wisest statesmen. American treaties with the
Indians had no force against the allurements of foreign gold, and under
this unholy alliance men were burnt at the stake, women were carried
away, and cabins were destroyed.

With the aim of regaining the friendship of the Indians, Congress
appointed commissioners who met the tribes at Pittsburgh; and Colonel
George Morgan, Indian agent, writes to John Hancock, November 8, 1776:

I have the happiness to inform you that the cloud that threatened
to break over us is likely to disperse. The Six Nations, with the
Muncies, Delawares, Shawanese, and Mohicans, who have been
assembled here with their principal chiefs and warriors to the
number of 644, have given the strongest assurance of their
determination to preserve inviolate the peace and neutrality with
the United States.

These amicable expectations were not realized, and General Edward Hand
came to Pittsburgh the next year and planned an expedition against the
Indians. Colonel Broadhead took out Hand's expedition in the summer and
burned the Indian towns.

The depreciation of paper currency, or Continental money, had by this
time brought the serious burden of high prices upon the people. The
traders, who demanded apparently exorbitant rates for their goods, were
denounced in public meetings at Pittsburgh as being "now commonly known
by the disgraceful epithet of speculators, of more malignant natures
than the savage Mingoes in the wilderness." This hardship grew in
severity until the finances were put upon a more stable basis.

In 1781, there was demoralization and mutiny at Fort Pitt, and General
William Irvine was put in command. His firm hand soon restored the
garrison to obedience. The close of the war with Great Britain in that
year was celebrated by General Irvine by the issue of an order at the
fort, November 6, 1781, requiring all, as a sailor would say, "to splice
the mainbrace." This order read as follows:

The commissioners will issue a gill of whisky, extraordinary, to
the non-commissioned officers and privates, upon this joyful
occasion.

The Penn family had purchased the Pittsburgh region from the Indians in
1768, and they would offer none of it for sale until 1783. Up to this
time they had held the charter to Pennsylvania; but as they had
maintained a steadfast allegiance to the mother country, the general
assembly annulled their title, except to allow