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Letter Bk. IV
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Gazettes which will shew you that the Indians who inhabit the
Country about the Detroit & Lake Erie (being as it is said
much dissatisfied at His most Christian Majestys pretending
to Cede their Country to the King of Great Britain) seem
resolved to prevent if possible our receiving any Advantage
from such Cession, & in Consequence of their Determination
have already reduced some small Posts which had been
established on the South Side of Lake Erie & also the Fort
at Detroit where the French had for many years kept a Gar-
rison and made a considerable Settlement. Tho the Ohio or
Delaware Indians have not yet committed any Murders or
Hostilities on this Side the Allegany Mountains & only pro-
ceed as if their Intention was to deter our People from going
among them or making Settlements to the Westward of those
Mountains the Frontier Inhabitants in both this & the neigh-
bouring Colonies have I find been very much terrifyed inso-
much that Numbers of them fled with their Families to the
Forts to which they were nighest expecting the Indians would
immediately renew their Incursions. Being told by a Person
who came hither from Frederick County just after they had
received the first Alarm that Gunpowder was very scarce there
I immediately sent two Barrells to Colo Prather who commands
the Militia of that County & lives at Conegocheague a few
miles on this side Fort Frederick with some Instructions for
his Conduct in case the Indians should come into this Province
to commit Hostilities on the Inhabitants ; & as I apprehend
Fort Frederick would be the Retreat or Place of Rendezvous
for all the People in that part of the Country should the
Indians come down on them I have sent Doctor Heinzman
(who having been Surgeon to the Maryland Troops has for
some time lived at & taken Care of the Fort) Orders to
receive them & their Families into it on Condition that they
observe during their Continuance there such Regulations as
he shall think necessary for the Preservation of the Fort & of
Order among themselves. I have also committed to his Care
about fifty Stand of Arms to be delivered on Occasion to such
Men as may repair to the Fort tho few of the Inhabitants are
without Arms of their own, & I will also by the first Oppor-
tunity send him up a Supply of Ammunition, & if the Proceed-
ings of the Indians should make it expedient for me to take
any other measures you may depend that I shall not spare any
pains myself to preserve the Frontier Inhabitants in Security
& quiet. I have heard that the Garrison of Pittsburg has been
reinforced since the Indians begun to commit hostilities in that
quarter so that unless the Garrison should want Provisions
which I presume can scarcely be the Case I suppose it would
not be in the power of all the Indians that can be brought
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