in Opposing & thwarting upon all Occation, the British Government when Attempting to Employ the Indians, & so much in his Zeal, that even in that Country where the Britons have the Preheminance, No Trader dares Go Amoung them, who does not express Sentiments in Favour of America-I Transmit this Acount to your Excellency at the Request of the Chief, It lyes with Government to Judge & order what is right; I woud Only observe that had the Indians followed the Example of these Plunderers & Illicit Traders / Many of Whome takes turne alternately in pursuing both Methods as Opportunity offers for Gain / The whole Eastern Country as well as Nova Scotia, woud verry Probably be in a State of Ruin & Desolation or Lost to the States The Indians being desirous of hearing & Seeing as Much as Possible, I concluded to Accompany them to Machias which is the cause of my being here at Present, shall Return tomorow towards St. Johns were I shall Continue untill Bussiness will permit my going Westward ¶ Your Excellency your Letter of the 8th Ult which I had the Honour to Receive / Appears to be Against my going Westward at this Juncture-I trust at the Same Time Your Excellency will be pleased to Consider my setuation On my private Bussiness shall be silent-woud only observe as a Public Officer, the Great & Extensive Bussiness I am Intrusted with, the Varrious Demands which Necessarly attends it requires more supplys and more Regular, I am satisfyd with what Ever Government is Please to Send & shall Use every Economy--But your Excellency must be sensible, that I have only received Bread & Meat for 25 men for two Months & 50 Bushels since Last March for the Whole Bussiness - I have daly Employd what Consuems 20 Rations besides Contingencys-I have to attend at the several Villiages of Indians to whome I am Obliged to Give some thing. But not to trouble Your Excellency more, will only take the liberty to say that its a Matter-Impossible for me to pursue the bussiness Agreeable to the Orders of Congress in this setuationI am verry Unhappy for the Uneasyness Given Your Excellency in drawing two Orders for some Supplys, Absolute Necessity to prevent fatal Consequences was the Cause, I presum" for the Reasons Given that it woud have been Comply with, as it is not I submit and Rest Contented & Shall Not Give further Trouble in such Matters-Your Excellency by this may Know the setuation of this Post, and How farr I am able to pursue the Indian Bussiness must therefore Request two Months Rations for 25 Men. 2 Barrils Powder, 600 Whf. Ball & 500 Flints as the Least I can demand for Immediate Use, A Vessell which this Goes by, will sail from Newberry in a short time by Whome I wish to Receive these Artickles Having no Correspondent or Agent in Boston your Excellency will please Excuse the Liberty I take in Requesting that Whoever may have the direction of furnishing supplys may be Urged to Send it Expeditiously ¶ By this Oppertunity Goes M' Lacour the Gentleman I formerly Mentioned who Came from Nova Scotia during his Stay here he has been verry Active & Serviceable in the Bussiness of the Department No doubt Your Excellency will have him Examind which I presume may be Necessary ¶ I have the Honour to Be with respect ¶ Your Excellency's Most Obd very hb' Sv His Excellency John Hancock Esq' J Allan Order of Court Against Joseph McLellan. Lincoln Ss the Common Wealth of Massachusetts ¶ To the Sheriff of our County of Cumberland his Under Sheriff or Deputy, Greeting. We Command you to Attach the Goods or Estate of Joseph McClallan of Falmouth in our County of Cumberland Gentleman to the Value of One Thou sand Pounds & for want thereof to take the Body of the Said Joseph McClallan if he may be found in your Precinct and him Safely keep so that you have him before Our justices of Our Inferiour Court of Common Please, next to be holden at Pownalborough within and for Our Said County of Lincoln on the Last Tuesday of September next than and their in Our Said Court to Answer unto Francis Rittal of Pownalborough aforesaid Taylor, in a plea of Trespass for that the said Joseph the twenty fifth Day of September in the Year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred and Eighty at Pownalborough aforesaid, with force and Arms viz' guns bayonets & Swords upon the said Francis made an Assault, and him the said Francis did than and there beat and Evelly