Shëwanamèkwi Kishux 1838 Lekhikàn

By D. A. Lockhart

At home
all morning, Very busy
in sending letters
to fight the invaders
recd a message
to march
to Point Pelee Island.
 
           
Occupied the island
at once. We scoured
the island. We killed 8
            and wounded many others.
 
Drove to Mr.Girty’s by 9 p.m,
went to bed there
quite exhausted
            a very cold night.

---

Sikòn 1838 Lekhikàn
​

By D. A. Lockhart

Returned home after 12 pm
                        with Mr. Girty
 
Good fortune
            to capture
            the Patriot
            (or Rebel)
            Army!
Put up at Middleton’s
            as usual. Good spirits
he May have time
to produce witnesses
and I am sure he has none.
 
General Sutherland & Captain Spencer,
I deeply regret that he
                        is leaving us.
 
Never was a finer spring
than the present one is.
who was found guilty
of High Treason.
 
Had warm words upon
the subject. He behaved
rather mean respecting it.
low spirited & much out
of humour at the meanness
 
What a climate!
            snow on the ground.
 
We afterwards dined together,
I drank a good deal of Brandy
& Water.
 
I drew the Indictment 
& Case against the Point Pelee
Island Prisoners. Thank God
they are both doing well.
 
Every person approved
of what I stated to and
urged upon the Court.))

---

Address to Mr. Justice Jones (Tainipën 1838)
​

By D. A. Lockhart

My Lord, at Pont au Pelee Island
My Lord, within the district
My Lord, from the opposite country
 
                        atrocious
                        most foul
                        lawless banditti
 
imprisoned our inhabitants
imprisoned them within
plundered them of all
and finally murdered several
            to relieve the inhabitants
            from their soil.
 
Instant proof
            (at considerable expense
            and at a great inconvenience
                                    to themselves)
 
I saw the prisoners
 
to our utter amazement
to our utter consternation
My Lord, to our utter dismay
while the whole claims
that retributive justice should be
 
            Yes, my Lord
            that most unfriendly race
            (pointing to the opposite shote
            of Michigan)
            I say, my Lord
 
these scoundrels are not
to be tried.  My Lord,
they are PRISONERS OF WAR!
My Lord, they are not
prisoners of war.
 
I deny the right of any person,
even a convicted murder, from
indicting such a criminal,
And God forbid
            it should be
            Otherwise!

---

​Prince to General Hugh Brady (Muxkòtae Kishux 1838)

By D. A. Lockhart

I am Compelled thus to trouble you
to increase the Anxiety & labour,
extraordinary times, no doubt, impose,
I feel it my duty that I have
ascertained from unquestionable
authority that upwards of 1000 men
left Buffalo, all along the Shore
of Lake Erie. They mustered
tonight, their determination, (but
not being in reality), that there is
a camp of Scoundrels in the Woods.
 
We were under Arms until daylight,
same harassing duty will be repeated.
I leave you to deal with them.

---

Luwàn 1839 Lekhikàn
​

By D. A. Lockhart

Awoke at 6 am
by an alarm given
at Sandwich. Fire
at Windsor, found
it in possession of
Brigands.
 
We attacked then: Killed 27
     & took 20.
 
Home by 5 pm
& Major Girty
dined with me.
 
An attack
on My house
Expected.
 
I gave a sound horsewhipping
to Robert Mercer Esqur,
in public
before many others.
Was grossly
insulted behind my back. A cold day.
 
Orderly in room all morning. Called
on his Excellency & slept at Liberty’s
Tavern on the floor. Roads very bad.
 
            I quite defeated
            the plans of my enemies.
            I crushed them.
 
My situation by no means pleasant,
Disappointed persons: A Cabal,
         Col Elliot,
         Cowan,
         & others.
 
Afterwards I walked up
            to
              the
                 Ferry.
 
With a view, I started
for Malden to stand
my friend against
                        the other conspirators.
 
the snow and Ice going
away fast. Unhappy at
the base Conduct towards
me. Horsewhipped
Mr. Charles Baby except
upon Hogg Island.
 
            We arrived there
            half-an-hour before
            evening.
 
            Distance:         12        paces
 
            I hit Mr. Wood
                        in jaw
                        & ball lodged
                        there.
 
Home by 8
and I walked                all the way.
 
This climate is not
bearable by man
or beast.

---

D.A. Lockhart is the author of multiple collections of poetry and short fiction with North of Middle Island coming out this fall with Kegedonce Press. His work has been shortlisted for the Raymond Souster Award, Indiana Author’s Awards, First Nations Communities READ Award, and has been a finalist for the ReLit Award. His work has appeared widely throughout Turtle Island including, The Malahat Review, Grain, CV2, TriQuarterly, The Fiddlehead, ARC Poetry Magazine, Best Canadian Poetry, Best New Poetry from the Midwest, and Belt. He is a graduate of the Indiana University – Bloomington MFA in Creative Writing program where he held a Neal-Marshall Graduate Fellowship in Creative Writing. He is pùkuwànkoamimëns of the Moravian of the Thames First Nation. Lockhart currently resides at Waawiiyaatanong and Pelee Island where he is the publisher at Urban Farmhouse Press.