USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VII > Part 39
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"The Governor answered, it was the Custom in England; but the Corporations were not obliged to it; Though when they refused it was not well taken."
N. B .- The Committee's Report is not agreeable to Truth, and very artfully told, not mentioning several pertinent Matters said by the Governor and the Members of Council; and several offen- sive, indecent and rude Expressions, used by Mr. Franklin and others of the Committee, being entirely passed over. Upon the whole, there was abundance of Heat, Passion, and Rudeness, on the Part of the Committee.
At a Council held at Philadelphia on Sunday the 26th Decem- ber, 1756.
PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Robert Strettell,
· Richard Peters,
Jolın Mifflin, Thomas Cadwalader, S Esquires.
The Governor informed the Council that he had been put under very great Difficulties, on account of Quarters. On Monday night, Colonel Bouquet acquainted him that Sixty-Two Beds were actually wanting for One Hundred and Twenty-Four Men, who lay upon Straw, in very bad Rooms, without Fire, besides the want of Quar- ters for the Recruits, who were daily arriving; and renewed his Demand to have Quarters assigned him in private Houses, since the Publick Houses are not in ability to furnish them. On which the Governor ordered the Secretary to write the following Letter to the Mayor:
" PHILADELPHIA, 20th December, 1756.
" Sir :
"The Governor orders me once more to demand of you an ac- count of the Number of Officers and Soldiers billetted by you, and of the State and Condition of their Quarters, and insists that the same be delivered to lrim with all the Dispatch possible. If several Magistrates inspected the Quarters of each Ward at one and the same Time, the whole might be finished to-morrow morning. Col. Bouquet, upon application, will order proper Officers to attend and assist the Magistrates. The Governor sent for you in the Evening, but his Servant could not find you ; and as this matter should have been done much sooner, and will admit of no longer Delay, the Soldiers perishing for want of Beds, the Governor expects it will
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not be neglected, and desires your answer, having had many Com- plaints on this Subject. I am,
" Sir, your most humble Servant,
" RICHARD PETERS.
" Monday Evening, past 9 o'Clock."
The Mayor came frequently to the Governor and acquainted him that he and the Quarter Master were examining the Publick Houses, and being assured they would not accommodate the Num- ber of Soldiers in Town and daily arriving, he had repeatedly in- formed the Members of Assembly and the Provincial Commission- ers of this, and that the Soldiers were growing sickly, and many of them taken ill of the small Pox ; in short, that they were in a most deplorable State.
On the Twenty-First, the Assembly was pleased to send the fol- lowing Message :
" May it please your Honour :
" Having equal Respect for the Governor, we shall say but little in answer to your Honour's Message of yesterday.
"We are contented that the King's Ministers should judge of these Proceedings, and that the World should judge of the De- cency, &c., of our last Message.
" Inhumanity and Ingratitude are heavy Charges, but we think by no means applicable to the People of this Province.
" We, likewise, are determined, if possible, to avoid Disputes with the Governor, and to do our Duty to our King and Country ; and when it shall be made to appear to us that the Publick House- keepers are not able to provide sufficient Quartering, we shall take proper Measures to supply the Deficiency.
" And since the Governor assures us that no other Necessaries are required for the Soldiers than what are specified in the Act, we hope the same Law which the Wisdom of Parliament has provided, will answer all the Purposes here, whenever the Governor shall think fit to enforce its Execution.
"Signed by order of the House.
"ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker.
" December 21, 1756."
To which the Governor sent the following Answer : " Gentlemen :
" The Magistrates, at my repeated Instances, with the Quarter Master of the Troops, have been and are still inspecting the Pub- lick Houses and settling the Quarters ; and as soon as I shall re- ceive their Return, I will lay it before you. I am glad to find at length you have agreed to take proper Measures to supply the De-
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ficiency in case the Publick Houses are not able to provide Quar- ters for the Number of Officers and Men demanded.
" That you may not mistake me, when I say no other Neces- saries are required for the Soldiers than what are specified in the Act of Parliament, which is meant only in their Quarters, and in Time of Peace, I think it proper to mention the several Provisions to be made respecting these Articles, which his Majesty moreover requires, your Mother Country expects, and Lord Loudoun has de- manded, in several Letters laid before you, namely, that you do provide for all such Charges as arise from furnishing Quarters and Necessaries allowed in Quarters by Act of Parliament, in furnish- ing Carriages, Sloops, and all other necessary Means of Convey- ance for His Majesty's Troops, whenever such Troops be stationed within, or shall be marching through this Province, and likewise Lodging and such other Necessaries as are furnished in Quarters in Great Britain in Time of War.
