Knox makes public the causes of hostilities with Indians
Item
Type
Printed or published document
Title
Knox makes public the causes of hostilities with Indians
Description
Document, Causes of hostilities with Indians; describes Indians and Indian warfare; describes Indian aggression; mentions Territorial Governments; describes White encroachment; discusses Indian torture tactics; discusses Harmar's Expedition; mentions Indian delegations; discusses pioneers and frontier life.
short description
Doc, causes of hostilities with Indians
year created
1792
month created
01
day created
26
author
sent from location
War Department
in collection
in publication
note
Enclosed in Knox [Instructions to Brigadier General Rufus Putnam], 05/22/1799.
notable person/group
Henry Knox
Captain Hendricks
Colonel Pickering
Major General St. Clair
Col. Procter
Cornplanter
Brigadier General Harmar
Ensign Sedam
Major Doughty
Anthony Gamelin
notable location
War Department
Painted-Post
Philadelphia
Tenessee River
Virginia
L'Anguille
Wabash River
Post Vincennes
Cayahoga
Kentucky
Fort Harmar
Lake Erie
Western Territory
Great Miami [river]
Hopewell on the Keowee
Fort M'Intosh on the Ohio
Fort Stanwix
western tribes
Great Britain
Georgia
Canada
Ohio [river]
United States
notable item/thing
candid review of this subject
justice or policy of the measure
perseverance in exertions to make the refractory indians at last sensible
enormous outrages with impunity
manifest symptoms of a more amicable disposition to convince them by decisive proofs
liberty to treat them with kindness and beneficence
present partial indian war is a remnant of the late general war
formed inveterate and incurable habits of enmity
protection against lawless violence
frontier citizen possesses as strong claims to protection as any other citizen
Atlantic frontier
zealously disposed to attempt convincing the hostile indians of their mistaken conduct
frustrated by unforeseen obstacles in his laudable attempts
culpable conduct of the indians
influenced by resentment or any false principles which might arise from a consciousness of superiority adopted every proper expedient to terinate the indian hostilities
re-establishment of peace as its primary sole and object
encountered difficulties of a particular nature which were insurmountable and prevented the execution of their orders
war chief of the Senekas
engaged to undertake to impress the hostile indians with the consequences of their persisting in hostilities
justice and moderation of the United States
Governor of the Western territory
party of forty indians in four canoes
approached under a white flag, the well known emblem of peace
scarcely cleared his oars before they poured in fire upon his crew
unequal combat was sustained for several hours when they abandoned their design
killed and wounded
conduct would have demanded exemplary punishment
overtures of peace failing
performed this duty in a boat
party of fifteen men
outrages which were committed upon the frontier inhabitants were not the only injuries that were sustained
repeated attaclks upon detachments of the troops
country to which they have no claim
commenced offensive operations
carrying off upwards of two thousand horses and other property to the amount of fifty thousand dollars
particulars of the barbarities exercised upon many of their prisoners of different ages and sexes, although supported by indisputable evidence
are of too shocking a nature to be presented to the public
tomahawk and scalping knife have been the mildest instruments of death
torture by fire and other execrable means have been used
chielf informed him that a party of seventy warriors from the more distant indians had arrived and were gone against the settlements
prisoner was there burnt to death
cruelties were exercised at the Ouittanon towns about the same time
upwards of one hundred persons were killed wounded and taken prisoners upon th Ohio and in the district of Kentucky
meditating a blow against the hostile indians were restrained by the President
effect of friendly overture intended to be made should be known
evidence that the conduct of the hostile indians has been occasioned by other motives that a claim relatively to the boundaries
establishiing a general peace with all the neighboring tribes of indians
treating them in all respects with perfect humanity and kindness
warning them to abstain from further depredations
appeared to listen to him
manifested a different disposition
confessed their inability to restrain their young warriors
chiefs of the Shawanese returned the messages and belts
promised answer was never received
negroes were brought in from our settlements, prisoners
inhabitant
man of good character
dispatched to all the tribes and villages of the Wabash river
calls for protection incessant
