USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VII > Part 13
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"PHILADELPHIA, 28th April, 1756. " Sir:
" As the Province is in the utmost Distress for want of Arms, the few we have being miserably bad, and those ordered from Eng- land not arrived, the Commissioners for laying out the Sixty Thousand Pounds have desired me to represent this to your Excel- lency by express, and having received Information of the Arrival of a large Quantity of Arms at Boston, to request of you that they may in their Great Exigency be favored with a thousand, or something less if so many cannot be spared, and that you would
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be pleased to give your Orders for that Purpose to those who have the Charge of them. No Province, I assure your Excellency, can want a Supply of Arms so much as this, apprehensive as we are of an attack from the Ohio every Day, and as I hope these Arms are graciously sent by his Majesty for the Defence of the Colonies, I can rely on your Excellency's Goodness to extend this Favour, and to issue your Orders by the bearer, who will go with all Dispatch to Boston with them, and pay the Charges of Shipping. But if they are come under such circumstances that they must be paid for, if the persons who have the charge of them will signify to me in what mode they would chuse to be paid, I will immediately order the Payment as they shall direct, with the utmost punctuallity.
"It gives me no small Concern that my Affairs here will not permit me to wait on you at New York.
"I am setting out for the Frontiers, in order to hasten away the Forces that are designed for Shamokin.
"I am, Sir, Your Excellency's most Obedient humble Servant, "ROBT. H. MORRIS."
Mr. Peters wrote by the Express to Mr. William Alexander, Captain Morris, Aid-de-Camp, and Captain Ord, to favour the Application.
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MEMORANDUM.
The Governor ordered Mr. Peters to draw up a Proclamation for a Fast, and to send it to him, which was done, shew'd to the Mem- bers of the Council, approved by them, Vist .: Mr. Chew, Mr. Strettell, Mr. Cadwalader, and Mr. Turner, and sent to the Gov- ernor with a Letter acquainting him that unless they heard to the contrary from him, it would be put into the next Gazette, and it was sent by Captain Lloyd.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Wednesday, 5th May, 1756. PRESENT :
James Hamilton, Benjamin Shoemaker, Benjamin Tue,
Robert Srettell, Joseph Turner, John Mifflin, Richard Peters,
Esquires.
Thomas Cadwalader,
The Secretary informed the Council that the Express sent last Thursday morning to General Shirley for a Supply of Arms, was returned and had Brought two letters from his Excellency, directed
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to the Governor on his Majesty's Service, which were opened, and are as follows :
A. Letter from General Shirley to Governor Morris. "NEW York, May 2nd, 1756.
" Sir :
" I am favoured with your Letter of the 20th of April, and have thereupon sent orders to the comptroller of his Majesty's Ordinance at Boston, to deliver 600 stands of arms, with a propper Proportion of Ammunition to any Person who shall be authorized by your Honour's Government to Receive and indent for the same on behalf of the Province, according to the Tenour of the inclosed Form of indent.
" Inclosed I have sent you a copy of the vote of Massachusetts assembly upon this Occasion, which your Honour may follow as far as you like it.
" Wishing you Success in all your undertakings for the Present Service, I am, with Great Regard and Esteem,
"Sir, Your Honour's most Humble and most Obedient Servant, "WILLIAM SHIRLEY."
Vote of the Massachusetts Assembly inclosed in the foregoing Letters : " Province of the Massachusett's Bay :
"In the House of Representatives, April 17th, 1756.
" Whereas, his Majesty has been Graciously Pleased to Order ten Thousand Stands of Arms to be employed for the Service of his Colonies, as from time to time there shall be occasion, and it is required that Each Colony to which any of those Arms shall be Delivered, do Give Security to return them to the officer, his Ma- jesty has been Pleased to appoint, except in case of their being lost in battle, or Taken or destroyed by the Enemy ; and it being necessary that some Person should be appointed to Receive the pro- portion of said Arms which may be allotted for this Government;
" Voted that the Commissary General of this Province be & hereby is appointed to receive the same, & that the Government will stand Security for Returning to officer his Majesty has been Pleased to Appoint as aforesaid, any Number of said Arms which may be Delivered to the said Commissary, except in case of their being lost in Battle or Taken or Destroyed by the Enemy, & that the Said Comissary be impowered to Indent Accordingly.
"Sent up for Concurrence. "T. HUBBARD, Speaker.
" In Council, April 17th, 1756, Read & Concurred.
THOMAS CLARKE, Dpty- Secretary.
"Consented to.
" WILLIAM SHIRLEY."
