USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VII > Part 6
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"We farther request that the Governor would issue his Proclama- tion, strictly charging all Magistrates and officers, Civil and Mili- tary, to be aiding and assisting to the Inhabitants in securing or recovering their Servants when any Attempts shall be made to take them away.
"Signed by Order of the House. " ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker.
"February 11th, 1756."
Extract from Major General Shirley's Letter to Colonel Thomas Dunbar, dated from the Camp at Oswego, September 19th, 1755, vizt. :
" Upon the Advices I have received since my last to you, from Gentlemen of the greatest Zeal for his Majesty's Service, as well as the best Judges of it in Pennsylvania and the other Western Colonies, I am convinced that the inlisting of Apprentices and indented Ser- vants there will greatly disserve his Interest, as well as be, in most cases, grievous to the Subject; and would, therefore, recommend it to you in the strongest manner to avoid doing it. It is what I have observed most strictly in recruiting for my own Regiment ; not only within my own Government, but in all the other Colonies where my officers have been sent upon that Service, and I desire you will order the officers of your own and the late Sir Peter Halkett's Regiments, as also those of the Independent Companies, to do the same in their Recruiting."
The Same was considered, together with the Governor's Answer which was approved and sent to the House, and with it a Copy of the President's Letter to General Shirley of the twenty-ninth of the last Month :
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
· "I agree with you that the inlisting indented Servants is a great Hardship, and an unequal Burthen upon the Inhabitants of this
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Province, and heartily wish that some other effectual Method had been taken to complete the Regiments employed upon this continent, which is a Matter of great Importance at this critical Conjecture.
" When the Recruiting Officers first began to inlist Servants in this City, The Council, while I was upon the Frontier, wrote a Let- ter to General Shirley upon the Head, setting forth the particular Injury it would be to this Province, and desiring his Interposition, a Copy of which Letter I have ordered to be laid before you, and I shall immediately write to him on the same Subject, and send him a Copy of your address, in which the many Inconveniences attend- ing the taking away of servants are strongly set forth.
" His Majesty has ordered the Regiments now employed in America to be augmented and recruited in these Colonies; and General Shirley by a late Order, has countermanded the One he formerly gave to Colonel Dunbar, forbidding the inlisting of Servants and Apprentices ; and the Officers think it their Duty to take all Vol- unteers that offer, without considering whether they are Servant's or not.
" Whether the Crown has such a Right to the personal Service of its Subjects as cannot be abridged or taken away by any private Contracts, or whether a Servant regularly indented and imported into the Colonies, under an Act of Parliament, is not by such In- denture deprived of the Power of becoming a Volunteer in his Ma- jesty's Service, are Points of Law that you are sensible have been controverted in this Province ever since the Beginning of the late Spanish War, and have never to my Knowledge received an au- thoritative Determination, and as the Rights of the Crown, as well as the Property of the Subject, will be greatly affected by a Deter- mination of those Points, I cannot take upon me to do it, by issu- ing the Proclamation you propose, which will be extrajudicial, and by no means obligatory on the Persons concerned.
" You will permit me to observe, that tho' the Majistrates may be appointed by the Government, yet they receive their Authority from the Law, which must be the Rule and Measure of their Con- duct ; and a Proclamation in the present Case cannot create or vest any new Powers in them. If they refuse or neglect to do the Du- ties required by Law, there is a Court in the Province has Power to punish them for such Neglect or Refusal ; and if any Subject is or thinks himself injured, the Law and Courts are open, to which he may apply, where his Right and that of the Crown will be pro- perly considered and determined in the ordinary course of the Law.
"ROBT. H. MORRIS.
" Philadelphia, February 13th, 1756."
The Governor and Council taking into consideration the List of the several Companies formed and commissioned in the city of
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Philadelphia, and the several counties in the Province, in order to fix the Mode of regimenting them, agreed that all the Companies commissioned within the city of Philadelphia be one Regiment, to be called the City Regiment, and that all the Companies commis- sioned in each county be formed into and make one Regiment, and to be called by the Name of each respective County, provided that there shall not be less than Eight Companies in each Regiment.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday the 16th February, 1756.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
Robert Strettell, Richard Peters, Esquires.
