THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Minutes of the Provincial
Council of Pennsylvania
(August 7, 1753)
In: Minutes of the Provincial Council
of Pennsylvania, Colonial
Records, Vol. V,
pp. 622-626.
Whereupon the Governor under the Endorsement gave the following Permission:
I being satisfied of the Truth of the Alligations in the Petition of the within mentioned Capt. Nery, do permit him to get his Vessel repaired in this Port as soon as conveniently may be, and in the mean time to land his Cargo into the King's Store under the Care of the Collector of his Majestie's Customs, until the same shall be reshipped, save so much thereof as, upon the accounts of the said Capt. Nery's necessary charges of such Repairs, &ca., begin laid before me, I shall order to be sold for defraying such Charges.
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JAMES HAMILTON. |
PHILADELPHIA, 9th August, 1753.
___
Letters and Papers relating to
Indian Affairs since the last Sitting
of the Assembly.
A great Number of Battoes full of Soldiers passing by Oswego, the Officers of that Fort sent an account thereof to Coll Johnston, which he forwarded to Governor Clinton, who was so kind as to enclose the Intelligence to the Governor, and after reading the Officers Letters they were ordered to be entered, and Copies thereof immediately to be made and sent to Mr. Croghan at Ohio:
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OSWEGO, May 15th 1753. |
Sr:
I beg leave to inform your Excellency that Yesterday pass'd this Place Thirty odd French Canoes, Part of an Army consisting of six Thousand French besides 500 Indians, commanded by Monsieur Morrin, designed for the River Ohio or Belle Reviere, which from what We can learn from a French Man who stopp'd here, as well as sundry accounts from the Indians, are to settle the Limits between us and them at Ohio, and that they lay claim to all the Lands descending or terminating in the great Lake, and that in case of opposition they are to support their claim by Force of Arms, and are to cause all the English, whether Traders or others, to quit those Parts; That the Commandant is invested with Power to build Forts and garrison them in such Places and in such manner as he judges most proper to secure their claim.
Our Five Nations seem very uneasy and much exasperated at this unexpected Expedition of the French, and say they never will consent the French shall settle or build Forts at Ohio, as 'tis their Right and which they will never give over.
Every thing in this Garrison is well, and as nothing further occurs beg leave to subscribe myself with all due Deference Sr.,
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Your Excellency's most dutiful humble Servant, |
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HITCHEN HOLLAND. |
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Copy of
a Letter from Lieutenant Holland, Commanding Officer
at Oswego, to Governor Clinton.*
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Oswego, May 15th 1753. |
Yesterday pass'd by here Thirty odd French Canoes, Part of an Army going to Belle Riviere to make good their claim there, and by a French Man who pass'd this also yesterday in his way to Cajocha give me the following account, which he said he learned from common Report in Canada, Vizt.: That the Army consisted of Six Thousand French commanded by Monsieur Marin, who is ordered to Ohio to settle the Limits between us and them; that they lay claim on all the Lands on any of the Rivers or Creeks descending or terminating in the great Lake; that if he meet with any opposition he is to make good his claim by Force of Arms, and to build Forts in such Places as he shall think most convenient to secure their Right; that one Fort is to be built at Kasanosiayogo (a carrying Place) and another at Diontaroga; they are also to oblige all the English they meet with, whether Traders or others, to evacuate the Place, as they look upon all we possess now as their undoubted Right, which they mean to support by Force of Arms; that this Expedition is agreeable to orders received from the Grand Monarque late in the Winter; that he particularly orders them that they molest not this Post at any rate, in Consideration of Cape Breton, but any other Post the English shall presume to approach or settle near where they claim they are to reduce, if not quitted immediately after warning given; That the expected a Declaration of War by the first vessels from France, which were not yet arrived, & was surprised when I told him we had as yet no Intelligence or Probability of a War. He also told me there were about 500 Indians of the Coghnawagas, Scenondidies, Onogonguas, Oroondoks & Chenundies who would not engage to go to War with the English, &ca., on Ohio but are employed at so much per Month to hunt for the Army. Our Five Nations are very uneasy, and many who were the first and principal Settlers at Swegatsy are running to their respective Villages and seem to have much the spirit of Resentment in them that the French shou'd offer to take Possession or settle and build Forts at Ohio without their consents as they look upon it as their Property, and many of them are now eager to take up the Hatchet, and if they were a little spirited and assisted by us would soon, with the assistance of their Allies, frustrate the Scheme of the French Politicians in their intended Settlements, which if we tamely suffer we may bid adieu to all the Indians on the Continent, as they will be the Masters of them all, and the consequence will be a continual annoyance and Encroachment on our Frontiers, as there is no doubt but they will extend their Dominions in America as far as possible, and now seems the very crisis of time to gain the Indians or forever lose them. If I hear (page 624) any thing further concerning this Army, shall not fail to communicate it to you at all opportunities.
|
B. S. |
NEW YORK.
The preceding is a true copy of a paper mentioned in a Letter from Coll. Johnson to Governor Clinton (in which it was sent enclosed), to be a Copy of a Letter from Captain Benjamin Stoddard to Coll. Johnson.
