the Northern Indians in their War Expeditions against the Southern, will not be liable to the Insults which have been heretofore offered to their Persons; For these Reasons we earnestly request your Honour would communicate these our Sentiments to his Excellency General Gage, and Sir William Johnson, and use your utmost endeavours to prevail on them to finish, if in their Power, with all convenient Dispatch, a measure so essential to the removal of the present discontent of the Natives, and future Tranquility of these Colonies.

66

Signed by Order of the House.

"January 13th, 1768."

"JOSEPH GALLOWAY, Speaker.

January.

Two Members of Assembly presented to the Governor for his Concurrence, a Bill entituled "An Act to remove Persons now Settled, and to prevent others from Settling, on any Lands in this Province not purchased of the Indians."

At a Council held at Philadelphia, on Tuesday 19th January, 1768.

PRESENT:

The Honourable JOHN PENN, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor, &ca

The Governor laid before the Board a Letter he lately received from Sir William Johnson, dated the 2d Instant, which was read, & is as follows, Viz":

"Sir:

A Letter to the Governor from Sr. William Johnson.

JOHNSON HALL, January 2d, 1768.

"By last Post I had the favour of your Letter of the 15th Ult., Chiefly regarding the alarming State of Indian affairs, occasioned by the intrusions and other Hostile Acts of Persons on the Frontiers, which has had such an effect upon the Minds of the Indians, as gives me the Strongest Reason to apprehend a general Rupture, unless there is something done for their Relief. Your intentions, therefore, to endeavour to procure some Salutary Law for that pur

pose, give me much Satisfaction, as all other Methods have, it seems, hitherto proved ineffectual, which has rendered all my Assurances to the Indians of little weight, and greatly weakened any confidence they reposed on the British Faith, by giving them Suspicions that we had neither Authority to procure, or inclination to afford them Relief. I, therefore, heartily wish that the Legislature of your Province may, from a just Sense of the importance of the Affair, take such measures as will at once convince the Indians of our Justice, and pacific Sentiments for them; and you may be assured, Sir, of my doing every thing, in the Interim, for convineing them of your good intentions, and for reconciling them to the necessary delay you mention.

"There are doubtless amongst the scatter'd Tribes living in the back parts of that Country, several Idle Indians, who may, from Motives of private Interest, be persuaded to give some encouragement the Settlers; but these are private acts of Persons who would presume to avow them to the Confederacy, whose sole Right it is, and whose Resentment may have a most fatal Tendency, if to their natural Jealousy of us, is joined their Suspicion that we suffer or countenance such settlements, with a design to Hemm them in and deprive them of their Liberties; An opinion into which they are very easily led, and until it is thoroughly removed, our Frontiers and Trade must, at the best, be on a very precarious footing.

"The Boundary Line would no doubt have been of great Service at this time, but I have heard nothing farther on that head from his Majesty's Ministers. If our People would confine themselves within the limits of such a Line, I know that, for a good Consideration to the Indians, I could obtain a valuable Cession of Territory, and the Indians have been told that it is intended.

"I am sorry to find that the Indians who attended the Surveyors in running the Division Line, would not consent to proceed farther than you mention. Their stopping where they did, I, in some measure, attribute to their apprehensions of farther Insults in Travel-t ling to and from the Cherokee Country, of which they have often complained, as well as to the present uneasiness Subsisting among them, for the Causes aforementioned, &c. I hope that a more favourable time may be found for compleating the whole, to which the good usage they received from the Commissioners will greatly

contribute.

"Mr. Crawford informs me that he found the Travelling at this Season so very expensive, as obliged him to lay out the 40 Dollars ordered for the widow of Jacob, which, I was sorry to hear, because such expressions of kindness would give them a favourable impression, and facilitate that or any other business hereafter. I therefore think it very necessary at this time to advance that Sum as intended, which I shall take the Liberty to add to another small Accompt against the Province, which, (altho' of a long standing,) I make no doubt you will order the payment of; I am, with the

greatest Truth & Respect, Sir, your most Obedient and very Hum

ble Servant.

"W. JOHNSON."

The Assembly's Message of the 13th instant, with a Draft of an Answer thereto, and the Bill for removing the Settlers on the Indian lands with a proposed amendment, were laid before the Board, but referred to a future consideration, on Account of a Melancholy piece of intelligence just brought to Town, of the murder of Several Indians on the Susquehanna, which required the immediate attention of the Board.

"Mr. William Blyth of Penn's Township, in Cumberland County, being just arrived in Town, in Order to give information to His Honour the Governor, of the Murder of Ten Indians, lately committed by Frederick Stump at Middle Creek, in that County, appeared at the Board, and being examined on Oath, related what is contained in the following Deposition taken in Council, before the Chief Justice, who was expressly desired to attend for that Purpose, viz1 :

"The Deposition of William Blyth of Penn's Township, in the County of Cumberland, Farmer, being sworn on the Holy Evange lists of Almighty God, saith:

