It's fun to use Google Book Search to find old phrases like this. I suppose there's a chance you might find instances of use that are even older than those listed in the OED.

Bossu, M. Travels Through That Part of North America Formerly Called Louisiana. Translated from the French by John Reinhold Forster. London: Printed for T. Davies, 1771, page 237f:

A cacique lately returned from New Orleans freely owned to me, that he had a great mind to break their [i.e. English] heads for killing the French in the north, that is, during the siege of Quebec, and that he was tempted to take his revenge upon those that were at New Orleans. He added, that in his country they spoke to their enemies with the club in their hands, as soon as the hatchet is dug up; a phrase which denotes, that nobody ought to have any commerce or correspondence with the enemy, directly or indirectly, under any pretence whatsoever, after war is declared, unless he will prove a traitor to his country, and be punished accordingly.

When peace is concluded they bury the hatchet or the club under ground, signifying thereby that all their hatred towards their enemies is buried in oblivion, that the horrors of war are at an end, and that friendship and good understanding are growing again between them and their friends, like the white flowers of their tree of peace, (which is the white laurel), that ought to spread its branches over the white ground; which is a metaphorical expression which means the ground of peace.