He also mentioned, that at that time, ‘a spirit of industry existed amongst the Indians generally, and that as several of the tribes had requested of government to have a part of their annuities expended in the employment of men to split rails and make fences for them, the Delawares had twenty-three thousand rails put up into fences the last winter; and that forty thousand more would be made into fences for the Miami and Eel river Indians, by the first of the Sixth month—that ten families of the Miamis had settled adjoining the place cultivated by Philip Dennis, and that four men were employed in making rails to fence in forty acres for them; also, that three persons more were at work for the Eel river Indians, half a mile below Dennis’s station; that they had twenty-five acres cleared and ready for the plough, and expected to have fifty or sixty fenced in by the first of the Sixth month. He expected at least twenty-five families would remove to reside at that place the present season, and was confident the settlement would increase very fast. The Indian who worked with Philip Dennis during the last season, was about building himself a comfortable house, had cleared two acres more of ground, and was ploughing the field previously cleared by Philip Dennis. The hogs which were left there with him had increased to one hundred in number.’
The agent further informed, ‘that there would be one hundred acres of land under good fence at the Little Turtle’s town, (eighteen miles north of Dennis’s station,) by the first of the Sixth month, where they had also obtained a large number of hogs and some cows, and he doubted not, the Indians would soon see that it was easier to raise food, than to procure it by hunting.’ He also added, ‘that Friends may see from the great progress they have made in civilization since Philip Dennis was with them, that they only want good and suitable men to reside among them, and teach them how to work.’
In the fall of the year 1805, the agent at Fort Wayne informed the committee by letter, that agreeably to their directions, he had employed a man to assist the Indians in cultivating the field on the Wabash, which was cleared and cultivated by Philip Dennis, the last year. The Indians with this man’s assistance, had raised, it was supposed, at least six hundred bushels of good corn from this one field, exclusive of what they had raised from ground of their own clearing.
“Many of the oldest of the Eel River and Weas Indians had removed and settled at that place, where they would be followed by the younger branches of their tribes in the ensuing spring.”
He further adds, “Believing as I do that the society of Friends are desirous of ameliorating the situation of their red brethren in the country, I will take the liberty to observe, that the present is a favourable time to put in execution their benevolent views towards the distressed natives of the land; and that much good may be done on the Wabash by sending one or two suitable men to reside amongst the Indians, and teach them how to raise stock, and cultivate the earth. Witness what Philip Dennis effected amongst them the last year, at a station where he had every thing to begin. There are now at least four hundred hogs, and twenty cows, and the Indians at no village in this country live so comfortably as those at that place. If this spirit of industry is kept alive for a few years, it will certainly have a powerful influence upon the minds of the Indians in many of the neighbouring villages.”
An account published by the committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, about this period, has enabled me to furnish so many interesting particulars of their proceedings, that I have already exceeded the bounds I had prescribed to myself, in this narrative. I shall, therefore, only add, that the Yearly Meeting of Baltimore continued for many years to extend aid and instruction, to the Indians in that quarter, by personal visits, and by teachers frequently stationed among them; and continued to have satisfactory proofs of the benefits derived to this people, from their benevolent labours. Their progress, however, in this laudable work was interrupted by the war of 1812, which much agitated, not only those tribes of Indians, but the white people generally, bordering on the Indian territory—this continued while the war lasted. And many of the white inhabitants, it was said, went into block houses, the better to secure themselves.
It may, however, be noted, that Friends on the frontiers, generally remained in their habitations, at least with a few exceptions, and the Indians seemed to repose an unlimited confidence in them, and frequently visited them. The author having visited a settlement of the Indians, (called Lewis’ settlement) in the year 1816, had some opportunity of judging of the high estimation in which the Indians held the society of Friends, on the frontiers of that country. He also had an account from one of the Friends who first settled in those parts (near Mad river,) about the year 1800. He said the Indians manifested much kindness to them, when the country was all a wilderness, by frequently visiting them, and administering to their wants, while they were first opening a settlement and preparing something to subsist upon.
I may also here relate another evidence of the Indians’ kindness and hospitality to the whites. A surveyor who lived in Chilicothe informed me, when at his house in 1816, that being employed by government the summer previous, to survey some land in the Michigan territory, he and his company composed of seven or eight persons, running scant of provisions, were put to their allowance of a spoonful of meal a day, for each person, on which, with some little meat they procured from the forest, they had subsisted for twenty-three days together. But setting out at length towards the settlements in search of provisions, they met with an Indian going on a journey very smartly. They made him understand they were very hungry and had nothing to eat. He looked on them with compassion—pointed towards his cabin, and making signs to them to follow him, struck off in a direction towards it. They pursued his track, often having to stop him, to wait for them, and after about eight miles travelling, arrived at his solitary abode, where he kindly treated them to all the provision at his command, which, though coarse, was to them a delicious dainty.
But to return from this digression, it may be proper to state, that about the year 1813, a Yearly Meeting of Friends was established in the state of Ohio, and being composed of part of the members previously constituting the Yearly Meeting of Baltimore, they also become, as a body, enlisted in the same concern, to improve the condition of the Indian natives; and appointed a committee to carry their views into execution. Friends of this Yearly Meeting living more contiguous to the Indian settlements, unitedly agreed with the Yearly Meeting of Baltimore, to make it a joint concern, as it regarded the requisite pecuniary aid for promoting the object in view. Friends in Ohio, however, became more actively engaged in personal visits, and sending instructors among the Indians.
When peace took place, and the minds of the Indians became somewhat settled, the settlement which had previously been made at Waughpaughkannatta was again resumed, and another promoted at captain Lewis’, and considerable advancement made by the Indians in some of the arts of civilized life.