USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > Part 78
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
761
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Family to any Place of better Security than this. I can add nothing agreeable, must therefore conclude, who am,
" Honoured Sir, Your very obedient,
"CONRAD WEISER.
" Reading, December 13th, 1755."
-
A Letter to the Hunble Ja" Hamilton & Benjn Franklin, Esq™ from Wm. Parsons, Esq. " EASTON, December 15th, 1755.
" Honoured Sirs :
" I make bold to trouble you once more, and it is not unlikely that it may be the last time. The Settlers on this side of the Mountain all along the River side, are actually removed, and we are now the Frontier of this part of the Country. Our poor people of this Town have quite expended their little substance & are quite wearied out with watching, and were all along in hopes the Government would have taken some measures for their Relief & for the security of the Town. But now seeing themselves as well as the Town neglected, they are moving away as fast as they can. So that if we have not help nor no orders from the Commissioners to use means to get help in a day or two, We shall every one of us be obliged to leave the Town & all we have in it to the fury of the Enemy, who, there is no reason to doubt are lurking about within sight of us. Besides the Losses which I have reason to sustain in this general Calamity, I have expended what little stock of Cash I had, in Publick Services, so that I am obliged to send this by a private hand, not being able to pay a person to go express with it. Pray do something or give some order for our speedy relief, or the whole country will be entirely ruined. If you had but given En- couragements to some Persons that you could have confided in, for their Employing people just for our present Defence, 'till you could have agreed on a general Plan, all this part of the Country might have been saved which is now entirely lost, & the Enemy are still perpetrating further and further, and if immediate measures are not taken, they will very soon be within sight of Philada. This is my real opinion, for all the Country is flying before them and no means are employed to stop them.
"I am, Honoured Sirs, Your most obedient humble Servant,
"W". PARSONS."
762
MINUTES OF THE
At a Council held at the State House, the 25th December, 1755, P. M.
"PRESENT :
Robert Strettell, Benjamin Shoemaker, Doctor Cadwallader,
William Logan, - . Esqrs.
Joseph Turner,
The Secretary read a Letter directed to the Governor, & in his absence to be opened by the Committee, from Conrad Weiser, who was sent with a Message from the Governor to invite the Indians on the West Branch of Sasquehannah to meet the Governor at the proposed Indian Treaty at Harris' Ferry, But the Governor being daily expected in Town from New York the Council don't think it proper to give it any other answer but that notice be given by the Clerk of the Council to Conrad Weiser that he don't for the future direct his Letters so improperly as to be opened in the absence of the Governor by the Committee or any others than by the President & Council.
A Letter to Governor Morris from Conrad Weiser, Esqr.
" Honoured Sir :
". Last night I arrived from John Harris' Ferry, and herewith inform you that I did not reach my home in Heidleburgh, Berks Cy, till the fourteenth of this instant. I set out on the 16th from Harris' Ferry, where I found no Indians but the Old Belt and an- other Sinicker, called commonly Broken Thigh, a lame man.
"Their Young men, about six or seven in number, being sent out by John Harris to fetch Scalps from Ohio, but stopt at Augh- wick by Mr. Croghan, I sent for Thomas McKee, John Carson, and Samuel Hunter to John Harris' to consult with them how to send your Honour's Message to the Indians on the West Branch of Sas- quehannah. They recommended one Hugh Crawford to me, on whom I prevailed to go to Aughwick with the Message, and from there send Indians to the West Branch of Sasquehannah with it, and if the Indians thought it adviseable to go with them and con- duct them down the river, either himself or James Pattison (who is to go along with him to Aughwick). I had the two old Indians in Council with me. They received the Message from me, and Hugh Crawford received the Wampum I gave & necessaries for them and the written invitation from me, in presence of the above named Gen- tlemen. I hope he will go thro' with it.
" Upon my first arrival at John Harris' I gave a string of Wam- pum to the two old Indians above mentioned, requesting them to look upon me as a publick Messenger from their Brother Onas, and desired them in his behalf to let me know all that they knew
763
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
about this Warr and who it was that murdered Onas' people, and for what reason ?
