Revision: OIA_Roll-418_0269

HTML

State of Indiana Huntington County

Personally appeared before me the undersigned James M. Bratton Justice of the Peace of said county, Elias Murray of lawful age and a creditable citizen who being duly sworn deposeth and saith,

That about the first of October last he was employed by Alexis Coquillard the acting contractor of the Miami Emigration to assemble all the Miami Indians in the Upper Wabash Country--that he proceeded and engaged ^ ^with Mr. Zenas Henderson (who speaks the language) and directed him to assemble the Raccoon Party which he succeeded in doing, and took them to Peru to Capt. Jewett's encampment, that deponent assembled the other Indians on Wabash and Little River who joined the emigration--That deponent had an order for teams at Fort Wayne and he directed two to go to the Head waters of blue River in the North part of Whitley County where most of the Wa-we-assee party reside and to assist in assembling them. deponent dispatched his son Julius Murray with one Joseph Rubedeaux an Interpreter who speaks their language and directed them to call at Ko-assee's village on their way out, and that this deponent is informed and believes that said men made full and proper exertions to bring in said Indians, that on their return they brought in a considerable number from Ko-assee's village, and reported that a large part of the Wa-we-assee party, or most of them had left their village, and fled in the direction of the state of Michigan, and had determined not to emigrate; nor does he believe it was in the power of the men sent for them to find them, or induce them to emigrate.

That during the assembling of said Indians and the starting of said Emigration, that so far as this deponent observed, the contractors were vigilant in assembling said Indians, and spared neither expense or labor to effect that object, and employed men acquainted with them, and with interpreters most suitable and best qualified to assemble all of said Indians whose duty it was to Emigrate. Said interpreters Henderson & Rubedeaux were employed by said contractor Coquillard at Peru and directed to accompany this deponent upon said service--this deponent believes that said contractors done all in their power to cause all of said Indians