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Colonial and State Records of North Carolina
Report by William Waties concerning the actions of the Tuscarora Nation
Waties, William
May 1731
Volume 11, Pages 10-15

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[B. P. R. O. So Carolina B. T. Vol. 7, E. 79.]
A Copy of Mr. Wates's Journal to North Carolina begun May 10th 1731.

On Monday the 10th of May at Edintown I had the opportunity of speaking with Willm Blunt the intended King of the Tuskerorers and Capt. George and six other Indians who came there as they were sent for by Governor Burrington to meet me.

And in the presence of the Govr and Col. and some of the Assembly I showed them the Instructions I had received under the Great Seal and by the Interpreter Wllm Charlton tould them that was the substance of what I was sent to say to them that it was the words of the Govr & Conl and Great men in So Carolina and that I was come to know the reason why they came into our Government to take away our Slaves and kill our cattell and take and kill the free Indians that lived amongst us and had no Warrs with them.

To which they answered it was not them but it was the Seenecass that had done it.

I replyed that was faulse that I had seen their tracts all along the path to Cape fair and had spoke with John Bernett Mr Pawly Capn George Bennet and that the man with me knew 2. or 3. of them also Who coming in they began to talke amongst themselves.

Upon which I had the interpreter aske them if they did not know the man that I expected they were sent by King Blunt to talke true and not to tell me lies.

Upon which they confes'd they had been at his House but did not want to carry away the woman there but that the man was afraid for nothing.

I bid the Interpreters to ask them if that was nothing also to take Mr Mashos Indian Slave before his face and kill the horses upon the spot.

To which they answered it was not them that it was the Senecas's and that man pointing to one of their company was with them and tould them it was not good for them to do so and that they must not meddle with Slaves but that signified nothing for they would not hear him.

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I bid the Interpreter aske them if they had not formerly been sent for down before the Governor when they had been in our Settlements and killed severall Indians and carried away a slave from Mr Sumerhoof at Winyaw which slave they had brought and delivered up to Coll Moore If then they did not promise to come no more into our settlements yet now they had broke that promise and did not regard it.

They answered it was true they did promise so but that last fall some Indians came to the head of new river and killed Capt Jack and wounded one more of their people and a party of Senecas's coming to their Town to go against the Catabos's they went out with them and coming to that place followed the tract to the head of Wacamaw River and did beleive they came down that River into our Settlements and that they found a small Fort and some Indians between Santee and Winyaw Rivers at a White Mans Plantation and in the night they went up to the Fort and fired in, but could not tell if they killed any or not and so returned directly.

I reply'd it was true what they said about the Fort but that they had been at a Plantation at Black River also and there in a very rude way took some shirts that were in wash and put them on and also carried away some cloth and that they had killed cattell in 2. or 3. places now as well as formerly that they could have no pretence of Warr with our neighbour Indians but because they came with us against them in the No Carolina Warr and we looked upon their doings as if they wanted warr with us.

But they answered they did not want warr with us that it was the Senecass had done that and they were blamed for nothing that the same man was with them when they took the shirts and cloth as was by when they took the slave and all he could say to them signified nothing.

I had the Interpreters tell them I knew it was certainly them for Capt Peter who I did expect would come with them and who they say is now a beaver hunting has been twice in our settlements and done mischief and his being absent now looks like as if they had left him in So Carolina hunting for our slaves and killing our Cattel for I knew this was not the time to hunt beavers.

They answered that the So Carolina Indians were now about their Towns that they had seen their Tracts and both cattle and

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hogs that they had killed and some of their children going for wood saw one of them.

I asked them if it was their cattell and hogs that were killed. They reply'd it was the white peoples. Upon which I asked them if the White people had sent to them to complain and had the Interpreter tell them that severall of the gentlemen there had tould me that when they had killed their cattle or hogs they would say they saw the tracts of So Carolina Indians and so indeavour to lay the blame of it upon them as they did to me upon the Senecas's in South Carolina.

Upon this they took some time to taulk amongst themselves and the Interpreter being asked what they said reply'd they said it signified nothing to taulk with me any more for I would not believe them and as long as I would not believe them for what did I give them the trouble of coming 40 miles for nothing.

To this I had the Interpreter tell them I had come four hundred miles to taulk with them and did they think much of coming 40 miles that I did believe them it what was true but when they told lies and said they did no hurt in So Carolina but laid it upon the Senecas's who were not there to answer and when I knew they did attempt to carry away my slave before and tried to break into the houses several times in the night and Capn George had told Mr Pawly that they were Senecas's and would not speak English till John Bernet came who knew him very well then he could speak English and tould Mr Pawly that they were Senecas's and Tuskerorer's were all one yet now you make a difference and lay all the blame upon the Senecas's though you yourselves own that you came down into our settlements with them and that that man of yours was with them all along. No I am not come so far to hear and believe lies lett the Governr judge if you speak true.

