Thomas Hutchins

ottawas who lived at little detroit arrived i spoke to them as i had done to the rest and gave them strings of wampum for the return of prisoners and made them some small presents as they lay between this and mission mackinac they promised they would use the english and french well who would be coming thither they went away well pleased june fifth seventeen sixty two ambassadors from the sacs and reynards with a chief belonging to the second poin town arrived here to whom i made a speech to the same purpose and also gave them each a belt and strings of wampum their answer was nigh to the same purpose as the former with a demand for the english traders to go to their towns i told them i would write to my commander at detroit and await his answer i received a letter from captain campbell dated at detroit in september seventeen sixty one which never had an opportunity of coming before from michimackinac wherein he said that it was against the general's instructions to give the indians more presents than were absolutely necessary to keep them in temper these orders made me uneasy as i was assured i could not keep so large a body of indians in temper without giving them something as they had always been used to large presents from the french and at the same time if i did not give each nation the same i had given those that had been to see me all would be lost to me and the service i therefore sent my interpreter who could acquaint captain campbell best about it with letters to him and engaged his cousin at his recommendation who had just come from the sioux country as interpreter he behaved very well for a canadian for some time but i was convinced soon to the contrary as will appear in the sequel there are by both french and indian accounts thirty nine thousand one hundred indian warriors besides women and children depending on this post for supplies and they are as follows taways etc one hundred little detroit and milwaukee falls of wands one hundred fifty warriors they live at la baie in two towns poins one hundred fifty at the end of pwan's lake and over against lewiston stant sacks three hundred fifty above lewiston stant in the government of louisiana reynard's three hundred fifty on the river reynard avoys ioways eight thousand on each side mississippi sioux thirty thousand on west side mississippi near three hundred leagues off total thirty nine thousand one hundred i had an answer from captain campbell as soon as could be expected and which he was pleased to signify his being satisfied that i had done all in my power for the benefit of his majesty's service he said he had written to the general and had let him know that the number of indians at my post was great and hope to know his excellency's orders to enable him to supply them with what would make them easy at the same time desiring i would continue to keep them in as good humour as possible consistently with frugality he also sent two hundred pounds of tobacco for them lieutenant leslie sent me one hundred pounds which i made the most of by giving it very sparingly as the traders who come to this place bring very little of that article june twenty fourth ambassadors from the chippewas a nation dependent on michimackinac came to negotiate the adjustment of a quarrel with the falls of wands respecting a man killed at michimackinac belonging to the latter tribe they brought a letter from lieutenant leslie commanding at michimackinac in which he warmly recommended it to me to assist the chipewys in that negotiation as it would be very prejudicial to the trade and communication between the posts if any such quarrels should take place for which purpose i called the chiefs belonging to the posts together and was under the necessity of giving them a few small presents June 25th.

Mr. Thomas Hutchins, note, this early Anglo-American visitor to Wisconsin was a native of New Jersey.

In 1763-64, he served under Colonel Bouquet at Fort Pitt and subsequently in West Florida.

He was in England at the commencement of the Revolution, where his zeal for his native land caused him to refuse tempting offers and finally led to his imprisonment and the loss of 12,000 pounds in a single day.