Journals of Conrad Weiser (1748), George Croghan (1750-1765), Christian Frederick Post (1758), and Thomas Morris (1764)Croghan, George
History
Journals of Conrad Weiser (1748), George Croghan (1750-1765), Christian Frederick Post (1758), and Thomas Morris (1764)
Croghan, George
Mississippi River Valley -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel; West (U.S.) -- Description and travel
[60] The years between the last document (1757) and the commencement of
this journey (October 21, 1760) had been eventful ones for the future
of American history. The French and Indian War, which until the close
of 1757 had resulted only in a series of disasters to the English, was
pursued with greater vigor when a change of administration sent able
officers and leaders to America. The evacuation of Fort Duquesne (1758),
the capture of Niagara and Quebec (1759), and the final capitulation of
all Canada at Montreal (1760) gave the mastery of the continent to the
English, and opened the portals of the West. Croghan was occupied during
these momentous years with Indian negotiations of great importance. As
deputy of Sir William Johnson, he endeavored to hold the Six Nations
firm in their alliance, to pacify the frontier tribes, and finally to
announce to the expectant savages the English victory, and their transfer
to British authority. In 1757, he was employed in making peace with the
Susquehanna Indians (_Pennsylvania Colonial Records_, vii, pp. 517-551,
656-714; _Pennsylvania Archives_, iii, pp. 248, 319; _New York Colonial
Documents_, vii, pp. 321-324); and made a journey to Fort Loudoun, in
Tennessee to sound the disposition of the Cherokees—(_Pennsylvania
Colonial Records_ vii, pp. 600, 630). His influence was relied upon
to pave the way for Forbes’s army (1758), and he was present at the
important treaty at Easton, in October of this year—(_Pennsylvania
Archives_, iii, p. 429; _Pennsylvania Colonial Records_, viii, pp.
175-223; Stone, _Life of Sir William Johnson_, ii, p. 389). Croghan also
accompanied Forbes’s expedition, and assisted in pacifying the Allegheny
Indians. The journal in _Pennsylvania Archives_, iii, pp. 560-563,
designated as _Journal of Frederick Post from Pittsburgh, 1758_, is
really Croghan’s journal, as a comparison with Post’s journal for these
dates will reveal. Early in the next year we find Croghan at Fort Pitt,
holding constant conferences with Western Indians (_Pennsylvania Colonial
Records_, viii, pp. 387-391; _Pennsylvania Archives_, iii, pp. 671, 744),
where he remained until ordered to join the expedition sent out under
Major Rogers to secure possession of Detroit and other Western posts,
included in the capitulation at Montreal. The diary of this journey,
which we here publish, is reprinted from _Massachusetts Historical
Collections_, 4th series, ix, pp. 362-379. Other letters of Croghan’s
are found in the same volume, pp. 246-253, 260, 266, 283-289. These all
relate to Indian affairs, and the information being brought in by his
scouts and messengers of conditions in the country lying westward—of the
agitation, alarm, and confusion among the Indian hostiles, who were eager
to give in their allegiance to their conquering English “brothers.” This
journal of the voyage to Detroit admirably supplements that of Major
Robert Rogers, commandant of the party which Croghan accompanied, whose
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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