USA > Pennsylvania > Early history of western Pennsylvania, and of the West, and of western expeditions and campaigns, from MDCCLIV to MDCCCXXXIII > Part 44
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" At two o'clook, the gentleman who was sent for arrived, when I offered the letter, &c., again, which they received, and adjourned into a private apartment for the captain to translate, who understood a little English. After he had done it, the commander desired I would walk in and bring my interpreter to peruse and correct it, which I did.
" 13th .- The chief officers retired to hold a council of war, which gave me an opportunity of taking the dimensions of the fort, and making what observations I could.
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APPENDIX-NO. VI.
"It is situated on the south or west fork of French creek, near the water; and is almost surrounded by the creek, and a small branch of it, which form a kind of island. Four houses compose the sides. The bastions are made of piles driven into the ground, standing more than twelve feet above it, and sharp at the top, with port-holes cut for cannon, and loopholes for the small arms to fire through. There are eight six pound pieces mounted in each bastion, and one piece of four pounds before the gate. In the bastions are a guard-house, chapel, doctor's lodging, and the commander's private store, round which are laid plat- forms for the cannon and men to stand on. There are several barracks without the fort, for the soldiers' dwellings, covered, some with bark, and some with boards, made chiefly of logs. There are also several other houses, such as stables, smith's shop, &c.
" I could get no certain account of the number of men here ; but, ac- cording to the best judgment I could form, there are a hundred, exclusive of officers, of whom there are many. I also gave orders to the people who were with me, to take an exact account of the canoes, which were hauled up to convey their forces down in the spring. This they did, and told fifty of birch bark, and a hundred and seventy of pine ; besides many others, which were blocked out, in readiness for being made.
" 14th .- As the snow increased very fast, and our horses daily became weaker, I sent them off unloaded, under the care of Barnaby Currin and two others, to make all convenient dispatch to Venango, and there to wait our arrival, if there was a prospect of the river's freezing: if not, then to continue down to Shanapin's town ;* at the forks of Ohio, and there to wait until we came to cross the Allegheny ; intending myself to go down by water, as I had the offer of a canoe or two.
"As I found many plots concerted to retard the Indians' business, and prevent their returning with me, I endeavored all that lay in my power to frustrate their schemes, and hurried them on to execute their intended design. They accordingly pressed for admittance this evening, which at length was granted them, privately, to the commander and one or two other officers. The Half-King told me that he offered the wampum to the commander, who evaded taking it, and made many fair promises of love and friendship; said he wanted to live in peace and trade amicably with them, as a proof of which, he would send some goods immediate- ly down to the Logs Town for them. But I rather think the design of that is, to bring away all our straggling traders they meet with, as I pri- vately understood they intended to carry an officer, &c., with them. And what rather confirms this opinion, I was inquiring of the com- mander by what authority he had made prisoners of several of our Eng- lish subjects. He told me that the country belonged to them ; that no Englishman had a right to trade upon those waters; and that he had or- ders to make every person prisoner who attempted it on the Ohio, or the waters of it.
"I inquired of Captain Reparti about the boy that was carried by this place, as it was done while the command devolved on him, between the
* Shanapin's was an Indian town, situated on the east side of the Allegheny river, extending from the two mile run down towards the Forks .- N. B. Craig.
[46]
WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL, 1753.
death of the late general, and the arrival of the present. He acknowledged that a boy had been carried past; and that the Indians had two or three white men's scalps, (I was told by some of the Indians at Venango, eight,) but pretended to have forgotten the name of the place where the boy came from, and all the particular facts, though he had questioned him for some hours, as they were carrying past. I likewise inquired what they had done with John Trotter and James M'Clocklan, two Pennsylvania traders, whom they had taken with all their goods, 'They told me that they had been sent to Canada, but were now returned home.
"This evening I received an answer to his honor, the Governor's letter from the commandant.
