On July Uth, 1796, Fort Lernoult at Detroit was Evacuated by the British, the United States took possession, and the American Flag was first raised over Detroit, ON £ — U I- - LU If-I r ^ THE Centennial Celebration OF THI Evacuation of Detroit by the British. July li, 1796---July il, 1896. Report of the Proceedings, with the Addresses of Col. H. M. Duffield, Senator J. C Burrows, AND President Jas. B. Angell. DETROIT. Printed for the Committee. 1896 John F. Eby & Company, Printers. 6? -67 Congress West. INTRODUCTORY NOTE. When the War of Independence began in the east its effects were almost immediately felt in Detroit, and early in 1775 the English made this post the chief military depot In the west, and the fatting-out place for the forays to be made upon the settlements in Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania. The evident intent was to keep the colon- ists in the west so busy defending their homes that they would be unable to help their brethren in the east. With this object in view millions of dollars worth of goods were shipped to Detroit and distributed to the Indians who were invited here and came by thousands from the west and south. On their arrival they were feasted and flattered without stint ; clothing, trinkets, fire arms, and "red-handled scalping knives" were supplied to them in enormous quantities, and on returning from their forays they often brought hundreds of scalps and prisoners. The defeat of the English in the west was largely decided by the capture of Gov. Henry Hamilton of Detroit, at Vincennes, by Col. George Rogers Clark, on March sth, 1779. That victory and American successes in the east, brought about the treaties of 1782 and 1783, which provided for the surrender of the western territory by the English. The pretext of unsettled claims, and the protests of Montreal fur traders, who derived immense revenues from this region, delayed the surrender. Meanwhile the Indians continued their depredations, but finally, on August 30th, 1794, they and their British allies were effectually defeated by Major General Anth(»ny Wayne, at Fort Miami, and a way was opened for the conclusion of the war. The final treaty of peace, known as Jay's treaty, was made November 19th, 1794 ; it provided for the evacuation of Detroit and other western posts on or before June ist, 1796. Owing, however, to various obstacles the surrender did not take place until July nth, 1796. On that day at 12 o'clock noon, the English flag was hauled down from the flag staff of Fort Lernoult at Detroit, and the same day the fort was taken possession of by Captain Moses Porter, with a detachment of sixty-five men from General Wayne's army. Colonel John F. Hamtramck arriving two days later. The surrender of Detroit on July nth, 1796, clearly marks the date of the actual ownership by the United States of a territory larger than the original thirteeen states, and the final results of such ownership gave us not only the control of the Great Lakes, but the Mississippi as j well, and, indeed, of all the territory clear to the Pacific | coast. REV. RUFUS CLARK, D. I)., Kcctor of St. Hiiurs Cluiich. Dctiuit. EVENTS WHICH LED UP TO THE CELEBRATION OF THE CENTENNIAL OF EVACUATION DAY. At the banquet of the Michigan Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, on February 2 2d, 1896, Rev. Rufus W. Clark offered the following resolutions : "Whereas, the eleventh day of July will mark the one hundredth anniversary of the evacuation by the British of our territory and the raising of the Stars and Stripes over the City of Detroit, this day is deserving of more than passing mention, none being more important to us, as Americans and as citizens of this municipality. This is a day upon which we may well commemorate the achievements of our fathers, the founders of this republic, and encourage sentiments of love and devotion to our country. It is a day that should be seized upon especially by members of this society, to remind a rising generation of their priceless heritage in a land no longer dominated by a foreign power, " I. Resolved, That the day shall be observed by the Michigan Society of the Sons of the American Revolution as a time for special rejoicing and for convening the members of this society. " 2. Resolved, As the day belongs not only to us, but to all patriotic citizens, that a committee of five be appointed by the chairman of this meeting to consult with the city officials, the military authorities at Fort Wayne and patriotic societies of Detroit and arrange, if possible, upon a plan for the suitable public -celebration of the day, and for such meetings as befit so rare and important an occasion. " The resolutions being adopted, Rev. Mr. Clark moved that Mr. Fred. T. Sibley be made chairman of the commit- tee on celebration. He thought no one more suitable than a grandson of Solomon Sibley, the first mayor of Detroit, and a man stalwart in all that made for the good of Detroit, also a chief justice of the supreme bench, could be found to head the committee. Mr. Thomas Jerome seconded the nomination in a patriotic speech, and ex-Senator Palmer supported the nomination. The chairman, Col. Henry M. Duffield, named the celebration committee, as follows : Frederick T. Sibley, Rev. Rufus W. Clark, Thomas Jerome, J. C. Smith, Jr., and Oliver H. Phelps. A conference of the various patriotic societies, pro- posed by the Society of the Sons of the American Revo- lution, February 2 2d, 1896, was held at the parlors of the Russell House, in Detroit, on May 2 2d. The first meeting of the General Committee was held at the Loyal Legion rooms May 25th, at which Gen. R. A. Alger presided. There were present : Caot. Cornelius Gardener, U. S. A., Don M. Dickinson, E. B. Welton, James Vernor, Rev. Rufus W. Clark, Silas Farmer, Frank J. Hecker, and Thomas S. Jerome. Mr. Jerome was elected secretary. Rev. R. W. Clark stated the objects of the meeting. It was moved and carried that a celebration be held on July iif.h. At a subsequent meeting the committee appointed by the chair to name the various committees, reported as follows : GROUP OF COMMITTEEMEN. 1. JAMES T. STERLING, 2. FRANK J. HECKER, 3. JOHN N. UAGLEY, 4. CHARLES B. HULL, 5. HARRY F. CHIPMAN. 0. REV. RUFUS W. CLARK, 7. ELLIOTT T. SLOCUM, H. GEN. A. L. BRESLER. '». SILAS FARMER, 10. THOMAS S. JEROME, 11. DON M, DICKINSON. R. A. Alger, General Chairman. Executive Committee. Henry M. Duffield. Chairman. O'horaas S. Jerome, Sec'y'. E. T Slocum. Frank J. Hecker. Together with the Chairmen of the various Sub-Committees. Entertainment Committee. W. H. Elliott, Chairman. A. L. Stephens. Hervey C. Parke. R. Phelps. M. S. Smith. R. H. Fyfe. W. C. Maybury. J. B. Moore. T. D. Buhl. W. A. Butler, Jr. D. J. Campau. W. V. Moore. W. J. Chittenden. M. W. O'Brien. Collins B. Hubbard. Programme Committee. Rufus W. Clark, Chairman. John N. Bagley. James Vernor. Charles Flowers. Henry S. Sibley. E. T, Slocum. Tablet Committee. Silas Farmer, Chairman. Louis A. Arthur. A. H. Griffith. Parade Committee. James T. Sterling, Chairman. August Goebel. Cornelius Gardener, U. S. A. Charles Dupont. H. B. Lothrop. Charles Reid. John Atkinson. Gilbert Wilkes. A. L. Bresler, Press Committee. James E. Scripps, Chairman. W. Livingstone. Jr. A. G. Boynton. P. C. Baker. J. J. Emery. Music Committee. John N. Bagley, Chairman. F. W. Eddy. S. T. Douglas. Ford D. C. Hinchman. Finance Committee. George H. Russel, Chairman. Marvin Preston. George N. Brady. Charles Wright. A. E. F. White. Charles Stinchfield. James E. Davis. John T. Shaw. George H. Hopkins. ' E. B. Welton. Charles Dean. R. W. Jacklin. Hamilton Dey. Invitation Committee. Don M. Dickinson, Chairman. Simon Snyder, U. S, A. Thomas W. Palmer. Allan Shelden. William C. McMillan. Carriage Committee. Charles B. Hull, Chairman. S. S. Babcock. George H. Barbour. F. T. Moran, Stratbearn Hendrie. Badge Committee. Frank H. Walker, Chairman. H. M. Campbell. W. G. Thompson. Clarence Carpenter. Harry B. Joy. Committee in Charge of Building. Harry F. Chipman, Chairman. R G. Butler. E W. Cottrell. Peter Diederich. F. E. Farnsworth. Edwin Henderson. Arthur L. Holmes. HON. JOHN T. RICH, G<)\crn<>r of .Michi,i;;in. THE GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION. To the People of the State of Michigan : For many years after the cessation of active hostil- ities between Great Britain and the United States in the RevoUitionary War, the British refused to carry out the terms of the peace and surrender to the Americans the territory they had won, and it was not until the nth of July, 1796, at Detroit, that the British flag- finally ceased to float over any part of the country whose inde- pendence had been acknowledged thirteen years before. It is proposed to recognize the centennial of the evacuation of Detroit by the British, by a celebration at Detroit on the nth day of next July. The importance of this event to the nation, and especially to the great middle and western states, demands fitting recognition from the executive of the state, and every citizen who can do so is earnestly urged to attend the celebration of the anniversary of this memorable event. The definite and final yielding up of this western region gave the Federal government the control not only of the great lakes, but eventually of the Mississippi as well, and indeed, in its finality, of all our western territory clear to the Pacific coast. On that date the American flag with its fifteen stars was first raised over our soil, and its raising meant the speedy founding of the states of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. 9 With the raising of the flag on July ii, 1796, British domination over any part of our country ceased, the "rebels" then living here breathed freely, and the way was opened for all the blessings we now enjoy as a part of the United States of America. In historic interest and importance no other date in connection with the west is of equal value, for the surrender of Detroit marked the close of the War of the Revolution and the final accomplishment of the results fought for by our fathers during so many years, and the date of that event should excite patriotic loyalty in the breast of every member of the commonwealth and be treasured in the memory of every citizen. Given under my hand and the great seal of the State, at the capitol, in Lansing, this 24th day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety- six, and of the independence of the United States the one hundred and twentieth. JOHN T. RICH. « 3y the Governor, WASHINGTON GARDNER, Secretary of State. 10 THE CELEBRATION. Saturday, the nth of July, 1896, was a bright, clear and beautiful day, rather warm, but not excessively so. The patriotism of Detroit was fully aroused, and the city was gay with flags and streamers of the national colors. The City Hall had been decorated at a cost of over $500 alone. A great many people had come into the city from the interior of the State, and the streets were thronged throughout the day. Appropriately, the public exercises were held in the unfinished Federal Building, which occupies the exact site of Fort Lernoult, surrendered to the United States on July nth, 1796. The interior had been fitted up for the occasion, under the superintendence of Harry F. Chipman, chairman of the committeee on building. On the north side a spacious platform had been erected, capable of accommodating some 700 persons. In front of the plat- form, the unfinished brick floor, covered with sawdust, was seated with about 3,000 chairs, A railed-in passage way extended from the platform steps to the Fort street entrance. To the west of thi.', admission was had by tickets distributed by the members of the various com- mittees ; to the east, entrance from Shelby street, tickets were not required. It was estimated that 3,500 persons were present during the exercises. The decorations of the building were very effective. From the open girders overhead depended festoons of red, II white and blue bunting, througli which llie sun's rays pro- duced a most l)eautiful effect. Over the speakers' stand hun^ the American Ma^^ and a hirge portrait of Georjje Washinjifton. The roujjh l)rick walls were decorated with the flaxjs and arms of the several states comprised in the old northwestern territory, possession of which was secured by the United States by the evacuation of Detroit, the event celebrated. The iron columns were covered with colored cloth and K'l'Jy decorated. At the left of the speakers' stand stood a section of the flag staff of the old fort, recover'jd some years ngo in makinj; an excavation on the site, and now in possession of the Detroit Museum of Art. On the platform were seated the following organiza- tions : The Officers of the City Government. The Sons of the American Revolution. The Daughters of the American Rev >lution. The Daughters of the War of 1 812. The Michigan Society of Colonial Dames of America. The Loyal Legion. Fairbanks Post, Grand Army of the Republic. Detroit Post, Grand Army of the Republic. John Brown Post, Grand Army of the Republic, Girls' Auxiliary of Farquhar Post No. 162. Women's Relief Corps. U. S. Grant Command, Union Veterans' Union. Mexican Veterans, including Col. H. S. Dean, Geo. W. Walters, S. W. Perry and Oliver Geary. Among other occupants of the platform were: His Excellency Gov, John T. Rich, accompanied by his staff — Gen. W. S, Green, Gen. J. H, Kidd, Gen. Joseph Walsh, Col. W. A. Gavett, Col. Lou Burt, Lieut. -Col. W. W. Cook la and Licut.-Col. S. H. Avery, all in full uniform; Gen. R. A. Alifer, Col. Henry M. Duffield, Hon. J C. Burrows, President James B. Angell of the University of Michigan; Rt. Rev. (i. Mott Williams, I). I)., Bishop of Martiuetle; Charles Flowers, City Counsellor; Rt. Rev. John S. Foley, D. D., Roman Catholic Bishop of Detroit; Hon. Henry M. Swan, U. wS. District Judjje; Hon. Claudius B. (Irant. Hon. J. B. Moore and Hon. Frank A. Hooker, Justices of the Supreme Court of Michij^an; Judj^e Wm. L. Carpenter and Judj^e Oeorge S. Hosmer of the VV^ayne Circuit Court; State Treasurer J. M. Wilkinson; Prof, A. C. Mclvau^hlin of the State University; ex-Congressman Wm. C. Maybury; Joseph T. Jacobs, of Ann Arbor, member of the U. vS. Indian Commission; Copt. Hinds, of Stanton; J, (J. A. Sessions, of Ann Arbor: Col. J. S. Farrar, of Mt. Clemens; George Newell, of Flint; Robert Campbell, of Ann Arbor; (ien. Luther vS. Trowbridge, Maj. James Vincent, Dexter M. Ferry, Col. Frank J. Hecker, the members of the executive committee, and W. R. vShelby, of Grand Rapids, a great-grandson of Gov. Shelby of Kentucky after whom Fort Shelby was named, Mr, Shelby had with him a spy- glass captured from one of the British ships at the battle of Lake Erie by Commodore Perry. While waiting for the audience to arrive and become seated, the Metropolitan Band played a number of patriotic airs. THE PUBLIC EXERCISES. At 10:30 o'clock the chairman of the clay, Gen. R. A. Alger, called the great assemblage to order and read the following opening address: Fellow Citizens — We gather upon this historic spot to-day to commemorate the last act of our heroic forefathers in the War of the Revolution. It was upon these grounds, occupied by this stately building, that old Fort Lernoult was situated ; a fort erected by the British army to resist the assaults of those patriots who were battling for the liberty they won — the liberty we enjoy to-day. It was here, one hundred years ago to-day, that the flag of the enemy was hauled down, and our own Stars and Stripes run to the mast head, then with but fifteen stars in its azure field — to-day, forty-five ; the flag that was never lowered to any foe, and floats over the richest and best nation in the world. In no boastful spirit do we come, nor in vain-glorious triumph at our victory, but with a just pride in the valor of our ancestors, and thankfulness to Almighty Providence that the ground broken by the sword of war has borne to us the blessed fruits of peace. The history of the world is marked by epochs of war, and the chief glory of every nation is the valor of its defenders. It is well that this is so, for in our peaceful pursuits, we are too apt to forget the cost of the blessings we enjoy, and not until the drum sounds the signal to arms, is it that we stop to consider what it costs to build or save a nation. 14 GEN. R. A. ALG1-:K. tx-Govcrnor of .Michij^an. As in the frequent experience of individuals, the bit- terest enemies, reconciled, form the strongest ties of friend- ship, so with nations — those which do battle with each other, when peace is declared, often make the strongest allies. As we are at peace with the mother country to-day and look upon its people with no envy as they live under the benign rule of their mother queen, so may we hope that war shall never again come between us. We are too great to boast, too strong to fear invasion. We covet the possessions of no other nation, nor do we fear for the safety of our own. To us all to-day war is but an echo- ing memory, and not an expectation. Among us here to-day are veterans of the Mexican War, and many of that grand host whose courage crushed the standards of secession and wove the web of our destiny into eternal unity. To them and those of their comrades who returned not with them, to enjoy the fruits of their sacrifice, I know a grateful people will ever rise up to give the meed of praise they so fairly won. Detroit welcomes here to-day, many distinguished guests. It presents no battlements or ramparts to the view, as it needs none for its protection, but in their stead shows you busy factories, whose belching mouths, night and day, blacken the sky with the smoke of industry. These are the truest monuments to the peace whose noble path was cut by war. Rt. Rev. G. Mott Williams, D. D., then offered prayer, as follows : IS THE PRAYER. O God of our fathers, our hope and strength, we bless thy Holy Name for the faith of those great men who won our independence and framed the constitutional govern- ment of these United States. We bless thee for the inher- itance of civil and religious liberty, and for the many shining examples of patriotism given us by citizens of this land in peace and war. We thank thee that so many of those who have been welcomed to our shores, while needing an asylum, have rendered the State so good an account for her charity, and we pray thee that the first acquisition of those who come to us may be a love of their fostering mother. We thank thee for boundaries so vast, so inclusive, so rich and so commanding, for the great gift of national inde- pendence, and because thy wise providence in severing the ties which bound us to the motherland, left us still in laws, charac ar and customs the best part of the inherit- ance of the Anglo-Saxon race. We bless thee that the transfer of government which we celebrate to-day was made in peace and not in war, a result of treaties, not of blows, of reason, not of force, and we especially thank thee that this peaceful transfer of government between kindred peoples has been followed by so many years of honorable peace, but once broken, and now for four-score years unmarred. And we beseech thee that the present peace of this frontier may continue by thy favor, and by the virtue, the self-control, the wisdom and brotherliness of these peoples and that we especially may walk worthy of high calling among the nations. i6 ;^^.- K :'T ff^'^,..i.DE^]C'^r /^-ffC\.rfAc .c:p:moi*ism^0 ?-' iit*?(v^:.>'\i.. . . :--r-/Vv ^Y ■■•^2 o'c^ccV'^'Koc''. J';u^■''-v.■ THf TABLET. We confess, O God, our manifold shortcomings as men, as citizens and as a nation ; forgive us, but forsake us not. • Let there be peace and truth in our days, pure religion and domestic happiness. Bless the President and every arm of government ; sanctify our lives, our families, our homes and our schools; make us love our country truly and honestly; and grant the course of the whole world may be so peacefully ordered by thy government that thy church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness through Jesus Christ, our Lord, according to whose teach- ing we are bold to say : Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, etc. Amen ! The Boylston Club then led in the singing of the hymn, " My Country, 'tis of Thee," in which the entire audience heartily joined. UNVEILING OF THE MEMORL\L TABLET. While the band played the "Star Spangled Banner," the chairman, together with Mr. Shelby, representing the Sons of the American Revolution, and Mr. Silas Farmer, representing the committee, proceeded to the Fort street entrance, where the tablet has been placed by a special Act of Congress. The invited guests, and the presidents and commanders of the patriotic societies were also there assembled. In their presence and before the throng outside of the building, Gen. Alger withdrew the veiling and said : " In behalf of the heroes who gave us this land of liberty, and in remembrance of them, I humbly unveil this tablet." The flag was then raised upon the Federal Building and a salute of twenty-one guns was then fired by the United States Revenue Cutter " Fessenden," at anchor in the Detroit River. »7 When all had returned to the platform the chairman said that it had been expected that Mayor Hazen S. Pingree would be present to welcome the distinguished j^uests, but in his absence, Hon. Charles Flowers, City Counselor, would perform that duty. THE ADDRESS OF WELCOME. BY HON. CHARLES FLOWEFS. The City of Detroit, upon this centennial day, gives greeting- and welcome to the men and women whose fore- fathers, by reason of their sublime courage, and their fidelity to a living and glowing principle, made it neces- sary for their foes to strike their flag, and bid farewell to so fair and so vast an empire. To the descendants of the brave men who lingered upon the shores of this majestic river, the City of Detroit also gives greeting and wekome. With them we have no ([uarrel. The hour struck in the fateful history of the world for those of one language, one religion and one blood, to stand upon the broad road of national life, where the ways parted. The day of separation had come. It is well for us to remember those days. The patriotic heart has not grown cold The genius of greed has not wholly possessed the land. Amid the sound and fury and madness of partisan strife, amid the insane thirst and hunger for power and advantage, the attentive ear can still catch, as coming from a million breasts, the breathings of a spirit, responsive to the agony of those who suffered with Washington at Valley Forge, responsive to the ecstasy of those who rejoiced with him at Yorktown. The City of Detroit gives greeting and welcome to you all. It does not ask your nationality or your faith. It |8 only asks if you are true to the cause of individual liberty and eciuality, the principles represented by the beautiful baniicr, which upon this golden day so peacefully and so solemnly floats above your heads. Messrs. Homer Warren and Robert Murray then sang " The Sword of Bunker Hill." They alternated in singing the verses, and both were cheered most heartily, and were compelled to repeat the last verse. Gen. Alger said he would introduce a brave soldier well known throughout the state to make the historical address, and Col. Dullfield was loudly applauded as he came to the speaking stand. He was listened to with close and noiseless attention. His address was as follows : THE HISTORICAL ADDRESS. BY COL. HENRY M. DUFFIELD. The scene of the last act in the great drama of the Revolutionary War — its final triumph — was laid in Detroit. One hundred years ago the British troops evacuated this post and with them departed the last vestige of England's rule from the northwest. To understand its full significance a brief outline of the situation and the events which preceded it is necessary. ■ Detroit at this period is thus described by Mc Master : " Detroit alone was worthy to be called a town. The place was founded in 1783, and, except in population, had never taken one step forward since the first hut was put up on the straits. The inhabitants were believed to number three thousand. In language and customs they were French. In religion they were Roman Catholics. In knowledge of the affairs of the world they were Qxtremely ignorant. For a hundred years the farms of ^9 precisely the same size had been kept in the same families, and cultivated with the same kind of implements in the same way. The house of each farmer was close to the road, and the road was close to the water's edge. Near each house was an orchard, and in each orchard the same kind of fruit trees were to be seen. Year after year the same crops were raised in the same succession When a patch of land became exhausted it was suffered to lie fallow. Of the value of manure the farmers knew nothing, and wantonly flung the yield of the barnyard into the waters of the straits. To go to church regularly, to perform their religious duties strictly, to fast, to confess, and to pay their tithes to the priest promptly, was with them the chief duty of man. The priest was the one being on earth to whom they looked up with mingled love and awe. He was their spiritual and their temporal guide. He healed all quarrels and adjusted all disputes. With courts and judges, lawyers and juries, they would have nothing to do. Indeed, the first appearance of such among them was the occasion of an outburst of indigna- tion which was with difficulty soothed. Many resolved to dwell no longer in a land where life and property were at the disposal of godless men, gathered their goods and went over the border to the Canadian side. The town proper was made up of the fort, the battery, and a collection of ugly houses surrounded by a high stockade. The streets were a rod wide, and the inhabitants chiefly engaged in the fur trade. A few went out to the trapping grounds themselves. Others sent out Pawnee Indians whom they had purchased and made slaves. " From Griswold to Cass street, and Larned street to the river was surrounded by a stockade. There were four gates on each side with block houses over each ?9 45v // ' '-.jv Vi^-/ III .