Upon which the Governor had the Interpreter tell them it was very evidently plain it was them and that their laying it upon the Senecas's if any Senecass were with them that was nothing to the purpose and no excuse for them for they had confessed they went out with them and one of their people was with them at taking the slave and killing the horse and taking the shirts and cloth before the white peoples face.

After some taulk amongst themselves they answered they thought they should have blame about it but they could not help

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what the Senecass had done but for themselves they would go no more into our settlements if I would forgive them this time and speak to the Governor when I went back to forgive them.

But I had the Interpreter tell them that would not do for I was commanded by the Governor to demand payment for the damages they had done and a delivery of the slaves they had taken without which I could settle no terms of peace or friendship with them.

Upon which they asked for what slaves and for what damages I wanted pay I answered them for 3 cattell and a horse of Mr Pawleys and for two more at Black River of Mr Henlys formerly when Capn Peter came into our settlements and now Mr Mashos slave and horses and for a cow and calf they had killed and for the shirts and cloth they took and for a slave of Mr Bells which they took away from Black River about three months past.

They bid their Interpreter aske me who see them take that slave.

To which I answered nobody but that they were seen that very time about the Plantation and I knew by their asking who see them take him that it was some of them because I found they knew nobody saw them take him.

After a short taulk amongst themselves they asked if the fellow had a gun for may be he was run away.

I answered he had a gun as they knew well enough but they wanted to make me believe he was run away.

They answered they knew nothing of it nor of the cattle formally and as to what was done now the Senecas who did it must pay for it.

To this I bid the Interpreter ask them if they knew nothing of the Slave also that Capt. Peter took from Mr Sumerhoof and returned to Coll: Moore when he went up to their Towns. and threatened them to bring the Catabos's upon them that now they began to taulk lies to me as they did before and say I must look to the Senecas's for pay when I have followed their Tract all along the path and no it is them and none elce and that Capt George there told Mr Ash he would go through our Settlements in the fall with 50 men to look for Indians at the Southward.

To this they made no answer but taulked some time amongst themselves till I bad the Interpreter ask them again if they would make any payment for this last damage or return the slaves and if not I

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was ordered to tell them our Govr would look on them as Enemys and send the Cherokees and Catawbos's to cut them off. That the former Govr had sent a letter now I was sent and if this not do they might be assured the next would be an Army to bring them to reason.

They answered the Cherokes and Catawbos were at warr and they killed one another which they knew and did not fear they would both come against them.

I reply'd they were no way to suffer if it was so far it was in the power of our Government to make them friends when we pleased and if there was neither Cherokees or Catabos's as we ourselves had men and strength enuff to cut them all off and if we came it would be much the worse for them for they might ask the Governor if we were not all one people under one great King and if the injuries they did was not the beginning of a war with us all No Carolina must be their Enemys also and help us and this you all must know if you remember in the old warrs that we were all one people.

To this they answered that they did not nor would not do any to us to cause a Warr but why could we not let them that were Indians alone to make war against Indians without our meddling with it.

I answered they might war with the Indians without our settlements Till they had enuff of it if they did not come into our settlements to kill our cattle and take our slaves and rob houses but they did so and would make no reperation I was sent to let them know that we could look on them no other ways but as enemys designing to make war upon us.

They answered they had often told me it was not them that did us hurt and if I had nothing to say more they wanted to make haste home because they had discovered some Catabos's about their Towns before they came down that the Senecas's had carried Mashos slaves by their Town four days before they were sent for and if I wanted any pay I must look to them for it.

I told them at my return our Govr would soon write to the Governor of New York to let the Seneca's know what lies they tould of them and that in the mean time they would find warr enuff from the Catabos's without going to seek for it in So Carolina.

To which they bid the Interpreter to ask me if white men would come with the Catabos's to war.

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I answered they knew that the Catabos's and Soponis were three times stronger than they and that there was no occation for to send White men but if they were any more seen within our settlements they should soon find white men and Indians enuff to cut them off and leave them neither Town nor People and since they were so obstinate as to refuse to make good any damages they had done that was all I had to say to them.

Upon which the Governor bad the Interpreter tell them that the Govr and people of So Carolina had all the reason in the world to be angry with them that he would have them go out and consider what I had said to them and agree to pay me for if the So Carolina Indians came against them he would give them no assistance and if they did any more injuries and the White people came against them he himself must be against them also and therefore they had better to consider well of it.

Att which they all went out and two or three hours after tould the Governor they could not agree to pay anything upon which he told them to tell me for I must carry back the answer they answered they would tell me by and by and the next morning they gave me the same answer that they could not pay any thing.

But that they would come into our settlements no more but could not engage for the Senecas's not coming.