April 30th 1713.
Hond Sir
Your of April 27th by your messenger received. And as for Tom Blount, he was in with us at our last Council, and we are come to such article of agreement with him as your Honor proposed in your's of April 7th and he is to meet us the 10th or 11th of the next month at the assembly fully to conclude the peace, of which by mine to you of the 25th instant (by Capt Maule and John Lovick) have given your Honor a particular account. Since mine of the 25th there hath nothing of moment happened here, until the very moment before your messenger arrived, I had informations that the Matamuskeets (having I believe some of the Cores and Catechnee Indians joined with them) being in number about 50 had fallen on the inhabitants of Alligator River, and, as they conjectured had killed and taken 16 or 20 of the Inhabitants the rest having escaped. Col Moore had sent orders to have one have one hundred of his Indians to come and Clear the woods about Matamuskeet; but but believe they are not yet come: and I have sent out orders to the adjoining military officers, to raise what men they can, and march after these Indians with all expedition; but fear it may be to no purpose, they having advantage of such dismal swamps to fly into. And unless our auxiliary
Indians can drive them out of these swamps I can think of no better way, than of setting a garrison some where near their chiefest range, who may hinder their making of corn, and make some discovery where they keep their wives and children, which may be a means to make them remove.As for the present state affairs here, I have not failed to give your Honor a particular account of all material passages since my administration; but shall briefly run over some few things.
Our own divisions (chiefly occasioned by the Quakers and some other evil disposed persons) hath been the cause of all our troubles. For the Indians, being informed by some of the traders, that the people that lived here were only a few vagabond persons, that had run away out of other governments, and had settled hear of their own head, without any authority, so that, if they cut them off, there would be none to help them, this, with the seeing our own differences rise to such a height that we (consisting of only counties) were in armes each against the other, encouraged them to fall upon the county of Bath not expecting they would have any assistance from this county, or any other English plantations. This is the chief cause that moved the Indians to rise up against us, so far as I can understand.
And as the Quakers with their adherents have been a great occasion to the rise of the war, so they with two or three persons more (not in such post of profit and trust in the government as they desired) have been the chief cause that the war hath not been carried on with that vigour it ought, by their disobediance to the government encouraging other to disobey, and in severall precints, they, being the most numerous in the election fields, choose such numbers of assembly as opposed chiefly what was necessary for carrying on the war. So that the generalty of the people, seeing that the Quakers for their disobedience and opposition to the government rise actually in arms and had attacked the government and council had escaped without any manner of punishment, were emboldend to do the like; and seemed to want only one to head them to carry on another insurrection.
As for ability in carrying on the war: it is so little that we must, if possibly we can upon honorable terms, conclude a peace, the country being more in debt than I doubt they will be able to pay this ten or twelve years, our public bills not passable, and little or no provisions to be raised in the Government to maintain any forces out against the enemy.
At the breaking up of the assembly, shall give your Honor an account of what conclusions we come to with Tom Blount, and all other material
passages here, and intend then to send the Lords Proprietors a clear view of the state of their country so far as I can; and I shall not be unmindful to give them a full representation of your great and hearty endeavours for the good of this poor people and safety of their country. And, I hope, when you write home concerning this government, you will do me the justice to represent that I have not been neglectful in doing what possibly could for the safety of this place