USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VII > Part 8
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On this Information the Council were unanimously of Opinion that the Indians should not be suffered to proceed on their Journey without an Escort to protect them, and desired the Governor would represent this to the Commissioners, that they might provide for the Expences that will attend that Service.
The Secretary likewise informed the Council that the Chiefs of the Indians now in Town came to him yesterday, and told him that they were apprehensive their young Men would be perpetually quarrelling if the Six Nation and Conestogoe Indians should be obliged to live in one Place, and, therefore, requested of the Gov- ernor that they might live separately, and some Place be prepared on the Manor for the Six Nations at a distance from the Conestogoe Town; and that in their further Discourse with him they did not seem to be very willing to live upon the Manor. It was, therefore, thought proper to send for the Chiefs and give them an Opportu- nity of speaking their Minds freely, as it would not be for the pub- lick Service that these Indians should remain under any kind of Dissatisfaction as to their place of residence.
The Governor informed the Council that he had received from the House by Two Members a Bill intituled " An Act for regulating
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and continuing the Nightly Watch, and enlightening the Streets, Lancs, and Alleys of the City of Philadelphia, and for raising of Money on the Inhabitants and Estates of the said City for defraying the necessary Expences thereof."
Then the Bill for regulating the Indian Trade, and the Bill for continuing the Excise on spirituous Liquors were read, and after sundry Amendments being agreed to on each of them they were sent to the House with the said Amendments by the Secretary, who was ordered to acquaint the House that as his Majesty's Service required the Governor's Presence at Newcastle, his Honour pur- posed to set out for that Place a few days hence.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Tuesday the 9th March, 1/56, P. M.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
Robert Strettell, Lynford Lardner, Esquires.
Richard Peters, Thomas Cadwalader,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
The Three Indians called the Old Belt, bring- ing with them John Davison, the Interpreter, came into Council, and the old Belt delivering a Belt of Wampum said : " Brethren :
"I have lately lost one of my Ears (meaning Davison the Inter- preter), whom I brought with me to hear and see for me, and you have taken away and deprived me of him."
To which the Governor answered :
" Brethren :
By our Laws, and the nature of our Government, where any person owes another a Sum of Money, and refuses or neglects to pay it, the Person to whom the Debt is owing has a Right to take and imprison his Debtor, and keep him in confinement till he pays the money, or makes satisfaction for it, and it is not in my Power to prevent it. This happens to be the case with your Interpreter, Davison, who owing a considerable Sum of Money to one Callender, he has taken and confined him. I am very sorry for it; but for the Reason I have mentioned to you, it is not in my Power to redress it."
With which answer they expressed themselves well satisfied.
Then the Governor proceeded :
" Brethren :
" I have considered what you said to Coneghtoghery, with respect
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to your Apprehensions of there being Danger of some Mischief happening, if you shall be placed on Connestogoe Manor, near the Connestogoe Indians, by Quarrels arising between your young Men and theirs, and that thro' their Heat and Indiscretion, if placed too near together, some Blood may be Spilt amongst them, which it may not be in your Power to prevent; and therefore, I leave it to your option, whether you will reside on that Manor, at a proper Distance from the Connestogoe Indians, or you will chuse to go to Pennsbury, another Manor of our Proprietaries, situated on this River, about twenty miles above the City, where you may remain safe and well provided for till Scarroyady returns, when further Measures will be taken for disposing of you to your Satisfaction.
"But if you shall rather chuse to be on the Manor of Connestogoe, I will take care to order a proper Provision to be made for your Residence there, and for your Journey, and send a sufficient Guard along with you to protect you from the Insults and Abuses that you might meet with from the rash, dissolute, unthinking People amongst us, who, paying no Regard to my Advice and Orders, and not making a proper Distinction between our Friends and Enemy. Indians, may fall upon and attempt to do you some Injury in your Journey."
And the said Indians, after taking some Time to consider and consult together on the Governor's said Proposal, acquainted the Governor that they chose rather to be sent to Pennsbury, than to the Manor of Connestogoe.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Saturday the 13th March, 1756.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
Richard Peters,
John Mifflin, - Esquires.
