USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > 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 | Part 78 | Part 79
"I approve of your maintaining the General's Detachment, and hope You make every thing as agreeable to Captain Hog and his Officers as the Place you are in will allow.
" The Commissioners have a discretionary Power in all Matters respecting either the Waggons or Provisions which I must desire they will make use of in such a Manner as that there may be no Lett or Hinderance to the King's Business or to the Clearing of the Road, which I expect will be finished Time enough for it to be used by the Army as a Road of Communication between it and this
453
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Province ; and you will, likewise, take Care that the Province be not imposed upon by unreasonable and extravagant Prices.
"I propose to be at Shippensburgh next Week, and there You may write to Me on any Subject in which You shall think my Ad- vice and Assistance necessary.
"Pray consult together immediately, and let the General be in- form'd by Express with all possible Expedition of the Place where you will enter into his Road, with Draughts and an exact Descrip- tion, and be sure mention the Time when you think you shall be there to the General.
"I am, Sir, Your most h'ble Servt., " ROBT. H. MORRIS.
" Mr. JAMES BURD.
"The other Commissioners will consider this as wrote to 'em."
-
A Letter from Governer Morris to Governor Sharpe, dated at Philada. the 3d Instant.
"Sir :
" Having summon'd my Assembly, as I wrote you, to meet me on the 13th of June, and recommended to them to enable me to comply with the General's Demand of Cannon Stores and Provisions for the Forts he should take or build, and the Garrisons he shou'd leave in them so far as was proper for this Province, I am now under the Necessity of telling You that they have made Me no Answer to those Matters, but proposed another Bill of the same Nature of those that we had contended about in the Winter, which, however, instead of rejecting I amended agreeable to the Act of Parliament for regulating Paper Money in the Neighbouring Governments, but they were so displeas'd at it that they adjourned to the Ist of Sep- tember without saying any thing to Me upon the Head, or taking any Notice of another Message I sent them upon Bradstreet's In- telligence. I send You my Messages under this Cover, And hope your Province and Virginia will, for the Sake of the public, under- take to do the whole, and depend upon being reimbursed whenever the Colonies are put upon a proper Footing by Parliament, and obliged to contribute their Quotas towards the general Expence. I am writing to the General what my Assembly have not done upon this Occasion, that he may not depend upon any thing from hence.
" I send You a Letter I had yesterday from Governor Shirley (Who is since arrived at New York and gone to Albany), for lay- ing an Embargo on all Provisions effectually to prevent any Supply from being carried to the French Fleet, which You will see by that Letter is certainly arrived and must depend on these Colonies for
454
MINUTES OF THE
Provisions, as an Embargo in Ireland hindered them from being supplied from thence. My Assemby is not setting, but I propose this Day to lay an Embargo on all Provisions for one month, or till the Accounts from the Eastward shall make such a Precaution unnecessary.
" There are certain Accounts of Admiral Boscawens being arrived off St. John's, in New Foundland, with Ten Ships of the Line, Three of his Fleet being then missing; And last Night we had Accounts from New York that the French Fleet with Four Thou- sand Land Forces were in the Harbour of Louisburgh, And that Boscawen with 13 Ships of the Line was before it; This News I believe may be depended on, tho' it is not absolutely certain.
" I forwarded your Letter by the London, Capt. Shirley, who sail'd from hence Ten days ago.
" I set out on Tuesday next to form a Magazine of Provisions in the back Parts of this Province, some where near Shippensburgh, round which I shall set up some Stockados to defend it against the Indians and the French Wood Fighters, who may otherwise easily destroy it. I have already there a large Quantity of Provisions.
"Since writing the above I receiv'd Yours by y". Express of the 30th of June, and congratulate You on what Your Assembly have done; You will see by the Messages. enclosed what mine will not do, and being adjourned in a very bad Temper I have no hopes of their doing any thing this Year, nor indeed at all till the Parlia- ment shall interpose and put these Governments upon a proper Footing. I was far from thinking it a Bravado in the French that they wou'd fall upon and destroy the back Inhabitants when the Army was removed, but what was much to be feared, as they might by that Means cut off or greatly interrupt the Communication between the Army and the Country behind them, which must dis- tress the Forces, And the Account You have from your Frontiers confirms the Opinion that you and I entertain'd of this Matter.
"Governor Dinwiddie writes me, as I suppose he does You, that He has ordered Ten Pieces of Cannon, with their Appurtenances, to be sent to Fort Cumberland, and from thence to the Ohio, which will be, in my Opinion, fully sufficient to answer the Purpose.
