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V.I ?190 • - * ' \-{ 4ttt ^7 ^ ^ 1 ■ ' * • ■\ Entered ■cqordlng to Act of Congress In the year 1864, W By WiujAM L. Stonk, In the Oerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the Southern District of New York. ■ " • ~ . ' . ■■' '- \ ■:^' -'\ i >. ■■ i .i ¥i'M. 1 i i:M:' f'A i:y^: Cii ■>' ' ( .. f ^.- f-.. THE MEMORY v? i ^ >, i;.^;,, OF TBI vti':,.; Uii^ .li^-^/t ,>?^^v- ;■ » f 1' II se ■,: *ii.i !* ;. .K.'>A;>.t*MK.r. '.ti LATE WILLIAM L. STONE, ESQ., i .■ ^V^-'i'^'.' -f^^rtt -l^,i''-/''.""v.'vA-ii ^"^ <.-:!;T""' : ■-■^v*^!: ^ i«fW ^,. ■.*;:;:„, NEW YORK CITY, MA.WHS ( i 11 ) . I' THIS WOBK 18 AFFKOTIONATKLY IN80BIBBD, BT HIS SON, .v«^ ' - THE AUTHOR. ij jv r^'- i' -. t ' !»'* ■ tsf 'l;' ,•-•■ '» ~ 'M ! I •"; .t i U .'I '< U» f-!;; . ^ :--n;i-; • .; I'lii; u;ij'Ji"u <■. ■■';au| 'fvi .)!»■. i ' »jJ ■",()i-(:ii. .t ■M:i ) .!!:.■ PREFACE. ■;r It may not be generally known that my father, the late William L. Stone, Esq., comiucnced a hiatory of the Life and Times of Sir William Johnson, Bart. He had employed several years in collecting the ma- terials for this work, and had written the first seven chapters of it, when death cut short his labors in 1844. Esteeming it a sacred duty, I have completed the work ; and in so doing, have endeavored to carry out, as far as possible, his original design, 'xiie result is before the reader. « • ■ ^ f Perhaps the character of no man prominent in our colonial history has been less understood, and less fairly judged, than that of Sir William Johnson, Bart. His death occurred just on the eve of the Revolution- ary war ; and the troublous times which followed, and the imme«Iv?J^ removal of his private papers, by his son. Sir John Johnson, into Canada, prevented any trustworthy estimate either of the man or of his ser- vices. As a natural consequence, the innumerable wild and improbable traditions afloat concerning him, have been eagerly seized and believed as veritable history. It was therefore evident, that until access wuld be had to his papers and private correspondence, ▼1 PREFACE. it would be impossible to prepare a faithful and accu- rate biography of him. After years of search, my father procured from the Johnson family in Eng- land, and from various other sources, a large portion of Sir Will.am's manuscripts, which, with the collec- tion of the Johnson MSS. presented to the New York State Library by General John Tayler Cooper, amounts to more than seven thousand letters and documents. Although many letters are evidently lost, yet enough remain to answer the purpose of the present work ; while the original records of Indian treaties and con- ferences, of which nearly all are in existence, afford a sure test of the accuracy of their relation. Of this large collection, I have read and carefully compared each letter and document; and throughout the work have made abundant reference to authorities, in order that whoever desires may avail himself of the same sources of information. ' ' ' ' ' To Hon. Jared Sparks of Cambridge, Hon. George Bancroft of New York, Francis Parkman, Esq., of Boston, Professor Robinson P. Dunn of Brown Univer- sity, and Edward F. De Lancey, Esq., of New York, I am indebted for counsel and material aid. My thanks are also due to Anthony Lamb, Esq., of Cambridge, Doctor O'Callaghan of Albany, Dr. R. L. Allen, Hon. Judge Hay, and Daniel Sheppard, Esq. of Saratoga Springs, for valuable suggestions. Nor must I forget to make special mention of the kindness of the Regents and Librarians of the New York State University and PREFACE. VU Library, in affording rac every facility for examining the books and original documents under their control. To Thomae Simons, Esq., of Albany, and Elnathan Judson, Esq., of New York, I am truly grateful for a8^istance in copying many pages of manuscript. In conclusion I may add, that in the preparation of this work, I have made no statement, and drawn no inference, that I did not conscientiously believe was fully warranted by the original authorities to which I have had immediate access. WILLIAM L. STONE. Saratoga Springe, January !«<., 1865. m i;i ii'r>.' ■.I t: •; --y I ■•:'!ij ^( ,'.!::-/■ T' f ^»i' 'l.f Nj^ Ifi.""' if;'?' fW : lu .'1 <;'•.;;/!>> Vi'tr.rf ijniVi'il'! IlI '♦'UM-t.Ji:; (.) it ;>; 7*;ri 1 )i.'ji .1 VIMO ,• 1 .&■{ I ,j:i!J iUyJl/J ii,i fj' Ml,, !'• .( /(• V. I in I I .^'r. '/ ' rn.LA \ i V .5- t»;-. i'>v."\S» ^j^^^^^^,;,yjjt^j>»»(^^ ,'; t i;*i; ■J.-'- «() ■ ,1,.; . ■;■■■ 'vTf ■:■, \rir,u ' »•• ,. .»:...'',•- j ."' , . :■• ;i::.' ■' <■. .'M ■ " " ■■■ ' 'f ■'<■ CONTENTS. •>•»" •I j> I CHAPTER I, "Y 'i,^^ .,■, ■ 1634—1741. ■'■,J1)T!,-. Plan of the present work, 9 — Success of the French in winning the con- fidence of the Indians ; one exception to this success, 10 — Inconsidera- ble attention paid to the Five Nations by the first three English governors, 11 — Enterprise of the Jesuit missionaries during the peace of 1667, 12 — Efforts of Governor Dongan to thwart the influence of the French, 14 — Convention of tJie Five Nations at Albany in 1684, 16— Success of Vongan's efforts, 16— Neglect of Indian affairs in the colony of New York during the L^iislerian administration, 17 — Count Frontenao vainly attempts to detfo..'' the Confederates from the English interest, 18— Defeat of De Calliers, Governor of Montreal, by Major Peter Schuyler, 19 — Colonel Fletcher succeeds Ingoldsby as governor. Ingoldsby holds a council witli the Five Nations at Albany, in 1692, 20 — Governor Fletcher takes Major Schuyler into his councils, 20 — Count Frontenao captures two of the Mohawk caatles, 21 — Schuyler takes the field in pursuit. The purpose of the Oneidas to make peace with the French frustrated by Governor Fletcher, who calls a council of the Confederacy in July, 1693, 22 — Count Frontenao makes another effort to subjugate the Five Nations, 23 — The Earl of Bellamont succeeds Governor Fletcher, 24 — Colonel Schuyler visits England in 1710 with five Iroquois chiefs, 26 — Seii-;!oas prevented from turning their arms against the English by the peace of Utrecht in 1713, 27 — The Confederates meditate hostiliiiea against the Catawbas and Cherokees. Numerical strength of the Tuscaroras, 28 — They are taken into the Iroquois Confederacy, which is henceforth known as the Six Nations, 29 — General Hunter goes back to England, leaving Schuyler at the head of the colonial administration. The latter holds a treaty with the Six Nations, 29 — Failure to expel the Jesuit emissary, Joncaire, from the Senecas, 30 — William Burnet takes the reins of govern- ment in 17.20. Endeavors to break up the Indian trade between Albany and Montreal, 30 — Passage of an act for that purpose, 31 — Trading post established at Oswego in 1722. Beneficial effects of Burnet's policy, 31 — The establishment of an English post at Oswego, a source of great dis- pleasure to the French. Mr. Burnet meets the Confederates at Albany 11^1727, 32 — Mr. Montgomery succeeds Mr. Burnet in the government, 33 — Revival of the trade between Albany and Montreal, 34 — Death of Montgomery. Rip Van Dam succeeds him for a short period, 34— 'Stormy administration of Governor Cosby, 36 — The Six Nations again resume hostilities again^it the southern Indians. The latter are defeated with the loss of twelve hundred braves, 35 — George Clarke, after a brief struggle with Rip Van Dam, is commissioned lieutenant governor, 36 — Recommends to the assembly various important measures, 37 — The elec- tion between Adolphe Philipse and Gevrit Vau Horn contested. Eloquence of Mr. Smith on the occasion, 39 — Increased political excite- ment during the years 1738 — 1739. Reasons for it, 41 — Demand for a per- — *v», M CONTENTS. ill manent supply bill. DisHolution of the assembly. Temper of the new one, 43 — The governor yielils to the assembly, 44 — Mr. Cliirkc complains bitterly of the continued encroachments on the crown by the people, ib — ■ The assembly decline making an appropriation for rebuilding the chapel among the Mohawks. 47— War declared against Spain, 47 — Grand council of the Confederacy held at Albany by thq lieutenant governor in 1741. Satisfactory result, 51 — The famous negro plot. Incidents connected -ffith it, 62. CHAPTER II. ; ) '^ 1742—1744. Prominence of Sir Wiiliam Johnson in the colonial annals of the United States. His life and character hitherto but imperfectly understood, of) — Family and descent. His uncle Sir Peter Warren, 57 — Marriage of Sir Peter Warren. Birth of Sir William Johnson, 69 — Arrival in America, 60 — Takes charge of his uncle's estate in the Mohawk valley, and keeps a couutry store. Means of both uncle and nephew, at this time, small, 60 — Receives advice from his uncle, 61 — His stylo of living. Description of his person. His success in winning the contidenco and affection of the Mohawks, 64 — Proposes to erect a saw mill. His education, C5 — Difficulty in fixing the exact date of his marriage. Character of his wife, Catharine Weisenberg, 66 — the Six Nations in 1742, send a large delega- tion to Philadelphia. Its object, 66 — Proceedings of the council, 68 — Tact of Lieutenant Governor Thomas, 69 — Interesting historical incident during the sitting of the council, 71 — Complaint made by the Indians against the governor and people of Maryland. Misunderstood on the part of Virginia, 73 — A party of Indians invade the county of Augusta, and kill several Virginians. Correspondence between Lieutenant Governor Goooh and Lieutenant Governor Clarke in relation to it, 73 — Jacobus Bleecker sent to Onondaga by the Indian oommissioners, 74 — Another embassy sent to Onondaga. Result of these missions, 76 — 'Arrival of Admiral George Clinton as the successor of Lieutenant Governor Clarke, 77 — Opening speech of the new governor probably moulded by Chief Justice De Lancey. Tone of the speech, 79 — Sketch of Chief Justice De Lancey, 59 — De Lancey, in behalf of the assembly, draws up an humble address, 80 — The governor signs all the bills pre- sented to him, 81 — Removal of Mr. Johnson from the south to the north side of the Mohawk. Opens a correspondence on his own account with the opulent house of Sir William Baker & Co., London. Grows iu the public estimation, 81 — Lays the foundation of his future prosperity on the basis of honorable dealing, 82 — The government of New York authorized to issue letters of marque against Spain, 82 — Activity of Captain Warren at sea. Captures a privateer and is promoted, 86 — Clinton communicates to the assembly advices of the intended invasion of England by "a Popish Pretender," 87 — Holds a conference with the Six Nations at Albany, 88. — Expresses apprehensions for the post at Oswego, 89 — Lays before his council a communication from the commandant at Oswego, in relation to the designs of the French against that post, 90 — Grand Indian council at Lancaster in 1744. Its proceedings in detail, 91 — 109. CHAPTER in. 1744—1745. Repose of the colonies under the administration of Sir Robert Walpole, broken by the declaration of war against France. Attempts of the French upon Acadia and Placentia, 110 — Declaration of hostilities announced to the general assembly by Clinton. Strong measures urged for the protection of the colony and city of New York, 111. The build- ing of a strong fort in the vicinity of Crown Point recommended, 112 — Cowardly retreat of the English traders from Oswego. The house pledge CONTENTS. VU .3 ways and means for putting the colony in a posture of defence, 113 — pie Caughnawagas take up the hatchet against the English, 114 — Special :illowaiices voted for the defence of Albany and Schenectady, 116 — The French again active in their endeavors to win the Six Nations from the English, IIG — Mr. Bleecker is despatched into the Seneca country. Returns and reports favorably. Another report from a French deserter, 117 — Arrest and discharge of David Leisberger and Chrislian Frederick Post. Governor Shirley proposes the capture of Louisburg, 118 — Description of the harbor and defences of Louisburg, 119. — Shirley com- • municates his plan to the ministry, 120 — Circular letters sent to the several colonial governors, 122 — Lukewarm reception of the scheme by New York, its cause, 122 — Conduct of the assembly, and its dissolution by the governor, 122 — 128 — Preparations of Shirley for the capture of Cape Breton, 129 — The command of the land forces given to Colonel William Pepperell, 130 — Circumstances which favored the undertaking, 132 — Unfitness of Shirley to direct the conduct of the expedition, 133 — Commodore Warren assumes command of the naval forces, 136 — Progress of the seige, 138 — Success of Warren in cruizing off the harbor, 142 — Surrender of the city, 140 — The Mermaid despatched to England with the tidings. Effect of the conquest in Europe and America, 148 — Honor- able rewards to the master spirits of the expedition, 149 — Unwillingness 01 the parent government to reimburse the colonies for their expenses, 150 — Efforts to detract from the just fame of the Provincials defeated, 161 — Discussion respecting the relative merits of Pepperell and Warren, 156. .„„. , , ■ . , .,,,,. '■''■'■■]' CHAPTER IV. ' ^"' 1745—1746. " ' ' David Jones of Queens county, elected speaker of the new assembly, 157 — Clinton urges upon the assembly the importance of reinforcing the forces of Pepperell and Warren. Both branches of the assembly respond cordially. Indian relations of the colony again critical, 158 — Dissatis- faction among the Six Nations. Examination of .John Henry Lydius, 159 — Animosity between the Mohawks and the people of Albany. Conrad Weiser sent on a friendly tour among the Six Nations, 160 — Reception of Weiser. Accusations against the Albanians by the Con- federates, 161 — The commissioners of Indian affairs announce the approach of scalping parties of Canadian Indians. Barbarities of these Indians on the frontier of New Hampshire, 162 — Attention of the assem- bly called to these outrages. A general council with the Indians recom- mended, 163 — Proceedings of the council. Speech of Hcndrik, 164 — Suspicions of the Massachusetts commissioners, 170 — Clinton communi- cates the result of the council to the assembly in a special message, 172 — Burning by the French and Indians of the settlement at Saratoga, 173 — Destruction of the village of Hoosick, 174 — Governor Clinton reproves the assembly for its indifference, 175 — Communication from Colonel Philip Schuyler laid before the privy council. Dissatisfrtction at the removal of the local militia from the city, 176 — Prospect of a gloomy winter. Exciting rumors, 177 — Clinton asks for an appropriation to build a stone fort at the great carrying place between Hudson River and LakeChamplain, 178 — Doubtful position assumed by tiioConfoderacy, 179. The importance of an alliance with New England fur mutual protection appreciated. Commissioners appointed for that purpose, 180 — The ques- tion of parliamentary law and prerogative before the council and assem- bly, 181 — The assembly driven from the city by the small pox, 182 — Dis- cussion of the revenue bill by the council and assembly, 183 — The victory with the representatives of the people, 185 — Resolution adopted directing the erection of six strong block-houses. Appropriations for other import- ant objeotB, 186 — Clinton again asks for reinforcements for Pepperell "~*^=. — ),^ ,•.1 .,.i^^*4«l■(/»-• vni CONTENTS. and Warren, and is refused. Reluotanco of the assembly to cottperate vith the New England colonies not easily explained, 18ti. CHAPTER V. 1740. Commencement of the brilliant public career of Sin William Johnson. He erects a valuable flouring mill. Builds an elegant stone mansion, and calls it Mount Johnson. Becomes known to Governor Clinton, probably through the influence of Chief Justice Do Lancey, 187 — His commercial nfi'airs widely extended. Is engaged in shipping furs to London. Is commissioned a justice of the peace for Albany county. Begins to participate largely in the political concerns of the colony, as shown by the return of Mr. Holland to the assembly from Schuuoctady, 188 — The exact date of his wife's decease not known. IJirtii of a sou — John Johnson, and of two daughters — Mary and Nancy, is rapidly gaining an ascendency over the Iroquois (-"onfederacy. Manu.seript letter from James Wilson to Johnson, 189 — Comfirehensive views of Shirley, 190 — Communicates them to the government of >(ew York, iiil — Tlie duke of Newcastle's letter laid before the council, VJi'I — Joyful reception of these communications by the legislatnre and people, 198 — Inaction of the parent government, 196 — Expedition against Quebec abandoned, 198 — Activity of the French, 199 — Alarm of the North American seaports on the approach of D'Anville's fleet, 200 — Quarrel of Cliief Justice De Lancey with Governor Clinton. Causes which led to it, 201 — Governer Clinton arrives in Albany to meet the Six Nations. Finds very few Indians in attendance, 202 — Rumors of a French expedition against Schenectady communicated to Clinton by Johnson. 204 — Growing dis- affection of the Six Nations, 205 — The .lesuits succeed in g.aitiing over some of the chiefs, 206 — Mr. Clinton avails himself, in the Indian department, of the services of Mr. Johnson. Qualifications of the latter for this branch of the public service, 207 — Mr. Johnson exerts himself successfully in winning back the friendship of the Confederates. Pre- vails upon them to attend the council, 208 — Is adopted by the Mohawks, and invested with the rank of a war chief, 2U'J — Receives from tlie Mohawks an Indian name. Enters Albany at the head of a party of Mohawks, dressed and painted as a warrior, 210 — Dr. Colden opens the council with a speech, 211 — Reply of the Indians, 213 — An alliiince defensive and offensive formed with the Iroquois Confederacy, 210 — Astonishing ignorance of Mr. Clinton in relation to affairs in New Eng- land, 217 — Efforts of the Canadian governor to ncutnilize Mr. Clinton's proceedings, 218 — The Caughnawagas, instigated by the French, vainly attempt to dissuade the Six Nations from tlieir recent alliance, 219 — Impossibility of the Iroquois Confederacy, from their geographical position, remaining neutral, 219. CHAPTER VL 174G. The Canadian Indians desolate the New En^jland frontier, 221 — Number Four. Upper Ashuelet and Bernavdstown at(ii< l ■•' '"■''■" -.—,-' " The forees destined against Crown Point assemble at Albany. General Lyman is sent forward with the greater part of the troops. Johnsonl delayed by the leaky condition of the bateaux, 601 — DiflBcnlty between himself and Shirley. Shirley's conduct, 602— He is piqued at the seem- ing neglect shown to his position, 604 — Johnson heals the dissensions ■own among the Indians by Lydius. Arrives at the great oarryinK place, accompanied by Hendrik and Brant, 606 — The New England troops burn to retrieve the disgrace of Braddook's defeat. General Lyman buildi Fort Edward, 606 — Johnson reaches Lake St. Sacrament, and names it Lakt. George. Is joined by Lyman, 607 — His dissappointment at finding so few of the Six Nations at the lake. Hendrik attributes it to Shirley, 608 — Johnson's plan of operations, 610 — Movements of Diaskau. A courier sent out by Johnson killed hy the enemy, 611 — A council of war called. Hendrik'a advice, 612 — Dieskau arranges an ambuscade. Deaths of Hendrik and Williams, 618— The French jfail to take advant- age of their first success. The attack on Johnson's camp begun by the French regulars, 614— Dieskau attempts to turn Johnson's right. He fails. Desperate fighting by the Provincials, 616— Utter route of the French. Dieskau, seriously wounded, is taken prisoner. Last words of Oardenr St. Pierre, 616— General Johnson receives a severe wound and is forced to re- tire to his tent. Captain Maginnis defeats the remnants of the French army at Rooky Brook, 617 — Losses of the English and French. Singular histori- cal fact, not generally known, 617 — Johnson sends circular letters to the colonial governors. His treatment of Shirley vindicated. The Indians return home, 618 — Building of Fort William Henry. Want of alacrity shown by the New England troops, 619— Efforts of Johnson to allay all jealousy, 620— Favorable opinion of Johnson by a New England officer. Scouting parties, under Rogers, annoy the enemy in the vicinity of Crown Point. Johnson disbands his army and returns to Mount Johnson, 621 — He is severely censured. Review of his conduct, 621 — Manusoript letters now first brought to light, afford a complete vindication of his conduct, 628 — He is created a Baronet of Great Brit- ain, and receives the thanks of parliament. Is greeted with an illumi- nation and a triumphal pr icession by the citisens of New York, 626 — Summing up of the results of the battle of Lako George, 626. • * ■iiif ». . tl, H I'f VJ f Jf Of i ■•'ih' CHAPTER XVII. 1766-1756. >r.r|c>)M' iiUjti !• iU\^! 'Jnilf^ Sir Charles Hardy arrives in New York as the successor of Sir Danvers Osborne. His first message to the assembly, 630 — Good feeling between the new governor and his legislature, 631 — Hardy appoints a day «f thanks^ving, and sets out for Albany to hasten the departure of the levies 682— Accomplishes little by the visit. Announces to the assembly Johnson's victory over Dieskau. Demands the settlement of a perma- nent revenue on a solid foundation. The assembly allude especially to the advantage gained by Johnson, 633 — Governor Hardy's demand for a permanent support met with quiet indifference, 634— The St. Francis !!:1 H C0NTBNT8. pJP Indiana resume their inonnioni in the New Hampihire border, 586— Shirley, now oommander-in-ohief of the forces in America, arrives in New Yorlc and summons a grand congress of colonial gOTernors, 686— Lays before it his plan for the next year's campaign, which meets with the general approval of the congress, 687 — The assembly of New York look coldly upon the proposed oxpedition against Ticonderoga, and Shirley, in disgust, returns to Boston, 688 — Tart correspondence between Johnson and Shirley, 688— The latter yields the point, 689— Johnson is appointed by the crown, " soli scpxbintindimt or tbi affaibs or thb SIX MATIOKS AXD OTHIB HOBTBIBM IIIDIAXS,"640. APPENDIX. I. Letter flrom Colonel William L. Stone to the chiefs and warriors of the Senecas, acknowledging his adoption as a chief of that nation, 641. II. "A memorandum for trifles sent to London for through Captain Knox," by Sir William Johnson, 646. III> Sketch of Colonel Ephraim Williams, 647. IV. Sketch of King Hendrick, 640. V. Sketch of Fort William Henry (engraving) 668. VI. Manuscript letter; Sir William Baker to Sir William Johnion, 664. !: (:, 5' KTT'rT^ "' »-w .Ctid-jmi. Ill i»» wt ••(<• ■»!? N».i>'; ni.* ' •>'.> iniij' 1><9 10 it«i»'vi"v»* I tun • '■ df.t, ■,.:,< ' •'''•II ,i(ifii0<(ift«r> 4'*'** * '»MH -i«Jt -nil I. '•' ' llll O'JoKlit-l- I i "I li.'i,, .» -• :.V» Mist !>;;'t i>!c.li .-i,*^*. .« •' djiOtdX?) :■■'• iitf'JifHJ Ol i.li?; -nj "it, t'.i ffitiUllM li- I ,". .(J -•• ■''■''• .'IJIj''!'" .1, r., ■'.<■.■» J. THE LIFE AND TIMES ••■Mr^hi*'.tt SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ».('■■■ • 1 1 J .'■'.■.. .-• .' ,,i',i' .!?• ■ CHAPTER I. _i I 1, .1 r i.fUi' ( . 1634 — 1741. .,<■ .: Thb annalist is the narrator of events in exact order of chap. time : the biographer is a relator, not of he history of •— v-* nations, but of the actions of particular persons : the office of the historian is to digest and recc rd facts and events in a narrative style, but of yet greater security and dignity. Such, at least, should be the office o"' the writer who aspires to the more elevated walks of history. It is not intended that the present work shall be confined within the limits of either of the preceding definitions ; but rather that it shall to an humble extent, combine the char: cteristics of all. "Were it strictly biographical, it would be in order to introduce the principal personage concerning whom it is written, upon the stage of action in his own proper per- son, at the outset. But, as the life of Sir Williar/i John- son was, for a long series of years, identified w th the Indian history of the colony of New York, it seem -i to be necessary, in order to a proper understanding of th i rela- tions subsisting between the English and the Six Nations, at the time when he was appointed to the head of the Indian Department, — and in order, also, that the ditficulr ties he was required to surmount may be adequate!/ ap? predated, — to give a summary reyiew of the jntncate i " tWt i ' wi ' ^ii li rttl H iMli jw il t 10 hWV. OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, DART. CHAP, I. ]' I'l '■■ W' ii :ll 1684. .1 and curiously interblcnded hiHtoiy of tho Iroquois Con- federacy, U8 connected with the English und French colo- nies, from tho time of tlio ])utch conquest, und the cession of the colony to tlio Duke of York, dowiv to the year in which Jolinson, in his youth, established his residence in the valley of tho Molinwk. It is not to be denied that the French, from the day of their awival in the St. Lawrence to the fait of their power in America, were generally more successlUl in winning the confidence and aft'ections of the Indians with whom they came into immediate contact, than any other Euro- pean people, not even excepting the Dutch. Their traders threaded the forests, and navigated the lakes and rivers, from the Gulf of the St. Lawrence to tho Delta of tho Mis- sissippi,-^- planting ponts among them at pleasure, adopt- ing their habits, and intemiarrying with their women. Their missionaries went forth unarraed and alone, every- where oxliibitiug the most beautiful examples of patience, meekness, and self-denial ; and, with rare exceptions, gain- ing the confidence of even tho most savage hordes whom they encountered. Still thei'o was one exception to this general success ; and tho time was long after their estab- lishment in Canada, before they succeeded in making any favorable impressions upon the Iroquois. This delay was probably owing to tho circumstance that when the French first ascended the St. Lawrence, they found the Confederates, upon whom they bestowed that name,* at war with the Ilurons and Adirondacks, or Algonguins, — with which latter nations theii* firet amicable relations were established, and as the allies of whom, under Champlain, 1 "Iroquois," I need scarcely remark, was not an Indian, but a French name. The Five Nations oaUed tlicmseWes "Aquanu Schioni," or " The United People." Iroquois is a generic term, bestowed by the French on that type of languages of which the Five Nations — the Tnscaroras, and, originally, the Wyandots, spoke dialects. The term, however, was early restricted to the two former; and the latter, for distinction's sake, and OwinK to Btrikinir events in their historv. were nailed Hnrnns. LIFE OF BIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 11 / they engaged in the contest. The consequence of that chap. alliance was a bitter hostility on the part of the Iroquois ««-v— ' toward the French, which continued until after the con- ^*^' quest of New York from the Dutch, in 1664.^ During leei. that long period even the artful Jesuits failed to make any considerable impression upon them, — especially upon the Mohawks, at whose hands three of their number suf- fered martyrdom with the spirit of a primitive apostle." More than oncCi, likewise, before and after that date, the , - Iroquois swept over the French settlements with the torch and tomahawk, tracking their paths in blood, and carry- ing consternation even to the gates of Quebec. But the French and Adirondacks having successively invaded the country of the Mohawks with a strong force, in the spring of 1666, a peace was concluded in the following year, through the influence, in chief, of the English colonial "" government, acting in obedience to instructions from the Duke of York, — afterward King James 11., — to whom the colony had been granted by his brother, the second Charles, of profligate memory. The first three English governors of the colony, oiT rather lieutenants of the Duke of York, viz : Colonels Nicholls, Lovelaoe, and Major, afterward Sir Edmund Andross, bestowed but inconsiderable attention upon the Five Nations,* not seeming to appreciate either the impor- iii i* Dr. Colden's J/c»»ot> on the Fur Trade. sin. , - t>ift;.i > Father Joques, Breboeuf, and Lallemand. Vide Bancroft's United /S raqui, within the territory of the Iroquois, on the north side of Lake Ontario,' and that La Salle had built a bark of ten tons upon that lake, and another of fifty upon Lake Erie ; planting, also, a stockade at Niagara. He saw that the French were intercepting the trade of the English upon the lakes, and that the priests had succeeded in 1 Memoir of Dr. Golden, oonceming the fur trade, presented to Oct. Bur- nett, in 1724. * The Bite of Kingston, Canada West. 14 LirB OP SIR WILLIAM JOIINBON, BART. i 1088. CHAP, fioduciiig mimbors of tho MoliawkB and river Indians' away from their own count ry, and plantinjjr tJioir colonies upon the banks of tlie 8t. Lawrence, in the neighborhood of Montreal, through whose agency an illicit trade had been established with tho city of Albany, by reason of which Montreal, instead of Albany, was becoming tlio principal depot of the Indian trade.'' lie saw, in a word, that the sub- tle followers of Ignatius Loyola were rapidly alienating the aflbctions of the Confederates from tho English and ti'ansforring them to the French,' and that unless tho policy respecting them was changed, the inflvience of tho English would, at no distant day, be at an end with thorn. Nor had the priests confined their eftbrts simply to moral suasion ; but aa though aiming to separate the Confede- rates from tho English at a blow, and by a gulf so wide and deep as to be impassable, they had instigated them to commit positive hostilities upon the frontier settlements of Maryland and Virginia. Having made himself thojiroughly acquainted with these matters. Colonel Dongan lost no time in seeking to coun- tervail the influence of the French, and to bring back the Indiana to a cordial understanding with his own people. His instructions from home were to encoumgo the Jesuit missionariefl. These he not only disregarded, but he ordered the missionaries away, and forbade tho Five Nations to entertain them.* It is true this order was never enforced to the letter, — the priests, — some of • The Mahiokandors, or Stockbridgo Indians. This tribo was composed of Moljcgans, Narragnnsetts, tho Farmiigton Indians, and roftigocs fi'oiu trhat Mr«re called the Seren Nations of Connecticut Indians, who, tleuing before the march of civilization in New England, united with the Schaghti- koke Indians, and afterward settled together, as one people, at Stock - bridge, and subsequently were generally known as the " River Indians." ■ . i * Dr. Colden's memorial. ' Idem. * Smith's Hittory of New York. ..'i ■':■ .'iri '\ .:T irl: /I LTFK OP Sin WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 15 1688. them at least,— maintaining a foothold at bo vera! points chap. of tho Confodoracy, — dubious, at times, certainly, — ^but> yet maintaining it for three-quarters of a century after- ward. Still, tho measures of conciliation adopted by Col- onel Bongan, made a strong and favorable impression upon the Indians. ,•*«■ Mtf/i ivrnfffi. vik u/sr^TttH » v;i twiTrivi Availing himself of the difficulty between the Oonfed- 1684. erates and Vii-ginia, consequent upon the outrages just adverted to as having been instigated by tho priests. Col- onel Dongan was instrumental in procuring a convention of the Five Nations, at Albany, in 1684, to meet Lord Howard of Effingham, Governor of Virginia, at which he (Dongan), was likewise present. This meeting, or council, was attended by the happiest results. The difficulties with Virginia were adjusted and a covenant made with Lord Howard for preventing further depredations. ' But what was of yet greater importance. Colonel Dongan succeeded in completely gaining the aftections of the Indians, who conceived for him the warmest esteem. They even asked that the arms of the Duke of York might be put upon their castles ; — a request which it need not be said was most readily complied with, since should , .„,: it afterwards become necessary, the governor might find it convenient to construe it into an act of at least partial submission to English authority, although it has been asserted that the Indians themselves looked upon the ducal insignia as a sort of charm, that might protect them against the French.' •' "' < ' < ..-■m ^^ io. .,.(i» .( d There was likewise another fortunate concurrence of events just at that time which revived all the ancient ani- mosity between the Iroquois and the French. While the conferences between Lord Howard and the Indians were yet in progress, a message was received from M. De la 1 Smith's History of New York. I ■.ill! t i i f ililil - li V i 'Nijt i Uji,-, 16 LlfB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. • I l!,! oaA#. Barre, the Governor of Canada, complaining of the con- •-V-' duct of the Senecas in prosecuting hostilities against the ' Miamies and other western nations in alliance with the French, and thus interrupting their trade. Colonel Don- gan communicated the message to the Iroquois chiefs, who retorted by charging the French with supplying their enemies with all their munitions of war. "Onontio* calls us children," said they, "and at the same time sends powder to our enemies to kill us !" This collision resulted in open war between the Iroquois and the French, — ^the latter sending to France for powerful reinforcements, with the design of an entire subjugation of the former in the ensuing year. Meantime the French Catholics continued to procure letters from the Duke of York to his lieutenant, commanding him to lay no obstacles in the way of the invaders. But these commands were again disregarded. Dongan apprised the Iroquois of the designs of the French, not only to march against them with a strong army, but simultaneously to bring down upon them the western Indians in their interest. The English gov- ernor also promised to assist them if necessary. 1685. Thus by the wisdom, and the strong sense of justice, of Colonel Dongan, was the chain of friendship between the English and the Five Kations, brightened, and the most amicable relations re-established. Yet for the course he had taken, he fell under the displeasure of his bigoted master on his accession to the throne, in 1685.' It is not, of course, within the purpose of this retrospect, to trace the progress of the long and cruel wars that suc- ceeded the negotiations between Colonel Dongan and 1 The name by which the Iroquois were wont to speak of the French governors of Canada. ' Colonel Dongan continued in the government of the colony from 1688 to 1388. He was highly respected as governor, being upright, discreet and of accomplished manners. He gave the colony its first legislative assem- bly, arJ after his ^return home became Earl of Limerick. Hi «'!' LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 17 the Confederates. Briefly it may be said, in respect to chap, the expedition of M. de la Barre, that it failed by reason «— ^^ of sickness in his army at Cadaraqui, before crossing the ^^^' lake. He was succeeded in the government of Canada by the Marquis Denonville, who invaded the Seneca country in 1687 with a powerful force ; gaining, however, 1687. such a victory over the Indians, in the Genesee Valley, as led to an inglorious retreat. This invasion was speedily recompensed by the Confederates, who descended upon the French settlements of the St. Lawrence like a tempest and struck a blow of terrible vengeance upon Montreal itself. New York, was at this time, torn by the intestine commo- tions incident to the revolution which drove the Stuarts from the English throne, and ended the power of the Catholics in the colony. It was a consequence of these divisions, that the English could afford the Indians no assistance in their invasion of Canada, at that time, else that country would then doubtless have been wrested from the crown of France. But the achievements of the Indians were, nevertheless, most important for the colony of New York, the subjugation of which was at that pre- cise conjuncture meditated by France, and a combined expedition by land and sea, was undertaken for that pur- pose, — Admiral Cafihiere commanding the ships which sailed from Rochefort for New York, and the Count de Frontenac, who had succeeded Denonville, being the general of the land forces. On his arrival at Quebec, however, the count beheld his province reduced to a field of devastation, and he was therefore constrained \o ^ban- don the enterprise. During the civil feuds of the revolution, and those that followed under the contested Leislerian administration, the Indian aftairs of New York were neglected. Mean- time the New England colonies becoming involved in a war with the Eastern Indians, sent a deputation to Albany 8 'iiKl »i»i«a *■ iB LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. !.;ii :■! CHAP, to invite tlie Five Nations to take up the hatchet in their >— ^ — -cause; but the invitation was declined, in iii...ji,;.:p^x,> •»*.; 1687. rpj^g revolution which brought "William and Mary upon the throne having been followed by war between England and France, the colonies were of course involved in the conflict ; whereupon Count Frontenac revived the policy of attempting to detach the Confederates from the English interest. To this end, through the eftbrts of a Jesuit residing among the Oneidas, all the Confederates save the Mohawks were induced to meet the emissaries of the French in council at Onondaga. At the same time, with a view of making an unfavorable impression upon the Mohawks, as to the power of the English to defend their own settlements against the arms of the French king, a secret expedition was set on foot against Schenectady, which resulted in a frightful massacre of the slumbering inhabitants of that devoted town, on the night of the eighth 1690. of February, 1690. But the Five Nations were neither won to the interests of the French by the persuasions of the agents at Onondaga, nor by the terrors of the scene at Schenectady. The veteran chief, Sadekanaghtie, an Onondaga orator of great eminence acted the skillful diplomatist at the council, while the Mohawks deeply sym- pathized with their suflering neighbors of Schenectady, and harrassed the invaders to good purpose on their retreat, — sending their war parties again into Canada, even to the attack once more of the island of Montreal. It required, however, as will often appear in the present work, the most unremitted attention of the government to maintain those close relations of amity with the Five Na- tions which were essential to the true interests and safety of the province. Their jealousies were far more easily awakened than allayed ; and unless continually caressed and propitiated by frequent largesses, they became rest- less and frowning. Hence, notwithstanding the alacrity .■:'li't S'W LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 19 1690. with which the Mohawks had sought to avenge tlie mur- chap. ders of Schenectady, in February, 1690, the , lect they • experienced during the agitations attending and following the foul judicial murder of Leisler and his son-in-law, not only disalfected them toward the English, but they even went so far as to send an embassy of peace to Count Fron- tenac. Meantime, in order to defeat this pui'poso, Colo- nel Sloughter, who had superseded Leisler in the govern- ment,^ succeeded in holding a council with the four 1691. nations of the Confederates, exclusive of the Mohawks, which was attended by happy results, — the designs of the Mohawks, moved, probably, by a sudden impulse, being frustrated, and they themselves renewing their cove- nant chain. , ' .-, . . ) ,„,.;,. ..>.f !. , . • In order to maintain the advantages secured by these negotiations, and keep in action the hostile feelings of the Confederates against the French, Major Peter Schuyler, the white man of all others in whom the Five Nations reposed the greatest confidence, planned and executed his bold irruption through Lake Champlain into Canada during the same season, — defeating, with his Lidians, De Callieres, governor of Montreal, and keeping the whole 1 Colonel Sloughter was commissioned to the government of New York in January, 1G89, but did not arrive until the nineteenth of March, 1691, The selection of Sloughter was not fortunate. According to Smith, he was utterly destitute of every qualification for government ; licentious in his morals, avaricious, and base. Leisler, who had administered the govern- ment after a fashion, since the departure of Dongan, intoxicated with power, refused to surrender the government to Sloughter, and attempted to defend the fort in which he had taken refuge against him. Finding it expedient, however, very soon to abandon the fort, he was arrested, and, with his son-in-law Milburue, tried and executed for treason. Still, on the whole, the conduct of Leisler during the revolution had been consi- dered patriotic, and his sentence was deemed very unjust and cruel. In- dued, his enemies could not prevail upon Sloughter to sign the warrant fot his execution, until, for that purpose, they got him intoxicated. It was a murderous affair. Sloughter's administration was short and turbulent. He died July twenty-third, 1091. 20 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. II; 1691. iilllil CHAP. Canadian country in constant alarm by frequent incur- ■ sions of war-parties against the French settlements. Ac- tive hostilities were likewise prosecuted by the Confede- rates against the French traders, and their posts, upon Lake Ontario. The celebrated Onondaga chief, Black- Kettle, one of the bravest and most remarkable warriors of his race, was the leader in that quarter. Being taken in the same year, he was put to death by the most fright- ful torments. On the death of Sloughter, Richard Ingoldsby, the cap- tain of an independent company, Was made president of the council) to the exclusion of Joseph Dudley, who, but for his absence in Boston, would Lave had the right to preside, and upon whom the govarnment would have devolved. But although Dudley vtry soon returned to New York, he did not contest the authority of Ingoldsby, who administered the government until the arrival of Colonel Fletcher, with a commission as governor, in Au- 1692. gust, 1692. In the preceding month of June, Ingoldsby met the Five Nations in council at Albany, on which occa- sion they declared tln-Vr enmity to the French in the strongest possible terms. Their expressions of friendship for the English were also renewed. "Brother Corlaer," said the sachem, " we are all the subjects of one great king and queen ; we have one head, one heart, one inte- rest, and are all engaged in the same war." They never- theless condemned the English for their inactivity, " tell- ing them that the destruction of Canada would not make one summer's work, against their united strength, if ingeniously exerted."* In conducting the Indian afiairs of the colony, Colonel Fletcher took Major Schuyler into his councils, and was guided by his opinions.* No man understood those affairs ' Smith's History of New York. > Fletcher was by profession a soldier, a man of strong passions, and iuconsiderablc talents ; very active, and equally avaricious. Hisadminis- 1 ;f f- LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, . aBT. 21 better than he ; and his influence over the Indians was so chaj great, that whatever Quider,* as they called him, either >—y—' recommended or disapproved, had the force of a law. This ^°®''^' power over them was supported, as it had been obtained, by repeated offices of kindness, and his single bravery and activity in the defence of his country." Through the influence of Quider, therefore. Colonel Fletcher was placed upon the best footing with the Indians, by whom was conferred upon him the name of Cayenguinago, or "The Great Swift Arrow," as a compliment for a remark- ably rapid journey made by him from New York to Schenectady on a sudden emergency.' Despairing, at length, of accomplishing a peace with 1698. the Five Nations, Count Frontenac determined to strike a blow upon the Mohawks in their own country, — which purpose was securely executed in the month of February, 1693. For once this vigilant race of warriors were taken by surprise, two of their castles being entered and cap- tured without much resistance — the warriors of both hav- ing been mostly absent at Schenectady. On assailing the third, or upper castle, however, the invaders met with a different reception. The warriors within, to the number of forty, were engaged in a war-dance, preparatory to some military expedition upon which they were about tration was so energetic and suooessful, the first year, that he receWed large supplies, and a Tote of special thanks from the assembly. He was a bigot, however, to the Episcopal form of church government, and labored hard to encourage English churches and schools, and was shortly involved in a violent controversy with the assembly, who inclined rather to favor the Dutch churches. He was also unpopular because of his extravagant demands for money. He continued in. the administration of the government until the year 1696, inclusive. 1 Quider, the Iroquois pronunciation of Peter. Having no labials in their language, they could not say Peter. * Smith's History of New York. * Colden's Six Nations. 22 LIPB OP filtt WILLIAM JOIINHON, DART. i'l I i i ill:! CHAP, entorin^ ; mid though inlerior in Ibrco, yot they yielded wv— ' not without a btruggle, nor until thirty of the uHHuilunttj l'*^^. j^mj been sluin. About three hundred of the Mohavvkrt wore taken prisoncfH in this invanon, in rewpeet to which the people of Seheneetady have been charged with bad conduct. They neither aided their neighborH, nor even apprised them of the approach of danger, although iu- fonued of the fact in duo season themselves. But (iuider, the fast friend of the Indians, took the Held at the head of the militia of Albany, immediately on hearing of the invasion, and harassed the enemy sharply during their retreat. Indeed, but for the protection of a snovv-storm, and the accidental resting of a cake of ice upon the river, forming a bridge for their escape, the invadei's would havo been cut ofl*. The loss of the Mohawks by this incursion, added to dissatisfaction arising from the many unfuliilled promises made to them by the English, disheartened them so much that, in the spring of 1693, the Oneidas sued the French for peace, — a purpose which was frustrated only by the promptness of Fletcher's movements. A timely supply of presents for the Indians, received from England, enabled him to convene a council of the whole Confederacy at Albany, in July, and by a liberal distribution of arms and ammunition, knives, hatchets, and clothing, they were pacified, and, to use their own figure of speech, made "to roll and wallow in joy, by reason of the great favor the king and queen had done them." Yet, a Jesuit priest, resident with the Oneidas, named Milet, soon afterward succeeded in persuading all the nations, excepting the Mohawks, to open their ears to the propositions of certain emissaries dispatched upon the insidious errand to Onondaga. But the demands of the French, particularly for permission to rebuild the fort at Cadaraqui, were greater than the Indians Avere willing to concede, and 1694. the war was renewed in 1694, during which year Count li-iii: LIFE OP SIR \yiLLIAM JOHN,^O^J, lURT. 28 men chap. I. 10U4, Krontenac acMit an ox|>o(lition of throo Viumlrod agairiHt Huoh of tho Fivo Nations a« might bo found in tho region of the Niagara [teninsulu. Only a wmall num- l)or of IndiiUiH were mot with, somo of whom were killed, ill I others made priHonorH. ThoHC latter were taken to Montreal and tortured to death by tiro. Tho Fivo Nations likewise, renewed their ineursions into Canada, and tho fate of their brethren was avenged l)y a holocaust, in wliich ten of their Indian captives wore burnt. In the year 1696, the Count do Frontonac made a yet leoo more formidable eftbrt for the subjugation of the Fivo Nations. To this end, an army, consisting of two battal- ions of regular troops, four battalions of militia, together with tho warriors of all the Indian tribes, under liis in- fluence, was assembled, with which the count ascended the St. Lawrence to Cadaraqui, and crossing thence to Oswego, made a descent upon tho Ouondagas. I3ut it was a bootless expedition. Tho Indiana, apprised that the French were bringing several small pieces of artillery against them, before which they knew they could not stand, set fire to their principal towns, and retired with their women and children, and their old men, to their wilderness labyrinths. One only of their nation remained to receive the invaders, — an old man, whose head was whitened with the snows of a hundred win^ere. He re- fused to leave his lodge, and was put to death by torture, — dying as bravely as ho had lived, and laughing to scorn the efforts by his tormentors to wring a groan or a murmur of complaint from his bosom. It is difficult to conceive how the officers of a civilized and gallant people, like the French, could have permitted such a murder. One would have thought that in admiration of his fortitude, his pa- ti'iotism, and his courage, a hundred swords would have leaped from their scabbards for tho defence of a venerable brave like him. But it was not thus ; and tho death of the old sachem was the only exploit which crowned the , f Mr i Ti : ,?! 1710. Colonel Schuyler was greatly beloved by th.e Five Na- tions, and having excited their expectations to a high pitch of enthusiasm in regard to the projected conquest of Canada, he felt keenly the miserable failure of Nichol- son's expedition. Still, distinctly perceiving the import- ance of effecting that conquest, and with a view, proba- bly, of diverting the attention of the Indians from their disappointment, he determined upon a voyage to England to represent the actual state of the countr5% in person, to the parent government. His views were seconded by the colonial assembly, and he took with him the five Iroquois chiefs whose appearance in the British capital created so great a sensation, according to the chroniclers of those days.^ This visit was made in 1710. Schuyler returned with his chiefs in the autumn of the same year, — the lat- ter being highly gratified with their voyage, and their reception by the great queen, before whom they had strongly seconded the arguments of Quider for the speedy reduction of Canada, as the only effectual measure of peace and security to the northern English colonies. 1711. In accordance with this advice, another expedition for •Vide, one oiifxe numbers of Addison's Spectator. ■' LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. n that object was undertaken in the next year — 1711 ; great chap, preparations being made therefor, both by the parent gov- ^-v— < ernment and the colonies. The French, aware of the ^^^^' design, were equally active in concerting measures of de- fence. The Indians in their immediate alliance were induced to take up the hatchet, and renewed attempts were made upon the fidelity of the Iroquois. No percept- ible impression was made upon their virtue, however ; but the expedition resulted in another sad miscarriage, alike upon the land and the wave, — whereat the Confederates were greatly disheartened, and at length, under their re- peated disappointments, they again began to " open their ears" to the insidious counsels and persuasions of the French. Indeed, but for the peace of Utrecht, concluded in the spring of 1713, it was believed that the Senecas, 1713. and perhaps others of their Confederacy, would then have turned their arms upon the English. Yet one important point connected with the Indian relations of the English, was secured by this treaty, if no more. By its provisions the long contested question of English supremacy over the Five Nations and their territory, which in his negotia- tions with the Earl of Bellamont, Count Frontenac had refused to recognize, was conceded by the French. The In- dians of this Confederacy had previously, under the admin- istration of Colonel Fletcher, thrown themselves upon the English for protection, — as they likewise did again at a susbequent period, for the same object, — making a formal surrender of their country to the English ; not as an un- qualified cession, however, but to be held and protected by the crown for thdr use. In other words, the Indians seem to have supposed that they were investing the Eng- lish with a sort of superior jurisdiction over their territory, reserving to themselves their own distinct sovereignty in every other respect. Brigadier-General Hunter, who was appointed to the governiaeuo Oj. js\ ow a orK, aa uue ouuccaaur 01 juuvq. liove- i.V. _j?' '^i«>"Mi*WiUi'»'*»' 28 LIFE OF Sill WILLIAM JOHNSOX, BART. J'i 1718. H'i CHAP, lace, wus required to take no very active part in the In- dian atiairs of the colony.^ The peace of Utrecht being followed by several yeara of repose, the colonies veere re- lieved from the terrible inflictions of Indian hostilities, — a species of warfare the most frightful that can be imagined, as well from its certain as from its uncertain character, — uncertain, always, when, or where, the dreaded enemy might strike, and equally certain that his path would be illumined by tire, and made red with blood. Meantime the Confederates, being likewise relieved from hostilities with the French, and the Indians in their interest, again directed their ai-ms against their ancient enemies in the south, — in the countries of the Carolinas and Georgia,—^ among the Catawbas and the Cherokees, even to the head waters of the Mobile. The most powerful nation in the midlands of Carolina, were the Tuscaroras, kindred, as their speech testified, either of the Wyandots, or the Five Nations, or both. In either case, their language, having no labials, bore so strong n affinity to that of the Five Nations, that they were claimed by the latter as relations ; and with their own consent were transplanted to the north, within the bosom of the Iroquois Confederacy. It has been asserted by a high authority, that at a date so recent as the year 1708, the Tuscaroras possessed fifteen towns, and could count twelve hundred warriors as brave as the Mohawks.'' This enumeration must have been erroneous, or else their numbers were rapidly diminished by pesti- ^ John, Lord Lovelace, Baron of Hurley, appointed to supereede Lord Cornburjr, entered upon the government of the colony on the 18th of De- cember, 1708. He died on the 5th of May in the next year, of a disorder contracted in crossing the ferry at his first arrival in New York. His lady remained in New York many years after his death. On the death of his lordship, the government once more devolved upon Richard Ingoldsby, the lieutenant-governor of the colony, until the arrival of Governor Hunter, in the summer of 1710. < ,-^ui< -; • , ■ .i: ■! .li .-.• .,,... ^^ ' Bucroft's Eittory of the United Statet, vol. iii. " ^ ' > • - 'V ^ ' Ujii LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 29 1718. lence or war, or by soiue other calamity, since at the time chap. of their transplantation, five years afterward, they were but^ a comparatively feeble clan. Yet they were counted as a nation ; and the Iroquois Confederacy was thenceforward called The Six IiTations.^ «»«I 5fe«r^l4.. . , .>^*a*;lHUiii r> i^b General Hunter continued at the head of the colonial 1719- administration until the summer of 1719, when he svent back to England on leave of absence, as well on account of his health, as to look after his private aftairs. He inti- mated that he might return to the government again, but did not." The chief command on his departure, devolved on the Hon. Peter Schuyler, as the oldest member of the ^ council, but only for a brief period. He however held a treaty with the Six I^Tations at Albany, which was consi- - i dered satisfactory ; yet it would have been more so, had his efforts to induce the Confederates to drive Joncaire, ^ The history of the Tusoaroras, and the maiiber or cause of their re- moTal to the oorth, and their incorporation w th the Iroquois Confederacy, are inyolved in doubt. According to some accounts, they are said to have been first conquered by the Five Nations, and then adopted among them because of discovered relationship. Dr. Golden says they fled to the Five Nations, before the arms of the people of Carolina. Smith gives a still different account of their southern locality, thus: " The Tuscaioras pos- sessed a tract of land near the sources of Jc mes river, in Virginia, whence the encroachments of the English induced them to remove, and settle near the southeast end of the Oneida lake." — Suith. ' Hunter was a Scotchman, and when a boy, an apprentice to an apothe- cary. Leaving his ma«ter, he entered the army, and being a man of wit and beauty, gained promotion, and also the hand of Lady Hay. In 1707 he was appointed lieuteaant-governor of Virginia, but being captured by the French on hie voyage out, on his return to England he was appointed to the government of New York and New Jersey, then united in the same jurisdiction. Governor Hunter was the man who brought over the three thousand Palatines from Germany, who founded the German settlements in the interior of New York aud Pennsylvania. He administered the govern- ment of the colony " well and wisely," as was said to him in an affection- ate parting address by the general assembly, until the summer of 1719, when he returned to England on leave, to look after his private aff.airs. 30 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. . ' i . ■ ||.; ii • h i " :ii;;|ji ;l ■y„i, CHAP, the artful agent of the French, out of their country, been v-v—' successful. This Jesuit emissary had resided among the ^^^®* Senecas from the beginning of Queen Anne's rejgn. He had been adopted by them, and was greatly beloved by the Onondagas. He was incessant in his intrigues in be- half of the French, facilitating the missionaries in their progress through the country, and contributing greatly to the vacillating course of the Indians toward the English. Schuyler was aware of all this ; but notwithstanding his own great influence over the Six Nations, he could not prevail upon them to discard their favorite. In other re- spects the government of Schuyler was marked by tnode- ration, wisdom, and integrity.^ 1720. William Buraet, son of the celebrated prelate of that name who flourished in the reign of William and Mary, succeeded to the government of the colony, in the year 1720 ; and of all the colonial governors of New York, with the exception of Colonel Dongan, his Indian policy was marked by the most prudent forecast and the greatest wisdom. Immediately after the peace of Utrecht, a brisk trade in goods for the Indian market, was revived between Albany and Montreal, — the Caughnawaga clan of the Mohawks residing near Montreal serving as carriers. The chiefs of the Six Nations foresaw the evil and inevitable con- sequences to result from allowing that trade to pass round in that direction, inasmuch as the Indians would of course be drawn exclusively to M')ntreal for their supplies, to be received immediately at the hands of the French, — and they cautioned the English authorities against it. Mr. Hunter had indeed called the attention of the general as- sembly to the subject at an antecedent period ; but no action was had thereon until after Mr. Burnet had as- sumed the direction of the colonial administration. The policy of the latter was at once to cut oft" an intercourse, so unwise and so dangerous, with Montreal, and bring the 1 Smith's Hittory of New York. ■M^ LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 31 entire Indian trade within the limits and control of New chap. Yorly. To this end an act was passed at his suggestion, w^— . subjecting the traders with Montreal to a forfeiture of ^^'^^' their goods, and a penalty of one hundred pounds for each infraction of the law. It likewise entered into the policy of Mr. Burnet to win the confidence of the Caughnawa- gas, and reunite them with their kindred in their native valley. But the ties by which the Roman priesthood had bound them to the interests of the French, were too strong, and the eftbrts of the governor were unsuccessful. In furtherance of the design to grasp the Indian trade, 1722. not only of the Six I^ations, but likewise that of the remoter nations of the upper lakes, a trading post was established at Oswego in 1722. A trusty agent was also appointed to reside at the great council-fire of the Onon- dagas,— the central nation of the Confederates. A con- gress of several of the colonies was held at Albany, to meet the Six Nations, during the same year, which, among other distinguished men, was attended by Governor Spotts- wood, of Virginia, Sir William Keith, of Pennsylva- nia, and by Governor Burnet. At this council the chiefs stipulated that in their future southern war-expeditions they would not cross the Potomac, and in their marches against their southern enemies, their path was to lie west- ward of the great mountains — the Alleghanies meaning. Mr. Burnet again brightened the chain of friendship with them, on the part of New York, notwithstanding the ad- verse influences exerted by the Chevalier Joncaire, the Jesuit agent residing alternately among the Senecas and Onondagas. The beneficial effects of Mr. Burnet's policy were soon apparent. In the course of a single year more than forty young men plunged boldly into the Indian country as tra- ders, acquired their languages, and strengthened the pre- carious friendship existing between the English and the more distant nations : while tribes of the latter urevioriHlv 82 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. iiii' ' ' lili I ; m jr if' II I! CHAP, unknown to the colonists, even from beyond Michilimack- v-v— ' inae, visited Albany for purposes of traffic, hi -, i jJ;** » * 1 The establishment of an English post at Oswego was a cause of high displeasure to the French, who, in order to intercept the trade from the upper lakes that would na- turally be drawn thither, and thus be diverted from Mont- real, determined to repossess themselves of Niagara, re- build the trading-house at that point, and repair their dila- pidated fort. The consent of the Onondagas to this measure was obtained by the Baron de Longueil, who '•'■ visited their country for that purpose, through the influ- ence of Joncaire and his Jesuit associates. But the other members of the Confederacy, disapproving of the move- ment, declared the permission given to be void, and dis- patched messengers to Niagara to arrest the procedure. With a just appreciation of the importance of such, an encroachment upon their territory, the Confederates met Mr. Burnet in council upon the subject, at Albany, in 1727. 1727. " We come to you howling," said the chiefs ; " and this is the reason why we howl, that the governor of Can- ada encroaches on our land and builds thereon." Gover- nor Burnet made them a speech on the occasion, beauti- fully expressed in their own figurative language, which gave them great satisfaction.^ The chiefs, declaring them- selves uiable to resist this invasion of the French, en- treated the English for succor, and formally surrendered their country to the great king, " to be protected by him for their use," as heretofore stated. But Governor Burnet being at that period involved in political difficulties with an assembly, too short-sighted, or too factious, to appreciate the importance of preserving so able a head to the colonial government, was enabled to do nothing more for the pro- tection of the Indians than to erect a small military de- fence at Oswego ; and even this work of necessity he was obliged to perform at his own private expense. Meantime ^Smith's Historu of New Yorfe, ,^*iiiliWiT«'hii'»lf»'""' LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 88 the French completed- and secured their works at Niagara char without molestation. *— v-* In the course of the same year, having been thwarted ^'^T. in his enlarged ...1 patriotic views by several successive assemblies, Mr. Burnet, the ablest and wisest of the colo- nial administrators, retired from the government of New York, and accepted that of Massachusetts and New Hamp- shire.' Mr Montgomery succeeded him in New York, in 1728. He was an indolent man, and had not character 1728. enough to inspire opposition. The French, enraged at the erection of a fort at Oswego, were now menacing that post. The new governor thereupon met the Six Nations . ..-i in council at Albany, to renew the covenant chain, and engage them in the defence of that important station. Large presents were distributed among them, and they declared their willingness to join the reinforcements de- tached from the independent companies for that service. Being apprised of these preparations, the French desisted from their threatened invasion.' Much of the opposition to the administration of GoVer- f. rr nor Burnet, had been fomented and kept alive by the Al- banians who, by the shrewdness of his Indian policy, and > Governor Burnet was not only a man of letters, but of wit — a belierer in the Christian religion, y^t not a serious professor. A variety of amusing anecdotes has been related of him. When on his way from New York to assume the government at Boston, one of the committee who went froniii that town to meet him on the borders of Rhode Island, was the facetious Colonel Tailer. Burnet complained of the long graces that were said be- fore meals by clergymen on the road, and aaked when they would shorten. Tailer answered : ' The graces will increase in length till you come to Bos- ton ; after that they will shorten till you come to your governi&ent of iTew Hampshire, where your excellency will find no grace at all." * Colonel John Montgomery succeeded Mr. Burnet in the governinent 0f the colonies of New York and New Jersey, in the inonth of April, 1728, He was a Scotchman, and bred a soldier. But quitting the profession of arms, he went into parliament, — serving also, for a time, as groom of the bed-chamber to his majesty Oeorge II, before his accession to the throne. He was a man of moderate abilities and slender literary a^ainments. He Wks too good-natured a man to excite enmities ; and klir »dab»|iMr*tis:i quarrels of this weak and avaricious man with the people and their representatives, left him apparently no time to bestow upon the external relations of the colony ; and the Six Nations, in the absence of other employment, again resumed hostilities against their enemies at the South. One of their expeditions, directed against the Chickasaws, was fearfully disastrous. They fell into an ambuscade, and fought until all but two of a strong body of warriors were slain. One only of those two returned to rehearse the tale. He struck off deep into the forest, and support- ing himself by game on the way, succeeded in traversing the whole distance back to his own countiy without meefr ing a single human being during the journey.^ Another expedition, yet stronger, was sent against the Catawbas and Cherokees. They met upon the banks of the Cum- berland fiver, now in Kentucky, at a place called "the bloody lands." Ascertaitiing that their enemies were ad- vancing to meet them, the Six Nations in turn drew them into an ambuscade, and a terrible battle followed, in which the southrons, after a contest of two days, were defeated, with a loss of twelve hundred braves killed on the field.' These retrospective glances have now been brought down 1786 to the year 1735 — the date of the arrival in America of > Relation of General Schuyler to Chancellor Kent. Vide note in Kent's Commentaries, vol. iii. * Life of Mary Jenniton, the Seneca white woman. Hiookatoo, her Ivri- band, was in the battle. Still, the numbers said to have been killed maj be au exaggeration. ;;» oii : ■■'*:-! 86 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. I'. ciuf. the extraordinary youth whose life will form a prominent ^».^«< subject of these memoirs. And although thut individual 17M. (Joeg jjot yet appear upon the theatre of public action, still, in order to the completeness of his " life and timcSy" it will bo necessary henceforward to se^ forth both the Indian and the civil history of the colony with more fullness of detail than in the preceding pages. 1786. On the demise of Colonel Cosby,^ Mr. George Clarke, long a member of the council, after a brief struggle with Mr. Van Dam for the precedency, succeeded to the direc- tion of the government ; and being shortly afterward com- missioned as lieutenant-governor, he continued at the head of the colonial administration from the autumn of 1736 to that of 1748, — seven years. Mr. Clarke was remotely connected, by marriage, with the family of Lord Claren- don,-^ having been sent over as secretary of the colony in the reign of Queen Anne. Being, moreover, a man of strong common sense and of uncommon tact; and by reason of his long residence in the colony, and the several offi- cial rtations he had held, well acquainted with its afiairs ; hia. administration, — certainly until toward its close, — was (Kwaparatively popular, and, all circumstances considered, enunently successftil. In the brief struggle for power between himself and Mr. Van Dam, the latter had been sustained by the popular party, while the officers of the orown, and the partisans of Cosby, with few if any excep- tiyoiU), adhered to Mr. Clarke." This difficulty had been speedily ended by a royal confirmation of the somewhat N il ' . ! 1 Colonel William Cosby, appointed to the government of New York in 1782, had fprmerly been governor of Minorca, where he acquired no very enviable name by the scandalous and corrupt practices to which he was prompted by his avarice. His administration was turbulent and exceedingly unpopular, and deservedly so, for his conduct was atrocious. He dieuuni- vwMlly det«ated, on the tenth of March, 1786. * Mr. Van Dam had been privately, and, as he and his partisans contend- ed, illagally removed firom the council-board by Cosby, in a fit of passion, •Jnost upon hu d«»tih-bed. Hence the struggle to which I have referred in the text. LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHITflON, BART. 87 doubtful authonty ftHflumcd by Mr. Clarke. IIIh own chaf. courao, moreover, on taking the seals of office, wdh con-v-y-' tilirttory. In his first speech to the general assembly he re- ^7''®- ferred in temperate language to the unhappy divisions which had of lute disturl>cd the colony, and which ho thought it was then a favorable moment to heal. The English flour-market being overstocked by large supplies furnished from the other colonies, the attention of the assembly was directed to the expediency of encouraging domestic manu- factures in various departments of industry. To the In- dian affairs of the colony, Mr. Clarke invited the special attention of the assembly. The military works of Fort Hunter being in a dilapidated condition, and the object of affording protection to the Christian settlements through the Mohawk valley having been accomplished, the lieu- tenant-governor suggested the erection of a new fort at the carrying-place between the Mohawk river and Wood creek,* leading into Oneida lake, and thence through the Oswego river into Lake Ontario ; and the transfer of the garrison fVom Fort Hunter to this new and commanding position. He likewise recommended the repairing of the block-house at Oswego, and the sending of smiths and other artificers into the Indian country, especially among the SenecnR.' Then ^commendationB were repeated in the execntive 1737. • Tk« «lte, afterward, of Fort Stanwix, — now the opu^ont town of Rome. ■ In the course of this session of the general assembly, Chief Justice De Lancey, speaker of the legislative council, announced that his duties in the Supreme Court would render it impossible for him to act as speaker through the session. It was therefore ordered that the oldest counselor present should thenceforward act a? speaker. Under this order, Doctor Cadwallader Colden first came to the chaii On the twenty-sixth of October, the council resolved that they should hold their sittings in the common council chamber of the City-Hall. The House immediately returned a mesHnge that they were holding their ses- sions, and should continue to hold them in that chamber ; and that it was conformable to the constitution that the council, in its legislative capacity, should ait as a distinct and separate body. \ :■■■ ; 88 '■ II III ri \U l!f fliiil LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1787. CHAP, speech to the assembly in the spring of 1737, aiid also ' again to a new assembly which had been called in the summer of the same year. The lieutenant-governor far* ther informed the new assembly that it had become neces- sary for him to meet the chiefs of the Six Nations in council at Albany in consequence of certain negotiations pending between the Senecas and the French, by virtue of which the latter were on the point of obtaining permission to erect a trading-post at Tierondequot, which would ena- ble them to intercept the fur-trade of the upper lakes on its way to Oswego.^ For the purpose of defeating this sagacious movement of the French, and if possible yet further to circumvent them by obtaining the like permission for the English to establish a trading-post at the same point, the meeting with the Confederate chiefs took place in Albany, as suggested in the speech. The objects of the interview, however, were only obtained in part. The Senecas agreed not to allow the French agent, John Coeur, to build at Tieronde- quot ; but neither would they permit the English to plant themselves there. Still they gladly acceeded to the propo- sition of the lieutenant-governor to send a gun-smith to reside among them, — with whom were also dispatched an interpreter, and three other agents, to assist in circum- venting the intrigues of the French. At the succeeding autumnal session of the assembly, these measures wore sanctioned by that body, and provisions made for strength- ening Oswego, and for the farther promotion of commerce with the Indians.^ < . . •'- .^i iM m 1 Irondequot, now well known as an inlet, or bay, a few miles enst of the mouth of the Genesee river, — the place where Denonville landed In Lia memorable expedition against the Senecas, half a century before. * yiie Legislative Journals. Also Smith's History of New York. At the session of the Assembly, October thirteenth, of this year, the council hav- ing sent a message to the house by the hand of a deputy clerk, a message was transmitted bauk, signifying that the houso considered such a course disrespectful. Until that time, messages had been conveyed between tlic houses, with bills, resolutions, &c., br the hands of their members respect- ;i!' m LIFK OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, DART. 39 During the greater part of the year 1738 but little at- chap. tention was paid to Indian affaire, — the principal hiatorieal v_^^ incident of that year being the memorable contested elec- ^'^^^• tion between Adolphe Philipse and Gerret Van Home, in connection with which, owing^ to the extraordinary skill and eloquence of Mr. Smith, father of the historian, and of counsel for Van Home, the Hebrew freeholders of the city of New York, from which place both parties claimed to have been returned to the assembly, were most unjustly disfranchised, on the ground of their religious creed, and their votes rejected.^ The colony was greatly excited by this question, and the persuasive powers exerted by Mr. Smith, are represented to have been wonderful, — equal- ling, probably, if not surpassing, those of Andrew Ham- ilton, four years previously, in the great libel case of the Zengers, — and possibly not excelled even by Patrick Hen- ry, a few years afterward, when he dethroned the reason of the court, and led captive the jury, in the great tobacco case in Virginia.' "■ ■'i!?-'--;-- '">'' '^' ';■•<••''>;' " ■ * "• ■■ Yet the movements of the Indians, and the designs of the French in Canada were not entirely overlooked. On the thirteenth of October, the general assembly being in session, the lieutenant-governor summoned the house be- fore him, and announced the receipt of intelligence of a design by the French, to establish themselves at the carry- ing-place upon "Wood creek, between the head, or south- i Wely. The house uor sidered the sending of a clerk an innovation upon their privileges ; and Col. Phillipse, Mr. Verplank, and Mr. Johnson, were appointed a committee to wait upon the council and demand satisfaction. The council healed the matter by a conciliatory resolution, declaring that no disrespect had been intended. 1 For an animated account of this celebrated case, drawn, however, by the partial hand of a son writing of his father, see Smith's History, vol. ii. •See Wirt's Life of Patrick Henry. 40 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. u 1 li I r ''I Ijli CHAP, em end of Lake Champlain, and the Hudson river,' and s-v— . calling for means to enable him to build a fort and plant 1788. a colony of settlers there for the defence of the northern frontier, to be composed of emigrants from North Bri- tain.' The lieutenant-governor also announced, in the same speech, that a delegation of the Senecas had de- parted for Quebec, to treat, as it was understood, with M. Beauharnois, then the governor of Canada, with a view, after all, of allowing the French to plant themselves in the beautiful valley of the Tierondequot, — a measure which, said the speech, "would put an end to the Oswego trade." In conclusion the lieutenant-governor asked for an appro- priation of money to enable him to frustrate their designs, and to make another effort for the purchase of the Tieron- dequut. The assembly having been suddenly dissolved a few days subse':[uent to the delivery of this speech, no steps were taken in reference to either of its recommenda- tions, and they were each pressed urgently upon the ne-v assembly summoned in the spring of the next year, 1739. 1 The Wood creek here mentioned is altogether a different stream from that spoken of a few pages back, at the Mohawk carrjing-place, which leads into the Oneida lake. These duplicated names are apt to create confusion. The present town of Whitehall stands upon the Wood creek spoken of here in the text, which pours into Lake Champlain. * The North Britons here spoken of, whom Mr. Clarke proposed colonii- ing at the head of Lake Champlain, were a company of between four and five hundred adult Highlanders, with their children, who had been brought to the colony by Captain Laughlin Campbell, in the expectation of settling them upon a manor of thirty thousand acres of land, which Le, Campbell, alledged had been promised him by the lieutenant-governor, — Campbell, who was a Highland chief, calculating to become, as it were, "lord of the manor." Smith roundly asserts that Clarke had stipulated to make the grant to Campbell ; but the statement was contradicted by Dr. Colden, who was at the time in question a member of the executive council. Certain it is, however, that Campbell had the emigrants with him in New York ; yet Colder says that many of them came out at their own expense, and that no more land had been promised to Campbell than he could bring into culti- vation. Be this as it may, the disappointment of the emigrants was great, and they suffered much keen distress before they could take care of them- selves. II I ■' .: i'l LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAKT. 41 The years 1738 and 1739, were marked by increasing chap- political excitement, and the dividing line of parties, in- w^ volving the great principles of civil liberty on the one 17*8. side, and the prerogatives of the crown on the other, were more distinctly drawn, perhaps, than at any antece- dent period. The administrations of the earlier English governors, Nicholls and Lovelace, were benevolent, and almost parental. Andross, it is true, was a tj^rant ; and during his administration parties were formed, as in Eng- land, upon the mixed questions of politics and religion, which dethroned the last and most bigoted of the Stuarts, and brought William and Mary upon the throne. Don- gan,- however, the last of the Stuaii; governers in New Tork, although a Roman Catholic, was nevertheless mild in the administration of the government, and a gentleman in his feelings and manners. It was upon his arrival in the autumn of 1683, that the freeholders of the colony were invested with the right of choosing representatives to meet the governor in general assembly.^ For nearly twenty years subsequent to the revolution of 1689, the colony was torn by personal, rather than political factions, having their origin in the controversy which compassed the judicial murder of the unhappy Leisler and his son- in-law Milbome. These factions dying out in the lapse of years, other questions arose, the principal of which was that important one which always, sooner or later, springs up in every English colony, — involving, on the 1 Two years previous to the arrival of Dongan, the aldermen of New York, and the justices of the peace of the court of assize, in consequence of the tyranny of Andross, had petitioned the duke that the people might be allowed to participate in the affairs of the government by the construc- tion of a general assembly, in which they might be represented. Through the interposition of William Penn, who enjoyed the favor both of the king and the duke, the point was yielded, and Colonel Dongan was instructed to allow the people a voice in the government. Greatly to the joy of the in- habitants, therefore, who had become turbulent, if not disaffected, under the despotic rule of Andross, writs were issued to the sheriffs summoning the freeholders to choose representatives to meet the |iew governor in assembly on the seventeenth of October, 1688. 6 42 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHlfBON, BART, iOi fi !l! CHAP, one hand, as I havp already remarked, the rights of the w^,—/ people, and on the other the claims of the crown. luv 1788. riably, almost, if not quite, the struggle is origii-itted npoc some question of revenue,r=r- either in the levying thereof, or in its disposition, or both. Thus in the origin of those I ilitical parties in New York, which continued with greater or less acrimony until the separation from the parent country, Sloughter and Fletcher had both en- deavored to obtain grants of revenue to the crown for life, but had failed. Subsequently grants had been occa- sionally made to the officers of the crown for a term of years ; but latterly, especially during the administration of Governor Cosby, the general assembly had grown more refractory upon the subject, — pertinaciously insisting that they would vote the salaiies for the officers of the crown only with the annual supplies. This was a principle which the governors, as the representatives of the crown, felt bound to resist, as being an infiingement of the royal pre- rogative. Henceforward, therefore, until the colony cast off its allegiacce, the struggle in regard to the revenue, and its disposition, was almost perpetually before the peo- ple, in one form or another ; and in some years, owing to the obstinacy of the representatives of the crown on one side, and the inflexibility of the representatives of the people on the other, supplies were not granted at all. Mr. Clarke, although he had the address to throw off, or to evade, the difficulty, for the space of two years, was never- theless doomed soon to encounter it. Accordingly, in his speech to the assembly at the autumnal session of 1788, he complained that another year had elapsed without any provision being made for the support of his ratgesty's go- vernment in the province, — the neglect having occured by reason of " a practice not warranted by the usage of any former general assemblies." He therefore insisted strongly upon the adoption of measures for the payment of salaries ; for the payment of the public creditois ; and for the general security of the public credit by the ciea- .. awowum n LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. of the Inv te4 wpoc thereof, of those ed with ■rom the both en- rown for Jen occa- , term of dstration •wn more ting that le crown )lo which jwn, felt 'oyal pre- lony cast revenue, ) the peo- owing to n on one Bs of the tall. Ml", off, or to ^as never- Ij, in his of 1788, hout any jsty's go- occured usage of insisted payment 01 s; and the ciea- 43 CHAP. tion of a sinking fund for the redemption of the bilh the colony,. ra-%u^'!kU:n^i^'e(m' *J4- --jy^ii^tf nf^'il ••irf'i>j&.'. ir-j<>— v— ' The assembly was refractory. Instead of complying ^'^^^' with the demands of the lieutenant-governor, the house resolved unanimously that they would grant no supplies upon that principle ; and in rega.'d to a sinking fund for the redemption of the bills of credit afloat, they re- fused any other measure than a continuance of the exist- ing excise. These spirited and peremptory resolutions gave high offence to the representative of the crown ; and on the day fcllov/iiig their adoption, the assembly was summoned to the fort, and dissolved by a speech, de- claring the said resolutions "to be such presumptuous, darug, and unprecedented steps that he could not look upon them but with astonishment, nor could he with honor suffer their authors to sit any longer." n^r' .*' "'3 The temper of the new assembly, summoned in the ^'^''• spring of the succeeding year, 1739, was no more in unison with the desires of the lieutenant-governor, than that of the former. The demand for a permanent supply bill was urged at several successive sepsions, only to be met with obstinate refasals. The second session, held in the autumn, was interrupted in October, by a prorogation of several days, for the express purpose of affording the members leisf e "to reflect seriously" upon the line of duty required of them by the exigencies of the country ; for, not only was the assembly resolutely persisting in the determination to make only annual grants of supplies, but they were preparing to trench yet farther upon the royal prerogative, by insisting upon specific applications of the revenue, to be inserted in the bill itself. Mean.ime, on the thirteenth of October, the lieutenant-governor brought the subject of his differences with the assembly formally be- fore his privy council. In regard to the new popular movement of this assembly, insisting upon a particular application of the revenues to be gra,nted in the body of the act for the support of the government, the lieutenant- governor said they had been moved to that determination »«itm<«srv!si'^a of Dr, B- B, O'Callashan. LIPK OF Sm WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 46 iippropriationB were made for placing the colony in a pes- chap. ture of defence. The Mohawks, among other things, re- v—^-^ quired either that the dilapidated defences of Dyiondar ga 1^89. (Fort Hunter) should be repaired or rebuilt, and that a garrison should be continued there, under a threat of leaving their own country and removing into Canada; and they w-e considered of too much importance as a line of defence against the French, to allow their demand in this respect to be disregarded. nw .«vvf ibyi ^i^v,;,-' . ' But it is seldom that the wheels of revolution roll back- ward, and the concession which allowed the general as- sembly to prescribe the application or disposition of the supplies they voted, ever before claimed as the legal and known prerogative of the crown, appeased the popu- lar party only for a very short time. Indeed, nothing is more certain, whether in monarchies or republics, than that the governed are never satisfied with concessions, while each successful demand only increases the popular clamor for more. Thus was it in the experience of Mr. Clarke. It is true, indeed, that the year 1740 passed without any direct 1740. collision upon the question of prerogative ; although at the second short session of that year, the speech alleged the entire exhaustion of the revenue, and again demanded an ample appropriation for a term of years. But the con- troversy was re-opened at the spring session of the follow- ing year,- — 1741, — on which occasion the lieutenant-go v- 1741. emor delivered a speech, long, beyond precedent, and enumerating the grievances of the crown by reason of the continued encroachments of the general assembly. The speech began by an elaborate review of the origin and progress of the difficulties that had existed between the representatives of the crown and the assembly, in respect to the granting of supplies, — evincing — such, indeed, is the inference, — a want of gratitude on the part of the latter, in view of the blessings which the colony had en- joyed under the paternal care of the government since the rf volution of 1688. But it wa» not in connection with the supplies, only, that the assembly had invaded the i6 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ! 1 ! i ill CHAP, rights of the crown. It was the undoubted prerogative of v_^ the crown to appoint the treasurer. Yet, the assembly had 1741. demanded the election of that officer. Not satisfied with that concession, they had next claimed the right of choos- ing the auditor-general. Failing in that demand, they had sought to accomplish their object by withholding the sala- ry from that officer. These encroachments, he said, had been gradually increasing from year to year, until appre- hensions had been seriously awakened in England *' that the plantations are nr* without thoughts of throwing off their dependence on the crown." He, therefore, admon- ished the assembly to do away such an impression *' by giving to b's majesty such a revenue, and in such a man- ner, as will enable him to pay his own offic rs and serv- ants," as had been done from the revolution, down to the year 1709 — during which period the colony was far less able to bear such a burden than now.^ Thus early and deeply were those principles striking root in America, which John Hampden had asserted, and poured out his blood to defend, in the great ship-money contest with Charles I., — which brought that unhappy monarch to the block, — and which, — fulfilling the ap- prehensions of Mr. Clarke, — thirtA-five years ai'terward, separated the colonies from the British crown ; — although in the answer of the house to the '* insinuation of a sus- • ' picion" of a desire for independence, with real or aifected gravity, they " vouched that not a single person in the colony had any such thoughts; adding — "for under what government can we be better protected, or our liberties or properties so well secured?"' ""■' '. ^i i r • .i - vr The Indian relations of the colony were not forgotten * Vide Journals of the Colonial Assembly, vol. i, Hugh Qaine's edition. This (1741), was the year in which the chapel, barracks, secretary's office, &c., of Fort George (the Battery), were burnt, and the speech referred to in the text, asl^ed an appropriation for their rebuilding — but without suc- cess. * Smith, ToL ii. '.r\ -i«iimi«i'»iiii*'ii'' LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSOX, BAIIT. 47 at any time by Mr. Clarke. The Mohawks hr.ving re- chap. quested an appropriation for the rebuilding of their chapel, w y— . the attention of th.e assembly was invited lo the subject, ^'*^- and tbe occasion was improved to bestow a well-deserved compliment to the English missionary among that people — the Rev. Mr. Barclay, A;/ho, it was said, "had opened a - glorious prospect of spreading the Christian faith and worship throughout the Six Nations." ' The assembly declined making the grant — alleging that if the Christian converts in that nation were increasing, the funds required for a aew chapel should be raised by private contributions. But there were other considerations connected with the Indian policy, which it would not answer to neglect. War had been declared by the parent government against Spain ; and lively apprehensions were entertained of an approaching rupture with France. In anticipation of such an event, fortifications were required for the security of the harbor of New York, and also for the defence of the frontiers — particularly of Oswego, — to the importance of strengthening which the lieutenant-governor repeatedly called the attention of the assembly. In the event of a vvar with France, he was greatly apprehensive that this post would be taken, in which case there was reason to fear from the temper of late manifested by the Six Na- tions, that they would all fall away to the enemy. In this emergency, appropriations were asked to enable the lieu- tenant-governor to convoke a grand council of the Con- federates at Albany, which was accordingly held in the ^ The missionary thus mentioned in the text, was the Bev. Henry Barclay, afterward a doctor of divinity, auu rector of Trinity Church in the city of New York. He was a native of Albany, and a graduate of Yale College of the year 1784. He received orders in England ; and after several years' service in the Mohawk country, as a missionary, was called to New York. The translation of the litugy into the Mohawk language, was made under his direction, and that of Rev. W. Andrews and the Rev. J. Ogilvie. Mr. Ogilvie succeeded him both in the mission, and also, on his decease, in Trinity Church. Mr. Barclay died in 1765. 48 LIFB OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1741. 1' il ! : i ■ 1 i; V. i 1 1 'i :\\ CHAP, month of August. The lieutonant-governor'a opening speech to tlie assemblage of sachems and warriors was both happily conceived and expressed — creditable alike to his head and his heart. After an apology for not liav- ing met them at an earlier day, in consequence of the prevalence of the small-pox in New York, the infection of which he was apprehensive might be conveyed among tlieir people, he admonished them against the dangers arising from the propensity of their young warriors to join the Indians in the interest of the French, in their hostile oxpedxtious again^^ tae more distant tribes of their own kindred. The enticing of their young men in those expeditions, he argued, was an artful device of the French to divide and weaken them. "When united," said he, " you are like a strong rope, made of many strings and threads twisted together, but when separated, weak and easily broken. Thus they attempt to divide and weaken you, by leading your rash young men upon their distant wars. They hope so to weaken you by degrees, as by and by to be able to conquer you. If they were lovers of liberty themselves, they ought not to try to enslave other nations." /•■ ■'..'>..•. -.-1!.^..^. ,.!■„ .■.,' . .^/txC.t ,;:• It was doubtless owing in a great measure to this spe- cies of intercourse between the Iroquois and the Indians on the Canadian side of the line, that the former were so frequently disposed to join the French — a disposition re- quiring so many largesses, and so much tact and activity to counteract. The lieutenant-governor likewise drew a contrast between the tyrannical and overbearing conduct of the French toward the Indians, as compared with the liberal and humane treatment which the red-men had al- ways received at the hands of the English. Whether that contrast was in all respects a just one, it were bootless now to inquire. ',,',, . ..... ,, ^^,,'^" ,..>. t„„ ., .. ,1 In the course of the speech, the lieutenant-governor attempted to impart to the sachems and warriors some LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 49 wholesome lessons of filial piety, and to infuse into their chap, hearts some iuater and loftier notions of true courage wy—* 1 74II than were prevalent among that rude people. He endea- vored to impress it upon their minds that wars upon wo- men and children were the opposite of brave, and that the scalps of such when brought in from the war-path, were the trophies of cowards. He also exhorted them to aban- don the cruelties practiced by their people in war — re- minding them that the cruelties they inflicted upon others, were sure in the end to be visited upon themselves in return; and in again admonishing them against their associations with tho French, he reminded them of the fact, that in some of tiieir distant expeditions in company with the Indians in that interest, they had been compelled to strike the heads of their own remote i.ilies, and some- times it had been proved that they had struck down their own people — probably unawares. In connection with thifc intimacy with the French, Mr. Clarke complained that some of the Onondaga chiefs had even been to converse with the governor of Canada, after the council they were then holding had been summoned. Still, he thanked them for the disposition they had shown to keep the path open to the trading-post at Oswego, and complimented them for their wisdom in keeping the French from Tierondequot. In conclusion he informed them that he had it in charge from the great king their father, to negotiate a general peace among all the Indians, so that they, with all the red-men south and west to the great Mississippi, should form a mighty chain, strong and bright. This work, he said, he was determined to do. The sachems were shrewd in their replies. In regard to Oswego, they wished " their brother Oorlaer,* would 1 The name or title by which the Six Nations always designated the Eng- lish governors of New York. The original Colaer was a German trader greatly beloved by the Six Nations. He was drowned in Lak« Champlain while on one of his trading trips. 01 LIPS OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, make powder and loud ctieapcr there, and pay the ludluny w>J-- better for helping to build their houses." Of the Tieron- ^7^^- dequot matter they replied : " You said that we had acted very wisely in not suliering the French to settle at Tie- rondequot, and that if they only had liberty to build a fishing-hut tlier»v they would soon build a fort We per- ceive thai both yui tui the Drench intend to settle that place, but we are fully resolved that neither you nor they shall do it. There is a jealousy between you and the governor of Canada. K either should settle there it would breed mischief. Such near neighbors can never agree. We think that the trading- houses at Oswego and Niagara are near enough to each other." Touching the simile of the rope, they said it was their desire to make it strong by preserving friendship with as many nations as hey could. "As our great father the great king has commanded us that we should be as one flesh and blood with the Indians to the southward and westward as far as the Mississippi, so we accept of them as brethren, that we may be united as one heart and one flesh, according to the king's commandment. But we desire that some of the sachems of those southern In- dians do come here, which will strengthen and confirm this treaty. "We will give them two years time to come in, and in the mean time keep at- home all our fighting men." In his rejoinder, the lieutenant-governor told them he could perceive no necessity for any meeting between them and the chiefs of the south and west. He was already clothed with power to conclude for them a general peace. ^ He farther informed them that he had some presents from the governor of Virginia, but was instructed not to de- liver the articles unless they first received all the Indians under his majesty's protection into the covenant chain. The result of the conference, after the chie& were made to understand that Corlaer was empowered fully to treat in behalf of the southern Indians, waa, that they agreed to LIFE OF Bin TflLLIAM JOnNBON, BAIIT. " ami cMAf. roceivo them all into tho covenant chain, — adding: we shall ever look upon them as our own brethren, and as our own flosh, as if thoy had been born and bred "'' amongst us. And as we have never yet been guilty of violating treaties, so you may depend that we will keep this inviolable to the end of the world."' The council broke up amicably, and the Indians, well laden with presents, returned to their homes, professing a friendship for Corlaer which was to endure so long as the (Ireat Spirit should cause the grass to grow and the water to run. But however firm the grasp by which they pur- posed to hold on to their end of the covenant chuin, their good resolutions were liable to be shaken by every trifling circumstance that awakened their unslumbering jealousy, while the hold upon the affections of the Onondagae, Oa- yugas, and Senecas, which the Jesuits retained tiV the last, in all times of peril, rendered their constancy an ob- ject of doubtful solicitude iu the minds i ^ le English. Still, the pacification effected by Mr. Claire contributed largely to the repose of the Six Nations for the two ensu- ing years, — 1741 and 1742.* The lieutenant-governor, it 1 Unpublished minutes of the executive council, secretary of state's office, in Albany. ..... ' In the manuscript journals of the privy council which have never been published, and which are only to be found in the office of the secretary of state in Albany, it is stated, under the date of May thirty-iirst, 1742, that the lieutenant-governor announced to tl council-board that he had sum- moned the Six Nations to meet him in Al-? ;:) v, on the seventh of June; but that he had not been able tn nbtain the necessary fiinda from the treasurer to purchase presents for the Indians. The treasurer nlledged that he had not tlio money nor could be obtain it. lie had, however, some other funds, to the amount of £600, which he offered to furnish toward the necessary supply. But the li< atenant-governor said he could not go unless an amount suffi- cient to answer the object could be procured. Whereupon Mr. Livingston oflFered to make the nTossary ndvance. It is not hovvover certain that the council wa« held. Rince T iiave not been able to find any account of it either in the council minutes or elsewhere. 52 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. I -I i III' ii i I CHAP, is true, adverted to the defenceless condition of tlie Indian N-v— ' frontiers occasionally in his speeches to the general assem- 1741. ^jy^ especially to the important post of Oswego. But the popularity of Mr. Clarke was rapidly on the wane. Chief Justice De Lancy, the master spirit of the council, having rather abandoned him, and attached himself to the popu- lar party, managed to preserve a considerate coolness on the part of that body toward their executive head, while the house heeded but little his recommendations. • The only subject of local excitement^ however, during the year 1741, was the celebrated plot supposed to have been discovered on the part of the negroes, to murder the inhabitants of New York, and ravage and burn the city, — an aflair which reflects little credit either upon the dis- cernment, or the humanity, of that generation. The burning of the public buildings, comprising the governor's residence, the secretary's oflice, the chapel and barracks, in March, 1741, — an occurrence which has al- ready been anticipated in a note to a preceding page, was first announced to the general assembly by the lieutenant- governor as the result of an accident, — a plumber, who had been engaged upon some repairs, having left fire in a gutter between the house and chapel. But several other fires occurring shortly afterward, in different parts of the city, — some of them, perhaps, under circumstances that could not readily be explained, suspicions were awakened that the whole were acts of incendiaries. Not a chimney caught fire,— and they were not at that day very well swept, — but the incident was attributed to design. Such was the case in respect to the chimney of Captain "War- ren's house, situated near the ruins of the public buildings, by the taking fire of which the roof was partially destroyed, and other instances might be enumerated. Suspicion, to borrow the language of Shakespeare, "hath a ready tongue," and is "all stuck full of eyes," which are not oiiBily put to sleep. LIFE OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BARt. 8^ and extraordinary, were seized upon and brought together chap. by comparison, until it became obvious to all that there -"-v— ' was actually a conspiracy for compassing such a stupen- dous act of arson as the burning of the entire town and murder of the people. Nor was it long before the plot was fastened upon the negro slaves — then forming no in- considerable portion of the population. A negro, with violent gesticulation, had been heard to utter some terms of unintelligible jargon, in which the words "fire, fire, scorch, scorch," were heard articulated, or supposed to be heard. The crew of a Spanifcili ship, brought into the port as a prize, were sold into slavery. They were sus- pected of disaffection, as well they might be, and yet be innocent; seized, and thrown into prison. Coals were found disposed, as was supposed, for burning a hay- stack ; a negro had been seen jumping over a fence, and flying from a house that had taken fire, in another place ; and in a word a vast variety of incidents, trifling and un- important, were collated, and talked over, until universal consternation seized upon the inhabitants, from the high- est to the lowest. As Hume remarks of the Popish plot in the reign of Charles 11, " each breath of rumor made the people start with anxiety ; their enemies, they thought, were in their bosoms. They were awakened from their slumbers by the cry of Plot, and like men affrighted, and in the dark, took every figure for a spectre. The terror of each man became a source of terror to another. And, an universal panic being diffused, reason, and argument, and common sense, and common humanity, lost all influ- ence over them."^ A Titus Gates was found in the per- son of a poor Weak servant-girl in a sailor's boarding- house, named Mary Burton, who, after much importunity 1 Quoted by Dunlftp, Who has given a good collection of facts respecting this remarkable plot, though not rendered into a well-digested narrative. If ! ii i "i 54 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAKT. CHAP, confessed that she had heard certain netgroes, in the pre- ^-v-^ ceding February, conferring in private, for the purpose of setting the town on fire. She at firet confined the con- spirators to blacks ; but afterward sevetal white persons were included, among whom were her landlord, whose name was Hughson, his wife, another maid-servant, and a Roman Catholic named Ury. Some other information was obtained from other informers, and numerous arrests were made ; and the several strong apartments in the City Hall, called "the jails," were crowded with prisoners, amounting in numbers to twenty-six whites and above one hundred and sixty slaves.* Kumerous executions took place, upon the most frivolous and imsatisfactory tes- timony; but jurors and magistrates were alike panic- stricken and wild with terror. Among the sufferers were Hughson, his wife, and the maid-»ervant, as also the Ro- manist Ury, who was capitally accused, not only as a con- spirator, but for officiating as a priest, upon an old law of the colony, heretofore mentioned as having been passed at the instance of Governor Bellamont, to drive the Trench missionaries from among the Indians. " The whole sum- mer was spent in the prosecutions ; every new trial led to further accusations : a coincidence of slight circumstances was magnified by the general terror into violent presump- . tions; tales collected without doors, mingling with the proofs given at the bar, poisoned the minds of the jurors ; and this sanguinary spirit of the day suffered no check until Mary, the capital informer, bewildered by frequent exami- nations and suggestions, began to touch characters which malice itself dared not suspect." Then, as in the case of the Popish plot, and the prosecutions for witchcraft in Salem, the magistrates and jurors began- to pause. But not until many had been sent to their final account by the spirit of fanaticism which had bereft men of their reason, I Smith's Hutory of Nev) York, vol, ii, pp. 70, 75. I la LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 55 as innocent of the chargCB laid against them as the con- chap. victing courts and jurors themselves. Thirteen negroes «— v— ' were burnt at the stake, eighteen were hanged, and sev- ^'^^' enty transported.* 1 Smith. Daniel Horsmftuden, the third juttioe of the supreme court, published the history of this strange affair in a ponderous quarto. He was concerned in the administration of the judicial proceedings, however, and wrote his history before the delusion had passed away. Chief Justice De Lanoey presided at least at some of the trials; and he, too, though an able and olear-minded man, was carried away by the delusion. ^ . , - ■• •!f*'^frf^■ -r:rr\''; n >,!■ r;p;'ff ^^'-^r^') •■■'■'' :"■'':< -■-■f*:ij; "H'/nq '.;;^ ff: ' .'^ n>!r ' ;■ 'O' • :. ■; '':; /'"i^-iir -- ' V- ■ -:livmt:M^ >')V'/ rfvi^t V/Ki'V"- 'H' fu;;-. . j ';■ '!' •;ir.i<^r-, jr : - '.,:• •:':r^."') .'!■;. '-^I***?' '!;!!>/■ ■^'i^^-vh -qr?' J;'i '*■, J;>:.(t!;r):'rv; v.: '-i •;:!*) .rors 'if '.ir)v\7f ,'>7i/;?,f'r; !! 'hv ^•. ■'r\,ui- vli t:) ;;■'--; ;< i ^ '..' ■ ,-' l>- y- .'•■•>(•• -ii'T'// ".f^ ■<;jfri -f\\'^:} '^* !^-iii'^' tKif'l . . - ;■ ■ . ■ • ' ■ ./Ytiiif'rf (^ijf ') V •■'■^r'^'f^ ' 't; :?" •■>.!;• ':' y ■' -; , ■ '■■- t; ,:'■)?•; ;i;T i\ -( ■' : '. .:' ' :- r/) '. ,1 ----:„ ..,• i'';.! 1 ; ( •1, ■• ,'.■!! , .1. .•=i.( \ I ) ,? 'i 111 I- '. i ;ii'i 'H iJ • . ' I CHAPTER II. 1742—1744. ..•3 Ml. •if- CHAP, n. 1712 Few names in the colonial history of the United States, have descended to the present day Vv ith greater renown, than that of Sir William Johnson, Bart. Yet, notwith- standing its frequent occurrence in the annals of his times, and its intimate association with the public affairs of the country during the period of nearly forty years immedi- ately preceding the American revolution, it may well be questioned whether the life and character of any other public man, equally distinguished, have been so inade- quately appreciated, or so imperfectly understood. Com- ing to America at the instance of a relative, when, if not a mere youth of fifteen, he was certainly a very young man, he threw himself boldly into the wilderness, and with but little assistance, became the architect of his own fortune and fame. From the subordinate station of an agent in charge of the landed property of his relative, he became successively a farmer, a dealer in peltries, a mer- chant, a government contractor, a general in the armies of his adopted country, and a baronet of the British realm, — possessed of an estate of great value, and tran- scending in extent the broadest domains of the nobles of his parent-land. The hero alike of veritable history and of romance, his actual career being withal more romantic by far than any of the tales which the writers of fiction have succeeded in inventing for him, his character, — fi'om the wild border-life which he led, and from his associa- tions, both in civilized life and as connected with the In- dians, and the wonderful influence he acquired over the 'MSS, LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. » latter, — lias been invested, both in books and by tradition, chap. with qualities strange and undefinable, — such indeed aswy— ' are believed to have appertained to no other man of his ^'^*^- own, or of any other age.^ William Johnson, — afterward Sir William Johnson, Bart., was the eldest son of Christopher Johnson, Esquire, of Warrentown, county of Down, Ireland, — of a family ancient in its descent, and honorable in its alliances. His mother was Anne Warren, sister of the brothers Oliver and Peter, — afterward Sir Peter Warren, K. B. — whose names are identified with the naval glory of England. The Warrens were of an old and honorable family, pos- sessing an estate in the county of Down from the first arrival of the English in Ireland. Oliver Warren, the eldest ton of Us father, was a captain in the royal navy, and served with reputation during the reigns of Queen Anne and George the First.^ Peter, the youngest son, having been trained to the nautical profession under the immediate eye of his brother, was appointed in the sum- mei* of 1727, to the command of the Grafton, one of the four ships of the line sent out under Sir George Walton, to join Sir Charles Wager, then in the Mediterranean command. Captain Warren did not long continue in the Grafton, having been soon after his arrival at Gibraltar, transferred to the Solebay frigate, for the purpose of car- rying to the West Indies the orders of the king of iSpaiu > See the admirable satire by Charles Johnson, jntitled Chryaal, or the Adventures of a Guinea; vol. iii, book ii, obsnsrs 1, 2, and 8. The Dutchman' Fireside, by Paulding ; and also The Oipsey, by G. P. R. James ; to say nothing of minor tales and romances. Neither of the writers of the first mentioned thr>2e works appears to have understood the true oharaoter of Sir William Johnscu The satire in Chrysal is a gross exaggeration of the errors in the baronet's life. Paulding" ^ ei^aggerations are equally great ii: another respect ; while the delineation attempted by James i -.. 'itt«f failure. »MSS, of Sir WiUiam Johnson. :, - . -.,',.. '****-<»,«**»**^,^^4**rf»^«»jrf6.'* i ■ 'li 58 LIPK OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. fili., ■■ 'lil M't V'-'' ]ik':'*\--; !!) :^:J Mm V\'\^\ ■«lijl Hi'';:: "ii'J;. ii ,/■!;■ ■',' 1742. CHAP. i<)r executing the preliminaries of peace agreed upon be- w.,— ' tween that monarch and Great Britain. He sailed upon this service in May, 1728 ; and having executed the com- mission with which he was c imaged, in pursuance to his instructions, he sailed froii the Weat In diefrco South Caro- lina, — returning to England ir> v he followin; v year. Im- mediately on his ar ' val h<' vrs avvoin^..d to u j Leopard, of fifty gnxis, one ol the fleer, which during IL*! years 1729 aud 1730, rendozvoufcied at S^^ithead, under the command of )Sii' Chark!« Wager. Captain Warren comBianded the Leopard until after ! 785, in which \a:tr he 0K. This account of the iuriier servic-. f Sir Peter "Warren, after his promotion to the ('ouioaand of a ship, has been thuwn from Charnock's Biographia Navalis, and is con- ceived to be at least not irrelevant, from the relations which subsisted between him and the immediate subject of these memoirs. Dui-ing the period under considera- tion, and long afterward, the domicil of Captain "Warren was in the city and colony of New York* He married the ^The dwelling-house No. 1, Broadway, formerly the residence of Na- thaniel Prime, and now (1864), the Washington Hotel, was built by Cap- tain Warren. Neither pains nor expense were spared to make it one of the finest mansions in this country. The plans were all sent out from Lis- bou The exterior and interior being similar in every respect to that of the British an bassador residing at the Portuguese capital. The house was fifty-six feet on Broadway, and when erected, the rear of the lot was bounded by the North river. Greenwich s'-reet was not then open id ur built — the North rivisr washed t' ;ore. One room of this edifice de- serves particular notice, beicg the oanqueting room, twenty-six by forty, and was used on all great occasions. After the British foroea^ptured New York, in the war of the American revolution, being the most prominent house, it was the head-quartc-rs of the distinguished British commanders. Sir William Howe, Sir Henry Clinton, and Sir Ouy Carlton, afterward Lord Dorchester, all in succ^e. "'u occupied tliis house, and it is a memo- rable fact that the celebrated ->r Andre, then adjutant-gfi jral of ^ British forces, and aid to Sir - Clinton, resided in this house, >^ ing ^.-jparted firom its portals never to return, LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 59 sister of James Be Lancey, long the chief justice of the chap. colony, and for several years lieutenant-governor.' I have ^.v— ' not been able to ascertain the time when Captain "Warren ^^*^' Clime to America to reside. Equally difficult, among con- flicting authorities, is the task of fixing upon the date of his nephew's arrival in this country. No farther mention ia made of Captain "Warren in the naval history of Eng- land from the time of his sailing to Lisbon, in 1735, until after the rupture with Spain, when, in the year 1741, he was in command of the Squirrel, a twenty-gun ship, on the American station. It seems hardly probable, from the age of "Warren, and from the active service in which h«! Was engaged, that he could have settled in America at an earlier period than the year 1735. He was born in 1704, and was conse- quently but twenty-three years of age when appointed to the command of the Grafton. "William Johnson, his nephew, was bom in the year 1715. According to Doctor Dwight, as written in his travels, and according to the biographical dictionaries also, Mr. Johnson was called to America by his uncle. Sir Peter Warren, in the year 1735, to superintend a large estate which the latter, shortly after his marriage, had purchased in the Mohawk valley. I have besides an old manuscript, furnished by the Sammons family of when he went up the North river, and arranged his treasonable project with the traitor Arnold at West Point. ' The name of James De Lancey \frill be of frequent recurrence in the progres:) of this work. He was the son of Stephen De Lancey, a French Huguenot gentleman from Caen, in Normandy, who fled from persecution in France. Settling in New York in 1686, he married a daughter of M. Van Courllandt, and was thus connected with one of the most opulent fami- lies in the province. He was also an active membei of the house of assem- bly ilarj 17; the administration of Governor Hunter. His son James was S';nt to ^'aiiibri(lfi,e University (England), for his education; and bred to the prc'''Hnior of the law. On boing elevated to the bench, such was his talents aiu' application, he became a very profound lawyer. w n *iW H .«i— "i *' l " »i» >m M— *^^*^- 00 LIPH OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ill m i.tiit .«:/,. ■•1^ oiup. Johnstown, which fltates that tho young adventurer came V— V— 'to America vnth Captain Warren at the age of fifteen. 1742. ]!^either of these dates, however, is correct, as Johnson himself distinctly states in a letter written to the lords of trade under date of October thirteenth, 1764, that he came to America in tho year 1738. Johnson was then twenty- three years of age ; and his arrival must have been shortly after the weak and turbulent administration of Governor Cosby. Although in the letter to the lords of trade just cited, the writer does not state the season of the year in which he came to America, yet it was probably in the spring, since in the full of 1738, he was already settled in the Mohawk country and had begun the cultivation of his land. The document of the earliest date which I have found among the Johnson manuscripts, is a letter from Captain Warren to his nephew, whom he familiarly addresses as *^Dear Billy." It was dated at Boston, November twentieth, 1738, at which place the captain probably passed several months, since he suggested a shipment of wheat, com, and other farming produce, to be made by his nephew from Albany to his order in Boston, early in the following spring. The estate purchased by Captain Warren in the Mo- hawk country, heretofore alluded to, consisted of a tract of land lying on the south side of the river, near the junc- tion of the Mohawk and Schoharie kill, called Warrens- bush. From the letter just cited, it appears that young Johnson was engaged in the double capacity of forming t'. settlement upon the lands of his uncle, and bringing lands into cultivation for himself — keeping, also, though upon a small scale, a country store, in which his uncle was a partner. But the means of neither of the parties could have been great at that time ; such at least is the inference from the letter, which is long, and abounds in many details and directions, in what was evidently at that time a com- paratively limited business. The captain writes : " I have LTFB OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, DAM. 61 received yours of the twenty-sixth and thirtieth of October, cha?. and am ^la 1 to hear that you are in health, and go on w,— briskly with your settlements." Re8i)ecting the means ^^^^' for prosecuting the enterprise, the letter says: "I am sorry you have been obliged to draw for more on New York than I directed ; but as it is, I presume, for goods that will bring part of the amount in again, I am not dis- pleased with it ; yet I will not go beyond two hundied pounds per annum in making the settlement, and that to be complete in three years from your first beginning, which will make the whole six hundred pounds. I desire in your next you will let me know how much you have had from New York in money and goods." Sailor that he was, the captain understood the policy of cutting his patent into small farms. "The smaller the farms," he remarks, " the more the land that will be sbld, and the better the improvements will be." The captain had also some taste for horticulture: "I hope you will plant a large orchard in the spring. It won't hinder your Indian corn, nor grass, as you will plant your trees at a great dis- tance." He had likewise taste and forecast ia the sub- ject of clearing lands : " As you have great help t>ow, you will girdle many acres ;' in doinp" which I w< be regular, and do it in square fields, leaving hedge-rows at each side, which will keep the land warm, be very beauti- ful, and subject you to no more expense than doing it in a slovenly, irregular manner." This prudential suggestion ' " Girdling trees," is a preliminary process often adopted in the clearing of wild land, which facilitates the labor by relieving the ax-man of a part of his labor. The operation consists in making a deep circular out around the trunks of the trees of any magnitude, which drawb sap, and causes the tree to die in the course of a couple of years, ihe trunks and limbs of the trees, becoming dry, are then readily subject to the action of iire, and the foresters are thereby often relieved of much heavy labor ; while by the absence of the foliage, the earth has already been partially warmed by the sun, aad is in respect of decaying roots rendered much easier of cultivation. If^' as LIPB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, in favor of leaving hedgo-rows of trees and shrubs for or- *— ^wnament, proves that Captain Warren had not yet imbibed ■ that vandal taste so characteristic of the early Anglo- American proprietors, indtieing them to think that the liniih ?ountry, and most beautiful, from which the timber -lud every verdant object has been most carefully removed. The following passage from the letter, shown that the pa- tron and his nephew were in a kind of partnership, in the mercantile line. After enumerating various articles of goods, of SI " nounts, which the captain had ordered froni England and Ireland, the letter proceeds : " You see you will have a pretty good cargo. The whole proceeds of it must be remitted as soon as possible, to be laid out again, till you with your increase will have a very large store of goods of all kinds proper for the country. Pray let me know what rum, and all things sell for t liere, such as axes, and other wrought iron. These I woulci send from hence ; if I found the profit great. I would soon have a thousand pounds worth of goods there." The following sentence indicates that the n^ hew had al ;^v com- menced the fu''-trade, which he afterward prost 'ted to a great extent, and doubtless to great profit : *v lS for what skins you can procure, I will send them to Lon on, and the produce of them shall be sent you in piupur g'^odft." Captain "Warren, as already stated, was brother- in-law to .Tames Dc Lancey, afterward chief justice of the Tnovinee ud subsejquently lieutenant-governor. But the date of hid marriage I have not been able to ascertain. It must, however, have been some years before that of the letter un''or consideration; for in this the captain re- marks: " My wife and two laughters are very well." The letter 'iionr des thus, "I will send for books for you to kee . ur r. ^counts, which you must do very regulaily. I have no ni e to add at this time but my service to all friends and to wish you well. Captain Nelson, who, I LIFE "=• BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. hoar, is going; to jvt Hunter,' has been so kind as to chap. promise to spaiv yuu some muBkets for your house. If>-^, — - he be there, my service to him. Keep well with all man- ^'*** kind. Act with honor and honesty. Don't be notional, as some of our countrymen are often foolishly; and don't say anything of the badness of the patroon's horses, for it may be taken amiss. Ho is a near relation of my wife, and may have it in his power very much to serve you.' Get the best kind of fruit-trees for the orchard, if they cost something more, and a goo^l nursery would not be amiss. My love to Mick. Live like brothers, anil I will be an aftectionato uncle to you both. P. WAKREN." Who was " Mick," I do not know, but his name occurs twice. The fter itself forms a singular medley, in which matters of evtry description are set down without arrange- ment, just as they came into the mind of the writer. I have made the greater use of it not only because it is the only manuscript I have been able to obtain from a man who afterward became illustrious in the service of his country, but also because that while it sheds a few glimpses of light upon a portion of his own private lifo H aftbrds authentic information as to the comparatively humble be- ginnings of one, whose career in after-life filled so wide a space in the public eye, and whose name is of such fre- quent and honorable record in the history of his adopted country. Other testimony to the same point might be adduced, were it necessary. I have a manuscript, giving some ac- •Fort Hunter was at the mouth of the Sohcfiario kill, — the site of the lower castle of the Mohawks. The Indian name of the place was Dyionda- rogon. ' Mr. 1 Lancey through the Van Courtlandt family was connected with that of the patroon of Albany. Hence the relationship referred to iq the text. 94 LIFE OF BIB WILLIAM JOHn'flW, BART. CHAP, count of Sir William'H life, furnkv.od by tho lute Thoinns w.^—/ Sainiuon«, who in his boyhood know tlie buronet. It ^'^'■^' spoaks ot'hia humble beginning ut WarfUHbush, but dates hi« eottlement there in 1734, at the ago of nineteen; which, for roanons already stated, muHt have been at least four years too early. According to this authority, young John- son was wont to ride to mill, on horse-back, with very in- dilforcnt equipments, to Caughnawaga, on the opposite or north side of tho river, distant from "Warronsbush Hftocn miles, llo sliowed himself a man of enterprise from the first, clearing a large farm for himself, erecting a stort'- house, and immediately opening a trade witli the white inhabitants and also with tho Indians. His stylo of living was plain, and his industry great. His figure wae rolmst, and his deportment manly and commanding. Yet he made himself very friendly and familiar among the peo- ple, with whom he mingled in their rustic sports, and speedily became popular. Of this fact he was not uncon- scious himself. In a letter to his uncle, dated May tenth, 1739, he says : "As to my keeping in with all people, you may u s It ia a perplexing matter to fix the orthography of Indian names, eithur of men, or places, or things. For example, this plaoe is now usually WB LITB OF PTR WTLLIAM JOHNMtT, HART. Bettlement of the Six N.itions on the SuHquohanna river, ohaf. Bomo two hundred miles Bonth of tiic Mohawk. The ad-s-.^,-^ vantagefl of a trading expedition to Oghkwaga he thought *^' bettor than were ottered at Oswego, where there wore already a parcel of mere wharperrt in the trade. It appears farther by this letter, that Mr. Johnson had givei| oft'ence to his uncle by the purchase of a lot of land, on the oppo- site side of the river, to which his patron was aj)prelien- sive he might remove. From the description, or rather the tenor of the nephew's letter in reply, the purchase was ofthe lot upon which he subsequently settled, known to this day as Mount Johnson, and where the old massive stone mansion erected by him yet stands. But Mr. John- son protested to his uncle that he had no flesign of remov- ing to his new purchase, having niado it, he said, for the purpose of securing a valuable water-power, on which he proposed to erect a saw-mill, that would be certain to yield a profit of full forty pounds per annum. In regard to the early education of Mr. Johnson, I have succeeded in obtaining no satisfactory information. It is presumed that he did not receive the advantages of a uni- versity course of instruction; while the presumption is equally strong that he had enjoyed the benefit of some classical school where other languages than the English were taught. I have found among his private correspond- ence, letters addressed to him both in French and Latin, which were filed away with endorsements in his own hand- written Oquago. The Rev. Mr. Hawley, however, a missionary to the In- dians, and a ootemporary of Sir William Johnson, in his journal to this place, spells it Onohogbgwdge. I have adopted, in the Life of Brant, from his own manuscript, the orthography given above in the text. The place and river now known as Unadilla, are spelt by Mr. Hawley, Teyond^l- hough. By Brant it was contracted to Tunadilla. The large creek flow- ing into the Susquehanna some ten or fifteen miles south of Cooperstown, called Otego, was written by »Jr. Hawley, Wauteghe ; which i« the betttjr Indian. 66 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. i^j'' CHAP, writing, always in the language in which the letters them- s-.^,«/ selves were respectively written. And it will subsequently 17^' appear from the invoices of books ordered for his private library from his correspondents in London, in the days of his prosperity, that his selections indicated not only a mind of considerable cultivation, but also of a scientific turn. There is yet greater difficulty in fixing the date of his marriage, or giving any satisfactory account of the family with which he became thus connected. It is be- lieved that he married young, probably about 1740, — cer- tainly in the earlier years of his residence irj the Mohawk country, — rap4 the object of his choice is supposed to have been a young German woman by the name of Catherine Wisenberg, a plain country girl of no social position, but gifted with good sound sense, and a mild and gentle dis- position. ilaving thus introduced to the reader the principal bio- graphical subject of these menjoirs, with some of his fam- ily connections, it is necessary for the preservation, as far as may be, of chronological order, to resume again the thread of Indian history, at the point of its termination in the preceding chapter. r)i; In the summer of 1742, the Six Nations, by a large del- egation of counselors, chiefs, and warriors, numbering in all upward of seventy persons, visited Philadelphia to hold a treaty with their brother Onas, governor of Pennsylva- nia.