THE A US TIN PAPERS. 1209 fore any offensive measures should be adopted. It may be proper to state that the l\Iilitary Commandant has ordered me in case I take any property from said Indians to give him an account thereof that he may determine what shall be done with it, this is the substance of what has passed betwen me·and the Govt on the subject. If the Gov' in answer to my proposition of the 20 th of Augt repeat the order for war positively the only subject for consideration will be the most efficient plan of conducting it, If they leave it discretionaly with us to commence War or not, several points of great importance pre- sent themselves for the mature and deliberate consideration of the settlers. In this state of things I have deemed it my duty to lay the subject before the inhabitants of each Militia district for their con- sideration, opinion and advice, the course determined on by the ma- jority shall be adopted. it is therefore of the highest importance that the subject should be fully and maturely discussed and delib- erated in order that the united voice of the Colony may be known and that the course which is agreed on shall be carried into effect and supported by the unanimous exertions of every man. The propositions which present themselves for the consideration of the people may be reduced to the following head~Should the Govt repeat the order positively for War., 1st What is the best plan of defence for the frontiers 1 Will a chain of block houses be nessisary if so at what points, how are those to be determined on, how are the expences of building them to be defraid, by the people of the imediate neighbourhood or by general contribution, will it be nessisary for the settlers to abandon their farms, and embody at such block houses, if so what will be the best course to compel those who refuse to embody, and any other ideas connected with this part of the subject. 2 nd Will an expedition to the Indian Towns be expedient, if so what is the least number of men that ought to go how soon could it be fitted out, whether they should all be mounted or part on foot, how many days provisions ought they to start with- 3 rd Will it be good policy to send for the Lepan and Tankaway Indians, to join us in such expedition, those Indians will doubtless do some good as auxilleries but if we apply to them for aid we shall have them to feed and support, we must tolerate them to live in the settlements, and if so must expect them to steal our hogs_and corn and kill some of our cattle for they will say we are bound to feed them as they are fighting for us- 4 th Could the men from the lower settlements be safely drawn from there on account of the Karankaway Indians or would it be most prudent to conclude a peace with these Indians so as not to have two :frontiers to defend at the same time-
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