“No living man probably saw or knew more of the Indians in the Northwest Territory than did Mr. Finley; during seventy years he was among them, and studied their history, character and manner of life. In this work he has gathered together the numerous interesting events, that, in his long experience and observation, were thought worthy of record; and has so connected the facts, as to give a very complete, though condensed view of Indian history in the Northwest. The first half of the work contains a large portion of the matter related in the History of the Wyandots, and Autobiography, by the same author.” – Peter G. Thomson, A Bibliography of the State of Ohio (1880)