Lyndford Lardner, Thomas Cadwalader,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
The Governor's Order and Regulation for forming the Militia Companies into Regiments were read, approved, and order'd to be entered as follows :
[L. s.] " By the Honoble. ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania and Counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex, upon Delaware,
"Whereas, in Pursuance of the Act of General Assembly of the said Province, intitled ' An Act for the ordering and regulating
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such as are willing and desirous to be united for military Purposes,' divers of the Inhabitants of the several Counties within this Province have formed themselves into Companies and chosen their Officers, vist. : a Captain, Lieutenant, and Ensign for Each Company, whom I have commissionated accordingly ; And Application having been made to me to form them into Regiments agreeable to the Directions of the said act. I do, therefore, by and with the Advice of the Council, hereby order and direct that all the several Companies formed and to be formed under the said act within each County shall be, make, and compose One distinct Regiment, and be called by the Name of the County in which the Companies forming such Regiment respectively shall reside; Provided, that no less number of Companies than eight shall be or are hereby intended to form any Regiment.
" Given under my Hand and Seal at Arms, at Philadelphia the thirteenth Day of March, in the twenty-ninth Year of His Majesty's Reign.
"ROBT. H. MORRIS."
Messrs. John Inglis, Daniel Beneset, and Alexander Stedman, came and informed his Honour the Governor that a considerable Number of the Inhabitants of the City of Philadelphia and Liberties thereof who are not enclined to act under the Present militia Law, but in this time of imminent Danger think it their Duty to asso- ciate and learn and improve themselves in Military Exercise, have for that purpose met together and divided themselves into Com- panies; and at their Desire the said Messrs. Inglis, Beneset, and Stedman now presented particular Lists of Four of the said Com- panies, with the Names of several Gentlemen proposed by them for their officers, viz: Edward Jones for Captain, Lynford Lardner for Lieutenant, Leonard Melchior and George Adam Gaub for Quarter Masters of a Troop of Horse, John Kidd for Captain and Peter Turner for Ensign of a Company of Foot, Charles Batho for Cap- tain and Joseph Stamper for Ensign of another Company of Foot, and William Moore for Ensign of a Battery Company ; and praying his Honour to commissionate such of the said officers as he should approve of.
The Governor and Council taking the Premises into Consider- ation, and being unanimously of opinion that the said proposed association is done with a good and commendable Design and will greatly contribute to the Defence of the City, and his Honour approving of all the said several Gentlemen proposed for officers order'd their commissions to be forthwith prepared.
The Council recommending Mr. John Potts of Manatauny as a proper Person for a Magistrate of the County of Philadelphia, he is order'd to be put into the next general Commission.
The Governor recommends it to the Council to consider of proper
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Persons to be Justices of the several Counties in the Province, in order that new general Commissions may be issued for each County, and that they prepare and make Returns of their names against his Return from Newcastle.
The Bill for regulating the Indian Trade and the Bill for Continuing the Excise on spirituous Liquors were returned to the Governor by the House without the Amendments which the Governor had sent with the said Bills and annexed thereto respectively, accom- panied with the following Message :
" May it please the Governor:
" The Excise Bill now offered the Governor for his Assent being free of all Objections as to Royal Instructions or Acts of Parlia- ment, and the same that has heretofore repeatedly received the Royal Assent, and no Reason appearing to the House why the Change should be made that is proposed by the Governor's Amendment, they, therefore, unanimously adhere to the Bill, and desire it may receive his Assent as it now stands.
"The Bill for regulating the Indian Trade, being an Imitation of the Law for the same Purpose, found so beneficial by long Practice and Experience in the Province of the Massachusets, the House do also adhere to that Bill as it stands, and request the Governor would be pleased to reconsider his Amendments.
"Signed by Order of the House. "ISAAC NORRIS, Speaker.
" March 10th, 1756."
A Bill delivered to the Governor by Two Members last night, entituled " An Act for ascertaining the Fineness of wrought Gold and Silver, and preventing Frauds and Abuses in Manufactures made thereof," was read, and the Consideration thereof referred to a Committee of the Council, vist. : Robert Strettell, Benjamin Shoe- maker, Joseph Turner, and John Mifflin, Esquires, who are to make their Report thereon at the Governor's Return from New- castle.
And likewise was read the Bill intituled " An Act for regulating and continuing the nightly Watch," &ca., with the Amendments pro- posed, and referred to farther Consideration.
