USA > Pennsylvania > Colonial records of Pennsylvania, Vol. VIII > Part 7
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"Signed by order of the House.
" THOMAS LEECH, Speaker. " March 24th, 1758."
Another Message from the Assembly delivered at the same time in Answer to the Demand made by General Abercrombie was read, together with the resolves of the House, which were ordered to be entered :
" Resolved, That immediate Provision be made for raising, pay- ing and Cloathing Two Thousand seven hundred effective Men, Officers included, to act in Conjunction with a Body of his Ma- jesty's British Forces, and the Forces of Maryland, Virginia, and the Lower Counties on Delaware, in such offensive Operations as shall be carried on and prosecuted by his Majesty's Commander-in- Chief in these parts during the ensuing Campaign.
" Resolved, That the Men already raised, and in the Pay of this Government, be a part of the Number to be furnished by the fore- going Resolve.
" Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this House, that there be al- lowed to each able Bodied Man entering Voluntarily into the said Service, the Sum of Five Pounds, as a Bounty for his Enlistment.
" Resolved, That it is the Opinion of this House, that there be allowed to each Officer properly Authorized, the Sum of Twenty Shillings for each able Bodied Voluntier he shall enlist into the said Service."
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A Message from the Assembly to the Governor.
" May it please your Honour :
" We, his Majesty's faithful and Loyal Subjects, the Representa- tives of the People of this Province, taking into our Considerations the Demands of our most gracious Sovereign, and being sincerely disposed to comply with them to the utmost of the Abilities of this young Colony, and conscious that we cannot do his Majesty, and the Good People of this Province, a more effectual Service than by joining, with Vigour and Resolution, in the Offensive Operations, planned by our Sovereign, for the Protection and Defence of his American Subjects, have chearfully agreed to raise, clothe, and Pay Two Thousand Seven Hundred Men for this great and necessary Purpose, in full hope that, Under the Blessing of Divine Provi- dence, His Majesty's Arms will be crowned with Success, and Peace be once more restored to this unhappy and distressed Province.
"In doing this, we have not so much attended to the Poverty and inability of our Constituents, as to their present imminent Danger, the Necessities of the Times, and the great Prospect there is of relieving them from their Present unhappy Circumstances, by one united and Vigorous Effort. And therefore animated with a Zeal for the Execution of his Majestie's Orders, in which the Safety of this Colony, and the preservation of America, are so inti- mately concerned, we have agreed to furnish on this interesting and important Occasion, more men than a full Share, according to the Proportions required of this Province, Maryland and Virginia, not- withstanding the Country has been drained of its Single Men (our servants not excepted), by the great Numbers that have been en- listed into his Majesty's Service, and many others that have entered on board the Privateers of this and the neighbouring Provinces.
"It is also the Opinion of this House that Five Pounds be given as a Bounty to every able Bodied Man that shall voluntarily enter into the Service of the Province, and Twenty Shillings to the Officer for every such Man he shall enlist.
" The House, earnestly solicitous that this Province may be dis- tinguished among the Colonies for its Loyalty, Ardour, and Zeal in Promoting so great an undertaking for the Defence and preserva- tion of America, beg Leave to recommend it to your Honour that you would exert your utmost endeavours, and Leave no method un- essayed that may tend to raise the Men in such Time that they may be ready to March to the Place of rendezvous by the first of May, agreeable to His Majesty's Royal Orders; To accomplish which we apprehend nothing can so effectually contribute as a strict and speedy Compliance on your Part with His Majesty's wise and gra- cious Commands, in issuing Commissions to such Gentlemen of the Province as shall be judged from their Weight and Credit with the People, and their Zeal for the Publick Service, may be disposed and
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enabled to quicken and effectuate the speedy levying of the greatest Number of Men. We know from experience, on the One Hand, that unless the Officers are such as are agreeable to the People, no Bounty that the Province is able to pay will procure the Number of Men wanted in Time; and, on the other, if his Majesty's Royal Command is pursued, it will greatly facilitate this important Ser- vice.
"Signed by order of the House.
"THOMAS LEECH, Speaker.
" March 24th, 1758."
