USA > Pennsylvania > Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of the West, and of western expeditions and campaigns, from MDCCLIV to MDCCCXXXIII > Part 40
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 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90
You are to make particular enquiry into the behavior of the Shawo- nese, since the commencement of the war, and in relation-to the coun- tenance they gave to Peter Chartier. It is proper to tell you that they relented, made acknowledgments to the government of their error, in being seduced by Peter Chartier, and prayed they might be permitted to return to their old town and be taken again as sincere penitents into the favor of the government; and though the Governor gave them assurances that all past misbehaviour should be pardoned, on their sending depu- ties to Philadelphia, to acknowledge their fault, yet they contented them- selves with loose letters by Indian traders, some of which have been delivered, and some not; but had they all been delivered, this was not a becoming manner of addressing the government, nor could they expect any thing from it.
You will, therefore, speak to them by themselves, and give them such
[ 12 ]
WEISER'S JOURNAL, 1748.
a quantity of goods, as upon their present temper, and the frankness of their submissions, you shall think they deserve.
Given in Council, under my hand and the lesser seal of the said Pro. vince, at Philadelphia, the 23d day of June, Anno Domini, 1748. ANTHONY PALMER. Prov. Rec. L. p, 329-334.
[NO. III. ]
WEISER'S JOURNAL, 1748.
THE JOURNAL OF CONRAD WEISER, ESQ., INDIAN INTERPRETER.
August 11th, 1748-Set out from my house (Heidelberg township, Berks county, Pa. ) and came to James Galbreath's that day, 30 miles. August 12th-Came to George Croghan's, 15 August 13th-To Robert Dunning's, 20
August 14th-To Tuscarora Path, 30 66
August 15 and 16th-Lay by, on account of the men coming back sick, and some other affairs hindering us.
August 17th-Crossed the 'Tuscarora Hill, and came to the sleeping place, called THE BLACK LOG, 20
August 18th-Had a great rain in the afternoon-came with- in two miles of the STANDING STONE, Huntingdon county, 24
August 19th-We travelled but twelve miles-were obliged to dry our things in the afternoon, 12
August 20th-Came to FRANKS TOWN, but saw no houses or cabin. Here we overtook the goods, be- cause four of George Crohan's hands fell sick, 26
August 21st-Lay by, it raining all day.
August 22d-Crossed the Alleghenny hills, and came to the CLEAR FIELDS, 16 ¥
August 23d-Came to the SHOWONESE CABBINS, .34
August 24th-Found a dead man on the road, who had killed himself by drinking too much whiskey .- The place being very stoney, we could not dig a grave. He smelling very strong, we covered him with stones and wood and went on in our journey-came to the TEN MILE LICK, 32
August 25th-Crossed KISKEMINETOES CREEK, and came to OHIO* that day, 26
*Allegheny river, this river being then called "Ohio"-I. D. R.
[13]
Y
a
ct
ch
0 e
t
4
APPENDIX-NO. III.
August 26th-Hired a canoe-paid 1000 black wampum for the loan of it to LOGs TowN. Our horses being all tired, we went by water, and came that night to a DELAWARE TOWN-the In- dians used us very kindly.
August 27th-Set off again in the morning early -- rainy weather. We dined in a SENEKA TOWN, where an old Seneka woman reigns with great . authority. We dined at her house, and they all used us very well at this and the last mentioned Delaware town. They received us by firing a great many guns, especially at this place. We saluted the town by firing off four pairs of pistols. Arrived that evening at Lods Town and saluted the town as before. The Indians returned about one hundred guns. Great joy appeared in their countenances.
From the place where we took water, i. e. from the OLD SHOWONESE- TowN, commonly called CHARTIERS-TOWN, to THIS place is above sixty miles by water, and but thirty-five or forty by land.
The Indian council met this evening to shake hands with me, and to show their satisfaction at my safe arrival. I desired of them to send a couple of canoes to fetch down the goods from CHARTIERS OLD-TOWN, where we had been obliged to leave them on account of our horses being all tired. I gave them a string of wampum, to enforce my request.
August 28th-Lay still.
August 29th-The Indians set off in their canoes to fetch the goods. I expected the goods would be all at CHARTIERS OLD-TOWN, by the time the canoes would get there, as we met about twenty horses of George Croghan's at the SHOWONESE CABBINS, in order to fetch the goods, that were then at FRANKS-TOWN."
