USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. IV > Part 68
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"Brethren: as that foresaid unhappy Accident gave some Dis- turbance to the Trade, and may give more if early Measures are not taken to prevent it, I desire You to return the Goods again which some of You, the Shawonese in particular, have taken from the Traders. I desire you will imediately send to every Place where the Traders of Pennsilvania are in their favour. It would be viola-
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ting the Treaty of ffriendship if they should suffer by you; And if in case you do not like their Stages amongst you, send them home regular and unmolested. I laid down a String of Wampum. Dixi, I have no more to Say."
Olumapies, in behalf of the whole Company, made Answer and Said :
"Brother, the Governor of Pennsilvania : I long expected to see Conrad Weiser, your Messenger, with Your advice at this Dangerous Time, and I have now heard Your Speech to Us and do like it very well, and give you thanks for Your so Doing. I do not Doubt it will be taken well by the Council of the Six Nations.
" The string of Wampum concerning the Trade was delivered to the Shawonese; They took upon them to send imediately to the Great Island and Allegany in favour of the Traders.
"I had been informed before Council that Wapymagan, a Shawono Indian from Woyumoth, came to the Great Island and told the Shawonese there that, according to Caykawachykee's Order, they must open the Trader's Store and divide the Goods amongst them- selves, which they did accordingly, and Robbed Thomas McKee's Store. Shikellimy after he heard that, sent his Son to the Great Island to get the Goods returned, since Cayhkawaychykees, the Shawono Chief, never gave such Order as Shikellimy was credibly informed.
"I sent a Strowd Match Coat to Cayhkawachykee by the foresaid four Shawonese, and let him know that I always remember what he said to me when I first paid him a Visit at his own fire at Woyu- mok, and that I hoped he would always be of the same Mind, as he lived about half Way from Philadelphia to the Six Nations, to take Care of the Chain of Friendship betwixt the six Nations and Penn- silvania, and never do nor suffer any of his People to do an injury to the said Chain of ffriendship, and always observe the good Coun- sel of the six Nations and the Governor of Pennsylvania.
" Next Day Olumapies held a Council of Delawares; he sent for me and Shikellimo and Saghsidowa. He told Us in Council that he had no Wampam, and they were very dear, so that he could not do as he would have done if he had been able; Yet he sends that String of Wampam (which he then hath in his Hand) jointly with his Brother, the Governor, to Onondago, to assist him like or as a token of his Approbation.
" I had made Olumapis a present before of a Strowd Match Coat from the Governor, and told him that as he had been always a good friend and observer of Treaties, the Governor sent this to him to cover his old Body.
" Made Sagsidowa a present of a Strowd Match Coat to make him shoes to travel to Onandago with Shikellimo and his Son. They were to set out the 9th Instant, and stay at Onondago till the
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Council was Summoned, and attend it and not come away without a full answer both to this Affair and the Message of the Governor of Maryland sent to them last ffall.
" The following is the Narrative of one who calls Shikellimo his Grandfather. He was present in the Engagement in Virginia, and was strictly examined by Shikellimo and exhorted to tell the Truth. Shikellimo and Sagsidowa told me that I might assure their Brother the Governor that it was the Truth of the Story as follows :
" The Young Man told Shikellimo his Grandfather, that when they (22 Onondagoe Indians and 7 Oneidocs) got over Potomack River no body would give them a mouthful of Victuals. They wanted to go to some Justice to have their Pass renewed, but could find nonc. They travell'd along in great want of Victuals. There was no more Deer to be killed, and they had been Starved to Death if they not killed a Hog now and then, which they did at Jonontore. On the other side of the said Hills they laid down their Bundles and sont three of them to look for the Road they must go. These three Men were met by two White Men, who asked them many Questions till a third Person of the white came up, then they all at once took hold of the Indians' Guns, but the Indians would not let them go out their Hands. One of the Indians took out his Knife and threatned to Stabb the white Men, upon which they let go the Guns and went their Way, and the Indians returned to their Company and told what had happen'd to them. The Indian Captain Onodagoc told them that it was some foolish People, only not worth while to be taken notice of. They laid there that Night. Next Day they met with no Interruption. But on the following Day after this, One white Man came up with them, soon after another with a Hay ffork, and so more and more, till by and by, their Number increased to about T'en. They stopped every now and then, when one of the Indians went on one side of the Road to make Water, and told the Indians to make hast and come along. Some while after they came to a big House, the Indians observed a great Number of People in the House ; they were invited to come in, the main Body staid out some Distance from the House. Some of the oldest went in, but more & more white People gathering, the Indians without Door called to their ffriends to come away. The white People would not permit them to go, but sent out a Captain, with a Sword on his side, to bring the others in, which they refused. In the Mean time, those that were in the House thought proper to show their Pass which they obtained in Pennsylvania, but the white Men told them they must not go any farther; upon which the Indians went out of the House; the man with the Sword endeavoured to Stop them by force and drew his Sword ; when the others saw the naked Sword they made a field Cry and took up their Arms in order to defend themselves, but were Commanded by their Captain to be quiet till they were hurt, and to let the white People begin Vio-
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Ience. The Indians did not mind the Man with the naked Sword, but went away and took up their Bundles and travelled all night. They went on one side of the Road towards the Hills a Good way, and Lodged there two Nights, consulting what to do, and some hunted for Deer. They resolved to proceed on their Journey, and set out in the Morning and travelled all Day peaceably ; and at Night went again toward the Hills for Lodging. Next morning early, a white Man came to their ffires and counted them all; They asked where he was going, he said a hunting ; they mistrusted him very much, when he went off toward the Hills; after he got over a little Ridge of a Hill he went the other way and ran as fast as he could, which one of the Indians, that went after him as a Spy, saw. The Indians hasted away, and when they got into the Road again. two Boys that were in the Rear heard a great Talk, & Noise of Horses, and looked about and saw a Great number of white Men on horseback, and they called to the foremost that there was the white Men a coming, who order'd them to come up ; then the Boys ran and the white Men fired at them but missed them. The Captain of the Indians seeing the Boys receiv'd no hurt, and a white Colour flying, told the Indians to be quiet for that a white Colour was all- ways a token of Peace with the white Men. Whilst the Indians were laying down their Bundles, and their Captain talk'd to them not to fire till the white Men had hurt them, the white Men alighted from their Horses just by and fired the second Time and Killed two upon the Spott, one of which was Shikellimo's Cousin. The Indians then made a field Cry and were commanded by their Captain to fight for Life, who after he had fired off his Gun took to his Hatchett and exhorted the Stoutest to follow him, and they ran in amongst the white People and did Execu- tion with their Hatchetts, which put the white Men to flight im- mediately. But the Captain would not Suffer them to pursue them ; Told them they did not come to fight white Men, but the Cawta- baws; Upon which the Indians took up their Dead and wounded and went off about two Miles, where they gave Physick to the wounded, one of which died there, and there remained four more wounded, three of them not very dangerously, but the fourth was very bad; they missed one out of their number; A relation of him ran and looked for him; he was seen to pursue the white Men far- ther than the Rest; he was found shot through one of his ffeet and was brought up to the rest and is like to do well. He said that he saw two white Men drop down not far from him and rise up again, and drop down again and so on; That he had shot several Arrows into the white Man's back before he received that Shot. Next morning the Captain sent some of the Indians to the Place where they had been engaged; they found Eight white Men upon the spot whom they stripped, and several Horses, with some Provision, grazing there abouts; they sat down for the sake of the Provision, for which they stood in great Want. The Indian Capt" dispatched
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Ten of his Men to Onondagoe-himself, with the Rest and wounded, went up along the River unto the Mountains to come home that Way. The Action happen'd near the River called by the Indians Galudoghson. These ten Men mett the two Men of McKee in the Woods, asked them for a Share of their Provisions, which the Men gave them, but they told nothing of what had happened.
" I left Shamokin the 6th ffebruary, & came the same Way back again, where I arrived the 9th at Night.
" CONRAD WEISER."
At a Council held at Philadelphia, April 22d, 1743.
PRESENT :
The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Samuel Preston,
Samuel Hasell,
Ralph Assheton,
William Till, Esqrs.
Abraham Taylor, Robert Strettell,
The Speaker of the Assembly and several Magistrates.
The Governor inform'd the Board that Col. Gooch, in a Letter of the 8th ffeb"y., had accepted his Mediation, and express'd a hearty inclination to make up the matter of the Late Skirmish in an Ami- cable Way, & that thereupon he had dispatched Conrad Weiser a second time to Shamokin, who return'd last Night and was waiting at the Council Door along with Shikellimo & Sachsidowa, who were charg'd with a Message to the Government; Whereupon they were called in, and Conrad deliver'd a Journal of what he had done in the Affairs of Virginia & Maryland, which was read by the Sec- retary.
