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
(July 2, 174?)
In: Minutes... from the
organization to the termination
of the Proprietory Government, Dec. 17, 1745-
March 20, 1754, Published by the
State
Harrisburg: Printed by Theo. Fenn
& Co., vol. 5, 1851, pp. 559-562.
July ye 2d.
The Deputies of the six Nations having at their last Visit agreed to release their Claim to all the Land on both sides of the River Sasquehannah as far South as this Province extends, and to the Northward to those called the Endless Mountains or Kittochtenny (page 560) Hills, in Consideration whereof they then received a large Quantity of valuable Indian Goods for the Lands situate on the Eastern side of the said River, but declined at that Time to receive any for those on the Western side of the said River, choosing to defer the same until another Visit.
A large Number arrived from these Nations at Philadelphia, on Wednesday, the 30th of June, with Deputies only impowered to receive the said Goods, and acquainted the Governor that being weary from the fatigue of their long Journey they should crave three or four Days to rest themselves before they proceed to their Business. In the mean Time they would wait on the Governor to discourse according to their usual Method about News and other Occurrences, which the Governor readily agreed to, and asked them when they would choose to pay their first Visit, which they desiring might be on friday, the 2d July, in the afternoon, the Council was accordingly summoned, and being met at Mr. Logan's House,
PRESENT:
The Honourable GEORGE THOMAS, Esqr., Lieutenant Governor.
|
James Logan, |
Samuel Hasell, |
|
|
Samuel Preston, |
Ralph Assheton, |
} Esqrs. |
|
Clement Plumsted, |
Abraham Taylor, |
|
|
Thomas Laurence, |
Robert Strettell, |
|
The Chiefs of the Six Nations with the Chiefs of
the Shawonese.
Canassatego, the Onondaga Chief, Speaker,
Conrad Weiser, Interpreter.
The Governor open'd the Conference as follows:
Brethren:
The proprietor having purchased certain Lands from your Nations about six Years ago, A Moiety of what was agreed to be given in Consideration of that Purchase was at that Time delivered to them, and the other being at their own desire left in the Proprietor's Hands, he press'd you by Shick Calamy to send last Year for it, and would have been glad to have seen You and taken You by the Hand before his Departure; But as the Design of this Meeting is to hear Your News and converse in a free & friendly Manner, I shall say no more about the Goods than that they lye ready at the Proprietor's House, and will be delivered when you shall have sufficiently rested from the fatigue of your Journey.
The Chief of the Onondago's Spoke.
Brethren:
We propose to rest four days and then come to the Main Business. At present we are at a Private Conference about News, and have something of this Sort to mention to our Brother Onas. And (page 561) on the Governor's signifying they would be glad to know what it was, the Chief proceeded-
Brethren:
It is our Way when we come to our Brethren or any other Persons whom we live in strict friendship with, to remove all Obstructions to a good Understanding; with this View we are to inform You of a Piece of disagreeable News that happen'd in our Journey. Some white People living at a place called Conegecheege, whose Names we cannot tell, nor whether they belong to this or the neighbouring Government, but one of them, as we heard, had his House burnt over his Head some Years ago, and he was brought down a Prisoner and committed to the Jayle of this City. These People lighting of our Young Warriors as they were hunting, made some Proposals about the Purchasing Of Land from them, and Our Young Men being indiscreet and unacquainted with Publick Business, were foolish enough to hearken to them to receive five Duffield Strowds for two Plantations on the River Chonogoronta. A Conestogo Indian and a french Indian, and some others that were in Company, had three Duffield Strowds and went away with them, and our Young Men carryed off the other two. As soon as this came to Our Knowledge we sent for our Warriours, and after Examining and rebuking them severely we took away their two Duffied Strouds and Publickly censured them for Exposing Us to our Brethren of Pennsylvania in doing a thing so inconsistent to our Engagements to them. You are, said We aloud that all our People might hear and take Notice, to know & remember that the Six Nations have obliged themselves to sell none of the Land that Falls within the Province of Pennsylvania to any but our brother Onas, and that to sell Lands to any other is an high Breach of the League of friendship. Brethren, this rash Proceeding of our Young Men makes us Ashamed. We always mean well, and shall perform faithfully what we have Promised. And we Assure you this Affair was transacted in the manner we have related without our Privity or Consent; And that you may be fully convinced of this, and of the sincerity of Our Intentions, we have brought you these two Duffield Strowds [here he presented two red Strouds to the Governour]; they are the very Strouds Our Young foolish Men received. We took them from them, and we give them to You to return to those white people, who made the Bargain, and desire when the Strouds are returned to them they may be told what we now say, and that we shall not confirm such Bargains nor any other that may interfere with our Engagement to our Brother Onas.
