With George Washington into the wilderness

by Edwin L. Sabin

“The first thing to do is to get rid of the French,” said Washington.

“That is so,” agreed Tanacharison, growing angry again. “Now I will show you where those French forts are.”

Then Tanacharison took a bit of charcoal from the fire, and a strip of bark from a log, and drew pictures.

“The trail to the north is this way,” he said. “In so many sleeps,” and he six times made the motion of drawing a blanket over his face, “we come to this place named Venango. It stands where the River of the Buffalo empties into the River Allegheny. The French under Captain Joncaire have seized it. And by six more sleeps, up at the other end of the River of the Buffalo, is the second French fort, where the head captain lives. There is a third fort farther on, at the Lake Erie, but you will not need to go to it, I think.”

The council with Washington was held the next morning, and much was said. But this did not finish matters. The Mingo speech belt from the French was down at Tanacharison’s hunting cabin. The Shawnees had a speech belt and so had the Delawares, and these were to be thrown at the French. Besides, the Shawnee chiefs from Sonnioto down the river had not yet come for council; they would not arrive until after two days.

“This cannot be done in a hurry,” the Half-King said to Washington. “I have sent to the Shawnees, for their belt and two young men to go with you. I have ordered Shingis to his town, to bring the Delaware belt and two young men to go with you. When the French see that you have Mingo, Shawnee and Delaware with you, they will know who are your friends.”

But King Shingis did not come back. He pretended that his wife was sick, and that all his young men were out hunting. The Delaware speech belt, he said, was up at Venango, with the Delawares there; and he sent a string of wampum which would order the Venango Delaware chief to take the belt on to the principal French fort.

Scarouady declared that old Shingis was afraid. The Delawares all were suspicious yet. The Shawnees stayed away. The Wyandots said:

“Where are the presents the Ohio Company should send us, if we are to help fight the French? If the French are driven off who will protect us from the English?”