USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > Part 31
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Tho' in the beginning of this Letter I have spoke so freely of Scarrooyady, yet I think him a mighty good Man and worthy of all kind of Notice from the Six Nations, and I should be glad to know how he is received and what he does.
" Hendrick and his Friends have been kindly entertained and go away perfectly pleased ; and I assure You they have behaved po- litely and given universal Satisfaction.
They have insisted on Governor Morris laying their Complaints against the Government of New York and People of Albany before the King, which he has promised to do after having first mentioned the Matters in difference to the Governor of New York and requested he wou'd be pleased to give the Indians entire Satisfaction. I ap- prehend it is a delicate affair and may give offence, but why it should, or if it does why it should be minded, I think there can be no good Reason, as Mr. Morris will I am sure observe good man- ners and Friendliness.
"I am, Sir, your very humble Servant, " RICHARD PETERS.
" PHILADELPHIA, 23d January, 1755."
Here follow the Names of the Six Nation Indians mentioned in
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the preceding Councils, and who arrived in Philadelphia Wednes- day the Eight Day of January, 1755 :
TEIONOGO, CONAGARATUCHQUA,
HENDRICK,
BRANDT,
SETH,
JOSEPH,
JOHANNES,
His Brother NICHOLAS,
JACOB,
Brandt's Son NICHOLAS,
CANADYORA, CACHYACKO, SOTSHIYITSHIYGWANOE, WARRACHYAGO, TECAROONDOCKY,
ABRAM BRANT,
DANIEL CLAUSE,
Col. JOHNSON,
LYDIUS.
MEMORANDUM :
Mr. Weiser likewise sent a Letter to Col. Johnson, a Copy of which was ordered to be entered in the Minutes of Council, and is as follows :
" Kind Sir :
"I take this Opportunity to trouble You with a few Lines. Hav- ing read the Secretary's, Mr. Peters, to You, dated either the 21st or 22d of this Instant, I since thought upon reflecting on it that something about the ensuing Treaty with some of the Deputies of the Six Nations at Mount Johnson required a little more Explana- tion. Whether I am wrong or right You will be best able to judge when You compare mine and Mr. Peters' together.
" First. Henry Brandt and Seth undertook to assist in the Affair against the Connecticut People in making that Deed, obtained by Lydius from the Six or some of the Six Nations, void, as it was ob- tained in a very wicked manner.
" Secondly. That they would secure Things concerning the Land in Mr. Penn's Grant so sure to the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania as to put it out of any such as Lydius their Power to do any more Mischief.
"Thirdly. That in all this they will consult with you about every thing, and proceed according to your Advice.
" Fourthly. When the Time is fixed that the Treaty shall be to give Mr. Peters Notice as soon as possible, so that the Treaty be early in the Spring, the Notice is meant to come from your Honour.
"In my humble Opinion the more secret this can be carried on the better; let Mr. Claus be sent to Onondago with some one or two of Henry's Friends ; by what I can learn the Indians are sorry for what happened and will be very glad to see the Things put upon such a Footing that the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania shall have what the King has granted them, and that the Indians may
in
2 1
t e 1.
OTCHENUCHYATA,
TECARRYOGHAN, SAGOTENYUCHTA,
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come off as blameless as possible, and the wickedness of Lydius be exposed. I believe I have no need to trouble You with more Words, knowing that Mr. Peters wrote a long Letter to You.
"I wish You Health and Happiness, and am,
" Sir, Your most humble Servant,
" CONRAD WEISER.
" Philadelphia, 23d January, 1755."
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MEMORANDUM.
The following Letter, enclosing a Copy of one of Lydius' Rights, from Mr. Daniel Clause, was ordered to be entered in the Council Minutes :
A Letter to Mr. Richard Peters from Mr. Daniel Claus. " ALBANY, February 10th, 1755. " Honoured Sir :
" Last Saturday Afternoon We arrived in this Town, all well; the Commissioners of Indian's Affairs had a Meeting the same Evening, and called Henry in order to have a Conference with him and examine him, but he put 'em off with some triffling Pieces of News, which they were satisfied with, and afterwards he desired of them to let him know what news passed hereabouts since his Ab- . sence, when they replied that they could not acquaint him of any extraordinary, but that some Days ago a Caghnawago Indian called Thomas Whiteman brought some Letters from the Governor of Canada, one to Governor Shirley, one to Governor De Lancey, and another to Governor Dinwiddie; at the same time they suspected the Indian as a Spy, as he was noted to be such the last War.