" Next morning they made answer to the following purport. ' Brother : We are very glad to see you here once more at these trou- blesome times. We look upon you as our Brother Onas' Messenger as we always did. The author of the Murder of the people of Pennsylvania is Onontio ; he employs his Children for that purpose, and they came to this River (Sasquehanah) to murder. We are sorry to tell you that they have prevailed upon our Cousins, the Delawares, living about half way from Shamokin to Schantowano, (Wayomack), in a Town called Nescopeckon. Them Indians have given their Town (in defiance of us their Uncle's) to Onontio's Children as a place of their Rendevous, and had undertaken to join and guide them the way to the English. That thereupon the Sheckelemy's and others of the Six Nations fled towards the Six Nation Country ; That a Report was spread among the Delawares on that river, that the Pennsylvanians were coming with thousands to destroy the Indians on Sasquehannah, which had occasioned the Six Nation Indians before named to fly because they would not fight against their Brethren nor against the Indians, & that every thing was in a great Confusion.
"I am, Honoured Sir, Your most obedient, " CONRAD WEISER. " Heidleburg, in the County of Berks, Decem". 22, 1755.
"P. S .- Your Honour will have heard by this time that Paxton people took an enemy Indian on the other side of the Narrows above Samuel Hunter's and brought him down to Carson's House, where they examining him, The Indian begged his Life and prom- ised to tell all what he knew to-morrow morning, but (shocking to me) they shott him in the midst of them, scalped him and threw his Body into the River. The Old Belt told me that as a child of Onontio he deserved to be killed, but that he would have been very glad if they had delivered him up to the Governor in order to be examined stricter and better.
" I am, Honoured Sir, Your most obedient, " CONRAD WEISER. " Decem". ye 22, 1755. " To Governor MORRIS."
A Letter was likewise read directed to Governor Morris from Mr. Hamilton, giving a detail of affairs done by him at the Com- mittee at Easton :
A Letter to Governor Morris from Mr. Hamilton. " EASTON, Monday Evening, Decr- 25, 1755,
" Dear Sir :
" The Commissioners came to this Town on Saturday Evening,
764
MINUTES OF THE
where we found the Country under the greatest Consternation, & every thing that has been said of the distress of the Inhabitants, more than verified upon our own view. The Country along the River is absolutely deserted from this place to Broadhead's, nor can there be the least Communication between us and them but by large Parties of armed Men, every body being afraid to venture without that security, so that we have had no accounts from thence for several days. Broadhead's was stoutly defended by his sons and others, till the Indians thought fit to retire without being able to take it, or set it on fire, tho' they frequently attempted it, it is thought several of them were killed in the attacks, but that is not known with certainty.
" We have now here upwards of 100 Men, being the Companies of Capt". Aston, Captain Trump, and Capt". McGlaughlin, and are impatiently expecting more from below, for the people here are not very numerous, & are besides very backward in entery into the Ser- vice, tho' the Encouragement is great, and one would think they would gladly embrace the opportunity of revenging themselves on the authors of their ruin ; but the terror that has seized them, is so great, or their Spirits so small, that unless men come from other parts of the Province I despair of getting such a number here as will be sufficient to Garrison the Block Houses we proposed to build over the Hills, whither we intended to have gone to-morrow, but that our Provision Waggons are not come up, and that we have not men enough for the above mentioned purposes.
"I understand that Aaron Dupui is still at home, & that it is very unlikely that he will be able to leave his House in this time of Distress, to carry your Message to Wyoming, so that I believe the Expectations of the Treaty will fall to the Ground, nor does any body either here or there believe we have a single Indian that may be called a Friend, nor do I see a possibility of getting that Message conveyed to them from hence, even supposing they were ffriends ; every body is so afraid of stirring a step without a strong guard.
.
"I heartily wish you were at Liberty to declare Warr against them, and offer large rewards for Scalps, which appears the only way to clear our Frontiers of those Savages, & will, Iam persuaded be infinitely cheapest in the end ; For I clearly forsee the expence of defending ourselves in the way we are in will ruin the province, and be far from effectual at last, principally for want of a Good Militia Law by which the men might be subjected to discipline, for at present they enter themselves and then leave their Captains at their own humour, without a person in the Officers to punish them for that or any other Misbehaviour.
" I have Commissioned several Captains here, who engage to raise men, but principally two, who have undertaken to range the Country between the two Branches of this River, for the Security of
765
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
the two Irish Settlements in hopes that those who had defected by the whole of those on the main Branch, may be induced to return to their Plantations, which after all I very much question, so very great are their apprehensions of the Indians.
