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
(May 25, 1750)
In: Pennsylvania Provincial
Council
Minutes, Colonial Records,
Vol. V, pp. 431-436.
At a Council held at Philadelphia, Friday, 25th May, 1750.
PRESENT:
The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant
|
Thomas Lawrence, |
Benjamin Shoemaker, |
|
|
Samuel Hassell, |
William Logan, |
} Esqrs. |
|
Abraham Taylor, |
|
|
The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approv'd.
The Governor laid before the Board a Letter he had receiv'd the 23d Instant from the Governor of New York, inclosing One from Coll. Johnson to that Government, setting forth the Apprehensions the Indians of the Six Nations were under, as well on their own Account as in Behalf of their Friends and Allies settled at Ohio, from the Threats of the French of Canada, who they saw are actually preparing to attack them this Summer with a great Force of French Men and Indians in their Dependance, and desiring to know what Assistance they may rely on from the Government of this Province, that He may take such Measures thereupon as He shall judge Proper.
The Governor likewise inform'd the Board that Mr. Peters, the Secretary, and Mr. Weiser, the Indian Interpreter, were then in Cumberland County, in order to take proper Measures with the Magistrates to remove the Settlers over the Hills who had presum'd to stay there, notwithstanding his Proclamation prohibiting their Stay under the severest Penalties; That he had receiv'd a Letter from Mr. Peters, mentioning that Andrew Montour was just arriv'd from Allegheny, and brought News that the Indians were upon their Guard least the French should come, but did not generally believe they would; and likewise inclosing the Minutes of some Conferences which were held by him in Conjunction with the Magistrates and Mr. Weiser, as well with Mr. Montour as with some Shamokin and Conestogoe Indians, which were read in these Words:
At a Conference held with the Indians at Mr. Croghan's in Pennsboro' Township, Cumberland County, on Thursday, the 17th Day of May, 1750.
PRESENT:
RICHARD PETERS, Esquire, Secretary.
|
Conrad Weiser, |
|
Andrew Montour, |
|
James Galbreath, |
|
Tach-nech-doarus, |
|
George Croghan, |
}Esquires. |
S-ai-uch-to-wano, |
|
George Stevenson, |
|
Catara-dirha, |
|
William Wilson, |
|
Tohomady Huntho, a Mohoch |
|
Hermanus Alricks, |
|
from Ohio. |
Sai-uch-to-wano spoke as follows:
Brethren:
We were in hopes of giving the Secretary a chearful Welcome into this Part of the Country; but We have just heard a Piece of bad News which has interrupted our Joy, that one of the Principal men of the Province is taken away by a sudden Death, a wise Counsellor and a good Friend of ours. Be pleased, therefore, to convey to the Governor our Expressions of Sorrow on this melancholy Occasion, and let this String of Wampum serve to comfort his Heart and wipe away Tears from his Eyes till this great Loss shall be supply'd by some fit Person to succeed him.
A String of Wampum.
To which the Secretary made answer:
Brethren:
I will deliver your String to the Governor, with your Expressions of Sorrow for the Death of the Chief Justice. This is indeed a real Cause of Concern to the whole Province, since the Loss which the Publick sustains by the Death of Wise Men cannot be soon repair'd. Wisdom in the Administration of the Affairs of Government requiring Experience as well as great Abilities, of both which the deceased Gentleman had a large Share.
Then Catara-dirha, on behalf of the Conestogoe Indians, spoke:
Brethren:
When the Six Nations sold their Land on Sasquehannah to the Proprietaries, the Conestogoe Indians were then living in their Town near Lancaster, for which Reason the Place where they liv'd was excepted out of the Sale. It will appear by your Records that they were to live there as long as they pleased, and when they should incline to depart they were to signify it to the Proprietaries and receive a Consideration; they are now inclinable to remove nearer to the other Indians, and according to the Agreement already made with the Proprietaries they request You to inform the Governor of their Intention. They want to sell their Improvements, and now make the Proprietaries the first Offer of them.
A String of Wampum.
Brother, the Governor:
Many of our old People are dead, so that we are now left as it were Orphan's in a destitute Condition, which inclines us to leave our old Habitations. When we are gone ill-minded People may tell you Stories to our Prejudice; but we assure You that Distance will not alter our Affections for You. Therefore give no Ear to such Stories, as we on our Part will not think you can loose your Regard for Us, tho' there are some who would perswade Us that we are now not so much regarded by you as we have been.
