BROTHER YEHowanne, The Cruel Murther Committed by the Enemy on the Inhabitants at Schenectady just before Your arrival affects us very much, and we are much oblig'd to you for your kind Approbation of our Readiness to pursue the enemy; we have done our Endeavours but they were gone a different way home from what we generally us'd to do, so that we coul'd not overtake them; We promise to be always ready on the like occasion. (Gave a Belt.) BROTHER YEHOWANNE, It's true we have the War hatchet from Govr Clinton in our hands; you desire us to be always ready to make use of it which we promise to do upon his Commands; we are fully determin'd and resolv'd as you have heard in our answer to Govr Clinton not to hearken to the French, nor go to Canada, that we may not be deluded and deceiv'd by them which we do assure you for the second time we shall persist in; We do acknowledge to be true, as you are pleas'd to say, that the French are deceitful and artful to delude us, for they have always drawn off part of our Nations to live among 'em in Canada; who it's likely lately murther'd Kingego one of our Brethren of the Mohawks and we faithfully promise and engage that none of our people shall on any Pretence or Invitation of the French go for the future to Canada, According to your request, we shall not suffer Jan Cœur or any French to come and reside among us, as you have heard we just now promis'd to our Governour; And we all the Six Nations pawn our Honour that we shall fulfill our Engagements made to our [Brother] Corlaer and You; and our Young Men shall stay at home, and not go out to fight any more against the Flat heads while they be friends to our Brethren the English. (Gave a Belt.) BROTHER YEHOWANNE, We are very thankful for Your good advice not to hearken to the French to be deluded by them from our Duty and 1 Or they. Ibid. Allegiance to His Majesty, for we are sensible if we do we shall be undone, and then they will be able to destroy us and divide our lands; wherefore we are fully determin'd to keep firmly to Our Engagements made to our Brethren the English, and not hearken to their Delusions; we faithfully promise not to regard nor take any notice of them, and we shall endeavour on our parts to keep this Engagement; and as you have more skill and knowledge we desire and hope you will give Your assistance and advice to keep all our people (Gave a Belt.) unanimous and of one Mind. BROTHER CORLAER WARAGHJAGO AND YEHOWANNE SIR, W. SHIRLEY.1 WILLIAM SHIRLEY TO THE MARQUIS LA Albany July 29th, 1748. I am to acknowledge the Honour of Your Letter which Sergt Hawke deliver'd me at his Return from Canada. Governour Clinton's and my sending the present Flag of Truce to you is occasion'd by the Complaints of the Indians of the Six Nations (who have been under his Majesty's protection ever since the first settlement of the English in North America, and consider'd as Vassalls of the Crown of Great Britain) that some of their Captives in Canada are kept in Irons, whereupon not knowing what number of French Prisoners Govr. Clinton might have collected in the Government of New York, to send in Exchange for 'em I brought wth me fourteen 1 The conference was followed by an Indian dance and a general drinking to the health of King George. Docts. rel. to Col. Hist. of N.Y. 6, 452. 2 P. R. O., C. O. 5, 886. See also Docts. rel. to Col. Hist. of N. Y. 6, 452, and i Penn. Arch. 2, 26. The French governor's reply of Aug. 25 was sent in part by Shirley to the Duke of Bedford and is in P. R. O., C. O. 5, 45, p. 132. Prisoners belonging to Old France, from my own Governmt to send for the Redemption of those Indians, and we now send 'em to Montreal by the way of Oswego. Mr Clinton informs me, Sir, he has so fully wrote to you upon the Right which the Indians of the Six Nations, who are expressly acknowledg'd in the Treaty of Utrecht to be under His Majesty's Protection, have to be treated as his Subjects in their Captivity, that I would not farther trouble you upon that point, but I begg leave to referr you to his letter, and perswade myself, Sir, from the humanity and politeness, which visibly appear in the letter with which you honoured me, that if those Indians were confin'd in Irons as has been Represented to us you have upon receiving that letter ordered 'em to be released from 'em and that I need add nothing here upon that head. As to insisting upon the Indians of the Six Nations coming in person to Canada to treat with his most Christian Majesty's Governour there for the Redemption of their Brethren, who are made Captives, as has been represented to Mr Clinton and me has been done; I can't but think, Sir, you will be of opinion that as those Indians are the King our Masters Vassalls, engag'd in his warr, it belongs to him to treat for their release and that it is contrary to the Custom of Nations for one Prince to require the