with Indians as with white people, to put people in prison on suspic ion or trifles. Indians must first be found guilty of a crime, then judgment is given and immediately executed. We will give you faithfully all the particulars; and at the ensuing treaty entirely satisfy you; in the meantime, we desire that good friendship and harmony continue; and that we may live long together, is the hearty desire of your brethren, the Indians of the United Six Nations present at Shamokin.

The following is what Shickcalamy declared to be the truth of the story concerning the murder of John Armstrong, Woodworth Arnold and James Smith from the beginning to the end, to wit:

That Musemeelin owing some skins to John Armstrong, the said Armstrong seized a horse of the said Musemeelin and a rifled gun; the gun was taken by James Smith, deceased. Some time last winter Musemeelin met Armstrong on the river Juniata, and paid all but twenty shillings, for which he offered a neck-belt in pawn to Armstrong and demanded his horse, and James Armstrong refused it, and would not deliver up the horse, but enlarged the debt, as his usual custom was, and after some quarrel, the Indian went away in great anger without his horse to his hunting cabin. Some time after this, Armstrong, with his two companions in their way to Ohio passed by the said Musemeelin's hunting cabin, his wife, only being at home, demanded the horse of Armstrong, because he was her proper goods, but did not get him. Armstrong had by this time sold or lent the horse to James Berry; after Musemeelin came from hunting, his wife told him that Armstrong was gone by, and that she had demanded the horse of him, but did not get him--and as is thought pressed him to pursue and take revenge of Armstrong. The third day in the morning after James Armstrong was gone by, Musemeelin said to the two young men that hunted with him, come let us go towards the Great Hills to hunt bears; accordingly they went all three in company; after they had gone a good way Musemeelin who was foremost was told by the two young men that they were out of their course. Come you along, said Musemeelin, and they accordingly followed him till they came to the path that leads to the Ohio. Then Musemeelin told them he had a good mind to go and fetch his horse back from Armstrong, and desired the two young men to come along; accordingly they went. It was then almost night, and they travelled till next morning. Musemeelin said, now they are not far off. We will make ourselves black, then they will be frightened and will deliver up the horse immediately, and I will tell Jack, that if he don't give me the horse, I will kill him, and when he said so, he laughed. The young men thought he joked, as he used to do. They did not blacken themselves, but he did. When the sun was above the trees, or about an hour high, they all came to the fire, where they found James Smith sitting, and they also sat down. Musemeelin asked where Jack was? Smith told him that he was gone to clear the road a little. Musemeelin said, he wanted to speak with him, and went that way, and after he had gone a little distance from the fire, he said something, and looked back laughing, but he having a thick throat, and his speech being very bad, and their talking with Smith, hindered them from understanding what he said; they did not mind it. They being hungry, Smith told them to kill some turtles, of which they were plenty, and we would make some bread, and by and by, they would all eat together. While they were talking, they heard a gun go off not far off, at which time

Woodworth Arnold was killed as they learned afterwards. Soon after Musemeelin came back and said, why did you not kill that white man according as I bid you, I have laid the other two down? At this they were surprised, and one of the young men, commonly called Jemmey, run away to the river side. Musemeelin said to the other, how will you do to kill Catawbaws, if you cannot kill white men? You cowards, I'll show you how you must do; and then taking up the English are that lay there,he struck it 3 times into Smith's head before he died. Smith never stirred. Then he told the young Indian to call the other; but he was so terrified he could not call. Musemeelin then went and fetched him and said to him that two of the white men were killed, he must now go and kill the third; then each of them would have killed one. But neither of them dare venture to talk any thing about it. Then he pressed them to go along with him--he went foremost; then one of the young men told the other as they went along, my friend don't you kill any of the white people, let him do what he will; I have not killed Smith, he has done it himself, we have no need to do such a barbarous thing. Musemeelin being then a good way before them in a hurry, they soon saw John Armstrong sitting upon an old log. Musemeelin spoke to him and said, where is my horse? Armstrong made answer and said, he will come by and by; you shall have him. I want him now, said Musemeelin. Armstrong answered, you shall have him. Come let us go to that fire--which was at some distance from the place where Armstrong sat-and let us talk and smoke together. Go along then, said Musemeelin. I am coming, said Armstrong, do you go before; Musemeelin, do you go foremost. Armstrong looked then like a dead man, and went towards the fire and was immediately shot in his back by Musemeelin and fell. Musemeelin then took his hatchet and struck it into Armstrong's head, and said, give me my horse I tell you. By this time one of the young men had fled again that had gone away before, but he returned in a short time. Musemeelin then told the young men, they must not offer to discover or tell a word about what had been done for their lives, but they must help him to bury Jack, and the other two were to be thrown into the river. After that was done Musemeelin ordered them to load the horses and follow towards the hill, where they intended to hide the goods; accordingly they did, and as they were going, Musemeelin told them that as there were a great many Indians hunting about that place, if they should happen to meet with any, they must be killed to prevent betraying them. As they went along, Musemeelin going before, the two young men agreed to run away as soon as they could meet with any Indians, and not to hurt any body. They came to the desired place, the horses were unloaded, and Musemeelin opened the bundles, and offered the two young men each a parcel of goods. They told him that as they had already sold their skins, and every body knew they had nothing, they would certainly be charged with a black action, were they to bring any goods to the town, and therefore they would not accept of any; but promised nevertheless not to betray him. Now, says Musemeelin, I know what you were talking about when you staid so far behind.

