Brethren Since I called upon you and you agreed to go to Canada, in order to anoy the enemy in those Parts we have received the disagreeable News of the loss of Oswego, and as Major General Webb is marched to the Oneida carrying Place with a considerable body of his Majestys Troops in order to take the proper measures in the present circumstance of affairs and has some Indians with him, I would have you go thither and make that your place of Rendezvous, and join your Bretheren now there is scouting and such other duty as the General shall think necessary for the good of His Majestys service Bretheren I would myself have gone with you to the carrying place but my présent indisposition [Sir William was then confined in bed, with a fever and bloody Flux] will not permit me to do it I shall therefore send your Brother Mr Croghan with you, who is well known to you all and acquainted with your customs and manners, he will take care of you, and see that you want for nothing that is needful Bretheren If any of your young men are inclined to go out scalping they may go from thence, I shall leave that matter to their own discretion and choice To which the chiefs of the aforesaid parties answered as follows Brother Warraghiyagey We have heard what you have now said to us, and much approve of your desiring us to join Major Gen" Webb at the carrying place, and making that pass our rendezvous, as we know not as yet what further steps the French may take on their conquest of Oswego, and we are also pleased to see, you have called the militia here in order to secure this post, we are also much obliged to you for leaving it in our own option to go out a scalping or not from thence as some of our young men are detirmined not to return to their castles till they have fulfilled their intentions on that head Brother As those of us who belong to these two parties are detirmined to accompany our Brother Croghan to the carrying place, and on our arrival there to assist our Bretheren in such duties as may be requested of us and you may assure yourself that we are all detirmined to live and die with our Bretheren the English In the afternoon Sir William being confined to his Bed, and unable to appear himself made the following speech to all the Sachems and warriors of the several Nations who were here assembled by Mr Croghan. After repeating what he had said to the two parties in the morning he proceeded thus 31-VOL. VI. Bretheren I doubt not but you will approve what I said to your Bretheren this morning and have now repeated to you, and I expect that you will also join those parties and attend our Brother Mr Croghan to the carrying place, and there give all the assistance in your Power to forward his Majestys service, and aid our common cause Gave a string of Wampum Canaghquayeson answered in behalf of all present Brother Warraghiyagey We have heard what you have now said with attention. Your desire is very reasonable and what we expected from you and we will comply with it, but brother as you are unwell, and some of our People have discovered Tracks on the other side of the River, which they judge to be a party of the enemy, we don't think it prudent to leave you untill we have sent out scouts which we intend to do immediately and therefore we can not set off till the day after tomorrow when we will be ready to attend our Brother Croghan to the Carrying Place and our Sachems will also attend to see that our young men behave themselves properly and do the duty which is expected from them Hereupon they returned a String of Wampum GERMAN FLATTS 27 Aug At a Meeting of the Sachems and Warriors of several Nations Sir William spoke to them as follows Bretheren The present situation of affairs makes it necessary for me to call a meeting of some of the cheifs of each Nation, I do therefore by this Belt desire that you will send to each Nation notice that I shall expect so many of their heads down at my house as will be sufficient and fully empowered to determine upon business with me and this as speedy as possible. Bretheren What I have to say relates more immediately to the security & welfare of the 6 Nations then to any other concern. I do not invite many of your people at this meeting, because at this juncture I think it would be dangerous for you to leave your habitations defenceless as you may be assured however fair the French may speak to you they are meditating your Ruin in the first place Gave a Belt of Wampum which was taken by a Cayouga Sachem who engaged to transmit it thro' the other Nations GERMAN FLATTS 28th Aug. 1756 Several Sachems and Warriors of the Oneida Nation having desired a conference with Sir William, Canaghquayeson cheif speaker spoke as follows Brother Warraghiyagey I have desired this meeting upon our receiving certain News of the loss of Oswego. We have often told you to be strong at that place, and to be careful of keeping it but it is now gone the French have been too cunning for you & burnt it to ashes Brother You are now sending us all to the Carrying place-what good can we do there, at most we can only pluck off a hair from the enemy-We exhort you now Brother to look towards Lake George, and keep the Forts there which may preserve us alive until to morrow Brother Gave a Belt of Wampum We are at a loss to know how and from whence the French get Provisions enough for such numbers of Troops & how they get these Troops from Europe to Quebec You have often told us the River was shut up and the French could not get to Quebec Brother The English often tell us things which we dont find true; Pray take care and hinder the French from getting men and Provisions up the River St Lawrence Brother We are in want of Food, and beg you will give us two oxen and some ammunition for our young men Bretheren EOD: DIE. P. M. Sir Williams Answer to the foregoing speech. Two days ago I spoke to two parties of Warriors of the 6 Nations who were going out a fighting, and told them that the present situation of affairs made it necessary for me to desire