In Dec. 1817, the western part of the then Mississippi territory, was erected by act of Congress, into a state called MISSISSIPPI, and the eastern part into a territorial government, named ALABAMA, which, March 3d, 1819, was erected into an independe t state. The MISSOURI state embraces only a part of what was called Missouri Territory. It was erected into a state March 2d, 1821. That part of the Territory not included in the state, still bears the general name of MISSOURI TERRitory. All the Missouri Territory south of "A line beginning on the Mississippi River, at lat. 36 N. running thence W. to the river St. Francis; thence up the same, north, to lat. 36 deg. 30 min. thence W. to the western territorial line," was formed into a new Territory by an act of March, 1819, by the name of ARKANSAW TERRITORY. In 1667, Lewis XIV. sent a party of soldiers to Detroit to protect the French fur-traders. The soldiers between that time and 1683, built a fort at this place, and another at Michilimackinack, and soon extended their commerce to Green Bay, west of lake Michigan, and thence to the Indians on the Mississippi. The Iroquois, however, steadily opposed their progress. The French government neglected the settlements, and they never flourished, as colonies. The war of 1756 dispossessed the French of all their North-American possessions; and, among the rest, of these settlements. They remained in a neglected state in the hands of the British, till the peace of 1783 gave them over to the United States, and a governor was appointed, in July, 1787, for all the Territory N. W. of the Ohio. In 1796, the fort of Detroit was delivered, in form, by the English to the United States, agreeably to treaty; and this fine peninsula was formed into a county, and called Wayne, which, in 1805, was erected into a territoral government, by the name of MICHIGAN. In 1812, July 17, Fort Michilimackinac was surrendered to the British, and on the 16th of August following, Fort Detroit, with about 1400 troops, and remained in their hands till the peace of 1814. Sebastian Cabot discovered the country since called Florida, in 1497. Ponce sailed along the eastern coast in 1512, and took possession of it in the name of the king of Spain. The first attempt to settle it, was made in 1524, by Luke Vasques; the second in 1528, by Pampilo de Narvaez, who had received a grant of the country from Charles V.; the third by Ferdinand de Soto, governour of Cuba, in 1539; who landed with 600 men, and 200 horses, and travelled westward; passed the second winter among the Chickasaw Indians ; thence crossed the Mississippi, proceeded to Red River, where he died.* John Ribalt, a Frenchman, took possession in 1562. Pedro Melandez, a Spaniard, broke up the French settlement in 1565; and Dominique de Gourges, a soldier of Gascony, drovelaway the Spanards in 1568. The King of France disowning the acts of De *Williamson's His. Coll. N. Carolina, p. 16. Gourges, the French soon quitted the country, and the Spaniards re-occupied it. In 1736, it was ceded to Great Britain, in exchange for the Havannah. West Florida was taken by the Spaniards, in 1781, and both countries ceded to Spain in 1783. In Feb. 1819, both the Floridas were ceded to the United States, by Spain, though a great part of W. Florida, had been claimed by the United States, under the treaty of 1803. The possession of this territory, and the extension of our western boundary to the Pacific Ocean, gives a proper shape to our country, and makes a well proportioned and beautiful map. The possession of Florida will be of incalculable advantage to the United States. The Island of Cuba is in sight from some parts of it; it has good harbours for commerce; a good soil, in many parts, for agriculture, and will furnish abundance of the tropical fruits and productions. This country was erected into a Territory, in the usual form, in 1822. We close the foregoing summary with the following Table. A TABLE showing the Population of the U. States in 1790 and 1820; the amount of Militia by the last returns; and the number of Revolutionary Pensioners. POPULATION POPULATION STATES. win 1790. Citos in 1820.4%. Slaves N. Hampshire 141,097 Returns of Revolut'y. Militia, Pensioners 1822-3. Dec. 1823. 85,298 CHAPTER II. Brief Sketch of the names and character of a number of the principal Indian Tribes, who inhabited this country, at the period of its first settlement by European Emigrants, and an account of some of the most signal subsequent Indian Wars. In a history of our country, which goes back to its first discovery and settlement, the reader will naturally wish and expect to find some account of its original inhabitants, of the names, location, numbers, and character of their several tribes; and of the most interesting wars which have happened between them, and the white people, who now possess the soil, which these Aborigines once called their own. This information we give in the chapter on which we now enter. In 1674, Daniel Gookin, gentleman, published "Historical Collections, of the Indian Nations who inhabited New-England, before the arrival of its first English settlers." From these Collections are made the following extracts.