inviolable, and universal peace, and a true and sincere friendship, between his Britannic majesty, his heirs and successors, and the United States of America; and between their respective countries, territories, cities, towns, and people of every degree, without exception of persons or places." By the second article of the treaty, the king of Great Britain agreed to withdraw, on or before the first day of June, 1796, all his troops and garrisons from all posts and places within the boundary lines assigned to the United States by the treaty of peace of 1783.

During the winter of 1794-5, General Wayne was visited at his headquarters by parties of Wyandots, Ottawas, Chippewas, Pottawattamies, Sacs, Miamis, Delawares, and Shawanees; who, respectively,, signed preliminary articles of peace, and agreed to meet Wayne at Greenville, on or about the 15th of June, 1795, with all the sachems and war-chiefs of their nations, for the purpose of concluding a definitive treaty of peace between the United States and the Indian tribes of the northwestern territory.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

WAYNE'S TREATY.

EARLY in the month of June, 1795, strong deputations from various tribes arrived at Greenville. The treaty of Fort Harmar, which was concluded at the mouth of the Muskingum, on the 9th of January, 1789, was selected by General Wayne as the foundation upon which the Indians were required to begin negotiations for peace. In the course of these negotiations, which were carried on from the 16th of June to the 10th of August, some of the Indian chiefs were unwilling to acknowl-. edge the validity of the treaty of Fort Harmar. The Little Turtle, a Miami chief, addressing General Wayne, on the 18th of July, said "You have told me that the present treaty

should be founded upon that of Muskingum. I beg leave to observe to you, that that treaty was effected altogether by the Six Nations, who seduced some of our young men to attend it, together with a few of the Chippewas, Wyandots, Delawares, Ottawas, and Pottawattamies. I beg leave to tell you that I am entirely ignorant of what was done at that treaty."*

On the 19th of July, Blue Jacket, a distinguished Shawanee chief, being in private conference with General Wayne, said:

"Brother: I am very happy, that, notwithstanding all the difficulties and obstructions I had to encounter from my relations and others at Detroit, I have succeeded so far in bringing my people to you at this time. I expect intelligence this day of the approach of more of them. I have briefly acquainted you with these things. I repeat my assurances of the sincerity of my sentiments, and resolution to be, for the future, a steady friend to the United States."

On the 21st of July, in council, Masass, a Chippewa chief, spoke to General Wayne, in behalf of the Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawattamies, who were called "the three fires." The following is an extract from his speech:

"Elder brother: When you yesterday read to us the treaty of Muskingum, I understood you clearly: at that treaty we had not good interpreters, and we were left partly unacquainted with many particulars of it. I was surprised when I heard your voice, through a good interpreter, say that we had received presents and compensation for those lands which were thereby ceded. I tell you, now, that we, the three fires, never were informed of it. If our uncles, the Wyandots, and grandfathers, the Delawares, have received such presents, they have kept them to themselves. I always thought that we, the Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawattamies, were the true owners of those lands, but now I find that new masters have undertaken to dispose of them; so that, at this day, we do not know to whom they, of right, belong. We never received any compensation for them. I don't know how it is, but ever since that

*Minutes and proceedings of the Treaty at Greenville.-AM. STATE PAPERS -INDIAN AFFAIRS, p. 567.

treaty, we have become objects of pity, and our fires have been retiring from this country. Now, elder brother, you see we are objects of compassion; and, have pity on our weakness and misfortunes; and, since you have purchased these lands, we cede them to you: they are yours. Perhaps, at a future day, your younger brothers may be made happy, by becoming your children, should you extend to us your paternal protection."

.

Soon after Massas closed his remarks, on the 21st, the Miami chief, Little Turtle, addressed to General Wayne the following speech:

"I wish to ask of you and my brothers present, one question. I would be glad to know what lands have been ceded to you, as I am uninformed in this particular. I expect that the lands. on the Wabash, and in this country, belong to me and my people. I now take the opportunity to inform my brothers of the United States, and others present, that there are men of sense and understanding among my people, as well as among theirs, and that these lands were disposed of without our knowledge or consent. I was, yesterday, surprised, when I heard from our grandfathers, the Delawares, that these lands had been ceded by the British to the Americans, when the former were beaten by, and made peace with, the latter; because you had before told us that it was the Wyandots, Delawares, Ottawas, Chippewas, Pottawattamies, and Sauckeys, [Sacs,] who had made this cession.”*

