had destroyed some of the Settlements nigh the River Sasquehannah, killed a number of the Inhabitants, and carried others off Prisoners, and that a considerable Body of them had passed the Allegheny Hills and were moving towards the settled parts of this Province, issued Writts for calling You together, since which I have had repeated accounts of the motions of the Enemy, who, I am informed, are Fifteen hundred in number, & are encamped on the Sasquehannah about thirty miles above Harris' Ferry.

"The papers that I have ordered to be laid before you will inform you of the Cruelties their Parties had committed upon the Inhabitants of this Province on both sides the Sasquehannah, and that they have penetrated as far as the Kittochtinny Hills, within about eighty Miles of this City.

"This Invasion was what we had the greatest reason to believe would be the Consequence of General Braddock's defeat and the Retreat of the regular Troops, & had my hands been properly strengthened I should have put this Province into such a posture of Defence as might have prevented the Mischiefs that have since happened.

"It seems clear from the different accounts I have received that the French have gained to their Interest the Delaware & Shawanese Indians under the ensnaring pretence of restoring them to their Country, Their intimate knowledge of which will make them very dangerous Enemys to the Colonys in general, and to this in particular.

"As soon as I could inform myself of the number and motion of the French & Indians, I signified the same to the neighbouring Governments, that they might not only be upon their Guard but prepared to afford us such assistance as the progress of the Enemy might make necessary, and at the same time transmitted to his Majesty's Ministers the Intelligence I had received, and acquainted them with the defenceless state of the Province.

"The people in the back Counties have on this important Occasion behaved themselves with uncommon spirit and activity, but complain much of the Want of Order & Discipline, as well as of Arms and Ammunition. As we have no Militia it is not in my power to Form the people into such regular Bodies as the present Exigency requires, and you must be sensible that I have neither Money, Arms, or Ammunition at my disposal; all I have, therefore, been able to do has been to issue Commissions to such as were willing to take them and to encourage the people to defend themselves and their Families till the Government was enabled to protect them.

"The cruel and bloody Disposition of the Indians is known to all, and has been unhappily felt by two many of the Inhabitants. What the designs of the Enemy are can only be conjectured from their

Motions and Numbers, from which & from the known Circumstances of this Province, there is reason to apprehend they have something more in view than barely cutting off and destroying some of the Frontier Settlements.

"His Majesty and the Proprietaries have committed the People of this Province to my Charge and Care. I have done and still very readily do every thing in my Power to fulfil that important trust; and to that end I think it my Duty to call upon you to grant such supplies of Money as his Majestie's Service at this important and dangerous Crisis may require, and to prepare a Bill for establishing a regular Militia, exempting such as are conscientiously scrupulous of bearing arms, it being impossible without such a Law, tho' large sums of Money should be raised, to prevent Confusion and disorder or conduct matters with any degree of Regu larity.

"As the Enemy are now laying waste the Country and Slaughtering the inhabitants there is no time to be lost, I therefore think it necessary upon this occasion to inform You that I am ready and Willing to consent to a Law for emitting any sum in Paper Money the present service may require, if Funds are established for sinking the same in Five years, but I cannot think it consistent either with the powers of my Commission or the duty I owe to the Crown, to pass any Bill of the same or a like Tenor of those I have heretofore refused, And I hope you will not waste your Time in offering me any such Bills as you must know from what has passed between me and the late Assembly and the information I now give you it is not in my power to consent to, & I earnestly recommend it to you to afford in Time that assistance which your bleeding Country stands so much in need of.

"ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS. "Philadelphia, November 3rd, 1755."

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Wednesday the 5th Novem ber, 1755, A. M.

PRESENT:

The Honourable ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esq Lieu

tenant Governor, &ca.

Robert Strettle,

Richard Peters,

Benjamin Chew,

John Mifflin,

Intelligences received by this day's post were read and ordered to be entered.

The Intelligence given by Manoquetotha this first day of No

vember, 1755, Interpretted by Andrew Montour and John Davis, is as followeth, viz':

"That about 12 days ago the Delawares sent for Andrew Montour to go to the Big Island, on which he and Montour with three more Indians went up immediately, and found there about six of the Delawares and 4 Shawanese who informed them that they had received a Hatchet from the French on purpose to kill what game they could meet with, and to be used against the English if they proved saucy.

"This account was particularly given from the Delawares, and they further informed them that they had received the Hatchet from the French & they were determined to use it against the English while any of them are alive. They further inform that about 20 days ago a considerable body of Indians with about 100 French amounting in all to about 1,500 to be divided when they approached the Frontiers into certain Divisions viz: 40 against Shamokin to come down Juniata, and 40 to Harris' Ferry, and so on quite over the Province, that this body had actually left the Ohio about 20 days ago for the above said purpose.

"Andrew Montour further said that there was scouting Parties set out from Duquesne about 8 days before the main body mentioned above, and he supposes that some of these parties were those who engaged our People on Penn's Creek, on their return from Shamokin. The French designed to build a Fort at Shamokin. Andrew Montour saith that the above said Indians intend to take up their Winter Quarters at Lancaster this Winter.

