[undecipherable] War Dep^t April 3. 1795 The [undecipherable] for peace which have been made by the Indians North West of the Ohio have the appearance of sincerity, and view in com[parison] with the result of the last year, it is hardly to be doubted that their overtures have been made in good faith. Reflecting this the [undecipherable], it becomes necessary to communicate to you the Ideas of the President of the United States relative to the terms on which peace is now to be negociated. To gratify the usual expectation of Indians assembling for the purposes of Treaty and thereby facilitate the negociations, it is thought best to provide and forward a quantity of goods. These will amount to at least twenty five Thousand Dollars, but are to be delivered only in case [undecipherable] Treaty: except [such?] small portions of them as humanity may call for, pending the negociation. The goods are to be delivered to them as one of the conditions from their final relinquishment and of the lands which the Treaty shall com[pre]hend. Besides the goods you will Stipulate to pay them a sum not exceeding ten thousand Dollars annually, as a further consideration for all the lands they relinquish. You will consider how the goods for the treaty, should be distributed. Perhaps Indians of Several nations will attend, who have no just [or a] Claim to any of the issues we shall [undecipherable] but being present they will expect to [participate]. In what degree one is adjusted with the Chiefs of the tribes who were the true owners of the land. These alone (the true owners, if they can be ascertained or agreed on) are to enjoy the annuity: the [share] of each nation to be fixed if possible: and it is presumed they will agree on the principles by which your calculations will be governed. They will doubtless, as formerly, manifest their wishes to recover a large part of their best hunting Grounds as necessary to their Subsistance: but the annuity is intended to compensate them for the loss of the Same, while its amount granted under the present circumstances will evince the liberality of the United States. With respect to the [undecipherable] of [boundary] lines [it appears] in the Treaty [made at] Fort Harmar of the [undecipherable] January 1789 [and its] [undecipherable] and you will [act] accordingly. The numerous rivers, [pieces?] of land [for lakes?] as [appear?] in the [third?] article of this Treaty, of Fort Harmar and the [first?] [undecipherable] Miles [undecipherable] [connects?] the [two?] lands to Lake [St. Clair?] [undecipherable] Article as a convenient [undecipherable] to Detroit, give room for Settlements, it is seen [fit] to have [retained] for these uses, [some] of the Military Posts which are already established. [Next?], you may [judge?] [necessary?] to have established to restore or complete a chain of communications from the Ohio to the Miamis of the Lake; and from the Maumee villages to the head of the Wabash and from the same to the Ohio, and from the [Miami?] villages down to the mouth of the Miami River at Lake Erie, it will also be desirable to [secure?]: but all these [positions] are not to be insisted on; for peace and not [increase] of [territory] [has] been the object of this expensive [war]; [yet] the [success] of the last campaign authorizes a demand of [some] [indemnification] for the blood and treasure expended. Such a boundary line as would formerly [have] been [supposed] to be the Lake of Peace will not be [refused]. The Treaty of Fort Harmar as you [have] [have] announced to the Chiefs, is to be the basis of the new Treaty. Its [boundary] [was?] from the [mouth?] of [Cayahoga?] to [the gates?] of [Muskingum?] [undecipherable] [above?] Fort [Lawrence?] and thence [extending?] the limits [undecipherable] and the [new?] [Miamis?] [undecipherable] as a branch of the Miamis of the Lake — is [full?] to be [added?] from this [portage?] — the [boundary] ran down the [undecipherable] branches of the Miamis of the Ohio to the main river and thence down the same to the Ohio. makeing the land now [ceded?] from the mouth of Cayahoga to the mouth of the Miamis of the Ohio, the general boundary of the lands of the United States over the Ohio. All the lands North West — this general [boundary] line to which by virtue of former treaties with the Western Indians, the United States have claims, may be relinquished excepting— 1. [The?] lands [now] being occupied by the British [forts?] and [subjects?] and the Indians title to the same being relinquished, were ceded by Great [Britain] in the [Treaty] of [Peace] to the United States by [undecipherable] of 1783. 2. [The?] [undecipherable] [of land?] on which [undecipherable] to establish [the?] [undecipherable] to form and complete a chain of communications between the Miamis of [the Ohio?] and the Miamis of Lake Erie, and by the [Miami?] from its [lake?] to [Fort Wayne?] and thence to the [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable]. 3. [Some?] [undecipherable] [for?] the general [undecipherable] for [himself?] and his [undecipherable] on the [undecipherable] Lake. 4. [The?] lands in [Possession?] in the French [people?] and those with [peculiar?] nations [there?] who held their lands by the consent of the United States. 5. The Military Posts now [occupied?] by the troops of the United States on the Wabash and the Ohio. The [ways?] of these [concessions?] may be [undecipherable] [undecipherable] lands but to connect the [Settlements?] [undecipherable] [the?] Arabs [undecipherable] [connected?] as [references?] from one to the other more [practicable?] and [connected?]. These [undecipherable] also, from [considerations?] [undecipherable] they may [undecipherable] at once to all of them. [undecipherable] by them [undecipherable] greater. [undecipherable] from one to another. [The?