USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > Part 38
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Gave a String of Wampum.
"Brethren :
" The Covenant of Friendship made by our Fathers and Grand- fathers and their Uncles the Six Nations with the English, is bound so fast by a Chain about our arms that let happen what will-We will not break loose, but be united and stand firm to each other forever."
Gave a String.
" Brethren :
"We are now come to rub the Chain with Beaver Stone Oil, in order that it might remain bright and without Rust forever."
Gave a Belt of Wampum.
" We now desire that the Chain may be held fast at one End by Our Brothers the English, and at the other End by our Uncles the Six Nations, and We Ourselves will hold fast the middle of the Chain, and that all may mutually continue to hold it fast, and that they and We may recommend it to their and our Young men, War- riors, Women, and Posterity likewise, to hold it fast for ever,
" We give this Belt of Wampum.
" Brethren :
" As you are at one End of the Road, our Uncles at the other, and We Ourselves are seated in the middle, if any mischief or Dis- turbance should arise, whether before or behind, We shall all be ready to see it and join to assist and stand by each other."
Gave a string.
" Ever since the Covenant of Friendship was settled between our Uncles, Us, and You, the Sun has always rose clear and so con- tinued its course to its Setting, excepting now and then a small Cloud has appeared in the sky, but has soon been dissipated, and we have continued to eat, drink, and sleep in Peace and Quietness, which has always greatly rejoiced our Hearts."
Gave a String.
" The Covenant of Friendship between our and your Grand- fathers has grown up like a Child to manhood and so endured to the End of Life, and has continued from Generation to Generation ;
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and tho' our and your young Men may play together and sometimes hurt one another, yet You and We, the old People, should not re- gard it but continue good Friends."
Gave a String.
And then producing another String said, " This String is to sig- nify our earnest Desire that both You and We should recommend to our young People to continue this firm Friendship and to be ' always of one Heart and Mind to the End of the World."
Gave a String.
" We are now come to meet you in Council, and have brought with Us some of the same good Tobacco that your and our and Our Uncles Grandfathers used to smoak together in order to smoak a Pipe with Us; and whilst You are smoaking it to look up that Road and see our Uncles at the End of it, and Us sitting at Peace in the middle and holding fast the Chain of Friendship subsisting between Us; and if whilst You are smoaking the Pipe You should hear any Birds chattering or making a noise, We desire You would not listen to or regard them."
Gave a String.
"Brethren :
" Tho' our Uncles have made Women of Us, yet in time to come We may have children, who when born may look up and see the Sun and Sky clear and the Road open between Us and You; and We will advise them to take and always continue to hold fast by the middle of that Chain as their ancestors have done before them."
Gave a String.
" We are now come to clear away all Stumps and Stones out of the Road, that our and your Children may travel safely in it and meet each other without any obstruction or Difficulty."
" As God has given Us, our Uncles, and You the English one Heart, We desire We may all act as one People, see with the same Eyes, hear with the same Ears, speak with the same Tongue, and be altogether as one Man and actuated by one Mind."
Gave a String.
"We and our Uncles the Six Nations are now become as one, have one Heart, one Eye, one Ear, and one Tongue, and that tho' as a woman may have Two Sons and one Daughter, yet they are all but one Family."
Gave a String.
" And now, Dear Brothers, We have brought a few Deer Skins to make you a Pair of Gloves, which though but small and insignifi- cant in Value We desire your Acceptance of them as a Token of our Affection for You."
Here the Indians delivered the Present of Deer Skins, &ea., which
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consisted of Nine Rackoon Skins, Nine Deer Skins, Two Felts, One Bear Skin.
After the Delawares, &ca., were withdrawn, Scarrooyady observed to the Council that the Offer of the Pipe of Tobacco made by the Delawares, &ca., was to induce Us to return them a Pipe of Tobacco, and desired Us in the smoaking of it to advise them always steadily to look towards their Uncles the Six Nations, and stand firm to the Covenant of Friendship between them, their Uncles, and Us, and not to be deluded or drawn aside by any Artifices of the French ; and that if they should see or discover any Designs or Attempts of the French against Us that they should immediately let Us and their Uncles know it, and be always ready to take up the Hatchet against the French, and assist in defeating such their Designs against them and Us; and Scarrooyady also said that he had brought a Pipe of Tobacco to smoak with the Delawares, &ca., and to give them the same good Advice from the Six Nations.