Examined by
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G. BANYAR, D. Sec'ry. |
Further Intelligence was sent by Governor Clinton, in his Letter of the eighteenth of June, Vizt.: Two Letters to Col. Johnston, one from Walter Butler at Fort William, and the Other from Arent Stephens at Schenectady, which are ordered to be entered:
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FORT WILLIAM, June 12, 1753. |
Sr.:
These with my humble Respects to you are to inform you that the Indians of this Castle have this Afternoon met in the Fort, and having received a Belt of Wampum have informed me of the affair as follows: Two Days ago News came from Onondago where they have received this News, with the Belt of Wampum from the French, in this Form:
Children-
I am now going by Oswego, and would not have you be any ways disturbed at it, as We are all French without any Indians and would have you be still, as we have no Design against any Indians. My design is to Ohio, and that to warn the English off from my Ground. We are so favourable to them, in civil Terms warning to remove three times off from my Ground, the which if they do not, We shall drive them by Force of Arms; they likewise informed Us that they understood the English intended to hold fast and keep Footing where they were, and he said they liked it very well, and was glad to hear that Proposal of the English Inhabitants, as the French was able to cut them in Pieces; this being directly drawn up, I thought proper to send it with Dispatch that you might take your own Sentiments upon it.
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I am, Sir, your most humble Servant, |
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WALTER BUTLER. |
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___
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SCHENECTADY, 13th June, 1753. |
Sr.:
This Day I received from the Five Nations of Indians a Belt of Wampum with a Message that I should forward it to your Ex- (page 625) cellency and Col. Johnson, which I here do with all imaginable Duty. The Wampum the French made a Speech with to the Five Nations at Onondago, which was to assure them that the French Governor had no Design to hurt his Children the Five Nations, but that his Army was going to take Possession of their Lands at Ohio, and hoped that the English would not dispute with them but leave the Land on their arrival there, otherwise they would take it by Force of Arms; the Five Nations begs to assure your Excellency that they have so great a Regard for the English that they send to your Excellency the same Belt which they received from the French that you may see they act with the greatest Truth, but desire your Excellency will return them the Belt again.
The first Castle of Mohawk Indians are much displeased with the Conojohany Indians for going to New York before they knew whether it would be agreeable to your Excellency, for which reason they have not accompanied thither.
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I am, with the utmost Respect, Sir, |
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Your Excellency's most obedient humble Servant, |
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ARENT STEVENS. |
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Two Letters from Governor Clinton of the twenty-fourth June and the seventh July were read and ordered to be entered:
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FLUSHING, on Long Island, 24th June, 1753. |
Sr.:
I am just come up from New York, where I went to meet Hendrick the Sachim, and several other Indians of the first Mohawk Castle, who were full of Complaints and behaved in so insolent a manner, telling me (before the Council and several of the Assembly) that the chain was broke, and parted from me with several impudent Menaces, that I do not know if the French have not been tampering with our Six Nations. I have laid before the Assembly all that passed at the meeting, and advised to send up thro' all the Six Nations Two Men of some Influence with them in company with the Interpreter, and to give them all a general Invitation to an Interview at Albany, in order to prevent any Mischiefs that Fellow and the Rest of that Castle might occasion by his insolent Threatnings. I have as yet not heard of any that they have done, but much suspect the consequence of his Resentment.
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I am, with very great Sincerity, |
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Your Honour's most obedient very humble Servant, |
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G. CLINTON. |
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GOVR. HAMILTON.
Sr.:
In your Letter of 22d June I observe that your Assembly have (page 626) voted a Sum to be distributed by your Honour to the Indians, but as no Application had been yet made to you by either the Six Nations or Those at Ohio for your Assistance, you think it best to defer it until you are informed by Them and the Council at Onondago what Species would be most acceptable to them.
Upon the late Disturbances of the Indians here, the Council and Assembly have both joined in a Committee to recommend Col. Johnson to undertake the bringing them into Temper again, as he in their opinion was the only Person that could possibly bring it about by his Influence with them, and I have accordingly commissioned him for that Service. He intends to set out for Onondago some time next Month to call a Council of all the Six Nations at Onondago, therefore I take this Opportunity to inform you of it, that any application you may make to the Indians on those proposed Presents may not interfere or obstruct the said Meeting at Onondago.
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I am, with great Truth, |
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Your Honour's most obedient very humble Servant, |
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G. CLINTON. |
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GOVR. HAMILTON.
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FLUSHING, on Long Island, 7th July, 1753. |
Some of our Indian Traders were taken Prisoners by a Party of Cognawago or Praying French Indians as they were trading with the Cuttawas, one hundred Miles from the Lower Shawonese Town on Ohio, and Stripp'd and plundered of their Goods and Skins and carried Prisoners to Montreal, from whence they sent a Letter to Mr. Saunders, Mayor of Albany, and he enclosed it to the Governor, which were both read and ordered to be entered:
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ALBANY, June 21st, 1753. |
May it please your Excellency:
I have yesterday received a Letter from Messrs. Alexander McGinty, Jabez and Jacob Evans, David Hendricks, William Powell, and Thomas Hyd, now Prisoners in Canada, whereof the Enclosed is a Copie, which I think my Duty to send to you as soon as possible, interim I will write and send them a Letter and acquaint them therein of my Proceedings, hope and doubt not but that you will with all Speed cause therein to be done what their case requires, and desire that you order the enclosed be delivered to Superscription. I receiv'd it under my cover and supose it to be from them or some one of them.
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I am with profound Respect, |
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Your Excellency's |
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Most humble and obedient Servant, |
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ROBT. SANDERS. |
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To Governor HAMILTON.
_____________________________
*Note: It seems that this heading is incorrect. The letter is here signed B. S. and is word for word, with very few additions or changes, the same as that of "Captain (Benjamin) Stoddart to Colonel Johnson" as found in New York Colonial Docs. (London Docs.:XXXI): VI, pp. 779-780. This is even acknowledged by this source itself at the end of the letter.
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