TEXT SOURCE: Kent, Donald H. and Deardorff, Merle H., eds “John Adlum on the Allegheny: Memoirs for the Year 1794.” Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 84 (1960): 265‑324, 435‑480, esp 458-460.
“....I then expressed a hope that if they were so infatuated as to go to war with us, that they would carry it on, differently from all the wars they had hither with us -- And that was: that they would cease to put to death woemen & children -- These words were scarcely uttered before every man present, simultaneously rose on his feet, and all fixed their eyes on me with a mixture of Sternness resentment: at which I was not a little surprised, and after a pause, the Cornplanter, asked me if I meant to insult or affront them -- I replied there was nothing farther from my intentions.
“He then spoke loud and with great emphasis and energy -- By saying Who began that business, (to which I did not reply) When he resumed, If you do not know I will tell you. When the white people first came to this country and before that -- as well as since we were so foolish as to make war on each other -- And if we were successful we took the Woemen and children prisoners, whom we invariably adopted into our families, and they according to their age, were called, mother, Sister, brother, or child, and they were considered as related to the family -- The men with few exceptions were put to death -- But sometimes a woman who had lost a son had a right to chuse one, and sometimes a widow would claim a man for a husband and take them as such. When you first came to this Country our fathers have informed us, that they took you under their protection, and they assisted in supplying your wants, by giving you provisions, they then called you their children -- But it was not long before you increased in number, and by your fire arms increased in power, Our fathers were then content to call you brothers, and they also gave you land to till, to raise corn & other things -- Butyou still increased in numbgers and power and you took possession of any part of our country that suited you, and when our fathers remonstrated -- they were told, that they did not worship the true great spirit, and the country did not belong to them, and that it was meretorious to drive them (our fathers) from the face of the earth, and they were treated by the whites as if they were beasts and not men -- Our fathers built houses, and fortified them, but the whites with their superior arms took those places, where there was men woemen and children, and did they ever spare one great or small -- as I suppose your books do not tell these things, I will answer for you, NO, You in your books charged us with many things we were never guilty of -- But if we were to or could write books we could tell you of things, that an Indian never practiced or would be ashamed to be charged with. Whenever we treated with you at the end of a war, there was always an article that all prisoners on both sides should be delivered up, -- Did you ever deliver up any? Did you ever deiver up one? I answer for you NO. When at the end of the war of the revolution as you call it, we delivered up to you hundreds, hundreds & hundreds -- whether your books tell you of this or not I do not know; But I know the fact, and the truth of my assertion -- Does your books tell you of Indians legs being skinned and tanned? Does your books tell you of parts of Indians being skinned, and those skins being dressed and made razor strops of? I know that all these things were done by the whites and I heard them boast of it. Does your books tell you -- If they had done those things they would have been recorded in your books -- And I know that there is a great many lies written in your books respecting us -- We have thought of your suggestion before, and at Buffaloe we will decide how this war is to be carried on -- And if my advice is taken, we will never again injure woemen adn children, for it is mean, & contemptible, for a warrior to put to death those that do not, or cannot, fight, And it is of no use to take them prisoners, as they must be returned -- at the end of the war -- But we will give you men no quarters -- As I saw the Angry passions arising, I did not reply further than to observe to them, If I understand you, among men no quarters are to be given, and that if we do not kill you, you will kill us....”