USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. IX > Part 49
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Here follows the Extract.
Extract from the Proceedings of a General Congress of the Six Nations, the Chiefs of Coghnawagey, and the Seven Confederate Nations of Canada, and the Deputies sent from the Cherokee Na-
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tion to treat of Peace with the former, before Sir William John- son, Baronet, at Johnson Hall, in March 1768.
March 4th, Sir William opened the Congress.
PRESENT :
Sir William Johnson, Baronet.
Sir John Johnson, Knight.
Daniel Claws,
Guy Johnson, S Esquires, Deputy Agents for Indian Affairs.
Mr. Michael Byrne, Commissary for Indian Affairs.
Lieutenant Frazier, Mr. Robert Adams, Mr. Denniston.
John Butler, Esquire, ¿ Interpreters for the six Nations and Ca- Mr. Perthins, $ nada Indians. 1
Mr. John Watts, Cherokee Interpreter.
Sir William having propounded the Cause of their Meeting, and Condoled with the Indians on behalf all his Majesty's Subjects for the late Murders, particularly that of 10 Indians in Pennsylvania, told them that he should in due time speak to them in the Name of the Governor and People of that Province thereon, to which the Indians answered as follows :
" Brother Gorah Warraghiyagey :
" We give thanks to the great Spirit for enabling us to meet this day, after so many accidents as have befallen us, and we thank you for what you have said to us, which we have hearkened to with great Attention. We feel ourselves something easier since you spoke to us, and according to the Manner of our Forefathers, removed those Objects from before our Eyes which have given us Pain. Brother, We and our Dependents have been for some time like Giddy Peo- ple, not knowing what to do; where ever we turned about we saw our Blood, and when our Young Men wanted to go hunting the Wild Beasts in our Country, they found it covered with Fences, so that they were weary crossing them ; neither can they get Venison to eat or Bark to make Hutts, for the Beasts are run away and the Trees cut down. The French told us this would come to pass ; and when our young Men sit down hungry in hot Weather, and find no Trees to shelter them, it makes them soon get drunk. Brother, we have got a great deal to say about these things, but as you have re- membered our old Ceremonies, taken the Hatchet out of our Heads, and given us such good Words, we will do in like manner by you.',
Then went through the Ceremony of Condolence with Strings and Belts, and buried the Axe, but did not as usual take it out of the Heads of the English.
March 5th, 6th, & 7th, was spent on the Cherokee affairs. March 8, after some Condolances amongst themselves, Sir William assem- bled them, and spoke as follows :
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" Brethren :
" We are not ignorant of some private Conferences you have held, and of others which are intended shortly. We have heard of the Loss of some of our own People, and of the Threats of yours. We acknowledge that some of the English have lately injured you, but these whenever apprehended, will meet with just Punishment. Of this I have already spoke, and shall say much more to you to Morrow, and, as I hope, quiet your minds thereon. At the same time, let me observe to you, that it is the duty of all those who are bound by the same Chain in the Bond of Friendship, to com- municate their Grievances without taking any private Resolutions of their own; this I hope you will do ingeniously, and I believe I partly know all that you can say, at the same time be assured, that the Great King, and his people, are sincerely disposed to pro- mote your Welfare, and not suffer you to be injured, and that your several Grievances are now before the King, who has fallen upon Measures for your Redress, and for the future Security of your Persons and Property's, but the Misconduct of many of your Peo- ple, and the Nature of your Complaints, have made it a work of time before such steps could be taken as could effectually guard us both from Injury. In proof of the Truth of what I now say to you, and on which you may firmly rely, here is a Letter which I have just received from the Earl of Shelburne, one of the King's first Ministers, wherein he assures me of it, and likewise desires that you may have Notice to attend early in the Spring, in order to settle the Boundary Line, as a farther Security to your Proper- ties ; then explained such parts as were necessary of Lord Shel- burne's Letter, told them that he hoped they would have a due sense of the Purity of our Intentions, as a proof of which, he ex- pected that they cast away all thoughts of resentment.
Gave a large Belt.
