Edgar County IL Archives History .....Preliminary Treaty, 1765 1929
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PRELIMINARY TREATY SIGNED AT A POINT WHICH IS NOW PALERMO, EDGAR COUNTY, 
ILLINOIS, IN 1765, GIVING THE EASTERN MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TO ANGLO SAXON 
CIVILIZATION.

By Rose Moss Scott.

The delay of the British in taking possession of the "Illinois Country", after 
the defeat of the French at Quebec and the surrender of their possessions in 
America by the treaty of 1763, was due to its isolated position and the 
difficulty of reaching it with sufficient force to establish the British 
authority.

France claimed the vast country west of the Alleghenies, watered by the Ohio 
and the Mississippi rivers. The Indian tribes in this region were numerous and 
warlike.

George Croghan, a native of Ireland, came to America in 1743 or 1744. In 1748 
he had a trading house at Logstown, on the Ohio, and later trading 
establishments at the principal Indian towns.

He early saw the importance of detaching the Indians from the French, by means 
of presents and more favorable trade.

His suggestions on the subject were wisely heeded by the President and Council 
of the Province of Pennsylvania, and they appointed him in 1747 their agent to 
deliver presents of goods to the Ohio Indians.

The Chiefs returned thanks for the presents and presented to Croghan a French 
scalp saying—"We send this French scalp as a token that we don't go to visit 
them for nothing".

In August, 1749, Croghan was sent west by Gov. Hamilton in consequence of 
rumors of the French approaching the Ohio and to secure the Indians to the 
English interest. In November, 1750, he with Andrew Montour was dispatched to 
the Miamis to renew the friendship and deliver them presents. On the Ohio the 
chiefs told them "their brothers, the English, ought to have a fort on this 
river to secure the trade as they expected war with the French in the Spring."
In the latter part of April, 1752, Gov. Hamilton at Philadelphia received a 
letter from Col. Croghan, written at Shawneetown, Feb. 8, enclosing a message 
from the Shawnees to the effect that they intended to war against the French 
in revenge for the thirty Miamis killed by them and wanting to be assured of 
the friendship of the English, but in 1763 when the change was made from 
French to English possession, dissatisfaction showed immediately among the 
western tribes.

The Indians determined to "Shut up the way" to keep the white man from taking 
their possessions. To do this, they attacked all English posts on the same 
day. They did win eleven posts by taking the English by surprise. Their plans 
seemed nearing success when word came to Detroit, that peace was established 
between the French and the English, and the red men would be given no more 
ammunition.

During the Pontiac war Col. Croghan was active. He was with Capt. Emper, 
during the investment of Fort Pitt by the Indians.

Gradually Pontiac's eighteen tribes deserted although to them he was King. The 
relentless spirit of the morose Pontiac was however still unsubdued, although 
the Delawares and Shawnees sued for truce, and terms of peace were agreed upon 
Dec. 5, 1764, after Col. Bouquet had defeated the Indians at Bushy Run.
Pontiac like Achilles at the siege of Troy "remained sulking in his tent." 

Loving the French as sincerely as he hated the British, he had risked all in 
what he believed to be their interest. Despondent yet revengeful he turned to 
the Illinois country. A few French traders encouraged him and he determined to 
throw off the British yoke. He found his old friend Villiers, to whom he went, 
and to that officer he unfolded his plans for a continuance of war, and sought 
cooperation. The Frenchman coldly told him, he had already sent him word that 
France and Great Britain were at peace and that his cherished scheme was 
impracticable. Notwithstanding this rebuff he continued his efforts to form a 
new league, visiting the Kickapoos, Miamis and others, and succeeded to some 
extent in renewing the war spirit among them. Feeling once more hopeful, and 
learning that his old friend St. Ange was at Fort Chartres, he repaired to 
that point and demanded guns, ammunition and troops, stating he loved the 
French. St. Ange with equal kindness and firmness, protested his inability to 
furnish the aid requested.

Disappointed here he next turned to New Orleans. He dispatched an embassy of 
trusted braves, whose return only added to his chagrin, when they told their 
tale of ill-success.

Failing to secure French cooperation and support, and deserted in great 
measure by his confederates, the great chief at length perceived the folly of 
attempting to carry on unaided a struggle which could have but one result. 
Learning therefore of the approach of Col. Croghan, he resolved to go and meet 
him and to appraise him of his intentions to establish friendly relations with 
those whom he saw no way to defeat.

