Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VII, Part 11

Author:
Publication date: 1838
Publisher: [Harrisburg] : By the State
Number of Pages: 814

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MEMORANDUM.

On the said Fourteenth of April, in the afternoon, Scarroyady and the Indians visited the Governor, and desired Mr. Weiser might be sent for. He came with Reluctance, and then Scarro- yady acquainted the Governor that he proposed to depart for the Six Nation Country in three Days, and take all the Women with him, and all the Men except three, Aroas, Seneca George, and Cassiowea or Newcastle, and desired a safe Conveyance, and that Passports might be provided for them. He expressed the Joy it would give the Relations and Friends of the Women and Children to see them after so long an Absence, and that it would give them at the same time an high Opinion of the Goodness of the Inhabi- tants of Pennsylvania, whose Commendations he should think him- self obliged to publish. He repeatedly said he would serve this Province on all occasions; that all the Oneidos were at his Comand, as well as the Mohocks and Oneocquagos; that he was in very great Repute among these three Nations, and would use all his Interest with them in Favour of this Province; That when the Fort should be built at Shamokin he would return with a Number of Warriors and help us.

On the same Day Two Members waited on the Governor, and desired to know if he had come to any Determination respecting the Bills now before him ; his Honour was pleased to say that he had referred the Watch and Lamp Bill to his Council, who had not yet made their report, and that he did not look upon the Excise Bill as properly before him, because the House had not returned his pro- posed Amendments with it. The same members likewise delivered to the Governor the following Message from the House : " May it please the Governor :

" So extraordinary a Procedure as ' the Meeting of a Number of People from the Back Counties to make Demands of the Legisla-

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ture now sitting,' which the Governor has been pleased to give us Notice of, is truly surprising to us, considering the real Concern and great Care that has been demonstrated for their Protection and Security, by granting such large Sums of Money, and passing such Laws as, in our Judgment, are most suitable to those Purposes, and most consistent with the Just Rights of our Constituents. But, altho' we are at a Loss to find out any Reason for this extraordinary Procedure from any Part of our Conduct; if the Governor shall think fit to lay before us the Information he has received upon this Occasion, we may possibly be able to form some Judgment of their Views or Designs, or wherein they apprehend themselves either aggrieved or neglected.

" And as we are apprized of the Danger these People may in- volve themselves in, from the Acts of Parliament brought over and enforced within this Province, by an Act passed in the Fourth Year of the late Queen Ann, to the Penalties of which this Part of our Inhabitants may unhappily subject themselves, without a due Sense of the Extent and Severity of those Acts; We therefore thank the Governor for the Orders he has assured us he will immediately give to the Provincial and other Magistrates to exert themselves, and prevent the Mischiefs that may attend their conduct, if they should unhappily continue their Resolution of coming down to this city to make any Demands upon the Legislature in a Manner inconsistent with our Constitution.

" Sign'd by Order of the House. "ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker.

" April 14th, 1756."

At a Council held in the Council Chamber, Thursday the 15th April, 1756.

PRESENT :

The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.

James Hamilton,

Robert Strettell, Lawrence Growdon, Joseph Turner, Lynford Lardner, 1 Esquires. John Mifflin,

Richard Peters,

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.

The Governor sent the Secretary to the House with the following Message :

" Gentlemen :

" The Indians have this Afternoon been with me, and given me Notice by Scarroyady, that they intend to move in three Days with

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their Wives and Children to the Country of the Six Nations, leav- ing Newcastle and two more to go with our Forces to Shamokin, and demanding of me the necessary Conveyances and Passports. I was much surprized at this Resolution, to which, by Advice of Mr. Weiser, I gave no other Answer, but that I would, when every thing was ready, send for them, and take my Leave. I am fearful some Discontent has given Rise to this sudden Resolution, tho' I know of no Reason they can have for it: However, if we cannot prevail on them to act with us (which I have directed Mr. Weiser to endeavour), it will be necessary to reward Scarroyady and Mr. Montour for their Trouble and Service to their Satisfaction, to send the others away well satisfied, and to give those that continue with us good Encouragement.

" You will therefore give the necessary Direction for furnishing what may be proper upon this Occasion.

" ROBT. H. MORRIS. " April 15th, 1756."

