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116-740: Little is known of Tanacharison's early life. He was born into the Catawba tribe whose lands and villages were along what now called the Catawba River in South Carolina (Not Buffalo, NY). Tanacharison first appears in historical records in 1747, living in Logstown (near present Ambridge, Pennsylvania ), a multi-ethnic village about 20 miles (30 kilometers) downstream from the forks of the Ohio River . Those Iroquois who had migrated to

232-535: A Mingo chief also known as the "Half King," became decidedly anti-French as a consequence. In a meeting with Paul Marin de la Malgue , commander of the French and Canadian construction force, de la Malgue reportedly lost his temper, and shouted at the Indian chief, "I tell you, down the river I will go. If the river is blocked up, I have the forces to burst it open and tread under my feet all that oppose me. I despise all

348-504: A provincial regiment to hold the Forks of the Ohio , a site Washington had identified as a fine location for a fortress. The Governor also issued a captain's commission to Ohio Company employee William Trent , with instructions to raise a small force and immediately begin construction of the fort. Dinwiddie issued these instructions on his own authority, without even asking for funding from

464-468: A Canadian who took over command from Saint-Pierre. When Contrecœur learned of Trent's activity, he led a force of about 500 men (consisting of troupes de la marine , militia, and Indians) to drive them off (rumors reaching Trent's men put its size at 1,000). On April 16, Contrecœur's force arrived at the forks. The next day, Trent's force of 36 men, led by Ensign Edward Ward in Trent's absence, agreed to leave

580-515: A Seneca village and spoke the language fluently) to advise the chiefs that the French were aware of their plans. Céloron writes that the warriors did not attack, but "filed before my camp and made the accustomed salute." Chiefs from the village visited the French camp the next day with pipes of peace , and Céloron reprimanded them for contemplating violence, adding: "I know how to make war, and those who have made war with us ought to know it, too." The following day, 10 August 1749, Céloron delivered

696-524: A copy was intercepted in 1756, translated, and published as "A memorial containing a summary view of facts, with their authorities, in answer to observations sent by the English ministry to the courts of Europe". It used Washington's capitulation statement and other documents, including extracts of Washington's journal taken at Fort Necessity, to suggest that Washington had actually ordered the assassination of Jumonville. However, not all Frenchmen agreed with

812-532: A corruption of ochenango, a Seneca word meaning "large bull thistles ." The original village was settled by Shawnees , possibly as early as 1725 or 1730 on low-lying land less than a mile north of present-day Ambridge in Beaver County, Pennsylvania . The population grew as groups of Lenape , Cayugas , Senecas , and Shawnees migrated west into the Ohio River Valley seeking to escape

928-555: A few days after Céloron's departure, and reported that the Indians had told Céloron "that the land was their own, and while there were any Indians in those parts they would continue to trade with the English," adding that “to separate them from their brothers, the English, would be like cutting a man in two halves and then expecting him to live.” In September, 1750 the Ohio Company ordered Christopher Gist to survey lands along

1044-515: A force of 35 French Canadians under the command of Joseph Coulon de Jumonville . A larger French Canadian force had driven off a small crew attempting to construct Fort Prince George under the auspices of the Ohio Company at present-day Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , land claimed by the French. A British colonial force led by George Washington was sent to protect the fort under construction. The French Canadians sent Jumonville to warn Washington about encroaching on French-claimed territory. Washington

1160-513: A force of eight officers, six cadets, an armorer, 20 soldiers, 180 Canadians, 30 Iroquois and 25 Abenakis , Céloron moved down the river on a flotilla of 23 large boats and birch-bark canoes, on his "lead plate expedition," burying lead plates at six locations where major tributaries entered the Ohio and nailing copper plates bearing royal arms to trees to claim the territory for New France . Céloron arrived at Logstown on August 8, 1749. The Shawnee chief Kakowatcheky , fearing an assault, rallied

1276-511: A general council he announced that King George's War had ended and that England and France signed a peace treaty. As a result, the English had no more war supplies for them and he distributed gifts instead. The chiefs complied with his request for a count of their warriors in the Ohio Valley region: Weiser was accompanied by "English traders, of whom there were above twenty," intending to formally establish trade with tribes represented at

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1392-651: A journal of his trip which Lewis Evans used in making his 1749 map. William's journey subsequently inspired his father's keen interest in the frontier. In 1749, the Comte de La Galissonière wanted to strengthen French control over the Ohio Country , and in August he ordered the military commander at Detroit, Pierre Joseph Céloron de Blainville to travel down the Ohio River to demonstrate French dominance. Leading

1508-609: A low voice to those next to him, Why don't you shoot this French Fellow - Shoot him - shoot him. Afterwards, Céloron called the English traders who were living in Logstown to meet with him, "to whom I addressed a summons to retire into their own territory with all their servants...They answered...that they would do so, that they knew well they had no right to trade on the Beautiful River." Bonnecamps wrote in his own diary: The English there were 10 in number, and one among them

1624-558: A member of the Pennsylvania Provincial Council , that one of his men, who had just come "down from ye Woods," had informed him that "the Indians at this side of the Lake Erie are making war very briskly against the French, but is very impatient to hear from their brothers, ye English, expecting a present of powder and lead; which, if they don't get, I am of opinion, by the best accounts, that they will turn to

1740-548: A message from Tanacharison, informing him that he had found the Canadian camp, and that the two of them should meet. Despite the fact that he had just sent another group in pursuit of the French Canadians, Washington went with a detachment of 40 men to meet with Tanacharison. The Mingo leader had with him 12 warriors, two of whom were boys. After discussing the matter, both leaders agreed to make an attack on