"15th .- The commandant ordered a plentiful store of liquor, provis- ion, &c., to be put on board our canoes, and appeared to be extremely complaisant, though he was exerting every artifice which he could invent to set our Indians at variance with us, to prevent their going until after our departure: presents, rewards, and every thing which could be sug- gested by him or his officers. I cannot say that ever in my life I suffer- ed so much anxiety as I did in this affair: I saw that every stratagem, which the most fruitful brain could invent, was practised to win the Half-King to their interest; and that leaving him there was giving them the opportunity they aimed at. I went to the Half-King and pressed him in the strongest terms to go; he told me that the commandant would not discharge him until the morning. I then went to the com- mandant, and desired him to do their business, and complained of ill- treatment; for keeping them, as they were part of my company, was detaining me. This he promised not to do, but to forward my journey as much as he could. He protested he did not keep them, but was ig- norant of the cause of their stay; though I soon found it out. He had promised them a present of guns, &c., if they would wait until the morn- ing. As I was very much pressed by the Indians to wait this day for them, I consented, on a promise that nothing should hinder them, in the morning.
" 16th .- 'The French were not slack in their inventions to keep the Indians this day also. But as they were obliged, according to promise, to give the present, they then endeavored to try the power of liquor, which I doubt not would have prevailed at any other time than this: but I urged and insisted with the King so closely upon his word, that he refrained, and set off with us as he liad engaged.
"We had a tedious and very fatiguing passage down the creek. Sev- eral times we had like to have been staved against rocks; and many times were obliged all hands to get out and remain in the water half an hour or more, getting over the shoals. At one place the ice had lodged and made it impassable by water; we were, therefore, obliged to carry our canoe across the neck of land, a quarter of a mile over. We did not reach Venango until the 22d, where we met with our horses.
"This creek is extremely crooked. I dare say the distance between the fort and Venango, cannot be less than one hundred and thirty miles to follow the meanders.
"23d .- When I got things ready to set off, I sent for the Half-King to know whether he intended to go with us, or by water. He told me
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APPENDIX-NO. VI.
that White Thunder had hurt himself much, and was sick, and unable to walk; therefore, he was obliged to carry him down in a canoe. As I found he intended to stay here a day or two, and knew that Monsieur Joncaire would employ every scheme to set him against the English, as he had before done, I told him I hoped he would guard against his flattery, and let no fine speeches influence him in their favor. He de- sired I might not be concerned, for he knew the French too well, for anything to engage him in their favor; and that though he could not go down with us, he yet would endeavor to meet at the forks with Joseph Campbell, to deliver a speech for me to carry to his Honor the Governor. He told me he would order the Young Hunter to attend us, and get pro- vision, &c., if wanted.
"Our horses were now so weak and feeble, and the baggage so heavy, (as we were obliged to provide all the necessaries which the journey would require,) that we doubted much their performing it. Therefore, myself and the others, except the drivers, who were obliged to ride, gave up our horses for packs to assist along with the baggage. I put myself in an Indian walking dress, and continued with them three days, until I found there was no probability of their getting home in reasonable time. The horses became less able to travel every day ; the cold increased very fast; and the roads were becoming much worse by a deep snow, continually freezing: therefore as I was uneasy to get back, to make report of my proceedings to his Honor the Governor, I determined to prosecute my journey the nearest way through the woods, on foot.
"Accordingly, I left Mr. Vanbraam in charge of our baggage, with money and directions to provide necessaries from place to place for themselves and horses, and to make the most convenient dispatch in travelling.
"I took my necessary papers, pulled off my clothes, and tied myself up in a watch coat. 'Then, with gun in hand, and pack on my back, in which were my papers and provisons, I set out with Mr. Gist, fitted in the same manner, on Wednesday the 26th. The day following, just after we had passed a place called Murdering town, (where we in- tended to quit the path and steer across the country for Shannapin's town,) we fell in with a party of French Indians, who had laid in wait for us. One of them fired at Mr. Gist or me, not fifteen steps off, but fortunately missed. We took this fellow into custody, and kept him until about nine o'clock at night, then let him go, and walked all the remaining part of the night without making any stop, that we might get the start, so far as to be out of the reach of their pursuit the next day, since we were well assured they would follow our track as soon as it was light. The next day we continued travelling until quite dark, and got to the river about two miles above Shannapin's. We expected to have found the river frozen, but it was not, only about fifty yards from each shore. The ice I suppose had broken up above, for it was driving in vast quantities.
