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WHO WAS CAR&IED OFi^ FROM ABERDES XliFAMCI^ A«ID SOLD FOR A SLAVE ^^^|5 CQNTAINlKOy The Hiftory of i^e ^Mll^or's fiirprifiiig, ^Ycntin^ |f|^; North Am erica j kis Captivity amoiifl^Jiellin^^^ and Manner of his Efeape ; the Ciiftoii^i|i^^^|^p|f^|^^^ of the Sawiges ; Milltwy Operations in tt4^|^pfii^|?^^^ ^tUall^ripUoaof the Bntiihi Settlement%|E^ (|/^ Acceiiiit of tHe ProeeodUii^ ofthd^ltfvgiftnttesaf . ' sigainfthim, oa his f(«tiira to Scottiild • a brief H^loif||^j Procefsagaiiiil^them befove tbe QaaxX of Seifioa{ •a4»%iiy|i 0tflert«tion oa IlKiirN avpi A o. \ 4 h-: 'tt.. I EDINBURGH: :^v|i-tli«Mt'«»'pOI!L AND 80tl> BYTHS lK)0M»*«Ml*^9^^'v^^-^'^ aiAGCJCOI^» \& ■■ l)>-<- -m ,:>..;!' ia-« ■•■.■1,1, ■•is ?*yU :j;.. V...-,. :' ••■i). *»«-■^^ :r«F '■foiafMia ■r ^'l- ■m. i , I 'U: *'% :.^0)JiK'r • J.. •;n-ts^- ; t r • z*" .{'•,.< *"» ^C^ rV'C|r T" '■'>,riii\0... ; ji.^UfJf'jSk.**' ' '.^'•i'ff*' ^- f'.Ki?|i:^..f^ J,- ,w Sail #.^' -'v,- '., nW*' ^ '^ jii (^V <« « ■"I'A i*'A '4^r'^'i^< " ■''■^T- '■^''"f ■'■'''■■ i 5 .4. f » *',L^jjji;«(:diK->'ii^ Y^H ^c,' r :■#l:/vor■tl;^t.»J^^■ m .4 " , . V, * >TW'' ' «•*<" KKV li -I - r '., ui- « ?3r. 'SSf: Tjt » > ■ » ' 3PBa*pa=*asj(afc: CONTENTS. MM •i,''^''^ .«i,u. •-^f- ■■^- J. Trench and Indiaa Cruelty.. ■ ■ - __ .1. THE Aatfior's birth, and maTmer ol his beiog^ kidnapped at Ab<;rdecn - - j^ Ht arrives ofF the c6aft of Amtrtcai and h fliip^ ■[ • wrecked at Cape May . - - - ; l*?^ S(fld at Phiiadelpiiia to a planter • - \^ Pdcn'ptiori of the city of Philadcrphia - - t^ His inaifiage' and iettlement in a plantation His h»ufe burnt by the Indians | and • J:i Himfelf carried off by theiR - . . > i^ The criid treatment he fpffcred wh3c among the ^ij'^^; favages' • - - - < ' *^* The Ihdcking maffacre of Jacob Snider axi^Wf mily - - Oih^r inftances of the barbarity of the Jm^i^ Dlbfcripcion of their drefsy and difpofitfona ^ The author meditates liis efcape; and , • .' Accomplifhes it,' at the rlik of his life - His manner of traveHlng and concealing hm^H His arrival at the houfe of John Bellf who tld(f^ for an^-Indiaii, and' ^reat^ni to Ihoot hini -. ,ii>sH.i>i a;^ Kind recepttbn among hi|i wife^s friends • , v * ^ft ^?: :: 4 Examination before GovernOjMorrir , ^■■''i:'r'i:^'^^"''^:^ Enters a volunteer in Shirieyftf regiment , - . "^ ^1 KKs arrival at Botlon, and a defcriptipn of it Jorfeph lyong, Jifq. with W houfe iad fervarit'^^&sttAirt^'? v%the-Indian» -^^ ' -• H^r^#r.\A.v: -f ftgs (on and daughter cwried offt^'theni' '^^5?^%^ 1^8 Crawford, Efq, hi? expedition foiJ^lihl;'^*^^ * ;^Mifs Long w - - - : ^h ^'- ■ ' *. , *A a tf. ^. >€> ^^V' :^'^ 1? CONTENTS. / ,2- 1 "^ The deplorable condition in which (he was found Fifty of the favages killed and fcalped - - The youi:g lady's account uf the maifacre o£ her brother - - ... Mift Long married to her deliverer March of the forces for Ofwego , - - Account of the different nations of the Indians Their education, mannerSf religion, &c. - Preparations for defending Ofwego The Author^s danger in a batteau anlbng the catara£ls $6 Mutiny of the foldiers for want of provilions and pay 57 General Braddock's deJFeat, and naifcondu^ in that ^ expedition - - -; Arrival of 300Q French in Canada ■Pffcription of New York Fre/h incurfions and devaltations of the favages Many inftances of their diabolical cruelty Scarooyada's fpeech to the Affembly The Author goes on an expedition againfl the Indians 6j Peftnce againft the favages in Kennorton-head \ church , - - . >jPi>ih through the Indians and retire with lofs ^Keitlfdrcejd by Gen. Frankland from Philadelphia ^ i^urther outrages by the favages, in which George ** . 43 45 46 47 48 49 59 60 61. 6a 64 68 69 y^ Hunter^ E(q. and 16 of his family are burnt " 70 Col. Arni^ronff's^xpedition againft them - 73 fSxpt* jtacobs^ cnia bf the Delawares, and fquaw j^illed $. lli^ut* Hogg's bravery - - J»' - tk %ib Author wounded at the Great Carry ing»^ce ; 75 ijkliliali^ with a body of Indians near Ofwego 77 ^'lll) IriAimapi. fcalped when drunk, yet. recovered iB, X /^Piic French difcovered coming to attack Ofwego 8 a l^rencheff bpened befpre Fort Ontario - - 83 Thfe fort abandoned by the 'Englifli - - 84 j^rtparations to attack the Old Fort - - ^85 'the brave Colonel Mercer killed - - 86 i3urrender of the fort and garrifpn, with the articles 87 {^rudty of the Indians on that occafion ^e l!of the lofs of OtwtgQ ^ • ^■. 88 89. 17 I T- tr4' ♦ «v . CONTENTS^ -t 43 I Ml fuir account of the Indisini,. their manifer ef «^« I Hving, fighting, &c. • - 93 Advantage of the £ngli(h in maintaining friendfhip with them - - - 97 Their compkiints againd the fraudulent dealings of the traders - . - - 98 Methods fuggefted for removing thefe complaints 109 H. Acpount of the Briti(b Settlements in <, North America. iOeicription of New-England, \i^ folli produc£» , /^rade,. &c. - . - ^« II i ". of New- York, ^c. • . . of Penfylvaniii, &C» .y - of Maryland, 6cc. of Virginia, &iC. ♦• - ^ of Carolina, 6cc. -v. ofNpvafSfiofci^i^Ci r of Canada, &c. ids- IP9^ . . - J N l?he embarkation at.Quebec for England . IQ. A Difcourfe on Eidnappkngf* The Aiithor'8 arrival at Aber^^en in;^tteft 'of^hia^^f :^il' relations - ' - - /'i . ati* l^rofecutidn of the Magiftrates agailift hini - -^ r; -^^ -Uf* ' Hi^ books fpized and burnt hy the Hsuigmsil ' /J m%. The Magift|at» j«dge b t M# ', Improbability that they cpjUd be. rgfi^rkM ^|he:; ^^ •praaicfi of Kidnapping ^ ^ f;l^*'^rI5ii^j^ : teroof of that practice by a doud df "^l?!^!^ H^ D^ofitionof Alexander Ring - T' "^^^ i^ ■^ ^ofTphnWOfott - -y^ -'^ ' -^iv i^Ji-- 'of ferapiiis' BVafen JEiq. ^"^ ^H- ij^ ;i:^i UiJ^-i- <,f 'RbWrt. Reid^ ''^^t XU^'''^'4>^ ^_^ of Ifabel Wliibji ' Is^'' " - if' i. I ^ ^Msrgaxet Refd ^ - A3 ^'V/ ■-■**. ^'-V fl It ^ tl. ' CONTENTS. Dcpofition of George Johnfton - -. ■ of Alexander Gngerfon ■ of Margaret Rofs - • • ' of William Jamiefon • - . —— — of George X.eflie • • ' of Chriftian Finlater - • M l . ., of Robert Brand - - . I of George Mackie - - I of James Rattray . ' of George Garioch - - • — — — of Alexander Gordon - - - , of Alexander Gray - * of Helen Law -/ ' ■ of James Robertfon - ■* ■ of James S^ith * - • • ■■ ' '« of Walter Uochran - - :" - ' I I . I of William GtbTon - - - - •of John Dickfon IVickednefB of tke pra^ice of Kidnapping expofe4 Queries concerning the lawfiilnefs of it Account of the various (Iratagems ufed to inveigle V thildr^n - - - - ' 'The manner of difpofing of them abroad The'ufage they receive from the planters ^B'ad character of thofe who voluntarily indent them- f^ves - - - - Advantages Which artificers, 5cc. * may reap in fet- tling, there ^.* - - 119 '120 121 124 •!?. 128 , '^. 129 150 132 135 136 i 140 141 142 143 144 145 14^ 11?* Hiftpf y of the Procefs between the Author and Magiftrates of Aberdeen. I^ftitution and authority of Magiftrates . . - X47 Irnegular ity oip their proceedi ngs - ^ -•_ 1 48 The Aut1}or applied for redrefs ' - - 149 ;)|iterlocutor of the Court of Seilion - - J^p jl^tter from two of the Bailies of Aberdeen 1 ill i!(I^p|HAe(8 of a country where law and ^i^^ice|Nr6V4di jt^ ^ Defigh of publiihing this narrative ^vf > -^ iJ^lfUfsuiUjr de£cr^tiQii s^tiie ^iuiTpin^|p$^ fi- ■..♦it ...--•' J / ' -'"' - fj • I. «g. i^i^-^y ~JS. ■■.pV:^., A\v:. ■^ FRtNCH AND INDIAN CRUELTT, /^' * THE reader is not here to expe£l a large anil ufelefs detftil of the tranfa£bions of late years^ in that part of the world, where, ever fince m/ infancy, it has been my misfortune to have live4#. Was it in my power^ in4^ed, to fet off with pompous didtipn, and embcllifh with artificial de* fcriptions, what has fo ehgrofTed the attention jpl Europe, as well as the fcenesof a£lion Ibr (bip^ years paft, perhaps I might ; but my pf)or pe^ig being wholly unfit for fuch a tafk, and never otnei^ wife employ(fd than juil for my own aiffairs ^n^ >i mufen^ent,. ^yhile I had the pleafure of livipc' ti^tiji quil and undrArbed, I muil beg leave to deiiA ffiip^ Aich an attempts and, if fuch isexpe^od ^m^ mei^claim the indulgence of that pardon which tit never refufed to thole incapacitated of |>i, '' . ■'•.■c3k A. ?- .^'^^= ■,t-.vi ff . THE LIFE or my narrative from the informations I hafvc rcccivj^ ed of flich things as relate to my defign» thoiigh> Aey have not been done or tranfa^led Iri^rily pfCV fence. It being ufual in narratives like this, to give v (bort account af the Aaitbor*s birth, education, an4 jtiveniie exploits, the fame being looked upon ab' ncccirary,.or at le^ll a fatisfadlory piece of informa- tion to the curious and inquifuive reader; I (hall,, without boafting of a family I am no way entitled. tb, or fecotmting adventures in my youth to whicA. I was entirely a ftranger, in a (hort manner gra- tify fttch curiofity ; not expedting, as I faid be-i- forei to be admired for that elegance of Hyle, and. |»to^(k)n of words, fo univerfally m^ide ufe of in details and hiftories of thofe adventurers, who hsvt iti late years dbliged the world with their aneodiot^^ ft|id memoirfi i and which have had fcarce any other dtiftence than in the brains of a bookleiierV or pHn* tint's- Garreteers who, fr^m fewer incidents; and Ms furprifing matter, than will be found' in thi^ ^6tt narrative, have been, and are daily eoabledi ia^^iii and work out their elaborate performances to tlir^e br fo4r volumes. That !> like thehi, pub^ liih this for fupport, i^ true; but as I am to0«fen^ Hble* the major part of mankind will giv^ mueh^ inore't^ a bookfe^ler, to be in the faihion^ 6r fatis^-, (y^tlWrfculrjiofity, ir* having or reading a new pali ^^ib^r&ofy or novel, than to a real objed: c€ jJ^l^reTsy foi': ail' accurate and faithful^ccoM^t ^f ik rleS -of iil4^Coft PETER WILLIAMSON. f Britain^ if not of richi Yet of repjtt^hle parents^ who^filpport^d me in the otft manner they could^ as Uing at they had the happincfs of having me under their infpe£bton : but fatally for me, and to iheif great grief, as it. afterwards proved, I was fern to live with an aunt at Aberdeen; when, under the y^rs pf pupiliarity, playing on the quay, with others ol my companions, being of a (lout robuft conftitu. . tion, I was taken notice of by twoYelloivs belong- ing to a veflTel in the harbour, employed (as the trade then was), by fomc of the worthy merchants of the town, in that villanous and execrable praOfige called Kidnapping \ that is, dealing young children from their parents, and felling them as flaves in the Plantations abroad. Being marked out by thofe monilers of impiety as their prey, I 4^s cajoled on , board the (hip by tnem, where I was no fooner got^ than they condu£bed me between the decks, to (otat others they had kidnapped in the fame manner.- At th^t time, I had no fenfe of the fate that was de^ iltned for me, and fpent the time in childiih amufb* ments with my fellow-fufferers in the fteeragej be* ing never fuftered to go upon deck whilil the veSet lay in the harbour; which was until fuch a time a|^ . they had got in their loading, with a complenMnt of unhappy youths for carrying on their wicked commerce. ' In about a month's time the (hi^ fet fail for America. The treatment we inet with, and the trifling incidents which happened during (he voy** age, I hope I may be excufed from relating, as not being, at that time, of an age fufBcient tairtU iipadc any thing more than what muft occur to everf |i]^ Jto fuch an occalion. However, I xrannot fb|^;: that, when we arrived on the Coaft w^jcltt^lU^ for, a hard gale of wind andf to the captaln!s: \4 •mfimit/* i for their principles are lUke I the love of fordid gain beitig both their isEl^tive^^ * The: flup being on a (l^nd-bank, which 4«i^|. give way to let her deeper,: we lay in the l{unDi^>|l%k)rabr(^ condition until morning, when, thoi^lit^e faw the land of Cape May, ^t aboi^ af«mleVdI(lanqe,'^e knew;not what would 4)6 f>ur "Ehcwind iTlength abated, and the captain 5(i tq lofi: all Jier cargo)^ ^bPtiai to o*4;k>ckV iJ»meof IIS on li^ade ol as they we wef( lying 01 ijiree ^ undania Whe c;^ital enough of hii^>t 9t abbu happy < Ipt lie 1 i^ame w t^rBTi of gene:i.tl gapped often h; ttie con fpvt « <;ity in Wi^d. This empiT^ to the.] 4atien, toatfifir gal^ ri . ^tid Bia' isnleng There m PETEKHritXlAMSON. it i^ome of his crew in a boat to thd (hip's (ide tb biing us ovt Quoxtf where w6 lay in a fort of a camp^ jjbade of fhe fails of the veflel and fuch other things as they could get* The' provi&ons lafted us until ye wefe taken in b^y i TeiTel bound to Philadelphia^ lying on this iiland,^ as well as I can recoUe£t| near viree weeks. Very little of the ..cargo was fytcd undamaged) and the veflel entirely loft. -' When arrived and landed at Philadelphia, the coital of Peiifylv£lnia, the captain had foon people enough who came to buy us. He making^ the mofb of hi^^tillanous loiuling, after -his difafter^ fold /it 9t abbut 1 6/. ^r head. What became of my un« bftppy compaiiionsy I never koew^^^ but it was liir Ipt le be fold to one of my countrymen^ whofe i^ame was Hugh Wilfon, a North Briton, for the t^rari of feven years, who had in bra yojiith uodeiU' gene, the fame fate asi myfelf ; having be^i kid^ gapped from St Johnlkown^ inScoUand, As I (halt often have Occasion to mention I^l^l^lphia duiii^ tjbe courfe />f my adventures, I {bft%- Ja this p{aoe# giv6 4 ^o.rt anid concife defcriptibd: ttf the £nipft <;ity in America^ tod oiie of the beft laid out inlhe ' -This dty w^ould have been a capital Bt idf lA, * empir^ had it been hftxlt ; and inhall(Eed ;9Cix>i?dlfi| ^^ lb the, |]»ro^netbr*s p^* Confide^r^ iis hOit'Sbmu "^ 4ati«n, U U a large city, and moft ebmomdiimi^ &*^ . tuateicyielween Delaware and Stliuylki^ivfo ti€t«4 gal^ rivers. The former being |wi0'mileari|^ppiiy 41kI laiavigable 3(06 miles for fmall ve^elsi It «a"'" " iulofigth two mtleafromj^ne rarer- td'thr'i There are eight long ftreets two miles ifir Ci^tjati right angled by fifteen .cfthersjO^^A^ JjiimgtkiJiU ftraight and fpiaetotis. T)«if^i^^ ft, yeryrlmnnerotts ^beit^ near 3i3<«>)^:^ip|fc " ] \X -. -^^'^ ii:-Ai ■*.■.•, 1 wmifm t» th'e life, of > I'- ■j-3 fc k' i* , -y tx^ the firft plan. It has two fronts to thie water^ ** otie on the eaft Hdc facing the Schuylki)], and that on the weft facing the Delaware^ The Schoylkill being navigable 800 miles above the falls, the eaft- era part is moft populoiis, where the warehotrfesy fome three ftories high, and wharfs are numerous and convenient. Ail the houfes have large orchards and gardens belongifig to them. The merchants that refide here are numerous and wealthy, many of them keeping their coaches, (^c. In the centre of the city there .is a fpace of ten acres, whereon are built the ftate-houfe, market-houfe, and fchobl- houfe. The former is built of brick, and has si prifon under it. The Ibreets have their names f^om the federal forts of timber common in Penfylvania % ,^ Mu&erry.ftreet, SaiTafras-ftreet, Chefnut-ftreet^ Beech'.ftreet, and Cedar-ftreet. The oldeft church ' \i8 Chrift-church, and has a numerous congrega* . tioti}. but the major part of tile inhabitants, being , liiitft Quakers, ftill continue fo, who have feveral Rieeting-houfcs, and may not improperly be called the church as by law eilabliflied, being the origi- n^ls. The quay is beautiful^ and :^oo fdet fquare^ ^^0 which 9, (hip of 200 toas'lnay lay her broad-ilde. As the advantages this city may boaft of, has re.n- dere4 it-pne of the beft trading towns out pf the Btktih empire ; fb in all probability it will increafe in eqinmerce and riches^ if not prevented by party, fa£kt0||l, and religious feuds, which of latec years have nxade it fufier conHderably. The aiTenrolies and'Courts of. judicature are held here, gs in ^ all capitals. The French liave no city like it in alf America.' :^ = • ■ Happy was my lot in falling into my couhtry-i^ min'a power, as he was^ contrary to many ^q^Hiekif of his calling, a humane, wonfayg'fa^neftt^]ii||li|i^ iP8¥ii^jiochU4piof j^ aind^4#i^mi{erfHd^^ u ■I- \M .»,•♦ my unhs until I year of n ftate I 6( iiore fit jSi - , ,^ whi< fhould I the com indulge agteed 1 time. ] tience fc grefs in mch f Ibhool, ' made at improvii mafter I when h< fervice, about i: his weat ^ing my poc^ myfdf any that when th better w one ftep -which ] ftan^l ill m PETER LIAMSON. ^3 irater» 1 that lylkiU icaft- oufesy lerous rhards ;hants many centre lereon chobl- has a J ffon* irania (' .ftTcet, :hurch grcga- beifig fevcral called origi- quare^ d-flde. s rc.n- pf the icreafe party, ic years imbliet in vail ill all; my unhappy condition, he took great care of. me .^ until I was fit for bufinefs; and about the iith . ^ year of my age, fct me about little trifles; in which ' (late I Continued until my 14th year, when I was ^ore fit for harder work. During fuch my idle feeing ray fcllow-fervants often reading and , 'it iucired in me an inclina|j|U^o learn, .4. intimated to my mailer,^ tem|j^mij t fhould te very willing to ferve a year lo^^^^ilylit'' the contra£k by which I was bound, if lie would' . - indulge me in going to fchool ^ thU, he readily agteed to, faying, that winter weultl' be the beQ: time. It being then fummer, I waited with impa^ tience for the otlier feafon ; but to make fome pro^b grefs in my defign, I got a Primer, an4 learned as ncmch from my feUow-fervants as I could. At •fchool, where I went every winter for five yeai'is, I made a tolerable proficlency^jtfj^as^^eveir (ince*been improving myfelf at leifure9HI|K^'With this good mailer I continued till I was fbrWIten years old, when lie died 5 andr as a reward rorSivji; faithful iervice, left me 200/. currency, which was then about 120/. Sterling, his belt horfe, faddle, and all his wearing apparel. a Being now my own mafter, having money in my pocket, and all o^her neceflaries, I employed myfdf in jobbing about the country, forking for any that would emplQ| r^-fr>r nf*ar fev^n yeara: when thinking I haj^l^^S^^By^ to follow foi|H better way oiF life,..]^nH|^@Pl^^^t thou^ one ilep neceflary thefeW^^w^fllt >|rt^^ f^ which purpofe, I applied to the daug^|id*w#^^^^ ftantial planter, and Iqand my fuit-wafl&^t,unac« "^ <^»^|lk to bet or her jSlherj^ fo that n)atte]rsi"iif«ce^ msiifandude4 upon, aft4> we married.. ^i|y fad^i^ =^^^^in ©filler to eftablifh us in the v^drM, i%^ ^not ifflueikt ina^fier/^i^ade me i Jjii 30 of which were well cleared, and fit for immediate AiTe, whereon was a good houfe and barn. The j)lacc pleating me well, I fcttlrd on it ; and thougS it ceit 'Rie'the major part of my money, in buying Aock, houfehold-furniture, and implements for out- door work i and happy as I was in a good wife, yet ' did nty felicity lall me not long: For about the year f 754, the Indians in the French intercd, who had for ac long time before ravaged and deilroyed other j)arts of America unmolefted, I may very properly iay, began to be very troublefome on the frontiers of our province, where they generally appeared in '. fmall- ikulking parties^ with yellings, (houtmgs, and antt^ poilures, inilead of trumpets and drums^ com. mitting great devailations. The Penfyhranians little imagined at firil, that the Indians, guilty of fuch out- rages and violences, were Ibme of thofe who pretends •ed to be in the Englllh intereil; which, alas ! prov^* ed to be too true to many of us : • For, like the 'French in Europe, without regard to fSith or trea. ties, they fuddenly break out into furious, rapid out- rages and devailations, but foon retire precipitately, hay|ng no (lores or provifions but what they meet ^in thpir incurfions; fome indeed carry a bag (Ccoit, or Indian corn therein, but not unlefs ive a long march to their dc (lined place of adion. And thofe; French| who were fent to dif- "gi&fsus in thait part of the world, being ii»de&ti>. ^a|»le in their duty, and continually contriving, an4 ufwig all manner of ways and means to win t|iitt In^- dia^YStO' their intereft, many' of whom had fci^Tisji^; 'ii(C§|%enti^and foijietimcs, I may fay^ crxu^ irq^^ ^^ihxik':^ho' pretend to be their pnotr" ^und it no very difikult miittcr r&ily many who.bdongedb tP fealp of Terr the bar] aire not ry! Sc or othei cruelty, as to. ft e^y (lai tender ^ litir.s, %< that pea the jtio (earce a on me^ ; good wo day wpn al I iiau none ;be was my Gr.warr*^ fuch occ ibon feu to th(^ el twelve ii V toic^fl[ie g^^lme -^'. ■{ J ) * ' -J- m pro- lawaceV re«; 30 mediate .V The though buying For out- ife, f€t he year ho had i other ropcrly rontiere ared in gs, and ^i com- ns little ich out- retend*- ! prov* ike the or trca- )id out- jitately, ly meet f a bag t unlefs ilace of to dif^ ng,aii4 fhattirift amity wilh us, »*fpecially as the reward* tkey gave them were (b great, they paying /or every fealp of afi EngliOi perfon 15/. Sterring. Terrible and (hocking to humari' n-atUre were the barbariti daily committed by the favages, and aire not to be paralleled in all the volumes of hifto^ vy ! Scarce did a day pafs but fome unhappy family or other fell victims to hreffch chic^ner^ and favage cruelty. Terrible indeed it proved te me^ as welt as to, fnany others ; I that was now happy in ai» e^fy ftateof life, blefl<;d withran afiedlionnte a6dr tender wife, who was pofleffed of all amial>le qua^ litirs, to enable me to go through thi^ Worfd with that peace and ferenity of mind,, which every Chriw tti^|i^,^i,(hes to poflefs, became on a fudden oi»e.o| the jiio(t unhappy and deplorable of mankiudit fcarce can I fuftain the ihock which for ever recoila^ on me, at tEuiking oti the faff tmie of feting tfiiat good woman^ The fatal '^d of October 1754, fbe that day wpnt from home to viiit £bme of her lelati^ns } zil (laid up later than i|fual, exp^^ing h^r return, oone;being in the houfe befides myfelf,- how great was my fiirprife, terror, ^nd affright, when, ^bout IV ;OV;lock at night I heard tlie-difmal war-cryi or,waT;^v^hoop of the ^ages, which they make On fuch occ^o^ns, and may be exprefled, Ti^o^^:/^, ivmchf ha^hay hach^.woachy 7ix\A to my inexpreflible grjefr foon found my houfe was attacked by ^heiaji jll flew to th|^ el^aufv^r-window, and perceived them Ipcb^i twelve in< numbcrr They making feveral attero^^ to/:^!^ in^ I alked them what they wanted ? They g^^in'e na'anfwer, but Qontitjued beatingi jaf;^^, try- ;^iig t^-get the door open., I *e!9tbfe- be in, knowing^ the cruelty; jfj^^ ion of thofe favages fhould ilv^J^f *^~ efcape which dreadful*mifi^^^ loaded in my han<|| I thr^i if they (houlc^l|^ defift B2 mmmtmm f^m i6 THE LtfE OF tsi'm and fruitlefs ire the efRyrts of one man> agakil the United force of fo many [ and of ftlch meif^sifefSs undaunted, and blood-tbirlty tiibndera as i had here to d«ai with. One of them that cowld fpfak> little KiJgJilh, threatened me in return, «« That if Idid *« not come out, they would burn me alive 'iii the «' houfej" telling me farther, what I unhappily perceived,, *• That they were no friends to the Eng- «* lilh, but if I would come out, and furrender xttf" ** felf prifoner, they would not \kill me." My ter- ror and diftra£lion at hearing this is not to be ex- prefled by words, nor ejfily imagined by any per- Jbn, unlefs in t}>e fame condition. Little ^uld I depend on the promifes of fuch cfciturcs ; and yet, -tw-jrf 1 did not, inevitable death, by being burnt alive> '^^Hft be my lot. Diftra^ed as I was in fuch dc^lo- Jt^dS^^circumftances, I chofe to rely c«l the uadpt^ faintyof their fallacious promifes, rathe^ than mdet with certain death by reje6^ing them; and accord- ingly v^t out of my houfe with my gun in my hand, itroi tuiowing what I did, or that I had it. Immediately or Jay approach, they rufticd on me like fo many tigers, and inftantly difarmed me. MaVing me thus in their power, the mercilefs vil- ^ laing bound m^ to a tree near the door: they then went into th0 houfe, and plundered arid :4cftfoyed i evttf thing there was in it, carrythg off^'fwhat moveables they could; the reft, together M^'the houfe, which they fet fire to, ^was confumc«f|j^ore my eyes. The barbarians, not fatisfied wiiof: this, fet fire to my barn, ftable, and out-botdV^^' jlitheire* i-ii tvere about 2oabu(beid of wheat^ 4}x cows^ foifr horfes, and five iheep^ which underwent th'i^ i,|ajrn€ fate, being all entif^ly con fumed to afhes. '!p^K^ii^|^ the confla^ratioiv, to dcfcribe the thouglkt8> -^ sfr^^ars, and mifery that 1 felt, is utterly Impclipil^ |s it is even now to mention what 1 feel at tl^ my loM, when tying my haads again round a treie: with afmali cord, they forced t|ie blood cfut of my finger-ends. They tlicn kinjdfeii a. fire near the -tree' whereto I was bound, which fill; ed me With the iiioflfdfeadfui agonies, concluding I was goipg to.be made 9 iacrrfice' to their barbarity. ' This narratii^c, O reader ! may feem dry and te- dious to you: My miferies and misfortunes, great as they have been, may b^ coiftidered only as what Others have daily met with for years paft; yet, on refledbion, ^u can't help indulging me in the reci- tal of them :. For j:o the unfortunate and diftrefTed, recounting. our jniferies, is, in fome forty. aa alle- viation oflthem. !nir ^ '7 . ?; Permit ihe therefore to proceed *, not by recount- tngto yo^ the dep4orable condition I then wa^ ini |§f^j^,;; TOM^HAw« IS a kind of hatch|t>,'Ti||^;,.;^iQfi r,9We>> plaftercrV haqnm^rs, about two feet Vlong^ handle;!^ '^6^ 'take up tl^e hatphet (or tomabawi^J iirhohg th' -^^^art^i*itf; Thef generally ufe U a|t*» ^wg- ^^ i^HnfJXnSnmji ida ;their enemks, an^ fiv^iciqg |«ir ; dea^vl^rir fi^ ^^ »im1 ^tvf'ikldom fail itf Jfittqi^f^ ^Viv$ ^*: THE Llfl^ 6F r. fi^that is more than can be dcferibed to you» hf ovk who thought of xx>thing lefs than being imme^ diately m^4to death in the moft excruciating manii* ner theiedevils could invent. The fire being thus made, they^ for fome tiitie, danced round me'after their manner, with various odd motions and anti^t ge^ureiiy ivhooping, hollowing, and crying in a fpghtful manner, as it is their cuflom. Having fa« tisfied themfehres in this fort of their mirth, they Droceeded in a more tragical manner; taking the %urningtoals and! (ticks, flaming with fire at the ends» holding them near my face, head, hands, and feet, with a deal of monftrous pleafure and fatis<^ f:i£^ioQ I and, at the fame time, threatening to burn liMS entirety, if I made the leaft noife, or cried out* tlphus tortured as I was, almoit to death, I fufFeredt thi^r brutal pleafure without being allowed to vent my ihexpreiiible anguifh, other wiie.tlian by ihedding filent tears ; even which, when thefe inhuman tori- mentors obferved, with a ihockingpleafure and ala- crity, they would take frefh 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 I underwent thefe tortures I have here faintly idefcribed, has been matter of wonder to me ' many times; but God enabled me ta wait with inore than common patience for a delivetanee I* ^aily prayed fon- . . ^^ r • Having at length fatisfied their brutal pleafure^ they fat dpwn round the fire, and roafted their meat, of which they had robbed my dwelling. yWheii they had fitt^red ^j^ and fatisfied their voracioua^ appetites, rhe^y offerir^^fdme to me; thougjv if " ea0y imagined 1 had: Bui little afpetijte to eafjii^ ^"'tottiires and. nnifenes ihad unde,r|;pn^ » y!5t»' V Jforced to fcem pleafed With what they &ffefe^4 ifeft/ bj^^efufifig i^, ithey had again re.aflum«^ praQices. What J could noi e^t^ 'r-nr '■**\-^ in a PETER WIliLIAMSON. t^ triveil I get between the bark and the tree, wKCTO I was fixed, they ^having unbound my hands tilt they imagined I had eat all they gave me i but then |hey. again bound me as before i in which deplorable condition was I forced to continue all that 9tr^ , receive, ajps J*ii|t|: Jpi^herethisy flowed their good^ as before* 1% Ipipy^l^rer could not long bear the cruel pc^si^'" ' 1 •»»(;. ^ ;/» 'V' £ '>^, 'V- PETER WILHAMSON. V ^f ment which we wer^ both. obliged t;o fuikf^ complaining bitterly to me of his being tt proceet} any farther, I endeavoured to condole as much as lay in my power, to bear up undelr 1 affli^ions, and wait with patience, tUl, by the divi||||;^ sifliftancf , we (hould be delivered out of their cluj^ che^; but all in vain, (or he ftill continued^ , qooans and tears, whi(^ ppe of the fayages perc(^4 ing as we travelled on, inilantly came up to us, aCtui with his tomahawk, g9vehi^ a blow on the heady which UMoA the unhappy youth t;Q the ground, where they immediately fcalpcd afld left hiih. The fuddennefs of this^ murder Ihocfced mt^tlokt 4ef. gree, that I was t^ a 'manner like a ftatve, btlog quite motionlefs, *eajpefting my fate y?o*Jd Sooia, be the^ fame : However, recovemng my di&raae4 jthoughtSf I diflembled the uneafincfs and angf4A|. which 1 felt ad well as I could from the barbarian|# but (lill, fuch was the terror that I wa^ under, t}i9lt ' for fome ^ime I fcarce knew the days of the we!ek«) or what I did % fo that at this period, lifenndeeil be-^ came a burden to me, and I, regretted my being faved from my fird persecutors, the failors. The horrid fa£t being completed, they kepft»oi% their courfe near the mountains, wheire they J^y^. Ikuikiug four or five days, rejoicing at the |)lun^r: and iiore they had got. When proviCoj^ bec^^^C' fcarce, they made their way towards Su^uehana i^ where, iUU to add to the m^uy barbarities they had ' already committed, pading near^mother^ufe inha- bited %y an unhappy old man, whofd^ame W|s John Adams, with hif»wifie and four finall children'i^ ^sOil, meeting with no reliftance, th^ mimediat^y ;^t^d the unhappy wife and her foi»«Mi^ildter%be«i ^i^re the good old man*s eyes. Inh^hxafie ^4^|i| as this wais, it did not fatiate theJil^t^ s^y had murdered the poor ^^lisjtf^* .^l^berin Aich a brutal manneti Itd^wip^w^r^ ^ £.'3 i.<-t Yhe life of lembrante of the crime,- wifl ttot permit rfitf [ften ( and this eten before the unhappy huf^ lift who,- not being able to avoid the fight, and , Eajpable of affbrdinz her the lead relief, entreated ^em to put an end to his miferable being : butf tikey were ufe, barn, corn, hayychttle, and every thine the BObr |han a few liour» before was maffter of. Hav*^^ Hig iav^ what they thought proper from ' the' iilliest'they^jgave the old man, feeble,, weak, and' ifi^> the niticraUe condition he then yas, as well sis my4 Itl^ bilf^lens to carry» and loading themfeh^s Hke^ wM^ W^ bread and meat, purfued their journey oni Ji!liltl|.the Gi^cat ^vramp; where being' >niva*^ lh«f lay for eight or nine days, fomietimes-dtverttisg' fht^irhres in Cierciflng the nbbfl -ftnrocious atid^ bsiit»^tt9 craelKies on (heir otihappy vi£^itfi, the-' oitv^ftn: foriifetil¥Ms tbey^ would ftrip him naked ,^ ^d-^itMT'hiiy^ all Ov^r with various forts of colours^ Vfhich they extrrt^edi or made fro^i herbs ani fMKftt atAOtiifef t^hies^ they Would plutck the^Kite ki^frcfm^hTS veiivrable head, and tauvi^fimgly \celt him> 'Mf ^y ^ fo(t( for living fo iong, and wOt^ikey^ 'UmiUffil^him 4indntfi* in futtifig him oUt^f^he woridf 1^)1 wllic^, the poor creature could but- v^tit his iighSj l^j liliAMiis moansi^^-and^iltre^tiee,' . that) to my^4l#rtghied4tm were enoiigh to;*w p^trate a^lrt'Of^adcPPt, and fofteiv t^*inoftt< «ibdurote fit^e. fntiitn^ alg^l^ wer^r^^tl liw^t^iiNt. ^ J»r daily cKd thJey tiife thenfifelves with tlHQ VftriotM- " '^ey iHed to tOiAj»#t]« hitn j fometilme* tying:. D a treCf.'iiHid whipping him ;» at others, :fc0re|^^ ig his^ furrowed ch^ek s - wiik' red^^iot cOals^ ''iimkl li£(l^^^ k^B, quite t0 th<^ knees^ but tbegOi^i d^ftift?