Today’s Almanac-April 20, 2010--Part 1
It’s two-fer-Tuesday!
On April, 20, 1769 Pontiac, also known as Obwandiyag, was assassinated by a member of the Peoria tribe of the Illini confederacy. Little is known about his background and youth. He was probably born in an Ottawa village near Ft. Detroit about 1720. At least one of his parents, and possibly both had origins with other tribes, but he always identified as Ottawa. During the bloody struggles known in America as The French and Indian Wars of 1754-1763, Pontiac was already a war leader among his tribe and supported the French. He may have participated in Braddock’s defeat in 1775, a battle in which a Virginia officer named George Washington distinguished himself. After the French defeat, Pontiac was among many native leaders dissatisfied with the new trade restrictions imposed by Governor General of British North America Jeffery Amherst. In April of 1763 he called a council of tribes in the Detroit area and raised a small force to attack the Fort and “…exterminate from our lands this nation which seeks only to destroy us…” He attacked the Fort with around 300 warriors in May. Although taken by surprise, the strong garrison repelled the initial attack. Pontiac settled in for a siege, eventually involving as many as 900 warriors from a dozen tribes. News of the bold move spread across the trans-Allegany frontier and inspired other tribes and bands to launch attacks on outposts as far flung as Fort Pitt and Fort Niagara. British authorities assumed that Pontiac had personally orchestrated a widespread conspiracy. In fact, his leadership was largely local and by inspiration. He never had command, or even coordinated with other attacks. As the siege dragged on, Lord Amherst dispatched additional troops. In July 250 troops under the command of Captain James Dalyell and legendary frontier soldier Robert Rogers of Rogers’ Rangers fame attempted a surprise raid on Pontiac’s camp near Detroit. Tipped off by sympathetic French settlers in the region, Pontiac was waiting. Capt. Dalyell was among the 20 killed at the Battle of Bloody Run and 34 soldiers were wounded. But Rogers managed to get the rest of the force back to the safety of the Fort. Rogers would later help build the Pontiac myth by writing a play about him which was produced in London. Despite this, Pontiac was unable to take the Fort. By fall many of his allies were fading away to hunt before the winter season closed in. He was forced to lift the siege in October and withdraw with his personal band to the Illinois country. Believing that Pontiac was key to peace on the frontier, the British made the chief the center of intense diplomatic efforts. In July 1766 Pontiac concluded a peace treaty with Superintendent of Indian Affairs Sir William Johnson at Oswego, New York. Emboldened by recognition by the British, he attempted to assert personal leadership over the many tribes and bands of the frontier who had been involved in the fighting during what became known as Pontiac’s Rebellion. There was much resentment of this. He was forced to flee his Ottawa village on the Maumee River in 1767. The following year he was murdered by a Peoria member in the old French village of Cahokia on the Mississippi River in the Illinois country. It may have been a private feud, but most historians believe he was killed because of overstepping his claim to leadership. In death Pontiac’s legend grew among both the European settlers and Native Americans. Later leaders like Tecumseh and Black Hawk would be inspired by his attempts to unite the tribes.