"There was no way for getting over but on a raft; which we set about, with but one poor hatchet, and finished just after sun setting. This was a whole day's work: we next got it launched, then went on
[ 48 ]
WASHINGTON'S JOURNAL, 1753.
board of it and set off: but before we were half way over we were jam- med in the ice, in such a manner, that we expected every moment our raft to sink and ourselves to perish. I put out my setting pole to try to stop the raft that the ice might pass by; when the rapidity of the stream threw it with so much violence against the pole, that it jerked me out into ten feet water: but I fortunately saved myself by catching hold of one of the raft logs. Notwithstanding all our efforts, we could not get to either shore, but were obliged, as we were near an island, to quit our raft and make to it.
"The cold was so extremely severe, that Mr. Gist had all his fingers and some of his toes frozen, and the water was shut up so hard, that we found no difficulty in getting off the island on the ice in the morning,* and went to Mr. Frazier's. We met here with twenty warriors, who were going to the southward to war; but coming to a place on the head of the Great Kenhawa, where they found seven people killed and scalp- ed, (all but one woman with very light hair,) they turned about and ran back, for fear the inhabitants should rise and take them as the authors of the murderers. They report that the bodies were lying about the house, and some of them much torn and eaten by the hogs. By the marks which were left, they say they were French Indians, of the Ottoway nation, who did it.
"As we intended to take horses here, and it required some time to find them, I went up about three miles to the mouth of the Youghioga- ny, to visit Queen Aliquippa, who had expressed great concern that we passed her in going to the fort. I made her a present of a watch-coat and a bottle of rum, which latter was thought much the better present of the two.
"Tuesday, the first of January, we left Mr. Frazier's house, and ar- rived at Mr. Gist's, at Monongahela, the second, where I bought a horse and saddle. The sixth, we met seventeen horses loaded with materials and stores for a fort at the Fork of the Ohio, and the day after, some families going out to settle. This day we arrived at Will's Creek, after as fatiguing a journey as it is possible to conceive, rendered so by ex- cessive bad weather. From the first day of December to the fifteenth, there was but one day on which it did not rain or snow incessantly ; and throughout the whole journey we met with nothing but one continued series of cold, wet weather, which occasioned very uncomfortable lodg- ings, especially after we had quitted our tent, which was some screen from the inclemency of it.
"On the 11th I got to Belvoir, where I stopped one day to take neces- sary rest; and then set out and arrived in Williamsburg the 16th, when I waited upon his Honor the Governor, with the letter I had brought from the French commandant, and to give an account of the success of my proceedings. This I beg leave to do by offering the foregoing nar-
* N. B. Craig, Esq., says, he satisfied his own mind that this Island must have been Wainrights, not Herr's. The former Island is near the eastern bank of the Allegheny, and that branch of the river might freeze over in one night, so as to bear Washington and Gist; but the wide channel between Herr's Island and Shanapin's would scarcely so freeze in one night .- Olden Time, p. 26.
D
[49]
APPENDIX-NO. VII.
rative, as it contains the most remarkable occurrences which happened in my journey.
"I hope what has been said will be sufficient to make your Honor satisfied with my conduct; for that was my aim in undertaking the journey, and chief study throughout the prosecution of it."
[NO. VII. ] GEORGE CROGHAN'S JOURNAL, 1754 .- N. S.
(Sent to R. H. Morris, Esq., Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania.)
JANUARY THE 12th, 1753-'4.
I arrived at Tortle creek, about eight miles from the Forks of the Monongahela, where I was informed by John Frazer, an Indian trader, that Mr. Washington, who was sent by the Governor of Virginia to the French camp, was returned.
Mr. Washington told Mr. Frazer that he had been very well used by the French General; that after he delivered his message, the General told him his orders were to take all the English he found on Ohio, which orders he was determined to obey; and further told him the English had no business to trade on the Ohio; for that all the lands of Ohio be- longed to his master, the King of France, as far as to the Allegheny mountains. Mr. Washington told Mr. Frazer the fort where he was is very strong and that they had abundance of provisions; but they would not let him see their magazine; there are about one hundred soldiers and fifty workmen at that fort, and as many more at the upper fort, and about fifty more at Venango with John Coeur, (Joncaire;) the rest of their army went home last fall; but is to return as soon as possible this spring; when they return they are to come down to Logstown, in order to build a fort somewhere thereabouts ; this is all I heard of Washington's journey worth relating to your Honor.
