USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VI > Part 79
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" There are I find above one hundred and thirty men upon the Frontiers of this County, besides the Guard in this Town, and I shall consider with the Commissioners whether it will be sufficient and in what manner to post them, so as best to contribute to the Public Safety. I do not learn what Croghan has done to the west of Sasquehannah, but expect to be informed when I get to Harris'. Two Men were carried off last week from Swahatawro.
"I am, Gentlemen, " Your most obedient humble Servant, " ROBT. H. MORRIS.
" Reading, January 1st, 1756.
"To ROBERT STRETTELL, Esquire, and others of the Council of Pennsylvania."
At a Council held at Philadelphia the 7th January, 1756.
PRESENT :
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Chew,
Benjamin Shoemaker, John Mifflin, Esquires.
Joseph Turner,
The Governor's Letter by the Return of the Express, dated at Reading, the Fifth Instant, was read and ordered to be enter'd as follows :
" READING, January 5th, 1756.
ated red, ' Gentlemen :
" I have only Time by the Return of the Express to acknowledge the receit of your Favour, and to approve of what you have done since I left you.
"I beg you wou'd open all Letters that come to me upon his Majesty's Service, and in every case do what you think most for his Majesty's Service and the good of the Public, of which you are very good Judges. The Commissioners have done every thing that was proper in the County of Northampton, but the People are not atisfied, nor, by what I can learn from the Commissioner, would hey be unless every Man's House was protected by a Fort and a
to be
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MINUTES OF THE
Company of Soldiers, and themselves paid for staying at home and doing nothing. There are in that County at this Time three hun- dred Men in Pay of the Government, and yet from Disposition of the Inhabitants, the Want of Conduct in the Officers and of Courage and Discipline in the Men, I am fearful that whole County will fall into the Enemy's Hands.
" Yesterday and the Day before I received the melancholy News of the Destruction of the Town of Gnadenhutten, and of the greatest part of the Guard of forty Men placed there in order to erect a Fort. The particulars you will see by the inclosed Papers, so far as they are yet come to hand, but I am in hourly Expecta- tion of further Intelligence by two Men that I dispatched for that Purpose upon the first News of the Affair, whose long stay makes me apprehend some mischief has befallen them.
" Last night an Express brought me an accot. that seven Farm Houses between Gnadenhutten and Nazareth were on the First In- stant burnt, about the same time that Gnadenhutten was, and some of the People destroyed, and the accounts are this day confirmed.
" Upon this fresh alarm it is proposed that one of the Commis- sioners return to Bethlehem and Easton, and there give fresh Di- rections to the Troops and post them in the best Manner for the Protection of the remaining Inhabitants.
" I am very busy in preparing the necessary Orders and Instruc- tions upon this new Turn in the Affairs, and can therefore only wish you all Health and Happiness.
" And am, Gentlemen, your most obedient humble Servant,
" ROBT. H. MORRIS.
"To the Gentlemen of the Council of Pennsylvania.
" I propose to set off to-morrow."
The Council sent an Express to the Governor to desire his Di- rections for the Disposal of the Soldiers who arrived here yester- day from New York, being Ninety-Five effective Men besides the Officers. And the President wrote the following Letter to his Honour :
"S":
" The Detachment of 95 Soldiers from New York arriving here Tuesday even last, the Council met next Morn to consider what to do with them, and having received no Directions from your Honour on that head we concluded to send an Express to know your Pleasure concerning them ; but the Sheriff acquainting us that you had detained our Express, we imagined it might be with a view to send us your Directions for the Disposal of the Soldiers, and if so it wou'd make it unnecessary to send any other Express on that Account, and, therefore, waited the return of Davies ; but he bring- ing no orders to us or the Commanding Officer concerning them,
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
we now desire you will be pleased & Bearer to send such orders for their Destination as you shall judge best for the Defence and Ser- vice of the Country.
"As the Main Body of the Indians seems to lye and have their head Quarters on the Borders of Northampton and Berks Counties, and to be making their grand Push for gaining the Possession of that hilly, broken Country so thinly settled and full of thick Swamps and places best adapted for their Purposes of securely sheltering themselves and annoying us to the greatest Advantage, we conceive that your Honour will order some of them immediately into those Parts; but that we submit to your better Judgement & Direction.
"I am, Your faithful Friend and Servant,
"ROBT. STRETTELL.
" The Honoble. Governor MORRIS. "' Philada., 7th Jany., 1756."
