94 Journal and Correspondence

if I was willing to go with him into the Indian Country as he
had been with General Gage to get a commission & orders to
go into the Indian Countrys to raise the Indians & the French
& there is some part of the royal Irish I think he said at Fort
Chartres & they have orders from General Gage to join him
& he told me they had nine twelve pounders. But as soon as
he gets into Virginia & settles his business with his Lordship
as he dares not go up the country he intends to take his Lord-
ships Tender & to go to S^t Augustine & there to get guides
to convey him through the Cherokees nation & from thence
to the Shawneys mineoes & Delaways but he is to get Com-
missions from Lord Dunmore for Cap^t White Eyes & Corn-
stalk & other of the chiefs & to make them Presents he
intends to stay at the Detroit all winter in order to get Boats
& Canoes built to bring his Forces up the Ohio & the Cannon
the first place he intends to fall upon is Fort Pitt & to take
That & then he says that he thinks that most part of that
quarter will join him as he says he has orders to give them
three hundred acres of land to each man that will join him.
and another scheme he told me he was going to put into
execution that is in regard to convicts & indentured servants
to set them at their liberty & to give them land to join him &
when he has taken Fort Pitt he intends to proceed down for
Alexandria & there he is to be reinforced by said Dunmore &
some men of War & then to sweep all the Country before him.
As Your Excellency knows what state that Country his in & I
thought it most fitting to disclose it to your Excellency I wrote
the letter in Rhode Island to send down lest I could. not have
had the opportunity of getting from the vessel but I made my
escape one night by great chance & a young man that was
pressed on Board who is now with his parents in Rhode
Island which the Major wanted to go along with him I left all
my cloaths & all that I had on Board but that is nothing so I
could be of any service to my country & I hope every well
meaning man god will reward for so doing I hope your Excel-
lency will excuse my Freedom but I could not be at rest till I
had disclosed the matter to your Excellency, please to permit
me to subscribe myself,
Your Excellencys hble Serv^t to command
William Cowley

Original.

[Hooe to Jenifer.]

Alex^a Jan^y 9^th 1776
Hon^ble Sir. Cap^t Conway has never been able to get his
Vessell ready to take in till this day tho' he has used great
industry, the Weather, the Hollydays &c has been against him.