Original Document

While General Forbes led his army west, Governor Denny of Pennsylvania employed Moravian missionary Christian Frederick Post and Delaware chief Pisquetomen to serve as his emissaries to the Ohio Indians. The western Delawares responded favorably to Post and Pisquetomen's initial entreaties, and when the agents returned east, they found the governor engaged in a treaty conference with eastern Delawares and the Iroquois in Easton. Denny quickly sent Post and Pisquetomen back to the Ohio Country, carrying this message, intended to keep the Indians from aiding the French as Forbes closed in on Fort Duquesne.


Governor Denny's Answer to the Message of the Ohio Indians.

"We received your message by Pisquetomen, and Frederick Post, and thank you for the Care you have taken of our Messenger of Peace, and that you have put him in your Bosom, and protected him against our Enemy Ontonio [the French], and his Children, and sent him safe back to our Council Fire...

I only sent Post to peep into your Cabbins, and to know the Sentiments of your Old Men, and to look at your Faces, to see how you look. And I am glad to hear from him that you look Friendly, and that there still remains some sparks of Love towards us. It is what we believed beforehand, and therefore we never let Slip the Chain of Friendship, but held it fast on our Side, and it has never dropped out of our Hands; by this [wampum] Belt we desire you will dig up your end of the Chain of Friendship that you suffered, by the Subtilty of the French, to be buried...

If you are in earnest to be reconciled to us, you will keep your Young Men from attacking our Country, and killing and carrying Captive our Back Inhabitants; And will likewise give orders that your People may be kept at a Distance from Fort Duquesne, that they may not be hurt by our Warriors, who are sent by our King to Chastise the French, and not to hurt you; Consider the Commanding Officer of that Army treads heavy, and would be very sorry to hurt any of his Indian Brethren...

If you take the Belts we just now gave you, in which all here join, English and Indians, as we don't doubt you will, then by this Belt I make a Road for you, and invite you to come to Philadelphia to your Old Council Fire, which was kindled when we first saw one another, which fire we will kindle up again and remove all disputes, and renew the Old and first Treaties of Friendship; This is a Clear and open Road for you; fear, therefore, nothing, and come to us with as many as can be of the Delawares, Shawanese, or of the Six Nation Indians; We will be glad to see You; we desire all Tribes and Nations of Indians who are in Alliance with you may come...

[Gave] A Large White Belt, with the Figure of a Man at Each End, and Streaks of Black, representing the Road from the Ohio to Philadelphia."

Credit: From Minutes of the Provincial Council of Pennsylvania (Harrisburg, 1852), 8:206-08.