Among Wells’ white friends were General Wayne, who valued his services immensely, and Colonel Hamtramck, who was also Wells’ business associate. Other commanders at Fort Wayne, notably Captain Heald thought highly of him. On the other hand, his superiors—Harrison, Dearborn, and Eustis—felt that he was unfaithful and not worthy of their trust, while John Johnston despised him. Considering all this, it is no wonder that Harrison wrote to the Secretary of War in one of his last letters concerning William Wells: If my letters and opinions on the subject of Wells have appeared to you in any degree inconsistent and contradictory I can not say that they have not exhibited a faithful presentation of what has passed in my mind. You will do me justice in believing that this has not proceeded from fickleness of temper or any less worthy cause but from the contradictory impressions which a knowledge of his superior talents for an appointment in the Indian Department and the fear of his possessing dispositions which might in some degree prove dangerous, have made upon me. Without troubling you again with observations upon his character which I have before frequently made I will merely mention the conclusions which my mind has arrived at after much reflection. Could I be allowed to dispose of Wells as I thought proper my first wish would be to place him in the Interiour of our settlements where he would never see and scarely hear of an Indian. But as this is impossible from his being located in such a manner at Fort Wayne, that he cannot be removed without very considerable expence my next wish is to get him such an appointment as he could consider an object where he might be used to advantage but at the same time so limited as to prevent his doing mischief. I sincerely believe that he would now be faithful. His activities and talents need not be doubted.[11a] Harrison still found Wells’ ability worth while and made use of this despite the latter’s severance from the Indian department. In April, Wells and John Conner were sent to the Prophet’s town to investigate the murder of four white people in the neighborhood. Wells had a prolonged conversation with Tecumseh during which the Shawnee openly declared his intention to resist the white encroachments. In July, Tecumseh came to Vincennes with a large body of Indians and once more protested strongly against the agreements of the Fort Wayne treaty of 1809.