USA > Pennsylvania > Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of the West, and of western expeditions and campaigns, from MDCCLIV to MDCCCXXXIII > Part 41
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"A French peace is a very uncertain one ; they keep it no longerthan their interest permits; then they break it without provocation given them. The French King's people have been almost starved in old France for want of provision, which made them wish and seek for peace; but our wise people are of opinion that after their bellies are full, they will quarrel again, and raise a war. All nations in Europe know that their friendship is mixed with poison, and many that trusted too much on their friendship, have been ruined.
"I now conclude, and say that we, the English, are your true brethren at all events. In token whereof, receive this present."
The goods being then uncovered, I proceeded :
"Brethren-You have of late settled on the river of Ohio for the sake of hunting, and our traders followed you, for the sake of hunting also. You have invited them yourselves. Your brethren, the President and Council, desire you will look upon them as your brethren, and see that they have justice done them. Some of your young men have robbed our traders, but you will be so honest as to compel them to make satis- faction. You are now become a people of note, and are grown very numerous of late years ; and there are no doubt, some wise men among you ; it therefore becomes you to act the part of wise men; and, for the future, be more regular than you have been for some years past, when only a few young hunters lived here." -- Gave a belt.
"Brethren-You have of late made frequent complaints against the traders bringing so much rum to your towns, and desire it might be stopped ; and your brethren, the President and Council, made an act accordingly, and put a stop to it, and no trader was to bring any rum or strong drink liquor to your towns. I have the act here with me, and shall explain it to you before I leave you. But it seems it is out of your brethren's power to stop it entirely. You send down your own skins by the traders to buy rum for you. You go yourselves, and fetch horse loads of strong liquors ; only the other day, an Indian came to this town
* On the 7th October, 1748, a definite treaty of peace was concluded at Aix La Chapelle, France.
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APPENDIX-NO. III.
out of Maryland, with three horse loads of liquor ; so that it appears that you love it so well that you cannot be without it. You know very well that the country near the endless mountains affords strong liquor, and the moment the traders buy it, they are gone out of the inhabited parts, and are travelling to this place without being discovered; besides this, you never agree about it; one will have it, the other wont, (though very few:) a third says, he will have it cheaper; this last, we believe, is spoken from your hearts. [Here they laughed.] Your brethren, therefore, have ordered that every - - of whiskey shall be sold to you for five bucks in your town, and if a trader offers to sell whiskey to you, and will not let you have it at that price, you may take it from him, and drink it for nothing." -- Gave a belt.
"Brethren-Here is one of the traders, who you know to be a very sober and honest man ; he has been robbed of the value of three hundred bucks, and you all know by whom ; let, therefore, satisfaction be made to the trader." -- Gave a string of wampum.
"Brethren-I have no more to say."
I delivered the goods to them, having first divided them into five shares. A share to the Senekas : another to the Cajukas, Oneidas, the Onontagers and Mohawks; another to the Delawares; another to the Owandots, Zisagechroann and Mohickons ; and the other to the Shaw- onese."
The Indians signified great satisfaction, and were well pleased with the cessation of arms. The rainy weather hastened them away with the goods into the houses.
September 18th-The speech was delivered to the Delawares in their own language, and also to the Showonese in theirs, by Andrew Montour, in the presence of the gentleman that accompanied me. I acquainted the Indians that I was determined to leave them to-morrow, and return homeward.
September 19th-SCAIOHADY, TANUGHRISSON and ONIADAGAREHRA, with a few more, came to my lodging and spoke as follows :
" Brother Onas-We desire you will hear what we are going to say to you, in behalf of all the Indians on Ohio ; their deputies have sent us to you.
"We have heard what you have said to us ; and we return you many thanks for your kindness in informing us of what passed between the King of Great Britain and the French King; and in particular, we re- turn you many thanks for the large presents; we do the same to our brother ASSARAQUOA, who joined our brother ONAS in making us a pre- sent. Our brethren have indeed tied our hearts to theirs. We at pre- sent can but return thanks with an empty hand, till another opportunity serves to do it sufficiently. We must call a great council, and do every thing regularly ; in the mean time, look upon us as your true brothers.
