JAMES TILGHMAN AND ANDREW ALLEN TO LORD DUNMORE.

No. 5.

Williamsburg, May 27, 1774.

MY LORD: Since your Lordship is determined, as you are pleased to say, at all events, not to relinquish your jurisdiction over Fort Pitt, a period is put to our treaty; and we can only, with your Lordship, lament the continuance of those reciprocal inconveniences of clashing and disputed jurisdictions, which we are conscious of having done every thing that could be reasonably expected of us to prevent. And we have only to add our thanks for the polite attention your Lordship has been pleased to show us, and the despatch you have given to our business. We intend to leave town to-morrow, but before our departure, we shall do ourselves the honour to wait on your Lordship, for your commands to the northward, where we shall be ready to render your Lordship any service in our power.

We have the honour to be, with great regard, your Lordship's most obedient and most humble servants,

JAMES TILGHMAN,
ANDREW ALLEN.

His Excellency the Earl of Dunmore.

Memorandum, Tuesday, June 28, 1774.

The Committee appointed to draw up the Letters, agreed on yesterday, laid their draughts before the Governour, which being approved by him, were fairly transcribed, and ordered to be despatched without delay. The said Letters follow in these words, viz:

Philadelphia, June 28, 1774.

SIR: By the repeated accounts which I am daily receiving from Pittsburgh, and other parts of our western frontier, there seems little room to doubt but the mutual hostilities which have unhappily taken place between some of the inhabitants of Virginia, and the Western Indians, particularly the Shawanese, will end in a general war, unless some prudent measures are speedily taken to prevent it.

The occasion of this unfortunate breach, as well as the particulars of the murders which have been committed on both sides, have no doubt been communicated to you by the deputy agent for Indian affairs at Pittsburgh. It will, therefore, be only necessary for me to inform you in general, that a great part of the settlers in our back country have fled from their habitations, and that the panic is daily increasing to such a degree that there is just reason to apprehend a total desertion of that country.

I have been induced, from a representation of the distresses of these people, to issue writs to call our Assembly, to meet at Philadelphia, on the 18th of next month, to enable me to afford them the necessary relief.

As it is of the utmost consequence that this affair should be properly represented to the Six Nations, and that they should, if possible, be induced to become mediators between us and the. Shawanese and the Delawares, I must request you will take such measures as you shall think most proper to satisfy them that any injuries which the Shawanese may have received, and may consider as a provocation for the hostilities committed on their part, were by no means done by the orders or consent of this Government, but that on the contrary, we have been ever sincerely disposed to preserve peace and friendship with them, and are now very willing, notwithstanding what has happened, to listen to terms of accommodation, and to renew our friendship, and forget every thing that is past. Your interposition and influence in this matter may very possibly have the most salutary effects.

If a rupture can be prevented it appears to me it must be through the Six Nations; however, I submit the matter entirely to your consideration. And am, sir, with great regard, your most obedient and humble servant,

JOHN PENN,

Sir William Johnson, Baronet.

GOVERNOUR PENN TO LORD DUNMORE.

Philadelphia, June 28, 1774.

MY LORD: I am very unhappy to find myself under the necessity of writing to your Lordship on so disagreeable a subject as an Indian war, which is now like to become general, unless the Governments of Virginia and Pennsylvania, by some prudent and timely interposition, may happily prevent the further progress of hostilities, which have unhappily taken place. I have taken the best measures in my power to keep the settlements from breaking up, and have called the Assembly upon the occasion, in order that every proper step may be taken, either to compose the differences between his Majesty's subjects and the Indians, or to defend the frontiers, if pacific measures should fail.

I have so many complaints of the behaviour of Doctor Conolly, that I am obliged to wish your Lordship to make some inquiry into his conduct, which, if my information be true, is extremely oppressive and tyrannical, with respect to our people; and what is still worse, there is great reason to fear his military operations may have a dangerous tendency to involve the Colonies in general In an Indian war. He seizes upon the property of the people, without reserve, and treats the persons of our Magistrates with the utmost insolence and disrespect, and with menaces not only of imprisoning them, but even of pulling down their houses, and it is said, he has sent out, or is to send out, parties against the Indians, with orders to destroy all they meet with, whether friend or foe. These matters may be exaggerated, but I cannot doubt but that Mr. Conolly has afforded some grounds for these complaints; and although your Lordship has been pleased to claim the jurisdiction of Pittsburgh, and the country thereabouts, I would fain hope that you would not encourage Mr. Conolly in such exorbitances and outrages as are laid to his charge.

I have the honour to be your Lordship's most obedient humble servant,

JOHN PENN.

To the Right Honourable the Earl of Dunmore, Governour and Commander-in-chief of his Majesty's Province of Virginia.

GOVERNOUR PENN TO ARTHUR ST. CLAIR.

Philadelphia, June 28, 1774.

SIR: The accounts which you have transmitted of the temper of the Indians, and the murders they have already perpetrated, are truly alarming, and give every reason to apprehend that we shall not long be exempt from the calamities of a savage war. The desertion of that country in consequence of the panic which has seized the inhabitants, on this occasion, must be attended with the most mischievous effects, and prove ruinous to the immediate sufferers, and distressing to the Province in general. Every measure, therefore, should be attempted to stop the progress of this evil, and to induce those who have already gone off, to return to their habitations; and, I must rely on you to exert all your prudence and activity for this purpose. The steps which have been already taken appear to me very proper, and I have no doubt, but that you will continue your endeavours to restore the drooping spirits of the people, and inspire them with a resolution to stand their ground, at least till they are satisfied of the intentions of the Indians towards this Province. You may assure them that Government sensibly feels the distresses of their situation—that it will be attentive to their interests, and afford them every assistance and protection in its power to give. With this disposition, I have issued writs for convening the Assembly, on the 18th of next month; and shall immediately on their meeting, lay this matter before them, and have reason to expect that such measures will be adopted as may effectually enable the Government to extend to them a relief, adequate to its Wishes, and their wants. In the mean time I shall give orders for such further supply of ammunition to be sent up as will be sufficient for the present occasion.

I have wrote to Sir William Johnson, informing him of the intelligence we had received of these, transactions, and requesting his interposition with the Six Nations, to use their influence with the Shawanese and Delawares, to prevent further hostilities on their part, and to assure them of the sincere intentions of this Government to continue their pacific disposition towards all our Indian brethren. I have also wrote to Lord Dunmore, complaining of Conolly's outrageous and tyrannical behaviour at Pittsburgh, and representing the dangerous tendency his military operations