pioneers of the old southwest-第14部分

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　be　repudiated　by　the　Indians。　This　paragraph　of　the　Proclamation　was　in　substance　an　embodiment　of　Johnson's　suggestions　to　the　Lords　of　Trade。　Its　purpose　was　square　dealing　and　pacification；　and　shrewd　men　such　as　Washington　recognized　that　it　was　not　intended　as　a　final　check　to　expansion。　〃A　temporary　expedient　to　quiet　the　minds　of　the　Indians；〃　Washington　called　it；　and　then　himself　went　out　along　the　Great　Kanawha　and　into　Kentucky；　surveying　land。

It　will　be　asked　what　had　become　of　the　Ohio　Company　of　Virginia　and　that　fort　at　the　Forks　of　the　Ohio；　once　a　bone　of　contention　between　France　and　England。　Fort　Pitt；　as　it　was　now　called；　had　fallen　foul　of　another　dispute；　this　time　between　Virginia　and　Pennsylvania。　Virginia　claimed　that　the　far　western　corner　of　her　boundary　ascended　just　far　enough　north　to　take　in　Fort　Pitt。　Pennsylvania　asserted　that　it　did　nothing　of　the　sort。　The　Ohio　Company　had　meanwhile　been　merged　into　the　Walpole　Company。　George　Croghan；　at　Fort　Pitt；　was　the　Company's　agent　and　as　such　was　accused　by　Pennsylvania　of　favoring　from　ulterior　motives　the　claims　of　Virginia。　Hotheads　in　both　colonies　asseverated　that　the　Indians　were　secretly　being　stirred　up　in　connection　with　the　boundary　disputes。　If　it　does　not　very　clearly　appear　how　an　Indian　rising　would　have　settled　the　ownership　of　Fort　Pitt；　it　is　evident　enough　where　the　interests　of　Virginia　and　Pennsylvania　clashed。　Virginia　wanted　land　for　settlement　and　speculation；　Pennsylvania　wanted　the　Indians　left　in　possession　for　the　benefit　of　the　fur　trade。　So　far　from　stirring　up　the　Indians；　as　his　enemies　declared；　Croghan　was　as　usual　giving　away　all　his　substance　to　keep　them　quiet。*　Indeed；　during　this　summer　of　1774；　eleven　hundred　Indians　were　encamped　about　Fort　Pitt　visiting　him。

*　The　suspicion　that　Croghan　and　Lord　Dunmore；　the　Governor　of　Virginia；　were　instigating　the　war　appears　to　have　arisen　out　of　the　conduct　of　Dr。　John　Connolly；　Dunmore's　agent　and　Croghan's　nephew。　Croghan　had　induced　the　Shawanoes　to　bring　under　escort　to　Fort　Pitt　certain　English　traders　resident　in　the　Indian　towns。　The　escort　was　fired　on　by　militiamen　under　command　of　Connolly；　who　also　issued　a　proclamation　declaring　a　state　of　war　to　exist。　Connolly；　however；　probably　acted　on　his　own　initiative。　He　was　interested　in　land　on　his　own　behalf　and　was　by　no　means　the　only　man　at　that　time　who　was　ready　to　commit　outrages　on　Indians　in　order　to　obtain　it。　As　Croghan　lamented；　there　was　〃too　great　a　spirit　in　the　frontier　people　for　killing　Indians。〃


Two　hundred　thousand　acres　in　the　WestKentucky　and　West　Virginiahad　been　promised　to　the　colonial　officers　and　soldiers　who　fought　in　the　Seven　Years'　War。　But　after　making　the　Proclamation　the　British　Government　had　delayed　issuing　the　patents。　Washington　interested　himself　in　trying　to　secure　them；　and　Lord　Dunmore；　who　also　had　caught　the　〃land…fever；〃*　prodded　the　British　authorities　but　won　only　rebuke　for　his　inconvenient　activities。　Insistent；　however；　Dunmore　sent　out　parties　of　surveyors　to　fix　the　bounds　of　the　soldiers'　claims。　James　Harrod；　Captain　Thomas　Bullitt；　Hancock　Taylor；　and　three　McAfee　brothers　entered　Kentucky；　by　the　Ohio；　under　Dunmore's　orders。　John　Floyd　went　in　by　the　Kanawha　as　Washington's　agent。　A　bird's…eye　view　of　that　period　would　disclose　to　us　very　few　indeed　of　His　Majesty's　loving　subjects　who　were　paying　any　attention　to　his　proclamation。　Early　in　1774；　Harrod　began　the　building　of　cabins　and　a　fort；　and　planted　corn　on　the　site　of　Harrodsburg。　Thus　to　him　and　not　to　Boone　fell　the　honor　of　founding　the　first　permanent　white　settlement　in　Kentucky