"'The King is certainly gone abroad, and I conclude from thence that we shall have no War unless the Operations in America bring it on, as in all probability they will before the Winter.
" An Express wou'd have sett off for you in half an Hour with the Intelligence of the Arrival of the French and English Fleets if your Messenger had not arrived, who returns immediately with this, and one enclosed for Governor Dinwiddie.
"I have this Day received a Confirmation of the French & Indians falling upon the Back Inhabitants, And that upwards of Twenty of the People are missing near Fort Cumberland; that
1
455
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
several are destroyed, and that for Two Days no Persons had arrived from the Army at that Fort, which makes it probable that a Party of French & d Indians are between the Two Camps, and will endeavour to cut off the Communication between the Inhabi- tants and the General; And a Gentleman at Shippensburg say'd it was reported that the General had but 30 Days' Provision with him.
"I am, Sr-, with great Regard, Your most obedient & most humble Serv+
"ROBT. H. MORRIS."
-
A Letter from the Governor to Governor Dinwiddie, dated this Day. " PHILIDA., July 4th, 1755.
" Sir :
"I am this Minute favour'd with Yours by Express from Gover- nor Sharpe, and am glad you have determined to send the Cannon you mention, which in my Judgement will be fully sufficient to answer the General's Purpose; And unless you had sent them, or the Goverrment of Maryland cou'd have supply'd them, the General must have done without them in the best Manner he cou'd, for not- withstanding all I cou'd say to my Assembly upon the Head they would not agree to furnish any thing for that necessary Service, nor indeed have they condescended to give me any Answer to my Mess- age upon that Head, but only proposed a Bill for giving General Braddock Ten Thousand Pounds and taking Twenty-Five Thousand Pounds to themselves, which I amended, and thereby offended them in so high a Degree that they adjourned themselves in a very ill Temper till the 1st of September, and I have not the least hopes of their doing any thing this Year, nor indeed at all till the Govern- ment shall effectually interpose, which that they may soon do I think we shou'd joyn in representing these Matters in the strongest Manner to our Masters, that a plentyful Bread Colony, composed one-half of Foreigners, situated in the Center of British America, may not remain open And an easy Conquest to any Invader, which, if it is suffer'd to do, the French by means of the Foreigners in this Province may possibly subject the whole Continent to their Do- minion.
" You will see by a Message that is under this Cover how strongly I press'd upon my Assembly the keeping open the Communication with the Army, which there was Reason to believe the French wou'd endeavour by their Indians to cut off. But it had no Effect; And since they adjourned I have receiv'd Intelligence that the Indians have killed and taken Prisoners about 20 Persons, Men, Women, and Children, in the Back parts of this Province, and the People are all so much alarmed that they cannot be prevailed upon to go with Provisions towards the Army without a strong Guard, weh. it is
.
456
MINUTES OF THE
not in my Power to send, as my Assembly have refused to grant Supplys for that or any other Purpose.
"Under this Cover I send you a Copy of a Letter I have from Governor Shirley (who is since arrived at New York and gone to Albany) giving an Account of the Arrival of a French Fleet at Louisbourgh, and recommending an Embargo to prevent their being supply'd with Provisions. In Consequence of which I have this Day laid an Embargo upon all Provisions and Warlike Stores for One Month or untill the Accounts from the Eastward shall make such Precaution unnecessary. We have Accounts in Town to be depended on that Adm1. Boscawen was off St. John's, in Newfoundland, On the 3d of June, with Ten Ships of the Line and sixteen Hundred Marines, three of his Ships being then missing; Since which we are told that the whole 13 are before the Harbour of Louisburgh, in which are block'd up a French Fleet and Four Thousand Land Forces. This last Account is believ'd, but is not so certain as the others.
" I can't yet certainly learn how the Six Nations stand affected, or what Effect Johnson's Treaty has had, but hope to hear soon ; if they go agst. Us it will greatly distress our Forces in their March.
"I am, Sir, with great Regard, " Your most obedt and most humble Servt-
"ROBT. H. MORRIS.
" Governor DINWIDDIE."