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
A letter from Governor Hardy of the ninth Instant, inclosing some Indian Intelligence was read, and a Message thereupon drawn by the Governor, approved and sent to the House ; all which follow in these Words, viz :
" FORT GEORGE, 9th Feby., 1756. " Sir : .
" I have the Favour of your Letter of the 2d Instant, and con- gratulate you on your Return from the Frontiers, and hope all the good consequences will arise to the Province from the Chain of Forts and Block houses you have been at the trouble of forming.
"The Complaint of the Senecas I doubt, may be but ill founded, and I make no doubt Colo, Johnson will set this Matter in a clear and proper Light, and assure them of full satisfaction, if upon En- quiry, it shall appear the English have been the aggressors ; when he left this city I instructed him to this Purpose, knowing you was on your Tour; I have a letter from him at Albany, inclosing me some Intelligence sent him by his Manager at Mount Johnson, and com- municated to him by two Oneidas sent Express from the Senecas, which I here inclose you. This Speech of the French Officer I am inclined to believe is intended more to intimidate the Indians than to attempt the stealing of the Fort at Oswego. The passage from Niagara, at this Season of the Year, must make such an attempt too difficult to give them any hopes of Success, by surprising a Fort defended by so strong a Garrison as General Shirley left there.
" Colº. Johnson writes me that one of the Indians he sent to the Delawares (before he left home), requiring them to desist from all Hostilities against the English, returned and met him at Albany on
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his now going up, and acquainted him, in answer to his Message, that they promised him no more Mischief should be done, and that they would wait the Result of his Meeting with the Six Nations, which he informs me is like to be very numerous, and that he hopes at this Meeting to put a Stop to the Indian Incursions on the back Settlements of your Province.
" I propose going up the latter End of next month, if the Waters of Hudson's River are open, to hold a Meeting with the Six Nations to deliver to them his Majesty's Present. I have prevail'd on the Assembly of this Province to grant Money for an Addition to it ; and as at this critical Juncture all Measures should be taken to further and promote the British Interest with those Tribes, I must beg Leave to offer it to your Consideration whether great Good may not arise from your Province taking some Notice of them at this Meeting; if such should be agreeable to you it shall be my care to inform the Indians of your Regard for them.
"I do most sincerely wish you Success in your Recommendation to your Assembly upon the Plan of Operations concerted in this City, and hope from the Necessity there is of carrying the War into the Enemy's Country, you will have little Difficulty in prevail- ing on them to take a proper Share with the other Colonies. I am impatiently waiting the Return of my Express from Boston, who carried the Resolutions of my Assembly to General Shirley and the Eastern Governments.
" The first Packet arrived here from England the 3d Instant. I have a long Letter from the Post Master's General desiring I will not detain her longer than Twenty Days after her Arrival, but in cases of Necessity, and upon the Footing they are ; a detaining of her must be attended with a considerable Increase of Charge to the Government, as they are paid by the Voyage, with a promise of Gratuity for extraordinary Incidents. I Judged it proper to ac- quaint you with this Instruction to the Masters of the Packets and the Post Master's General Request to me upon it; and as her allot- ted Time of Stay here appears to me to be so short for the Distant Governments answering their Letters, I propose on her Return to recommend a longer Time to the Post Office.
" I am, Sir, Your most obedient and most humble Servant,
" CHAS. HARDY. " The Honble. Gov". MORRIS."
-
"FORT JOHNSON, Jan". 28th, 1756.
" Sir :
" Just now came here Two Oneidas Express from the Senecas,
. and brought with them a large Belt of Black Wampum, 14 Rows broad and 22 Foot long, who made the following Speech.
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" There is about 20 of the Oghquagy and Tuscororas here these eight days past, and about 30 more expected ; the Express says there will be a vast Number of the Five Nations down ; this goes by Ex- press, which the Indians insisted on. I am,
" Sir, your most obedient humble Servant, " ROBERT ADAMS.
"' Brother Warraghiyagee :
"' About 3 Weeks ago came a large Vessel to Niagara with a French Officer on Board, who enquired where his Children were who always kept there, for that he could not then see any of them. "' Children :
"' The English have been threatening us all last Summer about taking Niagara and Cataraqui Forts. I dreaded very much, especi- ally Niagara, which is to be compared to nothing else than a de- cayed Tree, which, if a small Wind came, would blow it down. "' Children :
"' I have been at the defeating of the English at Ohio, and hear- ing of General Johnson's coming to Crown Point immediately set off to meet him ; when I first met his People the Smoke of my Guns made such a Darkness before my Eyes that I could not see my Children, but marching a little farther, discovering Numbers of them lying dead in the Road, which made my Heart bleed, as I heard General Johnson had said he did not want his Brothers to fight, but to look on and see him fight.
