Sir
I received you Dispatches of the 2nd Inst. The 25th Last month I acquainted you Excellency that the Great Warriour had disappointed me in not going to Warr as he promised, Giving out in the town Houses that a Great many white people where coming up to destoy them from Charlestown, On which their Young people grew very Imertinent Threatening to kill the white people here, & then Stop the Communication between their & Keowee, the Same day the Exprefs left this I Send the Linguister to Chattuga, to see if Thickleggs, a warriour of that town wou’d go to war as he promised me Some time before, Heme word he was proud of the Opportunity & that in Six day’s he wou’d come & let me Know when he would Seet off and & haw many he should Carry with him. He Accordingly came as he promised, we agreed on what he was to have & he was to take three white men along with him, he told me he had heard bad talk’s in all their Towns & that their Warriours did not Chuse their Young People Should go to Warr but that he did not regard there Talk’s because he belived they were Si____, While he was in the Fort Old Hopp & the Great Warriour Sent to Chattuga & took away the war hatchets I ha d given him, he left me tht afternoon & Said he would not go to Chotta, because he wold not hear their bad talks, but that he would go to Tomally, & the next day to Chattuga & Five days after he would go to war, I was surprised to see him Return the same Evening, when he told me that Old Hopp had ordered him on his Perrite not to go, for he Expected a Runner from the Lower Towns & Middle Settlements, & when he had Given out the talk to all the Indians he might then do as he pleased, but that Shou’d not Long hinder him from Going, Since that I have been Informed they have had Severall private Meetings & that Runner’s has been Sent to the Northward Indian Nations & to the French to make peace with them One Morning a Yound Indian Fellow came to the Fort & told me, that the Young Fellows of Severall towns had a Meeting of their own at Tanafsee the night before, & that it was agreed upon by Some amongst them to kill the white people, but some again Said it was better to refer it till the Carpenter came that they might hear what he Said, On which I reply’d it might be long before he came & that the white people might might do them Mischief in that time, & that it was better to begin at once but I have heard nothing Since & believe it was dropt.
Old Hopp Sent me word that as he had not Seen me for a Long while wou’d Come for Every thing was well,
On the 15th Instn. The Great Warriour sent to Acquaint me that as he found what was told was false, he Intended to go to warr & that in Six Nights he wou’d come to the Fort. Accordinly he came with a Gang of Twenty Five Indians & a white man that Formerly belong’d to the Peovincials Compy’s As I invitted him to go Agreable to Your Excellency’s desire, he requested of me a Great many things which I could not Grant, And as Some of their Young fellows were. Atmost Naked, I gave them Eight Blanketts, Eight pair Boots a pound& a half paint, three Trading Guns, Powder, Bulletts, Flints, & 25 Knives, & some Garlin to wrapp up their Conjuring trapps in, After every thing was distributed, I sent for the three white men that I intended shou’d go with him, I told him they cou’d walk well & wou’d do as Much Execution as any of his Gang, he told me he did not doubt that in the Least, but Said that White People Generally Spoild their Physick, & therefore did not Chuse they Should go along With him, I insisted all I could As it was Your Excellency’s desire but all in Vain, I Conjectured from themce that his waws not against the french Fort, & therefore told him, I did Mind Scalps so much as a prisoner to bring Intelligence, He Answered that I might depencd he would do his Utmost but said it was there way that is they meet any Enemey Indians & Spill blood immediately to Return, And as Soon as I am Gone I desire you’ll Acquaint the Governour, as I have Promised him to go to warr at any time that he wou’d Send up Some Cloaths for My people, & four Caggs Rum & Sugar for his Gang.——————–I have reasons to believe he is not gone that way but acquaint the Choctaws, & I wish I could find one that would go directly aaisnt the french Fort, According to your desire, _________________I was talking with the officer about it, In came Thickleggs With three Young fellows and Said I am now come to talk to you as I Promised about Going to Warr, & Said I know not Howmany will go with me, but I will go to Cattuga tomorrow & in three nights will let you know, I do not wat a great many for I intend to do Execution & to Avoid the Enemey Indians as much as I can, I desire you’ll Order Your White men to be ready & you May depend I will take Care of them & that they shall live as we do, I beg you’ll Acquaint his Excellency that they wou’d be Atmost naked before they Returne & hoped hoped he wou’d Consider them, & order them Some presents & a few Arm plates, & w_ish plates.
The Little Carpenter is not yett Returned from Virginia, but they are verry Impatient for his coming, & Swear Virginia Incase any thing shou’d Happen him on the path, and I afshure Your Excellency that he has a_way Amongst but old & Young here, that whatever he Say’s is a Law, & I hope Your Excellency will not take amifs if I do not as Yet Mention to the Indians his behaviour to the Northward for they Already Knoe what has happened, I have Consulted the Officers About it and they desire me not to Mention it at this time because it will Immediately Occafsion an uproar, But you ma depend Upon I shall do it in a Proper time.
I have Inclosed Your Excellcy. A plan of a Tower drown by the Carpenter which will of Great Service to this Fort, if Attacked, as it will contain all the men, Over look every part of the Fort , besides the Conviency of Stores & a Maga__ine that nothing cou’d hurt, There is two large Logg houses in the fort which is of Little or no Service, & as they are not Sark’d are dailly Rotting, but if taken down & squared there will a Suffciency of Timber to compleat the Inclosed plan, & will has a Considerable time, But that he must have some men to Afsist him in Squaring, Sawing _______Twenty four fathom of _uch rope, & two Grind Stones Eighteen inches diameter, Spike’s, Nails, _______7 that he could compleat the same in three Months of your Excellency Approves of it.
As the Men are Allowed no more than four pounds fresh pork ( some kind of sign, seems to mean per) week by the Cammifsary’s Instuctions, and pork being cheaper then Beef, I hope Your Excellency will take it into Consideration, as the men Complain they Cannot
Subsist on so Small an Allowance, He likewife desires their Shou’d by no More then three Men —- provifsions in Store here but if he was Acquainted with the difficulty of Carriage & badnefs of the loads if Rainey Weather setts in, he then would not think Six Months more then Sufficient, The Salt I receive is all made Use of in Salting the Hoffs.
J am with the greatest Regard
Sir
your Excellency’s
Most obedient
and most humble Servant
Paul Demere
P.S. I am in verry Great Want of Flints, for those Mr. McIntosh sent were good For Nothing, so beg your Excellcy. _______be pleased to order some to be Sent up.