i2o The Winning of the West 



of such glaring falsehoods." 6 After this Corn- 

 planter remained on good terms with the Americans 

 and helped to keep the Iroquois from joining openly 

 in the war. The Western tribes taunted them be 

 cause of this attitude. They sent them word in the 

 fall of 1785 that once the Six Nations were a great 

 fpeople, but that now they had let the Long Knife 

 throw them ; but that the Western Indians would set 

 them on their feet again if they would join 'them; 

 for "the Western Indians were determined to 

 wrestle with Long Knife in the spring." 7 



Some of the Algonquin chiefs, notably Molunthee 

 the Shawnee, likewise sincerely endeavored to bring 

 about a peace. But the Western tribes as a whole 

 were bent .on war. They were constantly excited 

 and urged on by the British partisan leaders, such 

 as Simon Girty, Elliot, and Caldwell. These lead 

 ers took part in the great Indian councils, at which 

 even tribes west of the Mississippi were represented ; 

 and though they spoke without direct authority from 

 the British commanders at the lake posts, yet their 

 words carried weight when they told the young red 

 warriors that it was better to run the risk of dying 

 like men than of starving like dogs. Many of the 

 old men among the Wyandots and Delawares spoke 

 against strife; but the young men were for war, 

 and among the Shawnees, the Wabash Indians, and 



6 State Dept. MSS., No. 56, March 7, 1786, p. 345, also p. 



395- 



7 Do., No. 150, Vol. I, Major Finley's Statement, Dec. 6, 



1785- 