" On Sunday Evening Col. Johnson came to Town in order to go to New York, when immediately I delivered him the Letters ; next morning he had a Conference with the Indians, and told them by way of Introduction that the Six Nations received a Call from the Governor of Canada to be there early in the Spring, especially the Two Mohock Castles were very strongly invited ; the French sent a great many Stories among the Indians, viz", the English were upon a Scheme to destroy all the Indians, and they received Letters from France that the King of England sent a Message to their King to join him in the Undertaking, &c., therefore they would take them under their Protection, and many more Stories not worth mentioning.
"Scarrooyady at his Return will relate the particulars of all these Things. I understand he was not well satisfied with the Com- missioners and Cap" Staats Morris supplied him with so much Money as brought him to Col. Johnson's, where he threw himself quite in the Care of him, and after concluding everything necessary the Colonel sent him in his Slay to the great Flatts in Company with a
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Mohock Sachem, and he is soon expected back again, and Col. John- son desired me to tell his People to entertain him well and bring him to Albany, but how he will be helped along there I do not know, as Capt, Morris is gone for Boston last Monday.
"Col. Johnson tells me that he will return with all Speed from New York and then take that Affair in Hand. One of the Cayuga Chiefs passed his House last Week, when he insisted on being ac- quainted of every Piece of News he heard in Albany, when after a long Pause he told the Colonel how he had a Message from Lydius to bring the Cayuga Chiefs in Twenty-Five Days to his House, but the Colonel proposing the shameful Act of some of the Six Na- tions concerning that Affair, the Indian dropped it immediately and promised the Colonel as a good Friend of his to be as much against it as in his Power.
" I here enclose your Honour a Copy of a Title of a Sasquehan- nah Share, which Lydius sells as fast as he can.
" I remain with my humble Respects,
" Honoured Sir, Your most humble Servant, " DANIEL CLAUS."
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Copy of Lydius' Title which he gives to the Sasquehannah Adren- turers.
" ALBANY, January 31st, 1755.
"I, the Subscriber hereof, do hereby acknowledge to have re- ceived of Mr. Jacob Bryan, of the City of Burlington in the Pro- vince of N. Jersey, Seven Spanish Dollars, for whic Sum he is entitled to one whole Share of the Sasquehannah Company's Pur- chase, made July the 11th, 1754, and is to enjoy the same as the other Proprietaries therein concerned therein to him the said Bryan, his Heirs and Assigns for ever. As Witness my Hand and Seal.
"JOHN LYDIUS [SEAL. ]
" Testis,
"' MARGARET LYDIUS,
" J. Ross.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday the 3d March, 1755. PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
John Penn, Joseph Turner, Esquires.
Richard Peters,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
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The Governor laid before the Board the following Letters, viz" :
Letter from Governor Dinwiddie of the 14th of January.
Governor Morris' Answer to it of the 4th February.
Governor Morris' Letter to Governor Dinwiddie of the 10th of February.
Letter of Speaker enclosed.
Governor Dinwiddie's Letter to Governor Morris of 14th Feb- ruary.
Governor Morris' Answer to it of the 26th February.
Letter from Sir John St. Clair of the 14th January to Governor Morris' Answer 10th Feb'y.
Letter from Sir John St. Clair of the 14th February.
Governor Morris' Answer to it of the 28th February.
Letter from Sir Thomas Robinson recomending Commissary of the Musters, dated the 25th October, 1754.
Letter from Capt Rutherford notifying the Arrival of General Braddock, dated the 26th February, 1755.
Which were read and ordered to be entered in the above order.
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A Letter from Governor Dinwiddie to Governor Morris. " VIRGINIA, WILLIAMSBURG, Jan'y 14th, 1755.
" Sir :
t
th I
" This will be delivered You by Lieut. Col. Ellison, who with Lieut. Col. Mercer are commissioned by His Majesty for the two Regiments that are to be raised in the Northern Colonies, and are on their Way to the Place of their Destination. I have waited with Impatience to hear the Result of Your Assembly, and hope they have generously voted an handsome Supply for the necessary and essential Expedition. His Majesty has been graciously pleased to order two Regiments of Foot from Ireland to assist Us in defeating he unjustifiable Invasions of the French on his Majesty's Lands on he Ohio. The providing Provisions for such a Number of Forces shave much at Heart and must entreat Your Assistance. Can You eng wage with any Persons in Your Government for Six hundred thou- sandId Pounds of Flour, to be delivered at the Magazine at Wills' Cree hek ? which I earnestly entreat You to engage to be delivered there bu on the most reasonable Terms and with all imaginable Dis- patch, t vwhich will be of very essential Use for His Majesty's Service, which I 's am perswaded You have as much at Heart as I have. Pray can any , Quantity of Salt Beef be purchased with You to be de- livered at on: the same Place and the Price thereof ?