"I am pleased to hear that a Guard Room, Store house, and Hospital are already provided.
" If any thing further should be demanded by Lord Loudoun, I shall immediately acquaint you with it.
" WILLIAM DENNY.
"December 21, 1756."
On the Twenty-Third, a Return was made by the Mayor and Quarter Master of the State of the Quarters, whereby it appeared that there were Forty-Seven very bad Beds, and Thirty-Six more wanting that Seventy-Two Men were not all provided with Quarters, and Ninety-Four were very ill accommodated. The Return was accompanied with a Letter from Col. Bouquet, still in- sisting on an Assignment of private Houses in Vertue of the Gov- ernor's Warrant.
The Governor further informed the Council that, having de- ferred giving Lord Loudoun an Account of Matters transacted since his Arrival, and particularly of the Difficulties put upon the Government in respect of Quarters, he had wrote to his Lordship the following Letter :
" PHILADELPHIA, December 23d, 1756.
" My Lord :
"The Manner of carrying Business on in this Province, being so tedious and slow, has prevented me from having it in my. Power to write a proper answer to your Lordship's Letters.
"I unfortunately came here at the latter End of a Sessions of Assembly, when nothing could be done but passing a Bill which gave Thirty Thousand Pounds for the Arrears and Support of the Provincial Troops and other incidental Charges, which is all con- sumed in those Services.
.
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" As soon as the Assembly arose I took the Opportunity of visit- ing the Western Frontiers, accompanied with Lieutenant Meyer, of the Royal Americans, to whom Col. Stanwix, on my Application, gave Leave to act as Engineer ; that Gentleman gave the necessary Directions to put the Forts into the best Posture of Defence they would admit of, and I wish your Lordship would be so good as to permit him to return to this Place when he can be spared to give the necessary Orders with regard to some other Places he has not seen ; a Fort is also intended to be built on an Island which com- mands the narrows of Delaware and the Mouth of Schuylkill.
" In different Journeys, both in this Province and other Govern- ments, I have warmly recommended to the Magistrates and other Gentlemen to further and encourage the Recruiting Service to the utmost of their Power, and whenever the Officers have applied to me I have given them all possible Assistance.
"I wish the Assembly had supplied the Levy Money for the Number of Men raised in this Province ; they were earnestly pressed by me to do it ; however, they have at length published an Adver- tisement to certify to the Masters of indented Servants now en- listed to bring in their Accounts, and tho' this has not been notified to me in Form, yet I suppose they will defray this Expence, which would have had a much better Grace if it had been done sooner.
" I recommend to the Assembly to pass an Act for a general Em- bargo of Provisions, under such Penalties as would render the same effectual, but finding nothing done of this sort in the Eastern Colo- nies more than exacting Bonds in One Thousand Pounds Sterling for the Landing Provisions in English Ports, which is likewise care- fully insisted on here, they have not, that I know of, come to any Resolutions.
" With Respect to his Majesty's Orders and your Lordship's Prohibition against treating with Indians, I found myself under very disagreeable Circumstances. A Treaty was begun by Governor Morris before my Arrival with some Delaware Indians living on the Sasquehannah, and a Time and Place appointed for another Meet- ing, when, by Stipulation, the Indians were to deliver up all the Prisoners they had taken, and likewise bring down more of their Nations, and many more are expected to join them, whose good Reception might encrease the Number of His Majesty's Friends and Allies. Matters being thus previously disposed, I was at a Loss what to do, especially as the Season would not allow Time to con- sult your Lordship, who had then left Albany to go to the Army. I, therefore, consulted the Council and Assembly, before whom I laid your Lordship's Letter, and they were unanimously of Opinion that it would be for His Majesty's Interest I should go and receive these Indians ; and on their Advice I went and held the Conferences, a Detail of which it will not be necessary for me to give your Lord- ship, as all was referred to Sir William Johnson, to whom I have
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sent a Copy of the Proceedings. The Messages containing the ad- vice of the Assembly are inclosed, with my Letter to Sir William Johnson upon the Subject.
" I hope your Lordship will take no Umbrage at my Conduct, since the Foundation of a Peace is laid with the Enemy, which may be improved and brought to Maturity by the Gentleman in whose Hands His Majesty has happily placed the Management of Indian Affairs. Sir William's Agent, Mr. Croghan, is here, has perused the Proceedings, and promised to acquaint him with what he thinks necessary to be further done.
