A Piankeshaw village, obscure to most historians and scholars can be a major player in the good reputation for the Wabash tributary, the White River. Some evidence from historic military records and Indian Claims Commission Reports definitely links a Piankeshaw Village to your White River, Indiana location. The primary historical accounts include a reference to Fairplay Township that state very clearly, "On the webpage with the old capital of scotland - Fairplay, a flourishing Piankeshaw Village had stood in former years prior to white man came..." "Scattered over the ground there, particularly in early years were the implements of warfare in addition to domestic usefulnees...and were tracts of land that the brush and sod was cleared, and where the former inhabitants had grown their crops of corn, and possibly vegetables The village had contained hundreds wigwams, judging through the extent of open ground where it stood plus the statements of the earliest white settlers... The Indians often located the cabins from the first white settlers for ammunition, whiskey or food and brought with them to barter--furs, wild meat and curious trinkets of their very own manufacture."
An english fort was promised by the representatives of the Crown for the Piankeshaw led villages whenever they relocated towards White River. The Piankeshaw, Wea, Illini and Miami who has been living in the Wabash valley for many years became easy prey for British envoys who only needed to entice those to their affiliate with empty promises to be able to achieve a military and political advantage over french at Vincennes. The British suggested they could even build 'forts" further into the White River Valley. Le Enfant, a Piankeshaw leader was the only known active anti-French "rebel" in your neighborhood. He was convinced that the British would keep their promises and stirred other Native indian groups to participate while using the British. Piankeshaw many Miami broke because of their French alliance and begun to exert random attacks on the French. They established a village or villlages over the White River in what exactly is now Fairplaly Township. According to the Indian Claims commission reports, these villages held as many as 600 inhabitants between 1751-1753 while they awaited the complete support of the British.
The British never fulfilled their promises through the finish of 1752 following the destruction of the English trading houses at Pickawillany on the Great Miami River in Ohio and also the withdrawal from the English through the area, "the rebel Piankeshaw led by Le Gros Bled sent a collar of wampum towards Wea asking the crooks to intercede with de Ligneris for him or her and many with the White River Village Indians returned on the western fringe of Indiana and the Wabash corridor.
An Anthropological Set of the Piankashaw Indians, Dockett 99 (an integral part of Consolidated Docket No. 315; Dr. Dorothy Libby) Summary of Piankashaw Locations (1708- ca. 1763)(pages 58 - 62)
"Piankashaws may have been found on the Wabash River as soon as 1708, and were certainly residing in a village in the vicinity of Ouiatenon, at the location of the present-day capital of scotland- Lafayette, Indiana, by 1718. An endeavor appeared with the French to draw the Piankashaws to stay on the Kankakee River in 1720 and 1721, but only a few of which moved there and the stayed merely a small amount of time.
By 1726, the Piankashaws had moved some distance downstream from Ouiatenon and were established in a village at the mouth of Vermilion River, a western tributary on the Wabash River. This village was called "Mercata or Piankashaw" plus it was estimated that at the very least 150 men, representing approximately 600 persons resided there. By 1730 a French officer, Vincennes, moved to the fewer Wabash, taking with him some Vermilion River Piankashaws, who settled nearby the post he established in the vicinity of the current-day capital of scotland- Vincennes, Indiana within the First Street neighborhood. Concurrently, a more substantial quantity of Piankashaws remained inside their village around the Vermilion River.
Despite a smallpox epidemic which killed many of them some Piankashaws took part in French-inspired attacks on Chickasaw Indians in 1732 and 1733. In 1734, the Piankashaws of Vincennes' Post were reported to obtain invited those of the Vermilion River village to be in with him or her, an invite which has been not accepted. Vincennes' Piankashaws /pg. 59/continued their intermittent raids on the Chickasaws, but after his death in 1736 while taking part in one of those attacks, the quantity living in the post diminished for a time. The Piankashaws remaining at Vincennes were referred to as having decreased to fifteen or 25 men (representing a population of ca. 60-100 persons) in June of 1737; other Piankashaws returned towards older village at Vermilion River.
Piankashaw Indians are specifically referred to as being located at Vermilion River between 1743 and 1747. That some also continued to reside in the Vincennes area through the 1740's is indicated by the fact in 1749 Piankashaws were reported to possess left Vincennes completely. It was probably due in part to British efforts to win the trade in the Wabash Indians and in addition reacting to numerous attacks on them by other Indians. Throughout the winter of 1749-1750 some Piankashaws traded using the English at Pickawillany around the Great Miami River this also number of Piankashaw Indians could possibly have wintered for the reason that area. Quite a few Piankashaws including several of the Vermilion Piankashaw chiefs joined the pro-English Indians. Throughout the winter of 1749-1750 an epidemic again killed quite a few Piankashaws, plus they burned their village (most likely the Vermilion River one) they are driving away the bad medicine that they thought french had sent them. All during 1750 rumors and reports of Piankashaw activities and collaboration with the English were circulating among the French around the Wabash as well as in the Illinois country. And, in fact, some Piankashaws did talk to George Croghan and sign a treaty of friendship with the British in November of 1750.
