The Conduct of the Paxton Men Impartially Represented - 19
If they did this, they must be very silly indeed---For how was is possible for Men destitute of a MILITIA, without Men, Arms, or Ammunition to protect them?--But I am credibly informed that the Truth of the Matter was,
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or Theatre were then offered to them, and neither this Deponent or his Party had any Intentions to injure them: That upon this Deponent’s proceeding down to Hunter’s, he was informed that an old Man had been killed in that Neighbourhood the Day before; and, as no other mischief was at that Time done in those Parts, nor no Account of any other Indians being seen or heard of, on that Quarter, at that Time, the said Bill Soc and his Companion, a strange Indian, were suspected and believed to be the perpetrators of that Murder. That he this Deponent, before this Tim, had frequently seen Bill Soc with his Brothers and others of the Conestogoes Indians at Fort Augusta, and often met them on the Communication, carrying up Kegs of Whisky and other Things, to trade with the other Indians there; but that after this Murder the said Bill Soc did not appear at that Garrison for near four Months, and then came there with a Number of other Indians from up the River above the Fort; at which Time he behaved in a different Manner than usual, not coming into the Fort, nor being so familiar as formerly.” and further this Deponent saith not.
Sworn and subscribed, the 28th of
February 1764, before me
JOHN HAMBRIGHT
ROBERT THOMPSON
CHARLES CUNNINGHAM, of the County of Lancaster aforesaid, personally appeared before THOMAS FOSTER, Esq.; one of the Magistrates for said County, and being duly qualified, according to Law, doth depose and say, That “he (the said Deponent) heard an Indian, named Joshua James, say, since the last War, that he never killed a white Man in his Life; but six Dutchmen that he killed in the Minisinks.” And farther saith not, sworn and subscribed before THOMAS FOSTER, by
CHARLES CUNNINGHAM
N.B. Said Joshua James was one of the Connestogoe Indians.
ALEXANDER STEPHEN, of the County of Lancaster, personally appeared before THOMAS FOSTER, Esq.; one of the Magistrates for said County, and being duly qualified, according to Law, doth depose and say, That “an Indian Woman, named Cannayab Sally, told the said Deponent, since the last War, that the Connestogoe Indians killed Jegrea, an Indian Man, because he would not go to war, with the said Connestogoe Indians, against the English: And that James Cottes told the said Deponent, since the last War, that he was one of the three that killed old James (or William) Hamilton, on Sherman’s Creek, the Beginning of last War, and another Man, with six or seven of his Family. And farther this Deponent saith, that after the last War, said James Cottes demanded of said Deponent
