23rd. It is to be lamented there is little probability of the States and the Indians making any amicable Arrangement. 24th. I certainly, from Captain Stevenson's Character and in particular from his experience in naval matters, wished to have had him appointed Deputy Quarter Master General in Upper Canada. I have expressed myself on this head to Lord Dorchester-The detail of various business I have is infinite, and its subdivision is for the King's Service. Lieutenant Smith who now officiates as Assistant Deputy Quarter Master General is confined to Niagara and petty dutiesThe Officer I want is to be detached to investigate and oversee the whole of the Service in any part of the Province on which He or I may be required-besides this Gentleman's Station is not permanent, hitherto it has been a moveable Office with the Regiment, I hope Lord Dorchester will permit this Gentleman's continuance, as in the Surveyor General's department and House of Assembly, He is of essential Service. The Objection You originally made to Captain Stevenson, if you please to recollect, Sir, was that no such Office existed, or was stated to Parliament. I then conceived it to be absolutely necessary, the public Service is much crippled by small savings in giving only petty Salaries, an object in General to incompetent and unsafe Men. Endorsed:-In Lt.-Govr. Simcoe's of the 28th Feby, 1794. J. G. SIMCOE. Sir: FROM J. G. SIMCOE TO HENRY DUNDAS. YORK, March 2d, 1794. A Delaware Chief, resident at the Grand River, who lately left Detroit, has arrived here. He is sent by Captain Brant to communicate to me the Information, that a Deputation from the hostile Western Indians in consequence of the result of the last Council was gone to General Wayne to make Peace. He says that Colonel McKee did his utmost to prevent this message, and that the Garrison of Fort Recovery, the place where the Battle was fought with General Sinclair, consists of a thousand men. I think the substance of this Report to be true, and that it will produce in due gradation, the most important effects. The Six Nations Confederacy, It is probable, will be as submissive, as the Western Indians to such terms as General Wayne shall dictate, these, I make no doubt will be specious, and apparently liberal. Should the Southern Indians, the Creeks or Cherokees, continue to defend their Country, the whole American Policy having but this single Object to attend to, in its interior Concerns, will probably secure a speedy termination of all difficulties in that Quarter. In this train of Circumstances it would give me infinite Pleasure, could I flatter myself that the situation of Affairs in Europe were such as to enable His Majesty's Ministers to complete the Regiments to their stated numbers, and by any modification of Force, to make it prudent in me to make those Establishments which I proposed upon the River Thames and Lake Erie. Every moment confirms me in my Opinion of the necessity of this arrangement with respect to the Indian Nations. The Principal Object of this Dispatch, Sir, is more immediately to point out to your attention two circumstances: the first is that General Knox in his last message, not only when He speaks of the President Washington calls him Father, which hitherto has been unusual, but addresses his message to the Six Nations and Chippewas. The Chippewas are the principal Nation of Indians residing to the Northward of the River La Tranche, or Thames, filling up the whole of the Isthmus to the North, and more or less, extending through the whole tract of our inland Commerce to the Westward. The Second Circumstance to which I allude, is the President Washington's lately recommending Attention to be paid by the Legislature to supply the Indian Nations with regular Markets through the medium of the public, which would require no profit on the several commodities, but merely a remuneration of the Original Expence. The settlement that I proposed for the Capital on the Spot designated in the plans I have done myself the Honor of transmitting, London is the only means that I can devise to form such an Union with the Indian Nations, as may possibly prevent their being turned against the British Colonies even should not the Detroit be given up. The great means to preserve the Indians would be faithfully to bestow upon them the King's Bounty with every possible Ceremony in the Capital of the Country, this would operate to prevent the effects of President Washington's Policy. My Opinion on this Subject will be, Sir, more particularly expressed in the report which I have been some time maturing for the Lords of the Committee of the Council for trade on the State of this Province, and which I hope to transmit so soon as the Navigation shall permit, when I may expect to be able to detail the Result of the Councils of the Western Indians. I have the honor to be with the utmost Respect, Sir, J. G. SIMCOE. The Right Honorable Henry Dundas, &c., &c., &c. My Lord: FROM J. G. SIMCOE TO LORD DORCHESTER. YORK, Mar. 3, 1794. I do myself the honor of transmitting to Your Lordship, the estimate and plan of a species of Blockhouse, which at my desire, the Engineer, Lieut. Pilkington, has transmitted to me. The idea I suggested, is a square building that might be bomb-proof, to contain the public stores, and which, being furnished