IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 iiiUM |2.5 |5o *^~ H^H ^ I2i2 12.2 m llUil ^ 1.25 |||.4 1.6 < 6" ► »h 7a ^ Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. USSO (716)«73-4S03 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D D D D D D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagie Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurie et/ou pellicul^e I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes giographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) I I Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Relii avec d'autres documents r^l Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serr6e peut causer de I'ombr* ou de la distortion le long de la marge int^rieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouties lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte. mais, lorsque cela itait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6ti filmies. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplimentaires; L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6td possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m6thode normale de filmage sont indiquds ci-dessous. I I Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes □ Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaurdes et/ou pellicul6es I ~U Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ LJ^ Pages ddcolories, tachetdes ou piqudes □ Pages detached/ Pages d6tach6es Showthroughy Transparence Quality of prir Qualit^ indgale de I'impression Includes supplementary materii Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire Only edition available/ Seule ddition disponible r^ Showthrough/ r^ Quality of print varies/ I I Includes supplementary material/ I I Only edition available/ Th( to Th poi of filr Ori bei thi sic oti fin sic or Th shi Tir w^ Mi dif eni bei rig rec mc D Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been ref limed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6X6 filmies A nouveau de fa^on 6 obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film6 au taux de reduction indiqui ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X 7 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed here hes been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: Metropolitan Toronto Library Canadian Hiitory Department L'exemplaire film* fut reproduit grice A la g4n4rosit6 de: IMetropolitan Toronto Library Canadian History Department The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Las images suivantes ont At6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition at de la nettett de l'exemplaire f ilm6, et en conformit6 avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimie sont film6s en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont fiimte en commenpant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la derniire page qui comporte une telle empreinte. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol ^^> (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Vn des symboles suivants apparaltra sur la dornidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: ie symbole — ► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Las cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre film6s d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque ie document est trop grand pour 6tre reproduit en un seui cliche, il est fiimi A partir de I'angle supirieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nicessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mithode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 \ iiS >'■ ^ 11 ^ :l f ■>■«•! •V ■'■'%.- r^,. M^z m. ^ -^^^^-n- 'it'|l»^*iteus^Viciffitude8 of FoRtufti^'dr 7^- ITER WILLI AMsHi COMTAINI KG) ' ^ jk , ■.;« ^* i:',' ''^'' .''^ b J^ //c^- T f ^ i' . r , RIGHT HOKOURABtB V^ I L L ? A M F I T ^ m^ On« of his Majesty's prmcipal Secretaries of State, K, \ SIR, ALfTHQ' it n^ay appear a g^^at degree o( _, , bpldnefs in me, to attempt the placing this ihpr^ account of my Life under your Pa-i fronage, by affixing your name thereto; yet, however obfcure the author may be, the fubjeft , handled may not atlto^ether be unworthy of your notice. Herein is exi^ibited, in a concifc manner, a fcene pf many barbarit|es, and Uh-r heard of cruelties, exercifed by the favage /»///-; (7W, Jnftigated by thie treacherpys /r■ > bfebiGAtidR in the execution thereof, in fupportof our rigtiti and privileges as men and Chridians, have jufUjr i'endered you famous, and made me defirbus'of iapptaring cloathcd with your prdtc6libn. May the great God, who over-rules alt dventsj blefs yoii in your undertakings, and grant fuc- ccfs, to your honefl", (incere and Unwearied en-* deavours to iaVe a (inkmg hatibti ftotti ruin: and continue yoii long at-the heliii bf affairS) for the good of thefe na^oiiSi is, and (hill hi^ \}}e earned prayer bfj ■ ... ( SIR, iTour moft obedient^ > amt m<\ft humble fervanii PETER WILLIAMSON. ^i|-|i'-||"^ V\ i ^mm^ Domeftic ftrifci and party rage forego, Colledl your ftreogth, and urge it oa the foe. See ! Pens YLVANi A bleeds in ev'ry vein, tier houfes tsivk^d, and hei' chiliiren flain ! tiear her to armsi her ^arr«i^ cotiw/rj^ call* Left both ftiould perifti in one common fall« koufe» Britons, roufe from floth and dull d(^s t ^ fee Vhat you-were in Aknb's and Edward's days I Lt'f' tv .■) > 2 • ^ ( s } IgtiW luftly lus'of srentSj t fuc- d en-^ ruih; iffairs) ill hi^ "^anh ^isoN* daysi \ % *t r*. FRENCH and INDIAN Cruelty. HE t-eadcr is nbt here to expeft a large and ufe- Ijefs detail of th6 tranfa^ions of late years, iii tiut part of the world, where, fever, (ince my Infancy, it has been my misfortune tb have livfed. ,Wa^ ic in my pewet indeed, to fet off with pompous di^^ion; and embelliih with arttficiitl defcriptioiis, what htis fo in-, groHed the attention of Eutopic as iwell as the icenes of aiftion fdt fome years part, perhaps 1 might; but, .my, poof pen, being wholly un6t Tor fuch a tafk, and iiever btherwife ehiployed than ju(l for my own affairs ah4 amufement, while I had the pleiifure of living tranqtiil add undlfhirbed ; I niuft beg leave io defid from fuch im attempt ; and if fudh is expe^ed from n)6, elalm the indulgence of" that pardon which is. never refiifed to thofe incapacitated of performing what may be defircd of them. And, as a plain; impartial, .and fuccinft nar- rative of my own life and various viciflitudes of fortune; Is all IfliaJl aim at, I ihall herein Confine myCelf to plain (iii>ple truth; and, in the di£tates, refuliiog froni an honcft heart, give the reader no other ■;•■■>-> ;;-" -'<■ ■■ -■■' ■elate to [loiadled : a iliort juvenile fiufy, or curious of a fa- ventfcrcs ;er, in a c of irile jfe of in I have of lotcs antl her cxif^ printer's lefs fur- narrative^ work o«t volnmesw true, but kind will e fafhion, ig a new zdi of cUf- a ferics of je to con- ig a larger lilatpre- ay, in the ^, North' ents, who d, as long .t^. ... as 0/ Peter Williamsok ? ts they had the happinefs of having m& tlli^dr. their infpe^lion ; but fatally for mc» and to their great grief, a$ it afterwards proved, J was fent to live with an auftjC at Aberdeen, where, at eight years of age, playing on the key, with others of my companions, be- ing ot a (lout robud conflitution, I was taken notice of by two fellows belonging to a vellt'l in the harbour, employed (as the trade then was) by fomc of the worthy merchants of the town, in that villainous and execrable practice, called kidnapping ; that is, ftcaling young chil- dren from their parents and felling them as ilavesin the plantations abroad. Being marked out by thofe mon- fters of inpiety as their prey, I was eafily cajoled on board the fliip by them, where 1 was no (boner got, • than they condu&ed me between the decks, to fome others they had kidnapped in the fame manner. At that time, 1 had no fcnle of the (ate that was deftined for me, and (pent the time in childilli amufcments with my fellow fufTcrers in the fteerage, being never fuffered to go upon deck whilfl: the velTel lay in the harbour ; which was Mil fuch a time as they had got in their load- ing, with a complement of unhappy youths for carry- ing on their wicked commerce. In about a month's time the (hip fet 'fail for ^meri» ca» The treatment wc met with, and the trifling i^ici-- dents which happened during the voyage, J. hopeXnaay be excufed from relating, as not being, at that tline^qf ' an age fufficient to remark any thing more than wh&t mull occur to every one on fuch an occalion. How- ever, 1 carniot forget, that when we arrived on th6 coaft, wc were deftined for, a hard gale of wind-fprung up from the S. E. and to the captain's great furprijEe, (he not thinking he was near land) although having be^ji eleven weeks on the paflage; about 12 o'clock at niglii the (hip (Iruck on a fand-bank, of Cape May,. near ih^V Oip^s^of iDe-Ia-uarCf and to the great terror 4nd affright A 2 of '■ ->.. ti M m !' ii • i,;i*j i ' . . ■ nrtunity of linowing the Chriftian religion, ortq ihe iavajges herein after delcribed, who profane nof the. gofpel,. or t^oafl: of'humaiii^y ; ^nd, if they a^ in a ipore brutal and blitcherly manner, yet 'i^s to their enemies, for tjie (akc of plunder and the rewards offered them ; for their principles are a^ike ; ;be loye of {on^^^^ gain' Jjeing bpth tHeir motives. The fhip bemg ott a faridf bank, which did not give way tp let her deeper, t^ lay in thf: lame de^lorabl^ condition ^^ill mommg; Whei>, ihMgh \ye fay/ the land' pf Cap May^ at about si miie*^ ^iftaAce, we kiievjr not what wotiW hi our fjtte, 'f be wind a^ length abated, it^d the Captain (\iBwrl* ling to lo(e all her cargp) aboiu id o'clock, lent ^bme of^ t\is frew iiji a boat to the (hip's Ude to bfing us on; ihore, where we lay, in a fort of a camp, ma^c of thet fvAh pf the veffel,' and fup.h other things as they could ^et. The provi^ons laded us until we were taken hi, by a veflel bound to Philadelphia ; lying dn this iiland, ts well as I can recolle^l, near three wcel^s, Yery lit- creai eaft- iaci ble 0"' ifEftrll w'hich it with inevlr fes an4 ; of its out the yiomentf icb% the JlA CHI, gtye the iive hsld n> or tq not the. 1 a more enemies, ^ 4 them ; 'ivii gain; [I a (arid-f r, t^ lay r; v*,i; Cy Peter WiLtrAMsoM. f ^ tie oF the cargo was fave^ undaniaged, and the ve(le|:T^ imirely loft. J^_ When arrived and landed all Philadelphia, the capi taV of Penfylvania,, the captain had foon people enough who came to buy us. He making the moft of hk y\U lainous loading, afrer his difafter, ' fpld us at about 1 6/, fffr head. What became of my unhappy compnionsr, I nev»:r knew ; but if was my lot to be fold to one of my countryi^ien, whofe i^ame was Kugb Wilfon, a North' Britain, for the term of leven years, who had in his youth' undergone the fame fate as myfelf ; having been kidnapped frpm St. yehnftoun in ^cotlancL As. I , fhall often have occafion to np^ntion Philadelfhm dur- r ing the courfe of my adventures, I fhall in this, pla^e give ^ Ihort and cpncife defcriptpon of the fineit city ia. ^America, and qne of the befl laid ouj: in the world, Thi& city would have been a capital fit for an cmpircj^ bald ic been built and inhabited according to the proprie-? tor's pla«n. Confidering its late fouiidation;, 'tis a large citfyr afid moft eomnv^dioufiy fituated between *De4a^ 'wurt aiwA ^huylkill, two navigable rivers. The fqrmcr being tvyo miles broad, and navigable 300 miles fpr fmall : vdldkf. If extends irt length two nfules from one river to-lhe otjier. X^cre are eight long flreers two miles: va length, cue at right angles by fixtecn others, of one niibe in length,, all flrait a^ fpacious. The houfcs arc ilately, very j\«merous, (being pear 3000) and iliilli in- creaimg, ar^ all carried on regularly according to the fiitft plain It has twq fronts on the water, one on the ?aft-(ide facing tlTte Schuylkill, and that on the weft facing the Df-laiuare. TThe Schuylkill being ivtviga- bl^ 800 mile$ above the falls, the caftern pan is moft pdj^lctuSy where the ware- hou fes, fbmc three floric?i high, and wharfs arc numerous and convenient, AH ^be hcuies have large orchards and gardens belonging to, ihtim, T^ mercliants thsic rcfidc here arc AQinerous. • an4 '5" \ <. ■',*! j^ 6 TheJalY E and wealthy, many pf them keeping their coaches &c, Xn the centre of the city there is a fpace of ten acres^ whereon are built the ftate-houfe, market-houfe, and (chool-houfi;. The former is built of brick, and has a p^i- fbn under it. The ftreets have iheir names from the Ibve- ral forts of timber common in Penfyhania ; as Mulberry ' ftreet, Sajfafra^-Jlreet, Chefnut-Jireet, Beach-Jlreet, and Cedarzftreet, The oldeft church is Chr'tjVs Church, and has a numerous congregation; but the major part of the inhabitants, being at firft Quakers, ftiil continue {si, who have feveral Meeting-houfeSf and may not impro- perly be called tl^ church, as by law eftablifli'd, being the originals. ThelwiJ' is beauiifr.l, and 200 feet fquarc, to which a fliip of 200 tons may lay her broad fide. As the advantages this city may boaft of, has rendered it one of the beft trading towns out of the Br'tt'ijh empire; io in all probabiiiry it will increafe in commerce and riches, if not prevented by party faftion, and religious feuds, which of late years have made it fuffer confider- ably. The airemblies and courts of judicature are held liere, as in all capitals. The French have no city like it in all America. Happy was my lot in falling into my countryman's power, as he was, contrary to many others of his cal- ling, a human, worthy, honeft man. Having no chil- dren of his own, and commiferating my unhappy con- dition, he took great care of me until 1 was fit for bu- (inefs; and about the 12th year of my age, fct me about little trifles; in which ftate I continued until my 14th year, when I was more fie for harder work. During fuch my idle ftate, feeing my fellow fervants often read- ing aad writing, it incited in me an inclination to learn, which I intimated to my mafter, telling him, 1 fliould be very willing to ferve a year longer than the contraft, by which I was bound obliged me, if he would indulge me in. going to fchool ; this he readily agreed 10, frtvihg, es ^T. 1 acres, e, and IS a p:-!- le I'cve- ilberry' ei, and Jhurch,^ part ot inue (q» : impro- I, being fquarc, Ide. As dered it empire; rce and religious lonfider- are held city like tryman's * his cal- r no chil- ppy con- i it for bii- me about my 14th : During Ften rcad- i to learn, fliould be intraft, by idulge me 0, f-'vi^g. That O/* Peter Wjllja -on. 7 That winter would be tlie beft time.^- It being then fum- mer; I waited with impatience for the ot'- sr feafon ; but to make fome progrefs in my d$i(Jgn, I got a primmer, and learn'd as much from my fellow fervants as I could. At fchool, where I went evcy winter for five years, I made a tolerable proficiency, and have ever fince been improving myfelf at leifure hours. With this good maf- ter, I continued till I was feventeen years old, when he died, and as a reward for my faithful fervice, left me 200 /. currency, which was then about 120 /. fterling, his beft horfe, faddle, and all his wearing apparel. Being now my own mafter, having money in my poc^ ket, and all other neceffaries, I employed myfelf in jobbing about the country, working for any that would employ me, for near (even years 5 when tliinking I had money fufncient to follow fome better way of life, I rc- ' folved to fettle ; but thought one ftep neccflary thereto, was to be married; for which purpofe, I applied to the daughter of a fubftantial planter, and found my fuit was not unacceptable to her, or her father, fo that matters were foon concluded upon, and we married. My fa- ther-in-law, in order to eftablilh us in the world, in an eafy, if not affluent manner, made me a deed of gift, of a traft of land, that lay (unhappily fpr me, as it has llnce proved) on the frontiers of the province of Pert- fylvania, near the forks of 7^e-lau>are, in Berks coun- ty, containing about 200 acres, 30 of which were well cleared, and fit for immediate ufe, whereon was a good houfe and barn. The place pleafing me well,,! fettled , on it; and tho' it coft me the major part of my money, in buying ftock, houfhold furniture, and implements for out-door work ; and happy as I was in a good wife, yet did my felicity laft me not long ; For about the year 1 754, the Indians, in the French intercft, who had for a long time before ravaged and deflroyed other parts o? America wnmolefted, I may very properly fay, began now to b^ VI very i i <^ ) I 4 t nettf^- ■ very troubiefome on the frontiers of our province, wliefe they generally appeared tn (inail ^uikiiig parties, wistl yelling^, flioutings, and antic poftures, iniiead of triim- fets and drums ; committing great devaftations. Tlucf Pen/yhariians Htcle im^ned at firft, that the Indiani • guilty of fuch outrages a4id violences were fome of thoie who pretended to be in tlie Engliflf intereft; which a- las ! proved to be too trud to many of its : For like the French in Europe, without regard to faith of treaties, they fuddenJy break out ir>to furious rapid outrages itiA devaftations, but (bon retire j^recipitately, having ho Aores or provifiofls but whit they meet with in their inciirfi- QrfS ; fbme indeed carry a bag with bifcuit, or Indian Corn therein, but not unlefs they have a long march tof their deftin'd nlace of aftion. And thofe Frtnchy wlxj were feut td difpoflefs i\? in that part of the world, be- ing indefatigable in. their duty, andGohttnually contri?- Jng, and ufing all manner of ways and means to win tb6 Indians to their intereft, many of whom had been too iiegj^ent, and fometimcs, I may fay, cruelly treated liy •thofe who pretended to be their pfoteOors and friends, *fdund it no very difficult matter to get over to their ihte- ' feft, many who belonged to thofe ftations in amity with iis : Efpccially as the rewards they gave therti were fb great; they paying for every fcalp of an Englijh perfon 15 /. fterling. Terrible and fhockin2 to human itature, were the Bar- aritic?? daily committed by the fava^cs, and are not to be parallel'd in all the volumes of hiftory 1 Scarce did a day pafs but (Imic unhappy family or other fell vi£Hms to French Chicanery, and favage cruelty. Terrible, indeed! It proved to mc, as well as to many 6rhers ; 1 that was now happy in an eafy (late of life, Welled with ari aflfec- tionate and tender wife, who was pofleded of all amiable qualities, to enable me to go through this world with that peace and fcrcnity of minj, wluch every Chriftian ' vvifhes i , wii! unl tain on oa pefi fdf whc try, fuct /fd, foot the in n lafl fwer opcr the ( ful thi*e But agaii lefs todi Em " c Te " tl "c it nl thisi by coi yetl F e, wbef e ies, wiiti 'of trUm- s. Tlwl Indiani of thoie which a- iike the treaties, |rag€s attd ho ^Qre^ ir inciirfi- br Indian march to ^«f A, wlxj I'orld, be- y contriv- to win thfe I been too treated ly ad friends, - ^ ( ih^ir ihte- amity with ;rrt were (b ^///& perfon ;re the Bar- I re not to be |L e did a day 1 viftlms to ble, indeed! I that was th an aflfec- all amiab^ world with ry Chriftian wjflids I ^ t>f Vt^ti. WiLLfikso ir. , j^ wiines te podefs^ became on a fudden one df the molt unhappy^ and deplorable of mankind ; fcarcc can I fuf- tain the iliock wliich for ever recoils on me, at thinking on laft time of feeing that good woman ; the fatal 2d of October f 1 754 ; fhe that day Went from hotiie to vifit ibme of her relations, as I ftaid up later than iifual, ex-* eftjng her return, none being in the houfe befides liiy- elf, how great was my furprize, terrori and affright, when about 1 1 o'clock at night, I heard the difinal war- try, or wat*-whoop of the f^uages) whieh they make ori fuch occasions, and niay be exprefs'd, ff^oach; luoachy hdf ha, hach, woach, and to my inexpreffible grief^ foon found my houfe was attack'd by them ; I flew to the chamber-window^ and perceived them to be twelve in number. They making feveral attempts to come in^ I alked thfeni what they wanted ? They gaye me no an- fwer, but continued beatihgi and trying to get the door open. Judge then the condition I muit be iii, ktiowing the cruelty, and mercilefs difpofltion of thofe favagesj ihOtild I fall into their Hands* To efcape which dread-^ ful misfortune^ having my gun loaded in my hand, .][ thfeaten'd them with death, if they ihould not defift. v But how vain and fruitlefs are the efforts of one man^ againft the united force of {6 many ! and of fuch merci- left, undaunted and blpod-thirfty mohfters, as I had herd to deal with. One-of them that could fpeak a littld ilngUfit threatened me in return, " That if I did rtot " come 6ut, they Would burn me alive in the houfe.'* Telling me farther, what I unhappily perceived ; " That " they were no friends to the EngUJhf but if 1 would " come dut and /urrender myfelf prifbner, they would " not kill me." My terror and diftraf^ion at hearing this is not to be exprcdcd by words, nor easily imagined by any perfon, unlefs in the fame condition. Little could I depend on the promifes of fuch creatures ;, and yet> if 1 did not, inevitable death, by being burnt a- C livtf ti- I 10 7%e LIFE Ihfe muft be my lot. Didra^led as I was, in (ticli de* plorable circumdances, I chofe to rely on the uncertain- ty of their fallacious promifes, rather than meet with certain death, by rejefting them ; and accordingly went; out of my hbufe, with my gun in my hand, not knowing what I did, or that I had it. Immediately on my approach ihey rulhed on me, like (6 many tygers, and inftanily difarmed me. Having me thus in their power, the mer*- cilefs villains bound me to a tree near the door ; they then went into the houfe and plundered and deftro^ed every thing there was in it, carrying off what moveables^ they could ; the reft, together with the houfe, whiehr. they fet fire to, was coniumed before my eyes. The Barbarians not (atisfied with this,, fet fire to my barn, flable, and out-houfes, wherein were about 2oobu(he[s of wheat, fix cows, four horfes, and five fheep, whiclt underwent the fame fate, being all intirely Confumed to afhes. During the conflagration, to defcribe the thoughts,* the fears, and mifery that I felt, is utterly Impofllbl'e, as* Vis even now to mention what I feel at the remembrance thereof. Having thus finifhed the execrable bufinefs, . about which they came, one of the monfters came to me with a Tomahawk^ in his hanjf, threatening me with the worfl of deaths, if I would not willingly go with them> and be contented with their way of living. This I feeming- ly agreed to, promifing to do every thing for them that lay in my power ; truftingco providence for the time when I might be delivered out of their hands. Upon this they untied me, and gave me a great load to carry on my ♦ A Tsmaheeivkt is a kind of hatchet, made fomething like t)«r Plaifterer's hammers, ahout two feet long, handle and'oil. T^ take up the hatchet (or Tomahaivk) among thim, is to declare war. Tliey f^cneraily u(e U after firing their guns, by rufliing on their ciKmies, VinA fradturing or cleaving their (culls v.'ith it, nnd very feldon itA *>( killing at ihe fir ft Wow. le mer*- OJ Petek Williamson. ^ 1 1 iny back, under which I travelled all chat night loirkh them, full of the mod terrible apprehenlions, and op- prcfs'd with [he greatelt anxiety of mind, lell my unhap- py wife fhould likewife have fallen a prey to thelc cruel moniiers. At day-break, . my infernal mafter ordered roe to lay down my load, when tying my hands again round a tree with a fmall cord, they forced the blood out of my fingers ends. They then kindled a fire near tlie tree whereto I was bound, which fill'd me with the mod dreadful agonies concluding I was going to be made ijiacrifice to their barbarity. This narrative, O reader ! may feem dry and tedious to »you : My mifcries and misfortunes, great as they have been, may be condder'd only as what others have daily met with for years pft; yet, on refleftion, you can't help indulging me in the refcital of them : For to the unfortu- nate and diflrefs*d, recounting our miferies, is, in fbme £brt, an alleviation of them. Permit me therefore to proceed ; not by recounting to you the deplorable condition I then was in, for that is more than can be defcribed to you, by one who thought of nothing lefs than being immediately put to death in the mod excruciating manner thefe devi^ls could invent. The fire being thus fhade, they for tome time danced round me after their manner, with various odd motions and antic gedures, whooping, hollowing, and crying, in a frightful manner, as it is their cudom. Having fatisfied themfelyes in this fort of their mirth, they proceeded in a more tragical manner 4 taking the burning coals and dicks, flaming with fire at the ends, - holding them near my face, head, hands, and feet, with a deal of mondrous pleafure and fatisfa£tion ; and at the fame, time threatening to burn me intirely^ if I made the lead noife or cried out : This tortured as I was, ai- med to death, I fiiffcred their brutal pleafure without! ^ being allowed to vent my inexpreiTible anguifh othcrwi&: 'J Q % . tlwn " ■ W.A . EI F E than by fliec^ding filent tears; even whkh, when thefts inhuman tormentors obfervcd, with a (hocking picufure and alacrity, they would take frefli coals, and apply near my eyes, telling me my face was wet, and that they would dry it for me, which indeed they cruelly did. How 1 underwent thefe tortures I have here faint* ly deicribed, has been matter of wonder to me many limes ; but God enabled me to wait with mere than com? pion patience for a deliverance I daily prayed for. Having at length fatisficd their brutal pleafufe, they iat down round the fire, and roafled their meat, of which they had robbed my dwelling. When they had prepared it, and fatisfied their voracious appetites, they pffered fbme to me ; though it is eaGly imagined I had »but little appetite to eat, after the tortures and miferies I . Jiad undergone j yet, was I forced to feem pleafed witl^ what they pffered me, left by refufing it, they had again fcaffumed th?ir heliifh prafticcs. What I could not eat,. I contrived to get between the hark and i!ie tree, where I was fixed, they having unbound ?ny hands till they imagined I had eat all they gave me ; but, then, they again bovnd me as before ; in which deplorable ^onditi'f pn was I forced to continue all th?