Subjects and Vassalls of another Prince to come into his Territories to treat for the Redemption of their Brethren taken Prisoners in Warr, and that such an innovation is an Infraction of the Right that every Prince has over his own Subjects and Vassalls; and I hope, Sir, (for settling this point) that you will be pleased to manifest Your concurrence in Opinion with me by accepting the fourteen Prisoners now sent in Exchange for the Indian Prisoners of the Six Nations if Governour Clinton has not already sent a sufficient Number for that purpose from New York. I have mention'd to Mr Clinton what you observ'd upon the French prisoners belonging to Canada not being sent there in Consequence of my proposal to the Marquis De Beauharnois, in behalf of his Majesty's other Governors in the Neighbourhood of New England, and he assures me he has sent all he could hear of in his Government, except some that were sent to the French Colonies in the West Indies before he had received my letter. As to those which fall into the hands of our Indians he has us'd his Endeavours to procure 'em, and actually sent four to Canada by his Flag of Truce; and will send the others as soon as he has it in his power to obtain 'em, which he apprehends the Report of the usage of the Indian Prisoners in Canada has very much contributed to hinder him from having. A Report founded upon Advices from England prevails here that Preliminaries for a General Pacification are sign'd at Aix la Chapelle by the Kings our Masters and the States General, and that in consequence thereof a Cessation of Arms has been published at London and Paris at the Head Quarters of both Armies in Flanders: This tho' not confirmed by Instructions from his Majesty, which Mr Clinton and I are in daily Expectation of receiving, seems so well grounded that in order to put an End to the Bloodshed and Ravages of Warr, as soon as possible, which we think it a Duty incumbent upon us to do; we have determin'd to withhold our English and Indian parties from committing Hostilities against the French, untill the return of our Flag of Truce, with Your answer; and we flatter ourselves, Sir, that you will be of the same sentiments with Regard to the French and Indians under Your Government. I have inquired into the reality of the base Attempt reported to you to have been formed by some English of the Government of New York, to induce the Indians in the French interest treacherously to murder the Garrison at Crown point, but don't find any just grounds for the Report, and can't but hope from the unprecedentedness of so wild a Scheme among the English, that the Representation made of such an one to you, is either an absolute mistake or Falshood. I have wrote to the several Neighbouring English Governours, desiring them to signifie their consent to the Proposals made by me on their behalf, and agreed between Yourself and me on the part of the Province under my Government and Canada, for a mutual Discharge of Prisoners on both sides, and to send me their Quotas of Expence incurr'd by You on account of Your Flag of Truce sent by sea to Boston, with English Prisoners belonging to the several American Governments, and some to England; but have only receiv'd answers in general, that they will ratify those Proposals and pay their Quotas of the charge already arisen, but no farther yet from 'em as I have no doubt but I shall soon, and be able to adjust the ballance with you. In this case, Sir, you will be pleased to make a just Allowance for the Difference between several English Governours who have Assemblies to consult in all money Matters and other Material points of Government, and Yourself who have the sole determination and Execution of these matters, so far as relates to the Country under Your Command, which necessarily retards the proceedings of the former; However I may say in the mean time that I believe the charges incurr'd by my own Government on account of the Flag of Truce I sent you by sea to Quebeck, with prisoners belonging to Canada, exceed what is due from it for its Quota of the whole Expence rising on the part of the English. It gives me a sensible pleasure to find that the civilities which I shew'd the Sieur Rambault were agreeable to you. I must ask Your Excuse for anything which I may have omitted to answer of Your letter which I have not at present before me, but through my Hurry in leaving Boston to come to this place, casually left behind me; and hope you will permitt me to assure you that I am with perfect consideration, Sir, &c. P.S. I have no Canadeans Prisoners in my Government now, and I hope if you have any belonging to the Province of the Massachusetts Bay at Canada, that you will send 'em by the Messengers which shall deliver this to you. (Copy signed) Το W. SHIRLEY. The Marquis La Gallissonière, Governour General of all New France, and the Louisiana &c, at Quebec. |