THE SAME TO GW. BANYAR, ESQ SIR Johnson hall June 28 1771 I have received your letter communicating your Directions from the Council concerning the Indian who has applied to his Excellency the Governor for protection, which I wish it was in my power to answer to the full Satisfaction of the Board, but it is impossible at present to know any thing with certainty. Some time ago, this Indian came to my House, and produced a Pass from the Lt Governor of Pensilvania. On my asking him some Questions He told me that he was then lately returned from the Ohio, where he had been Visiting his Friends ye Shawnese & others, who advised him not to return to this Province, but that he had resolved to return to Albany as it was the place with which he was best acquainted, and that he would endeavour to procure a livelyhood by becomeing a Battoe Man, but tho he endeavoured to be considered as a Shawanese I found he could give little or no Acct of that country, or ye People, and verry soon after he was seized, I sent down ye Country. The bill of Sale and other Papers you mention are Circumstances that appear strongly against him, and he cannot prove his assertion from any knowledge of the Language, or other particulars concerning his Tribe in the Shawanese Nation, It is certainly a constant practice amongst the Western nations to sell their Captives of the Panie Nation, as well as some others their next neighbours under that Denomination, and Canada &ca depends a good deal on their labour, but there is no Instance of their selling any others, neither would they offer to do so, unless some person too young to give an Account of Himself should be found amongst the Panies, whether he falls under that Predicament, or indeed of what Nation he actually is no certainty can be obtained at this distance of time, unless by Enquiry amongst those who sold him, which would take up a good deal of time, & perhaps prove to little purpose; But as I understand that the Person who claims him, is more desirous to remove him out of his neighbourhood, than to make any advantage of him, I should think that if he was sold within these Colonies, or Suffered to pursue the Inclinations he has expressed, paying his Master out of his Labours, what may be Judged reasonable, It would Savour more of Humanity than to send him as a Slave to the West Indias, whilst any doubts remain concerning his People or Origin. I am Sir, Your most Obedient W. JOHNSON. Golds Borrow Banyar Esqr My Compliments to the Cheif Justice & let him know that I have sent his letter by a Safe Hand to Mr Lyne. SIR WM. JOHNSON TO LORD HILLSBOROUGH. Johnson Hall August 9th 1771. MY LORD, I was lately honored with your Lordships Letter (N° 16) which I delayed answering for some days, that I might at the Same time acqt yr Lordship with the Issue of a Congress I was then about to hold with the Six Nations, which was occasioned by Informations received by my Deputy at Fort Pitt from a Shawanese Indian & others, The Substance of which was that the Six Nations, were concerned in Exciting the Shawanese, Delawares, & many others to make war upon us, & altho this had been formerly propagated without any just grounds or foundation, I judged it best policy to Call the Chiefs to a Congress thereon, in order to shew, that such designs by whatsoever nation carried on, could not be totally concealed from us, which might prove a Check on the nation that first excited it, and render them Suspicious of each other. The Chiefs only were Summoned, but many more attending to the number of 350. I opened the Conference the 14th ulto which held for several days;—I began by acquainting them with the obligation they were under to give me the earliest Information that was in any wise Interesting, & that I was Surprized to hear from another quarter of some dangerous Transactions wch might prove the ruin of those concerned, adding that I expected to have the certain particulars from them.-On their appearing ignorant of what I hinted at I gave them to understand that I had received an accot of their being engaged in promoting a rupture with the Inds the event of wch must have proved very fatal to themselves,―They gave me many assurances to the contrary and requested to know their accusers, On which I related to them wt I thought sufficient to convince any that might have been privy thereto, that no designs of any Ill tendancy, could long remain a secret to the English, This produced many speeches on both sides, The last of which being the most material, I herewith inclose as I did not judge them of sufficient importance to give your Lordship the trouble of perusing the Whole-After this I told them that I should not think their answer Satisfactory, until the belts mentioned in their speech were delivered up, Which they promised to see strictly performed, & after renewing the Covt Chain, the Congress ended. On this Congress I have only to observe that altho there is some cause to doubt of the friendship of the Senecas on the Ohio, & at Chenussio, for reasons formerly given, Yet I had not neither have I any reason to suspect the rest of the Senecas, or any other of the Confederate Nations Besides I know it to have been before the practise of those Nations more remote from us, & who are apprehensive of the Six nations, to propagate Stories much to the disadvantage of the Latter with a View to Exasperate us against them, and thereby draw them into their associations, and I am confident that if an opportunity offered I could give a demonstrating proof of their fidelity from the part they would take in our quarrells If required so to do. I have always been intirely of your Lordships Opinion with regard to the advantages we may Expect from the jealousies subsisting between one Nation & another, and I have more than once, observed the like to your Lordship, I have been also allways averse to entering into any of their private Concerns. It would therefore give me great pain could I have the least reason