The Cayuga Chief, Logan--Some account of his father,
Shikellimus--Residence of Logan--His friendship for the whites
interrupted by their provocations--His family misfortunes--The Shawanee
Silver-Heels--Logan joins in a war of revenge against the
"Long-Knives"--Battle of the Kenhawa--Treaty of Peace with Governor
Dunmore--Logan's celebrated speech--His history
completed--Buckongahelas, the Delaware head War-Chief--His intercourse
with the Christian Indians--Part which he takes in the
Revolution--Defeated by Wayne, in 1794--Anecdotes of him--Death and
character.
Few Indians names have been oftener repeated than that of Logan, and yet
of scarcely any individual of his race is the history which has reached us
less complete. He was a chief of the Six-Nations--a Cayuga--but resided
during most of his life in a western settlement, either at Sandusky or
upon a branch of the Scioto--there being at the former location, a few
years before the Revolution, about three hundred warriors, and about sixty
at the latter.
Logan was the second son of _Shikellimus;_ and this is the same person
whom Heckewelder describes as "a respectable chief of the Six Nations, who
resided at Shamokin (Pennsylvania,) as an agent, to transact business
between them and the Government of the State." In 1747, at a time when the
Moravian Missionaries were the object of much groundless hatred and
accusation, _Shikellimus_ invited some of them to settle at Shamokin, and
they did so. When Count Zinzendorff and Conrad Weiser visited that place,
several years before, they were very hospitably entertained by the Chief,
who came out to meet them (says Loskiel,) with a large fine melon, for
which the Count politely gave him his fur cap in exchange; and thus
commenced an intimate acquaintance. He was a shrewd and sober man,--not
addicted to drinking, like most of his countrymen, because "he never
wished to become a fool." Indeed, he built his house on pillars for
security against the drunken Indians, and used to ensconce himself within
it on all occasions of riot and outrage. He died in 1749, attended in his
last moments by the good Moravian Bishop Zeisberger, in whose presence,
says Loskiel, "he fell happily asleep in the Lord."
Logan inherited the talents of his father, but not his prosperity. Nor was
this altogether his own fault. He took no part except that of peace-making
in the French and English war of 1760, and was ever before and afterwards
looked upon as emphatically the friend of the white man. But never was
kindness rewarded like his.
In the spring of 1774, a robbery and murder occurred in some of the white
settlements on the Ohio, which were charged to the Indians, though perhaps
not justly, for it is well known that a large number of civilized
adventurers were traversing the frontiers at this time, who sometimes
disguised themselves as Indians, and who thought little more of killing
one of that people than of shooting a buffalo. A party of these men,
land-jobbers and others, undertook to punish the outrage in this case,
according to their custom, as Mr. Jefferson expresses it, in a summary
way. [FN]
* * * * *
[FN] Notes on Virginia.
Colonel Cresap, a man infamous for the many murders he had committed on
those much injured people, collected a party, and proceeded down the
Kenhawa in quest of vengeance. Unfortunately, a canoe of women and
children, with one man only, was seen coming from the opposite shore,
unarmed, and not at all suspecting an attack from the whites. Cresap and
his party concealed themselves on the bank of the river, and the moment
the canoe reached the shore, singled out their objects, and, at one fire,
killed every person in it This happened to be the family of Logan. [FN]
* * * * *
[FN] Jefferson.
It was not long after this that another massacre took place, under still
more aggravated circumstances, not far from the present site of Wheeling,
Virginia,--a considerable party of the Indians being decoyed by the
whites, and all murdered, with the exception of a little girl. Among
these, too, was both a brother of Logan, and a sister, and the delicate
situation of the latter increased a thousand fold both the barbarity of
the crime and the race of the survivors of the family.
The vengeance of the Chieftain was indeed provoked beyond endurance; and
he accordingly distinguished himself by his daring and bloody exploits in
the war which now ensued, between the Virginians on the one side, and a
combination mainly of Shawanees, Mingoes and Delawares on the other. The
former of these tribes were particularly exasperated by the unprovoked
murder of one of their favorite chiefs, Silver-Heels, who had in the
kindest manner undertaken to escort several white traders across the woods
from the Ohio to Albany, a distance of nearly two hundred miles. [FN]
* * * * *
[FN] Heckewelder's History.
