of burials since the 14th September last is Exact and true from his Book and the Ace of Coffins, Except those from Micheal Hillegass, which he thinks may be 6 or 8 more & some to be Buried this Day, Novem 14th, 1754. "Affirmed before me. "JACOB SHOEMAKER. "CHA WILLING.” At a Council held at Philadelphia in the State House, 3d Decem', 1754. PRESENT: The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor. John Penn, Robert Strettell, Esquires. Two Members waited upon the Governor and acquainted him that the House were met according to their Adjournment and desired to know if he had any thing to lay before them, and he told them that he should be at the Council Chamber at Eleven a'Clock this Morning, and would then send a Message to require their Attendance. The Secretary in Pursuance of an Order under the Hand of the Speaker prepared a Writ to the Sheriff of the County of Philadelphia for electing a New Member to Serve in Assembly for that County in the room of Edward Warner, deceased, and the Governor Signed it, ordered the Lesser Seal to be put to it, and the Secretary to countersign it. The Governor laid before the Council several Letters, which were read, considered, and ordered to be entered, Viz: A Letter from St Thomas Robinson, dated 5th July last; A Letter from Governor Dinwiddie, dated 8th November last; A Letter from Governor Sharp informing him that the King had given him the Command of the Troops to be raised against the French, dated likewise on the 8th November; Two Letters from George Croghan-one of the 16th October and another of the 23d November; Two Letters from Daniel Clause, one to Mr. Hamilton and another to Mr. Peters, dated the 29th of October last; A Letter from John Harris, of Paxtang, dated the 29th of October, giving an account of the Half King's Death. "Sir: Letter from St Thomas Robinson. "WHITEHALL, July 5th, 1754. "Your Letter of the twenty-fifth of November last in Answer to the Earl of Holdernesse's of the twenty-eight of August, having been received and laid before the King, I am to acquaint you that it is his Majesty's express command that you should in Obedience thereto not only Act Vigorously in the Defence of the Government under your Care, but that you should likewise be aiding and assisting his Majestie's other American Colonies to repel any hostile Attempts made against them, and it was with great surprize that the King observed your total silence upon that part of His Majesty's Orders which relate to a concert with other Colonies, which you must be sensible is now become more essentially necessary for their common Defence, since the Account received by you from Major Washington with regard to the Hostilities committed by the French upon the River Ohio, which verify in Fact what was apprehended when the Earl of Holdernesse Wrote so fully to you in August last, and which might have been in a great measure if not totally prevented, had every one of his Majestie's Governments exexerted themselves according to those directions, the observance whereof I am now by the King's Command to enforce you in the strongest manner. I am, "Sir, Your most obedient humble Serv "THOMAS ROBINSON, "Sir: Letter from Governor Dinwiddie. "WILLIAMSBURG, November 8th, 1754. "I have the Pleasure of Your Letter of the 12th October last, and I take this opportunity of congratulating you on your safe Arrival at your Government, and I sincerely wish You health and all the Blessings due to a good Governor. "Our Assembly met last Month, and after strong Solicitations and Arguments they have voted 20,000 to enable me to conduct the necessary Expedition. His Majesty was also graciously pleased to send me 10,000 in Specie, and appointed Mr. Sharp to Command in Chief the combined Forces against the French on the Ohio. He has been here and consulted Measures for the operations, either this Winter or early in the Spring, which he will be Judge off when he gets to the Camp, where I presume he will soon be there.. "I am in Consequence of above Supplies raising of Levies to send to Wills' Creek with all Expedition; but I must observe, the above Supplies will come far short in Answering the End in driving the French from the Ohio, as I think not less than 250 Men can be employed to do the Business Essentially. It gave me much surprize to see in Your Papers that Your Assembly is adjourned VOL. VI.-12. till the Second of next Month without granting any Assistance; I am sorry they should have desired it when the Enemy is so near our Frontiers; and if supplies were now granted the time is short enough to make proper Preparations, even if the Expedition be retarded to the Spring. "Pray, Sir, endeavour to rouse them from their Lethergie, Supineness, to their Duty to the best of Kings and to their own Preservation; my Eyes have been strongly fixed on Your Province for a considerable Aid, and am still in Hopes that I shall not be disappointed. "A Colony of Your Riches and great Number of Inhabitants to remain unactive in so imminent danger surprizes me, and must all well-wishers to these Colonies. Though they may plead some religious Tenets for their Excuse, yet as there are great Numbers in the Province that are not of so unjust and unreasonable Tenets as to run the Risque of loosing their Lives, Liberties, and Properties, it may reasonably be expected that a considerable Force & an agreeable supply should be granted by your Assembly; and tho' they are late in doing it, yet I hope at least they will shew themselves good Subjects and attend to the Law of Nature Self-Preservation. "I am sorry for the Death of the Half King, but hope Moneatootha will supply his place well, with a strong respect to the Eng lish Interest. I have ordered a considerable present (to Wills' Creek) for him and the Indians that are with him. I have no doubt but that the French will infest our Frontiers with small Detachments from the Fort on the Ohio. I have ordered a Company of Fifty Men for their protection, and have directed the Lieutenants of our Frontier Counties to raise Numbers of the Militia, as