USA > New York > The documentary history of the state of New York, Vol. I pt 1 > Part 20
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Your Excelleney most humble and most obedient servant
Pr SCHUYLER.
COL. DONGAN TO THE LORD PRESIDENT.
[Lond. Doc. V.]
Sept. 8 1687
My Lord-I gave your Lodp an acct in my last letter that I had Intelligence the French were come on this side of the Lake, to war with the Sonnekes
I send the Bearer Judge'Palmer to give his Maty an account of their Invading his territories without any manner of Provocation if your Lodr will please to read his Instructions you will find a true accompt of their Proceedings
The Senekas desired assistance of men but I put them off by giving them Powder, Lead, Arms and other things, fitting & necessary for them @ also by making such Propositions as I
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thought would please them being unwilling actually to ingage the French until I knew his Maty's pleasure
I must needs say of ye French without being Partiall that they are very unjust, to enter the King's Territories in a hostile man- ner after the offers I made them
I know their Pretence will bee, that our Indians have wronged them, but it is not soe, for the Beaver Trade is the sole end of their Designs, whatever Colour they give to their Actions which is only hindred by the Five nations of Indians on this side of the Lake who have submitted themselves @ their Lands to the King's subjection. Those Five nations are very brave @ the awe @ Dread of all ye Indyans in these Parts of America, and are a better defence to us, than if they were so many Christians
The Claim the French can make, to the farther Indians, or any on this side ye Lake is no other than what they may have to Jap- pan which is that some of their Priests have resided amongst them
Peace, or Warr, it will be very necessary to send over men @ to build those Forts, I have mentioned in my Instructions to Judge Palmer, for the French are encroaching as fast as they can, and a little thing can prevent now what will cost a great expence of Blood @ Money hereafter. My Lord there are people enough in Ireland who had pretences to Estates there @ are of no advan- tage to the country @ may live here very happy I do not doubt if his Maty think fitt to employ my Nephew he will bring over as many as the King will find convenient to send who will be no charge to his Maty after they are Landed, Provided all Connec- ticut @ East @ West Jersey be added to this Government @ to add any thing of Conecticut to Boston is the most unproportiona- ble thing in the world they having already a hundred times more Land, Riches @ People than this province @ yet the charge of this Governmt more than that
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GOVERNOR DONGAN'S INSTRUCTIONS TO CAPT. PALMER.
[Lond. Doc. V.]
8th Sept. 1687.
You are to inform his Maty that in May last I had letters from Albany @ Informacons of Indians that came from Canada, That the Governor of Canada went from Monte Royall with a great many French and Indyans in Boats and Canno's towards Cada- raque with an Intention to come on this side of the lake @ war against the Sennekes upon Receipt of which I called the Councill @ the letters @ Information were read upon which the Councill thought convenient to give what assistance possibly we could to our Indians, and to that intent I, Major Brockhells yourself @ other gentlemen went up to Albany where there was from time to time such orders and Instructions sent @ given to the Indyans as was thought fitt for their security
The French Pretence for Coming into the King's Territories @ warring with our Indians is that they war with the further nation of Indyans who lye on the back of Maryland, Virginia, @ Carolina, which is only a feigned pretence for that I have sent sevll Letters to Mons' La Bar who was Governor of Canada to signify that if our Indians had done them any injury they should make them all reasonable satisfaction, but that would not satisfy, for he came to Cayonhage where the Indians would have me build a Fort @ there made a Peace with the Indians so that what the Indians had done before this Govmt came was concluded and agreed thereby tho they had not done any thing to the French but what was in Pursuance of his own orders
And as to their Warring with the farther Indyans that is more hurtfull to us than the French they being inclined to trade with us rather than them which by their Warring is hindred @ in my opinion the Christians ought not to meddle with the Indians warring one with another it being the ruin of themselves And as for this present Governor of Canada Monsr de Nonville he has no ground for what he does, for I have from time to time offered to do him Justice for any ill the Indians should committ and sent
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DENONVILLE'S EXPEDITION TO THE
a messinger this Spring to him for that purpose; to take away all pretence whatsoever @ also sent him word that those five Nations on our side of the Lake had delivered themselves @ their Lands under the subjection of our King @ that I had caused the Kings arms to be sett upon all their Castles
But their reason for this Warr is that the Indyans would not submitt @ joyn themselves to the French who have used all other meanes to effect it @ those failing have caused this attempt so that we find they have a further design which is by the Ruin of those Indians to engross both the "rade @ Country wholly to them- selves, and to that intent the French King has sent over upwards of 3000 men besides what came this last spring and alsoe has built a Fort at a place called Shamblee and another at Monte Royall and another at Trois Riviers one at Cataraque at the other side of the Lake and this spring an other on our side of the La e at a place called Onyegra where I had thought to have built one it being the place where all our Traders & Beaver Hunters must pass.
