"Brethren: "About three years agoe you made a Council Fire at Fort Pitt, and we think that that fire is now almost out and wants to be rekindled. "Brethren: "The Six Nations meet with Sir William Johnson every year in order to brighten and strengthen the Chain of Friendship. We also observe the same thing is done at Charlestown, at which place the Cherokees and Catawbas meet every spring to renew their Friendship with their Brethren; And there was formerly a Council Fire in these middle Provinces, kept up by your and our forefathers, but we perceive that fire is almost extinguished, and we desire now that it may be renewed, that we may meet together as our forefathers used to do, and strengthen our Friendship. "Brethren: แ Now, I have from the bottom of my Heart opened all the Business that I am sent upon, and as it is not only directed to you, but to the Governors of Maryland and Virginia, I decire that this Message may be sent along with the Belts which I have brought with me to those two Governments, and that you will let the King of England know that we have made this request to you and them. "Now let us join together heartily and engage with one another to build up a Council Fire at Fort Pitt, and if we do this Heartily in the beginning, our Children and Grand Children will keep it up, and it will in time become a very great Fire, sufficient to preserve frienship between us and our latest Posterity. "Now, Brethren, I repeat it again, that tho' we come with this Message to you, we desire you may not understand that it is intended for you alone, but equally to the Governors of Maryland and Virginia, and we request they may be informed of this. Delivered three Belts and Three Strings. "Brethren: "I desire, by this Belt, that as we are helpless and poor, you will assist us on our Return Home." A Belt. At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Tuesday 2d of December, 1771. The Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esq., Lieutenant Governor, &ca Richard Peters, Lynford Lardner, Edward Shippen, jun"", Benjamin Chew,) The Council being met, pursuant to a Summons sent them yesterday by the Governor's directions, requesting their attendance this morning to consider of the addition of a new Member to the Board, His Honour expressed his Inclination to Introduce William Hicks, Esquire, to a seat in the Council, and proposed him for that purpose, and none of the Members present making any Objections thereto, it is ordered that that Gentleman be Summoned to attend at the next meeting of the Council, in order to take the usual qualifications, and be admitted to his seat at this Board. At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Thursday 5th December, 1771. PRESENT: The Honourable RICHARD PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Gov&c., ernor, William Hicks, Esq" having been summoned to attend the Council, this day appeared at the Board, and took and Subscribed the usual qualification and also took an Oath for the Faithful discharge of his duty as a Member of the proprietary and Governor's Council, and was then admitted to his seat at the Board. Killbuck and the two other Delaware Indians from the Ohio being sent for to receive the Governor's answer to the Message he lately brought from the western Indians appeared; and being seated, the Governor delivered to them his answer in the following words, Viz: "Brethren: "By this String I perform the same Ceremonys towards you, which agreeable to custom, were observed by you towards me. A String. "Brethren: "Now attend to the answer I am going to give to your speeches, and that you may know I have rightly understood you, I shall repeat the substance of what you spoke. "You told me you was deputed by four Nations, namely: Delawares, Munsies, Mohickons, and Shawanese; that the Business was weighty and of great Consequence, relating not only to this Government, but equally to the Governments of Virginia and Maryland, as well as this province, and accordingly you had a Belt for each of us, which you delivered to me, with a Request that I would send the other two to the other Governors, together with the Message you was charged with. You then proceeded to the Business itself, informing me that about six years agoe, at a visit you paid to Sir William Johnson, He, by you, informed the Indians on the Ohio that there should be some person of a Public Character sent to reside at Fort Pitt, to whom the Indians might have Recourse when any Business was wanted to be done with any of their Brethren, the English; and that this was Solemnly promised again to the Indians at the great Treaty which was held on the part of the King about three years agoe, at Fort Pitt; That you were the only Tribes of Indians who were without such a public person, for the Northern Indians of the Six Nations had opportunity of holding annual Treaties with Sir William Johnson, and the Southern Indians with a person appointed like him and Residing at Charles Town. "And you further said that, as you had many disorderly Indians, and especially among your young Men, who only could be Restrained by the presence of a person who should have authority to call all such disorderly Persons forthwith to account, if so necessary and useful a measure should be any longer delayed, it was highly probable that the peace now so happily subsisting between us would not last long, for quarrels were every day arising, and more would arise, that must break the Chain of Friendship, and therefore desired that on the part of these middle Provinces of Virginia, Maryland, and this Province, there might be a