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52 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.
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Letter Bk. III
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for the Encouragement of such Indians as shall act in Con-
junction wth our Forces or annoy our Enemies, but they are
not to receive any Part of the Money that is appropriated for
their Encouragement unless they first do some real Service,
When the first party of Cherokees came to this province
which they did in April last Our Assembly was sitting & on
my laying before them the Message which the Indians had
sent me they granted a Sum of Money for a small Present to
be sent them together with my Answer & at the same time
desired me to have it signified to that Party & all our Indian
Allies that for every Indian Enemy which they should take
prisoner & deliver at either of our Forts & for every Indian
Enemy's Scalp which they should give up to be destroyed by
any one of our Magistrates they should receive the Sum of
Fifty Pounds. They had not been long with us before they
fell in with a party of the Enemy & returned to Fort Fred-
erick with two Indian Prisoners & four Scalps. The Prisoners
they would on no Account deliver up, consequently they could
not under our Act of Assembly claim any Allowance for them
but the Gentn who carried them my answer to their Message
found themselves at Liberty to give them £200s worth of
Goods for the Scalps, which Goods as well as the present that
I had sent them were kindly received, & in their Reply they
made great Professions of Friendship. As often as any of
these Indians have come into this Province they have been
furnished with as much provision as they stood in need of, &
I am persuaded that in that respect none of them will ever
complain of the Treatment that they meet with in Maryland,
but as I have already observed to you it is not in my power
to order them any Presents unless they first produce some
Prisoners or Scalps, nor to reward them for ranging ever so
much on our Frontiers if they do not happen to be successful.
The Cherokees I observe alledge that the Virginians promised
them two pieces of Stroud for every Scalp that they should
bring in but that altho they have brought in several Scalps no
Strouds have been yet given them. This is such a Complaint
as I am persuaded they will never have Occasion to make
agst this Governt The Sum allowed by our Act for a Prisoner
or Scalp will I am told purchase five Pieces of Stroud at least,
& if the Indians who maybe successful shall prefer the Goods
to Money the Officer at Fort Frederick will always be ready
to lay it out for them to the greatest Advantage; or the
money will be paid to Mr Croghan or any other Person that
shall attend the Indians to Fort Frederick & deliver their
Prisoners or Scalps agreeable to the Directions of our Act &
of this I beg the favour of you if you think proper to order
Mr Smith to inform the Indians that are now with you or any
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