Proof of the Uprightness of his Majestie's Designs, has put one Part of his Army under the Command of Col. Johnson, the great Friend of the Six Nations, who lives in their Country and has on all Occasions their Confidence. "This Friend of the Six Nations called here in his Way from the General and desired me to give You this Belt in Token of his Regard for You, whereby he requests that You would not depart from Your Habitations but wait for a Message from your Uncles and him from Onondago, where he is gone to consult them." Gave Col. Johnson's Belt. "I thank You for your Presents. It is not the Value of what is given but the Affection with which it is given that renders it acceptable. We are sensible that You do not abound with Wealth, and that the Deers are more scarce now where You live, and therefore We do not expect any great matters from You. "Had you been so good as to have given Us notice of your intended Visit We would have been better provided, but as it is, I shall recommend it to those who represent the good People of this Province to be kind to You and to make You some Presents. The Secretary will inform You of their Determination and deliver to You what shall be ordered. "I cannot take my Leave of You without giving You this String as a Token of my Affection." Gave a String. Governor Shirley gave the Indians a Belt, and promised that Col. Johnson, in Conjunction with the Six Nations, should apprize them of the Determination of the Council of the Six Nations which was to meet at Col. Johnson's on a Letter from General Braddock, and would send them Advice what they should do; and desired they would remain quiet in their respective Habitations, and tell all the other Sasquehannah Indians to do so likewise until they should. hear from Col. Johnson, and that then they would follow his Directions; Which They by a String promised faithfully to do. The Governor laid before the Council a Letter which General Braddock wrote and delivered to him at Alexandria, desiring him to inform the Indians within the Influence of this Government of his Arrival, and that he was then on his March with a Body of the King's Troops to remove the French from their Incroachments upon the River Ohio; which being taken into Consideration it was judged proper that a large Quantity of Wampum made up in Strings and Belts should be sent to Mr. Croghan, and that he should be pressed to send Notice of General Braddock's March to the Shawonese, Delawares, Twightees, Owendats, Piankyshaws, and all the other Indians on the Lakes, to invite them to come and join the General with all possible Speed, and that Scarrooyady now at Auc quick should be consulted with the Indian called the Belt of Wampum on this important affair, and press them to chuse proper and faithful Messengers on this Occasion, which the Governor did in the following Letter, viz": A Letter from Governor Morris to Mr. George Croghan. "Sir: "Herewith You have a Copy of General Braddock's Letter to me, and in compliance therewith I require and authorize You to convene as many Indians as You can to Aucquick of the Six Nations, Delawares, Shawonese, Twightees, and Owendats, and deliver to them by Belts and Strings, as the Occasion may require, a Message from me to entreat they would immediately meet the General on his March, hear what he has to say to them, give him all the Assistance in their Power, aud join heartily in the Measures graciously taken by his Majesty to recover for them the Lands which the French have most unjustly taken from them. "Let the Indians know that there is no meeting of Governors at Winchester, but that as the General is on his March all true Friends of the English are desired not to proceed to Winchester, but to repair to the Army, and distinguish themselves agreeable to their repeated Professions. "To those Indians that are remote You are forthwith to send Belts or Strings, and let them be such as are suitable with pressing Messages to wait on the General and receive his Orders. For this Purpose employ and dispatch away such private Indians as You can trust, and of your proceedings herein immediately inform me and likewise send an Express to the General or wait on him yourself, and acquaint him what You have done and what Success You are likely to have, and take all the Indians with You. You are sensible that the larger the Number the more credit it will be to this Province. "I herewith send you a Number of Belts and Strings of Wampum, which You are to dispose of to the utmost Advantage, and I must insist upon your consulting Scarrooyady and the Belt of Wampum, and with them taking great Care that no Messengers be employed in this Service but such as are faithful, know the Characters of the Indians well, and can distinguish such as are proper to trust the Message with or conceal it from. "I am, Sir, Your humble Servant, "Philadelphia, 23d April, 1756." "ROB" H. MORRIS. The Governor then laid before the Board the following Letters from Sir Thomas Robinson, one of his Majestie's Principal Secretaries of State: "Sir: A Letter fron Sir Thomas Robinson to Governor Morris. "A Clause having been inserted in the Mutiny Bill by Parliament this Session, enacting that all Troops in America whilst in Conjunction with the British Forces under the Command of an officer bearing his Majesty's immediate Commission, shall be liable. to the same Martial Law and Discipline as the British Forces are, I send you by the King's Command the enclosed Copy of the said Clause, in order that You may act conformably thereto, and I likewise send you several printed Copies of the Mutiny Bill passed last Year, and of the Articles of War founded thereupon, which being every respect