Occasion or Intelligence may reach them, to oppose the malicious de signs of our Enemies. It will be much pleasure to me to keep up a strict Correspondence with You, as it may tend to the Service of the Crown and these Colonies. "I wish You a happy, easy, and long Government, and am with great Respect, "Sir, Your most Obedient humble Servant, "ROBERT DINWIDDIE." "Sir: Letter from Governor Sharpe. "ANNAPOLIS, November the 8th, 1754. "I have received the favour of Your Letter acquainting me with Your safe Arrival in Your Government, upon which I very heartily congratulate You, and most sincerely wish you much Ease and Satisfaction in your Administration. Your early Declaration that you will always make it your Business to promote His Majestie's Service and the Interest of these Colonies, that You will freely communicate to me the Measures that you shall esteem likely to contribute to that end is highly agreeable to me, as it gives me an oppertunity of assuring You that I will make it my Study to deserve your Confidence, and that Your advice in any thing that might concern the Public Service will with me always have the greatest Weight and Influence. You are, I presume, no Stranger to His Majestie's having been pleased to honour me with a Commission to take the Command of the Forces that may be raised for y° Defence of these Colonies against the Encroachments and Invasion of his Majestie's Enemics, and from your generous professions I flatter myself with hopes that nothing will be wanting on your part to enable me to Execute his Majestie's Commission with some Reputation, and repel the Danger that at this time threatens us. It would be, I am persuaded, impertenant in me to insist on or even to hint the fatal Consequences that must attend our conniving at the Encroachments the French have lately made on his Majestie's Dominions in this part of the Continent, or suffering them to remain Masters of the Forts which they have built on the Frontiers of that Province. Of this you are extreamly sensible, and I will not doubt but your Assembly, when they meet again, will shew a just regard to our Recommendation of the Service to their Consideration, and will manifest their Patriotism by granting such Supplies as the Exigency of Affairs and the Danger that threatens their Country does at this Time demand; indeed without large Assistance from them and the Neighbouring Colonies I dispair of answering in the least his Majestie's Expectations and Royal Intention in honouring me with such a Commission, and shall be under the disagreeable. Necessity of excusing my failure or Inaction, and attribute them to the want of such Succors as his Majesty, by his Secretary, gives me room to expect from his good and loyal American Subjects. Shou'd my hopes of your Assembly's Disposition prove well grounded, You will be kind enough to advise me by express thereof, and acquaint me in what manner you judge they will be most inclined to afford Us their Assistance, that I may regulate my Conduct or lay my Plan of Operations accordingly. I would be much obliged to you for endeavouring to get me Intelligence of the Number of the Enemy at Wenango and their Fort on Buffeloe River, of the Situation and Strength of which I have in vain endeavoured to get a particular description. I should be also glad to learn whether there is any Road yet opened from the back Settlements in Pennsylvania to any of these places, and whether it would be impracticable to convey Provisions thither from your Province either in Summer or the Winter Season. I returned last Sunday from Williamsburg, where I left the Virginia Assembly sitting; they had granted the Sum of £20,000 for the Service, and were proceeding to prepare a Bill levying a Number of Forces at once in that Province by obliging each County to furnish a certain Quota. "I am, Sir, with the greatest Esteem, "Your most obedient humble Servant, "HOR SHARPE." "Sir: Letter from Mr. Croghan. "AUGHWICK OLD TOWN, October 16th, 1754. "Two Days ago came here an old Man of the Six Nations from the French Fort on the Ohio, and brought with him a very large Belt of Black Wampum with a Speech made on it by one of the Six Nations who lives with the Commandent in the Fort. The Speech was to desire those Indians to return immediately to the Ohio and settle themselves under their Father's Arm, where they might be shure to be fed & Cloathed with great Plenty, and when there their Wives and Children wou'd be safe from the Attacks of any Enemy, as they have plainly seen this Summer that no Enemy can stand before their Father the French. "The same Man sent me the Inclosed String of Wampum to desire me at my Peril not to interfere and stop those Indians from going home to their own Country. Those Indian's Answer was that they never would return in Peace with the French; but that they expected to live yet on the Ohio Lands, which Lands justly belongs to them and their Brethren the English, and not to the French. By every Indian that comes down from the Ohio we hear of great Preparations making by the French to attack the back Inhabitants in small Parties, in hopes, I suppose, to put a Stop to any English Army marching out this fall, which I think they need not dread. Colonel Innis has Built a Fortification at the Mouth of Wills' Creek opposite to the New Store called Fort Mount Pleasant. He has invited the Indians that is here to go to see him and receive a Present from the Government of Virginia which he will deliver them. They set off to-Morrow, but leaves their Women and Children here behind till they return, which they expect will be in ten Days. "You have heard of the Half King's Death I suppose, which has been much lamented by all the Indians; as Colonal Innis had sent for them I was obliged to make a Condolance Speech to them and a present of Goods to cover his Grave in the name of the Governor of this Province, as they cou'd not see the Road nor hear what the Governor of Virginia had to say to them till that Ceremony had been done. "I am, Sir, your most humble Servant, GEO. CROGHAN." |