" I duly laid before the Assembly your Lordship's Letter demand- ing Provision to be made for all such Charges as should arise in furnishing Quarters and the Necessaries attending them, and the Troops to be stationed within, or on their Marches through this Province ; and notwithstanding the timely Notice, and my pressing Instances, they neglected this necessary Service till the Troops were on their March and the Quarters actually demanded. A Bill was then presented me, the same in Effect with one repealed by His Majesty the preceeding Year, which obliged me to reject it; but tho' the House dropped the Part to which His Majesty's Attorney- General of England had made his principle Objection, yet they in- sisted on laying the whole Burthen of Quarters on the Publick Houses; and as it was so far good as to such Quarters as could be had in the Public Houses, I therefore passed it; but not without acquainting them, at the same Time, that these Houses were, upon the Strictest Enquiry, reported to be insufficient, and desiring a further Provision should be immediately made. This brought on a Debate between the House and me, which, however disagreeable, has had so good an Effect as to have gained from them a Promise to pro- vide such Quarters as cannot be had in the Publick Houses.
" The Assembly have found the Inconveniencies I often mentioned to them, of not settling the Quarters earlier, and it was the more necessary as the People here were Strangers to the quartering Troops in Time of War.
" A Guard Room, Store House, and a good Hospital are provided. " I have the Honour to be, My Lord,
" Your Lordship's most obedient humble Servant,
"WILLIAM DENNY."
The Connestogoe Indians, by Mr. John Ross, of the Manor of Connestogoe, who has the Care of them, complained to the Gover- nor that they were naked, and as it was apprehended that some of their young People would go off thro' Dissatisfaction, and might be seduced by the Enemy Indians, the following Message was sent to the House on the Twenty-Fourth, and delivered to the Speaker by the Secretary, who came just after the House had adjourned to the Third of January next :
I
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
" The Conestogoe Indians have acquainted me that they want Cloaths, and desire they may have further Supply, which you will be pleased to order, may be sent them forthwith, that they may not suffer in this severe Season.
" WILLIAM DENNY.
" 24 December, 1756."
The Governor then acquainted the Council, that last night he received by Express a Letter from Lord Loudoun, which was read in these Words :
" NEW YORK, December 22d, 1756. " Sir :
" As I have received no answer from you to my Letter from Fort Edward, in October last, acquainting you of the Destination I had made for quartering the King's Troops, which Destination I made the Moment the Motions of the Enemy left me at Liberty to deter- mine that Point.
" And as I find that the few Men now in Philadelphia are ex- tremely ill quartered, and that the Quarters are given to the Offi- cers, and I see by a Letter arrived now, whilst I am writing, that you have given a Warrant to the Sheriff for quartering the Troops, which he refused to execute.
" May I beg of you to acquaint those Gentlemen, that after try- ing all fair Means of obtaining Quarters for the King's Troops, which they have a Right to, and that after the repeated Orders from the Secretaries of State, from 1754 to this Time, directing Quarters for the Troops, I am extremely surprized to find that they are now refused, and that I find myself under a Necessity of finding Quar- ters for them, in the same Shape you know the army you served in, in Great Britain, had them, in the Year 1755 and 1756, when there was war in that country, as there is now in this ; and that if the number of Troops now in Philadelphia are not sufficient, I will instantly march a number sufficient for that Purpose, and find Quarter to the whole the make necessary, and that Major General Webb sets out to take the Command, and execute such orders as I shall be under necessity of giving.
"I am extremely obliged to you for the Trouble you have taken in this Affair, and in granting the Warrant, of which I have this Minute a Copy put into my hands, and am, with great Esteem and P.egard,
"Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant,
" LOUDOUN.
" P. S .- I had forgot to acquaint you that I had settled the Point of Quarters here, where they have given every thing I demanded."
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MINUTES OF THE
As the House was adjourned, his Honour desired to know of his Council, what could best be done, the Affair being very pressing. The Members unanimously advised his Honour, immediately to convene the Provincial Commissioners, and make of them a peremp- tory Demand for the Accommodation of the Soldiers, which was done by the following Letter :
A Letter from Richard Peters, Esquire, to the Provincial Com- missioners. " Sunday Morn., 10 o'Clock, 26th December, 1756. }
" Gentlemen :
" The Governor Commands me to acquaint you, that he received a Letter by Express from Lord Loudoun, which obliges him to know if the Quarters, and Necessaries in Quarters, for the Officers and Men, demanded by Col. Bouquet on Friday last, will be actu- ally provided ; and the Hospital repaired and furnished, on, or be- fore the First Day of January.
