Minutes of the Provincial Council
of Pennsylvania, vol. 3.
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PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. |
295 |
City, there to be aired, and that the said Vessel to be smoaked with Tobacco and washed with Vinegar, & that the Bales of woolen goods on board remain some time exposed to the Air on Deck before landing; and further, that the said ship ly out in the stream of the river & not come near any Wharf till she is sufficiently cleansed, of which the Owners and master are to take Notice and govern themselves accordingly.
_________
At a
Council in Philadia., April 18th, 1728.
PRESENT:
The Honble PATRICK GORDON, Esqr., Lieut. Governr.
James
Logan, Samuel Preston,
Isaac Norris,
Clement Plumsted.
} Esq'rs.
The Governour informed the Board, that James Letort, an Indian Trader, was lately come to town from Chenastry, on the upper parts of the River Susquehannah, to acquaint this Government with a matter he had been informed of by Mistress Montour, who had married the Indian called Robert Hunter, & was here with her said husband last summer in company with those of the five Nations who had visited us then, the Import of which is, That the people of the five Nations had sent to the Miamis and Twechtweys, called also the naked Indians, settled at the Western end of the Lake Erie within the french claims, desireing them to engage & take up the Hatchet of War against the English & Christians, & that the said Letort was now attending, who being called in and examined on Oath, gave the following account.
That intending last Fall to take a Journey as far as the Miamis Indians or Twechtweys, to trade with them, he had consulted Mrs. Montour, a French woman, Wife to Carondowana, about his journey thither, who having lived amongst & having a sister married to one of that Nation, he believed might be a proper person to advise him, & that she seemed very much to approve of the same, upon which he proposed that she & her husband should goe along with him, which she readily agreed to, & that she appeared very cheerfull & desirous to undertake the Journey.
But that having waited long at Chenastry for one who had engaged to accompany him, the Winter sett in before they could proceed, that the Frost breaking up, he thought it proper to advise with Manawkyhickon, an Indian Chief of Note in those parts, & acquainted him with his intention, that he might also have our Indians approbation, but that the said Chief discouraged him, telling him he might happen in his way to see some white heads, who come to hunt not for Skins but for flesh and scalps, that would frighten him, and asked him if he did not know that all these people (the Delaware Indians,) who were hunting at Allegany were called home; That talking afterwards with Mistress Montour about their intended Journey, she told him she could not goe with him, for that she had heard some news that he was a stranger to, with which she
Minutes of the Provincial Council
of Pennsylvania, vol. 5.
316 |
MINUTES OF THE |
along the Road with our Eyes looking down to the earth, and have not taken them from thence till this Morning, when you were pleased to Chastise us, and then pardon us. We have been a foolish People & acted wrong, tho' the Sun shone bright and shewed us very clearly what was our Duty. We are sorry for what we have done and promise better behaviour for the future. We produce to you a Certificate of the renewal of our Friendship in the year 1739, by the Proprietor and Governor. Be pleased to sign it afresh, that it may appear to the world we are now admitted into your Friendship, & all former Crimes are buried & entirely forgot."
The Commissioners receiv'd the Deed but refus'd to Sign it, letting them know they were forgiven on Condition of better behaviour for the future; and when they shall have performed that Condition it will be time enough to apply for such Testimonials. Orders were given for mending their Guns and Hatchets, and then the Twightwees were told that the Secretary was preparing an Instrument for rendering authentick our Treaty of Friendship with them, which wou'd be ready at Nine o'Clock in the morning, to which time the Commissioners adjourn'd.
_______
At the Court House at Lancaster, Saturday, 23d July,
1748.
PRESENT:
Benjamin
Shoemaker, Joseph Turner,
Thomas Hopkinson,
William Logan, }
Esqrs.
The
Magistrates and many of the Inhabitants of Lancaster County.
The same Indians as Yesterday.
The Instrument and Counterpart having been prepar'd and approv'd by the Commissioners, the Contents therefore were read and carefully Interpreted to & approv'd by the Indians, & then they were executed by the Commissioners and the three Deputies of the Twightwees, the other Indians mention'd therein signing as Witnesses, together with the Magistrates and Inhabitants present.