"I cannot say for certain when we shall leave this place, that de- pending on the coming up of the Provisions and our getting a sufficient number of men; Many of those already here not being able to march for want of Shoes, which has obliged us to send down for a Supply to Philadelphia.
" I have but a moment's time to write, the Express being ready to depart. I shall from time to time keep you informed of any thing that may be worth your notice, but at present nothing of that kind offers.
"I am, with great Respect, Sir, Your most obedt Servant,
"JAMES HAMILTON.
" Governor MORRIS."
At a Council held at Philada. 27th December, 1755, A. M.
PRESENT :
The Honble. ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor, &ca.
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Richard Peters,
Esquires.
William Logan,
Doctor Cadwallader, S
The Governor acquainted the Council with his having attended the Council of War at New York, in persuance of General Shirley's sumons to him, and which the result of the Determinations of that Council and also of the Council of several of the Governors who met afterwards to consult chiefly on Indian Affairs, so far as he was at Liberty to communicate to them such Determinations, it having been resolved at the said Council of War that the principal Ar- ticles in the plan of Operations then agreed upon should for the present be kept secret.
At a Council held at Philada- the 29th December, 1755, P. M.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esq"", Lieu- tenant Governor, &ca.
Robert Strettell,
John Mifflin,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Doctor Cadwalader, Esquires.
Richard Peters,
The Governor acquainted the Council that nine setts of Officers
766
MINUTES OF THE
of so many Companies within the City said to be chosen under the Militia Law in adding a sett for the Artillery Company, had been presented to him in the Forenoon for his Approbation and Commis- sions, but without returning any Certificate of their Election, or any Lists of the names or numbers of the persons of which the several Companys consisted who had chosen the sd. Officers respec- tively, save that a proper List had been returned for the Northward, and desired the Council's opinion whether he should grant Com- missons to the said Officers without having the Lists of the Names of their respective Companys, as formed under the Act presented to him with the Officers.
The Council unanimously declared their opinion that the Com- panys should, agreeable to the Militia Act, be first formed, and that Lists of the names of them respectively returned to the Governor when the Officers were presented to him for his Approbation, in order that he may be able to judge whether they are all Freemen and qualified according to the said Law for choosing Officers, before he grants the Commissions to the Officers.
The Council taking into Consideration the List of the Compy. formed, and whose names are in the said List returned for North- ward, do approve thereof, and recommend it to the Governor to issue the Commissions to the Officers chosen by the said Company for Northward, viz: John Lawrence Capt"., Henry Kepley Lieutt., and Thos Lloyd Ensign, as mentioned in the said return.
And also a List of the Company of Freemen of the City to the number of 65, who have voluntarily associated themselves to form a Company for assisting in the defence of the City, being now pre- sented to the Governor, with their Officers by them chosen, as in the said List, vizt: William Vanderspiegle Capt"., William Henry Ist Lieutt-, Joseph Wood 2nd Lieutenant, and John Blackwood Ensign, the Council approve thereof & recommend it to the Gover- nor to grant Commissions to the said Officers accordingly.
And all the said Commissions were ordered to be made out accordingly.
Then was read a Narrative made by the Secretary of the Incur- sions and Ravages made by the French and Indians to this day, which was ordered to be entered.
" A Brief Narrative of the Incursions and Ravages of the French & Indians in the Province of Pennsylvania.
"Oct". 18th, 1755. A party of Indians fell upon the Inhabitants on Mahanahy Creek that runs into the river Sasquehannah about five Miles Lower than the Great Fork made by the Junction of the two main Branches of that river, killed and carried off twenty-five persons, & burnt and destroyed their Buildings and Improvements, and the whole settlement was deserted. -
767
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
"23rd. Forty-six of the Inhabitants on Sasquehannah went to Shamokin to enquire of the Indians there who they were who had so cruelly fallen upon and ruined the Settlements on Mahanahy Creek, but as they were repassing Mahanahy Creek on their return from Shamokin they were fired upon by some Indians who lay in Ambush, and four were killed, four drowned, & the rest put to flight, on which all the Settlements between Shamokin & Hunter's mill for the space of 50 Miles along the River Sasquehannah were descrted.
"31st. An Indian Trader and two other men in . the Tuscarora Valley were killed by Indians, and their Houses, &ca, burnt, on which most of the Settlers fled and abandoned their Plantations.
