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For the governor.

The united ftates in congrefs affembled, to Arthur St. Clair, Efq. We, repofing fpecial truft and confidence in your integrity, prudence and ability, have conftituted and appointed, and by thefe prefents, do conftitute and appoint you, the faid Arthur St. Clair, governor, in, and over the territories of the united ftates of America, northweft of the river Ohio, and commander in chief of the militia therein; to order, rule, and govern the fame, comformably to the ordinance of the 13th July, 1787, entitled, "An ordinance for the government of the territory of the river Ohio, "which is here to affixed: And we do hereby give, and grant, to you, the faid Arthur St. Clair, all the powers, authorities, and prerogatives affigned to the governor of the faid territory, in, and by the faid ordinance. And we do frilly enjoin all perfons to pay due obedience to this our commifto take effon. This commiffion fect, from the first day of February 1788, and to continue in force, for the term of three years, thereafter, unless fooner revoked by congrefs. In teftimony, &c.

[The commiffions for the fecreta ry and judges are nearly fimilar with the foregoing.]

Refolution of the convention of the
commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

December, 15, 1787.
ESOLVED, that when
the conflitution, propofed by
The late general convention, fhall

have been organized, this common-
wealth will cede to the congrefs of
the united ftates, the jurifdiction
Pennsylvania,
over any place in
not exceeding ten miles fquare,
which, with the confent of the inha-
bitants, the congrefs may choose
for the feat of the government of the
united ftates, excepting only the
city of Philadelphia, the diflrict of
Southwark, and that part of the
Northern Liberties, included within
a line running paralled with Vine-
ftreet, at the diftance of one mile
northward thereof, from the river
Schuylkill to the fouthern fide of the
main branch of Cohockfink creek;
thence down the faid creek to its
junction with the river Delaware.
But the marsh land and fo much of the
adjoining bank, on the fame fide of
the faid creek, as fhall be neceffary
for the erecting any dams and works
to command the water thereof, are
excluded from this exception.

Refolved, that it is the opinion of this convention, that until the congrefs fhall have made their election of a district, for the place of their permanent refidence, and provided buildings for their accommodation, they have the ufe of fuch of the public buildings within the city of Philadelphia, or any other part of this flate, as they fhall find neceffary.

Refolution of the Supreme executive council of Pennsylvania.

November 14, 1787.

RESOLVED, that within five weeks after the election of prefident and vice prefident, the council fhall annually examine into the conduct of all officers of government, whofe appointments are in the power of council, and likewife make enquiry refpecting the circumftances of For this ordinance, fee page 188. their respective bail, in order to re

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RESOLVED, that the honourable James M'Henry, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Daniel Carroll, John Francis Mercer, and Luther Martin, efquires, deputies from this ftate to the late convention, be requested to attend this houfe on Thursday the 29th inftant, to give this house information of the preceedings of the faid convention. By order,..

W. HARWOOD, C. H. D.

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minately murdered our good citiz for many months paft.

The two enclofed letrers, from lonels Robertfon and Bledsoe, w. inform you of the many murde committed in that country by the Creeks; also of the fate of capta Davenport, and fome others, in the Chickefaw nation, From pall experience, I believe, every overture, made by that perfidious nation, the Creeks, is intended for a deception,

The fate of Georgia may be con vinced, that we will encounter every difficulty, in order to rafe a formi dable force to at in conjunen with your army, in cafe of a cam paign.

We have lately been informed from Virginia, that a number of gentlemen in that flate are ready to join us as volunteers.

Our affembly fat but a few day, and adjourned to the feventeenth September. They ordered four hundred men to be raised, for the defence of our frontiers,

II. Letter from col. Robertfon to the go vernor of the state of Franklin, de ted Nashville, August 1, 1787. BY accounts from the Chicke faws, we are informed, that a a grand council held in the Creek nation, it was unanimoufly deter mined to do their utmost, this fall, to cut off [the inhabitants of th country: and we expect the Cherskees have joined them.

On the fifth of July, a party of Creeks killed captain Davenport, agent for Georgia, and three more Candelavk ure portable to relent three, and took one prifoner; which in the Chickefaw nation, wounded

for want of ammunition.

The people are drawing together in large flations, and do every thin neceffary for their defence: but fear, without fome timely alliance, we hall chiefly fall a facrifice, Am

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IV.

Letter from general Cooke, to the governor of Georgia, dated Mulberry-Grove, (ftate of Franklin), June 2, 1787.

WHEN I take a view of the local and political fituation of this country, I conceive the intereft of your tate, fo far as refpects Indian affairs,almoft infeparable from the fafety and happiness of this country. I am certain, every thing to ferve your fate, or its interell, will be done by the people of Franklin. General Kennedy, I imagine, will be able to raise 1000 or 1500 men, as volunteers and I think I can raife a like number. An army of two or three thousand men will be quite fufficient to march through any of their towns. I hope the Indians have not been fo fuccefsful in our flate, as the Cherokees report. The accounts from that nation are, that the Creeks have killed. twenty-five families without the lofs of a man. I have ordered the different colonels

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Yin, I have received, and at informed, that the arms and ammunition mentioned, have arrived at Washington.

