STATESMAN OF THE TRIBES
When Brant appeared again in the open councils of his
people, he found the red men still in a fretful mood.
The Treaty of Fort Stanwix was a source of constant
aggravation to them. The white settlers were pressing
over their frontiers so boldly that the Indians felt that
their lands must sooner or later slip from their grasp.
England feared an outbreak of war, and the Indians believed
that in such a case she would aid them. A proof of this
was the manner in which she was keeping garrisons in the
western posts which she had agreed to surrender. It is
now conceded that this was done because the United States
had failed to live up to its pledges. Be that as it may,
Joseph Brant was expected in case of hostilities to
organize the strong league of native races that he had
planned to form.
In November 1786 a great council of Indian tribes was
held at Huron Village, on the Detroit river. This was
well attended, and its deliberations were very grave. An
address, probably written by Brant, was sent by order of
the assembled Indians to the Congress of the United
States. Peace was desired, but it would be necessary for
the Congressional representatives to treat with the
redskins as a whole; difficulties had been engendered
because the United States had entered into negotiations
with separate tribes--'kindled council-fires wherever it
saw fit'--without ever deigning to consult the Indians
as a whole; this, affirmed the address, must happen no
longer.
During the next few years the War Chief was unsparing in
his efforts to come to some solution of the problem which
the attitude of the United States had presented. He was
quite aware that there was not enough concerted action
among the various tribes. In his efforts to unite them
he was aided and supported in all that he did by the
English officials. But, try as Brant might, it seemed
impossible to arrive at that wide union among the tribes
at which he was aiming. On every hand were differences
of opinion and petty jealousies. In 1789 General St Clair,
indeed, was able to make two separate treaties with the
Indians, much to the delight of the government at
Philadelphia. 'I am persuaded,' St Clair wrote confidently,
'[that] their general confederacy is entirely broken.
Indeed it would not be very difficult, if circumstances
required it, to set them at deadly variance.'
But though unwilling to unite, it was with jealous and
angry eyes that they watched the white men cross the
Ohio. The year 1790 found the western tribes ablaze with
passion and again on the war-path against the United
States. The Shawnees, Potawatomis, and Miamis were the
leaders of the revolt. An expedition under General Harmar
marched against them, but it was defeated with great
loss. The Six Nations were the next in arms, and fell
without mercy on the settlements by the Alleghany river.
The horizon was now dark and it seemed as though a
widespread struggle with the Indians was certain to occur.
While the British authorities trusted implicitly in Joseph
Brant, the executive of the United States was also trying
to win his confidence. Both sides clearly recognized that
the future of the red men depended largely on the policy
that Brant should adopt. To have two great nations each
striving to enlist one's services is a fair indication
that the possession of those services will give either
nation a distinct advantage. Brant did not lack vanity,
and on this occasion he was more than flattered. But, to
do justice to Brant, it must be admitted that all the
time he had been in favour of peace. He did not wish the
tribes to go madly into an unequal contest when there
was very slight hope of success, and yet he was strongly
of the opinion that his people must not bow too readily
to the avarice of the pale-face. The Ohio river should
be the dividing-line between the Indian territories in
the west and those of the republic, and by this they must
stand or fall.
The government of the United States at length concluded
that neither Brant nor the tribes would listen to its
terms and that war was inevitable. It determined to carry
the fight vigorously into the very strongholds of the
western tribes. General St Clair was chosen for this
purpose, and he was given a large force to deal with a
certain unrest which had developed in the country of the
Miamis. What the War Chief had feared was now about to
happen. His hatchet was dull and rusted, and he had grown
unused to the strain and hazard of the war-path. But
could he hold aloof? The 'Long Knives' were moving against
the lodges of his brethren in the west, and so he bent
his ear once more to hear the warrior's call.
St Clair set out from Fort Washington in September 1791
and proceeded in the direction of the Miami villages, to
the south-west of Lake Erie. As he advanced, he found
himself worried by bands of redskins who hung upon his
line of march. By November 3, however, he had come within
fifteen miles of the Indian villages. When he pitched
his camp, his army of militiamen and regulars numbered
about fourteen hundred men all told. The Indians were
also fairly numerous, and were under the guidance of
Little Turtle, a brave chief of the Miamis. Though drawn
from various nations, their hearts were knit together by
the peril which confronted them. Within their ranks were
a hundred and fifty stalwarts of the Mohawk tribe, as
well as a number of white men and half-breeds from Canada,
who had come to their assistance.
When the fight began the Mohawks were seen to do the
bidding of a tall and agile chieftain. Though Little
Turtle was the nominal leader, it is conceded that the
main antagonist whom St Clair had pitted against him in
this engagement was Joseph Brant. Having sent his militiamen
on in advance, the American general had bivouacked with
the regulars by the side of a small stream, which ran
into the Wabash. Just before daybreak on November 4, the
raw militiamen found themselves suddenly attacked by a
force of redskins. The Americans, who were about a quarter
of a mile from the principal camp, turned and fled in
confusion. This was what the Indians desired. So hotly
did the militiamen retreat towards the camp that St
Clair's main force was almost carried off its feet. A
rally was made, but the Indians dashed forward with
swiftness and daring. Following on the heels of the
fleeing militiamen, they were soon at the very edge of
the encampment. There they began to pick off the American
gunners one by one.
