Anthony Brockholt & New York Commissioners, Letter to Massachusetts Governor & Council, August 18, 1677
Aug. 18, 1677.
Honored Gentlemen
Yours of the 25th past in answer to ours by mr Sturt, concerning the peace with the Indyans, wee received at his returne, wherein you are pleased to intimate that as to a Cessation of Armes & a mutuall Returne of Captives, you were willing to condiscend, on Condicon that the English in their Custody bee delivered to us, & the vessells lately taken, tackling & lading &c with a Restriction for the Indyans not to come neare your Plantacons : The Indyans with whom wee had made the Peace (waiting as well as wee, yor Result upon our Message,) wee acquainted with the heads thereof, & enjoyned them to the observance of that Caution of not coming neare yor plantacons, bounding their Progresse by Casco bay westward (as more certaine then a ten miles Limitt :) A while after Capt Scottow arrived here (with six Indyan Captives) by whom wee recd yor Letter of the 31th & after him Squando the Sachem of Saco, with the Sachems of Ambuscoggan & Pequagick came here, being desirous to bee included in the Peace made with their Neighbors, which wee consented to (although Exceptions might hane beene made against some of them) being willing to make the Peace as generall as may bee ; Wee layd the like injunction on them as on the former, but the greatest difficulty was yet behind, concerning the Restauracon of the Ketches, none of these being concerned in their taking, & indeed wee did looke upon it, to be a kind of Imposicon on
on us, As if you had no desire to bee concerned in the Peace, proposing so difficult Termes, from the weth neither in yor first or second Letter, you doe in the least vary, Although in the former part of that by Capt Scottow, you say (yor Case being so circumstanced, as before recited) that you shall rest & confide in or discrecon to perfect the same for yor & the English Inteerst ; The which being followed by a subsequent positive Clause, of returning the Captives if the Condicons of yor preceding Letter were not performed, made yor Confidence in us of small value./ Besides this, Gent. give us leave to tell you, that the Captive prisonrs being brought hither with the Condicon afore menconed, & those so publickely made knowne, by yor owne people (to Indyans as well as others)
It was like to spoyle all wee hnd done, & make a new breach, Some of the looser Indyans throatning to rescue the Captives by force (there being then about 60. of them here) & they told us of breach of promise in not delivering our Captives,
they having brought in Eighteene, besides Mrs Hamond, who they releast to us, (though they tax her for breaking her Paroll) intending to bring in all the rest, being neare such another number, & that wee should keepe sixe of theirs close prisonrs, before their faces, To the which indeed wee had litle to say, but by authority & good words restrayned them till Madackawando's coming who was sent for, but came not before yesterday, & very happily wee concluded a Peace with him likewise this day, including a Surrender of the Ketches &c. which hee with his Indyans assented unto, almost contrary to our Expectacon,
Wee having but slender hopes thereof, & no great Grounds, as not apprehended or thought on, in the peace first made : So many of them as Madackawando hath or can procure, wee haue great Confidence hee will deliver as hee hath engaged : As to other particulars relating to these affaires, wee shall
not give you farther trouble about, but referre you to Capt Scottows Relacon, who for a fortnight hath beene an Eye wittnesse of all passages here : Wee had five Captives delivered up by Madackowando at making of the Peace ; (which Capt. Scottow takes with him) & wee delivered up the six you sent by him (there being but foure of them really Captives or prisonrs of warre, the other two (miserable creatures) had too long beene innocent sufferers,
had too long beene innocent sufferers, & yor Charity in their Redemption, will without doubt have its Reward : Wee sent sixteene Captives the beginning of this month to Piscattaqua, & two others were taken on bord Capt Silvanus Davis about a week since, to bee carryed to Boston :
When the others come in, wee shall take the best Care wee can to send them to their habitacons or friends, & shall likewise give notice of the Ketches at their Arrivall : Wee thanke you for the Caution you give us to bee careful! of the Indyans Treachery, It is not of to day onely that wee are acquainted with their Tempers, so shall not Neglect our selves or dutyes, yet would not bee too much posses't with a groundlesse Jealousy of them : Wee hope God almighty will give a blessing to the Peace now made with the Indyans, & that it will be firme & durable for the Generall Good of our Nation, which hath beene very much our aime, & shall be the daily prayer of
Gent
Yor most humble Servants Fort Charles in
Charles in Anth° Brockhollt Pemaquid Aug : 18th
Csesar Knapton / 1677./
Matthias : Nicolls Doc. Vol. VI. 13
Documentary History of the State of Maine, Baxter Manuscripts, Volume 6, 191.