risdiction, and therefore Things must remain in the disagreeable Situation of Interfering Jurisdictions. In this unhappy Situation, I am satisfied you and the other Magistrates will act a prudent Part. It is impossible in such a Case to give particular Directions. With respect to the keeping up the Rangers you have raised for the Security of the Inhabitants, I shall recommend it to the Assembly to defray the Expence that shall accrue in that necessary Measure; and I cannot have the least doubt that they will approve of what has been done on this Occasion, as also the continuance of the same Forces, until their Sentiments can be known." At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Thursday, 14th July, 1774. PRESENT: The Honorable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor. Richard Peters, Benjamin Chew, James Tilghman, Esquires. The Governor laid before the Board several late Letters from Arthur S Clair, Esquire, at Ligonier, containing very favourable Accounts of the Disposition and Temper of the Indians, as also an Extract of Mr. Alexander Mckee, the Deputy Indian Agent's Journal, of all the Transactions with the Indians at Pittsburg, since the first of May last. The Governor then acquainted the Board that the Assembly being to meet by Summons, on Monday next, on Occasion of the late Indian Disturbances, he thought it would be necessary that a Message on that Subject should be prepared, to be sent them immediately on their Meeting; Whereupon Mr. Chew, Mr. Tilghman, and Mr. Shippen, were appointed a Committee to prepare a Draught of the same. Monday, 13th July, 1774. A Committee of Assembly waited on the Governor with a Verbal Message, acquainting him that the House were met pursuant to His Honour's Summons, and desired a Copy of the Writ by which they were convened. The Governor thereupon immediately sent to the House by the Secretary, one of the Writs he had issued for summoning them, and also the following Message, which had been prepared by the Committee of Council appointed to draw the same, together with the several Letters and other Papers of Intelligence he had received relative to the State of Affairs with the Indians, Viz' : A Message from the Governor to the Assembly: "Gentlemen: "The Importance of the Matter I have to lay before you will, I am persuaded, make it unnecessary to apologize to you for calling you together at a Season of the Year of all others the most inconvenient for you to attend the Public Business. "I am to inform you that in the latter end of April last, about eleven Delaware and Shawanese Indians were barbarously murdered on the River Ohio, about ninety Miles below Pittsburg, by two Parties of White Men, said to be Virginians. As we were at that Time in a State of perfect Amity with the Western Indians, and it does not appear that those who were killed by the above Parties had given them the least Provocation, I am at a loss to conjecture what could be the Inducement to acts so cruel and inhuman. "As soon as this unfortunate Affair was known on the Frontiers of this Province, Messages were dispatched to assure the Indians that these outrages had been committed by wicked People without the Knowledge or Countenance of any of the English Governments, and requesting they might not be the means of disturbing the Friendship which subsisted between us. This Step had so far a good Effect as to quiet them for the present, and prevent their coming to a Resolution to enter into a general War with us. It did not however, restrain the particular Friends and Relations of the Deceased, who, it seems, contrary to the advice of their Chiefs, in a short Time afterwards took their Revenge by murdering a number of Virginians, settled to the Westward of the River Monongahela. Alarmed at this proceeding, the out Settlers left their Habitations and fled with their Families into the interior Parts, and the Panic soon became so universal that a great Part of the Western Frontier of this Province was totally deserted, and it is impossible to say when the Mischief would have stopped, had not a number of Rangers been raised by the Magistrates and others in the County of Westmoreland, who were stationed in proper Places, to protect the Inhabitants, and act defensively in case of an Attack. This Measure I esteemed a very salutary one, supplied the men with Arms and Ammunition, and ordered them to be kept up 'till the Meeting of the Assembly, under a full persuasion that you would chearfully defray the necessary Expence attending it. "It would be too tedious to relate the several occurrences which have happened from Time to Time since the first Act of Hostility committed, but I refer you for more particular Information thereon to the Letters and Papers I have ordered the Secretary to lay before you. You will thereby perceive that the Delawares and Shawanese repeatedly made the strongest Professions of a pacific Disposition, and their Desire that Matters should be accommodated; and, as an Earnest of their Sincerity, they not only protected the Persons and Goods of our Traders among them from the Violence of some of their young Warriors, but actually escorted many of them back to their Friends near Pittsburg, at the Risque of their own Lives. Hence we had great Reason to believe that, by a just and discreet Conduct a Rupture with them might have been avoided, but I am sorry to inform you that I have received Intelligence that the very Indians who thus generously escorted our Traders home were, Contrary to all Faith, pursued on their Return, attacked, and one of them wounded by a Party of Virginians sent out for the purpose by one Conolly, a Militia Captain, appointed by the Government of Virginia, at Pittsburg, who has lately taken Possession of that Place under pretence of its being out of the Province of Pennsylvania and within the Colony of Virginia. By this unhappy Step, there is great Reason to apprehend it will be difficult to persuade