At a Council held at Philadelphia, the 20th January, 1756.
PRESENT :
Robert Strettell, Benjamin Chew, Joseph Turner, Thomas Cadwalader, Esquires. ?
John Mifflin,
Several Returns being duly made of the Election of Officers for several Companies formed in the Province, Commissions were or- dered to issue accordingly.
A Letter from the Governor to the Council dated the Fifteenth of January at Carlisle, was read, and ordered to be entered as fol- lows :
"' Gentlemen :
" The Messenger has been detained longer than was intended on account of the Business we have had to transact, and now brings with him my Orders for the Destination of the Regulars at Easton and Berks, where I am in hopes they will contribute to the security of the Province and give ease to the Inhabitants in those parts. I have not time to have my Letter to Captain Jocelyn upon that Sub- ject copied, so send you the original inclosed under a flying Seal, which you will order to be closed and sent to him immediately.
"I have had two Conferences with the Indians that are here, who are but few, and they seem hearty in our Cause ; the smallness of their number leaves us Room to do little more than to exchange our Assurances of Friendship and to engage some of them as Messen- gers to procure Intelligence.
"The Commissioners and I have agreed to engage three hundred
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MINUTES OF THE
Men for the Protection of the Western Frontier, who are to be sta- tioned in Five forts, extending from the Sugar Cabins near Side- ling Hill to a Place within about twenty Miles of the Sasquehan- nah, and probably we may order a Fort on the West side of that river.
"I imagine it will require all to-morrow to dispatch the Business that remains to be done here, and then we shall set out for York and from thence to Lancaster, where I propose to meet the Cones- togoe Indians and make them some Presents, after which we shall go round by Reading and return. I am, Gentlemen,
"Your most faithful and obedient humble Servant,
" ROBT. H. MORRIS."
A Letter to the Governor from Captain Jocelyn, dated 7th Jan- uary, and his Honour's Answer of the Fifteenth were likewise read and follow in these words :
"PHILADELPHIA, January 7th, 1756.
" Sir :
"Yesterday the Detachment arrived at this place, which consists of 3 Officers, 3 Sergeants, 3 Drummers, and 89 Rank and File, all greatly harrass'd by the fatiguing March, few of them are ill of the Ague and Fever, and a few of them lame; this I am informed by Lieutenant Ogelvie, who commanded the Party to this Place. I have also received Orders from General Shirley to put myself under your Command till I am relieved or receive further Orders from the General.
"I have this Day given the necessary orders which I had from you, and shall take Care of the Detachment as well as I am able till I have further Instructions from you, who am,
"Sir, Your most obedient Servant,
"THOS. JOCELYN.
"The Honoble. Governor MORRIS."
-
The Governor's Letter to Captain Jocelyn, as follows: "CARLISLE, January 15th, 1756.
"Sir :
"I have yours of the Seventh Instant, giving an Account of the Arrival of the Detachmant of Regulars from New York, with Gene- ral Shirley's Orders to you to put yourself under my Command; and when I was at Reading I consulted with the Members of the Council and Commissioners in what manner these Troops might be disposed of so as most effectually to contribute to the Defence of
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the Province, and they advised me to post the Independents at the town of Easton, in the County of Northampton, and the Grenadiers at the Town of Reading, in the County of Berks, where Quarters will be provided for them.
"You will, therefore, please to order the Detachment of Grena- diers to march to Reading under the Command of such Officers as you shall think proper, and you will order Lieutenant Ogelvie to march to the Town of Easton with the Detachment of the Indepen- dent Companies and such other Officers as you may think necessary for that Service.
" You will give Orders to the Commanding Officers respectively to use all possible Diligence in their March, and to be particularly careful that the Soldiers under their Command do no Injury to the Inhabitants or their Goods.
" And whereas, there are several Parties of Men in the Pay of the Province posted by way of Guard in those Towns, who are Irregu- lars and unused to Military Discipline, You will give Orders to the Commanders of the several Detachments not to interfere with those Guards, nor to take upon them the Command of them, or of any other Provincial Troops that may happen to march through or be posted in the respective Towns where they are quartered, unless such Towns should be actually attacked, in which case they are to take upon them the Command, unless some Officer acting under my Commission of the Rank of a Field Officer shall happen to be present, in which case they are to put themselves under the Com- mand of such Field Officer.
