At a Conference held by The Honourable
Brigadier General Moncton with the Western Nation of Indians, at the Camp
before Pittsburgh, 12th day of August, 1760.
Present:
The Honourable Brigadier General
MONCKTON, Commander of His Majesty's Forces in The Southern District of North
America.
Colonel Sir JOHN ST. CLAIR, Deputy
Quarter Master General.
Colonel JAMES BURD, Commanding the
Pensa Regiment.
Captain RICHARD MATHER, of the Royal
American Regiment.
Captain HARRY GORDON, Chief Engineer
at Fort Pitt.
Captain BARNSLEY & Captain
CAMPBELL, with a number of Officers of all the Corps, &c.
GEORGE CROGHAN, Esq., Deputy Agent for
Indian Affairs.
Captain THOMAS MAGHEE & Mr. THOMAS
HUTCHINS, Assistants to the Deputy Agents.
Captain ANDREW MONTOUR, Interpreter.
INDIANS.
Six Nations.
Chiefs: TOUISGOURAWA, CONNOODGUYATT,
OSSEREDUNGAS, OROADEDECHA
72 Warriors, 48 Women, 38 Children.
Twightwees.
Chief: MECHENNOCK
11 Warriors, 6 Women, 14 Children.
Delewars.
Chiefs: THE BEAVER, DELAWARE GEORGE,
NETTWELLHUSS, TEEDYUSCUNG
202 Warriors, 168 Women, 191 Children.
Ottowas.
Chief: MISSIANGO
9 Warriors, 4 Women, 16 Children.
Shawanesse.
Chiefs: BUCKSHINUTHA, KETHECOMEY
26 Warriors, 18 Women, 26 Children.
Wyandotts.
Chiefs: SONNEQUEHANA, SONENDESHA
42 Warriors, 22 Women, 10 Children.
Pottowatimies.
Chief: WEAPONAHAN
5 Warriors.
The General Open'd The Conference with
The Following Speech:
Brethren, Kings, Captains &
Warriors of The many Nations, Take Notice of what I am going to say to you in
the Name of the Chief Commander of all His Majesty's Forces on This Continent.
Brethren, I let you know that our
Great King has sent me into this Country to lead and Command all His Warriors,
and He has given me a Sword to Protect & Defend His Subjects, & to Act
against his Enemies.
As I have nothing more at Heart than
the Good & Welfare of The whole Community, I do assure all The Indian
Nations, that His Majesty has not sent me to deprive any of you of your Lands
and Property; on the Contrary, so long as you adhere to His Interest, and by
your Behaviour give proofs of the Sincerity of your Attachment to His Royal
Person & Cause, I will defend & Maintain you in your Just Rights, and
give you all the Aid & Assistance you may Stand in need of to repress the
Dangers you may be liable to through your Attachments to Us.
This I firmly mean to adhere to as
long as you behave like Good & Faithful Allies. But on the other Hand, if
any of you should Commit any Act of Hostility, or do any Injury to any of His
Majesty's Subjects, you are Sensible I must resent it, and retaliate upon them,
and you know that I have the might so to do, Ten-fold for every Breach of Treaty
or Outrage you could be guilty of; and if any of His Majesty's Subjects under
my Command should Kill or Injure any of Our Indian Brethren, they shall upon
due proof Thereof, receive equal Punishment. As a proof of the Truth and
Sincerity of what I have said, I give you this Belt.
Brethren, Kings, Captains &
Warriors, I mean not to Take any of your Lands but as the necessity of His
Majesty's Service Obliges me to Take Post, & Build Forts in some parts of
your Country, to protect our Trade with you, and prevent the Enemy from taking
possession of your Lands, and Hurting both you & Us; & you are Sensible
that if we don't Build Forts the French will. In that case I assure you that no
part whatever of your Lands Joining the said Forts shall be taken from you, nor
any of Our people be permitted to Hunt or Settle upon them, But they shall
remain your Absolute property, and I will even promise you some present as a
Consideration for the Lands where such Trade
& Trading Houses are, or may be Built upon; and as it is expensive &
inconvenient for us to Carry Provisions for our Warriors from our Settlements
to these Forts, & also to Supply Our Brethren, the Indians, when they come
to see us, if you will lay out a Space of Ground adjoining every Fort to raise
Corn, In that Case fix yourselves the Limits of that part of your Lands so
Appropriated to Us, and you will receive such a Consideration for it as will be
agreed between you and us, to your Satisfaction. As a proof of the Truth and
Sincerity of what I have said, I give you this Belt.
Brethren, Kings, Captains &
Warriors of the many Indian Nations, Those who will Join His Majesty's Arms,
and be Aiding & Assisting in Subduing the Common Enemy, shall be well
rewarded, and those that may not choose to Act in Conjunction with the Forces
shall be Equally protected, provided they do not Join in any Act of Hostility
with the Enemy, or Carry them Intelligence which might prove prejudicial to the
Publick Good.
Upon these Terms you shall find me
your Fast Friend, But on a Breach of them you would Force me to Treat you as
Our Enemies, the Consequence of which would be Fatal to you & very
disagreeable to the King, my Master; I say this out of the Tender regard I have
for the Lives and Welfare of Our Brethren, the Indians, and I choose you should
know what you have to Trust to, since I intend to be as good as my Word.
Given under my hand & Seal of Arms
at Head Quarters at Fort George, in the City of New York, this 22d day of
April, 1760.
(Signed,) JEFF. AMHERST, [L. S.]
(Countersign'd.) By His Excellency's
Command, J. APPY.
The General having done Speaking, the
Chief of the Six Nation Indians got up and Spoke as follows:
Nephews, The Delawares, and Brethren
of all Other Nations, Listen to what I am going to say to you, You have heard
what our Brethren, the English, have said to you, and you all know that We, the
Six Nations, and Our Brethren, the English, have but One Head & One Heart,
& whatever hurts Them Hurts Us, we feel the Pain equal
with Them, we desire that you may Harbour
nothing that is Evil in your minds, nor listen to any bad reports that may be
spread thro' the instigation of the Evil Spirit, but Act as we do, who are
Determined to Live & Dye with our Brethren, the English; let all Nations
take Notice what I say to them in Behalf of the Six Nations, with this String I
Bury all that is past, and take away all Evil Thoughts from your remembrance.
Gave a String of Wampum.
And then the Chief Warrior of the Six
Nations Spoke as follows:
Brethren, You have heard what has been
said to you by Our Brethren, the English, and Our Chiefs, we desire you may
Lodge it in your Hearts, and not Open your Ears to any Evil Reports for the
Future, but Act as our Brethren, the English, have desired you, which will
prevent any disputes Arising amongst Us, for we Assure you by this String, we
will support the English in every Thing they Undertake. Gave a String.
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