Last Night a Message was sent to the Governor by two Members, to inform him that the House had agreed to his Amendments of the Bill intituled " An Act for regulating the Officers and Soldiers Commissionated and raised by the Governor for the Defence of this Province," and that the Same was ingrossed, and desired to know when he would appoint a Time to receive the House, to pass it into a Law. The Governor appointed this morning at Eleven o'Clock'; and after it had been compared by Mr. Peters and Mr. Lardner, with Two of the Members, the Secretary waited on the House to acquaint them that the Governor was now in the Council Chamber ready to receive the House, to pass the Said Bill into a Law. Ac- cordingly, the Speaker, with the whole House, attended on the Governor, and the Bill was enacted 'into a Law, and Mr. Lardner and Mr. Mifflin were appointed to see the Great Seal affixed thereto, and then to lodge it in the Roll's Office, which was done.

Then the Governor drew a Message to the House, acquainting them with the Proclamation of War published yesterday, which was approved and sent to the House by the Secretary, in these Words : " Gentlemen :

" The many and great Cruelties committed upon His Majesty's Subjects within this Province by the Delaware Tribe of Indians, and the little Regard they have paid to the Messages sent them by our Friends and Allies, the Six Nations, are sufficient to convince us that they have put themselves under the Protection of the French, and will no longer regard their Treaties with us or submit to the Six Nations, to whom they owe Obedience.

" I have, therefore, thought proper, by and with the Advice of the Council, to declare War against them and all such as have in Conjunction with them committed Hostilities against the Inhabi-

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tants of this Province, and the Commissioners appointed to dispose of the Sixty Thousand Pounds given to the King's Use having, by their Letter of the Tenth Instant, proposed to me to offer certain Rewards for the taking of Indian Prisoners and Scalps, and pro- mised as far as in them lay to enable me to pay the same, I have, by Proclamation, notified this to the People, and invited them and our Friendly Indians to make use of every Opportunity of pursuing, taking, and destroying the said Enemy Indians.

" But as great Part of the Sixty Thousand Pounds is already ex- pended, and what remains will very soon be consumed in maintain- ing the Troops posted on the Frontiers and other necessary Services, I recommend it to you, Gentlemen, to grant such further Supplies as may be necessary to carry on the War with Vigour, upon the Success of which the future Peace and Safety of the Inhabitants of this Province will very much depend.

" ROBT. H. MORRIS.

" April 15th, 1756."

Then the Governor informed the Council that he had sent Mr. Chew, Mr. Stedman, Mr. West, and Mr. Edward Shippen, Jun"., to the People that might be assembled at Lancaster to persuade them to desist, and send Deputies and Orders to keep the Peace, and that he had wrote to the Justices of Chester , and Lancaster Counties, recommending it to them to be careful that the King's Peace might not be disturbed by so uncommon a Meeting.

Then were read Returns of several Companies of Foot Militia in the several Counties, the Officers approved, and Commissions ordered to issue.

MEMORANDUM.

On the Sixteenth Instant Two Members waited on the Governor from the House and delivered to him the two following Messages, and at the same Time informed his Honour that the House inclined to adjourn to the Twenty-Fourth Day of May next, and gave him a Copy of his proposed Amendments to the Excise Bill. The Gov- ernor told them he had no Objection to their proposed time of Ad- journment, but that he expected the House would have gone upon the Plan of Operations for the ensuing Campaign, but as they had not thought proper to make any Preparations for executing it, it must lie at their Door, and that he would consider the Indian Trade and Excise Bills against their next Meeting :

A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.

" May it please the Governor :

" The House are of Opinion that the Act, for granting Sixty Thousand Pounds for the King's use in November last has so fully

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provided for defraying our Indian Expences, under the present un- happy Circumstances of Indian affairs, that the Gentlemen Commis- sioners appointed by Vertue of that Act, will chearfully out of that Money reward Scarroyady and Andrew Montour, and furnish what else may be proper on the Occasion the Governor has been pleased to recommend to us in his first Message of the fifteenth Instant ; and we beg Leave to add that it would be very agreeable to us whenever these, our friendly Indians, do go, that they may all go away satis- fied, and that Scarroyady and Andrew Montour particularly may be made sensible of our Justice towards them, and the due Sense we have of their Trouble and the Services they have done in behalf of this Province.

