USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VII > Part 28
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Enemy, tho' we expected it every Day. Upon the whole, had our Pilots understood the true situation of the Town and the Paths leading to it, so as to have posted us at a convenient place, where the Disposition of the Men and the Duty assign'd to them cou'd have been performed with greater Advantage, we had, by divine Assistance, destroy'd a much greater Number of the Enemy, recov- ered more Prisoners and sustained less damage than what we at present have ; but tho' the advantage gained over these our Common Enemy is far from being satisfactory to us, must we not dispise the smallest degrees of Success that God has pleased to give, especially at a time of such general Calamity, when the attempts of our Enemys have been so prevalent and successfull. I am sure there was the greatest inclination to do more, had it been in our power, as the Officers and most of the Soldiers thro' out the whole Action exerted themselves with as much Activity and Resolution as cou'd possibly be expected. Our Prisoners inform us the Indians have for sometime past talked of fortifying at the Kittanning and other Towns; That the Number of French at Fort Duquesne was about four hundred; that the principle part of their Provisions came up the River from the Mississippi, and that in the Three other Forts which the French have on the Ohio there are not more Men, take them together, than what there are at Fort Duquesne. I hope, as soon as possible, to receive your Honour's Instructions with regard to the Destribution or Stationing of the sundry Companies in this Battalion, and as a Number of Men are now wanting in each of the Companys, whether or no they shall be immediately recruited, and if the sundry Officers are to recruit, that Money be speedily sent for that purpose. I beg the favour of your Honour, as soon as pos- sible to furnish Governor Morris with a Copy of this Letter, and the Gentlemen Commissioners for the Province with another, as my present indisposition neither admits me to write or dictate any more at this time. In case a Quantity of Amunition is not already sent to Carlisle, it shou'd be sent as soon as possible, and also if the Companies are to be recruited and compleated, there must be an immediate Supply of about Three hundred Blankets, as there has been a great many lost in the present Expedition. Inclosed is a list of the killed and wounded and missing of the Several Com- panies. I expect to get to Carlisle in about four Days.
"I am Your Honour's Most Obedient and most Humble Ser- vant,
" JNº. ARMSTRONG.
" To the Honourable Governor WILLIAM DENNY.
"P. S .- Your Honour's Instructions with regard to our Prisoners recovered from the Indians is necessary, that I may know whether to send them to Philadelphia or deliver them to their relations, as your Honour shall think fit."
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At a Council held at Philadelphia on Monday the 20th Sep- tem"., 1756.
PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Robert Strettle,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Joseph Turner,
Richard Peters, Esquires.
John Mifflin,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
The Governor informed the Council that he had communicated his Determination not to pass the Bill with any Clauses prejudicial to his own or the Corporation's Rights the Speaker and Mr. Frank- lin; that they used a great many Arguments and some precedents in favour of the present Clauses and being unacquainted with the Subject, Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Chew had at his Instance debated the Points with those Gentlemen, and they had agreed to leave out the Clause appropriating the Fines out of the Bill, which wou'd take off the Objections to it.
An Act Entituled "an Act for the Relief of Joseph Yeats, a languishing Prisoner in the Goal of Philadelphia, with respect to the Imprisonment of his Person," was read, Approved, and a Mess- age sent to the House that it wou'd be passed by the Governor.
At a Council held on Tuesday the 21st of September, 1756.
PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Robert Strettle,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Joseph Turner,
Richard Peters, Esquires. John Mifflin,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
The Bill Entituled "an Act for striking the Sum of Thirty thousand Pounds in Bills of Credit and giving the same to the King's Use, and for providing a fund to Sink the Bills so to be Emitted by laying an Excise upon Wine, Rum, Brandy, and other Spirits," was sent up to the Governor, the Appropriating Clause taken out, which was read and agreed to; and being immediately engrossed and Compared, the Governor Enacted it and the Bill for the Relief of Joseph Yeats in the State House in the Afternoon. Mr. Peters saw the Great Seal put to the said Laws and lodged in the Roll's Office.
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At a Council held at Philadelphia on Monday the 4 October, 1756.
PRESENT :
William Till,
Robert Strettle,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Joseph Turner,
William Logan,
Richard Peters,
Esquires.
