USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V > Part 35
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" George the Second by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, & Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, d.ca.
" Whereas, upon the Petition of John King of the City of Phila- delphia, Mariner, setting forth that about three Weeks since the Petitioner & another Mariner named Joseph Seal had a difference on board Captain Mesnard's Ship, lying at one of the Wharfs of the said City ; that the said Joseph Seal Challeng'd the Petitioner to fight; that they went on Shore & the said Seal first struck the Petitioner ; that in the Combat the said Seal fell to the Ground, & in the fall received a wound on his Head of which he dyed; & that thereupon the Petitioner was Indicted for Manslaughter, to which he pleaded Guilty; that the said Joseph Seal did not come by his Death thro' any design of the Petitioner but by Accident only, & praying the Royal Mercy & Pardon of the said Offence. Now Know Ye, that it being made appear to Us that the facts set forth in the said Petition are true, We have thought fit graciously to ex- tend our Royal Mercy to the said John King, & have pardon'd, & do by these Presents Pardon the said John King the Offence afore- said, whereof all our Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, & all our Officers & other our Leige Subjects are to take Notice; and our will & pleasure is, that the said John King stand right in our Courts, if any against him wou'd speak of the Premisses. In Testimony whereof We have caused the Great Seal of our said Province to be hereunto affixed. Witness, Anthony Palmer, Esq., President, Samuel Ha- sell, William Till, Abraham Taylor, & Robert Strettell, Esqrs., in Council Assembled at Philadelphia for our said Province, the Thir-
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tieth Day of September, in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred & forty-eight, & in the Twenty-second Year of our Reign.
" ANTHONY PALMER, Preside. "ROBERT STRETTELL, " ABRAM TAYLOR, "WM. TILL, "SAM. HASELL."
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 4th October, 1748. PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President. William Till,
Samuel Hasell, 7
Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Jeseph Turner,
Esqrs.
Thomas Hopkinson, William Logan, J
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.
The Returns of the Sheriffs & Coroners for the several Counties were taken into Consideration, & the following Persons receiv'd their Commissions in Conncil, viz :
Richard Sewell, Esq,, Sheriff,
Philada. County.
Henry Pratt, Gent"-, Coroner,
Benjamin Davies, Esqr., Sheriff,
Isaac Lea, Gent"., Coroner,
Amos Strickland, Esqr., Sheriff,
Bucks County.
Y
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 5th Oct"- 174c.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.
Samuel Hasell, William Till,
Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell,
Esqrs.
Benjamin Shoemaker, Joseph Turner,
Thomas Hopkinson,
William Logan,
A Letter from Mr. Lawrence Growden, one of the Members of Council, was read, setting forth that he had received sundry Infor- mations of male Practice in Amos Strickland, Sheriff of Bucks, at the late Election of Assembly Men for that County, & desiring the Board wou'd examine into the matter before they issued Sheriff's Commissions; whereupon the Secretary was sent for the Commission from Charles Brockden's Office, & the Board proceeded to the Ex-
Chester County.
John Hart, Gent"., Coroner,
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amination of Mr. Strickland, but it not appearing that he was guilty of any ill design, tho' there was on his own Confession great Care- lessness in the Election, he was severely reprimanded & dismiss'd and his Commission return'd to him.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 13th Oct., 1748.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.
Abraham Taylor, Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Shoemaker, Thomas Hopkinson, § Esqrs.
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.
A Letter from Mr. Gooch was read, together with the President's Answer, in these words :
" WILLIAMSBURG, August 17th, 1748.
" Sir :
"The 12th Instant I receiv'd a Letter from the Governor of South Carolina, dated the 18th July, acquainting me that the Ca- tawba Nation have for some Years past been harrass'd by various Nations of Northward Indians, who meeting with little opposition to their Incursions upon these People, have ventur'd near their Settlements & carried off into Slavery two of their People, one of them Mr. Haig, a Captain of the Militia & Justice of the Peace, a most useful man among their German Inhabitants, desiring at the same time my assistance towards their Redemption.
"In Consequence of which I thought I could not do any greater Service than to request the favour of You to cause diligent Enquiry to be made amongst all the Indians in your Parts for such Person, in order that if discover'd he may be sent thither as soon as possi- ble, & if so be he has been carried to any of the French Settle- ments he may be redeem'd. I am with great Respect,
" Sir, Your most obedient Serrant,
" WILL. GOOCH.
" The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President of the Pro- vince of Pennsylvania."
" PHILADELPHIA., 8th Oct"-, 1748.