This day, news came to town, that the Six Nations were on the point of declaring war against the French, for the reason that the French had imprisoned some of the Indian deputies. A council was held, and all the Indians made acquainted with the news; and, it was said, the Indian messenger was, by the way, to give all the Indians notice to make ready to fight the French.
This day my companions went to Coscosky* a large INDIAN TOWN, about thirty miles off.
August 30th-I went to BEAVER CREEK, an Indian town, eight miles off; chiefly DELAWARES ; the rest MOHAWKS, to have some belts of wam- pum made. This afternoon rainy weather set in, which lasted above a week. Andrew Montour came back from Coscosky, with a message from the Indians there, to desire of me, that the ensuing council might be held at their town. We both lodged at this town, at George Croghan's Trading house.
August 31st-Sent Andrew Montour back to CoscosKY, with a string of wampum, to let the Indians then know that it was an act of their own; that the ensuing Council must be held at the Logs-Town : they had ordered it so, last spring, when George Croghan was up; and at the last treaty at Lancaster the SHOWONESE and TWIGHTWEES had been
*This town is placed in Hutchin's map, on the west side of Big Beaver, about one mile below where the Shenango and Mahoning unite .- I. D. R.
[14]
go
th
W of
WEISER'S JOURNAL, 1748.
told so, and they staid accordingly for the purpose ; and both would be offended if the Council was to be held at Coscosky; besides my instructions bind me to LoGs-Town, and could not further go without giving offence.
September 1st-The Indians in Logs-Town having heard of the message from Coscosky, sent for me know what I was resolved to do, and told me that the Indians at Coscosky were no more chiefs than themselves, that last spring they had nothing to eat, and expecting that they should have nothing to eat at our arrival ; ordered, that the Coun- cil should be held here. Now their corn is ripe, they want to remove the Council ; but they ought to stand by their word : we have kept the TWIGTWEES here from below on that account. As I told them about the message that I had sent by Andrew Montour, they were content.
September 2d-The rain continued. The Indians brought in a good deal of venison.
September 3d-Set up the Union Flag on a long pole. Treated all the company with a dram of rum. The King's health was drunk by the Indians and white men. Towards night a great many Indians ar- rived to attend the Council. There was a great firing on both sides .- The strangers first saluted the town at a quarter of a mile distance ; and at their entry the town's people returned the fire, also the English tra- ders, of whom there were about twenty. At night, being very sick of the cholic, I got bled.
September 4th-Was obliged to keep my bed all day, being very weak.
September 5th-Found myself better. SCAIOHADY came to see me. I had some discourse with him about the ensuing Council.
September 6th-Had a council with the WANDATS, otherwise called IONONTADY-HAGAS; they made a fine speech to me, to make me wel- come, and appeared on the whole very friendly. Rainy weather con- tinued.
September 7th-Being informed that the WANDATS had a mind to go back again to the French, and had endeavored to take the Delawares with them to recommend them to the French, I sent Andrew Montour to Beaver Creek with a string of wampum to inform himself of the truth of the matter. - 'They sent a string in answer to let me know they had no correspondence that way with the WANDATS, and that the aforesaid report was false.
September 8th-Had a council with the Chiefs of the WANDATS; in- quired into their number, and what occasioned them to come away from the French; what correspondence they had with the Six Nations, and whether or not they had ever any correspondence with the government of New York. They informed me their coming away from the French was because of the hard usage they received from them; that they would always get their young men to go to war against the enemies, and would use them as their own people, that is, like slaves ; and their goods were so dear that they, the Indians, could not buy them. That there were one hundred fighting men that came over to join the English, seventy were left behind at another town, a good distance off, and they hoped they would follow them ; that they had a very good correspond-
[15]
at n - r,
APPENDIX-NO. III.
ence with the Six Nations for many years, and were one people with them ; that they could wish the Six Nations would act more briskly against the French. That above fifty years ago they made a Treaty of Friendship with the Governor of New York at Albany ; and they showed me a large belt of wampum they received there from the said Governor, as from the King of Great Britain. The belt was twenty- five grains wide and two hundred and sixty-five long, very curiously wrought. There were seven images of men holding one another by the hand.
The first, signifying the Governor of New York ; or, rather as they said, the King of Great Britain.
The second, the Mohawks.
The third, the Oneidos.
The fourth, the Cajugas.
The fifth, the Onondagers.
The sixth, the Senekas.
