USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. IX > Part 5
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38
MINUTES OF THE
A Letter from the Right Honourable the Earl of Egremont, to the Governor.
" WHITEHALL, 26th March, 1763.
" Sir :
" His Majesty having been pleased to order the Peace to be pro- claimed in the usual manner on Tuesday last, I have the King's Commands to transmit to you, herewith inclosed, the Proclamation issued on that occasion, & am to signify to you His pleasure that you cause the same to be published in all the proper places within your Government, To the End, that all His Majesty's Trading Sub- jects do take notice of His Royal Will and Pleasure therein, and conform themselves thereto accordingly.
"I am, with great Truth & Regard, Sir, " Your most Obedient Humble Servt.,
EGREMONT,
" L' Gov". of Pennsylvania."
-
"By the King.
" A PROCLAMATION.
" GEORGE R.
" WHEREAS, a definitive Treaty of Peace & Friendship between Us, the Most Christian King, & the King of Spain, to which the King of Portugal hath acceded, hath been concluded at Paris, on the tenth day of February last, & the Ratifications thereof have been exchanged upon the tenth day of this Instant March ; In Confor- mity thereto, We have thought fit, hereby, to Command that the same be published throughout all our Dominions ; And We do De- clare to all Our Loving Subjects our Will and Pleasure, That the said Treaty of Peace and Friendship be observed inviolably, as well by Sea as Land, and in all places whatsoever; strictly charging & commanding all our Loving Subjects to take Notice hereof, & to conform themselves thereunto accordingly.
" Given at our Court at St. James's, the twenty-first day of March, one thousand seven hundred and sixty-three, in the Third Year of our Reign.
"GOD SAVE THE KING."
His Honour also laid before the Council, the Draught of a Proc- lamation to be issued here, which was read and approved, and it was agreed that the same should be published at the Court House,
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
this day at 12 o'Clock, and printed in the Pennsylvania Gazette and Journal. The Proclamation follows in these words, vizt .:
" By the Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, & Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsyl- vania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, upon Dela- ware.
"A PROCLAMATION.
" WHEREAS, His Majesty hath lately been graciously pleased to issue his Royal Proclamation in the words following, viz *:
" George R.
" Whereas, a Definitive Treaty of Peace and Friendship be- tween us, the most Christian King, & the King of Spain, to which the King of Portugal hath acceded, hath been concluded at Paris, on the 10th day of February last, and the Ratifications thereof, have been exchanged upon the tenth day of this Instant, March; In Conformity thereunto, We have thought fit hereby to command that the same be published throughout all our Dominions ; And we do declare to all o ur loving Subjects our Will and Pleasure, that the said Treaty of Peace and Friendship be observed inviolably, as well by Sea as Land, & in all places whatsoever, strictly charging & commanding all our loving Subjects to take notice hereof, and to conform themselves thereunto accordingly.
" Given at our Court, at St. James's, the twenty-first day of March, one thousand seven hundred & Sixty-three, in the third Year of our Reign."
" And Whereas, A Copy of the said Proclamation hath been transmitted to me by the Right Honourable, the Earl of Egremont, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State, who hath signi- fied to me that it is His Majesty's Will. and Pleasure, that the same should be published at all the proper places in my Govern- ment ; I have, therefore, in Obedience to the Royal Order signified to me as aforesaid, with the advice of the Council, caused the said Proclamation to be this day published, and do hereby strictly charge and command all his Majesty's Subjects, within this Province, to take notice of His Royal Will and Pleasure therein, and conform themselves thereto accordingly.
" Given under my hand, and the Said Province of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, this twenty-fifth day of July, in the third year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, George the third, King of Great Britain, France, & Ireland, &ca., & in the Year of our Lord, 1763.
"JAMES HAMILTON.
" By his Honour's Command,
"JOSEPH SHIPPEN, Jun"., Secretary. " GOD SAVE THE KING."
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MINUTES OF THE
The Governor then laid before the Board the following Letter from the Lords of Trade, dated Whitehall, April 29th 1763, signi- fied His Majesty's pleasure that a Day of thanksgiving be observed within this Government, on the happy conclusion of the Peace ; which being read, His Honour appointed Tuesday the 9th of Au- . gust next, to be set apart for that purpose, a Proclamation of the same be accordingly prepared and approved, was ordered to be pub- lished in the Pennsylvania Gazette and Journal :
A Letter from the Lords of Trade to the Governor. " WHITEHALL, April 29, 1763.