|ifteaaof rc|^ '^^ tlie div even in his pra thank fg the flan limbs, \ oi the And, cj fernal p his hea One ni^ he and at the twenty by anot fallea i towCii by tk^l ing a(^< niitted cated ai a large with, a /roril tl «uc|at jdiami is lihalU thofe th This pa jn thejli^ .tjiote w |rag?di€ when J 'V- - ;*V:> PETER WILLIAMSON. iht divtue juClice, like many othei^ in fuch Cli(^ even in tne greateCl agonit^s, inceflantly off<^ed li^ his prayers to the Almighty, with the moid ferrent thankfgtvingi for his former mercies, and hoping the flames, then furrounding and burning his agea limbs, would foon fend him to the blifsful manikmt of the juii, to be a partaker of the blcfltngs there* And, during fuch his pious ejaculation^, bis iHm fernal plagues would come round him, mimickin§> his heart-rending groans, and piteous ^ailings* One night after he had been thus tormented, whilft he and I were Atting together condoling each other at the misfortunes and raiferies we d*iJy fuffered^ twenty fcalps and three prifoners were brought io by another party of Indians. . They had unhappily fallen Jn their hao/cU in Cannocojij^ej a fnMU towCl^vf the river Sufquehan^, chiefly iqljiaWe^ by th<^Ki(h. Thefe prifoners gave us fome Choc)^ ing accounts of the murders and devaftations coau> niitted in their parts. The various and complin cated anions of thefe barbarians would entirely; fiH a large voli^pne; but what I have already ^writtt^iii with, a £ew .other inftances ,which I (hall fet^' j^rom' their information, will enable id^ xcaAer t& £ue^ at the hosrid treatment the £ng]ii}i^ and Inr jdta^ ia^heir intereft, fuffeted for many years |t^(|. I ihall dierefort only mention, in ajbrief manner, thofe that fuffqred near the fame tinie with Xf^yitlf, This pattjfjvhp now joined>gs^'hadi^nc^ lib ..^, jnthe»if power, to begin their #ickednCi^jflj,ffi?«pia 2$ tjiole w^9 vilite^ my ha^tation j the l#|t ;^ t^^^^^ ir^gfdiefi being on the ^c^ day p^ Qi^c^ 1 7J4» when John Lewis*, with^^is wife, and l^tec fiJA^ ^^^i^airr fe^ r facrificea to thciK cniel|^ mif^^ttt ri^Xcalpipd and naurdered ; hls^|iQiU)re, baff^^ P»gii^Mi^g iic.po^i^d, being httmi mjA; ' H^toC Ip jfi^n%^; tog<^^, w^ ".-v.. ■ -•»<.'. J' 0i THE Ol? fcC*-; fH^I^^ his Plantation, underw^ fame fate.' •i^e: ^oth, the boufe, millj bam,' twenty head of €{|iil|e, two teams of horfes, and every thing, be- !|sSigitig to the unhappy George Folke, met with the like treatment ; himfeifi wife, and all his Ynife- faMe family, confining of nine in number, being inhuman!]^ fcalped, then Cut in pieces, and given td tht fwinc, which devotired them." I (hall give ano- Hicr inftance of the numberlefs and unheard of feaitjarities they related of thefe favages, and prb- cced to their own tragical end. In .fliort, one of ihe fubftatitial traders belonging to the province, iiavltig btiffhefi^ that called him fom'e thiks up ihe €0|iTitry, fell into the hands of thefe devils, «^ho fioit only fcitped him, but immediatefy roailed *"* before i^c l^s dead ; then, like . canm|jg| for tif' other food, eat hi^ whole he&fJKSt of liisaif "itfade what they called kn InxnSRu^d- Froim theft fevir itlftahces of fava^ cruelty, the tfv^lorable; fituatioh of the defe^elefs inhabitants, ll»4'V(rI^atthey hdurly fa*fFercd in tha((Ppart of the Irli^b^j'rhibfft'ftrifce the utmoft hoihi^rib a h^man Wi3, atld catife in every br^Wft the uttndft defefftai tS^,'-nbf only again ft the authors ol l\Jlch i^t icttisi, b\it again ft thofe who throujK perfM^iiti, lattctiHonV bt piifill^iiiabUs a'rtd en'OiRot^ priintipliM^, f^jffered thefe favages at firft, unrepeJfed^ #1tveii iinttioldftil^; to comfnit ftlch outrages dml incredible 'dcpredatipti^ and murders r For no to^^ts, tijb TbarbaAics ^at can be exctcired oil the hi^i^an fa*- crifides: they giet iiitQ dheif poiivdr, iitt hfk untfled br.omitted. '- \ The three prifdnt*r^4Mf ^e^ bf c^{ additional forces, conft'ahfly rcpinittjgl ^1 and ^Imoft e]c( ^iJnti^iv^ at iaft td ittdke'^r '^ ^"^^^ aicir mm immtnH, ti'fii "^- thc cbui the tribi bdck to joiced a The p€ fuftenar elopeme barbaria and a gi mained when 01 ript ope burnt th cuttings breajfts, till thcv refervca crifice^f clofe to" for him earth ra his neCi groundj remain ; nies; af head, c torment only cry his bra i all hijs pi ing to b and fuel turejufi dei^j^/ M / m ■< J -^f ■ ■ PETER WILLIAMSON. the country, were foon after mfct by fome <>tker4 ii^\. the tribes or nations at war with us, and brought back to their diabolical mailers, who, greatly ?«#^ foiced at having them again in their infernal power. The p€»or creatui s almoll /amillied for want of - fuftenance, having had none during the time of their . elopement, were no fooner in the clutches of the barbarians, than two of them were tied to a trce^ and a great fire matle round them, whgre they re- mained till they were terribly fcorched and buriit;^ . when one of the villains, with his fcalping knif<6f ript open their bellies, took ou,t their entrails, and burnt them before their eyes, whilft the oth^» were €utting^ piercing, and tearing^ , the flefti froin their breaiis, hands, arms, and legs, with red hot ironsj till they were dead. The third unhappy viftLru wa» refervcd|^few hours longer, to be, if poffiblc,. fa- crificeg torments Imaginable, whilft the poor creature colHtf/ only cry for mercy in killing him immediately* for his brains were boiling in his head: Liexorable to all' his plaints, they continued the fir,4, whilft^ ihock^ ing to bdiold ! Kis eyes' gufhed out}of their focke^ j and fuch agonizing torments did the unhappy crea^ turc^itfter for near two hours, till he wtii^ quit^ dfil^i .They then cut off his head, and bVn^ ||> WN^Jthe other bodies 5 my talk being to dig jftg^^^; which, feeble and terrified as 1 vi^gs, [J^Of fufFering the fame fate, enabled ijflfeJ^J^g |npt here take up the reader'^ itri^rfei -^rt^wl *-•' .**s- V ,»; i« T«E LIFE OF ■■ ^'J f/i:' lite>i»pting to ddr^Hbe what I felt on Cuth an ocei^ ^ocii but continW'^y narrative;, as more equ^0 my arbilities. ^ ' , -A great fudw now falling, the t)arbarian^wer%* Kttlc learfMl, left the white people fhould,, by their traces, #nd .out the if ikulking r»;treats, which obliged thei^i to make the beft of their way to their winter- charters, about 200 miles farther from any platita* tions, or inhabitants : where^ a/ter a long and te^. dious journey, being iUmoft ftar^iri*!, I arrived with tbis infernal crew. The place where we were t^ reft, in their tongue, is called Alamingo. Theren^ found a number of wigwams * full of their women and children. Dancing, Tinging, and fhooting were their genefaLa-mufements ; and in all their feftivals «nd dances, they relate what fuccefTes they have liad, and what damages they have fuftained initheir expeditions \ in which I became part of their theme. The (everity 6f the cold increa^ng, they ftript me of^y clothes for their own uie, and gave me fuck sutthey ufually wore themfelvesj being a piece of ^ilanket, a pair of moggancs, or-flioes, with a yafid of ^coatfe cloth, to put round me inftead of breeches, ' T^ idiefcribe their drefs and manner of living may tiot be altogether unacceptable to forae of my read« crs; but as the fize of this book will not permit mc to be fo particular as I might otherwife be, I ib^ JMft obferve, ' .That they in general wear a white blanket, which, in war-time, tliey paint with various figures; but particularly the leaves of trees, in order to deceive thcit enemies when in the woods. Their mogganes are^^ade of deer-iklns, and the beft fort have then^ • WiGWiitiws are the names they mve their houfes.l-i^JpPlt'-jiftit no mdl-e th*o little huts, mud^ with three or foor.fork^fbcBd^ tIrcSvc into the ground, and covered with deer or gtj^y.r ipr w^itttjof then\, ivitii large leaves aqtd eartb. ^ \. iourid bands, for ftoc (iafties ; lower t run in. thereof bdiind. Knen th but tKc them Fecone ©IF to ' They ar itig inn and nei t& n)ade ihells, I ears am hang, ds beards, lAents a hair of pluck o irom th with \i The wc backs, y theitlii or CQ^ inftead: and con maiden fo( ^lin( ft .\. ,■'"«*''.< ^\ ■'^Ar:: "*:■*' ^ fETER WlLLTAmSO^. ^ tdUiid round the edges with little beads and ri- bands. On their legs they wear pieces of blue cloth for ftockifigs, fomcthing like our fdd^ers fpatter^ daflies; they reach higlier than their knees, but not lower than their ancles ; they cftecm them cafy to run in. Breeches they never wear, but ififtead thereof two pieces of linen, ovfs before, ?nd another bdfiind. The better fort have fliirts of the fine(fe Knen th^y can get, and to thefe fome wear ruffles ; but there tlxey never put on till they have painted' them of various colours, whrch th^y get from tlie Fecone root, -am! bark of trees, and never pull th^m eflF to waih, but wear them ti41 they fall to pieces. They arc very proud, and take great delight in wear- ing trinkets j fuch as filvef plates roiSmd their wriils and neck^, with feveral firings of wampum (whicit iis made of cotton,, interwove with pebbles, cockltfc' fhells, ^tf,), down to their breafts ; ^nd itom their ears and nofi^s they i:ave rings and- beads, which . hang dzrtgVing a^ inch or twp^. 'Sfie' meii have no beards, to prevent which they ufe Certain inftril» ments and tricks as foon as it begins to grow. The hair of their heads is managed differently^ fome pluck :o»t and deflroy all,' except a lock hanging Irom the crown of the head, which they interweave with wampum and feathers of various colQtnrs. The women wear it very long t^K^ified down their backs, with beadS) feathers, and wampum.; and on thdflik^ds'ii«Dfti>f them wear little coronets o'f brafe or cctj^r •, round their middle they wear a blanket infteadTof a jj^etticoat. The female^ are very chafte, and conftant to their hufb^ndsi^ and if any |»uhg maiden fhould happen to. have % child beft|«; liiar-. itge-,. (he is never efteemed afticrwards. ' As .fpr foocf they get it chidly by hunViog/^nd ih^ot^ l^jftnd boil, brnil, or roaft all the ii^|j|k^ «;^f.^ '^ Handing diih confifts of .Indtan^e(m^^|i|li;^ Iruifed and boiled over a gBytle^RBj(|r " 1 m Ml ■ ^^'i^^iu. C2 i"? ■*-!•;: "V.* \9f.-«*' W' %9 THE LIFE OF Lxxr or twelve hour». Their bread is likewife made of wild oats, or iun.-flowcr feeds. »Sct meals they ne-' Ver regard, but eat when they are hungry. Their gun, tomahawk, fcalping knife, powder iind ihot,^ . ' Jire all they have to carry with them in time of war ; bows and arrows being feWoni ufed by them. They generally in war decline open en. |^:fgenient8 ; buQi fightmg or ikulking is their dif. tipSinei and they are brave when engaged, having great fortitude in enduring tortures and death. No • people have a greater love of liberty, or afFedlion to their relations ; but they are the moft implacably vindi£live ]^ople upon the earth, for they revenge the death of any relation, or any great aliVont,^ whenever ocicafion prefents, let the diftance of time ,^ place be never fo remote. To all which I may a^ and what the reader ha» already obferved, that i^ ; tficy are inhumanly cruel. But, fome other nationg ii^ight be more happy, if, in fome inftances, the^p copied them, and made nvifi conduSf^ courage^ and ferfind Jirengthy the ri^'^/" recommendations for war*, captains, or wtrowanceSf as they call thenk In timlift^of peace they vi(it the plantations inhabited by the whites, to whom they fell baikets, ladles, fpoonsi and other fuch trtiies, which they are very CKpert iti making. When night comes, if. admitted ifltto any houfe, they beg leave to lie down, by the fir^.fide, chufing that place rather than any other, which is ieldom refufed them, if fober, for then they arc honed ; but if drunk, are very dangerous^ ^nd trottblefome, if people enough are not in the houfe to quell them. Nor would they at any time be guilty of fuch barbarous depredations as tbey arQ| drd.p^t thofe calling themfelves Cbriftian8,i^^tic^ them thereto with ftrong liquors, which \h^iaiS=^\ -^'aftly fond of; as well as by the pectlnlij . wards which they give for the fcalps. If- pituiQt be gratiii^d, or fuperiority obtai^j^> PETER WILLIAMSON. ^ ■^ Ki^^ wife than by the death of thoufands, would it not^ in thofe who feek fuch airy phantom?, and are fo inordinately fond of their fellow-creatures lives, favour a little more of humanity to have them killed indantly, and, if they muft have proofs of murder,^ fcalped afterwards, than, by allowing , and encou- raging fuch mercilefs treatment, render themfehes as obnoxious, cruel, and barbarous, to a- humane mind, as the veryfavages themfelves? — However, they fometimes fuffer by their plots and chicanery laid for the deftruftion of others^; it often happen* . ing that the traders or emifTaries fcnt to allure them Xb the execution of their-fclTemes, rightl^y iall vic«» tim* themfelves ; for, as they always carry witfc ihem iiorfe-loads of rum, which the Indians are fond of, they foon get drunk, quarrelfome, and wicked, and, in tlieir fury, often kill and deflrof - their tempters ; A juft reward for their wicked dc- ' figns ! nay, it has fueh an efiFe£b on them, that when fo .intoxicated, they even burn and confume all their jown ef&fls, beating,^ wounding, and fometimes -kill- ing their wives ami children : But, in difputea among themfelves when fober,' they are very tena* icious of decorum, never aibwing more than one. to fpeak at a time. Profane fwearing they know n,ot in their own language how to exprefs, but arc ,TCi^ fond of the French and Engiiili oaths. ^^ ,, The old people, who areby age and infirmitif^v , rendered incapable of being ferviceable to thp;j^©|n^j- munity, they put out of the world in a bafba^ti^ and extraordinary manner; an inftance of whi:Ol|i| >: 1|^, whilft among them, afn qpportuaity of fe(;i||p::''>^; 4Nr$ijOt}jbd on an old Indian, t He being, throogS^v'' f0^J^^>k and weak, and his eyes failing him,'ftf i ^^^*hse was unable to get his U^^ing either by huflt*^^ ^ l^ifr (hooting, was fummoned tQ>^pH3^ir bs^S^ - ^"^ # the leading ones, who »Sip|^j^|iil^ jBefore whom being come^ i^^^]^^p>>< C3 *; 'si'iming ■^M'. '.m^^\- JO THE LIFE OF y' ¥-:m thing to fay for himfelf (as how indeed couW he prove liimfcii to be young ?) they very, formally, anci with a fceming degree of compaflion^ pafled fcntence on him to be put to death. This was foon after executed on him in the following manner ; He was tied naked to a tree, and a boy, who was to be his executioner, (lo^d ready with a tomahawk i-u hh hands, to. beat his brains out; but when the young monfter came to infli6l the fentence, he was fo Ihort of Aature, that he could not lift* the tomahawk high euough; upon which he was held lip by fonie others, a great concourfc being prefent ; (ind then, though the young devil laid on with alf his ftrength, he was not for fome time able to frac-. tare the old man's fcull, fo that it was near an hour Jwfbrc he was dead. — — —Thus are. they from their youth inured ^o barbarity ! # When they found no remains of life in him, they fwi him into a hole dug in the ground for that pur. |>ofe, in which he Hood upright.^ -Into his left- hand they put an old gun, and hung a fmall pow« ^cr-lwrn and ihot-bag about his fhoulder, and a Uring of wampum Sound his neck ; and into hift f i^rht-hand a liitle filk purfe, with a bit of money in it I then filleti the hole round, and covered him oyxt -with earth. This I found to be the ufual. manner of treating the old of both fexesj only that^he w , ' ' .• t PETER WILLIAMSON, St oulff he rmallyy paflcd as foon >anncr i ) was to lawk m len the ice, he lift* the as held referit ; (vith alf to frac-» m hour m their 11^ they lat pur« is left- 11 pow* and a nto hift oney in im oyer manner he Wow nto tlie i, and a »> efp^* of the t thofe After this long digreflion, it is-time to returit to the detail of my own afi^irs. — At Alamingo was I kept near two months, until the fnow was off the ground. A long time to be 9mong(l fuch creatures^ and naked as I almoft was ! Whatever thou^ts J might have of making my efcape, to carry them into execution was impracticable, being fo far from any plantations or white people, and the feverc weather rendering my limbs in a manner quite (lifFand mo«> tionlefs ; however, I contrived to defend myfelf againft the inclemency of the weather as well as I could, by making myfelf a little wigwam^ with the bark of the trees, covering the fame ^ith earthy, which made it refemble a cave; and^ to prevetit the ill efFe£ls of the cold which penetrated into it, I was forced to keep a good fire always near th^ door. . — Thus did I for near two months endure fudlT hardihips of cold and hunger as had hitherto beeife v unknown to me. My liberty of going about was^ indeed more than I could have expe£ked, but ihef we)) knew the impra^licability of my eloping from, them. Seeing me outwardly eafy and fubmiflivcl^ they would fometimes give me a little meat, hvi^ my chief food was Indian corn, dreifed as I h;aic above defcribed. Notwithftanding fuch theif eivi^ Hty, thev time pafTcd fo tedious on,, that I almbft )ie-- gan to defpair of ever regain "ng my liberty, br feei. 'Ing my few relations again ; which, with the anxi^tjr and pain I fufFered on account of my dear wife^ o^ ten gave^ me inexpreflible concern. At length the time arrived when they were pre*. •t>anng themfelves for another expedition againll the iters and white people ; but before they { wrapt np in a blanket, with their fect'tothe fire. , . /During dur ftay here, a fort ^f council: erf war was held, wheii it was agreed to divide thcmfelvet fpto con^panies of about twenty men eachy after _iWhich 'every captain marched- with his party wher* 'lie thought proper. I ilill belonged to my old ina^- ^<$i^j but was left behind on the mountains with ten ilodiaiis, to {lay ui;itil the reft (hould rpturoi not jinking it proper to carry me nearer the Canupco.* jigge, or the othet plantations. • I^ere being left, I began to meditate (iiiellij^^^^ Icape ; and though I knew the country |(|l«n4^1fe»A Ir^mely weili having been often . thereabouts ^li^^ PETER WILLIAMSON. 33 my companions, hunting 'deer, and other bcifts^ yet was 1 very cautious o? giving the feaft fufpicioii' of fuch my intention. However, the third day af* ter the grand body left us, my companions or keep-* ers thought proper to vifit the mountains in featcik of game for their fubiiftenee, leaving me bound iv fuch a manner that I could not efcape : At nighty when they returned, having unbound me^ we ftll iat down together td iupper on two polecats, being what they had killed, and fbon after (being greatly fatigued witH their day's estcuriioh) they compofed theinielvcs td reit as ufual. Obferving tbem to be in that fomniferous (late^ I tried vinous wayt to fee whether it ww a icheme to prpve my inten* tions or not ; but after makiitg a ^loife, and wal^* ing about, fometimes touching them with my £ieet| I found there was no fallacy. My heart then exulted with joy at feeing a time come that I might in all "probability be delivered from my captiiA ▼ity, but this joy was foon damped by the dread of being difcovered by them, or taken by anjr ftraggUtig parties. To prevent which, treibfved, ft po^ki U^ get one of their guns, and, if difcovered, to die lai: my defence rather than be taken ; for that puTpb% I made various efibrts to get one from under thegr h'luds (where they always fecured them), but in vain. Fruilrated in this my iirft effay towardarteM gaining my liberty, I dreaded the thoug}its of eiari rying my defign into execution ; yet, after a littjid eonfideration, and trufting myfelf to the dMne pro^ te£tion, I fet forwards naked and defcncelefs as i was. A rafii and -dangerous entefprifel Sucl^waa^ my terror, however, that in going from thei%4 halted and paufed every four or hve yards^lot^kii^ fearfully towards the fpot where I jiad 'iep; %tbe^> ^liffft they (hc^!d awake and mifs mej'bfi^ifch^ I 4pii9S aboat two* hundred yards from them, I m^' ;|K|[y^pace^ and made as much hade as I could to. ■-•^4>fev?. "v . . ' " ' • " ■ fo6' in f*- 34 THE LIFE OP' foot of the mountains \ when on a fudden I wif (truck with the greateft terror and arnaz^ at hearing the wood-cry, as it is called, and may be expvefleri ye haui Jo hau i whkh the favages ^ ftv comparifon ta the founds ^at then faluted thern^ They having now mlfl^d their charge,^ I concluded that they would foon fepavate themfelves, and hie in J|ueft of me.- The more my terror increafed, the after did } puih on, and fcarce knowing where i trode, drove through the woods with the utmoib precipitation^ forhetimes falling and bruifing my-*- felf, cutting my feet and legs agafnfl the ftoAes in a miferable manner ; but, though faint and maimed^ I continued nrty flight until break of day, wlien, w^ithout having any thing to fuftain-nature but a little eorn left, I crept into a hotiow tree,, in which; I laj very fnug, and^ returned my prayers and thanks to trie Divine Being, that had thus far favoured xnj efcape. But my repofe^was^ in a' few hours deflroyed ^t bearing ^he voices of the favages near the place where I was hid, threatening and talking how the)i WOftld u(iei me, if they got me again ; that I war bcslofifftoorenfible of, to hav« the leaft reft either lit body br^mind (ince I had left theni. Uowevery ^y atr bift left the fpot where I heard them, and I remained in my circular afylum all that day with^ out further mcHellation. ; At ni:ght I vchtuTed forwards again,, frightened and' tren^ling at every bufli I paft, thinking eaby the^ndiafl^' l^iroucii a» po(nble> which Bude i»«y jouriiei^iEtanjiA fniiesi can ex ror, a when, a part which and fei ' the WG where ginatio though «n mC] lieved place I hogs, . fioned fire, at I perce xautioi fweatii fear I ] AiangU divine until I from I I lay di until al Aimmi looking people, guefled : IPhiJ ray not tlierefc PETER WILLIAMSON. H ffnUe& longer, and more painful and irkfome than I can exprefs. But how dial! rdefcribe the fear, t; *- ror, and (hock, that I felt on the fourth night* when, by the rufllii.^ I made among the leaves, a party of Indians, that lay round a fmall fir^a which I did not perceive, darted from the groUndy and feizing their arms, run from the fire.amongft • the woods. Whetlier to moVe forward, or to reft where I was, 1 knew not, fo diftra£led was my ima- l^ination. In this melanchcdy (late, revolving in my thoughts the now inevitable- fate I thought watted on me, to my great coiifternatton, and joy, I was re* lieved by a parcel of fwine that made towards the place I gtielTed the favages to be ; who, on feeing the hogs, conjectured that their alarm had been occa- fioned by them, and very merrily returned to the fire, and lay down to deep as before. As foon m - I perceived my enemies fo difpofed of, with more: xautious (lep and fllent tready I purfued my courfe,^ fweatihg (though v.'lnter, andTeverely cold) with the fear I had ju(t been relieved from. Bruifed, cut, mangled, and terrified as I was,> I (lill, through the 4ivine afliftance, was enabled to purfue my journe^r until break of day, when thinking myfi^lf far oft from af)f of thofe miicrcants I fo mud) dreaded^ I lay down under a great log, andiiept UJuliftti]^)e^ until about noon, when getting up, I reack*«'^^fti9i Aimmit of a ^reat hill with fome difficiili^r ^nt^^ looking out if I could fpy any inhabitante- of whke people, tQ my unutterable joy I faw fometr /urKich: l! . .gueifed to be about ten miles diftance* . -,>;;;; i ^iiis pleafure was in fome .meafure' abated j)t^^. ray not being able to jgif ajnong thetntthat nigKii^lJ^s tlierefoiie, when evening ^pproaehed^ I again te* ! commended myfelf to the Almighty^ .^y^cdmpdfed' m^m&airy nrangled limbs to reft, ml^j^i^oni- |w^ti8 £(>on as I awoke, I continued my joimtey to^ WIM^'^e neared cleared lands I had lee»^llie day ^ ^ '■■.1. ':■*< ■, « ^ |# THE LIFE OTf More, ftiiid about four o'clock in the afternoon i;(r. rived at the houfe of John Bell, an old acquatfit-i ance, tvhere, knocktn^ir at the door, his wifc» who opened it, feeing me in fuch a frightful condition, Qew from me like lightning, (creaniing into the t(o«tfe. This alarmed tlie whole fnnltly, who tin- OiCijiately fled to their arms, and I was foon ac^ coAed by the mailer with his gun in his hand. But * An my aflfuring him of my innocence as io any wicked intentions, and making myfelf known (fot he before iook me to be an Indian )r he immediately careiTed me> as did alfo his family, with a deal of frtendihip, at finding me alive *, they having all beeik informed of my being murdered by the favagea ibme months before. No longer now able to fup- «(yrt my fatigued and worn-out fpirts, 1 fainted and iftU tto the ground. From which ilate having re- covered me, and perceiving the weak and famiihed condition I then was in, they foon gave me fome iitfrefhment, but let me partake of it very fparing. Jl^, fearing the ill e€e£ls too much at once would hajve on me. They for two or three nights very S^Oiionateiy fupplicd me with all n^ceilaries, and 4M»eiblly attended me until my fpiriis and limbs Vrerii pretty well recruited, and ( thought my £|lf able lo^rtd^ihRhen I borrowed of thefe good people (whofe kiidiiefti merits my molt gfateful return) a horfe and fpm& clothes^ and fet forward for my father-in- laiir*s houfe in Chtffter county, about 140 miles from. iheiice, where I arrived -oti. the 4th day of January 175^5; but fcarce one of tiie family could credit ^eir eyes, believing, with the people I had lately left, that I had fallen a prey to the Indiana jS^^'^A^j>^he;joy snd fati6fa£kion wherewi^ I wj^ kI^^M and embraced by the whole faiUHlyi^ bttt, ohji what~ wa^ xny anguiiii and trouble, whf^ik; on tn^mring fprjaiy dear wife, 1 found (he had b$^^r d^ad.|}ear two laoiathis ! This fatal news, as every ' U ^ re- ,5^' PETER WILLIAMSON. 2T lAiK^'f^ckr mud imagine, greatly Itflfened the jof aud ni)>ture I otherwiic (hould have felt at my delU verakicc^from the dreadful itate and t:aptivity 1 had been lOf The news of my happy arrival at my father-in«> ' law's houfe, after fo long and (Irange an abfenctf was foon fpread round the neighbourmg planta* tionsy by die country people who continutiUy vifited mei being very defirous of hearing and eagerly in* quiring an account of my treatment and manner of living kamong the Indians ; in all which I fatisfieit them. Soon after this my arrival, I was fent for by hi^ excellency Mr. Morris, the governor, a worthy gentleman, who examined me very particularly 2$ to all incidents relating to my captivity, and efpe* cially in regard to the Indians, who had fird taken me away, whether they were French or English par. ties. I aflured his excellency they were of tfiofip who profefled themfclves to be friends of the for* mer ; and informed him of the many barbarous and inhuman afkions^I had been witnefs to among them, on the frontiers of the province ; and alfb that they were daily increafing, by others of our pretended friends joining them; that they yere all well fup- plied by the French with arms itHA ammunitk)n| and greatly encouraged by them in their continual^ excurfions and barbarities, not only in having ex.* traofdinary premiums for fuch fcalps as they ihqlild ' take and carry home with them at their returlr') bqc great prefents of all kinds, beOdes rum, powder, ball, ^r. before they fallied forth. Having fatt«- fied his excellency in fuch particulars as he requedv «d, the fame being put into writing, I fwore to the Contents thereof, as may be feen by thofe who doubt of my veracity in the public papers «if that time j as.v^ in England a§ in Phikdelphia. ^fying.done ti^ii&me, Mr. Morris gave me three i^i|jtd$;^s^ fitiif^e affidavit to the aHcmbiy who'^iiij^aliefi^^^^ . V '^ *' ' ■- ^ ; ■•^^" ting" ¥ 31 THE 1>FE OF tmg in tRe'ilate-houfe at Philadeiphia, conclucfinf on proper .meafures to check the depredations of the favagcs, and put a Hop to the barbarous hoililities of the diftreficd inhabitants, who daily fuffe red death in a hioft dcplorabk condition 5. be fides being obliged to abfcond their plantations, and the country being left defol'ate for fcvcral hundred miles on the fron- tiers, and the poor fulFerers could have no relief, hf reafon of the difputes between the governor and the afl'embly. The former was led by the inftruflions of the proprietor, which was entirely agi:lnfl the intereil of the province, fo that it caufed great confufion among the people to fee the country fo deftroycd, and no preparations making for its defence. However., on receiving this intelligence from his excellency, they immediately^ fent for me. When I arrived, I was condu<-led into the fower houfe, where the afTeinbly then fat, and was there interro- gated, by the fpeaker, very particularly, as to air I . had before given the governor an account of. This my firft examination laited three hours. The nelfe day I underwent a fecond for about an hour and a half, when I iwvgis courteoufly difmifled, with a pro- piife that all proper methods fhould be taken, not only to accommodate and reimburfe all thofe who had fuifered by the favages, but to prevent them from' 4^w and frit-nds to. follow fome cmploy- mttiV Of other ; bht the plantation, from whence I was takeT\, though an exceeding good one, c juld not teigfipt ^ to fettle on it again. Aji'^hat my fate would V haV^ is|en if J had, may eafilybe conceived. And ;there^ being at this time (as the aitembly toiQ jat^ ' for maay t f us found) a ncceflity foi rai^ng riwjfr tcT ' check tliol« barb.