USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V > Part 47
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77
"Sir, your very obedient "CONRAD WEISER.
"P. S .- Within a few days I will send you a Copy of my Journal, where you will see my Proceedings."
The Secretary is ordered to write to Mr. Weiser to send his Journal with all possible expedition, and to attend here the day before the Meeting of the Assembly in order to give the proper Information about the State of Indian Affairs.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Saturday the 6th of October, 1750.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Thomas Lawrence,
William Till, William Logan, ? Esquires.
Thomas Hopkinson,
Richard Peters,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
On reading the Returns of Sheriffs and Coroners made for the County of Cumberland, and of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, the following Persons were commissionated :
468
MINUTES OF THE
Sheriff.
John Potter, Cumberland County,
John Vandyke, Newcastle County,
Thomas Parke,
Kent County,
William Shankland, Sussex County,
Coroner. Adam Hoops, Samuel Silsby, William Blakiston,
Robert McIlwaine.
Hans Hamilton, Esquire, Sheriff of York County, instead of a Return presented a Petition wherein he set forth in substance as follows, that he was drove by violence from the Place of Election, and by the same violence was prevented from returning there, whereby it was not in his power to preside and do his duty, and therefore could make no return; and as he with sundry Persons were attending to make good these Allegations, they were called in and examined, but the time not permitting to finish them the Council was adjourned till Monday.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday the 8th of October, 1750.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Thomas Hopkinson, r William Logan, Richard Peters, S Esquires.
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd.
The Examination of Witnesses in Support of Hans Hamilton's Petition was resumed, and when finished it was unanimously agreed that it was not owing to Hans Hamilton that the Election was ob- structed; and likewise that he could not in his Circumstances, as proved by the Witnesses, make a Return. The Governor therefore granted a Commission to him to be Sheriff during his Pleasure.
A Petition of the Trespassers in the Big Cove was read as follows:
" To the Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Pennsylvania and Ter- ritories thereunto belonging,
" The Petition of Us, Underscribers, Inhabitants of the Great Cove in Cumberland County, humbly sheweth :
"We are exceedingly sorry, as well we may, that any part of that letter sent from the Great Cove to the Magistrates of this . County should have given your Honour any Umbrage to suspect we would desire to get rid of being under the Government of this Province, and forcibly to maintain the Possession of these Lands on which we at present live in opposition to your Authority. It is and
469
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
always hath been our strong inclination to enjoy the Privileges of the Government of Pennsylvania above those of any other of his Majestie's Colonies in America. We never did directly or indi- rectly apply to Maryland for a Right to said Land ; and should any thing in said Letter seem to insinuate as if we had a mind to do so, or should any of our inconsiderate or even guilty expressions be re- ported to you, we hope you will not interpret these things to our ruin, but in mercy forgive them, for your Honour may know what extremes People of weak Policy when they see they're all in danger may be guilty of.
" Yet suffer us to inform your Honour notwithstanding of what was done by Us before the Secretary when perplexed and con- founded, that the most of us did not take up said Land in oppo- sition to the authority of a Governor's Proclamation, but after we were informed some in Power did permit if not grant Liberty to settle said Land with honest men; yet by this we would not be understood as if we would oppose what proceedings your Honour might judge necessary for the Safety or Interest of the Province with regard to us. No, in this we resolve to be entirely at your Disposal, or that of any you may appoint.
" We humbly and earnestly beg, if consistent with the great De- signs of your Government, you would permit us yet longer to culti- vate these Lands for the Support of our Families.
"But if this cannot be granted that you would interpose with the Proprietors for our obtaining a Right to these Plantations, on which we at present live, when said Land shall be purchased from the Indians, we paying what is due to the Proprietor, and recommend it to the Secretary to be active for Us, on whose mercy we would, notwithstanding of all our folly, depend much ;
" And the Blessing of many, who will otherwise be reduced to pinching distressing Difficulties, shall come upon your Honour.
" ROB. SMITH,
" ROGER MURFEY,
"JOHN JAMISON,
" ALEXANDER McCONNELL,
" SAMUEL BROWN,
" CHARLES STEWART,
" ROBERT KENDALL,
" WILLIAM DICKEY,
"WILLIAM McCONNELL,
"JOHN MCCLELLAN,
" ANDREW DONALLSON,
"JOHN McMEANS,
" WILLIAM McCARELL, " Septmbr. ye 27th, 1750."
