Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...Godcharles, Frederic Antes
History
Daily stories of Pennsylvania : $b prepared for publication in the leading daily newspapers of the state...
Godcharles, Frederic Antes
Pennsylvania -- Biography; Pennsylvania -- History
When Lieutenant Governor Morris heard this chastisement given the
Delaware, and seeing that it so far had not deterred the enemy, he
determined to meet barbarity with barbarity, and gave a hatchet to
Scarouady, as a declaration of war against the Delaware, and obtained an
offer in writing from Commissioners Fox, Hamilton, Morgan, Mifflin and
Hughes to pay rewards for Indian prisoners.
Governor Morris issued a proclamation April 14, 1756, offering such
bounties that he hoped would incite not only the soldiers and more
venturesome of the inhabitants, but which would also alarm those Indians
who still remained friendly to the English.
The proclamation contains the following provisions:
“For every male Indian enemy above twelve years old, who shall be taken
prisoner and delivered at any fort, garrisoned by the troops in pay of
this Province, or at any of the county towns to the keepers of the
common jail there, the sum of 150 Spanish dollars or pieces of eight;
for the scalp of every male enemy above the age of twelve years,
produced to evidence of their being killed the sum of 130 pieces of
eight; for every female Indian taken prisoner and brought in as
aforesaid, and for every male Indian prisoner under the age of twelve
years, taken and brought in as aforesaid, 130 pieces of eight; for the
scalp of every Indian woman, produced as evidence of their being killed,
the sum of fifty pieces of eight, and for every English subject that has
been killed and carried from this Province into captivity that shall be
recovered and brought in and delivered at the City of Philadelphia, to
the Governor of this Province, the sum of 130 pieces of eight, but
nothing for their scalps; and that there shall be paid to every officer
or soldier as are or shall be in the pay of the Province who shall
redeem and deliver any English subject carried into captivity as
aforesaid, or shall take, bring in and produce any enemy prisoner, or
scalp as aforesaid, one-half of the said several and respective premiums
and bounties.”
This proclamation gave great offense to the Assembly, but not to the
population, especially those who lived in the counties distant from
Philadelphia. The times were perilous, and the bounties were absolutely
necessary to secure better protection of the borders. To the credit of
the hardy and brave frontier pioneers of Pennsylvania be it said no
Indian was wantonly killed for the sake of the reward.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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