"That hearing of the Murder of some Indians, by one Frederick Stump, a German, he went to the House of George Gabriel, where he understood Stump was, to enquire into the Truth of the matter; that be there met with Stump and several others, on the 12th of the present Month, January, and was there informed by the said Stump Himself, that on the Sunday Evening before, being the 10th day of the Month, Six Indians, to Wit: the White Mingo, an Indian man named Cornelius, one other Man named John Campbell, one other Man named Jones, and two Women, came to his (Stump's) House, and being in Drink and Disorderly, he endeavoured to persuade them to leave his House, which they were not inclined to do, and he being apprehensive that they intended to do him some Mischief, killed them all, and afterwards, in order to conceal them, dragged them down to a Creek near his House, made a hole in the Ice, and threw them in; And that the said Frederick Stump further informed this Deponent that, fearing news of his killing the Indians might be carried to the other Indians, he went the next Day to two Cabbins about fourteen miles from thence, up Middle Creek, where he found One Woman, two Girls and one Child, which he killed, in order to prevent their carrying intelligence of the Death of the other Indians, killed as aforesaid, and afterwards put them into the Cabbing and burnt them; That this Deponent afterwards sent four Men up the Creek, to where the Cabbins were, to know the Truth of the matter, who, upon their Return, informed him that they had

found the Cabbins burnt, and discovered some remains of the Limbs of some Indians who had been burnt in them, and further saith not. "WILLIAM BLYTH. "Sworn at Philadelphia, the 19th day of January, 1768, before

me,

M. "WILL ALLEN.

The Council thereupon immediately took this most important matter into their serious consideration, and were of opinion that Warrants should be immediately issued by the Chief Justice, directed to the Sheriffs, under Sheriffs, and other Officers of the Province, and particularly to those of the Counties of Cumberland, Lancaster, and Berks, for the apprehending of the abovementioned Frederick Stump, and bringing him before one of His Majesty's Justices of Oyer and Terminer, to be dealt with according to Law. The Board also advised the Governor to issue a Proclamation, offering a Reward of Two hundred Pounds for apprehending the said Offender, and bringing him to Justice, but to delay the Publication of the same for a short time, till other more secret means should be used for taking him, lest News of such a Proclamation should reach his ears, and he might be thereby so alarmed as to abscond, or make his Escape, before any Sheriff could arrive at Penn's Creek, where it is believed he continues to remain with his family. They therefore advised the Governor to write immediately to the Magistrates of Cumberland County, strictly requiring them to exert themselves on this Occasion, by giving their best assistance to the Sheriff and other Officers, and taking all other Measures in their Power for apprehending and securing the said Frederick Stump, and also to dispatch Letters of the same kind to the Magistrates of Lancaster and Berks Counties, instructing them to send their Sheriffs, with sufficient aid, to the utmost Limits of those Counties on the Susquehanna, so as to be nearly opposite to Middle Creek, that they may be in readiness to apprehend the said Stump, in case he should cross the River, and retire to either of those Counties.

The Board further advised the Governor to write to General Gage and Sir William Johnson, acquainting them with this unhappy accident, and the Steps he is taking on this occasion, and to request Sir William will be pleased to communicate the same as soon as possible, to the Six Nations, in the best and most favourable manner in his Power, so as to prevent their taking immediate Resentment for this unavoidable Injury committed on their People, and to assure them of the firm and sincere purposes of this Government to give them full satisfaction at all times for all wrongs done to the Indians, and to preserve the Faith and Friendship subsisting between us and them inviolable. Accordingly, the Chief Justices Warrants and the several Letters to the Magistrates of

Cumberland, Lancaster, and Berks Counties, were prepared, without delay, and despatched by Express, and are as follow, viz:

"Pennsylvania, ss:

"WHEREAS, Proof hath been made before me, William Allen, Esquire, Chief Justice of the Province of Pennsylvania, that a certain Frederick Stump, of Penn's Township, in Cumberland County, hath most Maliciously and barbarously killed and Murdered four Indian Men, three Indian Women, and three Indian Children, being in the Peace of God, and of our Lord the King. These are, therefore, in His Majesty's Name, to Will and require You and every of You, forthwith to make diligent search for the said Frederick Stump, and him, the said Frederick Stump, to apprehend, and take and bring him before me, or any other of his Majesty's Justices of Oyer and Terminer for the Province of Pennsylvania, to answer for the said Murders, and to be dealt with according to Law; And I do hereby require all his Majesty's liege Subjects, Inhabitants of this Province, to be aiding and assisting, to the utmost of their Power, towards the apprehending the said Frederick Stump.

"In Witness whereof I have hereunto Set the Seal of the Supream Court of the Province of Pennsylvania, this Nineteenth day of January, Anno Domini, 1768.

"WILL ALLEN.

"To the High Sheriff, under Sheriff, Constables, Bailiffs, and all other Officers of the said Province of Pennsylvania, & particularly to those of the Several Counties of Cumberland, Lancaster, York, and Berks."

A Letter from the Governor to the Magistrates of the County of Cumberland.

"Gentlemen:

"PHILADELPHIA, 19th January, 1768.

"Having received certain Information. that on Sunday the 10th Instant, Frederick Stump, a German, of Penns Township, in Cumberland County, did, without Provocation, murder in the most cruel and inhuman manner, in his own House near the mouth of Middle Creek, four Indian Men and two Indian Women, and that the next Day he proceeded fourteen miles up that Creek, and there put to Death and burnt in their Cabbins an Indian Woman, two Girls and a Child. I do hereby Strictly charge and require you immediately to exert yourselves in the most active manner, on this occasion, by giving your Assistance to the Sheriff and other Officers of Justice, in executing the Chief Justice's Warrant, and taking all other measures in your Power, for the immediate apprehending the said Frederick Stump, and that you also give your best Assistance to the