* "The principal nations of Indians, that did, or do, inhabit NewEngland, are five: 1. Pequots; 2. Narragansitts; 3. Pawkunnawkutts; 4. Massachusetts; and 5. Pawtucketts. "The Pequots, or Pequods, were a people seated in the most southerly bounds of New-England; whose country the English of the Connecticut jurisdiction doth now, for the most part, possess. This nation were a very warlike and potent people, almost forty years since; (1630) at which time they were in their meridian. Their chief sachem held dominion over divers petty sagamores; as over part of Long Island, the Mohegans, and the sagamores of Quinapeake, yea over all the people that dwelt upon the Connecticut River, and over some of the most southerly inhabitants of the Nipmuck country, about Quinabaag. The principal sachem lived at, or about, Pequot, now called New-London. These Pequots, as old Indians relate, could, in former times, raise 4000 men fit for war; and held hostility with their eastern and northern neighbours, called Narragansitts, or Nechegansitts. "The Narragansitts were a great people heretofore; and the territory of their sachem extended about 30 or 40 miles from Sekunk River, and Narragansitt Bay, including Rhode Island, and other islands in that bay, being their east and north bounds, and so running esterly and southerly unto a place called Wekapage, four or five miles to the eastward of Pawcutuk River, which was reckoned * See Collections of Massachusetts Historical Society, vol. i. p. 147. for their south and west border, and the easternmost limits of the Pequots. This sachem held dominion over divers petty governors; as part of Long Island, Block Island, Cawesitt, Niantick, and others, and had tribute from some of the Nipmuck Indians, that lived remote from the sea. The chief seat of this sachem was about Narragansitt Bay, and Cannonicut Island. The Narragansitts were reckoned, in former times, able to arm for war, more than 5000 men, as ancient Indians say. All agree that they were a great people, and oftentimes waged war with the Pawkunnawkutts and Massachusetts, as well as with the Pequots. The jurisdiction of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, and part of Connecticut people, possess their country. These Indians are now but few comparatively: all that people cannot make above one thousand able men. "The Pawkunnawkutts were a great people heretofore. They lived to the east, and north-east of the Narragansitts; and their chief sachem held dominion over divers petty sagamores; on the island of Nantuckett, Martha's Vineyard, and others near them, and over some of the Nipmucks. Their country, for the most part, falls within the jurisdiction of New Plymouth Colony. This people were a potent nation in former times; and could raise, as the most credible and ancient Indians affirm, about 3000 men. They held war with the Narragansitts; and often joined with the Massachusetts, as friends and confederates against the Narragansitts. This nation, a very great number of them, were swept away by an epidemical and unwonted sickness, of 1612 and 1613, about seven or eight years before the English first arrived in those parts, to settle the colony of New Plymouth. Thereby divine providence made way for the quiet and peaceable settlement of the English in the depopulated territory of those nations. What this disease was, that so generally and mortally swept away, not only these, but other Indians, their neighbours, I cannot well learn. Doubtless it was some pestilential disease. I have discoursed with some old Indians, that were then youths; who say that the bodies of the sick all over were exceeding yellow, describing it by a yellow garment they showed me, both before they died, and afterward. "The Massachusetts, being the next great people northward, inhabited principally about that place in Massachusetts Bay, where the body of the English now dwell. These were a numerous and great people. Their chief sachem held dominion over many other petty governors; as those of Weechagaskas, Neponsitt, Punkapaog, Nonantem, Nashaway, some of the Nipmuck people, as far as Pokomtacucke, as the old men of Massachusetts affirmed, This people could, in former times, arm for war, about 3000 men, as the old Indians declare. They were in hostility very often with the Narragansitts; but held amity, for the most part, with the Pawkunnawkutts, who lived on the south border, and with the Pawtucketts, who inhabited on their north and north-east limits. In 1612 and 1613, these people were also sorely smitten by the hand of God, with the same disease before mentioned; which destroyed the most of them, and made room for the English people of Massachusetts Colony, which people this country, and the next, called Pawtuckett. There are not of this people left at this day above three hundred men, besides women and children. "Pawtuckett is the fifth and last sachemship of Indians. Their country lyeth north, and north-east from the Massachusetts, whose dominion reacheth so far as the English jurisdiction, or colony of the Massachusetts, doth now extend, and had under them several other smaller sagamores; as the Pennakooks, Agawames, Naamkuks, Pascatawayes, Accomintas, and others. They were also a considerable people heretofore, about 3000 men; and held amity with the people of Massachusetts. But these also were almost totally destroyed by the great sickness before mentioned; so that at this day, they are not above 250 men, besides women and children. This country is now inhabited by the English under the government of Massachusetts.” The Aboriginal tribes, who inhabited the territory, now comprised in the State of Maine, were the following, furnished to the Compiler for his Report to the President of the United States, on Indian affairs, by the Hon. W. D. Williamson. * Probable original numbers about the year 1616. 1,000. 400. 500. 600. 600. 1,300. 600. 5,000. 1. The Newichwannucks, on the Piscataqua. 2. The Ossippee tribes, on the river of the same name, emptying into, and forming, the Saco. 3. The Pigwackets, whose principal town, a resting place, 6. The Pemaquids. This was a powerful tribe, probably 7. The Penobscots, These two tribes resided on the 8. The Passamaquoddies, River and Bay which bear their respective names, in the eastern part of Maine, where small remnants of both tribes remain. The probable numbers of natives in the territory, constituting the present State of Maine, two centuries ago, was 5 or 6000 souls. The inland tribes, according to Mr. Gookin, "however distinguished among themselves, were generally denominated Mahas, or See Report App. p. 67. |