MEMORANDUM.
The 22d April the Governor finding the Wyomink Indians still in Town presented them to Governor Shirley, gave them an hand- some Entertainment, and told them that to-morrow morning he would with Mr. Shirley say something to them.
At a Council held at the State House, Wednesday the Twenty- Third April, 1755, A. M.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
His Excellency GOVERNOR SHIRLEY.
Robert Strettell, Benjamin Shoemaker, Esquires. Richard Peters,
The same Indians and Interpreters as before.
The Minutes of the last two preceding Councils were read and approved.
The Governor spoke to the Indians as follows :
" Brethren-
"The Proprietors have appointed me the Governor of this Prov- ince, and have particularly recommended to me an affectionate Care of the Indians, and I most heartily bid You welcome."
Gave a String of Wampum.
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" Brethren :
" I take this Visit of yours very kindly, and in Token of the Sat- isfaction it gives me I give You this String."
A String.
" Brethren :
" The Gentleman on my Right Hand is the Governor of Massa- chusets Bay, and I have accompanied him on the King's Business to the General of the King's Army, and it gives Us both Pleasure to see the Indians on our Return."
A String.
" Brethren :
" All that You have said in my Absence to the Council has been communicated to me, and it is all perfectly agreeable to me; in Token whereof I give You this
" String.
" Brethren :
"In the Afternoon I will speak further to You, being now obliged to go upon some particular Business that cannot be post- poned."
The Indians being withdrawn, the Governor communicated to the Council the following Minutes of what passed at Alexandria, in Confidence, not to be divulged :
" At a Council held at the Camp at Alexandria, in Virginia, April the Fourteenth, 1755.
"PRESENT :
" His Excellency EDWARD BRADDOCK, Esquire, General and Commander-in-Chief of his Majestie's Forces in North America.
"The Honourable AUGUSTUS KEPPEL, Esquire, Commander- in-Chief of his Majestie's Ships and Vessels in North America.
" The Honourable WILLIAM SHIRLEY,
" The Honourable ROBERT DINWIDDIE, " The Honourable JAMES DELANCEY, 1 Esquires. " The Honourable HORATIO SHARPE,
" The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, J
" The General's Commission having been read, and the Articles of his Instructions from his Majesty relating to a common Fund to be established in the Colonies for carrying on the Services under the General's Direction, and also the Article relating to the Mea- sures to be taken for engaging the Indians to his Majestics' Interest, His Excellency the General made the following Proposals :
" First. That a Fund should be established conformable to his
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Instructions above-mentioned, and to Sir Thomas Robinson's Let- ter to the several Governors, dated the Twenty-Sixth of October, 1754.
"Secondly. It being of the utmost Importance that the Five Nations of Indians and their Allies should be gained and secured to the British Interest, that a proper Person should be sent with full Powers from him to treat with them, and that Col. Johnson appearing to his Excellency the fittest Person for that Purpose should be employed in it. And in order to promote the Success of the Treaty the General proposed that Presents should be made to the said Indians, in which he desired the Opinion of the Council as to the Value to which the said Presents should be made, and the manner of their being supplied.
" Thirdly. His Excellency acquainted the Council that he pro- posed to attack the French Forts at Crown Point and Niagara, and desired their Opinion whether it was adviseable that the Reduction of Crown Point should be undertaken with the Forces agreed to be supplied by the several Colonies concerned in it, amounting in the whole to 4,400 Men, and whether it was their Opinion that Col. Johnson was a proper Person to command in Chief in the said Service.
"Fourthly. His Excellency considering the Fort at Oswego as a Post of the greatest Importance for facilitating the proposed Attack of Niagara and securing the Retreat of the Troops to be employed in that Service, and having been informed of its present defenceless Condition and of the Weakness of its Garrison, acquainted the Council that he should order it to be reinforced by the two Inde- pendant Companies of New York and two Companies of Sir Wil- liam Pepperel's Regiment, and desired to have their Opinion whether it would not be proper to build one or more Vessels upon the Lake Ontario for asserting his Majestie's Right to that Lake, as well as for a Security to the Forces to be employed in the Attack of Niagara, and of what Burthen or Force the said Vessels should be.