" ' Children :
"'I now tell you that I am going to steal Oswego from them, and my Army that is coming is very numerous and makes a great Noise.
" ' I don't intend to listen any more to my Children ; you have never heard me promise any thing but what I always fulfilled, and I desire you, Children, to keep from that Place they call Oswego. "'' Brother Warraghiyagee :
"' We the Sachems of the Five Nations now assembled at Onon- dago do now let you know that we see Death before our Eyes, and that we send this Post to desire that there may be Men ready to send to the Relief of Oswego, for you may assure yourself the above is nothing but Truth.
""'DAN. CLAUS.'
" A true Copy."
-
'Sir :
" ONONDAGO, 23d of Jany", 1756.
" This is to acquaint you of the News that the Indians brought
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here a Belt of Wampum which is come from Niagara, and desires our Indians that they should stand aside, that they would go to Oswego to take it within 10 or 12 Days; the French is to set out from Niagara to-day or to-morrow, as the Indians told me, and they desire me to write it to your Honour to acquaint you with all Speed. The Indians are to go from here within 4 days; so no more at pres- ent, but remain
" Your humble Servant, "JOHN VAN SICE.
" A true Copy examined by
" BENJA. BARONS, Secretary. " To The Honble. major Gen1. JOHNSON."
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A Message from the Governor to the Assembly. " Gentlemen :
" His Majesty, sensible of the great Importance it is to the British Interest and to the Success of our Schemes against the French, to preserve and improve our Friendship with the Indians, has been graciously pleased to order a considerable Present to be sent to New York for the Six Nations, and Sir Charles Hardy proposing to go very soon to hold a Meeting with those Indians to distribute among them that Present, with an Addition which he has prevailed on the Assembly of New York to make to it, has recommended it to my Consideration in the Letter I herewith send you whether at this critical Juncture great Good may not arise from this Province's like- wise taking some Notice of them.
1
"The cruel Proofs, and daily Experience we have of late had, how much it is in the Power of a few, even of the most inconsider- able of those People, to do us irreparable Mischiefs when they are disposed to be our Enemies, make it needless for me to use any other Arguments to induce you to consider whether it will not be quite proper and necessary for this Province to make some Present now to the Six Nations, in order to keep up and Strengthen our Alliance with them, and engage them to be more earnest and ready to assist us against these Savages that have done and are still com- mitting the Murders and horrid Ravages amongst our back Inhabi- tants.
" ROBT. H. MORRIS. 1
" Philadelphia, February 16th, 1756."
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MEMORANDUM.
The Twentieth of February the Governor received the following
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Letter from General Shirley, of the ninth Instant, and sent it to the House by the Secretary :
"BOSTON, February 9, 1756.
" Sir :
" I have received a Letter of the 24th of January last from the President of your Council, relating to the inlisting of indented Ser- vants into his Majesty's Service. I should be extremely gl'd to have it in my Power to remove any thing that can be thought a Hardship on the Province of Pennsylvania ; but the Restraint I had put upon the officers inlisting Servants was not taken off till I was convinced by the Complaint of the officers that his Majesty's Service must suffer at this very critical Conjuncture if they were restrained from inlisting such as voluntarily offer themselves; and at present the number of Men wanting to complete his Majesty's Regiments on this Continent is so great, and the Time so short before they will be wanting for Service, that I can by no means renew any Order which shall retard the compleating of them.
" I cannot conceive that the Distress arising from the inlisting a few Servants can be any thing like what the President and Council seem to apprehend ; for the Number must be so trifling, in Propor- tion to the Labourers in your Government, that it can have no visi- ble Effect on the Province in general ; and if any peculiar Instances of Hardship should happen to particular Persons thereby, I shall be always willing and ready to consider Circumstances on their being properly represented to me.
" My own Government of the Massachussets Bay is so far from thinking it a Hardship that indented Servants should be allowed to inlist, that they not only chearfully consent to that, but have even impressed great numbers of indented Servants for the Expedition against. Crown Point; and it is the constant Practice to impress them as well as other inhabitants for garrisoning our Frontier Forts, where they often remain several Years ; nor is it uncommon in other Governments to do the same.