The civilized party prevailed, as usual. A decisive battle was fought upon
the 10th of October, of the year last named, on Point Pleasant at the
mouth of the Great Kenhawa in West-Virginia, between the Confederates,
commanded by Logan, and one thousand Virginian riflemen constituting the
left wing of an army led by Governor Dunmore against the Indians of the
North-West. This engagement has by some annalists,--who however have
rarely given the particulars of it--been called the most obstinate ever
contested with the natives, and we therefore annex an official account of
it which has fortunately been brought to light within a few years.
"Monday morning, [the 10th,] about half an hour before sun-rise, two of
Capt. Russell's company discovered a large party of Indians about a mile
from camp; one of which was shot down by the Indians. The other made his
escape and brought in the intelligence; two or three minutes after, two of
Capt. Shelby's men came in and confirmed the account.
"Col. Andrew Lewis being informed thereof, immediately ordered out Col.
Charles Lewis to take the command of one hundred and fifty men, of the
Augusta troops; and with him went Capt. Dickinson, Capt. Harrison, Capt.
Wilson, Capt. John Lewis of Augusta, and Capt. Lockridge, which made the
first division; Col. Fleming was ordered to take command of one hundred
and fifty more, consisting of Botetrout, Bedford and Fincastle
troops--viz: Capt. Bufort of Bedford, Capt. Love of Botetrout, and Capt.
Shelby and Capt. Russell of Fincastle, which made the second division.
Col. Charles Lewis's division marched to the right some distance from the
Ohio; Col. Fleming, with his division, up the bank of the Ohio, to the
left. Col. Lewis's division had not marched quite half a mile from camp,
when about sun-rise, an attack was made on the front of his division, in a
most vigorous manner, by the united tribes of Indians, Shawanees,
Delawares, Mingoes, Iaways, and of several other nations, in number not
less than eight hundred, and by many thought to be a thousand. In this
heavy attack Col. Lewis received a wound which in a few hours occasioned
his death, and several of his men fell on the spot; in fact the Augusta
division was forced to give way to the heavy fire of the enemy. In about a
minute after the attack on Col. Lewis's division, the enemy engaged the
front of Col. Fleming's division, on the Ohio; and in a short time the
Colonel received two balls through his left arm, and one through his
breast, and after animating the officers and soldiers, in a spirited
manner, to the pursuit of victory, retired to camp.
"The loss of the brave Colonels from the field was sensibly felt by the
officers in particular; but the Augusta troops being shortly after
reinforced from camp by Col. Fields with his company, together with Capt.
McDowel, Capt. Mathews and Capt. Stuart, from Augusta, and Capt. Arbuckle
and Capt McClenahan, from Botetrout, the enemy, no longer able to maintain
their ground, was forced to give way till they were in a line with the
troops of Col. Fleming, left in action on the bank of Ohio. In this
precipitate retreat Col. Field was killed. Capt. Shelby was then ordered
to take the command. During this time, it being now twelve o'clock, the
action continued extremely hot. The close underwood, and many steep banks
and logs, greatly favored their retreat, and the bravest of their men made
the best use of them, whilst others were throwing their dead into the Ohio
and carrying off their wounded.
"After twelve o'clock the action, in a small degree, abated; but continued,
except at short intervals, sharp enough till after one o'clock. Their long
retreat gave them a most advantageous spot of ground, from whence it
appeared to the officers so difficult to dislodge them that it was thought
most advisable to stand as the line was then formed, which was about a
mile and a quarter in length, and had till then sustained a constant and
equal weight of the action, from wing to wing. It was till about half an
hour of sunset they continued firing on us scattering shots, which we
returned to their disadvantage; at length night coming on, they found a
safe retreat. They had not the satisfaction of carrying off any of our
men's scalps, save one or two stragglers, whom they killed before the
engagement. Many of their dead they scalped rather than we should have
them; but our troops scalped upwards of twenty of those who were first
killed. It is beyond a doubt their loss in number far exceeds ours, which
is considerable." [FN]
* * * * *
[FN] Niles's Register, Vol. XII.