1856-588: A messenger to Contrecoeur the following day with news that the British had shot Jumonville and, but for the Indians, would have killed all the French. A third (and more accurate) account of the Jumonville Glen encounter was told to Jumonville's half-brother, Captain Louis Coulon de Villiers , by a deserter at the mouth of Redstone Creek during his expedition to avenge his brother's murder. Washington

1972-469: A noise, one of the Frenchmen Shaw's narrative is substantially correct on a number of other details, including the size and composition of both forces. Shaw also claimed to have seen and counted the dead, numbering 13 or 14. Anderson documents a fourth account by a Virginian deserter, named Denis Kaninguen, and speculates that Kaninguen was one of Tanacharison's followers. His report to

2088-630: A part of the men of the villages I had passed, who had come to seek refuge there, and to render them stronger...Besides these three nations there are in this village Iroquois from the Sault St. Louis ( Kahnawake ), from the Lake of Two Mountains ( Mohawks of Kanesatake ), and Indians from the Nepisiniques and the Abenakis , with Ontarios and other nations. This gathering forms a bad village, which

2204-472: A population of 200 to 250 total, while in late 1758 George Croghan noted forty houses for about one hundred and twenty warriors, suggesting a total population of 350 to 500. In late April 1745, the Pekowi Shawnee leader Peter Chartier and about 400 Shawnees, including Meshemethequater and Neucheconeh , stopped at Logstown to visit Kakowatcheky and to try to persuade him to join them. Chartier

2320-483: A portion of Jumonville's brain. Only one of the wounded French soldiers was not killed and scalped among a total of ten dead, 21 captured, and one missing, a man named Monceau who had wandered off to relieve himself that morning. Monceau witnessed the French surrender before walking barefoot to the Monongahela River and paddling down it to report to Contrecoeur, commanding at Fort Duquesne. Tanacharison sent

2436-522: A prepared message from the Marquis de La Galissonière , the Governor of New France , which described how the English were deceiving the Ohio tribes and planning their "total ruin," adding: "I know the English only inspire you with evil sentiments, and, besides, intend, through their establishments on the Beautiful River, which belongs to me, to take it from me." The aged chief Kakowatcheky , listening in

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2552-423: A right to look upon them as intruders and mere vagrants , their traffic being contrary to the preliminaries of the peace ( Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1748) ), signed more than fifteen months ago. I hope, Sir, you will condescend to forbid this trade for the future, which is contrary to the treaties; and that you will warn your traders not to return into these territories; for, if so, they can only impute to themselves

2668-407: A ritual slaying. Kaninguen reported that 30 men were taken prisoner, and 10 to 12 had been killed. The Virginians suffered only one killed and two or three wounded. Washington wrote a letter to his brother after the battle in which he said "I can with truth assure you, I heard bullets whistle and believe me, there was something charming in the sound." Following the battle, Washington returned to

2784-596: A small squadron of ships which attacked the French ship Alcide in a naval action on June 8, 1755, capturing her and two troopships transporting some of those soldiers to North America. Military actions continued on soil and at sea in North America until France and Britain declared war on each other in spring 1756. That marked the formal start of the Seven Years' War . Because of the inconsistent nature of

2900-591: A smallpox epidemic in 1733 and a drought in 1741, creating a multi-ethnic community. In August 1744 the town's population increased significantly when Kakowatcheky arrived with his band of Shawnee warriors and their families from Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania . Kakowatcheky is sometimes credited with founding Logstown. Another early resident was Opessa Straight Tail , who moved to Logstown some time before 1750. The town's population varied from approximately 200 to 500 people. In 1749 Céloron de Blainville observed fifty cabins housing about sixty warriors, suggesting

3016-587: A strong francophobe . Tanacharison had requested that the British construct a "strong house" at the Forks of the Ohio and early in 1754 he placed the first log of an Ohio Company stockade there, railing against the French when they captured it. He was camped at Half King's Rock on May 27, 1754 when he learned of a nearby French encampment and sent word urging an attack to Washington at the Great Meadows, about five miles (8 km) east of Chestnut Ridge in what

3132-431: A summons to order Washington's troops out. The summons was similar in nature to the one that Washington had delivered to them four months earlier. On May 27, Washington was informed by Christopher Gist , a settler who had accompanied him on the 1753 expedition, that a French Canadian party numbering about 50 was in the area. In response, Washington sent 75 men with Gist to find them. That evening, Washington received

3248-444: Is approv'd of by our Council at Onondago, for we sent to them to let them know how he has helped us in our councils here and to let you & him know that he is one of our people and shall help us still & be one of our council, I deliver him this string of wampum. The Ohio Company fort was surrendered to the French by Croghan's half-brother, Edward Ward, and commanded by his business partner, William Trent . The role of Croghan (who

3364-526: Is now Fayette County, Pennsylvania (near Uniontown). Washington immediately ordered 40 men to join Tanacharison and at sunset followed with a second group, seven of whom got lost in heavy rain that night. It was dawn on May 28 before Washington reached the Half King's Rock. After a hurried war council, the English and Tanacharison's eight or nine warriors set off to surround and attack the French in

3480-469: Is one of us alive. You are always threatening our Brothers what you will do to them, and in particular, to that man (pointing to George Croghan); now, if you have anything to say to our Brothers, tell it to him if you be a man, as you Frenchmen always say you are, and the Head of all Nations. Our Brothers are the people we will trade with, and not you. He then returned the belt of wampum, symbolically rejecting

