214 APPENDIX. 



II. 



Office Indian Agency, ) 



Saalt Stc. Marie, August 15, 1832. $ 



His Excellency George B. Porter, 



Governor of the Territory of Michigan, 



and Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Detroit. 



Sir : I have the honor to inform you that I returned from my visit 



to the Chippewa bands on the Upper Mississippi, yesterday evening. 

 The state of feeling among them, partakes of the excitement growing 

 cut of a knowledge of the disturbances existing near their southern 

 boundary. But their friendly position with respect to the United States, 

 is not altered by events, thus far. Such of them as had received invi- 

 tations to join in the Sauc league, have refused their assent. And not- 

 withstanding the complacency with which some of the bands regard the 

 hostile efforts of a people, with whom they are connected by the ties of 

 language, and the decided preference others feel, and have expressed, 

 for the counsels and government of Great Britain, as exercised in the 

 Canadas, I feel a confidence in pronouncing the nation, as a whole, un- 

 committed in any negociations with the hostile Indians, and satisfied to 

 remain in their present pacific attitude. Several of their most influen- 

 tial chiefs are quite decided in this policy, and would view it as foolish 

 and desperate in the extreme, to entertain propositions to give aid to the 

 enemy. 



The only portion of them, of whom there were reasons to apprehend 

 hostilities, are the villages of Torch Lake, comprising the Chippewa 

 population on the heads of the Wisconsin, Ontonagon, and Chippewa 

 rivers. These bands murdered four of our citizens at Lake Pepin, in 

 the spring of 1824. Several of the persons implicated were imprisoned 

 at Mackinac, whence they escaped. And it has not been practicable 

 to carry into effect the measures of punishment, which were determined 

 on. Their position, on the head waters of remote streams, is an almost 

 inaccessible one, and the offence has ceased to be the subject of any 

 further efforts by the Department. They have never, however, been 

 relieved from the fears entertained on this account, and these fears have 

 confined them very much to their particular villages and hunting 

 grounds. 



A war message was transmitted to the Torch Lake (or du Flam- 

 beau) Indians by the Black Hawk, or his counsellors, in 1830. This 

 message was repeated in 1831, and again in 1832. Thev were re- 