"Novem". 2nd. The Settlemts. in the Great Cove attacked, their Houses burnt, six Persons murdered and seventeen carried away, and the whole broke up and destroy'd.
"3rd. Two women are carried away from Conegochege by the Indians, & the same day the Canalaways and little Cove, two other considerable settlemts. were attacked by them, their Houses burnt, & the whole Settlements deserted.
"16th. A Party of Indians crossed the Sasquehannah and fell upon the County of Berks, murdered 13 Persons, burnt a great number of Houses, destroyed vast quantities of Cattle, Grain, and Fodder, and laid waste a large extent of Country.
"21st. A fine Settlement of Moravians, called Gnadenhutten, situate in Northampton County, on the West Branch of the river Delaware, was attack'd, six of them killed, and their Dwelling Houses, Meeting house, and all their Outhouses burnt to Ashes, with all the Grain, Hay, Horses, and upwards of forty head of fat Cattle that were under Cover.
"Decem". During all this Month the Indians have been burning and destroying all before them in the County of Northampton, and have already burnt fifty Houses here, murdered above one hundred Persons, & are still continuing their Ravages, Murders, and Dc- vastations, & have actually overrun and laid waste a great part of that County, even as far as within twenty miles of Easton, its chief Town. And a large Body of Indians, under the Direction of French Officers, have fixed their head Quarters within the Borders of that County for the better security of their Prisoners and Plunder.
"This is a brief account of the progress of these Savages since the Eighteenth day of October, on which day was committed the first Inroad ever made by Indians upon this Province since its first Settlement, and in consequence here of all our Frontier Country, which 'extends from the River Patowmac to the River Delaware, not less than one hundred and fifty miles in length and between twenty and thirty in breadth, but not fully settled, has been entirely
768
MINUTES OF THE
deserted, the Houses and improvements reduced to Ashes, the Cat- tle, Horses, Grain, Goods, & Effects of the Inhabitants either destroyed, burned, or carried off by the Indians. Whilst the poor Planters, with their Wives, Children, and servants, who could get away, being without arms or any kind of Defence, have been obliged in this severe season of the Year to abandon their Habitations naked and without any support, and threw themselves on the Charity of the other Inhabitants within the interior Parts of the Province, upon whom they are very heavy Burthen.
" Such shocking Descriptions are given by those who have escaped of the horrid Cruelties and indecencies committed by these merciless Savages on the Bodies of the unhappy wretches who fell into their Barbarous hands, especially the Women, without regard to Sex or Age as far exceeds those related of the most abandoned Pirates ; Which has occasioned a general Consternation and has struck so great a Pannick and Damp upon the Spirits of the people, that hitherto they have not been able to make any considerable resist- ance or stand against the Indians.
" All our accounts agree in this that the French, since the defeat of General Braddock, have gained over to their Interest the Dela- wares, Shawonese, and many other Indian Nations formerly in our Alliance, and on whom, thro' fear and their large promises of Re- wards for Scalps and assurances of re-instating them in the Posses- sion of the Lands they have sold to the English, they have prevailed to take up Arms against us, and to join heartily with them in the execution of the ground they have been long meditating of obtain- ing, the possession of all the Country between the river Ohio and the river Susquehannah, and to secure that possession by building a strong Fort at Shamokin, which by its so advantageous situation at the Conflux of the two main Branches of Susquehannah (one whereof interlocks with the waters of the Ohio, and the other heads in the Center of the Country of the Six Nations) will command and make the French entire Masters of all that entensive, rich and fer- tile Country and of all the Trade with the Indians. And from whence they can at pleasure enter and annoy our Territories, and put an effectual stop to he future extention of our Settlements on that Quarter, not to mention the many other obvious Mischiefs and fatal Consequences that must attend their having a Fort at Sha- mokin.
"NOTE .- Some Fachines have been lately discovered floating down the River Susquehannah a little below Shamokin, by which, as the Indians were never known to use Fachines, it is conjectured the French have begun and are actually building a Fort at that most im- portant place.
" Philada., 29th December, 1755."
769
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
At a Council held at Philad2. 30th Decem"., 1755, P. M.
PRESENT.
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esq"., Lieu- tent. Govr., &ca.
Robert Strettell,
Richard Peters,
Benjamin Shocmaker,
Benjamin Chew, Esqrs.