the Indians further to confide in any Overtures that can be made, or Assurances given them, and that we shall be involved in the Calamities of an Indian War. Nothing in my Power has been neglected, which I thought might have a Tendency to avert so great an Evil. I have wrote to Sir William Johnson, requesting he would Interest himself on the Occasion, and use his Influence with the Six Nations to assist in healing the Breach with their Western Brethren; and have dispatched a Letter to Lord Dunmore, representing the misconduct of Conolly, and the Dangerous Consequences of his unjust and Violent Proceedings. In this dark and uncertain State of things, what will be the Event Time only can discover, but I think it my Duty most earnestly to recommend it to you to make Timely and effectual Provision for the Security of our Frontier Settlements, that in Case of a War with the Savages, they may have that immediate Protection and Assistance which they look for, and have a Right to expect from the Government under which they live, and that you will also provide for the discharging such Expences as have hitherto arisen by my Orders for their Defence, in which I will readily concur with you. (6 Could you devise any other probable Method by which this unhappy Difference with the Indians can be accomodated, it would give me infinite Satisfaction, and nothing could afford me more Pleasure than the being instrumental in accomplishing so desirable an End. "JOHN PENN. "July 18th, 1774." A Committee of Assembly presented to the Governor for his Concurrence two Bills, entituled "An Act to continue An Act entituled An Act to amend the Act entituled An Act to prevent the Exportation of Bread and Flour not Merchantable;'" And "An Act for lending the sum of eight hundred Pounds to the several and respective Counties of Bedford, Northumberland, and Westmoreland, for building a Court House and Prison in each of the said Counties." Saturday 23d July, 1774, A. M. The Governor having considered and approved the two Bills sent up Yesterday by the Assembly, sent them to the House by the Secretary with his Assent. Eodem die, at Noon. A Committee of Assembly waited on the Governor, and delivered him a written Message in answer to His Honor's Message of the 18th Instant, with a Copy of the Resolutions of the House, and at the same Time, acquainted the Governor that the House proposed to adjourn to the 19th of September next, if he had no Objection to that Time, and also requested to know when he would be pleased to pass the Bills which he had agreed to. To which The Governor replied that he had no Objection to their proposed Adjournment, and would go immediately to the Council Chamber in order to pass the Bills. Council Chamber, P. M. The Governor having acquainted the Assembly, by the Secretary, that he was in the Council Chamber, and ready to receive the House, in order to pass the two Bills which had received his Assent; the whole House waited on him, and the Speaker presented to him the two Bills entituled "An Act for lending the Sum of eight hundred Pounds to the several and respective Counties of Bedford, Northumberland, and Westmoreland, for building a Court House and Prison in each of the said Counties." "An Act to continue an Act entituled An act to amend the Act entituled An Act to prevent the Exportation of Bread and Flour not Merchantable," which His Honor enacted into Laws, and appointed the Secretary to accompany two members of Assembly to see the Great Seal affixed to them, and to deposite them in the Rolls Office. At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Thursday, July 28th, The Secretary having, by direction of the Governor, prepared a Draft of a Proclamation offering a Reward, pursuant to the Re quest of the Assembly, for apprehending the Persons said to have Murdered Joseph Wipey, a Delaware Indian, laid the same before the Board, which was approved and ordered to be published, and printed Copies thereof sent to Westmoreland. The Proclamation follows in these Words, Viz": "By the Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware: "A PROCLAMATION. "WHEREAS, I have received information that some Time in May last, a certain friendly Indian Man, called Joseph Wipey, was barbarously murdered in the County of Westmoreland; And Whereas, there is great Reason to believe that John Hinkson, and James Cooper, of the same County, were concerned in the perpetration of the said Murder; And Whereas, it is at all Times, but more especially in the present Situation of our Affairs with the Western Indian Nations, of the utmost Consequence to the Peace of the 'Province, that the Perpetrators of such atrocious Offences, not only against the Authority of Government, but in direct Violation of the Treaties with those Indians, should be brought to condign and exemplary Punishment; I have, therefore, thought fit, with the advice of the Council, to issue this Proclamation, And do hereby strictly charge and Command all Judges, Justices, Sheriffs, Constables, and other Officers, as well as all other His Majesty's liege Subjects within this Province, to make diligent Search and Enquiry after the said John Hinkson and James Cooper, and to use all lawful Means for apprehending and securing them, that they may be proceeded against according to Law. And I do hereby promise and engage, that the Public Reward of one hundred Pounds shall be paid to any Person or Persons who shall apprehend the said John Hinkson and James Cooper, and deliver them into the Custody of the Keeper of the Gaol of either of the Counties of Lancaster, York, or Cumberland, or the Sum of fifty Pounds for either of them. "Given under my Hand and the Great Seal of the said Province, at Philadelphia, the twenty-eighth day of July, in the fourteenth Year of His Majesty's Reign and in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and seventy-four. "By His Honour's Command. "JOHN PENN. "JOSEPH SHIPPEN, Jun" Secretary. |