"The Members of the Council having taken into Consideration the several Matters in the Order proposed by the General, the Gov- ernors present acquainted his Excellency that they had severally made Application to their respective Assemblies for the Establish- ment of the common Fund proposed, but had not been able to pre- vail upon them to agree to it, and gave it as their unanimous Opinion that such a Fund can never be established in the Colonies without the Aid of Parliament. They likewise declared that having found it impracticable to obtain in their respective Governments their Proportions expected by his Majesty towards defraying the Expence of his Service in North America, that they were unani- mously of Opinion that it should be proposed to his Majestie's Ministers to find out some Method of compelling them to do it, and of assessing the several Governments in Proportion to their re-
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spective abilities their Shares of the whole Money already furnished, and which it shall be thought proper for them further to furnish towards the general Expences of his Service. They also assured the General that they would still continue to use their utmost En- deavors to raise all possible Supplies, but were unanimously of Opinion that the King's service in the Colonies and the carrying on of the present Expedition must be at a Stand unless the General shall think proper to make Use of his Credit upon the Government at home to defray the Expence of all the Operations under his Direction.
" The Members of the Council likewise agreed that it was highly necessary to send some Person with full Powers from the General to treat with the Five Nations of Indians, and to secure them and their Allies to the British Interest, and that Col. Johnson was the fittest Man to be employed in that Business ; and for that Purpose that the Sum of £800 Sterling should be paid into his Hands to be laid out by him in such Commodities as he should judge most proper for the Northern and Western Indians, £500 of which should be employed for the Five Nations and their Allies, and £300 for the Western Indians, to be given them at Oswego. And as to the manner of supplying the Presents the several Governors agreed that if the General, for the Sake of Dispatch, thinks proper to advance the Money, the Colonies ought to replace it according to the Pro- portions settled in the Plan of Union by the Commissioners at Albany last Year, together with all contingent Charges attending it; and that it was their Opinion that the several Governments would readily consent to do it within the Space of three Months.
"The Council expressed their Approbation of the Attack pro- posed by the General upon Crown Point and Niagara, as being undoubted Encroachments made by the French upon his Majestie's Dominions in America, and gave it as their unanimous Opinion that Col. Johnson was the properest Person to have the Command of the Expedition against Crown Point. They also agreed to the Ne- cessity of strengthening the Fort and reinforcing the Garrison at Oswego, and advised the building of two Vessels of Sixty Tons upon the Lake Ontario with all possible Dispatch, according to a Draught to be sent By Commodore Keppell, who desired that an Account might be laid before him of the Cost of 'em, and under- took to defray it; and it was agreed that the Direction of the affair should be committed to Governor Shirley.
" It was likewise unanimously agreed that in case of the Reduction of Fort du Quesne, whatever Garrison the General should think proper to leave there should be maintained, and the Expence of additional Works which he should think necessary to make there should be defrayed by the Governments of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania ; and that if the General should think it necessary to build a Fort upon Lake Erie, and to order one or more Vessels to
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be built for the Defence of that Lake, that the Expence attending both those Measures should likewise be defrayed by these three Governments.
" Examined, "W. SHIRLEY, Secry."
The Governor laid before the Board the following Letter from the Commiss's for running the Road, &ca, which was read and ordered to be entered, and is as follows :
" Honoured Sir-
"In Pursuance of your Commission We set out on the Road from Carlisle on the Twenty-Ninth of March, and with the greatest In- dustry reached the Waters of the Yohiogain on the eleventh Instant. We stopped at about eighteen Miles on this side of the Three Forks, and would have proceeded farther had We not certain Intelligence of great Numbers of French and Indians hunting and scouting, &ca. Our Indians all fled from Us-some at Ray's Town and some on the Allegheny Hills, save one Delaware.
