length sold them on their promise of payment, upon the whole from all the information I can yet collect the Indians in General do not appear to have altered their Conduct since I left them in the fall of last year." Endorsed:-In Lt. Govr Simcoe's No 21 of the 28th Feby, 1794. (2) FROM LORD DORCHESTER TO J. G. SIMCOE. QUEBEC, 27th January, 1794. Sir, I have caused enquiry to be made relative to the Mills built on the lands claimed by Mr. Ogden-Enclosed are Copies of letters from Colonel Campbell and Mr. Lorimier. I treated Mr. Ogden with all civility, but gave him no Answer relative to this business, immediately wrote to Mr. Hammond & acquainted him that I should not suffer the Governor of New York, or any other person to exercise jurisdiction or sovereignty there, and that upon the first attempts I should oppose it, and if necessary with the whole Force I could collect. The wanton cutting of Timber, I however disapprove, and am to recommend your taking every measure to discourage it. Mr. Ogden, I take for granted, will receive a proper Answer from Mr. Hammond, who is the best qualified to speak the Language that will be approved of by the King's Ministers. I am with regard, &c. Col. Simcoe. DORCHESTER. Sir, FROM LORD DORCHESTER TO J. G. SIMCOE. QUEBEC, 27th January, 1794. I received your information of the loss of the Schooner Onondago on the 8th of Decmr. off York or Toronto, with some concern, and I have ordered another to be built of nearly the same size, that whatever may be saved from the wreck may suit this new vessel. The loss is more unfortunate as the demand this year for the transport of Military Stores and Provisions over Lake Ontario, cannot be less than it was the last, when a thousand barrels of Provisions, I am told, were left at Kingston and not forwarded to their places of destination, in addition to which I purposed to relieve the 5th Regiment; however, I do not quite despair of accomplishing all this, with strict attention that none of the King's Vessels or craft be turned aside from their primary Object of transporting the Troops, Military Stores, and Provisions, to the Upper Posts, agreeable to the several Orders and Regulations. All Establishments at York, London, &c., not ordered by the General in Chief Command, are to be considered as Provincial, and in maturing these Projects, you will, no doubt, not only consult with the respectable People who are well acquainted with their own Provincial Interests, but at the same time co-operate with the Council and Assembly. This co-operation is necessary, and will greatly facilitate the carrying your various Plans into execution. When Upper Canada shall equip a Provincial Marine, it will be under the command of the Executive Council of that Province, whether he is a Military man or not, and of course will be employed to forward all the Provincial business, But all the Armed Vessels and other craft, built by the General in the Chief Command, for the purpose of transporting Troops, Military Stores, and Provisions over the Lakes, or aiding the Service at the different Posts, must be under the Command of the said General, be his rank what it may, and whether he has a Civil Commission or not. When Circumstances shall permit I shall order part of the Troops from the Upper Posts down this way; but the state of the Country is such, that for the present I shall not weaken the Forces on the Treaty Line in any respect nor will I make any alterations in the Regulations concerning the Armed Vessels. You will be pleased, therefore, to see that, while they diligently attend to their primary Object, as aforementioned, they navigate half-armed; which I think sufficient to protect them against piratical attempts; at the same time, tho' I am in hopes we shall live at Peace with our Neighbours, you will take particular care that the remainder of the Guns, & Military Stores belonging to the Vessels, are preserved complete and together, agreeably to Orders, for a full and prompt Armament, that should European Politics or other Events render the measure necessary, they may speedily be equipped to the War Establishment. The Gun Boats which have lately been fitted up, if you find the urgency of the transport Service requires it, may be employed unarmed, as in that State they will carry a greater quantity of Stores. I am with regard, &c. Col. Simcoe. DORCHESTER. Sir, FROM LORD DORCHESTER TO J. G. SIMCOE. QUEBEC, 27th January, 1794. I am to return you thanks for the information contained in your Letters of the 10th November, 2nd, 3rd, and 6th Dec., relative to the state of the Country, and regret much that all endeavours to conciliate matters between the Indians