USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. V > Part 61
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give the Indians Notice of This, and to put them upon their Guard. He further informed the Council that Andrew Montour had been at Onondago to invite the Six Nations to a Treaty at Winchester, and on his Return home meeting Mr. West had desired him to let his Honour know that the Six Nations did not encline to come to Win- chester, not thinking it proper to leave their Houses at a time of so much danger, and that he found the Indians not a little intimidated at the large Armament of French and French Indians which had gone by Oswego in their way to Ohio, especially after hearing what was said by Seven Indians who came into Council while he was present, and declared they were sent by the Governor of Canada to inform their Council that the King of France, their Master, had raised a Number of Soldiers to chastise the Twightwees and drive away all the English Traders from Ohio, and take those Lands under their own care, because the Indians acted a foolish Part, and had not Sense enough to take care of their own Lands. It is true Mr. Montour said they ordered these seven Indians to tell the Gov- ernor of Canada they wou'd not suffer him to build Forts there, nor take Possession of those Lands, nor drive away the English ; that those Lands belonged to the Indians, and that neither French nor English shou'd have any thing to do with them; that the In- dians were owners of the Soil and independent of Both, and wou'd keep the Lands in their own hands; but notwithstanding this An- swer Mr. Montour said he saw plainly the Indians were frighted, and that there was a Strong Party for the French among the In- dians, and the Senecas particularly were in their Interest and countenanced this Proceeding.
After maturely considering these several Accounts, the following Message was drawn and ordered to be sent to the Assembly :
" A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
" By the Intelligence contained in the several Papers now laid before you, it may be expected that the Country of Alleghany situate on the Waters of the Ohio, partly within the Limits of this Pro- vince and partly within those of Virginia, already is or will be in a very little Time invaded by an Army of French and Indians, raised for this Purpose by the Governor of Canada, And that the Indians inhabiting these, who are of the Six Nations with a Mixture of Shawonese and Delawares, Friends and Allies of Great Britain, will be obliged to retire and leave their Country for want of means to defend it against this armed Force, as will also the Twightwees lately recommended to our Alliance by the Six Nations, And that his Majestie's Subjects of this and the neighbouring Colonies now carrying on a just and lawful Trade with these Indians will be cut off or made Prisoners and their Effects seized and plundered unless the Messengers dispatched by me to Ohio, immediately on receiving
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the advices from the Governor of New York, shall have arrived time enough to give our Traders and Indian Allies an opportunity of taking Measures for their own Security.
" The Advices communicated to me by Governor Clinton are fur- ther confirmed by Mr. Andrew Montour, who happening lately to be. at Onondago on Business of the Government of Virginia with the Six Nations, heard the Message of the Governor of Canada avowing these Hostile Proceedings delivered to the Council there by seven French Indians, together with the Council's answer assert- ing their Independency and the Property of the Soil, and forbidding the French from Settling their Lands at Ohio or disturbing the English Traders ; But Your own Judgment will suggest what such Prohibition can amount to from a People who are not at present in a Condition to defend themselves, and who besides are starving for want of the Necessaries of Life.
" Under these Difficulties what can they do unless his Majestie's Governors, to whom they will undoubtedly make very earnest Ap- plications, shall afford them Assistance ? And if this be not now given them suitable to their Necessities, can it be thought that they will any longer adhere to their Alliances or hesitate to put them- selves and their Allies under the Protection of France, who they see in a condition to protect them ?
" Think, Gentlemen, I beseech You, of the Consequences of having Forts built and Indian Nations settled by the French within and near the Limits of this Province, and within a small Distance from the inhabited Part of it. Are the People settled on our West Frontiers like to live in Peace and Quietness, or to be able to pre- serve their Possessions ? or will they not desert them and the Fruits of their Labour and seek for Habitations elsewhere rather than see themselves continually exposed to the Inroads and Depredations of Enemy Indians ? But there is no need for me to enlarge on this disagreeable Subject, or to set forth the sad Effects that must un- avoidably arise from the Neighbourhood of French Forts and Settle- ments, since these will naturally offer themselves to the Mind of every One. I therefore earnestly entreat You to take this Matter into Your Serious Consideration, and as there is great Reason to expect that Applications will be made to me as well on the Part of the Six Nations at Onondago as by those who reside to the West- ward and are like to be more immediately affected by these Pro- ceedings, I request you would in your present Sessions enable me to give them Assistance answerable to their Exigencies, sensible as you must be that it is the indispensible Duty of every Government to protect and take care of all its Inhabitants, whether they be his Majestie's Natural born Subjects or Natives of America in Amity with the Crown of Great Britain or their Friends and Allies.
" JAMES HAMILTON.
" 22d May, 1753." VOL. V .- 39.
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The Persons ordered by the Minute of the twenty-fourth of June last to lay out a Road from Easton to Saucon, made their Return, which was read in these words :
" To the Honourable the Governor and Council of the Province of Pennsylvania.
" In Pursuance of an order from the Honourable Board, of the 24th Day of June, 1752, there was laid out a Road Beginning at the Ferry across the West Branch of Delaware River to Easton, in the county of Northampton, and from thence extending the several Courses and Distances following, viz .: South twenty-seven Degrees and an-half East thirty Perches, South seventy Degrees West four- teen Perches, South-South-West forty-six Perches, South fifty-four Degrees West twenty-six Perches, South twenty Degrees, West one hundred and ten Perches, South twenty-three Degrees and a-half West twenty Perches, South forty four Degrees West sixty-nine Perches, South sixty-one Degrees West forty-two Perches, South forty-two Degrees West fifteen Perches, South eleven Degrees and an-half East seventy-nine Perches, South seventeen Degrees East fifty-eight Perches, South sixty Degrees East thirty-two Perches, South thirty- six Degrees East sixty-two Perches, South twenty Degrees West fifty- three Perches, South one Degree and an-half East ninety-two Perches, South twelve Degrees West thirty-six Perches, South twenty-seven Degrees West fifty-two Perches, South forty-four Degrees West forty-four Perches, South eighty-nine Degrees West fifty-six Perches, South sixty-seven Degrees West eighty-two Perches, South seventy- four Degrees and an-half West seventy-three Perches, South eighty- four Degrees and an-half West one hundred and thirty-four Perches, South forty-two Degrees West eighty-four Perches, South twenty- six Degrees and an-half West thirty-eight Perehes, South forty-one Degrees West twenty-two Perches, South ten Degrees and an-half West thirty-nine Perches, South nine Degrees East seventy-eight Perches, South twenty-four Degrees East fifty-four Perches, South twenty-two Degrees West sixteen Perches, South two Degrees West twenty Perches, South forty-one Degrees East thirty-four Perches, South Seventy-five Degrees East twenty-six Perches, South seven Degrees East fourteen Perches, South twenty Degrees West twenty Perches, South thirty-five Degrees West twenty Perches, South thirty-nine Degrees West fifteen Perches, South thirty-two Degrees and an-half West forty-two Perches, South nineteen Degrees East thirty Perches, South ten Perches and an-half, South forty Degrees East eight Perches, South sixty Degrees East sixteen Perches, South- East ten Perches, South thirty-three Degrees East thirteen Perches, South nine Degrees East forty Perches, South five Degrees West forty-seven Perches, South thirty-one Degrees West twenty-eight Perches, South twenty-three Degrees West twenty-eight Perches, South ten Degrees West fifty-two Perches, South thirty-five Degrees West sixty-two Perches, South forty Degrees West thirty-two Per-
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ches, South fifty Degrees West twenty-six Perches, South seventy- five Degrees West twenty Perches, South forty-four Degrees West seventy-two Perches, South forty-eight Degrees West twenty-eight Perches, South sixty-nine Degrees West nine Perches, South sixty- one Degrees West forty-eight Perches, South forty-one Degrees West seventeen Perches, South sixty Degrees West twenty-six Per- ches, South fifty-one Degrees and an-half West one hundred and sixty Perches, South fifty-six Degrees and an-half West eighty-six Perches, South-West forty-seven Perches, South twenty-eight De- grees West eighteen Perches, South thirty-four Degrees West forty- five Perches, South forty-six Degrees and an-half West eighty-six Per- ches, South twenty-six Degrees West thirty-six Perches, South thirty- seven Degrees West nine Perches, South eighty-eight Degrees West twenty-two Perches, South sixty-six Degrees West sixteen Perches, South twenty-eight Degrees West sixteen Perches, South seven Degrees West twenty-four Perches, South thirty-eight Degrees East forty-two Perches, South three Degrees West sixteen Perches and an-half, South twenty Degrees West sixteen Perches and an-half, South thirty-nine Degrees West eighty-seven Perches, South twenty- three Degrees West