Morrison's Pensions
CAUGHNAWAGA CHURCH
June 5th 1778
By this your Excellency is informed that I Received
your Letter near nine O'Clock this morning, and, Sir, I was then Busey to
send you our late Itelligence and Scituation; we was Informd Last Evening
by a good freind on our Side, that the Enemy was then Encamped at Mayfeild
and their Strength between three and four hunderd men, and that we might
Depend upon it, they would make another Blow before they went off; this news
was given by one of our Enemys to an Old and Intimate Acquaintance of his;
Likewise this morning, Hans Cline, the Indian, had Inform'd Myndert Quackenboss
that their had not been Danger last Evening on the River, but from this time
we must take good Care, for they, our Enemy, would not go of untill they
had Compleated more Mischief; so we have nothing Else to Expect but Blood
Shead, and Destruction; three Small Companies of my Regiment who have been
Stationd on Vroman's Creeck, have Returnd Last Evening, but, Sir, I am not
able to keep them together; it seems to be the anxious Care of too many to
go home to their Familys, and Indeed some principle Familys have gone from
this, this morning, and will not obey any Orders; and what Discourages our
men is, that their Seems to be no help or Succor to be had for them from
any parts which will Releive us at present.
Sir, by a Scout this minuet Come in, who went out
yesterday morning, and have found out by a Scotchman that the Enemy are Makeing
Bark Canoes to send their Prisoners t Cannady.
We are Dear sir Your Excellency's most Hum'e Serv'ts
Fredrick Fisher.
Volkert Veeder.
General Ten Broeck.
***********
CAGHNAWAGA 5th June 1778
Dear Sir, I Received your letter by Express, with
the Letter from General Ten Broeck, and am very sorry it is not in your power
to send us relief in our miserable situation, but I hope you will with all
possible speed, send us all the assistance in your power; as I am much afraid
we will soon be attacked by the Enemy; Last night about 12 O'Clock John Little
from Johnstown came to the Church, and Informed us that he heard sundry persons
of that place say, that the Enemys place of Rendesvouz was at the Fish House
at Sacondaga, and by the best Accounts they are about five Hundred Strong,
and a great many of our Neighbours amongst them, who have been actually seen
acting against us. The above mentioned Little's Father in Law is a suspected
Tory, and says that all the people at Caghnawaga and all round these parts
are to be taken and their Houses burn't this day or at night. We have so
many different Accounts to this purpose and from good authority that I make
no doubt of the Truth therof, but would take up too much time to mention
the whole, You may depend that they have taken Charles Marinus and Son, George
Coch and Son, Johannis Eckler and Family and John Reese; and all their Houses
plundered and every thing destroyed. Isaac De Graef our Commissary, the aforesaid
John Little, Thomas Butler and John Higgens have been there and seen all
the above. A certain Henry Kelly's wife from Sacondaga, is now come into
us and says that her Husband was shot dead at her side and the mills burn't
there. I have also sundry certain Accounts that John A. Putnam and twelve
Familys more, all living on my Lands, in that Quarter are taken and many
more with them.
John Reese's wife says that the Enemy had a list with
them who they were to go to and destroy. We formerly wrote you that our militia
were dispersed in different Quarters, say Cherry Valley &c. a few of them
are now returned, but so Fatigued that we have not yet been able to send any
Scouting parties out to reconnoiter the Enemy's motion; we have had but about
twelve Old men with us and some of them sickly, all our Mohawk Indians are
missing, Except four Old men and are of Opinion (and almost sure) they are
with this party. We wrote to Coll. Klock, where he was with the Militia for
assistance, but our letter to him was brought back to us without shewing to
him through a mistake. We sent this letter with the one we received from Genl.
Ten Broeck to John E. Van Eps, to be forwarded to him by Express, that most
the convenient side of the River to Travel in; where this mistake arises from
we can't yet learn, but was oblidged last Evening to send off another Express
with the same Letter to the said Coll. This was the Occasion of our not having
any relief sooner, as we will be Oblidged to have our militia together for
some time and Mr. De Graaf has no provision nor Orders to procure any, You'll,
therefore, please to send us Orders to provide for the militia during their
stay, You'll please forward this Letter to the Commanding Officer in Albany
and General Ten Broeck, as I have no time to write more at present, or any
part of the Letter you think most porper to send them. I believe Coll. Fisher
has wrote to Genl. Ten Broeck to this purpose how ever would be glad you would
send this or such part of it as you think best. We are, Sir, in Haste Your
humble Serv't
Jellis
Fonda.
Ab'm Van Horne.
Henry Glen Esqr.
**********
CAGHNAWAGE June 6th 1778, 11 o"Clock A.M.
Sir‑‑I have this moment received undoubted
Information by Express that a party of Indians were seen on the North side
of the River nearly opposite the late General Herkemers, & that a party
of the Enemy had broke into a Settlement called Dillenburgh near Stone Arabia & were
destroying that place.
From the above & what already has been wrote you‑‑you
see that the Enemy are divided into several parties & attack us in different
places. It is impossible for us to defend the County, for whenever we march
from one place to defend another, the places we leave are attacked, in this
distracted situation we once more call upon you for the assistance we owe each
other, and intreat you to send us what Assistance you can as soon as possible.
You will please to Communicate this to General Stark.
Inclosed you have an Affidavit of a man who was taken by the Enemy, for your
farther Information.
Your
Hu'b Serv't
Jacob Klock Colo.
[To General Ten Broeck.]
Copy
___________
Tryon County SS
Personally appeared before us Jelles Fonda & Abraham
Van Horne Esqrs. two of the Justices of the Peace for said County, Hendrick
Warmwood, who being duely Sworn on the Holy Evangelist of Almighty God deposeth & saith:
that on Tuesday the second of June Inst., as he dep't, with several others
were returning from working on the Roads, that he & Edward Conner & Michael
Carman, were taken prisoners by a party of the Indians about four miles from
Sacandago; the rest of the men who were a little behind the above mentioned
persons escaped being taken; this party of Indians Consisted as near as he
could Judge to be about two hundred in number, all painted, who took him, the
dep't to the late Sir Wm. Johnson's Summer house at the Fly at Sacondaga, where
the deponant was about two hours with them, and then released him, the said
dep't on account, that he was lame and could not walk; & they also released
Michael Carman & Edward Conner; & further the dep't sayeth, that he
saw John A. Putman, Andrew Bowman, Joseph Scott, John Harman, John Reese, Charles
Marinus, George Kock, Augustus Eckler, all prisoners with the Indians; and
the said Eckler was released who informed the said deponant that the party
of Indians who took him, say about two hundred, was not the third part of their
number and also informed him the deponant that the Indians had twenty Cannoes
made, and that he also said, that if a Thousand of the Militia were to go out
against that party of the Indians, they could not stand against them and further
the dep't sayeth not.
his
Hendrick
X Warmwood
mark
Sworn before us this 5th June 1778.
Jelles Fonda )
Abr'm Van Horne) Justices
(Copy)
Copied from the Public Papers of George Clinton, Vol. III, pages 4O5‑4O9, 414‑416.