^ It appears that by an antecedent treaty, the Six Na- tions, claiming the country of the Delawares by right of conquest, had released to Onas their claim to all the lands on both sides of th^ Susquehanna, from the Endless moun tains, or Kittochtinny hills, to the southeni boundary of Pennsylvania. At the time of making that relinquish iQnas, in the Ivoquoia language, signiflea a Pbn, and was the title by which William Penn was addressed by the Indians, and the gorernors who ■uooeeded him. LIFE OP SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. m' ment, they had received payment in goods, for the terri- chap. tory ceded on the east side of the river; but preferred v—y—^ waiting for the balance due for the lands on the other side ^'*^' until a more convenient season. It was for the purpose of closing that negotiation, therefore, that the council of 1742 was convened. The deputation was headed by the celebrated Onondaga counselor, Canassateego, — 'one of the ablest orators and wisest sachems of his race,— and by the Cayuga chief Shicolamy, or Shikellimus, father of the famous Logan, who was afterward immortalized by Mr. Jefferson, in his Notes on Virginia. Shicolamy was at that period residing with a clan of his people at Shamo- kin. It was the policy of the Iroquois Confederacy, in ac- cidental conformity with that of the Romans, to plant military colonies in the countries they conquered, and that at Shamokin was one of them. Deputations Were also present from the Shawanese, then residing at "Wajomick, or Wyoming; from the I^antikokesj who had removed from the eastern shore of Maryland to the southern ex- tremity of the "Wyoming valley ; from the Delawares ; and from the Canestogoes, — a clan of the Oneidas, planted in Central Pennsylvania. The interpreter was Conrad "Wei- ser, a faithful man, enjoying the fullest confidence of the Indians, and long in the service of Pennsylvania in her 1787. intercourse with the Six Nations.* The governor, or rather the lieutenant-governor of Pennsylvania, under the proprietaries at that time, was Mr. George Thomas, a n^an of talent and resolution, who managed the Indian affairs of the colony for several years with excellent tact and address. The Indians were re- ceived by Mb. Thomas and his council at the house of the then venerable James Logan, the learned and philosophic fiicnd and cotemporary of William Penn. Mr. I.ogan had ' Weisor was of German hlood. a native of Scholiaric, in ilie colony of . r<.jA-.*»*tt*S» •>-i»**«^ *M Ai*«^^ ed LTFB OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. Hi 1: r ■\^ CHAF. pi^eceded Mr. Thomaa in the colonial administration, as V-V-' president of the council. He had long been a man of ^^^' distinction in the colony, and enjoyed the unbounded re- spect and confidence of the Indians. This reception took place on the second of July, and the council was continued from day to day until the twelfth. The proceedings of the first day were rather informal, — being confined to an exchange of salutations, and to cer- tain explanations which the sachems desired to make. In the first place, they disclaimed a Certain sale of land which some of their "foolish young men," when out upon a hunting expeditir n, had made, or pretended to make, to a few individuals, for a very small number of strouds, — the sale conflicting with a previous contract of the Con- federacy with their brother Onas. The sachems had wrested the strouds from the young men, and now pro- duced them that they might be returned to those who had made the invalid purchase. Another explanation which they desired to make, or rather which had been required of them by Mr. Thomas, related to the murder of two or three white people some time before, by a returning war- party of Twightwees, or Miatnies, whicb. murders had been accidentally detected by the Shawanese, through .: whose town they were passing, when scrutinizing the scalps they had taken. The Twightwees, said Mr. Thomas, had sent a message that " their hearts were full of grief" when they heard that "the road had been made bloody" by some of their young men, " with the blood of white people ;" and the Shav/anese had sent a message " that they would sweep the road clean and wipe all the blood away;" desiring that their white brethren "would be sat- isfied with this, and not weep too much for a misfortune that might not happen again as long as the sun and moon shone." The governor expressed a wish that the Six Na- tions might take up the matter, ascertain the facts of the case, and obtain satisfaction for the outrage. The chiefs LtSB OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 69 promised to consider the subject on their return home, chap. and send an answer. ' ' ' -' ' ►' ■• '"'• ' ^ ^- '' ' ■ ^-v— ' The times being critical, and another French war sup- ^^^' posed to be unavoidable, it was deemed advisable by Gov- ernor Thomas and his counselors, to endeavor to sound the Indians, and ascertain if possible what would be their probable temper and disposition in. such an event. A grand entertainment was therefore ]jfovided for them, with the design of extracting their sentiments in the flow of the wine-cup, — upon the well known principle, "m oino Veritas." It happened that although the deputation was numerous, there were no representatives from the Mohawks, and but three from the Senecas, — the most powerful nation by far, of the Confederates. Mr. Thomas approached the object at which he was aiming warily, by inquiring why so few Senecas were present, since they were equally interested with the others in the business that had called them together. The answer of Canassa- teego was prompt and painfully satisfactory. " The Sene- cas," he said, ''were in great distress on account of a famine that haa raged in their country, which had reduced them to such want that a father had been obliged to kill two of his children to preserve his own and the rest of his family's lives." Their situation, therefore, was such that they could not attend the council, but the necessary in- structions had been given in regard to their share of the goods. The lieutenant-governor next, with seeming care- lessness, inquired whether any of the Seneca chiefs were iL Canada, and whether the governor of Canada was mak- ing ^ny warlike preparations. Both questions were ans- wered In the affirmative ; whereupon Mr. Thomas play- fully remarked : " Well, if the French should go to war with us, I suppose you would join them ?" Canassateego was evidently not put oft' his guard by the apparent indif- ference of the querist, and therefore did not reply until after a brief consultation with his people. He then said, ""'•*^4^ lA ntf i^Wt K * J» ^X.i.4> *< ■ < ** "* »»*» "m ^ * *' 70 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. i«|if| 1742. CHAP, frankly, that the French governor was paying great court ■ to the Indians, and had iuformed them that he was unco- vering the hatchet and sharpening it ; hut at the same time he had told them that if he was ohliged to lift it up against the English, he hoped they would not espouse the cause of either side, but remain neutral. The orator, how* ever, assured his brother Onas, that in the event of a war, they should be faithful and true to their old allies, and lift the hatchet in their cause, adding : " The governor of Canadp, talks a great deal, but ten of his words do not go so far as one of yours ; we do not look toward them ; wo look toward you, and you may depend on our assistance." Yet it will be seen hereafter that when the crisis came, great reluctance was manifested by the Confederates to engage in the contest. ' ■ ;. . ji; ,i i ! i At the next subsequent meeting in council, after having delivered the goods which the Indians had come to re- ceive, Mr. Thomas opened the subject of the probable rup- ture with France, with more directness. It was his de- sire, he said, in the event of a war, that the road between the English and the Indians, should be kept clear and open. More fuel should then be added to the fire between them, that H might burn brighter and clearer, and give a stronger light, and more lasting warmth. " We must hear with our ears for you, and you must hear with your ears for us," — terms all significant, and well understood by these metaphor-loving sons of the forest. Nor were they employed without eiiect. Having taken a day for consid- eration, Canassateego replied to the speech of* the lieuten- ant-governor at length, and in regard to the threatening storm, to the entire satisfaction of the English, and with the seemingly cordial assent of his dusky associates. In discussing the business matters which tb«^y had as- sembled specially to consider, the Onondaga or >r, though prepared fully to confirm the prior contract for the sale of the lands on the western side of the Susquehanna, — • but LIFB OP SIR WILLIAM JOHXSON, BART. 71 how far west does not appear, the tenns in the records of chap. the council being quite indefinite, — had nevertheless com- v-^— ' plaints to make, as has ever been the case on such occa- ^^^^* sions, of the encroachments of the white people upon their lands. " The pale-faces think we do not know the value of our lands," said the veteran counselor; but we are sen- sible that the land is everlasting, and the few goods that we receive for it are soon worn out and gone. The speci- fic complaint adduced by Canassateego, was, that the white people were settling all along the banks of the Ju- niata river, — one of the large western tributaries to the Susquehanna, — " to the great damage of our cousins, the Delawares." This encroachment had been the ground of a complaint before ; and Mr. Thomas now replied that magistrates were then sent expresply to remove the tres- passers. " Those persons who were sent did not do their duty," interposed Canassateego. "So far from removing the people, they made surveys for themselves, and they are in league with the trespassers!" A common occur- rence, I believe, in the great catalogue of Indian wrongs. But the most interesting historical incident during the sittings of this council, affording proof at once of a dis- puted fact, and an illustration of Indian character, occur- red toward its close. Mr. Thomas had complained at one of their meetings that a clan of Jhe Delawares, residing at the forks of the Delaware river, had not only refused to yield the occupancy of a tract of land which had been sold to William Penn fifty-five years before, but had presumed to make sales of some portions of the same lands, — not- withstanding that their fathers had made the treaty with Penn, and received the value of the sale ; and notwith- standing also that they themselves had subsequently rati- fied the treaty anew. It was in reply to this statement of Mr. Thomas, that Canassateego uttered a speech of bitter and biting reproof of the Delawares, in which he reminded them in terms of severity of their subjugated condition. 72 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. m II I ! CHAP, "You," said he, "you take it upon yourselves to sell v«^ land !" " You don't know what ground you stand upon !" 1742. it You ought to be taken by the hair of your head and shaken till you recover your senses, and become sober !" " We conquered you. We m^ade women of you. You know yoi. are women, and can no more sell land than women !" This speech, which was full of mdignant irony and invective, was closed b^' a peremptoiy order for the Delawares to remove forthwith from the disputed terri- tory, either to Shamokin, or Wyoming, as they might pre- fer. The following was the closing injunction of the man- date: "After our just reproof and absolute order to depart from the land, you are now to take notice of what wo have further to say to you. This string of wampum serves to forbid you, your children and grand-children, to the latest posterity forover, from meddling with land affairs; neither you, noi any who shall descend from you, are ever hereafter to presume to sell aLy land. For which purpose you are to preserve this string, in memory of what your uncles have this day given you in charge. We have some other business to transact with our brethren, and therefore depart the council, and consider what has been said to you." The obedience of the Delawares to the order was as prompt as the mandate itself was summary, — some of them going to Shamokin, but the greater number settling at Wyo- ming, on the eastern side of the Susquehanna,-^^ a large clan of the Shawanese residing at that time on the west- em side opposite. This transaction sufficiently proves the state of abject subjection to which the Delawares had been reduced, and in which at tnat time they were held by the Iroquois, notwithstanding the efforts of the benevolent Heckewelder to sustain a loftier position for his favorites among the aborigines. > • In the course of the proceedings at this treaty, while complaining of the trespasses of the white men upon the >l.hom the papers connected with these transactions were communicated, on the seven- teenth of April, were by no means satisfied with the ex- planations of the Indians, nor with the proceedings of the commissioners, against whom they more than insinuated a lack of energy. They wrote back that the interpreter should have been instructed to demand why the war party went to Virginia? Why they had killed some of the peo- ple, and carried away horses and cattle before the battle ? Why they had killed the mar who was approaching them with a signal of tViendsliip? The council thought the Indians were dealing with subtilty in this matter, and ' in 76 LIFB 0? SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 174 0HA». insisted that they ought to bo told explicitly tl ., they were breaking the covenant chain whenever they killed any of his majesty's subjects, no matter in which of the colonies. Yet if the Indians di- .la-med all knowledge of the murders, and their abhorrence of the act, and would restrain their young men from such unwarrantable expe- ditions hereafter, the council hoped that the governor of Virginia would come to such a temper as would enable them to heal the breach. In regard to the land-claim to which Mr. Gooch had referred, the council thought the inference was warranted from the undeterminato phrase- ology of Canassateego's speech at Philadelphia, although some had supposed that Maryland, not Virginia, was in- tended. However, it was necessary that the commission- ers should inform the Six Nations that such outrageous acts against any of his majesty's colonial settlements, must be put an end to. The Indians themselves had com- plained to Mr. Bleecker, the interpreter, of the intrigues of the French ; and it was evident to the mind of the council, that in order to put a termination to those out- rages, the emissaries of the French must be prevented from coming among them. i. ' Kt> The consequence of this letter to the commissioners, was another embassy in May to the Six Nations, in coun- cil at Onondaga, with a more peremptory message. In reply to which the Indians again explicitly disclaimed any claim to land in Virginia. In regard to the unhappy oc- currence in Virginia, they denied with solemnity that any people had been killed before their braves were fired upon thrice by the soldiers of M'Dowell and Buchanan. Their young men were going on a fighting expedition to the south when the affair happened, — but not to fight against the Virginians. They had only taken a few cattle on their way, and they thought the Virginians had treated them too severely by following and firing upon them for so small an offence. They regretted the occurrence ; but it LIFH OF SIB "Wn.LIAJI JOHKBON, BART. 7T 1748. was out of the power of the chiefs to prever* their young chap. warriors from occawi lally going oft" npoii such expedi- tions. In transmitting this reply, the commissiorif^rs wrote to the council that the Indians w«re really anxious for a reconciliation. They thought ureat gooti would ensue, were Mr. Gooch to come and moet ^ cm himself; and it would be yet better if some oi he chiefs of those remote southern Indians, ag;"n»t whom Liie Six IMafions had been so long at war, could b pt V^ tu ome ; Jso and meet night th< u be eftected, if the chiefs to re- 9 ;imong the scattered their castles, notwith- them in council. A gen' al whereas it was now almr lo- strain the formation of Indians residing at a distanct standing the stipulations of peace negotiated by Mr. Clarke at the council of 1740. A pacific letter, giving the results of these conferences with the Indians was written to Mr. Gooch by Mr. Clarke ; and at the earnest solicitation of the latter, the matter seems to have been pressed no farther. The administration of Lieutenant-Governor Clarke was ended in the autumn of 1743, by the arrival of Admiral George Clinton, uncle of the earl of Lincoln, and a younger son of the late earl, who had been appointed to the government of New York through the interest of his friends, to afford him an opportunity of mending his for- tunes. Mr. Clarke, who in the commencement of his ad- ministration had succeeded in conciliating the leaders of both political parties, had contrived before the close of his career to lose the confidence of both, — so that his re- tirement from the government was regarded with univer- sal satisfaction.' Especially had he incurred the resent- 1 Oeorge Clarke, Esq., who, in yarioua official stations was for almost half a century oonneoted with the colonial goTernmeut of New York, was an Englishman by birth. " His uncle, Mr. Blaithwait, procured the secre- taryship of the colony for him early in the reign of Queen Anne. He had a2> VV. •?>-- ■^ nOis %^^.^^ o .. ^^^. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) Y' ^ // Ic; 1.0 I.I 1.25 If i^ IIIIM ■^ 1^ III 2.2 ^ I- IIIIM IIU |U IIIIII.6 V] <^ /] /y <^M y Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 iV ^^ i\ \ -'' '^ '9> *> ^ c> 'ifc^ its o '^ ^ \ % Y8 LIVB OV SIB WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. OHA». ment of the chief justice, De Lancey ; who, strangely «»v— ' enough, though usually a staunch supporter of the pre* 1748. rogativea of the crown, had now become to some extent a fiivorite of the general assembly. The new governor had spent the most of his life in the navy ; and, according to the earliest English historian of New York, " preferring ease and good cheer to the restless activity of ambition, there wanted nothing to engage the interest of his power* fill patrons in his favor, more than to humor a simple- hearted man, whu had no ill nature, nor sought anything more than a genteel frugality and common civility, while he was mending those fortunes, until his friends at court ' ;!l! K'l genius, but no other than a common writing-school education ; nor did hu add to his stock by reading, for he was more intent upon improving his fortune than his mind. He was sensible, artfbl, active, cautious ; had 4 perfect command of hia temper, and was in his address specious and civil.' Nor was any man better acquainted with the colony and its affairs." He successively held the offices of secretary, clerk of the council, counselor, and lieutenant-governor ; and flrom his official position he had every op- portunity of enriching himself by obtaining grants and patents of land — Which, from his knowledge of the colony he was enabled to choose in tbe most advantageous locations. He was a courtier, and was careful never to differ with the governors of the colony ; althoi^gh during Cosby's sloriny career, he usually kept himself quiet at his country villa upon the edge of Hempstead plains. "His lady was a Hyde, a woman of fine accompli^li- ments, and a distant relation of that branch of the Clarendon family. Sbc died in New York. Mr. Clarke returned to England in 1745, with acquisi- tions estimated at one hundred thousand pounds. He purchased an eBttitu in Cheshire, where he died about the year 1761. Oeorge Clarke, his grami- son, and the heir to his estates, after a residence in America of about tliirty- five years, died at Otsego, about the year 1886. His eldest son, George Hyde Clarke, with his young wife, was lost in thto ship Albion, wredked un the coast of Ireland, in the summer of 1820, on his passage from New York to England. His second son then returned to England, and entered into possession of the fortune of his lather's estates situated in that countiy. By the vast increase in price of his American lands, Mr. Clarke's estates in this country became of prineely value before his death. They are in- herited by his youngest son, Oeorge Clarke, Esq., who now (1848), reside? in the noble mansion erected by his father a few y»u << before his deoease, apon the margin of Otsego lake. i.i 'J".as naii ^m 'iH'^^'dl'X*) '{H-n:^- v--r«---r-."^.i-*Xi-,w»« .• ~ / LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. n 4^ could recall him to some indolent and more lucrative eta- orap. tion.'" • r 't-'"' '-V-' Mr. Clinton arrived in New York on the t^enl^r-ae'cond ^'*** of September, and was received with demonstratio'nB of univeroal satisfaction by the people. Finding that the general assembly stood adjourned to meet in a few days, and ascertaining that the people would be pleased with an opportunity of holding a new election, the assembly was dissolved on the.twenty-8eventh and writs for the return of another assembly issued the same day.' The elections were conducted without political acrimony, and all the old members, with but seven exceptions, were returned. The session opened on the eighth of I^ovember. Meantime the governor had fallen into the hands of De Lancey, who doubtless had the moulding of his excellency's speech. Its tone was conciliatory, although the sore subject of a permanent revenue was opened afresh. But this was done in gentle terms, the governor asking for a grant " in as ample a manner, and for a time as long, as had been given under any of his predecessors." The assembly was in- formed that owing to the critical state of afi^irs in Europe, and the doubtful attitude in which Great Britain and France stood toward each other, a large supply of military stores for the defence of the colony had been received from the parent government ; and the governor hoped the assembly would show their thankfulness by making an adequate provision for the purchase of others. The usual recommendations in regard to the Indian intercourse of the colony were renewed, and an appropriation was asked for rebuilding the barracks, and public offices, together with the house of the governor, which had been destroyed by fire. The latter recommendation was insisted on 1 Smith's Hiitory qfjfew York, vol. ii, page 85. * Idem. i i'M 80 Urs OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAET. 'I m CHAP, as being necessary for the comfort of the govemor^s v-v— ' family. 17«. «^n humble address" was voted by the council in re- ply, drawn up by De Lancey. The appointment of the new governor was received "as an additional evidence of his majesty's affection for his people, and his zeal for th^ liberty of mankind, lately most evidently demonstrated in his exposing his sacred person to the greatest dangers in defence of the liberty of Europe,"* In all other respects the answer was an echo of the speech. The address of the house was more than an ectho, — it was couched in lan- guage of excessive flattery to the new governor, and of fawn- ing adulation toward the sovereign, who was designated " the darling of his own people, and the glorious preserver of the liberties of Europe." There was, however, a dis; position on all sides to be pleased. The assembly re^ sponded to the demanded appropriations, — 'Voting the governor fifteen hundred pounds for his salary, one hund- red pounds for house rent, four hundred pounds for fuel and candles, one hundred and fifty pounds to enable him to visit the Indians, and eight hundred pounds for the purchase of presents to be distributed amongst them. Other appropriutions were made -ni^on a scale of corres- I The battle of Dettingen, in Germany, in which the British troops and their allies obtained a brilliant Tiotorj over a powerful divioion of th« army of the Mareschal de Noailles, commanded \fy the Duke de Orammont. The English troops, commandei by the Earl of Stair, were joined by the Duke of Cumberland, to make his first campaign, and by his majesty (George II), on the ninth of June. The English with their allies, were moring, on the twenty-sixth of June, toward Hanau, to obtain supplies^ and to join the HanoTarians and Hessians, when they were met iq a difficult position by the French, thirty thousand strong. The king behared very gallantly in the engagement, exposing his person to a severe fire of cannon as well as musketry. He rode between the first and second lines with his sword drawn, and encouraged the troops to fight for the honor of Englaiid. The French were defeated with the loss of five thousand men. They might have been destroyed had the advantage been promptly followed up. ■>i)k LIFB OF BIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. m ponding liberality ; and the governor was so well pleased chap., with the good temper of the assembly, that he signed s>v—'. every bill presented for his approbation, without a mur- ^ ■ mur of disapprobation, not even excepting the supply- bill, which, notwithstanding his demand to the contrary, in the opening speech, was limited to the year. PW w*"*?' But notwithstanding these reciprocal manifestations of good feeling ; and notwithstanding also the amiable traits of the governor's natural disposition, it will be seen in the progress of events that the bluff characteristics of the sailor were not always to be concealed ; and his adminis- tration, in process of time, became as tempestuous as the element upon which he was certainly more at home than upon the land. ,;,.....;..,. • .;..».-.«,,,.; , . ,-_,:_,-^-,, -^^i mi.i -;.„,.^i.,. > ' 1 I a ilif': Until after ihe arrival of Governor Clinton Mr. Johnson seems to have taken no part in the public affairs of the colony. His name appears in none of the public records of that day ; and such of his private papers as have es- caped the ravages of time and revolution, exhibit him only in the character of a country mei*chant, enlarging his business from y^ar to year, increasing rapidly in wealth, and assiduously cultivating the fHendship and language of the Indians. Before the year 1743, he had removed from the south to the north side of the- river, and settled at the place heretofore described as Mount Johnson. He had also in the last mentioned year become connected with the fur-trade at the important trading post of Oswe- go. ISoT was it long before he opened a correspondence on his own account with the opulent house of Sir "William Baker & Co., in London. As his fortunes improved rapidly, he grew with equal puce in the public estimation, not only among the people of his own region, but likewise in Albany and Kew York. His correspondence during this period was considerable, indicating an extensive business in all the multifarious departments of a country trading establishment, independently of the fur^trade, in which he n 4 ' --r rgssgmmfiJ i, it :)'r : M >'> ■m- UFB OF SIR WILLUU JOHNSON, BART. 11! dtffiK Was How engaged, and his commerce with the Indians. In v...^.^ his business transactions " he by no means lost sight of 1748. hig own interests, but on the contrary raised himself to wealth in an open and active manner, not disdaining any honorable means of benefiting himself; but at the same time the bad policy, as well as meanness of sacrificing re< spectability to snatching present advantages, were so obvious to him, that he laid the foundation of his future prosperity on the broad and deep basis of honorable deal- ing, accompanied by the most vigilant attention to the objects he had in view ; acting so as without the least de- parture from integrity on the one hand, or inattention to his affairs on the dther, to conduct himself in such a man> ner as gave an air of magnanimity to his character, that made him the object of universal confidence."* .i- ". . "'''' Meantime the relations between Great Britain ahd Spain had undergone a change demanding the services of Mr. Johnson's uncle and patron. Captain Warren, upon his own element. After a long series of aggressions upon the commerce of England in the West India seas, com- mitted by the Spaniards, attended often by the utmost in- solence, cruelty, and rapine,' the former power, aj^aling in vain to the court of Madrid for indemnification, granted letters of marque and reprisal against the Spaniards in the year 1789. It was on the seventeenth of August of that year, that Mr. Clarke, the lieutenant>-govemor, laid before his council his majesty's warrant, authorizing the government of New York to issue letters of marque and reprisal against the commerce of Spain. Measures to .V * JfiMioiV« ofanAnuriean Lady, by Blrs. Gr»Bt.,;.j#jvl''ltJ .i>*t& .^'t*t''^it .' ^^' * Smollett's continuation of Hume. Baneroft, I am aware, gives anotiier aspeot to the case, Tide History of the United Statei, y MS. recordi of the executive oouneil of New Tork. It appei^ by these records, howcTeri that the privateering business bad been carried on brislcly from the port of New Tork for the two or three preceding years. < Smollett. It was upon this subject of their Spanish relations, that Sir Robert Walpole was compelled to encounter the fierce opposition which marked and embittered his dosing career. Before the issuing of the Iet« ters of marque, a convention had been concluded between England and Spain (though never regarded by the latter), which was the subject of the severest condemnation by the opposition, and was denounced with the strongest invective by Sir William Wyndham and Mr. Pulteney, in the com- mons ; to whom Walpole, losing nis temper, repuea m a manner that in- duced the famous secession of the minority from the house, in 1788. Those debates have been greatly extolled for their eloquence and power. In the following year, however, the seoedins members resumed their seats, with Mr. Pulteney at their head. '' ^■•■'^■'■^-- -• - - ■- - .-i > Joumalt of the Provmeial At$embfy. 'j i .^^r*;"^ Hi i. 1 HH9«r.. ' - '■■M ijB| ..J i ^~1 ..:J 84 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ri i. . 1 OHAP. the "West Indies, Vernon directed his course to Porto wywBello, which became an easy conqnest. The fortress of 1748. Ohagre was also taken and demolished by Vernon, and Earope was made to resound with his praises for these ex- ploits. Lord Cathcert, to whom the command of the land forces of the expedition was entmsted, having died at Do- minica, a victim to the climate, the command devolved upon "the inexperienced and irresolute Wentworth."* Expectation was high in regard to anticipated triumphs ; and in May, 1741, more levies were required from the northern colonies^ and the assembly of New York was re- quired by Mr. Clarke to make farther appropriations for this servicct It was hoped, said the speech, that " the glorious beginning would excite the assembly to speedy and generous resolutions." But this "glorious begin- ning " was shortly followed by the miserable ending of the expedition against Garthagena, where, weakened by sickness in its most frightful forms, and discouraged by the ill-judged movements of their commanders, the British troops were repulsed in an attempt to storm the citadel, or castle commanding the town. In escaping thence, Vernon and "Wentworth attempted to retrieve their sad reverses at Garthagena by a descent upon Guba. A land- ing was effected in a bay, on the south-eastern part of that island, in July, 1741, and the troops ascending a river, Encamped about twenty miles from the bay. This event was announced by Mr. Clarke, in a speech to the assem- bly, in September. General "Wentworth, it waa said, had obtained a secure footing on the island, and recruits and supplies were called for to secure the conquest.' But they were not needed. After remaining inactive in their posi- tion till the month of November, enfeebled by the cli- * Bftnoroft. «f ■;»^t»■M!'■r^JJ^^>■«^s■?.;'■.:^■!^^^»'^^f^■'.^<■ "tJ.-^J nim: J P See Joumalt of the l*rovmeial Auembfy. In this speech the lieutenant- goTemor recommended the enactment of laws regulating the manufacture •ad sale of floor and bread— denouncing the bolteirs and bakers for their flraads, &c. .■i«*jiji«' ' *Jiiurnak»fthiOolonialJMemblif. ;>,..; ..; „.i ,., .,\ -. '-• I; fiiiAi «■> l-i.. 88- LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1744. CHAP, dent that a war was very near at hand, and that the fh>n- ' tiers of the colony might again, very soon, be subjected to the ravages of a foe thfm whose tender mercies nothing could be more cruel. i'r«*%^rt«i'^ i m i .« <• An appropriation had been made in the preceding De- cember, to enable Go omor Clinton to meet the Six Nations in general council. But no such conference had yet taken place. Happening to be in Albany, however, in June of the present year, and a considerable party of the chiefs and sachems happening to be there also at the same time, an interview took place at which the formalities almost of a general council were interchanged. The governor commenced his speech by inlbrming them that he had it in command from the great king their father, to tell them of his desire that the covenant chain between them should be kept bright and strong. He then informed them how his majesty had sent an army into Germany the preceding year^ which had been treacherously attacked by the French, contrary to the faith of treaties. But by the courage of the English they were beaten, and obliged to fly across the Rhine.* Not only so, but the governor told them that at a subsequent day, the French fleet had joined itself to the fleet of his majesty's enemies, the Spaniards, and having attacked the British fleet, the French had again been beaten.' After this, the French king had de- > Referring to the battle of Dettingen, of which a ^titf aocount haa been given in a preceding note. * Referring to the irregular and unfortunate engagement between the English and the combined French and Spanish fleets, off Toulon, on the eleventh and twelfth of February, 1744. The English commander was Ad- miral Matthews, under whom was Vice Admiral Lestook. The French commander was M. de Court ; the Spanish Don Navarro. The combined fleets had been blockaded in Toulon. But on attempting to get to sea, they were attacked by Matthews, who himself, behaved with great intre- pidity ; but failed in his tactics. Between Matthews and Lestock, a bitter antagonistical feeling existed; and perceiving the enroneous manoeuvers of his commander, Lestock furnished a precedent for Captain Elliott, in the American service, on Lake Erie, seventy years afterward, by manoeuver- ing on both days, so as to keep entirely out of the action. For this eon- LUri OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 89 clored war against their great father, who in turn had chap. declared war against him.* For the present, the governor «-yw would not urge them upon the war-path. lie wished ^^^ them to remain at home, — to bo on their guard against the arts of the French, — and to communicate whatever information they could obtain to the Indian commissio^- ers at Albany. In recompense for their fidelity, they wore promised protection by the English ; but they were also told by the governor that he should expect them to assist in the prosecution of the war whenever called upon for that purpose. The governor farther spoke of the import- ance, to them, of maintaining the post of Oswego, where they could always purchase goods cheaper than they could of the French. The French had their eye upon this post, to defend which six pieces of ordnance had receutly been forwarded thither ; and should it bo attacked, the govern- or expected the Six Nations to assist in its defence. In conclusion, the governor reminded them of the promise formerly made by the Oayugas and Senecas, that they would concentrate their people and unite their castles. If this measure had not been executed, he hoped they would attend to it as soon as possible ; since, in this time pf war, a union of their nations would greatly add to their strength and reputation. They had likewise promised that no Frenchmen should be suffered to live among them ; which promise the governor hoped they had kept. This speech was delivered on the eighteenth of June. Two days afterward the chiefs replied ; but not in a man- ner altogether satisfactory to the governor upon the main subject of his speech — the war with France. True, they reciprocated his excellency's professions of friendship with duot, LcMtook was brought to a court marshal, but instead of being pun- ished, as he deserred, Matthews, who had really fought with gallant dar- ing, was dismissed the serrioe for allowing the fleets to escape him ! Such is the caprice of fortune. I The French declaration qt the war of 1744, was dated on the twentieth day of March. On the thirty-first day of March, the English deoU|ra^qn published amidst the aocloniationB of the people. .: > ...,:,,%■ 12 i' ' Uti nil: 1. i LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. c^p. as much apparent cordiality as ever. It was their deter- w yw mination to strengthen the covenant chain, and keep it ^^**' strong and bright as long as the sun endures. Indeed, " we will preserve it so strong and keep it so bright, that it shall not be in the power of the devil himself, with any of his wiles and arts, to break or rust it." Yet they were not remarkably anxious to prove their friendship by going upon the war-path. They said they understood all that had been said in regard to the conduct of the French and the war. But, as to engaging in it, that seemed to be another affair. They were indeed a warlike people, and they had never yet been engaged in a war in which they had not sooner or later prevailed. But they did not now like to begin the war with Canada. It would be time enough when the enemy himself had taken up the hatchet. When the enemy should have attacked any of the subjects of the great king, their father, they would be ready to join in defending themselves against them. In reference to the post of Oswego, they wore glad it was to be preserved ; but, as to its immediate advantages to them, in their trade, these were not so great as when first established ; they sold goods cheaper to the Indians then, than they do now. They liked the officer in command there, and wished goods might become as cheap as before. Yet, should it be attacked, they would aid in its defence. In regard to the proposed concentration of their two western nations, the Cayugas and Senecas, they were too busy to do it now. Nor would they send from among them any of the French that might be residing with their people. " "We have just told you we are for peace, and must await the attacks of the enemy. Should we take hold of any French that came among us, we should be the first aggressors." * The apprehensions expressed by the governor, respect- ing Oswego, were by no means groundless. On the twenty-fourth of June he laid before the council letters 1 The prooeodings of this inoideatnl council may b? found at large in the Council Minutes. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 91 -*f from the commandant of Oswego, advising that Monsieur chap. Micol Hayden had ascended Lake Ontario past that post, w^w with a small force (prohably of observation) ; and some ^'**' Indian scouts had returned from Cadaracqui, with intelli- gence that the French were collecting a force of eight hundred men for the purpose of attacking Oswego, and were only waiting for the an-ival of their fleet in the St. Lawrence to complete their arrangements and make the descent.^ ^JitJlkK 9R-.WM>iAmsi'iim^:f-^m:H^"<^ -^fir. f-t fvil^?;*^ But the largest and most important Lidian oouncil of the year 1744, and upon which the principal sachems and chiefs of the Six Nations were in attendance nearly at the same time that Mr. Clinton was holding his conference with others of their chiefs at Albany, took place at Lancaster, in the colony of Pennsylvania, commencing on the twenty- second day of June, t.'^d ending on the fourth of July. This council was convened at the solicitation of Lieutenant* Governor Thomas, of that colony, who had assumed the office of mediator between the Six Nations and the colonies of Maryland and Virginia, in regard to the ownerships of certain districts of country within the extending borders of those colonies, claimed by the Six Nations. It will be remembered that complaints of trespasses upon those lands, especially by the people of Maryland, were uttered by the Six Nations in Philadelphia two years before, 'and also that the governor of Maryland was written to upon the subject by the council of Pennsylvania at that time, — the Indians having intimated a threat that, if their com- plaints were not attended to, they were able to do justice to themselves. Mr. Thomas had also acted as a media- tor between the Virginians and the Six Nations, touch- ing the skirmish between a party of Iroquois warriors and a small body of Virginia militia-men, under Captains M'Dowell and Buchanan, which occurred in the back part of the colony, in December, 1742, the particulars of which have already been related. By means of this intei-posi- 1 dnnnril IWinutfii ■ i \\ * < H> <« '«- <:■ 92 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOBNSON, BART. CHAP, tion, the difficulty had been adjusted; — both parties agree- n. I 1 i i< >i ! i ) f'iiil I I ')M > ing to lay down their arms and bury the transaction in 1744. oblivion ; Virginia cementing the reconciliation by a pre- sent of goods to the amount of one hundred pounds. Yet the land-controversy remained for adjustment ; although it was not apparent at the council of 1742, that the claim of the Indians extended to any lands upon which the pale faces had trespassed in Virginia. They were indeed re- ported by the Indian commissioners at Albany, in their dispatches to Lieutenant-Governor Clarke, to have disa- vowed ihaking any such claim. But that was a wide mis- understanding between the parties, since the claim was advanced upon Virginia as well as Maryland; and this council was invited by Mr. Thomas, for the purpose, if possible, of effecting such an adjustment of the contro- versy between the parties respectively, as should be satis- fiujtoiy to them all. -^av^«^' -At-t ■t^-ff-v-a .-;-;.j.i '.- "No doubt the anxiety of Mr. Hibmas to bring about a reconciliiation, was quickened by the impending conflict with France. He saw the importance of the Six Nations as ft barrier between the English and French colonies. If Mends, to quote nearly his own language, they were capa- ble of defending the English settlements ; if enemies, of making cruel ravages upon them ; if neutral, they could deny the French a passage through their country to strike the English settlements, and moreover give timely inform- atioli 6f their designs. The advantages of cultivating a good understanding with them were therefore obvious, while equally evident were the disadvantages of a rupture. Hence the exertions of Mr. Thomas to gather the present council, to which Virginia had commissioned as delegates the Honorable Thomas Lee, and Colonel William Beverley, and Maryland the Honorable Edmund Jennings, Philip Thomas, Esquire, and Colonels Robert King and Thomas Calvil. Mr. "Witham Marshe was appointed secretary to the commission, and the Rev. Mr. Craddock chaplain.' ^Witham Marehe — afterward Sir William Johnson's secretary — has left a very partioulftr and edifying journal of his journey to and ftom this ■"1^« itFfi Of siit WittiAift JdHi^soN, bar¥. II The nurj p of Indiiln deputies present— chiefs and sa- chap. chems,— i3 not stated; but they came like a caravan, <*v-' accompanied by warriors who were not chiefs, and by woi- 1^^^** men and children and old men, to the number of more than two hundred and fifty persons. Several of their women and children were mounted on horseback, " a thing very unusual with them ;" and their warriors were armed with muskets, bows and arrows, and tomahawks.* On enter- ing the village of Lancaster, "a great multitude of people followed them. They marched in very good order, with Canassateego, one of the Onondaga chiefs at their head ; who, when he came near to the quarters of the commis- sioners, sung, in the Indian language, a song, inviting to a renewal of all treaties heretofore made, and to the nego- tiation of a new one."' * ' ' ''■ ;■>< ;» ^i '• ; '<.ui The Oneidas, Onondagas, Gayugas, Senecas and Tusca- roras were each represented. The Mohawks were not. Canassateego and Tachanoontia, Onondagas, and Gdch- radodow, a Cayuga, were the speakers, and Conrad Wei- ser, whose Indian name was Tarachawagon, as usual, the interpreter. '■'•..' i^.-I-^j';:. /is ■'■-jy.-'i y^^':^f.i: iiT:H.v\) ^h^^u-i-'i^ The chiefs with their retinue, formed an encampment in the precincts of the town, which, from the descriptions of honest Witham Marshe, must have presented a rare ex- ample of the picturesque in human life. While the sages were in council, the women occupied themselves with their usual domestic concerns, and the children frolicked about at their option — the boys making strong their arms by stringing the bow, and improving their skill by speed- ing the arrow, or hurling their little hatchets — acquiring the art, in anticipation of going upon the war-path, of planting the hatchet in the trunk of a tree within the council, and of its proceedings from day to day, to whicti I sliall have oc- casion more than once to refer. Tliis curious itinerary may be found in vol. vii, Mast. HU. Coll. * Marshe's Journal. ' Idem. ! ''■ ■ "i I ^ 94 LIFE OF SIB WILLUH JOHHSON, BART. OHAP. diameter of a hair of the mark. In the evenings, when w^—/ the graver affairs of the day were ended, and the fires wero 1744. lighted, the young men indulged in their favorite sports and games, wild and grotesque, before the groups of palo faces that gathered around their encampment ; now illus- trating the pow*wow dance, and now seizing a spear in one hand and a hatchet in the other, making the woods ring with the shrill war whoop, as around the blazing fire they performed the threatening war-dance. Among the friends to the mission was the celebrated Catherine Montour, — a princess of the Senecas residing at the head of Seneca lake in the midst of a clan whom she ruled. Mrs. Montour was a half-breed, her father according to tradition and her own story, having been governor of Canada, and her mother a Huron. Until about ten years of age, she had been carefully reared and educated, au^ her manners, even then, in her old age, were aftable, and comparatively polite. During the war between the Six ITations and the French and Hurons, she was captured and carried into the country of the Senecas, by whom she was adopted. On arriving at years of maturity she was mar- ried to a famous war-captain, who was in great esteem for the glory he achieved for his people in their wars against the Catawbas, by whom she had several children. About fifteen years before the date of this council, her chief was slain by the Catawbas. She had two daughters, both married to war-captains, who were then upon the war- path at the south. She had also a son, John, a man of great prowess, then absent against the Catawbas. He was a brave partisan warrior at a later period, and a great favorite of Sir William Johnson — being often in his ser- vice. Although so young when made a prisoner, she had nevertheless preserved her language ; and being in youth and middle age very handsome, and of good address, she had been greatly caressed by the gentlewomen of Phila- delphia during her occasional visits to that city with her people on business. Indeed she was always held in great !*w^ f: '■ 11 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. fV esteem by the white people, invited to their houses, and chap. entertained with marked civility.^ s-v-' The business of the council was opened by Mr. Thomas, ^'^**' in a speech addressed chiefly to the commissioners of Maryland and Virginia, who at its close were formally in- troduced to the dusky ambassadors " as brethren who had come to enlarge the fire which had almost gone out, and to brighten the chain which had contracted some rust." To the chiefs he said : " receive these your brethren with open arms, and unite yourselves to them in the covenant chain as one body and one soul." The speech was closed with exhortations to the Indians of fidelity toward the English, and by the oft-repeated cautions against the arts and designs of the French. Canassateego replied that the Indians had always considered Assaragoa,* and the gov- ernor of Maryland as their friends ; but inasmuch as they had met to adjust disputes about land, he preferred having that business settled first, after which they could proceed "to confirm the friendship subsisting between them." The Maryland commissioners opened their case first. They were surprised when they heard of the claim of the Six Nations two years ago, to any of their lands, and were displeased at the threat with which they had accompanied their complaint, — as though they had designed to terrify the people of Maryland into a compliance with their de- mands. The people of Maryland had been in possession of the lands in question more than a hundred years, with- out having heard of this claim. Ninety years ago the Susquehanna Indians had by treaty relinquished those lands. Sixty years ago the Six Nations had acknow- ledged, at Albany, that they had given up their lands and submitted themselves to the king of England. In a word, they believed the Six Nations had no rightful claim what- ever to the territory in dispute. " They had now laid «' is > Witham Marshe's Journal. * The name which the Indians had conferred upon the governor of Tir- ginia. and by which thev alwnya Addregged him or his renresentatiyes. "T*" 96 LI79 OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ;( CHAP, their bosoms bftre ;" and yet they were willing, in order wv— ' to remove every cause of contention, to make the Six Na- *'**• tiona a valuable present of goods, which they had brought along "in a chest, with the key in^heir iiocket," Canassateego replied.^ It was true that the Indians, in making their complaint against the trespasses upon their lands by tie people of Maryland, had used language " that looked like a design to terrify you." He admitted that they had done so. They had complained in regard to trespasses upon their lands about seven years ago. But no notice was taken of their complaint. " Two years ago, therefore, they resolved to use such language as would make the greatest impression on your minds, and we find it has had its effect. You will soon have understood our expressions in their true sense. We had no evil design,^ — no desire to terrify you, but to put you on doing the juet- tice you have so long delayed." Having thus explained the Intention of their menace, and added the strong- est assurances of their good disposition toward the com- missioners, the chief proceeded to discuss the nature of their claim, and its history, — commencing in true Indian style, with the first planting of the European colonies in America. " When you mentioned the affair of the land yesterday, you went back to old times. You told us you had been in possession of the province of Maryland above one himdred years ; but what is one hundred years, in compa^son of the length of time since our claim began ? since we came out of this ground? Long before one hundred years our ancestors came out of lids very ground, and their children have remainied here ever since. You came out of the ground in a country that lies beyond the 1 For some account of this Indian counselor, and an interesting anecdote eonoeming hun, see Proud's Pennsylvania, and also the author's history of Wyoming. Witham Marshe says of him : « He was a tall, well made man ; had a very full chest, and brawny limbs. He had a manly counte- nance, mixed with a good natured smile. He was about sixty years of age ; very active, strong, and had a surprising liveliness in his speech, which I observed betwixt him, Mr. Weiser, and some of the sachems." LIFE OP SIR TVILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 97 floas. There you may have a just claim, but here you chap. must allow U8 to be your elder brethren. It is true that w,^-* above one hundred years ago the Dutch came here in a ^'**' ship, and brought us goods— ^ such as awls, hatchets, knives, guns, and other things. And when they had taught us how to use them, and saw what sort of people they were, we liked them so well that we tied their ship to the bushes on the shore. Afterward, liking them still better the longer they staid with us, and thinking the bushes too slender, we removed the rope and tied it to the trees; and as the trees were likely to be blown down by the high winds, or to decay of themselves, we, from the aftection we bore them, again removed the rope, and tied it to a strong and big rock.^ Not content with this, for its further security, we removed the rope to the Big Moun- tain, and there we tied it very fast, and rolled wampum about it ;' and, to make it still more secure, we stood upon the wampum and sat down upon it. To prevent any hurt coming to it, we did our best endeavors that it might remain uninjured forever." During all this time, he maintained, the Dutch never disputed their title to the land, but purchased by league and covenant, as they needed. Then came the English, who, the Indians were told, became one people with the Dutch. The English 1 Here the interpreter said they meant the Oneida country. They were called the People of the Rook, firom a large and peculiar stone in their country, which, according to their tradition was moving westward, and the nation moved with that stone, or rock. Indeed the name, Oneida, signifies OkU upriyht stone. By some of the Oneidas, this Oneida stone was regarded as a proper emblem, or representation of the divinity whom they worshiped. "This stone," says the late Rev. Jeddediah Morse, D. D., in one of hia misHionary tours, " we saw. It is of a rude, unwrought shape, rather in- clined to cylindrical, and of more than a hundred pounds weight. It bears no resemblance to any of the stones found in that country. From whence it was brought, no one can tell. The tradition is that it follows the nation in their removals. When set up in the crotch of a tree, the people were supposed invincible.'- 'This was an allusion to the Onondaga country — the People of the Big Mountain. 18 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNBON, BART. CHAP, governor camo to Albany, and approving mightily of tlio •— ^— ' friendship between the Dutch and Indians, wished like- 1744. ^jgg ^Q fQj.jjj Q^ league with the Six Nations. " Looking into what had passed between us, ho found that the ropu which tied the ship to the great mountain, was only fast- ened with wampum, which was liable to break and rot. Ho therefore told us he would give us a silver chain, which would be much stronger, and would last forever. This we accepted, and fastened the ship with it, and it has lasted ever since." Glancing rapidly over the history of their intercourse with the English, and arguing that on the whole that intercourse had been of no advantage to them, the arrival of William Penn was thus referred to : " Our brother Onas, ^ great while ago, came to Albany, to buy the Susquehanna lands of us ; but our brother the governor of Sew York, who, as we supposed, had no^ a good understanding with our brother Onas, advised us not to sell him any land, for he would make an ill use of it ; and, pretending to be our good friend, he advised us, in order to prevent Onas, or any other person's imposing upon us, and that we might always have our land when we should want it, to put it into his hands ; and told us he would keep it for our use, and never open his hands, but keep them close shut, and not part with any of it, but at our own request. Accordingly we trusted him, and charged him to keep the land safe for our use. But some time after, he went to England, and carried our land with him, and there sold it to our brother Onas for a large sum of money ; and when afterward, we were minded to sell our brother Onas some of our lands, he told us that we had sold them to the governor of New York, already, and that he had bought them of him in Eqgland ! But when he came to understand how the governor of New York had deceived us, he very generously paid us for the Sus- quehanna lands over again." « ■!« . * .i v .;>. ;>,v ;,., ! Notwithstanding the dishonesty thus practiced upon them by New York, however, the orator admitted that in their wars with the French, thev had received such assist- ance fr( their h< mediate orator s commis their val sold the gation b to sell tl The Si> those lai tue laudf l)088e88i( no, nor manded people o had nev€ sioners v were will that inae land and I the Indif each, noi they wei and justi| Next Lee, of I that sevi in behall for certj alleged but as tl their lani been in * CohongI Nations. » Dr. Coll «3W I ! LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOnNSON, BART. 99 anco from New York as had enabled them " to keep up chap. their heads against their attacks." In regard to the im- v-y— ' mediate question as to the lands now in controversy, the ^'^**' orator said they had examined the titles adduced by the commissioners, to the Susquehanna lauds, and admitted their validity. The Conestoga or Susquehanna Indians had sold them to the governor of Maryland before their subju- gation by the Six Nations, and therefore they had a right to sell them. But those were not the lands in dispute. The Six Nations demanded satisfaction for no part of those lands, but their claim was from the Cohongoron- tue lands.' Those, they were sure, had not been in the possession of the people of Maryland one hundred years, no, nor even ten years; and the Six Nations had de- manded satisfaction so soon as they were apprised that the people of Maryland had settled down upon them. They had never been sold ; but understanding that the commis- sioners were provided with goods to pay for them, they were willing to treat for their sale. Canassateego added, that inasmuch as the then governors of Virginia, Mary- land and Pennsylvania had divided the lands among them, the Indians could not tell how much had been taken by each, nor were they concerned on that account, provided they were paid by the parties upon the principles of honor and justice.* Next in order the discussion was resumed by Mr. Lee, of the Virginia commission, who acknowledged that seven years before, Onas had written to Assaragoa in behalf of the Six Nations, requesting compensation for certain lands claimed by them, upon which they alleged some of the Virginians had taken their seats ; but as they had heard that the Six Nations had given up their lands to the great king long ago, and aa Virginia had been in possession one hundred and sixty years, Assara- * Cohongorontas, the name by which the Fotomao was called by the Six Nations. * Dr. Colden's account of the treaty. , \i .^. , , | . ili' tf •^ 100 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, DART. 1744. CHAP, goa thought there must be eome mistake in the matter. ' He had therefore requested the govonior of New York, nearly two years ago, to make some inquiry upon the subject. That governor sent a message to the groat coun- cil-fire at Onondaga more than a year ago, to which the chiefs answered, "that if they had had any demands or pre- tensions upon the governor of Virginia, they would have made it known to the governor of New York." It was clear, therefore, tliat the Six Nations had no claim upon Virginia for the Cohongorontas lands, nor for any other. Yet, continued the commissioners, " tell us what nations of Lidians you conquered lands from in Virginia, how many since, and what possessions you have had ; and if it ap- pears that there are any lands on the borders of Virginia to which you have a right, we are willing to make you satisfaction. \ This speech was pronounced by Canassateego to be very good and agreeable; and after the usual time for consideration with the Indians had elapsed, Tachanoontia replied.* He said they claimed the lands on the Susque- hanna and on the Cohongorontas, and back of the great mountains by the right of conquest — "a right too dearly purchased, and which cost too much blood, to be given up without any reason at all, as you say we did at Albany." He denied, explicitly, the answer said to have been re- turned to Governor Clarke's message from Albany the year before. No such answer had been given cither by the chiefs, or by anybody else. If they held the fact to be otherwise, he demanded vhe letter. He next proceeded > Tachanoontia was an Onondaga sachem and warrior. " He was a tall, thin man ; old, and not so well featured as Canassateego, but about the same age. Ho is one of the greatest warriors that over the Six Nations produced, and has been a great war-captain for many years past. This obief was also called fhe Black Prince, because, as I was informed, he was either the son of an Indian woman by a negro, or of an Indian chief by a uegresB ; but by which of the two I could not be well assured. The governor of Canada will not treat with any of the Six Nation, unless Tachanoontia is personally present, he having a great sway in all the Indian oouncila." — Witham Marihe. LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON) BART. 101 lm to onnmerftto five several nations of Indians in Virginia chap. whom the Six Nations had conquered, "and who feel thow.^^-/ oftectfl of our conquests, being now a part of our nations ^^*** and their lands at our disposal. However, the chief was not disposed to prolong the discussion concerning the lands, aa, understanding that commissioners were provided with goods, ho thought that question could be easily adjusted. Before closing his speech, however, Tachanoontia re- ferred, for the purpose apparently of making an expla- nation, to the skirmish that had taken place in the back part of Virginia, in December, 1742, between a party of the Six Nations' warriors and a detachment of Virginia militia, under Captains M'Dowell and Buchanan, the par- ticulars of which have been already stated. This aiiair, he asserted, had been occasioned solely by the aggressions of Virginia. Twenty years ago, at the treaty held by Governor Spotteswood in Albany, the Six Nations had agreed to remove their road to the middle of the ridge of the great mountains. But the Virginians, contrary to the stipulations of that treaty, had settk d on that road ; and this was the cau^e of the affray. The Six Nations then removed their road again to the foot of the moun- tains; " but it was not long before your people came like a flock of birds, and sat down on both sides of it." They could not remove their road any farther back, and this matter, said the chief, must be settled before we can make any grant of land. " The Virginia people must be obliged to remove farther easterly, or, if they stay, our warriors must share what they plant." The proceedings were interlocutory, the Maryland com- missioners interposing at this stage of them, and after a speech denying, peremptorily, the claim of the Six Na- tions, yet, for the purpose of harmony, — that they might all be of one heart, — offering to pay for a title to the lands in dispute the sum of three hundred pounds in goods. The Virginia commissioners thereupon renewed the LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. <«Ar di8CU«*lori »44. - insiating that " tho king liold tho entire ter- ritory ol Virgiiv;* by right of conquoBt, to tlie wcHtwurd aa far as tho ^reiti sea." Even if tho Six Nation8 had conquerod any Indmnn beyond the great nioiuUaitiH, tljoy yei ^ad never poaseBsod any lands there. Wlut tho Kug- lish came thoi*» lands were deserted. But aside from this fact, the IndiftT * were reminded once more of their re- linquishment of their lands to the great king lifty-eight years before, in a treaty with tho governor of Now York, at Albany. Lord Howard, the governor of Virginia, being also there. They had then not only given up their landn to the king tbr his protection, but declai-od thcmsch es his subjects.' lu respect to the affair between Cjii»tn,iu M'Dowell and a party of their warriors, tho comn'bsi .n- ers maintained that tho Indians had not kept their agree- ment with Governor Spotteswood, not to pass or repasi^ within certain boundaries without written passports, either from the governor of New York or of Virginia. " What right can you have to lands that you have uo right to walk upon, but upon certain conditions ? Nor would there have been any collision, had the Six Nations kept the peace with the souf^c m Indians, which had been confirmed at Albany witii Governor Clarke. It was owing to the war they were (continuing against the Catawbas, that tho skirmish had taken place. Yet, after all, they, tho com- missioners, were willing to adjust the diiticulty upon tho basis of Governor Spotteswood's treaty, and furthermore to pay any reasonable demand which the Six Nations sup- 1 This was in the year 1687. The following passage from the speecli of the Six Nations on that oooasion, was cited by the Virginia commissioners : "Brethren, you tell us the king of Englf in a /ery groat king, and why should you not jt' . with us in any just en iii> v. .the Fronob iu'u will) our enemies in a yery unjust cause? '■■.'"'i.r'M n.^-.u thereat ' jitliis; for the French would fain kill us all, auu wiiun that is done, they would carry all the bearer trade to Canada, and the great king of England would lose the land likewise ; and therefore, great sachem, beyond the great lakes, awake, and suffer not those poor Indians, that have given themselves and their lauds under your protection, to be destroyed by the French without It cause." If LirB OF HIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAKT. 108 poflod thomsolvoH to hiive for the territory thoy claimed, chaf. although, as they had beou informed, the Houthern IndiauH wv— - were claiming the san i Innds. ^^**- It 18 quite probaltlc that in nil these diBcuHHionH, tliore vvaH duplicity on both Vides. Tlie Indiana saw that their own importance was magiiitied by the condition of tlie country; while the comminni oners, for the sauio chiiho, were prepared to accede, to a considerable extent, even Lo groundless claims, rather than give such umbrage to the Indians as might by any possibility drive them over to the French. The Virginians were answered by a Cayuga cliiof named Gachradodow — a name which appears in this negotiation only, so far as I am acquainted with Indian history. Ad- dressing "Brother Assaragoa" — "The world," said he, at the first, was made on the other side of the groat water, very different from what it was on this side, as uay be known from the different colors of our skin and our flesh; and that which you call justice, may not be so amc ng us. The great king might send you over to conquer t lO In- dians, but it looks to us that God did not approve of it. If He had. Ho would not have placed the great sea be- tween us whore it is. Though great things are ren em- bered among us, yet we don't remember that we wore ever conquered by the great king, or that we have b**en employed by that king to conquer others. If it was so, it is beyond our memories. We do remember we w«^re employed by Maryland to conquer the Conestogas, and tiie second time we were at war with them, he carried them all off." Gachradodow next proceeded to explain their conduct respecting the Catawbas. They had, it was true, at A ■ hany. when their brother Assaragoa sent them some belt of wampum from the Cherokees and Catawbas, agreed to a peace with those nations, on the condition that they should send some of their great men " to confirm it face to face." The Cherokees came, and after the peace was confirmed, the Six Nations escorted them back to their own country in safety. But the Catawbas refused to ii H •"H^k.. 104 LIFE OP SIR WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. 1 1 1 j ■ '!! , 1744. CHAP. como, and sent a taunting mossago. "They sent word that wo were but women ; that they were men, — double men, — and that they would bo always at war with us. They have boon treacherous, and know it ; so that the war must be continued till one of us is destroyed. Be not troubled at what we do to the Catawbas." The orator proceeded to touch upon other points in the epeech of the Virginia commissioners, — but intimated that if the goods they had brought were sufficient in quantity and value, their diffi- culties might be adjusted. "You told us that you had a ciiest of goods, and the key in your pocket. But we have never seen the chest, or the goods. It may be small, and the goods few. We want to see them, and come to some conclusion. Wo have been sleeping here these ten days, and have done nothing tc the purpose." '•!! ■ The public discussions of the land questions, of which I have barely atten\pted to sketch the leading features, ceased at tliis point. It had been all along evident that the Indians were willing to grant whatever Maryland and Virginia desired ; while, as has been seen, both of those colonies, while in terms denying the Indians any rights in the premises, were from policy disposed to buy them oft" at reasonable sums. The commissioners having prepared maps of the districts, the Indian title to which they were now finally to extinguish, and the Indians having assented thereto, the goods to be given in consideration were brought for the examination o^ the purchasers. By a previous stipulation with Mr. Thomas, Virginia was to pay one hundred pounds value in goods, to heal the border skirmish in which Captain M'Dowell fell. To this amount was now added two hundred pounds in goods, and one hundred in gold. The commissioners of Maryland, also, as an equivalent for the disputed land already in their possession, proposed a payment of goods to the amount of two hundred pounds, and a like addition of one hundred pounds in gold. The negotiation was thus closed, and the deeds executed. The lands in Maryland were " con- firmed to Lord Baltimore witii definite limits * UanoroH LIFJS OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 106 to Virginia extended the claim of that colony indefinitely chap. to the west and nojthwest." ^ But in executing this last^^^ conveyance, the Indians stipulated that their case should *7*f he commanded to the consideration of the groat king, Hhould their brother Assavagoa push his settlements yet farther back beyond the line of their " great road" — the right to which road was again confirmed. But vain were all these stipulations to save the red ma/U from his doom ! These matters having thus been adjusted to the satisfac- tion of the parties, it was determined by the Maryland commissioners to give the chiefs by special invitation, a grand entertainment, — at which, of course all the dis- tinguished gentlemen in attendance upon the council were guests. Twenty-four Indian dignitaries attended the feast, which was served with uncommon preparation and cere- mony, in the court-house. Governor Thomas presiding. Five tables were spread, the sachems being seated by themselves, with Canassateego at their head. " The chiefs seemed prodigiously pleased with their feast, for they fed lustily and drank heartily," says honest "Witham Marshe. After dinner, being warmed into a glow of good feeling, the Indians, through the interpreter, informed Governor Tho- mas, that as Lord Baltimore, the proprietary and governor of Maryland was not known to the Indians by any particular name, they had agreed in council to take the first conve- nient opportunity when a large company should be present, to confer one upon him. Such a transaction being with tbem a matter of great form and ceremony, the deputies of the several nations had drawn lots for the honor of per- forming it, and the lot had fallen upon the Cayugas, who had designated their chief Gachradodow for that purpose. The name with which the lord baron of Baltimore was then honored was Tocarry-hogon, " denoting precedency, excellency, or living in the middle, or honorable place be- tween Assaragoa and our brother Onas, by whom our treaties may be the better carried on." The ceremony i > Uanoroft's United Slate3. 14 I 106 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. Mi' .1, : CHAP. was perforaied "with all the dignity of a warrior, the *— yw gesture of an orator, and in a very graceful posture." ' 1744. A.11 the differences between the Indians and their broth- ers Tocarry-hogon and Assaragoa having thus been adjust- ed, and some explanations having been interchanged be- tween Onas and the chiefs, respecting the murder by a party of Delawares, of an Indian trader, named John Armstrong, and two of his men, and also in regard to tho allege d murder of several Indians on the Ohio, by white men ; and the lieutenant-governor having congratulated the council upon the happy issue of their deliberations, the next business in hand was to sound the chiefs on the yet more important subject of the French war. Rehears- ing, as Governor Clinton had done at Albany, the story of the battle of Dettingen, for the purpose of magnify ^g the personal prowess of the king, and the sea-fight cV uulo^i, and announcing the declarations of war that had followed those transactions, Mr. Thomas reminded t'aeic. of their obligations by treaty to assist their brethren of Pennsylva- nia againsi; the French, and especially to prevent them from passing through their country to make war upon the English. . ,' A conciliatory speech was then delivered by the Vir- ginia commissioners, in which they were urged by all means to make peace with the Catawbas, in order that they might be the better prepared to meet their common enemies, the French and Spaniards. They closed by in- viting them to send some of their promising youths to > Witham Marshe, — who adds — " This Qachradodow is a very celebrated warrior, and one of the Cayuga chiefs, about forty years of age, tall, Btraight-limbed, and a graceful person, but not so fat as Ganassateego. His action, when he spoke, was certainly tho most graceful, as well as bold, that any person ever saw ; without the buffoonery of the French, or the oyer-solemn deportment of the haughty Spaniards. When he made the oomplimentary speech on the occasion of giving the new name to Lord Balti- more, he was complimented by the governor (Thomas), who said, 'that bo would have made a good figure in the forum of old Rome.' And Mr. Com- missioner Jennings declared, ' that ho had never seen so just an action in any of the most celebrated oruiors he had heard speak:' " — Witham Marshe. i- h LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 107 Virginia, to be instructed in the religion, language and chap. customs of the white people, f?' > ■ ^ ,: v^'.ift •• .'.v. «— v— < The chiefs required a day for special reflection, before ^'^**" replying to these addresses. Meantime, said Ganassatee- go, archly, " You tell us you beat the French. If so, you must have taken a great deal of rum from them, and can the better spare us some of that liquor to make us rejoice with you in the victory !" On the next day Canassateego delivered a formal reply to each of their addresses in order. He admitted that their people were bound by the faith of treaties to take part in the French war. " We have all the particulars of these treaties in our hearts. They are fresh in our mem- ory. "We shall never forget that we have but one heart, one head, one eye, one ear, and one hand. We shall have all youi> country under our eye, and take all the care we can to prevent any enemy coming into it." As an evi- dence at once of their fidelity and precaution, he said they had sent a message to Younondio, informing him that " there was room enough at sea to fight, where he might do what he pleased ; but he should not come through our country to fight the English." The Six Nations, he added, had great authority over sundry tribes of Indians in alli- ance with the French, especially over " the praying In- dians, formerly part with ourselves, who stand in the very gates of the French ; and to show our care, we have en- gaged these very Indians for you. They will not join the French against you." * In reply, specially, to his "Brother Assaragoa," Canas- sateego said, referring to their war against the Catawbas, " they are spiteful and ofl'ensive." Yet, although "they have treated us contemptuously," the Six Nations were willing to make peace witji them, if they would come to > Theao "praying Indians," were the Caughuawagas, residing near Mont- real. m LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. I. ■■!. CHAP, the north and treat for it. In repljr to the invitation to •-v— ' send some of their children to Virginia to be educated, he ^^**' replied : " Brother Assaragoa, we must let you know that we love our children too well to send them so great a way. The Indians are not inclined to give their children educa- tion. We allow it to be good. We thank you for the invitation; but our customs being different from yours, you must excuse us." ^ When acknowledging the gifts they had received from the proprietaries, the veteran ora- tor was evidently affected in the contemplation of their own poverty, and the gloomy anticipations as to the fate of his race which he was too sagacious a man not to foresee : " We have provided a small present for you ; but, alas ! we are poor, and shall ever remain so, as long as there are so many Indian traders amongst us. Their's and the white people's cattle eat up all the grass, and make deer scarce. However, we have provided a small present for you." Saying which he presented three bundles of skins, one for each of the colonies represented in council. Toward the conclusion of the council, while the several parties to it were engaged drinking healths, and exchang- 1 Doctor Franklin, in his misoollaneous works, has given a more extended report of Canassateego's reply to the invitation. In addition to this re- mark which I have quoted Arom Golden's official account of the treaty, Franklin reports Canassateego to have continued his speech thus : *' We have had some experience in this sending of our children to your schools. Several of our young people were formerly brought up at the colleges of the northern provinces ; they were instructed in all your sciences ; but when they came back to us, they were bad runners ; ignorant of every means of living in the woods ; unable to bear either cold or hunger ; knew neither how to build a cabin, take a deer, or kill an enemy ; spoke our language imperfectly ; were therefore neither fit for hunters, warriors, or counselors ; they were totally good for nothing. We are however, not the less obliged by your kind offer though we decline accepting it, and to show our grateful sense of it, if the gentlemen' of Virginia will send us a dozen of their sons, we will take care of their education, instruct them in all we know and make men of them." This addition to the sachem's real speech, was doubtless one of Franklin's pleasantries. LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSOIT, BART. 109 ing parting compliments, Canassateego playftiUy remarked chap. to Mr. Thomas, that they had given them French glasses wy— ' to drink their liquor in. " "We desire you to give us some ^'^**' in English glasses." The governor saw the point at which the shrewd savage was arriving, — the English glasses be- ing the largest, — and improved the occasion by the ready reply : " Yes. "We are glad to hear you have such a dis- like to what is French. They cheat you in your glasses as well as in everything else." |Jj . I. ! J ,< I, i i t -' ij •* i(J.J^ > I I ill ' ' i 1 • ' I) ' < V ^ I < I I U [■' A^M '7:f'\;?VM t-i; A'Ji!.. '*■■' 'I*/'' "'■' ^VT'j V.i -f. ^'■m CHAPTER III. 1744 _ 1746. ■ •■ . ..< , CHAP. in. 1744. The repose which the colonies had so long enjoyed under the administration of Sir Robert Walpole, — owing, probably, not more to the policy of that minister than to the pacific temper of the duke of Orleans, — the regent of France during the minority of Louis XV,' — was of course ended by the receipt of the declaration of war against France, as stated in the preceding chapter. Indeed th^ news of this declaration had not reached New England, before l5uquesnel, the French governor of Cape Breton, resolving upon the destruction of the English fishery on the north-eastern coast of Nova Scotia, or Acadia, as it was called by the French, invaded the island Canseau, burnt the houses, and made prisoners both of the garrison and the inhabitants." Attempts were likewise made by the French upon Placentia, in Newfoundland, and upon Annapolis in Nova Scotia, in both of which enterprises they were unsuccessful, — owing to a miscarriage of the plan in one instance, and to the timely arrival of several companies of militia and rangers from Massachusetts, in the other.' The flames of war having thus been lighted in the north, it required no special gift of prophecy to perceive that they would soon blaze along the whole lines of the English and French colonies, from Cape Breton to the I Marehall's Introduction. * Belknap. 1-1 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. Ill trading posts of Detroit and Michilimackinac, or Macki- chap. 111* navv, according to the orthography of later times. What w^-^ rendered the pending war yet more frightful to the inhab- ^'**' itants of both of these extended chains of rival colonies, was the fact that a broad belt of territory between them, was peopled exclusively by the Indians, — ever ready to anutf blood in the breeze, — and generally disposed to rush forth upon the war-path at every opportunity. In fact the Micmacs, the Abenakies and Etchmims, or the canoe-men of St. John's river, with perhaps the remains of other and lesser tribes of the eastern Indians, whose partialities in- clined ever toward the French, had already taken part with them in their expedition against Annapolis. These Indians, twenty years before, had been declared by resolu- tion of the Massachusetts government, to be traitors and robbers ;^ and a formal declaration of war was now pro- claimed against them, by that colony, with a bounty for scalps and prisoners.^ :; . , ; . /. ; The declaration of hostilities was announced to the general assembly of New York, by Governor Clinton, at an adjourned session opening on the eighteenth of July, as a measure that had become indispensable to the honor and dignity of the crown, not only because of the attack upon the Mediterranean fleet, but above all because of the movements of France in behalf of the pretender. Immedi- ate and strong measures were urged for the security of the city of New York, and for the general defence of the colony, especially of the frontiers. Measures, it was intimated, had already been taken for strengthening the posts of Oswego and Saratoga. In speaking of his interview with the In- dians at Albany, it was stated that commissioners from Massachusetts and Connecticut were also present, the ob- ject of whose visit was to aid in cultivating a more firm 1 Bancroft. 'Belknap. ■t-'-I 112 LIFE OF BIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, and extensive alliance with that people. Their mission w^—/ was a source of gratification to all parties. They wero ^^*^' moreover clothed with full powers to enter into a strict union with New York and the other English colonies, for the purpose of devising and executing proper measures for the prosecution of the war oflfensively and defensively. Power was asked to euabje the governor to appoint like commissioners to confer with them. The fitting out of privateers for the protection of the coast was also recom- mended, — not forgetting the supplies and the adoption of all such measures as would enable his excellency to sup- port the power and dignity of the government, and pursue every method for its safety. ^., : The speech was followed, on the twenty-fourth of July, with a special message setting forth the measures thatha^ been taken by the executive for the security both of the city and the frontiers; and making requisitions for all such farther measures as were judged essential to the pub- lic defence. For the protection of Albany and the scat- tered settlements north of it, the governor strongly urged the erection of a strong fort in the neighborhood of Crowu Point. As such a work would be calculated as well to guaid the frontiers of the New England colonies as those of New York, it was suggested that it should be con- structed at the joint expense of all. Some farther mea- sures of defence had been adopted at Oswego ; and it was recommended with great propriety that a strong fort should be built at Tierondequot, or at some other suitable point in the Seneca country, — as well for the defence of that country against invasion, as by means of a strong garrison, to check the wavering propensities of the Seue- cas, — the strongest of the Confederates, and the most easily tampered with by the French. Yet another mea- sage of a similar character, was sent down to the a8.iembly on the thirty-first of July, recommending the erection of LIFB 07 SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 118 various works of defence for the harbor of New York ; chap. in* announcing the organization of a corps of rangers . Ji w^— / the militia of Albany, to include a number of Indians, ^ whose business it should be to traverse the country north to Canada, as perpetual scouts. The sending of troops to be stationed at Albany, was also recommended. The precipitate and cowardly retreat of the English traders from Oswego, immediately on hearing of the de- claration of war, elicited still another executive communi- cation on the twentieth of August. This desertion of the trading houses had created a very unfavorable impression upon the minds of the Indians, particularly the remote nations, who, on coming thither to trade, had found the place really deserted, and the goods mostly brought away. The assembly were therefore earnestly urged to adopt the necessary measures for maintaining that important post, as a commanding mart for trade with the Indians, upon a more ample and efficient basis than had existed before. Disadvantages, other than such as might arise from a loss of trade, were apprehended by the governor. The Indians, inspired with contempt for the courage of men frightened, as it were, by a shadow, with the fall of Oswego, would be very likely to desert the English interests for the French. The spirit of the general assembly was good. Resolu- tions were promptly passed by the house, nemine contradi- cente, pledging the ways and means for putting the colony in a suitable posture of defence by sea and land. In con- sequence of the demonstration made in Scotland " in favor of a Popish pretender," a resolution was adopted requir- ing all persons in the colony to take the oaths prescribed by act of parliament for the security of the government and the Protestant religion. Bills making liberal appro- priations, — liberal considering the means of the colony, — for the public exigencies were initiated and in progress, when on the fourth of September, another message was 15 1 -^1 114 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1' 1; 1:. u CHAP, received from the governor, calculated yet more rapidly wv — 'to accelerate their action. It covered a conimunicatiou ' from the commisgioners of Indian aft'airs of an alarming character. Information had heen received by a secret messenger from Canada, that, contrary to the declaratiotin of Canassateego, at Lancaster, as to the temper and de- signs of the Cau|,;hnawagas, they, with the other Canadian Indians, had taken up the hatchet against the English, and the fall of Oswego was considered inevitable, unless its feeble garrison could be reinforced.* Information respect- ing the designs of the French upon that post, had also been received by the Six Nations. This communication was considered so important that at the instance of Doctor Colden and Mr. Murray, of the council, a conference was held between the two houses ic order to insure prompt and efficient action for the public welfkre. Chief Justice De Lancey opened the delibera- tions of the conference, and after an interchange of opin- ions it was determined to apply to the governor for the addition of fifty men to the i^arrison of Oswego, and also for orders to the militia of AI.jany to hold themselves in instant readiness to march to the defence of that post in the event of an invasion. A joint address in accordance with these recommendations was made to the governor, in which the assembly pledged itself " cheerfully to con- tribute everything in its power for the defence and safety 1 The oommiBsioners at that time, signing this communication, were Messrs. Myndert Schuyler, Abraham Cuyler, Cornelius Cuyler, Dirck Ten Broeck, Nicholas Bleecker, Johannis Lansing, and John Depeyster. Among other matters detailed in the letter, was an account of their proceedings under an order from the governor to send Captain Walter Butler, with hia son as an interpreter, upon a confidential errand to Oswego. The governor had enjoined perfect secrecy as to this mission ; but the commissioners state that the fact was known in Albany before they had opened his excel- lency's dispatches. An admirable commentary this, upon the manner in which secrets are usually kept, in all times, in peace as in war. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. Ht 1744. of the colony, and for repelling any attempt of the ciup. enemy." - ' 'i' ' • Difficulties were experienced in regard to the ways and meanB, arising chiefly from the reluctance of the popular hranch, no uncommon thing in representative govern- ments, to meet the question of direct taxation. Yet tho liberality of their appropriations attested the general pa^ triotism of the members. Special allowances were voted for the defences of Albany and Schenectady, and the round sum of three thousand two hundred pounds was granted in addition for the defence of the colony at large. Provision was like\vi8e made for the support of the pris- oners who had been brought into New York, pursuant to a suggestion of the governor, — who was commended in an address for his clemency, and requested to relieve the colony from the presence of those prisoners, and others that might be brought in, with all convenient dispatch. Thus far in the session, no action had taken place in the house in regard to the propositions from the 'New England colonies for eft'ecting a general alliance among the Indians friendly to the English, and also for a closer bond of union between the colonies, in order to the more efficient con-' duct of the war. Upon these points Governor Shirley was particularly anxious ; and on the eighteenth of September Mr. Clinton sent a message to the assembly, covering an urgent letter from Shirley, and expressing surprise that the assembly had done nothing hitherto to enable him to appoint commissioners to meet those in attend- ance from Massachusetts and Connecticut, and confer together in a matter that must redound so much to the benefit of the colony. Instead, however, of complying with this request, the house sent up to the governor an address, reminding his excellency of the liberality of their appropriations, — ample, as they conceived, for the public exigencies, — but expressing a strong reluctance to any action upon the subject of the proposed plan of union. ^' fi\ ■^mtrt^'^ . 116 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOnNSOK, BART. mm m. 1744. CRAP. Thoy thought thoy ought not to enter upon any schemo the details of wliich Imd not been iiupurted to tliem that thoy might have an opportunity of oxercifling their own judgments upon it. This address waa comnmuieated by the governor to his council on the twonty-tirst of Hepteni- ber, and a protracted conference between the two branches ensued ; including aim, another point of diii'orence, viz : a refusal by the house, of an appropriation to erect u foit at the carrying-place between the Hudson river and Crown Point. The managers on the part of the council, De Lan- cey and Murray, presented urgent reasons in favor of ap- pointing commissioners to meet those from the other colo- nies, for the organization of a league, or an alliance, against the French ; as, for instance, the advantages of united action, — the increase of strength, — the conlidencic with which it would inspire the friendly Indians, — tlie discouragements which such a union would throw in the way of the French. The importance, likewise, of erecting the proposed military work at the carrying-place, was ably urged.* But without success. No appropriation was made either for the Indian alliance, or for the commis- sioners, or for the erection of the fortress ; and the assem- bly adjourned, not meeting again until March, 1746. The autumn and winter were passed with uncertainty as to the temper and intentions of the Six Nations, and with considerable anxiety. At the close of September, dispatches were received from the Indian commissioners, expressing lively anxiety for the fate of Oswego. The efibrts of the commissioners to persuade the chiefs of the Six Nations to keep a number of their warriors from each of their tribes at Oswego for its defence, had been ineffect- ual. The French were active in their appliances to steal the hearts of that fickle people from the English, and had at that time no fewer than twelve emissaries among the 1 JowmU of the Lt.guilativr Council. LIFB OF 8IR WILLIAM JOBNBOK, DART. 117 1744. Scnocas. I pon the receipt of thcBO alarming reportH, Mr. chap. Bleocker, the intorprotor, was disputchod into the Hent»ca> country, with a message that to allow those eniissarios to remain among them was breaking their covenant chain. The intf preter, however, returned in December with more favorable news. lie had found but two Frenchmen, Hiuiths, among the Sonocas, and there were English smiths luriong them without molestation. It was not known to the Sonecas that the French Indianp had actually taken ii{) the hatchet ; yet they were told that the French Imd entertained them at a war-feast, and joined with them in their dances, — carrying aloft the heads of tlie beasts they had slain, and declaring that thus would they dance with the heads of the English.* Other reports, received by the governor and council from time to time during the winter, by correspondence and otherwise, tended to keep the eye of suspicion from slumber, and occasionally to quicken the public pulse. A deserter from the French post at Niagara, arrived in New York and was examined before the council on the twelfth of February, who gave a particu- 1745, lar description of the strength and armament of that fort- ress. He had traversed Canada, from Quebec^ stopping at Three Rivers, and Cadaracqui, before his desertion. There were one hundred men at Niagara, with four pieces of cannon. Cadaracqui was a stone fortress, tht, walls twelve feet high, with four bastions, and garrisoned by two hundred men. Lieutenant Butler, at Oswego, wrote that a scout returned from Canada, reported the organiza- tion of a force of fifteen hundred men, with a body of In- dians, destined against that post in the spring. The French, moreover, were expecting large supplies from France.' From the fickle disposition of the Indians, great caution ' Council Miautea. "^ Idem. ■ ■■ • 118 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART« CHAP, was observed in regard to their intercourse with white ' people, whose nation, character, and designs, were known ■ and understood. The laws of the colony forbade the resi- dence of white men among the Indians, unless by ex- press permission. Under these laws, and the watchful policy observed, two men, David Seisberger, and Christiau Frederick Post, having been found residing at the Canajo- harie castle,* without a license, were arrested in mid-w in- ter and dragged to New York. On their examination before the council, however, they were found to bo two worthy Germans, members of the Moravian congregation at the forks of the Delaware, who had been sent thither to learn the Mohawk language for missionary purposes. They were discharged as a matter of course.'' Post had an Indian wife and family ; and it will be seen farther o^i that he afterward performed valuable services among the Indians on the Ohio. But, notwithstanding the alarms to which such a fron- tier as that of New York and New England, in such a contest, was liable, the winter passed away without active hostilities between the French and the English, — the pale faces, or the red. Yet this inactivity of matter did not extend to mind ; and it was during this season of com- parative repose, that William Shirley, governor of Massa- chusetts, suggested the plan for striking a blow at the power of France in America, which was as bold in its con- ception, as in its execution it was brilliant. > Canajoharie, or, according to the orthography of the Rev. Samuel Kiik- land, who paHsed his life as a missionary among the Six Nations, Ca-na-jo- ha-roo, the name of a small river flowing into the Mohawk, near the uioiilh of which stood one of the Mohawk castles. The meaning of the word, lit- erally, is, '• Tke-pot-that-toashes-itself," applied to a large and beautiful bii- ^ sin, worn in the rock which forms the bed of the stream two miles back from the Mohawk, by the whirling action of the water falling from one of the cascades abounding upon this stream. This basin is perhaps twenty feet in diameter ; but the water has been directed to a Jiill-wheel. ,* Council Minutes. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 119 The harbor of Louisburg, on the south-eastern side of chap. the island of Cape Breton, was considered the key to the w^l/ American possessions of the French. By the treaty of ^7^^- TJtrecht, Newfoundland and Novia Scotia, including the island of Canseau, had fallen to the crown of Great Bri- tain, while by the same instrument Cape Breton, situated between them in the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, had been ceded to the French. Affording convenient har- bors for the reception and security of shi';^H of every bur- den — either for men of war, or ships engaged in com- merce between the parent country and her Canadian pos- sessions, or those of the West Indies, — this island had become of vast importance to France, as a security to her own navigation and fisheries, and also as affording in time of war, great facilities for interrupting the fisheries and navigation of England and her colonies.* It was there- fore determined to build a fortified town upon this island, for the site of which the most commodious bay upon the south-eastern side was chosen. It had formerly been called "English harbor," but the name was changed to Louis- burg. Twenty-five years of labor, and thirty millions of livres, had been expended upon the fortifications, which were now deemed almost impregnable. Indeed it was called the Dunkirk of America.* " Upon a neck of land on the south side of the harbor was built the town, two miles and a quarter in circumference ; fortified in every accessible part with a rampart of stone, from thirty to thirty-six feet high, and a ditch eight feet wide. A space about two hundred yards was left without a rampart, on the side next to the sea, inclosed by a simple dyke and a line of pickets. There were six bastions and three bat- teries, containing embrasures for one hundred and forty- eight cannon, of which sixty-five only were mounted, and ^ Belknap. ' Marshall's Colonial Histor'". 120 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. OHAP' sixteen mortars. 1746. On an island at the entrance of the har- ' bor, was planted a battery of thirty cannon, being twenty- eight pounders ; and at the bottom of the harbor, directly opposite to the entrance, was the grand or royal batteiy of twenty-eight cannon, — forty-two pounders, — and two eighteen pounders. On a high cliff opposite to the island battery, stood a light-house ; and within the harbor, at the north-east part, was a magazine of naval stores. The town was regularly laid out in squares, with broad streets, built up with houses, mostly of wood, but some of stone. On the west side, near the rampart, was a spacious citadel, and a large parade ; on one side of which were the gover- nor's apartments. Under the ramparts were casemates to receive the women and children during a siege. The en- trance to the town, on the land side, was over a draw- bridge, near to which was a circular battery, mounting six- teen twenty-four pounders ; and from its position, its re- duction was an object as desirable to the English as that of Carthage was to the Romans."* From the prisoners taken at Canseau by the French, and sent into Boston the preceding year, and from other sources. Governor Shirley had obtained such information respecting the situation and condition of these formidable works, as induced him to form the project of a sudden invasion, with a view of carrying them either by surprise or by storm. Shirley had indeed conceived this bold and adventurous enterprise in the autumn of 1744, and written to the British ministry upon the subject, — dispatching his letter by the hand of an intelligent officer, who had been captured at Canseau, and whose knowledge of the locali- ties and strength of Louisburg, he doubted not would be available to the government. The enterprise was approved by the ministry, and orders were transmitted to Commo- dore Warren, then commanding a squadron in the West LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 121 Indies, in January, to proceed northward in tlie spring chap. and co-operate with the movements of Shirley. Of these •— ^— ' instructions the latter was apprised ; but impatient of delay he proceeded in his preparations for the expedition in anticipation both of the decision of the government, und the movements of Warren. These preparations were in truth accelerated by the ardent temperament of Colonel William Vaughan, of New Hampshire, a son of the lieu- tenant-governor of that state, and a man of a high and daring spirit, who, from the fishermen in his employ, had become well acquainted with the harbor and defences of the place it was intended to storm. Being in confidential correspondence with Governor Wentworth upon the sub- ject, Shirley's project was communicated to Vaughan, who embraced it with all the ardor which so noble an ex- ploit would be likely to inspire a man of his bravery and enthusiasm. N^othing, with him, w :s impracticable which he had a mind to accomplish ; and so strong were his con- victions of the practicability of the conquest, that he would fain have undertaken it in mid-winter, believing that the walls might be scaled by the aid of the diifts of snow.^ Thus far the project had been kept a profound secret by Shirley himself, and the very few trust-worthy men to whom it had been confided. But early in January it be- came necessary for the governor to communicate his design to the general court, at whose hands he must ask for the means of its execution. Secrecy was yet desirable, to which end an oath of confidence was administered to the members before the plan was laid before them. Start- led at the magnitude of the project, as well as at its bold- ness, the proposition was at first rejected; but subse- 1 It has been suggested, says Belknap, that the plan of this enterprise was first suggested by Vaughan. Sevei-al other persons have claimed the like credit. I have discovered no good reason, however, for depriving Shirley of the honor of its ootioeption. IG i ,11 I ,1 i' 122 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, quently, advantage being taken of tlie absence of several ^— V-- members, the question was reconsidered, and the under- talcing was sanctioned by a majority of a single voice. Yet, nothing daunted, the governor proceeded to arrange his measures with characteristic energy. Circular letters were addressed to the governors of all the colonies south to Pennsylvania inclusive, invoking their assistance in the enterprise, and asking for the imposition of m embargo upon their ports. Armed with one of these missives, Vaughan, who had been awaiting the authorization of the expedition in Boston, rode back express to N'ew Hamp- shire, the legislature of which was theu in session. Went- worth, the governor, ivas already enlisted in the scheme ; and the legislature, catching fire from the enthusiasm of Vaughan, entered heartily into the project, and made the necessary grants for the quota of men and supplies ex- pected from that colony. Equal readiness to forward the enterprise was now manifested > y the general court of Massachusetts ; and Shirley assumed the responsibility, iu the face of his instructions from the crown, of sanctioning an extraordinary emission of bills of credit to meet the heavy expenditures to be incurred, — advising Wentworth to the same course,' Until the issuing of the circulars, moreover, the secret had been well kept ; nor, probably, would the disclosure then have been made, — at least not so soon, — had it not been for the unguarded fervor of one of the praying members of the general court, who, at the family altar, while earnestly invoking the favor of Heaven upon the enterprise, forgot that he was also speaking to human auditors. The colonies of Connecticut and Rhode Island entered into the design in the finest spirit. New York would have done likewise, had the wishes of Governor Clinton been I In Massachusetts fifty thousand pounds of bills wer« emitted for this ex- igency, and in New Hampshire thirteen thousand. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 12S seconded by the general assembly. That body met by chap adjournment on the twelfth of March, and the session was >-v— ' opened by a speech of a length and earnestness propor- ^^*°' tioned to the importance of the crisis. It commenced by aiuiouncing to the assembly the projected enterprise of Massachusetts and her sister colonies of New England against Louisburg, in retaliation, as it was alleged, for the attacks of the French during the preceding year upon Annapolis-Royal. Governor Shirley had written him a pressing appeal for co-operation in this enterprise; and concurring entirely in his views as to its importance, th© governor informed the assembly that without awaiting their neeting, he had already acted in relation thereto, to the extent of his power and means. He had sent ten pieces of ordnance to Boston, with their necessary warlike' implements ; and he called upon the assembly to respond to the invitation of Mr. Shirley, by contributing its full proportion to the expedition, the success of which would be of infinite advantage to the province. Aside from this great undertaking, farther measures for the defence of the colony of New York itself were strenuously urged. There was an absolute necessity for the erection of two addi> tional forts in the Indian country, not ordy for the protec- tion of the frontiers, but to give the Indians confidence, uud atibrd them places of refuge in hours of disaster. Already, for want of these, they were evidently becoming cool and indift'erent toward the English. He renewed the recommendation for an appropriation that would enable him to appoint commissioners to meet those of the other colonies which were disposed to form a bond of union for the common defence. The advantages to flow from such a league, were forcibly set forth, to which was added an expression of regret at the course the assembly had adopt- ed in relation to the proposition at the preceding session. It was indeed the expressed desire of his majesty, that in all important exigencies, the colonies should unite their 124 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, councils, and their forces, for the common security. Tlic *-v—' speech, which was the longest thus far to bo found in the ' colonial journals, closed with an exhortation to unanimity and dispatch. ^ ••.::. », . The council promptly responded to the speech by an address, moved by Chief Justice De Lancey. It was an echo throughout, but especially in regard to the Louia- burg expedition. High praise was aw^arded to Massa- chusetts for the energy she was exerting in this matter, and the council closed by pledging the co-operation of New York.' But this pledge was not sustained by the house. There were several points of the speech which that body received unkindly — among which were the re- bukes which the governor had administered to it for neg- lecting his former recommendations, — particularly in regard to the proposed commissioners of union, and the appointment of a Solicitor for the colony to attend to their interests in the parent country. Consciousness of then* neglect of the public interests in those respects then, neither improved the temper of the members, nor prompt- ed them to a performance of the obligations of patriotism now. Toward the governor they were not only guilty of the discourtesy of returning him no address in answer to his speech, but they manife,?ted no disposition to comply with either of his present reommendations. A special message, on the fourteenth of April, announcing the arrival of a large French force in Martinique, the destination of which it was apprehended might be against New York, did indeed arouse the assembly for a moment to the im- portance of providing some farther defences for the har- bor, and a conference with the council upon the subject was asked and granted. Still, although a show of lil)er- ality was exhibited in the appropriations proposed for this branch of the public service, the house sought to interfere -Journals of the Legislative Council. LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 125 with what was claimed as a prerogative of the executive, chap. by specifications as to the manner in which the money v-^—' should be expended, and designations of the points to be ^^ fortified — an interference, certainly, with the appropriate duties of the commander-in-chief. There was yet another cause of irritation on the part of the house, so early as the year 1709, the general assembly had found it necessary, in providing ways and means for the public service, — especially in the prosecution of the several wars in which the colony had been involved hy the parent goveri.ment, — 'to issue a paper currency called bills of credit. The operation had been repeated from time to time, in emergent cases, — sometimes with the approbation of the crown, and sometimes not, — until these paper issues had become a part of the policy of the colony. Others of the colonies, laboring under the same necessities, had resorted to the same measures of finance ; but to which the crown, jealous of its prerogative in all matters of currency, had uniformly been opposed. For many years, therefore, antecedent to this period, the royal governors had arrived in the colony clothed with instruc- tions against allowing farther emissions of bills of credit ; — instructions, however, which the stern law of necessity had seldom allowed them to enforce. Still the crown, keenly alive to every step of independent action on the part of the colonies, was persisting in its war against a colonial currency even of paper; and a bill was now before parliament upon the subject, which gave great alarm to the people. Professedly, its design was merely for preventing these bills of credit from being made a legal tender ; but it was discovered that the bill was to have a far more extensive operation, — "obliging and enjoining the legisla- tures of every colony to pay strict obedience to all such orders and instructions as might from time to time be transmitted to them, or any of them, by his majesty or his successors, or by or under his or their authority/' mM ' it m 126 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1 I CHAP. Such an act, it was justly held, "would establish ati ahso- '-v-' lute power in the crown, in all the British plantations, ^^^^" that would be inconsistent with the liberties and privi- leges inherent in an English man, whiJe ho is in a Jiritinh dominion." ' Vexed with themselves, and with the governor, for rea- sons already mentioned, and still more for their own re- missness in not having made seasonable provision for a resident agent in London to watch over the interests of the colony, and who might perhaps successfully oppose this bill, — the house evinced a disposition, without any sufficient reason, as it seems to me, to thwart the governor upon every point. In addition to the discourtesies here- tofore mentioned, in regard to the erection of fortifica- tions, "it ordered the city members to inquire for and consult some engineer ; intimated a design to lessen the garrison at Oswego ; declined the project of a guard-ship ; rejected the renewed recommendation for appointing joint commissioners to treat with the Indians for mutual de- fence ; voted but three thousand pounds toward the Louis- burg expedition ; and declined the provision of presents for the Indiana."' , ^. ., ,, It was very evident that no good could result from the action of an assembly between which, and the governor such an unpleasant state of feeling existed. The session had been extended already to more than two months, and nothing had been done for the public defence. Even the bill making the paltry appropriation of three thousand pounds toward the New England expedition, had not passed the council. Indeed only four bills, and those of no great importance, were awaiting the approval of the ^ 8ee report of a, oommitteo of ths housd of assembly, colonial journals, March 16, 1746. , . . * Smith's Hittory of Nero York, vol. ii, pp. 90, 91. * LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 127 1746. governor.^ In this situation of affairs, the governor, in no chap. very pleasant humor, on the fourteenth of May required < the assemhly to meet hi;^ in the council chamber, in order to its dissolution. In liis speech on the occasion, the gov- ernor said he was prompted to that measure by many reasons. From an inspection of their journals he observed they were bringing their proceedings to a close, vi^ithout having heeded most of the recommendations he had made to them in his former speeches and messages, although the greater part of those recommendations had been confined exclusively to the public sei-vice. It was, indeed, true that he had expected but little from them after the disrespect they had manifested toward him by omitting to present an answer to his speech. But, notwithstanding this mark of disrespect, such had been his anxiety for the welfare of the province that he had paid no attention to it, — having made to them from time to time all necessary communi- cations, and given them all the information relating to the state of the colony, within his power. Nothing that could enlighten them had been withholden. He spoke of difficulties threatening commotions among the Indians. He had signified to the assembly the necessity of frequent interviews with these people, and of making them presents, in order to retain their confidence, allay their disquietudes, and renew their treaties. No respect had been paid to his recommendations upon this subject, — nor for the erection of the forts wanted in the interior, — nor even for the payment of scouts, and the adoption of such other prudential measures as were necessary for the security of the frontier settlers. He spoke of the con- ' One of these four bills was for the encouragement of privateering. Another was a bill, originating in the house, v;hich was passed by the council, on the tenth of May, to prevent the slaves in the city of Albany from running away to Canada. By this act the crime was declared a capi- tal offence, and the council so amended the bill that the offender was to be put to death " without benefit of cltrgy." f .hi 128 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, tempt with which thoy had treated the petition of the *— V — people north of Albany, who were alarmed at the conduct of the Indians ; and of the indecency of their conduct toward him in connection with that petition. Yet, ho far as his own individual feelings were concerned, he said he could almost overlook all their ill treatment of himself, could he entertain the least hope of awakening them to ii proper sense of their duty toward his miyesty, and the people they represented ; but they had treated his majesty's orders, conveyed in a letter from the duke of Newcastle, with equal indiflcrence, — having even misrepresented its contents, particularly in regard to certain orders to Commo- dore Warren, and the service in which he was engaged. They had neglected to make provision for the maintenance and transportation home, of the French prisoners then in the city of New York. Nor had they even made au appropriation for the money he had advanced, by the ad- vice of his majesty's council, for the defence of Oswego on the breaking- out of the war. They had, moreover, undertaken to exercise the power of designating the points in the harbor to be fortified, and the number of guns U be mounted at particular ports, and even directed the issues of gun-powder and other articles of war, without consulting the commander-in-chief, — thus in eftect assum- ing the entire administration of the government, and arresting his majesty's authority from the hands of the governor. " Thus from an invincible untowardness on the one hand, or an immediate thirst for power on the other, they had become a dead- weight on the other branches of the government." They had " protracted tlie assembly to a most unreasonable length, without doing anything eflective for the honor of his majesty or the service, credit, or security of the province or the people." He was there- fore constrained to put an end to the session; and the assembly was dissolved.' * Soc Jiiiirnuh uf ihc Colotiial Assembly. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 129 Meantime the preparations of Governor Shirley, for the chap. invasion of Cape Breton, had been pushed forward with ^-v— - a degree of vigor characteristic of the sons of the Pilgrima '"' when roused to action, and bent upon some achievement requiring energy and courage like their own. Indeed the expedition had embarked, and was ' '' ' "la brave parsuit of ohivalrous emprise," weeks before the dissolution of Governor Clinton's re» fractory assembly, which, with a parsimony not usual to New York, had refused to contribute a single pound ster- ling toward the undertaking.* ' (tr// ;.;(; >i ui''<-' Mr - The design of Shirley was to dispatch an army of at least four thousand men well appointed, and if possible to take Louisburg by surprise — calculating, — correctly as the event proved, — that the floes of ice prevailing in the waters of Cape Breton in the early weeks of spring, and the dense fogs, would prevent any communication by means of w: ich the enemy could be apprised of the intended inva- sion. The people caught the enthusiasm of their leaders; and although not a recruit was mustered from beyond the confines of New England, yet the full complement was promptly supplied. Massachusetts raised three ihoiisand two hundred and fifty men ; Connecticut five hundred and sixteen ; and New Hampshire three hundred and four,* — '"The government of New York," says Dunlop'a imperfect and ill- digested history of the state, " was wise enough to join in this plan of con- quest, and sent field-pieces and other military equipments to Qovernor Shirley." Again, op tl^e sam;^ page, Dunlop says : " New York contributed in money to this expedition, but had none of the honor of reducing Cape Breton." Neither of these statement? conveys the exact truth. The oannc a, as has been stated in the text, were sent by the governor of the color/, on his own responsibility — not by the government. Nor was any mon )y contributed until after the great object of the expedition had bee 1 gained. Even then, the appropriation was beggarly. * Belknap claims that, including the crew of an armed vessel furnished by New Hampshire, there were four hundred and fifty men commanded by Colonel Moore; and one hundred and fifty men more raised in tha^ colony, and aggregated to a regiment of Massachusetts. 17 « 180 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1746. cyAP-in all, four thouBJind and neventy. Throo hundred men were Ilkowiflo raised in Rhode Island ; but they did not reach the point of doHtiiiation until the great object of tlio enterprlHe had been accomplished. These forces consisted, not of disciplined soldiers, but in the main of husband- men and mechanics — unused to service, save as militia- men occasionally engaged in the border forays with the Indians, — or to the stern code of discipline under the law martial. Yet they went forth with a resolution, and per- formed their duties with a steadiness, that would have done credit to the veterans of the duke of Marlborough, or Turenne. The Connecticut division was commanded by Roger Wolcott, lieutenant-governor of that colony, bearing the commission of major-general. The command of the New Hampshire levies was entrusted to Colonel Samuel Moore. Vaughan, the bold adventurer from that colony, refused to accept any regular command ; but being appointed a member of the council of war, held himself in readiness for any special service or situation which might offer. The command in chief of the expedition was de- volved upon Colonel William Pepperell, a merchant of Kitberg, in what was then called the province of Maine, though subject to the colonial government of Massachu- setts, who was thereupon raised to the rank of lieutenant- general. His second in command, from Massachusetts, was Brigadier-General Waldo. The selection of a com- mander for an army of undisciplined volunteers, going Upon a fatiguing and hazardous service, required the exercise of profound judgment, and a shrewd knowledge of character — qualities which were happily illustrated in the choice of William Pepperell. His profession had not been that of arms ; but he had probably had some expe- rience in the border service, not uii frequently in those days. He was, however, a man widely known, and ex- ceedingly popular, — of engaging manners, and a vigorous LIFB OF SIR WILI/IAM JOHNSON, DART. m frarnc. Ilia mind was of the firmest texture ; his courage ohap. (ioiiltted by none; and his reputation unblemished. These "-v—* qualities, united with the most admirable coolness in sea- ^^^' Hoiis of danger, amply supplied in the public mind the lack of any very extensive military experience.' Each of the colonies engaged in the enterprise, supplied iill tlie vessels for transpoits, provision ships, and cniisers, ill their power; and all things being in readiness, the BoHton forces embarked from Nantasket,* on the twenty- fourth of March. Judging from the long and minute in- Htructions from Shirley to Pepporoll, and also from a pri- vate letter from the former to Governor Wentworth, of New Hampshire, which has been preserved by Belknap, the governor of Massachusetts, though the author of the project, must have been wholly unskilled in both the arts of navigation and war. It had been his intention that the several divisions of the expedition should meet at a com- mon rendezvous, and the entire fleet sail in company. According to the letter to Wentworth, it was his design, without making the least allowance in their sailing of different vessels, or for variations of wind, or for any other of the hundred casualties that might occur, that the >The foUowiAK ' us passage occurs in Belknap's interesting account of tluH memorable expedition : "Before Pepperell accepted the command, ho anked tlie o^i.iiou of the famous George Whitelield, who was then itinerat- iug aud pre'tohiiig in New England. Wbitefield told him that h j did not think the Mheme very promising; that the eyes of all the world would be upon hiiu; that if he should not succeed, the widows and orphans of the slain would reproach him ; and if it should succeed, many would regard liiiu with envy, and endeavor to eclipse his glory ; that he ought, therefore, logo with " a single eye," and then he would find his struugth proportioned to liis necessities. Henry Sherburne, the conimissarv nf New Hampshire, another of Whitefield's friend, pressed him to favor liie expedition, and give a motto for the flag; to which, after some hesitatio.i, Whitefield oensented. The motto was, "iViZ deiperandum ChrUto duce." This gav3 the expedition t lie air of a crusade, and many of the missionary's followers enlisted. One of them, a chaplain, carried on his shoulder a hatchet, with which be in- tended to destroy the images in the French churches." Nantasket road — the entrance into the harbor of Boston 132 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ii! I j chmlp. entire fleet, eonsisting of more than a hundred veseela »-v-^of different tonnage, — guard-ships, transports, and every *7«. apecies of craft employed, — should arrive at Chapeaurouge bay at precisely the same hour, just after night-fall, to the end that the landing of the whole army might he eftected under cover of darkness the same night, and all the fort- resses of Louisburg be carried by surprise before morning ! ' All this was, of course, impossible. Indeed the New Hampshire division was so impatient of delay, that it could not brook the idea of coming out of its course to Boston to join the common fleet, but took its departure in advance of the principal squadron. The idea of a simul- taneous departure and arrival of the whole expedition having been abandoned by Shirley on finding that its execution must be impracticable, the island of Canseau was designated as the rendezvous, at which place the New Hampshire division arrived on the thh'ty-tii'st of March — four days before Pepperell came up with the Massachusetts fleet. The veteran Wolcott, who was then sixty-six years old, and who, thirty-four years before, had served in a campaign against Canada, arrived with the Connecticut squadron on the twenty-fifth of April. The Rhode Island levies, owing to various mischances, were so unfortunate as not to reach the scene of action until the business upon which they went had been accomplished. A number of circumstances, not depending upon hu- man foresight, have been noted by Belknap, Douglass, and other authors, as greatly favoring this undertaking. The winter was remarkable for its mildness, so that the harbors and rivers of New England were open in February, and the people were enabled to perform every descriptiou of labor abroad without inconvenience. The earth had * " The inyentiye genius of New England had been aroused, one proposed a model of a flying bridge to scale the walls, — even before a bridge could be made ; another was ready with a caution against mines ; a third, who was a minister, presented to the merchant general, ignorant of war, a plan for encamping the army, opening trenches, and placing batteries."— Bancroft. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNBON, BART. 188 yielded her increaBe by handfuls the preceding season, bo chap. that provisions were abundant. The Indians, in the in- w^— ' terest of the French, remained so quietly in their lodges, ^'*^* that they obtained no information of the projected enter- prise in season to allow them to communicate the design. " On the other hand, the garrison of Louisburg was dis- contented and mutinous ; they were in want of provisions and stores ; their shores were so environed with ice that no supplies could arrive early from France, and those which came afterward were intercepted and taken by the English and colonial cruisers.^ In short, if any one cir- cumstance had taken a wrong turn on the side of the invaders, and if any one circumstance had not taken a wrong turn on the side of the French, the expedition must have miscarried." ' .,.. . I have already said, incidentally, judging from his in- structions to Pepperell, that Shirely must have been en- tirely unskilled in the arts both of war and of seamanship. Those instructions were drawn up at great length, and with a degree of minuteness, in regard to matters of pos- sible occurrence even of trifling moment, resembling, in legal phrase, a bill of particulars. Every movement, to be made bo+h upon land and water, was directed in the body of the instructions with as much precision as though it were not possible either for the winds or the waves to inter^^ose contingencies in the way of the closet calcula- tions of the writer. On reading them over, it would seem as though not the slightest particle of discretion was to be allowed to the comn^anding general. These general instructions were reiterated in a supplementary order on the eve of Pepperell's departure, even to the adjustment of hooks and lines to enable the cruisers to supply the camp with fresh fish. Directions thus minute and per- emptory, might have been found exceedingly inconve- nient in the varying circumstances of a protracted siege, ^ Belknap. i/ i; )\ ;;»* H* 184 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. If oHAft by land and water, but for a seasonable postscript appended Wyw to the last-mentioned order, in those words : " Upon the '•«»' whole, notwithstanding the instructions you have received from me, I must leave you to act upon unforeseen emer- gencies according to your best discretion." It was indeed fortunate that this most important clause of the many folios of directions was given, since the expedition was detained at Canseau three whole weeks, waiting for the dissolution or removal of the ice which environed the islanda, and, by coasting the bay of Chapeau rouge, or Qabarus, as it was called by the English, during all that period protected Capo Breton from invasion.' Indeed the absurdity of Shirley's original idea of keeping the squadron compactly together during the voyage, and of a simultaneous laud- ing, regardless of ice, or storm, or fogs, or ^urf, was sig- nally illustrated by the event ; for what witli tempestuous weather, and unequal sailing, the iirst point of destination, Canseau, was attained in the most desultory manner. Only twenty of the main squadron arrived with Pepperell; and more than a week elapsed before the vessels all came up.* But this time was not lost by the commanding gene- ral, whose vigilance in obtaining information was sleep- less, and whose activity in in^p^rtiug discipline to his troops was untiring. A strong squadron of armed colonial vessels, under Captain Edward Tyng, commander of the Massachusetts frigate, was kept cruising oft' Louisburg, to cut oft* such of the enemy's vessels as might attempt either to enter or depart, and the prizes taken by them afforded valuable additions to the provisions of the army.' 1 Eren the Key. Dr. Belknap, whose trade waH not of war, oritioiees these instructions, drawn, as he says, by a lawyer, to be executed by a merchant, at the head of a body of husbandmen and mechanios. « Letter from General Pepperell to Governor Shirley. ' : » Letter of Pepperell to Shirley. Governor Shirley having directed Tyng to procure the largest ship in his power, he had purchased this ship when on the stocks, and nearly ready for launching. It was a ship of about four hundred tons, and was soon afterward launched at Boston. Tyng com- manded her and was appointed commander of the fleet. — Note in Uolma. m I '■4 I LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 186 : (■ I ^'"^ Although, as I have already said, the design of this chap. expodition had been commnnicated to the ministera of the wy-.* crown, in the expectation of receiving assistance thence, ^^*** yet it had been conducted thus far altogether upon the resources of the colonies themselves ; confident, to a con- siderable extent, in their own strength, yet anticipating such assistance. In the hope, moreover, of securing the co-operation of Commodore Warren, then in the West India seas, even before he could receive direct instructions from home, an express boat had been dispatched to him, communicating the project on foot, and requesting the aid at least of a detachment from his squadron. But on a consultation with his officers he was dissuaded from en- gaging in the enterprise; and the boat, conveying the news of this determination, returned to Boston two days before the departure of the forces.* The intelligence, ' r^wever, though unexpected, operated only as a partial 1 (»ouragement, — strong confidence being entertained that I'epperell would be supported from England with ships and reinforcements of troops.' 'j!.:."fi'' « .)Vii nuv ;.!