Delawares eight days, in their towns, and guarded safe to this place. He also brought a speech from the Delawares, from which we have great reason to believe they are not inclined for war. We also believe that they will endeavour to preserve the lives of the traders that are now amongst the Shawanese. He also brought from the Shawanese Chief (called the Hardman) an answer to a speech sent to them by Mr. Croghan upon this occasion, in which he signifies that the Shawanese are all warriors, and will not listen to us until they have satisfaction of us for what injuries they have received from the Virginians, &c.

White Eyes informs us that a Mingo man called Logan, (whose family had been murdered in the number,) had raised a party to cut down the Shawanese Town traders at the Canoe Bottom, on Hockhocking Creek, where they were pressing their peltry; but we have heard since that the Shawanese have taken them under their care until matters are further settled, but God knows what fate they have met with; we hope they are still alive, and if it be so they have a chance to come in, if the outrageous behaviour of the Virginians do not prevent them. The sixth of this month we had an account from Muddy Creek, (empties into the river Monongahela, near Cheat river,) that the Indians had killed and scalped one white man, his wife, and three children, and that three more of the same man's children were missing, and has since been confirmed. We suppose this to be Logan's party, and that they will do more mischief before they return. About the 20th of May, one Campbell, lately from Lancaster, was killed and scalped near Newcomer's Town, and one Proctor, at Wheeling, by a party of Shawanese and Mingoes.

The Virginians in this part of the country seem determined to make war with the Indians at any rate. The one half of this country is ruined to all intents and purposes, which, a few months ago, was in a flourishing way. Conolly has embodied upwards of one hundred men, and will have this fort in good order in a short time. He is gathering in all the provisions he can possibly get from the country, which, he says, will be paid for by the Government of Virginia. The militia here, by Conolly's orders, shoot down the cattle, sheep and hogs, belonging to the inhabitants, as they please; they also press horses, and take by force any part of our property they think proper, and tell us that they have authority so to do; therefore you may Judge of our situation at present. Before I returned from Virginia, about the 5th day of May, Mr. Conolly sent an armed guard of men to my house, who attempted to take away a quantity of blankets and bags by force. Mr. William Butler, who lived at my house at that time, had a great dispute in defence of my property, and put them out with great difficulty, on which they complained to Conolly, who immediately despatched a party of twelve men to the house in order to put their villainous scheme in execution, on which my wife locked her doors. Conolly came at the same time, and began to abuse Mr. Butler and my wife. He also threatened to send Mr. Butler to Virginia in irons, and to take every farthing's worth of his property from him; damned my wife, telling her the same, and that he would let her know that he commanded here, &c., &c.

On the 27th day of May, Mr. Mackay and I rode out about seven miles from town, and on our return was met on the road by a man from Mrs. Mackay, who came to tell us that Conolly had sent a party of men to pull down Mr. Mackay's house. When we came home we found a guard of six armed men pulling down two outhouses in Mr. Mackay's back yard. He ordered them to desist, saying that he would defend his property at the risk of his life; upon which the men agreed to wait until we would talk to Mr. Conolly about the matter. We walked toward the fort with that intention, but was met by one Aston, (a Captain of Conolly's,) at the head of about thirty armed men, followed by Conolly. Aston approached, and in a blasphemous manner accosted Mr. Mackay, ordering the Virginia Sheriff to seize him; upon which the Sheriff, Aston, and several others, seized him in a valiant manner; Aston, presenting a rifle at Mr. Mackay, threatened to shoot him down, which some of the bystanders prevented. Conolly came up at the same time in a great rage, telling Mr. Mackay that he would send him to Virginia in irons. We endeavoured to expostulate with him, but all to no purpose, but told him that he would tear down his dwelling house, if he thought proper. He also accused Mr. Mackay with being refractory on many occasions, and a fomenter of sedition, &c, in opposition to the Colony of Virginia, and that he had encouraged his servants to abuse one of his men, who was then present, calling the man to prove what he asserted, but the man cleared Mr. Mackay and his servant, saying that it was a man of Mr. Spear's who had struck him. Conolly being there confuted before upwards of sixty persons, said it was all one, as it was one of the Magistrates' servants.

Aston attempted to run the muzzle of his gun at Mr. Mackay's face, but was prevented; in the mean time Conolly suffered a forsworn rascal (one Reily) to shake a stick at Mr. Mackay, and abuse him in an outrageous manner, without bringing him to an account for so doing. In this manner Conolly enforces all his laws.

The 7th of this inst., one Christy returned to this place from Williamsburg, and brought Conolly a packet from my Lord Dunmore; he also brought some late newspapers, in which we had an account of the House of Burgesses being dissolved by Lord Dunmore. It happened that Mr. Mackay told this news to a neighbour man, and that same evening Conolly came to his house, accompanied by one of his officers, and began to abuse him in a most blasphemous and outrageous manner, accusing him of being the cause of a meeting amongst his men, and alleged that he had asserted there was no provision made by the House of Burgesses for the payment of the men under his command. Conolly continued to threaten Mr. Mackay with confinement. He read a paragraph of a letter to us, in which Lord Dunmore acquaints him of the Commissioners of Philadelphia being at Williamsburg, and the proposals they made in regard of a temporary line were so extravagant that nothing could be done in it, but that he, Conolly, might settle a line at present with the Magistrates of this county, allowing it to be twelve, or at least ten miles east of this place. We told him that no Magistrate in this county could pretend to do any thing of the kind without instructions from the Government of Pennsylvania. At this time the Magistrates had raised a number of men in behalf of the Government for the protection of the frontiers, and to prevent the country from being entirely depopulated. About thirty of them were stationed at the Bullock Pens, seven miles east of this town. Conolly told us that he was determined to go, or send out the next day, with a party, to dispossess our men of that post, and if they did not behave themselves he would not suffer one Pennsylvanian to live on this side the Laurel Hill.

June 12. Mr. Conolly purposes to march from this place to-morrow with two hundred men to build a stockade fort at Wheeling Creek, and another near Hockhocking Creek; and says he will send parties, at the same time, against the Shawanese Towns; and I am of opinion that they will make no distinction betwixt Shawanese and Delawares, as they are determined to have a general war. Mr. Croghan has set off this morning to Williamsburg, as he says, to represent the state of this country to Lord Dunmore and Council, as also to acquaint them of Mr. Conolly's rash conduct at this place, which he seems to disapprove of. We are this day informed, that the three children before mentioned, that were missing near Muddy Creek, were found dead, and scalped, and two other men, in sight of a fort that is lately built on Dunkard Creek, up the river Monongahela, all supposed to be done by Logan's party. The inhabitants of the town are busily employed in stockading it round about, yet have no reason to expect any thing better than ruin and destruction.

Mr. Mackay wrote to Governour Penn from Staunton, the 5th of May, informing him of our enlargement. I also wrote to you, and Doctor Smith, at the same time, but these letters were since returned to us here by Colonel Wilson, as also the Governour's letter, which we have answered. I would be glad to hear the candid opinion of the Governour and Council concerning those extraordinary disturbances.

I am, sir, your most obliged humble servant,

DEVEREUX SMITH.

P. S. Please to present without delay the Governour's letter, which you have enclosed.

June 13. We have this morning received certain