1757, July 4

The following data is extracted from Letterbooks of William Henry Lyttleton 1756-1760.

Sir

On the 26th June Last, I had the Honour to Receive your Excellency letter, per Dennis Agen, and am glad that all my Dispatches aregott safe to your Excellency hands, I wish that Tho. Smith may de the same, for I heard that he was Oblidg’e to Swim Rivers; I am proud that your Excellency is Satisfyed by Approving of my Conduct in the Management of Affairs which I Transacted in the Nation, and return your Excellency thanks for granting me leave of Absence to return to Charles Town, and Sending another officer to succeed me in my Command, I wish Sincerely that my state of Health had Permitted me to stay Longer, I should not have troubled your Excellency so ofen, by putting you in mind of your promise but of Late I have been so very ill and am so weak that I do not know how I shall get Down.

Your Excellency is pleased to intimate to me, that Some men of warr and tramsport were seen Steerimg to the Mifsisippi, and that Such a Reinforcement may enable Monfieur De Therleree to Renew his Attempts upon the Cherokees, As there is no __________(extratageme) but a good Officer will make use of and pput the Same in exectution to Serve his King and Country, and Particularly after having Received fresh Su_our’s will inable him the more to make what Attempts he can and induce him to try a Second time to put his S-il- in Agitation with this Nation but Sincerely believe that all his Savoir faire and Retorique together will be to no purpose but however I will not be so firm nor Resolute in my foolish Opinion by being perhaps to much infatuated to them, for Savages are but Savages at Loft and are easily obtain’s by Lu-er of gain, therefore Shall enter into your Excellency wise and prudent way of thinking and propose to be upon my guard and be Vigilant During my stay here and not Slacking my Solicitations and beft indeavours near them in the Strongest manner I can too keep them in the Same Spirit, & good Notino, as they are at present toward us and at the same time Shall Recommend them to be aware of the falst &Deceitfull insinuation’s that the french might in their heads, now at this present time, after having killed the Savannahs, their friends and Emisary’s in short your Excellency may be perswaded that I shall Repulse any bad intentions that the french can propose and Shall do my Utmost to preserve them to our intrest as much as pofsible I can, after Such an information as your Excellency has had, I think it tis very predent in you in not having this prefent Garrifon Deminished, I have Spoke to Capt. Stuart, and Luit, Howorth both as the Commands Capt. Postells Company to Tansmit pen this mefsenger the papers Relating to the two provincial Company’s which your Excellency Require’s, and they have promised me So to do on the 27th of June Capt, Ceaser came & Acquainted me that three Young Fellows, that were in the Creek Nation belonging to these Towns came away as Soon as the Savannahs Arrived there, they Report that the Savannah’s wanted to kill an Indian Trader but the Creek’s opposed them, they told them that they loved the English and woud have none killed, Advised them rather to leave there Country that it woud be much better for them now that the English had begun with them, the Savannah’s Desir’d that they might remain their till the fall of the year on Account of there women, Children and horses, they having great Number’s of each kind, I am in great hopes, that before they go they will all be knocked in the head for If they once Join their Brothers to the Northward, they will do a great dBeal of Mischeif, therefore theire going of ought to be prevented in Some Shape or another; without the Least Vanity or Presumtion to my Self, as I had a hand in having those three Savannah’s killed I realy think that it was one of the bext things that coud be Down, for our future Tranquility with this Nation, and the Same being Executed Just as they were coming out of there favourite Town, where they thought themselves Safe and protected which is great Tellicoe; Ond the 1, Instant I order a party of an Officer, Serjeant,; Corporall, and 21 Private men to go over the hills as farr as Highwassey to meet Capt. Peter Grim with the Cattell and to efcort them to the fort, the Same day as they went off, they meet the Cattellat the Top of Unicoye Mountain, and the next day they arrived Safe at the fort, such a fine gang of Cattell, I never Saw, being old Large fatt and healthy, that in Short it was a pleafure to See them here, and in time of want , they are computed to weigh four Hundred each including Cows & all, the Cows are all young and with Calf, there is Ninety eight in all, I Suppose the cows are not for killing, by what I perceive by your Excellency Agreement, being so exact for 20 Cows and 2 Bulls, I may afsure your Excellency that it is a good Notion of yours to have Such a Care, for too Praise a Stock & Milk will be a great help & Advantage to the People, I herewith Transmit your Excellency Return’s of all the people that is here at Gort Loudoun, men, women & Children all Beefeeaters, that your Excellency may be a better Judge how long the Beef will Laft, the Women Receive the Same Allowance as the Men, As your Excellency will have more Occasion to Contract for Cattell, to be Drove here towards the fall, to be killed & salted immediately for the Winter Season, and the Spring of the Year, for no Cattell will be good, nor canb be Drove till next June, therefore Shall Recommend Capt, Peter Grim, to your Excellency, to be the man for he will ingage himself, that the next he Drives will be Larger & fatter, he Says that he was this time in a great Houray, he is a man that is easy and Quiet & that the people in the Settlements likes, & will Oblig’d, I cannot forbare telling your Excellency that Capt. Grim has bought part of the Cattell, that William Turner of Salludy wanted to sell to M. Chivellette, which Shose’s plainly it was apea----& by that obstanicy, we might have been in want of meat kind, & I blamed for it after all my indeavour’s we have been but three day’s without it, Some time agoe the Upper Creeks & Savannahs Sent a Mefsage to the Cuttawbers, with Some prosials to Joine them in there Sceams the Warriours & head men not being then at home, they Said if they had been they woud have killed the Mefsengers, there is very near three hundred Indians of this nation in Virginia, the heavy Rains Still Continue, I am Sir with the Great of Respect.

Your Excellency moft Humble
and Obedient Servent

Ray Demere

coppies

I Send inclosed two papers, one from the king of the Cuttawbers to the Little Carpenter and the other from Judge Freind to Old Hop.

Source: Letterbooks of William Henry Lyttleton 1756-1760

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