• >._v\'^ iP==T^ \\\ iiiiilil i ■ ■ V' 3 Z = O 2. UJ f- V O ' u- ::■ u. 2 O £ UJ *i. > '■' ■J 3 on the east, west and north sides. Kach block house had four six-pounders and there were also two batteries of six guns eacli facinjj; the river. Back of the stockade was Kort Lernoult, which had been erected in 1778 by the orders of Major R. H. Lernoult. It was located between what are now (iriswold and Wayne streets, and extended from Lafayette street south of Fort street. It was well designed and thoroughly constructed. Work upon it was prosecuted from November, 1778, without intermission, till after the following March. This fort was no part of the town, but had its entrance toward the town by a passage way underneath the trees with a drawbridge over the ditch. The citadel on what is now the corner • of Jeflferson avenue and Wayne street, was connected with the fort by a subterranean passage along the route of which was the powder magazine. On each side of the entrance of the fort was an iron twenty- four-pounder, while each side of the fort was defended by two twenty- four-pounders and four cannon were placed at each bastion. The flag staff was in the southwest angle of the fort in the lot where the Owen residence now stands. The surrender of Lord Cornwallis to Washington in 1 781, followed by the preliminary treaty of peace between Great Britain and the United States, agreed upon at Paris, November 30th, 1782, theoretically determined the bound- aries of the new republic. The thirteen British colonies in North America, which had thus become the thirteen United States of North America, represented clear and definite ideas, politically and socially, but the boundaries of the territory were only vaguely determined. The United States described in the instructions to John Adams in 1779, was quite a different country geographically from the same United States whose independence was acknowl- ai ed^ed in Paris in 1/82. Neither England nor Spain regarded the treaty of Paris as finally settling the destiny of the countr)' of the United States west of the mountains. Although that grand prologue to the constitution and forerunner of national emancipation, the ordinance of 1787, proclaimed eternal freedom for the northwest territory, its boundaries were indefinite, and it had not yet been surrendered by the British. While in the treaty of Paris in 1782, His Britannic Majesty promised, among other things, " to withdraw all his armies, garrisons and fleets from said United States, and from every post, place and harbor within the same, with all convenient speed," there was still left unsettled a question of territory larger than the one which brought on the French and Indian war in 1754. In addition to this indefiniteness of boundary, the relation between the new government and the former colonies, now matured into states, was novel and peculiar, and their respective rights over this territory not yet determined. In the beginning the government of the Un' ted States was distinctly federal rather than national, and large portions of the territory of the northwest were within the original boundaries of the respective colonies and were claimed to have passed to them when they were erected into states. At the same time France was provoked by the treaties entered into by the United States with England and Spain, and looked with longing eyes upon these vast possessions which less than half a century before had been wrested from her by Great Britain. Most of the settlers in the territory were English or French. The posts were the depots or stations of the increasingly lucrative fur trade, so desirable in the minds of Europeans. These considerations and the very natural desire of 33 England to interpose between her possessions in America and the new United States a territory of neutral ground fairly in the hands of the savages— constituting a " buffer state " between the United States and Canada — were the real reasons for the unjustifiable delay in carrying out the treaty, and with all convenient speed " withdrawing the British armies, garrisons and fleets from the United States and every post, place and harbor within the same." While England attempted to justify this delay upon the ground that the United States had on their part violated their promises in the treaty, these claims were completely refuted by Jefiferson, then Secretary of State in 1793, in his correspondence with Mr. Hammond, the envoy extraordi- nary of Great Britain. Whatever may have been the true cause of the delay, the result was, that for thirteen years the northwestern posts " were sharp thorns in the sides of the United States." Exhausting as had been the War of the Revolution to the young nation, it was com- pelled to continue an harassing Indian war, that only ceased with the brilliant victory of General Wayne at the battle of the Fallen Timbers in 1794. In July, 1783, the request of Washington, through Baron Steuben, for a transfer of possession of Detroit, Mackinac and Oswego, and the minor posts, was met with an insolent refusal on the part of General Haldimcm, the British commander in Canada. In the following year General William Hull was sent, with the approval of Congress, to induce Haldiman to give up the post, but he met with a like refusal. In 1786, President Adams, then minister to England, informed Congress that he had made a demand for the western posts, and had been refused on the stale pretense, so conclusively answered by Jefferson, that many of the 23 states had violated the treaty in rejijard to payment of British debts. Matters were further complicated by the active etTorts of Dr. John Connolly, a Virginian tory, to induce the Kentucky settlers to take sides with the li^nglish, with the purpose of wrestinjj Louisiana from Spain, and securing; the free navigation of the Mississippi. In 1787 and 1788, he was in Detroit a considerable portion of the time. The English settlers urged the retention of Detroit, and in June, 1787, the garrison was re-enforced by a full regiment and two companies, making a force of more than two regi- ments. In pursuance of the plan to hold the post, Lord Dorchester personally visited Detroit in 1788, and, under his directions, the town was doubly picketed, and other defensive works erected. In 1790, John Knox, then United States Secretary-of-War, wrote to Governor vSt. Clair, that it was reported that Benedict Arnold was in Detroit about the first of June, and that he had reviewed the militia there. In the same year President Washington, who, with clear foresight, very soon after the treaty of 1782, had prophesied " that England would retain the posts as long as they could be held under any pretense whatever," communicated to his cabinet his apprehensions that Lord Dorchester contemplated sending an expedition from Detroit against Louisiana. Meantime the Indians had grown increasingly hostile under the encouragement of the British. In 1786 a grand confederate council of the Indians northwest of the Ohio was held at the mouth of the Detroit River, it was attended by the Six ^ations, the Hurons, Ottawas, Maumees, Shawnees, Chippewas, Cherokees, Delawares, Pottawattamies, and the confeder- ates of the Wabash. The question of difference was one 24 of boundary. The tndians insisted that the Americans should not cross the Ohio River, l)Ut there was no intima- tion of war, provided the United States did not encroach on the Indian land. While there was .> treaty between (^reat Britain and the United States concerning this terri- tory, the Indians were not included in it, and the savages complained that the United States would "kindle the council fires wherever they thought proper without C(.>n- sulting the Indians." Clo.sely following this council, the Hurons of Detroit sent a message, sealed with strings of wampum, to the Five NaMons, complaining of the delay of the Americans in answering their message, and desiring the Five Nations " to be strong and punctual of your promises to be with us early and in time." As an evidence of the intimate relations between the British and the Indians, an account of the proceedings of this council was forwarded to Lord Dorchester, In 1 79 1 Canada was divided into an upper and lower province, the former being placed under the administra- tion of Col. T. S. Simcoe, who established his headquarters as governor of the newly organized territory at Niagara. He, with the British agents. Col. McKee, Capt. Elliott and the notorious Simon Girty, threw all their influence against the United States, and it is affirmed that Lord Dorchester assisted their efforts by a speech to the Seven Nations of Canada, as well as all the other Indians at the grand council. Governor Simcoe proceeded to Detroit, and thence, with a strong detachment, to the foot of the Miami Rapids, where he erected a fortress. Undoubtedly his fort was built primarily to defend Detroit. It was, in fact, the re-occupation of a position held by the British during the latter part of the Revolution, the evacuation of which had been bad policy. » • 2 5 Diiriny^ the whole period, Detroit was the tlieiitrc of its most interesting councils. It was represented by the half-breeds of the place to the savages around the post, and also to remote tribes, that (iovernor Simcoe was to march to their aid with fifteen hundred men; that he was giving clothing and all necessary supplies; that all the speeches sent to them were red as blood; the wampum and the feathers, the war pipes and the hatchets, and even the tobacco was painted red. At one time Alexander McKenzie, an agent of the British government, was employed to paint himself as an Indian, and he convened a grand council at Detroit, exhibiting himself with pipes and wampum as the credentials of his authority. Elliott and the other British residents addressed the council, stating that McKenzie was an ambassador who had returned from the remote tribes of the upper lakes and that their bands were armed with the tomahawk and scalping knife and were ready to fall upon tlie Americans, and that the savages upon the banks of the Mississippi were prepared to descend and attack the settlements of Virginia and Ohio. McKenzie spoke the Indian language with fluency and preserved his character to the life. He was aided in his deception by some of the Wyandottes and Shawnees, who were acquainted with his secret and in the conspiracy. These means brought into the field against the United States, the Ottawas, the Miamis, the Pottawat- tamies, the Delawares, the Shawnees, the Chippewas, and the Seven Nations of Canada. Many of the French traders at Detroit and in Michigan, induced by the fear that if they did not join the Indian cause they would not be permitted to trade with the Indians in their own territory, took up arms against the United States. Thus the United States was met on the one hand with the 26 refusal of Great Britain to yield up the posts, and on the other with the orjjanized and armed opposition of the savages to any interferences with the territory which they claimed as their own. Peaceable negotiations with the Indians who had gradually strengthened into a confederation of tribes throughout the western forests was attempted but without success. General Harmar with a force of fourteen hundred men was then sent to subdue the savages. He succeeded in destroying and laying waste many of their villages and fields, but his advance was checked near Chillicothe, Ohio, where he was defeated in October, 1790, with great slaughter. After his defeat the Indians daily paraded the streets of Detroit, exhibiting in triumph the scalps of American soldier.s. In 1792 Governor St. Clair succeeded in command and marched into the wilderness with an army of two thousand men. He was surprised near the Miami villages by the Indians under the command of Little Turtle, and notwith- standing his great personal gallantry in his efforts to rally his retreating forces, he was forced to retreat with very heavy loss. These successive repulses aroused Congress to a vigorous prosecution of the war, and General Anthony Wayne was put in command of the forces. His fame in the Revolutionary War had preceded him, and the Indians feared him. They credited him not only with bravery to rashness but with much stratagem and cunning, and named him the Black Snake. He proceeded with charac- teristic energy. In the latter part of 1793, he erected a stockade on the site of St. Clair's defeat, which he called Fort Recovery, and having fully matured his plans, on the 4th of July, 1794 followed the savages into the depths of 27 the wilderness. Cautiously moving down the left bank of the Maumee, he reached the rapids about the 19th of August, and erected a small work called Fort Deposit, about four miles above the British post. He found the Indians entrenched under the very shadow of the English fort, which had been fortified not long before by a force sent from Detroit. General Wayne, therefore, prepared himself to act defensively against both civilized and savage foe. His army amounted to about three thousand men. Opposed to him was the Indian league which extended throughout the whole northwestern frontier. On the 30th August, 1794, he attacked the savages. His plan of battle was to send forward a battalion of mounted riflemen with instructions if attacked, to retreat in apparent confusion in order to entice the savages into a less advantageous position, and upon con- certed signals to turn with his infantry, which included the renowned Wayne legion, the right flank of the enemy. But the day was rainy, the signals from the drums could not be distinctly heard and the plan was not wholly executed. His victory, however, was complete. After a stubborn resistance, the savages were defeated and fled to the very walls of Fort Miami. The battle is known in history as the battle of the Fallen Timbers. After the Indians had retreated, General Wayne devastated their fields and burned their buildings, among them the xiouse of Col. McKee. While he had defeated the Indians he did not know how soon he must defend himself against an attack by the British from the fort, but in the crisis the doughty warrior never flinched. He proudly paraded his army in front of the fort and although he saw the British gunners standing at their guns with lighted matches in their hands, eagerly awaiting the order to fire, he 28 rode forward with his staff to the very battlements and reconnoitered the position with the utmost deliberation. No attack was made upon him and he advanced by easy marches toward Fort Defiance, destroying the Indian cornfields on the bottom lands of the Maumee, then proceeded up the Maumee River and built Fort Wayne. There is no doubt that in this battle a detachment of militia from Detroit were associated and fought with the Indians, General Wayne in his official report describes the enemy "a combined force of the hostile Indians and a considerable number of the volunteers and militia of Detroit. " A Mr. Smith, clerk of the court at Detroit, was killed in the action at the head of a company which fought against the Americans. It was estimated that thirteen hundred Indians Hed to Detroit for British protection after the battle. In the fall of that year Governor Simcoe approved of the pro- vision of an extra surgeon and another hospital and made extensive preparations to strengthen the post at Detroit. Fort Lernoult was newly fortified, a new block house erected, and six boats ordered to be built at Chatham. Simcoe still encouraged the Indians. He told them that Ohio was their right and title and that he had given orders to the commandant at Fort Miami to fire on the Americans when they made their appearance again, but the Indians had been severely punished by General Wayne and were distrustful of the ability of the English to protect them. The battle of the Fallen Timbers ended all the Indian hostilities for the time being and was followed in the next year by the treaty of Greenville. Before this, and almost contemporaneous with Wayne's victory. Jay's admirable diplomacy had accomplished the - 29 treaty of 1794 which bears his name, under which Enjfhind bound herself to deliver up the northwestern posts. The treaty called for the surrender of the post by the British on June ist, 1796, but the order to evacuate was not given until June 2d. It was dated at Quebec and signed by George Beckwith, adjutant general. On the 7th day of Jul}', 1796, General Hamtramck sent on to Detroit two small vessels from Fort Miami with a detachment of artillery and infantry consisting of sixty- five men, together with a number of cannon with ammuni- tion, etc., under the command of Captain Moses Porter. Upon his arrival on the nth of July, the British troops, under the command of Col. Richard England, evacuated the town. The Union Jack was hauled down. Old Glory floated on the breeze, and Detro't was free. Under the benign influence of the constitution and the incomparable privileges of the ordinance of 1787, the little post of 3,000 souls has grown in a single century to a superb and peerless city, and the wilderness of the north- west is jeweled with the happy homes of millions of freemen. 30 THE ORATION. BY HON. JULIUS C, BUFROWS. Fellow Citizens — That patriotic impulse whicli prompts tlie people to search out, preserve, dedicate, and fittinj^ly mark, with tablet or monument, tlie places of historic interest alonj^ the highway of a nation's course, made memorable by the hap])ening of some important event in the history of the country, is a spirit deservinj; the highest commendation. It is prompted by and serves a double purpose. It not only pays a fitting tribute to the memory of the actors in such events, but it serves, for*all times, as an inspiration to the passing generations. We may read, unmov^ed, the story of the Pilgrim Fathers, or the history of the Declaration of Independence, but we cannot stand on Plymouth Rock, or within the shadow of Independence Hall, without feeling a cpiicker heart-throb, and being imbued with something of that spirit of devotion to the cause of civil and religious liberty, which inspired the men and women who made these places immortal. I regard, therefore, every step taken toward the preservation of these landmarks of history as most auspicious omens. And here I pause to say that public acknowledgment ought to be made to those patriotic orders, in the United States, engaged to-day in the laudable undertaking of res- cuing from oblivion and preserving from desecration, places made historic by the events which there transpired. They are not only writing history, but they are doing that which will exert a silent, yet potent, influence on all the generations to come. In this spirit, and with this purpose, we mark to-day a spot of historic interest, not only to the state, but to the nation. In recognition of the importance 3' of the event, tlie C()nj>ress of the United States co-oper- ates in the desij^i iH'»ijr and preserving of the place which will be forever memorable in the annals of our country. Here it was, a hundred years ago, that the British flag gave way to the banner of the republic, and the Stars and Stripes were unfurled in token of the sovereignty of the United States. I have neither the time, nor is this the occa- sion, to rehearse the story of the struggle of the colonies for national independence. It is sufficient for my purpose to-day to say that the termination of the War of the Revo- lution found the British government in possession of the military posts on the western frontiers, among the most important of which was that at Detroit, which she had occu- pied since the French relinquished their claim to the terri- tory in 1760. The seat of war for national independence being chiefly confined within the limits of the colonies par- ticipating in the struggle, England was permitted to hold these outlying posts practically undisturbed, which .she used as recruiting stations for her Indian allies, whom she invited into her service, and whom she subsequently employed to harass the settlers on the frontier, and impede, if not prevent, the settlement of the northwest territory. These points were too remote, and the forces holding them too insignificant to engage the attention of the Continental army. By the terms of the treaty of peace, however, between Great Britain and the United States, concluded in 1783, it was expressly stipulated and agreed that "His Britannic Majesty shall with all convenient speed, and without causing any destruction of property, or carrying away any negroes or other property of the American inhabitants, withdraw all his armies, garrisons and fleets from the United States, and from every part, place and harbor within the same." 32 A strict compliance with the terms of this treaty, imposed upon Great Britain the obligation to withdraw her military forces from every portion of the territory of the United States and abandon all assumption of power over any part of their domain. It is a matter of history, however, that the British i^ovcrnnient, while conforming to the terms of the treaty within the limits of the states, persisted for a period of nearly thirteen years thereafter in retaining possession of the posts on the frontier, including that of Detroit, and in exercising authority and asserting dominion over an extensive territory in the northwest. After the close of the war, and during the entire period of the existence of the government of the confed- oration, and prolonged under the national constitution of 1787, even until near the close of Washington's second admmistration as President of the United States, the British flag continued to float over a British garrison quartered within the limits of this city. To us of to-day, removed by more than a century of time from these startling events, it seems incredible that the British government should have been permitted to have asserted and maintained even a show of authority over any portion of the territory of the United States. Circumstances, however, contributed to this assumption of power, and rendered its exercise comparatively safe. The country had just emerged from a protracted and exhaustive struggle for independence and found itself v/ith a bank- lupt treasury and a ruined credit. The government of the confederation setup in 1781, and continued until 1789, was too feeble to command confidence at home or respect abroad, and was powerless to assert itself even within the limits of the confederated states. 