sixty-six Perches, South fifty-one Degrees West fifty-five Perches, South-west forty-one Perches, South nineteen De- grees West forty-four Perches, South twenty-three Degrees West eighteen Perches, South twenty-nine Degrees West thirty-one Per- ches, South seventeen Degrees, .East fifty-seven Perches, South thirty-eight Degrees West forty-five Perches, South fifty-six Degrees West thirty-nine Perches, South forty-eight Degrees West forty Perches, South fifty-five Degrees East twenty-three Perches and an- half, South forty Degrees West twenty-four Perches, South twenty- eight Degrees West fifty-six Perches, South thirty-eight Degrees West sixty-one Perches, South eighty-five Degrees West seventy- nine Perches and an-half, South eighty-seven Degrees West sixty- seven Perches, South fifty-one Degrees West forty-six Perches, South twenty-seven Degrees West twenty Perches and an-half, South thirty Degrees West two hundred and sixty-eight Perches, and South forty- seven Degrees West eighty-five Perches, to the great Road leading from Saucon to the city of Philadelphia near Brigs' Plantation, in Bucks county, Being in all Thirteen Miles and one hundred and Three Perches.
"WM. PARSONS, "JOHN CHAPMAN, "JACOB HUCHART, "WILLIAM ARMSTRONG. " STEPN. TWINING, Jun'r.
" April the 14th, 1753."
A Petition was read of sundry of the Inhabitants of the Counties of Berks and Northampton, purporting that there was great want of a High Road from Easton, the County Town of the said County of
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Northampton, to Reading, the County Town of the said County of Berks, the Roads commonly used not being laid out by any Authority either from this Board or from the respective Courts of the said Counties, were often diverting and obstructed and rendered almost impassible. The Prayer of which Petition being granted, It is ordered, that Francis Parvin, Jacob Levan, Benjamin Lightfoot, James Boone, Sebastian Zimmerman, and Joseph Penrose, on the Part of Berks County, and William Parsons, Peter Traxler, Jun"., John Traxler, Timothy Horsefield, John Everat, and Lodowick Klutz, on the Part of Northampton County, or any Six of them, view the Place where such a road is wanted, and if they are satis- fied that there is a Necessity for such a Road, that they or any two of them lay out the same. Francis Parvin, Jacob Levan, William Parsons, or Timothy Horsefield, being one of the Number in laying out the said Road ; and that of the said Road laid out by Course and Distance as streight as possible for the general Accommodation of the Inhabitants, and with as little Damage as may be to any pri- vate Persons-a Return be made to this Board together with a Draught of the said Road.
The Judges of the Supream Court having held a Court of Oyer and Terminer on the twenty-seventh Day of April last at York Town, and on the Thirtieth of the same Month at Lancaster, laid their Proceedings before the Governor, in which it appeared that John Swales was convicted of the Murder of Thomas Reily, at York; and as the Judges gave the Governor to Understand that it was an attrocious Murder, a Warrant was ordered to be drawn for his Execution. At Lancaster Catherine Reynolds was convicted of the Murder of an Infant Bastard, and sundry favourable Circum- stances being repeated by the Judges, who represented her as a fit object of Mercy, She was reprieved.
Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor and desired to know if he had as yet received any Answer from the Proprie- taries to their Representation delivered the twenty-fourth Day of August, 1751; the Proprietaries having sent the Governor their Answer, he ordered both to be put upon the Minutes and then sent the Secretary with it to the House.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Wednesday the 30th May, 1753.
PRESENT :
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.
Robert Strettell,
Joseph Turner, Esquires.
Richard Peters,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
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On the twenty-fifth Instant the Bill for striking Twenty Thou- sand Pounds to be made current and emitted on Loan, and for re- emitting and continuing the Currency of the Bills of Credit of this Province, was again presented to the Governor by two Members with the following Message:
A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.