"Whereas, at an Indian Treaty held at Lancaster, in the County of Lancaster and Province of Pennsylvania, on Wednesday the Twentieth Day of July, Instant, before the Honourable Benjamin Shoemaker, Joseph Turner, Thomas Hopkinson, and William Logan, Esquires, by virtue of a Commission under the Great Seal of the said Province, dated at Philadelphia the sixteenth Day of the same Month, Three Indian Chiefs, Deputies from the Twightwees, a Nation of Indians situate on or about the River Ouebache, a Branch of the River Mississippi, viz.: Ciquenackqua, Assepause, and Natoecqueha, appeared on behalf of themselves & their Nation, & prayed that the Twightwees might be admitted into the Friendship and Alliance of the King of Great Britain and his Subjects, professing
Minutes of the Provincial Council
of Pennsylvania, vol. 5.
|
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. |
599 |
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday the 16th October, 1752.
PRESENT:
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor.
Robert
Strettell,
Joseph Turner, }Esquires.
Richard Peters,
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved.
Eight Members of Assembly having waited on the Governor to inform him that they were met according to Charter and had chosen their Speaker, and having desired to know when they might present him for his approbation, he had appointed them to wait on him at this time in the Council Chamber, and they accordingly coming, Isaac Norris informed the Governor that he was unanimously elected Speaker, and being approved by the Governor, he there demanded the usual Privileges on behalf of the House and himself.
Then was read the following Letter and Paper enclosed in it, sent by Express from Carlisle to the Governor:
|
"CARLISLE, Augt 30th, 1752. |
"May it Please Your Honour:
Last night Thomas Burney who lately resided at the Twightwee's Town in Allegheny, came here and gives the following account of the unhappy Affair that was lately transacted there: On the twenty-first Day of June last, early in the Morning, two Frenchmen and about two hundred and forty Indians came to the Twightwee's Town, and in a Hostile Manner attacked the People there residing. In the Skirmish there was one White man and fourteen Indians killed, and five white men taken Prisoners.
The Party who came to the Twightwee's Town reported that they had received as a Commission two Belts of Wampum from the Governor of Canada to kill all such Indians as are in Amity with the English, and to take the Persons and Effects of all such English Traders as they could meet with, but not to kill any of them if they could avoid it, which Instructions were in some measure obeyed.
Mr. Burney is now here, and is willing to be qualified not only to this but to sundry other matters which he can discover concerning this Affair; if your Honour thinks it proper for him to come to Philadelphia to give you the Satisfaction of Examining more particularly in relation to it he will readily attend your Honour upon that occasion, or make an affidavit of the particulars here. Such
Minutes of the Provincial Council
of Pennsylvania, vol. 5.
600 |
MINUTES OF THE |
orders as your Honour pleases to send on this occasion shall certainly be obeyed by,
|
May it please your
Honour,
|
P. S.- Inclosed your Honour has the Twightwee's Speech to Mr. Burney, with a Scalp and five Strings of Wampum. (illeg.) Bearer. Fifteen Days after the taking of the Town, Thomas Burney and Capt. Trent, with twenty Indians, went back to the Town, where they found all the Indians were fled, and on their Return met with Three of their Chiefs whom Capt. Trent delivered the Virginia Present to as he had then with him. These Chiefs informed them the Indians were gone eighty miles from thence, and there would reside till they heard further from their Brothers."
__
A Message to the Governor from the Twightwees.
"Brother Onas:
We, Your Brothers the Twightwees, have sent you by our Brother Thomas Burney a Scalp and Five Strings of Wampum, in Token of our late unhappy affair at the Twightwee's Town, and whereas our Brother has always been kind to us, hope he will now put us in a method how to act against the French, being more discouraged for the Loss of our Brother the Englishmen who was killed and the five who were taken Prisoners, than for the Loss of ourselves, and notwithstanding the two Belts of Wampum which were sent from the Governor of Canada as a Commission to destroy us, we still shall hold our Integrity with our Brothers, and are willing to die for them, and will never give up this Treatment although we saw our great Piankashaw King (which commonly was called old Britain by us) taken, killed, and eaten within a hundred Yards of the Fort before our Faces. We now look upon ourselves as lost People, fearing that our Brothers will leave us; but before we will be subject to the French, or call them our Fathers, we will perish here."