On the 22d of July, in council, at Greenville, Little Turtle spoke as follows:

"GENERAL WAYNE:-"I hope you will pay attention to what I now say to you. I wish to inform you where your younger brothers, the Miamis, live, and, also, the Pottawattamies of St. Joseph's, together with the Wabash Indians. You have pointed out to us the boundary line between the Indians and the United States, but now I take the liberty to inform you that that line cuts off from the Indians a large portion of country which has been enjoyed by my forefathers, time im

*Minutes and proceedings of the Treaty at Greenville.

memorial, without molestation or dispute. The print of my ancestors' houses are every where to be seen in this portion. I was a little astonished at hearing you, and my brothers who are now present, telling each other what business you had transacted together heretofore at Muskingum, concerning this country. It is well known by all my brothers present, that my forefather 'kindled the first fire at Detroit; from thence he extended his lines to the headwaters of Scioto; from thence to its mouth; from thence, down the Ohio, to the mouth of the Wabash; and from thence to Chicago, on lake Michigan; at this place, I first saw my elder brothers, the Shawanees. I have now informed you of the boundaries of the Miami nation, where the Great Spirit placed my forefather a long time ago, and charged him not to sell or part with his lands, but to preserve them for his posterity. This charge has been handed down to me. I was much surprised to find that my other brothers differed so much from me on this subject: for their conduct would lead one to suppose, that the Great Spirit, and their forefathers, had not given them the same charge that was given to me, but, on the contrary, had directed them to sell their lands to any white man who wore a hat, as soon as he should ask it of them. Now, elder brother, your younger brothers, the Miamis, have pointed out to you their country, and also to our brothers present. When I hear your remarks and proposals on this subject, I will be ready to give you an answer. I came with an expectation of hearing you say good things, but I have not yet heard what I expected.” *

Tarke, or Crane, the chief of the Wyandots, then arose and made a speech, from which the following passages are copied: "ELDER BROTHER: [General Wayne:] Now listen to us! The Great Spirit above has appointed this day for us to meet together. I shall now deliver my sentiments to you, the fifteen fires. I view you lying in a gore of blood. It is me, an Indian, who has caused it. Our tomahawk yet remains in your head. The English gave it to me to place there. Elder Brother, I now take the tomahawk out of your head; but, with so much care, that you shall not feel pain or injury. I will now tear a big tree up by the roots, and throw the hatchet

* Minutes and proceedings of the Treaty of Greenville.

into the cavity which they occupied, where the waters will wash it away where it can never be found. Now I have buried the hatchet, and I expect that none of my color will ever again find it out. I now tell you, that no one in particular can justly claim this ground: it belongs, in common, to us all: no earthly being has an exclusive right to it. The Great Spirit above is the true and only owner of this soil, and he has given us all an equal right to it. *** Brother: You have proposed to us to build our good work on the treaty of Muskingum: that treaty I have always considered as formed upon the fairest principles. You took pity on us Indians. You did not do as our fathers, the British, agreed you should. You might, by that agreement, have taken all our lands; but you pitied us, and let us hold part. I always looked upon that treaty to be binding upon the United States and us Indians."*

In council, on the 24th of July, General Wayne delivered the following speech before the assembled Indians: "Brothers: The Ottawas, Chippewas, and Pottawattamies, open your ears, and be attentive: I have heard, with very great pleasure, the sentiments delivered by Masass, as the unanimous voice of your three nations. When Mash-i-pi-nash-i-wish, your uncle, came to me, last winter, I took him to my bosom, and delivered him the keys of all my forts and garrisons; and my heart rejoices when I look around me and see so many of your chiefs and warriors assembled here in consequence of that happy meeting. It will give infinite pleasure to General Washington, the great chief of the fifteen fires, when I inform him you have thrown the hatchet with so strong an arm, that it has reached the middle, and sunk to the bottom of the great lake, and that it is now so covered with sand that it can never again be found. The belt which was given to Wassung,† many years since, establishing a road between you and the fifteen fires, I now return, renewed, and cleared of all the brush and brambles with which time had scattered it. "Brothers, of the three great fires: thought you were the owners of the land

You say that you that was sold to the

fifteen fires, at the treaty of Muskingum; but, you say, also,

*Minutes and proceedings of the Treaty of Greenville.

A Chippewa Indian.