104 Correspondence of Governor Sharpe.

Original.

[Thomas Cresap to Sharpe.]

Old Town July 15 1763
May it Please your Excellency
I take this opportunity in the highth of Confusion to acquaint
you with our unhappy & most wretched situation at this time
being in Hourly Expectation of being massacred by our
Barberous & Inhumane Enemy the Indians we having been
three days successively Attacked by them Viz. the 13, 14 &
this Instant on the 13th as 6 men were shocking some wheat
in the field 5 Indians fired on them as they came to do it &
others running to their assistance. On the 145 Indians crep
up to & fired on about 16 men who were sitting & walking
under a Tree at the Entrance of my Lane about 100 yards
from my House but on being fired at by the white men who
much wounded some of them they Immediatly Runn off &
were followed by the white men about a mile all which way
was great quantity of Blood on the Ground the white men
got 3 of their Bundles containing sundry Indian Implements
& Goods about 3 hours after several gunns were fired in the
woods on which a party went in Quest of them & found 3
Bears killd by them, the Indians wounded one man at their
first fire tho but slightly. On this Instant as Mr. Sam^l Wilder
was going to a house of his about 300 yards Distant from mine
with men & several women the Indians Rushed on them
from a Rising Ground but they perceiving their coming Run
towards my House hollowing which being heard by those at
my house they Run to their assistance & met them & the
Indians at the Entrance of my lane on which the Indians Imme-
diatly fired on them to the amount of 18 or Twenty & Killd
Mr. Wilder. The party of white men returned their fire &
Killd one of them dead on the spot & wounded severall of the
others as appeared by Considerable Quantity of Blood strewed
on the Ground as they Run off which they Immediatly did &
by their leaving behind them 3 Gunns one pistole & sundry
other Emplements of warr &c. &c.
I have inclosed a List of the Desolate men women &
Children who have fled to my House which is Inclosed by a
small stockade for safety by which you see what a number of
poor Souls destitute of Every necessary of Life are here
penned up & likely to be Butchered without Immediate Relief
& Assistance & can Expect none unless from the Province to
which they Belong. I shall submitt to your wiser Judgment the
Best & most Effectual method for such Relief & shall con-
clude with hoping we shall have it in time.
I am Honnourable Sir
Your most Obed^t Serv^t
Tho^s Cresap