USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VII > Part 55
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78
" Brethren :
" After this candid Conduct towards you, and my thus pressing you to open your Minds to me, I do expect that you will hide Noth- ing from me, but speak from the Bottom of your Hearts ; and I expect that you will recommend it to your Nephews, the Delawares, & Brothers, the Shawanese, to come down and give your Brother Onas a Meeting, to make their Complaints appear and have them adjusted, else I shall take it for granted that they have no just Cause of Complaint. To inforce what I have said I give you this Belt of Wampum."
Gave a Belt of Wampum.
" Brethren of the United Nations :
"You remember that your Nephews, the Delawares, & Brothers,
538
MINUTES OF THE
the Shawanese, in a Council with you at Otsaningo promised to lay down their Hatchet, and in a subsequent Meeting with Sir William Johnson at his House in July last, ratified and confirm'd it in the most solemn Manner in your Presence; then promising to deliver up all the English Prisoners that were by any Means brought to their Country or in their Possession ; and I desire that on your Re- turn to your Country you will remind your Nephews & Brothers of their Promises to Sir William Johnson, and recommend it strongly to them to bring down what English Prisoners they have amongst them and deliver them up, as that is the only Proof they can give us of their Sincerity and good Disposition towards us."
Gave a Belt of Wampum.
"Sachems & Warriors of the united Nations :
" In that Meeting with your Brother Warraigheyagey, Your Nephews, the Delawares, and Brothers, the Shawanese, renewed and brightened the Chain of Friendship between them and us, and promised to fix their Eyes on you their Uncles, and regulate their Conduct by yours; And at the same time declared, in a public manner, by dancing, and singing the War Song, that they wou'd turn the Edge of their Hatchet, in Conjunction with You, their Uncles, the Six Nations, against the French, the treacherous and faithless Invaders of the Property of Mankind. And I must now desire that you will insist upon their being ready, when called upon, to join His Majesty's Troops, in Conjunction with you, Our Friends and Allies, against our common Enemy.
"That this Speech may have its full Force upon your Minds, I present you with this Belt of Wampum."
Gave a War Belt of Wampum.
Little Abraham then Spoke as follows :
" Brothers :
"The Speeches you have just made are of great Consequence both to you and us. We shall duly consider them, and as soon as possibly we can, we will return to you an Answer."
May the 18th, 1757.
This day four Persons that were killed on the Frontiers, in the Settlement of Swetara, by the Enemy Indians, were brought to this Town. ·
In the Afternoon, the Chief Sachems, with a Number of their Warriors, called a Meeting in the Indian Camp, and spoke to us as follows :
" Brethren :
"We have called this Meeting, with Tears in our Eyes, on ac- count of seeing so many of our Brethren killed by the evil Spirit ;
539
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
And we take this Opportunity, as we have a good deal of Business yet to do, to wipe the Tears from your Eyes, so that to-morrow, when we meet in Council, we may see each other with the same good Will we have hitherto done."
Gave a String of Wampum.
" Brethren :
" Now we have wiped the Tears from your Eyes, agreable to the antient Custom of our Fore-Fathers, we clean the Blood off your Council Seats, that you may sit with Comfort and hear what we have to say to you.
"No doubt but the French King, who takes delight in Mis- chief, has taken this Opportunity to send his Children down to commit these Murders, with Expectation of Breeding a Difference between You, our Brethren, and Us; but desire you will hold fast by the Chain of Friendship subsisting between Us, and disapoint him in his Designs."
Gave a Belt of Wampum.
At a Conference held with the Indians in the Court House at Lancaster, on Thursday the 19th May, 1757.
PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
Colonel John Stanwix.
The Council.
The Committee of the Assembly.
The Magistrates of the Bourough, with a great Number of other Gentlemen.
The same Indians.
William Prentup, Interpreter for the Crown.
Conrad Weiser, Esqr., Interpr. for the Province.
Little Abram,
Thomas King, Speaker for the Indians.
