THE OHIO VALLEY-GREAT LAKES ETHNOHISTORY
ARCHIVES: THE MIAMI COLLECTION
It is noted that the following work from the Miami Archives should be read and
considered within the historical context in which it was composed and printed.
The opinions expressed and the language used do not reflect the opinions or
standards of the Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology, but are, rather,
indicative of thought in that historical moment during which the document was
published.
Letter to Johnson
(May 10, 1770)
Croghan, George in: The
Papers of Sir William
Johnson, vol. 7,
pp. 650-654.
Trent Left Me Much Involved. on thire acount when they Left this Cuntry & has Kept Me in the Dark Since august last for thire Leter of the 10 & 11 of Jany. has very Litle in itt Either Intilegent or agreeable, Butt I Now find out the Rason is they Must have aplyd. the Mony I Drew for to the payment of this purchass to Secure the Grants & by that Step Suffer My Bills to Come back protested, wh. will be atten[ded] with a Considerable Loss to Me as well as a Reflection on My Reputation as few pople in Trade in Such Cases butt is apt to Judge on the Ill Naturd. Side, yett as things Seem to have Stood & Litle hopes of ye. Confirmation but by purchass its beter for Me to Sufer then Louse the futer advantedge for I shall have with My own purchass & what I shall have out of the Traders Grant Near 500,0001 [ ] and there is No beter Land in Amerrica Nor so Even plesent & helthey a Climett & Nothing Can prevent its Imedeat Settlemt. Butt an Indian Broyle with the western Nations wh. I am Extreamly afrade will Soon Take place.
as your Honor Corresponds with Mr. Hugh Wallice I will be much oblidgd. to you to Menshon this Curcumstance of Mr. Wharton being oblidgd. to advance ye Mony for this Purches wh. was the ocation of my bills Coming Back this from you will apease the Clamer, & which I am Confedent Must have been ye. Case and wh. No Doubt My Leters by ye. March packet will bring Me a full acount of
yr. honor Desers My thoughts fully on the Subject of Mr. McKees Leter & Intiligence I ashure you I have been very unesey Ever Sence I received them, as from My own Knoledge of those Nations I am apt to blive they are Come to a Resolusion of Difering with us, the Repeted Murders of thire pople on the frontiers of Verginia Marreyland & Pensilvaine with ye Total Neglect of those Goverments Takeing any Notice of them with the Houtey Coredge of the Commanding offisers att ye. Several out posts & Dismision of the Comiserys with the Neglect of ye. (page 652) Six Nations att Fort Stanwix to ye five Deputys who Came from Ohio, who Say the Six Nations Never Calld. them Into privet Counsel, has Disgusted them & Now ye. Repairing of our forts, wh. they will Luck upon as a preperation for warr, will No Doubt Make them Duble thire Delegence & putt them on there Gard, I have been Long Informd. of thire General plan & gave the Intiligents to yr honor, itt Tuck its Rise att Chinisee in the year 1765 on the Return of ye. Deputys that Came to yr house to Make thire paice,2 the Sinicaes then Imployd. ye Shawnas & Dallaways to go to all the Western Nations to Seliseat a Gineral Union in order to putt a Stop to the English Coming into thire Cuntry to Setle any further, & ye. Deputys of ye. Shannas & Dallaways when they Came to fort Stanwix brought back ye answers of all the Westren Nations & Deliverd them to the Sinicas, this I informd. you of att Fort Stanwix, the Charroky paice then haveing Taken place itt inlarged thire plan, and Sence thet Time the Shannas & Dallaways have been imployd. to Make a paice for ye Charrokeys with ye Wabauce Indians and to Hurns & other Nations over ye Leeks wh. has been very Dificult to bring about those Nations being very averst to Makeing paice with ye Southren Nations. If this be onst acomplised as Mr McKee has been Informd. itt is, I think there is No Doubt butt a very Severe Blow will be Struck on ye Suthren provinces Soon, I have Now Informd. yr. honor of Every thing Worth Notice that has Ever come to My Knoledge of ye. Indians Causes of Complaint, & Designs, & I am of opinion that if they have Succeeded with the Wabouse & Detroit Nations that No Negosions Nor presents tho Ever So Greatt will prevent thire Makeing a Tryel of thire Strenth- Nothing Butt Deviding thire Counsels & giveing Suspisions [ ] other Can be Effectial to prevent thire Designs- and if I am Nott Much Misteken the Sinicas will putt themselves att the Head of this Confederecy, itt Seems [ ] od that the Rest of ye. Six Nations Should Nott be aquainted with itt in purtic[ ] the Mohocks wh. I think wold in (page 653) Gratitude Inform yr honor of itt I am perswaded the Cayugaes & onondagoes Do know itt, A Litle Time will prove to Me whether I have been Deceived in the Several Intilegenses I have had, if I be I shall think Myself very hapy as No Individual in America Can Suffer half as Much as I Must in My Intrest if a Warr Takes place to ye. Southerd wh. I Must Confess I am Much affrede of when I Consider, that all Nations of Indians are a Restless pople who Never forgett Nor forgive Injureys & often think they are Injured when they are the agreserors from thire Natuerall Disposion of Rambling they must Imploy themselves aginst us if they be att paice with one another. Another thing is they can have No Dependence in any thing we promiss from the Suden Changes of Meshers wh. they Cant be Made to understand & wh. Must allways Make against the British Intrest, with all Nations, as Long as No uniform plan is adopted, by ye. Ministers, who Seem to Me to know No More of the Mater, then they wold the use of a fifth wheel to a Coach.
Itt is the fear of a Broyle with the Indians, that has Determind Me, to Sett of this Month for fort pitt, in order to Dispose of Some Goods, wh. I tuck from the Company, as Soon as posable, & to Sell Some vallueable Improvem. I have there if posable, before any Disturbence broke out, I Dont think of Staying there above Ten Days while I am there, if any thing Worth yr. knoledge, Comes to Mine I will Nott fail to Give you the Earliest advise.
I Wrote yr honor Some Time ago & Requested to know if Mr. Tilghman had agreed. with you for Montours place on ye. West branch Susquehanna & wold be Glad to Know before I Sett of.
The Ginerals Not Chuseing to pay Me ye.
Smiths and Interpreters pay Most part of wh. I have unready paid,
has been Some Disapointmt. & Bears Me of Cash & oblidges Me
to aply to your Honor for to Lend Me about 150 to pay Some Trifels I owe in ye.
Cuntry before I go wh. if Convent I will be oblidgd. to
you to Send by Mr Prevost who will Deliver your Honor
_________________________________
1 See Calendar of Land Papers, pp. 447, 469, 490, and Doc. Rel. to Col. Hist. N. Y., VII:983 (note), VIII:128.
2 (1, p. 652) The peace treaty of July 4-14, 1765.
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