I had certain information, that a man was killed on the fourteenth, fix or feven Indians; and that on near Greenborough, by a party of the fixteenth, colonel Barber, with a fmall party, was waylaid by fifty

or

ed, and three of his party killed. fixty Indians, and woundThis, and the information contained variety of other accounts equally ain mr. Bernard's. laft letter, and a

rming, determined me to raise what men I could in the courfe of 24 hours, and march with them to protect the frontiers; in which

space of time I collected 160 men, chiefly volunteers, and proceeded to the place where col. Barber had been attacked; there I found the bodies of the three men mentioned above, mangled in a flocking manner; and after I had buried them, proceeded on the trail of the murderers, as far as the fouth fork of the Oakmulgee, where, finding I had no chance of overtaking them, I left it, and went up the faid river, until I met with a frefh trail of Indians coming towards the frontier fettlements. Ï immediately turned, and followed this trail until the morning of the gift, between 11 and 12 o'clock, when I came up with them. They had juft croffed a branch called Jack's creek, through a thick cane-brake; and were encamped and cooking on an eminence. My force then confifted

of 130 men, 30 having been fent back on account of their horfes being tired and loft. I drew up my men in three divifions, the right commanded by col. Freeman, the left by major Clarke, and the middle by myfelf. Col. Freeman and major Clarke were ordered to furround and charge the Indians, which they did with fuch dexterity and fpirit, that they immediately drove them from their encampment back into the cane-brake, where, finding it impoffible for them to efcape, they obitinately returned our fire until half paft four o'clock, when they ceased, except now and then a shot.

During the latter part of the action, they feized every opportunity of efcaping by fmall parties, leaving the reft to thift for themfelves. About funfet, I thought it mofi advifible to draw off, as the men had fuffered for want of provifions nearly two days, and for want of water during the action, but more particularly to take care of the wounded, which amounted to 11, and 6 killed. From every circumfiance I am cer tain there was not less than 25 Indians killed, and am induced to fuppofe that could I have flaid all night, I muft have found 40 or 50 dead of their wounds by the morning-In fhort they were totally defeated, with the lofs of their provifions, clothing, &c. confilling of the following particulars -Two guns, 32 brafs kettles, and 87 large packs, containing blankets, match coats, boots, mocafoons, tomahawks, pipes, upwards of 100 halters and bridles, &c. from all which I judge their number was fully equal to ours. Col. Freeman and major Clarke diftinguished themfelves, and from the fpirit and bravery with which the whole of my little party acted during the action, I do not believe that had

we met them in the open woods, we fhould have been more than five minutes in giving them a total overthrow.

While I was on this excurfion, two fkirmishes happened near Greenfborough, in one of which one man was wounded, and in the other fix ftand of arms were loft, being guarded by only two men, while the reft of the party were gathering fodder.

Should there not be a house made, I flatter myself you will afford the back country all the fupport in your power. Indeed I cannot proceed much farther without your affiftance; the general fcarcity of provifions in this part of the ftate points out the neceflity of fupplies from below; indeed men cannot be drawn out with out it; the delays that this would occafion would be fatal to the frontiers. Had I not fallen in with that chofen party of Indians, every cir cumflance befpeaks their defign to diftrefs the back fettlers, and I think that Allen's mill, or lower, would by this time have become a frontier fettlement; and I am convinced, that if the back fettlers once break, they will not flop with us.

I have now to beg your attention to the unfortunate wounded, who are at Read's Fort. A doctor, fome wine, tea, coffee, and fugar, are indifpenfably neceffary.

I fhall expect an answer to this as foon as poffible; and should wih to be informed of the probability of a houfe being made, if that event fhould not already have taken place. I think that the neceffity of activity on, and attention to, our frontiers, will prevent my attendance, fhould the houfe convene.

I am, fir, &c.

E. CLARKE, brig. gen. The hon. George Mathews, efq. governor of Georgia,

VI. A letter from major Elholm, to the hon. major general Moultrie, dated, Augusta, state of Georgia, November 12, 1787.

THE

HE favages are daily committing new marks of cruelties on the inhabitants of this flate, fhocking to humanity. The other day, they tortured a prifoner as long as they could contrive to give pain to human nature, and then left the unfortunate victim with a flake drove through the bowels.

Every poflible preparation to bring the Creeks to justice, is made: and one half of the militia immediately ordered into the field-recruiting of ficers induftrioully engaged in raifing four regiments, confifting of 750 men each-and I am informed with great fuccefs. I have engaged (authorifed by my fellow citizens for that purpose) for Franklin, to act in concert, with 1500 Franks, with the movements of the fate of Georgia, and to be commanded by a general of their own, to the weft

of the mountains.

A commiflioner is to be sent to the Spanish governors, to request of that government not to allift our common enemy with any arms or ammunition, &c.

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Spoke to you fome time ago, refpecting a complaint made by many people in Georgia, against the inhabitants of ealt Florida, for protecting and refufing to deliver up certain runaway negroes, belonging

I, at that time, was not fufficiently informed of the circumftances, to addrefs you in my public capacity: but fince then, I have seen a letter from our chief juflice Ofburne, and a prefentment of the grand jury of Camden county, (a copy of which I enclofe) that make it proper I fhould of an abufe, which, if not timely afk your attention to the correction checked, may interrupt that harmo ny that ought to prevail between Spain and the united flates.

There are certain abuses, which nations, contiguous to each other, are ever liable to, and ought by both parties to be carefully watched over, and guarded against as much as poffible.

I know full well your good difpofition to preferve a good underflanding between the two nations, and the alacrity with which you would undertake any thing not inconfiftent with the intereft and dignity of your own country, to prevent any unfriendly or unneighbourly act taking place between the fubjects of his catholic majefly and the citizens of any part of our republic.

Under this perfuafion I am led to hope, that you will employ the earlieft opportunity to make fuch information to the department where the evil can foonelf be checked, as you may think advisable; and that through your interference every caufe of complaint may be removed,

I have the honour to be, fir, with very much elleem and refpect, your moft obedient and very humble fervant.

WILLIAM PIERCE.
His excellency Don Diego de
Gardoqui, encargado de
negotios of Spain.

Reply to the preceding letter.
New-York, Dec. 14, 1787.

DEAR SIR.

to fome of the citizens of that fate. BY my fecretary I informed you

of my

fudden departure for Phi

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