USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V > Part 13
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made answer that there was Water enough there, pointing towards the Sea, but upon his being told that was not what the Commander meant, he the said William Flower ask'd if they meant that he shou'd carry the said Privateer up the River, to which the sª Com- mander answer'd Yes, and then the said William Flower took Charge of the said Privateer and was carrying her round towards Cape Henlopen, when Luke Shields, another Pilot, came on board from Cape Henlopen, the said Privateer then being under English Colours ; That the said Commander of the said Privateer was very Inquisitive concerning Philadelphia, and ask'd Williams Flower how Matters stood at Philadelphia, and what Shipping was coming: down, that William Flower answered he could not tell for that he had not been at Philadelphia for seven or eight Days; That upon Luke Shields coming on board, the Commander of the Privateer asked him the like Questions, and Luke Shields answer'd that as he had not been at Philadelphia a great while he cou'd not tell, but that his Man had been there lately, And his Man being ask'd what he knew about it, answered that the Privateer Trembleur was then coming down, and that he believed the Pardour was fitting out. That after Shields coming on board the care of the Privateer was; committed to him in conjunction with Flower, that this Deponent acquainted Shields that Flour had promised this Deponent to carry the Privateer within less than a Mile of Cape Hemlopen, to the end this Deponent might swim on shore in the Night, which this Depo- nent had resolv'd to do in order to obtain his Liberty and inform the People of the said Privateer, and this Deponent made it bis re- quest to the said Shields that he wou'd assist this Deponent in his Design by bringing the said Privateer so near the shore that this Deponent might swim on shore with safety, but the said Shields refused to do it, & said he would carry the Privateer where she i might meet with the most Prizes; upon this deponent asking him why he would do so, he answered that the Privateer came for Prizes and would not go away without them, and that by this Means he should the sooner get his Liberty ; That the said Pilot brought the said Privateer to an Anchor somewhere about the Brown, but it blowing hard she afterwards came to an Anchor within two Leagues of the pitch of the Cape; That the Day after the taking of the last of the Prizes, the English Prisoners to the number of about sev- enty, according to the best of this Deponent's Judgment, were per- mitted to go on shore in three Pilot Boats which the Enemy had taken. And more this Deponent saith not.
" WILLIAM KELLY.
" Sworn the 21st Sept", 1747, before me,
"THOMAS HOPKINSON."*
Order'd, That the several Affidavits relating to the Privateers
* See Minutes of ye 27th of July.
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mention'd in the Minute of the 27th of July last be here enter'd, & a reference made in the former Minute to this Place, & from this place to the former Minute.
Copies of Depositions relating to the Conduct of the Privateers men- tion'd in the Council's Speech to the Assembly.
" Bernard Martin, of Philadelphia, Mariner, late Commander of the Ship Mary of London, being sworn on the holy Evangelists of Almighty God, did depose and declare, That on his Passage in the said Ship from the Island of Antiqua to this Port of Philadelphia, being within about a Mile of Cape Henlopen, and a signal for a Pilot being out on Tuesday the fourteenth Day of July, Instant, about seven o'Clock in the Morning this Deponent was hailed by a Privateer Sloop of about ten Guns; but as this Deponent had every thing ready for an Engagement, the Privateer made off without mak- ing any attack. That about Eight o'Clock the same Morning this Deponent saw a Pilot Boat coming towards him, which this Deponent well knew as well as the Pilot who this Deponent saw upon Deck ; that this Deponent taking it to be an English Pilot permitted it to come along side of his Ship; that thereupon a number of French & Spaniards, to the amount of Thirty-five or thereabouts, instantly boarded this Deponent's Ship, and this Deponent offering to make some Resistance, he, this Deponent, was shott at by three of the Enemy, and one of the Balls grazed this Deponent's Cheek, and another his arm & his side, and immediately afterwards this Depo- nent was knocked down ; that then they tacked the Ship and stood out to Sea, but did not crowd Sail; and the next Morning they tack'd again and stood in for the Bay, and at about four o'Clock in the Afternoon on Wednesday they put this Deponent & seven of his Men into the Pilot Boat and discharged them, and then stood off with the Ship with an Intention, after they had got Provisions & other Things necessary (as this Deponent heard some of them say), to cruize between this Bay, the Capes of Virginia, and Cape Fear. That this Deponent understood the People on board the Pilot Boat who took this Deponent did belong to the Privateer Sloop which this Deponent had seen in the morning of the Day he was taken. That the Captain's name was - Barnard, a Frenchman, & had a French Commission which he shewed to this Deponent; that about half his Company were French and about half Spaniards. That among the said Privateers there was one Englishman who this Deponent was told was a Boston Man, he having owned the same to one of this Deponent's Mariners as this Deponent was informed ; that he spoke very good English, and like an Englishman, and told this Deponent he knew Philadelphia. That the Captain Barnard told this Deponent he did not doubt but he should be up at Phila- delphia in Six Months. That from the scarcity of Provisions among
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the said Privateers this Deponent verily believes they intend to make a Descent in order to procure more, that what little Provisions they had they were very lavish of, washing their feet in fresh. Water and throwing their offal Victuals overboard; that this De- ponent understanding Spanish & French heard the said Privateers talking among themselves, and understood from them that they in- tended to make a Descent somewhere for Provisions-this Deponent being in his Hammock he supposes they imagined he was asleep.