The Report of Conrad Weiser, the Indian Interpreter, of his second Journey to Shamokin on the Affairs of Virginia & Maryland, delivered to the Governor in Council the twenty-first Day of April, 1743 :
" The 9th of April, 1743, I arrived at Shamokin by order of the Governor of Pennsylvania, to acquaint the neighboring Indians and those on Wyomink that the Governor of Virginia was well pleased with his Mediation, & was willing to come to an Agreement with the six Nations about the Land his People were settled upon, if it was. that they contended for, and to make up the Matter of the late un- happy Skirmish in an Amicable way.
"That same Day Shikellimo, (a) his Son, and Sachsidowa, who had been sent to the six Nations with an Offer of the Governor's
(a). Shikellimo, one of the Chiefs of the Six Nations residing at Shamo- kin for Pennsylvania Affairs.
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mediation to them, returned from Onondago, and the next Day they in open Council deliver'd the following Message directing their Speech in behalf of the six Nations to the Governor of Pennsyl- vania, according to what was agreed upon by the Council of the said Indians in Onondago :
"' Brother (a) Onas :
"' At this Critical Time we received a kind Message from You, the result of the good friendship subsisting between You and us ; ffor such Purposes a Road was cleared from our Country to yours, in which at any time Conrad Weiser & Shikellimo may travell. We open our Doors with Cheerfulness to your Messengers, and are glad to hear from You.'
" He laid down two Strings of Wampum.
. "'Brother Onas :
" We thank You for the Concern you shew for the misfortune that befell our Warriours in Virginia. We take it as a Particular mark of ffriendship. We assure you that notwithstanding the un- just Treatment our Warriours met with in Virginia, we did not allow our Heads to be giddy nor to resent it as it deserved, which might have occasioned a Violation of Treaties and the destruction of many.'
" He laid down four Strings of Wampum.
" ' Brother Onas :
"' We thank you very kindly for the early Steps you made in call- ing your old & wise Men together to consult with them. It was a very prudent and good Advice they gave You to become Mediator betwixt Us your Brethren, and the Virginians your Neighbours. We thank them for such good Advice, and we Assure You we will accordingly come to an Amicable Accomodation with the Governor of Virginia if he will come to reasonable Terms. And if a War should break out between us & him you will be Convinced of his being the Author of it.
"'ffor when in former Times we received a deadly Blow, we never returned it if it was ever so dangerous; we always judg'd it to be given by disorderly people, and we used always peaceable means to make it up; but when received the second Blow we judg'd that War was intended against Us, and then we rose and knock'd down our Enemies with one Blow, and we are still able to do the same ; but we leave now our Case to you. We have order'd our Warriours with the strongest Words to sit down and not to revenge themselves. Therefore, Brother Onas, go on with Courage in your Mediation. We assure You we will not violate or do anything contrary to your Mediation. We desire you and the Old and Wise Men of Penn- sylvania not to believe anything to the Contrary, let it come from
(a). The Indian Name for the Governor of Pennsylvania.
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whom it will, till you receive Messages from Us; we will do the same on our side.
" ' In confirmation of what we say we lay down this Belt of Wam- pum before You.'
" Then the Speech was directed to the Governor of Maryland.
"'Brother, the Governor of Maryland :
"' You have invited Us to come to your Town, and you Offer'd to treat with Us concerning the Messages we sent to you by our Bro- ther the Governor of Pennsylvania, and to establish good ffriend- ship with Us. We are very glad You did so, and we thank You for your Kind invitation.
"'Brother :
""' We have a great deal of Business and things of moment under our Deliberation, & it will take Us the best of the Day (this Sum- mer) before we can finish them. We, therefore, desire you will set your Heart at Ease, and think on nothing but what is good; we will come and treat with you at *Canataquamy to-Morrow Morning (next Spring), since you live so near the Sea and at such a Great distance from Us. We accept kindly of your invitation. Our Bro- ther, the Governor of Pennsylvania, recommended Your Message to Us, which he would not have done if he had not been Satisfied your intention was good; we, therefore, promise You by these Strings of Wampum to come and treat with You at the aforesaid Place.'
" The Speaker laid down four Strings of Wampum.
" Then the Speaker directed his Speech to the Governor of Penn- sylvania again and said :
"' Brother Onas :
" "The Dutchman on Scokooniady (Juniata) claims a Right to the Land meerly because he gave a little Victuals to our Warriours, who stand very often in need of it. This String of Wampum serves (the Speaker then took two Strings of Wampum in his Hands) to take the Dutchman by the Arm and to throw him over the big Mountains within your Borders. We have given the River Scokoo- niady (Juniata) for a hunting place to our Cousins the Delawares, and our Brethren the Shawonese, and we our Selves hunt there some times. We, therefore, desire you will imediately by force re- move all those that live on the said River of Scokooniady.'
"Here he laid down two Strings of Wampum.
" Then the Speaker in behalf of Cachawatsiky, the Shawonese Chief at Wyomink, and of Nochetouna, the Shawonese Chief at Ohio, related their Answers to two Messages that were sent with some Strings of Wampum by the Council held at Shamokin the
" A Place near Harris' Ferry on Sasquehannah.
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first Time Conrad Weiser was there. He began with Nochecouna's Answer directed to the Governor of Pennsylvania.
"' Brother, the Governor of Pennsylvania :
" ' I live upon this River of Ohio harmless like a little Child. I can do nothing ; I am but weak, and I don't so much as intend Mis- chief. I have nothing to say, and do, therefore, send these Strings of Wampum to Cachawatsiky, the Chief Man, again. He will An- swer your Message, as he is the older and Greater Man,'
"Then Sachsidowa took up the Strings of Wampum and spoke in behalf of Cachawatsiky as follows :
"'Brother, the Governor of Pennsylvania :
" ' The Place where I live and the Neighbouring Country has been overshadow'd of late by a very dark Cloud. I looked with a pitiful Eye upon the poor Women and Children, and then looked upon the Ground all along for Sorrow in a Miserable Condition, because of the poor Women and Children. In all that Dark Time a Message from You found the Way to Shamokin, and when it was deliver'd to Us the Dark cloud was dispersed and the sun imediately began to Shine, and I could see at a great Distance, and saw your good Will and kind Love to the Indians & the white People. I thank you, therefore, Brother Onas, for your kind Message; I am now able to Comfort the poor Women & Children.'
"Here the Speaker laid down four Strings of Wampum.
" Then the Speaker took up two Strings of Wampum and directed his Discourse to the Delaware Indians, the Shawonese, and to Onas :
"' Cousins, the Delawares : We are informed you can talk a little English, by which you Pretend to have heard many things amongst white people, and you frequently bring Lies amongst the Indians, and you have very little Knowledge and Regard for Treaties of ffriendship ; you give your tongues too much Liberty. This String of Wampum serves to tie your Tongues and to forewarn You from Lies.
"' Brethren, the Shawonese :
""' You believe too many Lies, and are too forward in action. You shall not pretend to Revenge our People that have been killed in Virginia. We are the Chief of all the Indians. Let your Ears and Eyes be open towards us, and order your Warriours to stay at home as we did ours.
" ' Brother Onas :
" ' Your Back Inhabitants are People given to Lies and raising false Stories. Stop up their Mouths ; you can do it with one word. Let no false Stories be told; it is dangerous to the Chain of ffriendship.'
" The Strings of Wampum were delivered to the Delawares.
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" After the Speaker had finished, a handsome Indian Dinner was given to all that were present by Shikellimo's people. After Din- ner, I deliver'd my Message to them, and presented the Company with two Rolls of Tobacco, about 3" each Roll, to smoke whilst they were in Company together, to talk about the good News they had heard that day, according to the Custom of the Indians.
" Shikellimo told me, by way of Discourse, that they (the Council of Onondago) had sent Strings of Wampum by him to all the Indians upon the River Sasquehannah to tell them to use their En- deavours to stop all their Warriors and not permit them to go to fight with the People of Virginia & to acquaint them of what was agreed upon in Onondago, which was accepted of in every Town.
"I enquired what Business of Moment the six Nations had under Deliberation that prevented their coming down to treat with the Governor of Maryland. Shikellimo ask'd whether I could not Guess at it. I told him No. Then he said how should come down with a Hatchet Struck in their Head ; the Governor of Virginia must wash off the Blood first, and take the Hatchet out of their Head and Dress the Wound (according to Custom he that Struck first must do it), and the Council of the six Nations will speak to him & be reconciled to him, and bury that affair in the ground that it never may be seen nor heard of any more so long as the World stands. But if the Virginians would not come to do that, he (Shikellimo) believed there would be a War. But I might assure the Governor of Pennsylvania the Warriours would not come then within the in- habited part of Pennsylvania, but direct their Course directly to Virginia, over the big Island in the North West Branch of Sasque- hannah.