with heavy cannon, and such outworks as from time to time might be necessary, might protect the entrance of the harbours of this Province, in particular that of Toronto. On the top of this building, I had no objection to a wooden Blockhouse being erected, so to be framed as to be taken off in case of siege, but which in the mean time might serve for the barracks of the Garrison. Upon Your Lordship's arrival being delayed, I transmitted this plan to His Grace, the Duke of Richmond. I consider it as cheap in itself, and from its position giving a Security to the Harbour adequate to the present Circumstances. I consider the position of the Harbour of York or Toronto, as necessary to the Security of Niagara. I desired also some field pieces, principally Howitzers, and in a general statement of the Plan I conceived necessary for Niagara, I observed to His Grace the great advantage I should deduce from the twelve pounders, with shells, in case of any Naval force attempting to penetrate by means of the shallows universal from Oswego to Niagara River, and from thence to this place, where our superiority in Shipping could be of no avail. Had not Your Lordship returned to Your Government this last year, I presume His Grace would have conversed with you upon it, as well as with those others which I formally submitted to him, on my leaving England, previous to Your Lordship's arrival, for that express purpose. I have the honor to be, &c., Lord Dorchester. J. G. SIMCOE. My Lord: FROM J. G. SIMCOE TO LORD DORCHESTER. YORK, March 3rd, 1794. Upon intimation I received that the United States would be glad to be informed of a transaction alluded to by Governor Clinton in his Speech, I thought proper to direct Captain Littlehales to proceed immediately to Mr. Hammond. The former part of Mr. Clinton's Speech alludes to a complaint made by Mr. Ogden; the latter to a seizure made near Oswego not only of contraband goods, but of such as were attempting to be run into this Province under the pretence of a passport of mine, which was a forgery. Mr. Littlehales also carries to Mr. Hammond the Copy of the Information I enclose-He is directed to consult with Mr. Hammond relative to the attempt to pass by Oswego in open defiance of the Garrison, and which I formerly communicated to Mr. Hammond and General Clarke. The reports of General Wayne's publicly declaring that he should march within nine miles of Detroit is also of such a nature, that whether it be true or false, I have thought proper to be communicated to Mr. Hammond-in particular as threatening an aggression of the same nature as that of Oswego, or Niagara, they may undergo discussion and arrangement. Danforth, a Major of Militia, who also works the Salt Springs near Oswego, is an adherent of Governor Clinton's, and the Person who is most violent in his language against the British Troops retaining Oswego. The Circumstances of the Garrison firing at the boat have been reported to Your Lordship. I have also mentioned the best means I could devise to prevent such practices from gradually leading to serious consequences, was the establishing a custom house boat of such a force and speed, that all hopes of seizing the Officer and rendering him to gaol, (as I understand Judge Horner has advised), would be unavailing. The boat to carry a six pounder is built, and with Your Lordship's permission, I should propose to reinforce the Garrison of Oswego with a Sergeant and twelve men from Kingston for the summer season, occasionally to man this boat. I should hope that the report of such preparation would prevent the fatal consequences that may immediately happen, should any accident happen from the Officer commanding at Oswego, executing Your Lordship's orders, in preventing any boat from passing into Lake Ontario without examination. I have the honor to be, &c., J. G. SIMCOE. Lord Dorchester. My Lord: FROM J. G. SIMCOE TO LORD DORCHESTER. YORK, March 3rd, 1794. In Answer to Your Lordship's Letter No. 5, I have great pleasure in informing you that the Onondago has been got off the shoal and is within the Harbour. I have great hopes that she has not received any particular damages, and that she may be safely trusted, accompanied by the Gun Boat from Niagara, to proceed to Kingston, as soon as it shall be probable the Harbour is open. On my arrival on this Lake, I thought it expedient to throw the two Vessels intended for Gun Boats into the transport Service, to supply a deficiency that otherwise would naturally arise from the Circumstance that pressed for its Augmentation; I concluded that this addition would be ample for the general Service of the former Arrangements and of the new Establishment. On my occupying York, the general Instructions were that these Gun Boats should, as far as Circumstances admitted, be employed in the Service, while the larger Vessels were kept upon their usual employs. Your Lordship may be assured that every Attention will be paid that my orders suggest to Your Lordship's Commands; but I must beg for your directions, whether I am, or am not to employ the Gun Boats on the supply of this Post? as in the event that Your Lordship shall not approve of my making use of them, and secondarily of the larger Vessels, I must desire some other means of Supply for this Post. In considering the important Object of