Miami County, Indiana - Chapter 2, 1887

Chapter 2

Indian History - Early Tribes - The Miamis - Treaties - The Pottaw atomies - Indian Villages - Miami Chiefs - Killing of Shoc-cot-wah - Fr.\nces Slocu.m - B.vttle of

OF the tribes that inhabited the countrj- East of the Mississippi, the Miami was the most powerful. And as early as the latter part of the seventeenth century, exercised general control over the greater part of the territory embraced in the present State of Indiana. Subsequenth' encroachments upon the lands claimed b}- the Miamis began to be made by other tribes of same family (_ Algonquin) among whom were the Pottawatomie, Shawanee, Delaware and Kickapoo tribes. But the History of Miami County has to do principally with the Miami and Pottawatomie tribes, the former occupants of the territorj- South of the Wabash and the latter of the territory North of that river.

The first general treaty, perhaps, in which the several tribes of the Algonquin familv in the original Northwestern Territory - embracing those named above - were participants, was that at Greenville, in the Territory' of the United States Northwest of the Ohio River, on the 3d day of August, 1795. It was there that the various tribal interests were fully discussed, and the separate rights of each considered with reference to their past and future relations with the white people. Fifteen tribes and branches were represented in that council, the deliberations of which commenced on the i6th day of June and terminated on the 3d day of August, 1795, with the unanimous acceptance, bj- the several representatives present, of the several provisions of that important treaty in which they were respectivelv interested. It was during the continuance of this council that Little Turtle, a representative chief of the Miamis, defined the traditionary boundaries of their territory. Addressing Gen. Wayne, he said:

"I hope vou will pay attention to what I now say to you. I wish to inform \ou where your younger brothers, the Miamis, live, and also the Pottawatomies of St. Joseph, together with the Wabash Indians. You have pointed out to us the boundary line between the Indians and the United States, but I now take the libertv to inform \ou that the line cuts off from the Indians a large portion of country which has been enjoyed by my fore-fathers, time immemorial, without molestation or dispute. The prints of mv ancestor's houses are everywhere to be seen in this portion. ... It is well known bv all mv brothers present, that mv forefathers kindled the tirst tire at Detroit; from thence he extended his lines to the head waters of the Scioto; from thence, to its mouth; from thence down the Ohio to the mouth of the Wabash; and from thence, to Chicago, on Lake Michigan."

One of the pro\isions of this treatv, which materiallv affected the interests of this locality, was that which allowed "to the people of the United States a free passage by land and water, as one and the other shall be found convenient, through their country . . . from Fort Wayne, along the portage aforesaid, which leads to the Wabash, and thence down the Wabash to the Ohio." Allowing, also, to the people of the United States the free use of the harbors and mouths of rivers along the lakes adjoining Indian lands, for sheltering vessels and boats, and liberty to land their cargoes when necessarv for their safetv.

The Miamis were a branch of the Algonquin familj- - which primitivelv occupied the region surrounding the great lakes. The Miamis, according to Schoolcraft, occupied a high position among the tribes of North America. Thev were leading and influential, and were superior to manv in point of intelligence and moral characteristics. The}- were strict observers of treaty stipulations, and were not easily influenced bv neighboring tribes to commit deeds of desperation or take up arms without what they believed to be a just cause. When once aroused the\' fought with the skill of trained warriors, and under Little Turtle, in some respects the greatest warrior of his race, won on many a battle-field.

The great treatv entered into bv the Miamis and the commissioners on the part of the United States, under the provisions of which the first important cession of territory in this part of Indiana was made, was concluded on the 6th of October, iSiS, at St. Mary's, Ohio. The boundaries of the territory embraced in this cession were substantiallv the following: "Commencing near the town of LaGro, on the Wabash, where the Salamonie unites with the Wabash River: running thence through Wabash and Grant Counties into Madison Countv, its southeast corner was about foiu" miles southeast of Independence, at the center of section 1 7 : thence running south of west, with the general course of the Wabash River across Tipton Countv, close to the town of Tipton, just north thereof, to where it intersects a line running north and south from Logansport, which is the western boundary of Howard County, one mile west of Range line No. i, east; thence north to Logansport; thence up the Wabash to the mouth of the Salomonie, the place of beginning. There was contained within these boundaries 930,000 acres. The greater part of this reservation remained in

By the treaty of October 23, 1826, held at Paradise Springs, known as the old "Treaty Grounds," the chiefs and warriors of the Miamis, in council with Lewis Cass, James B. Ray and John Tipton, Commissioners representing the United States, ceded to the latter power "aU their claim to lands in the state of Indiana, north and west of the Wabash and Miami Rivers, and of the cession made by the said tribe to the United States, by the treaty concluded at St. Mary's, October 6, 1818." By further provision of the same treaty, the state of Indiana was authorized to lay out a canal or road through any of the reservations, and for the use of a Canal, six chains along the same were appropriated.

Again, in 1834, the Government purchased of them 177,000 acres, including the strip seven miles wide, off the west side of the reserve, in what is now Cass, Howard and Clinton Counties, which was transferred to the state of Indiana, to be used for the completion of the Wabash and Erie Canal from the mouth of the Tippecanoe River. A strip five miles wide, along the Wabash, had been previously appropriated to the construction of the canal to the mouth of the Tippecanoe. The consideration paid for this was $335,680.

Bv treatv of No\ember 6, 1838, they made a further cession to the United States of certain lands reserved by former treaties. Finallv, on the 28th of November, 1840, they relinquished their right to all the remaining lands in Indiana, except certain specific reservations, for which they received the sum of $550,000 and agreed to vacate these lands within five years. They did not move, however, until 1847.