" If Yougur Assembly votes a proper Supply the Amount of above re
SE
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may be paid for them ; if not, as the Service is not to hurt for want of Provisions I will engage to pay the Amount thereof. I am greatly engaged in making proper Provision for the Forces that are daily expected that I cannot enlarge further than to acquaint You I have raised about Six hundred Men, and hope by middle of next Month to compleat them to 800, and I would gladly hope that His . Majesty's paternal Care of his Subjects in these Colonies will create a proper Spirit in each Legislature to grant mutual Supplies for the Common Cause.
"I remain with due Respects and just Regards,
" Sir, Your most h'ble Servt., " ROBT. DINWIDDIE.
" Governor MORRIS."
Governor Morris' Answer to Governor Dinwiddie. " PHILADELPHIA, 4th February, 1755.
" Sir :
"I was so much hurried when Commissary Pitcher went from hence that I was not able to answer your Favour of the Fourteenth of January, and am sorry that the Assembly of this Province have not put it in my Power to supply the Provisions You want for the Troops.
"You are sensible they have been most remarkably indulged, both by the Crown and Proprietaries, and are suffered to enjoy Powers unknown to any other Assembly upon the Continent, and even such as may render them a very dangerous Body hereafter ; but not content with the Privileges granted to them by Charter they Claim to many more, and among others an absolute Exemption from the Force of Royal and Proprietary Instructions, and have been indiscreet enough to declare such Instructions destructive of the Liberties of the People and infractions of their Charter, tho' given to the Governor and intended to be binding upon him alone. I would feign have persuaded them that it was an improper Time to enter upon the Consideration of an Affair about which We could never agree, and from Time to Time entreated them to consider the danger they were in, and make the necessary Provision. But neither the Encroachments of the French, the Encrease of their Numbers, the defenceless State of the Province, nor his Majesty's Commands, had any Effect upon them, for on the Tenth of January they adjourned themselves without doing any Thing to the Pur- pose.
"Indeed they did by a Resolve of their House without my Knowledge or Consent empower a Committee to borrow Five Thousand Pounds upon the Credit of the House, and to dispose of
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it as they thought fit to some of the Uses mentioned in Sir Thomas Robinson's Letter of the Twenty-Sixth of October. To this Com- mittee I have applied, but do not expect they will lay out any Part of that Money to purchase Provisions to be sent to Wills' Creek, or indeed to any good Purpose.
" I consulted Mr. Allen upon the Subject of your Letter, and as he had one from You upon the same head I desired he would give You his Thoughts as to the best Method of sending Provisions to Wills' Creek. He has wrote to a Friend of his in one of the Back Counties to know what Quantity, in what Time, and upon what Terms can be furnished from thence, but thinks with me that no certain Supply can be had but from this Town, and if it can be con- veyed up Patowmack by Water it might come cheaper than any other Way; but as he writes to You himself upon the Subject, You will give me Leave to refer You to his Letter, and whatever Method You think best shall be carried into Execution. You will thereupon furnish me with such Directions and Bills of Exchange as You may think necessary, and with the Help of Mr. Allen every Thing shall be done for the publick Service that is in his Power, or that of,
" Sir, your most obedient humble Servant,
"ROBT. H. MORRIS."
A Letter from Governor Morris to Governor Dinwiddie. " Sir :
"I wrote You on the Fourth Instant by a Vessel bound into one of your Rivers, but as she may be sometime on her Passage I now send You a Duplicate of it. In answer to my Application to the Committee of our Assembly, the Speaker, who is one of them, sent me the enclosed Letter, by which You will observe they do not think themselves obliged to furnish any Provisions till the Troops come into this Province, and when they do I make no Doubt they will find out some Pretence for not doing it then, their Scheme being to avoid all Expence however necessary to their own Preservation.
"Governor Shirley's Son, who is recruiting here for his Father's Regiment, has already raised about One Hundred and Forty Men, and I expect some Officers of Sir William Pepperell's will soon be here upon the like Service, and shall afford them my best Assistance which is all I am enabled to do towards furnishing the Number of Men wanted upon the present Occasion.
" I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant,
"ROBERT H. MORRIS.