" Sir :
" I wou'd have answer'd your Letter relating to Mr. Haig sooner, but as our Interpreter, who had the Enquiry of this Gentleman given him in Charge at the Instance of the Gov". of Carolina, was daily expected from Ohio, I chose to delay it that I might write something certain.
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" I have the mortification to tell you that Mr. Weiser, in an im- perfect Diary which he sent to me as soon as he arriv'd among our Inhabitants, says Mr. Haig is actually Murdered, and his Man, one Brown, was deliver'd to him by some Indians of the Senaca Nation. For further Particulars I must refer You to my next, entreating you wou'd advertize Mr. Glenn of this Melancholy Story, & assure him of my best respects, & that I shall do myself the Honour to inform him of every Circumstance attending the Murder, & assist in bring- ing the Murderers to Punishment.
"Justice will not suffer me to omit informing You of a Story that prevails here as if a French Ship, bound for this Port with Letters from the Governor of Hispaniola to me as President, & with a Cargo of Sugars destinated to discharge a Ransom due to the Owners of the Privateer Pandour, from a French Merchant at Leo- ganne, was seiz'd & actually Condemn'd with her Cargo in the Court of Admiralty at Williamsburg, for no other reason than that the Papers she carried were suppos'd to be false ; whereas the Presi- dent & Council on the Petition of the Owners of the Pandour, & from the Strongest Principles of Justice, wrote to Mons". Chastes- noye to oblige that Merchant, one Rasteau, to discharge that Debt, by the Delay whereof the Faith of Nations was extremely violated, and in Consequence hereof this shou'd have been done by Bills of Ex- change on old France; how they came to send Sugars I cannot ac- count for ; but I assure You the Vessel shou'd not have been per- mitted to have broke bulk here, but have been sent back directly, tho' considering the reality of the Debt, & the Publick Faith due to the Instruments of Governors, I shou'd not have suffer'd her to have been seiz'd unless she shou'd have broke the Laws of Nations or the particular Acts of Trade.
"I am Your Excellency's most obedient humble Servant,
" ANTHONY PALMER.
" His Excellency S". WILLIAM GOOCH."
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 15th Oct., 1748.
PRESENT :
The Honoble. ANTHONY PALMER, Esqr., President.
Samuel Hasell,
Abraham Taylor,
Robert Strettell, Benjamin Shoemaker, Esqrs.
Joseph Turner, Thomas Hopkinson,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read & approv'd.
A Message from the Assembly having been delivered by four of their Members to the President before there was a Board that a Quorum of the House were met, & having proceeded to chuse their Speaker, desir'd to know when the House with their Speaker might
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wait, on the Council. The Secretary was sent to tell the House the Council was met & ready to receive them with their Speaker im- mediately ; & being come, the Speaker said the House having met according to Charter had chose him their Speaker, & had given him in charge to acquaint the Council that they were heartily disposed to join with them in what might be for the real Service of the Pro- vince, & ready to receive any thing they had to lay before them, & so withdrew.
The Secretary was order'd to lay before the House Mr. Weiser's Journal of his proceedings at Ohio.
The Journal of Conrad Weiser Esqr., Indian Interpreter to Ohio.
" Augst. 11th. Set out from my House & came to James Galbreath that day, 30 Miles.
" 12th. Came to George Croghans, 15 Miles.
"13th. To Robert Dunnings, 20 Miles.
" 14th. To the Tuscarroro Path, 30 Miles.
" 15th and 16th. Lay by on Account of the Men coming back Sick, & some other Affairs hindering us.
" 17th. Crossed the Tuscarroro Hill & came to the Sleeping Place called the Black Log, 20 Miles.
" 18th. Had a great Rain in the afternoon; came within two Miles of the Standing Stone, 24 Miles.
" 19th. We travelled but 12 Miles; were obliged to dry our Things in the afternoon.
"20th. Came to Franks Town, but saw no Houses or Cabins ; here we overtook the Goods, because four of George Croghan's Hands fell sick, 26 Miles.
" 21st. Lay by, it raining all Day.
" 22d. Crossed Allegheny Hill & came to the Clear Fields, 16 Miles.
" 23d. Came to the Shawonese Cabbins, 34 Miles.
"24th. Found a dead Man on the Road who had killed himself by Drinking too much Whisky; the Place being very stony we cou'd not dig a Grave ; He smelling very strong we covered him with Stones & Wood & went on our Journey ; came to the 10 Mile Lick, 32 Miles.
" 25th. Crossed Kiskeminetoes Creek & came to Ohio that Day, 26 Miles.