Then Andrew Montour spoke as follows:
Brethren:
The Twightwees, who were admitted into the Alliance of the English in a Treaty held at Lancaster two or three Years ago, sent their Deputies to Allegheny last Winter with a Message addressed to the Six Nations and other Indians living at Ohio, and to the Governor of Pennsylvania, and delivered to them this String of Wampum; and as this Government is equally concerned with those Indians in the Twightwee Message, they have commissioned me to relate it to the Governor, and to give him over the String of Wampum sent with it, and desire he will favour them with his answer to it by Mr. Croghan, who is going this Summer to Allegheny.
The Message delivered by the Deputies of the Twightwees was as follows:
Brethren of the Six Nations and all the other Indians living on Ohio, and the Governor of Pennsylvania and all the English Governors:
We, the Twightwees, who are now one with You, desire that the Road which has lately been opened between us, being a new one, and therefore, rough, blind, and not well clear'd, may now be made plain, and that every thing which may hinder the Passage may be removed out of it so effectually as not to leave the least Obstruction; and we desire this may be done, not only as far as where you live, but beyond you to the Places where our Brethren the English live, that their Traders, whom we desire to see amongst us and to deal with Us for the future, may travel to us securely and with Ease.
Brethren:
We are yet young and unexperienced. You, the Six Nations, are our Elder Brothers, and can advise Us what to do on all occasions. We, therefore, put ourselves under your Care, and request that you will look upon us as Children and assist us with your Council, and we promise to follow whatever Advice you give Us, for we are sensible that it will be for our Good. Our Father Onontio has kept us poor and blind; but thro' your Means we begin to open our Eyes and to see Things at a great Distance. We assure You by this String of Wampum that We, the Twightwees, have entirely laid Onontio aside and will no more be governed by his Advice, nor any longer hearken to what he shall say.
This is our settled Determination, and We give you the strongest Assurances that We shall abide by it, and of this we desire you will inform the Six Nation Indians at Onondago, and all the Indians who are in their and your Alliance, and likewise the Governor of Pennsylvania and the other English Governors.
Brethren:
I have it further in charge to relate to you the Answer which (page 434) the Allegheny Indians gave to this Message of the Twightwees, and it was to this Purpose:
Brethren the Twightwees:
Hearken to what we say, and consider our answer as the joint Answer of all the Nations of the Indians living in these Parts, of our Fathers the Six Nations living at Onondago, and of the English Governors, all whom we include in this answer.
Brethren of the Twightwee Nation:
You have by your Deputies desired of Us that we would open the New Road between Us and You wider, and take out of it every Thing that can possible hinder our travelling safely and pleasantly to one another, and that the English Traders may come more amongst You. And further, that you henceforth put yourselves under our Care and desire, we will assist you with our Council, and that you have entirely laid aside Onontio and will be no more governed by his Councils. We declare ourselves well pleased with every Part of your Message, and will heartily join with you in making the Road perfectly clear and free from all Impediments. We will take you under our Care and assist You on all occasions in the best manner. We trust your Determinations are made with the utmost Seriousness and Deliberation, and that you will adhere to what you say. The English and We are firmly united together; We are all one People, and our Hands join'd so that nothing can separate them. You have joined Hands with them and Us 'tis true, but Yours are as yet like the Hands of Infants, they cannot take hold of the Chain of Friendship with as much Strength as those of riper Years, but We advise you to take as strong an Hold of it as ever you can, and to form an Union that nothing can break through. If any Tree should fall and block up the Road between us, be sure let us all put our Hands to it and unitedly and amicably like Brethren throw it out of the Road. Don't let us act single on any Occasion, but all together, and then shall we have the more Strength.
A Message arriv'd from the Twightwees just before I left Allegheny, to thank the Indians on Ohio for their kind Reception of and answer to their Message in the Winter, with further assurances that they would continue true to their new Engagements, and expected to see Mr. Croghan with the answer of the Governor of Pennsylvania and the other English Governors.