^ day. "When the fun was fet, they put out the fire, and covered the afliet with leaves, as is their ufual cuftom, that the white peot pie might not diftover any traces or figns of their kav^ ^ng b^cn there. Thus had thefe barbarous wretches finilhed their firft diabolical piecp of work ; and ihocking as it may feem to the huoiane Engltjb heart, yet what \ underwent, was but trifling, in comparifon to the torments and miife^ ries whiph I was afterwards an cye-witnefs pf b^ing in? nifted on others pf my unhappy-fellow creatures. Going fropi thence along by the river Sufqu^hana for the fpace of fix miles, loaded as I was before, we ar- rjjve^ at a fpot near i)tie ^falact^ian moi^ntains, or Blut^ O/* Peter Williamson. 13 Jiiils, where they hid their plunder under logs of wood.-^''-And, oh, ihpcking to relate ! from thence did thefe hcilifh monders proceed to a neighbouring houfe, occupied by one yacob Snider, and his unhappy fami- ly, confiding of his wife, five children, and a young man his lervanf. They foon got admittance into the unfortunate man's houfe, where they immediately with- out the lead remorfe, and with more than butal cruelty, fcalpeci * the tender parents and the unhappy children : 'Nor could the tears, the ihrieks, or cries of thefe un- happy viftims prevent their horrid maflacre : For hav- ling thus fcalped them, and plundered the houfe of eve- ry thing that was moveable, they fet fire to the fame, where the poor creatures met their final doom amidfl the flames, the hellifh mifcreants ilanding at the door, or as near the houfe as the flames would permit them, re- joicing, and echoing back in their diabolical manner, the piercing cries, heart-rending groans, and paternal and afFe^ionate Toothings, which iflued from this molt horrid facrifice of an innocent family. Sacrifice ! I think I tpay properly call it, to theagrandizing the ambition of a king, who wrongly fliles himfelf Moft Chrijiian* For, had thefe lavages been never tempted with the alluring bait of all-powerful gold, myfelf as well as hundreds of others, might dill have lived mod happily in our dations. Jf Chridians countenance, nay, hire thofe wretches, to . live * Scalping, is taking oS ^he fkin fronn the top of the head ; which; they perform with a long knife that they hang round their neck, and. always carry with them. They cut the fldn round as much of the head as they think proper, fometimes qutie round from the neck and forehead, then take it in their fingers and pluck it ofi\ and often leave the unhappy creatures {o ferved to die in a mod mlH^l^jK manner. Some who are not cut too deep in the temples or A^^I^NrCK, in horrid torments many hours, and fometimes a day or t^a f^<^ The fcalps, or (kins thus taken off, they prefcrve and carry honw^fi^- triumph, where they receive, as is faid before, a confiderible fum If 14 The LITE Tive in a continual repetition 6f plunder, rapine, mur« der, and conflagration, in vain, are midionaries lent, or iiims expended Tor the propagation of the go(peI. But, thefe fentimentSy with many others, mult before the end of this narrative occur to every humane heart. — — Therefore to proceed ; Not contented with what ihcfe * infernals had already done, they dill continued their in- ordinate villainy, in making a general conflagration of the barn and ftables, together, with all the corn, hor- fcs, cows, and every thing on the place. Thinking the young man belonging to this unhappy family, would be of lome fervice to them, in carrying part o£ their hellifli-acquired plunder, they fpared his life, and loaded him and myfelf with what they had ^ here got, and again marched to the Blue-Hills where they ftowed their goods as before. My fellow-fuflierer could not long bear the cruel treatment which we were both obliged to fufl^er, and complaining bitterly to me, of his being unable to proceed any farther, I endea- . Toured to confole him, as much as lay in my power, to bear up under his afHidions and wait with patience, 'till by the divine aflillance, we fhould be delivered out of their clutchets; but all in vain, for he flill contbued his moans and tears, which one of the favages perceiv- ing, as we travelled on, indantly came up to us, and with his tomahawk f gave him a blow on the head, which felled the unhappy youth to the ground, where they immediately y2:^^^i and left him. The fuddennefs of this murder, fhocked me to that degree, that I was in a manner like a ftatue, being quite motionlefs, expecting my fate would foon be the fame : However, recovering my di(lra£^ed thoughts, I difliembled the unealinefs and anguifh which I felt as well as I could from the Barba- rians ; but dill, fuch was the terror I was under, that for fbme time I fcarce knew the days of the week, or what I didj fo that at this period, life did, indeedbe- come Of Peteh Williamson. 15 come a burthen to me, and I regretted my bemg iaved from my firfl perfecutors, the Tailors. The horrid faft being compleated, they kept on their courfe near the mountains, where they lay Ikulking four or five days, rejoicing at the plunder and ftore thcyhad got. When proviHons became fcarce, they made their way towards Sufquehanna\ where, dill to add to the ma- ny barbarities they had already committed, pafTmg near another houfe, inhabited by an unhappy old man, whofe name was yohn Mams, with his wife and four fmall children ; and meeting with no refiflance, they immedi- ately fcalped ^thc Unhappy wife and her four children, before the good old man's eyes. Inhuman and horrid as this was ! it did not fatiate them ; for when they had murdered the poor woman, they ac^ed with her in fuch a brutal manner, as decency, or the remembrance of the crime, will not permit me to mention ; and this even^ before the unhappy husband; who, not being able to avoid the fight, and incapable of affording her the leaf): relief, intreated them to put an end to his miferable be«« ing; but they were as deaf, and regardlefs to the tears, prayers, and intreatics of this venerable fufferer, as they had been to thofe of the others, and proceeded in their hellifh purpofe of burning and deftroying his houfe, barn, 'Corn, hay, cattle, and every thing the poor man a few hours before was mafter of. Having faved what they thought proper from the flames, they gave the old man, feeble, weak, and in the miferable condition he then was, as well as myfclf, burthens to carry, and load- ' ing themfelves likewife with bread and meat, piirfued their journey on towards the Great Szvamp ; where be- ing arrived, they lay for eight or nine days, fbmetimcs diverting themfelves, in exercifing the moft atrocioiw and barbarous cruelties on their unhappy vi^im, the old man : (bmetimes they would drip him naked, and paint kirn all eryer with various forts of colours, which they extra^sd. I '\ ii Y. " ■'9 16 Tbi LIFE cxira^ed , or made from herbs and roots : at other timeil they would pluck the white hairs from his venerable head, and tauntingly teli him. He was a fool for living fo hng, and that they fhould fbew him kmdnefs in- put* iing him out of the world : to all which, the poor crea- ture could not vent his (ighs, his tears, his moans, and intreaties, that to my affrighted imagination, were enouqh to penetrate a heart of adamant, and fbftcn the moQ ob- durate favage. In vain, alas! were all his tears, for dai- ly did they tire themfelves with the various means they tried to torment him ; fometirocs tying him to a tree, and wnipplng him, at other??, fcorching his furrowed cheeks, with red-hot coals, and burning his legs, quite to the knees : but the good old man inftead of repining, or wickedly arraigning the divine jullice, like many others, in fuch cafes ; even in the greateft agonies, in* ceflantly offered up his prayers to the Almighty, with the moft fervent thankfgivings for his former mercies, and hoping the flames, then furrounding and burning his aged limbs, would foon fend him to the blifsful man** fions of the juft, to be a partaker of the blelFings there* And, during fuch his pious ejaculations, his infernal plagues wotikld come round him, mimicking his heart-* tending groans, and piteous wailings. One night after he had been thus tormented, whlllt he and I were fitting together, condoling each other at the misfortunes and mrferies we daily fuffered, twenty-five other Indians ar- rived, bringing with them twenty fcalps and three prifbn* ers who had unhappily fallen into their hands in Canno^ cojigge, a fmali town near the river Sufquehanna, chiefly inhabited by the jri/h. Thefe prifbners gave us (bme Jhocking accounts of the murders and devaftatidns com- mitted in their parts. The various and complicated ac- tions of thefe Barbarians would intirely fill a large vo- lume; but what I have already written, with a few other inftances which I ihall fele^ from their informa- ' tion> \ O/" Peter Williamson. 17 tioa> will enable the reader to gucfs at the horrid treat- mfitii the Englijhf and Indians, in their iiucrelt, have fuEered for many years pad. I Ihall therefore only mention in a brief manner thofc that fuffered near the fame time with myfelf. This party, who now joined us, had it nor, I found, in their |x>wer, to begin their wickednefs as (bon as thofe who vifited my habitation : the firft of their tragedies being on the 25th day of Oc' tob^Ky 1754^ when John Lewis ^ with his wife, and three fjnali children, fell facriHces^ to their cruelty, and were m\iQvv\y\y fialped and murdered ; his houfe, barn, and every thing he poHeHed, being burnt and dedroycd. On the 2 Hth, Jacob Miller, with his wife, and fix of his family, together, with every thing on his plantation, underwent the fame fate. The 30th, The houfe, mill, barn, twenty head of ottle, two teems of horfes, and every thing belonging to the unhappy George Folie, met with the like treatment ; himfelf, wife, and all his miserable family, confifling of nine in number, being inhumanlyy^a//>^^, then cut in pieces, and glvento the fwin«, which devoured them. I fhall give another in- Aance of the numberlefs and unheard-of badmrities they related of thefe fayages, and proceed to 4pr own tra* gical end. In fhort ; one of the fubdantial traders, be- longing to the province, having bufinefs that called him (bme miles up the country, fell into the hands of thefe devils,, who not only fcalped biro, but immediately Foalled him, before he was dead; then like Canibals, for want of other food, eat his whole body, and of his head, made what they called an Indian pudding. . From thefe few inftances of lavage cruelty, the de- plorable (ituation of the defencelefs inhabitants, and what they hourly fuffcr'd in that part of the globe, muft ftrike the utmoft horror to a human foul, and caufe in every breafl the utmoft deteftation, not only, againft the au- thors of fuch tragic fccncs, but againft thole, who thro' D per* m It If'. i8 The LIFE l^rfi Jy, inattention, or pufillanimous and erroneous prin- ciples, fuflered ihele favages at firft, unrepelPd, or even unmolefted, to commit fuch outrages and incredible de- pred;iiions and murders. For no torments, no barbarities that can be exercifed on the human (acrlfices, they get into their power, arc left untried or omitted. The three prifoners that were brought with thcfe ad- ditional forces, conftantly repining at their lot, and al- moin dead with their excelfive hard treatment, contrived at laft to make their e(cape; but being far from fheir own fettlements, and not knowing the country, were fbon after met by fome others of the tribes, or nations, at war with us, and brought back to their diabolical maflers, who greatly rejoiced at having them again in their infernal power. The poor creatures, almoft fa- mifiied for want of fuftenance, having had none during the time of their elopment; were no fooner in the clutch- -28 of the barbarians, two of them were tied to a tree, and a great fire made round them, where they remain'd till they were terribly fcorch'd and burnt; when one of the villains with his fcalping knife, ript open their bellies, took out th^ intrailsi and burnt them before their eyes, Avhilft the^»:A'fters were cutting, piercing, and tearing the flelli from their breads, hands, arms, and legs, with red- hot irons, 'till they were dead. The third unhappy vic- tim, was refer ved a few hours longer, to be, if poiTible, facrificed in a more cruel manner ; his arms were tied clofe to his body, and a jiole being dug, deep enough for him to ftand upright, he was put therein, and earth ram'd, and beat in, all round his body up to his neck, fo that his head only appear'd above ground; they then fcalpM him, and there let him remain for three or four hours, in the grcateft agonies ; after which they made a fmall fire near his head, caufing him to fuifer the moft excruciating torments imaginable ; whilft the poor crea- ture could only cry for mercy in killing him immediate- Jy, were and di what In wH Qfth< their ihenil ganesl roun( and n * more into t> ofthc^ ruies /gee ad- idal- rived fheir O/" Peter Williamson. ip ly, for his brains were boiling in his head : Inexorable to ail his plaints, they continued the fire, vvhiUt ihocking to behold ! his eyes gufli'd out of their fockets j and liich agonizing torments did the unhappy creature fuflfer for near two hours, 'till he was quite deaf*it: feftivals, and dances, they relate what fiiccefies they have had, and what damages they have fuduined in their expeditions : In which I became part of their theme. The (everity of the cold increafing, they (Iript me of my cloaths for their own ufe, and gave me (iich as they ufually wore themfelves, being a piece of blanket, a pair of Mog- ganeSf or Ihoes, with a yard of coarfe cloth, to put round me inftead of breeches. To defcribe their drefs and manner of living may not be altogether unacceptable D 2 to '■/SsiJiv 1 I H %: Ml * UHgnvann, are the names they give their houfes, which are no more than little huts, msde, with three or four fork'd Itakes thovti into the ground, and caver'd with deer or other skins ; or for want of them with large leaves and earth. "^ 29 The LIFE to fomc of my readers, but as the fize of this book will not permit me to be Jo particular as I might otherwife be, I ihall juft obfervc, ^ That they in general, wear a white blanket, which in war-lime they paint with various figures ; but particu- larly the leaves of trees, in order to deceive their ene- mies when in the woods. Their Mogganes are made of deer-fkins, and the belt fort have them bound round the edges with little beads and ribbands. On their legs they wear pieces ©rblue cloth for ftockings, fon ^^ing like our foliiiers fpatter-dalhes ; they reach highei rrtan their knee?, but not lower than their ancles; they efteem them ealy to run in. Breeches they never wear, but infiead thereof, two pieces of linen, one before, and another behind. The better fort have fhirts of the fineft linen they can get, and to thofe feme wear ruffles ; but thefe ihey never put on, till they have painted them of various colours, which they get from the Pecone root, and bark of trees, and never pull them off to wafli, but wear them, till they fall in pieces. They are very proud, and take great delight in wearing trinkets ; fuch as filver plates round their. wrifts and necks, with feveral (Irings of ff^amfum iyi^\c\i is made of cotton, interwove with peb- bles, cockle-fliells, &c^ down to their breafts ; and from their cars and nofes they have rings and beads, which hang dangling an inch or two. The men hate no beards, to prevent which, they ufe certain inftru- mcnts and tricks as foon as it begins to grow. The hair of their heads is managed differently, fome pluck out and deftroy all, except a lock hanging from the crown of the head, which they interweave with ff^ampum and feathers of various colours. The women wear it very long, twifted down their backs, with beads, -feathers, and fVampum ; and on their heads moft of them wear little coronets of brafs or copper j round their middle ■they '^ kr'- ■•♦■, kwill febe, which articu- r ene- ladc of md the rs they [ig like m their nthem inftead another ft linen Lit thefe ' various nd bark if them, and take r plates rings of nth peb- fts; and d beads, icn hate 1 inftru- The hair (luck out le crown ipum and ir it very •feathers, lem wear r middle ^they_ Of Peter Williamson. 21 they wear a blanket inftead of a petticoat. The females are very chaftc, and conftant tb their husbands ; and if any young maiden fliould happen to have a child before marriage, Ihe is never efleemed afterwards. As for their food, they get it chiefly by hunting and ftiooting, and boil, broil, or roaft all the meat they eat. Their ftand- ing-difti confifts of Indian corn foak'd, then bruisM and boil'd over a gentle fire, for ten or twelve hours. Their bread is likewife made of this, wild oats or fun-flow«r feeds. Set meals they never regard, but eat when they are hungry. Their gun, Tomahawk, fcalping knife, powder and fhot, are all they have to carry with them in time of war ; bows and arrows being fbldom ufed by them. They generally in war decline open engage- ments ; bufti-fighting or flvulking is their difcipline ; and they are brave when engaged, having great fortitude in enduring tortures and death. No people have a greater love of liberty, or aflc^ion to their relations ; but they are the moft implacably vindictive people ujx)n the carib, for they revenge the death of any relation, or great af- front, whenever occafion prefents, let the diftance of lime or place, be never fo remote : To all which I may add, what the readeV htis already obferved, that they are inhumanly cruel. But, fbme other nations might be more happy, if, in fome inftances, they copied them, and made wrfe concfufi, courage, ami ferfonaijlrergth, the f/j/V/" recommendations for war-captains, oxJVerozvances^ as they call them. In times ot peace, they vifit the plantations inhabited by the Whites, to whom, they fell baikeis, ladles, r|X)ons, and other fuch trifles, which they arc very expert in making. When night comes, if admit- ted into any houfe, they beg leave to ly down by the fire fide, chu€ng that place rather than any other, which is feldom refuled them, if fober, for then they ave honcft; but if drunk, are very dangerous and trouble fome, if people enough are not in the houfe to quell them. Nor would m ail. a J|| ' ll 1 ■ ''1 ■ '1 ■ > > i it r 1 2? y^^ L 1 F E would they at any time be guilty of fuch barbarous de- predations as they are, did not thofe calling themfelves Chriftians, intice them thereto with (trong liquors, which they are vaftly fond of; as well as by the pecuniary re- wards which they give for the fcalps. If ambition can- not be gratified, or funerioriry obtained, otherwife than by the deaths of thou lands ; would it not, in thofe who feelc fuch- airy phantoms, and are fo inordinately fond of their felloyv creatures lives, favour a little more of huma- nity to have them killM inftantly, and, (if they mud have proofs of murder) fcalp'd afterwards ? than by allowing and encouraging luch mercilefs treatment, render them- felves as obnoxious, cruel, and barbarous, to a hun>an mind, as the very favages themfelves. However, they fbmetimcs fufTer by their plots and chicanery laid for the defl:ru£^ion of others ; it often happening that the trad- ers or emiflarics fent to allure them to the execution of their (chcmes, rightly fall vi^lims themfelves; for, as they always carry with them horfe-loads of rum, which the Indians are fond of, they foon get drunk, quarrel- fbme, and wicked, and, in their fury, often kill andde- ftroy their tempters. A juft reward for their wicked de- figns ! Nay, it has fuch an effeft on them, that when fo intoxicated, they even burn and confume all their own efJefts, beating, wounding, and fometimes killing their wives and children : But, in difputes among themfelves, when fober, they are very tenacious of decorum, never allowing more than one to fpeak at a time. Prophane fwearing they know not in their own language how to ejjprefs, but are very fond of the French and Eng-- Itjh oaths. The old people, who nr*; by age and infirmities ren- dered incapable of being ferviceable to the community, they put out of the world in a barbarous and extraordi- nary manner; an inftance of which, I had, whilft among, them, an opportunity of feeing praclifed on an old Indi' an, J roann( womei i> O/" Peter Williamson. 23 iirw. He being, through age, feeble and weak, 5ind his eyes failing him, Co that he was unable to g^t ||s living either by hunting or Ihoocing; he was fumnntcMllKl to cip- pear before (evcral of the leading- ones, W^o were to be his judges. Before whom being come, and having no- thing to fay for himfelf, (as how indeed could he prove himfelf to be young,) they very formally, and with a feeming decree of compalllon, palfed fcncence on him- to be put to death. This was loon after executed on him in the following manner : He was tied naked to a tree, and a boy who was to be his executioner, (food ready with a tomcibaivk in his hands, to beat his brains out : but when the young montter came to inflift the fentence, he was fo Ihort of (tature that he could not lift the tomahawk high enough ; upon which, he was held up by fome others, a great concourfe being prcfent; and then, though the young devil laid on with all his ftrength, he was not for fome time able to frafture the old man's fcull, (6 that it was near an hour before he was dead. Thus are they from their youth inured. to barbarity ! When they found no remains of life in him, they put him into a hole dug in the ground for that purpofe, in which he flood upright. Into his left-hand they put an old gun, and hung a fmall powder horn and fhort-bag about his fliouiders, and a firing of wampum round his neck ; and into his right-hand, a little fiik purfe with a birof money in it; then filled the hole round, and co- vered him over with earth. This I found to be the ufual manner of treating the old of both fexes ; only that the women are killed by young girls, and put into the ground with nothing but a ladle in one hand, and a wood- en difli in the other. They are very flrift in punifliing offenders, cfpecial- ' ly fuch as commit crimes againfl any of the royal fami- lies. They never hang any j but thefe fentenced to death t the ill eflte£^s. of the cold which penetrated into it, 1 was forced to keep a good fire always near the door. Thus did I for near two months endure fuch hard- ililps x)f cold and hunger as bad hidierto been unknown to me,^ Myiiberty of going about, was, indeed, more than I could have expefted, but they well knew the kn- prafticability of my eloping from them. Seeing me out- wardly eafy and fubmifEve, they would fometimes give me a little meat, but my chief food was Indian corn, drefled as I have above defcribed. Notwithftanding fuch , their civility, the time palled fo tedious on, that 1 almoft began to defpair .of ever regaining my liberty, or feeing my few relations again; which, wirii the anxiety and .pain 1 differed on account of my dear wife, often gave me inexpredlble concern. At length the time arrived, when they were preparing themfelves for another expcditioh ap^ainft the planters and white people j but before they fct out, they were joined (y Peter WiLLiAMsoi^. - 2j[ Joined by many other Indians from fort fDu-Q^e/ne, well Ibred with po«vder and ball they had received of the French. As fbon as the fnow was quite gone^ and no traces of* their vile footflcps could be perceived* they fet forth oii their joyrney towards the back parts of the province of* Penfyhania ; and leaving their wives and children be* hind id their wigwams. They were now a terrible and formidable body, amounting to near 150. My duty was to carry what they thought proper to load me with, but they never intruded me with a gun. We mat-ched on feveral days without any thing particular occut-ring, almofl famiihcd for want of provllions ; for my part, I had nothing but a few Halks of Indian corn, which I was glad to eat dry : Nor, did the Indians themfelvcs fare much better, for as we drew near the plantations they were aflPraid to kill any game, left the noife of their guns fhould alarm the inhabitants. When we again arrived at the Blue-tliUs, about ga miles from Cannocojigge, the Irijh fettlement before- mentioned, we encamped for three days, though God knows' we had neither tents, nor any thing elfe to de-^ fend us from the inclemency of* the air, having nc hing to lie on by night but the grafs^ Their ufual method of lodging, pitching, or encamping, by night, being in parcels of ten or twelve men to a fire, where they lie upon the grafs or bufhcs, wrapt up in a blanket^ with their feet to the fire. During our ftay here, a fort of council of war was held, whicn it was agreed to divide themfelves into com- panies of about twenty men each ; after which every captain marched with his party where he thought pro- per. I ftill belonged to my old mafters, but was h£t behind on the mountains with ten Indians, to ftay until the reft fhould return ; not thinking it proper to carry me nearer to Cannccoji^ge, or the other plar-tations. £ Hcr« 1/ m i .4' f! • in : ht a6 The LIFE ( Her6, being left, I began to meditate on my cfcape, and chough I knew the country round extremely well, having been often thereabouts, with my companions hunting deer, and other beafts ; yet, was I very cauti- ous of giving the leaft fufpicions of fuch my intentions. However, the third day after the grand body left us, my companions, or keepers, thought proper to vifit the mountains, in fearch of game for their fubfiftance, leav- ing me bound in fuch a manner that I could not efcape; At night when they returned, having unbpund me, w© all fat down together to fupper on two Pole Cats, be- ing what they had killed, and foon after (being great- ly fatigued, with their day's excurfion) they compofed ihemfelves to reft, as ufual. Obferving them to be in that fomniferous ftate, I tried various ways to fee whe- ther it was a fcheme to- prove my intentions or not, but after making a noife and walking about, fometimes touching them with my feet, I found there was no faU lacy. My heart then exulted with joy at feeing a timq come that I might in all probability be* delivered from my captivity; but this joy was foon damped by the dread of being difcovered by them, or taken by any ftraggling parties. To prevent which, I refolved, if poflible, to get one of their guns, and if difcovered, to die in my defence, 'rather than be taken r for that pur- pofe, 1 made various efforts to get one from under their heads, (where they always fecured them,) but in vain. Fruft rated in this my firft cday towards regaining my li- berty, I dreaded the thoughts of carrying my defign in- to execution : yet, after a little confideration, and truft- ing myfclf to the divine proteftion, I fet forwards nak- ed and defencelcfs as I was. A ralh and dangerous en- terprize! Such was my terror, however, that in going from them, I halted, and paufed every four or five yards, looking fearfully towards the fpot where I had left them, leit they iliould awake and mifs me ; but wheE I Of Pet^r Williamson. 