"Brother-You said the other day, in council, if any thing befel us from the French, we must let you know it. We will let you know if we hear any thing from the French, be it against us or yourself. You will have peace; but it is most certain that the Six Nations and their
[22]
WEISER'S MISSION TO LOGSTOWN, 1748.
allies are upon the point of declaring war against the French. Let us keep up the correspondence, and always hear of one another." -- They gave a belt.
SCAIOHADY and the HALF-KING, with two others, had informed me that they often must send messengers to Indian Towns and Nations, and had nothing in their council bag, as they were new beginners, either to recompense a messenger or to get wampum to do the business, and begged I would assist them with something. I had saved a piece of strand, and half barrel of powder, 100 pounds of lead, ten shirts, six knives, and one pound of vermillion, and gave it to them for the aforesaid use. They returned many thanks and were mightily pleased.
The same day I set out for Pennsylvania, in rainy weather, and arrived at George Croghan's on the 28th instant.
CONRAD WEISER.
Pennsburg,* September 29, 1748.
Provincial Record Book, L. p. 420-437.
WEISER'S MISSION TO LOGSTOWN, 1748.
The Delaware and Shawonese Indians had settled on the Ohio prior to 1730, among whom French emissaries, and persons disaffected with English rule, had been for several years endeavoring to detach them from the English interest. Among them was one Peter Chartier. He owned at one time a tract of land, the present site of New Cumberland, Cumberland county, Pa. At this place the Shawonese Indians had a town about 1700-20. It was for many years the landing place of Peter, an Indian Agent, and an individual of some notoriety. He owned at one time six hundred acres of land, bounded by the Yellow Breeches creek and Susquehanna river.
In the spring of 1744, April 18, at the head of four hundred Shaw- onese, well armed with guns, pistols, and cutlasses, he surprised and took prisoner two Indian traders, James Dinnew and Peter Tostee, on the Allegheny river, robbed them of all their effects to the amount of £1600.
Sometime afterwards a few of the seduced Shawonese returned again to the English, and acknowledged they had been misled, and had carried on a private correspondence with the French .-- [Notes. Assem. iv. 13. Prov. Rec. K. 347, L. 362, 420, 437.]
Governor George Thomas, in his message to the Assembly, April 25, 1745, says: "I have just received information that Peter Chartier, after disposing of his effects in this government, is gone to the enemy (French). His conduct for some years past has rendered him generally suspected; and it seems my reprimanding him for some very exception- able parts of it, is made use of amongst other things to excuse his infidel- ity. Had he been punished as he deserved, for the villainous report he spread two years ago, among the back inhabitants, in order to spirit them up against such of the Six Nations as should happen to travel through
* Cumberland county, seven or eight miles east of Carlisle .- I. D. R.
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APPENDIX-NO. III.
those parts of the country, he would not have been at this time with the enemy ; but an apprehension that the Shawonese, whose perfidious blood partly runs in Chartier's veins, might resent upon our traders any sever- ities to him, restrained me from making use of such, and induced me to use the gentle method of reproof, which his brutish disposition had con- strued into an affront.
" I am likewise informed, that he has persuaded a considerable num- ber of the Shawonese to remove from their old town, to a greater distance upon another river, and it is not to be doubted but that a savage person of his temper, will do us all the mischief he can. If you think it worth while, I will send a special messenger to persuade those Shawonese to return to their former place of abode, or I will take any other method you shall advise ; though it is my opinion, the advantages of the trade excepted, the further these people remove from our borders, the better it will be for us. I have written letters from time to time to the Shaw- onese chiefs, inviting them down to Philadelphia, and particularly a very kind one last fall, which Peter Shaver tells me he delivered ; but that I have of late received no answer, may be imputed to Chartier's influence over them ; and it is too probable that he will make use of it to defeat any future attempts we shall make to revive their friendship with us." -- [Notes. Ass. iv. 2.]
The Delawares and Shawonese were connected with the Six Nations. In 1747 some of them on the banks of the Ohio visited Philadelphia, " to tender their homage to the English, and to invite the province to send commissioners to a Council fire," at Logstown, in the present coun- ty of Beaver, at which the neighboring nations were to be present .-- Impressed with the importance of such a conference, the Council at Philadelphia, invited the governments of Maryland and Virginia to send their agents, and to unite in preparing a suitable present. On the part of Pennsylvania, goods were provided to the value of a thousand pounds, and Conrad Weiser, the Provincial Interpreter and Indian Agent was sent, with the instructions given below from the governor. Weiser in obedience to his instructions proceeded to Logstown, and executed with his wonted fidelity, the object of his mission.