MEMORANDUM.
On the Nineteenth Instant the Governor received, whilst he was at Newcastle, from Benjamin Franklin, Esquire, One of the Mem- bers of Assembly, a Bill intituled " An Act for regulating the Offi- cers and Soldiers commissionated and raised by the Governor for the Defence of the Province," for his Concurrence, and at the same
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time Mr. Franklin informed his Honour that he was order'd by the House to acquaint him that they were adjourned to the Fifth Day of April next.
At a Council held in the Council Chamber, Saturday the 27th March, 1756.
PRESENT :
The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieu- tenant Governor.
James Hamilton,
Robert Strettell,
Richard Peters,
John Mifflin,
Esquires.
Benjamin Chew,
Thomas Cadwalader,
Joseph Fox, r
John Hughes, Evan Morgan,
Esquires, Commissioners.
Indians :
Scarroyady,
Jonathan, The Broken Thigh,
Andrew Montour,
Moses, The Fire Poker,
The Belt of Wampum, Aroas,
The Thick Leg,
Jagrea,
New Castle, A Mohawk who talks
Seneca George, Cherokee Language.
Daniel Clause, George Croghan,
Interpreters.
Scarroyady, Speaker.
Scarroyady and Andrew Montour, the Two Indian Messengers who were dispatched by this Government in December last with Messages to the several Tribes of Indians living on the Waters of Sasquehannah, and thence to the Onondago Council, returned to this City by Way of Albany and New York on Sunday last, and brought with them Moses and Jonathan Cayanquiloquoa and his Wife, who were missing and thought to have been killed by the Enemy Indians, and likewise a Mohock Indian, who talks the Cherokee Language, that he may be useful in case the Colonies shall, as is expected, be favoured with a Number of Warriors of the Cherokee Nation.
On Monday the Sheriff of Lancaster county brought to Town the Indians who before the Defeat of General Braddock lived at Auc- quick, and since at or near Harris' Ferry.
Thursday night the Governor returned from New Castle, where he had been to meet his Assembly; and yesterday Scarroyady and his Company were entertained at his House, and this morning was at their Instance appointed for the hearing of the Report of their Journey.
The Governor ordered the Interpreter to acquaint the Indians
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that he was ready to hear them, and the following Speech was made by Scarroyady :
" Brethren :
" In December last Andrew Montour and myself were sent by you to the Six Nation Council to lay before them the hostile Pro- ceedings of the Delawares and Shawonese ; and you may remember that it was debated before we set out whether we should go by way of Sasquehannah or New York, and the former being thought the best, as it would give us an Opportunity of visiting and talking with the numerous Tribes of Indians who were settled on that · River and its Branches, we were charged with Messages to them, and instructed to find out their Dispositions and report them to you and the Six Nations, that they as well as you might know how to act towards them ; and this was the Business entrusted to us, and I am now going to relate to you what we have done in it. " Brethren :
" We were fortunate enough to find Jonathan Cayanquiloquoa, whom you instructed us to enquire for, hunting near Shamo- kin, and we took him and his Wife with us, designing to send them to you with an Account of our Proceedings, but for Rea- sons we shall give you afterwards, we could not safely do it here, and till we came to Wyomink, we found all the In- dians against you, and were very often in Danger of losing both our Messages and our Lives. There indeed we found about thirty, some Shawonese, some Mohiccons, and some Six Nations, who were separated from the rest, and determined to adhere to the English, and declared that they would never put out the Council Fire that had always been burning between them and you till they should be ordered to do so by the English or the Six Nations. All, except these that we saw hitherto, were bent upon striking the English, and even here we saw a Party of Warriors, among whom was John Shick Calamy and his Brothers, waiting to be joined by eighty Delawares, with whom they were to set out against the Inhabitants of Pennsylvania. We took John Shick Calamy aside, upbraided him with his Ingratitude to this Government, which had ever been extreamly kind to his Father when alive, and to them and their Families since his Decease, and charged him not to go along with them, but to join those friendly Indians who disapproved the Measures of the Delawares. He said his going was against his Inclination, and he could not help it, they threatening to kill him if he did not go; but at their instance he did not go with them. The eighty Delaware Warriors arrived as was expected ; We offered them a Belt to dissuade them from going to War against the Eng- lish, telling them we were informed they should say that the Hatchet had been sent to them from the Six Nations, which we thought could not be true, I having been but lately with the Six Nations, and hearing nothing of it, and desired, as I was then upon my VOL. VII .- 5.
