MEMORANDUM. The 2d June, 1768. The Governor having received fresh Complaints from the Indians at Wyoming, that the Connecticut Tresspassers were still obstinately prosecuting their Settlement on the Lands there & at Cushictunk, thought proper this day to issue a third Proclamation, requiring those Intruders forthwith to remove from the said Lands. His Honour likewise, the better to enforce his Proclamation, by a special Commission, appointed James Burd & Thomas McKee, Esq Justices of the Peace, and gave them written Instructions to proceed to Wyoming, and, having convened the people, settled there publickly to read the Proclamation, and to use their utmost Endeavours, by Expostulations & Arguments, to prevail on them to relinquish their Scheme of settling the Lands there, and to depart peaceably without Delay; otherwise to cause some of the Principals to be apprehended and carried to the Goal at Lancaster. "By the Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor & Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, upon Dela ware. "A PROCLAMATION. "WHEREAS, divers Persons, the natural born Subjects of His Majesty, belonging to some of the Neighbouring Colonies have, without any Licence or Grant from the Honourable the Proprietaries of this Province, or Authority from this Government, made several Attempts, in Bodies, to possess themselves of & settle upon a large Tract of Land within the limits of this Province, not yet purchased from the Indians, lying at and between Wyoming, on the River Susquehanna, and Cushietunck, on the River Delaware, and in the upper parts of Northampton County; and have also endeavoured to persuade and inveigle many of the Inhabitants of this and the neighbouring Provinces to confederate and join with them in such their illegal and dangerous Designs, and to assist in settling & holding the said Lands by strong hand; And Whereas, the Delawares and other Tribes of Indians who reside within that Tract of Country between Wyoming & Cushietunck, and also the Six Nation Indians, have, as well at public Treaties as at divers' other Times, repeatedly made Complaints and Remonstrances to me against the said Practices and Attempts, & in the most earnest manner requested & insisted that the said Intruders should be removed by the Government to which they belonged, or by me, & declared if this was not done the Indians would come & remove them by Force, and do themselves Justice; but desired that the said Intruders might be previously acquainted there with, that they might not pretend Ignorance; And Whereas, notwithstanding I have already issued two Proclamations, viz, the first dated in February 1761, & the second dated the 16th day of Septem-1 ber following, to apprize the said Intruders of their danger, and to forbid their settling on the said Lands and strictly enjoining & requiring in His Majesty's Name, all those who had presumed to settle on any part thereof, immediately to depart & move away from the same; yet I have lately received Information and fresh Complaints from the said Indians that divers Persons, in contempt of such my several Proclamations, and the Threats of the Indians, do still persist in their said Design, and are now actually settling on divers parts of the said Lands about Wyoming and Cushietunck. "Wherefore, as well to continue my endeavours to preserve the Peace and Friendship which is now so happily restored and subsisting between us and the Indians, and to prevent the mischievous and terrible Consequences of their carrying into execution such their Threats, from which I am greatly apprehensive the Indians cannot any longer be restrained, if the said Intruders shall not immediately relinquish their Designs of settling the said Lands, as also again to warn any of the Inhabitants of this Province from being unwarily drawn in to join the said Intruders in such their unjust designs of making Settlements in the said Indian Country, I have judged it proper, before any Force shall be used against the said Intruders, by and with the advice of the Council, to issue this my Third Proclamation, hereby again strictly enjoining & requiring in His Majesty's Name all and every person and persons already settled and residing on the said Lands (Indians excepted) immediately to depart and move away from the same. And do hereby forbid all His Majesty's Subjects of this or any other Province or Colony, on any pretence whatsoever, to intrude upon, settle or possess any of the said Lands, or any other Lands within the Limits of this Province not yet purchased of the Indians, as they will answer the contrary at their Peril, and on pain of being immediately prosecuted with the utmost Rigour of the Law. And hereby also strictly charging, enjoining & requiring all Sheriffs, Magistrates, Peace Officers, and all other His Majesty's liege People within this Province, to exert themselves and use their utmost Endeavours to prosecute and bring to Justice & condign Punishment, all Offenders in the Premises. "Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the said Province, At Philadelphia, the second day of June, in the Year of our Lord, one thous, seven hundred & sixty-three, and in the third year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord George the 3rd, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France, & Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, & forth. "By his Honour's Command, "JAMES HAMILTON. JOSEPH SHIPPEN, Jun'" Secretary. '“ GOD SAVE THE KING.” Instructions from the Governor to James Burd, & Thomas McKee, Esq "By the Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, & Counties of Newcastle Kent, and Sussex, on Dela ware. "To James Burd & Thomas McKee, of the County of Lancaster, in the said Province, Esquires, Greeting. "Gentlemen: "I have lately received Intelligence with fresh Complaints from the Indians at Wyoming, that the Connecticut People still persist in prosecuting