3596-560: Is quite new; it is hardly more than five or six years since it was established. The savages who live there are almost all Iroquois; they count about sixty warriors." Céloron reported that he was informed that warriors in Logstown had planned to attack his camp during the first night, but that his well-armed force, sentinels, and carefully planned encampment discouraged them from doing so. Later that evening "the Chiefs, accompanied by thirty or forty braves, came to salute me." They apologized for

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3712-552: Is seduced by the allurements of cheap merchandise furnished by the English, which keeps them in very bad disposition towards us. Céloron discovered some British traders living in Logstown. Incensed, he warned them to leave this territory which belonged to France. and wrote a scolding note to the governor of Pennsylvania, which stated in part: I have been very much surprised to find some merchants of your government in this country, to which England has never had any pretensions. I have treated them with all possible mildness, though I had

3828-708: The Battle of Fort Necessity and forced Washington to negotiate a withdrawal under arms. The capitulation document that Washington signed was written in French, which Washington did not know how to read, and it may have been poorly translated for him by a Dutchman who spoke neither English nor French well, and it included language claiming that Jumonville and his men had been assassinated . French officers included Pierre-Jacques Drouillon de Macé, and two cadets, Michel-Ignace Dandonneau, sieur du Sablé, and René Amable Boucher de Boucherville. They were removed to Virginia, ultimately being shipped to London by Dinwiddie, along with 19 of

3944-508: The Battle of Jumonville Glen , who quickly surrendered. The French commander, Ensign Joseph Coulon de Jumonville , was among the wounded. In one of several disputed and contradictory accounts , it is claimed that Tancharison uttered the French words, "Tu n'es pas encore mort, mon père!" (Thou art not yet dead, my father), then sank his tomahawk in Jumonville's skull, washed his hands with the brains, "and scalped him," but not before eating

4060-687: The Forks of the Ohio (now in downtown Pittsburgh ) in an area on the east bank of the Ohio River opposite Aliquippa . The site is also due north of the Pittsburgh International Airport . Today the site is marked with a stone bearing a brass plaque placed there by the Fort McIntosh chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1932, memorializing the visit of Major George Washington to

4176-589: The Iroquois system of government . According to the traditional interpretation, the Grand Council had named Tanacharison as leader or "half-king" (a sort of viceroy ) to conduct diplomacy with other tribes, and to act as spokesman to the British on their behalf. However, some modern historians have doubted this interpretation, asserting that Tanacharison was merely a village leader, whose actual authority extended no further than his own village. In this view,

4292-591: The Jumonville affair , was the opening battle of the French and Indian War , fought on May 28, 1754, near present-day Hopwood and Uniontown in Fayette County, Pennsylvania . A company of provincial troops from Virginia under the command of Lieutenant Colonel George Washington , and a small number of Mingo warriors led by the chieftain Tanacharison (also known as the "Half King"), ambushed

4408-428: The Marquis de la Jonquière , decided to send Philippe-Thomas Chabert de Joncaire back to Logstown to establish a permanent French base there. In early July 1750, Joncaire set out from Montreal with a staff of eight cadets and four soldiers, in addition to two Cayuga guides. They traveled with two canoes loaded with goods, including powder and shot, intended as gifts for the Indians and for trade. They proceeded down

4524-474: The Ohio Country were generally known as ' Mingos ,' and Tanacharison emerged as a Mingo leader at this time. He also represented the Six Nations at the 1752 Treaty of Logstown , where he was referred to as "Thonariss, called by the English the half King". At this treaty, he spoke on behalf of the Six Nations' Grand Council, but also made clear that the council's ratification was required, in accordance with

4640-588: The Virginia House of Burgesses until after the fact. Trent's company arrived on site in February 1754, and began construction of a storehouse and stockade with the assistance of Tanacharison and the Mingos. The same month, an 800-strong French Canadian militia, as well as French troupes de la marine , departed Montreal for the Ohio River Valley under the command of Claude-Pierre Pécaudy de Contrecœur ,

4756-688: The lieutenant governor of Virginia , sent a young George Washington to travel to the French outposts and demand that the French vacate the Ohio Country. On his journey, Washington's party stopped at Logstown to ask Tanacharison to accompany them as a guide and as a "spokesman" for the Ohio Indians. Tanacharison agreed to return the symbolic wampum he had received from French captain Philippe-Thomas Chabert de Joncaire . Joncaire's first reaction, on learning of this double cross,

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4872-654: The Allegheny to Logstown, where Joncaire had orders to establish a trading-house, two stories high, its walls fitted with crénelés, ( loopholes ) for defense. Joncaire was directed to explore the region, to learn all he could about the Monongahela River , to find a new route from southern Ohio to Lake Erie, to visit Lower Shawneetown and establish relations with the chiefs there, and finally, to report back to Céloron in Detroit. Throughout September and October

4988-484: The British traders and Céloron's condescending attitude irritated the Shawnees, some of whom returned to their home villages, "tearing down and trampling underfoot with contempt" the French copper plates as they went." Governor James Hamilton sent George Croghan to Logstown as soon as they learned of Céloron's visit, to find out how the Indians had reacted to the French expedition. Croghan arrived in late August, only

5104-543: The Canadians. The attackers took up positions behind rocks around the Canadian camp, counting not more than 40 Canadians. Exactly what happened next has been a subject of controversy and debate. The few primary accounts of the affair agree on a number of facts and disagree on others. They agree that the battle lasted about 15 minutes, that Jumonville was killed, and that most of his party were either killed or taken prisoner. According to French Canadian records, most of