Then the Governor having called the Indians into Council, and addressing himself to Teedyuscung, spoke to them as follows : " Brother :
" I fully expected I should now have been able to have given you an answer to the request you made respecting the assistance to be wanted from this Government, in being supplied with proper Ministers, Schoolmasters, and Council at your Indian Towns; I laid your request immediately before the Assembly, and they sent me Word that as it was an affair of such importance they would take time to consider of it Well, and give me an Answer; this they have not yet done, and as you have acquainted me that your Messengers are very uneasy to return to inform the Indians of what has passed here, I must for the present defer giving you an Answer to what you then desired; but you may depend upon it, that every thing this Government engaged to do at Easton they will faithfully per- form. What they are now Considering is only the method of doing it. This is my Answer to what you mentioned the other day.
" Brother Teedyuscung :
" You may remember I told you on Wednesday last, that altho' I had thankfully Answered the Messages you had brought me from the Indian Country, Yet I had something more to say to you. " Brother :
" I think proper that our Peace Belt that I gave you the other Day should be sent with the greatest Dispatch, and in the safest Manner you can, to the Indian Towns on the Ohio, and the other Towns who have no entered into our alliance, that they may be fully informed of what has passed between us here, and the Good Work we have done. Take this my Calumet Pipe with you for our Friendly Indians to smoak out off. It is the Pipe our Old Pro- prietor, William Penn, smoaked in on his first Arrival into this Country, with all the Indians that then Entered into a Covenant Chain with him, and has been preserved by his Order to this Day for that good Purpose. I recommend it particularly to the Dela- wares, our Brethren, and their Grand Children, the Shawonese, to smoak out of it heartily, as it has now been filled with the same
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good Tobacco, and they, the Delawares and Shawonese, will then re- member their Mother Country, for the Ground in Pennsylvania is the Ground they came out off.
" Brother :
" You Know when they first left us they went only a Hunting, tho' at two great a Distance from us, to a Place where an Evil Spirit Reigned, where they lost themselves by the Instigation of that Evil Spirit, whose cunning and Power they could not resist.
" Brother :
" I cannot help thinking but their Thoughts must be often bent towards their Mother Country, as it is most Natural for all sorts of People to Love that Ground best from which they first Sprung. " Brother :
"We remember very well how kindly you received our Fore- fathers when they first arrived in this Country. You secured their Ship to the Bushes and kindled up a fire for them; You enter- tained them with the Best you had, and you must remember the Mutual Friendship that subsisted between us since that time, and hope these black Clouds that came from the North will be now intirely Dispelled, as the greatest part of them already are. We shall then see one another with a great Deal of Pleasure, and the Sooner it is done the better, and I assure you nothing shall be wanting on my Part towards perfecting this good Work.
" In confirmation of which I give you This Belt. " Brother :
"I must put you in Mind at this Opportunity of our Children that yet remain among the Indians. I should be extremely glad to see as many of them as you can possibly bring, and as you are a wise man you know that will give great Satisfaction to me, my Coun- cil, Assembly, and all the good People of this Province."
A Belt.
1
" Brother :
" You may remember that at first, when the Clouds were begin- ning to be dispelled, a little foot-Path was opened by Fort Allen to Wioming for our Messengers to pass thro' with Messages, but as now the Clouds are intirely dispelled between us and the Indians on Susqueannah, I think it necessary to Open a great Road, that is, from Diahogo and the Heads of the Susqueannah down to Fort Au- gusta, called by the Indians Shamokin, where you will always find a Kind reception, Entertainment, and Protection in your Road, to Philadelphia."
A Belt.
N. B .- Teedyuscung expressing some dissatisfaction at this Pro- posal, the Governor added that it was only a proposal for him to
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Consult the Indians at Wyoming upon, and then he might give an Answer after knowing their Minds.
"Brother :
" I have now done, and shall, without delay, lay before His Ma- jesty's Commander-in-Chief and Sir William Johnson, the Gentle- man appointed to transact Indian Affairs in this District, all that has passed between us, and I make no doubt but the Resolutions of the Indians with regard to the French will be very agreeable to them, and they will immediately transmit it to his Majesty, who will be exceedingly pleased."
The Governor ordered the Secretary to prepare a Draught of a Letter to Collonel Washington, or the Officer Commanding the Forces in Virginia, agreeable to Teedyuscung's Request of yester- day, and it was agreed such a Letter should be sent by express.
MEMORANDUM.
On the Twenty-Sixth the Letter to Collonel Washington was signed and sent by express, and ordered to be entered as follows :
A Letter from Governor Denny to Collonel Washington.
