ernor St. Clair from Vincennes, May 22, 1790, "by which your excellency can have no great hopes of bringing the Indians to a peace with the United States."[1] The reasons are thus stated by Governor St. Clair to the Secretary of War: "The confidence these [Indians] have in their situation, the vicinity of many other nations, either much under their influence, or hostilely disposed towards the United States, and pernicious councils of the British traders, joined to the immense booties obtained by their depredations on the Ohio."[2]
By July 16 Governor St. Clair was ready to put in motion the campaign which was voted by all concerned to be inevitable. There was a double danger in further delay; the Indians were growing more bold each day, and the people along the western frontier were beginning to distrust the strength of the Government which, while claiming them, failed utterly to protect them. Only a week before (July 7) Judge Innes wrote these startling words to the Secretary of War: "I will, sir, be candid
