12/27/2025
CHRISTMAS AT KEKIONGA
From the Journal of Henry Hay - a merchant from Detroit who visited Kekionga (present day Fort Wayne) in the winter of 1789-1790. Henry Hay's Journal is recorded in B.J Griswold's "The pictorial history of Fort Wayne", Indiana. Griswold, B. J.
December 16th, 1789.
"Arrived at the Miami Town about 10 o'clock, found the roads very bad. I visited Mrs. Adamhers family*."
* Griswold's Note on the Adamhers family:
The identity of this family is not positively known. Dr. M. M. Quaife, superintendent of the Wisconsin Historical Society, says: "Probably the name should be spelled Adhemar. LaBalme, who plundered the traders at Miami Town (Fort Wayne) in 1780, lists one Adhemar, a merchant, as 'a dangerous man.' This meant, of course, that he was loyal to the British cause. In March, 1799, one Adhemar, who had been sent by Hamilton to Miami Town with ten pirogues and thirty men to get provisions forwarded from Detroit, was captured by George Rogers Clark. In 1788, St. Martin Adhemar was appointed one of the commissioners of the newly-created district of Hesse. William Robertson, the spokesman of the Detroit traders who memorialized Lord Dorchester against the new act, gave as the objection to Adhemar that he was settled at Vincennes, 'in the American states.'
2/
December 17th, 1789.
"Wrote to my brother, Meredith & Baby*, gave them an account of my jants & this place etc—visited a couple more of the French familys at this place found them very decent & polite—particularly at Mr. Adamhers who gave me a very friendly invitation to their house sans ceremonie."
* Griswold's Note regarding "Meredith & Baby": A prominent Detroit merchant.
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December 18th, 1789.
"Wrote Mr. Robertson* with respect to my ½ pay certificates not being able to send them in by Mr. Sharpe* who left this place for Detroit this day—but promised to get them made out the 25th Inst & forward them by the first opportunity. * * * I think upon the whole this is a very pretty place—the River that this town is built upon is called the River St. Joseph which falls into the Miami [Maumee] River very near the town at the S. W. end of it. This day a prisoner [American] was brought in here; Rather a elderly man was taken better than a month ago at a place called Little Miami*—the Americans are making a settlement at that place —this man was engaged to work for one John Phillips, one of the settlers, was out in a field about two miles from his masters, saving fother [fodder] for the cattle when he was taken. * * * The Indians who took him are Delawares. * * * Visited Mrs. Adamher and family this morning. This evening also visited Mr. Rivarr's* —Miss Rivarr* is a very pretty girl, inclined to be stout, very fair, black eyes, but rather aukward. un peu a la Paysan."
*Griswold's Note on Mr. Robertson: "William Robertson was a prominent merchant who settled at Detroit in 1782. 1786, George Leith (the employer of Henry Hay) wrote a letter to David Gray, then located in Miami Town (Fort Wayne) as a trader, in which he stated that Robertson was seeking the payment of a debt owed by Gray to Robertson. Leith added: "You know what kind of a man Robertson is; therefore, as a friend, I would advise you not to come to Detroit this summer if you have nothing pressing to bring you, as he will do everything in his power to detain you and give you trouble." (See "Letters from Eighteenth Century Merchants," compiled by Christopher B. Coleman, from the Lasselle collection, in the Indiana Quarterly Magazine of History.)"
*Griswold's Note on Mr. Sharpe: Wisconsin Historical Society Proceedings, 1915: "George Sharp, also a prominent trader at Detroit. Robertson describes him as 'of liberal education and highly respected.' Sharp was with Matthew Elliott when the latter ransomed O. M. Spencer at Grand Glaize. The picture Spencer draws of him is not flattering." In 1786, Sharp was located at the site of Fort Wayne. At that time he wrote in a letter to Paul Gamelin, at Vincennes, as follows with reference to a delayed shipment: "We try only to accommodate our customers and to give the goods here at the Detroit prices without risk or expense."
*Griswold's Note about the town on the Little Miami: "This town, on the Ohio river, a short distance below the site of Cincinnati, was called Columbia City. Its founders hoped to make it the metropolis of the west. It was absorbed by Cincinnati."