the same as the Bills passed this Session will be sufficient for your Guidance and Direction till such Time as the new Bill and articles of War can be printed, whereof I will hereafter transmit to You a proper Number of Copies. in "I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant, "T. ROBINSON." B Another Letter from Sir Thomas Robinson to Gov'r. Morris. "WHITEHALL, 23d January, 1755. "Sir: "A clause having been inserted in the Mutiny Bill by Parlia ment this Session, Enacting That all Troops in America whilst in Conjunction with the British Forces under the Command of an Officer bearing his Majesty's immediate Commission shall be liable to the same martial Law and Dicipline as the British Forces are, I have the King's Comand to send You, pursuant to my Letter of the thirty-first past, several printed Copies of the said Mutiny Bill, together with the Articles of War founded thereupon, for your Guidance and Direction. "I am, Sir, Your most obedient humble Servant, MEMORANDUM: On the Twenty-Fourth of April the Governor finding by a Letter from Fort Cumberland that the Flour purchased by this Province for the Use of General Braddock was not delivered as it ought to have been, wrote the following Letter to the Committee of Assembly, viz: "Gentlemen "By a Letter I have received this morning from the Commissioners for running out the Roads over the Hills, I find the Flower ordered to be provided for the Army has not been yet delivered at the Place agreed on, and the Retardation of the March with the Consequences that may thence ensue is ascribed by Sir John St. Clair to this Delay and the not clearing proper Roads. "I am indeed much surprised at the Flower's not having been delivered according to the Time fixed, and urge You to do all in your Power to expedite the Delivery of it. I think Orders should issue immediately by the Return of the express to have the Roads cleared with all possible Expedition at the Expence of the Province, and desire Supplies may be forthwith sent for that Purpose. "The Sasquehannah Indians expect a Present, which need not be great as they have no particular Business, and only come down to assure Us of the Continuance of their Friendship for Us. Pray give the necessary Orders that they may go out of Town and reach the Place of their Habitations before the Message arrives from the Six Nations and Col. Johnson, as mentioned in the Minutes, which the Secretary has my Orders to show you. "I am, Gentlemen, Your most humble Servant, "PHILADELPHIA, 24th April, 1755." At a Council held at Philadelphia, Monday the 12th May, 1755. PRESENT: The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor. Robert Strettell, Esquires. The Minutes of the preceding Council were read and approved. A Letter from Mr. George Croghan of the first May in answer to the Governor's of the twenty-third April was read, and order'd to be enter'd as follows: A Letter to Governor Morris from Mr. George Croghan. May it Please your Honour: "AUCQUICK, May the 1st, 1755. "Last Night I received your Express with a Copy of General Braddock's to your Honour, and pursuant to your Honour's Commands to me have this Morning delivered the Messages to the Indians, which I have the Pleasure to inform your Honour has had its desired Effects, for to-morrow morning all those Indians here set off with me to the Camp to await upon the General, except the Woman and Children, chief of which insist on staying here and planting and being supplied by me, altho' I see General Braddock wants the Women and Children to be kept from the Camp; yet I must confess I had rather they had all gone as I dont expect the Assembly will allow me anything for their Maintenance for the future, and perhaps cut me out of the Ballance due me now, tho' I can have all my Accounts well attested. I have dispatched this Day Messengers to Ohio in your Honour's Name to call the Delawares and Shawonese and other Tribes, such as can be found on this side the French Fort, to meet me at the Camp, which I make no Doubt will meet with Success; and likewise I have sent to Sasquehannah for the Indians there. At the Return of those Messengers I will let your Honour know what Success I have had and what Number I have collected together. As I shall be chiefly. this Summer with the Army I wish some Orders might be given to provide for those that will be here. Whatever Commands your Honour may have for me please to direct to the Camp, where I shall be ready to obey your Honour to the utmost of my Power. "I am Your Honour's most humble and obedient Servant, A Message was delivered by Two Members that the House was met according to Adjournment and ready to receive any thing the Governor might have to lay before them. The Governor said he did not recollect any thing but the German Bill, which had been considered on the Foot it stood as their last Adjournment, and should be sent to them. The Governor informed the Council that on Receit of the Commiss Letter of the Sixteenth of April from Fort Cumberland, already entered, which came to his Hands on the Twenty-Third, as he was setting out for New York with Governor Shirley, he sent it by the Secretary to the Speaker and such of the Members as were in Town, with Directions that in case they would promise to pay the Charges of clearing the necessary Roads to write to the Commissioners immediately to proceed to the Work, and to use all the Dispatch possible; and that the Secretary had a Meeting with the Speaker and some other Members, in which it was their Opinion that the Expences of the Roads would be chearfully ordered to be paid by the Assembly at their next meeting, and that thereupon Mr. Peters wrote a Letter by Advice of and with |