1,7 when I was about two hundred yards from them, I mended my pace, and made as much hafte as I could to the foot of the mountains ; when on a fudden I was (truck with the greatefl terror and amaze, at hearing the wood-cry, as it is called, and may be expreffed Jo-hau! yo'hau / which the favagcs I had left were making* accompanied with the molt hideous cries and howlings they could utter. The bellowing of lyons, the fhrieks of hyaenas, or the roaring of tygers, would have been mufic to my ears, in comparifon to the founds that then faluted them. They having now milTed their charge, I concluded that they would foon feparate themfelves and hie in queft of me. The more my terror increaf- td the fafter did I pufti on, and fcarce knowing where I trod, drove through the woods with the utmoft preci- pitation, fbmetimes falling and bruifing myfelf, cutting- my feet and legs againft the (tones, in a milerable man- ner ; but though faint and maimed as I was, I continu- ed my flight until break of day, when without having any thing to fuflain nature, but a little corn left, I crept into a hollow tree, in which 1 lay very fnug, and re- turned my prayers and thanks to the Divine Being, that had thus far favoured my efcape. But my repofe was in a few hours deftroycd, at hearing the voices of tlie lavages near the place wi.ere I was hid, threatning and talking how they would rfe me, if they got me again ; that I was before too fenfiblc of, to have the lea(t re(t, either in body or mind fince I had left them. However, they at laft left the fpot where I heard them, and I re- mained in my circular afylum all that day wthout fur- ther moleftation. At night, I ventured forwards again, frightened and trembling at every bu(h I pafled, thinking each twig that touched me to be a favage. The third day 1 concealed rayfelf in the like manner, and at night 1 travelled on in the fame deplorable condition keeping off the main :■ - E 2 road. V*' ■ i'm :.[:; 1 .% I- mm i ' I'-f.i I \: 11 mi ■ m : f8 The LIT ^ road, ufed by the Indians, as much as pofllblc, which ipade my journey many miles longer, and more painful and irkforne than I can exprcfs. But how iliall I de< Icribc the fear, terror, and (bock, that I fel( on the fourth pight, whcji, by the ruftling I made among the Jeaves, a party of /ndians, that lay round a liflall fire, which I did not perceive, ftarted from the ground, and feizing their arms, run from the fire, amongft the woods, Whether to move forward, or reft where 1 was, 1 knew not, fo diftr^^ed was my imagination. In this melancIio«* ly ftate, revolving in my thoughts the now inevitable fare I thought waited on me, to my great conftcrnation and joy, I was relieved by a parcel of fwinc that made towards the place I guelTbd the favagcs to be ; who or< feeing the hogs, conje^ured that their alnrm had bt'en occafioned by them, and very merrily returned to the £re, and Igy down to fleep as before. As foon as 1 per- ceived my enemies fo difpofcd of, with more cautious ftcp and filent tread, I purfued my courfe, fweeting (though winter, and feverely cold) with the fear I had been juft relieved from. Bruifed, cut, mangled, and terrified as 1 wa^, I Hill, through the divine affiftancCj, was enabled to purfue my journey until break of day, when thinking myfelf far off from any of thefe mifcre* ants I fo much dreaded^ I lay down under a great log, and flept undifturbed until about noon, when getting up, I reached the fummit of a great hill, with fbme dif-^ £culty, and looking out if I could fpy any habitations pf white people, to my unutterable joy 1 (aw feme, which I gue(?ed to be about ten miles diftance. This pleafure was in (bme meafure abated, by not being able to get among them that night. Therefore, when evening approached, 1 again recommended myfelf to the^Almighty, and compofed my wearied mangled limbs to retl. In the morning, as ibon as I awoke, I C9{)tinued my journey towards the peareil cleared lands^ ^^ ' , IM Of Peter Williamson. 29 I had fecn the day before, and about four o'clock in the after ?d at the houfe of John Bell, M :rnoon, ai acquaintance, where, knocki who oj)ened it, feeing me in fuch a frightful condition, flew from me like lightening, fcrcaming into the houfe. This alarmed the whole family, who immediately fled to their arms, and I was foon accofted by the mafter with his gun in his hand. But ort my aflTuring him of my innocence, as to any wicked intentions, and making mylelf known, (for he before took me to be an Indian) he immediately caredbd me, as did all his family, with a deal of friendfhip at finding me alive ; they having all been informed of my being murdered by the favagcs fome months before. No longer now able to fiipport my fatigued and worn out fpirits, I fainted arid fell to the ground. From which ftate having recovered me. lind perceiving the weak and famifhed condition I then was in, they foon gave me fome refrelhment, Ns^fec let me partake of it very fparingly, fearing the ill ^nle^9 too much at once would have on me. They for two days and nights very affectionately fupplied me with all neceflaries, and carefully attended me until my fpirits and limbs were pretty well recruited, and I thought my- felf able to ride, when 1 borrowed of thefe good people (whofe kindnefs merits my moft grateful return^, K. horfe and (bme clothes, and (et forward for my fam^j^r' in- law's houfe in Chefter county, about 140 miles fromi thence, where I arrived on the 4th day of January^ 1 755, but (carce one of the family could credit their eyes, believing with the people I had lately left, that I had fallen a prey to the Indians, Great was the joy and fatisfaftion wherewith I was re- ceived and embraced by the whole family ; but oh, what was my anguiih and trouble, when on inquiring for my dear wife, I found (he had been dead two months! This fataJ^news;, as every hum.anc rei^der muft imagine. 4!'* ,V;'^ i "' J-..! Ivl 'vi' ^V ■ ,; .i '1, i: '.I It i B % ■\\ JO The LIFE greatly ledened riie joy and rapture I otherwife fliould; have felt at my deliverance from the dreadful ilateaoj^ company I hacl been ill. .j ^ ^;' The news of n»y happy arfivaU^ n^ fathcr4ll^PR|^ houfe, after fo long and (Grange an abfence, wAS'KNcAi' fpread round the neighbouring plantations by the coun- try people who continually vilitcd me, being very de- firous of hearing, and eagerly inquiring an account of my treatment, and manner of living among the Indians, In all which I fatisfied them. Soon after this, my ar- rival, I was fent for by his excellency Mr. Morris, the governor, a worthy gentleman, who examined me very particularly, as to all incidents relating to my captivity, and cfpccially, in regard to the Indians, who had firft taken me away, whether they were French or EnMb parties ? I alfur'd his excellency, they were of tnofe^ who profi*fsM themfelvcs to be friends of the latter ; and inforttied him of the many barbarous and inhuman a£^ions, i had been witnefs to among them, on the fron- tiers of the province ; and alfb, that they were daily increa(ing by others of our pretended friends jobins them ; that they were aii well fupplicd by the French with arms and ammunition, and greatly encouraged by them in (heir continual excurfions and barbaritiej!^ not only, in having extraordinary premiums for fuqf^fcklps as they ihould take, and carry home with them at |heir return, but great prefents of all kinds, befides fum^ powder,' ball, &c, before they-fallied forth. Having fatisfied his excellency in fuch. particulars as he requeft- cd, the fame being put into writing, I fwore to the con- tents thereof; as may be feen, by thofe who doubt of my veracity, in the public papers of that time, as well in England as in Philadelphia, Having done with me, , Mr. Morris gave me three gumeas, and fent the affida- vit to the aflembly who were then fitting in the ftate- houfe at Philadelphia, concluding on proper meaCur^s to \'i 'M O/* Peter Williamson. 31 ' it) check the depredations of the favages, and put a (lop lb the barbarous hofiilities oF the diftrefTcd inhabitants, tn^ho daily fuffered death in a nioQ deplorable condition ; befidcs being obliged to abfcund their plantations, and thet:ouniry being left delUtute, for feveral hundred miles on the frontiers, and the poor (UfTerers could have no re- lief, by rcalbn of the difpntes between the governor and the ailembly. The former was led by the inftruftions of the proprietor, which wasimirclyagainftihe intereftof the province, fo that it caufed great confufion among the peo- ple to fee the country fo dcftroycd, and no preparations making for its defence. However, on receiving this intelligence from his ex- cellency, they immediately lent for me. When I ar- rived, I was conduced into the lower-houfe, where the aflembly then fat, and was there interrogated by the fpeaker, very particularly as to all I had before given tne governor an account of; this my firft examination lafted three hours. The next day, I underwent a fe- _ cond, for about an hour and a half, when I was cour- ||i' teoufly difmifled, with a promife that ail proper methods fhould be taken, not only to accomodate and mmburfe all thofe who had fuffered by the favages ; and to pre- vent them from committing thd like hoftilities for the future. . i Now return'd, and once more at liberty to pwrfue tny own inclinations, I was perfuaded by my fatb.er-ini law and friends to follow fbme employment or other ; but the plantation, from whence I was taken, tho* an ' exceeding good one, could not tempt me to fettle on it again. What my fate would have been if I had, may cafily be conceived. And there being at this time (as tlie alTciiibly, too late for many of us found) a necefll- ty for raifing men to check thofe barbarians in their ra- vaging depredations, I inlifted myfelf as one, with the greateft alacrity, and i^ioft determined refoluiion,-^'^jj*\, ■ mi 'Ui'l IV^ ja . 'the L I F E ert rhe ucmofl of my power, in being revenged on- th# helKQi authors of my ruin. General Shirley governor of New-Bnglandt and commander in chief of his nia- jcfty's land forces in North America, was pitclied up- on,, to dire^ the operations of the urar, in that part of the world. Into a regiment, immediately under the command of this general, was ic my lot to be placed for three years. This regiment was intended for the frontiers, to deftroy the forts erefted by the French, as foon as it ihould be completely furniihed with arms, &c. at Bojlon in Netw England, where it was ordered for that purpofe. Be- ing then very weak, and intirm in body, tho' polTefljbd of my re(olution, it was thought advifeablc to leave me for two months in winter-quarters. At the end of which, being pretty well recruited in ftrength, 1 fet out for Bof- ton, to join the regiment with fome others, likewjfe left behind; and after crolTing the river 'De-Ia-ware, we arrived TxHew-yerfey, and from thence proceeded thro' the fame by New'Tork, Aliddletown, Mendon, in Cm' ne^icut to Bofton^ where wc arrived about the end of March, and found the regiment ready to receive us. . Soft on, being the capital of New-Eng/and, and the largeft city in ^imerica, except two or three on the Spa* pijb continent, I fhall here fubjoin a fliort account of iu '^is pleafantly iituatcd, and about four miles in com- pall^^^at the bottom oi Majjachufet\ bay, into which there is but one common and fafe paflage, and not very broad, there beinof fcarce room for three (hips to come in a-breaft ; but once in, there's room for the anchorage of 5*00 fail. It is guarded by feveral rocks, and above a dozen iflands ; the mo(t remarkable of thefe iflands is CaftU'tJland, which Ihnds about a league from the town, and fo (ituated, that np (hip of burthen can approach the town, without the hazard of being fhatter'd in piec- es by its cannon. It is now called Fort-J^iliiam, and mounted O/* Peter WiLLiAMsbi^i |^ ihbuiited with loo. pieces of* ordnance ; 200 more which were given to the province by queen *Anne, are placed on a plat-form, fb as to take a mip fore and aft, before fhe can bring about her broadfides to bear againft the caf* tic. Some of thefe cannon are 42 pounders ; 590 able men are exempted from all military duty in rimes of war> to be ready at an hour's warning, to attend the fervice of the caftle, upon a fignal of the approach of an enemy, which there feems to be tio great danget- of at Bffton \ where, in 24 hour's time, 10,000 effe£iive men, well arm'd, might be ready for their defence. According to . a computation of the colleftors of the Light-houfe, it [ appear'd that there were 24,000 tons of iliippihg clcar'd annually. The pier is at the bottom of the bay 2000 feet Iohg> and ruas fofar into the bay, that fhips of the greatefl bur* then may unload without the help of boats or lighters. At the upper end of the chief ftreet in the town, which comes down to the head of the pier, is the ^own-houfe ^ I or Exchange, a fine building, containingi befides the If Walk for merchants, the Couticil-chamber, the Houfe of Commons, and a fpacious room for the courts of juftice. The Exchange is furrounded with bookfeller's fhops that have a good trade: Here being five printing-houfes, and the prclles generally full of worki which is in a great mealurc owing to the colleges and fchools in Neiu^ England ; whereas at New-Tork thet-e ate but two or three little btookfeller^s fliops> and very few in Virgl-^ nia,' Maryland, Carolina, Bar badges, and the Sugars iftands. The town lies in the form of an half-m(jon round the harbour, and confifting of about 4000 houfes, muft make an agreeable profpect; the furrounding Ibtite be- ing high, the ftreets long, :.*!d the buildings beaufifuL The pavement is kept in fb good order, that to gallop id .Ml 11 \m w tm^ ^4 The LIT E in horfc on it is 3 x. 4 <:/. forfeit. The number of in* habitants is computed at about 24,000. There are eight churches, the chief of which is cal- led the Church'of 'England-church ; befides the Baptift meeting, and the Quakers meeting. » The converfation in this town is as polite as in mofl: of , the cities and towns in England. A gentleman of London would fancy himfelf at home, ^xBoJlon, when he obferves the number of people, their fnrnitiire, their tables^ and drefs, which perhaps, is as fplendid and Ihowy as that of moft tradefmen in London. In this city, learning military difcipline, and want- ing- for an opportunity of carrying our fchemes into ex- ecution, we lay till the firft of ^w/y; during all which time great outrages and devaftations were committed by the favages in the back parts of the province. One in- ftance of which, in particular I fliall relate, ^ being coo- cern'd in rewarding according to delert, the wicked au- thors thereof. Jofeph Long, e(q. a gentleman of large fortune in thefe parts, who had in his time beoi a great warrior among the Indians, and frequently joined in expediti- ons with thofcin our intcreft, againrt the others. H\9 many exploits, and great influence among feveral of the nations, were too well known to pafs unrevenged by the favages againft whom he had exerted his abilities. Accordingly in .April 1756, a body of them came down on his plantation, about 30 miles from £oJ}on, and fkulking in the woods for fome time, at lad ieized ap opportunity to attack his houfe, in which, unhappily proving fuccefsful, they fcalped, mangled, and cut to pieces, the unfortunate gentleman, his wife, and nine fervanrs ; and then made a general conflaj^ration of his houfcs, barns, cattle, and every thing he pofleflcd, with the mangled bodies ; all fullered together in one great Uaze ! But his more unfortunate fon and daughter were made made man I of Be s cal- 'H^' aptift Of Peter Williamson. 35- made prifbners, and carried ofT by them, to be re(erv*4 for greater tortures. AlarmM anil terrified at this inhu- man butchery, the neighbourhood, as well asthe people oi Bofloriy quickly adembled themfelves, to think of prO' per m'eaflires to be reveng'd on thefe execrable monfiers. Among the firft of thofe who ofTerM themfelves to go a- gainft the favages, was Jams 5 Crawfurd, e(q. who was then at Bojlon, and heard of this tragedy ; he was a young gentleman who had for fjme years, paid his ad- drefles to Mifs Long, and was in a very little time to have been married to her. Diftrafted, raving, and Ihocked, as he was, he loft no time, but inftantly faifed an hun- dred refolute and bold young fellows, to go in queft of the villains. As I had been fo long among them, and pretty well acquainted with their manners and cuftoms', and particularly their fkulking places in the woods, I, was recommended to him as one proper for his expedi- tion; he immediately applied to my officers and got liber- ty for me. Never did T go on any enterprize with half that alacrity and chearfuinefs I now went with this party. My wrongs and fulTerings were too recent in . my memory, to fufler me to hefitate a moment in tak- ing an opportunity of being revenged to the utmoft of my power. Being quickly armed and provided, we haftened for- wards for Mr. Longh plantation on the 29th, and after travelling the moft remote and intricate j>aths through the woods, arrived there the 2d o? May, dubious of our fuc- cefj, and almoft defpairingr of meeting with the fayages, as vc had heard or could difcover nothing of them in our march. In the afternoon,, (bmc of our men being fent to the top of a hill to look out for them, foon perc'eiv'd a great fmoak in a part of the low groundis. This we immediately, and rightly conjcftured to proceed from a fire made by them. We accordingly put ourfelves into regular order, and marched forwards, refblving, ; F s let t6 The LIFE V_. let their number have been what it might, tagive dicm' battle. Arriving within a mile of the place, captain Craw-^ for4t whpfe anxiety and pain, made him quicker fight- ed than any of the reft, foon perceivM them,»and gucfs'd ^heir nvniiber to be about 50. Upon this we halted, and fecreted ourfclves as w*cll as we could, till twelve o'clock at night. At which time, fuppofing them to be at reft, we divided our men into wo divifions, 50 in each, and marched on ; when coming within twenty yards of them, the captain fired his gun, which was immediately followed by both divifions in fuccellion, who inft^ntly rufhing pq them with bayonets fix'd, killed every mai^ of them. * ' Great as our joy was, and flufli'd with fuccefs as we were at this fudden vidory, no heart among us but was ready to burft at the fight of the unhappy young lady. What muft the thoughts, torments, and (enfationsof ouf brave captain then be, if even we who knew her not, were (o (enfibly affefted ! For, oh ! what breaft, tW of the brutal fayage race we had jufl: deftroyed, could, without feeling the moft exquifite grief and paip, be* Jiold in fuch infernal power, a lady in the bloom of youth, bleft with every female accomplifliment that could fet off the moft exquifite beauty ! Beauty, which rctidered her the envy of her own fex, and the delight p^ ours, enduring the feverity of a windy, rainy night ! Behold one nurtured in the moft tender manner, and by the moft indulgent parents, quite naked, and in tbe Open woods, encircling with her alabafter arms and handjj f cold rough tree, whereto ftie was bound, with cords |o ftraiily puU'd, that the blood trickled from her fin- ger's ends 1 Her lovely tender body and delicate limbs, cut, bruis'd, and torn with ftones, and boughs of trees; as flie had been dragg'd along, and all befmear'd with ^ppd! Whdt heart can even now, unmoved, think of b^dif ^•*. "■ Of Vet EK Williamson. vJ^ f>ar tViPiiofs, in fuch a deplorable condition ? having no creature, with die leaft fenfations of humanity, near to {liccour or relieve her, or even pity or regard her flowing tears and lamentable wailings I The very rcmenibcrance of the fight, has at this in» ftant fuch an effect upon me, that 1 almoft want words to go on. Such then was the condition in which we found this wretched fair, but faint and fpcechlefs with the flioqli our firing had given her tender frame. The captain for a long time could do nothing but gaze upoa and clafp her to his bofom, crying, raving, and tearing his hair like one bereft of his fenfes ; nor did he for (bme time perceive the lifelefs condition flie was in, un- till one of Mie men had untied her lovely mangled armS/ and Ihe fell to the ground. Finding among the villain's plunder the ^happy lady's cloaihs, he gently put fonie of th|||bboi'it her ; and after various, trials, and muck time IfTO^, recovered her diflipated fpirits, the repodel^ fion of which fhe firft manifefted by eagerly fixing her eyes on her dear deliverer, and fmiling with the moft compaifant joy, blefled the Almighty, and him, for her miraculous deliverance. During this pleafing, painful interview, our men were bufily employed in cutting, hacking, and fcalping the dead Indians ; and fo defirous was every man to have a fhare in rcaking his revenge on them, that difputes hap-* pened among ourfclves who fhould be the inflrumcnts of further fhewing it on their lifelefs trunks, there not be-! ing enough for every man to have one wherewith to fa^ tiate himfelf : Tlwi captain obferving the animofity be- tween us, on this occafion, ordered, that the twd divit fions fhould call lots for this bloody, though agreeable piece of work : which being accordingly done, the p&Vr ly, whole lot it was to be excluded from this bufinefSi ftood by with half-plcafed countenances, looking or< $h^ reftj whp w^th the utmoft chcarfulnefs and activity - . purfuc4 I. .■ t ■ n > ' ,4-' 'ik tc »/, ^r V ' n^ LIFE purfueltl their revenge in fcalping, and otherwife treat- ing their dead - bodies as the moft inveterate hatred and deteftation could fuggeft. The work being done, we thought of fleering home- wards triumphant with the 50 fcalps; but how to get the lady forwards, who was in fuch a condition, as ren- dered her incapable of walking further, gave us fome pain, and retarded us a little, until we made a fort of carriage to fe?it her on ; and then, with the greateft rea- dinefs, we took ou|: turns, four at a time, and carried her alongi This in Ibme meafiire, made the captain chearful, who all the way endeavoured to comfort and revivQ his defponding afflifted niiftreft: but alas! in va>i^; for the miferies Ihe had lately fel^, and the terrible f3X.Q of her poor brother, of whom, I doul^ vi^i^'i^ut ihe- tcHder-hearted reader is anxious to hear, feiiSfercd c^ea her moft pleafing thoughts, notwithftandii^ his^^ljihing words, cQrroding and infufFerabie. ;;v't The account fhe gave of their difaftrous fare'and dire; cataftrophe, befides what I have already mentiohd^wits, That the favages had no fooner feen.all confumed, )^ they hurried off with her and her brother, pufhing, itnd fometimes dragging them on, for four or five miles, when' they ftopt ; and flripping her naked, treated her in a fliocking manner, whilftv others were ftripping and cruelly whipping her unhappy brother. After which, they in the fame manner purfued their journey, regard^ lefs of the tears, prayers, or entreaties of this wf^e^^^bed pair;, but, with the moft infernal pleafure, laughed and rejoi^v^t the calamities and diftrefles they had brought jttei^jtdi^ and fawthem fuffer, until they arrived at the ^ptaceiWe found thdm ; where, they had that day bui» chered her beloved brother in the following execrable and cruel manner : They firft fcalped him alive, and after mocking his agonizing groans and torments, for fome hours, rpped oj>en his' belly, into which they'put fpliii- K ^ handfbi i Of Peter Williamson. 