I am ready to settle." "Aye, sir, aye, sir," responded the governor, "you have a great deal to settle, though you are mean enough to get your clerk to take it upon himself, and say it was a neglect of his." Mr. Fox was about to reply when the governor continued, “Aye, sir, aye, sir, you are very eloquent, you are very good, sir, and if you will look in the glass you will see your own picture." This conversation was reported to the Assembly, whereupon that body gravely resolved that it was their right to have free access and decent treatment from the governor on public business at all seasonable times, and that his manner of receiving and treating members was indecent, unparliamentary and unbecoming his station.

Denny closed his career by signing three bills, inspired not so much by considerations of the public good, as by pecuniary considerations. Indeed, for several years he had received no salary, and the Assembly well understood his miserable condition. Taking advantage of his needs, it voted him 1,000 immediately after assenting to the bill already described, for taxing the proprietary estates; a similar sum for assenting to a bill providing for the issue of more papermoney, and another £1,000 pounds for assenting to an act relating to the recording of warrants and surveys of land. Generally, in the modern history of states, the executive has been the purchaser of men; for once the process was reversed, and the governor was bought by the Assembly for £3,000 of paper-money. As he had signed the bills contrary to his instructions, the proprietaries urged their disallowance. The Assembly boldly contended that they had no right or authority to question their deputy's action. The privy council made

short work of the defence. It declared that whoever urges an agent to commit a fraud, is a partner in the affair, and cannot be permitted to gain any advantage. Denny had plainy disregarded his duty, and been false to his principal, and two of the bills signed by him were disallowed. The bill taxing the proprietary's estate would have met the same fate, had not Franklin promised that it should be amended in accordance with the proprietaries' wishes.

SECTION VI.

Hamilton's Administration.

1759-1763.

Once more James Hamilton was persuaded to fill the office made vacant by Denny's removal. The days of peace were rapidly passing, for in January, 1762, war was renewed with Spain. Meantime, another contest was brewing in a quarter quite unknown to the dwellers in the East. Pontiac in the far West was forming a tremendous conspiracy for the overthrow of the white domination in America. Of all the Indian chiefs he was the most subtle, the most implacable, the most Satanic. After capturing the far-western forts, he appeared in the East and invaded the border settlements. Again was the old story repeated of blood and devastation. Le Boeuf, Venango, Presqu' Isle on Lake Erie, and other places felt his supremely savage hand. Most of the forts were weakly manned, and fell an easy prey to the crafty chieftain. Early in June his presence was known in the vicinity of Fort Pitt. Governor Hamilton reinforced the garrison at Fort Augusta and sent out small parties to protect the frontiers. Ere long the whole country west of Shippensburg was in a

blaze. The wretched inhabitants were surprised at their meals, while laboring in the field, or at night, and massacred. In many cases their tardy flight was impeded by fainting women and children. The inhabitants of Shippensburg and Carlisle now became the barrier towns. Every stable and hovel was crowded with refugees who, having lost their houses, cattle and harvest, were reduced from independence to beggary and despair.

Near the end of August, a party of volunteers from Lancaster County attacked at Muncy Hill Creek some Indians who were going to the frontier settlements, and compelled them to flee. Colonel Armstrong organized a band of three hundred volunteers from Shippensburg, Bedford and Carlisle, to chastise the Indians. They left Fort Shirley on the Aughwick, hoping to surprise the enemy, but the Indians had been too alert and had fled. Fort Pitt was surrounded and cut off; yet the garrison, strengthened by the traders who had escaped from the Indians, resolutely defended the place. General Amherst appointed Colonel Bouquet to march to its relief. His force consisted of the remnants of the Forty-second and Seventy-seventh regiments, and six companies of rangers from Lancaster and Cumberland Counties; and early in July they began their march. On the frontier their eyes fell on widespread desolation. In many places the harvests were awaiting the hand of the reaper, for the inhabitants had been slain, or had disappeared. The commander, who expected to obtain more supplies on the frontier to take to Fort Pitt, was obliged to divide his own stock to relieve the sufferings of the frontiersmen who remained. After a delay of eight days the necessary provisions and carriages were procured.

Among the rangers were many who, unable to walk, were carried in wagons and were to be left at the small posts on the road. Colonel Bouquet desired first to relieve Fort Ligonier, beyond the Allegheny Mountains. This place contained stores, and its conquest would inspire a new resolution to continue the attack on Fort Pitt. An advance party of twenty or thirty men succeeded in reaching the fort without the knowledge of the enemy. Though knowing nothing of the Indian movements, they in turn had correct intelligence of the movements of Colonel Bouquet, and learning of his advance, discontinued the siege of Fort Pitt, and resolved to attack him on his way thither. Fearing that this might be done, Bouquet left his wagons at Fort Ligonier and proceeded with pack-horses. At Turtle Creek, he reached a defile several miles in length that was commanded the entire way by high hills. After a short delay, he determined to pass this dangerous place by a forced march in the night. When within half a mile, at one o'clock in the afternoon, his advance guard was attacked by the Indians. As the attack was firmly supported. the enemy was driven off and pursued; the English, discovering that the enemy was concealed along their flanks, began a destructive fire. A general charge was ordered, but it produced no decisive advantage; as soon as the Indians were driven from one place they appeared at another. Constantly reinforced, at length they confronted Bouquet's little army and attacked the convoy in the rear. To protect this the main body was compelled to fall back, and night put an end to the attack.

The next morning the battle was renewed. The convoy was placed in the middle, and the troops were

placed in a circle around it. The fight continued with varying success, but Bouquet's tactics were more than a match for the Indians. An ambush was prepared, the army feigned a retreat, and the Indians, rushing on, fell into the snare. At last they gave way and fled, leaving many dead on the ground. The road to Fort Pitt was now open, but one object of the expedition was lost, the supplying of the fort with provisions, for a large quantity was destroyed as they could not be transported, in consequence of losing so many horses during the engagement. Bouquet was rewarded for his conduct by the king.

This expedition absorbed for some time the attention and energies of the Indians and preserved the frontier from their attacks. Weary of inaction the Indians returned to their old work of murder and plunder, occasionally penetrating into the interior counties. They rarely appeared in force, and when they did, were uniformly defeated. In small parties they stole through the woods, attacking the settlers in the dead of night, or, while the colonists were engaged in the fields, burnt their houses and barns, and slaughtered men, women and children. They were vagabond Indians, belonging chiefly to the Six Nations, and eked out a miserable existence by begging, stealing or maurauding on the most exposed settlers. When discovered and overtaken, they were shot or bayoneted without mercy.

On the Conestoga Manor in Lancaster County was an Indian village. They were peaceful Indians, who often went to Lancaster to sell their wares and make purchases, and were well known by those around them; nor did their conduct for many years excite any distrust. But after the terrible scourging of the frontier by the