"Philadelphia, 10th February, 1755."
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A Letter from Governor Dinwiddie to Governor Morris. " Sir :
"Inclosed I send You a Letter from ST. John St. Clair to which I desire to be referred, he is a very diligent good officer, and has been much engaged ever since his Arrival in viewing our Colony and preparing every Thing for the Reception of the Troops (which we daily expect) and for their March to the Camp at Wills' Creek.
"I wrote You the 14th ultº to which I expected Your Answer before this, but Mr. Peters wrote me You was so hurried You could not write to Mr. Petcher. I am heartily sorry for the Conduct of the House of Assembly, they appear to catch at any Thing rather than comply with His Majesty's Commands on the present Situation of our Affairs in granting a Supply for conducting this necessary Expedition, on the Success thereof their Lives, Fortunes, and Liber- ties depend.
" My former Letter was to desire the Purchase of 600,000 weight of Flour to be delivered at the Magazine at Wills' Creek. As I have the Expedition at Heart I have a thorow Dependence on that Supply from Your Province; and as Your People have not granted You any Money I propose paying for the above in Bills of Exch2. rather than any Disappointment shou'd happen. I wrote Mr. Allen on the same Subject, and I hope for an agreeable Answer by Return of this Express, which St. John St. Clair sends on purpose to know the Situation of Your Province, and that a Road may be opened to the Allegheny Mountains from Your City; but I refer You to his Letter.
" And desire to assure You that I am with great Respect, "Your Honor's most humble Servant,
"ROBT. DINWIDDIE.
" VIRGINIA, Williamsburg, February 14th, 1755.
"Governor MORRIS."
A Letter From Governor Morris to Governor Dinwiddie. " Sir :
I am honour'd with Yours by Sir John St. Clair's Express, and have at last prevail'd on the Committee who have power from our House of Assembly to borrow and dispose of 5000 Pounds this Currency, to Provide a quantity of Flower for the use of the Troops, and will observe by the inclosed minute that they have agreed to deliver the Flower of 14,000 Bushels of Wheat at the Mouth of Conegochege, immediately upon your notifying the Arrival of the Troops. This will somewhat exceed the Quantity of Flower You mentioned, and I hope will answer the End proposed.
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" I wish it was as much in my Power as it is in my Inclinations to promote the Success of this Expedition, but you are sensible what a Sett of People I have to deal with, who think self-defence a Crime, and Instead of advancing the Public Service do what they can to obstruct it, tho' they must be the most Considerable Gainers by the Removal of the French from their Frontiers.
*
" I have by this Messenger sent Sir John St- Clair the best Maps and Accounts I can Procure of the back Country, and shall con- tinue my Enquirys upon that Head, and collect every Material that can be usefull upon the present Occasion.
" Governor Shirley has had two hundred Recruit from this Place, and I hear his Regiment is now complete, and that Sir William Pepperill is in great Forwardness.
"I wrote you in Answer to yours of the 14th Ultº by the same Conveyance that Mr. Allen wrote, and sent a Duplicate of it by Mr. Woolsingham, and hope you have long since received them both. I hope soon to hear of the Arrival of the Troops, and am with great Respect,
"Sir, your most obedient humble Servant,
"ROB. H. MORRIS.
PHILADELPHIA, 26th February, 1755."
A Letter from Sir John St. Clair to Governor Morris. " WILLIAMSBURGHI, January 14th, 1755.
" Sir :
." I herewith transmit to you two Letters from the Secretary of State relating to the present Circumstances of Affairs in America.
" As His Majesty has appointed mè Deputy Quarter Master General to the Troops to be sent forthwith to Virginia and those to be levied in the different. Provinces, I have taken the first oppor- tunity of acquainting you with my Arrival in Virginia in order to make the necessary preparations for the reception of the two Regi- ments which were to embark at Cork a few Days after my Departure from England, and which we reasonably may expect will arrive in a very short Time.
" I shall be glad to know the particulars with regard to what may have lately happened in the Province you command, that I may regulate myself accordingly, and have them ready to lay before General Braddock on his landing, that no Time may be lost.
" As I am an intire Stranger to the Ground in America it is highly necessary I shou'd get the best information of its Situation that I can, which I have no other way of doing but requesting of you to send me any Maps or Drawings you may have of your Pro-
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vince, which I shall return to you after they are copied, or if you have any knowledge of the Ground at the back of our Settlements it will be of use likewise for me to have it. These are Things that General Braddock will expect that I shou'd have, that he may be ex- actly informed of the Distances of Places for regulating the Marches. of the Troops (if necessity requires it) thro' the different Provinces.