"Sir :
" The King having judged it proper that a Publick Thanksgiving to Almighty God should be observed throughout all His Majesty's Colonies in America on the happy Conclusion of the Peace, We have received His Majesty's Commands to signify to you His Royal Pleasure that you do, upon receipt of this Letter, appoint a proper and early day of Thanksgiving, to be observed by all His Majesty's good Subjects under your Government, in such manner and with such Forms of Prayer as have been usual on like Occasions.
" We are, Sir, " Your Most Obedt. hble Servants, " GEO. RICE, " ORWELL, " BAMBER, " ED. BACON, " SHELBURNE, " SOAME JENYNS, " GASCOYNE, " JOHN YORKE.
" JAMES HAMILTON, Esq"., Dept". Gov". of Pennsylvania,"
-
By the Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsyl- vania, & Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex upon Dela- ware
"A PROCLAMATION.
" WHEREAS, our Most Gracious Sovereign, from a Tender Re- gard to the Welfare and Happiness of His Subjects, and from a sincere and humane desire of putting a Stop to the Effusion of Christian Blood, hath been pleased to make, ratify and confirm a Treaty of Peace & Friendship with their most Christian and Catho- . lic Majestys, the Kings of France and Spain ; And Whereas, His
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Majesty, from a deep sense of the goodness & protection afforded him by Almighty God, in the success with which His Fleets and Armies have been blessed in the Course of the late War, hath thought fit to order and command that days of Public & General Thanksgiving should be observed with due solemnity in every part of His Domin- ions, To the intent that all His Loving Subjects may have proper Opportunities of lifting up their Hearts and Voices in Acts of Gratitude and praise to the only giver of all Victory. I have, in Obedience to the said Royal Order, with the advice of the Council, ordain and appoint, and do hereby ordain and appoint, that Tuesday, the Ninth day of August next, be set apart and observed throughout this Province, & the Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex on Delaware, under my Government, as a Day of Publick prayer, Praise and Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for His unspeakable Blessings bestowed upon us throughout the Course of a long and bloody War, and for bringing the same to an happy Issue, by the Re-establishment of Peace on Terms of Glory to His Majesty, and of solid and Permanent Advantage to His Subjects in all Quarters of the World.
" And I do recommend it to the Ministers & Preachers of the Gospel, of all Denominations, to compose suitable Prayers & Sermons on this truly happy & Solemn occasion, and do require the said Ministers to Publish this Proclamation to their respective Congregations, on one of the Sundays preceeding the said Day of Public Thanksgiving.
" Given under my hand & the Great Seal of the said Province of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia, this twenty-fifth day of July, in the third Year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord, George the third, King of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, &ca., And in the Year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred & Sixty- three.
" JAMES HAMILTON.
" By his Honour's Command.
" JOSEPH SHIPPEN, Jun"., Secretary. "GOD SAVE THE KING."
Eodem Die, at 12 o'clock.
The Governor and Council, preceeded by the Sheriff & his Offi- cers, and attended by the Mayor, Recorder, Aldermen, & Common Council, & accompanied by the Clergy and several of His Majesty's Officers of the Army and other Gentlemen, went in Procession to the Court House, where His Honour's Proclamation of the Peace was read by the Secretary, with the usual Solemnity, in the pre- sence of a Great Concourse of People. On this occasion the Bells
42
MINUTES OF THE
1
of Christ Church were rung, and a Royal Salute fired by the Guns of the Battery.
At a Council held at Philadelphia on Monday the 12th Septem- ber, 1763.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &ca.
William Logan & Richard Peters, Esquires.
The Assembly at their last Meeting having adjourned to this day, the Governor prepared and laid before the Board the fol- lowing Message, which was read and approved, and the Secretary was ordered to carry it to the Assembly as soon as they should make an House.
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
" Agreable to the Resolve of your House of the 6th of July last, I have, with the Concurrence of the Provincial Commissioners, taken into the Pay of this Province Seven hundred Men, exclusive of those which compose the Garrison of Fort Augusta, for the de- fence and protection of our Frontiers, against the Incursions of our cruel and barbarous Enemies the Indians ; And I have the satis- faction to acquaint you, that under the aforesaid protection, great part of the Harvest, which is of so much Importance to the back Inhabitants, hath been gather'd in, and as well secured as the Season of the Year would admit. It cannot, however, from its Situation, but be continually exposed to the Danger from the Enemy, until it shall be threshed out, and transported to the inte- rior parts of the Province ; a Task which the unhappy Owners represent themselves unable to perform, without the further assis- tance of the Government.