" JAMES CAMPBELL, "JAMES DOWNEY,
" WILLIAM MULLIGAN,
" JOHN McCOLLOM,
"JOHN MARTIN.
Agreed that in case the Petitioners should presume to continue after the Expiration of the time limited in their respective Recogni- zances and Bonds they should be prosecuted.
470
MINUTES OF THE
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Thursday the 11th of Octo- ber, 1750.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Thomas Lawrence, Thomas Hopkinson, Esqrs.
William Logan, Richard Peters,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd.
Conrad Weiser's Journal was read and order'd to be enter'd :
" A Journal of the Proceedings of Conrad Weiser in his Journey to Onondago, with a Message from the Honourable THOMAS LEE, Esquire, President of Virginia, to the Indians there.
" 1750, August the fifteenth, Set out in the afternoon from my House in Heidleberg and came to Reading on Schuylkill that day- fourteen Miles.
" The Sixteenth-Came to Henry Saseman in Maxatawny- twenty Miles.
" The Seventeenth-Came to Nazareth-twenty-seven Miles.
"The Eighteenth-To Nicholas Depue, in Smithfield on Dela- ware-thirty miles.
"The Nineteenth-To Henry Cortrecht at Minissinks-twenty- five miles.
"The Twentieth-To Emanuel Paschal-thirty-five miles.
"The Twenty-First-To Kingston-forty-four Miles.
"The Twenty-Second-Rained all Day-lay by.
" The Twenty-Third-Crossed Hudson's River for the sake of a better road -rain continued-came to Reinbeck-ten Miles.
"The Twenty-Fourth-Came to the Manor of Levingston- eighteen Miles.
" The Twenty-Fifth-Came to Albany-forty-four Miles.
" The Twenty-Sixth-Lay still, being Sunday-met Henry Peters and Nickas, two Chiefs of the Mohocks, with eight more of that Nation. The said Nickas and two more of that Company that came from Canada but a few days ago, where they had remained Prisoners till now, complained of hard usage by the French, because they had served the English against the French in the late War, contrary to a League of Friendship subsisting between the French and the Six Nations. I spent the Evening with them in a publick house and treated them with several Bottles of Wine.
" August the twenty-seventh-Spent the forenoon with the said Indians and conferred with them about my Journey to Onondago.
471
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
They told me that the Onondagers were most all in the French In- terest and had accepted of the French Religion, and that Colonel Wm. Johnson had a Comission from the Governor of Carolina, but named Assaryquoah to bring about a Peace between the Six Na- tions and the Catawbas, and had actually made Proposition to the Six Nations about the Affair. Henry told me privately that he did not believe Colonel Johnson could bring the thing about; but if the Governor of Carolina would make him, Henry, a handsome Present, or pay him well for his trouble, he could bring about a Peace between the Six Nations and the Catawbas. He thought that I had that in Commission and to invite the Six Nation Chiefs to come to Virginia to make & Peace with the Catawbas. In the Afternoon I left Albany and came to Hordman's Creek-ten miles.
" The Twenty-eight-Came to Huntersfield, otherwise called Scho- chary-twenty-six miles.
" The Twenty-Ninth-Took a ride to a small Mohock's Indian Town, about eight miles Southwards, and conferred with the In- dians there, they being my old acquaintance, as I had lived from the Year 1714 till the Year 1729 within two miles of their Town ; they were very glad to see me, and acquainted me with every thing I desired to know of them, and told me of the bad circumstances with the Six Nations, and that the Onondagers, Cayugers, and Seneca's were turned Frenchmen, and that some of the Oneiders inclined that Way, and that they abused the Mohocks and used them ill for being true to the English, and that the Indian Affairs. lay neglected and nobody minded them, and that since the Peace with the French the Governor of New York never spoke to the In- dians nor offered them anything, and that the Mohocks themselves who had fought against the French with the loss of much blood, received no thanks for their good service.
" The Thirtieth was spent with my old Friends and acquaintance at the aforesaid Place.
" The Thirty-first I set out through the Woods for the Mohocks Country; it rained the most part of the day, having but a very blind Indian Path was lost, but met accidentally two Indians, who accom- panied me to the Mohocks Country, where we arrived about an hour after dark; came that day about twenty-five miles.