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Another Letter from General Shirley to Governor Morris.
" NEW YORK, May 2d, 1756.
" Dear Sir :
" I think it a piece of justice to you to transmit you the Inclosed Copy of a Letter I received from Sir William Johnson two Days ago.
" As far as I can Comprehend the Effect of your Declaration of . War against the Delawares and Shawonese Indians, it is Confined within the Limits proposed to you by the Delegates from Indians of the Five Nations, with whom you confered at Philadelphia, & under the Restrictions desired by them.
" If there should appear any thing to you upon a Reconsidera- tion of this Matter, which may make it advisable for you to Sus- pend Hostilities against the Indians, affected by your Declaration of War, until the Result of Sir William Johnston meeting the In- dians at Onondaga is known, I doubt not but that you will think it a prudent measure.
"I must Apprise you that before I received Sir William John- ston's Letter, Sir Charles Hardy made the same remark to me upon the Declaration of War that is contained in the Letter, so that Sir William Johnston seems to have taken it from him, other- wise I should be apt to imagine that the Letter was Dictated by the Vanity and Impertinence of Sir William Johnston's conceited Sec- retary, and I can't avoid saying that the Treatment of you Carries an Assuming Insolent air in it.
" As you must know what Real Effect this Embassy from the Five Nations to the Delawares and Shawonese has had, concerning which, Sir William Johnston assures me, that it had most Happily put an End to their Hostilities against the Inhabitants of your Province, I would beg the favour of you to inform me of it in a particular manner, that I may be Ascertained how far this Declara- tion of his is to be Depended upon, and How far it is only pretence and assuming a false merit to him self.
"It would have been a Great Pleasure to me to have seen you here, But I am satisfied it must have Interfered with his Majestie's Service. in your own Government, and your Communication of your Sentiments to me in your Letter of the 25th of April, for which I am Obliged to you, and will in some measure Supply your Ab- sence.
" I congratulate you upon the late Wonders you have wrought among the Quakers. In passing thro' Stainford, Mr. Lloyd, a very worthy man, presing me much to ask a favour of you, which I take the Liberty to do. The People of the Church of England in that Town, have with a Great Expence to themselves as they can bear, begun to build a Church, and can find no other Scheme of
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Carrying it, than by a Lottery. Mr. Lloyd informs me that Lotte- ries are absolutely forbid in the Government of Connecticutt ; but that one may be had in Pennsylvania, upon the Payment of a Fine, one Half of which Goes to the Governor. The Favour they would ask of your Honour is to be so far their Benefactor, as to Remit Your own Part of the Fine, towards Enabling them to finish the Church. Tho' I well know, my Dear Sir, that you don't much trouble Yourself about Church Building, yet I am persuaded your Natural Generosity of Temper and Good Disposition of Hart, towards helping any Sober Community in Effecting a Work which will make them Happy, and has a Tendency to promote Religion and Good Order, will strongly Prompt you to Give up your perquisite in the Case of their proposed Lottery, and I shall Esteem myself obliged to you for being so Good, and Letting me know it in a Line inclosed to Mr. Livingstone, and Directed to me at Albany, for which Place I shall Embark this afternoon.
"I am, with Great Truth, Dear Sir, " Your affectionate & faithful Humble Servt.,
" WILLIAM SHIRLEY."
The Secretary further informs the Council, that Saturday's Post Brought a letter from Sir Charles Hardy, of the 29th April, with some Indian Minutes of what had passed on the 22nd of that Month, between Sir William Johnston & a Deputation of three Sachems & fifteen Warriors, what he had forwarded to the Governor at Harris' Ferry, having first Taken Coppies of them, with Inten- tion to Lay them before the Council, & they were read in these Words:
A Letter from Governor Hardy to Governor Morris. " FORT GEORGE, New York, April 29th, 1756.
" Sir :
" I have your favour by Mr. Claus, & am obliged to you for the Perusal of Yours to Sir William Johnston, which I have shut and shall return to Mr. Claus, who Leaves this City to Day, and the Indians with him.
" Last Night I received an Express from Sir William Johnston, Inclosing me the Report of the Dilagates from the Six Nations, which I here Inclose you a Copy of, for your Information.
" I think there is all the Reason to hope this Unhappy Breach may be finally accomodated at the intended Meeting at Onondago, and I most Heartily Congratulate you on this good Prospect. Whether his accomodation will Extend to the Delawares settled on the Ohio, or Confined to those on the Sasquehannah, may be a VOL. VII .- 8.