Pottawatomies - This tribe is also of the Algonquin family, being a branch of the great Chippewa, or, as some write, Ojibway, nation, which, at the time of our first account of them, about the middle of the seventeenth century, occupied and held the country from the mouth of Green Bay, to the head waters of Lake Superior. This nation was visited at an early date by the French at Sault St. Mary and Chegoimegon.

At a later dav, they appear to have migrated southward: formidable bands of them having gained a footing on the territory of the Miamis near the southern extremity of Lake Michigan, partl)^ bj' permission and partly by force. Since that time, they have been recognized as occupving the territory to the southward of

On the iSth of July, T815, the Pottawatomies, desiring to enter into. relations of friendship vvitii the United States and place themselves in a proper position before the world, concluded a treaty, the first separate one made by them, the chief element of which is set forth in Section 2, in the following words:

"There shall be perpetual peace and friendship between all the people of the United States of America and all the individuals composing the said Pottawatomie Tribe or Nation."

By the provisions of a treat}', made and concluded at St. Mary's, on the 2d day of October, 1818, they ceded to the United States all the countrv comprehended within the following limits: " Beginning at the mouth of the Tippecanoe River, and running up the same to a point twenty-five miles in a direct line from the Wabash River: thence, on a line as nearh" parallel to the general course of the Wabash Ri\'er as practicable, to a point on the Vermillion River, twentv-five miles from the Wabash River: thence down the Vermillion River to its mouth, and thence up the Wabash River to the place of beginning. The Pottawatomies also cede to the United States all their claim to the countr\- south of the Wabash River."

The treatv of most iuTjiortance to the people of this locality, made by this tribe with the United States, was at Paradise Springs, near the mouth of the Mississinewa, upon the Wabash, on the i6th da\' of October, 1S26, bv the provisions of which the United States acquired the right to all the land within the following limits: " Beginning on the Tippecanoe River, where the northern boundary of the tract ceded by the Pottawatomies to the United States, by the Treaty of St. Marj-'s, in the year 1818, intersects the same, thence, in a direct line, to a point on Eel River, half-way between the mouth of the said river and Pierish's village: thence up Eel River to Seek's village, near the head thereof; thence, in a direct line to the mouth of a creek emptying into the St. Joseph's of the Miami, near Metea's village; thence, up the St. Joseph's to the boundary line between the States of Indiana and and Ohio; thence, south to the Miami; thence up the same to the reservation at Fort Wayne; thence, with the lines of the said reservation, to the boundary established b}- the treaty with the Miamis in 1818; thence, with the said line to the Wabash River; thence, with the same river to the mouth of the Tippecanoe River, and thence, with the said Tippecanoe Ri\er to the place of beginning. And the said tribe also cede to the United States all their right to land within the following limits: Beginning at a point on Lake Michigan, ten miles due north of the southern extreme thereof, running thence due east to the land ceded b\- the Indians to the United

States bv the treat}- of Chicago; thence south with the boundan' thereof, ten miles; thence, west to the southern extreme of Lake Michigan : thence; with the shore thereof, to the place of beginning."

In addition to the treaties ah'eadv referred to, the Pottawatomies concluded nineteen other treaties with the Ll^nited States, ceding certain reserved interests, from time to time withheld, until, by the the provisions of the final treaty concluded by them on the nth of Februarv, 1837, with John T. -Douglass, a Commissioner on the part of the United States, at the City of Washington, they ceded all their remaining interest in the lands in the State of Indiana, and agreed to remove to a country provided for them by the President of the United States, southwest of the Missouri River, within two y^ears from the ratification of said treaty. The treaty was ratified at the end of one week from its consummation, and the\- were removed westward in the fall of 1838 and 1839 following."'

Indian Villages. - The Indian villages in this county were: We-Saws, on the north bank of the Eel River, below Denver, at the mouth of We-Saw Creek: Flower's village, on the south side, opposite Chili ; and Squirrel's Village, on the north side, near Stockdale. The Indians living at Flower's Village were Weas, subsequently designated on the pay roll of Eel Rivers; at We-Saw's, Pottawatomies, and at Squirrel's, Miamis. After a few years they all became known as Miamis, and signed treaties and participated in annuities as such. The Osage Village, t)n the west bank of the Mississinewa, one mile above its mouth, was the most important village in the count}'. This was, doubtless, the largest village of the Miami tribe. It took its name ftom that of its first chief. She-pa-can-nah, or Deaf Man, was the war chief of this \illage.

Principal Chiefs of tlic Miamis. - No authentic account of the chiefs of the Miamis can be given prior to the reign of Aguenack-gue, who signed tlie first treaty between the English and Miamis on the 23d of July, 1748. He lived in Turtle \'illage, a few miles northeast of Fort Wayne, and it was at this place in the year 1747, his son. Little Turde, was born. Upon the death of his father Little Turtle became chief of the tribe. His mother was of thi tribe of Mohegans, and transmitted man\- of her superior qualities to her son. His courage, sagacity and extraordinary talent were developed at an early age, and, when but a boy, his influence with his own tribe, as well as with others of the confederation, was iinbounded. His .skill in the management of an army was not surpassed even bv those trained and schooled in the profession. He was victorious in many a hotly contested battle, and it was not uiUil he met "the man who never sleeps," as he spoke of General Wa}ne while addressing a council of war, did he meet his equal. He died at Fort Wavne Julv 14th, 181 2. and was buried by the whites with

Eari,V Tribes Of Indians

The successor of i^ittle Turtle was Pe-che-wa, commonly called John ]i. Richarchille. His father was of French extraction, and his mother was the sister of Little Turtle. He was bom about the year 1761. His election to chieftaincy was the result of a most daring feat of voluntaiy heroism. A white captive had been condemned to be burned at the stake. He had been bound and the faggots placed in jiosition, and the one who had been commissioned to apph' the torch began the performance of his dut}-, and as the flames began to wreathe, the young Richardville, in obedience to a siijnal from his mother, dashed througrh the wild crowd and cut the cords that bound the captive and bade him go free. So heroic was the act that he was at once accepted as chief. He was a man of great executive ability and fine business sense. He died in 1 84 1, and was buried b\' the Catholics at Fort Wa3'ne.