The seventh, the Owandats ; and two rows of black wampum under their feet, through the whole length of the belt, to signify the road from Albany through the Five Nations to the OWANDATS. That six years ago they had sent Deputies with the same belt to Albany to renew the Friendship.
I treated them with a quart of whiskey and a roll of tobacco. They expressed their good wishes to King George and all his people, and were mightily pleased that I looked upon them as brethren of the English.
This day I desired the Deputies of all the Nations of Indians settled on the waters of the Ohio, to give me a list of their fighting men, which they promised to do. A great many of the Indians went away this day, because the goods did not come, and the people in the town could not find provision enough, the number was so great.
The following is the number of every Nation given to me by their several Deputies in Council in so many little sticks tied up in a bundle :
The Senekas, one hundred and sixty-three.
The Showonese, one hundred and sixty-two.
The Owandats, one hundred.
The Tisagechroann, forty.
The Mohawks, seventy-four.
The Mohickons, fifteen.
The Onondagers, thirty-five.
The Cajugas, twenty.
The Oneidos, fifteen.
The Delawares, one hundred and sixty-five-in all seven hundred and eighty-nine.
September 9th-I held a Council with the Senekas and gave them a large string of wampum, black and white, to acquaint them I had it in charge from the President and Council in Philadelphia, to enquire who it is that lately took the people prisoners in Carolina; one thereof being a great man, and that by what discovery I had already made, I found it was some of the Senekas did it; I therefore desired them to give me the reasons for doing so; and as they had struck their hatchet into their
[16]
B
fri tha
P
h
a
y
y
tie yo
WEISER'S JOURNAL, 1748.
brethren's body, they could not expect that I could deliver them my message with a good heart, before they gave me satisfaction in that res- pect; for they must consider the English, though living in several Prov- inces, are all one people ; and doing mischief to the one, is doing to the other. Let me have a plain and direct answer.
September 10th-A great many of the Indians got drunk. One Hen- ry Noland had brought near thirty gallons of whiskey to the town this day. I made a present to the old Shawanese Chief, CACKAWATCHEKY, of a strand, a blanket, a match coat, a shirt, a pair of stockings, and a large twist of tobacco ; and told him that the President and Council of Philadelphia remembered their love to him, as to their old and true friend, and would clothe his body once more, and wished he might wear them out so as to give them an opportunity to clothe him again.
There were a great many Indians present, two of which were the BIG-HOMINY and the PRIDE; those that went off with CHARTIER, but protested against his proceedings against our Indian traders.
CACKAWATCHEKY returned thanks ; and, some of the Six Nations did the same ; and expressed their satisfaction to see a true man taken no- tice of, although he was now grown childish.
September 11th -- George Croghan and myself staved an eight gallon keg of liquor belonging to the aforesaid Henry Noland, who could not be prevailed on to hide it in the woods, but would sell it, and get druuk himself.
I desired some of the Indians in council to send some of their young men to meet our people with the goods, and not to come back before they heard of, or saw them. I began to be afraid they had fallen into the hands of the enemy : so did the Indians.
Ten warriors came to town, by water, from Niagara. We suspected them very much, and feared that some of their parties went to meet our people by hearing of then.
September 12th-Two Indians and a white man went out to meet our people, and had orders not to come back before they saw them, or to go to Franks Town where we left the goods. The same day the Indi- ans made answer to my requests, concerning the prisoners taken in Caro- lina. THANAGIESON, a speaker of the SENEKAS, spoke to the following purpose, in the presence of all the deputies of the other Nations :
" We went out door; brethren, you came a great way to visit us, and many sorts of evils might have befallen you by the way, which might have been hurtful to your eyes and your inward parts ; for the woods are full of evil spirits. We give you this string of wampum to clear up your eyes and minds, and to remove all bitterness of your spirit, that you may hear us speak a good cheer."