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Question. I had Some Conversation yesterday with the Half King on this Particular ; he tells me he thinks the whole may be Brought about, Though he beleaves some Difficulty may attend this negotia- tion with the Ohio Delawares. I shall Write Sir William Johnston upon it, and press him to Urge a Confined Peace and a Renewed alliance with them, all at this Meeting.
" Sir William in his Letters to me Says, 'as the Delaware & Shawonese Indians have proposed this Meeting at Onondago, re- ferr'd Ultimately to it, and Given me so pressing an invitation to meet them there, I am Inclined to beleave them Sincere in their Promise to Cease from further Hostilities, and Disposed to Renew & Strengthen their Alliance and Friendship with us; This I think at least to be the Case with the Majority of them. That the French have Debauched some of them totally from our Interest, and will Employ them in Harrassing our Frontiers, is Very Pro- bable, and that some Attacks may be made upon the Frontiers since these Delagates were with them is not unlikely, as they had some Parties out who were ignorant of the Negociations which had Passed between their Chiefs & the Delagates of the Six Nations ; But However, these will be informed of what is agreed on, and I hope will Act in Conformity.'
" Sir William Johnston tells me he is sorry you have Declared the Delawares Enemies, and thinks if a War is Prosecuted by your Government before the Effect of the Onondago Meeting is known, it may Defeat his Measures relative to those Indians at the Intended Meeting.
"I shall only beg leave to make this Observation, that as it is uncertain how far this accomodation may extend to the Indians Settled on the Ohio ; The French have a Numbers and a mixture of Various Nations, who live about their forts near that River ; these may Probably be looked Upon as Delawares and Shawonese, and no Doubt some of them are of those Nations, and Tho' we have Strong Reasons to think those our most Inveterate Enemies, and that they will most likely Continue so ; Should the Six Nations look upon them in this Light or the Delawares and Shawonese urge to them this meeting, that wile this Negociation is on foot the English are Carrying on Warr against them, such a measure may not Embarrass Sir William and Lay him under Difficulties in Bringing this mat- ter to such an Explanation as may clearly Enable us to Distin- guish our Friends from our Enemies. Thus far, Sir, I have Given you my Thoughts on this Important Subject, which I freely referr to your Consideration, & shall to the Utmost of my Power Give Every Assistance to bring this Matter to a happy Issue ; an Event that must from its Good Consequences restore Peace & Tranquillity to the Provinces, and more fully Enable them to Prosecute the just & Necessary Warr against the French.
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" General Shirley arrived here last Night, and I believe will make but a short stay with us.
" I am, Sir, Your most Obedient & Humble Servant,
" CHAS. HARDY.
"P. S .- Four Mohawks has been down to invite our River Indians to Settle with them, & they have agreed to go up with their families the middle of this month."
The Report of the Delegates from the Six Nations, inclosed in the foregoing Letter, follows in These Wordes :
" A Deputation from the Onondagas of Two Sachems & fifteen Warriors.
" Peter Wraxall, Secry.
" Arent Stephens, Interp.
" Tiogwanta, Speaker.
"' Brother Warraghiyagey :
"' We are very sorry for your Loss at the Carrying Place, and as we doubt not you are oppressed with Grief on this Occasion, we do with this Belt of Wampum wipe away the Tears from your Eyes and Clear your Throat, that you may speak to us with Ease & freedom, and we Clean away the Blood that hath been Spilt, that we may Confer to Gether with our usual Confidence & Satisfac- tion.'
"Gave a large Belt of Black Wampum.
""" Brother :
"' At our Late publick meeting you put the five Nations in mind that the Delaware and Shawonese Indians were under their Govern- ment and Direction, and you Enjoined us to send to them to Express our Disapprobation and Resentment for the Bloody Hostilities which they had and were daily Committing against our Brethren the English in these Parts, and that we should order them to Ceace from those Violences, and live in that Friendship and Harmony with our Brethren the English as they were wont to Do, and they should turn the Edge of their Hatchets along with you and us against Our Common Enemies, the French and their Indians.