" BERNARD MARTIN.
"Sworn the 17th July, 1747, before "JOS. TURNER."
"John Cowan of Philadelphia, Mariner, late Mate of the Ship Mary Bernard, Martin Commander, being sworn on the holy Evan- gelists of Almighty God, deposeth and saith, That on Tuesday the fourteenth Day of July Instant, being on a Voyage in the said Ship from Antigua to Philadelphia, and about a Mile from Cape Hen- lopen, early in the morning they were spoke with by some People on board a Privateer Sloop, but as every thing on board the said Ship was ready for an Engagement, the Privateer did not think fit to attack them; that about an hour or two afterwards this De- ponent saw a Pilot Boat making towards the said Ship, and Captain Martin ordered the Top sail aback, in order to take the Pilot on board and to proceed up the Bay; that the Pilot Boat accordingly came alongside, there being then only two or three Men upon the Deck of the Pilot Boat, among whom the Pilot belonging to the said Boat was one, and the rest spoke good English & were English- men, as this Deponent verily believes; that as soon as the Pilot Boat came along side and a Rope was thrown them from the said Ship, about thirty Men instantly came from under the Hatches of the Pilot Boat, where they had lain concealed, and boarded the said Ship with Arms in their Hands; that they immediately drove the People belonging to the Ship down to the Hatches & fired at them there ; that this Deponent saw one man fire at Captain Martin, and soon afterwards he saw Captain Martin lying on the Deck ; That after the Enemy had in this manner taken possession of the said Ship, they stood off with her to Sea till next Morning, & then they stood in again, and about three in the afternoon on Wednesday, they gave the Captain the Pilot Boat, and turned him, this De- ponent, with about Seven more of the Ship's Crew into it, and then stood off with a small easy Sail towards the Sea.
"That this Deponent understood the People who took the Ship as aforesaid belonged to the above-mentioned Sloop which this De- ponent had spoke with the same morning he was taken, & that they consisted chiefly of French Men & Spaniards; that there was one Englishman among them who said he belonged to Boston, as this Deponent was informed by some of the Ship's Company to whom
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1
(as they told this Deponent) he had confessed it; that this De- ponent is of opinion that the Privateers aforesaid did not intend to go to Sea, because there was not a sufficient Quantity of Provisions on board the Ship at the time of her Capture, and what little there was this Deponent observed they were very lavish of, washing their feet in fresh Water and wasting the Victuals, for which Reason this Deponent imagines they intend to make another Descent before they quit the Capes, or to wait there till they can furnish them- selves with a fresh supply of Provisions.
"JOHN COWAN.
"Sworn the 18th Day of July, 1747, before me, "THOS. HOPKINSON.
" Edmund Liston, of Apoquinimink Hundred, in the County of Newcastle, Yeoman, being one of the People called Quakers, on his solemn Affirmation declares and affirms, that on Sunday the twelfth Day of this Instant, July, about one o'Clock in the afternoon, a Company of Foreigners, which this Affirmant believes to be Spaniards, to the number of Nineteen, came ashore in an open Boat from a Pilot Boat riding at Anchor in the River Delaware over against this Affirmant's House, which is Situate about four Miles above Bombay Hook and about half a Mile from the Banks of the said River Delaware, and as the Affirmant was afterwards told by his Daughter, as soon as they landed some of them ran to the Place where his Daughter and a Negro Girl happen'd to be getting Crabbs, seized the Negro Girl, tyed her, & put her into the Boat. This Affirmant further Declares that the said Foreigners came Directly to him, this Affirmant, arm'd with Gunns, Cutlashes, & Pistols, and telling him they belong'd to a Spanish Privateer not farr off, they demanded his Negroes, Money, and the Keys of his Drawers, & having got some Keys from him they proceeded to riffle & plunder his House, & took out of it several sorts of wearing Apparall, Bed- ding, Cloaths, & Furniture, & tying them in separate Bundles they carried them to the Shore, & afterwards put them on board the open Boat; they likewise took a Negro Woman and two little Negro Children, one of a sucking Child, and then clapping their Pistols to this Affirmant's Breast they compelled him to go with them to the next Plantation, belonging to James Hart, at the dis- tance of about half a Mile.