"26th. Hired a Cannoe ; paid 1,000 Black Wampum for the loan of it to Logs Town. Our Horses being all tyred, we went by Wa- ter & came that Night to a Delaware Town ; the Indians used us very kindly.
"27th. Sett off again in the morning early; Rainy Wheather.
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We dined in a Seneka Town, where an old Seneka Woman Reigns with great Authority ; we dined at her House, & they all used us very well; at this & the last-mentioned Delaware Town they re- ceived us by firing a great many Guns; especially at this last Place. We saluted the Town by firing off 4 pair of Pistols ; arrived that Evening at Logs Town, & Saluted the Town as before ; the Indians returned about One hundred Guns; Great Joy appear'd in their Countenances. . From the Place where we took Water, i. e. from the old Shawones Town, commonly called Chartier's Town, to this Place is about 60 Miles by Water & but 35 or 40 by Land.
" The Indian Council met this Evening to shake Hands with me & to shew their Satisfaction at my safe arrival; I desired of them to send a Couple of Canoes to fetch down the Goods from Char- tier's old Town, where we had been oblig'd to leave them on account of our Horses being all tyred. I gave them a String of Wampum to enforce my Request.
"28th. Lay still.
"29th. The Indians sett off in three Canoes to fetch the Goods. I expected the Goods wou'd be all at Chartier's old Town by the time the Canoes wou'd get there, as we met about twenty Horses of George Groghan's at the Shawonese Cabbins in order to fetch the Goods that were then lying at Franks Town.
"This Day news came to Town that the Six Nations were on the point of declaring War against the French, for reason the French had Imprison'd some of the Indian Deputies. A Council was held & all the Indians acquainted with the News, and it was said the Indian Messenger was by the way to give all the Indians Notice to make ready to fight the French. This Day my Companions went to Coscosky, a large Indian Town about 30 Miles off.
" 30th. I went to Beaver Creek, an Indian Town about 8 Miles off, chiefly Delawares, the rest Mohocks, to have some Belts of Wampum made. This afternoon Rainy Wheather set in which lasted above a Week. Andrew Montour came back from Coscosky with a Message from the Indians there to desire of me that the en- suing Council might be held at their Town. We both lodged at this Town at George Croghan's Trading House.
"31st. Sent Andrew Montour back to Coscosky with a String of Wampum to let the Indians there know that it was an act of their own that the ensuing Council must be held at Logs Town, they had order'd it so last Spring when George Croghan was up, & at the last Treaty in Lancaster the Shawonese & Twightwees have been told so, & they stayed accordingly for that purpose, & both would be offended if the Council was to be held at Coscosky, besides my Instructions binds me to Logs Town, & could not go further without giving offence.
"Sept". 1. The Indians in Logs Town having heard of the Mess-
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age from Coscosky sent for me to know what I was resolv'd to do, and told me that the Indians at Coscosky were no more Chiefs than themselves, & that last Spring they had nothing to eat, & expect- ing that they shou'd have nothing to eat at our arrival ; order'd that the Council should be held here ; now their Corn is ripe, they want to remove the Council, but they ought to stand by their word; we have kept the Twightwees here & our Brethren the Shawonese from below on that account, as I told them the Message that I had sent by Andrew Montour; they were content.
"2d. Rain continued; the Indians brought in a good deal of Venison.
"3d. Set up the Union Flagg on a long Pole. Treated all the Company with a Dram of Rum; The King's Health was drank by Indians & White men. Towards Night a great many Indians ar- rived to attend the Council. There was great firing on both sides ; the Strangers first Saluted the Town at a quarter of a Mile distance, and at their Entry the Town's People return'd the fire, also the English Traders, of whom there were above twenty. At Night, being very sick of the Cholick, I got bled.
" 4th. Was oblig'd to keep my bed all Day, being very weak.
" 5th. I found myself better. Scaiohady came to see mne; had some discourse with him about the ensuing Council.
" 6th. Had a Council with the Wondats, otherways called Ionon- tady Hagas, they made a fine Speech to me to make me welcome, & appeared in the whole very friendly. Rainy Wheather continued.
" 7th. Being inform'd that the Wondats had a mind to go back again to the French, & had endeavour'd to take the Delawares with them to recommend them to the French, I sent Andrew Montour to Beaver Creek with a string of Wampum to inform himself of the Truth of the matter; they sent a String in answer to let me know they had no Correspondence that way with the Wondats, and that the aforesaid Report was false.