"' We have been to them and Delivered What You Gave us in Charge, and we have Succeeded by Convincing them that they have acted very foolishly and Unjustifiably, and they have Promised & agreed to join their Arms with us, in Conjunction with you, against our Common Enemies ; but at the same time they Earnestly desire that they may see and Talk with you at Onondago, the Fire Place of the Five Nations, and that if you will meet them there, it will Convince them of your Good Desire to live with them in Harmony and Friendship, and that you intend to behave to them as Friends
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and Allies; and the Five Nations join with them in this request, as they Propose to have a Great meeting there; and as the Present Times are so Troublesome and the General Welfare so Precarious, we Desire you will fix upon as Early a day as possible to meet us at Onondago. As this meeting will be of so Great Importance to the common Cause, we must Press upon you to be Present at it, and that with as little delay as Possible, and that you will bring your Neighbours, the Mohawks of Both Castles, along with you, we would Willingly now take you by the Hand with us; but if this cannot be done, we must beg you will tell us what Day you will be at Onondago, that we may Summon the Six nations, the Dela- wares, and Shawonese, and our several Allies to come punctually at the Time you shall fix upon.'
" Delivered a Belt of Invitation.
" Sir William Johnston's Answer. "'Brethren :
"' I am very Glad to find that your Remonstranses to the Dela- wares and Shawonese Indians have had the desired Effects, and that they not only repent of their Cruel and unjust Behaviour towards their Brethren the English, but now perceive what is their true Interest and duty, and are disposed to join with you & us against the Common Enemy. Agreeable to their request and your urgent desire, I promise to come up to the Intended meeting at Onondago, and to be there in Twenty days from this Day. There are Several Reasons which Prevent my Going with you now or to attend Sooner, one of which is that I have been lately called three Times to the German Flatts at Oneida Carrying Place, by which means I have a great deal of Business upon my Hands which must be attended to before I can leave home again.
""' I shall Give Timely Notice to the Mohawks of Both Castles to be Ready to go when I call upon them.'
" A true Copy, examined by me.
" BENJAMIN BARONS."
A Letter from Sir William Johnston to General Shirley. " FORT JOHNSTON, 24th April, 1756.
" Sir :
" My Letter of yesterday to your Excellency I Dispatched this Morning, but I forgot to mention one thing to you which is of Great Importance.
"Sir Charles Hardy Writes me that Governor Morris by the Publick Prints had Declared Warr against the Delawares & Shawo- nese Indians. I am Surprised that Mr. Morris, whose Province
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was so much Interested in the Result of the Six Nations Embassy to those Indians, who was a Principal in it, and to whom I sent a Copy of my late Proceedings, would not wait to hear the Effects of this Embassy before he entered into this Consequential Measure.
" What will the Delawares & Shawonese think of Such Opposi- tion and Contradiction in our Conduct ? How shall I behave at the Approaching Meeting at Onondago, not only to those Indians but to the Six Nations ; these Hostile Measures which Mr. Morris has Entered into is Throwing all our Schemes into Confusion, and must Natureally Give the Six Nations such Impressions and the French such Advantages to Work on Against us that I tremble for the Consequence. I think without Consulting your Excellency, without the Concurrence of the Other Neighbouring Provinces, without my receiving Previous Notice of it, this is a very unadvised and unac- countable Proceeding of Governor Morris. I cannot but be of Oppinion, if terms of good accomodation can be Brought about, that in the present Critical Situation of Affairs it will be far more Eligi- ble than to Enter into Hostilities against these Indians, Especially as a few days will Determine what Part we have to Chuse.
"I hope your Excellency will take. this Interesting affair into your Consideration, and make use of such Interpositions as you shall judge Necessary thereupon.
"I am, Sir, Your Excellency's Most Obedient Humble Servant, "WM. JOHNSTON."
On Reading the foregoing Letter of Sir William Johnston to General Shirley, wherein he Blames Governor Morris for Issuing his Declaration of Warr against the Delawares, and Desires the In- terposition of Mr. Shirley ; and Perusing the several Transactions between the Indians' Deputies and Sir William Johnston, as set forth in Sir Charles Hardy's Letter to Governor Morris, together with what General Shirley has been Pleased to say in his Letter on this Subject, the Council were of Opinion that they should advise the Governor to Publish a cessation of Hostilities against the Dela- wares until the Result of the Meeting of the Indians at Onondago should be known, but before this be done it might be of Service and tend to Quiet the minds of the Back inhabitants if the Governor would be pleased to call some of the most Principal and most Dis- creet of those Inhabitants together & communicate to them the Several Transactions that had Passed between the Indians and Sir William Johnston, and Satisfy them of Expediency of this Mea- sure in Regard to the Six Nations, who might turn against us if we slighted a Matter brought by them to Such a Ripeness, and Like- wise that he would be Pleased to give it in particular Charge to Colonel Clapham to see that the Forces under his Command should conform to the Suspension of Arms both in their March and Whilst at Shamokin.