" PHILADELPHIA, 25th March, 1758. " Sir :
" Several accounts have been brought during the Winter as if there was a disposition in the Western Indians to return to their Old Friends, the English ; and as there has been little or no mischief done on the Frontiers of this and the Neighbouring Provinces of late it is not unlikely but the Indians are changing every Day in our Favour.
" We have no small Confirmation of the truth of these Accounts by some Messages which have been delivered to me, a belation thereto you will find in the inclosed Paper, besides what Teedy- uscung has said in Publick. From the Mouth of the Messengers who came directly from the Ohio by the Way of Diahoga they expressly declare that since the Peace Belts sent by these Indians who were formerly our Friends, have been so Kindly received by this Gov- ernment, they are sure that on their receiving this News they shall be sent back immediately with an Account of their seperating from the French and coming to join our friendly Indians.
" A few Days ago letters arrived here from Winchester informing that several Parties of Cherokees were come there and were pre- paring to go against the French and the Indians on the Ohio; these Messengers were some how or other made acquainted with this, and
-
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they no sooner heard it than Teedyuscung with them came in a formal Manner with the following Address:
"'Brother :
""' You must have heard that the Cherokees are come down to go to War. Now as several of our Friends who have joined with me live near, and some among the French, it is Necessary the Mes- senger should be sent before to tell them to seperate from the French that they may not be cut off with them.
"'Brother :
""" I would have you also dispatch a Messenger immediately to the Cherokees to inform them of what is done, and to stop them; for if any Mischief is done it will not be said the Cherokees did it, but that you have done it who hired and sent them; and this will undo all that we have done. But when the Indian Nations are informed of the Peace we have made, then all those Indians will come and join the Cherokees and be all Friends with the English, and altogether will go against the French.'
" I have reason to believe that the Cherokees hate the Delawares and Shawanese, and do not desire they should become our Friends, but would have them all destroyed, having Long born them great Enmity ; so that it is a nice point how to Communicate this News to them without giving them disgust; and if any of the early Parties of the Cherokees take miff and should return disgusted they may turn back many other Parties that may be on their Way to join his Majesty's Forces.
" As this ill Consequence can, I Think, be well avoided, if pru- dence be observed in the Communication of this News, In Com- pliance with Teedyuscung's Request, I send this Express, desiring that the whole matter may be related to the Cherokees, and they be requested to have regard thereto in their Scouting Parties.
"I am persuaded there is a good Disposition in several Indian Tribes, lately our Bitter Enemies, towards the English ; and as it would be a great misfortune, that they should be in any wise dis- couraged or disturbed, I hope you will find a way of engaging the Cherokees to attend severally, to the request made by Teedyuscung and these Indians.
" I beg the favour to know what numbers of Cherokees are al- ready come, and how many more are expected, and in what manner they will dispose of themselves, till the Rendezvous of the King's Forces.
"I am, Sir, Your very humble Servant, "WILLIAM DENNY."
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At a Council held at Philadelphia, the 27th of March, 1758.
PRESENT :
The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.
Robert Strettell,
Joseph Turner,
Richard Peters,
Lynford Lardner,
Benjamin Chew,
Thomas Cadwalader, 5 Esquires.
A Return of a Court for the Tryal of Negroes, was made by the Judges, by which it appears, that at Newtown in Bucks County, a Negro Man, named Christmas, was Condemned for Burglary, and Mr. Graydon, in behalf of the Court recommended him to mercy, informing the Governor by Letter, that he was a new Negro, and could not speak to be understood in his Defence.
All the Council were unanimous, that he was a proper Object of the Governor's Mercy, and the Secretary was ordered to make out a pardon for him, but not to deliver it till the Negroe's Master en- gaged to have him transported to some other Country.
A Letter from Captain Christopher Atkins, dated the 24th In- stant, on Board the Charming Polly, armed Sloops, lying at Reedy Island, was read in these Words :
" Charming Polly, Arm'd Sloop, "Lying at Reedy Island, Philadelphia River, " the 24th of March, 1758.
" Sir :
" Agreeable to my directions from Commodore Durell, Esqr., Commander-in-Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Vessels in North America, I am to acquaint you of my Arrival in the Above Sloop, under my Command, to inforce the Embargo on the Shipping of this Port, at the same time with my Compliments, as a King's Officer, and am with all due respect,
"Sir, Your most Obedient and very Humble Servant, " CHRISTOPHER ATKINS.