The Governor informed the Council that he had sent by the Return of the Express a Letter, Commanding Thomas Burney to come to Philadelphia to be examined touching the contents of the Letter and Message, but that he had not hitherto paid any Regard to his orders. The Letter, Message, and Scalp were laid before the House of Assembly.
The following Persons, namely, Thomas Edwards, Lynford Lardner, Emanuel Carpenter, James Galbraith, John Kyle, Thomas Cookson, James Whitehill, James Wright, Adam Simon Kuhn, James Smith, Samuel Anderson, Thomas Fosster, John Allison;
|
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. |
721 |
ing the above Order. As to the Minutes of Property, they are of a Public Nature, & you shall be furnished from them with any Copies you desire.
|
JAMES HAMILTON. |
June 12th, 1762."
[Here is a Blank in Council Book of fifty pages.]
_______
At a Council held at Philada., on Friday, the 6th Augt., 1762
PRESENT:
The Hon'ble. JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutent. Governor, &ca
Richard
Peters, William Logan,
Thomas
Cadwalader,
} Esquires.
The Governor acquainted the Council that in Consequence of several Invitations made by the Government to the Delaware Indians settled above the Ohio, since the conclusion of the Peace between us & them, to come to Lancaster & renew and brighten the Chain of Friendship, and to deliver up all the English Prisoners among them. He had received information that a number of the Chiefs & other of that Nation had arrived at Harris's Ferry with Prisoners, on their way to Lancaster for that purpose, and the Governor desired the Company of the Council to attend him thither.
______
Minutes of Indian Conferences held at Lancaster in August, 1762.
At a Council held at Lancaster, on Wednesday, the 11th Augt. 1762.
PRESENT.
The Honorable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutt. Governor.
William
Logan, Richard Peters,
Benjamin Chew
}Esqrs.
The Governor having been informed last Week,
at Philadelphia, that, in consequence of several Invitations sent them by this
Government, at sundry times, to the Indians living on & near the Ohio, the
Delaware Chief, Beaver, and the Deputies of other Tribes of Western Indians,
would be at Lancaster on the 8th Instant, sat out from Philadelphia, attended
by several Gentlemen, & came here on the 9th Inst., & found that the
Indians had arrived the Evening before.
VOL. VIII.- 16.
722 |
MINUTES OF THE |
On the 10th, the Governor, attended by the Gentlemen above mentioned, with several of the Inhabitants of this Town, paid a visit to Beaver & the other Indians, at their Encampment, about a Mile from the Town, where he took them by the Hand & bid them heartily welcome, & having seen that they were well accommodated, took his Leave, and came back to town.
The Governor yesterday afternoon received a Message from Beaver, that, having been a long time from home, they would take it very kindly if he would be pleased to open the Conferences with them to morrow Morning, without waiting longer for the Six Nations, as he & those Indians with him were the first invited, & were only made acquainted with the coming of the Six Nations since they left their Homes.
The Governor returned them for answer, that the Interpreter was not come, but as soon as he should arrive, he would immediately proceed to Business with them, & give them notice when to attend.
This afternoon arrived Six Tuscarora Indians, who waited on the Governor, & acquainted him that they were sent to him by those of their Nation living on Onohoquage, on the Upper Waters of the Susquehanna, with a Letter which, after the Ceremony of opening his Eyes and Heart by a String of Wampum, they delivered to him & follows in these words:
"LOWER TUSCARORA ONOHOQUAGE, July 8th, 1762.