^rians in their ravaging d^r^^^,* tionsi I iaiirtwi myiUf as one, with thegreatcUpp^^^ etity ar tttmoft ifh autl of New Majcfty cd upor part of Into I of this i years. tiefs^ tc foo'i5 ^as ^c. at ] ed for t firm in was tho in -wintc pretty \i ft on, to left beh we arriv ed thro I Mendon rived abi ment rej Boftoi the large the Spai account It is p compafs, which tl and not three fhi is room i by fever W^iiili ftj 'Criii^ P^E^TER WILLI AMS ON. 3^. ^ity and moft determined refolution, to exert tht tttmoft of my power; in being revenged on the hell- ifh authors of my ruin. General Shirley, governor of New England, and commander tn chief or his Majefty's land-forcos in North America, -was pitch- ed upon, to dirc D 2 ' fituatcad the harbour, and confilUng of about 44S[i£ hotifes, roj^ndir the buij fo good forfeit, at abou Ther called t Baptift. The c of the c of Lon( when hi turc, thi did and Inth ing for executic which 1 commit provinc fliall re cordin Jofep in theft warrior in expe others, rnong fi to pafs had ex( 1756J I tion, al fjhe woe g to^fei PETE>RJWILLIAMS0N. 4.1 ho^lfes, muft make an agreeable profpe£l 5. the fur- rpjindihg ftiore being high, the ftreets long, and the buildings beautiful, ihc pavement is kept in fo good order, that to gallop a horfe on it is 3/; 4^. forfeit. The number of inhabitants is computed at about 24,000. . There are eight churches, the chief of which is called the Church of England-church; befides the Baptift-meeting, and the Quakers meeting. The converfation in this town is as polite as in moft of the cities and towns in England. A gentleman of London wotild fancy himfelf at home atBofton, when he obferves the number of people, their furni*- turc, their tables, and drefs, whi .. perhaps is as fplen- . did and (howy as that of molt tradefmen in London. In this city, learning military difcipline, and wait- ing for an opportunity of carrying our fchemes into execution, we lay till the firft of July; during all which time, great outrages and devaitations were committed by the favages in the back parts of the province. One inftance of which, in particular, I fliail relate, as being concerned in rewarding, aq- cording to defert, the wicked authors thereof. Jofeph Long, Efq. a gentleman of a, large fortune in thefe parts, who had in his time been a great warrior among the Indians, and frequentiy joined in expeditions'with thofe in our intereft, againft the others. His many exploits, and great influence, a- mong feveral of the nation^, 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 dowii on* his plapta-* tion, about 30 miles from Bofton, and ikulking iti , the woods for fome time, at laft feized an %|^ih'-.'' tuiHt^ to attack his houfe, in which, uiih^Ppilyv . p^vtng fuccefsful, they fcalped,^ mangled; aniS:Ci^!' tp^tel^, the unfortunate gentl^an, Ms wife, SrtH^' tMt^tmuts^i and then made a getters^ confiagra. D3 tion -^ V 'k^* 4« THE LIFE OF f . tioft of his houfc:^ barns, cattle, -and ever* thing he poiTcfled, which, with the mangled bodies, were all confumed in one blaze. But his more unfortu- nate Ton and daughter were made prifoners, and carried off by them, to be referved for greater tor- tures. Alarmed and terrified at this inhuman but- chery, the neighbourhood, as well as the people of B.ufton, quickly affembled themfelves, to think of proper meafurcs to be revenged on thefe execrable monfters. Among the firft of thofe who offered themfelves to go againil the favages, was James Crawford, Efq. who was then at Bofton, and heard of tjiis tragedy J he was a young gentleman who J\ad, for fomc years, paid his addreffes to Mifs Long, an^ was in a very little time to have been married ^to her. Di(lra£ted, raving, and fhocked as he was, he loil no time, but inftantly raifed loo refolute and bold-young fellows, to go in quell of the vil- lains. As I had been fo long among them, and was pretty well acquainted with their manners and cudoms, and particularly their (kulking places ia tt^c woods, I was recommtftided to him as one pro- |)er for his expedition ; he immediately applied to my officers, and got liberty for me. Never did I go on any enterprife with half that alacrity and chear- fulnefs I now went with this party. My wrongs and fufferings were too recent in my memory, to fuffer me to hefitate a moment in taking an oppor- tunity of being revenged to tlie utmoft of my povi^er. Being quickly armed ^nd provided, we haftened forward for M^- Long's plantation on the 29th, and afteif travelling the mofl remote and intricate paths through the woods, arrived there the ad Qf May. dubiotil of our fuccefs, and almoft defpairing ol^ meeting with the favages, as we had heard nor cotfI4/ dffcover nothing of them in our march. In the a^^' t^rnopn, fome of d\ir ittcn being. fent to the t<^ of^ ahiU ta look out for thcoii £6on perceived a^gt^fit- •v PETER. WILLIAMSON. 43: fiMoke in a part -of Hhc low grounds. This w6 im« mediately, and rightlyconjeftured, to proceed from a fire made by them. Wc accordingly put ourfelves into regular order, and marched forwards, refofving, let their number have been what it might, %o give them battle. Arriving within a mile of the place, jCaptain Crawford, whofe anxiety and pain made him quicker fighted than any of the reft, foon perceived them, and gueffed their number to be about 50. Upon this we halted, and fecreted ourfelves as well as we coufd, till 12 o'clock at night. At which time, fuppofing them to be at reft, we divided our men into two divifions, 50 in each, and marched on; when coming within twenty yards of themy the captain fired his gun, which was immediately followed by both divifions in fuccefllon, who in- ftantly rufhing on them with bayonets fixed, killed every man of them. v ^ Great as our joy was, and fluihed with fuCCefi^ as we were at this fudden victory, no heart among" us but was ready to burft at the fight of the unhap** py young Tady. What muft the thoughts, torments^ and fenfations of our brave captain then be, if even we, who knew her not, were fo fenfibly afFe^edt' For, oh ! what breaft, though of the brutal^ favage/ race we had juft deftroyed, could, without fecHrtg' the moft exquifite grief and pain, behold in fuch • infernal power, a lady in the bloom of yoiith, -bleft with evcl^ female accompiifhnient that eoold fetofF the moft exquifite beauty ! Beautyj ^l|ich f&ndered her tfcfti^ envy of her own fex, and' tiS^^J^ight of DUli^^nduring the feverity of a wifidv^^.^i^v night T fBthp^one nurtured in the moft t^ii^^Jfi^nef, jftj^ by the moft indulgent parents, quite n^l^idi^^ ,fili -f he open woods, encircling with her ;i IS and hands, a cold rough tree j whevlmfllir^iliit indi witli cords foftr»itly pulled j that ''>i9 'M 44 THE LIFE OF r»-i trickled from her fi.nger-ends ! Her loy,eJy tender body, and delicate limbs, cut, bruifed, and torn with- ftones, and boughs of trees, as, (he had been dragged along, and all befmeared with blood ! What heart 9an even now, unmoved, think of her diilrefs, in fuch a deplorable condition ; having no creature, with the lead fenfations of humanity, near to fuc- cour or relieve her, or even pity or regard her flow- V ing tears, and lamentable waitings ! The very remembrance of the fight has, at thi^" inftant, fuch an cffcS: upon me, that I almoft want words to go on. — Such then was the condition in which we found this wretched fair, but faint and fpeechlefs with the ihock our firing had given her tender frame. The captain, for a long timcj could do nothing but gaze upon and clafp her to his bo- fom, crying,, raving, and tearing his hair like one ber(?ft of his fenfe^j nor did he for fome time per- ^ceive the lifelefs condition (lie was in, until one of the men had untied her lovely mangled arms, and fhe fell to the ground. Finding among the villains plunder, the unhappy lady*s clothes, he gently put fi^me of them about her; aid after various trials, ^ ^d much time fpent, recovered her diffipated fpi-^-r 3^s^ .jthe repoflelTion of which (he firft manifefted fey eagerly filing her eyes on her dear deliverer, and filing, with the moft complaifant joy, blefled the ' Alniightyj and hini, for her miraculous deliverance. During ihis pleafing, painful interview, our men wer<3 ^bwfily employed, in cutting, hacking, afid fcalping the dead Indians; and fo defirous. waa" every man to have a (hare in wreaking his revenge(h'- on them, that difputes. happened among ourlclves,, who jpbupuld be the inftruments of further (hewing it; . on thc?ir lifelefs trunks, there not being enough for; every ihan to have one whefewith to fatiate; him;f|lf}f^ *> "^Che captain^obfervinj:^ the animofity between us; ot^,; this occaGon, ordered^ that the two diyiOo^s ■' v< ■ fvl PETER WILLIAMSOi^. 45 caft lots for this bloody, though agreeable piece of work : which being accordingly done, the party^ whofc lot it was to be excluded from this buunefs, ftood by with half-pleafed countenances, looking on the reft ; who, with the utmoft chearfulnefs and activity, purfued their revenge, in fcalping, and othcrwife treating their dead bodies as the nrioft in- veterate hatred and deteftation could fuggeft. The work being done, we thought of fteering homewards triumphant with the 50 fcalps i but how to get the lady forwards, who was in fucht a condition as rendered her incapable of walking fur- ther, gAve us fomc pain, and retarded us a little, until we^ade a fort of carriage to feat her on"| and then, with the greateft readhvefs, we took our turns, four it a time, and carried her along. TlviSj in fome meafure, made the captain chearful,^ who all the way endeavoured to comfort and revive his defponding affli^led miftrefs : but, alas I in vahiy fcrf^ the miferies (he had lately felt, and the terrible fate of her poor brother, of whom I doubt not but the ' ^nder-hearted reader is anxious to hear, rendered' even her mod pleaiing thoughts, itotwithftaQ^Mf His foojhing words, corroding and infufFerable* ;^^^'^ The account flie gave of their difaftrous fate if^' dire cataftrophe, befides what I have already meiw*, tiened, was, that the favages had r d fooncr feen all' confumed, but they hurried off with her and licr^ bjirq[lher,j>u{hing, and fometimes dt^gging them 0R> for four or five miles, when they ftopf y land ftnpr ping her naked, treated her in a (hocftjifig ir!namier| whilll dythers were dripping and cruelly j#|ip{»nj|* hpi* unhappy brother. Aftev which, thtf; In 'l^ rf«Un^ manner, purfued their journey, regardkfs ii^e tears, prayers,- or entreaties of this wretched >(iri but with the mgft infernal plertfurie, laughed "itejoiccd at the calamiities and dlftreffes th^y h^d ughtthem to, and faw them fufferj until they " "■' -■''. ■ ' ■ . -S^-' ..-Ut^' '•^V.V..' ..-^ THE LltZ or wrived at tlic place we found them ; v^hcre theyf ♦ had that day butchered her beloved brother in the following execrable and cruel manner: They firft icalped him alive, and after mocking his agoni/Jrrg, groans and torments, for fome hours, ripped open . his belly, into which th*;y put fpihiters, and chips of pine-trees, and fet fire thereto ; the fame (on account of the turpentine wherewith thefe trees- aboimdjburnt with great quicknefs and fury for a little tlmij^uring which, he remained in a manner all^e, as fliS^could fometimes perceive him to move his h^ad, and groan. They then piled a great quan->« ' tJty of wood ali.around his body, and eonfumed it to allies. Thus di4 thefe barbarians put an end to the be-- ing of this unhappy young gentleman, »who was- only ^a, .years of age when he met his calamitous ff^. She continued her relation, by acquainting "at the next day was to have Xeen her perilli in kc ' manner, aftef fuffering y^orfe than even a terrible death, the fatisfying thefe diabolical ^fcireapts m their brutal lull. But it ple^fed the jghty to permit lis to reCcue her, and entirely^'' ate this ere w^ of devils !' " .,: Marcliing rafily on her account, we returritd tcr^ the captain's pltmtation the 6th of May, where, asfi well as at Bofton, we wer^ joyfully received, arvd* sewlirded handfomely Ipr the IJcalps of thofe fovages ve had brought with us. Mr. Crawford smii-Mi^ l^cmg wcre^ioon after* married ; and, in gratitudfe to tifc-^ryices we had done tKem,^ the whole party were; sitvi^d, to the wedding, and nobly entertained v but Jib ^nq|e>o^ or noiiy rnirth was allowed, the young J Wr^!ilii«Iothitiig further material, -ijiat I now rememl)erj; ' B^p^gned daring my: ftay at Bofton 5 to proceed^; e '^fi thcrcfc expedi On iOT Of New Hadfi about mouth Schcne Here d ilat-bot ends) c to Ofw barrels men be itrong vent th the riv( abound places ' wade ai togethe ter, ren being a lifh mil rying p and bat miles t( quite t got wit but Go! riveiint wkhlli On the I fl of July, the regiment began their tuarcK ibr Ofwego. The -lift we arrived at Albahy^j. in New York, through Cambridge, Northampton, atid Hadfield, in New England. From tlieiicc, marching abaut tweuty miles farther, /.e encamped near the mouth of the Mohawk river, by a town called Scheneftady, not far from the Endtefs Mountains. Here did we lie fome time, until batteaux (a fort of flat-bottomed boats, very fmall, and fharp at both ends) could be got to carry our ftores and provifion* to Ofwego } each of which would contain about fix barrels of pork, or in proportion thereto. Two , men belonged to every batteaux, who made ufe of itrong fcutting poles, with iron at the ends, to pre*. vent their being too foon deftroyed by the ftones in the river (one of the fourccs of the Ohio), which- abounded with many, and large ones, and in .fome, places was fo (hallow, that the men were -ibrccd to wade and drag their batteaux after them. Which, together^with fome catarafts, or great falls of wa^ ter, rendered this duty very hard and fati^uinc, ndt , being able to travel more than feven or eij^ht Eiig* lifh miles a-day, until they came to the Great car^ rying. place, at Wood's Creek, where the provifion# and batteaux were taken out, and carried about foulP ^ miles td AH iganey, or Ohio great river, that rtixiis quite to 0fwego, to which place General Shiriey got with part of the forces, on the 8th of Augtiftj but Colonel M-ercer, with the remainder,'did not ar- rive utitil the 31ft.. Here we found Gtalonel Schuyler' .. wkh iKregiment of New Jeyfey provincials, who It^d jml^ed there fome tirl»e before. A fhort de- fci^^i^^f a place which haa afRuFded fo'rouch oc- • GafiJMfffor slnimddverfion, may not here^e^ltogethct dilag||eable to thofe. unacquainted widi oi|r fettle- ^1^ chat part of the world. . '1. 'A .1? -Jl:.-- 48 THE LIFE OF Ofwego is (ituatcd N. lat. 43 dcg. 20 tnin. nttt the mouth of the river Onondago, on the fouth fide of the lake Ontario, or Cataraquie. There wis ge- nerally a fort and conflant garrifon of regular troops kept before our arrival. In the proper feafons, a fair for the Indbn trade is kept here : Indians of above twenty different nations have been obferved here 0i « time. The greated part of the trade between Cat fiada and the Indians of the Great Lakes, and ibrae parts of the Miflinippi, pafs near this fort ; the near* «4l and fafefl way of carrying goods upon this lake being along the fouth Tide of it. The diilance from Albany to Ofwego fort is about 300 miles wgd ; to render -which march more comfortable, we met with many good farms and Settlements by the way* The Outawaes, a great apd powerful nation, living ' Mpon the Outawae rivf various forts, and have ^11 fire-arms ; feme CDinf fo far north as Port Nelfon in.Hudfon's ^ay, N. lat. ^7 deg. and fonie from the Cherokees weft of South Carolina, in N< lat« 32 deg. This lieems indeed to be a vail extent of inland water jjarriage, but it is only for canoes and the fmalleft • i^-jNor will it in this place be improper togivefome aceckin^fof our friends in thofe parts,* whom we'Q|^l ^siip:, Mohawks, ' vh. The IroquoisI, commonl^^^lSied i^ Mohawks, the Ol|ieiadaes, the Onondagues, the Cayugaesj and the Senekaes. In all accounts the|l are lately called the Six nations of the New Tiim Friendly Indians ; the Tufcararoes, flragglers lironl die old Tufcararoes of North Carolina, iatdi!| |iar« reckoned as the fixth. 1 fhall here re^c^ thcttt f- m as I hai Moha^^ Pcofylv having 40 mile fencible from tJ about 2i 25 rail< place or tiding c 70 miiei Seilekae Sufqueh ing men fix natio men, an ing in ; thefe, tl N. E. o^ from th confiiiin count oi tJie Eng] occadon them. It maj detail ioi tlvi nativ but they complex! andiyini fpecially ftraigbt, deformei Theya^e Jo jglfcoK PETER Williamson. 4f «8 I have been informed they were formerly, i. The Mohawks: they Vtye upon the Mohawk's or 8cl>c- nc^Rdy river, and. head, or Wc north of New York^ Peofylvunia, Maryland, and fome part of Virginia ; having a caiWc orrvillage, wcftward from Albany 40 miles, and another 65 miles we(t, and about i6» fencible men. 2. The Oneiadaes, about 80 mile» from the Mohawk's feeond village, confilling o£ about 200 fighting men. 3. The Onondagues, about 25 miles further (the famous Ofwego, a trading place on the lake Ontario, is in their country), con- £ilirig of about 250 men. 4. The Cayuages, about 70 miles further, of about 130 men : And, 5. The tSeiiekaes, who reach a great way down the river iSufquehana, confjft of about 700 marching, fight., ing men : fo tha^ the iightitig men of the five or fix nations of Monawks may be reckoned at t$p9 men, and extend from Albany, weft 400 miles, lyw ing in about 30 tribes or governments. Befides thefe, there is fettled above Montreal, which lies N. E. of Ofwego, a tribe of fcoundrels, runaways from the Mohawks: they are called Kahnuages^ confifting of about eighty men. — This fliort ac- count of thefe nations I think neccfTary to make the Englifh reader acquif^fiibd'with, as I may have occadon to mention things iiottcerning fome of them. It may not be improper here alfo, to give a fuccindl lietiiil .of the education, manners, religion, ^c'of tlie natives. The Indians are born tolerably white ) but they take a great deal of pains to darken theif compitxion, by anointing themfelved with gxeafe^ and iying in die fun. Their featui^s are goadi^ e*t fpecially thofe of the women. Their limbs dean, v fkraigbt, and well proportioned^ and a crooked v^^^ ^fbrnke'd perfon is a great 'rarity among themi ' Thpyane very ingenious in their way^^ jii^jo^ oelther Soi I^Aoranty nor fo innocent, as ioiei^y^M ima.- ■#, THE LIFE OF 'h^.t ■: gine : On the contrary, a very unclctftanclingr gene- ra-rton are ihcy, qvick of appreheivdon, fudden in difpatch, fubtle .in their dealings, ex(}uifite in their inventions, and in labour aifuluousv Tiic world has no better markfmen M'ith guns, or bows and arrows, than the natives, who can kill birds ilying, fiihes fwin>ming, and wild beads running; nay, with fnch prodigious force do they difcharge their ariowsi that one of thciti will (lioot a man quire through, and nail both his arms to his body with the fame arrow. • As to their religion, in order to reconcile the dif- ferent accounts exhibited by travellers, , "w e muft fuppofe that difterent tribes may have different no- tions, and different rites : and though 1 do not think inyfclf cap-able of determining the cafe with the {>recirion and accuracy I could ^wi(h \ yet,* with wh^t I have colJedVed ' from my own obfervaticm when among them, and the information of my bro- ther-captives, who have been longer converfant with /the Indianb than i was, I fliall - readily give the public all the fatisfa£lion I can. -4 (Some aflure us the Indians worOiip the images of ,^,»fome' inferior deities, whofe anger they fee m to ; dread ; oix which account the generality of our tra- vellers ^j^^minate the objects of their devotion j de« irils^ thbugh at the fame time it is allowed they pray , to their inferior deities for fuccefs in all their under- takuigft, for plenty of food, and other necelTaries of lifci' It appears too, that they acknowledge one Su- preme Being ; but him they adore not, becaufethey believe h? is too far exalted above them, and too happy in IVimfelfj to be concerned about the trifling affairs of poor mortals. They feem alfo tp fa^dieve ^ ^a future (late; and that, after death». they :i^^^|i removed to their friends who have gone J^lH^e them, to an Elyfium Or Paradife beypnd t|ie:.Wfi^f^^ . Mountains : others again, allow thejn cithci^uiji?!^' tfgion a but all fipu's, a thefc d€ for the they caf ting the they car moon; fpirit, G Ceru the Frer ni fieri ng ♦* Son < ** manki ^ troubl ***'and th " to wal " ail def »' God, •* rits fn " iiifthin thefe fall foitsi. the to.mafTac God mig from, the by extern Befng gave at tl Ihnil, bef fhort rcc in regard fe^t and t •p^i^icl '.>'>i '1 i-'.-*' '%', ^•t:: |!?^^V ''^'%,- , PETER- WILLFA'MSON. 5» gcne- clcn in n their rid has rrou's, , fiihes iK fiich /s, that h, and arrow, he dif. i muft ;nt no« )t think ifch the :,• with Tvation Tiy bro- iverfant ily gire )a|e8 of ccm to our tra- ion, de- icy pray ' under* aries of one Su- nfethey and too Hgion af all, or, at moll, very faint idca^ of a deity \ but ail agree tliat thtjy arc extravagantly fuj>crfti- ripirs, and exceedingly afraid of evil fpirits. To thefc (lemons they make ol)laiion8 every new moon for the fpace of feven d.iys •, during which time, they caft lots,, and facrifice one of themfclvcs, puir ting tlie pcrfon devoted to the raoll exquifite mifcry they can invent, in order to fatisfy the devil fdr^that moon i for they think if they pleafe but the evil fpirit, God wili do them no hurt. Certain howt'ver it is, that thofe Indians, whom the French p'riefts.have had an opportunity of mi- nidering uiitQ,. ar^ induced to believe, " That the ** Son of God came into the world to fave .all ** oiatikind, and dcdroy all evil fpirits that now ** trouble them i; that the Engliih have killed him v **"'and that ever fi'tice, the evil fpirits arc permitted •< to walk on the earth : that if the Eiiglifh were «< all deftroycd^ the Son of the Good Man, who is *' God, would come again, and ban;fh all evil fyw *< rits frcm thci^ lands, and then they would have « nd>lhing*to ficar or cjifturb them." Cajoled by thefe falfe but artful infinuations of the French JeJ* i^itSj tiie Indians from that time, have endeavoured to.maifacre all the.Englilh, in order that the Son o£ God might come again on the earth, and rid thcni from, their flaviih fears and terrible apprehenfions, by exterminating the obje6Vs thereof. Being now at Ofwego, the principal objeffc tfisi^ gave at that time any- concern to the Americans, I ihally before I contmue my own account, give a (hort recital of what had been done in thefe partS| in regard, to; the defence and prefervatioii of the f(#t'andfhe colonies thereabouts, before I came,' npi^ fuch. authorities as I got from thofe whQ had Ve^^long at Ofwego, and It an well depend ttpbn : ;>*i E2 G(;;0er9l '52 THE LIFE OF . General Shirley, in 1754, having ete£lcd two newforts oh tlie river Onondaga, it feemed pro- bable, that he intended to winter at Ofwego 'Ci^ith his aifmy, thvit he might the'Riore'readily proceed to a£lia»ri in the enfuing fpring. Whiit prod treed his inactivity afterwards, and how it was, thatifott OL wego was not taken by the French in the fpring 1755, are things my penetration will not enable mc to difcufs^ But Ofwego is now loft, and would have been fo in the fpring of 1755, if more important affairs had not made the French negle£^ it. At this time the garrifan of Ofwego confifted only of loci jnen^ under Captain King. The old fort being their only proteftion, which mounted only eight four pounders, was incapable of defence, beeaufe it vas commanded by am eminence dire£lly 6rofs a narrOMr river, the bank^ of which were covered with thick wood. In May 1755?, Ofwego being in this condition, »nd thus garrifoned ; thirty French batteaux. were ieen to pais, and two days after, eleven more ; each batteau (being mnch ia^rgvr than ours] containxng fifteen men *, fo this fleet confifted of near 600 men : A force, which, with a fmgle mortar, might foon have taken pofleflion of the place. \ i A rcfoJution was now taken to make the fort larger, and ere£k fome new ones ; to build vefTels Upoa the lake ; to incrcafe the garrifon ; and pro- vide every thing heccffary to annoy tlie enemy, fo as they might render the -place tenable. Captain Btoadflreet arriving on the a 7th of May at the fort, with jwo companies, fome ft|iall fwiveUgaqs, and ^le firft parcel of workmen, made fome imagine that a (lop would be put to the French in their ^. rying men in fight of the garrifon; yet thay ft#l permitted eleven more French batteau x to pafs by, tliough we were theii fuperior to them-m;^cfe^ hQdXSy or atjeait in numlier. The reafof! opr fc^#s could f miles i the fol fet; ai tacked only fi ent m< care, 1 againfl Ofweg iron W6 who ha were fi but on that fli would ^ The rived f month, tario \ fchoom fwivel- force V was vi<: New-^ provific taken when ; mine,' little r< Abo cxpe£l€ liey) we J^ |ea 'I* ?ETER WILLIAMSON. 53 could not attack them, was, becaufe they wetc four miles in the <^ng, on board large veflels, in which the foldiers could ftand to fire without being over- fct; and our batteaux, in which we muft have at- tacked them, were fo (mail, that they would C9ntain, only fix men each, and fo ticklifh, that the inadvert- ent motion of one man would overfet them. No care, however^ was taken to provide larger boats againft another emergency of the fame kind. . At Ofwego, indeed, it was impra£licable for want of ironwork ; fuch being the provident forecaft of thofe « who had the management of affairs, that though there were fmiths enough, yet there was, at this place, but one pair of bellows, fo that the iirft accident that (hould happen to that neceifary inilrument^ would flop all the operations of the for^*e at once*': The beginning of June, the (hip-carpenters ar- rived from Hoflon, and on the 28th of t\it fime month, the firfl vefTel we ever had on the lake On- tario was launched and fitted out : She was a fchooner, 40 feet in the keel, had 14. oars, and 12 fwivel-guns. This vefTel, and 320 men, was all the force we had at Ofwego, the beginniflg of July, and was vi(Slualled at the expence ofthe province of New- York. .Happy indeed it was, that the colony provifions were there \ for fo little care had been taken to get the king's provifions fent up, that, when we arrived, we muft have perifhef a ferjeant, corporal, and twelve men in each^ were daily mounted, and did duty as well as able. Scouting parties were likewife fent out e\ery day; but the ficknefs (lill continuing, and having 300 men at ^rk, we were obliged to leifen ourVaards^ till General Pepperel^ regiment joined lis. \ A little diligence being now made ufe of, about the middle of September, four other veflcls were t^ot ready, W;z. a decked iloop of eight guns, four poundejrs, and 30 fwivcls 5 a decked fchooner, eight guns, four pounders, and twenty-eight fwitels; one xmdecked fdiooner of fourteen fwivels^' and fourw teen Oar«, and another^of twelve fWivels, and four« teen oarsj about 150 tons each. <■' ^ . :* r PETER WILLIAMSON. U rrlvcd l)cfore (lores of be- allow- id fa- i, and ), and e fiuX) ;duced [le im- ng ab- anes. igth fo ugh to iaily at t, ren- )r cen- d. To lard'of 3, two guards i each^ s able, y day; ig 300 roardS) ^ abotit s were iy four , eight 9 J one fouTi. 1 lbur« On the 24th of Odober, with thi& armament, and t confiderable number of battcaux, which were too fmall to live upon the lake In moderate weather, we were preparing to attack Niagara ; though (not- withdanding we had taken all the provifjons we could find in Ofwego, «nd had left the-garrifon be<* hind, with fcarce enough for three days) the fleet had not provilions fuiRcient on board, to carry them within fight of the enemy, and ftipplies were not to be got, within 300 miles of the place we were going againil. However, the impracticability of fucceed* ing in an expedition, undertaken without vi£tuals« was difcovered time enough to prevent our march, or embarkation, or whatever it may be called ; but not before nine batteaux, laden with officers bag* gage, were fent forwards, four men in each bat- teau; in one of which it was my lot to be. The men being weak, and in low fpirits, with continual harafling and low feeding, rendered our progrefs very "^""dious and cliificult ^ add to this the places wejnr; / oafs and afcend; for, in many parts, the catara > ; or falls of water, which defcended near the head of the river Onondaga (in fome placed near 100 feet perpendicular), rendered it almoil impofllble for us to proceed \ for the current run- ning from the bottom, was fo rapid, that the ef- forts of twenty or thirty men were fometimes re«- quired' to drag the boats along, and especially to get ^^em up the hills or cataracts, which we were^ forced to do with ropes : Sometimes, when, with great labour and diiliculty, we had got them up, we carri^d'them by land near a quarter of a mile, be«< fore We came to any water. In ihort, we found four men to a batteau infufficient ; for the meti be- longing to one batteau were fo fatigued and worn t»it| that they could not manage her, fo that (he ^ b^ttpd almoil a league. ■ w . *..-» ■<. .» i.- ^ ■■ ^ j and prefcrve the friend-^ fkAp of the ^confidential Indiana; which an attack, vpion Ofwego, at that time, would have deftroyed. How far, they fucceeded in fuch their projecls^ arid the reafon of their fuccefies,, a little animad- 'irerfioa on our own tranfadlions will let us into the: %ht o/.. ,y,VoTy as appearances on oui* fide were •very favourable in thefpring; General Braddock'a defeat greatly increafed the gloom,. Which fat on the fountenances of the Americans. f M Great things being expelled from himy he arriv-e «4 early in the fpring at Virginia, with a confider-t able land-forx:e ; and Fort du Q^cfne feemed to be ours, if we did but go and demand it. The attacks- . defigned againfl Niagara,, and Fort. Frederick, at Crown Point,: were planned in the winter, and tl^ troops employed againft the French in Nova S events, befides thofe already mentioned. General Braddock was ready to march in April. But through ignorance or ne^le(^, or a mifunderiland- ing with the governor of Virginia, had neither frefh provifions, horfes, nor waggons prov ivied i and fo late as the latter end of May, it was necef- fary to apply to Penfylvnnia, for the moft part of thofe. This neglefl: created a moft pernicious dilB- dence and difcredit of the Americans, in t)ie mind of the General, and prevented their ufefulnefs, where their advice was wanted, and produced very bad efFe£ts. He was a man (as it is now too well know6 and believe«'> b^ -> means of qt"'"^ appre-^' hendon, and couiu iiot tw.iceive that luci. a people could inftni£^ him ; and his young counfellors pre-, judiced him ftill more, fo as to flight his officers^ and what was worfe, his enemy ; as it was treated as an abfurdity to fuppofe the Indians- would ever attack regulars : And j of courfe, no care was taken to inftru^ the men, to refift their peculiar manner of fighting. ^ Had 'this circumftance been attended to, I am fully perfuaded 400 Indians, about the*^ nunxber that defeated him, would have given hifli^ very little annoyance: Sure I am, 400 of our people, rightly managed, would have made no diffi« culty of driving before thtm four times that hand- ful, to whonvhe owed his defeat and death. ^ The undertaking of the eaftern provinces, to rc~ duce the fort at Crown Point, met that fate which the jarring eoUncils of a divided people commonl]^ meet with ; for though the plan was concerted ill the winter of >754, it was Auguft before thefe: petty governments could bring together their troops. In (hort, it mult be owned by all, that delays #ere the banes of our undertakings^ exc^ mthfe'Bay>iof Fundi, in Nova Scotia, where fecrecy aitd expieditioQ were rewarded with fuccef^ and tkttt province reduced. ■ ■' ■ ■ The r^m ^.i' ^'- 6o THE LIFE or The General continaed iiia(3,ive, froili the time he left Ofwego, to March 1756; when he was about to refume the execution of his fchcme to attack Frontenac and Niagara. Wliat would have been the illue of this proje£l, neither myfe!