After reading over the Condolence Speeches, made yesterday by the Indians, on account of our People that were killed by the Enemy, Little Abraham addressing himself to the Honble. Sir Wil- liam Johnston, Baronet, and the Governor, spoke as follows :
" Brethren :
" Each of you made us a Speech Yesterday on the same subject,
540
MINUTES OF THE
both which Speeches I now propose to answer at once ;" and then spoke as follows :
" Brothers :
" Some Years ago, in the Jerseys, one of the Head Men of the Delawares had been out a hunting; on his Return he called to see a Gentleman, a great Friend of his, one of your People who he found in his Field. When the Gentleman saw him he came to meet him; It was rainy Weather, and the Delaware Chief had his Gun under his arm. They met at a Fence, and as they reach'd out their Hands to each other the Delaware's Gun went off by Accident & shot him dead. He was very much griev'd at the Accident, and went to the House and told the Gentleman's Wife what had happen'd, and said he was willing to die, and did not choose to live after his Friend. She immediately sent for a Number of the In- habitants; When they were gathered, some said it was an Accident and cou'd not be help'd ; But the greatest Number were for hanging him, and he was taken by the Sheriff and carried to Amboy, where he was tried, and hanged.
"There was another Misfortune that happened. A Party of Shawanese, Who were going to War against their Enemies, in their Way thro' Carolina called at a House, not suspecting any harm as they were among their Friends; A number of the Inhabitants rose and took them Prisoners, on Account of some Mischief that was done there about that time, suspecting them to be the People that had done the Mischief ; and carried them to Charles Town and put them in Prison, where the Chief Man, called the Pride, died. The. . Relations of these People were much exasperated against you our Brethren, the English, On Account of the ill Treatment you gave their Friends, and have been continually spiriting up their Nations to take Revenge.
"Brothers ;
"You desired us to open our Hearts, and inform you of every thing we knew that might give rise to the Quarrel between you and our Nephews and Brothers.
." We must now inform you that in former Times, our Forefathers conquer'd the Delawares, and put Petticoats on them. A long Time after that, they lived among you our Brothers, but upon some Difference between you and them, we thought proper to remove them, giving them Lands to plant and hunt on, at Wyoming and Juniatia, on Sasquehannah. But you, covetous of Land, made Plantations there and spoiled their Hunting Grounds; They then complained to us, and we look'd over those Lands, and found their complaints to be true. . At this Time they carried on a Correspondence with the French, by which Means the French became acquainted with all the Causes of complaint they had against you ; And as your People · were daily increasing their Settlements by this Means, you drove
541
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
them back into the arms of the French ; and they took the ad- vantage of spiriting them up against You, by telling them, 'Children you see, and we have often told you, how the English, your Brethren, wou'd serve ; They plant all the Country, and drive you back ; so that in a little time you will have no Land. It is not so with us ; tho' we build Trading Houses on your Land, we do not plant it ; we have our Provisions from over the Great Waters.'
"We have opened our Hearts, and told you what complaints we have heard they had against you, And our advice to you is, that you send for the Senecas & them, Treat them kindly, and rather give them some part of their Fields back again than differ with them. It is in your Power to settle all the Differences with them, if you please."
Gave 2 Belts of Wampum, One for Sr. Wm. Johnson, & the other for the Governor.
Little Abraham spoke again as follows:
"Brothers :
" As to what passed between you and Teedyuscung last Fall, respecting the Purchase of Lands, we know nothing of. They are not here, and if we enquire, We can only hear what you say on that Head. We shou'd have been glad our Nephews, the Delawares, and Brothers, the Shawanese, had been here at this Time, that we might have heard the Complaints on both sides; then we shou'd have been able to judge who was in the Fault, and we are deter- . min'd to see Justice done to the Party aggrieved. As they are not here we can say nothing about it; But you yourselves, between whom the Business was transacted, must be the best Judges."
Gave a String of Wampum.
" Brothers :
"You acquaint us there are certain Persons empowered by the King, to purchase Lands here from the Indians; We are unac- quainted with that. Neither do we know how our Father, the King of England, has divided his Provinces. You say if you have done the Indians any Injustice you are willing to make them Satisfaction. We are glad to hear it; And as you have Writings to refresh your Memories about every Transaction that has happened between you & Our Nephews & Brothers, the Delawares and Shawanese, we re- commend it heartily to you to do justice. We are much concerned to see how you are used by 'em and the French, every Day having your People killed, and you sitting with your Heads between your Legs, and receiving the blow without resenting it, as if you cou'd not or wou'd not fight to defend yourselves.
" Brother Onas :
"We desire that you may not think of great Expeditions ffar off. Use your best Endeavours to defend your Frontiers and protect the
·
542
MINUTES OF THE
Lives of your People. It is better for you to give up some Points to them than to contend, provided they shou'd be in the Wrong, and settle all Differences subsisting between you as soon as possible."
Gave a Belt.
