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Lancaster, June 20, 1775.
SIRS: We sent out a scout of two men to Lake Memphremagog, in order to find two men that Mr˙ Benjamin Sawyer said he had left at that lake, but found them not, and they have returned back again. They saw at Lake Memphremagog several Indians hunting, one of whom was Black Lewee, by name, who is very well known among our people, in general, to be the most trusty and faithful to his word of any Indian that ever carne among us. He tells our scout that he set out to pilot two regular officer' s
In the mean time, we remain your most humble servants,
EDWARD BUCKNAM,
To Colonel Bailey and Colonel Hurd.
Edward Bucknam and Seth Wales to Colonels Bailey and Hurd
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into Lower Coos last winter, and two other Indians with them — but he was their chief pilot — in order to find out a good road from Canada to Coos, as these men told him their desire was to look out a road to Coos; but after they had set out on their journey, the regular officers told the Indians they intended to come through that way with an Army to take and destroy the people in those Towns on this river; and when Lewee found out their desire, he went back and left them. They made him promise and swear he would not come in to us, and make known their desire. He says there are near two thousand Regulars now in Canada, and they are making all preparations they possibly can for war, determined to come against us late this fall, and bring snow-shoes with them, and are now employing the Indians to make them. Lewee says they are continually inviting the Indians to join with them and fight against us, and they will put them in officers, and offer them money to take up arms, but they utterly refuse it. The Regulars threaten to kill them, to scare them to take up arms against us. Lewee says, the Indians and French wait for nothing but an invitation from us to join with US, Which they would do immediately, and want us to send an Army to take Quebeck, and let them know when our Army will meet them at Quebeck, to take it. He says, all Canada will rise to help take it. They determine not to take their old laws again. If we will but join with them, they will join with us. This Lewee says their head man at Caughnawaga is an Englishman, very much for New-England — his name is John Stacy; he wishes us to send them word it we want them to assist us or not. Lewee says he can raise five hundred Indians to assist us any time. This John Stacy is their head man, and this Lewee is next to him. Lewee says, he will do all he can to help us; he will stay at this lake twenty days from the time our scout left them, and this is the fourth day since, and then he and the other Indians are going to Caughnawaga, and if we desire it, he will carry a letter to their head man, who can read English. And now we send a man directly down to Coos, to let you know of these affairs; and as the Indians always spoke in your favour, it would have more effect upon them were you to write to them what our desire is, and whether you will have them join us or not; for they live in fear of being destroyed by the Regulars, as there is but a handful of them. This Lewee says he will go to Canada for us, stay all summer if we desire it, and let us know all the designs of the French and Canadians, and Regulars, &c. He proposes the manner he will go in, that they might not mistrust him to be a friend to us; says he will lake part of his hunt that he hath got at a time, and go into Canada and sell that, as usual, and tell them that he hath got some more moose skins in the woods, and must go and fetch them, and so in like manner, as long as we should like to have him go. We have got two-men ready to go out to Lewee immediately, if you think it best to send. This scout went and came back again in five days, with a canoe. If Colonel Bailey should have a mind to go out himself and see those Indians, our men can carry you in a canoe, and bring you back again. Your seeing them yourself will be more satisfaction to yourself and to other people in general, than sending by others. This Indian was afraid to let the other Indians know what he told OUR men, lest they should betray him in Canada. He says, now is the time to take Quebeck. The Regulars are buying up and storing all the provisions they can in Canada.
SETH WALES.