" CONRAD WEISER."
Sachsidowa having a Message from Olumapies, Chief of the Dela- ware Indians, he was desir'd to deliver it, and taking a Belt of Wampum in his Hand he address'd himself to the Governor in the following Manner :
" Brother, the Governor of Pennsylvania :
" This Belt is sent by Olumapies, Chief of the Delawares, in Testimony of his Joy that the Differences between the Inhabitants of Virginia & the six Nations are likely, by your Mediation, to come to a good Conclusion. He lives in the midway between the one and the other, and as both must pass thro' the place of his resi- dence, a State of War would be very disagreeable to him ; he there- fore sends this Belt of Wampum to Strengthen your hands to hold fast the Chain of ffriendship, and not to let it slip thro' you ffingers. He prays you may go on with Courage in your Mediation, and finish it to the common Advantage of both Parties. He is ex- treamly glad to hear there is a good Disposition in the Governor of Virginia to accomodate Matters, and that their Offers of Peace
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have been accepted by his Uncles the six Nations. When we first heard the news, all was dark about Shamokin, we could not see at the Least Distance from Us, and our Hearts were filled with many Apprehensions; but when Conrad arriv'd with your Message, the Clouds were dispell'd, the Darkness ceased, and we now see as clearly and as well as ever, and return you our hearty Thanks for your kind interposition. In Testimony whereof, we give you this Belt consisting of nine Rows of Wampum."
The Governor appointed the next Day to give his Answer.
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At a Council held at Philadelphia, April 23d, 1743.
PRESENT :
The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Samuel Preston,
Samuel Hasell,
Ralph Assheton,
Abraham Taylor, Esqrs.
William Till,
Robert Strettel,
The Speaker of the Assembly.
The two Indian Messengers and Conrad Weiser.
The Governor told Shikellimo & Sachsidowa that he would first Speak to them in Answer to what the six Nations had said, as re- ported by Conrad Weiser, & then he would Answer Olumapies, the Delaware Chief.
" Brethren :
"I am well pleased with the Answer my Brethren the Council of the six Nations sent to me from Onondago. I return them Thanks for the Confidence they put in me, and I will continue to use my good Offices according to their Request; And I do not in the least doubt but their Answer will be agreeable to the Governor of Virginia, to whom I will send a Copy of it with all Expedition.
"Brother Olumapies, the Delaware Chief:
"You that keep your ffire at Shamokin, what you said to me Yes- terday concerning my Message to your Uncles the six Nations, my Brethren, and their Answer to it is very true, and I am glad that you seem to rejoice at our good Understanding. I take your Mess- age kindly, and thank you for it, and I will continue my Mediation till every thing concerning your Uncles & the Virginians be brought to a good Understanding; And I will, with the People of Pennsyl- vania, always take Care of the Chain of ffriendship subsisting be- tween Us & the six Nations. I am sorry that your Uncles have occasion to find fault with your or our back Inhabitants' behaviour in spreading false Stories amongst the Indians, and I hope you will take good Notice of what they said to you about it in my Presence.
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In return of Yours, and in Confirmation of what I here say, I give you this Belt of Wampum."
The Governor then told the Indians that the Council was going to Consider what to give them, upon which they withdrew; and on a Conference with the Speaker it was resolved to make the following Present, Viz* :
To Shikellimo ten Pounds; to Sachsidowa five Pounds; to Shik- ellimo's two Sons six Pounds; which, with the Expences in Enter- taining them while here, was order'd to be paid by the Treasurer.
The Board recommended it to the Governor to send a Copy of Conrad Weiser's Report as well to the Governor of Maryland as to the Governor of Virginia, And to write to both Governors in such Manner as he should think proper on the Occasion.
May 2d, 1743.
MEMORANDUM.
The Assembly, by two of their Members, acquainted the Governor that they had met according to their Adjournment and were ready to receive any thing he might have to lay before them. To which the Governor answer'd that if he had any thing to Communicate to the House he would do it by a Message, and if the House had any thing to lay before him he should be ready to receive it.
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