Account of the Indian murders, December 27, 1763 - 1
You have doubtly heard of that which is notorious
to every Body here, the massacre of six Indians at Conestogoe
by 57 men who are said to be but a small party of the multitude
who are enraged agst the [Residue] of the Conestogoe tribe.
They have shewn a ferocity equal to that of the Savages themselves
On accot of the murders of the Relatives of some of them, on the
Frontier by Indians of other Nations. 14 The Remains of the
whioe nation have been brot here & lodged in the goal by the
adivice of Mr. Wright, thro’ the care & activity of John Miller
& Robert Beatty, who by order of the proprietary agents, have
had for a considerable time the oversight of the Indian town
Land &c: with the assistance of Mr. William Hay the Sheriff’s
son; tho’ I belive at the Risque of their Lives: Because those
murderers & their are [?] from here are so irritated & enraged agst
those Indians & all others who have avowed their disapprobation
of that murder, that none of them and [?] from the attempts
of that blood-thirsty mob. Rumours & threats of pulling
down the goal & killing the Indians there have been so well
attempted that the gaoler has armed himself & sent after his Childn
driven nights, & sundry magistrates have watched with him
‘til and early hour of the morning.
The Deed, minutes of passages, & other papers belonging to them
& also such of their effects as have escaped the burning and
Destruction of those Banditti, & have not been [?] by bad
neighbours are at the Indns request secured by Beatty & Miller
I have given you the trouble of this letter, from the only
[?] the feelings of humanity that you may take such
measures as you think proper, & may be in your power
tp preserve this Land from further guilt. I am afraid there
is not a good understanding between some of our magistrates
& certain worthy Representatives of the County, which may
have prevented measures which might have already been
taken to prevent further bloodshed. I wish I may be wrong
[Transcribed by Kyle Staubs]