35^ fplinters, and chips of pine-trees, and fet fire thcret© ; the fame (on account of the turpentine wherewith thefe trees abound) burnt with great quicknefs and fury for a Jittle time, during which, he remained in a manner alive, ' as (lie could fometimes perceive him to move his head, and groan. They then piled a great quantity of wood all round his body, and mod inhumanly confumed it to afhes. Thus did thefe Barbarians put an end to the being of this unhappy young gentleman, who was only 22 years of age when he met his calamitous fate. She continued her relation, by acquainting us, That the next day, was to have feen her perifh in the like manner, after fufTer- ing worfe than even fuch a terrible death, the faiisfying thefe diabelical mifcreants in their brutal luft. But iE pieafed the Almighty to permit us to refcue her, and en- tirely extirpate tjjis crew of devils I Marching eafily on her account, we returned to the captair^tolantation the 6th of Afay, where, as well as at Bm^ we were joyfully received, and rewarded handfomely for the fcalps of thofe favages we had bcpught with us. Mr. Crdvjford and Mifs Longt were ibon after married ; and in gratitude to the fervices we bad done them, the whole party were invited to the wed- ding, and nobly entertained, but no riotous or noify mirth was allowed, the young lady, as we may well imagine, being flill under great afHi^lion, and in a weak (late of health. Nothing further material, that I now remember, hap- pened during my ftay at i^j^^cAi ; to proceed therefore, with the continuation of our iri^ended expedition. On the the ift of July^ the r'^giment began their inarch for Ofwego. The 2ifl we arrived at J^Ibany in New'Torkf through Cambridge^ Northampton, and Hadfield, 'm_ New- England* From thence, marching about twenty miles farther, we incampcd near the momti ' of t %i\ \^ 4»/ ^^^ LIFE of ^^ Mohawk river, by a town calleJ ScheteSlady^ not Far from the Endlefs- Mountains. Here 'did we ly ibme time, niiiil batteaux* (a fort of flat- bottomed boats, very fiiiall, and fharp at both emh) could be got to carry- our ftores and provifions to Ofwego ; each o/ which, would contain about fix barrels of pork, or % proportion thereto. Two men belonged to every bat- teauXf who made ufe of ftrong (cutting poles, with iron at the ends, to prevent their being too lt)on deftroyed by the ftones in the river (one of the (burces of the Ohio) which abounded with many, and large ones, and in fome places was (b fhallow, that the men were for- ced to wade and drag their batteaux after ihpm. Which, together witii fome catarafts, or great falls of water, rendering this duty very hard and fatiguing, not being able to travel more than (even or eight Engli/h miles a day, until they came to the Great'Carrying place at WoofTs Creek, where the provifions and br^tteaux were taken out, and carried about four miles, to j4lligpiey . or Ohio great river, that ran quite to Ofwego , to which place, general Shirley gox. with part of the forces on the 8th of J %Auguft\ but colonel Mercer with the remainder, did not arrive until the 31ft. Here we found colonel Scuy- ier with his regiment of New-Jerfey provincials, who had arrived there fi)me time before. A fhort dcfcripti- on of a place, which has afforded fb much occafion for animadverfion, may not here be altogether difagreeablc to thofe unacquainted with our fettlements in that pact of the world. , Ofwego is fituated N. Lat. 43 Deg. 20 Mln* near the mouth of the river Onondaqo, on the fouth-fide of the. lake Ontario, or Cataraquie. There was generally a. fort and conftant garrifon of regular troops kept before our arrival. In the proper feafons, a fair fotiffec Indian trade is kept here : Indians of above twpntyilifierent nations liave been obferved here at a time. The great- eft i- Of PliTER WlLLlA.MSOJT. .^y fid {ratit of the trade between Canada and 4:he Indians -of ^tGr£at Lakes, and fome parts of the Mijjtffippi, pafs near this fort ; the neareft and fafeft way ^ carry* logwoods upon this lake, being along th^ ibuth-fidi^ of |||l The diftance of Albany to Ofivego fort is about ^•o miles weft ; to render which march more comfort- iK>Ie, we met with many good farm^ and fbttlements in the way. The Outaxi^aes, a great and powerful nation^ living upon the Outawae riyer, which joins the Cat a- rigfWff river, (the out- let of the Great Lakes) de^ con- fideraMy with the New-York trading houfes here. The 'different nations trading to Ofwego are diftin- guifljable by the variety and different fafhions of their canoes; the very remote //iJ/anx are cloathecl in flcins 4)f various forts, and have all fire-arms : Some come from i!o far North as Port-Nelfon, in Hudfm\ Bay, N. Lat. 57 Deg. And (brae from the Chirakees, weft of South-Carolina, in N. Lat. 32 Deg. This ieems in- deed to be a vaft extent of in-land water-carriage, but it is only for canoes, and the fmalLeft of craft. Nor will it in this placo be improper to give fbroe ap- xount of our friends in thofe parts^ whom we call tlie Mohawks, vie. The Iroquois, commonly called the Mohawks ; (he Oneiadaes, the Onon(fagues, the C^yu^ gaes, and the Senekeas, In all accounts, they are late* Ty called the a5w Nations of the Netv-Tork friendly- Indians ; the TTpifcararoes', ftragglers from the old Tuf- cararoes of North-Carolina, lately are reckoned as the iixth.--I ihall here reckon them, as I have been infornrj- cd they were formerly, i. Tht Mohawks \ they live upon the Mohawk^s or SheneHady river, and head-, or 'ly North of N^w-Tork, Penfyhania, Maryland SivA iome part of Virginia ; having a caftle or village, weft- ward from Albany forty miles, and another fixty-^five (miles Weft, and about i ^p fenfible men. 2. The Onei- Ofiaes, about eighty miles from the Mohawk^s fe^ond G Tillage, 1^ Ml « U ftps ^t The LIT ^ village, conlifting of near 200 fighting men. 3. The Onondagues, about twenty-five miles further, (the fa- j. mous Ofwego trading place, on the lake Ontario, is in I their councry) confill of about 250 men. 4. The CayU' ■ijl gaes, about feventy miles further, of about 130 moE^ And, 5, The Setiekeas, who reach a gretit way down the river Sufquehanna, confift of about 700 marching, fighting men : So that the fighting men of the five or fix nations of Mohawks, may be reckoned at 1500 men, and extend from Albany, Weft 400 miles, lying in about thirty tribes or governments. Befides thefe, there is. fettled above Montreal, which lies N. E. of Ofivego, a tribe of fcoundrel run-aways from the Mohawks \ ihey are called Kahmiages, confif^irg of about eighty men.-^— This Ihort account of thefe nation?, I think it necedary to make the Englijh reader acquainted with, as I may have occafion to mention things concerning fome of them. It may not be improper here alfb, to give a fuccinft detail or the education, manners, religion, &c, of the natives. The Indians are born tolerably white ; but they take a great deal of pains to darken their complexi- on, by anginting themfelves with greafe, and lying in the fun. Their features.;?ire good, cfpecially thofe of the women. Their limbs clean, ftraight, and well propor- tioned, and a crooked andxleformed perfbn is a great ra- rity among them. They are very ingenious in their way, being neither fo ignorant, nor fo innocent, as fome people imagine: On the contrary, a very utiderftanding generation are they, quick of apprehenfion, fudden in difpatch, fubtile in their dealings, cxquifite in their in- ventions, and in laboiir afliduous : The world has no better marks-men with guns, bows/and arrows than the natives, who can kill birds flying, fifties fwimming, ami wild-beafts running j nay, with fuch prodigious force do they ihcy u a man Bpccou diffen ritci \l fiate f O/* Peter Williamson. 43 they difcharge their arrow, that one of them will fliooc a man quite through and nail both his arms to his body with the fame arrow. As to their religion, in order to reconcile the different ccounts exhibited by travellers, we mult fuppofe that different tribes may have different notions, and different ritct : And though I do not think myfelf capable of de- termining the cafe with the precifion and accuracy I could wifti ; yet, with what 1 have colle£ted from ray own ob- fervation when among them, and the infbrmaiion of my brother-captives, who have been longer converfant with the Indians than 1 was ; 1 Aiall readily give the public all the fatisfaftion I can.' 5«^?;''. ;, Some affure us the Indians worfiiip the images of Ifbrne, inferior deities, whofe anger they feem to dread ; on v/r*-b account the generality of our travellers denomi- nate the objects of their devotion, devils ; though at th» ' time, it is allowed they pray to their inferior deities for fuccefs in all their undertakings, for plenty of food and other ncceflaries of life. It appears too, that they ac» knowledge one Supreme Being, but liim they adore not, becaufe they believe he is too far exalted above theni, and too happy in himfelf to be concerned about the trif- ling affairs of poor mortals. They feem alfb to believe a future ftate, and that, after death, they" will be remov- ed ^o their friends, who have gone before them, to an Elyftum or Paradife beyond the ffejlern- Mountains : Others again, allow them either no religion at all, or^ at moft/ very faint ideas of a Deity ; but all agree that they are extravagantly fuperflitious, and exceedingly afraid of evil fpirits. To thefe 'Damons they make oblations every new-moon, for the fpace of feven days, during which time, they caft lots, and faCTifice one of them- felves, putting the perfbn devoted, to the moft exquifite mifery they can invent, in order toTatisfy the devil for G 2 that • r \ '4^ 1 4t tt it «t 44- n^ LIFE that moort ; for they think if they plcafc but the ctil fpirii, God' wHI do them no hurt. Certain however it is, that thofe Indians, whom the French pricWs have had an opportunity of miniflring un- to, are induced to believe, " That the Son of God came '* into the World to fave all mankind, and deftroy alt evil *' fpirits that now trouble them, that the Englijh have " killed him, and that ever fince, the evil fpirits are per- " mitted to walk on the earth : That if the Englijh were all deftroyed, the Sort of the Good-man, who is God, would come again, and baniih all evil- fpirits from their lands, and then they would have nothing to fear or difturb them." Cajoled by thefe falfe but artful infinuations of the French Jefuiis, the Indians fVom that time, have endeavoured to maflacre ail the JBw- glijh, in order that the Son of God might come again ow the eafth, and rid them from their flavifh fears and ter- rible apprehenfions, by exterminating the objefts there- of. Being now at Ofwego, the principal obje^ that gave at that time any concern to the Americans, I fhall, be- fore 1 continue my own account, give a fhort recital of what had been done in thefe parts, in regard to the de- fence and prelervation of the fort, and the colonies there* abouts, before I came, upon Aich authorities as I goc from thofe who had been long at Ofwego, atnl 1 can well depend upon for truth. General Shirley, 'in 1 754, having ereftcd two new forts 6n the river Otiondaga, it ieemed probable, thai he irtteoded to winter sit (Jfwego with his army, that he might the more readily proceed to a^ionin t!he enfbing fpnng. What producecl his ina^livity afterwards, and how It was, that fort Ofwego was not taken by the Firench in the fpring of 1 75c, are things my penetraHoii will not enable me to difcufs. But C^wego is now ie^i lUid would have been £q in the fpring of 1755, if more impor* ' evil O/" Pete* Willi Axj SON. 45 important affairs had box made the French neg1e£^ it. At this time the garifbn of Ofwego confided only of 100 men, under capt. King, The old fort being their only protection, which mounted only eight four pounders^ vfas incf.pable of defeace, becau(e it was commanded by an eminence dire£lly crofs a narrow river, ihc banks iS. which were covered with thick wood. \ii May 1755, ^-^'^?<' being in this condition, and thus gar riibn'd ; thirty iyench battcaux were (een to pafs, and ;wo days after 1 1 more;^ each batteau (being much larger than ours) containing 15 men: ib this fleet confided of near 600 men : A force, which with a fingle mortar, might foon have taken pofleflion of the place. A refolution was now taken to make the fort larger, and ere£t fome new ones; to build velTels upn the lake; to incrcafe the garrifon ; and provide every tiding necef- fary to annoy the enemy, fo as they might render the place tenable. Gaptair Broadftreet arriving on the 2 7th of May at the fort, with two companies, fome rmaH'fWi- vcl guns, and the firft parcel of workmen, made (bme imagine that a Oop would be puc to the French in their carrying men in %ht of the garrifon ; yet, they (lilL permitted 1 1 more French batteaux to pafs by, tho' we were then rupt2rk)r to them in theie boats, or at lead in number. The reafbn our forces could not attack thenr^ was,^ becaiifc, they were four miles in the Offing, oi» board large veflels; in which the foldiers could ftand td £rc with^iirt being ovcffet ; and our batteux, in which we mult have attack'd them, were fo fmall, that they wotilit contain only (ix nicn each, and (b titklifli, that the in- advertent motion of one man would overfet them. No care, however, Was taken to provide larger boats againd another emergency of the fan;e kind. At Ofwego, in- deed, it was impracticable for want of iron-work ; fuch befrng the protiqent forecaft of tbofe who had the ma< nagement of alTairs, that tho' thpre were fmiths enough^ • ^ yet. Up rV •I' m 4<5 The LIFE yet, there was, at this place, but one pair of bellows, £0 that the firit accident chat ihould happen to that ne- cefllary inftrumcnt, would flop all the operations of the forge at once. The beginning of yune, the fhip-carpenters arrived from Bojloriy and on the 28th of the fame month, the firft veflel we ever ha'd on the lake Ontario , was launch- ed and fitted out: She was a fchooner 40 feet in the keel, had 14 oars, and 1 2 fwivel guns. This vefliel, and 320 men, was all the force we had at OfwegOf the be- ginning of yuly, and was vi^ualled at the expence of the province of Ncxv-Tork. Happy indeed, it was, that the colony provifions were there; for (b little care had been taken to get the king's provifions fent up, that, when we arrived, we mult have perilhed with famine, had we not found a fupply, which we had little reafon to expeft. ' About the ijiiddle of July, an attack was again expec- ted, when we (the forces under gei^cral Shirley) were ftill near 300 miles diltant. And, if the attack had th^n been made, with the force the enemy was known' to have had at hand, it mult, for the reafon 1 have juft before giv- ^n, have fallen into their pofleflTion. • Such was the ftate of Ofwego, when we arrived there : Where we had been' but a fmall time, before provifions began to be very (carce; and the king's allowance being ftill delay'd, the provincial (lores were fbon exhaufted, slnd we were in danger of being foon famifiiM, being on lefs than half-allowance.. The men being likewife worn out, and fatigued with the long march they had fuffered, and being without rum (or allowed none at leaft) and other proper nutriment, many fell fick of the flux, and died ; fb that our regiment was greatly reduced in fix week's time . A party that yj^e left at the important carrying plaCe, at JvoocVs Creek, being abfolutely obliged to defcrt it for want of neceflaries. Sick- O/* Peter Williamson. .;^ 47 Sicknefs, death and defenion, had at length. fb far reduc'd us, that we had fcarce men enough to perform duty, and proteft thole who were daily at work. The Indians keeping a ftrift look-out, render'd every one who pafs'd the out-guards or centinels in danger of being (calp'd or murder'd. To prevent confequences like ihele, a cap^ tain's guard of fixty men, with two lieutenants, two fer- jeants, two corporals, and one drum, befides two flank- guards of a ferjeant, corporal, and twelve men in each, were daily mounted, and did duty as well as able. Scout- ing- parties were' likewifc fent out every day : But the fick- nefs ftill continuing, and having 300 men at work, we were oblig'd to leden our guards, till general Peppenlh regiment Join'd us. A little diligence being now made ufe of, about the middle of September ^ four other vedels were got ready, viz, A deck'd floop of eight guns, four pounders, and go fwivels ; a deck'd fchodner, eight gun^, four pound- ers, and twenty eight fwivels ; one undeck'd Ichooner, of fourteen fwivels, and fourteen oars, and another of twelve fwivels, and fourteen oars j about x^q: tons. each. ■ ' •:■'■■■"■:'"., On the 24th of Oflober, with this armament, and a confiderable number of batteaux, which were too (mall to live upon the lake in moderate weather, we were pre- preparing to attack Niagara ; tho' (notwithftanding we had taken all the provifions weco^ld find in Ofwego, and had Ich the garrifon behind, with fc^ijtjc enough for three days) the fleet had not provifions- fu'®eient on board, to carry them within fight of the enemy, and fupplies wero not to be got, within 300 miles of the place, we were go- ing againfl. However, the impracticability of fucceedinff in an expedition, undertaken without viftuals, was dif- covered time enough to prevent our march, or embarkati- oh, or whatever it may be call'd ; but not before nine batteaux l^iden with officer's baggage, were fent forwards, i four : M •*%^-i 4^ rhi L I F E four «in6n In each ^at^eau ; in x)ne of which, it was my lot to be. The men being weak, and low in fpirMS, wich , continual haraflT^ng, and low feeding, render'd our progfefs very tedioiis a^nd difficult. ^S^ to chis, the places we had to pis and aitcend ; for, in many parts, the Catarails^ or fails df water, which xlefcended near the head of the ri- ver On^/i^^a (in (bme places near jeoo feet perpendicu- lar) rendered it almofl impoifible for us to proceed ; for • the current running from the boctom, was {q rapid, th^t the efforts of twenty or thirty men were fbmetimes rc- 4|uired to drag the boats along, and efpecialiy to get them up, the hills or Catara6iSy which we were forced to do with.rppes; Somietimes, when with great labour and dif- ' £culty, we had got them up, we carried them by land near a quarter of a mile, before we came to any watjer. In Ikort, we found four men to a batteau infufEcient ; for the men )>elonging to one batte^u, were {o fatigued and worn out, that they could not manage her, fo that file lay behind almofl a league. The caprain that was with iw, obierving this, as (bon as we had got the others over the moft difficult falls, or- dered two beddes myfelf to go and help her forwards : Accordingly I got into her, in order to ftecr her, whilft my two comrades and her own crew dragged her al ong. When we got to any Catarads, I remained in her to fat- ten the ropes, and keep all fafe, while they hauled her up ; but drawing her to the fummit of the laft CataraSl, the ropes gave way, and down fhe fell, into a very rapid and boift'rous ftream ; where not being able by myfelf, \Co work her, ihe (love to pieces on a fmall rock, on which "Ibme part of her remaining till morning, I miraculoufly favM myfelf. Never Was my life in greater danger than in this fituation; the night being quite dark, and no affillance to be obtained from any of ray comrades ; iIk)* many of them, as I afterwards learn'd, made diligent fearch for me; but the fall of the waters rendered the noife that ' ^ihey. J was my its, with progreTs 5 W€ hiad a^Sy or ftheri- )endicu- ed; fqr id, xh^t mes re- [et them :d Co do aiid dif. by Jarjd y watjer. fiaent; ^atigued To that »s fbon dls, or- < •wards : , whilft al ong. to fa& ied her taraSi, y rapid Qyfelf, which loufly han in (lance my of ;h for e that hey. i Cy Peter Williamson. 4^ they as well as myfelf made, to be heard by. one lano* ther, quite ineffeftual. In the morning, they indeed found me, but in a I wretched condition, quite bemimb'd, and a 1 mod dead with the cold, having nothing on but my fbirt. After various efforts, having with great difficulty got me- up, they u(ed all proper means to recover my worn- out fpirits : But the fire had a fatal efTeft \o what they in- tended, for my flefh- fwelled all over my body and limbs, and cauled fuch a deprivation of my fenfes, that I faint- ed, and was thought by all to be dead. However; after fbme time, they pretty well recovered my (catter'd fen- fes^ and fatigued, boi'v nnd, with proper care conduc- ted me, with (bme c . s (who were weak and ill of the flux) to jilbany, where the hofpital received our poor, det^ilitated bodies. . ^ The reft, not able to proceed, or being countermand- ed, bent their courfe back again to Ofwego : Where, a^ friendly ftorm preventing an embarkation, when a flock of provifions was got together (fufficient to prevent them from eating one another, during the firfl twelve days) all thoughts of attacking Niagara were laid afide. Thus ended this. formidable campaign. The veflels that we had built (as I afterwards learn'd) were unrig- ged and laid up, without having been put to any ufe ; whil6 a French veflel was cruifing on the Lake, and car- rying fupplies to Niagara, without interruption ; five others as large as ours, being alfb ready to launch at Frontenac, which lies acrofs the lake Ontario, north of Ofwego, The g^eral, whatever appearances might have led \ others, as well as myfelf, to think otherwife ; foon in-? dicated . his intention of not wintering at Ofwego ; for, he left the place before the additional works were com- pleared, and the garrifon, by infenfible degrees, decreaf- €d to 1 100 men J ftill living in perpetual terror, on the H brink -j\ 50 The LI f E brink of famine^ and become mutinous for want of thdir pay ; which, in the hurry ofmUitary bufinefs, during a ^i yejlr that was crowned with great events, had been for: gotten : for, from'my firft inliftirig, to the time I was laid up at Albany, 1 never hgd received above fix week's A little indeed, may be offered in vindication of the general, in regard to the numberlefs delays of this cam- paign, •viz. That it took fome time to raife the two regiments, which were in Brttijh pay, as the name of inlifting for life, is fomewhat forbidding to the Ameri- cans : (a few of whom, as well as myfelf, made bur ^ agreement for three years; but after that tim^, I doubt, ' we muft have depended on his pleafure for our being difcharg'd, according to our contraft, had it not fallen out otherwife.) Theunufual drynefs of the fummer, which rendered the rivers down to Ofwego in fome places impadable, or very difficult for the batteaux to proceed; and it was whifper'd, that a gentleman, lately in an , eminent (lation in New-Tor k^ did all in his power to hinder the undertaking, from a picque to the geoeral, \ By thefe difadvantages, he was detained at ^ibany, till Auguft, and even when he did reach Ofwego^ he found himfelf put to no little difficuky to maintain his ground, for want of provifions^ and the men being fo reduced, more than once, to Ihori allowance, as you have feen,- became troubled with the flux, and had not any thing neceflary, not even rum fufficient for the common m^n^ to prevent the fatal efTefts of that diforder. In this manner, the fummer was fpent on our fide ; and the reafbn why the French did not this year take Ofwego, when they might, with {o little trouble, wa§, as many befides myfelf conjectured, that they thought it more their intereft, to purfue their projeCis on the Qh'iOi and preferve the friendihip of the confiderablc Jndiam j fwd lars mer this > O/* Peter. Williamson. ji't Indians ; which, an attack upon 0/wego, at that time, would have deftroytd. / How far they fucceeded in fuch their proje£b, and the reafbns of their fuccefles, a Jittle ^nimadverfion on our own tranfa^lions will let us into the light of. < For, as appearances on our fide, were very favourable in the.