"P. S .- Since I wrote this I have met with three or four sail of Vessels in the Bay of Delaware, Outward bound to different Parts ; one ship bound to Teneriff, One Brig to Antigua, Sturgis, Master, an other Brig to Halifax, and a Schooner to Jamaica, Hugh Wright, Master, all which Vessels I have brought back with me to Reedy Island, where I intend to detain them till I hear your Orders.
" Must further beg leave to acquaint your Excellency that the General and Commodore at New York are very strict in inforcing the Embargo and preventing Vessels from eluding it; they having sent for two Privateers up, and Several Merchant Vessels who were Loading at the Watering Place.
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"By General Abercrombie's Directions, Collonel Haldiman has a Copy of my Orders .? '
And whilst the Letter was reading a Petition was presented to the Governor in Council by William Fisher, Redmond Canyngham, John Nesbitt, and Amos Strettell, setting forth the Difficulties they laboured under in not having their Vessels permitted to proceed on their Voyages, they having been cleared and sailed before the Em- bargo was laid. With these Petitions came Mr. Thomas Willing, Samuel Carson, Mr. Williams, and Captain Blair, who, as Well as the petitioners, made Application to the Governor for an Order to Mr. Atkins to suffer their Vessels to proceed on their Voyages, all having been cleared and sailed before the Embargo.
The Matter being considered, the Council were unanimously of Opinion that these Vessels could not Legally be stopped, and ad- vised the Governor to recommend it to Mr. Atkins immediately to discharge them, that they might proceed to their respective Ports ; and the Governor wrote to the Officer accordingly.
The Governor received Two Letters from General Forbes, the one dated the twentieth, the other the twenty-third Instant, both which were read and ordered to be entered :
A Letter from General Forbes to Governor Denny. " Sir :
" I have the favour of yours of the 17th, and make no manner of doubt of your doing of every thing in your Power in forwarding His Majesty's Service, and therefore must beg that the Officers and Soldiers raised in Pennsylvania for the Service are Able Bodied good Men, capable of enduring fatigue, and that their Arms be the best that can be found in the Province; As Carpenters and Axe Men are absolutely necessary upon Many Occasions, I must recom- mend the sending as many of those as can be conveniently got into the Troops.
" And likewise that the Province will raise fifty good Men, well mounted upon light Serviceable Horses, and every way accoutred to serve in Conjunction with those to be furnished by the other Provinces as a Body of Light Horse, from whom I expect very Im- portant Service.
" As the Roads from Lancaster to Williams' Ferry upon the Po- tomack may want considerable repairs and widening of them for the Carriages of Cannon, &ca., I have therefore wrote to the Gov- ernor of Maryland for that Purpose, In order that those roads may be repaired by the Inhabitants of the 2 Provinces of Pennsylvania and Maryland, living near those parts.
" As I propose Assembling the Regular Troops, and those of Pennsylvania, at Conegochieque, about the 20th of April; You will therefore give Orders for all Manner of Diligence to be used in
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raising the Numbers that your Province is to send, who shall be payed at the rate of 4 pence + Diem, in lieu of provisions from the time they begin their March; until that they are furnished with Provisions from the King's Stores.
" I am informed that the Inhabitants upon the Frontiers of your Province being much used to hunting in the Woods, would conse- quently make good Rangers, In which case I am to beg you will give your direction for the forming some of your properest Men into Companys of Rangers with good Officers, who are well ac- quainted with the Country, to Command them.
" If it could possibly be contrived to find some Intelligent Person who would venture up to the Ohio, either as a Merchant or a Deserter, & would bring us Intelligence what was going on in those parts, I should certainly reward him handsomely. Perhaps such a one might be found in some of your Provincial Companies up a Fort Loudoun, &cª., &cª.
" I should be obliged to you if you will give orders to send me some Account of what provincial Troops you have now on Foot, and where they are for the present, as likewise what Numbers (in the whole) your Province is to raise for the Service of the present Year.
"I must beg the favour that you will Order your Secretary to send the Inclosed Packett by an Express to Virginia, And I shall have the Honour to be with great regard, Sir,
" Your Most Obedient & most humble Servant,
"JO. FFORBES.
"New York, March 20th, 1758.
