IQQ AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



ao'ainst these devastations, a chain of forts and block-houses were erected 

 at an expense of eighty-five thousand pounds, by the Province of Penn- 

 sylvania, along the Kittatiny hills, from the river Delaware to the Mary- 

 land line, commanding the principal passes of the mountains, garrisoned 

 with from twenty to seventy-five Provincials, as the situation and 

 importance of the places respectively required. 



On April 13, [1756] the Governor informed the Council and the As- 

 sembly of intelligence received that a number of people from the back 

 counties had resolved to meet at Lancaster on the 16th inst., to march to 

 Philadelphia and make some demands of the Legislature, Benjamin 

 Chew, Alexander Stedman, Edward Shippen and William West were 

 sent to Lancaster to inquire into the causes of the proposed meeting, and 

 these gentlemen reporting their proceedings on the 21st, the Governor 

 convened the Assembly for May 10th next ensuing, to take measures for 

 putting the western part of the Province into a sulficient state of defence, 

 and thereby to meet the demands of the people. 



And we have to regret another instance of the deliberate inhumanity 

 which has distinguished the belligerents on the North American conti- 

 nent, in regard to their employment of the Indians.^ The cruelty of the 

 savage was stimulated by the promise of reward ; and, by proclamation, 

 a premium was ofi'ered for the prisoners and scalps taken from the Indian 

 enemy. This was rather an invitation to murder, than to take and pro- 

 tect prisoners. For as the scalp was worth the living body, no consid- 

 eration of religion or humanity induced the Indians to suffer the slightest 

 inconvenience from their prisoners. 

 The Proclamation ran thus : 



" Memorandum. On the fourteenth instant, the Proclamation of War 

 against the Delawares was pubhshed at the Court House in the presence 

 of the Council, Supreme Judges, Magistrates, Officers, &c., and a large 

 concourse of people, and is as follows : 



"i??/ the Honoumhle ROBERT HUNTER MORRIS, Esquire, Lieuten- 

 ant Governor and Commander-in- Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, 

 and Counties of New Castle, Kent and Sussex, upon Delmoare: 



"A PROCLAMATION. ^ 



" Whereas, the Delaware tribe of Indians, and others in confederacy 

 with them, have for some time past, without the least provocation and 

 contrary to their most solemn Treaties, fallen upon this Province, and in 

 a most cruel, savage and perfidious manner, killed and butchered great 

 numbers of the inhabitants, and carried others into barbarous captivity; 

 burning and destroying their habitations and laying waste the country. 

 And Wliereas, notwithstanding the friendly remonstrances made to them 



1 Gordon. 