-
" A Letter from Governor Sharpe to Governor Morris. "ANNAPOLIS, June 30th, 1755. " Sir:
"I send this Express at Governor Dinwiddie's desire, with two Letters that I have just receiv'd from Virginia General Braddock acquaints Me that Ife was the 22nd Inst advanc'd 40 Miles from Fort Cumberland towards the Ohio. The badness of the Roads and the Mountains have much distressed & retarded him. His advanc'd Guard had discover'd a small Body of French at a distance, Who upon the Approach of our Troops retired and let Monacatoocha the half King, who had fallen into their Hands, escape. Saturday Morning I rece, Letters from Colon1 Innes and some of our distant Inhabitants, informing me that this Day Sennight a party of Indians fell upon some of the Inhabitants of Frederick County, of whom they Killed 3 and carried off 8 Prisoners. The Body of a French Indian was found lying by those of the 3 English who were mur- dered. We are also told that Eleven People have been killed by Indians in the Back Parts of Virginia. Upon my communicating this Intelligence to our Assembly they presented me an Address of
457
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
which I have inclos'd you a Copy. The Master of a Ship who left London the 6th of May, reports that the Brest Fleet with a con- siderably Body of Troops on Board was sailed, some imagined for America others to make a Descent on Ireland. Admiral Hawk and Moysten were also sailed. His Majesty was gone to visit His Ger- man Dominions.
" With great Esteem & Regard I am, S'., Your most humble & obedient Servant,
" HORº SHARPE. " Governor MORRIS."
RESOLVES OF THE ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND.
" To His Excellency HORATIO SHARPE, Esquire, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the Province of Mary- land, The humble Address of the House of Delegates.
" May it please your Excellency :
"This House having taken into Consideration y". Excellency's Message of this Day, have thereupon come to the following Re- solves :
" Resolved, That this House do make suitable Provision for the paying and maintaining Eighty Men, including Officers, for four Months (if occasion) for ranging on the Frontiers of this Province to protect the same against the Incursions and Depredations that may be attempted or made by the French or their Indian allies.
" Resolved further, That this House will defray the reasonable Expence of conveying Intelligence from Wills' Creek to Annapolis and back thither for Four Months."
"28th June, 1755.
" Read and assented to by the Lower House of Assembly.
" Signed # Order,
" HENRY HOOPER, Speaker."
-
A Letter from John Harris to Conrad Weiser, of the 30th June, forwarded by Mr. Weiser :
" PAXTON, June 30th, 1755. " Sir :
" After my best Respects to You I am sorry I have Occasion to inform You of such melancholly News which I shall give you a De- tail of, the greatest part if not the whole certainly Truth. On last Monday the 22nd Instant was killed and scalped by Indians near our Fort at Wills' Creek Three Persons; between that Time and
458
MINUTES OF THE
the Wednesday following are found killed, barbarously murder'd, and missing, upwards of Twenty of our Inhabitants near Fort Cum- berland, and I make no Doubt many more killed since. William . Chesney is come home, who saw a little Boy in our Fort who was scalp'd last Week and likely to live, being in the Hospital. In short there seems to be nothing less threaten'd than Desolation and Destruction, a Prospect of which may be seen now on Potowmack, by the People's abandoning their Places and leaving their All to save their Lives if possible. I likewise am this Day inform'd that there was a Soldier killed lately between Two Divisions of our Army on their March-his Throat cut and his Scalp off; and they were in hourly Expectation of such Usage. And, likewise, that no Ac- count from the Army for Two Days when Chesney came away last Saturday from our Fort, which makes it doubtfull whether our Cat- tle and Persons driving them to the Army from our Fort have not fell into the Enemy's Hands, as they had little or no Guard, not expecting any Danger. There was not scarce an Hour since the Army marched before but News came down the Road to our Fort, which makes it likely that the Road must be at that Time stopped by the Enemy. Our own Indians are strongly suspected for several Reasons : First. By their deserting our Army all except about Six Men by the latest Accounts, And by English Goods or Arms found on an Indian killed last Week by one Williams, web. Goods or Arms were delivered lately out of our Fort to Indians then there.
" I think it adviseable that you shou'd immediately dispatch Ac- counts to Philadelphia, and in the mean Time use your utinost Endeavours to find out if our Indians are concern'd, that there might without Delay some Schemes be laid by us for Revenge, and not give them Time to use Us as they are now using our Fellow Subjects and acquaintances, the very Thoughts of which ought to excite Us for Satisfaction ; nay, except there are Men raised directly to guard Provisions to our Camp and Army there will no Person venture to go, and then they must retreat Back or Starve.
" I am, Sir, in haste, Your most h'ble Servt.,
" JOHN HARRIS.