By 1751, forty Piankashaws were reported to be at Vincennes, but whether this became a visiting group or members of an permanent village there isn't clear. It really is clear that a minimum of some Piankashaws were residing in the Vincennes area again. In this particular year also, a minimum of one Piankashaw chief with the Vermilion River village was reported to possess rejected English overtures of friendship. By October of 1751 the Vermilion Piankashaws got won over with the English, though they still lived at Vermilion River. By February of 1752 many of the Piankashaws around Vincennes joined the Vermilion Piankashaws, who were told have moved, at least temporarily, towards the plains between the Wabash and Illinois rivers. A rumor was reported that they can, together with some Illinois and Osage Indians, were going to produce a fort inside central Illinois area the spot that the Fox Indians ended up being attacked from the French two decades earlier.
It appears to be evident, however, that by February of 1752 the majority of the Piankashaws were established on White River in central Indiana about 2 days journey from Ouiatenon and from Vincennes, in the settlement inspired by English Traders, in addition to some Weas, Miamis, and Delawares. The Piankashaws as of this White River location were reported to number 140 men, representing ca. 560 persons. From the end of 1752, after the destruction from the English inspired settlement of Pickawillany around the Great Miami River plus the withdrawal with the English through the area, the rebel Piankashaws made peaceful overtures for the French commandants at Ouiatenon possibly at Vincennes. Because of the fall of 1753, the French had pardoned the Piankashaws who by now had gone to Ouiatenon. (Goodspeed's Good reputation for Greene and Sullivan Counties, Indiana 1884 supports this as well)
/pg. 61/ Just after this, the errant Piankashaws probably returned on their former locations within the Vermilion River along with the vicinity of Vincennes. It will be possible also that many Piankashaws remained near Ouiatenon. In 1762 one hundred Piankashaw warriors (representing a population of ca. 400 persons) were reported to be at Ouiatenon. Inside a council held from the British at Ouiatenon as year a Mascouten spoke for the Mascoutens and the Piankashaws. In Hutchins' description designed in identical year, however) what probably are the same a hundred warriors were called being dependent upon Ouiatenon, instead of as located at Ouiatenon, which raises something regarding their actual location. The Indians living for the Vermilion River were dependent upon Ouiatenon for trade, plus it seems probable that references to Indians influenced by Ouiatenon include them. Thus the one hundred Piankashaw warriors may have lived at either location currently.
All over the French amount of sovereignty in the west, bands of Piankashaw Indians were mentioned, along with other Indian groups, because of the commandants with the Illinois country as visiting them and various Illinois Indian groups. These visits involved trips for supplies, or occurred during raids on southern Indians, visits to relatives (by intermarriage), and hunting expeditions."
The next additional source puts the Piankeshaw village on the White River. The foundation is Commandant, Vaudreul to Rouille, September, 1752 on the Collections fo the Illinois State Historical Library, vol 29.
"The Piankeshaw up to now have taken various key to get back together their prisoners but this commandant has never judged it proper to supply rid of it while they have given but small marks with their repentance and fearing our resentment, have retired for your greater part on White River, in which the English today established which has a certain quantity of rebels from Great Miami River. I have ordered M.de Macarty to extirpate this settlement, opposing force to make if there is necessity of coming to that extremity so that you can forestall because place the results at a larger settlement because of the nearness of Vincennes, which is no more than fifteeen leagues from that river. As to the location of these tribe, the teenage boys told Le Chat they were two short days' journey through the post of M de Ligneris; they said that the majority of their people tried to go to a preliminary understanding with the French. Though others may not hear of the usb ports. They had suffered much for want of food. Some English brought them goods, but not much. The English had led those to hope they would furnish them abundantly and that in Le Petit Pat Cott, chief of the seven cabins of Illini, which left the hunt this summer to visit the rebels, gave back to St. Ange, the belt he previously received, with protestations of attachment towards French which at the best are dubious. "
The historical documents are evident; the data from reports states that there was a Piankeshaw led village with British ties inside valley from the White River located 2 days from Vincennes and Ouiatenon. However, suppliers, what's lacking is actually difficult archaeological evidence. Within the 1970's, Indiana Archaeologist, Curtis Tomak did a site survey and figured there seemed to be very little evidence to aid the idea of an village at this location. Being fair about this, there were a town called, Fairplay that has been built around the alleged former site from the village. Today, as was over thirty years ago, the region also shows little if any visible sign above ground that there ever was a major city organized within this same ground. The village site or sites were definitely disturbed through the digging of cellars and building of houses, shops and businesses. However, it is currently 3 decades later and new technologies and methods have been developed where there can be a need to do another, more intense search from the site before any conclusive opinion is formed regarding the elusive Piankeshaw Village Site in Fairplay Township.