The Governor then Spoke:
Brethren-
I thank you for this piece of News. You have taken this matter perfectly right. All bargaining for Land within this Province (page 562) is to be sure a manifest breach of your Contract with the Proprietors, and what we know you will not countenance. We have hitherto found the six Nations faithful toe their Engagements and this is a fresh Instance of their Punctuality. You could not help these mistakes of your Young Men- they were not done in your presence; but as several Inconveniences may arise form these kind of Clandestine Sales, or from any such loose Sales of Land by your people, we desire you will on your Return home give public notice to all your Warriours not to bargain for my Land, or if they do that you will not confirm such Bargains. And that this very Affair, with what you have done therein, may be particularly reported to all your Nation assembled in Council.
The Onondago Chief promised to give such Publick Notice; and desiring liberty to mend his former Speech, he proceeded;
Brethren-
I forgot one Circumstance. Our people who pretended to sell the Land demanded a Belt of Wampum of the Buyers to carry to their Chiefs, and on their declaring they had no Wampum, Our Warriours said they would not Answer that their Chiefs would confirm this Bargain, since they never did any thing of this Nature without Wampum.
The Governor after a short pause spoke:
Brethren of the Six Nations:
I shall take this Opportunity to relate to you a piece of disagreeable News I received some Days ago in a Letter from Le Tort, the Indian Trader at Alligheny, who says that in May last some Indians of the Taway Nations, supposed by Us to be ye Twightways, in their Return from War called and stay'd some Time with the Shawonese, who being asked and denying they had brought either Scalps or Prisoners, the Shawonese suspecting them had the Curiousity to search their Bags, and finding two Scalps in them that, by the Softness of the Hair, did not feel like Indian Scalps, they wash'd them clean and found them to be the Scalps of some Christians. On this Discovery the Twightwys were so much ashamed that they stole away in the Night Time, and coming, as they afterwards understood, to a little Village belonging to the Shawonese, they told our People that their Hearts were full of Grief, for as they came along the Road they found it all Bloody, and having good Cause to believe it was made Bloody with the Blood of some of the white Brethren, they had very sorrowfully swept the Road, and desired them to inform the Governor of Pennsylva. of their (the Twightwys) Grief, and how they had swept the Road Clean. Le Torte adds on behalf of the Shawonese, that they were much troubled and grieved at this unfortunate Accident, and Pray'd, as they had no concern in it more than by being Instruments to discover it, their Brethren would not blame them, nor suffer a Misunderstanding to arise between them on this Account; they would sweep the Road clean and wipe all the Blood away, and desired their Brethren would be satisfied with this, and not weep too Much for a Misfortune that might not happen again as long as the Sun & Moon shone.
The Person who delivered me Le Torte's Letter brought this bundle of Skins as a present to me, but I told the Messenger I would not meddle with it, he might leave it if he pleased, the Affair appear'd to me in a bad Light, and I would represent it to the six Nations, who were expected in Town every Day. This is the fact as I have it from Le Tort. I desire to be informed if you know any thing of the Matter, and if You do not, that you will make diligent Enquiry who committed the Murder, and who are the unhappy Sufferers, and Assist Us to obtain Satisfaction, if it shall appear to be any of our fellow Subject that have been treated in this Manner.
To inforce this request I present you with this String of Wampum.
The Onandago Chief, in reply, said:
We take this Information kindly at your hands; we will take this String of Wampum home with Us to our Lodgings, and there consult about the most regular & proper Steps to be taken by us to Answer your Expectations, and when we have duly considered the matter we will return You an Answer.
Upon this the Governor put an End to the Conference, and calling for Wine & other Liquors, according to the Indian Custom, after a decent and Cheerful Entertainment the Indians withdrew.
Return to
TOC, p. 10
Continue
to next part of Miami Collection
[return to Miami
Collection Menu]
[return to Glenn A. Black
Laboratory of Archaeology List of Publications]
[return to Glenn A. Black
Laboratory of Archaeology Home]
Last updated: 15
November 2000
URL: http://www.gbl.indiana.edu/home.html
Comments: webmaster@www.gbl.indiana.edu
Copyright 1996, Glenn Black Laboratory of Archaeology and The Trustees of Indiana University