Lynford Lardner,
Thomas Cadwallader,
The Secretary acquainted the Council that the Governor went on Saturday to visit the Frontiers, and had left in his Hands Blank Commissions for the New Sheriffs and Coroners, and the usual Writs of Assistance, together with an Instrument, under his Hand and Seal at Arms, empowering the Council, or any four of them, to insert in the Blank Spaces the Names of such of the Two Per- sons in the Returns for the respective Counties as shou'd appear to them to be the best Qualified.
" By the Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Penn- sylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent and Sussex, on Dela- ware,
" To William Till, Robert Strettle, James Hamilton, Benjamin Shoemaker, Lawrence Growdon, Joseph Turner, William Logan, Richard Peters, Lynford Lardner, Benjamin Chew, John Mifflin, and Thomas Cadwallader, all of the Council of the said Pro- vince and Counties, Esquires, Greeting :
" Whereas, by the Charter of Privileges and Laws of the said Province and Counties, the Freemen thereof are empowered, on the first day of October, annually, to meet and Elect two Persons in Each County, who are within the Times therein limitted, to be re- turned in an Indenture to the Governor for the time being, that he may, at his pleasure, Commissionate one of the said Persons so re- turned to execute the office of Sheriff in each County for the Year next ensuing; and also to elect two other Persons to be returned and Commissionated in manner aforesaid, to execute the Office of Coroner for each respective County for the said Year : And Whereas, the Freemen of the said Province and Counties, in Consequence of the Charter and Laws aforesaid, have met in each respective County, and in the City of Philadelphia, on the day next before the day of the date of these Presents, and made Choice of two Persons to be re- turned to me for the purposes aforesaid ; but my duty to His Ma- jesty, and Ardent desire to préserve this part of His Dominions, and protect the Good People committed to my care against the Cruel Incursions and daily ravages and Murders committed by the French and their Savage Indian Allies on the Frontiers of this Province, rendering it absolutely necessary for me to visit the said Frontiers, and put them in the best posture of Defence possible, before said
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Returns can be conveniently made to me, I have, therefore, author- ized and Impowered, and do by these Presents authorize and im- power you, the said William Till, Robert Strettle, James Hamilton, Benjamin Shoemaker, Lawrence Growdon, Joseph Turner, William Logan, Richard Peters, Lynford Lardner, Benjamin Chew, John Mifflin and Thomas Cadwallader, or any four of you, to Accept and Receive the said Returns from the said Counties and City of Phila- delphia respectively, during my absence from the said City, and to appoint and Commissionate for me, and in my Name and stead, one of the said Persons returned in each Indenture, to execute the said Office of Sheriff or Coroner for the ensuing Year, as to you, or any four of you, shall seem meet and expedient, and to fill up Commis- sions left signed by me for that purpose, with Warrants to the Seal Keeper to put the Great Seal to them, hereby ratifying, confirming, and holding effectual all you shall do in the premises, that Justice may be fully Administered.
" Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms, at Philadelphia the - day of October, in the Year of Our Lord One Thousand seven hundred and fifty-six.
"WILLIAM DENNY."
Then the Returns of the Elections for the Counties of Philadel- phia, Bucks, Chester, Lancaster, Berks, and Northampton, were read, and the following Persons appointed :
James Coultas, Sheriff, Philadelphia City and County.
Thomas Boud, Coroner,
John Fairlamb, Sheriff, Chester.
Joseph Thomson, Coroner, S
Benjamin Chapman, Sheriff, Bucks.
William Ashburn Coroner,
Joseph Pugh, Sheriff,
Lancaster.
Matthias Slough, Coroner,
John Rinker, Sheriff,
Thomas Armstrong, Cor. S Northampton.
Wm. Boon, Sheriff, Berks.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Tuesday the 5th October, 1756.
PRESENT :
William Till,
Robert Strettle,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Lawrence Growdon, ! Esquires.
Joseph Turner,
Benjamin Chew,
Richard Peters,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and Approved.
The Returns of the Elections for the Counties of Cumberland
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and York, and for the Lower Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, were read, and the following Persons appointed : Thomas Hamilton, Sheriff,
Zachariah Sugars, Coroner, 5
York.
William Parker, Sheriff,
Cumberland.
John McClure, Coroner, Ceasar Rodney, Sheriff, Kent.
Mathias Crosier, Coroner, S
William Golden, Sheriff,
Newcastle.
Robert Morrison, Coroner,
John Rodney Sheriff,
Wrixam Lewis, Coroner,
Sussex.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, October 11th, 1756.