forming Establishments in this Colony adequate to its present Situation, and to the means which have been entrusted to me, as Provincial, I cannot suppose that Your Lordship means to withhold from me such Assistance, as without injury to the Military Arrangements you may be able to afford to me in relief of that expence to the Public, which must necessarily accrue by my being obliged to purchase such materials as I stand in need of, at usurious prices of the Merchants. I therefore submit to Your Lordship, whether you will not be pleased to allow me the materials which I have requested for the erection of Barracks, either upon my paying a regulated price for them, or simply upon the responsibility inherent to my Situation? I have made no Alteration whatever in the arrangement of the Armed Vessels, excepting the borrowing a man or two for the Gun Boats, and have at my own expence paid the soldiers for the wear of their necessaries, but I shall be obliged to Your Lordship to direct such orders to be transmitted to me, as relate to the Marine Department, and in particular to what Guns and Military Stores are allotted for a full Armament. I am also to observe that it appears to me proper that all Guns and Stores not in the Service, should be under the Ordnance Department, and I should certainly have given orders on that head, did I not hope that under existing Circumstances Your Lordship would think it proper to make this place the Naval Arsenal of the Province, as it is secure and central, whilst Kingston cannot be rendered defensible, and is therefore, in my judgment totally improper for any Magazine, or if it can be prevented, any temporary deposit during the Winter Season. On my occupying this Post, which I should have done, simply "As conducive to the safety of the King's Posts," had not the Establishment of Civil Government and consequent importance rendered it necessary, some carronades and cannon, supposed to be unserviceable, were brought hither from Carleton Island and the Wharf at Kingston. A small quantity of Ammunition was also conveyed hither, but not as I conceive, breaking in upon any appropriated Arrangement, it being my wish, as far as possible, to avoid any alteration that Circumstances did not peremptorily require in Your Lordship's system during your absence. Captain Seward has of late applied to me to name the Bombardier who is at this place in charge of this Ammunition to Your Lordship, as Storekeeper. The Principle on which I particularly asked for the Bombardier and two men from Niagara, to remain at this Post during the Winter, was to instruct the sailors of the Corps in the Artillery Exercise; their employment on the Onondago has prevented this measure. I also enclose to Your Lordship, an extract of a letter relative to the removal of the Subaltern Officers of the Artillery from the Posts of Niagara and Detroit, to Oswego and Michilimackinac respectively. I also enclose to Your Lordship a return of Ordnance at Kingston above the proportion of the Post. My Ideas certainly are to make this place the deposit of all Stores whatever beyond the proportion of the respective Posts. I beg to observe to Your Lordship, in respect to a communication of Captain Le Maistre's, by your direction, relative to the issue of Provisions to Persons not duly_authorized; that in respect to the King's Printer, the agent who procured this Person at Montreal, was obliged to make the bargain with him, that he should receive rations. This will now be altered, and he shall have a compensation in money. In respect to the Receiver General, &c., drawing rations on payment for them, so far from imagining it injurious to the King's Service, I thought it on the contrary provided it had embraced the whole of the Civil Establishment of this distant Colony. I beg to enclose for Your Lordship's information an extract from the papers delivered to me at Quebec, relative to this Subject. Your Lordship's commands are obeyed in preventing such issues in future. But, My Lord, while I consider that on the one hand, it is my duty to prevent the Bounty of Government being directed into improper channels, I know there must be a variety of Circumstances that must call upon me to exercise its Bounty in giving food to those, who otherwise, in this infant Colony, must absolutely starve. As an economical measure, of course I should prefer the execution of this duty by issuing an occasional supply from the King's Stores, rather than by purchase or money-some such cases, I believe, have already happened. Under my Ideas, derived from the Power which I understand had been formerly exercised, in future such proceedings will be stopped, till I am determined by Your Lordship whether I may purchase or issue provisions from the Military Stores for Acts of necessary Bounty flowing from my Civil Duties. I have been the more explanatory in these statements, as I anxiously wish for Your Lordship's directions, that as you consider all interior Establishments as Provincial, and as those Establishments are to be carried only as a Military Force, how far the Arrangements with them are to be considered as Provincial. In an Establishment naturally so blended, I only wish for Your Lordship's directions, to execute them to the utmost of my Power. I have the honor to be, &c., Lord Dorchester. J. G. SIMCOE. |