When Canada was ceded to the British it took with it the posts at the head
of the Maumee and Wea town. They were garrisoned by small detachments of
British troops. Pontiac's conspiracy to drive the British out of the
country included the capture and destruction of all the posts then held by
the British west of the mountains. The two other posts in Indiana were
captured, but Vincennes, being still under the command of St. Ange, was not
attacked. Pontiac endeavored to enlist St. Ange in his warfare against the
colonists, but that astute officer was proof against all his blandishments.
When the treaty of 1763 was made known, St. Ange was transferred to the
command of Fort Chartres, on the Mississippi, and left the affairs of
Vincennes under the control of three of the more prominent citizens.
The British reoccupied Fort Miamis, at the head of the Maumee, and
garrisoned Fort Chartres, but did not occupy Vincennes or assume control
over its affairs. General Gage, commander-in-chief of the British forces in
America, issued a proclamation to the people of Vincennes offering them the
privilege of remaining or of removing to the French or Spanish possessions,
assuring them that if they remained they should have the same religious
privileges as had been granted to the people of Canada. In a later
proclamation he informed the inhabitants that he would not recognize any
claim they had to the lands in and around the Post.
The priest of the little parish and some of the leading citizens
memorialized the General, showing that the lands had been held by them for
many years under grants recognized by the French government, and that it
would be a hardship now to deprive them of the rights they had so long
enjoyed. On the receipt of this memorial General Gage ordered that all
evidences of title be submitted to him at Boston. This, for various
reasons, could not be done. Many of the written grants had, as was the
custom in France, been left in charge of a notary, who had disappeared with
them. In other cases, the grants had been verbal, title passing again,
after a French fashion, by the giving of possession with certain
ceremonies. While this matter was in contest between the citizens of
Vincennes and General Gage, the first mutterings of the American Revolution
brought the General duties of more pressing interest, and nothing further
was done in regard to the land grants at Vincennes.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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