"At the very moment when the British Ministry were forwarding assurances of good will, does Lord Dorchester foster and encourage in the Indians hostile dispositions towards the United States," ran the letter, "but this speech only forebodes hostility; the intelligence which has been received this morning is, if true, hostility itself...governor Simcoe has gone to the foot of the Rapids of the Miami, followed by three companies of a British regiment, in order to build a fort there." The British Minister, Hammond, in his answer said he was "willing to admit the authenticity of the speech," and even the building of the fort; but sought to excuse both by recrimination, asserting that the Americans had themselves in various ways shown hostility to Great Britain.

[Footnote: Wait's State Papers and Publick Documents, I., 449, 451.

Letters of Randolph, May 20, 1794, and Hammond, May 22, 1794.] In spite of this explicit admission, however, the British statesmen generally, both in the House of Lords and the House of Commons, disavowed the speech, though in guarded terms; [Footnote: Am.

State Papers, Foreign Relations, I., Randolph to Jay, Aug.

18, 1794.] and many Americans were actually convinced by their denials.
Severity of the Indian Ravages.
Raids and Counter-raids.
Throughout this period, whatever the negotiators might say or do, the ravages of the Indian war parties never ceased.