to accuse myself of deviateing from your Lordships sentiments, and my own so repeatedly Expressed, and I am persuaded it can be sufficiently made to appear that no part of my proceedings If they have been Justly Expressed in my pacquets, could have a tendency so contrary to the Political practise I have allways adopted,—Indeed it is extremely necessary & gives the Indians a favorable Idea of our justice & friendship to appear concerned at their private divisions & Differences & desirous to see them composed, but I never interfere in any where his Majestys Interests, & the public tranquility is not materially concerned which was peculiarly the case in the affair of the Deputies sent to Scioto, where the chiefs of the most powerfull nations on the continent were assembled for purposes that were too Interesting to be overlooked, so that it appeared highly necessary to me that they shod know we were not ignorant of their designs, & that they shod be reprimanded for their past conduct, & cautioned agt any future undertakings, & the means by which this was ordered to be effected, as well as the agents made use of were in my Judgement, the best calculated for that purpose as well as for keeping up that Jealousy which contributes so much to our security. Those Depys are shortly expected home when I shall transmit the result of their Embassy, and I flatter myself that my long experience in these matters, & zeal to acquit myself as a usefull servt to the Crown will continue to me your Lordships favorable opinion of my Capacity, for the office I have the honor to hold, as after a series of successful services, nothing cod be a more sensible mortification to me than the thought of having incurred your Lordships Censure. Could my authority extend to the redress of Grievances in any thing material we shod have much less apprehensions from the Indians, but as my Authority cannot be so far extended Your Lordship may rely on my doing every thing in my power for the Interests of the Crown & the public within the Limits prescribed to mee, and that faithfully according to the best of my Judgment. The Rt honble The Earl of Hillsborough. THE SAME TO THE SAME. Johnson hall Septr. 24th. 1771. MY LORD, I am hopefull that the Motives which induce me to give you this trouble, will apologize for the Liberty I now taken in Introducing the Inclosed memorial & its worthy author to your Lordships knowledge. The Revd Mr. Chas. Inglis one of the Established Clergy of the City of N York, a Gentleman of much real piety and distinguished Abilities having lamented to me the State in which the Inds. in general are, and observed that there appeared not only a Religious, but a political necessity for the adopting some good System under the sanction of the Crown for the more effectual Christianizing them, I then & afterwards communicated my thoughts on the subject, in consequence of which he has drawn up the Mem1. herewith transmitted, but with a View that it should be introduced in my name, flattering himself that it might intitle it to a more favorable reception,--This I could by no means allow of, for altho the Modesty and disinterested Zeal of Mr Inglis, did not Lead him to seek for any reputation to himself, tho' he eagerly wished for yr Lordships Patronage of the proposal, I thought it necessary that you should know the real author as well as his ingenious performance; which coincides with the sentiments & wishes of many persons of Consequence in this Country and from its object has a peculiar title to my recommendation, Independant of its particular merit which I humbly conceive must render it worthy the attention of Government. Under these hopes I shall only add that as I understand the Revd. Dr. Cooper Presidt. of N York Colledge will have the honor to present this to your Lordship, I should be wanting in Friendship, if I omitted mine in addition to many other Testimonials of his worthy character & distinguished Genius which renders him an object of General Esteem in this province. As the accts I have just received will occasion me to make a short Tour amst the Indians and to write on publick business within a little time, I have omitted Numbering this Letter from the peculiarity of its subjects for which I must again beg your Lordships Indulgence, at the same time assuring you that if I had not thought it worthy the attention of the Crown I should not have yielded to any other motives by giving your Lordship this Trouble. I have the honor to be &c. The Rt honble the Earl of Hillsborough. MY LORD LORD HILLSBOROUGH TO LORD WM. CAMPBELL. Whitehall January 11th. 1772. I have received your Lordships Letter of the 18th of October 1771, & have laid it before the King, & have only to add, that it will be very agreeable to me if your Lordships choice of Mr. Cunningham to be Commissary for Indian Affairs in Nova Scotia shall be confirmed by Sir William Johnson, within whose Department it lyes to appoint to that office. I was lately honored with your Lordships Letter No. 17. in answer to mine N°. 16. since which I took the Liberty of addressing you by a few lines on a more private Subject; From that time I waited with much Impatience for the return of Thos King the Ind" Chief, who with others went as Depys to the great Congress at Scioto, as I mentioned in my last Letter, but in October to my great Concern I received the disagreable news that Thos King died at Charles-Town S. Carolina after having discharged the Embassy committed to him This I considered as I still do, as a sensible disappointment because the fidelity of that Chief, Joyned to his Superior Capacity gave me good hopes of receiving a Circumstantial Accot of all Matters at his return, which I could not Expect so perfect from the rest of his party;-After waiting Some Months More, I found that his party who had taken shipping at Chas Town were Landed at Philadelphia, and in Feby the Greatest part of them with many others came to my House, here I found that Anawaske, the