P. M., after a private Conference amongst themselves they as- sembled ; when their Speaker, after having thanked the Great Spirit for the present Meeting and requesting Sir William to give attention to what they were going to say, addressed him as follows :
" Brother :
" We have often put you in mind of the many Promises which · were made to us at the beginning of the late War by the Generals, Governors, and by Yourself ; from all which we had the strongest Reason to expect that the Event of your Success would have proved greatly to our Benefit, that we should be favoured and Noticed, that we should not be wronged of our Lands or of our Peltry, that every encroachment should be removed, and we should live in Peace and Travel about without Molestation or Hindrance; at the same time the French told us that what was said was not true nor from your Hearts, and that the Day you got the better of them would be the
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first day of our Misfortunes, you persuaded us not to believe them, but we have found it since too true, we soon found ourselves used ill at the Posts on the Frontiers and by the Traders. The People who had formerly wronged us, and who did not chuse to ven- ture before to take Possession of our Rights, then rose up to crush us.
The Rum Bottles hung at every door to steal our Land, and in- stead of the English protecting of us as we thought they would do, they employed their superior Cunning to wrong us; they Murder- ed our People in Pensilvania, Virginia, and all over the Country, and the Traders began more and more to deceive, and now neither regard their own Character or the Officers sent to take Care of the Trade ; so that if we are wronged who is to help us? we can't ramble over the Country for Justice, and if we did, we begin now to grow Old and Wise, and We see that your Wise Men in the Towns will always be against us. Your People came from the Sun rising, up our Rivers to the West, and now they begin to come upon us from the South ; they have got already almost to Fort Pitt, but nothing is done to drive them away. You can't say that we have not often complained of this, and if You are not able or willing to do it, we can and must do so soon, or they will eat us up, for your People want to chuse all the best of our Lands, tho' there is enough within your part, with your own Marks upon it, without any Inhabi- tants
"Brother :
"This is very hard upon us; but it is not all, for the Road · through the Country is no longer safe. The Pensilvanians and Vir- ginians Murder all those of our People they can meet, without any Reason, and instead of leaving off, as you told us they would, they have Murdered Ten the other Day, two of which are our own People, the rest are our Young Brothers and Nephews, that depend upon us; yet, you won't take the Murderer, or do any thing to him. You are Wise ; You have Government and Laws, but you don't prevent this ; You often tell us we don't restrain our People, and that You do so with Yours; but, Brother, your Words differ more from your Actions than ours do. We have large, Wide Ears, and we hear that You are going to settle great Numbers in the Heart of our Country, and our Necks are stretched out, and our Facesset to the Sea-Shore to Watch their Motions.
" Brother :
"You that have Laws, and say you can make your People do what they are desired, should prevent all this, and if they won't let us alone you should shake them by the Head. We believe that you are wise, and that you can do all this, but we begin to think that you have no Mind to hinder them. If you will say you can't, we will do it for you ; our Legs are long, and our Sight so good that we can see a great way through the Woods; We can see the Blood
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you have spilled, and the Fences you have made, and surely it is but right that we should punish those who have done this Mischief. "Brother:
" This is the Truth; it comes from our Hearts; why should we hide it from You. If you won't do Justice to our Fathers, the Mo- hocks, who are going to lose the Land at their very Doors; if you wont keep the People away from the Rivers near Ohio, and keep the Road open, making Pensilvania and Virginia quiet, we must get tired looking to you, and turn our Faces another way.
Gave a large Belt.
Then gave Thanks to His Majesty for what they had heard ob- served, that the Cherokees had given them such an Account of their Boundary Line, that they wished it might be made more ad- vantageous for them, the Six Nations.
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Sir William replied, that He was sorry they enlarged on Subjects he had so often answered, that the Redress of their Grievances was much more attended to by the English than they imagined; and after recommending it to them to remove all evil thoughts from their Hearts, added that he would the next day speak to them farther thereon.
Then Adjourned till next Day.
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At a Congress, March the 9th, with the before mentioned Nations, Sir William spoke as follows :
" Brethren :
" When I condoled Your late Losses on the part of His Majesty, and his Subjects in General, I then told you that I would, after the Treaty with the Cherokees was over, speak to you more particularly on the Subject of your Losses, in the name of the Governour and Inhabitants of Pensilvania, and acquaint you with bis Resolutions, and that of his Assembly thereon. As the Peace is now happily concluded between you and the Cherokees, which I have had long at heart, and expect that you will all pay due regard to, I shall now speak farther to you on the Subject of your Losses, and the Steps taken by Pensilvania in Consequence thereof; and I exhort you all to hearken to what I say upon it.
