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Vincennes Tract Deed of 1742 with the Piankashaw Indians |
(From the Indiana Magazine of History Volume 12 copyright 1916 Indiana University)
The Vincennes Tract contained about 1,600,000 acres. That part of it which
was in Indiana had its northeast corner near Orleans. The north line of this
old Indian land started at Point Coupee, on the Wabash River, about six
miles below Merom, Indiana, and about 39 degrees north latitude.
Thomas Freeman surveyed the area in 1802-3 and his survey became the
official boundaries of the Vincennes Tract.
It ran at a right angle to the main trend of the Wabash River between Point
Coupee and the mouth of White river. That is, it ran south 78 degrees east,
passed near Odon, Indiana, and near Georgia, Indiana, and ended in Section
19, near Orleans, at what is locally known as "Freeman's Corner." (This
north boundary line was so surveyed as to place the French settlement, at
Carlisle, in Sullivan County, within the "Vincennes Tract.") Surveyor Thomas
Freeman ran the lines of this "Vincennes Tract," in 1802-3, and placed a
post at the corner not far from the center of Section 19. From this corner
the line ran south 12 degrees west, 40 miles, through Orange, Crawford and
Perry counties, to a point at a creek in Perry county about 7 1/2 miles due
south of the southeast corner of Dubois county, and near Apalona, in Perry
county. In going south 12 degrees west, 40 miles, the line ran nearly 12 1/2
miles west of a due south line.' The south line ran from this point, through
Perry, Spencer, Dubois, Pike and Gibson counties to the mouth of White
river. It passed near the St. Meinrad Monastery.
Freeman ran both lines from
the river eastward. The east line he ran by going southward from the Orleans
corner. He turned the Orleans corner at a right angle, (90 degrees) and
passed through what is now Orleans, and between Paoli and Abydel, and near
Eckerty, in Crawford County.
When Thomas Freeman made his survey it required him to cut out some of the underbrush, and in that way he opened up forest paths, which, in places over time, became trails and eventually public roads.
The deed in full reads as follows:
"To all people to whom these Presents shall come: Know ye, that we, Tabac,
or Tobacco, Montour, La Grand Couette, Ouaounijao, Tabac, junior. Iai Monche
Noire, or the Black Fly, Le Maringouin, or Mosquito, Le Petit Castor, or the
Little Beaver, Kiesquibichias, Grelot, senior, and Grelot junior, chiefs and
sachems of the several tribes of Piankeshaw nation of Indians and being and
effectually representing, all the several tribes of the Piankeshaw Indians,
send greeting:
"Whereas Louis Viviat, of the Illinois country merchant, one of the grantees
hereinafter named, as well for himself, as on the parts and behalves of the
several other grantees herein also after named, did, at several conferences
publicly held with us, the said chiefs and sachems, at the towns and
villages Post Saint Vincent and Vermillion, treat and confer for the
purchase of certain tracts of land belonging and appertaining unto us and to
the several tribes of our nation, whom we represent:
"And whereas we, the said chiefs and sachems, have deliberately and maturely
considered, for ourselves and our posterities, and consulted with the other
natives of our several tribes, respecting the proposals made as aforesaid to
us, the said chiefs and sachems by the said Louis Viviat on behalf of
himself and others: And whereas we, the said chiefs and sachems, as well as
all the other natives of the several tribes of our nation, are fully
satisfied and contented, for the consideration hereinafter mentioned, to
grant and confirm unto the said Louis Viviat, and to the other grantees
hereinafter mentioned, the several quantities and tracts of lands
hereinafter bounded and described.
