USA > Pennsylvania > Lancaster County > Lancaster county Indians: annals of the Susquehannocks and other Indian tribes of the Susquehanna territory from about the year 1500 to 1763, the date of their extinction > Part 13
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1676-Questions Decided on to Pro- pound Against Major Truman.
In the same book and at the same page it is recorded under the date of May 16, that the following interroga- tories, concerning the late expedition against the Susquehannock Indians should be propounded to John Shankes and other witnesses to be examined :
"(2) Whether the said Major Tru- man with the forces at his command was at the North side of the Pisca- taway Creek and did these expect and meet the Virginians ?"
"(2) Whether the said Major Tru- man consulted with his officers and those of Virginia or held any dis- course or treaty with those Susque- hannock Indans which came out of the Forte: also whether it was with the knowledge of any of his officers that he treated and endeavored to make the Susquehannocks believe he intended no harm or disturbance to them, and what officers or others he knows were present when orders were given by the Major for putting those great men to death?"
"(3) Whether he knows at any time the officers of Virginia did de- sire or put Major Truman upon any
design, pressing him to employ his soldiers about or upon any service during the siege; and if Major Tru- man did any time execute anything at their request by reciving instruc- tions and directions from them?"
"(4) Whether did Major Truman bid the Susquehannocks not to fear him or tell them that he came only to seek the Senecas and that he would lodge that night hard by them, ther wives and children not to be afraid; or that any other expression to that effect was made by him?"
"(5) What former articles of Peace or amity did the Susquehannocks ever produce to Major Truman?"
"(6) Did the Susquehannocks ever show a medall (medal) of silver, with a black and yellow ribbon?"
"(4) Did they show said ribbon and medal as a pledge of amity given them by the former. Governor of this Province and was the said medal given to Major Truman or to any other Englishmen, or was it carried back again into the Forte? (Note :-- When they gave it up war was meant).
"(8) Did Major Truman stay on the North side of the Piscataway Creek till the Virginians came thith- er or did he there treat with them, concerning the management of the war against the Susuesannocks ?"
"(9) Did the Susuehannocks ever offer any treaty of Peace or desire to continue friendship; and whether did Major Truman ever demand satisfac- tion from them for any injustice done or tell them they were the persons which we suspected had injured us?"
At the same time it was "ordered that for the more expeditious return of the examinations of John Shankes to the several interrogatories on the murder of the Susquehannocks, that Mr. Russell is hereby empowered to presse boat and hands and other
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necessaries to the said expedition." This shows that Shankes was at some distance, and, at this time and these interrogatories for him to answer were being sent to him :- See this in Vol. 2 of Md. Archives, p. 477.
1676-Answer of the Witness Against Major Truman for Killing the Susquehannock Chiefs.
ยท Under the date of May 19 in Vol. 2 of the Md. Archives at Page 481, the answer to these interrogatories are set forth as follows: "The an- swer of John Shankes to said inter- rogatories: - This deponent saith that he was with the Maryland forces being at the fort of the Susquehan- nocks on the Sabbath day. He was sent up to the Fort to desire one of the great men by name, Harignera, to come and speak with Major Truman, and the said Harignera being dead this deponent desired some other great men to come and speak with the said Major: upon which message of his, there came out 3 or 4 of them and this deponent was commanded by the said Major Truman to tell them of the great injuries that had been done to the country and that he came to know who they were that had done it. And the great men re- plied that it was the Senecas; and this deponent saith that there being present other Indians from other towns, the Major desired some of
their young men to assist as pilots as well as the neighboring Indians had done to join in
the pursuit against the Senecas. And the said Indians replied that the Senecas had been gone four days at this time they might be at the head of the Patapsco River; to which Major Truman re- turned that he had good horses and as they were good footmen and they they should go with him, and the
said Indians replied that they would. This deponent further saith that in the morning following, the Susque- hannock great men being at the place of meeting before the Mary- landers and Virginians more highly than before taxed them of the in- juries done by them in Maryland and Virginia; and they utterly denied the same. Thereupon this deponent was commanded to declare to them that they should be bound; and this de- ponent saith further that there was an old paper and medal showed by these Indians and they did say in the very first day, in the evening thereof, that the same was a pledge of peace given and left with them by the for- mer Governor as a token of amity and friendship as long as the Sun and Moon should last. And this deponent saith that to the best of his remem- brance all the Virginian officers were present when the Indians were bound; and this deponent saith that the first night of meeting with the said Susquehannocks, he was ordered to declare to them that Major Tru- man did believe the Senecas had done the mischief, and not they and that he was well satisfied therein.