On the 13th, I arrived at Shannapin's Town where Mr. Montour and Mr. Patten overtook me.
On the 14th, we set off to the Logstown where we found the Indians all drunk. The first salutation we got was from one of the Shawanese who told Mr. Montour and myself that we were prisoners, before we had time to tell them that their men that were in prison at Carolina, were released, and that we had two of them in our own company; the Shawanese had been very uneasy about those men that were in prison, and had not those men been released, it might have been of very ill con- sequence at this time; but as soon as they found their men were released they seemed all overjoyed; and I believe they will prove true to their alliance.
On the 15th, five canoes of the French came down to the Logstown in company with the Half-King and some more of the Six Nations-in number, one ensign, a sergeant and fifteen soldiers:
On the 16th, in the morning, Mr. Patten took a walk to where the French had pitched their tents, and on his returning back by the officer's
[50]
CROGHAN'S JOURNAL, 1754.
tent, he ordered Mr. Patten to be brought in to him, on which, word came to the town that Mr. Patten was taken prisoner; Mr. Montour and myself immediately went to where the French were encamped, where we found the French officer and Half-King in a high dispute. The officer told Mr. Montour and myself that he meant no hurt to Mr. Patten, but wondered he should pass backward and forward without calling in. The Indians were all drunk and seemed very uneasy at the French for stopping Mr. Patten; on which the officer ordered his men on board their canoes, and set off to a small town of the Six Nations, about two miles below the Logstown, where he intends to stay till the rest of their army comes down.
As to any particulars that passed between the officer and Mr. Patten, I refer your Honor to Mr. Patten.
By a Chickesaw man, who has lived amongst the Shawanese since he was a lad and is just returned from the Chickesaw country, where he has been making a visit to his friends, we hear that there is a large body of French at the Falls of Ohio, not less, he says, than a thousand men-that they have abundance of provisions, and powder and lead with them, and that they are coming up the river to meet the army from Canada coming down. He says a canoe with ten Frenchmen came up to the Lower Shawanetown with him ; but on some of the English tra- ders threatening to take them, they set back that night without telling their business.
By a message sent here from Fort Detroit, by the Wyandotts to the Six Nations, Delawares and Shawanese, we hear that the Ottawas are gathering together on this side Lake Erie, several hundred of them, in order to cut off the Shawanese at the Lower Shawanetown. The French and Ottawas offered the hatchet to the Wyandotts, but they refused to assist them.
We hear from SCARUNDA that the Twightwees who went last spring to Canada to counsel with the French, had returned last fall; that they had taken hold of the French hatchet, and were entirely gone back to their old towns amongst the French.
From the 16th till the 26th we could do nothing-the Indians being constantly drunk!
On the 26th the French called the Indians to council and made them a present of goods. On the Indians return the Half-king told Mr. Montour and me that he would take an opportunity to repeat over to us what the French said to them.
On the 27th, we called the Indians to council, and clothed the Shawanese according to the Indian custom, and delivered them up in council with your Honor's speeches, sent by Mr. Patten, which Mr. Montour adapted to Indian forms, as much as was in his power, and mine.
On the 28th we called the Indians to council again, and delivered them a large belt of black and white wampum in your honor's and the Governor of Virginia's name, by which we desired they might open their minds to your honor, and speak from their hearts, and not from their lips, and that they might now inform your honor, by Mr. Andrew Montour, whom you had chosen to transact business between
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APPENDIX-NO. VII.
you and the brethren of Ohio, whether that speech which they sent your honor by Mr. Lewis Montour, was agreed on in council or not, and assured them they might freely open their minds to their brethren, your honor and the Governor of Virginia, as the only friends and breth- ren they had to depend on .- Gave a belt.
After delivering the belt, Mr. Montour gave them the goods left in my care by your honor's commissioners at Carlisle, and at the same time, made a speech to them, to let them know those goods were for the use of the warriors, and defence of their country.
As soon as the goods were delivered, the HALF-KING made a speech to the Shawanese and Delawares, and told them as their brother ONAS had sent them a large supply of necessaries for the defence of their country, that he would put it in their care till all their warriors would have occasion to call for it, as their brethren, the English, got a strong house to keep such things safe in.