"JOHN ELDER.

"HENRY DEGONON.
"JOHN HARRIS.
"THOMAS MAYO.

"MOSES DICKEY.

"THO RUTHERFORD.

"WILLIAM KERR."

A Letter to Richard Peters, Esq., from John Potter, Sheriff, dated at Conegochege.

"Mr. Peters :

"CONEGOGIG, 3d November, 1755.

"Sir, this comes y melancholy account of the ruin of the great Cove whic is reduced to Ashes, and numbers of the Inhabitants murdered and taken Captives on Saturday last about 3 of the Clock in the afternoon. I received intelligence in Conjunction with Mr. Adam Hoopes, and sent immediately and appointed our Neighbours to met at McDowel's. On Sunday morning I was not there six VOL. VI.-43.

Minutes till we observed about a Mile and a half distant one Matthew Patton's House and Barn in Flames, on which we sat off with about 40 Men, tho' there was at least one hundred and Sixty there, our old Officers hid themselves for (ought as I know) to save their Scalps until afternoon when Danger was over; we went to Patton's with a seeming Resolution and Courage but found no Indians there, on which we advanced to a rising Ground, where we immediately discovered another House & Barn on fire belonging to Mesach James about one mile up the Creek from Thomas Bar's; we set off directly for that place but they had gone up the Creek to another plantation left by one Widow Jordan the day before, but had unhappily gone back that Morning with a young Woman, Daughter to one William Clark, for some Milk for Childer, were both taken Captives but neither House nor Barn Hurt. I have heard of no more burnt in that Valey, yet which makes me believe they have gone off for some time, but I much fear they will return before we are prepared for them, for it was three of the Clock in the afternoon before a Recruit came of about sixty men, then we held council whether to pursue up the Valley all Night or return to McDowel's, the former of which I and Mr. Hoop and some others plead for but could not obtain without putting it to Votes, which done we were out voted by a considerable number, upon which I and my Company was left by them that night and came home, for I will not guard a man that will not fight when called in so eminent manner, for there was not six of these men that would consent to go in pursuit of the Indians.

"I am much afraid that Juniata, Tuscaroro, and Sherman's Valley hath suffered. There is two-thirds of the Inhabitants of this Valley who hath already fled, leaving their Plantations, & without speedy Succor be granted I am of opinion this County will be lead dissolute without Inhabitant. Last night I had a Family of upwards of an hundred of Women and Children who fled for Succor. You cannot form no just Idea of the Distressed & Distracted Condition of our Inhabitants unless your Eyes seen and your Ears heard their Crys. I am of opinion it is not in the Power of our Representatives to meet in Assembly at this time. If our Assembly will give us any additional Supply of Arms & Ammunition, the latter of which is most wanted, I cou'd wish it were put into the hands of such persons as would go out upon Scouts after the Indians rather than for the supply of Forts.

"I am, Sir, Your most Obedient very humble Servant, "JOHN POTTER, Sheriff. "Sr. Please to call upon the Assembly for the money due to me,

"J. P."

Copy of a Letter of Mr. Thomas Barton's for the Governor. "3 o'clock in the Morning, November 2nd, 1755.

"Gentlemen:

"I am just come from Carlisle. You may see by the inclosed in what a Situation I left it. The great Cove is entirely reduced to ashes. Andrew Montour charged Mr. Buchanon last night at John Harris' to hasten home & remove his wife and children. I suppose by to-morrow there will not be one Woman or Child in the Town.

"Mr. Hans Hamilton marches this morning with a party of Sixty men from Carlisle to Shippen's Town. Mr. Pope and Mr. McConaughy came over with me to raise Reinforcements in order to join Mr. Hamilton immediately.

"I intend this morning to return to Carlisle with a Party of men to guard that Town; the Gent" there desire me to request your as- · sistance without Delay.

"I am, Gent Your's, &c.

A true Copy.

"THOS. ARMOR."

"THOS. BARTON.

Intelligence from Benjamin Chambers.

"FALLOW SPRING, Sabbath Morn
"Nov 2nd, 1755.

"To the Inhabitants of the Lower part of the County of Cumberland:

"Gentlemen

"If you intend to go to the assistance of your neighbours you need wait any longer for the Certainty of the News. The Great Cove is destroyed; James Campbell left this Company last night and went to the Fort at Mr. Steel's Meeting House, and there saw some of the Inhabitants of the Great Cove, who gave this account that as they came over the Hill they saw their houses in Flames. The Messenger says that there is but 100, and that they divided into two parts. The one part to go against the Cove and the other against the Conolloways, and that there are no French among them. They are Delawares and Shawnese. The part that came against the Cove are under the command of Shingas the Delaware King, the people of the Cove that came off saw several men lying dead, they heard the murder Shout & the firing of Guns, and saw the Indians going into the Houses that they had come out of before they left sight of the Cove. I have sent Express to Marsh Creek at the same time that I send this, so I expect there will be a good Company from there this day, and as there is but 100 of the Enemy