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It was then Considered, as the Delawares on the Ohio were still in open Warr, and a Grand attack might be expected to be made this Month from that Quarter on the Frontier Inhabitants, whether the Cessation should Extend to them ; and it was after Long consul- tation agreed it should, but an Account coming from the Post Master of Annapolis that these Indians had Penetrated and Were Destroy- ing the Inhabitants of Virginia twelve miles Within Winchester, & it being known from former accounts that they had Laid Waste the Conolloways and a Great part of Conegocheague, and had very lately Defeated forty Regular Forces of Fort Cumberland, and were Determined to attack that' fort, the Matter was reconsidered, and Agreed to advise the Governor to Confine the Cessation of arms to the Sasquehannah Indians.
It was likewise Thought Propper to write a Letter to General Shirley, and Instructions were Given to the Secretary for that Pur- pose, and he was desired to Prepare a Letter against To-morrow morning nine o'clock. The Letters & Papers respecting the Supply of Arms were then Considered, and Mr. Hamilton with Mr. Mifflin were desired, on the Part of this Government, to execute an In- dented Bond, agreeable to the form Sent, which was done in the Presence of Mr. Turner and Mr. Peters, who attested the Execution thereof, Mr. Chew, the Recorder of the City, and he Ceretified it; Accordingly Mr. Mifflin was requested to Write the Necessary Let- ters to his Correspondents at Boston, and Give the Proper Credit for the Shipping of them, and to Press Dispatch, as the Arms, &c., were so much Wanted here.
The Persons which Conducted Newcastle, Jagrea, William Laquis, returned yesterday and Delivered to the Secretary a Letter from Mr. Spangenberg, Directed to the Governor, which was opened & Read in the following Words :
" BETHEL, May 2d, 1756.
" May it please your Honour :
"I arrived at Bethelham the 28th, 1st Month, and Communicated with our Indians your Honour's Desire that one or another of them might go with the Messengers who were sent by your Honour's Orders to the Indians at the Sasquehannah, and would soon be with us at Bethleham, on their way thither. Augustus, a Delaware, al" George, upon serious Consideration upon Going, and not being Ig- norant of Many Dangers he might Happen to meet with, he called his Wife, Mother-in-law, and two Sons together, and Declared to them his Last Will, in Case he should be either Killed or Hindered some how from Coming Back again, viz. : that they should continue with our Saviour, With whom he was Determined to abide as long as he had Flesh & Skin upon his Back, and that they should not Leave the Brethren.
" Jagrea had Company came to Bethleham the Same Day, and
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when I presented to them the said Augustus, they were very Much Pleased with him; He being a Man of Good Judgment, of an honest Countenance, and well acquainted with the Woods up that way to Wiomink, and so they are gone to gether Yesterday to Fort Allen, and To-morrow they will Proceed from thence in their Journey to the - Sasquehannah. I thought them all in greater Dangers of being Hurt in the Irish Settlement than any where Else in all the Pro- vince, and, therefore, I did desire James Ennis and Thomas Apty not to leave them till they were at Fort Allen, and so they went along. Mr. Edmunds, David Zeisberger, George Klein, and Stephen Blum, all of Bethleham, went allso with them to Fort Allen, the Sheriff of this County not being at Home at the Time of setting off.
"We have used them well at Bethleham, and have Shewed them so much Kindness as they were able to accept of, and I think they went away very well pleased. Their Last Declaration, as well at Bethelham as at Fort Allen, which he also wanted me to write to your Honour, was as follows, viz .:
""'We do Remember very well the words the Governor hath put in our mouths, and will deliver them faithfully; may be this affair will take up some time, twenty if not thirty or thirty-five Days; if we do not return in that time be sure that we are Either Killed or that the Danger is such that we cannot get thro'. But if we can we will go directly to Thomas Magee's, and so on to the Governor, for so he hath Ordered us to do; and so we will do if we can, but if either the white People or the Bad Indians are in the Way that we can't go down the Sasquehannah by Water, then we will come by Fort Allen and Bethleham back again.
""' If we should happen to loose our Flag and Passport [for the man that carries it may be shott, and the others may be forced to fly for their Lives], then we will come to the Forts or any of them, and our Token shall be a Club'd musket and Green Boughs in our Hats.
""' If we meet with bad Indians in the Woods, and some of us be killed, you may expect any one that Escapes in Ten days, if we do not Return in such a Time that you may think that we are Luckely Arrived.
""' If we don't come in Twenty days then let the Captains of Each Fort look out for us Fifteen days, which in all makes thirty-five days, and we will not come in the night to any of the Forts.'
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