Sir, [Secretary Pitt]
Tho you may receive earlier Advices from South Carolina, yet as there is a Vessel to sail to-morrow for England from this River, I think it my duty to give you the earliest Intelligence of the Accounts I have received from thence, as it may be of Consequence to give you the earliest Accounts of the French and Indian Transactions to the Southward of this Province, and the Necessity there will be of driving the French from Mobile and the Mississippi to secure these Provinces from future Attacks—By an Express I recd from Govr Littleton of the 1st instant, which I recd the seventh, he informed me that the Cherokees were up in Arms and had cut off the Communication between Fort Prince George and Fort Loudoun in the lower Cherokees, and had way laid & fired at an Express that was dispatched to him from thence with that Intelligence, upon which he had ordered 150 Men of their Troops to be ready to march and sent orders to the 3 frontier Regiments of Militia to assemble and be ready to fire their Beacons upon the first Alarm, and had appointed their Assembly to meet the 4th upon that Emergency and wrote to me to know what
Assistance he cou'd have from this Province, and the Messenger proceeded to Virginia to require their Assistance with Provision and Stores to be sent to Fort Loudoun, upon which I summoned the Council to meet me here the 11th for their Advice before I returned him an Answer; but by the Express sent Letters to New Bern and Edenton to give Notice to the several Colonels of Militia to assemble their Regiments and let me know what Number each had who were ready and fit for service, and to have them ready in order to be draughted to send Detachments if necessary immediately to the Frontiers; having before upon the Murders committed last Summer sent Major Waddell with the greatest part of our 2 Companies of provincials to protect the Frontier Inhabitants, and gave him a Colonel's Commission with a Power of assembling and Commanding the 3 frontier Regiments of Militia of Anson Rowan and Orange if the Incursions were continued; upon the Meeting of the Council we agreed that I should send an Express to Colo Waddell to assemble these Regiments of Militia, and if War shou'd be declared to join and cooperate with the Forces sent by Govr Lyttelton, or with the Virginia Forces in Case it wou'd be necessary to join them to relieve Fort Loudoun, and to follow such Orders as he should receive from Govr Lyttelton, and have ordered him a Supply of Barrils of Gunpowder and 4000 weight of Bullets Swan Shot and Lead, & 1500 Flints, of this I acquainted Governor Lyttelton by Express the 12th & the other Detachment shou'd follow if necessary; This is all that is in my Power to do until our Assembly meet at Wilmington the latter End of next Month which is the soonest they can attend, and in Case a War must be proclaimed have told him my Opinion that the 3 Southern Provinces of Virginia and the Carolinas shou'd exert their whole force, enter into and destroy all the Towns of those at War with us, and make as many of them as we shou'd take their Wives and Children Slaves, by sending them to the Islands if above 10 Years old, as the Indians use our Men &c. when taken Prisoners and not killed and scalped, and to allow £10 for every Prisoner taken and delivered in each Province, I have desired Mr. Lyttelton to give me Advice by Return of my Express what further I can do to assist him.Since that Vessel arrived from Charlestown which left it the 12th and arrived here yesterday, which has brought Advice by Letters that their Assembly had voted 1500 Militia to be immediately drawn together, and that Governor Lyttelton proposed marching at their head with the Independent Companies and Provincials and what Volunteers will join him to attack the Cherokees, and advise further
that an Express arrived there the 10th dispatched from Keowee a Cherokee Town, that Atkin his Majesty's Agent for Indian Affairs, upon holding a Conversation or Talk with one of the Chiefs of the Creeks (I suppose of the Creeks near Alabama Fort) an Indian of that Tribe rushed into the Room and with his Hatchet struck Mr. Atkins over the head and repeated the Blow which laid him senseless on the Ground, and repeated the Stroke which fell short and wounded one of his Attendants who fled to another of their Towns, it was not known whether he was killed or not, but it is said the Indians seized the Assassin in order to be punished.—The Man who escaped sent off a Messenger to Keowee which was sent down to Charlestown; upon which the Alarm Gun was fired at Charles Town for the Militia of the Province to assemble.This is the base Manner in which the French prevail with the Indians to engage them into a War with these Colonies, & therefore they can have no Peace or Safety whilst a French Power is left on this Continent—. I hope the glorious Success of his Majesty's Arms under the Conduct of Providence will extirpate the French from this Continent as well as the American Islands by the wise and intrepid Measures pursued by his Ministry and the Valour of our Troops by Sea and Land.
Brunswick
14 Octobr 1759.
Additional Notes for Electronic Version: This letter was enclosed in another letter from Dobbs - See Related Documents.