3 Strings.
" Brethren :
"The late unhappy Affair seems to have been occasioned by Rum, that fatal Liquor to so many of your People. I do not say this to palliate the Murders, but to show you the pernicious Effects of Drunkenness.
" The Six first Indians that were murdered by a Man called Frederick Stump, at Middle Creek, in Pennsylvania, are said to
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have been at his House, Drinking, and were greatly disguised, and as is too often the Case, very troublesome. Instigated, therefore, by the Evil Spirit, who delights in Blood, he killed them, namely : one Seneca, and three other Men, said to be Mohickon Indians, and two Women, and afterwards went to a Place at some Miles distance from his House, where he killed one Women, two Girls, and one Child, in all ten Persons, after which he went off; but some good Man who heard of it, pursued and apprehended him, and brought him to Goal, from whence some bad People found Means to force him, Whereupon the Magistrates and others, took every possible Step to find him out and bring him to Punishment; this is the Truth (So that You were misinformed by the Report that the White People did not chuse to take him).
" The Governor, when he heard of it, was greatly exasperated, and the assembly, who were then met, and passing some good Laws for your Benefit, were ready to do any-thing for apprehending the Murderer. The Governor hereupon issued a Proclamation for his being taken, for which he offered a Reward of £200, as a Proof of whch here is the Proclamation which was sent, that you might see the good Intentions of that Province.
Here shewed them the Proclamation, which was afterwards Read and Explained.
Then Proceeded :
" Bretheren :
" Besides the Sum mentioned in the Proclamation, a larger Sum is provided for rewarding those who take the Murderers, and as so many are in Quest of them, there is great Reason to expect that they will be apprehended ; and for your farther Security that Province has passed good Laws for punishing in the most severe Manner, all those who shall attempt to use you ill, or settle upon your Lands, and are determined to remove every Grievance in their Power, as quick as possible ; at the same time they desire you to consider that they expect you will be as readily disposed to make them Retalia- tion whenever your People Act amiss towards them, and that you should remember they have had Ten Men Murdered going down the Ohio, by some Indians, and also, one in a Shawanese Village, and one near Fort Pitt, since the last Peace, and that no Peace can be lasting unless mutual Satisfaction be made for such Acts of cruelty. As a proof of the Sincerity of the Intentions of Pennsylvania, and to convince you that this late affair was the Act of only One, and that it gives great concern to the People, they have now voted, besides the Money they will give for the Murderer, the Sum of £2500; £1300 of which I have now to give you as a Testimony of their Love, to re- move your Grief, and the remainder, being £1200, will be given by my Deputy, Mr. Croghan, at Fort Pitt, for the same Purpose, to the Tribes of that Country, and the Relations of those People who were Murdered. These things I have been impowered to inform
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you by the Governor, Assembly, and People of Pennsylvania, and I give you this Belt to confirm it.
Gave a Belt.
" Bretheren :
"I have already gone through the usual forms of Condolance with you for such Losses as you have met with by the English, and taken the Axe out of your Heads, and by this Belt I do now the same on behalf of the Governor and People of that Province, and in particular, burying the Axe under the Roots of the Tree, clear- ing your Sight and your hearing, and removing all Cause of un- easiness from your Heart, as well on Account of those lately Murdered, as of those unhappy People who were murdered there 5 years ago, concerning whom, I hope you will be no further uneasy, after what I have now to say to You, and what I have formerly said and done thereupon. And I now carefully gather together the Bones of all those who have been Murdered in that Province, and I bury them in a deep Pit, which I cover over with so much Care, that it shall not be found out, to offend your Eyes; and over all, I lay this Present, from that Province, to be divided amongst you, in memory of their Friendship for you, which is so warm and in- vigorating, that when you take up this Present, you will find the Grass and Herbage already large and Green over the Graves of your People, so that you will never more be able to discover them. This is what your Brothers of Pennsylvania have to say to you. I expect you will remember it, and regard them for it, and that put- ting away all Malice and evil Thoughts, you will forever hereafter live with them on terms of strict Friendship and Affection, and by your pacific Conduct, and readiness to do them equal Justice, en- title yourselves to a Continuance of their Regard, always remem- bering they are your Fathers, the great King's Subjects, and your Friends and well-wishers.
Gave A Belt.
" Brethren :
" I have heard and committed to Writing all that has passed dur- ing the present Congress, and I have said enough to convince any sensible People of the Purity of our Intentions, as you may all justly conclude, that a Nation, so great and Powerful as the English are, would take very different measures if they designed to deprive you of your Liberty. I have shewn you what His Majesty intends to do for your future Security, and I have likewise shewn you the steps taken by Pennsylvania for your Satisfaction and redress. Let all this make a deep Impression on your Minds, and wait the Issue of these Measures with a Confidence in our Justice.
A Belt.
" Bretheren :
" Before we part I have only a few things more to say to you, First to put away all guile from your Hearts, and never to think of
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any bad things which are past, but to expect the Good which is near at hand; and I exhort you as you love your own happiness, to har- bour no farther resentment against his Majesty's Subjects in gene- ral, or any one Province in particular ; for they are all Members of the same Body, and therefore, you should send agreeable News to all your People,acquainting them with the good work now conclud- ed, and if after all any prove discontented or about to disturb the Public Tranquility, you should take them by the Head as you re- commended us to do with ours. The next thing which I have to desire is, that you will make the Treaty of Peace you have entered into with the Cherokees as public as possible, as far as your influ- ence extends ; cautioning them Nations against doing any thing in violation of it, as they regard their own Peace, that, you will often repeat this to your Young Men and to your Children, and that some of you will accompany the Cherokee Deputies and make the road wide and safe for Travelling, and also, as a farther Testimonial of what you have agreed to, that you subscribe to the same on these Parchments, one of which, together with the Cherokees Belt and Eagles Tail, will remain here and the other be sent to Mr. Stewart in Carolina, to be seen by all Nations.
A Belt.
The Treaty being subscribed to, Sir William addressed the Six Nations, &c.
" Brethren :
"I hope all is finished between us for the present; there only re- mains for you to receive this Portion of his Majesty's Bounty to keep you warm as you travel in Cold Weather.
Shewed the Present on behalf of the Crown, and on the other side that of Pennsylvania, and proceeded:
" Here is also the Present on behalf of Pennsylvania to the Friends of those who are Dead, to remove their Grief and prove a Testimony of their Love for you all, which I expect will cover all that is past. You that are of the same Blood shall take it to wipe away their Tears that was Shed, and so let all be forgotten.
Delivered the Presents and told them he had finished the Busi- ness of the Meeting.
Thereupon, the Speaker for the Indians arose and said :
" Brother :
" We have heard all you said to us, which we shall take into our Consideration, and judge it necessary to give you an answer there- upon to-morrow. " We at present express our thanks to the Great King, and to our Brothers of Pennsylvania for their Sense of our Wants by giving us such a Present at this Time to dry up our Tears."
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Friday, 11th, P. M.
The Six Nations, Coghnawagey Confederacy, and the Cherokee Deputy's, Assembled in the Council room.
Thomas King, Speaker.
" Brother Gorah Warraghiyagey,
" You yesterday approved of the Peace we have now maade with the Cherokees, and recommend it to us to keep it inviolably, as it would be for our and their Interest. You likewise told us, it would be agreeable to his Majesty to have Peace established, and con- tinued throughout this Continent.
"Brother :
" You may depend upon it, that the Peace we have now made with the Cherokees is sincere, and we request that the great Spirit may direct and enable us to keep it inviolable, for we look upon them now as the same Flesh, Blood and Head, and hope we shall ever remain so; lastly, we are to assure you that what we have now done, being agreeable to you, affords us the greatest satisfac- tion."
A Belt.
After repeating what was said Yesterday, concerning the murders committed in Pensilvania, the Speaker said
" Brother Gorah Warraghiyagey,
" We heard with the utmost attention what you said to us yes- terday, and we thank you for reminding us of our Old Customs, that whenever any of us were aggrieved we should not immediately take revenge, but endeavor first to obtain Justice from those who had been guilty of the Injury.