5220-573: The Delawares and Scarouady supervised the Shawnees. The provincial government of Pennsylvania was anxious to keep Native Americans in the Ohio Valley from being influenced by the French. As early as 1731, agents from Montreal had visited communities along the Ohio River, distributing goods and urging the tribes to send emissaries to Quebec to establish alliances. On September 18, 1747, George Croghan wrote to Thomas Lawrence in Philadelphia,

5336-488: The English flag, saying that it had been put on display by some young men "for show...and without perceiving the consequences," adding that "our heart is entirely French." In contrast, William Trent recorded that as the warriors arrived, "every man discharged his gun loaded with ball & large shot into the ground between the Frenchmen's legs which almost blinded them & covered them with dirt. The Indians then came to

5452-451: The English should make no treaty in the country of the Ohio, I have directed the traders of your government to withdraw. You cannot be ignorant, sir, that all the lands of this region have always belonged to the King of France, and that the English have no right to come there to trade. My superior has commanded me to apprise you of what I have done, in order that you might not affect ignorance of

5568-416: The English traders [living in the town] and asked them if they should kill them, the English took pity on them, seeing Monsieur Céloron & his people much dejected & trembling with fear as they were sure of certain death should the traders advise them to it." Céloron described Logstown and its inhabitants briefly: This village consists of fifty cabins, composed of Iroquois, Channanous , Loups and

5684-639: The English. In 1748, the colony of Pennsylvania sent Conrad Weiser , Pennsylvania's ambassador to the Six Nations, to Logstown. Arriving on August 27, he set up his headquarters in Croghan's trading post and visited the surrounding villages. Soon a large number of Delaware, Shawnee, Iroquois and Wyandot Indians gathered at Logstown, including the Wyandot chief Orontony and five other leaders from Kuskusky , who "behav’d like People of good Sense & Sincerity." Weiser met each tribe separately and then in

5800-487: The English. In his letter to Governor Hamilton, Croghan noted, "To enforce that speech he gave them a very large belt of wampum ," a symbol of the importance of his message. Keeshequeatama, Speaker for the Six Nations, replied: You desire we may turn our Brothers, the English, away, and not suffer them to come and trade with us again. I now tell you from our hearts, we will not; for we ourselves brought them here to trade with us and they shall live amongst us as long as there

5916-561: The Forks of the Ohio for a British fort. Thomas Penn and Pennsylvania planned to build a stone fort, but Croghan realized that his deeds would be invalid if in Pennsylvania, and had Andrew Montour testify before the Assembly in 1751 that the Indians did not want the fort and that it had all been Croghan's idea, scuttling the project. In 1752, Croghan was on the Indian council that granted Virginia's Ohio Company permission to build

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6032-699: The French advance. Trent also brought a message from Tanacharison, who promised warriors to assist the British. To keep Tanacharison's support, Washington decided not to turn back, choosing instead to advance. He reached a place known as the Great Meadows (now in Fayette County, Pennsylvania ), about 37 miles (60 km) south of the forks, began to construct a small fort and awaited further news or instructions. Contrecœur operated under orders that forbade attacks by his force unless they were provoked. On May 23, he sent Joseph Coulon de Villiers de Jumonville with 35 soldiers (principally French Canadian recruits) to see if Washington had entered French territory and with

6148-555: The French challenge to end trade with the English. On 25 May Croghan met with Joncaire, who apologized for urging the leaders of Logstown to end trade with the English, saying that he was following orders from the Governor of Canada, but added that "he was sure the French could not accomplish their designs with the Six Nations, without it could be done by force; which, he said, he believed they [the French] would find to be as difficult as

6264-587: The French commanders echoed that of Shaw: "notwithstanding the discharge of musket fire that [Washington] had made upon him, he [Washington] intended to read [the summons] and had withdrawn himself to his people, whom he had [previously] ordered to fire upon the French. That [Tanacharison], a savage, came up to [the wounded Jumonville] and had said, "Tu n'es pas encore mort, mon père!" [Thou art not yet dead, my father!] and struck several hatchet blows with which he killed him." Anderson notes that Kaninguen apparently understood what Tanacharison said, and understood it to be

6380-480: The French to leave. Saint-Pierre politely informed Washington that he was there pursuant to orders, that Washington's letter should have been addressed to his commanding officer in Canada and that he had no intention of leaving. Washington returned to Williamsburg and informed Governor Dinwiddie that the French refused to leave. Dinwiddie commissioned Washington a lieutenant colonel, and ordered him to begin raising

6496-566: The French." In November 1747 Scarouady and other Iroquois leaders visited Philadelphia to sign the "Treaty Between the President and Council of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Ohio Indians," promising a military alliance against the French in exchange for supplies and trade goods. The Council obtained £200 worth of goods and sent Croghan to Logstown in April, 1748 to cement the terms of

6612-495: The Frenchmen. A third account was made by a private named John Shaw, who was in Washington's regiment but not present at the affair. His account, based on detailed accounts from others who were present, was made in a sworn statement on August 21; the details on Tanacharison's role in the affair are confirmed in a newspaper account printed on June 27. In his account, the French were surrounded while some still slept. Alerted by

6728-428: The Great Meadows and pushed onward the construction of a fort, which was called Fort Necessity . The dead were left on the field or buried in shallow graves, where they were later found by the French. On June 28, 1754, a combined force of 600 French, French Canadian, and Indian soldiers, under the command of Jumonville's brother, Louis Coulon de Villiers , left Fort Duquesne. On July 3, they captured Fort Necessity in

