Letter from W.G. Ewing to William Medill, May 19 1847: Sheet #5

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him to so state to the Indians, to come out firm and manly & tell them your language, but he did not, nor would not do it. He was either incapable of doing it with firmness & dignity, or else he designed [illeg]. He had got the Indians together, held a councill, and, as he supposed, had dated the commencement of his new $2000 salary, and here, I cannot resist the full conviction that his high sense of duty stopped, and he rendered as I am informed & believe, little if any service or assistance from that time until Nov. when he was directed to hand over the Emigrated Miamis to Col. A. J. Vaughan sub Ind. Agent.

His real conduct (not what he falsely represented to you) in Indiana, & on the rout coming out last Octr with the Emigration, I have heard no one speak favorably of. All that saw & was along (save two drunken debauched rascals whom he had with him for his own special use) condemn his conduct, and the Indians unanimously denounced him. He (as they & the whites alledged) never went to see to the Indians, paid no attention to them or to their comfort, never visited the deck, nor the well, but spent most of his time playing cards in the cabin on the Boat. The Indians felt indignant at his conduct & treatment of them, and wanted to complain of it all in his presence, to Col. Vaughan, but he fearing & anticipating them, refused to go among them, and did not during the four days he stayed at Mr. Clymers which was only three miles from the Miami camp. The weather was very pleasant, the road was good & dry, all in the Prairie, & carriages passing from Mr. Clymers to the camp every day. Sinclair was idle & well, yet he