1676-Testimony of Captain Allen, Another Witness Against .
Truman.
This testimony is reported also in Vol. 2 of the Md. Archives, Page 482 and it is as follows :- Touching the murder of the Susquehannock In- dians Captain John Allen being sworn and affirmed and examined saith, that about the 25th or 26th of September on Sunday morning, the Maryland forces appeared before the Forte under command of Major Tru- man, who sending Hugh French and another to the Forte, there came out two or three of the Indians and more afterwards to the number of 30 or 40
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and the Major examined them con- | 1676-The Articles of Impeachment cerning the mischief that was done to Against Major Truman. Mr. Hanson and others and if they knew what Indians they were The witnesses having given the above testimony, the Lower House now considered they had sufficient reason to prefer Articles of Impeach- ment against Major Truman. These articles are found in Vol. 2 of Md. Archives, Page 485. that did it, and they told him it was the Senecas, during which discourse with the Major there came over Colonel Washington, Colonel Mason and Major Alderton; and they likewise taxed them with the murders done on their side (in Virginia) by them; but they made the same reply as to Major Truman that it was none of them. So when they found that they could get nothing out of them, then they made it appear that three of the said Susquehannocks were those that did the murder on the other side.
On Monday morning early the Major commanded Mr. Good and two or three ranks of men, whereof him- self was one, to go to the house of Mr, Randolph Hanson to see if the Indians had plundered it, and if they found any ammunition to bring it away,which accordingly they did and after the return to the forte, the de- ponent saw six Indians guarded with the Marylanders and Virginians and the Major with the Virginia officers, sitting upon a tree some distance from them and after some while they all arose and came toward the In- ians and caused them to be bound; and after some time they talked again and the Virginia officers would have knocked them on the head in the place presently ; and particularly Colonel Washington said,'Why should we keep them any longer; let us knock them on the head. We shall get the Forte today.' But the depon- ent saith that Major Truman did not admit of it but was overswayed by the Virginia officers; and after fur- ther discourse the Indians were car- ried out from the place where they were bound and they knocked them on the head."
"May 20th, Articles of Impeachment in the Lower House :- We, your Lordship's most humble, true, faith- ful and obedient people, the Burgess- es and Delegates in your Lower House in Assembly being constrained by necessity for our fidelity and con- science in vindication of the Honor of God, of the Honor and welfare of your Lordship and this Province, do complain and shew that the said Major Thomas Truman, late Com- mander-in-chief upon an expedition against the Indians at the Susque- hanna Forte, hath by many and sun- dry ways and means committed divers and sundry enormous crimes and offenses to the dishonor of Al- mighty God, against the laws of Nations, contrary to your Lordship's commission and instructions and to the great endangering of our Lord- ship's peace and the good and safety of your Lordship's Province, accord- ing to the Articles hereafter men- tioned, that is to say:
We find upon the reading your Lordship's commission and instruc- tions and affidavits, which we herein send to your Lordship and to the Up- per House of Assembly and which we humbly submit to your Lordship's examinations and serious considera- tion."
"(1) That the said Major Truman hath broken his commission and in- structions in this-that the said Ma- jor Thomas Truman having received 6 Indians sent out by the Susque- hannocks as ambassadors to treat
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with him; on Sunday, after the ar- rival of the Maryland forces; and received their paper and medal by which we find they were received as friends and in amity with us and had liberty of going back to the fort and were assured that no intention of force was to be used against them; and that no damage should be done to them, their wives or children; and that they did that night go into the Forte; and the next morning did re- turn again with the like number, only an Indian changed; and supposed to come on purpose to treat and not in any hostile manner; yet the said Ma- jor Thomas Truman, without calling any Council of Warre of your Lord- ship's officers under his command as he ought to have done, did in a bar- barous and cruel manner cause five of the said Indians to be killed and murdered, contrary to the laws of God and Nations and contrary to your Lordship's commission and in- structions":
"(2) That the said Major Truman ought, according to your Lordship's instructions, to have acquainted your Lordship before he caused the said Indians to be executed, for our Lord- ship's. advice and directions, in the case which we do not find he did":
"(3) That he hath broken your Lordship's instructions in this alsoe, that if the Virginia officers did advise and consent to the killing of said In- dians, that he did not in an open Council of Warre cause the same judicially to be entered, in writing by his clerk or Secretary and such the desire and consent of the Virginians for the doing thereof, to be signed under their hands and to be kept for justification of himself and the people of this Province."