and the United States, have proved ineffectual. With respect to the Lands upon the Grand River, promised to the Six Nations by Sir Frederick Haldimand, it was judicious not to say anything to which an improper turn might be given, for it is of consequence to keep the different Tribes in good humor, as many are on the watch to pervert the King's benevolent intentions towards them. The intention of Government in giving lands was to make them as beneficial to the Indians as possible, and to do that, it was necessary that the Grant should contain Restrictions that will put them out of the way of Imposition. It would be very improper to suffer this Tract to get into the hands of Land Jobbers. If it must be resold, the Crown should repurchase it. It were much to be wished that Government possessed all the Lands along the Lake, the want of which will prevent the Communication of the Settlements. It is true that Brant did say we might have them, but as it was not with that cordiality and good will that were to be wished for at the moment, and I think it would not be advisable to press it at any time, if disagreeable to them. In all negotiations of consequence with the Indians, the Super intendent General, if possible, should be present, and as Sir John Johnson is expected upon the opening of Navigation, if the whole of this business can be put off till he comes, it will be best. Enquiry has been made relative to the purchase at Matchedash Bay, a Plan, (Copy of which I believe was given to you) has been found in the Surveyor General's Office, to which is attached a blank deed, with the names or devices of three Chiefs of the Mississaga Nation, on separate pieces of paper annexed thereto, and witnessed by Mr. Collins, Mr. Kotte, a Surveyor, since dead, and Mr. Lines, Indian Interpreter, but not being filled up, is of no validity, or may be applied to all the Land they possess; no Fraud has been committed or seems to have been intended. It has, however, an omission which will set aside the whole transaction, and throw us entirely on the good faith of the Indians for just so much Land as they are willing to allow, and what may be further necessary must be purchased anew, but it will be best not to press that matter or shew any anxiety about it. Col. Simcoe. I am with regard, &c. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM COLONEL MCKEE TO COLONEL ENGLAND DATED FOOT OF THE RAPIDS, 28TH JANY, 1794. "I am just informed that the Delawares and Willson whom I mentioned in my letter of the 21st Jany are returned from the Forts, and that they have brought a Speech to the Indians from Genl Wayne a Copy of which is herewith enclosed. "It does not appear that any of the other nations were concerned in sending the message they carried and I apprehend that even the Delawares were prevailed on to open a Communication by similar means. "In consequence of this Speech a Council will be held by the Chiefs of the different Nations in two or three days." (3) Endorsed:-In Lt. Govr. Simcoe's No 21 of the 28th Feby, 1794. Sir, FROM ALEXANDER MCKEE TO JOSEPH CHEW. MIAMIS RAPIDS, 1st. Feb. 1794. Since my letter to you in December last which was forwarded by some of the 7 Nations of Canada returning home various reports have been circulated in Detroit by the Traders Principally stating that the Indians in this part of the Country had thrown aside all respect for the British Traders and were plundering their stores and robbing them of their property. From accounts so alarming it was thought expedient that I should again return to this place to learn the truth of these reports, and to discover the cause of the conduct of the Indians. On my arrival I had the satisfaction to find that at no period had the Indians behaved themselves with more propriety & Quietness, and that all the Reports were falsehoods, calculated probably by one Trader to obtain an advantage over another. By the enclosed speech of General Wayne which I got from the Partner of Wilson, who was interpreter to the messengers, you will perceive that the Delawares have sent a Message to the American Army respecting peace. None of the other Nations as I am informed were acquainted with the real design of this Message until the return of the Runners who carried it, but I understand they have since agreed to hold a Council to deliberate thereon & I have sent a confidential person to attend the result of that Council, which I will not fail to communicate to you for the Information of His Excellency the Commander in Chief by the most expeditious mode which the nature of the Country will admit of at this season of the year, being of opinion from the Jealousies and divisions sown among the Nations last summer, that the opposition to the American Army establishing themselves in this Country is every day growing less and it is now very likely they will be able to accomplish it in a very short time. J. Chew Esqr. I am, &c. A. MCKEE. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM LT. COLONEL ENGLAND, COMMANDANT OF DETROIT, DATED FEBRUARY 2d, 1794 TO HIS EXCELLENCY, LT. GOVERNOR SIMCOE. "Since I wrote, no reports of any consequence reached me till the 8th of January, when I was informed that the Delawares had decided on making overtures for Peace with the United States and that four of them authorized by the rest accompanied by an Interpreter had set out for Fort Jefferson for that purpose, this circumstance added to some ill-grounded Reports of Robberies and depredations committed by Indians on the Traders in the neighbourhood of the Foot of the Rapids, having occasioned an Alarm among the Merchants here, induced me to request Colonel McKee to return to the Foot of the Rapids, and by his influence restore security to those in trade, and enquire into the particulars of the overtures for Peace said to have been made by the Delawares. "Since the Colonel has been at the Foot of the Rapids, I received two letters from him, Copies of which I have the honor to enclose you, the latter accompanied with a Copy of an Address from Major General Wayne to the Tribes of Indians who are considered hostile to the United States. "By the Address Your Excellency will perceive that General Wayne has built a Fort on the Ground where the Action was fought on the 4th of November, 1791, which he calls Fort Recovery; it would also appear that he has established a new Post which he calls Grenville;1 from which he dates his Address; I have not yet been able to learn where Grenville is."* *His winter Camp, six miles in front of Port Jefferson, eighty miles from Fort Washington. Endorsed:-In Lt. Governor Simcoe's No 21 of the 28th Feby, 1794. (1) 1 Greenville. My Lord, FROM SIR GEORGE YONGE TO LORD DORCHESTER. WAR OFFICE, 3 February, 1794. The Regiments under your Lordship's Command, having beating orders, authorizing them to recruit in the British Provinces in North America, and it being probable that a considerable body of Men might be raised in those Provinces towards the Augmentation of the respective Corps, if it were clearly understood there, that the high Bounty now allowed for Recruits, extends to Men enlisted in America, as well as in this Country, I am commanded by His Majesty to acquaint Your Lordship with the following particulars. The Recruiting Officers will be allowed £15 for every Recruit raised by them, and finally approved at Headquarters: for Recruits rejected, subsistence only will be allowed: for deserters not approved, neither Bounty nor Subsistence may be charged; the Bounty to be given to each Recruit raised for the Augmentation is not to exceed ten Guineas, the remainder of the £15 per man, being to answer the Contingent Expences and loss attendant on Recruiting. If it should be found necessary that any of the Recruiting Parties should proceed by Sea to their respective Stations I am to apprise Your Lordship that it is not usual to admit the charges from one Foreign Station to another in the Accounts delivered in to this Office, but that they are under the control of the Commander in Chief, in whose accounts with the Treasury, the charges as approved by him are to be stated. Your Lordship will be pleased to signify the above to the several Corps serving in Canada, and to save time, I shall send a Copy of this Letter to Major General Ogilvie.1 Right Honble GEORGE YONGE. Lord Dorchester. FROM ALEXANDER GRANT TO D. W. SMITH. DETROIT, February 3rd, 1794. I have the honor of writing you for the information of His Excellency Colonel Simcoe and yourself of the proceedings of the Marine Department at this Post. The Schooner Dunmore is under repair to be rebuilt from the Lower futtocks, which repair the Assistant Master Builder says will take ninety working days with Ten Shipwrights which we luckily happened to have in the Department with those in the Shipyard and belonging to the Vessels. The Sloop Felicity is supposed to take thirty days to repair her with the same number of Carpenters. So that with fitting out the two snows, craft, Batteaux and Boats I am afraid it will advance in the Summer before the repairs of the Dunmore & Felicity are completed. I have sent two parties of nine Seamen each to the woods to cut and collect the following timber, pine logs, ship timber; likewise timber for Batteaux, boats, 1 Major General James Ogilvie, commanding the troops in Nova Scotia. |