}.:.. The promotion of Captain Warren to the Superbe, of sixty guns, and his being left on the Antigua station by Sir Chaloner Ogle, as commodore of a small squadron, are circumstances in the career of this truly brave and illustrious man, that have already been noted. His suc- cess in making captures in the West India seas had been great; and perhaps his officers were reluctant to relinquish a genial winter climate, yielding such golden returns of prize-money, in exchange for the icebergs and bleak regions of the north. He had captured two French prizes oh his way to Barbadoes a few months before ; * and while occupying a station off Martinique, his extraordinary activity was rewarded by more than twenty valuable prizes, one of which was estimated at two hundred and fifty thousand i \ (■_ m iii--il 1^ M : - [; 'ii' ■Xif ' Marshall. * Letter frem Shirley to Pepperell. is 186 LIFE OP SIE WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, pounds sterling.^ But notwithstanding his refusal of aid >— ^--to the expedition on the application of Governor ShiiU: ,, 1746, ijjf, orders from the admiralty, upon the subject, brought him upon the New England coast with the Launceton and Eltham, >f forty guns each, in addition to his own ship, and in addition, also, to the Mermaid of the same force, by which be was joined shortly after his arrival.' With- out entering the harbor of l^antasket, the commodore placed himself in communication with Shirley, and having ascertained that the expedition had previously sailed, he proceeded directly to Canseau, where he arrived on the twenty-th.rd of April; and after a conference with Pep- perell, assumed the command of the naval forces by ex- press orders from the admiralty. Previous to his arrival, the colonial squadi'on, under Captain Tyng, had taken several prizes, — vessels laden chiefly with provisions^ — which were received in good time by General Pepperell. The New Hampshire armed sloop h»d been remarkably successful, — she having captured a ship from Martinique, and with her, recaptured one of the transports which had fallen into the hands of the French on the day before "Warren's arrival. ,. ;. -. .i .) ... ■ .: i . . ..m;,^ ; ^ The two commanders having concerted their plans, "Warren sailed to cruise off the harbor of Louisburg, where he was soon afterward joined by the Canterbury and Sunderland, of sixty guns each, and the Chester of fifty, all from England, which enabled him to institute a vigorous blockade. Meantime, the ice no longer effectually impeding the navigation, the general, after having sent out a detachment which desti'oyed the village of St. Peters, and scattered the inhabitants, embarked with his forces on the twenty-ninth of April, for the point of the grand attack. Shirley, even in his final instructions, had not altogether abandoned his original idea of a landing by night, and an assault by surprise ; so that Pepperell was 1 Charnock. ' Idem. •>->1- I i • -. ■• LIPH OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 187 fltill enjoined "to sail with the whole fleet from CanseaucHAp. 80 as to arrive in Chapeaurouge bay at nine o'clock wv—* in the evening. The troops were to land in four l^*** divisions, and proceed to the assault before morning. In the event of & failure of surprisal, particular direc- tions were given how to land, march, encamp, attack, and defend ; to hold councils and keep records ; and to send intelligence, and by what particular vessels ; ^ and a hundred other minute instructions wero giv en, to be nullified daily by a hundred unforeseen contingencies. Obedience to the letter was out of the question. Instead of making the point designated in the evening, the falling of *hd wind brought them oft' the mouth of the bay only at eight o'cli ok the next morning — ^ "the intended surprisal being thus happily frustrated," as Belknap naively observes. But notwithstanding the long delay at Canseau, the block- ade of the cape by the ice and the fleet had been so ef- fectual, that no knowledge of the approach of an enemy had been received in Louisburg, and the appearance of the fleet of a hundred transports in the bay, was the first intimation they had of his proximity.* It was a moment of intense interest to the army when they came actually in sight of Louisburg. "Its walls, raised on a neck of land on the south side of the ha^'bor, forty feet thick at the base, and from twenty to thirty feet high, all swept from the bastions, surrounded by a ditch eighty feet wide, furnished with one hundred and one cannon, seventy-six swivels, and six mortars ; its garrison composed of more than sixteen hundred men ; and the harbor defended by an island battery of thirty twenty-two-pouuders, and by the royal battery on the shore, having thirty large cannon^ a moat, and bastions, all so perfect that it was thought two hundred men could have defended it against five 1 Belknap. See, also, the instructions at large, in the first volume Massa- chusetts Transactions. ' Letter of Pepperell to Shirley. ' i ^Belknap. xo 188 LIFE OF S'^il WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. • ^aEEMK iEi:^-;., CRAF. thousand.^ Yet, though forgetful of these advantagos »_^— / of strength and position, nothing could exceed tho con- 1746. stemation into which the inhahitants and garrison were thrown by this very unexpected visit. The governor made a feeble attempt to prevent the landing by sending out a detachment of one hundred and fifty men for that purpose ; but they were attacked with spirit and compelled to retire with the loss of several killed 5»nd a number who were made prisoners,—.- among whom were some persons of dis- tinction. These enemies having been thus summarily dis- posed of, the debarkation was eftected without the loss of a man. In their flight the French burnt several houses situated between the grand battery rnd the town. Several vessels were also sunk in the harbor, but for what particu- lar design is not known. \tt'^1il':.:iuvi'\ 'Ifq-lftd *;(.'i ^ii; ' : The enthusiasm with which the expedition had been undertaken by the citizen-soldiers, was unabated, and pre- parations were made for investing the city without delay. The point of debarkation was about a league from the town. The first column that advanced was led through the woods in sight of the town, by Colonel Vaughan, the daring spirit who had been so earnest from the first in urging foi-ward the enterprise, ard by whom the enemy showing himself upon the ramparta, was saluted with three cheers. On the night following, the second of May, Vaughan marched at the head of a detachment, composed chiefly of New Hampshire troops, to the northeast part of the harbor, where he burned the enemy's ware-houses, containing their naval stores, and staved in a large quantity of wine and brandy. The smoke of this conflagration, driven by the wind into the grand battery, so terrified the French that tLey precipitately abandoned it, spiking their guns, and retiring into the city. The next morning while reconnoitering the works with a small party of only thirteen men, observing that no smoke issued from the chimneys of the battery, Vaughan prevailed upon an Indian to enter 1 Bancroft. -^ LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSOK4 BART. 189 through an embrasure and open the gate. Immediate chap. possession was taken of the fortress, and one of the brave «->— ' fellows of the band climbed the flag-staft* carrying aloft a ^^- '" red coat in his teeth, which he hoisted in triumph ad a banner. The French immediately sent out one hundred men to retake the battery ; but Vaughan held them at bay until a regiment r ived to his relief and the conquest was secured. The guns that had been spiked were mostly forty- two-pounders. ^ The trunnions had not been knocked off; and by active drilling, under the direction of Major Pom- roy, of i^orthampton, — a gun-smith when at home,'' — about twenty of thom were soon rendered fit for service. The greater number of these guns were intended for the defence of the harbor ; but four of them were brought to bear upon the town with great eflect, — almost every shot being made to tell, and some of the balls falling upon the roof of the citadel.* The general was at a loss to con- jecture why the enemy abandoned so line a battery, but concluded that it must have been occasioned by a deficiency of men. The French turned some of their guns against this battery, not without making some considerable im- pression upon its walls. Twice, also, in the course of ten days, they rallied out for its recovery, but in both in- stai.ces were repu'sed with loss. The loss of the Ameri- cans in this afi'air was very slight. The siege was pressed with vigor, but its prosecution was attended with almost incredible labor and difficulty. For fourteen successive nights the troops were employed ill dragging their cannon from the landing place to the camp through a morass, so miry that neither cattle nor horses could be used for that purpose. The men sunk to their knees in the slough, and the cannon could only be drawn even upon sledges constructed for that purpose by Colonel Misseroe, who, fbrtunatelj was a carpenter before : l^ 1 Letters of Pepperell to Shirley. ' Bancroft. ' Pepperell to Shirley. '. ..■!'■ 140 LIFK OF SIR WILLIAM J0UN80N, BART. CHAP, ho took to tlio profossion of arms. What added essentially s.^ to tho severity of this labor, was the circumstance that it 1746. could only be performed in the night, or when curtained by the heavy fogs resting upon the island ; bince the dis- tance was not only within view of the town, but within reaching distance of their cannon.* The approaches of tbe besiegers were not made with strategic regularity. Indeed the ears of a martinet would doubtless have been shocked at the barbarisms of the provincials in using, or attempting to use the tecL calitiesof military science — or rather at the jesting and mockery which they made of them.* Still, the approaches were mcde, generally under cover of night ; und in ten days after the debarkation, they were within four hundred yards of the towi , with cannon planted upon several commanding heights, while a fascine battery had b'^en erected on the west sideiof 1 Tho men who performed this aeToro Bervioe were much disappointed and chagrined when they found that it was not more distinctly acknowledged in the accounts Which were sent to England, and afterward published. Tho Ble^e WAb signalized by many meritorious exploits whicli were not men- tiMied by General Pepperell in his dispatches, as, for instance, Taughan's expedidoa on the night after the landing, and his seizure of the great ^ at- tei7, with only thirteen men, on the next morning. * Bancroft. There was doubtless much less of military seniority among the besiegers during this campaign, than would have been the fact in an army of regular soldiers ; and much less of strict military discipline than their (cliMMdnding officers ootild have desired. "It has been said, *'re- mairkB Mb. Belknap, " that this siege was carried on in a random, tumult- uary manner, resembling a Cambridge commencement. The remark is in a great measure true. Though the business of the council of war was cou- dudted with all the formality of a legislative assembly ; though orders ittn issued by the general, and returns made by the officers of the several posts ; yet the want of discipline was too visible in the camp. Those who were oi the spot have frequently, in my hearing, laughed at the recital of their own irregularities, and expressed their admiration when they reflected on the almost miraculous preservation of the army from destruction. They indeed presented a formidable ft*ont to the enemy ; but the rear was a scene of confusion and frolic. While some were on duty in the trenches, others were racing, wrestling, pitching quoits, firing at marks, or at birds, or running after shot from the enemy's guns, for which they received a bounty^ and the shot was sent back to t'uc city." LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAET. 141 the city upon which eight twenty-two-pounders w vc ciup- mounted. *-v— ' On the seventh of May, after a conference between the ^''^^r naval and military commanders, it was agreed to summon Duchamboau, the French governor, to surrender. This summons having been refused, H was then determined to prosecute the siege in a yet more vigorous manner, and to attack the island battery, in boats, the first favorable opportunity.^ It was a formidable undertaking. This "island battery" stood upon a small rock, almost inac- cessible, about two hundred yards long by twenty m breadth, with a circular battery of forty-two pounders commanding the entrance of the harbor, and a guard house and barracks behind.'' On the eighteenth of May, the besiegers had thrown up a battery within two hunflred yards of the western gate, whereon were mounted two forty-two, and two eighteen pounders, which annoyed the town considerably ; but several of the siege pieces of ord- nance were defective, and by bursting, or otherwise, were 83on rendered useless.' Indeed there was great defective- ness in the equipments of the rank and file ; but the siege was, nevertheless, persisted in with the most indomitable perseverance. Between the eighteenth and twenty-eighth of the month five unsuccessful attempts were made by Pepperell to carry that battery, in the last of which he lost nearly two hundred men, killed, and many more drowned, before they could land, besides several boats which were shot to pieces. Although repulsed, the attack was bravely conducted. The troops who succeeded in landing made a noble stand, and an officer named Brookes nearly succeed- ed in striking the flag of the fortress. It was already half cloven when a French-Swiss, a dragoon, clove his skull with his cutlass.* The expediency of making yet another 1 Letter from General Pepperell to Governor Shirley. ' Letter of " an old English merchant " to the earl of Sandwich. ' Pepperell's letters. ^ Letter from -'an old English merchant" to the eail of Sandwich. til 142 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM J0H5S0N, BART. ^Im.**" ^t^^'T^Pt upon this fortress was discussed in council, but w„^ — ' such ^eas its strength, and the commanding udvan- 1746. ta^gg ^f j^g position, and so difficult was the landing ren- dered by the surf, that the project was abandoned m impracticable.* During thcHC operations upon land, Commodore Warren had been cruising ott" the harbor with splendid Hucceas. So closely was the entrance guarded that with the excep- tion of a single sloop laden chiefly with zinc, everythint;' that attempted to get in was captured ; the con8e(pieiu'e was that b(n! town and garrioon were soon reduced to great distress for provisions. A large ship, the Vigilante, commanded by the Marquis de la Maison Forte, from Brest, deeply laden with military and other supplioH, having on board reinforcements to the number of five hundred and sixty men, and bringing also two or time years' pay for the troops' was known by Buchambeau to be on her passage, and great dependance was i>laced upon this arrival for relief. But this, the governor's last hope, was cut off by "Warren, — the ship having been decoyed by one of the frigates into the centre of his squadron arid captured on the niuteenth of May — " almost without resistance.'* f )'i ^ Letter of Pepperell to Commodore Warren, in which he otaios th'} exact loss in killed, in the last abortive attack upoft the .Island, at one hundred and eighty-nine. <,.,,>. ;,,!_•. ., ' Letter from Madame Warren to her brother. Chief Justico De Lanccy. irritten after the capture of the Vigilante. • So says Charnock, in the Biographia Navalii. But Bnncroft says (he Vigilante 'was decoyed by Douglass, of the Mermaid, and taken after nii engagement of several hours." I have seen another authority in wliicb Douglass is named as the captain of this ship. Yet there is doubt iipun the subject. Holmes, in a note, cites from Alden, the biographer of Capiain Tyng, a statement that the Vigilante was taken by this officer, cominiiniling. as we have seen, the Massachusetts provincial frigate. Other books and several private letters among the Johnson manuscripts attribute the enp- tiire to Warreu. As the commander of the squadron, it is settled in pcnc- ral history, that the credit in chief should be awarded to him. Alden's authority for awarding the particular credit to Tyng I do not know. LIPB OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 148 Although the island fortreBs had not yet been taken, chap. Htill a battery erected upon a high clift'at the light-house, w^—/ greatly annoyed it. Nevei-theless, in the eye of Warren, ^'^^' the operations of the siege advanced so slowly, that, impa- tient of delay, even after the capture of the Vigilante, having taken the opinion of a council of his officers, he wrote to ]'epperell, proposing that a decisive blow should 1)C struck by a combined attack by land and sea. The fogs wore a great annoyance to the commodore, being often so dense, that it was impossible for him to communicate with his consorts for two or three days at a time. On more than one occasion, interviews between the land and naval commanders had been prevented by the same cause. Fur- thermore the commodore had been more than thr- e months at sea, and was wearied of the service of cruising upon such a limited station. But vhe plans submitted by the commodore for the proposed assault, were not agreeable to Pepperell and his board of officers, and a correspondence was maintained upon the subjec: for several days, — ^War- ren occasionally showing a degree of earnestness, bordering 1745, perhaps, upon asperity. Yet he protested that his only desire was for the success of the expedition, and the honor and interests of the crown ; and he distinctly disclaimed the disposition to give the least offence.* At length, however, the batteries of Pepperell continu- ing to make considerable progress against the walls of the town, on the first of June it was determined between the two commanders that a combined assault should be made as soon as the necessary arrangements could be completed. For this purpose a large body of the land forces were to he embarked on board the fleet, which was to force the harbor and land them in front of the town, covered by the guns of the ships. A bombardment of the town was to ensue, while Pepperell was to make a simultaneous attack through the breaches at the west gate. Before this could 1 Correspondence between Warren and Pepperell. 144 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP. 1)0 d(«ie, however, there was a lbrmi; r 1746. rjijjQ news of this loss sank deep into the hearts of the French. They saw, moreover, that preparations were on foot for an assault, which, from the scattered positions of the beseigers, and the inequalities of the ground around the town, they could form no intelligent estimate of their numbers — such prisoners as had fallen into their hands having vnth. singular uniformity reported the invading forces much more numerous than they actually were. Under all these adverse events and circumstances, and discouraged, moreover, by the menacing appearances without, Duchambon determined to surrender, and on the sixteenth of June articles of capitulation were signed. The terms of this capitulation were honorable to the van- quished, who were allowed to march out with drums bftat- ing and colors flying — their arms and colors then to be delivered into the custody of PeppereU and Warren, until the return of the prisoners to their own country, when they were to be returned to them, i At four o'clock in the afternoon of the same day Colonel Bradstreet, with a detachment of troops took possession of the town and its defences, the strength and magnitude of which, and the resources yet remaining to the French, had they persisted in the defence, astonished the victors, who saw at once that policy had stepped in very opportunely to aid their own bravery in the reduction of works so formid- able, yet the siege had been powerfully directed, as the reader must have seen by the preceding details, to which many facts and circumstances might be added.* , , 1 On entering the town PeppereU wrote to Shieley — "Such ruins were never seen before, which however, is not to be wondered at, as we gave the town about nine thousand oannon balls and six hundred bombs before they surrendered, which sorely distressed them, particularly the day before they sent out their flag of truce, when we kept up such a constant fire on the town from our batteries, that the enemy could not sh6w their heads, nor •tir firom their covered ways. Our battery near the light-hoose played on LTFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BARt. 147 The time of the capitulation was exceedingly opportune chap. for the besiegers in various respects yet unmentioned. >-v-' Two days after it took place, information was received by ^'**' General Pepperell that a body of two thousand five hun- dred Indiana were hovering within a few miles of his camp. The capitulation of the fortress was doubtless a signal for their instant dispersion among their own deep forests. The weather, moreover, which had been remark- ably favorable to the objects of the besiegers, for that climate, now suddenly changed, and a cold and driving storm of rain set in, which continued ton days, and which, but for the shelter afforded the enemy in the town, would have thinned its ranks to a frightful degree by sickness — the disorders usual among those not accustomed to camp duty, or to sleeping upon the earth, having already made their appearance among the soldiers. Reintbrcements from Boston, for which Pepperell had been urgently writing to Governor Shirley, arrived soon after the capitulation, — as also did the Rhode Island levies, after a protracted voyage, — together with supplies of pro- visions. These and other stores, were augmented by fur- ther captures from the enemy, — several rich prizes having been decoyed into the harbor after the fall of the town, by the artifice of keeping the French flag flying upon the ramparts. Among these were two Indiamen, and on© South-sea ship, estimated, in all, at six hundred thousand pounds.^ A dispute arose between the land forces and the the island battery with our cannon and large mortars ro that they were ready to run into the sea for shelter, as some of them actually did." Still in the same dispatch notwithstanding these severe operations, Pep- perell says : we have not lost above one hundred men by the enemy in this vast enterprise, including the disaster at the Island battery." This is in contradiction of his dispatch giving an account of that island disaster, in which he stated the loss by the enemy at one hundred and eighty-nine, exclusive of those who were drowned in attempting to land from the boats. ' On the eighteenth of July, a large schooner from Quebec, laden with flour and other provisions was brought into L-^.uishurg by one of the colonial cruis- ers. On the twenty- second, tbeChnrmante, a B'rench East India ship of about fi »6 or six hundred tons, twenty-eight guns a;id ninety-nine men, surrendered %4» I^IFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. (mr. uftval, as to the distribution of the prize money arising wvw&om these captures, the former under the circumstances 174*. of the case, claiming an equal proportion with the latter. But the booty went to the seamen, — to the strong and general dissatisfaction by the soldiers. The Mermaid, Captain Montague, was dispatched to England with the tidings, bearing official advices from both commanders, enclosing the articles of capitulation. These dispatches were received by the ministry on the twentieth of July, and gazetted, but in substance only, on the twenty-third. It has been justly said, that the news of this important victory filled America with joy, and Europe with astonishment. The colonists, for the first time, began to feel the might that slumbered in their own strong arms, while the parent country gave no uuequive- cal evidence of jealousy at the development of so much en- ergy and power. The letter of Pepperell, giving an ac- count of the operations under his own command, was not allowed to transpire ; but the publication of the general &ct8 caused great rejoicing among the people. A court of evidence was immediately convened, and an address of oongratulation for the success of his Majesty's arms was voted, though in rather subdued and formal terms. But as the news of the capitulation spread through the colo- nies, the feelings of the people broke forth in the most lively rejoicings. Boston was illuminated even to the most obscure bye-lane and alley ; and the night was sig- nalized by flre-works, bou-fires and all the external tokens to the Princess Mary and Canterbury, without oppoBition. The Charmante. had been detoried in the offing, and the ships which took her, were seat out ttom here. This was as Taluable a prize as had been taken during the war. On the first of August, the Chester and Mermaid brought in the Heron, a French East Indiaman, from Bengal, — "pre*iy rich," — as Sir Peter wrote to the admiralty. On the second of August, the Sunderland and Chester brought in a French ship called the Notre Dame de la Deliverance, of thirty- two guna and about dixty men, from Lima, — having on board, in gold and silver, upward of tluree hundred thousand pounds sterling, with a cargo of eMos, Peravian wool, and Jesuit's bark. — Ditpatcket of Sir Peter Warren to th«AdmiraUv. LIFB OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSOK, BA&¥. 149 of joy. A day of solemn thanksgiving to Almighty God, omap. was likewise set apart by the civil authorities, which was w^ observed throughout the colony. Nor was a thanksgiving 1745. festival ever more religiously kept in Massachusetts.^ But notwithstanding the studied design, so rarely man- ifested in England, to attribute the success of the enter- prise, and the glory of the achievement, mainly to War- ren, there was no reluctance evinced in bestowing de- served honors upon the provincials. Pepperell was cre- ated a baronet, and commissioned a colonel in his majes- ty's forces, with permission to raise a regiment in the colonies, to be placed upon the regular establishment, in the pay of the crown. Govenor Shirley was also appoint- ed to a colonelcy, and confirmed in his government of Massachusetts, as also was Benning Wentworth, in that of New Hampshire. Commodore Warren was likewise pro- moted to the rank of rear admiral of the blue.' 1 Letters to Pepperell from the Rev. Dr. Chauncej. After the sui-render of the fortress, a grand entertainment was given on shore by Gen. Pepperell, as well to celebrate the event, as to honor Commodore Warren and the vari- ous officers of the navy who had coAperated in the capture. There was a circumstance attending this dinner, connected with the Rev. Mr. Moody, Fepperell's worthy chaplain, which has been preserved as being-at once grave and amusing. Mr. Moody was somewhat remarkable for his prolixity in saying grace, before meat, and his friends were particularly anxious on this occasion that he should not fatigue their guests, and perhaps disquiet them by the length of this preliminary exercise. Yet his temper was so irritable that none of them ver.tured the hint, " be short." The chaplain, however, catching the spirit of the occasion, very agreeably disappointed those who knew him by preparing the service in the following words : •' Qood Lord, we have so much to thank thee for, that time would be infi- nitely too short to do it in. We must therefore leave it for the work of Eternity. Bless our board and fellowship on this joyful occasion, for the sake of Christ our Lord. Amen." ' Pepperell was gazetted as a baronet on the tenth of August, — less than a month after the news of the capitulation. Commodore Warren was ga- zetted as a rear-admiral of the blue on the same day. It it stated by Bel- knap, that Warren was also created a baronet as a reward for the same achievement, and the statement is repeated by Dunlop, and perhaps by other American writers. But the fact is not so. Warren was never a baronet. It is true that the knighthood of the Bath was conferred upon him ; but . I '~«»>«li».<. 160 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ! \ CHAP. Yet notwithstanding these honorable rewards to the w^-^ master spirits of the expedition, there was unquestionably 1746. a most discreditable reluctance on the part of the parent government to reimburse the colonies for the heavy expen- ses, which, without counting the cost to themselves, they had so nobly and so generously incurred ; and by reasou of which, conquest was achieved, so important, accoi-ding to the testimony of their own historians, " as to prove an equivalent, at the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle, for all the suc- cess of the French upon the continent of Europe." The claim was prosecuted several years before parliament could be brought to sanction an appropriation to cover it. The grant was however obtained in the year 1749, amounting to the sum of one hundred and eighty-three thousand six hundred and forty-nine pounds sterling. It was received at Boston the same year, and equitably divided among the colonies which had incurred the expenditure.^ this was not done until in the year 1747 ; the order being then conferrvd ns a reward for his conduct under Vice Admiral Anson, in the great naval en- gagement with the French fleet off Cape Finisterre, which was fought May third, of that year. Warren commanded on that occasion the Devonshire of sixty-six guns, and (with the Yarmouth) was first in the engagement. In July of the same year, Warren was gazetted admir&l of the white, as also, on the same day, Mr. Clintoti, then governor of the colony of New York, Sir Peter Warren and the unfortunate admiral Byng appear to have been fellow officers, considered at that time of high and equal merit. On the same day that Warren was promoted to the rank of rear admiral of the blue, Byng was promoted to the same rank, and Warren and Byng were on iLe same day farther promoted to the white. Yet how widely different the end of their career ! Ten years afterward, poor Byng, as brave, doubtless, an Warren, but in a single instance unfortunate, was sacrificed by ministers n yiotim to popular clamor, and to screen their own imbecility. The judicial murder of Byng is one of the foulest blots upon England's escutcheon ! 'The exact sum was £183,649 25«. l^d. The agent who prosecuted the claim, encountering difficulties at every i j>, was William BoUan, whose account of the negotiation la presented in the first volume of the Mnes. His. Coll. The money was told in specie. On its arrival in Boston it ^vas immediately conveyed to the treasury-house. It consisted, according to n note in Holmes, of two hundred and fifteen chests (three thousand pieces of eight, on an average, in each chest) of milled peices of eight, and one liiii - dred casks of coined copper. There were seventeen cart and truck loads of the i^ilver, aiid %bout ten truck loads rtf nnr\rtai* LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOUNSON, BART. 161 Jealousy of the rapidly increasing strength of the colo- chap. nies, as I have already intimated, was beyond all doubt the w^w moving cause of the unworthy attempts made in England, ^^^'*- to appropriate all the glory of the conquest to Commo- dore Warren. Mr. Bollan, the agent for prosecuting the claims of Massachusetts, found on his arrival in London, ;hat in the first address of congratulation to his majesty on the event which he saw, it was spoken of as "a naval Buccess" — not the least mention being made of the land forces employed on the occasion. But although these at- tempts to present it in the ligM of "a naval acquisition," were not without their influence, the colonists were not friendless, and the claims of the provincial troops were ably asserted. All credit was denied to the ministry in regard to th<^. achievement, by some of the most influen- tial journals. " Our ministers," said one of these, "have no more merit in it than causing the park and tower guns to fire." ^ Again says the same standard periodical, on the appointment of Charles Knowles as governor of Cape Breton, and commander of the fleet on that station: "it is hoped that Generf'l Pepperell, the gallant commander of those brave forces who took it, will be provided for in some other way." - t . . .,. '.,.,. In the spring of 1775, — ^thirty years afterward, — these attempts to detract from the just fame of the provincials, were revived by the earl of Sandwich, then first lord of the admiralty, in a speech before the house of lords. His lordship professed to speak upon no less ai:thority than that of Admiral Warren, who, as the m blister asserted, had pronounced the Americans engaged in the siege of Louisburg, as the greatest cowards and poltroons whom he had ever seen. His lordship also made Warren to say, that the fighting at Louisburg had been done by the ma- rines of the ship's crews, landed bv the commodore for that purpose ; while at the same tii - he was compelle'l I-. I'lhe Gentleman' » Magazine — the beet historical record antecedent to Dodsley's Annual Kegister, the publication of which was begun in 1768. *-■ -A t: ^,. ■u :">&. I 'ik,* BmSam'' j: 152 LIFE or SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 4 I CHAP, praise the Americans for their endeavors to keep thorn w.,^ from running away. It should be remembered, however 1745. hat this speech was delivered at the breaking out of the, war of the American revolution, wUsin it wa>4 the policy of thfc parent country to decry lao olwractei* of iho. colo- nies, rhe minister, moreover fcjokt o,t randon} o( con- vorsatiiuiB merely held witl one, -v bo h^} Vf^^ dcu i ore than tliirty yeai3. He vas howover, iminedisiti.r^ and sharply unswered th; ;iugh the Loudtju press, by a man who had been ouii^aged iu <];o seige, — who had known Sir Peter Warren, uud convtrniMi with him upoi; the subje t.^ This writer provcvJ that Sir Peter i odd never havt made any 8Lw.'h statements to his loitkilp, nov to r ' • one else — in tbt first pjnce, from the perfect haiit v'ny that existed be- tween tlv* laud and the sea officers; secondly, because of tUo very impossibility that the story could be true, — sinpe the commodore had no power to command upon land, and could not have interfered with the authority of General Pcppcrell • — and for the yet move conclusive reason, that THE COMMODORE NEVER LANDED A PARTY, EITHER OF MARINES OR SEAMEN, i^lTRIKa THE SEIGE. How far Admiral Warren himself participated in those eftbrts at detraction, or whether in reality he engaged iu them at all, is now a point of difficult determination. It is affirmed by one highly respectable American authori- ty,' that " Warren deposed on oath, in the high court of admiriility, seventeen months after the event, that with the assistance of his majesty's ships, &c., he, this deponent did Bubdue the whole island of Cape Breton." This declaration unexplained, presentt eed a most arrogant claim ; but it ill accords with the dtjclarations o^ the com- 1 Letter to the earl of Sandwich hy "an old English merchant." — Mat», ffiit. Coll., Yo\.t. ■'■■■■ - * Wahh's Appeal Arom the Judgments of Qreat Britain, respecting the Unit- ed States of America, in which the ano'vr jitcs the Registry of the High Court of Admiralty of England, Sept. y-ninth, 1747. I have not oton this authority to Judge of the extent ofxcumstances under which the leposition was made. "^ImS^-' LlfB OF BIR WILLUH JOHNSON, BART. 16« i irodore's letters written during the seige. In one of these chap. addresses to Governor Clinton in New York, and dated off v—^w Louisburg, May twelve, 1745, the commodore says : ^7**' " Sir, I take the liberty to acquaint you that the New England troops have taken possession of one of the ene- my's most considerable batteries at Louisburg, which gives them the command of the harbor ; and they have now carried their approaches so near by land, that the city is blockaded, and its communication by land and sea entirely cut off, and that before the arrival of any ship to their reUef from any part of the worlds except one stnaU one laden with mm and brandy." ^ Indignation at British arrogance upon the subject of this expedition, however, and a pretty general conviction that Warren was less magnanimous than he should have been, have on the other hand conspired to induce certain Ameri> can historians to derogate from the si^bstantial merits of this distinguished naval commander, in regard to that great achievement, whose conduct, within his own proper sphere of action, and beyond which he evinced no desire to go, was without fear, and without reproach. Owing to the fogs, the ice, and the storms, the difficulties of maintaining a rigid blockade were exceedingly difficult and hazardous. Yet never was a blockade more effectively maintained, and never did a naval commander evince a stronger desire to encounter yet greater hazards for the honor of the service, and of his royal master. It is indeed possible, that feel- ings of jealousy may have been growing like hidden fires in the bosoms of both commanders, even in the hour of triumph. A nd if such were the fact, there were doubtless, ill-disposed people at hand to fan the sparks into a flame. Yet there is nothing in the conduct or correspondence of the two commanders, during the seige^ going to warrant any aucL ct^- elusion, On the contrary, there was at all a (^onerous cooperation between theifli. Qftce, in^ .jiv^e, > This letter ia i. {reserved in the journals of the general af semh^ of Nf ^ fork. 20 i """"■■' f • i|f 1^ LIPB OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. li^ oHAp. deed, — ^biit not until the day after the capitulation, — there s-v— 'Was an imputation of jealousy thrown out ; but it is no 1745. jnore than justice to admit that it came from Warren him- self, who thought he had reason for the impeachment against Pepperell. " I am sorry," said he, " to find by your letter a kind of jealousy which I thought you would never conceive of rao." The residue of this letter is earnest, but relates to some unspecified complaint of Duchambon, who seemed to apprehe^d a disposition on the part of Pep- perell not to observe with suflicient exactness, the terms of the capitulation. But the real or afiected cause of the French governor's complaint is not given, nor does the letter seem to have been preserved in which Warren thought he discovered the shadow of the green-eyed monster. There were, however, sharp j '^alousies entertained in an- other quarter. The people of Boston were alive to the hopor of their merchant-general ; and having heard that the keys of Louisburg had been delivered, not to him, but to the commodore, were not a little incensed thereat.* Still greater was their displeasure on hearing that Warren had assumed the government of the conquered province— it being feared " that New England, from a sea-officer, would not have its full share of the glory of the conquest."' Hence it was requested by the legislature of Massachusetts that Governor Shirley should repair in person to Louisburg, which port it had been determined to repair and retain, t« look after the interests and the giory of those who had ef- fected the conquest. Yet the highest praise was at the same time, and on all hands awarded to Warren. Dr. Chauncey himself, in the letter to his friend Pepperell, im- mediately prior to the one just cited, says : — "I have no personal acquaintance with the brave Mr. Warren, but I ^If I understand Hutchinson correctly, this statement was inaccurate >, , ^,- ,>.,... ,i , .-1 /r >.-iM (' Nrir •■'i(in«^ i ■'•:;.■, ! '( ••^^.^, '.-i'.; V •;:-(' /■-! .,•,';■!'". '' '■ •: !*'•■ ' ■' ■ •:,,.< ■ ,1. .A. ■ .::, •:• ■■ ('...: ;i'i'-'- !■■■,•'!-. ... ■i(< , ■ :<; . 'HI.;! ! .. r. i "M ' 'i ■ ■' m'- , , i, ,/•■■; ,!;,,. • ■ • .■• M ! 11 ' ; ■ . • ' i ' • • ' .' I I- , , ' I • ■ ! .1 '1 .1 • I' ) / ','',. ,1 K . ,' .. ..A V '' ■Vj >' '! . '■><.' ■ ' »♦, K>j,i,r !•!'. xr, P.^.l- 1t;i} >l»>r<-U M-i'.tf?- »(. tMr„(,,,.»f.- Iff) 1r *.'V!^m "■?' .l . 'r'>l ;f'';t»f> '' -f -.- hn»/ iUtM.'J"i« Ii »H< liv ,/>'n''«-'. .:i!--«v< Milt l(» ,;Iv-)il ''*'' ,;T ' • jr'(.n''n 'r .v'.-air.il»*( '••'<«••''. ^ -CT.p m -rj Tj JY '/li'ilt 'lo 'i'> '■'•-'■in iKiijV! .ir^jri'il •>.♦■' It • t '.(Kr. '!{; ■^f;/ frMHVMfJT .l.,il.>'.'. ,-■ 1746—1746. <) ..-j,-, .i; ,n ,,(j,., Recnrring again to the progress of affairs in New York : en ap. Mr. Clinton, the governor, it will be remembered, had dis- »_v— ' solved the second assembly of his administration, on the ^^^'^• fourteenth of May, in high displeasure, because, as he alleged in part, of the personal disrespect with which he had been treated by that body ; but chiefly because of its inatten- tion to the defenses of the colony, and its neglect df his recommendations a cooperation with the Now England colonies in the expediticm against Cape Breton. Orders for such coopewition having been received from his m^esty's ministers, the governor held that obedience was an impera- tive duty. But the people seem not to have sympathized with the feelings of the governor; and the uncomply- 1.5 members, with few exceptions, and with singular unanimity, wete returned to the new assembly, which met on the twenty-fifth 6f iTtme, and elected Mr. David dones, of Queens county, ia gidntleman distinguished for his rigid views of economy in public affiiirs, as their speaker. The news of the fall of Louisburg had not reached New York at th e time of the meeting. Much of the governor's speech, therefore, after preissing again upon the attention of the as- sembly the importance of placing the colony in such a pos- ture of defence, as the crisis demanded, wa? vlevoted to the Louisburg expedition. The governor had iiideed him- self only heard of the earlier operations of tlie ruege ; the capture of the first great battery upon land, and of the Vigilante by sea, and the latest dispatches thence con- sisted of urg at appeals from Governor Shirley and Com- modore Warren, fortroops, seamen, and provisions. These solicitations were in turn urged upon the assembly with all II 168 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNBON, BAivi. CHAP, the force at the commnn, *,.;.( The Indian relations of the colony were yet again becom- ing critical. Notwithstanding the eitbrts of the preceeding year, both at Albany and in the grand council at Laiutan- ter, to keep this jealous and fickle people true to their covenants with the English ; and notwithBtunding their repeated pledges of fidelity, the Six Nations were again wavering ; and the misgivings of the govenor as to their designs, were communicated by a message to the houHO, on the twentieth of August, in which an appropriation was asked to enable his excellency to meet them in council, and if possible, ascertain the grounds of their discontents. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOIINKUN, DART. 169 Tlio governor also ainioimeod that some of the Canailinn ohap. ItuliunH had broken the treaty of neutrality existing be-. ,^ tween them aiid the Hix NationB, b^ comnjittinghoBtilitieB i^^*^- against some of the frontier Hettlemonts of Now Kngland, where several of the inhabitautd had been barbarously murdered. In the apprehension that those Indians might be meditating an intlictiou of the like cruelties upon the frontiers of New York, it was necessary tliat duo measures of precaution should be adopted. There hud been indications of dissatisfaction among the 8ix Nations for several mouths piHior to this message. Li- deed the governor had referred to their '' disquietudes " and "commotions" in his speech dissolving the assembly in May ; and it was well ascertained tliat during the preced- ing winter, emissaries from the French had been among them, while they in turn had sent several messengers with belts into Canada. Information to this effect was elicited on the examination of John Henry Lydius, of Albany, before the executive council in New York, on the sixth of April. Lydius was a man of extensive acquaintance with the Indians, having resided much among them, — in Canada several years, — and again at Lake George. He stated that he had recently seen a French Indian, from whom he had received information touching the designs of the enemy against Oswego, and also in regard to the feelings of the Six Nations. The Mohawks were very uneasy, and had sent several chiefs to confer with the Indians in Canada. The cause of this uneasiness was a suspicion awakened in their bosoms by evil disposed persons, that the English were preparing at no distant day entirely to destroy them. This apprehension, notwithstanding its absurdity, was seriously entertained by many of the people, and even by some of the chiefs ; though the orators Abraham, and Brant, gave no credence to the tale.* ., • * • ' Manuscript joamals of the ezeoutive oounoil, secretary of state's office, Albany. The Brant here spoken of, was probably the father or the reputed father of Joseph Braot of the revolution. 160 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP. It was unfortunately but too true, at the time under con- s-^^w sideration, that no good feelings existed between the Mo- i"45. hawks and the people of Albany. At least the Mohawks looked upon the latter with great bitterness, — ^having been overreached in sonae land purchases, in which the Al- banians were concerned. So they alleged ; and by avail! ng themselves of these prejudices, some evil-minded persons had to some extent persuaded the Mohawks that the Al- banians were plotting the destruction of their nation, in or- der to possess themselves of their domain. Rumors were accordingly circulated among them from time to time to the end that measures for killing them were in actual prepara- tion. They were thus kept in a state of feverish excitement and suspicion for several weeks. At length a runner arrived in the Mohawk country, in the night, with information that the Albanians were then actually upon the march agaiuBt them, to the number of several hundreds, armed with mus- kets, and treading to the sound of arms and trumpets. The poor Indians of the lower castle, Dyiondarogon, fled in wild aflfright to their upper town f- - All was confusion, — the women seizing their infants, and the children who were able to run, flying in the utmost consternation, and utter- ing the dead cry — "que!" que!" que!"* 'li ;:; The dissatisfaction having become extensive among the confederates, it was judged expedient to depute Conrad Woiser, the Pennsylvania interpreter for the Six Nations, to make a tour of friendly observation among them. Weiser was a native of Schoharie, partaking largely of the confidence of the Indians ; and it was rightly judged that a mission by him to their several towns and castles would be attended with happy results. Those results were realized. On the twenty-ninth of July the missionary re- turned, and his journal was laid by Mr. Clinton before his council. After traversing the cantons beyond Onondaga, and soothing their feelings, he waa accompanied from the > Manuscript journals of the exeoutivo oounoil. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 161 Great council fire by a party of the chiefs to Oswego, where chap. free conferences were held. The Indians complained that s-v-' the English kept them in the dark about the progress of the ^^*^' war, dealing out their news in generals only, whereas they wanted the particulars. They wei-o aware that the gov- ernor of New York was displeased with their visits to Canar da, but they insisted that they went thither only upon business, — the governor of Canada knowing very well that he could do nothing with them to the detriment of the English. Returning from Oswego through the Mohawk country^ Weiserwas received gladly at their castles and treated kind- ly. The Indians there said they inclined to the English, having always been used well by the govpruors of New York, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Put the people of Albany had not treated them well. They had cheated them, and were yet trying to get their lands and destroy them. They likewise accused the Albanians of being en- gaged in unlawful commerce with the enemy, to whom they had sold large quantities of powder. In regard to the visits of the Mohawk chiefs to the French in the winter, they admitted that they had gone thither because they were displeased with the Albanians, and in order to let them know that they would act as they pleased. At Dyiondarogon, the Indians convened a council to hear Mr. Weiser on the subject of their late alarm in con- sequence of the rumored invasion from Albany. He as- sured them that the whole story which had caused their panic was false, and told them of the great surprise of the governor on hearing of such an occurrence, at a time, too, when he thought the parties were all so friendly to each other. The Indians, in reply, admitted that their alarm had been very great ; but, they said, the matter had all been settled, " and thrown into the bottomless pit." The ex- planations made to them had been perfectly satisfactory ; and they now requested even that no inquiries might; ^^ 21 ^ ;■ t^^n "~*«M4tft^ 162 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. OHAP. instituted as to the authors of the alarm.* But it will IV« .-.^ presently appear that they did not exactly hold to this reso- 1746. lution themselves. At the same meeting of the council, letters were received from the commissioners of Indian affairs at Albany, an- nouncing the approach of scalping parties of the Canadian Indians toward the frontier settlements at the north. They also stated that two men had been murdered on the border of New England, — the Indians having plucked out their eyes, torn off their scalps, and cut out their hearts. This last statement was confirmed by a letter from Go /emor Shirley, who spoke O' it as a violation of the treaty of neu- trality between the Canadian Indians and the Six Nationb, and urging as a proper measure that the latter should now forthwith take up the hatchet. Upon these representations, the council advised that an interpreter be immediately dis- patched to the Six Nations, with a request that they should ascertain to what tribe or nation the offending Indians be- longed ; and also whether the murders were approved by their tribe, If so, then the Six Nations were requested to consider what was to be their own line of duty. If not,— if the murders werp disapproved, — ^then it war, left to the Six Nations to say whether they ought not to demand the surrender of the murderers,— rthe outrage having been al- together unprovoked.? The cruelties just set forth, were committed upon the frontier of New Hampshire ; biit others equally atrocious were committed shortly afterward in the border settle- ments even of Connecticut, of which information was given to Mr. Clinton by Governor Low of that colony. Nor were these all. It was discovered in August, that while the Canadian Indians had thus been let loose upon the New England frontiers,— crossing even the province of Massachusetts in order to strike Connecticut, — the French 'Manuscript journals of the executive council. 'Manuscript proceedings of the executive council. ' Manusi ■^ The coi Jacob We LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 163 had become yet more earnest in their solicitations for the ch^m>. Iroquois to join them against the English. Certain of the v-^,— / Afohawk and Tuscarora chiefs, moreover, had made still ^'^*** another visit to the governor of Canada, in connection, as there was but too much reason, to believe, with these solicitations. At all events, the return of those chiefs was preceded by a state of feeling among the people, that deterred the Indian commissioners at Albany from send- ing a messenger among them, with the overture from the governor and council as directed on the twenty- ninth of July. Meantime a letter was received from Mr. Phipps, acting governor of Massachusetts during the ab- sence of Governor Shirley at Louisburg, announcing that by the advice of his majesty's council of that province, war had been, formally proclaimed against the Eastern and Canadian Indiaus.^ The alarm had therefore become very general before the special attention of the assembly was called to the subject by the message from the governor of the twentieth of August. That body saw the necessi- ty of immediate and efficient action, and an appropriation of six hundred poi ds, in addition to an unexpended balance of four hundred pounds yet iu the hands of the executive, was made to defray the expenses of a treaty with the Indians at Albany. The assembly there- upon adjourned over by permission, from the twenty- ninth of August to the fifteenth of October; and the necessary measures were concerted f jr holding a general coimcil with the Indians without unnecessary delay. Ibc negotiations were opened on the filfth day of Octo- ber, Gcvernor Clinton being attended by Messrs. Philip LivingstOiN Daniel Horsmanden, Joseph Murray and John liutlierford, ."nembers of the executive council. Delegates were also in attendance from the provinces of Massachu- setts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania.^ AVout four hun- ' Manuscript journals of the execulive council. ^ The commissioners from Massachusetts, were, Colonel John Stoddard, Jacob Wendell, Thomas Berry, John Choate and Thomas Hutchiuson. From 7i I- 164 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. V'- ■ .( CHAP, dred and sixty Indians were present, representing all the wy— ' Confederates excepting the Senecas, who had been detained 1746. |jy ^ distressing malady, which was sweeping off many of their members. The first interview between the parties was brief, — the Indians retiring immediately after they had been presented to the governor and drunk the king's health. A consultation was then held among the com- missioners as to thu arrangement of their subsequent pro- ceedings, at Which it was determined that in order to im- press the Indians with an idea of the harmonious action and consequent strength of the English, Governor Clinton should speak the united voice of the whole, — ^that is, of N^ew York and New England. The Pennsylvania com- missioners, being members of the Friends' society, pre- ferred to make an address by themselves, in their own pe- culiar way. It was likewise determined that Mr. ClintOu should present the chiefs with the hatchet to strike the French, and the Indians in their alliance, for the infraction of their treaty of neutrality with the Six Nations, uncon- ditionally, — leaving it with the Indians themselves to sug- gest, should they elect to do so, some other measure for obtaining satisfaction for the barbarities that had been com- mitted.^ Before proceeding to the main business for which the council had been convened, however, the governor having heard that notwithstanding their message by Conrad Weiser, the Indians had never been altogether satisfied in regard to the affair uf the panic, heretofore described, determined upon having a full explanation of that myste- rious affair ; — and two days or more were occupied upon that subject. Hendrik, chief sachem of the Mohawks, made a long speech. He said their distrust of the designs of the English, but especially of the people of Albany, had Connecticut, Roger Wolcott, lieutenant-gOTernor, and Ooiuiiel Stanley. From Pennsylvania, Messrs. Thomas Lawrenoe, John Kinsley, and Isaac Norris. > Manuscript journals of the executive council. LIFJffl OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 165 been originally awakened by Jean Coeur, a French inter- c«ap. preter, residing principally among the Senecas. This man »— v— « had long been regarded by the English as a dangerous ^^*^' neighbor, and they had endeavored to persuade the Sene- cas to send him away, — ^but in vain. Hendrik now in- formed Mr. Clinton that Cceur, on returning from a visit to Canada, had told the Indians that the governor of New York had been proposing to the governor of Canada to unite for the entire destruction of their people. The tale sank deep into their minds. They knew that the Albany people had treated them badly, and when they came to re- flect upon the project, and thought of the condition to which the River Indians had been reduced, and of the fact that the people of Connecticut and Massachusetts had taken all their land away, they began to ponder whether such might not be the design of the English against themselves —the Six Nations. "You," said Hendrik, pointing to Colonel Stoddard, " have got our land, and driven us away from Westfield, where my father lived formerly."* When they thought of these things, he repeated, we feared that "the Mohawks would be brous^htto the same pass," and rendered " as poor " as the River Indians were. " This," he said, " had remained in their hearts some years, and now, as the governor woull have them open their minds, they had done it, and they hoped it would have a good eifect."2 A long discussion followed the harangue of Hendrik, in regard to the authors of the claim, and several persons were to a greater or less extent implicated. Next to Jean Cceur, a man named Philip Van Patten, was charged as the chief agent in getting up the mischievous alarm, and a ^This romark will be the better underiitood on the statement of the fact that the family of Hendrik was Mohegan, and only Mohawk by adoption. Yet Hendrik and his brothers were chiefs of the first influence — Hendrik himself being the principal chief of the tribe, and was known as King Hendrik. 'Manuscript jourcala of the executive counoil. I iM 166 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1745, CHAP, negro wench of Schenectady was likewise compromised. * But the statements of the Indians were contradictory ; Van Patten purged himself on oath, and the Indians were evidently opposed to any very rigid investigation being made.^ Indeed before the close of this branch of the pro- ceedings, it oame to be justly doubted whether the whole affair had not been a contrivance of a few of the Indians to excite sympathy, and perhaps extort from th« govern- ment an increased amount of presents, — a lame and impo- tent conclusion of the touching and dmmatic scen« brought to the contemplation of Conrad Weiser. i The council was opened for the transaction of the proper business upon which it had been summoned, on the tenth of October. After the usual preliminary salutations, in which the Indians were told as a mutter of course, that the council had been invited for the purpose of " rendering, strengthening, and brightoning the covenant chain," and after condoling with them for the absence of the Senecas, because of the grievous sickness their people were suffer- ing, the governor spoke to them directly, and in a tone or disapprobation of the late visit of some of their chiefs to Montreal, where they had met the French governor. It had been asserted in justification of that visit, that they had gone thither to protest against any invasion of Oswe- go by the French — the Six Nations desiring that that post might be suffered to remain as " aplace of trade and peace," and pretending that they were determined to defend it if attacked. But at the very time when their chiefs were in Montreal, the Canada Indians had been breaking their treaty, and murdering the English. Not only so, but the governor assured them he had been informed that while pretending that their mission was thus pacific, they hud so far ac( epted the hatchet from the French, as to agree to bring it home, and consider whether they would strike their English friends with it or not. This story, however, ^ Manuscript journals of the executive council LIPB OP SIR WILI.TAM JOHNSON, DART. 167 the English could hardly believe to be true, unless they chap. should hear it from their own lips. A lull and plain answer v-.^— / was expected, " that all stains might be wiped from the ^^*^' covenant chain." Mr. Clinton next proceeded to relate to the chiefs the progress of the war — informing them of the action of the French the preceding year upon Annapolis Royal, and giving them an account of the fall of Louisburg, and the conquest of Cape Breton. In this part of the country, the English had lain still ; but they had last year informed the governor of Canada, that unless the war should be conduct- ed in a Christian-like manner, — unless the Canada Indians were restrained from murdering the English, — the Six Na- tions would immediately join the latter and strike upon the settlements of Canada. Yet the French seemed deter- mined not to be at peace with us, and their Indians had not only killed some of the English, but had left a hatchet by the side of one of the dead, — thus defying the English and the Six Nations to take it up. The most solemn and sacred engagements were broken by them, and they had shown that even belts of wampum would not bind them to their promises. The English had been slighted, and the Six IJiJ^ations treated as though they were not worthy to be re- garded. They think you will not perform what you have threatened, and they fear not your displeasure. Thus they reflect dishonor upon you. The chiefs were next told that it wj^a high time both the English and the Six Nations should exert themselves to vindicate their honor. The English desired not the de- struction of their fellow creatures, yet they felt that they ought not any longer to bear these insults and this evil treatment from the French. " Therefore, since neither our peaceable disposition nor examples, nor any methods we have been able to use, have sufficed to prevail upon them to forbear their barbarous treatment of us, but on the con- trary, they seem determine4 to provoke our resentment, — ' -' f i 1 «t 168 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1746, CRAP, in the name of God we are resolved not only to defend our- ' selves, but by all possible methods to put it out of their power to misuse and ovil-entreat us as they have heretofore done. And we doubt not of your ready and cheerful con- currence with us, agreeable to the solemn promise you made us in this place last summer, in joining with us against the French, and such Indians as are or may bo in- stigated by them to commit hostilities against us." This passage of the governor's speech was followed by the pre- sentation of a large belt of wampum, with a hatchet hung to \V , Having taken two days for consideration, the Indians re- plied, renewing the covenant chain, which they said they were determined should never rust again, " because they would daily wipe off the dust, and keep it clean." In re- gard to the visit of their chiefs to Montreal, they denied peremptorily, the truth of the report of their having consent- ed to receive the hatchet from the French governor, even for the purpose of consideration. Upon this and some other points of less importance, the chiefs answered with- out embarrasment. But on the subject of consenting to go upon the war-path against the French, they spoke wari- ly. They thanked the governor for the information he had given of the progress of the war ; but touching the direct appeal to them to engage in the contest, they cau- tiously said : — "you desire, as we are of one flesh with you, that we would also take up the hatchet against the French, and the Indians under their influence, with you. We the Six Nations, accept of the hatchet, — and will put it in our bosoms ! We are in alliance with a great many of the far Indians, and if we should so suddenly lift up the hatchet without acquainting our allies with it, they would perhaps take oflence at it. We will therefore before we make use of the hatchet against the French or their Indians, send foui' of our people, who are row ready to go, to Canada, to demand satisfaction for the wrongs they have done our > Manuscript journals of executive council. I LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 169 1746. brothron, and if they reftise to mt^ko satisfaction, then we chai*. will be ready to use the hatchet against them, whenever • our brother the governo' ^i New York orders us to do it." Two months, they said, in reply to a question from the governor, w-. ti I be time enough for thom to ascertain whether the aggressors would make the requisite satis- faction ; and in the event of their not doing so, they re- peated their declaration to use the hatchet at the command of his excellency.* In subsequent sections of their speech, the Indians took occasion to remind the governor that the original design of their alliance with the English was the advantages they hoped to derive from a reciprocal trade ; but goods had been sold very high to them of late. They were now Resti- tute of clothes, powder, and lead ; " and people who are to go to war ought to be well provided with ammunition. This, however, should their request be now denied, was the last time they should speak upon the subject." In his rejoinder, the governor explained to them the causes of the high prices of goods at that t\\rie. They were occasioned by the war ; but he would see that goods should be sold to them at as reasonable rates as possible. The presents to be distributed among them were then an- nounced, — the governor enjoining it upon the chiefs to reserve for the absent Sene( u^ their due proportion.' The discussions were concluded :j7 a few words of wholesome advice addressed to the red chieftains now about return- ing again to their own beloved wilds. Thus far the proceedings of the conference had been marked by apparant harmony. But Mr. Clinton had no sooner ended his closing address, than the Massachusetts ' Here the Indians requested hig tioellenoy, that, as they had given the var-shout upon his delivering the hatohet to them, that their brethren would now signify their approbation of this article (or avowal) in their usual method. Whereupon his excellency and most of the company joined in shouts with three hurrahs. " — Ms. »c /■'ds of the council recorded in the ex-; ecutive Journals. 'Manuscript journals of the executive cojincil. S2 170 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, commissioners rose to express their di ^approbation o: that viv- V^"^ o^ ^^^^ speech of the sachems in which they luid ^'*^- uooiared that for the present instea*! of using the liatchct they should " put it in their boson , The commissioners stated that when the Indians first arrived in Albany, they came with a good heart to enter into the war at once ; and they attributed their change of purpose and desire of de- lay, to the intrigues of the people of Albany. The Albani- ans, the commissioners said they well knew, were opposed to having the Six Nations engaged in the contest, and they doubted not that the hesitancy which the chiefs had manifested, was altogether owing to their influence. On the subject of the proposed mission to obtain satisfaction from the red men in Canada, the Massachusetts gentlemen regarded the propiosltion as a mere pretext for delay. If satisfaction were given at all, as pretended to be given, i*, would probably consist of a small bundle of skins, of no substantial value, and would be no atonement at all. They were therefore greatly dissappointed with the turn ihei ^egotiation had taken.^ It would not be safe to affirm that this suspicion of the Massachusetts gentlemen was indulged without cause. The Albanians, at that time, regardless of the higher ob- ligations of patriotism, were engaged in a lucrative con- traband trade with Montreal, through the agency, proba- bly, of the Caughnawagas, as in former years. Of this trade the Six Nations themselves had complained, because of the supplies of ammunition thus furnished to the Erench ; and the governor, in his last preceding message to the assembly, had recommended strong measures for its suppression. Nevertheless, from a motive of policy, — for it could have been prompted by nothing else, — Mr. Clinton affected surprise at the suggestions of the Massachusetts gentlemen, inasmuch, he urged, as it had been the de- clared opinion of Governor Shirley himself, that it would > ManuBoript journals of the executive council. Ill' LIPB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSn'T, BART. 171 be in ovoiy view sufficient were the entire neu rality of the chap. Indians to be preserved. That neutrality it was the strong w^— ' desire of the Six Nations to main xin unbroken; and it was to this end, as Mr. Clinton now insisted to the Maswa- chusetts gentlemen, thiit some of ilioir "hiolB were in Ca- nada ut the very time when the dirocf" >u8 for holding the present council were issued. An)e dispon'tion of the Canada Indians, or to reap th fr- *" *^Hei. paciiic endeavors, ha. Immediately on the receipt of these unwelcome tidings in New York,the governor transmitted a message announcing the facte to the general assembly, written under the ^Ms. letter from Robert Sanders, of Albany, to " Mr. William Johnson, merchant at Mount Johnson, " in which the writer says : In obedience to year request I shall bear in mind that this is not the Saratoga watering place of modern days, but the old town of Saratoga lying upon the margin of the Hudson river, rendered yet more famous in history by the surrender of General Burgoyne upon its plains in 1777. •Dunlop's History of New York. '!^ "';'"' '^^ wh> -kh;. .^ * Sanders's letter. uh..,. .u.^Llvt , A . , ,» LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 176 strong excitement of the moment, and upbraiding that chaf. body for its disregard of those measures of defence which wy— * had so frequently been urged upon its consideration. ^'*^' •'The like was never known," he said, " that one part of a government should be left to be butchered by the enemy, without assistance from the other." The high road from Crown Point to Albany, was now open to the enemy, and he again called upon the assembly for means to enable him to erect a proper fort at the carrying-place, and such other defences as might be necessary for the protection of the set- tlements in the neighborhood of the places that had been destroyed. Further provision was also demanded for the Indian service, the exigence having now occurred which would authorize the governor to call the Six ]!^ations forth- with into the service. Supplies were moreover indispens- able for subsisting the troops and militia from the city, and the lower counties which must be detailed to the north for its protection. The sharp tone of the message gave offence. And yet it was very natural that the governor, who certainly was chargeable with no neglect of duty him- self, should speak to those who were, in terms of earnest- ness, if not of reproof.* Suppressing their resentment at the governor's tartness, for the moment, however, the assembly declared its readi- ness at all times, " to concur, cheerfully, in every reasonable Liefasure for the honor of his majesty, and for the welfare and security of this colony ; for the assistance, also, of our neighbors, and for any well-concerted plan, consistent with the circumstances of the colony, for distressing and har- rassing the enemy." As an earnest of their sincerity in this declaration, bills were passed making liberal appropri- ations for the service, accompanied by a resolution for building the oft-recommended fortress at the carrying-place, ^It is asserted by Smith, that the gorernor's irritation with the assembly had been excited a few days before the receipt of the news from Saratoga, by its proceedings in the case of the contested election of Edward Holland, to which transaction I shall have occasion again to advert. J .4 f 176 LIFE OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. IV. 174A. OHAr.aud for rebuilding the fort at Saratoga. A reBolutioii was ' also adopted authorizing bounties to be given for scalps, taken either by white men or Indians, provided that that barbarous mode of warfare should be resorted to in the first instance by the enemy. Having done thus much for the military service, and passed the annual salary and sup- ply bills, the assembly adjourned over from the twenty- eighth of November to the seventeenth of December, " liien to meet at the house of Rear Admiral Warren, in Greenwich."* Early in December an important letter was laid before the privy council from Colonel Philip Schuyler, requesting the governor to send up three hundred men from the militia of the lower counties for the defence of Albany and f^'lienectady, and also asking for the immediate re- building of the fort at Saratoga where his brother h£^ been slain. These requests had been in part anticipated by the governor, the two companies of independent fu- sileers stationed in New York having been ordered upon that service, who were then on their way. Yet, notwith- standing the pressing nature of the emergency, the re- moval of these troops from the metropolis caused dissatis- faction, and the local militia refused to perform duty as sentinels at the governor's residence, or at any other place save within the walls of the fort. Conceiving this conduct a high personal indignity, the attention of the executive council was called to the subject, by whom an order was passed directing that the refractory conscripts should be compelled to perform the duty required." In addition to the fusileers, a competent number of the mili- tia were drafted for the frontier service, which was not very desirable to the yeomanry of the counties, espe- cially in winter ; and a spirit of insubordination among 'See journals of the colonial assembly. The prevalence of the small- pox in the city, — the simple ar Jdote to that terrible disease of Dr. Jenner pot having been discoverei* until i^early half a century afterward— rendering the change expedient. ' -■•■ > ■■"C -■ ■..> ji .--riU:.' •-.->.•"'.: vt , * Manuscript journals of the e;(eoutiye oounoil. '' m .-:': t;; LIN OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT. m them, manifested in several respects, but particularly In *'y^* their refusal to aid in building the fort at Saratoga, gave *— v— ' Colonel Schuyler no small amount of trouble.* There was probably cause for dissatisfaction among these levies, to some extent, arising not only from an ill-supplied com- missariat, and the consequent absence of many things necessary for their comfort in a rigorous winter climate, but also from the want of a hospital for the sick, t^ere being none at Albany. Nevertheless the worl^ ax. Saratoga went slowly forward, by such assistance as could be ob- tained from the people in that part of the country, covered by patrols of a few militia and about forty Indians upon whom Schuyler had prevailed to engage in that service, * On the whole, therefore, the winter set in gloomily. The entire frontier of New England and New York was ex- posed to the incursions of arj agile and subtle enemy, certain to strike if opportunity presented, and yet equally certain to conceal the point oi attack until the fall of the bbw. On the eleventh of December, Mr. Low, governor of Connecticut, wrote to Mr. Clinton that a force of six hund- red Frenchmen and Indians was investing Stockbridge, against whom he had ordered a force to march with all possible alacrity. Several months previously, the gover- nor of Georgia had written that he had been advised through the Ohickasaws of a general movement against the northern colonies, by the Indians as remote even as the Mississippi valley, acting in alliance with those upon the great lakes, — all of whom had been instigated against the English by the French governor at New Orleans. This rumor was now received through a different channel, with the additional statement that these distant Indians were to join the French from Canada, and strike from the west- ward upon the settlements of Orange, Ulster, and Albany countieB,-rT-especially upon the towns of Esopus and Mini- 1 Manusoript joumalB of executlue oounoil, oorrespondenoe of Colonel Schuyler. y*vH;,«' ■ ^;i ;•:!''>! if^rtft' 'Letter ftrom a surgeon to the executive council. 2§ ■ ..K.M..«-.,... l^=: :W 178 LITJS OF SIB WILLLUM JOHNSON, 9A»T. 1746. ouMT. sink, — and also upon the frontiers of J^'ew Jersey and Pennsylvania ; while certain suspicious n^ovements among the clans of Indians yet remaining in Orapge and Ulster, who had withdrawn themselves suddenly from their hunt- ing-grounds, served to strengthen the apprehension. But in regard to these latter clans, the alarm was allayed in a short time by a communication from Colonel DeKay, of Orange, who had induced them to come back and renew the chain of their covenant. The colonel was actually bound to some of tl^eir chiefs by a chain, for an hour or more, at their request, as an evidence that the two peo- ples were fast bound to each other.^ Meantime the general assembly met again on the seven- teenth of December, the session being opened by a speech, shor^ and to the purpose. After a brief statement of the measures he had adopted for the public defence during the recess, and asking for such an appropriation as would enable him to build a fort of stone, "large and strong," at the locality so often designated north of Albany, to guard the canying-place between the Hudson river and Lake Ohamplain, the governor again urged the adoption of such measures as would enable him to form a union for the more efficient prosecution of the war with the other colonies, a proposition which had again been pressed upon his consideration by the government of Massachusetts. Borne action of this kind had become the more necessary, inasmuch as there was reason to believe that thd French were organizing a powerful force in Canada, with the de- sign of penetn|,ting into the heart of New York. Among the documents con^n^^icated with the speech, was a let- ter from Doctor Oolden, dated ^t Qoldei^ham, in the county of Orange, stating that the French had now a considerable party among the Si^ Nations, industriously engaged in sowing the seeds of disaffection, a|id in promoting their own interests. Certain it was, thj^t ^Maausoript journftls of tho executive oounoil. LIPB OF SIR WILLIAM J0HNS0I7, BART. 179 by means of some adverse influence, the Confederates orat. were again occupying a doubtful position. This appears v-^ from the fact, that immediately after the disaster at Sarar i7iJki toga, the governor had directed the Indian commission- ers at Albany, to send an interpreter into the Iroquois country, requiring of them a compliance vrith their en- .^^^j gagementa in such a contingency, made at the treaty. The order for them to "draw the hatchet from their bosoms," and proceed immediately against the enemy, was peremp- tory. But the chiefs refused a compliance with the man- date ; and the commissioners, in announcing the result of the mission, suggested the calling of another council larger than the former, at which they thought it would be necessary to send the Indians off upon some expedition before they should return to their castles.^ This unex- pected information was announced to the general assem- bly by a special message; and the dispatch from the commissioners was referred to a committee of the execu- tive council for consideration. > -; ..r i.i^, .^va .j^,, But notwithstanding the irri^tion which the faithless- ness of the Indians was so well calculated to produce, Mr. Horsmanden, chairman of the committee of reference, made an able and humane report, going so for in extenu-* ation of their conduct as almost to justify their sullen re^ fusal to enter into the war. It was considered that they were a scattered people, and their cantons remote from each other ; and whatever other plausible pretexts they might themselves assign for their conduct, it could not be doubted that they were under terrible apprehen- sions for the safety of their own wives and children, should they engage in the contest, since in the absence of their warriors, who were to protect their own country from the French and ihdr Indians? The committee there- fore recommended that forts and garrisons should be es- tablished in the country of the Confederates, as places of security for the women and children, and the old men, in i ' Manuaoript journals of the executive oounoil. 180 LIFB OF SIR WILUAU JOHNSON, BAUr. 'ii oBAT. case of invasion. This measure would give confidence to wyw the chiefs ; and the committee therefore recommended u 1748. correspondence with the other colonies upon the subject, with a view of obtaining assistance in the ereotiou of the works proposed.^ 174e. The importance of an alliance with the K'ew England colonies, both for mutual security, and for offensive and defensive operations, was by this time becoming more ob- vious, and the recommendations of the governor began now to be received with greater favor by the assembly than previous to this threatened Indian defection. Accord- ingly, on the twenty-fourth of January the house asked of the council its concurrence in a r<^8olution for the appoint- ment of a joint committee upon the state of the colony. The proposition was acceeded to ; and the result of their deliberations, after their action had been again quickened by an Indian alarm, waa the sanction, in the spring, of the project which had been so long and so much desired by the executive, and so blindly resisted by the representa- tives of the people.' The commissioners appointed to confer with those from New England, were Philip Living- ston, Daniel Horsmanden, and Joseph Murray, of the council; Philip Yetplanck and William NichoU, of the assembly. .tf nt iai>f»5fi. ^f» i^^frfv...... ■^j.-.tj z;^^. . •^ An improved spirit of liberality was likewise evinced as to appropriations for the public defence, and for other branches of the service. Yet the proceedings of the As- sembly, upon some of these measures at least, were not characterized by the greatest harmony. There was an in- creasing hostility in the lower house against the governor ; the assembly and council were at odds upon a question of parliamentary law, involving, indirectiy, the royal preroga- > HauDsoript Journals of the executire eonnoil. v.'^^ '< > *The committee on the part of the counoil,reoommending this course, con- sisted of Chief Justice DeLanoey, Joseph Murray, Daniel Horsmanden, and John Moore.. On the part of the house, the committee consisted of j\Ir. Clarkson, Captain Biohards, Migor Van Home, Mr. Crugor, Mr. Verplanok, Colonel Beekman, Captain Livingston, and Colonel Chambers. ilpi^Hil LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNBON, BART. 181 live, and finally, the tnGmbore of the assembly fell into char discreditable fends among themselves touching the distri- v.^-^ bution of the public burdens among their respective coun- ^'*^* ties." The mixed question of parliamentary law and pre- rogative, arose on a disagreement between the legislative council and the assembly, upon the details of a bill au- thorizing an emission of bills of credit to the amount of ten thousand pounds. Before the introduction of the bill, the assembly had inquired of the governor whether he bad any objection to an emission of paper money to meet the exigencies of the country ; to whu;h question the proper answer was given by Mr. Olinton, that " when the bill came to him he would declare his opinion."' The bill was there- fore introduced and passed by the assembly ; but the coun. oil, disapproving of certain of its provisions, requested a conference. The assembly, however, declared that inas- much as it was a money bill, they would consent to no such course upon the subject. The council thereupon summa- rily rejected the bill, and sent up an address to the govern- or, written by Uie chief justice, BeLancey, setting forth their reasons, by which their course had been governed. One of the objections to the bill, according lo this repre- sentation, was found in the fact, "that the money proposed to be raised by the bill was not granted to his m^esty, or to be issued by warrants in council, as it ought to have been, and as has usually been done." This objection in- volved the old question of the royal prerogative — nothing more. On the subject of the right claimed by the assem- bly of exclusive power over iw?, details of money bills, the address asserted " the equal right of the council to exercise their judgments upon these bills." Various other ob- jections of detail were suggested ; but the two points spe- cified above, were the only grounds of principle upon which the council relied in justification of its course, Tet the unreasonableness of the assumption of the house, that the 'Smith's jBrM«oryo/iV«w ForA:, vol. ii, p. 94. 'Ibid, p. 96. 'ti>ji*ai' 1'. uii.' sir, 11.. .!i;'.;ij ,'.> '. i . ^f.'t- ■ ■ :.'; '),, ti-,!;,- ,,: ' ,1 182 Lira or IIR WILLIAM JOHMaOIT, oaht. oRAr. council should not be allowed oven to point out and rectify s-v— 'the defectfi of anything which they choMe to call a luonoy *'*•• bill, wos argued at considerablo length.' ''*' JuHt at this point of oolHsion, the qmall pox, which hod driven the anfembly fironi the city, appeared in Greenwich, producing a panic that for Hcvci.tl days entirely arrested the course of business. The assembly prayed for a roooHs from tlie ninth of March to the twelfth of April, and ulno for leave to a(^oum their sittings to some other place. Ja- maica and Brooklyn were suggested ; but in die opinion of the governor the demands of the public service forbade so long an mtcrregnum, and he therefore directed their ad- journment for a week, then to meet in the borough of WoBtchcstor. They convened there accordingly ; but the inconvenience of the locality was such that the members begged pornnasiou to adjourn, oven back to the infectcu city again, rather than remain where they were. Ih the eud the governor directed them to ai^ourn to Brooklyn, at which place the transaction of business was resumed on the twentieth of March, on which day an address to the governor was ordered to bo prepared, !n answer to that of tlie council respecting the rejection of the before mentioned revenue bill. VVhetlier such an address was prepared or not, the joiit- nuls of the assembly afford no information ; but the bill appears to have died between the two houses. Still, the dangers and necessities of the country wore such as to for- bid inaction, whatever might become of questions of pre- rogative, or of legislative etiquette. Letters from the in- terior were pouring in upon the governor and council full of alarming reports, and asking for assistance nt vu* rious points. The inhabitants of Kinderhook and Cluve- rack, now that the fort at Hoosic had been destroyed, und the settlement deserted, petitioned for the erection of u couple of block-houses for their security ; large parties of > Journals of the legisUtWe oounoil, from the proceedings at length. Lira or ilR WILLIAM JOIIVSON, r.ART. 188 the enemy were traveraing the countr)' about flaratof^a, chap. the garrison of which, weak and uneacy, threatened de-s-^w lertion ; parties both of French and Indians wore infesting ^^^^■ the environs of Albany and Bchencctady, destroying pro- perty, and killing and scalping, or snatching into captivity such of the inhabitant i as ventured beyond the walls ; tho emissaries of the French, of whom the Jesuit priest, Jean Goour, was tho leader, were holding the Six Nations in check, and preventing them from going upon the war-path, while advices were received from the Oan^joharie castle that the governor of Canada had invited the Confederates to a meeting with him at Onondaga, which invitation had been accepted.^ The settlements in the interior, not ex- cepting the considerable towns of Albany and Schenecta- dy, were, therefore, in a state of general panic. A stronger principle than that of prerogative, if not than that of po- litical liberty, demanded, with irresistible emphasis, some efficient action from the legislature. Before the close of the session, therefore, another revenue bill, originating in a spirit of compromise, and yet making no essential con- cession on the part of the representatives of the people, was passed by both houses, and received the signature of the governor., 7 tii ,^1^ /r ;^j)turr .tu^? mil na *<.v ni iu^>^ii rtnThis bill provided for raising a supply of thirteen thou- sand pounds, by a tax on estates, real and personal, and for emitting bills of credit to the same amount for the public ■■ ■■ ■' III I ■■ ■- ■ I ■ ■■ I pi I i— ^^^ -— -. I. I I H --i ■ ■ II I I II * Mb. journals and oorreapondenoe of the exeoulive oouncil. Among the letters written about this time was one ttom the Indian commissioners stating that certain persons for a suitable compensation were willing to undertake to bring Jean Goeur from the Seneea oountij to Albany. The commission- ers thought it an important object, but it seems not to have been acted upon. A letter was also received ftrom Arent Stevens, a landholder residing at the Can^oharie castle, announcing that the Caughnawaga Indians had sent m belt Arom OaAada, desiiing to come back to reside in their native valley. On the same day a communication was received from John Henry Lydius, who had an intimate knowledge of the Caughnawagas-, proposing a soheme for persuading them to Uie same course. But these suggestions came to nothing. , . , , . I i::r?l|; Wl S'-^'P' I*'' 184 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. "^IT- CHAP. service, and creating a sinking fund for their redemption.' wyl' But though the bill was passed by the council without 1746. amendment, it did not get through wholly without oppo- sition. Chief Justice DeLancey, usually among the most strenuous supporters of the prerogatives of the crown, it is true, yielded his hostility to the popular demand ; but Mr. Rutherford recorded his protest upon the journals of the council at length. His objections were manifold as to the details of the bill, but the objection in chief was one of principle. The bill, he contended, proposed a method of raising a revenue which should be resorted to only in case of extreme necessity ; the amount proposed to be raised, was to be applied wholly to the object 6et forth in the bill ; — ^the points of defence designated would be en- tirely insufficient for the protection of Albany county ;t— but above, and more than all, the Assembly had in the bill encroached upon the royal prerogative by nominating offi- cers to receive and apply the money to be raised, and by designating the sites of the defences to be constructed, — duties properly belonging to the commander-in-chief. On the other hand, the majority of the council caused to be entered upon the journals, the reasons which impelled them to vote for the bill. These were, in chief, the exi- gencies of the country at large, and especially the perilous condition of the frontier, — ^the enemy having appeared in the environs both of Albany and Schenectady, where seve- ral bloody outrages had been committed. In answer to Mr. Rutherford's objections touching the prerogative, the majority of the council said that the provisions objected to had been inserted, and the officers designated in the bill 1 The annual tax by which it was proposed that the bills should be re- deemed in three years, amounted to the sum of £4,881. lOs. 8d The ap- portionment was as follows: — New York £1,444 8s. lid. ;— rAlbany, £622. 8». 9J ;— Kings, £254. 18*. OJrfi— Queens, £487. 9«. 5 Jrf ;— SuflFolk, £433. 6«. 8rf. ;— Richmond, £131. 6*. SJrf. ;— Westchester, £240. 14«. 8Jrf. ;— Ulster, £893. 18*. 9}d;— grange, £144. 8a. lOJrf ;.^DutoheBS, £180. llj. IJrf;— To- tal, £4.331. 10«. H LIFK op sir WILLIAM JOHNSON, BARTl 185 named, with the consent of the governor. It will be at chap. once perceived that this arrangement with the executivo ^-v--' was a mere subterfiige. The victory viras with the repi*e- *^*** sentatives of the people. And it was signial ; deserving of special note as marking the progress of the great princi- ples of popular libdriy.* The general assembly had no\ivr b^eii in session, 'with' a very few brief intermissions, for nearly a twelvettionth, attd although it had done much, yet the fruits of its lAbors Wet« not altogether satisfactory. In addition to the passage of the reveniie bill as already rehearsed, a resolution had b^en adopted directing* the construction of sii stifdn]^ block- houses, three of' this number to be' piatnitid' between 'the south-west frontier garrison of Massachusetts, and the post at Saratoga ; and the other thre: between Saratoga and Fort Will 'am in the upper Mohavvk countiy. The appro- priation for these objects, however, had been diverted from the greater and more essential projects of a substantial fortress at the carrying-place, — orders for the construction of which had been given by the governor early in the preceding winter, and without which there could be no se- curity against invasions from Crown Point at the pleasure of its commander. One hundred and fifty pounds were voted for repairing the works at Oswego ; three thousand three hundred and seventy-five pounds were directed to be raised by lottery, to be applied to the defences of the city and harbor of ITew York ; — the fort at Schenectady was directed to be repaired ; — a corps of rangers were to be or- ganized for the protection of the western lines of Ulster and Orange counties ; — ^the militia laws were amended with a view to their greater vigor, in conformity with the wishes of the governor ; — and the resolution of the preceding session, offering a bounty upon scalps, was enacted into a law. But although the fortress of Louisburg was threat- ened with a formidable attack from France, and although Governor Shirley, Sir "William Pepperell, and Admiral I See the proceedings at large in the journals of the legislative oounoi^. 24 iK.;'::,-'^#i^'' 186 Un OF SIR WILLIAM JQHNBONy BABT. OHAP. Warren had been pressing Mr. Clinton for months to send wv^ forward the quota of reinforcements which New York had 1T4«. teen required to supply, yet the assembly peremptorily refused a compliance with the demand. They would not even provide a convoy to gu^rd a trani^ort ship then in the harbor of !N'ew York, destined to the assistance of that garrison, which had been greatly weakened by fever and - 1 other causes. There had indeed been fW)m the first a re- ' luctanoe in the assembly to cooperate with the 'N&w Eng- land colonies in regard to the conquest of Cape Breton, not wholly susceptible of explanation ; but for their present course at least a plausible excuse was found in the weak l»4wq?Oi«4QQ«4itjwaof.1iieif,!9STO ,, ,, , ■■*■■ ■ - ;''-^44«^ffe%W43«#3^|^'5^ 'V.. 1(> ■' ■ — "•• - --,,...■-., ..i^. •..,.„,., ';.-^.. ...f-.i..Jir.;i;;:i,wX.:::;,:;. ...i.,»...-u^..;:. ;, i t ■'; J '5 The period is now approached at which thd long, ardu- chap. ous, and in many respects brilliant public career of Sir,_^ William Johnson commenced. During the stirring scenes 1746. rehearsed in the two preceding chapters, Mr. Johnson had been pushing his fortu;aes as a private citizen, with a . degree of discernment and energy that marked him as no common man. His removal from the south to the north Bide of the Mohawk river, has already been noted. In the year 1744 he erected a valuable flouring mill upon the brisk stream falling into the Mohawk about two miles west of the Chucktanunda creek, in the town of Amster- dam,— 'Where he also built an elegant stone mansion for his own residence ; conferring upon the estate the name of Mount Johfison. li^ot only thus early had he b^ome known to Governor Clinton, but a correspondence waa shortly afterward commenced between thtim which soon became close and confidential; and their acquaintance ultimately ripened into the relations of cordial intimacy. It is very probable that Johnson's introduction to the new governor at so early a period of his administration, was effected by Mr. DeLancey, the chief justice, whose daugh- ter it will be remembered was the wife of Sir Peter War- ren, and consequently the aunt, by marriage, of the young adventurer. Mr. Clinton, almost immediately on coming to the government, had resigned himself passively in- to the hands of the chief justice ; * and that sagacious jurisconsult, would scarce be slow to advance the fortunes of a family connexion, whose talents, sagacity, and enter- I i^vi 'Vide'JfM*. Hitt. CoUeetUmt, vol. xiii, p. 79. WJj3i lt|ni?.(,rQ*rv 188 til's OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, ^ARTi f/^'^ ih ■ .7 M> Ofur. prise pointed him out as a man who might one day be of Wy-/ importance in sustaining his own interests. Political 1746. friendships, however, are seldom constant or enduring ; and it will be seen hereafter that the subsequent relations —at least for a time — between DeLancey and Johnson, form no exception to the remark. During the years 1744 and 1745, Mr. Johnson's atten- tion must have been closely applied to his own commer- cial affairs, alfeady widely extended. From his corre- spondlence it appears that he wto in both those years often shipping furis to London, and was likewise engaged in the flour trade with the West India islands, — making ship- ments also to Gurracoa and Halifax.' Still his time was not thus exclusively occupied, since it appears that in the taohth of April, 1746, he was commissioned one of his majesty's justices of the peace for the county of Albany-^ being the first official appointment conferr6d lipon him.' He Was moreover beginning to pari;icipate actively in the political conceims of the colony, his influence being put in ifequisi^bn In the autumn of the last mentioned year, to aid in the return of his Mend Mr. Holland to the general as- seliibly for the township of Schenectady. The election of thi& gentleman was strongly desired by the governor,— a reason of itself sufficient to enlist the exertions of Johnson. Holland was returned ; but in order to annoy the governor, the assembly, upon a flimsy pretext, insuffi- cient in law, and in every other respect entirely indefensi- ble, excluded him from his seat, as has been mentioned in a note upon a preceding pagfe. Justly indignant at this unjustifiable procedure toward his favorite, Mr. Clinton manifested his feelings by the acrimony of his message terminating the session. The rejection of Mr. Holland was nevertheless the making of his political fortunes, in- asmuch as it procured for him the mayoralty of the city of New York and a seat at the council board. I Private oorreBpondenoe in manuacript. * Manuscript letter of Edward Holland enolosing the oonunusion. LIFB OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. / l8d i^/As I have not been able to ascertain the date of Mr* chaf. Johnson's maniage, so likewise have I founa it impossible w^ to aseei^in the time of his wife's decease. It has always ^^^^■ been understood that she died young ; but a few years af- ter their union ; and before her husband had acquired either civil or military renown ; yet not until after she had givdtt birth to a son,— afterward Sir John Johnson, — and to two daughters, — ^Mary and Nancy. But although the exact time of her death cannot be determined, there is: reason to believe that it took place at least as early as the summer of 1745. It has already been noted, more than once, that it was Mr. Johnson's policy to cultivate an ino timate acquaintance with the Indians. Being largely en- ^ gaged in commerce with them, his facilities to that end were great ; and no white man perhaps, ever succeded in more entirely winning their confidence. He mingled with them freely ; joined in their sports ; and at pleasure assumed both their costumes and their manners j and cast them aside, as circumstances might require. He was con- sequently fast gaining an ascendency over them upon which the French looked with exceeding jealousy. It be- came therefore an object with the latter either to cut, or to take him off— an object which it will presently appear was seriously meditated in the autumn of 1745. Among the private letters of Mr. Johnson escaping the ravages of time and chance, is one from Mh James Wilson, of Albany, addressed to " William Johnson Esquire," and dated "Novembei- 26th, 1745," from which the following passage is extracted :— " Mother desires you to come down and live here this winter, until these troublesome times are a little over. They have kept a room on purpose for you, and they beg that you will send down the best of your things directly. There is roAn enough for your servants, if you will bring them down. I would not have you stay at your own house, for the French have tbld our Indians that they will have you dead or alive, because you are a relatioh 6f Captain Warren, their great adversary. i h i % •',) t 1 , ^ ## ^ " 190 UVI or BIB WILLIAM JOHNSOIT, BAR7. s; ';■<■ I ^ *. V. cHA». Therefore I beg you will not be too resolute and Btay. If WyL^you will not come yourself, I beg you will send your 1746. books and papers, and the best of your things." The en- tire silence of this letter in regard to Mrs. Johnson, and the appropriation of only a single room for his occupancy, induces the supposition that she must have died previous to the time when it was wriUen. Still this conclusion is merely conjectural ; and to say the truth, but little can be '^ ascertained respecting Mr. Johnson's domestic relations for several years of this portion of his life. Besuming then, the course of public events : The views of Governor Shirley were comprehensive, and in planning the expedition against Cape Breton, they had by no means been confined to the reduction of that island. His design comprehended nothing short of another effort for the entire subjugation of Canada, — an object that had several times been attempted, but always without success. The conquest of Louisburg by the provincials, aided by the fleet, af- forded strong encouragement for attempting the larger euterpriae. With this great design uppermost in his mind, Shiiiey made a visit to Louisburg after its £^11, to confer upon the project with Pepperell and Warren. In the flush of their late brilliant success, his views were warmly second- ed by those officers ; and such representations were made to the ministers at home as prevailed upon them to approve the undertaking. A circular was accordingly issued by the duke of Newcastle, on the ninth of April, 1746, directed to the governors of all the British American colonies, south to Virginia inclusive, requiring them to raise as many men as they could spare, and form them into companies of one hundred each, to be in readiness for taking the field. The design was to attack the enemy's temtory simultane- ously from two directions. The New England troops, to be first in motion, were to proceed to Louisburg, there to be joined by a squadron of ships of war with a large body of land forces from England. These combined forces were fibm,^ proceed south and.asqeiid the St^Lf^wxejape agaiast Uft OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 191 Quebeo ; while the provincial troops of New York and the chap. other colonies upon which the requisition had been made, wy-* together with the Iroquois Indians, provided they could be^'^*®- brought heartily into the service, after being concentrated at Albany, were to make a descent upon Grown Point and Montreal. The expedition from Louisburg was to be com- manded by General Bir John St. Clair, acting in conjunction with Sir Peter Warren and Governor Shirley. The com- mand of the other division was committed to Brigadier General Gooch, the lieutenant-governor of Virginia, who, Biz years before, had signalized himself in the unsuccess- ful expedition agfdnst Carthagena. Sir William Pepperell and Sir Peter Warren both visited Boston early in the spring, to confer jointly with Shirley upon the business of the enterprise;* but Warren was shortly ordered home, where, on the fourteenth i/ciir^ii i^>*f«j,mm i^^ ; The project of this formidable enterprise hiod been com- municf^^d to the government of New York by Mr. Shirley, as early as the second week in January, and was received with high fkvor.^ The general assembly met again on the third day of June, in Brooklyn, being deterred from sitting in the city by the small-pox.. A message from the governor informed them that during the recess such had been the alarming state of affiurs at the north, that an additional force of three hundred men had been drafted from the sev- eral counties, and ordered to Albany for the protection of >■- ■^■-ii^ — I .in^^^ L .^. Ill I ■» * I »...i 1. I . ,.'■ ■■ ■■ I ■ — ■ ■ y ■.■^■■■■. ^ *Belkn»p. 'Smith's Shtorjf Mja it yrta spproTod by the general assembly on the twenty-fifth of Febmary, for which statement the author had the authority of a message from Qovemor Clinton of Jane six ; but the legislatiTe jour- nals do not aastain the assertion. n -i ■ ■ ■!. J '3r ■" I , ^*^ll 19^ :i *■ LI7B 07 SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, the frontier. 1746 The exigency had fully warranted Buch an exercise of discretionary power on the part of the govern- or; for the records of the privy council discilose the fact that the moat urgent letters for assistance had been received from the Indian commissioners at Albany, in consequence of the murders and scalpings perpetrated in that neighbor- hood ; and on the very day when the legislature reassem- bled, an account was transmitted from the commissioners of a skirmish between some of the northern settlers and a party of French and Indians, in whiich one of the latter was killed. The assembly readily voted the necessary supplies for the exigency, increasing the amount for the support of two hundred levies more than had previously been called into service, thirty of whom were to be stationed in Kin- derhook) and the residue between Albany and Schenec- tady. Fifty Indians were Ukewiseto be employed if th^y could be raised for the better securjity of the Jast mentioned towii. But the assistance of the Indians was doubtful,—- the commissioners having ascertaini$d atan interview with several of their chiefs that they were reluctont to any bel- ligerent action until after a grand council of t^eir warriors eould;beheld at Onondaga-V.l.iff/'rr'j «trfj'to iiyt^Y^qnilT ,7 On the sixth day of June, a message by the hand of Mr. Goldsborow Banyar, who, four days previously, had been appointed deputy secretary to the colony, required the presence of the assembly in the cOtmcil-chamber, where the governor announced in a speech the receipt of the be- fore-mentioned circular from the duke of Newcastle, and requested the cooperation of the legislature in all measures necessary for a prompt atd efficient prosecMion of . the in- tended campaign. An outline of the plsin of the intended double invasion of the French possessions, has already been given. All needful information was imparted to the as- sembly upon the subject, and a long letter from the duke of Newcastle was also lai4 before the council, stating that General, St Clair woijld sail from England wiih five bat- > ManuBoript records of the oounoil boar^. <'iJ !.■ /■ LIFB OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART*. 198 tallions of regulars, who were to be joined at LouisburgOfur* by two regiments more from Gibraltar, and urging it upon wyw the colony of New York not only to put forth its utmost *'**' strength upon the occasion, but if possible to obtain the active cobperation of the Indians.^ These communications were received in the best possible spirit, both bj the legislature and the people. There was indeed universal rejoicing at the prospect of speedily crush- ing the power of France in America, — it being evident to all that there could be no permanent repose until that work should be accomplished. In the council, Mr. Justice Hors- manden moved the address, and Mr. Clarkson in the as- sembly, both of which breathed a dutifhl degree of loyalty, and a lofty spirit of patriotism. Especially did the assem> bly pledge itself that hearts and hands should be employed in the great work proposed, and that its proceedings should be conducted with such unanimity and despatch as should attest their duty, loyalty, and gratitude to his majesty. A kindred feeling prevailed in every direction, both with the local government, and the people. True indeed, the legis- lature of Massachusetts had in the outset manifested some disinclination to participate in the enterprise, burdened oa she was with the debt incurred by the Louisburg expedition, not yet reimbursed by the parent government ;* but the ar- guments of Shirley, strengthened by the out-breaks of the Canadian Indians upon their frontiers, overcame their re- luctance, and all was now enthusiasm among the people, — the New England colonies directing their energies toward the eastern division of the expedition. Governor Hamil- ton, of New Jersey, wrote on the second of July, that that little colony had voted to raise five hundred men for the enterprise, and a contribution of two thousand pounds for the military chest. General Gooch wrote from Virginia, enclosing a bill of exchange of three hundred pounds, with ' n * Graham's EvtUtry of Korth Ameriea. ■- ■■ * Manusoript reoorda of th« oounpil board. 26 '4^ ' j«il* »; 194 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, directions that it be applied to the purchase of presents for y^ the Indians.* 1746. iiiii.. HorsmandeQ, from a committee of the privy coun- cil, appointed to consider and report as to the best measuroB to be adopted in furtherance of the great enterprise, madu an elaborate report on the thirteenth of June. The active cooperation of the Six l^ations was regarded by the commit- tee as an object of high moment ; to secure which the com- missioners at Albany were advised to dispatch an interpret- er, with two assistants, into the Indian country, to dance the war dance among them by way of rekindling a military spirit, especially with the young warriors ; and also to in- vite the chiefs and prominent v warriors of the entire confede- racy to meet the governor in i: grand council, to be holden at an early day in Albany. Presents were likewise recom- mended upon a liberal scale, to be given, not as compeo- sation, but as incentives to action, — the Indians always fignt- ingfor honor, and scou^ng the |dea of going upon the war-path for pay.* .•■; - ^ „ .: > Four days afterward, the house of assembly asked of the council a committee of conference for the purpose of joint deliberation upon the condition of the colony. The request was acceded to ; and every braiich of the government unit- ed heart and hand in every possible measure for advancing the grand design.' An act was promptly passed the more effectually to prevent the exportation of provisions and war- like stores. In order to the descent upon Crown Point and Montreal, a fleet of bateaux was essential for the naviga- tion of Lakes George and Ghamplain. Stephen Bayard and Edward Holland, members of the council, were deputed to superintend the building of the bateaux. They report- ed on the sixth of July that the ship-builders had all refused 1 Manuscript oounoil minutes. * The oommittM on the part of the council consisted of Chief Justice De Lancey, and Messrs. Van Gourtlandt, Horsmanden, Murray, and More. The chief justice, however, seems to have acted no very efficient part during the whole year, — for reasons which will appear hereafter. ''"* i'W'-j^mKnU / ^ LIVl or SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 196 to perform the work, under the pretext that they were era- oha». ployed in the execntion of prior engagements. This con- w^l^ duct of the naval architects formed an exception to the *'*•• general disposition of the people ; and a bill was forthwith introduced, and expeditiously passed into a law, authorizing the impressment into the public service, of all ship and house-carpenters, joiners, sawyers, and their several ser- vants, and all other artificers and laborers whoso assistance might be required for the state, together with horses, wagons, and whatsoever else might be required to forward the expedition.* Resolutions were adopted allowing a bounty of six pounds for the enlistment of each able-bodied man into the king's service, over and above his pay ; six ' thousand pounds were appropriated for the purchase of pro- visions for the colony's levies ; three hundred men were by law directed to be detached for the army from the city of Albany; and to cover the expense of these and other appropriations demanded by the exigence, a tax of forty thousand pounds was imposed upon the real and personal estate of the colony, and an emission of bills of credit au- thorized to enable the government to anticipate the avails of the tax. Indeed the general issembly hesitated at no appropriation that was required, save for the Indian service, and for the transportation of troops and military stores. In respect to the latter, they refused to advance money to the crown, even upon loan, preferring to raise it by bills of ex- change, — " a hint which Mr. Clinton improved greatly to his own emolument. '" With respect to the Indian service, they conceived that inasmuch as the grand council which the governor had already summoned at Albany, pursuant to the recommendation of his privy council, was to be con- vened for the common benefit of all the exposed colonies, they ought all to contribute toward the heavy expenses to be incurred, not in presents only, but for their clothing, arms and subsistence. Toward these objects Virginia had I Journals of the legislatiTe oounoil. *Smith, vol. ii, p. 99. ' -■■ ■ . i ;.,,.■ v,,.. !' /#t<^ ifi iM I. !■ f, ( tHp] ^% ttfii 09 nil WILLIAM iORlrsoir, bait. o^- •tan»''^i$neration an enterprise so vast as that fcA fc ■ ■ ■*— i — blfcft « I l< I II. I I I I * I I ■ ■ H ■^ ■■■■ !■ I ■ I I ■! ■! I I ^11 .1 I.- I I I > Tk« battle of CuUodea. The young Prince, Charles Edward, called the Pretender, haring defeated the royal forces under Sir John Cope at Preeton- pans, had penetrated a short distance into Kngland ; hut finding the people unanimous against him, he was oompelled to fUl baok rapidly into SeotUnd. On his r«tani he routed Oener«l Hawley at Falkirk, but the approach of the Axke of Cnnberland put an ^d to bis triumph. He retreated before the royal army, and at last the hostile forces met in the'fleld of CuUoden to de- cide the fate of the kingdom. The Scotch fought with ntrcustomed brarery but the English prevailed, and the unfortunate youth . ' •>' \.'H\ difficulty from the battle where he left liiree thousand of his i.:li ., 'i iherents dead. Though a large reward was offered for theh()llit^f iJi" aiuatrious fugitive, who haid thus to combat against want and temptation, yet the peasants of Scotland pitied his misfortunes, and even those of his enemies ^vho were acquainted with his retreat, kept inviolate the fatal secret, and , biln tliey condemned his ambition, commiserated his distresses. He at last 3, A to Gt . Maloes, and never again rvTisited the British dominions,— * V "*8 *«*■ '■ -'Mice in 1788. Lin Of Sm WILLIAM JOnVBON, BART. Mi which had been projected, couM not within themBelvos be oka*. cnrried forward by the oolonien. It huB b<«on already utatod w^-* that eight battalions of regular m-ups liad betn promiaod ^''^ by the parent government, to rendezvo at Louisburg. The ministera had not speciticd the contingonl (»f troops required from the respective colonics, contenting theraHul vt^ by announcing the wbh of the king tliat the total levies shonld not fall short of five thousand men ;* but, tired with ar ' >ii 1 to preserve the laurels they had won at Capo Bre- y.n , h< rovinces vied with each other in putting forth their strength for the achievement of a yet greater exploit, I ltd the forces embodied with alacrity exceeded by far thu tixpectations entertained at home. New Halnpshire voted to raise one thousand men, and more if they could be en- listed — ^with a bounty of thirty pounds currency and a bluiket to each recruit' Of this number eight hundred were ready for embarkation by the first of July. Mati- saohusetts voted three thousand five hundred men; Con. necticnt one thousand ; and Rhode Island three hundred. But such was the spirit of the people that a yet larger num- ber were actually enlisted. These all were destined for Lonisburg, and thenee for the assault of Quebec. For the forces to be directed upon Grown Point and Montreal, New York raised sixteen hundred men ; New Jersey five hun- dred ; Pennsylvania four hundred, though not by the act of its Quaker government, but by a popular act unsanctioned by its executive ; Maryland three hundred ; and Virginia one hundred ; — making the grand total of provincials eight thousand two hundred. But of the promised assistance from England, two re^ments only were sent ; and these from Gibraltar, to relieve the New England men who had garrisoned Louisburg from the day of the conquest. Of other reinforcements none came ; neither the general who was to command ; nor fleet ; nor orders. The New Eng- 1 Grshame. ' Belknap sUtes the number thus ; but Hutchinson, in a note, affirms that New Hampshire «oted to raise only fire hundred. , ,. v ^ ,^:) , I* #•• 'I- 198 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, land levies were mustered and prepared for embarkation, — w^ the transport vessels, moreover, being in readiness to receive 1746. them. But their ardor, after weeks of cruel suspense, was doomed to a sad disappointment by the inaction of minis- ters. Admiral Warren, after his visit with Pepperell to Boston for consultation with Mr. Shirley, had sailed for England. It was now mid-summer, and neither troops n©r tidings arriving from home, it was evident that the season was already too far advanced to allow the farther prosecu- tion of that branch of the expedition destined against Que- bec ; since it was impossible that a fleet could now reach Louisburg from England in season to justify an attempt to ascend the St. Lawrence. Under these circumstances, al- though not without deep chagrin, that important feature of the enterprise was abandoned. The bcrange inaction of the parent government on that occasion, has been variously, though never satisfactorily accounted for. That a feeling of jealousy at the growing strength of the colonies, was awakened in England by the conquest of Louisburg, had been apparent almost from the moment of its fall ; and co- temporary politicians were not wanting, who attributed the inaction of 1746 to a feeling on the part of ministers, that it might after all be as well to allow Canada unconquered to remain as a check upon its young and vigorous Anglo- Saxon neighbor. The excuse oftered, has been, that min- isters had reason to suspect that the armament which the French were ostensibly preparing for the reconquest of Cape Breton, and possibly for the invasion of some of the English colonies, was in reality intended for the invasion of Great Britain itself.^ Be all this as it may, it was still believed that by uniting the Eastern levies with the forces collecting in New York for a descent upon Crown Point, a combined movement might be made in that direction which could not well fail of success. The New England forces were accordingly directed to hold themselves in readiness to concentrate upon Albany. > Urahame. LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 199 But this scheme in its turn, was disconcerted, and the chap. anticipated march for Albany was arrested by serious w,^-^ alarms from the opposite direction. It was known that ^'*®- France had been making great preparations, — not, as some have affected to believe, for the invasion of England, but for the recovery of Louisburg, and the conquest of Nova Scotia, — ^with the ulterior design, as was apprehended, of ravaging the sea coasts of the English colonies, from An- napolis-Royal to Georgia.' The vigilance with which Rochelle, where the preparations were making, had been watched by the English, had not prevented the enemy's fleet from getting to sea, which it succeeded in accomplish- ing on the twenty-second of June. And although the English fleet, destined for the interception of the French, and also for Louisburg, had put to sea several times, it had been driven back as many, being utterly unable to get to the westward. It was commanded by Lestock, an admiral in whom, certainly, no great confidence ought to have been reposed. The fleet of the French was commanded by the Count D'Anville, numbering, as it was affirmed, seventy sail, fourteen of which were ships of the line ; thirty were men of war of a smaller size ; the remainder of the force, consisting of fire-ships, bombs, tenders, and transports for eight thousand troops," " and a formidable apparatus of artillery and military stores."' In anticipation of D'An- ville's arrival, accounts were received in Boston that a French officer named Ramsay, had collected a force of seventeen hundred Canadian troops and Indians, to coope- rate with the French admiral, which force was even then threatening Annapolis-Royal, while the Acadians were also known to be rife for a revolt. In order, therefore, to prevent the loss of ITova Scotia, the orders for marching to Albany were countermanded, and the troops directed ^ Hutohinaon. »Ibid. *Qrahame. This author greatly reduces the number of disciplined troops on board D'Anville's fleet, from the statement of Hutchinson and Otuef pCOviuuiul uiatoriaiiS— iiinkiug it uO luOrG thftu tuiSv ti^QuSctSd. < » ;i" ■ >*fr; 200 LIFE OF SIR WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. 1746. CHAP, to embark for Annapolis. Before, however, the embarka- ' tion had actually taken place, news of D'Anville's arrival at Chebucto Bay in Nova Scotia was received, and the whole country was thereby thrown into a state of conster- nation. " England was not more alarmed by the Spanish Armada in 1688, than Boston and the other North Ameri- can sea ports were by the arrival of this fleet in their neigh- borhood."* It was not supposed that so formidable an arma- ment as that of D'Anville, to equip which the whole power of France had been exerted for many months, could be destined alone against Louisburg. A recapture of that important post would only be the prelude to a sweeping attack upon the entire sea-board ; and feeling themselves neglected, if not deserted by the parent government, as though willing to see the colonies sacrificed, all thoughts of sending away any of their forces were at once aban- doned. Shirley was a man of energy, enjoying in a high degree the confidence of the people ; and he bore himself in the crisis in a manner worthy of his position and his character. The first intelligence of D'Anville's arrival upon the coast, had filled the public mind, wearied and discouraged by the disappointments of the season, with dismay. But the elasticity of the New England character was soon manifested by the return of all the courage and resolution necessary to enable its possessors to look danger in the face and to meet it. Under the lead of Shirley, therefore, inspired by his example, the whole en- ergies of New England were immediately directed to the now paramount object of self-defence, — to which end all hands were at once engaged in putting the country in the most commanding attitude. The troops which had been destined, first for a descent upon Canada and next for the defence of Nova Scotia, found sufficient employment at home, as a matter of course, in strengthening the defences of the coast, by repairing dilapidated forts and building new ones. Nor were they left to labor with unaugmented ^ <: ^T •nj * Hutfihinaftn. LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 201 numbers. The militia spontaneously left their homes, chap. and their ripening harvests, seized their arms, and within*-^ a few days, to the number of more than six thousand, !'**• marched into Boston, while an additional six thousand more were promised from Connecticut in the event of an actual invasion.^ Governor Clinton had appointed the twentieth of July as the day for meeting the Six Nations in council at Alba- ny. He arrived there himself on the twenty-first ; but as the city was afflicted with small-pox, and also at the same time with a malignant bilious fever, his excellency, not having had the former disease, deferred his landing until the following day, — not making it then in the town but at the fort. Whether the governor's quarrel with De- Lancey, had or had not served to alienate from him any other members of the council, does not appear ; and the fact that the latter could prevail upon none of its members to accompany him to Albany, excepting Doctor Golden and Mr. Livingston, is left unexplained. Major Ruther- ford of the council being already at Albany in the dis- charge of his military duties, enabled the governor, though with the smallest number allowed by his majesty's com- mission, to form a council board for the transaction of business. The cause of DeLancey's quarrel with the governor, has been attributed to his own native arrogance ; to an overweening family pride, engendered by the elevation of his brother-in-law. Sir Peter Warren ; and also to his reli- ance upon the patronage of hi«' former tutor. Doctor Har- ris, bishop of York, who was soon afterward elevated to the archbishopric of Canterbury.* On his arrival in the colony, Mr. Clinton had found the chief justice omnipo- tent with the assembly, and being himself fond of his ease, and caring more for the emoluments than for the glory of official station, the governor had to a great * Smith, — who makes Doctor Harris at this time archbishop of Canterbury, which is not correct. Dr. H. was not advanced to the primacy until ^he loiiowiag year, x«4(. 26 III- 202 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAI4 JOHNSON, BART. «»AF. extent yeilded the direction of the government to this wy-^ ambitious minister. Every thing went smoothly enough 1746. between them, until after the governor in a moment of iu- caution, had renewed DeLancy's commission as chief jus- tice, during good behavior, — or, in other words, for life. " He now began to dictate rather than to advise, Dining one day with Mr. Clinton, and insisting upon some favor- ite point with great imperiousness, the governor, who had so long suffered himself to be led, revised on this oc oasion to be driven. The chief justice then arose and left him ; declaring, with an oath, that he would make his ad- ministration uneasy for the future. His excellency replied he might do his worst. Thus they parted, near were they ever afterward reconciled."^ The governor's confidence was immediately transferred to Doctor Golden, in whom it was reposed to the end of his administration. | But notwithstanding the preparations made in anticipa- tion of his arrival, the governor found no Indians at Alba- ny to meet him, save two straggling Onondagas, and one Oneida warrior; all three of whom had arrived on the Bame day with his excellency, from the north, bringing with them two French scalps which they had boldly taken at the very gate of Fort St. Frederick — Crown Point. On presenting these trophies to the governor, the leader of the party made a formal speech, as belligerent as could be desired, declaring that the murders committed by tbe French had been suffered to remain unavenged until hie ^fize Letler to a Nobleman, being a review of tbe military operations in North America from 176S to 1756, the authorship of which was attributed to GoTernor Livingston, of New Jersey, and his friends Messrs. Smith and Scott, lawyers, of New York. Smith has since been known asitke historian of New York ; and the coincidences between portions of this letter and pas- sages of his history, are so numerous and striking, as to warrant the con- oluBion that he must have shared in writing the former. The letter, which is long, may be found in the fourth volume of Matt. Hitt. Golleetions. StiU in forming an estimate of the character of Mr. DeLancey, as well as of other individuals mentioned in this letter, great allowance should be made for the intense political rancor which its authors cherished against the personages therein assailed. LtlfH OF Stit WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 20^ heart could bear it no longer ; and he had therefore him- o»a#. self determined to open for his brethren the path of re- s*,^ venge. The scalps had been taken at noon-day, within two ^'**' hundred steps of the fort. The report of their guns startled the garrison, and a party of soldiers sallied forth in pursuit ; but having forgotten their arms in their haste, and being consequently obliged to run back after them, the Indians were enabled to make good their retreat. They wefe each rewarded with strouds and a laced hat, — ^ the leader receiving in addition a fine laced coat and a silver breast-plate. The governor at the chief warrior's suggestion favored him with a new name, signifying The- ' cpener-of-the-path. Proud of his distinction, the warrior then informed his excellency that his two associates, to- gether with a River Indian, were going upon the war-path again ; and were it not that he supposed he could render better service in the council, he should go against the enemy with them.' No other Indians having arrived to meet the governor, and the reports from the interpreters who had been sent to the cantons of the Six I^ations being exceedingly discouraging, the Path-opener, who proved to be a very faithful fellow, volunteered upon an embassy to bring the Indians to the council himself, not doubting that he should to a considerable extent be sue-' cessful. For nearly a month the prospect of procuring a general attendance of the Indians, was discouraging. Within a day or two of the incident just recorded, another party of six or seven Indians, previously sent by the commissioners of Indian affairs to lurk about in the vicinity of Crown Point, returned without having met with any success, and with the loss of two of their number, made prisoners by the enemy. One of these, however, had been released through the interposition of the Caughnawagas in the ser- vice of the French. It was the impression of these spies that the enemy was strong at Fort St. Frederick, both in ^ Minutes of the oounoil board. ^ ■.*' 204 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. oa^p. regular troops and Indians. This unpleasant intelligence w^-/ was confirmed very soon afterward by the return from the ^'*®* same region, of a party of sixteen Mohawks, who had been sent thither to reconnoitre the enemy's works by Mr, Johnson, — ^whose active agency in the Indian department was now about first to be brought into requisition. These Indians added the expression of their belief, from the ex- tent of the enemy's preparations at Crown Point, that au expedition was on foot against Schenectady and the white settlements farther up the Mohawk valley, and possibly against Albany itself. These reports were strengthened * by letters from Mr. Johnson to the governor, and also by advices from the officer commanding the small English garrison kept in the Mohawk country. Mr. Clinton, how- ever, attached less importance to these reports than those did who communicated them ; believing them to have bfeen sent abroad by the French to deter the Indians from gather- ing in the council at Albany. He thus wrote to Johnson ; endeavoring at the same time, by the offer of liberal re- wards, to persuade the last mentioned Indian party to re- turn to the neighborhood of Crown Point, but without suc- cess, — ^the Indians insisting that they must return to their homes, to inform their relatives and friends of what they had heard and seen. Mr. Johnson likewise thought there were serious grounds for alarm ; writing to the governor that the white settlers for twenty miles above him, and be- low to Schenectady, had deserted the country. Of his own property in jeopardy, he had eleven thousand bushels of wheat and other grain ; and he asked the favor of a small detachment of troops for his protection. A lieutenant and thirty men were immediately sent to him ; and a company of militia was likewise added to the upper Mohawk castle to assist the Indians in adding to the strength of that de- fence.