USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > Part 67
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well armed with smooth Guns, no rifled Guns, which requires too much cleaning. They in particular desired the Company men gathered at George Gabriel's, Captain McKee's, and Jno. Harris', they being informed that people had gathered there, and that they are extremely concerned for the white people's running away, and said they could not stand the French alone. This Message was de- livered to George Gabriel and about 10 Whites more, ams. whom were my two Sons, by a Delaware Indian named Enoch and a white man called Lawrence Bork, who came with the Indians as a com- panion. The Indians' Messenger that brought the news to Shamo- kin from the Indians living up the River Zinachton (the North West Branch of Sasquehannah) arrived at Shamokin at Midnight before the 23d of this Instant. The Indians are extremely concerned, as my son tells me, people are coming away in great hurry, the rest that stays plundering the Houses and make the best of other peo- ple's misfortune. The French want to see Jonathan taken prisoner, &ca .; all this in great hurry. I pray, good Sir, don't slight it. The lives of many thousands are in the utmost Danger. It is no false alarm.
"I am, Honoured and Dear Sir, Your very obedient, "CONRAD WEISER.
"P. S .- If a body of men would go up they cou'd gather plenty of Indian Corn, Beef, & other provisions, now every thing is in the utmost confusion. I suppose in a few days not one Family will be seen on the other side of Kittatiny Hills."
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A Letter to James Read, Esgr., at Reading, from Conrad Weiser, Esqr-, at Heidleburg.
" HEIDLEBURG, October 26, at 11 o'Clock at night. " Mr. James Read,
" Loving friend. This evening, about an hour ago, I received the news of the Enemy having crossed Susquehannah and killed a great many people, from Thomas McKee down to Hunter's Mill. Mr. Elders, the Minister of Paxton, wrote this to another Presby- terian Minister in the neighbourhood of Adam Read, Esq". The people were then in Meeting, and immediately desired to get them- selves in Readiness to oppose the Enemy, and to lend assistance to their neighbours. Mr. Read sent down to Tulpahoccon, and two men one that came from Mr. Read, are just now gone, that brought in the Melancholly news. I have sent out to alarm the Townships in this Neighbourhood, and to meet me early in the Morning at Peter Spicker, to consult together what to do, and to make pre- parations to stand the Enemy with the Assistance of the most high. I writ you this that you may have time to consult with Mr. Seely
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and other well-wishers of the people, in order to defend your lives and others ; for God's sake let us stand together and do what we can, and trust to the hand of Providence ; perhaps we must in this Neighbourhood come to Reading, but I will send armed men to Susquehannah, or as far as they can go, for Intelligence. Pray let Sammy have a copy of this, or this draft for his Honour the Gov- ernor. I have sent him about 3 hours ago Express to Philadelphia, and he lodges at my son Peter's. Dispatch him as early as you can. I pray beware of Confusion, be calm, you and Mr. Seely, and act the part as fathers of the people. I know you are both able, but excuse me for giving this caution, time requires it.
"I am, Dear Sir, Your very good friend and humble Servant,
" CONRAD WEISER."
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A Letter to Governor Morris from James Read, Esqr-, wrote on the same sheet of the foregoing Letter from Mr. Weiser.
" Sir :
"I must not detain the Bearer a moment; I have sent the original Letter from Mr. Weiser, that no mistakes may arise by any Doubts of the justness of a Copy.
"I shall raise our Town in an hour, and use all prudent measures for our Defence. I could wish your Honour could order us two or three swivel Guns and Blunderbusses, with a few Muskets and some Powder, Swan Shot. Nothing shall be wanting in me, who have the misfortune of being Major of two associated Companies ; but I know not how my people will behave, as they are under an Infatuation of an Extraordinary Sort.
"I am, May it please your Honour, Your Honours most Obe- dient and most humble Servant,
" JAMES READ.
" Many wagons that are got thus far are bound back again im- mediately upon hearing the news.
" Reading, October 27th, 1755, 6 A. M." .