they would go to the Oneida Carrying Place and join their Bretheren who were already there and assist his Majestys Troops in the scouting service, that I would not urge them to go out a scalping but leave it to their own choice & inclination with this they promised to comply and were well pleased. The same day in the afternoon I acquainted these Sachems & other Warriors here present with what I had said in the morning-They likewise approved of this measure, and all promised to accompany M' Croghan Bretheren-I am surprized you should so soon have changed your minds, and now object against this scheme, such unsteadiness is not becoming wise men and is somewhat unaccountable. I am suspicious the French may soon pay a visit the carrying Place, and as it is now our Barrier to all this country, it is necessary to keep out good and sufficient Scouts to give us notice of the enemys approach that they may not surprise us-This is a duty you are better acquainted with and more qualified for than your Bretheren the English. I expect therefore that you go thither according as was agreed on two days ago As to Lake George we have a good Fort there and a great number of Men, and if the French come there they may find a warmer reception, than those did at Oswego. Gave a Belt. Bretheren As to preventing the French from bringing men and Provisions up the River St Lawrence tis not in our power wholly to do it, the sea is too large to be entirely covered by our Ships-We have taken many of their ships this year who were attempting to go up that River you will find in the end the English do not tell you falsehoods but truth. The Oxen & Ammunition you shall have and I hope you will make a better use of the latter than you have hitherto done GERMAN FLATTS Sunday 29 Aug A M Sir William Johnson having this morning told Canaghquayeson cheif Sachem of Oneida that he was displeased with the conduct of his Nation in general and dissatisfied with him in particular and that from many late circumstances he suspected they were acting a treacherous and deceitful part-Canaghquayeson having reported the conversation to all his Nation present they came in a Body to Sir William, and desired he would explain to them the causes of his uneasiness and what reason he had for suspecting their fidelity and attachment to the English Interest He thereupon told them that at the meeting he proposed speedily to have at his house he intended to lay all these matters before the 5 Nations, and to speak his mind very plainly to them but as the Oneidas now applied to him he would tell them in general that notwithstanding their many solemn assurances given him of their resolutions to stand by their Bretheren the English and assist His Matys arms and measures against the French their actions had by no means supported their professions. That at this juncture when a small cloud hung over the English by the loss of Oswego their nation as well as the upper Nations appeared perfectly indifferent about it, no ways anxious or alert in bringing us intelligence nay the Onondagas even hindered our Messengers from going to Oswego, and tho' they the Oneidas had promised to accompany Mr Croghan to the carrying Place in order to assist his Matys Service in scouting and such other duties, as Indians were best capable of doing;. they had put off going thither with trifling excuses and in all respects manifested a Backwardness and indifference to the Interests & welfare of their Bretheren the English, which gave just grounds for jealousy and Resentment; and a great deal more to this purpose which, Sir William added. When he had concluded Canaghquayeson told him to make him self easy till they had consulted together, and given him their answer which they would speedily do Sunday afternoon The Oneidas left three of their Sachems to Sir William with their answer to what he had said to them this morning who spoke as follows Brother Warraghiyagey cern What you said to us this morning has given to us the utmost conwe have made an enquiry and suspect some of our own people have been prejudicing you with stories against us and informed you of the behaviour you hinted with regard to the Onondagas We beg you wont entertain hard thoughts of us we assure you we have not the least intentions to withdraw our hands from the Covenant Chain or quitt the interests of our Bretheren the English, as to the behavior of the Onondagas we are noways concerned in it, nor are we guilty of any treacherous conduct with respect to the late loss of Oswego GERMAN FLATTS, 30 Aug 1756 P. M. The information of Nickas a cheif Warrior of Oneida who came to Sir William Johnson in company with another Indian of the same Nation Peter Wraxall Secry Jacobus Clement Interpr That Saquahondonde an Oneida Indian who has for some years past lived among the French at Swegachie told Nickas that he was employed by Coll Mercer at Oswego as a Scout, and that he gave the Colonel notice that a very considerable body of French were encampt between Oswego and Cadaraghqui; and advised him to be on his guard, and send down for more troops as the French would otherwise be too strong for him-That Coll Mercer said he did not beleive it and took no notice of the said intelligence— That some time after this the said Indian was sent out again on a scout, when he discovered the French about a mile from Oswego, and returned with the account to Coll Mercer, who said Well, let them come I shall be glad to see them and that the next day Oswego was attacked. That Saquahundonde further told him that when he saw the attack upon Oswego begun, he was making the best of his way off, but was taken Prisoner and carried to the French General who said. Child you shant die; I want you to carry a Message for me thro' the Castle of the 5 Nations upon which he gave him a large Belt of Black Wampum, desiring him to tell his children of the 6 Nations not to come with the English Battoes further than the North end of the Oneida Lake, but if Rum should prevail on them to go further, by |