"That ' great Part of the Sixty Thousand Pounds, so lately granted, is already expended, and that what remains will be very soon consumed, in maintaining the Troops posted on the Frontiers, and other necessary Services,' as the Governor informs us in his second Message of the same Date, is what we know not how to help or avoid; but as the Assessment for sinking the Bills of Credit, issued in Pursuance of the said Act, is not yet laid or levied, and a great Part of that Money is still in Hand, we cannot think . it will be of use at this Time to lay an additional Load of Taxes upon the Inhabitants, as we shall very soon meet again ; upon the Adjournment now so absolutely necessary to our private Affairs, having waited long for the Governor's Answer to the Bills which we have laid before him.

" The Bill for regulating the Indian Trade, we Earnestly recom- mend to his Serious Consideration, as we judge it a Bill of great Im- portance, if, hereafter, we should procure a Settlement at Shamokin, to conciliate the Minds of the Indians yet unfixed in their Reso- lutions, and confirming those already in Alliance with us, by sup- plying them with such Goods and other Things they may have Occasion for, on the easiest Terms, at the Charge and under the immediate Inspection of the Government.

" Sign'd by Order of the House.

" ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker. " April 16th, 1756."

A Message to the Governor from the Assembly.

" May it please the Governor :

" Ever since we received the Governor's Message of the Fourth of March last, relating to the putting a Stop to the Exportation of Provisions, in order to prevent a Scarcity within this Province, we have had that Matter under our serious Deliberation ; and now, after a full Enquiry into the Circumstances of the Country, in the Par-

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ticulars recommended to us, we hope, that under the common course of God's good Providence, with which he has hitherto been graciously pleased to bless us, no considerable Dangers or Incon- veniences may arise from referring the further Consideration of it to our next Meeting, at which Time we may be better able to judge of the Expediency or Necessity of such a Prohibition, or what other Means in our Power may best answer the Ends proposed.

" Sign'd by order of the House. "ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker.

" 16th April, 1756."

MEMORANDUM.

On the Seventeenth the Governor had several Conferences with Mr. Weiser, the Indians, and the Commissioners, about the Indian Presents, Rewards of Scarroyady and Montour, and other Mat- ters. A Belt was given to the Old Indian, called the Belt, and his Wife's Son, Aroas, to engage them to return to live at Sha- mokin.

Mr. Clause was desired by the Governor to enlist Men, and he offered him a Commission of a Captain, intending him the Com- mand of Indians as well as his Company. Mr. Clause made several Objections, but the principal Reason he gave against it was, that by doing this he should disoblige the Indians, who expected him to join with them this Campaign, to revenge Hendrick's Death ; and, as he was not immediately wanted here, he could, by keeping with the Indians, establish a better Interest with the Six Nations. Mr. Clause assured Mr. Peters, that he would always consider him- self as in the Service of the Proprietaries, and, at any time, when wanted, he would chearfully come and do their Business.

The Governor took this Refusal amiss of Mr. Clause, and be- lieved him to be insincere in these Professions, and would not, after this, admit him to his Sight.

It was agreed that New Castle's Child, Taafes, should be taken care of at the Expence of the Government.

MEMORANDUM.

On the Twentieth, the Indians had a long Conference with the Governor. They put Andrew Montour's children under his care, as well the three that are here, to be independent of the Mother, as a Boy of twelve years old, that he had by a former Wife, a Delaware, a Grand Daughter of Allomipis. They added, that he had a Girl among the Delawares called Kayodaghscroony, or Ma-

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delina, and desired she might be distinguished, enquired after, and sent for, which was promised.

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Wednesday the 21st April, 1756.

PRESENT :

The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.

Robert Strettell, Benjamin Shoemaker,

Lawrence Growdon, Richard Peters, Esquires.

Joseph Turner, Thomas Cadwalader,

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.

The Governor acquainted the Council of the Return of the Gen- tlemen, vist .: Benjamin Chew, Alexander Stedman, and Edward Shippen, Esquires, and Mr. William West, whom he, by the Ad- vice of the Council, sent up to Lancaster to enquire into the Causes of the proposed Meeting of so great a Number of the Inhabitants of the Frontier Counties, at Lancaster, as was represented to the Governor and Council on the Fifteenth Instant, and that he had called them together to receive those Gentlemen's Report of their Proceedings, and they, except Mr. Chew, who is indisposed, being called in, made their Report; and the same have been taken into Consideration, the Governor desired the Council's Advice whether by any thing in his Power without the Aid of Legislature, he could put the Western Part of the Frontier into a sufficient Posture of Defence, and, if not, whether he should not call the Assembly to meet at Lancaster and urge them to enable him to do it by Law, that the consequences of so monstrous a Situation as this poor Pro- vince is in might not lye at his Door.