^ nor any other perfon, can now prct'md to fay, for, juft -at this clifis, he received orders from England to at- tempt nothing, till Lord Louden iliould iirrive^ which was faid Ihould be tarly in the fpring. However^ hts LoiTilihip did not get there until the middle o£ July, fo that by this deluy, time was given to the Marquis de Montcalm (Major General Diefkau's Cucccflbr) to arrive from France at Canada with 3000 fegular forces, and take the field before us- But to return from this digreflion to other tranf- a^iions. "When I was pretty well recovered again, ' I embarked on board a yeflel from Albany* for New York ; where, when I arrived, I found to my for-^ fow, Captain John Shirley, the GeneraPs fon, had been dead for fome time. He was a very promifing, Ivorthy^ young gentleman, and univerfally regret- ted, flis company was given to Major James iCin- aair^, who ordered, that none of his men ihould go <9|),| oh the recruiting parties, as was at firil intend- ^ by his predeceflbr ; but that the private men ihould eitlwr return to Ofwego, or do duty in the fort at New York. Not liking my ftation here, I entreated the General, who was now arrived, fot a furlough, to fee my friends at Penfylvania, which Jie leaving then i;o great occafion for me at New York, granted for three months. As I have her|5'ivv of that briefly the pre houfes, ail wd worth ahj of Th^ir drefs, drinkin Amei^ii The m ^hufck, of Uuti tOVCrn, ; Havi put for fo4^nd t was gr( them, ihip w: with ai faries, lefs (lait French, parts < inen, • ii imhapp i jAfe havioui f^ll iie «ver feil demn-t tfa^tthf mong t time be PETER WILLIAMSON. 6t m -i - of that note or cotifis^uence with the others, I (hali briefly ol>fe rye ; thi^ ^ew York is a^ery fine cityi and the capital of the province of that name i it contains about goo^^ houfes, ancLnear 90Q0 inhabitants. The houfcs are all well built, and the meaiiell of them faid to be worth too/. Sterling, which cannot be faid of the city of the fame name, nor of any other in Kngiand. , Th^ir converfaition is polite, and their furniture, drefs, and manner of living, quite ebgiint. Iti drinking and gallantry they exceed any ^^ity ia Ameiiiea. The great church i,s a very h^ndfome edifice, and built in i($95« F{ere is alfo a Dutch church, ^ French ^hufcK, and a Lutheran church. The inhabitants of Dutch extra^ion make a conliderable part of the tovvm, and moft of them fpeak Englifh. Having obtained my furlough, I immediately kt out for Penfylvania, and arrivmg at Philadelphia,, fo4^nd tlxe cpnliernation.and terror of the inhabitants was greatly increafed to what it was when I left them. They had made feveral treaties of friend* ihip WKith the Indians, who, when 'well fupplied with arms, ammunition, clothes, and other necef<^ faries, through the pacific meafures,. and defence* lefs (laste af the Philaidelphians, (ooh pevolted to the French,^ and com^mitted great outrages an the baek . parts dif the proviqfe, deftroying and maflacring ITien, wooaen, and chiUlrea, and every thing that tuahappily lay in thctir way.:^'* V ; ;A few inftancesof which, together with the 'be- haviour of the Philadelphians on thefe occafions, I • (kali iiere prelent the reader with, wI-*o, of wiiat- evcr fe^ or par ofelfion, I am weM aflured, tnuil c^nJ? demn- the pacific dirpp(ltion,andr private fa£):ioiis tl«i| tthen. «»igoed, no^ only m the a-r — -y, but €* mqng the magiftrates themfelve*^, who we*-© a ib'yyg time before they could agree on proper petitions. m y to i6i ^ THE LIFE OF J rouFe the aflVnitljr from the lethargic and inactive v.andition they aufolutely remained in. For, about the middle of Odober, a larjic hoAfti ^Indians, chiefly Shawonoefe, Delawares, ^<% fell up- on this province from fcvcral quarters, almoin at the fi;me inftant, murdering, burning, and laying waiVe all wherever they came j fo that in the five counties of Cumberland, York, Lancadcr, Berks, ^d Northampton, which compofc more than half the province, nothing but fcenes of dt(lru£^ion and defolation were to be fecn. The damages which thefe counties had fHftained by the delertion of plantations, is not to be reckon- jcd up, nor are the miferies of the poor inhabitants to be defcribed ; many of whom, though efcaping ^ithlife, were, without a moment's warnin^,.driveii from thefe habitations, where they enjoyed cvei;y tveceflary of life, au4 were then expofed to all the f«^erity of an hard winter, and obliged to folicit their very bread at the cold hand of charity, or pc» f i{h with hunger, under the inclement air. .' . To thefe barbarities I li^ve already mentioned, I tannot pafs over the. following, ivs introduftory caufes of the Philadelphians at lad' withilanding the outrages of the barbarians. ^ At Gnadenhutten, a fmall Moravian fettlement in Northampton county, the poor unhappy (ufferers were fitting round their peaceful fupperi when the inhuman murderets, muffletj in the/ihades of ni|fht, dark and horrid as the infernal purpofes of their dia#- bolic fouls, ilole upon themji^lutchered, fcalped them, and con fumed their^^jSrots, together with their horfes, (lock, and upwards of fixtyhead-of fat .cattle (intended for the fubfi Hence of the brethren at: Bethlehem), all ir^ one general dar^icf fo that jihxt n^orniiig funriflied ©nly a melancholy- f|»«» lacV^pfthwr n>ingk4.aflt«8. ; . ; s : ■ >i Atil kin, in bjrbarii women, commoi burnt 't( promifci pertainii guifhcd But, c of in tlic fc«n:ed w of the h hours oh this mar with her under he on the g! his boweJ In anc child, fiij the enem ftrong ca cent chill vage rlifli the head fcourcfd I the chUrf, ed,— The under the M any c favages in f^acc than fliapesj ai by lavages more crue Yet eve :8beei **'^ i PETER WILLIAMSON. Hup* )ii at tying r five krks, I half ti and ained ckon- litants laping kiven cvef;y ill the folicit ar pe- led, I ittory ngthe «3 / ■ lent in fferers :h the nighty ;ir diaf calpcjd • with of fat ethten fo that v.. ii; At the Great Cove in Cumbcrlund at Tulpchoc- kin, in Berks, and in fevtral other places, their birbaritice were (lili gre;^ter, if poliible. Men, women, children, and brute bcaft^^, iliared one common deftruction \ and where they were net burnt 'to aihes, their mangltrd limbs- were found promifcuoufly llrewed upon tl)c ground j thofe ap- pertaining to the human form fcarce to be diftin- guiihcd from the brute ! But, of all theinftances of the barbarities I heard of in thele parts, I could not help being moft af- fecnoil>, havf lifted her foot anddniffied all the French force on Jicir borders i but unufe^ to fuch undcrtj^ingfr, and bound by non-rtjijiittg prio- ciples from.txcrting her ftrength, and involved in arbari* ties of the Indian parties headed by French officers : Notwithftandingall which, they continued in domef- tic debates^ without a foldicr in pay, dr a penny i% the treafury. In ihort, if the eivemy had then had ^ but 1500 men at tlie Ohio, and would have attempt* cd ^it, no raflmefs could have l^een perceived in their marchinr down to the city of Philadelphia. . Thus ilood our afHiirs oir the fide of the Ohio» vhen an old captain of the warrior s, in the intereil of the Philadelphians, and their ^ver faithful friend^ whofe name w^ Scarooyada«. alias Monokatoathy, on the fii^ notice of thefe misfortunes, came hailen- jng to Philadelphia, together with Color^ei Weifer^ the provincial interpreter^ ancl^'two 6ther Imlian chiefs. Scarooyada immediately demanded an au^ djiencc of the aflembly, who wt^rt; then fitting, to whom he fpokc in a very 3fFc£ling manr»er. His fpecches being pi:ii>tcd, and fold aboHt Philadelphia, I procured one of themi which w^s as fo]^owS;:^ > . • Brethren, • Wc are once more come atriong you» an/d, lin- < cerely condole with you on account of the |gte • bloodflied, and the awful cloud that hangi(oTjcr • you, and over us. Brethren, you maybeiin- « doubtediy aflvjrtd, tha^ thcfe horfid.4^^oii8 T«'ltc^ « cpmniitted by none <^ thofe nntiOfiftthatlhave iaHy'; « fellowfliip with us, but by certain falfe*he»r¥M • and ueacherous br€thr«n. It grieve^rii^l Ktit^ « than « good * ingf '«] Uf * 300 \ * arc f( * fincei * and a * as fee •Jeaft « mud * fight * domir * refolv « will d * as old « their * thren, « the n * wliat ' you \\ 'E « Th( fultin fate t) once r and b< fures will p out a with arms, build « < « 4 < c i PETER WILLIAMSON. << affied fc :oathy, laftcn- Veifer> Imlian ng, ta His :lphia. , X - - fj/d fin- he ^te giiioxfir V * nve atty*; than all our othct roisfcrcuncs, that any of our good friends, the Englifli, (hould fufpcdt us of hav^ ing falfe hearts. * * < Brethren, *• < If you were not an infatuated people, we are 300 warriors firm to your intereft ; and, if you are fo unjud to us, as to retain any doubts of our fince'rity^ we offer to put our wives, our children, and all we have iiito your hanil^, to deal with them as feemetn good to you, if we are found in the lead to fwerve from youv. But, brethren, yo« mud fupport and aflift us, fqr wc are not able to fight alone againfl the powerful nations who are hat you will do' : For thefe naUons have fent td defire us, as old friends, either to join them, or get out of their way, and fhift for ourfelves. Alas I brr.~ thren, we are forry to leave you ! We remember the many tokens of your frjendfliip to us: But what (hall wc do? We cannot ftand alone, and you will not daod with us ! •Brethren, ; } The time i^precious. While we are here ccn- fulting with you, we know not what may be the fate t)f our brethren at home. We do therefore once more invite and requed you to a<^ like men^ and be no longer as women, purfuing weak mea- fures that remler your names defpical le. If yoa will put the hatchet * into your hands^ and feiii * out a number of your young men in conjun^ion with our warriors, and provide the necefTary arms, ammunitioii, and provifcons, and likewife build fom» drong houfes for the prote^^ioo of V •^Sce the Note under Tomahawk, ^fi. 17/ F3 'T.:- ^ out i I m ^^ JTHE XirE OF cr ' our old mftn, Avomcti, and children j while we art * abffctit in watf we (hall fooa wijjfe the tears from * your eyes, and make thefc falfe-hearted;bj=ethrett, « repent tl*eir treachery and bal'enefs towards yoii, * and towards us. . ^ i- ' •But we muft at the fame time foIemnJy MHire * you, that if you dciay any longer to a€^ lA con* « juij6W6n with us^ or think to put us ofFj as uftialj * with uncertain hcpe«y you mail not expe^ to Tee « our faces under this roof any more. We muft * ihift for our own fafety, find leave ^ou to the » «iercy of our enemies^ a8 an- infatttated people^ * upon whom we can havt no Idnget depend* The tears ftood in the old man's eyes, while he HifSi^ered this laft p^rt j and no wonder, fmce die very bei¥i^ of his nation depended upon their join- ' . ing the enemy, or our enabling them Immediately to rnakc head againft them. \ It was fome time^ howeverj before the aflembly fould be. brought to idonfent to any vigorous mea- fures for their own def^nee. 'I'he back inhabit- ants loft all patience at their conduiSl. Until at length, the Governor exerted his litmoft power, and procured the 'militia and money bills to pafs. By virtue of the former) the freemen of the province were enabled to form thfemfelves into companies, ond^each iompfany, by a majority of votes, by way of ballot, to chafe it« own olficersj Wa/ a captain, 4ieutchant> and infign \ who, if approved of, werft kb be c^lnmiflioncd by the Governor. So that thd JPhiladelphlans Were at laft permitted to_faife aiid Htm themfclves in their own defen<^. llhey accord- ingly foithed thcmfelves into dompatiiei t th«jGo!»» yerft§r figning to all gentlemen qi^ifitdv wh0j^* been regularly ballottedi commipbiis for ths pofe. >3'* o * PETER WILLIAMSON. 4f re art frpm threiL afllire con* to Ice mud 6 the leople^ ipend* lilc he ce Mie ' join-* diately -\ ■ ' rembly \ mea- ihabit- ntil at etj'and 8. By rovitice panies, by way a)>taiiH V were hat the [fe and actotd- t >-'--si - Cdptain Davis was one of the firil ^hd h^d .a company/ and, being dcfirotts of my fervice> in or>r dcritoiiiftru£l the irregulars in their difciplioe, oh- tained from the governor a certificate to indemnify iinO'froih anypuniihmcnt which might be adjudged by the regiment to^ which I already belonged } for without that^ \had notgdne* Our cbmpany, which confided of ieo men, was not coiSnpleted until the 24th of December 1755 ; when, lofing notime^ we next morning marched from Phiiadelpiiia. in highfpirits} refolving to {liew as little quarter to the f yages as tlicy had to many of us* , . . . Colonel Armftrong had been more expeditiously for he had failed 280 provincial irregulars^ tind marched a little time before againil the Ohio^Mo^i-*' , ansi but of him more hereafter* i We arrived the 26th of December at Bethleheroi in the forks of the rivet Delaware, where, being kindly received by the Moravians ^^ "we loaded CiiL waggons with provlfions, and proceeded on to the Appalachian Mountains, or Blue Hills, to ja town called Kennorton.liead^ whi^h the Moravian^^ had deferted on account of the Indians. Fifty of our men, of whom 1 made orte, were ordered before.the feft,-tt> fee whether the town was deftroyed or^not* Difpofmg them to the bed advantage, we marched oh till we came within five miles of the placei which we fotHid danding entire. . i n^v. Having a very uneven, rugged road to it, and'not iibove four ikien able to go a-^;ead, we were on a fudden alarmed by the firing of the flank-guardS) Which were ar iittfe in the Tear of our van. The favages brilkiy returned their fire, and killed the eftfigti aind ten of the men, jind wounded 'fevcral ing this* I being chief in command (having as lieutenant, and received pay aii fu^^om a .entrance'^ for my trouble ^nd duty in learn. ■'* - • lii! n SI "ilih jl r'^-'P^-. 'M . THE LIFE OF. i.^ . ing in the company) ordered the men td march bn with all expedition to the town, and all the way to keep a runnings jfyei on the enemy, as they had fallen on our rear; > i* We would have got there in very goodi'OrtleiV had it not been -for a river we had to crofsy and. the weather being fo excellively cold, our clothes froze to our bodies asfoxin as we got out of the water. However, with great difficulty we reached. the town, arid got into the church with the lofs of 27 men. There wc nrade as good preparations for our de- fence as poflibiy we could, making a great iire of llhe bench[es, feats^ and what we could find therein, to. dry our clothes; not efj^eeming it the leaft facri- legc dge .crime, opon fuch an emergency. The Indians foon followed ws into the town, and farrbunding us, tried all methods to burn the church, but' our oohtinual firing kept them off for about fix hours, until our, powder and ball were all expended. in the night they fet fcveral houfes^on fire ; and we, dreading the confequences of being detained there» tefolvcd to make one bold effort, and pufh ourfelves through the favage Jortee, which, was accordingly done with the moft undauaited courage. The ene- my fired continually on us during our retreat, and killed "many of our men, but in their confufion n^^ fty of thcmfelves alfo j it being fo very dark that ifjp were not able to difcern our own party v fo that oh- ly five of us kept together, and got into the woods ; the reft, whom vyc left teliind, I doubt, fell facrificsjiig Ijtjt few clothes with us out of the church, jtwo of my |;K)mrades fioze t'q death, before we cd^ld reach any injiabited place. In fliort, we did not gctitfi^ ^cHc£ till four o'clock in the nioiJriing, whcriw^v^r^ me4^^t a houfe that lay in the gap, ijf. th^ "^ ^ A . >l PETER WILLIAMSON. 6^ :^: Hills ; where our captain had arrived y^'ith the re* mainder of the men and waijgons the day before. . The captain inquiring our fuccefe, I gave him the meiaiicholy detail of our unfortunate expedi-' tion : upon which an exprefs was immediatety Cent to the ifOTcrndr with the account^, who ordered' 1600 men to march the next morning for the fame place, Under the command of General Frankly, not* only to bury the dead, and build a fort there/'bAit-tc^ extirpate the favages who infeftcd thefe paTts»?^% were too powerful for our fmall number under Gatjai tain Davis. The remainder of our little party were now bnildi^ ing a fort at the place where we lay for our defence, until more aflidance {liould arrive *, for we were un- der cgjVtinual apprehenfions of the Indians puifuing and attacking U9 again. "" >• On the oth of January 1756, >)ire were tethrorced by General Fraiiklin aiid hh body ; and the next dsif fet out aFgain fcS" JCennorton-head j where, when we' arrived) to :^\if great confternation, we foiled tittie: occafidn td^ry our unhappy comrades, the' >fwirio (which in th^l ilountry are vaftly numerous in' th^' woods) having devoured their bodies, and notliingi but bones flrewed up and down were to bd feen.: «^K 1400 of us were ordered abaat* fifteen^lhilestdiftant from thence, on the frontiers ofl the province:; where we built another fi^t csilled Y^rt Norris. In our v/ay thither we found (litMipeii isrfped and murdered in^^^;4jioft cruel raanmer. By ttE^t we could difc^:rn, they had -fnadrva'vj^tdus fence, jthe b^nels and Hocks df theiti guiiil^^eing^ m ■In ■I K\M ■H ::^, ^. -;->.$is.V«* f^ THE LIFE^ OF htdke to pieces, and themfelves cut and mangfed in aHcrrible planner. From thence we* were ordered to noarch towards » place called the Minnifinks, but this journey provt'd longer than we were aware of. The In- dians committing great ootragcs in thefe parts, hav- ing birrrit and deft ''oyed ^11 the houfes, (sl'c. in our way : Thefe tragic adlions caufed us to divide our- felves intofeveral parties, who were ordered divera ways, to cut off as many of thefe favages as pof- Able, ( . » The day after this fchemc was put into execution,^ we met with a fmaH party, which we put to the Tout, killing fourteen of them. We then matle aU poiTible difpatch to fave fome houfcs we faw on fire, but on our nearer approach found our ( - Lea~ vour in vain : John Swiflier ancl his family having Been Before fcalped, and burnt to afhes in his own hotife^ On thcffoJlp^Aing night the houfe df Jamcjj Walirs un4erw«nt the fame ^te v himfelf, wife, fe- ▼en children,. and the reft of his family, being fcalp- ed, zud burnt therein. The houfes Sind ifamilies of Philip Green and Abrai\am Nairn fufFered in the Hjce'mannfer.^ Nor did the cruelty of tH^fe barbiW rians (lop here, but attacked the dwelling-houfe of Gborge Hunter, Efq; a gemlc man of confid^rablc worth, 'and a juiliccltof the peacd^ who- made a bravevrcfiftance^ and raiher than .'aH iDi^oi the hands • of thefe ihifcrean^s, chofc to nieet death in the flames; which he^ his wife, and all his houfehold,. om^itBg of ifxteen^in number, did withthe utmoft Bravery^ before any affiftatice could be rfljeived frowi: our GeitcvSil^ wha had difpatched 500 cms for tha^^ pitipois, on an exprefs being fisnt tohimlthat morli- i^ij.: .. .,. •■ > .■^.. . r: ' '' ' c'F'Coniilience "we marched to the MinnifinkHy^l built F|nrt )!^6rris. On thq 9th of March we ict oCttii WiihiQoa'mef^ to the h^ad of the iitinniitiiks,' aiiiir / PETER WILLIAMSON. 7t built another fort, which we named Ffanklin^ itl honour of our Genial. All which forts were garri- foned with as many men as w.e could poflibly fpare; After this we were daily employed in fcquring the woods, from fort to fort, t)f thcfe noxious crea?* tures, the Indians, and in getting as much of the corn together as wc could find, to prevent favage$ from having any benefit thertfrom. Notwithftanding our vigilance, thefe villains, on the 15th, attacked the houfe of James Graham, but by providence he, witH his wife, who had juft laiii in, and the youngjnfant in her arms (with nothing about her but her fhift) made their efcape to Fort Allen, about iifteen miles diftant. The child pe- rifhed by the way, and it was matter of wonder to the whole garrifon to find either of them alii^c ; in- deed they *vere in a deplorable? condition, and wc imagined they would expire every moment. The wife however, to our great aftoailliment, revercdi but the hufband did not furvive above fix hours' af- ter their arrival* . li . Thp houfe of Ifaac Cook fufFcred by the flanks ; himfelf^ his wife, and eight children, bei>ig fcalped and burnt in it. Tedious and (hocking would rt be to enumerate half the murders, conflagrations, and outrages, comU mitted by thefe hellilh infidels ; let it fuffice there- fore, that from the year 1753, when they firft be* gan their barbarities, they had murdered, burnt, fc4ped, and dedroyed, above 3500; above 1000 wheceof were unhapipy inhabitants of the weftcsm part of Philadelphia.^ Men, wonrien, and childreilis fell alike iiB t?he miferaWfr calamities attendant on |.^^^pijie9for>fra|ifying the ambition of ^aty^annid ■4|^^-'.. ■t=; ./ ■'.:- monarch.. n THE LIFE or 'A. monarch Hke France, or the weak contrivances, and indolent naeafures, of bltuideritig miniilers and ne« gtteiators. The tin^e of my furlough at length expiring, I pr^ared to fct cut for my regiment. Having a re«. commendatory letter from General Franklin to Ma* |or Kinnair, as to my fcr vices, I marched forward fpT New York: Where btfing arrived, I waited on the Major, he being a worthy geiitleman^ untveifaljy Is^ioved , by the whole regiment \ and after giving him an account of all our' tranfa^ ions, and the * j)ard (hips and, labours we had gone through, L was idifinifled. • After fonic (lay there, I was ordered to proceed en my nivarch for (Xwego once more. But, before I gO: further with my alairs, I (hall juft recount the lefolt of^hofe provincials, who went, as I mentioxw e^]M<>re, to quell the favages, under the command ;|*fOabnel Armfrroog. 7-0^^^-; ■- -: He having under his rommand 280 pirdvinciak, defcintd ^gdind th$ Ohio Morians, againft whom pc^d) ing Ikad been attem pted, not withflanditig their frequent tnou^nons and inurderst penetrated 140 miles through the woods, from Fort Shir ley im jjn* ciata river, to Kittanning an Indiiin' towii, on ihe CNmo, ftbc^ut 25 mile& above Fort du Quefncy ^b&« lemging to the French- He foon joined khe ad« vft^cei party at th? peaver^iianis; and, on. the fourth evening after, being iwithin fix miles of Kit^ taimangi the fcouts difcoyer^d a fire in the road, >nd re^rt(^ that there wiere but thre^; or four iodtans 9£ it. At that time itw,as not thought pcofier to aii^ tempi fiirpri^iog thefe iodians, v/left^ . if ©ne (hoiild efcape, the towei might be -alarmed : lieutenant H^ggj^therefow,! wiUv twclyc men, was left :t» watch them, with orders not ito ^all apon theai^^iirntU ^biy^reak % and our forces tiurned out of ^|^y||^pr^ Wpitft their 6rc, without .diftucbing,tl|etb. ' '^^ PETER WILLIAMSON. 73 About three in the morning, having been guided by the whooping of the Indian warriors, at a dance in the town, they reached the river at about loo perches below it. As foon as day appeared, the at- tack began. Captain Jacobs, chief of the Indians, gave the war-whoop, and defended his houfe brave- ly through the loop-holes in the logs. The Indians generally refufing quarter, Colonel Armftrong or- dered their houfes to be ftt on fire, whicJi.was done by the officers and foldiers with great alacrity. Oa this, fome buril out of the houfes and attempted to Teach the river, but were inftantly fliot:— -Captain Jacobs, in getting out of a window, was {hot and fcalped, as were alfo his Squaw, and a lad they ^i- ed the King's (on. The Indians had a numljcr of fpare arms in their houfes ioaded, which went off in quick fucceffiori as the fire came to them ;. and quantities of gunpowder, which had been itored in every houfe, blew up from time to time^ throwing their- bodies into the air. Eleven Englifli prifcwiers were releafed, who in- formed the Colonel, that that very day two batteaux of Frenchmen, with a large party of Delaware and French Indians, were to have joined Capuin Ja- cobs, to march and take Fort Shirley ; and that twenty-four warriors had fet out before them the preceding evening ; which proved to be the party that had kindled tfie fire the pr-eceding night ; foiP ; our people returning, foumi .Lieutenant Ho^ wounded in three places : and Icariied, that he h^d attacked the fappofed party t>f three or four at the fitc, buttiwiiid them too ftrong for him. He killed three of tii€i|ii)0wcver, at the firft fire, and fougl^> them an hoiyj? V w^ben, having loft tijrec of his mei%' th? reft, as 3^ lay wounded, abahdocted him and fled, the enetiirj^fij^ing. Lieutena|ltt:Hog§ ^ed foDn>ai^er of hil^m^da. » -i^ ; m : J* - V I* ■ "S .1 •:%-!• '^iff. 74 THE LIFE OF Enough of th«fe two expeditions has been faid, nor can I well tell which of the two was. moft fuc- cefsful, both lofing more of their own men than they killed of the enemy. ^ A little retrofpedlion again on the a£^ions and .behaviour of the Philadelphians, and the other pro- vinces, and places in conjun£\ion with them, may here be fomething neceflary : For, when I arrived at Philadelphia, I found, that however melancholy their fituation had been of late, this good efFe£^ had been obtained, that the mofl prejudiced and igno. rant individual was feelingly convinced of the ne- .ceflity pf vigorous meafures ; and, befider national and public views, then the more prevailing ones of revenge and felf-intereft "gave a fpur to their coun- fels. They were accordingly rau^ng men with the utmoil expedition ; and had, before the end of the fummer, a confiderable mimbcr, though not equal to what they could furnifh, having at lead 45,000 men in Penfylvania able to fight. * - Ahd, purfuant to agreement fome mopths before, the four governments of NewEngland, in conjunc- tion with New York (which laft furnilhed 130c) -had now aflembled 8000 men (for the attack of Fort Frederick) at Albany, 150 miles N. of New York, 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 j an im.. prefs therefore of part of the miiilia was ordered in •New York government. To prevent which, fub- foriptions werefct oji foot to engage volunteers. by liigh bounties i fo k>ath were fhe'y that foix)^ got "ijine or twelve pounds Sterling tg inlitt. -, , '.y^Hl: The 44th., 48th, 50th»-and 51ft iepm^^d\ Great Britain were defiSned for the caiP^I^'^i the great lake Ontario, and QioAlyi ^^^i^j^^^^r .fi^fwcgO, thence to be carried Qwti0H^ ipi^i^^ PETER WILLIAMSON. 75 %hale-boats, which were then at the lake, and were built at Sehenedidy on Mohawk's river, and were . long, round} and light, as the batteaux, being flat- bottomed and fmall, would not anfwejr the naviga- tion 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. Opwards of 2000 i>attcau men were employed to navigate the batteaux, each a ton burthen, laden with proviGons and llores from Albany by the Mohawk river, then through Oneyda lake and river, down to Ofwego. There were like- wife 300 failoTS hir;;d and gone up from New York (as I found, when I arrived there) to navigate the four armed Ihips on the lake, built there, as I have before mentioned, the laft year, for the king's fer- vice, and two others were theii buildings finiths, carpenters, and other artificers, having gone there for that purpofe fome weeks before! Such were the preparations and armaments for this campaign ; but how fruitlefs, to our great difgrace, was foon known all over the world ! I (hall not trouble the reader with a long account of af long march I had to take from New York tb Ofwego, 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 joined Colonel Broad ft reet at Albany, and on the 6th of May,, at the Great Carrying-place,, had a: fkirmilh with the French and Indians^ wherein feveral werev killed and wounded on both fides i of the latter. il maide one. Receiving a* ftiot through my lefC: hand, .^ich entirely difabled my third and fourth/*-^ fing^si and having no hofpital, or any conveni- k.Qcifl. for the fick there, I was, after having my. |haiid[;4t;e^ed in a wretched manner, fent with- the. tlea\ix to Albany to get. it?cured. .-*^r i%: Ga I^H": ■% ^^. ^^; '*'•, .\^- 7<> THE LIFE or /*As foon as I was well, F (ct forwards for Ofwcgo apain. And, when I arrived there, I began to make what obft:rvanons I could, as to the altevailons that had been made fince my departure in the month of October preceding. The works of Ofwcgo, at this time, confifled of three forts, viz. The Old Fort, built many years before, w hofe chief ftrength was a \^eak ftone-wall, about two feet thick, fo ill cemcnte^d, that it could not refill the force of a four pound ball, and fltuatcd on the call fide of the harbour ; the two other forts, called Fort Ontario and Fort George, were each of them at the diftance of about 450 yards frortij the Old Fort, and fituated on two ' eminences, which commanded it; both . thefe, as I have alrej».dy obferved, were begun to be built laft year upon plans, which made them defen- Hble aganift mufquetry, and cannon of three or four pound ball only, the time not allowing works of a Itrcngrer nature to be then undertaken. For our defence againft large cannon, wc en- tirely depended on a fuperior naval force upon the Ixke, which might have put it in our power to pre- vent the I-'rench from bringing heavy artillery againft the place, as that could only be done by water car- riage, which is my opinion, as vvell as many others. If the naval force had but done their duty, Ofwego might have been ours to this very day, and entirely cut off t4ie communication of the Frt;ncii from Ca- nada to the Ohio: But if I would infill on this, as the particulars rpquire, I perhaps Ihould affront fome, and injure myfclf, all to no purpofc, or of any beneficial fcrvice to recall our former loffes; for that reafon, I {hall defer enlan^ing on the fub- je£t, although at the fame time, I can give jrery good circumilances to maintain my argunieat, if required. ^ A day or two after being at Ofwego, the "litf^^^^ %Va9^ alarmed by hearing a firings wh#» bn^'dil|g^h-; fergeai on his to be him fTK fourth' Wfet h •■<,••■■ L-V P^TER'WILLIAMSON. 