SAME TO SAME.

(Indorsed, REC' AUGUST Y' 10")

FORT PITT 24th July 1761.

SIR,

Yesterday M: Croghan delivered me your Letter of the 13th Nothing new has happened since my last. All the Indians about us very quiet.

The Delaware and Shawanese are much divided in their Councils. Some being for delivering the Prisoners, others for keeping them: The Delaware are said to have 100 yet & the others 150.

Coll. Burd, Capt. De Haas & Bryan are arrived. Likewise Capt. Gordon wth Ensign Pauly: He has no sketch of Sandusky Lake, having lefft it with you.

That Detachment must distress us in every Respect. We have no Horses to carry their Provisions upon their long march, much less to feed them there, and to carry nails, blocks, & a few necessary materials: and no cattle of any kind: (French Creek is not to be depended on.)

The Provincials not thinking themselves obliged to go beyond this Port, I will not ask them but send of the R.A. under the Command & direction of Lieut. Meyer, as soon as I can procure Horses and Cattle.

Oeconomy being so strongly recommanded I would think that Major Gladwyn could have built that Blockhouse with half the Trouble & Expence: M: Croghan proceeds to Detroit, and will acquaint the Indians with our Intentions, & fix upon the most convenient spott on the Sth side of the Lake: I hope we are not to garrison it from hence.

You will soon be informed by Sir William and Croghan of the true Reasons of discontent among the Northern Indians. Those in this District do not complain of any

thing, except that the Traders are not permitted to go to their Towns: But when they are told that the Reasons are their not delivering the Prisoners & continuing to steal our Horses, they have nothing to say, but repeat Promises they will not perform, till forced to it by keeping the Trade from them.

Notwithstanding the bad usage our Traders met at the Shawanese Town, They are very eager to venture amongst them, to be at liberty to deal upon their own terms: I had the honour to Inform you that I never permitted them to go but to such Places where the King has Posts & Garrisons: Crawford produces me a New Pass from you, Copy of which I beg leave to Inclose, as containing two Clauses upon which the Traders and I differ of opinion, The first is the liberty given them to pass to Detroit or . . . to any Indian Settlement in that District, by which they think themselves authorized to trade at every Indian Hutt, and this I could not grant as I believe it contrary to your Intention.

The other is the Proviso that they shall conform themselves to the Rules & Regulations made or to be made by the Commanders in Chief, and as no orders from him concerning the Trade have to my knowledge been yet sent here they would Imagine themselves freed of all Restraint.

A Word more upon them. Ourry asks me the List of the Traders & Suttlers here to give them Licences; this being no more a Camp but a garrison I could wish to have your orders thereupon, as I don't apprehend that a quarter master has any thing to do with it, unless he has your approbation, and in that case are all Traders to pay Licences or only such as retail Liquors?

Major Walters writes me that he had received orders from the General not to discharge any of the Men whose Time was out, upon which he had only discharged those unfit for service.

He desires to know if you chuse he should continue to send you the Returns & Reports of his Post or to General Amherst.

He was obliged to send the Batteaux back to Presqu'isle Empty, for want of Provisions.

I am with great Respect

Sir

Your most obliged obedient,

General MONCKTON.

Humble Serv

SAME TO SAME.

FORT PITT 27th July 1761.

SIR,

I have the honour to inclose you Copy of Capt. Campbells' Letter to me.

The two Indians who delivered it, are the Seneca Chiefs who made the Speeches at Detroit. They have had a grand Council this day here, in which they have pretended to repeat all the Speeches passed at Detroit, But have not said a Word of Truth: The answer we have given them is, that having a very different account of their Transactions with the Vestern Indians, we would judge by their conduct hereafter, which of the Speeches were to be credited: They have received some small Presents, and dissembling on both sides, we parted very great Friends. By the first opportunity you will receive their Speeches of this day, which I cannot get copied now;

Some days ago we lost three Grenadiers by desertion; Two have been taken up beyond the Crossing of the Juniatta, and brought here: Hand & Colton. This is the third time Hand deserts & Colton is the greatest Villain in

America: The desertion has been so frequent in the Granadiers, that an Example appeers really necessary: & never Subjects deserved more to suffer than those Two:

A Serjeant of the Pensilvanians is not less guilty. He broke open & robbed a Store, deserted with another man stealing Two Horses, was arrested near Fort Cumberland, made his Escape, came back here when he kept himself concealed several days in the Woods, persuaded five or six young Soldiers to desert wth him, was discovered, all his companions secured, himself alone got off. He was taken again at Juniatta & is secured here.

Whatever turn our Indian affairs may take, It is almost certain that we shall be quiet for some time; when, if you thought it proper, some Stores & ammunition could be sent up from Bedford & Cumberland. The difficulty is to get carriages. The Country People being frightened don't come up as usual.

SIR,

SAME TO SAME.

(Indorsed, LETTER from Col. BOUQUET REC' SEPT Y' 9")

FORT PITT 12th August 1761.

The bearer Mr. Babby having raised strong Prejudices against himself, by his imprudent conduct in the affairs of the merchandizes seized here, has been suspected ever since & often charged of keeping correspondence with the

Savages, & particularly the Shawanese, & the French Deserters they harbour; that he kept minutes of our Transactions, & at last that a Plan of the Fort had been seen in his Papers.

When the Indian Plot was discovered, I arrested M: Babby, & seized his Papers, which were examined before him by myself & some other officers. By the Letters he had received & the copys of those he had wrote here, It appeared clearly that he had never mentioned any thing besides his own affairs and as to the Plan of the Fort, it proved to be an old Sketch of Fort Duquesne.

Being fully satisfied of his Innocence, he was released, & since that time has been more open than before & behaved himself very properly.

He is thoroughly acquainted with this Part of the Continent & the Western Indians, whose Language he speaks, and being active & Intelligent might be useful in Indian Dealings; if the King keeps Canada at the Peace: & some little advantage in Trade, would easily bring him over to our Interest.

He begs to be recommanded to you for Leave to go to Montreal to settle his accounts of advances to the French Government.

We have not had the least disturbance from Indians nor any Horse stolen of late.

Croghan desires me to inform you that on his way to Detroit, he had made up the affair of the Indian Hickman killed below, & given the usual Presents to his Relations.

We have received at låst forty small Beeves which is all the Stock here; That supply enables me to send off Lieut. Mayer, Ens Pauly, Two Serjeants, 1. D 2 Corp. & 30 R.F. of the R.A. to Sandusky, with all the Cattle we have for themselves & Detroit, and 30 Impressed Horses carrying Flour & a few Tools, Tents, Powder &c.

I have taken the opportunity of the present open & free communication thro' the Indian Country to send some more