After fully considering and debating the Point, the Council ad- vised the Governor to call the Assembly to meet at Philadelphia, on Monday the Tenth of May, the Governor declaring that he had appointed to be at Harris' Ferry the next Week, in order to see the Provincial Regiment set off for Shamokin, and that if it was called sooner he could not attend it, but he could and would send a proper and full Message to the House, who might in his absence de- liberate upon the Matter and send him their answer. It being judged necessary that he should be present, the Council advised the Tenth of May, and, Writs to summon the Assembly issued accord- ingly.

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At a Council held at Philadelphia, Saturday the 24th April, 1756.

PRESENT :

The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.

Robert Strettell,

Joseph Turner,

William Logan,

Richard Peters, Esquires.

Benjamin Shoemaker, Thomas Cadwalader,

The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.

The Governor having prepared a Letter to Sir William Johnson to be delivered him by Scarroyady, who setts off to-morrow, the same was read and approved; and a Passport was sign'd for the Indians to take with them.

A Letter from Sir Charles Hardy, of the Sixteenth Instant, re- ferred to in the Letter to Sir William Johnson, was likewise read, and both which follow in these words :

A Letter from the Governor to Sir William Johnson. " PHILADELPHIA, 24th April, 1756.

" Sir:

" I have the Honour to acknowledge the Receit of yours of the 6th March, which Mr. Clause delivered to me with the Copy of the Treaty. The Indians adhere so closely to their tedious Ceremonies that I am sensible you must have had a most fatiguing Time of it. It is, however, some compensation to receive the Satisfaction you express in finding the Indians so well disposed towards his Ma- jesty's Interest.

" It was very kind and well judged to join Scarroyady with you in the several Matters relating to this Government, and it had no doubt a good effect on the Minds of the Six Nations, and I have the Pleasure to find by what you say, that Scarroyady is in high Esteem with them.

" Our Particular Complaints are well and strongly laid before them, but I cannot help expressing my concern at your being obliged to repeat them so often, before they would give their final Answer, nor do I observe that the Senecas joined With the rest of the na- tions in their Resolutions to send a peremptory message to the Delawares to desist, or that they sent any Deputies.

" You cannot conceive what Havock has been made by the Enemy in this defenceless Province, nor what Numbers of Murders they have committed ; what a vast Tract, of Territory they have laid waste, and what a Multitude of Inhabitants, of all ages and both sexes, they have carried into Captivity; by Information of several of the Prisoners, who made their Escape from them, I can assure you that there are not less than three hundred of our People VOL. VII .- 7.

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in Servitude to them and the French, on the Ohio, the most of them at Shingas' Town, called Kittanning, about thirty Miles above Fort Duquesne ; and Scarroyady and Montour must have acquainted you, that they saw more or less English Prisoners, in almost every one of the Delaware Towns on the Sasquehannah, as high up as Diahoga.

" At first the Enemy appeared in small Parties, and committed their Outrages where they could do it with most Safety to them- selves ; but of late they have penetrated into the inhabited Part of the Country in larger Bodies, and have defeated several Detach- ments of our armed Forces, burned and laid waste whole Coun- tries, and spread a general Terror amongst us, so that I have been constrained to yield to the importunate Demands of the enraged People (not being able otherwise to afford them a sufficient Pro- tection, for want of Arms, ammunition, and an equal and compul- sory Militia Law), to declare the Delaware Nation Enemies and Rebels to his Majesty, and to offer large Rewards for Prisoners and Scalps, hoping that this would engage such of our Inhabitants, as had any Courage left, as well as all others in the neighbouring Pro- vinces, to hunt, pursue, and attack them in their own Country, and by these means keep them at home for the Defence of their own Towns, and prevent the total Desertion of the Back Counties, which there is good Reason to be apprehensive of. But this Measure, tho' loudly called for on my Return from New York, in December last, and since importunately and frequently repeated, was not taken till near a month after the Return of Scarroyady and Montour, and by their advice, they, as well as we, observing the Power of the Enemy to be daily encreasing, and judging this the likeliest way to bring them to hearken to the Six Nations, and to move for Peace on honourable Terms; I own, had I had the least Notion that they could be stopped in the midst of their furious career, I would not have gratified the People; but despairing of this, you will agree with me, that no other Method is so likely as this to bring a Force into the Enemy's Country, and drive them from their lurking Places, and from their Towns. The Proclamation, one of which I herewith send you, was not issued above a Week before I received from Sir Charles Hardy the agreeable account of the Return of the Six Nation Deputies who were sent to the Delawares, and of their having assured you they had made up that unhappy affair, and that the' Delawares expected those of their People who might be taken Prisoners by us to be delivered up as soon as possible, and then they promised to deliver up those they had of ours. Be assured, Sir, that We have no Prisoners of theirs, unless they can call a Delaware Indian so who was put into Gaol in order to keep him out of Harm's Way, being informed against and lying under strong Suspicions, of Having burnt and destroyed some of the Plantations on the Frontiers. Except this, we have, not a single Delaware Prisoner, and this must be well known to them; and