dering the said Indians, to the dis- honor of God and of your Lordship and this Province. They humbly pray that your Lordship and the Up- per House of Assembly will take such action with the said Major Thomas Truman as may be just and reason- able in terror of others to beware in the future; and your Lordship's most humble and obedient servants as in duty bound shall daily pray for your Lordship's long and happy dominion over us, etc."
1676-Appearance and Answer of Ma- jor Thomas Truman.
In Vol. 2 of the Maryland Archives at Page 494, Truman's answer to his impeachment appears. as follows: "Saturday, May 27th, the Upper House met in the afternoon. Major Thomas Truman having on notice given him on Thursday last to pre- pare for his trial this afternoon, being called did make his appearance and the Articles of Impeachment against the said Thomas Truman being and after this the several de- positions annexed thereto, which al- so were sworn to by the deponents in the presence and the hearing of Ma- jor Thomas Truman, Mr. Keneline Chisledyne, his Lordship's Attorney- General, Colonel William Berages, Mr. Robert Cailvile and Mr. W. Stephens, according to a preceding order of the Lower House did man- age the said Impeachment and urge the several evidences against the said Major Truman. And the said Major by Mr. Benjamin Crozier, his counsel assigned to him, did confess and declare that the said Major did no way intend to stand upon his jus- tification. After the confession and declarations the said Major by his said cousel did humbly pray that this House would admit the reading
"Therefore for that by the said Ar- ticle it appears that the said Major Thomas Truman hath broken his commission and instructions in mur- of a certain paper which the said Ma-
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jor hoped would somewhat extenuate and mitigate the crimes before by him confessed, so that they should not appear so grievous and enor- mous as in the said impeachment they were held forth to be. And the said Major Thomas Truman by his said counsel was permitted to make a defense, whereupon and upon full hearing on both sides and after read- ing of the said Major's commission and instructions from his Lordship and counsel, it was put to the ques- tion whether Major Truman be
guilty of impeachment exhibited against him, which the Lower House voted nemine contradicione (unani- mously) that the said Major Thomas Truman is guilty of the first Article of Impeachment for commanding five of the said Susquehannocks that came out of the Forte to treat with him to be put to death, contrary to the law of Nations; and the second Article of his Instructions by which he was ordered to entertain any treaty with the said Susquehannocks."
"Upon which vote it was ordered that a messenger be sent from this House to the Lower House to desire them to draw up a Bill of Attainder against Major Thomas Truman."
1676-Bill of Attainder Against Ma- jor Thomas Truman.
In the second Vol. of the Md. Arch. page 500 it is set forth, "May 31st, the Lower House sent up a Bill of At- tainder against Truman," which did not please the Upper House as the following items now show.
The Act of Assembly formulating the Bill of Attainder is lost. It does not appear in any of the Archives and therefore, the contents of it, we can not give, however it will be gathered from what now follows that the penalty prescribed in it was that Truman should be fined simply there-
in but not be put to death.
1676-The Upper House Now Con- sider the Bill of Attainder and the Punishment of Tru-
man.
In the same book and page last cited, the action by the Upper House upon the punishment of Truman is set out as follows:
"Then was taken into consideration the Bill of Attainder against Major Thomas Truman sent up from the Lower House yesterday; and upon serious consideration and debate thereupon this House do judge that the Act drawn up against Major Tru- man does in no way answer or justify the said impeachment upon which it was grounded, for that in said im- peachment the said Truman stands charged of crimes committed against the laws of God and of Nations, this Province as also against the commis- sion and instructions given him, viz .: for the barbarous cruelty in causing to be put to death and murdered the five Indians-of which he being found guilty, the punishment per- scrdibed in the said Act of Attainder does no way agree nor answer the nature of the offense. It . being greatly dishonorable as well as un- safe and dangerous to lay any fine in such cases and where such horrid crimes have been committed."