Francis LaFontaine, whose Indian name was To-pe-ah, became principal chief of the Miamis after the death of Richardville. His father was of French descent and his mother a Miami woman. He was born at Fort Wayne in 1820. At the age of twenty-one he married Catharine Po-con-go-qua, daughter of Richardville. He manifested great interest in the welfare of his tribe, and on this account was elected chief. When his tribe was removed to the reservation west of the Mississippi he accompanied them, but after a short stay started to return, and at Lafayette was taken suddenly ill, where he died April 13th, 1847. His remains were taken to Huntington for interment, where one of his daughters, Mrs. Archangel Englemaii, still lives.

i\lc-s/iin-gu->nc-sia. His ancestors and dcscciidaiits. - No reliable account of the ancestors of Me-shin-go-me-sia can be traced fin-ther back than the fourth generation, or to the time of Osandiah, who, at the head of one division of the tribe, left Fort Wavne (at what date no one knows) and settled on the Big Miami River, in Ohio. Soon after his settlement at this point he visited Gen. Washington, at that time President, who presented him with tokens of regard. This aroused the jealousy of the other tribes, b\' whom it is believed he was poisoned.

Upon the death of Osondiah his son, Ataw-ataw, became chief, and he, in turn, was succeeded by his son, Me-to-cin-yah, who removed with his tribe to Indiana and settled in what is now Wabash and Grant Counties, and after a successful reign of many years died, and his remains were buried in Wabasli County.

He was the father of ten children : Me shin-go-me-sia, Ta-consaw, Mack-quack-yno-nun-gah, Shop-on-do-sheah, Wa-pe-si-taw, Me-tack-quack-cpiah, So-lin-jes-\ah, Wa-cau-con-aw, Po-kung-eyali and We-coji-eme-nah.

Upon the death of Me-to-cin-vah, his eldest son, Me-shin-gome-sia, succeeded to the chieftaincy. He was born in Wabash County about the beginning of the last quarter of the eighteenth century ( the precise date not known). At the age of about thirty he married Tac-ka-quah, a daughter of So-a-nah-ke-kah, and to them were born two sons Po-kung-gah and Ataw-ataw. He was a man of great firmness, though not obstinate. He was ordinarily intelligent and always displayed judgment and good business sense in the management of the affairs of his band. His death occurred December - ,1879.

F'raiicis Gocifrov - '-A great war-chief of the Miamis, called by the Indians, Pa-lons-wa, was the son of Jacques, or James Godfroy. a French trader among the Indians. He and his brother Louis were distinguished men in their tribe from early manhood, and took a leading part in its important affairs. They were prominent in the battles of Fort Wayne, Tippecanoe and the Mississinewa. Their high appreciation in the tribe is eyidenced by the fact that, in the treat}- of St. Mary's, in 1818, Francis was granted a reseryation of six sections of land on the

Salamonie, at La Petit Prairie, and Louis six sections on the St. Mary's, aboye the reservation of Anthony Shaw. The affection of the brothers for each other is shown by an article of agreement, made on the 2nd of December, 1S24, witnessed by Gen. Tipton and Joseph Barron, in which thev agree to exchange one section of these reseryations, and bind themselves not to sell or otherwise dispose of the same, unless bv mutual consent - the sole object and purpose of the exchange being that -the brothers jnay live near each other.'

-' Francis was a man of splendid physical development, being six feet high and weighing about three hundred pounds. He was genial, generous and dignified; sincere in his friendship, paternal in his rule, and princely in his hospitality. He was known and esteemed by the most distinguished men of his day, and among them those against whom he fought in battle. He was a prompt and liberal contributor on all public calls for money : was gracious and hospitable to white visitors, and. like one of the old barons, always kept about his ' Mount Pleasant' home a large retinue of his own people.

"In the spring of 1840 he was taken sick, and, after a lingering illness, died on the first day of May of that year. A numerous concourse of white citizens, as well as his own people, manifested their respect for the chief bv attending his funeral, which took place at his own house, his grave being but a short distance from it on tlie rising ground to the south. Wap-pa-pin-sha, called also Black Raccoon, a chief and noted orator, delivered a funeral discourse on the occasion, from which the following extracts are taken:

"Bkotheiis: Tlie (Jreat Spirit liiis tMlicii to liimself anothor of our oiuc jiowerful and happy, Init now rapidly dccliniug- nation. Tlic time lias liocn wlii'n these forests were densely popnlated liy the red man; Imt the same hand, whose Mighting touch witliered tlu^ niajeslie frame before us, and eaused the nolile sjiirit liyVhieh it was animated to seek another liome, has dealt in a like mamier with liis and onr fatliers; in a like manner will it deal with us. Death, of late, lias been eomnion amonir us - .so much so that an occurrence of it scarcely elicits our notice. Ikit when the brave, the generous and the patriotic are blasted by it, then it is that the tears of sorrow freely How.

