USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. III > Part 55
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That a few Months since a Report was spread amongst them that the white People had charged some of theirs with the killing of two English Men; that they are sorry & ashamed that such a Report should be spread, for none of their People have done any such thing ; that whenever their young Men go to War they are very careful to give them the strictest Caution not to hurt the English.
That last Winter when their young Men returned from War they brought with them the Scalps of two Indians they had killed, and gave Account that they had killed a third, but his body was taken away by his friends, so that they could not get his Scalp.
That the white People who live in their Neighbourhood have told them that the Governour of Virginia intends to come against them, with a hundred Men to revenge the Death of those who are killed and supposed to be white People, and that the two young Men of their Nation must be delivered up.
They were asked where their young men had killed those Indians, and of what Nation they were ?
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They answered that it was done on the forks of a River lying to the Southward of James River, in Virginia, and that the Indians were of the Tootelaes ; that they have seen the Scalps and know them to be of Indians, and are now to be seen in their Indian town.
Then delivering some strings of Wampum.
They add that they are extremely concerned that any Suspicion should be entertained of them as if they had done any Injury to the white People, whom they look upon as themselves; that they ard the English are as one Heart, one Body, and one Person; there- fore, to do hurt to the white People would be doing hurt to them- selves.
. They were told that it could not but give us great Concern to hear such Reports ; that we were extremely carefull to do them Justice and to preserve a good Understanding with them, and we hope they will he equally carefull on their parts. That we are well pleased with their coming hither to satisfy us, and if they are Innocent, as by what they have said we hope they are, they have no need to fear any Resentment or to be under the least Apprehension, but if it should prove otherwise, Justice most be done upon the Guilty Persons.
That those People who live near them and give them so much Uneasiness by the Reports they have spread of the Governor of Vir- ginia coming against them, have no foundation for what they say; they know nothing of the matter, and are not to be credited. If the Indians have not done amiss they have nothing to fear.
They said that what they had told was spoke sincerely-their tongues and Hearts go together ; That they have nothing further to add, but having been at some Expence in their Journey hither they hope their Brethren will consider it. They were told Care should be taken of them, and somewhat given them before their Departure.
It was Ordered, that thirty Shillings be given them to defray their Charges on the Road, and that their entertainment in town be paid for.
E.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, August 7th, 1733.
PRESENT :
The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governor. Samuel Preston, Ralph Asheton,
Clement Plumsted, Saml. Hasell. Esq'rs.
The Provincial Treasurer laid before the Board Sundry Accounts of money by him disbursed on Treaties with and Messages to the Indians, and desired that the same might be examined, & if approved, to be recomended to the Assembly of the Province now Sitting, that he may have Credit for the Sums in his Accounts.
'Tis Referr'd to Clement Plumsted, Ralph Assheton and Samuel Hasell, Esquires, to Examine the said Accounts & the Vouchers thereof, and to make Report of the same to the Board at next meeting.
E.
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At a Council held at Philadelphia, August 9th, 1733.
PRESENT :
The Honourable PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governor.
Isaac Norris,
Samuel Preston,
Thomas Laurence, Ralph Assheton. Esquires.
Clement Plumsted,
The Report of the Members appointed by order of the preceeding Council to examine the Accounts of the Provincial Treasurer, arising on Treaties with and Messages to & from the Indians, and to report thereupon, was this day read and is in these words :
" Pursuant to the Order of Council of yesterday, We have exa- "mined the several Accounts of the Provincial Treasurer to us re- " ferr'd, and find the same to be as follows, vizt : " 1731.
" June-" To the Carriage of 2 Strowd Matchcoats to " Shamokin, to be given to Sassoonan,
5 " Augt-" To Sundrys given to Sassoonan, Peasquito- " man and Shekellamy, who were sent for " by this Government, on the unhappy Ac- " cident of Sassoonan's killing his Nephew, " Shakatawlin, & the Death of his other " Nephew, Opekassett, 8 13 " Ditto-" To Six Strowd Matchcoats, edged with Silver " Lace, sent to the Chiefs of the Six Nations " with a Message by Shekellamy, inviting " them hither to treat with this Government " pursuant to the joint desire of the Gover- " nor, Council and Assembly,
8 16 1₺
" Ditto-" To Shekallamy, then setting out on his Jour- " ney to the Six Nations, Goods to the value " of 1 1 11 & in money 20s.
