Sir William Johnson to Gov. John Penn, February 9, 1764 - 1
Sir,
I had the pleasure of writing to you in answer to you. Two
letters, on the murders of the Conestoga Ind's which I hope you received.
Since my writing I am informed that Mr. [Lydias] of Albany
they claim on the Susquehanna within your government is now
preparing a number of vouchers
with which he intend to proceed for England early in the Spring by
the way of Quebec, in order to ^support^
New England on to that tract. I thought it necessary to give
you this information that you may be enabled to take such timely
steps for preventing people at home from being imposed upon by [the]
his misrepresentations – his character is too well known here, &
to require being [inlayed] upon but they are probably Strangers to it in England.
importance having perhaps prevented it from extending to England,
[care] should be taken least the artifaces of which his master may not
deceive those in power.
As great part of the Five Nations were lately here, I took the
opportunity of giving ^them^ a just representation of the Massacre of the
Conestoga Indians, explained your proclamations thereon, & assured them
of your Resolutions, to bring the Offenders to punishment,
agreable to their customs, I delivered them belts of Wampum and covered the
Graves of the deceased, at which they Expressed some satisfaction, but told
me that
^we had often upbraided them for not^ keeping
their peoples in order, which they were sorry to see, was too much our
own case. –
In my last I
and I have now the pleasure to acquaint you that I have just sent
off
The Humble Govr Penn
[Transcribed by Ethan M Reczka.]