PRESENT :
William Till,
Robert Strettle,
Joseph Turner,
Benjamin Shoemaker, Esquires,
John Mifflin, Benjamin Chew,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
A Letter from Major Parsons, inclosing a Letter from Captain Jacob Orndt, advising that Teedyuscung was at Wioming, on his way to Easton with a Number of Indian Prisoners, was read, and the Council having considered the said Letters, advised that the Presi- dent should prepare an Answer to Major Parsons' Letter, which was accordingly done, and is as follows :
"PHILADELPHIA, October 11th, 1756.
" Sir :
" Your's of the 10th Instant, relating to King Teedyuscung and other Indians now coming in with English Prisoners, was immedi- ately laid before the Council, who are of Opinion that an Express shou'd be sent away in the Morning to His Honour the Governor, with this Important Piece of Intelligence, who no doubt will give you such Orders as are most proper upon the Occasion, and in the mean time as it is of the utmost Consequence that the Fears which the Indians are under from the Wicked reports that have been raised of our intending to destroy them shou'd be removed as soon as possible, the Council requests that you will immediately on re- ceipt of this Dispatch an Express to Wyoming to let them know that such reports have not the least foundation, and invite them to come down to Fort Allen, from whence you will furnish them with an Escort to Easton, where you will make suitable Provision for them till you receive more particular Orders from the Governor,
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which you may expect to be furnished with from him either before or immediately after his return to Town. The Commissioners will . Write you by this Opportunity, and no doubt will enable you to provide as well for such of the Prisoners as may stand in immediate Nead of Cloathing as for the Maintainance of the Indians while the remain at Easton. The Council have so great a dependance on your Prudence that they think it needless to caution you against suffering the Indians to have strong Liquors in too great Quantities.
"I am, Sir, Your most Humble Servant,
"WILLIAM TILL.
" To Major PARSONS."
Also that an Express shou'd be sent to his Honour, with it Major Parsons' and Captain Orndt's Letters.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Friday the 15th October, 1756.
PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
James Hamilton,
Lynford Lardner, John Mifflin,
Robert Strettle, Richard Peters, Esquires.
The Minutes of the Preceding Council were read and Approved.
Yesterday being the day appointed by Charter for the Assembly to meet, a Message was delivered by Nine Members that a Quorum was met and had proceeded to the Choice of a Speaker, and desired to know when and where they might present him to the Governor for his approbation, and the Governor having appointed twelve a'Clock to-day, the Speaker and House waited on His Honour in the Council Chamber and presented Isaac Norris, Esquire, who was approved, and after the usual Privileges were demanded and granted, the House retired.
The Governor then laid before the Council several Letters and Papers containing matters of a publick Nature, which he thought was proper to be laid before the Assembly and recommended to their immediate Consideration, and desired they might be first well considered by the Council, after which were read the several Papers following in their Order.
A Letter from Mr. Fox, one of His Majesty's Principal Secretarys of State. " WHITEHALL, 18 June, 1756.
" Sir :
" I am commanded to signify to you the King's Pleasure, that in
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case any of the Commanders of His Majesty's Ships shall have Oc- casion to apply to you to set on shore in the Province under your Government any French Prisoners, You shou'd receive and treat them in the same manner as was practised during the last War, or in such other manner as you shall think most conducive to His Majesty's Service.
"I am, Sir, Your most Obedient Humble Servant,
"H. FOX.
" Deputy Governor of Pensilvania."
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1 " Additional Instruction to Our Trusty and Well George R. L. S. beloved WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Deputy Governor of our Province of Pennsylvania, in America, or to the Commander-in-Chief of our said Province, for the Time being. Given at our Court, at Ken- sington, the Fifth Day of July, 1756, in the Thirtieth Year of Our Reign.
" Whereas, By Our Declaration, dated the 17 day of May last, We have thought fit to declare War against the French King, his Subjects and Vassels; And Whereas, We have been informed that heretofore, in times of War, Our Subjects in several of our Colo- nies and Plantations in America, have corresponded with our Ene- mys, and supplied them with Provisions and Warlike Stores, whereby Our Service has been greatly prejudiced, and the safety of Our Dominions endangered; It is, therefore, our Express Will and Pleasure, that You do take the most speedy and effectual Measures to hinder all Correspondence between any of Our Subjects in- habiting Our Province of Pennsylvania, under your Government, and the Subjects of the said French King, and to prevent any of the Colonies or Plantations belonging to Our Enemys, or other places possessed by them in America, being supplied either by land or by Sea, from Our said Province, under your Government, with Provisions, or Warlike Stores of any kind.