^ It will appear in the course of the present chapter that the apprehensions of an invasion from Fort St. Frede- 1 Maausoript oorrospondence of Clinton and Johnson. LIVB 09 SIR WILLIAM JOHKSOIT, BART. 205 rick, were not altogether idle, although it did not take ex- chap. actly the anticipated direction. ■>■ ■:•■ ^— y—* But the Six Nations came not to the .council, and the^'^*^- summer was wearing rapidly away ; while, to increase the embarrassment of Mr. Clinton, the proposition from Gov- ernor Shirley for an immediate expedition against Crown Point had been acceded to on the fourth of August, and the information of a change in Shirley's purpose, rendered im- perative by the threatened invasion of the seaboard by the French, had not been received at Albany. The prospect was indeed far from cheering in many respects. The storm of war lowered darkly in the northern horizon. A com- pany of rangers, belonging to Albany, enrolled for the ex- press purpose of traversing the frontier to watch the move- ments of the enemy, notwithstanding the danger that threatened their own fire-sides, refused to go again upon duty unless the governor would become personally responsi- ble for their pay, at the rate of three shillings each per diem, and also for their subsistence. Indignant at their conduct, and believing that men thus mercenary, when even their own family altars were in jeopardy, could not be safe- ly trusted, Mr. Clinton accepted the services, voluntarily tendered, of Captains Langdon and Tiebout, with their re- spective companies of new levies. A few of the reluctant Albanians were taken as guides for these generous volun- teers ; but whenever any signs of hostile Indians were dis- covered, the heroic guides were sure, either by discharging their guns, or by making other noises, to give the alarm and enable the foe to escape ; — thus avoiding the danger themselves, but at the same time defeating the purpose in view. The temper of the Six Nations, with a few individ- ual exceptions, was bad, and apparently growing worse.* Notwithstanding the unwearied efforts of the English to ^ Dunlop in quoting Colden, in regard to the discontents among the Six Nations at this time, says : " It was owing to the misconduct of those who were entrusted by the government with the management of Indian affairs ; " adding: " The Indian agent was Mr. Johnson. " It was not so. Johnson's appointment to that agency took place afterward. 206 LIFB OV SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, counteract the influence of the Jesuit missionaries among wv— ' them, yet those crafty ecclesiastics had obtained ahold upon 1746. their afiections, which it seemed all but impossible to break ; and fresh evidences were received by the governor, almost daily, disclosing the unwelcome fact that the Iroquois, if not again balancing which side of the contest to espouse, were more strongly than ever resolved upon maintaining an attitude of neutrality. The messengers dispatched to the Indian country, to persuade them to attend the coun- cil, had met with very indifferent success. One of them had fallen sick by the way. Several of the influential chiefs had again been visiting Canada, and were in full commn- nication with the Caughnawagas of the St. Lawrence. These were active in preventing the convocation. The messengers had passed thirteen days among the Oneidas without making any perceptible impression ; and the Ci^y- ugas met the governor's invitation at first with a flat re- fusal. The Mohawks, living in the closest proximily to the English, were for a considerable time equally reluctant to join in the council, and severalof the ehiefs at the upper castle peremptorily refused; nor in all candor can it be de- nied that their reasons at once attested their political sa- gacity and the soundness of their jiidgment. " It was, " they said, "a wiir between the Englsh and the French, in which the Indians had no interest. Those nations could at any time make peace ; but it was not so with the Indians. Once involved in the war, they could not make up the quar- rel among themselves, but must continue the contest until one or the other party was destroyed." These views were encouraged by the emissaries of the French, who, entertain- ing little expectation of being able to engage the Iroquois upon their own side, were content to urge them strongly to neutrality. " It is your interest, " artfully said the Jesuits, " not to suffer either the French or the English to be abso- lute masters, for in that case, your slavery to one or the other, will be inevitable. " Yet it was not doubted that some of the chiefs had been gained entirely to the Fi*ench, LIVa OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 207 and were even then ready to strike the heads of the Eng- ch/ liah. 'I'.O'ir-', .-r.hji.-S'j ,i vis -ttv, •i+.'vv.'.r-j .•.lUni »— v— ' - It was in this critical exigency that Mr. Clinton determined ^^*®* to avail himself, in the Indian department, of the services of Mr. Johnson, — services, for the discharge of which he was already exceedingly well qualified from the intimate know- ledge he had acquired of their language, their character and customs, and also from the confidence they reposed in him, and his consequent extensive popularity among them. These qualifications of Mr. Johnson for that delicate branch of the public service were well known to Mr. Clin- ton ; and inasmuch as Colonel Schuyler, son of the cele- brated Quider, and head of the board of Indian com- missioners at wAJbany, had espoused the side of DeLancey in his opposition to the governor, while Johnson had manifested a disposition to sustain the latter, the road to preferment was already open.^ Indeed there seems to have been a serious misunderstanding between the governor and the Indian commissioners several months before, the latter having written to his excellency on the seventeenth of the previous April, that " as their proceedings give so little satisfaction to him, they beg to be excused from any farther trouble."* Mr. Johnson, therefore, already a correspond- ent and a favorite of the governor, now succeeded Colo- nel Schuyler in the management of the Indians ; although the sincere affection of the latter for the family of their old Mend ^ider, continued long afterward. It is from this point, that the long ofiBlcial career of the young Irish adventurer, William Johnson, — a career equally brilliant and honorable, — stakes its date. — ^ The commissioners having neglected to send messages to the ^sopus and Minisink Indians' — ^tribes inconsidera- ble and not very reliable, — and also to the clans dispersed along the upper Susquehanna and its tributaries, — on the 1 Smith. * MsnuBoript letter preserved in the minutes of the council. 208 LIFE OF SIR WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. ■'JB' %. CHAP, fourth of August interpreters with suitable belts were dis- v_.,,w patched to those scatterred peoples. Meantime a change 1740. favorable to the wishes of the English had been produced among the Senecas from an unexpected quarter. It hap- pened that while the messengers of the governor were among the Senecas, a party of twenty Chickasaws arrived at their castle, with a request " that the Senecas would show them the way into Canada." The Chickasaws had always been enemies to the French ; and an expedition of five hundred men sent against them from Canada, four years before, had been defeated in the Chickasaw country, almost to annihilation. These young envoys referred to the subject in a manner characteristic of the race. Ad- dressing the Senecas, they said: — "Tour years a,.j;o the French had been so kind as to visit their country, and leave among them four hundred muskets. Those muskets however, by constant use, had been worn out ; and as their friends the French had not thought proper to bring them any more, the Chickasaws had determined to go to Canada and bring away some new ones." It was their desire that the Senecas would show them tbo way, and if they would promise to do so, the young men swd they would return home and bring back about four hundred of their stout-hearted fellows to find the new guns and bring them away. Encouraged by this unlooked for alliance ftom the south, and also by assurances that other remote na- tions of the forest were in no good humor with the French, the Senecas, in considerable numbers, changed their minds, and determined to meet the governor in Albany. Mr. Johnson was at the same time exerting himself with the utmost activity to dispel the clouds resting upon the moody brows of the Mohawks, and to revive their obvious- ly waning friendship for the English. Familiar with their language and manners, he assumed their garb, and mingled among them as one of their own people. He entered readily into their athletic exercises, their games, and all the varieties of their pastimes, — prompted, it is likely, in i I. '.iBMEisaBnK' ^ LIFB OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 209 part, by his love of the picturesque and of wild adventure, chaf. and in part, it is but just to believe, by the sincere aftec- ^yw tion he had imbibed for the race. Flattered by his asso- ^^*^' ciation with them upon terms of such generous equality, — not for an instant dreaming that there could bo ought of Bimulation in his conduct toward them, as perhaps there was not, — the Mohawks adopted him as a member of their nation, and invested him % In connection with this custom of adoption, see Appendix, No. 1, to this volume. 27 ##< flO LIFI OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. o«Ar. men 1740. and in tho event of a trial of strength, the Mohawks might not be found in reality the weakest. Chafed at the rebuke of their fellows, they moreover now boldly avowed that their hearts were truly English ; and the contention at length became so sharp, that tho opposing factions would not consent to move in company to Albany, — tho Mohawks marching by themselves on one sido of the river, while their opponents took the otlier. Both divisions entered Albany on the eighth of August, — the Mohawks in full panoply, at the head of whom marched theii* now wa^ captain, Johnson, upon whom they had conferred the name of War-raou-i-ya-oky, signifying, it is believed, Superin- tendent of affairs' — dressed, painted and plumed as re- quired by the dignity of his rank. In passing Fort Frede- rick at Albany, salutes were exchanged, the Indians firing their muskets, and the fort its artillery. The chie& and sachems were then received in the hull of the fortress, and served with refreshments. All the Mohawk sachems but three, had been persuaded by Mr. Johnson heartily to engage in the cause. One of these dissentients was Aaron, of the Lower castle, who, with others, had made a visit in the preceding spring to the French governor in Canada. The two others were of the Canajoharie, or Upper castle. Both were sachems of influ- ence, one belonging to the Bear tribe, and the other to the Tortoise, — the latter being first in dignity. Great pains were taken at private interviews vnth these sachems, to bring them into the cause of the English. The ta^k, though difficult, was ultimately accomplished through the instru- mentality of the Rev. Mr. Barclay, an English missionary residing among the Mohawks, and the exertions of Doctor 1 The Six Nations reokoned all other Indian aationi wonen in oompui- «on with themselTei. *Th« signifioatioa of Joknson'B Indian name is not known with certainty. Some authoritiei have given as it« meaning — " one who unites two peoples together. " The interpretation howevsr given in the text, reasoning from the aaalyeie oc the lupposed analysis of the word, appears to be nearer the truth. im OF SIR WTLLTAM JOHIWOIT, BART. 211 Golden, who, during former visits to the Canajohario castle, chap. had contracted an acquaintance with those reluctant Bars..yw chenifl. The doctor had indeed some twenty years before, ^'^*' ' been adopted into their clan, and invested with a new name. Still, there were other difficulties to be adjusted, and it was not until the nineteenth day of August that a public coun- cil could be safely opened. Meantime Governor Clinton had been attacked by fever, and the duty of conducting the council devolved upon Dr. Golden. The comrr issionera in attendance from Massachusetts, were Colonel Wendell and Mr. Welles. Connecticut was not represented. The opening speech delivered by Mr. Colden, had been prepared to be spoken by the governor. After announcing, in the usual form, that the council had been called to con- firm the covenant chain, and all former treaties and engage- ments, it recapitulated the history of the war, referring to the cruelties of the enemy, and reminding the Indians of their stipulation the year before, that if satisfaction for those cruelties should not be promptly rendered, they would take up the hatchet and make immediate use of it. But the enemy, so far from having made the least reparation for their wrongs, had repeated their cruelties on the frontiers of New England, by the destruction and massacre of Sara- toga, and by barbarous murders in the very precincts of Albany. Yet, knowing these facts, the Six N'ations had not fulfilled their promises, an immediate compliance with which was now necessary, if they would show that those promises came when made from the bottom of their hearts. The speech next announced the determination of " the king their father, " to eifect the subjugation of Canada, and informed the Indians of the preparations making for that object. They were assured in the most confident terms, that forces sufficient for effecting the conquest at a blow, had been levied and were already in motion. Those from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York, destined to proceed to Montreal, they would soon see in Albany ; while the governor was in the hourly 212 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. V. 1746. \WKMM!- CHAP, expectation of hearing of the arrival of the promised ships and troops from England ; — " a great army of experienced soldiers, — who, with the New England levies, were to as- semble at Cape Breton ; — after which the attack upon Ca- nada would be made on all sides, both by sea and land."^ Yet, in order to complete the preparations for so great an enterprise, the Six Nations were required to join all their forces with the English, in doing which they would have a glorious opportunity of increasing their renown by aiding in the conquest of the French, — a perfidious people, who were even caressing the enemies of the Six Nations, de- siring nothing so much os to see their name obliterated. They were next reminded of the many injuries they tidemselves had received at the hands of the French, es- pecially by their repeated invasions of their territory, as at Onondaga, and the Seneca country. The mischiefs inflicted by them upon the Mohawks in their successive invasions were recounted ; the story of the massacre of their warriors at Cadaracqui, was rehearsed ; while the cruel burnings of some of their braves at Montreal, was not forgotten. Having thus kindled a spirit of vengeance in their bosoms, as could be read in the flashing eye, and the distended nostril, the ambition of the warriors was next art- fully excited by a recital of their own brave exploits when carrying their arms into Canada: — **K your fathers," said the speech, " could now rise out of their graves, how would their hearts leap for joy to see this day, when so glorious an opportunity is put into your hands to revenge all the injuries your country has received from the French, and be never more exposed to their treachery and deceit." As the true sons of such renowned and brave ancestors, animated by the same spirit for their country's glor}', and the same desire of revenge, they were invited to share in 1 So ignorant was the goyernor of the true state of things at the moment in New England, where all expectation of the grand combined attack had been relinquished ; Boston not more than two hundred miles distant, and yet the governor of New York was left in ignorance to make thca^ fallacious promiBw to the Indians. LITE OP BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 213 the honor of vanquishing the enemies alike of them- chap. selves and the English; provisions, arras, clothing, being w^ promised in abundance, and ample protection for their ^'*^' wives and children during their absence. They were far- ther reminded of several murders of their white brethren by the enemy's Indians, committed even since their arrival at the council-fire. These additional insults they were called upon to avenge ; and in conclusion a belt was given as an assurance of the intention of the English to live and die with their red brethren. The speech was well received. At the end of each sen- tence one of the chiefs called out — "yo-hay;" — "cZo you hear?" and the response of approbation was general. When, moreover, after its close, the war-belt was thrown down, the significant act was followed by a war-shout, unanimous and hearty. The council-fire was then raked up to give the forest counsellors time for deliberation. Three days afterward they announced that their answer was ready ; and on the following day, August twenty- fourth, the governor himself was able to meet them in council for its reception. ;,i)';i >■■.'' i ;;tt v;.'! ii;'' The fire having been rekindled at the appointed time, an Onondaga sa^nbm spoke to the following eflect — the speech of course abounding in the figurative expressions inseparable from Indian eloquence and diplomacy. It opened by informing the. council that the Missesagues had united with them for the purposes immediately in hand, as a seventh nation. The Six Nations were rejoiced that the English were wiping away their sorrowful tears, opening their throats, and washing clean the bloody bed. They also spoke of the silver covenant chain formed of old, which both were holding fast. They acknowledged having received the hatchet the year before, and their pledge to use it in the event of farther provocations and murders by the French ; — admitted that the bloody affair of Saratoga, and other acts of hostility, demanded the ful- filment of the pledge ; and they farther declared their W .t I 214 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. »'■ CHAP. readiness "from the bottom of their hearts," to use their w^ hatchets against the French and their children, — the Ca- 174©. nada Indians meaning, — from that day forward. As an earnest of their sincerity in this declaration, the war-belt was thrown down with great emphasis both of attitude and expression. They assured the governor of the entire union of their clans in this declaration, and hoped the governors of the different English colonies would be as closely united in the prosecution of the war as themselves. In regard to the wiles of the French priests against which they had been admonished, they averred that their blood boiled at the manner in which they had fbrmely been treated by them, and being now at war with their nation, those priests would no more dare to come. The Six Na- tions would have no further us© for them than to roast them. As to the Missesagues, whom they now commended to the English as their allies, they nudibered eight hundred warriors, all being determined to join in the common cause.^ In conclusion the chiefs naid they would leave some of their warriora with the troops of the governor, while they themselves returned to their castles to send down a greater number. 'i\j{v:>i-a novi s^ikviu! -.ii}', With this gpeech closed the proceeding^f that day, and the next was appointed for the delivery of the presents sent to them from the king, and also by the governors of Virginia and Massachusetts. When on the twenty-fifth the presents were brought forUi for delivery, the Albanians re- marked that they were much more valuable than any that had been previously given to the Indians. So, also, thought the recipients, a Mohawk chieftain, of his own volition, addressing his brethren thus ; — " You see how you are here treated, — really like brethren. The governor of Canada treats not his Indians so, but sets them on like dogs, and they run without thought or consideration. You see what a noble present is made to you. If the governor of Ca- nada should sieze all tho goods in that country , he could not iir'T*""'™'" 1 The MisBesagueg theu livod at Detroit, between Lakes Erie and Huron. LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 215 make such a present."^ In the division of the presents chap. among the nations represented, two-eighths thereof were w^l-^ voluntarily assigned to the Missesagues. On the day fol- ^^46. lowing, being the twenty-sixth, the war-kettle was put over the fire, and in the evening the solemn war-dance was per- formed, in presence of the governor and many other gen- tlemen. The warriors were all painted for the occasion, and the appropriate songs were sung with affecting pathos. Before the Indians dispersed, the governor had private conferences with the leading chiefs, and rendered the cov- enant chain yet brighter by making further presepts. The two Missesagues present were particularly friendly. One of them assured his excellency that among the Indians yet farther than themselves in the interior, there was a grow- ing dislike to the French, reporting a transaction strongly corroborating his assertion. It was to the effect that a party of sixty Frenchmen had lately been sent to one of those distant nations to persuade them to take up the hatchet against the English. They accepted the hatchet, — ^and im- mediately pilt the whole party presenting it to death. In conclusion, the Missesagues promised on returning home to bring as many of those distant nations as they could upon the war-path. Unfortunately, however, both sickened of the small-pox and died,— one of them not being able to depart for the fair hunting grounds with resignation until the governor had promised to send his mother the first French scalp that should be taken. His companion at the council died on his way home, — th€ Six ^N'ations at once providing for their wives and children, who bad accom- panied them to Albany. * This account of the Indian negotiations of 1746, I have drawn from the copious details of Doctor Golden. Smith, the historian, intimates that the presents actually given by the governor, were small and unsatisfactory : and charges that Golden wrote a partial account for his patron's vindica- tion — his excellency having been accused of embezzling large portions of the presents. This imputation is unwairantable. Golden's account was published in the oourse of a few weelcs after the council closed, and, had it been untrue, and the Indian's speech a fiction, the dishonesty would have been exposed at the time. ""!' ''I 216 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. i- 'n CHAP. The alliance, oflensive and defensive with the Iroquois, v_y— ' having thus been satisfactorily renewed, Mr. Clinton next 1'46. turned his a ttention to the Muh-he-ka-neok, or River In- dians, — a small nation residing at Stockbridge, in the colo- ny of Massachusetts, — composed of remnants of the Mo- hegans, N'arragansetts and Schaghticokes, together with various other smaller clans and tribes from Connecticut, who had been formed into a community some ten years be- fore by a philanthropic clergyman, — the Rev. Mr. Sergeant. "With these remnants of various peoples who had been peeled and scattered in New England, a council was also holden, the result of which was satisfactory to all. They readily consented to engage in the war, concluding their speech, however, in words equivalent to a condition that they were not to be forgotten on the conclusion of a peace; " When you Christians, " said they, " are at war, you maks peace with one another ; but it is not so with us. There- fore we depend upon you to take care of us ; in confidence of which we now take up the hatchet, and ^ /ill make use of it. " ' They were dismissed with presents. Lingering in Albany yet a full month longer, Mr. Clin- ton was enabled to receive in person the Indians from the Susquehanna country, whose principal town was at Oghqua- go. These Indians to the number of sixty warriors, ex- clusive of the usual train of old men, women and children, — ^never-failing attendants upon important councils, — ar- rived in charge of Captains Vrooman and Staats, about the tenth of September, and sent the governor on the next day. They had responded to the summons with alacrity, — com- plaining nevertheless at the lateness of their invitation, and regretting that the negotiations with the Six Nations should have been concluded before their arrival. Toward the Six 1 Smith very improperly classes the River Indians— called by him after the Dutch orthography Mohickanders, — with the Eaopus and Susquehanna In- dians, and denounces them as "dastardly tribes," to whom Governor Clin- ton " gare presents for promises which they never meant to perform. " Toward the Muk-kuk-kan-ook, th|air denunciation is most unjust. They were always true to the English, and poured out th^ir blood freely for them. LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 217 Nations they appeared to entertain feelings bordering upon chap. jealousy. It was a shame, they said, that these Indians — ^^ had not sooner used the hatchet placed in their hands a ^'*®- year before. They had themselves sometimes been de- ceived as to the progress of the war, but they were now ready to join in the contest, — adding " We know several roads to Canada, and we want to see the hatchet that we may grasp it." Whereupon the governor threw down a cutlass, which was eagerly seized by one of the chiefs, and they all commenced the war-dance, — declaring that " they should keep firmly hold of the hatchet, and were resolved to use it." A sudden alarm, caused by an incursion of the enemy's Indians, and the murder of a non-commissioned officer in the very suburbs of Albany, served to test both the fidelity and the courage of these Indians, by the alert- ness with which they spontaneously went in pursuit of the hostile party. Several of their number remained in Al- bany to act as scouts or guides, as occasion might require ; the residue being dismissed with presents — ^having promised the services of six hundred braves to the governor when- ever he should summon them to the field. The governor did not question the sincerity of their professions ; but wrote to Mr. Johnson the sixteenth of September, that "they looked as though they were determined to be hearty in oar cause," and "he expected their warriors to join him in about ten days. " It is astonishing, nay, inexplicable, how completely Mr. Clinton and his qounsellors were left in the dark, down even to the date qf the letter just cited, as to the situation of aflairs in New England. In this let- ter he tells Johnson that he talked to the Indians " in no other light than that of going immediately to fighting," and adds : " Five hundred troops from the Jprsies, and four hundred from Philadelphia, have arrived here, besides seve- ral more companies from New York, which amount to over two thousand men. More are expected ; and as I hear that the fleet was seen off the banks of Newfoundland, I conclude they are before now at Louisburg, — having sent, 28 ir- 218 LIFE OP Sia WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. m CHAP, some time since, an express to Boston not yet returned, v-v-' and I think he must be detained on that account." ' The 1746. governor also in the same letter informs Johnson tliat he has sent the fourteen Susquehanna warriors who had re- mained behind, against the enemy, attached to a company of sixty men under the command of Captain Sfcaats, and from whom he hoped to hear a good account. The Canadian governor had not been an inattentive ob- server of Mr. Clinton's preparations for meeting the In dians. He had indeed adroitly attempted to prevent the gathering, by sending a number of Caughnawaga emissa- ries among them, with pacific overtures.^ The Onondaga captain, taken, as already related, at Crown Point, in July was to accompany them, charged with a message from the governor to the effect, that although the warriors of the Bix I^ations had killed some of his people, yet he was wil- ling to overlook the past, and '' as an evidence of his lov^e for them, he had sent back one of their people instead of eating his flesh." At the same time the Caughnawagas were charged "not to spill any more blood from Albany upward, but to turn their arms toward their inveterate enemies in New England. " There," said the French go- vernor, " There is the place for you to gain honor now." But much to the surprise of the governor, the Caughnawa- gas declined the honor of the proposed mission, either as the bearers of intelligence, or menac<^s. " Such a course," they replied, "would only stir up th3 Six Nations, and bring them and all their allies to destroy you at once. They are not to be bullied by your words or arms ; where, fore, father, we must leave you to go through this work by yourself." These sudden scruples of his allies^ but that the French governor was doubtless well acquainted with the unstable and impulsive character of the Indians, must well nigh have confounded him. But the Caughnawagas nevertheless dispatched one of their number in company 1 Manusoript letter, Clinton to Johnson. * Idem in reply to a letter from Johnson. LIPB OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 219 with the returning captain, aa the bearer of a message, not chap. from the governor, but from themselves, to their former wyl-* brethren, conjuring them by all their ancient ties of friend- 1'*** ship, not to embark in a war against them, and begging them to give information of any plottings of Governor Clinton against them. They invited the Six Nations to visit them in council again at their seat on the St. Lawrence in the spring ; and requested them to inform Governor Clin- ton that the French had eighteen hundred soldiers at Crown Point, ready for battle, but in which number were included eight castles of Ottaw-' Indians. It was on the return of the Mohawks from the council at Albany, that they wero met by six of their own people as the bearers of this mes- sage, which they had received from the returning Onon- daga prisoners, — ^the Caughnawaga messenger having ven- tured no farther than the confines of the Mohawk territory. But neither the message from their former brethren, nor the desires of the French governor, made the slightest im- pression upon the Six j^ations, since they communicated both to their new war-captain, Johnson, without reserve op delay, — ^giving eveiy desirable evidence of the good faith in which they had revived their English alliance. It was suggested by some contemporary writers, that in- asmuch as the governor of Canada asked only for the neu- trality of the Six Nations, the dictates of humanity required an acquiescence on the part of the English. But whoever has studied the character of this remarkable variety of the human family, — especially of the Iroquois, — must be aware how difficult, if not how utterly impossible, it would have been to keep them neutral. The Iroquois were the aborigin- als of all others, whose friendship and alliance was most strongly desired by both the principal belligerents, and whose possible hostility was anticipated with the greatest appre- hension by both. Their position, stretohiii.i>; from the west- ern shore of Lsike Champlain to Lake Erie, placed them like a barrier between the French and English colonics, and enabled them to strike with sudden fury upon the bor- j 220 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, ders of either, as they might elect. The most formidable w^w in numbers, the most compactly disposed in their cantons, ^^*^' and the best governed of the savage race, — inured to war, and accustomed to conquest, — their name was a terror to the Indians from the country of the Natchez to the gulf of St. Lawrence. Their trade was war ; and although they had for a season evinced a strong reluctance to engage in the contest then raging, yet the French were continually tampering with them, and their clergy had for a long pe- riod exercised great influence over them. They were them- selves by no means ignorant of the importance of their po- sition, nor of the important fact, that, as between the French and English colonies, they held the balance of power. How desirous they might be of making the most of their position, the English could not tell ; nor had they any warrant, in the event of neglecting to secure their ser- vices beyond a peradventure themselves, that when the con- test should become fierce, and the Indians should scent blood upon the breeze, they might not, in a moment of impulse, throw off their neutrality and strike suddenly in behalf of the French. Hence it is maintained that the English were by no means bound passively to allow the French to secure the advantage of a neutrality on the part of the Iroquois, the maintenance of which would be so ex- tremely uncertain, and the benefits of which would enure solely to the party proposing and so strenuously urging it. f'. ;. .-it' •f-n r;:S? vv .1 ' '■'■■.i .; ;/-i'^',: ij-.^rr-' Cm'! ..;f»/ .'!••■> h/-.!»j -v—' wi-v.L'ir.J: U'rj-^ '^ ■>'"■ 1.1 '>m h .CHAPTER VI. ■• ■■■ jn ' rv:^ "■■f •■•' . I . lT4o. . , ■ , X , The governor of Canada was prompt in executing the chap. purpose suggested to the Caughnawagas, of striking upon >— v— ' the borders of New England, the people of which he had ^'^®' designated as their most inveterate foes. Indeed the In- dians in the French service had not waited for that sug- gestion, since from the opening of the spring, the whole New England frontier from the eastern border of New York, had been kept in a continuous state of alarm ; their hamlets were often in flames ; and their fields reddened with blood. The New Hampshire l)order being the most exposed, was full of danger at every point. On the thirteenth of April, the Indians appeared at a township called Number- Four,^ and took three men prisoners, and killed their cat- tle. Four days afterward a larger party of fifty attempted to surprise the fort at Upper Ashu^^lot,' hiding themselves in a swamp near by with the design of marching into the fort on the departure of the men to their field labors in the morning. But their ambuscade was discovered by a man who went forth very early in the morning, and their pur- pose frustrated. A skirmish took place in which a man and a woman were killed, and another man taken prisoner. On retreating, the Indians burned several houses and bams. Three days afterward a party of savages came to New Hopkinton, where was a block house guarded by several men. One of these going out very early to hunt, leaving his companions asleep, also left the door open, — a ^ Sinoe named Charlestown. iKeene. ii-.ir- 'M 222 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1746. CHAP, very convenient instance of carelessness, — for the lurking ' savages, who thereupon rushed in and made eight pii- soners — four men, one woman and three children. On the second of May, Number-Four was revisited, and a party of women milking some cows, guarded by several soldiers, were fired upon. One man was killed, and two of the Indians mortally wounded by the return fire. Two days afterward, Contoocook* was visited by the enemy, by whom two men were killed, and a third taken prisoner. The same hostile party made 'wo prisoners two days after- ward at Lower Ashuelot,' but lost one of tlieir number in another attempt upon the little fort at tipper Ashuelot. About the same time, a party of savages made an incur- sion into Bernardatown, in Massachusetts. Th^y attacked a house garrisoned by only three men, but the duty of these was performed so effectively, that the enemy retreated with two of their warriors mortally wounded. On their way through Coleraine they ambuscaded a road near one of the forts, and fired upon a party consisting of a man, his wife and oanghter, and two soldiers. Thd first was killed ; and the woman and her daughter wound- ed. But on losing one of their number by the fire of the soldiers, the enemy made oft'.' On the twenty-fourth of May, a company of troops sent for the defence of the in- habitants, was drawn into an ambuscade in !N'nmber-Four, and in a smart skirmish which ensued, five men were killed on each side — the Indians gaining the advantage of making a prisoner. A month afterward another spirited affair occurred at the same plaoe. In this instance the dogs were the most vigilant sentinels, but for whom, Oap- tains Stevens and Baker would probably have been drawn into a fatal ambuscade. The Indians having been disco- vered, the provincial detachment had the advantage of the first fire. After a brisk encounter, the Indians were driven ^Bosoawen. 'Swansey. - r--,;'' ■■•;■■.- ;,;v,,, ..,;••' * EojVb Antiquitiu. , LIPB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, DART. 228 away — leaving evidences of considerable loss. Only one chap. of the provincials was killed, but there were five wound- w^ ed. The bodies of several Indians were afterwai'ds dis- 174G. covered, concealed in a swamp. Guns, hatchets, spears, and other warlike articles, were left by the Indians, the sale of which produced to the victors between seventy and eighty pounds.' On the twenty-fourth of June, two men were killed, and two taken prisoners at Fort Dummer. One of the prisoners killed an Indian before he was taken. Three days afterward a party of laborers wore attacked in a field in Rochester, only twenty miles from Ports- mouth. The men were unarmed. Four of them were killed, and the fifth, wounded, was made prisoner. He was taken into Canada, as the other prisoners had been, being carefully attended to on the way until his wounds were healed. A lad was likewise made prisoner in anoth- er part of the town — the men with whom he was at work, making their escape. Yet another man was killed in Rochester soon afterward. On the third of July, an am- buscade was discovered in Hinsdale, but the Indians were put to flight. One month afterward, they again revisited Number-Four, and killed two men and several cattle. Two men were surprised and taken on the sixth of Au- gust, at Contoocook ; and a large party visited Penacook," and formed an ambuscade for the purpose of attacking a congregation while at worship in their church. But ob. serving that the men were well armed with carnal weap- ons, they delayed an attack until che next morning, when five men were killed, and two taken prisoners.* Murders were also committed again in the neighborhood of Fcrt Dummer ; at Hinsdale ; in Winchester, Poquaig,* Green- field ; at r enacook, and in several other places. At Pen- * ManuscT pt journal of Deacon Noah Webster. •Concord. ' Belknap is the authority for several of these accounts of the border Bkirmishes of 1746. See also Hoyt'g Antiquities. * Afterward called Athol. 224 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOirXflOX, DART. II 4 CHAP, acook five persons wore killed.* These hostile parties wy— chiefly came from the St. Francis country, through Lake 1*46. Memphremagog. The priwoucrs tukon were rarrit'd into Canada, where some of them died, but the greater number were subsequently redeemed or exchanged. But in addition to these partizan operations, painful to neighborhoods, yet more irritating than important in their influence upon the war, there was one of a more formida- ble character. It has already been seen that the French were concentrating a strong force at Crown Point ; and it happened that at the very time when Governor Clinton was opening his conferences with the Six Nations,— a combined force of French and Indians was within so short a distance of Albany, that had the officers and citizens there assembled been aware of the fact, they would most likely have felt rather uneasy in their seats. On tie breaking out of the war, the New England colonies had erected a chain of small works — stockades and block houses — along tbe frontiers of Maine and New Hamp- shire, from Saco to Charlestown, — thence down the Con- necticut river to Greenfield. The old defences at the place last mentioned, apd at Northfield, were repaired ; and another cordon of similar works was extended from the Connecticut across the Hoosic mountain, to the terri- tory now forming the towns of Adams and Williamstown ; thence south through Pittsfield, Stockbridge and Sheffield, at each of which points stockades were erected, and also at Blanford, for the purpose of guarding the principal road from the east to Kinderhook ai* d Albany. The general command of this territory, belonged to Colonel John Stoddart, of the Hampshire militia regiment; but the y immediate command of the posts west of Hoosic mountain, was confided to Captain Ephraim Williams, whose head- quarters were in a work of considerable strength, called Fort Massachusetts, up<»u the Hoosic river, within the bounds of what is now the town of Adams. Small but I Hoyt'a Anliquitiet. LIFE OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, DAHT. :225 active scouting parties were kept ranging IVom post to chaf. post ; and such was their vigilance that the Massuchurtetts wv— ' border suft'cred but little during the yearw 1744 and 1745, ^'*®' gave by the two successive incursions of tlio enemy upon the Great Meadow settlement above Fort Dumnior; in both of which a few persons wore killed, and a few others carried into captivity. Irritated, Ijowever, by the loss of Louisburg, the French, M'ith their dusky allies, became more active, ag well as more savage, along the wlu)le bor- der, as the reader has seen in the rapid account just given of their incursions. But the largest demonstration of the enemy that season, was the descent of Rigaud de Vaudreuil from Crown Point, upon the post already described as Fort Massachu- Botts, which was invested by that officer about the middle of August, with a force of regular troops and Indians numbering nine hundred and sixty-iive men. This was the extreme northwestern post belonging to the colony, whose name it bore, and was commanded, as heretofore stated, by Captain Ephraim Williams. This excellent offi- cer, however, with the greater part of the force under his immediate command, was at Albany at the time of the invasion, having been or'\t»re • r> ied away, — ^the residue of the party making good tl ■■'■■ 'jape. * Meantime the summer had passed away, and with it the best season for active operations against- Crown Point and the French. General Gooch, who had been commissioned by the crown for the special service of conducting the ex- pedition, had declined the appointment; and the chief command of the forces at Albany, had thus far devolved upon Governor Clinton. • With great pains and labor, the Iroquois Confederacy had finally been prevailed upon to take an efficient part in the contest, but there was not yet an immediate demand for their services in a body ; although at this late day it seems strange that large numbers of them were not employed in connection with the rangers who had ^Hoyt's Antiquitiei. * Major General Sir William Oooch was lieutenant-gorernor and gorernor of Virginia from 1727 to 1749. " He sustained an excellent character, and was popular in his administration." He had superior military talents, and commanded a diTision of the forces in the unsuccessful attack on Cartha- genainl740. ,,., .,_ . -. .u-ii"' *#' 230 LWB OP 8IR WILLIAM JOHNSOK, BART. liiH:^ CHAP, been sent out from Albany to scour the forests, and watch •— ^-z the motions of the enemy at the north. It certainly argues ^'" great negligence, somewhere, that so large a for je aB that led against Fort Massachusetts by M. Vaudreuil, could \&ve made such movement, approaching as it did within forty miles of Albany, without the fact being known at headquarters until after the invaders had retired. Yet it appears to have been so. Equally in the dark, moreover, wao Mr. Clinton in regard to the state of affairs in New England ; and on the sixteenth of September, timely ad- vices not having been received from Shirley and Warren, the governor, witli his council, came to the reluctant de- cision that the season for active military operations was so far advanced as to render an expedition, e v'cn against Crown Point, impracticable, and that nothing more could then be done than to make the necessary dispositions for theise- curity of the frontiers. ^ Four days afterward letters were received both from Governor Shirley and the admiral, the former announcing that he had appointed General "Waldo, of Massachusetts, to the command of the northern expe- dition, in the place of General Gooch. ' But it was now too late ; and the high hopes of the people were dashed with bitter disappointment. The parent government had entirely failed in every engagement. Neither a fleet of adequate force, nor the promised troops under Sir Johu Sinclair, had appeared ; while the threatened invasion of the New England coast by France, had placed those colonies entirely on the defensive, and it now only remained for New York, instead of attempting a descent upon Crown Point, to prepare winter quarters for her own levies, and to adopt such measures as would afford the best security to her frontiers. To this end Mr. Johnson was directed, on his return to the Mohawk castle, to organize war parties of the Indians, and send them to harrass the French settlements in Canada. - -■ - ■ " ' II ■ ■ iManiT jcript proceedings of the oouncil board. . ■ Manuscript journals of the oounoil board. / LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 281 he ilia ilrst efforts were discouraging. Many of the In- chap. dians had contracted the small-pox at Albany, and a con- v-v-' eiderable number of their finest young men had died of ^^'*^- the pestilence, either while journeying homeward, or after reaching their castles. It was during their affliction from this at that period appalling disease, that Mr. Johnson was pressing them to go against the enemy ; and his urgency, on one occasion, drew a rebuke from a sachem of the Canajo- harie clan, chat was full of feeling : — " You seem to think, that we are brutes," said the first chief; " and that we have no sense of the loss of our dearest relations, and some of the bravest men we had in our nation. You must allow us time to bewail jur misfortune." Nevertheless, early in October, a party of seventy war- riors, composed of some from each of the cantons, was made up for the purpose of harrassing the Canadian border. Several Englishmen accompanied this party, as well to as- sist, as to be witnesses of their conduct, under the lead of a son of Captain Butler, of the royal forces. But they had not been out many days before Mr. Butler fell sick of the emall-pox, and five of the Indians were obliged to return to cany him back. The residue continued their courie, being instructed to avoir", the paths and water-courses usually traveled between the English and French colonies, and to thread the woods and cross the mountains in such manner as, if possible, to escape observation. .Another small party was sent forth to hover about the precincts of Crown Point for the purpose of gaining intelligence, and render- ing such other service as chance and opportunity might re- quire. After the return of Mr. Butler the first party found it (Expedient to divide, — thirty of the Indians, with ten white men, taking one direction, and the residue striking off in another. The first division fell upon a French settlement on the north side of the St. Lawrence, ten leagues above Montreal; killed and scalped four people, and broufjht away ten prisoners, one of whom was a captain of mihtia. fill ,, *l' 232 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP. Another party of nine luu^ans entered Canada still nearer to Montreal, and mingled with the Caughnawagas, under ^^^^' the guise of friendship. Their dissimulation was carried still farther, for they allowed themselves to be taken to Montreal, where they had an interview with the governor, and by whom they were dismissed with presents. So well did they play their part that they were entrusted with of- ficial dispatches to the commanding officer at Crown Point, and were also charged with letters from officers to their friends at that post. These communications were all de- \i\ ered to the commanding officer at Albany on their re- turn. They moreover had the good fortune on their way back to surprise a small French defence, in which they killed five men, bringing away one prisoner and one scalp. • But notwithstanding the mortifying failure of all the plans of the year for such a vigorous prosecution of the war as it was supposed must result in the subjugation of Canada, the immense preparations of the French for the reconquest of Cape Breton, and possibly the invasion of New England, were equally abortive, and her high hopes were likewise overthrown. The grand armament destined upon this service has been described in a former part of the present chapter. Its misfortunes were truly remarka- ble. Indeed before the summer was entirely gone, such accounts were received in Boston of its distresses, as very materially to lessen their apprehensions of an invasion, even if the promised augmentation of Admiral Townsend's na- val force at Cape Breton should not be realized. The num- ber of vessels in the French armament has already been stated. Comprised in that number were eleven ships of the line, thirty smaller vessels carrying from ten to thirty guns each, with transport ships conveying land forces to the number of three thousand one hundred and thirty men. To this force a squadron of four ships, under Admiral Conflours from the West Indies, was to be added, — D'Anville, the commander of the whole, being a nobleman ^ Colden's agoount of the treaty at Albany. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT. 2S8 17M. of high qualities and courage, in whose conduct the ut- ch\p. moat confidence was placed. On arriving in Nova Scotia, • the land forces were to have teen joined by seventeen hun- dred Canadians and Indians, who were already in arms, awaiting their debarkation. The main squadron of the French, fitted at Rochell ^ ivas ready for sea in the begin- ning of May, but was prevented by contrary winds from getting out, until the twenty-second of June. This delay seems to have been ominous of the train of adverse cir- cumstances which followed. A series of disasters retarded the progress of the fleet, and weakened its power. The Count did not pass the "Western Islands until the fourth of August. On the twenty-fourth, yet distant three hundred leagues from Nova Scotia, one of the ships proving un- eeaworthy, was burnt. In a storm on the first of Septem- ber, two ships, one of seventy-four, and the other of sixty- four guns, were so much damaged in their masts, that they were obliged to bear away for the Weft Indies ; and on the fifteenth, the Ardent, also of sixty-four guns, found it neces- sary to put back to Brest, in consequence of a pestilential fever, which broke out among the crew. D'Anville arrived at Chebucto on the twelfth of September, vtdth but two ships of the line, and only three or four of the transports. One ship cnly had arrived before him ; and after waiting three days, finding himself joined by only three more of the transports, — and having heard by an intercepted dis- patch from Shirley, that the English fleet had arrived on the coast in pursuit of him, although Shirley's information was incorrect, — the admiral died suddenly, — by apoplexy, according to the French accounts, and by poison, eelf- adrainistered, according to the English. Monsieur de la Jonqiii^re, Governor General of Canada, an officer of age and experience, was on board of D'Anville's ship, the Horthumberland ; and having been created a chef d'eseadre previous to the sailing of the fleet, by the death of the admiral, he succeeded to the command. Two days after? 30 •fefc.. # 284 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, ward the vice admiral D'Estoumelle, came up with three s_y— / or fotir more of the missing ships, and a council of war 1746. ^ag thereupon called to determine what next should be done. Considering the extent to which thei.r forces had been weakened by such a succession of calamities, equally unlooked for and severe, the absence of many of the regu- lar troops who were on board the missing and disabled ves- sels, and the sickness of many more among whom the fever was raging with v.'olence, the vicp-" imiral proposed return- ing to France. leing strenuously opposed, however, in this suggestion by Jonqui^re, and overruled by the council, D'Estournelle fell upon h's own sword and died. Jonquifere thought himself yet in a condition to conquer Annapolis- Royal and recover Nova Scotia, and made his dispositions for that object. Most of the sick having died at Chebucto, the fleet sailed thence with the residue on the thirteenth of October ; but a violent storm was encountered two days afterward, when off Cape Sable, which continued several days and separated the fleet, — two ships only, one of fifty, and the other of thirty-six guns, remaining in company. These, on approaching Annapolis-Royal, discovered the Chester man of war, the Shirley frigate, and a smaller British vessel, under sail, — ^whereupon they retu:ed under a press of canvass, to return no more. '■> Such was the disastrous termination of that memorable expedition from which so much had been expected by France. * "Never had so great an armament been dispatched from Europe to North America ; and never had any proved more inefficient. ' ' ' The people of New England accustomed to see the hand of Providence in every event of human life, viewed their deliverance as a signal and direct inter- position of the deity in their behalf, — by pestilence and storm. " Never was a disappointment more severe on the part of the enemy ; nor a deliverance more complete, with- l¥i 1 Hutohinson. >Graib»ia«. I. 'j. -y LITB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 285 out human help, in favor of this country." ' Not a single chap. honest effort had been put forth by the ministers for their wv— ' defence beyond the sending of Admiral Townsend with ^'*®- reinforcements for .he squadron of Commodore Knowles atLouisburg; <* and these two commanders," saysGrahamej, ** doubtless in conformity with orders which they had re-' ceived, contented themselves with guarding that harbor from attack, without making the slightest demonstration in support of New England. ' ' . i • h i . •> vot* * /! i {..u. Governor Clinton returned to New York early in Octo- ber, meeting his council in that city on the foui'teenth of the same month Before leaving Albany he had made arrangements for a winter camp at that place, and adopted measures which it was supposed would be adequate to tho protection of the frontiers. His detention at the north for nearly three months had been unexpected, and his exertions had been arduous and patriotic. The critical state in which he found the Indian affairs, required the exercise of all the prudence and attention in his power to bestow ; and in their management he had derived but little assistantje from the Board of Indian commissioners. Great dissatisfaction had prevailed respecting the conduct of this board ; and know- ing that the governor's confidence had been withdrawn from them, several members of the commission refused to attend the council, frankly confessing that they had lost all influence over the Indians.' It was in this posture of that important branch of the public affairs, that the influence and services of Mr. John- son were invoked ; and the management of that depart- ment thenceforward devolved chiefly up^a him. In addition to all his other duties, the governor had been likewise compelled by the refusal of Gen. Gooch to serve in the campaign, to assume all the cares and responsibili- ties of military commander-in-chief; and the cares and ' Belknap. ' MaauMript journals of the oounoil board. '<.>.' li':^ ' 'Ht^i 38» LITE OP SIR Wn.LIAM JOHNSON, BAOT. J o«Ai<. reBponsibilitic?, after the arrival of the colonial troops w^-*flrom New Jersey, Pennsjlvania and Maryland, irrespective 1746. Qf tjjg Indian administration, were by no means light. Environed by difflcnlties, and limited in his meann, contem- porary historians havo not awarded him that meed of jun- tice to which he was nnqueationably entitled for the zeal with which he labored to discliarge his public duties. The general assembly met on the seventeenth of October ; and the governor, being indisposed, instead of opening tlie session in person, sent for the speaker, and through him transmitted a copy oi the speech he had intended to deliver to the honae, — a procedure which that body, acting tinder Hi* inilaence of De Lance\ , and not coming together in the best possible humor, voted to be not only unprece- dented, hvkt irregular. Be Lancey, it will be remembered, on his rupturo with the governor, had sworn that he would tfaenceibrwtod render his excellency's: administration un- comfortable ; and he made good his oath. <' Hia uncommoD vivacity wad ease, hi» adroitness at a jest, and bis conde- scension to hia inferiors, wonderfully facilitated his pur- poaesi ;" and it took him not long to infuse such a spirit of fiuitaons opposition to the governor that the assembly ptwuied not at measuree to embarrasahim of the most inde- fensible character. 8tiU the assembly proceeded to the couslderation of the public business. The speech opened by rekearsing the history of the governor's mission to Al- bany, — the difficulties that had attended, and the measure of Buecesa which bad crowned it. Owing to misconduct oa the part of the commissioners, the Indians, who had b«en tampered vrith by the French, had weU. nigh gone over to them ; but the governor said he had fortunately secured their alliance, and it remained only by judicious measures to retain their friendship. The events of the summer, as connected witii the prosecution of the war, — feeble enough in every respect, — ^were spoken of; and a call was made for increased appropriations for the Indian service, for the construction of additional defences on the frontiers, and * LIPB OF Bin WILLIAM JOnNSON", BART. 287 especially for the maintenance of a winter encampment in chap. the neighborhood of Albany, for the shelter of the troops w^^-* destined agdmst C'anada, whenever the time for a deciwve ^'**- movement should arrive. In conclusion the speech ex- horted the assembly to union and harmony, interposing a caution against the dangers consequent upon encroach- ments by either branch of the government upon the consti- tutional privileges of the others. ' 4»J gfi/icjii t- v .' .. The speech was a very fair one, «nd nothing appears upon its face dictated otherwise than by a very proper spirit. Yet such was the temper of tbe assembly that the speech was like the dropping of a spark into a magazine. The house was instantly inflamed. Hiis excellency's " persua- sions to hannony excited only to discord ;" and in the con- cluding admonitions against encroachments upon the pre- rogatives of other branches of the i^overnment, — the pre- rogatives of the crown meaning, — the assembly discovered, or affected to disicover, a degree of distrust which incensed them exceedingly. They voted, however, the sum of six thousand five hundred pounds for tho subsistence of the winter encampment at Albany ; but provided for the trans- portation of supplies to that city, and im> farther, — refusing, in efiect, the means for conveying those supplies to the several posts at which they w«re needed. Farther provision for the subsistence of certain detachments of militia which had been ordered to Albany in May and June, was likewise refused. The governor promptly sent in a message rebuk- ing the legislature for its parsimony, and inraating that when at the preceding session they had voted to provision the forces of the province destined against Canada, they had as a consequence pledged themselves to bear all the charges incident thereto. He told them with military truth " that the provisions for an army are so necessary a part of all warlike enterprisee, that any defeat or obstruction in the daily supply of them, might defeat the beat concerted measures ; and that if the provisions of an army are not subject to the orders of the commanding officer;i it would ^'"■«»i- LIPK OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, be in the power of those charged with furnishing the aup- w,^-^ plies, to frustrate any enterprise." His excellency there- 1746. fQj.Q required a grant for transporting supplies along with the forces, to whatever parts they might be ordorcJ. The assembly was also informed that there were thirteen hun- dred anAn officer of one of the independent companies, now raised by Mr- Clinton to the ranlc of colonel in the intended expedition. He had been a cornel of horse at the accession of George I., and was connected, by his first marriage, with the earl of Halifax. His second wife was the daugh- ter of that Mr. Harrison who had so deep a share in the fUeds of Cosby and Tan Dam. — Smith. m- r LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, DART. 289 can certainly best dotermino." In roapect to tho alleged chap. inismanugenient of tho Indian department, tho addiesa v— v— * avowed the readiness of the anHombly to enter upon a full ^^*® investigation, whenever the governor should communicate to them all the papetH and documents connected with that branch of tho public service since the commencement of his excellency's administration, — until which time no larger sum than usual would be voted for that department, lest there should be further misconduct. The winter encamp- ment was disapj. ;oved of, as being calculated to retard rather than facilitate the meditatec' invasion of Canada. The soldiers could not be made eomtortiiblo in the climate of Albany, and sickness and desertion would be the conse- quences of attempting to keep them there. The add re 's declared that larger appropriations had been voted thaii even the king had expected. The imputation of parsi- mony was therefore repelled ; as also was the intimat'pn that the most perfect harmony did not exist between the different branches of the legislature. It was farther declared that the assembly was to guard against the private views of any artful or desigrjiiig men ; and they should be sorry to find that any such men could prevail upon his excellency to break that harmony so necessary for the public welfare ; — adding, that if any such persons had been infusing such distrust into his excellency's mind, they must have had sinister ends in view, and could be no friends 1 to their country. Disclaiming any designs to encroach upon the prerogatives of others, c ;i'as said that although collisions had happened informed -iines, yet they had arisen from the bad advice given by designing men to the governors, rather than from an;/ wanton stretch of power by the people. In regard to the transportation of the army supplies, the address vindicated the action of the assembly, declaring " the circumstances of the colony would not suffer tbem to take one step farther;" but the committee nevertheless concluded their report with an as- surance that as far as was con8isteD,t; with the duty Xhej •"t -il ■■■'■' . wfik t, 1 240 LIFE OF 8IB, WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1740. CHAP, owed his majesty, they would always endeavor to make »-v— ' his excellency's administration easy. This last declaratiou was a mere flouriRh of rhetoric, hollow and insio.-'ere. The address was presented to the governor on the fifth of November. Throe days afterwai'd the committee to which had been referred the oomplpints of the commis- sioners of supplies touching the conduct of Roberts and Holland, in breaking open the stores of the commissariat at Albany. h»^ught in their report. The documentary history of the controversy upon this subject is long. In brief, however, it appeared that in order to supply the deficiency in the number of state levies caused by sickness, desertion, and death, the governor had annexed to these forces four companies of independent fusileers, the supplies for whom did not fall within the precise letter of th^ act of appropriation. The commissioners of purchases Lad consequently refused to issue provisions for these four companies, in the face of an express order of ihe governor. When, moreover, the forces at Albany were ordered to march fi^r the carrying place m route to Crown Point, the commissioners refused to convey the provisions to tlie place designated, and to otlier 6*ontter points also, for their subsistence. Under these circumstaneee, having an order from the governor to meet the contingency, issued under a special impressment act of the general assembly, Roberts and Holland took the responsibility of taking the necessary supplies from the store houses themselves,— Doctor Colden, one of the governor's council, having sanctioned the procedure, after in vain threatening the commissioners with removal from office as a punishment for their contumacy. But it has been seen that under the influence of Mr. DeLancey, the assembly was rife for a quarrel with the governor ; and a resolution was passed censuring him in the first instance for the warrant that had heen issued for the subsistence of the fusileers. A second resolution was adopted approving of the conduct of the eommissioners ; a third, declaring the warrant of LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 241 Colonel Roberts to Holland, directing him to open the chap. stores for supplies to be arbitrary and illegal ; a fourth, —v-* declaring both Roberts and Holland guilty of a high mis- ^'**'' demeanor ; a fifth, declaring the breaking of the store- houses, and the seizure of the provisions, to be a manifest violation of the rights and liberties of the subject; a sixth, declaring that Holland was guilty of a high crime and misdemeanor for breaking the store-house ; a seventh, declaring it a high misdemeanor for any person in authority to attempt by threats to influence any officers appointed by law to violate their duty ; an eighth, applying the last mentioned resolution expressly to Cadwalladcr Golden, and declaring him guilty of the crime charged; a ninth, de- claring that it would be in vain for the assembly to vote farther supplies until an effectual stop should be put to snch proceedings ; and a tenth, calling upon the governor to direct the attorney-general to prosecute the delinquents. Mr. Clinton replied to the address of the house of the fifth of November, on the tenth, with firmness and energy, — exhibiting more of dignity, and less of imita- bility than might have been expected under the circum- stances of the case from his choleric temperaments He had supposed the bad feeling of the Six Nations, and thd misconduct of the Indian commissioners, matters of too great notoriety to require special averments or commen- taries in his opening speech. But in order to thi© better understanding of the case by the assembly, he had ordered copies of the documents which they had intimated a desire to examine, to be laid before them, whenever it might suit them to make the call. Had they asked for information respecting the military transactions at Albany, before expressing their dissatisfaction with those transac- tions, the governor suggested that they might possibly have formed different opinions, or arrived at different conclusions in regard to them. His excellency censured the house for having given publicity to their address; expressed his regret that his recommendations for a goo4 31 I y. ■•lU i -^iJ^^ 242 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP. agreement among the different branches of the goveiu. »— .y— / ment in times of danger should have given offence ; and ' ® renewed his protestations of a sincere desire to cultivate a spirit of harmony in his administration. "And now gentlemen," he added, "I think this is an occasion on which I may be allowed to tell you, that within the six months last past, I have gone through with more diffi- culties, I have had less assistance, and I have done more for this province, than I believe any governor of New York has done before me ; I feel in my own heart my zeal for my king and my country's service ; and therefore I can with pleasure lay the account of my administration at his majesty's feet. Meantime I shall to the utmost of my power, be careful of the rights and liberties of every man under my government. I shall be more especially careful 6f the preservation of your privileges ; and at the same time to preserve that part of his majesty's authority entrusted to me." This message, however, having been prepared in answer to the proceedings of the assembly of the fifth of Novem- ber, formed of course no answer to the resolutions of the eighth, respecting the seizure of the provisions at Albany by Roberts and IJoUand, and demanding the arrest and trial of those officers. Indeed it is most likely that those resolutions had not been communicated to the governor in form when this message was delivered, the tone of which was not calculated to allay the already excited feelings of the legislature. A recess of ten days, from the fourteenth to the twenty-fourth of November, was allowed ; and on reassembling of that body, a message was in readiness to meot them, extended and elaborate, answering the resolu- tions of the eighth seriatim^ and justifying the proceedings at Albany, which, his excellency declared, had been direct- ed by himself and his council under the pressure of the utmost necessity. Viewing the transactions in question at this length of time, although the commissioners entrusted by the assem- LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 248 fA bly with the supplies, whose duty it was to deliver them chap. out, and the assembly which sustained their course, had w^ the advantage of the popular side of the controversy, yet *'^*^' it seems equally certain that those commissioners acted in a manner greatly embarrassing to the public service ; — for what substantial reason does not appear. Mr. Clinton, in obedience to the orders of the crown, and in concert with Governor Shirley and Admiral "Warren, had planned what was intended to be a final and decisive descent upon Canada, —the conquest of which was indispensable to the security and I'epose of the English colonies, — for which purpose the forces had been collected at Albany. In October they were ordered to advance to the carrying-place between the Hud- son river and Lake Champlain, — to which point the com- missioners of subsistence were requested to forward the necessary supplies from the store houses in Albany. The request was refused under the flimsy pretext that they were not in funds that could be applied to that purpose. Those commissioners were John Cuyler and Dirck Ten Broeck. On being demanded by Colonel Roberts whether they would deliver the provisions, should the means of trans- portation be provided, they refused because they had no power, as they alleged, to comply. The colonel then demanded whether they would deliver the provisions to a commissary, or to the quartermasters, under the warrant of the governor, to be receipted for. This request, right in itself, and reasonable withal, was also refused, upon the mere technical pretext that by the act of the assembly they were allowed to deliver supplies " only to the captains." All these excuses were obviously evasions. The Schuylers, whose interest was powerful, were oftended because Mr. Johnson was rising into favor in the Indian department. De Lancey, who had been succeeded in the governor's affections, by Colden, was implacable ; and he was omnipo- tent with the assembly, of which body the commissioners were the agents. Hence it was the policy of each of these interests to embarrass, rather than to strengthen, the com- *•;-"• "»%. m> m LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT, (BHAP. mander-in-chief. Yet the frontiers must be protected ; and s-v— ' the orders to Colonel Roberts were peremptory to move 1746. jjjg forces northward to the carrying-place. A council of war was held after the refusal of the commissioners to move the provisions, consisting of Lieutenant-Colonels Boberts and Marshall, and Majors Clarke and Ruther- ford, — the latter officer being also one of the executive council, — at which it was determined, aa the only alterna- tive in the emergency, to make use of a warrant granted in anticipation of some such act of contumacy, authorizing the impressment of the necessary supplies from the colonial stores, giving a receipt for the same, and taking all proper measures to guard against waste or extravagance. The case was stated with all frankness and candor in the mes- sage, yet without asperity. But, although under the cir- cumstances then existing, it is difficult to perceive what other course could have been adopted on the instant of tne emergency, the governor's explanations nevertheless gave no satisfaction to the assembly, as was made fully to appear by the resolves passed two days afterward. In addition to the declaration of dissatisfaction, it was resolved that no further supplies should be voted while the abuses of which they complained were openly avowed and encouraged. A thrust wa? likewise aimed at Doctor Golden, who had con- curred in the proceedings of Colonel Roberts, and who had doubtless advised, if he had not prepared, the vindictory message, by a resolution declaring "that whoever had advised the said message, had endeavored to creat^ jealous- ies and dissensions among the several branches of the legis- lature ; had encouraged a manifest breach of the laws of the colony ; and were enemies to the constitution thereof." But notwithstanding the attitude thus ap^'med, the assem- bly still avowed its readiness, as soon as proper assurances were given that the alleged abuses should be effectually prevented, to vote an ample allowance for the subsistence pf the forces. Mr. Clinton was either alarmed at the resolutions, or else -i. LtFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 245 he judged it uo auitable time for a controversy. His mes- chap. aage in reply was conciliatory if not yielding. He only w^w required that for the future, the provisions for the army l'^^- should be delivered out agreeably to the existing engage- ments of the assembly, in which case nothing that had happened could or should happen again. He alsu pledged himself that all possible care should be taken of the pro- visions, and exact accounts rendered. This advance had the effect of allaying the storm, and. the assembly applied itself to its duties in a spirit that encouraged the governor to call for additional supplies for the maintenance of arti- zans among the Senecas, and also for bounty money for female scalps — bounties being allowed only upon the scalps • of meles by the existing laws. The immediate cause for preferring this request, — so abhorentto the feelings of the present day, — was the fact that a party of the Six Nations had recently brought in thrr;e female prisoners from Canada, and one female scalp. Evidence was thus afforded that tho Confederates had at length engaged heartily in the war ; and the governor thought they should be encouraged ia the manner proposed. The same message also demanded supplies for Oswego, and announced that Mr. Johnson had ■ become the contractor for that post, — ^with a stipulation that no higher charges she aid be made in time of war, than it had been usual to pay in time of peace. Heed was taken of these requisitions, and the necessary supply bills both for the civil and military service, were passed. ^ An act was also passed authorizing a lottery to raise two thousand two hundred and fifty pounds for founding a colle/^e in the city of New York. This was the first step take>. toward the establishment of Ejngs, now Columbia College, — so far behind the colonists of New England were those of New York, on the great subject of education. * 'ManuBoript letter from Johnson to Capt. John CHhorwood, acknow. ledging receipt of adTicos that the assembly had by r-. Mition approved of the governor's rcoommendation that he (JohnBon) should supply the troops at Oswego. Thanks the governor, and promises to act with energy, &c. * This was at the distance of more than one hundred und twenty years after the discovery and settlement of New Tork, whereas the colonies of „ %- ':m i-,. ;:'rf'^^f 246 LXVK "F SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. i ■!■■■ '^ -.ii-i : ;?!' ciup. It was now the fourth of Decemher, »nd the general assem- . -V— ^^y was drawing its session to a close. Mr. DeLancey, how- 17*6. ever, could not allow the session to terminate wUliout mak- ing another dcaionstration against his rival, Doctcr ( 'olden. On the day ' ist mentioned, the chief j'lsti >j calloi th;: attention of the legislative council to a j'-anpiilot giving j.! account of the Indian negor,iatio i - &t AyuMxy, .f wK ihHo much has already been saiu in the present •' Hapter, wherein it was set forth tliat althou/h the governor had requested the members of lus council to attend and assist in those negotiations, throe only had com]>r'ed wvth the requiei, ' lz: Messrs. Tolden, Livingston, aad Rut! lertord. According io that M-rrative, therefore, his eyoelumcy had bt. .. left lo ti':X with the smallest number of coiintJ^Uors t 'n at could cou- fctituf. 1, iftHy foiiii a board. Mr. DeLancoy considered thi& stii?;rtae; t a refiection upon the non-attending councilors, &pA .noved that the printer of the pamphlet be dummoned to the bar, to answer as to its authorship. An animated debate enerued upon the motion, in the course of which Dr. Colden averred the authorship, and asBamed the responsi- bility of its publication. Messrs. Deliaiicey, Horsmanden and Murray successively uttered some animadversions upon the pamphlet ; and on th« motion of the former, a vote of censure wcs adopted, denouncing the offensive passage as a misrepresentation of the facts, and an invidious reflection upon those members of the council who did not accompany the governor to Albany. Massaohusetts itnd Conneotiout had commonced their institulicQs of classi- oal learning very soon after planting t)ieir coloniee ' iith, the historian, states that for many years within his reuolletition the jnl^ aoademios in ibc colony of New York, except such asirere in holy orders, were Mr. JUeLancey a graduate of Cambridge, England, and Mr. Smith, (the historian's fatLer,) who was at the bar. At the time even, now under examination, there were not above thirteen graduates in the colony, excluding the clergy. Except Mr. DeLancey, there was then no graduate of .^ '*oIlege upon the bench, or in either of the branches of the legislature. T!<: r>T iotice then, even of the most opulent of the citizens, whose attention > ' ;(!'ierally engrossed with commerce, was to sead their sons directly ^K' . writing school to llie 70ur u^, room, and (honoa to the W«i^. . .iA'« ■ f ■ LIPK OP SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 247 The session closed on the following day. No events of chap. public or political importance occurred within the province »_yw of New York during the residue of Dacember ; nor did the ^'*®- enemy after the capture of Fort Massachusetts, harrass the northern border any more during this year. Meantime, Mr. Johnson was growing rapidly in the favor of the governor, to whom he paid a visit in New York . toward the close of the autumn. I have not been able to { discover the date of Johnson's elevation to the military | rank of colonel ; but it must have been at about the period / of time now under review. He had a brother, Wanen Johnson, a captain in the royal service, who had recruited a company in Boston that yeai*. The captain wrote to his brother William, on the ninth of October, that his uncle Warren, (the admiral,) was on the eve of sailing for Louis- burg, and that his lady was preparing to return to New York to pass the winter. On the tenth of December, the captain was in New York on his way to the Mohawk country to visit his brother. By his hand, under the last- mentioned date, governor Clinton addressed a letter " To Colonel WilUam Johnson, at Albany" This is the earliest document I have found among the Johnson manuscripts) superscribed with a military title. The letter, the main purpose of writing which was to request the colonel to pur- chase for his excellency a pair of black stallions, contained the following passage : — " This comes by your brother. I hope he will find you well. I hear nothing of news but what he will tell you. I have recommended you to his majesty's favor through the duke of Newcastle. I must desire you will keep up the Indians to their promises of keeping out scouts to watch the motions of the French." From this letter, therefore, it is probable that Clinton had just then comml.3«ioned Mr. Johnson 9M a colonel, subject to the approbato... 1 of the crown. - « '- f .rue operat':ona of tUe New Englanders in Nova Scotia, ended disastrouBlj . The French and Indian forces, whose purpose it was to oooperat- with the fleet of the Count 'ml iifi ■■'■ ,- " ;.■!('■ '■'''■ 248 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ^K -Hi 1746 CHAP. D'Anville, did not retire from that peninsula on the dis- ' persion of the fleet, and General Shirley judged it neces- sary to send a body of provincials, to dislodge them. The levies from Massachusetts, with the exception of those on board of one of the transports which was wrecked, arrived at Annapolis in safety, as also did two hundred of the Kew Hampshire troops. One of the New Hampshire transports, after a blundering cruise in the Bay of Fundy, was decoyed to a French sloop, and the crew captured. The Bhode Island levies did not reach their place of destination, their vessels being wrecked. In the course of the winter, the Massachu- setts forces at Annapolis being inferior in numbers to the enemy, yet deceived as to the extent of the disparity, were drawn into the field by false representations, and defeated, after a severe engagement, in the midst of a driving snow storm at Minas. -Col. Arthur Noble, with about sixty men, was killed, and there were fifty wounded. Noble's army did not exceed six hundred men ; and the survivors of the bat- tle, unable to escape, were compelled to capitulate. Cheva- lier Ramsay commanded the French ; but notwithstanding his victory, he did not venture to attack Annapolis, nor did the French inhabitants yet move in their meditated revolt.* The posts on the western border of New Hampshire, had been guarded by troops fh>m Massachusetts; but inas- much as those posts were without the jurisdiction of the colony, the garrisons were withdrawn late in thi) autumn. The settlers along that border, being left thus exposed, fell back upon the larger towns — ^taking away such of their goods as they could remove, burning such as could not be concealed in the earth without damage, and leaving the residue exposed to the ravages of the enemy. But the enemy was not active during this winter, and its deep repose in the forests of the north was only broken once, by an attack of the Indians upon Fort Hinsdale, occupied only by six families, by the stalwart hands of which the post was successfully defended^ ''• «>i*'fy^ '>^«i' vT.iAnciii^^u^p.jti fcsijrvs ' Belkii»p, Orahame, HutoUiuon, Hoyt. ."mi^ X'iHmtiih iuiJknw v«i» to «%.i m^ (^.tf^7'f: -: r. ,.■ ', •. ;■• - n^f ,i»Tl»r oJT ■ InipatieDt df delay, and anxious that the How bo Iou^ohap. meditated against Canada might be struck before the,_^ French should have power to repel it, the active mind of 1747. Shirley conceived the project of a descent upon Crown Point at mid-winter. The legislature of Massachusetts was readily persuaded to second the enterprise; and on the sixteenth of January, Governor Clinton communicated to his council a very long letter from Mr. Shirley, setting forth his plans, and urging the cooperation of New York, and the adoption of immediate and vigorous measures to that end. It was Shirley's intention, while the troops destined directly against Crown Point were concentrating in the neighborhood of Albany, to create a diversion in the enemy's country, by detaching a force of five hundred men, to march through the valley of the Connecticut, and fall upon the villages of the St. Francis Indians, two hundred miles north of the English settlements. A simi- lar movement, for the like object, was urged upon Gov- ernor Clinton, to be made against Fort Froutenac by the way of Oswego. Could the French be thus doubly distracted by simultaneous attacks at those distant points, it was presumed that in respect to the grand enterprise against Crown Point and Montreal, there could remain no well-founded doubt of success. Mr. Shirley, therefoi seeming to take it for granted that New York would second the enterprise without hesitation, much less with reluctance, asked for the services of its levies, then in garrison at Albany,^ and requested that accommodations lyi York forces during the winter of 1746 — '47, were distributed 32 ■:1: *Ji • w Vj W: 0$f^ . •'■■ h ^>'; 1'^ i M 250 LIFB 07 SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. n/- CHAP, for the New England troopB might be provided at Sara- Wy^toga. Ho desired farther that the Six Nations might bo 1747. brought into the iield, and tliat forts miu^ht be erected by New Y' ■ I at i' heads of Lakes Georgti and Champlain.* TLe lett,*- ,1,8 referred to a committee by the council, the report of which was indecisive and unsatisfactory. The committee afiected to be in favor of the enterprise, yet doubted the practicability of carrying it into execu- tion before the breaking up of winter. It was alleged that there were b'I^.c..:*^ «* oommodations for the New England levies at Saratoga ; the forts could not be built in time to guard the portages at the heads of the two lakes ; and as to the proposed design against Fort Fronte- nac, New York was then in no condition to undertake it. On the whole, therefore, the committee thought " a venter campaign against Crown Point was liable to many diffi- culties, and would be a hazardous undertaking."' Governor Clinton was nevertheless inclined to favor Uie scheme, wil4 and impracticable as it seemed to many ; and on the second of February he requested a more definite expression of opinion by his council. T^p days aii^rward that opinion was given, in the form of a very decisive report against the whole project. It was urged, not without rea- son, that the winters in that high northern latitude were at best exceed) Tigly unfiivorable for military operations, and it was luore tver then too late. The warriors of the Six Nations could not by any possibility be collected in sea- fcon fbr th^. contemi ited movement ; tuid besides, more than a fortnight had intervened since a syllable had been heard f '>-n the projector of the expedition — Mr. Shirley. It wa« <^herefore hek! as presen;. id, to he utterly impracti- 3fe^ kt Tsrioiu points. Some w r |)08ted at oaratoga ; other's in the Mohtwk country; and otheiit gain a* Soheneotady. T)ireo oompaniea were at Sohaghtiooke ; foti. ' alf ^ oon ; two at Niskayuna, and others still at Albany. k Shirley's letter— ^ Minutes o: the conaoil board. H!-. \n nv.nhw v r %mim ' ' :.'.'T — ^' -'■■■-■ — -- - ^ — (•■■ timt'S «■>;.* «>vsi.<; -AT- !■■■■•'/. '■ !: Lira OS* SIR WIT ^t JOHNSON, BABT. 251 oable.^ Belknap adds, as unotuer reason promptiog to this chat. VII» conclusion, that the small-pox was prevailing in the settle- w^^w meats north of Albany, through which the forces must ^^^^' necessarily pass, — a disease, the violence of which, at that day, had not been disarmed of its terrors by vaccination, or even mitigated by the process of inoculation. The agency of Clinton's council in defeating this darling enter- prise of Shirley's, seems not to have been generally or publicly known, and the merit, — if such it may be called, — of defeating it, has been accorded alone to " the more sober discretion of Connecticut," the government of which " deemed the winter an improper season for so important an undertaking," refusing to furnish its quota of troops until spring.' Equally "flectual was the unfavorable interposition of the Ne\\ fork council board. 4-^'^''!'^ An active correspondence was maintained between Governor Clinton and Colonel Johnson, during the winter and spring, having relation to the protection of the fron- tiers in general, but more especially to the Indian service j and the letters of the governor bear evidence that the col' I was already in the ei^oyment of his strongest confi- dence. The notorious Jean Coeur, one of the most perse- vering and mischievous of the Jesuit emissaries in the Indian Confederacy, was yet among the Senecas, ano ••, w/i usoript. , , ' B.ilknap and Marshall. Smith does not even alludo to these winter deliberations. n\ I' li. 96S Lira 07 8IR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAK':. 1747. ! r : ;■{ °v^' " ^^ Indiana and GhriBtians,* to huraBs tho enemy in their Wy^-'own settlements," as ho could bring into the sorvicu To oarry the war into the enemy's own country, and in his own way, was rightly judged '^ one of tho most eit'octuui means to prevent their daring mischiof to us."' The Colonel was yet further directed to send a party of Indians to the garrison at Saratoga, to act as scouts,— -the com- manding officer of which post being et\joinud to treat the Indians thus coming to his assistance with the utmost kindness.' In reply to the letter thus abridged, Colonel Johnson wrote as follows: .} •';Ta5it'r*fl[?Kfj"1oi«^f? •*'.•' ■ (' m< Colonel Johnson to Governor Clinton. .'. ' > \ " Mount Johnson, March 18, 1747. " May it please your Excellency : " This instant I am honored with your's by the exjprR^s, and by whom I send this in return. In answer to wiiat your excellency says about sending a party as out-scouts to Saratoga, I can only say that I find already that it is not at all agreeable to the Indians, they being now inclined and ready to go against Canada, whero they say they can do more execution. Moreover they never like to keep in a garrison among so many Christians. Yesterday a party of twenty-two Christians and Indians returned from Saratoga, where I sent them in hopes to have met and intercepted some of the enemy's out-scouts. But they met none. Ko * The whites at that day were oalled Ohrittiant in distinction flrom the Indians. *Orahame, in his nsnallj aonrate, and very excellent history of the United States, falls into an important error respecting these predatory ezcursiona of the Indians, which he maintains, were not encouraged by the English. Such was by no means the fact, the iBnglish employed all the Indians they could upon this service. Qrahame, howcTer, was probably led into the error by Belknap, who wrote particularly of New England^ and eridently in great ignorance of the operations in New York. See Grahame, book z, chap. ii. 'Manuscript letter; Clinton to Johnson. At its close, the goTernor gaid — " Pray let me know how poor old Hendrick dies, who, I am sorry to hear, is so bad." Hendriok, it will be remembered, was the king of the Mohawks. LIfS or 0IR WILLIAM JOUNBON, BART. 258 ono will more readily comply with your exoelloncy's otders ohat. than I shall ; but at this time I would beg leave to aBsuro w,.^ your excellency that the conaoquouce of it may bo diBas- ^'*^' trouB by keeping the Indians from lighting — they being now inclining that way more and more. I have this week Bcut out a parcel of Canajoharics, mixed with a few of the Five Nations* against the French and their settleraonts, and am every day busy with fitting out more. I am going to Bcud up Captain Stephens and two of the lieutenants, with a small party of men, and Indian chiefs of the two castles with them, to bring down some of the Five Nations to go a-8calping. I am of opinion we shall make the French sh^art this spring, by taking, scalping, and burning them and their settlements. But I shall be ruined for want of blankets, liben, paints, guns, cutlasses, &c., for I am almost out of all these, and cannot get them in Albany. I believe yt)tir excellency has seen how difficult it was last fall for you to get those things. But how much more so for mo, being so envied by them. Wlierefore if I cannot have them from New York by the first opportunity, I do not know what I shall do. So I hope your excellency will endeavor to have them procured and sent up, — as also the pay for those belonging to me, about four hundred and thirty pounds. The party now going out were so uneasy that I paid the most of them to encourage them. Old Hendrick is in a pretty fair way of recovering again, Which will be of great service to our cause. I hope that your excellency will order it so that my people may be supplied as the rest, with every thing on a march which is requisite. As to the party which you intend to send to Oswego, I shall be ready to transport them a little after the lake opens, which I judge to be in about a fortnight. But be that as it will, I shall always lei you know time enough beforehand. We kept St. Patrick's day yesterday and this day, and drank i-r iSointhe original draught of the letter. Yet the Csnajoharies were only a clan of the Mohawks— the head of the original Five Nations. i; ,f •:'! 'ill- K # ; 254 LIFB OF BIE WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAET. CHAP, your health, and that of all Mends in Albany, with so many ^-v-* other healths that I can scarce write. ^^*^' " I am, with great regard, dear sir, your most obedient humble servant, ■.:'-.?■ i-;^*'.-'*^ r^:.i;!i.iu -i^. i,^i'']'>-.v— < with his squadron lying at Boston, was so highly gratified ^^^^• with the conduct of Captain Stevens, that ho sent him an elegant sword, bearing a suitable insci'iption. The bravery of Stevens, and the mental resources which he discovered, were subjects of high praise in other quarters ; yet ho has been criticised for his imprudence ii admitting the hosta- ges retained by him during the negotiations, into the fort, — • thus necessarily disclosing his weakness, — ^while it has also been suggested that he ought not to have risked his own person by placing himself within the power of a perfidious enemy, when he might rather have sent a subaltern to meet the French commander. Debeline did not retire from the country at once, but on raising the siege of the stockade he divided his motley forces into several small parties, by which the border set- tlements of New Hampshire were infested for weeks there- after. Skirmishes were frequent, houses were burnt, and individuals were killed from day to day. All the dwell- ings in the two settlements of "Winchester and Upper Ashuelot were destroyed by fire. Yet nearer to Albany the enemy was hovering about in considerable numbers. In May, the governnferit of Massachusetts commenced rebuilding the fort of that name which had been destroyed the year before by M. Vaudreuil. A party of one hundred men having been detached to Albany for provi- sions, on its return discovered the enemy m ambuscade in the very environs of the works. The discovery was timely. An engagement ensued, and the enemy, attacked upon both sides, — ^both by the returning party and the garrison, — ^was soon obliged to flee to the woods, whence h« did not again emerge. The loss to the English was trifling, two men only being wounded, and one killed, — the latter an Indian ally of the Stockbridge tribe. While the border-men were engaged in these predatory afiairs, — prolific of individual suffering, but, though illus- 1 1 I H ^M r^^H 9 1 iiH I,-" - 262 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. m^\ 1 " i ^ Jl^,ja^ Ik. ^ji»ii.' 'p?"- CHAP, trated by many acts of personal conduct worthy of all s-v^ praise, productive of no 'mportant results, — Governor 1747. Clinton was again involved in hostilities with his legisla- ture. In the reasonable expectation of receiving instruc- tions from ministers touching the prosecution of the war, the governor had delayed summoning the general assembly until the twenty-fifth of March. But no instructions came ; and the season was already so far advanced as to require very active dispositions of the forces already in service for guarding the exposed points of the frontiers, even were offensive operations not in contemplation. The assembly was told in the speech that Colonel Roberts had been sent to Boston to confer with Governor Shirley, and that the Mohawks had been detained from their hunting expeditions that they might be in readiness to act in the war as circumstances might require. For the purpose of yet farther cultivating the friendship of the Six Nations, the governor proposed another voyage to counsel with them at Albany, for which obj cct he required an appropriation. Tho long proposed expedition against Crown Point was again presented for legislative consideration ; and, in the absence both of the advices and supplies expected from England, appropriations were required for the construction of the forts so long talked of at the carrying-places between tiie Hudson river and Lake^ Champlain. The forces likewise for the expedition, w^re to be levied and paid by the colo- nies embarking therein, upon all which points a full and cordial understanding existed between Governors Clinton and Shirley. Provision having only been made for victualing the levies then in the service until the first of May, farther supplies were required for that object. A week afterward a special message was sent down asking an appropriation for maintaining scouts, and a corps of rangers upon the frontiers. These requests were judged the more rea^ sonable, inasmuch as all the expenses of the Indian service, and for the rangers, had been defrayed during the preced- ing year by the crown. No other business was presented ^rWMMiMWIaidM LirK OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 268 to the consideration of the assembly, whoso session, the chap. governor suggested, must be p'- ,* t. *-v— ' Justice Horsmanden reported the address of the council in answer to the s^ „^h. It contained the following pas- sage embodying a reflection upon the integrity of the Indians, which, judging from the correspondence of Colo- nel Johnson, seems not at that time at least to have been deserved. "It cannot but occasion great uneasiness in us to observe, that our Indians employed in the barbarous method of scalping, (only justifiable by the precedent practices of our enemies,) industriously avoid attacking, or meeting the French Indians ; or when they meet, treat each other as friends ; whereby they are encouraged in their cruel practice of butchering those who are not in arms, and even those who are unable to bear arms — ^women and children." The assembly, determined to continue its quarrel w ith the governor, neglected the customary civility of voting an address. But the situation of the country forbade entire inaction, and a petition from the inhabitants of Kinderhook, accompanying the special message, contained a pathetic appeal to the assembly for a garrison of fifty men for their defence, and a like number of rangers to traverse the wooc's to the northward and eastward. >*^oved by this appeal, resolutions were passed directing Uf employment of one hundred rangers, one-half of whoia were to be stationed upon the east, and the other upon the west side of the river in the county of Albany. Supplies were also voted for victuallii\g the levies for the term of three months beyond the twenty-fourth of May. But the house at the same time reaffirmed its declarai'on of the preceding l!Tovember, that it would make no provision for the trans- portation of any supplies beyond Albany. In regard to his excellency's proposed conference with the Indians, it farther manifested its temper by voting the beggarly allow- ance of one hundred and fifty pounds. Nor was this all. A fter passing the bill in form, pursuant to the resolutions, !ii i ' ^^1 1*' W '/' 264 LIFE 07 SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. iiiil Mi CHAP- and ^'^^'^r-^ it had received the assent of the representative »— V— 'of tho crown, the assembly adopted yet another resolution ^*^' sotting forth that the levies then in sor >. , bo long main- tained at very great expense, had tlius tur been unemployod, and praying that the hundred men authorized in corapli- ance with the Kinderhook memorial, should be detached from those levies — from the little army destined against Canada ! The pay proposed in the bill was one shilling per diem, over and above the wages allowed and paid by the crown. Eight days afterward, the governor not yet having approved the bill, the assembly, availing itself of a memo- rial from Albany giving a melancholy representation of the suffering and defenceless situation of that country, as if purposely to chafe his excellency by farther insult, sent up an address of affected tenderness and solicitude for the condition of the frontier settlers, and praying him no longer to withhold his assent from the measure they had been so prorai)t to enact. " '• "' •-■'•'•"'■*-<•'■ In his reply to this address, the governor went into a full nn-i elaborate vindication of his conduct during the last eventful year of his administration, — rehearsing his laboi-s aij T exertions in the public service, for which he had been m imworthily requited. In regard to the bill presented for his approbation., his excellency said he looked upon the allowance of the extra shilling per diem, as altogether inadequate, considering the character and severity of the service, the extra expenses to which the rangers were sub- ject by the wear and tear of their clothes when plunging into morasses, climbing niountains, or threading the deep- tangled woods. He denied that the levies had been inac- tive, and gave an account of the dispositions that had been made of them. The invasion of Canada having been necessarily deferred, the next object of the executive had been to make an advanced movement in that direction, for the purpose of forming a winter encampment at the carry- ing-place, and for the construction of fortifications at the heads of the two lakes, Champlain and St. Sacrament,— Lira op SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAUT. 260 .a bf ad had tho aB of tho other ar. They hud vjjonse, but in the measurea of tho first import mce, aud of the greatest e£B-CHAr. ciency in affording protection to the frontiers against the w^ predatory bands so frequently influing from Crown Point *'*"• But his purposes had been friiatrated by the conduct of tho assembly respecting the provisions at Alhari; , and also l)y reason of a waste of time, the conBe^u nio of which was, that the levies, instead of .Iv.uu mg u> the de«i>;natcd point, had been compelled to ' ilt wit^u- at baiatoga, —an ill-chosen and unsafe locality t« ilitury position. In all these proceedings his exc f ^' concurrence of Governor ShirK^ a. colonies uniting in tho prosecution < all evinced a willingness to share tht expectation, of course, that as New York was the most immediately interested in the result of the contest, she would set a cheerful example in meeting the exigency. After reciting various measures that had been adopted for the common security, his excellency intimated that points other than those enumerated, would have been occupied and fortified, but for the obstinate refusal of the assembly to appropriate even the sums necessary for thei'^ own safety. He upbraided them for the disrespect with which they had treated his speech at the opening of the session, although in the preparation of that speech he had carefully avoided everything which he supposed could have a tendency to revive the unpleasant difficulties of the former session. Referring to the many difficulties he had been obliged to encounter, especially at Albany, he did not conceal his belief that they had been fomented by the opulent traders of that citj, who had grown rich by their trade with Cana- da, and who were desirous of preserving the neutrality of the Six Nations. He likewise intimated a suspicion that there were Roman Catholic emissaries in the colony, — art- ful and cunning men, — engaged in treasonable practices, — • " dangerous instruments for the destruction of the religion and liberty of the land." In conclusion he said, that not- withstanding the opposition t-hey had made to his mear I'll 34 IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ^1^8 |2.5 2.0 1i a^n 1.8 1.25 1 1.4 !.6 II — < 6" ► '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation ^^ '% 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. H580 (716) 872-4503 I*««*».7M-*. *-"^~*V,i >;. 266 LIFE OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAAT. Hi CHAP, snres, there was nothing in his power which he would not wyw cheerfully do " for the security of the ^ontiers, an4 to pre- 1747. serve the inhahitants from the incursions of a cruel and barbarous enemy." On the subject of the suspected disloyally of some of the people of Albany, to which reference had been made in the message,— charging them in effect with leaguing with the enemy to obstruct the operations against Canada, the governor wrote to Colonel Johnson as followit,»t,^-i,i ^^„,^ Governor Clmtcn to Colonel Johnsffd. ' '■' * '' "New YoEK, April 26ih, 1747. "Sir: 'va^^j .ov(J„f^v;k . ^:,i»^{*htMU., "You will find by a paragraph of a message I sent to the assembly yesterday, that t have taken notice of the endeavors which I suspect some people of Albany (have used for to obtun ft kind of neutrality between theiu and Canada. --. .:,»:,,•,.,- '"'^r^'/"'""""" " You told me of* some private messages you heard had been sent by Irdians for the purpose. Seud me a particu- lar account of what you know aud have heard on that sub- ject, and of what you can now, or at ftny time after this, learn by farther inquiry. I expect you will me all the diligence possible to discover every pp,rt of this scheme, and in what manner it has been carried on. I long much to hear from you,4br we have most villainous reportu spread. I hope the Indians all remain steadfiut and in good health. "In the bill I am going to pass, the council did not think it proper to put rewards for scalping or taking poor women or children prisoners in it ; but the assembly has assured me ih '^ money shall be paid when it so happens, if the Indians insist upon it. ■.^1 t*fj til .*!('.'' ■:-T#'' "lam, Sir, \M ^^<>%,;>. v^iw *u .v,^,^„" Your very humble serv't, ^ "G.Clinton." « To Colonel Johnson." h ..uijt?^* c|^Ji \u. j^f^.f^: it$- Sr i.p Ixtfa OF SIR WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. 267 Those portions of the message fillcdging that the house ohap. had treated his excellency with disrespect, and charging it ^.^^ with neglecting to provide for the safety of the colony, as 1747. also the paragraph containing thd imputation upon the Albany traders, were received with high displeasure, — real or affected, — and a committee was appointed by resolution with instructions to prepare an answer. ^ The appointment of this committee was made on the twenty-fourth of April ; and for several days immediately subsequent, the assembly met but only to adjourn, without proceeding to business. At length, in order to give the members time to abate their choler, the house was a^ourned from the second of May to the twelfth, and again to the nineteenth of May. '» While these disputes between the executive and his assembly were in progress in the city of New York, affidrs at the north were in a sad condition. The levies who had been kept in service during the winter, clamorous for their pay, were almost in a state of mutiny. The officers wrote from Saratoga that they were fearful the garrison would desert in a body. Colonel Roberts wrote to colonel John- son, announcing the desertion of thirty-four men from a sing;e company ; the garrison at Saratoga had become so much weakened, as to create apprehensions that the post would be lost ; while the officers wrote to the governor from Albany, that they could not persuade the designated quotas of the northern militia companies to march for the defence of that jeoparded position. During the months of April and May, the communications spread before the executive council upon the subject, were of the most urgent * The gentlemen forming this committee were, David Clarkson, Cornelius Van Home, Paul Richard, Henry Cruger, Frederick Philli{)Be, John Thomas, Lewis Morris, David Fierson, and William NichoU Smith, in a note, suggests that the reflection upon the Albany traders, was intended by the governor as a out at DeLanoey, whose father, many years before, during the admin- istration of Oovernor Burnett, had been largely benefitted by the Indian trade with Canada thi'ough Lake Champlain. But Clinton's private letter to Johnson, noW first brought to light, shows that he was acting in perfect good faith — having reason to believe the imputation just. 268 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAAT. °vnf * cliaracter. Funds for the payment of the troops in part, *-v— ' were remitted ; but partial payments by no means sufficed ; ^^^' the discontents became more impatient ; and on the thirty- first of May, a dispatch ^s received from Colonel Roberts, announcing that the levies upon all the frontier stations had united in a solemn resolution that unless their whok pay should be immediately forthcoming, they would desert en masse, and pay themselves by the plunder of the city and county of Albany. Additional remittances were made with all possible alacrity ; but Mr. Clinton nevertheless cautioned the officers against paying at once all that was due, lest from the prevailing spirit of insubordination they might stiil desert the moment their pockets should be filled, ^ot long before this, two Mohflwk Indians had been discovered in an aittempt to kill and scalp some of Captain Tiebout's company, stationed at Schenectady. They were lyiAg in wait for that object, and had wounded one man. Roberts wrote to Johnson upon the matter, and as the offenders had been secured, the latter advised that they should be surrendered to their own people fi>r punishment. * The committee charged with the preparation of an address to the governor, made their report on the nineteenth of Mi^. It wf" ••^ry long, extending to nearly eight large fSotio printed ; i ; and as it was read to the house, approved, engrossed, and presented to hh excellency all on tlie same afternoon, it must have been evident that its terms, even to a l«tter, had been previously settled by what is iu modem times designated a caucus, and the labor of engrossing performed in anticipation. The spirit of the address was very bitter, though sweetened by terms of ill- dissembled courtesy. They protested with the utmost gravity that it had been &r from the intention of the house to give his excellency t^e least occasion of ofience by their former resolutions. The suggestion for the employment of one hundred men to be taken from the levies as rangers, had been made, they averred, in compliance with applicu- 1 Journals of the oounoil board. ' ' •'-»-. ^ ;> r.;.'- LIFB 0# SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT. 269 .1747 tions to that effect from the people of Albany ; and a pre- °^' cedent for the adoption of that coarse had been found in' the course of hie excellency's own proceedings at Albany ' the year before. By the remark that " the levies had hith- erto been unemployed," they meant no more than to say what was known to all, that they had not been employed in the Canada expedition. They were " much concerned that this misconstruction of their innocent intentions," should have induced his excellency to give so Ml a history as he had done, of his conduct in defence of the country during the preceding year, since in doing so he "had taken the troubleof relating many particulars well known before." They acknowledged the importance of preserving the friendship of the Six Hatiuns, and rehearsed Iheir own proceedings to that end during the entire period of his administration. It was admitted that the crown had defrayed the charts of the great council at Albany of the preceding year ; but for the expenses of the council of the year before that, they had voted one thousand pounds, besides appropriations for his excellency's own personal expenses ; and they intimated an opinion that while they had not been informed what sums had been actually dis- bursed for presents to the Indians, there were not wanting individuals who had proj&ted largely in that branch of the service. Yet, notwithstanding all the expenditures upon the Indians, and the pains that had been taken to secure their friendship, they had not joined in the war to any considerable extent. In regard to the governor him- self, they had received him with distinguished considera- tion on his arrival ; and in consequence of the efforts he was understood to have made in behalf of the colony before his embarkation for his government, they had voted him a gratuity of a thousand pounds, and had moreover, ill as the colony could bear the expense, caused a new and ele- gant house to be built for his residence, in conformity to his own plans, besides raising as much for his support as had been allowed to any of his predecessors. In reviewing h''] f' til'. !% n^ 270 LIEB OV SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. J- '!• °^' the events of the war and their own acts for sustaining the ^-v-' puhlic service, they recurred to the destruction of Saratoga, ' two years before, as an event that might not have happened but for the withdrawing of the independent companies from that post* Afterward, at the governor's request, they had appropriated money for rebuilding that tort, which wag done, and the works garrisoned by the militia, at the expense of the colony* In addition to this they had also at the governor's request, made appropriations for building other forts to guard the frontier passes. Yet again, the plan of defence having been changed, they had voted money for building a chain of block-houses from the [New England border to the castles of the Mohawks ; but this plan bemg in turn abandoned, the money was diverted to the payment and subsistence of detachments of the militia posted ]apon the frontiers by the governor during the recess of the assembly. They admitted the importance of guarding the passes of the great carrying-place by suitable fortifications, but shrunk from the expense, both for the building, and for the maintenance of garrisons. The other exposed colonies had an equal interest with !N^ew York in building and sus- taining those defences, and they thought the expense should be shared among them, — ^intimating a doubt, however, not- withstanding the assurances of his excellency upon that point, whether the colonies referred to would in fact be willing to bear a portion of the burden. Touching his excellency's complaint that his projected northern encamp- ment had been frustrated, and the division of levies des- tined upon that service compelled by the climate to fall back upon Saratoga for winter quarters, knowing the severity of that climate as they did, they had anticipated as much; and as to the unsuitableness of the locality, as now averred by his excellency, it had at least been rebuilt there by his own directions. His excellency's reference to the difficulties at Albany, the previous autumn, in regard to the delivery and transportation of provisions, whereby as was alleged, his plans had been defeated, was tartly answered. "If," r LIVB OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT. m they said, "your excellency means thereby the refusal of ohaj. « the commissioners to deliver the provisions contrary to w^w "the law you were pleased to pass but a little before, the ^'^*'^* « house had occasion to give your excellency their thoughts " upon it in their resolves of the seventeenth of November "last, which were by order of the house laid before your " excellency, to which we beg leave to refer." Rehearsing, next, in reply to the charge of the governor that they had not shown a disposition even " to take care of themselves," they pointed to the previdus measures they had adopted for the public defence, and the appropriations, among which was one of £9rty thousand pounds for the northern expe- dition, as irrefragable proofs of the reality and sincerity of their intentions, — suggesting that if his excellency, on cool reflection did not think them so, " they must be so unhappy "as to despair of giving him satisfaction on that head." They said the appropriations they had made of nine pounds per man for the enlistment of sixteen companies of one hundred men eacb, and the provisioning of those compa- nies, were nearly exhausted; and they intimated a belief that in the erection of fortifications, great waste had been indulged, and much needless expense incurred for the want of competent engineers. Whenever they should have rea- son to believe that their money woiud not be advanced in vain for this department of the public service, and when- ever they should have an earnest that the other colonies were prepared to cooperate in the work of mutual protec- tion, they would be found ready to vote for such additional fortifications as might be judged necessary. In regard to the statement in the governor's opening speech, that an agreement had been made with the commissioners of Mas- sachusetts for building the two forts so often recommended, at the passes of the carrying-place, and also in respect to the forces to be raised by the several colonies expected to cooperate iothe Canadian invasion, and the rates of expense for each, the assembly was surprised, inasmuch as the governor had but three members of his council with him, 272 Lira OV BIB WILLUM JOBNSON, BART. '■Wf' iiS .-i-'tJ oHMf. while Massaclinsetts alone of the other colonies wag repre- wyw sented at the conference, that hia excellency should have 17^7. entered upon any such agreement Moreover as they were in the daily expectation of advices from England, hoping withal for the speedy arrival of experienced officers, they trusted hia excellency wonld excuse the house for its opinion, " that they could not in conscience provide for schemes the « execution of which would be ve'7 hazardous, and put "the colony to great expense." They told the governor plainly, that " ever since he had thought fit to. place his confidence in a person obnoxious to, and censured by the house, the public affairs had been much perplexed, and had not been attended with the steadiness and good conduct which their importance required. They attributed several of his excellency's late speeches to that person, declaring that until the day when he was taken into favor the utiaost harmony had existed between all the branches of the gov- ernment. These thrusts were aimed at Doctor Oolden, the lance having been barbed by DeLancey, the master-spirit in fomenting these dissensions. Respecting the charges against the people of Albany, entire disbelief in the justice of the imputation was expressed, — ^the mind of his excel- lency having probably been poisoned upon that subject by the individual to whom reference had already been made as an abuser of his confidence. If the people of Albany were indeed engaged in treasonable practices, they mar- velled that none of them had been arrested and brought to trial. In answer to his excellency's apprehension that Popish emissaries had been engaged in sowing dissensions and kindling every spark of discontent, the house seized upon the suggestion and applied it to a person then in great favor with Mr. Clinton in the Indian service — Mr. John Henry Lydius, son of a former Dutch minister in Albany, and of course bred a Protestant ; who had resided several years in Canada; married a wife there of the Romish church, after having abjured his own religion ; and whom they declared to be a person of desperate fortunes. They Lira OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. m admitted the great skill of this man '' in all the weaknesses OHAPk of haman nature, but wondered how he could have secured Wyw his excellency's &vor. To him, and h is intrigues in Albany, ^^^^'f and among the Indians, the assembly attributed many of the difficulties that had arisen. He had been the means of undermining the influence of the Indian commissioners, and distracting the affairs of that department. They never- theless admitted that there might possibly be some Popish ^ emissaries in the province ; but at the same time there was equal reason to believe that there were other men screen- ing themselves behind the curtain, and answering all the ends of such emissaries, — men of wrong heads and worse hearts, who were doing infinite evil by infusing groundless jealousies into his excellency's mind. They next told the governor that although they were not disposed to listen to every idle tale, yet they had hoped that before that period the report might have reached his ears that there had been a large embezzlement of the funds appropriated for Indian presents in 1745, — one thousand pounds having been voted, while not more than three hundred pounds worth of goods had reached the hands of thosd for whom they were de- signed. So at least it was said by persons who saw the goods delivered. They also informed the governor, — for the benovolent purpose of enabling him to bring thQ authors of the scandal to justice, — ^that a report was curr rent to the effect that French > od Spanish prisoners had been sold under the authority oi his name, for a pistole a head, to owners and captains of flags of truce. The con- cluding paragraph contained another pungent reference to Doctor Golden, whose designing artifices and private views, " although they had hitherto been providentially blasted, " it was still feared might at length spring up again, and "bear a greater increase, which God forbid." .,j ^vj^^.h,,. ... Mr. Clinton's reply to the address, which was presented on the twenty-sixth of May, was brief aud emphatic. He remarked upon the rapidity with which the address had been hurried through the hovise,— -tiwp hours only having 85 M 974 Liri OV 8IR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BARlt <9^' elapsed from the time when it was reported by the commit* wy-' tee until its presentation all engrossed ! '' You ahall have," 1747. « g|^}^ ^)^0 governor, " the best answer to this representation " you can expect I shall take all possible care that it be " laid before his majesty and his ministers, who are the << proper judges of my conduct. I doubt not that the min- " istry will discern with what spirit it is made, and for what «*' purposes," Commanding an acyoumment for a week, the indomitable sailor-governor then dis^nissied his refrac- tory little parliament. Beassembling on the second of Jane, they were met by an executive message calhng their attention to the distrac- tions prevailing among the levies at the north, for want of their pay. The governor informed them that thus far these levies h&d been paid by the crown, he himself having pro- vided the means by drawing bills of exchange. > The amoupt thus drawn was then nine thousand pounds, the whole of which he declared should be applied to the pay- ment of t^e new levies. Although these bills had all been drawn by ^e advice of his council, yet his excellency began to fear, or pretended to faar, that they might not all be honpred, in which event his private fortune might be involved. Though willing to draw yet farther for that object, yet he was pot willing to jeopard his own estate,— believing, as he did, that pyery man in the province was as much bound as himself tp contribute from his private means for the safety of the people. Jndemni&cation against the consequences of a protest of his biUs, should he be required to draw anymore of them, ffw therefore demanded in justice to his own family, 7he house, in answer, referred to a letter fyom the duke of J?"ewca8tle of April, 1746, authorizing the necessary pre- paratiions for the long-projected e^edition, with an as- surance that the forces to be raised) officers as weU as rank and tile, showjd be taj^ep into bin naajesty's pay. It was thepefore olewly not iftt;ende4 by ^e crown that the pay- mei^t of tl^ese forces should in any event be devolved upon Lira OF BIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT. 276 1747. the |)eople of the colony ; acid the refusal of the governor c*^* to continue bis drafts would imply a distrust of the king, und render himself personally answerable for the lives and ' estates of his subjects. Entertaining these views, the assembly peremptorily refused the act of guaranty,-— declaring at the same time that as his excellency had the means of paying the forces in his own hands, should he refuse to use them, and should the lives and estates of the people be endangered by the threatened desertion of the levies, '' his excellency alone would be to blame." From the fourth of June to the same day of August, the assembly only met to a(\|ourn. Meantime the governor replenished his exchequer by the usual resort to bills of exchange, and on the nineteenth of June embarked fbr Albany, in order, if possible, to put an end to the troubles with the levies. • • • 4- -:-i^, ....... ,.. ..^;)^^ 1 mttflt litrt fede liight of Sir Peter "Warren, whose namid, as an adopted citizen of Kew York, belongs to its history. France, smarting under the loss of Cape Breton, and mor- tified at tile disastrous failure of D'Anville's armada, determined again to put forth her energies for the recovery of Louisburg, and the resuscitation of her naval character —of late so deeply compromised. To these ends, there^ fore, another deet was equipped, at Brest, destined against Louisburg early in the spring, under the command of M. de la Jonquiere. The duty of watching the motions, and, if possible, of intercepting this fleet, was assigned to Vice Admiral Anson, — a widely different man from Admiral Lestock, whose equivocal conduct, on the French coast, when engaged in the like service, has already been recorded. It has already been said that Sir Peter Warren returned to England in the autumn of 1746. In the beginning of the year following he was appointed second in command under Mr. Anson, hoisting his pennant on board the Devonshire, of sixty-six guns. The Brest fleet, uniting a large convoy of Indiamen, and numbering, in all, thirty-eight ships, pro- ■. ] ; ' -I", 276 LirU OV SIR WILLIAM JOnNBON, DART. 1747. !■: ^ i., ■ >, If '191 , ^'^' coeded to 8oa about tho last of April. It was fallen in with by Admiral Anson, on tho third of May, off Capo Fini»- terre. When doscriod, nine of the 8hip8,*^men of wur» mounting from eighteen to seventy-four guns, — were short- eniii^' sail and drawing into a line of battle, while tho remainder of the fleet, consisting of the vessels under con- voy, stretched to the west with all the sails they could set. Anson immediately formed his fleet into a line ; but ob. serving by the manceuvres of the enemy that his object waa to gain time, for the purpose, probably, of escaping undor favor of the night, then approaching, he made signal for the whole fleet to close and engage the enemy, without any regard to the line of battle.' In the course of the action that ensued, Warren had an opportunity which he failed not to improve, of signalizing and covering himself with glory. He ran his ship, the Devonshire, up with Le Siirieux^ the flag-ship of M. de la Jonquiere, and after receiving his fire, which was well-directed, closed within pistol-shot, and continued to engage in the most daring and brilliant style, until the enemy struck. Having silenced his antagonist, Warren proceeded next to encounter the Invincible, sev- enty-four, commanded by M. de St. George, the second officer of the enemy's squadron. Being seconded by the Bristol, Captain Montague, the Invincible was in a short time dismasted and taken by Warren. The general action was short and brilliant, resulting in the capture of the whole French squadron, consisting of six ships of two decks, including the Gloire, of forty-four guns, and four frigates. ' It is true that Anson's fleet was greatly superior in the appointment of ships and guns. Three of his ships, however, participated in the action but a very few moments, — ^having been detached as soon as the Frenchmen were so far crippled as probably to render them unable to get away, with all the sail they could press, after the enemy's flying Indiamen. * The loss of the English was not severe, — Cap- , ^Admiralty official report, May 16, 1747. „jT ,:'.si'j''.' //^'-i y" r . *Chamock. i- i ■ -■ ♦ ■• * AdmiraUy report. Lin 09 SIR WILLIAM J01IK80N, BART. 277 ttt'in Orenville being the only officer of note who was killed, chaf. The French were greater suft'orens — M. do la Jonquierc w^w himself was shot under the blade bones of both hia^^'"' shoulders, but the wounds were not mortal. In the month of July following this memorable engagement, being stationed with a squadron off Cape Finisterro, Sir Peter fell in with four valuable merchant ships of the enemy convoyed by two men of war, which ran into a bay on the island of Sisarga, and being closely pursued they all ran on shore. One of the men of war, mounting forty-four guns, was fired by the crew and blown up before Warren's boats could board her ; but the merchantmen were all got off and brought into Plymouth the next day, being the twenty-second of July. Warren was now floating in the tide of fortune, for very shortly after taking these noble prizes at Sisarga, he fell in with and captu.xed a considera- ble fleet of French West Indiamen. According to one account, this fleet consisted of a very large number of ships,' though Charnock, in his biography of Warren, makes no mention of this affair.* Sir Peter's gallantry on these occasions, was rewarded by his farther promotion to the rank of admiral of the white. He sailed again from Spit- head on a cruise, on the second of September, but falling sick was compelled to relinquish his command and go on shore. But glory had not been the only reward of his splendid coireer. The number of h is captures had produced an ample fortune, whi9h he invested in part, by purchasing a country-seat in Westbury, Hampshire county, to which he now retired. His circumstances must indeed have been affluent. At least so thought soniie of his relatives, as appears from the following extract from a letter from his nephew, Captain Warren Johnson, to his brother the colonel. This letter also corroborates the preceding account of the last great capture of West India merchantmen, not men- tioned by Charnock : t Qentleman's Magaiine. ,Hii^^:. 1 '■■,■;' I m 278 CHAP. VIL 1747. LIFB OF But WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. v'ru^i.! hrCaptam Warren Johnson to Ma Brother. t'.i,'i,umL ,, ; >[> I : «2^j|^ YoKiL^ September 18, 1747. •1 "Dear Brother: 'i' ^^-^^ i-i '^M 'i-ihnv " Last evening I arrived here from Lonisburg, in order to go to England in the Scai-borough man of war. . ' <; " I make no doubt you have heard of my uncle "Warren's great success in his two cruises, the first with Admiral Anson, and the second with a squadron of which he was commandep-in-chief— part of which fell in with the St. Domingo fleet, and took sixty-two sail of them. He had taken several rich ships before. He must now be one of the richest men in England, and not one has done his country so much service. He must be worth three or four hundred thousand pounds st^rlmg. He is now vice admiral of the white, and a member of parliament from Weauinin- Hter, and I have no doubt in a very short time he will be a peer Of England, there being no person better able to mam- tain that dignity. ' '/•I'"-.' ■•*' ''■ .- '•-'ir.Miii : li-.,"; • ■ * _ * * '*■■■• * ■■.. *' "u: ^o,;i... * " Your most affectionate Brother* • '' ' "Wabemi Johnson." " ColonelJohnson." i' f ii> v> m' ■ -i In the autumn of this yeaf. Sir Peter wati returned to parliament. He w^ likewise at about the Bame time pre- sented with a large silver monteth, of curious workmanship, by the inhabitants of Barbadoes, in acknowledgment of his services in the cruise of that season. * The exultation of Sir Peter's relatives at his good fortune, was justifiable, for they had been bravely won. iGentl«maii'8 Magaiine. ■U. ^•:-\ .!l ■■■■- .-»" .Til,'.. .>;,-4v;i;oc 'i):'i:\.i:v ,iii> iii'j ar^Li ii^k ,>:■i^h^u:-' ?,> fK>fi;u,'!l-tiy; ..it 'to ;:i >v1>?,,:, SMftiro v : . ;i;H, k f .-^trt *ai» -io l4fM;,!