Graham, to hold a treaty with the Northwest Indians at Fort Wayne, in the Indiana Territory, at such time as they shall appoint. The President relies upon your good offices in preparing the Indians for the proposed council and in bringing it to an amicable termination. He has directed me to communicate to you (in confidence) a copy of the instructions which have been sent to the commissioners, that you may see at once the principles upon which your co-operation is desired, and may be rendered the most efficient. I have the honor to be, &c. GOVERNOR WORTHINGTON, of the State of Ohio. A. J. DALLAS. EXHIBIT 214. The Secretary of War to Governor Cass.1 DEPARTMENT OF WAR, June 12, 1815. SIR: My letter of this date informs you that Governor Harrison, General McArthur, and Mr. John Graham, are appointed commissioners to hold a treaty with the Northwest Indians. If the goods which were sent to your care a short time before the termination of the war for the purpose of making presents to such of the Indians as should take an active part in our favor have not been distributed, the commissioners are authorized to make a requisition upon you for the whole or a part of the goods, to use at the proposed treaty. You will be pleased, therefore, to transmit to them an invoice of the articles, and to comply with their requisition, with as much despatch as practicable. A copy of the invoice, of the requisition, and of the receipt for the delivery, you will be pleased to send to this Department. If a requisition should not be made by the commissioners, you will consider the former instructions respecting the disposition of these goods to be still in force. I am, very respectfully, &c. LEWIS CASS, Governor of the Michigan Territory. A. J. DALLAS. 'American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. II, p. 14. EXHIBIT 215. George Graham to Major General Harrison.1 Department OF WAR, July 12, 1815. SIR: In the absence of the Acting Secretary of War, I have been requested by the President to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th ult., and to forward you a copy of your instructions, lest the original, which was directed to you at Vincennes, may not have been received. From these instructions, you will observe that it is not contemplated to obtain a cession of land from the Indians at the treaty which you are authorized to hold with them, but that its objects are merely those of peace and good-will, and to obtain the fulfilment of all treaties that have heretofore been entered into. You will also perceive that the time of holding the treaty is left altogether to the discretion of the commissioners; and I am requested by the President to say that, if the preliminary measures which you propose as the means of impressing the Indians with more favorable dispositions towards us, and of inducing the tribes more generally to attend the grand council, are concurred in by the gentlemen acting with you in the commission, you are at liberty to pursue them. It is, however, desirable that the treaty should be held at as early a period as may be compatible with the attainment of the objects contemplated; and it is hoped here that the evacuation of the western posts by the British forces will have so powerful an effect as to induce them to seek an early and satisfactory termination of all differences with us. I have the honor to be, GEORGE GRAHAM, Chief Clerk. MAJ. GEN. Wм. H. HARRISON, near Cincinnati. EXHIBIT 216. General Harrison, General McArthur, and John Graham to the Senior Officer Commanding at Malden.2 DETROIT, August 26, 1815. SIR: Having been appointed by the President of the United States commissioners for treating with certain Indian tribes 1American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. II, p. 14. 2American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. II, p. 15. inhabiting the territories of the United States, we, immediately on our arrival here, gave notice to the chiefs assembled at this place of our wish to meet in council all the Indians belonging to those tribes who had taken part in the late war against us, (some of whom, as we are informed, still remain in the territories of His Britannic Majesty,) that we might inform them of the provisions in the treaty of Ghent, so far as they were interested, and concert with them the proper measures for carrying the same into effect. We accordingly requested the chiefs of their respective tribes to invite them to meet us on the 25th of this month. This invitation did not produce the desired effect, and we were told in council that they were detained by the British agents for Indian Affairs. Understanding that you have a general control over these agents, we have deemed it as due to the friendly relations of our two Governments to apprize you of the fact, not doubting that you will adopt such measures as may seem to you most proper to give full effect to the ninth article of the treaty of Ghent, which, you are aware, requires certain acts on the part of the Indians to whom it applies. Our secretary, Major Langham, will have the honor to deliver you this, and will receive your answer. We have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servants, WM. HENRY HARRISON, The Senior Officer Commanding, &c. Malden. EXHIBIT 217. Edward Barrack to Major General Harrison.' AMHERSTBURGH, August 27, 1815. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th instant. In answer to which I beg leave to inform you that the officer commanding at this post has no control or authority whatever over 1American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. II, p. 15. the Indians, they being considered as a free and independent people consequently, at liberty to act for themselves. All matters relating to Indian affairs are conducted by officers appointed for the express purpose, at the head of whom is a deputy superintendent, to whom all communications respecting the Indians should be made. I have made every inquiry to ascertain if any regular communication had been received from you inviting the Indians to the council you say was directed to assemble on the 25th instant, but can only learn that private invitations had been received by individuals, who, it appears, had no objection to going over, but considered it a matter of greater importance their attending a council ordered to assemble here on the 26th instant for the explaining the articles of the treaty of Ghent. I cannot account for the conduct of the person who delivered me your letter, with whom I sent a servant to conduct him to the quarters of the deputy superintendent of Indian affairs; but on going part of the way he dismissed the servant, and, as far as I can learn, returned immediately to Detroit, taking the letter with him. I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient, humble servant, MAJOR GENERAL HARRISON, &c., Detroit. EDWARD BARRACK. EXHIBIT 218. Lieutenant Colonel William James to Major General Harrison.1 AMHERSTBURGH, August 29, 1815. SIR: On my landing at Sandwich yesterday, a letter signed A. L. Langham was delivered to me by an interpreter of the United States Indian Department; and the singular circumstances, altogether, on the visit of the writer to this post, and his interview with Major Barrack, induced me to defer a reply to your own letter of the 26th instant, and which I have now the honor to do. In regard to the first paragraph of your letter, I beg leave to inform you that the different tribes of Indians and their chiefs now 1American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. II, p. 15. resident in the British territory had been fully made acquainted with every article of the treaty of Ghent, and that their satisfaction at the same was manifest, and their conduct since orderly and peaceable. In regard to the second, I am induced to believe that no detention has taken place on the part of the British agents, or any inducement whatever held out to the Indians on this side of the river not to cross over to the councils which you speak of. In regard to the third, it is needless for me to inform you that the Indians are their own free agents, and are not to be forced to act beyond their own pleasure; and I again disavow all knowledge, or even belief, of the fact of their being prevented attending the councils you wished; and, also, that the treaty of Ghent has been most fully explained to those Indians who had been in alliance with this Government. It may be necessary for me to remark to you, sir, that I am not at all surprised at any disinclination on the part of the Indians on the left bank of these lakes and rivers to visit the opposite shores, when such pains had so very recently (to my own knowledge) been taken to prohibit one of them ever to pass over; and to this line of conduct alone do I attribute their not attending your councils, and not to the reasons which you are pleased to assign. I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient, humble servant, WM. JAMES, Lieutenant Colonel Commanding. TO MAJOR GENERAL HARRISON, &C., Detroit. EXHIBIT 219. General Harrison to Lieutenant Colonel James.1 DETROIT, August 30, 1815. SIR: The letter which you did me the honor to address to me yesterday, in answer to that of my colleagues and myself of the 26th instant, was delivered last evening. In reply to that part of your letter which relates to Major Langham, I must be permitted to believe that a knowledge of all the "circumstances" attendant on his visit to Amherstburgh 1American State Papers, Indian Affairs, Vol. II, p. 16. |