"P. S .- I have this moment an Express from Fort Edward, acquainting me of One of your Scouting Parties of 180 Men having been attacked by a Thousand of the Enemy's Indians, Canadians, &cª., near Tionderoga, in which we have lost 130 Men; the Party behaved most Gallantly, but were overpowered by Numbers."
Another Letter from General Forbes to Governor Denny. " Sir :
" As there will be a Number of Waggons and Carriages wanted in the Province of Pennsylvania, and as the Inhabitants may be backward in furnishing of them, altho' to be payed for them with ready Money, I therefore take this Opportunity of letting you know that Press Warrants will be necessary all over the Province, In order that if you are not vested with the Power to grant such War- rants, that you will apply to the Assembly to grant theirs, and fix
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prices upon the Different Carriages and Horses. I have the Honour to be, Sir, " Your most Obedient and most humble Servant,
"JO. FFORBES. "New York, March 23d."
The Council taking the within Letters into Consideration, it was agreed that Extracts of the said Letters should be sent to the House, and a Message to the Assembly was drawn at the Table, and agreed to, and the Secretary ordered to deliver it with the Extracts.
The Secretary was directed to make a fair Copy of the Indian Minutes of the Twenty-Fifth, and carry them to the House, with the following Message, But Mr. Peters acquainting the Governor that a Quorum of the House had not met, the Messages were ordered to be dated on the Twenty-Eighth, and entered :
A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
"I. have ordered the Secretary to lay before you Extracts of Letters I lately received from Brigadier General Forbes, containing Demands of several important Matters to be done by this Province for the facilitating and forwarding the Expedition to the Westward, and earnestly recommend it to you to take the same into your Con- sideration, and make Speedy Provision for this necessary Service. The Mayor has acquainted me that Quarters are demanded for One Thousand and Seventy-two Men, including Forty Officers, of which Two Hundred and Twelve are already in Town, and the rest expected in a Day or two. As the Publick Houses in the City and Suburbs cannot at most contain more than Six Hundred, I desire you would be pleased to give Directions that the Barracks be forthwith made ready, and furnished with such necessaries as are required in Quarters, and particularly that a proper quantity of Straw and Wood be ready against the Arrival of the other Troops.
"Some time ago I desired one of your Members to acquaint the House that the Act for Quartering of Soldiers would expire at the end of this Sessions, that it Might be renewed, and I now remind you that this is the Case with respect to the Act for regulating Car- riages to be employed in his Majesty's Service. A Number of Waggons will be wanted for the expedition, which will make it necessary for you to fix the Prices of Carriages and Horses, without confining the Hire, as in the late Act, to the inhabited Parts of the Province, or limiting it to a Day or any certain Time.
Many of the Arms given to the provincials being very bad and unfit for use, I propose to Supply them out of the Publick Magazine in this City, and desire you would make provision for the Expence that will attend the Carriage of them.
"WILLIAM DENNY.
" March 28, 1758."
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A Message from the Governor to the Assembly.
" Gentlemen :
" Before I received your Message of the Twenty-fourth Instant, in Answer to mine of the Day before, I intended to have spoke to Teedyuscung, and to have taken my leave of him in Publick, but on his acquainting me that the Messengers had heard of the Arrival of some Parties of Cherokee Warriors in Virginia, and were uncasy to be dispatched, that they might put the Indians who sent them on their Guard with respect to these parties, I did not think it proper to detain them for a formal Conference, but gave them my Answer as soon as it could be got ready.
"You will see by the Minutes now laid before you that I re- minded Teedyuscung of the Prisoners remaining among the Indians, assuring him it would give great Satisfaction to me, the Council, Assembly, and all the People of the Province, to see as many of them brought here as was possible. This I said in the presence of the Messengers and other Indians.
" To himself much more was said, intending it should likewise be said in their presence ; but he advised me to the Contrary, tell- ing me, that the Messengers would return instantly with agreeable Answers from the Indians, and till then, no more need be said, and it would do more harm than Good.
"No Opportunity has offered since the Treaty of Easton, for my taking any Measures respecting the restoring of the Prisoners, more than reminding Teedyuscung of his engagements on this Ac- count, which I have not failed frequently to do, tho' not formally, as that would have answered no Purpose. The very first Oppor- tunity that Offers with these, or any other Indians, shall be very heartily embraced, and the matter urged upon them with all the Zeal and Care in my power.
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