John Heckenwelder to John Askin. Burton Historical Collections, Manuscript Vol. 1, page 149. Dear Sir, River Huron Febry. 27th. 1786 I would fain have mentioned to You sooner, that I had received the 301b Coffee by Mr. Dolson,* but had no proper Opportunity-Now I am to ask Liberty, of You in proposing a way, which We think perhaps easiest and best concerning our Improvement, but it is rather to ask Your advice in the matter. We are told, that there are both French and English People watching for Us to leave the place, who immediately intend to go in Our Houses, and make themselves masters of our Labour, without the smalest reward. We therefore, considering our circumstances, (and that We have but a short time to stay, if we, as we intend, to set off as soon as the Lake is clear of Ice) know of no better method, than to lay the matter before the Major of Detroit ect. of whoom we are fully persuaded to believe, that he will act impartial, and do Us justice. We therefore being acquainted with You, beg of You, to lay the case before him, and inform him; that We have lived here three Years and an half, that, when we settled first here, we found ourselves in a Wilderness, but by the Industry of about Sixty dilligent hands, have built a small Villige, consisting of 24 log Houses, besides Stables and other small Buildings. That we have cleared Lands, made fences, Gardens, ect. that We therefore cannot think otherwise, than that we ought to have liberty to sell our Labour (We do not mean to sell the Lands but the Labour done on them) and that we therefore beg of the Major to permit Us to do so, as we shall want what little we shall get, to help Us where We shall settle again. Perhaps the next thing then would be, to put an Advertisement up that People might see, that not only the Improvement is for sale, but that likewise it is by permission of the Comandant, which would be a great encouragement to the buyer. Mr Dolson who is here at present, and the bearer of this Letter, has a notion of buying it, but he says also, he would not do it without the Majors permission. I am convinced You will, Sir, act in our behalf as much as lies in Your power, and if You *Matthew and Isaac Dolson, traders, lived at the mouth of the River Thames. In the fall of 1791 Matthew put two of his children in the School of the Moravians at Fairfield under the guidance of Brother Senseman. In 1798 a son was sent to the same school. have any proposals to make to Us, concerning the matter, such shall be readily accepted, in the mean time I am Dear Sir Your most Obedient JOHN HECKEN WELDER P. S. If You have an answer to send to me, Mr Dolson thinks he will have an Opportunity of forwarding it to me the corse of a few Days, and as I know of no Indian going to Detroit for the present, You will greatly oblige me in sending the Letter to him. J H. John Askin to the Moravian Missionaries. Detroit March the 1st, 1786. Gentlemen: Your Letter of the 26 of last Month to Major Ancram Commandant of this Post I delivered and to which he desired me to give you the following Answer That he looks Upon Your Letter as a fair Honnest Narative of the manner in which you came to and settled at this Place and as it Appears to him that from a Wilderness by your Industry you have made a good Settlement for so short a time, he thinks it very just that your labour should not be in Vain, and in Order to Defeat the Ungenirous and mean Intentions of those who you say wait the moment of your departure to take Possession of Your Place without rewarding you for the Improvements you have made he will himself make you a reasonable recompense for what you have done and represent the matter to the Commander in Chief, added to which you will have his Pass & Protection to return to your former Place of Aboad with some Assistance to your People-There will be a Person Appointed to take charge of Your Place when you Remove. I am Gentlemen, Messrs. Ziesberger. Heckenwelder. Edwards & their Brethren. Endorsed. Detroit March 1, 1786 Jno. Askin to Mrss. Ziesberger Heckenwelder Edwards & etc. (Coppy). Dear Sir John Heckenwelder to John Askin. Burton Historical Collections, Manuscript Vol. 455, page 3. River Huron, March 22, 1786. I have according to Your direction shewn Mr. Bart and the other Young Man the Land and Cornfields over the River, as likewise the Houses in the Village. They like the place exceeding well, but immediately pitch'd on my House and the one in which Your Corn is, which I endeavoured to persuade them, they would hardly obtain, mentioning to them that You had told me at Detroit, and now repeated to me again, that You would reserve these 2 Houses to Yourself. They have walked about on the Land and Cornfields on this side of the River, and by what I understand they mean to do their best, and try for the 2 above mentioned Houses, with the large Cornfield in the bent, namely the field We planted, and which is in a good fence. I desired them not to decieve themselves, but rather to look at some of the other Houses, to which they at last informed me that in case they could by no means obtain the 2 Houses and Cornfield they pitch'd upon they would then satisfy themselves with the 2 opposite Houses No. 14 and No. 15 which are the Houses Mr. Zeisberger and Edwards lives in, and likewise with Land over the River |