Joseph Turner,
Doctr. Cadwalader,
The Governor laid before the Council a Return of the Election of the several Officers chosen for nine Companys of the . proposed City militia, subscribed and returned by two Freemen of cach ward in and for which the said Companys were formed, and desired their opinion whether such certificate was sufficient to justify him in granting Commissions to such of the Officers mention'd in the said return as he should personally approve of, & that if they inclined to alter the mode settled by the Council in the Minute of Yesterday that they would assign their reasons for making such alterations.
The said return being read and the Council taking the same into Consideration, and that the Militia act having prescribed no form of making the Returns of the Election of the Officers of the Com- panys to be formed under the same Act, And it being represented to the Council that many of the Freemen of whom the said nine Companys consist were under strong tho' unreasonable . apprehen- sions of suffering some Damage by their names being particularly mentioned in the returns of the Election of their Officers, and that it was not usual to return the names of the several associated Com- panys for the City ; when they presented their Officers to the Gov- ernor for his approbation in the late War, and the Council being desirous to throw as few obstacles as possible in the way of the Free- men of the Province forming into Companys and improving them- selves in Military Discipline. All the Council present (except Mr. Shoemaker, who adheres to the Minute of Yesterday), think it ad- visable for the Governor to accept of the said Return of the Elec- tions of the several Officers mentioned thercin, & recommends it to his Honour to issue Commissions to the said Officers accordingly, or such of them as he shall personally approve of, except those for the Artillery Company, which they think should be farther consid- ered of.
And the names of all the Officers mentioned in the said Return being read and distinctly considered by the Governor, with the ad- vice of the Council, ordered, that Commissions be prepared and im- mediately issued to all the said Officers in the said return mentioned, except Daniel Reundle and George Bryan and those for the Artillery Company.
The Governor informed the Council that he had Reason to be- lieve there were now, or would be very soon, some Friendly Indians VOL. VI .- 49.
1 1
e e
1
P
770
MINUTES OF THE
at Harris' Ferry with whom it was absolutely necessary to hold a Conference, and that he proposed to set out to-morrow, and having given Notice of his Journey to Mr. Hamilton and the other Pro- vincial Commissioners at Easton, he expected they would come up to him at Reading and he would take them along with him to the Conference.
At a Council held at the State House at Philadelphia, the 1st January, 1756.
Robert Strettell, Joseph Turner,
Benjamin Chew,
PRESENT : John Mifflin, Thomas Cadwalader, r
Esquires.
The Council having in Pursuance of the last Minute of Council reconsidered the Return of Captain George North for Captain, Benjamin Loxley for First Lieutenant and John Goodwin for Se- cond Lieutenant of a new Artillery Company, and it being made appear to the Council that the said Artillery Company is intended for the City only, and not to interfere with the Artillery Company of the Fort and Association Battery at Wiccacoe, and the Governor having committed the Consideration of the said Affair of the said new Artillery Company to the Council, and desired them, if they approved thereof, to issue the Commissions for the said Officers thereof, and the Council approving of the said Officers, order'd their Commissions to be delivered to them accordingly.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, 3d January, 1756.
PRESENT :
Robert Strettell, John Mifflin,
Joseph Turner,
Benjamin Chew, Esquires.
Thomas Cadwalader,
A Letter to the President and Council from the Governor, dated at Reading, the First Instant, was read and ordered to be entered, and is as follows, viz *·:
" Gentlemen :
" I got to this Place at twelve o'Clock this day after a cold but not a disagreeable ride, and about one was joined by the Com- missioners from Easton, who have left that Part of the Frontier very well guarded. What stay I shall make here is as yet uncertain, but if nothing extraordinary happens to detain me, I hope to be at Harris' Ferry on Tuesday, where I have some reason to expect a few Indians from the West but none from the East Branch of Sas- quehannah, as they have not had my Invitation, and are said to be
771
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
in the French Interest, having given their Indians Leave to seat themselves at Neskopeken, a Town about midway betwen Wyoming and Shamokin, and even undertaken to conduct them to our Settle- ments. This matter is hinted at in Weiser's last Letter, but he has now more fully informed me of the Intelligence upon which he grounded the notice he then took of it, and which convinces me that the Enemy's Head Quarters are there, and that they will annoy us from thence, not only this Winter but the next Summer, unless they are dislodged from that advantageous post.
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.