".Being ordered by his Majesty to correspond with you I am glad of this opportunity of expressing the Respect with which I am, "Sir, Your most obedient and most humble Servant,
- "JOHN ST. CLAIR.
"P. S. It will be of the greatest consequence to have the propor- tion of men from your Province in readiness for completing the two Regiments from 500 men each to 700."
A Letter from Governor Morris to Sir John St. Clair. "PHILADELPHIA, February 10th, 1755. .. "Sir :
"I was favoured with Yours of the Fourteenth Ultº by Col. Ellison, with Two Letters from the Secretary of State, and shall have a particular Pleasure in affording You my best Assistance on all Occasions, and wish it was in my Power to give You a better Account of the State of Things in this Province, but such is the Infatution and Obstinacy of the People I have to deal with, or at least.their Representatives, that tho' their Country is invaded, and every thing they enjoy depends upon removing the French from their Borders, yet I could not persuade them to act with vigour at this Juncture, or even to grant the Supplies expected by the Crown and recommended by the Secretary of State.
" The flourishing Condition of this Province is such that without burthening the People We might have done every Thing required by his Majesty and much more; but our Assembly took it into. their Heads that Royal and Proprietary Instructions were de- structive of their Liberties, and instead of considering the Danger to which the Province was exposed they. entered into a Dispute upon that Head, and could not be prevailed upon to lay it aside or to give Money upon any Terms but such as were directly contrary to his Majesty's Instructions and inconsistent with their own De- pendance upon the Crown.
"I have ordered the best Maps I can procure of the back Country to be copied for You, and shall send them by the first Opportunity, with such Notes as may enable You to understand them, but am much afraid they are not very exact, as our only Accounts of that Country are from Indian Traders, who are generally an ignorant, stupid People.
" I could easily have had a Number of Men in readiness to aug-
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ment the two Regiments from Ireland if my Assembly would have come into reasonable Measures, but for want of Money I have not been able to carry the King's Commands in that particular into execution.
"Should His Majesty's Service or your own Inclinations call You to this Part of the Continent I shall be proud of making this Place agreeable to You, and am,
"Sir, Your most obedient and most humble Servant,
" ROB'T. H. MORRIS.
A Letter from Sir John St. Clair to Governor Morris. "WILLIAMSBURG, February 14th, 1755.
" Sir :
"I did myself the Honour of writing a Letter to your Excellency of the 14th of January, in which I requested of you to send me any Maps or Drawings that you might have of Pennsylvania. It has given me a good deal of uneasiness that I have not received your Answer, which I expected before now in order to have been informed of your Province. I am here alone without any assistance, other- wise I should have sent an Ingenier to have reconoitred your Frontiers, and if I could have been spared from the urgent Service I am on here I should have visited your Country myself.
" I have sent a Messenger with this to Philadelphia that your Excellency may be the better informed of our Situation, and what part is expected that you should act for the Common good.
" The British Troops are daily expected, and as the Season is far advanced they have no Time to loose before they begin their oper- ations. I have done every thing in my power to facilitate their March from their landing place to the Alligany Mountains, which will be a very great Trouble and Expence.
" As I make no Doubt but that the French will unite all their strength together to make a stand before we can get on the Ohio, which will oblige us to have the Assistance of one of the Regiments now raising in the Northern Provinces, This Step must puzle the French a good deal, as they will expect an attack from all Quarters. You must be very sensible what a great Detour these Troops must make by marching thro' Philadelphia, Frederick in Maryland, crossing the Pattowmack at the Mouth of the Monocassy, and joining us at Winchester. This would retard all our Motions.
"For this Reason I must press your Excellency in the most earnest manner to open a Communication by cutting or Repairing the Roads towards the Head of the Yougheagany, or any other way that is nearer to the French Forts.
"By the Maps I have of your Province there appears to me to be a Road from Philadelphia which crosses the Sasquehannah a
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little below the Junction of the River Juniata, and that there are two Paths from that Place leading to the black Log, which is at no very great Distance from the Branches of the Yaughangany (called the Turkey's Foot) where we are to cross. Shou'd the Roads not be wanted for this purpose I may venture to assure your Excellency that no General will advance with an Army without having a Com- munication open to the Provinces in his Rear, both for the Security of his Retreat and to facilitate the Transport of Provisions, the sup- plying of which we must greatly Depend on your Province.
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