938

INDIAN TRAGEDIES AND ROMANCES.

their territory, as they claimed, the Indians made sallies into Kentucky, killing the settlers, burning their cabins, and driving away their cattle.

As these incursions were mostly undertaken by the Wabash Indians, notably the Piankashaws, a commission was sent to Post Vincennes, to treat separately with these tribes. Various circumstances caused the change of time and place of this conference, whereupon a treaty was made by Gen. Geo. Rogers Clark, Richard Butler, and Samuel II. Parsons, the commissioners at Fort Finney, at the mouth of the Great Miami (January 31, 1786)   not, however, with the Piankashaws, and others named in the original resolution, but .with the Delawares, Wyandots, and Shawanese   whereby a tract of land was assigned these tribes at the head-waters of the two Miamis and the Wabash, west of the Chippewas.

Meanwhile the States of Connecticut and Virginia, which, by their colonial charters, possessed a claim to all the lands lying north-west of the Ohio River, ceded their title to the general government, excepting a sufficient portion to satisfy the military land-warrants issued to the officers and soldiers of the regular line in the Revolutionary war. These exceptions are known as the Connecticut or Western Reserve, and the Virginia Military District   the former in northern Ohio and the latter between the Scioto and Little Miami rivers.

During the summer of 1786 Congress began to deliberate upon a plan for the government of this Territory, and on July 13, 1787, the " Ordinance for the government of the territory of the United States north-west of the river Ohio," was adopted. Shortly thereafter (October 3d) Congress ordered seven hundred troops for the defense of the settlers, and two days later Arthur St. Clair, a general of the Revolution, was appointed governor of the newly organized territory.

As the way now seemed open for settlements, the " Ohio Company," organized by officers of the army and others, in Boston, the year before, held a meeting and adopted a plan for