Treat and him the said Francis did Cary away at the Distance of Sixty miles and the said Francis in Prison without any reasonable Cause against the Will of him the said Francis Without any Legal Authority, & Contrary to the Law of the Land & of this Common Wealth for a Long time Vizt for the Space of Nine weeks and Tow days Contained & Kept by means of which Confinement and Sufferings with Cold and hunger the Francis became Sick & in great Pain and distress so that his Life was dispaired of and the said Frances dureing the Time of his Imprisonment aforesaid was Oblidged to Expend for Necessarys to preserve his Life and to regain his Liberty the sum of Nine hundred Pounds and Other Enormities the said Joseph to the said Francis did than & their do an Commit against the Pease and, To the Damage of the said Francis Rittal as he Saith the Sum of One thousand Pounds which shall then & their to made to appear with Other due damages, And have you there this Writ with your Doings therein Witness W" Lithgow Esq' at Pownalborough this twenty sixth day of August in the year of Our Lord 1782 A true Coppy from the Original Jon Bowman Cler. Memorial of Eastern Indians. To his Excellency Governor Hancock. ¶ We the subscribers having heared that Juniper Barthiaume recolet wo has lived among us those two years past to our greatest satisfaction had been dismissed of his Employment, and that on the false reportt of Col Brow belonging to fort halifax in Quebec river, we here present and having full power of the other Indians come here on purpose to render justice to whom it belongs, and we can not hinder from saying that our priest has always behaved as a man of honor, and that on the contrary Co' Brow constantly imposses upon us; and if he has shewn any certificates, they can not be signed but by people who get often drunk, and consequently that he has surprised the religion of the members of the honorable Senate. We conclude please your Excellency, so as to avoid any disturbance, that said Col' Brow should be called again and that our recolet should continue his functions ¶ We will be under the greatest obligation to your Excellency if you would be so good as to procure some Cloaths and few other things we want, besides as lodging and boarding for six of us and our recolet during the time we shall remain in town, which may not be long, if the honourable cenate will pronounce quickly on this matter, It would be of a great advantage to us and to the States if it was so, the same sloop in which we came sailing in four day's hence. ¶ We have as much to complain of one Guillermain Interpreter to Col' Brow as well as of himself, so beg he should be dismissed ¶ We have one last favor to beg, which is to procure us eight fusils and some gun powder for the village. / ¶ As we have been obliged to take a french Interpreter to do all our businesses here, we hope that the state will allow him what is customary / Boston 27 August 1782 [Five other marks of Indians] Mark of J. horns Chief ༼°-°? Endorsed: Resolve discharging Col° Brewer Truckmaster at Fort Halifax & the Interpreter and reinstating Juniper Barthiaume in the office of Instructor & granting £1000 to supply the Eastern Department and requesting to Gov' to issue orders to the Commissary General to supply the Indians with necessaries and for the election of a Naval officer at Machias Oct 17, 1782 Letter of Fr. Juniper Berthiaume. To his Excellency Governor Hancock Co' Brow who inhabits fort halifax in Quenebec River having said that the states of Massachuset had dismissed me of my employment, I come here on purpose with six of the chiefs of the Indians of that river to justify of my conduct, and to prove that the certificates I have in my possession are of men of honor, and that on the contrary, those of Col' Brow were signed but by people who most of the time are drunk, besides your Excellency has certainly received letters to convince you that what I advance is true. I can not represent too much to your Excellency what a revolution would hapen if Col' Brow and his Interpreter were not dismissed and if I was not to continue my functions. It is not necessary I should say any more about this the chiefs of the nation will say enough In Senate Sept 30th 1782 Fr Juniper Berthiaume Recollet ¶ Read & thereupon Ordered that this Letter with the papers accompanying the same be committed to the Com |