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PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNO, No. 69, HIGH-STREET, BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD STREETS, PHILADELPHIA
[No. 27, of Vol. lII.]
PHILADELPHIA, July 30
GENERAL SCOTT.
ExtraSl of a Letter from. Brigadier General Charles Scott, to the Secre
tary Jor the Department of War, dated Lexington, the 20 th of June,
1791, —received by Lieutenant Belli, who arrived in town on Tuejduy
lajlyfrom the Wejlern Country.
*' T N prosecution of the enterpi ife, I marched four miles from
X the banks of the Ohio on the 23d oi May, and on the 241b
I relumed my maich, ar»d puflied forward with the utmost in
duitry, dire&ing my route to Ouiattanan, in the belt manner my
guides, and information, enabled me, though I found myielf
greatly deficient in both.
" By the 31ft, I had marched one hundied and thirty-five
miles, over a country cut by four large branches of White River,
and many smaller itreams, with steep muddy banks : During this
march, I traverfea a countr) alternately interspersed with the
moil luxuriant foil, and deep clayey'bogs, from one to five miles
■wide, rendered almofl impervious by brush and briars. Rain
icll in torrents every day, with frequent blafls of wind and thun
der itorms. These obflacles impeded my progress, wore down
iny horl'es, and dellroycd my provisions.
On the morning of the lit inft. as the array entered an ex
tensive prairie, 1 pcrceived an Indian on horfeback,a few miles to
the right : I immediately made a detachment to intercept Inm,
but lie escaped. Finding myfelf difcovercd, I determined to ad
vance with all the rapidity my circumstances would permit, ra
ther with the hope than the expectation of reaching the object
iought that day ; tor my guides were (hangers to the couiury
which 1 occupicd. At 1 o'clock, having marched by computati
on one hundred and fifty-five miles from the Ohio, as I penetrat
ed a grove, whieh bordered on an cxtenfive prairie, 1 difeovered
two imall villages at my left, at two diid four miles distance.
" My guides now recognized the ground, and informed me
that the main town was tour or five miles in my front, behind a
point of wood which jutted into the prairie. I immediately de
tached Col. John Hardin, with sixty mounted infantry, and a
»oop of light horl'c, under Capt. M'Coy, to attack the villages to
the left, and moved on b.rifkty, with my main body, in order of
battle, towards the town, the imoke from which was discernible.
My guides were deceived with itip*.6l to the lituation of the town ;
tor iuflead of (lauding at the edge of the plain, through which I
marched, I found it on the low ground bordering on theWabafh ;
on turning the point of woods, one house prefeuted in my front.
Capt. Price was o>deied to afldultthat with lorty men : He exe
cuted the command with great gallantry, and killed two "warri
ors. When I gain.d the summit of the eminence which over
looks the villages on the banks of the Wabalh, 1 dilcovered the
enemy m great confufion, endeavoring to make their escape over
the river in canoes. 1 inltantly ordered LicutcnanUColoncl Com
mandant Wilkinfon toiufh forward with the firft battalion : the
order was ex cu ed with promptitude, and this detachment gain
ed the bank or the river just as the rear of the enemy had embark
ed : And regardless of a brisk lire kept up from a Kickapoo
Town, on the oppofne bank, they in a few minutes, by a well di
rected fire from their rifL-s, deflroyed a.l the Savages with which
live canoes were crouded.
" To my great mortification the Wabafh was many feet be
yond fording at this place. I therefore detached Colonel Wilkin
lOQ to a ford two miles above, which my guides informed m<?,
was more pia&cable.