"Such is now the c;ise; our brother, who just left us, was brave, generous and patriotic, and as a tribute to his merit, and a reward for goodness, the tears, not only of his own iicople, but of many white men, who are here assembled to witness the funeral rites, freely flow.

"At this scene the poor of his people weep, because at his table they were wont to feast and rejoice. The weak mourn his death, because his authorit}' was directed to their protection. But he has left the earth, the place of ve.\ation and contention, and is now particii>ating with Pocahontas and Logan in those joys prepared by the Great Spirit for such as well and faithfully discharge their duties here. Brothers, let us emulate his example and practice his virtues."

" From 1838 until their removal west, the Miamis grew reckless and dissipated. Their dissipation led to frequent quarrels and homicides, so their number decreased rapidly in the live years preceding their removal. The following are some of the cases which attracted the special notice of the whites: Shoccot-wah, a half-brother of Ne-con-zah (Squirrel), was a bad Indian - quarrelsome and treacherous. Old Mother Tap-po, who had several daughters, and Ah-lin-de-ze-quah, who had two daughters and a son named Wa-ca-co-nah, lived in what is now the David Hohn farm, in Butler township. Their cabins were close together, and the Indians resorted there. At the time of the occurrence about to be related, several Weas, among ihem the brothers of Shap-pan-do-ce-ah and Qua-com-ah-cot-wah and Shoc-cot-wah, Ne-con-zah, Shoc-com-wah and Me-ze-quoh, of the Ne-con-zah, or Squirrel party of Miamis, were there drinking. They had spent the night in their carousal, in the course of which Shoc-cot-wah caught Mother Tap-po bv the hair and struck her in the face with his list, bruising it and causing the blood to flow freel)'. This made the old woman mad for revenge, and she told her daughters to load her pistol heavily for she was going to kill Shoc-cot-wah. They loaded the pistol and gave it to her. This was the ne.\t morning after the "night's deliauch, and the Indians were outside the house sitting and standing, and Shoc-cot-wah was in a half recumbent position resting on his elbow. The old woman came to him, pointing the pistol at him, and told him she was going to shoot him, but just as she was about to pull tiie trigger Wap-pa-pin-sha, who was gener- ally called the Black Raccoon, a man of rank and distinction as an orator among the Indians, came arovnd the house, caught her hand and inquired what she was going to do. She told him how she had been abused, showed her bruised and bloody face, and said she was going to kill Shoc-cot-wah. Wap-papin-sha took the pistol and told Shoc-cot-wah that he was a bad Indian, that he was no man, was a coward to abuse an old woman in that way, and that he must die. Shoc-cot-wah did not move from his position, and his antagonist, standing above, fired downward, the ball passing between the collar-bone and the throat. After being shot, Shoc-cot-wah, spitting blood, got up and walked toward Wap-pa-pin-sha, who had walked away from where Shoc-cot-wah had been l}ing. As Shoc-cot-wah passed the Indians they thought he wanted a weapon, and Shappan-do-ce-ah said to Wap-pa-pin-sha, who was paralyzed in one arm and unarmed, "He will kill you, take this," handing him a large Bowie knife. He took the knife, upon seeing which Shoc-cot-wah began to plead, saying to Wap-pa-pin-sha, 'Don't kill me mv friend; you have done enough; I am your friend.' To which Wap-pa-pin-sha answered, 'No, you are not my friend: vou are nobodv's friend; vou abuse the Indians, and you must die,' and he plunged the knife into Shoc-cot-wah's heart. He drew it out of the breast of Shoc-cot-wah, a stream of blood spouting from the wound, and, after wiping it on the grass, handed it back to Shap-pan-do-ce-ah.

"The squirrel party, to which Shoc-cot-wah belonged, threatened revenge, and the whites, who thought substantial justice had been done bv Wap-pa-pin-sha, brought him to town and protected him from his enemies.

"Another case, which was regarded by the whites in a different light, and aroused their horror and indignation, was the killing, by Peashwa, a Pottawattomie, of two men and a woman of the Flowers or Wea part}'. He had lived at Wesaw Village and had two ^viyes of the FloAvers party. After the removal of the Weas from Eel River to the reserve, south of the Wabash, he and his wives and the two half-brothers of one of these women settled on Pipe Creek, near where the Strawtown road crosses the same. Their names were Ah-lah-loon-dah and Shap-pan-do-ceah. and were married and had houses at the same place. Shappan-do-ce-ah's wife was named Kil-so-quah, and Ah-lah-loon-dah's, Me-shoc-co-to-quah. These two Weas and their wives went on a hunt some six miles southwest of where they lived, on Little Deer Creek, and camped. The men went hunting and the women remained in camp. The pony of Me-shoc-co-to-quah got loose at the camp and started back toward home. She followed, and did not catch it until it had nearly reached there. When she returned near to the camp she approached it Indian-like, cautiously, and seeing Kil-so-quah sitting very quietly and in a curious position, her fears of something being wrong were aroused, and she crept quietly up to the camp. She found her sister-in-law, whom she had left but a few hours before well, sitting in a half reclining position, dead, with a wild turkey she had been picking, in her lap. She retreated in terror, got on her pony and went with all haste to the Wea Village, on Deer Creek, to give the alarm. A party at once started for the camp. They soon came upon the trail of the hunters in a swampy thicket. They followed it but a short distance when they found the body of one of the Indians, shot from behind through the back of the head, and his pon\' shot; following the trail still further, they found the other, shot through the body."