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CROGHAN'S LETTER, 1750.
[NO. IV. ]
GEORGE CROGHAN'S LETTER, 1750.
LOGSTOWN ON OHIO, Dec. 16, 1750.
Sir-Yesterday Mr. Montour and I got to this town where we found thirty warriors of the Six Nations going to war against the Catawba Indians. They told us that they saw John Coeur, (Joncaire,)* about one hundred and fifty miles up the river at an Indian town, where he intends to build a fort, if he can get liberty from the Ohio Indians. He has five canoes loaded with goods, and is very generous in making pres- ents to all the Chiefs of the Indians that he meets with. He has sent two messengers to this town, desiring the Indians here to go and meet him and clear the road for him to come down the river; but they have had so little respect for his message that they have not thought it worth while to send him an answer as yet.
We have seen but very few of the Chiefs of the Indians, they being all out hunting ; but those we have seen are of opinion that their broth- ers, the English, ought to have a fort on this river to secure the trade ; for they think it will be dangerous for the traders to travel the roads for fear of being surprised by some of the French and French Indians, as they expect nothing else but a war with the French next spring.
At a town about three hundred miles down this river, where the Chief of the Shawanese lives, a party of French and French Indians surprised some of the Shawanese and killed a man, and took a woman and two children prisoners. The Shawanese pursued them and took five French- men and some Indians prisoners. The TWIGHTWEES likewise have sent word to the French, that if they can find any of their people either French or French Indians on their hunting grounds, they will make them prisoners. So I expect nothing else but a war this spring.
The TWIGHTWEES want to settle themselves somewhere up this river in order to be nearer their brothers, the English; for they are determined never to hold a treaty of peace with the French.
Mr. Montour and I intend as soon as we can get the Chiefs of the Six Nations that are settled here together, to solicit them to appoint a piece of ground up this river to seat the Twightwees on and kindle a fire for them, and, if possible, to remove the Shawanese up the river, which we think will be securing these Nations more steady to the Eng- lish interest.
I hope the present of goods that is preparing for those Indians will
* Joncaire had gained great influence over the Indians; he had been an Indian agent for more than twenty years, and had been, says Bancroft, suc- cessfully negotiating with the Senecas. He was become by adoption one of their own citizens and sons, and to the culture of a Frenchman added the flu- ent eloquence of an Iroquois warrior. When the Delawares and Shawanese migrated to Allegheny, Joncaire soon found his way among them, and suc- ceeded in persuading them to join the French.
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APPENDIX-NO. IV.
be at this town sometime in March next; for the Indians, as they are now acquainted that there is a present coming, will be impatient to re- ceive it, as they intend to meet the French next spring between this and fort De Troit; for they are certain the French intend an expedition against them next spring from fort De Troit.
I hear the Owendats are as steady and well attached to the English interest as ever they were; so that I believe the French will make but a poor hand of those Indians. Mr. Montour takes a great deal of pains to promote the English interest among those Indians, and has a great sway amongst all those nations.
If your Honor has any instructions to send to Mr. Montour, Mr. Trent will forward it to me. I will see it delivered to the Indians in the best manner, that your Honor's command may have their full force with the Indians.
I am with due respects, Your Honor's most humble servant.
GEORGE CROGHAN.
To JAMES HAMILTON, Esq., Gov. Pa.
Prov. Rec. M. p. 101.
[ NO. V. ]
CROGHAN'S JOURNAL, 1751.
AN ACCOUNT OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF GEORGE CROGHAN, ESQ., AND MR. AN- DREW MONTOUR AT OHIO, IN THE EXECUTION OF THE GOVERNOR'S IN- STRUCTIONS TO DELIVER THE PROVINCIAL PRESENTS TO THE SEVERAL TRIBES OF INDIANS SETTLED THERE, 1751.
May the 18th, 1751 *- I arrived at the Logs Town on Ohio, with the Provincial presents from the Province of Pennsylvania, where I was received by a great number of the Six Nations, Delawares and Shaw- nese in a very complaisant manner in their way, by firing guns and hoisting the English colors. As soon as I came to the shore, their Chiefs met me and took me by the hand, bidding me welcome to their country.
