Part 1 (2/2)
A false report. Va. St. Pap. 3. 500.
A letter to Philip Boyle at Sandusky, July 13, 1779, in Farmer's Hist.
of Detroit 1. 173. This letter was intercepted by the British. It enclosed the proceedings of the Virginia Council concerning Hamilton.
Dodge was a great traveler in his day. Born in Connecticut in 1751, he went to Sandusky, Ohio, in 1770, thence to Fort Pitt (Pittsburg), thence back to Sandusky, thence in succession to Detroit, Michillimackinac (Mackinac), Detroit, Quebec, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Fort Pitt, Vincennes (Indiana), Kaskaskia (Illinois), Ste. Genevieve (Missouri), and New Orleans. We find mention of the man at these places and it is very probable that his travels were much more extensive.[13]
In the Harman papers, as reported by the Missouri Historical Society, is the following reference to Dodge in a letter from John Rice Jones, dated October, 1789: ”John Dodge and Michael Antanya, with a party of whites and armed Piankeshaw Indians, came over from the Spanish side and attempted to carry off some slaves of Mr. John Edgar, and otherwise were guilty of outlandish conduct, threatening to burn the village.” Dodge and Edgar were old friends and fellow prisoners at Detroit. They were both arrested and confined in that place as being too friendly towards the American cause. Edgar was one of the witnesses relied upon to prove that Dodge was ent.i.tled to the land grant for which he had made application as a Canadian refugee.
James Wood[14] of Frederick County, Va., who is mentioned in the Narrative, was appointed to command an expedition against the Shawanese, and armed his company at his own expense. He was also deputed, by the House of Burgesses, in 1775, to go among the several tribes of Western Indians and invite them to a treaty at Fort Pitt. He set out on his errand June 25, 1775, and was gone two months. He ”underwent the greatest fatigues, difficulties and dangers.” He was ordered paid 250 for ”the great service he hath done to this colony, by his diligent and faithful execution of the commission with which he was intrusted.”
The meeting of the Indians, which is referred to in the Narrative, took place at Fort Pitt in October, 1775. One of the Indian chiefs who was present on the occasion, was Shegenaba, the son of the famous Pontiac.
His father had recently been killed in a war between the Indians, and he refers to this event in his speech, a part of which is as follows:
Fathers: From the information I have had of the commandant of Detroit, with distrust I accepted your invitation, and measured my way to the council fire with trembling feet. Your reception of me convinces me of his falsehood, and the groundlessness of my fears.
Truth and he has long been enemies. My father, and many of my chiefs, have lately tasted death. The remembrance of that misfortune almost unmans me, and fills my eyes with tears.
The following is another letter by Dodge:
Fort Pitt Decr 13th 1781.
Sir
I think it my indispencible duty to Lay before your Excellency a State of the Western Islianoy Country which may Probably throw Some light on the Various Reports which may have Reached you through Channels not so well acquainted with it as I am--Since Col George Rogers Clark took Possion of that Country by order of the State of Virginia the inhabitants have been obliged to furnish The means of Subsistance for a number of troops stationed Thare--Received bills for payment but the Greatest part of them protested and Still Remains unpaid which have Not only impoverished the Country to a Great Degree but Numbers have Joynd the Spanish Settlements on the Same Account and indeed the Greatest part are determined to Follow them if their Grievances are Not Remedied in Consequence the enormous Expence the State of Virginia has Been at in that quarter will be but of little advantage To the united States if the inhabitants all leave that Country and Join the Spanish Settlements who are Making use of Every means and giving Every incouragement In their power Even to our allied Savages but as Yet their efforts has proved inafectual with them But as Poverty is always loyable to temptation I fear their Warmest attachment to us Will be Seduced by those Who have it in their power to Supply them the inhabitants are too inconsiderable to Guard themselves from the Hostilities of our Enemies and have often Solicited me to Represent their Situation to Congress before the State of Virginia Gave up their Claim to that Country--the the Chief of the indian Nations Sent a Speech to Congress Representing the State of his Nation and if Nothing Cold be done in Regard of Suplying them Beged an answer Which to my knoledge was lodged with the board of War and Never no answer Received--Should Congress think proper to Send troops to protect and keep that Country under Subjection the Only Way in my Humble opinion to Furnish them Would be to send Some Confidential person with a proper Supply of Merchandize which would in incourage the Settlement of the Country Cultivate the Savage interest Supply the troops with Every Necessary the Return would also answer for Exportation and Finally open a Very Profitable and Extensive trade in a little time--But these hints I beg leave to Refer to your Excellencies own better Judgment Consious that if they are worth your Notice Will direct them into their Proper uses--I propose to Leave this Soon for that quarter and Shall be Very happy in Rendering any Service in my Power which may be advantageous to the United States that Your Excellency may think Proper to intrust to my mannagement--Pleasd to Excuse the freedom of my remarks Which you Will do me the Honour to Corruct
I have the honour to be with the Greatest Respect
Your Excellencies Most Obd and Very Humbe Servt-- Jno. Dodge To His Excellency President of Congress (Dec. 13, 1782)
(_Indors.e.m.e.nt_) Letter 13 Decr. 1781 John Dodge Read Feby. 27, 1782 Referred to Mr. Wolcot Mr. Clark Mr. Patridge The Comd discharged (_Address_) His Excellency President of Congress Philadelphia
The Committee to whom was referred the Letter of John Dodge report
That they have made the fullest enquiry that the circ.u.mstances of the case would admit, relative to the Facts mentioned in said Letter, But have not been able to obtain any Evidence to support them--and are therefore of opinion that the Committee ought to be discharged.
March 20, 1782.
In council June 16, 1779.
The board proceeded to the consideration of the letters of colonel Clarke, and other papers relating to Henry Hamilton Esqr., who has acted for some years past as Lieutenant Governour of the settlement at and about Detroit, and Commandant of the British garrison there, under Sir Guy Carleton as Governour in Chief; Philip Dejean Justice of the Peace for Detroit and William Lamothe, Captain of volunteers, prisoners of war, taken in the county of Illinois.
They find that Governour Hamilton has executed the task of inciting the Indians to perpetrate their accustomed cruelties on the citizens of these States, without distinction of age, s.e.x, or condition, with an eagerness and activity which evince that the general nature of his charge harmonized with his particular disposition; they should have been satisfied from the other testimony adduced that these enormities were committed by savages acting under his commission, but the number of proclamations which, at different times were left in houses, the inhabitants of which were killed or carried away by the Indians, one of which proclamations, under the hand and seal of Governour Hamilton, is in possession of the Board, puts this fact beyond doubt. At the time of his captivity it appears, that he had sent considerable detachments of Indians against the frontier settlements of these states, and had actually appointed a great council of Indians to meet him at the mouth of the Tanissee, to concert the operations of this present campaign. They find that his treatment of our citizens and soldiers, captivated and carried within the limits of his command, has been cruel and inhumane; that in the case of John Dodge, a citizen of these states, which has been particularly stated to this Board, he loaded him with irons, threw him into a dungeon, without bedding, without straw, without fire, in the dead of winter and severe climate of Detroit; that in that state he harra.s.sed and wasted him, with incessant expectations of death; that when the rigours of his situation had brought him so low that death seemed likely to withdraw him from their power, he was taken out and attended to somewhat mended, and then again, before he had recovered abilities to walk, was returned to his dungeon, in which a hole was cut seven inches square only, for the admission of air, and the same load of irons again put on him; that appearing again to be in imminent danger of being lost to them, he was a second time taken from his dungeon, in which he had lain from January to June, with the intermission before mentioned of a few weeks only; That Governour Hamilton gave standing rewards for scalps, but offered none for prisoners, which induced the Indians, after making their captives carry their baggage into the neighborhood of the fort, there to put them to death, and carry in their scalps to the Governour, who welcomed their return and success by a discharge of cannon; that when a prisoner brought [a]live, and destined to death by the Indians, the fire already kindled, and himself bound to the stake, was dexterously withdrawn and secreted from them by the humanity of a fellow prisoner; a large reward was offered for the discovery of the victim, which having tempted a servant to betray his concealment, the present prisoner Dejean being sent with a party of soldiers, surrounded the house, took and threw into jail the unhappy victim, and his deliverer, where the former soon expired under the perpetual a.s.surances of Dejean, that he was to be again restored into the hands of the savages, and the latter when enlarged was bitterly and illiberally reprimanded and threatened by Governour Hamilton.
It appears to them that the prisoner Dejean, was on all occasions the willing and cordial instrument of Governour Hamilton, acting both as judge and keeper of the jail, and instigating and urging him by malicious insinuations and untruths, to increase rather than relax his severities, heightening the cruelty of his orders by the manner of executing them; offering at one time a reward to one prisoner to be the hangman of another, threatening his life on refusal, and taking from his prisoners the little property their opportunities enabled them to acquire.
It appears that the prisoner, Lamothe, was a Captain of the volunteer scalping parties of Indians and whites wh[o] went out from time to time, under general orders to spare neither men, women, nor children.
From this detail of circ.u.mstances which arose in a few cases only, coming accidentally to the knowledge of the Board they think themselves authorized to presume by fair deduction what would be the horrid history of the sufferings of the many who have expired under their miseries (which therefore will remain forever untold) or who having escaped from them, are yet too remote and too much dispersed to bring together their well grounded accusations against these prisoners.
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