" I am, your Honour's most obedient and most humble Servant, "W. SHIRLEY."
On the same Day the Governor received a Bill from the House ntituled " An Act for dispersing the Inhabitants of Nova Scotia mported into this Province into the several counties of Philadel- phia, Bucks, Chester, and Lancaster, and the Townships thereof, ind making Provision for the same," for his concurrense ; and like- wise the following Message in answer to his last relating to the indians :
'May it please the Governor :
" As Sir Charles Hardy does not propose to set out from New Tork for the Meeting he intends to hold with the Six Nations, till
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the latter End of next Month, we apprehend no Inconveniencies can ensue from our not giving a determined answer to the Governor's Message of the Seventeenth Instant, which may be resumed as the advices we now daily expect to receive from General Johnson may render it necessary.
" By the Papers and Accounts the Governor has been pleased to lay before us on this Occasion, it appears that great Numbers of Indians were expected at the Treaty to be held with the Six Na- tions ; and from General Johnson's Knowledge and known Abili- ties in conducting Indian Affairs, we may reasonably expect a happy Issue of that Treaty ; but whatever it may be, we shall be better able to determine the Part this Province ought to act in this Matter ; when Scarroyady and Andrew Montour return with an Account of the Disposition of the Indians towards us at this criti- cal Conjuncture, and the Result of General Johnson's Treaty with the Six Nations, which are now very soon expected.
" Signed by order of the House.
"ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker.
"February 20th, 1756."
At a Council held in the State House at Philadelphia, Tuesday, 24th February, 1756.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor,
James Hamilton,
Robert Strettell,
Benjamin Shoemaker,
Joseph Turner, Lynford Lardner, Thomas Cadwalader,
Esquires.
Richard Peters, John Mifflin,
Benjamin Franklin, Joseph Fox, John Hughes, L
Esquires.
The Indians.
Conrad Weiser, Esquire, Interpreter. John Davison, Assistant.
Two of the Six Nation Indians, Aroas and David, the Mohock, were sent at the Instance of the Governor up the River Sasque- hannah to gain Intelligence of the Motions and Number of the Enemy Indians, and to try to find out the Shickcalamys and Jona- than Cayanquiloquoa, and bring them along with them, and Cap- tain McKee who had the command of a Fort at Hunter's Mill near. the Place where the Blue Hills cross the Sasquehannah, had the Governor's Directions, as these Indians in their Return were de-
S
th
th
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
sired to come that way, to keep a good lookout for them, and to send them under an Escort to Mr. Weiser's, to whom they were to deliver their Intelligence, and he was directed to send it by Ex- press to the Governor at Philadelphia,
Accordingly the two Indians returned by Capt McKee's, and John Shickcalamy and his wife with them, and were ordered a Guard to conduct them to Mr. Weiser's, but they, especially John Shickcalamy declared positively they would not go thro' Tulpyhoc- con, being apprehensive that the Dutch would fall upon them, and either kill them or do them a Mischief, but that they would go thro' Lancaster to Philadelphia, and deliver what they had to say to the Governor in Person, and insisted that Capt McKee should go along with them to protect them. When they came to Harris' they found there the Belt, Jagrea, and New Castle, who joined them, and when they came to Lancaster, John Shickcalamy, having a Sister among the Conestogoe Indians, sent for her, and at Lancaster she and the Conestogoe Indians joined them. On Saturday they came to Town, making in all Men, Women, and Children.
On Monday morning the Governor sent the Secretary to wel- come them to Town, and in particular John Shickcalamy, and to make them the usual Compliments of drying up their Tears, and taking away the Grief out of their Hearts, that they might be at Liberty to declare the Business they came upon; and after they had returned thanks, and made the Governor the same Compliments, they said the two Messengers and he, Shickcalamy, who they had brought along with them, wou'd say nothing to them or any body else, Whiteman or Indian, of what they had to say, but would go directly to the Governor and tell it to him in Person, and therefore they came along with them, and desired they might be heard in their Presence, on which the Governor had called the Council, and under- standing by Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Mifflin, that the Commissioners were in the Committee Chamber, the Governor sent for them.
