СНАР.

II.

Skirmish between

A CIRCUMSTANCE Occurred at the time of Heron's arrival attended with the most fortunate effects to his project. Captain Washington, with a number of officers and soldiers belonging to the governor's regiment which had been discharged, arrived at Hampton; and as it is not easy to lay down the habits we have once formed, and the Georgia service was supposed to be less severe than that in which they had been engaged, many of them enlisted with Heron.

AN account arrived of a smart skirmish in Augusta county between colenel Patten, at the Shawenese head of a detachment of militia, and a party of and party Shawanese Indians. The parties appear to have fallen in with each other by surprize. The InDecember. dians immediately halted, and at the first fire kill1742. ed captain M'Dowell and seven men. After this

of militia.

acording to their usual custom, they retreated about thirty yards, and after a pause of ten mi nutes, when the imprudence of the militia gave them an opportunity, they repeated their fire. The conduct of the militia on this occasion is altogether unaccountable. Although they received a reinforcement they were unwilling to pursue, and retired under pretence of refreshing themselves. On their return the next morning they found that the Indians had carried off their own dead and stript and scalped the militia.* This intelligence afforded the most serious alarm to all the frontier settlements; and the governor with advice of council took immediate measures for averting the hostility of the Indians, by sending commissioners amongst them, and in any event for repelling their future inroads, by send

• Gazettes.

J

ing a sufficient supply of ammunition to the from CHAP.

tiers.

ABOUT this time Robert Dinwidde and Lewis Burwell were appointed of his majesty's council in the room of William Randolph and John Carter, deceased; and Thomas Nelson, junr. appointed secretary, in the room of Carter, arrived in the colony.

ABOUT the same time died Blair, aged eighty eight, during sixty four years a minister of the gospel, fifty-three years commissary of Virginia, president of a college for fifty-one, and a member of the king's council fifty. To considerable learning he was thought to add in an eminent degree the virtues of hospitality and generosity; whilst his manners in the discharge of his various important duties conciliated the esteem and affection of the most opposite parties and opinions.

II.

of attempt

against St..

MEANWHILE an account arrived of the ill success of the attempt against St. Augustine. Ill success The plan of Oglethorpe which seems never to have been sufficiently matured, was abandoned Augustine. - after a short trial: In a word, the means were found to be wholly inadequate to the danger and difficulties of the project. He had neither ships to blockade the port and shut out supplies, nor cannon to batter the place, and after having come in sight of the town, he hastily re-embarked and returnd to Georgia.*

MEANWHILE the apprehensions excited by the late skirmish between the militia and the Shawanese, was happily adjusted by a treatyf

31st July

1743.

Treaty be

* Express.

+ It appears by this treaty that the main body of the Tuscarora nation had not joined the Six Nations at this

CHAP.
II

held at Lancaster in Pennsylvania. The talks of the Indian orators lasted for several days. tween Vir- The governor and council of Pennsylvania, atginia, Ma- tended by the commissioners of Virginia and ryland and Maryland on the one side, on the other the oraPennsylvania and Six tors of the Six Nations, having, with Conrad Weiser their interpreter, discussed the points in dispute, with the order and formality usual in the ratification of treaties, the hatchet was buried and the silver chain of friendship brightened by the delivery of several belts of wampum.*

Nations.

A PROCLAMATION issued at this time, containing some particulars worthy of notice. It stated, by advice of the lords of the admiralty, that his majesty's ships had received considerable interruption, owing to a mistaken notion, that the act of Anne prohibiting impressments in the co

time, although Mr. Jefferson and even Mr. Colden seem to be of opinion that they emigrated so early as the year seventeen hundred and twelve. It appears too that some families of the Conoies remained behind.

There lives, said Casassatgeo, in his address to the Virginia deputies, a nation of Indians on the other side of your country, the Tuscaroras, who are our friends, and with whom we hold correspondence: But the road between us and them has been stopped for some time, on account of the misbehaviour of some of our warriors: We have opened a new road for our warriors, and they shall keep to that; but as that would be inconvenient for messengers going to the Tus caroras, we desire they may go the old road. We frequently send messengers to one another, and shall have more occasion to do so now that we have concluded a peace with the Cherokees.

Amongst these Tuscaroras there live a few families of the Conoy Indians, who are desirous to leave them and to remove the rest of their nation amongst us, and the straight road to them lies through the middle of your country.

Colden's Five Nations.

lonies was still in force. He goes on to state what is the interpretation of that law, and quot

ing the opinions of his majesty's attorney and so- Proclamalicitor-general on the subject, the proclamation tion resconcludes by stating the orders of the admiralty pecting im for putting the colony into the best state of de- pressments fence.*

BY COMMAND OF THE GOVERNOR.

WHEREAS the lords of the admiralty have signified to me, by a letter dated August 19th, 1743, That the commanders of his majesty's ships in America have made frequent complaints that they are often interrupted in endeavouring to procure seamen to make up their complements; and that it appears to their lordships to be chiefly owing to a mistaken notion, that the American act made in the reign of queen Anne, prohibiting the pressing there, is still in force; and their lordships being pleased to transmit to me the opinions of sir Edward Northey, his majesty's late attor ney-general, and of the present attorney and solicitor-general, that the said act expired long ago; I have thought fit by advice of the council to haye this published, that every body may be acquainted with the said opinions of these gentlemen learned in the law, on a point which remains here undetermined; and about which people in these parts are divided in their judgments.

WILLIAM GOOCH.

Copy of the opinion of the late sir Edward Northey, in rela tion to the American ast, dated February 10th, 1715-16.

I am of opinion that the whole American act was intended and appears only to have been intended for the war. EDWARD NORTHEY.

Copy of the opinions of the present attorney and solicitor-ge neral, dated July 17th, 1740.

2

We have perused the several clauses in the American

P

CHAP
JI.

1743. Death of

col Wm. Byrd.

ter.

Ar this time William Fairfax, son of the proprietor of Northern Neck, was appointed of his Nov. 4. majesty's council in the place of commissary Blair. About the same time died William Byrd, of the council, one of the most distinguished characters which had shone out for a long time in Virginia: A distinction not founded solely on his wealth, which was great, or his station: But his own personal merit. Extensive knowHis charac- ledge attained by study, improved by observation and refined by a familiar acquaintance with the illustrious characters of his time, were the qualities universally ascribed to him by the prints of the day. How much of this eulogy is just, or whe ther his character in anywise corresponded with this portrait, cannot be precisely known without a more intimate knowledge of facts. It is universally agreed that his taste for expense, his mu nificence, not to say profusion, exceeded any thing of the kind hitherto known in Virginia. It is the duty of history to pronounce one part of his eulogy, which, as it is justly earned, will

act, and by comparing the several clauses together, it seems to us, that the act is not now in force, but expired at the then war.

Having received direction from the lords justices for putting the colony into the best posture of defence, upon the present uncertain state of public affairs, I hereby order and require all commanding officers in the several respective counties, to keep themselves prepared and in readiness against any attempt that may be made upon this colony from any quarter whatsoever, and to see that the militia be kept under good order and discipline, and that they be provided with arms and ammunition as the law directs.

WILLIAM GOOCH: