Letter from Aeneas Mackay, Staunton, to Governour Penn

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Staunton, May 5, 1774.

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR HONOR: I have taken the liberty of acquainting your Honor with the proceedings of Doctor Conolly, in regard to the Justices Smith, McFarlane, and myself, the 9th of April last, when we were torn from our families and business by Conolly, and his militia, and sent prisoners to this Colony, where, when we travelled together one day' s journey, Messrs˙ Smith and McFarlane accompanied the Sheriff to this place, and I found means to procure leave to go to Williamsburg, in order to lay Conolly and his militia' s conduct before my Lord Dunmore, in as true and clear a light as we had experienced from their tyranny and oppression.

After six days riding, I arrived at Williamsburg, where my Lord heard my story to an end, and then told me that Conolly was authorized by him, as Governor of Virginia, to prosecute the claim of that Colony to Pittsburg and its dependencies, and as to taking of prisoners, he, Conolly, only imitated the Pennsylvania officers, in respect to Conolly' s imprisonment by them.

After his Lordship and I spoke our minds very free to each other, relating to Conolly' s claims and lines, he dismissed me at that time, desiring I would call upon him the next day, which I did, but all the satisfaction I could obtain, after waiting at Williamsburg three days, was a letter to the Sheriff of this county, to whose custody we were committed, a copy of which, together with one of the proclamations sent to Conolly, by express from this place yesterday, I take the liberty of enclosing with this for your Honor' s perusal.

In consequence of the above letter, we are to set off from this place immediately, but how to act after our

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AENEAS MACKAY.