The following Letter from Lord Loudoun was read: "Sir: "FORT EDWARD, October 28th, 1756. "I have had a great many things which I have wanted to have writ to you fully about, but from the Situation in which I found things on my arrival here, I have been kept in such a continual hurry as to put it entirely out of my power, and I am afraid a great part of them must now lie over till I have the pleasure of seeing you at Philadelphia, where I propose to be as soon as I can. "As the Season must now bring the Campaign soon to an end, it is necessary for me now to look out for winter Quarters for the Troops, in which I must consult the compleating the Troops during the winter, and have them in a situation fit for Assembling in the Spring to take the Field, for which purpose I find it will be necessary to have in Philadelphia one Battalion of the Royal Americans, and three Companies in the Lower Counties, and I believe I shall be obliged, likewise, to put into your Province, in order to recruit them, two Independent Companies. "The three Companies I propose for the Lower Counties, are part of a Battalion that goes into Maryland, and as they lie near one another, I imagine you may get that Battalion pretty contiguous, as I cannot agree to less than a Company being together; in the beginning those Companys will be small, but I hope by Christmas to see them well encreased. "As the order for Quarters have been so often signified from his Majesty, to every Government on the Continent, by his Secretaries of State, Lord Holdernesse, Sir Thomas Robinson, and Mr Fox, I must think it unnecessary for me to add anything further on this Subject; especially as I am writing to you, who is so thorougly acquainted with the Quartering in England, in time of Peace; and what things are furnished in Quarters for the Officers and Soldiers; and likewise as you are fully acquainted with how much further Quartering extends in time of War, and even must do so from the Nature of things. "I must beg the favour of you, to give directions to have quarters ready against the Troops arrive, which shall be as soon as I can furnish the Campaign, which the nature of the Season must soon put a close to. "I beg leave to assure you and the Province, that whatever Protection I can give to your People, from the Incursions of their tirbulent Neighbours, I will do it to the utmost of my power. "I am, with great Regard, Sir, "Your most Obedient Humble Servant, The following Letter from Governor Sharp together with the paper inclosed, was read: "Sir: "I do myself the Honour to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 21st of Septem" and to send you a Copy of the Information given by one Johnston, who having lived among the French and their Allies about two years, was lately sent hither from Fort Cumberland. He acknowledges that he has several times accompanied the Indians from Fort Duquesne to the Allegheny Mountains, and I am persuaded, notwithstanding his Professions to the Contrary, that he has been frequently further down with them Murthering the Inhabitants. On his Examination here, he has confessed that he came from Fort Duquesne the beginning of October with a Detachment of 160 French and Indians, who were to fall on our Frontier Settlements, or to attack Fort Cumberland, if the Reduction of that place shou'd appear practicable. The Prisoner says he was sent before to reconnoitre, and inform himself of the strength of the Garrison, and that he had concealed himself near in it pursuance of his orders, but that apprehending from some motion of the Centry that he was discovered, he dropped his Tomahawk and advancing towards him, pretended to have made his Escape from a party of Indians that had detained him Prisoner. I propose to send him back to the Commanding Officer at Fort Cumberland, to be re-examined and rewarded according to his Desert. "I am, Sir, Your most humble, "And most Obédient Servant, "Annapolis, 15 November, 1756." "HOR SHARPE. "The Information of William Johnson, a Native of Pennsylvania, and sometime an Inhabitant of the Province of Maryland, who went back to the French Settlement at Venango in October, 1754, and has since resided there, at Fort Duquesne, and among the several Tribes of Indians who are seated on the branches of the Ohio and are in Alliance wh the French Nation. "This Informant says that he has, within these two Years, been frequently at Venango, where the French have a small Fort made of Logs and Stocadoes, mounted with Nine Cannon of a pretty large bore, and generally Garrisoned with a Company of Sixty Soldiers, beside Indians, who, to the Number of about 200, are lodged in Cabbins that have been built for them near the Fort. The Garrison, this Informant says, hath been for sometime employed in Collecting and preparing Materials for building a Strong Port there next Spring, and being apprehensive, and having been in formed by two Deserters from Shamokin that the Pennsylvanians. had come to a resolution to March against them as soon as a body of Men cou'd be raised for that purpose. This Informant further says, that there have seldom been more Soldiers in Garrison at Fort Duquesne than 300, and that the Soldiers there at this time do not amount to that number; that 15 Carriage Guns, eight of the 12 lbs are mounted in that Fort, and that the Magazine is well furnished with Ammunition and Provisions; that the Fort is strong towards the Land, where a Ditch and Covertway is made from one River to the other, but that towards the Conflux of the Rivers there is nothing more than single Stocadoes. That before Colonel Armstrong's Expedition to the Kittanning Town the French were building some Houses or Huts for their Indians on this side of the Fort, but that now they were building a Town for them beyond the River, the Indians having refused to live on this side, least they shou'd be again surprized and cut off. That the Indians who have joined the French against us, and in Conjunction with them, and made Incursions into these Provinces, are Shawonese, Delawares, Picts, Mingoes, Tuckehoes, and Tawas, who can furnish about 1,400 or 1,500 