" And in Case you shall find it necessary to have an Act passed for the purposes above mentioned, you are earnestly to recommend it in Our Name, to the Legislature of Our said Province, to pre- pare and pass such Act.
"G. R."
A Letter from Lord Loudoun to Governor Denny.
ALBANY, 22d September, 1756.
" Sir:
" I had since my arrival, prior to your entering upon the adminis-
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tration, received two Letters from Governor Morris. He gives an account of a Treaty or Conference he had held at Bethleham, with some Indians living on the East Branch of the Susquahannah. I had been apprized before, by Sir William Johnson, of the invita- tion given by the Governor and Government of Pennsylvania to this Treaty. I must here answer in General and once for all ; That His Majesty having entirely taken out of the Hands of the Govern- ments and Governors all right to Treat with, Confer, or make War or Peace, with the Five Nations or any of their Allies or Depen- dents ; and having reposed this Trust wholly and solely in the Hands of Sir William Johnson, his sole agent for these affairs under my direction ; I do hereby, for the future, forbid you or your Government from Confering or Treating with these Indians in any shape, or on any account whatsoever, and I do direct, that whatever Business in that branch of his Majesty's Service shall arise to your Government or Province, You do refer it and put it into the Hands of his Majesty's sole Agent, who will according to the Power with which he is invested, Negotiate and Settle matters in the way his Majesty has directed. I do not at all enter into the merits of this affair, because these have been considered by his Ma- jesty, and what I now direct his by his Majesty's Order thereupon.
" After the wise step Sir Charles Hardy had taken in Concert with Governor Morris and the other Governors, an Embargo on the Exportation of Provisions, I cannot but express my sorrow to find the Effects frustrated by Governor Morris suffering himself to be advised by his Council to discontinue it. However, I have wrote to your Government, as well as the others, in the strongest Terms, requiring them as I am Commanded by his Majesty to lay and continue an Embargo on Provisions ; this Letter you will have and cannot make the least doubt of your complyance therewith.
"As his Majesty is graciously pleased to support and send over to these parts of his Dominions, for the Defence of the good People of North America, so large a Body of Troops ; and as so great a part of the Expence and Charge is borne by the Mother Country, It is proper you distinctly and precisely understand what his Ma- jesty's require, and the. Mother Country expects on your part.
"1st. That each Province and Colony respectively and seperately do provide for all such Charges as arise from furnishing Quarters, and necessarys allowed in Quarters, by Act of Parliament ; in furnishing Carriages, Stoops, and all other necessary means of Con- veyance for his Majesty's Troops, whenever such Troops shall be Stationed within or shall be marching thro' such Province or Colony, These Charges being pecularly local and arising within the Province.
" 2d. That a General Fund be established in North America by Monies raised in all the Colonies collectively, to be issued and Ap- plied for such Articles of a general concern as come properly
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under the General Service, in such manner as the Commander-in- Chief shall direct ; and that each Province and Colony do accord- ingly appropriate to this general Service such Sums as shall be raised for His Majesty's use for the Defence of the Colonies.
" One Article of which general Service his Majesty is pleased to specify to be, the making Provision for the enlisting Money of such Levies of Men as his Majesty has directed to be raised in North America for your defence ; and also for Re-embursing the Masters of such Indented Servants as shall be legally enlisted in his Majesty's Service, according to an Act of Parliament passed this last Sessions.
" I do, therefore, as I am directed by his Majesty's Commands, demand of your Province in the above matters. And as his Ma- jesty is at present graciously pleased to make such allowance to- wards victualling his Troops as must greatly remove all Difficulty of Quartering as to that Article, I must expect that, in the article of Lodging and such other Necessarys as are furnished in Quarters in Great Britain in Time of War, Your Province will more chear- fully make full and sufficient Provision. I must therefore beg of you that you will acquaint the People of your Province, that when I shall have occasion to put his Majesty's Troops into Quarters, that I do and must expect to find such as are necessary in your Province. As also that whenever I shall have occasion to March or send any Body or party of Troops thro' your Province, I must expect that they be furnished with all necessary means of Convey- ance. The Providing all which in such manner as may be most Convenient and least burthensome to the Province, the Legislature thereof will, I hope, consider of.