2 1 11
" Septr .- "To a Strowd Matchcoat edged with Silver "Lace & 2 handkrs., sent with Messages to " a Mingoe Chief, p. Henry Smith, on the " above Account,
1 16 4
" Decr-"To Cash paid James Letort for Expences of " his Journey to Enquire after Shekellamy, " who had staid long beyond his appointed " time for returning,
2 " Decr-" To Robert Charles for the Expenses by him " disbursed in a Journey to Conestogoe, by " Order of the Governor & Council, to for- " ward to the Indians at Allegheny several " Messages of Importance, touching the " Reports spread of their going over to the " French, and inviting them to come to Phi- " ladelphia to treat with this Government,
Carried Forward,
£23 12 42
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Brought Over, £23 12 4%
" and for an Express sent to Sasquehannah " for Edmund Cartlidge, who was the " Bearer of Messages, 4 17 .- And we are " of Opinion that £5 be allowed to the said " Robert Charles for his trouble in the said " Journey,
9 17
" Ditto-" To Cash ordered by the Board to be given " Shekellamy, who returning from the Six " Nations, brought their answer, with a " small Present of Skins, £10, but the same " being paid in Goods, amounted only to 9 8 11 " Ditto-"To Cash by order of the Board paid Conrad " Weyser, who at Shekallamy's desire, at- " tended him from Tulpahockin hither, 2
" 1732.
" Augt-" To the Expence of the Treaty with the Chiefs " of the Six Nations, their Entertainment " and the Allowances to Interpreters, &c. " ordered by the Board, as p. Account, 294 10 5
" Septr-" To the Expence of the Treaty with the Sha- " wanese, their Entertainment, &c. as p. " Account, 56 9 2 " Ditto-" To 2 Stroud Matchcoats sent by Henry " Smith, with an Answer to a Message from " the Attamoote Indians, a Nation living . " back of Allegheny, who desired to enter "into friendship with this Government, 1 16 " Octr-" To Cash paid the Miller at Tulpahockin, for " 10 bushls. of meal delivered to Sassoonan, " then in want of Provisions, 1 5
" 1732-3.
" Janry-" To a small Present made Kataweykeita, a " Shawanese Indian, who came hither to " visit Quassenungh a little before his Death, " & was the Bearer of the Messages from " this Government touching his and Opa- " kethwas Death,
2 1 3
" Janry-" To 2 yards black Cloth and a handkerchief, " sent with a Message to Kakowatchy, the " old Shawanese King, acquainting him with " the Death of his Son, Quassenungh,
" March-"To the Charges of attendance, nursing & " funerals of two Shawanese Indians, p. Ac- " count £28 14 5, & to Dr. Thomas " Gærme, their Physician, for his Medi- " cines, Advice and Care, p. his Bill £15. "To the Charges of entertaining Shekellamy,
1 13 9
43 14 5
Carried Forward, £446 8 3}
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MINUETS OF THE
Brought Over, £446 8 3}
"accompany'd with three other Indians &
" Conrad Weyser, Interpreter, who was " sent hither on a Message to this Govern-
" ment touching the Ganawese Indians, 3 13 5
££450 1 8}
" Amounting in the whole to Four hun- " dred & fifty pounds one Shilling and " Eight pence half penny. -
"Out of which the Publick is to " have Credit for 27 pounds drest " Deer Skins, bro't by Sekellamy " from the Six Nations, a 3s. 41
" 152 pounds drest Deer Skins a 3 "3 and 52 pounds of Beaver, a "7s. presented by the Chief of " the Six Nations at Philadelphia, 4 8 10}
" 26 pounds drest Deer Skins, a 3 " 3 and one Elk, a 5s., presented " by the Shawanese at Philadia. 496
12 19 4₺
£437 24 " Balance due from the Province,
" All which is humbly submitted by
"CLEM. PLUMSTED, "RA. ASSHETON, "SAML. HASELL."
" August 8th, 1733."
The Board on the due Consideration of the said Report, approve thereof, and It is Recommended to the Assembly that they order the Balance of £437 2 4, to be passed to the Credit of the Provin- cial Treasurer in his Accounts.
E.
August 11th.