11 ^..v ing proper fcouts, it was found to be the French and Indians engaging the batteau men and Tailors^ conveying the provifions to Ofwego, from.pnj; river to another. On this, a detachment of .500 men were ordered out in purfuit of them, whereof I was one. We had a narrow pafs in the woods to go through, w'.iere we were attacked by a great num- ber of Indians, when a dcfperatc fight began on both fides, that lalled about two hours. However, at laft we gained a complete viftory, and put them entirely to the rout, killing fourteen of them, and Mounding above forty. On our fide we had but two men killed and fix wounded. Many more would have been killed of both parties, had it not been for the thicknefs of the woods. I cannot here omit recounting tx moft fingular tranfa6lion that happened during this my fecond time of being there, whicK, though fcarce credible, is abfolutely true, and can be teftified by hundreds, who know and h;»ve often feen the man : in (hort^ one Moglaflcy, of the 50th regiment, an IrifliBfiaii, . b^ing placed as centinel over the rum which h^d arrived, and ^ being curious to know its* goodnefe, pierced the cafk, and drank till he was quite intoxi- cated ; when, nofknowing what he did, he ram- bled from his poft, and fell afleep a good way from the garrifon. An Indian flculking that way for prey (as is conje£lured) found him, and made free witii iiis fcrJp, which- lie plucked and carried ofF. The fergeant, in the morning, finding him profirat^ on his face, and feeing his fcalp off, irjiagined him to be dead i but on^is nearer approach, and raifing him from the ground, the fellow awaked from the fouti^'flfeep he had been in, and alked the fcrgeant ^yvfet he Wanted. The iergeanl, quite furprifed at ti^^JIrginge behaviour of the fellow, interrogated I4l|k: JN^^'^ he came 4»ere in that conditio ? He re- '.^m^'-^Jie could not tell ; but that he had got ver^ * G 3 drunk^ %,.':- 78 THE LIFE OF i- - dnwh, and rambled he knew not ivhither. The fer.- gcant Htivifcil him to prepare for death, not havrng many hours to live, as he had loft his'fcalp. Arrak^ my dear ^ tnnv (cries he) an4 are you jok'tfiir k,,: f for ho really knew nothing of his being ferveo ir tiic n.an- ncr he was, and would not believe any a*, id'-nt had happened hin), until feeing his clothes bloody, he felt his head, and found it to be too tiuc, as well as having a cut from his mouth to his ear. He was immediately carried before the Governor, who allc- ing him, how he came to leave his poft ? He replied. That being vary thirjly^ he had broached a cajk of rum^ and drank about a p'tnt^ which made him drunk ,- but if hit Honour iuould forgive him^ he\l never be guilty of the like again. The Governor told him, it was very probable he never would, as he was- now no better than a dead man. However, the furgcpns dreff^d his head there as well as they could, and then fent him in a batteau to Albany, where he v/as perfectly tured ; and, to the great furprife of every body. Was living when I left the country. This, though fo extraordinary and unparalleled an aflfair, I aver to be true, having feveral times fttn the man after this accident happened to him. How his life was preferved feems a miracle, as no inftance of the like Was ever known. I had forgot to mention, that before I left Alba- ny the laft time, upon Colonel Broadftrect*s arrival there, in his way to Ofwego, with the prOvifions and forces, coniifltng of about 500 whale-boats and batteaux,' intended for the campaign on the great la|ce Ontario, mentioned tefore, I joined his corps, and procet;ded on with the batteaux, ^c. \ Going up the river Onondago towards Ofwego^ the l?;ineau nien were-, on the 29th of Jun?, attacki- td n^f^the Fails, about nine miles from;%fwegp, by ^pfi-^rench and Indians, who killed and Wouifdi^ id^Jj^^ before we could get ofi flt<|t|i. Out; gfin|r: PETER WILLIAMSON. 79 le fer.- [lavrng /Irraky for ho : iT.an- nt had dy, he IS well \c was lio afk- cplied, of ruwy ik; but ruilty of as very ) better dreffid en fcnt srfcdlY y body> tliough I aver m after ifc was of the t Alba- arrival Ovifions >ats and le great s corps, )fwegO| attack^ 5fwx;gp, wound- which) as foon as we did, the French Were routed, with the lofs of 130 mern kiHedi and feveral wound'-* cd, whom wc took prifoneru. Had we known of their lying in ambufh^ o» of their intent to attack us, the vi^ory would have been much more complete on our (Tde, as the troops 'Colonel Broadftreet commanded wetc regular, well difciplincd, and in tolerable health ; whereas the , French, by a long paflage at fea, and living hard after their arrival at Canada, were much barafied. and fatigued. However, we got all fafe to Ofwego, with the battcaux and provifions, togetiier with rigging and ftorcs for the large vcflcls, excepting twenty-four cannon, fix pounders, that were tlien at the Great Carrying-place ; which Colonel Broadftreet was to bring with him, upon his next paflage, from Sche-^':^f ncftacly ; to which place, as foon as he had deliver- ed to the Quarter-mafter all the ftores under his care, he was ordert-d to return with the batteaux and men to receive the orders of Major>general Abercrombie. In his return from Schenectady, it was expe\i^ riers. All the forces, and the vefleis, with the arti^W lery and ftores, being arrived in the bay of Nixoure^ the place of general reridezvoua, the Marquis de Montcalm ordered his advance-guard to proceed to* a creek, called Anfe aux Cab^nnes, three leagues, from Ofwego. But, To carry on tK^ account the more accurate and intelligible to the reader,. I fhall recite the a^Hons. oif the French and ourfelves together, ae a- inore clear and fuccindt manner of making thofe unac^' quainted with the art of war, i^ore ftniibje of. tiiis important affair. '-- ' • ' -* Colonel 82 THE LIFE OF Colonel Mercer, who was then commanding of-* ficcr of the garriion at Ofwego, having, on the 6tk of Auguft, intelligence of a large encampment of French and Indians, about twelve miles ofF, dif^ patched one of the fchooncrs, with an account o£ it to Captain Bradley, who was then on a cruife with the large brigantine and two floops; at the fame time, de fired him to cruife as far to the caft- ward as he could, and to endeavour to prevent the approach of the French on the lakfe; but meeting the next day with a fmall gale of wind, the large brigantine was drove on fhore near Ofwego, in at-^ tempting to get into the harbour; of which mif- fortune, the Indians immediately gave M. de Mont- calm, tli.e French General, notice, who took that opportunity of tranfporting his heavy cannon ta about a mile and a half of the fort, which he could not otherwife have done, had not there been fome ncgle£t on our fide^ For on the loth, the firft divifion /of the French being arrived at Anfe aux Cabannes, at two o'clock in the morning; the van-guard proceeded, at four ill the afternoon, by land, aerofs woods, to another creek within half a Itf^ague of Ofwego, in order to favour the debarkation. At midnight their firft divifion repaired to this creek, and there erected a battery on the lake Ontario. Colonel Mercer, in the morning of the ioth> on fome canoes being feen to the eaftward, fent out the fmall fehooner to make difcovery of what they were ; (lie was fcarce half a mile from the fort, be- * fore fhe difcovered a very large encampment, clofc under the oppofite point. Being rWe firft divifion of the French txoops above mentioned* On this, the two floops (the large brigantine being ftill on fhpre) were fent out with orders, if polTible, to annoy ;■ PETER WILLIAMSON. 8J -^here, in the beginning of the night, they began a grand battery, placed in futh a manner, that it could not only batter Fort Ofwego, and the way from thence to Fort George, but alib the intrench* ment of Ofwego. In the morning of the 13th, the large brigantine being off the rocks and repaired, a detachment of eighty men of the garrifon was put on board of her and the two (loops, in order to go out immediately; . but the wind continuing to blow diredlly into the harbour, reniiered it impoflible for them to get out before the place was furrendered. This night, as well as the night before, parties of the enemy's if* regulars made feveral attempts to furprife our ad- vance-guards and centinels, on the welt fide of the river, but did not fuccecd in any of them. The enemy were employed this night in bring- inf^ up their cannon, and raifing a battery. On our fide, we kept a conftant fire of cannon and (liells from the Old Fort, and works about it. The can- non which moft annoyed the enemy, were four pieces, which we reverfed on the platform of an earthen work, which furrounded tHf Old Fort, and which was entirely enfiladed by the enemy's battery on' the oppofite fliore : In this fituation, without the leaft coyer, the train, affifted by a detachment of Shirley's regiment, behaved remarkably well. At day-break, on the 1 4th, we renewed our fire on that part of the oppofite fhore, where we had ihe evening bei'ore obferved the enemy at:5Work^ in raifmg the battery. : : '>; The enemy, in three columns, confiltmg'iafe50Gi Canadians and favages, crofl^d the river, fonae by fwimming, and others by wadiskg, with they^aftipf up to their middles, in order to inveft ahfl 4t^l^ the Old Fort. This bold action, by which'lhey e|i^ tircly cut off the communication of the twb forts | -the celerity with which the work& were carried on. * li in t6 THE LIFE OF m in ground that we thought impracticable ; a contu nual return of our fire from a battery of ten cannon, twelve pounders 5 and their preparing a battery of Inortars and hoyets, made Colonel Mercer think it advifeable (he not knowing their numbers) to order Colonel Schuyler, with 560 men, to oppofe them ; which would accordingly have been carried into exe- cution, and confequ^ntly, every man of the 500 cut off, had not Colonel Mercer been killed by a cannon-ball, a few minutes after. The refolution of this vaHant Colonel, feemed to be determined to oppofe the French to the lad extremity, and to mainiain his ground at Ofwego, but Uis final doom came on fo unexpe61:edly, that his Icfs was uni- verfally regretted. About ten o'clock, the enemy's battery was ready to play ; at which time, all our places of defence were either enfiladed, or ruined by the conflant fire of their carnon ; Fort Rafcal or Gedrge, in parti- cular, having at that time no guns, and fcarce in a condition to defend itfelf againft fmall arms ; with 2500 irregulars- on our backs, ready to ftorm lis on tUat fide, and 2000 of their regulars as ready to land in our front, under the fire of their cannon. Wheilsas, Fort Rafcal might have been made a very defen- fible fortrefs, lying on a hill, and the afcent to it fo fteep, that had an enemy been ever fo numerous, they muft have fufFercd greatly in an attempt to ftorm it. Why it was not in a better (late, it be- comes not me to fay, but matters were fo. And in this fituation we were, when Colonel Littlehalesj vho fucceeded Colonel Mercer in the command, called a council of war, who were, with the engineers, unanimoufly of opinion, chat the works were no longer tenable j and that it was by no means prudent to riik a {lorm with fuch uneqilal numbers* .T By V rendk^re dhtdy which orders, and pro But ftatiou, wges, cbntu nnon, ery of ink it order them i exe- e 500 1 by a >lution mined and to [ doom IS uni- s ready defence ant fire 1 parti- arce in arms; ftorm IS ready lannon. r defen- to it fo merous, empt to J, \t be- Coloncl T in the re, with :hat the was by uneqilal PETER WILLIAMSON. 67 The chamade wjs accordingly ordered to be beat, and the firing ceafed on both fides ; yet the French were not idle, but improved this opportunity to bring up ni^re carmon, and advance the main body of thi.ir troops, within mufquet-fhot of the garrifon, and prepared every thing for a ftorm. Two ofli* cers were fent to the French General, to know what terms he would give; the Marquis de Montcalm made anfv^er, that they might expefl whatever terms were confiftcnt with thq fervice of his Mod Oriftian Majcfty : He accordingly agreed to the following: — Article I. ** 'rhe garrifon ihall furrcnder pri- " foners of war, and fhall be conducted from hence <• to Montreal, >vhere they (hall be treated with " humanity, and every one ftiall have treatment « agreeable to their refpe£iive ranks, according to " tlie cuftora of war. H. " Officers, and foldiers, and individuals, fhall " have their baggage and clothes, apd ^hey ihall ** b« allowed to carry them along with them. in. " They iliall remain prifoQers of war, until « they are exchanged." Given at the camp before Ofwego, Auguftj4, *75^* MONTCALTM. By virtue "of this capitulation, the garrifon fur- rendk^red prifoners of war, and the French imrne- diately took pofleffion of Ofwegp, and Fort George, which they crvtirely deftroy^j^^reeable to their orders, after removing the afnjfcf *, warlike (lores, and provmons. ^v^?^*^- . But to defcribe the plunder, havock, and deva- ftatiou, made by the French, as. well as the fa- vages, who ruOied in by thoufands, is impoiTible. * H 2 Fox: , ,ia »• t9 *tHE LIFE OF For notv/ithftanding the Chriftian promife made by the General of his Mo/f Chrijiian Majefty, they all behaved more like infernal beings than creatures in human (iKipes. In ftiort, not contented with fur- rendering upon the above terms, they fcalped and hilled all the (ick and wounded in tlie hofpitals; manj»ling, butchering, cutting, and chopping ofF their heads, arms, legs, &c. with fpade^, hatchets, and other fuch diabolical inftrumentsj treating the whole with the utmoft cruelty, notwithflanding the repeatecl interceffions of the defencelefs fick and wounded for mercy ; which were indeed piteous enough to have foftened any heart pofleffed of the minuteft particle of humanity J Here I cannot help obferving, that notwithftand- ing what.has been faid of the behaviour of the offi- cers of thefe (the 50th and 5 ill) regiments, I muil:, with the greateft truth, give them the characters of brave, hut I wiih I could fay, experienced men ; every one of them that I had an opportunity of ob- fer^'ing duVing the fiege, behaving with the utmoft courage and intrepidity. Nor, in this place, cati I omit particularly naming Colonel James Campbell and Captain Archibald Hamilton *, who affifted with the greateft fpirit and alacrity the private men at the great guns. But for fuch an handful of men as our garrilon then confifted of, and the works be- ing of fuch a weak and defencelefs nature, to have made a longer defence, or have caufed the enemy to raife thre fiege, would have been fuch an inftance as £t^^d for many years hath not experienced ; a«4i|p^ afraid will be many more before it will, for l^afonsi that are too obvious. The quantity of ftorcs and ammunition we then had in the three forts is almoft incredible. • But of • Colonel Campbell and Captain Hamilton arc at prefent iij Scotlaad, the former reiides near Glafgow, and the lattQi^in £4iaburdi. .-•wait ide by icy all res in 1^1 fur- d and /itals ; ng off tchcts, ig the ng the k and piteous of the iftand- Ke offi- [ muiT:, i>.ers of 1 men; of ob- utmofl :, cati I ampbell affifted ate men of men Drks be- to have 2 enemy in ft an ce rienced •, ; it will, we then But of prefeirt 19 PETER WILLIAMSON. gf what avail are powder and balls if walls and ram- parts are defenceleisy ^nd men infulBcient to make ufe of them pt'In (hort, the French by taking this place, madifciilthemfelves mailers of the following things, all which were immediately fent to Fronte« nac, viz, feven pieces of brafs cunnon, nineteen, fonrteen, and twelve pounders ; forty-eight iron cannon, of nine, (ix, five, three, and two pounders ; a brafs mortal' of nine inches four-twelfths, gnd thirteen others of fix and three inches ; forty-feven fwivel-gunsj 23,0001b. of gunpowder; 8000 lb. of lead and mufquet ball ; two thoufand nine hun- dred and fifty cannon balls ; one hundred and fifty bombs, of nine inches, and three himdred more, of fix inches diameter ; one thoufand four hundred and twenty-fix grenadoes ; one thoufand r,nd feventy mufquets ; a vefTcl pierced for eighteen '^uns ; the brigantine of fixteen, a goeletta of ten, .; batteau of ten (the floops already mentioned), another of eight guns, a ikirff of eighteen fwivels, and another burnt upon the flocks ; feven hundred and four barrels of bifcuit, one thoufand three hundred aiid eighty-fix firkins of bacori and beef; feven hundred and twelve firkins of meal; thirty-tw^o Jive oxen ^ : fifteen hogs, and a large fum of money in the military chefl, amounting, as the French faid, to eighieen thoufand fiv^; hundred and ninety-four Hvres. -/-n ,' -. ■"■:, v- ' ■ , . On the 1 6th they began to remove us ; the - officers were firft fent in batteaux, and two hundred foldiers a-day afterwards, till the whole were gorje, being carried firft to Montreal, and from thence to -Quebec. Our duty in the batteaux till wc reached the firft place, was very hard and flaviili : And during the time we were on the lake or river St Lau- -sireBce, it appeared very eafy and feafible for Com- . n^dore Bradely^ had he thought proper, to have ^ He&ipyed ^\i the enemy's batteaux^ and Itave pr^ H 3 • veiUfctl^ 90 THE LIFE OF vented them from ever landing their cannon within forty miles, of th^ fort. But he knew his own rea- fons for omitting this piece of fervice bcfj;. Our party arrived at Montreal in Canada on the 28th. We were that night fecurcd in the fort, as were the reft as they came in^ The French ufcd various means to win fome of our troops over to their intercft, or, at leaft, to do their work in the iields, which many refufcd, among wh^^n; was my- fclf 5 vi'ho were then conducted on board a ihip, and fent to Quebec, where, on arriving, the 5th of Sep- tember, we were lodged in a gaol, and kept for the fpace of one month. During this our captivity, many of our men, ra- ther than lie in a prifon, went out to work and aflift the French in getting in their harveft ; they having then fca.ce any people left in that country but old men, women and children, fo that the corn was continually falling into the ftubble, for want of 'hands to reap it j but thofe who did go out, in two or three uays, chofe confinement again, rather than Jiberty on luch terms, being almqft ftarved, having nothing in th:; country to live on but dry bread, whereas ve in the prifon were each of us allowed two pounds of read, and half a pound of meat a- day, and otbcrwife treated with a good deal of hu- manity. Eighteen foldiers were all the guard they had to place over us, who being greatly fatigued with hard duty, and dreading our rifmg on them (which had vye had any arms we might eafily have done, and ravaged the country round, as it was then en- tirely defencelefs), and the town's people themfelves fearing the confequences of having fiieh a number of men in a place where provifions were at that •time very fcarce and dear, they thought of fending '^ us away, the moll eligible way of keepmj thein- \ \-^ PETER WILLIAMSON. 9» ithin rea* I the rt, as ufed er to II the s my- ), and fSep- OT the n, ra- iaffift laving at old n was mt of in two Ir than baving bread, Mowed leat a- of hu- had to h hard (which done, len cn- nfelves lumber at that 'ending "^ the^to- i(m felves from famine, and accordingly put 500 of us on board a vefTcl for England. But before I continne the account of our voyage home to our native country, I (hall jufl make a (hort rctrofpe£lion on the confequences which at- tended the lofs of Ofwego, as appeared to us and the reft of the people at Quebec, who knew that part of America, to which this important place was a fafeguard. As foon as Ofwego was taken, pur only commu- nication from the Mohawk's river to the lake Oneida was ftopt up, by filling the place at Wood's Creek with gre»t logs and trees, for many miles together. A few days afterwards, the forts at the Great Car- rying-place, and then our moft at' meed poft it\ta the country of the Six Nations, w ' I have before given a ftiort account of (and wh( .iiere were at that time above three thoufand men, including one •thoufand two hundred batteau men, and which ftill gave the Six Nations fome hopes that we wooid defend their country againft the French), were aban'- doned and deftroyed, and the troops which were under the command of General Webb, retreated to Burnet's Field, and left the country and the Six Nations to the mercy of the enemy. The French, immediately after the taking of Of- wego, demoliflied, as is faid before, all the works there, and returned with their prifoners and booty to Ticonderago, to oppofe our provincial army un- der the command of General Winflow, who had (hamefuljy been kept, in expectation of the dilatory arrival of Lord Louden, from attacking Crown Point, while the enemy were weak, and it was eafily in our power to hav« beat them. ,; The confequences of the deftru£bion of our fortflr at ihe Great Carrying- place, and General Wcblal's V r^^reating to Burnet's Field, is now, alas I too ap|»a« ir^t0 iTcry one ac^uaint&d with American affiiilt; «r-- • • ■'^ ThQ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 11.25 IAS 121 12.5 |50 ^^^ liiKH lU VI Its lU IIS ■ 4.0 U |L6 6" 7 HiotDgraiM: Sciences CorpOTaHon ^^ :i7 \ .*•>- 23 WBT IMAIN STRHT WIISTm,N.Y. 14SM (71«)S72-4S03 ^^^\ ^ ^^ ^*^ / ^ <^ k i^ THE LIFE OF The Indian9 of the Six Nations undoubtedly looked upon it as abandoning them afld their country to the French : for they plainly iaw that we had no (Irong-hold near them, and that (by the place at Wood's Creek being flopped) wc could not, if we would, afford them any alliflance atOnondago, Cayu- ga, and in the Sehekea's country, which were their diief caftles: That the forts begun by us \n thofe ' Countries were left unfiniihed, and therefore could be of no -ufe to them, and wh^ch, if we had kept the Carrying-place, we might have finiflied, apd given them ftill hopes of ourljcing able to defend. But defpairing of our bping further ferviceable to* them, thbfe Iroquois^ who were before ouf friends, a^ Tome of the others, have indeed deferted us, sind the confequences of fuch their, jund^ions with the French, was foon after felt in the lofs of Fort /^Qi^ge on Lake Badranient. 'I The fine country on the Mohawk's river down - ifo Albany, was by this ftep left open to the ravages ^f the enemy, and an eafy pafTage opened to the J^rench and their Indians into the provinces of Penr fylvania and New Jerfey, by the way of Sufque«. >hana ^nd Delaware rivers, which were before co- vered by our fettlements oh the Mohawk's river» iindthe'Six Nations. K, I ihall here give the beil defcription of the In^ dians, their way of living, is^c. in, ray power. It is difficult to guefs what may be the number of the Indians fcattered up and down our back fet^ tlementsv but, if their own account be true, they amount to itiany th^tkfands. Be this, however, ^s it will, tkey are hot to be feared njerely on account of their nubibers ; other ctreumllanccs con* fpire to, ihake th«ih formidable : The English i^ habitants, though numerous, are txtiendcd over ji 0Af^ tmOt of land, 500 leagues m leng^ ipfi IJ^B i - .«: ■ , *^ •' . ■'. fciU J* ry to d no ce at f we ;^ayu- their thofe could kept i, apd :end. ble to* iendSy ?d us, s with E: Fori down . avages to the iFexir ufquef- ►re co- i river. the iiir number ack (etT le, they owcvei^ rely on xs con* mh i^ t o*er ji PETER irilLlAMSON. ^i tea-fhore, and for the mo(l part have fixed halnta»i* tions^- the ealieil &nd {horteft paiTages to which, the Inciian$, by coiitlatitly hunting in the woodd/ are perfc'£Hy well acqttainted with; and as their way of making^ war is by fudden attacks upon expofea places, as foon as they he£|atkMis I atii not only by l^peppig thc^ : '-^ ; , l^pfitiojii H, •'•>»- ■$',-> y^ --v ^i? 94 THE LIFE OF yr prbpo(ition8 inviolable as well in time of peace as in time of wary but alfo renewing our treaties witK ^m from time to time 5 for they arc v«;iy jealous and tenacious of an affroiit or negle£l. Hi^y are tCLy proud) and love to be <:fteemed. In time of peace, they live upon what they get of the wliite pcoplci for which they barter (kins, furs, (s'f- 'Their clothing, tmd every thing elfc thty want, fuch as irmSy they get in the fame manner. In w^r.time, they live upon what they can procure by their gun, and, if that faiij, upon roots, fruits, herbs, and other vegetables of the natural produce of the earth. . They have never the forefight t^ provide necef» lartes for themfelves; they look only to the prc- fent moment/ and leave to-morrow to provide fov itfelf. They eat of every wild beaft which they kill, without didin^lion. They always prefer game . to vegetables 5. but w^n they cannot get venifon^ they live on roots, fruits, and herbs. They dcftroy a great deal of meat at a time, when they have it ia their power, and when they-leave any> be it liever fuch a great quantity, it is ten to one if any of them . "«rill take the trouble to* carry a pound of it, but will rather leave it behind them ; yet,inotwithftand-.' ing' this extravagancje, fuch is their tempers, and they are fa inured to hardfhips, that if they cannot conveniently get at food, |(iey can,^ and a£iually do fjift foipeiimes for near a Week together, and yet are as a£kive as if they lived regularly* All their (pare time is taken up in contriving fchcmes to fuc- ^ ceed in -th^ir intended expeditions. "They can ne- ver be t^ldsn in a pmrfiiit by any European. TJi^y^ ^ will travel feventy n^iles a-day^ and continue for months together, as .1 have reafoii to know .irom, experience ; and they aife fure to bring their pujc^- . fuers into a fhare, if they are not wary, andrjwv^ ' fome Indians on theit fide to beat ^e b^^^s..^ y^hfin th|y are overtaken with Afep, theji 1. back fomc ryfejr aon^( '•» TA*. PETER WILLIAMSON. n itia great fife, which prevents the wild bealU from fall- iiHg upon them ; for* wild beads have a natural averfion to fire : n6r is it eafy for an enemy to dif. cover them in this condition; for the country it one continued tra£b of thick wood, overgrown with brufh-wood, fo that you cannot fee the fire till you be within a f^w yards of it. They have nothing covering them from the inclemency of the weather but a bhnltet put upon them, fomething in the (hape of a Highlander's plaid. C And further, to prevent their bein^ lohg obferved by their pnrfuers, or to be fcen too foon when they have a mind to attack any plantation, they paint ):hemrelves of the fame colour with the trees among which they hide themfelves. ; ' When they are to attack a plantation they never come'out till night, and then they ru(h inilamly upon the farms, ^c, and dcftroy every thing, at well men, women, and children, as bjeafts; th^n they fall to plunder, and return to their lurking* holes till another opporturity of plunder happens^ liirhen they renew their attack in the fame mam^eri^ fo^at if fome n^ethod is ndt^ taken to draw tlien^i into our intereft, our colonies will he in a CQntnttt^'^ alarm, and the ^country will foon become def^' late i for no ^ody will venture their Ilv.e9.t0 feftlt on the back parts, unlefs the Indians are oyr friendt* The Indian manner of fighting is quite diiTtrent from that of v other nations. . Tiicy itidufbiouilr avoid all open engagements ; and, befides^ ambuu cades^ their principal way is bu(h.fightingj^ in the exir^ife of which they are very dexterous } for the. back coui^tsy being one continued wood-^ except fome f&w fpots cleared for the parpofe of huiband- ry by our back fettlers, the Indi:an6 fquat themielfct doii^i behii^ the trees, and fire their mufkett fit the^|^|:i # the enemy advances, then they retrt il| i)eh&t Mier treet»^s^iid fire in the fame manned 1 and >,f .■:. ^6 THE LIFg CMT and as they are good markiimen) they never fiie in vain, whereas their purfuers feldom kit. NQtwithftanding the polite fchemes of France ^re nearly brought to ^ period, yet if the Indians are not Utisfied with the concluiion of a peace be- twixt us and the French as to America; I mean, unlefs they are fairly dealt withi we ihall gain but little by all our conquers-, for it is the -friend (liip of the Indians that will make Canada valuable td us. We have already more lands than we are able to manage; but the advantage, nay the niecedtt; of )ceeping Canada, I have already (hown ; and there- fore I Stall go on with my account of the Indians. . When laft in London, I remember' to have heard fome coiBFeeihoufe politicians, chagrined at the de- ^liftatipn they made on our back fettlements, fay, that it would be an eafy matter to root out the fa« yages by clearing the grpund. I anfwer, that the ta(k ix^y feem eafy to them, but the execution of fuch afcheme on fuch a tra£^ of land, would be fo diifi-i cult, that I doubt whether there' are people enough !n Great Britain and Ireland to accomplilh it in <| hundred years time, were they to meet with no op- pofitipn y but where there is fuch a fubtle enemy jto deal with$ I am afraid we ihould make but tittle progrefs in reducing the Indians, even allonving the country to be all cleared^'as there are hills and other faftQeires to which the Indians can retire, and where they WQuId greatly have the better of every attempt to diiibdge them, llie only way-]«Wbuld advife, is f p keep triends with the Indians, and endeavour* ta prevail bn them to fettle in tlie fame manner as fhrt! planters do, which they will be the moie ealtly drought to, if the Fr€^cn are excluded 'from Qsm^ da. Fbr^ i)ptwithftanding their Wandering. ^^ jq^ )UFe, , I have the greateft reafon to believe %ey hitf |ia (Itilike to an eafy life. .And ^ t^^w^Thaiid 1^ leithptations to ihurder, a| %y (|94 «^$e9 r^^^ »P tip by they V WI coloni of peo quite ( literati of aim But civiliz( vices. cient I bow, i comm< Strang eonfid( they w happy innoce ftru^e trines 4 o£ the what M The with o an ear with tt lands enterec the£n oft^ fome iieaiud *v -'^-' .J ■.±*:*' PETER WILLIAMSON. 