*　See　Alvord；　〃The　Mississippi　Valley　in　British　Politics；〃　vol。　II；　pp。　191…94。


When　summer　came；　its　thick　verdure　proffering　ambuscade；　the　air　hung　tense　along　the　border。　Traders　had　sent　in　word　that　Shawanoes；　Delawares；　Mingos；　Wyandots；　and　Cherokees　were　refusing　all　other　exchange　than　rifles；　ammunition；　knives；　and　hatchets。　White　men　were　shot　down　in　their　fields　from　ambush。　Dead　Indians　lay　among　their　own　young　corn；　their　scalp　locks　taken。　There　were　men　of　both　races　who　wanted　war　and　meant　to　have　itand　with　it　the　land。

Lord　Dunmore；　the　Governor；　resolved　that；　if　war　were　inevitable；　it　should　be　fought　out　in　the　Indian　country。　With　this　intent；　he　wrote　to　Colonel　Andrew　Lewis　of　Botetourt　County；　Commander　of　the　Southwest　Militia；　instructing　him　to　raise　a　respectable　body　of　troops　and　〃join　me　either　at　the　mouth　of　the　Great　Kanawha　or　Wheeling；　or　such　other　part　of　the　Ohio　as　may　be　most　convenient　for　you　to　meet　me。〃　The　Governor　himself　with　a　force　of　twelve　hundred　proceeded　to　Fort　Pitt；　where　Croghan；　as　we　have　seen；　was　extending　his　hospitality　to　eleven　hundred　warriors　from　the　disaffected　tribes。

On　receipt　of　the　Governor's　letter；　Andrew　Lewis　sent　out　expresses　to　his　brother　Colonel　Charles　Lewis；　County　Lieutenant　of　Augusta；　and　to　Colonel　William　Preston；　County　Lieutenant　of　Fincastle；　to　raise　men　and　bring　them　with　all　speed　to　the　rendezvous　at　Camp　Union　（Lewisburg）　on　the　Big　Levels　of　the　Greenbrier　（West　Virginia）。　Andrew　Lewis　summoned　these　officers　to　an　expedition　for　〃reducing　our　inveterate　enemies　to　reason。〃　Preston　called　for　volunteers　to　take　advantage　of　〃the　opportunity　we　have　so　long　wished　for。。。this　useless　People　may　now　at　last　be　oblidged　to　abandon　their　country。〃　These　men　were　among　not　only　the　bravest　but　the　best　of　their　time；　but　this　was　their　view　of　the　Indian　and　his　alleged　rights。　To　eliminate　this　〃useless　people；〃　inveterate　enemies　of　the　white　race；　was；　as　they　saw　it；　a　political　necessity　and　a　religious　duty。　And　we　today　who　profit　by　their　deeds　dare　not　condemn　them。

Fervor　less　solemn　was　aroused　in　other　quarters　by　Dunmore's　call　to　arms。　At　Wheeling；　some　eighty　or　ninety　young　adventurers；　in　charge　of　Captain　Michael　Cresap　of　Maryland；　were　waiting　for　the　freshets　to　sweep　them　down　the　Ohio　into　Kentucky。　When　the　news　reached　them；　they　greeted　it　with　the　wild　monotone　chant　and　the　ceremonies　preliminary　to　Indian　warfare。　They　planted　the　war　pole；　stripped　and　painted　themselves；　and　starting　the　war　dance　called　on　Cresap　to　be　their　〃white　leader。〃　The　captain；　however；　declined；　but　in　that　wild　circling　line　was　one　who　was　a　white　leader　indeed。　He　was　a　sandy…haired　boy　of　twentyone　of　the　bold　race　of　English　Virginians；　rugged　and　of　fiery　countenance；　with　blue　eyes　intense　of　glance　and　deep　set　under　a　high　brow　that；　while　modeled　for　power；　seemed　threatened　in　its　promise　by　the　too　sensitive　chiseling　of　his　lips。　With　every　nerve　straining　for　the　fray；　with　thudding　of　feet　and　crooning　of　the　blood　song；　he　wheeled　with　those　other　mad　spirits　round　the　war　pole　till　the　set　of　sun　closed　the　rites。　〃That　evening　two　scalps　were　brought　into　camp；〃　so　a　letter　of　his　reads。　Does　the　bold　savage　color　of　this　picture　affright　us？　Would　we　veil　it？　Then　we　should　lose　something　of　the　true　lineaments　of　George　Rogers　Clark；　who；　within　four　short　years；　was　to　lead　a　tiny　army　of　tattered　and　starving　backwoodsmen；　ashamed　to　quail　where　he　never　flinched；　through　barrens　and　icy　floods　to　the　conquest　of　Illinois　for　the　United　States。