"Although for the two last Months, Gentlemen, We have been so happy that our Frontiers have been very little, if at all, infested by the Enemy ; yet ought we not from thence to conclude that this favourable Respite hath been owing either to Remorse for the cruelties they have already exercised, or to any desire of reconciling themselves to us, of which no Overture has hitherto been made, that I know of, but solely to their ardent desire of pursuing & cut- ting off the Convoy that was marching under the Command of Colo. Bouquet, to the relief of Fort Pitt, then closly besieged by their Friends & Allies; but having, happily for us, miscarried in that attempt, and been repulsed & defeated with considerable Loss, through the good Conduct & Abilities of the Commanding Officer, & the Bravery of His Majesty's Troops ; and thenceforth despairing
43
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
to reduce that important Fortress by Famine, as they had vainly immagined, there is the greatest Reason to expect that, so soon as they shall find themselves sufficiently reinforced, they will renew their Hostilities against our Frontiers with redoubled Force.
"It is therefore, in my Opinion, of the greatest Consequence that, a number of Troops should be still kept on Foot for the protection of the Frontier Settlements, In Hopes that e'er long some general Measures will be fallen on by the Colonies, for the Carrying on the War with Vigour, and attacking the Enemy in their own Country, in order thereby to bring it to a speedy Determination.
"And as the time limited by the aforesaid Resolve of Assembly, for retaining the Troops in pay, is nearly expired, I do now ear- nestly recommend it to you, either to renew the said Vote for a longer time, and with greater Latitude to the Orders of the Gover- nor and Commissioners, or to devise some other Measure, which shall appear to you more effectual, both for the Protection of our own People, & for the Annoyance of the Enemy, and, in particular, to provide a sufficient Fund for supporting the heavy expence that does of necessity attend military Operations; In doing of all which you may be assured of my hearty Concurrence and Assistance, so far as is consistent with my Honour and the Trust reposed in me. "JAMES HAMILTON.
" September 12th, 1763."
Friday, P. M., the 16th September, 1763.
Two Members of Assembly having waited on the Governor this forenoon, to acquaint him that a Sufficient number was met to make a House, & they were ready to proceed on any Business his Honour had to lay before them ; the Secretary, by His Honour's directions, carried the Message of the 12 Instt to the House, with a Verbal Message, "That the Governor intended the Message should have been delivered on the day to which the House adjourned, and since that time, His Honour had received two Letters of Intelligence from Jonas Seely, Esqr.," which he then laid before the House, & are as follow, vizt. :
A Letter to the Governor from Jonas Seely, Esqr.
"SINKING SPRING, Sept. 10th, 1763. " Honoured ST. :
"I am sorry I have to acquaint your Honour of the follows Mel- ancholly accounts, which I received by Express from Capt" Kern, last night; on the Eighth Instant a party of Indians came to the House of one John Fincher, about three quarters of a mile distant from a party of Capt" Kern's Men, commanded by Ensign Sheffer ;
t
44
MINUTES OF THE
they killed Fincher, his Wife, & two of his Sons; his Daughter is missing ; one little Boy made his Escape from the Savages, and came to the Ensign, who immediately went to the place with his Party. But the Indians was gone, and finding by their Tracts which way they went, pursued them to the House of one Nich& Mil- ler, where he found four Children murdered; Our Party still pur- sued, and soon came up with the Enemy, & fired on them. They returned the fire, But the Soldiers rushed on them so furiously that they soon ran off & left behind them two prisoners, two Toma- hawks, one Hanger, and a Saddle; the Indians were eight in num- ber, and our party seven ; three of the Enemy was much wounded. The two prisoners which our Party recovered, was two of said Mil- ler's Children, which they had tied together, and so drove them along. Miller's Wife is missing; in all, there is eight killed & two Missing in that neighborhood.
"I am, Honoured Sir, " Your most Obedient humble Servant, "JONAS SEELY."
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A second Letter to the Governor from Jonas Seely, Esquire.
READING, Septem". 11th, 1763. " Honored Sir :
"This Moment, at Reading, as I was sending off the Express, certain Intelligence came, that the House of Frantz Hubler, in Bern Township, about 18 Miles from here, was attacked on friday Evening last, by the Indians ; himself is wounded, his Wife and three Children carried off, & three other of his Children Scalped alive, two of whom are since dead.
" I am, Honoured Sir, " Your most Obedient humble Servant, "JONAS SEELY."
