By His Excellency
WILLIAM SHIRLEY, Esq.;
Captain-General and Governour-in-Chief, in and over His Majesty’s Province of the Massachusetts-Bay in New-England.
A PROCLAMATION
For the Encouragement of Voluntiers to prosecute the War against the St. John’s and Cape Sable’s Indians.
Whereas the Indians of the Cape-Sable’s and St. John’s Tribes have by their Violation of their solemn Treaties with His Majesty’s Governours, and their open Hostilities committed against His Majesty’s Subjects of this Province and the Province of Nova-Scotia, obliged me, with the unanimous Advice of His Majesty’s Council, to declare war against them; In Consequence of which the General Assembly of this Province have “Voted, That there be granted, to be paid out of the publick Treasury, to any Company, Party, or Person singly, of His Majesty’s Subjects, belonging to and residing within this Province, who shall voluntarily, and at their own proper Cost and Charge, go out and kill a male Indian of the Age of Twelve Years or upwards, of the Tribe of St. Johns or Cape-Sables, after the Twenty-sixth Day of October last past, and before the last Day of June Anno Domini, One Thousand seven Hundred and forty-five (or for such Part of that Term as the War shall continue), in any place to the Eastward of a Line, to be fixed by the Governour and His Majesty’s Council of this Province, somewhere to the Eastward of Penobscot, and produce his Scalp in Evidence of his Death, the Sum of one Hundred Pounds in Bills of Credit of this Province of the new Tenor, and the Sum of one Hundred & Five Pounds in said Bills for any Male of the like Age who shall be taken Captive, and delivered to the Order of the Captain-General, to be at the Disposal and for the Use of the Government; and the Sum of Fifty Pounds, in said Bills, for women; and the like Sum for Children under the Age of Twelve Years killed in Fight; and Fifty-five Pounds for such of them as shall be taken Prisoners, together with the Plunder: Provided no Payment be made as aforesaid for killing or taking Captive any of the said Indians, until Proof thereof be made to the Acceptance of the Governour and Council;”
AND whereas, since the passing of the said Vote of the General Assembly, I have with the Advice of His Majesty’s Council determined, That the Line above mentioned, to the Eastward of which the said Indians may be slain and taken Prisoners, shall begin on the Sea-Shore at Three Leagues Distance from Eastermost Part of the Mouth of Passamaquoddy River, and from thence to run North into the Country thro’ the Province of Nova-Scotia, to the River of St. Lawrence;
I have therefore thought fit, with the Advice of His Majesty’s Council, to issue this Proclamation for giving public notice of the Encouragement granted by the General Court of all Persons who may be disposed to serve their King and Country in the Prosecution of the War against the said Cape-Sable’s and St. John’s Tribes, in the manner above-mentioned, upon their own charge; as also to give Notice to the several Tribes of the Eastern Indians, who are still in Amity with us, of the Boundary-Line aforesaid; assuring them that this Government have determined to treat as Enemies all such Indians as live beyond the said Line.
Given at the Council Chamber in Boston, on Friday the Second Day of November, 1744. In the Eighteenth Year of the Reign of Our Sovereign Lord GEORGE the Second, by the Grace of GOD of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, KING, Defender of the Faith, &c.
W. SHIRLEY.