Hail to the Chiefs

Campus Martius Feast

Written in 1792 by Anselm Tupper 

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When Savage Nations on their way

To Pitt--at Marietta lay

All Campus Martius did combine

To ask the Chieftains, there to dine-

Of ev'ry class--attends them there 

And thundering cannon rent the air

Campus Beaux flock'd from their houses

With faces wash'd & their clean trousers

And send in front their lusty Chief 

fed with Philadelphia Beef-

"That I" said he "may be respected"

"I'll leave old Hetuck quite neglected

"His presence unavoidably

"Will check my popularity"-

Then thirteen Chiefs mov'd on with care

And Tillinghart bro't up the rear -

For Campus Martius - Blockhouse Hall

Was large enough to hold them all

A Table spread in high Bon ton

And dainties standing thereupon -

Another of a smaller Size

With Major Putnams Pumpkin pies

A Sow - advanc'd with pigs thirteen

Was furnish'd by the Merchant Greene 

The friendly glass moved round the board

And ev'ry Tip strengthned the cord

That fillial Love might e'er remain

They drank & fill'd the glass again

Let peace extend thro' ev'ry nation

A Grunt. announced their approbation

While mirth throughout the Hall abounds

The Runlets rang with hollow sounds

The stony hearth grew warm & mellow

Who Grunted best_ was the best fellow -

Our Priest deserves the highest merit

For his long Speech to the Great Spirit

Th' astonished Chieftains thus agreed

With an old pipe he should be feed

And as a compensation given

To pray their Tawney souls to heaven -

The jargon ends - but not with yells

Or savage dance as history tells. 

Signed

An Eye witness

      On November 17, 1792, during the local "Indian Wars", a dozen Indian Chiefs visited Marietta. They arrived by boat at the Point on the Ohio River. Joseph Barker: The chiefs "received...welcome and hospitality" befitting heads of state from friendly nations. So, why were they here? Rufus Putnam had negotiated a treaty with friendly tribes from the Wabash River region. He encouraged their chiefs to visit President George Washington in Philadelphia. They stopped at Marietta on the way.

     The chiefs' arrival was quite a spectacle. Many residents had never seen an Indian chief with their elaborate dress and ornamentation. After the Point ceremony, the chiefs walked a mile on a muddy path to the Campus Martius stockade. Major Anselm Tupper, a consumate people watcher, was captivated by the event. He was a veteran and surveyor with a talent for writing - often with "a little sarcasm." His poem offers an amusing view of the Chiefs' visit. We also learn about vocabulary and attitudes of the time. Poem excerpts appear in italics below with comments after.

When Savage Nations on their way

To Pitt--at Marietta lay

All Campus Martius did combine

To ask the Chieftains, there to dine-

 

     "Savage" was a common term then for Indians, a pejorative term, but not always used with disrespect. Pittsburgh was their next stop.

The Campus Beaus flocked from their houses

With faces washed and their clean trowsers,

And send in front their lusty chief,

Well fed on Philadelphia beef

"That I" said he "might be more respected"

I'll leave old Hetuck quite neglected"

 

     Campus Martius men joined the procession, dressed up for the occasion – was the poet mocking them? He notes that the "well fed" Colonel Robert Oliver who led the parade, had become "remarkably fleshy" (gained weight) after a visit to Philadelphia. The last two lines reflect a competitive spirit between The Point and Campus Martius communities. The Point welcoming group had snubbed the Campus Martius people. So, Campus Martius did not invite Point residents including "Hetuck," a nickname for Sheriff Ebenezer Sproat.

Of every class attends them there

And thundering cannon rent the air

 

     "Every class" meant all Campus Martius residents were invited to welcome the chiefs. Joseph Barker: "The drum struck up a salute, the Guard presented Arms, the cannon was fired...", causing the chiefs to lurch awkwardly in surprise. Men, women, and children stared at the chiefs, fascinated by their appearance. Some were confused, even angry. Why were these guys getting the royal treatment when residents were living in constant fear of Indian violence?

     On to dinner at Rufus Putnam's house. There was a prayer to the “Great Spirit.” Mr. Greene provided a roast pig, and Major Ezra Putnam supplied pumpkin pies. There was plenty to eat – and drink!

 

The friendly glass moved round the board

...They drank and filled the glass again

...The stony hearth grew warm and mellow

 

     A spirit of fellowship abounded, encouraged by the spirits they drank. Ichabod Nye captured the irony of the occasion. “…the scene (was) peculiarly striking. …shaking hands with our red guests and the appellation of brother passing from one to the other, seemed to… make us all forget that (Indian) war was on our borders.” The next day the chiefs left, but conflict between whites and Indians did not. It continued here for three more long years.

     This incident offers a vignette into the conflicted relationship between white settlers and Native Americans. Indians were eventually forced from Ohio, a tragic outcome after a century of conflict and failed attempts at peace.