108 THE SIEGE OF DETROIT RAISED. [1763, Oct. 



The Ottawas alone, animated by Pontiac, had re- 

 fused to ask for peace, and still persisted in a course 

 of petty hostilities. They fii'ed at intervals on the 

 English foraging parties, until, on the thirty-first 

 of October, an unexpected blow was given to the 

 hopes of their great chief. French messengers 

 came to Detroit with a letter from M. Neyon, com- 

 mandant of Fort Chartres, the principal post in 

 the Illinois country. This letter was one of those 

 which, on demand of General Amherst, Neyon, 

 with a very bad grace, had sent to the different 

 Indian tribes. It assured Pontiac that he could 

 expect no assistance from the French ; that they 

 and the English were now at peace, and regarded 

 each other as brothers ; and that the Indians had 

 better abandon hostilities which could lead to no 

 good result.^ The emotions of Pontiac at receiving 

 this message may be conceived. His long-cherished 

 hopes of assistance from the French were swept 

 away at once, and he saw himself and his people 

 thrown back upon their own slender resources. 

 His cause was lost. At least, there was no present 

 hope for him but in dissimulation. True to his 

 Indian nature, he would put on a mask of peace, 

 and bide his time. On the day after the arrival 

 of the message from Neyon, Gladwyn wrote as 

 follows to Amherst : " This moment I received a 

 message from Pondiac, telling me that he should 

 send to all the nations concerned in the war to 



^ MS. Lettre de M. Neyon de la Valliere, a tons les nations de la Belle Riviere 

 et du Lac, etc. 