So that they are resolved to Ruin all those Indians @ if they compass their design it will be of very ill consequence to all his Matys subjects in those parts of America for they are a better Bullwark against the French and the other Indians than so many Christians, @ if the French have all that they pretend to have discovered of these Parts, the King of England will not have 100 miles from the sea any where, for the people of Canada are poor @ live only on the Beaver @ Peltry and the Kings subjects here living plentifully have not regarded making discoveries into the country until of late being encouraged by me one Roseboon had leave in the year 1685 to go with some young men as farr as the Ottawawe & Twiswicks, where they were very well recd @ invited to come every year, and they desired that the Sinnekas being their enemies would open a path for them that they might come to Albany.
But a little after their being there a party of our Indians being out attacked a Castle of theirs, took 5 or 600 prisaners and brought them away to their own country, which when I heard of I ordered the Indians to deliver to Roseboom @ to one Major McGregory a
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Scots gentn (who went with 60 of the young men of Albany, and some of Albany Indians a Beaver trading to those further nations) as many of those prisoners as were willing to return home, the Govr of Canada hearing of their going that way sent 200 French @ 3 or 400 Indians to intercept them, has taken them Prisoners taken their goods from them @ what they further design to do with them is not yet known.
And for this Government which is too poor of itself to help our Indians without adding Connecticut @ East @ West Jersey in case the war continues without the assistance of our Neighbors @ some men out of Europe will be wholly impossible, for we are the least government @ the poorest @ yet are at the greatest charges @ we find this year. that the Revenue is very much diminished for in other years we are used to Ship off for England 35 or 40,000 Beavers besides Peltry @ this year only 9000 and some hundreds peltry in all
The Council to show their readiness to serve the King have passed two acts for raising 1d Pr lb at New York, Isopus @ Albany, these three places being the only support of the Govern- ment @ 1gd on Long Island @ the rest of the Government who do not advance the Kings Revenue neither by Excise nor Customs 1501b P ann:
To secure the Beaver & Peltry Trade @ the Kings right to the Country : It's mine and the Councils opinion (alsoe to have an awe over our Indians @ make them firm to us) to build a Fort at Corlars Lake; to secure us that way from the Incursion of either French, or Indians, another at Cayonhage upon the great Lake, and another at Onyegra @ two or three little other Forts between Schonectade @ the Lake to secure our people going @ coming
This cannot possibly be done without 4 or 500 men out of Eu- rope, @ in case Connecticut @ the two Jerseys be added to this Government, with some help from Pensylvania, @ the three lower Countys it may be effected without any charge to the King, and will be a great security to all these parts of America
If the metes @ bounds could be adjusted at home it would be very convenient, provided always that the Country were first well discovered by us in which the French at present have much
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the advantage. And it is very unreasonable that the French who lye so much to the Northward of us shd extend themselves soe far to the Southward @ Westward on the Backside of his Matys Plantacns when they have so vast a quantity of land Lying Di- rectly behind ye dominions they now possess, to the Northward @ Northwest as far as the South sea
Whether Peace or War it is necessary that the Forts should be built, @ that religious men live amongst the Indians.
I have that influence over our Indians, that I am sure they will not war on any Indians living amongst His Matys subjects.
The monies that are now to be raised is for defraying the charge of Arms, Powder, Lead @ other presents given to the Indians this summer as also to make some preparations against the Spring in Case of Necessity.
Whatsoever is his Matys pleasure I desire that My Lord Sun- derland, will by the first conveniency either by the way of Mary- land, Virginia or Boston let me know and send me orders, how I shall proceed in this affair,
You are so well acquainted with all that has passed in this Government, concerning this affair with the French, and my con- stant Endeavors to preserve a good correspondence with them, that what I have here omitted I desire you will take care to inform his Maty.