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therefore, their Demand does not look well, especially, as they were the aggressors, and by all Forms of Proceedings, Indians as well as English ; the Six Nations ought, on this Account, to have insisted on it as a Preliminary, and the only Test they could give of their Sincerity, that they should deliver up our People which they have taken Prisoners, and of which Numbers are known to be in their Towns; and it is expected from the Six Nations, that they will cause this to be done before we be requested to lay down our arms, who are innocent, and most wrongfully and unexpectedly attacked, whilst living in Peace and Friendship with the Delawares and all other Indians.

"You may be assured, Sir, that a Peace on honourable Terms will be extremely acceptable ; as we form this charitable Opinion of the Delawares, that they were hurried into this Measure by the Artifices and Intimidations of the French, and did always believe, when they came to open their eyes, they would relent and cease in- juring their innocent Brethren and allies, who have never hurt them either in Thought or Action. It was this Opinion of that good Disposition towards us, that influenced us to suffer so long their Hostilities, without declaring them Enemies, until the Blood streamed in such Quantities down our Mountains, and filled the Vallies to such a Degree, that we could no longer delay the Publi- cation of their horrid Cruelties.

" I do not perceive that any of the Delawares living on the Ohio came to the Meeting appointed by the Deputies of the Six nations, or that they have been spoke to; and they are, as you well know, the most numerous of all. Indeed, the main Body of the Delawares live at Kittanning and the other Delaware Towns on and beyond the Ohio, and have been the most mischievous, and do still, even so late as last Week, continue to murder and destroy our Inhabitants, treating them with the most barbarous Inhumanity that can be con- ceived. I should be glad to know whether these have expressed a Desire of Peace, and on what Terms the Six Nations propose to settle it; for unless these be made to desist, our Inhabitants will be in as Bad Plight as ever.

" A Party of Delawares lately done some Mischief in Potomack; they were headed by a French Officer, who was killed, and the Party routed; and in the Officer's Pocket was found a Paper of Instructions from the French Commandant, Monsieur Dumas, at Fort Du Quesne, ordering him to burn and destroy what he could meet with on that River ; from the Ohio, therefore, we must expect the greatest Mis- chief, and all Means possible should be used to separate the Dela- wares and Shawonese from the French there, and prevail with them not to join in burning, ravaging, and laying waste our Frontier Counties.

" Against these the Proclamation was principally calculated, and you must be sensible I cannot recall it till I know the precise Terms

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on which the Six Nations have mediated the Peace. However, you will be the best Judge of what is proper for me to do, or what it is the Indians will expect from me on that occasion, of which be pleased to advise me, and favour me with your Sentiments, which will always have their Weight with me, as you can always come at and settle these Matters in Conference with the Indians, and I should be apt to mistake at such a Distance from them.

"The Colonies are sensible of your Influence over the Indians, and admire the Zeal with which you prosecute their true Interest, and applaud the Happy success that has hitherto attended your Arms and Negotiations; and in particular the Colonies exposed to the French owe you great Obligations for the Dispatch with which you lately appeared with so considerable a Force at the carrying Place, and disappointed the French. May the same Success attend you in the present March, and may we have the Pleasure to hear you have drove off the Enemy now said to have invested the important Fortress of Oswego, and preserved it to the British Crown. I am, with great Esteem and Regard,

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Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VII, Part 11

Author: Publication date: 1838 Publisher: [Harrisburg] : By the State Number of Pages: 814

Author:
Publication date: 1838
Publisher: [Harrisburg] : By the State
Number of Pages: 814