War of 1812 Bicentennial

Communication.

Major Nash, Capt. M'Night, and Lieut. Kellogg, arrived on the 17th July at St. Rigis, with a flag, sent from Massena by Brigadier General Jacob Brown, of Brownsville, N. Y. under pretence of those gentlemen having some personal affairs to settle.—A short time after their arrival, one Colonel Lewis, a black man, who has resided in that Village for many years, was under the necessity of placing a letter in the hands of a respectable inhabitant of the place, to read to him, the writing being rather unintelligible; of which the following is a correct copy:

"Massina, July 17, 1812.

"Brother,

"Brigadier General Jacob Brown, of Brownsville, on the Black River, is desirous to see you, by the order of our common Father, the President of the United States, who now stands in the shoes of the great and good Washington.—He commands upon the Northern frontier, from Oswego to St. Regis, and wishes to cultivate a good understanding with the Chiefs and Warriors of the St. Regis Indians. He wishes to see you at his room in this place, together with two or three other of the principal Chiefs acting in concert with Col. Lewis, and for this purpose he sends to Col. Lewis Major Nash, Capt. M'Night and Lieut. Kellogg, who will accompany Col. Lewis and his friends to my Quarters this evening, or as early tomorrow morning as possible, that we may consult together for the best interest of our respective tribes. Col. Thomas B. Benedict, who commands in the County of St. Lawrence, is here with me.

"Jacob Brown, Brig. Gen.

"Col. Col. Lewis."

It is said Col. Lewis and two other Chiefs attended this invitation, and have been since banished from the Village by their tribes.

What faith can we in future place in Gen. Brown's Flags of Truce?