his
"EDMUND EL LISTON. mark
" Affirmed the 27th July, 1747, before me,
"THOS. HOPKINSON."
"James Hart, of Apoquinimy Hundred, in the County of New- castle, on Delaware, being sworn on the holy Evangelists of Al- mighty God, did depose and declare that on Sunday the 12th Day
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of this Instant, July, about three of the Clock in the Afternoon, several People who this Deponent took to be Spaniards, to the number of fifteen, and one Man with a laced Hat, who this De- ponent took to be an Englishman (being much fairer than the rest) came Arm'd to this Deponent's House, Situate about half a Mile from the River side, together with Edmund Liston, a neighbour of this Deponent's, who they had forced along with them ; That this Deponent seeing them coming at some distance shut up and bolted his Doors and got his Gun in readiness lest they should prove to be Enemies ; That they came directly up and surrounded this Depo- nent's House, and some of them pursued a Negroe Girl belonging to this Deponent, which this Deponent perceived thro' a Window, that some one of the said Company called out to this Deponent in good English to surrender or that they wou'd set fire to his House, and several Bullets were fired into the Room where this Deponent, his Wife and Children were, that one of the Bulletts wounded this Deponent's Wife in the Hip, & she bled very much, whereupon this Deponent thought fit to surrender, and accordingly opened the Doors of his House ; thereupon the Spaniards seized this Deponent and bound his Hands and immediately plundered the House, & took away the above-mentioned Negroe, almost all this Deponent's wearing apparel, a pair of Gold Buttons, & several other things to the value of about seventy pounds ; That when they had done plundering this Deponent's House as aforesaid, they forced this De- ponent away with them to Edmund Liston's Plantation, about half a Mile from this Deponent's, where they tyed up into Bundles the Plunder they had got at this Deponent's House and the said Ed- mund Liston's, & having carried it on board the Boat they went off to the Pilot Boat from whence they came.
" JAMES HART.
" Sworn the 27th July, 1747, before me, " THOMAS HOPKINSON,"
" John Aries, of Philadelphia, Pilot, being sworn on the holy Evangelists of Almighty God, deposeth and saith that having Piloted a Vessel down the Bay, upon his return homeward on Sun- day, the 12th Day of July Instant, about Eight of the Clock in the Evening he was haled by some Person on Board a Pilot Boat (this Deponent then being in his Boat about Ten Miles below Reedy Island), and presently afterward the said Boat came along side, and several Spaniards came on board this Deponent's Boat and seized this Deponent and took from him his Buckles, his Ring from his Fingers, his Money, viz., £3 1 9, and most part of his Cloaths, & all the Sails belonging to his this Deponent's Boat, & all the Victuals on board. After giving this Deponent some Mouldy Bread and some greasy Water, they told this Deponent he might go, and gave him his Boat; that immediately after the Spaniards haled this Deponent they fired two Muskets at this Deponent ; that
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one of the People among the Spaniards spoke good English & en- quired after Mr. Allen, Mr. Turner, & Mr. Lawrence, and bid this Deponent give his Service to them.
"JOHN ARIS.
" Sworn the 17th Day of July, 1747, before me, " JO. TURNER."
A petition from John Thomas Jones & Stephen Barnes, Prison- ers in Philadelphia Jayl, was read, setting forth that at the last Supream Court they were found Guilty of being possess'd with divers Stamps for making mill'd Pieces of Eight, with intention to coin the same, & were sentenc'd to stand in the Pillory two Market Days, to be imprison'd for the space of Six Months, & to give Security for Six Months after, & to pay a fine of £50 each, & pray- ing the Council to remit the said Sentence, for that they are willing to serve His Majesty as Soldiers in any part of his Dominions where the Council shall direct.