9T le m ranc€ Uians :e be- Ticaiiy n but iddiip ble td e able lit; of there- ians. heard tic de- 3, fay, he fa« be taik f fuch 3 diifi-t nough in A no op' enemy t little ng the d other where tten>pt ^ife, i.9 rq,\»T, ta wtbe \ ,eal»ly ty4tt^ tip by the fubje^s of his Mod Chriftian Majedy^ they will foon b|ecome ufeful members of focietyy. • When firft the Englifli arrived in the Ameritali ' colonies, they found the woods inhabited by a met of people, uncultivated in their manners, but not quite devoid of humanity. . They were ilrangors td literature, ignorant of the liberal arts, and deilitute of almoft every conveniency of life. But if they were unpraftifed in the arts of more civilized nations, they were alfo free from their vices. They feemed perfe£l in two parts of the an- cient PerHan education, namely, ihooting with the bow, and fpeaking truth. In their dealings they commonly exchange one commodity for another. Strangers themfelves to fraud, they had an entire Confidence In others. According to their abilities^ they were generous and hofpita^e. Happy, thrice happy had they been, if, dill preferving their native innocence and fimplicity, they had only been in* (Iru^ed in the knowledge Qf God, and the doc- trines of Chridianity ! Had they been taught fome of the more ufeful parts of life, and to lay afide what was wild and favage in their manners ! They received the Englifli, upon their firil arrival^ with open arms, treated 4hem kindly, and (hewed an earned • defire, that they ihould fettle and live, with them. They fr^^ly parted with fome of their lands to their new-come br^ren, and chearfiiliv entered into a leagfte of friendihip with thetn. At the EngU(h W4:re m immediate want of the adiftanes ofj^ Indiana, t^y, on their part, endeav^oured tD til^ftfi^ lindinjg th^ ill eife£ls of this trade, l^^^iriil^itti. Wbiprefore laws were made, pro- I '-^^^^^fl^^^g^ t^p^e m$hthcm without ^|pli^4b^ GoverWtir^.fand it w^ alfo made |^;t|^7l0dians jo^l^^the^^ ^^i one, but a wbo^ fet of men, namely, aH of our nation^ that^ ^hey had an opportunity of feeing or c^jitrdng with, were pejfons of*a loofe c)^ abap. doAed" behaviour, infincere and faithlefs, lyitlkHii^ religion, virtue, or inorality .^^Mo one will thilpbcl; exaggerate thefe niatters, who has either liipwn the fleers themfelves, or who has read the^tu>Iie t?«ati^ '■ "« ■ '•■"', ■ J|l>tS;ia ,,,. V It ''1 104t> THEXIFE CM? lands, what room will theto be any longer to won. dcr, tliat we have fo little intcrdl with them % that their condudl towards us is of late fo much changed, that, inftead of bting a ferity and pro. teflion to us, as they have been hitherto, during the feveral wars between us and the French, they are now turned againft U3 and become our enemies, principally on account of the fraudulent dealings and immoral condu^ of thofe heretofore employed in our trade with them, who have brought di(ho. xiour upon our religion, and difgrace on ourna- tion ? It nearly concerns us, if poiFible, to wipe off thefe reproaches,, and to redeem our chara&r, K^hich can only be done by reeuUting the trade.^ — And this the Indian8,^'#itn wKom the government of Phi^ack^phia Ipely treat^^, ^manded and ex. ^$fted^ftfs. .■■%, At prefefiti^ il'^f^^urable opportunity presents for 4oing it effe£iiaUy. All thofe who were engaged in this trade, are by the prefent troubles removed ftpm iti and it is to be hoped that the legiflature will fallv iippn meafures to prevent any futh from ever being eoncerned fn lt^%gain. This is the only foundation ufton Ixrhich we can expe<5l a lafting peac^ with tlte natives. It is evident, that a great deal depends upon the |>erfon6 who are t6 be fent JntQ the Indian country: frd^^ thefe alotie the In* drati^ wilLforni a |,adgment of us, our religion, and mallners. ' If tifefe then v «;o arefo be our repre- f«ntatiyel amone the Indians, be^men of virtue^d integrity, fobcr St their con verfati6nj|honeft iTi ^sjr dieattngft, and whofeipva£^ice correfpoiids ^ith^their j^fijfyppn, the jud|iHent formed of MS wiUJw fa. .voulafife : if, oil t& con t,rary» they t^'i^oolfe^^'l^ profane perfons,n>e» of wicked^ lives, aiid pHlltgate morals, we muit expe£^ that, among the^^^ims, our religion will pais forM^^^^^H iii ^eral *w t^ ^tf^U iaithlefe M"'^ ' ""^ c *t .0r''*- iW-ri^^'- woii- hem \ much 1 pro- Ittring , they emies, laltngs ployed didio- ur na- tpe off ra£b:r» ade.^- rnment Qd ex- :nt8 for ngagcd smoved ifiature ;h from he only lailing I great be fcnt the In- on, and r jrepre^ tue^d in their th^tjielr U^ fa- itttral PETER WlXLIArtSON. loi I might here add feme obfervations refpe^ling the commodities proper to be carried among the In* dians, in kind aa well as quality, with a method of , carrying on the trade, fo as to preferve the native innocence of the Indians, and at the fame time con- firm them immoveable in our intcreft} but tliefe things, as well as fome remarks I have in a courfe of years made upon the Indians, I fhall leave for the fubje£k of fome future hiilory. I (hall now proceed to give a concife account of the climates, produce, trade, is^e, of North Ameri- ca. And firft, Of NEW^ENGLAND. The province of New-Engiand appears to be vailly extenfive, being about 400 miles in length, and near 300 in breadth, (Huated between 69 and 73 deg. W. long, and between 41 and' 46 deg. N. lat. ft was firil fettled by '^ the Independents, n little before the commencement of the civil wars in England: They tranfported themfelves thither, rather than they would communicate- With the church of England. The lands next the fea in New-England, are ge^ nerally low, and the foil fandy; but farther up the country, it rifei into hills, and. on the north-eaf)^ it is rocky and mountainous : The winters are much ieverer here thantn Oldi England, though it lies 9 or 1 0| degrees more fouth, mit th^ have ufualiy a clearer fky and ^ more fettled* weather, both in win- ter and fummer, th»n in Old England } and tliQugh their fummers are (hofter, the air is cotiA^eirably bottev while it lads. The winds are very boiit tero^. in the winter feafon, and the north wind bl4»dwg over a long traift pf frozen and uncultivated^ COttQtricSi with fevf^^lEgsfii water lakes, makes |t ii«i»u ' 1 3 exceflivc •f ' ■t. < 109 tHE LIFE OF b ■♦,■ exceflive cold. Their rirers are fometimes con. gealed in a night's time : the climate is generally healthful, and agreeable to Englifli conftitutions. The fruits of Old England come to great perfec- tion here, particularly peaches, which are planted trees; and we have commonly 1200 or 1400 fine peaches on fuch a tree at one time \ nay, of the fruit of one (ingle apple tree, in one ieafon, nine barrels of cyder have b^cn made. £ng}i(h wheat I find does not thrive here, within 40 or co miles bf Bofton ; but farther up in the country, tney have it in great plenty, and I think it comes to the fame perfection as in Britain. Now, why wheat ihoirld not grow near this citv, I confefs I am alTign no reafon that will fully latisfy the reader's curioiity. '. The conjectures upon it are various : Some ven« ture to fayji that it was occaAoned by the unjuft perfecution of the Quakers, the independents hav« log vented th^ir fpleenf againft tliem in a way the Inoii rigorous, and in flat contradi^on to the laws of Chriftianity. All other grain but wheat thrives in this place with great fucccfs ; in particular In« 4ian corn, one grain whereof frequently produces i2oo» and fometimes 2000- grains. This corn is of three different coloursi viz, blue« white, and Of HMW^rORK. The (ituation l>f this province is between 72 and ,76 weft long, aii between 41 tn4 44 north l«t. being about 200 miles in ]eng andbjplipli it i< pretty much ti^^jfm^ The j^*;- i it 5V r- »^ PITBR WILLMMSON. toj tffde of New York and the Jerfeys confift in cattle^ and a good breed of horfet. They have plenty •( wheat and other grain, fuch as Indian corn» b«ick« weed> oats, barley, and rye. It abounds alfo with' (lore of fifli: they fupply the fugar iflands with flower, fait beef, pork» fait fi(h, and timber plankin in return for the produce raifed there. Of PENSTLrANlA. V The extent of this colony is 200 miles in lengtlin and 200 miles in breadth. The foil is much better than in Jerfey» chiefly confiding of a black mould ;, the country rifes gradually as in the adjacent pro« Tinces, baviiu^ thipf Apalachian mountains on the wefl, and is di«ided4,into (ix counties. The air^ it lying in the 40 deg. of N. lati is near die fame as in New York, and very healthy %• EngjUih confU-^ tutions. The produce ancf merchandife of PeQfy}« vania cdnfifta in horfcs, pipe ftaves, beefy poi^^^, fait fifh| (kins, furs, and all forts of grain. f fwe.. wheat, ryci peafe^ oats, barley^. buck<^weed> h^ obliged traders to deal julilf with the Indians, whofe tonipers, when ^jidp^tok wjthrreiemment^ are more lavage than the hui^rf ' J^^ tliefe difafters might have b^Dy in a good dea fii|]^emed. JIR^* .■ »N«' ^*. X' I '%. ■■i.-i>d to4 THE LIFE OF If ■• I' . I intend to conclude this arsument iii a few wotdSf and ihall endeavour to do juilice on bdth (ides, by adhering ftri^kly to truth. Know, therefore^ that within thefe late years, the Indians being tole- rably acquainted with the nature of our commerce^ have detedled the roguery of fome of the traders, whereupon they lodged many and grieyous com- plants to Col. Weifer, the interpreter between them and -the Englifh, of the injurious and fraudulent- vfage they had received for feveral years backwords iiom, white people, who had cheated them out of their (kins and furs> not giving them one quarter their value for them. . iV Likewife they remonftrated, that whereas huntr ing was the. chief way or art they ever had to earn a Hvelihood by; game wa^ nowT>6come very fearce, beoiufeche whites pra£tifed it fo much oi> their ground, defttpying their prey^ Colonel Weifer, their interpreter^ advifrd thenk to bring down their fkins and furs to Philadelphia them-- iielves^ promiGng that he would take pFo|)er care, to^ fee their goods vended to their advantage. Where- upon they did fo, in purfuance of his indruftions^ and finding it their intereft, refolved to continue in the Way he had chalked out for thenri for now ihey were fupplted with every thi^g they wanted ^m the merchants iliops, at the cheapeft rates* And thvs it plainly appeared tcr the Indians, that they had. been long impofed on by the traders, and 'therefore they were determined to have no mor<^ | dealings with them. This condu£^ and (hynefs ol^; the Indians was very difagreeable to icveral gentle<« men of the province, who were m^arly intcrieiled in that fpecies of comm<:rce. ' ; . , / \ Accordingly, in the year 1753 and 17541 fome of the traders had the afTurance to renew llitis friendlhirt with rhcm, when, inilead of .rem}0fi^ ttueni Gk>ath9 aad other ^^cefiaries as had been ;f-''. w. -■#* , 'M,* iides, efore, ; tole- ncrce, adersy com- them dulent ' nMrds )ut of uartev , • 'i*' huntr » earn very ch oti lolonel bring them- are to- V^here- n lie in r now iranted rates. 5, that 8> and mor<(^ lefs o£^- jremle-' (led in , (bme i been PETEIi WILLIAMSON. iwf «fual| and w^^ mbft proper for them, tliey, witk iniidious pttrpofea, carried them large quantities of rum in fmali caflu, which they knew the native* were fond of, under colour of giring ic them grasift- In this manner wete the favages irivetgled into li« quor by the whites, who took the opportunity, while they were intoxicated, of going off with their flcinr and furs ; but the natives, recovering from the dc*^ bauchy (bon dete^ed the villany, and, in revenge, killed many of the traders, and went direflly over to the French, who encouraged theni to flay every Engliih perfon they could meet with^ and deftroy fheir houfes by fire, giving them orders to fpare neither nitin,* woman, nor child. Befides, as » farther iiiicitement i6 diligence in this bloody u(kp they promifed the fsnr^es a reward oif 15 A Sterling, for every fcalp they (hould take^t)n producing the fame before any of his Moft^br^ian Majefty's of- ficers, civil or military. r\ Thus our perfidious enemies inftigated thof^ uil^ reafonable barbarians to commence ads of depr»ki«» tion, violence, and murder, on the fevera}4hhabitantf of North America in 1754* ^nd more efpecially iii Penfylvaniai as knowing !#• to be the moft defence- lefs province on the continent. This confideratioit promised the f|ivage4:9ce to exhauft their malicious fury on it in particiJdai*. h/ M ART LAND. This country extends about 150 miles in lengthy and 137 miles in breadth. The lands are low and flat next the fea; towards the lieads of rivers they rife into hills* and beyond lie the Apalachian nioun-. tains, which are exceeding high. The air of this province is exceflfiv^ hot fome part of the fummer^ loitt^^e^ualiy cdd i& the winterj when the north'«. .1-*; a *'. ^d TH£ life of ^ vimit wind blows % but the winters are hot of AV long duration here .as .in fome other colonies ad* joining to it. In the fpring of the year, they are infeftcd with thick heavy fogs that rife from the low lands, which render the air more unhealthy for Engliih conilitutions; and hence* it is, that, in4he aforefaid feafon^ the people are conftantly afHi^ed with agues. , ^ The produce of this country is chiefly tobacco, planted and cultivated here with much application, and nearly the fame fuccefs as in Virginia, and their principal trade with England is in that article. Ir alfo affords them moil forts of the grain and fruits^ of Europe and America. * 0/ VIRGINIA. V ^ The extent xif^ii province is cornpt^ted to be ft::f *^ di ■•*- lot THE LIFE.fflili ter for guns> powder> knives^ fciifar^looking-glsifiei^ beada, runiy tobacco^ coarfie clothy;|u;< - The EngliOi chapmen carry their pack-horfes five or fix hundred miles into the country, well of Chareftown; but mod of the commerce is confined ^ithin the limits of the Creek and Cherokee nations, which do not lie above 350 miles from the coaft. The air is very temperate and agreeable both fum« mer and winter. Carolina is divided into two diilindi provinces, viz. North and South Carolina. Of NOVA^&COTIA. This place extends about 5oo miles; in length, and 450 in breadtli : The air is pretty much the fame as in Old England : The foil ts, for jthe moft part^ barren ; but where it is cleared and cultivat* ed, it affords good corn and pafture. Here is fine timber, and fit for building, from whence pitch and tMt may be extra£ted. Here alfo hemp and flax livftl grow, fo that this country will be capable of ^iirnifhinglill manner^ of ifoval flores. It abounds ket^ife with deer, wild fowl, and all forts of game. fi the coad is one of the finefl cod-fi(heries in the 'vorid. European cattle, viz, fheep, oxen, fwine, liorfes, &c. they 4iave in great abundance; The winters are very cold, their frofis being (harp and *of a long duration : Their futhmers are moderately hot \ fo that the climate^ in the main, feems to be ilfveeable to English conftitutions. Of CANADA. ^ V, , I (ball clofe the defcriptiOn of the Americail icplo- niea with a ftort account of tiie foil and^^p^d|i ftina: ingth, :h the moft Itivat- is fine chand d flax blc of )ounds game, in the fwinC) The rp and crately 8 to be nfeolo- PEfElt WILLIAMSON. lof rbnce, will indeed^ ;raife wheat ; but, withaf , I found it fo flialiow, thatfit would not produce that grain • above two years, lyilefs it was properijr manured. About 20 miles from the faid river, fo hiJy and mountainous is the countly, that niothing but In- dianis and wild ravenous beads refort there. How- ever, thejT, have plenty of rye, Indian corn, buck- weed, and^oats^ like wife of horfes, cows, fheep» fwine, ^c. But I have obferved that fruits of any kind do not come to fuch perfection here as in fonie of the Engliih fettlements, which is owing to the long duration and exceflive cold of their winters. The Cummer is fhort, and temperately hot. Th^ climate, in general, is healthy and agreeable to Eu- ropean conftitutfpns. , And fo much for the pro* vinces in North AmeriCi^. It i^ now high time to return ik'iBfie embarkatioft St Quebee; Five hundred of us, being to be fent to Englan4, were put on board La Rehomme, a French' 'paquet-boat, Captain Dennis Vitree comntander: we failed under a flag of truce, and though the French behaved with a good deal of politenefsy yet we were almoft ftarved for want of provisions. One bifcuit, and t;^ ounces^Qf pprk a»day, being )U1 our allowance, and Jial^^ead with cold, having but fe.^ clothes, and die vefibl being fo fmall, that the major part of us were obliged to be upon deck in aU weathers.^ After a paffage of fix' .weeks, we at lad, to our great joy, arrived at Fiymouch, on the.^ fixthof November ij$6* But thefe our troubles and.^P'dfhips were not, as we expelled, put to a perils for fome time | fcruples anfing to the Com* miiS^les and Admiral there, about taking, us oti Iflid^as there was no cartel agreed on betweea;the m^^N^ juid Engiifh, we were confined on hoM^^ tintU^l^dietermination p|^hC;Lords of the AdmU ■*■-• comlitioiit '•4 ■ -5 KXO THE LIFE, «fc; i>-i condition feven or eight day$, l^ore we receivM orders to difembark, which, whnTwe were pemit- ted to Ao^ being ordered from t^nce, iti different parties, to Totnefs, Kingfbridge, Newton Buihel, Newton Abl^ot in Devonfhirc, I was happy in being quartered at Kingfbridgc, where I met with fuch civility and entertainment as I had f<$if a long time been a ftranger to.- In about four months we were again ordered to Fly mouth-dock I to be draughted into other regi- ments; where, on being infpe^led, I was, on ac- count of the wound I had received in my hand, dif- charged as incapable of further fervice ; and Was allowed the ftfm pf (ix flilllings to carry me home to Aber.,:. 'M.. / % 10- > C III 3 reived Fcretit iufhel, py in : with I long red to r regi- on ac« id, dif. id was home . Btit alf the to the , who, ny ma- herein print- llyfub- I of my pportit- lerdeen, and ill inft Oie ning of bribe in i '-^i, K^^ /♦ -A DISCOtJRSE ON KIDNAPPING: T^ih proper direSlions for trade/men and other t^ to (t^id Jlavery^ when tranfported from their native country^ by the injii^ation of perfidious traders. TO make the fubje£l of the enfuing pages the more accurate and diillncfl, I ihail, in x\izfirjk place, begin with the proceedings of the Magif ilrates of Aberdeen, when I arrived in that town in June 1758, after having completed the period of xtK^ flavery, as related in the beginning of this nar* ratiye. No fooner had I offered this little work to fale in that town, which was thetiimy only means ' of fubtiftrnc-, than I was arraigned in a fummary complaint at the inftance of the Maglfcrates, bcfDTC^ their own tribunal, and carried by three or foUr town-officers to the bar of that ttemendoiH Court of Judicature.' The complnint exhibited again fk^ me contained in fubftance, " That JI had been g»4il4 ty of caufing pri^t, and of puHiihing aind difj^eriing this fciirrilous and infanpiousJibel, reflecting' gr^tly upon tlie chara^ers and reputations pf die 'mer* chants in Aberdeen, and on the town in genera)^ without any ground or reafon ; whereby the cbiv poration of the city, and whofe members thereof^ were greatly hurt and prejudged; and thit tBere^ foi^I ought to be exempbrily puni(hed |n, mj^- per-* f6||;4- and goods J' and that the fa^tf bodrife^^and WfBoie copies thereofi onght to be leizcd an#:|itb-* li<^^burnt.** Such wa^ the ten^r of the coni|^^im|r| and^inftead of allowing me an e^portumty i5l' inf v^l^Cc, in time to^^pr^par^ for ray def«merj^tated me in ten (hillings Sterling, underC'^ -^jain of imprifonment } and immediately •aftei^ to i^^jii^i^f e out of ^towfi,** ' , ' ; ^ > •• "'' ^'■"' ' % ■ -'■ Su( deen forth^ fnann they I of the eft ah . and d by vvt afterM fo trrc w^re ] melan have r te£bioi (fit fo '<>f his fued i authoi who n fliain is a v] youth! ber foi carrie( a who xiumbc colle£l before all the had tl Ti^ch the hi M- pofitio very lives i g and book tncy I »; nor I was (That I trateS) it any form- ^ks to ) were to the me to f, had •cnoon ^r own d the ook to t-crols town- ' of the iration ants in his my $ find en^^ to ■&' r ^^■ PETER WILLIAMSON. 113 Such was the fentence of the Mngiftrates of Abcr« deen agaiuil me, every particular of which wat forthwith put in execution in the moft rigorous * manner. Had thefe judges had the lead ref]e£tion) they muil have been confcious, that, in every, ftep pf their procedure, they were committing thegrofl- eft abuie. The complaint was made by their order . and dire£lion, and ferved at their own iniligation^ by which means they were iirft the Accufers, and afterwarcs the Condemners. The fubjedl of it was fo irrelevant, that they muft have been fenfible they w^re profecuting an innocent mail, for relating the melancholy particulars of his life, which ought tp have rendere4 him rather an obje£l of their pro^ te£^ion, than of their malice. The fa£ls he had (et forth iti his book, relating to the' original •of his misfortunes, were fo flagrant, that, had he fued for nt, he was entitled to redrefs againft the authors of his miferies, from thofe very Magiflrates who now had the cruelty to aggravate them, by in- • flirting additional hnrdfliips. To pretend igndiancc is a very, lame excufe.' He muft have been avefy youthful Magiftrate in 1758, who could not;fftflrtemi ber fome circumftances of a publid branch tff trade, carried on in 1744. It is inconceivable,- that. Of a whole bench of Magiftrates, no lefs than iix in number, not one was of an age capable, of re- coUefting what had happened only fourteen years before J nor is* it to be prefumed, that,; of aMoft all the inhabitants of Aberdeen, they alone, who had the bcft accefs to know "the trafBc df the 10^, ftiould remain ignorant of a- commerce^ tifrich was carried on in the market-places, on the Kigji ftreets, and in the avenues to the tc^wn, lli^eirioft public manner. Neither of theTe fupii. ^ofittons will eafily gain ^credit. The Magiftrates' ai^ ipOpinpnly of fuch an age^ and ough^to bct^^, ilcir of (ttdi rcikdi^ipr |» to renNder the firft jfel i SJ ■<$;;*** iM THE LIFE OF I- •■.!■» poiTible i and the fecond, for the reafons gUen .»boVC| Js equally incredible. . Every impartial per- ion muft therefore be perfuaded> that the Nfagiftrates wtte not unacquainted with that illicit fpecies of trade openly carried on in that city about the year 1744, and prior to that period. To prove that there was fuch an infamous traffic, 1 appeal to the depoHtions of feveral witne0e8» fome of whom ihared in the calamity by the lofs of their children and other relations. Tiiefe I have fubjoined, as they occur in the\ proof taken on my paTt> by way of notes to the treatfte. From thefe vouchers it appears, that the trade of carrying off boys to the PJantatidns in America, and felling them thereas ilaves, was carried on at Aberdeen, as far down as the year 1 744, with an amazing-efTrontery. It was not carried on in fe- crety or by (lealth, but publicly, and by open vio« lence. Tiie whole neighbouring «ottntry were alarmed at it. They would not allow their children to g9 to Aberdeen, for fear of being kidnapped. When they kept them at home, emiifajies were ient out. by the merchants, who took them by vio. Jence from their parents, and carried them off. If ^ child was amifTing, it was immediately fufpe£led tliat he was.kidnapped by the Aberdeen merchants ; and, upon inquiry, that was often found to be the ?cafe i and -fo little pains were taken to conceal them, when in the ppfleffion of the merchants, jthat they were driven in flocks through the tow^, Imderthe infpe6^iori of a keeper, who overawed theni with a whip, }i)cf- fo many Iheep carryinj| to the iitughter;' Not only Were jiefe flocks of uii- ,'^ap]^y children locked up in barns, and place's: <^ rf^rivate confi^iement,, but even the tolbooth il^ ^public work-houfes were made receptacles for j^%^ j^d ajtbwn-gfficer em;^loyed in keeping th|g^-i^^r* ,] were ■.v^- per- rates iCS of yev that o the vrhom ildren d^ as f way trade ierica» on at jth an in fc- n vio- were lildren apped. were >y vio- flF. If pefted hants; be the lonccaj :hantSj tow;i, erawed fmtQ of nii- oe*$ ?-^9l$r were PiTETR WILLIAMSON. 115 hired to patrol the (Ireets, and feize by force fueh boys as feemed proper fubjef^s for the flave-trade. The practice was but too general. The names of no Depo/itlont oftuitn^Jes on thipartofVtttt Williamion. ^ Alexander Kiho depones, That he knew the de« ceafed James WilHamfon^ in Hirnley, tn the partfli of A« boyne : That the faid James Williamfon had a fon, named Peter Williamfon, whom the Deponent knew when he was a boy } and he feeing the faid Peter Williamron imrtie- diately at Ms emitting this depoHtion, he is very fure that he is th^ identical Peter Nyiliramfon, whom he knew when he was a boy. Depones, That fpme years before the battle of Ctillodcn, and, fo far as he reniembers, he believes it was upwards of four years before the battle of Ciilloden^ it >vas the general report of the country9 that when the faid Peter Williamfon, the Purfuer, was a little boy, going with a clipped head, he was taken at Aberdeen, and carried to Philadelphia, along Ftth feveral other boys. Depones, That, abunt that time* the Deponent had a conversation with the, faid James Williamfon concerning his fon Peter, who told the Xy^^" ponent feveral times, that he came into Aberdeen feekio^' his fon Peter, but they would not let him near hana him. Depones, That, the faid James Williamfon. told the Deponent, that his fon Peter was in cuftodyjnii bam at Aberdeen, and they would not let hinifpe^ak to him ; and afterwards, the faid James WilUmnfpn tola the Deponent, that the merchants of Aberdeen had cais ried away his fon to Philadelphia, and fold him for s flave. Depones, That he heard in the country by re- pottij that John Elphingfton merchant in Aberdeen, and one Black a merchant there, whether J^.uies or^eorgpe |l^ does not remember, did deal hi that way vof carry iiiif^ ^S9^ boys. And further dq[>pnes. That vine (aid Jft^9# Wt&iamion told him,, the Deponent, that his foi^ Pet0r Wa0t Carried away without his conferit, and he faw,iheif% tliy6r:A#^aoy lalt tears^n that actcount. ' n ■^^'^ it6 THE LIFE OF no lefs than fifteen merchantSi concerned iti this tradei are mentioned in the proof: And when fo many are (ingled out by the witneiTes^ ^it is harcfly to }oHN Wilson depones, That he knew,, and was well acquainted with James Williamfon, in Hil'nley, and with all his children, particularly his fon Peter William* fon. Depones, That the faid Peter Williamfon having gone to Aberdeen, as the Deponent was informed, he was carried awaj therefrom to the Plantations ; and when his father and friends miffed him, they made fearch fuf him many ways in the country, but could not find him ; and the faid ^mea^ William fon went to Aberdeen in fearch of him, and, upon his return, he told the Deponent, that he had been at Aberdeen feeking his fon Peter, but oould tiot find him, and was informed that he was taken up at Aberdeen^ and carried to the Plantations. Depones^ That he believes, when the faid Peter Williamfon wai amiffing, he was about eight or ttn years of age, and vraa a ftoiit boy;.4ind the Deponent feeing the faid Peter WSUiapfon iriimedintely at emitting this depoiition^ J|||||*!fi|ft that he is the identical perfonVhom he knew, l^oll^he went away, to be James Williamfon's fon, and v^lMla at the faid Pet«r Williamfon's baptifm. .>Francis Frasbr of Findraqk, Efq. depones. That, aboul. twenty years ago, he knew the deceafed James Williamfon living in Upper Balnacraig, in the parifh of £umphanan, and that he heard the faid James Williamfon lived formerly in Himley, in the parifh of Aboync. De* pones. He' knew feveral of the faid James Williamfon 's childceo, and he heard it xna the practice of fome of the Inerchanta of Aberdeen to kidnap young children,, and fend th^ to t^ Plantations to be fold for flaves. De- iaes, He heard in the country, that the faid Jame^ fiilmmfon^ or his wife, had gone jnto Aberdeen, ^i^ . ^ GsoRisi ponen the fold nent I prehci ferve do, I monti there he wi above PETER WILLIAMSON. tr^ every proof, and is equal to an acknowledgment, iSi that, from a book of accounts, recovered on lead- m^ the^ proof, recording the expences laid out. oa .