(;iii*'(;: - ''.'>;;•(■>> Hr/r 'V4 1 ^ t :ir«-'if'l:; i :tV, I iv\v ■^i\^',,\'.ii> >uj[ 1,,..',; V.,.;, ., 'fhirij ^iu.i J !VJ'l-.y v*nr. .t. ,„ CHAPTER VIII. ■iii.i .1,-! ; i:u V (ij'^H ,\'}.:\i ,) "•■f!" -', CHAP- vm. jfiiiHfl'i'M.i Iff ....' jif ..i. ,. . ; 1747 ^ ■ — Governor Olinton, who, as already observed in the last chapter, had departed for Albany on the nineteenth of "—<—' June, did not leave an hour too early, for the military affairs in that quarter were in a deplorable condition. Instead of increasing them, for the purpose of offensive operations, the f i^^-ces were diminished by sickness and desertion, and the Uiousand mischances incident to an army of irregulars kept in the field contrary to their own inclinations. In such numbers did they desert, that a party of thirty-eight m a body were fired upon by the officers at ^sopus, and ' retaken, — ^two of them being wounded. They were marched back to Albany. * The road from Mount Johnson to Oswego, was infested by the enemy ; muruers were com- mitted at Burnetsfield ; ' so that Colonel Johnson could not forward supplies without a strong guard, thus materially enhancing the expense of executing his contract for that post ;* while in addition to all, as if grown weary of await- ing an invasion at Crown Point, the French, with their Indians, were again showing themselves in formidable num- bers in the vicinity of Saratoga. Colonel Johnson was advised, on the sixteenth of June, by the return of an unsuccessftil war-party of the Schoharies,* of the approach upon Lake Champlain, of a fleet of three hundred canoes, and admonished to be on his guard against a surprise. ' Im- * Manuscript letter ; John H. Ljdius to Colonel Johnson. * The present village of Herkimer. * Manuscript Letter : Johnson to Clinton. *A olan of the Mohawks. 'Manuscript Letter : Lyditts to Johnson, n 280 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, mediately on the arrival of this intelligence at Saratoga, ^-v— ' Captain Chew was ordered forth with a detachment of one 17*7. hundred men to reconnoitre the country between that post and the head of Lake Champlain. Falling in with the enemy on the nineteenth of June, an action ensued in which fifteen of his men were killed, and forty-seven more, with himself, taken prisoners. The detachment encountered by Chew was commanded by M. Lacose, who immediately fell back upon a much larger force, occupying the path of communication between the Hudson and the lake. But Lacose did not fall back without leaving a detachment of three hundred men, under M. Lac^^uel, to lurk about Sara- toga, and cut off approaching supplies. According to the representation of one of the enemy's Indians, who deserted and came into Saratoga, the main force of the French at the carrying-place consisted of twelve companies. The Indian informed farther, that Lacose was to advance again immediately with artillery and mining tools, to lay seige to the fort. Meantime the three hundred who had been left in the environs of the fort, under M. Laquel, performed bold service by appearing openly and attempting to fire a block-house, used, as they supposed, as a magazine, by shooting burning arrows against its walls. " The person "appointed to perform this duty," said the commander of the fort in a letter written to Colonel Johijson, " had a " blanket carried before him that he might not discover the " fire upon the points of the arrows. *" The main body of the enemy soon moved down to Fish Creek, a few miles north of Saratoga, and a detachment of his troops was thrown between that post and Albany. Colonel Scjhuyler imme- diately marched with his regiment, and such other forces as he could raise on the instant, to meet the invader ; who, however, though greatly superior in numbers, retired at his approach and fell back to Crown Point. The Indian allies of the English Were again becoming > Letter to Colonel Johnson, copied in his own hand, but the signature of which is cmitivd. LIFB OT BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. much dissatisfied with the languor pervading the service, chap. After having, though with great reluctance, heen incited to *— y— * engage in the war, they were desirous of seeing it prose- ^*^*^' cuted with vigor. A number of their chiefs now met Colonel Schuyler and complained bitterly of the continued and most discouraging delays. They had been chiefly induced to take the war-path against the French by the extraordinary preparations they had marked as in progress for the invasion, and they had not themselves been back- ward in annoying the enemy ; but as they were convinced from the present inactivity of the English, that the design of an invasion n^ust have been laid aside, — a conviction strengthened by the daily and rapid decrease of the new levie8,-r-they said they should be necessitated to make peace with the French for themselves, on the best terms they could. Still, if the English would immediately march against Crovm Point, they would cheerfully assist them with one thousand of their best warriors. ^ I have found no record of Mr. Clinton's doings at Albany during this visit, save a single sentence in a letter written by him to the duke of N'ewcastle upon his return to the oily, to the effect that while at Albany, he had prevailed upon two powerful Indian natives — formerly in the French interest — ^to join the English. The visit, however, was probably a short one, since he was at the council board again in July. But from the letters of Colonel Johnson it appears that he met the governor apd concerted arrange- ments for relieving Oswego,— ^Lieutenant Visscher having been dispatched thither with a cargo of goods, provisions, and ammunition, ,; . -:; Meantime notwithstanding the loss of so great a portion of the open season, and the utter neglect of the contest by the ministers, so far at least as the colonies were concerned, Governor Shirley was pushing his design of an attack upon Crown Point, with all the zeal and energy of his character, and all the means at his command. There could be no ^ Gentleman's Masazine. September, 1747, 36 i>.\ .:i I 282 LIFB OF SIR WILLUM JOHNSON, BABT, • '/.r: 1747. ■ i: c*^' security for the frontiers either of New Yorl? or New Eng, ' land from the devastationB of tl^e enemy, until Crown Point, the grand rendezvous of the numerous war-parties con- tinually harrassing tl^e border, should be wrested from him ; and in- order to unity of action, and the organization and concentration of a force adequate to the undertaking, Shir- ley wrote to Clinton is July, proposing a congress of the colonies from New I[ampbhire to Virginia, both inclusive, to consult for the common defence, and render their efforts for the prosecution of the war more effective. He informed Mr. Clinton that he had summoned a meeting of the Mas- sachusetts legislature to consider the subject, and he urged a similar course upon New York. He said he had made like communications to the colonies included in the pro- ject, urging them all to cooperate, — Massachusetts, at all events, being determined to exert her utmost power in the enterprise. I{e was very anxious that the Six Nations should be persuaded to greater exertions than they had hitherto made ; and for the better security of the north- western settlements of Massachusetts, he asked that one hundred rangers might be employed by New York between Saratoga and the New England border. ^ The general assembly of Ne^v^ York came together again for the transaction of business Qp the fourth of August, when Shirley's letter was laid before them by the governor, accompanied by a message informing them that by the advice of his council he had acceded to the proposal con- tained in that letter, and that the forces of the province were to be put into action in conjunction with those of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The season for offensive operations, however, was already too far advanced to allow of a n^eeting of commissioners to inake estimates of the expense, an4 to adjust the proportions which each colony respectively should bear. But on a rough calculation it was thought that fourteen thousand pounds would cover the pjis-rges of the intended movement, and l^is excellency 1 8ea Shirley's letter in the minutes of the oounoil boud, LIVK OV SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 288 1747. trusted that neitiier of the colonies would be backward in ^j^* meeting its just share of the amount. Indeed, he thought^ New York might venture to assume more than its quota, both Massachusetts and Connecticut having advanced con- eiderable sums to stimulate the Six Nations in continuing their incursions against the enemy. The governor said he had received the renewed assurances of the good feelings of the Six Nations, with pledges of their most vigorous assistance ; and he had likewise reason to expect the aid of several more distant tribes, heretofore in the interests of the French. He would bring no other subject to the attention of the assembly then, wishing their immediate action upon this important matter, that he might communi- cate their determination to the other governments forth- with, and thus prevent Airther loss of time. The message was not met in a corresponding spirit by the assembly, but on the contrary, the first action was the adoption of a series of resolutions insulting the governor, and evasive as to the object specially pressed upon their consideration. They cautiously declared their willingness to come into any "well-concerted" scheme for annoying the common enemy, but they would not consent to ruse moneys upon the "pretence" contained in the message^ without a better knowledge of the "grounds" and "rea- sons." They doubted whether Massachusetts and Con- necticut had ever contributed any "considerable sums" for the Indian service, and even if they had done so, New York had paid more than both of them put together,-'^>«adding to the sentence the significant insinuation — " and his excel- lency knows how these suras have been applied." Still, for the promotion of any " well concerted scheme" against the enemy by the three colonies named in the message, they would consent to bear one-third of the expense; believing, however, that the other colonies, not mentioned, ought to contribute to the cause. These negative resolves were adopted on the sixth of August. From that day until the thirty-first, not the least attention was paid by the 284 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BIRT. o^P- assembly to the state of the colony, — its time being occu- V-V-' pied upon bills of comparatively trifling moment, such as ^^^' for farming out the excisej^^fbr raising a farther sum by lottery toward founding a college, — and for the examina- tion of the public accounts for the year 1718 ; for prevent- ing desertions from the forces, &c., ka, >.*" «'^ H-kjWc.vrrtiiti/ii But if the assembly was idle, the enemy was not, and the people of the northern settlements, even of Albany itself, were in a high state of alarm, and that not without reason. Parties of the enemy had penetrated south of the Mohawks into the valley of the Schohariekil, where a number of men had been killed and scalped. Saratoga was also once more nearly if not quite surrounded by tiie foeman, and several persons had likewise been killed in that vicinity. How Colonel Johnson was engaged at this time, will appear by the following extracts from a letter addressed by mm to the governorV 55*i.#-»Ui;/C4Ji^-nfi^:-«tf.f '•|!#^,i^i| ifimmmr^^< •»t'*ilt j!'H|( Colonel Johnson to Governor CUnton. " Mount Johnson, August 18, 1747. " May it please your excellency : "I enclose the messsige sent by the "New England Indians to their uncles, the Mohawks, and their answer to it, by which all people may see that the Indians are in earnest, and resolved to proceed in the war. I this day had an account by an Indian express from Oswego, that there were a great number of Senecas, and some of the foreign Indians with them, (called the Flat Heads,) coming down to me with several belts of wampum,— one whereof is a vast large one, — almost like the one your excellency gave the Six Nations last summer, — ^which belt must purport a great deal of news. I expect them here in two days, and am making everything ready for their reception. As soon as I have heard the news, and have done with them, I shall let your excellency know the purport. ****** ,;,*!<;,. i-i, « * "I spoke to your excellency when in Albany, about neces- saries for the men destined for the Indian service, but find /• . LItB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 286 nothing done about it. I have not one pair of Indian shoes <^Ar. for them, without which they cannot go through the woods, wv-* I proposed doing great service with these men, and the ^'**^* Indians together, but it seems I may not have the oppor* tunity ; for there is not even one of the companies which, were ordered for that service moved up here yet, which makes the Indians think Worse and worse of us, after assuring them they should be up very shortly. I lead a most miserable life among them at present^ occasioned by 80 many disappointments. *)» .-^ffisaliw > i«- &»it<>i*»"*A hmm>i " There is one thing which I wish your excellency to consider of, which is my extraordinary expense in keeping several hands employed to attend the numbers of Indians I have daily had at my house these twelve months past ; as also of a clerk, who, with myself, has more work than men can well bear. This tiie country is very sensible of. So I shall leave it to your excellency's consideration what to do init."» -»^ii^'4HK * On the twenty-fourth of August, information was received by the governor from Albany, that the forces stationed there had been withdrawn from the city, and posted on the east side of the Hudson, a mile below, by which movement the city was left defenceless, greatly exposed, and the people much alarmed. Several gentlemen from Albany were examined upon the subject before the legislative council, who confirmed the statement. It farther appeared that depredations had been committed by the enemy in the very precincts of Albany ; that there were not more than three hundred of its citizens, old and young, capable of bearing arms ; and that all were compelled, from the aged judge of the court to the stripling, to mount guard in turn each one every fourth night, — ^whereupon an address was presented to the governor praying that the levies at the north be ordered to move into the city and remain there for its pro- ' Manuscript Letter. i i 286 LIfB OF 8IB WILLUH JOHNSON, BAAt, o^. tection until otherwise directed. 1747. M'l The cause of this move* ment of the troops from Albany nowhere appears. It seems, however, to have been of apie Hvn-t j^'t- .,j Impatient, and not without reason, at the inaction of the assembly, the governor sent them a message on the thirty- first of August, informing them explicitly that he would no longer ftimish provisions for the four independent com- panies stationed at Albany, at the expense of the crown, nor for the levies from the southern counties, destined for the Canadian expedition. Neither would he draw any longer upon the crown for the support of the Indian depart- ment, although he could not disguise the toot that a failure of supplies for the Indian war-parties, might be followed by frightful consequences. He therefore requested a vote of supplies for those objects of the public service for two months, — ^by the end of which time he hoped to receive definite information as to his majesty's pleasure respecting the forces at Albany, and also to learn whether the neigh- boring colonies would contribute toward the defence of the country. He informed them that since the invasion of the enemy at Bumetsfield, Colonel Johnson could no longer supply the post at Oswego, save at double the former expense, nor even then unless furnished with a guard to escort the stores. A vote of supplies for this object, and also to defray the cost of transporting provisions to Sara- toga, was necessary, since these expenses could no longer be borne by the crown. Accompanying the message was an extract from a letter from Colonel Johnson, informing the governor that he was about to set out at the head of a considerable party of Christians and Indians in quest of a large body of the enemy and his allies who had been dis- covered between Saratoga and Crown Point. This letter was dated on the nin eteenth of August. Two days afterward another dispatch from the colonel, dated the twenty-eighth, was communicated to the assembly upon the amie subject. LITB OF IIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAET. 28T ' The aagembly replied by resolutionfl deolaringthat neither chap. the crowD nor the colony need be at the expense of aup- ^^-^^ porting the four companies of independent fusileers sta- ^'*'' tioned at Albany, they having always subsisted themselves, out of their own pay, save when detached to distant posts, as at Oswego, for example, in which cases the colony had always furnished the supplies, as of course they ought. The colony, it was said, had from time to time, and some- times even without his excellency's recommendation, pro- visioned the sixteen companies of one hundred levies each ; and it appeared to the assembly unreasonable that they should be burdened with the farther expense of supporting the forces from the more southern colonies, which ought each to provide for their own. In regard to the Indian service, inasmuch as the crown had authorized the making of such presents to them in 1746, as would secure their hearty cottperation in the war, they urged that his excel- lency ought to continue drawing upon that source, for that object, at least until his majesty's pleasure should be sig- nified to the contrary,— hoping at the same time — ^for the house lost no opportunity of renewing, at least by impli- cation, the charge of a former embezzlement of Indian presents, — that his excellency had made such use of the means placed in his hands by the crown for that object, as had been for the advantage of his majesty's service. 80 of supplying Saratoga, as his excellency's bills for sup- plying that post had thus far been borne by the crown, he should continue to draw until instructed to the contrary. Respeoting the hardship of Colonel Johnson's case, it was held that according to his excellency's own message of December second, 1746, that gentleman had contracted to supply the garrison at Oswego upon the same terras in war as in peace. No additional allowance ought therefore to be inade to him for that service, even for defraying the expenses of guards. The pressure of the enemy upon the northern settlements, however, awakened the assembly to a partial sense of duty in the emergency ; and having thus ■■■! y 1 J ,i1 !i ,i ' II V» It 388 Lira OF SIR TflLLIAM JOHITSON, BIBT. CHAP, cavalierly discussed those subjects of the message, it had s-yw the grace to resolve that provision ought to be made for ^^^7' the pay and subsistence of throe companies of rangers, of fifty men each, for the protection of the inhabitants against the skulking parties of the enemy, — one for the defence ot Albany, one for Schenectady, and one for Kinderhook. The feelings of Mr. Clinton in regard to these resolutions, may be inferred from the subjoined letter communicating a copy thereof to Colonel Johnson : It also shows the high estimate which Clinton placed upon the services which Johnson was then rendering to the country : "wp^K y» u-ut ''l\!«f ihu. Ghi^er^QV Clinton to ColonelJohnson. ~ -' • ' .it* tft i) h«g^i Nhw York, S©j)iteiab€a? 7,^ 1747. My last letter to you was dated the twentieth of August. Soon after I received yours of the fourteenth, seventeenth, and nineteenth, acquainting me of your intention of going out with a party of Indians and Christians ; and very uneasy I have been ever since, afraid lest that letter should be the means of your laying aside such a glorious design, which must always redound to your honored reputation. You ought to receive the thanks of the whole province for what you have already done for it, but am sorry to say, instead of public thanks, you have the frowns of an inveterate assembly, as you will see by the inclosed resolves. But I hope you will receive thanks from their superiors. " I must tow acknowledge the receipt of yours of the twenty-eighth of August, which I immediately communi- cated to the council and assembly, in hopes it would have touched their souls. * But notwithstanding it was delivered to them before their resolve about the provisions for 1 Johnson was very careful in preserring the original draughts of his let- ters. But the letter we have spoken of, with many hundreds of others, has not Bunrived the ravages of time and ohanoe. According to the entry of its substance in the minutes of the counoU board, however, the force the colonel was now preparing to lead against the enemy, consisted of "four hundred Christians and about the same number of Indians." Ufl Of SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT. Qftg Oswego, it had no effect on thorn. But I will venture to oi^p. gay, that though these stubborn Dutchmen won't do you ^v-f the justice they ought, yet when I represent to his majesty "*^' the vast progress you have made, (beyond any reasonable expectation,) by your good management, and most extraor- dinary influence with the Indians, which you surprisingly cultivate continually, your conduct and behavior will be greatly approved by his mf^esty, and in suc^h a manner as may show these wretches you have merited your royal master's favor, in a great measure preserving not only this bat all the northern colonies from ruin. ''I acquainted governor Shirley what you desired in relation to Lydius, who desired I would acquaint you he was sorty you had taken umbrage at Lydius's being con- cerned widi you in what has been done by his government towards securing the Indians of the Six Nations in our interest He would not have you imagine that himself, or any part of his government, puts Lydius's services in the least computation with your own, or that the Indians have| been engaged in acts of hostility against the French, by any person's influence but your own, under my directions ; and your uncle Sir Peter, to whom his letters on that head, and the duke of liTewcastle, have been shown, can inform you that he has done your merit all the justice in his power. ''For my part I think this expedition you have now undertaken, to be of such infinite service to this and the neighboring colonies, that though I was determined to be at no more charges for the Indians at the expense of; the crown, yet I can't avoid doing it again in justice to yen and the brave Indians who are on this party with you ; for which reason, whatever goods and expense you are at, for satisfying the Indians, on your return I will give you my bills on the treasury therefor. But tl^en I must desire you to give it out, (and to let nobody know to the contrary) that you take this expense upon yourself from the faith you have in the assembly, which ctw't refuse to pay yoi; fop m 'C'-Jfl '*lh'3^Mtittti*' '1 »l n i 290 LIFB or SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. °^- service that is so absolutely neoeasAry for the safety of the '-', -' f '"'ople of this province. 1*1 1747. , [ would send you up monoy, but as I writ you word in xny letter of the twentieth, J 'x>uld not get a farthing, on account of a man-of-war going to England. I should there- fore be glad if you would take bills for the acoount you sent me, and add this to it, your uncle can solicit it, and I promise to do all in my power, both with the duko of New- castle and Mr. Pelham, to get them immediately i Ad and I can assure you you may depend on Mr. P'li] Icy c in-, rest in it entirely. I think you had best coiun down, and we can together settle things to the sati <>i*ctiou o* joth of us. " Commissioners are come fron .: ..ton to negotiates scheme for securing the Indinns and frontiers, ard I expect others. ' It will not be amiss to acquaint the Indians of it. I hope Mr. Shirley and I shall soon agreo upon tome- thing to keep the Indians steadfast in our interest. <-r^mi " You have several friends on the spot who heartily wish you well, and a great deal of success ; and I do assure you nobody does it more heartily than, dear sir, ^rh'.i .>t>'|5if t< " Your faithful friend and serv't, %•;»•• v>^l., ,*^'vl 1 G. Clinton. "P. S. I must caution you to be on your guard, for some people who ought to bear a greater regard for you than they ever showed, considering the alliance between them and Sir Peter, have some designs not to save you, take my word, but themselves. I wait with great impatience to hear from you. * »* Colonel Johnson." ' -' "" ^^^f*^^' '■''■^•' > "'''^ J «-' """!■ 1 These oommissionei* -w . <« **' tmuel Weill, Robert Hal" and OliTer Part- ridge. Shirley's 1" < !>>... \g their • .atmeot, was received and laid before GoTerno/ Clluian's bonuoil on the fourth of September. On the eleTenth, Roger Woloott, Thomas Fitch, and Benjamin Hall, were announced M the commissioners ttom Connecticut. On the twenty-seeond, Philip Lir- ingston, and Joseph Murray, of the ezeoutiTO council, and William Nicholl, Philip Terplanok, and Harry Cruger, of the assembly, were appointed com- missioners to the congress on the part of New York. 'Manoaoript letter. lira or en whliam johnsoit, bart. S91 (rl,:'. T^ie aailor-j^overnor, who certainly wrote hii own letters, cHy. altho ^'^ Coldeu had the credit of preparing his state- -^^^ papors, was not the beut rhetorician of his <4ay. Still, he ^^*^* coul<. write well enough to make himsolf understood. Colonel Johnson was now evidently in high favor with his oxcollency, v hile the memben) cif the assembly were denounced with emphasis, though in a private letter, "wretches." The character of Lydius was questionable, and there was probable cause for thv jealousy of Johnson toward him. Lydius had visited Boston during the pre- ceding month of May, and from the tenor of a lettwi addressed to him soon after his return to Albany, by Colonel Stoddard, of Northampton, which I find among the ' ohn- 8on papers, he must have succeeded in imposing hiiuself upon Governor Shirley and his counsellors as a man of no mean consideration. The postscri t to the foregoing letter of Mr. Clinton, referred, of couiae, to DeLancey, now become the master-spirit of the assembly, and who hftd probably moved the house to the ho^tile resolution against Johnson. But the chief justice waa too warv to commit himself upon paper, — using Mr. Horsmanden, his associate upon the bench, as his amanuensis. The resolutions and addresses of the assembly during this stormy period were understood to have been written by him, and the day on which he was to be punished for these > ;vbors, was now ra- pidly drawing nigh. Having invested the chief justice with a commission irrevocable during good behavior, and there- fore being unable to visit him with hie resentment, the governor determined to bestow the fill measure of his vengeance upon his instrument. Acc( -dingly, on the twelfth day of September, Mr. Horsmande . was suspended from his majesty's service as a member of he council, and a note of his suspension was directed to be entered upon the journals. The reasons for this procedure the governor said he would cause to be laid before his majesty. Having also been previously named as one of the coi imissioners to meet the representatives from the other coi onies in con- ''*$FP 292 LIPB OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CWAP. gre88, Mr. Horsmanden's name was ordered to be stricken V— ^— 'from that commission.' Nor was his degradation com- 1747. pleted until his removal from the bench, and from the recordership of the city, — measures that followed in quick succession. Yet he continued to hold the pen for the assembly for a considerable time afterward. Being poor, however, he was compelled to rely upon the private bounty of his friends and partisans ; and those who know the selfishness and ingratitude of politicians, in all ages, and almost without an exception, may well judge how he fared. In the emphatic language of Smith, he was " employed, applauded, — and ruined.*" ^= • •n !^ ^ 'u.uf The return of Colonel Johnson from his expedition toward Cro^»Ti Point in search of the enemy, whom he was not aible to find, was announced to the governor by express on the thirteenth of September. Very unpleasant intelli- gence, however, had been received from that direction a few days before, filling the assembly and the people with alarm. The fort at Saratoga was garrisoned by the New Jersey levies, commanded by Colonel Peter Schuyler ; but as Mr. Clinton was inflexible in his purpose of drawing no more upon the crown, there was danger of a speedy evacu- ation of the post for want of provisions. Indeed, infor- mation to that effect from Colonel Schuyler himself, caused the assembly, without waiting for his excellency's answer to their resolutions of the second of September, to address him on the ninth, praying earnestly for tbe adoption of such 1 Minutei of the counoil board. * « Suoh wag his oondition, until he raided himself by an advantageous match, and, by forsaking his associates, reconciled himself to Mr. Clintoni when that governor broke with the man whose indisoi^etion and vehemence the chief justice had improved, to expose both to the general odium of the colony. Until his marriage with Mrs. Vesey, Mr. Horsmandcn was an object of pity ; toasted indeed as the man who dared to bo honest in the wornt of times, but at a loss for his meals, and, by the importunity of his crcclitnrn, hourly exposed to the horrors of a jail ; and hence his irreconcilal)leoiiniity to Doctor Golden, by whoso advice he fell, and to Mr. DeLaiiccy, wIil.su ambitious politics exposed him to the vengeance of thut minislor. " — !:imi;li, vol. ii. page 139. LITB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 298 measures as would prevent the destruction of the forces, chap. and preserve the fortress from falling into the hands of the w^-/ enemy, with its heavy cannon and stores. In the event of ^^*^* the desertion of the Jerseymen, the house suggested that the post might be regarrisoned by a detachment from the new levies destined against Canada. Or, if these levies were not still within his excellency's command, they prayed that a portion of the independent fusileers might be sent thither, the assembly pledging the necessary supplies for that service. But before this address had been presented, the governor had rendered any answer thereto unnecessary by a message of a very decided character in reply to the resolutions of the house of the preceding week, in which all the demands for supplies contained in his last preceding message, were reiterated, with a threat that unless the house should revoke its determination not to provide for the transportation of supplies to the outposts, together with its refusal to allow Colonel Johnson a guard to convey the supplies for Oswego, he should be under the necessity of withdrawing the garrisons both from the last mentioned post, and from Saratoga, — points which would of course be immediately occupied by the enemy. Recapitulating again the history of his own successful negotiations with the Indians, and extolling the services of Colonel Johnson, his excellency reminded the assembly of the great expense to which the crown had been put in bringing the Indians into their present amicable state of feeling toward the English, and insisted that the colony ought in justice to defray the future charge of maintaining those relations. In any event, he demanded appropriations to cover the demands of the service for at least two months, admonish- ing the assembly that if this demand should again be refused, the responsibility for every calamity that might consequently ensue, would rest upon them. "If," said his excellency in closing, " you deny me the necessaiy supplies, all my endeavors must become ineffectual and fruitless ; I must wash my hands, and leave at your doors the blood m :W '"^'i»i H.ii iiii i « m « M i w 294 LIFE OF BIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT. i 9^- of the innoceut people that may be shed by a cruel and ^-.v—' merciless enemy." This message was received by the 17*7- house on the tenths and referred to a committee. One day after, the committee deputed to wait upon his excellency with the resolution^ of the ninth, reported that they had discharged their duty, but that the governor had declined answering them. Whereupon it was forthwith resolved that his excellency be again addressed to the same effect as before in regard to the perilous condition of Saratoga ; and on the sixteenth another series of resolutions was adopted, embodying the exact substance of those of the ninth, save that the assembly now avowed a willingness, should Colonel Johnson, by any unforseen accident, be a sufferer in the execution of his contract for supplying the garrison at Oswego, to take M ase into consideration, and do for him whatever might appear to be reasonable. But upon every other poinl; the house insisted upon its former positions. This vexatious game of cross purposes was interrupted by successive a^j^^^ii^ents, by command of the governor, until the fifth of October,— 'not, however, without a remon- strance by the assembly against these interruptions, and a vote of censure for the inconvenience to which his excel- lency was subjecting the members. Yet Mr. Clinton deserved not the censure, being engaged during the recess in active negotiations with the commissioners from the several colonies then in session, and not desiring the presence of the assembly until the results of those nego- tiations could be communicated. Meantime, as volunteers could not be obtained for recruiting the garrison at Oswego, Colonel Philip Schuyler was ordered to draft the requisite number of men for that service from his own regiment; and Colonel Roberts was directed to send three companies of levies to Saratoga, with instructions that should it be found impossible to maintain that post, the fort and block- houses must be destroyed, and the cannon and military stores removed to Albany. * Very shortly afterward advices > Journals of the couacii boar d. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 295 were received that the latter clause of the instractions had chap. been obeyed to the letter. The fort had been burnt and >-^ the stores removed as directed, — ^by which measure of ^^*7' questionable necessity the northern frontiers was left entirely uncovered. ' :; At the earnest solicitation of the governor. Colonel Johnson had now arrived in New York for consultation respecting the condition of the colony at large ; and on the third of October, a committee of the executive council was directed to summon the colonel before them for exam- ination, with special relation to Indian affairs and the measures proper to be pursued in their immediate admin- istration. The examination was held on the ninth. The colonel's advice was, that an agent should be dispatched to Oswego without delay, with suitable presents for distribu- tion among the Indians, in order to preserve their existing good disposition. He stated that when he first engaged in the management of the affairs of that department their sachems were chiefly in the French interest, and had actually received belts from them which they had since given up, receiving belts from him in their stead, in behalf of the English. He believed that unless proper measures were taken to secure them in their present favorable mood, there would be great dissatisfaction and danger resulting from repeated disappointments. He stated that the Indians had been detained from hunting during the whole year, by the directions of the governor, and were consequently in a state of destitution, — actually suffering for many necessaries for themselves and their families. Should not the necessary measures be taken for their relief, he felt that he himself would be obliged to leave his Mohawk settlement, and his removal would of course be the signal for a general flight of the people from that vallej'^ also. He furthermore thought it of importance that the English should build a fort in the Oneida country, and another among the Sene- cas. The Indians would be gratified at the adoption of Journals of the council board. "**„ 296 LIFE OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. VllL 1747. ,?) V CH^. measures like these, which in themselves would go far to secure their confidence. At the close of his examination the colonel made a complaint on oath against several per- sons for selling rum to the Indians, and the attorney-general was instructed to institute prosecutions for the oifence. ^ The commissioners of Massachusetts, Connecticut and New York having closed their deliberations, Mr. Clinton communicated the result of their conferences to the general assembly on the sixth of October. Long and tedious as had been the procrastination, the expedition against Crown Point and the invasion of Canada, was still uppermost in the minds of Shirley and Governor Clinton ; and the mes- sage announced a compact agreed upon by the commission- ers, for the immediate prosecution of the long-deferred enterprise. By the terms of that compact. New York was bound to have a certain number of men in readinees to march on a certain day ; and supplies were demanded for raising and paying the levies, and for covering all other expenses connected with that service, save for arms, ammu- nition, and camp equipage, which were to be provided by the crown. But the season for warlike operations in the north had again so nearly passed away, that it was yet again found necessary to defer the expedition until the ensuing spring. Nevertheless, contrary to Mr. Clinton's wishes, and indeed against his earnest entreaties, the commissioners had concerted nothing for the security of the frontiers of New York, nor for the equally important object of pre- serving the friendship of the fitful Indians. For both these objects, therefore, supplies were needed. Mr. Clinton again reviewed the history of his own labors in the Indian department ; — taking care to mention that since the treaty of the preceding year, Massachusetts had given presents to the Six Nations to the amount of one thousand pounds, and Connecticut to the amount of three hundred ; while neither at the treaty referred to, nor since, had New York been put to any expense for that service, — the whole having iniapi^iivisri 1 Minutea of the oounoil board. ill 11^ LIVB OF Bia WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT. 297 been borne by the orown. " But," said his excellency, " I ^p« can no longer, and will no longer, continue this charge on *-v— ' the crown." The views of Colonel Johnson were enforced, ^^^^' especially his suggestions that forts should be erected in thQ several cantons of the Six Nations. The Indians were yet friendly ; but they had been so frequently disappointed in their expectation that Canada would before now have been strongly invaded by sea and land, that the most wiae and efficient measures would be necessary for preserving their confidence. Although the entire charge of the Indian service, and the defence of the frontiers, would henoe^ forward devolve upon the colony, yet his excellency said hQ intended to make an appeal to liie governmente of th^ colonies south, as far as, and including Virginia, to cour tribute to the expense-^the public defence being an object common to all. In conclusion, after a variety of sugges- tions as to the best method of raising and sustaining the quota of levies falling upon New York, the message stated that the sachems of the Six Nations were then in the city, awaiting the determination of the house, conceniing th^p selves and what was to be done for them. They had been accompanied by Colonel Johnson, " whose name," said the governor, "I cannot mention without gratefiil remem- brances of the services he has done his country." These sachems were impatient to be gone; and the mjessage strongly urged upon the assembly the immediate adoption of such measures as would soothe their feelings, and send them away with presents so liberal as to be satisfactory. According to the articles of the compact founded by the commissioners, Crown Point was first to be reduced. The number of troops to be raised for the expedition, was four thousand, exclusive of all the Indians who could be brought into the service. Of these four thousand levies, New York was to furnish twelve hundred from its own territory, and four hundred more, to be drawn from Massachusetts, and paid for by New York, — bounties, wages and supplies. For the Indian service of the campaign, Massachusette 88 " m, '«^^" t >Hlll^^N M, ; ,,,,„ G. Clinton." ^'The ei^ect of this message was like the casting of a live coal ibto a magazine of gun-powder. In its consideration the doors of the assembly were shut, locked, and the key laid upon the table in the due and ancient form in cases of alleged breaches of privilege; and a series of resolutions was passed, nemine contradicente, wherein it was declared to be the undoubted right and privilege of the house to pro- ceed upon all proper sulyects for their consideration, in such order, method and manner as to themselves should seem most convenient ; — that any attempt to direct or pre- scribe to the house the manner in which they must proceed in their discussions of public affairs, was a manifest breach of ihe rights of the house and the people ; — that the declara- tion of the governor that he would receive nothing from the house at that time but what had been recommended in his message, was irregular and unprecedented — tending to the subversion of the rights, liberties and privileges of the house and the people ; — and that whoever hud advised that message had attempted to undermine those rights and LIFB 07 Bin WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 801 privileges, and to subvert the conb, ition of the colony, and was moreover an enemy to its inhabitants. The re- Bohitions were followed up immediately by an address, or remonstrance to his excellency, extending to the great length of eight printed folio pages, conceived in the same acrimonious spirit which had indeed characterized the pro- ceedings of both parties for many months. It professed to review the whole controversy between the governor and themselves from its inception, being his excellency's mes- sage of June sixth, 1746. Down to that period, the remon- strance declared that the utmost harmony had existed between them, and their distractions had only arisen since his excellency " had thought fit to place his sole confidence in that person who styles himself the next in administra- tion, and been pleased to submit himself to his direction and influence." This individual. Dr. Golden, was bitterly denounced. In reviewing the late proceedings both of the governor and themselves, in connexion specially, with the Indian affairs, the executive was severely censured for taking the management of those afiairs from the hands of the Indian commissioners at Albany, and confiding them to other individuals, the chief of whom, of course, was Colonel Johnson. Much of the ill-feeling of the Indians, prior to the treaty of 1746, was attributed to the intrigues of designing men, seeking to supplant the commissioners for interested and mercenary purposes. Instead of the course the governor had pursued by the summary employ- ment of individuals, if dissatisfied with the conduct of old commissioners, he should have caused them to be suspended by new appointments issued in a regular manner. This attack upon Colonel Johnson showed very con- clusively that he was at that time in no favor with his relative, Mr. DeLancey. His excellency had repeatedly advocated, in his late messages, not, indeed without an air of self-complacency, to his successful diplomacy with the Indians, whereby he had changed their policy, and defeat- ed the designs of the people of Albany, whose aim it was CHAP. VIU. 1747. .1 *$tr 302 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART< 1747 '^fjf- to keep tho Indians from the war-path, and allow them to maintain the position of neutrals. Upon this iM)int tho address avowed the opinion, distinctly, that it would have been far better had the Indians been left in tliat position. His excellency had indeed told them that the Six Nations had engaged heartily in the war ; but tho house was yet iu Ignorance touching any^ engagement in which they had par- ticipated. All tlie evidence of their prowess, which they had seen, consisted in the exhibition in tho city, by a small party of Indians, of three scalps, and a few French prisoners. Again, on the subject of Indian expenditures, they hinted at tho misapplication of funds said to have been laid out for presents ; and considering the heavy drafts upon tho crown for this service dunag the late summer, they intimat* cd a belief that notwithstanding his excellency's call for appropriations, he must have already a considerable sum in bank. They treated his excellency's frequent expressious of concern for tho welfare of the people with ridicule, charging upon him and bis adviser the guilt of the mas« sacre of Saratoga in the autumn of 1745, which event, they alleged, cou\' not have taken place but for the rash with- drawal of the garrison from that place. Many other charges of faults and official delinquencies, civil and mili- tary, were set forth and commented upon with biting irony. They declared that from a very early time of his adminis- tration, he had treated with contempt the people of the colony in general, and the members of the house iu par- ticular; and that he had applied to them in terms so opprobrious as to render them unfit for publication. Tliey complained of the many short and inconvenient adjourn- ments to which they had been subjected, and were par- ticularly displeased that they had not been kept in session during the recent negotiations with the Massachusetts and Connecticut commissioners, " that they might have been daily advised with, and their opinions consulted from time to time as to the matters under consideration," — forgetting, probably, in the ardor of their patriotism, that the house of i LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, DAKT. WB assembly was not exactly the executive council, an ..u^^^^ I. A firm principle of disloyalty, with a desire to deliver the country up to the king's enemies : n. The desire of some individuals for such a shameful neutrality as was established in the war of Queen Anne's time. in. A design to overturn the constitution, and throw everything into confusion : 1' ^2<' «;'w^upt«ji!'> h1) cc^i!! rV. The gratification of the pride and private malice and rancor of a few men, at the hazard of the lives and estates of their constituents* It was added-— "That there are such men in this country, is no secret, nor what share they have in your private consultations." The governor then drew a contrast showing how widely different had bee\ his conduct from their's. When he dis- covered that they had fallen into a state of unreasonable heat and passion, he had adjourned or prorogued them, that they might have time to cool down. And on their reassembling, although he had endeavored to forget past differences, they would strive by every means to revive them. Even now, although they had every just reason to erpect the manifestation of strong resentment from him, yet he was resolved to disappoint them. He therefore in conclusion again exhorted them to make the proper pro- visions for the care and safety of the province, — ^admon- ishing them, however, to beware of attempting any mea- sures that might clash with his instructions from the crown, or infringe upon the royal prerogative. " The ill effects of the condescensions of former governors of the province," were now too sensibly felt to justify any further conces- sions. It appears by the assembly's journal, that after referring the message to a committee, the house entered upon the consideration of public affairs with a commendable degree of diligence. On the fifteenth day of October they li" ' :,*#*■ 810 LITB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON^ BABT. !5; r :>■ GHM. requested the governor to execute one of the projects agreed I I • upon by the commissioners, by sending gun-smiths and 1747. assistant artizans into the country of the Six Nations among all the tribes beyond the Mohawks, pledging the ways and means, in the full confidence, however, that Massachusetts and Connecticut would defray their respective proportions of the expense. On the next day the governor commu- nicated a table of estimates requiring appropriations for the winter service, — stating that it was his intention to invite the cooperation of the colonies south to the Caro- linas, for the common defence. Having ordered the proper arrangements for the security of the colony during the repose of winter, it was thought the assembly might b". safely adjourned — to be aroused into action again in the spring, when the bugle should sound to arms for the actual invasion of Canada. ^M^rimi:^ « \*fmh liuwo '»riris*»Tfr)v l r But the hopes and the high expectations of the colonies, especially those of New York and New England, were again dashed by disappointment alike mortifying and severe. On the nineteenth of October, orders were received from the duke of Newcastle, signifying the royal approbation of the preparations made jointly by Shirley and Clinton, for the intended expedition, but nevertheless directing them to desist from that expedition, and to dis- band all the levies engaged for that service, retaining such a number of the New England forces as might be judged necessary for the protection of Nova Scotia. The colonies were directed to pay oft' the levies, and transmit the accounts to be reimbursed by parliament. Mr. Clintou immediately transmitted these disheartening orders by message to the assembly, with a recommendation that so many of the levies at Albany as might be deemed neces- sary for the defence of the north might still be retained iu the service, and provision be made for their subsistence. This suggestion was followed by a vote of the assembly to retain eight full companies at Albany until the ensuiug month of August, if their service should ''.o long be neces- LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 811 saty ; but in view of the heavy expenses to which the colony chap- had already been subjected by the war, and the almost <-„^-* ruined condition of the colony, the house felt itself obliged ^^*^' to decline advancing either money or credit for the pay- ment of the forces in arrears. With th s exception, the assembly proceeded with apparent calmness to make just and proper appropriations for various objects, such as the employment of a corps of rangers to traverse the northern border, and for repairing sundry forts. Appropriations were also voted for divers other matters, among which was one for the completion of the governor's house. But the calm was short, if not delusive, and the storm directed against the executive broke out on the twenty-sixth of October with unabated violence. It appears that two days before that date, it being on Saturday, the governor, by a written order under his own hand, had forbidden Mr. James Parker, printer to the assembly, to publish in the journals of that body the celebrated remonstrance of the ninth, of which a copious analysis has already been given. Parker had refused to recognize the validity of a verbal order to the same eflfect, communicated by his excellency's secretary, Mr. Catherwood ; and this written mandate he was required to publish in his newspaper, which he accordingly did on Monday morning, — ^together with the paragraph contained in the governor's message of the thirteenth, wherein his excellency had charged the committee of the house, bearing the said remonstrance, with obtruding themselves rudely into a private apartment of his domicil. Chafed at this arbitrary mandate to Parker, and smarting yet fipom the imputation cast by the governor upon the committee, Mr. Clarkson rose in his place on Monday, and called the atten- tion of the house to the contents of the newspaper. The publication having been read, Mr. C. proceeded to relate, and his colleagues of the committee to confirm, the history of the transaction in question. The committee " knocked at the outward door, and told the servant who attended, that they had a message, Retiring into an inner room, the *^*(?* ' 812 LIFE OF SIR WILLI4M JOHNSON, BART. 1747 CHAP, servant soon returned, accompanied by a gentleman, who ^ showed them into the presence of the governor, by whom the^ were received without any manifestation of displeasure. They informed hie excellency that they came as a commit- tee of the house with a remonstrance, which they offered to read ; but his excellency refused either to hear it, or even to allow them to read it, upon the ground that such a procedure, without the presence of the speaker, was not parliamentary. The next step was to order the attendance of Parker at the bar of the house, to produce "the original order from the governor, a copy of which had been published in his newspaper. This being done, resolutions were passed declaring that the attempt to prevent the pub- lication of their proceedings, was a violation of the rights and liberties of the people, and an iniringement of their privileges ; that the remonstrance was a regular proceeding ; that the governor's order was unwarrantable, arbitrary and illegal, a violation of their privileges, and of the liberty of the press, and tending tp the utter subversion of all the rights and liberties of the colony ; and that the speaker's order for printing the remonstrance, was regular and con- sistent with his duty." ^ Parker preferred to identify his fortunes with those of the popular party, rather than to obey the behest of the crown, as expressed by its repre- sentative. The governor's order was therefore disre- garded, and ihe remonstrance printed as directed by the house. The controversy was maintained with increasing intensHy, for many days ; in the course of which the house, in order, doubtless, as much to reassert its own power as to annoy the governor, directed Parker to reprint the offen- sive document, and furnish each member with two copies thereof, — "that their constituents might know it wad theii- firm resolution to preserve the liberty of the press." But while these proceedings were yet in progress, the governor startled the assembly by a message announcing that he might find it necessary to detauh large bodies of ! smiih, vol. ii. pp. 182, 1-33. Ytdo also journals of the colonial assembly. LIVE 09 SItt WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 318 olonial aBsembly. the militia for the defence of the frontiers, and requiring chap. a contingent appropriation to meet the expense. Thiswy-^ species of service was not only burdensome, but particu- ^^*'^' larly irksome tx) the people, and the house was thrown into fermentation by the requisition. The message was referred to a committee which a week afterward reported in substance, that they were amazed that his excellency should have sent them such a message, since he had so recently given them to understand that he should rely upon the levies already at Albany for the public defence ; for the pay and subsistence of whom the house was even then taking the necessary measures. In conclusion the oommittee avowed the belief that while his excellency was governed by such unsteady and ever-varying counsels, and while he continued to send them messages conceived in such doubtiul and ambiguous terms as had of late marked his communications to them, it would be di£icult to r.-ake such provision for the defence of the frontiers as seemed necessary. Nevertheless it was acknowledged to be their duty to adopt such measures as the exigency of the case appeared to require. This report had no sooner caught the eye of the governor while examining the copy of the assembly's journal as presented for his inspection by the clerk, than he turned the tables upon his opponents, and demonstrated beyond doubt the factiousness of their cause. He first reminded them of their vote upon his message of the nineteenth of October, refusing to pay the arrears of the levies. They had indeed voted to retain eight companies of the levies et the north, but not upon the terms sug- gested in his message, viz: the continuance of full pay; instead of which they had cut the officers and subalterns down to less than one half of the compensation allowed upon the regular military establishment. Upon these terms it was not to bo expected that the levies would remain in the service. Indeed men fit to serve ought not to remain. And he begged the assembly to consider 40 i I' ■»■ I' If 'I 814 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. I r *7in'' what would be the condition of things, were the levies to '— y— ' disband themselves and return to their homes, unpaid and ^^^^' without clothes, — leaving the notliern frontier entirely uncovered. As to the charge of vascillation in hie couu- oils, the governor said they must necessarily vary with changes of circumstances ; but in the present instance it was the conduct of the assembly alone that had caused the variation. Still duty required him to do all in his power to avert the mischiefs arising from theii conduct, and also to take care of the people. ■. nt ■^thmi'm >tft;iv*u -\ ft Am i, The assembly rejoined in a bad spirit, reiterating the charge of inconsistency against the governor, and accusing him of pursuing measures purposely intended to cause the disajSection and desertion of the levies, that a plausible pre- text might thereby be a£[brdedfor wantonly harrassiug the poor people of the colony by dragging them into the military service. Under all the circumstances of the case, therefore, they had arrived at the conclusion that to retain the levies would now be impossible, and that as a conse- "^ quenoe immediate provision must be made fon raising a sufficient number of volunteers for the public defence. The committee's report was concurred in nemine contra- diaente; and on the fifth of November resolutions were passed directing the employment of eight hundred volun- teers, for two hundred and seventy days service, and appro- priating the sum of eighteen thousand pounds for their subsistence. Contemporaneously with this procedure, the house waa notified by the legislative council that they had passed its bill for the supply of the eight full companies of levies already at Albany, as heretofore mentioned. This scheme however, having been virtually abandoned by the house, a resolution was adopted, declaring the impracticability of retaining those eight full companies of levies in the service, and praying the governor to issue warrants for raising thirteen companies of volunteers of sixty men eaich, with the promise of commissions to those who should actually recruit them, at the reduced rates of LtfB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 815 compensation to which his excellency, in respect to the chap. retent'on of the levies, had objected, as being altogether v..^.^ inaCoiiUate to the employment of respectable men. A ^'^*^' committee of which Colonel Schuyler was chairman, waited upon his excellency with this resolution, but he declined answering it. Three days afterward, to wit on the tenth of November, the assembly deputed another committee to wait upon his excellency, and inform him of their apprehensions that the river navigation to Albany would close before the necessary winter supplies for the forces at the north could now be sent up, and praying his assent to the subsistence bill, which, having passed both houses, now awaited only his signature to become a law. But his excellency, like Richard, was "busy,"-— preparing despatches as he alleged, for Boston, — and would receive no message £rom the house otherwise than at the hand of their speaker. On the thirteenth, the request was renewed by a formal address presented by the house in a body — the speaker of course being at their head. From, the reply of his excellency, it appeared that his reluctance to sign the bill in question, had arisen from an objectiona- ble principle involved therein. He had on two previous occasions given his assent to bills involving the same principle, and had been censured at home for so doing. His excuse to the crown had been the pressing necessity of the public service, and he hoped the same excuse would avail again, as he had made up his mind to sign the bill. He took occasion, moreover, to admonish the house in regard to the bill for the pay of the forces to be raised, then pending, not to incorporate in its provisions any thing that might in anywise interfere with the preroga- tives of the crown. The bill thus specially referred to, authorized the raising of the sum of twenty-eight thou- sand pounds, by a direct tax, for the military service, and the like sum by an issue of bills of credit, with pro- visions for sinking and cancelling the same. In closing his reply, the governor farther informed the house that «♦?■' 816: LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1747. I ^v^' *^^® officers of the four companies of fusi leers stationed nt 'Albany had notified him that for the want of supplies they were on the point of dissolution. At ^ *^i,!i,»)< ,!, . On the twenty-fifth of November his excellency com- manded the attendance of the house in the council chamber, when he approved the bill for victualling tlio forces and also the important revenue bill just spoken of. Two other bills of minor importance, likewise received his excellency's signature; whereupon, finding that the controversy in which he had so long been engaged with the assembly had evidently become past healing, — indeed that on the contrary the breach was daily becoming wider and yet wider, — the general assembly was dissolved. His excellency commenced his speech announcing the disso- lution, by referring to the votes of the house in the case of Parker. He maintained that their remonstrance, of which he had forbidden the republication from the jour- nals in Parker's newspaper, was a false, scandalous and malicious libel upon him throughout; and he therei'oro had a right, for the protection of his own character, to inhibit the publication of a document surcharged with falsehood, as they very well knew it to be. As to the popular out-cry which they had attempted to raise about the liberty of the press, he said it was a liberty very liable to be abused, and against which there ought to be a remedy. Nor could the application of a proper remedy be considered a restraint upon a just degree of liberty. He charged them with a design, as was obvious from their whole course, to usurp the supreme authority of the government, and in support of the charge the governor again entered upon a summary review of the conduct jf the assembly, rehearsing its sins both of omission .',nd commission. Among the former, he observed hat notwithstanding the frequency and earnestness of his appeals to them for the Indian service, and the importance of preserving the existing amicable relations with the Confederates, the assembly had not made the slightest pro- LIVE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 817 K>j,:l,t*}i'i ;!i vision for that object. Tho house had complained that he chap had kept secret from tlfera tlio orders he had received for w^-* discharging the forces intended for the Canada expedition ^'*'' until the hour had arrived for their execution. His reply to this charge was an ample justiticatiou of his course. It was necessary to keep those orders from the knowledge of the enemy lest advantage should be taken of them, and tho frontiers invaded, before tho necessary preperations could be made for their defence. Ho had, however, given them timely notice of what was to happen ; and had the suggestions he had made to them been seasonably acted upon, the object of security could have been attained at an expense forty thousand pounds less than what would now be the cost to the colony. In reviewing his own exertions for the public defence, and his endeavors to pre- serve a force at Albany so large as to render drafts upon the militia unnecessary, his excellency charged upon the assembly the design of usurping the command of tlie militia, and with having passed resolutions calculated to produce disobedience to orders, and which, iu fact, had produced such disobedience. Their refusal to pay the arrears of the forces on the credit of the king, showed what little regard they had either foi his majesty s pleasure, or forthe ir*erest8 of those who had willingly exposed their lives for the defence of the country. It was now well known, that had his advice been followed in the first instance, a sufficient number of the levies might have been retained at Albany. Equally well was it now known that the necessary force could not now be readily obt&xaed. The consequence was that by the advice of his council he should now be obliged to apply to some of the otlier colo- nies for assistance. Other points were raised in the speech which have become familiar in the history of this protract- ed controversy. Even now, in one of the bills to which he had just placed his signature, they had inserted a clause that would very likely defert its object. Pie referred to a section placing the provisions and ammunition for the 818 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JODNBON, BART. 1747. *^'- public aervico under the exclusive control of persona of their own nomination, without consulting the govenior in the appointment of those persons, — they, too, having it in their power to control any order which the governor might give I He had been compelled by the public danger, to sign that bill, though contrary to the express instruc* tions of the crown. In a word, they had done all thoy could to traduce his character; to encourage disobcdi- ence ; to inflame the passions of the people ; and to para- lyze his exertions for the safety of the province. Ncurtlio close of the speech the following passage occurs, which was true beyond a doubt : •'" ' - - '."*^' ' •■■ • " Your continued grasping for power, with an evident tendency to the weakening of the dependency of the province on Great Britain, accompanied with such notori- ous and public disrespect to the character of your governor, and contempt of the king's authority intrusted with him, cannot be hid longer from your superiors, but must come under their observation, and is of most dan- gerous example to your neighbors." Knowing, therefore, that great-numbers of the inhabit- ants disapproved of their proceedings, and for the pur- pose of giving them an opportunity of vindicating their loyalty to their prince, as well as their love of country, his excellency declared the general assembly to be dis- solved.' -*■-. ••■.■- ....■,....,. ,,„ ,,,....,.,. .,„ This act appears to have come somewhat suddenly upon the ap-^embly, a committee having at the time been engaged in the preparation of another address to liis excellency, similar in tone and character to the late remon- strance, but much larger, and more elaborpte. The disso- lution having prevented the house from giving an official impress to the document, it was shortly afterward publish- ed in the form of " A letter from some of the represent- atives in the late general assembly to his excellency the governor, in answer to his message of October thirteenth, and to his dissolution speech." This document comprised Lira OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, UAKT. 819 1747. a very extended review of the whole controvei'Hy between chap. the parties, dwelling upon euch and every particular point • with exceeding minuteness, and evidencing considerable powers of reasoning and analysis. There was no abate- ment in the bitterness of its tone, either toward the governor, or his chief confidential advisor, Doctor Colden. IJut from the historical sketch already given of the con- troversy, no necessity exists for a synopsis of this formid- able paper — sufficient, of itself, to fill one hundred pages of an ordinary octavo. Smith attributes the authorship to Judge Horsmanden, — Doctor Colden being also charged with the composition of his excellency's state papers. These suppositions were probably correct. In- deed Mr. Horsmanden had been summarily degraded from his station for his officiousness in this respect ; and Doctor Colden had entered several protests upon the journals of the legislative council, bearing strong family resemblances to the papers bearing the signature of Mr. Clinton. Among these was a protest against a bill from the assembly, which passed the council on the third of November, instituting a committee to examine the public aocnnnts of the colony from the y .ir 1713. The doctor protested against this bill, first, as being an infringement upon the royal prerogative. The moneys, he asserted, had been raised for the service of the king, and his majesty, or his representative, had therefore an undoubted right to appoint the persons charged with the proposed exami- nation, especially in regard to their expenditure, whereas the governor had not even been consulted as to the per- sons constituting the commission. Secondly, the commis- sioners named were merchants. As the revenues were in a great measure raised from duties and imposts, he held that a mercantile com mission was improper. The reve- nues from those sources were not half as much as they would be if honestly collected. These commissioners, if merchants , could connive with their friends for the conceal- ment of fravids. Other ejjceptions were taken to the details ^•1 u '1 I ^ 1 i ■ i "~"~'"-'i'rt1'fcl,ii,',[|ll|^, *.l 820 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. °"iif' ^^^^^ l>ill > t>ut those just mentioned are the most important. »— v-' The doctor also protested against a bill from the assembly ^^*^' cancelling certain bills of credit, together with the special revenue bill for the prosecution of the war, upon the old ground of collision with the kingly prerogative. The last mentioned bill it was averred was specially objectionable because it usurped the executive power for the appoint- ment of troops and officers, and provided for the disburse- ment of money from the treasury without , the governor's warrant. Although from a very early date in the history of this protracted controversy, it became inexcusably personal, yet it is not diliioult to perceive that it was in reality one of principle. On the one hand, the infant Hercules, though still in his cradle, was becoming impatient of restraint. The yoke of colonial servitude chafed the necks, if not of the people, at least of their representatives. The royal governor was not slow to perceive what kind of leaven was fermenting the body politic ; and hence he became perhaps over-jealous in asserting and defending the prerogatives of his master. Doubtless in the progress of the quarrel there were faults on both sides. Of an irascible and overbearing temperament, and accustomed in his profession to com- mand rather than to persuade, he was ill qualified to exer- cise a limited or concurrent power with a popular assembly equally jealous of its own privileges and of the liberties oi' the people; watching with sleepless vigilance for every opportunity to circumscribe the influence of the crown ; and ready at every moment to resist the encrouohments of arbitrary power. Still, however patriotic the motives, under the promptings of DeLancey, their opposition to Mr. Clinton became factious ; and it is not difficult even for a republican to believe that he was treated not only with harshness, but with great injustice, especially in regard to his measures, and his personal exertions for the public defence and the prosecution of the war. But the principles for which Hambden bled, and Sidney LIFB OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 321 died on the scaffold, were striking deeper root in British chM' America every day, — an additional proof of which fact, w„r-' not easily to be misunderstood, was manifested about this time by a transaction at Boston. Time immemorial the ciown had claimed the right in periods of war, of raising and equipping its fleets by impressing the ships of mer- chants, and seamen to man them. In the feudal ages, indeed, the claim had been asserted much farther, and the right of impressment exerted in respect to every descrip- tion of force, as the public service required, including even the njembers of the medical profession. * But with the growth of a permanent national marine, the impressment of merchant ships could only be necessary as transports, and the practice had been parrowed down to the employ- ment of press-gangs for the procurement of common Bailors, Fortified by the opinions of the law-oflBioers of the crown, the ministers had repeatedly asserted the right of extending the right of this odious practice to the colo- nies. The claua, however, had been uniformly resisted by the people, and nowhere more strenuously than in Vir- ginia, — ^held at the time to be the most loyal of the pro- vinces. Indeed it was in Virginia, that the first act of resistance to the practice was made, and in every instance in which the right was attempted to be put in exercise, the oflicersof the crown were defeated by popular interposition. ' No experiment of the kind, however, had as yet been made in New England; and the honor of the first attempt, and of experiencing a signal defeat, was 'It appears from Bymer's Faedera, that king Henry Y, in 1417. authorized John Morstede, to press as many surgeons as he thought necessary for tho French 'expedition, together with persons to make their instruments. It ia also true, and appears in the same book of records, that with the army which won the day fit Aginopurt, there hni landed only one surgeon, the same John Morstede, who indeed did engage to send fifteen more for the army, three of which, however, ware to act as archers ! With such a professional scarcity, what must have been the state of the wounded on the day of battle T— j4mfr«Mi«'i Oreat Britain. ' Qrahame, — who says that Franklin was the first writer by whom its |i(de« i'ensiblc injustice was demG^stratsd. 41 I m '%\ '* 1 I ; if t ■ 1 ; '^^1 ■ 1 i 822 LIFB OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, reserved for Commodore Knowles, then governor of Cape, v«^,w Breton, and the successor of Sir Peter War-en in the naval 1747. command of the American station. Visiting the waters of Massachusetts with his squadron, and lying at Kantasket ahout the middle of November, the commodore lost a num- ber of his sailors by desertion, the places of whom he determined to supply by a vigorous act of impressment in Boston. Detaching a number of boats to the town at an early hour in the morning, a sweep was made of all the seamen found on board the vessels lying at the wharves, and also of a number of ship carpenters, with their appren- tices, together with several landsmen. The act was execut- ed with such suddenness that the men were far down the bay m their way to the fleet, when the transaction had become generally known to the people. But icAenlpiown, such a popular fermentation ensued as had vnver before taken place in Boston. All classes of the p were greatly excited ; but the rage of the lower clas . . ^ewno bounds. Siezing whatever arms they could find, spears, clubs, pitchforks and guns, the mob rushed together, deter- mined upon vengeance, or a rescue, or both. A lieutenant of the fleet falling first within their power, was siezed, and would have been treated with violence but for the inter- position of the speaker of the provincial legislature, then in session, who assured the multitude that this ofiicer had not been concerned in the transaction. The next move- ment of the mob was directed against the house of the governor, Shirley, who was at the very time entertaining several captains of the fleet. Of these officers the rioters resolved to demand satisfaction, and the house was speedily surrounded by the infuriated legion. The officers within doors being supplied with fire-arms, determined to defend themselves, and there would doubtless have been a serious efiusion of blood, had not a number of the more consider- ate citizens insinuated themselves among the rioters, and dissuaded them from the commission of actual violence. Among the peace-officers on duty was a deputy sheriff, LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNPON, BART. 823 who was irreverently siezed and borne off to the stocks, chap. with the practical use of which invention he was made ^-v-' acquainted, both his legs being made fast therein. There ^^*^* was a dash of the ludicrous in this exploit, of the " sove- reigns," creating merriment, and serving for a while to moderate, though it did not appease their anger. The deepening of the twilight into night, however, was a signal for renewed outrages, and the deliberations of the legisla- ture, or general court, as it was called, were disturbed by the breaking of their windows, and other riotous proceed- ings. The governor, with several distinguished gentlemen and counsellors, ascended to the balcony, whence they addressed the people in the most soothing and considerate manner, — rebuking their turbulence, it is true, but at the same time expressing strong disapprobation of the outrage of which they complained, and promising their utmost exertions to obtain the discharge of every man who had been kidnapped and carried away. But the tempest was not to be thus easily hushed, and the arrest and detention of every officer of the squadron in town, was demanded as the only measure that would answer the purpose. Such being the temper of the populace, it was judged advisable that the governor should withdraw from the scene of tumult to his own house, — to which he was accompanied by several officers, civil and military, and also by a small party of personal friends. Meantime it was bruited that a barge had come up to the town from the fleet, whereupon the rioters rushed headlong to the wharf to sieze it. The report was not true, for no such barge had arrived. Yet the populace thought otherwise, and a huge boat, lying at the dock, belonging to a Scotch merchantman, was taken by mistake, and drawn through the street, as though no heavier than a birchen canoe. It Was at first resolved to kindle a bonfire with this unlucky craft in front of the governor's house ; but a suggestion that lighting a fire there would jeopard the town, the mob drew away, and indulged their heated design in a place of greater security. Thus 824 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSOIT, BART. CHAK ended the proceedings of the first aa;> . On the next, tlie via. ' governor ordered the militia under arms for the prcsei'vatioQ 1747. of the peace ; but the drummers were interrupted in beat- ing to arms, and the militia, with a surprising degree of ucanimity, refused to parade. Several of the British offi- cers on shore had been siezed by the populace, by whom they were retained as hostages. Of this number was Cap- tain Erskine, of the Canterbury. He was taken in Roxbury. but was speedily liberated on giving his parole not to go on board until the difficulty should be adjusted. Such being tlio temper of the people, — ^the entire militia refusing obedience to their officers, — it was thought expedient, as well for the personal security, as for the power, of the governor, whose authority was thus virtually suspended, that he should retire to the castle — ^Fort William. From this place Mr. Shirley wrote to Commodore Knowles, informing him of the high exasperation into which the people had been thrown by his proceedings, and urging an immediate releaso of the persons impressed, as the only means of restoring the public tranquility. But the commodore declined even to entertain the proposition until those of his officers who had been caught on shore should be liberat- ed* The first suggestion of Knowles was to land a body of marines to aid the governor in quelling the disturbances; but Shirley was too wise a man, and understood too well the character of the New England people to second such a proposition. The commodore thereupon became enraged, and threatened to burn the town, — directing at the same time certain movements of his ships which for a few hours caused much uneasiness. During the eighteenth and nine- teenth days of the month the town was under the entire control of the mob, — the general court feeling reluctant to interpose, even for the preservation of order, lest their action should be construed as favoring the conduct of Knowles. The provocation had been great ; and although the prevailing spirit of insubordinatioh was indefensible, yet it was regarded by every American with greatly miti- LIFB OF SIR WlLLIAtf JOHIiTSON, BART. 825 gated displeasure. Still, the danger of allowing the town chap. longer to remain under the sway of an infuriated populace, »-v— » and the impropriety of leaving the governor, whose con- *^*^' duct had not only beer wise and patriotic, but blameless, thus unsupported, was perceived before the close of the day last mentioned, and a series of resolutions was adopted by the house of representatives, strongly condemning the tumultuous proceedings of the people ; pledging themselves, their lives and estates, to sustain the executive authority ; but at the same time declaring that they should put forth their utmost exertions to redress the grievances which had provoked the riots. Simultaneously with this procedure the council passed an order for restoring Captain Erskine and the other officers in actual custody, to their liberty, and declaring them to be under the protection of the gov- ernment, — ^which order was conr^urred in by the house of representatives. These measures had the eflfect of allaying the excitement, and the rioters soon began to disperse. A town meeting was holden in the afternoon ; and although it was urged by the less discreet portion of the assemblage that a suppression of the tumults would have the effect of enitouraging his majesty's naval commanders in the com* mission of similar outrages in future, yet the counsels of the more prudent prevailed, and the town, by solemn vote, condemned alike the riotous proceedings of the people, and the injury and insult by which those proceedings had been provoked. Not anticipating so favorable a turn of affairs, so soon, the governor had made preparations for calling to his assistance the provincial troops of the circum- jacent towns, horse and foot ; but on the following morning the militia of Boston paraded spontaneously, and many citizens were in arms who had seldom been seen in arms before. In the course of the day the governor was escorted from the castle back to his house with great parade, and law and order resumed their wonted sway. Commodore Knowles dismissed all, Cx nea ly all, the subjects of the impress, and sailed for Louisburg, to the great and irre- fi j ,*#»* 826 LIFB 07 BIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. OH^. pressible joy of the people.* But his sovereign had little ii.;l VIII. N-v^ cause to thank him for an act which awoke a spirit that ^^*'' slumbered not until the richest jewel was torn from his diadem, i^.r);:^ /.Moin/ :.;■ rifii-^tni'tt wr*fi .'jut* wm i-,*, •.'.;'(' There remains little more to be written of the border troubles of New York during the year 1747. Small parties of the enemy ontinued to hover about the new settlements until the dspth of winter, and several additional murders were committed. One of their autumnal forays Was me- lancholy and bloody. A party of woodmen, engaged in cutting timber, abjut four miles west of Schenectady, was fallen upon, and tt irty-nine of their number killed. Along the confines of Massachusetts and New Hampshire these murders or assassinations were yet more frequent during the autumn than in New York. Skirmishes between the enemy and the borderers, were common, and in one of these a French officer of some consideration, named Pierre Bamboert, waa wounded and taken.^ Late in November, Governor Clinton pressed the com- mand of the northern frontier upon Colonel Johnson. The people were strongly in favor of that appointment ^ and it was ultimatelj accepted. But aside from this command, the colonel had full employment upon his hands for the winter, independently of his Indian charge. The militia of Albany county, then embracing all the northern and western settlements beyond Ulster and Dutchess, had fallen into a state of sad demoralization ; and to Colonel John- son Mr. Clinton entrusted the duty of effecting a complete reorganization. All confidence was reposed in him; and in the removal of incompetent officers, and the appoint- ment of new ones, his word was law. " Send down a list immediately, of those you think proper, and look upon it as done." * I Hutchinson. Orahamo. « Hoy t'g Antiquities. ' ■ ;-j i . . . * Manuscript letter of Jacob Olen. * l^anuscript letter ; Major Rutherford, of the ezeoutlTe council, to Colonel Johnson. r. ijj{ ,?r'i^KT!oi "fj,hn-n rt:iW 7*; i.-.lV' / >!-•?' CHAP- i . ftrf .!! '•:(.■)(! >ij[t iti-r j//(hj"*/ ban ."fiifib.'i/itKfvli/m f .,. M -',- .- ,-•}.>; ^i|il.>->Tirr,j vffty.. •({,•.-. ,'ms^Umiumu CUA'PTEU IX. :^-,;n(v ton-;'. Colonel Johnson bad now become, through his owu tact and the influence of Governor Clinton, a prominent man "'vl ir. the affairs of the colony. In Februaiy, he accepted the ^^^ command of the New York colonial troops for the defence of the frontiers — ^a circumstance which affords another proof of the high favor in which he was held by the gov- ernor. Though still continuing the traffic in furs, and by no means neglecting his mercantile pursuits, he devoted himself more assiduously, not only to political matters, but also to the management of the Indian department over which he had for the last two years had the control. Becoming favorably known both to the colony and the British government, he now assumed, as better suited to Ms improved standing, more dignity in his appointments, his manner of living, and his intercourse with the Indians. It was about this period, although I have not been able to learn the exact date, that Colonel Johnson employed as his housekeeper, Mary Brant, or Miss Molly, as she was called, a sister of the celebrated Indian chief Thayendane- gea, with whom he lived until his decease, and by whom he had several children.^ This circumstance is thus mentioned 1 That Molly Brant was not the wife of the Baronet, is fully proved by his last will, (published in appendix to vol. ii.) in which, after desiring to have the "remains of his beloved wife Catherine," interred beside him, he cpeaks of the "children of ir y present housekeeper, Mary Brant," as his "natural children." It is, however, but justice to Molly Brant, to state that she always regarded herself as married to the Baronet after the Indian fashion. The traditions of the Mohawk valley state that the acquaintance of Cobnel Johnson with Molly, hacT a rather wild and romantic commencement. The story was, that she was a very sprightly and a very beautiful Indian girl of about sixteen, when he first saw her. It was at a regimental militia :l ¥#>, 828 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. h I . .-•11 CHAP, by Mrs. Grant in her entertaining book. " Becoming a ^-v— ' widower in the prime of life, ha connected himself with mi 1748. Indian maiden, daughter to a sachem, who possessed an un- commonly agreeable person and good understanding ; and whether ever formally married to him according to our usage or not, continued to live with him in great union and aft'ec- tion all his life." Colonel Johnson himself repeatedly speaks of ' 'a Indian lady in his private journal. During ■w his expedition to Detroit entries occur in which he speaks of having received news from home, and of having written Molly. He always mentioned her kindly. Thus under date of Wednesday, October 21st, 1759, he writes: » 'f*' " Met Sir Robert Davis and Captain Etherington, who gave me a packet of letters from General Amherst. Cap- tain Etherington told me Molly was delivered of a girl and all were well at my house, where they stayed ten days." Molly, as has already Leen stated, was the sister of Thayendanegea, and both, according to the account in the London Magazine of 1776, the earliest printed testimony upon the subject, were the grand-children of one of the Mohawk chiefs, who vipited England aalf a century before. That her father was a chief, several authorities have like- wise been cited to show ; to which may be added Allen's Biographical Dictionary, where tl^e fact is positively as- serted. ' ■ - :.i...,U J .u.-w ,;>,-,, ,..»;■.;, y ... II i,t...;4 ivj By thus formiiig ah alliance with the family of an influ- muster, where Molly was one of » multitude of speotatora. One of the field officers coming near her upon a prancing steed, by way of banter she asked permission to mount behind him. Not supposing she could perform the exploit, he said she ought. At the word she leaped upon the crupper with the agility of a gazelle. The horse sprang off at full speed, and, dinging to the officer, her blanket flying, and her dark tresses strean'ing in the wind, she flew about the parade ground swift as an arrow, to the infliiite merriment of the collected multitude. The colonel, who was a witness of the spectacle, admiring the spirit of the young squaw, and becoming enamored of her per- son, brought her to his house. > President Allen was conQeoted by marriage with the family of the late President Wheelook, and has had excellent opportunities for arriving at the probable truth. „ LIfB OP SIR WILLIAM JO" !80N, BAET. 829 ential and powerful chieftain, Colonel Johnson evidently chap. aimed at a more extended influence over the Indiana. Kor ^-v^ did the result disappoint him ; for in this alliance and in ^^*^' his custom of mingling among them in his £uniliar way, is doubtless to be found the secret of his extraordinary ascendency over the fickle red men of the forest. Meantime a new assembly had been chosen, which the governor met upon the twelfth of February. The election, however, had made but few changes in the composition of that body ; all the former leaders being returned, and Mr. Jones consequently again presented for his excellency's approbation as speaker. The opening speech of the governor was conciliatory. He announced that the conven- tion agreed upon between the commisnioners of New York, Mbssachusetts and Connecticut, had been ratified by the first and last mentioned of those colonies, and hj the legis- lature of Massachusetts, with the exception of a single article, which his excellency did not conceive to be ver) material. The place of the cordon of rangers provided for by that article, the governor thought, could be supplied by strong parties of Indians. Notwithstanding the aborti\' e effects of the two preceding years to" achieve the invasion of Canada, and the strangely vascillating conduct of the ministry upon this important subject, measures to that end were agftin proposed, and the necessary means suggested, with as much confidence as though there had been no disr appointment. The disbanding of the forces at Albany had necessarily discouraged the Indians, who had regarded the measure as a want either of courage or strength, and the French had not been slow to avail themselves of the oppor- tunity again to sow the seeds of disafl'ectioa among them — particularly the Senecas and Onondagas. Measures were therefore advised for regaining the hearty cooperation of their people. The death of Mr. Bleecker, long the govern- ment interpreter in its intercourse with the Indians, and the appointment of Arent Stevens in his place waa annoimced. The government was indebted to Colopel Johnson for 42 *#f'' 880 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. o^p. various advances of money, nnd he had given notice that «— ^w such was the increased cost of provisioning the garriaon of ^^*®' Oswego, that he could no longer perform that service with- out an advance upon the terms of his contract of two hun- dred pounds per annum. The fortifications of Albany need- ed repairs, and several of the forts were short of ammunition. The attention of the assembly was also called to the fact that no provision had been made at the last session for paying the salaries of the officers of the governme'it. Other suggestions connected with the public service were made in the speech, one of which was the employment of a smith for the benefit of the Indians at Oswego. Finally he recommended that they should make immediate pro- vision for rewarding those Indians who had acted as scouts for transporting the new levies to Albany, victualing them in the Mohawk's country, removing cannon from Saratoga to Albany, and also for the salary of a commanding officer to the troops raised by the province. It would appear that the dissolution of the assembly had, for a time, at least, produced a better state of feeling in the new assembly than in the previous one. The answer of the council was moved by Chief Justice DeLancoy ; that of the assembly was reported by Mr. Clarkson ; and both were conceived in a better spirit, and couched in much more respectful language than had been usual for some time past. In the address of the house to the governor upon the eighteenth, the assembly assured his excellency of their readiness to enter immediately upon the consider- ation of the different matters which he had submitted to them, and to make provision for such supplies as were essential to the well being and security of the colony. Two days afterward, however, as if they feared that they had conceded too much, and wished therefore to counteract it by thwarting the favorite scheme of the governor, the committee of the whole on his speech, reported it as their opinion, that to follow out the plan proposed by Massachu- setts, would be contrary to the purposes of the agreement, LITB or SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAM. 881 11 and therefore that the house ought not to accede to the chap. alteration. wv-* The temper of the aagembly, however, as before remarked, ^'**' was much more tractable ; and at this sitting, several resolutions were passed in favor of repairing the dif- ferent fortifications along the frontiers, stationing a larger garrison at Oswego, defraying the expenses of the gun- smiths stationed among the Indians, paying the rangers employed as scouts, building block houses, and other plans of a like character. Two hundred pounds were also voted to Colonel Johnson, for the extraordinary charges to which he had bee.i subjected in supplying the garrison of Oswego with provisions, and an appropriation made for the payment of the salaries of the officers fx the govemiuent, but to which was attached " a reward of one hundred and fifty pounds to Mr. Horsmanden, for his late controversial labors, under the pretext of drafting their bills, and other public service."* :■"■''■ . ; • i:'"-" ■ ■■. ,"■•' •• •• • The most important act of the session, however, was an appropriation of two hundred pounds per annum for the compensation of an agent, to reside in the parent capital, to solicit in the concerns of the jolony. The appointment of such an agent had been previously recommended ; and though successful at last by a unanimous vote, it might not have been, but from the design of the house to employ an agent who should be under its own direction, and whose office, at least in part, should be to thwart the views of the governor at home. The enactment was so shaped as cau- tiously to deprive the governor even of a concurrent power in making the appointment ; and indeed the agent, Robert Charles, was named and his first instructions actually given, a few hours before the house was summoned into the presence of the governor to witness, previous to the adjournment, his assent to the bills that had been passed. These instructions are in part inscribed upon the journals of the assembly ; while another portion may be found in ' Journals of the ooloaial uaembly, Smith Hist. New York. *»#■" 882 Lira OF sra william johnson, bart. oHAy. the appendix to the Bccond volame of Smith, being h letter *-.y_»to Charles from the Hponker, JoncH. Thoy will he found 17M> to sustain the opinion already advanced, viz : that the ugcDt was to he the instrumeut of the aasombly against the goyc ^Ft 'lfn«'|'^' I't "tt 'lit (>• t>»i*«!if f.'i,/ ^ *nf^i\[tr>(r This course of action has been attribnted to a desire on the part of the DeLancey family to supplant Mr. Clinton with the viow of bringing Bir Peter Warren into the execu- tive chair ; and color is given to the suggestion by the I'act that Mr. Charles was enjoined '' in the execution of liiu instructions, always to take the advice of Six Peter Warren if in England."^ DeLancey, the chief justice, was like- wise ambitions ; and it is not unlikely that he might have cherished such a design in favor of his brother-in-law; but I have found no evidence that Sir Peter Warreoi him- self was ft party to any such intrigue. Why should he have been t The measure of his naval glory was full. He was now a member of the imperial parliament, in the ei^oyment of a princely estate, and withal in a bad state of health. The governorship of the colony of New York, therefore^ could have been no object with him, even should he be able to compete with success against the I^ewcastlo interest by which Mr. Clinton waa sustained. )<(i ;'"''ji:ir -i:. .1 ". ''\ U„iit J«. ;t;':H'''>-i' r-- . 1' Meanwhile the Indians of the Six Katlons, true to their wavering character, upon hearing that the expedition against Canada had been given up, had become exceedingly discontented. Added to this, an express arrived at !New Yojrk on the serenteenth of Febmrary, bearing advices to the governor irom Colonel Johnson of an alarming nature. Intelligence had been recently brought in by scouts, 60 Johnson wrote, that an expedition was fitting out in Cana- da against the settlements, but whether the blow was to fall upon Albany, Schenectady, or the Mohawks, could not be ascertained. Advices were ftl»o received on the twenty- second, from Lieutenant Lindesay, the commanding officer > Letter of Speaker Jones to Mr. Charles, April 9th, 1748. LITI OF 8IK WILLIAM JOHNSON, DAM. 338 ,i at Ogwftgo, stating that his Bcoiits reported that a Frenrh cH^r. army was inarching to attack that post. The whole »,fc>,^_, country, but especially the border, was kept in a state !«'•*'' of great terror for several days. Nor was the panic con- fined to the sparsely peopled settlements. It extended to Albany, and so great was the feur of the inhabit- ants, that Colonel Schuyler ordered into the city for its defence, several companies of the militia, who were quartered in the neighboring districts.' While affairs were in this harrassing state. Colonel Johnson wrote to Governor Clinton that the governor of Canada, through the uiBtru- mentality of the Jesuit missionaries, was pressing upon the Six Nations warm invitations to visit him in Montreal, and by every means in his power w endeavoring to seduce those Indians from their alliance with ti > English. Nor had these artifices been entirely witi out effect, for the Indians, espeoiall;' the Onondag. ■ were already vavering, and were even now manifest! \g larming symptoms of defection. '* In this exigency, the governor, at the suggestion of Shir- ley, immediately wrote to Colonel Johnson, directing him to proceed forthwith into the Indian country attended by a strong guard. The note of preparation for this visit is given in the following letter: i'\ i, ;tf,inr CoUmd Jobmm io Otptcdn CcUherwood— (Extract.) ..>, ,.,.. I, ..I ,. (,, : ,; , , . "Albany, April 9, 1748. U « )|> « )|i * * * I rm 80 mnch hurried with settling my affairs before i g >, that I declare I have not time to write a line. I intend to set off next Thursday from my house, with a g^ ■ wd of fifty men. Captain Thomas Butler, and Lieutenant Laurie, officers. We shall have a fatiguing journey of it, and I reckon pretty dangerous ; for I am informed by Hendrik's son, that the French at Cadaracqui, having heard of my intention by Jean Cceur, were quite uneasy at the news, and said they would pa-event iti — an 'Manuscript lett«r Colonel Schuyler to Governor Clinton. -»n«>ni(|iniiinHM^^^il,i^,^ ''^:^ 884 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BhRT. CHAP, attempt which I think very likelj, as it would be of great s-^ consequence to them. The worst of it is, we must march 1748. fQj, above one hundred miles on foot to go through all their castles by the way, in order to talk to some of the most obstinate of them privately before the meeting, which is the only way I could ever find to gain a point with this sort of people. I reckon I shall have a great deal of trouble to overset all that the French have been doing since last fall. However, I shall leave no stone unturned to accom- plish what I go at, either by fair or foul means, for if they are obstinate,— I mean the Onondagas,"— -I shall certainly talk very harsh to them, and try what that will do. I hope to return in about three weeks, (if nothing extraordinary happens,) when I trust I shall be able to give his excellency an agreeable account of my progress. I also hope his excellency will not omit writing to me if anything of con- sequence occurs. It will be the time to hear good news when among them all,— especially of an expedition going on, which would cheer up all their drooping spirits. If the governor and Governor Shirley intend to comesoon^ it would be very proper to give me timely notice, in order to prepare the Indians for a meeting. I hope the assembly will not be so unconscionable as to expect I should take the command of these companies without a salary. But I leave that, and the affair of the regiment entirely to his excel- lency and you, to do as you think proper against I come back. As to the latter, I assure you it is in a bad way, as also is the watch of Albany." . i 1^. '.(!.' i-' •;ii i i ■.y\i)i"n{ V The orders given to Colonel Johnson were, to erect forts for the protection of the Indian womeu and children ; and by the judicious distribution of presents, to arrest this defection, and thus counteract the insidious influ- ence of the Jesuit priests. The governor farther direct- ed him " to keep the Indians with some Christians contin- ually engaged in skirmishing and in hostile acts against the enemy;" hoping that in this manner the Indians LIFE OP SIK WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 885 might be led to forget their dissappointment.^ But these chap. were not the only objects aimed at in this journey. Colo- w,,— ' nel Johnson was moreover particularly instructed to ascer- 1''*^* tain the temper of the Six Nations towards the English; and if possible persuade their sachems to attend a grand council to be held shortly at Albany ft a time not as yet designated. Upon the reception of these orders, a council of all the chiefs and warriors of the Six Nations was summoned by Colonel Johnson to meet him around the central council fire at Onondaga ; and it appears to have been pretty well attended. Whatever of doubt or distrust, moreover, the colonel might have previously entertained as to his proba- ble reception, he certainly had no cause of complaint upon that head. Being the bearer of presents to a consi- derable amount, in goods and provisions, which were neces- sarily transported by bateaux, his advance was slow. In- deed the assemblage at Onondaga, had been well nigh dissolved the day before his arrival, from sheer hunger. But the colonel was well received at all the castles on the route, and his arrival at Onondaga, on the twenty-fourth of April, was greeted by the display of English colors and a salute of fire-arms, which was returned by his guards. He was attended by the principal chiefs to a large house prepared for his reception, spread with new mats, and three others of their bark houses, were appropriated to his attendants. In about an hour afterwards all the sachems of the Confederacy waited upon the colonel in a body, and welcomed him in a general speech, delivered by an Onondaga sachem named Gan-ugh-sa-dea-gah, — " thanking the Great Spirit that he had been spared to come among them at this bloody time." They apologized for the " miserable poor condition" in which he had found them, owing to the fact that by the directions of the English they had now been kept two years from their hunting, in the expectation of being employed upon the I Manuaoript letter ftom tioveruor Clintoo to Colonel Johnson. I if ^'"-^^^Wk ^* 886 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1748, CHAP, war-path, — " and that" said the sachem, " all for nothing, ' as we see no sign of your doing anything with your anny as we expected." They had now assembled, pursuant to a belt which he had sent them, " in their present hungry condition having nothing to eat," to hear what he had to say, and to thank him for the supplies they had brought, " although the day before," being quite out of patience and hungered," they had resolved to break up and go home." Colonel Johnson thanked them for the kind welcome they had given him, but being too much fatigued to enter upon business then, he deferred them until the next day, adding — " So I hope you wiU be easy in your minds, and content yourselves so long, and I will this night provide a feast for your sachems, and another for the warriors and dancers, who I hope will be meriy, as it will be my greatest pleasure to see them and make them so. f ^, :„,( ',A r. ■ifr^- On the following day the colonel met them in gi-and council, and imparted the business which had called him thither in a general speech, prepared after the usual pattern of Indian diplomacy. He told them that he had found ui some of tho old writings of our forefathers which were thought to have been lost, an old and valuable record, containing an account of the manner in which the first friendship between their respective ancestors had com- menced on the arrival of "the first great canoe" at Albany. As that canoe contAined many things that pleased the Indians, they resolved to tie it fast to the strongest tree on the bank of the river, by a great rope, that the great- est care might be taken of it. But on farther considera- tion, fearing that the tree might be blown down, it was thought safest to make a long rope and tie it fast at Onon- daga, and the rope put under their feet, that in case of any danger to the canoe, by the shaking of the rope, they might all rise as one man, and see what the matter was. Afterward, that their covenant of friendship might be the stronger, the governor had provided a long silver chain njttt'ttm^t jmvim LIFE OV SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 887 instead of the rope, that it might never break, or slip, or crap. rust. This chain was to bind both peoples together, as of w^,-/ one head, one heart, one blood ; and whenever it became l'*^' rusty, it was to be immediately brightened up again, that the covenant might be perpetual. Having thus figura- tively rehearsed the history of the ancient alliance. Colonel Johnson proceeded with directness to the object of his visit. He told them that the French had emissaries among them, who were endeavoring to blindfold them, and per-. Buade them to slip their hands out of that chain, which, as their wise forefathers had told them would certainly be the destruction of them all. He conjured them therefore to listen no longer to their deceitful enemies, whode object in the end, would be to destroy them all. In answer to their complaint that for two days all their roads had been stopped by the orders of the English — in other words that they had been kept from hunting,^-rthe colonel told them they had misunderstood the belt he had sent them. He had only meant to stop the ro^d leading to Canada. He informed them that the governors of New York and Mas- sachusetts, to their great concern, had heard of their determination soon to go that way again, contrary to their engagements, and he told them explicitly, that he had been sent by those governors to stop their going. . It was the wish, both of the governors and himself, that they should act for their own interests, and go in whatever direction they pleased excepting to Canada. n no consi- deration whatever should they offer to go there. ' The plea of the Indians for their present desire to send a mission to Canada was, that several of their " flesh and blood" were in Montreal, chained and imprisoned', and they wished to go thither " and get them back ;" but the colonel told them they had better leave that matter to their brethren the English, who would be nlost likely to succeed. He then rebuked them sharply for a transaction of the preceding year. They had then expressed a strong diBsire to send an embassy to Canada, to persuade their .'■I.! .'! ? 1 1^ t\ ■V '■ .r ; S ■ , |# -mm^' 888 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP. " flesh and blood," the Caughnawagas, to leave the French, ' and return to their own country and kindred ; and at their ^^*^' solicitation, hostilities were to be suspended during their absence — they promising to return within a month. But instead of that, tney staid in Canada the whole summer, and brought back none of their " flesh and blood" when they finally returned. True to his engagement tha colo- nel had kept all the warriors of the Six Nations at home during their absence, and the consequence was that the lives of several of his people had been lost by the incur- sions of the Canada Indians, and he told the Onondaga^ plaiuly that he had no doubt they had seen tlieir scalps. Indeed he charged them with having feigned the errand to the Caughnawagas, for the purpose of giving them an opportunity to talk with the French governor; but he warned them not to set their faces that way again. Thus far Colonel Johnson told them, the Six Nations had not hurt the Caughnawagas during the war; and yet some of their principal men had lately been murdered in the open fields by the Caughnawagas and the French. " The Frenchman's axe is therefore sticking fast in our heads day after day." By this barbarous act, it was ren- dered very plain that the French aimed at nothing short of their destruction, which, he insisted, had ever been their design, " as you all," said h^, "by sorrowful experi- ence hav3 formerly seen and felt, when they used to destroy your castles, and sacrifice such numbers of your predeces- sors, that large heaps of their bones yet lie scattered over your whole country. This consideration alone ought to be sufficient to stir up everlasting resentment in your bosoms against ^nch a barbarous people; and it would, if there was the least spark of that Great Spirit in you, for which your brave ancestors were noted through the world. If you are worthy of those ancestors you will now use the axe against them which you have had so long in your hands. Before closing his spcechj tho colonel repeated his suspi- Ill .11) 1 1 LIVB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 889 cions of their friendly intentions toward the French, and chap* warned them against any farther duplicity. They mustwy^ either drop the French entirely and stand by their own ^^^®* brothers, or declare themselves at once and explicitly, if the contrary was their determination. In conclusion, however, he informed them of the liberal disposition entertained toward them by the governor, and by their great father the king. He had now orders to build forts in their country for the defence of their towns and castles while their braves were absent in the war ; and he had the pleasure farther to inform them that the king had gent a quantity of goods as presents for those of them who were hearty in his cause. These presents were expected shortly to arrive, and it was his desire that their nations should meet the governor at Albany, there to receive them. The council-fire was then raked up until the next day, when the sachems delivered their answer ; and even if they had been meditating treacheiy, either the decided tone in which Colonel Johnson had spoken, or the promis- ed presents, or perhaps the influence of both, had wrought Ba favorable change ih their temper as could have been desired. They admitted that they had been tampered with by the French, " who had used a great deal of art," hut promised that their friendship for the English, should never be dropped. They nevertheless thought it hard and cruel that they should not be allowed to go to Canada for their "flesh and blood," rottmg and dying in irons, when their release had been oflor:>(i if they would go for them. "Had you," they said, "got them from thence as you did your own people, we should not have thought of going to Canada as friends, but in another manner." However, as the colonel promised that eflForts should be made to pro- cure tiie release of ibe Indian captives in exchange for French prisoners, th^.y would not look that way any longer. Yet they begged earnestly ti)a,t their brocher would make haste in this matter. They exr' ned the reason of their long detention when on a niiB.jion to i1 'i I ■.b iW *'''|I1 liM't >■ 840 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. M CHA*. Canada, the summer before. While they were in Montreal, v-v-^ news came that tbt; Six Nations had killod and taken sevo- 1748. yg^j French peopie,, apou which t^ioy were ordered to Que- bec to be imifHsoco*}. Tltoy w. re detained ninety-two days, at the end of which they v to permitted to returri, but with only ,vo of iieif ;vai ! ' - 1 wb o were prisoners. The gov^T-nor av< uld release no laoro, but told them ho 'Aculd give *hem all up if they would come again this spr'mg, unless ii; the meantime the SLx Nations should mele >v{,r, in which evf uL h( woT).dput them all to death. "Kow," said the governor • aa we have told you all about this aflji/r, we hope you all not blame us as you have done, but bo assured our resolution is to live and die by you. "Wo listen to you with open ears and mind what you pay, you may depend upon it. And we hope you will not make a doubt of it that our firm resolution is, to keep up in every step, to the rules laid down by our forefathers. And as we hixvQ your axe so long in hand, we assure you that we have been, ever since we last took it up, always ready to make ijee of it in conjunction with you and will ever continue so." Recurri,ng in the course of their speech to tl^e s^me idea of having had the axe so long in their hea^B again, the sachem procee4ed as follows: " Brother^ we were in hopes to have used the axe before ^iqw to some purpose, as you told us two years ago that • you were then ready to march with your army against Canada. But instead of an army you only sent out Hmall parties, several r>f whom were by that means cut to pieces. JIad you gont jn \Vith your army and ships, as you told us you would, and aasisted us properly to get over the foreign Indians to our interest, who offered their service, then we should have been able with the loss of a few men to ha.ve drven the French and his allies into the tjreat lakes and <^v ^^ aed tliem. But as you have r *! done Ihut, which we orry for, we tell you now, br her, according to y':^"r d - , we used what interest we .ould that way, and rav' ained a considerable number of the foreign liXWWHt.ii I LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. Hi Indians who were ready to join you, and ua. But there is ''^'• no sign of an army now, nor the encouragement given to ^-v— ' them which they expected. "We cannot pretend to say ^'^*" now what they will do." This rebuke of the English for the feeble manner in which the war had been conducted, notwithstanding all the bust- ling preparations of the two preceding years, was not undeserved, •..•i r .-.»,; / in ..int. The sachems closed their address by warm expressions of thanks to Colonel Johnson for his care over them, and for the presents he had brought. They also promised to meet the governor at his call ; and in conclusion, the colonel assured them that hei should inform the governor of what had taken place "with a cheerful heart." * - i... ,. Yet in transmitting the proceedings to the governor, the colonel avowed his decided belief that no restraint that should be at once wholesome and permanent, could be imposed upon the Indians, unless by strong legislation, unprincipled white men could be prevented from hastening their destruction by the "accursed traJffic of rum." The idea of a grand council, to be held at Albany the ensuing summer, had been long in contemplation both by Governor Clinton and Governor Shirley.' Strangely enough, moreover, oohsidering the course of the ministers in terminating the military dedionstrations of the preceding autumn, and ordering the disbanding of the troops, a letter was received from the Duke of Newcastle, in February, addressed to Governors Shirley and Clinton, urging in the strongest terms, the importance of destroying the French settlement at Crown Point — an object, it need not be here repeated, long entertained by the colonies, and the achieve- ment of which, had only been prevented by the indecision, if not the weakness of ministers, ^hey were also directed in the same despatch, to do everything in their power to 'For a full account of the proceedings of this council, see journals of the oounQil i'oard. 'Tieti')' from GoToraor SLuley to Qovernor Clinton — London documentg ;. M il..*! %':'■■■ ': •»iii»iigiiil»i §$'m »*. f LIPB OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, secure the steady attachment of the Six Nations to the v-v— ' king's interests — to which end the necessary presents were 1748. ^Q Ijq provided at the expense of the crown. This com- munication fi'om the ministers only hastened the carrying out of the proposed council ; and on the twenty-eighth of March, Governor Clinton being indisposed. Chief Justice DeLancey, by his order, laid before the council the duke of Newcastle's letter. The letter having been referred to a committee, the suggestions contained in it were fully approved, and an expedition against Crown Point recommended as best calculated to secure the Six Nations in the interests of the crown. The committee farther seconded, without a dissenting voice, the project of holding a council with the Indians during the ensuing summer, and suggested that the governor should send down a mes- sage to the house asking for its cheerful acquiescence in these plans. In accordance, therefore, with this advice, the governor sent a message to the assembly, urging upon its consideration these suggestions of the council, and asking for immediate action. On the next day a committee of the whole house reported favorably upon the message. They acknowledged the kindnesB of his majesty in directing that the Indians should be protected at the expense of the crown ; they proposed that the provinces should unite with each other in every well concerted scheme for defence ; and suggested th^t provision should be made to enable the commissionerE. of the difterent provinces to meet together and determine upon suitable measures. This report met the entire approval of the assembly, and on the same day it further brought in a bill for reimbursing the governor for the money which he had advanced out of his own funds to Colonel Johnson as pay for the scalps which had been brought in by the Indians. But notwithstanding this seeming disposition on the part of the assembly to acquiese in the wishes of th« governor, all his efforts to second governor Shirley's favorite plan for an expedition against Crown Point were " ;; as. LIFB or SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 848 Although the new assembly had not openly opposed tlie otap. governor thus far, yet its apathy showed plainly how little ^-v—' it waa its purpose to second vigorously his eflbrts. In a ^^*^* letter from Governor Clinton to the lords of trade, under date of April of this year, the writer complains bitterly of this indisposition to second him in his endeavors to pro- mote the welfare of the colony ; and alludes in no gentle spirit to the continued encroachments of the house on the crown, particularly as shown in the appointment of Robert Charles as agent for the province without his privity or consent. This appoin tment by the assembly without refer- ence to the wishes of the governor, was well calculated to exasperate a far less choleric temperament than his ; and accustomed as he had been all his life to command, ho could ill brook the growing spirit of insubordination in his legislature. Indeed, this is but another evidence of the tendency which was everywhere manifesting itself in the colonies, to assert their entire independence of the crown in the government of their home affairs. • i The general assembly again mel^ on the sixth of June, but was a^jouxDcd until the twentyrfirst The session was opened by a message from the gove ■ , transmitting, among other papers, Colonel Johnson's report of the pro- ceedings at the Onondaga council. Favorable, however, as these proceedings appeared, his excellency said he had little hope of preventing their ultimate defection to the French, unless some enterprise against the enemy should be speedily and resolutely undertaken. He therefore again urged an expedition against Crown Point, conjointly with the colonies of Massachusetts and '^'"■nnecticut, who were ready to unite immediately in an ai-cupc for the reduction of that post. On the subject of intercourse between the traders and the Indians, a strong enactment to prevent the sale to the latter of spirituous liquors, and the purchase from them of arms, ammunition and clothing, was recom- mended. The message farther announced that his excel- lency was preparing to meet the Indians at Albany in the J, 1 .-.., I j '^iftf^f 844 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. Ijj; ' W*nf(| ||^g;ai CHAP, conrflo of tho enRuing month ; but particularly it called ,.^ the iittontion of the assembly to the diaatfectiou of the 1748. Indians oil account of the detention of their braves iu Canada ; urging in view of this, that immediate provision be made for the exchange of these prisoners, rji... in .u. , Upon the last mentioned sugget-iion the assembly acted with promptitude; and a resolution waB passed, requesting the governor to send a flag of truce to Canada with twenty- .. , ^ 1. rencb prisoners then confined in New York, togetlier with all the prisoners detained at Albany, to be exchanged for such of the inhabitants of the colony, and Indiana of the Six Nations, as were held in captivity by the French,-— the house pledging itself to defray the expense. But as to the other recommendations of the message, a decided spirit of reluctance was manifested. The house refused to engage with Massachusetts and Conn*, ^ticut in the pro- posed united expedition against Crown Point ;-— iuHtead of which they recommended merely that the governor should unite with Governor Shirley, and the other governors ou the continent, in humbly repr"8eutii to his niajeyty the distressed state of the colonies by rea. i of the T onch in Canada, and imploring his assistance. There had as yet been no collision ho*^y ^en Mr. Clintoii and his new assembly — rendered new only oy the process of an election, — but however smooth the «" ''ace, tlie elements of an outbreak were smouldering beneii in. And these had well nigh been called into action by a very small ailair, during the present short session. Oh the twenty- fourth of June, Colonel Beekman, one of the representa- tives froiti the county of Dutchess, brought forward with all possible sol- lanitj, a charge against the governor, "of Bucli a violation of the laws, and such a grievance upon the people, — such au attempt upon their rights and properties, — as called loudly for redress." The facts adduced by Colonel Beekman to sustain this very grievous charge, were these : Some of the late levies from Dutchess county, who had served on the northern frontier, had sued, and others LIFK OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ai6 were preparing to sue, their captain for their pay ; upon chap- which the governor had written to the judge, and Mr. v,^ Catherwood, his secretary, to the clerk of the court, and ^^^' also to the shcriii', desiring them to put a stop to the pro- ceoflingg. Upon this representation, a comm ittee of inquiry was raised, with power to send for persons and papers. No sooner, however, had the governor ston the entry of those proceedings upon the journals, than ho transmitted a message of explanation to the house, iVom which it appeared that the suits in question had hv n instituted by sundry deserters who had gone off with hid majesty's arma and clothing, by reason of which they haji fortified all pay due them from the orown ; and the letters written to th,9 ers of the court, merely recommended that &, stop should be put to the claims of those deserters. " If," said the governor, " such a step taken, cap, in the most exten- sive light, be construed any violation of the laws, or a grievance upon the people, it was done through inadypr- tency ; aa I never had an intention to infringe upon any man's right or property ; and if the people have received any damage thereby, I am ready to redress it." JTo farther action was had in the case, and the assembly adjourned on the first of Julyy — not, however, without complying with the suggestion of Colonel Johnso.., jy passing an a^t more effectually to cut off the pernicious traffic in rum with the Indians. Mr. Clinton's attention was next occupied in prepara- tions for his approaching interview with the Indians, at which Governor Shirley proposed to be present. Just as he was on the point of starting ihv Albany, however, tidings though unofficial, were received from Europe, the nature of which would be at once to change the character of the negotiations with the Indians, and of wl^ich the goyernor wrote thus to Colonel Johnson : 44 111. I 1 fi'iii /.- •■ i!. II. I ,ii f . '1/ i: j >■■■ -iX 846 i OHAF. Sfc' 174a Uri OF 8IR MiLiAJM JOUNSOM, BABT. '(,i'-\ Governor Clinton lo Colonel Johnson. Nbw York, July 6, 1748. I have joflt this moment received yours of the firat instant, whicli I have but time to acknowledge by Liouton- nnt Cleavland, and send you the oncloaed piece of nowH, which I believe will startle you, as it does everybody olso; though I think if the Parliament had agreed to the prelimi- naries, we mufit have had orders before this. Upon this news I received a letter from Governor Shirley last 8atur- day, to desire I would postpone my meeting the Indians for ci^ht or ten days. Upon that I have sent an exprees t6 know the difficulty I shall meet in oomplying, besides the danger of making them angry if I don't meet them kt or about the time appointed. Therefore I wa« obliged to set out, but would defer speaking to them till the twentieth instant, in the hope of his being there by that time. I set out on Thursday, and expect an apswer to my express at the manor of Livingston this day sennight,-- having given him positive orders to be there in the morn- ing, and written to Mr. Shirley to despatch, him for that dnd. One reason Governor Shirley gives for postpouing the conference, is, that we may expect some directions from homo in regard to, the Indians, and what it would be proper to say to them on this occasion. Adieu in great haste. " Yours most sincerely, ,i - ■' .i « Geo. Clinton." *»To Colonel Johnson."* ""i' .. i ;.. -n ^ ^Th,e report proved to be true — ^the preliminaries of a general peace having been signed by the ministers of the great powers, at Aix-la-Chapelle in May, as announced by the king in closing the session of parliament on the thirteenth of that month. The truth was, that all parties had become tired of the war, — ^England, oecause of the prodigious expense she was compelled to incur, not only in keeping up her own fleets and armies, but in subsidizing ^ ManuBoript Letter. •!;■: ;'( Lira OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAET. 34Y tho northern powers of Europo, — au oxpeiiBO bo great k.i c»^». not to be count6rmaAi(.le-vT-' French monarch, who now knew in Edition, that Great 1748. ^Britain had at length succeeded in stibsidizing the Czarina of Rusi^la, who h«d a large army then bn the march to join the Diike of Cumberland and tft'6 Confederates in the LowliijadB. Every day France was becoming more and mote/ impdverished by the expetoses, and the losses of the war, while her statesmen were amazed at the resources of England, enabling her not only to maintain invincible armi6& add navies, but to subsidize all Europe.* Hence the desirie of the French monarch fdr peace, the prelimina- ries of which were signed in May of the present year, as !^1^6ady stated, although thei'e was ho cessation of hostilities ui^tU th^ conclusion of the treaty in October. '^»*Kt^!ji'^»^'H5 '"¥hiB ^im^ fof holding 'fflfe gran^'couhdil— so earnestly ^esired'.'by^e royal goverhors, and so long looked for by the Indians— had now arrived. . Preparations for this event had beei^ mado upon a large scale, elnd everything which woujd render it attractive to t|ie Indians had been thought of and prepareii. Accordingly, o^nthe t\ventieth of July, (jovefnor Clinton, accompanied by Doctor Colden and otter members 6f his council, arrived in Albany. Here they found waiting them, Governor ^hirlcy aind the com- missioners of Massachusetts Bay, who had Arrived a day or two previously. !N*or had the Indians been less prompt in their attendance. I^'he i^epresehtations from the Six Nations, ihe Eiver Indians, knd some of the far off tribes, was unprecedented in the history of any former council. So large, indeed, was the number of Indians assembled upon this occasion, that the oldest of the inhabitants declared that Albany had never before witnessed such a large concourse within her precincts. The exertions of Colonel Johnuon, which had been unremitting to secure a full delegation from each of the different tribes, undoubt- edly contributed much to this repult. Indeed, such had 1 Smollett. LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 849 been bis influence, that numbers of those Indians, who chap. had hitherto leaned toward the French interest, came^-v-' flocking in from the surrounding country, anxious to show ^'^**' their allegiance to the British crown**','i,n4ir, iUjirfw K' 'Jit;ws The old Dutch city had in fact seldom witnessed such a sight. Here were gathered Indians from the far West, many of whom at a later period were destined to redden their tomahawks in the blood of so many brave garrisons, under the great Pontiac. Here were many of the River Indians,— remnants of once powerful tribes, — ^whosc grand- flires had followed the brave Uncas and Miantonomo to battle, and had taken their last stand with the noble bat ill-fated King Philip. In one spot, a painted and tattooed warrior might have been seen smoking his pipe, as he recounted to his wondering companions the sights seen in his morning's stroll ; while everywhere groups of pic- turesquely attired Indians, with nodding plumes and variegated blankets, wandered through the streets, gazing with curious eye upon the novelties of civilization. The proceedings of the council, however, contrary to expectation, were not important. The governor's speech was but another rehearsal, in substance, and in metaphor, of former ones. The old " covenant chain" was again "brightened," and the Indians were again admonished against the wiles of the French. They were requested to keep "the axe in their hands," and to restrain their young men still longer from their hunting. They were cautioned against allowing their people, under any pretext whatesover, to be seduced by the invitations of the French into Canada, and they were peremptorily directed to arrest the celebrat- ed Jean Coeur, so long the arch enemy of the English residing among the Senecas at the Niagara carrying-place, and deliver him to the colonial authorities, and likewise to banish every French emissary from their temtory. They were furthermore requested to desist from a war-ex- pedition which they were about to undertake ugaiust the Flathead Indians, residing far in the northwest; who were 850 LIF£ OF SIR WILI.UM JOHHBON» BART. o»*p. claimed by the governor as his mtgesty's allies. The fol- '-v-' lowing is the concluding paragraph of the speech, which ^"^^ is quoted m hax verba, for the reason that it refers to a qi^ sacre of which the paiiiioularB are not known., >- ^s.