"September the First-Had a Conference with some of the Chiefs of the Mohocks that live near Fort Hunter, among whom was Brand and Seth ; they wanted to know what the Governor of Virginia had to say to the Six Nations of Indians, whether it was anything about the Catawbas. I told them that I was sure that the Invitation was in consequence of the Treaty of Lancaster held six years ago; that according to that treaty the Government of Vir- ginia had recommended the Case of the Six Nations to the King of Great Britain, and that accordingly the King had sent a fine and large Present to be given to the Six Nations. After several other
472
MINUTES OF THE
Discourses I went to Colonel William Johnson, about three miles from Fort Hunter, where I arrived about eleven of the Clock before noon, and was kindly received and hospitably entertained by the Colonel ; he is the only and sole Commissioner of Indian Affairs in that Government. I staid twenty-four Hours with him, and ac- quainted him with my Business at Onondago; we had a great deal of discourse about Indian Affiairs ; he showed me, among other Pa- pers relating to Indian Affairs, a Copy of a Letter the Governor of South Carolina wrote to the Governor of New York, wherein the Governor of New York was desired to bring about a Peace between the Six Nations and the Catawbas, which Affair the Governor of New York had left to Colonel Johnson, who told me that he had already begun his Negociation and was in hopes to succeed, the Mohocks having promised him their assistance ; that he had undertaken to bring Five, Six, or Ten of the Catawbas to the Mohocks Country or Fort Hunter, to speak to the Mohocks first and to obtain their Safe- guard or Protection to travel through the united Nations to Onon- dago. We both agreed that it was best for me not to say any thing about the Catawbas, because he had made, as is to be hoped, a good Beginning.
" The Second, about ten of the Clock, I left Colonel Johnson's and came to Cana Johary, to Barthol Pickert, twenty-five miles. My horse got lame this day.
" The Third-Came to Nicholas Pickert, about eight miles, my Horse very lame ; was obliged to leave him and hire another, and a Man to guide us the road to Onondago.
" The Fourth-Came no farther than Burnets-Field, where we got our horses shoed and bought some Provision to carry through the Wilderness to Onondago, eighteen miles.
" The Fifth-Came to George Cost, the last Settlement of White People on the Mohocks River; was obliged to leave the other Horse I brought from Pennsylvania and hired another; stayed all night; travelled but twelve miles.
"The Sixth-Set out from George Cost's by Sun Rise; camc after eleven hours Ride to Oneider, about thirty-five miles. It being but a very blind Indian Path and many mud holes to pass, we arrived a little before dark in rainy weather; the Oneider Indians being all at home, they called a Council.
" The Seventh-The Council met and let me know that if I had anything to say to them, they were ready to hear me. I went to the House where they met with the Messenger that came for me, and acquainted them with what I had in charge from the Governor of Virginia, and desired them to send their Deputies with me to Onondago to meet the Council of the Six united Nations, which they agreed to do. I desired them to send a Messenger before mc to Onondago to acquaint the Onondagers of my coming with a Mess-
473
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
age from their Brother Assariquoah, and that I desired they might kindle their Council Fire. I gave a String of Wampum to the Messenger that went to Onondago to be sent to the Cayugers and Senickers; the Messenger set off immediately ; the Oneiders desired me to spend that day with them and said as the Message was gone I had time enough ; the Council could not meet in less than six or seven days. I agreed to stay with them; the whole day was spent with some of their Chiefs discoursing about State Affairs ; they told me they had heard of my coming some days ago, and were told that I came to invite the Indians to Virginia to treat with the Ca- tawbas about a Peace, under the Protection of Assaryquoah. I told them I had nothing to say about the Catawbas, and that the Governor of Virginia had other Affairs to speak with them given him in charge by the King of Great Britain, concerning the Chain of Friendship between the English and the Six United Nations ; that I was well assured they would not see a Catawba there at Fredericksburg; perhaps some mention might be made of them, and perhaps not; they told me that their Brethren the English had been hitherto deceived by the Catawbas, by looking on them as a People that sue for Peace with the Six United Nations, but they know better; they (the Catawbas) had declared to the Tutulows and Cherakees they would never sue for a Peace with the Six United Nations, that they would fight them whilst there was one of them alive, and that after their Death their very Bones shall fight the Six Nations, and that the Catawbas had murdered some of the Friends of the Six Nations (the Tutulows and Cherakees) for offer- ing their Mediation to bring about a Peace with the Six Nations, and that the Catawbas spake with Contempt of the Six Nations, so that they the Oneiders wished none of their Brethren the English Governors would meddle with the Affair ; if