Three Rivers
Hudson~Mohawk~Schoharie
History From America's Most Famous Valleys

SPEECH OF DECHARIHOGA CHIEF OF THE CONAJOHAEES
TO SIR WILLIAM JOHNSON,
ON MONDAY THE 11th JULY 1774 A FEW HOURS BEFORE SIR WM'S
DECEASE & IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SIX NATIONS.

Brother:

It is with Pain I am under the necessity of Complaining again against that old Rogue, the old Disturber of our village, George Klock. You are long acquainted with his Artifices, and evil Conduct, and you have often assured us you had applied for Redress, but whatever is the Reason, we never yet Obtained any Satisfaction, and we begin to be doubtful whether the English will afford it to us, for which reason we are driven to the necessity of mentioning our Grievances to you in the Presence of the whole Confederacy, that they who know our Rank, may espouse our Cause, as it is their Duty to do, and convince the English that we have friends, and deserve Attention.

Brother-I will not take up your time with telling you, & your Brothers here present, the many Artifices he has made use of to Cheat us of our Lands, and to create Divisions among ourselves. I shall only mention his last Actions. This evil Spirit, last Winter by his Cunning, seduced one of our foolish young fellows to Steal away with him to England, where he exposed him for a shew, and Cheated him out of his Money. Klock has since Stolen home like a Rogue as he went out, and when we had notice of it, and applied to him to sign the Release, (which all the rest did) of the Lands which he Stole, he appointed a time for it, but when we came to his House, and brought a Justice of Peace to be present, he refused Admittance to him & us, and has since ran away, and propagated a Story that some of us threatened his Life. It is true, Brother, that the man he Cheated went and took some of his own Money, and probably, some of our young fellows after his own evil Example, might have used angry Threats to induce him to sign the Release, but we disavow it, as we do all his falsehoods, and are ready to wait for Justice. It has been often promised, but never afforded us. We beg that the great Men who manage the White People, may obtain Justice for us, and cause him to sign the Deed, and let us alone,-And if we thought this would still be done, we would willingly wait awhile patiently, otherwise, we cannot answer for the Consequences

To which Sir William Johnson answd.
That they need not have mentioned this Matter to their Confederacy, who had no business with it,-that he would again lay the Matter before Government, and use all his endeavors for their satisfaction,-that they Should patiently wait without attempting any act of Violence, which wou'd be highly Resented, and that he was Authorised to tell them that Klock's Conduct was disagreeable to the King.

When Sir William's immediate Deputy Col. Guy Johnson reasumed the affairs of the Congress after the Interment of Sr. Wm the Conajohares reminded him of their Speech concerning Klock, and were answered with Assurances that the same Should be laid before Government.

Taken from the Records

G. Johnson

Super Intend't of Ind'n. Affairs