33 It has been well suid, " The Continental Conj,'ress, under the articles of confederation, may n)akc and conclude treaties, but can only recommend the observance of them. They may appoint ambassadors, but they can- not defri.y even the expenses of their table. They may borrow money in their own name on the faith of the union, but they cannot pay a dollar. They may coin money, but they cannot import an ounce of bullion. They may make war and determine the number of troops necessary to carry it on, but they are powerless to raise a single soldier. In short, they may declare everything, but they can do nothing." Such was the character of the government set up during the struggle for independence, and i)ermitted to continue until the 4th of March, 1789. It is not surprising, therefors, that (ireat Britain, in the continued occupancy of these western posts, after the treaty of lyH,^, should be wholly indifferent to the wishes or existence of a govern- ment rapidly falling into decay, and.shotild be actuated in her course solely by considerations of personal interest. What these considerations were which prompted the retention of these posts, history fails fully to disclose; but that they were inimical to the interests of the United States does not admit of question. It is not improbable that considerations of trade, to the promotion of which (ireat Britain is always keenly alive, was the mainspring of her action, and it is barely possible she may have indulged the hope, if not the expectation, that the experi- ment of free government in the new world, as exemplified in the confederation, was doomed to a speedy and disastrous issue, in which event, by the retention of her foothold on the western frontier, she would be in a position to regain her power and reassert her sovereignty. - u Whatever may be the truth of tlie matter, either of these considerations wouhl have been sufficient to influence her jiulj^inent and determine her course ; but it is more than probable that the importance of her trade with the northwest, which in 1785, in furs ahjne, is said to have reached the magnitude of one hundred and eij^hty thousand pounds annually, coupled with the advantaj^es of an enlarged market for British goods, to which con- sideration she is never indifferent, was the primary, if not the controlling motive for the retention of these frontier posts. The question of promoting British trade and British interest would seem to have been uppermost in the minds of the representatives of the English government, when every application for permission to build or navigate private vessels on the lakes was refused, and the recom- mendations made to the home government as late as 1785, "That a sufficient number of the queen's ships be kept upon the lakes to do the carrying trade and that all other crafts whatever be prohibited. " But whatever the motive, whether trade or territorial retention or acquisition, the fact remains that when shortly after the treaty of peace a demand was made for the surrender of this and other points in the northwest, the request was flatly refused and the occupancy con- tinued. This could be done with impunity, for there was not sufficient vitality remaining in the old government of the confederation to effectively assert the rights of the people, or enforce the mandates of the government. Fortunately for the inhabitants of the United States, doubly fortunate for the cause of human liberty and free government, the rotten fabric of confederation speedily gave way to the substitution and enduring.' structure of 35 1787, under and by virtue of which a national government was inaugurnted, possessed of ample power, not only to maintain its own existence, but to enforce obedience to its rightful demands. Yet even then British occupancy con- tinued. It seems incredible that for more than seven years after the establishment of the national government, and the inauguration of Washington as President of the United States, the British flag continued to float above the posts of the western frontier. When we consider, however, the difficulties attending the inauguration of a new government, the exhausted resources of the people just emerging from a protracted war, perplexed by a burdensome debt, a doubtful credit, it is not surprising that the authorities were slow to take any step which might provoke a renewal of hostilities and involve the new government in the wastes and uncertain- ties of war. Time and diplomacy might be relied upon to accomplish the desired end. The continued occupancy, however, by the British, of these strongholds on the western frontier, was not only a flagrant usurpation of authority, but was characterized by a spirit of animosity, which made their retention peculiarly exasperating and offensive. Not content during the War of the Revolution, with invoking the aid of her savage allies, now, when the war was concluded and peace declared. Great Britain sought by every means at her command to create, foster and perpetuate a spirit of hostility among the Indians of the northwest towards the hardy frontiersmen pushing their settlements across the Ohio. To this end they encour- aged the Indians to insist upon the Ohio River as the southern boundary of their possessions, to decline to enter into any treaty with the United States touching thes^ j4 lands, an d were made to believe that the English govern- ment in retaining the posts, was actuated only by a desire U) protect the Indians in the rightful possession of their territory. It was an English Indian superintendent, lohnson, who said to the Indians, "It is for your sakes, chiefly, if not entirely, that we hold these forts. " Lord Dorchester, speaking through Capt. Matthews, whom he sent to command at Detroit in 1 786, after p-- -->: ,- ing regret that the Indians had consented to pfi .^^ che Americans to construct a road to Niagara, said to them : " In the future, His Lordship wishes you to act as is best for your interests. He cannot begin a war with the Americans because some of their people encroach and make depredations upon parts of the Indian country ; but they must see it is His Lordship's intention to defend the posts, and that while they are preserved, the Indians must feel great security therefrom, and consequently the Amer- icans greater difficulty in taking possession of their land. But should they once become masters of the post.s, they will surround the Indians, and accomplish their purpose with little trouble. You seem apprehensive that the English are not very anxious about the defense of the posts. You will soon be satisfied that they have nothing more at heart, provided that it continues to be the wish of the Indians, and that they remain firm in doing their part of the business, by preventing the Americans from coming into their country, and consequently, from march- ing to the posts. On the other hand, if the Indians think it more for their interest that the Americans should have possession of the posts, and be established in their coimtry, they ought to declare it, that the English need no longer be put to the vast and unnecessary expense and incon- veniences of keeping the posts, the chief object ot which 37 is to protect their Indian allies, and the loj'alists who have suffered with them." This artful prcMiunciamento was well calculated, as it was evidently designed, to encourage the Indians to persist in their claim of territorial jurisdiction, and incite them to fresh acts of hostility against the venturesome pioneer. With such assurances of friendship and support, backed by the presence of the British garrisons, and the sight of the British flag, it is not to be wondered at that the Indians were encouraged to persist in their hostility towards the United States, and that all efforts to secure possession of this territory by peaceful instrumentality proved wholly abortive. The defeat of the forces of Gen. Harmer, sent against the Indians in 1790, followed a year later by the defeat of St. Clair, served to increase their hostility, and demon- strated how thoroughly British influence aroused and solidified the Indians in defense of what they had been taught and encouraged to believe were their inalienable rights. Brant, the chief of the Six Nations, whose influ- ence was solicited by President Washington, after the defeat of Harmer and St. Clair, to bring about a peace with the western tribe, to which end a commission was appointed on the part of the United States in 1793, in explanation of the failure of such commission, did not hesitate to declare it was British influence which prevented its consummation. "To our surprise," he said, "when upon the point of entering upon a treaty, with the com- missioners, we found it was opposed by those acting under the British government, and hope of assistance was given to our western brethren to encourage them to insist vipon the Ohio as the boundary between them and the United States." 38 The response of the Indians to the overtures of this commission disclosed the "power behind the throne," when they declared : " We desire you to consider that our only demand is the peaceable possession of a small part of our once great country. We shall be persuaded that you mean to do us justice if you agree that the Ohio River shall remain the boundary between us." I have said this much in explanation of the motive for the retention of the posts on the frontier. Thus ended this renewed effort on the part of the government to con- ciliate the Indians, and establish, by treaty stipulation, the peace and security of the border. The Indians elated with the victories over Harmer and St. Clair, were emboldened in iheir manifestations of hostility, while the governor of Canada proceeded to erect a new fort on the banks of the Maumee, which was interpreted by the Indians as a fresh assurance of sym- pathy and support. This attempt on the part of the British to entrench themselves more securely on the border, was declared by Washington to be the most daring act yet committed by the British agents in America, though not the most hostile or cruel, for he declared : " There does not remain a doubt in the mind of any well- informed person in this country, not shut against con- viction, that the murders of our helpless women and innocent children, along our frontiers, result from the conduct of the agents of Great Britain in this country." With increased hostility on the part of the Indians, and a fresh assumption of power on the part of Great Britain, it was manifest affairs were rapidly approaching a crisis, when it would become necessary for the govern- ment to assert its rightful dominion and admonish the Indians and their British allies, that the savagery of the one and the domination of tlie other could not longer be tolerated. To this end Gen. Wayne, in command of the United States forces, entered the territory on the 20th of August, 1794, fought a bloody but decisive battle with the Indians within hearing of the newly erected British fort on the Maumee. The officer in command of the fort, Maj. Campbell, having inquired of Gen. Wayne what interpretation was to be placed upon the near approach of his command to the garrison which he had the honor to command, must have received the impression from the general's reply that it was none of the major's particular business, as he said : " The most full and satisfactory answer was given the day before from the muzzle of my guns in an action with a horde of savages in the vicinity of the fort, and which terminated gloriously to the American arms. " And the general took occasion to add, for the information of the British commandant, which must have served as food for reflection, that, " Had the battle continued until the Indians were driven under the influence of your fort and guns, they would not much have impeded the progress of the victorious army under my command. " It was the beginning of the end. In spite of the efforts of British emissaries to induce the Indians to prolong the conflict, on the 3d of August, 1795, the Indians responded to the invitation of Gen, Wayne to meet him in council, at Greenville, where they entered into and concluded a treaty of peace. By the terms of this treaty extensive grants of land were ceded to the United States, among them a strip six miles wide on the eastern shore of Michigan from the Raisin River to Lake St, Clair, and all claims to the posts at Detroit and Mackinac wholly surrendered. In the meantime a treaty 40 had been coiicludecl witli Great Britain, by which it was stipulated among other things, that " on or before the I St day of June, 1796, the British garrison should be withdrawn from all posts and places within the limits of the United States." The execution of the terms of this treaty was some- what delayed, but on the nth day of July, 1796, a hundred years ago this very day, the American flag was for the first time unfurled at Detroit, proclaiming the departure of an alien power and the ascended sov- ereignty of the United States. It is most fitting, there- fore, that the centennial anniversary of that day should be commemorated on the very spot made memorable by the happening of this great event and that it should be marked with enduring tablet that the memory of it may be preserved and transmitted to those who are to come after us. And let me say in this connection, that what occurred here a century ago to-day, was fraught with more than local interest. It meant the enforcement of that great ordinance of 1787 which, for wise statesmanship and patriotic purpose, is entitled to hold a place in American history second only to the Declaration of Independence. For it was by this ordinance that the territory northwest of the Ohio, embraced within the present limits of the states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan, was set apart and forever dedicated to free government and enlightened citizenship. It guaranteed freedom of religious worship, a compre- hensive bill of rights, encouragement oi." schools, that the states to be formed from this territory not less than three nor more than five should remain permanently in the confederacy, and finally that there should be neither 41 slavery nor involuntary servitude within the limits of said territory, except in the punishment of crime, of which the party shall have been duly convicted. By this ordinance the great northwest was made the nursery of civil and religious liberty — the cradle of free states and free men. And what was of incalculable value, as subsequent events demonstrated, its terms were to remain forever unalterable, except by common consent. Every attempt to abrogate or suspend its provisions proved wholly abortive. This great ordinance, irrevocable in character, defended by resolute and uncompromising- men, proved to be an insurmountable barrier to the exten- sion of slavery in the northwest, and a wall of defense to the champions of free states and free men. We do well, therefore, to commemorate an event which is not only of local interest, but which, in its far- reaching influence, has been felt through the intervening years, and made its lasting impress on the century. The flag which a hundred years ago was here unfurled, on the then borders of civilization, proclaiming the sovereignty of the nation over the northwest, has been borne across and subdued a continent, and floats to-day, with augmented power and glory, over seventy-five millions of people, possessing a domain imperial in extent, and a government securely reposing on the public will. May that banner, symbolizing unity and liberty, float on forever, commanding the allegiance of the citizen and the respect of mankind. Senator Burrows' oration was enthusiastically ap- plauded. 42 JAMES B. ANGELL, LL. D.. President of the University of Micliigan. PRESIDENT ANGELL'S ADDRESS. Pres. James B. Angell,of the University of Michigan, was then called upon by the chairman, for a few words. He was received with hearty cheers, and spoke as follows : Mr. P resident y Ladies and Gentlemen — He must be a bolder or a vainer man than I am, who can willingly rise to his feet here, to speak at this late hour, and to follow the two distinguished men, whose instructive and eloquent addresses we have listened to with such delight. But I remember that Gen. Alger is in command, and whenever he has faced a foe, it has proved useless to resist. And, indeed, it is not easy to keep silent, when one stands in this inspiring presence, and on this sacred spot, and sur- rounded by these precious relics of the past. Rhode Islander as I am by birth, I cannot, unmoved, take in my hand this telescope, which that brave Rhode Islander, Oliver Hazard Perry, captured from the ship of the British commander, in the decisive battle of Lake Erie, and he must have a colder heart than I, who can lay his hand on this old flag stafif without feeling something of the touch of patriotic joy with which those sixty-five brave American soldiers saw the Stars and Stripes raised to its peak a hundred years ago this day, in token of the estab- lishment of our sovereignty over the whole northwest. It was a happy thought to celebrate this day. I have often wondered that Detroit has not given more oppor- tunities to commemorate the great men and the great events in its remarkable history. Long years ago, the sagacious men, who laboriously ascended this stream, saw that this place was "beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth," that here was sure to be a city, " the Queen 43 of the Straits," wearing at her j,Mrdle the key to the upper hikes, and to the great northwest. You make pilgrimages to Bunker Hill, to Valley Forge, and to Yorktown, as to sacred slirines. But to what spot in all this land are more romantic and thrilling historic associations attached than to this, when one recalls the adventures of the old explorers and missionaries, the gifted men who administered affairs under the French rule ; the shrewd English administrators and soldiers who succeeded them ; the Indian wars, which centered here ; the painful events of the Revolutionary days, and of the War of 1812. Our children and our chil- dren's children should all be made to feel, by celebrations like this, and by historic monuments and commemorative tablets, that here, at their own homes, is a spot as sacred in their country's history, as any in all our broad domain. The distinguished speakers who have preceded me have suggested, ai-d truly, that one of the reasons why Great Britain retained this and other frontier posts for thirteen years after the Treaty of Independence, was their doubt whether we were really going to be able to retain our independence. Under the weakness of our old confederation this doubt on the part of the English was perhaps not unreasonable. But, may I call your attention to the more surprising fact that long after the establishment of our stronger government under the con- stitution, the English seemed to cherish the same doubt. In 1 814, at the opening of the negotiations for the Treaty of Ghent, the very first proposition made by the British commissioners to ours, and made as a sine qua non of the treaty, was that we should set apart for Indians the vast territory now comprising the states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and a considerable part of the states of Indiana and Ohio, and that we should never purchase 44 it from them. A sort of Indian sovereij^nty under British guaranty was to be established in our domain. Coupled with this was a demand that we should have no armed force on the lakes. There were other demands scarcely less prepostercnis. Think of making such "cheeky" demands as these to John Quincy Adams and Henry Clay and James A. iiayard and Albert (iallatin and Jonathan Russell. It did not take these spirited men many minutes to send back answer in effect that until the United States had lost all sense of independence, they would not even listen to such propositions. They threatened to j^o home. Castlcreajjh, the Prime Minister, happening; to reach Ghent on his way to Vienna, ordered an abatement of the British demands, and so an honorable peace was made. But the same idea of a "buffer state" of Indians under British influence, to be used in need as a means of regain- ing power here, was cherished at the outset as was enter- tained in 1790. And even if we come down to our Civil War, who has forgotten how Lord John Russell, in response to our demands for the suppression of cruisers like the Alabama, replied that Great Britain had no municipal law which forbade the construction of such vessels, and refused to consider our contention that international law called for the prohibition of them. He did not believe that we were to survive as a nation long enough or strong enough to enforce our demands. He afterwards manfully con- fessed his mistake. But his first answer to us afterwards cost England fifteen and a half million dollars. And did not Hon. Mr. Gladstone declare that Mr, Jefferson Davis had created a nation ? With all our respect for him, it is hard for us to forget that imhappy remark, which he had no business to make. 45 But, thank God, when the brave veterans at Appo- mattox struck the last fatal blow and ended the war of secession, you also won a victory of which perhaps you little thought at the tinie you slew the last lingering doubt in the English mind of the ability and will of this nation to maintain its integrity and its independence. From that day to this no I'^nglishinan has raised the question whether we are to remain a mighty and free nation. But I say all this without any spark of bitterness toward England. Thank God, when her troops quitted our soil they did not take away with them those muniments of liberty, which we brought from the home of our fathers, the habeas corpus, the right of trial by jury, the right of petition, the spirit of obedience to law, the inextinguishable love of civil and religious liberty. These English-speaking races, now that England recognizes thoroughly our inde- pendence and our strength, bound together by the ties of a common language, common blood, similar laws and political institutions, fondly hope to settle all their mis- understandings without war, and by their example of good government, to commend free institutions to all nations. The whole world respects us now. There is no sea so remote, and no pathway of the traveler so excluded, that the flag of our Union is not there sufficient protection to the humblest American citizen. And it is to you, brave old veterans of the war, that we owe this \ . oud position of our nation. When the applause which greeted the speaker had subsided, a benediction news of the battle reaching London, an agreement was soon reached, which resulted in the evacuation