*•-- . George Johnston depones, That he was fent over' to Virginia by an uncle, to be put under the care of a friend there; that the fhip in ^hich he failed was called the Indian Queen, Captain Fergufon commander ; and the faid fhip failed from Aberdeen, and had aj^ove iixty boys on board, under indentures to ferve for a number of years in Virginia :« That, as the Deponent has beta frequently informed, many of thefe boys were engaged by different artifices to enter into the fmid indentyres, without the confent of their parents *, aind the Deponent particularly knows, that there were two brothers went Over in the faid (hip, to wit, James and Wifiiam ShedF» theeldefi of whom was about fifteen years of age, and the other about fix years; that thefe tw^: brothers wertr- bought by one John Graham, in Quantigp Creek, in Vir- ginia ; that the eldefl ferved out the time of his indcntjurey which was five years, and the youngeft Was adjudged to ' ferve the faid John Graham until he was twenty-one ^ years of age. Depones, That he* has been well inform-' cd, that James Abernethy, John Elphingilon, and John/ Burnet, merchants in Aberdeen, were very much etfi«>' ployed io^engaV^ig boys as aforefaid. Depones, That he knows that fix or feven of the boys before lAeii- tibned were fold ia Virginia to different mafters; otiie of " them, named Thomas Whitehead, was fold to the De- ponent's mafler ; that one '^f them, called Jdmefr Shedy the youngeft of the two Sheds above mentioned^ was fold to a planter witliin three miles of where the Depo- nent lived ; that he defertcd his mailer's fervice,' was ap- prehended, and whipped for fo doing,-.a|id adjudged to ' ferve for a year longer than otherwi&J^ was obliged tUf dOf he having deferted his fervice l^the fpace^fi^Hr- month< Depones, That he knows that l|fthe year- 174^51 there came a fhip from Aberdeen to Vi^nik, md -ll he was particularly acquainted with ThoimMlJ^SMt) above mentioned^ who^ ufK>ti re^Utti^i(M)^,h«.x«(a(' 119 THE LIFE OF W w on one cargo of tbefe unfortunate obje^lsy it ajv pears, that no lefs than Hxty-nine boys and girls were carried over to America along with me, ilk ' \^ -^ of eame bter a pafTenger in that (hip, and not in the fhip before mentioned ; that the faid Thomas Whitehead ac* quainted the Deponent, that he was engaged by James Aberndthy, merchant in Aberdeen, to go to Virginia to ferve there. Depones, That the boys brought over as above, and engaged to ferve in Virginia, are in ufe to be miSntdned by their roafters during the time of their fer- tice ; and at the end of their fervice to get 50 jr. St^rb'ng, and have no other encouragement. Depones, That during their fcrvi^ they are commonly very harfhiy ufcd by their mailers, and kept upon a very coarfe diet^ fo that they are often forced to defperate meafureb, and to j»ake avi^ay ivith themfelves. Depones, That he return- ed to Britain in the end of the year 174^, "ahd foon thereafter came to Aberdeen; and that there feveral of the parents of the children that had gone over with hiiti» came to'the Deponent, and with great anxiety inquired after their' children ; and particularly, one Helen Law; aiked the Deponent about her fon ; and at the faihe time poured out a great many curfes upon the faid James A- Derneth^r, for decoying young boys, and fending them to America, a.nd particularly her own Ton ; and that this (he did in prefence of the faid James Abernethy. And deponies. That the Deponent was fent down by his ma- fter.dion|r^ith John Spriggs, to bring up the faid Tho», n^as^iV^tttebhid, together witl^feveral others of the boys that catfoe along with him, in order for fale. Depones That he never faw the Purfuer in Virginia, but has good reaibn to believe he was there, not only becaufd fome of his nearell relations had totd him fo, but that he himi- fdf had converfed particularly with him, with regand to feyeral perfons and places there, of which he gave a juft^ and true accounti ' ^ V ' . ■ . ■ ■ - . ; i t - . AtEiti^x»EK GsiGXRsoM deponcs, That he and a|i# i|li^ b<^ {whpfe namf he'^ev not rcjnember) we^ ^ m ^ ' coming ©f wh wreck< flaves. commg Seeking kirk of with th they ail long wi Would < things \ other bi with th perhaps in refpe yoUng i Thatui men, - tl alighted were, ty, nent, ar themfel' them, b in three them fa and if ^ them uf about h faid thn (nent, an Mari fhe had years o and wh Gray m the Pla about ei vithot PETER WILLIAMSON. iir of wKom fuffi?red the fame fate of being (hip* wreckedi and many of them^ that of being fold ar flav«s. ^ . - ^ After commg from the mill of Crathy, where they had bee« feektng their meat, and near to a birch-wood near to the kirk of Crathy, three countrymen on horfeback came up with them, but the Deponent knew none of them ; and they afked the Deponent and the other boy that was a-* long with him, if they \^ould go with them, and the^f itrould clothe them like gentlemen, and faid very kind things to them } but the Deponent, being elder than the other boy, made anfwer. That they would not go along ivith them ; for it ftruck the Deponent in the head, that perhaps he and the other boy were to be carried abroad^ in refpcft of a rumour prevailing in the country, that yotmg boys were carried abroad at that time. Depones^ That upon their refufing to go aloVg wkh* the faid thriee men, - they faid they would force them ; and thereupon alighted from their horfes ; and while the faid three men were, tying their horfi ■■'giy t< til THE LIFE OF . After fuch a demon ftration of my veracity^ artd the maltreatment I had form'erly fuffered, the reader^ it is believed, cannot but refle£b with foioe degree \j^. wAr • Mig the drum. * Dfepones, That, on Sunday thcrcafteri (he, came to the Chapel in the Gallowgate to hear worfliip, and fhe faw her fon there, and got hold of him, and carried him home with her to Loanhead» which i^ about half a mile from Aberdeen. Depones, Thatfhc kept her faid fon at home for feme time, until four men came out of Aberdeen for him, Jn the night-time, while the Deponent and her hufband were in bed, and their fon James lying at their feet. Depones, She knew none of thefe four men, but they told they were come from ^be faid Alexander pray, and wanted to carry the faid James Ingram into Aberdeen, Depones, That when her fon beard them faying fo, he wept and iHed tears; and they infiiling, caufed him to rife out of bed^ and go along with them to Aberdeen j and his father followed them; and ihc was told by her hufband, they went to Alexander Gray's houfe. Depones^ That next day, the faid John Ingram, her huA}and (as he informed the Deponent}, came into Aberdeen, and met with Alexander Gray, and fought back his fon ; who faid to him. That if he 'would pay feven pounds Scots, for the expence of main- taining his fon while he was with Alexander Gray, in that cafe he fhould get back his fon ; but their circum- ilances could not allow them to pay the faid feven pounds. Depones, That* thereafter (he came into Aberdeen, and met with Provofl Aberdeen, who was then Provoll of the toi«!|2^ jind^ jreprefented the cafe to himj and he fent for A^anillrGray, to come to the town-houfe and fpeak lirith the ^iProvoft. Depones, That when he came, the Prftvoft afked him, if he had a boy of the Deponent's with him ; to which Alexaifder Gray anfwered, that he had a boy, one James Ingram ; whereupon the Provoft faid to him. That he did not think it right to take ^p any perfon*8 child without confent of parents, to which 4fUexander Gray anfwered, that the boy complained that )ttf mother was not good tp him: and th^ Proyoit re? 1^ .. 1^^ '? f, and i, the 1 foioe degree teri (he, vrorfhip, m» and hich i^ 'hatjhe ur men ;, while beir fon none of onv ^^c d James her fon nd thev ►ng with m ; and lexander id John jonent), r Gray, at if he of main- j-ray, in circum- I pounds, een, and oil of the fent for id fpeak ame, the nt*a with t he had »voft faid ; «p any o which ined that oyoft rof ?ETER WILLIAMSON. 123 degree of indignation on the iniquitoys fentcnce of the magiftrates of Aberdeen, and commiferate the dif- itt^l (ituation to which I was reduced in confequence of pliedy that a parent could not correal a- child out of tmtf and deiired^ that the Deponent (hould get her fon ( whereupon Alexander Gray afked, who would pay his charges for maintaining tlie boy while he had him ; at fame time Gray faid, he had given off the boy to one Mr. Copland, in the Gallowgate. Depones, That the Provoft fent an officer for Mr. Copland, who could not he found that day ; but the Provoft defired the Deponent he went awav* ahdBu never fjaw him iince. DqKmes, Tlttt when mc '^ •'. L2 ■■ w^|, V » 124 THE LIFE or of that tyrannkal decifion. Stript at otice of' my aH, and of my only means of fubHftencey branded with the chara£ler of a vagrant and impoftor, sind iligmatized •went into Alykstader Gray's Hiop, who caufed firft; to ap* prchend her buy^ to feek him back, the fald Alexander Gray took her by the (boulders, and thruft her out of his fhop. Depones, That, at the aforefaid time, when lier Ton wais taken up and carHed away, provisions were ▼ery dear and fcarce, and many were difhculted to get their bread ; but the Deponent and her hufband were in condition to have maintained her Ton, and never confent^ cd to his being carried off. — John Ingram depooesy conforms to the faid Margaret his fyouCi?, ; William Jamieson depones. That, in fpring I74it and for fome years before and after, die Deponent re- fided with his family in the town of Old Meldrum^ which he reckons to be twelve computed miles ffona Aberdeen ; that the Deponent had a fon> named John, -who was, in the fpring 1741, between ten and eie veil ^ears of ^ge ; that about that time, the faid John his ion iKiving been amifliug from his houfe, the Deponent "was informed by the neighbours in Old Meldrum, -the day aicer he was amifTing, that they faw a man, whom they faid was a fervant ta John Burnet, late merchant in Aberdeen, who was commonly called Bonny Johuj with the Deponent's faid fon, and two other boys much about ihe fame age, travelling towards Aberdeen ; and that his for^would be fent to the Plantations: That, in two ^r ihrQje days after receiving this information, the Deponent vent to Aberdeen,' where he found the faid John Burnet, who told him that he had feveral boys, but did not know whiither the Deponent's fon was amongft them ; but ^id|r>that though, he was, the Deponent would not j^-i"" ^^^-back, becaufe he was engaged with him ; tl^lvUie s3[)epbnent upon this left Mr. Burnet, and wetit dowu about the (hore, where he had been informed the bbys were out getting the air; that when he came there# he jtbferyedagreat uuoaber of boys, he think» abQ||lt^^o« Av; , . dircftiiig ftigfip nifhe borxij divert who, town, Burni poner they ^ ferved upon that 1 lowed Mr. I with I ricdh ♦ 'OfF, a faw tl put th were above thinki froq^ when poneii media to fpe get h come feer I the I . jfon a town was t( 'he ha jvhkl of my randed r, stnd latized t to apr exander out of , when ns were 1 to get were in lonfent^ lepooes^ 5 I74i» nent re- [eldrutn, les ffom :d John, d elevefl J^n his leponent um, the , whom chant in in, with ch about that his two ^r )eponent Burnet) lot know m ; but I not i^e* t\m: the jit dowii the boy« here^ he E>o^ .^0, PETER Williamson. 125 ItigtTiatized as fuch in the Aberdeen Journal, ba- nKhed from the capital of the county wherein I was l>orni and left to the mercy of the wide worlds loaded diverting thcmfelves ; thai they were attended by a man, who, the Deponent was informed by the people of the town, was employed for that'purpofe by the faid John Burnet ; that this man had a horfe-whip, and the De- ponent obferved him ftriking the boys therewith whjen they went out of the crowd. Depones, That he ob- served his own fon John amongft thefe boys, and called upon him ; that the boy came up to him, and told hijn that he would willingly go home with him if he was al- lowed ; that immediately upon this, the perfon who was Mr. Burnet's overfeer, came up and gave the boy a lafli with his whip, and took him by the flioulder, and car- ried liim amongft the reft, and immediately .drove them * roff, and carried them to a barn, where the Deponent ■faw them locked in by the fore-mentioned overfeer, who put the feey in his pocket : that the place where the boya were (landing, when the deponent fpoke with his fon as above deponed on, was on the (bore, arid the Deponent thinks, as far diftant from the fore-mentioned barn, as fronjt the Writers Court to the Nether-bow Port; that when the boys were marching up to the barn, the De- ponent kept pace with the overfeer, who followed im- mediately after the boys, entr^ting of him to get liberty to fpeak to his fon ; who anfwered him, that he fhould get leave to fpeak with him by and by when they were come to the barn : but when they came there, Uic over- feer locked the door as above mentioned, and rffufed the Deponent accefs;; that the Deponent never faW bis .fon after this : that the Deponent, in paffing through the town of Aberdeen after his fon was locked up from hjtflii^ : was told by feveral trades-people, and others to whocn 'he)iad iM the ftory of his fon, that it would A>e in vaia ifo^liim to apply to the magiftrates to get his fon lib^- iK9^.; becaufe foihe of the magiftrates had a. hand in }t}m& doings, as well as the faid John Burnet; ufiqn fflat^ tbfe Dep^Hient went hoApi^* Thajt in fumnjfp y .J L3 thereafter^ ci\ ii6 THE LIFE OF loaded with all the infamy that malice could in- vent. What a deplorable fituatioA this I I could not help codfidering myfelf in a more wretched ftatc, thereafter, tKe Deponent came up to Edinburgh, to take advice what he fhould do in this matter, being cei^inly informed by the voice of the country, that the fhip on board of which his fon was put, had failed for Maryland about a fortnight or fo after that day when the Deponent was at Aberdeen, and faw his fon as before mentioned. That after the Deponent came up to Edinburgh, he was recommended to the deceafed Mr. William Seton, writer to the Signet, who gave him a libelled fummons againll the faid John Burnet, before the Lords of Council and Seilion, ioV reditution of the Deponent's fon ; that none of the meifengers in Aberdeen would execute the fun[i- xnons againft Mr. BurriVt, becaufe they would not dif- oblige him for any thing the Deponent could give them ;• which obliged the Deponent to fend a meifenger from Old Meldrum to Aberdeen ; that the' Deponent having intiiled in this fummons, the faid John Burnet applied to the late Earl of Aberdeen, who fent for the Deponent's f^thit^ his tenant ; and the Deponent's father came and ^rri^ bim to the houfe of Haddo, where the Earl and John Burnet were at that time ; that, at this meeting* It was agreed, that the faid John Burnet (faould give the Deponent his bond to ref^qre his fon to him, within the Ipace of a twelvemonth, under the penalty of. 50/* Sterling ; that the Deponent did not get the faid bond> but that the Earl x)f Aberdeen prbmifed that he would caufejohn Burnet to grant the bond; ihat thie Deponent thinks^ to the heft of his remembrance, this meeting was in the e.iii of fummer 174I \ that1(hortly'thereafter> Lord Aberdeen died, and the Depouent having inlifted as a foldier, was fent over to Flanders, where he ferved ^me years, and upon his return Johu Burnet^as beconie bankrupt, and had left the country ; and the Deponent knows not whether his fon is dead or alive, haviug: nearer iieard of him firtce he was carried froni Aberdcbij and jKver got the bond l^for^ mentioikd fr(»n ' John ii^tDec^ ^^v. •, , , .. • . Ceorgb. PETER WIXLIAMSON. >:t'±i ftziei to be reduced to fubmit to fuch barbaHties in a civilized country, and the place of my natitk^y than when a captive among the favage Indians, \rno boaft not of humanity. Confcioun - ■ ., ' ■ ' .^ ■ ■'';,■•'■•■' George Leslie depones. That* about the -year 1742} it was the current report, That Hugh Mackie ftabler in Aberdeen, was employed by John Burnet merchant in Abeideen for taking up boys, that they might.be carried to the Plantations. Depones, That the faid Hugh Mackie, with a gang of five' or fix boys along with him, was at the back of the Gallowgatc, where the Deponent was working as a npafon'ff fervant, and they obferving a boy coming down the ftrcct, they took hold of him ; bu( the boy ilruggled and got out of their gripes; whereupon Hugh Mackie kicked the faid boy with his foot, and turned him into the loch, and the boy being hurt, was confined in the houfe of Harry Black ftabler, for eight or ten days, tiU he recovered ; but the Deponent does not know what became of that boy afterwards. Depones, That he faw a parcel of boys and girls confined in a barn in the Green, before they were fent to the Plantations. Depones, That he believ/ef they were of different ages, from ten to fifteen years, v GHRfST-AN FiKLATER dcponcs, That, fome years before the battle of CuUoden, Hugh Mackie ftabler in the Gallowgate of Aberdeen, and James Wilfon ftabler there, were employed for taking up boys to be fent to the Plantations; and one time (he faw the faid Hugh Macule driving a parcel of boys before him d(|^n the Gallowgate, with a ftaif in his hand, and fhe nis^ feen him chafing boys in at clofes. . Depones, She faw fome boys looking out at the windovt^ of a barn in the Green, and fhe reckons they were kept there till they.itou]d> be fent to the Plantations ; and fhe heard there srejj^^other places in towu' where boys were kept, until they^Ak^d be feivt away ; Depones^ > That, accordi ng. ta h^ ^p^U^^ and belief, fome of thefe boys would haigei>gg|l i t iife ^t* c^^' osiers of them thirtegD, and fc ■ ■ ii s- ?s^ THE LIFE OF r^ Confcious of my own integritji and fired vitli re- fentment at the indignities poured npon me by this arbitrary decree, I was, by the advice and aififlance lefs ; and (he faw among them, lads from the Highlands of the fize of men, and women alfo ; and the boys were generally flrapping boys. Depones, That ihe heard one Mr. Copland in Aberdeen was concerned in employing Hugh Mackie and James ^ilfon for the above purpofe. Robert Brand depones, That, about the month 'of June 1758, he, the Deponent, faw James Thomfon, Dean of Guild's officer, carrying out of George Mackie't houfe (where Peter Williamfon was quartered at that time) a parcel of books, bound or Hitched ^n blue pa- per i the Deponent does not know the number of them, but James Thomfon had his arms extended full of them. Depones, That thereafter he faw a fervant-maid of George Mackle's coming down (lairs of Mr. Mackie's houfe, after the town-officer had come out of it, and the Deponent a(ked her what was the matter ; and (he an- fwered her, that it was the town-officers carrying away ]^r. Williamfon's books to the clerks chambtr, where "^^Mr. Williamfon was himfelf, and this was the fecond Burden Qf them. ' George Mackie depones. That two or three of the town-officers came to the Deponent's own houfe, and he faw them carry away all the copies of the faid ' pamphlets or books, and the faid Peter Williamfon was along "with the officers, and they were earned to the town-ihoufe. l^epones, Tliat he faw fome of thefe co- pits drop by the way, as the officers were carrying them to the town-houfe, buit he does not know how many copies were fo dropped, neither did he fee Peter Wfl- liamfon take up ai^y of the dr(^t copies. Depones, That when Peter Williamfon was appointed by the Magillratcs Xo find bail for his appearance to (land trial on the com- plaint again(t him, at the inftance of the Dean of Gyild •and Prociihitor-fifcal, and when he was put io prifon^till kc ihould find the fa^ baily he, the kid Peter^Wplai- , ' » ''■K^ % \ tlire- f this kance of blands ) were rd one loying pofe. month )mfon» ickle-t t that lue pa- theoi. them, aid of ackle^s ;nd the [he an- T away where fecond of the le, anfd le fatd fon was to the icfc co- g them many crWi g. That gilbratcs he com- >favild rifbn^t^l PETER WILLIAMSON. 12^ of feme worthy friendsi induced to raife a proceft of oppreiTion and damages againd thefe my judges^ l»efore the Court of Seifioni t^e fupreme tribuna) of fon, fent for the Deponent to fpeak to him, and to bail him : Accordingly the Deponent came up the tolbooth* ilair, and found him coniined in that part of the prifon oppefite to the door of the co»irt-room, and the I)epo* neht fpoke to the (aid Peter Willlamfon through the bars' of the door of the place where he was connned; and that the faid Peter Wilhamfon defired the Deponent to become bail for him, and he the Deponent became bail for his' appearance before the Magili rates, and he thinks he figned fomethin? for that purpofe, and thereupon the faid Peter WiUiamlon was fet at liberty ; and the Depo- nent had him over to his houfe, and prefented him be- fore the Magiftrates next day. Depones, That, after th^ Magillrates had pronounced fentence againft the faid Peter Williarafon, he came over to the Deponent's houfsy and told the Deponent, that he had been threatened tO iign a paper, obliging himfelf to go out of the town, and that rf Hy^ did not fign the paper, he was threatened- to be again imprifoned ; thereafter, the faid Peter Wiliiamfon hurried himfelf away out of tlie Deponent's hJDiife in lefii than a quarter of an hour, leaving behind him fome of his baggage, which he defired to be fent after him to NewCaillej and which the Deponent fent to him accont- ingly.' Depones, That he was an inhabitant of Aberdeen from th^ year 1740, and that about the year 1 741, down- ward to the year 1744, it was a cullom for feveral of the merchants of Aberdeen, to carry on a trade of traiifport- ing young boys and women to the Plantations, of di|r<^r<' ent ages. Deptmes, l^hat he knew the perfons after- named were concerned in that Way of trade, vi%.. 0eorgB Garioch^ John Elphingfton, John. Burnet, Ale^iander Gray, JLewis Gordon, and Andrew Logic*, all merchants in Aberdeen, arid James Smith faddljpr there, > •v^' --J4MES Rattray depones. That fpif^-; ^i'fvas ia . Aberdeen. ISO THE LIFE OF 1 of juftice. And as the Lord Ordinary was pleaftd to allow both parties a proof at large, under the fan£lton of his authority, I ventured to revifit the city Aberdeen, and being carried before the Magfiftrates by the town>officer8| the Deponent, as he undcrllood Peter Williamfon was a ftrangcr, having been feveral timet in company with him before that day, he went into the court-houfe, where he heard the clerk and fome of the Magiftrates, but cannot particularly fay which of them, challenge the faid Peter Williamfon for felling and diilri- buting the pamphlet libelled, refletSling upon (he mer* chants of Aberdeen as Kidnappers, and that they ufed very rough language to the faid Peter Williamfon, but he does not remember the expreflions, not having given great attention thereto, at leaft, the epcpreflions have •now efcaped his memory. Depones, That before the Deponent left the court, he faw the Purfuer carried off Jby the town -officers by order of the CQUrt, but knows jD^t where they carried him to, further than that next day, or the day thereafter, the Deponent happening to be in the houfe of George Mackie innkeeper, he was in- ibroied by the faid George Mackie, that Peter William i — poi*€8t r the it the city tc8 by Pttcr met in to the of the theniy diftri- 6 mcr* y ufed tif but ; givo* t have jre the ied off knows at next ling to wasinr niliamr .not^^'d yon '*** fuch indcjited boys 'm America^ for what number of, ,; yean. -M m THE LIFE OF me, I was enabled to lead fuch a proof, as eonv{ti«i ced that moil honourable and impartial bench to vhich I now appealed, that I had met with the. • higheft years, and what fiims did you receive for them ? De- pones, That he never indented any boy or girl of eight or ten years of age, except when the parents of fuch chil- dren indented with him likewife. Depones, That he ne- ver fent off any boys or girls of under-age indented with him, that had been demanded back by their parents or friends. Depones, That never did lie indent any boys or girls in. town without their parents confent. Depones, That feveral fervants were indented as aforefaid to the Deponent, who told the Deponent they were turnea off by their mafters for want of bread, but does not reraem- . ber the names of their mailers. Depones, That he went not to America himfelf^ but that their indentures were fold there from 5 /. to 8 /. Sterling ; that fuch as were of under-age might l^e indented for iive or fix years, and fuch as were of full age only for four. ' Alexander Gordon, ihipmailer in Aberdeen, de- ' fiones, That it has been a practice for to Thdent fervants to be carried from Aberdeen to the Plantations in Ame- rica, from the year 1735, downward to the year 1753 ; , and that during the forefaid period, he has been concern- ed himfelf in that trade of indenting, for his own account and of his owners, fervants from Aberdeep, and carrying them over to the American Plantations, in different ihips eonimanded by him on different voyages, viz. in the brig Diligence, to Philadelphia, and the Ruby, to Virginia and Maryland. Depones, That he has carried over bo vs, but Dot utider fourteen years of aee, and that no inden* tures can be taken for fervants of fourteen years of age to continue longer than the fervants attain the age of twenty-one years, by the cuilomk/of Maryland; and that the price he generally received for ftieh'fervantsj. in Maryland and at Philadelphia^ amounted to about id /« Sicriing oter head* highei dcccri the re as bef At I Thati ^ncc, 1 were ii atteflec ther ju .of his CaufaJ He I 174.1, Aberd( to carr Black, Mr. C< mcrcha maile feveral diet Dcppn May la a pare . ried^bV Captd of the were and ot afterwi Aberd IDepon alnd di Mv again vih^m fhe favy them, by reafon of-the change at that time. Depones, That fh^ had a fpn of her own that the year before had bepn .car-- ricd over by Jaipes Abernethy, merchant ii^ Aberdeen, whom^he had afke^ back, and Mr. .Abernethy agreed at three different time^ to deliver him back to h,er ; but he was refolute to go, and went, accordingly .And being interrogate by the fald Peter Williamfon, whether qp not the Deponent was not always In ufe.to afl^ leave irf the keepers on board of the fhip, for the boys to come afhprc any time when they Ipy^^tTory, and. fuch liberty was only obtained on the faid Helen Law's obliging,. her l|> ic|ur^ th^m baqfc Qn.fhipb9axd.}pDcpon^8, 'Jhat, ihe,4i4. luded tion fc of nat afk leai the fait ingly .< back t( mife, fl the to\ them a nothing tures, a bone* 2 throng}] their pa thcpi b] Jame That, a the De as keep would of them their inc to be ca with otl alfo iud dcen, i( hour of ^agg, ried ovt boys on afterwar and flay boys am for the f ed, and hour/ til from wh Depones f PETER WILLIAMSON. 135 , will ibjeft e de- luded y were befbrc t their 1, and ted by thofe i mer- ey had rks bc- r failed Tory, ' which : Tory, othem Depo- > lay at ater to rogate, her, is id with hat (he erial of ear8 af- r them, 'bat(h^ ;^n,car-' erdeen, ;reed at but he i being ther or eave of p come liberty Ing^.ber ihe,4i4. luded poor, many of whom have fufFered tribula- tion for the lofs of their children, whom the ties of nature bind every Chriftian parent to prefervc and aflc leave of the keepers on board of the (hip for fome of the faid boys to come afliore with her, which (he accord- ingly obtained, and- did become bound to return them back to the (hip, and on her verbal obligement or pro* mife, (he was allowed to bring fome of them even over to the town of Aberdeen with her, and always returned them again on (hipboard. Depones, Tbnt (hci knows nothing about their parents confentirifr to their inden- tures, as fome might have had parents and fome of then\ bone* and feverals of them were begging their bread through the town. But depones. That whe*i any of their parents and relations claimed them, they werfe given them by the nEicrchants on paying their charges* James Robertson, .ftabler in Aberdeen^ depones, That, about fxeventeen years pad the month of May laftj the Deponent was employed by James .Smith faddler, as keeper of feveral young boys, the youngeft of whom would have been ^out ten years of age,r and fome of them (ixeeen and upwards, who were indented, and their indentures atteftcd by the Magiftrates of Aberdeen,, to be carried over to the ^Plantations in America, along with other fervantts, both men and women of full agf, alfo iudtnted^and attefted by the Magiilrates of Aber- deen, lo be (hipped on board a (liip lying at the- har- bour of Aberdeen, then commanded by Captain Robert Ragg, (hipmader in Aberdeen, and which (hip was car- ried over to Tory, where (he lay and received the faid boys on. board of her. The Deponent was fome tiniie afterwards employed by the faid James Smith to go over and (lay on board the (aid (hip as a keeper of the faid boys and other fervant{(, to the bed of his remembrance, for the fpace of twelve or fourteen days, till the (hip fail- ed, and he went with them in faid fliip out of the har- bour,' till the (hip was in the road before Aberdeen, from whence he returned back to the town of Aberdeen, Depones, Thkt, during the time the faid James Robert- . M 2 fou '- .« *3<5 THE LIFE OF ;and cherifti as their own lives : For, as it ts a'bfurd to imagine that any parent, though in ever fo nccef» iltous a condition, would difpofe of their own fleih ^ , and fon was on .(hiphoard as above, there was 2cLCt> another keeper, named Robert Adam, along with him, employe iently before him, is the fame perfon that was dien named Peter :|4*Willi am, as he prefently apprehend^, but win not fwear pofitively that he is the fame perfo.n f for that Peter W* William had black brows, and was. pock-ciarked, and fo is Peter Williamfon whom he now Tees^ ^ut dtoesT not remember any b^y then aboard called ^cter WiHiamfon ; and that Peter M*WifHam was ^ ftout, trlever, rough lown, and very ill to guide. James Smith, faddkr in Aberdeen^ depones, That, to the beft of the Deponent's memory, about nineteea or twenty years ago, but cannot be abfolutely poiitive about tlie precifc time, be was employed by John El- phingfton merchant in Aberdeen, and Captain Robtil jRLagg fliipmafter in Aberdeen, and Mr. Walter Coch» rah town-clerk depute of Aberdeen, in partnerfbip with them, to make leather-capB, luid pay for diet, and to pay taiiiDrs for clothing furnifhed to feYeral young boys ^nd other fervants, tjiat had entered into indentures ; attefted before the Magiftrates of Aberdeen, with the above-named Captain Robert Ragg, to be carried frqn* Aberdeen to America to be difpofed of at Philadelphia^ ipepones. That he accordingly furniihed the (aid femifitt ' wi^ k^her-caps, and paid for iheir xlpthing And ^ec» abfurd nccef^ nfleih and mother I. De- l put to i liberty aihore^^ fome of lelp her J. Be- t's* and flt four.' Villiain. ees' pcei* ras dien reh^ad#> perfo.n ; md was. he no>y d called was ^ ■ '.■-.•' .'■ lineteea pofitive >hn El- Robtil Coch» (ip with and to Tg boys futures; rith the ed from ielpfaria^ fen^fits id d^et» PETER WILLIAMSON. 137 and blood to ftrangcrs, who make; a prey of inno- cent children,, to accumulate their ill-gotten wealth, and fu|>port their grandeur, by conveying the un- for all tvhJch he was afterwards repaid by the above- named gentleman. Depones, That, among thofe fcr- vant8 that were fo indented, there was one boy ilamed WJlliamfpni of about ♦z years of age, and another boy of the fame furiiamc, of about 13 or 14 years of age, to the bed of the Deponent's knowledge and remembrance ^ but dispones. He does u^. know any of the faid two boys Chriftian names. Depones, That he has not in his cuf- tody any accounts or writings relative to the fervants that were fent from Aberdeen to the Plantations in the year 1753 : But depones. That the account (liewn to him at deponing, and exhibited by Walter Cochran> tbwn-clerk depute of Aberdeen, confiding of twelve leaves, witli a docquet en the laft page therepf, dated 26th July i743» is a juft and true account, all wrote with the Deponent's hand-writing j and the DeponeM: received flronri the faid Walter Cochran payment of the balance of faid a'cc6unt, conform to hi^ receipt and dif« charge : and the whole of the articles in faid account, and names therein infert, are genuine and true as wrote by the Deponent,^ and which accdUiit is figned by'^the Deponent and Commiifioner at deponing. Depones^ He heard the (hip the Planter, Captain Robert Ragg maftei^, who carried fervants >fdr! the Plantations in the ycffr 1743, virats-ftranded on CapeMay. ' li . * ;ji . WALTER ;Co!Cfl^iUji». 19 wn-clefk depute or^1)j!rdc<;n, depones and produces an account, wrote book-ways, and bound in marble papcfrentitled^ Account Eatlie William Fordyce and pojnpany to James Smithy, which account begins the third day of Deceitiber 1 742, and confifts of twelve leaves, and upon the laft page thereof is a dif- charge by janies , Smith, „ dated the 2^th July, 1 743> granting the receipt jFroin the I^epop^nt of payment of th^ balance of 18/., i^H ^d* Sterlings being full and complete payment of the above and foregoing accounts; apd ther|efore difchargingrthe Deponent and Company of 'S' . 'M'3 ' ' ' '■''' all ■ '^*^.^^, .