The Governor having, with no small Surprize, understood that some Objections had been started in the House of Representatives, to his Powers as Lieutenant Governor, for want of a new Commis- sion with His Majesty's Royal Approbation from our present Hon- ourable Proprietaries, and that the House for this Reason (tho' they were not willing to assign it publicly,) did not incline to proceed on any Act of Legislature, a Council was summoned to meet this fore- noon to assist his Honour with their Advice on this Occasion. But a Quorum of them not coming together before a Message was brought to the Governor from the House by four of the Members, with an Order payable to him as Lieutenant Governor, for Four hundred pounds, the Remainder of the current year's support, and to acquaint him that they intended to rise this forenoon, the Governor deter-
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
mined to lose no time in sending down a Message in writing, to bring them to an Explanation on this important Affair. For as not only by the Law of .this Province, pass'd the 10th year of Queen Ann, Entituled An Act for the further securing the Administration of the Government, all the Powers of Government stand fully con- firmed in the Deputy on the Death of his Constituent, till further Order from Her Majesty, Her Heirs and Successors, or the Heirs of the said Proprietary and Governor in Chief, which shall first hap- pen ; but in the present Case those Powers are further strengthned . by Instructions relating to the Affairs of Government, issued since the Demise of the Governor's Constituents, to witt : in December, 1731 and March, 1732, under the Signet and Royal Sign Manual of His present Majesty, directed to the Governer by the Name of "Our trusty and well-beloved Patrick Gordon, Esquire, Deputy Governor of Our Province of Pennsylvania, in America." The Governor, therefore, could not but conclude that so unaccountable an Obstruction to the Publick business of the Province, could arise only from a Design to do him a particular Injury, and to introduce Confusion in the Administration.
The Message in writing sent down to the House from the Gover- nor by his Secretary, is in these Words-
"Gentlemen :
"I am under some Concern to find that your House is inclined to " rise and leave several matters of great Importance to the Country " unfinished.
" I was in hopes that pursuant to your Resolves made the former " session, you would have now revived the Excise on Liquors, which " is not only a necessary fund for the discharge of the public Debt, " but being re-established, may give a seasonable Check to that " Looseness and Debauchery which begins and will continue to " overspread the Province by the unlimited number of the Retailers " of Rum and Increase of Dram Shops.
" The repeated Complaints of the Merchants touching the Abuses F
" in our Flour, deserve likewise, to be considered by proper Amend- " ments to the Bill, now in force, for regulating that great Branch of " our Trade.
"These are Points that nearly affect us, and it would be very sat- " isfactory to me to know what it is that prevents your house from " entring into the Consideration of them at this your present meeting.
".P. GORDON."
About noon two Members of the House, to witt : John Wright and Samuel Blunston, waited on the Governor, and acquainted him that they were sent, but not as from the House, only as friends, to the Governor, to lett him know that the House were under some Un- easiness touching his Message"; that they were well inclined towards the Governor, and unwilling to enter into a Contention, and there- fore, it would be agreeable to them if the Governor would please to withdraw his Message.
This mysterious Management heightning the Governor's Suspi- cions of the ill Designs of some particular Persons, he declined giving VOL. III .- 22
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any Answer to this verbal Message, till he should, in the afternoon, meet the Council, whom he had ordered to be Summoned, and de- sired those Members of Assembly then to attend him.
P. M.
At a Council then held at Philadelphia.
PRESENT :
The Honourable PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governor. Isaac Norris,
Ralph Asheton,
Esq'rs.
Clement Plumsted, Samuel Hasell.
The Governor acquainted the Board fully, with the Transactions of this morning, as contained in the foregoing Narrative, and his writ- ten Message to the House being read, and the verbal one by John Wright and Samuel Blunston imparted. On due and Serious Con- sideration of all which, the Members were unanimous in delivering their sentiments to the Governor, that he ought by no means to re- cede from his Message, which it was to be hoped, would oblige the House to come to an Explanation on a Point that might have Con- sequences so injurious to the Peace and good Order of the Govern- ment.
Pursuant to which Resolution, John Wright and John Blunston were told by the Governor, that they might say to those that sent them :
That it was with a View to the Good and Peace of the Country that he sent his Message of this forenoon : if it was misinterpreted by the House he was sorry for it, but that before he could think of receding from it he must well consider that matter.
About nine o'clock at night, Israel Pemberton and Robert Jones, two Members of the House, waited on the Governor, and delivered from the House an unaddressed & unsigned Paper in these Words :
" Upon due Consideration of the Governor's Message of this day, "it is the Opinion of the House, that forasmuch as we have great " Reason to believe the Governor was well acquainted with the Diffi- " culties the House laboured under, as to their proceeding in prepa- "ring Bills to be passed into Laws, at their Sessions in March last, " and the same Difficulties still continuing, and the House having " now sett a whole Week, and not hearing from the Governor untill " they had agreed to adjourn, they are humbly of Opinion the Mes- " sage is unseasonable ; and that entring into a further Examination " of the Reasons why we do not proceed upon business at this time, " may not be agreeable to the Governor ; and therefore, the House, "adheres to their former Resolution of adjourning to the 30th day " of September next."
