Conocotockos, Cherokee Chief to AS
AS to Conococtockos
AS to Occonnostota (Great Warrior)
AS to Fauquier
Occonnostota to AS
Judd’s Friend to AS
Fauquier to Lord Jeffrey Amherst
Amherst to Fauquier
Fauquier to Amherst
September, 1761
Choto
(AS’ Note: This person was made Emperor of the Cherokees by the Interest of the Great Warriour (Occonostota) & has always ‘till now opposed the Interests of the Little Carpenter, also called Attakullakulla).
Col Byrd, now I speak to you, & send a Messenger, the same, as I came my self.
I have sent the Carpenter & nine or ten of our Headmen to Charlestown to make a firm peace with our Borther the Govenor, a peace that is never to be broke for all our men are tired fighting with our Elder Brother the English.
Brother, I have set our Nation Straight, I hope you will do the same with yours, and we shall live like Brothers as formerly, & not be killing one another.
We have had a good talk from our Brother the Governor in Charlestown, & now the Path is Streight, and our hearts are clean, & the Chain is bright, which has been so long black & we shall live like one people as formerly.
I am very sorry for the War that has been between us & our Elder Brother, but now our Eyes are Opened, & the Sky Clear, & we Can See our faults, & all our Young men are sorry for what has been done.
We have had a great dal of mischief done on Both Sides, but let it not be thought on, & let us live in peace as formerly we did; We have Enemies enough of our own Colour, without fighting with the White People.
I do not Speak my Self alone, but all my people as well as me, & never will fight with the English any more, but live like Brothers as formerly, & trade as Usual. Great King George will be very angry with us, for what has been done; but now the Governor in Charles Town & we have made the Path Straight once more, & we are all very glad of it.
We are now building a Strong House, & the very first who does damage to the English shall be put in there, untill the English fetch them, & do with them as they think proper.
This you may believe, it is spoke by one and all, and the Hatchet is now buried under ground never to be seen by the English again.
This letter was translated from Conocotocko’s mouth in Choto & written by John Bench, late a Corporal in Capt. Demere’s Company who has the Caracter of an honest man, & was in the Virginia Camp this Campaign.
The Message sent with the Pipe of Peace & delivered by the Carpenters, Brother, was as follows:
We understood that our Elder Brother had been long advanced from Virginia towards our Country, & I thought perhapts they would proceed & do some thing, & have therefore sent this large Pipe, well known & much Esteemed by Us, to Assure you that the Bearer ws Commissioned by the Whole Nation, to inform you that we have made ourhearts Streight & hope you will do the same, that the Darkness in which we have lived for sometime may be done entirely away.
September, 1761
Great Island
Brother
Colonel Byrd was gone to wait on Sir Jeffrey Amherst. The Kings CaptainGeneral, at N. York, and in his Absence, I had the pleasure to Receive your Letter & favorite Pipe, which I esteem as a mark of Sincere Friendship, & will make much of it.
You tell me a great many fine thing in your letter, that the young mens Eyes are opened, that they see their faults & are sorry for what has been done, & that you have buried the Tomhawk never to be seen by the English again.
All this is for the Interest of yourPeople, & you talk like a wise man; but if you would have me believe you true & sincere, send to me immediately a principle person of the nation, with a White Prisoner to confirm what he says, for I will receive no message by Boys, & by that head man, send to me the Articles of Peace, signed byGovernoer Bull, or Col. Grant:
and if you cannot do that, come in yourself, with Occonostota Judd’s friend & other Head men of the Nation, & I will send an Officer to conduct you safe to Williamsburg, where you will see your Elder Brother the Governor of Virginia, with whom, if you are sincere, you may make a Peace tolast, whilst the Sun Shines, & the Rivers Run into the Sea.
In case I do not see the treaty of Peace, or if you & the other Head mendonot come in as I advise, It is the Orders of the Captain General that I imploy all the Troops & Indians under my Command to do you all possible mischief, and you may assure your self that I will lose no time.
In the mean time, I will keep the Troops & Indians on the North Side of Houlston River, for a few days to give you time to Consider & Resolve what to do.
The King is angry t what your People has done, but then after chasing his Children & upon their good Behaviour, he grows fond of them again.
I rejoice at the Wisdom of your Head men inbuilding a Strong house to Confine the ill minded people who do mischief to the English. It will be a means of keeping the Peace forever.
Signed
This Comes from the Warrior that Commands the Kings Troops & Indian Allies on Houlston River
N.B.
The original Letters were wrote, one with a Pencil the Other with bad ink that the Character would have been effaced before they came to hand.
Occonnostota (Great Warrior) to AS
September, 1761
Brothers
I think it very troublesome that the War has lasted so long, but now it is all over with us, & I hope it is the same with you. You may believe me that it is the truth and No lies, for one and all of my people want Peace: and you may believe this, for I am no Child; & will stand to what I now say, forever: & never will forget it.
It does not Signify to write a great deal & all lies, this is all the Truth.
