St. Clair and Wayne 385 



embarrassment in affording the frontier adequate 

 protection, both because the party to which the bor 

 derers themselves belonged foolishly objected to the 

 employment of a fair-sized regular army, and be 

 cause Congress still clung to the belief that war 

 could be averted by treaty, and so forbade the taking 

 of proper offensive measures. In the years 1787, 

 '88, and '89, the ravages continued; many settlers 

 were slain, with their families, and many bodies of 

 immigrants destroyed; while the scouting and res 

 cue parties of whites killed a few Indians in re 

 turn. 10 All the Indians were not yet at war, how 

 ever; and curious agreements were entered into by 

 individuals on both sides. In the absence on either 

 side of any government with full authority and 

 power, the leaders would often negotiate some spe 

 cial or temporary truce, referring only to certain 

 limited localities, or to certain people; and would 

 agree between themselves for the interchange or 

 ransom of prisoners. There is a letter of Boone's 

 extant in which he notifies a leading Kentucky col 

 onel that a certain captive woman must be given up, 

 in accordance with an agreement he has made with 

 one of the noted Indian chiefs ; and he insists upon 

 the immediate surrender of the woman, to clear his 

 "promise and obligation." n 



The Indians watched the Ohio with especial care, 

 and took their toll from the immense numbers of 



10 Va. State Papers, IV, 357. 



11 Draper MSS., Boone Papers. Boone to Robert Patter 

 son, March 16, 1787. 



VOL. VII. 17 