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Journey to Onondago, and was determined to know the Truth, they might desist till my Return; but they with a Stick pushed aside the Belt in a contemptuous Manner, and muttering, said in an angry Tone, that they had received the Hatchet from the Six Nations, and as they had killed such Numbers of English they would con- tinue the War whilst one of them was alive. They bid me take my Belt and go with it to the Six Nations, as to them they were Counsellors, and would have nothing to do with it; and as I was informed by one of my Friends that these Warriors afterwards met in Council, and determined to follow us and put us to death, and we were advised to stay at Wyomink till the Party went off to War, which we did, and then continued our Journey; and tho', as I said before, we proposed to send Jonathan with advices to you, yet not believing he could escape these Enemies, we thought it best he should accompany us. We took, likewise, another Step, seeing our Friends Paxinosa and those thirty that had retreated with him and lived by themselves, were surrounded with Enemies, and in great Danger of receiving Mischief from them; as we were Members of the Council of the Six Nations, and in the Execution of a publick Trust from this Government, we took upon us to order these friendly Indians to remove their Council Fire to Owegy ; they objected to the doing it during the severe Season of the Winter, and because they had a Sufficiency of Corn to support them thro' it, but consented to remove in the Spring, and desired we would inform the People at Otsineangy of it, and speak to them to have canoes ready against the Time, and come and fetch them; and likewise that we would acquaint the Six Nations of this ; to all this we agreed, and gave a Belt, they taking hold of one End, and we of the other, and we left one of our Six Nation Indians with them to see our orders carried into Execution.
" From Wyomink we came to an Indian Town, called Asserugh- ney, twelve miles higher up the River, where were about 20 In- dian Delawares, all violently against the English, to whom we said nothing, when we saw the Badness of their Disposition. From Asserughney, in 20 miles, we came to Chinkanning, an Indian Town consisting of about thirty fighting Men, distant from Wyo- mink about 30 miles. Here we saw a Dutch Woman Prisoner, and a Child with her. We likewise saw the Delaware Teedyus- cung, who was in Philadelphia last Summer, with some Delaware and Nantikoke Indians, and was the Speaker; and with him we saw Jo, the black-haired Indian that speaks English, and was his Interpreter. 'Teedyuscung is made a King, or Sachem. He told us that he had sent three English Scalps with Belts to the Senecas, and one Belt to the Oneidas, desiring Assistance, for he expected the English would destroy them, but had not received an answer to either ; and then took out a large Belt of Black Wampum of 13 Rows, ' which,' says he, ' I am now going to send to the Six Na- tions, and as this is the third Time, if they send an answer, well
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and good ; if they do not, I shall know what to do.' The first Scalps were sent by a great Warrior, called, in Indian, Owistogo ; in English, Cut Finger Peter, whom they met in their Way with a Command of Twenty Indians.
" From Chinkanning, we came to Diahogo, situate 50 miles higher up the Sasquehannah, where were fifty Cabbins and about 90 grown Men.
" Brother :
" We assure you that all the way from Wyomink to Diahoga, a day never passed without meeting with some Warriors, Six, eight er ten in a Party, and 20 under the Command of Cutfinger Peter, going after the 80 Warriors which we saw at Wyomink, and we believe Diahoga is about 80 Miles by the way we went from Wyo- mink, and all the Way we met Parties of Delawares going to join the 80 Warriors there ; several things occurred to us at Diahoga, but as it grows late, and you may be impatient to be so long kept without your Dinners, I chuse to leave off now, and will, with your Leave, resume my speech in the Afternoon."
At a Council held in the Afternoon.
Present as before.