" May it Please the Governor :
"The Governor's apprehension at our last sitting that the dis- like raised in Great Britain of the Bills of Credit in the Plantations by the late too general and undistinguishing Complaints so warmly subsisted as to make any Application to the Crown about our Cur- rency at that time unseasonable, induced the House, notwithstand- ing their different Sentiments, to make a short Adjournment to consider farther of the weight of that objection, and also of the . Sum by that Bill proposed to be made and continued Current in this Province. And now when we reflect that tho' the Complaints against a Paper Currency arising from the Excesses of some Colo- nies therein, were indeed at first too general and undistinguishing, so as to occasion the Bringing into Parliament a Bill for restrain- ing the same in all the Colonies, Yet as upon strict Enquiry (a State of our Currency then lying before them) the Parliament thought fit to alter the Bill and lay the Restraint only on those Colonies where that Currency had been abused, we cannot but look on this as distinguishing in our Favour, especially as we are assured that no Complaints were ever made of our Currency by the British Merchants trading hither, who only could be affected by it, but that on the contrary they have, whenever called upon for their Opinion by the Parliament or the Lords of Trade, appeared openly and warmly in its Favour, and declared (as they did in 1739, When our Act for Eighty Thousand Pounds, the present Sum, was under Consideration) "That it was not only a reasonable Sum, but absolutely necessary for carrying on the Commerce of the Country," which appears by the Report of the said Lords made on that occa- sion tò the Council. And as the Exports from Britain to this Pro- vince, of which we have authentic Accounts, had then in the three preceding Years amounted to no more than one Hundred Seventy- Nine Thousand Six Hundred Fifty-Four Pounds Nine Shillings and Two Pence Sterling, and now in the Years 1749, 1750, and 1751, they amount to Six Hundred Forty-Seven Thousand Three Hundred Seventeen Pounds Eight Shillings and Nine Pence Ster- ling, and our Numbers of People and Domestick Trade, and the occasions for a Medium of Commerce, are equally encreased, there cannot we think be any doubt but the British Merchants will now likewise be of opinion that the small addition we at present pro- pose is absolutely necessary, tho' they may not think it so suitable to our Circumstances as a larger Sum. One Hundred Thousand Pounds of Paper Currency bearing by no means the same Propor-
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tion to our Trade now as Eighty Thousand Pounds did then. And it is certain that as the Money circulating among us diminishes, so must our Trade and Usefulness to Great Britain and our Consump- tion of its Manufactures diminish.
" Upon the whole, we entreat the Governor to consider the dis- tressing Circumstances under which the Trade, and in Consequence the whole Province, must languish if contrary to our Expectations the Bill we now present him should not be enacted into a Law; and we are well assured that as the Governor has been pleased to declare his sentiments of the many Advantages we derive from the use of Paper Money, his transmitting it home in a true Light will make our application to the Crown as effectual as it is seasonable.
"Signed by Order of the House.
"ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker.
" 25th May, 1753."
Mr. James Galbraith, one of the Justices of Lancaster County, Mr. John Harris who keeps the Ferry over Sasquehanna at Pex- tang, Messieurs Michael Taafe and Robert Calendar, Partners in the Indian Trade, came to Town from Ohio and waited on the Governor. Their Intelligence, which by his Honor's Order was put down in writing by Robert Calendar, is as follows, vizt .: "That on the Seventh of this Instant, May, he was at Pine Creek, a Place about twenty miles above the Log's Town, in company with Capt- Trent, Mr. Croghan, and several other Traders; they received a Letter the same day from John Fraser, a Trader who lives at We- ningo on the Ohio, about one hundred miles above the Log's Town ; it was directed to all or any of the Traders at Log's Town ; he wrote that he was inform'd by some of the Mingos that there were then and had been since March last one hundred and fifty French and Indians at a Carrying Place which leads from Niagara to the Heads of the Ohio, building Canoes and making other Preparations for the Reception of a large Body of French and Indians who were . expected there every Day with Eight Pieces of Brass Cannon and a large Quantity of ammunition and Provisions. That on the eighth of May they received a full Confirmation of the above ac- count by Two Indians who were sent by the Council at Onondago to give the Ohio Indians Notice of the Preparations the French were making to attack them. 'When our Indians received this In- telligence one of the Mingoes went to a French Trader at the Log's Town and told him of it, and said that he had amused them with fine stories this last Winter, as sweet as if his Tongue was sweetned with Sugar; that if the French made any Attempt to attack them or the English, he might depend he should be the first Man killed.