An english fort was promised by the representatives of the Crown for the Piankeshaw led villages whenever they relocated towards White River. The Piankeshaw, Wea, Illini and Miami who has been living in the Wabash valley for many years became easy prey for British envoys who only needed to entice those to their affiliate with empty promises to be able to achieve a military and political advantage over french at Vincennes. The British suggested they could even build 'forts" further into the White River Valley. Le Enfant, a Piankeshaw leader was the only known active anti-French "rebel" in your neighborhood. He was convinced that the British would keep their promises and stirred other Native indian groups to participate while using the British. Piankeshaw many Miami broke because of their French alliance and begun to exert random attacks on the French. They established a village or villlages over the White River in what exactly is now Fairplaly Township. According to the Indian Claims commission reports, these villages held as many as 600 inhabitants between 1751-1753 while they awaited the complete support of the British.
The British never fulfilled their promises through the finish of 1752 following the destruction of the English trading houses at Pickawillany on the Great Miami River in Ohio and also the withdrawal from the English through the area, "the rebel Piankeshaw led by Le Gros Bled sent a collar of wampum towards Wea asking the crooks to intercede with de Ligneris for him or her and many with the White River Village Indians returned on the western fringe of Indiana and the Wabash corridor.
An Anthropological Set of the Piankashaw Indians, Dockett 99 (an integral part of Consolidated Docket No. 315; Dr. Dorothy Libby) Summary of Piankashaw Locations (1708- ca. 1763)(pages 58 - 62)
"Piankashaws may have been found on the Wabash River as soon as 1708, and were certainly residing in a village in the vicinity of Ouiatenon, at the location of the present-day capital of scotland- Lafayette, Indiana, by 1718. An endeavor appeared with the French to draw the Piankashaws to stay on the Kankakee River in 1720 and 1721, but only a few of which moved there and the stayed merely a small amount of time.
By 1726, the Piankashaws had moved some distance downstream from Ouiatenon and were established in a village at the mouth of Vermilion River, a western tributary on the Wabash River. This village was called "Mercata or Piankashaw" plus it was estimated that at the very least 150 men, representing approximately 600 persons resided there. By 1730 a French officer, Vincennes, moved to the fewer Wabash, taking with him some Vermilion River Piankashaws, who settled nearby the post he established in the vicinity of the current-day capital of scotland- Vincennes, Indiana within the First Street neighborhood. Concurrently, a more substantial quantity of Piankashaws remained inside their village around the Vermilion River.
Despite a smallpox epidemic which killed many of them some Piankashaws took part in French-inspired attacks on Chickasaw Indians in 1732 and 1733. In 1734, the Piankashaws of Vincennes' Post were reported to obtain invited those of the Vermilion River village to be in with him or her, an invite which has been not accepted. Vincennes' Piankashaws /pg. 59/continued their intermittent raids on the Chickasaws, but after his death in 1736 while taking part in one of those attacks, the quantity living in the post diminished for a time. The Piankashaws remaining at Vincennes were referred to as having decreased to fifteen or 25 men (representing a population of ca. 60-100 persons) in June of 1737; other Piankashaws returned towards older village at Vermilion River.
Piankashaw Indians are specifically referred to as being located at Vermilion River between 1743 and 1747. That some also continued to reside in the Vincennes area through the 1740's is indicated by the fact in 1749 Piankashaws were reported to possess left Vincennes completely. It was probably due in part to British efforts to win the trade in the Wabash Indians and in addition reacting to numerous attacks on them by other Indians. Throughout the winter of 1749-1750 some Piankashaws traded using the English at Pickawillany around the Great Miami River this also number of Piankashaw Indians could possibly have wintered for the reason that area. Quite a few Piankashaws including several of the Vermilion Piankashaw chiefs joined the pro-English Indians. Throughout the winter of 1749-1750 an epidemic again killed quite a few Piankashaws, plus they burned their village (most likely the Vermilion River one) they are driving away the bad medicine that they thought french had sent them. All during 1750 rumors and reports of Piankashaw activities and collaboration with the English were circulating among the French around the Wabash as well as in the Illinois country. And, in fact, some Piankashaws did talk to George Croghan and sign a treaty of friendship with the British in November of 1750.