"Now, know ye, therefore, that we, the said chiefs and sachems of the
Piankeshaw nation aforesaid in full and public council assembled, at the
town or village of Post Saint Vincent aforesaid, for and in consideration of
the sum of five shillings, to us in hand paid by the said Louis Viviat and
for and in consideration of the following goods and merchandise, to us, the
said Tabac, or Tobacco, Montour, La Grand Couette. Ounoualiao, Tabac,
junior, La Mouche Noire, or the Black Fly, Le Maringouin, or Musquito. Le
Petit Castor, or the Little Beaver, Kiesqulbichias, Grelot, senior, and
Grelot, junior, for the use of the several tribes of our nation, well and
truly delivered in full council aforesaid that is to say:
"four hundred blankets,
twenty-two pieces of stroud,
two hundred and fifty shirts,
twelve gross of star gartering,
one hundred and twenty pieces of ribbon,
twenty-four pounds of vermilion,
eighteen pairs velvet laced housings,
one piece of maiton,
fifty-two fusils,
thirty-five dozen large buckhorn-handle knives,
forty dozen couteau knives,
five hundred pounds of brassketties
ten thousand gunflints,
six hundred pounds of gunpowder,
two thousand pounds of, lead,
four hundred pounds of tobacco,
forty bushels of salt,
three thousand pounds of flour,
three horses;
also, the following quantities of silverware, viz:
eleven very large armbands,
forty wristbands,
six wholemoons,
six halfmoons,
nine ear-wheels,
forty-six large crosses,
twenty-nine hairpipes,
sixty pairs of ear-bobs,
twenty dozen small crosses,
twenty dozen nose-crosses, and
one hundred and ten dozen brooches,"
the receipt whereof we do hereby acknowledge, have granted, bargained, sold, aliened, released, enfeoffed ratified, and fully confirmed, and by these Presents do grant, bargain sell, alien, release, enfeoff, ratify, and fully confirm, unto the said Louis Viviat, the right honorable John. Earl of Dunmore, governor of the colony and dominion of Virginia; the honorable John Murray. son of the said earl, Moses Franks and Jacob Franks, of the city of London, in the kingdom of Great Britain, Esquires; Thomas Johnson, Jr., Esquire, attorney at law, and John Davidson, merchant, both of the city of Annapolis in the province of Maryland: William Russell, Esquire, Matthew Ridley. Robert Christie, sen., and Robert Christie. Jr., of Baltimore town, in the said province of Maryland. merchants: Peter Campbell, of Piscataway, in Maryland merchant; William Geddes. of Newtown Chester. in Maryland, Esq., collector of His Majesty's customs; David Franks, merchant, and Moses Franks, attorney at law, both of the city of Philadelphia, in the province of Pennsylvania; William Murray, and Daniel Murray. of the Illinois Country, merchants; Nicholas St. Martin, and Joseph Page, of the same place, gentlemen; Francis Perthuis, late of Quebec city, in Canada, but now of Post St. Vincent aforesaid, gentlemen; their heirs and assigns, equally to be divided, or to his most sacred Majesty George the Third, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland. King, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, his heirs and successors, for the use, benefit, and behoof of all the said several above named grantees, their heirs and assigns, in severalty as aforesaid; (by whichever of these tenures they may most legally hold the same:) the two several tracts or parcels of lands, hereinafter bounded and described, viz:
"One tract or parcel of land, situate, lying, and being on both shies of the
Ouabache River, beginning at the mouth of a rivulet called Itiviere du Chat,
or Cat River, where it empties itself into the Ounbache River aforesaid,
being about fifty-two leagues distant from the above Post St. Vincent
aforesaid; thence down the Ounbache, by the several courses thereof. to a
place called Point Coupee, (about twelve leagues above Post St. Vincent.)