The Virginians lost in this action two of their Colonels, four Captains,
many subordinate officers, and about fifty privates killed, besides a much
larger number wounded. The Governor himself was not engaged in the battle,
being at the head of the right wing of the same army, a force of fifteen
hundred men, who were at this time on their expedition against the towns
of some of the hostile tribes in the North-West.
It was at the treaty ensuing upon this battle that the following speech
was delivered,--sufficient to render the name of Logan famous for many a
century. It came by the hand of a messenger, sent, (as Mr. Jefferson
states,) that the sincerity of the negotiation might not be distrusted on
account of the absence of so distinguished a warrior as himself.
"I appeal to any white man to say, if he ever entered Logan's cabin
hungry, and he gave him not meat; if he ever came cold and naked, and he
clothed him not. During the course of the last long and bloody war, Logan
remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace. Such was my love for
the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they passed, and said, 'Logan is
the friend of white men.' I had even thought to have lived with you, but
for the injuries of one man. Colonel Cresap, the last spring, in cold
blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not sparing
even my women and children. There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins
of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. I have sought it; I
have killed many; I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I
rejoice at the beams of peace. But do not harbor a thought that mine is
the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to
save his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan?--Not one."
Of this powerful address, Mr. Jefferson says, "I may challenge the whole
orations of Demosthenes and Cicero, and of any more eminent orator, if
Europe has furnished more eminent, to produce a single passage, superior
to the speech of Logan;" and an American statesman and scholar, scarcely
less illustrious than the author of this noble eulogium, has expressed his
readiness to subscribe to it. [FN] It is of course unnecessary for any
humbler authority to enlarge upon its merits. Indeed, they require no
exposition; they strike home to the soul.
* * * * *
[FN] Clinton's Historical Discourse: 1811.
The melancholy history of Logan must be dismissed with no relief to its
gloomy colors. He was himself a victim to the same ferocious cruelty which
had already rendered him a desolate man. [FN] Not long after the treaty a
party of whites murdered him, as he was returning from Detroit to his own
country. It grieves us to add, that towards the close of his life, misery
had made him intemperate. No security and no solace to Logan, was the
orator's genius or the warriors glory.
* * * * *
[FN] Drake's Biography.
Campbell, in his _Gertrude of Wyoming,_ has appropriated the affecting
sentiment of Logan to an Indian hero of his own, but the sin of the
transfer may be excused for its skill.
. . . "He left of all my tribe
Nor man nor child, nor thing of living birth;
No! not the dog, that watched my household hearth,
Escaped, that night of blood, upon our plains!
All perished! I alone am left on Earth!
To whom nor relative nor blood remains,
No!--not a kindred drop that runs in human veins!"
A more noted personage in his own time than even Logan, was the Delaware
Buckongahelas, who rose from the station of a private warrior to be, as
Heckewelder calls him, the head war-chief of his nation. That writer
speaks of meeting him at Tuscaroras as early as 1762: and the Chieftain
accordingly reminded him of the fact when, in 1781, he visited the
settlement of the Christian Indians in Ohio. His deportment on that
occasion was singularly characteristic of the man; for all writers agree
in representing him as fearless, frank and magnanimous. It should be
premised, that he lived on the Miami, and being rather in the British
interest, was disposed to watch quite closely the movements of the
peace-party. What he _did,_ however, he did openly, and he never hesitated
to explain himself with the same freedom.
