332 APPENDIX F. 



vices you have rendered to his Majesty, his Northern Colonies in general, 

 and to this Province in particular, during our late Wars with the French, 

 and barbarous Indians, in the remarkable Victory over the savage Enemy, 

 united to oppose you, near Bushy Run, in August, 1763, when on your 

 March for the Relief of Pittsburg, owing, under God, to your Intrepidity 

 and superior Skill in Command, together with the Bravery of your Offi- 

 cers and little Army ; as also in your late March to the Country of the 

 savage Nations, witli the Troops under j^our Direction ; thereby striking 

 Terror through the numerous Indian Tribes around you ; laying a Foun- 

 dation for a lasting as well as honorable Peace, and rescuing, from savage 

 Captivity, upwards of Two Hundred of our Christian Brethren, Prisoners 

 among them. These eminent Services, and your constant Attention to 

 the Civil Rights of his Majesty's Subjects in this Province, den)and. Sir, 

 the grateful Tribute of Thanks from all good Men ; and therefore we, the 

 Representatives of the Freemen of Pennsylvania, unanimously for our- 

 selves, and in Behalf of all the People of this Province, do return you 

 our most sincere and hearty Thanks for these your great Services, wish- 

 ing you a safe and pleasant Voyage to England, with a kind and gracious 

 Reception from his Majesty. 



Signed, by Order of the House, 



Joseph Fox, Speaker. 



2. Condition and Temper of the Western Indians. 



Extract from a letter of Sir William Johnson to the Board of Trade, 

 1764, December 26 : — 



Your Lordships will please to observe that for many months before the 

 march of Colonel Bradstreet's army, several of the Western Nations had 

 expressed a desire for peace, and had ceased to commit hostilities, that 

 even Pontiac inclined that way, but did not choose to venture his person 

 by coming into any of the posts. This was the state of affairs when I 

 treated with the Indians at Niagara, in which number were fifteen hun- 

 dred of the Western Nations, a number infinitely more considerable than 

 those who were twice treated with at Detroit, many of whom are the 

 same people, particularly the Hurons and Chippewas. In the mean time 

 it now appears, from the very best authorities, and can be proved by the 

 oath of several respectable persons, prisoners at the Illinois and amongst 

 the Indians, as also from the accounts of the Indians themselves, that not 

 only many French traders, but also French officers came amongst the 

 Indians, as they said, fully authorized to assure them that the French 

 King was determined to support them to the utmost, and not only 

 invited them to the Illinois, where they were plentifully supplied with 

 ammunition and other necessaries, but also sent several canoes at differ- 

 ent times up the Illinois river, to the Miamis, and others, as well as up the 

 Oliio to the Shawanese and ''^'^lawares, as by Major Smallman's account, 



