"You are to keep an Exact Journal of your proceedings, in which you are to set down every thing Material that you shall transact, observe, or meet with, in, or upon this service; and also just and fair accounts of all your Receipts, Payments, and disbursements from time to time; Copys of which you are to return to me, or the Commander-in-Chief for the time being, and the same are likewise to be laid before and Submitted to the Inspection and Examination of the Commissioners, or the Other proper Officers.

"You are also to return to me lists or Rolls of the Several Companies you shall muster from time to time, and as you will be required to swear that the same, as well as your accounts, are just and true, you will be very Carefull in making them up.

"You are on every Occasion to Examine into the state and Condition of the Forts, Arms, Ammunition, Provisions, Blankets, Accoutrements, Tools, and Other Stock and things belonging to his Majesty, or the Province, and remaining at such Fort, and with each Company of which you are to return me, or the Commanderin-Chief for the time being, an exact account and report; and of all other your Transactions and Proceedings in a Convenient time, after making such musters from time to time."

At a Council held at Philadelphia, Thursday 17th June, 1756.

Robert Strettell,

William Logan,

Benjamin Shoemaker,

PRESENT:

Thomas Cadwalader,
John Mifflin,

Esquires.

A Letter of Major William Parsons of the fifteenth Instant, and one from Mr. William Edmonds of the sixteenth, relating to Newcastle and the other Indians who were going to Diahoga with the Governor's Message being stopt at Bethlehem, on account of a Party of one hundred Men that were gone from the Jerseys on a Scalping Party, were read. The Council having considered the same, they were of Opinion that the President shou'd immediately send an Express to Governor Belcher, notifying to him our Proclamation for a Suspension of Hostilities against the Indians, and letting him know that the said Indian Messengers were sent to Diahoga by this Government, there being a Prospect of bringing about an accomodation with the Sasquehannah Indians, in order to fix a Time and Place for holding a Treaty with some Deputies of those Indians; and that they were detained at Bethlehem on receiving the account of the said scalping Party. He was Likewise advised to desire his Excellency would forthwith recall them, and prevent any other Persons from going out against the Indians, till the Expiration of the Time limited in the Proclamation.

The Council ordered that a Copy of the President's Letter to Governor Belcher, with the other Papers, should be sent by Express to Governor Morris at Amboy, that his Honour might take such other steps as he should think Proper; And a Letter was likewise sent to Mr. William Edmonds at Bethlehem, to acquaint him with the Proceedings of the Council, and to advise the Messengers to go on as soon as they are Satisfied they can proceed with safety; all which were ordered to be entered as follows:

A Letter to Governor Morris from Major Parsons.

"Honourable Sir:

"EASTON, June the 15th, 1756.

Your Favour of the 12th Instant came safe to hand yesterday morning, and as you have not commanded me otherways, I purpose to let Capt. Foulk's Lieut' and Men remain in Fort Allen till Capt. Reynolds comes to relieve them; Yesterday Evening, James Enis and Thomas Apty came from Bethlehem in their Way to Paulin's Kill, to enquire if the Scalping Party were gone out from that Place. I gave them a letter of Recommendation to Col. John Anderson, and all other his Majesty's Justices and officers, desiring them to assist and forward them in their Journey, and to do everything in their Power to divert that party from going out, if they were not already gone. This afternoon Mr. Enis & Mr. Apty returned to this Place & tell me that about Eighteen or twenty miles from hence, they met with Johnathan Hampton, Esqr., and Doctor Hart, who Informed them that four Officers & twenty-five men each set out last Saturday & took ten days' provisions with them; whereupon, I wrote Immediately to messeaurs Horsfield & Edmonds, and desired them to take care of the Indians, & keep them at Bethlehem, only until your further pleasure could be known, & beged them to send Mr. Enis & Mr. James immediately Express to Philadelphia to Inform your Honour how matters are Situated.

"Last Thursday, being at Fort Morris, the Captain received the Copy of a Letter without date, Informing him that the Indians (sometime last Week, I imagine,) killed & scalped a certain Felix Wins, near the fort, at the Gap of Swahtaraw, & Carried away his wife and Three Children, and burnt his House; that it is supposed there must be a Considerable number, by the Quantity of Goods, &c., they carried off; that two Children were missing, about two miles from Fort Henry, supposed to be Carried away by the Indians, as several of their Tracks were seen in that Neighbourhood.

"I am, Honourable Sir, Your most Obedient Humble Servant, "WM. PARSONS."

A Letter to Governor Morris from William Edmunds. "May it Please Your Honour:

"According to the Directions received in the Secretary's Letter, & Thomas James, Mr. James Ennis, & Thomas Apty, being very adapted Persons for such a Journey, I Procured them to go with two Letters, one to Mr. Parsons, the other to Justice Anderson, Desiring those two Magistrates to assist them to Expedite their Journey to Paulin's Kill, where they were to Enquire Concerning the Party we heard were going or gone against the Indians; but when they had proceeded about twenty miles in the Jerseys, they met with Johnathan Hampton, Esq., Commissary General of the Jerseys, & Doctor Hart, who for Certainty informed them that last Saturday four Officers with each Twenty-five men set off from Paulin's Kill towards the great Swamp, in Quest of Indians, and had taken ten days' Provisions with them, on which they returned on yesterday afternoon to Bethleham, which was to our great satisfaction, having in Mr. Spangenberg's absence, being gone to Warwick in Lancaster County, &c., Received by Express a Letter from your Honour, which, by the Gentleman appointed to Transact his affairs, was opened, and as for Conscience sake we particularly respect our rulers, & Especially are for promoting or assisting to the good & peace of the Land where we live, the said Gentleman Particularly recommended to me The Carrying Your Honour's Commands into Execution. Accordingly I ordered the three pair of maukasins for the Indians, & their Horses to be made and held in readiness for the journey, which I intend to accompany them in as far as Gnadenhutten. But now, may it Please Your Honour, the Case is so; when Thomas Apty & James Enis Returned, we Consulted & Concluded to acquaint the Indian Messengers of that we heard from your Honour, and also of the Proceedings in the Jersey, accordingly we appointed them to meet after Supper, they being also Impatient to hear what was doing in Jersey; when we came together I acquainted them with the arrival of Ogaghradisha, & of the Cayuha Indian in Diahoga, and your Honour's desire of their soon proceeding to Diahoga, vizt., to remove the great Concern they might have for Ogaghraderisha, by telling them the Comfortable news, of his being Come safe to Colonel Wm. Clapham, from whom your Honour had messages come from the Six nations, Expressing their great Satisfaction at our Building a Fort at Shamokin; and then I added that I believed your Honour was not Acquainted of what we now heard was done in the Jerseys. When your Letters came away from Philadelphia, &c., with some more words by way of Conference, I Desired to know as Circumstances now were, whether their mind was immediately to Proceed on their Journey or not, and after it was agreed that Captain Newcastle should Consult his Companion & give answer this morning, which is to this effect, that he did in Philadelphia & does now

Desire to have a White man or two to go with him, which would not only be a Guard for them against White People, but also he thinks it necessary somebody should Particularly be your representative to the Indians, & Speak in Your name to them. Further, whether the Governor of the Jerseys might not be Prevailed on by Proclamation to suspend the Hostilities in the manner Your Honour has here, & further desired me to acquaint your Honour, soon they would wait your Honour's direction & further assistance here, as your Wisdom you shall see meet; they also beg your Honour to procure Augustus the Indian, to go with them.

"From, Sir, your Honour's most Obedient Humble Servant, "WM. EDMUNDS.

"BETHLEHEM, June 16th, 1756.

"P. S.-At their desire, I have inserted Augustus, his name, but, do think, as they know the way he will not incline to go along with them, and therefore must desire your Honour will not force him."

A Letter to Governor Belcher from the President of the Council. "PHILADELPHIA, 17th June, 1756.

"Sir:

"There being some prospect of Bringing about an accomadation with the Susquehanna Indians by means of the Six Nations, his Honour, our Governor, by the advice of his Council, issued the Inclosed proclamation for a suspension of Hostilities against them; and this Government having occasion a few days ago to send some friendly Indians with a message to Diahoga, in order to agree on a time and Place for holding a treaty with some Deputies of those Indians, for fixing the terms of ye proposed peace with them, an express came here to-day from Bethlehem to Acquaint the Governor that those Indian Messengers had stopt there, and was afraid to proceed any further on account of the danger they apprehended themselves to be in from a party of one Hundred men, who, they understood, set out from your Province last Saturday with a Scalping, design against the Enemy Indians.

"The Governor being gone to Amboy, Convened the Council, who advises me, that as we conceive it is of Great Consequence to the Neighbouring Provinces as well as this, that these Indian Messengers should not be hindered or delayed in Proceeding on their Journey to Diahoga, if it could be avoided, I should, therefore, immediately dispatch an Express to your Excellency to desire you would be pleased not only to recall the said Scalping party, if Practicable, but by Proclamation, or such other method as you should Judge most Propper, to prevent any more parties going out against the Indians, at least till ye time Limited in the inclosed

Proclamation shall be expired, if not till the result of the Proposed Treaty for setting the terms of a peace with them can be known; and hoping you will Concur with us in this Salutary measure (as we think it) for the mutual good of yours as well as our Provinces. "I am Your Excellency's Very humble Servant,

"ROBERT STRETTLE,

"President of the Council."

A letter from William Peters, Esq" to Governor Morris.

"Sir:

"PHILADELPHIA, 17th June, 1756.

"The Council ordered me to send you inclosed y Copy of their letter to Mr. Belcher, in order that you might take any other Steps in ye affair that you should judge Necessary.

"You see by y' inclosed Advertisement, that the Elections are to be Monday and Tuesday. We have no material news since you

went.

"I am Your Honour's most Obedient Servant,

"WM. PETERS.

"Please to tell my Brother y' I hope he wont forget to speak to y Gentlemen about taking my Son."

"Sir:

A letter from William Peters to Wm. Edmunds.

"PHILADELPHIA, 17 June, 1756.

"The Governor being absent in the Jerseys, the Council have wrote to Governor Belcher to desire he will forthwith recall y' Scalping party who went out last Saturday from his Province, and prevent any others going out till ye result of the proposed Treaty with the Susquehanna Indians can be known; and I have also wrote to our Governor on ye affairs. In y meantime y Council are of Opinion that Newcastle & the rest of the Indians at Bethleham should not go from thence till they can be satisfied y' they can Proceed with safety.

"I am, Sir, Your Humble Servant,

"WM. PETERS."