Early Western Travels, 1748-1846/Volume 1/Council held at Carlisle

by Reuben Gold Thwaites

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A Council Held at Carlisle, Tuesday the 13th January, 1756^[1]

Present:

The Honourable Robert Hunter Morris,^[2] Esq., Lieutenant Governor.

James HamiltonWilliam Logan,	$\scriptstyle {\left.{\begin{matrix}\ \\\ \end{matrix}}\right\}\,}$ Esquires.
Richard Peters,
Joseph Fox, Esquire, Commissioner,
Mr. Croghan.

Mr. Croghan having been desired by the Governor in December last to do all in his Power to gain Intelligence of the Motions and Designs of the Indians, and being now in Town was sent for into Council, and at the Instance of the Governor gave the following Information, viz: "That he sent Delaware Jo, one of our Friendly Indians, to the Ohio for Intelligence, who returned to his House at Aucquick the eighth Instant, and informed him that he went to Kittannin, an Indian Delaware Town on the Ohio about forty Miles above Fort Duquesne, the Residence of Chingas and Captain Jacobs, where he found one hundred and forty Men chiefly Delawares and Shawonese, who had then with them above one hundred English Prisoners big and little taken from Virginia and Pennsylvania.

That there the Beaver,^[3] Brother of Chingas, told him that the Governor of Fort Duquesne^[4] had often offered the French Hatchet to the Shawonese and Delawares, who had as often refused it, declaring they would do as they should be advised by the Six Nations; but that in April or May last a Party of Six Nation Warriors in Company with some Caghnawagos^[5] and Adirondacks called at the French Fort in their going to War against the Southern Indians, and on these the Governor of Fort Duquesne prevailed to offer the French Hatchet to the Delawares and Shawonese who received it from them and went directly against Virginia.

That neither the Beaver nor several others of the Shawonese and Delawares approved of this measure nor had taken up the Hatchet, and the Beaver believed some of those who had were sorry for what they had done, and would be glad to make up Matters with the English.

That from Kittannin he went to the Log's Town, where he found about one hundred Indians and thirty English Prisoners taken by the Shawonese living at the Lower Shawonese Town from the western Frontier of Virginia and sent up to Log's Town. He was told the same thing by these Shawonese that the Beaver had told him before respecting their striking the English by the advise of some of the Six Nations, and further he was informed that the French had sollicited the Indians to sell them the English Prisoners, which they had refused, declaring they would not dispose of them, but keep them until they should receive Advice from the Six Nations what to do with them.

That there are more or less of the Six Nations living with the Shawonese and Delawares in their Towns, and these always accompanied them in their Incursions upon the English and took Part with them in the War.

That when at Log's Town, which is near Fort Duquesne, on the opposite Side of the River, he intended to have gone there to see what the French were doing in that Fort, but could not cross the River for the driving of the Ice; he was, however, informed the Number of the French did not exceed four hundred.

That he returned to Kittannin, and there learned that Ten Delawares were gone to the Sasquehannah, and as he supposed to persuade those Indians to strike the English who might perhaps be concerned in the Mischief lately done in the County of Northampton.^[6]

No more than Seven Indians being as yet come to Carlisle Mr. Croghan was asked the Reason of it; he said that the Indians were mostly gone an hunting, but he expected as many more at least would come in a day or two.

Mr. Weiser was then sent for and it was taken into Consideration what should be said to the Indians.

1. This account of the situation on the Ohio, obtained from the journey of a Delaware Indian, is reprinted from Pennsylvania Colonial Records, vi, pp. 781, 782. Since the last letter written by Croghan, the Assembly had passed a militia bill (November, 1755), and Franklin had been commissioned to take charge of the erection of a series of frontier forts. Croghan was commissioned captain, and promptly raising a company, entered with zeal upon the work. For his instructions, see Pennsylvania Archives, ii, p. 536.—Ed.
2. Robert Hunter Morris, son of Lewis Morris, prominent colonial statesman and governor of New Jersey, was born as Morrisania, New York, about 1700. Having been educated for the law, he became chief-justice of New Jersey (1738), a position held until his death in 1764. The Pennsylvania proprietors chose him as lieutenant-governor to succeed Hamilton in 1754; during his term of office he vigorously defended the province, but engaged in constant disputes with the Quaker party in the Assembly. The annoyance arising from this caused him to resign in 1756.—Ed.
3. King Beaver (Tamaque) was head chief of the Delaware Indians on the Ohio, with headquarters at the mouth of Beaver Creek. He was somewhat half-hearted in the English service, but protested his desire to preserve the alliance until after Braddock's defeat, when he openly took the hatchet against the English settlements. Post met him upon the Ohio in 1758, and secured a conditional agreement to remain neutral; but after the English occupation of the Forks of the Ohio, he retreated to the Muskingum, where a town was named for him. He took part in the treaties with the English in 1760 and 1762; but was one of the ring-leaders in the conspiracy of Pontiac (1763). After Bouquet's advance into his territory, he reluctantly made peace, and delivered up his English prisoners. He died about 1770, having in his later years passed under the influence of the Moravian missionaries, and become one of their most eminent disciples.—Ed.
4. Fort Duquesne, built at the Forks of the Ohio in 1754, was first com- manded by Contrecceur; but in the September following the battle of the Monongahela, Captain Dumas, who had distinguished himself at that engagement, was made commandant. He was an officer of great ability, and while he sent out parties against the frontier, his instructions to one subordinate (Donville, captured in 1756) were to use measures "consistent with honor and humanity." Dumas was superseded in 1756 by De Ligneris, who remained in command at Fort Duquesne until ordered to demolish the post, and retire before Forbes's advancing army (1758).—Ed.
5. The Caghnawagos (Caughnawagas) were the Iroquois of the mission village of that name, about six miles above Montreal.—Ed.
6. This refencnce is to the massacre of the Moravian settlers at Gnadenhütten, in November, 1755.—Ed.