their Scheme of settling the Lands about Wyoming, and at & about Cushietunck; And with the advice of the Council, I have thought it proper to issue a third Proclamation on that occasion, & to desire that you will immediately take a Journey to Wyoming, with such assistance as you shall judge proper to take along with you, and use your best endeavours to pursuade or drive away all the White People that you shall find settled, or about to settle there, or on any Lands not yet purchased from the Indians. "Before you shew yourselves amongst them, you will gain all the Information and Light you can into their Designs, what their numbers are, & learn the names of as many as you can; where settled, or about to settle; What numbers (and from whence) they expect to join them "On your arrival amongst them, you will convene the heads of them, & after reading the Proclamation, expostulate with them. about the Injustice, Absurdity, and Danger of their attempting to settle there, and let them know that I expect and require of them by you, that they shall all immediately Depart and quit their Settlements, and if they shall agree to go away peaceably, You will then after their departure, see all their Buildings and Improvements destroyed; and in case they refuse to comply, You will then acquaint them that they may rest assured that besides the danger they may be in from the resentment of the Indians, this Government will never permit them to continue there; and that therefore it would be most advisable for them to return peaceably to their own Country, & desist entirely from their design of making any more Settlements there. "If you find these Expostulations and persuasive means shall not succeed, & that you can do it without danger of Resistance from a Superior Force, & the risque of Bloodshed (which by no means hazard) I would have you, either by Stratagem or Force, to get three or four of the ringleaders, or others of them, apprehended and carried to the Goal at Lancaster, sending with them a proper force & Mittimus under your hands & Seals, there to wait my further Orders. "And if that cannot be done, you will endeavour to get the names of as many of them as you can, in order that they may be prosecuted at Law, and further measures taken with them, as shall at your Return be judged most proper. For this end I have armed you with a special Commission, constituting you Magistrates of the Counties of Northampton, Berks, and Lancaster, but I immagine, the Lands where they are settling must be in Northampton County. "You will please to keep a Journal of your Proceedings, and on your return report the same to me in writing under your hands, with an Account of your Expences, that orders may be given for the discharge thereof. "Given under my hand & Seal-at-Arms, at Philadelphia, the second day of July, Anno Domini, 1763. “JAMES HAMILTON.” At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Monday the 20th June, 1763. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &c William Logan, Joseph Turner, Richard Peters, The Governor laid before the Board sundry Letters of Intelligence from the Frontiers, containing Accounts of Hostilities committed by the Western Indians, on His Majesty's Subjects within this Province, & of the Suspicious Behaviour of the Indians settled on the upper parts of the Susquehanna. The said Letters were severally read, & were from the following Persons, viz": One from Lieut. Sam' Hunter, to Col. Ja Burd, dated at Fort Augusta, 13th June. Ditto from Lieut. Caleb Graydon, to Ditto, dated D 15 June. Ditto from Mr. Geo. Croghan, to the Governor, Shippensburg, 11 June. Ditto from Mr. Joseph Shippen, Jun" Sec to D°" dated at Harris's Ferry, inclosing a list of the Indians now living on the North West Branch of ye Susquehanna. Ditto from Col James Burd, to the Governor, dated at Hunter's Fort, 17 June. Ditto from Col. Boquet, to Ditto, dated 19 June. Ditto from Capt. Ourry, Commands at Fort Bedford, to the Governor, dated 10 June, 1763. At a Council held at Philadelphia on Thursday the 23rd June, 1763. PRESENT: The Honourable JAMES HAMILTON, Esq" Lieut Governor, &ca. Benjamin Shoemaker, Benjamin Chew, EsqTM The Governor laid before the Council several Letters received by him last Night, from the Frontiers of this Province, giving him information of new Murders & Depredations lately committed by the Indians on divers of his Majesty's Subjects on the said Frontiers, and represented that the remainder of the Money granted to His Majesty by the last Supply Bill, subject to the disposition of the Governor and the Provincial Commissioners, was expended; the Council thereupon advised the Governor to summon the Assembly as soon as possible, and lay before them the Intelligence he has received, and the great danger the Province is in from the Indians, that they may provide for the Publick Security; And His Honour concurring in Opinion with the Council, ordered Writts to issue for summoning the Assembly to meet on the 4th day of July next. Tuesday, the 5th July, 1763. The Assembly having met yesterday, pursuant to the Governor's Summons, issued on the 23rd June, His Honour sent to the House by the Secretary, the following Message, with Letters therein referred to, from Sir Jeffery Amherst, dated the 12th & 25th June last, & sundry others, containing matters of Intelligence concerning the late Incursions & Depredations committed by the Indians on the Frontiers. A Message from the Governor to the Assembly. "Gentlemen : "Being sensible how very inconvenient your attendance in Assembly at this Season, must be to your private affairs, nothing less than the most urgent necessity, and an immediate want of your assistance for the publick Safety, could have induced me to call you together before the time to which you stood adjourned. "At a Time when, by the happy success of His Majesty's Arms, and the Wisdom of his Councils, a peace, equally glorious to his L |