"8th. Had a Council with the Chiefs of the Wondats; enquired their number, & what occasion'd them to come away from the French, What Correspondence they had with the Six Nations, & whether or no they had ever had any Correspondence with the Government of New York; they inform'd me their coming away from the French was because of the hard Usage they received from them; That they wou'd always get their Young Men to go to War against their Enemies, and wou'd use them as their own People, that is like Slaves, & their Goods were so dear that they, the Indians, cou'd not buy them; that there was one hundred fighting Men that came over to join the English, seventy were left behind at another Town a good distance off, & they hoped they wou'd follow them ; that they had a very good Correspondence with the Six Nations many Years, & were one People with them, that they cou'd wish the Six Nations
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wou'd act more brisker against the French ; That above fifty Years ago they made a Treaty of Friendship with the Governor of New York at Albany, & shewed me a large Belt of Wampum they re- ceived there from the said Governor as from the King of Great Britain ; the Belt was 25 Grains wide & 265 long, very Curiously wrought, there were seven Images of Men holding one another by the Hand, the 1st signifying the Governor of New York (or rather, as they said, the King of Great Britain), the 2d the Mohawks, the 3d the Oneidos, the 4th the Cajugas, the 5th the Onondagers, the 6th the Senekas, the 7th the Owandaets, and two Rows of black Wampum under their feet thro' the whole length of the Belt to signify the Road from Albany thro' the 5 Nations to the Owendaets ; That 6 Years ago they had sent Deputies with the same Belt to Albany to renew the Friendship.
" I treated them with a quart of Whiskey & a Roll of Tobacco ; they expressed their good Wishes to King George & all his People, & were mightily pleas'd that I look'd upon them as Brethren of the English.
" This Day I desir'd the Deputies of all the Nations of Indians settled on the Waters of Ohio to give me a List of their fighting Men, which they promis'd to do. A great many of the Indians went away this Day because the Goods did not come, & the People in the Town cou'd not find Provision enough, the number was so great.
" The following is the number of every Nation, given to me by their several Deputies in Council, in so many Sticks tied up in a Bundle :
" The Senacas 163, Shawonese 162, Owendaets 100, Tisagech- roanu 40, Mohawks 74, Mohickons 15, Onondagers 35, Cajukas 20, Oneidos 15, Delawares 165, in all 789.
"9th. I had a Council with the Senakas, & gave them a large String of Wampum, black & White, to acquaint them I had it in Charge from the President & Council in Philadelphia to enquire who it was that lately took the People Prisoners in Carolina, one thereof being a Great man, & that by what discovery I had already made I found it was some of the Senekas did it; I therefore desir'd them to give me their Reasons for doing so, & as they had struck their Hatchet into their Brethren's Body they cou'd not expect that I could deliver my Message with a good heart before they gave me Satisfaction in that Respect, for they must consider the English, tho' living in several Provinces, are all one People, & doing Mis- cheif to one is doing to the other; let me have a plain & direct answer.
" 10th. A great many of the Indians got drunk; one Henry Noland had brought near 30 Gallons of Whiskey to the Town. This Day I made a Present to the old Shawonese Chief Cacka-
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watcheky, of a Stroud, a Blanket, a Match Coat, a Shirt, a Pair of Stockings, & a large twist of Tobacco, & told him that the Presi- dent & Council of Philadelphia remember'd their Love to him as to their old & true Friend, & wou'd Cloath his Body once more, & wished he might weare them out so as to give them an opportunity to cloath him again. There was a great many Indians present, two of which were the big Hominy & the Pride, those that went off with Chartier, but protested against his proceedings against our Traders. Catchawatcheky return'd thanks, & some of the Six Nations did the same, & express'd their Satisfaction to see a true man taken Notice of, altho' he was now grown Childish.
" 11th. George Croghan & myself staved an 8 Gallon Cag of Liquor belonging to the aforesaid Henry Norland, who could not be prevail'd on to hide it in the Woods, but would sell it & get drunk himselfe.
" I desir'd some of the Indians in Council to send some of their Young Men to meet our People with the Goods, and not to come back before they heard of or saw them. I begun to be afraid they had fallen into the Hands of the Enemy ; so did the Indians.
" Ten Warriors came to Town by Water from Niagara; We suspected them very much, & fear'd that some of their Parties went to meet our People by hearing of them.