" We were very fortunate in finding a good Road all the Way, and particularly thro' the Allegheny Hills, considering how mountainous that Country is. From Parnal's Nab or McDowel's Mill to where We stopped is about Sixty-Nine Miles, and were it not for the In- terposition of Mountains wou'd not be so far by Ten or Fifteen Miles ; the Expence of Making the Road thirty foot wide and the principal Pinches Twenty, will make an Expense of about Eight Hundred Pounds. Last Saturday Evening We came to the Camp and were kindly received by the Officers, but particularly by Cap- tain Rutherford. We waited for Sir John's coming to Camp from the Roads towards Winchester, who came this Day at 3 o'Clock, but treated Us in a very disagreeable manner ; he is extremely warm and angry at our Province ; he would not look at our Draughts nor suffer any Representations to be made to him in regard of the Pro- vince, but stormed like a Lyon Rampant. He said our Commission to lay out the Road should have issued in January last upon his first Letter, that doing it now is doing of nothing, that the Troops must march on the first of May, that the Want of this Road and the Provisions promised by Pennsylvania has retarded the Expedition, which may cost them their Lives because of the fresh Numbers of French that's suddenly like to be poured into the Country ; That instead of marching to the Ohio he would in nine days march his Army into Cumberland County to cut the Roads, press Horses, Wagons, &ca .; that he would not suffer a Soldier to handle an Axe, but by Fire and Sword oblige the Inhabitants to do it, and take every Man that refused to the Ohio as he had yesterday some of the Vir- ginians ; that he would kill all kind of Cattle and carry away the Horses, burn the Houses, &ca., and that if the French defeated thein by the Delays of this Province that he would with his Sword drawn
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pass thro' the Province and treat the Inhabitants as a Parcel of fraitors to his Master ; That he would to-morrow write to England by a Man of War, shake Mr. Penn's Proprietaryship, and represent Pennsylvania as a disaffected Province; that he would not stop to impress our Assembly his Hands were not tyed, and that We should find, ordering Us to take these Precautions and instantly publishing them to our Governor and Assembly, telling Us he did not value any thing they did or resolved, seeing they were dilatory retarded the March of the Troops, and hang an arse (as he phrased it) on this occasion, and told Us to go to the General if We pleased, who wou'd give Us ten bad Words for one that he had given.
".At length he allowed Us to speak, which We did in Favour of the Province to the best of our Power, Capt. Rutherford and Col. Ennis assisting Us, but all in vain ; our Delays were unpardonable, he would do our Duty himself and never trust to. Us, but we should dearly pay for it; to every Sentence he solemnly swore, and desired We might believe him to be in earnest.
"In these Circumstances, Sir, and especially as We have not yet run the Camp-Road, We cannot send your Honour a Draught, but thought best forthwith to send You this Express that your Honour might take the most speedy Measures in regard of opening the Road.
" In the mean time have taken the liberty to write to the Repre- sentatives of our County to know whether the Assembly had made Provision for opening the Road, and if so that they would immedi- ately encourage People to set about it, and also to send the Flower without Delay to the Mouth of Conegochege as being the only thing or Remedy left to prevent these threatned Mischiefs. We acquainted Capt. Rutherford of our Design, who approved it much. We ex- pect to be home in Six Days. Please, Sir, to excuse the Blunders of this Letter wrote at one o'Clock last night. We are,
" Honoured Sir, your most obedient humble Servants,
" GEO. CROGHAN, " JAMES BURD,
" JON. ARMSTRONG,
"WM. BUCHANAN, " ADM. HOOPS.
"Fort Cumberland, April 16th, 1755."
VOL. VI .- 24.
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At a Council held at the State House, Wednesday, 23d April, 1755, P. M.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
His Excellency Governor SHIRLEY.
Robert Strettell, Benjamin Shoemaker, Esquires. Richard Peters,
The same Indians and Interpreters as before.
Several of the Inhabitants of the City.
His Honour the Governor spoke to the Indians as follows :
"Brethren ---
"I told You in the morning that the several Matters imparted by You to the Council in my Absence were perfectly agreeable to me, and that I would speak to You further this Afternoon. "Brethren :
"You have done well to come and visit your Brethren, and it gives me a particular Satisfaction to find you mindful of the Treaties You have repeatedly made with this Government, all which You have ratified, renewed, and confirmed, acknowledging that the Six Nations hold one End of the Chain and the King's Subjects hold the other, and your Hands are upon the middle of it.