*Griswold's Note on the capture of a [white] prisoner by the natives: "This matter-of-fact description of the capture of a lone and defenseless settler suggests the hazardous situation of every family which undertook to live on the frontier. Most of the prisoners brought to the Miami Town were from the regions of Ohio and Kentucky bordering the Ohio river".
*Griswold's Note about Mr. Rivarr: "Wisconsin Historical Society Proceedings, 1915: "The papers captured from LaBalme upon the destruction of his force near Miami Town in 1780, contained a list of French inhabitants of the place, including one Rivard."
*Griswold's Note about Ms. Rivarr: "Hay relates the story of the marriage of Miss Rivard to J. B. Lasselle on February 23."
4/
December 19th, 1789.
"This day arrived here the Little Turtle* a chief of the Miamias with his war party consisting of about fifteen or sixteen—they had made two prisoners a negro and a white man [Americans] the negro was left with a few whites at the Little Miami. The rest went out looking for more, they left their baggage & four Horses—during which time the Americans came on them, retook the negro, plundered the baggage, horses, &c. The Indians made off and joined the others. Went and paid a visit this afternoon to Mrs. Adamher—drank coffee with her. She showed me a further mark of her Politeness & attention, by telling me it was very difficult to get cloathes & Linnen washed at this place, begged that I would send her mine that her Ponnie* w***h should wash them.
* Griswold's Note about Little Turtle: "Little Turtle was yet to make his reputation as a warrior although he had already led in the massacre of LaBalme and his followers."
* Griswold's Note about Ponnie: " A pani was a slave of the Indian race, usually procured from the Pawnee tribe. (Wisconsin Historical Society Proceedings, 1915.)"
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December 20, 1789
"Saw this day the rifle horn & Pouche Bagg belonging to the American that was murdered. * * * I find that this man was immediately killed after he was taken by one of the party who struck him twice or thrice in the back and side in consequence he said of having some of his relations killed lately. This is their way of retaliating. Paid a visit this morning to Mr. Payetts* family, think nothing of Miss —— She's very brown. Passed an agreeable afternoon and evening at Mrs. Adamhers in company with Mrs. and Miss Rivare & Mrs. Ranjard; I played the flute and sang. Mr. Kinzie*, the fiddle, & all the ladies except two sang also. Mrs. Ranjard has a fine voice. * * * The French settlers of this place go to prayers of a Sunday morning, and evening at one Mr. Barthelmis* which is performed by Mr. Payee*, the people are collected by the Ringing of three cow bells, which three boys runs about with thro' the village, which makes as much noise as twenty cows would. I went this morning to their prayers, it being Sunday. * * * I forgot to mention the 19th inst. that on the arrival of the warriors the other side of the river [Lakeside], the Gree* ordered a Pirogue (which happened to be just arrived from the forks of the river with wood) to be unloaded by some of the french lads who stood on the bank, and sent some of them over with it; on their arrival he Billeted them like Soldiers so many in each house according to the bigness of it, and took care to trouble the families as little as possible—we had six;—this he ordered in a very polite manner, but quite like a general or a commandant.
* Griswold Note on Mr. Payetts: "Possibly the same as listed by LaBalme as Paillet."
* Griswold Note on Mr. Kinzie: "John Kinzie, whose name is connected inseparably with the story of Fort Dearborn (Chicago). He was located here as a trader."
* Griswold Note on Barthelmis: ""One of the oldest inhabitants of Miami Town [Fort Wayne]. His name is included in the 'census' of Indiana of 1769, and also in LaBalme's list of the inhabitants of Miami Town in 1780."—Wisconsin Historical Society's Proceedings, 1915."
* Griswold Note on Mr. Payee: "Probably the priest, Louis Payet, who was born at Montreal in 1749 and came to Detroit in 1781."—(Wisconsin Historical Society's Proceedings, 1915.)"
* Griswold Note on 'the Gree': "LeGris, one of the prominent Miami chiefs of the time; he was a signer of the Greenville Treaty in 1795." .
