the deponent if he was not afraid. The deponent said, For what? The said David, said, as soon as the leaves come out, the foreign Indians would come down and cut off the Mohawk River. And the deponent further saith: That he heard a Mohawk squaw say, she wished all the Indians were as true to the country as she and her son, and then there would be no disturbance. Further saith not.

HENDRICK HANSEM.

Caughnawaga, March 25th, 1776: Sworn before me,

JELLIS FONDA, Justice.

The Testimony of ABRAHAM DAVID QUACKENBOSS.

TRYON COUNTY:

Personally appeared before me, Jellis Fonda, one of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for said County, Abraham D. Quackenboss, and being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, deposeth and saith:

That on the 24th day of March instant, he, the deponent, being at his dwelling-house at Caughnawaga, in company with David, a Mohawk Indian, he, said David, asked the deponent whether Adonijah Stansbury was a Whig or a Tory. The deponent said, He is a Whig. “Aye,” says David, “you are all glad now, but in less than two months’ time you will be sorry.” The said David further informed the deponent, that Abraham, one of the Mohawk chiefs, was gone to a treaty at Onondaga; and that he, the said Abraham, gave orders to them, the said Mohawks, to stay at home, and not to go a hunting until he returned; and the said David said they should know what to do when he returned.

ABRAHAM QUACKENBOSS.

Caughnawaga, 25th March, 1776: Sworn before me,

JELLIS FONDA, Justice.

General SCHUYLER’S Message to the SIX NATIONS, in consequence of the Enemy being driven out of BOSTON.

Brothers, Sachems, and Warriors of the Six Nations:

I have heretofore promised that when I received any news of consequence, I should let you know it. I rejoice, therefore, that an opportunity offers to acquaint you that the Army of our enemies, which has so long kept possession of our town of Boston, has lately been driven out of it. Our enemy, knowing that we were loth to knock down so fine and large a town as Boston, especially as the houses in it belonged to our friends, thought themselves very secure until towards the latter part of winter, when they were informed that we intended to attack them; at which they were so much frightened that, in order to prevent it, they spread the small-pox through every part of the town, well knowing that the greatest part of our Army had never had it. This barbarous act so exasperated our Army, that they were resolved to drive such a wicked set away, although they should be obliged to burn the town; and therefore our chief warrior, Washington, on the 4th of this month, ordered his warriors to begin a cannonade, and to take possession of a place from whence he could more easily annoy the enemy; which he did, without opposition, as they were afraid to come out and fight him. No sooner had he erected batteries on this place, and brought our cannon there, which was on the 16th day of the month, but the enemy immediately went on board their ships, and ran away to sea on the 17th. But they went off in such a hurry that they left thirty large pieces of cannon, two mortars, a great many shot and shells, all the fine horses which they brought from England to mount their soldiers on to ride through our country, twenty thousand bushels of wheat, a great quantity of salt, and a great many other things. Thus, brothers, has the great God blessed our arms, and relieved the town of Boston from its oppressors.

Brothers, it is probable that these runaways will attempt to land on some other part of this great Island. We wish they may; for, wherever they go, they will meet a sufficient number of our warriors to withstand them. We have ten thousand men now at New-York.

Brothers, the King’s evil counsellors, finding that they could not get warriors enough of their own in all England to fight us, applied to the Russians for twenty thousand men, to join them. When the French King heard this, he sent his Ambassador to England, to tell the King’s evil counsellors, that if they carried any Russians to the great Island of America, he would send his warriors to oppose them and assist us; for that we were a good and a brave people, who only fought for our liberties, and he would not see us oppressed.

Thus, brothers, all goes well with us. The French King, who was formerly our enemy, is now our friend. He has already seven thousand warriors at Martinico. These may be easily brought here. But we believe we shall not want them, as we have men enough, great guns in plenty, and a sufficient quantity of powder and ball.

Brothers, I have formerly told you that you will never find us false or liars. I know that some of our enemies will send to you to contradict what I have said; but you can tell such people that I have invited you, as I now most sincerely do, to send two or three Sachems, or warriors, that have had the small-pox, to Boston and to New-York, to see with their own eyes, and be convinced of the truth.

Brothers, if you send any, I will take care that they shall be accommodated in the best manner, both going and coming, and whilst they stay there; and I doubt not but when these return, you will treat all liars as they deserve, and will have greater reasons than ever to rejoice that you have such good and such powerful brethren as the inhabitants of the Colonies.

Brothers, accept my best wishes for your health and your prosperity; and be assured you will be a happy people whilst you remain in love and friendship with us, and that I will do my utmost to make you love me as much as I do you.

Brothers of the Oneida Nation: I desire that you will send this speech forward to the other brothers of the Six Nations.

From the Rev. Mr. KIRKLAND to General SCHUYLER.

Oneida, March 12, 1776.

SIR: I am sorry to tell you the face of things among the Western Tribes of the Confederacy begins to change, and appears different from what our expectations promised at the last treaty, held in Albany. It is very evident their minds are poisoned by some enemy to the liberties of the Colonies. Such vile and iniquitous sentiments as these are still propogated and prevail among the Western Tribes, viz: “That the white people, particularly the Americans, are in nature treacherous and deceitful; have no true friendship for the Indians; and are not to be depended on for aid and protection. Should they conquer in the present contest, no sooner have they obtained victory but they will turn about and fall upon the Indians.”

This, indeed, is no new, but the very same old tune which Colonel Johnson played so long upon, although he confined it chiefly to New-England and Virginia. One might think it would have become threadbare before this time. I am certain I have heard the governing notes, upon the same key, for several years past; but some one, it seems, has lately trumped it up so high, that it sounds very briskly in a savage ear.

Mr. Deane has given your Honour, in his letter of yesterday, a general account of what has lately taken place here in a meeting with the Onondagas and Cayugas. The Oneidas, in this affair, manifested an unshaken friendship for the Colonies, and a firm attachment to the Council-fire at Albany. Many of the Indians have observed to me, that they never knew debates so warm, and contention so fierce, to have happened between these two brothers (the Oncidas and Cayugas) since the commencement of their union. The disputes continued with great spirit for three days, successively, before the Oneidas prevailed.

By Mr. Deane’s letter, your Honour will find that a correspondence has been carried on for some time past, and is still continued, between Johnstown and Niagara; and some of the Mohawks become news-carriers and propagators of injurious false reports among the upper nations. The pretended friendship and boasted fidelity of those Mohawks seem to turn out mere delusion and perfidy, at least in the most of them; and no marvel, they have so long been made use of as mere tools of State, and accustomed to such hackneyed service. We cannot expect to find in them even the remains of a principle of honour and virtue.

The Onondaga chiefs informed Mr. Deane that one Willia