On the 29th the Governor wrote the following Letter to Governor Dinwiddie :
" Sir :
" I have received Intelligence that a large body of French and Indians were seen to pass the Allegheny Mountains, moving to- wards the Inhabitants of this Province, and that a party of them have since passed the Susquehannah and killed all before them, and were within five Miles of Harris' Ferry. They may from the de- fenceless state of this unhappy Province do infinite mischief and penetrate very far into it. The people are mostly without Arms,
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and struck with such a Panick that they flee as fast as they can from their Habitations. The accounts were brought me to this place & will oblige me to leave the Assembly in the midst of their Sessions, and to hasten to Philada· in order to do as much service as my little power will enable me. If that Assembly which I have called by Writ to meet me on Monday next shall strengthen my hands and do what is incumbent on them, We may be able to make some Re- sistance, But if they shall still be deaf to the Calls of their bleed- ing Country, I know not what Lengths the Enemy may proceed.
"I think it my Duty to give you the earliest Intelligence that you may not be put upon your own Guard, but afford that assist- ance which the progress of the Enemy and the safety of the Colo- nies may require.
" If you have any Arms or Ammunition belonging to the Crown not immediately necessary for the Defence of your Province, it would greatly assist his Majestie's service if I could be favoured with the use of them, and on your being so kind as to let me have immediate advice of this I will send for them.
" I am, Sir, Your most humble servant, "ROBERT H. MORRIS.
" Newcastle, 29th October, 1755."
Letters of the same Tenor were wrote to Governor of Maryland, Jersey, & New York.
The following Letter was dispatched to Conrad Weiser by Ex- press :
A Letter from Governor Morris to Conrad Weiser, Esquire. "NEW CASTLE, October 29th, 1755. " Sir :
: " I have your two Letters of the 26th Instant, that to Mr. Read being sent forward to me with the other, and I am heartily con- cerned at the melancholy situation of the Inhabitants in the re- moter parts of the Province. If the Assembly had paid any the least regard to my Recommendations, as every thing that has hap- pened was reasonably to be expected, the people would not at this time have remained without protection or such a quantity of inno- cent Blood have been spilt. However, I have upon this occasion summoned them to meet on Monday next, and hope they will now (tho' late) make some Provision for the safety of the Province, and in the mean time must commend your care and diligence, and re- commend it to you and the people in your neighborhood to do every thing for their defence that their Circumstances and situation will admit of. Let me know from time to time what is done and the motion of the Enemy, and you may assure the people that when- ever the Assembly enables me to act vigorously in their defence I
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shall most readily do it, and if they do not my best advice and as- sistance shall be employed in their Protection. I have neither Arms nor Ammunition at my disposal or I should have sent you some of both before now.
" I shall set out for Philadelphia this day or to-morrow,
" And am, Sir, Your friend and Servant, "ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS. " CONRAD WEISER, Esq"."
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Friday 31st October, 1755, A. M.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor, &ca.
Robert Strettel, Richard Peters,
Lynford Lardner,
} Esquires.
The Minutes of Council held at Newcastle on Tuesday last were read, together with the Papers there entered.
The Governor laid before the Council a Letter from Dr. Bowde, of Lancaster, containing a Letter sent by Express from Mr Elder, Minister at Paxton, giving an account of a large Body of French and Indians were coming against this Province and had already passed the Allegheny Hills, which was read in these words :
A letter from Dr. Bowde, of Lancaster, forwarding one from the Revd. Mr. Elder, of Paxton, to William Allen, Esqr.
" LANCASTER, 26th October, 1755. " Sir :
" As Mr. Shippen and his son are out of Town I thought it my Duty to transmit you a Copy of a letter just came to Town, is as follows :
""' PAXTON, 25 October, 1755.
"' Mr. Shippen :
" ' Mr. John Harris and Thomas Forster, Esq"" they went up the River last Thursday with a company of men to bury the Dead mur- dered there lately, and sent a Letter to Mr. Carson, the Copy of which is as follows : ' Mr. Carson-We have an account from our Indians that there is a large body of French and Indians coming down against us on this side of the Allegheny Mountains. We are going this day to Shamokin, where there is a Body of Indians assembled, to know their minds and to send out Spies to view the
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Enemy & know their numbers. The running Indians that came down and saw them says that there is a great number, and compares them to the Trees. I and our Neighbours desire you'l send our families word that we expect to be down, God willing, on Sab- bath night next, and it would be well done to send notice of this News to Virginia and through this Province, that they might pre- pare themselves for the worst Event. Sr- please to disperse Copys of this thro' the Province as soon as possible, and you'l oblige "' Your humble Servant, "'JOHN ELDER. "' P. S .- The Letter to Carson is dated the 21st inst".' "I am, sir, your very h'ble Servant, " SAMI BOUDE. " To WILLIAM ALLEN, Esq"."