" Brother:
" We are disposed from what you have said, so to do, and we will put it from our Minds, but we tell you sincerely that we expect Justice and redress of our grievances when we are injured, and when we do not receive it, our Minds must get disturbed, and lead us to do Wild Things, which we have not yet done. The people who were killed to the Southward, and on Ohio, having fallen by . the Hands of the Indians of Lake Huron ; as you know these In- dians confess this is the Truth, it comes from our Hearts.
Gave 3 Strings.
" Brother :
We thank you for having recommended to us, to send some of our People with the Cherokees, who go by Land to their Country, to open the road and protect them by the Way, on which Subject you shall hear more of minds directly from the Warriors.
Gave 3 Strings.
" Brother :
"We agree with you in making public to all Nations, the Trea- ty made with the Cherokees, and of our having joined in burying
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the Axe, since the late murders in Pensylvania, and to this end, We deliver this your Belt over to the Coghnawageys, that they may communicate it to all their Friends and Allies, whilst We think it necessary that your Deputy at Fort Pitt should do it, in doing the like to the Southward.
Gave over the Belt to the Coghnawageys.
Then Thomas King stoop up, and said :
" Brother Gorah Warraghiyagey, And you, Brothers of the Six - Nations, and Canada Confederacy, hearken to what our Warriours have to say.
Whereupon Tagawara, a Chief Warrior of Oneida, stood up, and said :
" Brethren :
"We, the Warriors, think it necessary to remedy a mistake, or Omission, of which our Sachems were guilty, when We treated with the Cherokees. They then left their Axe sticking so that the handle of it would strike against the Bushes, as they travelled ; We now take it quite out and bury it, as it ought to be, healing up the Wound, so as it shall not be seen on their Arrival in their own Country.
A Belt.
" Brothers :
"We have further considered that several of the Bones, both of the Cherokees and of our People, lye strewed along the Path leading to the South, which might, as the Road is now opened, turn the Heads of our People as they travelled along the Path ; We now, therefore, collect the Bones of both People, and after the manner of our Ancestors, We inter them in a deep Pit, so that the Water shall carry them away for ever from our Sight.
A Belt.
" Brothers :
"Our Sachems, in Answer to your desire that some of us should accompany you home by Land, expressed their disapprobation thereat, least some Accidents might happen thro' means of bad People, who may now be abroad, and are ignorant of this Treaty. Tho' they meant this for the best, We differ from them, and have agreed that some of every Nation shall take them by the Hand ; And least it might be at first dangerous to go thro' the Towns and War Paths, till the good News is spread, We will conduct those who go by Land by a Rout on the one side, where they may travel secure and arrive in Safety at their own Homes.
A Belt.
" Brothers :
" Our Chiefs did not inform you that there was a small Hatchet still out against your People. We tell you now of it, that you may not hereafter accuse us of Deceit ; and should any Mischief be
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done thereby, We desire you not to consider it as a Public Act, these Persons being ignorant as yet of this Treaty, and therefore, until they are informed of it, let not any Action of theirs be con- sidered as a Breach of this Treaty, but let it be forgotten.
3 Strings.
Sir William then addressed them as follows :
" Brothers :
"I thank you for all the Unanimity you have shewn at this Con- gress, and for the desire you seem to express for Peace. I hope it will penetrate your Ilearts, and that you will pay due Regard to what is past. I have only to add, that you should be in Readiness to meet me in about 2 months, to Ratify your agreement concern- ing the Boundary Line, which His Majesty, in his Wisdom, has agreed to for your future Security.
Then dissolved.
Saturday 12th.
Seventy of the Indians of Susquehanna arrived, some of whom were closely Connected with those lately Murdered in Pensilvania. After a Conference, Sir William brought them into the Sentiments of the rest, and gave them a present as a Condolance for their Loss.
The foregoing is a true Extract from the Proceedings at the general Congress therein mentioned, Examined by me.
"G. JOHNSON, D. Agent, as Secretary."
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Saturday April the 16th, I768.
The Governor received from The Reverend Mr. John Steel, John Allison and Christopher Lemes, Esquires, and Captain James Pot- ter, a Letter dated the 2d Instant, containing an Account of their Proceedings at Redstone Creek, &cª-, in pursuance of the Gover- nor's Instructions of the 24th of February last, and also a Letter of the 11th Instant, from Mr. Steel, which are as follow, vizt. :
" FORT CUMBERLAND, April 2d, 1768.
" May it please your Honour :
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