6844-535: The Indians from the King, by Order of the President of Virginia," which "obtained me Quiet and Respect among them." Gist spent one night in the town and left the next day, observing the river downstream from the town: "The Bottoms upon the River below the Logg's Town very rich but narrow, the high Land pretty good but not very rich." After Céloron returned and reported his experiences, the new Governor-General of New France,

6960-413: The Indians scalped the French, they sent a scalp to the Delawares and in essence offered them the opportunity to "take up the hatchet" with the British and against the French. A portion of the battlefield, along with the Great Meadows, where Fort Necessity was located, has been preserved as a part of Fort Necessity National Battlefield . Jumonville's name has been given to a Christian retreat center near

7076-641: The Logstown sachems for the construction of an English fort, but told Croghan that no official request to build a fort should be made. Instead, Croghan was instructed to find out how the Indians felt about having an English stronghold on the Ohio. On 29 May 1751, at a council meeting at Logstown between George Croghan, Andrew Montour and representatives of the Six Nations, Croghan reported the following statement from Iroquois speaker Toanahiso: Battle of Jumonville Glen#Battle British victory [REDACTED] Great Britain [REDACTED]   France The Battle of Jumonville Glen , also known as

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7192-499: The Ohio and tributary rivers. Logstown was a prominent trade and council site for the contending British and French colonial governments, both of which made abortive plans to construct forts near the town. Logstown was burned in 1754 and although it was rebuilt, in the years following the French and Indian War it became poor and was eventually abandoned. Logstown is located in Harmony Township , about 14 miles northwest of

7308-768: The Ohio to find an area of 200,000 acres that the Company could take possession of, according to a 1749 grant from King George II of England . Gist was instructed to Search out and discover the Lands upon the River Ohio, & other adjoining Branches of the Mississippi down as low as the great Falls thereof: You are particularly to observe the Ways & Passes thro all the Mountains you cross, & take an exact Account of

7424-502: The Ohio tribes, the Pennsylvania government purchased gifts and sent Croghan and Montour back to Logstown. They arrived on 18 May 1751, and were welcomed warmly. Two days after they arrived, "Mr. loncoeur and one Frenchman more" arrived, accompanied by forty Iroquois warriors. On 21 May Joncaire called a council with the leaders of Logstown, and Croghan was also there. Joncaire requested that the leaders respond to Céloron's speech of August, 1749, challenging them to end all trade relations with

7540-522: The Ohio tribes. In late July, fifty-five representatives of the Six Nations, Delawares, Shawnees, Nanticokes , and Twightwees met at the courthouse in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and signed a peace treaty with the Pennsylvania Provincial Council . This treaty guaranteed commercial access to tribes across the Ohio Valley as far west as the Wabash River, an unprecedented diplomatic achievement for

7656-485: The Pennsylvania government received reports that a Frenchman named "Jean Coeur," or "John Ceur" was traveling up and down the Ohio River, distributing gifts and gaining influence with the Indians. Croghan returned to Logstown again in November, 1750, to tend to his trading post there. He wrote to Governor James Hamilton on 16 November: "Yesterday, Andrew Montour and I got to this Town, where we found thirty warriors of

7772-506: The Pennsylvania provincial government as early as 1734 to restrict the sale of alcohol in Native American communities because of the social and economic problems it caused. Croghan eventually decided to break open the kegs and spill the rum, in accordance with a newly-enacted Pennsylvania statute issued by Lieutenant-Governor George Thomas . After the gifts had been distributed, the chiefs told Weiser and Croghan, "Our brethren

7888-424: The Six Nations...They told us that they saw John Coeur [Joncaire] about one hundred and fifty miles up this River at an Indian Town, where he intends to build a Fort if he can get liberty from the Ohio Indians. He has five canoes loaded with goods, and is very generous in making presents to all the chiefs of the Indians that he meets with." Alarmed by these continued attempts of the French to maintain influence over

8004-709: The Soil, Quality, & Product of the Land, and the Wideness and Deepness of the Rivers, & the several Falls belonging to them, together with the Courses & Bearings of the Rivers & Mountains as near as you conveniently can: You are, also to observe what Nations of Indians inhabit there, their Strength & Numbers, who they trade with, & in what Comodities they deal. Gist arrived in Logstown on 25 November, describing

8120-426: The West Side of the Ohio, and tended Corn on the East Side of the River." On the east bank of the river, a few homes were built on a grassy terrace above the floodplain, the so-called "upper town." In 1747, the Six Nations Confederacy Haudenosaunee sent two headmen as emissaries to live in Logstown and supervise the Iroquois allies: Tanacharison , a Seneca , and Scarouady , an Oneida . Tanacharison oversaw

8236-413: The White Men have indeed tied our hearts to theirs. We at present can but return thanks with an empty hand till another opportunity serves to do it sufficiently...In the meantime, look upon us as your true brothers." Among those accompanying Weiser was Benjamin Franklin 's illegitimate son, William Franklin , only nineteen at the time, probably sent by his father as a part of his education. Franklin kept

8352-511: The action that was based on two sources. Most of it came from a Canadian named Monceau, who escaped the action but apparently did not witness Jumonville's slaying: Contrecœur's second source was an Indian from Tanacharison's camp, who reported that "Mr. de Jumonville was killed by a Musket-Shot in the Head, whilst they were reading the Summons". The same Indian claimed that the Indians then rushed in to prevent Washington's men from slaughtering