of these i)osts, one of the chief of which was Detroit. After a visit to Pennsylvania, which was cut short by threatened war with England, Wayne returned to the border, emix>wered tx> act as the agent of the government in conduct- ing negotiations for the delivery of the posts which had been :6i ceded to us. His appointment to this mission was in effect a notice that there would be no trifling or delay while he had cliarge of the matter. And there was none. The posts were Niagara, Oswego, the Miami and Detroit, and in the beginning of June he was ordered to visit these posts and take possession of them in the name of the United States. Invested b)^ his commission with civil as well as military powers, he executed his double mission with faithfulness and discretion. After visiting the different posts, he at last arrived at De- troit, in September, 1796. During his progress nothing had occurred to hinder the success of his mission, and he had been received in every case in a courteous and friendly man- ner. At Detroit he found many Indians, who could hardly express admiration enough, for he was one of the truly brave who are recognized and admired, even by savages. The transfer of Fort Lernoult, which then stood upon the site of the present city, took some time, and Wayne remained here until the middle of November. The material compos- ing the rank and file of our army was not of the best in those days, and Wayne's rule was stern, but he looked after his men's welfare, and his sternness and harsh discipline were needed to control his turbulent followers. Leaving Detroit about the middle of November, he sailed for Presqu' He. the site of the present city of Erie, Pa. When nearly there, he was seized with an attack of gout, which had tormented him for years. He was taken to the ([uarters of the commandant and lingered there in agony for several weeks, dying on December 15, 1796. By his own wish, he was buried on a high hill near the block house, and overiook- iiig the shining expanse of Lake Erie. His remains were removed by his son in 1809, and taken to Pennsylvania, '["he site of the grave was lost for a time, but finally discov- ered, and in 1879 a monument was placed over it. No man more than Wayne — called "Mad Anthony'' by his soldiers in love for his fearless daring, but really a man of consunmiate skill and judgment — contributed to the founda- tion of the glory and prosperity of the great states that sur- round Lake Erie. IJy one stroke he broke the power that threatened all onr border, and opened our fertile plains to till' innnigrants. And right well has his lai)or been repaid. l'"or as long as men love brave deeds and brave leaders, so long shall be heard in our land the name of "Afad Anthony Wayne." OUR CENSUS IN 1782. (Detroit Journal, July 11, 1S96,) An earlier census of Detroit may have been taken, but the lirst of which we have any record is to be found in the Cana- dian archives for 1782. It is entitled: "A survey of the set- tlement of Detroit, made by the order of Maj. De Peyster, 1 6th day of July. 1782.'' The major estimated that in addi- tion to those found by the enumerators in and around the fort, there were 100 in the king's service who were on de- tached duty out among the Indians "in the country." Add- ing these, the total population was 2,291, as follows: Heads of families 321 Married women 254 ^3 Widows and hired women 7 j Young and hired men 336 Boys 526 Male slaves 78 Girls 503 Female slaves loi Total 2,191 De Peyster didn't go into the "survey" as extensively as modem superintendents of census, but he probably enumer- ated everything in sight. Moreover, it didn't take him a decade to compile the returns, but on the 20th he forwarded his completed sun^ey to the governor-general at Quebec. The remainder of the report is as follows: Horses 1,112 Oxen 413 Cows 837 Heifers and steers 452 Sheep 447 Hogs 1,370 Flour, poimds 29,250 Wheat, bushels 1,804 Indian corn, bushels 355 Wheat sown last fall, bushels 4,075 Arpents under corn '. 521 Arpents under oats 1,841 Arpents under cultivation I3>77f^ Supposed bushels potatoes in the ground 3,000 Barrels cider supposed will be made 1,000 64 EARLY SHIP.MAKING. (Detroit Journal, July 11, 1896.) His majesty, George III., did one good thing for Detroit. If he was not the original ship-builder here, he put his money into the industry and fostered it. More than loo years ago he had a fleet of sailing craft on the lakes to transport his soldiers, ordnance and stores between Newark, Bois Blanc, Detroit and Michilimackinac, and they bore away his armies when Jay's treaties went into effect. Shipcarpenters' wages were not exorbitant in those days, when Askin's blotter is taken into consideration. The first report on this industry is entitled: "Muster roll of officers, carpenters, blacksmiths, employed in his majesty's shipyard at Detroit, from 29th December, 1777, to 24th April, 1778, both days included." * Richard Cornwall, master builder, received 10 shillings sterling per day, and John Shipley, storekeeper and clerk of the check, 100 pounds sterling per year. All the other em- ployes were paid in New York currency, and at the following rates: Foreman of the yard, 12 shillings ptr day; assistant foremen, 8 shillings per day, and some of them 10 and 8 pounds per month; carpenters, 4 to 8 shillings, and one re- ceived 12 pounds per month; sawyers, 4 tO' 8 shillings per day; blacksmiths, the same, and the foreman 9 pounds per month; laborers, 4 pounds per month. 65 EVACUATION DAY. ( From the Detroit Tribune, July 11, 1896,) It is not exact to say that the people of the United States were made independent by the war of the Revohition, or that their independence was completed with the evacnation ol DetPoit by the JBritish forces, just a century ago toda)'. Their independence was really a fact from the moment the cavaliers set sail for Virginia and the Pilgrim Fathers for New England. The war of the Revolution was, strictl}- speaking, only an effective assertion of wh"' already was and had been for nearly two centuries. The independence of the people of the United States is a habit of mind. It is not a mere political dissent. It is not comprised in having thrown ofif British government. The throwing ofif of British government was but one among countless manifestations of our independence. Our ances- tors of those times did not so much make them.selves free as they proclaimed to the world the freedom that they already had. It was a niotitication to all nations of the fact that the United States of America were able to go it alone. The evacuation of Detroit was important politically ; it was still more important as the symbol of great things. We are to celebrate today a very notable expression of national character. The spirit of independence which forced tlu' British to leave our soil forever is still alive. It burns with undiminished brightness. We have never ceased to be inde- pendent. We have always proceeded without misgi^ ings as to our separate destiny. Firm has ever been our faith in our 66 mission to lead, and with the g^ace of heaven firm it always will be. Forecaster Conger, of the weather bureau, last night pre- dicted fine weather for the Evacuation day celebration today. It is expected that the celebration will draw to the city a large number of visiiors. All the railroads and steamboat lines entering the city will run cheap excursions from all points. The hotels and restaurants have made extra prepa- rations to care for the multitude. Everything is in readiness for the celebration, which will begin promptly at 10:30 o'clock, except for tlie crowds to ar- rive. The decorations on the inside of the new postoffice are all completed. The chairs have all been put in position. The memorial tablet has been put in place on the west side of the Fort street entrance, and will be unveiled the first thing after the exercises begin. Yesterday noon the executive committee held a meeting and inspected the new government building. They ex- pressed entire satisfaction with the preparations at the build- ing, and extended a vote of thanks to Chairman Harry F. Chipman, who had the details in charge. 67 THE EVACUATION. ( From the Detroit Tribune, July 11, 1896.) It was Monday, July ii, 1796, and the scene was tlic Brit- ish niiHtary post of Detroit. The sun rose brightly over the little town, and Fort Lernoult, and the l)road expanse of the l)eautif'd river. At the first notes of the bugle that sounded forth the reveille the Union Jack — the meteor flag of Eng- land — was given to the breeze, the main gate or entrance to the fort was opened, and red-coated sentinels were seen on guard. The few privates left in the fort fell into ranks and answered to their names, and then dispersed to get their breakfasts and help pack up. There was to be no guard-mounting that day. All around could be seen wagons loaded with hoiisehold goods, and military supplies, for the "flitting" had com- menced several days before, and the work of building Fort Maiden, at Amherstburg, had been going on for several weeks. On the ramparts several officers conversed in groups, ap- parently on a subject of engrossing interest, and the massive form of Col. Richard England appeared on the scene. Tele- scopes were brought out and the river below was scanned with interest. *■ Everybody in Detroit knew that, by the terms of the Jay treaty, the fort and its dependencies were surrendered by England to the United States, and ♦. ut possession was to be given on July i. But from several causes the United States troops had not come to claim their own. . ;i the intervening 68 flays some evil disposed soldiers or others had destroyed sev- eral of the windniills that lay on the river bank, and did some other mischievous acts, but these were not probably sanc- tioned by the connnandant, who was a i^fentleman and an old and experienced soldier. THE YANKEES CAME. It was about lo o'clock when the telescope discovered two vessels coining around the bend of the river below the town. The flags were not at first distinguishable, but in a short time they became plainer to the lookers, and the word went round: "The Yankees are coming!" Nearer and nearer came the tw j vessels, which were small schooners, each flying the Stars and Stripes. At this time a number of officers and men went down to the King's wharf, which then projected about 150 feet into the river at the foot of Shelby street. At the wharf were several loaded vessels, all ready to clear. The American vessels tacked in and were fastened to the wharf, around which were gathered a motley grouj) of Indians, soldiers and white settlers. There is no record of how the small American advance force was received. It was strictly on a peace footing, for it numbered only 65 men. Tlic two vessels also contained several cannon, amnnmition and provisions, the whole being under the command of Capt. Moses Porter. Being officers and gentlemen, it is more than probable that Col. England and his subordinates received them at the wharf with cour- tesy and good feeling. That the latter feeling predomi- 69 natf.d is certainly true, for the records show that the Britisli commissary at Chatham loaned 50 pounds of pork to the United States oonimissary for the use of the troops. Meanwhile the only one to show emotion was the rene- gade, Simon Girty, the miscreant who had laughed when Crawford, the American officer, was being burned at the stake by the Indians near Sandusky. He seemed anxious to leave what was now American territory, and too impa- tient to wait for the ferry boat, he spurred his liiorse into the river and swam it over to Canada. On the bank on the opposite side he stopped and furiously cursed the Ameri- can government and its soldiers. Like Marmion, when he had got outside of the Douglas castle, His shout of loud defiance pours And shook his gauntlet at the towers. And then came the ceremony of taking possession. The 65 United States troops formed and marched up the hill to the fort. They were probably received by the few British troops that were left with military honors. The Britisli flag came down at noon, and then the starry banner of the free was hoisted, and Detroit and the northwest became United States territory. A letter written by Col. England a few days later on Bois Blanc island, at the mouth of the Detroit River, shows that he was in Detroit at the time of the evacuation. There was certainly no reason why he should not be present at that time. The two nations were at peace, and the evacuation was the result of an amicable treaty, and 70 it would have been boorish and discourteous for him to be absent. On the 13th came Col. John Francis Hamtranick, who was in command of this post until the arrival of his supe- rior officer, "Mad Anthony'' Wayne, who came in Septem- ber. A GREAT EVENT. (From the Detroit Tribune, July 11. 1896.) In this centenary celebration of Evacuation day is com- memorated one of the most important events in early Ameri- can history. Yet the final abandonment by the British of the lake frontier and the great northwest — a domain far more extensive than the original 13 colonies which so gal- lantly vindicated their claim to freedom and independence — was attended by no sensational feature. In the occurrence itself there is little to inspire the writer to eloquent periods reciting the number of the slain, the stirring episodes of conflict, the brilliancy of diplomatic intervention, or the profundity of statesmanship, through which the ooiirse of national destiny is determined. It was a cut and dried affair, with rather prosaic details. It was like the quiet meeting of Grant and Lee at Appo- mattox, which was only a settling up of a military result, and lacked the coloring of pomp and pageantry, which was accompanied by nothing dramatic, save by associ- ation. Yet in the brief interview of these two great military representatives there was solved forever the problem of 7t Iminaiv liberty in the United States, and the perpetuity of a goverinnent by one people was assured. So the evacuation of Detroit a hundred years ago was far less imposing than its coinnicnioration of today, but it was a climax of long years of struggle with arms and diplomacy, and its outcome was of deep historical signiti- cance. The evacuation was but a link in the chain. Still, it is surprising that there is so little of record con- cerning the leaving of Detroit by the British and its occu- pancy by the American government. Some of the enter- prising merchants doing business here at the time were wont to make entries of interesting local events in their account books, but in none of these that have been per- used by Detroit's antiquarians can be found any direct reference to the evacuation. As further showing the paucity of information regarding the actual deliverance of the fort there is cited the fact that the only original map of Detroit in 1796 is now in the archives of the minister of marine in Paris. This work was done by Gen. CoUot, who acted as a spy in this region at the behest of his government, and it shows the fortifications and surroundings of the British fort in this city. The map itself, of which there is a fac-simile in the office of C. M. Burton, and a reproduction in Farmer's History of Detroit, is a convincing proof that the French still entertained hopes of reoccupying this region when a favorable period presented itself. 72 ENGLAND AN IRISHMAN. (From the Detroit Tribune, July 11, 1896.) Several years ago the private letters of Col. KJclianl iCngland, the last Mngiisli coniiuandant of the post, were given to the world. It was naturally supposed that his letters, written after the time he was here, would contain information concerning the incidents attending the evacu- ation He was a good soldier and a cultured gentleman, as his writings amply attest. But the papers contain noth- ing but the kindliest references to those he left behind, and a few details of business he was anxious to close. This might have been a matter of delicacy on the part of the colonel, because his friends here were under a new regime, or it might have been because he was absorbed in new duties which demanded his attention. A prima facie proof that he was a brave fighter is the fact that he was born in County Clare, Ireland, and took to the profession of arms from choice. When he returned to England the Prince of Wales, afterward George IV., noticed his innnense size and distinguished bearing — he was six and a half feet in hc'ght — and asked a friend who he was. "It is Col. England," was the reply. "England!'' said the prince. "He ought to be calletl Great Britain." In after years the colonel settled in Upper Canada and was interested in a colonizing company which placed settlers on lands in the extreme wcst'^ni part of that province. It is worthy of note that in 1793, while in command here, a 73 son was bom who bore his father's name. He also followed his father's footsteps, entered the IJritish anny, and for distinguished services was promoted step by step until he became lieutenant-general, and in time was knighted. Sir Richard England died in 1883, aged 90 years. FORT LERNOULT. ( From the Detroit Tribune, July 11, 1896,) Even as to Fort Lernoult, which was built by the English in 1778 and evacuated in 1796, there is a conflict of testi- mony. For instance, Col. Daniel Brodhead, then in com- mand at Pittsburg, wrote Gen. Washington under date of November 22, 1779: "The Delaware chiefs inform me that the new fort at Detroit is finished, and that the walls are so high that the tops of the barracks can scarcely be seen from the outside, but they don't know whether there are any bomb- proofs, as they are not permitted to go into the fort. They think the number of soldiers there does not exceed 300, and some part of that number remains m the old fort." After studying the authorities at his command, Historian Silas Farmer describes the fort as made by piling up butts of trees with sharpened ends projecting outwards to a height of four feet. On top of this foundation and extending outward at an angle of 45 degrees, were heavy, sharpened stakes, and rurrounding all was an earth embankment 11 feet high. The top of the parapet was 12 feet broad and the width of the ramparts at their base was 26 feet. Sur- rounding the embankment was a ditch 6 feet deep ajid 12 feet wide at the top, having in it a row of pickets ii or 12 feet high. It was 40 feet from the fort to the banks of the Savoyard River, which was reached by a precipitous descent. This description would seem to negative the acoount of the Indians, as told by Brodhead. Others who have written about the matter, or who speak from tradition, are inclined to the belief that the fort was not a very formidable affair even for those times. The circumstances under which it was erected, however, favor the idea that it was calculated to withstand a vigorous siege by a much larger force than that defending it. News had reached Detroit that the American general, Brodhead, was advancing from the southeast with a supcrio'- force in 1778, having already reached a position on what is now northern Ohio, which he was fortifying, his ultimate pur- pose being to make his way to Detroit and capture this important point on the frontier. The old stockade and block houses were considered by the British to be inade- quate in the event of such an emergency. It was Maj. Lernoult that approved the plans for better defenses, Capt. Bird superintended their construction, and it was named after the major. The facts that Brodhead did not make the expected advance, and that Gen. Clark, commanding the American forces, did not make good his threat to occupy the fort as soon as it was completed by the British, does not lessen the probability that it was capable of mak- ing a stubborn defense. There were some difficidties in engineering that were not overcome entirely, such as the constant filling in of the ditches and the caving of the -^' -: .■ ■-'- 75 -, - -,-..,..,; ..,-, ramparts and glacis, which were caused by the water o( the springs in the enclosures, but the work of strength- ening and enlarging was generally continued by the garri- son until the treaty of peace was signed between the two countries. WHAT A CHANGE. (From the Detroit Tribune, July 11, 1896,) Some idea of the gt-eat improvements which have taken place within lOO years can be gathered from the fact that the fort occupied what is now the site of the government building, its centre being about the present intersection of Fort and Shelby streets. Its northern bastion extended nearly to Lafayette avenue; the western bastion extending nearly to Wayne street, the southern extending to the alley behind St. Paul's church, on the comer of Congress and Shelby streets, and the eastern extending to the Peninsular bank building on Fort street. The town of Detroit, two-thirds of which was in the stockade, lay east and south of the fort. The citadel was near what is now the northwest corner of Jefferson avenue and Wayne street. The powder magazine was a little east of the intersection of Congress and Wayne streets, and was half way between the citadel and the fort. The three points were connected by a subterranean passage. The stockade, composed mostly of cedar posts, 14 feet in height, with its strong gates and block houses, were regarded by the British as a suflficient reliance against an attack by Indians, but the threatened attack of the Americans called for the election of a fort. The entrance of the fort was on the southern side, through an archway of trees, and a draw- bridge over the ditch. THE KEY OF THE NORTHWEST. (From the Detroit Tribune, July 11, 1896.) The importance of Detroit itself at that lime lay in the fact that it was a military point which was the Key to tiie great northwest. It was also the depot of the fur trade and Indian supplies on the entire frontier. Althoug:h founded by Cadillac iri 1701, it had not grown much in the 95 years following, and was a village cf cn'.y about 300 houses and 2,600 inhabitants, which included about 200 male and female slaves. Its streets, laid out in the French style, were narrow, the broadest, which occupied the present line of Jefiferson avenue, between Griswold and Wayne streets, being only 30 feet wide. The houses and stores were entirely built of logs and were very small, space being economized to the utmost within the stockade. The chief source of income to the merchants was in supplying the troops and Indians, and dealing in the furs abundantly supplied by the Indians, trappers and organized companies. Surrounding the little town was a dense, primeval forest, ])icrced by no roads leading into the interior, save by Indian trails. The Detroit River and the lakes were the thorough- fares of travel, so far as there were any, and all the point'^ of beauty now surrounding the city were obscured by a monotonous, trackless wilderness, relieved only by the noble river which was then, and is now, the crowning grandeur of the City of the Straits. The most frequeiit visitors were Indians, who came here for various purDOses. Under British rule some were soldiers, others came here to dispose of their peltries, and others to loaf and get dnmk on rum, which was then the cheapest spirituous liquor in those parts. The British supplied mm to the Indian troops as part of the commissary supplies, but under American rule there were efforts made to withhold intoxicants from the red men. Generally, however, they found a way to gratify their cravings for strong drink. Open scenes of drunk- enness in the town of Detroit under British rule were always witnessed after the Indians returned from successful forays against American setders. On such occasions the red men, flushed with victory and rum, would dash through the narrow streets, waving