At a Council held at Philadelphia, in the State House, on Satur- day, the 17th September, 1763.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &ca. William Logan, Benjamin Chew, Esquires. Richard Peters, Thomas Cadwalader, S
John Curtis, r
Sam. Curtis, Jemmy Nappire,
Nanticoke Indians.
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
John Curtis, addressing himself to the Governor, spoke as fol- lows :
" Brother :
"I thought, when I came here, that there would have been an Interpreter in Town, and as I do not speak English well, I am afraid I shall not be understood.
" Brother :
" Listen to the Wighalousin Indians. Papounan sends a Mes- sage by me, to the Governor, in behalf of them.
" Brother :
" We do not understand why there should be any Difference be- tween us. We have considered this matter well, and are sur- prized at the Disturbances that have lately been made by other In- dians. We cannot see that there is the least Reason that there should be any Difference between our Brethren, the English, & our- selves, the Wighalousin Indians, for when' we look all around us, we cannot find the least Cause given; the English have always used us well. And as to us, the Wighalousin Indians, we do not concern ourselves with any thing but the Worship of God. " Brother :
" We remember, very well, the Message you sent us by our Bro- ther Teedyuscung, about three Years ago. The Message was very agreeable to us. After he had delivered it he left us, and went further up into the Country. And there were some of our People who had purchased Prisoners and Horses that the other Indians had taken from the White People, And, as that Message was so agreeable to us, we brought down, & delivered up all the Prisoners and Horses to the Governor, and cleared ourselves of them entirely. The Governor knows this, and remembers it well.
" Brother :
"After the Treaty two Years ago, as the Indians were returning home, a Delaware Indian was killed a little above Hays's. As soon as this news reached the Indian Country, some of his Relations were so exasperated, that four of them immediately sat off and came down with an intention to kill some of the White Folks. On their way, they called at Wighalousin & stopt there. When they informed us of their design, the Indians of Wighalousin, Men, Women, & Children, did all in their power to disswade them from it, & joined in a Collection of Wampum & delivered it to them to pacify them, on which they returned home. Papounan & the Wighalousin Indians, sent a message to you, our Governor, to acquaint you with what they had done. We hope you will remember it well. You told us, in answer, You were much pleased with the Steps we had taken to prevent this mischief, and assured us, when- ever you heard of any mischief designed against us, you would acquaint us with it. This pleased us so much, & whenever we
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46
MINUTES OF THE
think of it it makes us easy and satisfied, as we think we can de -. pend upon you. And since that, we have minded nothing else but the religious worship of God."
Gave a String.
" Brother :
"I am now going to deliver a Message from Indians of several different Nations, as follows :
"The Oneidas, Tuscaroras, Delawares, and Munseys, living at Onohoquagey.
"Nanticokes, and Conoys, Onondagoes, & Mohickons, at Che- nango.
" Cayugues & Munsies, at Chokenote.
"And a few Shawanese, at Awaigah.
" Brother, Listen us to Us :
" All these Nations have but one Mouth, & speak now as one Man. They have appointed the Nanticoke King to speak in be- half of them all.
" Brother :
" We have been councelling twelve days in the Nanticoke Town, and have joined together so as to make one. We have heard of the Disturbances you have had with other Indians; But we are all in- clined to be at Peace, and are resolved to preserve it, and keep fast hold of the Chain of Friendship. We are very sorry to hear of the
disturbances to the Westward. We do not know what the great Western Nations intend to do. We are afraid perhaps, they may all join together to make War against the English.
" When I came away, all these Nations sat off to go to Sir Wil- liam Johnson, to hold a Treaty with him; and when they return, they will inform us of every thing that may be settled and agreed on, and then we shall acquaint you with it.
"This Council, as they knew Papounan was disposed to peace, desired him to acquaint the Governor with their Resolutions."
Gave a White String.
" Brother : -
" The reason of this Council's meeting, was on account of two Belts of Wampum, sent by Sir William Johnson to Onohoquagey & Chenango, by which he informs the Indians there that he had formerly opened a Road to those two Towns, but that now the Bryers and Weeds were grown so high that the Roads could scarcely be seen; that he now cleared the Road again in such a manner that as he sat in Council at home he could see them; and as they sat in Council they might also plainly see him ; That the Governor of New York, who was the greatest of all the Governors, had directed him to send those two Belts, to desire them to sit still and lie quiet, as they always had done; that he always observed whenever other Indians were uneasy, and making Disturbances all around them, they, the Nanticokes and Conoys, were always quiet
!