By 1751, forty Piankashaws were reported to be at Vincennes, but whether this became a visiting group or members of an permanent village there isn't clear. It really is clear that a minimum of some Piankashaws were residing in the Vincennes area again. In this particular year also, a minimum of one Piankashaw chief with the Vermilion River village was reported to possess rejected English overtures of friendship. By October of 1751 the Vermilion Piankashaws got won over with the English, though they still lived at Vermilion River. By February of 1752 many of the Piankashaws around Vincennes joined the Vermilion Piankashaws, who were told have moved, at least temporarily, towards the plains between the Wabash and Illinois rivers. A rumor was reported that they can, together with some Illinois and Osage Indians, were going to produce a fort inside central Illinois area the spot that the Fox Indians ended up being attacked from the French two decades earlier.
It appears to be evident, however, that by February of 1752 the majority of the Piankashaws were established on White River in central Indiana about 2 days journey from Ouiatenon and from Vincennes, in the settlement inspired by English Traders, in addition to some Weas, Miamis, and Delawares. The Piankashaws as of this White River location were reported to number 140 men, representing ca. 560 persons. From the end of 1752, after the destruction from the English inspired settlement of Pickawillany around the Great Miami River plus the withdrawal with the English through the area, the rebel Piankashaws made peaceful overtures for the French commandants at Ouiatenon possibly at Vincennes. Because of the fall of 1753, the French had pardoned the Piankashaws who by now had gone to Ouiatenon. (Goodspeed's Good reputation for Greene and Sullivan Counties, Indiana 1884 supports this as well)
/pg. 61/ Just after this, the errant Piankashaws probably returned on their former locations within the Vermilion River along with the vicinity of Vincennes. It will be possible also that many Piankashaws remained near Ouiatenon. In 1762 one hundred Piankashaw warriors (representing a population of ca. 400 persons) were reported to be at Ouiatenon. Inside a council held from the British at Ouiatenon as year a Mascouten spoke for the Mascoutens and the Piankashaws. In Hutchins' description designed in identical year, however) what probably are the same a hundred warriors were called being dependent upon Ouiatenon, instead of as located at Ouiatenon, which raises something regarding their actual location. The Indians living for the Vermilion River were dependent upon Ouiatenon for trade, plus it seems probable that references to Indians influenced by Ouiatenon include them. Thus the one hundred Piankashaw warriors may have lived at either location currently.
All over the French amount of sovereignty in the west, bands of Piankashaw Indians were mentioned, along with other Indian groups, because of the commandants with the Illinois country as visiting them and various Illinois Indian groups. These visits involved trips for supplies, or occurred during raids on southern Indians, visits to relatives (by intermarriage), and hunting expeditions."
The next additional source puts the Piankeshaw village on the White River. The foundation is Commandant, Vaudreul to Rouille, September, 1752 on the Collections fo the Illinois State Historical Library, vol 29.
"The Piankeshaw up to now have taken various key to get back together their prisoners but this commandant has never judged it proper to supply rid of it while they have given but small marks with their repentance and fearing our resentment, have retired for your greater part on White River, in which the English today established which has a certain quantity of rebels from Great Miami River. I have ordered M.de Macarty to extirpate this settlement, opposing force to make if there is necessity of coming to that extremity so that you can forestall because place the results at a larger settlement because of the nearness of Vincennes, which is no more than fifteeen leagues from that river. As to the location of these tribe, the teenage boys told Le Chat they were two short days' journey through the post of M de Ligneris; they said that the majority of their people tried to go to a preliminary understanding with the French. Though others may not hear of the usb ports. They had suffered much for want of food. Some English brought them goods, but not much. The English had led those to hope they would furnish them abundantly and that in Le Petit Pat Cott, chief of the seven cabins of Illini, which left the hunt this summer to visit the rebels, gave back to St. Ange, the belt he previously received, with protestations of attachment towards French which at the best are dubious. "
The historical documents are evident; the data from reports states that there was a Piankeshaw led village with British ties inside valley from the White River located 2 days from Vincennes and Ouiatenon. However, suppliers, what's lacking is actually difficult archaeological evidence. Within the 1970's, Indiana Archaeologist, Curtis Tomak did a site survey and figured there seemed to be very little evidence to aid the idea of an village at this location. Being fair about this, there were a town called, Fairplay that has been built around the alleged former site from the village. Today, as was over thirty years ago, the region also shows little if any visible sign above ground that there ever was a major city organized within this same ground. The village site or sites were definitely disturbed through the digging of cellars and building of houses, shops and businesses. However, it is currently 3 decades later and new technologies and methods have been developed where there can be a need to do another, more intense search from the site before any conclusive opinion is formed regarding the elusive Piankeshaw Village Site in Fairplay Township.