That the Lower House of Assembly having laid the Impeachment so high and no higher than the nature of the crime well deserved it will be much wondered at by those who shall hear and view our proceedings with so slender and slight a punishment being no more than what crimes of a more inferior nature might have deserved; that by the Act of Attainder the Government will not sufficiently be cleared nor have it made appear to the world how much the wicked-
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ness of that action is detested and | should either suffer death or a long dishonored by us, nor in any sort term of inprisonment and did not agree to join in the bill passed by the Lower House in order that it might become law; so the proceedings were broken. will the Lower House of Assembly make out that great sense which in their Impeachment they have ex- pressed to have of that action, and which may much concern the inter- 1676-The Lower House Further Con- tend in Truman's Favor. est and safety of the Government. It will not give any satisfaction to the heathen with whom the public faith hath been broken; and until such ac- tions are not in a more public man- ner dishonored that the Indians may take notice thereof, it is not to be expected that any faith or credit will be given to any treaties, we shall have with them in this dangerous juncture of affairs; and the country will stand in need of, and on which seems in some measure depend, as the Lower House of Assembly were of the opinion when they sent the paper in answer to captain Allen's longer ranging.
"And so all authority will become ridiculous and contemptible. In fine by this Act the Lower House of As- sembly will have owned the actions of the said Truman more than (as they ought to have done) detested and abhorred them, and so render the Government odious to all people that shall become acquainted with the prceedings."
From all this it is evident that what the Lower House did was to attaint Truman so that his property should be forfeited and that his blood should be corrupted, that any future property that he acquires could not pass to his children at his death but go to the Province of Maryland. This they considered a grievous punishment and they added to it simply a fine. The Upper House felt that the offense was too greivous and of too dangerous a character to the Province to let Truman off so easily, and they demanded that he
The Lower House's answer may be found in Vol. 2 of the Maryland Ar- chives, page 501, dated June 2nd, as follows :- "This paper being read in the Lower House and the debate re- sumed in this House touching the said Bill of Attainder, it was voted nem. con. (unanimously) that the said Major Truman for his crime does not deserve death in regard that several circumstances that appeared at his hearing or trial do extenuate his crime very much as the unanimous consent of the Virginians and the general impetuosity of the whole field, as well Marylanders as Vir- ginians upon the sight of Christians murdered at Mr. Hanson's, and the very Indians that were there, (Susque- hannocks) killed being proved to be the murderers both of them and several other Christians and in re- gard also that it apears to this House that the said crime was not maliciously perpetrated or out of any design to prejudice the Province but merely out of ignorance and in pre- vent a mutiny of the whole army, as well Virginia as Maryland. Where- fore this House do not think fit to recede from their former vote."
1676-Final Reply of the Upper House, Insisting on Severe Punishment for Major Truman.
The Upper House adhered to its de- mand that Truman should be severe- ly punished and in Vol. 2 of the Md. Archives, Page 503, under the date of June 3rd, it is set forth in answer by the Upper House to the Lower House, read on June 2nd, touching the
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Bill entitled An Act of Attainder, etc., "His Lordship and this House do con- ceive it not safe for them to vote the killing of the five Indian or Susque- hannock Ambassadors not. murder; for to them and all the world it does and will certainly appear the great- est murder that hath ever been com- mitted. The unanimous consent of the Virginians, if true does in no way alter the nature of the crime; nor since the said Truman had instruc- tions plain enough to have made him abominated and abhorred so black an action can as little serve for an extenuation thereof. And whereas, in the said paper for a further exten- uation it is signified that the Major to prevent a mutiny of the whole army was compelled and drawn to that action, this House are of an- other opinion, for at the said Tru- man's trial it did so plainly appear that his first commands for killing those Indians were not obeyed and that he had some difficulty to get his men to obey him therein. And that after they were put to death not a man owned to have had a hand in it but seemed rather to abhor the act and until now hath been termed by all persons (those that were in its execution only excepted) the most execrable of murders.
"That the crime was not malicious- ly perpetrated as to authority, this House doth believe; but that it was done treacherously and that in it a great and unheard of wickedness was committed, can not be denied by the Lower House; and whether by that action the province will not be pre- judiced and many English be murder- ed, his Lordship and this House leave to the future consideration of the Lower House,-no way pressing them to recede from their so positive vote, only desiring them that they will take notice that what is now undone lies
at their doors and not with us, who are positive of this, that his Lord- ship's Upper House dare not and therefore resolve not to proceed up- on an act which only bears the title of an Act of Attainder."