-tf.. f;. .i, « ** Brethren : You have since you came to this place, given a new and strong proof of your love to your brethren and fidelity to the king your father, by so cheerfully and speedily sending out a number of j our warriors with our troops in quest of the enemyi;who a few days since sur- prised and killed many of our brf'^hren at Schenectady, and > Ithough those who earnestly pursued the eneipay, had not the good fortune to meet with them, yon may assure yourselves t^at this instance of your affection and readi- ness to join in our cause, shall always be remembered by me, and made known to the king your ^Either." liTo printed or official record of the affair here referred to is believed to dxifit Among the Johnson manuscripts, however, I have discovered ft very copfused and unsatis- factory account of it, cont^ned in a letter to Colonel Jiohnson from Albert Van Slyck, dated Schenectady, July tweinty- first, 1748. From the details jioserved in this letter, it ap- pears that a party of men fix)m Schenectady, the leader of whom was Daniel Toll, had been dispatched to some place in the vicinity to bring in a number of horses^ which was surprised by a party of the enemy, whose presence in the neighborhood was neither known nor suspected. The firing being heard by Adrian Van Blyck, a brother of the writer of the account, who seems to have resided at a al<- tance from the town ; he sent a negro man to the latter place to give the alarm, and obtain reinforcements. Four parties of armed men successivly repaired to the scene of action, the first of which was composed of " the Now England lieutenant with some of his men, and five or six young lads," accompanied by Daniel Van Slyck,— another brother. The second party was led by Angus Van Slyck, "and some men" — ^how many of either party is not stated. Adrit Van Slyck followed next, at the LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 851 head of a party of New York levies ; but on reaching the chap. scene of action, where Angus, with inferior numbers, was w^ holding the enemy at bay, the levies all fled, in the most i'*^* cowardly manner. The fourth party, was composed of Albert Van Slyck, (the writer of the letter,) Jacob Glen, " and several others," oi; the approach of whom the enemy drew off, leaving Adrian Van Slyck among the dead. The letter adds — " It grieves* me, I not being commander, that when we went, Q-arret VanAntwerp would suffer no more to accompany the party." Having taken three days for consideration, the Indians replied on the twenty-sixth, Onnasdego, an Onondaga sachem, and orator of renown being the speaker. But the occasion was not such as to kindle the fire of his genius, or to elicit a single glowing period. His oration was theiefore a commonplac answer, in their exact order, to the various topics of the speech addressed to them by the governor. In the outset all their ancient covenants with the English were renewed; and while they "freely acknowledged that the French were continually using artifices to induce them to break the covenant chain," they nevertheless were resolved to hold it fast. They promised that none of their people should be allowed to visit the Freiich; declared, that no French interpreter should be longer allowed to reside among them ; and announced that Jean Coeur had already been delivered up by the Senecas — but of this fact there seems to be no good evidence. Their war-kettle, they said, was yet over the fire, and the hatchet in their hands. They would grasp it still, and be ready to use it when summoned to the path. They promised to desist from the prosecution of hostilities against the Flatheads ; thanked the governor for his efforts to procure an exchange of prisoners ; express- ed their grief for the people who had been slain at Sche- nectady, and their regret that their wariors had not been able to overtake the enemy, " who had gone a different road from what they used to go. ' ' But they would " wipe 852 LIFB OF SIR WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, up the blood of the slain," and " dfy up the tears of their s-y— 'friends." ^iw/i i 1748. ijijq council fire was then raked up, and the conferences were closed by a dance of the young warriors in the even- ing, the governor giving them five barrels of beer where- with to drink his majesty's health. On the following day the River Indians presented themselves, and were thus welcomed by the governor : — 'i « Brethren : I am glad to see you here and do give you thanks for the fidelity you have always shown to this government, and I do assure you, you shall never want my protection as long as you behave yourselves with duty and obedience to his miyesty. And as a token of the king your father's aflFection, he has directed me to make you a present which I have ordered to be given you." ' To which the chief addressing himself to the governors both of New York and Massachusetts, replied: — !« ' '1.' " Fathers : "We wipe off your tears you had for the loss of your people who have been murdered since the com- mencement of this war. " Fathers : We are very much rejoiced for the rega''d our father the king of Great Britain has for us by ordering a present which you assure shall be given us. 'f*'5i t>^>^^f»fpath, were loth to relinquish it. They recalled, too, with bitter- neo8 the justice of the remark made by them to Colonel Johnson, when urged by him to take up the hatchet "You and the French can make peace whenever you choose, but with us when the hatchet is once dug up, it cannot be so easily buried, but the war must be one of extermination." •: 'f -jv ..; ^...f , ; Still the result of this council, so far as the colonies were concerned, was all that the most sanguine could desire. The Six Nations promised, either to drivp ^11 tJiQ r*^ 1 I ■k,-- ! 4& r ^• 864 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAKT. . =!!! oa^. French emissaries who had privately resided among them, v-^-< out of their country, or to deliver them up to Governor 1748. Clinton. They agre3d farther to send no deputations to the Canadian governor, and to keep their warriors in constant readiness to obey the commandii of Mr. Clinton. Indeed so stroTig had been the desire of the Confederates to' send a deputation into Canada — Galisso- ni^re having represented that this was the condition alone upon which their braves detained by him would be given up — ^that Governor Shirley thought it best to bring with him fourteen French prisoners to be inunediately sent into Canada as an exchange for an equal number of In- dians detained therein captivity. ;.,*.. ,;^a.„ pi> 'Kafci ti;»U z^' ,Yfei> The tragedy at Schenectady, was not the only one enact- ed upoa the northern border of the colony during the sum- mer of 1748. Another, of a most heart rending description, was perpetrated at about the same time, in the town of Hoosic, twenty-five miles north of Albany, by a party of Indians from St. Francis, which, from its peculiar barbari- ty, and the character of the victims, deserves a more extended record than is usually awarded to these incidents of the border. Indeed among all the scenes of blood, written or traditionary, in the early history of this country, none surpass in cruelty the one now about to be related. Maria Keith, whose name is identified with this savage transaction, was bom in 1721, of highly respectable parents, on the banks of the Hudson, about eighteen miles above Albany. Of her infancy and early life, it is suffi- cient to say, that she gave decided promise of no ordi- nary qualities of mind, evincing an unusual attachment for books, and devoting to reading the greater part of that, which her contemporaries in childhood spent in play. By seizing thus upon every opportunity of improving her mind, she acquired much information, and laid up a consi- derable amount of knowledge, though the expression of her biographer, from whom the leading facts of the nar- LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 855 I rative al-e drawn, that "she had informed her opening chap* mind with the principles of every useful science," is proba- wv— ' bly somewhat exaggerated.^ But be this as it may, it is ^'*®' evident that her mind was well cultivated. To this excel- lence may be added another, which though of less import- ance, yet deserves notice, that her manners were elegant, and her person uncommonly attractive. Her beauty becamo 80 celebrated that her fame reached Albany, and drew thence several admirers who visited Miss Keith, and Bolicited her hand. This she refused to all her Albanian suitors, reserving her afiections for a relative of the same name. The latter, though not handsome, yet having an ' engaging address, and being mutually and morally such as suited her tastes, won her heart, in preference to other lovers, who might have been considered in a worldly point of view, more eligible. She was married at the youthful age of fifteen, her nuptials being celebrated under the most favorable auspices. Immediately after her marriage, Mr. Keith erected a beautiful mansion on the banks of the Touhama, a tribu- tary of the Hoosic river, whither they removed, and where they were surrounded by everything necessary to happiness and ti'anquil enjoyment. Among the neighbors they were both very popular, winning golden opinions by their kind- ness to the sick, their generosity to the poor and needy, and their hospitality to all of every grade in life who entered within their peaceful fl oors. In this way they passed twelve years of uninterrupted happiness, during which time Mrs. Keith gave birth to a daughter and a son, between whose ages there was a difference of nearly eleven years, — ^this lat- ter liaving been born in the spring of the year now under review. In evory hour of alarin, therefore, Mrs. Keith felt increased anxiety on account of the helpless infant which siie held in her arms. Indulging the feelings of a devoted p.ncl an attached mother, she listened with breathless solici- tude, to all the rumortj which were spread concerniug the !' 'Works of Anu Maria Bl«eckcnr. *- 866 Lira 09 SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAR?. .rxi ! if i c**^'* mprauding bands of Indians, sent out from Canada by the ««v^^i'onoh, for the purpose of ruthless devastation upon tlio 1748» property, and merciless cruelty upon the peroons of the bor- derers. Rumor with her thousand tongues, many of which spake but too truly in this case, soon repeated the nearer and nearer approach of another band of the dreaded ministers of French and savage vengeance. When it was ascer- tained that the Indians had arrived within the vicinity of Fort Edward, and were seen prowling about that place, Mr« Keith dispatched a messenger to bring his brothers who resided there, to his house on the Touhama,— deeming his residence a safer sanctuary, on account of its being more interior. One of his brothers had been married several months before, and his wife at the time of their flight from Fort Edward^ was in a peculiarly delicate situa- tion. •♦)/ :/s|i u< iK^mnat «itiV/ >ilh MJir-itrUy^mmii .^»'fi; '\'\ >, Kot long after Mr. Keith had thus collected his relations around him, and under his roof, his family were visited by Botae Indians oif the St. Francis tribe, who had pitched tli^-' ^ Lin OF SIR WILLIAM J0n5S0N, BART. 867 Theae bland words seem to have satisfied Mrs. Keith, chap. ^)^o\xfr\. nor husband, with greater sagacity, suspected and v-v-* feared that beneath was concealed a plan for their destruc- ^'*®* tion. The next morning after the ominous visit of the savages, perhaps for the purpose of dispelling the anxiety of his mind, Mr. Keith proposed a hunting excursion to his brother Peter, which was accepted, and they sallied forth with their guns in quesi of game. Musing upon the perils that sur- rounded their families, they had gone several miles from home, before they became aware of tL : diff^nce they had traveled. At that moment their eye caught sight of a fine doe, at which Peter leveled his piece, and brought her to the ground. But scarcely had the echo of the explosion died away among the the hills, when they heard a rustling, followed by the crack of a ritie, and Peter fell forward pierced by two balls in his heart. This was rapidly fol- lowed by the rushing of two savages upon them, one of whom prepared to scalp his victim, while the other aimed his gun at Mr. Keith. Quick as thought Mr. Keith shot Ms antagonist dead on the spot, and assailing the other Indian with the butt of his rifle, prostrated him on the ground. Leaving his foes for depd, he placed the bleeding corpse of hit brother upon his horse, and hastened home with the dire ^itelligence. It is not necessary to describe the scene of woe that fol- lowed his arrival, bearing with hira the dead body of a brother, who a few hours before, had been in the enjoyment of life and health. Suffice it to say, that after having washed the body from its gore, and prepared it for the grave, th^^/ laid it in an upper room, designing to have the obsequies performed the foU owing day. Under cir- cumstances calculated to excite no great alarm, Mr. Keith resolved to set out that night for Schaghticoke, to procure fi couple of wagons, and convey his family to Albany. Though dissuaded by his wife from going, yet ho persisted iu his design, and accordingly went, leaving lui ufloctioutite ill ;<{ * 858 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOll' jJN, DART. CHAP, circio behind him, which he fondly hoped to Bee again in *-s — ' tho courfio of a / hourfl, and greet them with tidings of ^^*^- hia succcBs, an- !.j certainty of being soon placed beyond the reach of danger. But he had not been gone long, when at the hour of midnight, the inmates of Mr. Keith'u manHion were startled by voices and yells of Bavnges sur- rounding the house, and clamoring for admissiou. Blow after blow was made upon the doors. Every moment increased the violence of the assailants, who were bent upon deeds of blood. Mrs. Keith pressed her children more closely to her heaving bosom, and all stood petrified with terror. At length the brother of Mr. Keith, who, as I have already mentioned, had been lately married, advanced as if in frantic despair, and unbarred the door. Instantly it flew open, and he fell pierced with balls, and weltering in his blood. In rushed the savages, and imme- diately began the work of death. They seized the prostrate husband of Cornelia, and tore off his scalp before her eyes. While this deed was perpetrating, an Indian, hideously painted, strode up to Cornelia, and buried his tomahawk in her forehead. Her eyes just opened as the blow descended, and then closed forever. Perceiving her near approach to being a mother, they ripped her body open, and tearing the unborn child from her womb, dashed it against the wall. While this horrid carnage was going on, another Indian, — the same one who had with Punic faith presented the belt of wampum as a token of peace, — approached Mrs. Keith, who sat circling her children in her arms, and utter- ing the most piteous entreaties for mercy. She drew forth and showed to her treacherous foe, the belt, and appealed to his promise made when he gave it to her. But she might as well have remonstrated with the ferocious tiger, when hungry for prey. He only replied that sJie should be spared, and " dance with him aronud the council fire in Canada" — and then with a sardonic smile, expressing the fear that her infant son would only incumber her on the LIFE or 8IR W LLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 869 jouruey, he Heized the child by the wrists, and tore it from chap. her embrace. K raged apparently at her resistance, howv— ' dashed its forehead aguinHf the wall, uud liurled its reeking ^^**^' body some dial uce fVom the houHe. Frenzied by the sight she ruH^ od to the mangled remains of her loved infant, red( ubi. ^ her cries of angiiish, ousting herself upon it't bn-^v, wipi' ? the blood from its ghastly counto- nan-^'p, ii. daughter An ' 'f i( to her bosom. ■ixiUf-'i • .ut^iA^ .,' •ng plundered the house of everythi >: , t d those who had escaped their \ en- • iiuuse, consisting of Mrs. Keith, her lovely girl in her twelfth year, and a brother of Mr. ii.rith. They then completed the work of destruction by tiring the building, which was soon enveloped in flames. But Mrs. Keith's cup of sorrow was not yet full. Anna, acting as if she thought that death in any shape V(sa to be preferred to being in the hands of ruthless bar- barians, to whom pity was a stranger, fled precipitately back to the house, though the flames were bursting forth in every direction, and entering in, secreted herself in a closet, where she remained until her escape became impos- sible, and perished in the devouring fire. The excruciating feelings of Mrs. Keith, on being compelled to behold this funeral pile of her only daughter, can readily be imagined. Words fail to express the horror which must have filled her bosom, when seeing at her feet the mangled remains of one child, and witnessing the raging flames that were consuming the other, by a most agonizing death. She continued calling the name of her daughter with loud cries, till the Indians, impatient at her delay, compelled her and her brother, the only survivors in this fearful trage- dy, to set out with them in their journey to Canada. The remainder of the story is soon told. On her wearisome journey with the savages, nothing remarkable occurred that deserves a particular mention. As might be supposed, she 8ufi:'ered various privations, and was exposed to great fatigue. Unaccustomed to their mode of living, 9m. ^f/ '/ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I Hi 121 12^ 2.0 1.8 Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 1-25 1.4 1.6 ■« 6" ► 4 ^ ^ iV ^ O s % .V ^ 6^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. MSBO (716) 872-4503 860 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT. CHAP, she would have been starved, had not her brother prepared v-^^w her food, and ministered to her necessities. After enduring 1748, numerous perils and hardships, she at last reached Canada. When in the Indian village, to which her captors hastened, she narrowly escaped having her brains dashed out by an old hag, who seemed determined to glut her vengeance upon the prisoners. But on reaching Montreal, batuig some painful circumstances which, to the disgrace of civ- ilization were allowed, she was kindly provided for by some charitable ladies, one of whom received her into her house, and treated her with the kindness of a sister. Thus she remained in the house of this charitable Samaritan, till she was at last found by her husband. The morning after the deed of cruelty which has been described, was perpetrated, he returned with two wagons to carry his family to Albany. But what was his horror, on beholding his house burned to the ground, and the scene of ruin which on every side met his eye ! By exploring the ruins, however, he found the bones of those who had been mur- dered, and also, which touched his heart to the quick, the half consumed remains of his infant, bearing yet the marks of savage violence. Collecting these charred bones, and depositing them in a box, he returned with them to Schagh- ticoke, where they were decently buried. Resigning him- self to despair, and supposing that Indian vengeance had spared not a single object of his affections, he joined the colonial army, resolving to seek death by placing himself in the front of the battle, and courting places of the great- est exposure. But the bullets passed harmlessly by him, nor could he find the death he sought. At length the thought occurred to him that he might yet find his brother, who possibly had not fallen a victim. Cherishing the idea, he set off for Canada, availing himself of the opportunity of accompanying some prisoners, who were returning to Quebec. In Canada he pursued the object of his journej' with indefatigable ardor, inquiring of every officer the names of prisoners who had been captured during the war. /-»■<>■ I I ^M LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAHT. 861 On arriving at Montreal, he was immediately introduced ohab. to the. general officer, who patiently heard his story, and \~.y^ treated him with great clemency. Having obtained per- ^'^^• mission to remain in town a few days, he respectfully with- drew, and turning down a street inquired of a man where lodgings were to be let. The stranger turned about and civilly took off his hat, when whom should Mr. Keith recognize in the stranger, but his brother Henry ? By him Mr. Keith received the delightful intelligence of his wife's preservation, and of her being then in Montreal. He speedily flew to her embrace. The rapture of the reunion was greater than she could endure. She flainted in his arms, but soon recovered, and felt that the joy of meeting com|>enBated her for the wearisome months of sadness, grief and distraction which she had endured/if>i'>if'r'i nl'^M- Nor were the borders, of Massachusetts and New Hamp* shire unmolested during the spring and summer of this year. Unable to obtain assistance from their own govern- ment, the inhabitants of the exposed settlements of New Hampshire upon the Connecticut river, applied to Massa- chusetts, by the legislature of whicl^ a garrison of one hundred men waBj>laced in the fort at Charlestown, called N^umber Pour, under the command of the gallans Cap- tain Stevens, who had signalized himself by his bravery in that position before. His second in command was Gap- tain Humphrey Hobbs. Fort Massachusetts having been rebuilt, was also garrisoned by one hundred men, and entrusted again to its former commander, Captain Ephraim Williams — Ooionel Jolin Stoddard of Northampton, having the general command of the northern and western frontiers of that colony. Dying, however, in the month of June, that eminent man was succeeded by Ooionel Israel Wil- liams, of Hartford. But it Was not garrison duty alone which the officers and soldiers of Number Four were required to perform. They had a wide extent of territory to guard against the irrup- tions of the enemy, extending from the upper Merrimac 46 XilfB OF flB WILLUM JOHHSOlf, BART. CHAP, country to Lake Champlain, and a suitable number of men, ^-v-' from both forts, were required to be ooustantlj employed 2748. }q ranging the forests to intercept the enemy in their s&Uies from Crown Point, and the great Indian rendezvous of Bt. Francis. The enemy first appeared at Charlestown about the middle of March, when a party of thirty Indians atta<^ed «ight of Stevens's men, at a diort distance from the fort. Captain Stevens sallied forth for their rescue, and brought them in after a sharp skirmish, with the loss of two men, one of whom was killed, and the other taken prisoner. A third was wounded. A yet larger party, con- sisting of eighteen men under Captain Melvin, from the same garrison, had a narrower escape in the month of May. Melvin having crossed the woods to the shore of Lake Cham- plain opposite Crown Point, imprudently disclosed hii^gelf ' ^o the enemy in that fortress by firing upon two cao^s of Indians. A party was immediately sent out from the fort to intercept him on his return, which by a rapid march gained his front. Having crossed th9 enemy's trail, and thereby discovered his design, Melvin endeavored to cir- cumvent him by changing his course from Charlestown, land striking down in the direction of Fort Rummer. ^ But the enemy was soon upon his path, and in close pursuit, though without his knowledge. Arriving at "West river, Melviu incautiously allowed his men to halt and amuse themselve.} by shooting the salmon which were passing up a shoal of that stream. The consequence had well nigh been fatal to the whole party, since the enemy, thus apprized of their halt, and by stealthy observation of their ' amusement, rushed upon them unawares, and killed sis of .the most valuable men,~-the residue, after vainly attempt- ing to make a stand against superior numbers, making their escape to Fort Dummer. A month afterward a party of thirteen men on the route from Hinsdale to Fort Dummer, 1 Fort Dummer, frequently spoken of in the early border wars, was first built in 1728. It was situated on the Cotineoticat rirer, forty miles below ■CharloBtown, or Number Poor. ^ g>«!>it*.'r/:V J^^fii»>ii » nai l'.>^if'. 1.--^ LUB OV 8IB WILUIM JOHNSON, BAKT. 808 felt into an Indian ambuscade, and were all bat three either OHtf. killed or taken priaoners. ^ ; Kk!<«i.i ''ify.urj^mi}m-TlsUAkim'ini''..~y^ The history of this feebly conducted contest shows' that ^^^' in a large mtyority of these border a^Bairs, the enemy wa^ juccessftil — a fact, perhaps, that should create no wonder, when it is considered that his movements were always by gtealth, and his attacks by surprise, — ^he having the seleoo tion of time and place, and the option of fighting or not, according to circumstances. But fortune was not always taming in their favor. It happened that on the twenty-sixth of June, while Captain Hobbe, at the head of forty men from the garrison of Number Pour, was ranging tho woods west of the Oonnecticut river, when about twelve miles fh>m Fort Dummer, he was attacked by a Btrong body of Indians, under a resolute half-breed chief nam«d Saekett. Hobbs and his men were regaling themselves at their knapsacks at the moment of the attack, in an op^ening upon a rivulet hedged with alders, and covered with largti and towering trees. The precaution of posting sentinels, however, had not been omitted, so that the surprise "waA less oompletd than otherwise it would have been. At the instant of alarm, each man selected a tree for hi? cover, and the Indians rushing upon the heels of the sentinels, were in the onset so warmly received as to check the£r advance. The Indians, in like mannei^, selected trees for theu* protection ; and an irregular battle succeeded which lasted four hours. The two captains were both men of coolness and courage. They were personal acquaintances, and had been fiiends before the war, and frequently called out to each other in the course of the fight— Saekett claim-' ing — as he had — a large superiority offeree, and demanding a> surrender, on pain of the indiscriminate use of the tom- ahawk in case of refusal. Hobbs, with stentorian voice, refused and bade defiance. Less cautious than the English, the Indians several times exposed themselves by attempting to advance to a hand to hand contest, but were as often ■■?>■. '^*"^'"'»-i-Si»-?*»t^V^^s^' 864 LIVB OV Sm WILLIAH JOHNSON, BART. o^> repnised, with severe Iobb. DiBoonraged, at length, by the ^v-' unyielding courage of Hobbs and his men, and probably 1748. forming an erroneous estimate of their strength, the Indians at length drew off— dragging off, also, their dead, by reason of which their loss was not known.^ Many Indians, however, were seen to fall, and the battle ground was deeply sanguine. But notwithstanding the dnration of the fight, only three of the English were killed, and the same number wounded. ' The strength of the Indians was «Btimated at one hundred and sixty. Still, the expe- dition of >6aokett was not altogether bootless, since, a fort- night afterward he surprised a party of seventeen men between Hinsdale and Fort Dummer, killed two and wounded thie isame number, and made nine of the residue pii^Qoerp. Four escaped. In these enterpriaes it i^eems Iq hsfvp b^en the desire of the enemy to take captives rfither ilam to ki],l. There was sound policy in this ; the large amounts received irom the friends of the captives for their Pinsom^ goong, % tow£(rd defi:^^ th§ ezpeufies of the WW«Mi!tv(;'U"^ ^>h '^H'.i\ ■P-" .fv»*'*ii'TT<^ j>f«v*H tArr, ht>-'i ,--i"'-i ■<'?•■ 'V Ml iFort Massachusetts was not molested until past midsum- mer. But on the second of Aug^8t, a party of four men being engaged at some distance from the fort, were fired ^pon by an enemy whose presence had not been suspected. Captain Williams immediately sallied forth for their res- cue wi^ Lieutenant Hawley and thirty men. The attack- i^, party, apparently small, were soon driven back; but in the moment of fancied safety, an ambuscade of thirty Indians rose and poured in a fire upon Williams's right, Qi^oyjuoig with the design of intercepting his return to the 1 "In Ml battles the Indians endeavor to conceal their loss, and in effect- ing this, they sometimes expose themseWes more than ib combat with the enemy. When one falls, his nearest comrade crawls np, under cover of the ti^ees and brush, and fixing a tump line to the dead body, cautiously drags it to the rear. Hobbs's men related that in this action they often sait the dead bodies of the Indiuis sliding along the ground, as if by enchantment." —Hoyt. ' ■t'iVi.ff 'Hoyt's Antiquiiu*. " "' ]"' "^'" :*r(ftj7 %^i X>*Jk^»..fi i> r Lira OF SIR WILlUk JOHNSON, BART. 865 fort. The celerity of Williams's movements, however, <«ap. frustrated this manoeuvre, and the fort was reached with ^^-^^^ the loss of only one man killed and two wonnded— one of ^^*^' whom was the lieutenant. It soon appeared that the escape of Williams was most fortunate. Indeed it must be confessed that he had exhibited singular absence of military precaution in hazarding a sortie with so small a party, while ignorant of the strength of his enemy ; three hundred of whom, including thirty Frenchmen, followed close upon his heels as he regained the fort, and commenced a general attack. The fire was sustained on both sides about two hours ; but having no artillery, the enemy was unable to make any impression upon the works, and dieyr, off with a loss, the amount of which was not ascertained. The enemy was shortly afterward more successful in the neighborhood of Fort Dummer, where a party of seven under Lieutenant John Sargeants, was defeated, the com-, mander being among the killed, and the survivors made prisoners,* , , , Meanwhile serious trouble began to manifest itself among the troops stationed at Albany and along the front- iers, in consequence of the scarcity of supplies. Many of the men deserted, ard some of the officers resigned their commissions, flatly refusing to serve longer.' The assem- bly was not to meet until October,, and the commissioners refiised to execute the orders which the governor, by the advice of his council, had given them for supplying the troops, — urging as an excuse that they had not been so authorized by the assembly. The governor was exceed- ingly chafed by this refusal of the commissioners to act. This appears in all of his correspondence at this time, but especially in his correspondence with Colonel Johnson, with whom he was now on terms of intimacy. In a letter 'Hoyt'B Antiquitiet. 'Manuscript letter, Johnson to Olinton ; also manuscript letter to John- son from Captain Stoddard, then in command at Schenectady. r(,.,(,„Kn <: 866 LUH OV SIB WILLUM JOHNSON, BAB!. " I UHAF. imder date of October fifth, the following passage occurs : w^w " By a letter I have from Captain Stoddard that no pro- 1748. vigiong are gone up, I conclude it was designedly neglect- ed by the commiasioners in order to distress the service and disband the troops sooner than I thought it necessary ; and with a great deal of assurance, declared that even if they were served with an order from the council they would not obey it ! What a low ebb is the governor and council of New York driven to, that their orders are refused for three weeks provisions for a few men. * * * * Formerly the governor and council had the disposal of eveiy shilling, and did it all in council by warrant, without consulting the assembly or anybody/'^ Those persons have read little, and have thought still less, who suppose that the revolt of the colonies was the result of a moment. The controversies betweeii the assembly alid the executive; the seeming apathy of the house to provide for the safety of the frontiers, and its general indifference in providing the needed supplies of which Mr. Clinton so bitterly complains, had in fact their use not so much in an unconcern for the welfare of the colonies as in a fixed determination to resist the encroachments of the crown. Still it must be frankly admitted, that the assem- bly were often in the wrong, and that much of this treat- ment of the governor was harsh and ill-judged. In the assembly, which met upon the twelfth of Octo- ber, the governor determined to reassert the prerogative in the strongest terms by bringing the subject of a perma- nent supply to direct issue ; choosing as an able writer has remarked, New York '* as the opening scene in the final contest that led to independence."* Accordingly on the fourteenth Mr. Clinton sent down his message to the house, in which, after congratulating them upon the near prospect of a general peace, he demanded a permanent support for five years. The message stated that on coming 1 Manasoript letter. ■u'.m- uml 1)0' i ■ LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BARX. 807 to the ftdministration of the government, he had been ohap. disposed to do all he could, consistently with his duty to ^v-' the king, for the care and satisfaction of the people. ^^^^' Hcnoe, reposing confidence in the advice then given him, lie had given his assent to various acts of the assembly, the tendency of which, as experience had taught him, was to weaken the authority of his majesty's government. Still, as the country was very soon afterward involved in war, he had forborne to take that attitude in the premises which duty to his sovereign seemed to require. But with the return of peace, he deemed it to be his indispensable duty to put a stop to such innovations. Prominent among these was the practice which had been growing up, of making only an anmud provision for the payment of the officers of the government. He also alluded to the modem practice of naming the officers, for whose benefit the appropriations were made, in the act— thus interfering with the preroga- tive in the appointing honor. He admonished the assem- bly that he should give his assent to no acts of that character for the future ; and demanded an appropriation for the payment of the governor's, secretaries, judges and other salaried officers, for the term of five years, accord- ing to the practice that had prevailed during the adminis- tration of his four immediate predecessors, namely, Governors Hunter, Burnett, Montgomery, and Cosby. The inconvenieaces of these annual grants of salaries and allowances, "W. >> ^vlverted to, and objections farther urged against the recent method of intermixing matters of an entirely different nature with the provisions of the salary bills, and tacking new grants for other purposes to the governor's own support. The governor desired them farther to make immediate provision for the payment of the tro(^ at Albany, and on the frontier ; recommended that the troops should be continued at Albany ; and con- cluded by calling the attention of the assembly to a debt of two thousand one hundred and thirty-eight pounds, due to Colonel Johnson for disbursements made by that gentle- 868 LZf ■ or BIB WILUAM JOHNSON, BABT. 'i u pi, 1 a .« •|.^ i, !'•♦ 1748, CHAF. man In the public service, and which had been allowed ' and ordered to be paid by an act of the preoeeding sesgion. Owing to a deficiency in the fundi, upon which 't was directed to be charged, the money had not been paid; and the inconvenience of being kept bo long out of bo large a Bum of money, was so great, that it was only with much difficulty that he had been enabled to persuade the colonel to undertake again the supplying of the imports ant garrison at Oswego. The assembly, in its reply, justly regarding the request for a permanent supply as a direct attempt to render the crown independent of the people, with great indignation, refused to grant it As to the more recent practice of naming the officers provided for in the salary bills, it not only justified it, but intimated that if this course had been adopted at an earlier day, his excellency woul^ not have been able to remove the third justice of the supreme court " without any color of misconduct" on his part— who was " a gentleman of learning and experience in the law."* Respecting the other matters in the message, it replied, that it saw no reason for burdening the colony with the troops in Albany, declaring that the troops at Oswego were quite sufficient in time of peace for the protection of the province. It passed however, a bill granting three thousand six hundred pounds for the pay of the troops on the frontier, but ignored entirely the claim of Colonel Johnson. The result can readily be seen. After continual bickerings for several weeks, Mr. Clinton, in great wrath, prorogued the assembly. Thus the parties separated, and thus again commenced that great struggle between the republican and the mon- archal principle, wh ich in the onward progress of the former was destined at a day not even then far distant, to work such mighty results in the western hemisphere. %-!■ Ir y-lE I Alluding to the remoral, the year before, of Justice Horsmanden. This aot was again imputed to the influence of " a person of a mean and despi- cable character" — meaning, as it was well trnderstood, Doctor Golden. Lira 09 SIR WILLIAM JOUMflOK, BABT. 9n Although hostilities were suBpended between thooKAr* belligerents, whose armies were contending in the Nether- w^w lands, immediately after the preliminaries were signed at ^^^ Aix La Ghapelle, yet it was long before the forces at sea were apprized of the fact. Meantime Admiral Boscawen, in the East Indies, having invested Pondicherry by land and water, was compelled to retire with signal discomfit- ure. Bear Admiral Knowles, too, — the same who had rendered himself so deservedly unpopular at Boston the year before, — continued to prosecute the contest in the "West Indies with various success. With a squadron of eight ships he attacked fort St. Louis, on the south side of St Domingo, which after a warm action of three hours was surrendered on capitulation and dismantled. But he afterward made an abortive attempt upon St. lago de Cuba, at the result of which he was greatly chagrined.' Early in October Admiral Knowles, while cruising in the neigh- borhood of Havana, with eight ships of the line, fell in with a Spanish sq idron of nearly equal force, command- ed by Admiral Beggio, and a severe engagement ensued, which lasted six hours, commencing at two o'clock in th^ afternoon, knd ending at eight. Knowles himself began the action in gallant style, but being seriously disabled, Mb ship was coxhpelled to drop astern of the squadron, and was not aftei'waM engaged in the line ; but being borne down upon by the enemy, and another ship coming to his assistance, a struggle sharp and bloody ensued. The Spanish commander, notwithstanding the inferiority of his force, was at' one time confident of victory ;' but tlie fortunes of the day were against him, and he was com- pelled to put into the Havana with the loss of two ships ; and a third was destroyed the next day to prevent her from falling into the hands of the English. Admiral Knowles taxed some of his men with misbehavior in this afiair, and he was accused in turn. Several of the officers were 1 Smollett. 'Spanish official aooountia th« Oentleman's I|Iagazine for April 1749. 47 ITO Lira OV ■» WILLUM JOUHSON, BABT. I. i :■< , -5 'I OM^. tii«d by a court martial, and reprimanded, and Enowles w^^ himself was tried in December, 1749. The court acquitted 1748. ^^j^ Q^ f^^Q charge of cowardice ; awarding him on the oontrary, the merit of great personal bravery. But he was nevertheleu found guilty of negligence in hit arrange- uents, in several particulars, and ordered to be repri- manded.^ Higb feelings of animosity arose among the officers, who either took sides with pr against the admiral, and several duels were the consequence, in one of which a Captain Jarvis was mortally wounded by his antagouist Captain Clark.' But according to both English and Span- ish accounts the action was bravely fought on both sides. As it proved it was a needless waste of life. ■,,,l^i ,i, -,, ...The definite treaty of peace was concluded and signed on the seventh day of October at Aix La Chapelle ; and considering the circumstances under which it wa^ con. eluded, and the relative strength of the parties and the condition of the alliance at the head of which was Eng- land, for a farther prosecution of the contest, it was a most inglorious peace.' Thus ended the '^old French war," produced by the wickedness of Frederick, " the evils of which were felt in lauds where the name of Prussia was unknown ; and, in order that he might rob a neighbor whom he had promised to defend, black men fought on the coast of Coromandel, and red n^eu scoped by the great lakes of North America."* ♦ •^i «, im *.- f^ ,.- 1 Proceedings of the court martial, ride Ctantleman's Magasine, >Sraollett. W/Hrtl ,'f'>bn<-niittt^v- n^iiwiiii *TliiB contest waa called "tiie old French war." It was in fact begun b7 Frederick the Qreat, by an ui\)u8t and rapacioui attack upon the Em- press-Queen Maria Theresa, for the purpose of vresting Siberia ftrom her. It invoWed the irorld in arms. The respeotiTe alliances on the one aide, were the king of Great Britain, the empress-queen, the statea-goTeraon of the United Provinces, and the king of Sardinia, with several smftUer princes as auxiliaries On the other side, waa the alliance of France, Spain, (claiming the Austriain succession,) the infant Don Philip, brother of the king of Spain and son-in-law of the king of France, with the republic of Genoa and the duke of Madrid. .!f'.. ;^quired the most strenuuus ezer* tions of Colonel Johnson to keep the Mohawks quietly at their castles^ until the teorms of the exchange of prisoners could be settled. This was no easy matter ; and through- out the remainder of the year the attention of Mr. Clin- ton was chiefly occupied in successive negotiations with GhdisBoni^ite, for an exchange of prisoners. But notwith- standing the evident approach of peace, and an arrange- ment for a cessation of arms in Europe, the French governor opposed various obstacles in the way of an equita- ble and prompt exchange. Mr. Clinton had sent two flags of truce without uuccess, particularly in reference to the captive warriors of the Six ligations, who, as before hinted, were becoming exceedingly restive under the delay,— so mnch ao, ihdeedi,. as to lead them to send a special deputa- tion of their chiefs to New -York at the close of Septem- ber, to plead with the governor upon the subject." There were likewise many prisoners in Canada, males and females, inhabitants of the frontiers, who had been carried away, and who were of course, with their friends, anxious 1 Manuscript letter ; J. WilliamB to Mi^or Lydiua. •See journals of th6 council. " " ' ■• • •"• -O ■'<(■>■' aao Hi 3^ LIfB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHKBON, BART. cw*.for their return.^ IS. 174Ji. I But the difficulty ■v^ras not bo much in ' relation to the ex^chdnge of the English tor the French prigonors, as it was in reference to the exchange of the Mohawks for an equal number of the French held as prisoners in New York. La Galissoni^re, claimed that ijhe Mohawks were an independent nation, and as such, qualified to treat alone with him upon the subject; while Clinton justly maintained that by the treaty of Utrecht, the Mohawks were the dependants and subjects of the British ■c^own. rH i-fr! t .tT',rj> f?^ ' Instead therefore, of meeting the views of Mr. Clinton and proceeding at once to a general exchange, Galisso- nii^re released only a few, sending a return flag, with seven: officers, eighteen privates, and four Canadiun Lidians, iiccompanied by some propositions to which +"'0 governor of New York refused "-o accede. On the a!rri\«i of this formidable company at Albany, Colonel Johnson's suspicions were aroused that all was not right; and he would hot allow them to proceed to New York, until per- mission to tliat effect had been received.' That permis- sion hating been given, the French party, the leader of whom was M. Francis Marie, proceeded at once to New York. TKy embassy was, however, bootless as appears by the fol- lowing passage taken from a long manuscript letter upon this iand other subjects, addressed by Mr. Clinton to Colonel Johnson on the fifth of October : — •" As the commandant of this party is avery pretty gentleman, it grieves me much that I can't send any of his people back with him, as it might be of great service in recommending him to the governor. But his letter is so haughty, and indeed rather insolent, that I am obliged to stick on punctilios. His detaining our Christian prisoners from us in time of peace, is not right. Yet if he had sent one or two of the Indians 1 Manuscript letter ftom Peter Van Sohaick to Colonel Johnson, — written acthis time, while a prisoner in Canada, — begging that the latter would use his earnest efforts to obtain his speedy release. - Mauuscript letter ; ColonelJohnson to Qovernor Clinton. .,, /. LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 878 back in room of the five of his I sent, something might chap. have been done. But the poor gentleman must go backw,,,-/ as he came, and thank his own governor's indiporetion for i'^^* putting things on a wrong footing." > , ,, Thus matters stood until the end of the year. Nothing definite was arrived at in relation to the exchange ; and although there were no active hostilities, yet the year closed, leaving all parties mutually dissatisfied, and equally suspicious of the designs of each other. ^'^" • .i§i modi bU-tj^- ;Jl ■iiiMJf* .i*d ;ijl.i : ■» il.;i.;| ;/ i'J — ilOji.lii. > >.. urns') '-'o iv^i UH^>t\'iilY inoii 'jdi Mn^'l :-'i i^im.Ay-^hiO' > oivj ^ V 'iliA-fr ; iiot.'.Mt''.>v;'VifV'»70i) 'to 'nurtr.»j'if-ii^ v?.v ^tuirn}-!)!! 'to JW ^lOaO^ruJ. •(<>;>.)■ <[.'{ iil'»iv Y'.'iij •siiJvr-' .1m!;:.iI :'iilh- ;.»l{^ H!) 'milt moil *H9m$-t:f -iwiij ijoah:^'! oi iviV/'-i -..!/ 'siol iHiyo''/' ><. . - (^iivijipsu 4i '^]l{}'>dfl(j lu ■I'JMiiru .'tjjrtii U Hhi; Mr>''!HlfY oi f)'i;>ij-t>n; ■'■in/ ^>J7/jijJ'-i/' ' mi .vilion ^>iU.uill;>'1J: / .,6>Jw{. ■>;:,;/' '.fH !;y rtiiif ■>!{; t\u .■;r;.,rit''-*'i Ji -/i y.''Ul\'.:i\HV- ■'•'>ii .iTtlf-;;* r.- ^i'Mlui'li'n'H •'ll"i ■.■jo!:,; -.du Mi, ■>,■/■ 1'mI/;|.'-; );I) 'i:;'^ 'li lvJ';'>''"'2'-;ii ■'•»'/ ^ .l/i .i-i'M : ,1,7; -liotlj * ( ■ ■■r.ittli I'siit? .•;;: ■ f • I/^'^l -' 'M \VCin]i }.-Mn,jiV}<\ ^1(1 'i^ifcnff ,:j>Mi' ;ii* li! [{ilj -1,0 I'M":'' Hi^i)'i>>\': ■lil'i' .■■■h.''i'', -'■■.^ nMU {■'••iv/' ■■,;,ii;:: .'.nlo'l •n^itmi (/iii!'i-/i).. :.■; •.^.l';;! ■ •'' ii'-M /^ .••••;-■>[(; i;. ni>(u!:') .1^' h't'',*!j-> './u-n'Uf N,'"i-v. ,. ;if.-.'i' J! 'If''' Wm-it! !■• ')i;t '!o HOiM'Mij ii) iKfif! • n ^;^^ ;.v; i." .;; .li'^n ■•t.ihi:" ^m/I'jJ ib'''"' V(u Mijt • •|o;"!'j7t>"^ -Ml r .'i'vJ 'f )V)'ir ■■■' ■■,;-'^.i-,'[ ,^> ^H I!-;.' f-vfii I'Uii .((■■))!' ' .^•■ ••! l-i/t< ■; 11 'i:-'-''> lU Hf 1' M^iiC''' i' !J ;•.:..!.. PI R^^ '"ff t ■'"Mor. ifn.Liiyi rtn • tN ' itiitr-; T jjil >: fvrh :>(" '■ ■.■■'\:i til 31';!; { sjwiH^'A .fH'rv -vie H AFTER X. ».-. vt-;;e^3t !?p(!'r fuiK '.iyf^i\mf''r/y> '':th • -tnAQ 1750 '' •''■■"•'"'" ''^■'' ''*•''" "'' The exchange of prisoners still continued to be the sttb- puj^ ject of a lengthy correspondence between the royal '*• governors. The Six Nations yet retained in their posses- 1749. Bion several of the French, uncertain — as in turn they were influenced by the French emissaries, or by Colonel Johnson — to which of the governors to yield them up. To the Confederates at least, the final disposition of their prisoners was a subject of grave consideration. Should they treat directly with La Galissoni^re, they were fearful of incurring the displeasure of Governor Clinton ; while on the other hand, should they yield up their prisoners to Colonel Johnson, they feared that by so doing, they would lose the power to redeem their braves from their captivity. To Colonel Johnson this delicate matter of effecting a transfer of the prisoners into his hands, was entrusted ; and after considerable negotiation, rendered necessary by their vascillating course, the Mohawks were induced to yield up twelve of their prisoners. This transfer, however, was accompanied by a request, on the part of the Mohawks, that the colonel would not allow the Frenchmen to return home, until those of their warriors, who yet languished in the jail at Quebec, should be brought down to Crown Point, and delivered into his hands. The success of his negotiations, the colonel immediately communicated to Mr. Clinton in a letter, which the latter at once laid before his council for its action. Several months elapsed before farther orders touching the final disposition of the prisoners were received from the governor ; during which interval, the colonel received them into his own house, treating them with much kindness and consideration. ..^0lt**^' LIVB OF BIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 875 Meanwhile the Mohawks, always suspicious, and not chap. understanding the delays and forms of diplomatic inter- v_^ course, began to be apprehensive lest the object they had 1749, in delivering up their prisoners might not be attained. These apprehensions were likewise increased by messages which the wily La Galissoni^re, with artful tact, continued to send to the Mohawks, inviting them to come to Quebec, and treat in person for their braves. This, as it was designed, only increased their ill temper, — conscious that they had lost the power to do this, when they allowed the Frenchmen to go out of their hands. Their discontent at first manifested itself in angry looks and dark hints, until finally, unequivocal symptoms showed that they designed taking the matter into their own hands, by wresting back by force that which they had so unwillingly granted. So deeply rooted had their disaffection become, and so widely , had it spread, that the colonel himself feared that even his influence would not much longer avail for the protec- tion of the prisoners. In this strait, he at once wrote to Mr. Clinton, stating the situation of afi&irs and his own fears. The governor immediately replied as follows : "Sir: "Kew York June 7, 1749. "I have the favor ot yours of twenty-sixth of last month, and am well pleased with the accounts you give me of your conduct with the Indians. You may assure the Mohawks that the reason of my not sending back the French prisoners which you have in your hands, is in order to secure the return of their people who are prison- ers in Canada, and that their people shall not have their liberty on any conditions but that of the liberty of the Indians who are prisoners in Canada ; that all these mes- sages from the governor of Canada are only an artifice to draw them to Canada in order to make mean and shameftil submissions to him there. And in order to prevent any of their people making such a shameful step, so disgraceful to their nation, you must endeavor to persuade them to deli v or »7ff LIVB OF SIB WILLIAM J0HN80K, BART. 1 1749. *'"^'' the remaining prisoners into yotir hands that they may be ' kept safe till the liberty of the Indians be secured. And for this purpose, if you have any apprehensions that the French now at your house cannot be safely kept there, you are to send them to Albany to the sheriff, there to be kept in jail till such time as he shall receive my orders for their liberty. If you think it may be attended with any inconvenience to keep the French in prison at Albany, then you may send them down to New York where I shall take care to have them secured. Inclosed is an order to the sheriff to receive the prisoners from you, and to keep them in safe cu8tody,''^'^''i>!f' J'* ■' i' "But as the Indians are frequently very humorsome, and there must be some regard had to it, you are allowed to take some latitude in the execution of these orders, by delaying the full execution of them, till you inform ibe of any inconvenience which you may apprehend may attend the strict observance of them. I have received no orders from court relating to the liberty of prisoners, and I delay sending to Canada for their liberty in expectation of receiving such, and am, I' Sir, Your very humble servant, "G. Clinton,;' On the reception of this letter Colonel Johnson sum- moned both of the Mohawk castles together, and used all his influence to divest them of their suspicions, and per- suade them to leave the exchange of the prisoners entirely with Mr. Clinton. In this he succeeded ; but only after great eilort, and by the payment to the Indians of large sums of money out of his own purse. The Mohawks were also induced at the same time to deliver up to him the remainder of their captives, thus increasing the num- ber under his protection to nineteen. , „- Scarcely had this affair been amicably arranged, when another difficulty arose, which for a little while threat- ened to mar the harmony between the Indians and tlio LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 877 English. This time, however, the trouble had its origin chap. in the indiscreet conduct of a few whites. It seems that — v— * some traders from Albany and the adjacent settlements, ^^^®- in going their yearly rounds among the difterent cantons of the Confederacy, had taken several Indian children as pawns or pledges for the payment of the goods sold to the parents. Notwithstanding the latter came at the appoint- ed time to redeem their children, the traders refused to deliver them up, — designing to keep them as security for future purchases. The chiefs of the several tribes, justly indignant at this breach of fkith, came in a body to Mount Johnson, and laid their grievances before the colonel, who thereupon informed Mr. Clinton of these facts. The result was a proclamation from the governor directing that the children should at once be restored to their homes. Most of the traders forthwith obeyed, but a few were obstinate and refused compliance. The French, ever ready to seize upon anything which might be turned to their advantage, used this circumstance to inflame the minds of the Indians, adducing this as a proof that the English wished only to reduce them to slavery. Finally, however, through the exertions of the colonel all the children were restored and the wound healed, though not until several council fires had been rekindled and many belts of wampum exchanged. ; ,. v ••,-,. It was not until the following year that a general exchange of prisoners was eftected. During the interval Colonel Johnson was chiefly occupied in soothing the temper of the Six Nations, and in preventing them from committing themselves to the French. This was not an easy task. The Jesuit priests were busy among them endeavoring to undermine their attachment to the English ; for notwithstanding the solemn assurances given by the Indians that these emissaries should be given up, a few continued to reside at the different castles. The colo- nel, however, was not discouraged. Well aware of the character of his opponents he was not satisfied with 48 1^ ■ 1 '■.' 1 T ■ 378 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. .A> : CHAP, pursuing merely a negative policy, but set himself Wy—' vigorously to work to thwart the machinations going ^"^^^^ on around him. Ho therefore labored more earnestly than ever to strengthen his influence over the Indians. At times I find him taking part in their ceremonies and condoling with them upon the death of some chief: at another, he is wearing their dress, dancing and smoking their pipes, and entering with seeming zest into their games : while again he is found addressing their chiefs in council, and instigating an incursion upon one of the French settlements. Yet with all this adaptation to their habits, there was withal a certain dignity of mien which ever commanded respect, and secured him from that familiarity which with the red, as well as with the white race, always breeds contempt.* The energy of Colonel Johnson — always remarkable— was perhaps never more displayed than at this period of his life. A few years later he relinquished business and devoted himself entirely to the service of the crown. At this time, however, beside the duties incident to the care of the Indian department, he was assiduous in the prose- cution of his private business relations. Numerous letters to his agents in London, filled with orders for goods, are still in existence, copies of which were filed away with that accuracy which was so characteristic of him during his entire life. On the same day he is found ordering from London lead for the roof of his house ; dispatching a load of goods to Oswego ; bartering with the Indians for furs ; and writing to Governor Clinton at length on the encroachments of the French — doing everything with neatness and dispatch. Yet amid all the cares incident to his mercantile business, which had now grown very exten- 1 It was in this year that Kalm, the distinguished Swedish naturalisd visited Mount Johnson bearing a letter of introduction from Cadwallader Golden, Johnson received his visitor with warm and courtly hospitality, and on his departure gave him a letter to Captain Lindesay at Oswego and fur- nished him with a guide to Niagara. Kalm wrote to Johnsqn from Gawego thanking him wajr mly for his kindness. 4>liieji4m» Mitit)*"'! li LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 879 CHAP. sive, he still retained his contract for supplying the garri- son at Oswego ; while at the same time he superintended the militia, attended to the affairs of the Six Nations, and 1749, as "ranger of the woods" for Albany county — an office conferred on him by Mr. Clinton — kept a diligent watch upon those who were disposed to cut down and carry off by stealth the king's timber. It will readily be seen, however, that with all this energy, it required great tact to maintain an 'ascend- ency over the Iroquois. Any one other than Johnson would have failed ; nor was it an ordinary mind that could so successfully baffle the whole power and influ- ence of La Galissoni^re and his wily priests. ~ Indeed had it not been for his influence, it is difficult to see how the Six Nations at this period could have withstood the seductive allurements of the French. By every appliance in their power the latter strove to shake their confidence in the English — ^by presents ; by the influence of priests ; by stories circulated among them of English treachery ; by stirring up petty jealousies, — in short nothing which cunning or strategy could devise was neglected. Yet all these arts, through the vigilance of the colonel, signally failed ; and the Iroquois still continued the firm allies of the English crown. The autumn of this year was marked by the encroach- ments of the French in Nova Scotia, which were soon to plunge the colonies into another bloody and disastrous war. La Jonqui^re, the successor of Galissoni^re, had watched the English settlement at Halifax with consider- able solicitude ; and in November, he dispatched a party of the St. John and River Indians against Minas, with no other eflect however, than the killing and capturing of eighteen men. At the same time. La Corne, a bloody and desperate soldier of fortune, was ordered to the isthmus of the peninsula, which position he occupied during the winter, making his head-quarters at the village of Chieg- necto. CHAP. X. 1750, 880 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. Anxious to dislodge these intruders, Cornwallis, the .- governor of Nova Scotia, sent Major Lawrence in April with a force of four hundred regulars and rangers upon this service. Scarcely had the fleet appeared in siglit, when La Come burned the town, and, retreating across the river with the inhabitants, planted upon its dykes the lilies of France. This position was too strong to bo attacked with any prospect of success. Major Lawroucio, after holding an interview with the French commander, in which the latter avowed his intention to defend himself to the last extremity, turned the prows of his vesHcis toward IIalifax^. A swift vessel conveyed the intelligence of this event to the parent government, and simultane- ously a messenger was dispatched to the colonies of New Hampshire and Massachusetts to inform them " pf the audacious proceedings of the French, and to invite them to join in punishing La Corne as a public incendiary."' England, however, I'eaped, in the lukewarm reception of these tidings by the New England colonies, the tiist fruits of her pusillanimous surrender of Cape Breton. Those colonies already saw the folly of spending so much blood and treasure in aid of a government which had shown itself so incapaWe of profiting by their victories, and consequently they took no measures for the defense of Nova Scotia. In midsummer another expedition was planned at Halifax to retake Chiegnecto. The attack was successful, though several of the English were killed ; and thus was the first blood shed of that sanguinary contest, which was soon to involve the continents of the old and new world in such long and deadly strife." In May of this year. Colonel Johnson took his first step toward the prominent and influential position which he was destined to occupy in later years. This was no less than his appointment by the crown to a seat in his majesty's council for the province of New York in the room of 1 Bancroft. »Minot. UPH OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 381 Philip Livingaton deceased.* A new phase of life was chap. now to open upon him, in which a wider scope wusn-v— ' to he given to his peculiar and extraordinary talentH, ^^^^' Hitherto, although he liad heon appointed in 1748 to the command of the New York cok^nial troops witli tlie commission of colonel, yet he still occupied the position of a private citizen, fast rising, nevcrtheleSvS, in influence, hy a steady attention to his business. Henceforward he is no longer a citizen, but a public man. From a trader in furs, daily bartering for pelts in a country store, ho is soon to become the most prominent man in his majesty's colonies. ^'•'•■.vrry\^ : i •i'il ,^hh ••-•)!'!., •.. To Johnson, this appointment, though unsought, was by no means a surprise. Mr. Catherwood, in April of this year, had written him from London, stating that Governor Clinton had recommeLdei and urged his appointment to the council in place of Colonel Moore ; — " I urged your appointment ;" Mr. Oatherv^ood writes, *' to be in the room of Mr. Livingston, as you seemed desirous to take place next to Mr. Holland; but Sir Peter Warren secretly asked it as a favor to place you before Mr. Holland, which was not your own desire, nor do I think it just, where- fore I have been under a necessity of praying that Mr. Holland may take place according to his appointment at New York." Although Mr. Clinton's recommendation undoubtedly arose in part from a personal attachment and a desire to advance the interests of his young friend, yet selfish considerations entered into it in a large measure. The faction in the assembly, far from growing weaker by frequent dissolutions, had, under the lead of the chief justice, waxed more powerful, until the executive was fast verging into a subordinate position. The governor, secure in the friendship of Johnson, hoped by this measure to hind the latter still more flrmly to his interests and thus *Mr. Dunlop in his History of New York, makes the date of Johnson's appointment to the council two years later. This is incorrect. Johnson, it is true, was not sworn in till the nnit year. 882 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. J :.^ ,i: CHAP, strengthen his own hands at the council board.* Still Mr. wy—' Clinton, though an unlettered man, possessed considerable 1760. gagacity, and had he not seen in the colonel the promise of ability which woukl be of service to the crown, he would not have recommended him for this important positiou merely to sustain his own interests.' ftfiwrirt.m***' *)it: Meanwhile the wranglings between the governor and his assembly continued. The former, it will be remem- bered, rather than yield to the wishes of the faction, had in great wrath prorogued that body in 1748 ; and by succea- sive prorogations, he had prevented it from sitting for nearly two years, until the affairs of the colony, from lack of funds, were now in an alarming condition. The exe- cutive during this entire period, had been wholly destitute of money with which to carry on the government. The post at Oswego was in danger of being given up, from its garrison having threatened to disband through lack of pay ; and the public credit, by means of which funds had been obtained for the defense of the frontiers, was nearly if not quite exhausted. In this critical juncture, the governor did not think it advisable to longer delay calling his kgis- lature together. He therefore declared his old assembly dissolved on the twenty-first of July, and issued writs for a new one returnable on the fourth of September. In his opening speech to the house, Mr. Clinton recommended that immediate provision should be made for meeting the arrearages of the pay now long due to the garrison at Oswego, and for the expenses incurred in meeting and con- 1 Thus in a letter from Catherwood to Johnson in May of this year inform- ing him of his appointment, the former writes ; — " I have the pleasure to tell you that you are appointed a councillor for the province of New York pursuant to his ezcellenoy's recommendation, and as he is very ready upon all occasions to oblige his friends, I hope nothing will move you to drop your attachment inviolable to him ; but that you will try now as a member of the legislature to serve him and yourself with the assembly." * In the same way, Oovernor Fletcher had raised Schuyler to the coun- cil board, on account of his like judicious Indian service. LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 883 Wjmrnpf- ^Jitj gratulating the Indiana upon the concluBion of pence, chap. Ho informed it of the rapid advances the French \vere»-v— ' making in the aiiectiuns of the Confederates, and the * urgent necessity there was for making larger presents to the Indians if these advances were to be successfully met. He then urged it to provide for the payment of the salaries of government oflScers long since due ; and concluded by reminding it of the colony's debt to Colonel Johnson still unpaid. The assembly responded to this address by immediately voting the sum of 800 pounds for presents to the Indians ; and by passing two acts— one for the pay- ment of the debts of the colony, and the other for the payment of the government salaries. It also allowed the sum of £686 lis. to Mr. Johnson, for provisions supplied by him to the militia and regular troops posted at Oswego during the previous year from September 1748 to 1751. To these acts the governor gave his consent, although they were all passed in the same irregular manner as former- ly, and in such a way as to encroach upon the prerogative. Still Mr. Clinton dared not refuse his assent, dreading lest his refusal should cause the loss of the post at Oswego, which on account of its trade with the Indians would have been equivalent to the loss of the friendship of the Six Kations.^ The assembly shortly after the passage of these acts was prorogued to the second day of the following April. It will be noticed, however, that with the excep- tion of the .£686 llsx allowed for provisioning the Oswego garrison the assembly during their session never once alluded to the debt now so long due Colonel Johnson. So cautious was the assembly, as we have already seen, of doing any- thing which could be construed into yielding to the wishes of the governor, that it was led into an act of great injust- ice, not to say ingratitude, in thus allowing this claim to pass unrecognized. Especially was this the case, since the greater part of the debt was not for services rendered, ' Qovernor Clinton to the board of tr^de, published in iV, Y. Col. Doc, vol. vi. 884 CHAP, X. 1760. / \ LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOUKSON, DART. but for private advuncos mado iti treating witli the IikIIuuh, and ill the defeneo of the frontierH. It was in vain that for nearly tiiroo years Governor Clinton in turn ontreuted and he •!( Might. It was to no purpose that he repreB( Mted the injustice of allowing Jolinson's mrmccs to he so poorly requited, to say nothing of the moneys advaueed by liini from his own funds for the protection of the colony. The awsembly, instigated by the De Lancey faction, were stub- born and would not yiehi, 1 here was also another influ- ence at work, which tc i ^reu'- extent was the cause of this injustice. It wUl be ren.embered that previouK to the colonel ap^uniin^ ti • supervision of the Six Nations, their aftairs i , : ' )r a long time been entrusted to a board of commissioueis at Albany. The commissioners were mostly Dutch ; and in the love of gain so characteristic of that nation, they had used their office chiefly to monopo- lize the Indian trade, and thus make it a source of great private proli t. Having finally through their grasping dis- position, lost all influence over the Indians, the governor committed the whole management of Indian affairs to Mr. Johnson. The commissioners inflamed with resentnieut at the loss of authority which they had so long held, and the consequent loss of their trade — no inconsiderable source of emolument. — joined the faction against Clinton. Instigated by petty jealousy of the man by whom they had been supplanted, they used every artifice to prevent Ids claims from being recognized.* Various were the expedients resorted to by the assembly for deferring action upon this matter, many of them frivolous, all of them contemptible. Sometimes it was by directing that i)ay- ni'uts should be made out of funds which it well knew V, ' exha: a; and again it was by cutting down his accounts, without assigning any reason for so doing. '' It even charged him with peculation, and accused him of bringing in bills for provisions lor the Oswego garrison 1 Manuscript letter ; Doctor Cadwallader Coldeu to Colonel Johnson. * Manuscript letter; ColonelJolinson to Goveiuor Clinton. UFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 886 which were never sent. To >*uch u len^h did the spirit of chap. faction lead.' Colonel .luhnnoti wai^ thuHpiacedinanox-v—,^^ ceedingly embarrassing ])08ition. For nearly three years ^^'^*^- past he had himself u'lvunced almost uU the money needed for lb** defense of the frontiers and for treating with the Indians, uuti' there was now due him the sum of .£2000. Fearing therefore that his private fort -.^ would be ruined Bhould this draft upon his funds contmu , and tlu re being no prospect of having his claims and 8©r\ 'f^es recognized, , ■ t . he sent in to the council his resignation as suj mtendent of Indian affairs,' — dispatching, at the same tinii helts to the ^7. different Indian castles informing them uit ) « no long* had the charge of their aflftiirs. To Qo mor Olinton this step waa not entirely unexpected, hut am nj: th Confede- rates the anno'incement, as was natural, oarriei surprise and consternation; so much so that that '' made it the subject of a spt nal belt at the next council, a at Albany the following summer.' J I (»^ part of Johnion, waa unexpected; yetinamanuaoript letter ,. the latt«r to Mr. Clinton, li e clearly notifies tho governor that Tance money longer and m at soon resign. In the course of th .-> .etter, after auggeiting that Colonel Lydiui should be appointed in his place, and giving some information in relation to the Indians, Johnson adds, "asi iaper* liaps the last item of Indian news I ihall ever have occasion to tro.ijleyouv exoellenoy with, I should be ^ery glad if it were made the best use of." In anotlier letter to Governor 1 linton, also, Johnson writes, "there wiU be tome expense attending my eaignation which I think should not be bar))e by me." Mr. Colden must therefore be mistaken. ■- ■ j '• ^ :■.,>. ^-..i^^ '••"• I ^ . ■ - 1 ■ :•-' - ■■ . .^:; >-i' "fi) I. Mit'i •';'' ftt l" M6il/ai..la'/; J) 1 fi,- . ,» •)!\>.''l l.'.y^i'ir.lUl I,, '■.,. ic, ." , .li;.;- ■«l^i-' i»,ri»r;ti^1!vfc( /)•■; j ,,■,.;• ?.,-'■< <>l ' -fM.-:',- ri\y: ^.^-S-r ,i .,,.,.. !t*!'^ -Jill I,! siii'l.,'--;. .' ,1 .,.; !, rr ,.,v.a ■.•:'i," iifj !,».. )- ••. m-.c. -i' I -mu ;4u.<>V* t(fc)h-tlliA.-^>* ; . ■. '..•^iJt.-.t t. fr.i!,' •i.'i'«,.-.-i-i ».i: I •; '/ 1;. • . ,f , nifeiHWJ,;. j<,-i»,«f'l ■.(•..).« .: ■.'1<..^,J(^^^ '1... . I •■ ■. : !■•,. hri', Ivi-llUi ui Ai«. t iiil )„J ., .li, ....) i-il »i. •i-\\r,i-f i, ■J/va-f.>iM, ■.lian/'^ :4 .■:,.,', i. r , , , .,•-.,■:,,,•., ,; : 49 Mi iU-. m. \ '-^il^ -■' .i 1- , ' I : .1(11; .lu '• "; ■ 1 .!»■ 1, .jf 1 •■••: I n 11 !io'i!i'i- h:.'" •. :m If ■:i '1..-.1 L-' ')i!I ,1 CHAPTER XI.. Hi. 1750—1751. ' " pjj^. Peace had once more spread her wings over the Ameri- ^' can Colonies. The farmer, hanging his trusty rifle over the 1750. fireplace, could again sow his fields without fear of the whistling bullet or the reeking tomahawk. The little child, clinging no longer to its mother's breast in frantic terror as the savage warwhoop was borne past on the mid- night air, slumbered peacefully in its cradle. And the plowman, as he trudged home at nightfall from a ,weftiy day's work, looked forward to the greetings of his wife and children, rather than a lonely and desolated hearth. The treaty of Aix La Chapelle, however, was received by the colonies with less satisfaction than might have been anticipated, from the termination of the bloody war, which had for so long a period desolated her frontiers. By this treaty — a treaty which has been justly character- ised, as "the most inglorious and impolitic compact to which Britain had acceded since the revolution of 1688" — it was agreed that all conquests which had been obtained by either side, should be restored. In accord- ance with this agreement, England surrendered Cape Breton to France, receiving in return only a slight advan- tage toward the preservation of that mythical idea — the balance of power.* After an immense expenditure of I The basis of the treaty, as between £ugland, France and Spain, was a mutual release of all prisoners without ransom, and a restoration of ail conquests. Silesia was secured to Frederick, and the hereditary domin- ions of the empress queen were guarantied to her according to the Prag- matic Sanction. With this restoration of conquests, the American colonists had the mortification to see Cape Breton, with the fortress of Loui»burg, surrendered back to France as an equivalent for the towns in Flanders taken by the French from the Germans, her allies. England, moreover, 'Hwi^morrtiitiK- JWlUil i»ll Willi LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 887 money ; and after a bloody and disastrous war, Eng- chap. land came from the convocation at Aix La Chapelle, in the w^l/ eyes of every true hearted Englishman, humbled and ^'^^0. abased. The news of the peace was received by New England, with even stronger feelings of indignation than by her sister colonies. She felt that Cape Breton-— for the capture of which she expended so much blo^ ^ and treasure — ^had been sacrificed merely to grati;^ and sustain the selfish policy of the mother country. The private correspondence of this period — the surest test, per- haps, of the real state of public opinion in any age — teems with the strong feelings of men, who feel that they have been duped. Especially was this indignation preva. lent among those who had served against the French ; and who after receiving so many scars in defence of English honor, saw it now sullied and disgraced.* '■ ii •; ; .:m ■ But though the peace between England and France was now formally consummated, it required no prophetic vision to foresee, that in a short time, it would be a peace only in name. In the articles of the treaty, no mention whatfever was made of the French encroachments upon the territory of the Iroquois, although the first care of England should have been, to insist upon the removal of Fort Frederick at Crown Point. The boundaries between the English and French possessions, along the rivers Mississippi and St. Lawrence, and the limits even of Nova Scotia, one of the original causes of the war, were left entirely undetermined ; it being tacitly understood, that the boundaries should remain as they were before the war.* had stooped to send tv.'o hostages, persons of rank, to remain in France, ns a pledge for this restoration. — Smollett ; see also Grahame. >In a manuscript letter to Colonel Johnson, from an officer who liad left the walks of private life for the army, occurs the following passage. " Nothing would give me more pleasure than to hare the honor to serve his majesty, but believe me if ever I get into a good way of life agivin I shall be very cautious how I quit it." ^Commissioners, it is true, were appointed to settle these boundaries, but their proceedings were conducted with such asperity, as rendered their proflBfldinng o nicrs ftarcv. t««r . 888 LIVE OF SIR TVILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. c^.When these limits were so indefinite as to occasion the •-vw dispute, it was not to bo supposed that they would give 1760. j^Q more trouble, now that the dispute was brought to a close by a hollow peace. The result is readily seen. Each government hastened to occupy as much land as possible in advance of the other ; and the formation of the Ohio company, with a grant from the crown of six hundred thousand acres, determined France to push forward with greater alacrity the bold design which she had formed as early as 1731, in erecting Fort Frederick on Lake Cham- plain. This was no less than the connecting the St. Law- rence with the Gulf of Mexico, by a chain of forts along that river to Detroit, and down the Ohio to the Mississippi. In accordance with this project, La Galissoni^re, in 1749, deputed CI jn de Bienville to occupy the valley of the Ohio ; and that officer, pursuing his instructions, proceeded down vhc Ohio in a canoe, burying at the mouth of everj' large creek a plate of lead, with the inscription, that from the rise of the Ohio to its mouth, the country belonged to France.^ But the French government, well aware that the posses- sion of the Ohio, would lose much of its value, so long US a free communication was open to the New England colonies, resolved to lose no time in gaining the L-oquois ae allies, and thus interpose a formidable barrier against the designs of the English* In pursuance of this project, Rev. Abbfe Picquet, aided by the French government, established, in 1749, a mission school on the St. Lawrence, at the mouth of the Oswegat- chie river, called La Presentation." Francis Picquet, the founder of this tnission, was a man peculiarly formed for this undertaking. A zealous priest and a staunch soldier, the crozier and the sword were to him alike familiar. On several occasions, he had accom- • Paris Doc. x. 9 — "Within a few years, one of these plates, with the insoription partially effaced, has been found near the mouth of the Mua' kingum." North ^menean Review for July, 1889. 'Ogdensburgh. I t ,,^H«nanwHw»iii»i »»«■«- LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 889 panied the Indians in their incursions upon the English chap. settlements ; and was with the party that destroyed the Wy— » fort at Saratoga, and the Lydius mills.' His keen mind l^so. had early foreseen the war which was to rage so fiercely between his nation and the English; and he had long urged the policy of receiving the Six Nations as allies. When therefore the necessity was seen of cultivating the friendship of the latter, as a step toward the secure possession of the west, the proposition of Picquet to La Galissoni^re, to establish a mission for the conversion of the Six Nations, was readily accepted.' The site chosen by Picquet for the mission, evinced his sagacity.' Situated on the St. Lavn*ence, between Oswego and Montreal, the passage of the English into Canada by this route could readily be intercepted. Its proximity to Lake Ontario served to aid and protect the posts which had already been erected on that lake by the French ; while its fine harbor afforded a secure shelter, for the bateaux that passed up the St. Lawrence from Montreal with supplies for the French traders at the different posts on the lake. The establishment of this mission, was the occasion of much solicitude on the part of the colonies ; while its effect upon the minds of the Indians was exceedingly dreaued by Colonel Jonhson.* These apprehensions were not unfounded, for in the next war La Presentation formed a rendezvous, from which scalping parties were fitted out; and which committed such depredations along the New York frontier and the > Fort Edward. ..'•'.■■.. ;,i! ' ,/• . '' 'Picquet was called by the French "the Apostle of the Iroquois;" by the English " the Jesuit of the west." ' It is true that in an account of the war from 1749 — 1760, published under the direction of the Quebec Hist. Soo. in 1885, an anonymous writer calls La Presentation, Picquet's Folly ; but the writer eridently bears such a personal enmity against Fioquet, that his authority, on this point, is uf no value. ^ManuBoript oorrespondenoe between Colonel Johnson and Mr. Clinton. IJi'- l ; I "^^ii *4'>^)i^||jiM||ii^. . 890 LIPE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. c^p. Mohawk river, as to lead General Gage to destroy the N-V-' place in 1757.* 1750. "Wliile the French were thus vigorously at work in the north and west, they were not less active in the south. As by the late treaty, there was no pretense for active hostilities, the policy of the French was now, to stir up dissensions among the different tribes friendly to the English. By fomenting animosities between the Indians, and causing them to prey upon each other, they hoped finally to compass their utter anihilation, and thus deprive their ancient enemy of the aid and support of its dusky allies — a diabolical plan, well worthy of the time of Nero, but scarcely to be credited of the civilization of the eighteenth century ! While, therefore, I*icquet was exerting his influence upon the Six Nations from La Pre- sentation, on the St. Lawrence, Jean Coeur was sent to the tribes bordering on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. The indomitable perseverence of these emissaries, was for the time but too successful. Through their influence — obtained by the lavish use of presents — the minds of the Six Nations, and a few of the western tribes, became greatly inflamed against the Catawbas, a small tribe depending chiefly upon Virginia, and residing principally in the Carolinas ; and they were again, in violation of their promises to Governor Clinton, preparing for a devastating war upon that people." Ever alive to the interests of the crown, Johnson, early in the previous year, had written to Clinton, informing him of the growing ill feeling of the Confederates against the Catawbas ; and had advised the holding of a council, at some place where the Confederates and the Catawbas could meet, and conclude a treaty of peace.* At about ^Iliitory of St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties, by Franklin B. Hough. * Manuscript correspondence between Johnson and Clinton. B As far back as the year 1740, it will be remembered, there had been a feud existing between the Catawbas and the Six Nations. It had, however, become almost extinct until it was reTived with a thousand fold more intensity by Fioquet and Cccur. ~~'*^i j »Mii» '" * wm^ >w » ace.* At about LIFE OP BIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 891 I' A the same time, Governor Clinton was also informed by a chap. letter from Governor Glen of South Carolina, that the v«,^_^ Senecas had made several attacks upon the Catawbas, ^"^^^ which threatened to produce very serious disturbance. Mr. Glen farther wrote, that the northern Indians made the war upon this tribe an excuse for plundering and kill- ing the negroes and whites ; and that unless these inroads were stopped, he would be obliged to oft'er a reward for every northern Indian, who might be killed within the Battlement.^ . . > . , • • /, - ' Aware of the importance of nipping in the bud a mat- ter which threatened to involve the colonies in such serious complications. Governor Clinton determined to act upon the suggestions of Colonel Johnson, and summon a coun- cil. In view, however, of the active efforts which the French were making, to wean the different Indian nations throughout the country, from their old alliance, he deter- mined to have the ends of the council take a wider scope ; and have a general meeting of delegates from all the colo- nies, at which some plan of union might be adopted, to retain in the British interest, all those Indians who were originally included in the covenant chain. He therefore wrote to the several governors, requesting that they would express their views freely upon this subject ; and that if the project struck them favorably, they would appoint delegates to meet in June of the next year. All the governors, with the exception of the governor of Virginia who did not vouchsafe any reply, responded favorably. Thobo of Massachusetts, Connecticut, and South Carolina, were, however, the only ones who entered heartily into the plan. The governors of New Hampshire and Penn- sylvania wrote, that they were favorably impressed with the idea, but that their assemblies were not disposed to vote money enough to furnish their delegates with presents for the Indians ; while the other governors, likewise ham- pered by their assemblies, were still more lukewarm, and still less disposed to enter into the arrangement. ' Uovernor Glea to Governor Clinton, 7tb July, 1750. — **«««***i«*fc. ^**r* 392 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ^' CHAP. Notwithstanding these discouragements, Governor w^_/ Clinton announced his intention of meeting the Six 1750. Nations at Albany the following year, and so informed Colonel Johnson. The latter immediately summoned both of the Mohawk castles together, and in a speech, informed the Indians of the governor's intention of meet- ing them in council, the following year at Albany. The object of the council, he told them, was to afford the Six Nations the opportunity of making a peace with the Catawbas, with whom they had been at war for some time. He represented to them, how wrong it was to war against a tribe that they had agreed to be at peace with, according to the treaty of 1740 ; and closed with a request, that they would choose their delegates to represent them in the approaching council. The Mohawks, in the name of the Confederacy, replied, that they would consent to a treaty, provided that the Catawbas would send six of their sachems to meet and confer with their chiefs at Albany.' Shortly after this preliminary conference, Thomas Lee, president of the council in Virginia, sent a message to the Six Nations, desiring them to meet the Catawbas iu Fredricksburgh, and receive the presents, which the governor of Virginia, on the part of his majesty, desired to give them. The Six Nations, however, feeling that they were the aggrieved party, thought the Catawbas ought, instead, to come and meet them ; and in their answer, desired the governor of Virginia " to move his council lire to Albany, where they would gladly hear him, and receive the presents sent by his majesty." 1751. Tlie preliminary conferences opened on the twenty- > In the treaty of Lancaster, in 1744, between the provinoes of Maryland and Virginia and the Six Nations, occurs this passage, spolcen by a sachem of the Six Nations : " You charge us with not acting according to our peace with the Catawbas. We will repeat to you truly what was done. The governor of New York, at Albany, gave us several belts of wampuro from the Cherokees and Catawbas, and we agreed to a peace, if those nations would send some of their great men to us to confirm it face to face, * * * but they never came=" — Oolden't History of _^,w on his arrival in Albany, ho was informed by Mr. Clinton 1761. of the state of feeling among the Confederates, and in behalf of his majesty's council, earnestly requested to continue in the charge of their aifairs. To this request, the colonel, who felt too much hurt at the manner in which he had been treated by the assembly to change his resolu- tion, gave a courteous but decided refusal. At the same time, however, his reasons for this course were given in full. It was impossible, he said, to continue longer in the management of Indian aft'airs, without great detriment, if not ruin, to his private fortune. It was well known that prior to the third day of November, 1748, he had advanced from his own purse, for the Indian department and the supply of the garrison at Oswego — after others had declined supplying that post because of the war-^-the sum of £7,177 35. 2d. ; and that of this amount, although the items had all been duly sworn to by him and delivered into the assembly, that body had made provision only for X5,801 Is. 4(/., leaving due a balance of £1,375 155. lOrf., for which no provision had as yet been made. He farther stated, that of this £5,801 75. ^d., for which he had received warrants on the treasurer several years since, there remained £2,401 still unpaid, and that too, although he had good reason to believe that the Oswego duties — the fund out of which those warrants were paid — were amply sufficient to pay all drafts made upon it. This state of things was also the more galling, since he was well aware that warrants to others, of a much later date than his own, had been paid without any hesitation; while at the same time, no steps had been taken to compensate him for this delay in the payment of these advances. He also reminded Mr. Clin- ton, that in addition to all this, he had advanced, at his excellency's request, since the third day of November 1748, for the same otyects, the farther sum of £595 125. Sd., of which he had received no part, nor did he know of any 896 LIPE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ■'^X''> ohAh prdviflion made to meet it. In view therefore of all these ^—^ consicleWitionB, while ho entertained the kindest feelings 17W' toward the government, ho could not, in justice to himself, continue longer in the Indian department — ©specially since he could have no reason to depend on the assembly to provide for future advances. At the same time, however, ho expressed his willingness to render all assistance, in an individual capacity, during the present treaty. ' The colonel's answer having been laid before the coun- cil, the latter desired the governor to exercise a supervision of Indifen feft'airs during the treaty now in progress. At t}?M same time, it requested him to lay before the crown the " uncommon and gfeat sufferings, which Colonel Joliu- fton had sustained" in its behalf, and recommend that JStaitabte recompense be given him, not only for the money wThich he had advanced, but likewise for his personal sei-Vicee, ft>r which he had made no cha.rge. Although the colonel had been appointed to his majesty's (^uridl in April of the previous year, yet it had not been eonVehioiit for him until now to take the oaths of office. ^e nsnal oaths were accordingly administered at this time, told he therelnpOn took his seat at the council board,— a ^tki which he continued to fill until his decease. Everything beirig now in readiness, Mr. Clinton opened t!he douticil on the sixth of July, With a short speech to the Six Nations, in which the object of the present meet- ing was fully set forth. It was, he said, to brighten and Btrengtheti the covenant chain, that it riiight endure for all time against the designs of their enemies* 1'he governor of Canada, especially, was endeavoring to break this chain, Tjy obstructing the trade between Albany and those distant Indians who passed through their country. "Another artifice," he continued, "which the enemies of our covenant chain make use of, is, to excite variance and war between the several Indian nations that are united with your ' Manuscript council minutes. LIFE OF SIR WILLI ^UirHO: DART. 897 « of this .*llt' 400 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ]761, c^''8oine prisoners with them, and when you return with ' prisoners, the peace shall he completed, and your horns lengthened, and we give you a year to return with your prisoners, and if you do not come in that time, we shall look upon the peace as void, We will take your pipe up to the Mohavfk's castles, being the first town you came to, as it were, and there sit and smoke, and think of you, and not go out to war, if you return within the time appointed by us." The treaty having been thus mp,de. Governor Clinton distributed the presents, brought by the commissioners, amojig the Indians, and the council was formally dismissed ; but not until " the hatchet was buried irrecoverably deep, and a tree of peace planted, which was to be green as the Alleganies, and to spread its branches till its shadow should reach from the great lakes to the gulf of Mexico," *1 The general efiect of this council, upon the Indians at least, was satisfactory. Although Governor Clinton was un- successful in persuading the several colonies to join in an alliance against the machinations of the French, yet the main object — ^that of prevailing upon the Bix Nations to conclude a treaty with the Catawbas — was accomplished. Early in June of the following year, the Catawbas, desi- rous of performing their part of the agreement, sent to the Confederates a Cayuga prisoner in chairge of four of their warriors ; and thus the feeling of hatred entertained by the 6ix Nations toward that nation'— which had been so bitter before the treaty, as to cause the confinement of the Catawba chiefs in a separate apartment-'-was now changed to that of cordial friendship. ' " * '^ > 1 Bancroft. « Manuscript letter : John Ogilvie to Colonel Johnson. The Catawbas, at the time of the treaty, held in captivity three of the Six Nations ; but during the year one had died, and the other refused to come by sea, preferring to remain in South Carolina untii he could oome by land. — Qevernor Olen to ,Qovemor CUttloH, Shortly after the arrival of the Catawba braves, Johnson wrote to Clin- ton, that the pence between that people and the Confe,der/tt,e8 w,w fully IXKMi'ritlUlilfc: LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 401 Previous to his departure for Albany, Mr. Clinton had chap. requested a farther appropriation for Indian presents in w^—* addition to the sum voted at a former session ; and the i^^l* legislature, in a better spirit than usual, had at that time promised to supply any deficiency in that regard, which might arise, in brightening the covenant-chain with the Six Nations. In the fall session of the assembly, however, the spirit of faction was again manifest, notwithstanding three of the chief leaders of the opposition had died since its luTt sitting — Mr. Clarkson, Mr. Philipse and Mr. Mi- chaux. In his opening message, on the eighth of October, Mr. Clinton communicated to the house the result of the late treaty. The resignation of Colonel Johnson was at- tributed to its negligence in omitting to pass bills adequate for the support of the Indian department ; and the designs of the French, and the consequent importance of sending agents to the distant western tribes, urged. The message closed by asking for the usual supplies for the mainten- ance of the government. The house in its answer, the following day, said that it would cheerfully provide for the support of his majesty's government, and make provision for all the just debts that, on exaniination, should be found chargeable on the colony ; that it was well aware that the security of the colonies depended, in a great degree, upon the fidelity of the Indians, but it had hoped that the sum of one thousand pounds, voted for that purpose, would have been amply sufficient to place the Indian affairs on such a basis, as to render a farther sum unnecessary. In the mean time, the several particulars of his excellency's speech should be at- tentively considered, and that which was judged best for his majesty's service, and for the welfare of the colony, should be done. Finally, it reminded his excellency, that many of the members had not been notified by the usual ratified ; and that the Catawbas had returned into their own country, es- corted by several Iroquois warriors, who had volunteered to see them safely through those nations, who might not have heard of the recent penoe. 51 ■n ,1 '' % V m ^^ 402 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. o»Af. circular letters of the present session of the assembly, a ^—y-^ circumstance which it hoped would not again occur. Mr. 1761. Clinton, in his answer, stated that while it was true that the presents which he had given the Indians, at Albany, had produced a favorable efl'ect, yet, unless the oxpenee of daily providing for them was met, the good impression made at that time would soon be obliterated by the French priests. He also promised to lay before the assembly in a few days information lately received upon this point, which would render his remarks more clear. Alluding to the thousand pounds to which reference had been made, nothing, he said, would give him greater pleasure than to send down to the house a full account of the manner in which it had been expended ; and as to the neglect, of which he had been accused, in not notifying the members, it was not true, as his deputy secretary had sent letters to all the members, with the exception of the speaker. He farther added, in conclusion, that he had made this expla- nation to show how entirely he was influenced by the de- sire of advancing the security and welfare of the colony.^ In accordance with his promise, Mr. Clinton, on the ninth, sent to the house the accounts relating to the dis- position of the thousand pounds, accompanied with ex- tracts from the minutes of the late council.* ,, On the thirteenth of September, Mr. Clinton had laid before his privy council letters from Colonel John- 80n and Captain Stoddard, the contents of which were indeed startling. From a French deserter the Colonel learned that a convoy of twelve hundred French, ac- companied by two hundred Adirondack Indians, had passed by Oswego about a fortnight before, with the ob- ject, 80 far as could be ascertained, of cutting off those western tribes friendly to the English, and driving off the Pennsylvania traders, who were erecting trading posts on the Ohio. Captain Stoddard's letter, also, confirmed this ■»— r ^ mm ■ -^-w »■ !■■■ i !■■■■ i w — ■ i i ■■ n i n ■ i i ■ i ■! ■* 1 Jounuls of the Maembly. ' Couaoil miuutas. LIFE OF SIR WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. 408 ) assembly, a 1 occur. Mr. vas true that B, at Albany, \ the expense od impresBion by the French assembly in a s point, which luding to the , been made, easure than to the manner in he neglect, of y the members, I sent letters to e speaker. He lade this expla- aced by the de- of the colony.* Clinton, on the ,ting to the dis- lanied with ex- 2 .. Clinton had , Colonel John- of which were ;er the Colonel ■ed Trench, ac- Indians, had |re, with the ob- •utting off those driving off the trading posts on confirmed this intelligence. Johnson farther wrote, that on the recep-caAP* tion of this news, he had immediately dispatched a mes-vl.,,-.^ senger, in the governor's name, with a belt of wampum, 1751. to all the castles of the Six Nations, informing them of the march of the French. Letters arrived, at nearly the same time, from Lieutenant Lindesay, in command at Oswego, to the effect that a Cayuga sachem had arrived from the Missessagas, bringing the intelligence that the French were building a large vessel at Cadaracqui, with the de- sign of attacking his post.^ Copies of these letters, Mr. Clinton now laid before the assembly, for its perusal and careful consideration. " ; < • -^ r i -^ • ; ? •; t ; i- » Tii j n : ; i » The apparent good temper, however, with which the proceedings between the executive and the assembly had thus far been conducted, was destined to be of short du- ration. The house having on the sixteenth sent up toi the council for its approval " an act for paying several de- mands made on the colony," the latter replied, on th© eighteenth, by sending Colonel Johnson to request of that body the vouchers for the several demands provided for m the bill. This was applying the torch to the powder. The house flamed at once. It immediately resolvedy that '* the demand was of an extraordinary and unprece- dented nature ;" and that its consideration should be po8l>' poned until after the first of the ensuing May. No sooner had this action been communicated to the council, when they, in turn, becoming indignant, resolved that it was ■■ ■ ■ ■' " ' •■■'■■ iBWi.i n ■-! I ■ I ■ I I III ■■ ■■III Hii ■ ■ ■ ■ I II ■ ■ >K-».>ia^mm*T« ■> mil ■ 'John Lindesay, founder Off the Cherry Valley settlement, was a native of Scotland, and in December, 1780, received firom his countryman, OoTernor Montgomerie, the commission of naval officer for the port of New York. He filled various other important offices, until, in 1744, Mr. Lindesay as- sumed the command of the fort at Oswego, Lieutenant Congreve resigning in his favor. In 1747, at the request of the Oswego traders and the Six Nations, Lieutenant Lindesay was continued in command of that post until 1749, when he was appointed Indian commissary and agent for Oswego, which latter situation he retained until his death, which occurred in the Utter part of thi« year. At the time of his death, Mr. Lindsay was a lieutenant in Captain Clark's company of Independent Fusileers. — Camp- ^^sSiitory of Try on County. m -"«*if*..,. 0-. m -: 404 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1761, OTAP. their unquestionable right to call for the vouchers; inas- ^ much as the sum, sufficient for the demand, was to come out of the royal revenue, and that their consent was there- fore necessary. They also resolved, that they would not proceed on the bill until the vouchers appeared before them ; and at the same sitting, in no very amiable state of mind, sent Colonel Johnson again to the house with a bill of their own^ for " applying the sum of five hundred pounds, for the management of Indian aft'airs, and for repairing the garrison at Oswego." The passage of this bill by the council, as might have been foreseen, was not calculated to molify the temper of the house inflamed, as it was, by the demand of the council for the vouchers. The bill was therefore refused a second reading; and a motion was forthwith carried, — ^that inasmuch as the bill intrenched on the " great, essential and undoubted right of the representatives of the people of this colony to begin all bills for raising and disbursing of money, it should be rejected."* Directly upon the passage of this resolution, the house sent up to the governor an address, prepared in the same churlish manner as in times past. In it, the lack ukoney for Indian affairs was greatly lamented—as i^ indeed, it was not owing to themselves that a larger sum had not been voted. They even carried their spleen so far, as to hint that the governor had used the thousand pounds for purposes other than the public benefit; and that it was through his neglect that the Indian affairs were in such a condition. In conclusion, they threw upon the council the evil effects which would result fi&rD. its refiisal to pass the bill for the discharge of the colony debt ; and prayed the governor to pass straightway those of the bills which he approved. Three or four more days were taken up in wrangling and puerile resolves, until Mr. Clinton, who had learned by experience the folly of any farther altercar tion, and passed all the bills without farther discussion, and without any notice and to the astonishment of all, 'Minutes of the aso jably. , V '**''V .-» LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 405 dissolved the assembly. On the part of Mr. Clinton this crap. was a master stroke of policy. The assembly were fairly w^— ' caught. But having passed the support bill so early in the ^'^l- session, they were left without a remedy. '' This gratified Mr. Clinton and the other officers of the government; while the neglect of the colony creditors, added to the governor's party, already strengthened by the appointment of Colonel Johnson to the council, and Mr. Chambers to the second place on the bench."^ ■ I- aqv< vf -i i .;iji > < • Meanwhile the French were planning still farther encroachments upon the territory of New York. Already they possessed Crown Point, La Presentation and ^Niagara, and encouraged by the pusillanimity which had allowed them to take possession of those posts, they were now meditating the establishment of a military and missionary post on the banks of Onondaga Lake, which, while it would secure a foothold in the very heart of the province, wou'd also, they thought, greatly strengthen their influence over the Six Nations. Preliminaiy to this audacious step, it was necessary that the Confederates, especially those residing in the immediate vicinity of the lake, should be courted into giving their consent. Accordingly the Jesuit dirisBaries insinuated themselves deeper than ever into the affections of that fickle people, and with such success, that at the close of the sumiflet", several of the principal Onondagas had granted the desired permission. Such a design, however, could not long escape the vigil- ance of Colonel Johnson, who no sooner heard through the Mohawks of the scheme afoot, when, braving the autumnal rains, he set oS for the old fire-place of the Confederacy, hoping, if possible, to defeat the machina- tions of La Galissoni^re and his wily priests. Arrived at Onondaga, he lost no time in summoning the chief men of that castle to a conference, in which after laying before them the dangerous consequences resulting from a French 1 Smith. I 406 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. c^p. settlement in the very centre of their Confederacy, boldly w V— ' desired them, as a proof of their esteem, to grant him 1751. Onondaga Lake with the land around it for two miles in width — ^promising them in return a handsome present. This sudden appearance of the colonel upset at once all the deep laid plans of the Jesuits. Mortified at being thus caught in the very act of lending an ear to their ancient enemies, the chiefs hung their heads anH in confusion agreed to his proposition. A deed conveying the entire lake with its two milos of land, ws-s accordingly made out on the spot, and signed by the entire cast' , the latter receiving in return, the sum of three hundred and fifty pounds sterling. Immediately on his arrival home, the colonel who had in making this purchase no other object than that of securing the property to the crown, and the consequent defeat of the French, communicated an account of the transaction to Mr. Clinton, — at the same time offer- ing the land to the government of New York at the same price which it had cost him. Refusing, however, to appre- ciate the important service which he had thus rendered, the assembly refused to reimburse him for the land; and the matter thus rested until the summer of 1753, when a minute was made in council, granting this tract to him and his heirs, by way of reimbursement for the sum advanced by him for the Indian department. * Otherwise than this, his debt from the colony was never paid. 1 ManuBcript council minutes. ;.. : ,'{1'»' •.U- Mli '. ■'!' -...}■■.'■■! ,.tf_ ■(■; .V, rl,, 0-1 ■■■'■.■■■'■ -': " '•>!■,. ■' ' "l: ■•■:..)•!. ; j ' . _i.i;' j'.M ■ >'i'"' ■■\', '■'■'■ \ :'': ' '')\ ")■ •;:■.•'■ . ■' ■■'• ' , ■;.'i.- 1,;,, ■■.> -fi :•■ / •> ' ..,_ I •' '■ ' ,,,j •. •, _. •) '■ -i • li - 1 ••!;;: ' I .' '■ ;.: .,■!' . -i' ,i ,-■ .'C(V' ■■!':••■■:, *•■■' ':•■■' . !.! r',' *; '■ '-.•■.'...'ir'. '■> (U:':.> i*.! 'lU ''' . li, . . . . .'I :k..' i'j iiii .1:/ u- ■»:•; CHAPTER XII. ■' ' ;' ' 1752—1763. With the opening of the year, dawned a new era in chap. American literature. Signs of a greater appreciation of w^I^ learning and a desire for literary pursuits among the ^'^^2. colonies, are in this year too apparent not to deserve a passing notice. The clang of steel and the midnight alarms had now ceased ; and in the calm thought which followed, the literary seeds that had for so long a period laid dor- mant, found a rich soil in which to germinate and bring forth fruit. As in the age of the Reformation, and of Louis XTV, a company of stalwart literary giants sprung forth from the previous darkness , so in the period we are now upon, a score of men of power and vigorous intellect rose up in America, infusing new vigor into every depart- ment of letters with which they came in contact. The theological writings of Jonathan Edwards, with all their depth of philosophical eloquence, gave an impetus to that branch of scholarship hitherto unknown. It was in this year that Franklin electrified the savans of the Old World with his grand discovery. The universities of New England awoke to new life and activity. Schemes for the advancement of learning sprung up in the different provinces with wonderful rapidity. Libraries and philo- sophical societies were formed in every direction. Several men distinguished in the walks of scientific research visited America, and by their cordial sympathy encouraged greatly the enquirer after truth. The eye turns wdth pleasure to the names of John Winthrop, professor of mathematics at Cambridge, Thomas Godfrey, the inventor of Hadley's Quadrant, David Rittenhouse of Pennsylvania, and numerous others, whose names shine with lustre upon the page of history. * Confining ourselves to the province of 'Grahame. m^ 408 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP. N'ew York, Cadwallader Golden had just completed that w.,— ' remarkable book — the *' History of the Five Nations ;" 1752. j^jj(j j^ ^jjjg ygm. ^j^g founding of Kings College b ^^n to be seriously urged. . •. ..^. ,., .• . , , It is not to be supposed that with this literary zeal per- vading every mind, an intelligent man like Johnson could '', fail to be affected by it. Although in his spare momentw, heretofore, he had always manifested a great fondness for literary pursuits and had repeatedly sent out to England for books, yet having a little leisure this year by his resig- nation of Indian affairs, he seems to have devoted much of his time to improving his own mind, and also the moral and social condition of those around him. The manner in which a portion of his time was spent at this period, may be inferred by the following letter to his agent in London. ■' t: vv/ inr. "Mount Johnson, August the 20th, 1752. (( Sir: li'y'ia i: .(ii.tj! Having the pleasure of an intimate acquaintance with your brother. Doctor Shuckburgh of New York, whom I have a singular regard for, induced me to apply to you for what I may want in your way, although but a trifle. Having lately had a pretty large collection of books from London, shall at present only desire you will please to send .ne what pamphlets are new and worth reading ; also the Gen- tleman's Magazine from Nbv'br. 1750 to the last, and the Monthly Review from the same time ; also the News- papers regularly and stitched up. You have only to deliver them to Mr. John George Liberwood, merch't. there, who will forward them to me, and will pay your am't. yeai'ly. ' i . Having nothing farther to add at present (but beg you will send me those things regularly and punctually) I con- clude sir, \ . ^ ^ Y'r very humble serv't., W. J. To Mr. Shuckburgh, stationer, London. *" ' Manuscript Letter. See alBO appendix No. II. of Tol. I. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 409 The intellectual culture of the Mohawks was a subject ohap. in which the colonel took special interest. The mission w^w school at Stockbridge for Indian children, the plan of ^'^^^' which was first projected by John Sergeaut in 1741, and which after the death of the latter was carried on for a time by Jonathan Edwards, received at this time his par- ticular attention. Sir Peter Warren In 1761 had donated for the support of this institution seven hundred pounds, and about the same time had expressed to his nephew a very favorable opinion of its purpose, requesting that he would use his influence in its favor. ' Had Johnson previous to this request no other incentive for his interest in it, this would have been sufficient. His efforts were now unremit- ting to persuade the Mohawks to send their children thither; and a correspondence was kept up between himself and the committee of this school on the subject. His advice upon its management was freely asked and as freely given ; and in a letter to him upon this topic, the writer says : "I can't but hope and pray for your further assistance in encouraging the Indians to send their children and con- tinue them steadily here, and your thoughts with regard to any measures that may naturally tend to promote this aff'air, and be proper for us further to do or attempt, will be very acceptable. ' .) Nor were his efforts to benefit his savage neighbors con- fined solely to the school at Stockbridge. He was equally interested in other missions wherever located, and always used his influence for their support and encouragement. In the course of the following year (1753) Rev. Mr. Hawley was sent from Boston to establish ai? Indian mission school ^ Manuscript Letter to Johnson from Joseph Dwight, one of the commit- tee of the mission school. 'Extract from the same. Hon. Joseph Dwight, whose letter is here referred to, was a liberally educated man. He had been speaker of the ^ouse of Massachusetts Bay, ai^d a counselor, and led a regiment in the successful attack on Cape Breton. He married the widow of the Rev. Mr. Sergeant, the same who is mentioned in the text as the founder of the mis- sion school at Stockbridge, 52 ^- l> , 410 LIFK OF BIK WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, west of Albany. On his way he stopped over night at w^— / Mount Johnson, hoping to obtain the colonel's countenance 1782. i,j iijg project. This was cheerfully granted, and the mis- sionary sent on his way with a godspeed. * The colonel was also at this time in correspondence with Doctor Eleazer Wheelock, who had recently established a school in Lebu- non, Connecticut, similar in its object to the one at Stock- bridge, and which afterwards grew into Dartmouth college. Several years later, the celebrated Joseph Brant, sent by the colonel, received at this school his English education. It is pleasant to dwell upon this phase of Johnson's char- acter, showing, as it does, that his mind was not wholly engrossed — as some would have us believe — in amassing a private fortune. „- i, ,.,vi. It will be recollected that when I last spoke of Sir Peter "Warren, he had been obliged to retire through ill health to his country seat in "Westbury, and had shortly afterward been elected to parliament fro.-.i the city of Westminister. The capture of the French fleet of East Indiamen, of which an account has been given in a former chapter, was the last service he lived to perform ; for peace being concluded in the following year, the fleet was of course dismantled. But even in his retirement honors followed him. In May, 1748, he received a distinguished mark of royal favor in being appointed vice admiral of the Red ; and in the early I Rev. Mr. Havley was before this an instructor of the Iroquois children at the Stookbridge mission under Mr. Edwards. Mr. Hawley thus sprtks of his visit at this time to Colonel Johnson in a letter to Rot. Dr. Tnatcber, published in the Mass. His. Col. vol. iv. " On Friday we left Albany. Mr. Woodbridge and I set out for Mount Johnson, about thirty-six miles off, to pay our compliments to Colonel Johnsor , and obtain his countenance in favor of our mission. * * * At sur set we were politely received at Colonel Johnson's gate by himself in pe -son. Here we lodged. His man- sion was stately, and situate a little c'lstance fron^ the river, on rising ground, and adjacent to a stream which turned hjs mill. This gentleman was well known in his civil, military and privatp p|iaracter. He was the first civil character in the county of Albany at th^t dfty- * * * It was favorable to our mission to have his patronage, tehich I never lott." LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM J0UN80N, BART. ill part of the present year, the citizens of London presented chaf. bim with the freedom of the city and the Goldsmith's w^ company. They also wished to make him an alderman ^'^^^' for Billingsgate ward in the place of the lord mayor, deceased. This latter honor, however. Sir Peter cour- teously declined, " assigning as a reason, that his past pro- fession must prevent him in a great measure, from dis- charging properly the duties of that office." The citizens nevertheless persisted in electing him for their alderman ; upon which Sir Peter, on the twenty-third of June, wrote to the court of aldermen declining to serve, and enclosing at the same time the fine of five hundred pounds. Shortly afterward, Sir Peter hoping that the air of his native hills would improve his health, went to Ireland. The hope was fallacious, for scarcely had he landed when a severe inflam- matory fever carried him oft' on the twenty-ninth of July. He died " universally lamented by all persons, who agreed that there could not exist a better and honester man, or a more gallant officer. Few men ever attained to a greater share of popularity. It was said of him that he had not only the singular happiness of being universally courted, esteemed, and beloved, but had the additional consolation of having passed through life without making a single enemy."' ■ ■ ' •' > ;' . By no one was the death of Admiral "Warren felt with more acuteness than the Johnson family. Sir Peter had been to them all the kindest of benefactors ; and was looked up to with feelings of gratitude and afi'ection. This is evident from the following letter, written to Colonel Johnson by his brother, a tew days after his uncle's decease. "London, Aug. 4th, 1752. " My Dear Brother : It's with the utmost sorrow I give you the most dismal account of the death of our most dear, dear uncle, who died in Dublin last "Wednesday night, 29th July, of a most violent fever, which carried him off * Biographia Navalis. — Charnock. 412 LIF£ OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ff^ xu. 1762. OHAF. in four days. I was up day and night with him, and would to God I'd have died in his stead. Oh my dour brother, BUC'i grief au our poor family are iu, is inexpresaible, for wo have lost our all in all. And you, I urn sure, will bo as much shocked as mortal living, but let me bog of you to muster up all of your resolution to bear this most disniul account. I arrived here in two days from Dublin with tho melancholy news to Lady Warren, whom from my very heart I pity, and hope God will preserve her life for her poor family's sake. He made his will two days before ho died, and how he has settled his afiairs no one as yet knows, nor I till I return With her directions to have it opened. I set out in two hours and expect to be in Dublin the 7th. He is to be interred at Pock Mark in a private manner. His executors are Lady Warren, Captain Tyrrell, and the Chief Justice De Lancey, and be assured of a faith- ful account of everything as soon as his will is opened. " I hope in God, my dear brother will endeavor to bear this shock with patience. Our loss is very, very great, and what to do now with myself I know not. I shall let you hear from me by the first opportunity after my arrival in Ireland. I shall write this miserable account to my cousin Captain Tyrrell, who will be, I am sure, greatly shofl-rrd I have not time to add more. My love to brotl . Fcrrall,' and believe me, my dear brother, ever youris Most affectionately and taithfully, " Warrbn Johnson."' (( To Colonel Johnson the death ot his uncle must indeed have been a terrible blow. Although I have not been able to find among his papers the answer to the above letter, yet undoubtedly it was full of corresponding sympathy and affection. As by Sir Peter's death, the council lost one of its mem- bers, William Smith, at the recommendation of Mr. Clin- ' Ferrall Wade, Johnson's brother-in-law. He was killed in the action of tbe 8th of September, 1755, at Lake Qeorge. ' ManiiBuript letter. f LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, DART. 418 led in the action of ton, was appointed by the crown to fill the vacant seat. This chap. gentleman was at this time a flourishing lawyer in the city s«,^_/ of Now York, and hud first gained Mr. Clinton's good will, ^"^^• by his prosecution of Mr. Oliver Do Lancoy — brother of the chief justice — for his abuse of the governor. ' On the death of the attorney general in this year, Mr. Clinton appointed him to that office, which he filled with gi'cat credit and reputation, until the arrival from England of William Kempe, who had received the appointment from the crown, unknown to the governor. ^ The latter did not present the claims of Mr. Smith, without opposition ; — Colonel Morris, formerly a member of the council under Governor Montgomery, sending in at the same time a memorial praying for the appointment. The influence, however, of Mr. Clinton at court, was too powerful to be overcome, and Mr. Smith took his seat at the council board, upon the thirtieth of April of the following spring. To the new assembly, which met in October, many of its former members, friends of the chief justice, were returned. Its principal feature was the absence of the long messages both from the executive and the house, which had characterized its former sessions. Both parties seemed resolved to make them models of brevity. Mr. Clinton's opening message was comprised in fifteen lines ; and the address of the house in reply, scarcely exceeded it in length. This is attributed by Mr. Smith to the fact of his own advice and tliat of Mr. Alexander having been taken by the governor, rather than that of Mr. Colden, " whose incautious and luxuriant compositions had so frequently kindled the party fires," which had increased the popularity 1 1 .ue chief justice "whom he was most anxious to pull down." ' Be this as it may, it is certain that during the 'Manuscript letter.' 'Governor Clinton to the Lords of Trade. 'Smith. Mr. Clinton had recently lost the support of Dr. Colden, by his having urged, in opposition to the latter's wishes, Robert Hunter Morris for lieutenant governor. Mr. Alexander was chosen by Clinton as his chief adviser in Dlaoe of Coldes, 414 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, present session, there was none of that bitterness which Wv.w had characterized former sessions. 1752, The most noticeable action of the present assembly, was its voting to provide, at their next sitting, for the repaiiing of the different fortifications along the frontier ; for the rebuilding of the trading-post at Oswego, now in a ruinous condition ; and for the founding of a college for the educa- tion of the youth of the colony. A new board of com- missioners was also appointed to take charge of the Indian department, which, by the resignation of Colonel Johnson, had been deprived of his services. It would appear, how- ever, by the following extract from a letter written by Mr. Clinton to the colonel, under date of November fifth, that the former commissioners were still sore from their pre- vious dismissal. The letter itself is addressed to the colonel, in the care of Captain Ross, New York, whither the former had come to attend the council : " I find the assembly are determined to go upon com- missioners for Indian affairs again, and as I cannot, without inconvenience, prevent it, I send for your perusal a list of persons proposed for my approbation for that commission. I cannot help observing that they are picked out of almost all your inveterate opposers ; therefore phould be glad of your opinion, for I can but think it justice, that I should have the nomination of one-half, at least, of them. I shall be at the fort Tuesday n( xt, when I shall be glad if you would dine with me, and in the interim think what I can do in it."' The result was a compromise — the governor rtjocting six or one-half of the names sent in for his approval, and the house putting in their place, the members of the executive council, the commanding officer at Albany, the representatives of the general assembly, and the mayor and recorder of Albany cx-officio? The affair of Indian 1 Manuscript letter. ' Manuscript oouncil minutes. The list for commissioners enclosed ia Mr. Clinton's letter to the colonel, was Myndert Schuyler, Philip Schuyler, David Schuyler, Johannis Jause Lansingh, Kcadrick Bleeoker, Hans Hbh- ;ternes8 which iressed, to the LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 415 f comraissionerB being thus settled, Mr. Clinton, on the chap. eleventh of November, passed all the bills, including the «_y— * one for providing for the payment of the salaries of gov- ^'^2. ernment oflScers out of the duties, and prorogued the assembly to the first Tuesday of the following March. It may at first appear singular that as Mr. Clinton had dissolved the last assembly on account of his trouble with the opposition, the tone of this new one should be so entirely (Jifierent, especially since, as before observed, nearly all of the opposition had been returned. The solu- tion of this is found in a glance at the political complexion of affairs, as they now stood. Mr. De Lancey began to fear that he had gone a little too far. He knew that Mr. Clinton held in his hands a commission for him as lieuten- ant governor; and his object thus far had been to render his position so uncomfortable that he would be obliged to resign and thus give him greater scope for his ambition. ^ Mr. Clinton's success, however, at court, .as shown by his securing for his friends seats at the council board, caused alarm. He knew, also, from his friends in England, that the governor, who was thinking of soon leaving the prov- ince on account of ill health, had written several letters to the board of trade, requesting permission, without pro- ducing DeLancey's commission, to leave Colden, by virtue of being president of the council, in command of the colony.* The very idea of his most inveterate enemy, being thus placed in power, drove the chief justice well nigh distracted. Mr. Charles, moreover, had written to the speaker of the assembly, that measures were on foot to have the commission appointing De Lancey lieutenant governor revoked, and to have Robert Hunter Morris son, Jacob H. Ten Eyck, Johannis Cuyler, Sybrant G. Van Schaick, Johan- niB Glen, Qerardua Qroesbeok, and Johannis Van Rensselaer. The com- tnis8ion8|?8 retained and substituted, were Myndert Schuyler, Cornelius Cuyler, Hpndriok Bleeoker, John Beekman, Johannis Lansingb, jr.. and J&oob C. Ten Eyck. 'Review of military operations in America. 'Clinton to the board of trade. I -•—'OMti^- ■-^■ig;.,. 416 LIFE OP BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. c^AP* appointed in his stead.* The chief justice, therefore, wv — ' fearing the loss of the commission — than which nothing 1762. ^j^g farther from bis thoughts — saw that he must play his cards difterently if he would win. In addition to all this, the disputes between the provinces of New York and New Jersey in relation to the boundary line, were still unsettled ; and it was evident that so long as the disputes between the assembly and the governor continued, they would be as far off from an adjustment as ever. Those families of the province who held large estates, had grown weary of these continual wranglings ; and now gave the chief justice pretty plainly to understand, that if he would retain his popularity, he must cease his opposition. This was touching Mr. De Lancey in a vital spot ; for he could not, for the present at least, afford to lose anything that might tend to further his ambition. He therefore became more cautious and k"- ; n in his opposition; and the remainder of Mr. Cli • administration was passed in comparative freedom from those storms of faction, which had raged so fiercely between himself and the assembly.' Serious difficulty was experienced this year in the collec- tion of the Oswego duties. Considerable complaint had arisen of late in regard to the irregular manner in which the duties were collected ; and hints of a dishonorable nature had been freely expressed against those who had them in charge. Now, however, direct charges of peculation were brought against John De Peyster and Peter Schuyler Jun,, two of the commissioners; who, to say the least, had been guilty of great ill management and criminal neglect. The dissatisfaction at length grew so serious, as to lead Mr. Clinton to take the matter in hand ; and he accordingly wrote to Colonel Johnson, requesting him to ferret out the true facts. The following extract from the colonel's reply, seems to show that the charges were not ill founded. 1 Morris was appointed governor of Pennsylvania in 1754. » Smith. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 417 "As to that affair of the Oswego duties," he writes, char " although a cursed piece of villainy, yet it is very diffi- ^v-^ cult to find out. De Peyster has owned to me that he has ^'*''' not entered into recognizance these several years. The mayor tells me, also, that when he sent for Peter Schuyler to qualify, he then sent for De Peyster likewise, and he refused it, notwithstanding he has acted all the time. On talking to him some time ago about the yearly amount of duties, he acknowledged that they amounted to upwards of £1000, the year 1749, so that the other three years, which he mentions in his accounts delivered to the assembly, the duties are but about ^£145, as you'll see in the last notes, p. 32 — a most damnable imposition on the public, yet I can- not sift it out, without he is to prod^ce his books."* Doubts as to the duties having been honestly collected, had arisen in the assembly the previous year, and they had at their sitting in the fall ordered "that the commis- sioners, for collecting the duties on goods carried to Oswego, do, with all convenient speed, lay before the house, a particular account on oath, of what the said duties have amounted to, from the delivery of the accounts, to the first of September last."" In accordance with this order John De Peyster sent in his accounts on oath, by which it appeared, that the duties, from June 1746 to Sep- tember 1750, amounted to £1145, 17s. Sd. Thus, from the acknowledgment made to the mayor, it would appear, as Johnson observes, that only a trifle over /A45 was left for the years '47, '48 and '50— a fact which fuL^ justified the suspicion of unfair dealing, No farther action however, was taken ; for although scarcely any one doubted their dishonesty, yet owing to the want of positive proof, it was difficult to fix the charges upon the parties to this trans- action, and they therefore escaped. They were never- theless more cautious in future, and De Peyster in his next accounts for the year 1751, showed the amount of •Manuscript letter. 