Journals of Conrad Weiser (1748), George Croghan (1750-1765), Christian Frederick Post (1758), and Thomas Morris (1764)Croghan, George
History
Journals of Conrad Weiser (1748), George Croghan (1750-1765), Christian Frederick Post (1758), and Thomas Morris (1764)
Croghan, George
Mississippi River Valley -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
The next day my Indians spoke on
their belts. The two wretches still sought an opportunity to kill me.
The day following the Miamis returned their answer: “That we must go
back;” shewed the belts of the Senecas, Shawanese, and Delawares; gave
my Indians a small string of white wampum; and told them: “to go and
inform their chiefs of what they had seen and heard.” While the council
sat I was concealed in L’Esperance’s garret, as Godefroi was obliged
to attend it. Being determined at all events to get into the Illinois
country if possible, St. Vincent and I agreed, that he should endeavour
to gain le Cygne and the young king to attend me to Wyaut: but, in the
middle of the night, St. Vincent came and awoke me, told me that two
Frenchmen were just arrived from St. Joseph, and that the Delewares, who
were there, were coming back to the Miamis village. He advised me to send
for my chief immediately, and tell him, for his own safety as well as
mine, to try to get leave to go away in the morning, (for the Miamis had
appointed the next day but one for our departure). This was accordingly
done, and leave obtained. I went to visit le Cygne, who told me, “that he
would have been glad to have attended me to Wyaut; but that he could not
think of leading me to my death: for that there were so many tommahawks
lifted up there, that he should have trembled to have gone himself.” I
gave notes to Pacanne and Pondiac’s nephew, setting forth that they had
saved my life, and entreating all Englishmen to use them kindly. (Pacanne
shewed his paper to Colonel Croghan, when he made his tour through the
Indian country, and the Colonel was pleased to bring him to Detroit,
and, at a private meeting appointed for that purpose, sent for me, and
gave me a very handsome present to lay at his feet). We gave all our
blankets and shirts to those Indians who had done us service; and hearing
that the chiefs were in council, and talked of not allowing me to return
with my party, but of detaining me prisoner; and my Indians themselves
appearing uneasy, having left my money and baggage with one Capucin, a
Frenchman, I hurried away about noon, vexed at heart that I had not been
able to execute the orders I had received. I gave General Bradstreet’s
letter for Monsieur St. Ange, the French commandant at Fort Chartres, to
St. Vincent, to deliver to that officer; and signed a certificate which
he was pleased to put into my hands, specifying that, on many occasions,
he had saved my life. Fear lent wings to my Indians this day; and we
continued our march till it was quite dark, being apprehensive of an
attack. We set out very early the next morning; and as nothing worthy of
observation happened, my thoughts were taken up during this day’s journey
in admiring the fine policy of the French with respect to the Indian
nations; of which, from among a thousand, I shall select two remarkable
instances, which I mention as not only worthy of imitation, but to wear
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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