" 12th. Two Indians and a white man went out to meet our People, & had Orders not to come back before they saw them, or go to Franks Town, where we left the Goods. The same Day the Indians made answer to my Request concerning the Prisoners taken in Carolina : Thanayieson, a Speaker of the Senekas, spoke to the following purpose in the presence of all the Deputies of the other Nations (We were out of Doors) : 'Brethren, You came a great way to visit us, & many sorts of Evils might have befallen You by the way which might have been hurtful to your Eyes & your inward parts, for the Woods are full of Evil Spirits. We give You this String of Wampum to clear up your Eyes & Minds & to to remove all bitterness of your Spirit, that you may hear us speak in good Chear.' Then the Speaker took his Belt in his Hand & said : 'Brethren, when we and you first saw one another at your first arrival at Albany we shook Hands together and became Breth- ren & we tyed your Ship to the Bushes, and after we had more acquaintance with you we lov'd you more and more, & perceiving that a Bush wou'd not hold your Vessel we then tyed her to a large Tree & ever after good Friendship continued between us; after- wards you our Brethren told us that a Tree might happen to fall down and the Rope rot wherewith the Ship was tyed. You then propos'd to make a Silver Chain & tye your Ship to the great Mountains in the five Nations' Country, & that Chain was called the Chain of Friendship; we were all tyed by our Arms together with it, & we the Indians of the five Nations heartily agreed to it,
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& ever since a very good Correspondence have been kept between us ; but we are very sorry that at your coming here we are oblig'd to talk of the Accident that lately befell you in Carolina, where some of our Warriors, by the Instigation of the Evil Spirit, struck their Hatchet into our own Body like, for our Brethren the English & we are of one Body, & what was done we utterly abhor as a thing done by the Evil Spirit himself; we never expected any of our People wou'd ever do so to our Brethren. We therefore remove our Hatchet which, by the influence of the Evil Spirit, was struck into your Body, and we desire that our Brethren the Govr of New York & Onas may use their utmost endeavours. that the thing may be buried in the bottomless Pit, that it may never be seen again- that the Chain of Friendship which is of so long standing may be preserv'd bright & unhurt.' Gave a Belt. The Speaker then took up a String of Wampum, mostly black, and said : 'Brethren, as we have removed our Hatchet out of your Body, or properly speak- ing, out of our own, We now desire that the Air may be clear'd up again & the wound given may be healed, & every thing put in good understanding, as it was before, anc. we desire you will assist us to make up every thing with the Govr. of Carolina; the Man that has been brought as a Prisoner we now deliver up to You, he is yours (lay'd down the String, and took the Prisoner by the Hand and delivered him to me). By way of discourse, the Speaker said, " the Six Nation Warriors often meet Englishmen trading to the Catawbas, & often found that the Englishmen betrayed them to their Enemy, & some of the English Traders had been spoke to by the Indian Speaker last Year in the Cherrykees Country & were told not to do so ; that the Speaker & many others of the Six Na- tions had been afraid a long time that such a thing wou'd be done by some of their Warriors at one time or other.'
"' 13th. Had a Council with the Senekas and Onontagers about the Wandots, to receive them into our Union. I gave a large Belt of Wampum and the Indians gave two, & everything was agreed upon about what shou'd be said to the Wandots. The same Even- ing a full Council was appointed & met accordingly, & a Speech was made to the Wandots by Asserhartur, a Seneka, as follows :
"' Brethren, the Ionontady Hagas : last Spring you sent this Belt of Wampum to Us (having the Belt then in his hand) to desire us and our Brethren, the Shawonees & our Cousins the Delawares, to come & meet you in your retreat from the French, & we accordingly came to your Assistance & brought you here & received you as our own flesh. We desire you will think you now join us, & our Brethren, the English & you to become one People with us-then he lay'd that Belt by & gave them a very large String of Wampum.'
"The Speaker took up the Belt I gave & said :
"' Brethren: the English, cur Brothers, bid you welcome & are glad you escaped out Captivity like : You have been kept as Slaves VOL. V .- 23.
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by Onontio, notwithstanding he call'd You all along his Children, but now You have broke the Rope wherewith you have been tyed, & become Freemen, & we, the united Six Nations, receive you to our Council Fire, & make you" Members thereof, & and we will secure your dwelling Place to You against all manner of danger. Gave the Belt.
"'Brethren : We the Six United Nations & all our Indian Allies, with our Brethren the English, look upon you as our Children, tho' you are our Brethren; we desire you will give no ear to the Evil Spirit that spreads lyes & wickedness, let your mind be easy & clear, & be of the same mind with us whatever you may hear, noth- ing shall befall you but what of necessity must befall us at the same time.
" ' Brethren : We are extremely pleased to see you here, as it hap- pened just at the same time when our Brother Onas is with us. We jointly, by this Belt of Wampum, embrace you about your mid- dle, & desire you to be strong in your minds & hearts, let nothing alter your minds, but live & dye with us.' Gave a Belt-the Coun- cil broke up.
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