44 The enemy itill kept poflcflion of the Kickapoo Town. I
determined to dislodge them, and for the purpose ordered Cap
tauis King's and Longldon's companies to march down the river,
below the town, and cross under the conduct of Major Barbcc :
Several of the men swam the river, and others paflfed in a small
canoe. This movement was unobfeivcd, and my men had taken
poll on the bank belore they were discovered by the enem), who
immediately abandoned the village.—About this time word was
brought me, that Col. Hardin was incumbered with prisoners,
snd had discovered a llronger village further to my left, than
ihofe I had observed, which he was proceeding to attack. I im
mediately detached Captain Brown with his company, to support
the Colonel; but the diftande being fix miles, before the Captain
arrived the bufincfs was done, and Colonel Hardin joined me a
little before funlet, having killed fix warriors and taken fifty-two
prisoners. Captain Bull, the warrior who discovered me in the
morning, had gained the main town and given the alarm a fliort
tune before 111 c ; bu: the villages to my left were uninformed of
my approach and had no retreat. The next mouiing I determin
to ditach my Lieut.Col. Commandant with five hundred men,
tocku.ov the unporuiu lowu of Kethlipecanunk., at the mo.ith
c m,l s homin y cym P* a "d on the weft fide
ot the \\ abalh : But on examination I discovered my men and
horses to be crippied & so worn down by a long,laborious nwrch,
*ud the attivc exertions ot the preceding day ; that three hundred 1
-nd lixty men only couid be found in capacity to undertake the
cnterprife, and they picpaicd io march on foot.
" Colonel Wtlkinfon marched wiih this detachment at half af
ter fnc ill the evening, and returned to iny camp the next day at
one o'clock, having marched thiity-fix miles in' twelve hours, and
ueftroyed tiie m«ft important settlement of the enemy in that quar
ter of the federal territory : In No. 3 you will find the colonel's
ueport rcipe&iwg the tnicrprifc.
" Many of the inhabitants of this village were French, and liv
ed in o ftaic ot civilization : by the books, tetters and other docu
ments found therr,it is evident, that place was in close connection
with, and dependant oh Detroit ; a large quantity of coin, a vari
ety of hcuthold goods, peltry and other articles were burned with
this village ; which coufiftcd ol about 70 houses, many ot them
veil finifhed.
** the objett of a white flag, which appeared
on an eminence oppofitt tto me in the afternoon of the firfi, I Jibe
rated an aged squaw and fant with tier a nuffage to the bavapes,
mat 11 they would come in and furrcnucr, then towns (hould be
ipand and they should icceive good treatment. [It was after
wards found that this white flag was not intended as a signal of
I* a 11 y ; but wa« placed there to mat k the spot where a ptifon ot
ciftin&iou ainou# the Irulians, who had died foine time before,
was inteileei.J On tli*: I detci inifccd to difchaigc 16 of the
veakeii and moll infirm of my pri loners, with a talk to the Wa
t ash tribes, a copy ot which you w ill find inclosed. My mo
tives to this in;-.ifure were, to lid the army ol a heavy incum
brance, to gtatiiy the iuipulfioiis of humanity, to incrcafe the pa
i-.c.v ns\ upciaiioi.i had produced,aqJ by diftratting the councils
the enemy, to Uvyi iU*. v io&t oi government: fcnd I'flattcr mv
Saturday, July 50, 175)1.
fclf these obje&s will juflify my conduct, and secure the approba
tion of my country.
" Ou the fame day, after having burned the towns and adjacent
villages, and destroyed the growing corn ana pulse, I began my
march, for the rapids of the Ohio, where I arrived the 14th inft.
without the loss of a Tingle man by the enemy, and hve only
wounded, having killed thirty-iwo, chiefly warriors of lize and
figure, and taken fifty-eight prifoneis.
44 it is with much pride and pleasure I mention, that noa£lof
inhumanity, has marked tlie coudu£l of the volunteers of Kentuc
ky on this occasion, even the lhveierated habit of scalping the
dead, ceafedto influence.
" I have delivered forty-one prifonersto Capt. Afheton of the
firft United States' regimcflt at Fort Steuben.
44 I sincerely lament, that the weather and the consequences it
produced, rendered it impoflible for Mieto carry terror and defo«
lation to the head of the Wabalh.—The corps I had the honor to
command, was equal to the obje£l, but the condition of my horses
and (late of my provifious, were mfiiperable obstacles to my own
intentions', and the Wifhesof all.
'• It would "be invidious to make diftiriftions in a corps which
appeared to be animated with one foul, and where a competition
lor danger and for glory, inspired all ranks.
" I however, consider it my duty to mention, Colonel John
Hardtn, who, in the chara6ler of a volunteer, without commis
sion, had command of my advance party, and the direction ot
my guides from the Ohio River, ior the difcernmeni, courage
and ufchvity with which he fulfilled the trufl I repoTed in him.—
And I cannot close this letter in justice to the merits of General
Wilkmfon, who went out my Lieu enant-Colonel Commandant,
without acknowledging my obligations for the faithful discharge
of the several duties depending on him, and the able support
which he gave me in every exigency."