"The Indians were furious and the whites turned out with them to hunt the murderer, but the search was fruitless. It was considered a cruel murder, and if Peashwa had been found,, the whites whould have seconded the Indians in takin"- summary vengeance.

"At his home, on Pipe Creek, he left two children, by a former wife, a Pottawattomie woman. They were kept under strict sur\-eillance by the Weas, as hostages, and it was understood that if Peashwa was not caught they would be sacrificed. The boy was got away, and, like his father, found refuge at Ephriam Bearss'; but the girl remained, and shortlj' afterward disappeared, and the legend is - and it is believed by Pim-wyoh-tem-ah, a Miami, now living in this neighborhood, to be true - that the old woman of the Flowers party kilUed the girl by the most cruel method of cutting her to pieces. This she, no doubt, regarded as a sacred duty, to avenge the killing of her own people by the child's father.

"Wah-puck-co-se-ah was killed by Win-gon-sah, in 1844. Shap-pan-do-ce-ah's wife, a Pottawattomie woman, killed Mahqua-co-non-gah, in 1S45, at the Osage village. Pung-ah-shin-gah killed Man-ce-ah, or Muncie, as he was called by the whites, in 1845. Keel-oh-com-e-ke-ah, who died but a few years ago, at his home, near the Mississinewa - a peaceable, manly Indian, and remarkable for his great weight, some four hundred pounds - killed Shoc-co-com-wah, under almost ludicrous circumstances. They had been in town, drinking, and on their way home, somewhere near the old limekiln, on the road between Peru and the Mississinewa. Shoc-co-com-wah.

who was quarrelsome, wanted to tight. Keel-oh-com-e-ke-ah said lie did not want to tight, was not mad, and had nothing to tight about. The other insisted, at least to tight white fashion, with their lists. So, to gratify his friend, Keeloh-com-e-ke-ah consented, and thev got off their horses. Thev were both under the influence of liquor, and, before commencing, Shoc-co-com-wah took out his bottle, took a drink, and handed it to Keel-o-com-e-ke-ah, inviting him to drink. While the latter had the bottle to his mouth, the other struck at him with a knife, cutting through his coat and inflicting a severe wound in his breast. Keel-o-com-e-ke-ah seized him by the throat, crushed him to the ground, held him there with one hand, while with the other he reached into his vest-pocket, got out a clasp dirkknife, opened the blade with his teeth, and then struck it into the breast of his treacherous friend. He repeated his blows with the knife until he effectually cured the pugilistic Miami of all further disposition to tight white-man fashion.

"Keel-o-com-e-ke-ah, for -sears before his death, had been falling awav in flesh, until, at the occurrence of that event, he did not weigh more than, perhaps, a hundred pounds. Once, years ago, when he was at his greatest weight, he was arrested in town for being drunk, and perhaps fifty men and boys were engaged in taking him before the mayor. His great strength enabled him to throw them off as though thev were children: but, about the time they got him to the office, he was exhausted, and gave up, exclaiming, 'oh, too many - can't.' The entrance to the Maj'or's othce was by an outside rickety stairs. The Ma3-or looked out of the window, and, seeing the elephantine proportions of the prisoner, dismissed the case for want of sufficient stairs."

Frances Slociiiii - Earlv in the thirties, it was discovered by Gen. George W. Ewing, that the widow of one of the distinguished war-chiefs was a white woman, who had been captured bv the Delaware Indians when but a child of probably six years. He learned from her, the name of her father and the further fact that the family lived on the Susquelianna in Penns^'lvania, and he accordingly addressed a letter to a gentleman in Pennsylvania requesting its publication, thinking it might thereby reach some of the relatives. The following is an extract from the letter of Gen. Ewing: "There is now near this place among the Miami tribe of Indians, an aged white woman, who a few days ago, told me, whilst I lodged in the camp with her one night, that she was taken away from her father's home on or near the Susquehanna River, when she was very young, say from five to eight years old: she thinks, by the Delaware Indians who were then hostile to the whites. She savs her father's name was Slocum, that he was a Quaker, rather small in stature, and wore a large broad-rimmed hat; was of sandy hair, light complexion and much freckled; that he lived about half a mile from a town where there was a fort; that they lived in a wooden house two stories high, and had a spring near the house. She says three Delawares came to the house in the day time, when all were absent but herself and perhaps two other small children; her father and brothers were absent making hav. The Indians carried her off and she was adopted into a family of Delawares who raised her and treated her as their own child. They died about forty years ago in Ohio. She was then married to a Miami, by whom she had four children, two of whom are now living, both daughters, and she living with them. She is old and feeble and thinks she will not live long, and these considerations induced her to give the present histor}- of herself which she never would do before, fearing her kindred would come and force her away."

The letter, after being given up by the writer as having failed of its purpose, was accidentally discovered, some two years after it was written, and published in a Lancaster, Pa., paper. The facts it narrated regarding the captive satisfied the Slocums that she was, be3'ond a doubt, their long lost relative, and thev at once opened a correspondence with Col. Ewing on the subject. The following letter will explain itself as a part of the present narrative.

"Dritr Sir: At the snrrgestion of my father and other relations I have taken the liberty to write toyo\i although an entire stranger. We have received but a few days since, a letter written b)' you to a gentleman in Lancaster, in this State, upon a subject of deep and intense interest to our family. How the matter should have lain so long enwrapped in obscurity we cannot conceive. An aunt of mine, sister of my father, was taken away when five years old, by the Indians, and since then we have had only vasiue and indistinct rumors on the subject. Your letter we deem to have entirely revealed the wliole matter and set everything at rest. The description is so perfect and the incidents (with the exception of her age) so correct, we feel confident.