Great Brother:
I, the Beaver Augus, Chief of the Nation, am and ever have been a friend & Brother to the English & to the Interest of Great Britain, now wait upon your Excellency by agreement, to transact Affairs of importance; and heartily rejoice that the five Nations have agreed (& as I hear), have actually returned the English Prisoners to enjoy the Liberties of their own Nation; And I, the said Augus Chief, with my whole Tribe, have ever been for peace with the English Colonies in America, & have minded the things of religion and of a private Life; and as a true friend to the protestant Cause, We congratulate your Excellency, our Brother, and all the British Nations, on the various Conquests obtained against the common Enemy, & especially on the total reduction of Canada, with its dependencies, being greatly delighted with the happy prospect that now arises without Clouds; As we rejoice to hear that the prisoners are resigned, so we hope a peace will be established between us, the five Nations, & the English Colonies on the Continent, a peace that shall be lasting & undisturbed, while the Waters run and the Grass grows. We should be glad to be informed of the State and Behaviour of our Brethren in Tuscarora Valley, & to have some directions about the way, as we propose to make them a
|
PROVINCIAL COUNCIL. |
723 |
visit, & also should be glad of a pass or recommendation in writing, that we may be friendly received on the way and at the Valley.
|
I am Your
Brother,
|
"The above was taken from the Mouth of the said Augus, Tuscarora
Chief, by the help of an Interpreter by me.
|
ELI FORBES, |
After the Governor had read the Letter, they delivered him a Belt of Wampum to
confirm the sincerity of their professions contained in the said Letter.
They then delivered the Governor another Belt from the Nanticokes and Coneys, as a testimony of their joining the Tuscarora's in the same sincere professions.
The Governor acquainted them that he would take the Letter into Consideration, & at a proper time return them an answer.
_____
At a Conference with the Indians, held at Lancaster, on
Thursday the 12th August, 1762.
PRESENT:
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esqr., Lieutt. Governor, &ca.
William Logan, Richard Peters, and Benjamin Chew, Esquires, of the Council of the Province.
Joseph Fox, George Ashbridge, James Wright, Saml. Rhoads, James Webb, Esqrs., of the Assembly, & several Magistrates, & a number of Gentlemen from Philada. & other parts of the Province.
Tomago, or Beaver,
Weadocalla
(?), Chiefs of the Ohio Delawares, and
Tisasooma (?), }
two others, most of them Warriors.
Akis,
Lenascokana, } Chiefs of the
Tuscaroras.
Enasquana,
Mickepalathy (?), or red Hawk,
Wapomaobehawey (?), or White Elk,
Chiefs of ye Shawanese &
Magalahutway (?),
} 10 other
Warriors.
Cakakey,
Micathie (?) } Chiefs of ye
Kickapoe Natn
Teacott,
Wicugha (?), } Chiefs of the
Wiwachtanies.
Weatona,
724 |
MINUTES OF THE |
Paughawe,
Cottalinnea,
Nenaouseca (?), } Chiefs of the
Twightwee Nation.
Sawnaughakey,
Isaac Stille,
Frederick Post, } Interpreters.
After the Indians had taken their Seats the Governor opened the Conferences with the following Speech:
"Brethren, the Delawares, Shawanese, Twightwees, Wawaghtanies, Tuscaroras,
and Kickapoes:
"With this String I clean your Bodies
from the Dust & Sweat, and open your Eyes and Ears, that you may see your
Brethren with chearfulness, & hear distinctly what I have to say to you at
this Conference."
A String (480).
"Brethren:
"With this String I open the passage to
your hearts, that you may speak freely and without reserve, as Brethren ought
to do when they meet together."
A String (260).
"Brethren:
"It is now a great while since we had
the pleasure of Meeting one another in Council, Wherefore I take this
opportunity of Condoling with you for the Losses you may have sustained by the
death of any of your people; and with this String I gather up the Bones of our
deceased Brethren & bury them decently, according to the Custom of our
forefathers."
A String (460).
"Brethren:
With this String I disperse the dark Clouds,
which for many Years have hung over our heads, & prevented our seeing each
other, that we may, for the future, meet and confer together, as our fathers
used to do, and brighten & renew the Covenant Chain of Friendship for our
Mutual Benefit & Advantage."
A String (300).
"Brethren:
As the Council Chamber hath contracted much
dust for want of use, for some Years past, & hath also been stained with
Blood, I, with this String, sweep it quite clean, and wipe all Blood from off
the Seats, that we may sit and confer together without (illeg.) - any thing to
interrupt us or make us uneasy."
A String (280).
"Brethren:
"Having now wiped your Eyes, opened the way to your hearts, & cleansed the Council Seats, I, by this Belt, take you by the hand
Continue to
Dft. Ex. 119.
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