"Brothers: When the French came here, they made us quarrel with our good old friends, and by so doing, they have hurt both you and us; your brothers, the English, are a great people. Their eyes are now opened, and while the sun shines, and the rivers run, they will never suffer a Frenchman to sit here. "Brothers: I return you this belt; what you have now said, must be told to General Forbes, if you have a mind to send this belt to him, I will send one along with you.' The Six Nations said: "Brothers: Listen and be attentive to what I say; I am sorry that you have returned the belt which I gave you; but if you will give me one keg of rum, I shall feel perfectly well again." HUGH MERCER. [No. XIV.] MINUTES OF CONFERENCES HELD AT FORT PITT, IN JULY, 1759, By GEORGE CROGHAN, Esq., Deputy Agent to the Hon. Sir William "Johnson, Bart., his Majesty's Agent and Superintendant for Indian Affairs in the Northern District of North America, with the Chiefs and Warriors of the Six Nations, Delawares, Shawanese, and the Wyandotts, who represent eight nations, Ottawas, Chepawas, Putewatimes, Twightwees, Cuscuskees, Kecapos, Shockeys, and Musquakes. At a meeting held at Pittsburg, on the 4th of July, 1759: Present-GEORGE CROGHAN, Esq., Deputy Agent to the Hon. Sir William Johnson, Baronet. Col. HUGH MERCER, Commandant at Pittsburg. A number of Officers of the Garrison, Capt. WILLIAM TRENT and Capt. THO's. MCKEE, Assistants to G. Croghan, Esq. Capt. HENRY MONTOUR, Interpreter. The Beaver, the Delaware King, arrived here from over the lakes with a number of the principal counsellors and warriors of the Delaware nation. On their arrival they saluted the Fort with a discharge of their small arms, which was returned by a discharge of the cannon from the Fort. They then came, and after being seated, the Beaver said he only came over the river to shake hands with us, that he was not prepared to speak on any business, and desired we would not, as the Wyandotts and the other Indians who came with him, were over the river. After drinking a glass of wine round, we parted. At a conference held at Pittsburg, on the 5th of July, 1759, present, [the same persons as before,] and the Indians: And a great number of other Captains. Captain Croghan opened the conferences with the following ceremonies, addressing himself to the Indians present of every Nation: "Brethren: It gives me pleasure to see you, the representatives of so many different Nations, at this Council-fire. I bid you heartily welcome. "Brethren: With this string I wipe the dust and sweat off your bodies, pick the briars out of your feet, and clear your eyes that you may see your brothers faces and look cheerful." Gave a string. "Brethren: With this string I clear your hearts and minds, that you may speak perfectly free and open to us." Gave a string. "Brethren: With this string I wipe the blood from off the council seats, that your clothes may not be stained, nor your minds disturbed." Gave a string. As soon as we had done, they performed the same ceremonies on their part. The Beaver then got up and desired to know when they might expect the peace to be confirmed, as the deputies from the several nations had fixed a time for their return. Col. Mercer and Capt. Croghan appointed a private meeting next morning to fix on the time. [On July 6th, same persons present.] When they (the Indians) were seated, Colonel Mercer and Captain Croghan proposed to them their going to Philadelphia, in order to ratify and confirm the peace; they refused, saying they would not go to Philadelphia while the English and French were at war in their country; that they would go and see their brethren when their women and children could sleep in peace. They then proposed to the Indians their waiting the arrival of the General, but they refused, saying a delay might be attended with bad consequences at this time, and then insisted on the peace being confirmed. That as soon as it was proclaimed through the nations, the warriors of the several nations, whose deputies are now here, would abandon the French. On which a time was fixed to hold a conference with them for that purpose. July 7th-The deputies from the several nations waited on Captain Croghan and desired to know the prices of goods and skins, which he acquainted them with. They complained of the prices of stroud and skins, saying strouds were dearer than what they formerly gave for them, and that the price of shins and furs was less than what the traders gave for them, and desired they would write to the Governor to have the prices settled. This morning the Indians called Captain Croghan to a private conference. PITTSBURG, 8th July, 1759. Present-GEORGE CROGHAN, Esq., Deputy Agent to Sir William Johnson, Baronet. Capt. HENRY MONTOUR, Interpreter. Indians-The deputies from the several nations as before. When we were seated, these deputies produced fourteen belts, and two large bunches of strings of wampum, which they said were the wampums of the nine following nations: Wyandotts, Otto was, Chepawas, Putawatimes, Twightwees, Cuscuskees, Kekapos, Shockeys, and Musquakes, empowering the Wyandott's deputies to act in behalf of their nations, and to confirm the peace between them and the English, as was agreed upon in a council held over the lakes by the Beaver King with their nations; and a broad belt by which these nations have cleared the road to sun-rising, that they may travel in peace to see their brethren, the English, as formerly. They then replied, we have now showed you the powers by which we act in favor of the several nations just mentioned to you, and we desire to hear what you have to say to us to-morrow, as we are impatient to return home. And a meeting was appointed in the morning for that purpose. At a conference held at Pittsburg, July 9th, 1759. Present-GEORGE CROGHAN, Esq., Deputy Agent to Sir William Johnson, Baronet. Col. H. MERCER, Commandant at Pittsburg. Capt. HENRY MONTOUR, Interpreter. Six Nations. Tagouuseday," Gynusuday, Grandendawe, The Beaver, King of Del. Diuatea, And