Dated the 8th September 1687
THOS DONGAN
M DE DENONVILLE TO GOV. DONGAN.
[Paris Doc. III. ; Lond. Doc. V.]
August 22, 1687.
Sir-The respect I entertain for the King your Master and the orders I have from the King to live in harmony with His Bri- tannic Majesty's Subjects induce me, Sir, to address you this letter on the present state of affairs, so as not to have any thing to reproach myself with.
On seeing, Sir, the letter you were at the trouble to write mc on my arrival in this government I persuaded myself by your
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frank discourses that we should live in the greatest harmony and best understanding in the world, but the event has well proved that your intentions did not at all accord with your fine words.
You recollect, Sir, that you positively asked me in that same letter to refer the difference about boundaries to the decision of our Masters; letters more recently received from you fully con- vince me that you received that which I wrote you in reply to your first to shew you that I willingly left that decision to our Masters. Nevertheless, Sir, whilst you were expressing these civilities to me you were giving orders and sending passes to des- patch canoes to trade at Missilimaquina where an Englishman had never set his foot and where we, the French, are established more than 60 years. I shall say nothing of the tricks and intrigues resorted to by your people and by your orders to induce all the Savage tribes domiciled with the French to revolt against us. I tell you nothing, either, of all your intrigues to engage the Iro- quois to declare war against us. Your Traders at Orange have made noise enough about it, and your presents of munitions of war made, with this view, last year and 'this, are convictions sufficiently conclusive not to entertain a doubt of it, even were there not proofs at hand of your wicked designs against the sub- jects of the King whose bread you have eaten long enough and by whom you have been sufficiently well entertained to cause you to have more regard for His Majesty, though you had not all the orders from his Britannic Majesty that you have to live well with all the subjects of the King, his antient friend.
What have you not done, Sir, to prevent the Senecas surren- dering to me the Outaouas and Huron prisoners of Missillimaquina whom they treacherously captured last year, and how many goings and comings have there not been to the Senecas on your part and that of your traders who do nothing but by your orders, to prevent the restitution of the said prisoners by the said Senecas who were solicited at the village of the Onontagues to give me satisfaction.
I avow to you, Sir, that I should never have expected such proceedings on your part, which without doubt will not please the King your Master, who will never approve your so strenu- ously opposing by threats of chastisement the Iroquois coming to
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me, when I invited them to visit me to arrange with them the causes of discontent that I had on account of their violences. Three years ago, Sir, you made use of them to wage war against the French and their allies, you took great pains to give them, for that purpose, more lead, powder and arms than they asked. You did more, Sir; for you promised them reinforcements of men to sustain them against the King's subjects; quite recently, Sir, you would have again pushed your ill will further by sending two Parties, commanded by men carrying your orders, to Mis- silimaquina to expel us from there and put you into possession, contrary to the word you have given not to undertake any thing before the arrangement of their Majesties, our Masters.
You have, Sir, still surpassed all that ; for after the pains you had taken to prevent the Iroquois assembling at Catarocouy where I expected to meet them to settle all our differences and receive from them the satisfaction they should have afforded me, as well in regard to the Huron and Outaouas prisoners they would have given up to me had you not opposed it, as for the pillagings and robberies that they have committed on us, and all the insults they daily offer our missionaries, as well those they may have actually among them as those they have expelled after an infinite amount of ill treatment during 20 years they lived in their villages ; after you, Sir, having, I say, so little regard for the interests of the King's subjects and the good of Religion whose progress you thus prevent, you have, Sir, quite recently contravened the last treaty entered into between our masters, a copy of which you have re- ceived with orders to observe it, and of which you have also sent mne copy. Read it well, Sir, if you please, and you will there remark how strongly their Majesties have it at heart to preserve their sub- jects in good union and understanding, so that their Majesties un- derstand that the enemies of one are the enemies of the other. If the avarice of your merchants influenced you less than the de- sire to execute the orders of the King your master, doubtless, Sir, I should already have had proofs of your good disposition to execute the said treaty, according to which you ought not to afford either refuge or protection to the savages, enemies of the French Colony, much less assist them with ammunition to wage war against it.
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GENESEE COUNTRY AND NIAGARA.
Nevertheless, I assert positively that you have, since the publica- tion of said treaty of neutrality, contravened it in this particular, since nothing is done in your government save by your orders.