1
" You will give orders to the Commanding Officers of the respect- ive Detachments to dispose the Men under his Command in such manner as may most effectually secure the respective Towns where they are posted against the Attacks of the Enemy, And to inform me from Time to Time of the Situation and Circumstances of their Men, and of the Intelligence they may receive of the Numbers and Motions of any Parties of Indians or French that may appear near the Settlements in that Part of the Province.
"You are to apply to John Mifflin, John Hughes, and Evan Morgan, Esqrs, Commissioners, for such Waggons as you may judge necessary for carrying the Baggage of the Officers and Men, and for a Supply of Provisions sufficient for the Time the Troops may be upon their March to their respective Stations.
" The Provincial Commissaries at the Towns of Reading and Easton, will have Orders to supply the Men with three Pounds of Pork, three Pounds of Beef, one Pound of Fish, and ten and an half Pounds of Bread or Meal # Week, and one Gill of Rum day. I am, Sir,
"Your very humble Servant, " ROBT. H. MORRIS."
.
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At a Council held at Philadelphia, the 24th January, 1756.
PRESENT :
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Chew,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Thomas Cadwalader, Esquires.
Joseph Turner,
John Mifflin,
A Letter from the Governor to the Council dated 21st Instant, from Lancaster was read and ordered to be entered, as follows : " Gentlemen-
"I am at last got to this Town, having in Conjunction with the Commissioners done every thing we thought would contribute to- wards the Defence of the Western Frontier, and I am well assured if the Orders we have given are carried into Execution, and the Men employed in that Quarter do their duty, the Inhabitants will be for the future secured against any small scalping Parties. The Force on the West Side of Sasquehannah consist of three hundred Men, who are divided into four Companies, and are to take Post in four Forts that are to form a Line from the Sugar Cabin to Matchi- tongo, within about twelve Miles of Sasquehannah ; three of these Forts are already in hand, and I hope will soon be finished, the fourth I have ordered to be laid out as soon as possible, and expect it will be complete in about ten days. What makes me think the higher of the Western Force than I do of those employed to the Northward, is, that they are all regularly inlisted in the King's Ser- vice for a certain Term, and the Officers were chose by the Govern- ment, and not by themselves.
" Mr. Peters has been very much out of order ever since we got to Carlisle, with a sore throat, but is very much recovered and now on his way hither ; was he come up, I would send you the Minutes of what passed with the Indians, but as I have not the Papers, I can only say that the few that met me gave warm Assurances of their Affection, and offered to assist me against the French, but could not undertake to act against our Indian Enemies, till they knew what the Six Nations would do, who they imagined in conse- quence of the Messages sent them in behalf of this Province, would chastise the Shawonese and Delawares for their Behaviour.
" They strongly and repeatedly requested that we would build a Fort at Shamokin, which I have given them reason to expect, and hope that measures will be resolved on and steps taken to carry it into Execution before we return, but this matter for Reasons that I shall communicate when I have the Pleasure to see you, must be kept secret. I propose to go from hence to Reading, when I have seen some Indians that live on the Manor of Connestogoe, and given them Assurances of the Protection of the Government while they behave in such a manner as to deserve it, But what stay I shall make there, or where I shall go from thence, I cannot at present
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say, as it depends upon the Circumstances in which I find the Northern Frontier.
"I am, Gentlemen, Your most faithful and obedient humble Servant,
" ROBT. H. MORRIS.
" Lancaster, Jany. 21, 1756.
"To the Gentlemen of the Council."
The Council in the Absence of his Honour, the Governor, tak- ing into Consideration the Affair of the recruiting Officers begin- ning to enlist indented Servants, and the Clammors and Commo- tions raised among the Inhabitants on that occasion, unanimously agreed to send the following Letter by Express to his Excellency General Shirley, to acquaint him therewith, and entreat his imme- diate Interposition and Orders to the Recruiting Officers here to return the Servants already enlisted to their Masters, and to forbid their enlisting any more for the future, which Letter was sent ac- cordingly by Express to New York.
