| Many have heard the story of Francis Slocum, " The Lost White Rose of the Miami " or "Little Bear Woman" What many do not know is that Francis had married a man prior to her final marriage that would forever align her as Miami. Other factors also played a part in this reported story. The Treaty in 1805 which was intended to blend the Miami, Wea and Eel River Tribes as one collective was pitted with leadership issues from the beginning. Each of these Tribes had their own leaders. Each of these tribes had their own traditions, customs and policies. When blended by this treaty the rights once known by the smaller Wea and Eel River Tribes often took a back set to the larger Miami Tribe. In fact Little Turtle who is often claimed solely as Miami, because he signed for the Miami was not really in charge of the whole of the group at all. He and adopted family member and white captive William Wells only were thought to have controlled 1/10th of the newly formed Miami, Wea and Eel River Collective. Francis and her family were granted Exemption from the Miami removal on the Joint Resolution of 1846-50. Her daughters and family claimed they were Eel Rivers and NOT Miami. National Archives, RG 107. Old Army H-346 (2) Harrison, William Henry to Henry Dearborn, Vincennes, March 3, 1805 H-346 (2), p. 1 I have long known The Turtle has considerable influence over the Five Medals and some other of the Putawatimie Chiefs & I believe that Captain Wells and himself control entirely the Small band of Eel River Indians. But when Wells speaks of the Miami Nation being of this or that opinion he must be understood as meaning no more that the Turtle & himself. Nine tenths of that Tribe Who acknowledge Richardville & Peccan for their Chiefs, but who are really governed by an Artful fellow called the Owl or long beard whom you once saw at the Seat of Government) utterly abhor both Wells & the Turtle Little Turtle was politically tied to the Miami but this did not mean his heritage was Miami. His mother a Mohican Woman [Trobridge 1826] who was raised west of her tribal people and his father linked to the Delaware and Plankishaw and an early signer of Treaties carried out in Pennsylvania in the 1740's & 50's. His parents also had deeply rooted ties to a band of Wabash Shawnee who would later yield the appearance of the Famous Tecumseh and The Prophet. Anson's book, pg 300: [Supported by historical records] "Surviving legends extol the diplomatic venture of Little Turtle's father, Aquenackquah, as he led his party out of the flat Indiana forests and over the wild Appalachian ranges to the Lancaster treaty council in 1748." When Pickawillany was destroyed in 1752 by the French trader, Auguste de La Balme, & 250 Nipissing Indians on the order of the French, Turtle and Assesspansa fled with a small group to the Shawnee villages rather than return to Kekionga or the eastern tributaries of the Wabash Charley was the successor of Little Turtle with his new found duties in the political tribal government of the 1805 newly formed Miami Collective. Charley's sons were also incorporated into other tribal groups by marriages and by their own rearing as children. This generation of Eel River headmen were different yet respected leaders in the Wabash valley. Charley had a lineage long rooted in the Tribal lines of the Mohican, Delaware and Plankashaw dating back on his mothers side for several generations. Yet he had another lineage often remaining unreported, that of his father. This Chief of the Eel River had served in the Revolutionary War while Harrison was an Aid De Camp under Anthony Wayne. “ The Journal of the Proceedings” Ft Wayne IN “Indian Treaties” held on September 30th 1809. [Consolidated Docket No. 317, DE 61-171, Dft. Ex. 131] Excerpt reads as follows: “ The Governor ( Wm. H. Harrison) requested that all the Chiefs present would speak in their turn, and called upon the principal Chief of the Eel River Tribe who was an old friend of his that had served with him in General Waynes Army he demanded what his abjections were to the Treaty. He ( the Eel River Chief) drew out the treaty of Grousland. ‘Father.... ”[see treaties. On the date Sept. 30th 1809; Kapplers Indian Laws and Treaties Vol I. / Charley is this “Principal Chief”] July 29, 1795, William H.Harrison, Headquarters, Greenville Ohio, Special Collection Micro. Film ; and;American State Papres, also found on line at: http://www.oberlin.edu/library/special/political/1812.inventory.html The commissary will issue for the use of the two men released from captivity with the Indians Four pounds of beef and flour & two gills of whiskey. A,N.S. on scrap of paper 6 1/4 x 3 inches. Footnote: Early in Harrison’s career he served as “aide de camp” to General Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers and the conclusion of the Treaty of Greenville. Charley, his sons and their families would nearly be erased from history with the blending of these three groups, The Wea, Eel River and Miami. He and his family were issued reserve lands which by law could not be sold to