poles, on which bloody scalps wei fastened, and yelling like fiends, while the inhabitants would prudently fasten their doors. Tlie savages, however, seldom attacked the inhabitants, and midst of their difficul- ties were between themselves. The presence of the soldiers was a bar against any attacks on the seitlers or merchants. Sixteen years after the evacuation, v/hen the British cap- tured Detroit, the Indians had the American residents at their mercy, and committed many depredations. A more extended description of Detroit, in 1796, is given by a traveler named Isaac Weld, and appears on another page. 78 OUR OLD RESIDENTS. ( From the Detroit Tribune. July 11, 1896.) Of the character of her people Detroit has always had just cause to be proiud. In the early days, besides the French pioneers who sought homes and lands in the new territory, there were men of means and education wlio came to this point because it offered profitable business inducements in the fur and Indian trade. Some of these men, like James May and the Macombs and Abbotts, conducted business on a large scale, and have an enviable place in history because of services rendered this country when Crreat Iiritain sought to retain this portion of its territory. Some of the ancestors of the oldest and best families in Detroit laid the foundations of their wealth in this city, which has been increased to large fortunes in later years by good management and business ability, but ])rincipally by the enhaticement of land values which always follows the increase of population. ■ Notwithstanding their isolation from civilized centers, and the martial and aboriginal environment of the place, these men provided religious and educational facilities for their families, and enjoyed social pleasures under what would seem to be most forbidding circumstances. There were boat races, athletic sports, dancing, parties, picnics, equine contests and social functions wliich are customary at the present day. All the old correspondence which has been preserved shows that the leading men of Detroit in those bygone days were of a superior class, and their old-fashioned, punctilious courtesy was exceedingly charming and refined, 79 but too elaborate for the msh and push of modern days. These combined attractions, with the potent addition of their cuhivated and beautiful wives and daughters, made Detroit a favorite frontier post for the military who, of course, were favored guests at the best houses. The limited conmiunication with the outer world only served to bring the mem.bers of the little community into closer intimacy, WHY ENGLAND UELAVEI). The above is a brief and perhaps imperfeci description of the social, military and commercial situation of Detroit in 1796. Why this section was not evacuated by the British 13 years before, in compliance with the treaty of 1783, has ever since been a subject of controversy, and has not yet been determined. It was among the stipulations of that treaty that Great Britain should be allowed a reasonable time within which to withdraw her forces from this country, but even the most radical defenders of the British policy do not attempt to claim that her action was justified under this provision. It would be the acme of absurdity to hold, after taking years to defeat an invading enemy, that he should be allowed twice as many years to withdraw from this country. The contention made by the British and their defenders ever since has been that the United States had failed to comply with the requirements of the treaty. A special count in this charge was that British merchants were creditors of merchants in this country; that the new government had agreed in the treaty to guarantee the payment of these debts; that several states had refused to comply with this agreement because they had no constitu- 80 5 ; I ^*^*»'»*-»*'Sm**-^' ^ 1 i tional right to do so; and because of all this the British govcrninent rightly refused to surrender the sovereignty of the northwest territory until the British merchants were paid or secured. This engendered a bitterness which not only led to a sharp diplomatic correspondence, but in 1794 made a second war imminent. ENGLAND'S ULTERIOR MOTIVES. The generally accepted theory among American authori- ties is that the excuses made by the British for not carry- ing out their treaty agreements were merely pretexts to cover their determined purpose to retain possession of the northwest. The reasons for this purpose were apparent. It gave the control of the lucrative fur trade, which was a virtual monopoly in the hands of the Hudson Bay Com- pany and the merchants of Montreal. The representatives of these interests in London were in close touch with the British government, which is always solicitous for the advancement of trade — a nation's chief strength. Tlie reten- tion of the northwest would also give a vantage ground froim which to renew the war against the colonies. The English never give up a project until after they are defeated, and sometimes not then, and there was a strong sentiment at home that this territory should be reclaimed by the mother country. Above all things it would enable the British to retain the support of the Indians, who could be depended on to fight England's battles in the event of war. That this object was not only entertained, but that it succeeded, is evidenced by the fact that the Indians of the west, in the American territory, were the allies of the British in the war of 18 12. ^ 8f Tti this struj^-glc iMigland's savage contingent coniniittcd sonu" of the must devihsh atrocities in the annals of so-called civili7,ewer behind the throne, the general council of Indians declared that they would not believe that the United States intended to do them justice unless it was agreed that Ohio should be the boundary line between the Indian territory of the no^rthwest. This was in accordance with the British policy of having a "bulifcr state" next to their own dominions in America, which ooadd be controlled in the British interests. The American government would not acquiesce in this proposition to alienate the northwest, because it knew that it was mspircd by Great Britain. In 1794 Lieut.-Col. England was in correspondence with Lieut.-Gov. Simcoe, of Canada, in regard to the Indian troubles. Simcoe had sent several letters to the Indian head men, and his statements in these letters were repeated at Montreal and were aommimicated to the United States government. The letters clearly indicated th^t, whether with or without authority from the home govermueiit, Brit- ish officials were secretly urging the liulians to continue their warfare against the Americans, and promising that aid and comfort would be furnished the former. This led to a diplomatic correspondence between the two countries. Simcoe denied that he had been intriguing in tiiis matter, and asked to be investigated. An investigation was held in Montreal, but it was conducted in such a manner that it simply covered up any offenses of which he might have been guilty. Wayne's Indian campaign. About this time Indian Agent McKee, of the British forces, notified Lieut.-Col. England that the Delawares had taken the scalps of six American infantry at a point between Forts Washington and Hamilton, and that these scalps were to be forwarded to the lake Indians for the purpose of inciting them against the United States troops. Nothing was done to prevent or discourage this scheme, and it had the sanction and guilty knowledge of the British officials. This was of special significance, because Gen. Anthony Wayne was then about advancing to Jie north- west, and the Indians were being rallied to oppose him. Gen. Wayne fortified the Glaize and planned to proceed thence toward Detroit, despite any opposition which might be encountered as the result of Indian plans or those of the English. He offered $i,ooo reward for the scalp of Simon Girty, the cruel but capable renegade. These facts gave the frontier posts an excuse for strengthening their position on the pretext that they feared an intent on the part of Wayne to invade Canada. They had further apology for this course l)ecause one Christopher Aliller, whose char- acter was not above suspicion, made oath before British officials that he, at the request of Wayne, had told the Indians that it was not against them, but against the Eng- lish, that he and his forces were moving, and that he intended to drive the I'ritish from the countrv. EASILY CONVINCED. Upon this scant and unreliable evidence the English officers were content to act. Simcoe pushed the construc- tion of gunboats on the Thames as rapidly as possible, and urged the prompt enlistment of additional seamen as well as land forces. Xear Fort Miamis, on the Alaumee, in the vicinity of where Toledo now stands, Wayne vvhipped the Indians, who had concentrated to meet him, in August. 1794. The English conunandant at the fort made complaint both to his superior officer and to W^ayne, because the latter had fought within range of the guns of Fort Miamis. What the English chose to term the pretentious reply of " Mad Anthony " was thoroughly characteristic of die man. He practically infonned the complainants that he knew his business and would attend to it. This precipitated a hot correspondence between Wayne and Campbell, the latter being in coamnand at the fort. He served notice on the American general that he must not again get within gun- shot of the fort or he would be fired upon. * STRAINED RELATIONS, These facts and incidents go to show the strained rela- tions existing and how easily another war with Britain might have been brought about. In the meantime our government was doing everything possible to bring about by peaceful means, a compliance with the treaty of 1783. Not only were diplomatic means employed through repre- sentatives in England, but direct communication was had with Gen. Haldimand, Gen. Campbell and other command- ants, requesting that they evacuate, or in the event of failure to comply at once that they specify the time within which they w>Ciuld yield undisputed possession to the terri- tory held under their adverse control. These officials tem- porized until they could receive authoritative orders, and they were invariably to the effect that the posts be held. Everything went to show that Great Britain meant if possible to retain her grip. PEACE AT LAST. It was while affairs bet\veen the two powers were in this critical condition that John Jay, the distmguished American jurist and statesman, was sent to negotiate the second treaty of peace made necessary by the policy of non-compliance persisted in by the English. This minister plenipotentiary was especially well equipped for the delicate task. He -had been president of congress, was the first chief justice of the supreme court of the United States, and served as governor of New York. As the result of his official negotiations with Great Britain, she receded from all her adverse claims in this country and agreed to evacuate all the posts then retained by June 1, 1796. There was a disposition in some quarters to criticise the Jay treaty, but it is tlie testimony of Lord St. Helens tliat Jay was not only chiefly but wholly the means by which it was brought to a successful conclusion. It was under the pro- visions of this treaty that Col. Hamtramck first took charge of Fort Miamis and a few days afterwards assumed coi - mand at Detroit. JOHN FRANCIS HAMTRAMCK. No name of that time is better known in Detroit than that of Hamtramck, and a brief review of his record shows that he was born in Canada in 1757, and died in this city in 1803. He commenced his distinguished service in the Revolutionary war as captain of Dubois' New York regi- ment, and before he died was commissioned a colonel. He especially distinguished himself as commander of Wayne's left wing in the battle with the Indians near Fort Miamis, as above described. He was not only a great soldier, but a man of marked ability in other directions. His officers held him in the highest esteem and erected a monument to his memory on the grounds of St, Anne's church. When the burial ground was discontinued his remains were removed, and now lie in the Elliott lot in Mt. Elliott cemetery. Two years after taking command here Col. Hamtramck had a son, who also distinguished himself. When but 16 years old he was with Zachary Taylor's expedition up the Mississippi. They had a severe engagement with the Indians and British ofif the mouth of Rock River, 111. The lad showed his fighting blood ir. a way to excite general admiration, and the reward was a gratification of his desire m to enter West Point. He served with distinction throughout the Mexican war and afterwards became a planter in Vir- ginia. So far as the Hves of those who comprised the people of Detroit was concerned, the evacuation made but little difference, although the change gave an impetus to the growth of its business as well as of its population. Though Gen. St. Clair was appointed governor, he never came here, and Winthrop Sargent acted in that capacity. Wayne county was organized, and had dimensions to warm the cockles in the heart of the latter day politician. It included all the present state of Michigan, the eastern half of Wis- consin, and large portions of Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio. This modest county took in what is now Chicago, Toledo and Cleveland as far east as the Cuyahoga River. THE WALK IN THE WATER. From .in Engraving in Possession of C. M. Burton. 87 THE HOIS BLANC DISPUTE. Tliere came upon the village the shadow of another war when Lieut.-Gov. Simcoe began to fortify Bois Blanc island under the claim that there was an intent on the part of the Americans to take possession of it. On the protest of this government he was commanded to desist, and the ques- tion of ownership abided the negotiations which followed. Under the treaty that had been ratified, the boundary line between the American and British possessions in this country was to follow the line of the deepest channels of the waters dividing the two countries. This prevented all dispute until Bois Blanc was reached on the route from the east. Here there was a long controversy, for a strict construction of the treaty would have given the island to America and left the Canadians a comparatively narrow strip of water at that point. Gen. Cass insisted that the island belonged to this country, and so urged upon Henry Clay, then secre- tary of state. But the latter appears to have been moved by a strained sense of equity and made the concession. For this he was severely censured in congress and by the country at large. ■ i DEFEATED LAND GRABS. In 1795, while the two nations were q barreling about the sovereignty of the northwest, and when the clear- headed British citizens were beginning to realize that the territory would inevitably pass under the dominion of the United States, several big land grabs were planned by citizens of Detroit, who were British sympathizers. These grabs seemed to have been conceived with a view to 88 acquiring tlii lands by private ownership after the British sovereignty over them had ceased. ( )ne of them was conceived in the mind of a Dr. Robert Randall, and it contemplated the securing to private ownership 20,000,000 acres of land, comprising the entire lower peninsula of Michigan, with parts of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The plot was far reaching, for Randall had interested in the northwest such men as John Askin, John Askin, Jr., Robert Innes, William Robertson, David Robertson and Jonathan Scheiffelin. There were also partners manipulating the scheme at Philadelphia, then the seat of government. Some distinguished men of New England were also involved, and members of congress were on the ground floor. Their petition offered the government $500,000 for the land. OFFERED AN INDUCEMENT. An additional inducement held out to the government for the confirmation of the titles was the claim that the Indians within the territory ceded would be kept quiet by its owners. Just how they expected to control the sav- ages does not appear in the developments made, but this proflfer w^as in keeping with the rest of the swindling oper- ation. Congressmen were to be bribed with stock and promoters were to be generously cared for. But the enterprise was destined to failure. On Decem- ber 28, 1795, Hon. William Smith, member of congress from Virginia, arose and calmly exposed the whole con- spiracy, stating openly that an attempt had been made to bribe him by Randall. Murray, of Maryland, and Giles, of Virginia, announced that like infamous proposals had % been made tx> them, as did James Madison and others. Randall and Whitney, of Vermont, were placed unde." arrest and held for nearly a month while cor^ ess had the matter under discussion. There were also civil arrests made at the request of President Washington. But there were so many men of influence implicated that the investigations were whitewash affairs, and the conspirators escaped with the ignominy they had brought upon themselves. About the same time John Askin and his associates had conceived several other colossal land grabbing schemes. The territory on the south shore of Lake Erie, between the mouth of the Cuyahoga River and Sandusky, a distance of 59 miles, and running back an equal distance, making a tract of about 2,400,000 acres, was held by the Indians. By promises of rum, guns, money, etc., 34 chiefs were induced to affix their totems to a deed conveying the tract to this syndicate. Askin also engaged in a similar trans- action by which he acquired an Indian title to a large tract on the Maumee River. For pressing these claims John Askin, Jr., was arrested at Greenville by the American authorities, and was in jail a short time. Of course the claims were not allowed by the government, and the deeds are valuable only as historical curiosities. A traveler's description. Isaac Weld made a tour of the states and Canada in 1795-6, and in 1799 published a book, as most travelers did in that day. He visited Detroit in October, 1796, three months after the evacuation of the town by the British, and 90 his description of the town is of interest at this time, the centennial of the American possession. "Detroit contains about 300 houses,'' he wrote, "and is the largest town in the western country. It stands con- tiguous to the river, on the top of the banks, which are here about 20 feet high. At the bottom of them there are very ext 'nsive wharfs for the accommodation of the shipping, built of wood, similar to those in the Atlantic seaports. The town consists of several streets that run parallel to the river, which are intersected by others at right angles. They are all very narrow, and not being paved, dirty in the extreme whenever it happens to rain; for the accommodation of passengers, however, there are footways in most of them, formed of square logs, laid traversely close to each other. "The town is surrounded by a strong stockade, through which there are four gates, two of them open to the wharfs, and the two others to the north and south side of the town respectively. The gates are defended by strong olock- houses, and on the west side of the town is a small fort in form of a square, with bastions at the angles. At each of the corners of this fort is planted a small field piece, and these constitute the whole of the ordnance at present in the place. The British kept a considerable train of artillery here, but the place was never capable of holding out for any length of time against a regular force ; the forti- fications, indeed, were constructed chiefly as a defense against the Indians. 9^ TROOPS UNDISCIPLINED. "Detroit is at present the headquarters oi the western army of the states; the garrison consists of 300 men, who are quartered in barracks. \'ery Httle attention is paid by the officers to the minutia of di- cipHne, so that however well the men may have accjuitted themselves in the field, they make but a poor appearance on parade. "The belles of the town are quite uu desespoir at the late departure of the British troops, diough the American officers tell them they have no reason to be so, as they will lind iiiem much more sensible and agreeable men than tlie Brit- ish officers when they know them, a style of conversation, which, strange as it may appear to us, is yet not at all uncommon amongst them. Three months, however, have not altered the first opinion of the ladies. "I cannot better give you an idea of the unpolished, coarse, discordant manners of the generality of the olHicers of the western anny of the states than by telling yoti thdt they cannot agree sufficiently amongst themselves to form a regimental mess; repeated attempts have been made since their arrival at Detroit to establish cue, but their freqaent (|uarrels would never sufifer it to remain permanent. A duelist and an officer of the western army were nearly synonymous terms, at one time, in the United States, owing to the very great number of duels that took place amongst them when cantoned at Greenville. 92 THE town's inhabitants. "About two-thirds of the inhabitants of Detroit are of I'Vench extraction, and the j^reater part of the inhabitants f)f the settlements on the river, both above and belovv' the town, arc of the same description. The former are mostly eng^agcd in trade, and they all ajjpear to be much on an c(|uality. Detroit is a place of very considerable trade; there arc no less than 12 tradinp^ vessels, belonging to it, brigs, sloops and schooners, of from 50 to 100 tons burden each. The inland navigation in this (|uarter is indeed vety extensive, Lake Erie, 300 miles in length, being open to vessels belonging to the port, on the one side, and Lakes Michigan and Huron, the first upwards of 200 miles in length and 50 in breadth, and the second no less than i,OGO miles in circumference, on the opposite side; not to speak of Lake St. Clair and Detroit River, which connect these former lakes together, or of the many large rivers which fiill into them. The stores and shops in the town are well furnished, and you may buy fine cloth, linen, etc., and every article of wearing apparel, as good in their kind, and nearly on as reasonable terms, as you can purchase them at New York or Philadelphia. SHORTAGE OK SALT. "The iidiabitants are well supplied with provisions of evef}'^ description; the fish in particular, caught in the river and neighboring lakes, are of a very superior quality. The fish held in most estimation is a sort of large trout, called the Michilimackinac whitefish, from its being caught 93 mostly in the straits of that name. The inhabitants of Detroit and the neip^hhorin^ country, however, though they have provisions in plenty, are frecpiently much distressed for one very necessary concomitant, namely, salt. Until within a short time past they had no salt but what was brought from Europe; but salt springs have been discov- ered in various parts of the country, from which they are now beginning to manufacture that article for themselves. The best and most profitable of the springs are retained in the hands of the government, and the profits arising from the sale of the salt are to be paid into the treasury of the province. Throughout the western country they procure their salt from springs, some of which throw up sufficient water to yield several hundred bushels in the course of one week. DAUGHTERS FOR SALE. "There is a large Roman Catholic church in the town of Detroit, and another on the opposite side called the Huron church, from its having l>een devoted to the use of the Huron Indians. The streets of Detroit are gener- ally crowded with Indians of one tribe or another, and amongst them you see numberless old squaws leading about their daughters, ever ready to dispose of them, pro tem- pore, to the highest bidder. At night all the Indians, except such as get admittance into pri'^ate houses, and remain there quietly, are turned out of town, and the gates shut upon them. "The American officers here have endeavored to their utmost to impress upon the minds of the Indians an idea of their own superiority over the British ; but as they are very tardy in jfivinj; these people any presents, they do not pay much attention to their words. Gen. Wayne, from continually promisinK" them presents, but at the same time always postponinjj the delivery when they come to ask for them, has sij^niticantly been nicknamed by them Gen. Wabantj, that is (ien. Tomorrow. * 'f * "The country round Detroit is unoonnnonly Hat, and in none of the rivers is there a fall sufficient to turn even a grist mill. The current ^of the Detroit River itself is stronger than that of any of them, and a floating mill was once invented by a Frenchman, which was chained in the middle of the river, where it was thought the stream would be sufficiently swift tio turn the waterwheel; the building of it was attended by considerable expense to the inhabi- tants, ))ut after it was finished it by no means answered their expectations. They grind their com at present by windmills, which I do not remember to have seen in any other part of North America." H THE HRST FAMILIES OF DETROIT. (From the Detroit |o«rnal. July 11. 