appeared determined by their own efforts to endeavor to retaliate the injuries they were continually receiving and which had become intolerable
indispensable of the government to make some decisive exertion for the peace and security of the frontier
ill success of former experiments
invincible spirit of animosity which had appeared in certain tribes
invitations were repeated but the messengers upon their arrival at the Miami village had their horses stolen were otherwise treated with insolence and prevented fulfilling their mission
council of the tribes
pressed to repair to the treaty with great earnestness by the chiefs
presented them with a large belt of wampum, holding one end of it themselves and offering the other to the hostile indians
shoulders of a principal chief
recommending him to be at peace with the Americans
leaned himself and let it fall to the ground
left the council house
frontier settlements were disquieted by frequent depredations and murders and the complaints of their inhabitants of the pacific forbearance of the government
inviting them to meet the commissioners
Six or Northern Nations
Mohawks
representation of the following tribes
Chippawas
Pattiwatamas
Sacs
same boundaries were recognized and established by a principle of purchase
stipulated by the former treaties
careful and attentive was the government of the United States to settle a boundary with the indians on the basis of fair treaty to obviate the dissatisfactions which had been excited
establish its claims to the lands relinquished on the principle of equitable purchase
present war has been occasioned by any dispute relatively to the boundaries established
unprovoked aggressions of the Miami and Wabash Indians upon Kentucky and other parts of the frontiers
associates, a banditte formed of Shawanese and outcast Cherokees in all amounting to about one thousand two hundred men, are solely the causes of the war
purpose of extinguishing indian claims to the lands they already ceded
obtaining regular conveyances
extending a purchase beyond the limits theretofore fixed by treaty
place and particular time as the Governor of the Western Territory should appoint
purpose of knowing the causes of uneasiness among the said tribes and hearing their complaints
regulating trade and amicably settling all affairs concerning lands and boundaries
Congress appropriated the sum of twenty thousand dollars
defraying the expences of the treaties
several indian tribes in the Northern Department
turbulent and malignant characters residing among some of the northern and western tribes
excited uneasiness and complaints against those treaties
consequence of representations upon this subject
general treaty should be held with the tribes of indians within the United States inhabiting the country northwest of the Ohio and about Lake Erie
powerful tribes of the south
Creeks
Cherokees
Choctaws
Chickasaws
Shawanese
confluence of the Great Miami
Wyandots
Delawares
Ottawas
Chippewas
early measures
treaty was held and a peace concluded
hostile part of the northern indians or Six Nations
war ceased with Great Britain
indulging any resentments
establish a liberal peace with all tribes troughout their limits
aggressions were entirely unprovoked
great numbers of inoffensive men, women and children fell a sacrifice to the barbarous warfare pracised by the Indians
dragged into a deplorable captivity
recurrence to the Journals of the United States in Congress assembled, of the early stages of the late war will evince the public solicitude to preserve peace with the Indian Tribes
prevent their engaging in a contest in which they are no wise interested
partial treaties or conventions were formed with some of the northern and western tribes in the years 1775 and 1776
treaties were too feeble to resist the powerful impulses of a contrary nature arising from a combination of circumstances
Indian nations
Oneidas
Tuscaroras
few individuals of the Delawares
lying on our frontiers from Georgia to Canada
armed against us
causes of the existing hostilities between the United States and certain tribes of Indians North-West of the Ohio, stated and explained from official and authentic documents and published in obedience to the orders of the President of The United States
document number
1792012600001
page start
1
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Document instances
| In image | In source | Location in source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [view document] (2 pages) | AKH03 (2 pages) | Collection: Henry Knox Papers. [microfilm] | R: 30, P: 86 |
| [view document] (0 pages) | JBE10 (0 pages) | Collection: Manuscript Collection. | May 22, 1792 |
| [view document] (0 pages) | [no image] | Publication: Territorial Papers, Vol. 2. | [unknown] |
Document names
| Type | Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Henry Knox | War Department | [n/a] |