He added, "Brother Onas:
" Take Pattern by Sir William Johnson; He always keeps large Parties patrolling across the Frontiers where he lives, and you do not hear of any Murders being committed there. That is the Way to defend yourselves. The Enemy is afraid to enter the Settlements there; and if you pursue the same Measures they will be afraid to come into your Settlements."
Thomas King then spoke as follows :
" Brethren :
"We have considered what you said to us about our requesting the Delawares and Shawanese to bring down and deliver up all the English Prisoners they have, agreable to their Promises to Sir Wil- liam Johnson. We will do every thing in our Power that may in- duce them to do it, but perhaps it will not be in our Power to Pre- vail on them to give them up.
" Once more we desire that you wou'd send for the Senecas and them, and endeavour to settle all those Differences. It is in our Power to do it. When it is done you will certainly see some of your own Flesh and Blood again."
Gave a Belt of Wampum.
"' Brethren :
" It is true, we were present when the Delawares & Shawanese brightened the Chain of Friendship with Sir William Johnson, and promised to turn the Edge of their Hatchet against the French ; But you must know that last Fall, tho' they went out to War with us, they always turned back, and did not perform what they had promised, so that we cannot account for what they will do now. But for our Parts, the Six Nations, we have been engaged in the War with you, and are always ready when we see an English Flag to join our Brothers, and go with them and share the same Fate."
Gave a Belt of Wampum.
543
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
At a Council held at Lancaster, on Friday the 20th May, 1757. PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
James Hamilton,
William Logan, Lynford Lardner, Esquires.
Richard Peters,
Colonel John Stanwix,
The Governor thinking it necessary to invite the Delawares to live at Shamokin, wrote the following Letter to tlie Commissioners : "Gentlemen :
"I think it wou'd be very much for the publick Service to invite some of these Indians to live at Shamokin, and I shou'd be glad to know if it's agreeable to you to provide for their Settlements and Support. Pray favour me with an immediate Answer, as this Morn- ing will be the last Time I shall speak to them in Public.
" I am, Gentlemen, Your most humble Servant, " WILLIAM DENNY."
The Governor having referr'd it to Mr. Weiser and Mr. Croghan to draw up an Answer to the Indians, Mr. Weiser drew one, which was disliked by Mr. Croghan in some Parts, and being alter'd in the Presence of Mr. Logan and Mr. Peters, it was deliver'd to the Governor, who corrected it, and being told the Indians were in the Court House waiting for him, he went there and made his Speech, and Mr. Croghan One likewise.
At a Conference with the Indians, held in the Court House at Lancaster, On Friday the 20th of May, 1757, P. M.
PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Goy- ernor.
Colonel John Stanwix.
The Council.
The Committee of the Assembly.
The Magistrates of the Borough, with a great Number of other Gentlemen.
The same Indians.
William Prentup, Interpreter for the Crown.
Conrad Weiser, Esq"", Interpreter for the Province.
Little Abraham, a Mohawk Sachem,
Thomas King, an Oneido Sachem,
Speakers for the Indians,
:
544
MINUTES OF THE
After reading over the Speeches made the Day before, and the Interpreter acquainting the Indians with what had been doing, the Governor spoke as follows :
" Brethren of the 6 United Nations :
" I return you my hearty Thanks for the Kind and open Manner in which you have inform'd us of the Causes from whence the Dis- satisfaction of our Brethren, the Delawares and Shawonese, first arose ; but as you have observed they are not present, it must be deferred until we have the Pleasure of seeing them. I shall only assure you that I think your advice good, and shall with great Satisfaction conform to it, by sending for the People you have so earnestly recommended to be sent for.
"I think with you that our Frontiers shou'd be carefully and strongly guarded, and it shall be my particular Care to endeavour to have this done, in which I shall take kind any assistance you will give me."
Gave a Belt of Wampum.
. " Brethren :
" Soon after the present Troubles first broke out between us & the French, some of the Six Nation Indians requested of this Government to build a strong House at Shamokin, and a Store- house, with Indian Goods, and to give an Invitation to Indians, as well of the United Nations as Delawares, to come & live there ; I must now inform you that, in Compliance with their Request, this Government has built a Strong House where Goods will soon be sent, and sold as cheap as any where on this Continent; so this Place I have appointed Mr. Thomas McKee to conduct as many of you as shall chuse to return that Way, and shall leave it to you to settle as many Families as shall incline to Live there, promising you that Care shall be taken by this Government that as many as stay shall be furnished with such Necessaries as they may want till they can support themselves."