^ fpring ; general Braddockh defeat greatly increafed'. the gloom, which fat on the countenances of the ^me'^i ricans. Great things being expefted from hini, he arrived early in the fpring, at Firginiat with a confiderable land V force y and fort T)u Quefnet feemed to be ours, if we did but go and demand it. The attacks defigned againft Niagara, znd fort Frederick, at Crown-Point , were planned in the winter, and the troops employed againlt the Frencb in Nova-Scotia, embark'd at Bojlon.'m jipril. Let us view the events befides thofe already mentioned. General Braddock was ready to march in ^prih But through ignorance, or negleft, or a mif- underftanding with the governor of Virginia ; had nei- ther frcfh provifions, horfes nor waggons provided ; and {o late as the latter end of May, it was neceflary tb ap- ply to Penfyhania, for the mod part of thofe. This negleft, created a mod pernicious diffidence and difcre* dit of the Americans, in the mind of the general, and prevented their ufefulnefs, where their advice was want- ed, and produced very bad effefts. He was a man (as 'tis now too well known and beJiev'd) by no means, of quick apprehenfion, and could .not conceive that fuch people could inftruft him ; and his young counfellors prejudiced him dill more, fo as to flight his officers, and what was worfe, his enemy j as it was treated as an ab- furdity to fuppofe the Indians would ever attack regu- lars : And, of courfe, no care was taken to inftruft the men, to refift their peculiar manner of fighting. Had this circumftance been attended to, I am fully perfuad- H 2 cd, i . -r. m^ 51 The LIFE ed| j^Qo Indians, dboutthe number that diefeated tiim, would have given him very little annoyance : Sure I am, 400 of our people, rightly managed, would have made no difficulty of driving before them, four times that handful, to whom he owed his defeat and death. The undertaking of the eaftern provinces to reduce the fort at Crown-Point, met that fate, which the jar- ring counfels of a divided people, commonly meet with ; for though the plan was concerted in the winter of 1754, *^ ^^^ •^"^^ before thefe petty governmetats could bring together their troops. Ih Ihort, it muft be owned by all, that delays were the banes of our under- takings, except in the bay of Fundi, in Nova'Scotia, where fecrecy and expedition were rewarded with fuc- cefs, and that province reduced. The general continiicd inaftive, from the time he left OfwegOy to March 1756, when he was about to refume the execution of his fcheme to attack Frontenac and Niagara. What would have been the idue of this pro- jeft, neither myfelf, nor any other perfon, can now pretend to fay, for juft at this crifis, he received orders from England, to attempt nothing, till lord Loudon, Should arrive, which was faid ihould be early in th« Ibring. Hoa'ever, his lordfhip did not get there until the middle of yuly, fo that by this delay, time was gi- ven to the marquis de Montcalm (major-general l^ief- kau\ fucceflbrj to arrive from France at Canada with 3000 regular forces, and take the £eld before us. But to return from this digredion to other tranfa£H" ons. When I was pretty well recovered again, I em- barked on board a veflel from Albany for T^ew-Tork ; where, when I arrived, I found to my fbrrow, captain yabn Shirley, the general's (on, had been dead for ibme time J he was a very promifing, worthy, young gentle- man, and univerfally regretted. His company was gi- y^Q to major James Kinnair^ who ordered^r chat nonQ > . ■ / • . of J him, 1 1 am, made that educe lejar- with; ter of mehrs uftbe nder- icotia, \ fuc- -1'' r> O/" Peter Williamson. 53 of his men fhould go out on the recruiting parties, as was at fidlintcndcd by his predeceflbr ; tbut, that the private men fhould either return to Ofwego^ or do duty in the fort at New-Tori, Not liking my flation here, I ifitreated the general, who was nov<' ar>-'- j, for a fur- low, to fee my friends at Penfyha,,..:, w h, he hav- ing then no great occafion for me, at New'Tork, grant- ed for three months. As I have here mentioned New'Tork, and before gi- ven a ihort account of the two cities, Philadelphia and Bofton, it would be a difrefpe^l ihown to this elegant one, not to take notice of it, as well as in fome meaiiire debaring the reader, from fuch information, as may not. be difagreeable \ but not being of that note or confer quence with the others, 1 fhall briefly obferve ; that, New-Tor k is a very fine city, and the capital of the province of that name ; it contains about 3000 houfes, and near 9000 inhabitants. Thehoufes are all well built, and the meaneft of them faid to be worth 100/. flerling, which cannot be (aid of the city of the fame name, nor of any other in England, Their converfa- *tion is polite, and their furniture,, drefs, and manner of living, quite elegant. In drinking and gallantry they exceed any city in America, The great church is a very handfome edifice, and built in 1 6^$, Here is alfo a Dutch church, a French church, and a Lutheran church. The inhabitants of Dutch extraftion, make a confiderable part of the town, and moft of them fpcak Englijb, Having obtained my funow, I immediately fet out •for Penfyhania, and arriving at Philadelphia, found the coulter nation and terror of the inhabitants was great- ly increafed, to what it was when I left them. They had made feveral treaties of friendlhip.with the Indians , who, when well fupplied with arms, ammunition, clothes, and other neceflaries, through the pacific mea^- ' fures. W 54 n^ LIFE fures, and defencelefs ftate of the PhUddelphlans, foon revolted to the French^ and committed great out-ragcs on the back pans of the province, de(\roying and maf- iacring men, women and children, and every thing that unhappily lay in their way. , A few inftances of which, together with the behavi- our of the Ph'tladelphians on thefe occafions, I fhall here prefent the reader with, who, of whatever feft or profefTion, I am well artured, muft condemn the paci- fic difpofition, and private faftions that then reigned^ not only in ;he a- y, but among the magiflrates them- fclves ; who were a long time, before they could agree on proper petitions, to roufe the aflembly from the le-* thargic and ina^ive condition they abfolutcly remained in. ■ For about the middle of O^ober, a large body of /w- dians, chiefly Shawonefe, De-la-wares , &c. fell up- on this province, from feveral quarters, almoft at the fame inltant, murdering, burning, and laying wa(^e all whcrc-ever they came ; ^o that in the five counties of Cumberland, Tork, Lancafler, Berks, and Northamp- torif which compofe more than half the province, no- thing but (cenes of diflraclion and defolation were to be ieen. The damages ,which thefe counties had fuftained by the defertion of plantations, is not to be reckoned tip ; nor are the miferies pf the poor inhabitants to be defcrib- cd ; many of whom, though efcaping with life, were, without a moment's warning, driven from thofe habita- tions where they enjoyed every neceflary of life, and were then expofed to all the feverity of an hard winter; and obliged to folicit their very bread at the cold hand of charity, or perifh with hunger, under the inclement air. To thefe barbarities I have already mentioned, I can- not pa(s over the following, as introduftory caufes, of V the by W \ I f CyPETEH WlLLIAMSpN. 55 the Pbtladelphians at laft withflanding the outrages oi the Barbarians. At Gnadenbutten, a fmall Moravian fettlemetit, in Northampton county, the poor unhappy fufferers, were Httiug round their peaceful fupper, when the inhuman murderers^ muffled in the Ihades of night, dark and hor- rid as the infernal purpofes of their diabolic fouls, dole upon the}U, butchered, fcalped them, and confumed their bodies, together with their hories, (lock, and up- wards of Cixty head of fat cattle, (intended for the fub- (illance of the brethren at Bethlehem) all in jone general flame ; fo that next morning furnifhed only a melancho- ly fpeftacle of their mingled alhes. At the Great Cove in Cumberland^ at Tulpehocktn, in Berks, and in feveral other places, their barbarities were ftill greater, if polTible. Met), women, children, and brute-beads, ihared one common de(lru£iion; and where they were not burnt to allies, their mangled limbs were found promifcttoufly (Irewed upon tlie ground, tho(e appertaining to the human A)rm, fcarce to be dilliiiguilh* ed from the brute! But of all the inftance/ of the barbarities I heard of, in thefe parts, I could not help being moft afTefted witji the following.— One family, confiftii^ of the husband* his wife and a child, only a few hours old, were all found murdered and fcalped, in this manner : The mother ftretched on the bed, with her new-born child, horri- bly mangled, and put under her head for a pillow, while the husband lay on the ground, hard-by, with bis belly ript up, and his bowels laid open. In another place, A woman with her fucking child» finding that ihe had fallen into the hands of the eneonty, fell flat on her face, prompted by the (Irong call of na- ture, to cover .and fhelter her innocent child with her own body. The accui^ed,fav2ge rufhed from his lurk- ing place, (Imck her on the head wit}i his tomahawk^ tore 5^ ' ri&^ L 1 FE ♦ ' tore off her (calp, and Icoured back Into the woods, without obferving the child, being apprehenfive that he was difcovered. The child was found fometime after- wards under the body of its motheri and was then alive. Many of their young women were carried by the fa- Tages into captivity, refcrved, perhaps, for a worfe fate, than thofe who fuffered death in all its horrid fhapes ; and no wonder, fince they were referved by favages, whofe tender mercies, might be accounted more cruel than their very cnielty itfelf. Yet, even during all this time, this province (had things been property ordered) need but, in comfxirifon to her ftrength, ha\'e lifted her foot, and crufh'd all the French force on their borders; but unufed to fuch un- dertakings, and bound hy non-rejijling principles from exerting her l\re ngth, and involvM in difpurcs with the proprietaries, thi ly flood ftill ; vainly hoping the French would be Co moi ierate, as to be content with their vi£^o- ry over Braddoi k, or at leaft confine their attacks to 'Virginia : But t hey then faw, and felt all this was de- luGon, and the I )arbarities of the Indian parties headed hy French officers t Notwiihftanding all which, they Continued in doro ellic debates, with';\it a foldier in pay, or a penny in the ^ treafury. In flicrt, if the enemy had then had biii 1500 men at the 0,/io, and would have attempted it, no rafhnefs could havv? been Deceived in * their marching dc >wn to the city of Philadelphia, Thus flood our affairs on the fide of the Ohio, when an old captain ol" the warriors, in the intereft of the Philadelphians, and their ever faithful friend, whofe name was Scarroi ydd alias Mpnokatoathy, on the firft nodce of thefe m isfort^ne8,^ came haflsening to Phi la^ deiphia, together with colonel ff^ei/er, the provincial Interpreter, and t^vo other Indian chiefs'. Scarrooyda Hmmediatey deman ded an audience of the aflembly, who were then Htting, ;to whom he (poke in a very aneding - manner. S ** CO " an(| «* us. woods, that he after- n alive, the (a- c fate, hapes ; ivages, ' cruel U Of Peter Williamson. . 5-7 mantier. His fpeeches being printed, and fold about Philadelfhia, I procured one of them, which was as follows. * Brethren, " We are once more come among you, and fincerely condole with you on account of the late bloodflied, and the awful cloud that hangs over you, and over us. Brethren, you may be undoubtedly allured, that thefc horrid anions were committed by none of thofc nations that have any fellowfliip with us, but by cer- tain falfe- hearted and treacherous brethren. It grieves us more than all our other misfortunes, that any of our good friends, the EngliJUf, fhould fufpcft us of having falfe hearts. 44 44 «( 44 t4 44 44 tt 44 $€ «4 44 44 44 41 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 44 I< Brethren, ^ " If you were not an infatuated people, we are 300 warriors, firm to your intereft ; and, if you are fo unjufl to us, as to retain any doubts of pur fincerity, vpe offer to put our wives, our children, and all we have into your hands, to deal with them as feemeth good to you, if we are found in the leall to fwerve 'rom you. But, brethren, you muft fupport and af- fift us, for we are not able to fight alone againft the powerful nations who are coming againd you ; and you muft this moment refolvc, artd give us an expli- cit anfwer what you will do ; For, tbefe nations have fent to defire us, as old friends, either to join th,em, or get out of their way, and lliift for ourfelvcs. Alas! brethren, we are forry to leave you ! We remember the many tokens of your friendfhip to us : But, what fhall we do ? We cannot (land alone, and you will boc (land with us I— I Bre- 'J* lA m h: ^in;- ..W fW l Kll'- .Ji^rTX--'' , The LIFE 9* *t tt it .'* t* 4t tt *< *t tt tt tt tt 4t .<( tt tt ft tt tt BketHren, I ** The lime is precious. "While we arc here confut- ing with you, we know not what may be the fate of our brethren at home. We do therefore, once more invite, and requeft you to a£l like men, and be no longer as women, nurfuing weak meafures, that ren- der your names defpicable. If you will put the hat- chet * into our hanas, and fend out a number of your young men in conjunftion with our warriors, and pro- vide the neccflary arms, ammunition, and provifions, and likewife build fome (Irong houies for the protec- tion of our old men, women and children, while we are abfent in war, we (hall foon wipe the tears from your eyes, and make thefe falfe-hearted, brethren re- pent their treachery and bafenefs, towards you, and. towards us. '* But, we muft at the fame time, (blemnly a(Rire you, that if you delay any longer to a£b in conjunction with us, or think to put us oiF, as ufual, with' uncer- tain hopes, you muO: not expeft to fee our faces un- der this roof any more. We muft fliift for our o>yn fafety, and leave you to the mercy of our enemies, as an infatuated people, upon whom we can have no longer dependance." The tear? ftood in the old man's eyes, while he deli- vered this laft part; and no wonder, fince the very being of his -nation depended upon their joining the enemy, or our enabling them immediately to make head againft them. It was- fome time, however, before the aflembly could be brought to confent to any vigorous meafures for thdr own defence. Their back inhabitants loft all patience at their condu6l. Until at length the governor exerted his • *^ See the note under tonuhawk; page 10, \ >,' O/* Peter Williamso>t. 59 his utm6(l power, and procured the militia, money, and bills to pafs. By virtue of the former, the freemen of the province were enabled to for/n themfelvesinto com- panies, and each company by a majority of votes, by way of ballot, to chufe its own officers ; viz, a captain, Ifcutenanr, and cnfign ; who, if approved of, were to be commiflioncd by the governor. So that the Philade^ phians were at laft permitted to rife and arm themfelvcs m their own defence. They accordingly formed them- felvcs into companies ; the governor ligning to all gen- tlemen qualified, who had been regularly balloted, com- miflions for that purpofe. Captain 'Davis, was one of the firft who had a com- pny ; and, being defirous"^ of my fervice, in order to in(lru£l the irregulars in their difcipline, obtained from the governor, a certificate to indemnify me from any punillmient which might be adjudged by the regiment to which I already belonged ; for, without that, 1 had not gone. Our company, which confided of 1 00 men, was not compleated until the 24th of 'December, 1755; when loodng no time, we next morning marched from Philadelphia in high fpirits ; refolving to ihew as little quarter to the favages, as they had to many of us. Colonel ^rmjlrpng had been more expeditiou Cy Peter Williamson. 6i iag (b very dark that we were not well able to difcern > our own party ; (b that only five of us kept together and got into the woods ; the red, whom we left behind* I doubt fell facrifices to the favages. The night being fo exceflive cold, and having but few cloaths with us out of the church, two of my com- rades froze to death, before we could reach any inhabi- ted place. In ihort, we did not get any relier till four o'clock in the morning, when we arrived at a houfe that lay in the gap of the Blue'Hills ; where our captain had arrived with the remainder of the men and waggons the day before. . The captain inquiring our fuccefs, 1 gave him thd melancholy detail of our unfortunate expedition : Upoi> which, an exprefs was immeditely fent to the governor, whh the account ; who ordered 1 600 men to march the next morning for the fame place, under the command of general Franklin, not only to bury the dead and build a fc^rt there, but to extirpate the favages who infefted thefe parts, and were too powerful for our fmall num« ber under captain 'Davis, . The remainder of our little party were now building a fort at the place where we lay, for our defence, un- till more aflirtance fhould arrive ; for we were under con- tinual apprehenfions of the Indians purfuing and attack- ing us again. On jhe 9th of January 1 756, we were reinforced by general Franklin and his body ; and the next day fee out again for Kennorton'head\ where, when we arriv- ed, to our great conQernation, we found little occafioa to bury our unhappy comrades, the fwine (which in thai country arc vaftly numerous in the woods) having dc*- voifred their bodies, and nothing but bones ftrewed up and down were to be feen. We there built a fort in the place, where the old church I: ad flood, and gave it the nan^e of fort ^llerh \ this was finiHi'd ia Hx days, and in i'f i^ &i the L I F E in fo good a manner, 'that loo men would make great refiftance againft a much greater number of Indians^ On the 1 8th, 1400 of uS were ordered about fifteen miles diftant from thence, on the frontiers of the pro- vince ; where we built another fort callM Fort-N orris. In our way thither, we found fnt men fcalp'd and mur- dered, in a mod cruel manner. By what we could dif- cern, they had made a vigorous defence, the barrels and ftocks of their guns, being broke to pieces, and themfelves cut and mangled in a terrible manner. From thence, we were ordered to march towards a place called the Minnijinies, but this journey proved longer than we were aware of. The Indians commit- ting great outrages in thefe parts, having burnt and de- ftroyed all the houfcs, &c. in our way: Thefe tragic- aftions caufed us to divide ourfelves into feveral parties, who were ordered divers ways, to, cut offas many of thele favages as poffible. ' The day after this fcheme was put into execution, we fnet with a fmall party, which we put (o the rout, killing fourteen of them. We then made all poflible difptch to iave (bme houfes we faw on fire, but on our nearer ap- proach, found our endeavours in vain : yohn Swijher, dnd his family, having been before fcalp'd^ and burnt to a(hes in his own houfe. On the following night, the houfe of James Wallis underwent the fame fate ; him- felf, wife, feven children, and the reft of his family, being fcalpM and burnt therein. The houfes and fami- lies of Philip Green, and Abraham Nairn, fuffered In the like manner. Nor did the cruelty of thefe barbarians flop here, but attacked the dwelling-houfe of George Hunter, efq. a gentleman of confiderable worth, and a juftice of the j^ace, who made a brave refiftance, and rather than fall into the hands of thefe mifcreants, chofe to meet death in the flames ; which he, his wife, and all his houihold confiding of fixteen in number, did with , the Of Petier Williamson. 63 •the utmoft bravery, before any affiftance could be re- ceived from our general, who had difpatched 500 of us for that purpofc, ou an exprePs being fcnt to him that liiorning. _ . From thence we marched to the Mini fakes, and built Fort Morris. On the 9 th of March, we fet out with 1000 men to the head of the Minifmkes, "and built a- noiher fort, which we named Franklin, in honour of our general. All which forts we garrifon'd \yith as many men as wc could poflible fpare. After this, we were daily employed in fcouring the [^ woods from fort to fort, of thefe noxious creatures, the Indians, and in getting as much of the corn together as we could find, to prevent the lavages from having any benefit therefrom. Notwithftanding our vigilance, thefe villains on the I5lh attacked the houfe of James Graham, but by pro- vidence, he with his wife, who had juli laid in, and the young infant in her arms, (with nothing about her but her Ihift) made their efcape to Fort' Allen, about fiftee^n miles diftant. The child perifiied by the way, and it was matter of wonder to the whole garrifon, to find either of them alive; indeed, they were in a deplorable condition, and we imagined they would expire every moment. The wife however, to our great aftonilliment, recovered, but the husband did not furvive above fix hours after their arrival. The houfe of Ifaac Cook fufFered by the flames, him- 1^ felf, his wife, and eight children, being IcalpM and burnt in it. Tedious and ihocking would it be to enumerate half the murders, conflagrations and outrages, committed by thefe heilifh infidels. Let it fuffice therefore, that from the year 1753, when they firft began their barbarities, they had murder'd, ournt, fcalp'd and deftroy'd, above J500 fouls J above 1 000 whereof, were unhappy inha- bitants \^ i m I: I 1. -."^ty :^4 "fht LIT E •bkants of the weftern part of Philadelphia. Men, wo- men an^ children, fell alike a prey to thefc lavages : No regard being had by them, to the tender intreaties of an afJe^honate parent, for a beloved child, or the infantas prayers, in behalf of his aged father and mother. Such are the miierable calamities attendant on fchemcs for gra- tifying the ambition of a tyrannic monarch, like France, or the weak contrivances and indolent meafures, of blun- dering miniiters and negociators----. The time of my tu» 'ow at length expiring, I prepar- ed to fet out for my regiment. Having a recommenda- tory letter from general Franklin to major Kinnair, as ro my fervices, 1 marched forward for New-Tork : Where being arrived, I waited on the major, he being a worthy gentleman, univerfally beloved by the whole regi- ment ; and, after giving him an account of all our tran- iadions, and the hardihips and labours we had gone through, 1 was 4ifmifled. After fome itay there, I was ordered to proceed on •my march for Ofwego o^ more. But, before I go further with my owii aiairtii'^'T fliall juij recount the re- fult of thole provincials, who went, as I mentioned be- fore, to cjuell the favagcs, under the command of co- ''lonel jirrijflrcng. He having under his command 280 provincials, de- ftined againit the Ohio Marians, againft whom Nothing had teen attempted, notwichftanding their frequent in- curfions and murders, penetrated 140 miles through the woods, from fort Shirley , on Juniata nvarf ^iKittak^ nitig an Indian town on the Ohio, aljout twefl^five 'tnilcs above fort *Dm Q}^frf» belonging to tW^J^n^^ 'He foon join'd the advanc'd party at the Beiipe¥*dafns ; and, on the fourth evening, after being within dk miles o£ Kittannivg, the fcoutsdifcoveredafireinthe road, and reported thaP there were but three or four Indians at it. At that time^ it was not thought proper to attempt%r- pridng P/* Pet EH Williamson. 6jr* prifing tbefe Indians, left, if one fliould efcape, the town might be alarm 'd: Lieutenant ^i?^^^ therefore, with twelve men, was left to \vatch them, with orders not to fall upon them, until day-break ; and our forces turned out of the path, to pafs their fire, without diC* curbing them. About three in the morning, having been guided by the whooping of the /w/Z/aw warriors, at a dance in the town, they reached the river at about i oo perches be* low it. As (bon as day appeared, the attack began ; captain Jacobs chief of the Indians, gave the war* whoop, and defended his houfe bravely through the loop- holes in the logs. The Indians generally refufing quar- ter, colonel ^rmftrong ordered their houtls to be fet ott fire, which Was done by the officers and foldiers with, great alacrity. On this, fbme burft out of the houfes, and attempted to reach the river, but were inftantly fhoc down. Captain Jacobs in getting out of a window, was ihot and fcalp'd, as were alfo his Squaw, and a lad they call'd the king's fon. The Indians had a number of fpare arms in their houfes loade^l, which went off in quick fucceillon, as the fire <:ame to them ; and quantir ties of gun-powder, which had been ftor'd in every hpufe, blew up from time to time, throwing their bo- dies into ihe air. ^ * Eleven Englijh prifbners were releafed, who inform-' cd the colonel, that, that very day, two batteaux of Frenchrnen,mth a large [^inyofDe-ia-ware and Ffpaih Indians, wert to have joiqed C2iptd\n Jacobs, to march and take fort Shirley ; and ihat twenty-four warriors, bad fet out before them the preceeding evening ; which prdved to be the party that had kindled the fire the pre- ceeding. night ; for our people vcrurning, found liense*- natit Hogg wounded in three places; and learned, that he had attacked the fuppoled party of three or four at the fire, but found them too ftrong for him. He killM K three '^t: P I'M 1)' i 66 "the tlYI^ three of them, however, at the fiift fire, and foitghl them an hour; when, having loft three of his men, the reft as he lay wounded, abandon'd him and fled, the enemy purftiing. Lieutenant Hogg died ifoon after cf his wounds. Enough of thefe two expeditions has been faid ; nor, can I well tell which of the two was moft fuccefsful, both io(ing more of their own men, than they kill'd of the enemy. A little retrofpeftion again on the aftions and beha- viour of the P hiladelphians y and the other provinces and places in conjunction with them, may here be fomething necefTary : For, when I arrived at Philadelphia, I found, that hc«/vever melancholy their fituation had been of late,, this good efTeft had been obtain'd, that the molt prejudiced and ignorant individual was feelingly convin- ced of the nec^ffity of vigorous meafures ; and, befides national and public views, then, the more prevailing ones of revenge and felf-intereft gave a fpur to their counfels. They were accordingly raifing men with the utmoft expedition ; and had, before the end of the fum- mer, a confiderable number, though not equal to wh^jt they could furnilh, having at leaft 45,000 men in Pen* fyhania able to fight. And, purfuant to agreement, fbmq months before, the four governments oi New- Engl and, in conjunction . ynt\\ New-Tor k (which laft furnilhed 1300) had now adcmbled 8000 men (for the attack of fort Frederic J 91 Albany y 150 miles N. o£ New-Tor k, and about 130 from Crown-Point, under the command of general Winflow, But many people dreading the cruelty of the French, were not fo very eager to join them this year, as the laft ; an imprefs therefore of part of the militia, was ordered in New-Tor k governments To prevent jwhich, fubfcriptions were fet on foot, to engage volun- ' 4e6r» .