'Journals of the general assembly, 53 418 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. r- CHAP, duties recei ; i to be » ruetuir^g over je940 ! Johnson »-v-' interfered grievously wi.,h their knavish plans, and hence, 17*2. ^g bitter malignity -^ith which he was pursued by a few individuals, during the remainder of his life. Clouds still hung along the border of the northern frontier. In the summer of "ihis yenr, a scalping party of St. Francis Indians surprised four young men, who were trapping beaver along the head waters of the Connecticut river. One of these was John Stark, a native of New Hampshire, and a bold and fearless hunter. When he found himself surprised, he shouted to his brother, who was in a canoe, to gain the opposite shore. This he did and escaped, though not before a young man with him in the boat had been shot at and killed. Stark, with his companion Eastman, was carried up the Connecticut river, and down Memphremagog to the chief village of the tribe. While there, he conducted himself with so much courage and good humor, as to win the aflection of his captors, who dressed him in their finest robes, and cherished him with so much kindness, as to allow him, upon receiving a ransom, to return to his friends. The lessons of woodcraft which Stark learned in thie early cap- tivity, qualified him to render efficient service in the next war, from which by his courage and energy he rose to the rank of brigadier general in the armies of the United States.^ The general assembly met in March, but was by successive prorogations, prevented from sitting until May. In his opening message on the thirtieth, Mr. Clin- ton expressed his satisfaction at the resolves passed during the last session, — to take at this meeting, the state of the frontier fortifications, and the Indian affairs into consider- ation ; having, as he said, the fullest confidence in their honor and justice. Nor did he fail to speak in the warm- est terms of their determination to advance the cause of 1 'n.ii.KM-. I lilFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BABT. 419 learning, by the founding of a college ; and he hoped that cra*. the plan would receive their warmest encouragement, and<».v-' be speedily carried into eft'ect. He, also, informed them ^'^'^* of the encroachments which had been uade upon the province by the colonies of New Hampshire and Massa- chusetts Bay ; advising, that committees from both houses should be appointed to concert the proper measures to be taken in this affair, in which, he assured them of his hearty assistance. He then alluded to the colony debts, among which was the long standing claim of Colonel Johnson ; and closed with a promise to do everything in his power to promote the welfare of the colony.^ The assembly in its reply, two days afterward, thanked the governor in the warmest terms for his kind offer of assistance, promising to do everything in its power for the interest of the. colony. Both the executive and the house seemed to be animated by the same spirit of harmony, which, indeed, continued throUg,hout the entire session. Kor did the assembly confine itself to words. A commit- tee, of the legislative council and the house, met on the New England encroachments, and passed a bill authorizing a committee to prepare a representation upon this grievance for the king's ministers.* A bill was also passed for raising a sum by lottery for the college ; the colony debt, incurred during the late war, discharged , T»ioney voted for the fortifications ; and the sum of eight hundred pounds appropriated for Indian presents. ' While the general assembly was sittiug, a letter to Colonel Johnson from Captain Stoddard, and one also from Lieutenant Holland to Mr. Clinton, both dated at Oswego, informed the executive council that the French ware again active and threatened serious trouble. On the fourteenth of May, thirty French canoes, with five hundred 'Journals of the assembly. 'The committee were all members of the house, and consisted of David Jones, John Thomas, Paul Richards, William Walton, Henry Cruger, aad John Watts. "Smith. l» i: 420 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP. Indians under the command of Monsieur Marin, passed xu. that post on their way to the Ohio River. By a Frenchman, ^^^^- lately arrived at Oswego, it appeared that this v/as only the advance guard of an army of six thousand men, which the French had been concentrating, preparatory to their taking possession of the Ohio Valley. Theii" object was to support — by building forts along the Ohio, and if neces- sary, by force of arms — their claim to the lands bordering upon that river; and to eject those English trackers who had already settled along its banks. Intimation of this movement was received by Johnson early in April. A party of the Six l^ations hunting in the early part of that month near the rapids of the St. Law- rence, had descried a large company of French and Indians, on their way to Ontario. Two of their swiftest, of foot were immediately dispatched with the intelligence to their council fire at Onondaga. Thence the news was borne to the colonel, who was awakened at midnight, on the nine- teenth of April, by terrific whoops ondyells, and presented with a belt of wampum which was to urge the English to protect the Ohio and the Miami Indians. ^ The Six Nations, especially the Mohawks, straightway took alarm, considering the Ohio as their property, and any attempt therefore to erect forts upon that river, as a direct infringement on their vights. This conduct of the French was not calculated to assauge the temper of the Mohawks, already in an alarming state, caused by their having been overreached, as they alleged, in some sales of land to the whites. Added to this, while they wit- nessed the active movements of the French, they saw no corresponding activity on the part of the government of New York, either for resisting these encroachments, or for protecting them in their castles. In truth, there was cause for this feeling. The strange apathy of the parent government in thwarting the designs of the French, and the criminal neglect of the assembly to protect the fron- '- Colonsl Johnson to Governor Clinton, 30th April 1753. / . LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 421 1768. tiers, gave truth to the remark of King Ilendrik, that ''^^• " the council and as embly dont take care of Albany, but' leave it naked r.nd defenceless, and dont care what becomes of our nation, but sit in peace and quietness, while we are exposed to the enemy." The Indian commissioners at Albany never had had either the confidence or the affection of the Six ITations, and since the resignation of Colonel Johnson, they had been sadly neglected. The Mohaws at length became so u'-easy, that, after appealing in vain to the commissioners at Albany, they determined to apply at head quarters for the redress of their grievances ; and accordingly Hendrik, accompanied by several of the Mohawk chieftains, visited Governor Clinton at New York during the session of the assembly. The reproaches of the great Mohawk chieftain against the council and assembly, for their indifference and cruel neglect of his nation, were affecting, yet bitterly severe. The grievances, to which they had been subjected in being imposed upon in the sales of their lands, were especially dwelt upon. Reminding them of the aid which they had received from him in times past, he accused them of having embroiled his nation with the French, and then refusing to protect their castles from the revenge of their enemy ; the hatchet, also, which had been placed in their hands by the government, was still there, never having been taken back.^ Hitherto, he continued, you have de- sired that the paths should be kept open by us, but now, you make no effort to keep the French from closing them, but throw the whole burden upon us. If, therefore, you do not endeavor to redress our grievanced, the rest of our brethren of the Six Nations shall know of it, and all paths shall be stopped. Dreading, aleo, the formalities of diplo- matic etiquette, which always was a terror to the Indians, 'It was always customary, at the close of hostilities, to make their Indian allies presents, when the hatchet was formally buried. Hendrick alludes held to this ceremony having been neglected. I v)Wf'^ ,t » ■'.■ 422 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. OHLAP. and recollecting the long delay in the exchange of pri- v_v— soners, Hendrik, now grown desperate, could not brook 1763. njjy delay. He therefore closed his speech with this caustic remark: "We beg you will not b long considering it. Ycu may, perhaps, tell us, you will write to our Father the King, but that will be too long, "We therefore desire you will do something immediately, or tell ub at once, you will do nothing at all for us." Before Mr. Clinton replied to Hendrik, the committee, to whom had been entrusted the business of invegftigating the complaints of the Mohawks regarding their land sales, reported, through Mr. Holland, that all the lands, in the purchase f which the Indians alleged they had been de- frauded, had been patented many years before his excel- lency had taken the reins of government ; and that it was therefore impossible, by examining the grants registered in New York, to determine whether the persons who had purchased of the Indians had imposed upon them or not. This, Mr. Clinton explained to Hendrik in his answer- ing speech, but stated, that a conference would be held with them at Albany during the summer ; and as regarded the alleged land frauds^ he would put their complaints into the hands of the Indian commissioners, who would see that justice was done them. The angry feelings, however, of Hendrik and his brother chiefs, were too deeply rooted, to be thus easily eradicated by the promise of a conference. Having but a poor idea of the justice to be obtained at Albany, they immediately retired in disgust, but not be- fore Hendrik had delivered the following philippic : " Brother: When we came here to relate our grievances about our lands, we expected to have something done for us, and we have told vou that the covenant chain of our forefathers was like to be broken, and you tell us, that we shall be redressed at Albany ; but we know them so well, that we will not trust to them, for they are no people, but devils, so we rather desire that you will say nothing shall be done for us. By and by, you will expect to see the LIPB OF BIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 428 nations down, which you shall not see, for as soon as we chap. . XII. come home, we will send up a belt of wampum to our^^— ' brethren the Five Nations, to acquaint them the covenant ^^^*' chain is broken between you and us. So you are not to expect to hear of me any more, and we desire to hear no more of you. And we shall no longer acquaint you with any news or a£fairs as we used to do." The alleged grievances respecting the land frauds might be redressed ; but these threats, in the present critical state of the country, and the ruinous condition of the for- tiScations, might not so easily be ignored or despised. Accordingly, Mr. Clinton sent down a message to the as- semblj, on the ninth of June, informing that body of the conference which he had just held with the Mohawk chief; urging that immediate measures should be taken to calm the temper of the Indians, and to secure their alli- ance. This intelligence at once aroused the assembly from its shameful apathy, and showed them the necessHy of immediately providing for the .nterests and safety of the colony. It forthwith voted the sum of two hundred pounds, in addition to the eight hundred before voted, to be given to the Indians to assist in burying the hatchet ; and, on the sixteenth, it resolved, that an humble ad- dress should be presented to his excellency, praying that he would be pleased, " in this extraordinary conjunction of Indian affkirs, to meet the Six Nations of Indians at Albany this summer in person, to renew the ancient alliance with them, and to bury the hatchet." A few days afterward. Mi'. Clinton sent down to the house copies of Hendrik's tipeech, with the suggestion, that it would be expedient to send forthwith some man of influence to the several castles of the confederacy, who should lay before it the injustice done to the Mohawk chiefs, and prevent the mischievous consequences which would arise, should the threats of Hendrik be carried into effect. In answer to this message, and in accordance with its re- solve of the sixteenth, the house, on the twentieth, prepared «l :0m*'^ 424 LIFB OF 8IR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. f'i m 1768. CHAP, and sent in to the governor an elaborate address, in which v...^_,it confessed that the Indian uft'airs were in snch a critical state, that, "in their opinion, no commissioner that could be appointed would have so much weight among the Six Nations an himself." It hoped, therefore, that ho would not hesitate a moment in detei'mining to meet the Six Nations at Albany during the summer ; and, at the same time, ad- vised, that in accordance with his suggestion, two i)er8on8 of weight among the Indians should be dispatched with all possible haste to the several Indian castles, to induce them to meet him at Albany, there to adjust all their diffi- culties and complaints. The health of Mr, Clinton rendering it doubtful wl e- ther he should be able to meet the Indians during tie summer, he proposed to authorize such persons to attend in his place, as both branches of his legislature shoulc' agree in appointing. This suggestion was immediately acted upon by the assembly ; and the man that was selected to be the sole distributor of the presents, and the confidant of both houses, was Colonel Johnson !' Perhaps no better proof can b" adduced of the confessed ascendancy of the latter over the Indians, and of his known ability, than the joint address signed by James De Lancey and David Jones, to Mr. Clijiton, requesting a treaty for " appeasing the ill temper of the Indians," and praying that Colonel Johnson might be sent to Onondaga to meet the Confederacy.^ It is very certain, that with the known enmity with which at this time he was regarded by the chief justice, and with all the obstacles which had been continually thrown in the way of his collecting his accounts, if any other person had been capable, Johnson would have been the last one selected. But at this critical juncture, private enmity was forced to yield to the public good ; and both branches of the legis- lature united in declaring, " that, in their opinion. Colonel Johnson was the most proper person to be appointed to do > ManuHcripl couucil minutes. 'Do Lanoeyand DavidJones were at this time tbe speakers, respectively, of tho council and the assembly. LITB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSOX, BART. 425 jakers, respectively, thifl service ; and thoy humbly lioped Iuh excellency would chap. commiHsionato him. -«-v-- Agreea])ly to this request, Colonel JohnBon at once set^*^**- out on his mission. His journey was somewhat Imstened by intelligence, received prior to his departure, that a party of the Six Nations, in violation of their treaty, had recently returned, from the country of the Catawbas, bringing with them scalps and prisoners; and as serious trouble was likely to result from this, unless such conduct was speedily stopped, no time was to be loftt. On his arri- val at Mount Johnson, both of the Mohawk castles were Bummoned to meet him at his house the twenty-sixth of July. The Indians came with alacrity, delighted, as they expresGPd it, that he was again " raised up," and wasonce more to oe the organ of communication between their people and the English. Weary of the frauds practised upon them, since ho had resigned the charge of their affairs, the Indians came to him as to a father anxious to unbosom all their griefs ; for, in the language of Ilendrik on this occasion, " where should they resort to when any- thing laid heavy on their hearts, but where they had always found satisfaction, whatever might trouble them." Contrary to the usage of the Indians, when called to a council, Hendrik opened the conference by speaking first. If anyone, other than Johnson, he said, had sent for them, they would not have " moved a foot ;" but now they would cheerfully listen to what he had say. The answer of Johnson was kind, yet full of stern reproof for their past behavior. The unreasonableness of their demands and threats which they had so freely expressed in New York, was dwelt upon at length. The governor, he said, was grieved to think that they whom he had always supposed were such sincere friends, should with such loud and foul words, soil that chain, which had been made by their wise forefathers, and which had remained until now bright and unsullied ; the expectation of Governor Clinton, of soon leaving the province, 04 ■1^> 426 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. \J OHAir. togothor with his ill health, proventod him from meeting w^,— 'thorn at this time, hut his Huccowsor would have time to 17M. jjggp their complainta and to quiet their minds ; hence, ho was empowered to go to Onondaga, and treat with the Six NationH in the governor's name, and ho now invited thtui all to join with him in such steps vm would insuro a hurniu- nious meeting. The Indians, in their reply on the fol- lowing day, said thoy had heard his remarks with "willing ears," which would never bo eftaced from the minds of the youngest person present, Altnough sensibly affected by the neglect with which they had been treated, yet they would once more, on his solicitation, bury their animosities in a pool so deep as never to be thongiit of again." Thus, through the singular ascendancy of Johu- Bon, the Mohawks, lately so tierce and implacable, once more became docile and good humored. ; In September, the colonel set out for the great council fire of the Six Nations, which was ever kept burning, and arrived there on the eighth of the same month. About a mile from the town he was met by the sachems, and escorted, with all the forms of Indian ceremonial, to the shore of the lake, where he encamped. The chiefs hav- ing signified their readiness to receive him that same day lie went directly to the council. As soon as he was seated, Red Head, the chief sachem of the Onondagas, rose and presented him with a belt of wampum, requesting Lira to "wipe away his tears, and speak freely."' * " The original wampum of the Iroquois, in which the laws of the league were recorded, was made of spiral fresh-water shells, ott-k6-d, which were strung on deer skin strings, or sinew, and the strands braided into belts, or simply united into strings. Hubbard thus speaks uf wampum m gene- ral: "It is of two sorts, white and purj)le. The white is worked out of the inside of the great conch into the form of a bead, and perforated to string on leather. The purple is worked out of the inside of the mnsole shell. They are woven broad as one's hand, uid about two feet long. These they call belts, and give and receive at their treaties as the seals of their friendship." It was first known in New England as waiupumpesg, and the art of making it was obtained from the Dutch, i^oording to Hutch- inson, about 1627." — Morgan's League ofthe Iroquois. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNBON, BART. 427 From luecting have time to ds ; hence, ho twith the Six J invited them iHuro a harnio- ily on the I'ol- roinarke witli aced from thf nough sensibly i been treated, tiou, bury their be thought of dancy of Johu- tnplacable, ouce e great couucil }pt burning, and lonth. About a s sachems, and •emonial, to tlio The chiefs hav- m that same day as he was seated, idagas, rose and questing him to the laws of the league , o<«-M-(i, which were ds braided into belts, of wampum in gene- ie is worked out of the ad, and perforated to inside of the muscle about two feet long, .-eatiea as the seals ol .and as wampumpeBg, ,, according to Hutch- Having by the distribution of a few prosonts disposed cha» the Indians to a favorable liearinic, the colonel announced wy.w the e)q)octed arrival of a now governor, who would meet ^^^*- them in a short time with presents, and hear all of their grievances. Until then, lie charged them to live in har- mony with their English brethren. In reference to the incursions upon the Southern Indians, ho was exceedingly grieved to loam that some of their people had returned with scalps and prisoners from the Catawbfts, with whom, in his presence, they had made such a solemn treaty ; and that unless this affair was speedily settled, it would remain an indellible stain upon the character and faith of their nation. Ho therefore urged them to immediately return the prisoners, and commit no farther hostilities. In regard to • le Fren \ — " are you willing," said he, "that they should dispo<- oss you of the rich lands and fair fields along the Ohio, your ancestral inheritance ! No, rather quench tVi *ire already lighted by them, at Swegachey,' and call in your warriors that have wandered oft", that united, you may crush them ! The paths, likewise, to this place, are almost choked with weeds, and the fire that once burned so brightly, nearly extinguished." He was there- fore charged by the governor, to rekindle the fire with Huch wood, as should never go out. "I now," he con- tinued, " renew the fire, sweep and clean all your rooms with a new white wing, and leave it hanging near the fire place, that you may use it for cleaning all the dust and dirt, which may have been brought in by strangers, no friends to you or us." By such appeals, was there a direct road opened to the hearts of these metaphor-loving people. Two days afterwards. Red Head thanked him for giving tho Six Nations notice of the expected arrival of the new governor; adding that whenever he chose to convene them they would cheerfully attend. In the meantime, brother "Warohiyatighey might rest assured that the ancient friendship for the English was undiminished. It was not ' La Presentation, now Ogdcnsburgh. r «• LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. I*. • i |i^?- cHAi».with their oonsent, ho continued, that the French had s«yw occupied the Ohio, but really they did not know what the 1768. English and French together intended ; " for they were already so hemmed in by both, that hai-dly a hunting place was left ; so that even if they should find a bear in a tree, there would immediately appear an owner of the land, to challenge the property." Regarding the Catawbas, their answer was less satisfactory. They deplored, it is true, the violation of the treaty, but declined giving a definite answer upon this point, until the meeting with the new governor. M'' !i .if tj' -^ • • .■!, : .., .;<;.;,;'' This conference, considering the previously excited state of the Indians, was considered by the colonel as quite successful ; a full account of which was enclosed by him in a letter to Mr. Clinton upon his return home on be twenty-fourth.^ ■ .' 'fit':?.'! , t : ! ; ■ ! ' ' ; ' i f i Mr. Clinton was at his country seat at Flushing, Long island, when his successor, Sir Danvers Osborne, arrived. ^ This was on Stinday, the seventh of October. The coun- cil, mayor) corporation, and the chief citizens, met the new governor on his arrival, and escorted him to the council chamber. The following day, Mr. Clinton called upon him, and they both dined with the members of the council. On Wednesday morning, Mr. Clinton administered to him 1 For this letter, as well as for a f\ill and detailed account of this meet- ing at Onondaga, the reader is referred to the Documtntary Hiitory of .Yew York, ii, 630. It will be noticed that nothing was said to the Indians at this time in relation to " burying the hatchet." Shortly before the conference, Colonel Johnson wi-ote to Mr. Clinton that in the present state of hostili- ties with the French, he did not think it advisable to take the hatchet out of their hands; and by the advice of the council, to whom his letter wns referred, Mr. Clinton countermanded his instruction to Johnson iu tiiis particular. — Council minutes. »Mr, Clinton, whose health had been muoh impaired by the severity of the American winters, had often requested to be recalled, and at one time had disposed of all his furniture preparatory to that step. It was not, how- ever, until this year that the crown saw fit to grant the required permission and appoint a euccessor. m LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 429 with the new xn. 1753, the oath of office and delivered to him the seals ; at the chap. same time delivering to James De Lancey his commission as lieutenant governor. As soon as these forms were finished, Governor Osborne, attended by the council and Mr. Clinton, set out for the town hall, where the new com- mission was usually read to the people. Scarcely, however, had the procession advanced a few steps, when the rabble, incited, it is su,id, by the De Lancey faction, insulted Mr. Clinton so grossly, as to compel him to leave the party, and retire into the fort. In the evening cannon were fired, bon fires lighted, fireworks displayed, and the whole city was given up to a delirium of joy. Amid all these rejoicings, the new governor sat in his room gloomy and sad, and seemingly averse to conversation retired early. On Thurs- day morning he informed the council that his strict orders were to insist upon an indefinite support for the govern- ment, and desired to have the opinion of the board upon the probabilities of its success. ^ It was universally agreed by the members present, that the assembly never would submit to this demand, and that a permanent support could not be enforced. Turning to Mr. Smith, who had hitherto remained silent, he requested his opinion, which being to the same eft'ect as that just expressed, Mr. Osborne sighed, and leaning against the window with his face partially con- cealed exclaimed, in great mental distress, "Then what am I sent here for!" ^ That same evening he was so unwell that a physician was summoned, with whom he conversed for a little time, and then retired to his chamber, where he spent most of the night in arranging his private affairs. In the morning he was found suspended from the top of the garden fence, dead. ' ' ■ . x ' i f . . •. Sir Danvers Osborne had lost a wife to whom he was passionately attached, shortly before coming to 'New York. ' Council minutes. y 'Smith. 'Manuscript aflBdaTits of Philip Crosby and John Milligan before the council. Sworn to, Oct. 12, 1763, and now preserved in the secretary of state's office, Albany, N. Y. th'. 1 '^^ 430 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1763. CHAP. This acting upon a mind morbidly sensitive, had thrown *-v— ' him into a melancholy bordering upon insanity. He came to the government, charged with instructions much more stringent in their tone than those given to his predecessor ; and knowing the difficulty which Mr. Clinton experienced during his administration, he saw before him only a suc- cession of storms and tempests. Almost the first words of the city corporation in their address to him in the town hall — "that they would not brook any infringement of their liberties civil and religious,' — convinced Mr. Osborne of the utter impossibility of the task assigned him. All these causes working upon a morbid state of mind, — wishing to carry out his instructions on the one hand, yet seeing its utter hopelessness on the other, — produced a temporary insanity, in which state he committed the rash act. Party rage, it is true, threw out suspicions of unfair play ; and the council even thought it worth while to appoint a com- mittee to investigate more fully the circumstances of his death ; but these suspicions, it was made clearly evident, were entirely without foundation.^ Immediately on the death of Governor Osborne, Mr. De Lancey, by virtue of his commission as lieutenant governor, assumed the reins of government. The role which he was now to play, though difficult, was acted with his usual shrewdness and address. He had now to con- vince the ministry that he was zealous in the promotion of the interests of the crown ; while at the same time, if he would retain his own popr larity, he must show the assem- bly that he was true to his former principles, and by no means required a compliance with the instructions, which, on the part of his majesty, he should present to them. Of the instructions given by the crown to Osborne, which were now to be submitted by his successor, the thirty-ninth article was the most obnoxious. The impression was prevalent that the increasing power of Mr. De Lancey, and the ferment raised against Mr. Clinton's administration, I Council minutea. ^rt-^ If. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 431 , had thrown ,y. He came 3 much more predecessor ; 1 experienced a only a sue- first words of the town hall^ ment of their p. Osborne of m. All these [^—wishing to , yet seeing its i a temporal^ ash act. Party kfair play ; and appoint a com- mstances of his clearly evident, Osborne, Mr. as lieutenant ent. The role , was acted with id now tocon- le promotion of ame time, if te ihow the assein- ples, and by no ructions, which, mt to them. Of )rne, which were the thirty-ninth impression was De Lancey, and adminiHtration, 1768 was the occasion of the insertion of this article ; providing chap. as it did, for an indefinite support, and a competent salary » to all the civil officers of the colony. * The lieutenant governor in his opening message to the assembly, the last day of October, with consummate tact, said : " You will perceive by the thirty-ninth article of his majesty's instructions to Sir Danvers Osborne, (copies of which I shall herewith deliver you) how highly his majesty is displeased at the neglect of and contempt shown to his royal commissions and instructions, by your passing laws of so extraordinary a nature, and by such your unwar- rantable proceedings, particularly set forth in this instruc- tion; hence also his majesty's royal pleasure as to these matters will appear, and what he expects fi-om you. On this head, I must observe to you, that by our excellent con- stitution the executive power is lodged in the crown ; that all government is founded on a confidence that every person will discharge the duties of his station ; and if there shall be any abuse of power that the legal and regular course is to make application to his majesty, who, having a frater- nal tenderness to all his subjects, is always ready to hear and redress their grievances." To the assembly, in par- ticular, he adds : " I must earnestly press it upon you, that in preparing your bill for the support of government and other public services, you pay a due regard to his majesty's pleasure signified in his instructions ; and frame them in such a manner, as, when ia\d before me for my assent, I may give it consistent wit]> my duty to his . sty." Could anything be more satisfactory to the min in ap/)eamnce than this message ? "As his majesty's repre- sentative, he was obliged to urge their compliance with seeming sincerity and warmth ; but as James De Lancey, their old friend and best adviser, it was his real sentiment, 'Letter to a nobleman. Mass. Hist. Col., vol. 7, II series, p. 81. The members comprising the executive council at this time, were Messrs, Colden, Alexander, Kennedy, De Lancey, Clarke, jun., Murray, Holland, Johnson, Chambers, and Smith. At ' 482 LIPB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1758 I! V CHAP, that never ought they to submit. ^ The answer of the assembly was equally studied ; — " On reading the thirty- ninth article of his majesty's iiistructions to Sir Danvers Osborne, your honor's immediate predecessor, rve are extremely surprised to find that the public transactions of this colony have been so maliciously represented to our most gracious sovereign. V^e can, sir, with truth and justice affirm, that his majesty has not in his dominions, a people more firmly, and that from principles of real aifec" tion, devoted to his person, family and government, than the inhabitants of this colony. And we are greatly at a loss to discover in what instances the peace and tranquility of the colony have been disturbed, or wherein order and government have been subverted. If the aourse of justice has been obstructed, or in any case perverted ^ it has beea by the direction or through the means of Mr. Clinton, late governor of this province, who sent peremptory orders to the judges, clerk, and sheriff of Dutchess county, to stay pro- cess, and stop the proceedings in several cases of private property depending in that court, and also did in other counties commissionate judges and justices of known ill character and extreme ignorance; and others were so shamefully ignorant and illiterate, as to be unable to write their own names, from whence we greatly fear that justice has in many cases been partially, or very unduly admin- istered."" By such false charge? did the assembly attempt to injure Mr. Clinton, for the sake of gratifying its per- sonal enmity. False they undoubtedlj wore. The riots commenced in Dutchess county, to which allusion is here made, were brought against their captains by those who had deserted the expedition to Canada in 1746 ; and Mr. Clinton had confessed at the time to the house, that his letters to the justices had been written ignoran+^v and in haste, and that if any one was injured he wouid pay out of his own purse his damages. As to the charge of t Letter to a nobleman. •Council minutes. LIFB OF 8IK WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 483 appointing ignorant men, he was not the only governor chap. who had erred in a similar manner ; and indeed Mr. De w^ Lancey himself was not free from the same charge. * i'^^. The change in the administration, was, however, pro- ductive of one good result — that of infUsing into the assembly a desire to take active measures for the defence of the province. All the wishes. of the governor on this point — as indeed on every other — ^were promptly responded to. On his sending down to them a letter from the earl cf Holdeness, urging that measures should be immediately taken to resist the incursion of the French, it was deter- mined to assist the neighboiing colonies, some of whom had written for aid, and to meet force by force. Eight hun- dred pounds were voted for Indian presents, and one hun- dred and fifty pounds for his voyage to Albany. Fifteen hundred and fifty pounds were voted for his salary,- a much larger sum than ever before given to any lieutenant governor ; and also the arrearages of his pay as chief jus- tice up to the twelfth of October.* Before the clooe of the session, an elaborate complaint to the crown, and a representation to the board of trade against Mr. Clinton were drawn up, and forwarded through Mr. DeLancsy ard Mr. Charles to the home government. The assembly was then prorogued to the first Tuesday of the following March, — the lieutenant governor "tenderly remarking before they parted, that they "must be sensible they had not acted with his majcBty's royal instructions." ' Fpon the death of Sir Danvers Osborne, Mr. Clinton retried to the west end of Long Island, whence he embarked shortly afterward for England. Before he sailed, Mr. De Lancey, anxious to secure his influence in England, endeavored to «»ffect a reconciliation, and doubtless would have succeeded, had not Mrs. Clinton, by jk "nfluence, 'Letter to a noblei .ait. 'Council minutes. > Smith. V^ 66 484 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BIRT. IM CHAP, thwarted his designs. * On his return home, Mr. Clinton w^-^ received the governorship of Greenwich hospital, a sine- I7i>y. t;are, ' and on the death of Admiral Stewart in the month of Mai'c;h, 1767, became admiral of the fleet. '' Having thiiH ol«i. ned the highest rank in the service, with unsullied rewitaiio > and the justly acquired character of meriting, on all •;■ ' .sions, the good will of his countrymen, he died on the tputh of July, 1761, in the seventy-fifth year of his 0g6."» The chpracter of Mr. Clinton has not, I think, been fairly di-aAv.'!. "ihose, upon whose opinions his character rests, wore persons living at the same day, and who, influenced * -y part} strife, were not in a position to judge impartially. He wa« an uncouth and unlettered admiral, who had been, through the Newcastle interest, appointed to the chair of governor. He was evidently unsuited to his position ; and his former profession, in which he had always been accus- tomed to command, illy fitted him to brave the rebuffs and the opposition of party faction. His manner, too, was not such as to win friends. Having to depend entirely upon the advice of those around hira, he was often the dupe of those better versed in the arts of diplomacy than himself. But I look in vain for that love of ease, to the neglect of his official duties, of which he is accused by Mr. Smith. On the contrary, although he relied too much on the advice of others for his own good, yet it was caused more by a consciousness of a lack of education, than by a desire to shirk action. In +he (>are of the Indians he was indefatigable, as appears by his large correspondence with Colonel Johnson and the officers of the different frontier poses. He labored incessantly with his assembly to make them realize the condition of the colony, and had they met his views half way, or even manifested u tythe of his energy, 1 Letter to a nobleman. 'The adn:ini -ation or . Clinton, as gove "or o*" tte colony, occupied ten years, he having a • ,ved as governor in Septt nber 1743. ^Biographia Navulit, by John Charnock; London, 1790. I home, Mr. Clinton ich hospital, a sine- Stewart in the month the fleet. " Having grvice, with unsullied aaracter of meriting, countrymen, he died 'enty-tifth year of his ot, I think, been fairly B his character rests, , and who, influenced t to judge impartially, dmiral, who had been, ointedtothe chair of ed to his position; and lad always been accus- ) brave the rebufl's and lis manner, too, was y to depend entirely lira, he was often the irts of diplomacy than at love of ease, to the lich he is accused by agh he relied too much good, yet it was caused f education, than by a of the Indians he was ■e correspondence with t the difierent frontier _ his assembly to make )lony, and had they met lutythe of his energy, or o' tlie colony, occupied epti liber 1743. ndon, 1790. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 485 the province of New York would not have presented such c»\p. an inviting field for the encroachments of the French. <—.y—' He is accused of amassing by unfair means a large fortune ^^^^• while governor, yet he freely advanced out of his private purse large sums for the exigencies of the Indian affairs, and many times saved the Six Nations from defection, and the province from the horrors of a predatory warfare, when it was impossible to rouse the assembly to a sense of danger. Indeed, I think it may safely be said, that had it not been ,.^,,, for the untiring efforts of Mr. Clinton ^nd Colonel John- '"^• son, the Six Nations would have been completely won over ^ by the French, and the fire-brand and tomahawk carried down to the very gates of New York. Hi: "i.ii ■1- ;, I ( V-^'li 1-!.'.|.- I'i ./:'. 11 •i'% // '>ih pi i'tn. ; I : -' ii ! ;1 li v;m. ■a ! : M - iiiil-i i: :i ilv .' I ! 11 r- M'v; I i ; I ; , ; 1 1 '< .!:■ (I M ,^' oHi- •i' ll'l . J-/ . : ■ ■ , - ■ ■: ■.■>:i( '.- ' \ .1 1.1 ■ .' ' I, , I .'n '■i CHAPTER XIIL !1 ,1) 1758—1754. •'I I' CHAP XIII. Tli6 p'erida k noiv reached, when the Acihfif public life of Colonel Johnson begins. In order to cortectly appre- 1763. ciate his fUture career, it is necessary to understand fully the complications which had again arisen between the English and the French; and which led to a renewal of hostilities between those two nations, finally culminating in the war, which shook both hemispheres to their very centres. The treaty of Aix La Chapelle, as remarked in the last chapter, was in its eft'ect only a truce. The boundaries between the lands belonging to the crowns of England and France, were left as indefinite after, as before the treaty ; and consequently, those lands, to the possession of which both claimed a right, were still in dispute. The valley of the Ohio, with its noble forests and alluvial meadows, presented to the eyes of both governments a tempting prize, which each was unwilling to relinquish. The grounds on which France founded her right to the ownership of this fair domain, were discovery and occu- pancy. She insisted that La Salle, Father Marquette and others had sailed down the Mississippi, and that settle- ments had been made in the vicinity of Lake Michigan and on the Wabash, long before it had been travelled by any Englishman. On this point, however, the statements of the early French writers are very confused, and the fact itself is difficult to substantiate. The claims of Eng- land were infinitely broader. She had from the very lirst claimed from the Atlantic to the Pacific, on the ground that the discovery and assion of the sea board, was a LIFA of sill tVILLIAM JOHNSOK, BART. 48t f,,!;l ;!;.. Hv« ^tibtlc life )n*ectly appre- iderfttand fully n between the fco a renewal of lly culminating B to their very ked in the last Che boundaries -as of England as before the tie possession of dispute. The its and alluvial governments a ig to relinquish, ler right to the jovery and oecu- Marquette and and that settle- Lake Michigan eon travelled by r, the statements aifused, and the e claims of Eng- om the very first on the ground sea board, was a discovery of the whole country lying between the two oha». oceans. So far, indeed, as actual discovery was an argu- <-.y— / ment, she insisted upon it Very little. It is true, that in ^''^^* 1742, John Howard, crossing the mountains, launched a canoe of Buffalo hide, and sailed down the Ohio, reaching the Mississippi, only to bo captured by the French. Con- rad Weiser, the Pennsylvania interpreter, had also in 1748 taken a trip to Logstown, an Indian canton on the Ohio, and distributed presents to the Indians. This, however, could give the English no claim, as neither of those per- sons made any settlements ; and besides, the entire Valley through which the former sailed, had been trapped and traversed long before by th6 French hunters and traders. But the chi J\ extreme suspicion the designs of the English — had been won >ver, commissioners were sent in May 1762, to Logstow ) treat with the Mingoes, Shaw- nees and Ohio Indians. On the Lancaster treaty being produced, and the western lands under that treaty claimed, the chiefs indignantly replied that " they had not heard of any sale west of the warriors' road, which ran at the foot of the Alleghany ridge." "While they acknowledged the treaty of Lancaster, and the authority of the Six iTatione, they denied that it gave the English any claim to land west of the AUeghanies ; but, added the half king, " as the French have already struck our frienc -, the Miamis, we I Sparks's Wathington, ii, 478. 'Idem. ■''''' If' LIFE or SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 489 therefore dcHire that our brothors of Virginia will build aoHAp. strong house at the fork of the Monongahela." Not satis- »-,,w lied, however, with this, the commissionors prevailed upon l^^*- Captain Montour to use his influence with the Indians, to eft'ect a sale of the lands in question.' The influence of the half breed was successful ; and upon the thirteenth of June a deed, signed by all the chiefs, was given, "con- firming the Lancaster treaty in its full eft'eot" and guaranty- ing that the settlements south-east of the Ohio should not by them be molesto'l.* '''-'■ ■ .» •((■iiri.u- .';!«rtr ;.. -.m..,ii The French, iiituuwhile, were not indifterent to the designs of the English. It was evident to them, that if the latter were allowed to establish settlements and trading posts along the Ohio, it would interfere grievously with their own plans for its possession . The governors of Canada -crenerally military men — had watched their rivals with jealous eyes ; and for several years had selected and fortified such positions as would best command an ascendency over the Indians, and secure a rendezvous from which to make incursions upon the northern frontiers.' The spiritual arm was also called to their aid, and missionary stations, *' deep in the wilderness," quietly went on with the work of con- version. As soon therefore as La Jonqui^re, the Canadian governor, heard of the formation of the Ohio company, deemi. ; it an intrusion into " the dominions of his most Christian majesty," he wrote to the governors of New York and Pennsylvania, informing them of the encroachments of the English traders upon French territory, and threaten- ' I 1 1 . III 'Pioh-j-bly Henry Mintun, the Indian Interpreter — son of Catherine Mon- tour — to v'Lom allusion hat been made in a former chapter. 'Ill tills iiiscussion of the French and English claims to the Ohio valley, I haro freely consulted a very able paper in the North Ameriean Review for July 1839, — entitled, "A review of travels through the interior parts of North America, in the years 1766, 1767, and 1768." It has been stated that a few Iroriuois chiefs were present at the Logstown treaty. This hoyf- ever, is denied by ColonelJohnson in a letter to Governor Clinton. Doc, Ilis.N. Y., ii, 624. , , ; ' Marshall. t'l ,'y^PN' IT? 5iO Liri OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, B4&T, OHAF. inj? that unlesB they immediately withdrew he should Heiz* s«^— /tiicm "wherever found."' No uotico being taken of this I'W. throat, La Jonqui^re proved its sincerity by seizing, in thu summer of 1752, some English traders among the Tuigh. wees, and confining them for a time nt Prosque IsIq ou Lakq Erie, whore a strong fort at that timo was erootingii Sim- ultaneously, by a chain of posts along the French creek and Alleghany river, a communication was opened from Presque Isle to the Ohio, which was kept clear by detugh- mcnts of troops stationed at convenient distances ; — twelve hundred men being sent at one tim^, as was meutioaed in the last chapter, for this purpose. Uiju-i .dt (i. ^-i^ The Ohio company, justly considering these proceedings as a direct intrusion upon the lands which, as part of Vir- ginia, had been granted it by the crown, complained bitterly of this grievance, and called ppon Robert Din- widdie, the lieutenant governor of that province, to demand that these aggressions should bo stopped. This gentleman having laid the matter before his assembly, that body resolved that a messenger should be sent to Le Gardeur St. Pierre, commander of the French troops then stationed in the west, to r^moaetr^te Yrith him ^^ainst those encroach- ments. • ... ' The messenger to whom was entrusted this delicate mission, was George Washington. His coolness, knowledge of woodcraft, and familiarity with hardship, acquired in his profession of surveyor, eminently qualified him for the undertaking. Late in October, 1,7^3, he set out from "Wil- liamsburgh, and arrived at "Wells creek' in fourteen days. Here being joined by an Indian and a French interpreter, the young envoy, with Gist as a guide, hastened forward. Before he would reach his destination, four hundred miles of a trackless wilderness was to be traversed, full of savage men and savage beasts, and deep with the early snows of winter. Yet in the face of sleet, and rain, and 1 Marfihall. Ls Jonqui^re to Clinton, Col Hist. N. T. .. * Cumberland. ,, LIFB OF SIR WILLI/ 1N80N, DAUT. 441 e should Beizfi taken of tins leizing, w tho [ig tho Tuigli. le lale on Lake rootingf Sim- French creek a opened from lear hy detiiQli- mcea ;— twelve B meutioued in i •iifi 'it> '•'r, ese proceedings as part of Vir- rn, qomplttined a llohert Din- at province, to stopped. This isassemhlyjtliat nttoLeGardeur pa then stationed these wcroach- ,^d this delicate luess, knowledge hip, acquired in lifiedhimforthe et put from Wil- in fourteen days, ench interpreter, astened forward. I, four hundred traversed, full of p with the early et, and rain, and l)rO'.i.r. ,.: ,,»«i,'» ...i. »,,.;,.( Tho answer of St. Pierre,— rwhich was to the effect that be had taken possession of tho Ohio under the authority of bis general, the governor of Canada, to whom ho would refer the matter and abide by his decision, — convinced the assembly of Virginia that tho Ohio would not be given up without a severe struggle. Acting with these views, Governor Dinwiddle wrote to the board of trade Informing it that a descent of the Ohio was meditated early , in the spring by some fifteen hundred French and Indians, having for its design the entire occupation of the valley of that river. At the same time he sent expresses to the govern- ors of New York and Pennsylvania for aid, and proceeded, at the suggestion of his council, to raise two companies of troops — one of which was to be given to Washington, while a backwoodsman, by the name of Trent, was to raise the other and proceed at once to the frontier, to aid in completing a fort, already begun by the Ohio company at the confluence of the Alleghany and the Monongahela. Having thus briefly sketched the progress of events in the Ohio valley up to the opening of this year — 1754, 1 now return to affairs in tho province of New York. ,..; The general assembly met on the nii^th of April. In his opening message, Mr. Do Lancey informed the legislature of the recent encroachments of the French upon theterri- >W»terford. , 'For a full aooount of this journey, see Washington's journal on th^s oooasion in Spavke'e Wathinffton, yol. ii, Appendix. P»6 U'4 442 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CTTAP- tory of his majesty, and of their preparations for its secure xiu. occupancy by the erection of a chain of forts fi'om Lake 1764. jjrig ^Q tije Ohio. In connection with tliis, the determina- tion of Virginia to resist these aggressions, and her request for aid from the colony of New Yoik was alluded to — as was also the defenceless condition of their own northern frontier, and the urgent necessity for the erection of more forts for its protection. The importance of the trading post at Oswego, moreover, was such as to need no argument to induce them to vote a sum sufficient for its thorough repair, for, situated on the direct route of the French to the Ohio, it was liable at any time to be attacked. It was his hope, therefore, in view of the expectations which his majesty had expressed in the earl of Holdernesse's letter, that ample means would be granted not only for transporting two of the independent companies to Virginia, treating with the Six Nations, and tbrtifying the northern frontier, but also for their share of any expense that might be incurred by the colonies for the public welfare. The assembly, in their answer on the twelfth, admitted that the several matters recommended by his excellency were certainly of tlie utmost importance " to all his majesty's colonies upon the continent, and ought to be esteemed a public concern." In view likewise of the active operations of the French, and their efforts to secure all the Indian nations in their interest, Virginia, they thought, was deserving of all praise for her vigorous action. So far all was well ; but with a niggardly spirit, rendered the more glaring by their seeming appreciation of the critical state of affairs, regretted, iu the very same paragraph, that the paucity of the colony would prevent them affording all that assistance to their sister colony that they could wish. The reason of this inability, they said, was the large debts that the colony had already incurred for its own pi*otection, — especially the great expense to which it had been subjected in building the forts at Albany, Schenectady, Fort Hunter and Oswego. Moreover, all that the colony could raise would be hardly LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 448 sufficient for the defence of its own frontiers, menaced as chap. much by the French settlement at Crown Point, as werev-v-' the southern colonies by the forts along the Ohio ^ They, i'*^ however, voted one thousand pounds for the aid of Vir- ginia, four hundred and fifty-six pounds for doubling the garrison at Oswego, and eleven hundred and fifty-six pounds for Indian presents, and the expense of the coming treaty. They also agreed to pay the charges incident to repairing Oswego, and bear their share in erecting forts along the frontier for mutual protection.' ,,,■<>: The excuse of the assembly for not doing more in aid of its sister colony, had it come from a body of men that had uniformly proved its patriotism by bdng ever alive to the interests of the colony, would have been amply sufficient; but emanating, as it did, from an assembly which had always manifested the greatest indifference to the welfare of the province, and which had left the settlers upon the frontier exposed to all the horrors of a merciless predatory warfare, its exduse was little better than a miserable shift. The trading house at Oswego had been left for two years past with a miserable roof of bark, although its condition had been frequently called to their attention,* and the frontier fortifications were not in a much better condition. The fort at Saratoga had been burned and abandoned because they had refused to keep it in a proper state of defence ; the friendship of the Six Nations had been spurned, and Colonel Johnson quarreled with, for bringing these matters to their attention, — so tiiat this sudden anxiety for the security and welfare of the colony, was simply ridiculous. The argument, advanced by tlie assembly — that the king should aflford the means for the protection of his own dependencies was true, so far as the rights of the crown were involved in the defence of the colonies ; but the pro- tection of the firesides of the colonists themselves, when ' Journals of the assembly. 'Idem. See also Smith. 'ManuBoript oounoil minutes. r ! *'^, ' 444 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, only their individual interests were at stake, certainly w,,_/ should not have been a burden upon the home government. 1764. Mr. j)o Lancey, deeming the answer of the assembly unsatisfactory, reminded it in a special message on the nineteenth, of the resolution passed at its fall session " to repel force by force." Quoting an extract from a letter lately received from the board of trade — to the effect that high expectations had been raised in the mind of his majesty by that resolution, — he begged that it would act promptly upon this occasion, and send to Virginia the assistance which she so earnestly requested. To this the house replied by referring him to the resolution in ques- tion — " that they would assist any of his majesty's colonies to repel force by force wi case they were invaded" and evasively resolved that there had as yet been no invasion, as the fort which had been built by the French was at French creek, and " at a considerable distance from the river Ohio," tht cause of the dispute. The executive at once answered this quibble by stating that the forts in question had beeu erected in the country of the Fries — a nation e' : irely auni- hilatod by the Six Nations — and that as by the treaty of TTtretcht, the Six ISTations were the pubjects of Great J3rit- ain, the building of the forts " was evidently an invasion of his majesty's territories, though perhaps, not so clearly within the limits of any colony." The assembly, however, was not to be moved, anJ besides the bill for raising t'le supplies had already been Lent up to the council for ihe action of that body. This bill, which provided that the different sums should be issueJ by the treasurer on the receipts of the persons named thei "^in, and not by the wtir- rant from the governor, nor with vhe " consent of his majesty's council," was deemed by th? council not to he in accordance with the " commission and instructions," niid was therefore sent back to the house for revision. Tbis the latter refused to do, alleging that the bill Avas according "to a method long pursued, settled with, and Holenmly agreed to, by the late Governor Clinton ;" but in auBWOi' LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 445 ke, certainly government, the assembly issage on the 11 session " to from a letter the effect that > mind of \m t it would act Virginia the [. To this the lution in ques- jesty's colonies " and evasively ,sion, as the fort t French creek, iver Ohio," tht. 3e answered this ition had been )n c' ; irely anni- y the treaty of 3 of Great i3rit- y an invasion !, not so clearly emldy, 'however, for raising tlie council for the ovided that the treasurer on the not by the war- consent of Ills ouncil not to be structions," aw\ revision. Tbis ,ill was according and Holcniuly but in answer counselling CHAP. to another message from the executive, unanimity and dispatch, it agreed to frame a bill which should not be obnoxious to the above objections. Before, ^"^^^ however, the bill was reconsidered, it proceeded to vote the supplies which it was to contain, but made no allusion to the one thousand pounds lately voted to Virginia. This or^-ission was pointed out to their notice by Mr. De Lan- cey in a special message on the fourth of May ; and the assembly were specially urged not to omit the sum allowed to Virginia, which, by its having been previously voted, would remain an indellible stain on its reputation. In its answer the same day the house bluntly charged the coun- cil with the delay, and the withdrawal of aid from Vir- ginia. They farther said that when they promised to frame a bill which should obviate all objections, they referred only to those provisions which were absolutely necessary fv- the security of the colony — and that they did not con- sider themselves chargeable with any ill faith. In conclu- sion they, uttered a growl at the large sums of money they were forced to expend by so long a sitting, especially when they could be of no service, and requested that they might all be dismissed to their homes. Mr. De Lancey in his reply stated that he should lay a candid statement of their conduct before the king ; and having given his assent to those bills that were ready, prorogued the assembly. Meanwhile, Virginia was not idle. The assembly, though not without great unwillingness, voted ten thousand pounds for the defence of the province, and increased the two companies already formed to six.^ In answer also to the solicitations of Dinwiddle, a few troops arrived from South Carolina, and intelligence was received at nearly the same time that South Carolina had voted twelve thousand pounds for defence, and that four hundred volunteers would soon be on the way to Winchester. The prospect now looked more cheering ; and a regiment of six hundred men was immediately raised and placed under the command of 'Governor Diuwiddie to Lieutenant Governor De Lancey. mnc^'^m: '^^f* 446 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP. Colonel Joshua Fry, Washington being made second in. v-^^—/ command, with the rank of lieutenant colonel. The 1754. governor, in order to stimulate the military ardor of the people and give energy to enlistments, issued a proclama- tion, offering a bounty of two hundred thousand acres of land on the Ohio river, to be divided among those troops who should enlist for the proposed expedition, free from all quit rents for fifteen years. * All now was bustle and activity. Captain Trent, with forty-one men, pushed ahead to occupy the fort at the Monongahela. Young men, lured on by the tempting bounty, and seeing themselves in the future snugly esconced in comfortable farms, hastened to enlist. Cannon which had arrived from England for the fort at the fork, were hurried forward. All day long the farrier plied his forge, and at night the sparks from its huge chimney told of the work that was still going on within. Wagons were got in readiness, old firelocks mended, and swords which had been handed down as heir looms from father to son, were taken down from over the fireplace, polished, and made ready for service. As soon as the genial rays of the sun had unlocked the icy chains which bound the western streams. Colonel Washington set out from Alexandria, with two eomnanies — all that had been collected. The march was slow and painful. The melting snows and the warm days and cold nights of early spring rendered the roads nearly impassable. The baggage moved forward slowly from the scarcity of wagons in which to transport it, and the " self-willed and ungovernable" recruits under Washington rendered efficient concert of action almost impossible. Wills creek was at length reached upon the twentieth of April. Just before his entrance into this settlement. Colonel Washington wuh met by the ensign of Captain Trent's company. The intelligence brought by this messenger was mournful in the extreme. It was, that while his company were at work ' Sparks. LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 447 upou the fort, a body of one thousand French troops, com- R"-^^' manded by Contrecoeur, in three hundred and sixty bateaux, >-v— < had dropped down the river from Venango, and planting ^^^*' theii artillery before the fort, summoned them to surrender.* Although this estimate of the French forces was greatly exaggerated, yet resistance was of course hopeless, and the garrison surrendered, being allowed to retain their arms and tools. The fort waa forthwith occupied by Contrecoeur, completed and fortified with the cannon he had brought with him, and named in honor of the Canadian governor. Fort Du Quesne. * This was the beginning of the war. * On the reception of this news Washington halted, and sent back expresses to the governors of Virginia and Penn- sylvania, informing them of his critical situation, and urging them to hasten forward reinforcements. At the same time he called a council of war, in which, after con- sidering the evils that would result from the raw and undis- ciplined troops being left in idleness, it was determined to push forward at once to the confluence of the Red Stona creek and Monogahela, and employ the men in erecting a fortification at that place. While Washington, with his men, was preparing to cross the Youghiogeny by construct- ing a bridge over that river, a belt of wampum on the twenty-fifth of May reached him from the Half King. "Be on your guard," said the belt, "the French army intend to strike the first English whom they ahall see.'' Another report, the same day, confirmed this warning, with the additional intelligence that the French were only eighteen miles distant. Being ignorant of their stiength or of their movements, Washington fell back to the Great Meadows, threw up entrenchments, and cutting away the underbrush, prepared, to use his own language, " a charm- ing field for an encounter." Scouts, mounted upon wagon horses, were at the same time sent out to reconnoitre, but they returned without discovering any signs of the enemy. > Manuscript lettei' : Waehington to Oovernor HamiUon of FeunsylTania. »Now Pittaburg. 'Sparks. ,(irf»^ -"»»l.^ 448 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAHT. CHAP. On tlie twenty-seventh Gist amved from "Wills creek, and w^<_/ reported that a party of fifty French had visited thatsottle- 1754. nient the day previous, and that he had himself seen their trail within five miles of the Great Meadows. In the eve- ning of the same day, another express arrived from the Half King, who, with a party of his wamors was about six miles distant, to the effect that an armed hody of the French were skulking in the vicinity of his camp. Wash- ington at once took forty men, and pushing out into the night, black with wind and tempest, and stumbling through windfalls and over sharp rocks, reached the camp of the Half King a little whilfe before day. A council was imme- diately held, and two Indians having discovered the position of the enemy in a rocky ravine, it was determined at once to attack. Marching in single file with the troops on the right and the Indians on the lett, they came suddenly upon the French, though not so quickly, but that they had time to seize their arms. Both parties fired simultaneously, and a brisk action ensued, which, lasting for a quarter of an hour, resulted in the complete discomfiture of the enemj', whose commander, M. De Jumonville, and ten of liis men were killed, and twenty-two taken prisoners. Colonel Fry dying suddenly two days afterward at Pat- terson's creek, as he was hastoning forward to unite his forces with the advance, the entire command devolved upon Colonel Washington. Fearing that so soon as the news of De Jumonville's defeat reached the main body of the French, a large force would be sent out to meet him, he set his men to building a stockaded fort at the Great Meadows, which was appropriately called Fort Necessity. Several companies from South Carolina ' arriving at this time, serious difliculty arose between the commander of the South Carolina troops and "Washington, in relation to rank, and the latter to avoid altercation, ordered his own men to advance with the intention of investing Fort Du Quesne. Scarcely, however, had he advanced thirteen miles, when intelligence was received through Indian run- Is creek, and id that scttlo- slf seen their In the eve- ed from the •s was about 1 body of the amp. "Wash- cut into the bling through 3 camp of the icil was imme- ed the position •rained at once troops on the suddenly upon thoy had time Itaueously, and I quarter of an of the enemy, ;en of his men ;ei'ward at Pat- ird to unite his nand devolved 80 soon as the e main body of it to meet him, ■t at the Great Fort Necessity. arriving at this commander of 11, in relation to rdercd his own investing fort Ivanced thirteen ,ugh Indian run- LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ners, that Fort Du Quesne had been largely reinforced by troops from Canada, and that a large force of French and Indians were on their way to avenge the death of Jumonville. On the receipt of this intelligence, "Wash- ington immediately fell back to Fort Necessity, and began a moat around the stockade. Hardly had the hastily con- structed works been made at all tenuutable, when Dq Vil- liera, at the head of six hundred French and one hundred Indians, appeared in sight, and took possession of one of the eminences by which the fort was encompassed, A brisk fire of small arms was kept up by the French from behind treee, which was feebly returned by the men in the fort, owing to the rain which fell heavily having filled the trenches with water, and disabled many of their muskets, already sadly out of repair. The firing began at eleven o'clock in the morning, and lasted until eight in the eve^ ning, when De Villiers, fearing his ammuaition would giv9 out, sounded a parley, and sent into the garrison terms of capitulation. These terms, being interpreted to Wa»hingr ton, were accepted ; and the next morning, on the fourth of July, the garrison, taking with them everything but their artilleiy, marched out of the fort, with colors flying and drums beating. Thus were the French left in undisputed possession of the basin of the Ohio ; and the evening guns, from the waters of Lake Erie to the Delta of the Mississippi, saluted the lillies of France, which now waved proudly in th^ eve- ning breeze. 67 449 CHAP. XIU. 1764. — ■«K-. *#•• I'. CHAP. XIV. 1764. CHAPTER XIT While Wutiliington was engaged in erecting his rude little fortress at the Great Meadows, an event of far greater' moment was occurring at Albany. This was no less than a congress of commissioners from seven of the colonies, for the purpose of treating with the Six Nations, and uniting upon a plan of union for resisting the common enemy. The letter from the earl of Holdemesse, advising that the colonies should " repel force by force," had first directed attention to the importance of concerted action in resisting French aggressions ; and the reception, in the spring of this year, of letters from the lords of trade to the different colonial governors, directing that commissioners should be appointed to assemble at Albany — there to devise concerted action against the French — hastened the carrying out of this project. The object of this congress had been at first, uothiiig more than to conciliate the Six Nations, and pre- vent them from going over to the interest of the French. ' Governor Shirley, however, had conceived, early in r • is year, a general union of all the colonies for mutual pr ■ tection, and had taken the opportunity presented b;, this meeting, to suggest to the dift'erent governors that the del- egates to the convention should be instructed by their con- stituents to mature a plan for a general union. * The day appointed for the meeting of the commissioners was the fourteenth day of June, but they did not alluu'ive until the nineteenth.' The colonies of New Hampshire, ' Sparks. Governor De Lanoey to the lords of trade. * Holmes. Grahame. Shirley to Holdemesse January 7, 1754. >The commissioners from the several colonies were James De Lancev. Joseph Murray, William Johnson, John Chambers and William Smith— rt LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 451 ting Tiis rude of far greater- IS no less than ;' the colonies, Nations, and ' tbe common Ivisingthattbe ,d first directed tion in resisting the spring of J to the different lioners should 1)6 devise concerted carrying out of had been at first, ations, and pro- of the French.' ■d, early innis for mutual pr- j-esented V, tliis norsthatthe del- eted by their con- nion. '^ le commissioners did not all ui rive New Hampshire, ,uary 7, 1764. lere James DeLancey. aud William Smitl'- Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, chap. XIV. Maryland and Pennsylvania, were all represented, making v-.^—' the whole number of delegates present twenty-five. Early ^''^*' in March, the governor of Virginia had written Mr. De Lancey that ho was too much engaged in the military pre- parations necessary to repel encroachments along his own frontier,' to bo present atthis time ; and the Carolinas were also too much occupied in treating with their own south- ern tribes, to give the treaty at Albany their attention. The sachems of the Six Nations, were stiil more backward, not making their appearance till the latter part of the month. The Mohawks were the last to arrive, and, indeed, the entire number of Indians present during the whole of the treaty did not exceed one hundred and fifty. There were those who did not scruple to attribute their delay to the influence of Johnson, who, they said, wishing to magnify his influence over the Indian 3, purposely hold them back ; and writers, who should have been better informed, have not failed to give countenance to this report.* The truth is, thai, the Indian commissioners felt piqued at the contrast presented between the reluctance shewn by the Indians in coming to this coui.cil, and the alacrity vsnith which they had attended the one held in 1748, when Johnson had the charge of their affairs, and prompted by jealousy, threw out these insinuations, as false as they were malicious. Hendrik explained the delay, so far as the Mohawks were concerned, by stating that the speech of Colonel Johnson at the Onondaga cas- tle the preceding summer, had been attributed by the Six New York. Samuel Welles, John Chandler, T.'.omas Hutchinson, Oliver Patridge, John Worthington — Massachusetts. Theodore Atkinson, Richard Wibird, Meshech Weare, Henry Sherburne — New Hampshire. William Pit- kin, Roger V/olcott, Elisha Williau.-— Connecticut. Stephen Hopkins, Martin Howard — Rhode Island. John Penn, Benjamin Franklin, Richard Peters, Isaac Norris — Pennsylvania. Benjamin Tasker, Beigamin Barnes —Maryland. ' Manuscript council minutes. ' Messrs Livingston and Smith. v**N 451 LTfR OP Bin WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART* 4f, OHAF. Nations to theMohuwka; and thereforo lest they should v_^_^ be accused of the same in relation to tho governor's 1764. apoech, they tarried until the other castlcB aliould buvo arrived before them. Tho true cause, however, of tho reluctance displayed by tho Indians in coining to t\x\y treaty, and tho ibwness of their number was, that tliec( Manusoript council miautea. LIFE OP Bin WILLIAM .'OlINSON, BART. 4>& the kin;?, their fathor, and renew the ancient treaty mado'-iAP. bctwcon all the eolonioH and their own nation ; and that >—>„—' all the colonics liad nnitod in BendinjL? comniiH«ion«^r8 lor *"**• this purpose except Vir\n beginning. This belt will represent to you our disposition to preserve it strong and bright, so long as the sun and moon shall endure ; and in the name of the great king our father, and in behalf of all his mnjcHty's colonies, wo now solemnly renew, brighten, and strengthen the ancient covenant chain, and promise to keep the same inviolable and free trom rust ; and we expect the like confirmation and assur- ance on your part." The scattered manner, in which, departing from their ancient custom, the Confederates for the last few years had lived, was then adverted to ; and they were specially urged to live together in their castles, and to call back those of their Onondaga and Cayuga brethren who had removed to Oswegatchie in defiance of the ancient covenant. " The French profess to be in perfect friendship with us as well as you. Notwithstanding this they are making continual encroachments upon us both. They have lately done so in the most insulting manner, both to the northward and westward. Your fathers, by their valor above one hundred yeor^ ago, gained a consid- erable country which they afberwaiaa, of their own accord, put under the protection of the kings of Great Britain. The French are endeavoring to possess themselves of the whole country, although they have made the most express treaties with the English to the contrary. It appears to us that these measures of the French must necessarily soon interrupt and destroy all trade and intercourse between the English and the several Indian nations on the continent, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 kills ■^ MIA 2.5 1.4 1.6 V] vl % > /: ^^ ;> /^ :?> '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 13 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. M5B0 (716) 872-4503 ?^^. m LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. t" "5^ I' '*■ ' ewAP. and will block up and obstruct the great roads, which have N-yw hitherto been open, between you and your allies and 1764. friends who live at a distance. "We want, therefore, to know whether these things appear to you in the same light as they do to us, or whether the French, taking pos- session of the lands in your country, and building forts between the lake Erie and the river Ohio, be done with your consentor approbation." " Therefore," he concluded, ^*>open yr>ur hearts to us, and deal with us as brethren." ' Three days afterward, the lieutenant governor attended by all the commissioners, in behalf of his majesty and the several colonies, met the Indians in the court house to hear their reply. As soon as they were seated, the sachems of the Six Nations, glittering with ornaments and clothed in their richest robes and feathers, came in and seated themselves with all the pomp of Indian ceremonial. Then amid a deep silence, Abraham, a sachem of the upper can- tie of the Mohawks and a brother of Xing Hendrik, rose and said : — " Brethren, you the governor of New York, and the commissioners of the other governments, are you ready to hear us ?" The governor having replied in the affirmative. King Hendrik, venerable in years, rose and with all the dignity which his white hairs and majestic mien gave him, holding up the chain belt to the gaze of all, advanced a few steps, and thus spoke : '^Brethren : "We return you all our grateful acknowledge- ments for renewing and brightening the covenant chain. This chain belt is of very great importance to our united nations, and all our allies. We will therefore take it to Onondaga, where our council fire always burns, and keep it — so securely, that neither thunder nor lightning shall break it. There will we consult over it ; and as we have already added two links to it, so we will use our endeavors to add as many more links to it as lies in our power ;* * * In the meantime we desire that you will > The allusion is to two small Indian tribes which the Six Nations had lately taken into the Confederation. '' ' ■' ' ' ' ••' "'•- LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 455 Six Nations had strengthen yourselves, and bring as many in^ this coye- chap. nant chain as you possibly can. ■xH'^xo irin a .h>:uisi dty-i. f • v-^ " Brethren : As to the accounts you have heard of our i'^*- living dispersed from each other, 'tis very true. We have several times endeavored to draw off these our brethren who were settled at Oswegatchie ; but in vain, for the governor of Canada is like a wicked deluding spirit. However, as you desire, we shall persist in our endeavors." Then burning with indignation, as he recalled the long neglect with which his services had been rewarded by the English — ^his eyes flashing, and his whole frame quivep- ing with the honest anger, which had so long been pent up within him — ^he exclaimed " You have asked us the reason of our living in this dispersed manner. The reason is your neglecting us for three years past'' Then taking a stick and throwing it behind him — " you have thus thrown us behind your backs and disregarded us ; whereas the French are a subtile and vigilant people, ever using their utmost endeavors to reduce and bring our peo- ple over to them. * * * " This is the ancient place of treaty, where the fire of friendship alway j used to bum ; and 'tis now three years since we have been called to any public treaty here. 'Tis true tl^re are commissioners here, but they have never invited us to smoke with them.* But the Indians of Canada come frequently and smoke here, which is for the sake of their beaver. But we hate them. "We have not as yet confirmed the peace with them, 'Tis your fault, brethren, that we are not strengthened by conquest; for we would have gone and taken Crown Point, but you hin- dered us. "We had concluded to go and take it, but we were told that it was too late and that the ice would not bear us. Instead of this, you burnt your own fort at Sara- toga, and ran away from it, which was a shame and a scan- dal to you !" Then again kindling as he thought of the Bhameful remissness, which had left their own castles ^Ihat is— have neT«r iuTittd us to any oonferenoe. ■c," 456 LIFB OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1764. OHAP. defonceless, he coiicludwd in the same scathing language. ^ " Look about your countiy, and see, you have no fortifi. ■ cations about you ; no, not even to this city ! Look at the French ; they are men ; they are fortifying every where ! But, we are ashamed to say it, you are aU like WQW^th&re and open, without any fortifications !" r.-f.* .> - «^m -i! . Thus closed one of the most eloquent Indian speeches ever uttered. A speech, which for its truth, vigor, and biting sarcasm, has never been equaled by any Indian orator — scarcely excelled by one of any other race— and which, " containing strains of eloquence which might have done honor to TuUy or Demosthenes,"' will ever stand among the finest passages of rhetoric in either Ancient oi- modern history.* ; »^fHih dhUiV ^jniviSiw.. "to ui-ji-i'r jfi: As soon as Hendrik had ended, his brother Abraham, rising up, spoke : *^ Brethren: We would let you know what Ta,s our desire three years ago, when Colonel Johnson laid down the management of Indian afiairs, which gave m great uneasiness. The governor then told us, it was not in bia power to continue, him but that he would consult the oouu. oil at JSew York : that he was going over to England, aud promired to reccommend our desire, that Colonel Johnson should have the mana^, ^t of Indian afiairs, to tl^ king, that the governor migL .*ve power to reinstate him. We long waited in the expectation of th;s being done ; but hearing no more of it, we embrace this opportunity of lay- ing this belt before all our brethren here present, and desire them, that Colonel Johnson may be reinstated and have the management of Indian affairs ; for we all ■»■■■ ^ F» " ■■■■■ ^'i — ^ " ■ ■ ■! I lip ■ II ■■ iw I ^ ■ 1 1 I . -^^^^ i w ^ ■! ■■ I m< " ■■T- . ^Oentleman's Magazine; referring to this speech. * This is not empty panegyric. In a manuscript letter befire me written by Oovernor Shirley to Hendrik, through Colonel Johnun, Oovernor S. expressea himself in terms of the warmest ii4niratioii for Ben<}rik botb as »• orator and as a man; thanks him for his speech at Albany; and promi- sea to recommend him to his majesty as the warm friend and fast ally of the English. Qovernor LivingBtoo alluding to this speech also speaks of Hendrik as a " consummate orator." — Vide Lift of Livmgaion by StdgM>i(k, 68. IT. bing language, have no fortifi- y ! Look ftt the r eveiy where! like icowew, hare LIPB OF BIB WILLIAM JOBHSON, BART. 45T jidiau speeches truth, vigor, and hy any Indian other race— and rhich might have will ever etand jither ancient or M?ther Abraham, V what ^^'ii5 our hnaon laid down ih gave u3 great itwaenot in bis ooneult the ooun. ir to England, and Colonel Johnson ffairs, to ticking, dnstate him. We jeing done; but pportunityof lay- lere present, and ay be reinstated nffidrB ; for we all letter before me written . JoluMua, GoTernor S. 0ftforBe»4rikboUia8 it, Albany ; and promi- •iend and fast ally of I speech also speaks of lived happy whilst they were under his management, for oiiap' we love him, and he us, and he has always been our good wy^ and trusty friend." Then before he sat down, he added ^'*** with significant irony : — "Brethren: — I forgot something. "We think our request about Colonel Johnson, which Governor Clinton promised to convey to the king oui* father, is drowned in the sea." Then turning himself around and facing the New York commissioners for Indian afiairs, he closed by telling them that the fire at Albany was burned out, and requesting that they would take notice of what he said. • - ■--' These speeches, as exponents of the stftte of feeling' existing among the Confederates, were considered so important, as to cause them to be debated, by the com- missioners, paragraph by paragraph ; and the same com- mittee — ^which had drafted the opening speech of the lieutenant governor upon the nineteenth, was requested to prepare a suitable answer to these also.^ On the third of July the draft of the answer was submitted to the board of commissioners by Colonel Johnson, as chairman, and the answer was submitted to the board of commissioners; being approved, it was delivered to the Indians, by Mr. De Lancey on the fourth. Its tone was eminently kind and conciliatory. In it, the lieutenant governor expressed the gratification which it afibrded all present, to learn of their good intentions, and know that it was not with their countenance that the French had entered upon the Ohio, and their lands. Some of the information, more- over, which they had communicated in their speech, was to himself and the commissioners not a little surprising. Although, he said, he had known for the past five years, of the encroachments of the French, yet it was only lately, that he Was aware that they had been building forts for the protection of themselves and the Indians. " It is fortu- 'This Gommittee consisted of William Johnson, Samuel Welles, Theo- dore Atkinson, ^lisha Williams, Martin Howard Jr., Isaac N'orris, an4 Bei^amin Tasker Jr. &8 - > . '' ' ' ' ■ ^i \ '^ i 'V * 458 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. F^^i r /"-if f ' 0. " (^^< Eiver Indians ; and on the eleventh, the Confederates, S.V— 'having renewed all their covenants, and sworn uncom- 1764. promising hostility against the French, were dismissed seemingly pleased with the result ^ The Indians were not allowed to depart however, until the famous purchase from them of the Wyoming lauds was effected ;*-an account of the origin of which, from the important bearing of the transaction on future events, must not be omitted. ^:srim .d-^\f>^^m^.'S>iin'*^:^'i'h. ** The first grants of land in America by the crown of Great Britain, were made with a lavishness which can exist only where acquisitions are without cost, and their value unknown ; and with a want of provision in regard to boundaries, which could result only from entire ignorance of the country. The charters of the great western and southern Virginia companies, and of the colonies of Mas* sachusetts Bay and Connecticut, were of this liberal and uncertain character. The charter of the Plymouth com- pany covered the expanse from the fortieth to the forty- sixth degree of northern latitude, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific ocean." ' This charter was granted by King James I.^ under the great seal of England, in the most ample manner, on the third of November, 1620, to the duke of Lenox, the marquise of Buckingham, the earls of Arundel and Warwick and their associates, " for the planting, ruling, ordering and governing of New England in America." The charter of Connecticut was derived from the Plymouth company, of which the earl of War- wick was president. The grant was made in March, 1621, to Viscount Say and Seal, Lord Brook, and their associates. ^Atthifl congress, a present from the king was distributed to the Indians, " of much greater value than ever before." The commissioners from Now Hampshire viade them a separate present. It is a custom among the Six Nations to give a name to their benefactors upon such occasions. Tlie name which they gave to the province of New Hampshire was So-S&guax- oiedne. I have Inquired of the Rev. Mr. Kirltland, the meaning of tliij name. He informed me that So signifies again ; SAgudx, a dish ; and owdne large." Again a large dish.— jB«/ftna/». , .,iij.j.,.,„)'j) u-ii .v. ,; * Qotdoxi' » Hittory of Pmtuylvanioa. Lira 09 SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 461 It was made in the most ample form, and also covered the chapi country west of Connecticut to the extent of its hreadth, wv-' heing ahout one degree of latitude from sea to sea. ' This ^^^' grant was confirmed by the king in the course of the same year, and again in 1662. Kew York, or to speak more correctly in reference to that period, the New Netherlands, being then a Dutch possession, could not be claimed as a portion of these munificent grants, if for no other reason, for the very good and substantial one, that in the grant to the Plymouth company, an exception was made of all such portions of the territory as were " then actually possessed or inhabited by any other Christian province or state." But the round phraseology of the charters opened the door sufficiently wide for any subsequent claims, within the specified parallels of latitude, which the company, or its accessors, might find it either convenient or politic to inter- pose. And it appears that even at the early date of 1651, some of the people of Connecticut were already casting longing eyes upon a section of the valley of the Delaware. It was represented by these enterprising men that they had purchased the lands in question from the Indians, but that the Dutch had interposed obstacles to their settlement thereon. In reply to their petition, the commissioners of the united colonies asserted, their right to the jurisdiction of the territory claimed upo;i the Delaware, and the valid- ity of the purchases that had been mac' Sy individuals. "They protested against the conduct of tie Dutch, and assured the petitioners that though the season was not meet for hostilities, yet if within twelve months, at their own charge, they should transport to the Delaware one hundred aimed men, vrtth vessels and ammunition approved by the magistrates of New Haven, and should be opposed ^ Trumbull's Hittory of Connecticut. Colonel Timothy Pickering, in his let- ter to his son, giving the particulars of the highhanded outrage committed upon him in Wyoming in 1788, in speaking of these grants, remarks: — "It seems natural to suppose by the terms of these grants, extending to the western ocean, that in early times the continent was conceived to be of oompwratiyely little breadth." M\ 462 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1764. [I ^ "' J - I CHAP* by the Dutch, they should be assisted by as many soldiers « as the commissiouers might judge meet; the lands and trade of the settlement being charged with the expense, and continuing under the government of Kew Haven." ^ The project, however, was not pressed during the dosig> nated period, nor indeed does it seem to have been revived for more than a century afterward. Many changes of polit- ical and other relations had occurred during this long lapse of time. Disputes had arisen between the people of Connecticut and the New Netherlands, in regard to bound- aries, which had been a^usted by negotiation and com- promise. The colony of the New Netherlands had moreover fallen, by the fortunes of war, under the sway of the British crown. The colonies of New Jersey and Pennsylvania had also been planted. Various additional grants had been given by the crown, and other questions of territoritll lim- its had been raised and adjusted. But in none of these transactions had Connecticut relinquished her claims of jurisdiction, and the preemption right to the lands of the Indians lying beyond New York, and north of the fortieth degree of latitude, as defined in the original grant to the Plymouth company. The grant of the Plymouth com- pany to Lord Say and Seal and Lord Brook, had been made fifty years before the grant to William Penn, and the con- formation of that grant to Connecticut by royal charter, nineteen years prior to that conveyance.* Unfortunately, moreover, from the laxity that prevailed among the advisers of the crown, in the granting of patents, as to boundaries, the patent to "William Penn covered a portion of the grant to Connecticut, equal to one degree of latitude and five of longitude ; and within this territory, thus covered by double grants, was situated the section 1 This quotation is from Oordon. Colonel Pickering, in the letter already cited in a preceding note, addressed to his son, and privately printed for the use of his own family only, supposed that Connecticut did not set up any formal claim to lands west of New Tork and New Jersey, until just prior to the revolution. He was in error. •Trumbull. A...Ui» .:.- il:'- •'■ '-^^^ LItB or BIR WILLIAM JOHVSON, BAST. 468 of the Delaware county heretofore spoken of; as also the chap. yet richer and more inviting valley of Wyoming, toward v-^ which Borae of the more restless, if not enterprising sons ^"^• of the Pilgrims were already turning their eyes with impa- tience. The project of establishing a colony in "Wyoming was started by sundry individuals in Connecticut in 1768, daring which year an association was formed for that pur- pose called the Susquehanna company, and a number of agents were commissioned to proceed thither, explore the country, and conciliate the good will of the Indians. This commission was executed ; and as the valley, though at that time in the occupancy of the Delawares, was claimed by the Six Nations, a purchase from that Confederacy was determined upon. To this end, a deputation of the com- pany, the associates of which already numberd about six hundred persons, embracing many gentlemen of wealth and character, was directed to repair to this Dresent con- gress at Albany, and if possible effect tuo purchase. Their movements were not invested with secresy, and James Hamilton, the goveiuor of Pennsylvania, becoming acquainted with them, was not slow in interposing objec- tions to the procedure— claiming the lands as falling within the charter of Penn, and of course belonging, the preemp- tive right at least, to the proprietaries for whom he was administering the government. Hamilton wrote to Go- vernor "Wolcott upon the subject, protesting strongly against the designs o i the company. To this letter "Wolcott replied, that the projectors of the enterprise supposed the lands in question were not comprised within the grants of "William Penn ; but should it appear that they were, the governor thought there would be no disposition to quarrel upon the subject. Governor Hamilton also addressed Colonel John- son in relation to the matter, praying his interposition to prevent the Six Nations from making any sales to the agents of the Connecticut company, should they appear at Alhany for that purpose. , ,: , ^ ,. , f. -f .!■.■ 494 Lira OF BIR WILLIAM JOnNSON, BART. »■'?> . mi' su^ 4' ^u 'I !■ 1,1 I cwAP. But theeo precautionary meatturcs od thcpartof Qovernor Wy^ Hamiltou did not defeat the object of the Connecticut com- 17M. pony, although the Pennsylvania delegates wore especially instructed to that end before leaving home for Albany. A purchaHi was made by the Connecticut agents or dele> gates, through Lydius, of a tract of land extending about seventy miles north and south, and from a parallel line ton miles east of the Susquehanna, westward two degrees of longitude. * This purchase included the whole valley of Wyoming, and the country westward to the sources of the Allegany. ' The Pennsylvania delegates did all in their power to circumvent the agents of the Susquehanna com- pany, holding several private councils with the chiefs of the Six Nations, and endeavoring to purchase the same lands themselves. In the course of their consult^tiouB, Hendrik, thinking that some reflections had been cast upou his character, became excited and declared that neither of the parties should have the land. But the Connecticut agents succeeded, as already stated, and the Pennsylvaniaus also effected the purchase of " a tract of land between.the Blue mountain and the forks of the Susquehanna river;— purchases which were to involve Pennsylvania in a long and savage war, in which the blood of her best settlers flowed like water. Strong efforts were subsequently made by the Pennsylvanians, aided by the influence of Colonel Johnson, to induce the Indians to revoke the sale to the Susquehanna company, and Hendrik was induced by the colonel to make a visit to Philadelphia upon that business And in justice to the Pennsylvanians it must be allowed that they always protested against the legality of thia pur- chase by their rivals — alleging truly that the bargain was ' . # > Chapman. Atiot&«r MI Smith. ' For a full account of this congress, see Mass. His. Col. t, 3d series. ' Qovernor Dinwiddie to Lieutenant Governor De Laucey. '■■■i. 468 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 'U % \ OBAP. eighth of May a body of one hundred Schaghti«^oke s-.^— . Indians fell upon Dutch Hoosick, about ten miles west of 1764. yort Massachusetts, and attacking some men at a mill on the borders of the town, killed one and wounded another. Seemingly infuriated by the sight of blood, they next rushed into the settlement — firing houses, barns and stacks of grain, and killing large numbers of cattle. On the fol- lowing day they burned the little village of Coick, but as most of the inhabitants had fortunately taken the alarm and fled the day previous, the loss of life was not great. ' The villagers presented a lamentable spectacle as they came the next day into Albany, some half naked, others with one or tWo articles of household goods — all that they had been able to secure in their sudjden flight — and all foot-sore and weary. The sight, says an eye-witness, was pitiable in the extreme. ' ' The garrison of Fort Maasachu- setts being too weak to furnish eficient aid, a party of militia immediately left Albany for the scene of devastation; but the Indians escaped into the woods, whither the militia dared not follow.' Hardly had the yells of the savages died away, when, as if to add intensity to these horrors, intelligence came that the tomahawk was doing its bloody work upon the borders of New Hampshire. On the fifteenth of August, the Indians made their first appearance at Bakerstown, killing a woman, and capturing several others. A few days afterwards they surprised the house of James Johnson at Number Four, in the night, and rousifig his family from their slumbers, conveyed him, his wife and six others to Crown Point, and thence into Canada. ^ landing the enemy intent upon slaughter. Governor Shirley at once took active measures for the defence of the Massachusetts frontier. Colonel Israel "Williams, who had * Hoyt's Indian Wars. * Letter from the Indian commissioners at Albany to Lieut. Got. De Lan- oey. * In this raid 14 houses, 28 barns, and 28 barracks of wheat were destroyed. — Statement of Captain Chapin, then in command of Fort Mai- »achiuetts. LIFB OF SIR WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. 469 to Lieut. Got. De Lan- p. V ad himself such an efficient officer in the last war, was chap. agaia called to the defence of the western border. Thatv-^— * officer, having in his previous service become thoroughly ^'^** conversant with the topography of the country, submitted to Shirley a sketch of the land, — together with a plan for a vigorous prosecution of the war. He proposed that those forts which had affijrded little or no protection heretofore to the borderers should be given up, and in their place, a line of small fortifications should be erected through the valley of Oharlemont ; Forts Dummer and Massachusetts were to be strengthened and supplied with light cannon, and with two additional forts to the westward, were to form a chain of forts connecting with the line of fortifications in New York* Having seen, also, the advantage which the Indians, by their system of warfare, had always pos- sessed over the whites, Colonel Williams now proposed to meet them with their own weapons and upon their own ground. For this purpose, bodies of rangers well skilled in woodcraft and in bush fighting, were to be selected and kept constantly traversing the wilderness, ' keeping at the same time a sharp look out upon the routes to and from Crown Point. ' The plan of Colonel "Williams was laid by Governor Shirley before the general court, and its main \ features were adopted. A body of rangers, such as the | colonel had recommended, was also raised and stationed on the western frontier under his command. At the same time troops were raised for the defence of the north-western quarter of the province, in the counties of Worcester and Hampshire, and Captain Ephraim Williams appointed to the command, with the rank of major.* While these vigorous measures for the defence of Mas- sachusetts were being pushed forward by Governor Shirley, the lieutenant governor of New York was not idle. As ' Hoy 1*8 Indian Wars. 'The present state of Vermont. . ,, ^Hoyt'a Indian Wan. -. i . ., ; , 'Idem. 1 1 i I i 4Ta LIFB OF SIB WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1764. i '■ oHjAP. soon as the latter received intelligence of the destruction < of Hoosick, he sent orders to the authorities of Albany to repair the stockades around that city, and put the block houses in a suitable condition for defence. Simultaneously, by his orders, the only company remaining in New York — the two independent companies having sailed for Vir- ginia — marched to Albany — a sergeant and a few invalids only being left in the city to garrison the fort. While these measures were in progress to guard Albany against surprise, rumors reached Colonel Johnson from the north, that the French were meditating a descent upon the lower settlements of the colony, and that a large force in advance of the main body had akeady begun their march. ' Although these reports were not credited by the colonel, yet he did not think it prudent to relax the preparations which he had already begun, shortly after the burning of Hoosick, for putting the frontier towns in a posture of defence. Measures were therefore immediately taken by him for placing the militia of the province in a condition to render eflGLcient service. Acting with this object, he wrote at once to the captains of the several companies within his district, ordering them to have their men in readiness to march at a moment's warning. ' At the same time, he directed the commanding officer at Schenectady to see that all the companies stationed there were instantly equipped and provided with proper arms and ammunition. The officer was further ordered to keep a strict watch by night and by day, and to report to him the state of the block houses.' Considerable difficulty having arisen between the militia and the regulars stationed at Schenec- tady, the colonel in these same orders thought proper to add : — " the guard must be regular, and not allowed to cora- > Manuscript orders of Colonel Johnson to the captains of the different companies within his district. * Idem. » Manuscript letter ; Johnson to Captain Jacobus Van Slyck, the command- ing officer at Schenectady, Aug. 80th, 1764. i" I LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 471 plains of the different m Slyck, the oommand- mit any indecency, or gi\o any insults to the king's gar-cwAP. > I XIV. risen. \. ...... ■:..■. ■„.;■:;,;•• .:..:: V .. ;.:': ... ....... y^-y^ ^^',.. .' - " ;.. f 1764. Meanwhile the general assembly was convened by the lieutenant governor on the twentieth of August. His rea- son for convening it at such an unusual season of the year was given in the opening message. It was, he said, to inform them of Colonel Washington's defeat upon the east side of the Ohio, within the undoubted limits of his majesty's dominions ; and as it was plain that the king's lands had now been invaded, there was therefore no excuse for not voting their promised aid to Virginia, which they had refused at the last session. The defenceless condition of Albany was then pointed out, and the consequent neces- sity for erecting a fort upon Hudson river for its protec- tion; equally necessary, he continued, in view of the importance of the Six Nations as allies, was the erection of a fort in the Seneca's country, where a smith could permanently reside. As the Confederates, moreover, at the last congress, had complained of the pernicious effect of the sale of rum amongst them, he urged a more stringent act to prevent its sale to the Indians, as the one formerly passed for that pui-pose had proved totally ineffectual. A Btronger militia act, for the formation into companies of those able to bear arms, yet exempt from military duty by law, was advised ; and also that a quantity of arms and accoutrements should be provided at New York and at Albany, to be on hand in case of any emergency. Direct- ing his remarks more particularly to the house, he inform- ed it of the plan of union which had been unanimously agreed to by the commissioners at Albany, which he con- cluded, " I shall now order to be laid before you." The answer of the house was of the same general tenor as its reply to the lieutenant governor's message at the preceding session — full of quibbles in justification of its refusal to grant the desired aid. "While it deemed it the reciprocal duty of the colonies to assist each other, yet "these principles," said the house, "your honor will nut ! ;' ■i h>'%l 472 LIFE OF SITl WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. f XSti CMAP. extend to an unlimited sense;" there may be instances «-v— 'Where the particular colonies which are invaded, ought 1^^*- to exert their own strength and " not call too loudly upon others more exposed than themselves ;" — ^yet such, it said, was the condition of the colony of New York, burdened with taxes, and threatened by the enemy at their very doors. " The other colonies," it continued, " make them- selves strong and defensible by settling in townships, or some other close order, while our frontier lands are granted away in patents, almost without bounds or num- ber, regardless of settlements or the public welfare." ■ "Would any man," says Mr. Smith, alluding to this answer of the assembly, " would any man without doors, and not in the secret, believe what is a fact, that they had already, that very morning, voted a gift of five thousand pounds to their fellow subjects in Pennsylvania and Vir- ginia?" Yet such was the fact. By granting the aid to Virginia and Pennsylvania, the ministry were humored ; while by doing it with seeming reluctance, the parsimoni- ous spirit of the people was gratified and suspicions of a sacrifice of the colony's interests to the De Lancey faction, prevented.^ Nothing worthy of special note occurred during the remainder of this sitting; and the members of the assembly, after thanking Mr. De l4ancey for the faithful manner in which he had distributed the presents to the Indians at the late congress— intending by this a direct hit at Mr. Clinton — were dismissed to their homes. ♦fw- In the general assembly which met on the fifteenth of October, was first manifested the want of that harmony, which had hitherto been so flattering to Mr. De Lancey's administration. The reluctance of the lieutenant governor at the congress to accede to the plan of union, first awak- ened suspicion in the public mind that his sympathies were pn the side of the crown ; and that the affection which he professed for the people, was only a cover to his > Smith. • •• , ' . . LIFB OF BIB WILLIAM JOHKSON, BART. 478 own ambition. There were also a few of Mr. Clinton's ohapl XIV. friends left, around whom were gathered a small opposi- s-^ tion ; and the partiality which Mr. De Lancey had shown *^*** to his partisans since .coming into power, disgusted others and added to the discontent which was now quite general. To this was added another source of dissatisfaction, viz. : the course he had taken in the founding of the coUege. To understand this latter point more clearly, it is neces- sary to glance at the origin of the controversy which was now raging fiercely, and: which had already divided the assembly into two parties. > >,|) (^i,,^ ^yn^i.r-r-.uu The province of New York at this period was divided, in its religious views, into two sectsr— the Episcopalian and the Presbyterian— rthe former being le4 by James De Lancey, and the latter by Wm. Livingston. The Presby- terians, though outnumbering ten to one the Episcopa- lians,* had not fairly recovered from the oppressions of the early governors, Fletcher and Cornb\iry ; and they would probably have remained quiet, had not the Episco- palians, with great lack of judgment, stirred up anew the embers of controversy.^ The people of New York, awakened to the importance of stimulating education, raised by successive lotteries, the sum of three thousand four hundred and forty-three pounds for the purpose of founding a college ; and in the fall of 1761, passed an act for placing the money thus raised in the hands of ten trustees. Of these, seven were Episcopalians, two belonged to the Dutch church, and the tenth was Wm. Livingston, an English Presbyterian.' This manifest inequality in favor of the church of Eng- land, at once raised a well founded alarm in the minds of the other sects, who very justly perceived in this, an attempt to make the college entirely sectarian, by which only those in the Episcopal church could participate in •Smith. ,:, , : *Life of Livingtton, by Sedgwick Jun. 'Wm. Livingtson, ftf^erward governor of New Jersey, ■ fi .K/i 60 t 1 474 LIVB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. i' 4 I 0H». its benefits. Nor were they left long in suspense^ for it xi-y^soon became well understood that the majority of the llUt trustees were to have the college under their control, and were intending shortly to petition the lieutenant governor lor a charter, in which it was to be expressly stipulated that no person out of the communion of the English Church should be eligible to the 0M06 of president.* Far seeing men uttered gloomy fbrebodings ; fend a belief soon diffused itself through the tninds of intelligent dissenters, that this Was only the foreshaddwing of an attempt to introduce into the colony an established church, 'di : This idea was to a majority of the colonists repugnant in the extreme. The Union of church and state, with its tythes and taxes, was, like the <' skeleton in armor," ^ver present to their imaginations, stimulating them to the utmost resistance. Mr. Livingston, therefore, partially with a view to expose the evils of a college foutided upon Such sectarian principles, established a paper called the Independent JRefiector.* The articles which successively appeared from his pen on this subject were able and pun- gent. Under his lash the leaders of the church party winced ;' and in their agony, charged him with the design of breaking up the plan of any college whatever, and dreaded lest he should obtain a charter '* fot constituting a college on a bfesis the most catholic, generous and free."^ These attacks of the church pttrty were returned with 1 Life t^ Lwingiton. * Idem. *In a letter firom the Rev. Samuel Johnson of Connecticut to Bishop Sfecker (published in the London Doeumentt xzz, 6), the writer sajrs : " The «hurch at New York is about founding a college with free liberty to dissent- ing pupils to go to what meeting they please ; nay not excluding dissenters from being even tutors. * « * Nay they contend that no religion at all should be taught in the college rather than the church should have any precedence. So bitterly are they set against us I and bowerer so inuoh they are otherwise at variance among themselTes, yet they unite leitli ihw utmost /ore« against us, and do all they can to disaffeot th^ Dutoh towarda OS, who otherwise were peaceably disposed." * Indepmdent Refitttof, No. 18. i- i . .1; ■. r. iftpenaoj for it lajority of the jir control, and enant governor Bsly atlpulated of the English jreiident.^ Far nd a belief Boon igent diBsenters, an attempt to hurch. *''"< nists repugnant id state, with its in armor," ever Qg them to the jrefore, partially je foutidedupon paper called the lich BUCceBBively jre able and pun- ihe church party a with the design ;e whatever, and "fot conBtituting Qcrous and free."* re returned with Connebtiout to Bisliop the writer sftjrs: "The 1 free liberty to disBent- ■ot excluding dissenters ,nd that no religion at ohurch should have any hnd bowever so much _,et they "n'"-" «""' '*'!'■ LIFl OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNBON, BART. 476 redoubled violence, and the controverBy had now risen to <»A9t fever heat.* s^,^ The efforts of Mr. Livingston and other able writers to ^'^'^^ prevent the incorporation of the college under these prin- ciples, were fruitless ; and Mr. De Lancey accordingly granted the charter. Rev. Samuel Johnson from Stratford, a worthy man, was called to the president's chair, and Mr. Livingston was appointed one of the governors, ii^ the hope of silencing his opposition.' The granting of this charter was so displeasing to the majority of the people, that the lieutenant governor thought it advisable, in order to win back their former confidence, to urge at the present session the passage of several popular acts. Among them was one for supplying the garrison at Albany and the fortifications along the frontiers, and another for the discharge of the claims of the public creditors, especially the one of Colonel John- son, c ■''':;•■' '^''.'1' i.;fi i'nUi "o'!-) It may at first appetur singular that Mr. De Laucey should be found using his influence in favor of Oolonel Johnson. His opposition to the latter, however, had arisen more from a desire to harass Governor Clinton, than from any personal animosity; and the cause being now removed, he not only ceased his enmity, but co>i<- tinued his warm friend until his decease. .,. |,,;' , . j. ;,. , In a message which the lieutenant governor sent down on the twenty-fifth, the house was iuformed that the Mohawks of the lower castle were dissatisfied on account of a piece of ground which they had formerly sold to the 1 The following are a few of the titles of the artioles written and pnb- lislied by Mr. Livingston at this time. "No. XXXI. Primitive Christianity, short and intelligible— Modern Christianity, Toluminons and inoomprehensible. . * ^ " XXxiT. Of the ▼e]fieration and contempt of the clergy. " XXXVI. The absurdity of th^ pivil magistrate's interfering in majbt^ry of religion. "xxxviii. Of passive obedience and non-resistance." 'Sedgwick. ' ' m ■-H: m LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. fj. i,.^ V' '■\. <«Ji|#«Rev. Mr. Barclay. The land, thoy said, they never *-v-» intended should pass in fee, but remain forever for the 17M. ugQ of any missionary who might be stationed among them. Rev. Mx* Barclay, having given up his situation as missionary to the Mohawks, for the rectorate of Trinity Church, would gladly deed the land back to the IndiatiH, provided he was reimbursed for the improvements which he had put upon it. The message therefore recommended that a sufficient sum of money should be appropriated for this object, as well as for the erecting of a church among the Canajoharies, which the latter very much desired. * The asf embly had already proceeded to vote the arrears of salaries, and a farther sum of one hundred and fifty pounds for the extraordinary expenses of the lieutenant governor at the late treaty, when on the twenty-firat of November, a letter was communicated to them by Mr. Do Lancey, from the lords of trade. The latter, he said, were of opinion, that the council had done right in refusing its ass6nt to the late application bill, as such annual grants might be employed " to the purpose of wresting from the crown the nomination of all officers whose sala- ries depended upon the appointment of the assembly, and (^ defeating aU the necessary services of government;" atod that they were, therefore, at a loss to understand what end the plan of granting a yearly revenue could serve. If, however, the assembly persisted in these attempts to weaken the power of the crown by such measures, it must not flatter itself that it could give them either stability or permanency. "I hope, therefore," continued Mr. De Lan- cey, " you will take these weighty reasons into your most serious consideration, and provide a permanent revenue for the support of government, in such a manner as may put an end to any dispute on that head." " There is another point in their lordship's letter," he farther added, " on which it is proper you should know their sentiments. Their lordships are inclined to believe, from the nature of paper currency in general, that the making such paper 1; LtFB or SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 477 money a legal tender in all payments, is unnecessary, ohaf. improper, and inconsistent with the sense of parliament," w^-L and therefore " I cannot give my consent to any act of this ^"**' sort, without a clause being inserted therein, suspending its execution, until his mtyesty's pleasure bo known." ' >J The result of this communication was an address in which, while the assembly denied any intention to encroach on the executive, it refused to recede from the new mode of a yearly support. It was impossible, it said, on account of the colony debt, to erect forts without a farther issue of paper; and it boldly declared, that unless the bills were made a legal tender without any restriction, it would not even accede to that ; when however he had it in his power, to give his assent to an act that should not be impeded by any rtstraining clonise^ it would cheerfully pro- vide for the defence of the colony. The assembly neverthe- less was so alive to the importance of erecting a fort forth- with upon the Hudson river above Albany, that it directed him to have one built, promising to defray the cost when the amount should be known.* . ?«icir' uiji' v^:!'! > jiii The grantin£; of a charter to the new college had not utterly crushed out opposition to its obnoxious principles. The house still had the disposal of the money which had been raised ; and the sectaries having a majority, the trus- tees were ordered to report their transactions by virtue of the act under which they had been appointed. The latter accordingly on the first of November handed in two sepa- rate reports, Wm. Livingston reading one, and James Livingston and Mr. Nicoll the other. After the two reports had been considered, the house unanimously resolved " that it would not consent to any disposition of the moneys raised by lottery for erecting a college within this colony, in any other manner, than by an act of the legislature hereafter passed for that purpose." Permission at the same time was given Mr. Robert Livingston to 'Journal of assembly. 1 r ^4 ■ Uri or 8IK WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1 I* ■- > • ■fi I'-'f ! i7M. f^f hntig In a bill for incorporating a college, which he intra* wyw ducc'd th«t same afternoon.' The mtiudnction of this bill Mtonished both houBes. It was vain to suppose that the council would give its assent to at, act so distasteful to itsreligioua prejudices; nor was the U 'tenant governor likely to directly contradict the letters patent which, on behalf of the crown, he himself had granted — while the assembly, composed chiefly of (\i»- senters, dared not reject it.' In this predicament, a . r 'ioii was made by Mr. Walton — ^prefaced with th run.arh, "that the subject was of the utmost consoqnfi.oc t< the people they represented, with respect boti ' > their civil and religious liberties" — that the con8iJcr.i'A.n of tho bill be deferred until the next session, by which time tho Hcn- timents of their constituents could be obtained. > Thia motion wae gladly seized upon as the only mode which presented an honorable retreat from the position they had so hastily assumed, and was therefore imm«dLately carried. Thus, with the close of the year, practically terminated the college controversy. A controverey, which considered in iti.cif, waBnot perhaps of much importance ; but which phould not be omitted by the historian, who would show the progress which the colonists were making toward that civil and religious freedom which they afterward attained. /• '^?T>'iJ'»«^ii;i;iJ nufi y\- >.,<:. ..; :,,.:•):,!. r^ ,/ / , 1 Smith. *Idem. ,V»v» ;f; f^t I . < « ■■-'■ .11 '« ■'. I'i i'-iii ri) ii'i (' ' ! : i M' f.'i r ■',• ( ■ifi... If. ■..,.' ."I- I • 111 . • ' 'A I . . f ■iTUOU " ?1 WA4 «/.rl«/tU«; «Al.< iS7/ HI* H't »•»: v'»»l' rhich he intro- i!'.» ', N II ii'-.v t ,il>»»i)^U»4 "lis ♦;.'i. ». ^l'ti!>« ii'ji ■ ' I • r . f' (*( iiitUru, <■■' ■ Vttt 'to ^h«4} "!•>■ ,*i|(»«TU MiUMi.i. 1755 \ ■ V, »♦■'!. • ^J/tVA'A'^ ft''' i W(,.l.i<|l^^ ^t'.'il ^ till. I .'t^^L*' ti*l J' Blood had been spilled, Waflliington defoutcd, and the scalping knife unsheathed from the Ohio to the Kunnebec, yet England and France were still at peace. NotwithHtand- ing the bold assumptions of France, the vaacilluting course of the Newcastle ministry rendered a definite policy toward that government impossible; and although the d>vfeat at the Great Meadows roused the miu istry sufficiently c<> ask the advice of Horatio Gates, a youti 'ul officer just arrived from Nova Scotia, yet they soon relapsed into their former imbecility, leaving the charge of Aiiicricau afi'airs to the duke of Cumberland, at that time the captain gen- eral of the armies of Great Britain. ' The duke of Cumberland, who has been described as "cruel and sanguinary," regarded the oppor' unity thus afforded for indulging in his favorite pastime, wur, with delight ; and rightly judging that the French were bent on hostilities, he dispatched in January, while t le minis- try were still hesitiiting, two regiments to America under the command of Edward Braddock. The French, tho- roughly cognizant of the intentions of the EngLsh, not- withstanding the flimsy diplomatic subtleties witl which " England's foolish prime minister" was amusing the ^rench court, immediately made preparations for sending large reinforcements into Canada. With this design, a ti et of transports carrying troops under the command of iiaron Dieskau, a veteran soldier, and having also on board De Vaudreuil, who was to supersede Duquesne in the govern- ment of Canada, sailed from Brest early in May. Scai cely CHAP* XV. 1766. ' Bancroft. Walpole'a Oeorge II. '*i 'W^i 480 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. u CHAP, had its sails caught the oceau breezes, when the English, >— ^,— 'Who had watched this movement with a jealous eye, sent 1765. Admiral Boscawen in pursuit. Both fleets arrived nearly at the same time ofl:' Cape Race, but were prevented by a dense fog, from seeing each other. The larger part of the French fleet, taking advantage of this circumstance, escaped up the St. Lawrence, and safely landed the troops, with Dieskau and Vaudreuil, at Quebec. Two vessels, however, — the Alcido and the Lys — were not so fortunate, for on the sixth of June they fell in with the Dunkirk and the Defiance of the British fleet. The Alcide was com- manded by Hocquart, and the Dunkirk by Howe, ' both brave men — and a shaip action ensued, which, lasting several hours, result'^d in the discomfiture and surrender of the French men-of-war. ' Meanwhile, as the prospect of a war became more certain, and the defenceless condition of the frontiers more apparent, the alarm of the colonists grew so great as to induce the lieutenant governor, with the advice of his council, to convene the assembly on the fourth of Feburaiy. The opening message informed that body of the active measures which his majesty was taking for the security of his subjects in America, and of the armament which had already sailed under General Brad- dock. It farther reminded them of the weak state of the frontier fortifications, should the French make — which wiw quite possible — a descent upon the province. In order effectually to prevent this, the defences around the city of New York should at once be strengthened, and other works constructed, which the commander in chief, with the advice of his council and the best engineers, might think advisable. The northern frontier next demanded their serious attention. The defences of the city of Albany were in such a deplorable state, as to excite the derision even of the Indians ; and yet should that city be taken, there was nothing to prevent the French from sweeping 'Afterward Lord Howe. LIPB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 481 down into New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Albany should chap. therefore be fortified without delay, and a strong fort built v-^—' at some advanced place on the Hudson, whence scouts ^^^^• could be sent out to gain intelligence and give timely notice of the enemy's approach. All these preparations, added the message, would require a large amount of money ; but as security could not be purchased at too high a price, it hoped that, throwing aside any ill-timed parsimony, they would provide such funds as would be sufficient to defray all expenses necessary for their own preservation. The assem- bly needed no urging to prompt action. Its alarm was too great, and the enemy too near for it to be indifferent to the exigency of the occasion. It immediately, in defiance of the royal instructions, authorized an issue of forty-five thousand pounds in bills of credit, to be sunk at stated intervals by a tax ; prohibited any supplies of provisions from being sent to the French colonies; and made the militia subject to such penalties ^s should l>o ipiposed by the executive. , , • . . Meanwhile, the Mohawks of the upper and lower castles became alarmed at the prospect of hostilities, which would let loose the hordes of French Indians upon their castles, now entirely defenceless. Hearing of Colonel Johnson's intended departure for New York to take his seat at the council board, they hastened to transmit by him a i^essage to the executive, representing their unprotected cojadition und beseeching aid. Their appeal was delivered by the colonel, shortly after his arrival in the city, to Mr. De l*an- cey in person, who communicated it to his council on the twenty-eighth. The letter was addressed to the lieutenant governor, and was as follows : ^'■Brother Goragh: "When we had the pleasure of seejng you last summer at Albany, the air seemed to be pleasant and the sky serene and clear, but to our great concern we now observe thick and heavy clouds arising on all sides and driving this way, which seems to portend a storm. Should it blow, we are very apprehensive of danger, having no i; 61 lit 1 'Ay.-. 482 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. f4f I. V'i' f t 1 f I CHAP, shelter. To you, therefore, Brother, (in whose power it is v-v— ' to draw or disperse those dark clouds) we make known our 1756. fears, not doubting but you, out of a brotherly affection, will either remove them or ease the minds of our old and young people, or cover us from the impending storm." The council, after considering this letter, wisely resolved that to comply with their wishes would be a better argument in dissuading them from yielding to the intrigues of the French, than all the words that could be used, and deter- mined forthwith to have both their castles stockaded and such other works erected as would best protect their uncovered old men. They also authorized the executive to draw upon the contingent fund for this purpose ; and directed the colonel to estimate the expert -of such works as the Indians desired, and construct, on ! .s arrival home, such defences as in his judgment might bo deemed advis- able. While the assembly was sitting. Governor Shirley, who had for a long time been in correspondence with the min- istry upon the importance and feasibility of conquering Canada, sent commissioners to the several colonies, urging them to assist him in his long cherished project of driving the French from the continent of America. Thomas Pow- nal, * the commissioner sent for this purpose to the colony of New York, met with so lukewarm a reception from De Lancey, as to lead him to seek sympathy from the party opposed to the latter. This party had now acquired con- siderable influence, and as Mr. Pownal received from it cordial support, the lieutenant governor thought it not advisable to create any more ill feeling against himself, by provoking it farther. He accordingly sent down to the assembly, upon the twenty-sixth, a special message, in which he requested supplies for the quartering of the troops, and informed it that the garrison at Oswego was in danger of succumbing through want, as Colonel Johnson had 1 Brother of John Powual, at that time one qf tlie secretaries to the board of trade. u LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 488 ,lio B.eoretariea to the refused any longer to provision that post, while the debt chap. which he had already incurred in supplying it was unpaid, ^-v-' Accompanying the message, were copies of Mr. Shirley's ^'''^ letters, and he urged it to take the suggestions therein contained into consideration. On the same day, Mr. John Chambers was sent by the council to request the house to unite in a joint committee to confer with Mr. Pownal upon the suggestions made by Governor Shirley. This was acceded to, and after the committee had met the Massa- chusetts commissioner, it was unanimously resolved " that the scheme was well concerted, and that if Massachusetts would raise fourteen hundred men, they ought to find eight hundred, and that they would agree to contribute to a general fund for the common charge of the war." Before however this resolution should be acted upon, it was pro- posed to submit it to General Braddock for his approval ; and the house adjourned on the twenty-ninth until his opinion could be obtained by Mr. De Lancey, who had been called to confer with that general and five of the colonial governors at Alexandria.^ This conference had been called by Braddock shortly after his arrival in Virginia, to meet upon the fourteenth day of April.' Its object was to devise measures for a vigorous prosecution of the war against the French. Yet at the same time it was distinctly understood that Canada was not to be invaded, but only French encroachments along the frontier repelled. Four separate expeditions were planned by Braddock and the royal governors — the first for the complete reduc- tion of Nova Scotia, was to be commanded by Lawrence, the lieutenant governor of that province ; a second was to recover the Ohio valley, under Braddock himself; the 'The colonial goTernors present upon this occasion, were, De Lancey of New York, Shirley of Massachusetts, Morris of Pennsylvania, Sharpe of Maryland, and Dinwiddie of Virginia. Commodore Keppel was also present. 'Braddock sailed from Cork with one thousand men upon the fourteenth day of January, and arrived in the Chesapeake the latter part of February. y{ m LIP* OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAM. ottMF. third, under command of Shirley, was to expel the French s.^v--'^^^ Fort Niagara, and form a junction with Braddock's 17M. foj^eg * artd the fourth was to be given to Colonel Johnson, having for its object the capture of Crown Point. This last appointment was made through the influence of Governor Shirley. The) energy which Colonel Johnson had displayed in his command 6f the militia of New York, tind thiB Vigor which he had infused into that branch of the public setvice, first led Shirley to desire that he should hftte the cotnmAnd of the expedition. ' Early in this year, he had antiounced to the general assembly of Massachu- setts, tittder a pledge of secrecy, his intention to appoint Johnson to the command of the expedition against Crown Point;' and at this conference. General Braddock, at his sugjg^estioti, gave the colonel the command, with the rank bf tnajbr general. The latter was to have under him the ptovincial militia and the warriors of the Six Nations ; tliid his ackilo\vledged influence over the latter especially, gave Jifottiise bf success. General Johnson held his com. mission from the governors of those colonies that Were to lumish the provincials — the respective quotas of each being fixed at Alexandria. ' ( ' Atthi^ cottfereiice, Johnson, whd Was also present at i tlife solicitation of General Braddock, received from the ! latteif the appointment of superintendant of Indian affairs, I With full power to treat with the Confederate Nations, and * to secure them and their allies to the British interest. Forthe Jhrtherance bf this latter object, Braddock advanced iJ'ohnson two thousand pounds, which, it was understood, should be reimbursed to him by the colonies, according to the proportions which had been settled upon by the com- missioners, the previous summer at Albany. immediately upon Johnson's return, he sent belts of wampum to all the castles of the Confederate Nations, now ^Miannwript letter: Shirley to Johnson. "' '•Letter to a Nobleman. Jfia««. Hit. Col. ''' ' ■>' ,' ; ■Johnson's oomtaission from Oorernor Fhirley as major general, is dated the 16th April of the present year. I major general, is dated LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 485 increased to nine, ' informing them of a grand council chap. which he proposed to hold, and desiring that they would v-v^ meet him at Mount Johnson with all possible dispatch. ^'^^' The Indians did not require urging to attend. The news that their brother Warraghiyagey had again been raised up among them, spread like wild-fire ; ' and in a very short time, in response to his call, over eleven hundred Indians of every age and sex, assembled at the place designated. So unprecedented and unexpected was the number present — by far the largest assemblage of Indians ever before convened — that Johnson, as well as his larder, was com- pletely taken by surprise. On the twenty-first of June he opened the council by a speech, which was interpreted to the Indians by Red Head, the chief sachem of the Onondagas. ' In this address the Indians were informed of the arrival of General Braddock, who had come with " a large number of armed men, great guns, and other implements of war," to protect those Indians against the French, who remained firm in their attachment to the English. In the course of his remarks, the speaker also took occasion to inform them in their own poetical lan- guage, of his late appointment from General Braddock. " The tree," said he, " which in your public speeches and private applications to me, you have so often and so earnestly desired might be again set up, is now raised and fixed in the earth by so powerful a hand, that its roots will take a firm and deep footing, and its branches be a comfort- able and extensive shade for you and all your allies to take shelter under it. And by this belt, I now invite you and all ^By taking into the covenant chain the Tiederigoenes, Schanadarigh- roenes and Delawares. 