Sundry other Letters of the same. import were likewise read, and the following ones ordered to be entered :
A Letter to the Governor from Mr. John Harris at Paxton. " PAXTON, Oct. 28th, 1755.
" May it please your Honour :
"This is to acquaint you that on the 24th day of October I arrived at Shamokin in order to protect our Frontiers up that way till they might make their escape from their cruel Enemys, and to learn the best Intelligences I could. The Indians on the West Branch of Sasquehannah certainly killed our Inhabitants on Mr. Penn's Creek, and there is a hatchet and two English Scalps sent by them up the North Branch to desire them to strike with them if they are men. The Indians are all assembling themselves at Sha- mokin to Council; a large Body of them was there four days ago. I can't learn their Intentions, but it seems Andrew Montour and Monacatootha is to bring down news from them; there is not a sufficient number of them to oppose the Enemy, and perhaps they will join the Enemy against us; there is no dependance on Indians, and we are in emminent Danger. I got certain Information from Andrew Montour and others that there is a body of French with 1,500 Indians coming against us, Picks, Ottaways, Orandox, Dela- wares, Shawonese, and a number of the Six Nations, & are now not many days' march from this Province and Virginia, which is appointed to be attacked at the same time; some of the Shaw- mokin Indians seemed Friendly & others appeared like Enemys. Montour knew many days of the Enemy's being on their March against us before he informed me, for which I said as much to him as I thought prudent, considering the place I was in. On the 25th day of this Instant, in my return, with about 40 Men, at Mr. Penn's Creek, we were attacked by about 20 or
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thirty Indians, received their fire, and about 15 of our men and myself took to Trees and attacked the Villains, killed four of them on the spot, and lost but three men retreating about half a mile thro' woods and crossing Sasquehanna, one of which was shot from off an horse riding behind Myself thro' the River. My horse before was wounded, & failing in the River I was obliged to Quit him and swim part of the way. 4 or 5 of our men was drowned crossing the River. I hope our Journey, tho' with Fatigue and the loss of our substance and some of our Lives, will be of service to our Country by discovering our Enemy, who will be our ruin if not timely prevented. I just now received information that there was a French Officer, supposed a Captain with a party of Shawonese, Delawares, &ca., within six miles of Shamokin two days ago, & no doubt intends to take possession of it, which will be of dreadful consequence to us if suffered; Therefore I thought proper to dis- patch this Messenger to inform your Honour. The Indians here I hope your honour will be pleased to cause them to be removed to some place, as I don't like their Company ; and as the men of those here was not against us, yet did them no harm or else I would had them all cut off. The old Belt of Wampum promised me at Shamokin to send out Spies to view the Enemy, and upon his hearing of our Skirmish was in a rage, gathered up 30 Indians immediately, and went in pursuit of the Enemy I am this day informed. I expect Montour & Monocatootha down here this week with the determina- tion of their Shamokin Council. The Inhabitants is abandoning their plantations, and we are in a dreadful situation.
"I am your Honour's most obedient & humble Servant, " JOHN HARRIS.
"P. S .- The night ensuing our attack the Indians burnt all Geo. Gabriel's Houses, danced round them, &ca."
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A Letter to Edward Shippen, Esqr., of Lancaster from Mr. Jnº. Harris of Paxton. " PAXTON, October 29th, 1755.
" Sir :
" We expect the Enemy upon us every day, and the Inhabitants is abandoning their Plantations, being greatly discouraged at the approach of such a number of Cruel Savages, and no sign of As- sistance. The Indians is cutting us off every day, & I had a certain account of about 1,500 Indians beside French being on their march against us & Virginia, and now close on our borders, their Scouts Scalping our Families on our Frontiers daily. Andrew Montour and others at Shamokin desired me to take care that there was forty Indians out many days, and intended to burn my House & destroy myself and Family. I have this day cut
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holes in my House, and is determined to hold out to the last extremity if I can get some men to stand by me, few of which I yet can at present, every one being in fear of their own Families being cut off every hour (such is our situation). I am informed that a French Officer was expected at Shamokin this Week with a party of Delawares & Shawonese, no doubt to take possession of our River; and as to the State of the Sasquehannah Indians great part of them is actually in the French Interest; but if we should raise such a number of men immediately as will be able to take possession of some convenient place up Sasquehannah and build a Strong Fort in Spight of French or Indians, perhaps some Indians may join us, but it is Trusting to uncertainty to de- pend upon them in my opinion. We ought to insist on the Indians declaring either for or against us. As soon as we are prepared for them we must bid up for Scalps and keep the Woods full of our People hunting them or they will ruin our Province, for they are a Dreadful Enemy. We impatiently look for assistance. I have sent out two Indian Spies to Shamokin, they are Mohawks, and I ex- pect they will return in a day or two. Consider our Situation and rouse your people downwards and not let about 1,500 Villians dis- tress such a number of Inhabitants as is in Pennsylvania, which actually they will If they possess our Provisions and Frontiers long, as they now have many thousands of Bushels of our Corn and Wheat in possession already, for the Inhabitants goes off and leaves all.