Then the speaker took his belt in his hand, and said :
" Brethren-When we and you first saw one another at your first ar- rival at Albany, we shook hands together, and became brethren, and we tied your ship to the bushes; and after we had more acquaintance with you, we loved you more and more, and perceiving that a bush would not hold your vessel, we then tied her to a large tree, and ever after good friendship continued between us; afterwards, you, our brethren told us, that a tree might happen to fall down, and the rope rot wherewith the ship
[17 ]
B
nd DO in rho ing the teir
t
r
APPENDIX-NO. III.
was tied : you then proposed to make a silver chain, and tie your ship to the great mountains in the Five Nations' country ; and that chain was called the Chain of Friendship; we were all tied by our arms together with it; and we, the Indians of the Five Nations, heartily agreed to it, and ever since a very good correspondence has been kept up between us ; but, we are very sorry that at your coming here, we are obliged to talk of the accident that lately befel you in Carolina, where some of our warriors by the instigation of the evil spirit, struck their hatchets into our own body like; for our brethren, the English, and we are of one body ; and what was done, we utterly abhor as a thing done by the evil spirit himself : we never expected any of our people would ever do so to our brethren. We therefore remove our hatchet, which, by the influ- ence of the evil spirit, was struck into your body, and we desire that our brother, the Governor of New York, and ONAS, may use their ut- most endeavors that the thing may be buried in the bottomless pit; that it may never be seen again; that the chain of friendship, which is of so long standing, may be preserved bright and unhurt."-Gave a belt.
The speaker then took up a string of wampum, mostly black, and said :
" Brethren-As we have removed our hatchet out of your body, or properly speaking, out of our own, we now desire that the air may be cleared up again, and the wound given may be healed, and every thing put in good understanding, as it was before ; and we desire you will as- sist us to make up every thing with the Governor of Carolina; the man that has been brought to us prisoner, we now deliver up to you ; he is yours."
Then laid down the string and took the prisoner by the hand, and delivered him to me. By way of discourse the speaker said : The Six Nation warriors often met Englishmen trading to the CATAWBAS, and often found that the Englishmen betrayed them to their enemies, and some of the English traders had been spoken to by the Indian speaker last year in the CHERRYKEES country, and were told not to do so ; that the speaker, and many others of the Six Nations, had been afraid a long time, that such a thing would be done by some of their warriors, at one time or other.
September 13th-Had a Council with the Senekas and Onontagers about the Wandots to receive them into our Union. I gave a large belt of wampum ; and the Indians gave two ; and every thing was agreed upon about what should be said to the Wandots. The same day a full Council was appointed, and met accordingly, and a speech was made to the Wandots by ASSERHAZTUZ, a Seneka, as follows :
" Brethren-The IONONTADY-HAGAS; last Spring you sent this belt of wampum to us (having the belt then in his hand) to desire us and our brethren, the Shawonese, and our cousins the Delawares, to come to meet you in your retreat from the French ; we accordingly came to your assistance, and brought you here, and received you as our own flesh. We desire, you will think, you now join us and our brethren, the Eng- lish ; and you to become our people with us."
Then he laid that belt by, and gave them a very long string of wampum. The speaker took up the belt, I gave, and said :
"Brethren-The English, our brothers, bid you welcome, and are [18]
WEISER'S JOURNAL, 1748.
glad you escaped as it were, out of captivity, You have been kept as slaves by ONONTIO, notwithstanding he called you all along his children ; but now you have broken the rope where with you had been tied, and became freemen; and we, the united Six Nations receive you to our Council Fire, and make you members thereof ; and we will secure your dwelling place to you against all manner of danger."-Gave the belt.
" Brethren-We the Six United Nations, and all our Indian allies, with our brethren the English, look upon you as our children, though you are our brethren; we desire you will give no ear to the Evil Spirit that spreads lies and wickedness ; let your mind be easy and clear, and be of the same mind with us, whatever you may hear, nothing shall befal you, but what of necessity must befal us at the same time.
" Brethren-We are extremely pleased to see you here, as it hap- pened just at the same time when our brother ONAS is with us. We jointly, by this belt of wampum, embrace you about your middle, and desire you to be strong in your minds and hearts ; let nothing alter your minds, but live and die with us."
Gave a belt of wampum. The Council broke up.
September 14th-A full Council was summoned, and every thing re- peated by me to all the Indians, what passed in Lancaster at the last Treaty with the TWIGHTWEES.
The news was confirmed by a belt of wampum from the Six Nations, that the French had imprisoned some of the Six Nation's Deputies, and thirty of the Wandots including women and children.
The Indians that were sent to meet our people with the goods came back, and had not seen any thing of them, but they had been no further than the old Shawonese Town.
September 15th -- I let the Indians know, that I would deliver my message to-morrow, and the goods; and that they must send deputies with me on my return homewards; and wherever we should meet the rest of the goods, I would send them to them, if they were not taken by the enemy. To which they agreed.