In this the Upper House plainly say to the Lower House that if the Lower House insist on so light a punishment for so grievous a crime that the Upper House absolutely re- fuse to join in the Act or allow it to become a law and that the Lower House may do as they choose and the Upper House will throw all the re- sponsibility for its effect on the Pro- vince at the doors of the Lower House.
The result of all this was that Ma- jor Truman remained some time in jail and as no law was passed to fix his punishment, eventually he was let go; and that was the end of it.
1676-A. L. Guss's View of the Sus- quehannocks and Their Position
During This Struggle.
Among the effects of the late Sam- uel Evans of Columbia, was found a letter dated March 16, 1883, written to him by Prof. A. L. Guss whom I have before mentioned and in it he says, "The Susquehannocks that visited Smith in 1608 were beyond Iroquois. I do not mean of the Five Nations but of that stock, and spoke a dialect of that language they bore the same relation to the 'River Indians' on the Delaware that the Mo- hawks did to the Hudson River In- dians. I have no doubt that prior to Smith's days and afterwards they were confederated with other tribes on the Upper Susquehanna River and branches in manner similar to the Five Nations. The Minquas who captured the three Dutchmen in 1616 lived on the Susquehanna River about Tioga and there were brought down by them by the river to the mouth of
-
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pp. 538 to 541). They pledged them- selves not to hate the Ondiakes (An- dastes) with whom they were then still at war and the Five Nations af- terwards made the English promise accomodation, that is protection in case they got worsted in their fight with the 'Three Nations above men- tioned.' This proves how tremend- ously they feared even this remnant of the Andastes, for they 'proposed' these articles and the English felt friendly to the Minquas but dared 'to promise them nothing, it not being proper as not in our power', (See Sec. Series of Pa. Arch., Vol. 5, pp. 676-678-681-682-686 and 687. The remnant became a tributary out- post."
the Schuylkill where Hendrickson ransomed them-Vol. 2, Pa. Archives Page 11. When Champlain in 1614 made his expedition on the Ononda- goes' Fort these Minquas were called Carantowns and were a powerful foe just at the gates of the confederates. When in 1640 the Dutch began to arm 'The Five Monawk Nations' with guns and furnish them ammunition, they soon wrought a great change in the several tribes of the valleys of the Upper Susquehanna. The Five Nations had two wars with the Min- quas, first 1662-3 and second i 1675-6 'The second time we were at war with them we carried them all off'-See Treaty at Lancaster, 1744. The assertion of writers that prior to 1600 in a ten years' war the I cite this letter from Mr. Guss be- cause of his acknowledged learning and because it gives an additional view of. this discussion of the tribal power of the Susquehannocks in 1676. Susquehannocks nearly obliterated the Mohawks is a great mistake. The Jesuit writers said the "Andastes" and the word then was not identical with Smith's Susquehannocks. The fact is the Susquehannocks were des- 1676-Maryland Gives Presents to the Indians, who Helped to De- feat the Susquehannocks. cended most nearly from the Mo- hawks, and the Mohawks took no part in their subjugation in 1676, nor did they even attend the Treaty in In the Second Maryland Archives, p. 489, it is set down that the House "voted that corn, powder, shot and match-coats be purchased and forth- with be delivered to the friendly In- dians by way of gratification for the services done by the said Indians in the late war against the Susquehan- nocks and that the match-coats dis- tributed to the number and in the manner following, viz .: to the Pisca- taways, 80-to the Chopticos, 30-to the Mattawoman, 30-to the Man- gern, 10-in all 150. The powder, 45 -pounds-the shot 150 pounds and the corn 100 barrels." Lancaster in 1744., when payment was demanded for the 'Conquest Lands.' It was the Senecas and Cayugas who "passionately desired it," that is, their subjugation. This throws great light on the Susque- hanna land question. When the arm- ed Five Nations' people came to war with the Susquehannocks, alias Min- quays, alias Conestoga, they found them partly armed by the Swedes and the Marylanders and able to hold their own; and in fact in 1662-1663 they gave the Western confederates by far the worst of the conflict. But decimated by small pox and de- Susquehannocks Desire Peace Again With Maryland. serted by Maryland, they at last had to succumb. The English had to adopt the Dutch tactics. (See In the 15th Maryland Archives, p. Second Series of Pa. Arch., Vol. 5, 120, we find the following overtures
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