1896.) Dt'troit is rctuarkahly fortunate in the number of its old families which are still flourishini^ and prominent in the business interests of the city. Many ds, which, with the plunder of the garrison was agreed on to be given to the Wiandotes before they condescended to join them; that all they wanted was the connnanding officer. "On the 29th of May we had the mortification to see eight of our battoes in possession of the enemy passing on the opposite shore with several soldiers aboard. Called at these in the battoe that if they passed the savages would kill them all, upon which they immediately seized upon two Indians and threw them overboard. Unluckily one of the Indians brought a soldier overboard with him and tomahawked him directly, they being near the shore and it quite shoal. Another soldier laid hold of an oar and struck that Indian upon the head of which wound he is since dead. Then there remained only three soldiers, of which two were wounded, and although 50 Indians were on the bank not 60 yards firing upon them the three sol- diers escaped on board the vessel, with the Battoe loaded with eight barrels of provisions, and gives the following account of their misfortunes, viz.: "That two nights before at 10 o'clock they arrived about six leagues from the mouth of the river, where they encamped; that two men went a little from the camp for firewood to boil the kettle, where one of the two was seized by an Indian, killed and scalped in an instant. The other soldier ran directly and alarmed the camp, upon which Lieut. Cuyler immediately ordered to give ammu- nition to the detachment, which consisted of one sergeant 117 and 1/ soldiers of the Royal Americans, three sergeants and 75 rank and tile of the Queen's Independent Company of Rangers. After having delivered their ammunition and a disposition made of the men, the enemy came close to them without being observed behind a bank, and fired very smartly upon our flank which could not sustain the enemy's fire, and they retiring precipitately threw the whole in confusion. By that means the soldiers embarked aboard the Battoes with one, two and three oars in each Battoe, which gave an opportunity to the savages of taking them all except Lieut. Cuyler and 30 men that made their escape in the Battoes to Niagara. "On the night of the 2nd inst. Capt. Campbell and Lieut. McDougall made a resolution to escape. It was agreed on between them that Mr. McDougall should set off first, which he did, and got safe into the fort. But you know it was much more dangerous for Capt. Campbell than for any other person, by reason tliat he could neither run nor see, and being sensible of that failing 1 am sure prevented him from attempting to escape. "The 4th a detachment was ordered to destroy some breastworks and entrenchment the Indians had made a quarter of a mile from the fort, and about 20 Indians came to attack that party, which they engaged, but were drove ofif in an instant with the loss of one man killed and two wounded, which our people scalped and cut in pieces. Half an hour afterwards the savages carried the man they had lost before Capt. Campbell, stripped him naked, and directly murdered him in a cruel manner, which indeed gives me 118 pain beyond expression, and I am sure cannot miss but to affect sensibly all his acquaintances. My present comfort is that if charity, innocence and integrity is a sufficient dispensation for all mankind, that entitles him for happiness in the world to come." THE BLOODY RUN — TWO STORIES OF THE FAMOUS INDIAN MASSACRE. It is an old and a trite saying that one story is good until another is told. The French and Indian account of the tragedies of July 4 differs very materially from the Eng- lish story as told by Lieut. MacDonald. It is that Lieut. Hay and a number of soldiers started from the fort to the house of M. Baby, to get some powder and lead that had been left there. On the way they met the nephew of an Ojibway chief, killed him, tore off his scalp, and shook it toward the enemy. The chief ran to the house of M. Meloclie, where Campbell was confined, bound him to a fence, shot him to death with arrows, cut off his head, tore out his heart and ate it. The wanton killing of the Indian had fired anew the hearts of the chiefs, and it was determined to destroy the fort and all who were in it. Pontiac was at their head, a crafty and fearless leader, and he laid a plan of siege. The English inhabitants had fled within the picketed inclos- ure, and the Indians at once cut off all supplies from the outside. They knew, however, that relief would soon come from the forts below, and they resorted to every artifice and strategy known in savage warfare. To prevent the vessels anchored in the river from going after supplies, they 119 attempted to destroy them with fire. Tlicy constructed a large raft up near the mouth of i'arent's creek, piled it high with dry wood and brush, saturated the pile with tar, pushed the raft out into the stream, and when it had floated down nearly to the vessels applied the torch. The sailors at once slipped their anchors, and the vessels then floated as rapidly as the raft. Sails were run up and the vessels glided to a position of safety. This was on the night ol July lo, and as soon as the fire raft was in mid-stream the besieging host filled the air about the fort with blazing arrows. Some of them fell upon the houses and set them on fire, but a portion of the garri- son extinguished the flames, while the reinainder fired at every Indian wlio exposed himself. The attempt to destroy Detroit with fire was a failure, and Maj. Gladwin retaliated for the attempt by sending the vessel up and down the river to fire their cannon at the Indian villages and encampments. Relief came to the besieged garrison on the 29th, when 22 barges came up the river bearing Capt. Dalzell, Maj. Rogers, 280 soldiers, cannon, ammunition and an abundance of stores. Indeed, the fort was too small to accommiodate all the officers and men, and some of them were quartered at the houses of the inhabitants. Dalzell had been a soldier in the east under Gen. Putnam, was a bold and fearless fighter, and held Indian warfare in contempt. He at once besought Gladwin to permit him to go out with a detachment and drive the savages away, but Gladwin knew the danger of going into the forest to fight with natives of the forest, and though he at first refused, 120 finally yielded. At 2 o'clock in the morning of July ^^i Dalzell, at the head of 250 men, Icfl tliu fort and marched as silently as possible up the river road, two large bateaux, each carrying a swivel and a number of artillerymen, inoving up the river to sup^xjrt him. Pontiac, however, had in some manner gained intelli- gence of the projected movement, and early the previous evening had sunmioned his chiefs and their warriors to a council at a large tree that then stood on the banks of Parent's Creek, just below where Jefferson avenue now crosses its buried channel, and there they waited the attack. This was ever after called "Pontiac's council tree," and old residents well remember it. It was cut down a few years ago, but its stump is still pointed out to visitors. The tree has frequently been called "Pontiac's Oak," and "Pon- tiac's Elm," but it was a whitewood. It was a starlight night, and as the close columns of Dalzell's conmiand neared the banks of the creek the am- bushed Indians, themselves invisible, poured in a deadly fire. The troops returned the fire, but they might as well have saved their bullets. Dalzell attempted to drive the savages from cover by charging, but they slipped from tree to tree and remained invisible. Their fire was incessant and gallant, and Capt. Grant, who commanded one detach- ment, ordered a retreat. Capt. Rogers, in command of the other wing, fell back to the house of Jacques Campeau, which stood on the river bank between the present Dubois and Chene streets, and there maintained his position. 121 Dalzcll saw thai nothing but loss was to be gained by fighting with a hidden foe, and directed his conniiand to fall back beyond the range of their bullets, lie endeavored to carry back a wounrlcd soldier, and was himself shot dead. By this time each detachment was surrounded by mad- dened Indians, but maintained their positions until daylight, when reinforcements arrived from the fort, and at 8 o'clock the dcteated troops reached their quarters. Eighteen had been killed, three taken prisoners, and 38 wounded. Tlic Indians mutilated the body of Capt. Dalzell and left it where he fell. It was brought to the fort by a son of Jacques Campeau, and buried in the "King's Garden," within the fort. Parent's Creek was ever after called "Blooily Run." In 1772 Jacques Campeau sent the following petition "To the King's Most Excellent Majesty": "In the year 1763, when the dififerent nations of savages had attacked the fort of Detroit, commanded by Col. (ilad- well (Gladwin), and your majesty's troops there had sallied out against them, but being few in number were constrained to retreat, your petitioner very cordially received 250 of them into his house, who were unable to reach the fort, and from whence they fought against the savages some time, when your petitioner, his wife and family, administered to them all the comfort his dwelling could afiford, nevertheless and notwithstanding your majesty's orders to the contrary, your petitioner's house was plundered of effects to the value of $300; that after that disaster had sujasided your petitioner applied to Col. Gladwell for a pecuniary recompense for the injury he had suffered in his property, who most equit- ably ordered a court martial to inquire into the amount of 122 your petitioner's losses, wliicli upon a fair inquiry, they reported at $300, as by tlie papers remaining in your majesty's archives at Detroit, hilly apjx'ars, but your peti- tioner, notwithstanding such iiuiuiry and report has not been paid any part of it, but still remains altogether unindem- nified." JOHN FRANCIS HAMTRAMCK. (From the Detroit 'ou-nal. July 11, 1896.) When his distinguished rank and military services are considered, and especially the fact that after fighting in the war of the Revolution to aid the colonies to win their inde- pendence, and that, this accomplish>?d, the remaining 20 years of his life were given to the northwest, fighting Indians with Gen. Wayne until the departure of the Br.tish from the line of forts stretching from Erie to the Straits of Mack- inac, compelled them to leave the warpath and sue for peace, and then taking command of the fortifications here, making a liome here on the banks of the river, remarkably little is known of the private life of John Francis Hamtramck. Applcton's Encyclopaedia says he was born in Canada in 1757, but does not give the date nor the place. As a youth il takes him over into the state of New York, and makes him a soldier in Dubois' regiment. The late Robert E. Roberts, in his little history of Detroit, published in 1863, says that Hamtramck was one of the gallant French youths who came to this country with Gen. Lafayette, and served on his staff. 123 Roberts came here about 20 years after the death of Hamtramck, at a time when, and for years afterwards, there were scores of prominent citizens who- had known the gal- lant oflficer personally, and beyond doubt he gained his information from them. Moreover, Roberts was a careful and accurate writer, who would not have spoken with posi- tiveness had he been uncertain of his facts. Roth agree that Hanitramck served in the American army with distinction, and continued in the service as long as there was any fighting to be done for the stniggling states. On the 29th of September, 1789, he was appointed a major of infantry. February 18, 1793, he w^as made a lieutenant- colonel and placed in command of the first sub-legion, lie led the left wing of Wayne's army at the battle on the Miami, August 20, 1794, and was distinguished for his bravery. He remained with Wayne's army, keeping the Indians in subjection by striking them heavily whenever they went on the warpath, and was placed in command of Fort Wayne October 22, 1794. When word was received in May, 1796, that the British were about to evacuate the posts they then held within the territory of the United States, Col. Hani- tramck went down the Maumee to Camp Deposit and remained there until the 21st of June. A few days later the British surrendered P'ort IMiamis, and Hamtramck was there when he received orders to proceed to Detroit and take possession of Fort Lernoult. "4 Sacred to the Memory of John Francis Hamtramck Esq.. Colonel of the U States Regiment of inf-ty, and Commandant of Detroit and its Dependencies He departed this life on the ii^^ of Ap' 1803 Aged ^5 Years, 7 Months, 6 28 days True Patriotism, And a zealous Attachment to rational Liberty Joined to a laudable Ambition, led him into Military Service at an early period of his life, He was a Soldier even before he was a man; He was an active participator in all the Dangers, Difficulties and Honors of the Revolutionary War; And his Heroism and uniform good conduct procured him the Attentions 6 Personal Thanks of the Immortal Washington. The United States m him have lost a Valuable Officer 6 a Good Citizen, And Society an Useful 6 Pleasant Member; to his Family the Loss is incalculable: And his Friends will never forget the memory of Hamtramck this humble Monument is placed over his Remains by the Officers who had the Honor to serve under his command. A small, but grateful Tribute to his Merit and his Worth. INSCRIPTION ON HAJITRAMCK'S TOMB. He had insufficient means for transjjortation, but July 7 two small vessels arrived from Detroit, and Hamtramck immediately hurried on board a detachment of infantry' and artillery, 65 men in all, under the command of Capt. Moses Porter, a few cannon, ammunition and stores, and dispatched them with orders to take possession of Detroit and the fort and hold them until his arrival. Two days later he had procured a sloop of 50 tons, loaded it with flour, quartermasters' stores, ordnance and ammunition, and leaving" Capt. Marschalk, Lieut. Shanklin and 52 infantry, a corporal and six artillery, in command of Fort Miamis, embarked on the slcop and 1 1 bateaux for Detroit, his troops numbering about 250. Eight days later he wrote to Gen. Wilkinson from Detroit that the British evacuated on the nth, and Capt. Porter took possession. Hamtramck and his command arrived on the 13th. "Mad Anthony" Wayne arrived about a imoiith later, remained here until the middle of November, went to Presqu' He, now Erie, and died there December 14. Col. Hamtramck remained at Fort Shelby, as it was now called, until April 11, 1803, the date of his death. His remains were interred in the burial ground adjoining- Ste. Anne's church, in the square bounded by Earned, Congress, Bates and Randolph streets, and there reposed until about 30 years ago, when they were removed to Mt. Elliott. (Note. — John Francis Hamtramck (or Hamtrenck) was a son of Charles David Hamtrenck and Marie Ann Bertin, and was born at Quebec Aucfusl 16, 1756. His father, Charles David Hamtrenck dit L'AUemand was a barber and a son of David Hamtrenck and Adele Garnik of Luxembourj?. diocese of Treves, Germany, and he married Marie Anne Bertin at Quebec, November 26, 1753.)— C. M. B. 126 The letter and record book of the colonel for the period he was stationed here is still in existence, bnt is a highly- prized possession of a family at Dayton, O. It was in the garrison when Hull made his cowardly surrender in 1812, and was taken away by an officer of Ohio militia among his personal effects. ILE AUX COCHONS. (From the Detroit Journal, July 11. 1896,) ICarliest Name of our Beautiful Park in Detroit River. The possession of the lie aux Cochons, now our own Belle Isle, was longer in dispute than Detroit. Cadillac granted it to the early settlers as a common, but nobotly claimed any property rights in the island until about the year 1753. Lieut. George McDougall, of his majesty's Sixtieth Regi- ment, had been a faithful officer, and about the year named was given a grant toi the island by George III. and the council. He took possession, erected buildings, and cleared a portion of the land. Meantime two other residents of Detroit had applied to the crown for a grant of the island, but their applications had been rejected. Ever since the grant of Cadillac the island liad been common grazing ground, and after a time protect was made against the possession by McDougall. Sir Guy Carleton. writing to Lord Hillsborough from Quebec. July 8. t76<), says: . . 127 "The grants and papers have not yet been found among the public records here. It is a matter of doubt whether the right of common was ever given them l)y any formal instnmient, but a fact well known, and ascertained by many persons of credit and reputation in the province, is that the He aux Cochons was granted about the year 1753, which grant was afterwards revoked upon tiie representations of the inhabitants of Detroit that this island was absolutely necessary for them to receive their cattle in summer to avoid the running wild in the woods, or the Indians destroy- ing them in any of their drunken Frolicks. "As it would appear the grant to Mr. McDougall was immediately from His Majesty, I thought it right to give your Lordship the earliest information of what has oorne to my knowledge about that matter." The protest bears the names of many old French settlers, the descendants of whom are prominent in the Detroit of today, though in some instances the orthcgraphy has been slightly changed: Denoye, Miloche, Oulette, Lesperance, Langlois, Derouillard, Delisle, Dequindre, Labrosse, Chapo- ton. The Campeau family was represented by Jacques, Louis, Simmonet and Baptiste, pere and fils. In the fo.llowing May, McDougall wrote to the earl of Hillsborough : "By a paragraph of a letter from the Hon'ble Major.-Gen. Thomas Gage, commander in chief of his majesty's forces in North America, to the Hon'ble Major Thomas Bruce, of the 60th regt., commanding at this post, I understand that his excellency has given it as his opinion that the grant given me of Hogg Island by his majesty and 128 ■ . „_ council, referred to and confirmed by the express orders of the commander in cliief in a letter to Captain Turnbull, then commanding at the fort, that I should, in consequence of an ill-supported claim made by some inhabitants of this place to said island as a common, give up my right and property to be decided by arbitration. I hope your lord- ship will be good enough to excuse me for declining to leave what I think my property, with the improvements thereto, agreeable to the tennor of my grant to such a decision. "My lord, from your well known abilities to distribute strict justice to every subject within the limits of your admin- istration, I have great reason to hope my past service and the justice of my cause, may in some degree entitle me to your lordship's protection." McDougall sent with this letter a memorial, setting forth that the grant was coupled with the provisos that the transfer to McDougall must not give umbrage to the Indians, and that the improvements made by McDougall at the island be "applied to the more effectual and easy supply of His Majesty's fort and garrison at Detroit." McDougall says he was aware that no absolute grant could be given, because Detroit was outside the boundary line laid down by his majesty and parliament in 1763, but he was contented to accept of an order of the council, judg- ing it equally good as a real deed. His majesty referred the matter to the commander-in-chief at Detroit, and told him to put McDougall in possession of the island or not, as he judged equitable. The commandant 129 decided in favor of McDougall, and he entered into pos- session of the island. To clear away the clouds upon his title, McDouj^all, on May 4, 1769, called the Indians together in council in the presence of all the officers of the garrision, "at which time he received a solemn deed for the said island, which cost him very considerably both in presents and provisions." McDougall declares that when Col. Gladwin was in com- mand, 1762-4, the inhabitants never pretended to have the least title or claim to the island, and it was Gladwin's "pub- lick orders tluit no cattle should be put upon the island without his liberty, nor should anyone cut wood or hay on the island on any pretense whatever." This order was con- tinued in force by Col. Campbell, who succeeded Gladwin. Attached to the memorial was the following Indian deed, executed in the presence of witnesses at the council at the fort: . ' "This indenture made by and between Lieutenant George MacDougall, late of the 60 Regiment of the one part, and Oketckewandng, Conthawyin, Ottowatchkin, chiefs of the Ottawas and Chippewa nations of Indians, of the other ])art, do for ourselves and by the consent of the whole nation of Indians, witnesseth the said chiefs for and in consider- ation of five barrels of rum, three roles of tobacco, three l^ounds of Vermillion and a belt of wampum, and three barrels of rum and three pounds of paint when possession was taken, valued 194 pounds 10 shillings, current money of the province of New York, to them in hand paid, the - -130* receipt wliereof the said Indian chiefs doth hereby acknowl- edge, hath granted, bargained, sold, alienated and confimied, and by these presents do hereby grant, bargain, sell, alien and confinn unto the said George MacDougall, his heirs and assigns forever the aforesaid island, that he may settle, cultivate or otherwise employ it to his majesty's advantage, as he shall think proper, the aforesaid island in the Detroit River, about three miles above the fort, together with all houses, out houses, appurtenances whatsoever on the said island, messuage or tenement and premises belonging or in any way appertaining, and also the reversion and reversions, remainder and remainders, rents and services of the said premises and every part thereof and all estate, right, title, claim and demand whatsoever, of them, the said Indians, of, in and to the said messuage and tenement and premises and every part thereof, to have and to hold the said mes- suage or tenement and all and singular the said premises above mentioned and every part and parcel thereof with the appurtenances unto the said George MacDougall, his heirs and assigns forever, and we, the above mentioned chiefs, do hereby engage ourselves, our heirs, our nations, executors, administrators and assigns forever to warrant and defend the property of the said, island unto the said George MacDougall, his heirs, executors, administrators, and assigns forever against us or any person whatsoever claiming any right or title thereto." This document was probably understood by the chiefs and those they represented to the extent of the consideratio!i in rum and tobacco, but they traced their totems at tl'.e 131 bottom. An efifort to determine the species of the animals they undertook to draw forces the conclusion that they were inexperienced in the totem business or had been sampling the consideration. Lord Hillsborough forwarded the memorial and deed to George III. and his council, but it probably got into a pigeonhole, for nothing more was heard of them. It is possible that George hinted to Lieut.