In a short time St Clair's invading army was hemmed in
on every side and many of his officers had fallen. Charge
after charge was made by his men, but all to no avail.
At length he saw that the day was lost and gave orders
for retreat, hoping to save what was left of his force.
A weak spot was found in the redskins' line, and a remnant
of St Clair's proud army went free, scurrying off in wild
precipitation to Fort Jefferson, thirty miles away. The
ground was thickly strewn with their dead. It has been
computed that in this battle eight hundred of St Clair's
force were killed or wounded.
This disaster in the country of the Miamis showed the
United States how hard it would be to break the spirit
of the red men. War having effected nothing, it was again
decided to resort to entreaty. A number of chiefs of
different tribes were invited to go to Philadelphia, and
among them was Captain Brant. 'I can assure you,' wrote
the secretary of state in the federal government to Brant
on February 2, 1792, 'that the President of the United
States will be highly gratified by receiving and conversing
with a chief of such eminence as you are, on a subject
so interesting and important to the human race.' After
some persuasion Brant consented to go and, proceeding on
horseback by way of the Mohawk valley, he arrived at the
capital city on June 20. There he was gladly welcomed,
and every effort was made to win him for the United
States. 'I was offered a thousand guineas down,' wrote
the War Chief at a later time, 'and to have the half-pay
and pension I receive from Great Britain doubled, merely
on condition that I would use my endeavours to bring
about a peace. But this I rejected.' The American
authorities then held out an even more tempting bait.
They would give him pre-emption rights over land estimated
to be worth twenty thousand pounds and an annual allowance
of fifteen hundred dollars. But Brant steadfastly refused,
and his reason was very plain. How could he accept such
a bribe? 'They might expect me,' he said, 'to act contrary
to His Majesty's interest and the honour of our nations.'
He did, however, promise that he would urge the Miamis
to come to terms with the United States, and that he
would go to them for that purpose.
As he was on his way home from Philadelphia he found that
a Dutch-American, named Dygert, was pursuing him with
the intention of making an attempt upon his life. In New
York, while he was talking to several officers at his
lodgings in Broadway, he happened to peer out, and saw
a man in the street below with his eyes intently fixed
on the window of his room.
'There is Dygert now,' he cried.
Colonel Willet, one of the officers, went down and accused
the man of basely plotting Brant's assassination.
'Do you know,' said the colonel, 'that if you kill that
savage, you will be hanged?'
'Who,' said Dygert in surprise, 'would hang me for killing
an Indian?'
You will see,' answered Willet; if you execute your
purpose, you may depend upon it that you will be hanged
up immediately.'
At this the would-be criminal went off and did not trouble
the War Chief any more.
On his safe return to Canada Brant was taken ill and was
not able to attend a grand council held in the autumn at
Au Glaize, on the Great Miami. When the council met it
was agreed that hostilities should be suspended until a
fresh council should be held at Miami Rapids.
During the winter of 1792-93 Brant received a visit from
Simcoe, lieutenant-governor of Upper Canada, at his home
on Grand River. This officer, who had lately been installed
at Niagara, carried a letter to the War Chief from his
old friend Lord Percy, now the Duke of Northumberland,
together with a brace of pistols that the duke had sent
to him. Simcoe was on his way to Detroit by sled, and
stopped for three days at the Mohawk village. A _feu de
joie_ was fired in his honour, flags were hoisted, and
the Indians made a display of their trophies of war.
Brant and some of the redskins accompanied the
lieutenant-governor as far as the Thames river, where
was situated the village of the Delawares. Here the War
Chief was forced to return. Soon afterwards His Excellency
again halted at Grand River on his way back. The Indians
entertained him in royal style, performing the calumet
dance, the feather dance, and several other dances of
their tribe.
In the middle of the summer of 1793 a great assembly of
Indians took place at Miami Rapids. Commissioners who
were sent to represent the United States were not allowed
to approach the place of meeting. Brant made three
speeches, urging upon the Indians the advisability of
peace. But the red men were still headstrong, and the
commissioners had to go away without having reached any
understanding with them.
The end of the struggle, however, was coming fast. In
1794 General Wayne marched to the neighbourhood of Fort
Miami with a numerous force, defeated the Indians at the
Fallen Timbers, and drove them before him in all directions.
Crestfallen and heartsore, they saw that the day of the
white man had come at last. Brant stood by as their helper
to the very end, but it availed them little. The Black
Snake, as they called General Wayne, had beaten them,
and they knew he would beat them again. The tribesmen
who had come from the far west withdrew sullenly across
the Mississippi, the other races submitted, and the Treaty
of Greenville was signed with General Wayne on August 3,
1795. The ox-cart began to rumble north of the Ohio; the
tall forests fell before the settler's axe, and the red
man lived and walked no more alone by the 'River Beautiful.'