The Board is of opinion that as there is reason to believe from the sundry Examinations taken in Jersey & other places, that there is a great number concern'd in this most pernicious Practice of coining, if the Prisoners will discover all their Accomplices, & make a full & fair Confession of all that they know relating to them- selves & their Confederates, that they may be entitled to Mercy; but suspend their determination on the Petition till they know what is to be expected of this kind from the Petitioners, & in case they are inclin'd to make an honest discovery, the Chief Justice is de- sir'd to take their Examinations.
Mr. Lawrence laid before the Board a Letter from Mr. George Croghan, Indian Trader, purporting that one of his Men yesterday come down from the woods, and informed him that the Indians on Lake Erie were making War very briskly against the French, but were very impatient to kear from their Brethren the English, ex- pecting a Present of Powder & Lead, which if they do not get he is of opinion they will turn to the French, who will be very willing to make it up with them. Mr. Croghan adds, that if this, for want of a Present, should be the Case he wou'd not go, or send his Men this Year, into the Indian Country for fear of Danger. The Council are of opinion that a Present of Goods to the value of two hundred Pounds should be immediately sent to the Indians on Ohio & Lake Erie, and Mr. Lawrence undertaking to confer with Mr. Ed- ward Shippen and settle the proper sorts of Goods, the Secretary is order'd to prepare a Letter & String of Wampum to accompany the Present; and as it is said the Assembly have voted a Sum of Money for the use of the Indians, he is further ordered to get & Copy of their Minute from the Clerk and to send it to Mr. Weiser, together with a Copy of that part of the Council's Speech & the Assembly's Message which relate to Indian Affairs, & to write him
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a Letter requesting his Advice and sentiments about the most ad- vantagious manner of laying out the Money.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 3d October, 1747.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.
Thomas Lawrence, Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Joseph Turner,
Thomas Hopkinson,
Esqrs.
William Logan,
The Minutes of the two preceding Councils were read and ap- prov'd.
The several Returns of Sheriffs & Coroners being presented to the President, he laid them before the Council, & the Board having taken the same into Consideration, the following Persons were appointed, & their Commissions, with Writs of Assistance & a Warrant for the Great Seal, were signed by the President, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Strettell, & Mr. Shoemaker, vizt .:
Richard Sewell, Sheriff, Philadelphia City & County.
Henry Pratt, Coroner,
Benjamin Davis, Sheriff,
Chester County.
Isaac Lea, Coroner,
Amos Strickland, Sheriff,
John Chapman, Coroner, Bucks County.
James Sterrett, Sheriff,
Edward Dougherty, Coroner,
Lancaster County,
The Secretary laid before the Board a Copy of his Letter to Con- rad Weiser, Esq., & likewise the Draught of a Letter to be sent to the Indians on or near Lake Erie; but as no Letter is yet come to hand from Mr. Weiser in answer to the Secretarie's Letter, the Council postpon'd the Consideration of Indian Affairs to another Day.
-
At a Council held at Philada., 5th October, 1747.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.
Thomas Lawrence, Samuel Hasell,
William Till, . Abraham Taylor, Esqrs.
Robert Strettel, Thomas Hopkinson,
The Surveyor General inform'd the Council that he & the Per- sons appointed to lay out the Road from Philadelphia to Newcastle
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Government had laid it out as far as Darby, but that they cou'd proceed no further unless the Board wou'd be pleased to alter that part of their Order wherein they were confin'd to follow the Courses of a Road said to be laid out between Darby & Chester Creeks in the Year 1706, & give the same directions as to that part of the Road which they had given as to all other parts, vizt., to follow the Courses of the Road as it is now used.
The Council considering that that part of the Road was actually laid out, return'd and Recorded, tho' it does not appear ever to have been cleared or taken Notice of, did not incline to come to any de- termination till they shou'd receive full Information how it wou'd affect the Inhabitants & the Possessors of Lands between Darby & Chester.
9th October, 1747.
MEMORANDUM.
An order issued to Doct". Græme & Doctor Thomas Bond to visit & report the State of Health of the Ship Restoration, James Hall Master, just arrived from Rotterdam with Palatines, & Doctor Græme having reported the said Ship to be an healthy Ship, & the Passengers and Mariners to be in good Health, she was admitted to come to the City & to Land the Men.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 12th October, 1747.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esq., President.
Samuel Hasell, Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Shoemaker, Esqrs.
Thomas Hopkinson,
William Logan,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
It being represented to the Board that some Spanish Prisoners who were brought into this Province in Augt last lay in the Work House in a wretched Condition, having no Cloaths nor Bedding, The Board appointed Mr. Turner to examine into the truth of this Information & to report their Condition; that as the Assembly was to sit the 14th a proper Message might be sent to them on this Subject.
