The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-04-27
IMPORTANT.

''"I'" " lrtfe'' from GoUeruof ED
| WARDS, 10 Governor SHELBY. dated
" Raskaskia, On T. } March %, 1878
! "A lew days ago l transmitted to YOU
important information relative to the Bri
tish and Indians IN the upper part. of this
territory. An express yesterday brought
me information that eighteen pieces OF
cannon and British officer Mad arrived al
fralrie de Chen. The ice is now complete
| ~ out OF our rivers. Some spies that /
sent up the Illinois river are returned. re-
porting that they saw too much Indian
sign to proceed as high up as they were di
! reCteu. Ahe express states that an Indian
was discovered day or two past very near
| TO ort RusselI---he evidently was SOY.
! have melancholy presages of what is
10 happen IN this Country, particularly at
rairie de Chen, or rather al the mouth of
the Oulsconsing. Should the British take
possession OF that place, / need not point
QUITO you the difficulty OF fetakng it, or
the Importance ut 1t to them-By water W e
should have to ascend 700 miles, by land
not less than 400-Seven thousand Indians
may easily be assembled at that place-last
year, in time OF peace, there were S377
therein the months of April and May
ne following facts, which you need not
doubt will show it's importance-Goods
can De Carried there from Montreal by
way OF the Utawas river, more expedite
ousy, with less expence and more safety,
than by way of the lakes. II is a fact that
| canoe from Montreal by thi. route, arrive Il
with dispatches TO gentleman in Cahokia
| IN So days. On his return he went i'm the
same canoe to Makanac, By the Illinois ri
yer IN Is days, and Gould thence have de
scended to Montreal III 9 days. The ira
ders ct Montreal have passed from lake
superior to the Mississippi. thence have gone
fh-\N ~ .,,I 1,
INTO collision with the Hudson hay Compa-
ny. The British can easily push trade
up the Columbia river. And combining all
these facts, person toIerably acquainted
with the geography OF the Country, the ma
lure OF the fur trade, the inducements with
The North-W West Csmpaay to retain II. and
he evident policy of the British IN suppor-
ing 1t, can have 20 doubt OF their induce
ments TO occupy the mouth of the Ouiscon-
sing.
"These anticipations make me feel for
my country's honor /; Certainly it must BIZ
destructive 10 its reputation To permit sucb
Piahs TO be realized. The point i have
mentioned, once fortified, will be more diff
ucuit to take than Maiden | am well an
pT'zed OF all objections that may be made TO
these speculations, on the store ofproyisions
out those who make them cannot kno,v
,huch or the supplies that can be furnished
o''' 'iie settlements OF GreenbaY, (where
mere is an elegant merchant mill, fine
farms &c.l and Prairie de Chen itself.
ineyer could see the advantage of so
great a struggle for Malden-Moptreal
once taken, it would tall of itself and one
si"sir expedition would drive to the M,ssis-
sipP' Country all the Indians that ever had
intercourse with that place. 1t would moi
cut off the intercourse as had been suppo-
Sed.
Misunderstanding have regularly com
mumcated Information which must nave
she"n "hat our situation would be at this
e'Ih1, ana hot"lthstanding our present diff
hcultes, am now as was last wear. totaI-
~ without any Instructions, acting upon NV
own responsibility. have had great sue.
cess IN raising volunteers from the local mi
i'tia and neither they nor myself have
been IDLE. again set out to morrow tor
the frontiers"