The Governor told these Members that it was too late in the Night to give a Reply in writing, but directed them to say to the House from him : That no time is unseasonable to do the business of the Country, nor will it be disagreeable to him to hear Truth, and that he will make a Reply to their Answer.
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
The House, without taking Notice of this verbal Message, or so much as entring it on their Minutes, tho' it was actually reported to them, adjourned on the last day of their Term. E
-
August 15th.
Hetaquantagechty who, at the last Treaty with the Indians of the Six Nations was their Speaker, and Shekallamy, coming to Town this day, accompanied with Conrad Weyser, the Interpreter, and having waited on the Proprietor and Governor, gave them to under- stand they had a Message to deliver, for receiving which a Council was appointed next day, and accordingly
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Aug. 16th.
PRESENT :
The Honourable THOMAS PENN, Esqr., Proprietary. The Honourable PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lt. Governor.
Ralph Asheton, Samuel Hasell. Esquires.
And these two Indians :
Hetaquantagechty by Conrod Weyser the Interpreter, said :
That he comes hither from the Six Nations on a Message touch- ing the Treaty held here with them the last fall ; that while he was on the Road hither he was greatly troubled to hear from Shekallamy, that a Report had been spread that some of the Ganawese Indians had killed two white Men on the Borders of Virginia; that he has made Enquiry into it jointly with Shekallamy, who he understands had Orders from this Government for that End, and before he pro- ceeds to deliver the Message that he was sent upon, he is willingly to clear up to his Brethern this other Affair, that their Hearts may be easie.
That Shekallamy had been at the Ganawese Town, and had made strict Enquiry into it, and found the matter to be thus :
That some of these Indians having gone to War to the Southward, and killed three Indians of the Nation of the Tootelaes, otherwise called Chaponick, they scalped two of them, and returning home- wards they met with a Delaware Indian who had some Rum ; that drinking together they fell out, and the Delaware Indian having given some provocation was beaten, who having known from them that they had scalped two Indians, gave out in Revenge that those Scalps were of white People, and that these Ganawese had cutt off some white Men in Virginia. That this Delaware man thus spreading the falsehood wherever he came, had been the only occasion of this groundless Report, which has not any manner of Foundation, and could only arise from a bad Spirit, that would endeavour to break in upon the Friendship which had been of late so firmly established be- tween the English and all the Indians. He therefore hopes his Brethern will give no Credit to it for that the Six Nations would
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certainly order the Persons, if guilty, to be punished, and hereupon he delivered some strings of Wampum.
Shekallamy being asked if he had seen the Scalps, and whether he does not believe them to be of Indians, answered; That having heard the Detail of the Fact (as now delivered) from the Ganawese, he demanded to see the Scalps, which were accordingly brought to him ; that he examined them carefully, and from the. Marks upon them, of their hair being in some places pulled out, of its being greased and tied up in a small bundle on the top of the head, after the Indian manner, he is very positive that these Scalps are of Indians.
Hetaquantagechty then proceeded and said, that there has been a very great Sickness amongst the Six Nations, which they apprehended would have almost destroyed them, and for that Reason they could not come together to consult on what was mentioned to them here last Fall. That before he came from home, a general meeting of these Nations was appointed at Onandagoe, and many of them were accordingly mett there; that it is now a long time since they have held so general a Meeting, and they have much business under their Consideration, which will prevent them from coming to Pennsylvania this Fall, to give an answer to what had been said to them, and lest the Delay should be misinterpreted or taken ill, he was dispatched from amidst that great Council, to acquaint their Brethern here with the Reason of it. And on this he delivered some more string of Wampum. And added that he believed they could not come hither till next Spring.
That this is all he had in Charge, and is the sole Occasion of his Journey, and having now delivered himself of it, he thinks to return speedily, unless his Brethern have any thing to say that may detain him.
He was told that what he said is very agreeable, and is well taken, and that to-morrow an answer would be given them, and they should not be long detained.