anyone without the authorization of the President of the United States. There was, at that time, no prevision for assigning these lands to another tribal leader or sub- sectioning parts of these reserves to members of the same group. This would create one of the largest power struggles Indiana has ever seen. One of the seven sections issued to Charley was a historical sight known as "The Forks of the Wabash" ( today it is a historical sight for Famed Miami Chief JB Richardvilles trading post and home) Early Indiana Attorney, Annuity Payee Clerk and Trading post merchant G. Ewing, Indian Agent A. Hamilton, Legal Advisor Cyrus Taybor and former General Tipton had formed an investment group with JB Richardville. Hamilton worked as Richardvilles personal Financial Advisor while all planned to secure real estate in the now growing Indiana Indian Territory. At this time most of Northern Indiana from Indianapolis north had not been surveyed unless requested by the Tribal Leaders who were issued the land. The Indian Agency had not yet moved to Logansport and was still located in Old Ft Wayne. Trouble at annuity payment times from 1826-1838 had prompted the move of the agency to Logansport as well as Ewing's ever growing influence and plans to remove the area tribes. Being closer to the Indian communities who had long since moved from Ft Wayne due to the explosion of merchants and new settlers was also a factor. The Eel River and allied Tippecanoe Potowatomies had always disagreed with the process and deductions imposed by Ewing and others as am Annuity Payroll Clerk. At times these became riotous and somewhat violent. [24th Congress 2nd Session No.of Reps. N0 197 to accompany BILL 917, Feb, 8th 1837 “ Indiana Militia”! Report from Indian Agents Oct 1836, Logansport IN] This tells of the Eel Rivers and Potowatomies of the Tippecanoe Villages disassembling a Payee Cabin to get to the chest so they could issue the annuities to the Indian Population themselves. They accused Ewing of deducting extra fees and charges and paying portions of this annuity to Richardville and his group. The Indiana Militia was called up but by the time they got there the issuing of the annuity payments by the Eel Rivers and Potowatomies was over. [ April 13th 1824 Charlow/ L’Charley; requests Tipton ( agent then) to contract someone to fence off & plow the Lands at the Forks of the Wabash. Chief Charlow to Tipton ..... ; Tipton Papers I: 354-355] [ Oct.19th 1835 Hamalton writes Tipton that he may have to make some advances to Charley. Charley had promised to come in and make out papers deeding over some land to J.B.Richardville. Tipton Papers, III 177fn. [Nov. 17th 1937 Allen Hamilton purchases with Chief Richardville , 5 sections from Little Charley, known as the Charley reserve; Tipton, Cyrus Tabor & Allen Hamilton; Articles of Agreement, Nov. 17th 1837 Tipton Papers III: 462-464 Tipton purchased from Richardville one section "opposite the mouth of Eel river..." and sold Cyrus Taber & Allen Hamilton each a third of this section. Articles of Agreement, Nov. 17, 1837. Tipton Papers, III: 462-464 [ Jan. 4th 1838 Hamalton writes Tipton requesting Charley’s Patent & informing Tipton that he had payed Charley $600 to pay the latter’s debts. Tipton Papers III: 489 [ March, 19th 1838 ; Hamalton writes Tipton that he received a patent in which he was not interested & presumed Tipton meant to send Charley’s or Megeneca’s Tipton Papers, III; 573] [ March 20th , 1838 Tabor writes Tipton that he is going to Ft. Wayne tomorrow & will take Charley with him & get another deed from him. Logansport , Tipton Papers III, 575] These men controlled the annuity payments that the tribes had now become dependent to. With more settlers and wooded areas being cleared for farming the old style of Indian life was vanishing. By withholding the payments and issuing credit during the year long wait. It was then easy to deduct fees from their annual payment and in time force the transfer of the land itself. Once Charley died,( 1839) his authority died with him and the remaining sons were never treated as recognized Chiefs or Headmen again as their father had been. Soon after all lands were transferred to relieve trumped up debts and the Eel River Tribe would be forced to depend on the generosity of those who would take them in. (Special File 112, Record Group 75, National Archives.) (Clayton, P. ?) Letter to Brown, May 4, 1850. Treasury Department 2' Auditor's Office May 4th 1850- In reply to your inquiry respecting the payment of the permanent annuity of $1100, for the Eel River Indians, under treaties of 1795-1805 & 1809,- I have respectfully to State that from the year 1817- beyond which the files of this office do not extend- to about the year 1838, this annuity was paid to the Eel river band of Miamies, separately & distinctly from the Miami nation. And that from about that period (1838) it was paid to the Miamies without distinction,- sometimes in payments per capita, but generally to the chiefs. The payment for 1838 was made to J. B. Richardville- the principal