Testimony of Godfrey Shew

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TRYON COUNTY:

Personally appeared before me, Jellis Fonda, Esq˙, one of his Majesty' s Justices of the Quorum for said County, Godfrey Shew, and being duly sworn on the Holy Evangelists of Almighty God, deposeth and saith:

That, on or about the 4th day of March instant, he, the deponent, was at his dwelling-house at Sacondaga, in company with three of the Mohawk Indians, when he, the deponent, heard them say that in about six weeks' time he, the deponent, would see a fine dance among the Yankees. Then the deponent replied, What will you do with them? The said Indians gave for answer, that they would kill, scalp, and bum them, the said Yankees. The deponent said, You will not hurt me and my family, will you? The Indians replied, No; we will give you notice time enough to go away. At the same time, Squire Collins was passing by with some of the New-England people in a sled, about a hundred yards distant, when the deponent saw one of the Indians cock his rifle and bring it up to his face, at the same time swearing he would shoot the said Collins through the left eye. Then the deponent took hold of the rifle and held it from his face; and when they went away, they shook hands with the deponent, and declared they would give him timely notice.

The deponent further saith, That he asked the Indians how strong they were. The said Indians informed the deponent that Colonel Croghan was coming with the Cherokees by the way of Niagara and Fort Stanwix, and would kill and burn the people from that place to Schenectady. Further saith not the deponent.

GODFREY SHEW.

Caughnawaga, March 25th, 1776: Sworn before

JELLIS FONDA, Justice.

He said the Indian' s name was David; a Mohawk.