The Proprietor & Governor drinking a friendly Glass with these Indians, Hetaquantagechty said, that having finished the business of this Message, he would talk a little about News. He then proceeded to say by the Interpreter :
That the French were at War with a Nation of Indians called Quaquessegh-roona, whom not being able to conquer, they sent to a place called Tioghsaghrunti, lying to the Westward of the lake of Niagara, seven days Journey from the Tsanandowans, for 300 In- dians to assist them in the Conquest, who accordingly joyned the French : that as these Indians, under the Conduct of a French Offi- cer, were marching along, they came to a hunting town belonging to the Onecharayagoe-roona, where the French Officer seeing a Bark Canoe show'd an Inclination to purchase it, and having some Rum with him of which the Indians appearing fond, they said he might have it for a little of that Liquor ; the Officer having given the Owner of the Canoe three small Cups of Rum, took the Canoe. But the Indian thinking he had gott but very little for it, said he must have somewhat more, which the Officer refusing to give, some Words
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arose, whereupon the Officer drew his Pistol, and shott the Indian, who was a Captain in great Esteem amongst the Onichkaryagoes ; the Officer then taking with him the Canoe, went towards the French fort of Niagara, where they understood he was even very abusive to the French in that place who had probably found fault with him for what he had done, and that he is since gone to Canada.
That the Indians resenting this Abuse are now mett together, and have it under their Consideration how to behave in this Affair, and he apprehends it will occasion a War with the French ; that the Onichkaryagoe Indians will endeavour to bring the Six Nations into their Quarrell, but whether they will join with them or be only Med- iators between these Indians and the French, he cannot yet say. That two Detachments of French are gone out with Design as 'tis believed, to make War on the Indians ; that the French have always some War on hand, but they appear more bent on it now than ever. That there are two Nations of Indians with whom they had long waged War, the Sigaserach-roona and Quaquontse-roona. That the French have sent from Montreal for Tiochtachkout, a Captain of the Tsanandowas, who on his return will give certain Intelligence how the French stand affected towards the Indians. That many of the Allies of the Six Nations have been cutt off by the Small Pox; that there was never known so great a Mortality amongst them as of late.
That this is all the News he has now to tell, and should be glad to know if his Brethren can inform him of any that they have learnt.
He was told that the English were in Peace with all Nations; that the Great Kings of England and France were in Peace with each other, and that we had no news of any Importance to acquaint them with.
He said that the Indians had understood several of the English Governors on the Continent were to meet at New York, and that a meeting of such great Men together had raised their Curiosity to know what it could mean.
They were told we knew of no such Appointment. We had heard that some of the Governors to the Southward intended to travel this way, but we believed it was only to pay friendly Visits to their Brethren in these parts.
Thus the Conversation ended.
August 17th.
The Proprietor, Governor, and some Members of Council being mett, the Indians were sent for, and by the Interpreter spoke to as follows :
Brethren :
We are well pleased so see you, our good friends, Hetaquanta- gechty and Shekellamy; you are very welcome to us. We have considered what you have said, and it is to our good liking. Four of the Ganawese Indians came lately here to Satisfy us of their In-
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nocence of that wicked Charge which some ill minded Persons had loaded them with, and they related the whole matter agreeable to what you have now delivered, so that we have no Reason now to entertain any ill thoughts of them. We believe they have been wronged, and are very sorry that there should be any Person so ill inclined as to raise a Report that might create the least Misunder- standing between the Indians and us. You have done, however, as true friends and brethren ought to do ; you have enquired into the matter and satisfied us further. We now think no more of it.
We desire that Hetaquantagechty on his return to the Six Nations may tell them, that we are sorry to hear of the Sickness that has raged amongst them, and are glad it is now over. We take kindly their sending to acquaint us with the Reason why they cannot visit us this Fall, and return an answer to those Articles on which we treated together last Fall. As they are now all mett together in a great Assembly, we hope their Councils will be directed aright to their own Peace and Good, & to the further Improvement of that good Understanding which has so long continued between them and all the Subjects of the Great King of England. And having now the Opportunity of Hetaquantagechty, who expects to gett to Onan- dagoe before their great Council rises, We must desire him to putt their Chiefs in mind that at our last Treaty we made it one article : That they should give the strictest Directions to their Warriours, who are often too unruly, not to come amongst or near to the English Settlements, and especially that they should never, on any account, rob, hurt or molest any English Subjects whatsoever, either to the Southward or else where. We are now sorry to tell them that some of their Warriours passing near to some English Settlements at Pex- tang, about the beginning of this Month, have behaved themselves very disorderly ; they killed several Hogs, cutt down Corn, and threatned to do further Mischief.
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