1765 Address of the Christian Indians at the Barracks in Philadelphia to Governor John Penn
[Punctuation and spelling is as it appears in the original document]
To the Honourable John Penn Esqr.
Lieutenant Governor & Commander in Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania etc.
The Address of the Indians at the Barracks near the City of Philada.
Being about to departing from the Habitations which by Your Goodness we have had occupied these 15 months at quite near your place of Residence into the Woods.
Being about to depart in two Days hence with our Wives and Children from the Philada. Barracks where we have Sojourned above a year back in & intending to go back into the Woods of Wachelusing on Susquehanna & to settle there. We think it is our firm Duty to take a friendly leave from You by presenting our hearty Thanks for Your great Goodness to us. We do not come with a String or Belt of Wampum agreeable to the Custom among Indians but and as we cannot speak Your Tongue we must endeavour to express our grateful Hearts in by this Writing and hoping You will take it accept of it in Your usual Benevolence from Your poor Indians. We all acknowledge Your great Kindness to us in the late War, we were then in Danger of our Lives from the white people and You have taken us in Your Protection so that we could live in peace & quietness in the Barracks[.] You have as a good father provided Food & Raiment for us our Wives & Children[.] You have given medicines & nursing for our Sick and have buried our dead, and we have been rejoiced to hear that Your tender care for us extends still further that You will give us some Meal till our Indian Corn shall ripen[.] We have indeed great occasion for such[.] Your Goodness as are all [illeg.] are poor and have many superannuated impotent persons amongst [us.] For all this we offer You our grateful Hearts and moreover We thank You for the Liberty we have enjoyed during these last diff times of difficulty to have our Ministers with us & the to daily to attend divine Service. By these means we have been kept in the Way of our Salvation & have heard the good Words of our God & Creator that we shall love him & all mankind and be in friendship with the English and we further rejoice & thank You that Mr. Schmick one of our Ministers & David Zeisberger a Brother of Bethl., [illeg.] shall go to live with us on Susquehannah to influence us poor Indians in the knowledge of Truth of the Gospel[.] We have great occasion for such daily influence as there is many of our Indians who are not as they ought be be & some of them know nothing at all of our Creator.
Your Benevolence & protection towards us are great & consider in our Eyes & have made an Impression in our hearts that never can wear out and we will always relate all this & testify to the Indians on Susquehanna & testify & declare to them that we are & will for ever remain true friends to the English.
We have aonther Request to make of You & hope which is that You will give us some Powder & Shot to make use of on our tedious & difficult Journey in Killing some Game for our Wives & Children. This is all we have to say for the present, & we wish that the Almighty may bless You. These words come from us who have submited this address & from all the men Indian Men Women & Children now at the Barracks and we are Your true & faithful friends.
Johannes Papunhang
Josua Sen.
Anton
Sam. Eawens
[March 19, 1765]
Updated: 21 September 2005
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