chief of the Miami nation- & 13 other chiefs, some of whom it is well known were not Eel river Indians, although the caption of the receipt runs thus: "We the chiefs of the (Eel River) Band of Miamies acknowledge" &c. And for 1839 payment was made to the same, while the caption runs thus: ['We the chiefs, warriors, & head men?" &c. NOTE: Because of the treaty of 1805 , at this time many were still considering them part of the Collective Miami. Other times they refer to the Eel River as Wea because some of Charley's sons had in fact married Wea Women. One such sun was known as The Soldier: (Special File 112, Record Group 75, National Archives.) Cole, Alphonso A. Letter to Brown, February 18, 1850; and enclosures. (pg 14). State of Indiana [ Excerpt]This affiant further says that when he first became acquainted with the members of the said Eel River tribe, k-go-ta-cop-waw, and his brother who was commonly called Dixon were the Chiefs or head men of said tribe, the Said k-go-ta-cop-waw, or Flour being the principal chief; that the said Chiefs were the reputed sons of Sha-me-kun-ne-sa, or the Soldier a celebrated chief of Said tribe and who represented the Same at the treaty of Greenville in 1795 and during the early intercourse of said tribe with the United States. [ Liscomb, A.A. , and A.L. Bergh. Eds. “The Writtings of Thomas Jefferson” Vol.16 Speeches of John Baptist de Coigne, Chief of the Wabash and Illinois Indians, and other Indian Chiefs February 1, 1793 pp 377-389 particularly page 386] States: Excerpt: “ The wife of The Soldier, a Wyattaon, speaks.” Father.~ I take you by the hand.... NOTE: Phonetic spelling for Ouiotinon, a Wea name and settlement/ Fort near Lafayette IN) His wife was Wea. Capt. Dixon Another Son affiliated with yet another Tribe was killed in a conflict with a Miami Chief. in 1829 this also added to the payments being issued to others rather then the Eel River Tribe. Tipton writes Menard that Richerville informed him that the family of the deceased Delaware was dead and that the money the M's were to pay them was not to be paid. Tipton to Pierre Menard, Logansport, Nov. 26, 1829. Tipton Papers, II: 222 |
| Ours is not to change the past but leave a record for our future. Ours is not to confuse others but share all that we know to be true. Ours is not to destroy, but rather build that which will last beyond our days. Ours is not to alter others stories but to preserve our own. Our path will be hard and some may fall but for those who can endure and for those who will prevail, our memory, our history, our Tribe will live in the hearts of our grand-children's children. ~ Five Trees |
| Web sites, Books, TV programs, Movies, Articles and even collector plates all tell a popular version of the Eel River Tribe of Indiana. It was asked of our historian, Q) " Why do you think you are right when everyone else is telling the same story...History Professors, Genealogists, Anthropologists, Archaeologists, Authors and even the general Public? " He answered with this.A) " A mistake in history can be made, repeated, copied over and over again until it has been accepted as an historical truth...but it is still a mistake." Many of these professional historians, Authors and so on all share a common link to many of these errors. One of the earliest known publications is used in nearly all research and within this source is in part, one of the keys for all of these professional errors. They all quote from this same source and it is without a doubt in error. The proof came with recovery of original rolls taken by the US Government between 1820-1895. Comparing these original records to long reported relationships, marriages and descendants has revealed several misreported and long thought correct relationships. We are not claiming that any particular Tribal group is not who they say they are...we are however saying that by showing one marriage did not and could have not taken place...then some accounts thought to be factual are not. Furthermore; discovery of the real relationship will prove other descendants,never known, recorded or recognized in more modern reports. If we can show that one relationship (marriage) never happened beyond any shadow of a doubt and this accepted relationship is said to have produced a lineage... What would this do to this historical line, if in fact this marriage, never took place at all? WE can prove this scenario has happened on more than one occasion. Perhaps many times with concern to the Lost information of the Ancestral Eel River Tribe." All we propose is to tell a complete history of our ancestors, who they were and who they are. Many gaps and vague accounts of former Eel River Tribesmen and Tribeswomen can be completed and this is honorable to them in every way! We all feel we owe them this respect. We ask all who visit our website to request information and we will gladly send it for research purposes. We also ask that if we say is in fact true...what then? For many this is a hard pill to swallow! |
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