"I am, Sir, Your most humble Servant, "JOHN HARRIS."
A Letter to Governor Morris from Conrad Weiser, Esquire, at Reading.
"May it please the Governor :
"Since the date of my last Letter, which I sent Express by Sammy Weiser, dated last Sunday Evening, 5 o'clock, and about 11 the same Night I sent a Letter to Mr. Read in this Town, who forwarded it to your Honour by the same opportunity. The follow". account of what has happened since I thought was proper to lay before your Honour to wit: After I had received the news that Paxton People above Hunter's Mill had been murdered, I imme- diately sent my servants to alarm the Neighbourhood. The people came to my house by break of day. I informed them of the melancholy news and how I came by it, &ca. They unanimously agreed to stand by one another and march to meet the Enemy if I would go with them. I told them not only myself but my sons and Servants should go. They put themselves under my direction. I gave orders to them to go home and fetch their Arms, whether Guns, Swords, pitchforks, axes, or whatsoever
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might be of use against the Enemy, and for three days pro- vision in their Knapsacks, and meet me at Benjamin Spickers at three of the Clock that afternoon, about six Miles above my House in Tulpohoccon Township, where I had sent word for Tulpo- hoccon people also to meet. I immediately mounted my Horse and went up to Benjamin Spickers, where I found about one hundred people who had met before I came there ; and after I had informed them of the Intelligence I had, and promised to go with them as a common Soldier, and to be commanded by such officers and leading men whatever they might call them as they should chuse, they unanimously agreed to join Heidleberg People, and accordingly they went home to fetch their Arms and Provisions for three days, and came again at 3 o'clock. All this was punctually performed, and about two hundred men were at Benjamin Spickers by two of the Clock. I made the necessary disposition, and the people were di- vided into Companys of thirty men each Company; they chosed their officers, that is a Captain over each Company and three in- feriors under him, each to take care of ten men and lead them on or fire as the Captain should direct. I sent privately for Mr. Kurtz, the Lutheran Minister, who lived about a Mile off, who came and gave an Exhortation to the men, and made a Prayer suitable to the time; and then we marched towards Sasquehannah, having first sent about fifty men to Tolkeo in order to possess themselves of the Capes or Narrows of Swahatawro, where we expected the Enemy would come through, with a Letter to Mr. Parsons, who happened to be at His Plantation. We marched about ten Miles that even- ing; my Company was now increased to upwards of Three hundred men, and mostly well armed, tho' about twenty men had nothing but Axes and pitchforks. All unanimously agreed to die together and engage the Enemy wherever they should meet with them- never to enquire the number but fight them, & so obstruct their marching further into the Inhabited parts till others of our Breth- ren should come up and do the same, and so save the Lives of our Wives & Children. This night the Powder and Lead came up that I sent for early in the morning from Reading, & I ordered it to the care of the Officers to divide it among those that wanted it most. On the 28th by break of day we marched, our Company increasing all along. We arrived at Adam Read's, Esq". in Hanover Town- ship, Lancaster County, about 10 o'Clock ; there we stopped and rested till all came up. Mr. Read had just then received intelli- gence from Sasquehannah by Express, which was as follows, to wit : ' that Justice Forster, Capt. McKee, John Harris, and others, to the number of forty-nine, went up to Shamokin to bury the Dead bodies of those that had been killed by the Enemy on John Penn's Creek, and coming up to George Gabriel's, about five miles this side Sha- mokin and on the West side Sasquehannah, they heard that the Dead bodies had been buried already, and so they went along to Shamokin, where they arrived last Friday Evening, and were seem- VOL. VI-42.
