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CHAPTER XVI.

THE EXPULSION OF THE FRENCH

HE treaty at Easton had a good effect. Little or no mischief was done on the borders that winter. After the treaty was over and Teedyuscung was returning to Tioga Point, he met messengers from the Ohio Indians, who announced that they were sorry that they had struck the English, and would do what he told them. He informed them of the peace, and that he would give them a tomahawk against the French, and would bring them down to Philadelphia for a treaty. He himself made frequent visits to Philadelphia, the first being at the end of that month, when he reported this interview, and also asked for a copy of the deed of 1718, and the reason why the treaty had not been published. On Denny explaining that it was Sir William Johnson's business to order any publication, and that Croghan had so reminded Denny, Teedyuscung said that Croghan was a rogue, and that he himself would have nothing to do with him or Johnson. Denny handed over the desired copy of the deed, and gave Teedyuscung assurance that the treaty would be published. Two members of the Assembly asked Denny if he had power to consent to an act, which they offered to have the Assembly pass, to vest in the Indians and their posterity the lands which they desired to be reserved for them. The draft or plan of these lands not being clear, and it being imprudent to make an appropriation of land not released by the Six Nations, Denny replied that, while he had not the power, he would write to the Proprietaries for such power,

and to have the necessary permission solicited from the Six Nations.

The Assembly, on hearing of the surrender of Fort William. Henry, by act authorized the Lieutenant-Governor to send 1,000 men to the defence of the province of New York. In September, Lord Loudoun ordered the Second battalion of the Royal Americans to march to Carlisle, and join Colonel Stanwix for the protection of the back settlements. Frenchmen and Indians came to Minisink to reconnoitre; but, in spite of Teedyuscung's wishes, reward for scalps was not offered, Weiser suggesting that the province would be paying for the scalps of its own people. John Hughes, Edward Shippen (grandson of the former President of the Council), James Galbreath, and Rev. Charles Beatty went to Wyoming to build houses and a little fort, as Teedyuscung expected to remove from Tioga to that place in the following May.

Owing to the illness of Isaac Norris, Thomas Leech, a merchant of Philadelphia, was chosen Speaker of the Assembly on January 2, 1758. A report was made to the Council as to the Walking Purchase. Some of the points made were good, but it would at the present day be called a "whitewash." Logan did not sign it, and was not present at the Council on January 6, when it was unanimously adopted.

The Earl of Loudoun was ordered back to England, and Major-General James Abercrombie succeeded him as commanderin-chief of the forces in America. Teedyuscung came again to Philadelphia in March, and was as spirited, not to say rude, as usual. He asked for a clerk; on which request the councillors debated for more than an hour, and then caused a message to be sent that for the private interview which was expected the old custom of having no one present but the councillors on both sides would be followed. Teedyuscung replied that he was tired of waiting, was at dinner, and would bring his clerk, or not speak at all. The difficulty was solved by holding a public conference in the council chamber at the State House in presence of many persons, when

the calumet sent to him in reply to the publication of peace was smoked in turn by himself, then the Governor, and Shoemaker, Logan, and Peters of the Council, and the Speaker and members of the Assembly. Eight nations, the Ottawas, Twightees, Chippewas, Tawas, Caughnawagos, Mahoowas, Pietoatomows, and Nalashawawnas, had taken hold of the covenant belt in addition to the ten for which he had spoken at the treaty. A week

[graphic]

Birthplace of Robert Fulton

Engraved for this work from a negative by
D. E. Brinton

later, when the Lieutenant-Governor made his reply accepting this alliance, and thanking Teedyuscung, the latter repeated his request for the benefits of civilization: "Brother, you must consider I have a soul as well as another and I think it proper you should let me have two ministers to teach me, that my soul may be instructed and saved at last. Brother, and I desire, moreover, two schoolmasters, for there are a great many Indian children. who want schoolmasters. One therefore is not sufficient to teach them all, so that they may be sufficiently instructed in the Christian way. Brother, I have a body as well as a soul. I want two men to instruct me and show me the ways of living, and how to 481

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conduct temporal affairs, who may teach me in everything to do as you do yourselves, that I may live as you do, and likewise who may watch over me, and take care of my things, that nobody may cheat me." He asked the liberty of choosing the ministers. He said: "You tell us the Christian religion is good, and we believe it to be so, partly upon the credit of your words, and partly because we see that some of our brother Indians who were wicked before they became Christians live better lives now than they formerly did." He wanted two instructors in temporal affairs, so that if one proved dishonest, the other might prevent him from imposing upon the Indians. Several Cherokees had been sent through Philadelphia, accompanied by some Mohawks, on their way from Sir William Johnson, who was by them inviting the Cherokee and other southern nations of Indians to make a treaty of alliance with him. News came that several more had arrived at Winchester, prepared to start out against the French and the Ohio Indians. Teedyuscung asked that a messenger be sent to his friends on the Ohio, warning them to separate from the French, so as not with them to be cut off, and also a messenger to the Cherokees to stop the latter, for if they did any injury, it would be attributed to the English, who had hired them. Denny had reason to believe that the Cherokees hated the Delawares and Shawanees, and did not wish these to become friends of the English, the hope being that they would be destroyed. Denny wrote to George Washington, or whoever commanded the Virginia troops, leaving to him the nice point how to communicate the news of the peace to the Cherokees without disgusting them so much that they would leave the service. Then Denny sent to the Ohio Indians the pipe which William Penn smoked on his first. arrival in the country, and which had been preserved by his order to that day. Denny was not free to send any invitation to the eight nations of which Teedyuscung had spoken, from apprehension that in some way the plans of Sir William Johnson might be interfered with. Tied hand and foot by his many masters, this

occupant of the gubernatorial chair only occasionally could slip for an inch or so, or change the position of his cords. Apparently he found the matrimonial tie the most irksome; for his treatment of his wife came to be resented by the ladies, so Franklin tells us.

On December 30, 1757, Pitt as Secretary of State communicated the King's commands for a large force to be raised in the colonies south of Pennsylvania inclusive, ready to take the field as soon after May I as possible, under the command of BrigadierGeneral John Forbes. On receipt of this, the Assembly of Pennsylvania voted to raise, pay, and clothe 2,700 men, including those then in service. Teedyuscung asked that the whole conquest of the Ohio be left to him; with one blow he would drive the enemies of the English into the sea: but Robert Strettell, in Denny's absence, explained that the expedition must go; then Teedyuscung promised to accompany it, but with his own captains over his people.

The Assembly passed a bill for granting 100,000l. for the military expenses, and levying a tax on all estates real and personal. Denny proposed to amend it so that the Proprietaries' estates should not be taxed by the same mode as those of the inhabitants, but asked the House not to understand him as wishing to exempt the Proprietaries' estates, which in fact, he said, was not desired by those gentlemen themselves. They were willing that every tract surveyed and appropriated for their use should bear an equal share of the burdens imposed for defence. As the estates of the people were to be rated and assessed by assessors chosen by the people, so, he argued, the estates of the Proprietaries should be rated and assessed only by those in the choice of whom they had a voice; therefore he offered to concur in a separate bill putting the taxation of such estates into the hands of commissioners to be accepted by him as part of the act and named therein. He also informed the House that it would be impossible for him to transact any business with Joseph Fox, John Hughes, William Masters,

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