" All this is perfectly good, and I have now the Pleasure to tell You that this Government does now for themselves and all his Majestie's Subjects assure You of the Continuance of their Friendship for You, and by this String I do in their Name renew, confirm, and strengthen the Chain of Friendship and amity that has ever sub- sisted between You and Us since the Settlement of this Province without any material Interruption, and shall give it in charge to all our young Men, Warriors, and Others, to bear in Mind that We are all one Flesh and Blood, and whoever does Injury to one, either You or Us, hurts Us both alike; and in Confirmation hereof I give you this Belt."
Gave a Belt.
" Brethren :
"You have undoubtedly heard of the hostile Proceedings of the French at Ohio, and that they have, contrary to the Faith they owe the Six Nations and against their Will, taken from them that fine and large River and Country.
"I have now to inform you that the King has sent a large Army to recover for the Six Nations what has been so unjustly taken from them by the French. The King, to give the Indians a further
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Proof of the Uprightness of his Majestie's Designs, has put one Part of his Army under the Command of Col. Johnson, the great Friend of the Six Nations, who lives in their Country and has on all Occa- sions their Confidence.
"This Friend of the Six Nations called here in his Way from the General and desired me to give You this Belt in Token of his Regard for You, whereby he requests that You would not depart from Your Habitations but wait for a Message from your Uncles and him from Onondago, where he is gone to consult them."
Gave Col. Johnson's Belt.
"I thank You for your Presents. It is not the Value of what is given but the Affection with which it is given that renders it ac- ceptable. We are sensible that You do not abound with Wealth, and that the Deers are more scarce now where You live, and there- fore We do not expect any great matters from You.
"Had you been so good as to have given Us notice of your in- tended Visit We would have been better provided, but as it is, I shall recommend it to those who represent the good People of this Province to be kind to You and to make You some Presents. The Secretary will inform You of their Determination and deliver to You what shall be ordered.
"I cannot take my Leave of You without giving You this String as a Token of my Affection."
Gave a String.
Governor Shirley gave the Indians a Belt, and promised that Col. Johnson, in Conjunction with the Six Nations, should apprize them of the Determination of the Council of the Six Nations which was to meet at Col. Johnson's on a Letter from General Braddock, and would send them Advice what they should do; and desired they would remain quiet in their respective Habitations, and tell all the other Sasquehannah Indians to do so likewise until they should hear from Col. Johnson, and that then they would follow his Direc- tions; Which They by a String promised faithfully to do.
The Governor laid before the Council a Letter which General Braddock wrote and delivered to him at Alexandria, desiring him to inform the Indians within the Influence of this Government of his Arrival, and that he was then on his March with a Body of the King's Troops to remove the French from their Incroachments upon the River Ohio; which being taken into Consideration it was judged proper that a large Quantity of Wampum made up in Strings and Belts should be sent to Mr. Croghan, and that he should be pressed to send Notice of General Braddock's March to the Shawo- nese, Delawares, Twightees, Owendats, Piankyshaws, and all the other Indians on the Lakes, to invite them to come and join the General with all possible Speed, and that Scarrooyady now at Auc-
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quick should be consulted with the Indian called the Belt of Wampum on this important affair, and press them to chuse proper and faithful Messengers on this Occasion, which the Governor did in the following Letter, viz *:
A Letter from Governor Morris to Mr. George Croghan. " Sir :
" Herewith You have a Copy of General Braddock's Letter to me, and in compliance therewith I require and authorize You to convene as many Indians as You can to Aucquick of the Six Nations, Delawares, Shawonese, Twightees, and Owendats, and deliver to them by Belts and Strings, as the Occasion may require, a Message fromn me to entreat they would immediately meet the General on his March, hear what he has to say to them, give him all the Assist- ance in their Power, and join heartily in the Measures graciously taken by his Majesty to recover for them the Lands which the French have most unjustly taken from them.
" Let the Indians know that there is no meeting of Governors at Winchester, but that as the General is on his March all true Friends of the English are desired not to proceed to Winchester, but to re- pair to the Army, and distinguish themselves agreeable to their repeated Professions.
" To those Indians that are remote You are forthwith to send Belts or Strings, and let them be such as are suitable with pressing Messages to wait on the General and receive his Orders. For this Purpose employ and dispatch away such private Indians as You can trust, and of your proceedings herein immediately inform me and likewise send an Express to the General or wait on him yourself, and acquaint him what You have done and what Success You are likely to have, and take all the Indians with You. You are sensible that the larger the Number the more credit it will be to this Province.
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