[N.B. a Duplicate was sent in the packet committed to the Indian Business.] Letter to Major General Wayne, Fort Washington Fort Erie, 23^d August 1793 Sir, We are on our return home from the mouth of Detroit River, where we lay four weeks, waiting for the Indians to close their private Councils at the Rapids of the Miami, that we might all come to Sandusky, and open the treaty. But after sending repeated deputations to us to obtain answers to particular questions, they finally determined not to treat at all. This final answer we received on the 16^th Inst. when we immediately began to embark to recess Lake Erie. [underline: Altho' we did not effect a peace yet we hope that good may hereafter arise from the mission.] [underline: The tranquility of the country North West of the Ohio during the (supposed) continuance of the treaty, evinced your care of our safety, and we could not leave this quarter without returning you our unfeigned thanks.] We are Sir, yours &c. B: Lincoln, B: Randolph, } Commissioners T: Pickering. Letter to General Knox. Sir, On Lake Erie 21^st August 1793. The Indians have refused to make peace. We have not even been admitted to an interview with them, except by their deputations. The transactions with the first deputation at Niagara have been transmitted to you. Immediately afterward we returned to Fort Erie and embarked for the mouth of Detroit river, where we arrived on the 21^st July and expected in a few days to receive notice from the Indians, that they were ready to meet us at Sandusky. Captain Matthew Elliot, Colonel McKee's assistant in — whose house we are furnished with quarters, was at home waiting for a wind to sail to the Miamis. He departed the next morning taking a letter from us to Colonel McKee, advising him of our arrival, and requesting that our meeting with the Indians might be hastened. On the 20^th Elliot returned with another deputation of Indians, at the head of which were Packonchelas, Head Warrior of the Delawares Kakiapallathy, Head Warrior of the Shawnees; and Sir-wigh-da-wunk, who is said to be the Head man of the Wyandots. The next day they presented a written message in the name of the confederacy, demanding an explicit answer to this question: "Are you fully authorized by the United States to continue, and firmly fix on the Ohio River, as the boundary between your people and ours." The next day we answered the question explicitly, previously stating the reasons, why the United States could not now make the Ohio the boundary. We also mentioned the principal concessions and the ample compensations we were ready to make and stipulate, expressing the prompt and annual compensations not in precise sums, but in terms which we thought would forcibly strike them with Ideas of their magnitude. The next morning they met us, and making some observations on the subject said they would lay our speech before their Warriors. The speaker then told us we might go home; but this seemed to be a mistake in continuing to what our interpreter heard other Chiefs say, as they sat in the Council. As soon as the Speaker had done, Captain Elliot spoke to the Shawnees chief, mentioning the mistake; an explanation took place and we were desired to remain where we were for an answer. This we requested to have forwarded without delay. On the 8^th of August, two of Captain Hendricks men arrived to obtain some necessaries. By their information there seemed to be a fair prospect of peace. Some Munsees, and Chippewas who arrived the 9^th confirmed their accounts. On the 11^th some Senecas arrived. They had come from the council by the way of Detroit, in order to go home; most of them being sick. Their information corresponded with the former in regard to all the nations, except the Wyandots, Delawares Shawnees & Miamis who remained obstinate; yet they said that even of these nations near one half were for peace. They said also that the Six nations, including Capt Brant and the Mohawks, [underline: held fast together], and strongly urged the hostile nations to make peace. We find that our speech of July 31^st was well understood, having been interpreted to the Shawnees &c by Colonel McKee, to the six nations by Captain Brant, and to the Delawares &c by Capt Hendricks. Having waited till the 12^th of August without receiving an answer, we proposed going in the vessel afloat for our use to the Miami bay, or to the mouth of Miami River, that we might have more and expeditious communication with the Indian council; but this we were not permitted to do. In the next day we sent two runners of the six nations (a few being with us) with a letter to Colonel McKee, a written message to the Indian Council, and verbal messages to Captain Brant and and Captain Hendricks to advise them of the written one. The object of the letter and message, was to obtain a decisive answer from the Indian Council, whether a treaty was to be held or not, and to bring the business to a speedy close. On Friday the 16^th in the afternoon, two Wyandot runners arrived with the final answer from the Indian Council. We made immediately a short reply and began to embark our effects. On Saturday morning we completed the embarkation of our stores and baggage, and in the afternoon sailed for fort Erie. On Friday evening our own two runners returned. According to their information, the Six nations know nothing of the contents of the final answer of the Indian Council. Their name is not subscribed to it. They have heard indeed of an answer, but were told it was to invite the Commissioners to meet the Indians Nations on the Miamies instead of Sandusky about five miles below the Rapids, to which place the six nations proposed to remove the day or the day after our runners left them. From the same information it seemed probable that the six nations were not made acquainted with our written message of the 13^th nor the letter to Colonel McKee; so we made out copies of them, of the final answer, of the Indians, and of our last reply, and on Saturday morning sent them off by our runners, with directions to deliver these to Captain Brant, and to inform the other six nation chiefs thereof. A letter was also written to Hendricks requesting him for information to these copies. We verbally directed runners to tell those Chiefs to be of good heart, and to assure them of the strong and unalterable friendship of the United States for the six nations. We had thought it a matter of no small moment, that the Chiefs of the Six nations should be seen and consulted on their return from the Miamis. And our runners told us that the Chiefs wished us to stay for them at Buffalo Creek. This did not seem expedient but we directed the runners to tell them that on their return, General Chapin would meet them at any place, which they should appoint, and without delay transmit their information and the result of their deliberations to the President. Inclosed is a Copy of our letter to General Wayne; We shall send the same to him by other conveyances, and all by the way of Fort Pitt. We have written to the commanding officer there, desiring him to give Major Craig (to whose care we shall send all the letters for General Wayne) any requisite aid in forwarding them. And we have also written to the commanding officer at Fort Franklin to afford his aid in conveying them by land and by water to Major Craig. In all these intermediate letters, we have mentioned the fact simply, 'That the Western Indians refused to make peace.' We have desired Major Craig to forward the first letter to General Wayne in that way which shall promise the utmost speed and certainty, sparing no expense to effect it, and the others in succession one by one, as fast as conveyances shall present; But we added, that if you should have given any orders about the conveyance of our letters to General Wayne, he was to observe them. If the wind had permitted, we should have set Sylvester Ash ashore at Presque Isle, and prepared letters accordingly to go by him. He will now proceed from Buffalo Creek. We expect General Chapin will procure two Seneka Runners to go with him as far as Fort Franklin. From thence he will proceed by land or by water as he and the commanding Officer shall think best. But which ever route he pursues, we have desired the commanding Officer to send some trusty Indians by the other, to afford the greater certainty of conveyance. We enclose him a duplicate letters for Major Craig, and General Wayne for that purpose. M^r Wilson proposes to go as far as Genesee River, and thence proceed to the Susquehanna, and thence to Pittsburg; by him we shall send the third set of letters for General Wayne. Fort Erie: 23^d August. We arrived here between twelve and one o'clock this morning and our letters having been prepared on the voyage; we shall be enabled to send them off, as soon as General Chapin and M^r Jones cross the river. They will go to Buffalo Creek, and procure two Indian Runners to accompany Ash, and two more to carry this letter to Canandaigua, where General Chapin is to is instantly to procure an express to carry it to Philadelphia. B: Lincoln, B: Randolph, } Commissioners of the T Pickering. United States. P.S We could get no account of the number of the Indians at the Rapids, except from the British agents, who told us there were about fifteen hundred men. We have acted them accordingly. But suppose they are rather likely to be fifty than more.