the Catawbas do ac- tually want a Peace with the Six United Nations, let them follow the Example of the Cherakees and come to our Frontier Towns and sue for it, and they will obtain it on the same condition as the Che- rakees did. I told them that I supposed the Catawbas who would venture to come and sue for a Peace would be killed, because of the Treachery they had been guilty of about twenty Years ago; they answered that several of the Cherakees had been killed by the Allies of the Six Nations in their way to the Sinickers' Country when they first came to sue for a Peace, notwithstanding they proceeded on their Journey and some arrived in the Sinicker Country, where they were safe and obtained their End, that perhaps such a thing might happen to the Catawbas ; by the way they could not help that, but after their arrival at some of the Frontier Towns they should be saved ; they scorned to murder them after their arrival, and if they could not agree with them they would send them safe to their own Country, and tell 'em that they will send after them, to kill them in the Catawba Country ; they the Six Nations were too great a People and had too much Honour to kill the Deputies of their Ene-
1
474
MINUTES OF THE
mies in their Towns. Among other Discourses they told me they were sorry to acquaint me that a great Part of the Onondagers had gone over to the French and accepted of the French Religion, and had suffered themselves to be misled by the French and the Cunning of their Priests ; they said it was by the neglect of the English and their ill-management that ever since the Peace the Governor of New York never spoke to them or gave them any thing, while the French gave large Presents to the Onondagers and Others in order to bring them over to the French ; the Indians that served the Eng- lish in the late War were not well used, some stout Warriours who had the Misfortune to be made Prisoners were not redeemed by the English till about a month ago and were kept in Irons in Canada all along and had hard usage, that since they came home no body minded them, that some had Wives and Children and no body took care of them whilst the Husband or Father was in Prison in Canada, that the French had more Charity for their Indians than the Eng- lish had to their's, they seemed to lament over the Division of the Indians as well as over the Division of White People; the Head of the Oneiders, Disononto by name, a Man of above seventy Years of Age, but yet strong and nimble, asked me several times whether I knew the reason of the Governor of New York and the Great Men of that Province (the Assembly) disagreeing. I told him I did not, and ask'd several other Questions about Publick Affairs that I could not answer. This Disononto fought under Colonel Schyler when the Mohock's Towns were burnt and were taken Captives by the French in the former Century, and is a man of exceeding great Parts. I sat up with him in my Lodging till almost midnight.
" September the eighth-I set out for Canachsoragy, a Tuscarora Town about eighteen miles off, where I arrived after seven hours ride, met a Messenger from Onondago by the way, by which Mes- senger the Onondagers did let me know that they were sorry to ac- quaint me that Canassatego, their Chief, died the night before last, and that in consequence thereof there could be no Council sum- mon'd, and they were sorry I came so far because of the present melancholy time.
" N. B .- It is to be known that the Six Nations don't meet in Council when they are in mourning till some of their Friends or Neighbours wipe off their Tears and comfort their Heart; it is a certain ceremony, and if they appear in Council without that Cere- mony being performed, the dead Person was of no Credit or Esteem, and it is a certain affront to the deceased's Friends, if he has any.
" About an hour after my arrival at Canasoragy another Messen- ger arrived from Onondago to let me know that notwithstanding the melancholy Event that befel Onondago, the Council had upon a second thought resolved to hear me, because I came such a great way, though contrary to their antient custom they desired I would proceed on my Journey, and that a Council of the Six Nations was accordinly summon'd.
475
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
"The Ninth-I set out from Canachsoragy and arrived after eight hours Ride at Onondago, took up my Lodging as usual with Tohash- wuchdioony, a House which stood now by itself, the Rest of the Onondagers having moved over the Creek, some a mile, two miles, three miles off. Saristaquoah came to see me, so did Hatachsogo, two Chiefs ; an old man and a Member of the Council came with me from Canasoragy ; he begun to sing a Lamentation Song just when we set out, to signify to me in an allegorical way that the Town where I was going to was no more inhabited by such good Friends as formerly, and now more especially since the Word died, meaning Canassatego, the evil Spirits would reign and bring forth Thorns and Briars out of the Earth; his name is Gechdachery, a Brother of Soterwanachty, deceased ; at the resting Place I treated him with a Dram of good Rum, and told him that nothing was cer- tain in the World, and that the great Being that had created the World knew how to govern it, that I believed he would order every thing well, to which he said Amen in his way.