" Brethren :
" I now continue the Relation of our Journey ; at Diohoga we met Two Sets of Messengers dispatched to the Delawares, at the Instance of Colonel Johnson, on his having received accounts of their Incursions and Ravages on the Borders of this and the neigh- bouring Governments; one Set was from the Oneidas and Cayugas, and the other from the Mohawks, and as neither of them understood the Delaware Language, they requested Andrew Montour to be their Interpreter, and deliver their Messages to the Delawares of this Town, which he did to this Purport, that the Six Nations were met in Council at Onondago, and having heard from Col. Johnson of the unbrotherly Behaviour of their Nephews to the English, they had sent to them to command them to desist from further Hos- tilities, and to order their immediate attendance at the Council ; they added they were drunk, and did not know what they were doing, and should have their heads shaked till they became sober ; they told them further that the Hole of their Ears was very small, so that nothing that was said by their Uncles could enter, but they were determined to bore a larger in their Ears, and make them hear; in answer to this the Delawares expressed their Submission to the Six Nations, and said they would send some of their Chiefs along with them to the Council, which they did, and in the close of my narration, I shall observe what passed in the Council on this. Subject.
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" From Diahoga in 25 miles, we came to an old Indian Town de- serted, called Owegy, the Place which we had ordered our Friends at Wyomink to remove to; in 20 Miles from Owegy we came to Chugh- nut, where are seven large Houses, all inhabited by Onondago Indians, and one Delaware Cabbin; we talked with them, and they told us they heard some dark Rumours, but knew nothing of the Affair of the Delawares, living quietly there, and holding no cor- respondence with any but those of the Six Nations. From thence we came in about 5 Miles to Otlincanke, where are 30 Cabbins and about 60 Men, Nantikokes, Conoys, and Onondagos, and one Sha- wonese Family; just before we came they had held a Council, and some of their Chiefs had made up their Bundles in order to go to Oneida. With these People, who are Friends to the English, we had long Conferences, and addressed them in Form, making Speeches of Condolence for the Death of Friends lost in War, lamented the dark and dangerous Times, and after the usual Ceremonies of open- ing their Eyes, Ears, and Hearts, we delivered a Speech in the Name of this Government, Claiming their Friendship and Assist- ance, and gave them proper Strings at the End of every Speech. In return they condoled with us and you, and returned many thanks, and said they were satisfied that the Sky, notwithstanding the dif- ferent Stories that had been told them, was clear towards that Part of the Heavens where their Brethren lived, and they were vastly pleased with your Message, and gave four Strings of white Wam- pum and four other Strings of white and black. These were de- livered in the Name of all the Indians at Otsineange ; but the Chief Man of the Nanticokes, called Skayanas, in English Fisher, made a particular Speech with a large String of Wampum, in which he ex- pressed an hearty Joy at our going on the Part of this Government with a publick Message to the Six Nations, said he was going there too, and he and the Nantikokes would join their Brethren the Eng- lish, and desired that each might impart to the other their respective Business, to which we consented.
" From Otsineange we came about 14 Miles to Oneoquage, where are three small Towns about 2 miles from one another, inhabited by Oneidas and Tuscororas. They make about 60 or 70 Men ; here we found Jonathan Cayanquiloquoa's 3 Daughters, who were all married, and have large Families, and live here. Of our Arrival here we sent you Advice in a Letter which the Missionary, Mr. Hawley, was so good as to write for us; from hence in thirty miles we came to Teyonnoderro, or the Fork, the Indian Word signifying the Meeting of the Branches; here are five Cabbins inhabited by the Mohiccons ; from hence in 30 Miles we came to Teyoneandakt, where are some Oneidas and Mohiccons, making about 30 fighting Men, who are all gone an hunting; from thence, in 60 Miles, we came to Caniyeuke, or Teyeondarago, being the lower Mohock Town, about 2 Miles from Fort Johnson and 38 from Albany; here we met with an hearty Reception, gave and received mutual Condolences, and
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the Mohawks of this and the Upper Castle made us many Profes- sions of their Regard for the English, entreated we would hide nothing from them of what was entrusted to us, and promised to assist us with and promote our Business; in Confirmation gave us these two Strings."
Then Scarroyady went into a formal Narration of the Particu- lars that passed at the Treaty held at Fort Johnson, in which he said no more than what is said down, and upon every article deliv- ered the Strings and Belts, which he had received along with the Answers given by the Indians, vist. Six Strings of Wampum given by the 6 Nations in Return for the Condolence made them in the joint Name of the Government of Pennsylvania, represented by Scarroyady and, Sir William Johnson, as general Representatives of the English.
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