesaid, [October 10, above] reported: The Legislative Council and House of Representatives, in their resolutions, express their sense of the propriety of introducing slavery into their Territory, and solicit the Congress of the United States to suspend, for a given number of years, the sixth article of compact, in the ordinance for the government of the Territory northwest of the river Ohio, passed the 13th day of July, 1787. That article declares: "there shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in the said Territory." The citizens of Clark county, in their remonstrance, express their sense of the impropriety of the measure, and solicit the Congress of the United States not to act on the subject, so as to permit the introduction of slaves into the Territory; at least until their population shall entitle them to form a constitution and State Government. 1. This committee consisted of Jesse Franklin of North Car., Aaron Kitchell of New Jersey and Edward Tiffin of Ohio. The two petitions, one from the territorial legislature, dated Sept. 19, 1807, the other from citizens of Clark county, dated Oct. 10, 1807 are given in the Annals, (Senate) under date of Nov. 13, 1807. |