The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1782-12-18 00:00:00, page 1

Teoga, January 3d, 1782.
May it please your Excellency,
" At the request of the Senneka Chiefs, I fend
herewith to your Excellency, under the care of
James Boyd, eight packs of scalps, cured, dried,
hooped, and painted with all the Indian triumphal
marks, of which the following is invoice and ex
planation:#
No. I. Containing 43 scalps of Congress soldiers,
killed in different skirmishes ; these are
stretched on black hoops, 4 inch diameter;
the inside of the skin pointed red, with a
small black spot to note their being killed
with bullets. Also 62 of farmers, killed in
their houses ; the hoops red ; the ficin painted
brown, and marked with a hoe; a black cir
cle all round to denote their being furprized
in the night; and a black hatchet in the
middle, lignifying their being killed with
that weapon.
No. 2. Containing 98 of farmers killed in their
houses ; hoops red; figure of a hoe, to mark
their profeffion ; great white circle and fun,
to shew they were furprized in the day-time;
a little red foot, to shew they Rood upon
their defence, and died fighting for thfir
lives and families.
No. 3. Containing 97 of farmers; hoops green, to
(hew they were killed in their fields; a large
white circle with a little round mark on it
for the fun, to shew that it was in the day
time; black bullet mark on some, hatchet
on others.
No. 4. Containing 102 of farmers, mixed of the
several marks above; only 18 marked with
a little yellow flame, to denote their being
of prisoners burnt alive, after being scalped,
their nails pulled out by the roots, and other
toiments ; one of these latter supposed to be
of a rebel clergyman, his band being fixed
to the hoop of his scalp. Moftof the farmers
appear by the hair to have been young or
middle-aged men ; there being but 67 very
grey heads among them all; which makes
the service more essential.
No. 5. Containing 88 scalps of women; hair long,
• braided in the Indian fafhion, to shew they
were mothers ; hoops blue; ficin yellow
ground, with little red tadpoles, to repre
sent, by way of triumph, the tears or grief
occaficned to their relations ; a black fcalp
ing-knife CF hatchet at the bottom, to mark
their being kifed with those instruments :
17 others, hair very grey; black hoops;
plain brown colour' ; no mark but the short
club or caffetete, to sh ^ w they were knocked
down dead, or had then' brains beat out.
0. 6. Containing 19^ boys scalps, of various
ages; small green hoops; whitish ground on
the skin, with red tears in the' middle, and
black bullet marks, knife, hatchet, or club,
as their deaths happened.
“ r"V IHE peltry taken in the expedition will,
8 as you fee, amount to a good deal of
■ money. The possession of this booty
at firft gave us pleasure; but we were
struck with horror to find among the packages eight
large ones, containing scalps of our unhappy coun
try folks, taken in the three last years by the Sen
neka Indians, from the inhabitants of the frontiers
of New-York, New-Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vir
ginia, and sent by them as a present to Col. Hal
dimand, Governor of Canada, in order to be by
him transmitted to England. They were accom
panied by the following curious letter to that gen
tleman.
<From the SUPPLEMENT to the BOSTON INDE
PENDENT CHRONICLE.
BOSTO N, March 12.
From the London General Advertiser and Morn
ing Intelligencer, of June 29, 1782.
Extrafi of a letter from Captain Gerrifo, of t,be
Nev-England militia, dated Albany, March 7.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. VI.)
WEDNESDAY, December 18, 1782.
Father,
Attend to what lam now going to fay : ft is a
matter of much weight. The great King's ene
mies are many, and they _ ;<w faft in number.
They were formerly like young panthers; they
could neither bite nor scratch ; we could play
with them fafely; we feared nothing they could
do to us. But now their bodies are become big
as the elk, and strong as the buffalo: they have
also got great and sharp claws. They have driv
en us out of our country for talcing p«>{in your
quarrel. We expert the great King will give us
another country, that our children may live after
us, and be his friends and children as we are.—
Say this for us to the great King. To enforce
it we give this belt.
A great white belt with blue taffcls.
Father,
We. have only to fay further, that your traders ex
act more than ever for their goods; and our hunt
ing is lessened by the war, io that we have fewer
skins to give for them. This ruins us. Think
of some remedy. We are poor; and you have
plenty of every thing. We know you will fend
us powder and guns, and knives, and hatchets ;
but we also want shirts and blankets,
A little white belt.
I do not doubt but that your Excellency will
think it proper to give some farther encouragement
to those honed people. The high prices they com
plain of, are the necessary effed of the war. What
ever presents may be sent for them through my
hands, (hall be distributed with prudence and fide
lity. I have the honour of being
Your Excellency's most obedient,
And most humble servant,
JAMES CRAUFURD."
No. 7. 211 girls scalped, big and little; small yel
low hoops; white ground ; tears, hatchet,
club, scalping- knife, &c.