"As to the Application I receive from you and the several Govern- ors of the other Provinces for particular Assistance confined to the Frontiers of each respective Province, I must give one general An- swer, that neither the State of the Service nor the number of Troops I can collect renders such measures proper and indeed possible. Defend yourselves against the little flying parties of the Enemy ; take post where that Defence can be best maintained, and by send- ing me Recruits of Men enable me to Act against the Body of the Enemy's Force where they are Collected, and by Divine Assistance we may secure and maintain his Majesty's Dominions, and fully protect his good People of North America. I have the honour to be, with great regard,
" Sir, Your most Obedient Humble Servant,
" To Governor DENNY."
" LOUDOUN.
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" To the Right Honourable the Lords of the Committee of His Majestie's most Honble. Privy Council for Plantation Affairs.
" My Lords :
" Pursuant to your Lordship's Order of the 12th of last Month We have had under our Consideration the Petition of sundry of His Majesty's Dutiful and Loyal Subjects, Inhabitants of the Pro- vince of Pennsylvania, in behalf of themselves and others, setting forth 'the distressed and defenceless State of that Province, and humbly praying that His Majesty would graciously Condesend to take their Condition under his wise and princely consideration, which upon enquiry will be found to be singularly distressing and grievious ; and that his Majesty would further be graciously pleased to interpose his Royal Authority that this important Province, situ- ated in the Center of his Majesty's American Dominions, may be put into a posture of Defence;' and having been attended by Mr. Paris, Soll" for the Petitioners, with Mr. York and Mr. Forrester, his Council, and by Mr. Joshua Sharp, Sollr in behalf of the As- sembly of Pennsylvania, with Mr. Henly and Mr. Pratt, his Coun- cil, and by the Agents of the said Province, and several of the Persons called Quakers, and heard what the respective Party's had to offer thereupon, We beg leave to report to your Lordships That no Evidence has been laid before us on the part of the Petitioners tending to prove the Facts set forth and alleged in their Petition ; but as the defenceless State of the Province, arising from the want of a proper Militia and Forts and Places of Strength, has not been controverted by the Council for the Assembly, and as the Invasion of the French, who have forcibly possessed themselves of a Fort built by his Majesty's Subjects within the Actual Limits of this Province, and the Ravages and Devastations of the Savage Indians upon their Frontiers are Facts well known to your Lordships; We apprehend your Lordships will not require such legal Proofs of them as might be necessary upon a Question of less public Concern & Notoriety.
"This is not the first Complaint which his Majesty's Subjects, Inhabitants of that Province, have made of the Distressed State of it arising from the Assembly's neglecting to make proper Provision by Law for putting it into a posture of Defence in times of Danger and Hostility. Alike Complaint was made to his Majesty in the Year 1742, upon an Examination into which it did appear that no Laws had ever been enacted in that Province for the Defence of it, for the Building of Forts, for raising or training any Militia, or in general for providing against any Danger from without, either by Indians, Pirates, or other Enemies, as will more fully appear to your Lordships from the annexed Copy of a Report of this Board to the Lords of the Commite of Council on the 8 July, 1742.
" The same System of inaction and neglect of the Publick Safety
I
t
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has ever since prevailed and been pursued by the Assembly, not- withstanding the many frequent exortations made to them from time to time by the Crown by their Governors, and by their fellow subjects to provide for the Security and Defence of the Govern- ment.
"The reasons urged by the Assembly in the Year 1742, in justi- fication of their Conduct were, that by a Charter of Privileges granted to them by the first Proprietor, and by their own Laws, they were exempted from Military Service; that they had till then sub- sisted without Forts or Militia ; that being a peaceable People, they had not given Offence to their Neighbours; and as their Neighbours had never till then molested them, they apprehend they might sub- sist in Security without any Military Force; and that in case of any Emergency, the Proprietor was obliged, and by his Charter impow- ered to defend them; But upon enquiry and examination it was found that neither that Charter of Privileges, or any Laws then existing gave them such Right of Exemption from Military Ser- vice, and that it was observed, that the Proprietor was no more obliged to be at the Expence of defending them in Case of Emer- gency, than the Governors of any other Colonies who had the like power in their Commissions.
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