In times like these when the most horrid Murders and Affecting carnage are taking place all around us, and when the cruel & inveterate enemies we have to deal with are sticking at nothing to bring about their Diabolical purposses every genuine friend to our injured countrey (among which number I have the most powerfull reason to be convinced you are) will undoubtedly use all their influence to fix in offices of importance men who are most likely to fill these offices to the Advantage of the publick, for tho it is possible there may be times when interested connections may sway even the Patriot, Yet this is by no means one of those times, our very oppressed & bleeding Countrey demands from the Patriot a Pure & most disinterested disstribution of offices to be Lodged into the hands only of those Men who appear most likely to serve there countrey—it is from a firm faith of your integrity in the cause of your Countrey that I now Address you on a Subject of more importance then is perhaps generally conceived—

The Indians appear to me to be a people who can hardly restrain themselves from fighting in time of war, I have endeavoured much to Study there dissposition and think this is truly the case. If then they will fight is it not better that they fight for us and ^then^ against us? For however trifleing we may view ’em they are not without there brave Actions, and their barbarities frequently fill their enemies with Terror! (I have seen too much of this) but the manner of acquiring ^employing^ ’em is curious and appears to require much art and it is plain to me that before this time we might have a large Majority of the six Nations fighting for us if proper steps had been taken for that purpose—and it is as plain that the Conduct of the Commissioners1 has had a quite contrary tendency, it is not my intention to Attempt to point out the steps Necessary to be taken in order to procure the Indians to take up the Hatchet in our favour, I only beg leave to mention that I am prety clear it may be done, and that it would be an Advantage to us in the present war to have it done, and at the same time to give it as my opinion that the person to be employed in this business ought to be a man who has Virtue, has evidenced himself a friend to our cause, and is well acquanted with the manners & customs of the Indians who will be willing to lay himself out ^in the business &^ if it should be necessary as I think it will be, he must be ready to encounter danger and endure much hardness in performing the Arduous task—

I have had this affair in Contemplation for some time, and thought about a person who appeared to me to be Adequate to the task—it was a certain Mr. Spencer who lived among the Oneidas,—but he has died the Death of a Hero! in the late battle with General Harkamar [Herkimer],—2 the situation of this man’s family, (who if I an rightly informed live at Cherry Valley) is penurious,— I hope our countrey will not let ’em suffer for want—at present I can think of no person who is likly to perform this business, without it is Mr Dean3 an Indian interpreter, who is well known to the Commissioners of Indian affairs, and who at least might be consulted upon this business— I shall only add that it appears to me that the person employed will require good encouragment, that his duty & interest may be united—

I shall make no apology for troubeling you upon this business— I have only done my duty in mentioning to Gentlemen in your Situation, a matter that appears to me to be of importance to my Countrey— I am Gentlemen Your Very Humb: Servt.