The two young men being in great danger of losing their lives--of which they had been much afraid all that day--accepted of what he offered to them, and the rest of the goods they put in a heap and covered them from the rain, and then went to their hunting cabin. Muse

meelin unexpectedly finding two or three more Indians there, laid down his goods, and said he had killed Jack Armstrong and taken pay for his horse, and should any of them discover it, that person he would likewise kill; but otherwise they might all take a part of the goods. The young man, called Jimmy, went away to Shamokin, after Musemeelin was gone to bury the goods with three more Indians, with whom he had prevailed; one of them was Neshaleeny's son, whom he had or dered to kill James Smith, but these Indians would not have any of the goods. Some time after the young Indian had been in Shamokin, it was whispered about that some of the Delaware Indians had killed Armstrong and his men. A drunken Indian came to one of the Tudolous houses at night and told the man of the house that he could tell him a piece of bad news. What is that? said the other. The drunken man said, some of our Delaware Indians have killed Armstrong and his men, which, if our chiefs should not resent, and take them up, I will kill them myself to prevent a disturbance between us and the white people, our brother. Next morning, Shickcalamy and some other Indi. ans of the Delawares were called to assist Allumoppies in Council. When Shickealamy and Allumoppies got one of the Tudolous Indians to write a letter to me to desire me to come to Shamokin in all haste; that the Indians were much dissatisfied in mind. This letter was brought to my house by four Delaware Indians sent express; but I was then in Philadelphia, and when I came home and found all particulars mentioned in this letter, and that none of the Indians of the Six Nations had been down, I did not care to meddle with Delaware Indian affairs, and staid at home till I received the governor's orders to go, which was about two weeks after, Allumoppies was advised by his council to emply a conjurer, or as they ca l it, to find out the murderer, accordingly he did, and the Indians met, the Seer being busy all night, told them in the morning to examine such and such an one, they were present when Armstrong was killed, naming the two young men ; Musemeelin was present. Accordingly Allumoppies, Quitheyyquent and Thomas Green, an Indian, went to him that had fled first and examined him; he told the whole story very freely; then they went to the other, but he would not say a word, but went away and left him. The three Indians returned to Shickcalamy and informed them of what discovery they had made. When it was agreed to secure the murderers, and deliver them up to the white people. Then a great noise arose among the Delaware Indians, and some were afraid of their lives and went into the woods; not one cared to meddle with Musemeelin, and the other that could not be prevailed on to discover any thing, because of the resentment of their families; but they being pressed by Shickcalamy's son to secure the murderers, otherwise they would be cut off from the chain of friendship; four or five of the Delawares made Musemeelin and the other young man prisoners and tied them both. They lay twenty-four hours and none would venture to conduct them down; because of the great division among the Delaware Indians, and Allumoppies in danger of being killed, fled to Shickcalamy and begged his protection. At last Shickcalamy's son, Jack, went to the Delawares, most of them being drunk, as they had been for several days, and told them to deliver the prisoners to Alexander Armstrong, and they were afraid to do it; they might separate their heads from their bodies, and lay them in the canoe, and carry them to Alexander to roast and eat them, that would sat

isfy his revenge as he wants to eat Indians. They prevailed with the said Jack to assist them, and accordingly he and his brother and some of the Delawares went with two canoes and carried them off.