8468-438: The area and in 1753 began construction of a series of fortifications in the area. The French action drew the attention of the British but also the Indian tribes of the area. Despite good Franco-Indian relations, British traders had become highly successful in convincing the Indians to trade with them in preference to the Canadians, and the planned large-scale advance was not well received by all. In particular, Tanacharison ,

8584-475: The audience, was apparently outraged. George Croghan , who arrived in Logstown a few days after Céloron had left, told Richard Peters that Old Cackewatcheka was so exasperated at the Pride & Insolence of the French pretending to say that the Indian's land belonged to them that while he [Céloron] was in the midst of his Speech, the old King being blind and unable to stand without somebody to support him said in

8700-426: The council, to create a stronger relationship that would further exclude the French from operating in the region. During the council, a trader from Maryland named Nolan arrived with 30 gallons of rum and began to sell it to the Indians, much to the dismay of Weiser and Croghan, who were afraid that violence would erupt if the Indians drank too much. Several of the Logstown leaders were also unhappy, as they had petitioned

8816-430: The dead were French Canadians: Desroussel and Caron from Québec City, Charles Bois from Pointe-Claire, Jérôme from La Prairie, L'Enfant from Montréal, Paris from Mille-Isles, Languedoc and Martin from Boucherville, and LaBatterie from Trois-Rivières. Washington's accounts of the battle exist in several versions; they are consistent with one another, but the details are compressed, according to historian Fred Anderson, with

8932-457: The evils which might befall them. I know that our Governor-General would be very sorry to have to resort to violent measures, but he has received positive orders not to allow foreign merchants or traders in his government. During the night, Céloron was warned by Chabert de Joncaire that preparations were again being made in Logstown to attack the French camp, and he gave orders to his men to prepare for battle. He then sent Joncaire (who had lived in

9048-578: The fort, later blaming Captains George Croghan and Andrew Montour for "involving the country in great calamity". Tanacharison had a long relationship with George Croghan, a fur trader, interpreter, and diplomat among the Native Americans who had been appointed a member of the Iroquois' Onondaga Council . Tanacharison had been "one of the sachems who had confirmed Croghan in his land grant of 1749," 200,000 acres minus about two square miles at

9164-455: The fort. Word of the British military plans had leaked to France well before Braddock's departure for North America, and King Louis XV dispatched a much larger body of troops to Canada in 1755. Although they arrived too late to participate in Braddock's defeat, the French troop presence led to a string of French victories in the following years. Royal Navy Admiral Edward Boscawen led

9280-715: The fort. Tanacharison's introduction of Croghan to the Virginia commissioners suggests that Croghan organized and led the 1748 Ohio Indian Confederation, which appointed Croghan as the colony's representative in negotiations, and that Pennsylvania recognized as independent of the Six Nations: Brethren, it is a great while since our brother, the Buck (meaning Mr. George Croghan) has been doing business between us, & our brother of Pennsylvania, but we understand he does not intend to do any more, so I now inform you that he

9396-518: The government of the Duke of Newcastle , after several months of negotiations, sent an army expedition the following year to dislodge the French. Major General Edward Braddock was chosen to lead the expedition. He was defeated at the Battle of the Monongahela , and the French remained in control of Fort Duquesne until 1758, when an expedition under General John Forbes finally succeeded in taking

9512-490: The idea of building a French fort nearby. In his letter of 16 November to Governor Hamilton, Croghan then adds: "We have seen but very few of the Chiefs of the Indians they being all out a hunting, but those we have seen are of opinion that their Brothers the English ought to have a Fort on this River to secure the Trade." Governor Hamilton was evidently anxious to pursue this opportunity, and wanted Croghan to obtain approval from

9628-428: The idea of constructing a blockhouse , and Governor Duquesne began preparations to send French and Canadian troupes de la marine to the south shore of Lake Erie, under the command of Paul Marin de la Malgue , to build a road and construct a series of forts ( Fort Presque Isle , Fort Le Boeuf , Fort Machault ), and later, Fort Duquesne . The Ohio Iroquois had been reluctant to allow the English to build forts in

9744-625: The intent to obscure post-battle atrocities. Washington wrote in his diary, "We were advanced pretty near to them ... when they discovered us; whereupon I ordered my company to fire ... [Wagonner's] Company ... received the whole Fire of the French, during the greatest Part of the Action, which only lasted a Quarter of an Hour, before the Enemy was routed. We killed Mr. de Jumonville, the commander ... also nine others; we wounded one, and made Twenty-one Prisoners". Contrecœur prepared an official report of

9860-495: The knowledge or direction of the British government in London , as "an invitation to start a war". Washington was ordered to gather up as many supplies and provincial troops as he could along the way. By the time he left for the frontier on April 2, he had recruited fewer than 160 men. Along their march through the forests of the frontier, Washington was joined by more men at Winchester . He then learned from Captain Trent of

9976-517: The main section of the town was built on the broad, flat floodplain along the east bank of the Ohio River, with a few structures located on the west bank. Gardens and cornfields were planted on both sides of the river, on fertile, alluvial flatlands , where the town's residents cultivated maize , beans, squash, gourds, tobacco, and sunflowers. One source states that "in the year 1752...the Shawanese Inhabited Loggs Town, on

10092-505: The men of my detachment brush themselves up as well as possible, so as to give them a better appearance, and I arranged everything...in good order, as I considered this one of the most considerable villages of the Beautiful River (the Ohio River)...When I was in sight of the village I discovered three French and one English flag...I had M. de Joncaire tell them to ...knock down the English [flag], or I would have it taken away myself. This