His Honour desires a clear and precise answer may be given, as soon as you conveniently can before night ; the Express waiting to carry it to Lord Loudoun.
"I am, Gentlemen, "Your most obedient humble Servant,
" RICHARD PETERS.
" To ISAAC NORRIS, JOHN MIFFLIN, LYNFORD ,LARDNER, BEN- JAMIN FRANKLIN, JOSEPH FOX, JOHN HUGHES, WILLIAM MAS- TERS, Esqrs."
N. B .- The Commissioners having returned the Governor their Answer in the Evening, in which they gave him very strong assur- ances that all Deficiencies in Quarters should be immediately sup- plied, an Express was dispatched to Lord Loudoun with the following Letter from the Governor :
" PHILADELPHIA, 26th December, 1756.
" My Lord :
" I have the Honour of your Lordship's Letter of the Twenty- Second, by Express, Yesterday in the Afternoon; and after having consulted Lieutenant Colonel Bouquet, I applied to the Commis- sioners, appointed by the Government to dispose, with my Appro- bation, of the Publick Money, for a final answer with Regard to the Quarters. They have sat this Day on the Affair, and to-night received the inclosed Answer, which I hope will be entirely to your Lordship's Satisfaction.
" I likewise inclose you the Copy of a Letter I wrote to your Lordship, by the Post which has been detained here by the bad
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Weather. I am since informed that the Three Companies of the Royal Americans in the Lower Counties are well quartered, to the Satisfaction of Col. Chapman, as is the Independant Company. Col. Bouquet also writes by the Express.
"I am very happy that your Lordship is pleased to approve of the Measures I was obliged to take for His Majesty's Service. This affair has for some secret Reasons, been puzzled beyond Imagination, as you will see by the printed Gazette, on which I wou'd have sent your Lordship some remarks, had not the Demands been complied with.
" Your Lordship will receive a Second Letter by the Post, in which I mention how agreeable your Lordship's Arrival here would be to him, who is with the sincerest Esteem and Affection,
" Your Lordship's most faithful and obedient humble Servant,
" WILLIAM DENNY."
The following Extract of a Letter from Colonel Steven, com- manding at Fort Cumberland, to Colonel Armstrong, was inclosed in a Letter to the Governor, read, and ordered to be entered :
" Extract of a Letter from Colonel Adam Stephen, dated at Fort Cumberland the Fourteenth of November, 1756.
" By a Woman who once belonged to John Fraser, and has now, after being Prisoner with Shingas, &c., thirteen Months, made her Escape from Muskingum, we learn that Shingas and some Dela- wares live near the Head of that River, within Three Days' March of Lake Erie, where there is a Town of Owendats, and about five Days' Travel from the Lower Shawonese. Town, on a Branch of Sioto.
" I don't learn that there is a Fort in it. The Shawonese are gethered all together there, and are forced to borrow a Captain of their Cousins, the Delawares, having had all their Captains and Sixteen Warriors killed on our Frontiers last Spring and Summer, except one, who was sentencing one of our Soldiers to be burnt whom they had taken Prisoner on our Frontiers. The Soldier took the Advantage of them, and sitting close behind three Indians and the Captain, sat Fire to a Bag of Powder close by, and blew himself and the Four Indians to Pieces.
"Two Indians are returned from the Command who left them within thirty-five Miles of Fort Du Quesne.
" A Son of Captain Jacobs is killed, and a Cousin of his about seven Foot high, called young Jacob, at the destroying of the Kit- tanning, and 'tis thought a noted Warrior, known by the Name of Sunfish, as many of them were killed that we knew nothing of.
"The principal Captain of the Delawares is Peter, a Son of the Beaver.
.
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"The Head Captain of the Shawonese is called the Pipe, a Delaware, a Relation of a Fellow named the Pride, who was hanged sometime ago in one of the Colonies; delaware Jemmy, honest Isaac's Brother, is a bitter Fellow, and lives at the Kiskuskis."