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] means of useful [undecipherable] which will cement that friendship, while they will afford a very necessary and important accommodation to the People of the United States, and in the way of trade to the Indians themselves. The reservations to the United States of the lands occupied by the British troops will of course comprehend the Post of Michilimackinac but without any definite boundary. The foremost post there is one or [Island?] but a very between one of the barriers. [undecipherable] and it can be ascertained that the Indian title to [any?] [quantity?] of land there was extinguished [undecipherable] well [to?] [need?] to [remove?] that to the Indians title [was?] not extinguished [on?] any [undecipherable] can be made [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] and the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [A?] former [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in one instrument will [save?] much [undecipherable] of trouble and prevent tedious and [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [communications?] among themselves about their boundaries, which are often extremely vague. For instance the Chiefs of the Six Nations last Autumn declared that their [undecipherable] is to be between the [Allegeny?] and French Creek on the East and the [Muskingum?] and Cayahoga on the [West?] [undecipherable] was [unknown?] to all the Western Indians. But where [undecipherable] [expressed?] on this [point?] to cede that tract to the United States, [they?] [undecipherable] what the [undecipherable] tribes denied their right to it, and I am well satisfied that whatever claim the Six Nations [might?] formerly have to the lands Westward of the Allegeny, [they?] long ago [undecipherable] this [fame?] to the Delawares and others of the Western [undecipherable] Indians. The [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [Six?] Nations, I consider as [affording?] us [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] of a [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] given [undecipherable] by the Western Indians. [undecipherable] to the [undecipherable] of Fort McIntosh [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] Fort Harmar, [has?] been [undecipherable]. 1. That the Chiefs who treated, were [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] or [undecipherable] the Nations to whom the lands belonged. 2. That they were compelled by threats to subscribe [some?] of the Treaties. 3. That the Claims of the United States to the full property of the Indians lands under shown by the Treaty of 1783, with [undecipherable]. [undecipherable] every practicable means [undecipherable] [undecipherable] representation of all the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] property of the lands in [undecipherable] private [undecipherable] doubts it may [undecipherable] the principal [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] Nations, to ascertain who are [undecipherable] and whether these [presents?] may be [truly?] considered as an adequate representation of their [nations?]. The [confirmations?] and [declarations?] of the Chiefs on this point may be noted, and [submitted?] [undecipherable]. As they will be collected within your [undecipherable] at Greenville, it will highly concerns the honor and justice of the United States that [some?] decided [means?] be given them, that they are not [undecipherable] even the [President?] [undecipherable]. Let them feel [undecipherable] they are at [undecipherable] liberty to Speak their [undecipherable] and to sign or [undecipherable] to sign [such?] as [undecipherable] are not authorized to negociate. The unfortunate construction put by the [British?] [undecipherable] on our treaty of peace with [Great?] Britain and thence continued by General St. Clair in 1789 has [undecipherable] been [undecipherable]. The Commissioners who went to Canadas in 1793 were explicit on this head in their [undecipherable] [messages?] to the Western Indians. Copies whereof you will now receive. As this constructions grasped the whole Indian Boundary South west of the great Lakes [undecipherable] Eastward, or his [undecipherable] as [the?] [undecipherable] as a [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [United?] States, a construction so unreasonable [undecipherable] it was unintelligible and mysterious to the Indians, a construction under which [undecipherable] but in the British [advances?] to [undecipherable] Indians, [undecipherable] [probably?] been the [undecipherable] [Spring?] of the [undecipherable] [holding?] [undecipherable] on our [undecipherable] [promised?] it cannot be explicitly renounced. At the [same?] time you will [undecipherable] by all means and [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] on this [head?] [undecipherable] some [undecipherable] longer [undecipherable] will [need?] [undecipherable] their claims, on [undecipherable] of the land as theirs, and this we allow [always?] they will [say?] [very?] "shall we not sell to whom we please?" growing [undecipherable] in [some?] [undecipherable] such way as the [following?] may be rendered [undecipherable] offensive. The White Nations, in their [undecipherable] with one another, agree on certain [boundaries?] [beyond?] which neither is to advance [undecipherable] upon [the?] [undecipherable] where these boundaries are [undecipherable] on by White [People?], [pass?] along the [countries?] of Indians, the meaning of the treaties is that no White Nation shall not purchase or [undecipherable] [possess?] of any Indians land beyond their [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] agreed among all the [undecipherable]