-Gov. Hamilton that McDougall was to be given the dead state, for August 12, 1778, he wrote to Lieut.-Gov. Cramahe in relation to the Hog Island papers, and said: "If Capt. McDougall should prosecute his pretensions in the courts, I want you to produce the claims of the inhabi- tants, which in my humble opinion are sufficient to support their title. An island being a royalty if it has ever been granted from the crown as a common, I apprehend the inhabitants have no power to surrender that right, as their posterity would thereby be injured past redress." September 5, 1780, Maj. DePeyster, then the command- ant at Detroit, had Nathan Williams and Jean Baptiste Crainte, able master carpenters, appraise the buildings Mc- Dougall had erected on the island, and then dispossessed him. The appraisers reported as follows: One dwelHng house ^250 One do do 40 One do do 10 An old bam without a top 18 A fowl house 6 Some timber 10 Total i334 133 A month later De Peyster wrote to Gen. Haldiniantl that he had obeyed orders and placed loyalists upon Hog Island, and added: "The island is, however, sufficient for two substantial families only, there being- much meadow ground and swamp on it, and being absolutely necessary to preserve a run for the king's catde, being the only place of security. I have sent your excellency a sketch of the island, which is only 768 acres. If I had placed more families there it Avould have augmented the expenses, and not have been cultivated so much to the advantage of the government." McDougall's heirs, however, got possession again- in 1784. Peace had been declared, and Lieut.-Gov. Hay saw a fine opportunity to be inexpensibly generous and 133 niagnanitiiously just. He was confident that when the boundary Hne was drawn Hog Island would be a portion of the United States, so he turned the disputed territory over to George and John Robert McDougall, sons of the old veteran lieutenant of his majesty's 24th. November 11, 1793, the latter sold his undivided half of the island to William Macomb for 818 pounds and 16 shil- lings, and April 7 following Macomb bought the other half for 776 pounds. Macomb died in 1796, and beciueathed the island to his sons, John, William and David. When Detroit was evacuated by the British and the island came under the government of congress, all of the old claims, Indian, French and English, were ignored and the title coniinned to the Macombs. Tlie shares of John and Wil- liam passed to their brother, and March 3, 1817, David B. Macomb deeded the island to Barnabas Campau for $5,000. Tlie remainder of the history of the He aux Cochons is uneventful and modem. 134 THE FIRST EDITOR HERE WAS FATHER GABRIEL RICHARD, THE PASTOR OF STE. ANNE'S. FATHER GABRIEL RICHARD. From a Cut in Possession of C. M. Burton. Detroit's first editor was Father Gabriel Richard, the CathoUc priest, the pastor of Ste. Anne's church. After an interval of 60 years, Fr. Richard peers out of his picture grim and ancient, standing beside holy candles. 13s Thin and cadaverous, well he might be, for the Hfe he led would have killed a horse. The first newspaper printed ni Detroit, or, indeed, west of the Alleghenies, dates back to the year 1809, the first page of which is here reproduced. It was only with g^reat pains Miat the Journal was enabled to find a copy of this rare paper. It is known that there are only four copies of Father Richard's paper in existence, oie of which is sup- posed to be in a museum or library at Worcester, Mass., while the other three are widely scattered. There is a copy in the hands of Mr. H. E. Baker and Mr. James H. Stone, the veteran editors, who own it jointly, and who long ago decided, when they are done with it, to deposit it in the Detroit I'ublic Library. But in the meantime they value it as rubies, it is framed and kept under a glass, and the inflexible rule is to allow no copies or tracings to be made. The "Essay" is a peculiar looking thing, for a newspaper, to modern eyes. It has the appearance of an opera house program or some such trifle as that. It is only four columns wide and is written in old-fashioned script type, the kind with the long "s," such as the modern reader is always mistaking for a letter "f." The paper contains only one column of advertising, and that refers to books of the printing establishment, and was of course inserted without pay. The revenue was, then, to be derived from the subscription list solely. There is not a personal item in the paper, and scarcely a piece of news, in the modern acceptation of the term. There are a few paragraphs, clipped from other papers east, purporting to be news from the old world, but are just 6y days old. 136 There are a few scraps from New York, but they are not of great or exciting interest. The remainder of the paper consists of pious reflections and philosophic moraUzings on such themes as "Happiness," "The Portrait of a True Friend," "Character,'' and such topics. The only item written for home use, apparently, is one which tells that the girls' school, of Ste. Anne's, is about to open, and parents are urged to send their girls to school. Some of the articles in the paper are written in French. Father Richard was born October 15, 1764. His father was a gentleman of distinction, and his mother learned. He received ecclesiastical orders in 1790. He left France on account of the Revolution, and first settled in Baltimore. In due course he was called as a missionary, and visited the remote northwestern frontiers, until 1798, when he came to Detroit and founded the present church of Ste. Anne. While on a visit to Boston, 1809, he bought a printing press and some type and published the first paper printed west of the Allegheny Mountains, the first number appear- ing August 31, 1809, called the "Michigan Essay, or Impar- tial Observer." The same year he published the first prayer book. Several numbers of the "Essay'' were printed, but the population being scattered he thought best to suspend publication, there being no way to circulate the paper. All the printing was executed under his personal supervision. The "Essay" was composed of four columns to a page 9^ by 10 inches in size. There are only four copies in existence. Some accounts say that Father Richard brought his press overland from Baltimore. Among the religious books printed were : La Joumale du Chretien, 181 1 ; Epistle 137 and Gospel for Sundays and Holidays, 1812; a catechism. The press of Father Richard was subsequently used for printing deeds for the governor and judges of the territory, and when the English took possession they had Brock's proclamation printed on this press, it being the only estab- lishment of this kind in the northwest. The office of the "Essay" was removed after June 11, 1805, the day of the big Detroit lire, to Springwells, upon what was later a part of the Stanton farm. One part of the house was used to live in, another part was for the chapel, another for the printing office, and still another for the school.* Fadier Richard's advocacy of American principles, 181 2, and his denunciation of the British, excited great indig- nation in Canada, and he was soon afterwards seized and imprisoned at Sandwich, and was held captive until the close of the war, but during the interA^al was allowed to labor among the Indians. On his return to Michigan he found the people in great destitution, and went about col- lecting money and food in their behalf. In 1823 he was elected delegate to congress, being the first Roman Catholic priest to receive that honor. He won the esteem of the members, notably Henry Clay, who, when the abbe did not make his meaning clear, because of his defective use of English, frequently repeated his arguments to the house. He was defeated for re-election in 1826, and afterwards applied himself to works of piety and patriotism, built Indian schools at Green Bay, Arbre Crochc, and St. Joseph's. He studied Sicard's method of teaching the deaf and dumb and delivered lectures. In 1832 he projected the foundation of a college. During the prevalence of the cholera Father *The writer is in error. The printing press was not brouglit to Detroit until several years after tlie fire of 1805.— [C M. B. 138 Richard was almost constantly on his feet day and night, until he was prostrated by disease, September 9, and dieii September 13, 1832. Father Richard's introduction to the people is brief and to the point. He hopes to fulfil a long-felt want. He says: THE ESSAY, Detroit. August 31, 1809, The Public are respectfully informed that THE ESSAY will be conducted in the utmost impartiality; that it will not espouse any political party; but fairly and candidly communicate whatever may be deemed worthy of insertion — whether Foreign, Domestic or Social. * * * A noble aim be ours, To mend the heart, to raise the pow'rs. To show the world, on one extensive plan All that is good and great and dear to man ; The patriot's plans and councils to display, To point where glory shapes the warrior's way. And as fresh wonders burst from every clime. To mark the unfoldings of eventful Time, That while our youth, with sparkling eyes shall read, How heroes conquer, or more nobly bleed, llieir infant souls may catch the sacred flame And join their country's love to that of Fame. Gentlemen of talents are invited to contribute to our columns, whatever they suppose will be acceptable and beneficial — yet always remembering that nothing of a cor- rosive nature will be admitted. THE PUBLISHER. 139 Father Richard had a "funny" department in his paper, under a big- headUne, thus: HUMOROUS. Count Tracey, complaining to Foote that a man had ruined his character, "So much the better," repHed the wit, "it was a d — n bad one, and the sooner destroyed the better." A mortal fever once prevailed upon a ship at sea; and a negro fellow was appointed to throw overboard the bodies of those who died, from time to time. One day, when the captain was on deck, he saw the negro dragging out of the forecastle the body of a sick man, who was struggling violently to free himself from the negro's grasp, and remon- strating against the cruelty of burying him alive. "What are you going to do with that man, you black d — 1," said the captain, "don't you see that he moves and speaks?" "Why, yes, massa," replied the negro. "I know he say he no dead, but he always lie so like h — 1, nobody nebber knows when to blieve him." The "E^say" has its poet's corner, the word POETRY enscrolled in an attractive wreath of flowers. As usual, there is the big black headline, thus : 140 POETICAL. (Written in the Country.) The eve's in dusty mantle dres'd The day's last gleam just streaks the west Till slowly sinking from the hills A deep'ning shade the prospect fills. No sound to strike the ear doth move From rural pipe or vocal grove, The flocks and herds to rest are gone, Tlie hamlet's wonted sports are done. The gathering clouds now close arrange As w^aiting for the coming change Till Luna and her train in sight The sober evening yields to light. OH HAPPINESS. Oh, Happi .ess! where is thy resort? Amidst the splendor of a court? Or dost thou more delight to dwell With humble hermit in his cell. In search of truth? or doth thou rove Thro Plato's academic grove? Or else with Epicurus gay Laugh at the farces mortals play? Or with the graces doth thou lead The sportive dance along the mead? Or in Bellona's bloody car Exult amid the scenes of war? No more I'll search, no more I'll mind thee. Fair Fugitive — I cannot find thee ! OMAR. MI Among the miscellany, under bold headlines, is the fol lowing: TRUE POLITENESS, It is an evenness of soul, that excludes at the same time insensibility and too much earnestness — it supposes a quick discernment of the different characters, tempers, miseries, or perfections of mankind; and by a sweet condescension, adapts itself to each man's case. * * ''■ HAPPINESS -A FRAGMENT. The scenes of my life have been sad, said a poor French- man, who had scrambled up one of the most precipitous mountains of North Wales and was now pensively leaning upon his stick and lending a mournful look toward a wide expanse of waters, which bounded his prospect. "The scenes of my life have been sad," silently repeated he, and a tear stole softly down his cheek, as the painful recollec- tion of the past struck his soul — I have pursued the bubble. Happinv-^s, all over the world, and have lived but to find it a delusion, a phantom of the brain. T have suffered the tortures of the inquisition, in Spain— I have been chained to the galleys in Italy — I have starved on the mountains of Switzerland — have languished beneath the Republican tyranny of France — and lastly, have been udiipped as a vagabond, in England. * 1= * Beneath the wide spreading branches, he con- structed a simple hut; his meat was supplied by the roots and herbs of the valley; and the crystal spring, wdiich 142 bubbled by his dwelling, afforded him a wholesome bever- age. Every evening beheld him sinking blissfully to repose on h's bed of leaves; and every dawning day saw him rise refreshed and cheerful. Jn a short time he discovered that he was happy. ''' * ''' After nuising some time on the strangeness of the fact he found that the miseries of his past life were to be imputed to himself; that they arose from his own restlessness and ambition ; — and that the true phil- osopher's stone, which converts everything it touches into gold, the real source of all human happiness is* — content- ment. HUSBANDRY. A receipt to keep cattle healthy by rubbing tar at the root of the horn. A WANDERER'S COMPLAINT. A brief article dealing with one who is equally restless everywhere. EARLY RISING. Anecdote telling how BufTon was pulled out of bed by his sen'ant, Joseph, in order to learn the value of time. '43 MISCELLANEOUS, A sentimental article called "The Portrait of a Real Friend.'' MARKET REPORTS. Rice, 7 dos 60 cts per cwt. Log-wood, $12.50 do. Fustick, $9.60 do. I Coflfee, 45@53 cts do. Pimento, 43 cts do. Pepper, 30 cts do. Sugar, muscovado, 24@25 do. Qayed, do 30@32 do. Father Richard did not do a big advertising business, nor does he state the sworn paid circulation. His only "ads" are these: At the Detroit Printing Office. Pious Guide. Perrin's French Grammar. Book of Tales (66 engravings) 3 vols. Columbian Orator. . Chambeau's French Grammar. Wakefield's Family Tour Thro' Great Britain. Way to Wealth, Dr. Franklin. 144 Youthful Recreations. Youthful Sports. Simple Stories, English and French Catechisms. Moral Fables. Philadelphia Primer. Footsteps in Natural History of Beasts. Familiar Lessons. Road to Learning. Portraits of Curious Characters. Jack of All Trades. Father's Gift. Letters From London. True Piety. Garden of the Soul, Following Christ. A Papist Misrepresented. Geographical Cards. Vade Mecum, Etc., Etc. '45 ACROSS THE RIVER. (From the Detroit Journal, July U, 1696.1 INDIAN STONt IMAGES. Historic facts associated with the primitive town of Sand- wich are fast fading- into oblivion, because Canadian histori- ans have failed to perpetuate them. Attentive only to strong strategic points as Quebec, King-ston and Little York, historians failed to give the only town of any importance in western Canada at the time the British evacuated Detroit any place on the pages of history. Instead of delving into musty documents for records of a century and a half ago they must be learned from the oldest residents whose grand- mothers told them of the events. 146 The principal settlements along the Canadian frontier lOO years ago were from Sandwich westward to where the Detroit River empties into Lake Erie. Like nearly all Canada at that time, the French nationality predominated and the religion was Roman Catholic. That is why Can- ada did not join in the war for independence, because it preferred to be ruled by Protestant England, many thousand miles away, than by Protestant United States so near at hand. Without the discharge of a Canadian musket Can- ada got great good from the war of independence, because Great Britain, instead of ruling her with a hand of iron, as she was proceeding to do after the conquest of Canada, was forced to grant her many concessions to keep her from joining in the war for independence. Had Canadians been allowed the making of their own country, there would have been no Windsor, and Sandwich would have been the city of Western Canada; but Detroit's growth drew Can- adians to the ixiint opposite her. Windsor then grew into existence and grew when Detroit grew. In 1775 Sandwich wus the trading post in western Canada for the Hudson Bay Company. When the peace negoti- ations which succeeded the Revolutionary war were com- pleted and Michigan was ceded by the British to the United States, many persons who stubbornly maintained allegiance to King George moved across the river and settled along the frontier from Sandwich to Maiden. It was then that Sandwich was made the seat of government for the western district, composed of Essex, Kent and Lambton counties. Tlie town was a shipping point. All settlers were along M7 the river and used it as a watenvay in the absence of pass- able roads. The settler's abode was a log hut or shanty, often built in a small clearing in the heart of the forest, and covered with bark or boughs. The nearest mill for grinding grain was 40 miles away, where Chatham now is. That there was little or no money was shown by the fact that a man would often carry a bushel of corn 40 miles to be ground, and then let the miller take his toll out of it instead of paying him ; and so he had to carry the amount he gave in toll 40 miles for nothing. The settler could make his own flour by pounding the grain in the hollow of a hardwood stump or grinding it in a little steel mill provided by the government. The few roads in existence in the swampy land were "corduroy roads," many of which can yet be found. Clothing was home spun and furniture home made, as also were carts and sleds. "Logging bees" and "raisings" were held daily, and then distilled liquors were used in quantities. Once in a long time a preacher would visit the ".sheep in the wilderness," and all the ceremonies required for a year would be done. Children would be baptized and marriages performed. There was no thought given to education when the settlers first located about Sandwich. Tlie Jesuit fathers, principal among whom was Father La Salle, were the early spiritual advisers of the Catholics, and the Jesuits endured much privation to minister to the Indians. Tliey settled at Sand- wich nearly 200 years ago. All along the Detroit River they planted French pear trees. There were thousands of them, and they grew to be three feet in diameter and 70 M8 feet liigli, l)ut there are now less than a score of the trees. They were emblems of the gospel and the cross; were nursed by the tender care of the fathers in wet moss and intormingLvl with the primeval forest on both sides of the river. The Jesuits built a numiery at Sandwich, whicii is still standing, although it was built before the evacua- tion of Detroit. Later, under the impression that Sandwicii would be the city of Canada west, the splen- did Catholic church and the celebrated L' Assumption col- lege were built. The Hudson Bay Company's building was the largest in those parts, being five stories high. Mc- intosh had a trading post above VValkerville lOO years ago, and McGregors and Babys were conducting general stores at Sandwich. The Askin family were also traders and military men of note. The Patterson family were traders at Petite Cote, below Sandwich. The dwelling around which cluster the most romantic associations is the Baby mansion on the river at Sandwich. Through its halls and corridors has sounded the voice of Gen. Brock, Gen. Proctor and of the forest heroes, Tecum- seh and Splitlog. Gen. Hull made it his headquarters in 1812, and a year later was a prisoner there. Gen. Harri- son, after the battle of the Thames, took possession of it and took Baby a prisoner. It was built over 100 years ago, and is now used as a boarding house. St. John's Episcopal church was built at Sandwich at the time of the evacuation. Richard Pollard, who was sheriff and registrar, officiated as pastor. Pollard had been sheriff and registrar at Detroit, but he was a loyalist. When 149 Dclruii was evacuated sucli reeurds as were necessary lu the new settler, and which were kept at the Detroit offices of the shcriiT and registrar, were duplicated and transferred to the Sandwich office. The court of assize was held once a year at Sandwich for the three counties, a territory of 2,817 square miles. While the settlers on the Canadian side were French mainly, the business men were Scotch. A century ago there were 20,000 inhabitants in Canada, and in other parts of Canada the English and Scotcli were the traders. Few of them were successful, because they had been accustomed to the comforts of the old land, and knew little about the ways of the new country. The U. E. Loyalists, when they crossed the border, were given grants of 200 acres each, and, being thrifty and used to privations, prospered. It was not until there were 2,200 people in Detroit that Wind- sor became a setdement. Then she began to draw from Sandwich and the west, and the firms of Cameion & McDon- ald, James Dougall, Blackadder & Brown, James Lambie, and the late John Curry, formed the business portion of the town. The only ferries then v/eie two log canoes, run by Pierre St. Amour, who kept a hotel where Ouellette avenue and Sandwich street now are, and by Francis Labalaine. The price for the round trip was four times the cost that it is by ferry steamer now. The Ottawa Indians, whose chief was Pontiac, inhabited the Canadian side much of the time. Pontiac had slept in the Baby mansion as a guest. Their spear heads and arrow points of flint are often found along the river bank. G. R. ISO M. Pentland, of Peters street, Sandwich, has hundreds ol IntUan reUcs. One of these is the head of a gud whose mouth is open and eyes partly closed, in the act of blessing the IrJians, and who was worshiped by the Indians then inhabiting Essex county. The first execution ut Sandwich was over loo years ago. A white man and a negro were gibbeted on the highway for nujrdering a girl in Kent county. THE FORT IN 1792. (From the Detroit Journal, July U. 1896.) Tliere is no report upon the condition of the fortress at the time it became United States property, but it must have been in a sorry plight, and well nigh useless for defensive purposes. Possibly this is the reason why the residents said nothing about the acquisition in their letters. The last report upon its condition to be found in the Cana- dian archives is in series B, volume 60, page 228. It was made by Benjamin Fisher, Capt. Commanding, Royal En- gineers, in the fall of 1792, and is as follov/s: "Detroit: The principal services now executing at this place consist in such repairs as are more immediately neces- sary to the officers' and soldiers* barracks; erecting a flagstaff, removing 12 platforms, and , repairing 5 others in Fort Lernoult. "With respect to such further services as may be neces- sary for the year 1793, it is not an easy matter for me to determine without knowing to what extent government 151 may choose to go in re-establishing the post, or the importance in which it is viewed. "The decayed state of the buildings, and the insecurity of the defenses of the town from the ruinous condition of the blockhouses and picketing, has been already reported on by board of survey, and since more fully by Lieut. Pilkinton of the Royal Engineers. I shall therefore state generally the condition of the works and buildings in the fort, citadel, town and naval yard, accompanying the report with separate estimates, and submitting to better judgment the propriety of incurring so heavy an expense as appears requisite to reinstate the works and buildings of the post. "Fort Lernoult — The greater part of the interior slope of the ramparts requires fresh sodding, the magazine to be repaired, and the posi lOn of the entrance changed. The sheds for the fixed ammunition are bad, and from their proximity to other buildings and to the magazine, endanger the safety of the place in case of fire. A new one is, there- fore, proposed. New drip-board and several new water- spouts are wanting to the barracks. The sallyport is quite rotten, unsafe, and injurious to the health of men occasionally confined there; the main drain very offensive; the fraize and picketing- in the ditch mucli decayed; the ditch requires in many parts to be cleaned, and the counterscarp repaired. The grate, bridge and abattis are good. The magazine contiguous to the fort wants some trifling repairs for its security, for it is to be apprehended from the whole tenor of the building that it will not be of long duration. > > 15a "Citadel: The barracks in general require plastering, wiiitewashing and repairs to the heartiis and chimneys; 32 new sashes are wanted, as also two additional ones for the hospital to give a freer communication of air. The barrack stores are mostly placed in the upper story of the men's barracks, as are also the artillery stores. The latter, from their great weight, not only render such a disposition very inconvenient, but endangf^r great the building, which is slight. The picketing of the citadel and woodyard is wholly deci:ved. "Town: The picketing on the water side is good, but from Fort Lernoult to the water on the east side is qrite rotten, and in many places supported by props. The same on the west side, excepting the salient parts contiguous to the blockhouses. The blockhouses Nos. i and 2 are wholly decayed, and unsafe even to the removal of the cannon now in them. The water blockhouse is secure for the present, but not worthy of considerable repairs. West blockhouse may last some time with common repairs, but the one in the barrack yard, which at present serves as commissary and barrack master's stores, is quite decayed. These blockhouses are at present raised on upright frames 12 feet high. If they are to be reinstated I should recom- mend an alteration in the construction, and that their lower frame might be converted irto a storeroom or useful apartment, which would add but little to the expense. The east platform by the river is on too slight a frame to bo secure, and the west platfomi is wholly rotten. This latter is commanded by a bank, which is an accumulation of rubbish from the town, and should be removed. The IS3 Indian store is so wholly decayed that any repairs would be injudicious. A frame building, 60 feet by 30, is recom- mended for the accommodation of Indian artillery and storekeeper general's stores. It may be eligibly placed in the citadel behind the barracks. The weighty stores being in the lower part, frame work will be sufficient. The artillery carriages require painting. Twenty traveling magazines are wanting. Ladders and sentry boxes much wanted. "Naval yard: Is surrounded only by a slight picketing, and without the protection of the garrison. The naval storehouse is so completely decayed that props are fixed on all sides to prevent its falling. The building at present consists of two stories, and is 85 feet by 22. The lower story is the store, and the upper one a working place for riggers. Both places are sufficiently large for the purpose to which they are applied, but as a fire in winter is necessary for the riggers, I thought it advisable to have a detached building fcr them, and have estimated accordingly. This building is, I apprehend, so essentially necessary for the fitting out and repair of the vessels on the lakes that it is necessary it should be early attended to. If it is judged expedient to reconstruct the naval storehouse in the way proposed, I should recommend a deviation in the line of picketing, advancing at the same time the blockhouse No. 2, for should it not inclose a more eligible spot for a dock- yard than at present occupied, it at least offers a secure and convenient situation for the naval buildings. "I have oflfered little more than is necessary for the re-establishing the works and buildings of the post. How 154 far the present circumstances and situation of it render such a measure advisable is not for me to determine." THE OLD LANDMARKS. ( From the Detroit journal July 11, 1896.) A retrospect of Detroit for the last hundred years properly includes recollections of the township of Springwells, the greater portion of which, territorially, has been absorbed into the city. DETROIT IN 1838. From an En^'r.iving Owned by C. M. Burton. 155 Fifty years ago the western limits of Detroit were a little beyond Seventh street. The only highways open In that direction were the River road, the Chicago road, now called Michigan avenue, and the Grand River road. The chief thoroughfare was the River road, for the country back of that was principally forest. The heavy growth of timber, the clay soil, which held the accumulated rains and snows and the insufficient drainage retarded settlement. The flood of eastern people who came in the late '30s and the early '40s to make homes for themselves in Michigan, did not remain in Detroit, but made for the southern and central tiers of counties, where the land was easier cleared and the agricultural resources of the most magnificent promise. Between Detroit and Dearborn there were few improved farms, except upon the river front and along the borders of the Rouge. The old French preference for living near a water course was manifested by the newer immigrants if by that term we can designate the enlight- ened, adventurous and energetic sons and daughters of New England and New York who hurried to Michigan to lay the foundation of the young state. They made homes for themselves on the borders of the Rouge, the Ecorse, Raisin, Clinton, Huron, Grand, St. Joseph, Shiawassee, Huron, St. Clair and Saginaw Rivers. Fifty years ago the depot of the Michigan Central had freshly been removed from the Michigan avenue site of the city hall to its present location on the river at the foot of Third street. At this point emptied the River Savoyard, which had its source m a rivulet near where St. Mary's Catholic church now stands, at St. Antoine st. and Monroe 156 avenue. It meandered down toward Cadillac square, and the site of the new county buildings, where it broadened out into a lagoon. Water fowl and water snakes, the impetuous blue-racer among them, found a congenial habitat there. The Savoyard deepened and its current became more forceful as it approached the line of Woodward avenue. It is on record in Farmer's History that batteaux freighted with stone for old Ste. Anne's church, navigated to the comer of Bates and Congress, the present armory of the Light Infantry being erected on the grounds once confined within the church plot. We know that there was a bridge across the Savoyard at Griswold street, and that Levi E. Dolsen, an old citizen, well known in his generation, who died a year or two ago, fell from the bridge while fishing and was nearly drowned. In excavating a few years ago the foundation for Phelps, Brace & Co.'s and Lee & Cady'; buildings, cannon balls and other military relics were unearthed. They were souvenirs of the British occupation, and the cannon balls may have been aimed at Pontiac's red horde of savages. The waters of the Savoyard began to be intercepted and led oflf by sewers 50 years ago, the stream dwindled an-d was filled up, and when the new Michigan Central station was constructed its last vestiges disappeared. Last fall, in constructing a building opposite the Wayne Hotel on River street, the hull of a small craft was unearthed, which tiO doubt was left to decay in the shallow Savoyard. A walk down the River road in those days would have taken the pedestrian along a tolerably high bank which faced the street from Fifth street to Eighth. Tliis walk 157 was guarded by a hand rail. From its elevation one could see the new city gas works, then just put in operation. The ruined old building now belongs to Frederick Stearns and is used as a marble and stone shop. The young firm of Jackson & Wiley had a foundry nearly opposite thar was worked to its limit night and day. The railroad irom- pany had a peculiar machine which turned out from billets of wood oblong oval wedges that were used to make firm the joints of the T rails, then newly used — the antecedent of the fish plate. There was a car shop of considerable dimensions along the side of the street, and by an hydraulic machine, attended by Bijah Joy, of subsequent fame as a policeman who passed "an hour at the central station" every day. By means of this machine car wheels were forced upon their axles. Next was the railroad machine and black- smith shop, and round house, made significant by what was said to be the tallest chimney in America, only exceeded in height by the St. Rollux chimney at Glasgow, Scotland. Tliis chimney and busy shops, for which it once produced the desired air drafts, were long ago demolished. The railroad track struck the river at the r.xOuth of May's Creek, between Eleventh and Twelfth streets, but before coming to it one passed the farms of John Miillett, the old-time surveyor, and Gov. Woodbridge. Mullett and Woodbridge lived in old-style French mansions. A part of the Mullett residence still stands back of the Hammond Beef Company's warehouse. Next was that of John S. ^5^ Abbott and Henry T. Backus, sons-in-law of Gov, Wood- bridge. Magnificent French pear trees were the surround- ings of each of these dwelHngs, and of every other dwelHng on the river front. The railroad track, when it reached the river, was car- ried by trestle work over the shallows up to the channel bank, and thence in a straight line to Third street. There was at first but a single track, and the trains as they passed over it reverberated loudly. The water inclosure formed by the trestle reached from h'ifth to Eleventh street. The early formations of ice were protected by the closely driven piles and thereby made the space into a skating park that was nuich besought by the youth of tiie city. A bridge carried the road over May's Creek, just west of Woodbridge's mansion. The rest of the way, except from Fourteenth street to Twenty-fourth, tlie highway fpl- lowed the margin of the river. The first reach of the river was a sort of rendezvous for scows and small sail craft. There was a couple of taverns of some note — one kept bv Thomas Lyon, an eccentric Englishman, formerly a soldier, whose wife, a buxom lady, was a typical old-time landlady. The other was kept by Louis Specht, a German from the region of the upper Rhine, whose knowledge of the French language made him congenial to the sailors and farmers below. Saw mills were just erected in this district, one by Selah Reeve, the other by Bela Hubbard, and John E. King. There were tanneries also, one of them superin- tended by the Levi E. Dolsen named above. '59 Another small stream crossed the highway just belo^v tile Godfrey mansion. Vestiges of this stream are apparent today south of Fort street in front of Peter llenkel's house. The River road tlien kept inland. It passed the honu- of William Burtchell — generally called Billy — a noted steamboat runner. On the front of the Lorangcr farm, now known as the Lafontaine farm, was an extensive fishery, perhaps the best on the river. Old Jean Baptiste Loranger had a merry crew of French fishermen, who sang as they rowed out to cast their nets, and gave exultant Gallic shouts when the catch warranted such enthusiasm. They lived in shanties on the river's edge. Fish, potatoes, bread, pork and beans were the staple articles on the bill of fare, and the hungry stranger was always invited to sit with them at the feast. Whiskey was 15 cents a gallon, and probably the dampness of their occupation caused them to take more of it than was good for them. Continuing on, the wayfarer came to the residence of ]\Taj. Henry Brevoort, a veteran of Perry's victory and other campaigns of 1812. Maj. Brevoort had a French pony and a low- hung buggy, covenient for a man of his stature and portliness. Every^ day he would drive up to the city to call upon friends. It was a tradition of the neighbor- hood that he received a silver dollar — "the dollar of the daddies" — every time he went to town, in the way of pay- ment on his pension. This, of course, is not the way pensions are paid, but the story was told that he collected his dollar every day. Passing beyond Brevoort's, the River road ran to the edge of a high, steep bank, exactly like the bank to be seen 1 60 today on the Windsor side of the river. It started from about whore the Detroit Gas Works are now located and continued past Twenty-fourth street. There was a sort of bay here, the water being so shallow that boys seeking II f ">^«» I ii njm°% m?(S),^ir September I0U),^813 ;!'<'"""-'jj/.. the place to bathe could wade out 200 feet before getting beyond their depth. Some vestiges of the bank remain. The old brick mansion of Gov. Porter, occupied in recent times by the late Sylvester Larned, stood uninhabited on this high bank, commanding a grand view of the river. Another bit of neighborhood gossip, told in whispers by 161 the French lads vvlio lived thereabout — C. Peter Laffcrrivate debts of its subjects. Prof. McLaughlin say^ • "Doubtless the Americans had broken the treaty. The treatment of the loyalists forms no bright chapter in our national histor}\ Several states had laws on their statute books which prevented the ready recovery of debts by Brit- '73 ish creditors. The war left the country in a condition of financial demoralization. It is not surprising that the foreign merchant, who seemed in some of the states to hold a permanent lien on property and to be a lasting drag on progress, should find statutes and stay-laws blocking his path. In October, 1786, Jay made a report to congress in which he found many of the charges true. In November he wrote to Adams as the result of his inquiries into the conduct of the states that there had not been a single day since it took effect on which it has not been violated by one or other of the states." Jay further declared that "deviation on our part preceded any on the part of Great Britain," and added that England was not under obligations to evacuate our territory until after the ratification of the treaty of peace, and the acts of some of the states he considered the first violation of the treaty. In 1787, upon the suggestion of Jay, congress passed an act recommending to the several states that all laws repug- nant to the treaty of peace be repealed. This was done by all the states, though Virginia made her repealing act con- ditional upon England giving up the posts. When Washington became president he requested Gov. Morris, who was in London, to represent to the British ministry that the new federal court had been given full juris- diction over cases arising under the treaty, and to ask the ministry what objections remained to fulfilling its terms. As a result of this interview England r.ent a minister to this country, and he and Jeflferson entered upon a consideration 174 of the differences to a substantial ratification of the treaty. Hammond demanded that all debts be paid, and confiscated estates of tories restored. Congress had recommended that this be done, and JefTerson contended that this action con- stituted a fulfillment of the treaty, because recommendation was all our commissioners promised. When Jay went to England in 1794, England was at war with France, and did not deem it best to provoke an alliance of the United States with that country. The In- dians were continually conunitting depredations, and the Americans charged that they were incited to hostilities by the British within our borders. The Americans were ripe for war, and Jay found the British ministry ready and will- ing to agree upon terms of pennanent peace. Tlie treaty then negotiated provided for the evacuation of all frontier posts on or before June i, 1796, and for a commission to determine the amount of debt due British merchants, which, in case collection had been hindered by lawful impediments, was to be assumed by our government. LA MOTHE CADILLAC. HOW HE CAME TO FOUND A SETTLEMENT HERE ( From the Qetroit Journal, July 11, 1896,) How long there had existed an encampment at the spot on which Detroit now stands, there is now no way to determme. Certain it is that when Cadillac came in 1701 he was met by a handful of coureurs-de-bois, who were living here and trading with the savages. 175 It is to Antoine de la Moth? Cadillac that we owe the founding of this beautiful city of ours, though someone sooner or later, in the general colonization of the new world, must have perceived the advantages, both military and commercial, of the site. Lamothe Cadillac, as he signed himself, was bom 'n a little hamlet in the southeastern part of France. Other than the date of his birth, March 5, 1658, and his baptism five days later, we have no authentic facts concerning his life, until we find him in the new world, a lieutenant in the king's service, marrying beautiful Theresa Guyon, the daughter of a Quebec merchant. After distinguishing him- self by energetic service in Acadia, he received from Fron- tenac command of the fort and Indian mission at Mackinac. Here it is he conceived the idea which is of such direct interest to us. Imbued with the idea that a settlement somewhere on the banks of the strait, now called Detroit River, would be of the greatest military value, and that in time it might be successful a& a colony, he secured his release from the position at Mackinac and set sail for France to present in person to the king his arguments in favor of establishing the post. His plans meeting with approval, the colonial minister, Count Pontchartrain, gave him the necessary authority and allowed him the equivalent of $275 for building the fort. He returned to America in the spring of 1701 and went directly to Montreal. After some weeks of preparation he set out with 100 soldiers and Canadians, and 25 canoes, carrying, besides the men, all that was necessary for the construction of the fort and village. De Tonty was second 176 in command. Leaving Montreal, the expedition entered the Ottawa River. Jiy ascending this, which gave them a path almost directly west, and crossing by land to Geor- gian Bay, they reached Lake Huron. Finally, after toiling over six weeks against current and through forest, on one beautiful morning in July they glided with the current down the giant river; and, coming out from behind the luxuriously wooded Belle Isle, beheld their future home. And as he saw spread before him a low hill about 700 yards from the river, stretching along for over two miles, and dotted with beautiful groves, what visions of a great city, with a state'y avenue on that ridge, must have passed before the eyes of Cadillac. Landing at a small cove which lay where the foot of Griswold street does now, the leader staked ofif the sites of the palisade and magazine, and by sundown Frere Constantin summoned the garrison of Fort Pontchartrain to their first vespers. Surrounded on all sides by 200 miles of semi-hostile Indians, with no approaci> except by water, Detroit's growth was necessarily slow. The tide of settlement had not reached it. Under 13 different commandants for the French king, the number of homes increased very slowly, in spite of repeated offers on the part of the Canadian government to furnish each settler with farming utensils and to sup- port his family for the first year. For we know that even in 1805 the number of houses in Fort Pontchartrain, as it was still called, was something less than 200, and the greater part of these were within the stockade, clustered 177 about the little street called Ste. Anne, which, though only 30 feet wide, lay in almost the same position as Jefferson avenue does now. There was one house of two stories near the center of the stockade. Up to 1760 the French had succeeded in little more than keeping possession of the position. Now in the L'rench and Indian war at the surrender of Montreal, and with it the whole northwest territory, our city passed into the hands of the English. The condition of the inhabitants underwent no change at all, as a fact, except that occasioned by their taking the oath of allegiance to Great Britain, and the removal of the French troops. But at this change to control by the arrogant English, the Indians, who had with such difificulty been kept in peace by the conciliatory policy of the French, aroused by the burning eloquence of Pontiac, hatched a scheme for getting possession of all the land held by the English. Detroit, in Pontiac's well laid plan, was to be taken by treachery. In . the simultaneous attack on all the forts from Mackinac to the east, Detroit, with one other station, held out. How the plan failed because of the forewarning given by Catherine, the Ojibway girl, we all know by heart. Now com- menced the six months' siege, during which the defeat of a part of the garrison at Bloody Run happened, and our beautiful pleasure ground, Belle Isle, was converted into a slaughter yard by the massacre of a detachment who were captured while coming as a reinforcement for the worn-out garrison. Finally, after the news of the treaty of peace between France and England, the Indians lost heart and slowly drew off. 178 A few years after this, during the American Revolution, Maj. Lernoult, vviio was stationed here with 500 men, erected a large earth fort on the ground which is now covered by four squares directly in the rear of our city hall. This fort was called Lernoult until during the war of 1812, when it was changed to Shelby in houor of the hero of the Battle of the Thames. About this time, instead of "The Village on the Strait," the city began to be styled simply Detroit. In 1783, by the treaty acknowledging the independence of the states, Detroit was claimed by the new government. This was disputed by the Canadian authorities, and in the other difficulties which the new republic was undergoing no resistance was made to the British, who obstinately re- mained in the fort until 1796, when the boundary on the whole northwest territory, including Detroit on the Ameri- can side, was definitely placed by the Jay treaty. On the nth day of July, 1796, the British troops withdrew from Detroit. A few days later, when Capt. Porter, with a detachment of Wayne's army, took possession, they found the wells choked up v;ith stones and all the windows in the barracks broken by the British soldiery in a feeling of chagrin and defeat. 4 179