St. Clair and Wayne 335 



can settlers addressed him in an equally respectful 

 but very different tone, for, they said, their hearts 

 were filled with "anxiety, gloominess, and dismay." 

 They explained the alarm they felt at the report 

 that they were to be driven out of the country, and 

 protested what was doubtless true that they had 

 settled on the land in entire good faith, and with the 

 assent of the French inhabitants. The latter them 

 selves bore testimony to the good faith and good 

 behavior of many of the settlers, and petitioned that 

 these should not be molested, 9 explaining that the 

 French had been benefited by their industry, and had 

 preserved a peaceable and friendly intercourse with 

 them. In the end, while the French villagers were 

 left undisturbed in their ancient privileges, and 

 while they were granted or were confirmed in the 

 possession of the land immediately around them, 

 the Americans and the French who chose to go out 

 side the village grants were given merely the rights 

 of other settlers. 



The Continental officers exchanged courtesies 

 with the Spanish commandants of the Creole villages 

 on the west bank of the Mississippi, but kept a sharp 

 eye on them, as these commandants endeavored to 

 persuade all the French inhabitants to move west of 

 the river by offering them free grants of land. 10 



9 Do., Address of American Inhabitants of Vincennes, Au 

 gust 4, 1787; Recommendation by French Inhabitants in 

 Favor of American Inhabitants, August 2d; Letter of Le 

 Chamy and others, Kaskaskia, August 25th : Letter of J. M. 

 P. LeGras, June 25th. 



10 Hamtranck to Harmar, October 13, 1788. 