No. 8. This package is a mixture of all the vari
eties above-mentioned, to the number of
122; with a box of birch bark, containing
29 little infants scalps of various sizes ; small
white hoops; white ground; no tears, and
only a little black knife in the middle, to
shew they were ript out of their mother's
belly.
With these packs the Chiefs fend to your Ex
cellency the following speech, delivered by Conei
ogatchie in council, interpreted by the elder Moore,
the l rader, and taken down by m e in writing.
Father,
We fend you herewith many scalps, that you may
fee we are not idle friends.
A blue belt.
Father,
We wish you to fend these scalps over the water to
the great King, that he may regard them and be
refrefhed ; and that he may fee our faithfulnefs
in destroying his enemies, and be convinced that
his presents have not been made to ungrateful
people.
A blue and white belt with red tassels.
LON DO N, September 24.
Extras of a letter from Fowey, September 21.
" L'Hebe, the French frigate carried into Ply
mouth the 17th instant, is perhaps, the most com
plete ship in the world of her rate (being much su
perior to the Artois) mounts 38 guns, but is fit to
carry 46, her upper deck 149 feet seven inches in
length, extreme breadth from out to out 42 feet,
height between deck five feet eight inches, and
measures 1064 tons."
A correspondent has favoured us with the fol
lowing extras of a letter from Gibraltar, the par
ticulars it contains, he allures us, may be depended
upon as a fad.
“ The Commander in Chief, the Duke de Cril
lon, had given orders to the floating batteries to
THE
7 064000 men, who were on the floating bat
teries, it is thought that the French and Spaniards
have loft 2000 at least."
Extras of a letter from Newcastle, September 7.
“Me are assured that above 6oco acres of land
are sowed io Scotland with tobacco, which, if it pays
the dfy of 13. „i per 10. wili oring in 600,000!
About 3000 acre§ of the above, is on the banks of
the Tweed.
“ We are well informed that the Scots intend
to apply next session, lor a repeal of the duty on
Scotch tobacco."
, C&ober 4. By a gentleman just arrived from
Paris we leain, that the defeat of the Spanish bat
teries, gun-boats, &c. was fully confirmed, when
he left that piace; it was likewise reported that his
Most Chriltian Majesty had received an express
from the Count d'Artois, acquainting him with the
particulars of the affair.
October 7. A gentleman very high in office has
declared publickly in a coffee-houfe, that he was
firmly of opinion, peace would not be concluded by
the end of 1783; and an even bet of one thousand
guineas was laid at White's a few days ago, that
America will not be independent for ten years to
come.
They write from the Hague, that the Stadtholder
is indefatigable in equipping their fleet, which is
certainly to fail in a few days.
There has not been so severe an hurricane as that
in which the Jamaica fleet fuffered, since 1780.
There are accounts of five .hips having foundered,
and three taken by rebel privateers; almost all the
crews of the ships that went down were loft.
The negociation far a peace is at present at a
stand at the court of France, where frequent con
ferences are held between Mr. Fitzheibert, and the
French and Spanish Ministers; but nothing further
can be done till the return of the messenger dis
patched by Mr. Fitzherbert, to England, with an
answer to the last proposals made by the French
court.
Wagers are now depending, that the combined
squadrons would leave the bay of Gibraltar, as soon
as they had positive information of the force and
failing of Lord Howe's fleet, which, by naval men,
is reckoned one of the belt equipped that ever left
England.
Lord Howe's fleet was spoke with on the 29th
of September, twenty leagues weft of the Burlings,
on the coast of Portugal, and within about two day's
fail of Gibraltar.
A remarkable fwift failing cutter has been fitted
out lately, and is failed for America from Deptford
She carries some extraordinary defpatches to Sir
Guy Carleton, at New-York. It is said a special
meflenger is gone in her, to make some definitive
proposals to the Congress.
" But at four o'clock, the brave General Elliot
formed his dilpofitions so wifely, so courageously,
and so happily, that the battery on land was set on
fire, in such a manner, as there is no instance of
and at five the floating batteries were on fire alfo.'
" That of the Prince of Nassau Seighen, and that
of Mr. de Moreno, were firft on fire, as being the
most exposed; but the conflagration soon became
general. The Prince of Nafiku, in the moment
that they had like, to have been destroyed, threw all
the powder overboard, carried off the wounded firft,
and then, securing all the men who were with him'
went last himfelf at midnight, after having been for
eight hours in the most imminent danger.
“ By his intrepidity and presence of mind in this
adion, he has acquired the greatest honour.
General Elliot, not less humane in victory,than
brave in battle, sent boats to save those who were
crowning, and to colled the wounded, and was so
fortunate, as by that means to preserve them from
death.
make an attack at eight o'clock in the morning of
the 13th of last month, and from that time till four
o'clock, there was an incessant fire on both sides.
I he fire of the enemy sometime slilenced that of
the Engliih.
[Numb. 260.]