boffman] FRENCH AND INDIAN "WAR 17 



rendered, the victors began to take possession of the western posts. 

 Thus, in 1701, Green bay was governed by a small force of 17 men of 

 the Sixtieth (or Royal American) regiment, in command of Lieutenant 

 Gorrell. This party arrived at Green bay on. October 12, at a time of 

 the year when it was customary for the Indians to be off on their 

 annual hunting expedition; so that there was but one family remain- 

 ing at the post. 1 Lieutenant Gorrell states that he had found in his 

 orders very little regarding the Indians, so that when leaving he 

 applied to Captain Donald Campbell, at Detroit, for further instruc- 

 tions; the latter referred him to Sir William Johnson, then present, 

 who told him orally that unless he did his best to please the Indians 

 he had better not go there. 



On account of the absence of the Indians, no council was held with 

 the tribes until May 23, 1702; at this time the chiefs of the Menomini 

 and Winnebago were present and received strings of wampum in return 

 for prisoners. According to Condi's journal, the number of Indian 

 warriors dependent on the post was 311,100. The number of Menomini 

 warriors specified is only 150, which would indicate a total population 

 of about 800. 



After the peace of 1703, when the French troops were withdrawn and 

 their places tilled by the English, discontent among the Indians became 

 apparent, and gradually became more and more hostile and in time 

 developed into a conspiracy for the extermination of the English 

 throughout the entire western frontier. This hostility was due to a 

 variety of circumstances. The French had been the fast friends of the 

 Indians, had been judicious and lavish in the distribution of gifts, and 

 had liberally supplied all who desired arms, ammunition, and clothing, 

 until the tribesmen had almost forgotten their aboriginal modes of 

 living and had become dependent on the garrisons and trading establish- 

 ments; but with the advent of the English all this was changed, and 

 the penuriousness with which these now necessary articles were dealt 

 out— when they were not entirely withheld — caused great distress 

 and consequent dissatisfaction. 3 Another source of trouble was the 

 i m migration of settlers and the occupancy of Indian lands by white men, 

 while suspicion and anger were engendered by false reports carried 

 from place to place by the " couriers de bois" or bushrangers — degraded 

 itinerants who traversed the forest in search of furs and peltries 

 which they carried to the trading posts, reaping profits which they felt 

 would become greatly reduced should the traders themselves penetrate 

 the wilds. The Indians, becoming alarmed at the rumored advent of 

 the traders, who were said to be exacting aud of murderous disposi- 

 tion, made preparations to defend themselves, and finally concluded to 

 take the initiative and, if possible, prevent intrusion by a people who 



1 Gorrell's Journal, Coll. Hist. Soo. of Wisconsin for 1854, vol. i, 1855, p. 25 et. seq. 



2 Parkman, Conspiracy of Pontiac, Boston, vol. i, 1886, pp. 172 et seq. 



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