---*' Cy Peter Williamson, 6j 'tccrs by high bounties; (6 loath were they, that (bme got nine or twelve pounds fterling to inlill. The 44th, 48th, 50th, and 51ft regiment oi Great" ^ Britain were deftin'd for the campaign on the great lake Ontario, and moftly marched for OfwegOt thence to be carried over in 200 great whale boats, which were then ' at the lake, and were built at SchensStady on Mohawk\ river, and were long, round and light, as the battcaux, being flat-bottom*d and fmall, would not anfwer the na- vigation of the lake, where the waves were often very high. They were then, at laft intended to attack fort Frontenac, mentioned before, and the other French forts on the lake. Upwards of 2000 batteau-men were employed to navigate the batteaux, each ji ton burden, laden with provifions and ftores from Albany up the JVhhazukh river, then through Oneyda lake and river, down to Ofwego. There were likewife 300 failors hir'd and gone up from New-York (as I found, when I ar- rived there) to navigate the four arm'd fliips on the lake,, built there, as I have before menilon'd, the laft year, f^r the king's fervice, and two others were then building; fnaiths, carpenters, and other artificers, having gone • there for that purpofe (ome weeks before. Such were the preparations and armaments for this campaign, but how- f ruitleft, to our great difgrace, were foon known all over the world ! I fhall not trouble the reader with a long account, of a long march I had to take from New^Tork to Ofvjego, to join my regiment, fuffice it therefore, that I arrived there about the middle of July ; but in my march thither with fome recruits, we joln'd colonel Broddjlr/et at Al* - bany, and on the 6th of Alay, at the Great Carrying" place, had a ikirmifh with the French and Indians, wherein feverals were killed and wounded on both fides; , of the latter I made one. Receiving a Ihot through my left-hand, vyhigh intirely difablcd my third and fourth K 2 fingers i w if" III > ii' li i h. I «9. The L I F E % > fingers ; and having no hofpital, or any conveniencics for the fick there, I was after having my hand dreded, in a wretched manner, (cpt with the next batteau to ^Z- hany to get it cur'd. As fbon as I was well , I (et forwards for Ofwego again. And, when arrived there, I began to make what obfer« yations I could, as to the aherations that had been^made fince my departure in the month of Odober preceeding. The works of Ofwego, at this time confided of thr^c forts, viz. The Old Fort, built many years before, who(e chief (Irength was a weak ftone wall, about two feet thick, lb ill cemented, that it could not refift the force of a four pound ball, and fituated on the eaft fide of the harbour t the two other forts, call'd Fort-Onta* rio, and Fdrt-George, were each of them at the diftance of about 450 yards from the Old Fort, and fituated on two eminences, which conmianded it ; both thefe as I have already obferved, were begun to be built laft yea^ upon plans, which made them defenfible ag^infl muf- quetry, and carwiofM^f three or four pound ball only ; tne time not allowing works of a (Ironger nature^ to be then undertaken. . For our defence againfl: large cannon, we entirely depended on a fuperior naval force upon the lake, which inight have put it in our power to prevent t\\& French from bringing heavy artillery agranft the place, as that could only be done by water carriage, which is my op- pitiion, as well as many others, }f the naval force had but done their duty* Ofwego ' might have been ours to this very day, and intirely cut off the communication of the French from Canada to the Ohio : But if I would in5(l on this, as the particulars requires, I perhaps would affront fbme, and injure myfelf, all to no purpofe, ck of any beneficial fervice to recal our former lofJes; for that reafoHj I /hall defer enlarging on the fubjeA, al« though. ) ■i ^ a \ O/* Peter Williamson. 6f though, at the fame time, I can give very good circum* {tances to maintain my argument, if required. A d ly or two after being at O/wego, the fort wa$ <«jarmed by hearing a firing ; when on difptching pro- per fcouts, it was found to be the French and Indians engaging the battcau-men and failors, convoying th^ pro- vifions to 0/wego, from one river to another. On thip a detachment of 500 men were ordered out in purfuit of them, whereof I was one. We had a narrow pais in the woods to go through, where we were attackecl by a great number of Inciians, when a defperate fight be- gan on both fides, that lafted about two hours. Howr ever, at lad we gained a compleat victory, and put them intirely to the rout, killing fourteen of them, and wound- ing above forty. On our fide we had but two men kil- led and fix wounded. Many more would have been kil- led of both parties, had it not been for the chicknefs of the woods. I cannot here omit recounting a mod fingular tranfac- clon that happened during this my fecond time of being there, which, though fcarce credible, is abfolutely true> and can be teftified by hundreds, who knew> and have often feen the man ; in fliort, one J\dogIq/ky of the 50th regiment, an Irijhman, being placed as centinel over the rum which had arrived, and being curbus to know its goodnefs, pierced the caik, and drank till he was quite intoxicated ; when, not knowinjg what he did, he ram- bled from his pod, and fell aileep a good way from the garrifon. An Indian fcoulking that way for prey, (as is conjectured) met him, and made free with his fcalp, which he plucked and carried ofl^. The ferjeant in the morning, finding him proQrate on his face, and feeing his fcalp off, imagined him to be dead ; but on his near- er approach, and raifing him from the ground, the felldyif awaked from the (bund fleep he had been in, and alked the ferjeant what he wanted. The ferjeant quite fur- prized 76 Tif LIFE • prized at the flrangc behaviour of the fellow, interrogat- ed him, how he came there in that condiiion ? He re- replied, He could not tell ; but that he got very drunk, AndyT ambled he knew not whither. The (crjeaut advif- ed him to prepare for death, not having many hours to live, as he had io(t his fcalp. Arrah, my dear, now (cries he) mid are you joking me? for he really knew nothing of his being' fcrved in the manner he was, and would not believe any accident h-'d happened him, un- til feeing his clothes bloody, he f cit his head, and founct it to be too true, as well as having a cut from his mouth to his ear. He was iiiimediattiy carried before the go- vernor, wh(l ? He replied, that being very thirjly, he had broached a cajk of rum, andlloop were fitted out ; and about the fame time a large fnow was alfo launched and rigged, and only waited for her guns and fome running rigging, which they expec- ted every day by colonel Broadjireet ; and had he re- tVJFned in time with the cannon and barteau-men under his li fi The LIFE his command, the French would not have dared to have Sippeared on the' lake ; but colonel Broaifireet happen- ed to be detained with the batteaux at Schene^ady for above a month, waiting for the forty-fourth regiment to march with him : The dilatorinefs of this imbarkation at Scbene6lady cannot be imputed to colonel Broadflreet^ becaufe general Shirley waited with impticnce for the arrival of lord Loudon Campbell from England) and when his lordfhip landed at Ttew-Tork, he, in a few days after, proceeded to Albany, where his lordfhip took the command of the army from general Shirley , and upon comparing, and confidering the bad fituation of his for- ces, and of the different governments upon the conti- nent were in, his lordfhip, with advice of feveral other experienced officer?, thought himfelf not in a condition to proceed on any enterprize for that feafon, no further than to maintain our ground at Ofwego ; for which pur- pofe, colonel Broadjfreet was immediately ordered off with the batteaux and provifions, as alfo, the forefaid regiments ; but before Broadftreet arrived at the Great Carrying-Place, Ofwego was taken with all the (hips of war, alSiough our naval force was far fuperior to the French* Before I relate the attack of Ofwego, I fhall review a little what the French were doing during thefe our di- latory, pompous proceedings. / The marquis de Vaudreuil, governor and lieutenant- general of New- France, ^^hilfl he provided for the fe- 'ctirity of the frontiers of Canada, was principally at- tentive to the lakes. Being informed that we were mak- ing vaft preparations at Ofwego for attacking Niagara and Frontenac, he took and razed in the month 6f March, the fort where \ye had formed our principal magazine, and in yune following def^royed, on the ri- ver of Chonegan or Ofwego, fome of our vefTels, and made fome prifoners. The fuccefs of thefe two expe-^ ditjons , / Of Vet zi, Williamson. ' jf mork encouraged him ro a^ ofTeiifivdy, ahd'to attatlc" iis at Oftuego, This reitlertient they pretended, and' dill infift on, to Be an incroachment, Or invafion, which We had made in a time of profound peace, and againft^ which, they faid, they had continually remonftfated/* during our blundering, negotiating ildtc^^r's refidenctt^ at France, It was at" firll; fay they, only a fortified- rhagazine ; but in order to avail themfel ves of its adv^n* tageous (ituation in this centre almoft of the jF>^«f;& co- lonies, the Englijh added, from time to time, (everal^ hew works, and made it confift of three fbrt§, as abovfe defcribed. The troops deflgned for this expedition by ihtFrencB amounted to near 5000 men, 13 do, of which were re- gulars. To prevent his defign being difcoveted; M, 3c Vaudreuil fireteniled in order the better tb deceive u^, who had (0 long before keen blind, that he^vvds pro^ Tiding only for the fecurity of iV/agflra and Ftontenaa The marquis de Montcalmi who conlmanded on thii' occafion, arrived the 29th of juljf at fort Froritenacy and having given the necefl&ry direaiolis for fecufing hi^" tetreat, in cafe it ihould have been tendered inevitable^ by a fuperior force; fent out twd v6(!^l§, one of twelve; and the other of fifteen gunsj to cruife ofrO^^*^*?, and ' lifted a chain of Canadians and Indians on the road be- tween Ofwego sind\J/!>any, to intercept our <:Ouriers; All the 'forces; and the vellels> with the airtillery and ftpres, beirtg arrived in the bay of Nixoure, the place 6f general rendezvous, the Marquis dc Montcalm, ordered his advance guard to proceed to a creefc, cal- led, ^fife aUx Cdbannes, three leagues from Ofwego^ But,— To carry on this account the more accurate and in- telligible to the reader, I ihall recite the aftiohs of the i^tineh and oiirfqives together, as a more clear and fuf;- \i tin^' !! 74 The LI f IS. - cinA manner/ of making (hofe inacquainted with th« art of war, more fenfible df this inlporiant aflTair. ^ Colonel Mercer, who was then commanding officer' of the garrifbn at Ofwego, having on the (Ixth of Au*' f^ftt intelligence oF a large encampment of French and -Undians, about twelve miles off, oifpatched One of the ftbooners, with an account of it to captain Bra;iley, who was then on a cruize with the large briganiine and two iioops; at thfc fame time, defiring him to cruize ds fvir to the eaftward a's he could, and to endeavour to prevent the approach of the French on the lake ; but meeting the next day with a fhiall gale of wind, the large bri- gantine was drove on fhore hqzv Ofwego, in attempting to get into the harbour ; of which misfortune, the Indi- ans immediately gave M. de Montcalm; the French ge- neral notice, who took that opportunity of tranfporting his heavy cannon to about a mile jind a half of the fort, which he could not otherwife have done, had not theyr been ibme negle^^ on our fide. For on the loth, the firfl divifion of the French be^ ' ing arrived at Anfeaux Cabannes, at two o'clock in the morning ; the van-guard proceeded at four in the after- noon by land, acrofs woods, to another creek withirt half a league of Ofwego, in order to favour the debar- kation. At mid-night their firij: divifion repaired to this creek, and there eredVed a battery" on the lake Ontario. Colonel Mercer, in the morning of the loth, on J(ome canoes being feen to the eaftv/nrd, fent out the /mall (chooner to make difcovery of what. they were; fte was (carce half a mile from the fort, before flie dif- covered a very large encampn'ient, clofe under the op- pofite point, being the firft divifion of the French troops above-mentioned. On this, the two /loops (the large ^ Wigantine being (till on fhore) were fent out with orders, if poflible, to annoy the enemy ; but this was to no pur- fofc J the enemy's cannon being large and well pointed, . hulled a roi the the \i % ., O/" Peter William s©n. . y^ hulled che veflels almoft et^ry Ihot, while tjieirs fell fliort of the fhore. This day and the next, the enemy Nvere employed'in making gabions> fauciflbns, and falcines, and in cutting ;i road crofs the woods, from the place of landing, to the place where. the trenches were, to be opened: And, the fecond divifion of the enemy arriving on the i ith, in the morning, wirh the artillery and provifions, the fame immediately landed without any bppofrtipn. TTho' difpofitions were made for opening the trenches on the loih at night, it was midnight before they could begin the trench, which was rather a parallel, of about ioq *roiJes ^ in front, and opened at the diftance of 90 T oi» fes from the fofs of fort Ontario, in ground embarraf* fed" with trunks of trees. About five in the morning of the nth, this parallel was finiflied, and the workmen began to cre^ the bat* teries. Thus was the place invefted by about 5000 men, and thirty-two pieces of cannon, from twelve to eighteen pounders, befides feveral large brafs mgrtars and hoyets, (among which artillery was part of general Braddock\), About noon they began the attack of fort Ontario, with linall arms, which was briikly reiurn-r cd. All this day the ganifon was en)ployed on tli^ Weft? fide of the river, in repairing the batteries on the Soukh? (ideoftheO/^-F^r/. *^ The next morning, (the 1 2th,) at day-break, a large nun^bcr of French batieaux were dl (covered on the lake, in their way to join the enemy's camp ; on which, colo- nel Mercer oridered the two floops to be again fent out, with direftions to get between the battcaux and the camp, but 'before our veflels came up, tlie batieaux had fecur- ied therofelves under the fire of theii* cannon, L 2 ' . In I If I'l ^ y-'' %5 f .A Toiff is a French mcafurCj, and contains abyat t#o fathoes^ f r fix i«t iu k'ngih. In the evening, a detacbmelQt was made of loo VNen pf the 50th (general PeppereWs) regiment, and ,126 of i\it New^yerfey provincials, pnder the command * of co- Jonel iS^i&wj'/cr, tp take podefllon of the fort on the hilL fo the Weitward of tixeOid'Fort, a|id vender the dircc- fioo of the >eiigineer, Mr. M' Keller were to put it into the b>eft itate of defence they could ; in which wqt]^ they >y€re employed all the following night. The eoemy on the Eaft-fide continued their approa- ches to the fort Ontario, but with their utmoft ellxjrts for a long time they cpuld not bring their cannon to beair on it. However, drawing their canrjon with great ex?- pedjtion, jiext morning (the i3thj about ten o'clock, to 9 battery .ere,£i;ed within (ixty yards from it ; they play^ ed them very hotly on the garrifon, notwithftancung the conftaiit fire kept on them, and the lafs of th^r princi- pal engineer, who was killed in the trenches. A coun- cil of war, . \yas immediately held by the officers of ge- jieriil Pepper ell^s regiment, who obfervjng the mortars* were bicginning to play, concluded it moil advifable to i]uit fort OniariOf and join colonel Schiiyler'^% regiment at fort George (or fort Rafcal,\) and an account. of this latter battery being fent to colonel Mercer ^ by the com? mandant of the enemy, ordering him to evacuate tbi^i fort, they accordingly did, about three in the afternoon, deftroyingthe cannon, ammunition, and provifions there-* jjD, and managed their retreat fo as ;o pafs the river, and join the troops at the Weft-fide without the lofs of 9 man. The(e troops being about 370, were immediate- ly ordered, to join coloael Schuyler, which they accord- ingly did, and were employed all the following ni^t ia jcpmpleating the works of that fort. M. Montcalm immediately took pofleflion of for^ Qiitario, and ordered the communication of the paral- lel to be continued to the banks of the river, where, in the beginning of the night, they began a grand-battery. \ .. €)/* Petel Williamson. y.j f IsCjsd in fuch a manner, that it could not onlly batter jovt OJwegGf and the way from thence tp fort George^ hxxtsiU'o the intrench ment of 0/wego. In the morning of the 13th, the large brigantine be- ing o/T the ^ocks, and repaired, a detachment of eighty men of the ^trrifon was put on board of her and the two iloops, in order to^o out immediately, but the wind continuing to blow direftly, into the harbour, rendered jt impoffible for them to get out before the place wa^ furrendercd. This night, as well as the night before, |)ariies i)£ the enemy's irregulars made feveral attempt?? ^o furprize our advance guards and centinels, on the Weft- fide of the river, but did not fucceed in any of |hem. The enemy were employed this night in bringing u\i 0ieir canion, and railing a battery. On our fide, we Jtept a conllant fire of cannon and ihelis from the Old Fort, 3j5d works about it. The cannon which moft an- poyed th6 ciKmy, were four pieces, which we reversed on th<^ ^iat-f bnn of an earthen wotk, which furrounded the Old Forty and which was intirely enfiladed by the enemy's battery on ihe oppofite ihore : In this fituati^ on, without the jeai^ cover, the train, viflifted by a de tachmcnt of fifty of" Shirley*^ regiment, behaved remarks jibly welL At day-break, on the I4ch, we renewed our fire ou that part of the oppofite iliore, where we had the e^^en- ing before, obfervcd the enemy at work, in raifing the J)attery. . The enemy in three columns, confifting of'^^oo Canadians and favages, crofled the river, fome by fvvim- ming, and others by wading, with the water up to their ipiddleq, in order to invefl and attack the old fort. This bold action, by which they intirely cut otf the commu- ^icatign of the two forts ; the celerity with which thft .^p^^ks wer^ carried on, in ground that we thought im- i mmm 78 The LIFE practicable; a continual return of our fire from a bat- tery of ten cannon, twelve pounders ; and their prepar- ing a battery of n'ortars and hoyets, made colonel Mer* cer think it advifeable (he not knowing iheir members) 10 order colonel Schuyhr with 500 men> to opjx)fe them, which would accordingly have been carried into execu- tion, and conlequently, every man of the 500 cut oflj ' had not colonel Mercar been kill'd by a cannon-ball, a few minutes ?fter. The refolution of this valiant colo- nel, fcem'd to be determined to oppofe the French to the laft extremity, and to maintain his ground at Ofwe" gOt but his final doom came on fo uncxpcftedly, that (lis lofs was univerfally regreted. About ten o'clock, the enemy's battery was ready to play ; at which time, all our places of defence, were cither enfiladed, or ruined by the conftant fire of their cannon ; fore Rafcal or George, in particular, having at that time no guns, and fcarce in a condition to defend jtfelf againrt fmall arms; with 2500 irregulars on our backs, ready to ftorm us on that fide, and 2000 of their regulars as ready to land in our front, under the fire of their cannon. Whereas, Fort Rafcat m^t have been made a very defenfiblc fortrefs, lying on a hill, and the afcent to it (o fteep, that had an enemy been ever fo numerous, they mult have fuffered greatly in an attempt to ftorm it. Why it was not in a better ftate,it becomes not me to fay, but matters were fb. And in this fituation we were, when colonel Little- hales, who fucceeded colonel Mercer in the command, called a council of war, who were, with the engineers, unanimoufly of opinion, that the works were no longer tenable ; and that it was by no means prudent to rifque a ftorm with fuch unequal numbers. The chamade was accordingly ordered to be beat, 9r4 the firing ccas'd on both fides ; yet the French were ty Peter Williamson* ^ 55^ not idle, but improved this opportunity to bring up more cannon, and advance "the main body of their troops Within mufquet-fliot of the garrifon, and prepared eve- ry thing /or a ftorm. Two officers were fent to the French general, to know what terms he would give ; the marquis de Montcalm made apfwer, That they might, expeft whatever terms were qonfiftent with the fervice of .his Mofl Chrijlian majefty : He accordingly agreed to the following. •Article I. " The garrifon fliall fiirrender prifbners *' of war, and fhall be conduced from hence to Mon-- " treal, where they fhall be treated with humanity, ** and every one fhall have treatment agreeable to their ** refpcfkive ranks, according to the cullom of war. : II. " Officers, and foldiers, and individuals, fhall "have their baggage and cloaths, and they fhall be al- ** lowed to carry them along with them. III. " They fliall remain prifoners of war, until they ** arc exchanged. Given at the camp before Osw KG Of Augufl 14, 1756. MONTCALM, By virtue of this capitulation, the garrifon furrendcr- f4l prifoners of war, ancj the French immediately toolc pofTefTion of^ Ofwego, and fort George, which they iri- tirely deftroyed, agreeable to their orders, after remov- ing the artillery,, war- like ftores, and provifions. But, to defcribe the plunder, havock and devaflati- on, made by the French, as well as the favagcs, who rufhed in by thoufands, is impoffiblc. For notwithfland- ing the Chrijlian promife made by the general of his , , Moji •■'S"-'• ' . ■ V # Cy p£TRR Williamson. 8t ly lent to Frontenac, viz. Seven pieces of brafs cannon* nineteen, fourteen, and twelve pounders ; forty-eigh*^ iron cannon, of nine, (Ix, five, three, and two pound" crs ; a brafs mortar of nine inches, four twelfths, and thirteen others of fix and three inches ; forty- feven fiwi- vel guns; 23,000/3. of gun-powder; 8ooo/3. of lead and mufquet balls ; two thoufand nine hundred and £fty cannon balls ; one hundred and fifty bombs, of nine inches, and three hundred more, of fix inches di- ameter ; one thoufand four hundred and feventy-fix grenadoes ; one thoufaiid and fevcnty mufquets.; a vef- lel pierc'd for eighteen guns ; the brigantine of flxteen, a goeietta of ten, a batteaux of ten, (the Hoops already mention'd) another of eight guns, a ikifTof eighteen fwivels, and another burnt upon the flocks ; feven hun- dred and four barrels of bifcuit, one thoufand three hundred and eighty-fix firkins of bacon and beef,- fcveii hundred and twelve firkins of meal; thirty-two live oxen; fifteen hogs, and a large fum of money, in the military cheft, amounting, as the French faid, to ^eighteen thoufand five hundred and ninety-four livres. On the 1 6th, they began to remove us ; the officers were firft fent in batteaux, and two hundred foldiefs a day afterwards, till the whole were gone, being carried firft to Montreal, and from thence to Quebec. Our duty in the , batteaux, till we reached the firfl pUce, was very hard and flavifli ; And, during the time v<^e were on the lake, or river St. Laurence, it appeared ve- ry eafy and feafible for commodore Bradley, (had h* thought proper) to have defiroyed all the enemy's bat- teaux, and h^ve prevented them from ever landing their cannon, within forty miles of the fort. But he . knew his own rcafons for omitting this piece of fervice befl. Our party arrlvinp at Montreal * Canada, on the .aSlh ; we were tb-u iii-^ii f<'carcd ;i be fbrr, as were U The LIFE the fcft as they came in. The French ufed vanorts means to win fome of our troops over to their iutereft, or at lead to do their work in the fields, which many re* fufed, among whom was myfelf ; who were then con- ducted on board a ihip, and fent to Quebec ; whtre, on arriving the 5th of September, we were lodged in a goal, and kept for the fpace of one month. During this our captivity, many of our men, rather than ly m a prifbh,' went out to work, and afTift the Frencb in getting in their harveft ; they having then, fcarce any people left in that country, but old men, women, and children, fb that the corn was continually falling into the ftubble, for want of hands to reap it : Bur, ihofe who did go out, in two or three days, chofe confinement again, rather than liberty on fuch terms, being almoil Itarv'd, having nothing in the country to live on, but dry bread, whereas, we in the prifon were each of us, allowed two pounds of bread, and half a pound of meat a day, and otherwife treated with a good deal of humanity. Eighteen foldicrs, were all the guard they had to place over us, who being greatly fatigued with hard duty, and dreading our rifing on them, (which had we had any arms, we might eafily have done, and ravaged the coun- try round, as it was then intirely defenceiefs) and the town's people themfelycs fearing the confequences of having Inch a number of men in a place where provifi- ons were at that time very fcarce and dear, they thought of /ending us away, the moft eligible way of keeping them* felves from famine, and accordingly put 500 of us on board a vefle 1 for England. But, before I continue tlie account of our voyage home to our native country, I ihall juft make a fhort reirofpe^ion on the confequences which attended the lofs of Ofwego, as appeared to us, and the reft of the people \ •f'A* ty Peter Williamson. 