May 19th-One of the Six Nation Kings from the heads of the Ohio, came to the Logs Town to the council; he immediately came to visit me, and told me he was glad to see a messenger from his Brother Onas, on the waters of Ohio.
May 20th-Forty warriors of the Six Nations came to town from the heads of Ohio, with Mr. Joncoeur, and one Frenchman more, in company.
May 21st-Mr. Joncoeur,t the French interpreter, called a council with all the Indians then present in the town, and made the following speech :-
" Children-I desire you may now give me an answer from your
* This was on Monday .- I. D. R.
į Notes Ass. IV. 189.
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CROGHAN'S JOURNAL, 1751.
hearts to the speech Monsieur Shularone, (the commander of the party of two hundred Frenchmen that went down the river two years ago,) made to you. His speech was, That their Father, the Governor of Canada, desired his children on Ohio to turn away the English traders from amongst them, and to discharge them from ever coming to trade there again, on any of the branches on pain of incurring his displea- sure; and to inforce that speech, he gave them a very large belt of wampum."
Immediately one of the Chiefs of the Six Nations got up and made the following answer :
" Fathers-I mean you that call yourselves our fathers, hear what I am going to say to you : you desire we may turn our brothers, the En- glish, away, and not suffer them to trade with us again. I now tell you, from our hearts, we will not; for we ourselves brought them here to trade with us, and they shall live among us as long as there is one of us alive; you are always threatening our brothers what you will do to them, and in particular that man, (pointing to me ;) now if you have any thing to say to our brothers, tell it to him, if you be a man, as you Frenchmen always say you are, and the head of all nations. Our bro- thers are the people we will trade with, and not you. Go, and tell your Governor to ask the Onondago council, if I don't speak the minds of all the Six Nations ;" and then returned the belt.
I paid COCHAWITCHAKE, the old Shawanese king, a visit, as he was rendered incapable of attending the council by his great age, and let him know that his brother, (James Hamilton,) the Governor of Pennsylva- nia, was glad to hear that he was still alive and retained his senses, and had ordered me to cloath him ; that he had not forgotten his strict attach- ment to the English interest. I gave him a strand shirt, match coat and a pair of stockings, for which he returned the Governor a great many thanks.
May 22d-A number, of about forty, of the Six Nations, came up the river Ohio to Logs Town, to wait on the council. As soon as they came to town they came to my house, and shaking hands, they told me they were glad to see me safe arrived in their country, after my long journey.
May 23d-CONAJAREA of the chiefs of the Six Nations, and a party with him from the CUSCUSKIE, came to town, to wait on the council, and congratulated me upon my safe arrival in their country.
May 24th *- Some warriors of the Delawares came to town from the Lower Shawanese town, and brought a scalp with them ; they brought an account that the Southwood Indians had come to the lower town to war, and had killed some of the Shawanese, Delawares and the Six Nations, so that we might not expect any people from there, to the council.
May 25th-I had a conference with Monsieur Joncoeur; he desired I would excuse him, and not think hard of him for the speeches he made to the Indians, requesting them to turn the English traders away, and not to suffer them to trade ; for it was the Governors of Canada ordered
*This was on Sunday. I. D. R.
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APPENDIX-NO. V.
him, and he was obliged to obey them, although he was very sensible e which way the Indians would receive them, for he was sure the French could not accomplish their design with the Six Nations, without it could be done by force ; which, he said, he believed they would find to be as difficult as the method they had just tried, and would meet with the like success.
May 26th-A Dunkard* from the colony of Virginia came to Logs Town, and requested liberty of the Six Nations' chiefs to make a settle- ment on the river YOGH-YO-GAINE, a branch of the Ohio, to which the Indians made answer, that it was not in their power to dispose of lands, that he must apply to the council at Onondago; and further told him, that he did not take the right method, for he should be first recommended by their brother, the Governor of Pennsylvania, with whom all public business of that sort must be transacted before he need expect to suc- ceed.
May 27th-Mr. Montour, and I had a conference with the chiefs of the Six Nations, when it was agreed upon that the following speeches should be made to the Delawares, Shawanese, Wandotts, (Wyandotts,) and Twightwees, when the Provincial present should be delivered them in the name of the Honorable James Hamilton, Esq., Lieutenant Gov- ernor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, in Delaware, in conjunc- tion with the Chief of the Six United Nations in Ohio.