Though　Cresap　had　rejected　the　role　of　〃white　leader；〃　he　did　not　escape　the　touch　of　infamy。　〃Cresap's　War〃　was　the　name　the　Indians　gave　to　the　bloody　encounters　between　small　parties　of　whites　and　Indians；　which　followed　on　that　war　dance　and　scalping；　during　the　summer　months。　One　of　these　encounters　must　be　detailed　here　because　history　has　assigned　it　as　the　immediate　cause　of　Dunmore's　War。

Greathouse；　Sapperton；　and　King；　three　traders　who　had　a　post　on　Yellow　Creek；　a　tributary　of　the　Ohio　fifty　miles　below　Pittsburgh；　invited　several　Indians　from　across　the　stream　to　come　and　drink　with　them　and　their　friends。　Among　the　Indians　were　two　or　three　men　of　importance　in　the　Mingo　tribe。　There　were　also　some　women；　one　of　whom　was　the　Indian　wife　of　Colonel　John　Gibson；　an　educated　man　who　had　distinguished　himself　as　a　soldier　with　Forbes　in　1768。　That　the　Indians　came　in　amity　and　apprehended　no　treachery　was　proved　by　the　presence　of　the　women。　Gibson's　wife　carried　her　halfcaste　baby　in　her　shawl。　The　disreputable　traders　plied　their　guests　with　drink　to　the　point　of　intoxication　and　then　murdered　them。　King　shot　the　first　man　and；　when　he　fell；　cut　his　throat；　saying　that　he　had　served　many　a　deer　in　that　fashion。　Gibson's　Indian　wife　fled　and　was　shot　down　in　the　clearing。　A　man　followed　to　dispatch　her　and　her　baby。　She　held　the　child　up　to　him　pleading；　with　her　last　breath；　that　he　would　spare　it　because　it　was　not　Indian　but　〃one　of　yours。〃　The　mother　dead；　the　child　was　later　sent　to　Gibson。　Twelve　Indians　in　all　were　killed。

Meanwhile　Croghan　had　persuaded　the　Iroquois　to　peace。　With　the　help　of　David　Zeisberger；　the　Moravian　missionary；　and　White　Eyes；　a　Delaware　chief；　he　and　Dunmore　had　won　over　the　Delaware　warriors。　In　the　Cherokee　councils；　Oconostota　demanded　that　the　treaty　of　peace　signed　in　1761　be　kept。　The　Shawanoes；　however；　led　by　Cornstalk；　were　implacable；　and　they　had　as　allies　the　Ottawas　and　Mingos；　who　had　entered　the　council　with　them。

A　famous　chief　of　the　day　and　one　of　great　influence　over　the　Indians；　and　also　among　the　white　officials　who　dealt　with　Indian　affairs；　was　Tachnech…dor…us；　or　Branching　Oak　of　the　Forest；　a　Mingo　who　had　taken　the　name　of　Logan　out　of　compliment　to　James　Logan　of　Pennsylvania。　Chief　Logan　had　recently　met　with　so　much　reproach　from　his　red　brothers　for　his　loyalty　to　the　whites　that　he　had　departed　from　the　Mingo　town　at　Yellow　Creek。　But；　learning　that　his　tribe　had　determined　to　assist　the　Shawanoes　and　had　already　taken　some　white　scalps；　he　repaired　to　the　place　where　the　Mingos　were　holding　their　war　council　to　exert　his　powers　for　peace。　There；　in　presence　of　the　warriors；　after　swaying　them　from　their　purpose　by　those　oratorical　gifts　which　gave　him　his　influence　and　his　renown；　he　took　the　war　hatchet　that　had　already　killed；　and　buried　it　in　proof　that　vengeance　was　appeased。　Upon　this　scene　there　entered　a　Mingo　from　Yellow　Creek　with　the　news　of