The Secretary is desired to draw up a State of the Provincial Forces, a State of Intelligence, and an Account of the Number of Persons killed and taken Prisoners, with the Plantations destroyed, hurt, or deserted, since the Arrival of the Governor, to be examined and inserted in the Minutes.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Wednesday the 29th Decem- ber, 1756.
PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.
Robert Strettell,
Richard Peters,
James Hamilton,
Lynford Lardner, Esquires.
Benjamin Shoemaker,
John Mifflin,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
Mr. Croghan's Letter of the Thirteenth Instant was read, and as he was desired to be in Council, the State of Indian Affairs was fully considered, and the Council concurr'd in Opinion with him that Messengers ought immediately be sent to every part of the In- dian Country where we could entertain any Hopes of our Messages being well received, inviting all our friendly Indians to come and confer with us as early as possible in the Spring, and that every Method in our Power should be taken to convey to the Indians on the Ohio Advices of this early Meeting, that as many as were well inclined might attend it. They further thought that Mr. Croghan should be furnished with Money, not only to send away Messengers to the several Towns on the Sasquehannah, but to send directly from here to the Ohio some trusty Indians who could deliver our Invitations to the Delawares there, and at the same time learn the real State of their Inclinations and Purposes the ensuing Year. The Difficulty was how to procure the Sums necessary for this Ser- vice. The Governor had frequently set forth the Necessity of having a Sum of Money lodged in his Hands for obtaining Intelli- gence and sending occasional Messages, and was often told by the Commissioners this could not be done, as their Privity and Con- currence was required in the Disposition of every Penny of the Money granted for the King's Use. In the End it was agreed to apply to the Commissioners, which was done in the following Letter :
"PHILADELPHIA, 29th December, 1756.
"Gentlemen :
" Mr. Croghan, who has a Deputation from Sir William John-
P
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
son to manage Indian Affairs for this Part of the Northern Dis- trict, has proposed for the immediate Service of this and the other Colonies to send one or two Messengers to the Sasquehannah In- dians at Otsaningo, and to Teedyuscung at Diahogo, to come to meet him at Harris' Ferry, where he will endeavour to en- gage some of the most skilful and discreet of them to go to the several Shawonese and Delaware Tribes of the Ohio Indians, in order to sound their Inclinations with respect to this Province, and if they shall be found well disposed, then to invite them to a Conference in the Spring, at some Place to be left to their Choice. As Money will be wanted for this Service, I recommend it to you to allow a Part out of the Remainder of the Thirty Thousand Pounds to defray the Expences which will accrue by these Mess- ages and the intended Necessaries at Harris'. This, which requires immediate Dispatch, is, I think, of so much Consequence as to merit a Preference to any other Matters; it is necessary that this Affair should be kept secret.
"I am, Gentlemen, Your very humble Servant,
" WILLIAM DENNY.
"To the Provincial Commissioners."
MEMORANDUM.
Two of the Provincial Commissioners waited on the Governor in the Evening and acquainted him that the Thirty Thousand Pounds were expended, and, therefore, his Request in behalf of Mr. Crog- han could not be complied with.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Thursday the 13th January, 1757.
PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.
Robert Strettell, Benjamin Shoemaker,
William Logan,
Richard Peters,
Lynford Lardner,
John Mifflin,
Esquires.
Benjamin Chew,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
The Governor informed the Council that Mr. Croghan having pressed him to know whether he could be supplied with Money for
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Messengers or no, he had given him the following Answer in Writing :
" PHILADELPHIA, 4th January, 1757.
" Sir :
"You was pleased to let me know in Council at the Time your Letter of the 13th of last Month was under Consideration, that you thought it would be for His Majesty's Service if the Meeting pro- posed in the late Treaty at Easton should be held in the beginning of March, as most convenient for Lord Loudoun's Affairs; And further, that Two Messengers should be forthwith dispatched for Packsinosa, the Shawonese Chief, and Teedyuscung, the Delaware Chief, to come and meet you at Harris', where it might be proposed to them, as well on the Part of this Government as Sir William Johnson, to employ them to go to the Ohio, and there sound those Indians, both Shawonese and Delawares, and, if possible, persuade them to come to the general Meeting to be held in March.
" The Council being unanimously with me of Opinion that these were proper Measures, I immediately applied to the Commissioners, who were appointed to dispose of the publick Money, for the Sup- plies necessary on this Occasion, and I was answered, that the Sums raised are entirely consumed, and none of the publick Money re- mains in their Hands, so that it is out of their Power to order the Sum necessary for this Service.
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