duly sworn, maketh oath, that this morning about daybreak a number of Indians, about eight or ten in number, came to his father’s house and killed him and Lorick Smith, his son, and fired upon him and his brother, who made their escape, and that he believes all the rest of the family are killed.

AARON SMITH.

Sworn before me this 1st day of July, 1776, eight o’clock in the morning:

JOHN PURVES, J. P.

N. B. This Little River is in South-Carolina, six miles from the Indian land.

SOUTH-CAROLINA, NINETY-SIX District:

Before me, John Purves, one of the Justices of the Peace for said District, personally appeared David Shettroe, of Keowec, who, being duly sworn, maketh oath, that yesterday morning, about a quarter of an hour before the first cock crew, two Indians came to his house on the river bank, near Fort Prince George, and called to him to get up, which he did, and opened the door, when they came in, and asked for water, which he gave them. The youngest of the two, named the Glass, desired him to make some fire, that he might see; the other named the Terrapin. As he went up to the chimney to blow up the fire, the Glass laid hold of him, and told him he was his slave, it was very bad times, the white people were going to break out, and he should not run away from him. Then the Terrapin stepped up to an old man named William McTeer, who was lying on the floor, and told him he was his slave, and must go along with him. They drove this deponent and McTeer before them until they came to the house of Mr. James Holmes, in Keowee, where he saw a great number of the Lower Towns Cherokee Indians, where they had taken Mr. Holmes and his wife and a white child prisoners, also Thomas Holmes, John Lammas and his wife, and two of their children, (boys,) and a man that had gone from Enoree on business; that while he staid there they also brought one John Garrick and a man that came from Rocky-Run, prisoners; that the Indians, took all Mr. Holmes’s effects, drank as much rum as they chose, and then stove a hogshead, and let the rum that was in it run out; that about dawn of day the Indians drove all the white people out of the house, and sent a party up the river with them to guard them, except this deponent, who stayed and saw them plunder Mr. Holmes’s house. The fellow who took this deponent prisoner gave him two deerskins, and told him to make shoes for himself, to walk over the hill to Mr. Cameron’s, for he must go with him there; that during his confinement one Ratcliff, a white man, kept riding about among the Indians, laughing and scoffing at the prisoners; that an Indian fellow told him when in confinement that George Parris, a half-breed, was gone down to acquaint the King’s people over Saluda to come to join the Indians to help and to fight for the King; that the Indian who pretended to be this deponent’s master sending him to hunt a horse for him to ride about two hours before sunset yesterday, he made his escape from them. Further, that he saw them bring several guns, pipe-hatchets, and sundry other effects, the property of Edward Wilkinson, Esquire, to the house where he was taken, and that he was in the employ of Edward Wilkinson, Esq., and that he cannot write.

Sworn before me,

JOHN PURVES, J. P.

June 30, 1776.

May 19, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: Some time ago Mr. Cameron and myself wrote you a letter by Mr. Thomas, and enclosed you a talk we had with the Indians respecting the purchase which is reported you lately made of them on the River Wattaga, Nolachuckey, &c. We are since informed that you are under great apprehensions of the Indians doing mischief immediately, but it is not the desire of his Majesty to set his friends and allies (the Indians) on his liege subjects; therefore, whoever of you that are willing to join his Majesty’s forces, as soon as they arrive at the Cherokee nation, by repairing to the King’s standard, shall find protection, and their families, and be free from all danger whatever. Yet, that his Majesty’s officers may be certain which of you are willing to take up arms in his Majesty’s just right, I have thought fit to recommend it to you, and every one that is desirous of preventing inevitable ruin to themselves and families, immediately to subscribe a written paper acknowledging their allegiance to his Majesty King George, and that they are ready and willing, whenever called on. to appear in arras in defence of the British right in America, which paper, as soon as it is signed, send to me by some safe hand. Should any of the inhabitants be desirous of knowing how they are to be kept free from every kind of insult or danger, inform them that his Majesty will immediately land an army in West Florida, march them through the Creek to the Chickasaw nation, where five hundred warriors from each nation are to join them, and then come by Chote, who have promised their assistance, and then to take possession of the frontiers of North-Carolina and Virginia, at the same time that his Majesty’s forces make a diversion on the sea-coasts of those Provinces. If any of the inhabitants have any beef cattle, flour, pork, or horses, to spare, they shall have a good price for them by applying to us as soon as his Majesty’s troops are imbodied.

I am yours, &c., &c.,

HENRY STUART.*

WATTAGA:

This day Nathan Read came before me, one of the Justices of Wattaga, and made oath, on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, that a stranger came up to Charles Robinson’s gate yesterday evening; who he was he did not know, and delivered a letter, a true copy of which is above.

JOHN CARTER.

Sworn before me the 19th of May, 1776.

Attest:

JAMES SMITH.

MARYLAND COUNCIL OF SAFETY TO CAPTAIN NATHANIEL SMITH.

SIR: You are requested to send to the Council of Safety as soon as possible an account of all the cannon and swivel guns at Baltimore belonging to the Province, as well those that are mounted at the fortifications as those that are not, and their weight of metal. We are, &c.

To Captain Nathaniel Smith.

PRESIDENT OF CONGRESS TO PHILADELPHIA COMMITTEE.

Philadelphia, July 3, 1776.

GENTLEMEN: You are so well acquainted with the critical and alarming state of our publick affairs, that it is unnecessary to use arguments to press you to a compliance with any resolves of Congress calculated to promote the cause of liberty in the United Colonies of America; I am therefore to request, by order of Congress, that the troops you are raising to form the flying-camp may be sent to the city of Philadelphia with the utmost expedition. That they may arrive the sooner, it is the desire of Congress you will send them by battalions, or detachments of battalions, or companies, as fast as raised. I am persuaded the Committee

*EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM CHARLESTOWN, SOUTH-CAROLINA, DATED JULY 21, 1776.

You are undoubtedly informed before this that the detestable villain, Stuart, has prevailed upon the Cherokees to take up the hatchet against our countrymen. This, however, does not in the least intimidate us. Our people march forth against the savages with all the alacrity and cheerfulness you can conceive, and with a full, determined resolution to extirpate the whole tribe. The damage done to us by them is trifling. A number of the heads of the Tories in this Province, when they heard of the breaking out of the Indians, wrote to our Governour, and told him that they never dreamt the King would descend to such low and diabolical designs; that they were now willing to do everything in their power to assist their brethren in America. These are men of influence on the frontiers, and will be very useful against the Indians.

July 27th.—In a little brush with the Indians the other day our people were successful—killed, wounded, and took prisoners a considerable number. Colonel McIntosh, of Georgia, with a party of his regiment, went out a few days ago to reconnoitre the situation of the two young Wrights, who are posted on St. Mary’s River, which separates Florida from Georgia. When he came within two miles of their fort, he was fired on from an out-post of theirs. Our Colonel returned the fire, killed one, and took nine prisoners, upon which the fort fired an alarm-gun. The man-of-war below hearing this, immediately detached a barge with a Lieutenant and nine men. All these the Colonel thought proper to seize upon. In the brig lately taken here with Highlanders on board was found about six hundred pounds sterling worth of goods.

July 31.—There is now an expedition determined on to Florida, where the enemy have about one thousand men posted at St. Augustine.