the protection of those who may have a Just Title to the Lands and to prevent others from settling thereon, and I have accordingly acquainted Lt. Governor Fauquier that this was my opinion of your Intentions from the Words of the Proclamation, and that I did not Doubt but your answer to him would be fully satisfactory, which, I flatter myself will be the case, as I would avoid doing anything that can give the Colonies the least room to complain of the Military power.
I am, Sir,
Your most obedient Servant,
JEFF. AMHERST.
No. 8.—GOVERNOR FAUQUIER TO BOUQUET.
(ARCHIVES, SERIES A, VOL.18-1, p. 75.)
Wms Burgh, March 12th, 1762.
SIR,—I have the pleasure to Advise you that I Communicated your favour of the Inst. to his Majesty's Council who are in Every respect satisfied therewith, and have desired me to make their Sentiments known to you, which Task I undertake with great Satisfaction as they so Entirely Correspond with my own.
You may be assured that I shall give a Certificate in Writing to any one who has a Right by patent to any Lands under Consideration and shall not fail to inform you and his Majesty's Commander in Chief of my having done so.
The Persons who can make any Right appear, will be found I apprehend to claim Lands a great deal to the Southward of Fort Pitt, it having never been ascertained whether the Lands about that Fort are in this Colony or in Pensylvania. Tho' I imagine the Instructions all the Governors on the Continent received by the last Packett will adjust all these Affairs by the absolute Prohibition of all future Settlements on Lands not regularly ceded to the King's Subjects by the Indians, which is to be by Treaty and not by private Purchasers.
I am, with great Regard,
Sir, your most obedt hum: Servant,
FRAN: FAUQUIER.
No. 9.—BOUQUET TO GENERAL AMHERST.
(ARCHIVES, SERIES A, VOL.4, p.120.)
Fort Pitt, 1st April, 1762.
SIR,—This day, two hours after Col. Eyre had lefft this place, I received your Excellency's letters of the 28th February and 2nd of March, Convinced by my own experience in this inconsiderable Part of your extensive Com-
p. 3093
mand, of the multiplicity of affairs that must devolve upon you from the whole, I have avoided troubling you with a minute account of all the triffling events that occur daily here, in which number I must class Mr. Fauquier's letter to me, as I thought it intirely groundless, and expected that my answer would have been fully satisfactory to him.
As I know of no legal Title People can have to settle Indian Lands, but what must be delivered from the powers given by the Crown to the Commander-in-chief, or the Governors of Provinces, I imagined to have obviated all cavils by the exceptions I had made. Neither could I think that the Lieut. Governor of Virginia after desiring me to explain my Intentions in issuing that order, should complain to you, before he had received that explanation. For certainly his letter to me in that case was an unnecessary trouble to himself and his express a useless expence to the Publick. I take the liberty to inclose a copy of the answer I made him at that time.
I never had any design to obstruct any man's Just Rights, or give uneasiness to any body, and much less to a respectable Colony.
After having found every other method insufficient, I thought the fear of Punishment would deter the Outlaws, who were the only Persons I had in view from their vile practices, but tho' some are since fallen into my hands, they have suffered no other molestation than to be expelled from their Improvements, and have their Hutts burnt, and they seem at last disgusted from making new attempts as they know, that tho' I overlook many things, I never do forgive a breach of orders in this departmt.
I had yet another reason to make my Intentions publickly known at that time, and which I thought best not to Communicate to Mr. Fauquier. I had been repeatedly informed that one Col. Cresap, who is concerned in one of the Ohio Companies (the favourite scheme of Virginia) was proposing by way of subscription to several familys to remove from the frontiers of that Colony and Mariland to form settlements on the Ohio. I foresaw that these poor people would be ruined by that bubble, and I was the more induced to credit that Report from an offer made me by that same Gentleman of a share, or 25,000 acres of these Lands, which did not tempt me.
In preventing in the district intrusted to me a scandalous breach of a recent Treaty, by the measure complained of, I cannot at least be charged with interested views or having exerted the little power vested in me, to the oppression of the subject or the Indian.
As an officer serving without prospect of a higher Rank in the Army, There is no object of ambition for me in this Country; and as a man I must have convinced every Individual who has been concerned in this department, of my disinterestedness in never receiving the most triffling acknowledgment from any man in it.
No Trader or Sutler over paid me a shilling for their Licences, nor other people for the Plantations I was authorized by Gen. Monckton to grant along the Communication and at Red Stone Creek for the support of this Post, and I have constantly observed the same Rule with the Indians in accepting no Presents from them.
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Divested of all motives of ambition, and without private views of Interest, I flattered myself to be free of any imputation of Partiality or Injustice, and having heard of no complaint from either of the two other Provinces, I must ascribe this Proceeding to the misfortune I had in the Campaign of 1758, to be obliged to differ in opinion with some persons of Virginia about Roads and Provisions, and I am afraid I remain still obnoxious to them, which can only increase my desire of being removed from this command, if it was consistent with your Pleasure.
The obliging manner in which you are pleased to mention that affair to me, and so very different from Mr. Fauquier's behaviour, required with my most grateful acknowledgments that I should clear myself of an odious Imputation, the effect of a groundless Jealousy and the greediness of ingrossing those Lands, and tho' from the distance of my station, I may be obliged to act sometimes without orders to the best of my Judgment, It shall be my Constant endeavour not to incur your disapprobation, or disoblige any of the Provinces.
* * * *
I have the honour to be &c.
HENRY BOUQUET.
No. 10.—GENERAL AMHERST TO BOUQUET.
(ARCHIVES, SERIES A, VOL.4, p.131.)
[EXTRACT.]—Soon after my letter to you relative to the Proclamation you had Issued, which had given offence to the Virginians, I had one from Lt. Govr Fauquier, wherein he says: “Colonel Bouquet has wrote a very Sensible, Polite and Satisfactory answer, with which His Majesty's Council seemed very well pleased, and Desired that I would express their sentiments to him.” This I make no doubt but the Lt. Governor has done and therefore I need say nothing more on the subject, as I was convinced your Intentions in publishing that Proclamation was solely for the protection and security of those who had a Just Right to the Lands, and I am very glad to find it appears in its true Light to the Lieut. Governor and Council.
I needed no assurance to be satisfied of your acting with Disinterestedness in the Department where you Command. And I cannot but approve of your never permitting any Trader or Sutler to pay for Licences. This is what I have always prevented.
* * * *
I am, Sir,
Your most obedient Servant
JEFF. AMHERST.
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