September, 1761
Great Island
Brother Occonnostota,
I received your Letter (delivered) by Killaga (Little Carpenter’s brother), and am glad to hear that your people’s Eyes are Opened. You tell me that they al want Peace, it may be so: If it is true, they are Wise, for Peace is the Only Thing that can save your National from Ruin.
But, Brother, in a Matter of so great importance it is necessary to have the most certain proof of your Sincerity & Truth
I am sensible that you are no Child; that you are a man & a Warrior, and if you would have me believe that your heart is Streight, Send me immediately a Copy of the Articles of the Treaty of Peace Signed by Governor Bull or Col. Grant. And if you cannot do that, come immediately yourself with Connocotocko & Other head men in the nation, I will send an Officer to Conduct you safe to Williamsburg, when with your own Eyes, you may see the Cloud removed, & the Path Streight, Bury what has happened in the Sea, & Strengthen & brighten theChain with your Elder Brother.
Unless you send me in this Copy of the Treaty signed by Governor Bull or Col. Grant, or come in with the head Warriors as I have advised, I have Orders from Sir Jeffrey Amherst The Kings Captain General at New York, to proceed against your Towns and destroy yourNation. He has sent me more men & Indians tomake the matter Easy for me.
In the mean time; as the Captain General has permitted me to give you peace, if your hearts are streight, & your young People sorry for what they have done, I will keep all the Troops & Indians under my Command on the North Side of Houlston River, for a few days; untill I have time to hear from you, or see you; and if I do not see you, nor the Articles of Peace inthat time, I will inObeidiance to the Captain General’s orders proceed in great haste & do your people all the mischief I can. Now, Brother, I have Opened my heart and told you the Truth.
Signed The Commander of the troops & Indian Allies on Houlston River.
October 8, 1761
Fort Chiswell
(Summary)
Letter acknowledges that about 300 soldiers and some Tuscarora Indians led by Col. Waddell reached Fort Chiswell.
October 17, 1761
Choto
Brother,
I am very glad to hear the good Talk you sent by the Carpenter’s brother, and am very proud of the Present you Sent me, And now I send the Head man of our Nation Connocotocko (The Standing Turkey) to make all Streight in your own way. And no more Mischief shall be done by any of my People.
October 17, 1761
Choto
Now we send our King & Governor I and the Great Warrior stay at home till he Returns and what he dos we all Stand to for ever. And now our Chain will Certainly be bright when our King is Come on purpose to brighten it. As soon as he Returns the Great Warrior & I will Come & see you.
In the mean time I desire you to dispatch the King of our Nation as soon as possible and do not send him to Williamsburg, when he Returns I myself will Come & See the Governor. Now it is all Streight between us, I will keep it so for ever unless the white people begin first.
Oct. 26, 1761
Williamsburgh
Re AS
Sir
received the inclosed Pacquet from Colonel Stephen last night in which I imagine he has informed you of his being encamped on the main branch of Holstons River; and of the Letters he has received from Conocostocko the present Emperior of the Cherokees and Oconastota the great Warrior; which two have always obstructed the little Carpenter hitherto in his Advances towards peace; and his Answers to them: and of all his other Proceedings since the Command of the Regiment devolved on him. He writes he that he hears Colonel Waddill at Fort Chiswell with 300 men, and that his own Men are willing to undertake anything in Case a Peace is not agreed.
Is it not surprising that I have yet received no Letter from Governor Bull since Colonel Grnts affair, so am utterly ignorant of the progress towards Peace; tho by the Account of the Cherokees, the little (Carpenter) is gone to conclude it at Charles Town. The letter mentioned to me by Governor Dobbs has not yet found its way to me. I am with the most sincere Respect Sir Your Excellency most obedient humble Servant
Fran Fauquier
November 15, 1761
New York
excerpt re AS
Sir,
AS the Peace seems to be now settled with the Cherokees, and that I make no Doubt but the News there of will have reached Colo. Stephens, in time to prevent his taking Offensive Step, I am in hopes You will have been Eased of Your Fears in that Respect.. . .
Altho’ I have not as yet receivd any Commands from home, in regard to the Necessity of keeping up the Virginia Regiment, I must Recommend that Measure, for the Reasons I have already given You; and You may be Assured that so soon as I hear fromEngland on this Subject, You shall be Acquainted therewith.
December 11, 1761
Williamsburg
Sir
On the ninth instant I received a pacquet from Colonel Stephens with th Letter and papers which by his Desire I herewith inclose to your Excellency.
Upon my communicating his Letter to me, (to the same purport as that inclosed to you) the Indians Talk, and the Belts of Wampum sent to me by the Kingws of the national, the Council were of Opinion, that this ws sufficient authority for me to act upon in Relation to the calling and disbanding the Regiment though I had no account of the peace from Lt. Gov. Bull and in Consequence thereof I have sent orders to Colonel Stephen to march in the Regiment forthwith to Fort Lewis, and to Mr. Commissary Walker to victual them at the Expence of the Colony when they arrive here as long as they shall be on Foot.. .