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December 21, 1790:
"This morning Mr. Leith told me the Gree [LeGris] was doing off immediately after breakfast with his people a hunting—& that this hunt was to bring in meat for me, and that consequently I should be under the necessity of giving him a small two gallon keg—which I did; as rum is very dear at this place no less than 40/ a gallon. I borrowed it to be returned at Detroit. The reason I gave them the rum now is that they may not drink it about the village; it being against Major Murray's [the commandant at Detroit] positive orders to give Indians rum at this place or sell, etc. And as I'm for supporting those orders as much as lay in my little power was my particular reason for giving it to them at present; for they no doubt will not expect any more. If they do I must say they shall not get it from me—not only to prevent quarrels which might happen in the village if they got drunk and also supporting the Major's orders, but its an expense to myself which I shall not be able to support. * * * I was shown this morning the Heart of the white prisoner I mentioned the Indians had killed some time ago in the Indian country—it was quite dry, like a piece of dried venison, with a small stick run from one end of it to the other and fastened behind the fellows bundle that killed him, with also his scalp. Another party of Miamies and one Shawanie came in from war this day with one scalp, they danced over the river [in the present Lakeside], one with a stick in his hand scalp flying; it being their custom. Some of the warriors came over in the evening to our house. * * *" .
7/
December 23, 1790:
"I never observed 'till this morning that a Man may easily walk over this River it being very shallow. * * * There are two villages at this place one belongs on this side of the river [Spy Run] and one on the other [Lakeside]—the former belongs to the Gree [LeGris]—the other to Pecann* who's now in Illinois, but in his absence is Commanded by his nephew one Mr. Jean Baptist Richerville, son of one Mr. Richerville( of Three Rivers in Canada by an Indian woman* —This young man is a Trader here—his Father has wrote for him to go to him which he means [to do] next Spring. His mother is now gone into the Indian country (dans les Terre as the french term it) to trade; She lives with him when she's here—the young man is so bashful that he never speaks in council, his mother who is very clever is obliged to do it for him.
"This evening the Grees Brother arrived from his hunting Ground—his name is the Deer. He formerly was the great Chief of this Village but chose to give it to his brother—he's very clever—his brother never does anything without consulting him.—Captain Johnny* left this place this morning for his Village."
* Griswold's note about Pecann: "Pecann, Pecan or Pecanne is the Miami chief who rescued Captain Morris at this point in 1764. He was an active chief of the Miamis, who signed the Treaty of Greenville and participated in the battles of the savages up to that time."
* Griswold's note about 'Richerville': "Joseph Drouet Richardville, Jean Baptiste Richardville became the successor of Little Turtle as the civil chief of the Miamis."
* Griswold's note about the young Indian woman: "Ta-cum-wah, the mother of Richardville, was a sister of Little Turtle, a woman of keen intellect and business sagacity, as is suggested by the fact that by the year 1814, Richardville, through her influence, became the wealthiest Indian in the west."
8/
December 24, 1790 - Christmas Eve:
"Several Potewatomies arrived here this afternoon with skins, meat &c. Visited Mrs. Adamher was pleased to desire I should send her any linnen or anything else that I may want to mend. She asked me to go with her to the midnight [Christmas eve] mass—and also asked me if I would play the flute which I did. Mr. Kinzie and myself went to Mrs. Adamhers about 11 o'clock—he brought his fiddle with him—we found a frenchman there who played with us." .
9/
December 25th, 1790 - Christmas Day:
"Came home this morning about two o'clock from mass; Mr. Kinzie and myself called first at Mrs. Adamhers on our return home, who gave us some venizon stake and roasted rackoon—Played the flute & Kinzie the fiddle with the french man this Morning at Mass; being a particular desire of the Peoples. We left our instruments at the house where prayer was said.
I cannot say much indeed for the Trade of this Place their's but few skins comes in, and almost every individual (except the engages)* is an Indian trader, everyone tries to get what he can either by fowle play or otherwise—that is by traducing one anothers characters or merchandise. For instance by saying such a one has no Blankets another no strowde or is damned bad or he'll cheat you & so on—in short I cannot term it in a better manner than calling it a Rascally Scrambling Trade &c &c: * * * Play again this afternoon at Vespars."
* Griswold's Note about an Engage: "An engage was an employe of the trader whose business it was to accompany the Indians on their trapping expeditions and guard the interests of his employer by preventing the Indians from selling the furs to other parties and to discourage other forms of trickery." .
