Fall of the High Tide

Sreeram Yashasvi, corresponding from the United Nations General Assembly- Disarmament and Security Committee (UNGA- DISEC) chronicles the Pontiac’s Rebellion between invaders and Native Indians.

The British army led by Captain Simon Eucyer had suppressed an Indian uprising at Fort Pitt. Captain Eucyer was supported by Colonel Bouquet in the final stages. The Indian uprising consisted of five native tribes living around the (now) Ohio country and Allegheny Plateau. It mainly consisted of Six Nations, Delawares and Shawnees.

After the British had violated their treaty with the natives, two emissaries were sent to make peaceful negotiations. The different native groups were divided in their opinion about the impending war. The initial talks failed due to the refusal of their demands by the British. The pervasive belief among the British was that the natives were "vermin" and that they had to be eliminated. For Commander-in-Chief Jeffery Amherst, who before the war had dismissed any possibility of Indian resistance, the situation had become grim over the summer. Official memos indicate that he explicitly instructed his commanders not to take any prisoners. Undeniable evidence shows communication where the viability of a smallpox attack had been discussed.

The Natives then launched a multi-pronged attack to drive the settlers into the fort. They set the houses and fields surrounding the fort on fire. They managed to successfully surround the fort but their lack of understanding of siege strategies cost them dearly. They couldn't capitalise on the advantage they had created. This forced them into parley.

Smallpox had broken out inside the Fort, and Captain Eucyer was forced to establish a make-shift quarantine for the sick. When the natives arrived, they were given two blankets and a towel from the hospital as a sign of goodwill.

No official records exist affirming this step but personal memos between the captain and his subordinates and memos of Colonel Henry Bouquet and his commanding officer in Amherst show the ploy was being thought of at two levels without mutual communication.

The exact effect the infected blankets had on the natives is debatable, but it did peg them down for a while and brought the British enough time to bring in reinforcements. The natives attempted to fend off the incoming force led by Colonel Henry Bouquet in a battle which is today known as the Battle of Bushy Run. The natives were utterly decimated.

The natives’ offence on Fort Pitt effectively ended after this defeat. Colonel Bouquet was able to reach Fort Pitt from Amherst with a considerable number of troops.

The natives were thus able to broker a compromise at Fort Detroit but were unable to make significant gains in other places. This series of uprisings are collectively called the Pontiac's War.

(Edited by Drishya Sobhana Narayanan)