"Steps will be taken immediately to investigate the matter, and we will endeavor to do all in our power to restore a lost relative who has been sixty years in Indian bondage. * * * * *

The narrative of the life of Frances Slocum, as given herself to the interpreters who went with her relatives, as above related, is as follows:

"One evening about dusk, in the year i777> while Frances and other children were at play, near her father's house, at Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, the hostile Delawares approached them, killed one boy and bore off another and herself prisoners. She was taken by two Delawares and by them transferred to

Tuck-hos, a chief of that nation, whom she represented to be a man of great distinction. This chief after receiving his little prisoner, dressed her in the gavest manner, decorating her with wampum, beads and hne feathers, and treated her with great humanity.

"Shortly after her captivity, the party left the Wyoming Valley, and went to Genesee Falls; from thence, after a transient stay, they preceded to the falls of Niagara, where they remained during Gen. Wayne's war, and were supplied with provisions and munitions of war by the British. The Chief, Tuck-hos, and his party, of whom Frances was one, remained at this place two winters, and during the time, she says, the Indians frequently went out and returned with many white men's scalps, being hostile at the time. From Niagara the party went to Sandusky, where they remained a short time and then returned to the falls, Some time after this, she states, the Indians made bark canoes, and several thousand of them went to Detroit, where they remained three ^ears; from thence they removed to Brownstown, w'here Frances lived for a time with a Delaware as his wife but had no issue by him. From Brownstown they proceeded to Fort Wayne, in this state, and remained there some years during the late war. While at Fort Wayne, the Indians suffered much from want of pro\isions and other necessaries, and were for a time at the very point of starvation, havintr nothinij but wild meat whereon to subsist."

"About forty-four years ago [this narrative was given in 1837] she was married to Deaf Man [She-pah-can-nah, war Chief of the Osage village] by whom she had four children, two sons and two daughters, and her husband has been dead about four years. From Fort Wayne, she, with her husband, came to the Osage Village, and Avent thence to the place known as Deaf Man's Village, where she resided when she first disclosed her history to Col. Ewing, and until she died.

This now noted woman died on the 9th of March, 1847, aged seventA'-five years. Her Indian name, as given by her Indian relatives, was Mah-cones-quah, which means Young Bear. Her daughter, Ke-ke-na-kush-wa, wife of Capt. John B. Brouillette, died on the 13th of March, 1847, aged forty-seven years. The other daughter mentioned in the narrative, was, at the time of the visit of her white relatives, the wife of Tah-co-nah. Her name was O-zah-wah-shing-quah. She was afterward married to Wah-pa-pe-tah (Peter Bondy), and several children, now adults, are the offspring of this marriage. She died in January, 1877, - tlie last of the Children of Frances Slocum.

Early Tribes Of Indians

" A few evenings ago, Mr! Isaac Slocuin, a younger brother of Frances, arrived in town from Sanduskv Countv, Ohio, and, in company with James T. Miller, of this place, interpreter, proceeded to the place of her residence known by the appellation of ' Deaf Man's V^illage,' about nine miles above Peru, on the Mississinewa River.

" Mr. Slocum. on the wa}% remarked to his guide that if the woman (Frances) was really his sister, he would recognize her by a scar upon the forefinger of her left hand, caused by a blow from a hammer upon an anvil, while at play with her brother before she was taken captive, but he knew not in what other wa}' he should be able to convince either her or himself of the relationship which existed between them.

" Mr. Miller proceeded to the house alone, in order to prepare the old lady for the reception of her brother, but found her unwilling to believe that such a thing could be. The brother then entered the house, and, gazing upon the changed appearance of Frances, involuntarily exclaimed. 'Good God! is this my sister?' Then, grasping her hand, he drew her toward the light and beheld the scar! the identical scar which he had described. He was then satisfied; but Frances was still unwilling to believe Mr. Slocum her brother. Mr. Miller, at the request of Mr. Slocum, interrogated her in the Indian language (as she speaks or understands no other) concerning the scar upon her hnger, and she related the same story which her brother had told him on the way; and finally, before they separated, Frances was satisfied to acknowledge Isaac to be her own brother, but expressed no inclination to leave her wigwam to partake of the comforts of his hospitable mansion, after a residence of near sixty years among the red men of the wilderness. Mr. Slocum states that his brother Joseph and sister, Mrs. Mary Town, will be here in a few dajs and that he will await their arrival."

The parties referred to arrived in due time, and the following letter, written from -here to their relatives in Pennsylvania, and published in the Wyoming Republican, will give the further historv of Frances:

'-We arrived here on the 21st inst. The town is new and flourishing; situated on the north side of the Wabash, a little below tlie mouth of the Mississinewa, which empties in from the south. The last twenty-five miles was through the Miami Reserve, without any white inhabitants. We found Isaac Slocum here awaiting our arrival. He had visited the woman in the Reserve, mentioned in the letter of Mr. Ewing, and is perfectly satisfied that she is the sister taken captive in 1778. The next day we repaired to the village with Mr. Miller, the interpreter, together with Mr. Hunt, a half-breed that was educated at Col. Johnson's school, in Kentuckv, and another gentleman. Fording the Wabash at this place, we passed up the river to the Mississinewa, and in about five miles came to an Indian town, surrounded with blue grass pasturage and corn fields intermixed without order. Some of the natives were about their houses; others were at tents pitched in corn fields, gathering corn, their ponies standing saddled near the tents. Whenever they have any work to do at ever so short a distance from their houses, they pitch a tent, and cook and live there until the work is done, a few only returning to their houses at night. We soon after came to the seat of Godfroy, the second war chief of the Miamis, consisting of five or six two-story houses, within an inclosure of perhaps half an acre, which we entered through a gate wide enough for a carriage to pass. Upon entering the house we were all introduced to the Chief by Mr. Miller, who told him our business in the nation. He received us very courteously, and proffered us all the assistance in his power. He is probably over 50 vears of age, of portly and majestic appearance, being more than six feet high, well proportioned and weighing about 320 pounds. He was dressed in leggings and a blue calico shirt that came down to the knee, profusely ornamented with ruffles of the same, his hair nearly half gray and tied in a queue hanging elegantly down his back. After taking leave of the Chief, we proceeded to Deaf Man's Village, the residence of the captive woman, a distance of about four miles further up the Mississinewa, where the natives were employed in the same way as before described. At one of which we found the husband of the youngest daughter of the captive woman. He mounted his pon}- and went with us to the \illage. where we were introduced to the captive, her two daughters, and Capt. Brouillette, the husband of the elder. The girls are aged, one thirty-three and -the other twenty-three. The youngest has three small children, but not bv this husband. The elder had two, but both are dead. Capt. Brouillette is a half-French breed Indian, of elegant appearance, very straight and slim, and about six feet high. Uncle Joseph at once recognized his sister, and, after conversing with them some time, in the course of which we endeavored, by all means in our power, to gain their contidence, it was proposed to them to accompany us to Peru to see Mrs. Town. Mr. Miller had to give the old lady very strong assurances that we had no intention to take her away contrary to her inclination before she would go; but at length she consented, and, accompanied by her two daughters and llieir husbands, she returned with us to town, where they were introduced to Mrs. Town, who recoixnized her Ion"' lost sister. They then joined us at the supper table and appeared to bt perfectl)' at ease. They liad now become perfectly satisfied that we were their relations, and their confidence was so much strenghtened that she felt justified in proffering us their friendship. This was done by one of them placing on the stand something wrapped in a white cloth, after which thev spoke with the interpreter in a solemn manner, when he rose up and said the\' were our friends, and by way of acknowledgthemselves as such, the}' presented us with a piece of fresh venison, which they wished us to receive as a token of friendship, as that was their manner of confirming their friendship. We then arose and thanked them and received the token, Mrs. Town taking up the ham of venison and removing the cloth, which made them satisfied. The next morning they all came to breakfast with us, and the captive gave us, in the course of the dav, all the historv of her life which she could recollect. Mr. Miller, to whom we are greatly indebted, and Mr. Hunt acted as interpreters. I wrote down the narration in the words of the interpreter. There are not manv striking incidents in her life, but she and her familv, in their native costume, their extreme simplicitv of manner, the natural modesty and solemnit}- of their deportment, formed the most interesting group I ever beheld. They are decidedly the most respectable family in the nation, and they are also very " wealthy, having upward of a hundred horses, and man\- cattle and hogs. Capt. Brouillette is the only Indian who cultivates corn with the plow. He has a yoke of oxen, and wagon, and frequently takes beef and other articles to market."

Jlississinezva Exfedition. - In a letter addressed to the Secretary of War bearing date of October 13, 181 2, General Harrison called the attention of the War Department to the fact that the Miamis had taken up the tomahawk and were committing depredations upon the settlements along the frontier, citing such eviilence as the besieging of Fort Wayne and the attack on Fort Harrison. Notwithstanding these unfriendly movements the\- were still claiming to maintain a neutral position in the war between the United States and Great Britain. It was soon determined that a force should be sent against those living along the banks of the Mississinewa for the purpose of destro\ing their villages. This duty was assigned to Lieut. Col. John B. Campbell of the Ninteenth Regiment of United States Infantry, with a detachment of six hundred mounted men. The -detachment was composed mainK- of a regiment of Kentucky dragoons under command of Col. Simrall, a squadron of United States Volunteer Dragoons, under Maj. James V. Ball and a corps of Infantrv, consisting of Capt. Elliott's company of the 19th. U. S. Regiment, Butler's Pittsburgh Blues and Alexander's Pennsylvania Riflemen. The detachment was commanded to march on the 25th of November, and in his letter of instructions to Col. Campbell General Harrison commanded him to march by the "Greenville route" in order that he might not come in contact with the Delaware towns, and suggested that any trouble with them would be unfortunate, for the reason that the Government was pledged for their safet}-. He further stated that some of the Miami Chiefs had exerted themselves to keep their warriors quiet. He named among others Richardville, Silver Heels, White Loon and the son and brother of Little Turtle, and asked that thev be left unmolested. Well-knowing the methods of Indian warfare he advised Col. Campbell to keep his men at all times ready for action by night as well as b}- day, and when in the enemy's country to have his men lie' upon their arms.