After that, judge, Sir, what just grounds I have to complain of, and be on my guard against, you.
On my return from the campaign which I just made against the Senecas, I received the letter that you took the trouble to write me, Sir, on the 11th (20th) June of this year. You send me copy of the Treaty of Neutrality entered into between our masters of which I also transmitted you a copy as I had recd it from the King and it was published in this country. Nothing more is re- quired therein, Sir, than to have it fully and literally executed as well on your part as on mine. To do that you must discontinue protecting the enemies of the Colony and cease to receive them among you, and to furnish them with munitions as you have done. You must, also, observe the promise you gave me at the time of my arrival, that you would leave the decision of the limits to our masters. You must, likewise, not undertake any expedition against us in any of our establishments, the greatest portions of which were before Orange (Albany) was what it is, or any of Manate were acquainted with the Iroquois and the Ouatouas.
When you arrived in your present government, did you not find, Sir, in the whole of the five Iroquois villages, all our Missionaries sent by the King almost the entire of whom the heretic merchants have caused to be expelled even in your time, which is not hono- rable to your government. It is only three years since the greater number have been forced to leave ; the fathers Lambreville alone bore up against the insults and ill treatment they received through the solicitations of your traders. Is it not true, Sir, that you panted only to induce them to abandon their mission ? You recollect, Sir, that you took the trouble to send under a guise of duty so late as last year to solicit them by urgent discourses to retire under the pretext that I wished to declare war against the village of the Onnontagués. What certainty had you of it, Sir, if it were not your charge and prohibitions you had given them, against giving me up the prisoners I demanded of them, and they surrendered to me? You foresaw the war I would make because you
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wished me to make it against them and because you obliged me to wage that against the Senecas. In this way, Sir, it is very easy to foresee what occurs.
I admire, Sir, the passage of your last letter of the 11th June of this year in which you state that the King of England your Master has juster title than the King to the Posts we occupy, and the foundation of your reasoning is that they are situate to the South of you, just on the border of one portion of your dominion (domination). In refutation of your sorry reasonings, Sir, it is only necessary to tell you that you are very badly acquainted with the Map of the country and know less the points of the compass where those Posts are relative to the situation of Menade, (New York). It is only necessary to ask you again what length of time we occupy those Posts and who discovered them-You or we? Again, who is in possession of them ? After that, read the 5th article of the treaty of Neutrality and you will see, if you were justified in giving orders to establish your trade by force of arms at Missilimaquina. As I send you a copy of your letter with the answer to each article, I need not repeat here what is embraced in that answer. Suffice it to say this in conclusion, that I retain your officer Mr. Gregory here and all your orders for your pretended expedition, who were taken within the . Posts occupied by the King. My first design was to send them back to you but as I know that you entertain and give aid and comfort to the Iroquois Savages contrary to the Treaty of Neutrality of the 16th Nov" 1686 agreed to by our Masters, causing them to be supplied with all munitions necessary to wage war against us, I have determined, in spite of myself, to retain all your people until you have complied with the Intentions of the King your Master and executed said Treaty, being obliged to regard you as the King's enemy whilst you entertain his enemies and contra- vene the treaties entered into between the King of England and the King my Master.
All that I can tell you for certain, Sir, is, that your conduct will be the rule of mine, and that it will remain with yourself that the said Treaty be thoroughly executed. I must obey my Master and I have much respect and veneration for one of the greatest
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Kings in the world, the protector of the Church. You pretend that the Iroquois are under your dominion. To this I in no wise agree, but it is a question on which our Masters will determine. But whether they be or be not, from the moment that they are our enemies you ought to be opposed to them and be their ene- mies, and if you comfort them, directly or indirectly, I must regard you as an enemy of the Colony and I shall be justified in subjecting the prisoners I have belonging to your government to the same treatment that the enemies of the Colony will observe towards us.
Hereupon, Sir, I will expect news from you as well as the fitting assurances you will please give me that I may be certain you do not employ the Iroquois to wage war on us by giving them protection.
Rely on me Sir. Let us attach ourselves closely to the execution of our Masters' intentions ; let us seek after their example to pro- mote Religion and serve it; let us live in good understanding according to their desires. I repeat and protest, Sir, it remains only with you. But do not imagine that I am a man to suffer others to play me tricks.