•f^a ^8 /- « THE LIFE OF iJiappyvidimstothe remoteft paru of the gibbe,. where they can have no redrefs for the injuries done them, thefe cautions are offered to pr/event their failing into the fnare. • Scniible nil he couM demand of th len cap to ditto, as difburfed 8ch Januarv i'J4$i and oa jthe third page, there is charged one flidilng and three- pence Sterling, for five days board of Vl^Uiamfon, . ai idifburfed t3th January 1743. Depones, That he re- ceived the forefaid account from Jame» Smith, faddfer in Aberdeen, and paid him the balance, contained in the fofefuid account, and which account i» figned by the Deponent and Commiffioner, and produced with the rc- (port; and further adds, that the forefaid account has ^rJbeen lying by the Ikponent for feveral years paft, he Ibeing one of the company that were owners of the fhip ithe Planter, Robert Ragg mafter, who tranfportcd fer- „ir^nt^ to the Pisiutations, and was wrecked at Cape William Gibson, carpenter in Tory, depqr^es,, That J>efore the 12th of May 1743, ^he Deponent waa hired , « fhip-carpehter to Captain Robert Ragg, tOr fail a voy- i9ge from Aberdeen |o Virginia, on board his fhip, call- ed the Planter, ana that there ivvere fhipped a number •f buy?,, girls, and cither fenrants, under indenture, as ^l^e beard ; bnt that in their voyage their fhip was ilrand- W on Cap^ May ; but fome time after, all the fervants ^ey 'catne'd oVef wei*e fafely recovered, and a flocp ;e pro* fecuted for telling the interfiling tale ! I fpeak this by wofu! experience, as well as from the know^ ■ledge of the hard fate of fcveral young people, in the neighbourhood of my nativity,' whither I ha4 (gone in queil of my relations. After fo long in ^abfence, my perfonal appearance muft no doubt Tecall to the memory of my friends, the manner of ^Hroyi being carried o^ in my infancy, and they mu(i receive me with wonder and amazement, whonir the (aid fhip, on her arrival from London, in ,order t* perform the faid voyage, lay at the pier of Tiory untfl Ihe failed from faid riyer on her voyage, as the i^ep»> ncnt remembers, 6n the 1 2th of May 1 743, aud took in> her cargo there, which confined of fume parcels of foods, and fevetal feryants, being men, w^nien^ and oys, who, he believes, were all indented as fervjuitj^^ for bf hoof of the contradlors with them, to be difpofed^ of fn Virginia: That the (hip was, before her arrival, ilranded to thef notthward of Cape May, upon' si liltte ifland in the province of New Jerfey, where ihc becamie ■a wreck. Depones, That how foon the fhip -ftruck, fo 4nany of the ci'ew to6k out a yoal to '^fcbver a kindin|^ place, and the reft of the crew, and (bme of the forvants, went into the Iqmg "boat, and got fafe aihore ; and (omf iof them returned with t^e long boat, and brought out U14 reft of the fervams; and afterwards a fibop came dowa very foon, and canrif d C^em up to Phib^d^bia. > .. "■Aet 140 ^'C'THE LIFE 0;F 3\ they had for many years deemed ifbr loft. The fati5fa£tron my prefence gave them, of which they had been ib long deprived, it is nof. to. be expreifed ; and the comfort I enjoyed in the profpe£^ of feeing STf neareft relations, was in fome degree a folace for the miferies 1 had undergone. But, even in tins, hard fortune purfued me ftill, and my troubles were not yet at an end. New enemies ftarted up, wha, as if the abettors of thofe who laid the fnare for mc when a child, now contrived a new fpecies of .captivity for me, when I was a, man. They be^ l^rudged me my liberty, and the freedom I took to relate my misfortunes ; in order, therefore, ta fup- p.refs a difagreeable truth, they .again depriived mc of it for a time ; deftroyed pny means of fubfiflence, at)d loaded jne with infamy and- reproach.} frora which, thanks to the juftice of my caufe and th^ integrity of my judges, I have at laft been honour- ,ably delivered . Kidnapnng, a fpecies; of trade followed by thcfe monflers of impiety for the luft of gain, may be compared to the prad^ices of the ^favages formerly mentioned, who, to gratify their •propeniity to -mifchief, cut, mangle, burn,^ and dr- ftroyj all the innocent people they can catch. And furcly the guilt of the kidnapped muft be much greater than that of the favage. race^ who boaft !iiot X)f humanity. If the latter commit fuch crimes, it is again ft thofe they imagine to be their enc- *}ihi^9^' for the fak^ of plunder j but the former are voiijpf aU excufe. What then can fome of the w^rwy merchants of Aberdeen fay for themfelves. •Irrpmpted by avard and.all civili2;ed nations, have they not been .guilty of this atrocious crime ? And does not the blood ofv.the innocent, feveral of whom "have difed «nder the hands of thdr cruel mafters, ery againft them fdt vengeance ? €er taih it' is, that ihis- e»6i. icrable pra^ice of kidnapping was put in execution - from PETER WILLIAMSON. 141 Irom the year 1740 and downwards, by fcveral merchants in that city, feme of whoniy for reafoos too well known, have (ince deferted their country. 1 remeiYiber that much about, that ttme> there were idle fellows employed by thof6 t»"^-^ers, to cajole and decoy men, women, and children^ to ferTC \n the Plantations in Anierica. The poor dehsded parents being ignorant of the nature of the traf- fic, and equally ignorant how qt where to apply to for redrefs, were obliged to rely on the fair pro- anifes of the merchants, whofe delufions proved fatal to many of the unhappy victims, who were even come of age, and much more fo to infant^ from fix to f!)itTteen years, who were incapable tp contra€^ for themfelves, and tranfporte^ without the knowledge or confent of their parents. Thele * were left to lament the lofs of their children i many of them without the coniblation of knowin|( what had become of them ; and who could only imagii^ that an untimely end had been their late# Such, It is (30 be fuppofed, were the dieadful .afii^ preheniions that filled the «yes of my aged panent with tears, from whom I was t^us feparated in my n©n-ag«. What heart can be unmoved with pity at the relation of fo -difmal a tale ? Who can thiiilc, without -h^ror, on thcfe monftcrs of impiety^ who could make a traffic of their fel]ow.«realiires in a Chriilian country, almoft as openly as is prae«i tifed on the coaft of >Guinea ? ^is taliafando tttM^ peril a lachnmis /^<^And here the following 4}ueTieS oc<>ur,« which wiil tend to explain the meaning of kidnapping. ; ' «V*r^ I. Whether or not, when children are eith^er carried off by force, or decoyed by fraud, without the confenty or without the knowledge, of their parents, in a (tate of infancy, or under the years if pupiHarity, and incapable of entering into ai /} a)ntr»^ X43 THE LIFE OF contra£b or indenture^ may not this be called Ki v* NAPPING? II. Whether or not, , the (hutting thcfe children up in prifons, or places of confinement, in order to make fure of them as a prey, and conceal them from their parents, is not contrary to law> and an atrocious crime ? III. If thcfe proceedings were agreeable to lavr, and the inclinations of the perfons fo imprifoned, ■whaf oCcaHon was there for confinement ? When a perfpn inlids himfeif in any fervice as a .vo.lun» teer^ where is the necefTity of putting him in prifon? But, IVk If thefc proceedings were contrary to all lawd, human and divine, what punifhment can bo wiiii^ed adequate to the crime i . > . ; .My betrayers well knew the impra^icability of* making children abide by any obligation extorted l^om tnom^ or any agreement to which' thciy were oecoyed ^ and therefore they confined :u0 inl>aras^ OQ^.bdaEd ihips,: and other conrenierit places;, and; to^make our time pafs away the more infenObly and fifed of reflection, they entertained us with miw fi^ 'Cards, and other childifbdiverHons, till fCich tinie iis.thcy had got their, coi^plcment, and tlio (hip was ready to fail. ^-^ '* f •? !^' n».i . j , Various were the arta and ftratagems made ufe of to inveigle thefe unhappy creatures. Some were infnared by receiving a trifle of money, and then told they were fairly inlifted* Others were tempted ^th tlie bait of great promifes^ beiaig^ told that they were going^^to a country where they fhould Hvc like gentlemen^ that they flic uldr.i|ip(l^f^^^^ plantations of their own, and foe0^^Sl[fe^tW|#^^ot>dition to come home and viiit; their,*iriend8 with great pomp and grandeur. Bj; tiM;le fpecious and artful infinuations, many un- thinking groun< like ca fi^le in thu<) n had w( fters, ^ nie, I trymer and wl many < No tha d£vil h us, wit been .» mofl h childre; nuiflerfi t9^avoi4 as ther an4fpr Cfmpell PETER WILLIAMSON. 14J thinking giddy youths were feduced into ilaveryy relying on prumlfcs which were meant only to in- fnare, and not to enrich them. Some were carried ofF from their parents by violence, and whipt into the Rock, like ilraycd (lieep going to the (hambles. All thefc methods, and many more, were pra£tired in this execrable branch of traiBc,. of which the' reader will find a proof to his conviction, by per- ufing the depofitions formerly inferted* . How far thefe fpecious promifes were fulfilled, will appear from the treatment we met with when Unded in America. On our arrival there, our: merf:hat)t, or fupercargo, who had the charge of us, took the carlieil opportunity to difpofe of us to thei pi.inters, fome of whom will buy ten, others twenty, to labour in their plantations and cultivate their •^ ground. Thus were we driven through the country like cattle to a Smithfield market, and expofed to« f^le in public fair% as fo many brute beads. When thus nialtreatcd bv our countrymen, what reafon: had we to expe£l; better ufage from our new ma«' fters, whofc property we, now were ? Luckily for- nie, I fell into- the hands of one of my own coun^ trymen, who had undergone the fame fate, himfelf, and who ufed me in a more tender manner than many of my companions in flavery had to boaft of* No thj|nk«, however, to my Kidnappers ; for if the devil had con)e in the (hape of a man to purchaCe us, with^iioney enough in his pocket, it wqald hate beqn . as readily accepted ar of the hoilefted and mofl hpmane man in^ the world. BeHdes, thefe 1^ children are fometifncs iold to barbarous and cruel in^ftefs, frpm whom they often make an elopement, t9^-av^ the /harih ufage they daily meet withy but as there is fcarce a poflibility of making, a total eff^^e, tl^ey are generally taken and brought Jback, at^ for; every day they have b^en abfent, the^ are €f>cnp€lie4 to fe:rve a week, for every week a month, and «44 THE LIFE OF ^nd for evcrv month a year ; chey are befides oS- iiged to pay the cod of advertifing, appro he ndingi and bringing them back ; which often protrndbs their flavery jfour or five years longer. BiK a more iliocking cafe often occurs ; fome of thefe poor deluded ilaves, after groaning for fome time under the yoke of tyranny and opprefTion, with only a diitant profpeA of relief, in order to put an end to their bondage, put i period to their lives at the fame time. What a difmal reflc£lion this, to be the in- Arument (>f driving an innocent helplefs* creature to defpair, and ruining him both in foul -and bodyi . Tke planters theroielves are generally of an idle Indolent difpofition, not caring to fatigue themfeYves with work. As foon therefore as they can raife )o or 30/. they purchafe Tervants from the European merchants, M^om they make flaves, fome for four or five, othera f')** feven years. Thefe they fend to the woods, or employ in other kinds of hard labour, and oblige them to perform a certain taflt of work in a day i in which if they fail, they are feverely pimifhed by their mafters, who review their work jMt. mght. Nor dare the fervant, when he is thus challized, prefume to vindicate himfelf, for fear of giving a oew offence to this unrelenting tyrant, wiio^ humour mult be indulged, even at the ex. pence of llrokes and blows. This is generally the cafe throughout the different colonies in North America y but more efpecially m Maryland and ^ Virginia. Thefe two are the belt markets to which oniT European merchants can refort for the fale of • their illicit cargoes of flavetf. Here they iliay bar- ter Hiem for tobacco, the ftaple commodity of thefe coloniesi upon which they have M immenfe returni . of profit r The fervants m Marylatid zre ,xti6ft\f ctmyi€tsi wbo hav^ been banifted ikeir native country^ £pr .; . . mifdemesaQi^l tnifden riod oi own, in the They ents in and ch plantat dertakt they e deftruf! induce when i to kx\ wages, try. 5 the exf Be affi ment h your if countr; the dif( are fun nakedn Befid ner, la that CO prefum come t rately a numbei notorio in this clafs of home, vices. engjige( l(bly or iles oS« ;nding» otrnd^s a more c poor ; under only a end to lefame the in- reature I body! an idle mfekes raife %o iropean 'or four fend to labour^ ►f work fevcrely it work is thus fear of tyrant, the ex- ally the North nd and > which fale of • lay bar- of thefc : return 0nvi€l8| ntry* for esQQic^i PETER WILLIAMSON. x^f tnifdemeanora ; yet fomc of them, when their pe- riod of flavery is over, acquire plantations of their own, and are very expert in raifing tobacco, and in the other branches of trade in that country. They frequently cbntra6l with their corrcfpond- cnts in Europe, to fend them over men, womeiv and children, to be employed in the culture of their plantations : But the fallacious promifes of the un- dertakers here, are fo pernicious to thofe whom. ' they engage, that they generally prove their utter deftrudion. By their manner of cajoling, thejr induce thofe ignorant creatures to believe, that* when they indent themfelves for four or five years^ to ferve in the Plantations, they are to have high wages, to be. paid annually in their mother.coun« try . i3ut when thefe deluded perfons come to make the experiment, they will find it quite the contrary* Be aiTured, you will meet with no fuch entertain* ment in any pait of America; for you muft fenre your indented time, agreeable to the laws of the country, without one farthing of allowance, but at the difcretion of your mafter ; and it is well if jt)tl are furni(hed with clothes fufHcient to cover yuut nakednefs. Befides, yott who indent yourfelves in this man« ner, labour under another dif^rdvantage ; for, in that country, they are of opinion (and a natural prefumption it is), that when men and women^ come to the age of maturity, wilfully and delibe* rately agree to tranfport themfelves as naves for any number of years, they muft have been guilty of fomc notorious crime ; thofe, therefore, who come ovb^ in this manner, are looked upon as in the black clafs of convi£ls, who, for fear of a profecution at • home, take this ftep to prevent a difcovcry of their vices. For fomie time, hoifeft people, who had ^iig^gcd to ferve in that country, fufiPered confider- l(bly on this account^ both in their charaflers md m N fortuiteiy^ 46 ^HE LIFE OF I I- fortunes, as thefe renegadoes were allowed to W evidences againft then), and to fwcar away their re* putations. But this has at laft been debarred bf %hc laws of the country, as, notie are aMowed this privilege, uiUefs they bring along with them a ccr,- tificate, iigned and atteftcd by perfotis of eharafter »nd repute, bearing, that they were defcended of honed parents, and that nothing criminal or diC honeft can be laid to their charge; this being ap* S roved of and recorded in the books of a Coiirt, of uilice, the perfoii*s oath is then xieemcd legal. From hence it appears, that numberlefe inconve- niencies and difadvantages attend Uie perfon^ who, though of an agc*eapable to difpofe of himfelf, by fooliihly lifteuing to the deceitful promifts of thefe recruiters for flaves, at once (takes his hap^'Inefs^ his liberty, and perhaps his life. You will perhaps be told,, that you are going to a country Rowing with milk and honey. Thefe, it is true, are to be ^ had in great plenty in America; but before you come to enjoy them, you will find that you muft ^ade through an ocean of labour and fatigue, and that out of the fwt;et cometh forth bitternefs^ Whereas, if you are poffefled but of three or four pounds to pay yottr paflage» and a,rex)f an ingenious difpofition, whether in mechanics, commerce, agri- cultures or maiiufa£lures, you^are certain not only of handfome bread, but, by moderate frugality an4 induflry, of making a genteel fortune in 9 fe^^ years* ^ ^^ort »iJt FETER WILLIAMiSON. 147 eing ap» Cojurt of galf inconvc- ihj who, ifelf, by of thcfc ap^'lnfifs, I perhaps l^jflowing are to be sforc you ^ou muH gue, and )itteTnefs. ;e or four ingenious r.ce, ?gri- Short A Short hiftory of the Procefs bctwe^ Peter 'Willi an:son and the Magiftraten of Aberdeen* IN the introrfuiSlioft to the former Difcourfe on Kidnapping, I furly ftatcdthe cafe betwixt the Miigiflrates of Aberdeen and me, without difguif- ing the truth iir any the moft minute particular. I theijpfore appeal to the unbiafled judgment of th,e Candid Reader, whether, after the unmerited maW treatment I fuffered from the arbitrary profceediag* of thefe magiftrates^ merely for relating a fimple^ but difagrecable fa^, I fay, I fubmit it, whether i was not entitled to fue for redrefs before a higher tribunal. The motives or principles upon which, they a£led, in the irregular profecution againll r)[je> -hi which they were both my Accufers anvhich our laws have eftabliihed between the authority of Magiilrates and the rights of the people. As the relative duties of fociety muft .be enforced by the Magiflrate, and compliance with Ithe law ejca£led from the Citizens, by means of his ' laurhority, all the power that is neceflUry for thefe [fafutury purpofes is Veiled in him ; and, in the due execution of it, he is not only entitled to the pro- te partly at Edinburgh, and partly at Aberdeen, »^ hich the Reader has feen a fpeci- men in the preceding pages. I fhall orilyobfervc here, that my perfonal prefence being nec^ffary on' tiiis occafion at the laft-mentioned place, I fet out: from Edinburgh for Aberdeen in Sfptember 1760, and though I had not the lead knowledge of, or conne£lion with any fingle evidence I might bring*, yet the trade of Kidnapping w^as fo flagrant in that country, and had left fuch an impreflion on the minds of the people, that I was under no difficultjf to bring a complete proof of the prad^ice, by a number of perfons who had fufFercd by it, being de-* prived of their childrea. And here I cannot forbear doing. juflicc to the conduct of the Gentleman whom I named as Com-* mifiloaer, to^ take the' depofitions of the witnefles on th? part of my Opponents. During the various i^ec^, of procedure in leading the Proof,, '^herein tc^twith all the obflru£ltions that the maKcc of N3 1% . •* find^the libel relevant and proven 5 and find the «(' defenders, conjunftly and feverally, liable to the *< Purfuer in damages, and modify the fame to the «< fum of I GO /. Sterling, and decern; and find the ^ Defejiders al0/con3un£^ly and feverally, liable « to iftie Purfuer in the expences of this procefs, <« and of the extract of the Decreet, as the fame " (ball be certified by the Colledor o^ the clerk's ♦* fees ; for which the Lords declare the Defenders ^^ to be perfonally liable, and that the fame (hall be <( no burden upon the town of Aberdeen; and or- •* dain an account of the faid expences to^^be given w in 5 iind ordain ^he account-book mentioned in ^* the State, and produced upon oath by Walter •< Cochrane and figned by the Lord Prefident, of *< this date, to remain in the hands of the clerk of « this procefs, till further order of the Court.** Againft this Interlocutor, the Magiflrates present- ed % reclaiming Petition, craving either to be af- foil;?icd from the Procefs ; or, at lead, that the da- mages awarded (hould be modified. To t{ii«, Feti-* tion is fubjoined the following curious letter^ ^^ |; «f # L came Lcaring rdihips to pro* ic pro- , ypTits tiereon> ind the ; to the • to the [ind the , Uaye procef5» le fame clerk's :fenders (hall be and or-p^ )e given )ned in Walter ent, of clerk of rt." prefent- o be af* the da. la. Pet}- t Etf * WIi; tl AM 5 aw. KfS C$py of a Letter from William Bavidion. aW Jameft . Jopp, laiLc Bailits of Aberdeen^ to Walter Sc0|t|^ if^riter to the Signet. > S I R, Aberdeen, February 4, I7(^4« -•; ' V WE are vci^yibrry to find by yours of 30th paft, that there is a f(^ntence pronounced againft us in Williamfon's procefs^ whereby we are decerned to pay to him a very large fum out of our private pockets. , -^ We think it neceffary to inform you, that our conduct and intentions, with regard to our fentence againft him, have been entirely mifunderftood. "Wc ' can with the greateft integrity declare, That, at the vtime- of pronouncing that fentence, neither of lis knew, direftly or indirectly, that Walter Cochran, the deputc-clerk, was any W4ys concerned in tranf* porting boys to America, or that there ever was in being the book he produced in the proof: That neither of us had ever any intereft or concern in' fuch trade : That we never knew, and did not be- lieve, that atiy men and boys were ever tranfported from Aberdeen to America contrary to law : That we confidered the paragraph in Williamfon's book, refpe6ting the merdjants of Aberdeen, to be a very calumnious and reproachful afperlimi on themy which they did not deferve : That Wiiiiamfon him- felf had the appearance of being an idle itroUer^ and could give no good account of himfelf, and had procured this pamphlet to be compofed for him, ot ftich (hocking circumft^nces, in order the morc$ eaiily to impafe upon, and draw money from thd credulous vulgar : And, upon the whole, Tha't we ba4 Ao motive of intereft| either pn our own ae* connt^^ I m^ THE LtTE OF 4^- count, or any perfon whatever, or any prejudice againft Wiiliamfon (having never before feen or heard of him), to induce us to pronounce the fea-- t^nce againft him :.That we did it purely, as what w^ judged material j^uflice to vindicate tn£ charaiC« tcr of thofe we believed to be innocent, and wera unJ4iflly fef|e£led uppn ; and that wl^^tever in the f<;nten4:e appears to iheir Lordihips to be .either op«- prcflive or illegal, proceeded entn«lr from error m judgmem^ and not from any (iniller defign : So that however far the fentence has been wrong, we ar^ r^dy moil freely to make any declaration that may be neceff^rj, that it proceeded front the mo(t innocent intention^ , Under thefe circumdances, you wjU eafily per- ceive how much wu were furprifed on readings yours, giving account of the fentence ag^nfl us i. and how hard a thing it is to be decerned to paya- fum of money, a^ a fine» for doing what we confi- ^red to. be our duty. * You will therefore lay this before the lawyers, I© order they may the better form a reclaiming pe- tition* We muft think our cafe very hard, if their tiprdihipa do not grant us ledrefs in this matter. We arc, ^c^ W. DAVIDSON^ \ JAMES JOPP. This letter, however, did not avail their caufe. lit was in V Jin to deny their being, in the knowledge thate fuch an illicit fpecies of traffic wa? carried of the, merchants in Aberdeen, when pivfo public a manner,^ that the mcaneft refid^iP^h the city obferved it ; when the fimo; ^^^x/»d/^ of ICiDNA?Pi^G overfpread the whole cpiintry, jTo that xhe poor people, whofe buHnefs ||4th^m frequently to town, were afraid to carry )m children along with Uiem. left they ihould .1'. # PETER WILLIAM'S ON. Hff \k picked up, and tranfported to the PlantationaV JH the end, they inHnuate that their feqtence againft ni^ proceeded from an error in judgment, and n6t from any finifter defign; and that they were drilling to make any declaration ncccflTary, to erincc the innocence of their intentiorts. But if a firntcnce calculated for the fup^rcfTion of truth, and to prei» Tent the detection of a commerce the moft ille- gal and nioil deftrutSlive of fociety, can be faid to proceed from no finjftf.r d*^" ;n, then every fen- ' tcnce that has d tender 'to sen the guilty. > i encourage thofe monfters who make a traffic of th6 perfpns and liberttes of their fellow-creatures, mrfk 0, be accounted innocent. The whole of the procc- dure of the .Magiflrates agr.lnfl me appears to have been dircfted to this fingle end. From this view, theyfr^ caufc-d the whole' impreffion of my book' to be feized, and thofe offenfive tell-truth leaves tot be burnt, that they mi^ht not revive the memoijt of thi$ vlllanous trade, and life in judgment againft their brother-merchants, ido^ In order to 'make the furer work of it, • they extorted from me li» declaration inferted, p. iia, um^er the terror of im-^ prifonment ; and caufed publifh the fame in the newfpapers,^ in order to (ligmatize my chara£lei'|^ arid brand me with tlic infamy of being an impoftor and a liar. And, lajily. They baniihed me tht city, left I fliould retraft my declaration, and have an opportunity to fpread the truth of my former aflertions. Their fchemes, however, had an effie^ the very reverfe of what they intended. Inltead qi fuppreffing the truth; their proceedings: have proved the means of bringing it to light, and iflfbu. firming it by indubitable evidence; and fof >0{)^ii^^ 2, fcene of the gyrofl'ell impiety, barteltityj^'^awl! wickednefs. * To the above reclaiming petition^ lAfwerg^ wete given in on my part ; and the LordS| after re-ccmb^* * ^ fiderin^ / m m-E lift ov It .-••J ii'fi (:■-■ I S-' ! J- %<■' ftdeiin^ riie merits of the caufe, were plcafcrf to! here to their former Interlocutor. Thus endecT^ii^ procefft of oppreflion, carrig^ on by V poor mati# agaihft the Magiilracy of one of the nioH; Opulent and mofl; refpe&aWe Doroughs in Scotland. It ts the peculiar happineis of thb land of HBerty to be bleflcd whh a Supreme Court, wherein jufticcr M dtfpenfed with an equal hand to the* poor andf rich ; wherein the caufe of the King and the Begr, gar is weighed in the balance of equity and law,^ an^^cidcd in favour of him whofe fcale prepon< Jefates. Happy is th^it nation whofe judges are*^ len of integtity, uninfluenced by power, onbiafTed by party, and untainted by corruption ! Sucji be< coiflc the Guardians of the liberties and properties* ^Qf the people, the prote£lors of the innocent, the ficourges of the guilty, the fupporters of the weakj^^' and^the terrors of the tyrant and oppreflbr. Such^ arc the.nsjembers of that honourable. tribunal to '^ilirhich I appealed my caufe, who redreflcd my griev- ances, and allowed me fuch compenfation for rhofe^ a£h of violence and oppreHton which I had faf^^ leted from my tyrr.nnical pTofecutors^ as they, iw their wifidom* thought juft and equitable. Nor 9U^ lorn it to pay a tribute of gratittuic to thofe' :v?prtky and learned Gentlemen who appeared i» to cauie at the bar, and who nobly exerted them- , fefves in opening up and difplaying that feene "ol" ©ppreiEon and lawlcfs perfecution wherewith I had- been |^«^^f^ll, jmd that without any profpe£t of fee or tew'ard. In particular, 1 muft acknowledge;, aiy otiigatjon^ to that learned Lawyer, whp waS' amgiieii me as Counfel by their LordihtpSr whei^^ irty-^TCamflances could" not afford the price of .*. confultation. He genero^ufly embarked w^ycauC^^^ anl|^ by^sforce of argumen** law, and^^o^ucoce,^ expQ^ii the injuft ice -done me, and ^e wi^ime&:^ * 4alj9f OppoaentVreafoaings, m;;iuk:h ^ UgKtj; ttiai^^^^*^^^^^^ t\ '..v.^ J . ■■^.^- tny ple:i became sis clear as noon-ddj^ and oKtioIMI to the menneft capacity. ^ ,.t I (hail trouble the Reader no further on thh {vhm je£l> my chief intent in puhli(king thia narratiw of my Procefs, being, to. warn Gejatlcmea lA power «nd (lation, not to abufe them by a lawlefs exerctfe of tlieir aifthority against the poor and innocent ; fot they m^y be afTured, tliat power will not £in42i« fy op^redion, nor will juftice be hood-winked by riches. On the other h^nd, the weak and friend- 'le(s need not defpair of obtaining redrefs^ thougjb groaning under the yoke of tyranny: Let them have but the refolution to appjy to the College^- Juftice 5 Providence will throw friends invthetfT way, their oppreflors (hall hide their- head^, and the cruelties they have committed be let^iated tjpon theqji. -SK* a^ age Jiiirt'i lU; lem- le r>T had of ^particular Defcrlption offhe?^ INDIAN TOMAHAWK^ -nPHE hatchet or axe, which the Indians calla Tdms* . r*- hawk, is iifed by them in many different empto/f«^ ments. This inftrument, in its preHint form, is faidto haine^ ' been the invention of the great William Penn» firft pro** prietor of Penfylvania. The tools ufod by the Iadiafif| when he came among them, were made of l^ne f whi(»H were of Iktie ufe in cutting wood. He pcocuffd'a 1^ maliawk, and a fcalping knife; and employ^ Bin^^peaa fmiths to make fuch after the Indian patten) fwb$el|^^ . was accordingly done. The Tomahawk was mad^ Sfkl^ a^phifterer's hammer, with a wbiftlc in the IJAii^, 1^ ' ' give an alarm in .cafe of danger : by this, and {ucb-^Iike inventions, the name of Penn became famous amottg ' thcflii. The Indians he found much addi^^^d to fmoikii^' tobacco; but for want of a better ' methpd^^'ilk^ iffaiefe*^'' ^ ^ugh leaves twilled up into a kiadof i^-^^-'i^'*''' 'iv ■« #»^ it*.' . j» r.-v, CTOPil grew qT &i|^ttB _ tbem, which pleafeddMal inr the ii^liiit | mAife^Tta (uch faritile W4r^ the pipei liotild' iMI # :4^ ratigh ii(age» but quickly broke'$ nvMclf f0m'kh' ^^^^ amonlg th«fii» ti» thfsy condudMI t, 4A&9«mv fiii«c ^pes fo eMf broke the]^ o£ iM» Ifryif <• ^ther P^nn, w they catt^hiim |KHi dbii|;ed to reftoTe th« Indian £pdods iha «d in exchange, for ^e pipes ; and.wa» ghid^ l^dy nsftktitioh. |o prefoit W cdnlcqueiiees.. ■^eiafied the Tomahawk to tie naikde to hol4 to« ^l^i^ of k) with a hole /drilled through the ^W>ke Irt: an inftrument of fuch benefidal c n ti re iy regained lina the confiiknce of the In* •ad wii^ sitiek more prized than the former, 'iii^-ik»Wi^^ at the end. It is now become ufeftiK '^^^mt^mjaxAiis^^ jLhos bufindt, in time of #i# iJn|i it with |hemy under thdr belts, andy wh^Hl i^pPi|li|Cl to their fide, after firing their guns, ^«pi;|^Mli iJieir eiseBBi«t^S«4th it, Ini^uting and R||tm'ficttSs$ very £ddom failing of killing with I^B pbWAr They are alfo very dex^ous in throw- ''M^^tM'-y)^ ftrike an ol^e^ at 50 yards diftance. f^ ijb' tmpikvf it in. cutting wood, and m barking ii^«lie#i^A "v^^en they make tiidr canoes. Oa Mte.nfn^ TomahawL tbey record the od!ur^ itw^tU^^ T^^liflft thetr warrbrs arc font to i^ht^ „ , i^ I#%i7 tl0dain on thf^Mdie of die hatcfc^ 1^ yum ^beir; mmiber b^^, T|ie^ woimdfd are sm^ ieiJilEiaro, witli tMr BAfalka^ oF jprifoners they taklr liie «iteilyi eacbrk a ^rlgerent manner. So -that " %wy lit en^ledt^'lbrm an eftim«te -of th« r.i|«^ O^^CH^i^, ;r^ Tobiabawk if idlC^i^ «ltliifJr:^iBi: the retiirw df tfie »i|iUi| W^ lasKlilkr^Mr. then:<7a dift^o^ed $ at i»l0r OoWKcrft^ ifsfiH any dMke^ w^ iill||^ fi«Ftl£iiifeb)fi tor 4000 ^00i»«fl^ (' .1- JP i.jR i<56f' '^^ ^r« * ^'l'!. ■C r ^J-. .m " ' ' .W- diided e tlie]^ icncct* (h the ncfidal be in* brmer^ uTeftiK E>f #«r g«nt, ff with throw- iftance. ttrkmg [»' .^^ . y tal^