"P. S .- I am in hourly Expectation of such News from our Fron- tiers in the last Purchase, which if it shou'd happen, and it is very probable it will, for want of small Block Block-Houses or Forts and Men to guard our Back Inhabitants ; Upon the first Alarm of Mur- der being committed among us the general part or Majority of our Settlers will run off and leave their Habitations and Effects, Grain, &c .; You may certainly depend on it, For in the Situation our Peo- ple are they cannot make any Defence.
" Yrs. J. H.
" I hope there will be soon Provision made for our Defence."
459
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Saturday, the 5th July, 1755. PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tent Governor.
John Penn,
William Till,
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Lawrence Growden,
Joseph Turner, Richard Peters,
James Hamilton, 1 Esquires.
The Governor advised with the Council on the several Letters he had lately received, which were again read with one from Mr. Ship- pen to Mr. Allen that came to Hand this Morning, dated Yesterday, in these Words :
" A Letter from Mr. Ed. Shippen to William Allen, Esqr. " LANCASTER, 4th July, 1755.
" DEAR COUSIN :
" Last Night I brought my Son safe home in my Chair, and He gathers Strength very fast.
" I wrote you from Shippensburg an Account of the Murder of several People near our Fort, and we have since heard that 15 or 20 Men, Women, and Children, are missing, supposed to be conveyed away by the Indians; And by the best Conjecture we can make, by the Delawares and Shawanese, there having been found by the side of the Indian who happened to be killed in the Skirmish a Cutlace and Gun, supposed to be a present from the English. His Scalp was sent to the General immediately. Frederick Weiser was met some Days ago with the Cattle within 7 or 8 miles of Wills' Creek (It was a Day or two after the Mischief was done to the poor People), since which no Body has come from thence, either to Conneco- cheegue or to Shippensburgh that we can hear of, nor have we had any Account of the safe Arrival of the Cattle, And before this Barbarity was committed there were People passing and repassing that way every day. This consideration terrifys the Back Settlers very much, but I have endeavoured to persuade them to be resolute and to stand their Ground, and to put themselves into the best Pos- ture of Defence they possibly can ; That Two or Three Families ought to get into one House where Water is bandy, and to make Loop Holes in it for their small Arms, and that Single men shou'd form themselves into small Companies up and down the Country, and then Part of them might reap and stack the Grain whilst others kept Centry and Guard. And I hoped that in about a Fortnight's Time they wou'd have the good News to hear of the Reduction of Fort Du Quesue ; After which the General wou'd scower the Woods of the Indians, and then they might expect to live in Peace and Quietness. But of all the Persons I have talked with John Harris
460
MINUTES OF THE
at Pexton is the greatest Coward, and discourages the Folks most, buzzing them in the Ears of their great Danger. But I hope I have put a Stop to his silly Proceedings.
" When the General march'd from Fort Cumberland he cou'd travel but Four Miles a day, but afterwards my Son says he wou'd endeavour to make more Dispatch ; That he divided his Army at the little Meadows, 24 Miles from the said Fort, and took his Choice of Officers and Men about Twelve Hundred ; And the 17th Instant he dispatched Sr. Jnº St. Clair with 400 of the Men towards the Great Meadows, and the next Day marched himself with 800 Men more, taking with them the greatest Part of the Artillery, And He ordered the Remainder of the Army to follow him on Monday. He designs to make the Attack with these 1200, But not untill the other Part of His Army comes within a Day's March of him, that he may have their Assistance or not as he shall judge it most proper. The General had ordered 150 Men to guard the Road Cutters be- yond Ray's Town, but when Josey came there he found only 100. Captain Hogg told him that the General had alter'd his Mind just before he came away.
" Josey counted but 7 Indians at the Little Meadows, and asked Mr. Croghan what was become of the rest of the Thirty-Seven he had had. He say'd They were gone from Fort Cumberland with their Wives and Children to Awkwick to leave them there, and expected to see them again before he cod get to the Great Meadows, And that he was very sure that 40 or 50 more from the Back Woods wou'd join him between the Great Meadows and the French Fort, which they wou'd have done at Fort Cumberland were it not for fear of the French coming to their Cabbins to destroy their Fami- lies.
" Daniel East, a Servant of Mr. Joseph Simon's, was at the Big Crossings, 15 Miles above the little Meadows, after Josey came away, and says, That St. John St. Clair had discovered by the help of Mr. Croghan and his 7 Indians a Party of between Two or Three Hundred French Indians, and pursued them and drove them quite off; then they proceeded in cutting the Roads towards the Ohio.