A Letter to his Excellency General Shirley from the President of the Council, in these words :
" Honoured Sir-
" His Honour Governor Morris being at this time on a Tour to the Back parts of this Province, his Council having desired me to apply to you in an affair, which for some Days past has thrown the Inhabitants of this City into the greatest Consternation, and if a Timely Stop is not put to it will raise most violent Commotions throughout every Part of the Province. The officers recruiting here had carefully avoided enlisting indented Servants in Obedience to the kind Orders General Braddock in his Life Time, and your Ex- cellency since the Command of his Majesty's Forces was deservedly conferred upon you, had given them to that Purpose till about three days ago, when their Sergeants on beating up for Volun- tiers publicly invited all Servants to enlist in his Majesty's Service, and declared that they had Instructions from their superior Officers to do so. Contentions immediately ensued between the Masters of great Numbers of Servants that enlisted and the Sergeants and their recruiting Parties, and no one can say where it would have ended, if Captain Hobson and the rest of the recruiting Officers, on the Interposition and Request of some of the Magistrates, had not forbid their Sergeants taking any more Servants till your Excel- lency's Pleasure could be known upon the Occasion. I need not remonstrate to you, who is so well acquainted with the Circumstances of this province, and knows every kind of Business here, as well among the Tradesmen and Mechanics as the Planters and Farmers, is chicfly carried on and supported by the Labour of indented Ser- vants, nor what Distress must be brought on the Province in general if the Inhabitants are deprived of the only means of subsisting their
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Families and contributing their reasonable Quota towards any future Expedition his Majesty may set on Foot on this Continent against his Enemies, nor how much his Service in general will be affected and prejudiced by the Deficiency in the Quantities of Grain and other Provisions usually raised in, and I presume expected to be supplied from this Province, that must necessarily follow our Far- mers losing so many of their Servants, especially now after the Loss of the Produce of so much of the Lands in our back Counties, which are laid waste and deserted by the terrible Slaughter and Havock made amongst the Inhabitants there by the Indians. When I con- sider the irreparable Calamities that a Measure of this sort will entail on great Numbers of the Inhabitants of this Infant and late flourishing Colony, and call to mind your known Humanity and Regard for Justice, I cannot doubt but you will be pleased to give Orders to your Officers recruiting here against enlisting indented Servants, and for the restoring to their Masters such as are now de- tained from them, and am,
"Your Excellency's most humble Servant, " ROBT. STRETTELL, "Preside of the Council.
" Philadelphia, January 24th, 1756."
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Thursday, 29th January, 1756. PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Chew,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Lynford Lardner,
William Logan,
John Mifflin, Esquires.
Joseph Turner,
Thomas Cadwalader,
Richard Peters,
The Several Minutes of the Proceedings of the Council, in the Governor's Absence, being now read and approved by his Honour, he directed that they should be entered in their Order of Dates.
The Governor communicated to the Council a full and particular Account of his Conferences and Proceedings with the few Indians who met him at the proposed Indian Treaty at Harris' Ferry and Carlisle, and with the Conestogoe Indians at Lancaster, and of the Measures he had taken with the Commissioners for defending the Province against the Incursions and Ravages of the Indians, &c., by erecting Forts or Block Houses at divers proper Places on or near the Frontier of the settled Parts of the Province, and hiring several Companies under proper Officers for the garrisoning them, &c., with the several other material Transactions of his late Journey,
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
and then the Minutes of the Indian Treaty, &c., were read, with all which the Gentlemen of the Council, appeared well pleased, and unanimously declared their approbation, and they were ordered to be entered as follows :
"At a Meeting of the Governor and Commissioners at Reading, Friday the 2nd January, 1756.
" PRESENT :
"The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
" James Hamilton, r Esquires.
" Benjamin Franklin,
"Joseph Fox,
" The Governor and Commissioners not thinking it right to come to a Determination on several important matters that had been under their Consideration, until it could be known what Number of Indians would come to the proposed Treaty, and with what Dis- positions, it was agreed to proceed immediately to hold that Treaty, and as at Harris' there was but one single House and few Conve- niences, Mr. Weiser was called in and asked if it might not be better to hold it at Carlisle, where all the Business of the County might be done at the same Time, and proper entertainment provided as well, for the Governor and his Company, and for the Indians should they prove numerous.
" Mr. Weiser in answer said, it was his Opinion, that such of the Sasquehannah Indians as were true to us, had removed either among the Six Nations, or to the uppermost Branches of Sasque- hannah, and that the rest, headed perhaps by a few French, and some of the Shawonese and Delawares from Ohio, were the Indians now perpetrating the Mischiefs in Northampton County, and as these were begun before Mr. Dupui and his Company were set out for the Sasquehannah, they would be thereby prevented from going, and that tho' Hugh Crawford, the Indian Trader, had at his Instance undertaken to carry the Governor's Invitation to the Wyomink In- dians by the way of Sasqueliannah, and to get Indians at Aucquick to go with him as a Safeguard, yet having heard nothing of him, he was apprehensive that he either was not gone or had no Success. He added further that most of the Indians who used to be at Har- ris' were gone to Mr. Croghan's at Aucquick, and none that he knew of remained there except the Old Belt and an Indian called, by reason he was lame, the Broken Thigh. For these Reasons he doubted whether any Number of Indians would come to Harris', and as Carlisle was nearer to Aucquick and Mr. Croghan might have Notice by Express to attend there and bring the Indians along with him, he thought Carlisle the better place.