One morning, late in the season last named, two Christian Indians of
Gnadenhutten having gone out to look in the woods for strayed horses, were
met by a chieftain at the head of eighty warriors, who without ceremony
made them both captives. "Then," says Heckewelder, "taking a course
through the woods, until they had come within a short distance of
Gnadenhutten, they rested until nearly break of day, guarding the
Brethren, that they might not escape and give information of them. The day
approaching, they moved on, and having surrounded the town completely,
hailed the inhabitants, to deliver into their hands the chief, Gelelemend,
(Kill-Buck) with the other chiefs and councilors; whom they must have
either alive or dead." [FN] The party being informed, that not one of
those they were in search of, was here at the time, but had all gone to
Pittsburg some time past, they then searched every house, stable and
cellar; and being finally satisfied that they had been told the truth,
they demanded that deputies, consisting of the principal men of the three
towns, should be called together, to hear what they had to say to them.
The principal men assembled from Salem and Shonbrun; and Buckongahelas,
for such they discovered him to be, addressed them as follows:
* * * * *
[FN] Their object was, to take these off to a place where they would have
them under _their_ control, and prevent them from governing the nation
while the war lasted; it being a custom with the Indians, that as soon as
the peace-chief has gave his consent to war measures, his office ceases,
and the power is vested in the head captains of the nation, until his
services, in making peace are again wanted.
"Friends!--Listen to what I say to you! You see a great and powerful
nation divided! You see the father fighting against the son, and the son
against the father!--The father has called on his Indian children, to
assist him in punishing his children, the Americans, who have become
refractory!--I took time to consider what I should do--whether or not I
should receive the hatchet of my father, to assist him!--At first I looked
upon it as a family quarrel, in which I was not interested--However, at
length it appeared to me, that the father was in the right; and his
children deserved to be punished a little!--That this must be the case, I
concluded from the many cruel acts his off-spring had committed from time
to time, on his Indian children; in encroaching on their land, stealing
their property, shooting at, and murdering without cause, men, women and
children--Yes! even murdering those, who at all times had been friendly to
them, and were placed for protection under the roof of their father's
house--The father himself standing centry at the door, at the time."
The writer here referred to a number of Pennsylvanian Indians, murdered in
a _jail,_ where they were placed for security against the whites. The
sentry was the jailer. He continued thus:
"Friends! Often has the father been obliged to settle, and make amends for
the wrongs and mischiefs done to us, by his refractory children, yet these
do not grow better! No! they remain the same, and will continue to be so,
as long as we have any land left us! Look back at the murders committed by
the Long-Knives on many of our relations, who lived peaceable neighbors to
them on the Ohio! Did they not kill them without the least
provocation?--Are they, do you think, better now than they were then?--No,
indeed not; and many days are not elapsed since you had a number of these
very men at your doors, who panted to kill you, but fortunately were
prevented from so doing by the _Great Sun,_ [FN] who, at that time, had
been ordained by the Great Spirit to protect you!"
* * * * *
[FN] The name the Indians had given to Col. Daniel Broadhead.
"Friends and relatives!--Now listen to me, and hear what I have to say to
you.--I am myself come to bid you rise and go with me to a secure place!
Do not, my friends, covet the land you now hold under cultivation. I will
conduct you to a country [FN] equally good, where your fields shall yield
you abundant crops, and where your cattle shall find sufficient pasture;
where there is plenty of game; where your women and children, together
with yourselves, will live in peace and safety; where no Long Knife shall
ever molest you!--Nay! I will live between you and them, and not even
suffer them to frighten you!--There, you can worship your God without
fear!--Here, where you are, you cannot do this!--Think on what I have now
said to you, and believe, that if you stay where you now are, one day or
another the Long-Knives will, in their usual way, speak fine words to you,
and at the same time murder you!"
* * * * *
[FN] The Miami country.
To this speech the Brethren replied by civilly declining the proposition
of the Orator; and he then offered a new one,--that they should permit all
who wished to leave them, to do so. Thus the matter was settled.
Buckongahelas then proceeded to another village of the Christian
Delawares, Salem, before entering which place he cautioned his warriors to
leave their arms behind them, "lest the women and children should be
frightened." "And destroy nothing," he added, "which belongs to our
friends; no, not even one of their _chickens._" The conference which
ensued with the Salem authorities is thus stated by Mr. Heckewelder, who
was present.