I send you back Antoine Lespinard, bearer of your passport and letter. I shall await your final resolution on the restitution of your prisoners whem I wish much to give up to you, on con- dition that you execute the treaty of Neutrality in all its extent and that you furnish me with proper guarantees therefor.
Your very humble & very obt Servt THE M. DE DENONVILLE.
[From Council Min. V.] Council held at ffort James, Monday the ffifth day of September 1687 Present His . Excelcy the Govenr &c.
Proposed that Some Course may be taken about Major McGre- gorie & his Company who are prisoners in Cannada.
Resolved that a lettr be sent by a ffitt person to ye Governor of Cannada about that and the othr injurys he has done his Majties subjects of this Government
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Councill held at ffort James,
Wednesday ye Seaventh day of Septemb 1687.
Present His Excelcy the Govern' &c.
It being now plaine that ye ffrench are Resolved to Do all the Prejudice they can to the Kings Subjects of this Government It is for ye preventón thereof
Ordred that ye people of ye City and County of Albany Do Cutt Pallasadoes and by ye five and twentieth day of March next Cart them to ye sd Citty and ye towne of Schanechtade to fortifye those places in ye Spring That in ye meanetime they Keep a careful Watch there and that this ordr be sent to ye Justices of ye Peace of ye sd County who are to take Care that it Be put in Execution.
That ye Mayor of Albany send ordrs to ye North Indyans to Keep thirty or forty Indyans allways towards Corlaers lake. That the sd Mayor if he be in Albany send a belt of Wampum to Each of the five Nations with ordrs that ye Christian Indyans who Come from Caunada to them be sent Hithr to his Exy ye Govern" and to encourage ye Indyans to look out Carefully letting them Know the Govern' will be up early there ye next Spring
Ordred that a Proclamacon be Drawn up Prohibiting ye Bring- ing any Indyan Corne or Pease Out of ye Countys of Albany and Vlster until further Ordrs
Ordred that Peiter Schuyler take examinacons of ye antientest traders In Albany how many yeares Agon they or any others first traded with ye Indyans yt had the Straws or Pipes thro' their noses and the ffarther Indyans.
GOV. DONGAN TO M. DE DENONVILLE.
[Par. Doc. III. ; Lond. Doc. V.]
8th Sept. 1687.
Sir-Yours of the 21st of August last I have received and am sorry that Mons' de Nonville has so soon forgot the orders he had received from his master to live well with the King of England's subjects. but I find the air of Canada has strange effects on all
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the Governour's boddys, for I no sooner came into this province than Mons' de la Barr desired my assistance to warr against the Sinnekes, upon which I went to Albany and sent for the fiue nacôns to come to me, and when they came was very angry with them for offering to doe any thing to the French that might dis- turb their hunting, or otherwise, on which they answered me that they had not don anything to the French, but what Monsr de la Barr ordered them, which was that if they mett with any French hunting without his passe to take what they had from them, not- withstanding if any of their people which were abroad had don any injury they knew not of, they assured me they would give satisfaction. I send him word of all this, and assured him satis- ffaction, butt notwithstanding, he comes in a hostile manner on this side of the lake to a place called Kayonhaga, and there by the means of the Onnondages made a peace with the Sinnekes, so if they have committed any fault before that, it was all concluded there, but I appeal to any rational man whatever whether it was fitt for any Govern' of Canada to treate or make any peace with his Majesty's subjects without the advice and knowledge of the Governour of the Provinc they lived under, butt I finde the de- signe to ruine those five nations (Since you cannot with bribes or other means gain them to be of your party), is of a longer date than three of foure yeares. since Mons' Denonuille follows the same steps his predecessors trod in, tho' he proposed to himselfe so fair a beginning, I am sure he will not make so good an end for no sooner was Monsr Denonuille in possession of his govern- ment butt he began to build a great many boates and cannoes, and putt a great deal of provisions and stores in the Cataraque at which our Indians on this side of the lake were much alarmed and came to me, to know the meaning of itt. upon which I sent to you by the way of Mons' Lamberville to know what you intended by all these preparations, your answer was, as Mons" Denonville may remember that the winters being long, and you resolving to have a good number of men at Cataraque, you accor- dingly made provision for them, and if I had not really believed what you writt to be true I might have bin in as much readynesse to have gone on the other side of the lake as Mons' de Nonuille
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