Gave a Belt of Wampum. .
" Brethren :
"I shall immediately report the whole that has passed at these Conferences to Sir William Johnson, who is glad of all Oc- casions to shew his attachment to our Friends, the Indians, and promote His Majesty's Service. It is that Gentleman's peculiar Province to treat and finish all Treaties with the Indians.
" Let me add, my Brethren of the United Nations, that you shall find no Deceit in Me, And I shall be happy if my Conduct deserves your Esteem and Approbation."
Gave a Belt of Wampum.
" Brethren :
" I have order'd the Presents provided by the good People of this
545
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
Province to be carried to the Indian Camp, early in the Morning, and inform you that a Part of these Presents is given by those who are the Descendants of the Inhabitants that first came over to this Country with your old Friend William Penn, as a particular Testi- mony of their Regard & Affection for the Indians."
After the Governor had deliver'd his Speech, Mr. Croghan spoke in behalf of Sir William Johnson, as follows :
" Sachems and Warriors of the United Nations :
" You see how the French, the Enemies of Mankind, set on their Children to murder, in a barbarous Manner, your Brethren that are settled on the Frontiers of this & the Neighbouring Provinces. Brethren, I must now desire you, in the Name of the Great King of England, your Father and my Master, that, on your Return to your own Country, you will be active, and not suffer any of the French or their Children to pass over your Lands to murder your Brethren, and that you will let Teedyuscung and his People know. I expect he will do the same. Tell them it is not nor will not be their Interest to carry on this War against their Brethren, the English. Their Father, the French King, makes Fools of them, and will, in the End, make Slaves of them; But you, Brethren, are convinc'd that the English have always treated you as their Brethren, and I Expect a due Regard and Performance to this Request on your Side."
Gave a Belt of Wampum.
Little Abraham made the following Answer to the Governor : " Brother Onas :
" We return you our hearty Thanks for accepting of our Advice in sending for the Delawares, Shawanese, and Senecas, and we hope, when you meet them, you will be able to settle all Differences to your Satisfaction.
" Brother Onas :
" We likewise return you our hearty Thanks for your kind Invi- tation to us to settle at Genossa, and your Promise to supply those that will stay, or come and settle there, with Provisions and Goods. We accept of the Invitation, and will take it into Consideration as we go home, how many of us will stay there or come back from our Towns to settle there; and we return you Thanks for appointing our Brother, Thomas McKee, to take Care of us, as he is a Person very agreeable to Us."
He then spoke to Mr. Croghan, in Answer to Sir William John- son's Speech, as follows :
" Brother Wariaighiyagey :
" We have all given Attention to what you have said to us by Anaquarunda, and you may depend upon our being on the Active, & doing every thing in our Power to prevent the French or their VOL. VII .- 35.
546
MINUTES OF THE
Children coming to murder our Brethren, and we will recommend it strongly to Teedyuscung and his People to do the same. " Brother :
"We must desire you will assist our Brother Onas in settling the Differences between him and our Nephews and Brothers, the Dela- wares and Shawanese, which will be the only Method to prevent these cruel murders daily committed on our Brethren."
May the 21st.
The Presents were deliver'd to the Indians in their own Camp; after which Mr. Croghan condoled with them, on Account of some of their People who died of the small Pox since they came here, and gave them a peice of Stroud to cover the Graves of the de- ceased, agreable to the antient Custom of the Six Nations.
The several Chiefs return'd their hearty Thanks for our condoling with them, and covering the Graves of their deceased Friends agre- able to the antient Custom of their Forefathers; and Expressed great Satisfaction with the Treatment they met with in this Gov- ernment; and returned Thanks for the Presents they had receiv'd.
At a Council held at Lancaster, on Saturday the 21st May, 1757, P. M.
PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Gov- ernor.
James Hamilton,
Richard Peters, Esquires.
William Logan,
Lynford Lardner, S
The Council had under their Consideration the Message to be sent to Teedyuscung; The Settlement of such Indians at Shamokin as inclined to go; Instructions to Mr. McKee; Message to the Cherokees; All which were settled, and the following Papers wrote in Council, viz* :
The Message sent by the Governor to Teedyuscung. " Brother Teedyuscung :
" At the Treaty held at Easton last Fall, you complained unto me that the Indians had been defrauded of their Lands. This you told me was one of the Causes that had alienated the Minds of our Brethren, the Delawares and Shawanese, from Us, your Brethren; Upon which I told you, if you cou'd make it appear that you had receiv'd any Injustice or Injuries from this Province, I was ready to hear it, and promised to make you Satisfaction.