"The Christian Indians," said the Chieftain, "were a happy people; and he
would never trouble them on account of their not joining in the
war.--Indeed, they could not with propriety join in wars, without first
renouncing praying, [meaning Christianity].--And every Indian, or body of
Indians, had a right to choose for themselves, whom they would serve!--For
him, he had hired himself to his father, the king of England, for the
purpose of fighting against his refractory children, the Long-Knives;
whilst his friends and relations, the Christian Indians, had hired
themselves to the Great Spirit, solely for the purpose of performing
prayers!" [meaning, attending to religion]--"He added, that both were
right in their way, though both employments could not be connected
together. And only yesterday they were told, whilst at Gnadenhutten, that
God had instructed all Christian people to love their enemies--and even to
pray for them!--These words, he said, were written in the large book that
contained the words and commandments of God!--Now, how would it appear,
were we to compel our friends, who love and pray for their enemies, to
fight against them!--compel them to act contrary to what they believe to
be right!--force them to do that by which they would incur the displeasure
of the Great Spirit, and bring his wrath upon them!--That it would be as
wrong in him to compel the Christian Indians to quit praying and turn out
to fight and kill people, as it would be in them to compel him to lay
fighting aside, and turn to praying only!--He had often heard it stated,
that the believing Indians were slaves to their teachers, and what these
commanded them to do, they _must_ do, however disagreeable to them!--Now,
(said he) how can this be true, when every Indian is a free man, and can
go where he pleases!--Can the teacher stop him from going away?--No! he
cannot!--well! how can he then be made a slave by the teacher!--When we
come here among our friends, we see how much they love their
teachers.--This looks Well!--Continue, my friends, (said he to the
national assistants) in loving your teachers, and in doing all good
things; and when your friends and relations come to see you, satisfy their
hunger as you have done to us this day!" [FN]
* * * * *
[FN] Narrative of the Christian Indians.
Having taken leave of all who were in the house, he proceeded to the
middle of the street, from whence he addressed the inhabitants of the
place and thanked them for their hospitality, assuring them of his regard
and good wishes for them, and adding, that "If at any time they should
hear it said, that Pachgantschihilas was an enemy to the believing
[Christian] Indians; they should consider such words as lies!"
The reasoning of the Chieftain speaks for itself. His predictions in
regard to the fate of the Christian Delawares, were but too speedily
accomplished. But it was no fault of his; and indeed, in 1783, when
Captain Pipe sent word to him not to suffer any of them to leave his
territory, he returned answer, with his usual spirit, that he never would
prevent them from going to their teachers. "And why did you expect them?"
he added. "Did I not tell you beforehand, that if you drove the teachers
off, the believing Indians would follow them? But you would not listen to
me, and now we lose both! Who, think you, is the cause of all the
disasters, which have befallen these people! _I say you!--You!_ who
threatened them with destruction! _You,_ who instigated the Wyandots to
act the treacherous part they did,--agreeing with them, that, as a
recompense for their services, they should be entitled to all the plunder
they could lay hold of!"
In Dawson's Memoirs of Harrison, Buckongahelas is mentioned as being
present at a council of the chiefs of various tribes, called at Fort Wayne
in 1803, for the purpose of ratifying a negotiation for land, already
proposed in a former one which met at Vincennes. The Governor carried his
point, chiefly by the aid of an influential Miami chief and by being
"_boldly seconded in every proposition_" by the Pottawatamies, who (as Mr.
Dawson states,) "_were entirely devoted to the Governor._" It is not our
intention here to discuss at length the character of this transaction,
which rather belongs to the general history of the period. How the
Delaware Chief and the Shawanees understood it, and how they expressed
their sentiments, may be inferred from the following statement of
Dawson:--
"When the transaction at the council of Vincennes was mentioned, it called
forth all the wrath of the Delawares and the Shawanees. The respected
Buckongahelas so far forgot himself that he interrupted the Governor, and
declared with vehemence, that nothing that was done at Vincennes was
binding upon the Indians; that the land which was there decided to be the
property of the United States, belonged to the Delawares; and that he had
then with him a chief who had been present at the transfer made by the
Piankishaws to the Delawares of all the country between the Ohio and White
rivers, more than thirty years before. The Shawanees went still further,
and behaved with so much insolence, that the Governor was obliged to tell
them that they were undutiful and rebellious children, and that he would
withdraw his protection from them until they had learnt to behave
themselves with more propriety. These Chiefs immediately left the council
house in a body."