10208-506: The method they had just tried, and would meet with the like success." At another meeting with the town's leaders on 28 May, the Speaker of the Six Nations addressed Joncaire directly, saying, "Is it not our land (stamping on the ground, and putting his finger to Joncair's nose)? What right has Onontio (the Governor of New France) to our lands? I desire you may go home directly off our lands and tell Onontio to send us word immediately what

10324-513: The militiamen, arriving on June 10, 1755. An exception was Michel Pépin, called "La Force," a skilled interpreter with whom Washington was previously acquainted. After the Battle of Fort Necessity, La Force was to held hostage in Williamsburg , as Captains Robert Stobo and Jacob Van Braam had been taken as hostages by the French. When news of the two battles reached England in August,

10440-408: The original Lenape name of the village was Maughwawame, which translates to "extensive flats." The French referred to the town as "Chiningue" which Father Joseph Pierre de Bonnecamps notes was their designation and not a Native name: "We called it Chiningue, from its vicinity to a river of that name." Donehoo says that chiningue is a French word for beaver, but also suggests that it may be

10556-668: The path of the Ohio River as it appeared before reaching the town: "Down the River...to Loggs Town, the Lands these last 8 [miles] very rich, the Bottoms above a Mile wide, but on the SE side, scarce a Mile wide, the Hills high and steep. In the Loggs Town, I found scarce any Body but a Parcel of reprobate Indian Traders, the Chiefs of the Indians being out a hunting." In the town he found the people suspicious of his reasons for being there, as it

10672-486: The reasons for Tanacharison's action in the killing and provides a possible explanation for one of Tanacharison's men reporting the event as a British killing of a Frenchman. Tanacharison had lost influence over some of the local tribes (specifically the Delawares) and may have thought that conflict between the British and French would bring them back under his influence as allies of the British. According to Parkman, after

10788-412: The reasons of it, and he has given me this order with so much the greater reason because it is now two years since Monsieur Céloron, by order of Monsieur de La Galissoniere, then Commandant General, warned many English who were trading with the Indians along the Ohio, against doing so, and they promised him not to return to trade on the lands, as Monsieur Céloron wrote to you. Joncaire apparently abandoned

10904-561: The record of the action, contemporary and historical coverage of it has been easily colored by preferences for one account over another. Francis Parkman , for example, accepted Washington's account and was highly dismissive of the accounts by Monceau and the Indian. French authorities assembled a dossier of documents to counter British accounts of the affair. Entitled "Mémoire contenant le précis des faits, avec leurs pièces justificatives, pour servir de réponse aux 'Observations' envoyées par les Ministres d'Angleterre, dans les cours de l'Europe",

11020-399: The region. As early as March 23, 1731, Seneca chiefs sent a message to Governor Patrick Gordon : "It is [our] land but your people may trade there but not build Stone or Timber houses, but of Bark." Twenty years later, the English began working to obtain permission to build forts. George Croghan was in Logstown in November, 1750 when the residents mentioned to him that Joncaire was exploring

11136-627: The site. The French then began construction of the fort they called " Fort Duquesne ". In March 1754, Dinwiddie ordered Washington back to the frontier with instructions to "act on the [defensive], but in Case any Attempts are made to obstruct the Works or interrupt our [settlements] by any Persons whatsoever, You are to restrain all such Offenders, & in Case of resistance to make Prisoners of or kill & destroy them". Historian Fred Anderson describes Dinwiddie's instructions, which were issued without

11252-525: The story: the Chevalier de Lévis called it a "so-called assassination". The French story contrasted with that of the British account. Based on Washington's report, the British suggested that Jumonville, rather than being engaged on a diplomatic mission, was spying on them. Jumonville's orders included specific instructions to notify Contrecœur if the summons was read so that additional forces might be sent if needed. Historian Fred Anderson theorizes about

11368-516: The stupid things you have said." He then threw down some wampum that Tanacharison had offered as a goodwill gesture. Marin died not long after, when command of the operations was turned over to Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre . Virginia Royal Governor Robert Dinwiddie sent Major George Washington to the Ohio Country (a territory that was claimed by several of the British colonies, including Virginia) as an emissary in December 1753 to tell

11484-424: The title "half king" was probably a British invention, and his "subsequent lofty historical role as a Six Nations 'regent' or 'viceroy' in the Ohio Country was the product of later generations of scholars." In 1753, the French began the military occupation of the Ohio Country, driving out British traders and constructing a series of forts . British colonies, however, also claimed the Ohio Country. Robert Dinwiddie ,

11600-460: The town in November, 1753. A few sources claim that in 1747 the French built about 30 log cabins , some with stone chimneys, on a plateau above the original Logstown village, and that these log cabins supposedly gave the town its name. However, George P. Donehoo says that the name "was probably due to the fact that large numbers of logs were left upon the flat after the floods in the Ohio River." Donehoo and several other sources report that

11716-542: The town's population in its defense. According to William Trent , "the Indians ran to their arms and hoisted the English Colors. Cawcaw-wi-cha-ke, the Shawnese King about 114 years of age, set his back against the flag staff with his gun in his hand and desired the young men to kill them all." Céloron was enraged by the sight of the British flag, but noted the armed warriors, writing in his journal: I made