fighting Men, and are to join the French with that Number next Spring in order to make a descent on one of these Colonies; that in May last one Captain Sterit, with a Company of 58 Men, came to Duquesne, and brought with them in a Battoe and several Cannoes, a considerable quantity of Provisions from a Settlem" that the French have made near the Mouth of the Ohio River. This party, he says, has done much Execution this Summer on the Fronteers of these Provinces; that having concluded their Campaign with the Reduction of Fort Granville, they returned home to spend the Winter, but are expected back again in the Spring with several other Companies. This Informant saith, that he was not present at the Engagement of the Monongehala, but that he was at the place of action a few days after; that the Body of Men which attacked General Braddock consisted of about 600 French and 700 Indians, and that the French Commander-in-Chief, Two Captains, and near two hundred Men were killed at that Time; That none of the English that were left wounded survived, except three Women, two of whom were Carried to Canada, and the other kept by the Commandant at Venango; That the Deserters from Fort Cumberland and other places, as well as the People that the Indians have carried off our Borders, have given the French such accounts of the situation and Circumstances of these Colonies as make them Confident that they shall, without much difficulty, reduce, or at least advance far into one of them next Summer; That several of our late Inhabitants who have been taken and carried back associated with the Indians, and as often as they make Incursions, come down and serve them as Guides; That about Six Weeks or two Months since, when this Informant was at the Log's Town, he heard Teedyuscung's Son and several other Indians say, that they the Delawares were about to offer Terms to the Inhabitants of Pennsylvania, and that Teedyuscung and some other Chiefs were gone to Pennsylvania for that purpose; That their Intention was to make a seperate Peace with the Pennsylvanians, and to open a Trade as heretofore with them; that if that could be brought about they should be no longer under a necessity of selling their Skins and Furs to the French at such low rates as they had lately done, and at the same time they shou'd be the better able to shew their Resentment to the Virginians for first attempting to deprive them of their Lands." Lord Loudoun's Letter, Governor Sharp's Letter, and the Paper Inclosed, and the Estimate for the Expences for the Current Year, were laid before the Assembly with the following Message: A Message from the Governor to the Assembly. "Gentlemen: "I communicate to you a Letter from Lord Loudoun, demanding Quarters for a Battalion of Royal Americans and two Independent Companies. I desire you will enable me forthwith to provide them, a Quarter-master being every day expected to regulate that Service. "I now lay before you an Estimate for the Expences of the Current Year, my late Journey and Business at Easton having prevented me from doing it so soon as I cou'd have wished. "I received by Express the Letter herewith sent from Governor Sharp, inclosing the Examination of one William Johnson, which Intelligence is of such Consequence to this Country as well deserves your attention. "24 November, 1756." "WILLIAM DENNY. The Record of Conviction of Charles Jegler, under sentence of Death for the Murther of Rosina Holdersinger, was again Read, with two Petitions from his Wife, praying for Mercy. The Attorney General, at the request of the Governor, once more related the Facts given in Evidence at the Tryal, and the Credit of a particular Witness mentioned by him coming into Question, the Council Agreed to enquire of the Chief Justice and to meet in the Afternoon. At a Council held at Philadelphia, Wednesday, 24 Novem" 1756, P. M. PRESENT: The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Gov ernor. Robert Strettell, Benjamin Chew, William Logan, Lynford Lardner, Esquires. The Minutes of the Preceding Council were read and approved. The Chief Justice came into Council and related all the Facts proved at the Tryal of Charles Jegler. He then produced certain Examinations taken before him on Information given against some Roman Catholicks, of this City, for disaffected & Treasonable (viz): the Examination of Barnabas McGee, Joseph Rivers, Thomas McCormick, Rowley Kane, and Jane Dorsins, whereon the following Warrant was drawn and Delivered to the Sheriff: "The Honourable WILLIAM DENNY, Esquire, Lieutenant Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware:" [No more appears on record.] A Message was delivered by two Members whilst the Council was sitting and Read in these Words: A Message to the Governor from the Assembly. "May it please your Honour : "You were pleased by your Message at the Beginning of this Session to represent to us the Expediency of framing sundry Laws that are necessary for the Defence and Utility of the Province, and we think many others not recommended by your Honour may likewise be for the benefit of the People, which we are determined at this time to take into our serious Consideration, and pay that regard and attention to them that their Importance deserves. But as many Bills, prepared at a burthensome Expence to the Publick by Antecedent Assemblys, for the defence of the Province, in complyance with His Majesty's Orders and other Salutary purposes, after much Time and great Pains had been spent in framing them, have been rejected by your Honour's Predecessors, because not consistent with Certain Instructions that They had received from the Proprietaries, as directory to them in matters of Legislation, which Instructions, notwithstanding, were unreasonably concealed from the Representatives of the People, We are, in Justice to ourselves and in duty to those We represent, obliged humbly to request That your Honour would be pleased to lay before us full Copies of all such your Instructions that are of a publick nature, and in any wise relating to Matters of Legislation, that we may, as we are sincerely enclined, |