'The Indians appear in extreme good humor, and mightily pleased at your having solely the superintendenoy of their affairs." Man UBcript let- ter: Colonel Stoddard to General Johnson, June 13th, 1756. ^Although Johnson was perfectly acquainted with the Indian tongue, and could have spoken to them directly in their own language, yet it was always considered by the Indians as etiquette to be addressed at a formal conference through a third person. — Manuicriptt o/ Sir William Johmo*. Il '. I '1^ 486 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, your allies to come and sit under this tree, where you may ... tl = ■. 4. -I ■I' 41 •V,' ' ' freely open your hearts and get all your wounds healed. I 1765. (Jq^ Brethren, at the same time, remove the embers which remain at Albany, and rekindle the fire of council and friend- ship at this place ; and this tire I shall make of such wood as will give the clearest light and greatest warmth, and I hope it will prove comfortable and useful to all such as will come and light their pipes at it, and dazzle and scorch all those who are ormay be enemies to it." In conclusion, they were informed that he had a message to give them from General Braddock, and also presents which the king had sent them by that warrior. These he would deliver to them in a day or two, together with a speech of his own. On the twenty-third, however, the Indians having informed Johnson that they were desirous to answer his late speech, he consented to put off the delivery of the one he had promised for that day, and listen to theirs. Accordingly Heudrik rose, and addressing his brother warriors, announced that in accordance with their ancient custom, the speaker at a council was always chosen from either the Mohawks, Onondagas, or Cayugas, in deference to their being the elder brothers of the Confederacy ; and he therefore gave them notice that Brother Kaghsuaghtioni (Red Head) would be the speaker on this occasion.* p.,;^^^ The answer of this sachem was, in its principal features, an expression of satisfaction for the restoration of Johnson. The Six Nations, he said, had long been in darkness, and now were extremely obliged to the king their father, for restoring to them that clear and comfortable light which in old times cheered their forefathers, by appointing liiiii to the sole management of their affairs — ^who had always treated them kindli/ and honestly, and whom they lookod upon as their own flesh and blood. As to the iire at Albany, it was so low and bad that they could not even »ln the private council of the sachems held in reference to the reply (o bo given to Johnson's speech, Hendrik had been nominated as their spuaUci-, but h9 dfolined in favor of Bed Head. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 487 find a spark with which to light ft pip^. " "We look on you, chap. Brother," concluded the orator, " as the king, our father's w^ representative. "We are under your direction and dispo- ^^^^' sition, and the fire you have kindled here, as well as that at Onondaga, we will cherish, and all other fires we thus kick away, as unnatural and hateful to us." Here, suiting the action to the word. Bed Head gave a violent kick. Then presenting to General Johnson a belt of wam- pum, he bowed three times very low, and sat down amid an universal shout of approval. As soon as the Onondaga orator had finished, the chief sachem of the Oneidas came ibrward, and presenting a boy to Johnson and to the Indians, announced the death of one of their sachems, and asked permission to raise up this lad in his place, and confer on him the name of the deceased. The general thereupon, taking the boy from his hand as a token that he was pleased with the selection, told him that if the sachems of his nation would introduce the boy on the morrow, he would clothe him as became a chief. The Indians were then thanked for the cordial man- ner in which they had responded to his speech, and notified that the firing of two cannon would be the signal of his being prepared to answer their speech, when he hoped that all of them " great and small, would be in attendance to hear what he had to say." ' ' -:.?;?ifi»i .'f^i.-.-;.l\ iw.."/./! On the twenty-fourth, the sachems and warriors of the nine cantons having assembled, Johnson opened his speech by pointing impressively to four large volumes of Indian records which lay on a table before him — " These are," said he, " the records of the many solemn treaties which have passed between your forefathers and your brothers, the English. They testify that upon our first acquaintance we shook hands, and finding we should be useful to one another, entered into a covenant of brotherly love and mutual friendship. * * * And now my brethren, I ask you, and I desire every man present to put; his hand on his heart and ask himself seriously this question; who fiave JV,";V ; 1 I- ! ■J r 'if 488 LIFB OF SIB WILUAM JOHNSON, BART. f- 1 i.",7 It II' ' I OTAP. Ae^M, who are the friends and brethren of the Five Confederate ^-v-' Nations and their allies f the English or the French ? Docs it 1765. lequire any time to consider ? does it require any argument to determine? If you can be one moment in doubt, I must tell you, you will not act like the children of those brave and honest men, whom you call your forefathers, but like Frenchmen in the shape of the Five Nations. Aro you indeed our Brethren? Are you the children of our ancient friends and brothers ? Are you those sachems and warriors of the Five Confederate Nations, whom the great king of England, the best and most upright prince in the world, loves and honors aa his wise, his warlike and dutiful children? * * * Stand by your Brethren the English — dou't break your covenant chain with them ; let not the French boastings or lies deceive you. The English have « indeed been long asleep, but now they are thoroughly awake : they are slow to spill blood, but when they begin, they are like an angry wolf, and the French will fly before them like deer."*-*'! «; ,iud mnoh r>}fit,>-w od ,'tf(xtwm Mi fio 7f..i -..i After the Indian warriors had been wrpnght up by these stirring appeals to the highest pitch of frenzy, Johu- soa informed them that he had received a miessage from the Half Xing, stating that their brethren southward had already offered their services to General Braddock. This being the case, continued he, will you allow your southern brethren to outstrip you in zeal and bravery? No, rather set them an example. If you desire to treat me as a brother, go with me. " My war-kettle is on the fire, my canoe is ready to put in the water, my gun is loaded, my sword by my side, and my axe is sharpened. By this large >In the first rough manuscript draught of this speech, in Johnson's own hand-writing, now before me, the reading is "angry bear," instead of " anyry wolf," as it is written in the speech published in the N. V. Col. Dot.. The expression in the text, however, is the most forcible. The wolf fre- quently preys on the deer; the bear, rarely, if ever — the food of the bear, especially in the northern wilderness of New York, being chiefly berries and young twigs. Johnson probably altered the first expression in the last draught. t LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 489 i. By this large belt, therefore," — at the eame time handing i Sachem chaf. Abraham a war-belt — " I call on you to raise up like hon- w^L- est and brave men, and join your brethren and me ogainst ^T^' our common enemy, and by it, I confirm the assurances I have given you." lovj'ru. litv."/, Ui\:nf tivi/rcf The following day, the speech of General Braddock was delivered to the Indians by Johnson. The latter threw into its delivery all the fire and energy of which he was master, and at its conclusion flung down, in the general's name, the war-belt. It was immediately picked up by an Oneida sachem, and, at the same time, Arent Stevens, the interpreter, began the war dance, in the chorus of which he was joined by all the sachems present. A large tub of punch was thereupon brought forward for the Indians to drink the king's health, and the council broke up for the day.' The result of this council was flattering. Although of late, the activity of the French had won over several chief warriors of the upper castles, among whom was Bed Head, yet their minds were so mollified by the exertions of John- son, that he was able to write to the lords of trade shortly after, " that there were very few amongst the whole Con- federacy, who, in the present disputes between the French and our crown, do not sincerely wish us success, and are disposed to assist our arms." ■ ii.<. > •> i Hvt.i! irt >vi? vi^ As soon as the plans of the four campaigns had been definitely arranged at Alexandria, Shirley hastened to Boston to prepare for the expedition under his command ; to expedite the departure of the provincials who were to join General Johnson's command; and to urge forward the troops destined for Nova Scotia. He was detained, how- > The efforts of Johnson with the Indians upon this occasion were not confined merely to his public interviews. He labored incessantly with them in private ; and finally prevailed upon the Six Nations to send a oMssagip to those of the Oaondagas who had settled at La Presentation, and (^Isq toi the Caughnawagaa, urging them to remain at least neutral in ^h^ coming struggle.— iV^. F. Col. Doc, vi. 62 490 LIFE OF 8IR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 17M. W-rii ^rf CHAP, ever, a few days in New York, while engaged in removing ' some objections which De Lancoy had raised to the form of Johnson's commission ; and also iu Connecticut, where ho tarried to hurry forward the provincial troops from that province. Having at length arrived in Boston, he worked with so much diligence that the troops for Nova Scotia, under the command of Colonel "Winslow, were soon on their way; and having seen them faii-ly started, he re- turned to New York, and sailed for Albany on the fourth of July,— his own regiment having preceded him by a few days.' Lieutenant Governor Pe Lancey likewise hastened from Alexandria to New York, and having convened his legis- lature, informed it in a short me.-:dage, on the twenty-third of April, that General Braddocic had given his assent to Governor Shirley's plan, and urged it to act on the resolu- tion of the joint committee. The assembly, now thoroughly aroused, entered with alacrity into the proposed expedition. Bills were immediately passed for levying and supplying eight hundi*ed men to act under General Johnson in erect- ing forts near Cro vn Point, and for impressing ship car- penters and laboreis to construct boats and other articles that might be necessary for the expedition. h- .;!,.: On the twenty-seventh, in another message, the assem- bly were informed that Connecticut had consented to fur- nish three of the eight companies at the expense of New York, and that a loan of a sufficient number of arms to equip the entire eight companies had been requested of Governor Dinwiddle. In case, however, the executive should be disappointed in obtaining a sufficient quantity, it was suggested that provision should be made for supply- ing the deficiency. Inasmuch, also, as it had been agreed at Alexandria that presents should be given to the Indians, it was thought that money should be appropriated for that purpose, and likewise for the expenses of Major General Johnson, suitable to his rank. The assembly responding > M Bancroft. > Lieutenant OoTernor Lawrence to the lords of trade, Aug. 1, 1754. Lira or SIR WILLIAM J0nK805, DART. 408 ide, Aug. 1, 1764. in Acadia, would render inflccure the poggefl»ion of Nova chap. Scotia, it was determined to send adrift the entire colony. v,>,^J^ Accordingly a proclamation was issued commrnding the ^^''^• '\ialo8 of all ages to assemble at their several villages on ihe iitlh of Heptember. Utterly unsuspicious, in the sim- plicity of their hearts, of any hostile intent, four hundred and eighteen unarmed men assembled at Grand I'r^, one of the places designated. As soon as they had been like a flock of sheep huddled tog ther in the church, the doors were closed and secured, and it was told them by Colonel Winslow, that all their lands, houses and live stock were confiscated to the crown, and that they were to be removed immediately from the province. They were, however, "through the goodness of his majesty," — to be permitted to take with them their money and as much of their household goods as would not encumber the vessels iu which they were to sail .-,;i -i..! /., „..,f tr 8,..m .(...b'-.i^ t-f It was a sad day, when for the last time the Acadiftus looked upon their homes which for so long had contained all that life holds dear. As the embarkation was in pro- giess, the men, as thef marched to the boats, were greeted with the blessings of the women and children, who kneeling, joined with them in *' praying, and singing hymns." Although Colonel Winslow was a humane man, and exercised as much kindness as was consistent with his orders, yet it is to be feared that the jSCew England troops, actuated by that same intolerance which caused their ancestors to burn out the tongues of Quakers, enter- ed into this horrid work with alacrity. As there was not a sufficient number of transports to carry them all at one time, the women and children were left behind until they could be taken oft' in other vessels. " The embarkation of the inhabitants goes on but slowly," wrote the brut.il Monckton ; " the most part of the wives of the men we have prisoners are gone oft' with their children, in hopes I would not send oft' their husbands without them." They were indeed ]>itterly deceived ; and ae the last anchor was V ' I ^i! 494 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, weighed, and the white sails, filling with the bieeze, bore v_.,_' their loved ones from the sight of those that were left 1766. behind, one universal wail of anguish rose up to heaven. Cruel was the fate of these unfortunates. Full seven thousand of them were distributed throughout the colo- nies. Some were sent to Georgia and South Carolina, and others to New England, whore scorning to receive assist- ance from those who had so cruelly wronged them, they died in obscurity and indigence.' For many months afterward the provincial newspapers contained advertise- ments of husbands seeking their wives, lovers their betrothed, and brothers their sisters. A few, after weary months of wandering, found again their lost ones ; but the majority never again beheld' the faces of those whom they loved. Thus was consummated a deed, the most needless, wanton and fiendish, that it has ever been the lot of an historian to record, — a deed which has left upon the reign of George Second, and upon all those who were engaged in this expedition, a stain so dark and damning, as needed not the pen of one of our most loved poets, to render ita memory lasting, so long as the sanctity of the family tie shall remain in the hearts of men.* General Braddock had intended to have advanced against Fort Duquesne in the early part of spring. Difficulties, however, in procuring a suitable number of wagons and a proper supply of provisions, retarded his movements so greatly, that he was not ready to start until June. On the tenth of that month, with Washington as one of his aids, he left Wills creek at the head of twenty-two hundred men. The roughness of the roads and the impossibility of hasten- ing forward the wagons, — loaded not only with the neces- ^Qrahaiue. ''English writers have indeed attempted to justify this cruelty on the ground of " military necessity ;" but tho duty, which each one seems to consider himself under to explain it away by elaborate reasoning, is only ft confession of the utter needlessness and inhumanity of the act. LBT. the breeze, bore se that were left )8e up to heaven, ites. Full seven )ughout the colo- uth Carolina, and to receive assist- )nged them, they >r many months tained advertise- '68, lovers their few, after weary lost ones ; but the those whom they t needless, wanton : of an historian to reign of George e engaged in this ng, as needed not jets, to render its of the family tie e advanced against ring. Difficulties, r of wagons and a his movements so itil June. On the as one of his aids, -two hundred men. issibilityof hastcn- ily with the neces- jtify this cruelty on the ich each one seems to rate reasoning, is only a ,y of the act. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 495 eary supplies, but with much unnecessary baggage, which phap. the regular officers would not consent to leave behind, — w^ rendered the progress of the troops slow and tiresome. ^^'^^• Under these circumstances, Braddock, at the suggestion of Washington, pushed ahead with twelve hundred picked men lightly equipped, while Colonel Dunbar, with the remainder of the troops and the heavy artillery, followed in slow marches. A.t length upon the eighth of July, the fork of the Monongahela and Youghiogheny was reached. The next day's sun was just appearing above the eastern hills, when the army, having forded the Monongahela, pursued their journey along the southern bank of that river. Their polished helmets and rich trappings, glittering in the dewy foliage like so many diamonds, were in keeping with the cheerfulness visible upon each countenance, while a fresh breeze, which had just sprung up infused new life into the jaded steeds, who champed their bits, and seemed scarcely less impatient to hasten forward than their riders. At noon the river was again forded, and the troops were upon a level plain which, extending for half a mile, termi- nated in a gradual rise of ground to the hills beyond. The road from the fording place to Fort Duquesne, was across this plain and up this ascent. "By the order of march, a body of three hundred men, under Colonel Gage, made the advance party, which was immediately followed by another of two hundred. Kext came the general with the columns of artillery, the main body of the army and the baggage. At one o'clock the whole had crossed the river, and almost at this moment a sharp firing was heard upon the advanced parties, who were now ascending the hill, and had proceeded about a hundred yards from the termination of the plain. A heavy discharge of musketry was poured in upon their front, which was the first intelligence they had of the proximity of an enemy, and this was suddenly followed by another on their right flank. They were filled with the greatest consternation, as no enemy was in oirrTif o n <1 f\\ »«AA\A %tAA\^ ■■ ■ & 'f 'm* 496 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1766. Fr. ii F«r * c^\p. seemed to proceed fi'om an invisible foe. They fired in < their turn, however, but quite at random and obviously without efl'ect. " The general hastened forward to the relief of the advanced parties ; but, before he could reach the spot which they occupied, they gave way and fell back upon the artilleiy and the other columns of the array, causing extreme confusion, and striking the whole mass with such a panic, that no order could afterwards be restored. The general and the officers behaved with the utmost courage, and used every effort to rally the men, and bring tlu ni to order, but all in vain. In this state they continued nearly three hours, huddling together in coniused bodies, tiring irregularly, shooting down their own officers and men, and doing no particular harm to the enemy. The Yirgiiiia provincials were the only troops who seemed to retain ihoir senses, and they behaved with a bravery and a resolution worthy of a better fate. They adopted the Indian mode, and fought each man for himself behind a tree. This was prohibited by the general, who endeavored to form his men into platoons and columns, as if they had been manoeuvring on the plains of Flanders. Meantime the French and Indians, concealed in the ravines and behind trees, kept up a deadly and unceasing discharge of mus- ketry, singling out their objects, taking deliberate aim, and producing a carnage almost unparalleled in the annals of modern warfare. More than half of the whole army which had crossed the river in so proud an array only three hours before, were killed or wounded. The general himself received a mortal wound, and many of his best officers fell by his side."* s Upon the fall of General Braddock, Colonel Washington assumed the command, and having succeeded in rallying the troops, fell back with them in tolerable order upon Gi-t's scttlcnieut, where Colonel Dunbar was encamped. Here a panic again seized tlie troops, and hastily burning 1 Washington's journal, ii, 469. d hastily burning LIFE 07 SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 497 their stores and destroying their artillery, they retreated chap. in the wildest confusion to Will's creek, which a second w^l/ time received an army broken and routed by the French. ^^^• The English left on the field dead seven hundred and four- teen privates, while, with the exception of Washington, not an officer escaped unhurt. The French remained in possession of the field, and vast quantities of ammunition, together with six brays field pieces, four howitz-carriages, and eleven small grenade mortars. ^ Their loss in killed was only three officers and thirty men. Thus terminated this expedition, from which so much had been expected, and upon the result of which the eyes of both continents had been turned in anxious solicitude. It was an expedition moreover lost through sheer folly. During the march, Washington had repeatedly urged his commander to accept of a body of Indians under the Half King, who, at the solicitation of Johnson, had offered themselves to serve as scouts,' but Braddock, who, though a brave man, was imperious and self-willed, at first refused ; and though he finally accepted them, yet they were treated with such neglect, that they left in disgust. Had Wash- ington*^ advice been followed, so far even as to have sent in advance of the main body half a dozen Indians, the calamity would not have occurred. Well would it have been for the colonists of Pennsyl- vania and Virginia had the effects of the rout ended here. But the French, when they unexpectedly saw that this defeat was followed by the retreat of the remainder of the array, found themselves at liberty to resume the offensive. The prestige of British troops among the Indians was gone, and taking advantage of this, the French prevailed ou several of the Indian nations to take up the hatchet against the English — a result which was accomplished the more readily fropa the fact that the Indians still considered — , , 1 >An account of the battle of the Monongahela. — Parii Doe., x, 808, ' Manuscript letter : Johnaon to General Cro^hap, April 28d, 1766. 63 I sr ■ f ! ']f^^ Jhfi 498 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. Hi' I ^ CHAP, themselves aggrieved by the sale of their lands by the Six w-v — ' Nations two years before at Albany. Although a part of 1756. ^jjg Shawnees were always perfidious and had declared for the French in the previous war, yet the majority of that nation, together with the Delawares, had always been depended on by the government of Pennsylvania, to pre- serve the western tribes in its interest, or at least to prevail on them to remain neutral. Now, however, those two nations, having declared war against the English with great solemnity, took up the hatchet with alacrity, and fell with great fury upon the settlements, carrying on a most sanguinary and cruel war, and burning and laying waste all before thefti from beyond the Apalachian hills in Vir- ginia to the river Delaware.* From the fact that tlie Indian towns were scattered along both banks of the Ohio and Delaware, and on both branches of the Susquehanna, the Indians were capable of doing much mischief; and the terror of the inhabitants became so great, that it was feared, that following the Blue Ridge in their desolating course, they would fall upon the provinces of New Jersey and New York* The Susquehanna and the Catawba tribes remained faith- ful. Rumors, however, becoming prevalent that the French were tampering with the Southern Indians, and a message being received to that effect from the chief warrior of the Cherokees, Governor Glen held a council among the hills of western Carolina, with five hundred warriors of that nation, with whom he renewed the covenant chain, and obtained from them a grant of lands, and also per- mission to erect a fort on the banks of the Savannah river.'' An evil star hung over the expedition against Niagara from its very inception. It was to have started early in * Manuscript letter ; Governor Morris of Pennsylvania to Governor Shir- ley, 3d December, 1755. 'Manuscript letter: Governor Morris to Governor Shirley. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 499 es of New Jersey the spring, but the troops, who were to take part in it, chap. composed of Shirley's, Pepperell's and Colonel Schuyler's • — ^—- regiments, did not arrive in Albany till early in July. Just ^'°^- as Shirley and Pepperell, with their regiments, were embarking at Schenectady for Oswego — Colonel Schuyler's regiment having preceded them by a few days — the news of Braddock's defeat reached Albany. The effect of this intelligence was disastrous in the extreme. Such was the terror excited by it, that many of the troops deserted, and so great a number of the bateau men went home, that a large portion of the necessary stores had to be left behind, while over the spirits of all was cast a deep gloom. Tliis caused more delay, and it was not until the latter part of July that General Shirley was fairly on the way to Oswego, where he arrived on the twenty-first of August. At the council held at Alexandria in the spring, it had been determined that Oswego should be reinforced, and that vessels should also be built to intercept more readily the bateaux of the French. Accordingly, upon the seventh of June, three hundred and twenty ship carpenters arrived at that post; and at the same time Captain Bradstreet marched thither with two companies to reinforce the garri- son. Meanwhile the carpenters worked so expeditiously, that when General Shirley arrived, he found several good vessels already built and ready for the transportation of his troops to Niagara. More boats, however, had to be built, and weeks passed before a sufficient number for transporting six hundred men — all that Shirley proposed to take with him — could be completed. Scarcely were they finished, when a storm set in so severe as to render it unsafe for the troops to venture on the lake in open boats. The storm abated upon the twenty-sixth of September, but hardly had the orders been given for their embarkation, when a succession of head winds and tempests arose, which continued for thirteen days. Sickness now prevailed ; the Indians dreading a voyage on the water, deserted; and the season was far advanced. Under these circumstances i" « .'# 600 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, a council of war was held, at which it was the opinion of s-v— ' all, that it would be more prudent to defer the expedition 1756. yiT^iw another year. Accordingly on the twenty-fourth of October, General Shirley, leaving Colonel Mercer in com- mand of a garrison of seven hundred men, with instructions to erect two new forts for the farther security of the place, returned to Albany with the residue of his army. Two of the expeditions so contidently planned at Alexan- dria, had thus signally failed. The hopes of all the colonists were now centered, in fearfu^ suspense, upon the result of the expedition under Major General Johnson. Crown Point had been strongly reinforced. Dieskau, with the flower of the French army, was watching with eagle eye his movements. Sh juld Johnson fail all hope is lost. >r;i) lUIM f !■> ., rv,fo '■■.,.. > --11! m; Mini ■,J.' [i-f ;,, IK.i'l - -.t:.- :. 1 > . ' / ■ • ■(. i>' r4 -1. ' ..;. .';! ■J I' I CHAPTER XVI. 1755. u , '(,■ By the end of June, all the forces destined for the chap. • XVI reduction of Crown Point had assembled at Albany. They w^ were co aposed chiefly of provincial militia from the colo- 1766. nies of Massachusetts and Connecticut. New York had contributed one regiment to the expedition, and New Hampshire had raised for the same object, five hundred sturdy mountaineers, and had placed them under the com- mand of Colonel Joshua Blanchard.^ The latter was first sent by Governor "Wentworth to the Connecticut river to erect a fort c^. Cohoes, under the impression that it was on his route to Crown Point. While on the way, however, advices being received from Governor Shirley, urging him to hasten to Albany, he marched forthwith for that city, where he arrived with his men, after a tiresome march through the woods by way of Number Four, in time to join the rest of the troops. " In the beginning of August, General Lyman was sent forward with the greater part of the troops, to erect a fort on the east bank of the Hudson river, at the great carrying- place between that river and Lake George, and which after- ward received from General Johnson the name of Fort Edward.' It was the intention of Johnson to have gone ou at the same time, and he would have done so, had he not been detained by the leaky condition of the bateaux, and also by difficulties which arose at this time between himself and Governor Shirley. The author of A Leiler 'John Stark, the hero of Bennington, was, at this time, one of Blanohard's lieutenants. ' Munusoript letter : Qoyernor Wentworth to Johnson. See also, Belknap. 'The fort was first namnd Fort Lvman after the builder. 502 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOUNSON, BART. CHAP, to a Nobleman has seen fit to misrepresent so greatly the V— y— ' origin of this difficulty, and the conduct of General John- ^^^^- son in this aft'air, that it is hut just that the reader should have the benefit of an extract from a letter written by the general upon this subject to the board of trade. The letter is written from the camp at Lake George shortly after his arrival : "Governor Shirley, soon after his arrival at Albany, on his way to Oswego, grew dissatisfied with my proceedings, and employed one Lydius, of that place — a man whom he knew, and I told him was extremely obnoxious to me, and the very man whom the Indians had in their public meetings so warmly complained of, to oppose my interest and management with them. Under this man several others were employed. These persons went to the Indian castles, and by bribes, keeping them constantly feasting and drunk ; calumniating my character ; depreciating my commission, authority and management ; in short, by the most licen- tious and abandoned proceedings, raised such a confusion amongst the Indians, particularly the two Mohawk castles, that their sachems were under the utmost consternation ; sent deputies down to me to know what was the occasion of all these surprising proceedings ; that I had told them I was appointed sole superintendent of their affairs, which had given an universal satisfaction through all their nations, but that now every fellow pretended to be vested with commissions and authority. I sent several messages and the interpreters up to quiet their minds, for my military department would not suffer me to leave Albany, as I was about marching with the troops under my command, or I would have gone up and should have soon arrested all these violent measures. ' * * * * * * *' I shall only say, in general, that a complication of more scurrilous falsehoods; more base and insolent behavior; more base and destructive measures to overset that plan of general harmony, which I had with infinite pains, and at \l ! LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAllT. 503 11 great expense to the public, so lately cstublisliod, could chap, XVI. not have taken place, than did in the conduct of these agents of Gc v.^ nor Shirley. I spoke of it to Governor ^^"^ Shirley ; I wrote to him of it, but without success. They pleaded his authority for ail they did, and said they had his commission ; and I can't but presume that it must have been done with his knowledge and consent, in which I am confirmed in his letter to me. ♦ ♦ * " The reasons, or the pretended reasons which Governor Shirley gives for opposing my Indian management and employing these persons is, that I would not get him some Indians to escort him from Schenectady to Oswego. I had indeed mentioned it to some of the sachems, who told me that as his way to Oswego lay through their several countries, — and Oswego itself is in the Senecas country — they could not conceive there was any occasion for their escorting him, and that when he came to Oswego there was no fear but that many of the Six Nations would, according to my desire, meet him there and assist him. Numbers of the troops had gone up without any molesta- tion ; not the least interruption had been given to any one, the traders to Oswego daily going and returning with single bateaux. Those who are acquainted with Indian affairs well know that it would have been the worst of policy for the French at that time to violate the tranquillity of the country of the Six Nations. It is true, some small parties of enemy Indians had been discovered between Schenectady and my house, but they are looked upon as a set of freebooters, and Governor Shirley's body guard would have been a full security to him against any such. Even his premier Lydius, when I talked to him on this head, told me he saio no want of Indians to escort him, and that he would endeavor to dissuade him from it. " It is with reluctance that I trouble your lordships with those matters, but as I have been honored with a station of great importance, and entrusted with money belonging to the crown, it behooves me on my account, not to be ■1, I r..^' ^ 504 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAKT. CTTAp. wholly silent; and I Lave said as little as I possibly could s_v«^ to give your lordships some idea of aftairs, for whijli I 1756. apprehend myself accountable to your board. ^ " Governor Shirley's conduct not only shook the system of Indian affairs, and gave me fresh anxieties and perplex- ities, but occasioned considerable and additional expenses, which would otherwise have been saved ; the profuse offers which his agents made to the Indians in order to debauch them from joining me, though it did not succeed with but a very few, ^et gave to all such self-importance, that when I urged to any of them who made demands upon me, the unreasonableness of them, they reproached me that they had refused Governoj Shirley's great offers, from whom they would have had anything they wanted. Under these cir- cumstances and the account coming out at that time of our unhappy defeat on the Ohio, I was forced to make compliance, which otherwise they would not have expected nor I submitted to." - • j. . , ; ,,., i.. The truth is that Governor Shirley, who was an exceed- ingly consequential man, was piqued at the seeming neglect shown to his position. He had expected to find Johnson, like Lydius, a ready tool in his hands, and to be escorted through the Indian country, with all the ceremony of an Eastern prince. In this, Johnson, who had no time to give to anything that was not absolutely essential to the success of the expedition, could not further him, and hence Shirley's dissatisfaction. But even if Mr. Shirley did think that Johnson was not acting with judgment, bis proper course would have been to lodge his complaints— if any he had — before the lords of trade, and not, for the sake of gratifying his animosity, to descend to these means. They could do no good ; and to say the least, it was very ill-judged at this time, — when the utmost unanimity was necessary to further the expedition, then on the very eve of embarking, — to do anything which would create jea- lousies and dissensions among the Indians. The character of Governor Shirley, which Mr. Bancrott LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOUNSON, BART. 505 very justly deflcribes as artful, fuvors the reprcBentation of chap' this transaction as given by Johnson. The Six Nations, «-vw moreover, required peculiar management, which Johnson, l^*** after years of study and observation, alone was qualified to undertake. If he, likewise, was to have the entire control of the Indians and was alono responsible to the crown, it was natural, as well as perfectly right and just, that he should resent any interference, especially by one who, residing in New England, could not properly appreciate the exigencies which were continually arising among the Indians in the province of New York. The remarks of the author of a Letter to a Nobleman are as unjust to General Johnson, as his eulogy of Governor Shirley is gross and fulsome. General Johnson very properly, therefore, tells the ministry, in the letter which we have quoted, that the management of Indian afiaira had not been sought by him ; and that if he coatinued in it, he must be allowed to have it under his own control, untram- meled by the interference of the Massachusetts governor. Before the general could join his army the dissensiona sown among the Indians by Lydius must be healed. This caused a delay of several days ; and even then, just as he had arranged everything, as he supposed, to the satisfaction of the Indians, a deputation came to him on the eve of his departure, refUsing to proceed with him farther, until mat- ters had been explained to them more clearly.^ These difficulties having been finally adjusted, the gen- eral upon the eighth of August, set out from Albany with the stores and artillery, and — ^with the exception of the New York and Rhode Island militia, which were fltill behind — with the rest of the troops. He was also accompanied by King Hendrik with fifty Mohawk warriors, and also by 1 \ Joseph Brant, then a mere lad of thirteen years. * Upon his arrival at the great carrying place, on the fourteenth, he was joined by two hundred more braves, thus increacing ' ManuHcript letter : Johnson to De Lancey, 8th August, 1766. • Christian Rcgitter. 64 ■ I 'j^^' <4 LIFE OF 8IR WILLIAM JOUNSON, BART. CHAP, tho number of hia Indian uUios to about two hundred und XVIa 1766. my. Tlio general found tlic Now England troops burning witli ardor und impatient of delay. The news of Braddock'n defeat far from disheartening, only made them more desirouu to be led against Crown Point. To them this expedition was for the defense of their lireoides. " I endeavor to keep myself calm and quiet under our slow progress, and to wait God's time," wrote one of the provincials at this time, to his wife in Massachusetts. ' But to them tho advance was slow. General Lyman felt equally restive under the delay. So much so, indeed, that before John- son's ariival, ho had set three hundred of his men to work cutting a road to Fort Ann, supposing that the army would prooeed against Crown Point by way of Wood creek und Lake Champlain. Johnson, however, in view of a council of war, which he proposed to call for the purpose of deciding upon the best route, countermanded the order, and sent out a scouting party of forty soldiers and three Indians to reconnoitre the whole country in that vicinity. ' The scouts having returned, a council was called on the twenty-second, in which the officers, upon hearing their report, unanimously gave it as their opinion, " that the road to Lake Bt. Sacrament appeared to them the most eligible, and that it ought to be immediately sot about.'' It was also determined to send forward two thousand men to cut a road through the woods to the head of the lake, and erect 9uita\)le buildings in which to store arms and other munitioi's of war when they should arrive. Leaving GtMieral Lyman to await the arrival of the rest of the troops, and the New Hampshire men to complete and garrison the fort, Johnson set out on the twenty-sixth, •Manuscript letter: Thomas Williams to bia wife. Thomas Williams, who accompanied this expedition as a, surgeon, was a brother to Colonel Ephraim Williams, and the same one who was dispatched from Fort Mas- sachusetts to Albany for supplies, when that post was attacked by De Vau- dreuil. ' Manuscript letter : Thomas Williams to his wife. '0\ LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. m with thirty-four Inmdrt'd men, for the lake — a diHtanco of '-^ap. fourteen and a half niiles — reaching it at duHk of the"— v— twenty-eighth. The position which he selected for hia ^^'^' camp was a strong one, heing protected on the rear by the lake, and on both flanks by a thickly wooded swamp. His lirHt act on liis arrival was to change the name of the lake from St. Sacrament to Lake George, " not only," as ho loyally writes, " in honor of his majesty, but to ascertain his undoubted dominion hero." ' Although for many years previously this lake had been used as a means of commu- nication both for warlike and commercial purposes between Canada and Albany, yet Johnson found a primeval forest, where "no house was ever before built, nor a spot of land fleared." The soldiers were immediately set to work clearing a place for a camp of live thousand men, and pro- viding shelter for the military stores. Meanwhile General Lyman, having left at the carrying place two hundred and fifty New England troops, and live companies from New York which had finally arrived, joined the camp at Lake George on the third of September, bringing with him all the heavy artillery. All v was activity in the provincial camp. "Wagons ladou with ruunitions of war, came and went across the ^ MaJBuaoript letter : Johnson to De Lancey. Also Johnson to the lords f trade. The ancient Iroquois name of this lake is Andiataroctr — " there the lake shuts itself." The French missionary, Father Jngues, named it St. Sacra- ment; not, as some suppose — Mr. Cooper among them — on account of the purity of its waters, but because he arrived at the lake upon the eve of the festival day of that name.' The early Kitinan Catholic discoverers, says the Rev. Mr. Van Rensselaer, "frequently connect the discovery of places with the festival name, on the calendar." Mr. Cooper, in his Last of the Mohicans suggests the name of Horicon, tor this lake. This, though quite poetical, is merely fanciful, as indeed he claims, and has not the merit of historical truth. 1 "lis arriverant, la vellle dn S. Snorament, au bout du lao qui oat Joint an grand lao da Champlain. Lea Iroquois le nominoiu Andlataroote, oommequi dUolt la ou l» lac « ferms. Le Pere lo niiruma le lao du S. Saa> tjaoDt. "—Relationa, 1045-46. i 508 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CTtAF. portage. The wild flowers of the forest bent beneath the *-v-/ rude tread of armed men. The noise of a hundred ham- 1755. mars echoed through the mountain fastnesses ; and keel after keel cut the crystal -waters of the lake. By day, the French mountain frowned defiantly at those by whom its repose had first been broken ; and at night, the panther, from the neighboring thicket, looked forth upon the stal- wart forms reclining by the watch fires. " Prayers," wrote Johnson, " have a good effect, especially among the New- England men;" and on the sabbath, while the Indians were reclining at a distance under the forest shade, or skimming the waters in their birchen canoes, the New England troops had gathered around the man of God, ' to listen to his words of comfort, and to unite with him iu supplication at the throne of the most High. Johnson had expected to be joined at the lake by many more warriors of the Six Nations. In this he was disap- pointed. A few braves, it is true, dropped in at the camp, but by no means in the numbers which the Indians had assured him would come. The old Sachem Hendrik was mortified at the paucity of the numbei, and availed him- self of a council, held on the fourth, to explain to Johnson and his officers why so few warriors had joined their standard : "Sometime ago," said he, "we of the two Mohawk castles, were greatly alarmed and much concerned, and wc take this opportunity of speaking our minds iu the presence of many gentlemen concerning our brother. Governor Shirley, who is gone to Oswego ; — he told us that, tli(»iigh we thought you, our brother Warraghiyaghey, had the sole management of Indian aft'airs, yet that he was over all ; that he could pull down and set up. He farther told us that he had always been this great man, and that you, our brother, was but an upstart of yesterday. These kind ot discourses from him caused a great uneasiness and con- > Key. Stephen WilliamB, of Longmeadow, Mass.) chaplain of Williams's regiment. LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BAKT. 509 fusion amongst us, and he confirmed these things by a large <^ap. belt of wampum. w.^^ " I just now said, these matters made our hearts ache ^^^• and caused a great deal of confusion in our castles. Governor Shirley further told us : ' you think your brother Warraghiyaghey has his commission for managing your affairs from the king our father — but yoif are mistaken — he has his commission and all the moneys for carrying on your aftairs from me, and when I please I can take all his powers from him ; it was I gave him all the presents and goods to fit out the Indians with.' " He further told us when he came to our fort : ' This is my fort ; it was built by my order and directions ; I am ruler and master here, and now brethren, I desire twenty of your young warriors from this castle to join me as your brother Warraghiyaghey promised me you would do, and be ready at a whistle. Brethren, you may see I have the chief command ; here is money for you, my pockets are full ; you shan't want ; besides I have goods and arms ready for all that will go with me.' He said a great deal more of the like kind, which time will not permit us to repeat at present. " He was two days pressing and working upon my brother Abraham to go with him as a minister for the Indians — he said to him : ' Warraghiyaghey gives you no wages, why should you go to Crown Point, you can do nothing there ; but with me there will be something to do worth while.' These speeches rnade us quite ashamed, and the Six Nations hung down their heads and would make no answer. " But brother, notwithstanding all these temptations and speeches, we that are come and now here, were determined to remain steadfast to you, and had it not been for Governor Shirley's money and speeches, you would have seen all the Six Nations here. " Brother, we have taken this opportunity to give you this relation, that the gentlemen here present may kno-^ i! wj^.. - ;fti4:^iWfe. 510 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1755. OTAP. and testify what we have said, and hear the reasons why ' no more Indians have joined this army." ^ Thus closed the last formal speech that the great Mohawli chieftain lived to make. True as tempered steel to the interests of the English, his last moments were in harmony ^ith those of his life — spent in keeping the Six Nations steadfast to their ancient alliance. Although he was a rude hrave of the forest, yet his noble appreciation of the exigencies of the public welfare, the more polished governor of Massachusetts might well have imitated. General Johnson's plan of operations was to build a fort at the head of the lake, and to remain there until a suffi- cient number of bateaux could be constructed in which to transport his stores and artillery. As soon as these were in reacUness, he designed to proceed down the lake, with all his available forces, to Ticonderoga, and there remain until, strengthened by sufficient reinforcemei.* could successfully attack Crown Point. Ticonderogj- • long been considered by military men as a " very danger- ous and important pass ;" and it was his design to con- struct on that promontory a fort which would command the only two water passes to the lower settlements. This movement was therefore well planned ; for if it should not be deemed advisable to attack Crown Point, the French could at least be prevented from passing down either of the lakes. The general was also the more anxious to pro- ceed, from intelligence received through scouts, that a small party of French had already occupied this import- 1 All these statements of Shirley, it is perhaps unnecessary to remind the reader, were false. 1st, Johnson acted at this time as superintendent of Indian affairs under a commission from General Braddock, and not from Shirley ; 2d, The money which he held for the Indians, was given to him by Brfiddock, and he was responsible for it to him alone ; and 8d, The fort was built — as stated in the last chapter — by the direction of Mr. Ue Lancey and his council, on the application of Johnson, with a portion of the " fund for contingencies," in the hands of the lieutennnt-governor. Ilendrik's wcl known character for strict integrity forbids us to doubt the correctness of the facts meutioued in his speech. LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSUN, BART. 511 ant pass. Before, however, his arrangements could be chap. completed, the rapid movements of the enemy foiled his w^ design. ''-^•'i ■■■',;■ 'r- v-.^i'v-v;' >>/•.. ;-,^ ■/■• ':"••: 1755. Early in July, De Vaudreuil, who was informed, through papers taken from Braddock, of Shirley's proposed expe- dition against Niagara, arranged a well concerted atta^^.k upon Oswego. Learning, however, that the English were advancing by way of Saint Sacrament against Crown Point, he changed his purpose ; and calling back the troops already on their march to Oswego, sent them, under Baron Dieskau, to meet the forces of General Johnson.^ Leaving a large force at Crown Point, the baron took six hundred Indians, seven hundred Canadians, and two hun- dred regulars,'* and proceeding up Lake Champlain, landed at the head of that lake. The intention of the French general was first to attack Fort Edward, and then cut off the retreat of Johnson and annihilate his army. This accomplished, Albany and the lower settlements were to be destroyed. This plan was in harmony with the motto upon the baron's arms, "Boldness Wins;" and though it was brilliant, it was also rash.* On the evening of the fourth day after disembarking, the French army found itself, through the treachery of the Iroquois guides, on the road to Lake George, four miles distant from the fort.* Here the baron halted, and sent forward a party of Indians, under the direction of M. de St. Pierre, to reconnoitre. They soon returned, having killed a courier, whom General Johnson had sent to warn the garrison at the carrying-place of their danger. As it was evident from this, that the commander of the fort was now on the alert, Dieskau gave the Indians the choice 'M. de Lottiniere to Count d' Argenson, 24 Oct., 1755. 'Chevalier de Montreuil to the same, 14 Oct., 1755. ' " I avow that I had a recent presentiment that misfortune would over- take him, (Dieskau) because I knew him to be too great a stickler for the dangerous principle that intrepidity alone can accomplish the most diffir cult things."— 2)or«7 to the Minister, 28 Oct., 1755. * Dieskau to Couui d'Argenson, 14 Sept., 1755. 612 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 1765. 't' -J • , I' !- i! . ) CHAP, of either attacking the fort or marching ag;t. ist the can.p V— ^ — -at the lake.* The Indians, who had a peculiar horror of artillery, having learned through a prisoner, that thb camp at the lake was destitute of cannon, positively refused to attack the fort, but expressed their willingness to be led against the latter. Having thus ascertained the disposi- tion of the Indians, Dieskau gave up for the present his former design, and marching through the forest in the northerly part of the present towns of Kingsbury and Queensbury, encamped on the margin of a small pond, on the east of the Lake George road, and near the southern spur of the French Mountain. On the evening of the seventh of September, Johnson was apprised, through his scouts, that a road had been cut from South bay, and that a large body of men were march- ing to the Hudson. The general immediately sent express- es to New York and New England for reinforcements, and at the same time dispatched two messengers to Fort Edward to warn Colonel Blanchard of the advance of the French army. One of these couriers was, as has been stated, intercepted and killed, but the other returned at midnight, bringing the startling intelligence that the ene- my were only four miles from the fort. A council of war was called early the next morning, in which it was the general opinion of both officers and Indiana that a detach- ment of one thousand troops, and two hundred Indians should be sent out in aid of Fort Edward " to catch the enemy in their retreat, either as victors or as defeated in their design." Hendrik alone disapproved of the nuitiber. "If," said that sage counsellor, "they are to fight they are too few ; if they are to be killed they are too many ;" and again, when it was proposed to send out the detach- ment in three parties, the Mohawk, picking up three sticks from the ground, said, " Put these together and you can- not break them ; take them one by one, and you will do 1 " An account of what has occurred this year in Canada. "- dt la Ouerre, Paris. -Department i;.IFB OF SIR WILLIAM J0IIL30N, BART. m was, as has been in C&ntido,."—Deparimeni it easily.'' His advice, however, on both these points was chap. disregarded, and the Provincials, under the gallant Colonel v-l^—. Ephraim Williams, and the Confederate warriors, led by i^^' the venerable Mohawk brave, set out without delay in three divisions, and marched toward the fort, where it was supposed the enemy would be found. As soon as they left the camp, Johnson had some trees felled to form, with the 'wagons and bateaux, a rude breastwork ; and at the same time, some heavy cannon, destined for the attack on Crown Point, were drawn up from the shore of the lake,, and posted in advantageous positions. ;. . ,. ^-j Meanwhile, Dieskau, advised through his Indian scouts of the advance of Colonel Williams, arranged in a defile near at hand, an ambuscade in the shape of a cre8cei;it ; the regulars being stationed in the center, and the Caiiftdi- ans and Indians on either side, where they were concealed on the right by thickets, and on the left by rocks and trees. Colonel Williams advanced with his di\?ision to Rocfey brook, about two miles from the camp, and halted until he should be overtaken by Lieutenant Whiting and Hen- drikwith the rest of the party. As soon as they came up, the colonel, singularly unsuspicious of danger^ and neg- lecting his usual preca'^tion of throwing ahead skirmisjti- ers, gave th 3 order to advance; and the entire column, preceded by Hendrik and his warriors, marched briskly forward and entered the fatal defile. It had been the express orders of Dieskau, that his men should reserve their fire until the English were entirely within the half circle. Fortunately, however, before the detachment were entirely within the ambush, one of the enemy's muskets went oft' accidently. Instantly, terrific yells and rattling of musketry filled the air, as volley after volley was poured with murderous effect upon the left of Williams's column, and upon the Indians in front. Hendrik, who was in advance of his braves, and who being corpulent and mounted on horseback, formed a conspicuous mark for the enemy's bullets, fell dead at the first ^re. (volpftel ■■'I 65 m ym e-irvii ■..>!■.■{! :» i 514 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. OH^' "WilliaiiiJ3 was also killed in the early part of the action, >— y— * being shot through the head as he was standing upon a 1756. rock which he had mounted, the better to directthe move- ments of his men.' A hurried retreat of the Provincials now followed, with the enemy close on their heels, alter- nately yelling and firing. Reaching a small pond near the road," a portion of the Provincials rallied, and stationing themselves behind it, each man for himself, checked the pursuit, until the arrival of Lieutenant Colonel Cole, whom Johnson, as soon as he heard the firing, had sent out with three hundred men to cover the retreat. Under the guidance of "Whiting and Cole, this was successfully effected; and the party which a little before had gone forth confident in their strength, clambered over the barri- cades weary and dejected. Had the French commander been able, as he intended, to have taken advantage of the confusion produced in Johnson's camp by the arrival of the panic stricken fugi- tives, and while his men were flushed with success, rushed forward and carrred the breast-works by storm, he would doubtless have been successful. But the Indians and Canadians, coming in sight of Johnson's cannon, halted, and finally skulked off to the edge of the woods, leaving the regulars to begin the attack. This delay lost the baron the victory, and gave the Provincials full fifteen minutec, in which to improve their defences, and recover from their previous trepidation. The attack was begun by the regulars, who advanced in perfect order against the center, firing by platoons. As theii polished arms were first descried advancing from the woods, a slight tremor seized the Provincials, but after the first few volleys they lost all fear and fought with 1 For a sketch of Williams and Hendrik see Appendix No. Ill and IV of this volume. * Since called Bloody pond, from the tradition that man; of those elais in this sk-rmish were thrown into it. r !(| LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 615 coolness and desperation.* Finding that no impr'^ssion cha?. could be made upon the center, Dieskau changtd hiss-.^ attack to the »eft with no better effect. He next attempt- ^^^^ ed, by a desperate charge, to turn Johnson's right, where were stationed the regiments of Ruggles, Titcomb, and the late Col'. j1 Williams. ^ terrific fight followed ; both parties feeling that the issue of the struggle had now arrived. In the words of an officer present, " there seemed nothing but thunder and lightning and perpetual pillars of smoke, and the bullets flew like hail-stones." The Provincials, said Dieskau " fought like devils," and in some instances leaping the bre^t- works and clubbing their arms they fought hand to hand and faqe to face. Finally, the old fashioned musket, in the ^[luscular arms of the New England farmers, proving superior to the glit- tering bayonet, the regulars were again driyen back, leav- ing the ground covered with their dei^d and wounded. During this attack upon the right, a party of Abenakis and Canadians, posting themselves in a morass, for a time made considerable havoc, but a few shells thrown among them scattered them in the greatest confusion. Thus driven back at all points, the enemy began to waver, which was no sooner perceived by the Provincials, than leaping their defences with a loud shout, they fought them until the lake became red as the crimson flowers that blossom upon its margin.^ This fierce onset decided the day ; and ' Joseph Brant; in relating the particulars of this bloody engagement to Dr. Stewart, acknowledged that this being the iirst action at which he was prebent, he was seized with such a tremor when the firing began, that he was obliged to take hold of a small sapling to steady himself; but that after the discharge of a few volleys he recovered the use of his limbs and the composure of his mind so as to support the character of a brave ma^, of which he was exceedingly ambitious. 'The .to JeZia CarrfinaK«, commonly called the Indian Eye-Bright. The author has frequently seen large clusters of this beautiful blossom growing on the banks of the lake and upon the margin of Bloody pond. Alfred B. Street has embr.lmed this flower in a touching Indian Ipgend, in hip enter- taining Woods and Waters. \i ■St - ' 516 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ' ■1 OTtAt. the French, breaking their ranks, sought in wild disorder wv— > the cover of the woods.* 1766. jjj ^Yiiti battle almost all the French regulars were killed. Dieskau, although he had received three balls in his legs and one across his knee while fighting close to the barri- cades, refused to leave the field ; and supported by the stump of a tree, continued amid the whistling of bul- lets calmly to give his orders. Finally, as his troops were ia full retreat, u. renegade Frenchman maliciously dis- charged his musket through both of the general's hips, inflicting a very severe wound. Lieutenant Colonel Pom- eroy coming up at this moment, the baron was conveyed to the tent of the American commander, v here he received every attention due to a brave though unfortunate ; lan— General Johns ^n refusing to have his own wounds dressed until those of the baron had been properly ottended to.^ Le Gardeur de St. Pierre, the same who had defeated Washington the previous year on the Ohio, received his death wound in the skirmish of Uie morning. His last words were, " fight on boys, this is Johnson not Braddoek." ^The French suffered little in this action from the artillery, which, simsd generally too high, did but small execution — except, by the oraBbiii'; of the balls in the tree-tops, to scare the Indians. All the credit is due to the personal Talor of the Boldiers and officers themselves. 'Account of the battle of Lalce George ; (1756) written by Baron Dies- kau, iu a dialogue entitled. Dialogue between Marshal Saxe and Baron dt Dietkau in the Elyeian Fields ; also Dieskau's official account of the action— Department de la Guerre, Paris, published also i|i N. Y. Col. Doc. From these documents, it appears that the generally received impression that Dieskau was shot while feeling for his watch, &o., is a pure Qption. " I know not what at present will be my fate ; from M. do Joiinson, the general of the English army, I am receiving all the attention possible to be expected from a brave man, full cf honor and feeling." Bapqn de Dieskau to Count d' Argenson, Sept. 14, 1765. Before the baron left America, a warm friendship sprung up between himself and his conqueror ; and previo""'''' to his returning to France, he presented Johnson with a magnificent sword as a token of bis regard. General Johnson acknowledged this gift in a feeling letter to the baron, which manuscript letter is in my possessiun. Dieskau die4 in 1767, of his 'wounds received in this action. LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 517 OHAf. XVI. In the beginning of the action, General Johnson " dis- played a firm and steady mind," and conducted himself with groat bravery ; but soon receiving a painful wound ^'^^• in uie hips, he was forced to retire, leaving the command to Major General Lyman. During all of the fight, which lasted from half past ten in the morning until four in the afternoon, Lyman behaved with distinguished bravery; repeatedly showing himself in front of the defences, in order to encourage his men.* The misfortunes of the enemy were not, however, at an end. Toward evening of the same day, as the shattered remnants of the French army were seated near Rocky brook, refreshing themselves after the late exhausting bat- tle, they were suddenly attacked by a party of two hun- dred New Hampshire men under Captain Maginnis, who were on their way to Lake George, and completely routed, leaving, in the words of an eye-witness, " their garments and weapons of war for miles together, like the Assyrians in their flight." The brave Maginnis, however, received a contusion on the head from a spent bullet, and died soon after reaching the camp. The bodies of those slain in this skinnish, were buried in the bottom of the glen, beneath the shade of everlast- ing rocks. It is a sweet, wild haunt, — the sunbeam falls there with a softened radiance, — and the brook near by murmurs plaintively, as if mourning for the dead. In the three actions of this day, about two hundred and twenty of the Provincials were killed, and ninety-one wounded. Their loss was greater than it might otherwise have been, from the fact that several were hit by poisoned bullets ; thus mere fles]- . ounds soon mortified, some of the soldiers dying in convulsions.* Of the Six JN'ations " . i I- ' For a map of this action see appendix No. v. ' " Mical Harrington died of the wound he receivod through the fleshy pnrt of the thigh, the ball undoubtedly poisoned ; as also one Jonathan Burt, of Brimfield, by a poisoned ball through the arm ; and one Brisbee, by a slight shot in the leg which threw him into convulsions. The art of man could not stop the mortification which seized the wounded part, and n\ 518 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. .1 1765. CTM^. nearly forty of their braves perished. The loss of tlie < 'French was probably between three and four hundred.' General Johnson, under the direction of a council of war held immediately after the action, sent circular letters, containing an official account of the action of the eighth, to Boston, whence they were to be sent to the several colonial governors. His thus acting according to direction, is a eufficient answer to those who have censured him, for not advising Governor Shirley at Oswego of the result. It is true that he mig^tLave written him unofficially by a private express ; but this was a mere matter of preference. That he did not prefer so to do, after the eiibrts of Shirley to weake*^ his influence, is not surprising. Three days after the battle, the Indians in council announced to Johnson and his officers, through Aguiotta, an Oneida sachem, their intention of returning forthwith to their homes. It waf3 in vain that the general remon- strated, and told them that the object of the campaign was not yet accomplished, — that in fact he had " not yet got half way," — they were determined in their pui-posc. While, however, they were not to be moved from their design, they assured their brother, "that their going home arose not from any coldness of heart, but wan in accordance with their invariable custom of returning after an engage- ment, in which they had sustained loss, to cheer their peo- ple ;" and they promised soon to retui'n and use the hatch- et with fresh vigor against the Fretich. The Indians were also fearful that the Abenakis, in revenge for the loss of their braves, would fall upon their own castles left by their presently a few hours shut up the scene. Oh onrsed malice, that the fatal lead should not be thought sufficient without being rolled up with a solution of copper and yellow arsenic, as I am thoughtful was the case, by many of the poisoned balls which were brought in out of their bullet pouches, taken among the plunder." — Manuscript letter, Surgeon Thomas Williams to 'ills wife. This is the only instance, that I recollect, of the use of poisoned bullets in battle. 1 Dieskau estimated it at six hundred, and Johnson placed it in his first report of the action also at six hundred, but afterward at four hundred. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. m absence iu a measure unprotected. It being useless to de- chap. tain them against thoir inclination, the general, after con-v.^ suiting his officers, dismissed them to their castles, giving 1766. them some strouda,with which to cover the graves ^r their dead.* ■:, (f,; - ••; :....t,h:^' i^, , \ .,* ^u .,!v,. .:',.«■ . ... The months of October and November were chiefly occupied in building a strong fort at the head of the lake.' A fortification at this point, was justly considered by John- son extremley important, as it would thus command the pass into Canada by way of Lake George, in the same way as Fort Ann commanded the one by way of "Wood creek. Its importance had also been seen by the lieutenant- governor of New "^^ork, who, in the previous year, had written the lords of trade, urging the /; .ection of a fort at the " southern extremity of Lake St. Sacrament," on the ground that it would be a " defense against the French, and a protection for the Mohawks."' A council of war, held at the camp, on the seventh of September, had recommended the expediency of building a small picketed fort without delay. This was opposed by the general, who thought that a strong fortification should be construct- ed capable of holding, in an emergency, five bundled men. He, however, yielded to the will of the m^ority, and a small fort was begun, which went on so slowly, that by the last of September it was not nearly completed ; only a dozen men at one time being found by Johnson engaged on the work. On the twenty-ninth, advices were received from Sir Charles Hardy, the new governor of New York, stating that it was the wish of himself and his majesty's council, that a 1 Minutes of council held st Lake George. Jf. Y, Col. Hii. ' Mr. Bancroft, I think, is mistaken in calling this " a xueleu fort of wood." It was successfully defended in the spring of 1757, against a force of two thousand troops, supplied with three hundred scaling-ladders ; and it was only surrendered the ensuing summer by the cowardice of General Webb. While it was not of course a fortification of the first class, nor its site well chosen, it was far from useleii. 'De Lanccy to the lords of trade, December, 1754, 620 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. i 1 CT*^. durable and commodious fort nhould be coiiBtmcted as v-v— ' Boon as poseiblo. Upon this winh of the governor being 1766. communicated to a council of war, it was immediately decided to ereot a fort, which should meet his views. The general acco' 'ngly sent to Fort Edward for all the shov- ek and spaders which the officer at that post could spare, and the fort was forthwith begun. The work, however, did not progress so rapidly as Johnson desired. "The fort," ho writes on the seventh of October, " goes on, all things considered, pretty well." The New England men, impatient to proceed, and not seeing the necessity of a fort, did not enter into it with alacrity.' It was using their services, they selfishly thought, solely for the benefit of New York, — not perc iving that a fort at this place which would hold the French in check, was as much needed for the protection of their own frontiers as for those of their sister province. The work therefore lingered along ; and it was nbt until the middle of November that the fort was com- pleted, receiving from Johnson the name of William Henry, in honor of two princes of the royal blood.' The want oi^ unanimity shown in the erection of the fort, was not the only symptom of the jealousy which, for so many years, had existed between the provinces of New Engldtid and New York. The troops from the latter colony were as much elated at the defeat of Dieskau, as those fVom Now England were depressed at the abortive attempt of Shirley ; and other signs of ill feeling were soon ihanifest, Which threatened to impede seriously the operations of the campaign. General Johnson was inde- fatigable in his endeavors to allay all jealousies and promote harmony among his troops. How well he suc- ceeded may be inferred from the following extract from a 1 " It [tho fort] has met with many obstructions, and the men hnTe been tery backward in Working there, which has been partly owing to several of their officers." Letter from Johnsor, Nov. 4th, 1766. *For a plan of this fort originally carved on the powder horn of apro- vincial while doing garrison duty in 1766, see Appendix vi. ! m LIFB OV SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 621 letter written by a Nm England officer, from tho ontnp nt ohap. Luko Qoorge, to his wife, in Dooriield, MasHiichusetts : v-^ " 1 must say, he (Johnson) is a complete gentleman, and ^7^^' willing to please and oblige all men; familiar and tree of acccrtrt to the lowest sentinel ; a gentleman of uncommon smart sense and even temper; never saw him in a ruffle, or use any bad language — in short, I never was so dissap- poiiitod in a person in the idea I had of him before I came from home, in my life ; to sum up, ho is almost universally bt lOved and esteemed 1 y officers and soldiers as a second 3farlboroughfor coolness of head and warmness oj heart. ^ This encomium, coming from a New England officer who, according to his own admission, joined Johnson's army prejudiced against him, is testimony whic' is desc^ nng of the careful consideration of the candid reader. But little more was accomplished during tht remainder of the campaign. Scouting parties, it '. *'-ue, under Cayv tain Rogers, the famous ranger, amuse i tiiemselves with surprises upon the enemy ; executing them so adroitly, that many of the French, in the vicinity of Fort Frederick, bit the dust, — one Frenchman being killed and scalped by Rogers under the very walls of that fort. It was now, however, late in the autumn, and a council of war having decided on the twenty-eighth of November, that it was too late in the season to proceed farther with the expedi tion. General Johnson disbanded his army ; and leaving six hundred men to garrison the fort, resigned his commis- sion, and returned in the lu o.Ue of December to his home at Mount Johnson. In the conduct of th''3 campaign. General Johnson has been severely censured in two particulars ; first, in not following up the routed army of Dieskau, and thus pre- ' This manuscript letter is dated Oct. 8th, 1765. I have in my possession many manuscript letters testifying to the same thing. The one in the text is selected, that, coming ftrom a New England man, it may have more weight. It is from Surgeon Williams to his wife. GO jpi ! ^! -^! 522 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP, venting its escape down Lake Champlain : and secondly, v-v-^ that instead of boldly advancing against Crown Point, he 1766. allowed the autumn to pass awn^ in comparative inactivity, contenting himself with constructing a useless fort.^ ,. Regarding the first of these charges, there can be no question, that in not following up the French army, the general allowed his caution to prevail over the better judg- ment of his officers. General Lyman begged that with his men flushed with their recent victory and anxious for the pursuit, he might be sent after the enemy. The reply given to him by the general — "that he had reason to expect a renewal of the attack, and that it would be dan- gerous to weaken the main body of the army by sending out detachments to scour the country," is not sufficient to justify his I'efusal of Lyman's request. Exhausted and dispirited as the enemy were, they were in no condition to have made a successful defense, much less to have resum- ed the aggressive ; and the probability is, that if General Lyman's suggestion had been followed, the gates of Fort Frederick never would have opened to receive the broken ranks of Dieskau's army. Respecting the second and more serious of these criti- cisms, however, General Johnson is not so culpable as may at first appear. It was well known to the general, both through the baron's papers, and through scouts which he had dispatched for that purpose, that Crown Point was heavily garrisoned, and that at Ticonderoga, strong breast works had been thrown up.^ The experience of the last enj^ao'cment had shown him how difficult it was for even thoroughly trained troops to capture rude and hastily con- structed defences ; and he therefore very wisely hesitated before attacking, with raw and undisciplined militia, breast works which had been carefully put up, and which were 1 Vide : Review of military operations, in a Letter to a Nobleman. See also Bancroft, and Dr. Dwight's Travrh, vol. ill. > M\ior General Johnson to Lieutenant Charles Hardy, Sept. 16th, 1755. See also Capt. Roger's Jourrtnl. LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. m defended by regulars, trained under the best generals of otap. Europe.* In addition to this, the artillery of the enemy v-v—' which on his first movement down the lake, could be^^^^ easily transported from Crown Point to Ticonderoga, was such as to make an attack hazardous in the extreme, unless with a very strong army of disciplined troops, and with a sufficient supply of heavy ordnance, neither of which Johnson possessed. That he was sadly deficient in the requisite artillery, is sufficiently evident from the following official correspondence between himself and Captain Wil- liam Eyre, who was chief of the ordnance department, and considered a very accomplished and skillful officer: ,; s:- ■■* ■ -■■'■• ■ ,<. ■ ■• ,tj: , i. _ i General Johnson to Captain Eyre. " Camp at Lake George, Sept. 29th, 1755. " Sir : I desire you will give me your opinion in writing whether the artillery and stores thereunto belonging at this camp, at Fort Edward, and left on the road between said fort and Albany, are, according to the late intelligence we have received relating to the enemy, sufficient for proceed- ing on the present expedition. 1 . "I am. Sir, &c., "WM. JOHNSON. Captain Eyre to General Johnson. -.,r ' ■'■■'' ' " Lake George, Sept. 29th, 1755. " Sir : Pursuant to your order of this day, to know my opinion whether the artillery and stores here, at Fort Ed- ward, and on the road from Albany to the last mentioned place, are sufficient to proceed against Crown Point, I an- swer NO, upon the supposition that our accounts from the French are to be depended on ; as this information acquaints us that they have, (meaning the enemy,) thirty-three pieces of cannon, many of them 16 and 24 pdrs., equal or nearly 'The experience of Abercromlie, in 1758, in attacking the breastworks erected by Montcalm at Ticonderoga, shows that Johnson did well to hesi- itte. ' ' i ! 524 LIFB OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. ::f? 1766. ■ .^■>. OTAP. to our 24 and 82 pdrs., and also thirty-five mortars. ITow our strength consists of four battering pieces, viz : two 32 pdrs., and two 18 pdrs., two 12 pdrs., and eight 6 pdrs., besides one 13 inch mortar, with four smaller ones from five inch and a half diameter to seven inches : and add to this a scarcity of 6 pd. ball. These are my reasons for determining me to think our present state of artillery not sufficient. " I am, Sir, &c., ' " WILL. EYRE, Engineer. "N". B. Our howitzers split during the late engage- ment."* • f • , f ; . r ; It was the duty of General Johnson to be guided by this advice ; and had he, with the knowledge of this state of facts, attempted an attack on Crown Point and failed, the caustic, but prejudiced and unreasonable pen of the author of A Letter to a Nobleman^ would have been equally wielded in demonstrating its folly. It is reasonable, also, to presume that a general on the spot, with a knowledge of the means at his command, and whose bravery and skill never has been questioned, should have been better able to judge of the txpediency of an attack, than a civilian, comfortably seated in his easy chair, far removed from the scene of operations. Want of energy was not one of Johnson's faults. He was anxious to proceed, and felt annoyed at the delay. Even if everything otherwise had been favorable, the lack of suitable means for transporting his supplies was suflicient to retard the expedition until too late in the season to advance. " Our Expedition," he writes, " is like to be extremely distressed and I fear fatally retarded for the want of wagons. The people of the county of Albany and the adjacent counties, hide their wagons and drive away their horses ; most of the wagonera taken into this service have deserted ; some horses are quite jaded, and some few killed > This official roanuscript correspondence, which I have found among the Johnson manuscripts, has never before seen the light. I';, ii! \"i' r. oiortars. Now ecea, viz: two 8., and eight 6 • smaller ones Q inches : and are my reasons ate of artillery IE, Engineer, lie late engage- • . i -«■ 1 . he gnided by Ige of this state Point and failed, ahle pen of the ave heen equally reasonable, also, I a knowledge of ravery and skill sen better ahle to than a civilian, emoved from the eon's faults. He ed at the delay. avorable, the lack )lie8wa8 8uflicient in the season to 8, « is like to be iirded for the want f Albany and the I drive away tbeir ) this service have id some few killed have found among the LIPE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 625 by the enemy, and several run away. Most of our pro- ™^/'' visions are at Albany ; a great part of our ammunition at*— ^— ' the lower camp, and all our bateaux except a hundred and^'^^' twenty. To bring a sufficient quantity of provisions here, and all other necessaries for an embarkation upon the lake in due time, will require four or five hundred wagons at least. I have written to the mayor and magistrates of Albany, and sent them an impress warrant and called upon a special commission to an active officer to superintend and dispatch the wagons. I sent, some time ago, a posi- tive order to all the commissaries at Albany to forward all the provisioua and stores in their hands ; since which we have only sixty wagons, none of which, as I can find, were dispatched by the New York commissaries, who being livers in Albany, and men in power there, might, I appre- hend, if they had properly exerted themselves, have for- warded the common cause very much with regard to wagons. We had not above two days allowance of bread in camp, when these sixty wagons arrived, and I hear they are short at the other fort." ^ Thus hampered by the remissness of contractors, whom no exertions on his part could stimulate into activity, all the general could do was to employ his men in erecting a fort, hoping by this course to prevent any insubordination that might arise through idleness. He was moreover, unwilling to have his retreat cut ofi" by way of Wood creek, in case he was unsuccessful, by not having an open '.'.om- munication with Fort Edward and Albany. Bolunesi; alone does not constitute a good soldier, and he who neglects to provide for every foreseen contingency, is defi- cient in the first requisite for a good general. Although General Johnson, owing to causes over which he had no control, was unsuccessful in the original object of the expedition, yet his services were appreciated both by the crown and by the people of his own province ; the former creating him in November a baronet of Great •Gen. Johnson to Sir Charles Hardv, Sept. Ifith, 1750, ■y'> 526 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. CHAP. Britain, ' and the latter greeting him with an illumination >— ,, — ' and a triumphal procesHion on his arrival at New York ^'^^- the last of December. Parliament, also, voted him its thanks for his victory, together with the handsome sum of live thousand pounds. ' ;; . • c. •' ■■' The action of the eightli of September, so far as concerns the number of men engaged, was not a great battle ; but when viewed in its immediate strategical results, it well deserves a prominent place among the battles of American history. The Rev. Cortlandt Van Rensselaer, in his admirable discourse upon the battle of Lake George, thus sums up its results : " I. The battle of Lake George is memorable in defeat- ing a well laid, dangerous scheme of the enemy, and in saving the province from scenes of bloodshed 9,nd desola- tion. If Dieskau had succeeded in overthrowing Johnson in his entrenchments, his advance upon Fort Edward would have been easily successful, and thence his march to Albany would have been triumphant. Old Hendrik, at the con- vention of the preceding year, had warned the province of its danger. " You are without any fortifications," said he ; " It is but a step from Canada hither, and the French may easily come and turn you out of doors." The conflagra- tion of our northern settlements would have been fol- lowed by the desolation of Albany and Schenectady ; and although Dieskau must have soon been compelled to retreat, it is impossible to estimate the bloodshed, plunder, and general losses which might have taken place, had not God ordered it otherwise. His providence was on our side. The victory of Lake George undoubtedly rescued the province from injnrv and woe beyond computation; considered, therefore, nx its immediate strategical results, the battle was one of the important engagements in Ameri- can history. > JohuHon's baronetcy dates from Nov. 27tli, 1765. »For the manner in wliich Johnson invested the £600'>, the curious reaier is referred to mauuncript letter in Appendix vii. k LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. " II. The battle of Lake George is remarkable for its influ- chap. ence in rallying the spirit of the American colonies. Much had w^-' been expected from the three expeditions sent against the ^^^^' French ; but disappointment and sorrow had already fol- lowed Braddock's terrible defeat. It was more than the moaning of the forest pine in the ears of the solitary traveler ; it was the blaze of lightning falling upon the mountain oak in his very path, followed by the crash of thunder. All the provinces were amazed, awe-struck, pa- ralyzed for a time ; but recovering from the first shock of i:he calamity, they were aroused to avenge their loss. Their hopes were turned to Lake George and Niagara, and not in vain. Johnson's victory was received as the precursor of a recovered military position and fame, and was hailed ae che means of deliverance from a bold and cruel foe. Few battles ever produced more immediate results in rekindling military and martial enthusiasm. Cougratula- tionb poured in upon General Johnson fronj every quarter. Not only were the colonies filled with rejoicing, but the influence of the triumph went over to England, and the deeds of our fathers at the camp of Lake George became familiar to the ears of royalty, and were applauded by the eloquence of parliament. The moral effects of a battle in which the forces arrayed against each other were corii- paratively small have rarely been greater q,nd more decided in the whole range of military annals, " in. Viewed simply in a military aspect, the battle of Lake George was the only successful achieverfieifit within the thirteen colonies, during the campaign ; " 1755 ; which is another item of its various renown. Braddock's defeat on the Mouongahela, and Shirley's retreat from Oswego, brought ruin upon the expeditions framed for the reduction of Forts Duquesne a i; ■) Niagara. Although the northern expedition failed in its object of redr ing Fort Frederick it had a show of glory in the brilluint success of a r - ^ fought battle. Success in one direction often overbalances dis- aj;-^,ointment in another. The victory of General Jot* on m m I'': mi LIFE OF SIR WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. -i\A ■ CHAP, was the great event of the campaign of 1755, solitary in Wy— / the honors of its military ti'iumph, and shining out, bright 1766. as Mars, from the clouds of iight " IV. The victory of La,k,i Goorgo occurred in a series of campaigns that ended m th', vmquivi of Canada and of the valley of tJi£ great west. Here, ixi the foro t, v 'as the base of a line of operati oas on v^hich wei, Wi(v; .;iit cut great problems <>i war. The ri'mntains of the ijike were land- Hi'firks to 0' oduct cur armies from summit to summit of acuievemen;., until, passirg over all barriers, they found their resting*- pla- > m tVe valleys :)i Bt Law/ence and Mis- sisfaippi. Uukno^vn resuits of territonal acquisition, and of political and religious destiuv luy '".oncealed in the expedition which started foi ihe capture of a single fort on Lake Champlain and for the defence of the limited bound- ary line of a province. God disposes of man's proposals. The lucid purposes of an all-comprehensive providence, undiscernible by mo? tal eyes, are brought to pass by the majestic developmeiis of events apparently remote in their relations as trivial in n\agnitude. The American victory of Lake George was not an isolated item of one campaign. It was more than a simple triumph in an unbroken wilder- ness, — a military achievement of the New England and New York yeomanry which saved themselves from destruction. Far higher its moral, political and warlike connections. It headed a series of successes that were followed by the gain of kingdoms. It animated the deter- mination of the country to take decisive measures for deliverance from Fre*^-^' aggressions and agitations. "Canada, my lord," wrote a distingiiished New Yorker, in reviewing the operations of the campaign, " Canada must be demolished, — Delenda est Cartlmgo, — or we are undone." ^ The result was not anticipated atthe beginning, but the natural teuvl' ncy of the contest was theovcrtkrow of French dominir u the continent. Johnson's vi. ory had atrue influen; relation to this end. Astl south- > Review of iiu J r rations. IT. 755, solitary iu uing out, bright rred in a series nd. Astl south- LIFK OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, UARI. 529 ern inlet near Fort George joins itself to the lake, whose chap. waters flow to the north, and, tossed over cascades and wy— ' waterfalls, pass into the St. Lawrence, so the expedition of ^^Cfi. 1755, identifying itself with a vast expanse of agencies, pressed forward the natural current of its direction, over the rocks and reverses of campaigns, into Canada. But Canada was only a part of the great acquisitions of the war. The whole northwest was wrested from France, together with the valley of the Mississippi lying easterly of that river, with the exception of the island of Orleans. "V. The battle of Lake George was furthermore memorable in its svggestions of provincial prowess, and its lessms of warfare to the colonies preparatory to their indepen- dence. The battle was fought by provincial troops, and chiefly by the hardy sons of glorious New England. The veteran regulars of Old England had been beaten in the forests of western Pennsylvania, or remained inactive in the Niagara expedition. Through some unaccountable cause, the expedition, which was on the direct line of Canada, and nearest to the French reinforcements, known to be at hand, was consigned to the exclusive care of native colonial soldiers; and bravely did they do their duty. On these shores provincial prowess signalized its self-relying and unaided capabilities ; and in this battle and in this war the colonies practically learned the value of union and the unconquerable energies of a free people. Putnam and Stark, and Pomeroy, came here, as to a military academy, to acquire the art of warfare ; and they all exer- cised their experience at Bunker Hill. George "Washing- ton himself, as a military man, was nurtured for America and the world amid the forests of the Alleghanies and the rifles and tomahawks of these French and Indian struggles. Lake George and Saratoga are contiguous not merely in i' itory. but in heroic association. Correlative ideas, evolved under varying circumstances, they are proofs of the ^ame spirit of liberty, the san^e strong energy of pur^ pose." ■' 1 1 67 i]: i , I \ W ■ lAi 'I '..>.. .)■.,.. iXl.t .i{ ' .•:l]fc \-i\J I » i , ■■J, --i •-' ": ■ .1. t(i •■.•.,tj,^.'u/> ; I,. ^ -,. • CHAP. xvu. 1766. ■■■. . •',,vtM',i> i .' t .„,.,; ♦ .,;(. r , ! I i:(.. .»' I' ■ •;' ....I (■•)•; »'M .,'; ;. ' • .i . ' . ■.. flu';-.') j ,j, *.!,■, ^h:..d: v:i. CHAPTER XVII. .1 i mJj "'"^^'^''^"•■■" ^"^''-^ 1755-1756. ■'•'^•■-'''•^'^f'"".'^ '"■■ The uews that Sir Charles Hardy was to take the reins of government arrived, much to the chagrin of the Dc Lan- cey party, early in March, but it was not until the third of September that the new governor landed in New York. The ship of war in which he came anchored in the harbor upon the second, but the lieutenant governor detained him on board until the next day, under the pretence that the military were not quite ready to receive him ; but in reality that he might have an evening with him alone to secure him to the interests of his faction. Sir Charles Hardy, the. one whom the ministiy had selected to succeed Sir Danvers Osborne, was, like Clinton, an unlet- tered British admiral ; and he had not landed long, before it became apparent that like him also, he had not sufficient executive talent to govern without a leader. He therefore soon resigned himself into the hands of Mr. De Lancey, who thus for the third time became governor.* His first mes- sage to the assembly o^ the fourth — three days after that body had been convened and opened by Mr. De Lancey,— fully endorsed the message of the latter ; expressod his pleasure at the energy which they had shown in granting supplies ; and closed with complimenting the lieutenant governor, who, saidhe, " from his attachment to his majesty's service, and great knowledge of the country, has laid this matter before you in a way that leaves me nothing to require, but that you would proceed with the utmost dispatch on the matters recopajnended in his message." The house, however, resolved on the fifth, that the season LIFB 0J7 SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 681 )r.* His first mes- fth, that the seasou was toi) far advanced to raise Tiieii in time for the expedition <^ap. against Crown Point; but as it understood that Con-^.,— / uecticut was actually raising for General Johnson's army ^^^^' two thousand men, who from the forwardness of the levies could reasonably be expected to reach that general in time for action, it would contribute eight thousand pounds toward their equipment. ' In order that this resolve might not seem to be dictated by a refractory spirit, the house on the eleventh sent up to the new governor an address couched in the most courteous language, in which, after congratulating him upon his safe arrival, it assured him that the great regard his most sacred majesty had shown his loyal colony by appointing a gentleman of his excel- lency's upright character to preside over it, was a happy presage of its future prosperity ; " and your excellency may be confident of meeting with all the assistance for attaining that most desired end, that it is in the power of a dutiful people to give." He was also informed in this same mes- Bage, of the custom, usual upon the arrival of a new governor, of dissolving the assembly and 'ssuing writs for a new election ; and that if he thought that duch a measure, iu the present state of aft'airs, would be con8i3' dth his majesty's service, it would be agreoable to them, .u..' to the people whom they had the honor to represent. The governor, in his answer on the ninth, thanked them for these expressions of good feeling, assuring him as they did, that a governor who made the welfare of the colony the rule of his conduct, would always meet with their confidence and assistance. "Whatever may appear," he added, " advisable at this juncture, for the peace and good of the province, I cannot but take notice of tht that must redound to you, gentlemen, who from a consciousness of the rectitude of your conduct, thus refer yourselves to the voice of the people." He did not, however, think it advisable to dissolve the assembly ; and after passing, on > Journals of the assembly. 582 UJTK OF 6ia WILLIAM JOUSISON, BAKT. * : , ,'*>' :i iii, ., Xi \l .^.. 1766. OTAf. the cleveuth, the bill of eight thousand pounds for Con. necticut, he prorogued the assembly. The day alter the prorogation, a letter from Colonel Blaij- •^iard waa received by Sir Charles, informing him in general terms of the aetion of the eighth of September ; ' but it was notuatil the fourteenth, that his exeellency communicated to his council a letter of the tenth instant frohi Peter "Wraxall,' aid-de-camp to General Johnson, containing a full account of the defeat of the French army and the capture of itn gc^jiui. ^* thf ame time he laid before the board letters from Governor "VVentworth and Lieutenant Governor Phipps. The former wrote that Xew Hamy nhire had passed an act for raising three hundred men for the Crown Point expedition ; and the latter informed him that Massachu- setts had already in the field two thousand men in addition to their former quota of eight hundred, rai-ed forjheeame object. These letters were accompanied by a suggestion from the executive that as these additional reinforcements mijrht occasion a scarcity of provisions among the troops, it would be well to send a' »nce to Albai ■ an ample 8ui>- ply of stores. Acting upou this hint, the *.• ncildirecti! Mr. Oliver De Lancey to fonvard the requisi: upplies, u to purchase and send to Albany three hundred muskis, in addition to those belonging to the province ich were already in his hands. After some farther suggestion^ respecting the health of the city in his absence, tiu govt !nor, h.'iving appointed Thursday, thesecoiid of Octo- ber, iS a day of public thanksgiving for the defeat of the enemy, sailed for Albany the afternoon of the same day. ' The govern ^'s object in going to Albany at this time, wai- that being nearer the seat of operations, he might be bett'. r ible to hasten che supplies delayed by the remissness 'Matt iwsript letter: Gold»brow Banyar to Johnson, Sep' 13, 1755. * Aft ward priTate secretary to Johnson. He died July 11th, IT.'!* *HanaMript letter: Banyar to Johnson. Sir Charles was accompanied on this voyage by De Lancey, Ilorsmanden, Rutherford and Pownal, ^'e first three being members of his council. IT. OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 588 ouuds ior Cou. m Colonel Blan- ghim ingcncnil iber;' hut it was -ommunicatedto I peter "Wraxall,' ng a full account le capture of itrt the board letttr:* tenant Governor T' shire had passed the Crown Poiul n that Massachu- id men in addition ■ai-ed fonheBame d by a suggestion lal reinforcements [among the troops, irv an ample sup- le <.. mcil direci*!(l uisi: upplie8,at;' hundred muskets, ovinco "chwere irther suggestion^ liis absence, tlv^ he second of Oct - I- the defeat of the of the same day. ' Ibany at this time, itions, he might be d by the remissness ,on, Sept 13, ^56- ,ed July nth, 1759 :harle» was accompanied >erford and Pownal, Uie of the Albany authorities, and personally suporintend the chap. forwarding of the Connecticut troops. His visit, however, *_,,.-/ accomplished little ; and havinir concerted measures with ^^^ the Massachusetts and Coimecticut commissioners respect- ing the garrisoning of Forts Edward and William Henry, and giving a few general orders to the militia officers to liold themselves ready to march at a moment's warning, he returned to the city on the twenty-sixth of November. The governor met his assembly on the second of Decem- ber, and in his message the day following, annotni' ed the victory of Gen eral Johnson over Baron Dieskau. Although the expedition had not been attended with those important results which he had hoped for, yet it had been productive of much b<" lefit. The two forts which had been constructed at the gri'. carrying place and the head of Lake George, would not only facilitate any luture attempt upon the French in that direction, but, if properly garrisoned, add greatly to the security of the frontier. In the same mes- sage, Sir Charles made public, for the first time, the disa- greeable instructions with which he had been charged by the ministry ; and therefore now demanded, in the name of the king, the passage of a law for settling a permanent revenue on a solid foundation — said law to be indefinite arid wUhout limitation of time — for salaries of governors, judges, and all the necessary charges of the government. As, moreover, the two forts, erected by the provincial army, were to be garrisoned with troops rai ^d by each province, he recommended an immediate provision for their quota of the expenses incident to this service. In their answer, on the ninth, the assembly applauded the governor in the warmest terms for hiB zeal in promoting the expedition against Crown Point. Wliile they confessed that the success of that expedition had not equalled their expe*^ tations, yet the advantage gained by General John- son \v as deserving of special notice, — as to it might be ascribed the comparative safety of the frontier. The measures, also, which had been taken in erecting and I 'i 'I 1 ■ 584 LIFE OF SIR WILLI/. W OL N30ir, BART. 1786. m^y^: '.< » 'f' f/m' I K 1 V i' CHAP, properly giirnaoiiing tho forts, wore, in their eatinuitioii, well jutlge. In order, however, that this matter might be settled for s-v— ' the future on a permanent basis, the Baronet laid the whole ^^^^' case before the lords of trade ; the result of which was, that in July he received through Mr. Secretary Fox, a commission as " colonel, agent, and sole supbrinteitdent OP ALL THE AFFAIRS OF THE 8lX NATIONS AND OTHER NORTH- ERN Indians," accompanied with a salary of six hundred pounds per annum. At the same time instructions came from the ministry forbidding each northern province to transact any business with the Indians. The Baronet was thus placed on the independent footing which he hud so long desired; and the entire management of Indian rela- tions was given into his hands, " with no subordination but to London." (.If ./^ .< f*^ i;i!i;nii hm; ,! a fi: < ■-'!. t>''rl'-: " 7 I! ''!!,• 'ft; Y 'i'; j:> --'n. !.<- U'^ih P )''r-:v '\i- !. ■ ■ -'I . ;.r,, ff; ':. :\ 'i\ ■ ^ 'rC •■),"!;*. ; l.,ti /; (ii I • .' 'J'!, . •',1 . rl r 'A', '.il H! J K r v*i>' *f| ' ■! ( '* h (V iit 7 . ■■■••'I'i ; -.. . I ■,,i;i.'(a.i,i Cm '.i.i i; -ji' ■/ V .. A ' ' hn,[v; ■'■. '. j ■•■'■, ll.i!i ,.;'|f ,0 ',. , : - '■.-'' ' 'V^,, , , 1 .li .il- i ' •■■ !!Ci ai'iv; I ( !• I ! ^l , ■;.■ ;V /. : ! .'A:^- .i i-i f. ' l'^ ». T Mr-V • r^ •! i » .( -£7.1 •i,.,ij/' n'^H ..'(■)■.;-;. . :-,: ■- 'i.,..' m.'v. ■'•.'.•!.> ..i ■ ',%'> ^ ■hi'lfU- Vil ■->.•!! ' APPENDIX. .J. i>i >i 'A' >.'">': i. fi ,ji-iii,//''.ii.ii/ lU.'.J 'J^l ! The adoption of the pale-fiices as a compliment for distinguished services, or as a token of esteem, ha^ always been usual among the Indian tribes. Dr. Cadvallader Colden was adopted by the Mo- hawks. The late duke of Northumberland, who served as Lord Percy in the AuiOrican Revolution, was created a chief of the Six Nations through the influence of Joseph Brant, with whom he was on terms of warm friendship. lYashington Irving waa adopted into the Huron clan, a few years before his death ; and the late General Peter B. Porter was long a chief of the Senecas by adoption. Edmund Kean, the tragedian, was also adopted by the Hurons of Loretto near Quebec. In January, 1844, the late Colonel Wm. L. Stone waa adopted by the Senecas, at a formal council, as a chief of that nation. The letter which Mr. Stone returned in reply to the compliment, shows 80 much good feeling aa well ab appreciation of the honor, that his eon may be pardoned for introducing it in this place in full. " To the Senecas, dhiefs and Warriort of the Seneca Indians. Brothers : 1 have been told that at your general council, held at Cattaraugus, in the Moon of Juthoo, that is, in January last, you did me the honor to make me a chief of the Seneca nation ; and I have read the talk made by your chief sachem, Sahdegeoyes, at that time. I know by the histories which the white men have written, and by the traditions preserved by the belts hung up in your council house, that the Senecas have always been a brave nation. When, many hundred moons ago, the Five Nations united to be one people, the Senecas were placed at the western door of their long house, to guard it from all the foes that might come from toward the setting sun. This was done because the Senecas never sleep, and because their hatchets were always sharp. To be known as a Seneca, therefore, is an honor \yhich I accept with pleasure, . . •: ,. . , :. w m I" • hi- m 'I f '^ I' ' 1 ••\; ayh ^ }} R' 1 ti I J 542 LIFE OF SItt WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. Brothers : When the first great canoe of the white man arrived at Man-na-hatch-ta-ninck, (which is now called New York,) although it created great surprise, the strangers were kindly received. You gave them of your venison to eat, and spread bea- ver skins for them to lie down upon. When the big canoe arrived at Albany, you all resolved to take the best care of it. For this purpose it was agreed to tie it fast with a great rope to one of the largest trees on the bank of the rivoi. Afterward, fearing that the wind would blow down that tree, it was agreed to make the rope very long, and tie it fast at the great council fire at Onondaga, and the end put under your feet, that you might know by its shak- ing if anything touched the canoe; in which case you all agreed, as one man, to rise n.p and see what was the matter. After this a bond of friendship was formed between you and Corker, the governor of New York, with which he was so well pleased that he told you that he would find ^0!'. a long silver chain, which would neither break nor rust, to bind you and the English together in brothership, that your people and they should be as of one head, and one heart, and one blood forever. After this firm agreement was made, our forefathers, finding that it was good, and forsecing many advantages that both parties would reap from it, ordered that if ever that silver chain should become rusty in the least, or if it should slip or break, it should be immediately brightened up again, and fastened stronger at the ends. ;: > • ; "■>■ - . Brothers : These were the doings of our wise forefathers. But it was not so with the French, who also came across the great water, and paddled their canoes up the St. Lawrence to Cadaracqui. They joined your enemies the Ottawas, and the other Indians liv- ing about Montreal, and were always on the war-path against you, doing all in their power to drive you from the face of the earth. But the Five Nations were brave. Their brothers, the English, gave them guns and powder, instead of the bow and the arrow; and the warriors, your forefathers, after making the country of the Onondagas and Senecs fat with their blood when they came against you there, followed them like the swift winds into Canada, and made red their own war-paths even down to Montreal and the gates of Quebec. Brothers : Many seasons afterward, when the old thirteen fami- lits of English colonies had become men, and wished to kindle fires and hunt venison for themselves, the king, who then called him- APPENDIX. M,. >l.i 543 self your father, would not let them. But ho had been kind to you, aud it was natural that you should take the hatchet which ho put into your hands to strike us on the head. Yet, although tho blood of your warriors had run like water on the ground in tho cause of your pretended father, when he found that he was not able to put out the thirteen fires, and agreed to smoke the pipe of peace with us, ho forgot his red children, and would have left them without wiping away their tears and blood, or condoling with them for their dead, or leaving them so much as a place whereon to spread their blankets, or to kindle fires to warm their old men, their women, or their little ones. Then it was that your Great Father General Washington, made a new chain of friendship with his red children, at Fort Stanwix, one end of which was fastened ': at the great council house of the thirteen fires, and the other in the Seneca country, because the great fire at Onondaga had gone out. Your new father, though a great war chief, was nevertheless a lover of peace. He saw your distress, and that you too wanted peace. Nor did he wish to crowd you from your seats, but left you broad hunting grounds with game, and fields to plant your corn. He took the chiefs, your forefathers, by the hand, and told them to use the tomahawk no more, but to bury it, and plant a tree over it, that it might never be dug up again. Brothers, that new covenant chain has been kept strong and bright ever since, though about thirty years ago the king of England tried to break it. But you kept fast hold of it, and when his troops attempted to stop up all the roads, the Senecas sent their brave warriors with ours across the Niagara, and soon made them open them again. Brothers : The honor you have conferred upon me, by making me one of your chiefs, has reminded me of these facts in your ancient history, and the old cove ii ants which have so long subsisted between your ancestors and mine. Holding fast that covenant chain which was made last, I hope we may speak with a free mind to each other. Will you open your ears, then, brothers, and listen to a few words more which I have to say ? . , ;■ Brothers: Listen! The Great Spirit has told us in the Good Book which he has given his children, that he has made of one blood all nations of men. The red men and the white are all the same flesh. And he loves his red children as well as he does the white. When we are in sorrow, if we ask him, he is always ready to make our hearts glad. When we are called to weep, he will dry I'M m I- If ' ■♦■ 644 LIFE OP SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. 'M rN \m 9' >' i- up our tcurH. The rod men and the whito ought therefore to love one another, and do all the j^ood they cun to each other. The fire of amity tnd friendship Hhould always blaze upon the hearths of their council houseH, their ears should ever be open to the cries of distrefls, and the doors of their lodges to the feet of the stranger. Brothtrt: The Great Spirit gave the red man a broad aud boautifnl country, with deep forests to cover you from the heat of the sun, filled with game for you to eat when you were hungry, and to clothe you in furs when you were cold. He gave you clear springs of water to drink ; rivers filled with fishes, bright lakes for you to paddle your canoes upon, and flowers to make the air sweet and your paths beautiful. But the Great Spirit did not nicun that you should always be hunters. The first man he made was a red man, and the first command be gave him, after he had sinned by disobedience, was to cultivate the ground, and to make his con- dition better than it would be in a state of nature. The birds build their nests, and the beavers make their dams, by instinct. But they never do anything better than they do at first. They are always the same. To man, the Great Spirit has given reason. He looks to him for improvement. And he sent the white man into your country to teach you how to live in a better way than by liunting and catching fish. He sent them to instruct you how to build fine houses in the place of your wigwams, and to plant fieids, and cultivate beautiful gardens, and lay out orchards of delicious fruits ; — to teach your women to spin and weave and sew, so that you might live comfortably and happily by your own bright firea, with everything delightful around you. Above all, the white man came to give you a better knowledge of the Great Spirit, to teach you to read, that you may know what he says to us, and to v/rite, so that you can breathe your thoughts to each other when separated. Brothers : You have seen from what 1 have told you about the arrival of the first big canoe, and the covenant chain that was made, that the red men were not displeased when the white men first came among them. I know that the white men were then few and feeble, and that you were many. Now they have become like the leaves on the trees, that cannot be counted, and they have pressed hard upon your seats. What is the reason of this great change ? Brothers, the white men have grown rich and stronj^ and many, because they obey the Great Spirit in tilling the ground. The earth is the mother of the red man and the white, and if we IP F 1, I APmjKUlX.. 645 draw our sustenance from her brenst, she will bountifully supply us all wo can desire. Lot us therefore labor, that we may live upon her bounty, and - ..on weary "recline upon her bosom." Brother$ : There are bad white men as well us bad Indians. They oft . "ome to you with forked tongues to deceive you, and they put tho fifd-waters to your lipg to stupify, that they may cheat you. But the Great Spirit is angry with such. He did not make the fire-waters, but gave you cool sweet springs to slake your thirst ; and if you will drink nothing else, and be industrious, and open Bchools for your children, although your seat« are not so broad as they were once, you may still become happy and numerous like tho white men. Brothers : I have told you that when the Great Spirit made man, he placed him in a beautiful garden, to till and dress it; and he bouiid him to himself by a golden chain. But the Spirit of Evil crept into that garden in the shape of a serpent, and contrived to break that chain. The Great Spirit then sent his own Son to make it over, and wash away the rust that had got on it. But the can- ker of that rust was so deep that it took his own blood to make it bright again. Now we must believe in that Son, and do as he has told us in the Good Book j and then, when the faster of Breath shall call for us, he will take us v.p to the fair hunting ground-" through clouds bright as fleeces of gold, upon a ladder as beautiful as the rainbow, where we shall live with the Mannitoes — the hap- py spirits — forever ! Brothers : My talk is done. I am proud to be called a Seneca, to be numbered amon^ .■ people who have raised such warriors -and orators as Old Smoke au ^ Young King, the Farmer's Brother, the Corn-Planter, Sa-go-v^-yrat-ha and Captain Pollard, and a long list of other brave chiefs whose namec 1 cannot remember, but who have long ago been called away by the Grert Master of Breath. Brothers adieu ! May you always possess your minds in peace. I am, very truly, &c., &c. To the Sachem, Sahdeoeoyes, and the Chiefs, Gaugoo, and Ha-dya-n6-do, and ithers. iVcw York, April Ifv, lo44. WILLIAM L. STONE, or Sa-go-sm-o-taA ' Thiit is, He renders their name conspicuQus,— in otl^er words an historian ui' biographer. 60 t i^P* 546 LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON »RT. A Memorandum for Trifle Knox- h- No. II. ■ ■ •■ lefH to Londfm for^ through Captain ■ ir WilliamJohnton. *■ February 19th, 1749-60. Two volumes quarto of Mathematical Elements of Natural Philosophy, confirmed by experiments — or an introduction to Sir Isaao Newton's Philosophy; translated into English by the late J. T. Desaguliers. Also the second edition of Doctor Desaguliers Course of Experi- mental Philosophy, adorned with 78 copper plates, in two Tolumes quarto. Chambers Dictionary, 2 volumes. Bakers Microscope made easy. ' ' Bhodderiok Randum. The Gentleman's Magazine, from December 1748 to the present time. The Family Magazine, in two parts. ' •" ^' An Historical Review of the Transactions of Europe from the Commencement of the War with Spain. The whole ppoceedings in the house of peers against the three condemned lords. Amarylis, a new musical design, well bound. A good French horn, with the notes. A good common hunting horn. "' ' ' A good loud trumpet. A dozen of good black lead pencils. 1 lb. of best red sealing wax. 1 lb. of black sealing wax. 2 Reams of good common writing paper. 200 lbs. of ground white lead. 100 lbs. of good red lead. 20 gallons of good linseed oil. A good globe to hang in the hall with light. A prism Some prints as — Titians Loves of the Gods, Le Bruns Battles of Alexander. Some numbers of Pousin's Landscapes by iSnapton. 4 Seasons by Lancred. , , 4 Prints of a camp by Watteau. Some numbers of Houbraken's heads. The pictures of some of the best running horses at New Market. APPBNDIX. 64T r, through Captain 'horses at New Market, >i-M -J r •i«i Ephrtiim Williams v us d lie was ulwa^.i onlprf'sing. Ifie, he wa« brou s^bt ' ^' his youth, he mad' -evt Spain, and Hollan he was made capta n in the western part of t After the war, he had uu • No. III. „ ,!» Hfphruitn Wtllianu. ''' The fullowing sketch of iIiIp gallant oflicer, is taken from the Key Cortlandt Van llenselaer's nistorical Discourse of the Battle Of Lake Gkorqe. unded from the best Puritan ancestry. ^ having lost his parents early in gruiidfather, Abraham Jackson. In agev to Europe, visiting England^ k, iimercial purposes. In 1744, n ( immand of Fort Massachusetts, mce, in the valley of the Hoosio. aportant agency in settleing that section of country. At the beginning of the campaign of 1766, he was made colonel, and commanded the third Massachusetts regiment. His aide was William WilUama, a signer of the DeoIaratioQ of In. dependence. / Colonel Williams, being well versed in warfare, especially with the Indians, was placed at the hcud of the detachment sent out aguiust Dieskau's column. His great error on that day was in not sending out scouts. Colonel Williams wts early struck with a ball through the head, and fell dead oi> the spot. Two of his compan- ions immediately concealed the body from the soalping-knife of the advancing Indians. His body was found after the battle, unmuti- lated, and it was buried some fifteen or twenty rods rods southeast of where he fell, at the foot of " a huge pine beside the military road." About twenty years ago, his nephew, Dr. William H. Williams, of Raleigh, North Carolina, " diseuterred and carried off the skull." The ancient pine has fallen, but the stump remains. Two smaller trees have sprung from the parent stock, and still Hlmde the place of burial. E. W. B. Canning, Esq., who super- intended the erection of the monument on the part of the alumni of Williams college, and who explored the ground carefully, says : " Directed by an aged man, who dug up the skull, I found the i^ruvc, and had it refilled, and a large pyramidal bowlder set QVei; it, with the inscription E. W. 1755." The rock on which Colonel Williams fell is now surmounted by a narble monument, twelve feet high. The earth has been exca- vated a little around the rock, so that the top of the rock is now r: •m. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V //a Photographic Sciences Corporation i\ «^ :\ ^^ \ ^^ <^ -?>, 6\ <^ » 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 '^^ 4^ 4^ L6> ;V % Us LIFE OF SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON, BART. Jv\ ■even feet from the ground The monument was erected by the ■ alumni of Williams College, in 1854, and is an appropriate, tajste- ' ful and worthy memorial. It is surrounded by a good iron fence, which visitors find the means of climbing. The writer, without recommending others to follow his example, went up to the monu. ment for the purpose of copying the inscription ; and as he now gives the inscriptions verbatim el literatim, this historical motive cannot be so well plead hereafter. The inscriptions were copied exactly according to the words in the lines, and the division of syllables, as cut upon the marble, but they are here given continu- ously, partly to save space, and partly to avoid the exhibition of an unskillfVil performance, for the words and syllables are arranged (at least on two sides of the monument) in not the most tasteful style. This is a matter of regret. I notice it simply to put the Lake George Committee of Monuments upon their guard, and to induce them to see that the stonecutter had a fac-simile of the work to be done. The beauty of a monumental inscription depcrida very much on the arrangement of the lines and of the words. The following inscription is on the eaat side of the monument, towards the plank road : To the memory of Colonel Ephbaim Williams. A native of Newton, Mass., who after gallantly defending the frontiers of his native state, served under General Johnson against the French and Indians, and nobly fell near this spot in the bloody conflict of Sept. 8th, 1755, in the 42 year of his age. On the north side, towards the lake : « '<*'^'": '^* « i " ' A lover of peace and learning, as courteous and generous as he was brave and patriotic. Col. Williams sympathized deeply with the privations of the frontier settlers, and by his will, made at Albany on his way to the field of battle, provided for the founding among them of an institution of learning, which has since been chartered as Williams college. •... .^.,.., On the west side, towards the old road : Forti ao magnanimo Eph. Williams, Collegii Gulielmi Conditori ; Qui in hostibus patriae repellendis, prope hoc saxum cecidit ; grati alumni posuerunt, A. D. 1864. °^^ "« .....^v.^ . wi .tv; On the souA side, towards the toll-gate : This monument is erected by the alumni of Williams College : the ground donated by E. H. Rosekrans, M. W. Perrine, J. Havi- JART. 8 erected by the appropriate, tsAte- a good iron fenoc, e writer, without t up to the monu. ; and as he now historical motive tions were copied i the division of lere given continu- the exhibition of llables are arranged the most tasteful simply to put the their guard, and to I fac-simile of the inscription deperid* I of the words. of the monument, AM8. A native of ie frontiers of his inst the French and bloody conflict of ind generous as he bhized deeply with 1^ his will, made at ed for the founding ch has since been Gulielmi Conditori ; axum cecidit ; grati ' Williams College : 7. Perrine, J. Havi- .mm ,^«c>«Ha APPENDIX. «^9 'w, stii^ 549 The monument makes a beautiful appearenoe from the road, and is looked for and admired by all travelers. The monument is more accessible from the old road than from the new ; but the old road is not in a very good condition, although it can be used. Joseph White Esq.,! thus sums up the traits of Colonel Wil- liams character : — " For Whatever is known of his opinions, as well as of his personal appearance, habits and manners, we are indebted to the impressions he made upon his contemporaries, as revealed in the scanty notices of the times and in the few traditions that yet linger amongst us.'' From these we learn that his " person was large and fleshy," his countenance benignant, and his appear- ance commanding ; that he loved and excelled in the rough games of agility and strength so common in bis day, and often engaged in them with his soldiers during the intervals of duty ; that his " address was easy, his manners simple and conciliatory ;" that ho loved books, and the society of literary men, " and often lamented the want of a liberal education ;" that to these endowments were added the higher qualities of mind — quick and clear perceptions, a solid judgment, a lofty courage, and an unwavering constancy in scenes of danger, and that military genius which needed only a fitting opportunity to place him in the highest walks of his pro- fession. He knew both how to command and to conciliate the afieotions of his men. " He was greatly beloved by them while living, and lamented when dead." And, finally, in the language of Colonel Worthington, who knew him well, " Humanity made a most striking trait in his character, and universal benevolence was his ruling passion." He truly adds, " His memory will always be dear." ;.\i>'imer county, N. Y., and near the Upper or Canigoharie oastlu Tho site of his house ia dMoribed by Dr. Dwight, as being a ^' handaomo elevation, commanding a considerable prospect of the neighboring country." Sir, School- cral^ in his NoU* of the Iro^uoit thus speaks of him : " There was a time in our sottlemonts whon thoro was a morttl force in the name of King Ilcndrik and his Mohawks, which hnd an electric effect ; and at tho time ho diod, his loss was widely and deoply folt and lamented oven in Great Britain. It is said that ho on two oooasiouB visited his British sovereign. On one of tliotio occasions, doubtless the last, which is conjectured to have boon about the year 1740, his majesty presented him a rich suit of clothes, — a green coat, set off with brussels and gold lace, liud a cocked hat, such as worn by the court gentry of that period. lu these he sat for his portrait, which was executed by a London artist. From this portrait, which has no date, ^ugrnvinga wore made, of a large oabinQt-sise, and colored in conformity with tho original. I saw one of these engravings in the family of a relative in Schenectady, which has, however, been long since destroyed by fire; and recently I have seen another, vhiuh had been, for nearly a century, the property of Jeremiah Lansing £|sq, of Albany, N. Y- The prosr' loal indicia of his countenance denote a kind dis position. .sty of purpose, and an or<^er of intellect much aliove mediocrity. Althou^^h his complexion was the " shadowed livery of the burning sun," his figure and countenance were sin- gularly prepossessing and commanding. The concurrent testimony of every traditionist awards to him great natural talents, judg- ment, and sagacity. As a diplomatist and orator he was greatly distinguished, and divided the palm only with his brother Abra- ham, of pious memory, who was exclusively devoted t6 civil pur- suits." !^^--_i,ryai;«satt*>fJ--*i|it4>SiJ.«iW Hendrik's most famous speech was the one delivered at tho con- gress in Albany, 1764. It excited at the time universal attention, both in America and in England. In reference to it, a journaliBt of that day says : " For capacity, bravery, vigor of mind and im- movable integrity combined, ho excelled all tho aboriginal inhsb yf*fl^^. ; ' juniitk ,M APPBNUX. **w m nfux 561 iUhta of whtoh wo havo any knowlodge." llondrlk wm ((uito ik Hon in liis dky, and hid spirit and martial puwora woro upon every tongue. Ho wkh also oatoorood the bravoat cT tho bravo among tho Troquoia." Ho lod many war partioa ngainat tho Canadian fVontior in tho old Fronoh and Indian war; and hia staunch IViondahip fbr Sir William Johnaon, oaunod him to uao hia groat influonoo to keep tho Six Nationa, enpooially the Mohawka. faithfVil to their oovonanta. Indeed, many timea, had it not boon for hia offortii, tho entire Oonfbdoraoy would have probably broken through all restraint and gone over to tho Fronoh. Uo died lamented by many, and by no one more than by Sir Wm. Johnaon. Judge Campbell in hia AnnuU 0/ Ttyon Cmnty haa proHorvod tho following anoodoto illustrativo of tho iViondahip that tho Qroat Mohawk waa capable of inspiring in tho hoarta of tho whitua towarda himaolf : — '* During some of tho uogotintioua with tho Indiana of Ponnaylvania and tho inhabitants of that atnto, lIon< drik waa present at Philadelphia. Ilia likonoHH was takun, and a wax figure aftorward made which waa a vory good imitation. Aflor tho death of Ilondrik an old fViond, a white man, visited IMiiludol- phia, and among other thinga was shown this wax figure. It occu- pied a nioho, and waa not observed by him until he had approached within a fow feet. The Ariendship of former days camo fVosh over his memory, and forgetting for tho moment llondrik'a doath, ho rushed forward and olasped in his arms tho frail icy imago of tho ohieilain." The famous atory of Sir William Johnson's dreaming with King Hendrik fof the royal grant, or indeed for any other poioe of land, is a pure fiotion. See chapter xvi, vol. 11. iKKii'*.>x.« nu ■ '. I V > \*i*i %-f3 ■f ,w>it-ii ■t#;> ■« '5»-tt* !»»■'»■ ■ J 1 ;■) , No. V. Map of Battle of Lake Oeorge ^! Referenoea to map on opposite page. . nfi 1 .^.v>« '^ First Engagtment. — 1. The road. 2. The French and Indiana 8. Hendrik on horseback. 4. Our men. 5. Our Indians far within the ambuscade. ■J i i.fi.... . W 8«eotid Engagtmmi.-—^. Oanadians and French Indians. 7. Dieskau's regulars making the attack on the centre. 8. Tho road. 9. Our men in the action posted in front. 10. The trees felled for the breastworks. 11. Three of tho largo cannon. 12. Onoofthe /#■ n 652 LIFE OF SIR WILLUM JOHNSON, BART. y m cannon posted '* advantageously" on the eminence. 13, 14, 15, 16. Illustrating the attack on the right ; particulars not known. 17, The guards on the flanks and rear. 18. Woods and swamp. 19. Low ground near the lake. 20. Gannon defending flanks and rear. 21. Baggage-wagons. 22, 28, 24. Military stores and ammuni- tion. 25. Mortars. 26. Road to the lake. 27. Bateaux on Lake George. 28. Four Storehouses. 29. Storehouse. 80. Iroquois Indians. 81. General Johnson's tent. 82. Major-General Ly- man's regiment. 83. Colonel Harris's regiment. 84. Colonel Cookoroft's regiment. 85. Colone) Williams's, now Colonel Fom- roy's regiment. 86. Colonel Buggles's regimept, 87. Colonel Titoomb's regimen^ 88. Colonel Gpttridge'is regiment. 89. Officers. .. The heading of the map is not quite accurate in the number of troops stated to be engaged on botb sides, and is quite inaccurate in the number stated to be killed on the side of the French. , I No, VI. {jj>Atar irmt'-' Powder Horn: "e '^^■ Ttirough the kindness of the Rev. Henry Ballard of Bmnswick, Me., Secretary of the Maine Historical Society, I am enabled to give on the opposite page a fac-simile of perhaps the only skctcli of Fort Wm. Henry in existence. The Sketch was carved on a powder-horn by a Provincial doing garrison duty at the fort in October, 1756. The horn was presented to the Maine Histori- cal Society in January, 1864, by the Hon. Wm P. Haines, of Bid- deford, Me., who at the time of its presentation; accompanied it with an exceedingly interesting paper, relating to its history. Mr. Haines, who deserves great credit for his instrumentality in rescu- ing this interesting relic from oblivion, courteously sent me a copy of this paper, from which I take a few extracts. "Recently I learned that Tristram GoldthwaitE8q.,an esteemed oitizen of Biddeford and once its representative, h»d ip his posses- sion a powder horn which had a history* At my request he brought it to me, and now permits me to deliver it to the Maine Historical Society for safe-keeping and inspection of the curious, and, to use his precise words, probably never to be reclaimed by him. He informs me that it was delivered to him as the male Representative of the original owner, and came down in the family. >f. .ittl,i.i»r".- .>:.f.>rf^ TO.** kti !ff^iii;k.- •■*.■% .."^i'iHfmaii'iti 'jii- ,ce. 18,14,15,16. >B not known. 17. 8 and swamp. 19. ding flanks and rear, tores and ammuni- 7. Bateaux on Lake ouse. 80. Iroquois Major-General Ly- iment. 34. Colonel , now Colonel Pom- ;imept, 37. Colonel ;e'9 regiment. 39. lUard of Brunswick, y, I am enabled to ips the only sketcli ih was carved on a »n duty at the fort » the Maine Histori- n P. Haines, of Bid- ation; accompanied it ig to its history. Mr. rumentality in rescu- sously sent me a copy ts. ?ait Esq., an esteemed ve, had ip his posses- At my request he iver it to the Maine 3tion of the curious, r to be reclaimed by to him as the male came down in the -rtftjff ".^fttfK^ nut} till '•.. .'i -HI M > •■ I u" .• : -•tl- ^ji.ia ui U!»il? ■>■ ^ ■•i%:t:ivtj. i»0iJ ' .il.'-Ulft ■Ji)^ r-.',-9 '■ V • flMTrt f '.it.'. .' w , C j I • 1 '. • 1 4 lit in V (,i«f >I i»» 'I'Uiri'jq vim, T!;> nfd> «-i..aH ■ni-'t'jl ».i»rp 4,. , " , , ; ..'flit Jrt^f 'iJ .ViiPsj^aJ'l S(«*jv.ivAi\., jft>.w\\)'fj > Manuscript Letter No. /J !• This letter bears this endorsement in the Baronet's hand. " Alderman Baker's letter about my money in the funds," and is as follows : " Sir William Johnson Baronet. Sir. " I have no letter from you since I wro(« the original of the foregoing. I have received from Mr. John Pownall the money which he received from the exchequer being clear of fees, &c., £4945, ISs.y Qd. You have the partionlam annext which I have extracted from Mr. Pownall's letter to me. I have invested this money as near as I well could in three per cent bank annuities ^W ' LoKbbk 81st March, 1757. }^ D beautiful letters, Wm. Henry, Octo- ;•■'■■ • . ■< . APPENDIX. 555 whiob now stand in my name and cost you £4048, 2«., fid., being the purchase of £5500, capital in said fund of which the particu- lars are annext. I have been extremely hurried of late, otherwise you should have had the advices sooner. Now I have only to add that I am : " Sir " Your most humble Serv't "WM. BAKER." • An account of money reoeiyed by John Pownall Esq. for Sir William Johnson granted by parliament, £5000:00:0 Fees at the treasury for the warrant order , and letter £8:04:6 > Fees at the exchequer, vis. pills, 4:07 Tellers and poundage, 148:10 Auditor, 9:07 167:04 166:08:6 £4834:11:6 Received at the Erohequer poundage remitted, £125:0 Deduct fees at the treasury for that order, 1:1 123:19:0 £4958:10:6 Paid for Sir Wm. Johnson's appointment to be Agent for Indian affairs 12:12.0 £4945:18:6 Received for Sir Wm. Johnson and transferred for his account into the name of Wm. Bakor £6500 bank three per cent annus- ties, via: > ^ - £4000 transferred by Theodoie Crowley at 89 J p.c. £3670. 1500 Wm. Colsford 89i p.c. 1338:15 Paid I. Shipston broker » i p.c. on £6500 6:17:6. My commission i p.c. on do , 27:10. £4943:2:6" ,^f>»»f0^"^