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ingly well received, but found a great number of strange Indians, tho' Delawares, all painted Black, which gave suspicion, and Thomas McKee told his Companions that he did not like them, and the next morning, that is last Saturday, they got up early in order to go back, but they did not see any of the strangers; They were gone before them. Andrew Montour was there painted as the rest, advised our people not to go the same Road they came, but to keep this side Sasquehannah and go the old Road, but when they came to the parting of the Roads a majority was for going the nighest and best road, and so crossed Sasquehanna contrary to Andrew Montour's Council in order to go down on the West side of that River as far as Mahonioy ; when they came to John Penn's Creek in going down the bank they were fired upon from this side by Indians that had way-laid them ; some dropt down dead, the rest fled and made to- wards Sasquehannah and came to this side, and so home as well as they could. Twenty-six of them were missing and not heard of as yet last Monday Evening. Upon this we had a Consultation, and as we did not come up to serve as Guards to Paxton people, but to fight the Enemy if they were come so far as we first heard, we thought best to return and take care of our own Townships. After I had given the necessary caution to the People to hold themselves in readiness as the Enemy was certainly in the Country, to keep their Arms in good order, and so on, I discharged them, and so we marched back with the approbation of Mr. Read; by the way we were alarmed with a Report that above five hundred Indians had come over the mountain at Tolkco to this side, and had already killed a number of people. We stopt and sent a few men to dis- cover the Enemy, but on their return it proved to be a false alarm, occasioned by that Company I had sent that way the day before, whose Guns getting wet they fired them off, which was the case of my Company ; on their Returning they fired off their Guns, not considering the ill consequence, and the whole Township through which we marched were very much alarmed. In going back I met several Messengers from other Townships about Conestogo, who came for intelligence and to ask me where their Assistance was neces- sary, promising that they would come to the place where I should direct. I met also at Tulpehoccon above one hundred men well armed as to Fire arms, ready to follow me, so that there were in the whole about 500 men in Arms that day all marching up towards Sasquehannah. I and Mr. Adam Read counted those that were with me. We found them 320.
" I cannot send any further account being uncommonly fatigued. I should not forget, however, to inform Your Honour that Mr. Read has engaged to keep proper persons riding between his House and Sasquehannah, and if anything material shall occur he will send me Tidings at Heidleburgh or here, which I shall take care to dis- patch to you. I find that great care has been taken at Reading to get people together, and near two hundred were here Yesterday
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Morning; but upon hearing that the people attending me were dis- charged, the people from the Country went off without consulting what should be done for the future, thro' the Indiscretion of a Per- son who was with them and wanted to go home, and near the Town they meet a large Company coming up and gave such accounts as occasioned their turning back. I think most of the Inhabitants would do their Duty, but without some Military Regulations we shall never be able to defend the Province. I am sure we are in great Danger, and by an Enemy that can travel as Indians do we may be surprized when it would be impossible to collect any num- ber of men together to defend themselves, and then the country would be laid waste. I am quite tired and cannot say more than that
"I am Your Honour's most Obedient Servant,
" CONRAD WEISER. "READING, October 30th, 1755."
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A Letter to William Allen, Esq., from Conrad Weiser, Esqr., at Reading.
" READING, October 30th, 1755.
" Kind Sir :
"I have but just time to acknowledge the receipt of your Favours of the 27th, being arrived last Night in this town ; as you will have the perusal of the Letter I wrote to the Governor, I need not re- peat matters over, but only informing that I think all our Indians are gone off with the French, or rather joined them because they could not stand their Ground against the French and their Indians; and what is worse I am afraid the French are about Fortifying them- selves this side of the Allegheny Hills, if not on Sasquehanna about Shamokin, where they will find and have found plenty of Provisions, as the Country is deserted by its Inhabitants, leaving their Corn and Cattle behind them. The reason of my fear is because Mr. Adam Read told me that a Young man lately arrived on Sasquehanna from Ohio, who said for positive that about 1,500 French and Indians crossed Allegheny Hills at the Head of Rinacson River, and that actually a part of them had been at Shamokin, which last proves to be true as you will see in the Governor's Letter that the Young man I mentioned was taken Prisoner by the French last summer in the unhappy action, & some Delaware Indians got his liberty from the French, promising two scalps from Pennsylvania, and they the Indians set him at Liberty, or he made his escape as far as Adam Read's. He also gave out that the Enemy told the Delawares that if they would assist they would repossess them of their native Country and bring the people under their Command. The common cry of the People here is for Arms & Ammunition & Regulations
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