"Your affectionate Friend and Brother, Northumberland, Thorighwegeri.
"Captain Joseph Brant, Thayendanegea.
"
Thus strongly and affectionately introduced, by the head of the British peerage to the head chief of a nation, a close intimacy was formed between Governor Simcoe and Captain Brant, as will more clearly be disclosed in the progress of these pages. The regular chain of history will now be resumed.
On the 19th of February, 1793, pursuant to the arrangement made by the Indians at the Au Glaize in the preceding Autumn, General Benjamin Lincoln, Beverley Randolph, and Colonel Timothy Pickering, were commissioned by the President, to attend the great council at the Miamis, to be held in the course of the ensuing Spring.
Meantime the Indians of the confederate nations, dissatisfied with what they considered the evasive reply which had been received from the President to the address on their behalf, transmitted by the Six Nations, held another council at the Glaize in February, at which a very explicit address upon the Subject was framed, and transmitted to the Six Nations. They were apprehensive that the Six Nations had either not understood them, or, that in communicating with the Executive of the United States they had not made themselves understood. Reminding the Six Nations that when in council they had understood them to be of one mind with themselves touching the boundary question, they now repeated that they would listen to no propositions from the United States, save upon the basis of the Ohio for a boundary and the removal of the American forts from the Indian territory. This was the irrevocable determination of the confederates, and they deemed it right and proper that the government of the United States should be fully apprised of the fact before the commissioners should set out upon their journey. They likewise advised the Six Nations, in this address, of their determination to hold a private council at the Miami Rapids before they would proceed to meet the American commissioners at Sandusky, that they might adjust their own opinions, so as to be of one mind, and speak one language in the public council. It was their farther determination, before they would consent to meet the Commissioners at all, to ascertain whether the Commissioners had been clothed with authority to meet them upon the terms thus preliminarily prescribed. This letter, or message, was concluded thus:—"Brothers: We desire you therefore, to be strong, and rise immediately to meet us at the Miami Rapids, where we want the advice and assistance of our elder brethren in the great work which we are about. The western nations are all prepared and in daily expectation of the arrival of our brothers, the Creeks, Cherokees, and other southern nations, who are on their legs to join us, agreeably to their promise. And we desire you will put the Seven Nations of Canada in mind of their promise last Fall, to be early on their legs to join us, and that you will bring them in your band. [Four double strings of black and white Wampum] A postscript enjoined that the United States should send no messengers into their country, except through the Five Nations." [FN]
[FN] Original document from among the Brant papers.
The communication was dated February 27th. On the same day the Commissioners left Philadelphia for Buffalo Creek, accompanied, as the Indians had requested, by several members of the society of Friends—so strongly had the nations become attached to the disciples of the beneficent Penn. [FN] Colonel Pickering and Mr. Randolph proceeded directly across the country, while General Lincoln took the route via Albany, to superintend the forwarding of supplies. General Wayne, now in command of the North-western army, had been instructed in the meantime to issue a proclamation, informing the people of the frontiers of the proposed treaty, and prohibiting all offensive movements on the part of these people until the result of the council should be known.