547
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
" Brother :
" You then inform'd me that the People who claim'd those Lands, as They did not expect the Affair wou'd come under Consideration at that Treaty, were not present and had not empower'd You to transact that Business for them; and therefore you cou'd not finish it at that Time, but that you wou'd come down again in the Spring, and wou'd bring with you as many of those Indians as cou'd be got together, in Order to a full Settlement of all Differences between Us, that a firm and lasting Peace might be establish'd for ever. " Brother :
" As you had thus promised to be down in the Spring, we were pleased to find a considerable Number of your Uncles, the Six Nations, were come amongst Us, to be present and hear all your Complaints. They staid a considerable Time for that purpose, in Expectation of seeing you here; but as some Accident may have prevented your Coming, Your Uncles grew very uneasy at being de- tained here so long, and desired me to meet them at Lancaster, whither I went and opened my Heart to them, giving them a full Account of all that passed between Us at Easton, promising Your Uncles that I wou'd take Care to see you redressed, either on Ac- count of your Lands, or any other Injuries you may have received from your Brethren of this Province.
" Brother :
" Your Uncles, the Six Nations, at this Treaty, shewed a great deal of Kindness for You, and wou'd have been extremely pleas'd to have seen you here, being resolved to see Justice done to you ; but as you were not come in, they advised us to Treat you very friendly, and to advise you to bring with you some of your Uncles, the Senecas, that we might open Our Hearts to one another freely, by which Means all Causes of Jealousies or Misunderstandings be- tween us might be settled and taken away for ever. And that they might [wou'd] join their best Endeavours to bring about a firm and lasting Peace between you & your Brethren.
" Brother :
" I gave your Uncles my hearty Thanks for their good Advice, and told them, that as I highly approved it as good and sound Ad- vice, I wou'd act as they had so earnestly desired me to do, being sincerely disposed to hear all your Complaints, and to do you Jus- tice, as I had formerly promised you at Easton.
"Brother :
" As I have now inform'd you of the earnest Request of your Uncles, the Six Nations, and of my own Opinion, which is the same with theirs, I do, by this Belt of Wampum, invite you to come down as soon as it will suit your Convenience (and leave it to you to bring with you your Uncles, the Senecas, or such of them as will be most agreeable to you), to open your Hearts to us your
548
MINUTES OF THE
Brethren ; and if it shall appear that you have been defrauded of your Lands, or receiv'd any other Injuries from this Province, I do promise you shall receive Satisfaction.
" Gave a Belt of Wampum.
" Brother :
"By some late Letters from your Brother Onas, in England, in Answer to my Representation of the late Conferences, and your Complaints at Easton, he acquaints me he is willing to have the In- juries complained of fully heard, and settled as soon as possible. If you rather chuse Sir William Johnson shou'd determine these unhappy Differences, I most warmly recommend it to you to apply to that Gentleman, as he has the Honour to be appointed Sole Agent and Superintendent of Indian Affairs in the Northern Dis- trict."
-
Governor's Message to the Cherokees. " LANCASTER, 21st May, 1757.
" Brethren, the Cherokees :
" On your Coming into this Province, I order'd Lieutenant Colo- nel Armstrong to bid you welcome, and after that, having receiv'd a kind Message from you, I sent his Brother, Captain George Arm- strong, to return you my Thanks, and to assure you of my Friend- ship and Regard for you; acquainting you at the same time That a Present was preparing, and wou'd be deliver'd to you by Mr. Crog- han, the Deputy of Sir William Johnson, His Majesty's Agent and and Superintendent of Indian Affairs in this District. Agreeable to this Message, arms and other Things necessary for Warriors have been provided by the good People of this Province, and Mr. Crog- han now waits on you in Behalfe of this Government to deliver them, and to make you my hearty Professions of Regard and Esteem for you.
"Give a Belt of Wampum."
-
Letter to Mr. Croghan. "LANCASTER, 21st May, 1757. " Sir :
" Having heard a good Character of Mr. John Grey, of Donegal, as a Person who understands the Delaware Language, and will faith- fully discharge any Trust reposed in him, I desire you wou'd engage him to go to Diahogo and deliver my Message to Teedyuscung, in- structing him in the Indian Form and Ceremonies, furnishing him with proper Strings and Belts of Wampum, and giving him a Strict
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.