General Wilkinson's Report.
S 1 R,
THE detachment under my command, deflined to attack the
village Kethlipecanunk, wasput in motion at half after five o'clock
lad evening. Knowing thai an enemy whose chief iependenca is
in his dexterity 3s a marksman, and alertness ifc coveiing himfelf
behind trees, flumps, and other impediments to fair fight, would
not hazard an altion in the light, I determined to push my march
until I appioached the vicinity of the villages where I knew the
country to be champaigrte. I gained my point without a halt,
twenty minutes before eleven o'clock; lay upon my arms until
(our o'clock, and half an hour after assaulted the town at all quar
ters. The enemy was vigilant, gase way on my approach., and
in canoes trolled Eel Creek, which washed. the North Eail part
of the town —That creek was not fordable. My corps daftied
forward with the irnpetuofity becoming volunteers, and were sa
luted by the enemy with a brisk fire from the opposite fid-e of
the creek. Dauntless they rallied on t© the water's edge, unco
vered, to the Moccaion, and finding it impafTable, returned a
volley, which so galled and disconcerted their antagonifls, that
they threw away their fire without effect. In five minutes the
Indians were driven from the covering, and fled witn precipita
tion, I have thiee men slightly wounded. At half past five the
town was inflame*, and ai fix o'clock I commenced my retreat.
I want language to do justice to the courage and good conduct
of the gentlemen who cojnpofed my dctachmcnt; in neither could
they be exceeded by veteran troops.
Brigadiei-General Scott
To the various Tribes of the Peankafhaws, and all the Nations of
Red People, living on the waters of the Wabalh River.
THE Sovereign Council ot the Thirteen United States, have
long patiently borne your depredations againli- their fettle
inents on this fide of the great mountains, in hope th3t you would
fee your error, and correal it, by entering into bonds of amity
and lasting"peace. Moved by companion, and pitying your mil
guided councils, they have frequently addrefiTed you on this lub
jcd, but without effect. At length their patience is exhausted,
an 4 they have stretched forth the arm of power against you
Their mighty sons and chief warriors have at length taken up the
hatchet; they have penetrated far into your country, to meet your
warriors, and punish them for their tranfgreflions. But you fled
before them, and declined the battle, leaving youi wives and
childien to their mercy. They have destroyed your old town,
Ouiattanan, and the neigbouring villages, and have taken many
prifojiers. Resting here two days, to g : ve you time to colled
your strength, they have proceeded to your town of Kethlipeca
nunk; but you again fled before them ; and that great town has
been destroyed. After giving you this evidence of their power,
they have Hopped their hands, because they are as merciful as
strong, and they again indulge the hope, that you will come to a
sense of yourtru interest, and determine to make a lasting peace
with them and all their children forever. The United States ha?e
no desire to destroy the Red People, although they have thepow
ei ; l>ul should you decline this invitation, and eurfucyour i*n
provoked hofli 1 ilies, their strength will again be exerted againit
you, your warriois will be flaughtefed, your towns and villages
ransacked and defiioyed, your wives and children carried into
captivity, and you may be afTured, that those who escape the fury
of our mighty chiefs, shall find no resting place oo this fide the
Gieat Lakes. The warriors of the United States wilh not to
diftrels or destroy women and cjiildien or old men, a«d although
policy obliges them to retain some in captivity, yet companion
and humanity have induced them to let others at liberty, who
will deliver you this talk. Thole who are cairied off will be left
in the care of our great chief and warrior General St. Clair, near
'he mouth of Miami and opposite to the Licking River, where
hey will be treated with humanity and lendernefs; if you wifli
to recover them, repair to that place by the firft day of July next;
determined with truehraitsto bury the hatchet, and linoke the
pipeol peace, they will then be uftorcd to you, and you may
ag»»n let dov\n in security at your old towns, and live in peaai
and happiness; unmolested by the people <4 the United Sfates,
who will become your inends and prote&ois, and will be ready
to lurnifli vou with all the neceffai ies you may require. But (hould
you foolifhly peifift in your warfare', the sons of war will be let
loose againli you, and the hatchet will never be buried until your
coentry is defohted, and your people humbled to the dust.