sixteen warriors. Kickeusking, Johnny, Tononqua, Killbuck,Gooshamaqua,Terondea, Deputies rep Windshale, cers. resenting their own and eight other nations, with twentytwo warriors. As soon as the Indians had taken their seats, Capt. Croghan made the following speech: "Brethren: The Wyandotts, deputies of the nine western nations of Indians, give attention to what I am going to say to you. We are this day met in council to renew and brighten the ancient chain of friendship between us and you, in behalf of the nine western nations of Indians you represent. With this string of wampum, I scatter the dark clouds that hang over our heads, open your ears that you may hear, and your eyes that you may see the sun that shines over us. And I desire that what I shall say to you this day, you will publish it immediately through all the nations." Gave a string. "Brethren: The complaints which your people three years ago made to the Governor of Pennsylvania, about their lands, was settled last fall at the treaty of Easton, and a line settled by your people and the Six nations to their satisfaction, all of which you were made acquainted with last fall by the deputies of the Six Nations sent with your deputies from that treaty for that purpose. And you may depend on it that your brethren, the English, will never violate any of their engagements to you, or to any of your brethren of any other nation, but hold fast to the chain of friendship; and we make no doubts that you, on your side will take the same care. To confirm what I have said, I give you this belt." Gave a belt. "Brethren: As soon as all disputes between us were ended last fall, at the treaty of Easton, the peace was confirmed in the presence of the Six Nations, and we, in conjunction with the Six Nations, immediately dispatched messengers to assure you of the truth thereof; and the peace belt was sent to our brethren, the Delawares, that they might send it through all the nations living towards the sun-setting in friendship with them, that they might know what was done and take fast hold of it. Last fall, when the French destroyed their fortification here and ran away, a number of your brethren, the English, under the command of Brigadier General Forbes, took post at this place. At that time I went to see our brothers, the Delawares, at the mouth of the Beaver creek, and gave them an invitation to come and confer with the General. When we came here we found the General's bad state of health had obliged him to set off, but that he had left Colonel Buoquet, who was second in command, to receive them and treat with them in his name. At that conference they promised to perform all the engagements their people had entered into with us at the treaty of Easton, acquainted all nations in amity with them to go to Philadelphia this spring to ratify and confirm the peace; but as your own business of the season of the year did not permit you, the General has sent me to transact the public business with you and all other nations towards the sun-setting in his name till his arrival. Our brothers, the Delawares, have performed their engagements by taking a long journey over the lakes to make known to the westward nations what passed at the treaty of Easton. And I assure you, I am heartily glad to see the deputies of so many western nations at this place, met in council, and as you have already informed me that your affairs will not permit your waiting the arrival of the General, I have, with the consent and approbation of Col. Mercer, the commanding officer here, agreed to hold this conference, and you may be sure that the business transacted with you at this conference, the King's General, and all the Governors of this continent, will ratify and confirm in the first general meeting you have with them. "Brethren: As the design of this meeting was to assure each other, that we would keep fast hold of the chain of friendship and perform our mutual engagements, made to each other at Easton; we, on our part, will punctually perform ours; and in order to our enjoying the blessings we expect from that peace, it is necessary, and we do insist upon it, that you also perform those made on your part, by restoring to us our flesh and blood, that remains among you; as we can never taste true satisfaction till that is done. We don't think it practicable for you to deliver up at once, or in our place, all our people who yet remain prisoners amongst you; but we place the greatest confidence in the sincerity of your intentions of performing all your engagements made to us at that treaty, and that you will lose no time in performing this article of it. In confidence of which, I give you this belt of wampum."-Gave a belt. Brethren: You have often requested your brethren, the English, to carry on a trade with you in your country, as formerly. The enemy who were in possession of your country at that time, obliged us to bring out an armed force to drive them away; but before we got there, the French burnt their fort, ran away up the river, where they yet stay and carry on the war against us. You are sensible, brethren, that while the enemy is in possession of your country, we cannot trade safely with you, as we did formerly. The general is on his way here, to build a trading house to secure the goods brought by the English traders for your use, from the insults of the French, which will be performing all our engagements to you. You must be convinced of the sincerity of our intentions, as you have already a number of traders here, and more on their way the better to supply you with such necessaries as you may want; and I assure you, as soon as the enemy is drove out of your country, which I expect you will be assisting in, that the general will depart from your country, after securing our trade with you, and our brethren to the westward. In confirmation of what I have said, I give you this belt."-Gave a belt. "Brethren Chiefs and warriors of the Delawares, as you are our near neighbors, and are now going to return to your several towns, I |