Next in Authority to Thos King had died on shipboard and that another was so Afflicted with a lameness that he could not as yet make me a Visit. I was therefore obliged to Content myself with such Accot. as the Young Men who survived could give, who after laying before me a Considerable Number of Pipes, belts &ca began to repeat the proceedings of Thos King, first with the Shawanese at Fort Pitt on his way to Scioto, where these people assured him that the Wawiaghtonos, wd shortly send Depys to the 6 Nats & myself to sollicit a Continuance of Friendship. They next recounted that upon Thos Kings arrival at Scioto he assembled all the Nations, and first addressed the Shawanese whom he upbraided for retiring so far down the Ohio, & for Confederating with people unmindfull of their Engagements, and in short repeated to each of the Nations faithfully all that he had been charged with by the 6 Nats. & myself.-The Shawanese answered That the 6 Nations had long seemed to neglect them, & to disregard the Promise they formerly made of giving them the Lands between the Ohio & the Lakes: That thus distressed they went on board of their Canoes determined to go whither soever fortune shod drive them, but were Stopped (many Years since) at Scioto by the 6. Nations who shook them by the heads & fixed them there charging them to live in peace with the English, but that to their great surprise they soon after saw the 6. Nations In Arms & Coasting along the Lakes with the English, [i e assisting us & acting offensively last war,] That when the War ended the ill treatment of the 6 Nations increased, to whom thereupon they sent Belts, to Strengthen their Union but that they supposed Agastarax the Seneca Chief who recd them did not make them public, for that they never reed any Answer thereto; The Shawanese & the rest then shewed some Emblematical belts representing themselves & the Ilinois Indians with 10 Confederate Nations between them, they also delivered a belt from the Chickesaws who promised to be guided by the 6 Nations. Thos King then after accusing them of Misrepresentation Ansd them by a full detail of all their hostile Acts, as also of those of the Powtewatamis, Kickapows &ca Concluding with telling them that He & the other Depys were come to restore them to their senses & strengthen the Union of those who affected the English Alliance by opening a Road to the Council Fire at Onondaga, & from thence to my House for the use of those who chose to live at peace & be happy, but that the first Nation that shod obstruct the same or look another way wd assuredly be punished by the rest. To this they made reply on sev1 belts &ca excusing themselves on various pretences, ending with strong assurances of their pacific intentions & promising faithfully to abide by all that was recommended to them & forth with to bring all their Confederate into the same Sentiments. The Cherokees particularly Thanked the 6 Nats. & myself, for the peace they had obtained in 1768. whereby they began once more to enjoy themselves, And the Chief of the Creeks who met them at Gohi, Expressed much satisfaction at seeing the Deps promised to make use of the Road they had opened & to adhere stedfastly to his engagements. After this & many other matters, The Catawbas escorted the Deps to Charles Town, where Thos King died, & the rest proceeded as before mentioned. This, My Lord is a brief Summary of the report made to me by Nickaroondase the principal Survivor, the 2 Chiefs being dead, & one of the principal Men yet behind from which & some farther Conversations I have held with the Depys who returned It appears to me that the Shawanese who to my knowledge Grasped at the Lands on both sides of the Ohio, tho' at the late conference they only mention the North side repenting of the Sale of the Lands on the South of that River had sent belts to the Senecas to Stir up the 6 Nations to disavow their own act, propogating at the same time reports which might tend to alieniate us from the latter; That Agaustarax & his Tribe approved of this, but that the rest of the Confederacy would not give ear to it, is evident from the Speech made to the Depys at Scioto, that thereupon Agastarax Sent belts to the other Nations to set them up, which gave rise to the Story of the Seneca Plot & the belts sent by Agastarax a little before his death. These belts I am assured will be speedily delivered those who promised to see the same performed only waiting the return of the Deps. from the southward, I have also recd Notice that another Gen'. meeting is appointed to be held at Sciato, which the Inds in that Quarter declare to be intended to Communicate the Sentiments of the 6 Nats. to those who were not present at the last Conference, & to take measures in consequence of their engagements, however I have already taken care that those who go from the Northwd in consequence of their Summons are more to be depended on, & I shall have a strict eye over their proceedings. I ought to remark that as amst other fallacious pretences the Shawnese have spoke of the Sale to the Crown extending to Ohio, that it is not of that part which for the sev1 reasons I formerly gave I ventured to Continue from Kanhawa to the Cherokee River, but their pretended objection is to the part above Kanhawa, to which I was directed to purchase by his Majestys Orders & indeed no other part could Affect them; but even this is a Weak pretence, for the North side of the River which they still occupy is more than they have any Title to, having been often moved from place to place by the Six Nations, and never having any right of Soil there, so that the admitting of any part of their Title as Just, wd introduce a variety of other Claims as weakly founded which wd create a Gen1 confusion in the Colonies. I considered the Defection of the Kickapous & Pote watamis under the Gen1 denomination of their Confederacy of whose fidelity I have but a slender opinion; Their Murders & Robberies are |