gateway; and the commandant of the fort, Captain Helm, stood by the cannon with a lighted match. When Governor Hamilton and his military approached within hailing distance, Helm called out with a loud voice, "Halt!" This show of resistance made

HON. W. L. WEBBER.

WILLIAM L. WEBBER, of East Saginaw, was born July 19, 1825, at Ogden, Monroe county, New York.

In June, 1836, he came with his father and family to Michigan, and settled in Hartland, Livingston county. He studied medicine two years, in 1847-8, at Milford, Oakland county, when, discovering that the law would be more congenial to his taste, he changed his reading to fit himself for the latter profession, and was admitted to the bar in 1851. He removed to East Saginaw in March, 1853, where he at once took a lead

Hamilton stop and demand a surrender of the garrison.

"No man," exclaimed Helm, with an oath, "enters here until I know the terms." Hamilton replied, "You shall have the honors of war." Helm thereupon surrendered the fort, and the whole garrison, consisting of the two already named, marched out and received the customary marks of respect for their brave defense. Hamilton was afterwards met by General Clark, to whom he surrendered. The British soldiers were suffered to return to Detroit; but their commander, who was known to have been active in instigating Indian barbarities, was placed in irons, and sent to Virginia as a prisoner of war.

The pious Moravian missionaries, on the banks of the Muskingum, did not escape the hand of the English at Detroit. They were suspected of holding a secret correspondence with the Congress at Philadelphia, and of contributing their influence, as well as that of their Indian congregation, to aid the American cause. Deputies were therefore sent to Niagara, and a grand council of the Iroquois was assembled, at which those Indians were urged to break up the Indian congregation collected by the Moravians. These tribes, not wishing to have anything to do with it, sent a message to the Chippewas and Ottawas, with a belt, stating that they gave the Indian congregation into their hands, "to make soup of."

ing position as a lawyer. For many years he has been one of the prominent lawyers of Northern Michigan. As a practitioner he was studious, mastering all the law applicable to his cases, painstaking to learn all the facts from his client, alert to find out whatever was to be known in advance about the plans of his adversary, self-possessed and dignified in his conduct on the trial of cases, affable and fair to his brethren in the profession, and, withal, zealous for his client. He was ever candid and faithful in his relations, professional and otherwise, keeping faith with everybody, as a matter of conscience and honor.

Latterly, for several years, he was been intimately associated with the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad as its attorney, and commissioner for the care and disposition of its large land grant. For this position he gave up general practice. By his judicious management of this land department, he has very largely contributed to the interior of the State north of the Saginaw river. He is at present mayor of the city of East Saginaw.

In 1781, these Moravian missionaries arrived at Detroit, when they were brought before De Peyster, the commandant. A war council was held, and the council house completely filled with Indians. Captain Pipe, an Indian chief, addressed the assembly, and told the commandant that "the English might fight the Americans if they chose; it was their cause, and not his; that they had raised a quarrel among themselves, and it was their business to fight it out. They had set him on the Americans, as the hunter sets his dog upon the game." By the side of the British commander stood another war chief, with a stick in his hand, four feet in length, strung with American scalps. This warrior followed Captain Pipe, saying: "Now, father, here is what has been done with the hatchet you gave me. I have made the use of it that you ordered me to do, and found it sharp."

Such were the scenes at Detroit that occurred frequently, from the close of the Pontiac war till the advent of the "stars and stripes. During the whole course of the revolutionary war, the savage tribes in this vicinity were instigated to commit the most atrocious cruelties against the defenseless American settlements. Every avenue was closed whereby a different influence might be introduced among them, and they were made to believe that the Americans were only seeking to possess themselves of their lands, and to drive them away from the territory they had inherited from their fathers. But, at last, the great cause of American freedom was triumphant. The treaty of Versailles was concluded in 1783, and the settlers of Michigan were once more permitted to renew their labors in comparative peace.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE RETENTION OF THE WESTERN POSTS BY GREAT BRITAIN AFTER THE TREATY OF 1783-NORTHWESTERN TERRITORY ORGANIZED— INDIAN TROUBLES AGAIN-THE GREAT WAR COUNCIL AT DETROIT -CAMPAIGN OF GENERAL HARMER-ST. CLAIR'S DEFEAT-WAYNE'S VICTORIES-MICHIGAN SURRENDERED TO THE UNITED STATES.

WE HAVE said that the war was ended and peace established; but no sooner was a treaty of peace concluded, than new troubles began to arise. We have seen how, during the revolutionary war, the western outposts of Great Britain were instrumental in sending the savages against the weak settlements; and, now that the Americans had been victorious, England refused to withdraw her troops from the garrisons in the lake region. However, by the second article of Jay's treaty, in 1794, it was provided that the British troops should be withdrawn from all the posts assigned to the United States by the former treaty of 1783, on or before the first day of June, 1796. This matter being settled, the American people turned their attention to the Northwest, with a view to its settlement; and measures were accordingly taken for its temporary government. The circumstance which had more particularly directed the public attention to the western domain was a memorial from the soldiers and officers of the Revolutionary army, presented to General Washington in 1783, setting forth their claims to a portion of the public lands. One difficulty that lay in the way was that the territory northwest of the Ohio was claimed by several of the Eastern States, on the ground that it was included within the limits indicated by their charter from the English Crown. But, in answer to the wishes of the government and people, these States, in a patriotic spirit, surrendered their claims to this extensive territory, that it might constitute a common fund, to aid in the payment of the national debt. Many of the native tribes conveyed to the United States their

rights to territory in this domain, and thus was the way prepared for the erection of the territory northwest of the Ohio. A government was formed for this extensive region, with Arthur St. Clair as Governor; and, on the seventh of April, 1788, a com

CHESTER B. JONES, the subject of this sketch, was born in Western Pennsylvania, September 11, 1823.

At an early age he passed through an academic course of education, at Erie. This finished, he emigrated to Kentucky, and taught school there and in other Southern States for several years. Having a desire for an active business life, he connected himself with a mercantile house, and traveled extensively through the Union representing their interests.

In 1853, he became connected with a wealthy lumber firm in Albany,