THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Governor Robert Dinwiddie
to the Board of Trade
(Williamsburg, Dec. 10, 1752)
Dinwiddie, Robert, Gov. in: A. T. Goodman,
A Journal of Captain William Trent. . .,
1752, Cincinnati: Robert Clarke
&
Co., 1871, pp. 73-81.
Since my last letter to your Lordships, Mr.
William Trent, who was sent from the Ohio (by the commissioners from this) to
the Twightwees, with part of His Majesty's present for that nation, returned
some time since, and enclosed I send your Lordships a copy of his journal there
and back to this government, by which you'll please observe the risk he run,
and the miserable condition he found these poor people in; their town taken,
and many of their people killed by the French and Indians in amity with them,
and many of the English traders ruined, being robbed of their goods, some
killed and others carried away prisoners; and all this, as I am informed, is
under the conduct of the French from Canada, or New Orleans, on the Missis- (page 74) sippi, the Indians
having declared to our traders that the French promised to give them one
hundred crowns for every white scalp1 they bring them; there are no other white people trading
there but the English subjects and the French, so it is obvious they would
encourage the Indians to murder our traders in cool blood. (Scalping is cutting
the skin round the head, and by the hair drawing it off quite to the eyes.) The
French traders from Canada have met our traders in the woods and robbed them of
all their skins and goods;2 they have applied to me for protection, and power to make
reprisals, which I by no means would grant, as we are at peace with the French,
but I pray your Lordships' directions how to behave on such applications for
the (page 75) future, as I
think the British subjects are under great oppression and severities from the
French traders in their villainous robberies.3 And till the line is run between Pennsylvania and this,
His Majesty's Dominion, so as to ascertain our limits, I can not appoint
magistrates (page 76) to keep
the traders in good order, as the Pennsylvanians dispute the right of this
government to the river Ohio. Since the arrival of Mr. Trent, as above, the
Twightwees have sent one Thomas Burney, express, who brought me a belt of
wampum, a scalp of one of the Indians that are at war with them and in the
interest of the French, with a calumet pipe (being an emblem of peace with
those they send it to), and two letters, copy thereof I here enclose to your
Lordships; they are of an odd style, but are copied literally as I received
them. I dispatched Burney back to them with a belt of wampum. As the season of
the year will not admit of sending them any supplies, have assured them, in the
spring I would send them and the Six Nations, their friends and allies, twenty
barrels gunpowder, one hundred small arms, and some clothing, etc. These
nations are very powerful, and of great consequence to all our settlements on
the continent. The Twightwees, and other nations contiguous to them and in
friendship with them, I am told, can bring into the field ten thousand fighting
men, and as they are now joined in strict friendship with the Six Nations of
Indians, I think it will be of great service to confirm them to our interest,
as they will be a great protection to our back settlements to the westward, and
they are able, from their situation, to hinder an intercourse of trade between
the French settlements of Canada with that of the Mississippi behind our
colonies; and our Indian traders as- (page 77)
sure me there never was a time as propitious for the British colonies
as now, to secure these people in our interest, and to encourage the settling
the interior parts of this Dominion; but this can not be done without
considerable presents to them. Therefore, I would humbly propose that one
thousand pounds from the quit rents should be invested in goods, agreeable to
the enclosed sketch of goods suitable for them, copy thereof have sent to Mr.
John Hanbury;4 if
it would prove agreeable from that fund to grant the above sum, he being a
proper person to purchase and ship the goods, and this colony will be at the
charge of forwarding the goods to them, which will be a very great expense. The
last present cost this Dominion twelve hundred pounds this money to deliver it;
and, indeed, if His Majesty should be graciously pleased to give these poor
people the above present out of the quit rents, it will be, in a manner, only
lending them the money for their protection. I doubt not in seven years the
quit rents will increase above one thousand pounds per annum, as many people
will take up land when they are assured of the friendship of the Indians to the
westward of our settlements, and I know no method of getting their friendship
but by presents, and the thousand pounds proposed will be but a trifle when
divided among the many different nations. If your Lordships should (page
78) agree with me on this head, I hope for your
interest and application in obtaining it, and I am of opinion it should be done
immediately, otherways it will be of no great consequence or so much wanted as
at this period of time, I have this affair so much at heart, for the benefit of
Great Britain and the Plantations, and the great advantages I foresee in cultivating
a firm alliance and friendship with these nations, that if the present be sent
out as proposed, I will go and deliver it to them in person, as I am told such
a thing will be of essential service and most agreeable to them. By being
present, I would fain hope and expect to confirm them strongly to the British
interest. I must observe to your Lordships that the French have already built,
and actually continue to build, forts from Canada quite to the Mississippi, and
that not far from our back settlements. This string of forts, not far distant
from each other, will, in time, much annoy our back country. The Twightwees
have declared their resolution to destroy all those on Lake Erie, which if they
do, and we settle so far back, I doubt not, from our numbers, to make good our
just right to these lands. There came here a (page 79)
deserter from the French. I prevailed with him to give me an account
of their forts, men, etc., which I have enclosed you, but I can not think the
French have so many forts, and such a number of forces, particularly regular
forces, as this person asserts, tho' the man offered to take his oath to the
truth of it, but from this information, I think it's full time we should build
some forts of defence. The Indians are fond and solicitous that we should build
some forts on the Ohio, etc., and I am of opinion it would be a very proper
step. . .
_______________________________
1 (*, p. 74) The governor of Canada authorized the commandant at Detroit to offer a large price for the scalps of English traders. A high premium was promised for those of George Croghan and James Lowry, two very influential Pennsylvania traders.
2 (**, p. 74) This was but the natural consequence. It is well known that at this time the governors of New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia had paid spies among the Ohio Indians, exciting them to war against the French. The territory occupied by these Indians belonged to the French; their right to it had been recognized since the treaty of Utrecht. It had long been settled with both English and French that "none can trade with Indians except those who are on their own territories." The trading of the English with the Miamis was under licenses issued by the governors of Pennsylvania and Virginia. It was a contraband trade- a usurpation of power, or which the French had good reason to complain.
3 (*, p. 75) While the governor of Virginia was bewailing the atrocities committed by the French, his traders were engaged in like business. The Miamis had murdered several Coureur des Bois in cold blood, killed eight French soldiers, and tomahawked four slaves belonging to the French settlements in Illinois- all this in the winter of 1751-52! Scalps were frequently sent to the governors of Pennsylvania and Virginia, and rewards openly paid. It was unsafe at this time (1752) for a Frenchman to put his foot on his own territory.
By way of comparison, we note Governor Dinwiddie's opinion of his own traders:
"Our Indian traders, in general, appear to me to be a set of abandoned wretches."- Extract from a Letter to Governor Hamilton, of Pa., May 21, 1753.
"I concur with you in opinion that the Indian traders are a very licentious people, and may have been guilty of many bad practices."- Extract, Governor Hamilton to Dinwiddie, May, 1753.
"Whilst the traders are men of dissolute lives, without prudence or abilities, and whilst the Indians are perpetually kept under the influence of strong liquor, who of either sort can be trusted?"- Extract, Hamilton to Dinwiddie, August, 1753.
"The Indian traders used to buy the transported Irish and other convicts, as servants, to be employed in carrying up their goods among the Indians. Many of these ran away from their masters and joined the Indians. The ill-behavior of these people always hurt the character of the English among the Indians."- Hist. West. Pa., Appendix, p. 90.
4 (*, p. 77) One of the proprietors of the Ohio Company.
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