being forty leagues, or thereabouts, in length on the said river Ouabache,
from the place of beginning, with forty leagues in width or breadth on the
east side, and thirty leagues in breadth or width on the west side of the
Ouabache River aforesaid; to be continued along from the place of beginning
to Point Coupee aforesaid. And also one other tract or parcel of land,
situated, lying, and being on both sides of the Ouabache River aforesaid,
beginning from the mouth of White river, where it empties itself into the
Ouabache River, (about twelve leagues below Post St. Vincent,) thence down
the Ouabache River, by the several courses thereof, until it empties itself
into the Ohio river, being from the said White river to the Ohio,
fifty-three leagues in length, or thereabouts. be the same more or less,
with forty leagues In width or breadth on the east side, and thirty leagues
in width or breadth on the west side of the Ounbache River aforesaid; (the
intermediate space of twenty-four leagues. or thereabouts, between Point
Coupee and the mouth of the White river aforesaid, being reserved for the
use of the inhabitants of Post St. Vincent aforesaid. with the same width or
breadth on both sides of the Ounbache River, as is hereby granted in the two
other several tracts of land above bounded and described.) the aforesaid two
several tracts of land hereby bargained and sold, from the first place of
beginning to the Ohio River, consisting together of Ninety-three leagues in
length on the Ounbache River, and on both sides thereof inclusive, seventy
leagues in width or breadth, and that during its whole course as
aforementioned exclusive of, and beside, the reservation of twenty-four
leagues in length, and seventy leagues in width or breadth, for the
inhabitants of Post St. Vincent reserved as aforesaid. And the said chiefs
and sachems, for themselves and for the several other natives of their
nation, whom they fully and effectually represent, and their and every of
their posterities, do hereby guaranty engage, promise, covenant, and agree,
to and with the several above-named grantees, their heirs, and assigns, and
every of them, that they, the said several above named grantees, their heirs
and assigns, and every of them, shall and may, at all time, for ever
hereafter have and enjoy the full, free, and undisturbed navigation of the
said Ouabache river, from its confluence with the Ohio to its source; as
well as of all the other several rivers running through the lands hereby
bargained and sold, any thing herein contained to the contrary, or supposed
to be, in any wise, notwithstanding: And also all minerals, ores, trees,
woods, under-woods, waters, watercourses, profits, commodities, advantages,
rights. liberties, privileges, hereditaments, and appurtenances, whatsoever,
to the said two several tracts of land belonging, or in any wise
appertaining:
And also the reversion and
reversions, remainder and remainders, rents, issues, and profits thereof,
and of every part and parcel thereof; and all the estate, right, title,
interest, use, property, possession, claim, and demand of them, the said
Tabac, or Tobacco, etc.. chiefs and sachems aforesaid, and of all and every
other person and persons whatsoever, of or belonging to the said Piankeshaw
nation of Indians, of, into, and out of the premises, and every part and
parcel thereof; to have and to hold the said two several tracts or parcels
of land, and all and sigular the said granted and bargained premises, with
the appurtenances, unto the said Louis Viviat, etc., their heirs or assigns,
for ever, in severalty, or unto his majesty, his heirs, and successors, to
and for the only use, benefit, and behoof of the said grantees, their heirs
and assigns, for ever, as aforeaid.
"And the said Tabac, or Tobacco, etc., for themselves and for all the
several tribes of their nation, and all and every other nation, or nations.
tributaries, and dependents on the said Piankeshaw Indians, and their and
every of their, posterities, the said several tracts of land and premises.
and every part and parcel thereof, against them the said several above-named
chiefs and sachems, and the said Piankeshaw Indians and their tributaries
and dependents, and all and every of their posterities unto all the
severally above-named grantees, their heirs, and assigns, in severalty, or
unto his said majesty. his heirs, and successors, to and for the only use,
benefit, and behoove, of the said grantees, their heirs, and assigns in
severalty as aforesaid, shall and will warrant, and for ever defend, by
these Presents."
This information is the research of many people across the United States and may contain errors. It is presented as the best information to date. Like all of those whose work I have incorporated herein, my research is a work in progress and subject to change without notice. A special thanks to Marlene Ricci of CA, Dwayne Meyer of CA, Jacqueline Bean of TX, Debbie Dick of IN, Milus Miller of IL, Carol Hendricks Miller of IN, Clarence Miller of IN, and Harold Glen Miller of IN. There are numerous others too; many of which are unknown, but their findings and stories are still much appreciated. Much of this would not have been possible with out their information. Also this website includes historical facts gathered from Washington County History, Indiana History, Rowan County and Salisbury North Carolina Historical sources and other US Historical sources.
James A. Miller- Great -Great -Great -Great Grandson of Adam Miller and Hannah Sheets.
©2007 The Millers of Washington County
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Last Updated 06/30/07 11:02:34 AM -0700