Conrad Weiser, in a letter to a friend, dated Heidelberg, 1746, adverts to an interesting incident which occurred at the conclusion of this interview at Shamokin. He says, "two years ago I was sent by the Governor to Shamokin, on account of the unhappy death of John Arm. strong, the Indian trader, (1744.) After I had performed my errand, there was a feast prepared, to which the Governor's messengers were invited; there were about one hundred persons present, to whom, after we had in great silence, devoured a fat bear, the eldest of the chiefs made a speech, in which he said: "That, by a great misfortune, three of the brethren, the white men, had been killed by an Indian; that nevertheless the sun was not set, (meaning there was no war,) it had only been somewhat darkened by a small cloud, which was now done away; he that had done evil was like to be punished, and the land remain in peace; therefore he exhorted his people to thankfulness to God; and therefore he began to sing with an awful solemnity, but without expressing any words; the others accompanied him with great earnestness of fervor, spoke these words: "Thanks, thanks, be to thee, thou great Lord of the world, in that thou hast again caused the sun to shine, and hast dispersed the dark cloud--the Indians are thine."

CHAPTER V.

INDIAN MASSACRES—(1754).

Abductions in 1753; viz: of Evans, Devoy, Nicholson, Magenty, Burns, Hutchinson of Cumberland county---Frontier inhabitants fear the Indians, and petition Governor Hamilton, from Cumberland and Lancaster counties---Governor Hamilton urges the Assembly to afford the frontier settlers aid--The government solicitors to retain the friendship and aid of the Indians---Weiser sent to Aughwick---Israel, an Indian of the Six Nations, killed Joseph Cample in Cumberland (Franklin county)---Croghan's letter touching this murder, &c.

Though we find only occasionally a murder committed upon the whites by the Indians, before Braddock's defeat, nevertheless the number of abductions was considerable before that time. Among others, inhabitants of Cumberland county, that were taken captive, were John Evans, Henry Devoy, Owen Nicholson, Alexander Magenty, Patrick Burns,

and George Hutchison, all of whom returned again to Cumberland-these were captured in 1752, '53, and '54; and some of them endured great hardships.

A number of French Indians, headed hy a Frenchman, took George Henry, John Evans, James Devoy and Owen Nicholson, prior to 1753. They were carried to Quebec, and from thence sent to Rochelle, in France, where they were released by the English ambassador, and by him sent to London; from there they got a passage to Philadelphia; and on presenting a petition to the Assembly, May 22, 1753; and the House having considered the petitioners unhappy case were granted them as much money as bore their expenses to Cumberland county, their place of residence. Sixteen pounds were allowed them.

While one Alexander Magenty was trading with the Cuttawa Indians, who were in alliance with the crown of Great Britain, and on returning home, he was taken prisoner, January 26 1753, by a party of French Indians of the Cagnawaga Nation, near the river Kantucqui, a western branch of the Ohio. The Indians beat and abused Magenty in the most barbarous and cruel manner; then sent him to Montreal. From that place the prisoner wrote a letter to the Mayor of Albany, requesting him to obtain his release, which was ultimately effected, by paying a considerable sum of money to the Indians who had taken him. Magenty returned to Philadelphia in, the autumn of 1753, destitute of clothes and other necessaries; the Assembly granted him six pounds to bear his expenses to Cumberland county, the place of his residence.

In November 1755, the Assembly granted ten pounds to Patrick Burns and George Hutchinson, who had been taken prisoners by the Indians, and made their escape, to furnish them necessaries in their distressed circumstances, to return from Philadelphia to Cumberland county, their place of residence. Votes of Assembly, vol. iv.

A strict amity had existed between the Indians and the inhabitants of Pennsylvania, with occasional personal or individual disputes, for a space of about seventy years; but now, 1753 and '54 a different spirit manifested itself in the conduct of some of the Indians, in the north-western parts of the State, and along the frontier settlements of the province-they joined with the French against the English, and made havoc of their former friends, the English; many of whom, at the instigation of their new allies, the French, they murdered most cruelly, as will be apparent from the following detailed accounts of massacres. A dark cloud obscured the hitherto existing friendly relations, and consternation seized hold of those, who seemed to have nothing to fear from the aborigines. A panic spread through the frontier settlers.

The inhabitants of Cumberland now began to fear greatly that the enemy, who had recently made incursions into Virginia would, before long, fall upon them too, and they peti