1757, October 11, Fort Loudoun

Sir

I am very Sorry that I had forgot to Mention to you Excellency, the Receit of the Letter of the 10th of August & that of the 21st of July, with a Pokett compass. It is impossible for me to describe how tormented I am Every Day with the Indians. Some bring their Guns to be mended & it must be done because the Carpenter told them it should be So, and you promised him; Some bring Hatchets to be mended other Padlocks to have keys made to them; others want Salt, others sometimes Meat, & great many other things, which is granted, the Thanck God they are very quiet in all the Towns.

I have finished to build the Chimneys of the Barracks and have send the Men in them, they are very comfortable I have pull’d down the our of the way Hutts, & there is fine Parade to excersise the men, and when the Gueard House is finished it will be an other thing. I have made 37 Shutters for the Port Holls with Hinges and cross Bars, and as there was not a nail left, I have ordered the Smithe to Make some out of the old iron to save the little quantity that is left. Since I am here I have used but very little Flower, the other Day, I send the Baker to examine it, and that he told me would not keep long, I ordered to make Biskett ourt of it. I issue to the Men Indian Corn; and when the e one is gathered and dry, I shall buy a quantity as cheap as I can, I have a place build’d for that porpos the 3th Instant I recived from Keowee by John Elliot, the Couper’s Tools, Files for the Smith, a Screw Plate and Tops, wrinting Paper intirely Spiled by bad weather. 9 trading Guns, 12 of which are Spoil’d or broke. 400 Powder Damaged, 403 Ball according the Receit from Keowee and all the rest of the Things, 1791 Salt. 19 Shirts Elliot tell me that the Powder & were Damaged when he look them at Keowee as I made Bargain with Elliot before I recived Your Excellency’s letter about the Salt that he had at Keowee, I am to pay him the prime Coast, and the Carriage, we shall not want any for long while, and I have ordered a large Tubb to be made that it may not be Spoiled. The Cooper is making large Casks to Salt the meat, and as soon they are done, we shall kill the Cattle. I lost but six Cows, and although great many had the Distemper, the rest recovered.

I would have Dispatch’d the Expres this morning the 12 but hearing that the head men had met at Chotee the Day before, I was very glad to know what it was to acquaint, your Excellency with it. I had sent the Linquister there. He told me that the man killer of Talico hearing that they had ment, he went in, and Said, well you have made me a great Rogue, and you are very good Men, you have told the warriour at the Fort, that I was the occation of the Michief, and that you knew nothing of it; is there anyone amongst you , said he, that dare deny that he did not know what I did; did you not put in my hands the war Hatched; did you not tell me to kill that Mna and to scalp him, pointing to John Elliot who was present, then, but I would not do it, when it was in my Power, knowing that he had been long whild among us, and that Some of you owed him a Sprite. Did you not advise me said he, to go to the French, let anyone of you Say, if he dare, that what I say is not true, finging them all silent, he said, the little carpenter, and you Willilawa speaking to him, were privy to it, but I will discover Every Thing, and I shall be the Good Man, and you shall be the Rogues. Having Said. Elliot gave them some room as he does Every year to pay them of the Damage that his Horses do to their Corn. They Set down and Drunck together and seemed at last to be good friends. Last night hearing that two head men of Talico were in the Fort, that would be glad to See me, but were Shamed, I sent for them, and after they had eat according the custom we sat by the fire, I told the Linquister to tell them, that I should be glad to receive the Talico People as Friends and Brothers, as they had promised to be, that I did not know what to make of them, finding they were Screening in their towns the French and the Savanahs our Enemys and that lately they had commited a Murder in their town, and to excuse themselves had said that the Savanahs had done it, but that, I knew better, and that you Son Speaking to the old Raven, was one of the Murderers, that I found the Governour was very surprised of their Behaviour and did not know what to thinck of them, that I was sure he will very angry, if he has no Satisfaction for what was passed, that I wished with all my Heard, that I might acquaint him, that Talico People was quite reformed, that they were very good Brothers to the English, that they despised the French, that they had Shut’d their Ears their Lyes, and had killed the Savannahs when they came in their Town. They answered they had very little to Say for themselves, they knew they were guilty, and were very Sorry for it, that for the future they would Show that they are our best friends, that if ever any Savanahs came to their Town, they would kill them. That is was true, their young people had been very fullish, and would hear nothing but how their Eyes were opened, and Saw that what the French had told them was nothing but Lyes; that it was true they had all the blame but the Indians of other towns, were a guilty as they. Two youn Men of our town Said old Raven came the other day from the French, they had always promised them great Rewards if they would stand their friends, that they were now convinced that the French were Lyers, that what they had promised them, they never intended to perform; and that they nothing to give; they were resolved to not go any more among them, but to stand our friends, and that we have never Served them as the others did, I was said Raven the other Day at Talico when Elliot passed throw, did we molest him, and Hotton two days ago came the same way, and he was offered to eat, and we shall always be glad when the white Men pass throw our Town pray acquaint out Brother the Governour with these, I told them I would, and wished they would be as good as their word as it was late I made lye down by a good fire. Next morning they had a Drain and a Dos of pint, and went away well Satisfied.

I am with Respect
Your Excellency
Most obedient &
Most humble Servent

Paul Demere


Collection:
Lyttelton, William Combe Baron Thomas Lyttelton. Letters of the Late Lord Lyttelton. Philadelphia: Moses Thomas. 1812.

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