Mr. Weiser, before the Indians came in, informed the Governor that he had received a String from John Shickcalamy, and a Mes- sage to the Government, which he delivered in these words :
" Brethren, the Governor, Council, and People of Pennsyl- vania :
" My Father, who it is well known was all his Life an hearty and steady Friend to the English, and to this Province in particular, charged all his children to follow his Steps and to remain always true to the English, who had been ever kind to him and his family. That upon the troubles first breaking out between the Indians and the white People, the Indians came to Shamokin and obliged him and his Brothers against their Inclinations to stay with them, but that he had the good Fortune to get from among them, which he was glad of, and he was now come to his Brethren to assure them hat tho' he had been absent for some time and among their Ene-
ock, que- thị ona- Cap. near the e de
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mies, yet it was against his Will, being forced to it, and he was still their good Friend and would live and dye with them, and de- sired they would receive him as such nor think harm of him, and that he would go with them and their Warriors against their Ene- mies wherever they should order him, and assist them all in his Power."
A String of Wampum.
The Governor Ordered the Secretary to return his Answer to John Shickcalamy and assure him that he was glad to see him ; that the Government gave him an hearty Reception, and would make every thing agreeable to him and take care of his Family.
The Indians then came in and being told that the Governor was ready to hear them, the Belt spoke as follows :
" Brethren, the Governor, Council, and People of Pennsylvania :
"I am glad of the Opportunity of seeing you in this Place, where the Council Fire is always burning.
" The Governor, when at Carlisle, after the Conferences with us were over, desired us to find him two fit and trusty Persons to send up the River Sasquehannah, to see what was doing there among the Indians who had fallen upon this Province and murdered the In- habitants, and likewise to enquire after some of his particular Friends, and if possible to know what was become of them, and to endeavour to find them and to bring them to see him.
" Afterwards Mr. Weiser came to us at Harris', and mentioned this again to us, and it was agreed that my Son-in-Law and David, the Mohock, should undertake the' Journey, and execute the Gov- ernor's Commands.
" By them I sent a Belt to some Delaware Indians of my Ac- quaintance living on the Sasquehannah, and with it a Message to the Delawares, which was concerted between me and Conrad Weiser, and was to this Effect : that I was surprised to hear of their mur- dering the English, as the Indians and English had all along lived in Friendship together. I desired they would open their Hearts to me and let me know the Reason of their Hatred towards the Eng- lish and of the cruel murders they comitted among them, whether they had not had Justice done them in Land Affairs or any other thing. I pressed them to give me this Satisfaction and Speak all they knew.
" Brethren :
" As I said before, this Message was with the Foreknowledge and approbation of Conrad Weiser, and this Belt accompanied it. Be- sides the Belt I sent two Strings-one recommending, the Business given in charge by the Governor as to Intelligence, and the other to enquire after the two Persons of whose Welfare the Governor wanted in particular to be informed of.
Yo 800
a
P
E
S
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.
" My son Aroas and his Companion David, the Mohock, arrived at Wyomink, having waded many big Creeks and Rivers (Nesco- peckon being deserted), and finding it would be as much as their Lives were worth to enter the Delaware Town, they acquainted some of the Six Nation Indians with it, who lived in a Town by them- selves, with some Chickasaws and Mohickons, who upon considering the Matter thought proper to get the Shawonese to take the thing in hand and speak to the Delawares, and laid the thing before them accordingly, they likewise living in a Town by themselves. Paxo- nosa, their Chief, received their Message, and went to hold a sepa- rate Council with his People by themselves; after the Conclusion thereof they sent for two of the Six Nation Indians, and the Indian called James Logan and another went to them and received and brought back an Answer from Paxonosa and his People, to wit :
" ' Brethren :
"'We have considered the Message from our Brother Tohaswuch- doniunty brought up by Aroas ; we think it is in vain to speak one word more to our Grandfathers, the Delawares. I spoke so often to them to the same Purpose, till at last they threatened to knock me on the head, and what can I do since Scarrooyady, a Man of Au- thority among the Six Nations, and of great Experience and Elo- quence, could not prevail on them. They would not so much as touch his Belts he laid before them. They throwed them on one side with their Pipes, and gave him ill Language. So upon the whole we must give over, and we desire that you will excuse us ;' and said farther (Here the Two Interpreters differed, and their dif- ferent Interpretations are as follow) :
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