Brethren:
I have finish'd what was given me in Charge with respect to the Twightwees, but I have still something to communicate to the Governor of Pennsylvania, and all the other Governors on the Continent, which was communicated to me by the Owendaets (otherwise called Inontady Haga) Indians in Conjunction with the other Indians settled on Ohio, be pleased therefore to receive a Message sent by the Owendaets and the other Indians.
Brethren all the English Governors:
When you were at war with Onontio We were perswaded by Corlaer to strike the French; you have since made Peace with Onontio, and we expected that we were included in that Treaty, but we don't find it so, for the French are always threatning Us, and have put us into so much Fear by their Menaces that we dare not suffer our People to go into the Hunting Places at A Distance from Us least we should meet a party of French. This was the case all last Summer, and we have received Intelligence from the Six Nations that the French of Canada are now making Military Preparations and intend to attack us this Summer.
Brethren:
You ought to have included Us in your Peace, but since you did not we now request that the English Governors would jointly apply to have Us included in the Peace, that we may not be subject to the Intimidations and Resentment of the French, but be in quiet as well as you.
The Secretary then informed the Indians that the Magistrates were come together to go and remove the People off the Land at Juniata and other Places by Direction from the Governor, agreeable to the Promise his Honour made the Deputies of the Six Nations last Summer, and that Mr. Weiser and he were appointed to see this work effectually done.
___
At a Conference held at Mr. CROGHAN'S in the Afternoon of the same Day, at the Instance of the Indians.
|
Richard Peters, |
|
Andrew Montour, |
|
Conrad Weiser, |
|
Tach-nech-doarus, |
|
James Galbreath |
}Esquires. |
Sai-uch-to-wano, |
|
George Croghan, |
|
Catara-dirha, |
|
George Stevenson, |
|
Tohomady Huntho, |
Sai-uch-to-wano spoke as follows:
Brethren:
We have thought a great deal of what you imparted to Us, that Ye were come to turn the Peeple off who are settled over the Hills. We are pleased to see you on this Occasion, and as the Council of Onondago has this Affair exceedingly at Heart, and it was particularly recommended to Us by the Deputies of the Six Nations when they parted from us last Summer, We desire to accompany You, But We are afraid, notwithstanding the Care of the Governor, that this may prove like many former Attempts, the People will be put off now and come next year again, and if so the Six Nations will no longer bear it but do themselves Justice. To (page 436) prevent this, therefore, when you shall have turned the People off We recommend it to the Governor to place two or three Faithful Persons over the Mountains who may be agreeable to him and Us, with Commissions impowering them immediately to remove every one who shall presume after this to settle there, until the Six Nations shall agree to make Sale of their Lands. To enforce this they gave a String of Wampum and received one in Return from the Magistrates, with the Strongest Assurances that they would do their duty.
The Governor then desired the Gentlemen of the Council to take the above several matters into their serious Consideration, and advise him what might be proper for him to do on this Occasions, Who were unanimously of Opinion, That as this Governmt. is as strictly united with the Indians of the Six Nations and those of Ohio, as any other Government on the Continent, and has upon all Occasions acted as friendly a Part by them, it is most probable that if they had apprehended such imminent Danger as is mentioned in Cols. Johnson's Letter, they would as naturally have applyed to this Province for Assistance as to that of New York; That as well by Mr. Peter's Information as by the Testimony of the Indian Traders come from Ohio, it appears Matter of Doubt to themselves whether they shall be molested this Summer; That as this Province is circumstanc'd the Only Assistance that can be given them is by furnishing them with Guns, Powder, Lead, &ca. to fight their Enemies, the Expence whereof they are apprehensive the Assembly may Scruple to repay without receiving some stronger Evidence of the Necessity of its being advanc'd than Cols. Johnson's Letter to the Governor of Another Province; That upon the Whole they cannot advise the Governor either to advance his money or to call the Assembly together on this Occasion, but to wait until HE receive a more authentick Application from the Indians themselves than has hitherto been made to him.
MEMORANDUM.
The following Persons were appointed Justices of the Peace and of the Common Pleas in the County of Cumberland, by a Commission bearing Date the Tenth Day of March, 1749, vizt. : Samuel Smith, William Maxwell, George Croghan, Robert Dunning, Mathew Dill, Benjamin Chambers, William Trent, William Allison, Hermanus Alricks, John Miller, Robert Chambers, John Finley, and Thomas Wilson.
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