" Mr. Swain no doubt has inform'd you of His Proceedings in Respect to the Pork and Cattle sent under his Care, which are still at Shippensburgh, the former in mine and others' Cellars, and I have given Orders to Mr. Burd's Servant, a Cooper, to take Care of them as Mr. Swaine shall direct, & the latter are well provided with Range Pasture. But the Place which shall be agreed upon by the General for the Magazine ought to be protected by at least 20 or 30 Soldiers, and there shou'd be a Blockade built; Otherwise they may easily destroy the Cattle and other Provisions, for they can march thro' the Woods undiscover'd within 20 Miles of Shippensburgh, And they may come that 20 Miles one way on a Path, leaving Jacob
461
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Pyatt's (near the Tuscarora Mountain) on the right Hand, and see but Two Houses till they are within Two Miles of my Place.
" Josey, with myself, gives his Kind Love to You all, & I am, " Dear Cousin, Your affectionate Kinsman,
"EDWD. SHIPPEN.
" To WILLIAM ALLEN, Esquire."
The Council observed that if the Assembly had done their Duty in complying with the several Requests made by the Governor in his Messages to them He wou'd have had it in his Power to do something worthy of this Province on such an Exigence, but they cou'd not at present give any Advice, as there were no public Funds to defray the Expences that might be necessary to go into. The Governor proposed going to Carlisle in order to be nearer to the Army, and that he might give such Directions as Occurences shou'd render proper.
-
July 6th, 1755.
MEMORANDUM.
The Governor wrote the following Letters before He left Town, vizt. :
A Letter to His Excellency General Braddock in these Words: "PHILADA., July 6th, 1755. " Sir :
" The Packets I have the Honour to transmit to You by this Conveyance will inform You of the Success of one Part of His Majesty's Forces under your Command, and of the Treatment that part of their Fleet have received from Admiral Boscawen, who, with Adm1. Mostyn, command Thirteen Sail of the Line now cruising be- tween St. Lawrence's Bay and Cape Sable. It is said that the French Fleet consists of Twenty-four Ships and the English of Thirty, but cannot think those Accounts are to be depended on; But as our Fleet has fallen in with theirs I am in hopes We shall have as good an account of the whole as we have of the Two that are mentioned in the Letters herewith.
" I make no doubt that Colon1. Innis has inform'd you that some Indians have been murdering some of the Inhabitants near Fort Cumberland, & given you the particulars which I have not yet re- ceiv'd; this has struck a Panick into the People of the Back Parts of our Country, and I expect it will be difficult to prevail with them to go with Provisions to the Road Cutters without an Escort, which I have it not in my Power to furnish, not being enabled by my Assembly.
" Mr. Franklin tells me that the Thousand Pounds you have
462
MINUTES OF THE
sent him will be sufficient to pay the Forage bought by my Order in this town, and for transporting it to the Camp. Iie thinks, too, that it will be sufficient to pay for a Thousand Bushels of Wheat that you have ordered him to buy, of all web. He tells me he will give Me an Account.
" That there will be wanting about Five Hundred Pounds Ster- ling more to pay for the Forage that was bought & sent from the Back Counties. I have Three Hundred and thirty Bushels of In- dian Corn remaining in this Town which I can sell again for what it cost, but do not intend to do it till I hear from You, which I shall expect to do by the Return of the Express, when I shall be at Shippensburgh, and beg You wou'd direct me whether any and what Forage must be laid in at Shippensburg, that I may give the necessary Orders when I am in that Country.
" The Panick that has taken Possession of the People near the Mountains since the Indians have begun to scalp, will make it next to impossible to carry the Magazine farther back than Shippens- burgh. However, I shall judge better of that when I am upon the Spot, and fix it either at MacDowell's Mill at Shippensburgh, or at some Place between them, as I shall think will best answer the pub- lic Purposes.
" This Express will bring you Letters from Colon1. Johnston that will let You into the Progress he is making among the Indians, and in which I suppose He mentions the State of Things in that Quar- ter, of which I have had no Accounts for some time further than all our Troops are in Motion ; the cutting off this reinforcement of Six Batalions will put it out of the Power of the French to hinder the Execution of any part of your Plan, And if a War shou'd be the Consequence of our Success in America, and the Colonies can be prevailed upon to keep up the Troops they have at present, Can- ada itself may find you Employment for next Summer.
"I am, Sir, Your Excellency's most obedient & most humble Serv'.,
"ROBT. H. MORRIS."
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.