The Secretary having received a letter from Mr. Weiser in answer to his wrote by Order of Council, the same was read, & Mr. Weiser concurring in Sentiment that an handsome Present shou'd be made to the Indians on Ohio & on lake Erie, who, by their Situation, were capable of doing this Province abundance of mischief if they shou'd turn to the French, The Board thereupon took into Con-
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sideration what wou'd be the best method to take in order to be sure that the Present wou'd be safely delivered, & to proper Indians. It was said that in committing goods of such a value to the Indian Traders there might be Danger either that the Indians wou'd not get all or that they might not be given to the Chiefs & Men of the greatest Consequence, or that the Distribution of it might be made to serve private purposes; but since none were acquainted with the Indians or the Road to them but the Indian Traders, & there was a necessity to make use of them, it was therefore resolved that a Letter shou'd be wrote to Mr. Croghan, letting him know that the Council had determin'd to make an handsome Present to those Indians to the value of £200, that they wou'd bear the Expence of their Car- riage to the Indian Country, & therefore that he wou'd provide a Waggon to carry them to Harris' Ferry, & Horses . to carry them thence; and further, that he wou'd either go himself & take the Charge of the Present & be answerable for the Delivery, or recom- mend some proper Person. It was likewise mentioned that if Mr. Croghan shou'd undertake the Charge it would not be amiss to send some reputable Man from this Place to accompany him, that the Council might be sure their Intentions wou'd be answer'd, & like- wise that they might be better inform'd of the Strength & number of those Indians.
The Ship Two Brothers, Captain Ornett, being arrived with Palatines from Rotterdam, the President gave an order to Doctor Græme & Doctor Thomas Bond to visit her, & Captain Ornett now producing a Certificate sign'd by the said Doctors, that the Ship was healthy & that no Danger cou'd accrue to the Inhabitants of the Town in permitting her immediately to come to the City, the Board gave permission accordingly.
The President laid before the Board some French Papers & a letter which he received this morning from the Hands of a French Gentleman, who called himself John Baptist Cosnay, & said he was the Captain of the Sloop Adventurer, a Flagg of Truce from Leo- gane, lying at Marcus Hook, had brought with him 13 English Men who were taken into Leogane, 15 came from thence but 2 dyed in the Passage. By the Dispatches it appear'd that 15 English Prisoners at Leogane had requested a Passage to Philadelphia, & that Monsieur Chastenoye at their request had granted a Flag of Truce to Captain Cosnay to carry them there & deliver them to the Commander-in-Chief of this Province. The Captain attending without was call'd in & Petition'd for Leave to do some necessary repairs to his Sloop & to take in a sufficiency of Provisions for his Voyage to Hispaniola, & desir'd if there were any French Prisoners they might be deliver'd to him in Exchange.
Mr. Humphrey's informing the Council that the Sloop really wanted repairing, they gave the Captain Leave to do what was ne- cessary to her & likewise to take in a sufficiency of Provisions, re-
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commending to him to make the utmost Dispatch. He was told there were some French Men here, & that they shou'd be deliver'd to him as soon as ever he was ready.
The Council thinking this a good Opportunity to send away the Spanish Prisoners, propos'd it to Captain Cosnay to carry them to Leogane, and on his consenting Mr. Turner was desir'd to know of the Spaniards if they were willing to go.
At a Council held at Philadadelphia, 15th Oct™- 1747. PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President. Abraham Taylor, Robert Strettell,
Joseph Turner, Thomas Hopkinson, S Esqrs.
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.
The President told the Board that Six Members of Assembly waited on him this morning & inform'd him that the House had met last Night, & having Chose their Speaker they desir'd to know when they might attend him & the Council; he answer'd that he was going to Council & wou'd let the House know as soon as they were met.
The Secretary was sent with a Message to tell the House that the President & Council were met & ready to receive them imme- diately, and very soon after the Delivery of this Message the whole House came into the Council Chamber, & Mr. Kinsey addressing himself to the Board spoke as follows: "I am commanded by the House to acquaint the President & Council that the Representatives in pursuance of the Charter & Laws met last Night & proceeded to the Choice of a Speaker, & chose me. I am further commanded to say, That as the Administration of the Government is lodg'd in the President & Council, the House will always be ready to receive from them whatever may contribute to the Peace & Prosperity of the Province, wherein their concurrence is necessary." The House withdrew.
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