The War in the Northwest 233 



of all power by the military. This, however, was in 

 nowise a quarrel between the French and the Ameri- 

 cans. As already explained, in Todd's absence the 

 position of deputy was sometimes rilled by a Creole 

 and sometimes by an American. He had been par- 

 ticular to caution them in writing to keep up a 

 good understanding with the officers and troops, 

 adding, as a final warning: "If this is not the case 

 you will be unhappy/' Unfortunately for one of the 

 deputies, Richard Winston, he failed to keep up the 

 good understanding, and, as Todd had laconically 

 foretold, he in consequence speedily became very 

 "unhappy." We have only his own account of the 

 matter. According to this, in April, 1782, he was 

 taken out of his house "in despite of the civil au- 

 thority, disregarding the laws and on the malitious 

 alugation of Jno. Williams and Michel Pevante." 

 Thus a Frenchman and an American joined in the 

 accusation, for some of the French supported the 

 civil, others the military, authorities. The soldiers 

 had the upper hand, however, and Winston records 

 that he was forthwith "confined by tyrannick mili- 

 tary force." From that time the authority of the 

 laws was at an end, and as the officers of the troops 

 had but little control, every man did what pleased 

 him best. 



In January, 1781, the Virginia Legislature passed 

 an act ceding to Congress, for the benefit of the 

 United States, all of Virginia's claim to the terri- 

 tory northwest of the Ohio ; but the cession was not 

 consummated until after the close of the war with 