The 31st, a speech was delivered by the HALF-KING in answer to your honor's speeches, on delivering goods to the Shawanese :
"Brother Onas-We return you our hearty thanks for the trouble you have taken in sending for our poor relations, the Shawanese, and with these four strings of wampum we clear your eyes and hearts that you may see your brothers, the Shawanese, clear, as you used to do, and not think that any small disturbance shall obstruct the friendship so long subsisting between us, your brethren, the Six Nations, that are in alli- ance with us, acquainted with the care you have had of our people, at such a great distance from both you and us."-Gave four strings of wampun.
A Speech delivered by the HALF-KING.
"Brethren, the Governor of Pennsylvania and Virginia-You desire us to open our minds to you and to speak from our hearts, which we assure you, brethren, we do. You desire we may inform you, whether that speech sent by Lewis Montour was agreed on in council or not, which we now assure you it was in part; but that part of giving the lands to pay the trader's debts, we know nothing of ; it must have been added by the traders that wrote the letter; but we earnestly requested by that belt, and likewise we now request, that our brother, the Gover- nor of Virginia, may build a strong house at the forks of the Mononga- hela, and send some of our young brethren, their warriors, to live in it; and we expect our brother of Pennsylvania will build another house somewhere on the river, where he shall think proper, and whatever assistance he will think proper to send us, may be kept safe for us, as our enemies are just at hand, and we don't know what day they may come upon us. We now acquaint our brethren, that we have our hatchet in our hands . to strike the enemy as soon as our brethren come to our assistance."-Gave a belt, and eight strings of wampum.
TONELAQUESONA, SHINGASS,
DELAWARE GEORGE, NEW COMER,
THE HALF-KING,
SKARUNTIA,
COSWENTAMEN.
After the chiefs had signed the last speech, the HALF-KING repeated over the French council, which was as follows;
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INSTRUCTIONS TO GEN. BRADDOCK, 1754.
"Children-I am come here to tell you, that your father is coming to visit you, and to take you under his care, and I desire you may not lis- ten to the ill news you hear, for I assure you, he will not hurt you. It's true, he has something to say to your brethren, the English ; but do you sit still, and don't mind what your father does to your brothers, for he will not suffer the English to live or trade on this river Ohio."-On which he made them a present of goods.
February 1st-By a cousin of Mr. Montour's that came to Logstown, in company with a Frenchman from Venango, by land, we heard that the French expect four hundred men every day to the fort above Ve- nango, and as soon as they come down the river to Logstown, to take possession from the English till the rest of the army comes in the spring.
The Frenchman that came here in company with Mr. Montour's cousin, is keeper of the King's stores ; and, I believe the chief of his business is to take a view of the country, and to see what number of English there is here, and to know how the Indians are affected towards the French.
February 2d-Just as we were leaving the Logstown, the Indians made the following speech :
"Brethren, the Governor of Pennsylvania and Virginia-We have opened our hearts to you and let you know our minds. We now, by these two strings of wampum, desire you may directly send to our assistance, that you and we may secure the lands of Ohio; for there is no body but you, our brethren, and ourselves, have any right to the lands ; but if you don't send immediately, we shall surely be cut off by our enemy, the French."-Gave two strings of black wampum.
A speech made by SHINGASS, King of the Delawares.
"Brother Onas-I am glad to hear that all our people here are of one mind. 'Tis true, I live here on the river side, which is the French road, and I assure you, by these three strings of wampum, that I will neither go down nor up, but I will move nearer to my brethren, the English, where I can keep our women and children safe from the enemy."-Gave three strings of wampum.
Prov. Rec. M. 267.
[ NO. VIII. ]
THE KING'S INSTRUCTION TO GEN. E. BRADDOCK, 1754:
Braddock's Correspondence with Gov. Morris, 1755.
GEORGE REGIS' instructions for our trusty and well beloved Edward Braddock, Esq., Major General of all our forces, and whom we have appointed General Commander of all and singular, our troops and forces, that are now in North America, or that shall be sent, or raised there, to vindicate our just rights and possessions in those parts : given at our court at St. James', the 25th day of November, 1754, in the 28th year of our reigu.
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