George Ellicott's (1760-1832) wife Elizabeth (Brooke) Ellicott (1762-1853) prepared hominy and other dishes she felt would interest their guests. Their daughter Martha (Ellicott) Tyson wrote about the visit. Ellicott and Gerard Hopkins, the uncle of Johns Hopkins, had been part of the Quaker delegation to visit the chiefs near Fort Wayne, in 1804.
From the source -
A Mission to the Indians, from the Indian Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, to Fort Wayne, in 1804. Written at the time, by Gerard T. Hopkins. With an appendix, compiled in 1862, by Martha E. Tyson. Philadelphia: 1862
From the appendix by Martha (Ellicott) Tyson (1795-1873) -
Recollections of the Little Turtle and other Indians.
"The Little Turtle, with
several other Chiefs, spent two days at Ellicott's Mills, during
Christmas week of 1807, attended by Wm. Wells, the United States Agent
for Fort Wayne, as interpreter. They had been to Washington on business,
had had an interview with the Indian Committee in Baltimore, and were
returning home through the State of Maryland.
George Ellicott called
to see them soon after their arrival, and gave them an invitation to
dine the next day, at his house, which was not far distant from the
hotel where they lodged. The delegation was composed of the following persons :—The Little Turtle and
Busheville, Chiefs of the Miami nation; the Beaver and Crow of the
Delawares; two Shawanese Chiefs, and Marpau and the Raven, Chiefs of the
Potowatomies of the two last named each was accompanied by his wife.
Having heard so much of the Little Turtle, I
[Martha Ellicott 1795-1873] determined to be present when he and the other Chiefs were introduced
at the house, where they were to be entertained as guests. He was - the
first to enter the parlor, and bowed gracefully as he was introduced to
the family, and made a short address, in which he acknowledged the
pleasure it afforded him thus to meet the wife and children of a friend
to whom he felt obliged, and of whom he entertained the highest opinion. The interpreter then introduced the rest of the
party, who shook hands, and took their seats.
Afterwards a pleasant
conversation took place between the Miami Chiefs, the Interpreter, and
some of the residents of the village, in which the Indians drew a
comparison between savage and civilized life, and in favor of
civilization. The Little Turtle was anxious to have a flour
mill erected in his town, and appeared earnestly desirous of promoting
the improvement of his people. The Shawanese, the Raven and his wife,
and the Beaver and Crow listened in silence.
The dress and mantle of the Raven bore a close
resemblance to those worn by Marpau, and were of similar material. He
was esteemed the greatest hunter of the Potowatomies, and occasionally
visited the Rocky Mountains in pursuit of game, and on his last
excursion to that distant range, had killed a grizzly bear of immense
weight and size, whose skin, dressed with the claws and teeth attached,
he wore on this occasion, thrown over his shoulders.
His [Raven] face was
painted; the cheeks and forehead black, and across one of his cheeks was
a heavy dash of vermillion, which looked like a deep and gaping flesh
wound. His hair, which was thick and coarse, was cut about six inches
long in front, and hung about his face, but was its full length behind,
and tied in several places with bands of buckskin, and powdered with red
paint; and he wore on the top of his head, a small coronet of eagle's
feathers. Attached to an embroidered belt hung his tobacco pouch, made
of the entire skin of a beaver, and by its side his tomahawk and
scalping knife. With his large and muscular proportions,
accompanied by the disfigurements of the paint, he was only saved from
the appearance of a barbarous and unrelenting savage, by a countenance expressive of the utmost good humor.
The wife of the Raven was a young and handsome
woman, of a modest and downcast expression. She did not seem to
entertain the prejudices against civilized manufactures, which existed
in her husband's mind, and wore a blue cloth habit, though made in
Indian style; a hat, covered with braided ribbon, feathers of different
sorts, and tinsel ornaments. Her moccasins were beautifully embroidered
with moose hair, interspersed with plaited rows of porcupine's quills;
her necklace was made of several rows of beads of many colors, and her
ear ornaments, which were drooping, and hung nearly down to her
shoulders, were also of beads; and she wore, wrapped around her person, a
fine Makinaw blanket.
The Little Turtle and
Rusheville, the Beaver and Crow, and the two Shawanese, were dressed in
a costume usually worn by our own citizens of the time: coats of blue
cloth, gilt buttons, pantaloons of the same color, and buff waistcoats;
but they all wore leggings, moccasins, and large gold rings in their
ears.