person sent to reside at Fort Pitt, invested with powers to do Indian Business, in the same manner as is done for the Northern and Southern Indians. "You concluded with desiring that the three Governments would send a particular account of this request of yours to His Majesty. "Brethren : "I shall not fail in Compliance with your request, to forward Your Message and Belts to the Governors of Virginia and Maryland. "I make no doubt but Sir William Johnson has had Conferences with the Six Nations, and likewise has corresponded with his Majesty's Ministers on so Important a subject as the placing of a person to do Indian Business at Fort Pitt. I shall therefore send a copy of your request to him, that I may know every thing that has been done in Relation to this affair, in order thence to be able to write properly on this subject to his Majesty." A Belt. The Secretary acquainted the Board that he had waited on Mr. Galloway, the Speaker of the Assembly, in order to know the minds of himself and the other Members of Assembly in Town, respecting the payments of such Rewards as might be offered for apprehending the persons concerned in the Rescue of the Pilot Boat which had been seized last month by the Custom-House officers, and that Mr. Galloway had desired him to inform the Governor that he had Consulted all the Members of Assembly who were in Town, and that as the matter was entirely new and without a precedent, they with a Report of the Deficient state of the Barracks, and the Furniture and Necessaries wanted to Accommodate the Troops therein, which were Read, and the Letter follows in these Words, Viz: "Sir: "PHILADELPHIA, Janu" 5th, 1772. "I have taken the Liberty of enclosing to you a return of the Bedding, Barrack Furniture, &c., wanting for the Regiment under my Command, which I beg may be, through you, laid before the Honourable House of Assembly, that Provision may be made for supplying them. You will see by the inclosed state that the allowance hitherto made, is in every Respect inadequate, particularly with regard to the article of Bedding, which the present Severity of, the Weather renders absolutely Necessary, as they have at present only one Blankett per man. The allowance of small Beer, &ca., which is allways made to his Majesty's Troops wherever they are quartered, will, I flatter myself, meet with no Obstruction when Represented by you, particularly from a Province which has always been Remarkable for providing in a proper manner for the Troops quartered with them. "I hope the absolute Necessity there is for this application, will, in some part, apologize for this trouble, being well assured that if it solely depended upon Yourself, the solicitation would be unneces sary. I have the honor to be, Sir, "Y" most obedient Servant, “NICHOLAS SUTHERLAND. "The Hon RICH PENN, Esq" The Governor thereupon, by the advice of the Board, immediately sent the following Message to the Assembly by the Secretary, directing him at the same time to lay before them the report therein Referred to, which was accordingly done. "Gentlemen: "Having received from Captain Sutherland a report of the Present State of the Barracks, with an Account of many Articles said to be wanting for the accommodation of the Officers and Soldiers quartered there, at his request I have ordered the Secretary to lay the same before you for your Consideration, with an Assurance that I shall be ready to join you in any thing you may Judge proper, or that can reasonably be expected to be done on this Occasion. "RICHARD PENN. "January 8, 1772." Eodem die, P. M. Two Members of Assembly waited on the Governor and presented him a Message from the House in the following words, viz": "May it please your Honour: "In September, 1772, the then House of Assembly presented to the Honourable John Penn, late Governor, a Remonstrance relative to Certain Grievances suffered, and Demands made by the People of Lancaster and Cumberland Counties, for the payment of Carriages employed by Lieutenant Colonel Wilkins in his March to Fort Pitt, with the necessary Affidavits and Papers to support them, requesting that he would represent them to his Excellency General Gage. The Remonstrance a papers being Transmitted accordingly, his Honour, in February, 1771, Communicated to the House a Letter from his Excellency, assuring him that the Papers transmitted should be laid before the Proper Officers for examination, with as little delay as Possible, and that he would do all that depends on him to redress the Grievances Complained of.' Neither the late or present House having heard any thing further on this Subject, and the Sufferers remaining unredressed, we request you. Honour would obtain Information from his Excellency of what has been further done relative to this Affair. "Signed by Order of the House. "January 8th, 1772." "JOSEPH GALLOWAY, Speaker. To which the Governor soon after returned the following answer by the Secretary, viz": "Gentlemen: "Upon Enquiry, I do not find that either the late Governor, or the President and Council after his leaving the Province, have Received from General Gage any further Information than what has already been Communicated respecting his proceeding upon the application made to him in Behalf of the people of Cumberland and Lancaster Counties, on account of their Demands for Carriages employed by Colonel Wilkins on his March to Fort Pitt: I will, therefore, agreeable to your Request, immediately write to his Excellency upon the Subject, and when favoured with his answer, make the House acquainted with it. "January 8, 1772." "RICHARD PENN. VOL. X.-2 |