Saturday, December 21, 2013

Harmer/Hamtramck - INDIAN CLAIMS COMMISSION


[draft... Fair use...]

Consolidated Docket No. 317, Defendant Exhibits 61-171

Dft. Ex. 79

Indiana Historical Society Publications

Vol. 19, pp. 267, 268, 272, 273, 275, 282,
283, and 284.   

Harmar, Josiah
Letter to Hamtramck, January 15, 1791.
pp. 269-273.

272

OUTPOST ON THE WABASH
You wish to know how to act with regard to the Crooked Leg Band of Indians & others who intend coming settling near the village. My opinion is that you ought have no intercourse with them. as they are all treacherous in the greatest degree; however, if you are fully convinced that any tribe is seriously inclined to take the protection of the United States, in that case I leave it to your own discretion how to act.
On the 10th instant a body of savages to the amount of near 200 besieged a small station called Coleraine7 about 17 miles from hence situate on the Great Miami. Lt. Kingsbury whom I had ordered there for the protection of the settlement, with 12 Federal troops & about 22 of the inhabitants gave them such a warm reception that they retired with the loss of 15 or 20 killed & wounded, after having been 25 hours before the place. They summoned it to surrender, & endeavored to set it on fire with flaming arrows. Only one of the Federal troops was slightly wounded upon the occasion. They took off with them almost all the cattle & corn belonging to the poor inhabitants, which distresses them very much.8
This garrison is exceedingly weak at present. owing to my having discharged upwards of 100 men who would not re-enlist upon the new establishment. A considerable number have re-enlisted, but it would not do for soldiers in the same service to receive some 4 dollars & others only 2 dollars pr month which was the reason of my giving them their discharges, but those orders are not to extend to your Post, as I have no men to send you; therefore your command are to serve out their three years on the old establishment, if they will not engage upon the new.
The Kentuckyans talk of carrying on an expedition early
7 Also called Dunlap's Station.
8The Indians were led by Simon Girty, a British agent of long experience with the red men. Bond, The Foundations of Ohio, p. 300. There is a lengthier account of this affair in Harmar's letter to Knox, January 25, 1791, in the Harmar Papers.
Indiana Historical Society
Publications, vol. 19.

Harmar, Josiah.
Letter to Hamtramck, January 15, 1791.
pp. 269-273.
HAMTRAMCK TO HARMAR, JANUARY 25, 1791

273

in the Spring against the Wabash Indians.9 It is therefore necessary to apprize you of it, as their proposals have met with my concurrence, and I have already furnished them with powder & lead for the purpose.
I am, Dear Major, with great esteem your h'ble serv't,
JOS. HARMAR
Brig'r Gen'l   
MAJOR HAMTRAMCK Comm'g Officer at Fort Knox Post Vincennes.
P. S. Is it not possible for you to build half a dozen perrogues? They will cost the public but little.    J. H.
[Marginal note :] Forwarded from hence pr Mr. Mitchell, to the care of Capt. Asheton...
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