Letterbook Copy

Speech of the Little Turtle to the President of the United States John Adams regarding a proposal for exchange of land

Speech of Little Turtle. He thanks the Great Spirit for giving him opportunity to speak with President of United States John Adams. He speaks on behalf of the nine nations, who know that Little Turtle speaks on their behalf. Points out he was at Treaty of Greenville and notes the inconveniences of war. Not all in favor of the boundaries proposed by General Wayne, but weighed against prospect of further war, it was the only good choice. Proposes that land relinquished to United States at Great Miami be given back. In exchange, will give United States parcel of land between Ohio and Mississippi. Whites have been marking land vicinity of Port Vincennes. Ask that US reservation boundaries be marked. Wants to know what parts have been sold to British and French governments and asks that they be marked accordingly. The goods received are not alway what the people want. Asks for a more organized system based on nations' requests and invoices to be forwarded to Secretary of War. Asks for the appointment of Federal Indian Agents to nations. Prices for goods too high; asks for establishment of trading houses; recommends Fort Wayne as good location. A killing of Indian Chief and another Indian at Fort Vincennes. Asks if the perpetrators have been punished. Liquor furnished by traders is diminishing the Indian population. Complains about the erection of stills on reservations. Asks for help in learning to cultivate land; needs ploughs, geers, and someone to teach how to use them. The temptation of whiskey is great; as such reiterates the policy that no sales of Indian lands will take place without consent of United States. Less important issues will be brought up with Secretary of War. If congress needs to know about these issues, he expects that the President will duly inform.

describes White encroachment; discusses boundaries; asks for exchange of lands; discusses Indians; discusses Indian stipend as per treaty; asks for Agent; discusses traders and price of goods; discusses Indian murder; describes prevalence of liquor and effects on Indians; asks for tradesmen and teachers on reservations.

Speech, ask exchange of lands.

1798

02

07

John Adams

President of United States

Little Turtle

General Anthony Wayne

Miamis

Nine Nations

Congress

Secretary of War

James McHenry

Great Spirit

French Government

British Government

Indian Agent

Whites

Indian Chief

traders

United States Government

blacksmiths

Fort Wayne

Post Vincennes

Great Miami

Ohio [River]

Mississippi [River]

Greeneville

United States

Britain

France

Philadelphia

cultivate land

ploughs

geers

blacksmith

liquor

whiskey

boundaries

treaty

Indian education

Indian cultivation of land

whiskey and Indians

liquor effect on Indians

Indian Trade with United States

Treaty of Greenville

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teach children to read and write; prospect or our receiving advantage from such instruction is daily increasing; no sales of land can be made to individuals without the consent of the United States; too much disposed to sell our land and whiskey is a great tempter; interposition of Congress; numbers of our people are much diminishing and we consider one of the principal causes to be the quantity of liquor sold to them; remedy this evil; stills have also been erected within the reservations from whence much of the mischief must issue; as the settlement increases more of this mischief is to be apprehended; power to check this evil; under the protection of the United States; Indian chief and another indian were killed in the streets of Vincennes; perpetrators of that crime have been punished; restrained the indians from retaliation; hope the criminals will be punished; grant such a person a tract of land for his trouble and to render his stay among them comfortable; necessary articles which the great prices they are obliged to pay for them; treat promises to establish trading houses to supply us with goods such as we want and on the most moderate terms; Secretary of War; enable him to order those goods which we most want; stipend for each nation should be in a package and directed to each nation separately accompanied with the invoice or account of the kind and value of the goods; agreeable to the Indians to have a person appointed an agent; number of white people have been marking land at and in the neighbourhood of Post Vincennes; obtained a reservation in that quarter; wish the quantity so reserved be ascertained and marked; consist of lands said to be sold to the British and French governments; whole of the reservation marked; goods allowed by treaty to the several nations may not always come of the kinds which would be most acceptable to them; invoice of the different kinds they wish their stipend should consist of; prevent the inconvenience of having the white settlers so near to our principal towns and hunting grounds; weighing the evils which might have been expected from the continuance of war and the great advantages; inconvenience from the boundary not being entirely satisfactory; signed the treaty; boundaries established by this treaty cannot be easily altered; less land should belong to the United States; propose that a parcel of the land relinquished at the Great Miami may be restored to the indians for an equivalent parcel between the Ohio and Mississippi; parts of the boundaries which were proposed by General Wayne; my people had felt and experienced the inconvenience of war; Father; thank the great spirit for the opportunity which he has given me this day; express to you the wishes and opinions of the nine nations; knowledge; treaty which was formed at Greeneville; speech of the little turtle to the President of the United States;