SW_GH1804_046

going, and What is your business. We de-sired him to inform the commandant that we were strangers, and that we had an introductory letter directed to him which would explain our business. The officer shortly returned to us with an in-vitation to advance; we accordingly proceeded, and were met very politely by the commanding officer, Capt. Whipple, to whom we handed the following letter from the Secretary of War. War Department, February 20, 1804.Gentlemen,- This will be handed you by Messrs. George Ellicott, Joel Wright, and Gerard T. Hopkins, who are a deputation from the So-ciety of Friends in Maryland, for visiting the In-dians in the western country for the laudable purpose of affording them assistance in the intro-duction of the arts of civilization. They are men of high respectability, are ac-tuated by the best motives, and are entitled to all the civilities in your power to bestow. You will please to afford them all necessary aid, and treat them with such marks of respectful atten-tion as are due to citizens whose disinterested services deserve the plaudits of every good man. I am, very respectfully, your humble servant, Henry Dearborn.* *General Dearborn was well acquainted with the members of the mission who resided at Ellicott's Mills, and letters frequently passed between them. He was deeply interested in the improvement of the Indian tribes, and having heard of the deputation about to be sent from the Friends of Maryland to Fort Wayne, he drew up this letter, and also the one which will be seen in the following pages to the com-manding officer, and the Indian agent at Detroit, and wishing to impart all the information he possessed, to relieve a journey to a place then considered so dis-tant a settlement, he took the trouble to deliver them in person at Ellicott's Mills, and suggest the return of the mission by the way of Lake Erie and Niagara. The General was a noble looking man, and although he had been actively engaged in our Re-volutionary war, still appeared to be in the vigor of life; he made the trip from Washington to Ellicott's Mills on horse-back attended by his son and a ser-vant, a distance of forty miles, and returned the next day in the same way. T. To the commanding officer at Fort Wayne. Mr. John Johnson, Indian Factor. Mr. William Wells, Indian Agent.