The Little Turtle exceeded all his
brother Chiefs in dignity of appearance—a dignity which resulted from
the character of his mind. He was of medium stature, with a complexion
of the palest copper shade, and did not wear paint. His hair was a full
suit, and without any admixture of grey,
although from what he said of his age, at Fort Wayne, in 1804, being
then fifty-three, he must at this time have been fifty-seven years old.
His dress was completed by a long, red, military sash around the waist,
and his hat (a chapeau bras) was ornamented by a red feather.
Immediately on entering the house, he took off his hat, and carried it
under his arm during the rest of the visit. His appearance and manners,
which were graceful and agreeable, in an uncommon degree, were admired
by all who made his acquaintance.
When seated at table they seemed to enjoy the
repast which was set before them. A large dish of hominy—a national dish
with the Indians—had with a variety of other dishes been served up,
especially in reference to their tastes, and was very acceptable to
them. The Raven, on taking his seat, immediately pointed it out to his
wife, who sat at his side, and spoke for the first time since his
entrance, to request to be helped bountifully to the hominy, having seen
nothing he liked so well since he had left the woods.
Both Marpau and the Haven, whilst on their journey,
were careful to present themselves, on all occasions, where there was a
chance of their being seen, painted and adorned in their most approved
style. Thus, while in Washington and Baltimore, although in comparative
retirement, as he did not go out, Marpau was said to spend two or three
hours daily, in the duties of the toilet, painting his face, dressing
his hair, and arranging his appearance, by a small mirror, held up
before him by his wife, who stood near him for the purpose, pronouncing
occasionally on the effect produced, and giving instructions. Similar
attentions were conferred by the wife of the Raven on her husband, but
as he was of lower rank, and rather older than Marpau, his toilet was
less elaborate, and occupied less time.
The next day after this ramble, the Potawotamies
all went together to visit the places where Marpau and his wife had
walked the day before.
The other Indians, with the interpreter, examined all the objects of
interest in the neighborhood. They had begun to be aware of the
importance of mechanical operations, and spoke with as much approbation
as an Indian ever speaks of things which he admires, of the ingenuity
exhibited in the flour and paper mills. The next day all the deputation
left for their homes in the west.
[moved down from third paragraph] All accepted the invitation but Marpau, who positively declined both
for himself and his wife. He was of a very warlike disposition, and the
brother of Tecumseh, and the Prophet, who, in 1811, openly revolted from
their allegiance to the United States, and were the cause of much
bloodshed on the Canadian frontier. Already the spirit of disaffection
had taken hold of his mind; he refused to wear any article of clothing
manufactured by the white people, and was by no means reserved in his
expressions of hatred toward the whole race, who, he maintained, had
violently wrested from them all their most valuable possessions. Nor did
he hesitate to express his determination, with aid of his two powerful
brothers, to regain all the lands which had originally belonged to them,
after putting to death all those who now occupied them. In order to give him
favorable impressions of the power of the Federal government, and
relieve his mind of the idea of taking up arms against it, the other
members of the delegation, all friendly Indians except himself and the
Raven, had persuaded him to make the journey, hoping he would discover,
as he passed along, so many evidences of the strength of the people he
professed to despise, as to be induced to prefer peace to war, on any
terms. No favorable change, however, had been the result. He had refused
every civility tendered him while in Washington, remaining shut up with
his wife, in his apartments, while all the rest of his companions
partook of every enjoyment offered them. He had refused to meet the
Indian Committee in Baltimore, (but was afterwards induced to do so,)
and remained in the same mood on his arrival at Ellicott's Mills; and although George Ellicott assured him he could promise him a welcome and kind treatment at his house, he still declined. The Little Turtle endeavored to
change his purpose; rallied him on his obstinacy, ill-humor and
laziness, and told him he was too large a man to give so poor a display
of Indian politeness, and that he would return to his home in the same
state of ignorance in which he had left it; but all to no purpose. He
bore the raillery with apparent good humor, but remained unmoved. Marpau
was of very large stature, and in the prime of manly vigor. His dress
was entirely made up of the skins of wild animals, which had been killed
by his own hands."
Image of Little Turtle or Michikinikwa, from the US Army Military History Institute.
©2018 Patricia Bixler Reber
Forgotten history of Ellicott City & Howard County MD
Thank you. Very interesting story.
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