the forks of the Ohio. Gen. Braddock was sent with an armed force consisting of British Regulars and American Militia to drive them from that quarter and to occupy the station; but not having taken the necessary precautions, on his march against an ambuscade he was attacked on the banks of the Monongahela in the month of July about ten miles from the fort, and defeated with the loss of his own life and about seven hundred men.* This success added to that of M. de Contraceur produced such calamitous effects upon the English cause, and added so much lustre to the French arms, that many of the Indian tribes, including the Delawares who had hitherto remained faithful to the British Colonies, now revolted and joined their brethren in the service of the French. In alluding to the means which had been used to produce this effect, Governor Morris of Pennsylvania, in his address to the Assembly in November, said "That the French had gained to their interest the Delaware and Shawanese Indians under the ensnaring pretence of restoring to them their country."‡

The evil effects resulting from the hostility of the Indian tribes began to be severely felt by the British Government, and the Proprietaries of Pennsylvania were requested to define explicitly their purchases of the Indians, and to obtain if possible a renewal of their friendship with the Colonies.Instructions to this effect were accordingly dess

*Smollet.

See votes of Assembly, Vol. 4

C*

patched to the Governor, and messengers were sent to invite the Indians to a General Conference at Easton,* which was held in July; but as the attendance on the part of the Indians was not general, and many subjects of difference arising, the Conference was dissolved, and the subjects under consideration referred to a General Council to be held at the same place in the autumn. Accordingly on the eighth day of November 1756, the different Indian tribes, represented by their Chiefs and principal Warriors, met Governor Dennie at Easton where the Council was opened in the following order. "At three o'clock the Governor marched from his lodgings to the place of Conference guarded by a party of the royal Americans in front aud on the flanks-and a detachment of Col. Weiser's Provincials in sub-divisions in the rear, with colours flying, drums beating, and music playing; which order was always observed in going to the place of Conference."‡

Tedcuscund, who had been accompanied from Wyoming by most of his principal Warriors, performed the part of chief speaker on this occasion for all the tribes present, as he had done at the preceding conferences. He is represented to have supported the rights and claims of the Indians in a

*A Town which had been recently built at the confluence of the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers.

Minutes of Conference on file.

dignified and spirited manner.* Tadeuscund, in his talk before the Council, said in substance as follows:-"There are many reasons why the Indians have ceased to be the friends of the English. They had never been satisfied with the conduct of the English after the treaty of 1737, when their Fathers, Tishekunk and Nutimus, sold them the lands upon the Delaware: that although the rights of the purchase were to extend “ as far as a man can go in a day and a half" from Neshamony Creek, yet the man who was appointed to go over the ground, did not walk, but ran, and it was also expected he would go along the bank of the river, which he did not, but went in a straight line; and because they had been unwilling to give up the land to the English as far as the walk extended, the Governor who then had the command in Pennsylvania, sent for their cousins the Six Nations, who had always been hard masters to them, to come down and drive them from the land.-That when the Six Nations did come down, they met them at a great treaty held at the Governor's house in Philadelphia in 1742 with the view of explaining why they did not give up the land, but the English made so many (1 presents to the Six Nations, that they would hear

*Major Parsons, who acted as Secretary to the Conference, describes Tadeuscund as 66 a lusty raw-boned man, haughty and very desirous of respect and command," and adds, that he was born some where near Trenton, and is now (1756) fifty years old." See Minutes of Conference on file in Secretary's Office, Harrisburg.

no explanation from the Delawares; and the Chief of the Council of the Six Nations (Conassatego,) abused them and called them women. The Six Nations had however, given to them and the Shawanese the country upon the Juniatta for a hunting ground, and had so informed the Governor ;but notwithstanding this the latter permitted the whites to go and settle upon those lands.-That two years before the Governor had been to Albany to buy more of the lands of the Six Nations and had described their purchase by points of compass, which they did not understand, including not only the Juniatta but also the West Branch of the Susquehanna, which the Indians did not intend to sell; and when all these things were known they declared they would no longer be friends to the English who were trying to get all their country from them."

He assured the Council that they were glad to meet their old friends, the English, to smoke the pipe of peace with them, and hoped that justice would be done to them for all the injuries which they had received. This Conference continued nine days during which time all matters of difference were considered, and the Shawanese and Delawares, the two principal tribes, became reconciled to the English with whom they concluded a treaty of peace.

The object of the Pennsylvania Government however, was not confined to the pacification merely of the Delawares and Shawanese; for knowing as the English well did the power and influence of the Six Nations, this was considered only

as a preparatory step towards forming a treaty with them also. To the formation of such a treaty additional difficulties were now created by some recent successes of the French near the Lakes. The Marquis de Montcalm with a body of thirteen hundred regular troops, seventeen hundred Canadians, and a large body of Indian auxiliaries, laid siege to Oswego, a Fort built by the British at the mouth of the Onandago River on the shore of Lake Ontario, and the Garrison, consisting of fourteen hundred men, surrendered themselves prisoners of war on the thirteenth of August, their Commander, the brave Col. Mercer, having been killed by a Cannon-ball.* No means however were neglected to regain the friendship of the Six Nations, and presents having been liberally distributed amongst them, a Grand Council of all the Indian tribes was held by special invitation at Easton in October 1758. At this treaty there were present Chiefs and Deputies from the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagoes, Cayugas, Senecas, Tuscaroros, Nanticokes, Canoys, Tuteloes, Chugnues, Delawares, Unamies, Minisinks, Mohicons, Wappingers and Shawanese, amounting in the whole to about five hundred. The Conferences, on the part of the English were managed by the Governors of Pennsylvania and New Jersey accompanied by Sir William Johnson as Deputy for Indian affairs, four members of the Council of Pennsylvania, Six members of Assembly, two agents for the Province

*Smollet.

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