with major Truman, and the said Harignera being dead, this deponent desired some other great men to come and speak with the said major, upon which message of his, there came out three or four of them, and this deponent was commanded by the major to tell them of the great injuries that had been done to the country, and that he came to know who they were that had done them, and the great men replyed, it was the Senecas; and this deponent saith, that there being present other Indians from other towns, the major desired some of their young men to assist as pilotes, as well as the neighbouring Indians had done, to join in pursuite of the Senecas, and the said Indians replyed, the Senecas had been gone four days, and that, by that time, they might be at the head of Patapsico river; to which major Truman returned, that he had good horses, and they were good footmen, and might soon overtake them, and the Indians replyed, that they would. And the deponent further saith, that, in the morning following, the Susquehannahs' great men being at the place of meeting before the Marylanders and Virginians, the said great men were taxed again by the Virginians more highly of the injuries done by them in Maryland and Virginia, and they utterly denyed the same. And thereupon, this deponent was commanded to declare to them that they should be bound; and this deponent saith, further, that there was an old paper and a meddall shewed by the said Indians, with a black and yellow ribbond thereto, and that the said Indians did say, the first day, in the evening thereof, that the same was a pledge given and left with them by the former governors as a token of amity and friendship as long as the sun and moon should last. And this deponent saith, to the best of

his remembrance, all the Virginia officers were present when the Indians were bound; and this deponent saith, that the first night of meeting with the Susquehannahs, he was ordered to declare to them that major Truman did believe the Senecas had done the mischief, and not they, and that he was well satisfied therein.'

"The house met.

'SATTURDAY, May the 20th, 1676.

"Touching the murder of the Susquehannah Indians, captain John Allen being sworn and examined, saith, that about the 25th or 26th day of September, on Sunday morning, the Maryland forces appeared before the fort, under the command of major Truman, who, sending Hugh French and another to the fort, there came out two or three of the Indians, and more afterwards to the number of thirty or forty, and the major examined them concerning the mischief that, was done to Mr. Hanson and others, and if they knew what Indians they were, and they told them it was the Senecas. During which discourse between the major and them, came over colonel Washington, colonel Mason, and major Adderton, and they likewise taxed them with the murders done on their side by them, but they made the same reply as to major Truman, that it was none of them; so, when they saw they could get nothing out of them, then they made it appear that three of the said Susquehannah Indians were they that did the murders on the other side. On Munday morning early, the major commanded Mr. Coad and two or three ranks of men, whereof himself was one, to go to the house of Mr. Randolph Hanson, to see if the Indians had plundered it, and, if they found any ammunition, to bring it

away; which, accordingly, they did; and after return back to the fort, the deponent saw six Indians guarded with the Marylanders and Virginians, and the major, with the Virginia officers, sitting upon a tree some distance from them; and, after some while, they all rose and came towards the Indians, and caused them to be bound; and after some time, they talked again, and the Virginia officers would have knocked them on the head in the place presently, and particularly, colonel Washington said, what should we keep them any longer-let us knock them on the head-we shall gett the fort to-day. But the deponent saith, the major would not admitt of it, but was overswayed by Virginia officers. And, after further discourse, the said Indians were carried forth from the place where they were bound, and they knocked them on the head.

'Colonel Samuel Chew and colonel Jesse Wharton sent to desire the lower house to acquaint this house: whether they have drawn up any thing by way of impeachment of major Thomas Truman, and that they would please to signifie the same to this house by a member of their own house.'

"The house met.

'MONDAY MORNING, May the 22d.

'Colonel William Burgess, Mr. Robert Carville, Mr. Kenelm Chiseledine, Mr. William Stephens, &c. brought in an impeachment against major Thomas Truman, with several depositions relating thereto, which impeachment is as follows:

"To the Right Honourable the Lord Proprietary of the Province of Maryland, and Avalon, Lord Baron of Baltimore, &c.

'Articles against major Thomas Truman, exhibited by the lower house of assembly to the right honourable the Lord Proprietary, and upper house of assembly.

'We, your lordship's most humble, true, faithfull and obedient people, the burgesses and delegates in your lower house of assembly, being constrained, by necessity of our fidelity and conscience, in vindication of the honour of God, and the honour and welfare of your lordship and this province, do complain and shew that the said major Thomas Truman, late commander-inchief upon an expedition against the Indians at the Susquehannah forte, hath, by many and sundry ways and means, committed divers and sundry enormous crimes and offences, to the dishonour of Almighty God, against the laws of nations, contrary to your lordship's commission and instructions, and to the great endangering of your lordship's peace, and the good and safety of your lordship's province, acording to the articles hereafter mentioned, that is to say:

'We find, upon reading your lordship's commission and instructions, and the affidavits which we herewith send to your lordship and upper house of assembly, and which we humbly submitt to your lordship's examination and serious consideration.

"The first. That the said major Truman hath broken his commission and instructions thus: that the said major Thomas Truman having received six Indians sent out by the Susquehannahs as embassadors to treat with him on the Sunday after the arrival of the Maryland forces, and received their paper and meddall, by which we find they were received as friends, and in amity with us, and had liberty of going back to the fort, and were assured that no intention of force was to be used against

them, and that no damage should be done to them, their wives, or children, and that they did, that night, go into the forte, and the next morning did return again with the like number, only one Indian changed, and supposed to come on purpose to treat, and not in any hostile manner, yet the said major Thomas Truman, without calling any council of warr of your lordship's officers under his command, as he ought to have done, did, in a barbarous and cruel manner, cause five of the said Indians to be killed and murdered, contrary to the law of God and nations, and contrary to your lordship's commission and instructions.

'Secondly. That he, the said major Thomas Truman, ought, according to your lordship's instructions, to have acquainted your lordship before he caused the said Indians to be executed, for your lordship's advice and directions in that case, which we do not find he did.

'Lastly. That he hath broken your lordship's instructions in this also, that that, if the Virginia officers did advise and consent to the killing of the said Indians, that he did not, in an open council of warr, cause the same to be judiciously entered in writing by his clerk or secretary, and such the Virginians consent and desire for the doing thereof, to be signed under their hands, to be kept for justification of himself and the people of this province.

"Therefore, for that, by the said articles, it appears that the said major Thomas Truman hath broken his commission and instructions in murdering the said Indians, to the dishonour of God, and your lordship and this province. They humbly pray that your lordship and upper house of assembly will take such order with the said major Thomas Truman as may be just and rea