" And accordingly an Express was dispatched to Mr. Buchanan
.
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and Mr. Croghan, to inform them that the Governor and Commis- sioners wou'd set out on Monday for Carlisle, and hold the Treaty there instead of Harris', and desired everything necessary might be prepared against they came there and the Indians brought to Town."
" At a Council held at the House of Mr. John Harris, on Sasque- hannah, in Pextany Township, Lancaster Connty, on Thursday the 8th January, 1756.
" PRESENT :
" The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
" James Hamilton, Esquires.
" Richard Peters,
"Joseph Fox, Esquire, Commissioner.
"Two Indians of the Six Nations, called
"The Belt of Wampum, A Seneca.
"The Broken Thigh, A Mohock.
" Conrad Weiser, Esquire, Interpreter.
"The Governor finding here only two Indians and their Families, he sent for them into Council and spoke as follows :
"' Brethren :
""' I thank you for staying here. You see that agreeably to my message I am come at the Time appointed, but I find no other In- dians here than you two, and indeed I expect no more, as I believe my Messengers were prevented going to Wyomink by the Ravages of the Indians which began in their Neighbourhood at the Time they were preparing to set out on their Journey.
" ' Brethren :
"""The publick Business requires my presence at Carlisle where I am now going, and I invite you to go along with me. If you in- cline to take any of your Families with you I shall readily agree to it, and provide a Carriage for them and you.'
" A String.
"To this the Belt replied :
"' Brethren :
"' I thank you for sending for us to Council, and for your kind Speech. What you have said is very agreeable.
"'Brethren :
"' The sky is dark all around us. The Mischiefs done to you I consider as done to the Six Nations, and am sorry for what has
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happened, and heartily condole with you upon it; but be not dis- heartened. As the publick Business is committed to you nothing should be suffered to lye on your Minds that might in any wise impair your Judgement, which is now more necessary than ever. Let me, therefore, by this String entreat you to put away all Grief from your Hearts and dry up your Tears that you may think and see clearly when you come to Council.
" ' I accept your Invitation and shall follow you to Carlisle.'
"Gave a String."
" At a Council held at Carlisle, Tuesday the 13th January, 1756. " PRESENT :
" The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esq., Lieu- tenant Governor.
" James Hamilton, William Logan, 2
Esquires.
" Richard Peters,
" Joseph Fox, Esquire, Commissioner,
" Mr. Croghan.
" Mr. Croghan having been desired by the Governor in December last to do all in his Power to gain Intelligence of the Motions and Designs of the Indians, and being now in Town was sent for into Council, and at the Instance of the Governor gave the following Information, viz' : 'That he sent Delaware Jo, one of our Friendly Indians, to the Ohio for Intelligence, whe returned to his House at Aucquick the eighth Instant, and informed him that he went to Kittannin, an Indian Delaware Town on the Ohio about forty Miles above Fort Duquesne, the Residence of Chingas and Captain Ja- cobs, where he found one hundred and forty Men chiefly Delawares and Shawonese, who had then with them above one hundred Eng- lish Prisoners big and little taken from Virginia and Pennsylvania.
"' That there the Beaver, Brother of Chingas, told him that the Governor of Fort Duquesne had often offered the French Hatchet to the Shawonese and Delawares, who had as often refused it, de- claring they would do as they should be advised by the Six Na- tions ; but that in April or May last a Party of Six Nation War- riors in Company with some Caghinawagos and Adirondacks called at the French Fort in their going to War against the South- ern Indians, and on these the Governor of Fort Duquesne prevailed to offer the French Hatchet to the Delawares and Shawonese who received it from them and went directly against Virginia.
"' That neither the Beaver nor several others of the Shawonese and Delawares approved of this measure nor had taken up the
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Hatchet, and the Beaver believed some of those who had were sorry for what they had done, and would be glad to make up Matters with the English.
