Sat in Darkness, to the acknowledgmt of the Truth. Your Honour will please to excuse this Liberty wch I have taken & allow me to Subscribe myself, Your Honour's Most Humble Serv1. ELIPHALET ADAMS. MAJOR TIMOTHY PEIRCE : * RETURN OF MILITARY FORCE IN THE COUNTY OF WINDHAM. To the Honorable JOSEPH TALLCOTT, Esq'. Gov'. and Cap'. General of his Majesties forces in the Colony of Connecticut : In obedience to your Honour's order, I have taken care to send to the Selectmen of the several Towns in the County of Windham, to have an account how they are provided for, with a stock of ammunition, and I find them very deficient. I have learned from the Selectmen of the several Towns in sd County, that they have speedy care to furnish themselves with a stock of ammunition, as the law directs, and I have also caused a thorough viewing of arms and ammunition in the several Companies, or Training Bands, and find them generally well fixed as the law directs, as I have received satisfaction under the hands of the sev eral Captains in s County. And I have also the Number of the Soldiers in the several Companies in said County, which is here set down: Cap'. Thomas Dyer of Windham, first Company. 117 53 75 * Major Timothy Pierce, of Plainfield, deputy from Plainfield from 1717 to 1727; chosen assistant 1728; appointed Judge of Probate for the District of Windham, 1725; Judge of the County Court, 1726; Sergeant Major of the County of Windham, May, 1734; one of the committee to run the Rhode Island boundary, May, 1740; Colonel of the Eleventh Regiment, Oct., 1739; died in 1748. — Colonial Records, VI., VII, VIII. Cap'. Rud of Windham, 2d Company Cap'. Gideon Cob of sd Windham, 3a Company Cap'. Jos. Cleveland of sa Canterbury, 2a Company Cap'. Ephraim Sprague of Lebanon Cap'. John Gallup of Volentown Cap'. David Whitney of s Plainfield, 2a Company, 208 87 74 118 78 94 120 88 65 84 92 80 87 73 The Total Sum of the Military Soldiers in s County of Windham, Errors Excepted, according to the several Clerks return of sd Companies, under their hands is . Brave fighting men: which is all from Your Honour's Most Humble Servant, 1737 TIMO: PEIRCE, Major. Dated in HARTFORD, May 29th, 1736. GOVERNOR TALCOTT TO FRANCIS WILKS. Sir: Having an opportunity by a Gent. of this place (Cap'. Nath" Hooker),* to write to you, I gladly improve it. Our Assembly is now sitting, and just now voted to send you 100 Sterling, to be improved where you think it will be most serviceable to this * Capt. Nathaniel Hooker, born in Hartford, Oct. 5, 1710; Yale College, 1729; captain of the trainband in 1734; representative in the General Assembly, 1757-58; married Eunice, second daughter of Governor Talcott; died Jan. 24, 1763. —Talcott Pedigree, 39, 85. Yale Annals and Biographies, 383. Govert.* I should gladly send you the money, but M'. Hooker sets out to Boston to-morrow, and I can't get the money so soon, but will speedily send it. I can't yet learn what Mason intends to do at Court, therefore am not able to send you the evidences that will most likely be needfull: therefore, if Mason should article anything against this Gover', we must depend upon you to get time for us to answer, that SO we may send our evidences to you. This is nothing but what is the common right of Mankind, and you can't fail of obtaining of it; especially since Mason never let me or any other of the Officers of this Gover know of his voyage to Great Britain, or matters he intended to complain of. If he had filed a Copy of his Complaint with me, or in the Secretary's Office, we should have had the less to say: but he kept the matter so secret that I never heard any thing of his intent until he was at Boston, in order to ship for Greate Britaine. But I would now acquaint you that Mason's voyage, and taking with him Yemenom,t hath made a great uneasiness among the Moheage Indians. Their Sachem, Ben Uncas, hath been with me at Hartford, and makes great complaint against Mason's unfair managements, and tells me he forbad his meddling with anything relating to the Indian affairs; and he saith that he would gladly, if he were able, do the same before King George (as he mentioned it) and there maintain his just right to be Sachem of Mohegan. And the s Sachem hath lately sent for the Com'. put in at the Sachem's desire, to inspect their affairs, to hear s Sachem make his declaration (and likewise the Moheage people make their declaration) * Colonial Records, VIII. 37. + Mahomet, or Mamohet. in reference to sd Mason's voyage; they suppose he is going to get s Yemenom made Sachem, and to get himself made Guardian of the Moheags; by which declarations you will find what the Sachem thinks of the voyage, and what reason Mason hath to complain about the Stonington Court in reference to the Costs, and therein also the Sachem hath discharged the Judgment of the sd Court; and the Indians have declared their custom of chusing their Sachems, which is undoubtedly true. We have also sent you an evidence of sundry English that lived near where old Mahomet was killed, to be improved as you think proper. We can't think his Majestie will hear or intermeddle with the Indian Sachem, or appoint them any Guardian, without hearing both Sides. Mason hath been allowed to take some care of the Indians, and live upon their Lands, (but the Sachem and his Indians complained that he neglected them,) and begged of the Assembly to put in other Guardians whom they named, and upon inquiry the Assembly found the Sachem and Indians complaint against s Mason was well grounded, the Indians were greatly wronged, their corn yearly destroyed whereupon the Assembly put in the persons named by the Sachem to be their guardians, (which persons are still their guardians to their great content,) all which the Assembly were necessitated to do, in complyance with the antient agreement with the predecessor of the present Sachem. [While my Clerk was writing these lines, the Sachem came unexpectedly into the Assembly, with another declaration and release, which he desired to subscribe in open Assembly; which he hath done, and desireth me to send to Great Britain, to be improved as therein mentioned, which desire I readily comply with, and doubt not but you will improve it well. The Sachem hath a great confidence in his Majesties goodness and justice.*] But upon the whole, I believe it will be best to get time in every part of Mason's Complaint, (if any he puts in,) that so all things may be done in the best manner: but these writings you'll use if there be necessity. And I also send you two copies of Record; one, the Establishment of the present Sachem, and the other, the Establishment of his predecessor,† both which Acts were passed at the special instance of the Moheage Indians; all which are directed to you at the earnest desire of the Sachem, who is here, and will not be put by without sending something of the case; tho' we think he is not sufficiently acquainted with Mason's intent to be able to defend his just rights; and therefore, as before, we hope time will be allowed to this Gover', and also to the Sachem, if anything should be alleged against us or him. I am, S', Your obliged humble Servt. J. TALCOTT. [Indorsed] Gov's Letter to the Agent. May, 1736. DECLARATION OF BEN UNCAS, SACHEM OF MOHEGAN, 10TH APRIL, 1736. That from the beginning of the Settlem': of the Colony of Connecticut there had been a League of ffriendship between s Colony & the Sachems of Mohegan, which Sachems put themselves under the Protection of said Colony who had taken care of their Interest & said League had not been broken but Strictly Observed by both parties. The kind usage they met *These lines are canceled in the draft. + Colonial Records, VI. 428; VII. 75. May 31. See page 371. |