Subsequently the Shawanees submitted, though it does not appear that
Buckongahelas set them the example; and thus, says the historian, the
Governor overcame all opposition, and carried his point.
But he did not gain the good will, or subdue the haughty independence of
the War-Chief of the Delawares, who, as long as he lived, was at least
consistent with himself in his feelings towards the American people. Nor
yet was he in the slightest degree servile in his attachment to the
British. He was not their instrument or subject, but their ally; and no
longer their ally, than they treated him in a manner suitable to that
capacity and to his own character.
He was indeed the most distinguished warrior in the Indian confederacy,
and as it was the British interest which had induced the Indians to
commence, as well as to continue the war, Buckongahelas relied on their
support and protection. This support had been given, so far as relates to
provisional arms, and ammunition; and in the celebrated engagement, on the
20th of August, 1794, which resulted in a complete victory by General
Wayne over the combined hostile tribes, there were said to be two
companies of British militia from Detroit on the side of the Indians.
[FN-1] But the gates of Fort Mimms being shut against the retreating and
wounded Indians, after the battle, opened the eyes of Buckongahelas, and
he determined upon an immediate peace with the United States, and a total
abandonment of the British. He assembled his tribe and embarked them in
canoes, with the design of proceeding up the river, and sending a flag of
truce to Fort Wayne. Upon approaching the British fort, he was requested
to land, and he did so. "What have you to say to me?" said he, addressing
the officer of the day. It was replied, that the commanding officer wished
to speak with him. "Then he may come here," was the reply. "He will not do
that," said the officer, "and you will not be suffered to pass the fort if
you do not comply." "What shall prevent me?" said the intrepid Chief.
"These," said the officer, pointing to the cannon of the fort. "I fear not
your cannon," replied the Chief. "After suffering the Americans to defile
[FN-2] your spring, without daring to fire on them, you cannot expect to
frighten Buckongahelas;" and he ordered the canoes to push off, and passed
the fort.
* * * * *
[FN-1] Dawson's Memoirs.
[FN-2] This was spoken metaphorically, to express the contempt and insult
with which the garrison had been treated by the Americans, for their
treachery towards the Indians who had been their allies.
Never after this would he, like the other chiefs, visit the British, or
receive presents from them. "Had the great Buckongahelas lived," says Mr.
Dawson, alluding to these circumstances, "he would not have suffered the
schemes projected by the Prophet (brother of Tecumseh) to be matured." And
the same writer states, that on his death-bed he earnestly advised his
tribe to rely on the friendship of the United States, and desert the cause
of the British. This was in 1804.
It is said of Buckongahelas, that no Christian knight ever was more
scrupulous in performing all his engagements. Indeed he had all the
qualifications of a great hero. His perfect Indian independence,--the
independence of a noble _nature,_ unperceived to itself, and unaffected to
others,--is illustrated by an authentic anecdote which will bear
repetition.
In the year 1785, he was present, with many other chiefs of various
tribes, at a treaty negotiated by order of Congress at Fort McIntosh on
the Ohio river. When the peace-chiefs had addressed the Commissioners of
the United States, who were George Rogers Clark, Arthur Lee, and Richard
Butler, the two latter of whom he did not deign to notice, approaching
General Clark and taking him by the hand, he thus addressed him: "I thank
the Great Spirit for having this day brought together two such great
warriors as Buckongahelas and General Clark." [FN] The sentiment reminds
one of the Little-Carpenter's address to Mr. Bartram:--"I am
Attakullakulla;--did you know it?"
* * * * *
[FN] Dawson's Memoirs.