The first attempt by the British to assert their ownership was made by a force 
of four hundred regulars, under command of Major Arthur Loftus, who was 
ordered to proceed to the Illinois country by way of New Orleans, Feb. 27, 
1764; fired on by Indians from ambuscades on either bank of the river, several 
of his men killed, he abandoned the enterprise. After another unsuccessful 
attempt under Capt. Morris in Aug., 1764, it was determined to reach Fort 
Chartres from Fort Pitt, and Col. George Croghan, deputy superintendent of 
Indian affairs, was sent on in advance as an envoy. Some apprehension being 
felt lest the savages might commit some fresh outrage, Lieut. Alexander 
Frazier, who was to accompany Col. George Croghan, volunteered to proceed 
alone. Meanwhile Col. Croghan and men left Fort Pitt on May 15, 1765, 
accompanied by friendly Indians.

His progress was uneventful until he arrived at a small promontory of the 
Wabash, where he disembarked. On June 8th, six miles below the mouth of that 
stream, he was suddenly attacked by a band of Kickapoos, eighty in number.
In the fight which followed Col. Croghan lost two white men and three Indians, 
while most of his party including himself were wounded. A surrender was 
unavoidable, and the victorious Kickapoos plundered the entire party. 
Subsequently, they assured the British officer it was "all a mistake", as they 
supposed the Indians accompanying him were their deadly foes the Cherokees.
They brought their prisoners in safety to Vincennes, where the Indians, many 
of whom had friendly acquaintance with Col. Croghan, strongly condemned the 
Kickapoos.

Leaving Vincennes he had proceeded but a short distance on his way to the 
Illinois Country, taking the route travelled by Morris for Detroit, before he 
was met by a delegation of chiefs representing various tribes, and on July 18, 
1765, was met by the hitherto implacable Pontiac himself at the head of a 
large band of Ottawa braves. The conference which ensued was entirely 
satisfactory and the preliminary Treaty signed.

Today in Young America Township, Edgar County, at the cross roads, in the 
small village of Palermo, is a large concrete marker almost six feet high and 
four feet wide. On this marker is a bronze tablet bearing the following 
inscription:

"Near here on July 18th, 1765, Col. George Croghan, Deputy Superintendent of 
Indian affairs of the British Government, made a preliminary Treaty of Peace 
with Pontiac, Chief of the Ottawas and leader of the great Indian Confederacy. 

By the terms of this agreement, the allegiance of the Indians was transferred 
from the French to the British. Thus securing the Eastern Mississippi Valley 
for Anglo Saxon civilization".

The intersection of the Fort Harrison (Terre Haute), Fort Clark (Peoria) and 
Kaskaskia-Detroit trails were in this vicinity.

This marker was erected in 1910 by the teacher, Mr. Epperson, and pupils of 
the Palermo school, under the supervision of the County Superintendent of 
Schools, Mr. George Brown.

Hickory Grove, just west of Palermo, contained at one time about four hundred 
acres and in this grove was a never failing spring. Indians would camp here 
for weeks when following these trails.

Col. George Croghan was the most conspicuous name in the western annals in 
connection with Indian affairs, for twenty-five years preceding the War of the 
Revolution.

Pontiac, the great forest chieftain, was a singularly fine looking man. He was 
a Catawba by birth. He was taken prisoner and adopted by the Ottawas. His 
bearing was stern and resolute, brave, cruel at times and vindictive, he was 
shrewd and cunning and by his great ability exercised almost regal authority 
over the Northwestern Indians.

Northrop says the plan of operations which Pontiac adopted was the most 
remarkable exhibition of genuine leadership ever given by an Indian.

After the signing of the preliminary treaty by Pontiac, there was no necessity 
for Col. Croghan going farther into Illinois. He took the trail for Detroit 
and was followed soon after by Pontiac. At a meeting held in August, 1763, all 
the western tribes were represented and after much speech making the terms of 
peace were agreed upon, which were to be incorporated in a treaty on the part 
of the conquerors by Sir Wm. Johnson.

This terminated the great War of Pontiac, and with it all his hopes of the 
restoration of the empire of France in America.

The laws of the human races follow closely those of nature in its other 
kingdoms, and we see the survival of the fittest every day. Nation follows 
nation, the strongest overcoming the weaker; peoples arise and vanish and 
others take their places in the onward march. It is the law of progress. The 
Indians gave way before our race as some other race gave way to them.

Information: Life of Col. Croghan from Christopher Gist's Journals, by William 
M. Darlington. Pontiac; from The Red Men, by Ella Hines Stratton. Meeting of 
Col. Croghan and Pontiac from Illinois Historical and Statistical, Part 1, by 
Moses. The Marker at Palermo and Hickory Grove from Mr. J. Epperson.

Additional Comments:
Source: Publication Number Twenty-nine of the Illinois State Historical 
Library, Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the Year 
1922; Twenty-Third Annual Meeting of the Society, Springfield, Illinois. May 4-
5, 1922; Board of Trustees of the Illinois State Historical Library. (Printed 
by authority of the State of Illinois.) Champaign, IL: Schnepp & Barnes, 
Printers, Springfield, Ill. 1923

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