The same day the Delawares made a speech to me, and presented a Beaver coat, and a string of wampum, and said :
" Brethren-We let the President and Council of Philadelphia know, that after the death of our chief man, Olomipees, our grand children, the Shawonese, came to our town to condole with us over the loss of our good king, your brother, and they wiped off our tears, and comforted our minds ; and as the Delawares are the same people with the Pennsylvanians, and born in one and the same country, we gave some of the present to our grand children, given us by the President and Council in Philadelphia, because the death of their good friend and brother, must have affected them as well as us."
Gave the Beaver coat and a string of wampum.
The same day, the Wandots sent for me and Andrew Montour, and presented us with seven beaver skins, about ten pounds weight, and said, they gave us that to buy some refreshments for us after our arrival in Pennsylvania, and wished we might get home safe, and lifted up their hands and said, they would pray God to protect us, and guide us the way home. I desired to know their names-they behaved like people
[19 ]
re
0
1 1
APPENDIX-NO. III.
of good sense and sincerity. The most of them were gray headed. Their names are as follows :
TOTOZNIHIADES, TAGANAYESY, IONACHQUAD, WANDUPY, TAZUCHION- ZAS, their Speaker.
The chiefs of the Delawares that made the above speech, are SHAW- ANASSON and ACHAMANATAINN.
September 16th-I made answer to the Delawares, and said :
" Brethren, the Delawares-It is true what you said, that the people of Pennsylvania are your brethren and countrymen : we are very well pleased with what your children, the Shawonese, did to you-this is the first time we had public notice given us of the death of our good friend and brother Olomipees. I take this opportunity to remove the remainder of your troubles from your hearts, to enable you to attend the ensuing treaty, and I assure you, the President and Council of Pennsylvania, condole with you over the loss of your king, our good friend and brother."-Gave them five strands.
The two aforesaid chiefs gave a string of wampum, and desired me to let their brethern, the President and Council know, that they intended a journey next spring to Philadelphia, to consult with the brethren on some affairs of moment ; since they are now like orphan children, they hoped their brethren would let them have their good advice and assis- tance, as the people of Pennsylvania and the Delawares were like one family.
The same day the rest of the goods arrived ; the men said they had nine days rain, and the creeks had risen, and that they had been obliged to send a sick man back from Frankstown to the inhabitants, with another to attend him.
The neighboring Indians being sent for again, the council was ap- pointed to meet to-morrow-it rained again.
September 17th-It rained very hard ; but in the afternoon, it held up for about three hours. The deputies of the several nations met in council, and I delivered there what I had to say from the President and council of Pennsylvania, by Andrew Montour.
" Brethren-You that live on Ohio, I am sent to you by the President and Council of Pennsylvania, and am now going to speak to you on their behalf. I desire you will take notice, and hear what I shall say." -Gave a string of wampum.
" Brethren-Some of you had been in Philadelphia last fall, and acquainted us, that you had taken up the English hatchet, and that you had already made use of it against the French ; and that the French had very hard heads, and your country afforded nothing but sticks and hickorys, which were not sufficient to break them. You desired vour brethren would assist you with some weapons, sufficient to do it. Your brethren, the President and Council promised you then, to send some- thing next spring by Thazachiawagon, but as some other affairs pre- vented his journey to Ohio, you received a supply by George Croghan, sent you by your said brethren, but before George Croghan came back from Ohio, news came from over the Great Lake, that the king of Great Britain, and the French king, had agreed upon a cessation of arms for
[20]
WEISER'S JOURNAL, 1748.
six months, and that a peace was very likely to follow .* Your brethren, the President and Council, were then, in a manner, at a loss what to do. It did not become them to act contrary to the command of the king ; and it was out of their power to encourage you in the war against the French; but as your brethren never missed fulfilling their promises, they have, upon second consideration, thought proper to turn the intended supply into a civil and brotherly present, and have, accordingly, sent me with it; and here are the goods before your eyes, which I have, by your brethren's order, divided into five shares, and laid in five different heaps; one heap whereof, your brother Assaraquoa sent to you, to remember his friendship and unity with you ; and as you are all of the same nations, with whom we, the English, have been in league of friendship, nothing need be said more than this, that the President and Council, and Assaraquoa, have sent you this present, to serve to strengthen the chain of friendship between us, the English, and the several nations of Indians to which you belong.
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.