Given uiider my hand and fcal at the Ouiatunau Tow*), this
fouith day of June, 1791.
(Signed] ' CHARLLS SCOTT# B. C. (Seal
105
Camp, Ouiattanan, June 3, 1791.,
One o'clock, P. M,
I have the honor to be, Sir,
Your most obedient
James Wilkin so #
(A Copy.) .
f(£sop o
[Whole No. 255.]
FOR Till GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.
MR. FEN NO,
A Writer in the Columbian Centinel, unfertile
signature of Publicola, appears to have
excited a neit of hornets, which are continually
buzzing about his head ; but very fortunately
they are a new species, aud upon examination
are found to bte destitute of ftjngs. The princi
ples and lentiments contained in those publica
tions, are censured by people from no other mo
tive than the idea of rendering their writings of
more consequence, by circulating the opinion
that they are answering the Vice-President of
the United Stares—no other confideratioit could
make these writers of the fmallell importance.
Their object is evident, but their aflertions falfe i
for I can from the belt authority allure them, that
the Vice-President is not the author of those
pieces. But supposing liim the real author, I
will venture to allert, from an attentive perusal,
thar there is not as yet in any one of them a fen
tiinenc which can jultify the charges of aristo
cracy so liberally bellowed, or in the fmalleit
degree infringe the liberties of die people. The
good sense of the people of this country will lead
them to read and judge for themselves ; nor are
their bed, their firmed and most .independent:
friends, to be hunted down at the found of a
word. Years of experience will not be loft or
rendered ineffectual by the clamour of a thoafand
scribblers fucli as have hitherto appeared.
Your's, &c. A Friend to Justice.
Stockbridge, July 1 9 .
THE late Rqy. Dr. Lockwood, of Andover, in
Connecticut, who died a few years part, at the
Pool in New Lebanon, State of New-York, in
liis lad will and testament, left a legacy tt> Yale
College, the place of his education, to the amount
of between thiee and four hundred pounds, the
intereil of which is to be annually applied to
making additions to the College Library.
A very laudable and judicious inltance of bene
ficence ! The fame gentleman, two or three years
since, made-a donation of one hundred
upon condition that other friends of literature
would augment the fubfeription to three hundred,
pounds, for the pnrpofe of procuring an additi
onal philosophical apparatus for that College;
which was ac«ordi»ugly done. Such benefacftors
of literary initiations deserve the gratitude of
the public.
FRANCE.
NATIONAL -ASSEMBLY, May 16.
A N address was 1 ead from the Jewifli inhabi
tams of the capital, who, encouraged by
the decree which railed a number of 111111 at toes
10 the rank of atftivecitizens, begged that a simi
lar favor might be conferred 011 litem. The pe
tition was referred to the committee of reports
and conllituiion.
Jt was decreed, by aconfiderable majority, than
no member of the present, could be re-elected
into the nest Legislature.
_ Three letters were read—otfe from the depu
ties of St. Domingo, one from those of Marti
nique, and one from those of Guadaloupe Hat
ing, that the decree which the Aflembly had
on the fubjec f t of free mulattoes, obliged
iheni to decline assisting at the fittings of the
National Afleyibly.
May 17. After confide! able debate on the neces
sity of small change to conhnerce, several prora
tions for the emilhon of Atfignatsoflow value wene
rejected,and theAfl'embly finally agreed that a Ann
of copper money fliould itntpediately be coined.
May 2i. The difcufaon on the organization
of the Legislative Body was resumed, of which
several articles were pafled.
The following decree \vas patted :
1. rhe Kiug shall be entreated to appoint
Commiffioiiers, who, in conjunction wuh those
appointed by the National Allembly, shall bcen
trlifted to fuperimend the fabrication of fmalj
Affignats till their completion, and their belli"-
depofired in tbe extraordinary Bank.
2. The Couiuiiflioneri shall be authorised to
make furli bargains as shall appear to them pro
per, relative to this fabrication.
3. Tlie paper of ihe small Aflignars shall ccn
i">rm in quality 10 the model presented to the
committec of finances.
They shall be iinprefled with a reprcfentation
ofihe King, and with the words Domain:s A'a
t:o»aux, and uiidcrjiCath lha!l be written, A/fi:>w
dt tir/a H*r;:.
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