"The Tenth-Saristaquoah came again to see me; the Rest of the Chiefs being in Mourning did not appear ; the Indians seemed to be much affected with the Death of Canassatego, as they have lost several of their Head Men in a short time; three noted Men died in their Journey to and from Philadelphia, to wit: Tocanihan, Cax- hayion, and Soterwanachty, a Chief.
" The Eleventh-Nothing was done and no Deputies arrived. In my going up I was told by Mr. Livingstone at his Manor and Colonel Johnson in the Mohocks Country, that the French had erected a new Fort at St. Lawrence River at a Place called Swegatsy, not far from the Lake Frontinac, for the Indians, and that a certain French Priest was there to instruct the Indians in the French Religion, and that he cloathed all the Indians that came to live there, and built Houses and cleared Land for them at his own or at the French King's Cost, and that one-half of the Onondagers had actually begun to live there. Of all this I was confirmed when I came to Onondago by several creditable Persons and by the Council of Onondago itself, with this Addition, that the French Priest at Swegatsy had made about a hundred. Converts among the Onondagers, Men, Women, and Children, that came to live at Swegatsy last Spring, and that the aforesaid French Priest had cloathed them all in very fine Cloathes, laced with Silver and Gold, and took them down and pre- sented them to the French Governor at Montreal, who had received them very kindly and made them large Presents. Several of the said Converts came back to Onondago and drank away their fine Cloathes and reported that the French Priest at Swegatsy was not good and endeavoured to make Slaves of the Indians, notwithstand- ing his Fine Speeches he makes to the Indians, that in one of them he had told them Onontiquoah, the French King, did look upon the Indians as his own Children, and would take care that they should
476
MINUTES OF THE
not want nor no body should hurt them, that he would appoint a great man as a Guardian over them, whom he hoped his Children the Indians would obey as their Father Onontiquoa himself in every respect, and that the new Converts should not mind what the unconverted Indians said in their foolish Council, that their Father Onontiquoah would find everything for them and protect them against all Nations, so that they had no need of Indian Government; this they interpret that the French want to make Slaves of them, and in a mocking way tell one another, 'Go and get baptized again by your Father and bring home fine Cloathes that we may get some drink.' 'No,' said another, still joking, ' he will be hanged now if he goes again for fine Cloathes ; his Father is angry because his holy water is of no Force with the Indians ;' many such discourses I have heard, by which I saw plain that they do not pay any respect to any Religion let it come from where it will, if they do not get by it.
"September the Twelfth-No Deputies arrived. I heard that Ontachsina (Jean Cœur or some such name), the French Interpreter who resided in the Sinicker Country during the late War, was gone through the Sinicker Country in his Way to Ohio, with Merchant Goods and five or six Frenchmen with him, and told the Sinickers that he had Orders from the Governor of Canada to drive away the English Traders from Ohio with the Assistance of the Indians.
"The Thirteenth-The Deputies of the Oneiders and Tuscoraros arrived, making in all Five in Number, the Cayugers sent Word that they could not come, so did the Sinickers, the Cayugers having impowdered the Oneiders to act in their behalf; the said Deputies and I went out in the Bushes and had a Council by ourselves over the Death of Canassetego; we agreed to condole with the Onondagers, and to comfort them and wipe off their Tears in the usual way; I gave a large String of Wampum towards the Expence or for per- forming the Ceremony, the Oneiders and Tuscoraros did the same, and we nominated Ganachquayieson, a Chief of the Oneiders, to be Speaker. About noon the Council of Onondago met, the Chiefs of the Onondagers now present were Tahashwuchdioony, Hatachsogo, Gechdachery, and Ganodu, with about twenty others. Ganachqua- yieson opened the Council and desired to be heard so soon as the Council pleased, he was answered that they were ready to hear him immediately; After a short pause he begun to speak and directed his Discourse to the Onondagers, and said :
"' Father (so the Oneiders, Cayugers, and Tuscoraros stile or address the Onondagers, Sinickers, and Mohocks), We, your Sons, the Oneiders, Cayugers, and Tuscoraros, jointly with your Brother Assaryquoah, entred your door in a very melancholy time, when your Eyes were almost blind with the Tears you shed, and when your Heart is sorrowful to the highest degree for the Death of that great Man our Word, who died but the other day (a dead man's name
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.