The expedition did not reach the villages on the Mississinewa until the morning of December 17, and a full description of what followed will be found in the following official report of Col. Campbell to General Harrison, which is now on file in the War Department at Washington: "Early in the morning of the 17th, I reached, undiscovered an Indian town on the Mississinewa, inhabited by a number of Delawares and Miamis. The troops rushed into the town, killed eight warriors and took forty-two prisoners eight of whom are warriors, the residue women and children. I ordered the town to be immediatelv burned, a house or two excepted, in which I confined the prisoners. I then left the infantry to guard the prisoners, and with Simrall's and Ball's Dragoons advanced to some Miami villages a few miles down the Mississinewa, but found them evacuated. I burned on this occasion three considerable villages, took several horses, killed manv cattle and returned to the town I tirst burned, where I had left the prisoners, and encamped. Mv camp was in the usual form. The infantrv and riflemen were in the front line, Captain Elliott's companv on the right. Butler's in the center, Alexander's on the left: Major Ball's squadron occupied the right and one-half of the rear line. Col. Simrall's regiment the left, on the other half of the rear line. Between Balls right and Simrall's left there was an interval which had not been filled uji. I now began to deliberate upon our future movements whether to go on further encumbered with prisoners the men much fatigued and many frost-bitten, and horses suffering for want of forage. At 4 o'clock on the morning of the iSth, I ordered the reveille to be beaten and the officers convened at my lire a short time afterward. While we were in council and about half an hour before dav, my camp was most furiously attacked b\- a large party of Indians, preceded by and accompanied with a most hideous yell. This immediately broke up the council and every man ran to his post.

"The attack commenced upon that angle of the camp formed Ijv the left of Capt. Hopkins' troops and on the right by Capt. Garrard's, but in a few seconds became general from the entrance of the right to the left of Ball's squadron. The enem}' boldly advanced to within a few yards of the line and seemed determined to rush in. The guards posted at the different redoubts retreated to camp and dispersed among their different companies, thus leaving me without a disposable force. Capt. Smith, of the Kentucky Light Dragoons, who commanded one of the redoubts, in a handsome and militarv manner kept his position, although abandoned bv half his guards, until ordered to fill up the interval in the rear line, between the regiment and squadron.

" The redoubt at which Capt. Pierce commanded was first attacked. The Captain maintained his position until it was too late to get within the line. He received two balls through the body and was tomahawked. He died bravely and much lamented. The enem\- then took possession of Capt. Pierce's redoubt and poured a tremendous fire upon the angle, to the right and left of which were posted Hopkins' and Garrard's troops, but the tire was as warmly returned. Not an inch of ground was yielded. E\ery man, officer and soldier, stood firm and animated and encovu-aged each other. The enemy's fire became wariu on the left, at which Capt. Markle's troops were posted; and the right of Elliott's company, which, with Markle's, formed an angle of the camp, was severeh' annoyed b}' the enemy's fire.

" I had assisted in forming the infantry composed of Elliott's company of the 19th U. S. Regiment, Butler's Pittsburg Blues, and Alexander's Pennsylvania Riflemen, and ordered them to advance to the brink of a declivity from which they could more effectually defend themselves and harrass the enemy should they attempt an attack on that line. While I was thus engaged Maj. I3all rode up to me and observed that he was hard pressed and must be relieved. I gallo]5ed immediately to the left wing with the intention of ordering Capt. Trotter's troops to reinforce the squadron, but was there informed that the enemy was approaching in that direction, and believing it improper, on second thought, to detach a large troop from that line, which also covered an angle of the camp, I determined to give relief from the infan- try. I wheeled ni}' horse and met Maj. McDowell, who observed that the spies and guards under Capt. Patterson Bain, consisting of ten men were unemployed. We rode to them together and ordered Capt. Bain to the support of the squadron. Seven of them, to-wit: James Adrian, William Conner, Silas McCullough, James Thompson, James Noggs, John Ruland and Joseph G. McClelland, followed their bra\e leader and rendered most effectual assistance. I then ordered Capt Butler, _ with the Pittsburg Blues, to repair immediately to reinforce the squadron, and Capts. Elliott and Alexander to extend to the right and left and till up the interval occasioned by the withdrawal of the Blues. Capt Butler in a most gallant manner, and highly worth}- the name he bears, formed his men immediately and in excellent order, and marched them to the point to which he was ordered. The alacrity with which he formed and moved was never exceeded by any troops on earth. The Blues were scarcely at the post assigned them before I discovered the effect thev produced. A well directed fire from them and Hopkins' Dragoons nearly routed the enemy in that quarter. The enemj^ then moved in force to the left of the squadron and right of the infantr}', where Capts. Markle and Elliott's companies were posted. Here again they were warmly received. At this time daylight began to dawn. I then ordered Capt. Trotter, whose troops had been ordered by Col. Simrall to mount for that purpose, to make a charge. The Captain called to his troops to follow him and they tilted off at full gallop. * * * Major McDowell, with a small party, rushed into the midst of the enemy and exposed himself very much. I cannot sav too much for this gallant veteran. Capt. Markle, with about fifteen of his troops, and Lieut. Warren also made a daring charge on the enemy. Capt. Markle avenged the death of his relative, Lieut. Waltz, upon an Indian with his own sword. * * * Fearing that Capt. Trotter might be too hard pressed, I ordered Capt. Johnson, of the Kentucky Light Dragoons, to advance with his troops to support them. Capt. Johnson did not join Trotter until the enem}- was out of reach. The cavalry returned and informed me that the enemy had fled precipitately. I have on this occasion to lament the loss of several brave men."

The battle lasted about one hour and resulted in a loss to the whites of eight killed and forty-two wounded. The number of horses killed, was, according to one of the colonels, 107. Fifteen Indians were found dead upon the battle field, and it was estimated bv Col. Campbell that as many more had been carried away dead or mortalh- wounded. The Indian force was estimated at 300.

Mississinewa Expedition

large number of the Indians engaged were from Miami County. The scene of the conflict was in Grant County, at a commanding point on tlie Mississinevva River. It is probable that more than half the number were from Miami County, and the occurrence was long an interesting topic to those that lingered here after the whites had become firmly located. The accompan3'ing diagram of the battle ground is given as an interesting feature.