83 peopk at Quebec, who knew that part of America, to tvhich, this important place was a fafeguard. As foon as Ofwego was taken, our only communica- tion from the Mohawk\ fiver, to the lake Oneida^ was (topt up, by filling the place at Wood^s Creek with great logs and trees, for many miles together. A few days afterwards, the forts at the Great Carrying Place, and then our nK)ft advanced port into the country of the Six Nations, which I have before given a fhort account of, fand where there were at that time above three thou- and men, including, one thoufand two hundred batteau- men ; and which ftill gave the Six Nations fome hopes that we would defend their country againft the French) were abandoned and deftroyed, and the troops, which Were under the command of general Webb, retreated to Burners field, and left the country, and the Six Nations to the mercy of the enemy. The French, immediately after the taking of Qfwego, dcmolifti'd (as is faid before) all the works there, and return'd with their prifoners and booty to T'iconderoga, to oppofe our provincial army under the command of general TVinfloxv, who had fliamcfully been kept, in expeftation of the dilatory arrival of lord Loudon, from attacking Crown- Point, while the enemy were weak, and it was eafily in our power to have beat them. The confccjuences of tl\e deftru^tion of our forts at the Great Carrying- Place, and f;eneral Webb'^s retreat- ing to Burnetts field, is now, alas ! too apparent to e- very one acquainted with American affairs. The //i- dians of the Six Nations, undoubtedly, looked upon it as abandoning them, and their country to aie, French; for they plainly faw that we bad no ffrong hold near them, and that (by the place at Wood'*s Creek, being ftopp'd up,) we could nor, if we would, aflx)rd them jiny afllftance at Onondaga, Cayuga, and in the Sem- i^tfV country, which were their chief caftles: That, the M 2 forts \ ••. 94 The LIT I, forts bcgiin by us, in thofe countries, were left unfi-* nifhed, and therefore could be of no ufe to them, and which, if we had kept the Car rying^P lace, we might have finiQiM, and given them dill hopes of our being able to defend. But defpairing of our being furtlier ferviceable tb them, thole Iroquois, who were before our friends, and fbme of the others, have indeed deferred Us, and the cottfequence of fuch their junftures with the French, has begun already to be felt in the lofs of Fort'George oa lake Sacrament. The fine country on the Mohawk\ river down to jilbany, was by this flep left open to the ravages oi the- enemy, and an eafy paflage openM to the French and their Indians ^ into the provinces of Penfyhanta, and Nrw^yerfey, by the way of Sufquehanna and De'la^ ware rivers, which were before cover'd by our fettle- ments on the Mohawk*^ river, and the Six Nations, i"' conclude, it left the />f«f A without the lead fear '■ o< r being able to give them the lead interruption in padage through lake Ontario, and lake Erie, to ihi frontiers of Penfyhania, Maryland, Virginia, and all th« fbuthcrn country. Whether thefe my animadverfions are true, or not, WSat has been fince tranfa£^ed in thefe parts, and the prefent campaign there, will evince. I (hall in the laft place, give a concife account of the climates, produce, trade, &c. of North-^America, and firft. flrft Oi NEW^ENGLJND. The province of New^England appears to be vaftly extenfiVe, beifig about 400 miles in length, and r 00 in bfeStM^r (Ituated between 69 and 73 deg. ng. and 'Bietween 41 and 46 deg. N. Lac It was • ' fira J'0( 1)01 m Of Peter Williamson. ^5 fir ft fettled by the Independents, a little before the com- mence.ncnr of the civil wars in England: They tranl^ portfd tiifntieivcs thither, rather than jey would com- municate with the church of England, The lands next the {c:^'mJSew' England, are gene- rally low, and the foil Tandy, but farther up into the couniry it rifes into hills, and on the Northrcait it is rocky and mountainous : The winters are much fever- cr here than in Old-England, though it lies 9 of lo degrees more fouth, but they have ufually a clearer fky^ and more fettled weather, both in winter and fumm^r than in Old- England ; and though their furamers are fl>orter, the air is confiderably hotter while it lafts. The winds are very boifterous in the winter feafbii, and the North-wind blowing over a long traA of frozen and un- cultivated countries, with fcvcral frefh- water lakes^ makes it cxctlfive cold. Their rivers are fomctimcs . congealed in a night's time; the climate is generally healthful and agreeable to Englijh conftiiutions. The fruits of Old- England come to great pcrfcftion here» particularly peaches, which are planted-trees; and V J have commonly 1200 or 1400 fine peaches On fuch a tree at one time ; nay, of the fruit of one fingle ap- ple-tree, in one feafon, nine barrels of cyder have been made. Englijh wheat, I find, does not thrive here, within 40 or 50 miles of Bofton ; but farther up into the country they have it in great plenty, and 3 think, it comes to the fame pcjrfeftion as in Britain* Now why wheat fhould not grow near this city, I confefs, I can afiign no reafon that will fully fatisfy the reader's curio- fity. The conjeftures upon it are various : Some ven- ture to fay. That it was occafioned by the unjuft perfe- cution of the Quakers, the Independents having vented their fpleen againd them in a way the moft rigorous, and in fkt contradif^on to the laws of Chridianity. All other £raini but wheats thrives in this place with great fuccefS'; in if 1 1 I '1 1 S«55r^' IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) t ^ Ua :/. % 1.0 2.8 |56 |3^ £«.■ 12.5 2.2 I.I I;- IIIIIM 11.25 i 1.4 - 6" 1.6 ^# 71 /a ^m'J^' ^ y /A Photographic Sdences Corporation \ iV ^ N> [V ^\w<^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 'V- 9 ..W ts « ^ ^ ri^ LIFE in particular, Indian Q/* Peter Williamson. ^^ (Continent. This condderation prompted the (avage ncH CO exhaufl; their malicious fury on ic in partictflar. : Of M ^ R r L u4 j^ t); ttis country extends abdut 150'mlleS in length, jiiicl 137 miles in breadth. The lands arc low and flat next the (ea ; towards the heads of rivers they rife iritd hiils^ and beyond ly the jipalach'tah Mountains, which ar^ exceeding high* The air of this province is exccffive hot fbme part of the fummef> and equally that rife from the low lands^ which render the air more unhealthy for ^ngl'tjh conftituiions ; and Hience it is, that in the afore-i (aid fcafon^ the people ar-e cdnftantly afflifted wth agiiesi The produce of this country is chiefly tobacco, plant- ed and cultivated here with much application^ and neat-i ly the (ame fuccefs as iri F^irginia, and their principal trade with England is in that article. It alfb afl^brds then! moft forts of the grain^ and fruits of Eumfe and iAmU' Heat [ Of F 7 7? G t N i A The extent of this province is computed to \s6 i6d ftiiles in length, and 220 miles iri breadth, being moft- ly low, flat land. For one huiidreJ miles Up the coun- try, there is fcarce a hill or a ftohe to be feeh. The air ittd fcafoh^ (it lying between 36 and 39 of ^^. Lat.) depend very muth od the wind, aS to heat and cold,' di^ynefs and moiflure. 'fhe North and North-weft winds are very nitrous and piercing cold, or elfe Wifte-' jroHs and (lormy: The South, and South^caft wirid?^ N hafy ^i 9© The LIFE ha(y and fultry hot. In winter they have a fine, cleaf air, wliich renders it very pleafant r The frofts are ihprt ; but fome^times fb very iliarp that rivers arc froze over 3 miles broad. Snow often falls in large qu-^nii- ties ; but feldom continues above two or three days at mdft. « The foil, though 'generally fandy and-ftiallow, pro- duces tobacco of the beft quality, in great abundance. The peoples ufual food is /«£//^w-cqrn madtfinto hom- mony, boiled to a pulp, and comes the nearefl to but- teied-wheat of any thing I can compare it to. They have horfes, cows, fheep, and hogs in prodigious plen- ty, many of the laft running wild in the woods/ The regulation kept here is much the fame as in New-Erg- /and ; every man from £ 6 to 6o years of age, is inlilt- cd into the militia, and muftered once a year, at a ge- neral review, and four times a year by troops and com- panies. Their military complement, by computation, amounts to about 30,000 effective men, the colleftive number of the inhabitants, men, women, and childrerl %o 1 00,500, and including fcrvants and flaves^ to twice ihat number. Oi C A R L 7 N A. This colony is computed to extend 660 miles in lengt|i f but its breadth is unknown. The lands here jire generally low and flat, and not a hill to be feen from * St. idugujline to Virginia, and a ^great way beyond. 'Tis moilly covered with woods where the planters have not cleared it. About 100 miles weft of the coaft,, It ihodts up into eminences, and continues to rife gra- dually all along to the Apalachian Mountains, which are about 1 60 mjles diftant from the ocean. The North- parts o^ Carolina are very uneven, but the ground is extremely proper for producing wheat j and all other ' ibm [ corn in'g ain be cs abou gam( the horft ters ; leaf are oze imi- /s at 0/* Peter Williamson. S^.? forts of grain that grow in Europe will come to great perf eftipn here. The South-parts of Carolina, if pro- perly cultivated, might be made to produce filk, wine, and oil. This country yields large quantities of rice, of which they yearly fliip off to other colonies about 8o,090 barrels, each barrel containing 400 wt. befides, they make abundance of tar, pitch, and turpentine. They carry on a) fo a great trade with deer-ikins, and f^^rs, to all places oi Europe, which the Englljh receive from the Indians in barter for guns, powder, knives, iciflars, looking-glafles, beads, rum, tobacco, coarfe- dloath, &c. The Englijh chapmen carry thefe pack-horfes 5 or 600 miles into the country, Weft of Charles-Town ^ but moil of the commerce is confined within the limits of the Creek and Cherokee nations, which do not lie abovie 350 miles from the coaft. vThe air is very temperate and agreeable both fummer and winter. Carolina is di- vided into two diftin^ provijaces, viz. North and Spuih- Carolina. i ^.' Of N o V A^s cor I A. This place extends about 600 miles in length, and 456 in breadth ; The air is pretty much the fame as in Old'England : The foil is, for the moft part, barren ; but vvhere it is cleared and (;ukivared, it affords good corn and pafture. Here is fine timber, and £t for build- ing, fronl whence pitch and tar may be extracted. Here alio hemp and flax will grow, fo that this country will be capable of furniiliing^ll manner of naval ftores. It abounds likewife with deer, wild-fowl, and all forts of game. On the coaft is one of the fineft cod-fiftieries in the world. European ciHile, 'u/z. 'Sheep, oxen, fwine, horfes, &c, xhty have in great abundance. The win- ters are very cold, their frofts being ftiarp and of a long N 2 dura- » ..^^ a '-/«-■- ^^jil:' ft The LIFE ^uratlpti: Their funim^rs arc moderately hot, fb that the climate, ill the maiiii fcem^ tq be agreeable to En(^ lijh coniliiutiocs. ' O^ C A N Al> A, I Ihall dofe the deTcrip^ion qF the American colo* pies, with ^ jQioft account pf the foil and produce of french Qanad^. Its extent is, according, to their map, 1 800 miles in length, and 1 2 60 in breadth. The foil, in the Iqw lands qear the river St. Laurence will, in- sleed, raife wheat; but, withal, 1 found it (b {hallow^, ?hat it would nqt produce that grain above two years, unlefs k was properly rpanured. About 2p miles from (he (aid river, fo hilly and moi^ntainoys is the country,, that nothing but Indians and wild ravenous bcaAs reforc ^erc. Hpwcvcr, they have plenty of rye, Indian- corn, buck-weed, i^nd oats; likewife of horfes, cows, iheep, fwine, &c, IJut 1 have obferved, that fruits of any kind dp not come tu fuc|i perFedtion here, as in fome of the Englifi (ettlements, which is owing to the long duration s^nd exccdive col^ of th^ir winters. The Tumv mer is ihort sind temperately hot. The climate, in ge* neral, is healthy and agreeable to jPuropean condituti^? 9ns.. An4 fp miich for the provinces in North-Ame-^ rica, |t is naw high time to reti^rn to the linbarkation a^ Qjieb^c. Five hundred pf us, being to be lent tP Eng^^ (and, were nut or^ board La Renomme, a French paquet'^i boat, ^apts^in 'Dennis Vitree cpmmander : We (ailed under a flag of true?, and thpugh tjie French behave4 with a good deal of politenefs, yet we were almoft ftarv- ^d for want of provifions. One bVfcuu, s^nd two oun-? ces of pork a day, being all our allowance, and half dead with cold, having but few clothes, and the'yeflel being fo fmall, that the major part of us were obIige4 ^o be noon decl^ in all weathers. Ato a paflage of (h^ ' - * ;' ' Vce^ \ i 0/ J?ETiLK Williamson. ^j in^ee.k-s, we at lad, to onr great joy, arrived at Plymouth oil the fixth of November, 1 756. But there our trou- bles anti hardfhips were, not, as we cjtpc^cd, put to a pe- riod for fome time ; Icrrples arifuig to the commifniries and admiral there, about taking us on fliore, as there was no cartel agreed on between the French and Englijh, we were confined on board, unt'il the detei inmation of the lords of the admiralty fhould be known ; lying there ill a miferabfe condition feven or eight diys, before we received orders to difembark, which, when we were fermitted to do, being ordered from thence, in diffe- rent parties to T^otnes, Kingsbridge, Newtoti'BuJbel Newton- Abbott in 'Devonjbire, I was happy in being quatered at Kwgi bridge, where 1 met with fuch civili- ty and entertainment, as 1 had for a long time been a^ (trangcr to. In about four months we were again ofdrrcd to Ply* nmtth-^Dock, to be draughted into other regiments; where, pn being infpefted, 1 was, on account <>f the wound I had leccived in my hand, difcharged a& incap- able of further fervice : And, was allowed the (um of fix fliillings to carry me home to Aberdeen, near the place of my nativity ; but finding that fum infufficienc to fublirt me half the way, I was obliged to make my application to the honourable gentlemen oi the city of Totk, where, on confidering my neceiruy ^nd review- ing my manufcrjpt on the irania£^ions of the IndianSp herein before mentioned, thought proper to have it print- ed for my own benefit, which they chearfully fublcrib- cd unto. And after difpofing of feveral of my bookis through the (hire, I took the firft opportynity of going Jn queft of my relations at ^Aberdeen, where I received very barbarous ufage and ill treatment, occafioned by complaining againit the illegal praftice o{ kidnapp'tM, in the beginning of my book, which I lliall hereafter final* ly defcribe in the following pages. I *^v ( 94 ) -• A Discourse on K I D N A r t' I N G. With proper Dirc^ions for Tradcfmcn, and others, to avoid flavery, when tranfportcd from their native country by the inltigation of per- fidious traders. THE following Hoes when duly confi^ered, will be of no difficulty for the meanefl capacity to un- jderftand, as the [bbje£t is of no other delign^ than in* tirely calculated to open the eyes of the neighbouring poor, who have fuffcrcd tribulations, and troubled minds, lor the loft of their children; which nature binds eve- ry chfidian father or mother, to be as valuable to them, as their own lives. And as it is abfurd to imagine, that any parents would difpofe of their own fiefh and blood to ftrangers who make a prey of innocent children, to .maintain their wealth and grandeur, where the unhappy yi^ims are left in the remoteit parts of the worlds where they -can meet with no redrefs for the injuries done to them. But if the mifconduft of /bme people, were but print- ed; in their foreheads, themfeives, as well as their a^i- ons» would look odious to 'the world; biit to prevent difcovering any of their former, fubtiie contrivances, .would much rather hazard their own fouls, or banilh the perlbn fo manifefling the truth againil tbem, from the place of his nativity : Senfible 1 am of what 1 haye already defcribed againil my firfl profecutors, taliates with the truth in every particular, wherein many as well as myfelf, hath been led into flavery and bondage for number of years, and obliged to put up with the re- lentment and arbitrary controul of urangers, when fe- parated from our dcarefl relations, which at fuch times as tliis, is not capably to afford us the leaft comfort or relief. I', ner fair I-* ^ Of Peter Williamson. ^5 relief. Hard fate to fuffer this, harder ftill to be pro- fccuced for telling the intereAing tale. I fpeak this by experience, to the Ihame of fome in Aberdeen, near the place of my nativity, where I had gone in qiieft of my relations, which, after fo long and ft range an ab- fcnce,' my appearance moft occur with faiisfaftion to all my friends, who have been deprived of the comfortf- able enjoyment of my perfon, from the years of my in- fancy, which they undoubtedly expefted to imbracc. Kidnapping, followed by thofe nionfters of impiety> for the lucre of gain, may be compared to the favage condii£l before- mentioned ; who, for to maintain theif wealth and grandeur, would cut, mangle and barbaroufly deftroy all. innocent families they met with. What left guilt can be upon kidnapper's confciences, than thofe of the favage race, who boalt not of humanity ; and if they do (uch crimes, it is to their enemies, for the fake of plunder. What can fome of the worthy merchants of Aberdeen fay for themfelves ; have not they been guil- ty of that villainous trade, contrary to the laws of God, and all civilized nations, in fuch an unlawful manner, that the blcod of the innocent cries againft them for re- medy,, and as it is certain this execrable practice called Kidnapping, was put into execution about the year 1*740, by four or five merchants in the city, (bme of which have fince defertecf their country, for rcafons too well known ; much about this time, I remember there was idle fellows employed by thofe worthy undertakers, to cajole men, women and children, to ferve as flaves in the plantati-' ens abroad. The old people being ignorant what man- ner to taka for their own advantage; rely intirely on the fair promife of the merchants, which delufions proved fa- tal to many of the unhappy victims, that were innoceiit- ]y led into captivity, much more infants from (ix years old to fourteen, that were not cajxible to contra^ for themfclv^, and were fent J without the confent or knowledge . '., 9* The tlft knowledge of nny/ one of their parents, ^'ho doubtlcii v^ould lartitnt their lofs, atid in all probability they couid imagine nothini;; ellc the matter^ but (bmc untimely end were the occadon, in feme unlucky place or other« where death h-i* cloR'd their eyes, und tin* fowls of the tir, or ilie fiflies of ihe fea, have concealed thoir car* cifes from the face of the earth* Thefe dreadful appro* henHons, we may well fuppofe, filled my relations with tears, when not knowing the condition their poor child was in. What heart ean even think of this, and be Unmoved with pity, to fee fi»ch monftcrs of impiety depriving pa* rents of the comfortable enjoyment of their children j by Iccuring them in the conceaKd places of the c*iiy, till fuch times they had ^n in their complemcrtr, defignedfor that vile and wicked purpoie, which myfclf, as well as others, have fufllMcd vcryconfiJcrably in, by the falfe and critical fchenies of politic traders, who for fomflf years bygone, cndi uvoured ro deceive the world, with their cunning inventions, but fome of them are now fallen ii^to the (hares of their own imag!nadons> anil no won* dcr, for the curfe of many followed their proceedings* To cany on their trade n\ore efle^unlly, 1 remember there were villains employed to cajole younir children^ by giving them a penny, or a half-penny, making them believe that they )vere then lifted, which infants were put into confinement, till fuch time as they got ihe oppo: * tunicy of fending them to the plantations in America, I. being one of tli-lc unhappy youths ft) treated, when irt the years of my infancy, not capable to contraft for my- felf, was lent off with many others, without the confent or knowledge of any of my relations. To fuhjoin to this account for the better underhand* ing and fatisfa^^ion of the inquifirive reader, I fhall on- ly fubrait myfelf to the following queries. I. Whether or no, this may not be called Kidnappings . whea I' i 1' O/* Peteh Williamson. ^f l^eti children are taken from their parents without their confeitt> in a (bteof infancy, and not|capablc to avouch for themfelvcs, at the fame time confined to prifbn, to conceal them from their friends. 2. If thefe their proceedings were according to 1aw> or agreeable to the inclination of the pcrfons fo imprifon<* ed, what needs there be any confinement in the cafe» when a perfon inlills himfclf into any fervice as a volun- ^teer, what occaflon is there to put him under any arbi- trary controul ; but my antagonills well knew the m* praj^icLvbiiity of children abiding to any obliaation extort^ ed on them, wherefore we were imprifoned on board of ffaips, and other places in the city convenient for that ufc, untit they had got in their complement, fuitabie for ihat defign. By this you may eafily fee the chriftlan difpofltiod of my adnrHiries, which they now boaft fo much of; to- gether with their many fair pcomifes, never after jjcr* formed to any, much ^'to infants deluded from their diftant places of abode, and fent as flares to the planrati* ons, where they ^re obliged to put up with the im{?ofition and arbitrary controul of their mailers, (bmc of which hayeas little regard to Chriflianiry, as the former .herein mentioned. To continue this narrative the more fuccin£i, for the edification of the reader ; it n»y not be improper to give you fome intelligence of th«r ufage is^n fold in the plantations^ as well as a cottciie account of the regar^ ^ merchants have to their promifcs to you, thedeceitfulnefe of their proceedings, has been fo detrimcatal to me, and otherS) that I hope this will be taken as a curious jiiece of information to the public, who have not concerned thcn> felves with any fuch erroneous |^rincn>lcs; and, to pre- vent my countrymen from fufTering the like hoflilitics for the future, I fliall with the greateft truth and alacri- ty, lay before you the whole circuraflanccs, that the cal^- requirci f» rhe LIFE leqtiires, which I am fure will be of a bfeneficral fervic^ to trade(men"and others, that h«ve a dcfire of pii filing their fortunes in the flonrifliing plantations in America, which Gcxl hath blelled with every thing fuitable to the natural fubfiftence of mankind. . But as you are fo blindly, and falfely informed, by ,thofe who would make yi>ur ignorance their gain, telling you many things that never will come to paf^. 