"Mr. Croghan and the other Traders upon this Intelligence thought it adviseable to send for the Half King to inform him of it. He arrived the same day and seemed much concerned at the News, he
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said he expected Monighotootha every day up the River, and that as soon as he arrived they would call a Council and see what ought to be done. Monighotootha is deputed by the Six Nations to look after the Shawonese.
" The twelfth of May John Harris arrived with the advices from his Honor the Governor; Monighotootha arrived the same day, there were Messengers immediately dispatched to the Log's Town, &ca., to the Delawares and Shawonese to invite them to Council, but they being all drunk none of them came.
" Mr. Croghan delivered the string of Wampum that accompa- nied Governor Clinton and Coll. Johnson's Letters to the Half King and the other Indians present, and interpreted to them the said Letters. After which Mr. Trent delivered four Strings of Wampum in behalf of the Governor of Virginia, telling them that he look'd upon the Ohio Lands to belong to them the Indians, and that if the French attempted to settle them or to build any Forts, the Virginians would supply them with Arms and Ammunition. Mr. Croghan pressed the Indians to let us know whether they wou'd oppose the French or not, or whether it was safe for the Traders to continue among them.
"The Indians seemed all much concerned, and said it was an affair of great Consequence which they wou'd take some time to consider ; accordingly they counselled all that night and next day till about two o' the Clock in the afternoon, when the Half King, in behalf of the Six Nations' Indians at Ohio, stood up and addressing himself to the English, said they were greatly obliged to their Brother Onas for his care in forwarding the News to them, which they had Intelligence of before and now believed too true; that if the French came peaceably they would receive them as Friends, but that if they came as Enemies they would treat them as such ; that they hoped their Brethren the English wou'd consider how they were circum- stanced and send them a supply of arms and ammunition, which if they did they did not doubt but that they wou'd be able to strike the French ; that as to their Brethren the English Traders, any of them that had any skins to carry into the Inhabitants or any Busi- ness to do there might go, and that those who had goods might leave their Serants with them under their care, and that they wou'd be safe under their Protection while they were safe themselves. The Sixteenth they receiv'd another Letter from John Fraser, informing them that some Frenchmen had come down the Ohio to Weningo with a Parcel of Deer skins, which they said they brought with them to swap for Furs; these French Men told the Indians that a Body of French was coming there with a considerable Present for them from the Governor of Canada, the Indians as well as Fraser imagined that they were come as Spies to see what Situation they were in.
" That when he came away the Shawonese and Delawares had not
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delivered an answer to the Message sent by the Mingoes, as they were not all got quite sober, but several of their chief Men declared they wou'd agree to what the Half King had said."
Captain Trent wrote a Letter to the Governor by them of the same Import, which the Governor sent to the Assembly with a Ver- bal Message by the Secretary, informing them that these several Persons were in Town and would wait on the House whenever they pleased to order their attendance.
The Governor and Council having no reason to alter their former Opinion express'd in the Minutes of the twenty sixth of January, concerning the great risque of making more Paper Money, and not knowing but more encouraging accounts might arrive from England before the August Sessions, the Governor returned the following verbal Message to the Assembly by his Secretary :
A Verbal Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
"That as the Governor presumes the Assembly, agreeable to the usual Custom, will meet again in the month of August, now near approaching to finish the Business of the Year, he chooses for that and some other Reasons to keep the Paper Money Bill lately pre- sented him by the House under consideration till that time."
MEMORANDUM.
The Thirty-First Day of May the following Message was deliv- by two Members to the Governor :
A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.
" May it please the Governor :
" We have on all Occasions acknowledged our grateful Senti- ments of the Governor's Regard and Justice towards the Indians our Allies, and we now again return our hearty Thanks for his continued Care, and for communicating the Intelligence he has received concerning their present Distresses. In Pursuance of which we have resumed the Consideration of the Letters laid before the House, with the Message of the sixteenth of October last, together with the Governor's late Messages and Papers sent down to us before and since the Return of the Expresses dispatched to Ohio. We have also carefully examined the Messenger himself and such Indian Traders and others who could give Us any Information of the Numbers and Designs of the Forces raised by the Governor of Canada, and of the Condition of the Twightwees as well as the other Indians our Allies upon the waters of Ohio, and upon mature Deliberation have resolved to contribute generously to their Assist- ance by a Present suitable to their want of the Necessaries of Life.
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