11832-467: The treaty and secure the tribes' loyalty to the British. Conrad Weiser was to follow in August with more gifts. Croghan met in council with 1500 men at Logstown, and finding the Council's gifts insufficient for all of them, he added an additional £224 in powder, lead, knives, flints, brass wire, and tobacco from his own stock. This gesture was influential in maintaining the alliance between the British and

11948-481: The wampum to Saint-Pierre, "who evaded taking it, & made many fair Promises of Love & Friendship; said he wanted to live in Peace & trade amicably with them; as a Proof of which, he wou’d send some Goods immediately down to the Logstown for them." The French refused to vacate, however, and to Washington's great consternation, they tried to court Tanacharison as an ally. Although fond of their brandy, he remained

12064-551: Was assassinated . That document and others were used by the French and the Canadians to level accusations that Washington had ordered Jumonville's slaying. Throughout the 1740s and early 1750s, British and French Canadian traders had increasingly come into contact in the Ohio Country , including the upper watershed of the Ohio River in what is now western Pennsylvania . Authorities in New France became more aggressive in their efforts to expel British traders and colonists from

12180-554: Was Pittsburgh's president judge for Virginia and chairman of Pittsburgh's Committee of Safety after Pontiac's War ) remains uncertain, since Croghan was later declared a traitor by General Edward Hand and exiled from the frontier. Shortly after the battle of Jumonville Glen, Tanacharison moved his people and the old queen Aliquippa east to Croghan's Aughwick plantation in the Aughwick Valley near present Shirleysburg, Pennsylvania . There Tanacharison became seriously ill and

12296-481: Was a contributing factor in the start of the Seven Years' War in 1756, also known as the French and Indian War in the United States . After the action, Washington retreated to Fort Necessity , where Canadian forces from Fort Duquesne compelled his surrender . The terms of Washington's surrender included a statement (written in French, a language that Washington did not read) that admitted that Jumonville

12412-675: Was a significant Native American settlement in Western Pennsylvania and the site of the 1752 signing of the Treaty of Logstown between the Ohio Company , the Colony of Virginia , and the Six Nations , which occupied the region. Being an unusually large settlement, and because of its strategic location in the Ohio Country , an area contested by France and England, Logstown was an important community for all parties living along

12528-475: Was alerted to Jumonville's presence by Tanacharison, and they joined forces to ambush the French Canadian camp. Washington's force killed Jumonville and some of his men in the ambush and captured most of the others. The exact circumstances of Jumonville's death are a subject of historical controversy and debate. Since Britain and France were not then at war, the event had international repercussions, and

12644-457: Was already clear to the Natives that the colonial governments were hoping to take possession of the land: "The People in this Town, began to enquire my Business, and because I did not readily inform them, they began to suspect me, and said, I was come to settle the Indian's Lands and they knew I should never go Home again safe." Gist invented a reason for his visit, that "I had a Message to deliver

12760-550: Was angry with the Provincial government of Pennsylvania for their failure to control the sale of alcohol in Shawnee communities, and his plan at that time was to bring as many Shawnees as he could over to French protection. He was on his way to Lower Shawneetown to address the Shawnees living there. Kakowatcheky, however, refused to join him, and Chartier and his people left Logstown after a brief stay. Most sources agree that

12876-495: Was done immediately, a woman cut the pole and the flag has not been seen since...I fixed my camp securely near the village, and made it appear as strong as it was possible for me. I had body guards placed on the right and the left, I ordered sentinels to be placed at a short distance from each other, and bivouacked for the night. The Jesuit priest Joseph Pierre de Bonnecamps , who accompanied Céloron, wrote about Logstown, which he called by its French name: "The village of Chiningué

12992-472: Was his reason for using our Brothers so, or what he means by such proceedings, that we may know what to do; for I can assure Onontio that we, the Six Nations, will not take such usage." On 4 June 1751 Joncaire wrote directly to Governor Hamilton from Logstown, in French, with a warning: Monsieur the Marquis de La Jonquiere, Governor of the whole of New France, having honored me with his orders to watch that

13108-457: Was taken to the farm of John Harris at Paxtang, Pennsylvania (near present-day Harrisburg, Pennsylvania ). He would take no active part in the remainder of the war and died of pneumonia on October 4, 1754. Aliquippa died on December 23, 1754. Logstown The riverside village of Logstown (1726?, 1727–1758) also known as Logg's Town , French: Chiningue (transliterated to Shenango ) near modern-day Baden, Pennsylvania ,

13224-446: Was their chief. Monsieur de Céloron had him come, and ordered him, as he had done with the others, to return to his own country. The Englishman, who saw us ready to depart, acquiesced in all that was exacted from him, — firmly resolved, doubtless, to do nothing of the kind, as soon as our backs were turned. Céloron then distributed gifts and departed from Logstown on 12 August, proceeding downriver to Lower Shawneetown . The expulsion of

13340-443: Was to mutter of Tanacharison, "He is more English than the English." But Joncaire masked his anger and insisted that Tanacharison join him in a series of toasts. By the time the keg was empty, Tanacharison was too drunk to hand back the wampum. Tanacharison traveled with Washington to meet with Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre , the French commander of Fort Le Boeuf in what is now Waterford, Pennsylvania . There he tried to return

13456-471: Was without Indian allies on July 3, 1754 at the battle of Fort Necessity , his hastily erected stockade at the Great Meadows. Tanacharison scornfully called the fort "that little thing upon the meadow" and complained that Washington would not listen to advice, and that Washington treated the Indians like slaves. He and another Seneca leader, Queen Aliquippa , had taken their people to Wills Creek . Outnumbered and with supplies running low, Washington surrendered

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