1 will inforiTf you of llu:h« things as will be to yoiir advantage, which 1 can well teftify for truth. Hearken not to any that want to make you believe, that you can iivc in that country without work ; for every man mull endea- vour for his living there, as well as here; bur, an indu- ftrious perfon may foon and eafily obtain riches, op the account he receives fuch a great reward for his la- bour. ^ • This, with many other inftances compared together, will be fufficient to maintain my argument, as well a» to make my amagonifts afliamed of their behaviour to Hie ; in confequence whereof, I remember when in con- finement ^i Aberdeen in my infancy, with feveral other of my unhappy companions, as uncapable to know their fleftinatioA, as I myfclf, only the word palled among , us by our keepers, that yve were going to a country where we iliould be maintained like gentlemen ; and ride in our coaches, with feveral negroes to attend us ; bc- fides we fhould enjoy fome thoufands of acres of land as our own ; and in a Ihort time be able to come home to fee our friends, with great grandeur. Thofe falfe and artful infinuations diverted our fancies with the pleafing hopes of obtaining thefe promifes ; and being but a parcel of infants, loofed our thoughts from our relati- ons, expelling the things that never were deGgiied for 119. , ^ ' ^'']-'^'vr' Th^ good intentions of their humanity to us,'! fbal] hcfeofterdefcribc^ for the benefit of the publiC; as beli^g % * ^ '^. ■ '' -'^ L 1 CcTY'iCff pull ling America, te to the led, by , telling 1 will vantage, >t to any live in l endea- an indu- :hes, op r his hn" • ogethcr, i well as viour to in cpn- al other ow their among country and ride us; bc- land as lome to aife and pleafing but a r relati- ned for ^Ifhall as beiSg Of Peter Williamson, 99 lAatter of incontcftable truth, by the ftrongeft proofs any propofition can polTibly admit of; and as 1 think we are ali fenfible alike, thai thedeceiifulnefsof fome men are longer of being manifc(ted to the eye of the world than others, although their erroneous principles arcdeter- mined to abftra^ from their neighbour's prolpcrity, to maintain their own pride. , Thefe roafons, I /Iiy, will induce me to give you fome further account of the merchant's behaviour to us when landed in America, in order that my countrymen may avoid the like circumOances for the future ; all tiic concern they had to fulfil their proinifes, was only till fiich times they had got the quickeft opportunity 10 dil^ ' pofe of us to the planters, fome of which, would buy ten, tome twenty; and drive us through the country, like a parcel of fhecp to the flaughtcr, expofing of us for (ale, m all public fairs and markets, as brute beafts. Thus trieated, and abufed by our own neighbours, by what rea- fon can we expeft better ufage fronuhefeour new maflers. But luckily as it happen'd for me, 1 fell into the hands of my oivn countiyinan, who ufed me in a tender man- lier, contrary to many other?, to one- in my condition. In this place, ther- is no thanks due to Kidnappers, for if the devil came in the ihapeof a man to them, with mo- ney in his hands, it would be accepted, as well as of the honefteft man in the world ; for their confciences might equally the fame allow them to commit murder on the high road, to maintain their grandeur, as to be guilty of cajoling children from their parents, who doubtlefs would caufe their troubled father and mother to accomphfh , their (brrow within the grave many years fooner than probably they would have done, btcaufe of the angaijfli ajid j!;r!ef, they muft naturally have for the lofs of their cJ?iIdr(in, which may very properly be termed, Murder i^qnccaled; when after fo many fair and deceitful dclulion^, 4e children fent oS^and fold, fometimes to cruel maflers, ^ I 11 O whofe ifiro . ne LIFE Whofe. tit treatment, obliges them oftentimes to elope, to avoid flaVcry, and as there is no probability of making their ejcaj^, as they are always taken and brought back, and for every day they arc away from their malter, they ferve a w€ek» s»nd for every week a month, and for eve- ry month a year. Bcfides obliged to pay all cofts and charges that is advertifed for apprehending ihem, which will commonly bring him in a Have for four or five years longer at leaft. This dreadful arbitrary coniroul, often oc- caiions the unhappy victims, to put an end to their own mi(erable lives, which inflances of the kind has many times covered the earth with only the melancholy fpec- tacle pf a deluded foul, wlio h^s iiifTered in a manner the ntofl deplorably cruel that human malice could invent. In the next place, the planters are of an idle difpofiiion, noi-caring to fatigue them (elves with much hard work. But'as fbon as they can raife ?oor 30I. they will buy fer» vantsfrom the European merchants, thefe they will make jlaves for four or five years, and fome for feven years, jn which they are put to the woods, and obliged to per- Ibrm fuch a quantity of work every day, or elfe they are feverely puniihed by thein inaftcrs, who review their la- bour at night. „ . The fervant, whatfbcvef "ivrong is impofcd upon him, fdare not vindicate himfelf for fear of offending his maf- fer, whpfe evil temper mvift always be humoured, elfe there is nothing to be had of him bnt ftrpl^es and blows. This is commonly the praf^ice throt^hour the different governments \a\4menca, and eipcciliAly \ti^^aryland, where our merchants here, that follow tlia? execrable btnmch of buiinefs, would much rather fupply |^^ place, ti!rt%|iny. other province on the continent, b6Qi||fo they ^tfr^r for tobacco, and in that comnnodity tliey |^ great j^ro^t, in tranfportirg of it to England, where they will .Wp»fc<5 about 50 fer centmtf as the price of it thire,. is ' rotl for] mo nai'l vcrj are I Sopc, to making !n back, sr, they for evc- >ns and I, which ve years fcen oc- eir own IS many ily rpec- nner the invent. poHtion, rd work, buy fer- ill make n years, to per- they are their la- on him, lis ma(^ ;d, elfe blows. fTerent ryland, ecrahle place, fo they ^c great ey will tore, i& O/" Peter WiLLtAMsoN. roi rot exceeding one penny /i^r |Jouad, to tlibfe that agree for '.arp,e quantities. * In ihe pext place, you will find Maryland inhabited moMly hy convifts, that luve been banifhed from their naiive couany for mirdeniqanors, fome of whom become very expert io trading v/irh tobacco, arid oftentimes jire ab-e to ccniracl with their correfpofidents in Europe, to fend rhoiTi over men, women and children, which are . very ufcful to labour amongft this article that the coun- try mofily produces. But the fallacious promifes of your undemtkers here, are (b pernicious to the good of thoft whom they deceive, that it often, as 1 faid before, proves tlieir utter deftru^ion ; for ignorant people when they indent themfelves for four or five years to fcrve in the plaiiU'.tions, imsgine they will have gre^t wages, to be paid to them every year, as it is in their ownVpun- try. I make no queflian but there is policy eiwugh ufed to induce you to believe fb, but there is no fuch inter- tainment in any part of America, for you muft ferve your indented time, agreeable to the laws of the coun- try, without having any thing allowed you, but accord- ing to the difcretion of your mafters ; which you may depend will be no more than cloaths infufficient to co- icr your naked nefs. Befides, you that indent yourfelveS in the aforefaid manner, labour under a great difadvantage> for the coun- try is of opinion, that when men or women, are come to the yoiirs of maturity, they will not tranfport thipm- felvcs as flaves for -any number of years, uuhfs they be guilty of fi)me wicked crime or other ; for they arc lopk-* ed upon, to be in the fame roll with convifts, who in'* dent themfelves in the fame manner as you, in order to prevent difcovering their roguery. The country have been fo much impofcd upon by the laft mentioned, that honcft people have fuffered con» fid^rably, both in pcrfon and eflutc, by allowing thefct ■ , villains^ 1 %9t The'LlF E villains, to be evidences for themfclves and againll others; but a Hop lias been put to this Ibmc time ago, that none of them who come over in the indented way, will be allowed this privilege, cithef for themielves, or againft their neighbours, without they have along with them a legal certificate from the place of their nativity, iigned and attefled by proper authority there; fignifying that be, or they, came of hbnell parents, and that it was not for any diflioneft thing they left them j this be- ing approved of and recorded in the court of juftice, the perfbns bath will then be deemed lawful ; but you often negleft thi$ material point, hearkening to your falfc prophets, who wobld deceive the very elc£^, if polTible, to gain their own ends ; making you believe, the place of yo|if deftination flows witji milk and' honey ; all this I will allow may be had in America in great plenty, with an honert endeavour; but firlt, You will find, that out of the fvvect will come forth bitter. Inftead of receiv- ing what was promiled to you here, as foon as you ar- rive there, you will be fold for four years, of, if under age, for (even years, to any planter that will purchafe you frbm the merchants, who will put you to hard work, without being allowed to leave your mafler's premifcs, during your indented rime, without his order in writing ; of die you will be taken up as a deferter, and punifhed according to the cullom of the country. All this trou- ble you bring on yourfelves for only the finglc paflage bver, which favour, you might readily obtain of any captain for about three pounds, or fometimes lefs, and then you will be your own matters, and need not be controled by any. Bcfides, you are looked upoh as gcmlemen, and may follow^ all lawful imployments whai^ever, which you are always fure of meeting wirh on youT* arfival in America, where you will find a great deal of odds between an indented fervant and a free fcan, io fo mueli, that an induftrious perfon may, ia ^ four Of Peter Williamson. IPj againll ne ago, ed way, Ives, or ng with lativity, rnifying I that ic this be- juftice, [)iu you >i1r faife :)o(rible, le pface all this ty, with ;har out rcceiv- you ar- F under urchafe I work, eroifes, siting ; iniihed s trou- 7a(Iage )f any s, and not be ^oh as ments g wirh great lour- four years time clear 200/. Aerling. Likewife, tl in the plantaikms are very fevere againft indented fcr- yants, nr(^ occaiioned by the many c6nvi£h (ent from Great Britain ^ &c. Which was rightly judged, that fuch felionious perfons fliould be bound to flav< ry for a certain number of years, and thp laws of the country made fuitable to their anions, or elfe in a little time there would have been no living for honeft people. The profit of this practice has been. fb well experienced by ibme at home, that men, women and children have been led into captivity, withodt apprehending the confequence \ thereof, equally the fame as the others before-menti- oned, on pretence of giving th6m great reward. From what I have already faid, you may have a true idea of the defign of indented fervancs, although there might have been much more enlarged on the fubje^V; but as time and place will not permit, I ihall beg 'leave from relating any thing further on the afiair, but only obferving the prefent opportunity that young men have fp pufii their fortunes, by going to America in an honour- able way, both to their own advantage, and for the good of their king and country ; and as the Britijb troops are now in a fair way of fubduing our enemies in that prt of the world, which 1 hope, with good condu^, the next campaign, to fee a compleai conqueft oyer French Canada. It being a fine and plentiful fettle- ment, pleafantly fituaced on the river of St. Laurence, w^here there is land enough cleared, to fubfift near twen- ty thoufand families, if properly cultivated ; and every one that now lifts in the Highland regiments, is all moft fqre of malting their fortunes, bendes, great refpe^k is fhown to fbldiers there, the country finding them proviHons gratis^ and likewife their pay runiiing^ony whi:h they receive every months and fome re^lents are paid once a week. In Jliorj, your encouragement is of fuch a beneficial '' ^ nature. t 1 If ■•■.'« 104 The LIFE tia.tare« that you abfolutejy ftand /in your own W^ht ih fefufeit; for a foldier will fav divine Being, but, for want of the knoVic^^^dfeVrrifl, C/^f-/ V\ ■ - / ' ' ■' they the the! ■■.-JAt ■:■■■■■ fm. liglit to j^ear \n I. at this f great gilts of • iniongft laufe of ir heacfs :8 think ; to rife \ Deity^* )r whcti liable to , wonlii lir limbs ned for 'or they |ite peo- ure be- ' >d Man, Moun- hivs life, bring is ihe \iok and ;ht for licion to Of Peter Williamsou. 10.^ tHcy_ fuppofe that they will inhabit a future ftate with the lame body» under the fame inconveniendes atid de<» ie6ls they now have on earth. Although (brae part of America is inhabited by ftva* ges, yet that need not give you any trouble in going there to ferve your king apd country, for there is. teit that call themfelves Chrillians to one of the natives, and if ihe French were but conquered in thefe parts of the globe, the Indians would never molleft you, which is rtow eafily in our power to fubdue Canada before Au* As Lmiij^g is in our podelTion, the key of their country,'^^^^;e^ >plans might fbon be concluded; uport to mvzdt^k^da early in the fpring, and without doubt tnake ourielves majflers of it. Firjl, To divide our forces into three diviil6ns» lA order to (eparate the enemy ; then proceed in aAion> iii the manner following ; I^or ten men of war, with aS many thoufand troops Co \mhzrkat Cape*Breton about the latter end of April, with all neceflary implements for carrying on a fiege agairtft Quehect one of the principal towns the Frencfj have in America, and is now lying op^n to our armed (hips ; which, if they arrive in the fiver of St. Laurence, early in the fpring with the fore- iaid forces, they will undoubted alarm the enemy, and oblige Monfieur de Montcalm to attepd with all his ar- my to watch our motions in landing the troops in their territories, this expedition ought to be Carried on with a piicautious concern ; yet, at the fame time giving the /^. I enemy an expectation of a daily apprtmch, when, on the. rjiig off In o^her hand they are procuring for themfelves a longcf le them I delay, in order for the better advantage of the two di- heya^^ I vifions beforc^mentloned : for, if the fleet, give proper Ifricncls I alarms to the enemy, it will bring the major part of their ievf ih i forces from CV(?w«-/>c/«^, neither would it be neceflary [eVrrift, I *o Isu^d the troops for a confiderabk thne, except we arc they B .^'-^t ■ P ■ fure I :;! .11 i i ' :H '' V i ■5 . « t 106 J:.f%e' LIFE Aire of keeping the field, and if you are obliged to re* tr^t, there is not much danger, becaufe.you maybe protefted under the fire of the flii|^. Secondly i The (econd divifion at Albany, confiding of ten thoufand men, for carrying this plan into execu-« ^ion, ought to be on their march for Crown'point about the tenth of *ApriI, and by raking of this fort we have a fine and open communicatibil from thence to the heart o£ Canada, which in three days time the whole army may march to Montreal, or in fix to. Quebec, T'birdiy, The third divifion, confiding of ten thou^ fand men, Ihould be' on their march about the fame time with the fecond divifion, for fort Frontenac, that lie» North ofOJxvego, on the head of St. Laurence ; by tak- ing this garrifon, it iuts off the communication of the French from the Ohio, as well as retaking all our vef^ fels loft at Ofwego ; then, on the furrendering of the place, which yi'ill in conlequeincc fall into our hands, if we only go and demand it ; from thence our troops may proceed to Montreal with a great deal of eafe, down the river of St. Laurence in the batteaux, where they may arrive in about four.days. ^ .But I muft in this place obferve to you, that there id a fmall fort on the fame river in your way, about fixty iniles below Frontenac, it is made of ftoccades with four block-houfes, one in each corner, mounted with a few fmall fwivel guns: there is alfo on the North-eaft iide of it, two large barracks, that by computation may tiold about five hundred men each; but the fortification appeared to ine of fb little ftrength, that I think it will give you no refiftance; it being pnly a magazine and .itore-houfe for the French troops on their road to the OiU: from thence there is nothing elfe to difturb you, till arrived at Montreal \ this town is fiirrounded w'ith a ftone w&ll, about three feet thick, and in the middle of the dty there is a piece of rifihg ground, whereon is 'a forti- Of PfiTER, Williamson. ;d xo ire- may be onfiding 5 execu-» nt about we have he heart lie army en thoiH ime time that Jie» by lak- n of the our ?er- T of the lands, if )(»ps may e, down ere they there ia out (ixty es with d with a Dith-eaft ioii may ification k it wilt zine and to the rb yoiiy d vvith a iddle of forti- 107 town fortification, with eight fix pounders in it. T feems to be of no condition to fiand a fiegc, againfl 9ny fttch number of forces before-mentioned, fo that it mull in a few days, fail into our hands. Likewile, in the mean time, if there were fuccefs ob* tained at Crown-pointy the mo(t of that army might •march into Canada, and join the troo}>s at Montreal or when- the fort is regularly befieged, five fhoufand men is fuliicient to keep them in a6lion, when the others might be feparated, if occafion required them at QxieheCf which you may depend, that the timely arrival of our- fleet, in the river of St. Laurence, would oblige all the French regulars to abide there. To let you know, this is one of the (Irongeft fortifi- ed places in Canada, and will, no doubt, make great re- iidance againfl its enemies. It is atfo furrounded on the land fide, by a (Irong (lone wall, between 20 and 30 foot high, and by computation near as broad, with places on the ramparts to mount about an hundred cannon.; all of which were making ready with the greateft expe- dition, to be fixed, when I left the country. The moft part of the town is undermined ; but the only beft and eafieft way to befiege it, is, to ereft a fortification on the upfide of the river, antl demolrlh iheir water bat- tery, which will then give our men of war an opportu- nity of coming up along the fide of the Wharf, as all the heavy artillery and ftrength of the place lies on the South-fide of the town, their principal magazine is on an eminence of ground, to the South-eaft fide of the city, a- bout two hundred yards difknce from the walls; which is ftrongly fortified on every fide, as well as having a com- • .munication under ground, from thence, to themicdle cf tlie ctadel; but 1 further obferved, that it had little or no command on the fhipping. With fuch like plans, and i:egular difcipline obferved, the moft part of the three divifiojM might befiege it in form 'and, ia a fliort time " Pa make i ■'''. .•' I '^i ^..■: ■ n* LIFE . . ^Duake themfelvcs mafters of it, which wonW intircly put ih end to tlic war ia uimerica, and the Britijh fofdicrs "be handfoitieiy rewarded for their labour, with the Jan'ds nod tenenqiehts of the enemy, as none have more right 'for the poflefliion, than thofe that venture their lives to purchafc it ; and thofe who go in the Highland regiments, are fure of making i\\^\t fortunes, perhaps, without ever , drawing their fwords, for, if we continue a war about two years longer, Canada will in courfe fall into our hands, as it can in no wife maintain itfclf, and the troops tteit are now in it, without the alFiftance of Old- France^ our naval force being far fuperior to theirs. • By keep- ing, a fleet in the river of St. Laurence^ and another in 'i^t.Mifflfflppi y'yycr, vhich will ifttirely cut off the com- mtinication of the eno.my from having any connexion in North-America* But as the fize of this Ihort hiflory will not permit me to enlarge any farther, I therefore Ihall conclude with the detail of rpy own affairs at Mcrdeen, the 2i^th oijune^ 1758* ^he True State of the Cafe between the Author, and the Merchants ^Aberdeen, in relation to the id, 3d and 4th pa^es of this Book, tXJith a view of ll\owing, that the fltcngtb and rich* ^^ es of Oreat'Britain, are clofely conneded with the flouri/hing ftate of our colonies abroad, I publifhed this treatife, containing, A plain narrative of the favage ConduA of out foes in that quarter of the globe, defcrib- ing what I felt, and what 1 was an eye-witnefs of; but lieithcr the Orange viciffitudes of my own fortur;e, che^ quer'd with uncommon calamities, nor the good intenti^- on of my performance, could proteft me from the rc- ftotrnw Qt the 7)ean of Guilds and fome merchants of' Vi of Aherdeen, near the place of my nativity* where I was gone in qncft of my rclatioiri: ».Bccaufo m the intro- duftion of my little work; 1 had told, how at eight yean of nge 1 was fcized when amufing myfclf oft tlie key jof •that lea-port town, hurried on ftiip-board, atid fold for A flave. Hard fate to differ this ! Harder ftill to be pro fecutcd for telling the interefting talel I faid fuch was for fome year's the praftice of the traders there ; be that as it will, 1 named npne, I am fure of my own misfortunes, and that of feveral other uhhappy boys, unwarrantably carried off in the fame (hip, andf with my- felf left to peri(h, when the (hip ftruclc aground on the coaft of America. 1 am notfkiiful enough to (ay, whe- ther it was an infringement of the liberty of tlie prefs/ to imprifon me for publilliing what 1 had fo much r^as fon to believe ; but muft lament that the dread of con- finement (before I had found out any of my friends, «nd after upwards of 350 of my books, the only imme- diate means of my fupport, were (eiz'd) (hould induce me to (ign a piiper prefented to me (ditelaiming 2 or 3 pages of my .book) which has been fince Carefully itvfert- ed in the Aberdeen yournali And it isfubmitted tothe judgment of every impartial perfon, whether or no the thoughts of being detained prifoner, without the bene(it of bail, by fuch a powerful party as I had to deal with at Aberdeen, might not be the fole motive for (igning any paper they tenderM to fne, in order to procure my enjargment, efpecially as I had not then made out my kindred, nor could confequently provfp the identity of my perfon. That the paper or letter faid to be given to thi^ni W|Hl': * piece of their own making, is manifed; for admittli^4 (though altogether denying, that I ever gave in iny fuca paper) it is abfurd to imagine that I wontd have dedred, the feme to be publifhed at York, where my books were l^iatcd^i. No, any unprejudiced man can cafily fee t^| "^ ' :fl 3r' «•■' rh fe^y^* tio Tki LIFE the faitie was only the produAion of their ill-will, aifid calculated to wipe off the reproach J had fo jufVly brand- ed them with. However, as fbon as 1 had my libcrcy, I w«nt in qiidi of my relations, found fomcof them m the fame county, and got the attedations of fbme, and the affidavit of others, proving 1 was the pcrfon, and had been taken away as rcprefente4,in the ad, jd, and ^th pages of my work, before one of his majefty's chief juftices of the peace, for the county of ^bercfeen, who certifies the truth thereof in jnanner under-written. But in this place, I mud recount, that my intention is not toimputc this fcandaluuspra£^lcecalPd Kidftapping, CO the charge of the whole town of Aberdeen ; but to fuch perfons as have actually been guilty of it, and thofe that are now concerned in-jvofecuting me, for intimating I was flolen from that town; and as I can make it appear, that I was taken away, when not in the capacity to go of myfelf, (to the contrary) if any in the city of Merdeen, think themfelf cs injured by me laying Kidnappingto their ^harge, let them, or any of them, make it appear, that jny' parents fpU me, or that I went off by the confent of arty of my relations, (if fo) I /hall make them all tliefa- tisfa^ion I am able; but if fuch a thing was polTiblefor my kindred to difpofe of me to the merchams, certainly my adverfaries would have had it oh record, and publiih'd It againd me1>efore this time, which if they do not prove, .bnc fliould think, 1 ought to have reftituiion for my boc^ and money they uniawfully took from me; and was de- termined to ufe me worfc than did the very favages them- Ives, had it not ]b.een for the goodnefs of Sir ^rcbd. f baronet> who examined proper witneHes fulficrent inaintain the truth of my being carried off from ^ber* *j3i?^», as reprelented by me. Jt Monj vBart pounty, f hnericat ill in the tharged, a( under his I ibereof: i threatened native of i avhich roig l^ends ill j)e(& mighl |o prepare |the proper • juftice o honeft pai that he wa For the iner^l Sine pev. Wilt ly, narrati fter, and diere; hi vered me eraiget El of Findra both of tl tioned in his broth( unexcepti land regii cftateof i Peter hav try, all ol tbey neve iaformedj I •% Cy PEtEi WiLLIAMSOJ*. jk p -y ^ ■ - •' Thi fi^ltwing it the A/tefiathtt, vinJicatinj^ the Truth «/PEtil, Williamson, tk* Author ^ his heittg carried off from Abcr- ileen; taken before Sir Archibald Grant, e/ Monymulk, Bart. Jajfice yf the Peace, after he nuat releafedfrom Prifon, At Monymufk-houfe, in the County ^Aberdeen, July 3* 1758. COMPEARED befor?, me, Sir /frchihald Crant of Monymu/kp Bart, one of hit majefty's jufliccs of the peace for the fold riounty, Peter Williamfont late of the province o( Penflyvaniat irt MMerica^ and fome time • fofdier in the king'i fcrvice there, and Ikft in the king royal regiment of Scots ; from which he was dif- llbarged, as appears by his difcharce from general Sir James Sinclair, Wder his hand and leal, which he produced to me» for veriiicationr ibereof: And reprefeuted, that vrhrreas fume malicious perfons had threatened to diflurb him as a vagrant, aliedging that he was not4^ native of this country, nor had any relations, or connexions in it ; which might prove inconvei>ient to hiro, whilft he remained with hit ^ends iii this country ; as alfo in other countries, where his bud- jie(& might reqwre him to go ; be inxcnding to return to England, |o prepare for, and get his palTage back to Penfylmnia, where he ha* ^c property of fomc land ; from which he was taken by the btdians In t7f 4 : And therefore defired that he might have a certificate from a juftice of the peace, of the place of his nativity,- being df^fzended of bone(( parents, i>ppn his producing proper evidences thereof, and that he was reputed a man againft whom there was no leg^l objedlionf* For the veriiicution of the above, bcfides the difcharge /rom ge- neral Sinclair above-mentioned, he produced 4- certificate from the |](ev. William Forjyth^ miniller of the parifli of Aboyne^ in this couii-^ ^ty» narrating the time of his birth, extracted from that parifh regi- "fter, and of his being defcended of honed parents, menttooed. > Smnc;of %6rai dther gctitiemru^ and |fttblb|iedp}e1n tbi9i<^^^ S^i Tiii|fi»tidn o^iir^ it: !drtap))fd,»t(i be wW, -iv* hk\ , . HF^!ei!.wheii,hewa»yo^ng, leaving a n^ftoOB f^l feliE^sw^^^ inferit^etl, thto there h^d b^c*a|»a^jjra(i^| Iflpfe life «d^^ tafeWcaivjw young bdjrsSvhio iwei^libt wisi^kcii lil«lfeJh^g tht;ni KjV mv«, itiucb^aboitt the time t^bffart.\vili;^i^ jgood iifage dn^ encout^grtiKcrtlrd^ aill iQUl]{|ttqj^ji ioi'liis fii^ :^, /- •> ' 5? ajncltffclarc^ vhflit th«tbe<»r«r hereof, PeUrWilii% vfiho^itms WmiamjjiH vn Hirnleyj iti the patifh o| ^J^:$^:^i^^'^'^p^.^!>«tjfkeni Sor/S- Bt'H^^vJi » native vfeS pa* fe^|^^1^|%^f v<^y honefi ^?«lre|>vitfeic parents, >ho tf^'M ^SJiMi^iql^'*^^ teji year* 6f age, He f^fUhb place,, ^l|pj<£l|j^(£tcrj and oif a profoilfing di(fK>itti6ny aftd thM ibcr?^ ■ s'l^tbn kho#j|i thca to u}^), w]iy h< mi^lit hojt haycttifct with.* pjT encnflr«f»ettocnfj and be admitted into any CfirUilan focic* 9^Cvf^'mM* |>rovidcnccpf4c«;«»l h»«-iot,t^ii^ |Jf^' t|5ri» J3**^y'of 7«w, ijjS'yeairii, ami in niai^ and by kspt oft^ie'lclrkrlciGtiim of the muted parifhes afi^ne and |e;^PSiSw!»?^riMtteMl«ntrfMbfcribc4>y .« ?%'^^C ' ^' '^ .Mtl.1. FORSYTH, m\m, :*,'Sfc # "■■'*' ' dr f-N i,:.s; ■\ 1 :< -J u . »■>* ^'^/^ 'i.' ». ^% .4 w-J jafe jjrac. p.b^ardr eat JTpfird ;y. BaTi f fed pa* fO, when lb place ,v fiit with| Sn focic*i y' and by |y Wtf and ' /, M'nr. I