"'That from Kittannin he went to the Log's Town, where he found about one hundred Indians and thirty English Prisoners taken by the Shawonese living at the Lower Shawonese Town from the western Frontier of Virginia and sent up to Log's Town. He was told the same thing by these Shawonese that the Beaver had told him before respecting their striking the English by the advise of some of the Six Nations, and further he was informed that the French had sollicited the Indians to sell them the English Prisoners, which they had refused, declaring they would not dispose of them, but keep them until they should receive Advice from the Six Na- tions what to do with them.
"' That there are more or less of the Six Nations living with the Shawonese and Delawares in their Towns, and these always accom- panied them in their Incursions upon the English and took Part with them in the War.
"'That when at Log's Town, which is near Fort Duquesne, on the opposite Side of the River, he intended to have gone there to see what the French were doing in that Fort, but could not cross the River for the driving of the Ice; he was, however, informed the Number of the French did not exceed four hundred.
"'That he returned to Kittannin, and there learned that Ten Delawares were gone to the Sasquehannah, and as he supposed to persuade those Indians to strike the English who might perhaps be concerned in the Mischief lately done in the County of North- ampton.'
" No more than Seven Indians being as yet come to Carlisle Mr. Croghan was asked the Reason of it; he said that the Indians were mostly gone an hunting, but he expected as many more at least would come in a day or two.
" Mr. Weiser was then sent for and it was taken into Consideration what should be said to the Indians."
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
" At a Council held at Carlisle, Wednesday the 14th January, 1756.
"PRESENT :
" The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
" James Hamilton, William Logan, Esquires.
" Richard Peters,
" Joseph Fox, Esquire, Commissioner. 1
" Mr. Weiser, Mr. Croghan, Aroas, or Silver Heels.
" Mr. Hamilton informed the Governor and Council that in No- vember last, being at John Harris' and finding the People collected there in the utmost Confusion, and in continual Fear of being fallen upon by a large Body of French and Indians, who were said by Scarrooyady and Montour to have passed the Allegheny Hills in their march towards this Province, he had promised Aroas, an In- dian of the Six Nations, then at Harris', called in English Silver Heels, that he would give him an handsome Reward if he would undertake to go along the east Side of Sasquehannah, as far as to Shamokin and Nescopecka, to observe. what was doing by the In- dians there and return with the Intelligence. He accordingly went, and not having received any Consideration for his Journey, he was called in and desired to relate what he found doing among the In- dians there, and be gave the following account: 'That he found no Indians at Shamokin, and therefore proceeded higher up Sasque- hannah, as far as to Nescopecka, where he saw one hundred and forty Indians, all Warriors; that they were dancing the War Dance ; expressed great Bitterness against the English, and were preparing for an Expedition against them, and he thought would go to the Eastward. He did not stay with them, finding them in this Dis- position, but went to the House of an Uncle of his, at a little Dis- tance from Nescopecka, between that and Wyomink, who told him the Delawares and Shawonese on the Ohio were persuaded by the French to strike the English, and had put the Hatchet into the Hands of the Sasquehannah Indians, a great many of whom had taken it greedily and there was no persuading them to the Contrary, and that they would do abundance of Mischief to the People of Pennsylvania, against whom they were preparing to go to War.' After which Mr. Croghan said he was well assured by 'Accounts given him by other Indians, that the Delawares and Shawonesc acted in this hostile Manner by the Advice and with the concur -. rence of the Six Nations, and that such of these as lived in the Delaware Towns went along with them and took Part in their In- cursions, and, further, that a Party of the Six Nations had brought some of the Cherokees from their Country and settled them on the
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Ohio at Kentucke River, about one hundred Miles below the Lower Shawonese Town, where they are now living.
" Mr. Croghan was asked why the Delawares he sent to the Ohio did not come with the other Indians, and he said that he had un- dertaken to carry a Message from one of his Relations whom he saw on the Ohio to some of his Friends on the Susquehannah, and was gone upon that Errand; he further said that he had sent for the white Mingo and several other Indians of Consequence, and he hoped they would come, but he must inform the Governor that" great Differences had arose between the White Mingo and the Belt about a Successor to Tanacharisson, that they were in great Heats & Parties about it, and if any thing hindered the White Mingo from coming, it would be hearing that the Belt was already at Carlisle.
" It was then again taken into Consideration what should be said to the Indians, and in Substance agreed to."
END OF VOL. VI.
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