[n4] Fort Stanwix October 1784 Sir We have the honour of transmitting to your Excellency the Articles of a Treaty We concluded with the Six Nations by which the Cession of Territory is fixed So far as it depends upon those Nations — We have also [undecipherable: favoured] Niagara, the carrying Place between the Lakes Erie and Ontario together with Oswego and a competent District around it to the United States — Measures are taking for the immediate Collection of and Delivery of the Prisoners for which Hostages are according to the inclosed List are in our Hands — M^r Butler and M^r Lee will set out immediately by the way of the Susquehanna for [undecipherable] where we hope they will conduct the Business, by the Influence of the western Indians — The Distance or some [undecipherable] and the Niagara or the [undecipherable: Shagon] side renders it inconvenient for M^r Wolcott to attend the Meeting in Treaty The Commissioners think it their Duty to mention that they have experienced great Inconveniences from the [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] Governor of the State in attempting to prosecute the Treaty, and the consequent Licentiousness of the [undecipherable] Citizens of the Place who in [undecipherable] of our [undecipherable] were [undecipherable] [undecipherable] And when it was [undecipherable] by our Order had a Writ served upon the Officer who executed the Order — We had no alternative but that of sending away the Sheriff or submitting to the Jurisdiction of New York and deviating from the Treaty — We preferred the former but on our Departure the Officer would be liable to be arrested and we are informed that the Proprietors are determined to pursue him to the utmost Their Names are William Colbreath Lawrence Trumper and John Elliot — The Other Settlers have [undecipherable] the means that were used by our orders and Acquiesced in the Propriety of the Proceeding We have thought proper to send Lieutenant Mercer the Officer who executed our Order to attend your Excellency and Congress to give such further Information as they may desire and receive their orders. Col^o Linn with the Troops under his command has our Orders to remain at this Place to guard the Hostages and receive and take Charge of the Prisoners that are to be delivered up and to be ready to take Possession of Oswego if Congress should think proper to direct it upon [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] not [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] allowing Food nor Clothing and [undecipherable] whenever with him wherever he be [undecipherable] to force the British thence [undecipherable] of about [undecipherable] men We omit [undecipherable] a formal [undecipherable] to us by the Chiefs of the Oneida and [undecipherable] in favour of M^r Dean who served us faithfully in [undecipherable: convening] the Indians to the Treaty and in officiating as an Interpreter the Request of the Indians in favour of M^r Dean. We submit to the Justice and Wisdom of Congress They likewise request that a Provision may be made for rebuilding a Church burned down as they say during the War and for a Missionary among them whom they say in may be M^r [undecipherable] who has been long with them in that Character Tho: the Indians seem fully duly sensible of their Incapacity to enter into a War with the United States and therefore are likely to observe the Treaty, yet as they are a People very variable and easily practised upon We think it our Duty to advise the getting Possession of and Garrisoning [undecipherable: there] with a respectable Force the Posts of Michilimackinac, Detroit, Niagara and Oswego very early in the Spring. The Possession of those Posts will effectually awe the Indians Nations and secure a due Observance of the Treaties The Commandeers of the british Garrisons in those Posts [undecipherable] from their [undecipherable] on their People from [undecipherable: removing] themselves or their Effects from the Territory of the United States commanded by those Garrisons into Canada, and to [undecipherable] them [undecipherable] they [undecipherable] and been [undecipherable] Persons who have [undecipherable] each Permission [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] Doctor Dean That it is also certain that the British have within their Garrisons several Americans [II 13] who were taken by the Indians under their Direction — We mention these [undecipherable] things that have come to our Knowledge that Congress may hereafter [undecipherable: take] Measures or become the [undecipherable: Monitors] of the United States So [undecipherable: flagrantly] wounded by the Officers of the King of Great Britain We have the Honour to be Sir your Excellency's most Obed.^t Serv.^ants Oliver Wolcott Richard Butler Arthur Lee P.S. Should it be the [undecipherable: opinion] to continue the Troops at Fort Stanwix during the winter it will be necessary to order a Contract for provisioning them renewed, the present one ending the 31^st of December — [Incd]