“Sir William Johnson to the Earl of Hillsborough” (November 18, 1768)

Johnson Hall Nov^r 18, 1768

My Lord,

I had the honor to write Your Lordship (N^o 4) from Fort Stanwix Just before the opening the Treaty wherein I represented the many difficulties in the way to the Settlement of the line, which however I have at length surmounted, & settled in a manner which I hope be agreable to his Majesty, for the particulars of which I beg leave to refer your Lordship to a Coppy of my Transactions, which I have now the honor to enclose, together with a Deed of Cession to his Majesty for the Lands yeilded up to the Crown.

Your Lordship will find that the Six Nations insisting on their right to the Lands as far South as the Cherokee River have [Ceded] the same to his Majesty and notwithstanding that the Report of the Board of Trade spoke of Great Kanhawa River as their Southern bounds, I found from what passed at several private Meetings, that I could not deny them the liberty of asserting their pretensions to the Southward without highly disobliging them, and preventing the Settlement of the rest.

From many former enquirys and disputes on these Subjects, I never could find that the Cherokees claimed to the Westward of the Great Mountains. or North of the River of their Name, but that the Six Nations always did claim thereto. I therefore Judged it for the Interest of his Majesty to acquiesce for those reasons, that by their Cession of the Country below the Kanhawa to his Majesty their pretensions must in future cease, Whereas should the Cherokees now or hereafter under colour of a claim further North be treated with & surrender it up, it would occasion much Expence & trouble to obtain the Consent of the Northern Indians who are a much more formidable People, All which is as I apprehend prevented by the present Cession which is nevertheless Submitted by His Majesty.

The next point I have to observe to Your Lordship is the continuation of the Boundary line Northward from Owegy the necessity of this I formerly remarked, and the Indians insisted on it, it is now carried to Canada Creek where it falls into Wood Creek, which last mentioned Water empties into the Oneida Lake. I found it extremely difficult to get it so far to the Westward from its vicinity to their own Towns, and indeed the whole of the line as it approaches them cost me more pains & trouble than can be conceived, whilst at the same time the necessity of establishing it where intrusions would be most affecting to them was self evident. Their Towns & Settlements are therefore secured to their satisfaction by extending the line to the Waters which discharge themselves into Lake Ontario, but it is not continued so as to Close, First, because I found that many of them were for closing it by running to the next Pattented Lands, which would have limitted the Province of New York in such a manner as must have produced some complaints, Secondly because as the Country North is the Property of the Oneidaes & Mohawks, It can at any time hereafter be closed at a very moderate Expence, should his Maj^ty require it, As I find that the Mohawks are desirous to have it closed, and could be brought to do it most advantagiously on any future occasion. I beg your Lordship will beleive that in all these Matters where I had no particular Instructions I have Acted to the best of my Judgement or his Majestys Interest, The Difficulties I had to struggle with by the artifices of the People at the Mississippi & the doubts and surmises of the Indians themselves, thro’ the late Misconduct of the Frontier Inhabitants, & the length of time elapsed since the Boundary was first spoken of, can only be known by those who were Eye Witnesses of it, As the greatest part of the business transacted at private Meetings with the Chiefs of every Nation, where the principal Affairs are resolved upon & adjusted could not be committed to writing or comprissed in any moderate bounds. I have staked my reputation with the Indians that the Several Articles they have made shall be observed, without which, the Charges attending the Assembling them at this time & all other endeavours would have been ineffectual, they have at length relied on my Assurances and I am confident that the regard paid to them will be the only security for the observance of the line, The Indians likewise rely cheifly on his Majesty’s Power and Inclination for the performance of these Matters and for their future happiness and Security, they have many apprehensions concerning the Colonies, which I have endeavoured to remove, but I find it a difficult task, for as they have experienced how far private Interests operate here, Are not ignorant that the Colonies are governed by different Maxims and Politicks, and having been often disapointed in Matters where they apprehend they deserved redress, are not apt to repose a confidence a second time, when it has been once abused.

The provisions and other incidental Expences Attending this Treaty were unavoidable from the number of Indians, & the length of time it took up, the amount of the goods, and Cash given on the part of the Crown was the most moderate that could have been offered for so Valuable & Extensive a Cession, Upon the whole I flatter myself that this transaction will be honored with his Majesty’s approbation, from a consideration of the difficulties that attended it, And the important advantages to be derived from it if strictly adhered to.

As I am now busyed in giving some necessary Belts & Messages to the Shawanese Delawares & some others from Ohio, who have [taken] this Rout back to their Country, and at the same times desirous to Communicate by the earliest opertunity an event of such importance, I must for the defer saying any thing farther on their Subject, and with a perfect reliance on your Lordships favourable reception of this pacquet, Beg leave to subscribe myself with all possible Respect,

My Lord Your Lordship’s Most Obliged & most