"They came with a Bible and their religion - stole our land, crushed our spirit - and now tell us we should be thankful to the ‘Lord’ for being saved."
- Pontiac
The Rebellion: A Summary of the Action
The suddenness of the rebellion caught the British by surprise. Fort Detroit was under siege, Fort Michilimackinac was taken in a brilliant strategic ploy, and by the time of the Clapham Massacre, and the siege of Fort Pitt, seven major British forts had already fallen.
"These coordinated, well-planned attacks," stated David Miller, "illustrate Pontiac's influence and leadership skills. His ability to form this Trans-Appalachian confederacy is a testament to his charisma and his ability to drive home the message that if something was not done soon, the way of life of these indigenous people would be forever lost."
However, the British did not stand idly by risking the loss their empire. They took action, both responsible and irresponsible, that produced lasting consequences.
"These coordinated, well-planned attacks," stated David Miller, "illustrate Pontiac's influence and leadership skills. His ability to form this Trans-Appalachian confederacy is a testament to his charisma and his ability to drive home the message that if something was not done soon, the way of life of these indigenous people would be forever lost."
However, the British did not stand idly by risking the loss their empire. They took action, both responsible and irresponsible, that produced lasting consequences.
"When I go see the English commander and say to him that some of our comrades are dead, instead of bewailing their death, as our French brothers do, he laughs at me and at you. If I ask anything for our sick, he refuses with the reply that he has no use for us. From all this you can well see that they are seeking our ruin. Therefore, my brothers, we must all swear their destruction and wait no longer."
- Pontiac
Native Grievances: Violations of Their Rights
"The Indians ought not to be able to come within your doors. They are to be totally despised as ungrateful villans who deserve the severest punishment!"
- General Jeffrey Amherst
Damning Correspondence:
Germ Warfare Against the Native Americans at Fort Pitt
"Captain Simeon Ecuyer had bought time by sending smallpox-infected blankets and handkerchiefs to the Indians surrounding the fort -- an early example of biological warfare -- which started an epidemic among them. Amherst himself had encouraged this tactic in a letter to Ecuyer."
- Carl Waldman
"...That Vermin [Native Americans]...have forfeited all claim to the rights of humanity..."
-Henry Bouquet, June 25 1763
The Battle of Bushy Run: A Crushing Defeat for Native Resistance
Fought on August 5-6, 1763, "Bushy Run was the single most devastating defeat of Pontiac's Rebellion suffered by Native American forces," stated David Miller, former director of Bushy Run Battlefield. "This victory lifted the siege of Fort Pitt that began earlier that summer and severely broke the confederacy of tribes that Ottawa Chief Pontiac had sewn together," Miller continued.
The Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly Advertiser said of this battle, "the Indian Army was composed of 8 different Nations, and as Braddock and Grant were conquered on that road, they expected to serve Col. Bouquet in that same Manner; but thank God they have been disappointed. The Province of Pennsylvania will reap the sweets thereof, and may be convinced, that Indians are no more vulnerable than other Men, when attacked on equal terms by British troops."
Although resistance under Pontiac continued until 1766, this battle marked the beginning of the end of the uprising. But, it also brought about a more responsible British strategy- negotiation.
The Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly Advertiser said of this battle, "the Indian Army was composed of 8 different Nations, and as Braddock and Grant were conquered on that road, they expected to serve Col. Bouquet in that same Manner; but thank God they have been disappointed. The Province of Pennsylvania will reap the sweets thereof, and may be convinced, that Indians are no more vulnerable than other Men, when attacked on equal terms by British troops."
Although resistance under Pontiac continued until 1766, this battle marked the beginning of the end of the uprising. But, it also brought about a more responsible British strategy- negotiation.
Bushy Run Artifacts at the Fort Pitt Museum
Additional Primary Resources from the Battle of Bushy Run
A More Responsible British Tactic
"Despite continued calls for blood," according to historian William Campbell, "on August 12, 1764, when General Bradstreet encountered a small party of Delaware, Wyandotte, and Ohio Iroquois just east of Presque Isle, he decide to negotiate a preliminary peace rather than attack."
"The potential benefits of negotiation, Campbell continued, "did not escape either side. As a result, Bradstreet opted to sit and smoke." A month later, Bradstreet again negotiated with the Wyandotte people. Here, according to Campbell, "the Indians were promised goods, fair trade, and that no Europeans would press violently for their land. In return, Bradstreet declared that the region and it's people would be under the general protection of George III, and more importantly, avoided another costly war." This news, however, infuriated the British high command in America who awaited news from Colonel Henry Bouquet.. |
"By October of 1764, Colonel Bouquet," continued Dr. Campbell, "had marched his army of 1,500 deep into the Ohio Country. On the 17th of October, Bouquet offered terms of peace to the Ohio Indians comparable to those offered by Bradstreet almost two months before. In attendance at this conference were many that fought against Bouquet at Bushy Run the previous year, as well as Chief Turtle Heart who helped plan the siege of Fort Pitt."
"For the Crown," accord to Campbell, "it was clear evidence that the Indians now preferred to sit and negotiate. For the Indians, the process of direct negotiate meant that they were being recognized as sovereign, independent nations." "Finally," concluded Dr. Campbell, "news that Pontiac himself was willing to sit and negotiate began to filter back to the English generals and the colonial capitols. As as result, Bouquet, again, issued the terms of peace with the Ohio Indians." Ultimately, this shift to a more responsible strategy helped bring about a final peace in 1766. |