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
& peaceable; that he hoped they would continue so, and assured them he would take them into his Arms and protect them, and that it was in his power to do so. It was on this account that the In- dians held their late Council, and were sit out to give an answer to those two Belts.
" Brother :
" The Message you sent us lately, with a Belt and two Strings of Wampum, was delivered at Wighalousin, and our King there joined another String to the Belt, and sent it to Atsentsing. The two Strings were sent to the Nanticokes; when it came there, their King joined another Belt to them, and sent them to the Onondagoes, and they sent them to the Seneca Town. The Senecas could not understand the meaning of them, as they could not read the written Message that came with them. There was an Indian Trader there at that time, who read the Message very well in English, but as he did not speak the Mohawk Language, but here and there a word, he could not interpret it to them ; And as they could find no means of understanding it, they took it with them to Sir William Johnson, that he might explain it to them."
He said he had now finished what he had in Charge, on which the Governor told him he would speak to him the beginning of next Week.
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Monday, P. M. 19th September, 1763.
By the Governor's directions the Secretary laid before the House the Minutes of a Conference held with the Nanticoke In- dians, from Wighalousin, on Saturday last, and also an Estimate of the pay due to the Pennsylvania Forces, and of the Sums accru- ing on account of their- Subsistence, Provisions and Bounty, from the time of their Enlistment to the Sixteenth Instant inclusive.
Wednesday, 21st September, 1763.
The Governor sent to the House, by the Secretary, a written Message, founded on a Letter he had lately received from Mess™s. Sargent, Aufrere, and Barclays, inclosing Stipulations agreed to and signed at a Meeting in London, the 19th May last, of the seve- ral Agents employed to receive the Money voted by Parliament to the Colonies of North America, for services performed by them, in the Year 1760, which were laid before the House. The said Stipulations and Message follow in these Words, viz":
"At a Meeting in London, the 19th day of May, 1763, of the several underwritten Agents empowered to receive the money voted
al at
48
1
MINUTES OF THE
by Parliament to the Colonies of North America for the Services performed by them in the Year 1760, to witt :
"For Massachusetts Bay, Jasper Manduit, Esquire. John Thomlinson, Esq".
" New Hampshire,
" Rhode Island,
Joseph Sherwood, Esq".
" Connecticut,
Richard Jackson, Esq r.
" New York, Rob, Charles, Esqr., for Sir Wm. Baker & himself.
"New Jersey, Henry Drummond, Esqr., for Drum- mond & Co.
" Pensilvania,
Jnº. Barclay, Esqr., for Messrs. Aufrere, Serjeant, & Barclay.
" Virginia,
Edward Montague, Esq".
The several following Papers were read & taken into Considera- tion, to witt :
"A Certified. Copy under the hand of one of the Secretaries of the Treasury of General Amhurst's Return of the Troops fur- nished by those Colonies for the Year 1760, in these words :
"Return of the Troops furnished by the several Provinces in North America, for the Publick Service, in the year 1760 :
" Provinces or Colonies.
Number of Men vo- ted to be levied, Clothed and paid. 800
Number of Men ac- tually raised & took the Field.
"New Hampshire,
5500
4964
" Rhode Island,
1000
952
" Connecticut,
5000
3397
"New York,
2680
2468
"New Jersey,
1000
.935
" Pennsilvania,
2700
1350
" Maryland,
" Virginia,
1000
1000
" North Carolina,
500
"South Carolina,
" These are to certify the Right Honble, the Lords Commiss's of of His Majesty's Treasury, that the above is a true state of the respective Quotas of Men raised by the several Provinces on the Continent of North America, in consequence of His Majesties Re- quisition for the service of the Year, 1760, as nearly as the num- bers can be ascertained from the struggling manners in which the Provincials take the Field ; The Province of Carolina did make Provision for raising 1000 men for the Expedition against the Cherokees, under the Command of Colonel. Montgomery, but there were very few raised, the numbers not exceeding 30, exclusive of a Corps of Rangers consisting of about 500 Horsemen, which were in the pay of the Province, and principally employed in escorting Provisions, &ca., to the Army and out Posts.
" JEFF. AMHERST.
" A true Copy .- C. JENKINSON."
796
" Massachusetts Bay,
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
A certified Copy, in like manner, of an Extract of a Minute of the Treasury Board, bearing date the 18 day of June, 1762, in these words :
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