A treaty with the Indians of the Six Nations, Delawares, Shaw. nese, Wandotts and Twightwees, in the Logs Town on Ohio, Thursday, 28th May, 1751-Present,
THOMAS KINTON, JOSEPH NELLSON, )
SAMUFL CUZZENS, JAMES BROWN, - Indian
JACOB PYATT, DENNIS SULLAVAN, traders.
JOHN OWENS, PAUL PEARCE,
THOMAS WARD, CALEB LAMB, j
!
The deputies of the Six Nations, Delawares, Shawnese, Wandotts, and Twightwees.
Mr. ANDREW MONTOUR, interpreter for the Province of Pennsylvania. TOANOHISCOE, interpreter for the Six Nations.
George Croghan made the following speech to the several Nations. when they were met in council, in the name of the Honorable James Hamilton, Esq., Governor of the Province of Pennsylvania :
"Friends-I am sent here by your brother the Governor of Pennsylva. nia, with this present of goods, to renew the friendship so long subsisting between us; and I present you these four strings of wampum to clear your minds and open your eyes and ears, that you may see the sun clear, and hear what your brother is going to say." Gave four strings of wampum.
* Eckerlin, one of the three Eckerlins, brothers: formerly of Lancaster county, Pa. [See History Lancaster County, p. 222. See Border Life, p. 482. [ 28]
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CROGHAN'S JOURNAL, 1751.
A speech delivered the Delawares in answer to the speech sent by Mr. Weiser, three years ago, to his Honor, the Governor, to acquaint him of the death of their Chief King, OULAMOPESS *-- by George Croghan :
"Brethren, the Delawares-Three years ago, some of the chiefs of your Nation sent me a message by Mr. Weiser, to acquaint me of the death of your King, a man well beloved by his brethren, the English ; you told Mr. Weiser, that you intended to visit me, in order to consult about a new chief, but you never did it. I have ever since condoled with you for the loss of so good a man, and considering the lamentable condition you were in, for want of a chief, I present you this belt of wam- pum and this present to wipe away your tears, and I desire you may choose amongst yourselves one of your wisest counsellors, and present to your brethren, the Six Nations and me for a chief; and, he so cho- sen by you shall be looked upon by us as your king, with whom public business shall be transacted.
" Brethren-To inforce this on your minds, I present you this belt of wampum." Gave a belt of wampum, whihc was received with the YO-HAH.
A speech delivered to the Shawnese from the Honorable James Ham- ilton, Governor of Pennsylvania, by George Croghan :
" Brethren, the Shawnese -- Three years ago, when some of your chiefs, and some of the chiefs of the Six Nations, came down to Lan- caster, with our brethren the TWIGHTWEES, they informed us that your people that went away with Peter Chartier, were coming back, and since that I hear that part of them have returned. I am glad to hear that they are coming home to you again, that you may become once more a people, and not as you were, dispersed through the world. I do not blame you for what happened, for the wisest of people some- times make mistakes ; it was the French, that the Indians call their father, that deceived you and scattered you about the woods, that they might have it in their power to keep you poor. Brethren-I assure you by this present that I am fully reconciled, and have forgotten any thing that you have done, and I hope for the future, there will be a more free and open correspondence between us ; and now your brethren the Six Nations, join with me to remove any misunderstanding that should have happened between us, that we may henceforth spend the remainder of our days together in brotherly love and friendship. Now that this speech which your brothers, the Six Nations, join with me, may have its full force on your minds, I present you this belt of wampum." Gave a belt of wampum, which was received with a Yo-HAH.
A speech delivered to the Wandotts, from the Honorable James Hamil- ton, Governor of Pennsylvania, by George Croghan.
" Brethren, the Wandotts-I received a message by the Six Nations, and another by Mr. Montour from you, by both of which I understand, the French, whom the Indians call their fathers, won't let you rest in your towns in peace, but constantly threaten to cut you off! How comes
* This name is written sometimes, OLOMIPUS. I. D. R.
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APPENDIX-NO. V.
this ? Are you not a free and independent people, and have you not a right to live where you please on your own land, and trade with whom you please ? Your brethren, the English, always considered you as a free nation, and I think the French, who attempt to infringe on your liberties, should be opposed by one and all the Indians, or any other nation that should undertake such unjust proceedings.
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